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WASHINGTON  CO., 


NEW    YORK. 


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SOME    OF    ITS    PROMINENT    MEN    AND    PIONEERS. 


PHILADELPHIA: 


1878. 


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PRESS  OF  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  &  CO.,  PHILADELPHIA. 


CONTENTS. 


msTOi^io^i-.- 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

niAPTER  PAGE 

I. — Introductory         ........  ^ 

ir.— The  Advent  of  the  White  Miin 10 

III.— The  Situation 12 

IV._1609  to  1700 13 

V. — Queen  Anne's  War 15 

VI.— The  First  Settlement,  etc IB 

VII._The  War  of  1744 18 

VIII.— First  Part  of  the  "  Old  French  War"          ...  20 

IX.— Latter  Part  of  the  Old  French  War    ....  27 

X.— From  the  French  War  to  the  Revolution     .         .         .  -32 

XI.— 1775  and  1776 40 

XII.— 1777 « 

XIII. — Remainder  of  the  Revolution      .....  58 

NXIV.— The  Era  of  Development 63 

yXV. — A  General  View 69 

isXVI.- 1800  to  1861 70 

XVII.— Regiments  Raised  in  1861 75 

XVIII.— The  One  Hundred  and 'Twenty-third  Infantry    .         .  80 

XIX.— Other  Regiments 85 

XX.— Present  Condition  of  the  County         ....  86 

XXI. — Geology  of  Washington  County         ....  89 

XXII. — -Freemasonry  in  Washington  County  ...       95 

^XXIIL— The  Medical  Society  of  Washington  County      .        .  97 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIV.— Agricultural  Societies  .         .         .    •     .         .         .103 

XXV.— The  Press  of  Washington  County       ....     106 

XXVI.— Washington  County  Civil  List Ill 

HISTORY    OF    THE    VILLAGES    AND    TOWNS  OF 
WASHINGTON    COUNTY. 

Salem 121 

Granville 19-t  • 

Argyle 230 

Cambridge  ......•••••  2;>1. 

Dresden       ........-••  2S.i 

Easton 200 

Fort  Ann 301 

Fort  Edward SU 

Greenwioh 334 

Hampton     ....-• 362 

Hartford 372 

Hebron ■^'' 

V^lackson ^"■' 

Kingsbury ■120 

Putnam *'^^' 

White  Creek -1^^ 

Whitehall  *''^ 


Patrons'  Record  Asn  DiREtTORv 


ILXjTJSTK/.A.TIOnSrS. 


View  of  Court-House,  Salem       ....        facing  title-page. 

Map  of  Washington  County between  8,  9 

The  "  Post"  Building 110 


facing 


een  128, 
128, 
facing 


SALEM. 

United  Presbyterian  Church       .... 

Residence  of  William  Law  .... 

Portrait  of  Judge  C.  L.  Allen     .... 

Residence  of  L.  S.  Sherman  (with  portraits)     . 

Portraits  of  J.  B.  Stevenson  and  Wife 

Property  of  Thomas  S.  Stevenson  (with  portraits) 

Portraits  of  Isaac  Bininger  and  Wife 

Residence  of  Clinton  F.  Wilson  (with  portraits)         .  " 

Portrait  of  S.  Beaty between  136, 

Residence  of  Wm.  J.  Beaty  (with  portraits)      .  "         136, 

"  John  Cleveland  "  .         .        facing 

Portrait  of  Bernard  Blair  ......  " 

Dr.  George  Allen      .....  " 

Residence  of  the  late  David  Hawley  .         .         .        between  144, 
Portraits  of  David  Hawley  and  Wife  .         .  "         144, 

Portrait  of  J.  A.  MoFarland f.iciug 

Residence  of  the  late  Hiram  Walker  (with  portraits)  '* 

Portraits  of  Wm.  MoKie  and  Wife      ....  '' 

Farm  Residence  of  J.  M.  Thompson  (with  portraits) 
Residence  of  Sarah  Fairley  (with  portraits) 
National  Bank  of  Salem     ..... 
Residence  of  B.  F.  Bancroft       .... 
The  Old  Meeting-House  in  Salem 
Portrait  of  Gen.  John  Williams  (steel) 

"  Hon.  James  Gibson  (steel) 

*'  Benjamin  F.  Bancroft  (steel)  . 


facing 


facing     194 


PAGE 

Portrait  of  Asa  Fitch 1S5 

"  D.  V.  T.  Qua 187 

Residence  of  Mary  A.  Steele  and  Son  (with  portraits)      facing  190 

View  of  Salem,  N.  Y.,  in  1793    ....'.  "  l**- 

GRANVILLE. 

Residence  of  G.  L.  Bulkley        .... 

"  Mrs.  Leonard  C.  Thome        .         '. 

Portraits  of  David  and  Hannah  Rogers     . 

"  Stephen  Dillingham,  Sr.,  and  Wife 

Residence  of        "  "  2d  (with  portraits) 

"  Edwin  B.  Temple  (with  portraits) 

"  Truman  Temple         "  " 

'f  L.  R.  Tem]ile  "  " 

Granville  Military  Academy,  North  Granville 
Residence  of  Noah  Day  (with  portraits)    . 

"  M.  T.  C.  Day  "  " 

"  Seymour  L.  Potter 

Portrait  of  Gen.  Edward  Bulkley 

"  Leonard  C.  Thome  (steel) 

Residence  of  Otis  Dillingham  (with  portraits) 
Portrait  of  Daniel  Woodard 
Residence  of  R.  C.  Betts  (with  portrait)    .     * 

ARGYLE. 

Residence  of  Wm.  D.  Stevenson         ....  facing  2,'iO 

Portraits  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Reid        ...  "  232 

"  James  and  Jane  Williamson  ...  "  232 

Portrait  of  George  C.  Dennis "  2:i2 

Residence  of  A.  Barkley "  2;!6 

Portraits  of  Robert  and  Eleanor  Culhbert         .         .  "  240 

"  James  Foster  and  Wife ....  "  240 


between  lO.s, 

'•'  200, 

200, 
202, 
"  202, 

facing 

between  208, 
"         20.S, 


197 
199 

•201 
201 
203 
20;{ 
204 
207 
209 
209 


facing  212 

"  216 

"  222 

"  224 

.  226 

facing  228 


CONTENTS. 


HjUjXJSTK/jLTionsrs. 


Residence  of  William  Clapp 

"  John  R.  Harsha    . 

Farm  Resilience  of  James  MclJo 


lalJ 


CAMBRIDGE 

Residence  of  Russell  S.  Fish 
Farm  Property  of  Zerah  Rider 
Portraits  of  John  P.  Putnam  and  Wife 
Residence  of  John  h.  Hunt 

"  Horace  and  Phebe  Valent 

Portrait  of  Rev.  Henry  Gordon  (steel) 

"  James  Maxwell  (steel)     . 

"  David  Robertson     . 

Portraits  of  Henry  and  Patience  Hall 

"  Thomas  and  Jane  Skellie 

"  James  U.  Austin  and  Wife 


243 
244 


facing 


252 
260 
264 
272 
272 

between  278,  279 

278,  279 

facing     280 

280 

280 

.      282 


EASTON. 

Residence  of  Col.  Andrew  Thompson,  with  portraits 

"  E.  W.  Hollister 

"  Homer  B.  Dixson  .... 

"  Horton  Cottrell      ..... 

Portraits  of  Adam  Cottrell  and  Wife 

Late  Residence  of  Adam  Cottrell        .... 

Residence  of  John  Wilbur,  Jr 

Portraits  of  John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  and  Wife    . 

Portrait  of  E.  W.  Hollister 


facing 


facing 


290 
292 
294 
296 
298 
298 
299 
299 
300 


FORT  ANN. 

Residence  of  Israel  Thompson,  with  portraits   .         .        facing     301 
"  John  Hall,  with  portraits       ...  "         302 

"  B.   J.    Lawrence,    with    portraits    (double  page) 

between  304,  305 
Kane's  Falls  Woolen-Mills  ....  "         306,  307 

Bridgeport  Wood-Finishing  Company's  Works  .  "         306,  307 


FORT   EDWARD. 

Residence  of  A.  C.  Hodgeman    .... 

"  Amasa  Howland    .... 

"  Alexander  Carswell  (with  jiortraits) 

"  John  Wagman  " 

Portraits  of  John  and  Lucy  Mclntyre 

"  John  and  Charlotte  McGregor 

"  John  Clark  and  Wife      . 

John  S.  and  Mary  Durkee 
Portrait  of  James  Baldwin 
Portraits  of  Walter  Rogers  and  Wife 
Portrait  of  Joseph  E.  King,  Ph.D.,  D.D.    . 

"  h\  D.  Hodgeman  (steel)    . 

Portraits  of  Walter  C.  and  Margaret  Gilchrist 
Portrait  of  James  H.  Gilchrist  . 
Residence  of  the  late  Enos  Howland,  with  portraits 

GREENWICH. 

Residence  of  Edmund  II.  Gibson 

"  David  T.  Ensign  . 

Portrait  of  James  I.  Lourie 
Residence  of  Alphonso  Dwelle  . 

"  William  Hutton,  with  portraits 

"  the  late  Thomas  Rogers 

Portraits  of  Thomas  and  Betsey  Rogers    . 
Residence  of  James  Boveridge  . 
Portraits  of  James  Beveridge  and  Wife     . 
Residence  of  Horace  Morse 
Portrait  of  Dr.  Cornelius  Holmes 
Portraits  of  Asa  F.  Holmes  and  Wife 

"  Nelson  H.  and  Emma  B.  Wing 

"  George  and  W.  G.  Stewart 

Portrait  of  David  A.  Boies 
Residence  of  Nelson  Pratt  (with  portraits) 
Portraits  of  Alphonso  Dwelle  and  Wife 


facing 


314 

316 

318 

320 

between  320,  321 

320,  .321 

"         322,  323 

"         322,  323 

324,  325 

"         324,  325 

facing     327 

329 

.     331 

.     332 

facing     333 

facing     334 

336 

"         338 

340 

342 

between  344,  345 

344,  345 

"       346,  347 

"       346,  347 

facing     350 

between  352,  353 

352,  353 


faci: 


facing 


354 
356 
358 
359 
360 


Portrait  of  Col.  Franklin  Norton 

Residence  of  Harvey  Hanks  (with  portraits) 

HAIWPTON. 

Residence  of  Paulinos  Millard  . 
Residence  of  Fonrose  Farwell  . 
Portraits  of  Benj.-vmin  and  Paulinus  Millard 


PIGE 

facing     360 


364 
362 
364 


370 


Residence  of  Hon.  Ralph  Richards  (with  portraits)  . 

HARTFORD. 

Residence  of  Hon.  James  M.  Northup  (with  portraits)     facing      380 
"  Harvey  Brown  (with  portrait) 


382 


HEBRON. 

Residence  and  Farm  of  Arthur  L.  Smith  ...         fa 

"  "  John  McConnell  (with  portraits) 

Portrait  of  C.  J.  White,  M.D.     . 
Residence  of  Jas.  Craig  (with  portraits)    . 
Methodist  Church,  West  Hebron 
Residence  of  Nathan  R.  Hills  (with  portraits) 
Property  of  Edward  L.  Coy  (with  portraits) 
Portrait  of  Abraham  Johnston  . 
"  Daniel  Braymer 


386 
388 
390 
392 
395 
396 
399 
401 
403 


JACKSON. 

Residence  of  J.  H.  Cleveland,  with  portraits 


facing 

between  406, 

"       406, 

"       408, 

•'       408, 


^*  Samuel  B.  Hedges,  with  portraits 

"  James  H.  Weir,  with  portraits      .  ** 

'*  James  E.  Robertson      ...  " 

Portraits  of  James  E.  and  John  Robertson        .  *' 

Residence  of  James  Coulter,  with  portraits  (double  page)"       410, 

Portrait  of  Paul  Doig  ......        facing 

Residence  of  Jonathan  Warner  ....  " 

Portraits  of  Jonathan  Warner  and  Wife   ..... 

Portrait  of  Thomas  B.  Lourie    ....... 

Residence  of  William  Holden,  with  portrait       .         ,        facing 

KINGSBURY. 

Residence  of  Loren  Allen  ......        facing 

"  T.  M.  Groesbeck " 

"  Mrs.  Benj.  Ferris  (with  portraits)  .  " 

Carriage  Manufactory  of  Wilber  &  Witpen        .         .  " 

Hotel,  Store,  and  Res.  of  Ezekiel  Smith  (with  portraits)       *• 
Residence  of  Joseph  H.  Harris  (with  portraits)         .  " 

'*  Geo.  Weston  (with  portraits)         .         .  " 

Portrait  of  Charles  Rogers  ....... 

Farm  Property  of  James  P.  Buck  (with  portrait)      .        facing 


409 
409 
411 
412 
415 
415 


420 
420 
424 
428 
432 
436 
440 
442 
446 


WHITE  CREEK. 

Residence  of  the  late  Isaac  Ashton  (with  portraits)  .        facing  455 

"  I.  Braton  Perry  (with  portrait)     .         .  "  458 

"  Round  Hill  Farm,"   residence  of  John  James   (double  page) 

between  462,  463 

Residence  of  L.  S.  Sweet    ......        facing  466 

"  Hugh  Taber  (with  portrait)  ...  "  469 

Portraits  of  Jonathan  B.  Fowler  and  Wife         ....  471 

Portrait  of  Nathaniel  Cottrell 472 


WHITEHALL. 

Residence  of  William  Hannas    . 
Portraits  of  William  Hannas  and  Wife 

"  Dwight  Hollister  and  Wife      . 

"  R.  C.  Johnson  and  Wife  . 

'*  Elisha  A.  and  Mary  C.  Martin 

Portrait  of  Lambert  H.  Law 

"  Robert  Doig      .... 

"  Judge  Asa  Hawley    . 

Residence  of  A.  J.  Long,  M.D.,  with  portraits 
Portrait  of  Col.  Lemon  Barns     . 


between  474, 
"  474 
facing 


bctv 


480, 
484, 
484, 


facing     488 


Residence  of  Mrs.  Almira  Bascom,  with  portraits 


facing 


489 
491 


CONTENTS. 


BIOC3-K/^I=I3:iO^L. 


facing 
between  128, 

facing 
between  136, 

facing 

between  144, 
facing 


between  19 


Judge  C.  L.  Allen       ..... 

The  Stevenson  Family        .... 

General  Isaac  Bininger       .... 

Samuel  Beaty     ...... 

Bernard  Blair 

Dr.  George  Allen        ..... 

David  Hawley 

Prof.  J.  A.  McFarland        .... 

William  McKie 

General  John  Williams       .... 

Hon.  James  Gibson     ..... 
Benjamin  F.  Bancroft  .... 

Asa  Fitch 

David  Van  Tuyl  Qua         .... 
James  M.  Thompson  ..... 

Enoch  S.  Sherman 

William  Law 

Hiram  Walker    ...... 

Joshua  Steele      ...... 

John  Cleveland 

Fayette  Wilson 

Hugh  Fairley      ...... 

Alonzo  Gray        ...... 

David  Rogers       ...... 

Hannah  D.  Rogers "       198, 

Stephen  Dillingham,  Sr "       200, 

General  Edward  Bulkley facing 

Leonard  C.  Thorne     ......... 

Stephen  Dillingham  (2d) 

Otis  Dillingham 

Deacon  Noah  Day       ......... 

Marcus  T.  C.  Day 

Daniel  Woodard  ......... 

Edwin  B.  Temple 

Truman  Temple  ......... 

Luther  R.  Temple       ......... 

Royal  C.  Betts 

Seymour  L.  Potter       ......... 

J.  L.  McArthur  .......... 

Benjamin  F.  Ottarson 

John  P.  Putnam  .......        facing 

Rev.  Henry  Gordon     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         . 

Zerah  Rider . 

James  Maxwell  .......... 

Henry  Hall  .......... 

John  L.  Hunt     .......... 

Russell  S.  Fish 

Adam  Cottrell 

John  Wilbur,  Jr. 

B.  W.  HoUister 

Andrew  Thompson      .         .         .       ' 

John  Hall 

Israel  Thompson  ......... 

B.  J.  Lawrence 

John  Mclntyre    .......        between  320, 


John  MacGregor 

John  Clark 

John  S.  Durkee  . 

James  Baldwin    . 

Walter  Rogers     . 

Joseph  E.  King,  Ph.D.,  D.D. 

Frederick  D.  Hodgeman     .  ' 

John  Wagman    . 

Gilchrist  Family 

Enos  Howland    . 

Amasa  Howland . 


320, 
322, 
322, 
324, 
324, 
facing 


192 
192 
193 
199 
199 
201 
216 
222 
224 
224 

225 
226 
227 
227 
228 
228 
228 
229 
229 
264 
278 
279 
280 
280 
281 
281 
298 
299 
300 
300 
312 
313 
313 
321 
321 
323 
323 
325 
325 
327 
329 
330 
331 
332 
333 


PAGE 

Alexander  Carswcll '.     333 

James  Irvine  Lourie facing     338 

Thomas  Rogers between  344,  345 

James  Beveridge "       346,  347 

Cornelius  Holmes,  M.D "       352,  353 

Asa  Fitch  Holmes "       352,  353 

Nelson  H.  Wing facing     364 

Walter  G.  Stewart "356 

David  A.  Boies 358 

Hon.  Leonard  Gibbs 359 

Nelson  Pratt 359 

■  Alphonso  Dwelle 360 

Lieut.-Col.  Franklin  Norton facing     360 

Oapt.  Harvey  Hanks 361 

William  Hutton 361 

Horace  Morse 361 

Hon.  Ralph  Richards 370 

Albert  Richards 371 

Mrs.  Julia  Norton 371 

Paulinus  Millard 371 

Fonrose  Farwell '   .     371 

Hon.  James  M.  Northup 380 

Harvey  Brown 381 

Dr.  C.  J.  White facing     390 

Abraham  Johnston 401 

Edward  L.  Coy 401 

Daniel  Braymer 402 

Whedou  Smith 403 

Nathan  R.  Hills 404 

James  Craig        ..........     404 

James  E.  Robertson between  -108,  409 

Paul  Doig facing     412 

James  Cleveland  .........     414 

Jonathan  Warner        .........     415  - 

The  Hedges  Family 416 

James  H.  Weir 410 

Thomas  B.  Lourie       .........     417 

William  Holden 418 

James  Coulter     ..........     418 

Andrew  McLean 419 

Warren  Kenyon  .........     419  " 

Hob.  Roswell  Weston 440 

Charles  Rogers    . 442    . 

Ezekiel  Smith 443 

Benjamin  Ferris  .........     444 

John  Dwyer        ..........     445  ■' 

James  P.  Buck .     446 

Loren  Allen 446 

James  McCarty 447 

Joseph  H.  Harris 447 

HughTaber 469 

Israel  Braton  Perry    .........     470 

Dr.  William  Richards 470 

Jonathan  B.  Fowler 471 

John  James         ..........     471 

William  Hannas between  474,  475 

Dwight  HoIIister facing     476 

Randolph  C.  Johnson "         478 

Elisha  A.  Martin between  480,  481 

Lambert  H.  Law •  "         484,  485 

Robert  Doig "         484,  485 

Judge  Asa  Hawley      .........     487 

Alfred  Jerome  Long,  M.D. 488 

Col.  Lemon  Barns 489 

Hon.  Oliver  Bascom .         .     491 


H  I  S  T  O  E  Y 

OF 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


BY   CRISFIELD   JOHNSON. 


.      CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

The  War-Path  of  America— The  Great  Battles  on  its  Borders— The 
Design  of  this  History — Its  Arrangement — Boolfs  Consulted — Ac- 
knowledgments to  Individutils. 

Washington  county  is  the  war-path  of  America. 
Though  other  portions  of  the  continent  liave  been  the 
scenes  of  more  terrible  conflicts,  no  other  of  equal  size  has 
been  crossed  by  as  many  hostile  expeditions  as  the  one 
which  is  the  subject  of  this  history.  Occupying  as  it 
does  the  territory  between  the  Hudson  and  the  northern 
i  lakes,  it  has  been  the  ground  over  which  Ilurons  and  Iro- 
quois, Canadians,  New  Yorkers,  and  New  Englanders, 
French  and  English,  Continentals  and  Hessians,  have  suc- 
cessively passed  on  their  missions  of  attack  and  defense,  of 
destruction  and  of  vengeance. 

Curiously  enough,  while  Wa.shington  county  is  thus 
emphatically  the  "  war-path"  of  America,  it  is  not  to  any 
considerable  extent  a  battle-ground.  Fortune  has  so  ordered 
that,  while  many  minor  conflicts  have  taken  place  within  the 
present  limits  of  the  county  in  question,  all  the  great  battles 
which  have  made  this  region  famous  were  fought  outside — 
but  barely  outside — of  its  boundaries.  From  every  one  of 
those  battles  the  roar  of  cannon  could  be  heard  in  what  is 
now  the  county  of  Washington,  and  several  of  them  were 
fought  within  sight  of  its  territory. 

Had  a  cordon  of  sentries  been  patrolling  the  boundaries 
of  the  county  during  the  eventful  quarter  of  a  century 
which  succeeded  the  great  French  and  English  war,  some 
of  them  would  have  learned,  by  eye  or  ear,  of  the  occur- 
rence of  all  the  important  contest  for  the  mastery  of  this 
great  strategic  locality  while  they  were  being  fought.  Those 
who,  in  the  autumn  of  1755,  had  been  guarding  the  west- 
ern line  of  the  present  towns  of  Fort  Ann  and  Kingsbury 
would  have  heard  the  thunder  of  Gciieral  Johnson's  artil- 
lery, as  he  repulsed  the  columns  of  Dieskau  from  the  rude 
breastworks  on  the  shore  of  Lake  George,  only  four  miles 
to  the  westward  ;  those  who  occupied  the  same  posts  two 
years  later  might  often  have  stayed  their  course  to  listen 
to  the  roar  of  Montcalm's  guns,  and  the  more  feeble  replies 
of  the  ill-fated  Fort  William  Henry  ;  while  they  who,  in 
2 


July,  1758,  had  stood  on  the  northernmost  peaks  of  Put- 
nam would  have  known  by  the  terrific  cannonade  that  a 
desperate  battle  was  being  fought  five  miles  northward, 
around  the  ramparts  of  Tioonderoga.  In  the  Revolution, 
the  famous  fields  of  battle  were  still  closer.  The  sentries 
on  the  sout  ern  line  of  the  town  of  White  Creek,  in  Au- 
gust, 1777,  would  have  seen  close  before  them,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Walloomsac,  the  rude  farmers  of  New  Eng- 
land and  New  York  driving  in  disastrous  rout  the  dis- 
ciplined mercenaries  of  Brunswick  and  Hesse ;  tho.se  who, 
a  month  later,  had  stood  where  the  western  border  of  Easton 
is  washed  by  the  placid  Hudson,  might  have  watched  the 
red-coated  battalions  of  England  on  the  other  shore  recoil- 
ing before  the  terrible  fire  of  the  Continentals  in  the  first 
battle  of  Saratoga  ;  while  those  who  had  stood  there  on 
the  12th  day  of  October  would  have  seen  those  same  proud 
battalions,  English  and  Hessians  alike,  fleeing  before  their 
despised  antagonists  to  the  shelter  of  their  intrenchments, 
and  the  fate  of  America  decided  in  favor  of  independence. 

To  give  the  public  a  lull  aud,  so  far  as  possible,  an  accu- 
rate history  of  a  county  which  has  played  so  important  a 
part  in  the  history  of  America  is  the  design  of  this  work. 
We  propose,  in  the  first  place,  t«  present  a  general  view  of 
the  county's  history  from  the  earliest  accounts  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  showing  all  the  events  of  general  importance  or 
especial  interest,  following  closely  the  chronological  order, 
confining  ourselves  to  the  territory  now  included  in  Wash- 
inn-ton  county  and  to  the  acts  of  the  citizens  of  that  ter- 
ritory, and  mentioning  outside  matters  only  when  necessary 
to  make  manifest  the  connection  of  those  which  are  espe- 
cially our  theme.  This  will  be  followed  by  sketches  of 
various  societies  and  other  subjects  pertaining  to  the  county 
at  large ;  the  whole,  thus  far,  constituting  the  general  history. 

While  this  covers  all  the  time  down  to  the  present  year, 
yet  it  will  treat  most  cjpiously  of  the  early  history,  and  of 
the  action  of  Washington  county  regiments  in  the  recent 
war,  leaving  the  details,  and  minor  circumstances  occurring 
since  the  era  of  settlement  to  be  specified  in  the  .separate 
town-histories.  These  latter  follow  the  general  record,  and 
will  portray  the  ordinary  course  of  events  in  the  various 
localities — events  which  the  dignified  Muse  of  History  has 
too  often  neglected,  but  which  are  always  interesting  to 

9 


10 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


those  who  participated  in  them  and  to  their  descendants, 
and  which  may  be  made  to  contribute  to  the  true  knowl- 
edge of  a  nation's  life,  at  least  as  much  as  the  more  sono- 
rous record  of  stricken  battle  and  legislative  conflict. 

Interspersed  among  these  town-annals  will  be  found  nu- 
merous separate  sketches  of  the  men  and  women  of  the 
county,  both  dead  and  living,  while  the  monotony  of  the 
print  is  broken  by  portraits,  views  of  residences,  public 
buildings,  etc.  Certainly  no  reasonable  person  can  com- 
plain of  the  amount  of  information  furnished.  As  to  the 
manner  of  its  presentation,  we  must  leave  others  to  judge. 
In  dealing  with  the  events  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  mo- 
mentous years  the  compiler  has  found  a  difficult  task,  and 
if  any  have  expected  perfection  they  will  doubtless  be  dis- 
appointed. To  those  who  can  appreciate  the  labor  involved 
in  compiling  such  a  volume — the  consultation  of  books,  the 
harmonizing  of  conflicting  authorities,  and  the  still  more 
difficult  task  of  obtaining  the  town-histories  from  the  lips 
of  residents— we  commend  the  woik  for  their  favorable 
consideration,  and  trust  it  will  not  be  found  entirely  unsat- 
isfactory. 

The  principal  books  consulted  have  been  Parkman's 
"  Life  of  Champlain,"  Smith's  "  History  of  New  York," 
Gordon's  and  Botta's  "  Hi.stories  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion," the  "  Documentary  and  Colonial  Histories  of  New 
York,"  Bancroft's  "  History  of  the  United  States,"  Stone's 
"  Life  and  Times  of  Sir  William  Johnson,"  Pouchot's 
"  Memoir  of  the  War  of  1754,"  Lossing's  "  Life  of  Schuy- 
ler," Sparks'  "  Lives  of  Putnam,  Stark,  and  Arnold,"  Ma- 
dame Riedesel's  "  Letters,"  "  Memoirs  of  General  Riedesel," 
"  The  Sexagenary,"  Neilson's  "  Campaign  of  Burgoyne," 
Stone's  "  Campaign  of  Burgoyne,"  Mrs.  Bonney's  "  Legacy 
of  Historical  Gleanings,"  Hough's  "  Northern  Invasions," 
Butler's  "  Lake  George  and  Lake  Champlain,"  French's 
"  New  York  Gazetteer,"  Corey's  "  Gazetteer  of  Wa.shing- 
ton  County,"  Childs'  "  Directory  of  Washington  County," 
besides  numerous  manuals,  registers,  pamphlets,  etc. ;  and 
last,  not  least.  Dr.  Asa  Fitch's  "  Survey  of  Washington 
County,"  published  in  the  "  Tran.sactions  of  the  State  Agri- 
cultural Society  for  1848-49." 

For  aid  in  the  ta.sk  of  compiling  the  general  history  we 
are  especially  indebted  to  Hon.  James  Gibson,  of  Salem, 
who  has  devoted  much  time  and  attention  to  the  aiuials  of 
this,  his  native  county,  whose  pen  has  been  often  employed 
in  elucidating  its  history,  and  from  whom  we  trust  the 
public  may  yet  receive  some  permanent  historical  contribu- 
tion. S.carccly  less  is  our  obligation  to  the  ladies  in  pos- 
session of  the  papers  of  their  distinguished  ancestor,  Gen- 
eral John  Williams,  for  the  privilege  of  examining  those 
valuable  documents,  which,  admirably  arranged  in  six  pon- 
derous volumes,  throw  more  light  on  the  internal,  home 
history  of  Washington  county  in  early  days  than  can  bo 
obtained  from  any  other  source.  Tlie  courtesy  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Farland,  principal  of  Salem  Academy,  in  afibrding  the 
writer  fref|ucnt  and  convenient  access  to  the  library  of  that 
institution,  is  thankfully  remembered. 

We  also  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  the  aid  given  to  the 
general  history  through  special  contributions  and  personal 
reminiscences  by  Dr.  Asa  Fitch  and  Dr.  John  Lambert,  of 
Salem,  Rev.  8eth  C.  Carey,  of  Ma.ssachusetts ;   Hon.  John 


McDonald,  Hon.  Ebenczer  McMurray,  and  Colonel  Solo- 
mon W.  Russell,  Jr.,  of  Salem  ;  General  James  C.  Rogers, 
General  Thomas  J.  Strong,  Major  William  H.  Kincaid, 
Major  James  McCarty,  Captain  JI.  S.  Teller,  and  Hon.  U. 
G.  Paris,  of  Sandy  Hill ;  Mr.  Henry  McFarland,  of  Fort 
Edward  ;  Colonel  Antoine  Renois  and  5Ir.  L.  K.  Pierce, 
of  Whitehall;  Mr.  Lewis  R.  Harsha,  of  Argyle;  and  Mr. 
William  Ladd,  of  Salem. 

Thanks,  too,  are  due  to  the  many  others,  too  numerous 
to  be  named  here,  who  have  furnished  aid  to  the  town-his- 
torians in  the  compilation  of  their  part  of  the  work.  The 
record  which  has  thus  been  produced  from  all  these  numer- 
ous sources,  and  arranged  and  embellished  with  the  best 
skill  of  the  writers  and  artists,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  is 
now  respectfully  submitted  to  the  public. 


CHAPTER    IL 


THE    ADVENT    OF    THE   "WHITE    MAN. 

Sanmt-'!  Champliiin  discovers  Lake  Chaiuplain — Ilis  Corapiinions — 
Mfeting  of  the  Iroquois — Location  of  the  Meeting — Taunts  of  the 
Savages — The  Battle — Defeat  of  the  Iroquois — -Disastrous  Results 
to  Canada. 

As  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  very  first  white  men 
who  ever  entered  the  territory  of  the  State  of  New  York 
found  their  way  into  the  present  county  of  Washington, 
and  within  the  limits  of  that  county  was  fought  the  first 
combat  on  New  York  soil  in  which  men  of  Caucasian 
blood  took  part. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  July,  1609,  Samuel  Champlain, 
the  adventurous  Frenchman  who  had  founded  the  colony  of 
Canada,  discovered  and  entered  the  lake  which  still  bears 
his  name.  He  was  accompanied  by  two  Frenchmen  and 
by  sixty  Huron  Indians,  whose  cause  he  had  espoused,  and 
with  whom  he  was  on  his  way  to  attack  their  ancient  ene- 
mies, the  Iroquoh.  The  little  army  occupied  twenty-four 
canoes,  and  with  these  they  pushed  on  swiftly  up  the  lake 
during  the  fourth  and  fifth  days  of  July.  Being  now 
arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  locality  where  the  Uurons 
expected  to  find  their  foes,  the  former  adopted  especial 
precautions,  apparently  with  a  view  to  surprise  the  enemy. 
They  paddled  on  during  the  whole  night  of  the  fifth,  but 
lay  concealed  on  the  shore  all  day  of  the  sixth.  At  dusk 
they  again  set  forth,  and  at  ten  o'clock  at  night  discovered 
a  war-party  of  Iroquois,  also  in  canoes,  near  the  western 
shore  of  the  lake.  The  latter  immediately  went  on  shore, 
and  with  their  stone  axes  began  to  hew  down  trees  for  a 
fortification,  while  Champlain  and  his  Ilurons  remained  on 
the  lake. 

The  location  of  the  point  of  meeting  is  somewhat  doubt- 
ful, but  the  weight  of  evidence  is  that  it  was  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Putnam,  in  the  county  of  Washington. 
It  is  true  a  map  made  to  illustrate  Champlain's  travels,  but 
not  drawn  by  him,  represents  the  meeting  and  subsequent 
conflict  to  have  taken  place  just  north  of  Ticonderoga,  but 
this  is  contradicted  by  Champlain's  own  account,  which 
says  that  he  saw  the  waterfall  of  Ticonderoga  and  the  out- 
let of  Lake  George.  The  time,  too,  that  the  Indians  spent 
on  Lake  Champlain,  and  the  great  length  which  the  narra- 


HISTORY  OF  WASIIINaTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


11 


tor  assigns  it  (one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles),  both  go  to  show  that  the  invaders  were 
brought  to  a  halt  considerably  south,  rather  than  north,  of 
Ticonderoga.  At  all  events  it  would  not  do  to  ignore  so 
important  an  event,  whieh  iiiir/ht  have  taken  place  in  Wash- 
ington county. 

The  Ilnrons  remained  on  the  lake,  according  to  Cham- 
plain's  narrative,  while  the  Iroquois  built  their  rude  barri- 
cade of  trees,  the  former  keeping  their  canoes  alongside 
each  other,  and  fastened  to  poles,  so  that  they  could  all 
fight  together  if  they  should  be  attacked.  When  all  was 
ready  they  sent  two  canoes  towards  the  shore,  whose  occu- 
pants hailed  the  enemy  and  asked  them  if  they  wished  to 
fight.  The  latter  promptly  replied  in  the  affirmative,  but 
advised  a  postponement  of  the  conflict  until  daylight.  The 
llarons  agreed,  and  the  remainder  of  the  night  was  spent 
by  both  parties  in  singing,  dancing,  and  abusing  each  other. 
In  the  latter  amusement  both  parties  were  great  proficients. 

"  You  Hnroi*  dogs  are  cowards,"  the  Iroquois  would 
shout  from  their  barricade  of  logs ;  "  how  dare  you  come 
against  the  Hedonosaunce  ?  Have  we  not  whipped  you 
often  before?" 

"  We  will  show  you  Minyo  squaws  what  we  are,"  the 
Ilurons  would  reply.  "  You  have  beaten  us  sometimes 
when  you  had  two  to  one,  but  you  dare  not  fight  us  man 
to  man  ;  and  now  we  will  whip  you,  even  if  you  have  the 
most." 

"  The  scalps  of  the  Ilnrons  hang  thick  in  our  lodges  ; 
our  squaws  and  children  play  with  them  every  day.  Soon 
they  will  play  with  yours  ;  you  cannot  stand  before  our 
arms." 

"  Oh,  ho !"  would  scream  an  indiscreet  Huron,  "  your 
arms  will  be  worthless  before  those  which  we  have.  We 
have  weapons  you  have  never  seen  before.  You  will  I'all 
before  them  as  if  the  Great  Spirit  had  stricken  you  with  his 
lightning." 

And  thus  with  boasts  and  taunts,  with  shouts  and  screams, 
with  plentiful  repetitions  of  the  epithets  "  dog,"  "  coward," 
"slave,"  and  "squaw,"  the  summer  night  passed  swiftly 
away.  At  daylight  on  the  seventh  Champlain's  party  went 
ashore,  the  French  being  clad  in  light  coats  of  mail  and 
armed  with  arquebuses,  while  their  Huron  allies  were  re- 
splendent in  war-paint  and  feathers,  and  were  equipped  with 
bows,  arrows,  and  tomahawks ;  some  of  the  latter  being  of 
stone  and  some  of  iron,  fa.shioned  in  the  forges  of  France. 

Seeing  the  apparent  weakness  of  the  invaders,  the  Iro- 
quois left  their  barricade,  two  hundred  strong,  and  advanced 
slowly  in  line  toward  the  foe,  their  bows  and  arrows  in  their 
hands,  their  faces  hideously  painted,  their  heads  adorned 
with  crests  of  gaudy  feathers,  and  the  bodies  of  at  least  a 
portion  of  them  protected  with  arrow-proof  armor,  made  of 
strips  of  wood  fastened  together  with  cotton  thread.  In 
front  of  them  marched  three  chiefs,  whose  rank  was  denoted 
by  the  exceeding  loftiness  of  their  plumes,  and  the  greater 
hideousness  (if  tliat  were  possible)  of  their  war-paint,  but 
who  were  in  other  lespects  attired  and  armed  like  their 
followers.  Champlain's  French  companions  and  a  few  of 
the  Ilurons  went  into  the  bushes,  while  the  main  body 
marched  rapidly  in  line  toward  the  Iroquois,  with  their 
white  leader.    The  latter  had  loaded  his  arquebuse  with  four 


balls ;  the  chiefs  of  the  enemy  had  been  pointed  out  to  him, 
and  he  was  expected  to  take  the  brunt  of  the  fighting. 

Suddenly  the  line  of  Ilurons  divided  in  the  middle,  and 
the  bold  Frenchman,  arquebuse  in  hand,  advanced  into  the 
view  of  the  astoni.shed  Iroquois.  The  latter  halted,  the 
chiefs  clustered  together,  and  all  gazed  in  wonder  at  the 
white  face,  dark  beard,  flashing  armor  and  curious  weapons 
of  their  new  foe.  The  Huron  line  closed  up  in  the  rear, 
and  Champlain  continued  his  onward  course  until  he 
stopped  within  thirty  paces  of  the  Iroquois  chiefs.  Then, 
at  length,  the  latter  started  from  their  stupor  and  fitted 
their  arrows  to  their  bows,  determined  to  test  the  prowess  of 
the  strange  intruders.  Seeing  this  movement,  Cliamplain 
at  once  lifted  his  arquebu.so,  aimed  at  one  of  the  chiefs,  and 
fired.  Not  only  the  warrior  at  whom  he  aimed  but  one  of 
the  other  chiefs  fell  dead  before  the  shot,  and  one  of  the 
Iroquois  in  the  rear  was  mortally  wounded. 

This  was,  so  far  as  known,  the  first  time  that  the  sound 
of  firearms  was  heard  within  the  present  limits  of  the  State 
of  New  York  ;  the  first  time  that  blood  was  shed  by  a  white 
man  within  those  boundaries.  Nay,  if  we  except  the 
doubtful  account  of  the  entry  of  Jean  Verrazzani  into  the 
harbor  of  New  York  city  in  1523,  Champlain  and  his  com- 
panions were  the  very  first  Europeans  to  set  foot  within  the 
Empire  State.  They  were  the  pioneers  of  civilization, 
though  probably  the  Iroquois  did  not  look  on  them  in  that 
light^ 

The  Ilurons,  when  they  saw  the  execution  done  by  their 
foreign  champion,  rent  the  skies  with  their  exultant  yells, 
a.id  sent  volley  after  volley  of  arrows  among  their  foes. 
The  latter  were  appalled  by  the  apparently  supernatural 
flash  and  report,  and  the  fearful  death  of  their  leaders  ;  but 
for  a  few  moments  they  kept  their  places  and  responded 
vigorously  to  the  arrows  of  the  Ilurons.  Many  were 
wounded  on  both  sides  by  these  feeble  weapons,  but  none 
were  killed.  Ere  Champlain  could  reload  his  arquebuse  one 
of  his  companions,  who  had  crept  up  in  the  bushes,  fired 
another  shot,  and  another  of  the  Iroquois  warriors  fell  dead 
in  his  tracks.  Then  the  braves  of  the  Ilcdonosaunee,  who 
had  triumphed  over  half  the  native  tribes  of  America,  lost 
their  courage  in  presence  of  these  incomprehensible  disas- 
ters and  fled  into  the  forest,  the  French  and  Ilurons  pur- 
suing them  with  shouts  and  yells,  inflicting  death  upon  sev- 
eral of  the  fugitives  and  capturing  ten  or  twelve  prisoners. 

The  wounded  Iroquois  were  carried  off  by  their  compan- 
ions. Fifteen  or  sixteen  of  the  Ilurons  were  also  wounded 
by  the  arrows  of  their  enemies  ;  but  their  injuries  appear 
to  have  been  very  slight,  for  Champlain  says  they  were 
"  promptly  cured."  After  the  victory  the  Hurons  seized 
on  the  abandoned  provisions  and  arms  of  the  Iroquois,  de- 
voted three  hours  to  singing,  dancing,  and  feasting  in  honor 
of  their  triumph,  and  then,  in  company  with  their  French 
friends,  turned  the  prows  of  their  canoes  toward  their 
northern  homes. 

Such  was  the  first  meeting  of  the  French  and  the  Iro- 
quois. It  reads  more  like  murder  than  does  ordinary  war. 
The  taking  part  by  the  French  in  an  aggressive  movement 
in  which  they  had  no  concern,  the  slaughter  of  the  unsus- 
pecting Iroquois  with  weapons  to  them  unknown  and  invin- 
cible, the  needless  destruction  of  the  frightened  fugitives. 


12 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


all  give  to  this  exploit  a  elifiracter  of  peculiar  and  revolting 
rutlilessness. 

And  most  disastrous  was  it  to  the  French.  They  had 
made  enemies  of  the  most  powerful  native  confederation 
this  .side  of  Mexico.  Attacks  on  both  sides  soon  deepened 
and  fixed  their  hatred,  and  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  years 
the  people  of  Canada,  by  the  sight  of  their  blazing  dwell- 
ings, by  the  shrieks  of  their  slaughtered  women,  by  the 
sound  of  the  savage  war-whoop,  by  the  death-shots  falling 
thick  and  fast  among  their  devoted  soldiery,  were  taught 
to  rue  the  cruel  rashness  of  the  brilliant  adventurer  who 
devoted  the  colony  he  had  founded  to  the  vengeance  of  the 
Iledonosaiinee.  Nay,  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  power 
of  the  Iruqnois,  by  retarding  the  settlement  of  Canada,  turned 
the  scale  between  the  French  and  the  English,  and  that  the 
final  expulsion  of  the  former  power  from  this  part  of  Amer- 
ica was  indirectly  due  to  the  raid  of  Champlain  into  Wash- 
ington county  in  July,  1009. 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE   SITUATION. 


the  Era  of  our  History's  Opening — The  Territory  which  is  our  Sub- 
ject— Its  Location — Its  Geographical  Features — Its  Trees  and 
Animals — Its  Owners  in  1609 — Prehistoric  Traditions. 

At  the  time  our  history  opens  (July,  1G09),  America 
had  been  discovered  but  a  hundred  and  .seventeen  years.  It 
Was  seventy-five  years  since  Cartier  had  sailed  up  the  great 
river  St.  Lawrence,  but  it  was  only  six  since  Champlain  had 
planted  a  permanent  colony  on  its  shores ;  and  it  was  but 
three  years  since  the  colonists  of  Jamestown  had  founded 
the  first  settlement  in  the  United  States.  It  was  not  till 
two  months  later  that  Henry  Hudson,  with  his  crew  of 
Dutch  and  English,  sailed  up  the  river  which  still  perpetu- 
ates his  memory,  and,  as  is  generally  but  incorrectly  sup- 
posed, became  the  pioneer  discoverer  of  the  Empire  State  ; 
and  it  was  eleven  years  later  ere  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed 
on  the  rock-bound  coast  of  Plymouth. 

As  it  is  the  territory  now  forming  the  county  of  Wash- 
ington which  is  to  be  the  theme  of  our  story,  a  brief  delinea- 
tion of  its  boundaries  and  description  of  its  surface  will  aid 
in  giving  the  necessary  distinctness  and  individuality  to  the 
subject,  especially  during  the  long  period  between  the  first 
appearance  of  the  white  man  and  the  formation  of  the  actual 
county  of  Washington. 

The  district  under  consideration  extends  from  latitude 
forty-two  degrees  and  fifty-four  minutes  north  to  latitude 
forty-three  degrees  and  forty-seven  minutes, — a  distance  of 
no  less  than  sixty-one  miles.  It  lies  between  longitude 
three  degrees  and  ten  minutes  and  longitude  three  degrees 
and  twenty-one  minutes  east  from  Washington,  its  width 
for  forty  miles  from  its  southern  boundary  being  almost  ex- 
actly eighteen  miles.  The  remainder  of  the  county  dimin- 
ishes northward  from  nine  to  four  miles  in  width.  The 
area  of  the  whole  is  eight  hundred  and  thirty  square  miles. 

The  narrow  northern  section  just  mentioned,  comprising 
the  present  towns  of  Putnam  and  Dresden,  is  composed 
mostly  of  a  high  rocky  ridge,  bordered  on  the  east  by  a  long, 
narrow  stretch  of  water  and  marsh,  now  called  the  southern 


part  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  on  the  west  by  Lake  George, 
that  sparkling,  island-gemmed,  mountain-bound  sheet  of 
water,  the  beauty  of  which  is  renowned  throughout  the 
continent.  The  mountain  range  which  occupies  the  pen- 
insula— and  of  which  the  highest  peak  (Black  mountain) 
is  two  thou.sand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-eight  feet  above 
tide-water — is  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  county  by  a 
remarkable  depression,  through  most  of  which  Wood  creek 
runs,  and  which  extends  .southwesterly  from  the  head  of 
Lake  Champlain  to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward, forming  a  natural  pathway  for  the  armies  which 
successively  marched  to  the  north  and  the  south  on  their 
missions  of  invasion. 

Where  this  depression  spreads  out  into  the  broad  plain 
around  Fort  Edward  and  Sandy  Hill,  the  Hudson  comes 
rippling  down  from  its  source  in  the  Adirondack  wilds,  turns 
something  more  than  a  right  angle,  and  runs  thence  nearly 
due  south  along  all  the  rest  of  the  western  border  of  the 
county.  East  of  this  are  no  less  than  three  ranges  of  hills, 
all  running  northeast  and  southwest,  with  parallel  valleys 
between.  The  first  consists  of  the  highlands  of  the  present 
towns  of  Easton,  Greenwich,  Argyle,  Hartford,  Granville, 
Hampton,  and  the  eastern  part  of  Whitehall.  Through  this 
breaks  the  Batten  Kill ;  its  branches,  the  White  creek  and 
Black  creek,  dividing  the  first  from  the  second  ridge.  The 
latter  constitutes  the  high  ground  of  Cambridge,  west  Jack- 
son, and  the  eastern  part  of  Salem  and  Hebron.  This  again 
is  separated  by  the  Owl  Kill  from  the  third  range,  only  a 
small  part  of  which  is  in  Washington  county,  where  it  oc- 
cupies the  eastern  part  of  the  towns  of  White  Creek  and 
Jackson.  Poultney  and  Pawlet  rivers,  flowing  from  the 
highlands  of  Vermont  into  Lake  Champlain,  drain  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  county,  and  the  Hoosic,  on  its  way 
to  the  Hudson,  forms  a  part  of  its  southern  boundary. 

All  these  ridges  and  valleys  were  at  the  beginning  of  our 
history  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  oak,  ash,  elm,  beech, 
maple,  and  other  common  American  trees,  while  occasional 
groves  of  lofty  pine  shaded  some  of  the  streams  with  their 
evergreen  verdure.  Here,  the  deer,  the  bear,  the  wolf,  and 
the  panther  all  had  their  lairs,  while  the  deadly  rattlesnake 
coiled  among  the  rocks  beneath,  and  the  screaming  eagle 
soared  high  in  air  over  lake  and  river,  vale  and  mountain- 
peak.  The  geology  and  natural  history  of  the  county  will 
be  treated  in  separate  chapters,  by  a  gentleman  especially 
qualified  for  the  task,  and  we  do  not  desire  to  trench  upon 
his  province.  We  merely  wish  to  give  a  rough  idea  of  the 
territory  where  we  are,  in  imagination,  to  dwell  for  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  years. 

That  territory  was  undoubtedly,  in  1609,  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  easternmost  tribe  of  the  Iroquois,  the  fierce  and 
restle.ss  Mvluiicks.  They  never  have  had  a  permanent  res- 
idence there  since  the  country  became  known  to  the  white 
man,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  they  ever  had. 
They  may  have  employed  it  as  a  hunting-ground,  or  they 
may,  as  in  later  years,  have  abandoned  it  to  the  use  of  their 
tributaries,  the  Mohicans  of  western  jMassachusetts. 

Such  was  the  situation  in  1609.  Of  the  prehistoric  age 
little  need  be  said,  for  nothing  is  known,  and  there  is 
hardly  any  ground  even  for  reasonable  inference.  Dim 
tradition  asserts  that  the  Iroquois  were  driven  out  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


13 


territory  now  called  Canada  by  the  IJiirons ;  that  they 
located  in  central  New  York,  and  by  means  of  their  pecu- 
liar federation  became  stronger  than  their  conquerors,  with 
whom  they  waged  ceaseless  war.  The  only  certainty  is 
that  when  Champlain  came  to  Canada,  in  1603,  he  found  a 
bitter  feud  in  existence  between  the  lliirons  and  their 
southern  rivals,  and  was  informed  that  such  had  been  the 
case  as  far  back  as  Indian  knowledge  ran.  Doubtless  the 
glades  and  hillsides  of  Washington  county  had  many  a 
time  and  oft  resounded  with  the  fierce  war-whoop  of  Huron 
and  Mohawk,  and  its  soil  was  stained  with  the  blood  of 
these  savage  foemen,  as  they  met  on  the  great  natural 
war-path  which  is  the  subject  of  our  history.  But  they 
left  no  memorial  of  their  deeds,  and  we  turn  without  regret 
from  the  shadowy  domain  of  tradition  to  the  historic  path- 
way beginning  in  160'J,  at  first  dim,  but  gradually  growing 
plainer  and  broader  as  it  is  successively  trodden  by  hunters, 
soldiers,  pioneers,  farmers,  mechanics,  merchants,  by  busy 
citizens  of  all  classes  and  occupations,  and  sweeps  onward 
down  to  this  year  of  grace,  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

1609     TO    1700. 

Three  Lines  of  Conquest:  Dutch,  English,  and  French — Iroquois 
Friendship  for  Dutch  and  English — De  Courcellcs'  Kaid — Arent 
Van  Corlaer— Dc  Tracy's  Expedition—Rival  Claims— i'irst  Pat- 
ent in  Washington  County — Indian  Expeditions — King  William's 
War — Winlhrop's  Army — lis  Return — John  Schuyler's  Raid — 
Peter  Schuyler's  Expedition  the  next  Year — De  Mantelle  in  3693 
— The  Peace  of  Ryswick — The  enormous  DcUius  Patent — Its  Va- 
cation by  the  Legislature. 

For  nearly  sixty  years  after  1609  very  little  occurred 
in  Washington  county  which  has  become  matter  of  record. 
Events  of  great  importance,  however,  were  happening  all 
around,  and  from  three  directions  three  lines  of  adventure 
and  conquest  were  converging  towards  this  great  natural 
focus.  In  September  of  that  year  Hudson  sailed  up  the 
river  which  has  since  received  his  name,  to  the  site  of  Al- 
bany, and  took  possession  of  the  country  round  about  in 
the  name  of  his  employers,  the  Dutch  East  India  Com- 
pany, and  of  the  States  General  of  Holland.  That  people  in 
a  few  years  established  several  trading-posts  along  the  Hud- 
son, and  in  1623  began  the  work  of  permanent  colonization. 

In  1620  the  Pilgrims  commenced  the  settlement  of  New 
England,  and,  in  spite  of  a  thousand  obstacles,  steadily  pushed 
forward  the  work  of  civilization.  The  French  gradually 
increased  their  possessions  in  Canada,  though  they  showed 
themselves  much  more  successful  as  fur-traders  and  mis- 
sionaries than  as  agricultural  colonists.  The  Iroquois  per- 
sisted in  their  hostility  to  the  countrymen  of  Champlain, 
and  doubtless  often  crossed  the  soil  of  Washington  county 
on  their  mission  of  vengeance  against  the  intruders  who 
had  so  early  earned  their  hatred,  though  no  record  remains 
of  these  stealthy  forays. 

These  powerful  confederates  were  naturally  impelled  by 
their  enmity  against  the  French  to  cultivate  friendly  rela- 
tions with  the  Dutch,  from  whom  alone  they  could  obtain 
the  death-dealing  muskets  and  ammunition  with  which  to 
do  battle  with  their  Gallic  foes.     When,  in  1664,  the  New 


Netherlands  were  conquered  by  the  English,  and  granted 
by  King  Charles  the  Second  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of 
York  (from  whom  the  province  was  called  New  York),  the 
Iroquois  transferred  their  friendship  to  the  new  owners  of  the 
province,  and  still  continued  their  warfare  against  the  French. 

In  January,  1660,  a  French  officer.  Monsieur  de  Cour- 
celles,  set  forth  with  four  hundred  French  troops  and  two 
hundred  Canadians,  designing  to  inflict  a  severe  blow  on 
the  Iroquois.  Shod  with  snow-shoes  and  muffled  with  furs, 
every  officer  and  man  carrying  thirty  pounds  of  biscuit,  be- 
sides his  arms  and  ammunition,  and  accompanied  by  sledges 
loaded  with  supplies  and  drawn  by  dogs,  the  little  army 
made  its  toilsome  way  on  the  ice  to  the  head  of  Lake 
Champlain,  and  thence  trudged  through  the  forest  to  the 
vicinity  of  Schenectady,  sufiering  terrible  hardships  from 
the  excessive  cold.  There  a  part  of  the  force  was  am- 
bushed by  the  Mohawks,  and  about  the  middle  of  February 
all  the  remainder  came  ha.stening  back  to  Lake  Champlain, 
down  which,  half  frozen  and  starved,  they  made  their  pain- 
ful way  back  to  Canada. 

Several  of  the  Frenchmen  wounded  in  this  expedition 
were  rescued  from  the  MoImioIcs  and  taken  care  of  by 
Arent  Van  Corlaer,  the  manager  of  the  colony  of  Rensse- 
laerswyck.  This  gentleman  was  a  special  favorite  of  the 
Iroquois,  who  looked  upon  him  as  the  chief  man  among  the 
whites,  the  actual  governor  being  unknown  to  them,  and 
ever  after  called  the  governors  of  New  York  by  the  appella- 
tion of  "  Corlaer." 

Monsieur  de  Tracy,  the  governor  of  Canada,  was  so 
pleased  with  the  kindness  of  Corlaer  that  he  invited  the 
latter  to  visit  him.  He  accepted  the  invitation,  but  on  his 
way  was  drowned,  by  accident,  in  Lake  Champlain. 

In  the  September  following  the  expedition  of  De  Cour- 
cellcs, De  Tracy  led  another  force  of  about  six  hundred 
up  Lake  Champlain.  They  occupied  nearly  three  hundred 
bark  canoes  and  a  few  light  bateaux,  and  took  with  them 
two  small  pieces  of  artillery.  These  were  more  fortunate 
than  their  predecessors ;  they  were  not  defeated,  but,  as  the 
jllohaioJis  had  learned  of  their  approach,  they  could  only 
burn  the  villages  of  the  savages  and  return  by  the  route 
they  had  come.  Through  the  influence  of  the  English 
colonial  government,  the  Iroquois  shortly  after  made  peace 
with  the  French,  which  endured  until  about  1687. 

The  grant  of  Charles  the  Second  to  the  Duke  of  York 
covered  all  the  territory  east  to  the  Connecticut  river,  and 
northward  to  the  confines  of  Canada.  The  latter  limits 
were  not  designated,  but  the  English  considered  that  they 
owned  to  the  Canadian  settlements,  while  the  French 
claimed  that  Canada  included  the  whole  valley  of  Lake 
Champlain,  which  they  had  long  since  discovered.  Wash- 
ington county  was,  however,  much  nearer  the  Anglo- 
Dutch  settlements  than  those  of  the  French.  As  for  the 
title  of  the  Indians,  it  was  looked  on  as  entirely  worthless 
until  it  was  transferred  to  one  of  the  rival  European  claim- 
ants; then  it  became  an  excellent  title  in  the  eyes  of  that 
party,  but  of  no  value  in  those  of  their  opponents. 

Nov.  1, 1683,  the  province  of  New  York  was  divided  into 
counties,  the  northernmost  of  which  was  Albany.  This 
stretched  indefinitely  north  and  west  into  the  wilderness, 
and  included  the  present  territory  of  Washington  county. 


u 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


In  1684  the  first  patent  for  land  within  the  limits  of 
Washington  eouiity  was  granted  by  the  colonial  govern- 
ment. The  grantees  were  Peter  "  Philipse"  Schu3-ler 
(Peter,  the  son  of  Philip),  Robert  Livingston,  and  other 
gentlemen  of  Albany  and  vicinity.  The  land  thus  granted 
extended  back  six  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Hudson.  On 
the  west  side  its  southern  boundary  was  at  Anthony's  Kill, 
now  Mcchanicville ;  on  the  east  side  it  began  at  the  north 
bounds  of  the  Schagticoke  patent  (the  mouth  of  Hoosic 
river),  and  ran  up  the  Hudson  to  the  mouth  of  the  Batten 
Kill ;  thus  covering  the  whole  of  the  present  town  of  Eiiston 
and  a  small  part  of  Greenwich. 

This  was  commonly  known  as  the  Saratoga  patent.  It 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  recorded,  and  the  land  was 
certainly  not  settled  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  till 
a  long  time  afterwards.  In  1708  it  was  confirmed  and 
recorded,  covering  substantially  the  same  ground.  The 
Peter  "  Philip.se"  Schuyler  mentioned  in  the  grant  was 
doubtle.ss  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler  (son  of  Philip),  the  first 
mayor  of  Albany,  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  colony 
and  grand-uncle  of  General  Philip  Schuyler  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. Robert  Livingston  was  a  Scotchman,  recently  settled 
in  the  colony,  and  the  founder  of  the  celebrated  family  of 
that  name. 

In  1687  hostilities  broke  out  between  the  Five  Nations 
and  the  French,  and  the  Marijuis  de  Dcnonville  made  a  de- 
structive attack  on  the  Senecas  near  the  site  of  Rochester. 
That  same  year  about  sixty  of  the  enraged  Iroquois  passed 
down  Lake  Chaniplain,  inflicted  severe  damage  on  the 
French  at  Chambly,  and  returned  in  safety  to  their  homes. 
The  next  year  nine  hundred  warriors,  mostly  Moliawks, 
made  their  way  to  the  island  of  Montreal,  and  devastated 
it  with  great  slaughter  up  to  the  gates  of  the  city. 

jNIeanwhile  France  had  adopted  the  cause  of  James  the 
Second,  driven  from  the  throne  of  England  by  William 
the  Third  in  1688,  and  war  had  consequently  been  declared 
between  the  two  countries ;  the  conflict  being  commonly 
known  as  King  William's  war. 

In  February,  17!)0,  a  detachment  of  French  and  Indians 
pushed  through  the  forests,  probably  keeping  to  the  west 
of  Washington  county,  and  committed  the  celebrated  and 
terrible  massacre  of  Schenectady. 

We  now  come  to  the  appearance  of  the  first  Anglo-Ameri- 
can force  on  the  territory  under  consideration.  Shocked 
and  enraged  by  the  Schenectady  disaster.  New  York  and 
Connecticut  raised  a  force,  to  be  sent  by  the  way  of  Lake 
Champlain,  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  Montreal. 

Fitz  John  Winthrop,  of  Connecticut,  was  commissioned 
a  major-general  and  appointed  to  the  command.  General 
Winthrop  reached  Albany  the  21st  of  July.  Major  Peter 
Schuyler,  before  mentioned,  soon  after  moved  in  advance 
with  a  detachment  of  Dutch  militia,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Hudson,  as  far  as  the  second  carrying-place  (now  Fort 
Miller),  where  they  proceeded  to  build  canoes  for  the  use 
of  the  army.  On  the  4th  of  August  the  general  arrived  at 
the  same  point  with  the  remainder  of  his  force.  It  consisted, 
all  told,  of  four  hundred  New  Yorkers  (mostly  Dutch),  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  from  Connecticut,  thirty  "  River 
Indians,"  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  Moliawks  ;  not  a 
very  formidable  army  to  compass  the  capture  of  Canada. 


On  the  fifth  the  command  proceeded  to  the  "  great  carry- 
ing-place" (  Fort  Edward),  the  New  Yorkers  in  canoes,  and 
the  New  Englauders  on  foot ;  their  supplies  being  carried 
on  horseback.  The  next  day  the  meagre  army  proceeded 
over  the  swampy  ground,  abounding  in  Udl  white-pines, 
to  the  forks  of  Wood  creek,  now  known  as  Fort  Ann  ;  the 
sturdy  Hudson-river  Dutchmen  exciting  the  general's  espe- 
cial admiration  by  the  easy  vigor  with  which  they  carried 
their  canoes  and  provisions  on  their  backs  along  the  toil- 
some way. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  General  Winthrop,  with  his  mus- 
keteers, proceeded  down  Wood  creek  to  its  mouth  in  bark 
canoes,  while  a  band  of  watchful  Mohawks  marched  on 
either  side  of  the  boats  to  guard  against  any  lurking  foe. 
All  camped  near  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  on  the  north  side. 

On  the  9th  of  August  a  dispatch  came  from  the  Senecas 
and  other  Iroquois,  who  had  been  expected  to  meet  General 
Winthrop  near  the  north  end  of  Lake  Champlain,  to  the 
eff'ect  that  they  could  not  go  because  the  smallpox  had 
broken  out  in  their  country.  About  the  same  time  it  was 
discovered  that  at  this  advanced  season  the  bark  would  not 
peel,  and  no  more  canoes  could  be  made ;  also  that  the  pro- 
visions were  giving  out,  and  that  little  more  could  be  ob- 
tained from  Albany.  A  council  of  war,  held  on  the  15th 
of  August,  therefore  resolved  to  return  to  Albany. 

In  fact  the  whole  expedition  was  miserably  deficient  in 
every  respect,  and  it  is  likely  the  retreat  was  as  much  owing 
to  the  small  number  of  men  as  to  any  other  cause.  Win- 
throp must  have  seen  that  five  hundred  militia  and  two 
hundred  Indians  were  entirely  inadequate  to  the  capture  of 
Montreal,  even  if  there  had  been  an  abundance  of  pro- 
visions and  canoes. 

Captain  John  Schuyler  (a  younger  brother  of  Major 
Peter,  and  grandfather  of  the  Revolutionary  general,  Philip 
Schuyler)  was  now  directed  to  proceed,  with  forty  soldiers 
and  a  hundred  and  twenty  Indians,  and  see  what  he  could 
do  against  the  French  at  the  other  end  of  Lake  Champlain. 
The  "  army"  then  moved  back  to  the  head  of  Wood  creek. 

There  Lieutenant  Hubbell  died  of  the  smallpox,  and  was 
buried  with  military  honors,  a  circumstance  which  is  only 
noticeable  because  the  lieutenant  is  the  first  person  whose 
name  is  recorded  as  having  been  buried  in  Washington 
county.  The  boats,  the  stores,  and  the  slight  fortifications 
which  had  been  erected,  were  all  destroyed,  and  the  troops 
proceeded  in  great  haste  to  Albany.  General  Winthrop  wa.s 
put  under  arrest  by  Governor  Leisler,  but  could  hardly  be 
punished  for  not  capturing  Canada  with  his  diminutive  and 
ill-supplied  force. 

Meanwhile,  Captain  Schuyler  led  his  detachment  down 
Lake  Champlain.  In  a  short  time  he  met  Captain  Glen, 
who  had  been  sent  on  a  reconnaissance,  and  obtained  thir- 
teen more  whites  and  five  Indians  from  his  command,  while 
the  remainder  followed  the  track  of  the  retreating  Win- 
throp. With  his  force  of  about  a  hundred  and  eighty 
persons,  all  told,  Schuyler  continued  his  course  to  the  north 
end  of  the  lake,  and  thence  to  La  Prairie,  where  he  inflicted 
considerable  damage  on  the  French,  and  then  returned  by 
the  .same  route  to  Albany. 

The  next  year  Major  Peter  Schuyler  collected  two  hun- 
dred  and   sixty  whites   and   Iroquois,  and   made   another 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


15 


assault  on  Canada.  On  the  26th  of  June  his  conmiand 
reached  the  site  of  Fort  Edward,  and  on  the  28th  proceeded 
to  that  of  Fort  Ann.  There  they  remained  about  sixteen 
days,  building  canoes  and  preparing  for  the  journey.  On 
the  14th  the  party  floated  down  to  the  falls  of  Wood  creek 
(now  Whitehall),  and  two  days  later  set  forth  in  their  frail 
fleet  down  the  lake.  At  this  time,  however,  the  long, 
narrow  strip  of  water  reaching  from  Whitehall  to  Crown 
Point  was  not  always  considered  as  a  part  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  Consisting  as  it  does  of  a  narrow  deep  channel, 
bordered  on  each  side  by  a  strip  of  marshy  ground  hardly 
covered  with  water,  the  whole  was  frequently  spoken  of 
as  "  the  drowned  lands,"  and  was  sometimes  known  by 
other  names. 

On  reaching  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  Schuyler  pro- 
ceeded to  La  Prairie,  and  had  a  fight  with  the  enemy.  He 
then  made  his  way  back  to  his  canoes,  and  returned  to  the 
head  of  the  lake,  following  thence  the  usual  route,  by  way 
of  Wood  creek  and  the  Hudson,  to  Albany.  Boastful 
colonial  accounts  relate  that  Schuyler's  party  slew  three 
hundred  of  the  enemy  on  this  expedition,  but  this  was 
doubtless  mere  gasconade.  He  lost  twenty-one  men  killed 
and  had  five  wounded,  and  does  not  appear  to  have  accom- 
plished anything  of  coasequence. 

Frequent  depredations  were  made  by  the  Lidians  allied 
with  the  respective  combatants,  and  in  January,  lti93, 
Count  Frontenac,  then  governor  of  Canada,  determined  to 
strike  a  telling  blow  against  the  Mohawks,  who  were  the 
most  dreaded  of  his  adversaries.  He  accordingly  dis- 
patched against  them  a  body  of  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  whites  and  two  hundred  Hurons,  all  commanded  by  an 
oflScer  named  De  Mantelle.  This  force,  all  on  snow-shoes, 
with  its  provisions  on  sledges,  came  up  to  Ticonderoga, 
strode  along  the  western  border  of  Washington  county 
on  the  ice  of  Lake  George,  and  from  the  head  of  that 
lake  pushed  through  the  forest  toward  the  castles  of  the 
Muhawlcs. 

On  the  22d  of  February  they  again  arrived  on  the 
western  shore  of  Lake  George,  having  inflicted  severe 
injury  on  the  Moliawlcs  and  captured  many  prisoners,  but 
having  themselves  been  closely  followed  not  only  by  their 
Lidian  enemies,  but  by  the  two  warlike  Schuylers  before 
named,  with  a  body  of  white  volunteers.  These  had 
severely  handled  the  invaders,  and  De  Mantelle,  the  com- 
mander of  the  latter,  had  been  slain.  When  the  fugitives 
arrived  at  Lake  George  the  ice  was  found  to  be  rotten,  and 
the  men  in  some  places  sank  to  the  waist.  The  English 
and  Mohawks  had  stopped  at  Hudson  river,  but  were  sup- 
posed to  be  close  behind,  and  in  the  confusion  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  prisoners  escaped.  The  French  pushed  on 
down  Lake  George,  while  their  Indian  allies  struck  over 
the  highlands  of  Putnam  to  Lake  Champlain.  They  found 
their  depot  of  provisions  spoiled  by  the  rain,  and  they  all 
suficrcd  great  hardships  before  they  reached  Jlontreal, 
where  they  did  not  arrive  until  the  9th  of  March. 

In  1695  the  peace  of  Ryswick  was  concluded  between 
England  and  France,  and  for  a  while  the  red  uicn  of  New 
York  and  Canada:  buried  the  hatchet,  in  imitation  of  their 
transatlantic  allies.  The  next  year  the  territory  of  Wash- 
ington  county  came  very  near  being  transferred,  almost 


entire,  to  a  single  individual.  On  the  3d  day  of  Septem- 
ber, 1696,  Benjamin  Fletcher,  the  colonial  governor,  gave 
to  the  Rev.  Godfredius  Dellius,  minister  of  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed church  at  Albany,  a  patent  covering  all  the  land 
north  of  Saratoga  patent,  on  the  cast  side  of  the  Hudson, 
the  tract  being  twelve  miles  wide  from  the  Saratoga  patent 
until  the  east  line  struck  Wood  creek,  and  thence  occupying 
all  the  land  between  Hudson  river  and  what  was  then  called 
Wood  creek,  but  is  now  known  as  the  southern  part  of  Lake 
Champlain,  as  far  north  as  Rock  Retsio,  or  Regio,  now 
known  as  Split  Rock,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain, 
ninety  miles  from  the  north  line  of  Saratoga  patent.  The 
Dellius  patent  is  somewhat  obscurely  drawn,  but  this  is 
evidently  the  meaning  of  it. 

The  location  of  Rock  Regio  has  been  doubted,  but  it  is 
shown  to  be  near  Split  Rock  by  an  aflidavit  of  John  Henry 
Lydius  and  wife,  mentioned  in  Butler's  "  Lake  Champlain 
and  Lake  George,"  page  17.  The  patent  describes  it  as 
seventy  miles  north  of  Saratoga  patent,  but  little  was  known 
about  distances  at  that  lime,  nearly  all  boundaries  being 
determined  by  natural  landmarks.  Considering  the  long 
sweep  of  the  Hudson  to  the  westward,  north  of  Sandy  Hill, 
this  patent  must  have  embraced  a  tract  of  over  two  thou- 
.sand  square  miles,  comprising  more  than  half  of  Washing- 
ton county,  almost  all  of  Warren  county,  and  a  large  part 
of  Essex.  The  quitreut  reserved  to  the  crown  was  one 
raccoon-skin  per  year. 

The  Rev.  Godfredius  claimed  to  have  previously  pur- 
chased the  land  of  the  Mohawks,  and  it  is  quite  likely  that 
some  of  the  chiefs  had  made  him  a  grant  of  some  land 
after  a  due  use  of  whisky  and  flattery.  But,  reckless  as 
the  colonial  authorities  often  were  in  regard  to  large  grants 
of  land,  this  was  too  enormous  to  be  successful.  In  April, 
1798,  the  Earl  of  Bellamont  succeeded  Colonel  Fletcher  as 
governor,  and  he  was  so  impressed  with  the  injury  the 
grant  would  work  in  retarding  the  settlement  of  the  country 
that  he  persuaded  the  Legislature  to  vacate  it.  Dellius 
denied  the  authority  of  the  Legislature  to  do  this,  and,  on 
returning  to  Holland,  is  supposed  to  have  transferred  his 
claim  to  Rev.  John  Lydius,  his  successor  in  the  Albany 
church. 

Nothing  further  of  especial  consequence  relating  to  Wash- 
ing county  occurred  during  the  seventeenth  century. 


CHAPTER  V. 

QUEEN    ANNE'S    -WAR. 

Beginning  of  the  Conflict— Quiet  here  until  1709— E.xpcdition  nga.inst 
Montreal — General  Nicholson  appointed  Commander — Assembling 
of  the  Troops— Schuyler's  Advance- Building  of  Fort  .Saraghtogii 
—Also  of  Forts  Nicholson  and  .Schuyler— Inactivity  through  the 
Summer— Retreat  in  November  -Nicholson's  Second  Expedition- 
Building  of  Fort  Anne- Its  Change  of  Name— This  Expedition 
also  Abandoned — The  Peace  of  Utrecht. 

Scarcely  had  the  new  century  dawned  upon  the  world 
ere  its  light  was  obscured  by  the  smoke  of  battle.  The 
long  combat  known  as  "  Queen  Anne's  war"  began  in  1702, 
and  the  tomahawks  were  speedily  at  work  in  America,  on 
account  of  the  rivalry  of  France  and  England.  Washing- 
ton county   was  again  the  war-path  for  numerous  small 


16 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


parties  on  their  errands  of  destruction  against  the  French 
or  English  frontiers,  but  no  expedition  of  much  importance 
passed  through  it  until  1709. 

In  that  year  the  British  and  the  colonial  authorities 
joined  in  a  plan  by  which  two  expeditions  were  to  co- 
operate for  the  capture  of  Canada.  Five  regiments  of 
British  regulars  were  to  be  joined  at  Boston  by  a  body  of 
Massachusetts  levies,  and  proceed  by  sea  to  Quebec,  while 
the  troops  of  Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and 
Pennsylvania  were  to  concentrate  at  Albany,  and  follow  the 
well-known  track  by  way  of  Lake  Cliamplain  to  Montreal. 
General  Francis  Nicholson,  formerly  lieutenant-governor 
of  New  York,  was  appointed  commander  of  the  latter  ex- 
pedition by  acting-Governor  Ingoldsby.  The  four  provinces 
last  named  furnished  fifteen  hundred,  besides  several  inde- 
pendent companies  from  New  York.  These  were  joined  by 
about  a  hundred  Mohawks.  About  the  first  of  June,  the 
pioneers  and  artificers,  escorted  by  three  hundred  men, 
under  Peter  Sehuylor, — now  become  a  colonel, — set  forth 
from  Albany.  This  detachment  built  the  first  permanent 
fortification  in  Washington  county,  —  a  stockade  called 
"  Fort  Saraghtoga,"  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hud- 
son, a  little  below  the  mouth  of  the  Batten  Kill,  in  the 
present  town  of  Easton. 

They  built  other  stockades  at  Stillwater  and  Fort  Miller 
Falls,  and  constructed  a  road  from  the  Batten  Kill  up  the 
east  side  of  the  Hudson  to  the  "  groat  carrying-place"  at 
Fort  Edward.  Here  Schuyler  built  a  fort  which  he  called 
Fort  Nicholson.  He  then  proceeded  with  his  detachment 
to  the  forks  of  Wood  creek  (the  site  of  Fort  Ann),  where 
a  rude  fortress  was  constructed  and  named  Fort  Schuyler. 
John  Schuyler  (now  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  his  brother's 
regiment)  was  placed  in  command.  A  hundred  bark  canoes 
and  a  hundred  and  ten  bateaux  were  also  built,  the  latter 
capable  of  holding  from  six  to  ten  men  each. 

The  main  body  of  the  army,  under  General  Nicholson, 
soon  afterwards  moved  up  the  Hudson.  The  largest  por- 
tion, eleven  hundred  and  fifty  in  all,  was  stationed  at  Fort 
Schuyler.  Fort  Nicholson  was  garrisoned  by  four  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  among  whom  were  a  few  companies  of 
British  regulars,  the  first  whose  scarlet  coats  and  precise 
manoeuvres  were  seen  within  the  borders  of  Washington 
county.  Forty  soldiers  were  stationed  at  the  post  at  Fort 
Miller  falls  (which  had  not  yet  received  that  name),  and 
others  at  other  points  lower  down. 

A  French  force,  reported  to  number  sixteen  hundred, 
had  stationed  itself  at  the  other  end  of  Lake  Champlain. 
Their  services  were  not  necessary,  however,  for  Nicholson 
awaited  action  by  the  fleet  against  Quebec,  and  the  summer 
pa.ssed  away  without  any  proceedings  of  importance.  A 
severe  sickness  broke  out  in  the  English  camp,  to  which 
large  numbers  fell  victims,  which  made  a  hostile  movement 
still  more  impracticable.  The  enterprising  French  sent 
frequent  scouts  into  the  territory  occupied  by  the  English, 
and  one  of  these,  near  the  1st  of  October,  captured  Lieu- 
tenant Staats,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Fort  Nicholson. 
In  November  the  English  destroyed  Forts  Nicholson  and 
Schuyler,  and  the  po.sts  at  the  second  carrying-place,  and  re- 
tired down  the  river.  Fort  Saraghtoga  was  still  maintained. 
In  1711  still  another  attempt  was  made  to  lead  an  expe- 


dition against  Canada  through  Washington  county.  The 
plan  was  essentially  the  same  as  the  previous  one.  A  fleet 
was  to  operate  against  Quebec,  and  an  army  was  to  go  by 
way  of  Lake  Champlain  to  Montreal.  General  Nicholson 
was  again  selected  as  commander  of  the  latter  force.  This 
consisted  of  three  small  regiments, — one  of  regulars,  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant^Colonel  Ingoldsby ;  one  of  New 
Yorkers,  again  commanded  by  Colonel  Schuyler;  and  one 
of  Connecticut  men,  under  the  orders  of  Colonel  Whiting. 

It  left  Albany  about  the  last  of  Augu.st,  following  the 
route  pursued  two  years  before,  to  the  ruins  of  Fort  Schuy- 
ler. Here  a  new  fort  was  built,  half  the  expense  being 
borne  by  the  BritL-fh  government  and  half  by  the  colony  of 
New  York.  It  was  at  first  called  "  Queen's  Fort,"  doubt- 
less on  account  of  the  aid  received  from  the  crown  in 
building  it,  but  soon  after  received  the  queen's  actual  name 
and  became  Fort  Anne.  This  name  has  been  substantially 
retained  ever  since ;  but  for  a  long  time  everybody  has  in- 
sisted on  spelling  it  "  Ann,"  in  utter  contempt  of  the  fact 
that  her  Majesty,  from  whom  the  name  was  received,  always 
spelled  it  "  Anne."  This  is  particularly  to  be  regretted,  as 
it  tends  to  break  the  historic  chain  which  binds  us  to  the 
events  of  a  hundred  and  sixty-seven  years  ago.  But  uni- 
versal practice  is  sovereign  in  matters  of  orthography.  It 
has  made  "Dutchess"  county  out  of  "Duchess,"  and  in 
obedience  to  its  authority  we  shall  henceforth  designate  the 
fort  under  consideration,  and  the  town  named  from  it,  as 
Fort  Ann. 

Fearing  that  the  Lake  Champlain  route  would  be  un- 
healthy, Nicholson's  army,  now  increased  to  four  thousand 
men,  took  the  route  to  Lake  George,  as  being  a  more  salu- 
brious locality.  Before  reaching  that  sheet  of  water,  how- 
ever, Nicholson  learned  that  the  British  fleet  intended  to 
operate  against  Quebec  had  been  shattered  on  the  sea,  and 
that  the  expedition  had  been  abandoned.  He  accordingly 
deserted  Port  Ann,  withdrew  his  troops  to  Albany,  and 
disbanded  them.  Fort  Saraghtoga  was  still  kept  up  as  the 
northernmost  protection  of  the  Hudson  river  settlements. 
In  1713,  Queen  Anne's  war  was  ended  by  the  peace  of 
Utrecht,  and  Washington  county  became  once  more  a 
hunting-ground  instead  of  a  war-path.  On  other  parts  of 
the  frontier  the  colonists  were  frequently  assailed  by  the 
Indians,  even  when  no  European  war  was  in  progress ;  but 
in  this  locality  the  Five  Nations  were  so  closely  allied  with 
the  English,  and  the  Hurous  with  the  French,  that  peace 
between  the  two  great  nations  of  Europe  usually  gave  peace 
to  the  shores  of  the  Hudson  and  of  Lake  Cliamplain. 


CHAPTER    VL 

THE    FIHST    SETTLEMENT,    ETC. 

The  Saratoga  Settlement — Probability  that  it  was  the  First — Con- 
flicting Claims — Building  of  Crown  Point — Agreement  with  Cap- 
tain Campbell — His  Colony — His  Disappointment — The  Hoosic 
Patent — The  Walloomsac  Patent — -Colonel  Lydius'  Establishment 
—The  First  White  Child— The  Schuyler  Patent- The  Bayard 
Tract. 

Several  years  after  the  peace  of  Utrecht,  the  Schuylers 
and  others  interested  in  the  Saratoga  patent  procured  the 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


17 


settlement  of  a  considerable  tract  near  the  fort  of  that 
name.  This  settlement  has  usually  been  spoken  of  as  en- 
tirely on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson.  But  the  circum- 
stances attending  its  destruction,  which  will  be  mentioned 
later,  clearly  show  that  it  was  partially,  at  least,  on  the  east 
side.  In  all  probability  it  was  begun  on  the  east  side, 
around  the  fort,  though  it  may  afterwards  have  been  ex- 
tended to  the  west  side.  There  is  hardly  a  question  that 
this  was  the  first  settlement  in  Washington  county,  but  it 
was  so  thoroughly  devastated  afterwards  that  it  has  entirely 
escaped  the  attention  of  some  writers  who  have  treated  on 
the  early  history  of  the  county,  and  our  investigations  have 
failed  to  show  us  when  it  was  begun. 

The  dividing  line  between  the  French  and  English  pos- 
sessions in  America  was  loft  in  dispute  by  the  peace  of 
Utrecht,  and  in  1731  the  governor  of  Canada  made  a  move- 
ment to  secure  a  large  part  of  the  disputed  territory  to 
France  by  building  a  fortress  at  Crown  Point.  Great 
alarm  was  felt  along  the  northern  frontier  of  New  York  ; 
for  it  was  felt  that  in  case  of  war  much  more  facility  would 
be  afforded  to  the  murderous  expeditions  of  the  French 
and  Indians  than  ever  before.  The  obvious  counter-move- 
ment would  have  been  for  New  York  to  build  a  fort  at 
Tieonderoga,  but  the  governor  and  Assembly  were  iu  con- 
stant conflict  with  each  other,  and  nothing  was  done.  Even 
Fort  Ann  was  left  in  ruins,  and  no  defenses  wore  erectad  at 
the  head  of  Lake  Champlain  or  Lake  George.  Fort 
Saraghtoga,  however,  was  still  kept  up,  though  not  very 
thoroughly. 

The  only  move  towards  counteracting  the  French  ad- 
vance was  an  attempt  made  to  settle  the  territory  above 
Saratoga  patent  with  a  colony  of  fearless  men,  who  might 
act  as  protectors  of  the  lands  below.  In  1735  a  proclamar 
tion  was  issued  by  the  governor  inviting  "  loyal  Protestant 
Highlanders"  to  settle  the  lands  between  the  Hudson  and 
the  northern  lakes, — the  men  of  the  tartan  and  claymore 
being  evidently  considered  the  best  defenders  that  the 
province  could  have.  In  1737,  Captain  Laughlin  Camp- 
bell, a  Highland  soldier  of  distinguished  courage,  came  to 
America  in  response  to  the  proclamation,  and  went  over 
the  territory  of  Washington  county  to  sec  if  a  colony 
could  be  L-^ated  there.  He  was  satisfied  with  the  locality, 
and  according  to  his  statement,  which  was  in  all  probability 
true,  Lieutenant-Governor  Clarke  (acting  governor)  prom- 
ised him  a  grant  of  thirty  thousand  acres  for  the  use  of 
a  colony,  free  of  all  expenses  except  survey-fees  and  quit- 
rent. 

Campbell  returned  to  Scotland,  sold  his  property  there, 
rai.sed  a  company  of  ibur  hundred  and  twenty-three  adults, 
besides  children,  to  come  to  America,  and  in  1738  cro.ssed 
the  Atlantic  with  a  part  of  his  charge.  Ou  his  arrival, 
however,  the  governor  insisted  on  his  full  fees  and  a  share 
in  the  land.  This  Campbell  refused  to  give, — the  fees  he 
was  perhaps  unable  to  give.  Governor  Clarke  pretended 
to  be  very  anxious  to  aid  the  emigrants,  and  recommended 
the  Legislature  to  grant  them  assistance.  But  the  Legis- 
lature was,  as  usual,  at  war  with  the  governor,  and  refused 
to  vote  money  to  the  emigrants,  which  they  suspected, 
with  good  reason,  the  latter  would  be  required  to  pay  to 
the  colonial  officials  for  fees.  The  colony  was  obliged  to 
3 


separate  to  earn  their  living.  Campbell,  after  various  ad- 
ventures, died  in  poverty,  and  the  further  .settlement  of 
Washington  county  was  postponed  nearly  thirty  years. 
These  facts  are  derived  from  the  statements  of  Captain 
Campbell  and  his  friends,  but  the  conduct  of  the  colonial 
officials  in  other  matters  makes  these  charges  appear  ex- 
tremely probable. 

A  little  after  the  Campbell  fiasco,  the  Hoosic  patent 
was  granted.  This  lay  six  miles  back  from  the  Hud- 
son, and  mostly  in  Rensselaer  county ;  but  it  extended 
two  miles  north  of  the  Hoosic,  thus  embracing  a  strip 
of  that  width  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  of  Cam- 
bridge and  the  southwest  part  of  White  creek.  East  of 
this,  the  Walloomsac  patent  of  twelve  thou.sand  acres  was 
granted,  lying  partly  in  Rensselaer  county,  partly  in  the 
southeast  portion  of  Cambridge,  Washington  Co.,  and 
partly  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Vermont. 

Meanwhile,  Colonel  John  Henry  Lydius,  son  of  Rev. 
John  Lydius,  who  is  supposed  to  have  purchased  the  right 
of  Rev.  Godfredius  Djllius  to  the  vast  tract  granted  by 
Governor  Fletcher,  being  desirous  of  keeping  up  his  claim 
of  title,  built  a  house,  roughly  fortified,  so  as  to  resist  an 
Indian  assault,  on  the  site  of  Fort  Nicholson  (in  the  pres- 
ent village  of  Fort  Edwards,  and  engaged  in  trade  with 
the  red  men.  The  precise  date  of  his  making  this  estab- 
lishment (frequently  called  Fort  Lydius)  is  not  known,  but 
it  was  between  1730  and  1744  ;  and  is  believed  to  have 
been  shortly  after  the  former  date,  when  Colonel  Lydius 
left  Canada. 

As  the  English  and  Dutch  sold  Indian  goods  much 
cheaper  than  the  French  in  Canada,  a  large  trade  was 
attracted  to  Fort  Lydius  from  the  north,  and  Iliirons  and 
Ottitwas  from  beyond  the  Saint  Lawrence  were  found 
trafficking  there  beside  the  Molunrks  and  Mohicans  of 
nearer  localities. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  Lydius'  daughter,  Cath- 
arine, afterwards  Mrs.  Cuyler,  was  the  first  white  child 
born  in  the  present  county  of  Washington,  but  there  is 
every  reason  to  believe  that  children  were  born  before  her 
in  the  little  settlement  around  Fort  Saraghtoga.  In  fact, 
Catharine  was  not  exactly  a  white  child.  Her  mother, 
Genevieve  Masse,  was  a  Franco-Indian  half-breed,  whom 
Colonel  Lydius  had  married  in  Montreal,  where  he  resided 
between  1725  and  1730. 

As  the  colonial  officials  did  not  recognize  the  title  of 
Lydius  to  the  land  he  claimed,  they  proceeded,  on  July 
18,  1740,  to  grant  a  tract  of  twelve  thousand  acres,  com- 
prising the  southern  and  larger  part  of  the  present  town 
of  Fort  Edward,  to  John  and  Philij)  Schuyler  and  others. 
The  fir.«t  we  infer  to  have  been  John  Schuyler,  Jr.,  son  of 
the  lieutenant-colonel  who  took  part  in  the  Nicholson  ex- 
pedition, and  father  of  General  Philip  Schuyler  of  the 
Revolution,  while  the  second  was  doubtless  his  brother, 
who  was  afterwards  slain  at  Saratoga.  The  tract  was 
commonly  known  as  the  Schuyler  patent.  The  next  year, 
Samuel  Bayard,  who  was  also  one  of  the  grantees,  obtained 
an  additional  tract  of  thirteen  hundred  acres,  lying  north 
of  the  Schuyler  patent,  and  extending  to  the  middle  of  the 
present  village  of  Fort  Edward.  But  agaiu  the  clouds  of 
war  overshadowed  the  land. 


18 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  MTAR  OF  1744. 

The  Situation  in  1744 — Strengthening  Fort  Saraghtogii — Marin  .and 
his  Band— Destruction  of  Lydius'  Bstiiblishment— .attack  on  Sar- 
aghtoga— Death  of  Philip  Schuyler— HuiKling  of  Fort  Clinton— Its 
Location — De  Mery  on  AVoud  Creek — Kcpentigny  near  Fort  Clin- 
ton— Other  French  and  Indian  Raids — La  Corno  de  St.  Luc 
marches  against  Fort  Clinton— The  Ambush— The  Battle — The 
French  Victory — Further  Attempts — Ketreat  of  La  Come — Fort 
Clinton  destroyed  by  the  English — End  of  English  Occupation. 

In  1744,  after  what  was  then  considered  a  long  peace, 
of  thirt}--one  years,  war  broke  out  between  England  and 
France.  In  a  short  time  Indians  were  lurking  around  the 
fortified  house  of  Colonel  Lydius  and  the  little  settlement 
at  Fort  Saraghtoga.  No  serious  damage,  however,  was  done 
that  year.  At  this  time  Fort  Ann  was  entirely  in  ruins, 
nor  does  it  appear  that  the  colony  of  New  York  had  any 
fortified  post  on  tlie  upper  Hudson  except  Fort  Saragh- 
toga. This  was  somewhat  dilapidated,  but  capable  of  being 
used. 

The  next  year,  1745,  Colonel  Philip  Schuyler  (uncle  of 
the  general)  and  Major  Collins  were  employed  to  strengthen 
Fort  Saraghtoga  by  building  six  block-houses,  which  they 
accordingly  did.  AVe  infer  that  they  were  at  convenient 
distances  around  the  fort.  The  war  was  somewhat  lan- 
guidly waged  on  both  sides,  and  the  summer  of  1745 
passed  without  the  occurrence  of  any  event  needing  notice 
in  the  territory  which  is  the  subject  of  this  history.  Colo- 
nel Lydius,  relying  on  the  strength  of  his  defenses,  or  on 
his  influence  over  the  Indians,  remained  at  his  little  fort, 
the  farthest  outpost  of  the  English. 

But  in  November,  1745,  a  French  partisan  officer,  after- 
wards widely  celebrated,  named  Marin  (a  name  which  the 
English  and  Americans  have  distorted  into  "  Molang"), 
came  down  from  Canada,  with  three  hundred  Indians  and 
as  many  French,  intending  to  attack  the  settlements  on  the 
Connecticut  river.  He  changed  his  plan,  however,  and 
shaped  his  course  toward  the  Saraghtoga  settlement.  Arriv- 
ing at  Colonel  Lydius'  establishment,  Marin  laid  it  in  ashes, 
taking  prisoner  the  colonel  and  his  son,  both  of  whom  he 
afterwards  took  with  him  to  Canada.  He  then  proceeded 
down  the  Hudson  with  his  motley  force,  arriving  at  Saragh- 
toga before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  No- 
vember (N.  S.). 

The  settlement  consisted  of  about  thirty  families,  many 
of  them  being  tenants  of  Colonel  Philip  Schuyler,  who 
was  one  of  vhe  chief  proprietors  of  the  land,  and  the 
principal  man  of  the  locality.  As  has  been  said,  it  is  quite 
probable  that  the  settlement  was  on  both  sides  of  the 
Hud.son.  If  any  part  of  it  was  on  the  west  side,  Marin 
must  have  divided  his  force  ;  for,  in  a  very  brief  time,  the 
fort  and  all  the  dwellings  wore  captured  and  set  on  fire, 
and  a  hundred  and  nine  of  the  inhabitants, — men,  women, 
and  children, — thus  rudely  awakened  from  their  slumbers, 
were  taken  prisoners.  A  few  escaped,  and  a  few  were  slain. 
The  number  of  the  latter  (considering  the  number  captured 
out  of  thirty  families)  must  have  been  very  small  in  com- 
parison with  the  proportion  usually  slaughtered  in  Indian 
attacks. 

Colonel  Schuyler,  however,   fell    a    victim    to    his    own 


bravery.  A  French  lieutenant,  named  Beauvais,  who  knew 
him,  and  who  led  the  attack  on  his  house  (which  was  built 
of  brick,  and  pierced  for  musketry),  called  on  him  to  sur- 
render, assuring  him  he  should  not  be  harmed.  Schuyler 
refused,  called  Beauvais  a  dog,  and  fired  his  "  fusee"  at  him. 
Beauvais  repeated  the  invitation  to  surrender,  but  Schuyler 
only  fired  another  shot  at  his  foe.  The  latter  then  fired  his 
own  gun,  with  better  aim  than  Schuyler,  and  the  latter  fell 
dead  in  his  tracks.  This,  at  least,  is  the  French  account  of 
the  matter,  doubtless  derived  from  Beauvais  him.self,  and 
perhaps  too  favorable  to  him. 

We  have  included  an  account  of  Mr.  Schuyler's  death,  as 
it  was  a  part  of  the  raid,  which  certainly  extended  to  the 
Washington  county  side  of  the  river,  although  it  is  not 
certain  on  which  side  he  lived. 

In  the  winter  of  174G,  the  Colonial  Assembly,  at  the 
request  of  the  Schuyler  family,  voted  a  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  (about  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars)  to 
built  a  fort  in  place  of  Fort  Saraghtoga.  One  of  the  objects 
was  to  guard  the  large  fields  east  of  the  old  fort,  which, 
notwithstanding  the  destruction  of  the  houses,  it  was  still 
hoped  might  be  cultivated.  To  do  this  more  effectually  the 
new  fortress  was  built,  in  the  spring  of  1746,  on  a  hill  a 
considerable  distance  east  of  the  site  of  Fort  Saraghtoga, 
and  not  fiir  from  the  present  road  from  Schuylerville  to 
Galesvillc.  This  fact,  confirmed  by  the  location  of  the 
ruins  of  the  new  fort  (which  were  in  existence  at  the  time 
of  the  second  settlement  after  the  French  wars),  shows 
clearly  that  there  must  have  been  a  part  of  the  settlement 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  In  fact,  notwithstanding  the 
positive  expressions  of  Lossing  and  others,  we  are  strongly 
of  the  opinion  that  the  whole  settlement  was  east  of  the 
river,  and  that  Schuyler's  mill  was  on  the  Batten  Kill  instead 
of  Fish  Kill.  The  new  fort  was  much  larger  than  the  old 
one,  being  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by  a  hundred  and 
forty  feet  wide,  with  six  wooden  redoubts  for  barracks.  It 
was  armed  with  six  twelve-pound  and  six  eighteen-pound 
cannon,  and  received  the  name  of  Fort  Clinton,  in  honor 
of  George  Clinton  (father  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  the  British 
commander  in  the  Revolution),  who  was  then  governor  of 
the  province. 

The  locality  of  Fort  Clinton  has  often  been  mistaken  for 
that  of  Fort  Saraghtoga,  and  much  confusion  has  been 
caused  in  consequence.  It  is  evident  that  the  land  was 
cleared  as  far  back  from  the  river  as  Fort  Clinton,  and 
probably  a  short  distance  beyond. 

Several  small  French  and  Indian  parties  made  their  w.ay 
into  Washington  county  during  the  summer  of  1746.  In 
July,  Mons.  Do  Mery,  with  about  four  hundred  and  fifty 
Canadians  and  Indians,  came  up  Lake  Champlain  and 
camped  on  the  shores  of  Wood  creek,  which  the  French 
called  Riviere  an  Chicot.  Into  this  stream,  for  several 
miles  above  its  mouth,  they  felled  the  trees  growing  on  both 
sides,  so  as  to  render  its  navigation  impracticable  and  pre- 
vent or  retard  any  English  expedition  against  Canada. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  Mons.  de  Repentigny,  an- 
other celebrated  French  partisan,  led  a  party  of  twenty-five 
or  thirty  Al/cnaki  Indians  into  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Clinton. 
Seeing  a  detachment  of  twenty  soldiers  escorting  a  cart-load 
of  clay  to  build  a  chimney,  the  Abcnakis  suddenly  attacked 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YOKK. 


19 


them,  killod  and  scalped  four  men  close  to  the  gate  of  the 
fort,  and  took  four  prisoners. 

The  French  records  show  nearly  twenty  such  expeditions 
in  that  single  year,  1746  (besides  those  ol'  which  no  account 
remains),  that  went  on  their  mission  of  murder  to  the 
frontiers  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts.  Blost  of  them 
passed  over  some  part  of  the  lon<>;-exteaded  borders  of 
Washington  county,  but  it  would  be  idle  to  recount  the 
meagre  annals  of  these  inglorious  exploits,  so  much  alike 
in  their  atrocity  and  in  their  insignificance  to  all  save  their 
unhappy  victims.  One  week  a  band  of  painted  warriors 
(perchance  led  by  one  of  their  own  chiefs,  perchance  by  a 
French  officer  almost  as  wild  and  fierce  as  themselves) 
Would  be  gliding  swiftly  through  the  primeval  forests  on  the 
banks  of  Wood  creek,  the  Hudson,  or  the  Batten  Kill, 
toward  the  doomed  locality;  the  next  week  the  same  forests 
would  shadow  their  returning  forms  as  they  hastened  to- 
ward Canada,  their  dark  faces  gleaming  with  triumph, 
their  girdles  adorned  with  the  scalps  of  old  and  young, 
male  and  female,  while  in  their  midst  there  would  perhaps 
be  a  few  haggard  men  and  weary  women,  urged  forward  by 
their  brutal  captors,  and  shuddering  at  the  unknown  fate 
which  awaited  them. 

The  year  1747  opened  with  a  general  renewal  of  these 
scenes.  The  English  and  the  Six  Nations  made  some 
attempts  at  retaliation,  but  do  not  seem  to  have  been  as 
successful  in  their  atrocities  as  their  opponents. 

About  the  middle  of  June — old  style,  but  in  the  latter 
part  new  style — St.  Luc  la  Come  de  St.  Luc,  another  of 
the  French  partisans  who  were  so  successful  as  leaders  of 
these  stealthy  war-parties,  made  his  way  to  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Clinton,  at  the  head  of  twenty  Canadians  and  near 
two  hundred  Indians, — Hiirons,  JS^ipissiiiffs,  Abeimhis,  and 
French  Iroquois.  After  watching  for  a  day  or  two  in  the 
forest  without  seeing  any  good  opportunity,  as  the  Indians 
said,  "  to  break  somebody's  head,"  La  Corne  determined  to 
try  an  old  stratagem  to  induce  the  English  to  come  out  of 
their  fastness.  He  jjlaced  six  of  his  bravest  Indians  in 
ambush,  near  the  fort,  with  orders  to  fire  on  the  first  that 
came  out,  and  if  attacked  to  beat  a  speedy  retreat. 

The  first  day  the  ambushed  warriors  saw  nothing,  and 
the  chiefs  began  to  urge  a  retreat.  But  La  Corne  declared 
that  it  was  not  the  French  custom  to  retreat  while  there 
was  a  chance  to  strike  a  blow,  and  at  nightfall  again  placed 
a  party  in  ajiibush. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  (the  oOth,  N.  S.)  the 
lurking  warriors  saw  two  Englishmen  come  out  of  the  fort, 
and  immediately  fired  on  them.  The  gate  was  at  once 
opened  and  a  hundred  and  twenty  of  the  garrison  rushed 
out,  formed  in  line,  and  fired  on  the  assailants.  The  half- 
dozen  Indians  fled  in  accordance  with  La  Comes  plan, 
some  of  them  throwing  down  their  muskets  and  toma- 
hawks, running  a  little  way,  falling,  running  and  falling 
again,  as  if  severely  wounded.  The  English,  however,  sus- 
picious of  danger,  advanced  but  slowly,  and  when  they 
reached  the  place  where  one  of  the  savages  had  thrown 
down  his  musket  and  tomahawk  they  halted. 

La  Corne  saw  that  he  must  make  the  attack  quickly.  He 
rose  up  and  fired  his  gun  at  the  foe,  and  all  his  men  in- 


stantly did  the  same.  Then,  while  the  English  line  stag- 
gered under  this  sudden  volley.  La  Come  raised  the  war- 
whoop,  swung  his  tomahawk,  and  rushed  forward,  followed 
by  all  his  two  hundred  and  twenty  companions,  running  at 
the  top  of  their  speed  and  yelling  like  so  many  demons. 
The  English  fired  a  feeble  volley,  and  those  remaining  in 
the  fort  also  opened  with  their  cannon.  But  the  savages 
dashed  furiou.sly  on,  and  the  next  moment  were  plying  their 
tomahawks  on  the  English,  who  fled  in  all  haste  to  the  fort. 
Less  than  fifty  of  them  succeeded  in  entering,  and  then  the 
gates  were  shut,  not  only  on  the  enemy  but  on  the  rearmost 
of  their  own  men.  The  latter  made  but  little  resistance. 
In  a  few  moments  twenty-eight  of  them  were  killed  and 
scalped,  and  forty-five  more  taken  prisoners.  A  lew  others 
rushed  across  the  fields  to  the  Hudscin  and  plunged  in,  fol- 
lowed to  the  bank  by  the  yelling  savages.  Most  of  tlicse 
were  drowned,  or  slain  by  the  shots  of  their  relentless 
pursuers. 

Unable  to  secure  an  entrance  into  the  fort,  the  savages 
retreated  into  the  forest  with  their  scalps  and  prisoners  as 
quickly  as  they  had  advanced.  How  slight  must  have  been 
the  resistance  of  the  English  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
only  one  Indian  was  killed  and  five  were  slightly  wounded. 
Having  sent  his  party  and  their  prisoners  into  the  forest, 
La  Corne  with  a  few  men  waited  near  the  fort  to  see  what 
the  garrison  would  do.  A  number  which  he  estimated  at  a 
hundred  and  fifty  came  outside  the  gate  (showing  that  there 
must  originally  have  been  over  two  hundred  there),  but, 
warned  by  the  disaster  of  the  morning,  they  did  not  ad- 
vance beyond  the  shadow  of  the  wall,  and  soon  returned. 
La  Corne  accordingly  retired,  and,  at  the  head  of  his  tri- 
umphant band,  set  forth  toward  Canada. 

The  English  continued  to  hold  Fort  Clinton  during  the 
remainder  of  the  summer;  but  in  the  fall,  probably  near  the 
last  of  October,  the  guns  and  stores  were  removed,  the  gar- 
rison withdrawn,  and  the  fort  burned,  by  order  of  Governor 
Clinton,  his  avowed  reason  being  that  the  Assembly  did 
not  vote  enough  money  to  keep  it  up. 

This  was  the  end  of  occupation,  for  the  time,  in  that 
part  of  the  county, — an  occupation  which  was  not  renewed 
to  any  extent  until  after  the  concpiest  of  Canada,  though 
occasionally  some  one  may  have  built  a  residence  amid  the 
ruins  of  the  old  settlement.  So  completely  had  the  mem- 
ory of  this  little  colony  passed  away  that  when  people's 
attention  began  to  be  turned  to  the  early  history  of  the 
country  very  little  was  said  about  this,  the  first  settlement 
in  Washington  county.  The  existence  of  the  two  forts, 
Saraghtoga  and  Clinton,  in  different  locations,  but  in  the  same 
vicinity,  both  of  which  were  attacked  by  French  and  In- 
dians in  the  same  war,  added  still  more  to  the  confusion,  as 
did  also  the  fact  that  both  those  forts  were  called  "  Sarastau" 
— meaning  Saratoga — by  the  French.  By  collating  various 
accounts  derived  from  both  French  and  English  sources, 
we  think  we  have  obtained  the  first  consistent  and  con- 
nected account  of  the  events  in  Washington  county  from 
the  peace  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  to  that  of  Aix-la-Chapelle 
in  1748.  The  preliminaries  of  the  latter  peace  were  signed 
in  April  of  the  last-named  year,  and  for  a  time  stopped  the 
march  of  war-parties  along  the  northern  frontier. 


20 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

riKST   PAET   OF   THE  "OLD   FHEKTCH  ■WAH." 

Six  Years  of  Peace— The  War  begun  in  1754— The  Three  Expedi- 
tions of  ITSS— Movement  against  Crown  Point— Advance  liy  Gen- 
eral Lyman — Building  of  Kort  Miller;  also  of  Fort  Lyuian — Arri- 
val of  General  William  Johnson  at  Fort  Lyman— The  Forces 
assembled  there — Prominent  Men  :  Johnson,  Hcndrick,  Lyman, 
Schuyler,  Putnam,  Koger.s,  Stark,  and  Butler— The  Council  of 
War  —  Johnson  goes  to  Lake  George  —  Lyman  follows  —  The 
"  Dutch-Frenchman,"  Dicskau,  at  Tieoiidcroga — His  Sudden  Ad- 
vance— His  Ignorance  of  American  Warfare — He  marches  against 
Fort  Lyman — The  Indians  refuse  to  attack  it — The  Army  sets 
out  for  Lake  George— Defeat  of  Colonel  Williams  and  King  Hen- 
drick— Attack  on  Johnson's  Intrenchments— The  Repulse — Dics- 
kau wounded  and  captured— Slill  another  Battle— The  French 
Retreat — Honors  to  Johnson— Name  of  Fort  Lyman  changed  to 
Fort  Edward — Scouting  Parties — Rogers  and  Putnam — Lieutenant 
Noah  Grant- The  Army  disbanded— Rogers'  Rangers— Movements 
of  1756— Extreme  Slowness— Abercrombie  frightened  by  Mont- 
calm— Rogers  and  Putnam  attacking  Marauders— Rogers  goes 
beyond  Ticonderoga — The  Army  again  withdrawn — Rogers'  and 
Stark's  Remarkable  Expedition— Attempt  to  Capture  Fort  William 
Henry — A  Picturesque  Army — A  Surprise  prevented  —  General 
Webb — Lieutenant  Marin's  Raid — Terrible  Massacre  at  Sandy 
Hill — Another  Surprise — Slaughter  of  Militia  on  Lake  George 
—Montcalm  moves  against  Fort  William  Henry — Colonel  Munro 
made  Commander — Webb's  Call  for  Reinforcements — He  refuses 
to  aid  Munro— Sir  William  Johnson  sets  forth  to  relieve  him — 
Webb  orders  him  back — Surrender  of  Munro — Arrival  of  Fugi- 
tives at  Fort  Edward — Their  Story  of  Massacre — Coming  in  of  the 
Stragglers- Montcalm  falls  back— A  Raid  by  De  Levis— Putnam 
aiding  the  Guard— Putnam  subduing  the  Fire— Close  of  Ihe  most 
Disastrous  Period. 

From  the  peace  of  Ais-la-Chapello  to  the  outbreak  of  the 
great  conflict  which  is  known  distinctly  as  the  "  Old  French 
and  Indian  War,"  there  was  ahiiost  entire  quiet  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  Washington  county.  There  was  not  even  a  new 
patent  granted.  There  is  a  dim  tradition  that  a  settlement 
was  then  begun  on  the  south  part  of  the  Schuyler  patent, 
in  the  present  town  of  Greenwich,  but  there  is  no  direct  evi- 
dence to  that  effect.  The  feeble  remnant  of  the  llohican 
Indians,  by  the  permission  of  the  lordly  Moliaicks,  hunted 
over  the  lands  in  question,  and  occasional  traders  passed  to 
and  fro  in  their  search  for  gain.  Perchance  a  few  settlers 
straggled  back  to  the  devastated  fields  of  Easton,  and  a  cir- 
cumstance which  will  be  noted  hereafter  tends  to  sho\y  tliat 
this  was  the  case,  but  no  record  remains  regarding  their 
number  or  circumstances. 

The  great  war  actually  began  in  Virginia,  in  1754, 
though  not  formally  declared  until  two  years  later.  At 
first  the  conflict  did  not  extend  to  the  northern  frontier, 
but  in  1755  it  opened  all  along  the  far-extended  line. 
England  and  her  colonies  prepared  to  send  three  expedi- 
tions against  the  principal  French  strongholds, — one,  under 
General  Braddock,  against  Fort  Duquesne ;  one,  under 
General  Shirley,  against  Fort  Niagara ;  and  one,  under 
Major-General  William  Johnson,  against  Crown  Point. 
While  the  first  was  composed  almost  entirely  of  regulars, 
and  the  second  largely  so,  the  third  consisted  wholly  of 
provincials,  and  yet  was  the  only  one  which  met  with  even 
partial  success. 

The  troops  for  the  Crown  Point  expedition  began  assem- 
bling at  Albany  about  the  last  of  June.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, until  near  the  1st  of  August  that  the  advance  moved 


up  the  Hudson  under  Major-General  Phineas  Lyman,  of 
Connecticut.  This  force  did  not  cross  the  river  into  Wash- 
ington county  until  it  arrived  opposite  the  site  of  Fort 
Nicholson  and  of  "  Lydius'  house."  It  was  on  its  way  up 
that  an  intrenched  depot  was  established,  from  which  the 
village  of  Fort  Miller,  in  Washington  county,  derives  its 
name,  though  the  post  itself  was  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river.  On  the  site  of  Fort  Nicholson  a  much  larger  fortress 
was  laid  out,  to  which  the  name  of  Fort  Lyman  was  given. 
Work  was  immediately  begun  upon  it,  under  the  direction 
of  Captain  Eyre,  an  officer  of  engineers.  It  was  of  an 
irregular  quadrangular  form,  protected  on  two  sides  by  the 
Hudson  river  and  Fort  Edward  creek,  and  was  fifteen  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet  (nearly  a  third  of  a  mile)  in  circumfer- 
ence. On  its  ramparts,  sixteen  feet  high  and  twenty-two 
feet  thick,  six  cannon  were  mounted.  Besides  the  usual 
barracks,  magazine,  hospital,  etc.,  within  the  fort,  large 
barracks  were  erected  on  the  island  in  the  Hudson  river, 
opposite  the  fortress. 

To  this  point,  on  .\ug.  14,  came  Major-General  William 
Johnson,  with  the  remainder  of  the  troops,  except  the  New 
Hampshire  regiment,  the  stores  and  artillery,  and  fifty  Md- 
Jiaick  braves,  under  the  celebrated  chief.  King  Ilendrick. 
There  were  already  two  hundred  ilohaxck  warriors  with 
Lyman's  comiuand. 

It  was  a  busy  period  at  the  frontier  post.  There  were 
nearly  four  thousand  men  assembled  there,  all  newly  be- 
come soldiers,  but  diligently  striving  to  perfect  themselves 
in  drill  and  discipline.  These  consisted  of  two  Connecticut 
regiments,  the  commanders  of  which  were  General  Lyman 
and  Colonel  Goodrich ;  three  Massachusetts  regiments, 
under  Colonels  Rtiggles,  Titcomb,  and  Williams ;  a  Rhode 
Island  regiment  under  Colonel  Cockrofl ;  and  a  New  York 
regiment, — of  which,  however,  three  companies  were  from 
Connecticut, — commanded  by  Blajor  Fitch,  of  the  latter 
State.  A  New  Hampshire  regiment,  under  Colonel  Blaiich- 
ard,  arrived  about  Aug.  25.  Many  men,  prominent  in 
American  history,  were  then  taking  some  of  their  earliest 
lessons  in  the  art  of  war  around  Fort  Edward,  a  brief  men- 
tion of  whom  may  be  interesting  to  our  readers. 

General  Johnson,  the  commander-in-chief,  better  known 
to  the  present  age  as  Sir  William  Johnson,  was  then  a 
broad-shouldered,  bold-faced  man  of  forty,  a  successful 
pioneer  and  Indian  trader,  energetic  and  vigilant,  and  par- 
ticularly distinguished  for  his  influence  over  .the  warriors 
of  the  Six  Nations.  "  King  Hcndrick"  had  long  been  re- 
cognized as  the  principal  war-chief  of  the  Muhawks,  and, 
though  now  aged  and  corpulent,  was  zealous  for  war  and 
ready  to  follow  his  friend,  Johnson,  to  the  last. 

General  Phineas  Lyman,  the  second  in  command,  was  a 
Connecticut  lawyer  of  good  standing,  who  had  had  some 
military  experience,  as  indeed  almost  every  one  had  in  those 
days,  and  who  showed  himself  a  brave,  faithful,  and  capable 
soldier.  The  captain  of  one  of  the  two  Albany  companies 
in  the  New  York  regiment  was  a  fair-faced,  fine-looking, 
active  young  man  of  twenty-one,  destined  to  become  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  of  Americans,  and  whose  name  was 
to  be  linked  especially  with  the  history  of  Washington 
county.  This  was  Captain  Philip  John  Schuyler,  as  he 
was  then  enrolled,  but  whose  middle  name  was  soon  after 


HISTORY   OF   WASHIXGTOiX   COUxNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


21 


dropped,  and  who  is  now  known  as  General  Philip  Schuy- 
ler. 

One  of  the  Connecticut  officers,  Lieutenant  Israel  Put- 
nam, was  a  rough  but  sturdy  farmer,  already  thirty-five  years 
old,  unlearned  in  book.s,  but  familiar  with  the  lore  of  the 
forest,  brave  even  to  desperation,  and  whose  name  will  be 
respected  by  all  Americans  as  long  as  the  memory  of  Bunker 
Hill  shall  last. 

Captain  Robert  Rogers,  of  Blanchard's  New  Hampshire 
regiment,  had  already  become  noted  as  a  successful  partisan, 
and  although  in  the  great  Revolution  which  made  his 
country  free  he  engaged  on  the  side  of  her  oppressors,  yet 
history  should  not  neglect  to  record  the  bravo  and  faitliful 
services  he  rendered  at  an  early  day,  in  protecting  her  fron- 
tiers from  devastation.  In  the  ranks  of  Captain  Rogers' 
company,  too,  was  a  shrewd,  keen-faced  young  man,  slender 
in  form  but  tough  as  the  hickory  of  his  native  forests, 
shrinking  neither  from  the  bullet  of  the  Frenchman,  the 
tomahawk  of  the  Indian,  the  severest  cold  of  a  northern 
winter,  or  the  hardest  fatigue  imposed  by  partisan  warfare. 
This  was  John  Stark,  the  hero  of  Bennington,  and  major- 
general  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution. 

There  was  still  another  young  soldier  from  the  valley  of 
the  Mohawk,  whose  courage  none  disputed,  but  who  was 
destined  to  be  hated  with  peculiar  energy  by  nearly  all  the 
people  of  the  American  frontier,  who  have  transmitted  his 
name  to  their  descendants  as  the  synonym  for  all  that  is 
cruel  and  atrocious.  We  refer  to  Lieutenant  John  Butler, 
then  commander  of  a  company  of  Indians  under  General 
Johnson,  but  two  decades  later  the  most  terrible  scourge  of 
the  valleys  of  the  Mohawk,  of  Schoharie,  and  of  Wyoming. 

Soon  after  his  arrival,  General  Johnson  heard  that  six 
thousand  Frenchmen  were  concentrating  at  Crown  Point, 
with  the  intention  of  taking  the  offensive.  He  laid  the 
information  before  a  council  of  war  on  the  24th  of  August, 
and  asked  their  opinion.  They  declared  unanimously  that 
reinforcements  should  be  sent  for,  that  the  route  to  Lake 
Saint  Sacrament  was  the  best,  and  that  two  thousand  men 
should  be  sent  forward  to  make  a  road  and  prepare  a  depot 
of  arms,  etc.,  at  the  head  of  that  lake.  There  were  at  that 
time  only  two  thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirty-two  men 
reported  fit  for  duly,  besides  the  New  Hampshire  men,  then 
almost  arrived.  Before,  however,  General  Johnson  could 
send  the  report  of  this  council  to  the  colonial  governors,  the 
New  York  Legislature  had  already  voted  to  raise  four  hun- 
dred more  men,  Connecticut  five  hundred,  and  !Massachu- 
setts  no  less  than  two  thousand. 

On  the  25th,  Johnson  started,  with  fifteen  hundred  sol- 
diers and  all  the  Indians,  for  Lake  Saint  Sacrament,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  28th,  and  encamped.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  the  name  of  "  Lake  George"  was  given  by  Gen- 
eral Johnson  to  the  beautiful  sheet  of  water  previously 
known  by  the  French  name  of  Saint  Sacrament,  or  the 
Indian  one  of  Andiatiroote. 

Colonel  Blanchard  arrived  about  the  time  that  Johnson 
left,  and  a  few  days  later  General  Lyman  followed  his  com- 
mander, leaving  the  first-named  officer  in  command  at  Fort 
Lyman,  with  his  own  New  Hampshire  regiment  and  five 
companies  of  tlie  New  York  regiment. 

The  general's  plan  was  to  throw  up  some  intrcnchraonts 


at  the  head  of  Lake  George,  then  move  to  Ticonderoga, 
and  there  await  reinforcements  before  advancing  on  Crown 
Point.  But,  in  the  mean  time,  the  new  French  commander- 
in-chief  took  possession  of  the  former  locality,  and  assumed 
the  offensive.  This  was  the  Baron  de  Dieskau,  a  soldier  of 
German  extraction  in  the  service  of  Louis  the  Fifteenth, 
and  whom  the  Americans  called  "  the  Dutch-Frenchman." 

Dieskau  arrived  at  Ticonderoga  on  the  3d  of  September, 
having  a  force  there  and  at  Crown  Point  of  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  regulars,  fifteen  hundred  Canadians,  and  seven 
hundred  and  sixty  Indians.  At  Ticonderoga  he  heard 
from  a  prisoner  (according  to  the  Chevalier  de  Montrcuil) 
that  Johnson  had  gone  back  to  Albany,  and  that  there  were 
but  five  hundred  men  at  Fort  Lydius,  as  the  French  called 
Fort  Lyman,  now  Fort  Edward.  This  may  have  been  an 
intentional  deception,  but  it  is  quite  as  likely  that  the  pris- 
oner had  heard  of  Johnson's  leaving  Fort  Lyman,  and  sup- 
posed, as  a  matter  of  course,  that  he  had  retreated.  The 
baron  at  once  determined  to  make  a  rapid  movement,  and 
capture  and  destroy  the  fort  ere  Johnson  could  send 
assistance. 

For  this  purpose  he  selected  two  hundred  and  twenty 
regulars  of  the  battalions  of  La  Reine  and  Languedoc, 
six  hundred  and  eighty  Canadians,  and  six  hundred  Indians, 
and  started  up  Lake  Champlain  in  canoes  the  very  next 
day.  This  division  of  his  force  was  in  direct  violation  of 
the  orders  of  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil,  the  governor- 
general  of  Canada,  who  gave  positive  written  directions 
thtit  Dieskau  should  move  against  the  enemy  with  his 
whole  army,  "  without  excepting  any  part  of  it,  whatever 
report  may  be  made  of  the  situation  and  weakness  of  the 
enemy." 

De  Vaudreuil  was  a  native  of  Canada,  and  knew  the 
great  difficulty  of  obtaining  any  reliable  information  of  an 
enemy's  force  in  the  American  forests.  Dieskau,  however 
like  Braddoek,  Burgoyne,  and  so  many  other  European 
officers,  thought  he  knew  the  whole  art  of  war  and  could 
not  learn  anything  from  natives  or  old  residents  of  America. 
Strangely  enough,  however,  since  he  intended  to  attack  a 
fortified  post,  he  left  the  bulk  of  his  regulars  behind  ;  for 
experience  had  often  shown  that  the  Indians,  good  in  a 
bush-fight,  were  worthless  in  attacking  fortifications,  and 
the  provincial  militia  were  but  little  better  for  the  latter 
purpose.  But  then  Dieskau  did  not  possess  experience 
in  American  warfare,  and  would  not  consult  those  who 
did ;  he  seems  to  have  supposed  that  the  fierce-looking 
warriors  from  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
Ottawa  would,  at  his  order,  march  up  to  the  mouth  of 
the  British  cannon  as  readily  as  would  the  grenadiers  of 
the  royal  guard.  He  probably  selected  so  large  a  propor- 
tion of  irregulars  in  order  that  he  might  march  more 
rapidly. 

Dieskau's  force  encamped  at  "  Two  Rocks,"  or  "  The 
Narrows,"  on  Lake  Champlain,  the  night  of  the  4th  of 
September,  and  the  next  day  disembarked  at  South  Bay. 
Leaving  the  boats  under  a  guard  of  a  hundred  and  twenty 
men,  the  detachment  set  out  for  Fort  Lyman  with  eight 
days'  provisions  on  their  backs.  The  second  in  command 
of  this  force,  the  largest  body  of  French  and  Indians 
which  had  yet  appeared  in  Washington  county,  was  lieu- 


22 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


tenant-colonel  the  Chevalier  de  Moutreuil,  and  in  it  were  also 
several  of  the  encri^ctie  partisans  whoso  name  had  hecome 
a  terror  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  British  frontier. 

The  principal  of  these  was  Gardeur  de  St.  Pierre,  the 
same  who  commanded  at  Fort  Dufjuesne  when  Wa.shingtou 
first  visited  it  to  demand  the  retirement  of  tlie  French, 
and  who,  during  1754,  had  directed  all  the  French  opera- 
tions on  that  frontier.  He  was  now  in  command  of  all 
the  Indians  under  Dicskau,  and,  from  some  expros.sions 
used  in  the  French  reports,  the  Canadians  appear  also  to 
have  been  under  his  charge.  De  Vaudreuil  particulaily 
charged  Dieskau  to  con.sult  St.  Pierre  in  regard  to  all  the 
operations  of  these  portions  of  his  force. 

During  the  6th  and  7th  of  September,  Dieskau  and  his 
men  were  marching  towards  Fort  Lyman  through  the 
present  towns  of  Fort  Ann  and  Kingsbury,  the  little  band 
of  gayly-dressed  regulars  in  the  centre,  the  Canadians  in 
front  and  rear,  and  the  tawny  warriors  of  the  northern 
wilds  spreading  far  out  on  cither  flank,  scouring  every  se- 
cluded glade  and  darksome  thicket  in  the  search  for  the 
scalps  of  lurking  or  straggling  focs^  Among  the  numerous 
and  needlessly  minute  orders  for  the  march,  drawn  up  by 
Dieskau  before  leaving  Ticonderoga,  was  a  direction  to  St. 
Pierre  that  he  should  not  allow  th.e  Indians  to  "  amuse  them- 
selves scalping  until  the  enemy  be  entirely  defeated,  inasmuch 
as  ten  men  can  be  killed  while  one  is  being  scalped."  The 
worthy  baron,  it  is  very  plain,  neither  understood  the  red 
man's  character  nor  appreciated  his  dexterity.  He  might 
as  well  have  ordered  the  Hudson  to  flow  upstream  as  to 
have  directed  an  Indian  to  refi'ain  from  using  his  scalping- 
knife  when  there  was  an  opportunity,  and  it  would  have 
been  a  very  swift  slayer  who  could  kill  two  men,  let  alone 
ten,  while  an  experienced  Huron  or  Moliaivh  was  denuding 
the  head  of  a  foeman. 

Arriving  undiscovered  within  two  or  three  miles  of 
Fort  Lyman,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  7th  of  September, 
Dicskau  encamped  for  the  night,  and  called  together  the 
chiefs,  in  order  to  give  directions  for  the  intended  sudden 
assault  the  next  morning.  To  the  great  surprise  of  the 
European  martinet,  the  Indians  positively  declined  to  join 
in  the  attack  ;  one  account  says  it  was  because  they  con- 
sidered Fort  Lyman  as  being  on  land  belonging  to  the  king 
of  England  that  they  refused  to  attack  it,  while  they  were 
willing  to  move  against  Johnson,  as  they  said  that  Lake 
St.  Sacrament  undoubtedly  belonged  to  the  French.  They 
may  have  given  such  a  reason  to  Dieskau,  but  the  true  one 
unquestionably  was  that,  like  all  Indian.s,  they  were  afraid 
of  cannon  and  fortifications.  They  knew  there  were  both 
of  these  at  Fort  Lyman,  while  they  supposed  there  were 
none  of  the  latter,  and  few  or  none  of  the  former,  at  Lake  . 
St.  Sacrament. 

In  vain  the  baron,  through  St.  Pierre  as  interpreter, 
argued  in  fiu'or  of  attacking  the  unfinished  fort  and  the 
camp  of  Blanchard's  New  Hampshire  men  outside.  The 
red  men  were  impervious  to  his  logic,  and  the.  general  prob- 
ably began  to  learn  the  difference  between  the  veterans  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  command  and  these  reckless  chil- 
dren of  the  forest.  Compelled  to  submit,  he  at  length 
arranged  with  them  to  make  an  attack  on  Johnson's  camp 
the  next  day. 


At  daybreak  the  morning  of  the  8lh  the  whole  force 
set  out  for  Lake  St.  Sacrament,  soon  striking  into  the  road 
which  Johnson  had  made,  and  pursuing  it  towards  their 
destination.  They  now  marched  in  three  columns,  the  regu- 
lars in  the  centre,  the  Canadians  on  the  right,  and  the  In- 
dians on  the  lefl.  In  a  short  time  they  passed  beyond  the 
present  boundaries  of  Washington  county  and  entered  the 
territory  of  the  town  of  Queensbury,  Warren  Co.  As  was 
stated  in  our  first  chapter,  it  is  no  part  of  our  design  to 
narrate  the  details  of  event  occurring  beyond  our  limits.  In 
order,  however,  to  keep  up  the  connection  of  the  narrative, 
we  will  give  a  brief  summary  of  the  proceedings  of  Dies- 
kau's  army  ere  it  again  recrossed  the  Washington  county 
border. 

The  baron  soon  learned  from  a  prisoner  that  a  detach- 
ment of  a  thousand  men  was  approaching,  sent  by  Johnson 
to  reinforce  Fort  Lyman.  About  half-way  between  that 
post  and  Lake  George  the  French  general  disposed  his 
men  in  ambuscade  and  awaited  the  approach  of  the  foe. 
The  latter,  consisting  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut 
troops  and  of  Mohawks,  were  led  by  Colonel  Ephraim 
Williams  and  King  Hendrick.  Supposing  that  the  French 
were  on  the  eve  of  attacking  Fort  Lyman,  they  hastened 
swiftly  on,  were  caught  in  the  ambuscade,  and  quickly  de- 
feated with  heavy  loss;  Colonel  Williams  and  King  Hen- 
drick both  being  slain. 

Dieskau  pressed  rapidly  forward,  intending  to  enter 
Johnson's  camp  along  with  the  fugitives  and  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  demoralization  he  expected  would  prevail. 
But  the  backwoods  general  had  improvised  a  backwoods 
breastwork  of  wagons  and  felled  trees,  and  had  placed  his 
cannon  so  as  to  command  the  wood.  The  Indians  and 
Canadians  swerved  aside  at  the  sight  of  the  big  guns,  and 
engaged  the  flanks  of  Johnson's  force,  while  the  French 
regulars  advanced  in  the  centre.  But  the  efibrts  of  all  the 
assailants  were  unavailing,  and  after  the  battle  had  raged 
from  noon  till  four  o'clock  the  provincials  and  Moluncks 
sprang  over  the  breastwork,  made  a  grand  charge,  and  ut- 
terly routed  the  foe.  Dieskau  was  badly  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner,  Gardeur  de  St.  Pierre  was  killed,  and  a 
hundred  and  ninety-four  of  their  ofticers,  soldiers,  and  In- 
dians were  killed  and  wounded.  General  Johnson  was  also 
wounded  early  in  the  action,  and  during  most  of  the  battle 
the  English  forces  were  gallantly  commanded  by  General 
Lyman. 

Meanwhile  Colonel  Blanchard,  hearing  the  firing,  dis- 
patched two  hundred  and  fifty  men  from  Fort  L^'man, 
under  Captain  McGinness,  to  aid  General  Jolin.son.  Near 
nightfall  they  came  up  with  a  body  of  Canadians  and  In- 
dians, resting  at  the  place  where  Williams  and  Hendrick 
had  been  defeated  in  the  morning.  These  they  attacked  and 
routed  with  heavy  loss.  From  the  two  engagements  thus 
fought  on  its  banks  the  pool  called  Bloody  Pond  took  its 
name. 

The  French  were  not  pursued,  and  that  night,  or  the 
next  morning,  they  again  entered  the  territory  of  Washing- 
ton county,  but  sadly  changed  from  the  confident  little 
army  which  set  forth  the  previous  morning,  flushed  with 
high  hopes  of  an  easy  victory.  Under  the  command  of  the 
Chevalier  de  Montreuil  they  made  their  way  back  as  best 


IIISTOIIY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


23 


they  might  to  South  bay,  embarked  on  their  boats,  which 
had  not  been  disturbed,  and  rcturnfed  sorrowfully  to  Ticon- 
deroga.  To  all  appearances  a  vigorous  pursuit  by  the  victo- 
rious army  would  have  resulted  in  the  complete  destruction 
of  the  foe  before  he  could  have  reached  and  embarked  on 
Lake  Champlain.  It  is  said  that  General  Lyman  eagerly 
sought  permission  to  do  this,  but  was  overruled  by  General 
Johnson. 

The  latter  also  declined  to  move  against  Crown  Point, 
and  in  this  he  was  probably  correct,  as  the  French  still  had 
a  force  there  and  at  Ticonderoga  almost  as  large  as  his 
own,  and  with  the  aid  of  their  fortification  could  doubtless 
have  beaten  him  as  easily  as  he  had  beaten  the  troops  of 
Dieskau.  Reinforcements  came  to  Fort  Lyman,  but  it  was 
then  so  late  that  it  was  decided  to  return  and  disband  the 
army.  By  Jolinson's  orders  Fort  William  Henry  was 
built  on  Lake  George,  and  Fort  Lyman  was  improved,  if 
not  completed. 

With  great  shabbiness,  he  changed  the  name  of  the  latter 
post  from  that  of  the  gallant  oflBoer  who  had  really  won  the 
battle  of  Lake  George  (Johnson  having  been  wounded  and 
compelled  to  retire  early  in  the  engagement)  to  that  of 
Edward,  Duke  of  York,  grandson  of  the  reigning  monarch 
(George  the  Second),  and  brother  of  George  the  Third. 
It  was  subsequently  known  as  Fort  Edward.  With  still 
greater  meanness,  Johnson  entirely  omitted  all  mention  of 
Lyman  in  his  dispatches ;  thus  appropriating  to  himself  all 
the  glory  pertaining  to  the  commander,  a  large  part  of  which 
belonged  to  another.  The  result  was  that  the  general-in-chief 
was  made  a  baronet,  was  given  a  gratuity  of  five  thousand 
pounds,  and  became  fiimous  as  Sir  William  Johnson,  while 
General  Lyman  was  entirely  unnoticed  by  the  home  govern- 
ment, and  had  not  even  the  poor  satisfaction  of  seeing  his 
name  descend  into  history  in  connection  with  a  frontier 
fortress. 

The  reward  to  Sir  William  was  liberal ;  for,  though  the 
victory  of  three  thousand  men  behind  breastworks  over 
fifteen  hundred  assailants  was  nothing  to  boast  of,  yet  the 
British  government  were  wonderfully  well  pleased  that  a 
victory  of  any  kind  should  have  been  won  in  America.  It 
was  the  year  of  Braddock's  defeat  on  the  Monongahela  and 
Shirley's  failure  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  small  favors  were 
most  thankfully  received. 

While  the  troops  were  still  at  Fort  William  Henry, 
numerous  scouting-parties  were  sent  out  to  observe  the 
enemy  in  the  vicinity  of  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point ; 
some  of  them  going  directly  down  Lake  George,  and  some 
ranging  the  forests  of  Fort  Ann,  Dresden,  and  Putnam. 
The  greater  portion  of  these  parties  (in  fact,  nearly  all  the 
successful  ones)  were  commanded  either  by  Captain  Robert 
Rogers,  of  the  New  Hampshire  regiment,  or  by  Captain 
Israel  Putnam,  of  Connecticut.  Sometimes  they  acted 
together  and  sometimes  separately.  Rogers  was  then  the 
more  prominent,  and  was  soon  after  made  a  major. 

The  report  (to  be  found  in  the  Colonial  History  of  New 
York)  of  one  of  these  scouts,  made  down  Lake  George  the 
last  of  October,  1755,  in  which  a  party  of  French  were 
defeated  in  a  sharp  skirmish,  was  signed  by  Captain  Robert 
Rogers,  Captain  Israel  Putnam,  and  Lieutenant  Noah 
Grant.     The   last    named   was    a  Connecticut  officer,  and 


perhaps  belonged  to  Putnam's  own  company.  He  was 
the  father  of  Captain  Noah  Grant  of  the  Revolutionary 
army,  and  the  great-grandfather  of  General  and  President 
Ulysses  S.  Grant.  He  must  have  been  a  gallant  officer,  or 
he  would  not  have  been  selected  by  Robert  Rogers  and 
Israel  Putnam  as  their  associate ;  and  the  next  year  both 
he  and  his  brother  were  slain  in  battle  near  Oswego. 

From  some  of  these  reports  it  appears  that  the  English 
then  gave  the  name  of  "  South  Bay"  to  the  whole  of  the 
long  narrow  stretch  of  Like  Champlain  south  of  Crown 
Point,  or  at  least  of  Ticonderoga.  It  was  sometimes  also 
called  "The  Drowned  Lands,"  a  name  corresponding  to 
the  one  given  by  the  French,  "  Le  Grand  Marais," — tlie 
great  marsh. 

When  the  main  body  of  the  army  was  disbanded  in  the 
fall,  a  small  portion  was  retained  to  garrison  Fort  Edward 
and  Fort  William  Henry.  From  the  ranks  of  the  New 
Hampshire  regiment  Captain  Rogers  enlisted  a  company 
especially  for  scouting  purposes.  His  brother,  Richard, 
was  his  first  lieutenant,  and  John  Stark  his  second  lieu- 
tenant. Richard  Rogers  soon  after  raised  another  com- 
pany, and  Stark  became  first  lieutenant. 

These  hardy  men  continued  their  perilous  duties  during 
the  winter,  making  long  trips  on  snow-shoes  into  the 
enemy's  lines ;  but  as  their  routes  at  that  time  were 
mostly  down  the  west  side  of  Lake  George,  just  outside 
the  limits  of  our  county,  we  cannot  give  them  any  ex- 
tended notice. 

When  the  spring  of  175G  opened,  Putnam  returned  with 
some  Connecticut  troops  to  Fort  Edward,  and  quickly  re- 
sumed his  favorite  occupation  of  scouting,  sometimes  alone 
and  sometimes  in  company  with  Rogers  and  Stark. 

Preparations  were  again  made  to  capture  Crown  Point, 
but  all  the  movements  dragged  with  unaccountable  slowness. 
The  colonies  raised  a  force  of  six  thousand  men,  who  ad- 
vanced to  Fort  Edward  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Seth 
Winslow,  of  Massachusetts.  Here  they  were  joined  by  a 
body  of  British  regulars  under  Gen.  James  Abercrombie, 
who  had  been  selected  to  command  the  northern  army. 
Late  in  the  middle  of  the  summer  the  army  advanced  to 
Fort  William  Henrj',  but  ventured  no  fiirthcr. 

The  Marquis  de  Montcalm,  the  new  French  commander- 
in-chief,  came  down  to  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga  in  tlie 
forepart  of  July,  and  made  himself  so  conspicuous  that  the 
dull-witted  commander  at  Fort  Edward  was  seized  with  alarm 
lest  he  should  be  attacked  in  his  camp.  Extensive  fortifi- 
cations were  actually  erected  at  Albany  to  withstand  the 
threatened  assault.  The  Earl  of  Loudon,  the  British  com- 
mander-in-chief in  America,  was  even  less  vigorous  than 
Abercrombie.  Suddenly  De  Montcalm  disappeared  from 
Lake  Champlain,  re-appearing  soon  after  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Ontaiio,  where  he  captured  Oswego  before  Aber- 
crombie or  Loudon  knew  that  it  was  in  danger. 

About  the  only  warlike  work  done  in  or  near  Wa.shing- 
ton  county  in  175G  was  by  Rogers  and  Putnam  with  tlieir 
companies  of  rangers.  In  the  forepart  of  June  the  two 
indomitables  were  sent  from  Fort  William  Henry,  with  a 
Inindred  men,  to  intercept  a  body  of  several  hundred  of 
the  enemy,  under  St.  Luc  la  Corne,  who  had  landed  from 
South  bay,  had  plundered  a  train  near  Halfway  brook,  and 


24 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


were  retreating  by  way  of  Lake  Cliamplain.  Rogers  and 
Putnam  and  their  men  hastened  in  boats  down  Lalce  George 
to  a  point  opposite  the  narrows  on  Lake  Chaniplain,  and 
marched  rapidly  ovcrhind  to  the  latter  point.  They  were 
supplied  with  two  very  light  pieces  of  artillery,  which  they 
dragged  over  the  highlands  of  Dresden  with  them. 

Arrived  at  the  narrows  of  Lake  Chaniplain,  they  lay  in 
wait  for  the  returning  foe.  In  due  time  the  latter  came, 
rowing  tran(|uilly  down  the  lake,  unthinking  of  danger, 
and  their  boats  heavily  laden  with  the  plunder  of  the  un- 
fortunate train.  A.s  they  came  opposite  the  lurking-plaee 
of  the  rangers,  a  hundred  well-aimed  muskets  were  fired 
into  the  boats,  and  the  little  culverins  sent  a  shower  of  grape 
in  the  same  direction.  Several  of  the  boats  were  instantly 
sunk,  and  scores  of  the  Frenchmen  went  down  to  rise  no 
more.  Not  knowing  the  number  of  their  assailants,  the 
survivors  thought  only  of  escape,  and  under  a  heavy  fire 
they  pushed  on  with  all  speed  down  the  lake.  Their  loss 
was  apparently  very  severe,  but  they  did  not  seek  to  avenge 
it,  and  the  rangers  returned  in  triumph  to  Lake  George. 
The  next  morning  they  embarked  for  Fort  William  Henry. 
On  their  way  they  met  a  large  body  of  French  and  Indians 
in  boats.  The  rangers  opened  on  them  with  a  heavy  fire 
at  a  short  distance,  when  the  enemy  gave  way  and  allowed 
them  to  pa.«s,  with  a  loss  of  one  killed  and  two  wounded. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  Rogers,  with«fifty  men,  went  down 
Lake  George  nearly  to  its  foot,  where  they  hauled  their  five 
whale-boats  ashore,  and  carried  them  on  their  backs  over 
the  mountains  of  the  northern  part  of"  Putnam.  By  this 
means  they  escaped  the  close  watch  kept  by  the  French  on 
the  outlet  of  Lake  George.  They  arrived  at  Lake  Cham- 
plain  ("  South  Bay,"  as  Rogers  called  it)  on  the  3d  of  July, 
and  went  a  short  distance  down  it.  On  the  night  of  the 
4th  they  slipped  quietly  by  Ticonderoga,  within  sound  of 
the  sentry's  hail.  The  audacious  rangers  afterwards  passed 
Crown  Point  in  the  same  manner,  destroying  some  French 
vessels  and  their  cargoes,  left  their  own  boats,  marched  by  a 
long,  circuitous  route  to  the  west  side  of  Lake  George,  sent 
to  Fort  William  Henry  for  bateaux,  and  then  returned  to 
that  post. 

In  October,  General  Winslow  withdrew  his  army  from 
Fort  Edward,  except  a  few  troops  left  in  garrison  ;  the  rest 
being  disbanded.  The  provincial  levies  were  generally  en- 
listed for  eight  or  nine  months,  and  disbanded  every  fall ; 
so  that,  although  they  bore  some  resemblance  to  our  modern 
volunteers,  they  were  far  less  efficient. 

One  of  the  most  audacious  reconnaissances  on  record  took 
place  in  January,  1757.  On  the  21st  of  that  month.  Major 
Rogei-s  with  seventy-four  men.  Lieutenant  John  Stark 
being  second  in  command,  went  from  Fort  Edward  to  Fort 
William  Henry,  and  thence  set  forth  on  snow-shoes  over 
the  ice  of  Lake  George  toward  Ticonderoga.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  that  lake  forms  the  northwestern  boundary 
of  this  county,  and  that  all  the  expeditions  which  pas.sed 
over  it  skirted  that  boundary.  We  therefore  mention 
briefly  some  of  the  principal  ones,  even  though,  as  iu  the 
present  case,  the  conflicts  to  which  they  led  took  place  out- 
side the  county. 

The  reckless  little  detachment  of  rangers  made  their  way 
to  the  foot  of  Lake  George,  then  took  a  circuit  overland. 


and  boldly  struck  in  between  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point. 
There  one  morning  they  attacked  a  jolly  party  of  soldiers 
and  teamsters,  who  were  taking  some  sledges  on  the  ice 
to  the  former  post.  The  rangers  captured  seven  sledges 
and  their  horees,  but  a  part  of  the  Frenchmen  escaped 
to  Ticonderoga.  The  commandant  then  at  once  sent  out 
a  force,  estimated  at  two  hundred  and  fifty  soldiers,  also 
on  snow-shoes,  who  overtook  the  rangers  in  the  present 
town  of  Crown  Point.  Then  followed  a  battle  on  snow- 
shoes,  with  the  snow  four  feet  deep,  lasting  from  three 
o'clock  till  sunset,  in  which  the  provincials  lost  twenty-six 
killed  and  missing,  and  from  which  the  French  finally 
retired  with  a  lo.ss  of  eleven  killed  and  twent3'-six  wounded. 

Rogers  was  severely  wounded  at  the  first  fire,  and  Stark 
commanded  throughout  the  action.  At  dark  he  drew  ofi" 
his  force,  and  marched  all  night  through  the  woods,  bear- 
ing his  wounded  with  him,  and  reaching  the  western  border 
of  Lake  George  the  next  morning.  Leaving  his  men 
twenty  miles  from  William  Henry,  the  young  hero,  with 
two  companions,  pushed  on  to  that  post,  obtained  hand-sleds 
and  refreshments,  got  back  to  his  command  the  following 
morning,  and  then  drew  a  loaded  sled  to  the  fort  that  same 
day.  An  ambush,  a  two  hours'  battle,  a  march  on  snow- 
shoes  of  at  least  a  hundred  miles,  combined  with  drawing 
a  burden  twenty  miles,  the  whole  occupying  continuously 
three  days  and  two  nights,  may  fairly  challenge  compari- 
son with  the  hardiest  deeds  of  ancient  or  modern  warriors. 

In  March  the  French  sent  an  expedition  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred men  up  Lake  George  to  capture  Fort  William  Henry. 
It  comprised  two  hundred  and  fifty  regulars,  three  hundred 
Canadian  volunteers,  six  hundred  and  fifty  militia,  and 
three  hundred  Indians,  and  was  commanded  by  lligaud  de 
Vaudreuil,  brother  of  the  governor-general  of  Canada. 

Among  all  the  many  warlike  bands  which  have  passed 
over  the  historic  Lake  St.  Sacrament,  others  may  have 
made  a  more  splendid  appearance,  but  none  could  have  pre- 
sented a  more  uni((ue  and  picturesque  one  than  the  little 
army  which  marched  from  Carillon  (Ticonderoga)  on  the 
15th  of  March,  1757,  under  the  command  of  Rigaudde  Vau- 
dreuil. Fifteen  hundred  men,  all  on  snow-shoes,  regulars, 
irregulars,  and  Indians,  is  a  sight  probably  never  seen  before 
nor  since.  Their  provisions  were  loaded  on  sleds  drawn 
by  dogs.  The  men  strode  forward  under  the  shadow  of 
the  Putnam  highlands,  slept  at  night  on  bear-skins  in  the 
snow,  covered  only  with  pieces  of  sail  to  keep  off  the 
wind,  skirted  the  western  border  of  Dresden  and  the  north- 
western corner  of  Fort  Ann,  again  reposed  on  their  bear- 
skin beds,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  17th  arrived  within 
tffo  or  three  miles  of  Fort  William  Henry. 

They  failed  to  surprise  the  fort,  owing,  it  is  said,  to  the 
vigilance  of  Captain  Stark,  who,  by  a  ruse,  prevented  his 
Scotch-Irish  New  Hampshire  men  from  celebrating  St. 
Patrick's  day  ;  so  that  while  the  regulars  were  all  drunk, 
there  were  sober  rangers  for  sentinels,  who  discovered  the 
approach  of  the  enemy.  Nor  did  De  Vaudreuil,  though  he 
invested  the  fort  and  cut  off  communication  with  Fort 
Edward,  dare  to  risk  an  assault.  After  waiting  a  few  days 
and  burning  an  immense  amount  of  stores,  vessels,  etc., 
the  French  retired  down  the  lake. 

When  spring  was  fairly  opened,  the  English  authorities 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


25 


again  made  preparations  for  important  operations  on  the 
novtliern  frontier,  and  again  the  colonies  poured  forth  their 
thousands  of  volunteers  to  second  those  efforts  ;  but  nothing 
could  prosper  under  Loudon  and  Abercrombie,  especially 
when  pitted  against  the  Mar(|uis  de  Montcalm.  Aber- 
crombie, who  was  the  nominal  commander  of  the  north- 
ern army,  remained  at  Albany,  while  General  Daniel  Webb 
was  placed  in  the  immediate  command,  with  his  head- 
f|uarters  at  Fort  Edward.  This  officer  had  fled  down  the 
Mohawk  the  previous  year,  after  the  capture  of  Oswego, 
with  such  rapidity  that  he  wa.«  looked  on  with  great  dis- 
favor by  the  soldiers  and  the  people.  An  army  of  several 
thousand  provincials  assembled  under  Webb's  orders,  and 
there  were  also  several  regiments  of  British  regulars. 

On  the  25th  or  26th  of  July,  Lieutenant  Marin,  so 
often  mentioned  as  one  of  the  most  daring  French  parti- 
sans, landed  at  the  head  of  South  bay  with  about  two 
hundred  regulars  and  Indians,  and  set  out  to  make  a  dash 
against  Fort  Edward.  They  moved  forward  entirely  undis- 
covered, and  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  arrived  in  the 
vicinity  of  that  post.  An  English  patrol  of  ten  men  was 
first  cut  off,  all  of  whom  were  killed.  Marin  pressed  for- 
ward, attacked  the  guard  of  fifty  men,  and  quickly  cut 
them  to  pieces  with  heavy  loss.  Several  regiments  came 
out  of  the  fort  and  formed  in  line,  but  the  cautious  Webb 
would  not  let  them  advance,  and  Marin  retired  without 
loss.  On  his  return  to  Montcalm  he  reported  thirty-two 
scalps  and  one  pri.soner,  and  claimed  to  have  killed  many  of 
the  guard  who  were  not  scalped.  He  said,  in  the  peculiar 
idiom  of  the  French  language,  that  he  "  did  not  amuse 
himself  by  taking  prisoners." 

There  is  reason  for  believing  that  it  was  on  this  expe- 
dition that  there  occurred  the  terrible  yet  thrilling  incident 
of  the  murder  of  sixteen  captive  soldiers  by  Indians,  at 
what  is  now  Sandy  Hill,  leaving  only  one  man,  the  team- 
ster, John  Quackenboss,  related  by  Dr.  Fitch  in  his  "  Sur- 
vey" of  Wa.shington  County.  The  large  number  of  scalps 
taken  in  proportion  to  the  "  one  prisoner,"  and  the  locality 
of  the  events,  all  correspond  closely  to  Dr.  Fitch's  account. 
The  time,  also,  is  nearly  the  same,  though  the  precise 
period  of  the  Sandy  Hill  incident  is  not  known.  There 
were  various  traditions  regarding  this  latter  event,  but  the 
only  account  of  reasonable  authenticity  was  derived  by 
Dr.  Fitch  from  a  nephew  of  the  hero  of  the  story.  A 
detailed  account  of  this  incident  is  to  be  found  in  the 
town  history  of  Kingsbury. 

Such  wholesale  slaughter  of  prisoners  as  Quackenboss 
described  and  Marin  hinted  at  was  not  common  even 
among  the  French  and  Indians,  and  there  is  reason  to 
believe  that  the  murderers  acted  under  positive  orders,  the 
slaughter  being  designed  to  strike  terror  into  the  soul  of 
Webb  and  the  garrison  of  Fort  Edward,  and  prevent  any 
interference  with  the  coming  a.ssault  on  Fort  William 
Henry.  If  such  was  the  design  it  succeeded  with  the 
general  if  not  wit'i  the  soldiers. 

Almost  at  the  same  time  another  scene  of  slaughter  was 
taking  place  on  the  farther  border  of  the  county.  All  day 
and  all  night  of  the  25th  of  July  Lieutenant  Corbierie, 
with  fifty  Canadians  and  three  hundred  Otttnciis,  lay  in 
ambush  among  the  islands  of  Lake  George,  above  what  is 
4 


now  called  Sabbath-Day  point.  On  the  morning  of  the 
26th  there  came  gliding  down  the  lake  in  twenty-two 
barges  a  New  Jersey  regiment  of  three  hundred  soldiers, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  John  Parker. 

Aft«r  the  first  volley,  the  French  and  Indians  at  once 
urged  their  bark  canoes  towards  the  barges  of  the  Jersey- 
men,  as  if  to  board  them,  but  the  latter  took  fright  on  the 
approach  of  these  hideous  warriors ;  many  of  them  dropped 
their  arms,  and  all  sought  safety  in  flight.  Rut  the  arrow- 
like canoes  quickly  overtook  the  barges,  and  a  fearful  mas- 
sacre ensued.  Those  even  who  sought  the  western  shore 
were  soon  run  down  by  the  light-footed  savages.  After  a 
hundred  and  thirty-one  were  killed,  the  Indians  became 
satiated  with  blood,  and  began  taking  prisoners.  Of  these 
they  captured  a  hundred  and  fifty-seven.  Only  twelve  of 
the  whole  three  hundred  escaped  death  or  captivity.  On 
the  other  hand  only  one  Indian  was  wounded, — the  strong- 
est possible  evidence  of  the  panic  of  their  opponents. 

A  French  writer  (Roubard)  states,  of  his  own  knowledge, 
that  one  of  the  slain  provincials  was  actually  boiled  and 
eaten  by  the  ferocious  Otlawas! 

These  terrible  events  were  but  the  preludes  to  a  far  more 
important  movement.  On  the  31st  of  July  a  thousand  In- 
dians, in  their  canoes,  came  flashing  swiftly  over  Lake  St. 
Sacrament,  on  their  way  to  Fort  William  Henry.  Nearly 
a  thousand  more,  witU  two  thousand  whites,  had  taken 
their  way  towards  the  same  post,  through  the  forests  of  the 
western  shore.  On  the  1st  of  August  the  main  army  of 
the  Marquis  de  Montcalm  came  sweeping  over  the  lake. 
It  was  the  largest  force  yet  seen  on  those  waters, — number- 
ing over  two  thousand  French  regulars  and  two  thousand 
Canadians,  besides  the  Indians  in  advance  and  the  division 
on  shore.  The  total  force  numbered  about  seven  thousand 
five  hundred  men  ;  three  thousand  being  regulars,  nearly 
three  thousand  militia,  and  eighteen  hundred  Indians.  On 
the  2d  of  August  the  whole  army  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  William  Henry,  and  proceeded  to  operate  against  it. 
Without  giving  .special  attention  to  the  eventful  siege 
which  occurred  in  the  present  county  of  Warren,  we  will 
turn  to  the  main  English  army  at  Fort  Edward. 

Near  the  last  of  July,  General  Webb  left  that  post  for 
Fort  William  Henry,  under  the  escort  of  Major  Putnam, 
with  two  hundred  men.  A  reconnaissance  by  that  officer,  on 
the  31st,  having  revealed  the  approach  of  Montcalm,  Webb 
immediately  returned  with  his  escort  to  Fort  Edward, 
and  dispatched  Colonel  George  Munro,  a  sturdy  Scotch 
officer,  with  his  regiment, — the  latter  to  reinforce,  the 
former  to  command,  the  endangered  fortress.  Muni-o  set 
forth  on  the  2d  of  August,  arriving  at  Fort  William  Henry 
just  before  the  French  stationed  themselves  on  the  road  be- 
tween the  two  posts.  This  raised  the  garrison  there  to 
about  two  thousand  two  hundred  men,  while  AVebb  had 
between  four  and  five  thousand  at  Fort  Edward. 

General  Webb  also  sent  expresses  through  the  colonies, 
asking  for  reinforcements.  The  call  was  promptly  re- 
sponded to.  All  the  militia  of  New  York  north  of  the 
Highlands  was  called  out,  a  fourth  of  the  able-bodied  men 
of  Connecticut  wore  drafted,  other  colonies  responded  with 
almost  equal  energy,  and  bodies  of  militia  were  soon  march- 
ing from  every  direction  towards  Fort  Edward.     But  the 


26 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


patriotism  of  the  people  was  nullified  by  the  cowardice  of 
the  general. 

Sir  William  Johnson,  hearing  of  the  danger  at  Johns- 
town, mounted  his  horse,  gathered  a  few  militia  and  In- 
dians, and  in  two  days  made  his  way  to  Fort  Edward. 
Meanwhile,  intelligence  had  been  coming  thick  and  fast  to 
that  post  regarding  the  progress  of  the  French.  Webb 
knew  that  but  few  i-einforceraents  could  arrive  in  time  to 
do  any  good,  and  ho  knew,  too,  that  he  had  sufficient  men 
to  relieve  Fort  Wiliiiim  Henry.  But  he  lay  quietly  in  his 
intrenchments,  and  when  Munro  applied  to  him  for  aid, 
replied  by  a  letter  declaring  that  he  could  not  advance 
until  the  militia  arrived,  and  if  Munro  could  not  hold  out 
till  then,  he  must  make  the  best  terras  of  surrender  he 
could. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  Sir  William  Johnson  obtained 
permission  from  the  general  to  advance  to  the  relief  of 
Munro,  with  such  volunteers  as  he  could  obtain.  Putnam 
and  his  rangers  at  once  volunteered  to  go,  and  so  did  most 
of  the  provincial  regiments.  Not  the  militia,  however; 
some  of  these  had  begun  to  arrive,  but  they  were  mutinous 
and  Indian-frightened,  and  many  deserted.  It  is  difficult 
to  learn  whether  thoy  were  most  disgusted  with  Webb,  or 
Webb  with  them,  and  both  sides  appear  to  have  had  equal 
reason. 

Sir  William  drew  out  his  men,  but  ere  the  march  had 
hardly  begun  the  general  countermanded  the  permission, 
and  ordered  them  back.  It  was  the  last  chance  for  Fort 
William  Henry.  The  next  day  Munro  surrendered  the 
fort,  it  being  stipulated  that  the  troops,  with  their  arms 
and  baggage,  should  retire  the  following  morning  to  Fort 
Edward. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  tenth,  while  the  garrison  of  the 
latter  post  were  eagerly  watching  for  news  from  William 
Henry,  a  weary,  panic-stricken  band  of  four  or  five  hun- 
dred men  were  seen  hastening,  with  scarcely  a  semblance  of 
military  order,  towards  that  haveu  of  shelter.  Many  had 
thrown  away  their  arms,  some  bore  still  bleeding  wounds 
from  the  tomahawks  of  the  savages,  and  all  showed  every 
appearance  of  the  most  complete  demoralization.  Arrived 
in  the  fort,  they  told  their  horror  stricken  comrades  how,  on 
setting  forth  in  the  morning  in  accordance  with  the  capitu- 
lation, the  savages  had  first  mingled  in  their  ranks,  then 
began  plundering  them  of  whatever  their  cupidity  dictated, 
and  finally,  grown  more  fierce  through  impunity,  had  used 
the  tomahawk  and  sealping-knife  on  their  victims  with  all 
their  native  ferocity. 

If  the  narrators  told  the  whole  truth,  they  must  have 
added  that  the  massacre  was  almost  as  disgraceful  to  the 
English  as  to  the  French.  The  former  outnumbered  the 
Indians,  and  were  all  armed,  organized,  and  ready  for  battle, 
but  they  were  seized  with  one  of  those  panics  so  common 
in  presence  of  Indians,  and  had  fled  in  terror,  without 
making  hardly  an  efibrt  at  resistance.  It  would  be  beyond 
our  purview  to  enter  into  any  elaborate  discussion  of  the 
question  whether  Montcalm  was  to  blame  for  the  massacre, 
but  in  view  of  the  fact  that  there  had  been  a  similar,  though 
less  flagrant,  breach  of  faith  at  Oswego  the  previous  year,  and 
that  the  marquis  commanded  a  force  of  near  six  thousand 
French  and  Canadians,  and  less  than  two  thousand  Indians, 


it  certainly  seems  strange  that  he  should  not  have  foreseen 
the  trouble,  or  that  he  could  not  prevent  it. 

The  demoralized  band  before  mentioned  was  all  the  con- 
siderable body  of  p]nglish  troops  who  reached  Fort  Edward 
on  the  tenth.  The  others  lay  slaughtered  by  the  road.sidc, 
or  were  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  or  had  sought 
refuge  with  the  French,  or  were  scattered  far  and  wide 
through  the  forest  in  their  efforts  to  escape  from  their 
bloodthirsty  foes.  Cannon  were  fired  at  intervals  to  guide 
the  wanderers  to  Fort  Edward,  and  all  day  and  all  night, 
and  for  two  or  three  days  afterwards,  singly,  by  twos,  by 
threes,  and  by  half-dozens,  the  fugitives  kept  straggling 
in.  It  was  the  fifteenth  of  the  month  ere  those  who  had 
retreated  within  the  French  lines,  and  those  who  had  been 
rescued  by  Montcalm  from  the  Indians,  were  sent  forward 
under  escort  to  Half-way  brook,  delivered  over  to  an  Eng- 
lish guard,  and  brought  to  Fort  Edward.  Some  of  the 
Indian  war-parties  departed  for  the  Canadian  wilds  without 
taking  leave  of  Montcalm,  and  bearing  off  their  prisoners 
to  long  captivity  and  probable  torture. 

The  next  day — the  sixteenth — -the  ever-vigilant  Putnam, 
with  his  rangers,  made  his  way  circuitously  from  Fort  Ed- 
ward to  Fort  William  Henry,  and  found  the  French  just 
departing  down  Lake  George,  and  the  ground  thickly 
strewed  with  the  ghastly  remains  of  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren who  had  fallen  victims  to  the  fury  of  the  savages. 

In  a  short  time  afterwards  near  twenty  thousand  militia 
reached  Fort  Edward.  They  were  of  course  too  late  to  do 
any  good,  and  they  vented  their  wrath  on  Webb  in  curses 
both  loud  and  deep.  Mutinous  and  useless,  they  were  soon 
discharged. 

Webb  was  soon  after  relieved  of  his  command,  Fort  Ed- 
ward being  placed  under  the  orders  of  General  Lyman,  the 
gallant  officer  before  mentioned.  But  though  the  recreant 
general  was  ordered  to  England,  his  influence  was  such  that 
he  was  able  to  escape  all  punishment  or  even  censure. 

About  the  1st  of  November  the  Chevalier  de  Levis,  with 
several  hundred  French  and  Indians,  made  a  rapid  scout 
up  Lake  Champlain  and  Wood  creek  into  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Edward.  It  may  have  been  this  party,  or  a  detach- 
ment from  it,  that  made  the  attack  narrated  in  the  life  of 
Putnam,  when  that  officer  saved  the  detachment  of  Captain 
Little  from  destruction,  and  which  is  more  fully  narrated 
in  the  town-history  of  Fort  Edward. 

As  winter  approached  the  bulk  of  the  provincial  levies 
were,  as  usual,  disbanded.  Putnam  and  Rogers,  with  their 
rangers,  were,  however,  retained,  the  former  being  posted  on 
the  island  in  the  Hudson  opposite  Fort  Edward.  Colonel 
Haviland,  of  the  regular  army,  was  placed  in  command  of 
that  post,  which  he  retained  during  the  winter. 

Up  to  this  time  nearly  all  the  British  operations  in 
America  had  resulted  in  disaster,  as  well  they  migiit,  con- 
sidering that  the  generals  in  the  field  were  miserably  inef- 
ficient, if  not  cowardly,  while  the  statesmen  at  home  were, 
if  possible,  still  more  incompetent.  But  from  the  winter 
of  17.o7  and  1758  a  marked  change  was  seen  in  the  aspect 
of  British  affairs  in  America,  and  although  there  were 
occasional  disasters,  yet  the  general  course  of  the  Anglo- 
American  arms  was  from  victory  to  victory,  down  to  the 
hour  of  final  triumph. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


27 


CHAPTER   IX. 

LATTER  PART  OF  THE  OLD  FRENCH  WAR. 

Pitt  made  Prime  Minister — Justice  to  tlic  Americans — Large  Levies 
called  out— Impressment  of  Teamsters— Colonel  Bradstreet— 
French  Indians  near  the  Batten  Kill— A  Garden  there — Lord 
Howe  arrives  at  Fort  Edward — Putnam  at  "  Fiddler's  Elbow"— 
The  Moonlight  Battle — Putnam's  Return — Rencontre  in  the  Forest 
— Abercrombie's  Arrival— Composition  of  his  Army— The  Favor- 
ite Soldier— Lee,  Schuyler,  Gage,  Wooster,  William  Franklin,  Guy 
Johnson,  and  Philip  Skene — Abercrombie's  Advance — A  Brilliant 
Spectacle — Death  of  Howe — A  Fearful  Disaster — A  Demoralized 
Retreat— Braditreet's  Expedition — Disgusted  Teamsters— Another 
Raid  by  St.  Luc  la  Corne — Rogers,  Putnam,  and  Marin — A  Bush- 
Fight— Putnam  captured — Indian  Amusements — Marin  retreats — 
Preparations  to  burn  Putnam — The  Rcaoue — General  Amherst 
made  Commander-in-Chief — The  Army  in  Winter-tjuarters — A 
Long  Tramp — Another  Rally — Capture  of  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point— Amherst's  Defect— Weakness— The  Campaign  of  1700— 
Final  Success — Preparations  for  Settlement. 

The  cause  of  the  change  noted  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
hist  chapter  lay  in  the  fact  that  William  Pitt,  the  most 
vigorous  statesman  of  the  age,  had  been  appointed  prime 
minister  of  England.  An  earnest  effort  was  at  once  made 
to  retrieve  the  disasters  which  Britain  had  suffered  at  tlie 
hands  of  her  active  foes.  Ever  the  friend  of  America, 
Pitt  abandoned  many  of  the  arrogant  pretensions  which 
had  long  annoyed  the  colonists.  He  obtained  an  order 
from  the  king  that  colonial  officers  below  the  rank  of 
colonel  should  hold  equal  rank  with  those  of  Great  Britain, 
according  to  the  date  of  their  commis.sions.  Early  in  1758 
he  sent  a  circular  letter  to  the  colonies,  asking  them  to 
raise  as  large  a  force  as  possible,  and  engaging  that  the 
men  should  bo  furnished  by  the  crown  with  arms,  ammu- 
nition, and  provisions. 

The  colonies  promptly  responded,  and  in  the  spring  more 
soldiers  than  ever  before  sought  the  accustomed  rendezvous 
at  Albany.  Early  in  June  immense  quantities  of  boats 
and  supplies  were  sent  up  to  Fort  Edward,  great  numbers 
of  teams  and  teamsters  being  impressed  for  the  purpose. 
This  was  the  usual  method  of  obtaining  transportation  in 
"  good  old  colony  times,"  and  naturally  created  great  dis- 
satisfaction among  its  subjects. 

The  writer  known  as  the  "  Sexagenary"  relates  that  his 
father  was  one  of  the  teamsters  thus  impressed.  The  ope- 
rations were  under  the  direction  of  the  celebrated  Colonel 
John  Bradstreet,  quartermaster-general  of  the  army,  and 
one  of  the  most  efficient  officers  in  it.  The  road  at  that 
time  ran  up  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson  to  a  point  oppo- 
site the  Batten  Kill,  then  crossed  and  followed  up  the  east 
side  to  Fort  Edward. 

The  Sexagenary  states  that  his  father,  on  one  of  his 
return  trips  from  Fort  Edward,  saw  a  moccasin  print  in 
the  mud  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  near  the  Batten  Kill. 
After  he  had  passed  over  the  Hudson  a  shot  was  heard  in 
the  locality  just  mentioned.  A  guard  which  was  stationed 
on  the  west  side  crossed  over  to  the  east  side,  and  there 
found  a  man  killed  and  scalped  "  in  a  garden  belonging  to 
a  Mr.  De  Ruyter."  We  mention  this  incident  partly  to 
show  the  audacity  of  the  Indians  in  thus  venturing  so  far 
south  of  our  outposts,  but  more  particularly  because  it 
furnishes  evidence  of  the  fact  that  there  were  settlers  then 


living    in    Washington    county,    near    the    mouth  of    the 
Batten  Kill. 

On  the  5th  of  June  Brigadier-General  Viscount  Howe, 
with  the  first  division  of  the  grand  army  of  invasion, 
arrived  at  Fort  Edward.  Major  Rogers,  with  fifty  men, 
taking  their  boats  with  them  in  wagons,  at  once  pushed  on 
to  Lake  Champlain,  and  made  a  short  reconnaissance,  but 
discovered  no  enemy.  Meanwhile  Lord  Howe  moved  for- 
ward to  Lake  George,  where  he  arrived  on  the  22d  of  June. 
Putnam  had  at  this  time  become  a  field-officer  of  a 
Connecticut  regiment,  but  his  services  were  so  invaluable 
as  a  ranger  that  Lord  Howe  detached  him  from  Lake 
George,  with  fifty  men,  to  guard  the  head  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  and  particularly  to  prevent  the  French  from  reeon- 
noitering  in  that  vicinity.  The  veteran  woodsman  took 
post  at  a  place  now  called  "  Fiddler's  Elbow,"  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  below  Whitehall,  where  lofty,  opposing  rocks, 
concave  on  the  east  side  and  convex  on  the  west,  crowd  the 
waters  of  Lake  Champlain  into  a  narrow  gorge,  through 
which  a  steamer  has  barely  room  to  pass. 

On  the  promontory  on  the  west  side,  overlooking  the 
water,  the  rangers  erected  a  low  breastwork  of  stone,  some 
thirty  feet  long,  which  they  concealed  with  pine  bushes 
arranged  along  its  front.  Sentinels  were  stationed,  and  for 
four  days  and  three  nights  Putnam  remained  here,  watch- 
ing for  the  approach  of  unwary  Frenchmen.  Fifteen  out 
of  his  fifty  men  became  ill,  and  were  sent  to  Fort  Edward, 
but  still  the  remainder  waited  for  their  prey. 

At  length,  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day,  the  sentry 
on  the  north  gave  a  whispered  alarm,  and  a  long  line  of 
canoes  were  seen  making  their  way  up  the  lake.  Witii 
similar  whispers  all  the  sentries  were  quickly  called  in  ;  the 
thirty-five  men  ensconced  themselves  behind  the  rocky 
parapet,  the  muzzles  of  their  muskets  pointing  between  the 
evergreen  bushes  towards  the  channel  where  the  enemy 
must  pass.  On  they  came,  near  five  hundred  French  and 
Indians,  led  by  the  ever-active  Marin,  or  "  Molang,"  their 
paddles  and  their  arms  flashing  in  the  light  of  the  full 
moon,  which  flooded  the  narrow  passage  and  disclosed 
every  movement  of  the  advancing  foe. 

Silent  as  death  the  rangers  waited  the  command  of  Put- 
nam. The  leading  canoes  had  glided  by,  when  one  of  the 
eager  band  accidentally  struck  his  musket  on  a  rock.  In 
the  stealthy  warfare  then  carried  on,  every  sound  caused 
suspicion,  and  the  foremost  canoes  at  once  stopped.  Others 
came  up,  a  throng  of  boats  was  formed,  and  all  the  occupants 
instinctively  gazed  up  towards  the  top  of  the  promontory, 
where  nothing  met  their  eyes  but  a  few  insignificant  pine- 
bushes.  But  Marin  scented  mischief  in  the  air,  and  gave 
a  whispered  command  to  turn  back.  His  men  began  to 
obey.  Putnam  saw  that  the  time  had  come ;  the  word  "  fire !" 
rang  from  his  lips  with  startling  distinctness,  and  the  next 
instant  thirty-five  muskets  sent  their  messengers  of  death 
among  the  crowd  below. 

Nearly  every  bullet  .struck  its  man,  and  for  a  few  moments 
the  wildest  confusion  ensued,  some  trying  to  escape  and 
some  returning  the  fire,  though  their  bullets  made  little 
impression  on  the  stone  breastwork.  As  quickly  as  possible 
the  intrepid  Marin  got  his  men  into  order,  placed  them  in 
as  secure  positions  as  possible,  and  engaged  in  a  rapid  inter- 


28 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


change  of  volleys  with  the  rangers.  But,  notwithstanding 
the  disparity  of  numbers,  Putnam's  temporary  fortress  pre- 
vented serious  injury  to  his  men,  while  their  own  bullets 
caused  fearful  execution  among  the  enemy. 

After  a  few  volleys,  Marin  discerned  from  the  weakness 
of  the  fire  that  only  a  comparatively  small  force  was  opposed 
to  him,  and  he  sent  a  detachment  in  boats  to  land  below 
the  breastwork ;  in  modern  phrase,  to  "  flank"  his  foes. 
But  Putnam  discovered  the  mana-uvre,  and  dispatched  Lieu- 
tenant Durkee  (slain  at  Wyoming  almost  exactly  twenty  years 
afterwards)  with  twelve  men  to  oppose  the  landing;  and  so 
thoroughly  were  the  French  demoralized,  so  great  appeared 
the  danger  of  venturing  in  the  darkness  among  the  rocks 
and  trees  and  the  deadly  muskets  of  the  rangers,  that 
Durkee  and  his  little  squad  actually  accomplished  their 
purpose. 

After  that,  Marin  contented  himself  with  placing  his 
men  under  shelter,  and  exchanging  a  desultory  fire  across 
the  gorge  throughout  the  night.  At  daybreak  he  efiected 
a  landing  on  Putnam's  left,  when  the  rangers  withdrew, 
their  ammunition  being  nearly  exhausted,  having  only  two 
men  wounded  in  the  whole  conflict.  It  is  said  that  when 
afterwards  a  prisoner  in  Canada,  Putnam  learned  that  half 
of  Marin's  force  was  killed  or  wounded,  but  we  must  take 
some  of  these  old  legends  with  a  good  deal  of  allowance. 

Putnam  sent  his  two  wounded  men  towards  Fort  Edward, 
one  who  could  not  walk  being  carried  by  two  soldiers,  while 
he  with  the  remaining  thirty  took  another  direction.  The 
former  were  pursued  by  Indians,  and  one  of  the  wounded 
men  was  killed  and  the  other  captured.  Meanwhile  the 
squad  of  thirty  was  suddenly  fired  on,  as  they  were  making 
their  way  through  the  forest,  and  one  of  their  number  was 
wounded.  Putnam  knew  that  his  men  had  but  little  am- 
munition, and  instantly  shouted,  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
"  Charge  bayonets !" 

"Stop!  stop!"  cried  the  opposite  leader,  at  the  sound  of 
the  famous  ranger's  well-known  voice  ;  "  we  are  friends." 

"  Friends  or  enemies,"  growled  the  veteran,  "  you  ought 
to  be  cut  to  pieces  for  doing  such  poor  shooting." 

They  were  soon  after  met  by  another  stjuad,  bearing 
orders  for  them  to  repair  to  Fort  Edward,  which  they 
accordingly  did. 

General  Abercrombio  with  the  main  army  arrived  at 
that  post  on  the  28th  of  July ;  or  at  least  the  head  of  it 
did,  for  it  is  said  that  the  army  and  its  trains  covered  a 
distance  of  seventeen  miles.  Those  who  have  seen  far 
larger  armies  covering  far  less  space,  must  remember  that 
in  these  days  nearly  all  the  heavy  baggage  goes  by  railway, 
while  then  everything  must  be  carried  in  wagons  over  fear- 
ful forest-roads,  which  caused  innumerable  intervals  in  the 
long-extended  trains. 

The  army  which  then  collected  at  Fort  Edward,  including 
the  division  previously  led  to  Lake  George  by  Lord  Howe, 
was  by  far  the  largest,  best  disciplined,  and  best  equipped 
which  had  yet  made  its  appearance  in  the  northern  wilds. 
No  less  than  six  thousand  five  hundred  regulars,  the  flower 
of  the  British  army,  composed  the  centre  of  Abercrombie's 
force.  There  were  the  Twenty-seventh,  or  Enniskillen 
Foot,  under  Lord  Blakeney ;  the  Forty-fourth,  General 
Abercrombie's  own  regiment ;  the  Fifty-fifth,  Lord  Howe's 


regiment ;  the  Forty-sixth  Regiment,  Lieutenant-General 
Thomas  Murray;  the  Eightieth,  under  Colonel  Thomas 
Gage ;  two  battalions  of  the  Sixtieth,  or  Royal  Americans, 
a  corps  raised  in  America  but  belonging  to  the  regular 
British  army;  and  last,  not  least,  with  "tartans  broad  and 
shadowy  plumes,"  were  seen  the  towering  forms  of  the  Forty- 
second  Highlanders,  the  far-famed  "  Black  Watch." 

Ten  thousand  provincial  levies  were  also  under  arms,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Hudson  and  Lake  George,  enlisted  for  such 
short  terms  as  necessarily  to  be  deficient  in  discipline,  but 
largely  composed  and  entirely  officered  by  men  who  had 
seen  one  or  more  campaigns  before,  and  almost  as  good  as 
regulars  in  the  vicissitudes  of  forest  warfare.  They  com- 
prised, among  others,  a  New  York  regiment  under  Colonel 
Oliver  De  Lancey  (afterwards  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
Salem),  two  New  Jersey  regiments,  a  Rhode  Island  regi- 
ment, a  Massachusetts  regiment,  and  three  Connecticut 
regiments,  one  commanded  by  Colonel  Eleazer  Fitch,  an  old 
soldier  of  these  wars,  one  by  David  Wooster,  afterwards  a 
general  of  the  Revolutionary  army,  and  one  by  the  oflicer 
often  mentioned  before,  General  Phineas  Lyman.  There 
were  other  regiments  the  names  of  which  we  cannot  give, 
though  Rogers'  New  Hampshire  rangers  formed  one  impor- 
tant corps.  There  were  also  five  hundred  Iroquois  warriors, 
even  more  lightly  clad  than  the  Highlanders,  under  the 
command  of  burly,  energetic  Sir  William  Johnson,  who 
seems  to  have  been  assigned  to  a  rather  insignificant 
position,  considering  his  reputation  as  the  conqueror  of 
Dieskau. 

General  James  Abercrombie,  now  commander-in-chief  of 
the  British  troops  in  North  America,  and  in  immediate 
command  of  the  forces  at  Fort  Edward,  was  perhaps  the 
best  man  whom  Pitt  was  able  to  find  for  that  important 
post  among  the  higher  officers  of  the  British  army,  which 
shows  what  a  dearth  of  good  soldiers  there  was  in  that 
class  of  ofiicers.  He  was  probably  better  than  Loudon  or 
Webb  or  Braddock,  but  he  showed  very  few  of  the  quali- 
ties of  a  good  general. 

The  favorite  of  both  English  and  Americans,  and,  in 
common  phrase,  "  the  soul  of  the  army,"  though  only  a 
brigadier-general,  was  the  young  Viscount  Howe,  the 
second  in  command.  His  zeal,  energy,  and  courage  were 
undeniable,  and  these,  combined  with  his  affable  manners 
and  soldierlike  appearance,  caused  nearly  every  one  to  form 
the  highest  expectations  of  his  success ;  but  he  had  little 
experience,  and  his  untimely  death  prevented  his  qualities 
as  a  commander  from  passing  through  the  crucial  test  of 
actual  battle.  Only  thirty-two  years  of  age,  tall  and  fair, 
his  luxuriant  hair  cropped  short  as  an  example  to  Ids  offi- 
cers of  what  the  forest  required,  his  dress  of  the  roughest 
materials,  for  the  same  rea.son,  his  table-furniture  reduced 
from  the  gorgeous  appointments  of  a  British  general  to  a 
knife  and  fork  and  tin  plate,  he  moved  with  smiling  face 
among  his  men,  awakening  the  most  ardent  enthusiasm, 
especially  among  the  Americans,  accustomed  to  far  different 
treatment  from  the  haughty  oflScials  of  the  mother  couiitiy. 

Among  others  destined  to  become  prominent  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  country  was  Charles  Lee,  then  a  rude  and 
brawling  captain  of  infantry,  "  full  of  strange  oaths,"  and 
a  great  many  of  them,  and  earning  as  much  dislike  by  his 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


29 


swaggering  behavior  as  he  gained  of  admiration  by  his 
reckless  valor.  As  different  from  him  as  could  well  be 
imagined  was  young  Major  Philip  Schuyler,  still  a  gay  and 
gracious  youth,  admirably  skilled  in  all  the  details  of  busi- 
ness, and  the  right-hand  man  of  Quartermaster-General 
Bradstroet  in  the  important  task  of  keeping  the  army  sup- 
plied with  the  necessaries  of  war. 

There,  too,  was  Colonel  Thomas  Gage,  a  burly,  stolid 
officer  of  the  Braddock  type,  afterwards  a  lieutenant-general 
and  commander-in-chief  of  the  British  forces  in  America, 
whose  blundering  tyranny  hastened  the  hesitating  footsteps 
of  revolution  in  1775,  but  who  was  otherwise  of  little  con- 
sequence in  the  eye  of  history.  Another  soldier,  destined 
to  less  lofly  but  more  honorable  prominence,  was  Colonel 
David  Wooster,  of  Connecticut,  a  valiant  major-general  in 
the  army  of  the  Revolution,  who  received  his  death-wound 
in  the  cause  of  freedom.  Another  was  William  Franklin,  son 
of  the  great  philosopher,  then  a  young  officer  of  twenty- 
six,  but  afterwards  governor  of  New  Jersey,  and  as  promi- 
nent in  the  ranks  of  Toryism  as  the  mere  name  of  the 
great  patriot  leader  could  make  him.  Another  was  Captain 
Guy  Johnson,  a  nephew  of  Sir  William,  a  dark,  stern  young 
man,  destined  to  be  known  in  the  Revolution  as  a  bitter 
royalist,  and  a  skillful  organizer  of  savages  in  their  work 
of  murder ;  and  still  another  was  Philip  Skene,  an  enter- 
prising Scotch  captain  in  the  Enniskillen  regiment,  whose 
name  was  to  be  more  intimately  associated  than  that  of  any 
other  man  with  the  early  history  of  Wa,shinglon  county. 
Of  Sir  William  Johnson,  Lyman,  Rogers,  Putnam,  and 
Stark,  such  frequent  mention  has  been  made  that  it  is  need- 
less to  speak  of  them  further  here. 

On  Sunday,  the  5th  of  July,  the  whole  army  embarked 
on  Lake  George,  proceeded  to  Sabbath-Day  point,  which 
then  first  received  that  name,  and  the  next  day  continued 
their  course  to  the  vicinity  of  Ticonderoga.  Of  all  the 
splendid  armaments  that  have  swept  over  the  classic  waters 
of  St.  Sacrament,  and  along  the  northeastern  border  of  our 
county,  this  was  the  largest  and  most  brilliant,  and  has 
been  again  and  again  described  in  the  most  glowing  terms. 

From  the  highlands  of  Fort  Ann,  Dresden,  and  Putnam 
might  have  been  seen  the  whole  vast  array  of  nine  hundred 
bateaux,  two  hundred  canoes,  and  numerous  rafts  laden  with 
the  artillery  and  supplies,  the  most  conspicuous  objects  being 
two  huge  floating  castles,  each  provided  with  two  mounted 
cannon,  to  protect,  if  necessary,  the  landing  of  the  army. 
In  the  forenoon  of  the  7th,  however,  the  army  landed 
without  opposition  on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  aud 
began  their  march  through  the  tangled  forest  towards  the 
French  stronghold. 

Then  for  several  days  the  little  garrisons  left  at  Forts 
Edward  and  William  Henry  waited  with  the  mo.st  intense 
anxiety  for  news  from  their  brethren  in  the  field.  The 
very  first  dispatch  was  ominous  of  some  direful  disaster,  for 
it  told  that  the  gallant  and  generous  Howe  had  been  shot 
dead  in  a  trivial  skirmish,  within  a  few  hours  after  the 
landing.  Two  days  later  a  swift-galloping  expressman  rode 
into  Fort  Edward  with  the  terrible  news  that  the  whole 
army  had  been  defeated,  with  fearful  loss,  in  a  great  battle 
on  the  8th  of  July.  Englishmen  and  Americans  could 
hardly  believe  the  dreadful  story,  but   it  was  all  too  soon 


confirmed.  Flung  with  blundering  bolt-headedness  against 
a  rude  intrenchment  protected  by  abatis,  and  defended  by 
only  three  thousand  Frenchmen  and  Canadians,  under  the 
fiery  Montcalm,  the  sixteen  thousand  British  and  Ameri- 
cans wore  out  the  long,  hot  summer  afternoon  in  hopeless 
attacks,  and  retreated  at  night  with  the  loss  of  two  thou- 
sand men,  while  that  of  the  enemy  barely  reached  three 
hundred. 

Back  over  the  lake  came  the  beaten  army,  still  numbering 
twelve  thousand  fighting-men,  but  demoralized  and  hope- 
less, and  full  of  bitterness  against  the  commander  who, 
without  sharing  their  danger,  without  seeking  any  aid  from 
military  skill,  had  subjected  them  to  such  feaiful  loss.  The 
main  army  was  encamped  around  Fort  William  Henry,  but 
the  wounded  were  sent  to  Fort  Edward,  and  some  to  Al- 
bany. Among  the  wounded  were  Captain  Lee  and  Captain 
Skene,  and  Major  Duncan  Campbell  of  the  gallant  '  Black 
Watch."  The  hurt  of  the  latter  was  mortal,  and  he  died 
at  Fort  Edward  on  the  17th  of  July,  and  the  rude  slab  of 
red  sandstone  which  marks  his  grave  is  the  oldest  tomb- 
stone in  Washington  county.  The  remains  of  the  gallant 
Howe  were  borne  to  Fort  Edward  in  charge  of  his  admir- 
ing friend.  Major  Schuyler,  and  sent  thence  to  Albany, 
where  they  still  rest  beneath  the  Episcopal  church  of  St. 
Peter. 

The  energetic  Colonel  Bradstreet  obtained  permission 
from  Abercrombie  to  try  to  counteract  a  part  of  the  effect 
of  the  late  defeat,  and  with  the  aid  of  Major  Schuyler  or- 
ganized a  small  force  out  of  the  demoralized  army,  obtained 
reinforcements  elsewhere,  hastened  to  Oswego  and  thence 
across  Lake  Ontario,  and  captured  Fort  Frontenac  on  the 
site  of  Kingston,  with  an  immense  quantity  of  stores. 
The  "  Sexagenary"  relates  that  the  colonel  called  the  im- 
pressed teamsters  together  at  Fort  Edward,  thanked  them 
for  their  services  in  the  late  campaign,  and  informed  them 
that  he  should  want  their  aid  on  the  Frontenac  expe- 
dition. But  the  men  were  not  at  all  anxious  for  that 
honor.  As  there  was  no  hope  of  escaping  along  the  main 
road  with  their  wagons,  most  of  them  drove  into  the  pine- 
bushes  near  the  fort,  unhitched  their  horses,  abandoned 
their  wagons,  and  each  rode  off  one  horse  and  led  another 
through  by-paths  to  the  settlements,  whence  they  speedily 
made  their  way  to  their  respective  homes. 

Meanwhile  the  main  army  began  erecting  extensive  forti- 
fications at  the  head  of  Lake  George,  and  the  old  war  of 
predatory  excursions  between  the  French  and  English 
recommenced.  On  the  30th  of  July,  St.  Luc  la  Come, 
with  a  large  body  of  Canadians,  destroyed  a  train  between 
Ford  Edward  and  Lake  George,  taking  a  hundred  and  ten 
scalps  and  eighty-four  prisoners.  Majors  Putnam  and 
Rogers  were,  almost  as  a  matter  of  course,  selected  to  pur- 
sue the  maraudei-s.  With  five  hundred  men  they  made 
their  way  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  the  head  of  South  bay, 
but  were  too  late  to  intercept  La  Corue,  who  escaped  in 
safety  to  Ticonderoga. 

The  rangers  then  divided,  Rogers,  with  half  of  them, 
going  over  on  to  Wood  creek,  and  Putnam,  with  the 
other  half,  scouting  along  South  bay.  Ere  long  they 
learned  that  the  indef\itigable  Marin  (or  "  Mulang,"  as 
Putnam    would  call    him)    was   in   the  vicinity   with   five 


30 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


hundred  French  and  Indians.  Tliey  reunited  their  forces, 
and  began  retiring  towards  Fort  Edward,  in  order,  if  prac- 
ticable, to  intercept  his  movements.  The  rangers  now  moved 
in  three  cohimns,  commanded  respectively  by  Rogers,  Put- 
nam, and  Captain  Dalzell.  Rogers,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  the  senior  major,  and  was  therefore  in  command  of  the 
whole  force  when  united. 

The  evening  of  the  first  day  after  the  reunion  (August 
7)  they  camped  on  Clear  river,  a  branch  of  Wood  creek, 
in  the  present  town  of  Fort  Ann,  and  about  a  mile  west 
of  the  fort.  The  next  morning,  according  to  Putnam's 
statement,  Rogers  and  an  English  officer,  who  was  with 
the  command,  amused  themselves  by  firing  at  a  mark. 
One  might  ascribe  this  accusation  of  such  strange  miscon- 
duct to  jealousy  on  the  part  of  Putnam,  were  it  not  known 
that  Rogers,  with  all  his  skill,  was  sometimes  careless,  and 
that  he  had  previously  been  surprised  near  Ticonderoga, 
and  his  party  entirely  cut  to  pieces. 

Marin,  at  this  time,  was  only  a  mile  and  a  half  distant, 
and  he  proceeded  at  once  to  arrange  an  ambuscade  for  the 
unwary  rangers.  Putnam  evidently  attributed  this  action 
to  the  French  leader's  having  heard  the  firing  of  guns  by 
Rogers  and  his  friend,  though  it  is  quite  likely  that  the 
lynx-eyed  Marin  had  obtained  a  perfect  knowledge  from 
his  own  scouts  of  his  enemy's  location  and  course. 

After  their  rough  breakfast  the  rangers  moved  forward  ; 
Putnam  in  front,  Dalzt'il  in  the  centre,  and  Rogers  in  the 
rear.  For  a  while  their  course  lay  over  ground  from  which 
many  of  the  large  trees  had  been  cut  off  in  previous  wars, 
for  use  at  Fort  Ann  or  on  the  military  road,  and  on  which 
a  thick  undergrowth  had  sprung  up  in  their  place.  The 
mod(irn  practice  of  covering  the  front  of  a  scouting-party 
with  a  line  of  skirmishers  does  not  seem  to  have  been  in 
use  at  that  period;  at  least  it  is  nowhere  mentioned  in  the 
accounts  given  by  the  actors. 

About  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  just  as  the  head  of 
Putnam's  party  was  on  the  point  of  emerging  from  the 
thicket  just  mentioned  into  the  more  open  forest,  a  tre- 
mendous yell — five  hundred  war-whoops  concentrated  into 
one — burst  forth  close  on  their  right  or  western  flank.  At 
the  same  instant,  five  hundred  warriors,  with  the  terrible 
Marin  at  their  head,  rose  up  among  the  bushes  and  fired  a 
volley,  and  then  dashed,  tomahawk  in  hand,  upon  the 
astonished  rangers.  But,  though  astonished,  they  were  not 
di.smayed.  There  were  no  complicated  manoeuvres  to  go 
through  ;  instinctively  every  man,  officers  included,  faced  to 
the  right,  fired  his  fusee  at  the  yelling  crowd,  and  then 
sprang  to  the  shelter  of  tree  or  stump  and  began  to  reload. 
The  assailants  were  checked  by  the  volley,  and  themselves 
sought  similar  shelter. 

Dalzell  hurried  forward  and  joined  Putnam,  but  Rogers, 
understanding  the  situation,  bore  to  the  right  with  nearly 
two  hundred  men  and  fell  upon  the  enemy's  rear.  Put- 
nam's biographers,  deriving  their  accounts  indirectly  from 
him,  carry  the  idea  that  Rogers  neglected  to  support  his 
comrade,  because  he  did  not  hurry  forward  with  Dalzell ; 
but  the  whole  story  of  the  fight,  even  on  Putnam's  show- 
ing, makes  it  plain  that  Rogers  was  soon  engaged  and  con- 
tinued so  to  the  end.  Both  these  eminent  partisans  were 
men  of  extraordinary  courage ;  but,  as  in  the  case  of  many 


other  brave  soldiers,  there  seems  to  have  been  (at  least 
afterwards,  if  not  then)  a  good  deal  of  jealousy  between 
them,  and  this  was  doubtless  intensified  by  the  fact  that 
they  took  opposite  sides  in  the  American  Revolution.  Tiie 
accounts  of  Rogers  are  also  hardly  just  towards  Putnam. 

In  a  short  time  all  were  engaged  on  both  sides,  and  there 
ensued  one  of  those  fierce  bush-fights  so  common  on  the 
frontier,  in  which  every  tree  sheltered  a  fighter,  and  in 
which  the  whole  business  of  both  officers  and  men  was  to 
fire  as  often  and  as  straight  as  possible,  and  at  the  same 
time  shield  themselves  from  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  to  the 
best  of  their  ability.  While  Putnam  was  thus  fighting,  a 
powerful  Indian  warrior  sprang  towards  him,  tomahawk  in 
hand.  The  major  placed  his  musket  against  the  very  breast 
of  the  savage  and  pulled  the  trigger,  but  the  treacherous 
flint-lock  missed  fire,  and  the  red  man's  uplifted  tomahawk 
compelled  a  surrender.  Hurrying  his  captive  to  the  rear 
of  the  French  lines,  he  bound  him  securely  to  a  tree,  and 
again  plunged  into  the  contest. 

Still  the  battle  continued  to  rage.  French  and  Indians 
occasionally  came  to  the  rear,  and  from  these  Putnam  had 
more  to  fear  than  from  the  fighters.  A  young  warrior 
amused  himself  for  a  while  by  throwing  his  tomahawk  as 
close  as  possible  to  the  prisoner's  head  without  hitting  him; 
chuckling  with  delight  when  he  saw  the  gallant  ranger  in- 
voluntarily flinch,  as  the  keen  weapon  quivered  in  the  tree 
within  a  half-inch  of  his  skull.  Scarcely  had  this  tormentor 
left,  when  a  Frenchman  came  up  who  had  no  patience  to 
indulge  in  these  refinements  of  torture.  Leveling  his  mus- 
ket at  the  captive,  he  endeavored  to  murder  him  at  once ; 
but  his  weapon  missed  fire,  as  Putnam's  had  done  before, 
so  that  the  latter  owed  both  his  captivity,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  his  life,  on  the  other,  to  the  inefficiency  of  the  flint- 
lock musket.  Failing  in  his  attempt,  the  ruflian  thrust  his 
musket  against  the  breast  of  the  prisoner,  struck  him  a 
severe  blow  with  the  butt,  and  then  left  him. 

And  still  the  combat  went  on,  amid  Indian  whoops, 
French  vivas,  and  English  cheers,  amid  the  crackling  of 
musketry,  the  groans  of  dying  njcn,  the  dull  crash  of  the 
tomahawk  into  the  skull  of  some  unfortunate  victim,  and 
the  terrific  yell  of  the  conqueror  as  he  tore  the  bloody  scalp 
from  the  head  of  his  foeman's  corpse.  Once  the  rangers 
fell  back,  but  they  soon  rallied,  and  drove  back  the  enemy 
beyond  the  place  where  Putnam  was  bound.  The  position 
of  the  latter  was  now  more  perilous  than  ever;  several  bul- 
lets struck  the  tree  to  which  he  was  fastened,  and  some  of 
them  pierced  his  coat,  though  without  inflicting  a  wound. 
Then  once  more  the  French  lino  pushed  forward  in  front 
of  the  prisoner. 

At  length,  after  about  an  hour  of  harder  fighting  than  is 
seen  in  many  a  pitched  battle,  in  which  the  French  and 
their  allies  had  ninety  men  killed  and  wounded,  Marin  or- 
dered a  retreat,  leaving  the  Americans  in  possession  of  the 
ground,  but  taking  Putnam  and  the  other  prisoners  along. 
Either  Marin  did  not  know  the  rank  of  the  latter,  or  did 
not  care  to  interfere  with  the  Indians  in  favor  of  an  enemy 
from  whom  he  had  suffered  so  much,  so  long  as  they  did 
not  slay  him.  At  all  events,  his  shoes  and  stockings  were 
taken  oft",  and  he  was  compelled  to  toil  ail  day  under  the 
packs  of  several  Indians  which  were  loaded  on  his  back. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUxVTY,  NEW    TORK 


31 


But  this  was  only  a  foretaste.  Camping  at  night  near 
South  bay,  the  Indians  prepared  to  oxeeute  the  direst  ven- 
geance of  which  savage  warfare  is  capable  on  the  hated 
leader  of  the  rangers.  They  were  camped  at  some  little 
distance  from  their  French  allies,  and  evidently  did  not  ex- 
pect to  be  disturbed.  They  stripped  the  major  naked,  tied 
him  to  a  tree,  and  piled  a  mass  of  brush  and  small  limbs 
around  his  feet.  To  these  they  applied  a  brand  of  fire,  but 
ere  the  flames  were  well  under  way  a  light  shower  extin- 
guished them.  This,  however,  soon  pa.ssed  off,  and  again 
the  torch  wa.s  applied.  The  bush  caught  fire  and  began  to 
blaze  and  crackle  around  the  unhappy  Putnam,  who  saw  no 
hope  of  escape  from  a  horrible  death,  and  around  whom  the 
savages  now  began  dancing,  singing,  and  yelling  with  every 
demonstration  of  demoniac  glee. 

But  suddenly,  and  before  any  serious  injury  had  been 
inflicted,  Marin,  who  had  heard  what  was  going  on, 
dashed  into  the  circle  of  yelling  monsters,  scattered  the 
blazing  brands,  cut  the  withes  which  bound  the  prisoner, 
and  took  him  under  his  own  protection.  He  and  the  other 
prisoners  were  then  taken  to  Ticonderoga,  and  thence  to 
Montreal,  where  Major  Putnam  was  exchanged  the  follow- 
ing winter.  After  the  battle,  Rogers  and  his  men  returned 
without  further  adventure  to  Fort  Edward. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  General  Jeffrey  Amherst,  the 
conqueror  of  Louisburg,  arrived  at  Fort  Edward,  bringing 
with  him  four  regiments  and  a  battalion  of  Royal  Ameri- 
cans, with  which  he  had  hastened  by  forced  marches  to  the 
aid  of  Abercrombie  on  hearing  of  the  disaster  of  Ticon- 
deroga. On  the  3d  of  November  orders  were  received 
from  England  recalling  the  inefficient  Abercrombie  and 
appointing  General  Amherst  commander-in-chief.  But  it 
was  then  too  late  for  active  operations,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  army  retired  into  winter-quarters  at  Albany,  and  at 
other  points  still  farther  south.  Eight  hundred  men  were 
left  in  garrison  at  the  head  of  Lake  George,  and  fifteen , 
hundred  at  Fort  Edward.  To  the  latter  place  were  brought 
nearly  all  the  stores  which  had  previously  been  kept  at 
Lake  George. 

The  new  commander-in-chief  was  the  best  which  Britain 
had  yet  seen  fit  to  vouchsafe  to  America, — brave,  zealous, 
and  energetic,  but  by  no  means  a  great  soldier.  He  was 
then  forty-one  years  old,  had  been  successful  at  Louisburg 
and  other  points,  and  was  almost  the  last  hope  of  the 
English  and  Americans.  During  the  forepart  of  the  win- 
ter he  remained  at  Fort  Edward  and  vicinity,  making  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  the  events  of  the  next  year. 
By  the  1st  of  January,  1759,  he  had  completed  his  task, 
and  desired  to  go  to  Albany  and  New  York.  As  commu- 
nication through  the  snow-bound  forests  was  extremely 
difficult,  it  is  related  that  the  general,  with  a  few  officers 
and  men,  set  forth  on  foot,  and  probably  on  snow-shoes, 
and  made  the  whole  journey  to  New  York  in  that  manner; 
a  fact  which  at  least  attests  his  physical  hardihood. 

In  the  spring  of  1759  the  obstinate  English  and  Amer- 
icans once  more  mustered  their  forces  for  the  capture  of 
Canada.  Once  more  the  red-coated  Britons,  the  plaided 
Highlanders,  the  painted  Iroquois,  and  the  provincials  in 
their  motley  garb,  came  crowding  up  the  Hudson  to  Fort 
Edward,  and  preparing  for  another  advance  along  the  path 


on  which  they  had  been  repulsed  so  oft  before.  From  the 
first  to  the  middle  of  June,  General  Amherst's  headquar- 
ters were  at  Fort  Edward.  Regiments  were  constantly 
arriving  from  the  south  ;  others  were  departing  for  Lake 
George ;  others  were  perfecting  themselves  in  military  dis- 
cipline. Scores  of  settlers  were  encamped  in  the  centre  of 
the  army,  and  a  grand  market  was  kept  there  for  the  sale 
of  everything  that  officers  and  soldiers  might  desire. 

The  army  was  not  as  large  as  that  of  the  year  before, 
consisting  of  six  battalions  of  regulars,  numbering  nearly 
six  thousand  men,  and  nine  regiments  of  provincials, 
containing  about  the  same  number.  About  the  20th  of 
June,  the  general-in-chief,  with  the  main  body  of  the 
army,  moved  up  to  Lake  George,  only  a  small  garrison 
remaining  at  Fort  Edward.  It  was  not,  however,  till  after 
the  20th  of  July  that  the  invaders  passed  down  the  lake. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  year  very  little  of  especial 
interest  took  place  in  the  territory  of  Washington  county. 
Hardly  even  a  French  or  Indian  scouting-party  relieved 
the  monotony  of  garrison  life ;  for  eveiy  man  that  could 
possibly  be  spared  had  been  taken  by  Montcalm  to  defend 
Quebec  against  the  advancing  columns  of  Wolfe,  leaving 
only  twenty-three  hundred  men  at  Ticonderoga  to  meet 
the  army  of  Amherst.  These  retreated  before  that  army, 
yielding  up  both  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  which  had 
so  long  been  the  terror  of  our  northern  frontier.  But 
Amherst  showed  that  he  was  not  a  great  soldier  by  neglect- 
ing to  press  on  to  the  aid  of  Wolfe ;  and  it  was  only  by  a 
series  of  fortunate  accidents  that  that  gallant  soldier  was 
able  to  achieve  the  victory  which  cost  him  his  life.  In  the 
autumn  Amherst  once  more  went  down  the  Hudson  into 
winter-quarters,  leaving  the  usual  garrison  at  Fort  Edward. 

Although  the  capture  of  Quebec  had  filled  all  England 
and  America  with  the  joyful  belief  in  the  ultimate  capture 
of  Canada,  yet  the  latter  event  was  by  no  means  entirely 
certain,  and  in  the  spring  of  17G0  no  less  than  three  armies 
were  mustered  for  the  purpose  of  striking  the  final  blow. 
This  time,  however,  for  some  unexplained  reason,  General 
Amherst  led  the  main  body  by  way  of  Oswego  down  the 
Saint  Lawrence,  while  Colonel  Haviland,  with  a  compara- 
tively small  force,  took  the  old  war-path  through  Washing- 
ton county.  General  JIurray  at  the  same  time  moved  up 
from  Quebec  with  the  army  formerly  commanded  by  Wolfe. 
All  three  commands  met,  without  serious  resistance,  before 
the  walls  of  Montreal,  when  the  helpless  governor-general 
surrendered  that  last  stronghold  of  France,  and  with  it  the 
whole  of  Canada.  The  great  contest  was  at  length  ended, 
— that  is,  the  fighting  was  ended, — but  the  formal  treaty  of 
peace  was  not  signed  until  the  spring  of  1763. 

General  Amherst,  having  been  in  command  of  the  vic- 
torious army  at  the  closing  scene,  of  course  received  the 
praise  always  given  to  successful  soldiers.  He  became  a 
baronet,  and  was  known  thenceforth  as  Sir  Jeffrey  Am- 
herst, and  still  later  received  the  higher  title  of  Lord  Am- 
herst. But  it  has  been  truly  said  that  if  Wolfe  had  been 
such  a  soldier  as  Amherst  the  Gibraltar  of  America  would 
not  have  been  captured,  and  History  has  justly  flung  her 
laurels  on  the  corpse  of  the  hero  of  Quebec  rather  than 
bind  with  them  the  brow  of  the  cautious  and  successful 
commander-in-chief. 


32 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


With  the  return  of  a  portion  of  the  triumphant  army, 
by  way  of  the  lakes  and  the  Hudson,  Washington  county 
ceased  to  be  a  war-path  for  nearly  fifteen  years.  Even  in 
the  spring  of  1760,  before  the  final  capture,  men  were  so 
sure  that  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga  would  never  again 
be  the  headquarters  whence  gangs  of  bloodthirsty  savages 
would  ravage  the  frontier,  that  a  few  farmers  returned  to 
some  of  the  deserted,  brush-grown  fields  around  old  Fort 
Saraghtoga,  and  began  to  prepare  them  once  more  for  culti- 
vation. When  the  news  came  that  all  Canada  had  suc- 
cumbed to  British  power  hundreds  turned  their  attention 
to  the  fertile  valleys  and  heavily-timbered  hillsides  of  the 
old  Mohican  hunting-ground,  and  many  a  young  soldier 
determined  to  subdue  with  ase  and  plow  a  portion  of  the 
territory  he  had  so  often  traversed  with  knapsack  and 
musket. 


CHAPTER    X. 

FEOM  THE  FRENCH  ■WAR  TO  THE  REVOLUTION. 

New  Beginnings  of  Settlement — Salem,  Carahriilgc,  and  Skencs- 
borough — Progress  in  1702 — Anaquassacook  Patent — Kingsbury 
Township — Grant  to  the  Cliildren  of  Csiptain  Campbell — Skene 
returns  from  the  West  Indies— The  Treaty  of  Peace— Land  of- 
fered to  Ex-Offieers  and  Soldiers — Amounts  given  to  diflcrent 
Grades— Turner's  Patent— Bribing  the  Officials— "  White  Creek" 
—The  Argyle  Patent— Provincial  and  Artillery  Patents— The  rest 
of  the  County— The  Uighlanders— Dr.  Clark  and  his  Colony— 
Skcnesborough  Patent  and  Township — The  New  Hampshire  Grants 
— Sketch  of  the  Controversy — Governor  Wentworth's  First  Grant 
— The  Dispute  referred  to  Great  Britain— Secret  Grants  by  Went- 
wortli — The  Discovery  by  New  York — Proclamations  and  Counter- 
Proclamations — Decision  in  favor  of  New  York — Beginning  of  the 
Riots — First  Settlement  in  Argyle — Project  for  tive  new  Counties 
— Continuation  of  the  Quarrel — Nature  of  Land  Grants — First 
Church  in  the  County— Settlement  of  Fort  Miller— Captain  William 
Ducr— The  First  Grist-Mill— Rapid  Settlement- Skene's  Koad— 
Albert  Baker — Project  of  a  new  Province — Settlement  by  High- 
landers— Increased  Resistance  to  New  York — Simple  Method  of 
Conveying  Land — Settlement  at  Ash  Grove — Township  of  Argyle 
Organized- The  E.xpulsion  of  Donald  Mclntyre— Mobbing  of 
Charles  Hutchinson — Futile  Proceedings — Organization  of  Char- 
lotte County — Cambridge  ami  Saratoga  Districts — First  Legisla- 
tive Act — Skene's  Efforts — Colonel  Schuyler  made  First  Judge — 
Other  Officers — Courts  created  at  Fort  Edward— First  Court — Con- 
tinuation of  the  Hampshire  Grant  Troubles — Rev.  Harry  Monro — 
Approach  of  the  Revolution— Strong  English  Inflnencc— Dr.  Wil- 
liams—A Stormy  Court — Crime  Rampant — An  Undaunted  Judge 
-The  End  of  the  King's  Rule. 

The  year  17G1  saw  no  less  than  three  distinct  begin- 
nings, looking  toward  settlement,  made  within  the  territory 
of  Washington  county,  besides  the  reopening  of  the  old 
fields  on  the  Hudson.  In  the  spring  James  Turner  and 
Alexander  Conkey,  of  Pelham,  Mass.,  visited  the  flats 
where  Salem  village  now  stands,  and  selected  that  locality 
as  the  place  for  their  future  residence.  It  is  not  certain 
whether  they  made  any  clearing  that  year  or  not,  but  from 
the  language  in  which  the  facts  are  described  it  would  be 
inferred  that  they  did  not. 

The  same  year,  on  the  21st  of  July,  the  governor  and 
council  of  New  York  granted  a  patent  for  thirty-five  thou- 
sand five  hundred  acres,  situated  north  of  the  Hoosic 
patent,  and    comprising    the    central  part    of   the  present 


towns  of  Cambridge  and  White  Creek,  under  the  name  of 
Cambridge  patent.  The  patentees  were  Edmund  Wells, 
Isaac  Sawyer,  Jacob  Lansing,  William  Smith,  Alexander 
Colden,  Goldsborow  Banyar,  and  others.  The  three  per- 
sons last  named  were  officials  connected  with  the  colonial 
government,  who,  in  accordance  with  the  morals  of  that 
day,  which  were  certainly  as  bad  as  they  have  ever  been 
since,  blackmailed  all  would-be  grantees  of  land,  and  com- 
pelled them  to  allow  the  officials  a  large  share  in  their 
grants.  Very  soon  afterwards  the  proprietors  made  a 
public  offisr  to  give  a  hundred  acres  to  each  of  the  first 
thirty  families  who  would  settle  in  the  new  township,  and, 
according  to  the  record,  some  of  the  families  who  accepted 
the  offer  moved  on  to  the  land  the  same  year.  This  was 
the  customary  way  of  settling  a  new  county  in  those  days  ; 
that  is,  the  land  was  granted  in  large  tracts,  and  then  the 
owners  persuaded  somebody  else  to  do  the  work  on  it. 
Common  people  were  hardly  supposed  to  know  enough  to 
move  into  the  wilderness  and  clear  up  a  farm  without 
somebody  to  tell  them  where  to  go. 

During  the  same  season  Philip  Skene,  whom  we  have 
seen  leading  a  company  of  the  Enniskillen  Regiment,  and 
wounded  at  the  a.ssault  on  Ticonderoga,  made  a  settlement 
at  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain,  where  the  village  of  White- 
hall now  stands.  He  located  thirty  families  there,  all  being 
in  his  employment,  and  began  with  great  zeal  the  work  of 
iiuprovenient.  He  was  still  an  officer  in  the  army,  and  had 
received  the  staff-appointment  of  brigade-major,  from  which 
he  was  called  Major  Skene,  though  his  rank  in  the  line  was 
still  that  of  captain.  He  had  not  yet  obtained  a  title  to 
the  land  on  which  he  was  settling,  but  is  said  to  have  been 
acting  under  the  advice  of  General  Amherst,  and  doubtless 
felt  that  there  would  be  no  difEculty  in  procuring  a  title 
if  aided  by  that  powerful  patronage.  Soon  afterwards. 
Major  Skene  went  to  Cuba  with  the  British  forces  sent 
there,  where  he  distinguished  himself  in  the  attack  on 
Jloro  castle. 

Earlj'  in  the  spring  of  1702,  Turner  and  Conkey  returned 
to  the  place  they  had  selected  the  year  before,  accomj)anied 
by  Hamilton  McCoilister,  and  the  three  built  a  cabin  where 
the  Ondawa  House,  in  Salem,  now  stands.  Each  selected 
a  form  in  the  vicinity,  and  vigorously  began  clearing  it  oft'. 
Here,  as  elsewhere  on  the  level  ground  of  Washington 
county,  the  early  settlers  found  but  little  jungle  or  under- 
brush, save  where  the  forest  had  previously  been  cut  down 
for  the  u.se  of  an  army.  Gigantic  oaks,  elms,  beeches,  and 
maples,  at  a  great  distance  apart,  rose  from  the  fertile  soil 
in  which  their  roots  had  been  imbedded  for  centuries, 
while  the  knolls  and  sometimes  the  plains  were  shaded  by 
lofty,  dark,  and  fragrant  pines. 

This  section  of  country  had  long  been  the  hunting- 
ground  of  the  feeble  remnant  of  the  Mohicans,  the  con- 
quered tributaries  of  the  mighty  Iroquois,  and  they  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  burning  over  the  ground  every  au- 
tumn, so  that  grass  would  spring  up  on  which  their  game 
could  feed.  This,  of  course,  destroyed  the  small  brush  and 
left  the  large  trees  more  ample  room  for  growth. 

On  the  11th  of  May,  17C2,  the  "Anaquassacook" 
patent  of  ten  thousand  acres  was  granted  by  the  governor 
and  council  to  four  Schcrmerhorns,  three  Quackenbosses, 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


33 


two  Smiths,  and  one  Jansen,  all  of  Schenectady.  The 
tract  was  situated  in  the  present  towns  of  Jackson  and 
White  Creek,  and  settlement  was  soon  after  commenced 
upon  it. 

On  the  same  day  a  tract  of  twenty-six  thousand  acres 
was  granted  by  patent  to  James  Bradshaw  and  twenty-two 
others,  of  Connecticut.  The  instrument  which  conveyed 
the  land  also  incorporated  the  tract  as  a  township  by  the 
name  of  Kingsbury,  giving  the  inhabitants  the  right  to 
elect  supervisors,  assessors,  and  a  few  other  officers. 

The  old  township  organization  was  by  no  means  as  com- 
plete as  that  of  a  modern  town,  yet  it  corresponded  to  it  in 
some  degree.  "Township"  or  "district"  was  the  usual  ap- 
pellation applied  by  law  to  these  organizations,  but  they 
were  also  sometimes  called  "  towns."  They  were  usually 
created  by  patent  from  the  governor  and  council,  but  when 
once  formed  their  privileges  could  not  be  annulled  nor 
changed,  except  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature.  Sometimes 
these  municipal  privileges  were  conferred  by  the  same 
patent  which  granted  the  lands,  as  in  the  case  of  Kings- 
bury ;  but  oftener  the  township  or  district  was  organized 
at  a  later  date.  By  a  law  of  1 703,  each  "  town"  was  al- 
lowed to  elect  a  supervisor,  two  assessors,  and  a  collector, 
on  such  days  as  should  be  designated  in  their  charters  or 
patents ;  and  supervisors  were  directed  to  meet  at  the 
county-town  each  year  to  examine  accounts,  proportion 
charges  among  the  towns,  etc.  Inhabitants  not  included 
in  an  organized  township  might  unite  with  an  adjoining 
one  until  they  were  themselves  organized.  The  township 
of  Kingsbury  was  the  first  one  incorporated  in  the  territory 
of  Washington  county,  and  as  town.ship,  district,  or  town 
it  has  ever  since  retained  the  same  name  and  boundaries  as 
were  first  given  it. 

In  January,  1763,  Donald,  George,  and  James  Campbell, 
sons  of  Laughlin  Campbell,  whose  unfortunate  attempt  to 
settle  in  this  county  has  been  before  narrated,  presented  a 
petition  asking  for  a  grant  of  a  hundred  thousand  acres  be- 
tween the  Batten  Kill  and  Wood  creek.  It  is  difficult  to 
account  for  the  extreme  exorbitance  of  this  request,  though 
it  has  been  suggested  that  the  Campbells  intended,  or 
claimed  that  they  intended,  to  provide  for  the  descendants 
of  the  colonists  who  had  expected  to  settle  under  their 
father's  direction. 

The  petition  was  rejected  on  the  ground  that  the  orders 
of  the  English  government  positively  forbade  the  granting 
of  over  a  thousand  acres  to  any  one  person.  Nevertheless, 
it  was  felt  that  Captain  Campbell  had  been  very  badly 
treated,  and  there  was  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  the 
colonial  authorities  to  give  some  relief  to  his  children. 
Accordingly,  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  a  grant  of  ten 
thousand  acres  in  the  present  town  of  Argyle  was  made 
to  the  three  brothers  before  named,  their  three  sisters,  and 
four  other  persons,  three  of  whom  were  also  named  Camp- 
bell. 

In  this  year,  also,  Major  Skene  returned  from  the  West 
Indies,  bringing  with  him  a  number  of  negro  slaves,  which 
he  had  purchased  there.  He  proceeded  to  Skenesborough, 
but  found  that  half  of  his  thirty  families  had  disappeared, 
many  having  fallen  victims  to  the  insalubrity  of  the  loca- 
tion, and  others  having  becoming  discouraged  and  left. 
5 


The  major,  however,  immediately  recommenced  the  work 
of  improvement. 

After  over  two  years  of  diplomatic  man(Euvring,  follow- 
ing the  close  of  actual  warfare,  peace  was  formally  con- 
cluded between  England  and  France  in  the  forepart  of 
1763.  A  large  number  of  British  soldiers  were  conse- 
quently disbanded,  and  many  officers  were  "reduced  ;"  that 
is,  released  from  active  service,  but  retained  on  the  army- 
rolls  on  half-pay.  In  October  a  royal  proclamation  was 
issued,  oiFering  land  in  America,  without  fees,  to  all  such 
officers  and  soldiers  who  had  served  on  that  continent  and 
who  wished  to  become  settlers  there,  and  many  of  them 
naturally  turned  their  eyes  towards  the  ground  with  which 
they  had  become  so  well  acquainted  during  their  military 
service.  The  provincial  levies  were  not  included  in  the 
offer. 

Nothing  shows  more  clearly  than  this  proclamation  the 
lofty  position  of  an  officer  in  the  British  service  at  that 
time  compared  with  that  of  a  private.  A  field-officer  re- 
ceived four  thousand  acres ;  a  captain,  three  thousand ; 
and  a  lieutenant,  or  other  subaltern  commissioned  officer, 
two  thousand.  From  this  there  was  an  immense  leap  down- 
ward ;  a  non-commissioned  officer,  whether  sergeant  or  cor- 
poral, receiving  two  hundred  acres. 

Still  more  remarkable  was  the  distinction  made  between 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates;  two  grades  which 
in  a  regular  army  are  usually  considered  so  near  on  a  level 
as  to  be  equally  beneath  the  notice  of  a  commissioned  officer. 
Yet  by  the  proclamation  in  question,  while  a  corporal  was 
to  receive  two  hundred  acres  a  private  was  only  to  have  fifty  ! 
The  venerable  John  McDonald,  of  Salem,  still  possesses  one 
of  the  original  patents  for  fifty  acres,  granted  under  this 
proclamation  to  a  private  soldier,  and  sold  by  him  to  Mr. 
McDonald's  grandfather.  Fifty  acres  of  wild  land,  on  the 
hillsides  of  Washington  county,  was  certainly  not  an  ex- 
orbitant reward  for  seven  years'  service  amid  all  the  dangers 
and  horrors  of  French  and  Indian  warfiire. 

It  was  not  until  the  spring  of  1764  that  Turner,  Conkey, 
and  McCollister,  who  had  been  clearing  ground  on  the 
Salem  flats  in  summer  time,  and  residing  in  Pelham,  Mass., 
in  winter,  finally  removed  with  their  families  to  the  former 
locality.  They  also  obtained  a  patent  from  the  governor 
and  council  covering  the  twenty-five  thousand  acres  now 
constituting  the  greater  part  of  the  town  of  Salem.  It  was 
granted  in  the  name  of  twenty-five  citizens  of  Pelham  and 
vicinity ;  but  whether  any  of  the  names  were  fictitious  or 
not  cannot  now  be  ascertained,  though  it  is  probable  some 
of  them  were. 

But  what  is  quite  certain  is  that  before  the  colonists 
could  obtain  their  patent  they  were  obliged  to  bribe  the 
colonial  officials  with  a  promise  of  half  the  land.  Accord- 
ingly, as  soon  as  the  document  in  question  was  signed,  and 
probably  before  it  w;ls  delivered,  the  patentees  executed  a 
conveyance  of  an  undivided  half  of  their  tract  to  Colonel 
Oliver  De  Lancey  and  two  other  prominent  persons  con- 
nected with  the  colonial  government. 

Twenty  or  thirty  JIassachusctts  (ivmilies  proceeded  within 
a  year  or  so  to  occupy  the  lands  in  question,  calling  the 
territory  "  White  Creek,"  from  the  stream  which  ran 
through  it,  and  calling  the  stream  so  from  the  clearness  of 


34 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


its  waters,  as  compared  with  those  of  "  Black  creek,"  which 
came  down  from  the  north. 

Learning  of  the  success  of  Captain  Campbell's  children 
in  obtaining  a  grant,  a  large  number  of  the  descendants  of 
the  settlers  whom  he  had  brought  over  from  Scotland,  with 
a  few  of  the  original  ones,  made  application  for  a  similar 
recompense  for  their  hardships  and  losses.  Accordingly,  in 
May,  1764,  a  grant  of  forty-.soven  thousand  four  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  comprising  the  present  town  of  Argyle  and 
a  small  part  of  Fort  Edward  and  Greenwich,  was  granted 
to  the  colonists  and  their  descendants.  Of  the  manner  in 
which  it  was  laid  off  and  settled,  notice  will  be  found  in 
the  history  of  the  town  of  Argyle. 

Although  neither  the  provincial  officers  nor  soldiers  were 
included  in  the  royal  proclamation,  yet  by  a  special  grant 
made  in  May,  1764,  a  tract  of  twenty-six  thousand  acres 
was  given  to  twenty-six  commissioned  officers  of  the  New 
York  infantry,  each  receiving  the  same  amount  without 
regard  to  rank.  The  tract  was  situated  in  the  present  town 
of  Hartford,  and  was  known  as  the  Provincial  patent. 

Another  similar  patent  conveyed  twenty-four  thousand 
acres,  situated  in  the  south  part  of  the  present  town  of 
Fort  Ann,  to  twenty-four  commissioned  officers  of  the  New 
York  artillery. 

The  rest  of  the  town — the  "  Camden  tract"  in  the  south 
part  of  Salem,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  present  towns 
of  Fort  Ann,  Granville,  Hampton,  Dresden,  and  Putnam, 
together  with  the  tilla()le  lands  on  both  sides  of  Lake 
Champlain  as  far  north  as  Crown  Point — was  set  apart  to 
officers  and  soldiers  (principally  the  latter),  under  the  royal 
proclamation.  This  exhausted  nearly  or  quite  all  the 
lands  in  Washington  county  aside  from  the  patents  before 
mentioned. 

For  several  years  after  1764  settlements  were  constantly 
being  made  on  these  tracts  by  disbanded  soldiers.  It  is 
noticeable,  however,  that  in  every  case  the  settlers  were 
Scotch  Highlanders,  mostly  belonging  to  the  Seventy- 
seventh  Regiment.  We  have  been  unable  to  learn  of  a 
single  instance  in  which  an  English  or  Irish  private  soldier 
claimed  and  settled  on  his  tract  of  land  under  the  royal 
proclamation. 

Possibly  the  Scotch  may  have  been,  to  some  extent, 
drawn  to  this  section  by  the  fact  that  there  was  already  a 
colony  of  Scotch  descent  located  here.  In  the  spring  of 
1765,  Dr.  Thomas  Clark,  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  but  for 
many  years  the  pastor  of  a  congregation  of  Scottish 
descent  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  came  to  what  is  now 
Salem  to  find  a  place  for  the  settlement  of  his  people,  three 
hundred  of  whom,  disgusted  with  the  persecution  they 
had  suffiircd  at  lionie,  had  followed  him  to  America.  Sat- 
isfied with  the  locality,  he  proceeded  to  New  York  and 
bought  that  half  of  "  Turner's  Patent"  which  had  been 
conveyed  to  De  Laneey  and  liis  friends  as  a  bribe,  and 
which  with  unconscious  but  most  bitter  satire  was  commonly 
called  "  the  gentlemen's  tract."  Clark's  colony,  which 
was  already  at  Stillwater,  began  settling  immediately  after- 
wards. 

The  patentees  having  conveyed  an  undivided  half  to  "  the 
gentlemen,"  the  whole  was  divided  into  lots,  and  each  set 
of  owners  took   their    choice    successively.     Consequently 


the  Massachusetts  and  Scotch  colonists  lived  all  inter- 
mingled with  each  other.  They  both,  however,  adhered 
to  their  own  customs,  and  were  desperately  determined  on 
having  their  own  way.  The  Massachusetts  people  had 
named  the  place  White  Creek,  but  the  Scotch,  or  Scotch- 
Irish,  were  determined  it  should  be  called  New  Perth,  in 
honor  of  the  city  of  Perth  in  the  land  from  which  they 
derived  their  origin  ;  and  for  many  years — in  fact  until 
after  the  Revolution — the  locality  was  known  by  both  those 
nanie.s. 

Dr.  Clark  was  a  man  of  marked  ability,  being  not 
only  a  prominent  minister  but  a  regularly  educated  physi- 
cian ;  and,  there  being  no  one  else  of  the  latter  profession 
within  a  long  distance,  he  had  a  considerable  practice  for 
many  years.  He  was  the  first  minister  and  the  first  phy- 
sician permanently  settled  in  the  present  county  of  Wash- 
ington, and  a  house  built  for  his  use  in  the  spring  of  1765 
was  the  first  parsonage  in  the  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1765,  also,  Major  Skene  obtained  a 
grant  of  twenty-five  thousand  acres  in  the  present  town  of 
Whitehall.  The  usual  device  was  resorted  to  of  associa- 
ting twenty-four  other  persons  with  him,  whose  interest 
was  merely  nominal,  to  evade  the  rule  which  permitted 
only  a  thousand  acres  to  be  granted  to  one  person.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  this  land  was  first  given  to  soldiers  and 
non-commissioned  officers,  and  was  purchased  from  them  by 
Skene,  who  only  obtained  the  grant  to  confirm  his  title ; 
but  we  are  sure  this  is  incorrect.  Skene  settled  there  two 
years  before  the  land  was  offered  to  the  soldiers  by  royal 
proclamation.  There  is  no  evidence  that  this  tract  was 
ever  set  apart  to  them,  and  no  probability  that  if  Skene 
had  once  bought  them  out  he  would  have  associated  twenty- 
four  other  persoas  with  himself  in  the  title  which  he  al- 
ready owned  alone.  He  may  have  purchased  small  tracts 
of  the  soldiers,  but  not  the  town.ship.  Probably  the  delay 
in  obtaining  a  patent  was  occasioned  by  his  resisting  the 
blackmailing  propensities  of  the  colonial  authorities.  At 
all  events,  they  obtained  no  interest  in  that  tract.  It  was 
formed  into  a  township,  by  the  same  patent  which  granted 
the  title,  by  the  name  of  Skenesborough. 

We  have  now  reached  a  period  when  along  the  eastern 
border  of  Washington  county  there  began  to  be  a  serious 
excitement  about  the  title  to  the  land.  This  was  the 
famous  controversy  regarding  the  "  New  Hampshire  grants." 
As  this  contest  will  necessarily  affect,  to  some  extent,  the 
fortunes  of  Washington  county  for  the  succeeding  twenty 
years,  we  will  endeavor  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  its 
origin  and  character,  although,  as  the  more  exciting  events 
of  the  controversy  took  place  outside  the  present  limits  of 
the  county,  our  narrative  will  be  a  very  brief  one. 

Soon  after  the  capture  of  New  Netherland  from  the 
Dutch,  King  Charles  the  Second  granted  the  government  of 
the  province,  under  the  name  of  New  York,  together  with 
the  title  to  the  ungranted  lands  therein,  to  his  brother 
James,  Duke  of  York,  bounding  it  on  the  east  by  the  Con- 
necticut river.  On  the  accession  of  the  duke  to  the  throne 
as  James  the  Second,  .the  title  became  vested  in  the  crown, 
but  the  government  established  by  him  was  always  there- 
after recognized  as  the  legal  government  of  the  colony. 

The  ea.stern  boundary,  however,  was  claimed  to  conflict 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


35 


with  earlier  grants  to  the  proprietors  of  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts,  and  the  rapidly-increasinp:  population  of 
those  colonies  was  permitted  without  much  resistance  by 
New  York  to  occupy  the  territory  up  to  within  about 
twenty  miles  of  the  Hudson  river.  North  of  the  north 
line  of  Massachusetts,  however,  no  colony  was  organized 
till  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  no  question 
was  raised  but  that  above  that  line  New  York  extended  to 
the  Connecticut.  But  as  that  part  of  the  colony  was  a 
mountainous  wilderness,  terribly  open  to  murderous  incur- 
sions from  French  and  Indian  foes,  no  one  was  anxious 
to  ac((uire  property  there,  and  no  grants  were  made. 

In  1749,  Benning  Wentwortli  was  appointed  governor  of 
New  Hampshire.  His  couimis.sion  directed  him  to  pro- 
ceed to  make  grants  of  land  for  the  purpose  of  settling  up 
the  country,  and  also  gave  the  bounds  of  the  territory  over 
which  he  was  to  rule.  The  southern  boundary  was  therein 
described  as  running  from  a  point  near  Pawtucket  Falls,  on 
the  Merriniac  river,  due  west  "  till  it  meets  with  our  other 
governments."  The  same  year  Wentwortli  wrote  to  Gov- 
ernor Clinton,  of  New  York,  inquiring  where  his  "govern- 
ment" began.  The  latter  replied  the  next  spring  that  the 
eastern  boundary  of  New  York  was  on  the  Connecticut 
river. 

Wentworth  answered,  asking  how  it  was  that  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut  went  so  far  west,  and  stating 
that,  previous  to  receiving  Clinton's  letter,  he  had  already 
given  a  grant  of  a  township  six  miles  square,  situated  on 
the  western  border  of  the  colony  of  New  Hampshire,  as  he 
undenstood  the  lines.  This  was  the  famous  Bennington, 
which  received  its  designation  from  the  first  name  of  Gov- 
ernor Benning  Wentworth.  It  is  pretty  evident  that  that 
official  was  playing  a  "  grab  game,"  or  he  would  not  have 
made  his  first  grant  on  the  disputed  ground,  at  its  farther- 
most extremity,  passing  over  the  rich  lands  on  the  west- 
ern shore  of  the  Connecticut.  He  evidently  thought  that 
if  he  could  get  possession  of  the  most  distant  portion  of  the 
tract,  he  could  more  easily  seize  upon  the  rest. 

Clinton  and  his  council — all  these  letters  emanated  from 
the  governors  "in  council' — explained  the  condition  of 
affairs  as  regarded  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  and  ex- 
pressed surprise  at  Wentworth's  granting  a  township  before 
hearing  heard  from  them.  The  latter,  in  reply,  proposed 
that  both  sides  should  send  representations  to  the  crown, 
and  to  this  New  York  agreed.  "  If,"  wrote  Governor 
WentworXh,  "it  [the  grant]  falls  by  his  majesty's  deter- 
mination within  the  province  of  New  York,  it  will  be  void 
of  course." 

The  next  year  (1751)  both  governments  sent  representa- 
tions to  the  "  Lords  of  Trade"  in  London,  who  seem  to  have 
treated  them  with  the  usual  indifi"erence  and  tardiness  of 
our  aristocratic  masters  regarding  the  vital  interests  com- 
mitted to  their  charge.  A  prompt  decision  of  the  question, 
which  was  an  exceedingly  plain  one,  would  have  prevented 
twenty  years  of  disturbance,  riot,  and  bloodshed.  But  the 
Lords  of  Trade  and  the  privy  council  delayed  their  decision 
until  1754,  when  the  breaking  out  of  the  French  war  gave 
them  an  excuse  for  neglecting  entirely  all  matters  not  im- 
mediately connected  with  the  war. 

Meanwhile,  sly  old  Governor  Wentworth  continued  to 


grant  land  in  the  di.sputcd  territory  without  the  knowledge 
of  the  New  York  authorities,  and  in  spite  of  the  arrange- 
ment by  which  it  had  been  agreed  that  the  dispute  should 
be  referred  to  England.  The  object  of  this  disreputable 
conduct  was  undoubtedly  to  get  the  fees,  while  the  lands 
were  bought  by  speculators  for  a  trifling  price,  which  they 
were  willing  to  risk  losing  in  order  to  have  a  chance  of 
making  a  great  profit  if  New  Hampshire  should  get  the 
territory. 

Eighteen  grants  were  thus  made  by  New  Hampshire 
before  the  French  war,  but  from  1754  to  17G0  none  were 
made,  nor  were  any  proceedings  taken  by  either  party.  In 
1761,  Governor  Wentworth  again  began  making  grants, 
and  in  three  years  issued  a  hundred  and  eleven  patents. 
He  only  claimed  that  the  authority  of  New  Hampshire  ex- 
tended as  far  west  as  that  of  Massachusetts,  or  withiu 
twenty  miles  of  the  Hudson  river.  But  in  fact  the  grants 
were  surveyed  out  so  as  to  run  within  seventeen  or  eighteen 
miles  of  the  Hudson. 

The  New  York  authorities  do  not  appear  to  have  found 
out  what  was  going  on  until  1763.  In  that  year  they  re- 
ceived instructions  to  i.ssue  patents  to  officers  and  soldiere, 
as  before  mentioned,  and  on  looking  around  for  land,  dis- 
covered that  Wentworth  had  been  making  numerous  grants 
in  spite  of  the  agreement  to  refer  the  whole  matter  to  the 
crown.  In  December  of  that  year  acting  Governor  Colden 
issued  a  proclamation  warning  every  one  that  the  title  of 
New  York  extended  to  the  Connecticut  river,  and  enjoining 
the  sheriff  of  Albany  county,  and  other  officers,  to  return 
the  names  of  all  who  might  take  possession  of  land  in  the 
disputed  territory,  under  New  Hampshire,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  proceeded  against  by  law. 

In  March,  1764,  Governor  Wentworth  came  out  with  a 
proclamation,  declaring  that  nothing  was  more  evident  than 
that  New  Hampshire  extended  as  far  west  as  Massachu- 
setts ;  that  the  patent  to  the  Duke  of  York  was  obsolete, 
and  that  grantees  under  New  Hampshire  might  safely  go 
on  and  settle  their  lands.  But  in  the  mean  time  New  York 
had  been  urging  the  dilatory  authorities  of  England  into 
action,  and  in  July,  1764,  an  order  was  issued  by  the  king 
in  council  declaring  that  New  York  extended  to  the  Con- 
necticut river,  and  that  no  grants  west  of  that  stream  should 
be  made  by  New  Hampshire.  In  a  legal  point  of  view  this 
was  unquestionably  correct.  New  Hampshire  had  never 
had  any  real  claim,  nor  even  a  plausible  pretext  for  one. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  no  rioting.  What  few 
of  the  New  Hampshire  grantees  had  settled  on  their  lands 
had  held  them  peaceably,  and  so  had  a  few  New  Yorkers, 
whose  po.ssessions  extended  east  of  the  sclf-cstabiished 
boundary  of  the  New  Hampshire  men.  But  the  next 
month  a  New  Yorker  was  forcibly  driven  from  the  eastern 
part  of  the  Hoosick  patent  by  New  Hampshire  men,  and 
thenceforward  collisions  were  common  all  along  the  eastern 
border  of  what  now  constitutes  Washington  county,  but 
mostly  ju.st  east  of  the  present  line. 

We  have  given  an  outline  of  the  origin  of  the  difficulty 
between  New  York  and  New  Hampshire,  and  will  now  pro- 
ceed with  the  history  of  Washington  county,  noticing  the 
various  disturbances  as  they  occurred.  The  New  York 
officials  offered  to  convey  to  the  New  Hampshire  grantees 


36 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


wliat  they  had  received  from  Governor  Wentworth  on  pay- 
ment of  the  regular  fees ;  the  latter  refused,  and  petitioned 
the  crown,  wlio  directed  the  authorities  of  New  York  not 
to  issue  any  more  grants  until  further  orders. 

In  17C5  the  first  settlonient  was  made  in  Argyle,  by  some 
of  the  Scotchmen  who  had  received  grants  there. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  all  this  while  the  whole  of 
the  territory  of  northern  New  York,  including  the  disputed 
territory  now  constituting  Vermont,  was  nominally  a  part 
of  the  county  of  Albany.  In  October,  1763,  Captain  (after- 
wards General)  David  Wooster  and  others  petitioned  for  the 
formation  of  five  new  counties  from  Albany.  Two  were  to 
be  east  of  the  Green  mountains.  The  third  was  to  run  from 
the  .summit  of  the  Green  mountains  "  as  far  west  as  the 
government  might  think  proper,"  having  for  its  southern 
boundary  the  north  line  of  Massachusetts,  the  Mohawk 
river,  and  a  line  connecting  the  mouth  of  that  river  with 
the  northwest  corner  of  that  State ;  while  the  northern 
boundary  was  to  be  an  east  and  west  line,  cros.sing  the 
Hudson  at  Fort  Miller.  The  fourth  county  was  to  lie 
directly  north  of  the  foregoing,  its  northern  boundary  being 
an  cast  and  west  line  running  through  the  north  end  of  Lake 
George ;  the  fifth  was  to  extend  to  Canada.  The  project 
was,  however,  rejected  by  the  New  York  government. 

During  the  year  176C  a  wordy  conflict  raged  between 
the  New  Hampshire  grantees  and  the  New  York  authori- 
ties. The  former  declared  that  the  latter  refused  to  con- 
firm their  grants  except  on  the  payment  of  exorbitant  fees, 
and  from  what  we  know  of  the  conduct  of  tjiose  authorities, 
and  the  bribes  they  had  exacted  from  their  own  people, 
there  is  little  doubt  that  the  charge  is  correct. 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  lands  granted  by  colo- 
nial governments  of  that  era  were  not  sold  outright,  and  no 
cash  payment  was  required  except  the  fees  to  the  ofiieials. 
The  grantees  were  in  effect  given  a  perpetual  lease,  and  an 
annual  quitrent  was  reserved  to  the  crown.  This  quit- 
rent  varied  greatly.  In  the  case  of  the  Rev.  Godfredius 
Diliius  it  was  to  be  one  raccoon-skin  a  year  for  several  thou- 
sand square  miles.  But  at  the  period  we  are  now  consid- 
ering the  yearly  quitrent  was  fixed  at  two  shillings  six- 
pence sterling  for  every  hundred  acres  in  the  province  of 
New  York,  but  only  about  ninepence  sterling  in  New 
Hampshire.  The  fees  for  a  grant  of  a  thousand  acres  were 
as  follows:  to  the  governor,  §31.25;  to  the  secretary  of 
state,  $10;  to  the  clerk  of  the  council,  $10  to  $15; 
to  the  receiver- geperal,  $14.37;  to  the  attorney-general, 
$7.50 ;  making  a  total  of  about  $75  besides  the  cost 
of  survey.  This  does  not  look  like  a  very  large  amount 
for  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  but  money  was  scarce  and  land 
was  plenty,  and  there  were  probably  thousands  of  substan- 
tial citizens  who  would  have  been  utterly  unable  to  raise 
the  amount  in  question. 

During  this  year  the  first  church  was  built  in  the  present 
county  of  Washington.  So  far  as  known  it  was  the  first 
one  north  of  Albany.  It  was  erected  by  Dr.  Clark's  colony 
at  Salem.  The  material  consisted  of  small  logs,  such  as 
could  bo  brought  by  hand,  there  being  then  no  teams  in  the 
settlement,  according  to  the  tradition  among  the  descend- 
ants of  the  colonists.  The  logs  were  laid  upon  each  other, 
and  notched  together  at  the  corners  in  the  most  approved 


style  of  that  kind  of  architecture ;  the  crevices  being  well 
filled  with  clay.  The  earth  constituted  the  floor,  while  the 
roof  was  composed  of  black-ash  bark,  peeled  oflf,  laid  upon 
the  gi-ound  and  flattened  with  stones  while  drying.  The 
seats  were  made  of  split  logs  laid  upon  blocks.  This  prim- 
itive temple  of  religion  was  forty  feet  long,  and  was  the 
largest  building  in  the  county,  except  perhaps  the  barracks 
at  Fort  Edward.  A  school-house,  also  supposed  to  be  the 
first  in  the  county,  was  built  at  Salem  the  same  year,  out 
of  similar  materials  and  of  like  architecture. 

In  this  year  (1766),  also,  the  first  settlement  was  made 
at  the  present  village  of  Fort  Miller,  which  derived  its 
name  from  the  old  fortified  store-houses  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Hudson.  The  pioneer  here  was  Captain  William  Duer, 
a  gallant  young  oflicer  of  the  British  army,  who  had  served 
on  the  staff'  of  Ciive,  the  conqueror  of  India,  but  had  de- 
termined to  make  his  home  in  America,  and  had  selected 
the  locality  just  mentioned  as  the  place  for  founding  a  colony. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Alexander,  of  New  York, 
who  claimed  to  be  the  rightful  heir  of  a  Scottish  earldom, 
and  was  commonly  known  as  Lord  Stirling.  Mrs.  Ducr  was 
generally  known  as  "Lady  Katy,'  and  a  very  high-toned 
establishment  was  kept  up  for  several  years,  almost  within 
the  shadow  of  the  primeval  forest. 

Meanwhile,  owing  perhaps  to  the  fact  that  two  colonies 
were  at  woi'k  settling  the  territory  now  known  as  Salem,  that 
district  filled  up  with  residents  faster  than  any  other  in  the 
county.  But  both  colonies  adhered  with  true  Scotch  and 
New  England  obstinacy  to  their  own  appellation,  and  neither 
"  White  Creek"  nor  "  New  Perth"  was  acknowledged  by  more 
than  half  the  population.  The  first  grist-mill  in  the  county, 
subsequent  to  the  French  war,  was  built  in  1767,  by  a  Scotch- 
man, named  0  Bail,  on  Black  creek,  about  a  mile  above 
Fitch's  point.  It  had  but  one  run,  of  small  stone,  and  did 
very  inferior  work,  but  was  resorted  to  for  more  than  a  score 
of  miles  around  by  the  settlers,  who  now  began  to  build 
their  cabins  in  numerous  localities  on  the  various  patents 
which  have  already  been  named. 

Settlement  had  so  long  been  retarded  by  the  fear  of 
French  and  Indian  enemies,  that  when  the  restraint  was 
finally  withdrawn  pioneers  rushed  in  with  great  rapidity, 
and  very  few  counties  in  the  State  have  been  settled  more 
rapidly  than  was  Washington  county  between  the  close  of 
the  French  war  and  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution.  For 
the  details  of  those  settlements  we  must  refer  the  reader  to 
the  town-histories ;  we  can  notice  here  only  a  few  of  the 
more  important  points. 

The  enterprising  Major  Skene  continued  to' push  forward 
his  improvements  at  Skenesborough,  and  in  1767  had  a 
road  cut  out,  at  his  own  expense,  from  that  point  through 
the  western  part  of  Granville  and  central  portion  of  Hebron 
to  the  settlement  at  White  Creek  or  New  Perth.  It  was 
afterwards  extended  to  Bennington.  It  was  passable  only 
for  sleighs,  which  were  the  vehicles  chiefly  in  use.  Not 
only  in  winter  was  the  ox-sled  the  principal  means  of  con- 
veyance, but  even  in  summer  it  was  a  common  thing  for  a 
settler  to  hitch  his  ox-team  to  a  sled,  throw  on  a  bag  of 
wheat  and  another  of  corn,  and  make  his  way  eight  or  ten 
miles  by  that  most  tedious  of  methods.  A  man  who  owned 
a  cart  was  considered  to  bo  decidedly  "  forehanded,"  and 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


37 


one  who  possessed  an  actual  wagon  with  four  wheels  might 
fairly  claim  to  belong  to  the  aristocracy.  In  1768,  Albert 
Baker  made  the  first  settlement  in  the  township  of  Kings- 
bury, at  the  point  now  called  Sandy  Hill. 

Meanwhile,  the  troubles  on  tiie  eastern  border  continued 
to  increase.  Sir  Henry  Moore,  the  governor  of  New  York, 
still  refused  to  confirm  the  New  Hampshire  grants  without 
the  payment  of  largo  fees,  as  appears  by  the  subsequent 
admissions  of  Lieutenant-Governor  Golden  ;  the  New  Eng- 
land farmers  who  had  bought  out  the  original  speculators, 
in  more  or  less  good  faith,  and  become  actual  settlers  on  the 
lands,  refused  to  pay  the  fees,  and  resisted  with  riotous 
force  every  attempt  to  put  them  out  of  possession. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  project  on  foot  to  form  a  new 
province,  comprising  the  New  Hampshire  grants  and  north- 
ern New  York,  as  appears  by  a  petition  of  some  Connec- 
ticut clergymen  asking  the  influence  of  Sir  William  John- 
son in  favor  of  a  Mr.  Partridge  as  governor  of  the  proposed 
province.     But  the  project  was  not  carried  out. 

Meanwhile,  a  number  of  the  discharged  Highland  soldiers, 
especially  of  the  Seventy-seventh  Regiment,  began  to  settle 
on  the  eastern  border  of  this  county,  principally  in  Hebron, 
on  both  sides  of  the  line  claimed  by  the  New  Hampshire 
people.  John  McDonald,  before  mentioned,  obtained  a 
patent  for  the  two  hundred  acres  to  which  he  was  entitled 
as  a  corporal  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  returned  to  Scotland, 
married,  remained  a  few  years,  and  again  returned  to 
America,  where  he  found  that  all  but  thirty  acres  of  his  land 
was  cut  off  into  Rupert  by  tiie  line  claimed  by  the  New 
Hampshire  grantees. 

The  latter,  too,  who  had  previously  only  sought  to  obtain 
a  confirmation  of  their  titles  by  the  New  York  authorities, 
without  payment  of  fees,  now  began  to  insist  on  political 
independence  of  New  York,  and  to  refuse  to  allow  persons 
holding  under  her  authority  to  settle  east  of  the  line  in 
question  (the  present  ea,st  line  of  Washington  county), 
even  on  land  unclaimed  by  any  one  else.  And  this  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  government  of  New  Hamp- 
shire had  acknowledged  the  title  of  New  York  to  the  land 
in  question,  and  appointed  no  ofiicers  to  exercise  jurisdiction 
there.  The  inhabitants  were  all  the  while  laboring  and 
hoping  to  get  back  under  New  Hampshire  law,  or  else  to 
become  part  of  a  new  province. 

In  the  counties  of  Cumberland  and  Gloucester,  formed 
from  Albany  county  out  of  the  territory  between  the  Green 
mountains  and  the  Connecticut  river,  the  oificers  appointed 
by  New  York  managed  to  exercise  a  precarious  authority ; 
but  about  Bennington,  and  northward  along  the  ea.stern 
line  of  this  county,  there  was  no  civil  government  whatever. 
Rude  mobs,  headed  by  Ethan  Allen,  Remember  Baker, 
and  other  speculators,  who  had  invested  in  New  Hampshire 
grants,  drove  ofi'  New  York  ofiicers  and  settlers,  and  all 
other  off'enders  went  unpunished. 

Many  of  the  Scotch  soldiers  sold  out  their  grants  to 
some  of  their  countrymen.  Their  mode  of  conveyancing 
seems  to  have  been  very  simple.  Corporal  John  and  Pri- 
vate Sandy  would  meet  by  the  roadside  or  at  the  village 
ale-house,  and  after  the  preliminary  greetings  the  subject 
of  their  American  land  would  be  introduced.  Sandy 
would  nut  think  his  fifty  acres  worth  crossing  the  ocean 


for,  while  the  corporal,  having  two  hundred  acres,  might 
consider  it  advisable  to  emigrate  if  he  could  purchase 
some  additional  tracts  of  his  less  fortunate  comrades.  The 
location  and  value  of  the  land  having  been  thoroughly  di.s- 
cussed,  and  the  price  after  long  haggling  agreed  ujion,  the 
ex-corpor.al  would  draw  out  his  long  leather  puise  and 
count  down  the  amount  in  the  coin  of  the  realm,  saying, — 

"  There,  mon  ;  there's  your  siller." 

Then  the  worthy  private  would  dive  into  some  inner 
pocket  and  bring  forth  his  parchment  patent,  signed  in  the 
name  of  the  king  by  "  Henry  Moore,  baronet,  our  captain- 
general  and  governor-in-chief,  in  and  over  our  province  of 
New  York,  and  the  lands  depending  thereon,  in  Ameriea, 
chancellor  and  vice-admiral  of  the  same."  This  document 
he  would  promptly  hand  over  to  the  purchaser  in  ex- 
change for  the  money,  at  the  same  time  saying, — 

"  An'  there's  your  land,  corporal." 

No  other  formality, — no  tedious  drawing  of  deeds,  wit- 
nessing, acknowledging,  or  recording ;  the  handing  over  of 
the  patent  was  supposed  to  be  all  that  was  necessary  to 
pass  the  title. 

Many  of  the  .soldiers  not  desiring  to  settle,  and  being 
unable  to  sell,  their  land  lay  vacant.  Squatters  often 
settled  upon  it,  and  sometimes  remained  so  long  in  un- 
interrupted possession  that  they  or  their  heirs  or  assigns 
became  the  lawful  owners. 

In  1769  or  1770  a  colony  of  Irish  Methodi.sts  settled 
near  Ash  Grove,  in  the  present  town  of  Cambridge.  The 
leading  man  among  them  was  Philip  Embury,  who,  though 
an  adherent  of  the  Episcopal  church,  had  been  favorably 
impressed  by  the  zeal  of  Wesley,  and  is  generally  con- 
sidered the  founder  of  Methodism  in  America.  Soon  after 
their  arrival  the  colonists  were  organized  into  a  Methodist 
church,  said  to  have  been  the  second  ever  formed  on  this 
continent ;  the  first  being  one  also  organized  by  Embury 
in  New  York  city. 

In  1771  the  township  of  Argyle  was  organized,  em- 
bracing the  present  towns  of  Argyle  and  Fort  Edward. 
During  this  year  the  warfare  between  the  authorities  of 
the  province  of  New  York,  and  e.specially  of  Albany  county, 
with  the  holders  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants,  continued 
with  unabated  zeal  ;  the  latter  having,  however,  materially 
the  advantage,  as  they  held  possession  of  the  land,  and 
expelled  by  force  all  other  claimants,  while  the  authorities 
confined  themselves  mostly  to  belligerent  proclamations  and 
futile  warrants.  It  is  diflicult  to  account  for  the  failure  of 
the  chief  officers  of  New  York  to  enforce  their  plain  legal 
rights,  except  on  the  theory  that  there  was  something  in 
their  own  conduct  which  would  not  bear  investigatioi). 

In  this  year  William  Tryon  became  governor  of  the 
province.  In  the  latter  part  of  Augu.st  he  sent  to  Philip 
Skene,  John  Munro,  Patrick  Smith,  and  John  MeComb, 
magistrates,  living  in  this  part  of  Albany  county,  notifying 
them  of  a  riot  perpetrated  by  Robert  Cochran  and  his  asso- 
ciates, in  driving  Donald  Mclntyre  and  others  from  their 
lands,  and  requiring  those  officers  to  proceed  against  the 
wrong-doers.  But  the  latter  easily  found  shelter  among 
their  mountains,  and  nothing  serious  was  done  against 
them.  The  riot  is  spoken  of  as  having  been  "  near  Argyle 
town."     As  ucar  as  can  be  ascertained  it  was  close  to  the 


38 


HISTORY   OF   WASHIXGTOxV   COUxNfTY,  NEW  YORK. 


eastern  boundary  of  Hebron,  though  it  would  be  difficult 
now  to  say  on  which  side  of  the  present  line  it  was. 

On  Oct.  29,  1771,  another  serious  riot  took  place,  which 
is  described  in  the  deposition  on  which  a  warrant  for  the 
offenders  was  issued  by  Alexander  McNaughton,  Esq..  a 
justice  of  the  peace  residing  in  Arsryle.  Charles  Hutchi- 
son, formerly  a  corporal  in  Colonel  Jlontgomery's  Highland 
regiment,  deposed  that  while  at  woi'k,  on  the  day  above 
mentioned,  on  a  lot  of  two  hundred  acres  granted  by  New 
York,  "  fifteen  miles  east  of  the  Hud.son  and  four  miles 
north  of  New  Perth,"  nine  men  came  and  began  demolish- 
ing his  house.  Four  of  them  were  known  to  be  Ethan 
Allen,  Remember  Baker,  Robert  Cochran,  and  Se- 
ville ;  the  others  were  unknown. 

Hutchison  requested  them  to  stop,  but  they  declared 
tliat  they  had  determined  t]iat  morning  to  offer  a  burnt 
offering  to  the  gods  of  this  world  by  burning  the  logs  of 
that  house.  They  accordingly  kindled  four  fires  under  the 
logs  they  had  pulled  down.  Baker  and  Allen  held  clubs 
over  Hutchison's  head,  ordered  him  to  leave  the  locality, 
and  declared  he  should  be  still  worse  used  if  he  came  back. 
On  his  remonstrating,  Baker  and  Allen  said,  "Go  and  com- 
plain to  that  damned  scoundrel,  your  governor.  God  damn 
your  governor,  king,  council,  and  Assembly!' 

Hutchison  attempted  to  stop  the  torrent  of  oaths  that 
flowed  from  their  mouths,  but  only  caused  increased  pro- 
fanity and  a  peremptory  order  "  not  to  preach  to  them." 
Allen  and  Baker  declared  that  if  a  con.stable  attempted  to 
arrest  them  they  would  kill  him,  and  if  they  were  put  in 
jail  their  friends  would  break  it  down  and  rescue  them. 
Hutchison  fled  to  New  Perth  with  his  family.  The  worthy 
Scotchman  furthermore  deposed  that  he  was  credibly  in- 
formed that  Allen  denied  the  existence  of  both  God  and 
the  devil.  Eight  or  nine  other  families  were  also  driven 
from  the  same  locality  at  the  same  time,  all  of  whom  fled 
to  New  Perth  (Salem),  where  they  were  hospitably  received 
by  their  brother  Scotchmen  of  Dr.  Clark's  colony. 

McNaughton  issued  his  warrant,  directing  John  Reid, 
constable,  to  call  to  arms  as  many  good  subjects  as  might 
be  necessary,  and  proceed  to  Rupert  and  arrest  Allen, 
Baker,  and  their  associates,  and  bring  them  before  him  or 
some  other  magistrate.  But  Ethan  Allen  and  his  mob 
were  not  to  be  overcome  by  a  constable's  posse. 

The  land  of  Hutchison  and  his  neiglibors  had  not  been 
occupied  or  cleared  by  any  one  else.  They  were  expelled 
simply  because  Allen  and  his  comrades  were  determined 
that  no  one  should  hold  under  a  New  York  title  east  of  the 
line  they  had  themselves  established  as  the  eastern  bound- 
ary of  that  province.  If  Hutchison's  estimate  was  correct, 
and  his  residence  was  only  fifteen  miles  from  the  Hudson 
river,  it  must  have  been  near  the  centre  of  the  present  town 
of  Hebron.  The  distance,  however,  was  probablj'  a  little 
greater,  and  the  location  is  supposed  to  have  been  just 
within  the  township  which  the  New  Hampshire  men  had 
laid  out  under  the  name  of  Rupert,  and  which  they  were 
determined  that  no  New  Yorkers  should  occupy. 

Twenty  pounds  reward  was  offered  by  the  New  York 
council  for  the  arrest  of  the  rioters,  and  another  proclama- 
tion was  issued  by  Governor  Tryon,  but  tliese  were  as  in- 
effectual as  Esquire  McNaughtou's  warrant. 


Perhaps  it  was  hoped  that  a  new  set  of  county  officers, 
having  convenient  access  to  the  scene  of  the  troubles,  would 
be  able  to  act  more  efficiently  in  their  suppression.  At  all 
events,  on  the  12th  day  of  March,  1772,  a  county  was 
formed  from  Albany  by  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  to 
which  the  name  of  "  Charlotte"  was  given,  in  honor  of 
Queen  Charlotte,  the  wife  of  King  George  the  Third.  This 
was  the  actual  beginning  of  the  county  of  Washington  ; 
the  organization  having  been  I'etained  from  that  time  down, 
though  both  name  and  boundaries  have  been  changed. 

On  the  east  of  the  Hudson,  the  .south  line  of  the  new 
county  began  at  the  mouth  of  Stony  creek  ;  ran  thence  east 
three  miles  and  three-sixteenths ;  thence  south  to  the  Batten 
Kill ;  thence  along  that  stream  to  the  south  line  of  Prince- 
town  ;  and  thence  east  to  the  west  line  of  Cumberland  county, 
which  was  the  summit  of  the  Green  mountains.  From 
this  point  to  Canada  those  mountains  formed  the  eastern 
boundary  of  Charlotte  county.  From  the  mouth  of  Stony 
creek,  the  western  and  southwestern  line  followed  the  wind- 
ings of  the  Hudson  up  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  present 
town  of  Luzerne,  in  Warren  county,  ran  thence  west  along 
the  present  north  line  of  Saratoga  county  to  its  northwestern 
corner,  and  thence  northwardly  along  the  present  west  line 
of  Warren  county  extended  to  Canada.  The  north  line  of 
Charlotte  was  of  course  the  south  line  of  Canada,  or  the 
forty-fifth  parallel  of  north  latitude. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  present  towns  of  Easton,  Cam- 
bridge, Jackson,  White  Creek,  and  the  southwest  part  of 
Greenwich,  remained  in  Albany  county.  On  the  other  hand, 
Charlotte  county  contained  all  that  part  of  the  present  State 
of  Vermont  west  of  the  Green  mountains  and  north  of  the 
northwest  corner  of  Jackson,  the  whole  of  the  present  coun- 
ties of  Warren,  Essex,  and  Clinton  in  this  State,  and  the 
eastern  part  of  Franklin  county. 

By  a  law  passed  on  the  same  day  Albany  county  was 
divided  into  districts,  and  all  tliat  part  of  it  east  of  the  dis- 
trict of  Saratoga  (which  then  included  Easton)  and  north 
of  Schaghticoke  was  formed  into  a  district  called  Cambridge, 
f^he  present  Easton,  with  a  large  tract  west  of  the  Hudson, 
was  formed  into  the  district  of  Saratoga.  Each  district  was 
authorized  to  elect  one  supervisor,  two  assessors,  one  col- 
lector, two  overseers  of  the  poor,  two  constables,  two  fence- 
viewers,  and  one  clerk.  It  docs  not  appear  that  any  dis- 
tricts were  organized  in  Charlotte  county,  though  the  old 
townships  seem  to  have  answered  very  near  the  same  pur- 
pose. 

The  first  legislative  act  regarding  Charlotte  county  after 
its  formation  was  passed  on  the  24th  of  the  same  month ;  it 
made  Philip  Skene,  Patrick  Smith,  Jacob  JIarsh,  Philip  Em- 
bury, Alex.  McNaughton,  Archibald  Campbell,  Jas.  Gray, 
Thomas  Clark,  William  Duer,  Owen  Spencer,  Jonathan 
Baker,  Simeon  Metcalf,  and  Jeremiah  French  commis- 
sioners, with  power  to  lay  out,  regulate,  and  repair  the 
roads.  They  did  not  act  under  their  first  commission,  but 
it  was  renewed,  and  they  finally  served  under  it.  No  steps, 
however,  were  taken  that  year  to  organize  the  county  by  the 
appointment  of  judges  and  other  officers. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  present  town  of  Hampton 
was  first  settled.  The  conflict  between  the  New  York  and 
the  eastern  rioters  continued,  though  nothing  occurred  .so 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


39 


closely  connected  with  the  present  county  of  Washington  as 
the  driving  off  of  Mclntyro,  Hutchison,  and  their  neigh- 
bors. 

In  the  spring  of  1773  the  questions  of  the  appointment 
of  county  officers  and  the  selection  of  a  county-scat  began 
to  be  seriously  agitated.  Major  Skene  made  an  earnest 
effort  to  have  Skenesborough  designated  as  the  county-seat, 
and  with  the  boundaries  which  the  county  then  had,  it 
would  seem  to  have  been  the  most  proper  place.  A  peti- 
tion to  that  effect  was  signed  not  only  by  Skene  and  his 
seventy  tenants,  but  by  the  inhabitants  of  New  Perth 
(Salem),  thirty  miles  to  the  south,  and  near  the  south  line 
of  the  county. 

The  major  would  also  liave  liked  to  receive  an  appoint- 
ment to  the  most  important  oiEce  in  the  new  county, — that 
of  first  judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas.  Another  can- 
didate for  that  position  was  Colonel  Philip  Schuyler,  whose 
principal  residence  was  at  Albany,  but  who  also  had  a  large 
estate  at  Saratoga  (now  Schuylerville),  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Fish  Kill,  near  the  border  of  Charlotte  county,  inherited 
from  his  uncle  of  the  sau)e  name,  whose  death,  in  1745,  has 
been  previously  noticed.  There  was  much  opposition  to  him 
on  the  part  of  the  ultra-loyalists,  his  family  having  long  been 
distinguished  for  their  hostility  to  the  policy  of  the  royal 
governors,  and  he  himself  having  already  been  recognized 
as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  people  in  opposition  to  the  op- 
pressive acts  of  the  British  government.  Oliver  De  Lancey, 
brother  of  the  celebrated  Lieutenant-Governor  De  Lancey, 
was  especially  active  against  the  appointment  of  Schuyler, 
and  curiouslj'  enough  the  latter's  biographer,  Lossing,  de- 
clares that  De  Lancey  was  successful,  and  that  Schuyler  was 
not  appointed.  This,  however,  is  a  mistake ;  his  great 
family  influence,  and  his  own  high  qualities,  combined  with 
the  especial  necessity  of  having  such  influence  and  such 
qualities  to  deal  with  the  insurgents  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county,  bore  down  all  opposition,  and  Philip  Schuyler 
was  appointed  the  '"first  judge"  of  the  county  of  Charlotte, 
on  the  8th  day  of  September,  1772.  William  Duer  was 
associated  with  him  on  the  judicial  bench.  Philip  P.  Lan- 
sing, probably  of  Lansingburg,  in  Albany  county,  was  at 
the  same  time  appointed  sheriff,  and  Patrick  Smith,  of 
Fort  Edward,  clerk.  Ebenezer  Clark  (son  of  Dr.  Thomas 
Clark)  and  Alexander  McNaughton,  both  of  New  Perth, 
and  Jacob  Marsh  and  Benjamin  Spencer,  of  the  present 
State  of  Vermont,  were  appointed  justices,  and  "of  the 
quorum"  ;  that  is,  associates  of  the  judges  in  holding  the 
courts  of  common  pleas  and  sessions.  There  was  no  pro- 
vision at  this  time  for  electing  representatives  from  Char- 
lotte county  to  the  Colonial  Assembly. 

Nor  was  Major  Skene  more  successful  in  regard  to  the 
location  of  the  county-seat ;  for  the  order  in  council  organ- 
izing the  county  directed  that  the  first  term  of  court  should 
be  held  at  the  house  of  Patrick  Smith,  at  Fort  Edward, 
which  place  was  thus  constituted,  temporarily  at  least,  the 
county-seat.  The  term  was  actually  held  at  the  appointed 
place  by  Judge  Duer,  Judge  Schuyler  being  absent,  sick. 
The  three  first  named  of  the  "quorum"  justices  were  also 
present.  The  grand  jurors  at  that  first  court  were  the  fol- 
lowing :  Archibald  Campbell,  foreman  ;  Michael  Iluffnagle, 
Robert    Gordon,   Albert    Baker,    David   Watkins,   Joseph 


McCracken,  Joshua  Conkey,  Jeremiah  Burrows,  Levi 
Stockwell,  Levi  Crocker,  Moses  Martin,  Alex.  Gilchrist, 
and  Daniel  Smith. 

All  through  1774  the  difficulties  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Charlotte  county  kept  increa.sing,  though  we  do  not  go 
into  the  details  of  the  numerous  riots,  house-burnings, 
whippings  which  occurred,  as  they  were  all  outside  tlie 
present  limits  of  Washington  county.  In  March,  Ethan 
Allen  and  Remember  Baker  were  outlawed  by  the  New 
York  Legislature  ;  but  this  extreme  proceeding  was  as  futile 
as  indictments  and  warrants  had  previously  been.  Mean- 
while, too,  the  excitement  regarding  the  measures  of  the 
British  government  was  increasing  rapidly  and  spreading 
throughout  all  the  colonics,  and  the  "  Green  Mountain 
Boys,"  as  they  called  themselves,  were  able  to  mingle  their 
cause  with  that  of  the  patriots  generally,  and  to  appeal  to 
the  sympathies  of  all  outside  of  New  York  who  looked  on 
the  English  as  oppressors. 

In  December  of  that  year  application  was  made  for  the 
privilege  of  electing  a  representative  in  the  colonial  as- 
sembly from  Charlotte  county.  The  petition  to  that  effect 
was  signed  by  Alex.  Campbell,  Alex.  JIcNaughton,  Duncan 
Campbell  and  ten  others,  of  Argyle,  and  by  Alex.  Stewart, 
James  Savage,  Edward  Savage,  Alex.  Webster  and  a  hun- 
dred others,  of  "  White  Crick." 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Rev.  Harry  Munro,  with  six 
families,  made  a  settlement  in  the  present  town  of  Hebron, 
at  the  point  widely  known  as  Munro's  Meadows,  where  he 
had  received  a  grant  of  two  thousand  acres  as  an  ex-chap- 
lain in  the  royal  army.  His  own  house  and  those  of  his 
tenants  were  of  logs,  about  sixteen  feet  by  twenty,  with 
bark  roofs  and  dirt  floors,  and  doubtless  those  of  other  set- 
tlers throughout  the  county  were  but  very  little  better. 

The  spring  of  1775  opened  with  ever-increasing  excite- 
ment regarding  the  insurgents  in  the  eastern  part  of  Char- 
lotte county  and  the  far  more  important  insurrection  which 
was  gradually  taking  form  throughout  the  country.  So 
many  of  the  residents  of  Charlotte  county  were  new-comers 
from  England  and  Scotland,  that  it  was  much  less  unani- 
mous in  opposition  to  English  oppression  than  was  usual  in 
the  colonies.  Its  leading  men  were  nearly  all  of  foreign 
birth :  Judge  Duer,  Major  Skene,  Dr.  Clark,  Mr.  Em- 
bury, and  Dr.  John  Williams ;  the  last  being  a  young 
English  physician,  who  had  settled  in  Salem  early  in  1773, 
and  who  soon  displayed  marked  ability  not  only  in  his  pro- 
fession, but  as  a  man  of  business  and  a  political  leader. 

Notwithstanding  his  recent  arrival  from  England,  he 
was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  patriot  cause.  Judge  Duer 
took  the  same  side.  Dr.  Clark  and  Major  Skene  were  both 
believed  to  favor  the  British  claims,  though  the  former  took 
no  active  part.  Some  have  believed  that  even  Major  Skene 
would  not  liave  become  an  active  British  partisan  bad  it  not 
been  for  needless  harshness  on  the  part  of  the  colonial 
authorities.  Early  in  1775  the  major  went  to  England  for 
the  purpo.se,  it  is  supposed,  of  procuring  the  organization 
of  a  new  province,  consisting  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants 
and  northern  New  York,  with  Skenesborough  as  the  capi- 
tal and  himself  as  governor. 

On  the  21st  of  March  a  stormy  court  was  held  at  Fort 
Edward.     Judge  Duer  presided  ;  Judge  Schuyler  being  in 


40 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


attendance  on  the  Colonial  Assembly  defending  the  cause 
of  the  people.  It  was  expected  that  numerous  indictments 
would  be  found  against  the  rioters  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county.  Moreover,  the  disturbed  condition  of  the 
country  caused  many  criminals  of  a  still  more  flagrant  kind 
to  ply  their  trade  there,  hoping,  not  entirely  without  reason, 
to  find  sympathy  fiom  the  inveterate  opponents  of  the  law 
of  whom  so  much  has  been  said,  even  though  the  latter  did 
not  look  on  themselves  as  belonging  to  the  class  of  ordinary 
criminals.  These  latter  criminals  comprised  robbers,  thieves, 
and  especially  counterfeiters,  who  turned  out  their  bogus 
silver  pieces  with  alarming  facility. 

All  these  violators  of  the  law  and  their  friends  crowded 
in  and  around  the  rude  hotel  at  Fort  Edward,  in  which 
the  court  was  to  be  held,  cursing  and  drinking,  and  threat- 
ening to  pitch  court,  officers,  and  jury  into  the  Hudson 
if  they  dared  attempt  to  enforce  the  law.  The  excitement 
was  all  the  more  intense  from  the  fact  that  only  eight  days 
before  the  court  at  Westminster,  in  Cumberland  county, 
had  been  broken  up  by  a  similar  mob,  one  man  having  been 
killed  and  several  wounded  in  the  affray. 

But  William  Duer,  the  East  Indian  soldier,  was  not  easily 
daunted.  Captain  Mott,  with  a  company  of  British  soldiers, 
happened  to  be  passing  through  Fort  Edward  on  their  way 
to  Ticonderoga.  Judge  Duer  persuaded  the  captain  to  re- 
main a  few  days,  and  then  proceeded  to  hold  his  court. 
None  of  the  rioters  were  disposed  to  run  against  the  bayo- 
nets of  the  soldiers,  the  court  was  held  in  quiet,  and  indict- 
ments were  duly  found  against  the  guilty  parties,  though 
the  great  national  outbreak,  which  began  before  another 
month  had  pa.ssed,  prevented  their  arrest  or  conviction. 

Judge  Duer  reported  the  disturbance  to  the  Provincial 
Congi'ess,  and  requested  their  protection  for  the  court  to  be 
held  in  June,  saying, — 

"  Your  interposition  in  this  matter  may  save  the  shedding 
of  blood  at  the  next  court ;  for  so  long  as  I  know  it  to  be 
the  sense  of  the  country  that  the  courts  of  justice  should 
be  supported,  and  that  I  have  the  honor  of  sitting  as  one 
of  the  judges,  I  shall  endeavor  to  keep  them  open  even  at 
the  risk  of  my  life." 

The  court  thus  held  by  the  resolute  judge  in  March, 
1775,  was  the  last  public  event  in  Charlotte  county  pre- 
vious to  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  period. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

1775   AND   1776. 

Outbreak  of  the  Revolution— Patriots  and  Tories— Capture  of  Ticon- 
deroga— Captain  Herriclt  at  Slienesborough — Spoiling  the  Egypt- 
ians— Skene's  Arrest — The  Last  Colonial  Court — Amity  with  the 
Grants — Informal  Elections — Meeting  of  the  County  Committee — 
Officers  reconirnended — Drills  ordered — Montgomery  and  Schuyler 
— Disasters  to  the  Northern  Army — Gloomy  Prospects  in  1776 — 
Tories  required  to  give  Bonds — Judge  Duer — The  Charlotte  County 
Rangers — Levying  Bounty-Money — Another  Committee  Meeting 
. — A  Curious  Bill— Declaration  of  Independonec^Renewal  of  the 
Feud  with  the  Grants — Disaffection  in  Kingsbury,  etc. — The 
Joneses — Raising  a  Tory  Company. 

In  the  latter  part  of  Ai)ril,  1775,  messenger  after  mes- 
senger came  galloping  hard  along  the  rude  roads  which  led 


through  the  dark  forests  and  scattered  settlements  of  Char- 
lotte county,  announcing  that  American  blood  had  been 
shed  by  British  bullets  on  the  village  green  of  Lexington, 
that  a  thousand  farmers  had  left  their  homes  to  avenge  the 
slaughter,  and  that  these  .soldiers  of  the  moment  had  chased 
the  veteran  troops  of  King  George  in  ignoble  flight  and 
with  terrible  lass  over  hill  and  dale,  through  wood  and  field, 
back  to  the  shelter  of  their  comrades'  cannon  in  the  town 
of  Boston. 

The  time  had  come  for  action,  and  a  majority  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Charlotte  county  (even  excluding  the 
"  grants")  declared  their  intention  to  stand  or  fall  with 
their  brethren  of  New  England,  only  waiting  the  directions 
of  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New  York  to  take  up  arms. 
At  the  head  of  these  were  the  two  Englishmen,  Judge  Duer 
and  Dr.  Williams.  But  a  large  minority,  consisting  mainly 
of  natives  of  England  and  Scotland,  could  not  so  easily 
cast  aside  their  allegiance  to  the  king,  though  they  gener- 
ally remained  silent  in  presence  of  the  prevailing  excitement. 
The  portion  of  Washington  county  then  attached  to  Albany 
county  (Cambridge,  Easton,  Jackson,  and  White  Creek) 
was  still  more  decidedly  attached  to  the  American  cause 
than  the  inhabitants  of  Charlotte. 

Charlotte  county  was  so  far  removed  from  the  seat  of 
war  around  Boston  that  its  people  might  reasonably  hope 
that  they  would  long  be  exempt  from  any  actual  participa- 
tion in  the  conflict.  But  the  American  leaders  were  accus- 
tomed to  deal  with  long  distances,  and  were  not  accustoiued 
to  let  the  grass  grow  under  their  feet.  On  the  afternoon 
of  the  10th  of  May  canoes  came  flying  up  Lake  Champlain 
to  Skenesborough  bearing  the  news  that  Ethan  Allen,  the 
renowned  leader  of  the  "  Bennington  mob,"  and  a  man 
named  Arnold,  from  Connecticut,  at  the  head  of  a  few  men 
levied  in  the  "  grants"  and  in  western  Massachusetts,  had 
that  morning  surprised  the  fortress  of  Ticonderoga,  and 
that  Allen  had  demanded  and  received  its  surrender  "  in 
the  name  of  the  Great  Jehovah  and  the  Continental  Con- 
gress,"— to  neither  of  which  authorities  had  he  ever  before 
been  supposed  willing  to  yield  obedience. 

The  report  spread  swii'tly  through  the  settlement  in  every 
direction,  adding  fresh  fire  to  the  enthusiasm  of  the  patriots 
and  tending  to  keep  the  Tories  in  a  condition  of  prudent 
neutrality.  The  loyal  tenantry  of  Major  Skene,  their  leader 
absent,  were  alike  astonished  at  the  infidel  Allen's  claiming 
to  act  under  a  commission  from  Jehovah,  and  aghast  at  the 
idea  of  that  terrible  mountaineer's  making  his  appearance 
among  them  at  the  head  of  the  moss-troopers  of  the  New 
Hampshire  grants.  It  was  not  long  ere  their  fears  were  in 
some  degree  realized.  On  the  13th,  fifty  men  who  had 
been  levied  in  western  Massachusetts,  under  orders  given 
by  Arnold,  as  he  passed  through  on  his  way  to  Ticonderoga, 
appeared  at  Skenesborough,  and  took  possession  of  the 
village  in  the  name  of  the  revolted  colonies.  Tliis  company 
was  commanded  by  a  Captaiu  Herrick,  and  was  the  first 
body  of  American  soldiers  who  entered  the  present  county 
of  Washington  during  the  Revolution.  They  seized  on 
Major  Skene's  schooner,  and  took  it  with  them  to  Ticon- 
deroga. Taking  the  absent  owner's  toryism  for  granted, 
they  confiscated  some  of  his  property,  among  which  was  one 
very  fine  Spanish  horse.     This  afterwards  passed  into  the 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


41 


hands  of  Colonel  Morgan  Lewis,  who  loaned  it  to  General 
Arnold  to  ride  at  the  second  battle  of  Stillwater,  and  it  was 
shot  under  that  daring  commander  when  he  was  wounded 
in  the  hottest  of  the  fray. 

This  squad  of  patriots  also  made  a  prisoner  of  Skene's 
son,  Andrew  P.  Skene,  who,  like  his  father,  was  commonly 
called  "  Major  Skene."*  They  also  made  prisoners  of  fifty 
tenants  and  twelve  negroes,  and  then  joined  Arnold  at  Ticon- 
deroga.  That  enterprising  officer  immediately  manned  the 
schooner,  and  proceeded  down  the  lake  on  a  successful 
cruise.  In  a  short  time  he  had  a  miniature  navy  under 
his  command, — Skene's  schooner,  armed  with  four  carriage 
guns  and  eight  swivels,  being  the  flag-ship,  while  a  small 
sloop  and  several  bateaux  constituted  the  remainder  of  the 
force. 

Shortly  after  these  startling  events  Jlajor  Skene  arrived 
from  England  in  the  harbor  of  New  York,  and  it  is  believed 
from  the  surrounding  circumstances  that  he  brought  with 
hira — what  be  undoubtedly  went  to  obtain — a  commission 
as  governor  of  the  province  of  Ticonderoga,  consisting  of 
the  New  Hampshire  grants  and  the  northern  part  of  New 
York,  though  there  is  no  direct  evidence  of  the  fact.  It  is 
also  believed  by  some  that  had  the  major  been  in  the 
country  when  policies  and  parties  were  so  rapidly  taking 
form,  just  before  the  Revolution,  he,  like  his  brother 
Englishmen,  Duer  and  Williams,  would  have  taken  part 
with  the  patriots. 

But  the  American  authorities  at  New  York,  like  Captain 
Ilerrick's  volunteers,  took  the  major's  toryism  for  granted, 
arrested  him  immediately  on  his  arrival,  seized  all  his 
papers,  and  threw  him  into  prison.  If  he  really  had  such 
a  commission  as  is  supposed,  it  would  naturally  be  sup- 
pressed by  the  Continental  authorities,  anxious  not  to 
oifend  the  important  province  of  New  Y^ork,  which  would 
certainly  be  the  effect  of  recognizing  such  a  document. 

Skene  was  soon  allowed  to  leave  prison  and  live  on  parole 
at  JMiddletown,  Conn.,  but  was  not  suffered  to  return  to 
his  home,  and  his  property  rapidly  went  to  destruction. 
The  next  May  he  refused  to  renew  his  parole,  and  was  im- 
prisoned ;  but  was  finally  exchanged.  Embittered  by  his 
los.ses,  and  by  what  he  considered  his  ill-treatment,  he  re- 
turned to  Skenesboro'  in  the  train  of  Burgoyne,  mention 
of  which  will  be  made  farther  on. 

Although  the  Colonial  Assembly,  convened  under  royal 
authority,  had  adjourned  on  the  3d  of  April,  1775,  and 
never  met  again, — its  powers  passing  by  general  consent  to 
the  Provincial  Congress, — yet  in  some  counties  the  old 
courts  were  still  held.  The  last  court  in  Charlotte  county 
which  derived  its  authority  from  the  royal  governor  was 
held  on  the  20th  of  June,  1775.  The  first  judge,  Philip 
Schuyler,  had  twelve  days  before  been  appointed  the  third 
major-general  of  the  new  American  army,  and  was  even 
then  counseling  with  Washington  regarding  the  invasion 
of  Canada. 

Judge  Duer  held  the  court,  which,  like  its  predecessor, 
was  annoyed  by  an  angry  and  menacing  crowd,  who,  not- 


*  A.  P.  Skene  is  sometimes  cilled  the  nephew  of  Philip,  but  in  tlie 
original  record.'!  of  the  sale  of  their  confiscated  property  the  younger 
man  is  described  as  the  son  of  the  elder. 


withstanding  the  liberal  proclivities  of  the  judge,  appeared 
to  look  on  the  tribunal  as  a  suspicious  relic  of  royal  au- 
thority. "Very  little  business  could  be  done,  and  the  court 
was  soon  adjourned.  Its  clerk,  Patrick  Smith,  afterwards 
espoused  the  royal  side  and  fled  to  Canada,  taking,  as  it  is 
supposed,  the  records  of  the  court  with  him. 

Meanwhile  the  friends  of  the  American  cause  were 
active  throughout  the  county.  They  organized  a  county 
committee,  consisting  of  delegates  elected  from  the  various 
townships  and  patents,  which  assumed  the  general  direction 
of  affairs  in  the  new  and  remarkable  circumstances  which 
had  arisen.  For  a  while  even  the  long  enmity  between 
the  New  Hampshire  men  and  New  Yorkers  appears  to 
have  been  laid  aside.  The  Provincial  Congress  of  New 
York  authorized  the  formation  of  a  battalion  of  "  Green 
Mountain  Boys,"  five  hundred  strong,  and  the  latter  so  far 
recognized  the  authority  of  their  old-time  foes  as  to  organ- 
ize under  this  act.  It  is  noticeable,  too,  that  instead  of  the 
blatant  Ethan  Allen,  the  battalion  chose  Seth  Warner  as 
lieutenant-colonel  commanding. 

At  this  period  elections  were  very  informal  matters.  In 
May,  Dr.  Williams,  of  the  present  town  of  Salem,  and  Wil- 
liam Marsh,  of  Vermont,  had  been  admitted  to  seats  in  the 
Provincial  Congress  of  New  York,  on  presenting  a  certifi- 
cate of  fourteen  gentlemen,  committees  of  White  Creek, 
Camden,  and  several  Vermont  townships.  Sub<e(|uently 
George  W.  Smith,  David  Watkins,  and  Archibald  Camp- 
bell were  chosen  at  a  mass-meeting  of  the  citizens  of  the 
county  to  act  with  Williams  and  Marsh  as  representatives 
of  Charlotte  county. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  1755,  an  important  meeting  of 
the  county  committee  was  held,  a  record  of  which  is  pre- 
served in  the  papers  of  General  John  Williams,  at  Salem. 
It  was  held  at  Dorset,  in  "  the  grants,"  and  was  attended 
by  delegates  from  the  whole  county,  though  for  some  pur- 
poses the  delegates  from  the  eastern  and  western  sections 
seem  to  have  acted  separately.  The  delegates  from  the 
western  portion  (now  Washington  county)  were  Hamilton 
McCollister,  Nathan  Ilawley,  Seth  Sherwood,  James  Wilson, 
Samuel  Crossett,  Daniel  Brundidge,  and  George  Gilmore. 

The  committee  recommended  to  the  Provincial  Congress 
to  organize  a  regiment  of  militia  in  the  western  part  of 
Charlotte  county,  of  which  Dr.  John  Williams  should  be 
commissioned  as  colonel,  Patrick  Smith  lieutenant-colonel, 
Nathan  Hawley  and  Hamilton  McCollister  as  majors,  Seth 
Sherwood  as  quartermaster,  and  John  Jones  as  adjutant. 
But  it  was  hard  to  tell  "  who  was  who''  in  those  days. 
Patrick  Smith  and  John  Jones  (a  brother  of  David  Jones, 
the  lover  of  Jane  McCrea)  both  espou.sed  the  British  side 
of  the  controversy. 

There  were  already  several  companies  of  militia  organ- 
ized in  the  territory  in  question,  apparently  attached  to  an 
Albany  county  regiment,  and  the  county  committee  pro- 
vided for  various  arrangements  and  changes  regarding 
them.  It  was  resolved  that  the  "  Camden  people  do  join 
Captain  Nesbet's  company."  Also,  that  the  county  com- 
mittee confirm  the  division  made  by  the  sub-committee  in 
the  town.ship  of  White  Creek.  This  may  have  reference 
to  the  setting  off  of  the  new  district,  now  called  Hebron, 
as  it  was  immediately  followed  by  a  resolution  that  all  the 


42 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


inliabitants  north  of  White  Creek,  east  of  Argyle,  south  of 
the  Artillery  patent,  and  west  of  the  New  Hampshire  line, 
should  fall  in  Captain  Webster's  company.  This  embraced 
the  present  town  of  Hebron,  and  the  company  commander 
was  Alexander  Webster,  long  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
citizens  of  the  county.  By  the  expression  "  west  of  the 
New  Hampshire  line,"  it  will  be  seen  that  while  the  com- 
mittee assumed  to  act  for  the  wliole  county  of  Charlotte, 
they  yet  practically  recognized  the  line  claimed  by  Allen  and 
his  followers. 

It  was  further  resolved  that  Queensborough  and  the  Artil- 
lery and  Provincial  patents  be  annexed  to  Kingsbury  patent, 
and  fall  under  the  command  of  Captain  Richardson.  Also, 
that  Argyle  patent  form  one  company,  and  Fort  Edward 
district  another. 

The  committee  also  made  recommendations,  at  consider- 
able length,  to  the  effect  that  the  militia  officers  should 
muster  their  respective  companies  at  least  once  in  every 
month,  and  oftener,  if  practicable,  for  the  purpose  of  train- 
ing them  in  the  military  art ;  that  every  able-bodied  man 
from  sixteen  to  sixty  should  obey  the  orders  of  their  ap- 
pointed officers,  and  if  any  should  neglect  to  appear  at  the 
designated  times  and  perform  the  duties  assigned  them, 
they  should  forthwith,  by  order  of  the  officers,  be  brought 
before  the  sub-committees  of  their  respective  towns  or  dis- 
tricts ;  and  if  it  should  appear  to  the  majority  of  such  sub- 
committee that  there  was  no  good  excuse  for  such  neglect, 
then  that  the  facts  should  be  "  published  by  advertisement 
in  every  town  and  street  within  the  county  of  Charlotte, 
and  also  in  the  Gazette,  to  the  end  that  all  such  foes  to  the 
rights  of  British  America  may  be  publicly  known  and 
universally  condemned  as  the  enemies  of  American  liberty." 
This  punishment  by  advertisement  at  first  sight  hardly 
seems  as  stringent  as  fine  and  imprisonment,  yet  it  would 
doubtless  be  very  unpleasant,  especially  as  there  were  vari- 
ous irregular  punishments  which  were  often  inflicted  on 
those  denounced  as  "  enemies  of  American  liberty." 

The  convention  finally  adjourned  to  meet  at  Fort  Edward 
on  the  third  day  of  September  following. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  various  subdivisions  of  the  western 
part  of  Charlotte  county  were  then  spoken  of  as  White  Creek 
township,  Kingsbury  patent,  Queensbury  patent,  the  Ar- 
tillery and  Provincial  patents,  Argyle  patent.  Fort  Edward 
district,  and  the  territory  north  of  White  creek,  which  was 
apparently  without  a  name.  Skenesborough  was  not  men- 
tioned, probably  bocau.se  the  major's  tenantry  were  all  too 
loyal  to  the  king  to  make  it  desirable  to  organize  a  company 
among  them.  Still,  the  people  were  by  no  means  all  Tories, 
even  at  Skenesborough. 

About  the  middle  of  August  there  passed  through  Char- 
lotte county  a  tall,  handsome  soldier  of  thirty-nine,  on  his 
way  to  take  charge  of  the  forces  in  the  north.  This  was 
Richard  Montgomery,  lately  appointed  the  second  brigadier- 
general  in  the  xVmerican  army,  who  had  more  of  the  confi- 
dence of  the  soldiers  than  any  of  his  superiors  except 
Washington. 

He  was  followed  in  September  by  Major-General  Schuy- 
ler, commander  of  the  northern  department,  no  longer  the 
fair  and  gracious  youth  of  the  French  war,  but,  at  the  age  of 
forty-two,  become  gouty  and  ill-tempered,  and,  whatever  his 


soldierly  qualities,  certainly  quite  unable  to  gain  the  good- 
will of  the  independent  amateur  soldiery  with  which  ho  had 
to  deal. 

Small,  ill-equipped  bodies  of  troops  and  scanty  trains  of 
supplies  passed  down  the  lake  from  time  to  time  through 
the  autumn.  Montreal  was  taken,  and  for  a  while  the 
people  of  Charlotte  county  listened  daily  for  the  news  of 
the  capture  of  Quebec,  and  the  subjection  of  all  Canada  to 
the  American  arms.  But  the  repulse  of  the  little  army 
before  Quebec,  and  then  the  death  of  the  heroic  Montgom- 
ery, soon  damped  the  hopes  of  the  patriots  and  cheered  the 
hearts  of  their  foes. 

The  spring  of  1770  opened  with  still  more  gloomy  pros- 
pects, as  the  Americans  were  gradually  forced  back  from  the 
various  positions  they  had  seized  in  Canada.  General 
Thomas  was  sent  to  take  command,  since  Schuyler  declared 
that  his  health  would  not  permit  him  to  serv'e  in  Canada. 
Ten  of  the  best  regiments  in  the  American  army  were  hur- 
ried forward  over  the  old  "  war-path"  to  reinforce  the  depleted 
ranks  of  their  comrades,  but  all  was  in  vain.  They  were 
forced  by  disease,  hardship,  and  the  numbers  of  the  foe  to 
yield  up  post  after  post.  Thomas  fell  a  victim  to  the  small- 
pox. Reinforcements  poured  to  the  aid  of  the  British  up 
the  broad  St.  Lawrence,  and  at  length  the  slender  Ameri- 
can army  abandoned  the  last  foot  of  Canadian  soil. 

Still,  however,  the  patriot  forces  held  possession  of  Crown 
Point  and  Ticnnderoga,  and  their  brethren  in  the  settled 
portions  of  Charlotte  county  had  little  fear  of  being  dis- 
turbed by  invaders  from  the  north. 

Constant  watchfulness  had  to  be  exorcised  over  the  numer- 
ous residents  of  the  county  who  were  more  or  less  friendly 
to  Great  Britain.  In  April  thirteen  persons  suspected  of 
such  tendencies  were  required  to  sign  a  bond,  with  a  pen- 
alty of  a  hundred  pounds  each,  to  obey  the  Continental  Con- 
gress and  defend  the  rights  and  liberties  of  America  in  her 
contest  against  the  oppressive  acts  of  the  British  Parliament. 
The  same  month  an  election  was  held  to  choose  delegates 
to  the  Provincial  Congress  or  Convention  of  New  York. 
Judge  Duer  was  chosen  to  the  position  by  a  decided  ma- 
jority. There  being  some  caviling  at  the  manner  in  which 
the  election  was  conducted.  Judge  Duer  wrote  to  Colonel  Wil- 
liams, then  the  chairman  of  the  county  committee,  admitting 
that  the  election  was  not  conducted  strictly  according  to  the 
ordinance  of  the  Congress  (as  indeed  was  hardly  practicable ), 
but  claiming  that  he  was  fairly  elected,  and  asking  a  strict 
scrutiny  of  the  poll-list.  This  scrutiny  established  Duer's 
right  to  a  seat,  which  he  held  during  that  and  ensuing  years. 
His  colleagues  during  more  or  less  time  in  1 776,  were  George 
Smith,  of  Fort  Edward  ;  John  Williams,  of  Salem  ;  William 
Malcolm,  of  New  York  city  ;  and  Alexander  Webster,  of 
Hebron. 

A  large  company  of  partisans  was  organized  to  guard  the 
northern  frontier  against  small  bodies  of  lurking  foemen, 
which  was  known  as  the  Charlotte  County  Rangers.  In 
August,  Colonel  Williams,  as  chairman  of  the  county  com- 
mittee, acknowledged  the  receipt  from  the  provincial  au- 
thorities, through  Alexander  Webster,  of  five  hundred  and 
seventy-five  pounds  (New  York  currency),  being  half  the 
bounty  due  for  a  hundred  and  twenty  rangers.  The  county 
was  also  required  to  furnish  men  for  the  northern  army,  and 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


43 


.raised  a  home  bounty  to  persuade  the  requisite  number  to 
enlist.  It  was  resolved  that  the  money  should  be  divided 
among  tlie  several  districts  and  patents,  according  to  the 
number  of  voters  in  each,  and  that  the  sub-committees 
sliould  levy  the  amounts  on  the  inhabitants  according  to 
their  property.  The  following  schedule  shows  the  number 
of  voters  in  each  district  as  estimated  by  the  county  com- 
niitteo,  and  the  amount  of  bounty-money  levied  at  this 
time : 

New  Perth,  lt!0  voters,  12  pounds;  Argyle,  90  voters, 
6  pounds  14  shillings;  Kingsbury,  75  voters,  5  pounds  7 
shillings;  Black  Creek  (Hebron),  36  voters,  2  pounds  1-t 
shillings;  Granville,  30  voters,  2  pounds ;  Skenesborough, 
41  voters,  3  pounds  1  shilling  and  6  pence  ;  Camden,  12 
voters,  10  shillings.  Total,  434  voters,  and  33  pounds  of 
bounty-money.  These  voters  were  probably  for  the  Legis- 
lature, for  which  but  a  small  property-qualification  was  re- 
quired, and  must  have  represented  about  three  thousand 
inhabitants. 

There  were  frequent  meetings  of  the  county  committee, 
but  in  many  cases  there  was  little  business  to  do.  On  the 
4th  of  June  there  was  a  very  full  representation,  the  fol- 
lowing being  the  names  of  the  delegates,  with  their  re- 
spective districts:  New  Perth,  John  Williams,  John  Gib- 
son, John   Rowan,   Mowrey ;  Argyle,  Judge  Duer, 

Mr.   Bell,  William   Campbell,   Mr.   Johnson,   Mr.  Smyth ; 

Kingsbury, •  Tyler  (taking  the  place  of  John  Jones), 

John  Morehouse,  Captain  Johnson  ;  Skenesborough,  Aaron 

Fuller,  Johnson,    Robert    Gordon ;    Camden,  

Halley  ;   Black  Creek,  David  Hopkins, Crosier,  James 

Wilson;  Granville,  N.  Spring,  Gideon  Squire,  Aaron  Smith. 
The  following  were  added  at  the  same  meeting  :  Ebenezer 
Russell,  John   Nisbett,  David  Tone,  Isaac  Mess,  Thomas 

Sherwood,   William    Brundage,   and Colwell.     The 

members  received  eight  shillings  (a  dollar)  for  each 
meeting. 

At  one  of  these  meetings  a  curious  bill  was  made  out 
for  expenses,  which  shows  that  our  Revolutionary  ancestors 
were  not  averse  to  a  comfortable  indulgence  of  the  inner 
man  at  the  public  expense  any  more  than  tlieir  modern 
descendants.     It  ran  as  follows  : 

Five  suppers 6  shillings  S  pence. 

Liquor 8  '■ 

Eating 2  "  S  " 

Liquor 12  " 

Fourteen  suppers IS  *•  S  " 

Liquor 9  " 

Punch IS  "  6  " 

Ditto 4  "  6  " 

Bowl  of  grog 1  "  6  " 

Binner  and  drinli 2  *'  3  *' 

This  made  an  aggregate  of  4  pounds  3  shillings  and 
9  pence  ($10.47),  of  which  only  1  pound  10  shillings 
($3.75)  was  for  food;  the  balance  was  for  liquor  in  its 
various  forms.  This  also  shows  the  improvement  of  the 
age :  if  a  modern  committee  had  drank  that  amount  of 
liquor  which  they  wanted  the  public  to  pay  for,  they  would 
have  been  virtuous  and  charged  it  as  stationery. 

The  same  bill  >hows  al.so  that  the  ordinary  price  for 
meals  at  that  time  was  "  one  and  fourpence,"  or  nearly 
seventeen  cents ;  unless,  indeed,  the  landlord  charged  an 
extra  price  to  cover  the  risk  of  getting  his  pay  from  the 
ill-provided  treasury  of  the  patriots. 


The  Declaration  of  Independence  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1776,  drew  more  clearly  llian  before  the  line  between  pa- 
triots and  Tories ;  some  who  had  previously  been  on  the 
American  side,  or  at  least  doubtful,  now  advocating  the  cause 
of  the  king. 

The  amity  between  the  new  government  of  New  Y'ork 
and  the  people  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants  only  lasted 
during  the  first  excitement  of  the  Revolution.  The  old 
antipathy  soon  returned,  the  two  sections  of  Charlotte 
county  ceased  to  act  together,  and  in  1776  public  sentiment 
on  the  grants  was  rapidly  concentrating  in  favor  of  forming 
a  separate  State  government,  and  supporting  it  at  all 
hazards.  New  York  persuaded  tlie  Continental  Congress 
not  to  furnish  arms  to  "  the  grants"  until  sufficiently  as- 
sured that  they  would  not  revolt  against  the  autliority  of 
that  State.  But  the  grants-men  went  on  with  their  revolt 
all  the  same,  and  the  New  Yorkers  were  in  no  condition  to 
suppress  it  by  force. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1776  it  began  to  be  rumored  that 
a  large  army  of  British  regulars  and  German  mercenaries 
was  gathering  in  Canada  for  the  purpose  of  invading  New 
York, — a  rumor  which  was  strengthened  by  each  succeed- 
ing report,  and  which  was  especially  calculated  to  dismay 
the  people  of  Charlotte  county,  who  would  have  to  bear 
the  first  brunt  of  attack  if  once  the  enemy  succeeded  in 
capturing  the  fortresses  on  Lake  Champlain. 

The  di-saflection  to  the  American  cau.se  was  stronger  in 
Skenesborough,  Kingsbury,  and  Fort  Edward  than  any- 
where else  in  the  county.  Among  the  most  prominent 
Tories  in  the  two  latter  districts  were  the  members  of  the 
Jones  family,  emigrants  from  New  Jersey,  several  of  whom 
were  influential  farmers.  In  the  fall  of  1776  two  of  the 
younger  brothers,  Jonathan  and  David  Jones,  raised  a 
company  of  near  fifty  soldiers  in  Kingsbury  and  Fort 
Edward.  To  their  patriot  neighbors  and  the  American 
officials  these  soldiers  declared  that  they  were  about  to 
join  the  garri.son  of  Ticonderoga,  but  among  themselves 
they  had  a  very  different  understanding.  All  the  men 
that  the  Joneses  could  trust  having  been  enrolled,  they  set 
out  for  the  north,  but  instead  of  stopping  at  Ticonderoga 
they  passed  through  the  woods  in  the  rear  of  that  fort,  and 
joined  the  British  forces  in  Canada.  Jonathan  Jones  re- 
ceived a  commission  as  captain,  and  David  as  lieutenant. 
The  course  of  the  latter  became  a  subject  of  especial  in- 
tere.st,  on  account  of  his  subsequent  connection  with  one 
of  the  saddest  tragedies  of  the  American  Revolution. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  year  little  of  consequence 
■  occurred  within  the  limits  of  Washington  county,  but  the 
air  was  thick  with  runiors,  too  often  of  a  gloomy  nature. 
The  di-sasters  in  Canada  and  those  incurred  by  Washington 
around  New  Y'ork  had  filled  the  minds  of  the  patriots  with 
sad  forebodings.  It  had  become  plain  that  the  task  of 
freeing  the  country  could  not  be  accomplished  by  an  enthu- 
siastic uprising  of  minute-men.  Men  must  go  to  soldiering 
in  earnest  and  submit  for  years  to  danger,  hardship,  and  irk- 
some discipline.  But  the  poverty  of  the  government  was 
extreme,  and  there  was  little  encouragement  for  the  hardy 
farmers  of  Charlotte  county  to  enlist  in  the  ranks  of  the  ill- 
paid,  ill-clad,  ill-fed  battalions  which  garrisoned  Fort  Edward, 
Fort  Ann,  and  other  posts  on  the  northeru  frontier. 


44 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

1777. 

Vermont  declares  itself  a  State— Charlotte  County  Committee  act 
only  for  the  Western  Part — Fears  of  Burgoyne  on.l  his  Indians — 
His  Army  set  forth — Condition  of  Tieondcroga — The  Charlotic 
County  Rangers— St.  Clair's  Letter  to  Williams— The  Charlotte 
County  Militia — Capture  of  Ticonderoga — Great  Consternation — 
Denunciations  of  Schuyler  and  St.  Clair— Their  Conduct  con- 
sidered— American  Invalids  and  Baggage  arrive  at  Skenesborough 
— The  British  follow — A  Small  Battle — American  Vessels  sunk — 
Retreat  of  Colonel  Long — The  Battle  of  Fort  Ann — Long  meets 
the  Enemy — Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  aids  him  —  Severity  of  the 
Fight — Van  Rensselaer  wounded — American  Flank  Movement — 
British  Retreat  up  the  Hill — Arrival  of  Indians — Final  Retreat  of 
the  British  —  Anecdote  of  Van  Rensselaer — Riedesel  at  Skenes- 
borough—  St.  Clair  joins  Schuyler — The  Uerman  Troops — Bur- 
goyne, Riedesel,  Phillips,  and  Fraser — St.  Luc  and  his  Indians — 
Riedesel  goes  to  Castleton— Strength  of  Schuyler's  Army — Schuy- 
ler's Letter  to  Williams — Burgoyne's  Advance — Schuyler's  Retreat 
— Terror  of  the  People — Meeting  of  the  County  Committee — Salem 
Fort — Murder  of  the  Allen  Family — Jane  McCrea — Her  Person, 
Character,  and  Family — She  goes  to  Mrs.  McNiel's — Indians  at- 
tack Picket — Capture  of  Mrs.  McNiel  and  Miss  McCrea — Arrival 
at  the  Spring— The  Quarrel— The  Murder— The  Flight— Mrs.  Mc- 
Niel's Story — Mr.  Baker's  Account — Belief  that  Lieutenant  Jones 
sent  for  Miss  McCrea — Burgoyne's  Letter — Restricting  the  Indians 
— Hopes  of  the  British— Madame  Riedesel— Hessian  Women— The 
Pets  of  the  Germans — Schuyler's  Weakness — Baum's  Command — 
Divers  Projects — Baum  sets  forth — His  Meeting  with  Grcig — 
Reinforcements  sent  to  him — Breymann's  March — He  meets  the 
Americans — The  Battle  of  Bennington — Heavy  Loss  of  the  Ger- 
mans— Breymann's  Battle  and  Retreat — Desertion  of  the  Indians 
—Abandonment  of  Fort  Salem- Long  Halt  of  the  British— Vic- 
lory  of  Fort  Stanwi.x— British  cross  the  Hudson— First  Battle  of 
Stillwater — Occupation  of  the  Eastern  Bank — Burgoyne  hemmed 
in — A  Naked  Horseman — An  Unnatural  Father — Burgoyne's  Sur- 
render— Return  of  the  Whigs — Confiscations — Suffering  of  the 
People — A  Petition  by  "  Protectioners." 

In  tlie  month  of  January,  1777,  a  convention  of  the 
inhabitant.s  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants  declared  that 
territory  to  be  an  independent  State,  to  which  they  at  first 
gave  the  name  of  New  Connecticut ;  an  appellation,  how- 
ever, which  was  soon  after  changed  to  the  more  convenient 
and  euphonious  one  of  Vermont.  This  organization  has 
been  able  to  maintain  itself  to  the  present  time  ;  for,  though 
the  Continental  Congress  refused  to  recognize  the  self- 
constituted  State,  yet  so  overwhelming  was  the  majority 
which  supported  it,  within  the  boundaries  claimed  for  it, 
and  so  little  able  was  New  York  to  make  good  its  author- 
ity, that  the  constitution  and  laws  of  Vermont  went  into 
immediate,  peaceful,  and  permanent  operation. 

The  boundaries  then  claimed  were  substantially  the  same 
as  those  which  are  now  recognized.  There  was  some  de- 
sire to  claim  much  farther  westward,  on  the  ground  that 
the  new  province  of  Ticonderoga  had  been  legally  consti- 
tuted by  the  English  government  before  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution,  and  Vermont  had  succeeded  to  all  the  rights 
of  that  inchoate  government.  But  this  theory  found  com- 
paratively few  supporters,  even  among  the  grants-men 
themselves,  who  founded  their  claim  to  a  separate  State 
existence  on  the  will  of  their  people.  An  effort  was  sub- 
sequently made  to  annex  Washington  county  to  Vermont, 
of  which  mention  will  be  made  in  the  proper  place. 

At  first  there  was  considerable  perplexity  on  the  part  of 
the   Charlotte  county  committee  as   to   how   they  should 


treat  the  pretensions  of  Vermont,  but  they  soon  saw  that 
it  would  be  useless  to  interfere  with  the  people  on  the  grants, 
and  they  thenceforth  confined  their  jurisdiction  entirely  to 
that  part  of  Charlotte  county  west  of  the  new  State. 

With  the  opening  of  spring  came  the  report  that  the 
large  British  and  German  army  already  partially  formed 
in  Canada  was  to  come  up  Lake  Champlain,  under  Gen- 
eral John  Burgoyne,  and  thence  march  down  to  Albany  or 
New  York,  accompanied  by  an  immense  horde  of  savages, 
whose  deadly  deeds  upon  a  defenseless  population  were  but 
too  well  remembered  along  the  northern  frontier.  The 
people  shuddered  at  the  direful  prospect,  but  they  hoped 
much  from  the  army  of  Schuyler,  and  especially  from  the 
fortifications  of  Ticonderoga,  which  twenty  years  before, 
when  defended  by  only  three  thousand  Frenchmen,  had 
repelled  with  immense  slaughter  an  Anglo-American  army 
of  near  sixteen  thousand  men. 

So  the  three  or  four  hundred  militiamen  of  Colonel 
Williams'  regiment  mingled  occasional  drilling  with  the 
labors  of  their  farms.  Schuyler  strove  hard  to  fill  up  the 
feeble  army  on  which  the  defense  of  the  northern  frontier 
rested,  and  long  trains  of  provisions  and  other  supplies 
passed  from  the  southern  counties  by  way  of  Fort  Edward 
to  Skenesborough  and  Lake  George.  The  spring  passed 
away,  and  it  was  not  until  late  in  June  that  Burgoyne  s 
army  was  known  to  be  on  the  move.  Arrowy  canoes  and 
galloping  messengers  from  day  to  day  bore  through  the 
county  of  Charlotte,  and  thence  southward,  the  news  of 
his  advance.  He  reached  and  occupied  Crown  Point.  He 
invested  Ticonderoga.  Still  the  people  relied  on  the 
strength  of  that  fortress. 

General  Schuyler  was  not  there,  considering  it  more 
necessary  to  keep  his  headquarters  at  Fort  Edward  and 
hasten  the  sending  of  supplies  and  ammunition  by  the  lag- 
gard authorities  and  people.  Ticonderoga,  with  a  garrison 
of  about  twenty-five  hundred  men,  was  under  the  command 
of  General  Arthur  St.  Clair,  a  soldier  of  fair  reputation, 
and  no  one  doubted  but  that  he  would  either  repulse  the 
enemy  or  would  compel  him  to  carry  on  a  long  and  tedious 
siege,  giving  ample  time  to  arrange  a  good  defense  farther 
south. 

The  Charlotte  County  Rangers,  at  this  time  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Joshua  Conkey  and  Lieutenants 
Isaac  Moss  and  Gideon  Squires,  were  patrolling  the  northern 
roads  and  forests,  watching  for  British  seottts  or  lurking 
Indians.  Desperate  efforts  were  made  to  get  out  the  militia, 
and  not  without  success.  On  the  2d  of  July.  General  St. 
Clair  wrote  to  Colonel  Williams  saying  he  was  happy  to 
hear  that  the  people  turn  out  so  well.  The  enemy,  says 
the  general,  have  been  looking  at  us  for  a  day  or  two,  and 
we  expect  them  to  try  what  they  can  do  perhaps  to-night. 
He  urges  Colonel  Williams  and  Colonel  Seth  Warner,  the 
commander  of  the  Green  Mountain  Boys,  if  they  can  bring 
but  six  hundred  men,  or  even  less,  to  do  so.  He  directs 
them  to  march  through  the  grants,  on  the  east  side  of  Lake 
Champlain,  first  on  the  "old  road,"  and  then  on  the  new 
road,  to  make  the  enemy  think  there  is  a  larger  force.  If 
attacked,  the  militia  were  to  make  directly  for  Mount  Inde- 
pendence, opposite  Ticonderoga,  and  St.  Clair  promised  to 
send  a   force  to   support   them.     The  general   concluded : 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


45 


"  If  I  had  only  your  people  here,  I  would  laugh  at  all  the 
enemy  could  do."  Similar  letters  were  sent  to  Colonels 
Robinson  and  Warner. 

The  Charlotte  county  regiment  accordingly  set  forth 
under  Colonel  Williams.  We  know  from  records  before 
alluded  to  that  there  were  at  least  five  or  six  companies, 
and  doubtless  they  all  turned  out  on  this  expedition,  but 
the  only  ones  of  whom  there  are  any  account  are  the  one 
from  New  Perth  (Salem),  consisting  of  fifty -two  men,  under 
Captain  Charles  Hutchison,  the  Highland  corporal  whom 
Ethan  Allen  had  mobbed  in  1771  ;  that  of  Captain  Thomas 
Armstrong,  numbering  thirty  men  ;  and  that  of  Captain 
John  Hamilton,  numbering  thirty-two  men.  The  battalion 
marched,  under  Colonel  Williams'  command,  to  Skenesboro', 
and  thence  to  Castleton,  whence  a  portion  of  them  were 
selected  by  the  colonel  to  proceed  to  Ticonderoga. 

But  while  these  movements  were  going  on  and  the  peo- 
ple still  considered  Ticonderoga  a.s  their  certain  bulwark, 
suddenly  the  news  went  through  the  county  with  lightning- 
like rapidity  that  Ticonderoga  had  fallen.  General  Bur- 
goync  had  taken  warning  by  the  fate  of  Abercrombie,  and 
had  not  made  a  direct  assault.  Having  taken  possession 
of  Mount  Defiance  (on  the  south  side  of  the  outlet  of  Lake 
George),  which  the  American  general  and  engineers  had 
considered  inaccessible,  he  planted  a  battery  of  heavy  can- 
non on  its  summit,  and  from  that  commanding  po.sitiou 
prepared  to  as.sail  the  defenses  of  St.  Clair.  The  latter  at 
once  made  up  his  mind  that  Ticonderoga  was  untenable. 
He  sent  liis  sick  and  supplies  by  water  to  Skenesborough, 
and  on  the  night  of  July  5  crossed  with  the  bulk  of  his 
army  to  Mount  Independence,  and  thence  moved  out  towards 
Castleton. 

Burgoyne  pursued  his  advantage  with  great  energy, 
breaking  through  the  boom  which  the  Americans  had 
stretched  across  the  lake  and  advancing  to  Skenesborough 
with  his  little  fleet,  at  the  same  time  sending  Generals 
Fraser  and  Riedesel  to  follow  the  retreating  St.  Clair. 

The  news  of  this  disaster  caused  intense  consternation 
throughout  the  country,  but  especially  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  most  especially  in  the  county  of  Charlotte.  The 
people  felt  as  they  did  in  that  Massachusetts  valley,  a  few 
years  ago,  when  they  heard  that  the  dam  had  broken  way, 
and  the  waters  were  rolling  down  upon  their  defenseless 
homes.  Many,  especially  in  the  northern  part  of  the  set- 
tlements, made  immediate  preparations  for  flight  with  their 
families  from  the  dreaded  British,  the  more-dreaded  Hes- 
sians, and  the  Indians,  the  most  terrible  of  all.  Others 
hastened  to  join  the  army,  now  more  than  ever  in  need  of 
men,  while  still  others,  of  Tory  proclivities,  furbished  up 
their  arms  and  consulted  together  how  they  might  best 
serve  the  cause  of  the  king. 

As  is  ever  the  case  under  such  circumstances,  the  bitter- 
est denunciations  were  visited  upon  the  generals  who  were 
held  responsible  for  the  disaster.  In  the  cabins  of  the  pa- 
triot settlers  and  by  the  camp-fires  of  the  soldiers,  General 
Schuyler,  the  commander  of  the  northern  department,  and 
General  St.  Clair,  the  commander  of  the  deserted  post,  were 
accused  of  cowardice  and  of  treason  to  the  American  cause  ; 
nay,  in  confirmation  of  the  latter  charge,  the  most  absurd 
stories  were  told  about  Burgoyne's  having  fired  silver  balls 


from  his    cannon   into   the  American    lines  to  bribe    our 
generals. 

The  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga  had  such  a  direct  and 
momentous  effect  on  the  welfare  of  Charlotte  county  that 
we  can  hardly  avoid  giving  some  attention  to  the  causes  of 
that  disaster ;  yet  we  hesitate  to  enter  on  the  consideration 
of  a  question  in  regard  to  which  the  facts  are  so  difiicult  to 
ascertain,  and  in  the  discussion  of  which  so  much  bitter- 
ness has  already  been  evoked.  If  Bancroft's  opinion  has 
only  brought  a  storm  of  abuse  upon  his  head,  it  is  not 
likely  that  that  of  a  mere  county  historian  will  have  much 
weight. 

But  it  is  a  well-\inderstood  jirinciple  of  the  military  art 
that  a  fortress  is  a  first-rate  thing  to  hold  on  to.  If  a  gen- 
eral surrenders  or  evacuates  one,  or  allows  it  to  be  surren- 
dered or  evacuated,  the  presumption  is  strongly  against 
him.  The  burden  of  proof  lies  on  him.  It  is  not  the 
duty  of  tho.se  who  question  his  course  to  show  that  he 
gave  up  the  post  without  good  cause ;  it  is  his  duty  to 
show  that  he  had  good  cause — nay,  first-rate  cause — for 
doing  so.  We  cannot  refrain  from  asking  whether  Gen 
erals  Schuyler  and  St.  Clair,  or  their  friends,  have  shown 
suflicient  cause  for  the  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga. 

As  to  the  charge  of  treachery,  it  may  be  cast  aside  with 
utter  contempt.  There  is  not  a  particle  of  evidence  to  support 
it,  and  the  whole  lives  of  both  Schuyler  and  St.  Clair  utterly 
refute  such  an  accusation.  There  is  nothing  to  show  even 
lack  of  zeal  in  the  American  cause,  and  there  is  no  (jues- 
tion  but  that  Schuyler  throughout  the  Revolution  made 
great  exertions  and  sacrifices  for  that  cause.  But  still  the 
question  recurs :  Have  they  proven  themselves  void  of 
ofi^ensc  in  regard  to  the  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga  ? 

Schuyler's  excuse  threw  the  blame,  if  any  there  were, 
on  St.  Clair.  He  had  stationed  that  general  there  with  a 
sufficient  garrison  and  supplies  to  hold  the  fort,  at  least  for 
a  considerable  time,  and  it  was  his  duty  to  have  done  so. 
If  there  were  any  heights  that  commanded  the  fortress  it 
was  St.  Clair's  business  to  have  occupied  them,  and  if  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  outgeneraled  he  alone  was  responsible. 
Such  was  the  argument  in  fiivor  of  General  Schuyler. 

But  ought  not  General  Sciiuyler  to  have  been  present  in 
person  at  Ticonderoga  ?  This  is  a  question  we  find  it  dif- 
ficult to  answer  in  the  negative.  True,  a  commanding  gen- 
eral can't  be  everywhere,  but  he  can  be  at  the  vital  point. 
And  Ticonderoga  was  the  vital  point  on  the  northern  fron- 
tier. It  was  the  key  of  the  situation.  With  mountains, 
rocks  and  pathless  forests  crowding  close  to  the  narrow 
lake  on  either  side,  there  was  practically  no  way  to  approach 
the  American  settlements  except  by  water,  and  Ticonderoga 
held  in  its  iron  grasp  the  waters  of  both  Lake  Champlain 
and  Lake  George. 

General  Schuyler  well  knew,  or  ought  to  have  known, 
these  facts.  The  ground  had  been  fought  over  again 
and  again  during  the  old  wars,  and  so  long  as  the  French 
held  Ticonderoga  the  great  armies  of  the  English  and 
Americans  were  entirely  unable  even  to  approach  the 
frontiers  of  Canada.  There  was  not  another  place  on 
Burgoyne's  route  which  could  even  be  compared  with 
Ticonderoga  as  to  the  necessity  for  defending  it.  No  one 
could   foresee  the  subsequent  dilator! ness  and  blundering 


46 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


of  Burgoyne,  and  there  was  every  reason  to  suppose  that 
the  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga  would  permit  him  to  march 
through  to  Albany  with  hardly  mure  than  nciminal  oppo- 
sition. 

Wiiile  the  British  forces  were  still  in  Canada  making 
tlieir  preparations,  probabl3'  General  Schuyler's  place  was 
in  the  American  settlements,  arousing  the  laggard  patriot- 
ism of  the  people  and  bringing  reinforcements  and  supplies 
from  the  dilatory  authorities.  But  when  the  red-coated 
battalions  moved  up  Lake  Champlain,  it  would  certainly 
appear  that  the  commander  of  the  northern  department 
should  have  hastened  at  once  to  the  spot  where  he  had 
planned  that  resistance  should  be  made,  and  should  have 
taken  with  him  almost  every  soldier  in  his  department  that 
could  carry  a  musket,  and  every  militiaman  that  could  be 
drawn  to  his  standard.  And  he  could  have  obtained  more 
of  these  than  he  did  if  they  had  seen  the  commanding 
general  leading  the  way  to  the  front. 

There  was  no  other  line  of  approach  which  it  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  defend.  St.  Leger  did  not  appear 
before  Fort  Stanwix  till  a  month  later.  Schuyler  could 
concentrate  all  his  efibrts  on  Ticonderoga.  He  had  com- 
mitted himself  to  the  plan  of  resistance  at  that  point  by 
stationing  St.  Clair  therewith  nearly  half  of  his  little  army, 
and  nothing  could  make  that  resistance  so  effectual  as  the 
presence  of  the  commanding  general.  Then  he  could  have 
seen  to  it  in  person  that  every  point  was  properly  guarded, 
and  he  might,  probably,  by  mustering  all  his  forces,  have 
had  enough  men  to  guard  them. 

The  British  commander  was  there  with  all  his  men ; 
Fraser  was  there  ;  Phillips  was  there;  lliedesel  was  there  ; 
but  the  American  general  was  nearly  fifty  miles  in  the  rear. 
Perhaps  that  was  the  proper  place  for  him,  but  we  have 
never  seen  any  evidence  to  prove  it. 

"  But  do  you  charge  General  Schuyler  with  cowardice  ?" 
is  the  ready  question  of  some  one  who  cannot  imagine  that 
there  are  any  colors  but  black  and  white;  who  cannot  see 
that  there  are  any  gradations  between  extreme  rashness  and 
extreme  timidity.  Certainly  not ;  no  doubt  General  Schuy- 
ler could  go  through  a  battle  without  discredit,  and  in  his 
youth  had  done  so.  He  was  doubtless  as  brave  as  the 
average  of  the  generals  of  either  army,  and  his  zeal  for 
the  American  cause  was  beyond  question  ;  but  it  does  not 
appear  as  if  he  ''  hankered  after"  a  fight  in  the  way  that 
Arnold  or  Montgomery,  Wayne  or  Morgan  did,  and  just 
such  unwavering  valor  as  that  was  necessary  to  save  Ticon- 
deroga and  shield  the  northern  frontier.  Or  the  general 
may,  with  plenty  of  physical  courage,  have  lacked  the 
mental  promptness,  "  the  snap,"  that  would  have  led  him 
to  gather  up  what  men  he  could  get,  and  fly  with  Mont- 
calm's rapidity  to  the  defense  of  Ticonderoga.  Or  he  may 
not  have  realized  that  that  fortress  was  the  key  of  the 
situation,  which  would  have  involved  nothing  worse  than  a 
grave  defect  of  military  judgment.  There  are  plenty  of 
reasons  for  his  course,  not  involving  the  imputation  of 
either  cowardice  or  treachery  ;  but  whatever  the  reason, 
the  fiict  remains  that  Ticonderoga  was  the  most  important 
point  in  the  northern  department,  and  that  the  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  nortliern  department  was  not  present  when 
it  was  invested  and  captured  by  the  enemy. 


As  to  St.  Clair,  no  one  but  an  experienced  engineer,  who 
had  carefully  examined  the  ground,  could  tell  whether  be 
could  have  fortified  Mount  Defiance  with  the  troops  he  had, 
or,  whether,  when  that  height  was  captured,  he  could  still 
have  held  out  for  a  time.  It  is  plain,  however,  tliat  he 
did  not  appreciate  the  danger  he  was  in,  for  in  his  letter  to 
Colonel  Williams,  before  mentioned,  he  declared  that  with 
Williams',  Warner's,  and  Robinson's  men  he  could  laugh 
at_  aught  the  enemy  could  do.  Certainly  he  must  have 
thought  himself  very  secure  if  he  supposed  the  addition 
of  a  few  hundred  militia  would  have  made  him  entirely  so. 

It  was  past  noon  on  the  6th  of  July  that  the  few  anx- 
ious Americans  at  Skenesboro'  saw  a  fleet  of  two  hundred 
bateaux,  under  convoy  of  five  armed  galleys,  hastening  up 
the  narrow  lake  with  all  the  speed  the  arms  of  the  weary 
rowers  could  give  them.  They  soon  reached  the  little  port, 
and  were  found  to  be  filled  with  stores  from  Ticonderoga, 
the  guard  of  a  few  hundred  men,  largely  invalids,  being 
commanded  by  Colonel  Long,  of  New  Hampshire.  That 
ofiicer  at  once  set  his  men  to  unloading  the  stores  into 
smaller  boats,  in  order  to  send  them  up  Wood  creek,  at  the 
same  time  sending  off  an  express  to  warn  Colonel  Van 
Ren.s.selaer,  who  commanded  at  Fort  Ann. 

At  three  o'clock,  and  before  the  work  of  transferring  the 
stores  was  completed,  the  British  frigates  "Royal  George" 
and  "  Inflexible,"  with  several  gunboats,  appeared  in  sight. 
They  were  withstood  for  a  short  time  by  the  American 
galleys  ;  but  these  frail  vessels  were  no  match  for  the  heavy 
guns  and  oaken  bulwarks  of  the  frigates,  and  were  soon 
overcome.  Three  were  blown  up  and  two  surrendered. 
The  fort  at  Skenesboro'  then  opened  fire  on  the  British. 
Meanwhile,  Colonel  Long  had  sent  all  the  bateaux  he 
could  up  the  creek,  had  set  fire  to  the  remainder,  and  also 
to  the  mills  and  iron-works;  he  then  dismantled  the  fort, 
set  it  on  fire,  and  hastened,  towards  Fort  Ann. 

Amid  all  this  thunder  of  cannon,  blowing  up  of  vessels, 
burning  of  buildings,  and  hurried  march  of  troops,  the 
inhabitants  were  plunged  in  terror.  Those  of  patriotic 
proclivities  generally  hastened  away  into  the  country, — men, 
women,  and  children  crowding  such  conveyances  as  they 
could  obtain,  or  straggling  on  foot  over  the  rude  roads  of 
the  period.  The  friends  of  King  George  would  have  been 
willing  to  remain,  but  hardly  dared  to  do  so  amid  the 
universal  uproar. 

While  the  frigates  had  followed  the  American  galleys  to 
Skenesboro',  a  considerable  force  of  British  soldiers  had 
gone  to  the  head  of  South  bay  in  boats,  landed,  crossed 
the  intervening  heights,  and  descended  into  the  valley  of 
Wood  creek,  in  hopes  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  Colonel 
Long.  They  were,  however,  too  late  to  accomplish  their 
desire,  and  the  Americans  made  good  their  escape.  Long 
reached  Fort  Ann,  took  command  of  all  the  forces,  and, 
under  orders  from  General  Schuyler,  prepared  to  defend 
the  position  as  well  as  possible. 

On  the  7th  or  8th,  Colonel  Hill,  with  the  Ninth  British 
Regiment,  probably  seven  hundred  or  eight  hundred  .strong, 
followed  Colonel  Long.  If  he  left  Skenesboro'  on  the  for- 
mer day,  he  halted  for  the  night  before  reaching  Fort  Ann  ; 
for  it  was  not  until  half-past  ten  in  the  forenoon  of  the 
8tli  that  he  reached  the  narrow  pass  in  Wood  creek,  half  a 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


47 


mile  below  the  fort.  There  he  was  met  by  Colonels  Long 
and  Yim  Rensselaer,  with  all  the  men  they  could  muster. 
They  had  in  all  near  a  thousand,  but  of  these  five  hundred 
were  Van  Rensselaer's  militia,  fre.shly  taken  from  the  plow 
(they  were  all  raised  on  the  manor  of  Rensselaerswyck), 
while  Long's  Continentals  were  principally  invalids  and 
convalescents.  To  furnish  even  this  small  force  with  am- 
munition, Schuyler  had  sent  forward  nearly  all  he  had  at 
Fort  Edward,  retaining  no  lead  except  some  which  had 
been  cut  by  his  men  from  the  windows  of  some  of  the 
Albany  churches. 

The  battle  of  Fort  Ann  was  the  most  important  one 
which  has  ever  taken  place  in  Washington  county,  and 
it  was  also,  as  attested  by  officers  on  botli  sides,  considering 
the  number  of  men  engaged,  one  of  the  most  hotly-con- 
tested conflicts  of  the  Revolution.  We  have  therefore 
taken  especial  pains  to  gather  as  full  an  account  of  it  as 
practicable.  Many  details,  not  to  be  found  elsewhere,  are 
recorded  in  the  "  Legacy  of  Historical  Gleanings,"  by 
Mrs.  Bonney,  a  granddaughter  of  Colonel  Henry  K.  Van 
Rensselaer,  one  of  the  distinguished  actors  in  the  conflict. 

Long's  force  appears  to  have  been  encamped  below  the 
fort,  near  the  pass,  and  first  became  engaged  with  the 
enemy,  meeting  him  directly  in  front,  and  checking  his 
advance  by  a  heavy  fire.  Van  Rensselaer  marched  out  to 
assist  him.  Part  of  his  force  crossed  the  creek  on  Long's 
left,  took  post  in  a  piece  of  woods,  and  poured  in  a  galling 
fire  on  the  enemy  across  the  stream.  Tiie  latter  returned 
it  with  great  vigor ;  and  so  severe  was  the  conflict  that  a 
British  officer,  Captain  Moouey,  in  giving  his  testimony 
before  the  House  of  Commons  regarding  the  first  battle  of 
Stillwater,  described  the  firing  as  much  heavier  than  he 
had  ever  known  anywhere  else,  "  unless  at  the  affair  of 
Fort  Ann." 

Terribly  galled  by  the  fire  from  the  wood,  the  British 
made  a  desperate  charge  on  that  position,  but  were  beaten 
back  with  heavy  loss.  At  the  same  time  Long  and  Van 
Rensselaer  advanced  in  front.  In  the  height  of  the  con- 
flict, while  the  woods,  the  rocks,  and  the  hills  were  re- 
echoing with  the  unceasing  crash  of  musketry,  the  gallant 
Van  Rensselaer  was  desperately  wounded  by  a  bullet,  and 
fell  behind  a  log  over  which  he  was  just  springing. 
Several  of  his  men  ran  to  his  assistance. 

"Don't  mind  me,"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  "don't  mind 
me,  but  charge  the  enemy.     Charge,  I  say  ;  charge  !" 

They  obeyed  his  orders  and  liurried  forward  into  the 
fight,  and  for  near  two  hours  the  wounded  officer  lay  there 
while  the  battle  was  roaring  around,  and  the  bullets  were 
ever  and  anon  whistling  above  him.  A  portion  of  the 
Americans,  emboldened  by  the  enemy's  failure,  again 
crossed  Wood  creek  still  farther  down,  and  attacked  the 
British  rear.  Thus  almost  encircled  with  foes.  Colonel 
Hill  was  obliged  to  retreat  up  the  steep,  rocky  hill  which 
lies  to  the  east  of  the  creek,  and  there  maintain  himself  as 
be.st  he  could  in  a  defensive  position.  Thus  the  contest 
continued  for  an  hour  or  two  longer,  the  British  appar- 
ently unable  either  to  advance  or  retreat,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans unable  to  capture  the  hill,  though  pressing  close  to 
its  base. 

At  length  a  band  of  Indians  arrived  from  below.     They 


raised  the  war-whoop,  and  the  British  troops  answered  with 
three  cheers.  The  Americans,  who  were  farthest  advanced, 
brought  in  their  turn  between  two  fires,  and  becoming 
scant  of  ammunition,  retired  to  join  their  comrades  farther 
up  the  stream."  Colonel  Hill  at  once  took  advantage  of 
this  movement  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  redcoats  and 
redskins  wore  soon  hastening  at  full  speed  toward  Skenes- 
boro',  leaving  the  victorious  Americans  masters  of  the 
field. 

One  could  hardly  tell,  from  the  ordinary  histories  of  the 
Revolution,  what  followed  after  the  arrival  of  the  Indians  ; 
one  might  infer  that  it  was  the  Americans  who  gave  waj-, 
and  the  invaders  who  remained  in  possession  of  the  field. 
But  the  German  author  of  the  "  Memoirs  of  General 
Riedesel,"  deriving  his  knowledge  from  the  journals  of  the 
Hessian  officers,  says  distinctly  that  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Hill  was  sent  to  take  Fort  Ann,  but  was  attacked  on  the 
morning  of  the  8th  of  July  by  a  superior  force,  and  after 
a  long  fight  "  was  forced  to  relreat."  This  is  conclusive  ; 
and  it  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  while  many  British 
wounded  were  captured  by  the  Americans, — among  them 
being  Captain  Montgomery,  a  relative  of  the  patriot  gen- 
eral who  fell  at  Quebec, — the  wounded  Colonel  Van  Rens- 
selaer lay  undisturbed  upon  the  field  until  the  close  of  the 
fight,  as  did  also  Colonel  Armstrong  and  other  wounded 
Americans.  Bancroft  correctly  .states  that  the  British 
were  defeated,  and  suffered  a  loss  of  fifty  killed  and 
wounded. 

After  the  firing  had  ceased.  Colonel  Van  Ren.sselaer 
looked  up  from  behind  his  log  and  saw  a  young  man 
coming  towards  him  in  rustic  drpss,  but  with  musket  in 
hand,  and  with  a  black  circle  around  his  lips,  indicative  of 
frequent  blowing  into  the  dirty  barrel  of  his  gun.  The 
colonel  raised  himself  on  his  elbow  and  cried  out,  "  Who 
comes  there  ?" 

"  Halloo  !"  answered  the  startled  youth,  and  then,  .seeing 
that  his  interlocutor  had  a  short  "  fusee"  (such  as  officers 
appear  to  have  frequently  carried  at  that  period),  he  sprang 
behind  the  nearest  tree  and  loaded  his  musket.  Not  till 
then  did  he  answer  the  colDnel's  challenge. 

"I  am  a  Continental  soldier,"  said  he;  "who  the  devil 
are  you  ?  ' 

"  And  I  am  Colonel  Van  Rens.selaer,''  replied  the 
officer. 

The  prudent  young  warrior  then  obtained  the  assistance 
of  several  of  his  comrades  and  bore  the  crippled  hero  to 
the  fort. 

Though  Colonel  Long  had  won  a  victory,  he  did  not  con- 
sider himself  strong  enough  t«  hold  the  frail  block-house 
and  pali-sade  whicli  constituted  Fort  Ann.  He  accordingly 
sent  off'  all  his  baggage  and  wounded,  set  fire  to  the  build- 
ings, and  then  proceeded  with  his  command  to  join  Gen- 
eral Schuyler  at  Fort  Edward.  Colonel  Xan  Rensselaer 
was  borne  thither  on  the  shoulders  of  his  men,  and  thence 
sent  to  Albany  on  a  bateau.  He  partially  recovered  from 
his  wound,  but  was  unable  to  perform  active  service  during 
the  remainder  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  the  father  of 
the  gallant  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  who  was  dcs- 
Ijcratoly  wounded  in  Wayne's  great  victory  over  the  Indians, 
who  received  six  wounds  while  leading  the  attack  on  Queens- 


48 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


town  Heights  in  1812,  and  who  was  for  a  long  time  adju- 
tant-general of  the  State.* 

Meanwhile  the  bulk  of  the  British  army  wa.s  concen- 
trating at  Skenesboro'.  General  Riedesel  with  his  Germans 
arrived  there  on  the  eighth,  having  abandoned  the  fruitless 
pursuit  of  St.  Clair.  The  latter  general — his  rear-guard 
having  succeeded  in  checking  the  enemy  at  Hubbardton — 
marched  from  Castlcton  with  his  depleted  and  demoralized 
force  through  Granville  and  Hartford,  and  joined  General 
Schuyler  at  Fort  Edward  on  the  twelfth. 

At  Skenesboro',  notwithstanding  the  check  received  at 
Fort  Ann,  all  was  exultation  over  the  past,  and  the  most 
sanguine  expectations  of  speedy  triumph.  And  there  was 
good  reason  for  such  feelings.  The  British  had  seized, 
with  .scarcely  an  effort,  the  great  fortress  which  had  been 
designed  both  by  nature  and  art  as  the  chief  defense  of  the 
northern  frontier ;  with  it  they  had  captured  a  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  cannon  and  immense  quantities  of  warlike 
stores;  and  they  had  sent  the  army  of  St.  Clair  fleeing  in 
scattered  columns  to  join  an  almost  equally  demoralized 
horde  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson. 

Nearly  the  whole  of  Burgoyne's  army  came  to  Skenes- 
boro',— five  thousand  British  and  over  three  thousand  Ger- 
mans. The  latter  have  always  been  called  by  the  general 
name  of  Hessians ;  but  besides  detachments  from  He.sse 
Cassel  and  Hesse  Ilanau  there  was  a  full  regiment  of  Bruns- 
wick infantry,  a  detachment  of  dismounted  Brunswick 
dragoons,  and  a  Brunswick  general — Friederich  Adolphus 
von  Riedesel — was  in  command  of  the  whole  German  con- 
tingent. Americans  are  in  the  habit  of  considering  the 
British  soldiery  as  sufficiently  heavy  in  equipment  and  slow 
in  motion,  but  the  English  of  Burgoyne's  army  might  con- 
sider themselves  as  models  of  lightness  in  comparison  with 
the  Germans.  They  used  to  declare  that  the  helmet  of  a 
Hessian  soldier  weighed  more  than  the  whole  equipment 
of  an  Englishman,  and  the  statement  is  said  not  to  have 
involved  very  much  exaggeration. 

These  slow,  heavy,  sturdy  men  (many  of  whom  had  been 
seized  in  their  fields  and  their  shops,  or  even  as  they  were 
attending  church,  and  forced  into  the  army)  had  been  sent 
across  the  ocean  by  their  princes  to  fight  the  battles  of 
tyranny,  without  the  slightest  interest  in  the  result  even 
on  the  part  of  the  petty  sovereigns  who  commanded  the 
slaughter,  but  solely  from  the  most  degrading  avarice.  The 
dukes  wanted  gold,  and  they  sold  their  subjects'  blood  to 
obtain  it. 

The  four  thousand  British  troops  who  gathered  at 
Skenesboro'  (a  small  portion  only  of  the  army  went  up  Lake 
George)  had  at  least  some  national  feeling  in  the  contest  in 
which  they  were  engaged,  and,  as  they  marched  to  and  fro 
in  their  resplendent  red  uniforms  over  the  rocky  roads  of 
Skenesboro',  might  flatter  themselves  that  their  valor  was 
destined  to  lift  still  higher  the  renown  of  F]ngland  and  the 
power  of  King  George. 


»  As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  it  may  bo  added  that  the  widow  of 
Colonel  II.  K.  Van  Rensselaer  died  only  last  year  (February,  1S77) 
in  Cattaraugus  county  in  this  State,  aged  over  a  hundred  years.  She 
was  his  second  wife,  and  of  course  far  younger  than  himself,  having 
been  but  an  infant  when  her  future  husband  was  winning  imperish- 
able glory  in  the  victory  of  Fort  Ann. 


Ere  narrating  the  subsequent  events  we  will  give  a  glance 
at  the  chieftains  who  were  so  confident  of  leading  the.se 
soldiers  to  victory.  Lieutenant-General  John  Burgoyne, 
the  illegitimate  son  of  a  British  nobleman,  was  then  forty- 
seven  years  of  age,  all  of  which  since  childhood  he  had 
spent  in  the  military  service  of  his  sovereign.  He  had 
shown  himself  a  brave  soldier  on  the  fields  of  Europe,  and 
it  was  hoped  that  he  would  prove  himself  an  energetic  and 
skillful  one  amid  the  forests  of  America.  A  large,  strongly- 
built  man,  the  British  general  had  a  hard,  rough  counte- 
nance but  a  fine  figure,  and  bore  him.self  with  a  habitual 
air  of  command  which  might  have  been  due  either  to  his 
semi-noble  origin  or  to  his  long  service  as  a  military  officer 
of  high  rank.  Fond  to  extreme  of  the  good  things  of  the 
table,  he  did  not  consider  that  his  easy  task  of  conquering 
the  Yankees  laid  on  him  any  necessity  for  self-restraint, 
and  his  headquarters  were  often  the  scene  of  luxurious 
suppers,  lasting  far  into  night,  where  the  wine  flowed  in 
ample  streams,  and  which  were  often  enlivened  by  the 
presence  of  the  general's  mistress, — the  wife  of  a  commis- 
sary in  his  army. 

Major-Gcneral  Friederich  Adolphus  von  Riedesel,  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  Gorman  forces,  has  gained  some 
fame  in  this  country,  rather  through  the  published  memoirs 
of  his  wife  than  through  any  brilliant  achievements  of  his 
own.  Descended  from  a  noble  Brunswick  family,  he  had 
been  a  soldier  from  his  youth  to  his  present  age  of  thirty- 
seven  years,  and  had  gained  the  reputation  not  only  of 
valor  in  the  field  but  of  uprightness,  activity,  and  entcr- 
terprise.  His  portrait,  however,  does  not  indicate  activity 
nor  enterprise ;  it  shows  a  plain,  round,  almost  stolid  face 
above  a  stout,  heavy  body,  and  looks  as  if  the  original 
might  .stand  fighting  in  his  tracks  as  long  as  he  could  lift  a 
sword,  but  who  would  hardly  operate  with  the  re(|uisite 
rapidity  among  the  forests,  the  mountains,  and  the  deadly 
riflemen  of  America.  He  had  been  followed  to  America 
by  his  wife,  a  lady  of  great  beauty  and  many  accomplish- 
ments, who  was  at  this  time  at  the  north  end  of  Lake 
Champlaiu. 

Major-General  Phillips,  the  second  in  command  of  the 
English  troops,  an  officer  of  great  impetuosity,  was  to  be 
seen  hurrying  to  and  fro,  hastening  the  transfer  of  stores, 
superintending  the  movement  of  troops,  venting  his  fiery 
temper  on  all  who  displeased  him,  and  showing  more  activ- 
ity than  was  often  displayed  by  a  British  general,  at  least 
in  those  days. 

Brigadier-General  Fraser,  a  keen-faced,  middle-aged 
Scotchman,  was  akso  noted  for  his  energy,  zeal,  and  pro- 
fes.sional  skill,  and, was  probably  much  better  fitted  to  load 
the  army  than  was  the  lieutenant-general  in  command. 

Besides  the  English  and  German  troops,  two  or  throe 
hundred  French  Canadians  had  been  persuaded  by  extreme 
exertions  to  join  the  invading  army,  and  were  to  be  seen  at 
Skenesboro',  in  the  service  of  their  ancient  enemies  ;  but  as 
a  rule  the  people  of  Canada  showed  no  inclination  to  en- 
gage in  the  great  contest  which  was  shaking  the  continent, 
and  the  small  number  which  had  been  enlisted  scarcely  paid 
for  the  great  trouble  which  had  been  taken  to  obtain  them. 

A  few  Indians  had  come  with  the  army  to  Skenesboro', 
and  soon  after  its  arrival  there  it  was  joined  by  a  body  of 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


49 


about  five  hundred.  These  had  been  gathered  at  immense 
expense  from  a  great  distance,  and  comprised  Sioux,  Sacs, 
Foxes,  Mennmonees,  "Wlnnehagoes,  Ottawns,  and  Chippe- 
wiis,  from  tlie  forests  of  Canada,  from  tlie  straits  of  Mich- 
ilimackinac,  from  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  nay,  even 
from  the  far-off  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  Tlie  warriors 
of  tlie  Six  Nations  were  at  this  time  gathering  at  O.swego, 
to  take  part  in  the  expedition  of  St.  Leger. 

They  were  all  under  the  command  of  that  fierce  partisan, 
St.  Luc  la  Cornc  de  St.  Luc,  who,  though  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  willingly  came  forth  to  repeat,  in 
behalf  of  the  English,  those  exploits  with  the  tomahawk 
and  scalping-knife  which  he  had  so  frequently  performed 
against  them,  and  which  had  made  his  name  a  terror  to  all 
the  people  of  the  frontier  twenty  years  before.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  Charles  de  Langlade,  another  Franco-Indian 
leader,  who,  as  a  youth,  had  taken  part  in  the  defeat  of 
Braddock,  in  1755,  who  subsequently  founded  the  settle- 
ment of  Green  Bay,  and  who  is  by  some  considered  the 
pioneer  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 

These  savages  had  come,  expecting  an  unlimited  oppor- 
tunity to  satisfy  their  love  of  plunder  and  their  thirst  for 
blood,  and  the  reputation  of  La  Corne  de  St.  Luc,  both  for 
valor  and  ferocity,  naturally  strengthened  their  expectations. 
But  Burgoyne,  while  desirous  to  frighten  the  Americans 
with  the  dread  spectre  of  Indian  massacre,  shrank  from 
actually  letting  the  savages  loose  upon  the  inhabitants,  and 
seems  to  have  been  sincerely  anxious  to  restrain  their  worst 
propensities. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  General  Burgoyne  issued  a  con- 
gratulatory order  to  his  army,  on  account  of  their  recent 
successes,  praising  Generals  Riedesel  and  Fraser  for  their 
good  conduct  in  the  pursuit  of  St.  Clair,  and  directing  that 
on  the  following  day  there  should  be  special  religious  ser- 
vices by  the  various  chaplains  and  a  grand  salute  with  can- 
non and  small  arms. 

On  the  twelfth  of  the  month,  General  Riedesel,  with 
several  German  regiments,  proceeded  by  Burgoyne's  orders 
to  Castleton,  Vt.,  where  they  remained  until  the  twenty- 
fifth.  The  energy  with  which  the  lieutenant-general  had 
assailed  Ticonderoga  and  pressed  forward  to  Skenesboro' 
seemed  to  have  evaporated,  and  two  or  three  precious  weeks 
were  consumed  in  making  preparations  to  leave  the  latter 
place.  Possibly  this  was  necessary,  but  it  seems  improbable. 
A  great  deal  has  been  said  about  the  terrible  difficulties  in 
marching  an  army  from  Skenesboro'  to  Fort  Edward,  and 
much  blame  has  been  thrown  on  General  Burgoyne  because 
he  did  not  go  up  Lake  George  and  march  from  its  head  to 
Fort  Edward.  There  are  no  very  great  difficulties  between 
Skenesboro'  and  Fort  Edward,  and  when  Burgoyne  once 
put  his  army  in  motion  he  made  the  march  in  three  or 
four  days.  The  time  was  mostly  consumed  in  getting  the 
supplies  to  Skenesboro',  and  it  would  probably  have  required 
almost  as  much  time  to  take  them  to  the  head  of  Lake 
George. 

We  turn  to  the  desponding  army  of  General  Schuyler. 
On  the  15th  day  of  July,  three  days  after  the  arrival  of 
St.  Clair,  the  forces  at  Fort  Edward  were  mustered,  and 
found  to  consist  of  four  thousand  four  hundred  men,  in- 
cluding the  militia,  of  whom  there  were  at  least  fifteen 
7 


hundred.  More  discouraging  than  the  smallness  of  the 
numbers  was  the  demoralization  which  prevailed  among 
them.  Right  or  wrong,  the  army  had  lost  confidence  in 
Schuyler,  and  the  New  Englandcrs  were  especially  bitter 
against  him. 

Yet  he  worked  zealously  for  the  cause.  The  baggage 
and  stores  were  ordered  in  from  Lake  George.  Bodies  of 
militia  were  sent  to  obstruct  the  route  from  Skenesboro', 
by  destroying  the  bridges,  digging  trenches  across  the  road, 
felling  trees  in  the  road  and  creek,  and  in  every  other 
manner  that  could  be  devised.  The  farmers  who  remained 
in  the  vicinity  were  directed  to  send  the  cattle  out  of  reach 
of  the  enemy.  He  also  sent  to  the  American  authorities 
the  most  urgent  requests  for  all  the  regular  troops  that 
could  po.ssibly  be  sent  him,  and  for  all  the  militia  that 
could  be  induced  to  take  the  field. 

He  was  also  compelled  to  keep  close  watch  for  spies ;  for 
there  were  Tories  all  around,  who,  in  consequence  of  being 
closely  intermixed  with  the  rest  of  the  population,  were 
able  with  little  difficulty  to  furnish  information  to  the 
British  regarding  all  the  American  movements.  A  letter 
from  the  general  to  Colonel  Williams,  dated  the  14th  of 
July,  preserved  among  the  Williams  papers,  states  that  the 
former  has  closely  examined  one  Baker,  sent  under  guard 
by  the  colonel  to  the  general,  and  that  he  is  clearly  con- 
vinced that  he  is  an  agent  of  the  enemy ;  that  he  has 
placed  him  in  close  confinement,  and  shall  send  him  down 
the  river. 

In  the  same  letter  the  general  directs  Colonel  Williams 
to  provision  the  militia  as  best  he  can  ;  informs  him  that  the 
American  scouts  are  out  everywhere,  and  that  he  (Schuyler) 
has  a  large  body  at  Fort  Ann  ;  and  adds  that,  until  they 
come  away,  the  people  of  White  Creek  need  not  fear  an 
attack.  Evidently  Fort  Ann,  or  rather  the  location  of  the 
destroyed  fort,  had  been  again  occupied  by  the  Americans, 
after  its  evacuation  by  Colonel  Long. 

On  the  16th  of  July,  Schuyler  ordered  a  brigade  of  Con- 
tinentals to  assist  the  militia  in  obstructing  the  road  from 
Skenesboro'. 

By  the  21st  Burgoyne  had  got  sufficiently  prepared  to 
begin  to  think  of  an  advance,  and  .sent  out  parties  to  re- 
connoitre Fort  Ann  and  Fort  Edward.  The  next  day, 
preparatory  to  a  movement,  he  issued  a  general  order,  de- 
claring that  breaking  into  houses,  plundering,  and  similar 
offenses  should  be  punished,  if  it  was  the  first  offense,  by 
whipping  ;  if  the  second,  by  running  the  gauntlet.  As 
this  curious  order  evidently  intended  that  running  the 
gauntlet  should  be  a  more  severe  punishment  than  whipping, 
he  could  not  have  meant  any  modified  performance  under 
that  name,  but  must  have  referred  to  the  real  Indian  oper- 
ation, with  clubs,  stones,  and  tomahawks.  Certainly  the 
punishment  was  severe  enough  ;  but  it  would  seem  to  have 
been  inconsistent  with  the  stern  dignity  of  military  law, 
and  likely,  moreover,  if  often  inflicted,  to  sisriously  deplete 
the  ranks  of  his  majesty's  forces. 

Ob  the  22d,  General  Fraser,  with  his  command,  marched 
from  Skenesboro'  to  ''  Gordon's  house,"  in  Kingsbury, 
having  heard  a  report  that  Fort  Edward  had  been  abandoned 
on  the  21st.  General  Schuyler  had,  of  course,  withdrawn 
his  outlying  force  from   Fort  Ann,  and  on   the  22d,  the 


50 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


day  of  Fraser's  advance,  he  fell  back  with  his  army  from 
Fort  Edward  to  Moses  creek,  leaving  only  a  guard  of  a 
hundred  men  at  the  fort.  Fraser  was  followed  by  Phillips, 
with  the  right  wing  of  the  British  army.  Burgoyne 
probably  accompanied  this  body.  It  was  not  until  the  25th 
of  July  that  General  Riedesel  returned  from  Castleton  to 
Skenesboro'.  The  next  day  he  sent  off  the  sick  and  the  extra 
baggage  to  Skenesboro',  whence  the  latter  was  to  be  taken 
to  Fort  Edward  by  way  of  Fort  George.  Immediately 
afterwards  he  followed  Fraser  and  Phillips  towards  Fort 
Edward. 

The  patriot  inhabitants  in  the  towns  along  the  line  of 
march  nearly  all  fled  before  the  invader  and  his  Indian 
allies.  The  latter  spread  out  on  both  flanks  of  the  army, 
and,  notwithstanding  the  disposition  of  Burgoyne  to  re- 
strain them,  were  but  too  ready  to  carry  slaughter  among 
the  families  of  the  "  rebels."  Even  the  Tories  were  not 
safe  when  there  was  a  first-rate  chance  for  booty  or  for 
scalps. 

The  patriots  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  were  in 
nearly  as  much  dismay.  They  were  daily  expecting  the 
appearance  of  the  Indians  among  them,  and  an  order  issued 
by  General  Schuyler  directing  them  to  leave  their  farms  and 
seek  refuge  in  the  interior  was  almost  equally  dishearten- 
ing. The  harvest  time  was  upon  them,  and  what  were 
they  to  live  on  if  they  abandoned  their  crops  ? 

The  county  committee  met  at  New  Perth,  on  the  25th, 
John  Rowan  being  chosen  chairman.  After  declaring  that 
universal  desolation  had  overspread  the  county,  on  account 
of  General  Schuyler's  order  to  abandon  their  farms  (though 
they  admitted  that  it  was  unsafe  to  remain),  they  appointed 
Alexander  McNulty,  Richard  Hoy,  Wm.  McCoy,  Edward 
Savage,    John    Martin,   Wm.    McFarland,    John    Nesbitt, 

Robert  Colwell,   Daniel  McCleary,  David  Hopkins, 

Henderson,  and  John  Gray  as  appraisers  to  estimate  the 
value  of  their  crops  and  buildings,  with  a  view  to  obtain- 
ing recompense  in  case  they  were  lost  through  obedience 
to  the  order.  Alas  !  both  the  National  and  State  govern- 
ments were  unable  to  pay  or  feed  their  soldiers,  much  less 
to  make  good  the  loss  of  destroyed  crops  or  burned  build- 
ings. 

Schuyler's  order  was  borne  by  Captain  Joseph  McCracken, 
and  soon  after  his  arrival  it  was  determined  to  build  a  fort 
at  New  Perth,  which  might  serve  as  a  refuge  to  the  inhab- 
itants from  wandering  bands  of  red  or  white  marauders. 
For  this  purpose  the  old  log  church,  the  first  erected  in  the 
county,  was  torn  down,  and  the  logs  were  set  in  a  stockade 
around  the  frame  church  more  recently  erected.  It  was 
finished  on  the  2(;th  of  July,  and  received  the  name  of 
"  Salem  Fort."  Captain  McCracken  was  placed  in  com- 
mand. 

This  was  the  first  use  of  the  name  Salem,  so  far  as  we 
can  discover,  in  the  town  which  now  bears  that  appellation. 
It  was  probably  derived  from  one  of  the  towns  in  Massa- 
chusetts of  that  town,  though  it  is  possible  that  some  biblical 
scholar  may  have  thought  the  Hebrew  meaning  of  "  Salem" 
— Peace — might  properly  be  applied  to  a  foitress  made  of 
two  churches,  and  intended  to  preserve  peace  to  their 
homes. 

We  turn  again  to  the  terror-stricken  towns  to  the  north- 


ward. By  the  25th  of  July  the  greater  part  of  Burgoyne's 
army  had  reached  Kingsbury  street,  in  the  town  of  that 
name,  the  general  making  his  headquarters  at  Gordon's 
house.  The  next  day  the  advance  under  Fraser  moved 
forward  to  "  Moss  street,"  in  the  same  town,  and  attacked 
the  American  pickets  stationed  there.  A  brisk  skirmish 
ensued,  but  the  Americans  were  of  course  easily  defeated, 
and  retired  to  Fort  Edward.  Several  of  their  number 
were  killed  in  the  skirmish,  and  these  were  scalped  by  the 
Indians  who  were  scattered  along  the  front  of  the  British 
army.  General  Fraser  established  his  headquarters  near 
the  house  of  John  Jones,  one  of  the  family  already  men- 
tioned as  prominent  Tories. 

The  same  day  (the  26th),  a  band  of  Indians,  who  were 
scouting  on  the  left  wing  of  the  British  army,  made  their 
way  into  the  present  town  of  Argyle  and  slew  the  whole 
family  of  John  Allen,  consisting  of  the  two  parents  and 
seven  children,  as  they  were  seated  at  their  noon-day  meal. 
As  Allen  was  a  Tory,  it  is  not  known  what  directed  the 
wrath  of  the  savages  against  this  particular  family, — -very 
likely  it  was  a  mere  freak  of  their  capricious  and  blood- 
thirsty natures.  They  are  also  said  to  have  slain  on  the 
same  day  and  in  the  same  vicinity  an  entire  family  named 
Barnes,  and  also  a  man  named  John  White. 

The  next  morning  the  British  advance  took  post  at  the 
present  village  of  Sandy  Hill.  A  small  detachment  of  the 
Americans  still  remained  at  Fort  Edward,  and  thither 
many  of  the  families  of  Kingsbury  and  Fort  Edward  had 
fled  for  safety  ;  but  the  soldiers  and  citizens  were  alike  pre- 
paring to  move  down  the  river. 

It  was  on  this  day  that  the  sad  tragedy  took  place  which, 
from  its  peculiar  circumstances,  at  once  drew  the  attention 
of  all  America,  and  which  has  become  celebrated  wherever 
the  English  language  is  spoken, — the  murder  of  Jaue  Mc- 
Crea.  Several  widely-different,  and  some  contradictory, 
accounts  have  been  published  regarding  tliis  event,  all  pur- 
porting to  be  derived  from  eye-wilncsses,  or  others  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  facts.  On  account  of  the  very  gen- 
eral interest  which  has  always  been  manifested  in  the  death 
of  Miss  McCrea,  we  have  taken  especial  pains  to  sift  and 
compare  the  various  accounts  referred  to,  and  we  feel 
satisfied  that  the  one  we  are  about  to  give  is  substantially 
correct. 

Any  young  woman  who  suffers  misfortune,  and  is  conse- 
quently mentioned  in  print,  is  almost  always  described  by 
gallant  writers  as  beautiful  in  feature  and  lovely  in  disposi- 
tion. Had  Jane  McCrea  been  the  plainest  backwoods  dam- 
sel that  ever  suffered  the  hardening  influences  of  pioneer 
life,  the  mingled  romance  and  tragedy  of  her  death  would 
have  invested  her  with  an  aureole  of  transcendent  loveli- 
ness. Yet  there  is  evidence  that  the  language  of  admira- 
tion, so  often  used  without  meaning  in  similar  cases,  was  in 
this  one  justified  by  the  truth.  It  is  not  so  very  many 
years  since  there  were  some  still  living  who  had  seen  her 
in  their  youth,  and  they  all  described  the  blooming  maiden 
of  twenty-three*  as  indeed  most  fair  to  look  upon.  Her 
hair,  rippling  in  long,  luxuriant  tresses  around  her  form. 


*  She  is  described  on  her  torabstonc  as  seventeen,  but  the 
iif  the  evidence  is  in  favor  of  the  more  mature  age. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


51 


especially  impressed  itself  on  the  memory  of  ber  youthful 
admirers.  Her  family  relations  also  were  such  as  gave  in 
that  day — when  class  distinctions  were  more  marked  than 
now — some  indications  of  superior  refinement. 

Miss  McCrea's  father  was  a  clergyman  of  New  Jersey; 
but  he  having,  after  the  death  of  her  mother,  married  a 
second  wife,  she  had  made  her  home  with  her  brother, 
John  McCrea,  who  resided  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson, 
five  or  six  miles  below  Fort  Edward.  This  gentleman  was 
a  lawyer  by  profession ,  a  man  of  considerable  prominence, 
and  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  militia.  Unlike  many  of  the 
New  Jersey  emigrants,  he  was  a  decided  patriot.  He  was 
afterwards  appointed  county  clerk  of  Charlotte  county,  and 
removed  to  Salem,  where  he  remained  many  years;  finally 
removing  to  St.  Lawrence  county.  Other  brothers  were 
prominent  citizens  of  other  parts  of  what  is  now  Saratoga 
county. 

Miss  McCrea  had  formed  the  acquaintance  of  David 
Jones,  the  son  of  a  widow  residing  a  mile  or  so  below  Fort 
Edward,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson,  and  who  has 
already  been  mentioned  as  having  aided  to  raise  a  companj' 
of  royalists  in  the  fall  of  1776,  and  as  having  received  a 
commission  in  it  as  lieutenant.  The  young  people  were 
quite  intimate,  and  were  believed  to  be  betrothed. 

On  the  26th  of  July,  Jane  McCrea  was  staying  at  a 
house  close  to  the  walls  of  Fort  Edward,  since  known  as 
the  Baldwin  hou.se.  The  most  probable  account  is  that 
she  had  been  visiting  there  for  several  days ;  that  her  brother, 
learning  of  the  enemy's  advance,  had  more  than  once  sent 
for  her  to  accompany  him  down  the  river.  She  is  supposed 
to  have  received  a  communication  from  her  lover,  in  Bur- 
goyne's  army,  and  to  have  been  awaiting  his  approach.  On 
the  morning  of  the  27th  she  proceeded  to  the  residence  of 
Mrs.  McNeil,  a  relative  of  General  Fraser,  of  the  British 
army.  It  is  said  she  was  a  cousin  of  that  officer,  but  Scotch 
cousinship  extends  a  great  way.  Mrs.  McNeil  lived  about 
a  hundred  rods  to  the  north  of  the  fort,  and  perhaps  fifty 
rods  from  the  foot  of  a  hill  up  which  ran  the  road  to  Sandy 
Hill,  now  called  Broadway.* 

At  the  top  of  the  hill,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more  from 
Mrs.  McNiel's  residence,  was  a  fine  spring  of  water,  with  a 
solitary  pine-tree  standing  beside  it.  Just  beyond  was  a 
piece  of  woodland.  In  this  wood  was  stationed  an  Ameri- 
crn  picket  of  about  a  dozen  men  under  Lieutenant  Van 
Vechten.  Near  nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  the  27th 
a  band  of  Indians  suddenly  swooped  down  upon  this 
picket.  It  seems  to  have  been  something  of  a  surprise,  for 
in  a  few  minutes  Lieutenant  Van  Vechten  and  five  men 
were  killed  and  scalped  and  four  others  wounded.  Samuel 
Standish,  one  of  the  picket,  fired  his  musket  at  the  fir.st 
Indian  he  saw,  and  then  fled  at  full  speed  toward  the  fort. 
As  he  reached  the  level  ground  three  Indians  ran  in  be- 
tween him  and  the  fort,  wounded  him  in  the  foot,  and  took 
him  prisoner.  They  tied  him  quickly  with  one  of  the  cords 
which  they  usualis  carried  with  them,  and  pushed  him 
rapidly  up  the  hill  to  the  spring. 

Jleanwhile  another  band  had  rushed  into  the  house  of 


*  The  house  is  still  in  a  good  slate  of  preservation,  and  occupied 
by  Mr.  Rogers. 


Mrs.  McNiel,  had  seized  on  that  lady  and  her  young  gu&st, 
and  started  northward.  Presently  they  caught  two  horses 
which  were  near  Mrs.  McNeil's  residence,  and  attempttjd  to 
place  their  captives  upon  them.  The  lightsome  young 
woman  was  easily  lifted  to  a  seat,  but  the  older  one  was 
fleshy  and  heavy,  and  the  Indians  were  not  adepts  in  aiding 
ladies  to  mount  on  horseback.  Some  of  them  accordingly 
led  the  horse  directly  up  the  hill  with  Jane  upon  it,  while 
a  couple  of  others  pushed  forward  their  other  prize  on  foot 
on  another  path,  which  took  her  out  of  sight  of  the  spring. 
In  a  few  moments  those  who  had  charge  of  Miss  ilcCrea 
arrived  at  the  spring,  where  Standish  already  was.  They 
halted  a  few  moments,  and  the  Indians  almost  immediately 
engaged  in  a  sharp  quarrel  in  their  own  language,  which 
Standish  could  not  understand,  but  which  from  its  sequence 
he  supposed  to  be  about  jMiss  McCrea.  From  words  they 
proceeded  to  blows  ;  not,  however,  using  their  most  danger- 
ous weapons,  but  fighting  with  the  butts  of  their  guns. 
After  a  few  moments  of  such  combat,  one  of  them  in  a  fury 
leveled  his  musket  at  the  unfortunate  young  lady  and  shot 
her  dead.  She  fell,  and  the  next  instant  the  savage  flung 
down  his  gun,  seized  her  long,  luxuriant  locks  with  one  hand, 
with  the  other  passed  his  knife  around  nearly  the  whole 
scalp,  and,  with  a  yell  of  triumph,  tore  the  beautiful  but 
ghastly  trophy  from  the  victim's  head. 

The  fighting  immediately  ceased ;  the  infuriated  com- 
batants turned  their  rage  upon  the  senseless  body  of  Jli.ss 
McCrea,  stripping  the  clothes  from  her  lovely  form,  and  in 
the  mere  wantonness  of  barbarity  inflicting  nine  wounds 
with  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  upou  her  lifeless  remains. 
Then,  fearing  an  attack  from  the  fort,  the  Indians  hurried 
ofi"  toward  General  Fraser's  camp,  taking  Standish  with 
them. 

In  this  account  we  have  in  most  particulars  followed  the 
account  of  Mr.  Standish.  He  recovered  from  his  wound, 
was  sent  a  prisoner  to  Canada,  exchanged,  and  resided  after 
the  war  in  Granville,  Washington  county.  He  narrated 
the  tragic  story  to  Jared  Sparks,  himself  a  native  of  Wash- 
ington county,  who  publi.shed  it  in  one  of  his  "  American 
Biographies." 

Standish  also  stated  that  Mrs.  McNeil  was  brought 
with  Miss  McCrea  to  the  spring  and  was  present  at  the 
murder.  That  lady,  however,  declared  that  she  had  pre- 
viously been  separated  from  her  friend,  and  we  have  thought 
it  more  probable  that  the  young  soldier,  in  the  awful  excite- 
ment of  the  time,  was  mistaken  on  that  point,  rather  than 
that  Mrs.  McNiel  had  deliberately  falsified  the  facts  ;  for  she 
could  not  have  been  mistaken  as  to  whether  she  was  or  was 
not  present  at  that  terrible  tragedy. 

Her  statement  was,  that  after  the  separation  she  was 
hurried  forward  on  foot  to  Fraser's  camp.  There  she  in- 
quired for  her  relative,  the  general,  and  when  she  found  him 
claimed  his  protection,  at  the  same  time  denouncing  him 
roundly  for  letting  his  "  rascally  Indians"  thus  mistreat  her. 
She  had  been  stripped  by  her  captors  of  all  her  clothing  but 
her  chemise,  and  the  general  gave  her  a  soldier's  overcoat  for 
a  temporary  covering.  Soon  after  her  arrival  she  saw  some 
Indians  come  into  camp,  one  of  whom  bore  a  scalp,  which 
she  at  once  recognized  by  its  long  and  ample  locks  as  that 
of  her  unfortunate  young  friend.     She  accused  them  of  the 


niSTOKY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


murder,  but  they  at  that  time  asserted  that  Miss  McCrea 
had  been  mortally  wounded  by  a  party  of  Americans  from 
the  fort,  who  fired  on  them  as  they  retreated,  wlieroupon 
they  thought  there  was  no  harm  in  stripping  off  her  scalp. 

Stone,  in  his  "  Life  of  Brant,"  adopts  this  account,  and 
argues  that  the  Indians'  story  was  probably  true,  since  there 
was  not  as  much  reason  for  their  murdering  Miss  McCrea, 
whom  they  had  got  on  horseback,  as  there  was  for  slaying 
Mrs.  McNiel,  whom  they  had  to  half-carry  on  foot.  But 
this  theory  is  in  direct  contradiction  not  only  to  Standi.sh's 
statement,  but  to  Burgoyne's  own  confessions  in  his  letter 
to  Gates,  of  which  further  mention  will  be  made. 

Standish,  moreover,  is  corroborated  by  Albert  Baker,  a 
leading  citizen  of  Sandy  Hill,  who  had  sought  .safety  in  Fort 
Edward.  His  account  is  published  in  Neilson's  "  Cam- 
paign of  Burgoyne."  From  the  walls  of  the  fort  he  and 
others  saw  the  Indians  chasing  the  pickets  ;  saw  them  rush 
into  Mrs.  McNiel's  house  and  come  out  with  their  prey  ;  saw 
them  taking  one  of  the  women  up  the  hill  on  horseback  ; 
saw  them  halt  at  the  spring  by  the  solitary  pine,  which, 
though  half  a  mile  distant,  was  plainly  visible  across  the 
open  space,  and,  as  he  thought,  saw  Miss  McCrea  shot  from 
lier  horse. 

He  also  stated  that,  so  weak  were  the  Americans  and  so 
strong  was  the  enemy  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  none  of 
the  former  left  the  fort  during  the  day;  so  that  Miss  Mc- 
Crea could  not  have  been  accidentally  wounded  by  her 
friends.  There  are  some  minor  discrepancies  between 
Standish  and  Baker,  but  not  greater  than  might  naturally 
be  expected,  considering  the  excitement  of  the  former  and 
the  distance  of  the  latter. 

Thousands  of  men,  women,  and  children  have  been  mas- 
sacred during  the  wars  between  the  Indians  and  the  colo- 
nists, thousands  more  during  the  old  French  wars,  and  still 
other  thousands  during  the  Revolution  and  subsequent  con- 
flicts, but  not  another  case  among  them  all  has  attracted  so 
much  attention  as  that  of  lovely  Jane'  McCrea.  This  was 
due  partly  to  the  youth,  beauty,  and  social  position  of  the 
victim,  but  still  more  to  the  romance  that  mingled  with  the 
tragedy.  It  was  generally  believed  that  Miss  McCrea  had 
lingered  near  Fort  Edward  to  meet  her  betrothed  lover, 
young  Jones,  probably  vrith  the  expectation  of  marriage ; 
that  he  had  sent  two  Indian  chiefs  to  convey  her  to  the 
British  camp,  promising  them  a  reward  for  doing  so ;  that 
they  quarreled  over  the  reward  before  they  received  it,  and 
that  one  of  them  slew  their  innocent  captive  to  prevent  the 
other  from  obtaining  the  pay. 

Though  the  evidence  on  these  points  is  somewhat  defect- 
ive, and  though  David  Jones  is  said  to  have  denied  that  he 
knew  aught  of  the  Indian  raid,  yet  the  circumstances  tend 
strongly  to  show  that  the  common  report  was  substan- 
tially correct.  The  fact  of  her  going  from  the  residence  of 
her  brother,  a  prominent  patriot,  toward  the  enemy,  and 
remaining  at  Fort  Edward  till  the  foe  was  almost  in  sight ; 
the  fiict  that  she  then  went  still  farther  forward  ;  the  fact 
that  the  Indians  at  first  undoubtedly  attempted  to  take  her  to 
camp,  and  did  take  Mrs.  McNiel  there,  though  it  certainly 
could  not  have  been  permitted  to  cumber  the  camp  with 
captured  women ;  and  the  fact  that,  after  getting  started  with 
her  on  horseback,  they  slew  her  during  a  quarrel  among 


themselves,  without  any  apparent  cause,  all  tend  to  prove 
that  the  common  version  of  the  story  is  not  far  out  of  the 
way. 

News  of  the  murder  was  sent  down  the  river  to  Colonel 
John  McCrea  that  day  or  evening,  and  he  came  up  to  the 
fort.  The  next  morning  a  party  ventured  out  to  the  scene 
of  the  massacre.  The  body  of  the  slain  woman  was  found 
where  it  had  been  flung  into  a  small  ravine,  while  the  re- 
mains of  Lieutenant  Van  Vechten  and  his  soldiers  lay 
scattered  around.  Miss  McCrea  and  the  lieutenant  were 
removed  and  buried  about  three  miles  down  the  river ;  but 
the  remains  of  the  lady  were  afterwards  transferred  to 
another  resting-place,  as  naiTated  in  the  history  of  Fort 
Edward. 

When  General  Gates  took  command  of  the  American 
army,  he  wrote  a  very  sharp  letter  to  General  Burgoyne  in 
regard  to  his  manner  of  waging  warfare.  After  charging 
him  with  encouraging  the  Indians  in  cruelty,  by  offering  a 
reward  for  scalps,  he  added :  "  Miss  McCrea,  a  young  lady 
lovely  to  the  sight,  of  virtuous  character  and  amiable  dispo- 
sition, engaged  to  an  ofiicer  of  your  army,  was,  with  other 
women  and  children,  taken  out  of  a  house  near  Fort  Kd- 
ward,  carried  into  the  woods,  and  there  .scalped  and  mangled 
in  the  most  horrid  manner.  Two  parents,  with  six  children 
[probably  the  Allen  family],  were  treated  with  the  same 
inhumanity  while  quietly  resting  in  their  own  peaceful 
dwelling.  The  miserable  fate  of  Miss  McCrea  was  particu- 
larly aggravated,  she  being  dressed  to  receive  her  promised 
husband,  but  met  her  murderer  employed  by  you.  Up- 
wards of  one  hundred  men,  women,  and  children  have  per- 
ished by  the  hands  of  the  ruflfians  to  whom,  it  is  asserted, 
you  have  paid  the  price  of  blood." 

This  language  shows  that  the  opinion  that  Jliss  McCrea 
was  on  the  point  of  joining  Lieutenant  Jones,  whether  cor- 
rect or  not,  was  prevalent  at  that  time,  and  was  not  a  piece 
of  romance  invented  at  a  later  period. 

General  Burgoyne  promptly  repelled  the  specified  charges 
in  a  letter  to  his  opponent,  asserting  that  he  had  from  the 
first  refused  to  pay  for  scalps,  but  liad  offered  the  Indians 
rewards  for  prisoners,  to  encourage  them  in  a  more  humane 
mode  of  warfiire.     Speaking  of  Miss  McCrea,  he  said, — 

"  Her  fall  wanted  not  the  tragic  display  you  have  labored 
to  give  it  to  make  it  as  severely  abhorred  and  lamented  by 
me  as  it  can  be  by  the  tenderest  of  her  friends.  The  act 
was  no  premeditated  barbarity.  On  the  contrary,  two 
chiefs,  who  had  brought  her  off  for  security,  not  of  violence 
to  her  person,  disputed  which  should  be  her  guard  ;  and  in 
a  fit  of  savage  passion  in  one  from  whose  hands  she  was 
snatched,  the  unhappy  woman  became  the  victim.  Upon 
the  first  intelligence  of  this  event,  I  obliged  the  Indians  to 
deliver  the  murderer  into  my  hands  ;  and  though  to  have 
punished  him  by  our  laws  or  principles  of  justice  would 
have  been,  perhaps,  unprecedented,  he  certainly  should 
have  suffered  an  ignominious  death,  had  I  not  been  con- 
vinced, from  my  circumstances  and  observation,  beyond  the 
possibility  of  doubt,  that  a  pardon,  under  the  terms  which 
I  prescribed,  and  they  accepted,  would  be  more  efficacious 
than  an  execution  to  prevent  similar  mischiefs.  The  above 
instance  excepted,  your  information  is  false." 

It  is  very  evident,  from  this  letter,  that  there  is  no  truth 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


53 


in  the  theory  that  Miss  McCrea  was  accidentally  killed  by 
American  pursuers ;  though  possibly  the  Indians  might 
have  tried  to  get  rid  of  Mrs.  McNiel  with  that  statement. 
Of  course,  if  that  plea  would  have  stood  investigation,  the 
Indians  would  have  presented  it  to  Burgoyne,  and  if  it  had 
even  a  semblance  of  truth,  the  latter  would  have  eagerly 
seized  on  it  to  relieve  himself  and  his  army  of  the  odium 
which  lay  upon  them.  That  he  keenly  felt  that  odium  is 
proven  by  the  whole  tenor  of  his  letter.  His  statement, 
moreover,  that  two  chiefs  •'  brought  her  off  for  security," 
confirms  the  common  tradition  that  Jones  employed  them 
for  the  purpose ;  though  the  strangeness  of  using  such 
messengers  has  caused  many  to  doubt  that  he  did  so. 

Gates'  information  was  not  entirely  false  as  to  other 
murders  than  that  of  Jane  McCrea.  Those  of  the  Allen 
and  Barnes  families  are  the  most  prominent ;  but  there 
were  doubtless  many  solitary  instances  resembling  that  of 
John  White,  in  which  some  straggling  countryman  was 
barbarously  deprived  of  life  by  these  ferocious  savages. 

Burgoyne  reprimanded  the  Indians  with  great  severity, 
and  laid  the  most  stringent  restrictions  on  their  native  pro- 
pensity to  plunder  and  murder ;  nor  do  we  hear,  during 
the  remainder  of  the  campaign,  of  any  of  the  more  flagrant 
kinds  of  outrage  on  their  part.  But  they  were  very  much 
dissatisfied  with  this  restraint,  and  ere  long  they  began  to 
desert.  Their  commander,  St.  Luc  la  Come  de  St.  Luc, 
had  too  often  led  them  against  the  English  settlers,  with 
unbounded  license  in  the  way  of  scalping,  not  to  sympathize 
with  them  in  their  griefs  at  the  present  time  ;  and  when, 
in  a  public  letter,  he  afterwards  excused  their  desertion,  he 
did  not  deny  the  statement  of  Burgoyne  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  that  the  principal  rea.son  for  their  abandonment 
of  the  royal  cause  was  the  restraint  laid  on  them  in  regard 
to  plundering  and  murdering  the  inhabitants. 

Burgoyne's  chief  fault,  respecting  the  Indians,  was  in 
consenting  to  lead  such  cut-throats  under  any  circum- 
stances ;  and  the  conduct  of  the  British  ministry  can  never 
be  too  deeply  execrated  for  employing  those  whom  they 
knew  to  be  universal  murderers. 

There  are  numerous  traditions,  too,  regarding  the  be- 
reaved lover  in  this  terrible  drama.  One  is  that  he  was 
slain  at  the  battle  of  Stillwater ;  another,  that  he  and  his 
brother  deserted  and  returned  to  Canada,  where  he  long 
lived  the  life  of  a  hermit,  brooding  in  gloomy  seclusion 
over  his  lost  love  and  her  tragic  fate. 

On  the  morning  after  the  murder,  as  soon  as  Miss 
McCrea's  body  had  been  recovered,  the  Americans  aban- 
doned Fort  Edward  and  joined  Schuyler's  army  at  Moses 
creek.  On  the  twenty-ninth,  Eraser's  advance  corps 
reached  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Edward,  but  it  was  not 
until  the  thirty-first  that  Generals  Burgoyne  and  Riedesel 
establi-shed  their  headquarters  there.  General  Phillips  was 
sent  to  Fort  George  to  expedite  the  transfer  of  stores  by 
that  route. 

Now  that  they  had  reached  the  Hudson,  the  British 
considered  that  the  worst  of  their  troubles  were  past,  and 
supposed  that  they  could  march  with  comparative  ease 
down  its  bank,  with  their  baggage  floating  on  its  waters, 
walk  over  the  demoralized  American  force  in  front  of  them 
if  it  got  in  their  way,  and  join  Sir  Henry  Clinton  without 


diflBculty.  But  Burgoyne's  advance  was  very  slow.  For 
six  weeks  his  headquarters  remained  at  Fort  Edward.  At 
this  distance  of  time  one  can  hardly  form  an  opinion 
whether  his  tardiness  was  absolutely  necessary  or  not,  but 
it  looks  extremely  improbable. 

Shortly  after  General  Riedesel  arrived  at  Fort  Edward 
he  was  joined  by  his  wife,  who  remained  with  the  army 
during  the  remainder  of  the  campaign.  Besides  her  there 
were  three  other  ladies  with  the  army:  Lady  Harriet  Aek- 
land,  the  daughter  of  an  English  peer  and  wife  of  Major 
Ackland  of  the  Grenadiers,  the  wife  of  a  Lieutenant  Rey- 
nolds, and  the  commissary's  wife,  whom  Madame  Riedesel 
declared  to  be  the  mistress  of  Burgoyne.  The  latter  re- 
sumed his  revelings,  and  in  place  of  the  dispirited  Ameri- 
cans the  environs  of  the  old  fort  rang  with  the  jubilant 
clamor  of  the  sanguine  invaders. 

Madame  Riedesel  and  Lady  Harriet  lived  decorously 
but  joyously,  in  fine  weather  eating  under  the  trees  in  the 
open  air,  the  table  enlivened  with  smile  and  jest  and  sally ; 
thinking  little  of  that  other  fair  woman  struck  down  by  a 
terrible  death  only  a  Cew  rods  away.  JIadame  Riedesel 
does  not  mention  the  murder  of  Jane  McCrea  in  her  me- 
moirs ;  possibly  she  did  not  hear  of  it. 

Many  soldiers'  wives  accompanied  the  army,  especially 
those  of  the  Hessians  and  Brunswickere.  These,  dressed  in 
their  national  costume,  with  their  plain  faces,  and  their 
bodies  stiffened  by  out-door  toil,  had  a  strange,  gypsy-like 
appearance  in  the  eyes  of  Americans,  accustomed  to  greater 
delicacy  of  form  and  feature,  even  in  the  most  laborious  of 
the  sex.  The  men  of  the  German  contingent  moved  about 
their  duties  with  their  usual  stolid  faithfulness,  but  their 
minds  often  reverted  sadly  to  the  beloved  homes  from  which 
they  had  been  so  ruthlessly  torn.  It  has  been  stated  by 
officers  of  Burgoyne's  army  that  twenty  or  thirty  Hessians 
at  a  time  would  have  a  presentiment  that  they  were  going 
to  die  and  would  never  see  the  dear  fatherland  again.  This 
greatly  affected  their  health,  and  very  often  they  did  die, 
with  no  other  apparent  cause  than  homesickness  and  de- 
spondency. 

Domestic  in  their  natures,  they  were  fond  of  pets,  and 
strove  to  make  friends  with  the  wild  animals,  which  they 
frequently  captured,  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  the 
English.  A  Hessian  column,  as  it  marched  through  the 
forest-roads  of  Washington  and  Saratoga  counties,  would 
show  here  a  young  bear  waddling  along  in  the  leash  of  a 
stalwart  grenadier;  there  a  fawn,  shy  and  graceful,  spring- 
ing at  every  unusual  noise  to  the  end  of  a  cord  held  by  a 
broad-faced  infantry-man;  while  on  the  tops  of  the  baggage- 
wagons  might  be  seen  raccoons,  rabbits,  owls,  and  other 
captured  denizens  of  the  wood.  These  cumbersome  fiivor- 
ites  were  doubtless  tolerated  by  the  officers  to  divert  the 
desponding  minds  of  the  homesick  soldiers. 

Meanwhile,  matters  were  apparently  growing  more  des- 
perate for  the  Americans.  On  the  27th  of  July,  Gen- 
eral Schuyler  made  a  statement  of  his  army  encamped 
at  Moses  creek.  Its  strength  consisted  almost  entirely  of 
a  body  of  two  thousand  seven  iiundred  Continental  soldiers. 
Of  the  Connecticut  militia  all  had  deserted  but  "one  major, 
one  captain,  two  lieutenants,  two  ensigns,  one  adjutant,  one 
quartermaster,  one  drummer,  six  sick  men,  and  three  rank 


54 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


and  file  for  duty."  Of  those  from  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass., 
who  had  at  one  time  numbered  twelve  hundred,  of 
whom  half  were  to  have  remained  in  the  army,  all  but 
two  hundred  had  deserted.  Out  of  one  of  the  Hampshire 
county  regiment.s,  in  the  same  State,  all  but  twelve  had 
deserted  ;  but  the  other  regiments  from  the  same  county 
had  done  somewhat  better,  there  being  two  hundred  of  them 
left.    Of  the  Albany  county  militia  about  half  were  on  duty. 

It  is  the  same  story,  told  again  and  again  during  the 
Revolution  and  the  War  of  1812,  of  the  inefficiency  of 
militia  for  any  sustained  effort  against  the  enemy.  Occa- 
sionally, in  times  of  great  entliu.siasm,  and  under  peculiar 
circumstances,  as  at  Bunker  Hill  and  Bennington,  they 
would  make  a  good  fight ;  but  tbey  would  not  make  a  long 
resistance  to  an  enemy,  and  the  number  of  deserters  was  so 
great  that  it  was  practically  impossible  to  punish  them. 

A  few  days  later.  General  Schuyler  retreated  from  Moses 
creek,  crossed  the  Hud.son  at  Fort  Miller,  and  led  his 
dispirited  army  nearly  to  the  Mobawk  !  On  the  1st  of 
August  he  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and  on  the  4th 
General  Gates  was  appointed  in  his  place.  On  the  9th  of 
August,  Fraser  with  the  British  advance  encamped  near 
Fort  Miller.  He  was  followed  by  Colonel  Baum  with  a  very 
mixed  force  of  dismounted  dragoons,  Tories,  Canadians,  and 
Indians.  This  force  was  intended  by  Burgoyne  to  make  a 
move  into  the  country  to  the  eastward,  for  the  purpose  of 
harassing  the  Whigs,  obtaining  Tory  recruits,  seizing  horses, 
etc.  Riedesel  had  suggested  such  a  movement  before  the 
army  left  Skenesboro',  but  his  plan  was  that  the  detachment 
should  move  from  the  rear  of  the  army,  by  way  of  Castleton, 
to  the  "  flats  of  the  Connecticut  river,"  where  it  was  be- 
lieved that  supplies  could  be  found  in  abundance. 

After  much  consideration,  Burgoyne  had  determined  to 
make  such  a  flank  movement,  but  with  a  still  wider  sweep. 
He  selected  Colonel  Baum  to  head  the  movement,  and  at 
first  directed  him  to  march  to  Manchester,  and  thence  to 
Rockingham,  on  the  Connecticut  river.  Indians  and  pro- 
vincials were  to  be  sent  up  and  down  the  river  to  gather 
supplies,  and  then  they  were  all  to  return  by  way  of  Brat- 
tlcboro',  and  join  Burgoyne  at  Albany !  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  if  the  force  had  ever  crossed  the  Green  mountains, 
very  few  indeed  would  have  returned  to  this  side. 

This  order  was  drawn  up  by  General  Riedesel,  under 
Burgoyne's  direction  ;  the  latter  added  some  amendments, 
advising  the  taxing  of  districts  for  specific  numbers  of  artil- 
lery-horses, etc.  The  general  stated  that  Captain  Sher- 
wood's company  of  royalists  was  expected  to  join  the 
command  at  Arlington,  with  horses  and  cattle,  which  were 
to  be  sent  to  the  army  under  guard  of  some  of  Peters' 
royalist  regiment.  Colonel  Skene  was  to  accompany  Baum, 
"  in  order  to  distinguish  good  subjects  from  bad,"  procure 
the  best  intelligence  of  the  enemy,  and  choose  proper  per- 
sons to  carry  intelligence  to  the  main  army. 

It  was  afterwards  proposed  to  send  the  force  only  as  far 
east  as  Manchester,  whence  they  were  to  return  to  the 
main  army  by  way  of  Bennington,  where  they  were  to  cap- 
ture the  stores  the  Americans  had  there.  But  at  the  last 
moment  Burgoyne  directed  that  Baum  should  march  straight 
to  Bennington,  capture  or  destroy  the  stores,  get  what  re- 
cruits and  horses  he  could,  and  return. 


Von  Riedesel  prepared  the  detachment  for  the  expedition, 
the  rendezvous  being  at  Fort  Miller.  General  Riedesel  gives 
the  numbers  as  two  hundred  dismounted  dragoons,  a  hun- 
dred Indians,  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  Peters'  regiment  of 
royalists,  fifty-six  Canadian  and  provincial  volunteers,  fifty 
of  Fraser's  riflemen,  and  two  light  guns  with  their  can- 
noniers, — total,  nearly  six  hundred  men.  Other  accounts 
show  that  there  were  three  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
Brunswickers,  raising  the  total  force  to  over  seven  hun- 
dred men. 

Baum  left  Fort  Miller  on  the  11th  of  August,  and  en- 
camped near  old  Fort  Saraghtoga  that  night.  When  about 
to  move  the  next  morning  he  received  an  order  to  wait  for 
further  instructions,  and  remained  encamped  through  the 
day  near  the  Batten  Kill.  The  next  day,  August  13, 
he  set  out  on  his  unlucky  expedition.  The  advance  con- 
sisted of  Tories  and  Indians,  and  the  inhabitants  fled  in 
dire  dismay  at  sight  of  these  dreaded  foes ;  though  Bur- 
goyne's threat  after  the  murder  of  Miss  McCrea  restrained 
them  so  that  we  hear  of  no  serious  outrages  on  this  march. 

There  were  enough  Indians,  Canadians,  etc.,  for  scouting 
and  skirmishing ;  but  in  case  of  hard  fighting  the  prin- 
cipal reliance  was  on  the  dismounted  Brunswick  dragoons, 
who,  being  unprovided  with  infantry  arms,  were  in  poor 
condition  for  such  an  encounter.  As  before  stated,  their 
equipments  were  of  the  heaviest  description,  and  as  they 
strode  along  the  woodland  roads  of  Easton  and  Cambridge, 
their  short  carbines  on  their  shoulders,  their  long  sabres 
clanking  at  their  sides,  they  looked  poorly  adapted  indeed 
to  meet  the  riflemen  of  Charlotte  county,  of  the  Green 
mountains,  and  of  New  Hampshire. 

The  night  of  the  13th  Baum  encamped  near  what  is 
now  called  Wait's  Corners,  in  the  town  of  Cambridge.  His 
advance  had  a  slight  skirmish  with  a  few  militiamen,  and 
captured  eight  of  them.  They  were  released  the  next 
morning  at  the  request  of  Colonel  Skene,  he  having  an 
idea  that  this  would  have  a  good  effect  on  the  large  num- 
bers who  were  supposed  to  be  inclined  towards  the  king's 
cause.  Colonel  Baum  had  been  directed  to  consult  Skene 
in  everything  relating  to  the  treatment  of  the  inhabitants, 
whom  he  was  supposed  to  know  all  about,  but  whom  he 
really  knew  very  little  about.  He  had  imbibed  a  notion 
that  three  to  one  of  them  were  loyalists,  whereas  in  that 
section  hardly  one  in  ten  of  them  was  so. 

On  the  14th  Baum's  command  proceeded  southward 
through  Cambridge,  crossed  the  Hoosic  into  the  present 
county  of  Rensselaer,  and  followed  up  the  valley  of  that 
stream  and  its  tributary,  the  Walloomsac,  toward  Benning- 
ton. In  the  afternoon  of  the  14th  they  met  a  force  sent 
out  from  that  point  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Greig.  A 
brief  contest  ensued,  and  though  the  Americans  retreated, 
yet  they  showed  themselves  so  strong,  and  all  the  accounts 
received  showed  there  was  such  a  large  body  of  militia  at 
Bennington,  that  Baum  halted  and  sent  back  a  request  to 
Burgoyne  for  reinforcements. 

Riding  all  night,  the  messenger  reached  the  general's 
headquarters  at  six  o'clock  the  next  morning.  Burgoyne 
immediately  ordered  General  Riedesel  to  send  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Breymann  in  support  of  Baum.  Breymann  set  out 
with  five  hundred  Hessian  light  infantry  in  light  marching 


HISTORY  OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


55 


order,  with  two  cannon.  They  were  not  so  heavily  equipped 
as  Baum's  men,  but  the  previous  rains  had  made  the  roads 
very  tedious,  especially  for  artillery,  and  Breymann  was 
obliged,  or  thought  he  was,  to  encamp  the  night  of  the 
15th  at  a  point  seven  miles  northeast  of  Cambridge. 

The  next  morning  he  pressed  slowly  forward  through 
Cambridge,  and  at  three  in  the  afternoon  reached  Sancoick 
bridge.  There,  as  he  states  in  his  report,  he  met  "  Gov." 
Skene,  who  informed  him  that  Baum  was  two  miles  dis- 
tant, but,  strangely  enough,  did  not  tell  him  there  had  been 
a  battle.  As  Breymann  had  heard  no  guns,  he  marched 
confidently  forward,  and,  the  first  thing  he  knew,  came  in 
conflict  with  straggling  bands  of  triumphant  Americans.  The 
Brunswickers,  Tories,  and  Indians  of  Baum's  command 
seem  to  have  been  so  thoroughly  beaten  that  there  were 
none,  at  least  on  the  main  road,  to  tell  the  tale  of  defeat  to 
the  supporting  column. 

For  during  that  eventful  16th  of  August  the  great 
northern  expedition,  which  was  expected  to  effect  the  con- 
quest of  America,  had  received  its  first  serious  check  ;  then 
and  there  began  to  rise  the  tide  of  American  triumph 
which  rolled  forward  with  constantly-increasing  volume, 
until  the  whole  of  Burgoyne's  proud  army  lay,  submerged 
and  helpless,  beneath  its  angry  waves. 

Nay,  it  would  hardly  be  too  much  to  call  the  battle  of 
Bennington  the  turning-point  of  the  American  Revolution. 
Notwithstanding  the  successes  of  the  patriots  in  the  begin- 
ning, there  had  been  near  two  years  of  depression,  and 
Britain  was  apparently  moving  steadily  forward  toward 
a  complete  triumph  over  the  liberties  of  America.  But 
Bennington  led  to  Saratoga,  and  Saratoga  led  to  the  French 
alliance,  and  the  French  alliance  led  to  Yorktown,  and 
Yorktown  led  to  independence. 

The  battle  of  Bennington  (which,  it  will  be  understood, 
was  not  fought  in  Bennington  at  all,  but  in  the  town  of 
Iloosic,  county  of  Rennselaer,  and  State  of  New  York)  was 
another  of  those  important  conflicts  which  fringe  the  border 
of  Washington  county  with  a  red  band  of  warlike  wrath. 
It  was  barely  outside  the  southern  line  of  the  present  town 
of  White  Creek,  in  the  valley  of  the  Walloomsac,  that  the 
old  Indian  fighter,  grim  John  Stark,  having  waited  through- 
out the  15th  for  the  rain  to  abate,  on  the  morning  of  the 
16th  led  his  militia  against  the  motley  forces  of  Colonel 
Baum.  His  men  were  principally  from  New  Hampshire, 
though  there  was  a  considerable  number  from  Vermont 
and  Massachusetts,  and  some  also  from  the  towns  of  Cam- 
bridge, White  Creek,  Jackson,  and  Salem,  in  this  county. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  our  work  to  go  into  the 
details  of  that  Rensselaer  county  "  Battle  of  Bennington." 
Every  history  of  the  United  States  tells  of  Stark's  pithy 
address  to  his  men  :  "  We  must  beat  those  red-coats  before 
sun.set  or  Molly  Stark  will  be  a  widow"  (to  be  sure  her 
name  was  Betsey  ;  but  then,  probably,  heroes  can't  be  ex- 
pected to  remember  their  wives'  names)  ;  of  the  enthusi- 
astic advance  of  the  raw  militia  ;  of  their  gallant  attack 
on  the  intrenchments  of  their  foes ;  of  the  speedy  dis- 
persion of  the  Indians  and  Tories  ;  of  the  desperate  re- 
sistance against  overwhelming  numbers  made  by  the 
Brunswick  dragoons,  who,  when  their  ammunition  was 
expended  and  their  allies  had  fled,  charged  sword  in  hand 


upon  their  assailants ;  of  the  mortal  wounding  of  their 
leader ;  of  the  almost  complete  destruction  of  the  little 
band,  and  of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  triumphant 
militia  scattered  to  plunder  the  conquered  camp.  Fifteen 
ofiicers  of  the  Brunswick  dragoons  were  reported  killed 
and  missing,  and  two  hundred  and  three  rank  and  file, 
making  a  total  of  two  hundred  and  eighteen  out  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  of  that  regiment  present,  be- 
sides those  who  were  wounded  but  were  able  to  escape. 

So  thoroughly  were  Baum's  forces  scattered  that,  as  be- 
fore stated,  the  pursuers  got  ahead  of  them,  and  Breymann 
was  in  conflict  with  the  latter  before  seeing  any  of  his  own 
friends  except  Colonel  Skene.  The  solid  column  of  Brey- 
mann's  light  infantry  quickly  drove  back  the  straggling 
militiamen,  and  Stark  saw  all  the  fruits  of  victory  disap- 
pearing by  rea.son  of  the  lack  of  discipline  of  his  forces. 
But  at  this  moment  Colonel  Seth  Warner  came  up  with 
his  regiment  of  Green  Mountain  Boys,  and  after  a  sharp 
conflict  Breymann  was  also  obliged  to  leave  his  two  pieces 
of  artillery  and  retreat,  though  with  less  loss  and  in  better 
order  than  the  unlucky  .soldiers  of  Baum. 

Breymann's  command,  with  a  few  of  Baum's  who  had 
joined  it,  reached  Cambridge  at  midnight.  Meantime  he 
had  despatched  messengers  to  Burgoyne,  who,  galloping 
through  darkness  and  mud,  reached  that  general  with  news 
of  both  battles  at  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  17th. 
Startled  by  these  unexpected  disasters,  and  fearing  lest 
Breymann,  too,  would  be  overwhelmed  by  an  avalanche  of 
New  England  riflemen,  he  consulted  Riedesel,  and  resolved 
to  start  immediately  with  the  whole  army  to  support  the 
defeated  detachment,  and  sent  ofi'  an  ofiBcer  to  inform 
Colonel  Breymann  of  his  intention.  But  ere  he  could  put 
his  design  in  operation,  Riedesel  received  news  that  Brey- 
mann had  escaped,  and  was  within  six  miles  of  the  Batten 
Kill.     The  order  was  then  countermanded. 

In  the  course  of  that  day  (^the  17th)  the  wearied  Hes- 
sians, covered  with  mud  and  almost  dead  with  fatigue, 
marched  mournfully  into  the  camp  at  Fort  Miller,  while 
hour  after  hour  the  Brunswick  dragoons,  the  Tories,  and 
the  Indians  came  straggling  in  with  their  tales  of  woe. 

The  direct  efi"ect  of  the  battle  was  far  less  than  the  in- 
direct. Everywhere  the  Americans  were  stimulated  to 
fresh  exertions  by  finding  that  they  could  whip  the  enemy, 
and  the  British  were  correspondingly  depressed.  Especially 
did  the  battle  have  a  great  eff'ect  on  the  Indians.  They  had 
been  angered  at  the  reprimands  given  them  and  the  re- 
straints put  on  their  murderous  propensities  after  the 
slaughter  of  Jane  McCrea,  and  now  they  found  themselves 
not  only  without  plunder  or  .scalps,  but  in  danger  of  being 
soundly  whipped  into  the  bargain. 

A  number,  estimated  at  about  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
accompanied  Baum,  and  thirty  or  forty  of  these  were  killed 
or  captured.  Their  red  brethren  were  very  bitter  against 
Burgoyne  for  not  sending  reinforcements  in  time.  La 
Corne  de  St.  Luc,  if  ho  did  not  encourage  them,  certainly 
.sympathized  with  them.  Complaint  followed  complaint, 
band  after  band  deserted,  and  finally,  at  a  general  council, 
nearly  all  of  them  demanded  permission  to  return.  Bur- 
goyne used  every  inducement  of  which  he  was  master  to 
persuade  them  to  remain,  and  they  apparently  yielded   to 


56 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


his  arguments,  but  the  very  next  day  a  large  number  of 
them  left,  and  they  continued  to  desert  till  hardly  one  re- 
mained. 

But  the  British  ministry,  less  humane  than  Burgoyno, 
thenceforth  made  use  of  more  pliant  tools,  in  the  Butlers 
and  Johnsons,  who  gave  the  privilege  of  free  slaughter  to 
the  tribes  on  the  western  border  of  the  colonies,  and  those 
Indians  remained  faithful  to  the  cause  of  royalty  and 
murder  throughout  the  Revolution. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  "  Fort  Salem,"  at  New 
Perth,  was  abandoned  by  the  Americans.  The  only  con- 
temporary allusion  to  this  event  which  we  have  seen  is  the 
statement  by  Colonel  Joseph  McCracken  that  the  post  was 
deserted  on  account  of  the  approach  of  an  overwhelming 
force  of  the  enemy.  The  people  all  fled  from  the  New 
Perth  settlement,  and  the  fort  was  destroyed  ;  but  whether 
by  our  own  men  when  they  abandoned  it,  by  a  few  scatter- 
ing Tories  or  Indians,  or  by  a  regular  force,  is  unknown. 

From  this  time  till  the  11th  of  September,  nearly  a 
month,  the  British  army  lay  at  Fort  Edward  and  Fort 
Miller ;  or,  as  the  latter  point  was  then  described,  at 
"  Duer's  house," — referring  to  the  residence  and  mills  of 
Hon.  William  Duer,  at  the  present  village  of  Fort  Miller. 
They  were  waiting  for  the  means  of  transportation  before 
advancing.  Possibly  this  was  necessary  ;  certainly  it  was 
the  cause  of  their  ruin. 

The  right  wing,  under  Major-General  Phillips,  was  at 
Fort  Miller ;  the  left  wing,  under  Major-General  Riedesel, 
was  at  Fort  Edward.  The  former  was  so  arranged  that 
when  it  should  advance  the  extreme  front  should  be  occu- 
pied by  Canadians.  The  advance  brigade  was  under  Briga- 
dier-General Fraser,  the  next  under  General  Powell,  and 
the  last  under  General  Hamilton.  The  extreme  advance  of 
General  Riedesel's  division  was  composed  of  Indians ;  the 
advance  brigade  was  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Breymann, 
the  next  under  Brigadier-General  Specht,  and  the  last  under 
General  Gall. 

As  early  as  the  19th  of  August  a  pontoon-bridge  was 
built  by  the  British  across  the  Hudson,  above  the  Fort 
Miller  rapids,  but  afterwards  a  better  place  was  found 
below,  and  one  was  erected  there. 

Meanwhile  the  Americans  were  making  good  use  of  the 
time  granted  them  through  the  dilatory  action  of  the  British. 
St.  Leger  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  siege  of  Fort  Stau- 
wix  by  the  approach  of  a  brigade  which  had  been  sent  by 
Schuyler  to  its  relief.  Considerable  additions  were  made 
to  the  number  of  the  Continentals  under  Gates,  and  the 
militia,  encouraged  by  the  results  of  Bennington  and  Stan- 
wix,  began  to  flock  in  large  numbers  into  the  camp  of  that 
general.  The  latter  advanced  from  the  Mohawk,  whither 
Schuyler  had  retreated,  and  took  up  a  position  at  Stillwater. 

It  was  not  till  the  11th  of  September  that  Burgoyne 
considered  himself  sufiSciently  well  provided  with  means  of 
transportation  to  risk  an  advance.  He  determined  to  follow 
the  Americans  across  the  river,  and  move  against  their 
army.  Many  have  considered  him  blameworthy  in  a  mili- 
tary point  of  view  for  not  moving  down  the  east  side  of  the 
Hudson.  Clearly,  however,  if  his  object  was  to  reach  Al- 
bany, it  would  be  easier  to  cross  the  upper  Hudson,  and 
then  the  Mohawk,  than  it  would  to  transport  an  army  in 


face  of  the  enemy  across  the  whole  broad  river  opposite  that 
city. 

On  the  last-named  day  the  force  at  "  Duer's  house  '  broke 
camp,  but  does  not  appear  to  have  made  much  progress. 
The  next  day  Riedesel  moved  forward  from  Fort  Edward 
to  Duer's  house.  On  the  thirteenth  the  crossing  took  place, 
Fraser  moving  first,  while  Breymann,  with  his  light  infantry, 
formed  the  extreme  rear  of  Reidesel's  division,  and  of  the 
whole  army.  As  soon  as  all  were  over  Breymann's  men 
destroyed  the  bridge. 

The  two  grand  armies,  on  whose  movements  during  that 
exciting  campaign  of  1777  largely  depended  the  fate  of 
America,  have  now  passed  out  of  our  jurisdiction.  Their 
marches  and  their  battles  will  henceforth  be  in  the  territory 
which  was  then  a  part  of  the  county  of  Albany,  but  which 
now  answers  to  the  historic  name  of  Saratoga.  But  the 
great  conflict  frequently  involved  movements  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Hudson,  and  these  we  shall  recount,  occasionally 
throwing  a  glance  across  the  stream,  or  listening  to  the 
sounds  that  are  wafted  from  the  western  shore. 

After  the  crossing,  Burgoyne  pressed  forward  without  any 
great  delay,  and  on  the  nineteenth  encountered  Gates  at 
Stillwater.  Neither  party  could  perhaps  claim  a  victory, 
but  it  was  at  once  evident  that  the  British  were  not  going 
to  march  to  Albany  without  serious  difficulty.  The  thun- 
ders of  the  cannonade  rolled  far  and  wide  over  the  hills  of 
Washington  county.  The  venerable  John  McDonald,  of 
Salem,  relates  that  his  father,  then  nine  years  old,  distinctly 
heard  the  boom  of  the  cannon  at  the  home,  in  Hebron,  of 
his  father,  the  old  campaigner  of  the  French  war. 

Next  followed  the  three  weeks  when  the  two  armies  re- 
mained facing  each  other  at  Stillwater,  the  Americans  all 
the  while  gaining  strength  and  the  British  losing.  Near 
the  1st  of  October,  Gates  was  strong  enough  to  send  a 
division  to  occupy  the  east  bank  of  the  river.  Fourteen 
hundred  men  wore  posted  at  the  point  where  the  British 
had  crossed,  and  two  thousand  somewhat  farther  down,  the 
object  being  to  prevent  a  retreat  to  Fort  Edward.  On  the 
8th  of  October  fifteen  hundred  were  sent  still  higher  up. 
It  rained  all  day  on  the  ninth  ;  but  even  in  the  rain,  a  body 
of  militia  pushed  on  to  Fort  Edward.  Two  or  three  hours 
later,  a  detachment  from  Burgoyne's  army  arrived  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river,  but  on  seeing  that  the  fort  was  already 
occupied  they  returned.  General  Stark  was  in  command 
of  a  large  part,  if  not  all,  of  the  forces  on  the  east  side. 
The  Charlotte  county  militia,  under  Colonel  Williams,  were 
all  in  arms  at  this  period,  and  were  ordered  by  General 
Gates  to  go  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy ;  but  we  cannot  learn 
the  precise  point  at  which  they  were  stationed. 

Burgoyne  was  now  completely  hemmed  in.  His  com- 
munications were  cut  olf,  and,  with  scant  supplies,  he  was 
compelled  either  to  fight  his  way  out  very  soon  or  surrender. 
The  Charlotte  county  bank  of  the  Hudson  was  lined  with 
militia,  who  fired  at  every  British  soldier  who  showed  his 
head  on  the  other  shore,  and  completely  interdicted  the  use 
of  the  river  to  the  British  boats. 

The  great  battle  of  the  12th  of  October,  and  the  splendid 
valor  displayed  by  the  Americans,  made  it  plain  that  Bur- 
goyne could  not  fight  his  way  through  to  Albany,  and  he 
immediately  attempted  a  retreat.     But  he  found  every  pas- 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


57 


sage  guarded,  and  his  scouts  soon  brought  him  word  that 
tlie  plateau  was  occupied  by  a  large  force  with  artillery, 
rendering  the  passage  of  the  river  there  impracticable. 

It  is  said  that  at  this  time  Burgoyne  told  Colonel  Skene 
that  the  latter  had  got  him  into  this  scrape  (alluding  to  his 
advising  the  Bennington  raid),  and  now  he  wanted  him  to 
get  him  out.     Skene  replied, — 

"  Have  your  men  put  all  their  provisions  in  their  haver- 
.nacks,  and  their  ammunition  in  their  cartridge-boxes  ;  then 
put  all  the  baggage  and  other  valuables  within  reach  of  the 
Yankee  militia,  and  they  will  be  so  busy  plundering  it  that 
your  whole  army  can  escape  to  Ticonderoga  before  they  will 
find  out  what  is  going  on." 

But  notwithstanding  this  sarcasm  the  militia  kept  very 
close  watch  on  the  river.  Not  a  boat  could  appear  but  what 
a  volley  of  rifle-bullets  would  whistle  around  it,  and  many 
a  one,  well  loaded  with  provisions  or  other  stores,  was  com- 
pelled to  make  its  way  to  the  American,  or  Charlotte  county, 
shore,  where  its  contents  were  soon  appropriated. 

They  even  made  forays  into  the  enemy's  country.  One 
of  them  saw  some  British  horses  feeding  in  one  of  General 
Schuyler's  meadows,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  ob- 
tained permission  of  his  captain  to  go  over  and  get  one. 
He  forthwith  stripped  to  the  skin,  plunged  in,  swam  across, 
caught  a  fine  bay  hor.se,  and,  "  accoutered  as  he  was,"  he 
vaulted  on  his  back.  By  striking  the  animal  with  fists  and 
heels  the  .soldier  forced  him  to  a  gallop,  and  guided  him  into 
the  river.  When  he  had  got  part  of  the  way  across  the 
enemy  began  to  find  out  what  was  going  on,  and  saluted  the 
daring  horseman  with  a  volley  of  musket-balls,  but  he  made 
good  his  escape  to  the  Charlotte  county  bank,  where  he  was 
received  with  immense  enthusiasm  by  his  comrades. 

But  he  was  not  satisfied  even  with  this  feat.  After  he 
had  rested,  and  the  British,  not  dreaming  that  he  would  try 
to  repeat  his  escapade,  had  retired  to  their  post,  the  soldier 
again  addressed  his  officer,  saying, — 

"  It  isn't  hardly  proper  that  a  private  should  have  a  horse 
to  ride  while  a  captain  goes  afoot.  Let  me  go  over  again, 
and  I  will  get  one  for  you,  and  when  we  get  home  we  will 
have  lots  of  fun  driving  our  matched  team." 

The  captain,  nothing  loath,  assented,  and  again  the  Yankee 
Leander  swam  the  Hudson,  obtained  another  bay  horse,  a 
match  to  the  first  one,  and,  by  the  use  of  the  same  tactics 
as  before,  made  his  escape  before  the  thick-headed  British 
or  Hessians  could  do  more  than  fire  a  few  random  shots. 

Another  incident,  of  a  darker  nature,  is  related  (as  is 
also  the  foregoing)  by  the  "  Sexagenary,"  and  well  attested 

by  the  older  residents  of  Salem.     A  31  r.  M ,  formerly 

well  known  in  that  town,  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  but  a  very 
rabid  Whig,  crossed  the  Hudson  with  a  companion,  in  a 
canoe,  to  see  what  they  could  discover.  They  crawled  cau- 
tiously up  the  western  bank,  peeped  over  the  top,  and  saw 
a  young  man  in  the  uniform  of  a  Tory  regiment  unloading 

a  cart,  a  short  distance  away.     It  was  the  son  of  Mr.  M , 

who,  notwithstanding  his  father's  strong  Whig  principles, 
had  espoused  the  c;iui-e  of  the  king. 

"  Now,"  muttered  M to  his  companion,  "  that's  my 

own  son,  Hugliey,  but  I'm  dom'd,  for  a'  that,  if  I  sill  not 
gie  him  a  shot." 

And  accordingly,  to  the  horror  of  his  companion,  he  ac- 


tually rested  his  musket  on  the  bank,  took  deliberate  aim, 
and  fired.  The  youth,  however,  had  heard  the  talking, 
and  sprang  around  to  the  other  side  of  the  cart  just  as  the 
gun  went  ofi'.  The  bullet  lodged  in  a  felloe  of  one  of  the 
cart-wheels.  A  guard  which  was  near  by  immediately  hur- 
ried to  the  spot,  and  the  two  men  were  obliged  to  take  to 
their  canoe,  and  make  the  best  of  their  way,  amid  a  storm 
of  musketry,  across  the  river.  They  escaped  with  their 
lives,  but  the  unnatural  father  received  a  bullet  in  his 
shoulder.  He  lived  in  Salem  till  his  death,  at  a  very  ad- 
vanced age,  and  there  is  no  account  of  his  having  ever 
manifested  any  regret  for  his  deliberate  attempt  again.st  tlie 
life  of  his  son. 

But  this  guerrilla  warfare  across  the  Hudson  soon  ceased  ; 
for,  on  the  17th  of  October,  General  Burgoyne,  unable  to 
advance  or  retreat  with  his  army  in  column,  and  without 
sufficient  enterprise  to  scatter  his  men  and  direct  such  as 
could  escape  to  rendezvous  at  Ticonderoga,  surrendered  his 
entire  force  to  General  Gates.  In  the  subsequent  move- 
ments of  the  captured  troops.  Colonel  Williams,  of  the 
Charlotte  county  militia,  was  directed  to  supervise  the  re- 
moval of  the  British  hospital  to  Boston. 

Immediately  after  the  surrender  the  roads  of  Charlotte 
county  were  alive  with  bands  of  New  England  militia,  re- 
turning to  their  homes  in  triumph  ;  knowing  that  for  the 
present  the  tide  of  war  was  averted  from  that  section,  and 
many  of  them  believing  that  the  combat  was  virtually  de- 
cided in  favor  of  America. 

Most  of  the  Whigs  of  Charlotte  county,  also,  who  had 
left  their  residences  on  account  of  the  enemy's  advance, 
now  returned  and  resumed  their  wonted  avocations.  There 
was  a  great  increase  of  Whiggery,  too.  Those  wlio  had 
been  lukewarm  or  undecided  suddenly  discovered  that  the 
patriot  cause  was  the  cause  of  justice,  righteousness,  and 
the  heaviest  battalions.  But  those  unlucky  persons  who 
had  openly  espoused  the  king's  cause  were  glad  in  their 
turn  to  make  their  escape  from  the  wrath  of  their  old 
neighbors,  and  very  few  of  them  ever  returned  to  their 
former  homes,  except  as  members  of  marauding  bands  in- 
tent on  the  work  of  destruction  and  slaughter. 

Nor  were  the  Americans  at  all  disposed  to  wage  war  with 
rose-water.  Officers  styled  "  commissioners  of  forfeiture" 
were  appointed  by  the  State,  and  the  property  of  every  Tory 
•who  had  done  any  overt  act  in  favor  of  the  king,  or  had 
openly  advocated  his  cause,  was  promptly  seized.  Their 
personal  property  was  sold  for  what  it  would  bring,  but  for 
the  real  estate  there  was  very  little  demand,  and  most  of  it 
was  not  sold  until  after  the  close  of  the  war.  Some  of  the 
farms,  however,  were  leased  to  Whigs  who  were  willing  to 
run  the  risk  of  being  marked  out  for  special  vengeance  in 
case  of  another  invasion. 

Notwithstanding  the  surrender  of  foreign  foes  and  the 
submission  or  flight  of  domestic  ones,  the  Whigs  of  Char- 
lotte county  were  in  a  sad  plight.  All  those  in  tlie  north 
part  of  the  county  had  been  driven  from  their  homes  just 
before  harvest,  and  many  of  those  in  the  south  part  had 
abandoned  theirs  through  well-founded  fear  of  the  enemy. 
Glory  was  a  good  thing,  but  as  winter  approached  many  of 
the  patriotic  inhabitants  of  Charlotte  county  were  at  a  loss 
where  to  iret  food  to  last  them  through  the  season. 


58 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


In  the  journal  of  the  New  York  council,  which  sat  in 
the  recess  of  the  Legislature  for  that  year,  is  a  petition  for 
mercy  by  twenty-two  persons,  who  state  that  they  are  mostly 
emigrants  from  Ireland,  that  they  have  always  performed 
military  duty  when  called  upon,  and  that  at  the  retreat 
from  Ticonderoga  some  of  them  had  fought  on  the  Amer- 
ican side.  On  arriving  home  they  found  some  of  their 
neighbors  fleeing  to  other  States,  though  the  latter  were 
said  to  be  on  the  eve  of  a  famine,  and  to  have  set  guards 
to  stop  new-comers.  The  petitioners  had  neither  wagons 
nor  money  and  could  not  go.  While  they  were  building  a 
fort  at  New  Perth,  by  General  Schuyler's  orders,  there 
came  a  message  from  General  Burgoyne  denouncing  ven- 
geance on  all  who  did  not  fly  to  him  for  protection.  The 
woods  were  full  of  Indians,  who  killed  nine  persons,*  and 
who  captured  all  they  found  going  south.  Under  these 
circumstances  the  petitioners  declare  they  fled  to  the  rear 
of  Burgoyne's  army,  where  they  lived  on  their  own  provi- 
sions, and  did  not  take  up  arms  against  the  Americans. 
Confessing  their  oifense  and  surrendering  as  prisoners,  they 
implored  the  mercy  of  the  council.  That  body  ordered 
that  the  petitioners  should  be  allowed  to  remain  on  their 
farms  and  should  be  protected  from  injury,  and  the  next 
Legislature  continued  to  show  them  mercy. 

These  and  others  in  the  same  position,  however,  were 
regarded  with  great  disgust  by  their  thorough-going  Whig 
neighbors.  They  were  called  "  protectioners,"'  and  it  is 
said  that  in  Cambridge  the  Whigs  assembled  and  gave  the 
"  protectioners"  a  thorough  flogging. 


CHAPTER    XII L 

EEMAINDEK  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Destitution  of  the  People — The  Vermont  Trouble  again — Fort  Wil- 
liams— Beating  up  for  Volunteers — A  False  Alarm — Doing  Duty 
by  Classes — Court-martialing  the  Disatfected — Light  Punishments 
— Ticonderoga  abandoned  by  the  British — First  Election  under  the 
State — Quiet  in  1779 — A  little  more  Trouble  with  Vermont — An- 
other False  Alarm — Major  Carlcton's  Invasion — Surrender  of  Fort 
Ann — Ravaging  of  Kingsbury — Colonel  Livingston's  Ruse — Carle- 
ton's  Retreat — Increasing  Claims  of  Vermont — Practical  Secession 
— New  Hampshire  Towns  annexed — Intrigues  with  the  British — 
Attempt  to  annex  Charlotte  County — Convention  at  Cambridge — 
The  Act  of  Annexation  ado])ted — Copy  of  the  Instrument — Dele- 
gates chosen  to  the  Vermont  Legislature — Alarm  of  the  Country 
at  these  Proceedings — Opposition  of  the  Scotch  Settlers  and  others 
— Continuation  of  the  Intrigue  with  the  British — Meeting  of  Com- 
missioners at  Skenesborough — Mysterious  Proceedings — Surrender 
of  Cornwallis — Sudden  Quiet  of  the  Intriguers — New  York  autho- 
rity re-established  in  Charlotte  County — Arrest  of  the  Seceders 

Pleas  for  Mercy — New  York  disposed  to  yield  Vermont — Declara- 
tion of  Peace. 

So  great  was  the  devastation  committed  by  the  invaders 
that,  in  the  forepart  of  1778,  numerous  petitions  for  aid 
were  sent  to  the  Legislature  by  the  people  of  Charlotte 
county,  and  also  from  Cambridge  and  Easton.  That  body 
directed  the  commissioners  of  forfeitures  to  sell  two  thou- 
sand bushels  of  wheat,  rye,  and  Indian  corn,  taken  from 

*  The  petitioners  evidently  refer  to  the  Allen  family  :  nor  can  we 
find  any  contemporary  mention  of  the  Barnes  family,  said  by  later 
tradition  to  have  been  slain  on  the  same  day. 


the  Tories,  to  those  in  need,  to  be  paid  for  afterwards  on 
moderate  terms. 

At  the  same  period  the  old  trouble  came  up  in  regard  to 
the  New  Hampshire  grants.  The  new  State  government 
of  Vermont  was  now  in  full  operation,  and  though  its  ap- 
plication for  admission  into  the  confederacy  had  been  dis- 
missed by  Congress,  yet  it  exercised  complete  jurisdiction 
over  all  the  territory  now  comprised  within  the  territory 
of  that  State.  New  York,  however,  was  naturally  unwilling 
to  give  up  so  extensive  a  domain,  and  in  February  of  this 
year  the  Legislature  passed  very  liberal  resolutions  looking 
to  a  compromise  of  the  difSculties.  They  admitted  that 
the  trouble  had  arisen  largely  from  the  exorbitant  fees 
charged  by  the  New  York  authorities,  and  by  the  new 
grants  made  of  the  royal  decision  regarding  the  boundary, 
in  which  grants  servants  of  the  crown  were  largely  inter- 
ested. All  these  grievances  the  Legislature  promised  to 
remedy,  but  the  Vermonters  paid  no  attention  to  the  offxir, 
and  adhered  to  their  own  independent  organization  with 
unswerving  pertinacity. 

Early  in  1778,  or  possibly  late  in  1777,  another  little 
fort  was  built  at  New  Perth.  It  was  a  log  block-house 
about  twenty  feet  square,  well  supplied  with  loop-holes,  and 
surrounded  at  a  considerable  distance  by  a  stockade  of  erect 
logs,  after  the  usual  fashion  of  frontier  forts  at  that  day. 
It  received  the  name  of  "  Fort  Williams,"  in  honor  of  the 
energetic  young  colonel  who  manifested  such  unceasing 
activity  in  the  American  cause.  Besides  being  colonel  of 
militia,  he  was  also  county  treasurer,  or  perhaps  treasurer 
of  the  county  committee,  which  still  exercised  all  executive 
functions  over  the  county. 

Fort  Williams  was  garrisoned  much  of  the  time  by  soiue 
of  the  Charlotte  county  regiment ;  but  in  March  of  this 
year,  it  appears  from  the  Williams  papers,  there  was  a 
regiment  of  Connecticut  militia  staying  there.  A  draft 
was  ordered  from  the  militia  in  the  spring,  to  fill  up  the 
Continental  army  ;  but  Governor  Clinton  wrote  to  Colonel 
Williams,  under  date  of  the  13th  of  April,  that  the  Char- 
lotte county  regiment  was  exempt  from  the  draft,  on  condi- 
tion of  its  furnishing  men  for  defense  of  the  frontier,  and 
urged  him  to  complete  the  number  designated  for  the  latter 
purpose,  which  was  seventy. 

Even  this  number  it  was  almost  impossible  to  raise.  On 
the  22d  of  April  Williams  wrote  to  Clinton,  stating  that 
he  had  called  his  battalion  together  and  could  obtain  only 
seventeen  volunteers.  He  expected  to  get  as  many  more, 
but  could  not  possibly  raise  seventy.  Enough  to  make 
three  companies  had  moved  down  the  river,  and  others  were 
preparing  to  go.  Of  those  who  remained,  the  colonel  said, 
about  half  were  disaffected  to  the  American  cause,  and  most 
of  these  he  feared  would  join  the  enemy.  Of  these  he  made 
the  brief  but  pungent  reniark,  "  No  quarter  will  be  given 
them." 

The  county  was  almost  always  in  a  state  of  alarm.  At 
the  date  of  this  letter,  Willii^ms'  little  battalion  had  been 
called  out  to  repel  a  threatened  invasion  ;  it  having  been 
reported  that  a  small  party  of  Americans,  who  were  patrol- 
ing  within  twelve  miles  of  Ticonderoga,  had  been  driven 
back  by  five  hundred  of  the  enemy,  who  were  supposed  to 
be  advancing  towards  the  American  settlements.     It  does 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


59 


not  appear,  however,  that  any  invasion  was  actually  made 
at  that  time. 

The  battalion  was  divided  by  its  colonel  into  six  classes, 
each  being  required  to  do  duty  a  week  at  a  time,  until  the 
seventy  volunteers  should  be  raised.  He  declared  that  if 
the  militia  was  kept  out  more  than  eight  or  ten  days  at  a 
time  they  could  not  get  in  their  spring  crop,  and  would  be 
compelled  to  leave  the  county.  He  was  desirous  to  obtain 
twenty  of  the  required  volunteers  from  Albany  county, 
which  he  thought  could  be  done  by  giving  a  lieutenant's 
commission  to  one  Doty,  residing  in  that  county. 

On  the  23d  of  March  a  regimental  court-martial  was 
held  at  'Fort  Williams,  by  order  of  Colonel  Williams,  to 
punish  those  who  had  been  derelict  the  previous  year, 
which  created  a  good  deal  of  excitement.  The  president 
was  Captain  (afterwards  Major)  John  Armstrong;  associated 
with  whom  were   Captain   Edward   Long  and  Lieutenants 

McClary,  Robert  Stewart,    and   Alexander   Turner. 

Ensign  James  Stewart  was  the  clerk.  Over  sixty  men  were 
arraigned,  some  for  neglecting  to  turn  out  when  warned, 
some  for  accepting  protection  from  the  enemy,  some  for 
failing  to  take  their  cattle  and  retire  to  a  safer  place  when 
so  ordered  by  General  Schuyler.  Fifty-eight  were  convicted, 
but  their  punishments  were  not  very  severe,  consisting  en- 
tirely of  fines,  ranging  from  eight  shillings  (a  dollar)  up  to 
thirt}'  pounds.  Those  who  merely  failed  to  appear  on  muster 
when  warned  were  generally  amerced  in  the  former  amount. 
Alexander  Webster,  of  Black  Creek  (Hebron),  was  lieuten- 
ant-colonel of  the  regiment  at  this  time,  and  was  also  State 
senator. 

The  temporary  abandonment  of  Ticonderoga  by  the  Brit- 
ish caused  a  feeling  of  more  security  to  prevail  in  Charlotte 
county,  though  the  thought  of  the  Indian  tomahawk  still 
caused  many  a  mother  and  many  a  child  to  shudder  with 
alarm  at  every  unusual  sound. 

On  Sept.  8,  1778,  took  place  the  first  election  held 
throughout  Charlotte  county  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  even  this  was  by  special  enactment,  the 
regular  election-day  having  passed.  Ninety-six  votes  were 
cast  in  Salem,  twenty-nine  in  Kingsbury,  twenty-four  in 
Skenesboro',  twenty-one  in  Granville,  and  twenty-eight  in 
"  Black  Brook."  This  shows  a  total  of  only  a  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  vot«rs  in  the  county,  although  there  were 
doubtless  more  ;  many  people  were  not  extremely  anxious 
to  exercise  the  elective  franchise  when  such  exercise  might 
be  considered  evidence  of  rebellion  against  the  king  on  one 
side  or  treason  to  their  country  on  the  other.  Argyle. 
though  a  separate  district,  seems  to  have  held  no  election 
that  year.  Another  senator  was  chosen  from  Salem,  and 
one  assemblyman  was  re-elected,  but  three  out  of  four  of 
the  latter  class  of  officials  were  chosen  from  other  parts  of 
the  county.  It  will  be  understood  that  at  that  period  the 
work  of  election  was  much  simpler  than  now,  only  town- 
officers  and  members  of  the  Legislature,  besides  the  gov- 
ernor and  lieutenant-governor,  being  thus  chosen  ;  the  vast 
number  of  executive  and  judicial  officers,  now  selected  in 
the  same  manner,  being  then  appointed  by  the  council  of 
appointment. 

The  year  1779  passed  away  with  comparatively  little  ex- 
citement on  the  northern  frontier.     Elsewhere  the  tide  of 


conflict  rolled  to  and  fro,  the  American  cause  suffijring 
great  depression,  notwithstanding  the  aid  furnished  by 
France  ;  an  aid  which  was  slight  compared  with  the  ex- 
pectations which  had  been  raised  regarding  it.  From  the 
western  frontier,  too,  came  news  of  terrible  massacres  and 
of  the  retribution  inflicted  by  Sullivan,  but  on  the  banks  of 
the  Batten  Kill,  of  White  creek,  and  of  Black  creek  the 
scattered  inhabitants  of  Charlotte  county  planted,  sowed, 
and  harvested  in  temporary  safety. 

The  chief  excitement  there  was  in  regard  to  the  peren- 
nial question  of  jurisdiction  over  Vermont.  Some  New 
I'ork  officers  were  seized  in  that  State,  whereupon  Gov- 
ernor Clinton  declared  he  would  send  an  armed  force  thither 
to  release  them  and  defend  the  rights  of  his  State.  Thus 
Charlotte  county  had  the  pleasant  prospect  of  foreign  inva- 
sion, aided  by  domestic  disaffection,  from  the  north,  and  of 
civil  war  raging  on  the  east.  The  captured  officials  were, 
however,  released  by  order  of  the  Confederate  Congress, 
which  also  passed  a  law  that  neither  New  Y^oi'k  nor  Ver- 
mont should  exercise  jurisdiction  over  those  who  did  not 
claim  to  be  the  subjects  of  such  State.  Thus  the  storm- 
cloud  again  passed  over  for  the  time,  but  Vermont  still  cpn- 
tinued  to  exercise  authority  over  all  who  resided  within  the 
territory  she  claimed,  even  though  they  acknowledged  the 
authority  of  New  York. 

One  of  the  legislative  acts  of  that  year,  passed  on  Feb. 
17,  is  of  considerable  importance.  It  directed  the  holding 
of  county  courts  and  courts  of  sessions  at  New  Perth  (now 
Salem),  which  has  ever  since  been  the  county-seat,  or  one 
of  the  county-seats,  of  the  county.  An  act  of  the  previous 
year  had  directed  that  the  sheriff's  mileage  should  be  com- 
puted from  the  meeting-house  at  the  same  place.  If  there 
were  any  courts  held  under  the  act  just  mentioned  the 
records  have  been  lost  or  destroyed. 

On  April  29,  1780,  an  American,  who  had  been  a  pris- 
oner at  Montreal  and  had  escaped,  reached  Skenesboro'  with 
the  information  that  extensive  preparations  were  being 
made  in  Canada  for  an  invasion  up  Lake  Champlain. 
Some  other  facts  corroborated  his  statement,  and  a  shock 
of  alarm  quickly  rolled  through  all  northern  New  York. 
The  Charlotte  county  militia  were  now  commanded  by 
Colonel  Alexander  Webster,  with  Brinton  Paine  as  lieuten- 
ant-colonel, and  Joseph  McCracken  as  major.  They  were 
ordered  to  be  ready  for  instant  action,  and  Governor  Clin- 
ton ordered  four  regiments,  under  Colonels  Yates,  Van 
Schoonhoven,  Van  Wert,  and  McCrea,  to  assemble  at  Sara- 
toga. Clinton  himself,  with  all  the  men  he  could  rally  in 
Albany  and  Charlotte  counties,  hastened  to  Fort  George, 
which  he  reached  in  eight  days  after  leaving  Kingston. 
He  proceeded  thence  to  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point, 
and,  having  satisfied  himself  that  no  invasion  was  to  take 
place  at  that  time,  returned  home. 

The  summer  passed  away  with  only  the  usual  number  of 
small  alarms.  Several  corps  of  State  troops,  intermediate 
between  militia  and  regulars,  were  raised  this  summer  to 
defend  the  frontiers.  A  company  of  these  troops,  number- 
in"-  between  fifty  and  seventy-five  men,  under  Captain  Adiel 
Sherwood,  of  Kingsbury,  was  stationed  at  Fort  Ann. 

In  the  forepart  of  October,  Major  Christopher  Carlcton 
(a  nephew  of  Sir  Guy  Carlcton),  of  the  Twenty-ninth  Brit- 


60 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


ish  Regiment,  with  about  eight  hundred  regulars  and  royal- 
ists and  a  few  Indians,  came  up  Lake  Clianiplain  with  eight 
vessels  and  twenty-six  boats  and  landed  at  Skenesboro'. 
Thence  he  advanced  rapidly  to  Fort  Ann,  and  on  Oct.  10 
demanded  its  surrender.  The  fort  was  a  rude  log  block- 
house with  a  stockade  around  it.  The  garrison  consisted 
of  the  company  of  State  troops  before  mentioned  and  of  a 
few  Continentals,  the  whole  making  but  seventy-five  men. 
Though  ill  .supplied  with  ammunition,  Slierwood  at  first 
declined  to  surrender;  but,  on  learning  the  number  of  the 
enemy,  he  yielded  himself  and  his  command  as  prisoners, 
first  stipulating  for  the  privilege  of  sending  the  women  and 
children  who  were  present  to  their  homes. 

On  the  ninth  Captain  Sherwood  was  dining  with  Colonel 
Henry  Livingston,  the  commander  at  Fort  Edward,  being 
on  his  way  to  White  Creek  and  not  imagining  any  foe  to 
be  near.  While  he  was  at  Fort  Edward,  however,  an  order 
arrived  from  Governor  Clinton  requiring  Livingston  and 
Sherwood  to  endeavor  to  re-enlist  their  men  for  two  months 
more.  Sherwood  returned  to  Fort  Ann  for  that  purpose, 
but  that  night  he  sent  word  to  Livingston  that  the  enemy 
was  close  by.  The  next  morning  he  was  captured,  as  before 
stated.  The  same  morning  two  of  Livingston's  oflncers 
came  hurrying  in  from  Kingsbury  with  the  news  that  the 
enemy  was  burning  and  laying  waste  that  district.  Liv- 
ingston sent  to  Colonel  McCrea  at  Saratoga  and  Colonel 
Webster  at  Black  Creek  for  their  regiments  of  militia. 

Immediately  afterwards  some  of  the  frightened  inhab- 
itants of  Kingsbury  came  rushing  down  the  hill  north  of 
Fort  Edward,  with  such  household  goods  as  they  could 
bring  with  them,  seeking  the  protection  of  the  post.  They 
reported  the  enemy  only  four  miles  away,  and  the  smoke 
of  burning  houses  could  plainly  be  seen  from  the  fort. 
Livingston  had  but  sixty-five  men,  of  whom  he  sent  twenty 
to  menace  the  foe ;  but  though  they  remained  out  through 
the  day,  they  found  the  marauders  too  strong  to  attack. 
After  dark  four  scouts  were  sent  out,  who  found  some  of 
the  enemy  three  miles  distant.  Colonel  Livingston  then 
ordered  a  lieutenant  and  twenty  men  to  assail  the  camp  in 
question,  but  as  he  was  about  to  march  a  terrible  outcry 
was  heard  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson,  where  the 
Indians  were  yelling,  burning,  and  killing  cattle,  and  the 
detachment  was  ordered  back.  Two  of  the  enemy  came 
so  close  that  they  were  fired  on  from  the  fort,  but  without 
efiect.  The  next  day  another  .scout  was  sent  out,  who 
discovered  that  the  main  body  of  the  enemy  had  taken  the 
route  to  Fort  George,  and  the  same  afternoon  that  post 
also  surrendered  to  Carleton. 

On  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  Livingston  was  reinforced  by 
about  three  hundred  militia,  but  the  oificers  did  not  think 
themselves  .strong  enough  to  attack  the  foe.  n  That  day  or 
the  next  Carleton  retreated  down  Lake  Champlain.  More 
militia  came,  but  Van  Rensselaer  declares  them  to  have 
been  more  intent  on  plundering  the  public  stores  left  at 
Fort  George  than  on  any  other  service.  They  were  soon 
discharged,  and  all  but  thirty  of  Livingston's  men  also  left, 
declaring  that  their  time  had  expired.  On  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  Colonel  Livingston  learned  from  his  scouts 
that  small  parties  of  the  enemy  had  been  seen,  and  on  the 
latter  day  General  Schuyler  sent  a  messenger  advising  the 


evacuation  of  the  post.  Livingston  accordingly  marched 
his  men  to  Saratoga.  On  the  twenty-fourth,  having  ob- 
tained some  reinforcements,  he  returned'to  Fort  Edward.* 

Some  of  our  readers  mayjiave  thought  we  devoted  more 
space  to  the  troubles  between  New  York  and  Vermont  than 
belonged  to  them  in  a  .strictly  local  history  of  Washington 
county.  But,  in  fact,  that  imbroglio  affected  even  the  in- 
ternal affairs  of  Charlotte  county,  and  in  1781  some  very 
curious  movements  took  place  in  several  of  the  towns  of 
that  and  Albany  counties,  which  have  seldom  or  never  been 
treated  in  national  histories,  but  which  might  have  had  a 
serious  effect  on  the  welfare  of  the  whole  country. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  county  of  Charlotte  and  that 
part  of  Albany  county  now  included  in  Wa.shington  were 
principally  settled  by  New  Englanders,  and  by  Scotch  and 
others  of  foreign  birth.  The  former  had  almost  all  adhered 
to  the  American  cause,  while  many  (though  by  no  means  all) 
of  the  latter  were  friendly  to  the  king.  As  the  Americans 
were  most  of  the  time  in  pos.session  of  the  teriitory  in 
question,  the  New  Englanders  were  largely  in  the  majority 
among  the  dominant  class. 

These  had  generally  sympathized  more  or  less  with  their 
compatriots  who  were  striving  to  set  up  an  independent 
government  in  Vermont.  The  Vermonters,  too,  although 
they  had  openly  claimed  only  to  the  present  east  line  of 
that  State,  had  kept  up  a  kind  of  faint  half-claim  to  the 
territory  between  that  line  and  the  Hudson,  or  even  farther 
west,  on  the  ground  that  it  had  been  included  in  Skene's 
new  province  of  Ticonderoga,  of  which  they  deemed  their 
State  in  some  way  to  be  the  political  heir. 

Bloreover,  the  ties  of  State  and  national  authority 
were  naturally  very  loose  in  those  troublous  times,  and  wild 
ideas  were  afloat  as  to  the  right  of  every  little  community 
to  change  its  allegiance  at  will.  About  the  time  in  ques- 
tion, several  townships  in  New  Hampshire,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Connecticut  river,  having  become  dissatisfied  with 
the  government  of  that  State,  had  applied  to  Vermont  to 
be  received  under  her  jurisdiction.  A  law  was  promptly- 
passed  by  the  Legislature  of  that  State  authorizing  a  vote  of 
the  people  on  the  subject,  and  a  majority  having  declared 
in  favor  of  the  admission,  it  was  dulj'  announced  that  the 
towns  in  question  had  become  a  part  of  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont. The  astonished  people  of  New  Hampshire  thus  saw 
that  the  very  State  which  they  had  so  strenuously  aided  to 
create  at  the  expen.se  of  New  York,  was  disposed  to  requite 
their  assistance  by  seizing  on  some  of  their  fairest  territory. 

There  was  still  another  clement  of  discord.  Although 
the  Green  Mountain  Boys  had  been  decided  and  nearly 
unanimous  in  supporting  the  American  cause,  they  wore 
almo.st  as  bitterly  oppo.sed  to  the  rule  of  New  York  as  to 
that  of  Great  Britain.  This  was  especially  true  of  the  leaders, 
and  several  of  these,  especially  Ethan  Allen  and  his  brother 
Ira,  disappointed  in  their  hopes  of  the  admission  of  Vermont 
into  the  confederacy  as  a  separate  State,  were  willing  at 
least  to  negotiate  with  the  public  enemy. 


*  The  above  account  of  Carleton 's  raid  is  largely  from  an  autograph 
statement  of  Colonel  Livingston  preserved  among  the  family  papers 
in  Columbia  county.  A  further  account  of  some  of  the  exploits  of 
the  marauders  will  be  foujjd  in  the  town-history  of  Kingsbury. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


61 


In  the  forepart  of  1781  all  these  elements  of  disturbance 
began  to  ferment  at  once.  In  February  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Vermont  boldly  declared  that  the  territory  of 
that  State  reached  to  the  Hudson  river.  In  March  nego- 
tiations were  opened  by  the  British  commander  in  Canada 
with  Colonel  Ethan  Allen,  who  communicated  with  his 
brother,  Major  Ira  Allen,  and  others,  and  many  secret 
messages  passed  back  and  forth  between  the  paities.  The 
Aliens  held  forth  the  prospect  of  neutrality  on  the  part  of 
their  State,  and  in  May  the  governor  and  council  sent 
Major  Ira  to  Isle  Aux  Noix  to  arrange  the  terms  of  an 
armistice  with  the  British  commander.  The  Tory  captain, 
Sherwood,  and  Dr.  James  Smyth,  formerly  of  Fort  Ed- 
ward, were  the  British  agents. 

The  intrigue  for  the  annexation  of  the  territory  before 
mentioned  was  going  forward  at  the  same  time.  Not  liking 
to  rest  their  claim  on  no  higher  authority  than  the  sup- 
posed organization  of  tlie  province  of  Ticonderoga,  the  Ver- 
monters  also  resorted  to  the  secession  doctrine.  In  April 
the  Legislature  of  that  State  directed  that  a  convention  be 
held  at  Cambridge  the  following  month,  compo.scd  of  dele- 
gates elected  by  the  people  of  the  various  districts  of  Char- 
lotte county  and  of  that  part  of  Albany  county  lying  north 
of  the  south  line  of  Vermont  prolonged  to  the  Hudson, 
which  convention  should  decide  whether,  and  on  what 
terms,  those  districts  should  be  united  to  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont. 

Delegates  were  accordingly  chosen  in  many  of  the  dis- 
tricts and  patents.  Those  who  remained  faithful  to  New 
York  apparently  ignored  the  whole  proceeding,  so  that  the 
secessionists  had  everything  their  own  way  in  the  elections. 
There  had,  of  course,  been  more  or  less  dissatisfaction  with 
the  way  in  which  New  York  enforced  her  tax  laws  and 
militia  laws,  which  doubtless  bore  very  hard  on  the  people 
in  those  disastrous  times,  and  though  the  seceders  were 
mostly  New  Englanders,  and  originally  determined  enemies 
of  Great  Britain,  yet  doubtless  there  were  some  of  them 
who  were  tired  of  war,  and  willing  to  take  advantage  of 
the  armistice  proposed  between  that  country  and  Vermont. 

The  "  Union  Convention,"  as  it  was  called,  met  at  Cam- 
bridge on  the  9th  day  of  May.  The  following  districts 
and  townships  were  represented:  Hoosic,  Little  Hoosic, 
Scaghticoke,  Cambridge,  Saratoga  (now  Easton),  Upper 
White  Creek  (Salem),  Black  Creek  (Hebron),  Granville, 
Skenesboro',  Fort  Edward,  and  Kingsbury.  John  Rodgers 
was  elected  chairman.  A  committee  of  the  Vermont  Legis- 
lature, of  which  Moses  Robinson  was  chairman  and  Jonas 
Fay  was  clerk,  was  present  with  authority  to  accept  or 
reject  the  propositions  of  the  convention. 

At  the  close  of  their  deliberations  an  instrument  em- 
bodying their  acts  was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  chair- 
man of  the  convention  and  the  committee.  This  was  cer- 
tainly intended  to  be  a  very  important  document,  for  it 
was  designed  to  accomplish  nothing  less  than  the  change 
of  allegiance  of  a  territory  larger  than  some  of  the  States 
of  the  republic.  It  being  expected  to  have  such  immense 
effect  on  the  people  of  Washington  county,  and  it  being 
also  a  curious  evidence  of  the  views  in  vogue  among  a  por- 
tion of  the  people  at  that  period,  we  here  present  it  to  our 
readers  entire.     It  is  evident  that  the  convention  adopted 


the  propositions  one  by  one,  and  then  the  committee  acted 
on  each  one.  Then  the  committee  made  other  propositions 
and  the  convention  agreed  to  them. 

"ARTICLES  OF  UNION  AGREED  TO  AT  CAMBRIDGE,  ANNO 
17S1. 
"  Proposed  by  Convention  composed  of  the  Representatives  from  the 
several  districts  of  llosick,  Scaghticoke,  Cambridge,  Saratoga,  Upper 
White  Creek,  Black  Creek,  Grnnvil,  Skcensborough,  Kingsbury,  Fort 
Edward,  Little  Hosick,  convened  at  Cambridge  aforesaid  this  9  May 
1781.  and  by  ad'jt  to  the  15  of  the  same,  Inclusive. 

"  Articlk  1.  That  the  District  or  Tract  of  Land  lying  north  of  a 
line  being  extended  from  the  North  Line  of  the  Massachusetts  to 
Hudson's  River,  and  south  of  Latitude  4.5,  as  comprehended  in  the 
late  Jurisdictional  Claim  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Vermont, 
be  considered  as  part  of  the  State,  and  the  inhabitants  as  free  Citizens. 
Agreed  to. 

"2.  That  the  whole  of  the  Military  force  of  the  State  of  Vermont 
(as  occasion  may  require)  shall  be  e.xertcd  in  onr  defense  as  free 
citizens  against  any  Insurrection,  Incursion  whatsoever,  hut  es- 
pecially against  the  Common  Enemy.     Agreed  to. 

"3.  That  application  be  made  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of 
Vermont  to  the  Congress  to  be  admitted  into  Union  with  them  as 
soon  as  Circumstances  will  permit.     Agreed  to. 

"  4.  That  as  the  People  within  the  aforesaid  late  Claim  have  been 
called  upon,  and  paid  a  Considerable  part  of  the  Contenental  Tu.xua 
into  the  Treasury  of  New  York,  they  shall  have  credit  for  the  .same 
in  case  Vermont  at  some  future  period  should  be  called  upon  to  pay 
their  proportion  of  money  remitted  by  Congress. 

"Agreed  to,  provided  the  services  done  by  Vermont  in  the  present 
war  be  included. 

"  Reply  agreed  to,  provided  the  expence  of  the  said  District  in  tlic 
present  war  be  likewise  included. 

"  5.  That  all  actions  depending  with  the  late  Claim  be  transferred 
in  the  situation  they  shall  be  in  at  the  Time  of  Completing  the  Union 
to  Courts  that  may  be  then  forthwith  erected  under  the  authority  of 
Vermont,  without  costs  to  the  parties  other  than  would  have  accrued 
had  they  been  terminated  in  Courts  under  Jurisdiction  of  New  York. 
Agreed  to. 

"6.  That  the  change  of  Jurisdiction   shall  not  be  understood  to 
affect  or  Aleaniate  private  property.     Agreed  to. 
"  Articles  proposed  by  tiie  Legislatur. 

"  1.  That  the  Independence  of  Vermont  be  held  saered,  and  no  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature  give  his  Vote  or  otherwise  use  his  endeavors 
to  obtain  any  act  or  Resolution  of  the  Assembly  that  shall  endanger 
the  existence.  Independence,  or  well-being  of  said  State,  by  referring 
its  independence  to  the  arbitrament  of  any  power.     Agreed  to. 

"  2.  That  whensoever  this  State  becomes  united  with  the  American 
States,  and  there  should  be  any  dispute  between  this  and  any  of  the 
United  States  respecting  Boundary  Lines,  the  Legislature  of  Ver- 
mont will  then,  as  they  have  ever  proposed,  submit  to  Congress  or 
such  other  Tribunal  as  may  be  mutually  agreed  on  for  the  settlement 
of  such  disputes.     Agreed  to. 

"  The  foregoing  Articles  severally,  mutually  agreed  to  by  the  Con- 
vention and  Committee  at  Cambridge,  15  May,  17S1. 

"John  RODGKR.S,  Ch.  *»/  Conveittiuu. 
"MosKS  RoBi.ssox,  Ch.  Cum. 
"Attest:  Jonas  Fay,  Clk.  Cum." 

After  the  adoption  of  this  instrument,  the  same  conven- 
tion chose  delegates  to  the  Vermont  Legislature.  Two  of 
these,  Phineas  Whiteside  and  Joseph  Caldwell,  were  from 
Cambridge,  in  the  present  county  of  Washington.  One  of 
these,  at  least,  actually  attended  the  Legislature,  and  his 
name  is  to  be  found  recorded  in  its  proceedings. 

But  by  this  time  the  ambitious  young  State  began  to  find 
that  she  had  attempted  too  much.  New  Hamp.shire  bit- 
terly protested  against  the  attempt  to  rob  her  of  her  river 
towns.  New  York  was  ready  for  war  rather  than  yield  any 
more  of  her  soil  to  those  whom  many  of  her  people  consid- 
ered the  outlaws  of  the  Green  mountains.     All  the  other 


62 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


States,  too,  were  alarmed  at  the  advocacy  of  doctrines 
•which,  if  carried  out,  would  give  every  county,  nay,  every 
township,  the  right  of  secession  from  its  State,  and  would 
add  triple  confusion  to  the  already  chaotic  condition  of 
government  brought  on  by  the  Revolution. 

A  large  portion,  too,  of  the  people  of  the  territory  pro- 
posed to  be  transferred  in  such  a  summary  manner  made 
most  decided  opposition  to  tlie  scheme.  Especially  was 
this  true  of  White  Creek  (Salem),  which  was  one  of  the 
most  thickly  populated  towns  in  the  disputed  territory,  and 
which  was  still  largely  inhabited  by  Scotch.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  several  old  Scotch  soldiers,  who  had  re- 
ceived lands  near  the  east  line  of  Hebron,  had  had  their 
houses  burned  and  had  been  otherwise  ill-treated  by  Ethan 
Allen's  mob  before  the  Revolution.  Some  of  them  were 
still  living  in  White  Creek  and  Black  Creek,  and  all  their 
countrymen  in  those  districts,  with  the  usual  olannishness 
of  their  race,  had  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  injured 
Highlanders,  and  bitterly  detested  everything  pertaining  to 
Vermont. 

These,  with  the  many  Americans  who  did  not  believe 
they  could  renounce  their  allegiance  as  easily  as  the  Union 
Convention  seemed  to  think,  braced  those  districts  firmly 
against  the  proposed  transfer,  and  the  scattered  inhabitants 
of  other  districts  to  the  northward  and  westward  naturally 
followed  the  example  of  their  powerful  neighbors. 

Subdued  by  the  opposition  of  the  other  States  and  of  the 
people  she  would  have  absorbed,  Vermont  abated  her  ex- 
orbitant pretensions.  She  permitted  New  Hampshire  to 
exercise  jurisdiction  over  all  the  towns  east  of  the  Con- 
necticut, and  did  not  interfere  with  New  York  in  the 
management  of  Charlotte  and  Albany  counties.  Her 
claims,  however,  were  not  formally  abandoned  until  the 
next  winter,  and  perhaps  they  would  again  have  been  urged 
had  not  the  surrender  of  Yorktown  deprived  the  Aliens 
and  Fays  of  all  further  opportunity  to  secure  their  objects 
by  playing  off  the  English  and  Americans  against  each 
other. 

The  intrigue  with  the  British  commander  in  Canada 
was  kept  up  during  the  summer  of  1781.  In  September, 
commissioners  on  both  sides  met  at  Skenesboro",  and  some 
furtlwir  progress  was  made  in  the  negotiations,  but  nothing 
definite  was  decided  on.  The  British  were  willing  to 
grant  very  liberal  terms,  but  the  Vermont  managers  did 
not  want  to  commit  themselves  beyond  redemption.  Bitter 
as  was  the  feeling  against  New  York  throughout  Vermont, 
the  leaders  were  by  no  means  sure  of  their  own  people  if 
it  should  become  public  that  they  were  plotting  to  separate 
the  State  entirely  from  the  American  cause. 

The  British  sailed  up  the  lake,  retreated,  sailed  up  again. 
The  Americans  could  not  understand  these  mysterious 
manoeuvres.  St.  Leger  was  at  Ticonderoga,  waiting  to 
learn  the  result  of  the  negotiations.  October  came  and 
had  mostly  passed,  and  still  the  diplomatic  manceuvring 
was  going  forward.  Suddenly  the  news  of  the  surrender 
of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown  came  flying  over  the  land.  The 
people  everywhere  were  almost  intoxicated  with  joy.  Alike 
in  New  York  and  Vermont  bonfires  blazed  by  every  road- 
side, and  cannons  thundered  in  every  village,  in  honor  not 
only  of  the  victory  which   had  been   gained,  but  of  the 


liberty  and  peace  which  it  was  believed  was  assured  by  it. 
The  Vermont  intriguers  would  hardly  have  dared  show 
their  heads  in  their  own  State  if  it  had  been  known  what 
they  were  about.  The  negotiations  were  quickly  sus- 
pended, the  British  fleet  sailed  back  down  the  lake,  and  it 
was  many  years  before  it  was  known  what  kind  of  secret 
operations  were  going  on  between  the  Aliens  and  their 
friends  and  the  British  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1781. 

Notwithstanding  the  dawn  of  peace  over  the  land,  the 
people,  impoverished  by  the  long  war,  were  in  deep  distress, 
and  in  many  sections  they  were  unwilling  to  bear  the  most 
necessary  burdens  of  government.  About  the  1st  of 
December  an  insurrection  broke  out  in  the  northeastern 
towns  of  Albany  county,  which  certainly  extended  as  far 
north  as  Sancoick,  and  may  have  embraced  a  part  of  Cam- 
bridge, though  apparently  not.  It  related  mostly  to  the 
performance  of  militia  duty,  and  soon  passed  away. 

During  the  winter  the.  authority  of  New  York  was 
firmly  established  throughout  Charlotte  county,  and  a 
number  of  those  who  tried  to  transfer  it  to  Vermont  were 
arrested  and  lodged  in  Albany  county  jail.  No  effort  was 
made  to  protect  them  by  the  authorities  of  Vermont.  In 
fact,  on  the  24th  of  February,  1782,  the  Legislature  of  that 
State  formally  relinquished  their  claim  both  to  the  New 
York  and  the  New  Hampshire  territory  which  they  had 
attempted  to  bring  within  their  own  limits. 

On  the  1st  of  March  that  portion  of  the  Cambridge 
people  which  had  sanctioned  the  Vermont  movement  met 
in  convention  and  reafiirmed  their  allegiance  to  New  York. 
They  appointed  a  committee,  which  drew  up,  signed,  and 
forwarded  to  Governor  Clinton  a  very  earnest  submission 
on  the  part  of  the  people,  declaring  that  they  had  favored 
annexation  to  Vermont  in  the  hope  of  averting  the  horrors 
of  British  and  Indian  invasion,  expressing  regret  at  their 
course,  and  asking  for  mercy  from  the  State.  Similar 
documents  were  forwarded  from  other  districts. 

In  March  a  petition  was  sent  on  from  inhabitants  of 
White  Creek,  declaring  that  they  had  ever  been  constant 
and  faithful  subjects  of  New  York,  and  asking  for  mercy 
for  those  who  had  been  led  astray  and  had  attempted  to 
secede  to  Vermont.  This  was  signed  by  Captain  John 
Armstrong,  John  Henry,  Edward  Savage,  John  Gray, 
Matthew  McWhorter,  Robert  Pennell,  Alexander  Turner, 
Pelatiah  Fitch,  Jr.,  Joshua  Conkey,  Thomas  Armstrong, 
Robert  Boyd,  Alexander  Kennedy,  Samuel  McWhorter, 
Thomas  Lyon,  and  Sanford  Smith. 

Owing  to  these  representations,  and  to  the  fact  that 
Vermont  had  formally  released  her  claim,  the  prisoners 
were  soon  discharged.  The  status  of  Charlotte  county  was 
definitely  fixed,  but  the  old  dispute  about  the  sovereignty 
over  Vermont  itself  was  still  unsettled.  The  New  York 
authorities,  however,  had  about  made  up  their  minds  that 
whatever  might  be  the  legal  aspect  of  the  case,  it  would  be 
impracticable  to  maintain  their  jurisdiction  over  the  obsti- 
oate  mountaineers  who  had  so  long  defied  them,  and  were 
desirous  to  retire  from  the  contest  with  as  little  lo.ss  of 
dignity  as  possible.  Accordingly,  in  the  spring  of  1782, 
they  offered  to  submit  the  whole  question  to  the  Conti- 
nental Congress. 

Kingsbury  was  organized  as  a  town  or  township  during 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


63 


this  year,  with  the  same  boundaries  which  it  originally  had 
as  a  patent,  and  which  it  still  possesses.  Though  peace 
was  not  yet  declared,  the  people  felt  so  well  satisfied  that 
the  surrender  of  Yorktown  would  result  in  independence 
that  they  began  to  address  themselves  in  earnest  to  the 
work  of  rehabilitating  their  devastated  country.  In  the 
spring  of  1783  came  the  news  of  the  actual  declaration  of 
peace  and  the  recognition  of  the  independence  of  America, 
and  then  the  good  work  went  on  with  still  greater  speed. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE    ERA   OF    DEVELOPMENT. 

Distrust  of  everything  English— Change  of  Name  from  Charlotte  to 
AVnshington  County — Formation  of  Hartford — Law  regarding 
Roads — First  Court  Kecord  under  the  State — Courts  directed  to  be 
held  at  Salem  and  Fort  Edward — Adoption  of  the  name  "Salem" 
— Law  recognizing  and  defining  Towns — Legislative  Aid — Preva- 
lence of  Dram-Drinking— The  First  Temper.'vnee  Pledge— Wolf- 
and  Panther-Bounty — Effective  Canceling  of  Proofs — Settlement 
of  the  great  Vermont  Dispute — The  Boundary — A  List  of  Super- 
visors— Vermont  admitted  into  the  Union — Cambridge  and  Easton 
annexed  to  Washington — Struggle  for  the  County-Scat — Super- 
visors fix  it  at  Salem— Courts  held  a  part  of  the  time  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward— The  First  Academy — Remarkable  number  of  Senators  from 
this  County  —  The -Explanation  —  Military  Matters  —  The  First 
Newspaper — Warning  to  Sabbath-Breakers — The  Men  who  "ran" 
the  County — A  Quaint  Summons — The  Northern  Inland  Lock  Navi- 
gation Company — Turning  the  Judges  out  of  Court — The  Punish- 
ment— Changing  the  County-Seat — Other  Contempts — Severe  Sen- 
tences— Pillory  and  Branding-Iron — Prevalence  of  Counterfeiting 
— The  Second  Newspaper — The  First  Successful  One — Scarcity  of 
Mails — The  Post-Boys  of  Yore — Summoning  a  Grave-Yard — More 
Military— Election  Statistics— The  First  Turnpike— Dividing  the 
Vermont  Fund— A  Feeble  Battalion. 

TuE  long  and  deadly  struggle  of  the  Revolution,  with 
its  accompaniments  of  invasion,  house-burning,  and  Indian 
outrage,  had  naturally  developed  a  very  bitter  feeling  among 
the  people,  especially  on  the  frontiers,  against  everything  of 
English  name  or  origin.  Even  the  name  of  Queen  Char- 
lotte was  not  agreeable  to  the  inhabitants  of  Charlotte 
county,  whose  forms  had  been  devasted  by  the  troops  of 
Queen  Charlotte's  husband.  Still  more  unpleasant  was  the 
name  of  Tryon  county,  derived  from  the  last  British  gov- 
ernor of  New  York,  to  the  people  of  the  Mohawk  valley, 
where  the  work  of  burning  and  ma.ssacrehad  been  carried  on 
year  after  year  by  Tories  and  Indians  in  British  employ. 

Accordingly,  on  the  second  day  of  April,  1784,  the  Legis- 
lature passed  an  act  changing  the  two  names  just  mentioned. 
It  was  a  model  of  brevity  and  precision,  and,  after  the 
enacting  clause,  read  as  follows  : 

"  From  and  after  the  passage  of  this  act  the  county  of 
Tryon  shall  be  known  by  the  name  of  Montgomery,  and 
the  county  of  Charlotte  by  the  name  of  Washington." 

Thus  the  most  honored  appellation  known  to  Americans 
was  conferred  upon  this  county.  The  name  was  not  as  com- 
mon then  as  now,  and  we  believe  this  is  the  oldest  "  Wash- 
ington county"  in  the  United  States, — a  venerable  patri- 
arch with  nearly  forty  namesakes  among  counties,  besides  an 
almost  countless  host  of  towns,  villages,  and  post-offices. 

In  the  year  1784  the  township  or  district  of  Hartford 


was  formed  from  Westfield  (now  Fort  Ann),  and  the  settle- 
ment of  Dresden  was  begun. 

Settlement  was  now  going  on  rapidly  in  all  parts  of  the 
county,  and  tlie  need  of  roads  was  constantly  felt.  The 
first  law  regarding  roads  in  this  county  after  the  Revolu- 
tion was  enacted  May  4,  1784.  It  authorized  the  inhab- 
itants of  Charlotte  county  (and  of  six  others  named  in  the 
act)  to  elect  commissioners  in  each  town  at  their  annual 
town-meetings,  to  lay  out  and  regulate  the  highways,  and 
also  to  elect  as  many  overseers  of  highways  (path-masters) 
as  there  were  road-districts  in  each  town. 

A  large  part  of  the  land  in  the  county  had  been  owned 
by  Tories  and  had  been  forfeited,  by  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature. During  the  war  there  had  been  no  sale  for  these 
lands,  and  they  still  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  State. 
On  the  12th  of  May,  1784,  an  act  was  passed  providing 
for  the  speedy  .sale  of  the  lands  in  question  by  the  com- 
missioners of  forfeiture.  The  commissioner  for  the  east- 
ern district  was  Alexander  Webster,  and  he  began  to  sell 
forthwith.  One  of  the  oldest  records  in  the  county  clerk's 
office  is  Colonel  Webster's  register  of  the  sales  of  forfeited 
lands.     It  is  headed  as  follows  : 

"  Registered  for  and  by  the  direction  of  Alexander  Web- 
ster, Esquire,  commissioner  of  forfeiture  for  the  eastern  dis- 
trict of  New  York,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  entitled  an  act 
for  the  speedy  sale  of  the  confiscated  and  forfeited  estates 
within  the  State,  and  for  other  purposes  therein  mentioned, 
passed  the  12th  day  of  May,  1784." 

One  of  the  first  records  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Sold  to  Seth  Sherwood  the  fee-simple  of  lot  number 
thirty-nine  in  the  Artillery  patent,  as  it  is  distinguished  by 
lot  number  thirty-nine  in  the  map  and  field-book  of  said 
patent  (special  reference  being  thereto  had),  containing  two 
hundred  and  forty-two  acres  of  land,  for  the  sum  of  four 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  on  the  twelfth  day  of  Octo- 
ber, one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-four ;  forfeited 
by  the  attainder  of  Philip  and  Andrew  P.  Skene,  late  of 
Skenesborough,  esquires." 

No  less  than  a  hundred  and  sixty-two  tracts  of  Skene's 
land  were  thus  sold  and  registered,  every  one  being  declared 
forfeited  by  the  attainder  of  Philip  and  Andrew  P.  Skene. 
Probably  the  elder  gentleman  had  conveyed  the  land  to  the 
younger,  in  the  hope  of  thus  .saving  it  from  forfeiture  ;  but 
the  retribution  of  the  hard-headed  old  patriots  was  not  to 
be  thus  eluded.  The  elder  Skene  wrote  from  England  to 
Elishama  Tozer,  of  Whitehall,  declaring  that  he  had  always 
been  desirous  of  promoting  the  welfare  of  America,  even 
when  serving  the  king ;  that  he  had  no  tie  binding  him  to 
England,  and  desiring  to  learn  whether  there  was  any 
chance  for  him  to  resume  his  residence  at  Skenesborough, 
and  regain  his  forfeited  lands.  But  his  efforts  in  this 
direction  were  without  avail. 

Besides  the  Skene  lands,  a  hundred  and  thirty-one  tracts 
were  registered  as  forfeited  by  Oliver  DeLancey,  ten  by  Ed- 
ward and  Ebenezer  Jcssup,  three  by  Jonathan  and  Daniel 
Jones,  three  by  Michael  Hoffnagle,  and  one  by  John  Tabor 
Kemp,  ex-attorney-general.  Several  tracts,  amounting  to 
about  a  thousand  acres,  had  belonged  to  Donald  Fisher, 
husband  of  the  badly-celebrated  Betsey  Munro. 

The  largest  number  of  tracts  sold  to  any  one  person  was 


64 


HISTOKY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


to  General  John  Williams,  who  purchased  sixty-five,  sit- 
uated in  all  parts  of  the  county.  In  a  few  cases  the  fee- 
simple  was  sold,  but  in  most  instances  the  commissioner 
conveyed  "  the  equity  of  redemption  of  the  rent  and  re- 
version," the  lands  havinj:;  been  originally  sold  with  the 
reservation  of  a  quitrent  to  the  crown. 

Notwithstanding  the  act  of  1779,  directing  the  holding 
of  courts  in  Charlotte  county,  there  is  no  record  of  any 
such  court  until  1786.  At  that  court  the  first  judge  was 
Alexander  Webster,  of  Hebron ;  the  a.ssociatcs  were  Eben- 
ezer  Russell,  of  Salem,  and  David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron. 
The  justices  "  of  the  quorum"  were  Moses  Martin,  John 
IMcAlIister,  Albert  Baker,  John  Rowan,  and  Aaron  Fuller. 
The  clerk  was  Colonel  John  McRea.  The  grand  jurors 
were  David  Brundage,  Robert  Wil.son,  William  Graham, 
John  Connor,  Josiah  Farr,  Zebulon  Fuller,  Samuel  Wilson, 
and  John  Gault,  of  Whitehall ;  Samuel  Hopkins,  of  He- 
bron ;  Bartholomew  Bartlctt,  Thomas  Collins,  David  Rood, 
Jonathan  Crozier,  and  John  Low,  of  Salem  ;  Asa  Flint, 
John  Sheldon,  and  Daniel  Henderson,  of  Kingsbury; 
Noah  Payn,  of  Fort  Miller;  Daniel  Curtice,  of  Granville ; 
Manning  Bull  and  Benjamin  Atwater,  of  Westfield. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1787,  an  act  was  passed  re- 
affirming the  previous  act  and  re((uinng  the  courts  to  be 
held  at  Salem.  This  law  provided  for  a  court  of  common 
pleas  and  general  sessions  of  the  peace  to  be  held  at  that 
village  three  times  each  year.  Fort  Edward,  however,  to- 
gether with  the  rest  of  the  western  part  of  the  county,  ap- 
plied so  strong  an  influence  that  on  the  21st  of  April  fol- 
lowing the  law  was  changed  so  that  one  of  the  three  terms 
should  be  held  at  the  house  of  Adiel  Sherwood,  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Fort  Edward. 

The  name  of  "  Salem"  was  used  in  these  laws  in  place  of 
those  which  the  people  had  .so  long  disputed  about — -"White 
Creek  and  New  Perth.  The  first  use  of  the  name  now 
adopted — of  which  we  have  seen  any  record — was  its  appli- 
cation to  "  Fort  Salem"  in  1777.  It  would  appear  that 
when  the  inhabitants  became  tired  of  their  long  dispute, 
they  agreed  to  adopt  the  name  of  their  first  fort ;  this 
again  deriving  its  name  from  a  Massachusetts  town.  So 
the  New  Englanders  had  a  name  of  their  own,  after  all. 

Up  to  this  period  the  political  organizations  subordinate 
to  counties  had  been  in  a  very  chaotic  state.  The  names 
of  towns, , townships,  districts,  precincts,  and  patents  had 
been  used  indiscriminately,  and  the  privileges  accorded  to 
each  were  very  indefinitely  defined.  But  on  the  seventh 
day  of  March,  1788,  a  law  was  passed  defining  the  bound- 
aries of  all  the  counties  in  the  State,  and  also  giving  the 
limits  of  the  minor  divisions  under  the  general  name  of 
towns.  Compilations  frequently  refer  to  certain  towns  as 
having  been  organized  on  the  day  just  named,  while  in  fact 
nearly  or  quite  all  of  them  posses.sed  political  organizations, 
more  or  less  complete,  previous  to  that  time.  They  were  rec- 
ognized as  towns  on  that  day,  their  boundaries  were  defined, 
the  designations  of  district,  township,  etc.,  were  dropped, 
and  their  municipal  rights  and  duties,  which  had  previously 
been  to  a  great  extent  of  a  special  character,  were  conformed 
to  a  general  law,  applicable  to  the  whole  State. 

The  towns  thus  recognized  in  Washington  county  were 
Salem,   Argyle,   Hebron,  Granville,    Hampton,  Whitehall, 


Kingsbury,  AVestfield  (Fort  Ann),  and  Queensbury.  In 
Albany  county  there  were  the  town  of  Cambridge  and  the 
east  parts  of  the  towns  of  Saratoga  and  Stillwater,  which 
have  since  been  transferred  to  Wa.shington. 

How  hard  was  the  struggle  of  the  pioneers  with  the 
wilderness  is  shown  by  the  fact  that,  in  the  winter  of  1789, 
an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  granting  the  sum  of  a 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds  to  the  county  of  Washington, 
to  be  divided  by  the  supervisors  among  the  towns  "  accord- 
ing to  their  need,"  and  to  be  refunded  by  those  receiving 
it.  The  men  of  that  period  had  more  faults  than  some 
historians  are  willing  to  allow,  but  a  disposition  to  be 
dependent  on  charity  was  not  one  of  them,  and  it  must 
have  been  a  very  great  stress  of  hardship,  probably  a  failure 
of  crops,  which  made  it  necessary  for  the  State  to  unloose 
its  purse-strings  in  their  behalf. 

Among  those  faults,  the  propensity  for  absorbing  an  un- 
conscionable amount  of  rum  and  whisky  was  the  mo.st 
prominent.  The  universal  prevalence  of  dram-drinking  and 
the  great  frequency  of  absolute  drunkenness  are  attested  by 
the  evidence  alike  of  tradition  and  of  record.  The  first 
temperance  pledge  (if  it  can  be  so  called)  which  we  have 
found  in  the  county  dates  back  to  1789,  and  itself  fur- 
nishes strong  proof  of  the  evil  it  was  de.signed  to  remedy. 

It  was  a  pledge  by  Colonel  John  Williams  and  others 
not  to  furnish  their  harvest  hands  with  more  than  half  a 
pint  of  rum  per  day ;  that  being,  in  the  language  of  the 
document,  ''  enough  to  fit  them  for  labor." 

The  first  law  that  we  find  ofiering  a  bounty  for  wild 
beasts  in  this  county  was  passed  in  April,  1790.  It  pro- 
vided that  for  every  wolf  or  panther,  killed  in  the  counties 
of  Montgomery  and  Wa.shington,  the  sum  of  ten  shillings 
(one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents)  should  be  paid  if  the 
animal  was  under  a  year  old,  and  twenty  shillings  if  it  was 
over  that  age.  In  the  counties  east  and  south  of  those 
named  the  bounty  was  three  times  as  much. 

The  tricks  that  we  read  of  as  having  been  practiced  in 
the  bounty  business  in  old  times  could  not  have  been 
carried  out  under  this  law  without  the  active  assistance  of 
a  public  ofiicial.  The  Legislatore  had  evidently  had  ex- 
perience in  the  ways  of  wolf-killers,  and  provided  that  each 
seeker  for  a  bounty  should  take  the  unskinned  head  of  the 
slain  animal  to  a  justice  of  the  peace,  who  after  due  ex- 
amination .should  proceed  to  "  cancel"  it,  by  cutting  off  the 
ears ;  certainly  a  very  efiicient  method  of  preventiug  it 
from  ever  being  used  again.  He  was  then  required  to 
give  without  charge  a  certificate,  on  which  the  bounty 
could  be  drawn  from  the  county  treasurer.  In  October 
following,  the  bounty  in  the  two  counties  was  doubled  both 
as  to  old  and  young  animals. 

During  this  year  (1790)  the  long  contest  between  New 
York  and  the  people  of  the  "  New  Hampshire  grants"  was 
finally  settled.  The  authorities  of  the  former  State  became 
satisfied  that  they  would  never  be  able  to  extend  their 
jurisdiction  over  the  Green  Mountain  Boys,  and  conse- 
quently made  a  virtue  of  necessity  by  yielding  what  they 
considered  their  legal  rights.  Accordingly,  on  the  6th  of 
March,  a  law  was  passed  ceding  to  Vermont  all  claim  to 
political  jurisdiction  and  also  to  ownership  of  the  land 
within  that  State,  and  appointing  commissioners  to  meet 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NKW   YORK. 


G5 


with  others  from  Vermont  and  settle  the  boundaries 
between  the  two  States. 

Tiie  commissioners  met  in  October  followinj;,  and  agreed 
on  a  boundary  beginning  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  running  thence  northerly  along  the  western 
bounds  of  the  towns  of  Pownal,  Bennington,  Shaftsbury, 
Arlington,  Sandgate,  Rupert,  Wells,  and  Foultney,  as  then 
held,  to  the  Poultney  river;  thence  down  the  middle 
of  the  deepest  channel  of  Poultney  river  to  East  bay ; 
and  thence  down  the  middle  of  East  bay  and  Lake  Cham- 
plain  to  the  forty-fifth  parallel  of  north  latitude.  This 
boundary,  from  the  southwest  corner  of  Saleni  north- 
ward to  Clinton  county,  also  formed  the  eastern  boundary 
of  Washington  county.  It  was  also  agreed  at  the  same 
time  that  Vermont  should  pay  to  New  York  the  sum  of 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  to  be  divided  among  those  who  had 
lost  by  buying  land  from  New  York  within  the  disputed 
territory.  This  was  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  value  of 
the  lands  patented  by  New  Yorkers,  but  we  suppose  it 
served  as  a  salve  to  the  wounded  dignity  of  the  State. 

Chancing  to  have  met  a  list  of  the  supervisors  of  Wash- 
ington county  for  1790,  we  reproduce  it  here,  as  it  is  per- 
haps the  only  complete  list  which  ha.s  come  down  from  the 
last  century,  most  of  the  early  papers  of  the  board  having 
been  destroyed.  It  is  as  follows:  Salem,  Hamilton  McCol- 
lister ;  Argyle,  William  Read  ;  Queensbury  (now  in  War- 
ren county),  William  Robards ;  Kingsbury,  Seth  Alden  ; 
Westfield  (Fort  Ann),  George  Wray  ;  Whitehall,  Cornelius 
Jones  ;  Hampton,  John  How  ;  Granville,  Timothy  Leonard  ; 
Hebron,  John  Hamilton. 

In  ,1791,  Vermont  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a 
State,  thus  putting  the  seal  of  Federal  authority  on  the 
settlement  arrived  at  this  year.  Washington  county  thus 
became  permanently  a  border  county  along  all  of  its  enor- 
mous length.  In  this  year  also  the  counties  of  Rensselaer 
and  Saratoga  were  formed  from  Albany.  By  the  same  act 
the  town  of  Cambridge,  comprising  also  the  present  towns 
of  Jackson  and  White  Creek,  was  transferred  to  Washing- 
ton county,  and  that  part  of  the  towns  of  Saratoga  and 
Stillwater  lying  east  of  the  Hudson  was  formed  into  a  new 
town,  by  the  name  of  Easton,  and  also  annexed  to  Wash- 
ington. We  do  not  know,  but  we  imagine  very  strongly, 
that  these  transfers  were  managed  by  General  John  Wil- 
liams, of  Salem,  then  an  influential  member  of  the  State 
Senate,  so  as  to  strengthen  the  south  end  of  the  county,  and 
get  the  county-seat  permanently  fixed  at  Salem. 

At  all  events,  that  same  year  a  petition  was  circulated 
asking  the  Legislature  to  fix  the  county-seat  permanently 
at  Salem,  and  to  authorize  the  building  of  a  court-house 
and  jail  at  that  point,  there  having  been  no  county  build- 
ings previous  to  that  time.  Fort  Edward  and  the  neigh- 
boring towns  of  course  resisted  this  movement.  At  the 
same  time  many  of  the  Cambridge  and  Easton  people 
who.se  local  market  was  at  Lansingburg,  were  anxious  to 
be  again  transferred  to  Rensselaer  county.  An  act  to  this 
effect  actually  passed  the  Assembly  in  March,  1791 ,  but  was 
stopped  in  the  Senate,  where  we  again  see  the  influence  of 
General  Williams.  Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  (father  of 
the  celebrated  Chief-Justice  Savage),  was  also  a  senator  at 
the  same  time,  and  of  course  opposed  to  the  change.  The 
9 


fact  of  there  being  two  State  senators  from  a  thinly-settled 
country  town  is  a  very  remarkable  one,  of  which  more  will 
be  said  flirther  on. 

While  Salem  and  Fort  Edward  were  thus  struggling  for 
the  honors  of  the  capital,  some  of  the  river  people  desired 
to  have  it  located  at  Fort  Miller.  The  Legislature  avoided 
a  decision  by  the  device  so  frequently  resorted  to  since 
that  time,  and  at  length  permanently  incorporated  in  the 
law ;  they  authorized  the  board  of  supervisore  to  fix  the 
locality.  The  board  accordingly  met,  and  located  the 
county-seat  at  Salem. 

The  next  year  Fort  Edward  made  zealous  efforts  to  have 
the  vote  reconsidered,  but  in  vain.  Failing  in  this,  the 
people  of  that  part  of  the  county  sought  to  have  two 
county-seats  established,  and  in  this  they  were  .so  far  suc- 
cessful as  to  obtain  the  passage  of  a  law  that  the  courts 
should  be  held  as  before,  a  part  of  the  time  at  Fort  Edward. 
No  court-house  was  erected  there,  however,  while  in  1792 
an  act  was  passed  directing  the  county  to  raise  money  to 
build  a  court-hou.se  and  jail  at  Salem.  These  structures 
were  accordingly  begun,  but  were  not  completed  until  about 
four  years  from  that  date. 

Togo  back  a  little,  we  find  that  in  1791  an  institution  of 
learning  was  incorporated,  under  the  name  of  Salem  Wash- 
ington Academy.  There  had  previou.sly  been  a  high  school 
kept  at  Salem  (part  of  the  time  in  Fort  Williams),  but  this 
was  the  first  chartered  academy  or  seminary  in  the  county ; 
in  fact,  the  first  north  of  Albany.  There  were  but  five 
academies,  then  in  existence  in  the  State,  which  have  sur- 
vived to  the  present  time.  A  full  account  of  this  vener- 
able institution  will  be  found  in  the  town  history  of  Salem. 

In  1793  another  town  was  added  to  the  Washington 
county  list,  Hartford  being  formed  from  Westfield  on  the 
12th  day  of  March  in  that  year. 

In  the  election  held  in  January  of  the  same  year  there 
were  seventeen  hundred  votes  cast  for  State  senator.  General 
Williams  receiving  twelve  hundred,  which  was  enough  to 
overcome  an  adverse  vote  in  Saratoga  county  and  leave  him 
still  a  handsome  majority. 

And  here  we  would  advert  to  some  very  curious  facts  in 
the  political  history  of  the  county.  From  1777  till  1803 
Charlotte  or  Washington  county  was  invariably  repre- 
sented by  two  members  in  the  State  Senate,  and  almost  all 
the  time  it  had  three  of  its  citizens  in  that  body.  More- 
over, during  the  period  from  1803  to  1826  the  county  was 
almost  always  represented  by  two  senators.  Since  1826 
it  has  been  obliged  to  content  itself  with  one  senator,  and 
of  late  years  only  has  one  from  a  half  to  a  third  of  the 
time. 

What  is  still  more  remarkable  is  that  during  the  fii-st- 
naraed  period  (1777  to  1803)  nearly  all  the  senators  were 
from  the  southeast  part  of  the  county,  and  the  single  town 
of  Salem  generally  had  two  of  its  citizens  in  the  Senate. 
The  adjoining  town  of  Hebron  came  next  in  the  senatorial 
roll,  while  during  the  whole  period  in  question  there  were 
but  three  senators  from  all  the  rest  of  the  county. 

Such  a  phenomenal  concentration  of  political  stars  seems 
at  first  very  strange,  but  it  is  not  extremely  difficult  of  ex- 
planation. It  arose  at  first  from  the  fact  that  the  State 
was  divided  into  four  districts,  each  of  which  elected  a  cer- 


66 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


tain  number  of  senators.  Charlotte  or  Washington  county 
belonged  to  the  eastern  district,  to  which  were  assigned 
three  senators  by  the  constitution  of  1777.  But  besides 
Charlotte,  the  eastern  district  consisted  only  of  Cumberland 
and  Gloucester  counties.  Now  Cumberland  and  Glouces- 
ter, as  well  as  the  eastcin  part  of  Ciiarlotte  county,  were  in 
the  New  Hampshire  grants,  which  had  erected  themselves 
into  the  State  of  Vermont,  and  any  one  who  there  had  un- 
dertaken to  vote  for  a  New  York  senator  would  have  been 
probably  sent  to  jail  by  the  authorities  of  that  State,  besides 
being  in  great  danger  of  a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers.  Con- 
sequently, all  the  senators  allotted  to  the  eastern  district 
had  to  be  chosen  from  Charlotte  county. 

Even  after  the  cession  of  jurisdiction  by  New  York  to 
Vermont  the  situation  was  unchanged  ;  for  the  number  of 
senators  allotted  to  a  district  was  fi.xed  by  the  constitution, 
and  that  constitution  was  not  changed  until  1802.  Subse- 
quent to  1803,  however,  a  porti(m  of  this  unconscionable 
allowance  of  senators  was  allotted  to  the  new  counties 
formed  out  of  Washington  on  the  north. 

While  the  formation  of  Vermont  prevented  any  senators 
from  being  chosen  from  the  eastern  three-quarters  of  the 
eastern  district,  the  circumstances  of  the  Revolution  practi- 
cally confined  the  choice  to  the  southwestern  third  of  the  re- 
maining quarter.  In  the  northern  and  northeastern  towns 
of  what  is  now  Washington  county  a  large  proportion  of 
the  inhabitants,  including  most  of  the  leaders,  were  Tories. 
These  towns,  too,  were  ravaged  by  fire  and  sword  during 
the  Revolution,  and  it  was  a  long  time  after  its  close  before 
they  regained  sufiicient  vigor  to  take  a  prominent  part  iu 
political  management.  Consequently,  Salem  and  Hebron 
had  a  very  wide  scope  for  the  gratification  of  their  political 
ambition. 

The  "  general  training"  and  the  "  company  training"  were 
important  institutions  of  those  days,  and  the  leading  citi- 
zens were  nearly  all  ambitious  of  the  honors  to  be  derived 
from  militia  offices.  Dr.  John  Williams,  unquestionably 
the  first  man  of  the  county,  was  brigadier-general.  As  the 
militia  was  then  organized,  there  were  no  colonels,  each 
regiment  being  under  a  lieutenant-colonel  and  two  majors. 
In  1793  there  were  two  or  more  regiments  in  Washington 
county,  the  field  and  staff  of  the  one  in  the  northwestern 
section  being  as  follows  : 

Lieutenant-Colonel  commanding,  Adiel  Sherwood  ;  First 
Major,  Peter  B.  Tear.se ;  Second  Major,  Isaac  Hitchcock; 
Surgeon,  Zina  Hitchcock;  "Surgeon's  Mate"  (now  called 
Assistant  Surgeon),  John  Perrigo ;  Quartermaster,  Charles 
Robinson;  Adjutant,  J.  Adams  ;  Paymaster,  Hugh  Preble. 

The  first  new.spaper  in  a  county  is  usually  considered  as 
a  landmark  of  progress,  and  was  much  more  so  in  those 
times  than  now,  its  establishment  being  a  much  harder 
task.  Nowadays,  Charlotte  county  would  not  probably 
have  been  in  existence  three  weeks  before  some  enterpris- 
ing typo  would  have  started  a  journal,  whether  there  were 
any  inhabitants  to  read  it  or  not.  But  it  was  not  until 
1794,  twenty-two  years  after  the  organization  of  the  county, 
that  such  an  institution  was  known  in  Charlotte  or  Wash- 
ington. It  was  called  the  Times  or  National  Courier,  and 
was  Issued  at  Salem,  on  the  18th  day  of  June  in  that 
year,  by  George  W.  Gerrish.     Like  all  papers  of  that  era. 


it  was  extremely  defective  in  local  news,  so  that  we  can 
learn  little  from  it  regarding  the  condition  of  the  county. 
Late  as  it  was,  it  was  too  early  for  the  times,  and  after  a 
seven-months'  struggle  with  adverse  fate  it  gave  up  the 
ghost.  A  more  detailed  account  of  this  and  sub.sequent 
journals  will  be  found  elsewhere. 

In  this  year,  the  court-house  and  jail  not  being  completed, 
an  act  was  passed  providing  for  a  tax  on  the  county  of  four 
hundred  pounds  (one  thousand  dollars)  to  finish  those 
structures. 

Although,  as  has  been  said,  drinking  and  drunkenness 
were  more  prevalent  then  than  now,  yet  the  feeling  against 
the  violation  of  the  Sabbath  was  much  stronger  than  at  the 
present  time.  A  public  notice  was  issued  on  the  6th  of 
June,  signed  by  all  the  judges  of  the  court  of  common 
pleas,  four  assistant  justices  (or  justices  of  the  quorum), 
the  sheriff,  and  fourteen,  justices  of  the  peace,  warning  the 
people  of  their  intention  to  enforce  the  law  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  immorality,  and  particularly  reminding  the  constables 
of  Washington  county  to  arrest  and  detain  all  persons 
traveling  without  necessity  on  the  Lord's  day ;  and  request- 
ing all  the  good  people  of  the  county  to  aid  in  the  effort  to 
enforce  the  law,  "  as  it  has  an  immediate  connection  with 
the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  that  community  of  which 
they  are  a  part." 

The  notice  was  signed  by  Ebenezer  Russell,  first  judge; 
Alexander  Webster,  John  Williams,  Ebenezer  Clark,  and 
David  Hopkins,  judges  ;  Samuel  Crossett,  Edward  Savage, 
and  Peter  B.  Tearse,  assistant  justices ;  Andrew  White, 
sheriff;  and  by  the  following  justices  of  the  peace:  John 
M.  Killip,  William  Dougall,  Thomas  Smith,  Thomas  Bel- 
lows, John  Rowan,  Daniel  Curtice,  Wm.  Harkness,  John 
Kincaid,  Alexander  Webster,  Jr.,  Edward  Harris,  Walter 
Raleigh,  Thomas  Dennis,  John  McAllister,  and  David 
Thomas.  Although  the  people  were  much  more  favorable 
to  such  a  movement  than  they  would  be  at  the  present 
time,  yet  it  was  not  carried  out  without  a  good  deal  of  diffi- 
culty, and  there  was  much  trouble  on  the  subject  for  many 
years. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  the  five  judges  named  were 
all  (except  Clark,  of  Fort  Edward,  previously  of  Salem) 
from  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  and  were  the 
same  who  so  long  represented  Charlotte  or  Washington 
county  in  the  State  Senate.  Russell  and  Williams  were 
from  Salem,  and  Webster  and  Hopkins  from  Hebron.  The 
five  men  just  mentioned,  and  James  and  Edward  Savage, 
of  Saleni,  in  modern  phrase,  "  ran"  the  polities  of  the 
county  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

As  an  instance  of  the  quaint  ways  of  doing  things  prev- 
alent in  the  old  times,  we  may  mention  a  notice  sent  by  a 
magistrate  of  the  county  to  a  delinquent  debtor  (and  re- 
corded by  Judge  Gibson),  which,  after  a  statement  of  the 
acccount  of  which  payment  was  desired,  concluded  with 
the  following  pertinent  quotation  from  Holy  Writ : 

"Agree  with  thine  adversary  quickly,  while  thou  art  in  the  way 
with  him,  lest  at  any  time  he  deliver  thee  to  the  judge,  and  the  judge 
deliver  thee  to  the  officers,  and  thou  be  cast  into  prison.  Verily,  I 
say  unto  thee,  thou  shall  by  no  means  come  out  thence  until  thou 
hast  paid  the  uttermost  farthing." 

At  this  period  an  earnest  effort  was  being  made  to  improve 


rilSTORr   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


C7 


the  navigation  jf  Wood  creek,  and  to  build  a  short  canal,  so 
as  to  connect  the  waters  of  the  Hudson  with  those  of  Lake 
Champlain.  The  Northern  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  for  the  purpose  of  performing  this 
much-needed  work  in  the  same  manner  actually  done  by 
the  Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company  in  connect- 
ing the  waters  of  the  Mohawk  river  and  Oneida  lake,  General 
Philip  Schuyler  being  the  leading  spirit  in  both  enterprises. 
General  Williams,  who  had  bought  the  .forfeited  estates  of 
Major  Skene,  of  Whitehall,  was  an  active  member  and 
director  of  the  Northern  Company. 

The  latter  company  commenced  operations,  and  in  June, 
1794,  advertised  for  a  contract  "  for  cleaning  Halfway  brook 
from  the  present  landing-place  to  its  junction  with  Wood 
creek,  and  for  cleaning  Wood  creek  from  the  junction  afore- 
said to  the  entrance  of  the  canal  at  Whitehall."  But  owing 
to  lack  of  means  the  company  was  obliged  to  stop  work,  and 
the  desired  communication  wa.s  not  made  until  more  than 
thirty  years  later. 

In  1796  a  term  of  court  was  held,  as  one  had  been  each 
year  for  nine  years,  at  the  hotel  of  Adiel  Sherwood,  at  Fort 
Edward.  This  gentleman,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  was 
the  same  who  commanded  as  captain  at  Fort  Ann,  in  1780, 
now  united  the  glittering  dignity  of  a  lieutenant-colonel  of 
militia  with  the  humble  duties  of  a  village  tavern-keeper. 
The  court  appears  to  have  been  held  in  his  dining-room. 
One  day,  as  the  dinner-hour  approached.  Colonel  Sherwood, 
who  had  perhaps  become  disgruntled  at  something  the  hon- 
orable court  had  done,  abruptly  entered  the  room  and  per- 
emptorily ordered  the  judges  to  vacate  it,  as  he  desired  to 
have  the  table  set  for  dinner. 

Judges  were  important  personages  then,  and,  as  has 
been  stated,  the  judges  of  Washington  county  were  its 
most  prominent  citizens.  That,  after  having  been  allowed 
to  set  up  their  court  in  a  room,  they  should  be  thus  dicta- 
torially  ordered  out  of  it,  even  by  a  lieutenant-colonel  of 
militia,  was  almost  enough  to  paralyze  them  with  horror 
and  indignation.  Sherwood,  however,  made  so  much  ado 
that  the  court  adjourned  for  the  time  being,  but  at  their 
next  session  they  proceeded  to  make  a  signal  example  of 
this  irreverent  offender.  The  record  reads  as  follows : 
"  Adiel  Sherwood,  having  been  guilty  of  contempt,  it  is 
ordered  that  the  said  Adiel  Sherwood  be  committed  to  the 
common  jail  of  Washington  county  for  the  space  of  fifteen 
days." 

It  is  highly  probable  that  this  contempt  of  Colonel  Sher- 
wood had  au  important  effect  on  the  county-seat  question,  for 
three  of  the  insulted  judges  were  then  senators,  and,  although 
the  courts  had  been  held  at  liis  house  for  nine  years,  at  the 
very  next  session  of  the  Legislature  the  place  of  holding 
them  was  changed  to  the  hotel  of  Mary  Dean,  in  Sandy 
Hill.  The  consequence  has  been  that  Sandy  Hill  has  been 
a  county-seat  ever  since,  and  Fort  Edward  has  not. 

Punishments  for  contempt  seem  to  have  been  quite  com- 
mon along  about  that  period.  Another  occurred  the  same 
year.  John  McMichael,  already  under  indictment,  was 
committed  during  the  pleasure  of  the  court,  "  fur  that  he, 
in  the  presence  of  the  court,  was  guilty  of  contempt,  by 
using  indecent,  disrespectful,  and  immoral  language,  and 
insulting  the  court."     And  another  person,  a  little  earlier. 


"  being  charged"  with  having  uttered  contemptuous  words 
against  the  court,  was  ordered  to  find  two  sureties  for  his 
good  behavior  till  the  next  court,  and  to  stand  committed 
until  he  should  do  so,  which  was  sufficiently  stringent  for 
"  being  charged"  with  contemptuous  words. 

The  individual  in  question  was  less  fortunate  than  the 
one  who  was  tried  at  Salem  "  charged  with  suspicion  of 
horse-stealing,"  for  he  was  acquitted  of  the  curious  crime 
suspicion. 

As  a  rule  the  sentences  were  decidedly  severe.  The  pil- 
lory, the  whipping-post,  and  even  the  branding-iron  were 
recognized  instruments  in  the  administration  of  justice, 
and  the  two  first  were  the  ornaments  of  every  county-seat. 
Thus  we  find  a  record  of  one  man,  convicted  of  perjury, 
sentenced  to  stand  in  the  pillory  at  Salem  one  hour,  and 
then  to  be  confined  in  the  State's-prison,  at  hard  labor, 
for  a  long  term  of  years ;  of  another,  sentenced  for  grand 
larceny,  to  be  taken  to  the  public  whipping-po.st,  "  and  that 
he  there  receive  thirty-nine  lashes  on  his  bare  back,  from 
the  waist  upwards;"  and  of  still  another,  convicted  of  coun- 
terfeiting, and  condemned  "  to  be  branded  with  the  letter 
'  C  on  his  left  cheek,  with  a  rod-hot  iron,  and  to  confine- 
ment at  hard  labor  in  the  State's-prison  for  life." 

It  would  seem  that  the  punishment  for  counterfeiting 
was  excessively  severe  even  as  compared  with  the  other 
sentences  just  mentioned,  and  enormously  so  in  comparison 
with  one  for  burglary, — "  breaking  and  robbing  a  store," — 
the  guilty  person  being  only  fined  ten  pounds  !  Probably, 
however,  there  were  mitigating  circumstances  in  that  case, 
and  the  secret  of  the  severity  exercised  against  counterfeit- 
ing is  to  be  found  in  the  prevalence  of  that  crime.  Coun- 
terfeiters were  as  thick  as  horse-thieves  in  Texas,  and  they 
met  with  no  more  mercy. 

It  was  not  generally  bank-bills  which  were  counterfeited, 
though  doubtless  there  was  some  of  this  done,  but  silver 
dollars,  half-dollars,  quarters,  etc. ;  for  the  new  money  of 
America  was  already  in  circulation,  though  accounts  were 
commonly  kept  in  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence.  Bogus 
silver  would  seem  to  be  comparatively  easy  to  detect,  yet 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  it  in  circulation  eighty  years  ago, 
and  the  hills  of  Washington  county  and  of  Vermont  fur- 
nished an  excellent  lurking-place  for  the  lawless  manufac- 
turers. 

Hon.  John  McDonald,  whose  vigorous  memory  extends 
back  into  the  hist  century,  states  that  the  counterfeiters 
were  commonly  called  "  two-for-onc  men,"  because  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  trading  off  two  dollars  of  bogus  money 
for  one  of  good.  There  were  bands  of  them  in  various 
parts  of  this  county  and  Vermont,  and  one  of  their  prin- 
cipal "  runways"  was  at  the  house  of  the  notorious  Betsey 
Fisher  (daughter  of  Rev.  Harry  Munro),  whose  own  sub. 
sequent  trial  and  conviction  for  forgery  was  among  the  great 
sensations  of  the  day. 

The  second  newspaper  published  in  the  county  was  issued, 
like  its  predecessor,  at  Salem,  in  May,  1796,  and  was  called 
the  Washington  Patrol  (not  Patriot,  as  has  sometimes 
been  stated).  The  patrol  was  duly  represented  in  an  en- 
graving at  the  head  of  the  paper  as  pacing  his  beat  to  and 
fro,  with  shouldered  musket  and  fixed  bayonet,  with  the 
Icend,  "  All  is  well"  issuing  from  his  lips.     Beneath  was 


68 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


the  inscription  "  Watch  for  the  Republic,"  while  above  were 
the  French  words,  "io  niiit  est  jinssde" — the  night  is  passed 
— evidently  referring  to  the  emergence  of  the  country  from 
the  darkness  of  the  Revolutionary  period,  and  from  the 
confusion  preceding  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  constitu- 
tion. 

Notwithstanding  this  very  military  and  patriotic  name 
and  frontispiece,  and  notwitlistanding  the  literary  merits  of 
St.  John  Honeywood,  the  editor,  there  was  still  a  lack  of 
the  sinews  of  war,  and  the  "  Patrol"  marched  into  non- 
entity within  less  than  a  year  after  it  entered  on  the  journ- 
alistic war-path. 

It  was  not  until  17!)8,  nearly  twenty-sis  years  after  the 
organization  of  the  county,  that  a  successful  and  permanent 
newspaper  was  established  within  its  boundaries.  The 
lucky  venture  was  made  by  Henry  Dodd,  and  was  called  the 
Northern  Centiitel,  which  martial  name  enabled  it  to  ap- 
propriate the  old  engraved  frontispiece  of  the  Patrol.  The 
first  number  was  issued  at  Salem,  on  the  first  day  of  Jan- 
uary, 1798,  and  since  then  Washington  county  has  never 
been  without  a  newspaper. 

One  good  reason  why  it  was  so  very  difficult  to  support 
a  journal  in  the  county  was  because  there  were  almost  no 
post-offices  nor  mail-routes.  Up  to  1797  Salem  was  the  only 
post-offiee  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county,  supplying  with 
mail  not  only  almost  all  of  this  county  but  several  towns 
in  Vermont.  Sandy  Hill  had  no  post-office  till  that  year, 
when  a  mail-route  was  opened  from  there  to  Saratoga.  For 
many  years  after  a  successful  jiaper  was  established,  it  was 
delivered  to  subscribers  by  post-riders,  or  post-boys  as  they 
were  commonly  called,  who  traveled  on  horseback  over  hill 
and  through  dale,  sounding  their  horns  as  they  approached 
the  residences  of  their  patrons,  and  being  usually  met  by 
some  member  of  the  family,  who  were  the  more  anxious  to 
learn  the  news  from  its  so  seldom  reaching  them. 

If  it  was  night  and  no  one  came  to  receive  the  paper, 
after  repeated  warnings,  the  post-boy  would  throw  it  over 
the  fence  to  await  the  arising  of  the  inmates  in  the  morning. 

It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  the  rider,  who  was  de- 
livering the  paper  in  Cambridge,  having  absorbed  too  much 
spiritual  consolation  at  the  tavern,  halted  at  the  gate  of  the 
old  grave-yard  south  of  that  village,  and  blew  his  horn  for 
some  one  to  come  and  take  his  paper.  Again  and  still 
'again,  each  time  louder  than  before,  he  repeated  the  call, 
but  finding  it  still  unheeded  he  threw  the  paper  over  into 
the  grave-yard,  and  rode  off,  saying,  "  They  will  find  it 
when  they  get  up,"  which  was  doubtless  true. 

For  most  of  the  facts  and  incidents  related  in  the  past 
two  or  three  pages  relating  to  the  courts  and  the  press,  we 
are  indebted  to  the  published  articles  of  Hon.  James  Gib- 
son, though  we  have  also  examined  the  records  bearing  on 
the  subject. 

Keeping  our  eyes  open  for  the  military,  then  so  import- 
ant an  element  of  country  life,  we  find  that  in  1799  the 
command  of  Brigadier-General  Williams  consisted  of  the 
regiments  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  King,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Thomas,  Lieutenant-Colonel  White,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Kane,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lansing.  One  or  two  of 
these  were  probably  out  of  the  county,  though  in  these 
days  it  did  not  require  a  very  large  population  to  justify 


five  regiments  of  militia.  The  governor  manufactured 
colonels  on  the  slightest  provocation. 

At  the  election  that  year  Washington  county,  including 
Warren,  cast  three  thousand  and  thirty-six  votes ;  of  which 
the  Republicans,  afterwards  called  Democrats,  had  a  hand- 
some majority.  Edward  Savage,  the  most  popular  Repub- 
lican candidate  for  the  Assembly,  received  seventeen  hun- 
dred and  sixty-six  votes  ;  while  David  Hopkins,  the  highest 
on  the  Federal  list,  had  but  twelve  hundred  and  seventy. 
The  county  was  almost  invariably  Republican,  or  Demo- 
cratic, those  being  then  convertible  terms  throughout  all 
its  early  history. 

By  a  law  passed  in  March,  1799,  the  general  manage- 
ment of  the  roads  in  the  county  was  vested  in  three  super- 
intendents of  highways,  appointed  by  the  council  of  ap- 
pointment. To  these  superintendents  appeals  lay  from  the 
town  commissioners.  This  arrangement,  however,  lasted 
but  a  few  years,  since  when  the  road  management  has 
been  entirely  by  towns, — -a  fact  regretted  by  some,  who 
desire  the  unity  secured  by  the  system  just  mentioned, 
or  by  the  still  older  one,  which  vested  the  entire  manage- 
ment in  county  commissioners. 

Another  important  movement  in  regard  to  highways 
was  the  beginning  of  turnpikes.  The  Northern  Turnpike 
Company,  the  first  intended  to  operate  within  this  county, 
was  incorporated  on  the  first  day  of  April,  1799.  It 
was  designed  to  build  a  turnpike  from  Lansingburg, 
through  Cambridge,  Salem,  and  Hebron,  to  the  house  of 
Hezekiah  Leaving,  in  the  town  of  Granville ;  and  among 
its  directors  were  William  Hay,  Edward  Wells,  Jr.,  David 
Long,  Martin  Van  Buskirk,  John  Williams,  and  Edward 
Savage.  The  company  immediately  went  to  work,  and  not 
only  built  the  road  to  the  designated  point,  but  continued 
it  northward,  through  Hampton,  to  the  State  line,  connect- 
ing with  a  similar  road  to  Burlington,  Vermont.  Tlicy 
also  built  a  branch  from  Salem  northeastward  to  the  State 
line,  and  another  from  Granville  to  Whitehall. 

We  may  mention  in  passing  that  the  money  received 
from  Vermont  at  the  settlement  of  the  great  dispute  was 
divided  in  1799  among  the  New  York  claimants  for  dam- 
ages. It  would  look  as  if  various  subterranean  influences 
prevailed  with  public  officials  almost  as  much  then  as  now. 
Of  the  thirty  thousand  dollars  to  be  distributed.  Golds- 
borough  Banyar,  of  Albany,  a  large  landed  proprietor  in 
Cambridge,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  State,  and  one 
of  the  very  provincial  officials  whose  extortions  had  caused 
a  great  part  of  the  difficulty,  received  seven  thousand  two 
hundred  and  eighteen  dollars,  while  Charles  Hutchins,  the 
settler  whose  lands  had  been  seized  and  house  destroyed  by 
Ethan  Allen  and  his  companions,  received  nine  dollars  and 
ninety-eight  cents.  The  other  residents  of  Washington 
county  benefited  by  the  fund  were  Ebenezer  Clarke,  thirty- 
seven  dollars  and  forty-two  cents;  Archibald  Campbell, 
forty-nine  dollars  and  ninety-one  cents ;  and  Samuel  Stev- 
ens, six  hundred  and  fifty-three  dollare  and  sixty-three 
cents. 

Numerous  as  were  the  colonels  and  captains  of  the  mili- 
tia, their  commands  were  apt  to  be  deficient  in  men,  and  still 
more  so  in  e(|uipments.  A  brigade  return  of  the  uniformed 
companies  of  Washington  county  militia,  for  the  year  1800, 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


69 


shows  that  Captain  Solomon  Smith's  troop  of  horse  could 
muster  but  twenty-seven  men  and  fourteen  sabres.  Captain 
K- Smith's  troop  had  twenty-eight  men  and  seven  cartridge- 
boxes;  Captain  John  Doty's  light  infantry  had  twenty-five 
soldiers,  with  fifteen  firelocks;  while  Captain  Morrison's 
company  had  but  fifteen  members. 

Having  now  reached  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
we  will  pause  in  our  record  of  current  events  to  take  a 
somewhat  comprehensive  view  of  Washington  county  as  it 
was  at  that  era. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


A    GENERAL    VIEW. 


Population  in  180(1— Increase  of  Villages— Plight  increase  of  Farms 
—  Style  of  Houses— Principal  Industries  —  Markets- Whisky  — 
Methods  of  Traveling — Wolves  and  Bears — A  Circular  Hunt — An 
CNciting  Scene — Slaughter  of  the  Foe — Demoralization  of  the  Sur- 
vivors. 

At  this  time' there  were  thirty-five  thousand  inhabitants 
in  Washington  county,  of  which  probably  twenty-five  thou- 
sand, or  half  the  present  number,  were  in  the  territory 
which  now  goes  by  that  name,  and  the  rest  in  the  present 
Warren  county.  The  increase,  however,  has  been  largely 
in  the  villages,  which  were  then  very  few  and  very  small. 
The  farming  population  was  probably  two-thirds  or  three- 
fourths  as  large  then  as  now.  Tiie  amount  of  land  cleared 
was,  however,  very  much  less  then  than  now.  Mr.  John 
IMcDonald  estimates  it  at  one-fourth  the  area  now  cleared. 
Except  in  the  villages,  almost  all  the  houses  were  of  logs, 
and  tiie  barns  of  the  same  material.  The  inhabitants  were 
still  mostly  of  Scotch  and  New  England  blood,  with  a  few 
Hudson  river  Dutchmen  intermingled. 

The  raising  of  grain — wheat,  oats,  and  rye — was  the  prin- 
cipal industry  of  the  farmers,  though  considerable  attention 
was  also  paid  to  the  rearing  of  cattle.  Of  sheep  each 
farmer  tried  to  guard  a  few  against  the  wolves,  so  that  his 
wife  or  daughters  could  make  the  flannel  and  the  "  fulled 
cloth"  necessary  for  their  own  family. 

The  main  market  for  exports  was  at  Montreal,  by  way  of 
Lake  Champlain,  whither  were  transported  not  only  the 
surj)lus  grain  of  the  farmers  but  large  quantities  of  pot 
and  pearl  ashes,  made  from  the  timber  which  they  were  glad 
to  get  rid  of  in  order  to  clear  tlieir  land.  Potash,  in  fact, 
was  one  of  tiie  main  resources  of  the  pioneers ;  for  that, 
being  easy  of  transportation  in  proportion  to  its  value,  would 
always  bring  cash,  while  grain  could  sometimes  hardly  be 
sold  lor  enough  to  pay  the  cost  of  freight. 

There  was  also  a  local  market  at  Lansingburg  (for  Troy 
was  not  yet  in  existence),  where  small  sales  and  purchases 
were  made,  especially  in  the  winter,  when  Lake  Champlain 
was  closed  by  ice.  Occasionally,  too,  some  old-fashioned 
man  would  take  a  sleigh-load  of  produce  or  drive  a  drove 
of  cattle  overland  to  Boston,  in  accordance  with  the  habit 
of  a  .still  earlier  day,  but  this  was  very  seldom.  The  main 
travel  being  northward  to  Montreal  and  southward  to  Lan- 
singburg, the  three  great  roads  running  north  and  south 
through  the  county  frequently  showed  in  winter  a  long 
procession  of  teams  going  to  market  with  produce  and  re- 
turning with  salt,  hardware,  and  other  purchased  articles. 


Shout  and  song  enlivened  the  way,  and  now  and  then  one 

of  the  foremost  drivers  would  produce  a  jug  of  whisky,  re- 
spectfully salute  it  with  upturned  lips,  and  then  set  it  in  the 
snow  beside  the  road,  where  each,  as  lie  passed,  would  seize 
it,  draw  his  rations,  and  again  deposit  the  precious  utensil 
in  the  snow. 

The  general  lic|uor-driiiking  proclivities  have  been  men- 
tioned before.  It  is  said  that  there  were  from  ten  to  fifteen 
taverns  in  the  town  of  Salem  alone,  besides  several  other 
places  where  liquor  was  sold,  and  a  distillery,  where  a  dipper 
always  hung  beside  the  still,  and  where  whisky  was  as  free 
as  cider  at  a  cider-mill.  Doubtless,  however,  this  constant 
drinking,  though  sufficiently  injurious,  was  not  as  harmful 
as  it  would  now  be,  because  the  drinkers  were  nearly  all 
devoted  to  hard,  out-door,  manual  labor,  and  they  "  worked 
off"  a  good  portion  of  the  liquor  so  freely  imbibed. 

Most  of  the  teams  which  then  drove  over  the  road  had 
harnesses  with  rope  traces,  harnesses  entirely  of  leather 
being  reserved  for  the  aristocracy ;  in  fact,  it  was  a  sign  of 
a  man's  being  in  pretty  good  circumstances  if  he  even 
owned  a  horse-team.  Probably  a  majority  of  the  farmers 
had  nothing  but  oxen,  and  tho.se  who  had  horses  used  them 
principally  for  the  road,  doing  their  farm-work  with  the 
more  humble  species  of  team.  As  for  pleasure-carriages, 
single  or  double,  there  was  hardly  one  in  the  county,  though 
possibly  in  two  or  three  villages  an  old-fashioned  chaise 
might  have  been  seen  rolling  leisurely  along  on  its  two 
wheels,  beneath  the  burden  of  some  ponderous  couple  too 
aged  for  horseback  riding. 

Nearly  all  the  traveling  by  men  on  business  was  done  on 
horseback,  and  the  women,  too,  of  the  better  class,  were 
all  at  home  on  the  side-saddle.  Even  the  one-horse  wagon 
was  an  unknown  institution.  While  the  poorer  cla.ss  of 
farmers  went  to  meeting  with  their  families  on  ox-carts,  one 
of  the  more  "  forehanded"  ones  would  on  Sunday  hitch  up 
his  horses  to  his  big  lumber-wagon,  take  his  wife  and  .six 
or  eight  children,  perhaps  fill  up  with  the  family  of  one  of 
his  poorer  neighbors,  and  drive  off  to  church  with  flying 
colors.  Sometimes,  however,  when  the  family  consisted 
only  of  a  young  married  couple,  the  man  would  bestride 
his  saddle,  the  wife  would  seat  herself  behind  him  on  a 
pillion,  and  thus  in  proper  state  they  would  make  their 
way  to  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

Toll-bridges  were  then  quite  numerous.  There  was  one 
over  the  Hudson  at  Sandy  Hill,  another  at  Fort  Miller, 
and  another  at  Schuylerville ;  also  one  over  the  Iloosic, 
long  known  as  FJagle  bridge. 

The  wild  animals  were  still  plentiful,  especially  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county.  Sheep  had  to  be  carefully 
folded  for  fear  of  the  wolves,  and  it  was  not  uncommon  for 
a  bear  to  scramble  into  a  badly-constructed  hog-pen,  seize  a 
convenient-sized  young  shote  by  the  back  of  the  neck,  and 
trot  off  with  him  into  the  woods,  as  a  cat  does  with  a 
kitten  ;  always  provided  that  the  squeals  of  the  captured 
animal  did  not  bring  out  the  pioneer  with  his  rifle  to  put 
an  end  to  the  ursine  exploit.  Occasionally,  too,  the  shriek 
of  the  panther,  fiercest  of  American  beasts,  was  heard  at 
the  edge  of  a  clearing,  when  mothei's  hastily  gathered  their 
children  together,  and  shuddered  at  thought  of  the  terrible 
danger  nigh. 


70 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


To  get  rid  of  these  numerous  unpleasant  visitors,  espe- 
cially the  wolves,  the  people  were  in  the  habit  of  forming 
great  circles  several  miles  in  extent,  and  moving  steadily 
forward  towaids  the  centre,  shooting  at  every  animal  they 
saw.  Sometimes  an  unguarded  place  in  the  circle  per- 
mitted the  beasts  to  escape,  but  usually  there  was  quite  an 
extensive  slaughter.  One  of  the  last  and  most  successful 
of  these  circle-hunts  was  directed  against  Kingsbury  swamp 
in  the  very  first  year  of  this  century.  As  other  sections 
had  been  cleared  up  and  hunted  out,  the  wild  animals  had 
retreated  to  this  extensive  tangled  marsh  as  to  their  last 
fortress. 

The  proper  arrangements  having  been  duly  made  before- 
hand, early  one  summer  morning,  when  the  swamp  was 
comparatively  dry,  the  farmers  and  villagers  assembled 
from  far  and  near,  armed  with  rifles,  muskets,  and  fowling- 
pieces,  and  plentifully  provided  with  ammunition.  A  cap- 
tain and  the  necessary  subordinates  were  elected,  and  a  li.st 
of  signals  and  a  code  of  rules  were  duly  promulgated. 
Then,  under  the  direction  of  the  officers,  the  circle  was 
carefully  formed,  and  at  a  preconcerted  signal  the  men  ad- 
vanced into  the  swamp.  IMoving  forward  as  rapidly  as  the 
tangled  undergrowth  would  permit,  they  soon  began  to 
rouse  up  some  of  their  victims.  Deer  sprang  from  their 
lairs,  and  darted  away  towards  the  centre  of  the  covert, 
some  falling  before  the  weapons  of  the  hunters,  while  now 
and  then  an  old  buck  would  make  a  bold  dash  through  the 
circle,  and  gain  the  freedom  of  the  distant  hills  of  Fort 
Ann. 

Still  onward  pressed  the  hunters,  and  at  length  they 
began  to  see  the  gray-backed  sheep-eaters,  the  especial 
object  of  their  search.  These,  too,  retreated  toward  the 
centre.  The  circular  skirmish-line  grew  closer.  The  firing 
was  almost  incessant,  but  it  was  only  at  long  intervals  that 
a  wolf  was  slain,  when  shouts  of  triumph  burst  from  a 
hundred  throats,  resembling  the  scalp-yell  which  erstwhile 
rose  in  these  same  forests  over  many  a  human  victim. 

Wolves  and  deer  were  now  intermixed,  and  for  the  time 
forgot  their  mutual  antipathy  in  the  common  fear  of  a 
more  deadly  foe.  More  and  more  frequent  grew  the  shots 
of  rifle  and  musket  and  fowling-piece.  More  and  more 
frequently  some  of  the  inclosed  animals  dashed  through 
the  circle  and  made  their  escape  ;  more  and  more  common 
became  the  shouts  of  triumph  over  the  slain.  At  length 
the  centre  is  reached  amid  a  grand  fusillade  of  excited 
sportsmen,  a  frantic  scattering  of  still  surviving  animals, 
and  a  tremendous  chorus  of  yells  that  would  have  rejoiced 
the  heart  of  Marin  or  St.  Luc  de  la  Corne. 

On  counting  the  slain  eleven  wolves  were  found, — a 
most  extraordinary  yield, — together  with  deer  and  other 
smaller  animals  too  numerous  or  too  insignificant  for  record. 
Many  of  the  wolves  which  escaped  were  doubtless  wounded, 
and  the  rest  were  badly  demoralized.  In  fact,  they  were 
sick  of  the  country.  Most  of  them  made  their  way  to 
join  their  comrades  in  the  mountains  of  Dresden  and 
Putnam ;  and  the  central  and  southern  portions  of  the 
county  were  never  afterwards  infested  by  these  midnight 
assassins  to '  anything  like  the  same  extent  as  before.  It 
was  by  no  means  uncommon,  however,  for  one  of  them  to 
come  down  out  of  the  hills,  run  riot  in  two  or  three  flocks 


of  sheep,  slaughtering  and  sucking  the  blood  of  a  dozen  or 
more,  hardly  stopping  to  taste  the  flesh  of  the  slain,  and 
then  escaping  unharmed  to  his  rocky  fastness.  Fox®, 
too,  frequently  killed  young  lambs  as  remorselessly  as  they 
would  so  many  chickens,  and,  taking  it  altogether,  the 
business  of  raising  sheep  in  Washington  county  was  a 
decidedl}'  precarious  one  for  a  considerable  time,  even  in 
the  present  century. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


1800  TO  1861. 


A  Peaceful  Era — Greenwich — Another  Court-IIouse — Turnpikes- 
Dresden — Fort  Ann — The  County  Clerk's  Office — Sheep-raising — 
First  Memoirs — An  E.vpcnsive  Experiment — Frame  Houses — War 
of  1S12 — General  Apathj— Flax-culture — Premium  for  Woolen 
Cloth — A  Curious  Tribunal — Warren  County  formed — Prospect  of 
Invasion — Militia  called  out — Queer  Stories — A  Regiment  on  the 
Lake — News  of  Victory — White  Cr.eek  and  Jackson — The  Champ- 
lain  Canal — Its  Completion — General  Improvement — The  Stage- 
Coach  Era — Some  Distinguished  Men — The  Wool  Business  again 
— Population  at  various  Periods — Progress  of  Improvement — 
Plank-Roads— The  First  Railroad— Approach  of  War. 

Wf,  have  now  passed  the  old  Indian  period,  the  Revolu- 
tionary period,  and  the  pioneer  period,  in  the  existence  of 
Washington  county.  Henceforth,  for  sixty  years,  our  steps 
will  be  along  the  beaten  path  of  our  more  prosaic  modern 
life,  and  we  can  therefore  advance  with  much  more  rapidity. 
Another  thing  that  will  facilitate  the  progress  of  this  gen- 
eral history  is  the  fact  that  the  town  histories,  and  the 
numerous  sketches  there  given  of  churches,  lodges,  manu- 
factures, etc.,  will  give  the  reader  a  better  idea  of  the  later 
development  of  the  county  than  any  mere  general  account 
that  we  could  compile. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1803,  the  town  of  Greenwich 
was  formed  from  the  southern  part  of  Argyle.  The  next 
year  was  marked  by  the  beginning  of  a  court-house  at  Sandy 
Hill.  The  law  providing  for  its  erection  was  pas.sed  on  the 
20th  day  of  March,  1804,  and  directed  that  it  should  be 
built  within  half  a  mile  of  the  house  of  Daniel  Cook  in 
the  town  of  Kingsbury.  It  was  not  completed  until  1806. 
It  was  a  plain,  rectangular  two-story  frame  building,  about 
thirty-five  feet  by  forty,  and  is  still  standing,  in  a  fair  state 
of  preservation,  near  where  it  was  originally  erected. 

During  the  next  few  years,  the  most  noticeable  improve- 
ment was  in  regard  to  the  roads  ;  numerous  turnpikes  being 
built  iu  various  parts  of  the  county  during  the  first  decade 
of  this  century.  The  most  important  was  the  Waterford 
and  Whitehall  turnpike.  The  company  was  incorporated 
in  March,  180G,  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  road  was  built  soon  after.  It  was 
sixty  miles  long,  and  crossed  the  Hudson  into  this  county 
at  Fort  Miller,  running  thence  by  way  of  Fort  Edward 
and  Fort  Ann  to  Whitehall.  Other  turnpikes  of  the  period 
were  the  "  Whitehall  and  Granville,"  the  "  Whitehall  and 
Fair  Haven,"  the  "  Mitchell  and  Shaftsbury,"  and  the 
"East  Salem."  All  have  ceased  to  take  toll  except  the 
Whitehall  and  Granville. 

On  the  28th  of  February,  1806,  the  long,  mountainous 
peninsula  lying  between  Lake  Champlaiu  and  Lake  George 


HISTOHY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


71 


was  severed  from  Westfield  and  formed  into  a  new  town, 
to  which  was  very  properly  given  the  name  of  the  sturdy 
warrior  who  had  so  often  coasted  along  its  shores  and  trav- 
ersed with  wary  steps  its  rock-bound  ridges.  The  town  of 
Putnam,  as  then  organized,  contained  not  only  the  territory 
wliich  now  bears  that  name,  but  also  the  present  town  of 
Dresden. 

With  even  greater  appropriatcne.ss,  on  the  sixth  day  of 
April,  1808,  the  unmeaning  name  of  We.stfield  was  changed 
for  the  historic  one  of  Fort  Ann.  It  is  only  to  be  regretted 
that  the  same  law  did  not  provide  some  condign  punishment 
for  every  reckless  mortal  who  should  dare  to  spell  the  name 
derived  from  Queen  Anne  in  any  other  way  than  A,  double 
n,  e;  but  it  did  not,  and  time  has  now  sanctified  our  fore- 
fathers' blunder,  probably  beyond  the  hope  of  remedy. 

Notwith.standing,  or  rather  becau.se,  there  were  twocounty- 
seats,  the  county  clerk's  office  had  not  been  located  at  either 
one  of  them.  In  fact,  after  it  left  Salem  it  had  been  kept 
wherever  the  county  clerk  happened  to  reside.  But  in  1806 
an  end  was  put  to  its  peregrinations,  by  a  law  which  located 
it  permanently  "  within  one-half  mile  of  the  house  of  Peleg 
Bragg,  in  the  town  of  Argylc ;"  the  person  named  being 
a  noted  tavern-keeper  of  that  period  and  locality.  Peleg 
Bragg  has  long  since  passed  away,  but  the  county  clerk's 
office  of  Washington  county  is  still  kept  within  half  a  mile 
of  the  point  where  his  house  stood  in  180G. 

We  now  turn  -our  attention  to  a  branch  of  agricultural 
industry  which  up  to  this  period  had  been  little  regarded, 
but  which  has  since  become  one  of  the  most  important  in 
the  county ;  we  refer  to  the  raising  of  sheep.  For  the  facts 
relating  to  this  subject  we  are  indebted  to  Dr.  Fiteh's  ad- 
mirable "  Survey  of  Washington  County."  Throughout 
the  last  century,  as  already  stated,  the  farmers  raised  only 
sheep  enough  to  supply  their  families  with  home-made 
clothing, — and  they  thought  themselves  lucky  if  they  could 
circumvent  the  wolves  with  sufficient  shrewdness  to  do  that. 
The  few  that  were  raised  were  long-legged  animals  with 
light,  coarse  fleeces,  and  were  inveterate  rovers  over  hill  and 
dale.  Their  principal  good  quality  was  the  hardiness  with 
which  they  withstood  the  severities  and  changes  of  this 
variant  climate. 

But  during  the  first  years  of  this  century  the  wolves 
were  pretty  well  thinned  out,  and  at  the  same  time  a  few 
manufactures  began  to  spring  up  in  this  country,  aflPording 
a  market  for  wool,  while  through  the  efforts  of  Chancellor 
Livingston  a  beginning  was  made  in  the  importation  of  fine- 
wooled  sheep.  The  first  cross  of  the  common  sheep  of  the 
country  was  with  an  English  variety,  which  produced  a  great 
improvement,  the  fleece  being  heavier  than  that  of  either 
parent,  and  the  mutton  being  more  plentiful  and  of  equally 
good  quality.  The  change,  too,  immediately  obliterated  the 
roving  propensities  of  the  common  breed. 

The  first  merino  sheep  iu  Washington  county  were 
brought  into  the  present  town  of  White  Creek  (then  Cam- 
bridge) in  1809.  The  next  year  a  flock  was  begun  in 
Salem,  and  the  great  value  set  on  these  wonderful  exotics 
is  shown  by  a  contract  made  between  Alexander  McNish, 
of  that  town,  and  Piobert  Prince,  a  merchant  of  New  York. 
By  that  contract,  in  consideration  of  Mr.  I'rince's  furnish- 
ing a  merino  buck  and  two  ewes,  Mr.  McNish  agreed  to 


furnish  a  hundred  common  ewes,  and  bear  the  whole  ex- 
pense of  keeping  and  taking  care  of  the  flock  for  seven 
years ;  the  common  ewes  to  be  divided  equally  at  the  end 
of  the  first  year,  the  buck  lambs  and  wool  to  be  equally 
divided  every  year,  and  the  flock  to  be  equally  divided  at 
the  end  of  the  seven  years.  Still  it  was  not  strange  that 
Mr.  Prince  wanted  a  pretty  good  bargain,  since  his  three 
merinos  cost  him  eighteen  hundred  dollars.    . 

There  was  a  strong  prejudice  against  the  new-comers 
among  many  of  the  old-fashioned  farmers.  It  was  feared 
that  they  would  cause  a  great  degeneration  of  the  hardy 
native  sheep,  and  one  of  Mr.  McNi.sh's  neighboi-s  threat- 
ened to  shoot  that  gentleman's  merino  buck,  if  ever  found 
trespassing  on  the  threatcner's  land.  In  fact  there  was  some 
reason  for  the  fears  so  decidedly  expressed,  for  the  half-grade 
lambs  died  by  the  score,  so  that  from  a  hundred  ewes  Mr. 
McNish  only  saved  sixteen  lambs  the  first  year.  It  required 
many  expensive  and  care-burdened  years  to  acclimate  the 
merino  sheep  in  the  United  States,  but  when  once  the  task 
was  accomplished  the  benefits  were  immense.  Further 
reference  will  be  made  to  the  wool-growing  interests  of  Wash- 
ington county. 

By  1812  frame  houses  were  rapidly  taking  the  place  of 
log  ones  on  all  the  principal  roads,  and  the  landscape  was 
widely  assuming  the  characteristics  of  civilization.  In  June 
of  that  year  war  was  declared  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain  ;  but  so  completely  had  the  condition  of 
Washington  and  the  adjoining  counties  been  changed,  that 
whereas  they  had  once  formed  the  great  war-path  and  battle- 
ground of  the  continent,  they  now  scarcely  felt  the  shock 
of  the  conflict.  A  few  of  the  young  men  enlisted  in  the 
regular  or  volunteer  service,  and  a  few  more  were  occasion- 
ally called  to  the  frontier  in  the  militia ;  but  there  was 
neither  the  intense  interest  caused  by  the  actual  presence 
of  foreign  and  savage  foemen,  as  in  the  Revolution,  nor 
the  grand  enthusiasm  which  inspired  the  loyal  North 
during  the  late  struggle  for  the  existence  of  the  nation. 
The  War  of  1812  was  a  dreary,  dragging,  driveling  con- 
test, marked  alike  by  the  extreme  apathy  of  the  people 
and  the  extraordinary  imbecility  of  the  administration. 
Occasional  bodies  of  troops  were  seen  marching  northward 
over  the  old  war-path,  but  no  considerable  armies. 

But  while  the  military  history  of  Washington  county 
in  the  War  of  1812  was  very  slight,  that  contest  had 
a  marked  effect  on  its  industrial  progress.  Flax,  like  wool, 
had  previously  been  produced  only  in  small  quantities,  such 
as  could  be  manufactured  by  the  "  little  wheel"  and  the 
loom  of  each  family  ;  every  farmer  usually  sowing  a  few 
square  rods.  In  May,  1812,  when  the  country  was  pr(?- 
paring  for  the  war  which  was  declared  the  next  month, 
and  when  prices  were  rising  in  consequence,  Mr.  James 
Whiteside,  of  Candjridge,  sowed  three  acres  in  flax.  All 
his  neighbors  were  astonished,  and  predicted  that  the  labor 
of  raising  and  dressing  it  would  be  so  great  as  to  more 
than  use  up  any  price  which  could  be  obtained. 

But  the  value  still  continued  to  rise,  and  tlie  dressed 
flax  was  sold  for  eighteen  and  three-fourths  cents  per 
pound.  As  this  gave  a  handsome  profit,  several  of  Mr. 
Whiteside's  neighbors  embarked  in  the  same  business,  and 
flax-raising  soon   became    an    important    industry   in    the 


72 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


southern  part  of  Washington  county.  Even  when  prices 
went  down  after  the  war  it  was  still  found  profitable,  and 
attained  a  magnitude  of  no  slight  importance. 

The  woolen  manufacture  also  continued  to  flourish. 
Under  a  State  law  of  the  period  a  premium  of  forty  dollars 
wa.s  paid  in  1813  to  Scott  Woodworth,  of  Cambridge,  for 
the  best  woolen  cloth  made  in  the  county,  and  another  of 
thirty-five  dollars  to  Adam  Cleveland,  of  Salem,  for  the 
second  best.  The  next  year  the  first  premium  was  carried 
off  by  Alexander  McNish,  and  the  second  by  Reuben 
Wheeler,  both  of  Salem.  The  law  vested  the  power  of 
awarding  the  prizes  in  the  judges  of  the  common  pleas  in 
each  county ;  rather  a  curious  tribunal,  we  should  now 
think,  to  perform  such  a  duty.  It  sliould  be  remembered, 
however,  that  at  that  time  the  "judges"  were  nearly  all 
farmers,  bu.siness  men,  etc.,  and  perhaps  as  competent  to 
decide  on  the  value  of  woolen  cloth  as  any  other  five  men 
in  the  county. 

On  the  12th  day  of  March,  181.S,  the  county  of  Warren 
was  erected.  This  reduced  the  area  of  Washington  county 
to  the  limits  which  it  has  ever  since  retained.  It  also 
brought  the  eastern  county-seat,  at  Sandy  Hill,  within  a 
mile  of  the  county  line ;  but,  as  the  court-house  was  al- 
ready built,  the  location  has  been  able  to  hold  its  ground 
against  all  rivals  ever  since. 

In  August,  1814,  there  was  a  genuine  excitement  in  re- 
gard to  the  war,  and  the  militia  were  ordered  out  en  masse 
to  resist  the  threatened  invasion  by  General  Sir  George 
Provost,  by  way  of  Plattsburg.  As  has  previously  been 
stated,  we  were  a  very  military  people  in  the  sense  of  hav- 
ing numerous  regiments  of  militia  throughout  the  country. 
There  were  three  or  four  in  this  county  alone.  These 
were  all  called  out ;  and  all  responded,  so  far  as  to  turn  out 
with  a  greater  or  less  number  of  men,  and  turn  their  faces 
towards  Plattsburg.  There  are  .some  queer  stories  told, 
however,  regarding  their  movements,  which  tend  to  show 
that  the  .so-often  vaunted  .superiority  of  "the  good  old 
times"  did  not  extend  to  military  valor.  Tradition  stoutly 
asserts  that  one  battalion  occupied  twelve  days  in  marching 
from  its  place  of  organization  to  Whitehall  ;  but  that,  on 
hearing  there  that  the  battle  had  been  fought,  it  only  took 
them  one  day  to  march  back  again.  Of  an  eminent  general 
of  the  period  it  is  said  that  he  mistook  the  stern  for  the 
prow  of  his  vessel,  and  went  the  wrong  way  on  Lake 
Ciiamplain,  when  he  heard  the  cannon  at  Plattsburg.  It 
must  be  said,  however,  that  not  only  were  the  militia 
freshly  drawn  from  their  fields,  entirely  unversed  in  war, 
but  that  they  were  often  unprovided  with  arms  or  ammu- 
nition, without  which  it  would  be  difiicult  for  any  one  to 
fight.. 

One  of  the  regiments  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  county 
was  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  McClary,  of 
Salem  (there  being  no  colonel  of  militia  at  that  time);  but 
Major  William  Root,  of  Hebron,  was  the  ofiicer  in  actual 
command  when  it  was  called  out.  It  rendezvoused  at  West 
Hebron,  marched  thence  to  Sandy  Hill,  and  thence  to 
Whitehall.  The  latter  point  was  the  general  rendezvous 
for  all  this  section  of  the  country,  as  it  had  also  been  for 
McDonough's  fleet. 

The  regiment  just  mentioned,  of  whose  movements  we 


happen  to  know  from  Hon.  John  McDonald,  who  was  a 
member  of  it  (or,  rather,  who  went  with  it  of  his  own 
accord,  although  exempt  by  law  from  service  on  account  of 
his  being  a  student  in  an  incorporated  acaderayl,  sailed 
from  Whitehall  in  two  sloops  just  before  the  battle  of 
I'lattsburg.  Jlr.  jMoDonough  says  he  does  not  believe 
there  were  six  eflFective  muskets  in  the  regiment. 

The  arrangement  was  for  them  to  go  to  the  arsenal  at 
Burlington,  Vt.,  and  receive  arms,  and  thence  to  Platt.s- 
burg,  to  meet  the  enemy.  But  just  before  reaching  the 
former  place,  and  while  still  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  south 
of  Plattsburg,  the  thunder  of  cannon  was  heard  booming 
over  the  wave.  Crash  after  crash,  broadside  responded  to 
broadside,  and  the  raw  recruits  began  to  feel  as  if  they 
didn't  know  whether  they  were  in  such  a  very  great  hurry 
to  get  their  arms  or  not.  After  a  brief  but  evidently 
furious  combat,  the  warlike  sounds  ceased,  and  then  the 
soldiers  on  board  the  sloops  were  in  a  tremor  of  anxiety 
to  know  which  side  was  victorious.  If  the  British  had 
conquered  there  was  nothing  for  the  American  vessels  on 
the  lake  to  do  but  to  make  their  way  southward  with  all 
possible  speed. 

But  after  a  short  time  a  light  vessel  came  flying  up  the 
lake  with  all  sails  set,  and  horsemen  went  galloping  along 
the  shores  bearing  the  news  that  once  again  the  flag  of  the 
self-styled  mistress  of  the  seas  had  been  lowered  before  the 
upstart  Yankee  bunting.  In  every  war  in  which  America 
has  been  engaged  her  sailors  have  invariably  covered  them- 
selves with  glory,  and  in  the  War  of  1812  they  employed 
for  that  purpose  about  all  the  glory  there  was  in  the  market, 
leaving  very  little  of  that  splendid  raiment  for  the  use  of 
the  forces  on  land. 

Immediately  after  the  defeat  of  the  British  fleet,  the 
army  of  Sir  George  Provost  retreated  to  Canada,  and  so 
the  militia  were  allowed  to  return  home  and  relieve  the 
minds  of  anxious  women  and  children,  to  whom  the 
thought  of  British  invasion  still  brought  up  the  old  idea 
of  brutal  Hessians  and  murderous  Indians,  on  their  mission 
of  devastation  and  butchery. 

Just  after  the  close  of  the  war,  on  the  17th  of  April, 
1815,  the  town  of  White  Creek  was  formed  from  the  east 
side  of  Cambridge,  thus  becoming  the  southeastern  town 
of  the  county.  Its  appellation  is  derived  from  the  stream 
of  that  name,  which  forms  its  western  boundary  ;  but  as  has 
been  said,  it  has  caused  considerable  trouble  among  students 
of  the  early  history  of  the  county,  who  have  confounded 
it  with  the  old  "  White  Creek,"  which  for  nearly  a  hun- 
dred years  has  gone  by  the  name  of  Salem. 

Jackson  was  also  formed  from  Cambridge  about  the 
same  time,  lying  in  a  narrow  strip  between  Cambridge  and 
White  Creek  on  the  south,  and  Salem  on  the  north.  Its 
name,  of  course,  was  derived  from  the  hero  whose  exploit 
at  New  Orleans  was  one  of  the  few  redeeming  features  of 
the  War  of  1812. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  that  war,  a  very  vigorous 
eflbrt  was  made  to  improve  the  means  of  transportation  in 
this  State,  by  the  opening  of  canals  along  the  main  lines  of 
travel  and  freightage.  In  fact  some  movements  had  been 
made  in  that  direction  before  the  war,  but  were  abandoned 
at  the  commencement  of  hostilities.     On  the  return  of  peace, 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


73 


however,  the  desire  for  a  system  of  canals  awoke  with  re- 
newed energy,  and  under  the  zealous  leadership  of  De  Witt 
Clinton  it  soon  found  voice  in  legislative  enactments. 

One  of  the  very  first  canals  provided  for  by  law — stand- 
ing on  an  equality  in  respect  to  time  with  the  Erie  and  the 
Oswego — was  the  ChauipUiin  canal ;  the  law  for  the  con- 
.struction  of  which  was  passed  in  the  forepart  of  the  year 
1817.  Its  peaceful  course  followed  the  same  route  which 
had  so  often  been  followed  by  hostile  armies,  and  which 
was  selected,  though  not  used,  by  the  Northern  Inland 
Lock  Navigation  Company.  Beginning  at  the  Erie  canal, 
near  Cohoes,  the  line  crossed  the  Mohawk,  pa.ssed  up  the 
west  side  of  the  Hudson  to  Schuylcrville  ;  thence  crossed 
into  Washington  county  by  means  of  a  dam  seven  hun- 
dred feet  long  ;  thence  followed  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river  to  Fort  Edward.  There  it  left  the  river  and  ran 
northwestward  over  a  ridge  into  the  valley  of  Wood  creek, 
down  which  it  ran  (part  of  the  time  in  the  bed  of  the 
creek)  to  Whitehall,  where  it  united  with  Lake  Champlain. 
The  work  was  begun  on  the  10th  day  of  June,  1818. 

As  in  the  case  of  nearly  every  other  new  improvement, 
many  were  frightened  at  the  idea  of  a  canal.  It  would 
take  all  the  freight  business,  they  said,  and  what  would  be- 
come of  the  hundreds  of  men  who  gained  a  livelihood  during 
the  winter  by  drawing  produce  to  market  and  drawing 
freight  back  ?  And,  besides,  when  all  the  horses  were  taken 
off  the  road  the  price  of  oats  would  go  down  to  zero,  half- 
ruining  the  farmers.  But,  in  spite  of  these  and  other 
similar  forebodings,  the  canal  was  pushed  vigorously  for- 
ward. As  first  constructed  it  included  eleven  miles  of 
slack-water  navigation  on  the  Hudson, — three  miles  below 
and  eight  miles  above  Fort  Miller, — with  a  short  canal,  con- 
taining two  locks,  around  the  falls  at  that  place.  For  the 
distance  above  specified  the  tow-path  ran  along  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  river. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  1823,  the  whole  work  was 
completed  ;  this  being  two  years  before  the  completion  of 
the  Erie  canal,  and  the  Champlain  being  the  first  canal  of 
any  length  finished  in  the  State.  A  large  increase  of  busi- 
ness immediately  followed  ;  the  teamsters  found  pl(?nty  to 
do  in  drawing  freight  to  and  from  the  canal,  and  the  farmers 
were  not  ruined  by  the  fall  of  oats. 

At  this  period  (say  1820)  a  large  majority  of  the  log 
liouses  of  twenty  years  before  had  been  replaced  by  small 
frame  houses,  generally  unpainted,  though  on  the  by-roads 
many  a  log  cabin  sheltered  a  hardy  family  beneath  its 
humble  roof.  The  ordinary  farm-house  of  the  period,  of 
which  some  specimens  still  remain,  was  a  square  "  story 
and  a  lialf"  or  two-story  building,  standing  broadside  to 
the  road,  with  a  "  stack  of  chimneys"  in  the  middle  and  a 
kitchen  in  the  rear.  Probably  about  half  the  land  was 
cleared  up  at  this  time ;  nearly  all  the  valleys  and  level 
places  being  brought  into  a  state  of  cultivation,  while  a 
large  portion  of  the  hill-land  was  still  covered  by  the  pri- 
meval forest. 

The  farmers  still  n  de  to  church  in  their  lumber-wagons, 
and  the  doctors  invariably  visited  their  patients  on  horse- 
back. Hon.  E.  MeJIurray,  of  Salem,  informs  us  that  even 
as  late  as  1820  there  were  not  more  than  four  or  five  one- 
hor.sc,  four-wheeled  vehicles  in  that  town,  and  a  few  chaises. 
10 


There  was  still  a  great  deal  of  home-manufacturing.  Not 
only  were  fulled-eloth  and  flannel,  tow-cloth  and  linen, 
made  in  nearly  every  Airm-house,  but  hats,  caps,  and  shoes 
were  made  in  every  little  village  to  an  extent  now  unknown. 

The  main  roads  (especially  the  great  northern  turnjiike 
through  Cambridge,  Salem,  etc.,  and  the  road  along  the 
east  bank  of  the  Hudson)  were  now  more  than  ever  crowded 
with  teams,  fijrming  an  almost  endless  procession.  These, 
too,  were  the  days  of  the  stage-coach.  Every  daj',  over 
the  two  great  roads,  the  big  yellow  carriages  went  swinging 
along  with  every  seat  filled,  while  the  driver's  horn  re- 
sounded merrily  over  the  hills,  and  the  children  ran  lo  the 
door  to  see  the  stage  pass  by  with  as  much  interest  as  their 
parents  had  manifested  in  childhood  at  the  approach  of  the 
occasional  post-rider,  and  with  much  more  interest  than  is 
shown  by  the  youth  of  to-day  as  they  watch  the  long  train 
of  cars  which  the  screaming,  snorting  locomotive  drags  over 
the  plain. 

We  have  mentioned  befiire  the  remarkable  number  of 
State  senators  hailing  from  Washington  county  during  the 
first  thirty  or  forty  years  of  its  existence.  The  prominence 
of  the  county  was  by  no  means  confined  to  that  ofiice,  as  will 
be  seen  by  reference  to  the  civil  list  in  the  latter  part  of 
this  general  history.  It  will  be  seen  by  such  reference 
that,  from  1795  to  1843,  Washington  had  a  member 
of  Congress  twenty-two  out  of  twenty-six  terms,  besides 
furnishing  the  incumbents  of  several  important  State  offices. 

Most  of  them  are  left  to  be  mentioned  in  their  respective 
towns.  In  1823,  however,  a  citizen  of  this  county  was  ap- 
pointed to  one  of  the  two  highest  judicial  offices  in  the  State. 
We  refer  to  Hon.  John  Savage,  a  native  and  resident  of 
Salem,  who  held  the  office  of  chief-justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  from  1823  to  1837;  that  being  before  the  court 
of  appeals,  when  the  chief-justice  had  no  rival  in  judicial 
rank  except  the  chancellor.  Previous  to  being  appointed 
chief-justice  Mr.  Savage  had  for  two  years  been  comptroller 
of  the  State. 

In  this  connection  wc  may  mention  that  a  still  more  dis- 
tinguished jurist,  who  but  a  few  years  since  left  the  bench 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  Hon.  Samuel 
Nelson,  was  also  a  native  of  Washington  county  (town  of 
Hebron),  and  received  his  education  at  Salem  Academy, 
though  he  attained  his  celebrity  while  residing  in  another 
part  of  the  State. 

Hon.  Henry  C.  Martindale,  of  Sandy  Hill,  who  ei:tered 
Congress  in  1823,  was  likewise  a  gentleman  of  decided 
prominence  in  the  councils  of  the  State  and  nation.  lie 
held  a  seat  in  Congress  for  four  terms,  that  being  the  longest 
time  that  any  one  man  has  represented  this  county  in  the 
national  legislature.  It  was  an  evidence  of  very  marked 
abilities  and  popularity  in  the  recipient  of  the  honor,  as  it  is 
very  seldom  that  the  people  of  any  congressional  district, 
at  least  in  the  North,  choose  to  be  represented  for  eight 
years  by  the  same  person. 

In  1822  the  town  of  South  Bay  was  formed  from  Put- 
nam, on  the  15th  of  March.  The  name,  however,  did  not 
suit,  and  on  the  17th  of  the  succeeding  month  it  was 
changed  to  Dresden. 

In  1825  the  Erie  canal  was  finished,  and  the  people  of 
Washington  county  began  to  be  anxious  for  still  greater 


7-4 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,   NI]W   YORK. 


improvements  in  transportation.  De  Witt  Clinton,  then 
governor,  was  very  willing  to"  second  this  desire,  which 
chimed  with  his  favorite  hobby,  and  in  that  year  he  recom- 
mended to  the  Legislature  that  the  Hudson  should  be  made 
navigable  for  steamboats  to  Fort  Edward,  and,  what  is  more 
curious,  that  the  Batten  Kill  should  be  made  passable  for 
similar  craft  to  the  Vermont  line.  These  projects  failed, 
but  the  Champlain  canal  was  improved  by  abandoning  the 
slackwater  navigation,  and  constructing  a  channel  for  boats, 
independent  of  the  river,  all  the  way  from  opposite  Schuy- 
lerville  to  Fort  Edward.  This  improvement  was  begun  in 
1826  and  finished  in  1827. 

Meanwhile  the  production  of  wool  had  been  .steadily  in- 
creasing, and  in  1825  Isaac  Bishop,  of  Granville,  began 
buying  that  article  to  send  out  of  the  county,  the  average 
price  that  year  being  fifty-two  cents  a  pound.  The  business 
continued  to  increase,  and  for  thirty  years  wool-raising  was 
one  of  the  leading  industries  of  Washington  county ;  in 
fact  it  was  the  leading  industry,  so  far  as  the  obtaining  of 
ready  money  was  concerned.  Granville,  Salem,  Cambridge, 
and  one  or  two  other  points  became  so  favorably  known  as 
wool-markets  that  large  amounts  of  the  article  were  brought 
thither  to  be  sold  from  the  State  of  Vermont  and  from  tlie 
adjoining  counties  of  this  State. 

There  were,  of  course,  many  fluctuations  in  the  price, 
and  many  were  the  fortunes  lost  or  made  in  the  business. 
In  1825,  as  before  stated,  the  highest  price  was  fifty-two 
cents;  in  1827  it  had  fallen  to  thirty-six  cents;  in  1831  it 
ranged  from  sixty  to  seventy-eight  cents  for  common  grades, 
while  for  the  finest  merino  the  price  was  a  dollar  a  pound. 
In  1835  common  wool  sold  at  from  forty  to  sixty-five 
cents  per  pound,  while  the  best  quality  brought  eighty-three 
cents.  Great  excitement  was  manifested  at  this  period,  and 
the  .streets  of  the  villages  before  mentioned  were  thronged 
at  the  wool-selling  period  with  eager  buyers,  and  many  an 
industrious  farmer  or  enterprising  speculator  thought  he  was 
about  to  secure  unbounded  wealth  from  the  merinos  nur- 
tured on  the  slopes  of  the  Wa.shington  County  hills.  But 
the  excitement  went  down  with  many  others  of  that  inflated 
period,  and  though  wool-growing  continued  to  be  an  im- 
portant industry,  prices  never  rose  so  high  again  until  the 
great  ascension  caused  by  the  war.  In  1845,  some  grades 
went  down  as  low  as  twenty-five  cents. 

Few  and  brief  are  the  annals  of  an  agricultural  county 
in  a  time  of  profound  peace,  after  the  hardships  of  early 
settlement  have  been  passed  through,  and  when  no  great 
public  works  are  going  forward.  By  1840  the  population 
had  reached  very  near  its  present  limit,  being  then  forty-one 
thousand  and  eighty.  In  1850  it  was  forty-four  thousand 
Seven  hundred  and  fifty,  and  in  18G0  it  rose  to  forty-five 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  four. 

Another  change  came  over  the  appearance  of  the  faim- 
ers'  homes.  As,  during  the  first  quarter  of  the  century, 
the  old  log  houses  were  nearly  all  replaced  by  small  red  or 
brown  frame  dwellings,  so  during  the  succeeding  forty  years 
previous  to  the  civil  war  there  was  a  general  change  from  the 
latter  edifices  to  those  of  a  larger  and  handsomer  class. 
Sometimes  the  old  brown  cottage  was  renovated,  repainted, 
and  enlarged ;  sometimes  a  new  edifice  was  erected,  better 
suited    to  the  wealth  and  wants  of  a  younger  generation. 


The  farms,  too,  were  cleared  ofiT  and  improved  in  divers 
ways,  improved  cattle  as  well  as  sheep  were  introduced,  and 
the  whole  county  showed  a  marked  increase  in  wealth  but 
very  little  in  population.  What  increase  there  was,  in  the 
latter  respect,  was  almost  entirely  in  the  villages. 

In  1847  there  began  what  might  be  called  a  plank-road 
fever ;  it  sprang  up  and  spread  rapidly  over  a  large  part  of 
the  country.  Washington  county  was  as  zealous  as  other 
sections  in  securing  the  benefits,  more  or  less,  of  this  new 
aid  to  transportation.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  there 
were  built  and  put  in  operation  the  Whitehall  and  Hamp- 
ton plank-road  ;  the  Fort  Edward  and  Fort  Miller  plank- 
road  ;  the  Argyle  and  Fort  Edward  plank-road,  and  the 
Hartford  and  Sandy  Hill  plank-road.  The  two  last  are  still 
in  operation,  which  is  a  larger  proportion  than  is  usually 
seen  ;  all  the  plank-roads  in  many  counties  having  been 
worn  out  and  entirely  abandoned. 

Up  to  1848  there  had  been  no  railroad  in  Washington 
county.  The  Saratoga  and  Washington  railroad  company 
had  been  incorporated  on  the  2d  of  May,  1834,  with  a 
capital  of  §600,000,  and  the  company  had  been  fully  or- 
ganized on  the  20th  of  April,  1835.  But  the  financial 
crisis  of  1830  stopped  its  operations,  and  nothing  was  done 
in  this  county.  The  time  for  the  company  to  complete  the 
road  was  afterwards  extended  until  1850,  and  the  capital 
stock  was  increased  in  1847  to  $850,000.  They  began 
laying  the  track  in  April,  1848,  and  in  December  of  the 
same  year  the  road  was  completed  to  Whitehall.  The  same 
year  a  law  was  passed  permitting  the  company  to  extend  its 
road  to  the  Vermont  State  line,  which  was  soon  after  done. 

In  February,  1855,  a  mortgage  was  foreclosed,  the  road 
was  sold,  and  in  June  following  the  purchasers  formed  a 
new  company,  called  the  Saratoga  and  Whitehall  railroad 
company,  which  took  control  of  the  road.  The  name  of 
the  road  was  changed  to  correspond  with  that  of  the  com- 
pany. 

The  Troy  and  Rutland  railroad  company  was  organized 
on  the  6th  of  March,  1851.  A  road  was  surveyed  from 
Hoosic,  Rensselaer  Co.,  through  the  towns  of  Cambridge 
and  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  to  the  village  of  Salem ; 
work  was  pushed  rapidly  forward,  and  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1852,  it  was  opened  for  use.  It  was  leased  by  the  Rutland 
and  Washington  road,  running  from  Salem  to  Rutland,  Vt., 
until  1855,  when  it  was  put  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and 
run  in  connection  with  the  Albany  Northern.  Its  .situation 
since  the  war  will  be  mentioned  in  the  twentieth  chapter. 

Thus,  engrossed  in  peaceful  avocations  and  enterprises,  the 
people  continued  the  even  tenor  of  their  way  until,  in  the 
winter  of  1861  and  '62,  they  were  startled  by  the  ominous 
niutterings  of  coming  war,  rolling  up  from  the  south.  Angry 
and  astonished,  they  awaited  the  course  of  events,  scarcely 
believing  it  possible  that  the  wicked  and  suicidal  attack  on 
the  life  of  the  nation,  which  appeared  to  be  imminent, 
could  really  be  nuidc  by  men  in  a  state  of  even  partial 
sanity. 

When  the  storm  burst  on  the  14th  day  of  April,  1861, 
the  .sons  of  Washington  county  responded  as  promptly  to 
the  call  of  their  country,  and  served  as  valorously  in  the 
field,  as  did  those  of  any  other  in  all  the  land.  In  the  fol- 
lowing pages  wo  have  endeavored  to  give  our  readers  some 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON'    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


faint  idea  of  the  liavdships  undergone,  and  the  services  per- 
formed, by  these  gallant  defenders  of  their  country.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  city  nor  very  lars;e 
yillage  to  serve  as  a  centre  of  action,  and  that  the  influence 
dyen  of  a  county-seat  was  divided  betwee'n  two  jjlaces,  the 
yoilog  men  in  different  parts  of  the  county  generally  joined 
regiments  of  which  a  majority  belonged  in  other  counties. 
Among  all  the  thousands  of  volunteers  which  Washington 
county  sent  into  the  service  of  the  country,  there  was  only 
one  distinctively  Washington-county  regiment.  One  regi- 
ment had  four  companies  from  this  county,  another  three, 
and  several  had  but  one  company,  or  part  of  a  company, 
each.  This  has  made  it  extremely  difficult  to  ascertain 
the  flicts  regarding  the  services  performed,  except  in  the 
case  of  the  r23d  Regiment.  In  some  cases,  not  a  single 
representative  could  be  found  remaining  in  the  county 
of  a  regiment  which  once  contained  quite  a  number  of 
Washington-county  soldiers ;  in  other  cases,  only  one  or 
two  members  are  left.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  have 
gathered  up  the  meagre  details  as  best  we  could ;  being 
desirous  to  do  all  in  our  power  to  give  due  honor  to  the 
gallant  soldiers  of  Washington  county,  and  being  fortunate 
in  having  a  very  complete  account  of  the  distinctively 
Washington-county  regiment  from  the  pen  of  its  former 
adjutant. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

REGIMENTS  EAISED   IN    1861. 

The  22d  Infantry— The  Washington  County  Companies— A  Balti- 
more Mob— The  Right  of  the  Whole  Line— Second  Battle  of  Bull 
Run — Severe  Loss — Death  of  McCoy,  Milliman,  Lendrum,  and 
Beattie — South  Mountain  and  Antietam — Fredericksburg — Official 
Changes— Chancellorsville— Muster  Out— The43d  Infantry— Com- 
pany F — The  Peninsuliir  Campaign — Loss  of  Half  its  Number — 
Antietam,  Chancellorsville,  etc. — A  Half-Dozcn  return  Home — 
The  44th  Infantry— Its  Services— The  S7th  Infantry— Company  A, 
from  Dresden  and  Putnam — Battles,  Losses,  and  Consolidation — 
The  93d  Infantry — Three  Companies  from  Washington  Count3- — 
At  Yorktown — Capture  of  Colonel  and  Major — Acting  as  Provost 
and  Headquarter  Guard  for  a  Year  and  a  Half.  The  Wilderness 
— Great  Number  Killed  and  Wounded — The  succeeding  Battles — 
Before  Petersburg — Mustered  Out — The  9Gth  Infantry — Company 
E,  of  Washington  County— On  the  Peninsula— Services  in  North 
Carolina — Desperate  Valor  at  Cold  Harbor — The  Siege  and  Tri- 
umph— Provost-Guard  until  1866 — Officers  of  Company  E — The 
2d  Cavalry — Company  A,  from  Salem — Stationed  at  Washington 
—The  Harris  Light  Cavalry— Company  E,  of  Fort  Edward— Cap- 
ture of  Falmouth — Second  Bull  Run — Kilpatriok's  Raid — Br.andy 
Station  and  Aldie— The  Dahlgren  Raid— AVilh  Sheridan  in  the 
Valley — Five  Forks. 

The  first  regiment  from  this  section  was  the  22d  New 
York  Infantry;  of  which  four  companies  were  raised  in 
Washington  county,  one  in  Rensselaer,  two  in  Warren,  and 
three  in  Essex.  Nearly  all  the  towns  in  the  county  were 
represented,  but  the  points  of  organization  of  the  four  com- 
panies were  as  follows  :  Co.  B,  Fort  Edward ;  Co.  D,  Cam- 
bridge; Co.  G,  Whitehall;  Co.  H,  Sandy  Hill. 

Early  in  June,  18G1,  the  various  companies  were  marched 
to  Troy,  where,  on  the  sixth  day  of  that  month,  they  were 
organized  into  the  22d  Regiment.  Walter  Piielps,  of  War- 
ren  county,  was  the   first  colonel  ;   Gordon    F.  Thomas,  of 


Essex,   the  lieutenant-colonel ;  and  John  McKie,  Jr.,  of 
Cambridge,  Washington  county,  the  major. 

The  officers  rf  the  Washington -county  companies  were 
as  follows  : 

Co.  B. — Robert  E.  McCoy,  captain  ;  Duncan  Lendrum, 
first  lieutenant;  James  W.  McCoy,  second  lieutenant. 

Oimpany  D. — Henry  S.  Milliman,  captain  ;  Thomas  B. 
Fisk,  first  lieutenant;  Robert  Rice,  second  lieutenant. 

Cumpani/  G. — Edmund  Boynton,  captain  ;  succeeded  by 
Benjamin  G.  Mosher  before  muster;  Duncan  Cameron, 
first  lieutenant. 

Compaitij  A. — Thomas  J.  Strong,  captain  ;  William  A. 
Piersons,  first  lieutenant ;  Matthew  S.  Teller,  second  lieu- 
tenant. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July  the  regiment  set  out  for  the 
seat  of  war.  On  the  28th  of  that  mouth,  while  pa.ssing 
through  Baltimore,  they  were  attacked  by  a  mob  of  the 
secessionists  of  that  city.  Stones  were  hurled  furiously  at 
the  column  of  soldiers,  guns  and  pistols  were  fired,  and  one 
of  the  men  of  the  22d  fell  dead, — the  first  sacrifice  of  the 
regiment  to  the  spirit  of  rebellion.  The  22d  opened  a 
return  fire,  several  members  of  the  mob  fell  wounded,  and 
the  regiment  pas.sed  on  without  further  interference. 

The  22d  was  stationed  in  Washington  at  the  time  of  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  crossed  to  Arlington  Heights 
immediately  afterwards.  During  the  succeeding  autuum 
and  winter  it  was  stationed  at  Upton  Heights,  being  a  part 
of  the  1st  Brigade  and  1st  Division  in  the  1st  (McDowcH'-s) 
Army  Corps.  In  that  brigade  the  14th  New  York  (of 
Brooklyn)  had  the  right  of  the  line,  and  the  22d  stood 
next ;  so  that  it  was  a  subject  of  remark  that  if  all  the 
armies  of  the  United  States  had  been  drawn  up  in  line — 
extending  more  than  a  hundred  miles — those  two  battalions 
would  have  occupied  the  extreme  right  of  them  all. 

In  the  spring  of  18G2  the  22d  marched  with  the  rest 
of  McDowell's  Corps  to  Fredericksburg,  being  the  first 
Union  troops  to  enter  that  city.  When  Stonewall  Jackson 
was  operating  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  the  corps  made  a 
long  and  rapid  march  to  Front  Royal,  only  to  find  that 
ubiquitous  warrior  far  on  his  way  to  Richmond.  They 
then  returned  to  Fredericksburg,  where  they  remained 
till  August.  They  then  marched  to  Cedar  Mountain,  and 
returned  from  there  to  Rappahannock  Station.  Thence 
the  corps  proceeded  northward  to  join  Pope,  and  on  the 
29th  day  of  August  the  22d  was  engaged  in  its  first  serious 
fight, — the  bloody  conflict  commonly  known  as  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run. 

The  regiment  under  consideration  was  in  the  reserve 
division,  and  wa.s  not  engaged  on  the  first  day  of  the  battle 
(the  28th),  nor  on  the  second  day  (the  29th)  until  about 
two  hours  before  sunset.  Scarcely  had  they  opened  Arc, 
when  the  foe,  having  already  broken  through  McDowell's 
line,  came  pouring  in  immense  numbers  upon  the  right  flank 
of  the  1st  Division,  and  crushing  it  up  with  resistless  force. 
The  22d  strove  desperately,  but  in  vain,  to  resist  the  over- 
whelming tide.  The  dead  and  wounded  fell  by  the  score. 
]jieut.-Col.  Thomas  was  mortally  wounded  while  gallantly 
leading  his  men.  Major  McKie  was  wounded.  Capt. 
McCoy,  of  Co.  B,  when  hard  pressed  by  the  enemy, 
might   have  saved  his  life  by  surrendering,  but  continued 


76 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


to  fight  on,  and  soon  fell  dead  upon  the  field.  His  body 
was  found  the  next  day,  pierced  with  several  bullets. 
Capt.  MilIiinan,of  Co.  D,  was  mortally  wounded,  and  Lieut. 
Fisk,  of  the  same  company,  was  wounded. 

It  was  not  till  after  sunset  that  the  fighting  ceased. 
During  those  two  hours  of  battle  the  22d  lost  about  seventy 
men  killed,  and  had  four  times  as  many  wounded,  besides 
a  considerable  number  taken  prisoners. 

The  next  day  the  wearied  and  shattered  regiment  again 
took  part  in  the  conflict,  but  was  not  stationed  so  as  to  bear 
the  brunt  of  the  attack.  Many  of  its  members,  however, 
were  killed  or  wounded ;  among  the  former  being  Lieut. 
Lendrum,  of  Co.  B,  and  Lieut.  William  S.  Beattie,  of  Co. 
D,  and  among  the  latter,  Capt.  Cameron,  of  Co.  G.  and 
Lieut.  Teller,  of  Co.  H. 

When  all  was  over  the  22d  Regiment  had  only  about  a 
hundred  men  for  duty.  Capt.  Strong,  who  was  almost  the 
only  captain  left  unharmed,  reported  fourteen  men  for 
duty ;  and  some  of  the  companies  had  still  less. 

From  Bull  Run  the  feeble  battalion  marched  with  Pope's 
army  to  Washington,  and  then,  under  McClellan,  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  It  did 
not  suffer  severely,  however,  losing  but  a  few  men  in 
killed  and  wounded  at  South  Mountain,  and  still  less  at 
Antietam. 

At  this  period,  Maj.  McKie  was  commissioned  as  lieu- 
tenant-colonel in  place  of  Col.  Thomas,  and  Capt.  Clendon, 
of  Warren  county,  was  made  major. 

The  22d,  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  recruits  and 
by  the  return  of  some  of  its  wounded  to  duty,  marched 
with  Burnside  to  Fredericksburg  in  the  mud  and  snow  of 
November  and  December,  1862.  In  the  battle  at  that 
place  it  crossed  the  Rappahannock  river  below  the  town, 
with  the  rest  of  the  1st  Corps,  but  was  not  seriously  en- 
gaged, and  suffered  but  slight  loss.  Lieut.-Col.  McKie 
was  accidentally  wounded  at  Fredericksburg,  and  resigned 
his  commission  in  February,  1863,  as  did  Maj.  Clendon. 
Capt.  T.  J.  Strong  was  successively  commissioned  and  mus- 
tered as  major  and  lieutenant-colonel.  After  Burnside  was 
compelled  to  retreat  the  22d  remained  with  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  throughout  the  winter  and  early  spring. 

In  the  early  days  of  May,  1863,  the  depleted  battalion, 
with  feeble  ranks,  but  with  unbroken  spirits,  again  set  forth 
(or  Fredericksburg,  the  army  being  then  under  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  Hooker.  They  again  crossed  the  Rappa- 
hannock, and  were  under  some  artillery  fire  at  Chaneel- 
lorsviile;  but,  as  at  the  previous  battle  in  that  vicinity,  it 
chanced  that  they  were  not  in  a  dangerous  position,  and 
suffered  no  injury. 

Shortly  after  this  disastrous  conflict,  the  last  of  the  great 
Confederate  victories,  the  22d  returned  home,  and  was 
mustered  out  on  the  19th  of  June.  Hardly  a  quarter  of 
those  who  had  marched  forth  under  its  banners  in  the  early 
summer  of  1861  marched  homeward  in  June,  1863.  Bat- 
tle and  disaster  had  laid  many  in  the  grave.  Others  had 
been  discharged  on  account  of  wounds  or  sickness,  and 
some  still  lingered  in  rebel  prisons.  Numerous  changes 
had  taken  place  among  the  officers.  James  W.  McCoy  was 
now  captain  of  Co.  B  ;  Capt.  and  Brev.  Maj.  M.  S.  Teller 
was  in  command  of  Co.  H,  with  A.  Ilalleck  Holbrook  and 


Marshall  A.  Duers  as  lieutenants.  Duncan  Cameron  was 
captain  of  Co.  G,  and  Lucius  E.  Wilson  was  in  command 
of  Co.  D. 

When  the  war-worn  battalion  reached  Fort  Edward,  it 
was  received  with  a  grand  ovation  by  the  excited  people. 
A  similar  reception  greeted  them  at  Sandy  Hill  and  Glen's 
Falls  ;  and  then  the  first  companies  raised  in  Washington 
county  for  the  defense  of  the  national  life  were  dismissed 
to  their  long  unvisited  homes. 

FORTY-THIRD    INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  the  summer  of  1861,  in  the 
counties  of  Albany,  Montgomery,  New  York,  Otsego,  and 
Washington.  It  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice from  Aug.  20  to  Sept.  24,  1861.  The  only  portion 
of  the  regiment  from  Washington  county  was  Co.  F, 
which  was  raised  at  Sandy  Hill  and  vicinity.  The  first 
ofiicers  were  James  C.  Rogers,  captain ;  Geo.  B.  Culver,  first 
lieutenant;  and  John  W.  Wilkinson,  second  lieutenant. 

After  being  mustered  in,  the  regiment  went  to  Washington, 
and  remained  camped  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "  Chain  Bridge" 
until  the  spring  of  1862.  It  then  proceeded  with  McClel- 
lan (in  Hancock's  Brigade)  to  the  Peninsula,  and  took  part 
in  all  the  terrible  campaign  from  Yorktown  to  the  front  of 
Richmond  and  back  to  Harrison's  Landing.  AVhen  the 
"  Seven-Days  Fight"  began,  the  43d  was  at  Mechanics- 
ville,  on  the  extreme  right  of  McClellan's  line,  where  Lee's 
army  first  struck  ;  consequently,  it  had  to  pass  over  all  the 
ground  traversed  in  that  memorable  retreat,  and  partici- 
pated in  a  large  proportion  of  the  battles  constituting  col- 
lectively the  Seven-Days  Fight.  In  this  brief  period  the 
regiment  had  half  of  its  men  killed,  or  so  badly  wounded 
as  to  be  left  behind  and  captured,  and  Co.  F  suffered  in  the 
same  proportion.  So  heavy  had  been  the  loss  that  at  Har- 
rison's Landing  the  ten  companies  were  consolidated  into 
five,  and  joined  with  five  new  companies  from  Albany. 
The  regiment  retained  its  old  number,  but  Co.  F  became  a 
part  of  Co.  B,  Capt.  Rogers  remaining  the  commander. 

The  43d  next  proceeded  northward,  and,  being  in 
Franklin's  Corps,  lay  within  sound  of  the  guns  of  the 
second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  but  took  no  part  in  the  con- 
flict. Thence  the  corps  in  question  marched  into  Maryland, 
and  the  day  before  Antietam  took  part  in  the  capture  of 
Crampton's  Gap  from  the  enemy.  At  Antietam  the  43d 
was  on  the  right  of  the  line,  in  the  corn-field  celebrated  in 
the  accounts  of  that  battle.  Company  F  lost  several  more 
men  in  these  battles.  On  the  24th  of  September,  Capt. 
Rogers,  having  been  commissioned  major  of  the  123d  New 
York  Infantry,  resigned  his  commission,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Lieut.  Wilkinson,  who  served  as  captain  until  the  expi- 
ration of  liis  term  of  service,  in  the  autumn  of  1864. 

The  43d  took  little  or  no  part  in  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, but  at  Chancellorsville,  on  the  3d  of  May, 
1863,  it  suffered  severely, — Co.  F  losing  its  first  lieu- 
tenant, Hugh  B.  Knickerbocker,  and  several  men  slain, 
besides  a  heavy  list  of  wounded.  These  repeated  losses 
being  partially  made  good  by  recruits  from  other  counties, 
Co.  F  could  thenceforth  hardly  be  considered  as  a  Wash- 
ington-county company.  The  regiment  was  severely  en- 
gaged in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  in  the  great  campaign  of 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


77 


18G4,  in  the  second  battle  of  Winchester,  and  was  finally 
mustered  out  on  the  27th  of  June,  1865.  Gen.  Rogers 
states  that  he  does  not  believe  that  half  a  dozen  of  the 
original  members  of  Co.  F  came  back  to  Washington 
county.  A  few  had  previously  been  discharged,  a  few 
went  directly  from  the  army  to  other  localities,  but  the 
majority,  stricken  down  by  battle  or  disease,  slept  beneath 
the  soil  of  Virginia. 

THE    FORTY-FOURTH    INFANTRY. 

This  was  the  regiment  known  as  the  "  Ellsworth  Aveng- 
ers," and  intended  to  be  composed  of  one  or  two  picked 
men  from  every  town  in  the  State.  There  were  between 
twenty  and  thirty,  in  all,  from  Wa.shington  county.  Among 
them  was  Edward  Northup,  of  Sandy  Hill,  who  afterwards 
became  an  officer  of  the  regular  army. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice from  Aug.  30  to  Oct.  30, 1861.  It  served  three  years 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of 
Yorktown,  Hanover  Court-House,  Gaines'  Mill,  Malvern 
Hill,  Second  Bull  Run,  Antictam,  Fredericksburg,  Chan- 
cellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Mine  Run,  Wilderness,  Spottsyl- 
vania,  North  Anna,  Weldon  Railroad,  Petersburg,  and 
numerous  minor  engagements.  It  was  mustered  out  of 
service  on  the  11th  of  October,  1864,  the  veterans  and 
recruits  being  transferred  to  other  regiments. 

THE    EIGHTY-SEVENTH    INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  prin- 
cipally in  Brooklyn.  Company  A,  however,  was  almost 
entirely  from  the  towns  of  Dresden  aTid  Putnam  in  Wash- 
ington county.  The  regiment  conducted  itself  gallantly 
under  the  disheartening  experiences  of  the  early  career  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  being  present  at  the  battles  of 
Williamsburg,  Fair  Oaks,  White-Oak  Swamp,  Malvern 
Hill,  and  Manassas  Junction.  So  much  were  its  ranks 
depleted  by  battle  and  disease  that  in  September,  1862, 
it  was  found  necessary  to  consolidate  it  with  the  40th 
New  York  Volunteers,  in  which  it  was  henceforth  merged. 
The  40th  afterwards  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  Sline  Run,  Wil- 
derness, Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  and  the  siege  of 
Petersburg.  It  was  not  mustered  out  until  June  27, 1865, 
by  which  time  there  were  very  few,  indeed,  of  the  old 
Company  A  remaining  in  it. 

THE    NINETY-THIRD    INFANTRY. 

The  patriotism  of  Washington  county  was  not  yet  ex- 
hausted, and  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  John  S.  Crocker,  a 
lawyer  of  Cambridge,  took  steps  to  raise  another  regi- 
ment, to  be  partly  from  this  county.  The  regimental  ren- 
dezvous was  at  Albany,  and  the  command  was  mustered 
there  in  November  of  that  year,  receiving  the  appellation 
of  the  93d  New  Y'ork  Infantry.  John  S.  Crocker  was 
colonel ;  B.  C.  Butler,  of  Warren  county,  was  lieutenant- 
colonel  ;  IMichael  Cassidy,  of  Albany,  was  major;  and  Mavi- 
land  GiftbrdjOf  Easton,  was  adjutant.  The  following  were 
the  companies  from  Washington  county,  with  their  officers 
and  localities : 

CoinpKiii/  G. — Cambridge  and  vicinity  ;  Waller  S.  Gray, 


captain ;  -W.  V.  S.  Bcekman,  first  lieutenant ;  Francis  S. 
Bailey,  second  lieutenant. 

Compaiiy  F. — Fort  Edward  and  viciMity  ;  George  B. 
Moshier,  captain  ;  John  Bailey,  first  lieutenant ;  Silas  S. 
Hubbard,  .second  lieutenant. 

Conipamj  1. — Granville,  Argyle,  etc. ;  Nathan  J.  John- 
son, captain  ;  William  Randies,  fir.st  lieutenant;  James  M. 
Crawlbrd,  second  lieutenant. 

The  93d  remained  at  Albany  until  about  the  1st  of 
April,  1862,  when  they  went  to  Washington,  from  which 
point  they  proceeded  under  MeClellan  to  Fortress  Jlonroe 
and  Yorktown.  While  engaged  in  the  siege  of  the  latter 
place,  Col.  Crocker  and  Maj.  Ca.ssidy,  having  walked  a 
short  distance  outside  of  the  lines,  were  captured  by  the 
enemy. 

The  regiment  marched  up  the  Peninsula  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  and  was  slightly  engaged  at  Williams- 
burg, but  without  loss.  Shortly  afterwards  four  companies 
were  detached  as  headquarter-guard  for  Gen.  MeClellan, 
while  six  companies  acted  as  provost-guard  at  White  Hou.se, 
on  Y'ork  river.  Col.  Butler  being  provost-marshal. 

In  the  great  "  Seven  Days"  fight  before  Richmond,  the 
first-named  detachment  marched  with  the  headquarters  to 
Malvern  Hill  and  Harrison's  Landing,  while  Col.  Butler's 
command  destroyed  the  stores  at  White  House,  and  then 
proceeded  by  water  to  the  same  point.  From  that  time 
until  December,  1863,  the  regiment  was  employed  as  head- 
quarter and  provost  guard  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
marching  and  countermarching  through  Virginia,  but  es- 
caping the  stress  of  battle. 

About  the  1st  of  January,  1864,  seven  companies  rein- 
listed  as  veterans  and  came  home  on  furlough  to  recruit. 
Col.  Crocker  had  been  released  from  imprisonment  and 
resumed  command.  They  returned  with  replenished  ranks 
in  February,  and  were  assigned  to  the  1st  Brigade  and 
1st  Division  of  the  2d  Army  Corps  (Hancock's). 

The  1st  of  May,  18G4,  the  93d,  with  the  rest  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  set  forth  on  the  long  and  terri- 
ble march  to  the  Confederate  capital.  On  the  5th  of 
May  it  was  severely  engaged  in  the  great  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  losing  very  heavily.  Co.  F  alone  lost  five 
killed  and  thirty-two  wounded  out  of  fort3'-nine  members 
present,  only  twelve  being  left  uninjured.  Other  com- 
panies suffered  in  proportion.  Capt.  John  Bailey,  of  Co. 
F,  was  killed.  Then  followed  in  rapid  succession  the 
battles  of  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna,  and  Cold  Harbor,  in 
all  of  which  the  93d  took  an  active  part,  suffering  severely 
in  killed  and  wounded,  though  not  as  heavily  as  in  the 
Wilderness. 

From  Cold  Harbor  the  2d  corps  crossed  the  James  river, 
and  took  up  its  position  in  front  of  Petersburg.  The  93d 
received  two  hundred  recruits,  and  from  that  time  till  the 
breaking  up  of  the  rebellion  it  remained  in  that  immediate 
vicinity,  engaged  in  the  incessant  toils  and  conflicts  of  that 
fateful  period.  Col.  Crocker  was  discharged  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  service,  in  September,  1864.  Maj. 
McConihe  was  commissioned  in  his  place,  but,  owing  to  the 
depleted  condition  of  the  regiment,  was  not  mustered. 
Capt.  Kincaid  lost  a  leg  in  August,  before  Petersburg,  and 
was  soon  af\er  discharged.     The  regiment  was  engaged  in 


78 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


two  battles  at  Deep  Bottom,  on  tho  north  side  of  the 
James  river,  but  returned  to  continue  tho  conflict  around 
Petersburg.  In  February,  18C5,  Lieut. -Col.  Butler  and 
Maj.  McConihe  were  mustered  out,  when  Adjt.  Haviland 
GifTord,  of  Easton,  was  commissioned  and  mustered  as 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  remained  in  command  of  the  regi- 
ment till  the  end  of  its  service.  He  was  also  commissioned 
as  colonel,  but  for  the  reason  before  mentioned  could  not 
be  mustered.  J.  H.  Northup,  captain  of  Co.  I,  was  about 
the  same  time  mustered  as  major  and  commissioned  as 
lieutenant-colonel ;  so  that,  during  the  closing  portion  of 
the  regiment's  service,  both  of  the  field-officeis  were  from 
W^ashington  county,  although  that  county  furui.shed  but 
three  out  of  the  original  ten  companies. 

When  the  end  came,  the  93d  was  under  Sheridan  at 
Poplar  Spring  Church  and  on  the  Boydton  road,  and  par- 
ticipated in  tho  final  movements  which  throttled  the  hydra 
of  rebellion.  The  regiment  was  mustered  out  on  the 
29th  day  of  June,  18G5.  Few  of  the  original  Washington- 
county  boys  were  among  the  number  then  dismis.sed  to  their 
homes.  Only  one  of  the  original  nine  line-ofEcers  from 
Washington  county  was  mustered  out  with  the  regiment. 

THE  NINETY-SIXTH  INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  tho  autumn  of  1861,  prin- 
cipally in  Warren,  Essex,  and  Clinton  counties.  Co.  E 
alone  was  from  Washington  county,  being  raised  at  and 
near  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward.  Its  first  officers  were 
Hiram  Eldridge,  captain;  A.  J.  Russell,  first  lieutenant; 
James  S.  Cray,  second  lieutenant. 

The  regimental  I'endezvous  was  at  Plattsburg,  and  there 
the  9Gth  remained  during  the  winter  of  18G1  and  '02. 
In  March,  1862,  it  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Fairman,  of  New  York  city. 
It  was  assigned  to  Keyes'  Corps,  under  whom  they  went 
to  the  Peninsula,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Wil- 
liamsburg, Fair  Oaks,  the "  Seven  Days,"  and  Malvern 
Hill. 

After  the  la.st-named  conflict,  the  96th  was  ordered  to 
Suffolk,  Virginia,  where  it  was  under  the  command  of 
Gen.  Peck,  and  in  Gen.  Foster's  department.  It  remained 
there  for  several  months,  when  it  formed  part  of  an  ex- 
pedition into  North  Carolina,  passing  through  Kingston 
and  Goldsborough,  and  reaching  Newborn,  North  Carolina, 
in  the  spring  of  1863.  It  then  proceeded  to  Plymouth 
in  that  State,  which  it  aided  in  fortifying,  under  the 
command  of  Gen.  Wessels,  and  where  it  remained  another 
year. 

In  the  .spring  of  1864  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
YorKtown.  There  it  was  made  a  part  of  Gen.  Butler's 
newly-organized  "  Army  of  the  James,"  and  went  with  it 
to  Bermuda  Hundred.  The  last  of  May  it  marched  from 
that  point  to  join  at  the  White  House,  on  York  river,  the 
legions  of  Gen.  Grant  coming  down  from  the  north. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1864,  the  96th  took  part  in  the  ter- 
rible battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  charging  again  and  again  with 
dauntless  valor  up  to  the'  foot  of  the  enemy's  intrench- 
ments,  only  to  be  again  and  again  hurled  back  by  the  rebel 
battalions  lying  in  safety  behind  their  in)pregnable  works. 
Out  of  twelve  line-ofiicers  present  with   the  regiment  on 


this  awful  day,  seven  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  one 
of  the  latter  being  Capt.  James  S.  Cray,  of  Co.  E.  That 
company  also  had  about  twenty  of  its  rank  and  file  killed 
and  wounded, — nearly  half  of  the  number  present. 

After  Cold  Harbor  this  regiment,  with  the  rest  of  the 
Grand  Army,  crossed  the  James  river,  and  engaged  in  the 
siege  of  Petersburg.  It  remained  employed  in  the  weari- 
some and  often  dangerous  duties  of  that  siege  until  the  3d 
of  April,  1865.  Then,  with  thousands  of  their  triumphant 
comrades,  the  men  of  the  96th  inarched  into  the  desolate 
capital  of  the  Confederacy, — a  capital  abandoned  by  the 
government  which  had  so  long  dwelt  there,  and  set  on  fire 
by  the  hands  of  its  own  defenders. 

The  96th  was  one  of  the  few  regiments  which  remained 
in  service  until  1866.  It  was  on  provost  duty  in  Virginia 
during  that  time,  Co.  E  being  stationed  at  Culpepper, 
Fredericksburg,  and  Lynchburg.  The  regiment  was  mus- 
tered out  in  the  spring  of  1866. 

Besides  those  first  named,  the  following-named  gentlemen 
served  as  ofiicers  of  Co.  E :  Erastus  Pierce,  second  lieu- 
tenant ;  Alexander  McLaughlin,  captain,  severely  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Chapin's  Farm,  and  resigned  ;  William 
Bridgeford,  first  lieutenant ;  Lucian  Wood,  first  lieutenant ; 
James  S.  Sharrow,  second  lieutenant ;  James  McCarty, 
lieutenant  and  captain.  The  latter  gentleman  had  also  been 
regimental  and  acting  brigade-quartermaster,  and  was 
breveted  major  by  the  President  for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct. 

d'epineuil's  zouaves  (fifty-third  infantry). 

In  the  summer  of  1861  Count  Lionel  J.  D'Epineuil 
came  from  France  to  New  York  with  the  intention  of 
raising  a  brigade  of  zouave.s — if  possible,  all  Frenchmen — 
to  serve  in  the  Union  army.  He  had  a  new  and  very 
peculiar  drill  which  he  wanted  to  put  in  practice,  and  was 
very  zealous  in  his  eflbrts  to  raise  men.  He  obtained  the 
assistance  of  Monsieur  Antoine  Renois,  of  Whitehall,  who 
had  already  recruited  a  large  number  of  men  for  the  22d 
Regiment,  to  raise  a  regiment  of  zouaves  from  northern 
New  York  and  Lower  Canada. 

Mons.  Renois  astablished  recruiting-stations  at  various 
points  along  Lake  Champlain,  and  obtained  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  recruits,  forty  or  fifty  being  from  Whitehall.  There 
were  not  enough  for  a  regiment,  however,  and  on  reporting 
in  New  York  in  the  autumn  it  was  found  that  the  intended 
brigade  would  hardly  make  a  full  regiment,  although  many 
Germans  and  those  of  other  nationalities  had  been  en- 
listed. 

In  December  an  order  came  from  the  War  Department 
to  consolidate  the  detachment  into  a  single  regiment  and 
send  it  to  the  front.  Owing  to  weakness  of  numbers  and 
other  causes  the  regiment  was  mustered  out  in  the  spring 
of  1862. 

the  second  cavalry. 

A  cavalry  company  was  organized  at  Salem,  by  Solomon 
W.  Russell,  Jr.,  of  that  place,  in  September,  1861.  The 
members  were  principally  from  the  town  of  Salem,  but  Ar- 
gyle,  Cambridge,  Easton,  Greenwich,  Hartford,  Hebron, 
Jackson,  Kingsbury,  Fort  x\nn.  Fort  Edward,  and  White 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


79 


Creek  were  also  represented.  The  company  was  mustered 
at  Salem  by  Col.  John  S.  Crocker,  of  Cambridge,  special 
inspector,  September  7,  1861.  The  company  then  pro- 
ceeded by  railroad  to  Camp  Stronsr,  between  Troy  and 
Lansingburg,  the  place  of  general  rendezvous,  arriving 
there  on  the  13tb  of  September,  and  being  the  first  com- 
pany at  that  camp.  It  there  became  the  nucleus  of  the 
2d  Now  York  Volunteer  Cavalry,  commonly  known  as  the 
"  Black  Horse  Cavalry,"  commanded  by  Col.  A.  J.  Morri- 
son, and  was  designated  as  Co.  "  A." 

Its  commissioned  officers  were  as  follows :  Solomon  W. 
Russell,  Jr.,  of  Salem,  captain  ;  David  E.  Cronin,  of  New 
York  city,  first  lieutenant;  William  Robertson,  of  Salem, 
second  lieutenant. 

The  regiment  remained  at  Camp  Strong  until  its  organi- 
zation on  the  22d  day  of  November,  ISGl.  It  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Washington,  where  it  arrived  on  the  2-lth  day  of 
November,  being  stationed  at  a  camp  in  that  city  designated 
as  Camp  Stoneman.  The  regiment  remained  at  Camp  Stone- 
man,  performing  duty  within  the  defenses  of  Washington, 
through  the  winter  of  1861  and  '62. 

In  the  spring  of  1862  the  War  Department  concluded" 
there  was  too  much  cavalry  in  the  field,  and  this  regiment 
was  accordingly  mustered  out  of  service  on  the  31st  day  of 
March.  When  mustered  out,  Capt.  Russell's  company 
consisted  of  ninety  men,  all  told, — a  majority  of  whom,  after 
the  reverses  of  the  armies  of  the  Union  in  1862  and 
.spring  of  1863,  again  volunteered  in  various  organizations 
and  arms  of  the  service.  Capt.  Russell  himself  was  one  of 
those  who  thus  re-entered  the  army,  being  detached  on  the 
staff  of  his  distinguished  and  lamented  relative,  Maj.-Gen. 
Russell,  also  of  Washington  county,  and  being  commis- 
sioned by  the  President  as  brevet  major  and  brevet  lieu- 
tenant-colonel for  gallant  and  meritorious  service  in  the 
field. 

THE    HARRIS    LIGHT    CAVALRY. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  1861,  a  young  man  named  Clar- 
ence Buell  came  up  from  Troy  to  Fort  Edward,  intent  on 
raising  a  company  of  horsemen  for  the  "  Harris  Light 
Cavalry,"  then  being  formed,  and  named  after  the  newly- 
elected  U.  S.  Senator,  Hon.  Ira  Harris.  The  idea  of  enter- 
ing the  mounted  service  impre.ssed  the  young  men  of  Fort 
Edward  very  fiivorably,  and  Buell  had  only  to  set  the  ball 
in  motion,  when  it  rolled  itself.  He  returned  to  Troy, 
leaving  some  of  his  recruits  in  charge ;  the  boys  crowded 
in  by  the  score  to  put  down  their  names,  and  in  two  or 
three  days  the  ranks  were  full.  Most  of  the  men  were 
from  Fort  Edward,  but  there  were  a  few  from  Kingsbury, 
Fort  Ann,  Whitehall,  and  Argyle. 

The  company  proceeded  forthwith  to  New  York  city,  and 
there  the  regiment  was  mustered  into  the  United  States 
service  on  the  14th  day  of  August,  1861.  Its  colonel  was 
Mansfield  Davis,  and  its  lieutenant-colonel  was  a  boyish- 
looking  young  officer,  just  out  of  West  Point,  since  known 
to  fame  as  Maj.-Gen.  Judson  Kilpatrick.  The  company 
from  Washington  county  was  designated  as  Co.  E,  with 
the  following  ofiicers :  Clarence  Buell.  captain  ;  John  Lid- 
die,  first  lieutenant;  Andrew  Lowden,  second  lieutenant. 

Proceeding  in  the  forepart  of  September  to  Washington, 
the  regiment  drew    its  horses,  and   camped  on   Arlington 


Heights  throughout  the  succeeding  winter.  In  tlie  spring 
of  1862  it  went  with  Gen.  McDowell  to  Fredericksburg; 
capturing  Falmouth  after  a  sharp  skirmish,  in  which  it  lost 
thirteen  men.  It  remained  with  McDowell  near  Fredericks- 
burg until  Augu.st,  when  it  marched  to  Cedar  Mountain, 
arriving,  however,  too  late  for  the  battle.  At  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  Col.  Kilpatrick  charged  the  enemy  with 
two  companies,  losing  heavily  in  men  and  horses.  The 
regiment  was  in  excellent  condition,  and  covered  the  retreat 
to  Washington  with  great  steadiness. 

After  Antietam,  the  "  Harris  Light,"  as  it  was  still 
called  (though  its  official  name  had  been  changed  to  the 
'•Second  New  York  Cavalry,"  after  the  muster-out  of  the 
original  Second  or  "  Black  Horse"  Cavalry),  was  employed 
as  body-guards,  etc.,  until  December,  when  it  accompanied  . 
Gen.  Burnside  to  Fredericksburg.  The  brigade-com- 
mander. Gen.  Bayard,  was  killed  in  that  battle,  but  the 
regiment  was  not  seriously  injured.  It  will  be  understood, 
by  all  acquainted  with  the  cavalry  service  during  the  late 
war,  that  that  arm  was  used  principally  for  scouting,  skir- 
mishing, and  "  raiding,"  and  sometimes  for  attacks  on 
cavalry,  but  was  rarely  brought  into  use  against  the  enemy's 
infantry. 

The  regiment  camped  at  Belle  Plain,  a  little  this  .side  of 
Fredericksburg,  during  the  winter  of  1862  and  '63.  In 
the  spring  it  took  the  field,  and  two  days  before  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville  it  was  engaged  in  a  fight  with  the 
enemy's  cavalry  at  Brandy  Station.  Immediately  afterwards. 
Col.  Kilpatrick,  with  three  hundred  of  the  best  men  in  the 
regiment,  including  about  thirty  of  Co.  E,  made  his  cele- 
brated raid  to  Richmond,  the  object  being  to  destroy  the 
communication  in  rear  of  Lee's  army.  This  was  done, 
fifteen  miles  of  railroad  being  destroyed  and  near  two  mil- 
lion dollars'  worth  of  property  ;  but  as  Lee  was  victorious  at 
Chancellorsville  the  raid  did  not  have  the  crippling  efiect 
intended.  Riding  day  and  night,  the  three  hundred  reached 
the  unmanned  lines  in  front  of  Richmond.  Col.  Kil- 
patrick sent  Sergt.  Henry  McFarland,  of  Co.  E,  with  two 
men,  to  reconnoiter,  supporting  them  with  a  platoon  of  men. 
Meeting  no  opposition,  they  galloped  into  the  works,  and 
the  sergeant  was  probably  the  first  armed  Union  soldier 
within  those  celebrated  lines.  The  command  entered  the 
second  line  of  intrenchments,  and  then  turned  back,  no 
one,  of  course,  having  any  idea  of  capturing  Richmond  with 
three  hundred  horsemen.  Kilpatrick  and  his  men  made 
their  way  to  Yorktown,  and  thence  rejoined  the  main 
army. 

Next,  they  were  engaged  in  the  general  cavalry  fight  at 
Brandy  Station,  and  in  the  three  days'  fight  near  Aldie. 
The  latter  was  remarkable  for  the  imniber  of  horses  slain 
by  the  enemy's  bullets.  Over  thirty  were  killed  in  Co.  E 
alone,  yet  not  a  man  was  killed,  and  only  a  few  wounded. 
The  regiment  then  marched  to  Gettysburg,  where  it  made 
one  charge ;  then  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  Culpepper, 
where  it  remained  during  the  autumn  and  winter  of  1863 
and  '64. 

About  the  1st  of  March,  1864,  it  went  on  the  celebrated 
Dahlgren  raid  into  the  vicinity  of  Richmond.  Under  the 
command  of  Sheridan,  it  accompanied  Grant  on  his  grand 
campaign,  losing  several  men  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilder- 


80 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


ness,  and  engaging  in  numerous  skirmishes  until  the  army 
reached  the  vicinity  of  Petersburg.  Shortly  afterwards  it 
went  on  a  raid  under  Gen.  Wilson  to  the  line  of  North 
Carolina.  The  next  move  was  under  Sheridan  back  into 
the  Valley  of  Virginia.  There  it  was  engaged  in  constant 
skirmishing  with  Early's  army,  which  was  almost  annihi- 
lated by  Sheridan  ;  and  finally,  when  the  latter  brilliant 
officer  intercepted  the  last  of  the  rebel  columns  at  Five 
Forks,  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry  was  still  under  his  imme- 
diate command.  It  was  shortly  afterwards  mustered  out  at 
New  York  city. 

The  first  captain  of  Co.  E,  Capt.  Buell,  was  promoted  to 
be  colonel  of  an  infantry  regiment,  and  Francis  M.  Plumb 
was  promoted  from  another  company  to  fill  his  place.  Lieut. 
Lowden  was  made  captain  of  another  company,  and  George 
E.  Milliman,  of  Fort  Edward,  promoted  to  second  lieu- 
tenant. 


CHAPTER    XVIIL 

THE  ONE  HUNDKED   AND   TWENTY-THIRD 
INFANTRY.* 

Deep  Feeling  on  hearing  of  the  Disasters  before  Richmond — War- 
Meeling  at  Argyle — Resolution  to  raise  a  Washington-County 
Regiment — Its  Enlistment  and  OBBcers — Mustered  in  as  the  123d 
Infantry — Goes  to  the  Front — .Services  in  the  Autumn  of  18fi2 — 
"  The  Mud  March"— Winter- Quarters— The  Campaign  of  Chaneel- 
lorsvillc — A  Skirmish  near  Fredericksburg — Death  of  Lieut.-Col. 
Norton— The  Battle  of  Cliancellorsville— The  123d  repulses  the 
Enemy— The  Supports  fall  back— The  Regiment  retreats— Heavy 
Losses — March  to  Gettysburg  —  Services  there — Pursuit  of  the 
Enemy — Ordered  to  the  West — Services  in  Tennessee — The  Grand 
Campaign  of  1864— Resaca,  Cassville,  Pumpkin-Vine  Creek- 
Col.  McDougall  mortally  wounded— Flanking  the  Enemy— Pine 
Hill— Kulp's  Farm— Capture  of  Kenesaw— Peach-Tree  Creek- 
Entering  Atlanta — "  The  March  to  the  Sea"— Slight  Opposition — 
Capture  of  Savannah— The  Campaign  of  the  Carolinas— Passing 
Columbia — Entering  North  Carolina— Bentonville — Goldsboro' — 
Moccasin  Swamp— Raleigh— Off  for  Homc—Thi^  Grand  Review- 
Sherman's  Eulogy — Mustered  out— List  of  Officers. 

When  it  became  known  that  McClellan's  campaign  be- 
fore Richmond,  in  June  and  July,  18G2,  had  resulted  in 
complete  disaster.  President  Lincoln  i.ssued  a  call  lor  "  three 
hundred  thousand  more."  The  whole  country  was  greatly 
moved,  and  all  felt  that  a  mighty  efi'ort  must  be  put  forth 
to  save  the  Union.  This  county  was  more  deeply  impressed 
than  ever  before.  Something  must  be  done  !  On  the  22d 
of  July,  a  great  war-meeting  was  held  at  Argyle,  and  this 
was  followed  by  others  in  different  parts  of  the  county. 
War  committees  were  appointed  ;  one  for  the  county  at 
large  and  one  for  each  town. 

They  began  work  at  once,  and  it  was  decided  that  Wash- 
ington county  should  raise  a  regiment  of  her  own.  Re- 
cruiting commenced  immediately.  A  camp  was  established 
at  Salem  and  called  Camp  Washington.  Before  the  mid- 
dle of  August  the  companies  began  to  assemble,  and  by  the 
22d  the  regiment  was  practically  full.  The  companies  were 
mustered  in  as  soon  as  full,  and  were  made  up  from  the 
different  towns  as  follows  : 

Co.  A,  Greenwich ;  Co.  B,  Kingsbury ;  Co.  C,  White- 

«  By  Rev.  Scth  C.  Carey,  foimerly  adjutant. 


hall ;  Co.  D,  Fort  Ann,  Dresden,  and  Putnam  ;  Co.  E, 
Hartford  and  Hebron;  Co.  F,  Argyle;  Co.  G,  White 
Creek  and  Jackson  ;  Co.  H,  Salem ;  Co.  I,  Cambridge 
and  Easton  ;  Co.  K,  Granville  and  Hampton. 

The  following  is  the  roster  of  the  original  officers  of  the 
regiment : 

Field  (171(1  Staff. — Colonel,  A.  L.  McDougall ;  lieutenant- 
colonel,  Franklin  Norton;  major,  James  C.  Rogers;  adju- 
tant, George  H.  Wallace;  surgeon,  John  Moneypenny ; 
assistant  surgeons,  Lysander  W.  Kennedy  and  Richard  S. 
Connelly ;  quartermaster,  John  King ;  chaplain,  Henry 
Gordon. ' 

Non-commisaioned  Staff. — Sergeant-major,  Walter  F. 
Martin  ;  quartermaster-sergeant,  Charles  D.  Warner ;  com- 
missary-sergeant, Clark  Rice ;  hospital  steward,  Seward 
Corning. 

Company  A. — Captain,  Abram  Reynolds  ;  first  lieu- 
tenant, A.  T.  Mason  ;  second  lieutenant,  James  C.  Shaw. 

Cumpam/  B. — Captain,  George  W.  Warren  ;  first  lieu- 
tenant, J.  C.  Warren  ;  second  lieutenant,  Samuel  Burton. 

Company  C. — Captain,  Adolphus  H.  Tanner  ;  first  lieu- 
tenant, Walter  G.  Warner ;  second  lieutenant,  John  C.  Cor- 
bett. 

Company  D. — Captain,  John  Barron  ;  first  lieutenant, 
Alexander  Anderson  ;  second  lieutenant,  E.  P.  Quinn. 

Company  E. — Captain,  Norman  F.Weer;  first  lieutenant, 
George  R.  Hall ;  second  lieutenant,  Seth  C.  Care}-. 

Company  F. — Captain,  Duncan    Robertson  ;  first  lieu- 
tenant, Donald  Reid ;  second  lieutenant,  George  Robinson. 
Company   G. — Captain,  Henry  Gray;   first  lieutenant, 
James  Hill ;  second  lieutenant,  Charles  Archer. 

Company  H. — Captain,  John  S.  Crary ;  first  lieutenant, 
Benjamin  Elliott;  second  lieutenant,  Josiah  W.  Culver. 

Company  I. — Captain,  Orrin  S.  Hall ;  first  lieutenant, 
Marcus  Beadle ;  second  lieutenant,  Albert  Shiland. 

Comp>any  K. — Captain,  Henry  0.  Wiley ;  fir.st  lieuten- 
ant, Hiram  0.  Warren ;  second  lieutenant,  George  W.  Baker. 
On  the  4th  of  September,  1862,  the  regiment  was  mus- 
tered into  the  LTnited  States  service  as  the  123d  New  York 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  the  next  day  was  on  the  way  to 
the  front.  It  reached  Washington  on  the  9th,  where  the 
men  received  their  arms  and  equipments.  The  regiment 
was  attached  to  Pauls  Brigade,  of  Casey's  Division.  It 
moved  to  Arlington  Heights  and  thence  to  Frederick,  Md., 
and  on  the  3d  of  October  pitched  camp  in  Pleasant  Valley, 
two  miles  from  Harper's  Ferry.  Here  it  was  assigned  to 
the  22d  Brigade  (Brig.-Gen.  Thomas  L.  Kane),  Lst  Di- 
vision (Brig.-Geu.  A.  S.  Williams),  12th  Corps  (Maj.-Gen. 
H.  W.  Slocum). 

The  regiment  soon  after  crossed  the  Potomac  and  Shen- 
andoah, and,  after  guarding  the  ford  on  the  latter  river, 
encamped  on  the  8th  of  November  in  Loudon  valley. 
Here  the  men  built  winter  quarters,  but  the  day  after  they 
were  finished  the  command  was  ordered  to  Fairfax  Station, 
a  few  miles  from  Alexandria.  On  the  19th  of  January, 
1803,  the  regiment  started  on  what  was  called  the  "  mud 
march"  towards  Richmond.  The  mud  was  fathomless,  re- 
quiring a  six-mule  team  to  draw  an  unloaded  wagon  out  of 
a  mud-holo.  On  reaching  Stafford  Court-House  camp  was 
made  fur  the  winter. 


HISTORY  OP  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


81 


In  the  early  dawn  of  Monday,  April  27,  1863,  with 
eight  days'  rations  in  haversacks  and  knapsacks,  and  sixty 
rounds  of  ammunition,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  started 
on  the  campaign  of  Chancellorsville.  Crossing  the  Rappa- 
hannock at  Kelly's  Ford,  and  the  Rapidan  at  Germania 
Mills,  the  123d  struck  the  plank-road  running  to  Fred- 
ericksburg, and  near  the  "  Wilderness  Tavern"  was  fired 
upon  by  a  division  of  rebel  cavalry,  being  its  first  experi- 
ence in  actual  combat.  That  night  the  men  bivouacked 
near  the  Chancellorsville  House. 

On  Friday,  May  1,  the  regiment  made  a  feint  toward 
Fredericksburg,  to  allow  the  Union  forces  to  secure  Banks' 
Ford.  Returning  to  its  former  position,  Co.  I  was  sent  out 
on  picket.  Before  our  arms  were  fairly  "  stacked"  .sharp 
skirmishing  was  heard  in  the  direction  taken  by  Co.  I. 
The  line  advanced  rapidly,  and  found  that  our  skirmi.shers 
had  run  upon  a  division  of  rebel  infantry  concealed  in  the 
woods.  Co.  A  was  sent  to  strengthen  the  skirmish  line, 
while  the  rest  of  the  regiment  took  position  on  the  edge  of 
a  bluff.  The  enemy  opened  upon  us  heavily,  and  as  it  was 
not  desired  that  we  should  bring  on  a  general  engagement 
we  were  ordered  back  ;  not,  however,  till  Lieut.-Col.  Norton 
had  received  a  fatal  wound  in  the  side.  That  night  we 
slept  on  our  arms. 

Most  of  the  next  day  was  spent  in  building  breastworks, 
but  at  three  P.M.  we  were  moved  to  the  front  (south)  as  a 
support  to  the  3d  Corps.  We  were  skirmishing  with  the 
enemy  when  we  were  ordered  back,  and  reached  our  works 
in  time  to  meet  the  broken  debris  of  the  11th  Corps. 
The  enemy  had  struck  their  extreme  right  flank  and  driven 
them  back  in  great  disorder.  The  pursuers  were  checked 
by  a  force  of  artillery,  handled  with  great  skill  by  Gen. 
Pleasonton,  a  few  cavalry,  and  a  part  of  the  12th  Corps. 
This  artillery  duel  was  grandly  terrific  as  darkness  came  on, 
and  night  alone  put  an  end  to  the  scene. 

All  that  night  was  spent  in  reforming  the  lines  and  build- 
ing rude  iutrenchments.  The  12th  Corps  was  facing  the 
west,  with  its  right  resting  on  the  plank-road,  while  the 
3d  Corps  extended  still  farther  to  the  right,  and  also  sup- 
ported the  right  of  the  12th  Corps.  The  123d  was  in  the 
front  line,  and  in  the  edge  of  a  wood,  while  behind  us  was 
an  open  field  running  back  to  the  Chancellorsville  House. 
Between  our  regiment  and  the  plank-road  was  the  3d 
Maryland  Infantry.  Behind  us  were  several  lines  of  troops, 
and  on  the  knoll  in  the  rear  the  artillery  was  ma.ssed. 

With  the  early  dawn  of  the  Sabbath  skirmishing  began. 
The  infantry  were  soon  engaged,  and  the  artillery  opened 
all  along  the  line.  Soon  the  enemy's  infantry  charged 
down  upon  us,  making  the  welkin  ring  with  the  "  rebel 
yell."  Again,  and  again,  and  again  the  heavy  masses 
charge,  but  only  to  be  again  and  again  hurled  back,  as  they 
meet  the  unflinching  determination  and  withering  fire  of 
our  intrenched  soldiers.  But  the  hours  go  by,  and  it  is 
past  eight  o'clock.  The  lines  begin  to  fade  out  in  our  rear, 
and  there  is  nothing  between  our  right  and  the  plank-road. 
Soon  there  is  nothing  on  our  left,  and  soon,  too,  nothing 
can  be  seen  behind  us  but  the  artillery.  The  enemy  sweep 
down  again  and  try  to  turn  our  right  flank.  The  right 
wing  of  the  regiment  swings  back,  and  a  volley  or  two  sends 
them  staggering  to  the  rear.  But  a  battery  is  soon  planted 
11 


that  enfilades  our  line,  and  the  ammunition  is  nearly  ex- 
hausted. There  is  no  general  to  give  orders,  and  we  must 
be  a  law  unto  ourselves.  Reluctantly  the  colonel  gave  the 
order  to  fall  back,  and  the  regiment  obeyed. 

In  this  fight  Second  Lieut.  John  C.  Corbett,  of  Co.  C, 
was  killed  ;  First  Lieut.  Marcus  Beadle  and  Second  Lieut. 
Albert  Shiland,  of  Co.  I,  were  badly  wounded ;  and  roll- 
call  revealed  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  killed, 
wounded,  and  mis.sing  in  this  our  finst  baptism  of  blood. 

In  the  afternoon  we  took  position  on  the  extreme  left 
of  the  line  near  Banks'  Ford.  At  three  A..M.,  May  0,  we 
passed  out  of  our  works,  crossed  the  Kappahaimock  at 
United  States  Ford,  and  reached  our  old  camp  at  sunset. 
The  123d  was  now  attached  to  the  1st  Brigade,  Brigadier- 
General  J.  F.  Knipe  commanding. 

On  the  13th  of  June,  1863,  the  campaign  of  Gettysburg 
began.  We  passed  through  Fairfax  and  Leesburg,  crossed 
the  Potomac  at  Edwards'  Ferry,  and  reached  Frederick 
City,  Md.,  on  the  29th.  Thence  we  passed  through 
Taneytown  and  Littlestown,  Pa.,  and  in  the  afternoon  of 
July  1  formed  line  of  battle  near  AVolf  Hill,  on  the  right 
of  the  Baltimore  pike,  and  within  sight  of  Gettysburg.  In 
the  morning  we  took  position  nearer  the  cemetery,  the 
right  of  the  corps  resting  on  Rock  creek,  and  built  strong 
works.  Late  in  the  afternoon  we  were  ordered  to  the  rear 
of  Round  Top,  the  extreme  left  of  the  line,  to  support  our 
forces  there,  but  were  soon  directed  to  return.  We  did 
not,  however,  reach  our  former  position,  but  lay  on  our 
arms  all  night. 

In  the  morning  of  the  3d,  part  of  our  brigade,  including 
the  123d,  was  sent  to  take  the  works  which  we  had  built 
the  day  before,  and  which,  after  we  left  tiiem,  had  been 
occupied  by  the  enemy.  At  noon  our  regiment  charged 
the  works,  which  were  taken  with  but  little  resistance. 
We  had  a  sharp  fight  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  four  p.m. 
were  ordered  to  .support  our  line  just  at  the  left  of  the 
cemetery.  We  reached  that  point  in  time  to  see  the 
broken  masses  of  the  retreating  enemy  sullenly  withdrawing 
from  the  field.  In  the  twilight,  as  we  were  retiring  to  the 
right  of  our  old  position,  we  were  fired  upon  by  sharp- 
shooters concealed  in  McAllister's  mill,  beyond  Rock  creek. 
Capt.  Norman  F.  Weer,  of  Co.  E,  received  a  wound  in  the 
knee,  from  which  he  died.  After  dark  we  moved  to  the 
rear  of  our  old  position,  and  lay  on  our  arms  all  night. 

Saturday  morning,  July  4,  with  a  few  regiments  and  a 
battery  from  our  division,  Maj.-Gcn.  Slocuni  made  a  recon- 
naissance around  our  right,  pa.ssing  through  Gettysburg  and 
by  the  cemetery  to  our  former  position. 

On  Sunday,  at  three  p.m.,  we  left  our  bivouac  and  moved 
out  through  Littlestown,  passing  thence  through  Frederick 
City,  over  the  Catoctin  mountains,  and  across  the  valley, 
rich  in  ripening  wheat,  over  South  Mountain,  and  through 
Bakerville,  and  on  the  12th  threw  up  some  works  just  be- 
yond Playfair.  On  the  14th  we.st<jrted  again  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy,  but  after  passing  near  Williamsport,  and  march- 
ing almost  to  Falling  Waters,  we  found  that  Lee  had  crossed 
the  Potomac  and  again  eluded  us.  The  next  day  we  ate 
our  noonday  lunch  on  the  battle-field  of  Antietam,  and  the 
next  we  halted  to  draw  supplies  in  Pleasant  valley. 

On  the  lltth  we  again  set  forth,  crossing  the  Potomac  at 


82 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Harper's  Ferry,  marching  up  through  Loudon  valley,  pass- 
ing Snicker's  Gap,  Upperville,  Ashby's  Gap,  and  Piedmont, 
and  bivouacking,  at  eleven  p.m.  of  the  23d,  in  Manassas 
Gap.  At  four  a.m.  the  next  morning,  without  breakfast 
(and  having  had  neither  dinner  nor  supper  the  day  before), 
wo  were  pushed  on  into  the  Gap  nearly  to  Linden.  Rest- 
ing an  hour  or  two,  we  were  hurried  back  down  the  Gap, 
and  at  midnight  bivouacked  near  White  Plains.  Thence 
we  marched  through  Thoroughfare  Gap,  Haymarket,  Green- 
wich, Catlett's  Station,  and  Warrenton  Junction,  reaching 
Kelly's  Ford  on  the  31st  of  July.  We  remained  near  the 
ford  till  Sept.  16.  when  we  marched  to  Raccoon  Ford  on 
the  Rapidan. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  the  123d  was  ordered  to  the 
west  to  help  Geu.  Rosecrans.  We  took  cars  at  Brandy 
Station,  passing  through  Washington,  Wheeling,  Indianap- 
olis, Louisville,  and  Nashville  to  Bridgeport,  Ala.  Thence 
we  returned  to  Wartrace,  chasing  mounted  guerrillas  to  Shel- 
byvilie  in  the  night,  and  then  marched  through  Tullahoma, 
Decherd,  and  Stevenson  to  Bridgeport  again.  Our  regiment 
was  in  charge  of  that  town,  which  was  the  base  of  supplies 
for  the  army  at  Chattanooga,  and  what  with  camp-guard, 
pieket-duty,  railroad-patrol,  unloading  cars,  building  steam- 
boats, and  running  a  saw-mill,  our  hands  were  quite  full. 

The  regiment  remained  there  until  Jan.  6,  1864,  when 
it  was  transferred  to  Elk  river,  midway  between  Nashville 
and  Chattanooga.  Co.  E  was  stationed  at  Estill  Springs 
water-tank,  to  guard  the  tank  and  patrol  the  railroad,  and 
Co.  F  was  in  a  stockade,  guarding  the  trestle-bridge  over  the 
Elk  river.  Near  the  last  of  the  month,  Cos.  A,  E,  G,  H, 
and  K,  under  command  of  Col.  McDougall,  were  sent  into 
Lincoln  Co.,  Tenn.,  on  a  foraging  expedition,  and  to  break 
up  some  bands  of  guerrillas,  being  absent  about  three  weeks. 
In  March,  Co.  E  had  a  sliarp  encounter  with  Champ  Fer- 
gu.son's  guerrillas,  and  repulsed  them  handsomely. 
"  About  this  time  the  11th  and  12th  Corps  were  united 
and  called  the  20th  Corps,  under  the  command  of  Maj.- 
Gen.  Joseph  Hooker.  The  123d,  was  now  in  the  1st  Brigade, 
1st  Division,  20th  Corps,  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  Maj.- 
Gen.  Geo.  H.  Thomas  commanding.  Our  corps-badge  was 
the  five-pointed  star,  red  for  the  1st  Division. 

On  the  27th  of  April,  18G4,  we  started  on  the  summer 
campaign.  Crossing  the  Cumberland  mountains  at  Uni- 
versity Place,  where  was  to  have  been  the  great  university 
of  the  Confederate  States,  we  passed  tlirough  Bridgeport, 
and  around  the  point  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  on  the  3d 
of  May  encamped  near  Chattanooga.  Thence  the  20th 
Corps  marched  over  the  battle-field  of  Chickamauga,  past 
Gordon's  Mills  and  Cane  Springs,  and  through  Nickajack 
Gap  to  Trickem.  Then  by  an  all-night  march  we  hastened 
to  Snake  Creek  Gap,  and  out  to  the  front  of  Resaca,  Ga. 

On  the  15th  of  May  we  were  heavily  engaged  with  the 
enemy  near  that  place,  but  the  next  morning  found  their 
works  deserted.  We  pushed  on  through  Resaca,  but  before 
reaching  the  town  saw  a  train  of  cars  bringing  up  supplies 
for  our  army,  showing  the  wonderful  promptitude  of  our 
(juartermaster  and  commissary  departments.  Moving  on 
across  the  Coosawattee  river,  we  marched  through  Calhoun, 
and  at  ten  P.M.  of  the  18th  bivouacked  near  Cassville. 
Next  morning  we  pushed  on  towards  the  town,  and  later  in 


the  day  the  123d  took  part  in  a  sharp  fight  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  village.  The  enemy  abandoned  their  works  that 
night.  On  the  23d  we  crossed  the  Etowah  river,  passing 
thence  through  Euharlee  and  Burnt  Hickory,  and  reaching 
Pumpkin-Vine  creek  at  noon  of  the  25th  of  May. 

Near  that  place  Gen.  Geary,  with  the  2d  Division,  20th 
Corps,  ran  upon  the  enemy,  with  whom  he  had  a  sharp  en- 
counter. When  our  division  (the  1st)  came  up  it  was 
thrown  to  the  front,  and  was  soon  pressing  the  enemy. 
We  pushed  them  about  two  miles,  during  which  time  Col. 
McDougall  received  a  bullet-wound  in  the  leg,  from  which 
he  died  at  Chattanooga,  on  the  23d  of  the  succeeding 
month. 

Toward  night,  as  we  were  in  the  front  line,  having  driven 
the  enemy  into  their  works,  they  opened  upon  us  with  grape 
at  short  range,  and  kept  up  their  fire  long  after  dark.  Hav- 
ing no  artillery  the  men  lay  close  to  the  ground,  and  this 
management,  together  with  their  nearness  to  the  rebel  works, 
saved  them  from  destruction.  In  the  darkness  and  rain  we 
reformed  our  line,  threw  out  videttes,  and,  gathering  the 
branches  of  trees  cut  down  by  the  enemy's  artillery,  made 
a  rude  breastwork. 

Late  in  the  evening  some  troops  came  to  relieve  us. 
Contrary  to  special  warning  to  be  very  quiet,  the  oflicer  in 
command,  in  a  loud,  pompous  tone,  gave  the  order,  "  right 
dress."  Instantly  the  enemy's  guns  belched  forth  and 
swept  away  the  relieving  force,  who  came  near  carrying  us 
with  them.  But  our  men  quickly  and  quietly  obeyed  or- 
ders, and  the  line  was  held.  At  three  a.m.  next  morning 
we  were  relieved  and  passed  to  the  rear.  This  was  the 
battle  of  Pumpkin-Vine  Creek,  or  New  Hope  Church,  in 
which  the  loss  of  the  123d  was  twenty  killed  and  wounded. 

From  this  time  till  the  5th  of  July,  when  we  got  our 
first  view  of  Atlanta,  we  were  under  fire  more  or  less  severe 
every  day. 

After  the  battle  of  New  Hope  Church  Gen.  Sherman's 
army  was  facing  the  east,  with  the  left  resting  on  the 
Etowah  river,  and  the  right  at  Dallas.  Gradually  moving 
to  the  right,  our  lines  overlapped  those  of  the  enemy,  and 
compelled  them  either  to  weaken  their  ranks  or  expose 
their  base  of  supplies  and  line  of  retreat.  Soon  the  enemy, 
thus  outflanked,  evacuated  the  Allatoona  mountains,  and 
Gen.  Sherman  threw  a  force  across  the  railroad  at  Big 
Shanty.  Then  the  lines  were  reformed,  facing  the  south, 
with  Lost  Mountain  on  our  right  and  Pine  Hill  in  front  of 
our  left  centre. 

On  we  went,  steadily  pushing  the  enemy  before  us,  and 
having  a  sharp  fight  near  Pine  Hill,  where  the  rebel  Gen. 
Polk  was  killed.  Still  on  we  pressed,  position  after  posi- 
tion of  elaborately-constructed  earthworks,  furnished  with 
ditches  and  abatis,  being  firet  stubbornly  defended,  then 
outflanked,  then  abandoned,  till  at  length  we  stood  before 
the  rugged  heights  of  Kenesaw. 

Here  we  had  a  sharp  skirmish  on  the  19th  of  June, 
and  then  moved  about  four  miles  to  the  southwest,  where 
on  the  22d  the  whole  regiment  was  deployed  as  skirmishers. 
We  were  thrown  to  the  front  a  mile  and  a  half,  the  right 
being  at  Kulp's  hou.se,  with  both  flanks  "  in  the  air,"  till 
joined  on  the  right  by  the  23d  Corps.  We  were  then 
ordered  to  extend  our  line  to  the  left,  which  again  left  both 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


83 


flanks  exposed.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  enemy,  having 
drawn  in  their  skirmishers,  who  had  annoyed  us  most  of  the 
afternoon,  advanced  upon  us  in  line  of  battle.  Twice  they 
were  repulsed,  but  the  third  time  their  heavy  masses  swept 
our  light  skirmish  line  to  the  rear  on  the  double-quick. 
We  passed  swiftly  through  our  own  main  line,  which  in 
the  mean  time  had  been  fortified,  when  the  enemy  rushed 
forward  and  flung  themselves  against  it,  but  wore  hurled 
back  with  fearful  slaughter.  This  is  called  the  battle  of 
Kulp's  Farm,  in  which  the  loss  of  the  123d  Wiis  four  killed, 
twenty-.seven  wounded,  and  seventeen  missing. 

Gen.  Sherman  determined  to  again  abandon  his  base  of 
supplies  and,  with  twenty  days'  rations  in  the  wagons,  strike 
for  the  Chattahoochie  and  Atlanta.  Everything  was  in 
readiness  at  three  A.M.,  on  the  3d  of  July,  but  before 
starting  the  pickets  reported  that  the  enemy's  intreuch- 
ments  were  abandoned.  At  six  A.M.  we  were  pushing  on 
through  their  works,  which  we  found  to  be  very  strong, 
consisting  of  a  well-intrenched  skirmish  line,  two  light 
lines  behind  it,  and  still  back  of  these  a  most  elaborate 
main  line,  the  parapet  being  ten  feet  wide  on  top,  with 
ditch  and  abatis  in  front.  On  the  5th  of  July  we  reached 
a  range  of  hills  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Chattahoochie, 
from  which  we  had  our  first  view  of  Atlanta,  the  Gate  City 
of  the  .south. 

In  the  afternoon  of  July  17  we  left  camp,  crossed  the 
Chattahoochie  near  Vinning's  Station,  and  at  noon  of  the 
20th  lay  just  beyond  Peach-Tree  creek.  Between  four  and 
five  o'clock  we  were  startled  by  rapid  firing  in  front ;  our 
pickets  came  hurrying  in,  saying  that  the  enemy  were  close 
upon  them.  Our  line  was  almost  instantly  formed,  but 
none  too  soon,  for  we  were  hotly  engaged  before  it  was 
completed.  Five  or  six  times  the  enemy  charged  our  lines 
with  desperate  valor,  but  every  time  they  were  disastrously 
repulsed.  It  was  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  without  works  or 
defenses  of  any  kind.  The  loss  of  the  123d  was  about 
fifty  killed  and  wounded,  including  Capt.  Henry  0.  Wiley, 
of  Co.  K,  killed.  First  Lieut.  John  H.  Daicy,  of  Co.  E, 
mortally  wounded,  and  Adjt.  Seth  C.  Carey,  severely 
wounded.  The  loss  in  our  corps  (the  20th)  was  nineteen 
hundred. 

The  next  day,  after  burying  the  dead,  we  left  the  battle- 
field of  Peach-Tree  Creek,  skirmished  with  the  enemy  for 
several  hours,  and  at  night  took  a  position  about  two  miles 
from  Atlanta.  Skirmishing  and  artillery  firing  were  now 
kept  up  daily.  On  the  30th  of  July  Capt.  Geo.  R.  Hall, 
of  Co.  E,  advanced  our  line  at  daylight,  captured  the 
enemy's  pickets,  and  established  a  new  line  close  up  to  the 
rebel  works.  Thus  we  remained  until  the  25th  of  August, 
when  the  regiment  moved  back  to  the  Chattahoochie  and 
fortified  the  railroad-bridge.  On  the  2d  of  September  the 
123d,  together  with  a  regiment  from  each  of  the  other 
brigades  in  the  division,  made  a  reconnaissance  toward 
Atlanta,  and  at  two  P.M.  entered  the  town  and  occupied 
the  works  on  the  east  side,  thus  ending  the  justly-famous 
campaign  of  Atlanta,  a  campaign  characterized  by  Gen. 
Grant,  in  a  letter  to  Gen.  Sherman,  as  "  the  most  gigantic 
undertaking  given  to  any  general  in  this  war."  President 
Lin(n)ln,  in  a  letter  of  thanks  to  Gen.  Sherman,  said,  "The 
marches,  battles,  sieges,  and  other  military  operations  that 


have  signalized  the  campaign,  must  render  it  famous  in  the 
annals  of  war,  and  have  entitled  those  who  have  partici- 
pated therein  to  the  applause  and  thanks  of  the  nation." 

The  usual  duties  of  camp-life  followed,  to  which  was 
added  the  fortification  of  the  city,  foraging  expeditions,  etc. 

On  the  12th  of  October  the  last  train  of  cars  went  north 
from  Atlanta,  and  on  the  15th  began  the  ever-memorable 
"  March  to  the  Sea,"  in  which  Gen.  Sherman  proposed  to 
break  through  the  "  shell  of  the  rebellion"  and  demonstrate 
its  emptiness.  We  moved  past  Storm  Mountain,  Social 
Circle,  and  Madison,  and  on  the  2d  of  November  reached 
Milledgeville  and  crossed  the  Oconee  river.  At  Buffalo 
creek  we  had  a  sharp  skirmish  with  the  enemy,  who  had 
burned  the  bridges,  compelling  us  to  build  nine  new  ones, 
so  wide  and  marshy  was  the  creek. 

We  continued  on  our  course  week  after  week,  almost 
entirely  unopposed,  passing  through  Sandcrsvillc,  Davi.s- 
borough,  and  numerous  other  unimportant  localities,  and 
on  the  30th  of  November  crossed  the  Ogechce  and  biv- 
ouacked at  Linnville.  We  then  marched  down  between  the 
Savannah  and  the  Ogechee  rivers,  through  dismal  swamps 
and  over  wretched  roads,  obliged  to  build  miles  of  corduroy 
before  our  trains  could  pass,  and  at  length,  on  the  8th  of 
December,  we  bivouacked  within  sixteen  miles  of  Savan- 
nah. We  met  the  enemy  the  next  morning  posted  in  the 
edge  of  a  swamp,  having  built  two  forts  for  their  protec- 
tion and  blockaded  the  roads  with  fallen  trees.  Our  men, 
liowever,  soon  drove  the  feeble  rebel  forces  out  of  their 
works,  capturing  considerable  ammunition. 

On  the  10th  we  advanced  to  within  four  miles  of  Savan 
nah,  and  formed  our  line  with  the  left  of  the  brigade  on 
the  Savannah  river.  Here  we  were  shelled  by  the  enemy 
daily,  in  addition  to  the  usual  skirmishing.  The  food  con- 
sisted of  rice  and  poor  beef  until  the  17th  of  December, 
when  we  drew  rations  obtained  from  the  fleet,  and  received 
the  first  mail  since  the  13th  of  November.  On  the  21st 
of  December  we  entered  the  enemy's  works,  which  had 
been  evacuated  the  night  before,  and  camped  within  a  mile 
of  the  city,  thus  ending  the  far-famed  "  JIarch  to  the  Sea." 

We  remained  here,  performing  the  usual  duties  of  camp 
life,  till  Jan.  17,  18G5,  when  we  crossed  the  Savannah 
river  into  South  Carolina,  and  camped  that  night  about  ten 
miles  out.  After  considerable  waiting  for  supplies  in  that 
vicinity,  on  the  4th  of  February  we  moved  out,  through 
rain  and  mud,  and  over  most  wretched  roads,  to  the  Coosa- 
hatchie,  where  we  were  compelled  to  build  a  bridge,  and 
on  the  8th  camped  at  Beaufort's  Bridge.  On  the  9th  we 
marched  nipidly  to  Blackville,  and  then  on  the  next  day  to 
the  South  Edisto,  where  we  made  a  bridge,  cro.ssed,  had  a 
skirmish,  and  camped  a  mile  beyond  the  river.  We  then 
crossed  the  North  Edisto,  piusscd  Lexington  Court- House, 
and  on  the  IGth  camped  within  four  miles  of  Columbia,  the 
capital  of  South  Carolina. 

Crossing  the  Saluda  and  Broad  rivers  above  the  city,  we 
passed  through  the  ruins  of  Winnsborough,  a  large  town 
which  had  been  burned  by  the  enemy,  afterwards  crossed 
the  Wateree  river,  marched  past  Hanging  Rock,  and  on  the 
2d  of  March  met  the  enemy  near  Chesterfield  Court-House, 
driving  them  through  the  town  and  over  Thomp.son's 
cre;;k.     Then   our   column    pushed   forward   to   the  Great 


84 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Pedee  river,  and  on  to  Cheraw.  On  the  8th  of  March  we 
crossed  into  North  Carolina,  and  hastened  forward  through 
Rockingham  to  Fayetteville,  where  we  were  reviewed  by 
Gen.  Sherman. 

Crossing  the  Cape  Fear  river,  we  moved  steadily  for- 
ward, and  on  the  15th  of  March  occurred  the  battle  of 
Avcrysboro'.  This  was  fought  in  low,  swampy  ground, 
the  soldiers  often  standing  two  feet  deep  in  the  water.  At 
nine  a.m.  the  123d  was  put  in  position  on  the  right  of  the 
3d  Division,  with  Co.  E  as  skirmishers,  and  were  soon 
briskly  engaged.  The  enemy  attempted  to  turn  the  Union 
right,  but  were  repulsed  by  our  regiment.  After  fighting 
all  day,  and  driving  the  rebels  into  their  works,  Co.  E  was 
relieved  by  Co.  F,  and  the  regiment  bivouacked  for  the 
night  in  line  of  battle.  The  next  morning  we  found  that 
the  enemy  had  retreated,  but  we  could  not  pursue  them, 
as  the  roads  were  so  bad  that  they  had  to  be  corduroyed 
the  most  of  the  way. 

We  forded  Black  river  through  water  four  feet  deep,  and 
continued  on  our  course.  On  the  19th  the  battle  of  Ben- 
tonville  was  fought.  The  123d  was  held  in  reserve 
during  the  day,  but  in  the  evening  was  thrown  to  the 
front  and  lay  in  line  of  battle  all  night.  Crossing  the 
Neuse  river,  we  reached  Goldsboro'  on  the  24th  of  March, 
and  passed  in  review  before  Gen.  Sherman.  The  army  re- 
mained at  Goldsboro'  until  the  10th  of  April,  learning 
meanwhile  the  glad  tidings  of  the  fall  of  Richmond. 

At  daylight  on  the  10th  of  April  we  again  began  the 
march,  our  regiment  leading  the  corps.  When  four  miles 
out  from  Goldsboro'  the  enemy  appeared  in  front,  and  the 
123d  was  thrown  forward  as  skirmishers.  At  eleven  a.m. 
we  reached  Bloccasin  swamp,  a  mile  wide,  with  two  deep 
streams  running  through  it.  The  rebels  had  taken  the 
planks  from  the  bridges,  and  were  strongly  posted  on  the 
opposite  bank.  But  the  men  sprang  forward  under  a  heavy 
fire,  some  wading  through  water  from  two  to  four  feet 
deep,  while  others  crossed  on  the  stringers  of  the  bridges, 
and  the  foe  was  soon  driven  in  disorder  from  his  works. 
The  next  night  we  camped  at  Smithfield,  and  on  the  12th 
news  came  of  the  surrender  of  Lee.  We  pushed  on,  how- 
ever, and  the  next  day  camped  near  Raleigh.  Here  we 
remained  till  the  surrender  of  Johnston,  when  we  took  up 
our  line  of  march  for  Washington  and  home,  passing 
through  Richmond  on  the  way. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  Sherman's  army  was  reviewed  at 
Washington  by  President  Johnson  and  Gen.  Grant.  Gen. 
Sherman  thus  speaks  of  their  appearance : 

"  It  was,  in  my  judgment,  the  most  magnificent  army  in 
existence, — sixty-five  thousand  men  in  .splendid  phi/siqve, 
who  had  just  completed  a  march  of  nearly  two  thousand 
miles  in  a  hostile  country.  .  .  .  The  steadiness  and  firm- 
ness of  the  tread,  the  careful  dress  of  the  guides,  the  uni- 
form intervals  between  the  companies,  the  tattered  and 
bullet-riven  flags, — all  attracted  universal  notice.  For  six 
hours  and  a  half  that  strong  tread  of  the  Army  of  the 
West  resounded  along  Pennsylvania  avenue,  and  when  the 
rear  of  the  column  had  passed  by  thousands  of  the  spectators 
still  lingered  to  express  their  sense  of  confidence  in  the 
strength  of  a  government  which  could  claim  such  an  army." 

After  the  review  the  regiment  was  camped  near  Bladens- 


burg  till  the  8th  of  June,  when  they  were  mustered  out  of 
the  United  States  service.  The  next  day  we  started  for 
home,  passing  through  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New 
York  to  Albany,  where  we  were  paid  off. 

Thus  closed  the  career  of  the  "  Washington  County 
Regiment,"  which  could  inscribe  upon  its  flag  the  names 
of  more  than  a  score  of  battles  and  almost  innumerable 
skirmishes,  which  marched  more  than  three  thousand  milas, 
and  which  bore  an  honorable  part  in  five  of  the  great  cam- 
paigns of  the  war,  viz. :  the  campaign  of  Chancellorsville, 
the  campaign  of  Gettysburg,  the  campaign  of  Atlanta,  the 
March  to  the  Sea,  and  the  campaign  of  the  Carolinas. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  oflicers  who  ceased  to  belong 
to  the  regiment,  from  all  causes,  before  the  final  muster-out : 

Col.  A.  L.  McDougall;  wounded  at  Pumpkin-Vine  Creek,  May  25, 
and  died  at  Chattanooga,  June  23,  1864. 

Lt.-Col.  Franklin  Norton  ;  died  of  wounds  received  at  Chancellors- 
ville, May  2,  1863. 

Adjt.  (tco.  H.  Wallace;  promoted  to  capt.  Co.  C,  and  resigned 
to  receive  lieutenancy  in  the  regular  service. 

Surg.  John  Moneypcnny;  resigned  March  19,  1863. 

Asst.  Surg.  Lysander  W.  Kennedy;  promoted  to  surg.  in  119th  N. 
Y.  V.  I.,  May  21,  1865. 

Quartermr.  John  King;  resigned  Oct.  25,  1862. 

Chaplain  Henry  Gordon  ;  resigned  April  18,  1803. 

Capt.  Abram  Reynolds,  Co.  A  ;  resigned  July  18,  1863. 

Capt.  Geo.  W.  Warren,  Co.  B;  resigned  June  10,  1863. 

Ciipt.  John  Barron,  Co.  D;  dismissed  the  service,  Feb.  22,  1863. 

Capt.  Norman  F.  Weer,  Co.  E;  died  of  wounds  received  at  Get- 
tysburg. July  3,  1S63. 

Capt.  Jno.  S.  Crary,  Co.  H  ;  resigned  July  22,  1863. 

Capt.  Henry  0.  Wiley,  Co.  K  ;  killed  at  Peach-Tree  Creek,  Ga., 
July  20,  1864. 

First  Lt.  James  C.  Warren,  Co,  B;  resigned  Jan.  28,  1863. 

First  Lt.  AV.  G.  Warner,  Co.  C  ;  resigned  Feb.  11,  1863. 

First  Lt.  Benj.  Elliott,  Co.  H;  resigned  Feb.  4,  1863. 

First  Lt.  John  U.  Daicy,  Co.  E;  killed  at  Peach-Tree  Creek,  July 
20,  1864. 

Second  Lt.  Samuel  C.  Burton,  Co.  B;  resigned  Jan.  7,  1863. 

Second  Lt.  John  C.  Corbett,  Co.  C;  killed  at  Chancellorsville,  May 
3,  1863. 

Second  Lt.  Charles  Archer,  Co.  G;  resigned  Feb.  16,  1863. 

Second  Lt.  Albert  Shilaud,  Co.  I ;  honorably  discharged  on  account 
of  wounds  received  at  Chancellorsville,  May  3,  1863. 

The  following  is  the  roster  of  oflicers  who  were  mustered 
out  with  the  regiment  in  June,  1865  : 

Colonel  and  brevet  brigadier-general,  James  C.  Rogers  ;  lieutenant- 
colonel,  A.  n.  Tanner;  major,  Henry  Gray  ;  adjutant,  Seth  C.  Carey; 
surgeon,  James  Chapman  ;  assistant  surgeon,  R.  fi.  Connelly ;  quar- 
termaster, A.  L.  Crawford:  chaplain,  Myron  White. 

Cotupnny  A. — Captain,  A.  T.  Mason;  first  lieutenant,  Geo.  Robin- 
son ;  second  lieutenant,  Henry  M.  Bosworth. 

Ciniipaut/  B. — Captain,  Jas.  C.  Shaw;  first  lieutenant,  Wm.  W. 
Brown. 

Cnmpnny  C, — Captain,  Hiram  0.  Warren;  first  lieutenant,  George 
Robinson :  second  lieutenant,  Luke  H.  Carrington. 

C'imjjuiiy  D — Captain,  Ale.x.  Anderson;  first  lieutenant,  E.  P 
Quinn  ;  second  lieutenant,  Willis  Swift. 

Compaiii/  £.  — Captain,  Geo.  R.  Hall;  first  lieutenant,  H.  P.  Wail; 
second  lieutenant,  Duane  M.  Hall. 

Comjmny  F. — Captain,  Duncan  Robertson;  first  lieutenant,  Donald 
Reid;  second  lieutenant,  W.  F.  Martin. 

Cunipfiiii/  G. — Captain,  James  Hill;  first  lieutenant,  Jerome  B. 
Rice;  second  lieutenant,  Wm.  G.  Warner. 

Cinnpauy  H. — Captain,  Josiah  W.  Culver ;  first  lieutenant,  Robt. 
Cruikshank;  second  lieutenant,  Robt.  R.  Beattie. 

CoiiiptiHy  f. — Captain,  Orrin  S.  Hall;  first  lieutenant,  Marcus  Bea- 
dle; second  lieutenant,  David  Rogers. 

Company  K. — Captain,  Geo.  W.Baker;  first  lieutenant,  Geo.  W. 
Smith;  second  lieutenant,  Judson  H.  Austin. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHLNGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


85 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

OTHER  REGIMENTS. 

The  ]2oth  IiiCantry — Part  of  a  Company  from  Easton— Its  Services 
— The  169th  Infantry — One  Company  from  Sandy  Hill  and  vicin- 
ity— Services  and  Changes— The  First  Mounted  Rifles— Men  from 
Salem  and  Cambridge— The  Kifles  at  Hluffolk  and  in  the  Array  of 
the  James — Consolidation — Final  Muster-out — The  Second  Vet- 
eran Cavalry — Portions  from  Washington  County — Pleasant  Hill — 
Thrf  Davidson  Raid— Mitchell's  Creek— Claiborne— Mobile — Ser- 
vices after  the  close  of  the  War — The  16th  Heavy  Artillery — Col. 
Strong  authorized  to  raise  a  Battalion — Rapid  Recruiting — Co.  I 
and  its  Officers — Co.  K — The  largest  Regiment  in  America— A 
Battalion  marches  to  Bermuda  Hundred — An  astonished  General — 
Services  in  the  Siege  of  Petersburg  and  Vicinity — Fort  Fisher — 
Cape  Fear  River — Services  of  Officers — The  End. 

THE   ONE    HUNDRED   AND   TWENTY-FIFTH    INFANTRY. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  the  summer  of  1863,  mostly 
in  Rensselaer  county.  Part  of  a  company,  however,  were 
from  Easton,  in  Washington  county.  The  regiment  was 
mustered  in  on  the  29th  of  August,  1863.  They  pro- 
ceeded to  Virginia,  but  were  not  engaged  in  any  serious 
conflict  until  that  of  Gettysburg,  where  their  colonel  (Geo. 
F.  Willard)  was  killed.  The  next  year  they  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Mine  Run,  Wilderness,  North  Anna,  and 
Cold  Harbor.  They  then  settled  down  to  the  siege  of 
Petersburg,  and  were  engaged  in  many  of  the  minor  con- 
flicts that  signalized  the  famous  siege  which  finally  resulted 
in  the  fall  of  Richmond.  In  the  course  of  service  Lewis 
H.  Crandell,  of  Easton,  became  successively  second  lieuten- 
ant, first  lieutenant,  and  captain.  The  regiment  was  mus- 
tered out  on  the  5th  of  June,  1865. 

THE   ONE    HUNDRED    AND    SIXTY-NINTH    INFANTRY. 

Warren  B.  Coleman,  captain,  John  H.  Hughes,  first  lieu- 
tenant, and  Robert  O'Connor,  second  lieutenant,  were  the 
officers  of  the  single  company,  raised  in  Sandy  Hill  and  vi- 
cinity, which  represented  Washington  county  in  the  169th 
New  York  Infantry.  The  rest  of  the  regiment  was  from 
Rensselaer  county.  The  men  were  mustered  into  service  from 
the  25th  of  September  to  the  6th  of  October,  1862.  In 
1863  they  were  employed  in  the  siege  of  Fort  Wagner  and 
at  other  points  in  the  Carolinas,  but  in  1864  they  came  back 
to  Virginia,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Drury's  Bluff, 
Cold  Harbor,  Dutch  Gap,  Chapin's  Farm,  and  other  conflicts 
around  Petersburg  and  Richmond.  They  also  participated 
in  the  successful  expedition  of  Gen.  Terry  against  Fort 
Fisher. 

Lieutenant  Hughes  died  Sept.  6,  1863,  of  wounds  re- 
ceived in  action.  Capt.  Coleman  resigned  in  February, 
1863,  and  was  succeeded  by  Capt.  and  Brevet  Maj.  Frank 
W.  Tarbell,  he  in  turn  being  followed  on  his  retirement  in 
October,  1864,  by  Capt.  Emory  W.  Church.  The  regi- 
ment was  mustered  out  on  the  19th  day  of  July,  1865. 

THE    FIRST    MOUNTED    RIFLES. 

Previous  to  July,  1862,  there  had  been  a  mounted  bat- 
talion known  as  Wool's  Body-Guard.  In  that  month  new 
companies  were  mustered  in,  and  the  command  raised  to  a 
regiment,  under  the  name  of  the  1st  New  York  Mounted 
Rifles.     The  regiment  was  principally  enlisted  in  Rensselaer 


county,  but  there  were  twenty  or  thirty  men  from  Salem, 
Cambridge,  and  vicinity,  and  Cornelius  S.  Masten,  of  Cam- 
bridge, was  one  of  the  captains.  In  July,  1862,  the 
"  Rifles"  went  to  Suffolk,  Va.,  where  they  remained  until 
August,  1863.  Thence  they  proceeded  to  Williamsburg, 
where  they  stayed  until  the  spring  of  1864. 

In  May  of  that  year  the  regiment  joined  the  "Army 
of  the  James,"  under  Gen.  Butler,  at  Bermuda  Hundred. 
They  remained  there  and  in  the  immediat«  vicinity  of 
Petersburg,  constantly  employed  in  scouting,  picketing,  and 
raiding,  throughout  the  siege  of  that  city,  and  till  after  the 
surrender  of  Lee.  In  July,  1865,  the  Rifles  were  consoli- 
dated with  the  3d  New  York  Cavalry,  the  new  regiment 
being  called  the  4tli  Provisional  Cavalry.  This  remained 
on  duty  in  Virginia  until  November,  1865,  when  it  was  also 
mustered  out  of  service. 

THE    SECOND    VETERAN    CAVALRY. 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1863  many  ex-soldiers, 
lately  discharged  from  the  two-years'  regiments,  were  de- 
sirous of  entering  a  cavalry  command.  Two  regiments 
were  accordingly  organized  out  of  that  material,  under  the 
name  of  the  1st  and  2d  Veteran  Cavalry.  The  latter  regi- 
ment contained  one  full  company  (D)  from  Whitehall,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Thomas  F.  Allen.  Parts  of  three  other 
companies  (A,  E,  and  M)  were  also  from  Washington 
county.  Duncan  Cameron,  ex-captain  of  Co.  G,  of  the  22d 
Infantry,  was  major  of  the  regiment,  and  Lucius  E.  Wil- 
son, previously  captain  of  Co.  D,  of  the  22d  Inflmtry  (af- 
terwards brevet  major),  was  captain  of  one  of  the  companies 
of  the  2d  Veteran. 

The  regiment  proceeded  to  Washington,  and  tlience  to 
Louisiana,  where  it  joined  the  Red  River  expedition  of  Gen. 
Banks.  It  took  an  active  part  in  the  battle  of  Pleasant 
Hill,  where  Co.  D  supported  Nims'  Battery,  on  the  right  of 
the  Union  line,  while  the  remainder  of  the  regiment,  on  the 
left  of  the  line,  charged  the  enemy  and  recaptured  two 
pieces  of  artillery  which  had  been  taken  by  them.  The 
2d  Veteran  was  on  duty  in  Louisiana  during  a  large  part  of 
1864.  It  went  with  Gen.  Davidson  on  a  raid  across 
Mississippi  to  cut  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad,  having 
several  small  fights,  and  a  pretty  severe  one  at  Mitchell's 
creek.  In  1865  the  regiment  made  a  rapid  march  to  Pen- 
sacola,  Fla.,  having  a  severe  contest  on  the  way  with  the 
rebel  Gen.  Clanton,  at  Claiborne,  Ala.,  and  capturing  six 
hundred  prisoners. 

In  March  the  active  honsemen  were  back  at  Mobile,  and 
were  present  at  the  capture  of  the  forts  which  defended  that 
city.  During  the  summer  of  1865,  after  the  surrender  of 
the  Confederate  armies,  the  2d  Veteran  was  engaged  in 
riding  through  Alabama  as  a  kind  of  traveling  provost- 
guard,  keeping  order  among  the  newly-conqucrcd  secession- 
ists. This  regiment  was  not  mustered  out  until  November, 
1865. 

THE   SIXTEENTH    HEAVY    ARTILLERY. 

In  the  forepart  of  December,  1863,  Thomas  J.  Strong,  of 
Sandy  Hill,  who  had  served  two  years  in  the  22d  Infontry, 
having  been  mustered  out  with  it  as  lieutenant-colonel, 
went  to  Albany  to  obtain  authority  to  raise  a  new  regiment. 
No  new  regiments  were  then   being  authorized,  but  Col. 


86 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Strong  was  favorably  recommended  to  Col.  Morrison,  of 
New  York  city,  who  for  near  a  year  had  been  endeavoring 
to  raise  a  force  to  be  icnown  as  the  l()th  New  York  Heavy 
Artillery.  It  was  intended  to  consist  of  twelve  companies 
or  batteries  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  each. 

An  understanding  was  soon  arrived  at  between  the  two 
officers  named,  and  Col.  Strong  returned  to  Sandy  Hill  with 
authority  to  raise  a  battalion  of  four  companies  for  the  IGth, 
of  which  he  was  to  be  major.  He  issued  handbills  inviting 
recruits,  and  on  the  23d  of  December  opened  an  office  at 
Sandy  Hill  for  the  reception  of  names.  Bounties  were  then 
hi<^,  and,  besides,  there  was  a  large  number  of  young  men  in 
that  vicinity  who  had  been  discharged  from  other  regiments 
within  a  few  months,  and  were  already  longing  for  the  ex- 
citement of  war.  They  came  flocking  to  the  rendezvous  by 
scores  and  hundreds,  and  by  the  5th  of  January  Col.  Strong 
had  about  eight  hundred  men  enlisted,  mostly  from  this 
county.  Besides  these,  officers  selected  by  Col.  Strong  had 
raised  three  or  four  hundred  more  in  neighboring  counties. 

Most  of  the  men  were  taken  to  Elmira  en  masse,  and 
there  formed  into  companies  without  much  reference  to  the 
localities  from  which  they  came.  Co.  I,  however,  was  or- 
ganized at  Sandy  Hill,  with  the  following  officers  :  Captain, 
Henry  C.  Sherrill  ;  fir.st  lieutenants,  Norman  S.  Kenyou 
and  llufus  Gardner  ;  second  lieutenants,  Charles  C.  Smith 
and  Low  Washburn.  There  was  also  a  detachment  of 
twenty  or  thiity  men  from  Salem  and  Cambridge,  which 
went  into  Co.  K.  Thomas  B.  Fisk,  of  Shushan,  and  James 
S.  Smart,  of  Cambridge  (now  editor  of  the  Washington 
County  Post),  were  first  lieutenants.  Recruiting  also  ad- 
vanced apace  in  other  localities,  and  by  the  latter  part  of 
January  the  regiment  was  "  running  over"  full.  There 
were  more  companies  than  were  required,  and  more  men  in 
each  company.  The  last  were  mustered  in  on  the  28th  of 
January,  18G4.     Col.  Strong  accepted  the  rank  of  major. 

Early  in  the  spring  the  whole  command  was  assembled  at 
Gloucester  Point,  Va.,  numbering  near  four  thousand  men, 
and  being  the  largest  regiment  ever  seen  in  America.  Hun- 
dreds upon  hundreds  were  transferred  to  other  commands, 
and  still  there  remained  fourteen  companies  of  two  hundred 
men  each.  The  government  was  not  prepared  to  supply 
them  with  cannon,  and  they  were  mostly  armed  as  infantry. 
They  continued  in  that  vicinity  until  after  Grant  laid  siege 
to  Petersburg.  In  July,  1864,  Maj.  Strong  was  ordered 
with  six  companies,  numbering  twelve  hundred  men,  to 
Bermuda  Hundred.  Co.  K  was  one  of  those  detailed  for 
the  purpose.  When  the  command  reached  its  destination. 
Gen.  Birney  accosted  Maj.  Strong,  who  was  riding  at  the 
head  of  his  twelve  hundred  men,  saying, — 

"  What  brigade  is  that?" 

"  That  is  not  a  brigade,  sir,"  replied  the  major. 

"  Well,  it  is  as  large  as  most  of  our  brigades ;  what  regi- 
ment is  it,  then  ?" 

"  It  is  not  even  a  regiment,  sir." 

"  What  the  deuce  is  it,  then  ?" 

"  A  detachment  of  six  companies,  sir." 

The  general  stared  a  moment,  and  then  queried  again, — 

"  Well,  what  regiment  does  it  belong  to,  then  ?" 

"The  IGth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  sir,"  replied  the 
major. 


"  Ah  !  yes  ;  I  understand  now.  We  have  heard  about 
them." 

That  part  of  the  regiment  remained  in  service  in  the 
great  siege  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year,  taking 
part  in  numerous  conflicts  at  Dutch  Gap  Canal,  Deep  Bot^ 
tom.  Signal  Hill,  and  other  localities,  losing  heavily  by 
battle  and  also  by  disease.  Maj.  Strong  lost  a  leg.  On 
the  16th  of  September  he  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel 
of  the  regiment.  The  rest  of  the  regiment  was  alsp  ac- 
tively engaged  in  the  siege,  though  at  a  later  date.  The 
IGth  was  so  large  and  was  so  much  broken  up,  and  the 
Washington-county  men  were  so  intermingled  with  those 
of  other  counties,  that  it  is  impracticable  to  give  a  de- 
tailed account  of  their  movements.  In  January,  18G5,  a 
detachment,  including  Co.  K,  was  furnished  with  cannon, 
and  sent  to  aid  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Fisher,  N.  C.  In 
February  they  were  engaged  on  Cape  Fear  river,  in  the 
same  State.  In  the  course  of  service  Lieutenant  Fisk 
became  captain  of  Co.  K  in  place  of  Capt.  Otis.  He  re- 
signed in  February,  18G5,  and  Lieut.  Smart  was  made 
captain  in  his  place,  and  remained  as  such  until  the  muster- 
out  of  the  regiment.  Capt.  Sherrill  and  Lieuts.  Gardner 
and  Smith,  of  Co.  I,  resigned  in  the  spring  of  18G4.  First 
Lieut.  Kenyon  and  Lieut.  Wa.shburn,  who  was  promoted  to 
first  lieutenant,  were  mastered  out  with  the  regiment. 
Lieut.-Col.  Strong  was  breveted  colonel  and  brigadier- 
general  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  field. 
The  regiment  was  finally  mustered  out  on  the  21st  day  of 
August,  1865. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

PRESENT  CONDITION  OP  THE  COUNTY. 

When  the  existence  of  the  nation  was  a.ssured  by  the 
triumph  of  the  Union  armies,  and  the  soldiers  returned  to 
their  homes,  Washington  county  returned  to  the  quiet  and 
peaceful  existence  which  had  before  been  characteristic  of  it. 
A  few  of  the  villages  showed  a  gradual  increase,  but  the  firm- 
ing population  has  evidently  reached  its  limit,  unless  there 
shall  be  some  marked  change  in  agricultural  systems  or  in 
modes  of  life,  which  shall  increase  the  number  of  persons 
who  can  be  supported  on  a  given  number  of  acres. 

The  wool-growing  interest  ha.s  ceased  to  hold  the  pre- 
dominant place  which  it  once  maintained  among  the  indus- 
tries of  the  county,  though  it  is  by  no  means  extinct,  many 
farmers  devoting  considerable  land  and  capital  to  the  raising 
of  sheep.  Potatoes,  apples,  and  the  products  of  the  dairy 
have  now  become  the  principal  resources  of  the  farmer.  We 
give  below  valuable  information,  compiled  from  the  census 
of  1875,  on  these  and  other  points  of  interest.  Another 
industry  which  is  rapidly  assuming  importance  is  that  of 
slate-  and  marble-quarrying,  which  is  carried  on  so  exten- 
sively in  the  neighboring  portions  of  Vermont,  and  which 
bids  fair  to  be  a  source  of  considerable  revenue  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  this  county,  especially  in  Granville  and  vicinity. 
Not  only  roofing-slate,  but  large  quantities  of  black  marble 
have  been  quarried  there,  the  latter  taking  a  beautiful  pol- 
ish and  being  convertible  into  valuable  mantels,  fire-places, 
brackets,  and  similar  articles  of  domestic  use. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NE\V  YORK. 


87 


There  has  been  some  extension  of  the  railroad  facilities 
existing  before  1861.  Even  while  war  was  still  raging  in 
the  land,  in  the  year  1864,  a  survey  was  made  for  a  rail- 
road from  Johnsonville,  on  the  southern  border  of  the 
county,  to  Union  Village,  now  called  Greenwich.  The  first 
ground  was  broken  for  the  Greenwich  and  Johnsonville 
railroad  in  1857,  and  the  road  was  completed  to  Greenwich 
in  August,  1870.  Its  length  is  fourteen  miles,  running 
through  the  towns  of  Cambridge  and  Easton,  and  its  cost, 
with  ef)uipments,  was  three  hundred  and  thirteen  thousand 
dollars.  Further  details  regarding  this  road  are  given  in 
the  town-history  of  Greenwich. 

The  Glen's  Falls  railroad  company  was  organized  in  July, 
1867,  and  a  road  was  soon  after  built  by  its  authority  from 
Fort  Edward  to  Glen's  Falls,  a  distance,  as  the  road  runs, 
of  five  and  three-fourths  miles.  It  was  immediately  leased 
in  perpetuity  to  the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  railroad  com- 
pany, who  pay  for  it  as  rent  the  interest  on  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  The  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga 
road  itself,  however,  has  since  been  leased  to  the  Delaware 
and  Hudson  canal  company,  which  uses  it  principally  lor 
hauling  coal  and  iron  to  and  from  the  iron  mines  of  north- 
ern New  York  and  the  coal  mines  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
Troy  and  Rutland  road  has  also  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  same  corporation,  which  runs  it  in  connection  with  the 
Rutland  and  Washington  railroad,  running  from  Salem  to 
Rutland,  Vt. 

The  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  company  also  procured 
the  construction,  in  1874-75,  of  a  road  called  the  New 
York  and  Canada  railroad,  extending  northward  from 
Whitehall  along  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Champlain  to  the 
north  bounds  of  the  county,  and  thence  northward,  connect- 
ing with  other  roads  leading  to  Montreal.  This  is  also 
managed  and  "  run"  by  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal 
company  as  a  part  of  its  great  system  of  coal  roads,  and 
long  trains,  laden  with  iron  ore  going  souCh,  or  with  coal 
going  north,  may  daily  be  seen  thundering  along  the  rocky 
shores  where  once  resounded  only  the  fierce  yell  of  angry 
panthers,  the  deadlier  war-whoop  of  Indian  braves,  or  the 
triumphant  shout  of  Putnam's  rangers. 

The  population  of  Washington  county  at  each  census 
from  1790  to  1875  was  as  follows:  In  1790,  14,042;  in 
1800,  85,792  (Cambridge  and  Easton  added  in  1791);  in 
1810,  44,289;  in  1814,  36,359  (Warren  county  taken  off 
in  1813);  in  1820,38,831;  in  1825,39,280;  in  1830, 
42,653;  in  1835,  39,326;  in  1840,  41,080;  in  1845, 
40,559;  in  1850,  44,750;  in  1855,  44,405;  in  1860, 
45,904;  iu  1865,  46,244;  in  1870,  49,568;  in  1875, 
48,114. 

The  increase  of  foreign  population  since  1845  has  been 
as  follows:  In  1845,  2241;  in  1850,  6004;  in  1855, 
6787;  in  1860,  6656;  in  1865,  6767;  in  1870,8294; 
in  1875,7136. 

Number  of  colored  persons  since  1790  :  in  1790,  50  ;  in 
1800,399;  in  1810,3130*;  in  1814,  439  ;  in  1820,404; 
in  1825,376;  in  1830,  393;  in  1835,  332;  in  1840,272; 
in  1845,  31 1  ;  in  1850,  350  ;  in  1855,  220  ;  in  1800,  261 ; 
in  1865,  303 ;  in  1870,  382  ;  in  1875,  278. 

*  Probablj'  a  mistake. 


Population  by  Totong  in  1875,  showing  Native  and  Foreign, 
Male  and  Female,  Persons  of  school  age,  Land-Owners,  Voters, 
and  those  over  twenty-one  who  cannot  read  nor  write.* 


Arpyle 

Caiiiljricige.. 


Easton... 
Fort  Ann 
Tort  Edw 


JS 

?„ 

f 

s  . 

Si 

> 

i 

J. 

s 

■« 

1? 

c 

1 

•a 

i 

& 

& 

& 

a 

& 

5" 

rl 

s 

2,700 

2,347 

353 

1,308 

1,392 

CC8 

485 

10 

:i,2C4 

1,9:11 

xa 

1,155 

1,109 

594 

2:19 

32' 

Vim 

Ofifi 

v.a 

4CG 

333 

2:i0 

112 

411 

■iJM 

2.11(1 

:'.44 

1.2fi2 

1,192 

e&i 

Sll 

89 

■  11^ 

..1,,'. 

1.7i;(i 

1,088 

975 

.5:i8 

81' 

1    ',1  ■'■ 

1     ■• 

■.'..Mil 

2,510 

1,420 

53:1 

l:« 

,    *!.'    '1 

■  '1 

■j,(ii;j 

2,028 

1,187 

:i4,'i 

142 

I..11 

l,ir,i 

2,01c 

1,0:10 

(,20 

47 

S74 

7IJU 

1.4 

4411 

428 

205 

125 

31 

1,813 

1,(101 

212 

941 

872 

453 

;<22 

«t 

2,4:17 

2,120 

:il7 

1,21  111 

1,2:11 

C52 

414 

•.'4 

807 
2,24:) 

751 
2,291 

413 
1,317 

177 
CM 

21 

122 

4,f>:i4 

3,737 

797 

041 

r,M 

57 

320 

:!2T 

154 

107 

9 

,^1190 
2,4:10 
4,142 

18C7 

1,840 
1,391 
2,494 

1,081 

736 

1,344 

531 
445 
483 

17 
34 
258 

5,020 

878 

2,52c 

48,114 

40,078 

7136 

24,220 

23,804 

13,188 

6408 

1160 

NUMBER,    MATERIAL, 

AND 

VALUE 

OP  DWELLINGS. 

Town. 

Frame. 

Brick. 

Stono. 

Log. 

Total. 

Total  Value. 

Argyle  

566 

35 

2 

4 

607 

$672,067 

Cambridge.. 

469 

11 

480 

759,865 

Dresden 

}:ib 

9 

144 

88,550 

Easton  

500 

18 

1 

519 

579,125 

Fort  Ann 

664 

17 

5 

14 

700 

630,805 

Ft.  Edward. 

848 

78 

3 

929 

1,91:5,260 

Granville.... 

753 

50 

2 

i 

806 

971,225 

Greenwich  .. 

799 

44 

843 

],. 349,700 

Hampton.... 

177 

8 

1 

186 

159,465 

Hartford  .... 

383 

8 

i 

392 

428,610 

Hebron 

529 

6 

2 

1 

538 

489,650 

Jackson 

303 

C 

309 

255,600 

Kingsbury.. 

808 

21 

3 

832 

1,260,731 

Putnam 

112 

3 

7 

4 

126 

90,640 

Salem  

693 

26 

1 

720 

992,291 

White  Creek 

582 

17 

599 

954,705 

Whitehall... 

850 

125 

6 

981 

1,820,160 

Total 

9171 

473 

32 

35 

9711 

$13,418,449 

TABLE  OF  CHURCHES,  CHURCH  EDIFICES,  SITTINGS,  MEM- 
BERSHIP, VALUE  OF  CHURCH  PROPERTY,  AND  AMOUNT 
OF   ANNUAL   SALARIES. 


Denomination. 

•3 
1' 

0 

c 

s 

i 
a 

C 
p. 
2 
a, 

1 

.- 

18t 

5 

1 

3 
23 

9 

6 

4 
10 

3 

1 
13 

17 
4 
1 
3 

23 
9 
G 
4 

10 
3 
1 

13 

6,682 

1,5,50 

200 

900 

8,780 

3,605 

2,080 

1,260 

4,5.50 

550 

400 

6,9.50 

2,268 
321 
73 
100 

2,635 
89:1 
677 
214 

4,21  iO 
206 
50 

2,529 

$179,200 

24,100 

1.300 

7,500 

178,850 

124,100 

67,5(X) 

31,500 

119,800 

11,100 

2,500 

178,000 

sn.9oo 

ronc-rpirHtioiialiBt 

2,.'>50 

000 

Methodist  Episcopal 

riesbyteriiiu 

Protestant  Episcopal 

i.5,425 
10,200 
8,800 
2,600 

8,700 

S        n  1  Advpntifits 

800 

400 

United  Presbyti'iianJ 

13,650 

96 

94 

36.507 

14,065 

?926,250 

472,726 

'  This  and  the  succeeding  tables  arc  compiled  from  the  State  census 
of  1875.  ,        ,      „  .  , 

t  We  give  the  figures  a.«  they  arc  in  the  census,  but  the  official  re- 
port of  the  Washington  Union  A.ssocialion  (Baptist)  mentions  by 
name  twenty-one  churches  instead  of  eighteen  within  the  county. 
On  this  point  the  report  is  undoubtedly  correct.  It  also  estimates  the 
church  property  at  $190,500.  ,      ^.^ 

X  In  regard  to  this  denomination  Washington  ranks  higher  than 
anv  other  county  in  the  State  in  every  respect  except  as  to  value  of 
church  propertv,  in  which  it  is  slightly  exceeded  by  New  York  city. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YOllK. 


AGRICULTURAL   STATISTICS. 


Acres  of  improved  farm  land 

Acres  (if  unimproved  farm  land 

Cash  valno  of  farms 

Value  of  farm  buildings  other  than 

dwellitif^s 

Value  of  atocli 

Value  of  farm  iini  u  m.  nt-  

Acres  plowed .  I'-      

Acres  in  pasture 

Acrea  in  meadow 

Tons  of  hay  produced,  1874 

Bushels  of  buckwheat,  1814 

Bushels  of  Indian  corn,  1874 

Bushels  of  oats 

Bushels  of  rye 

Bushels  uf  wheat 

Acres  of  potatoes 

Bushels  of  potatoes 

Apple-lrees 

Bushels  of  apples 

Pounds  of  niai)le-8ugar 

Fiirm-horses  two  years  old  and  over 

Value  of  poultry  owned  ou  farms 

Value  of  poultry  sold,  1874 

Value  of  eggs  sold,  1874 

Number  of  niilchcows,  1875 

Cows  of  which  milk  sent  to  factory 

Pounds  of  butter  made  in  families 

Pounds  of  cheese  made  in  families 

Gallons  of  milk  sold  in  market 

Number  of  sheep  shorn,  1874 

Pounds  clipped 

Sheep  killed  by  dogs,  1874 

Swiue  wintered  over 

Pounds  of  pork  made  on  farm 


34G,51S 

126,li48 

?23,86O,102 

S:),087,270 

J2,»10,CG8 

$867,821 

J2,609,IJ9:) 

77,(W5 

13C,4u9 

l(H,32:i 

115,672 

48,785 

361,245 

703,108 

157,143 

7,410 

23,479 

2,468,628 

251,070 

245,426 

21,711 

10.078 

$57,918 

$49,541 

$51,:i4a 

19,586 

5,374 

1,613,209 

150,767 

267,867 

68,641 

353,358 

737 


,  29,005 
6,514 

$2,699,284 

$283,805 

$^68,886 

$93,142 

$282,825 

B,57I 

8,857 

8,412 

8,984 

4,561 

39,155 

71,343 

24,6S7 

735 

2,987 

35<,6IX) 

28,800 

27  ,.525 

243 

1,018 

$6,.590 

$5,740 

$7,672 

1,617 

418 

169,217 


18,875 

.3,110 

81, 792,410 

$251, .3.37 

$168,773 

$75,804 

$172,322 

6,318 

6,249 

4,6.58 

6,795 

2,645 

25,746 

46,493 

14,454 

252 

1,680 

168,060 

17,014 

24,838 


$4,013 

$0,436 

$2,284 

919 


91,875 
2,635 
l,o:)3 
6,840 
30,577 
17 
6.54 


6,382 

22,373 

$217,522 

$:i0,475 

$45,(»6 

$13,613 

$27,650 

669 

3,385 

2,440 

2,.550 


$004 
$411 

$.07 


30,591 

5,944 

12,447,754 

$339,1.35 

$253,113 

$90,098 

$247,834 

8,081 

8,6:5.3 

8,382 

11,250 

5,632 

41,478 

67,094 

25,939 

860 

1,850 

148,.304 

29,225 

39,169 


$6,062 
$6,373 
$4,081 
1,405 


26,822 

26,402 

$1,342,829 

$172,095 

.  $210,377 

$53,721 

$116,825 

3,779 

13,:«1 

9,683 

8,884 

6,586 

26,058 

33,222 

1,327 

120 

631 


13,388 

1..504 

tl,018,711 

$117,145 

$103,125 

$:«,o90 

$68,0.38 

2,937 

2,9.53 

4,148 

4,663 

3,546 

16,957 

31,054 

3,808 

361 

504 


51,807 

42,629 

16,667 

5,136 

11,512 

4,674 

7-23 

461 

9:i,678 

$2,889 

$2,131 

$2,367 

$4,469 

$2,411 

1,494 

7:13 

92 

106 

137,381 

57,005 

17,768 

6,885 

90,682 

25,305 

2,819 

2,047 

14,414 

9,95;i 

27,271 

5,691 

$1,654,778 

$210,:i65 

$200..593 

$48,711 

$174,:i82 

5,844 

12,6.56 

7,4:)7 

7,606 

3,354 

19,972 

51,007 

8,932 

3.'50 

2,2;iO 

244,808 

20,021 

19,934 

3,885 

661 


$2,.545 
2,066 
1,447 
S2,:i20 
14,090 
20,961 
2,289 
13,255 
91 
:«18 


AGRICULTURAL   STATISTICS.— CoHdmierf. 


Acres  of  improved  farm  land 

Acres  of  unimproved  farm  laud 

Cash  value  of  fai*mB 

Value  of   farm  buildings  other  thati 

dwellings 

Value  of  stock 

Yaliie  of  firm  implements 

Gross  amount  ol  sales,  1874 

Acres  plowed,  1875 

Acres  in  pasture 

Acres  in  meadow 

Tons  of  hay  produced,  1874 

Bushels  of  buckwheat,  1874 

Bushels  of  Indian  corn,  1874 

Bushels  of  oats 

Bushels  of  rye 

Bushels  of  wheat 

Acres  of  potatoes 

Bushels  of  potatoes 

Apple-trees 

Bushels  of  apples 

Pounds  of  maple.Bugar 

Farm-horses  two  years  old  and  over..... 

Value  of  poultry  owned  on  farms 

Value  of  poultrvsold,  1874.. 

Value  of  eggs  sold,  1874 

Number  of  milch-cows,  1875 

Cows  of  which  milk  sent  to  factory 

Pounds  of  butter  made  in  families 

Ponuds  of  cheese  made  in  families 

Gallons  of  milk  sold  in  market 

Nutnberof  sheep  shorn,  1874 

I'onnds  clipped 

Sheep  killed  by  dogs,  1874 

Pounds  of  pork  made  on  farm 


8,583 

3,09:1 

$535,940 

$77,845 

$82,505 

$14,185 

$64,:i88 

l.:i9.l 

4,446 

2,713 

:i,154 

l,li») 

5,:179 

11,758 

1,878 


49,482 
5,535 
4,002 


$801 

$866 

$l,o:)5 


11,181 

9.54 

6,632 


22,7:J2 

3,284 

$1,218,970 

$145,415 

$165,645 

$70,21  ;i 

$160,267 

4,000 

10,007 

6,540 

6,533 

1,894 

21,975 

39,095 

6,958 

765 

1,645 

17.|,o:i5 

18,418 

13,864 


$2,700 

$2,191 

$4  ,.558 

1,201 

547 

72,.541 

10,:i50 

22,006 

6,728 

31,120 

62 

665 


28,204 

G,"52 

$1,998,100 

$206,925 

$2(]8,o75 

$61,020 

$2:Vi,(>»6 

7,l:U 

12,773 

6,593 

7,714 

3,620 

19,456 

67,080 

9,110 

274 

3,o:io 

347,385 

21,228 

16,576 

4,070 

818 

$4,101 

$3,420 

$:),:121 

1,807 

1,177 

108,007 

7,100 

350 


19,317 

4,260 

H,116,232 

$178,9(X) 

$150,244 

$38,7:!0 

$15.5,623 

4.:i74 

5,846 

4,405 

5,6:i2 

1,199 

24,729 

61,031 

10,007 

100 

1,689 

180,003 

11.148 

10,670 


$:i,(i54 
$2,293 
$1,903 


19,554 

2,939 

$1,516,055 

$170,488 

$167,384 

$59,905 

$162,804 

4,076 

6,9.V! 

8,622 

8,651 

4,326 

26,:)30 

39,616 

2,231 

i:)7 

1,034 

90,105 

12,465 

11,301 

500 

688 

$4,442 

$2,:i74 

$4,300 

l,:i45 

131 

135.4S1 

34,758 

68,780 

2,548 

12,559 

66 

876 


8,626 

10,987 

$379,520 

$67,020 

$78,908 

$10,647 

$41,671 

832 

4,:!62 

3,304 

3,310 

42 

1,674 

14,696 


8,180 
4,680 
2,790 


$.531 
$14:i 
$688 


23,644 

7,100 

$1,642,060 

$219,595 

$183,940 

$.54,890 

$184,0:il 

6,020 

9,112 

5,488 

7,081 

3,041 

20,893 

48,2.59 

7,479 

323 

2,373 

270,121 

13,031 

10,619 

2.646 

666 

$4,761 

$3,168 

$3,894 

1,242 


l:j,7l0 
5,736 
28,346 


21,903 

5,400 

$1,364,475 

$170,395 

$187,339 

$58,62:i 

$123,260 

3,830 

9,175 

7,734 

7,9114 

2,444 

20,717 

35,917 

8,585 

860 
71,475 
13,084 
12,820 


80,218 
9,980 
5,050 
9.646 
51,277 
56 
981 


Number  of  cheese-factoriei 


unty  in  1875,  11.    Number  of  pounds  of  cheese  made  in  facto 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


89 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

GEOLOGY    OP  WASHINGTON    COUNTY.* 

The  Taeonic  Rocks — The  Taconio  Theory — E.i!planatory  Remark.* — 
The  Lake  George  District — General  Geological  Sketch  of  the 
County — Its  Geological  Position — Granite — Postdam  Sandstone — 
Calciferous  Sandstone — Chazy  Limestone — Trenton  or  B.ald  Moun- 
tain Limestone — Hudson  River  Slate — Taeonic  Slate — Tacnnic 
Sandstone — Sparry  Limestone — Magncsian  Slate — Rutland  Marble 
— Granular  Quartz. 

Washington  county  has  been  termed  "classic ground" 
to  geological  scientists  and  amateurs.  It  is  mo.stly  under- 
laid by  what  are  termed  the  Taconic  rocks,  these  being 
the  rocks  of  the  Taconic  or  Taghkaniek  mountains,  a  chain 
of  outliers  to  the  Green  mountains  upon  their  western  side, 
whicli  extend  along  the  eastern  border  of  the  State  from 
Dutchess  county  north,  and,  passing  into  Vermont,  are  con- 
tinued along  the  east  border  of  the  valley  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain  nearly  or  quite  to  the  Canada  line.  These  Taconic 
rocks  are  the  strata  which  were  originally  named  by  Professor 
Amos  Eaton  the  granular  quartz,  granular  lime-rock,  sparry 
lime-rock,  and  primitive  argillite.  JMore  recently  they  have 
been  termed  the  quartz-rock  or  brown  sandstone.  Stock- 
bridge  limestone,  magnesian  slate,  sparry  limestone,  and 
Taeonic  slate. 

Geologists  liave  differed  in  opinion,  and  there  ha.s  been 
much  controversy  with  regard  to  these  strata,  whether  they 
were  a  di.stinct  and  independent  series  of  rocks,  or  whether 
they  were  merely  metamorphic  or  altered  rocks, — the  Tn- 
conic  theory  viewing  them  as  being  an  independent  series 
or  system  placed  between  the  primary  or  granitic  rocks  and 
the  transition  or  lower  strata  of  the  "  New  York  system," 
thus  being  older  than  the  latter ;  and  the  metamnrphic  the- 
ory  regarding  them  as  the  lower  members  of  the  New  York 
system,  changed  from  their  normal  appearance  by  the 
agency  of  heat,  by  which  also  nearly  all  traces  of  their 
fossils  have  been  burned  out  and  obliterated. 
■  These  Taconic  rocks  are  in  this  county  more  spread  out, 
and  occupy  a  much  wider  belt  of  territory  than  in  the 
counties  south  of  this,  where  they  were  first  examined  and 
described.  Being  thus  more  expanded  and  opened  to  view, 
the  discordant  opinions  respecting  them  have  caused  the 
exposures  of  these  rocks  at  particular  localities  in  this 
county  to  be  visited  and  studied  by  a  number  of  the  most 
eminent  geologists,  both  of  this  and  foreign  lands. 

To  render  the  account  of  the  geology  of  the  county, 
which  I  here  propose  to  present,  more  clear  to  the  under- 
standing of  readers  in  general,  it  will  be  necessary  that  1 
first  give  a  brief  preliminary  outline  of  this  subject,  naming 
the  several  strata  of  rocks  in  the  order  in  which  they  occur, 
one  after  another,  in  pa.ssing  across  the  county. 

The  most  elevated  and  mountainous  part  of  the  county 
is  the  district  bordering  upon  Lake  George,  at  the  north 
end  of  the  county.  We  here  find  ourselves  upon  the  un- 
stratified  or  granillc  rochs  which  constitute  the  primitive 
range  of  northern  New  York,  and  which  occupy  the  vast 
wilderness-region  that  extends  from  this  county  northwest 
to  the  St.  Lawrence  river.     Starting  from  this  point,  and 


>  By  Asa  Fitch,  M.D. 


traveling  across  the  county  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  we 
meet  .successively  with  different  rocks,  as  follows:  upon 
reaching  Wood  creek  and  the  Champhiin  canal,  we  find 
resting  upon  the  granite  a  hard,  white  sandstone,  appearing 
in  even,  uniform  layers,  commonly  in  precipices  facing  the 
west,  and  resembling  walls  of  masonry.  This  is  the  7Vs- 
d(im  sandslone.  Crowning  the  precipices  in  which  it  ap- 
pears, and  extt;ndiiig  east  from  them,  is  a  much  softer  gray 
rock,  composed  of  lime  and  sand  in  variable  proportions, — 
the  calci/critiis  smuhfone.  As  we  pass  farther  east  we 
come  to  a  pure  limestone,  of  a  leadeii-blue  color,  very  com- 
pact and  fine-grained, — the  Chazy  limenlone.  Twelve  miles 
distant  from  this,  in  the  Bald  mountain  range  of  hills, 
which  skirt  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  along  its  eiist  side,  wc 
meet  with  a  stratum  of  limestone  resembling  the  last,  being 
of  a  blue  color,  very  compact  and  fine-grained,  and  yielding 
lime  of  a  superior  quality.  Standing  alone,  so  widely  sep- 
arated from  any  other  stratum  of  limestone,  geologists  have 
been  much  perplexed  to  determine  to  which  of  the  strata 
of  limestones  this  pertains,  and  differed  widely  with  respect 
to  it,  until  a  fossil  which  I  discovered  in  it  showed  it  to  be 
the  Trenton  limestone,  thus  belonging  above  the  Chazy,  in- 
stead of  below  it,  where  some  had  confidently  placed  it. 
Finally,  bordering  upon  these  limestones,  and  at  a  distance 
of  three  to  six  miles  from  the  granite,  we  find  a  black,  brit- 
tle shale,  the  ILulsoa  river  shite,  which  is  seen  everywhere 
in  the  bank  of  the  river  along  the  west  side  of  the  county, 
and  extends  east  some  three  miles  to  the  Bald  mountain 
range  of  hills. 

From  the  granite  upon  which  we  started  wc  have  thus 
far  been  passing  over  rocks  of  the  New  York  system,  which 
successively  overlay  each  other,  to  this  slate,  which  is  the 
uppermost  and,  geologically,  the  highest  .stratum  in  the 
county.  We  next  come  upon  rocks  of  the  Taconic  group, 
on  which,  as  we  pass  ea.stward,  we  descend  from  the  highest 
to  the  lowest  members  of  this  series. 

Upon  the  east  side  of  the  Bald  mountain  range  of  hills, 
and  forming  these  hills  in  several  instances  where  the  lime- 
stone does  not  occur,,  we  come  upon  slate-rocks  of  great 
variety,  but  for  the  most  part  of  a  grayish  color,  and  in 
even  layers  of  a  firm  texture,  in  which  slate-beds  of  gray 
or  Taconic  sandstone  and  blue  limestone  are  of  frequent 
occurrence.  This  is  the  Taconic  slate,  the  leading  rock  of 
the  county,  occupying  its  eastern  half,  and  underlying  about 
three-fifths  of  its  area.  In  places  on  the  cast  border  of  the 
county,  and  beyond  the  State  line  in  Vermont,  we  find  slate 
of  a  green  color  and  soft  in  its  texture, — this  being  the 
magnesian  slate.  And  here  we  come  to  a  pale-blue  lime- 
stone, much  checked  and  traversed  by  veins  and  seams  of 
white  calcareous  spar, — the  sparry  limestone.  And  beyond 
this  is  a  snowy-white  limestone, — tlie  Stockhridge  limestone, 
or  Rutland  marble, — which  comes  slightly  within  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  county.  Beyond  this  we  reach  a  white 
or  light-brown  and  vitrified  sandstone, — the  quartz  rock. 
And  to  this  succeed  the  granite  or  primary  rocks  of  the 
Green  mountain  range. 

From  this  sketch  it  will  bo  perceived  that  this  county  is 
sitiuited  in  a  trough,  as  it  were,  that  intervenes  between  the 
primitive  formation  of  northern  New  York  and  that  of  New 
En-dand.     In  a  direct  line,  it  is  here  from  twenty-five  to 


12 


90 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


thirty  miles  from  the  primitive  rocks  of  one  of  these  ranges 
to  those  of  the  other.  Moreover,  the  strata  of  this  county 
are  the  lowest  palpeozoic  rocks  known  to  geologists, — that  is, 
they  are  the  lowest  of  those  rocks  that  contain  any  organic 
remains.  They  were  deposited  when  the  first  species  of 
vegetables  and  animals  began  to  have  an  existence  upon  our 
globe.  They  are  admitted  on  all  hands  to  be  sedimentary 
rocks, — that  is,  they  were  deposited  from  water,  and  consist 
of  the  sand,  mud,  and  silt  that  settled  from  the  sea  which 
enveloped  our  world  before  the  dry  land  was  made  to  appear. 
We  now  proceed  to  a  more  full  and  particular  account  of 
each  of  the  strata  named  in  the  foregoing  cursory  view. 


This  rock  occupies  the  north  end  of  the  county,  between 
Lake  George  and  Lake  Champlain,  underlying  nearly  all  of 
the  town  of  Putnam,  the  whole  of  Die.sden,  and  those  parts 
of  Fort  Ann  and  Wliitehall  which  are  north  of  Half-Way 
brook  and  west  of  Wood  creek.  It  is  a  granitic  gneissoid 
rock  of  the  same  character  as  in  the  adjoining  counties  of 
Warren  and  Esses,  and  differs  notably  from  the  correspond- 
ing granitic  rock  of  the  Green  mountains,  being  nearly  des- 
titute of  mica,  and  composed  largely  of  feldspar,  which  is 
mostly  of  a  gray  or  reddish  color.  Hornblende,  garnets,  and 
magnetic  oxide  of  iron  are  in  some  places  disseminated  so 
largely  through  the  rock  that  they  seem  almost  entitled  to  be 
regarded  as  one  of  its  constituents.  From  within  the  bounds 
of  this  county  two  valuable  minerals  are  being  furnished  by 
this  rock,  viz.,  iron  ore  and  black-lead.  Beds  of  iron  ore 
have  been  opened  at  Mount  Defiance  and  Dresden,  and  there 
is  little  doubt  but  that  such  beds  occur  in  all  parts  of  this 
granitic  range,  from  Ticonderoga  to  Fort  Ann  ;  but  it  is 
only  in  the  last  of  these  towns,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Mount  Hope  furnace,  two  miles  up  Furnace  brook  from  the 
head  of  South  bay,  that  the  mines  have  been  worked  to  any 
large  extent.  Black-lead  (graphite  or  plumbago)  is  dissem- 
inated through  most  parts  of  this  rock,  and  occurs  in  abun- 
dance in  the  north  part  of  Putnam,  whence,  I  am  informed, 
is  obtained  a  portion  of  the  "  Ticonderoga  black-lead,"  which 
in  market  has  taken  the  precedence,  and  has  measurably 
superseded  the  supplies  of  this  mineral  from  other  sources. 

POTSDAM    SANDSTONE. 

Wherever  we  step  oft'  from  the  granitic  range  just  con- 
sidered, we  come  upon  one  of  the  hardest  and  most  refrac- 
tory rocks  within  our  knowledge.  This  is  the  Potsdam 
sandstone.  It  is  well  exhibited  all  along  the  valley  of 
Wood  creek  from  Whitehall  to  Fort  AnTi,  and  thence  west 
along  Half-Way  brook  to  the  line  of  Warren  county.  At 
Whitehall  the  stratum  has  a  thickness  of  two  hundred  feet 
or  more,  but  becomes  thinner  toward  Fort  Ann.  It  is 
mostly  seen  in  precipices  facing  the  west,  and  occurs  in  uni- 
form layers  a  few  inches  in  thickness,  looking  like  regular 
courses  of  masonry  laid  up  for  the  wall  of  some  stupendous 
fortification.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Winchell's  creek  and 
Ma.son  hollow,  deep,  narrow  delis  and  defiles  occur,  bounded 
by  perpendicular  walls  of  this  rock,  sometimes  branching 
and  running  into  each  other,  and  having  a  most  .singular 
and  romantic  aspect,  causing  the  beholder  to  almost  fixncy 
himself  among  the  ruined  c;istles  and  towers  of  the  days  of 


old.  The  rock  is  a  white  sandstone,  often  stained  or  tinged 
with  red,  of  a  harsh  texture,  and  an  earthy  rather  than  a 
vitreous  a.spect.  The  lower  part  of  the  stratum  takes  on 
a  deep  red  color,  and  gradually  changes  into  the  gneiss 
rock  beneath  it,  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  tell  by  which 
name  certain  specimens  should  be  labeled.  At  the  upper 
part  of  the  stratum  the  layers  become  thin  and  slate  like, 
and  on  the  surfiice  of  these  slaty  layers  occur  slightly  ele- 
vated ridges,  branching  and  crooked,  resembling  the  roots 
of  trees.  These  are  regarded  as  the  relics  of  a  fucoid  or 
sea-weed,  which  is  supposed  by  those  who  reject  the  Taconic 
theory  to  have  been,  probably,  the  first  species  of  plant 
that  was  created  in  our  world.  Layers  with  these  remains 
occur  in  Whitehall,  on  the  west  side  of  Skene's  mountain, 
near  the  .summit.  In  some  places,  lower  down  in  the  stra- 
tum, the  surfaces  of  the  layers  are  beautifully  covered  with 
ripple-marks,  as  regular  and  perfect  as  those  newly  washed 
in  the  .sand  on  the  sea-shore.  The  uses  to  which  this  stone 
is  applied  are  few.  It  is  so  difficult  to  quarry,  in  consequence 
of  its  hardness,  and  breaks  into  blocks  with  such  irregular 
sides,  as  to  be  valueless  for  laying  a  smooth-faced  wall  or  a 
close-jointed  pavement.  It  furnishes  the  best  of  fire-stones 
for  furnaces  and  other  situations  where  a  high  and  continu- 
ous heat  is  maintained.  It  is  considerably  employed  for 
building  purposes  in  the  villages  of  St.  Lawrence  county, 
where  it  abounds  (the  walls  being  of  the  rough  "ashlar"' 
style),  and  is  superior  to  any  other  stone  for  wall-fences  and 
similar  uses. 

CALCIFEROUS    SANDSTONE. 

This  is  a  rock  intermediate  in  its  position  and  also  in  its 
composition  between  the  sandstone  below  and  the  limestone 
above  it;  being,  as  its  name  implies,  a  sandstone  in  which  a 
portion  of  lime  is  disseminated.  Toward  its  lower  part  it 
is  nearly  a  pure  siliceous  rock,  but  loses  this  character  nmre 
and  more  as  we  proceed  upwards  ;  the  transition  being  so 
gradual  that  in  many  localities  it  is  impossible  to  tell  at 
what  point  this  rock  ceases  and  the  limestone  above  it 
begins.  Hence  the  amount  of  surface  which  it  occupies 
cannot  be  estimated  with  any  degree  of  definiteness,  though 
it  is  not  extensive.  It  forms  the  summit  of  most  of  the 
precipices  of  which  the  Potsdam  sandstone  is  the  base,  and, 
like  that,  it  is  an  even-bedded  rock,  its  layers  preserving 
a  uniform  thickness  through  long  distances.  Being  so 
nmch  softer  than  the  Potsdam,  it  is  readily  raised  from  the 
quarry  in  square  and  smooth-faced  blocks.  Hence  for  flag- 
ging purposes  it  is  in  high  repute,  and  is  the  most  desirable 
stone  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge,  its  quarries  furnish- 
ing slabs  and  blocks  of  any  thickness  and  size  that  may  be 
desired.  In  Kingsbury  and  Fort  Ann  several  valuable 
quarries  are  open,  and  have  been  extensively  worked  for 
many  years.  At  the  quarry  on  the  canal,  north  of  Dewey's 
bridge,  the  stratum  shows  a  thickness  of  about  two  hundred 
feet.^ 

CIIAZY    LIMESTONE. 

At  a  distance,  commonly,  of  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Wood 
creek  and  the  Champlain  canal,  the  calciferous  .sandstone 
is  succeeded  by  the  pale-blue  or  dove-colored  Chazy  lime- 
stone, which  in  Fort  Ann  has  a  breadth  of  two  or  three 
miles,  reaching  east  to  the  Mettowee  or  Granville  river. 
It  occujiies  the  northwest  part  of  the  town  of  Hartford  and 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


91 


the  east  border  of  Kingsbury,  and.  reappearing  on  the  west 
side  of  the  valley  of  Wood  creek,  skirting  the  calcifcrous 
sandstone,   it   passes   through   Kingsbury   and   onward   to 
Glen's  Falls,  changing  as  it  trends  westward  to  a  darker 
color,  and  finally  to  a  jet-black.     It  is  a  remarkable  and 
most  interesting  fact  that,  in  tracing  this  stratum  across  this 
county,  in  a  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles,  as  we  pass  out 
(if  the  Lake  Champlain   into  the  Hudson  river  valley,  it 
becomes  altered  from  the  most  perfectly-marked  Chazy  lime- 
stone into  eijually  well-marked  Bird.seye  and  Trenton  lime- 
stones.    The  Miwhiren  nutgna,  the  fo.ssil  shell  by  which  this 
limestone   is  distinguished,  is  abundant  in  the  northwest 
part  of  Granville;  its  remains  usually  appearing  as  a  coiled 
mark,  elevated  and  rough,  often  six  inches  in  diameter,  and 
occurring,  upon  the  weather-worn  surface  of  this  rock,  over 
half  an   acre   in   extent.      Other  peculiar   marks  may  be 
noticed,  in  some  places,  upon  the  surface  of  the  layers  of  this 
limestone.     In  the  vicinity  of  Dewey's  bridge  the  lower  part 
of  this  stratum,  as  well  as  the  calciferous  stratum  under  it, 
exhibits  an  oolitic  structure,  or,  in  other  words,  is  marked 
with  a  number  of  concentric  rings,  like  the  successive  waves 
extending  out  from  where  a  pebble  has  been  dropped  into 
smooth  water,  the.se  circular  spots  being  from  an  inch  to 
over  a  foot  in  diameter.     In  several  localities  the  layers  of 
this    limestone    may   be  seen   with   the   surface   regularly 
marked  and  checked,  as  if  creases  had  been  cut  in  it  with  a 
knife  when  it  was  soft.     Other  layers  may  be  observed  with 
the  surface  covered  with  indentations,  appearing  as  though, 
when  it  was  in  a  soft  state,  loads  of  cobble-stones  had  been 
emptied  upon  it  and  then  picked  off,  leaving  their  impres- 
sions crowded  all  over  the  face  of  the  rock.     In  other  places 
smaller    indentations    occur,  identical   in  appearance   with 
those   made  upon   soft    mud   by  a   shower  of  rain-drops. 
Portions  of  this  stratum  are  also  much  checked  and  veined 
with  white  calcareous  spar.     And  in  some  places  the  ap- 
pearance is  as  though  the  original  rock  had  been  wholly 
broken  up  into  irregular  fragments  of  a  few  inches  in  size, 
and  these  fragments  had  been  cemented  together  again,  each 
in  its  place,  by  veins  of  spar.     Slabs  of  this  limestone  have 
been  got  out,  both  in  northwest  Granville  and  in  White- 
hall, which  took  on  a  fine  polish,  and  showed  that  the  stone 
in  these  places  was  suitable  for  being  worked  as  a  marble. 
Though  much  used  for  underpinning  buildings,  for  wall- 
fences,  etc.,  in  the  neighborhoods  where  it  occurs,  it  is  for 
burning  into  quicklime  that  this  stone  is  most  valuable. 
Numerous  kilns  have  been  erected  at  various  points  upon 
this  stratum,  many  of  them  being  now  in  operation.     Much 
the  largest  business  at  this  time  is  conducted  by  the  Keenan 
Lime  Company,  at  the  ledge  of  this  rock  a  half-mile  east 
fi'om  the  canal  at  Smith's  basin.     This  company  has  five 
draw-kilns  in  operation,  turning  out  six  hundred  barrels  of 
lime  daily.     To  the  eye  the  rock  here  appears  much  like 
that  at  Bald  mountain,  and  it  probably  yields  a  lime  similar 
to  that  in  quality,  and  superior  to  the  lime  of  most  other 
localities. 

TRENTON    OR    B.\LD-MOUNTAIN    LIMESTONE. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  and  best  known  deposits  of  lime- 
stone is  at  Bald  mountain,  in  the  town  of  Greenwich.  This 
mountain  is  a  mile  or  more  in  length,  and,  rising  to  a  height  of 


six  hundred  or  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  is  mostly  made  up  of  a  blue  limestone 
which  has  been  long  and  widely  celebrated  for  the  superior 
excellence  of  the  lime  which  it  yields.     As  already  stated  this 
is  one  of  a  range  of  hills  which  skirt  the  valley  of  the  Hud- 
son river  upon  its  cast  side  ;  and  in  these  hills,  both  to  the 
north  and  the  south  of  Bald  mountain,  this  limestone  ap- 
pears, through  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  .standing  up  in 
the  midst  of  the  slate-rocks  like  an  island  in  the  sea,  there 
being  no  other  lime-rock  within  twelve  miles  of  this,  to  aid 
in  showing  the  stratum  to  which   it  pertains.     It  w;is  for- 
merly supposed  to  be  wholly  destitute  of  fossils,  and  its 
lithological  characters  are  quite  discordant,  it  being  of  a  uni- 
form  blue  color   in   one  place,  in   another  profusely  trav- 
ersed by  veins  of  white  calcareous  spar,  and  at  Bald  moun- 
tain being  one  of  the  purest  of  limestones,  while  two  miles 
distant,  at  Galesville,  it  is  nearly  a  fourth  composed  of  .silex. 
Geologists  have  conse((uently  been  greatly  embarrassed  with 
this  limestone,  and  have  arrived  at  views  very  diiFerent  and 
conflicting  with   regard  to  its  age  and   its  correct  name. 
Professor  Eaton  considered  the  rock  at  Galesville  to  be 
calciferous  sandstone,  and  that  at  Bald  mountain  metalifer- 
ous  or  Trenton  limestone.     Professor  Mather  thought  there 
was  no  calciferous  here,  whilst  Dr.  Emmons  regarded  it  as 
being  all  calciferous.     As  fossils  would  shed  the  clearest 
light  upon  this  mooted  subject,  diligent  .searches  were  made 
for  them,  but  without  avail.     In  an  excursion  made  by  Dr. 
Emmons,  Professor  Hall,  and  myself,  over  the  mountain  two 
miles  north  of  Bald  mountain,  two  vestiges  of  fo.ssils  were 
discovered,  which  we  all  agreed  were  too  slight  and  obscure 
for  deciding  anything,  though  I  su.spect  neither  of  us  doubted 
that  they  were  relics  of  the  Maclurea  magna.    Afterwards, 
when  making  my  agricultural  survey  of  the  county  for  the 
State  Agricultural  Society,  in  perfect  preservation  upon  a 
fragment  of  limestone  at  the  Friends"  meeting-house,  three 
miles  south  of  Galesville,  I  discovered  the  buckler  of  the 
little  trilobite  Triiiuclcus  coiiceiitricus,  a  fos.sil  belonging  to 
the  upper  layers  of  the  Trenton  limestone,  and  proving  this 
beyond  doubt  to  be  the  equivalent  of  that  stratum.     In  fol- 
lowing this  range  of  hiils  north  twenty-five  miles,  to  where 
it  is  cut  across  by  the  IMettowee  river,  this  limestone  again 
appears,  and  at  the  spot  where  the  Madarea  magna  occurs 
as  uoticcd  above,  I  met  with  this  same  fossil  and  some 
others  belonging  to  the  Trenton  limestone,  these  having  been 
in  close  proximity  to,  and  one  of  them  associated  with,  the 
Maclurea.     Some  of  these  fossils  have  since  been  found  at 
Bald  mountain  also.     And,  from  the  indications  stated  a  few 
lines  back,  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  Maclurea  occurs  also, 
two  miles  north  from  that  mountain.     These  facts  show 
that  this  limestone  at  Bald  mountain  and  its  vicinity,  and  at 
the  Mettowee  river,  is  the  full  equivalent  of  the  Chazy, 
Birdseye,  and  Trenton  limestones,  and  that  it  is  impossible 
here  to  separate  these  and  regard  them  as  distinct  strata. 
The  rock  at  Bald  mountain  is  almost  pure  carbonate  of 
lime,  it  giving  of  that  substance,  on  analysis,  ninety-six  to 
ninety-seven  per  cent.,  with  but  a  mere  trace  of  the  silex  or 
flinty  matter  which  occurs  in  the  lime-rocks  of  other  local- 
ities.    Thus   it  produces  one  of  the  richest  of  what  are 
termed  "  rich  limes,"  and  the  lime  it  yields  has  ever  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  market  in  our  cities.     Though   many 


92 


HISTORY   OF   WASHL\GTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


other  places  furnish  iin  article  of  the  quality  required  for 
common  uses,  such  as  the  making  of  mortar,  manuring  of 
land,  etc.,  for  all  the  finer  kinds  of  .stucco  work,  hard-finish- 
ing, white-washing,  etc.,  the  brilliant,  snowy  whiteness  of 
the  Bald-mountain  lime  renders  it  unrivaled.  The  kilns  at 
this  mountain,  and  at  the  outlying  ledges  of  rock  imme- 
diately around  it,  had  been  producing  about  sixty  thousand 
bushels  of  lime  annually  some  twenty-five  years  ago,  when 
the  quantity  in  a  short  time  was  more  than  doubled  by  the 
energy  with  which  the  business  was  entered  upon  and  con- 
ducted by  Robert  L.  Lowber,  who  became  proprietor  of  the 
main  quarry.  Eleven  kilns,  of  the  most  approved  con- 
struction, were  here  built  by  him,  with  every  convenience 
for  feeding  them  and  for  transporting  their  produce  over 
a  down  grade,  three  miles,  to  the  canal.  A  thrifty  post- 
village  of  upwards  of  a  hundred  dwellings  grew  up  at  this 
place.  Notwithstanding  the  large  quantity  that  was  fur- 
nished, this  lime  always  met  with  a  ready  sale,  and  it  is 
supposed  that  its  high  repute  in  our  city  markets  was  felt 
by  other  producers  to  be  injuriously  aiTecting  their  busi- 
ness ;  as  Mr.  Lowber  was  prevailed  upon  five  years  ago  to 
sell  out  his  interest  here  to  the  Glen's  Falls  Lime  Com- 
pany, since  which  the  making  of  lime  at  this  place  has 
been  almost  totally  .abandoned,  and  the  tidy  village  has  been 
deserted  by  its  inhabitants  and  is  rapidly  going  to  decay. 
The  hydraulic  limestone  at  Galesville,  from  which  an  excel- 
lent water-lime  is  obtained,  contains  .so  large  a  portion  of 
silex  that  we  think  it  must  be  regarded  as  pertaining  to  the 
underlying  calciferous  sandstone  rather  than  to  this  Chazy- 
Trenton  limestone  stratum.  Its  analysis  gives  forty-two 
per  cent,  of  lime,  with  twenty  of  silica.  The  Newburg  or 
llosendale  cement,  with  which  the  market  at  large  is  so 
abundantly  supplied,  contains  but  twenty-five  per  cent,  of 
lime,  with  fifteen  of  silica.  It  also  contains  twelve  per  cent, 
of  magnesia,  of  which  there  is  not  a  half  of  one  per  cent, 
in  the  Galesville  stone,  which  would  thus  appear  to  be  a  more 
pure  hydraulic  limestone  than  the  former.  But  masons 
who  have  worked  largely  with  both  these  kinds  regard  them 
as  equal  in  value,  merely  preferring  the  Galesville  cement 
as  being  newly  ground,  and  hence  hardening  more  speedily, 
that  which  is  old  eventually  becoming  as  hard  as  the  new. 

nUD.SON    RIVKll    SLATE. 

This  slate  is  well  exposed  all  along  the  Hudson,  from 
Sandy  Hill  to  Schuylerville,  and  in  the  banks  of  the 
streams  entering  this  river.  In  several  places,  also,  it  is 
elevated  into  ridges  which  project  above  the  clay  soil  by 
which  it  is  commonly  overlaid.  It  extends  east  from  the 
river  about  three  miles  to  the  base  of  the  Bald  mountain 
range  of  hills,  and  is  the  basis-rock  of  nearly  one-fifth  of 
the  county.  This  slate  is  of  a  black  or  blackish  color,  and 
is  generally  a  shale  rather  than  a  slate,  breaking  and  crum- 
bling, when  exposed  to  the  air,  into  small,  angular  frag- 
ments, forming  a  slaty  gravel.  It  dissolves  into  soil  more 
readily  than  most  of  the  other  .slates  of  the  county,  and 
therefore  is  not  well  adapted  for  wall-fences,  nor  any  of  the 
other  uses  to  which  stone  is  usually  applied.  At  most 
places  it  appears  so  crushed  and  broken  that  it  is  difiicult 
to  determine  the  direction  and  amount  of  its  dip.  And 
the  friction  produced  by  the  rubbing  and  grinding  of  the 


beds  of  this  rock  in  contact  with  e..ch  other  appears  to 
have  caused  that  smooth,  glossy,  striated  surface  which 
constitutes  what  is  called  "  glazed  slate.  "  In  .some  in- 
stances the  heat  which  this  friction  has  occasioned  has 
been  so  great  that  it  has  actually  melted  a  portion  of  the 
silex  contained  in  the  slate,  causing  it  to  run  into  all  the 
crevices,  filling  them,  and  forming  white  veins  of  quartz  in 
the  rock,  the  sides  of  which  veins  show  a  striated  surface 
similar  to  that  which  the  glazed  slate  possesses.  The  fossil 
by  which  the  slate  is  known  is  named  Grnjttolithiis pristis. 
It  resembles  a  very  narrow  blade  of  grass,  having  teeth  like  a 
saw  along  both  its  edges.  One  of  the  most  abundant  local- 
ities of  this  graptolite  that  is  anywhere  known  is  at  Baker's 
Falls.  Here  a  thickness  of  thirty  feet  or  more  in  the  slate 
is  .so  filled  with  these  impressions  that  the  thinnest  layer 
can  scarcely  be  split  off  without  eiposing  a  surface  almo.st 
covered  with  them.  They  also  occur  in  Easton,  in  the  bed 
of  the  brook  which  enters  the  Hudson  a  mile  above  Van 
Buren's  Ferry.  Though  the  general  character  of  this  rock 
is  that  of  a  brittle  shale,  exceptions  occur  in  many  places, 
particularly  toward  the  upper  part  of  the  stratum,  where 
it  puts  on  an  even  lamination,  and  siliceous  layers,  some  of 
them  several  inches  in  thickness,  are  found,  so  hard  even  as 
to  form  a  good  fire-stone.  A  quarry  of  this  kind  has  been 
worked  in  Durkeetown,  in  a  moderate  uplift  of  this  slate, 
whence  the  furnaces  at  Glen's  Falls  have  been  supplied 
with  fire-stones.  These  siliceous  layers  are  of  a  dark 
gray  or  black  color.  They  correspond  with  the  Frank- 
fort slate  of  the  New  York  geological  reports,  and  furnish 
specimens  which  perfectly  represent  those  slates.  The  shale 
or  slaty  gravel  of  this  rock,  in  many  road  districts,  is  one 
of  the  best  materials  accessible  for  top-dressing  the  high- 
ways. In  the  west  part  of  the  county,  where  the  roads 
pass  over  a  stiif  clay,  every  moderate  rain  makes  them  slip- 
pery and  fatiguing  to  a  horse,  and  most  unpleasant  for  foot- 
men. On  such  roads,  merely  a  slight  coating  of  this  gravel 
makes  a  great  improvement.  And  on  sandy  roads  this 
material  works  wonders,  binding  the  loose  sands  together 
and  forming  a  firm,  hard  road-bed.  The  long  stretches  of 
deep  sand  upon  the  road  fiom  Schuylerville  to  Saratoga 
Springs  have  long  been  the  odium  viiitorium,  the  hatred 
of  wayfaring  men,  until  of  late  successive  portions  of  these 
sands  have  each  year  been  reclaimed,  and  now  nearly  the 
whole  distance  is  changed  into  one  of  the  best  of  roads. 

TACONIC    SLATE. 

The  rocks  which  we  have  thus  far  considered  have  all 
been  members  of  the  New  York  system,  occupying  the 
northwest  and  west  parts  of  the  county.  We  now  pass  to 
rocks  which  evidently  pertain  to  the  Green  mountain  range, 
and  are  New  England  rather  than  New  York  rocks ;  and 
hence  they  have  been  considered  by  some  of  our  best  geolo- 
gists as  having  been  deposited  anterior  to  them,  and  as 
forming,  as  already  stated,  a  distinct  series,  which  has  been 
called  the  Taconic  system  ;  while  others  suppose  that  they 
were  deposited  at  the  same  time,  and  that  they  are  merely 
New  York  rocks  altered  in  their  appearance  by  a  high 
degree  of  heat  to  which  they  have  been  at  some  period 
subjected.     Having  ascended  upon  the  one  series,  we  now 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


93 


descend   upon   the   other,  coming  as  we  do  first  upon  its 
liij;hcst  member. 

The  Tuconic  .slate  occupies  all  of  the  county  to  the  cast 
of  the  Bald  nmuntaiii  range  of  hills,  except  some  beds  of 
■sandstone  and  limestone  of  limited  extent.  It  is  the  basis 
rock  of  the  eastern  half  of  the  county.  On  its  west  .side, 
where  it  is  near  the  Hudson  river  slate,  it  is  dark  colored, 
and  wherever  it  is  seen  in  contact  with  the  limestone  in  that 
direction  it  is  ([uite  black.  But  soon  after  passing  from  its 
western  border  it  becomes  lighter  colored,  and  over  most  of 
its  extent  it  is  ash-gray,  bluish  gray,  or  grayish  brown.  But 
its  color  is  everywhere  putting  on  a  ditt'erent  hue,  and  from 
the  different  parts  of  this  stratum  may  be  gathered  speci- 
mens passing  through  numberless  shades  of  gray,  brown, 
black,  blue,  green,  clay-yellow,  purple,  and  red.  Silex  is 
everywhere  much  the  largest  ingredient  in  the  composition 
of  this  rock,  combined  with  a  fourth  to  a  sixth  part  of 
alumine,  and  usually  a  slight  percentage  of  lime.  In  places 
where  the  proportion  of  silex  is  less  the  rock  becomes  more 
friable,  and  disintegrates  more  speedily  on  exposure  to  the 
air.  In  many  places,  on  the  other  hand,  the  rock  becomes 
almost  pure  silex,  often  with  its  lamination  so  crushed,  so 
pressed  together  and  interwoven  as  it  were,  that  it  is  broken 
up  with  the  utmost  difficulty.  Generally  these  siliceous 
slates  are  coarsish-grained  and  har.sh  ;  but  in  some  places  the 
grains  are  exceedingly  fine  and  compact,  forming  the  most 
perfect  hornstone  and  chert,  as  in  the  precipitous  ledge  by 
the  roadside  opposite  the  burying-grouud  at  South  Gran- 
ville. This  rock  always  exhibits  a  slaty  structure,  and  its 
lamina;  are  usually  flat  and  even  ;  but  in  many  places  they 
are  much  bent,  undulated,  and  distorted.  It  is  generally 
upturned,  and  dips  to  the  east  at  an  average  angle  of  about 
forty-five  degrees.  But  the  amount  of  slope  is  everywhere 
changing.  In  some  places  it  is  vertical,  in  others  it  is  hor- 
izontal. It  is  rare  that  this  rock  breaks  and  crumbles  into 
small  angular  fragments  like  the  shales  which  pervade  the 
Hudson  river  slate.  Natural  seams  everywhere  occur, 
crossing  each  other  in  such  a  manner  as  to  divide  the  rock 
into  angular  blocks  of  a  rhombic  form,  but  with  the  angles 
of  their  sides  and  corners  all  different.  At  these  seams 
dislocations  frc((uently  occur,  causing  an  abrupt  and  total 
change  in  the  character  of  the  rock,  so  as  often  to  deceive 
and  disappoint  persons  who  open  quarries.  Excellent  stone 
may  be  found  at  one  place,  and  but  a  few  feet  distant,  a 
joint  and  dislocation  occurring,  a  worthless  mass  of  shale 
may  present  itself,  which  has  been  crowded  up  to  the  same 
level.  These  dislocations  are  numerous.  Veins  of  milky 
((uartz  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  this  slate.  Iron  pyrites, 
a  worthless  mineral  resembling  gold,  is  disseminated  not 
only  through  this  but  through  all  the  Taconic  rocks.  A 
pretty  variety  of  this  slate,  of  a  bright  red  color,  occurs  in 
a  nearly  continuous  range  through  the  whole  length  of  the 
stratum  from  Vermont  to  New  Jersey.  And,  toward  the 
east  side  of  this  Taconic  slate,  it  in  some  places  takes  on 
the  appearance  of  the  mica-slate,  which  occurs  fiirther  east 
among  the  Green  mountains.  The  characteristic  fossil  of 
this  Taconic  slate  is  a  species  of  sea-weed,  and  is  named 
Jiulhoi rephis  flexuosa.  It  appears  like  curved  and  branch- 
ing marks  painted  upon  the  stone,  of  a  black  or  at  least  a 
darker  shade  than  its  ireneral  color.    From  mv  examinations 


of  this  slate,  I  long  ago  became  aware  that  in  several  places 
in  the  county  good  roofing  slate  could  undoubtedly  be  made 
from  it.  And  thirty  years  ago,  in  my  "Agricultural  Survey 
of  the  County,'  §  210,  I  made  the  following  statement: 
•'  It  is  singular  that  no  ([uarry  of  roofing-slate  has  ever  yet 
been  opened  and  worked  within  this  county,  particularly 
as  so  nmch  business  in  this  line  has  been  done  upon  our 
southern  border,  in  the  town  of  Iloosic.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  in  many  places  slate  of  as  good  a  quality  as  that  of 
the  Hoosic  quarries  exists  within  the  bounds  of  this  county, 
and  that,  in  time,  roofing-slate  will  be  extensively  furnished 
from  hence." 

Time  has  signally  shown  the  correctness  of  what  I  thus 
.stated.  The  slate-business  has  now  become  one  of  the 
leading  interests  of  Washington  county.  In  the  towns  of 
Granville,  Hampton,  and  Salem,  twelve  quarries  are  bein" 
worked,  some  of  them  quite  largely;  their  products  in  pros- 
perous years  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  from  two  to 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  slate  here  produced 
has  acquired  a  world-wide  reputation  as  being  of  the  very 
best  quality.  In  proof  of  this  it  may  be  stated  that,  though 
some  largo  orders  received  from  abroad  were  recalled  in 
consequence  of  the  war  between  Russia  and  Turkey,  one 
of  the  Salem  slate  companies,  the  Excelsior,  the  past  year 
(1877)  sent  to  foreign  countries  slate  amounting  to  twelve 
thousand  dollars ;  the  shipments  being  to  England,  Ger- 
many, South  America,  and  Australia.  In  numerous  places 
this  Taconic  slate  is  quarried  in  large,  smooth  tables,  mak- 
ing fine  flagstones  for  paving  cellar-bottoms,  the  walks  of 
village  streets,  etc.  And  for  underpinning  buildings,  and 
all  other  common  uses,  it  is  also  resorted  to  in  neighbor- 
hoods where  no  better  material  is  at  hand. 

TACONIC    SANDSTO.NE. 

This  sandstone  constitutes  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
geology  of  this  district.  Its  fragments  are  widely  scattered 
through  our  soils  ;  and  from  almost  every  valley  may  be  seen, 
toward  the  summit  of  some  of  the  adjacent  hills,  jutting 
out  from  among  the  bright  verdure  of  the  growing  gra.ss  or 
grain,  a  naked  rock  of  a  grayish-white  color,  so  compact  and 
hard  that  it  has  withstood  the  warring  elements  by  which 
the  rocks  around  it  have  been  broken  and  worn  away  to  a 
lower  level  than  its  surface.  It  is  a  harsh  gray  sandstone, 
with  a  slightly  vitreous  lustre,'and  is  everywhere  traversed 
with  veins  or  thin  slender  seams  of  white  quartz,  which  often 
abound  with  rook  crystals.  Its  most  striking  peculiarity  is  that 
wherever  portions  of  it  are  covered  by  the  soil  and  exposed 
to  the  roots  of  vegetation,  it  loses  the  lime  which  it  contains, 
and  hereby  its  surface  becomes  changed  to  a  porous  and 
friable  stone,  of  a  snufT-yellow  color  commonly,  but  some- 
times brick-red,  the  inside  of  the  stone  remaining  compact 
and  unchanged.  An  analysis  of  this  solid  inner  part 
showed  it  to  consist  of  fifty-three  per  cent,  of  silica,  six  of 
peroxide  of  iron,  fifteen  of  carbonic  acid,  thirteen  of  lime, 
and  five  of  magnesia ;  while  the  porous  yellow  surface  of 
the  same  specimen  yielded  ninety-one  per  cent,  of  silica  and 
five  and  a  half  of  peroxide,  with  only  a  trace  of  the  carbo- 
nates of  lime  and  magnesia.  This  rock  often  appeai-s  as  a 
mere  bed  of  limited  extent  in  the  slate,  or  as  a  layer  a  few 
inches  or  a  foot  (hick.      But  in  places  it  protrudes  from  the 


94 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


slate,  showing  a  thickness  of  one  or  two  hundred  feet ; 
and  around  Summit  lake,  in  Argylc,  if  there  is  no  duplica- 
ture  of  the  stratum,  it  has  a  thickness  of  several  hundred 
feet.  It  is  frequently  accompanied  by  the  sparry  limestone, 
though  in  such  cases  the  two  rocks  are  separated  by  an  in- 
tervening mass  of  shale,  some  twenty  feet  or  more  in  thick- 
ness. But  in  numerous  places  that  rock  docs  not  appear 
with  this.  Wherever  it  appears,  this  sandstone  is  preferred 
to  any  other  stone  in  its  neighborhood  for  the  walls  of 
buildings,  and  especially  of  cellars,  as  it  can  readily  be 
quarried  into  narrow  blocks,  to  form  a  double  wall,  as  it  is 
termed,  which  will  be  frost-proof,- — single  walls  requiiing 
to  be  banked  on  the  approach  of  winter,  to  prevent  the  frost 
from  penetrating  through  them. 

SPARRY    LIMESTONE. 

This  rock  is  well  defined  as  being  a  blue  or  bluish-gray 
limestone,  veined  and  checked  with  white  calcareous  spar. 
A  limestone  of  this  character  appears  in  insulated  masses  of 
various  sizes  at  numerous  points  through  the  Taconic  slate, 
and  under  the  same  circumstances  as  does  the  sandstone 
just  described.  Sometimes  a  limestone  boulder,  having  a 
smoothly-worn  surface,  is  seen  imbedded  in  the  slate.  Some- 
times thin,  even  layers  of  limestone  occur  alternating  with 
the  slate.  At  other  times  we  have  a  breccia  of  rounded  or 
angular  pebbles  of  limestone  cemented  together,  forming  a 
bed  in  the  slate.  But  it  is  unneccessary  to  narrate  these 
minor  peculiarities  further.  Portions  of  the  Chazy-Trenton 
limestone,  as  we  have  already  stated,  present  this  same 
sparry  character.  It  is  the  upper  layers  of  that  rock,  or 
is  a  separate  stratum  overlying  that  rock  (whichever  way 
we  wish  to  consider  it)  in  which  these  veins  of  white  spar 
chiefly  occur.  And  in  this  same  situation  in  respect  to  the 
white  granular  limestone,  namely,  overlying  it,  this  sparry 
rook  occurs,  though  extensive  beds  of  it  may  also  be  found  in 
that  rock,  even  in  its  lower  part,  as  is  seen  on  the  east  side 
of  the  plains  in  Manchester,  Vt.  This  sparry  limestone  is 
more  coarse-grained  and  bluL-rh-gray  as  it  approaches  the 
Green  mountains,  and  more  fine-grained,  compact,  and 
dove-colored  or  leadeu-hued  as  it  recedes  from  them. 
And,  extending  through  this  Taconic  distiict  in  broken 
masses  among  the  slate  as  it  does,  it  appears  much  like  a 
chain,  the  successive  links  of  which  connect  the  Chazy- 
Trenton  limestone  on  its  west  side  to  the  granular  limestone 
on  its  east  side. 

MAGNESIAN    SLATE. 

In  traveling  east,  after  we  have  passed  all  the  most  con- 
spicuous exposures  of  the  rocks  last  considered,  we  come 
upou  this  slate,  apparently  reposing  directly  upon  the  white 
limestone  next  to  be  spoken  of  Hence  it  is  not  inappro- 
priate to  place  it  in  this  order,  although  we  do  not  deem  its 
geological  place  to  be  beneath  the  sparry  limestone.  We 
regard  it  as  being  the  underlying  portion  of  the  Taconic 
slate,  and  the  equivalent,  probably,  of  the  black  pyritous 
shaley  mass,  which,  upon  the  west  side  of  this  district,  we  find 
accompanying  and  alternating  with  the  Tagonic  sandstone. 
But  on  the  opposite  or  east  side  of  this  district  it  presents 
itself  as  a  green  or  light  green isii-gray  slate,  so  .soft  that  it 
may,  in  many  places,  be  scratched  with  the  finger-nail  and 


carved  with  a  knife  like  chlorite.  It  is  often  profusely 
permeated  with  veins  of  milky  quartz,  which  mineral  has 
run  through  it  in  every  direction,  like  water  soaked  into  a 
sponge.  On  its  east  side,  where  it  meets  the  limestone,  it 
presents  an  even  and  undisturbed  lamination,  while  on  its 
west  side,  where  it  approaches  the  Taconic  slate,  it  is  undu- 
lating, twisted,  and  contorted,  often  in  a  most  astonishing 
manner.  In  this  county  it  occupies  but  a  limited  space  at 
its  southeast  corner. 

GRANULAR   LI.MESTONE   OR   RUTLAND    .MARBLE. 

This  white  crystalline  limestone,  from  the  immense  quan- 
tities sent  from  there  to  all,  even  the  most  distant  parts  of 
our  land,  is  now  everywhere  known  by  the  name  of  Hut- 
land  marble.  From  quarries  in  other  localities  it  also  has 
the  name  of  Stockbridge  limestone,  Dorset  marble,  Suther- 
land Falls  marble,  Arlington  stone,  etc.,  and  as  a  variable 
portion  of  magnesia  always  enters  into  its  composition,  it 
has  also  been  designated  magnesian  limestone.  In  much 
of  the  rock  to  the  south  of  here  the  quantity  of  magnesia 
it  contains  is  so  large  that  it  there  becomes  a  friable  dolo- 
mite, crumbling  into  sand  upon  a  few  years'  exposure  to  the 
atmosphere.  An  analysis  of  Dorset  marble  gave  eighty- 
five  per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lime,  with  thirteen  of  carbo- 
nate of  magnesia,  which  is  somewhat  less  of  the  latter  than 
is  usual.  The  quantity  which  is  quarried  along  the  eastern 
borders  of  this  county,  in  Vermont,  is  immense,  much  the 
largest  part  of  the  marble  used  in  the  country  being  from 
this  vicinity.  The  stratum  only  touches  upon  the  extreme 
southeastern  corner  of  this  county  the  length  of  a  mile. 

GRANULAR   QUARTZ. 

Though  this  rock  nowhere  occurs  in  place  within  the 
borders  of  this  county,  it  requires  to  be  mentioned,  being 
connected  as  it  is  with  the  strata  of  the  county,  and  dis- 
seminated as  its  fragments  everywhere  are,  in  the  form  of 
pebbles  and  cobble-stones,  through  the  drift  or  gravelly 
soils  of  the  county.  It  appears  all  along  the  east  margin 
of  the  white  limestone,  and  has  a  light  brown  or  white 
color.  Sometimes  it  occurs  bedded  in  even  layers,  in  clifl's 
and  precipices  similar  to  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  from  which, 
however,  it  differs  notably  by  the  vitreous,  glassy,  or  grca.sy 
lustre  which  its  surface  presents.  This  is  the  lowest  of  the 
Taconic  series  of  rocks,  and  on  passing  acro.ss  it  we  come 
upon  the  gneiss  or  granite  of  the  main  range  of  the  Green 
mountains. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  observed  that  all  the  geological 
facts  exhibited  in  this  district  concur  to  indicate  that,  when 
the  rocks  here  wore  fiist  deposited,  the  ridge  which  now 
forms  the  Green  mountains  was  twice  or  thrice  as  distant 
from  the  Hudson  river  as  it  now  is.  Subsequently  a 
period  of  great  disturbance  and  disruption  of  the  earth  oc- 
curred, when  it  was  everywhere  convulsed  and  torn,  as  if 
lashed  and  goaded  by  a  hundred  earthquakes  simulta- 
neously in  full  play.  At  that  time  the  Hudson  river  and 
the  Green  mountains  were  crowded  towards  each  other, 
causing  the  rocks  that  had  previously  lain  in  regular,  even, 
horizontal  beds  to  be  pressed  and  pushed  together,  crush- 
ing,  grinding,  doubling  up,  and   folding  over   each  other 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


95 


in  the  most  promiscuous  and  confused  manner.  Some 
idea  of  the  effects  which  would  be  produced  by  such  a 
convulsion  may  be  formed  by  observing  the  mode  in  which 
the  ice  in  our  rivers  breaks  up  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
when  a  mass  from  above  becomes  so  loosened  as  to  com- 
mence moving  down  the  stream  against  a  ma.ss  that  is  still 
firm,  causing  acre  after  acre  of  the  thick-ribbed  solid  ice 
to  crack  and  yield  before  the  tremendous  pressure,  throw- 
ing huge  massive  blocks  into  every  possible  posture  and 
making  a  perfect  chaos  where,  a  half-hour  before,  all  wa.s 
regular,  and  apparently  of  enduring  strength  and  firmness. 
Analogous  to  this  seems  to  have  been  the  operation  of  that 
force  which  was  once  in  action,  breaking  asunder  and  over- 
turning the  strata  of  solid  rocks  in  this  district,  causing 
hills  and  mountains  to  shoot  up,  making  valleys  close 
together  here  and  open  out  there,  and  producing  such  con- 
fusion of  the  strata  as  geologists  may  study  upon  for  cen- 
turies, without  being  able  to  unravel  and  explain  the  phe- 
nomena presented  at  some  of  its  localities. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

FREE-MASONEY    IN    "WASHINGTON    COUNTY.* 

Military  Lodges — Washington  Lodge — Montgomery  Lodge — Aurora 
Lodge — Livingston  I^odge — Rural  Lodge — North  Star  Lodge — 
Liberty  or  Granville  Lodge — Farmers'  Lodge — Ri-sing  Sun  Lodge 
—Hamilton  Lodge— Brothers'  Lodge— Social  Hall  Lodge— Hebron 
Lodge — Argyle  Lodge — The  Breaking  up  of  Masonry — Re-open- 
ing of  Phceni.'i,  Granville,  and  Brothers'  Lodges — Establishment  of 
Fort  Edward,  Sandy  Hill,  Salem,  and  Cambridge  Valley  Lodges— 
Argyle  and  Ashlar  Lodges — Royal  Arch  Masonry — La  Fayette 
Chapter  — Federal  Chapter —  Hartford  Mark  Lodge —Williams 
Chapter— AVashington  Chapter- Champlain  Chapter— Fort  Ed- 
ward Chapter— Sandy  Hill  Chapter— Hartford  Chapter. 

There  were  no  lodges  organized  or  existing- in  the  terri- 
tory composing  the  county,  till  after  the  Revolutionary 
war,  except  such  as  were  created  or  had  communications 
within  the  different  regiments  stationed  here,  and  which 
were  called  "  military  lodges." 

There  were  many  of  these,  and  almost  every  worthy  and 
distinguished  officer  on  the  American  side  wa.s  a  member 
of  one  of  these  lodges.  But,  as  they  were  e.ssentially 
floating  and  ephemeral  bodies,  we  know  but  little  of  their 
history. 

The  first  lodge  established  after  the  close  of  the  war  was 
located  at  Fort  Edward,  and  was  called  Washington  Lodge, 
A'o.  11;  being  warranted  on  the  12th  of  July,  1785,  by 
the  M.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of  Now  York,  with  Colonel  Adiel 
Sherwood  as  Master,  John  Vernor  as  Senior  Warden,  and 
Hugh  McAdam  as  Junior  Warden. 

This  lodge  had  a  very  large  membership,  composed  of 
the  leading  and  influential  men  of  the  county,  and  may  be 
called  the  mother  of  all  the  other  lodges  in  this  section, 
among  which  was  Montgomery,  No.  28,  warranted  on  the 
22d  of  October,  1791,  with  John  Vernor,  who  had  been 
Senior  Warden  of  Washington  Lodge,  as  Master,  Cornelius 


■  By  Hon.  James  Gibson. 


Vanderberg  as  Senior  Warden,  and  Abraham  Livingston 
as  Junior  Warden.  It  wtvs  located  at  Stillwater,  its 
membership,  however,  being  largely  from  Wa.shington 
county. 

The  .second  lodge  organized  in  Washington  county 
was  Aurora,  on   the   IGth   of  January,   1793,  located    at 

Hampton,  with  General  John  Williams  as  Master  ;  

Johnson,  Senior,  and  Peter  P.  French,  Junior  Wardens. 
This  lodge  was  remarkably  successful,  and  many  eminent 
men  in  the  north  part  of  the  county  were  made  Ma.sons 
in  or  affiliated  with  it. 

The  third  lodge  organized  was  Liriiiysfoii,  No.  2S,  for 
which  the  Grand  Lodge  granted  a  warrant  on  March  6, 
1793,  locating  it  at  Kingsbury. 

The  leading  men  in  organizing  this  lodge  were  John 
Vernor,  before  mentioned,  who  was  its  first  Master,  John 
Hitchcock,  Colonel  Matthew  Scott,  Thomas  Bradshaw,  and 
the  Hon.  Zina  Hitchcock. 

The  fourth  lodge  organized  was  Rural  L'idge,  No.  32, 
warranted  on  the  4th  of  September,  1793,  with  St.  John 
Honey  wood  as  Master;  Gerritt  G.  Lansing,  of  Easton,  as 
Senior  Warden ;  and  Andrew  White,  of  Cambridge,  as 
Junior  Warden.  It  was  located  at  Cambridge,  but  was  au- 
thorized to  hold  its  communications  at  Easton  until  such 
time  as  suitable  accommodations  could  be  provided  at 
Cambridge  aforesaid.  This  occurred  soon,  and  the  lodge 
was  removed  to  and  met  thereafter  permanently  at  Cam- 
bridge. 

The  fifth  lodge  was  located  at  Salem,  and  was  warranted 
on  Sept.  7,  1796,  by  the  name  of  North  Star  Lodge,  No. 
51,  with  the  following  officers:  James  Harvey,  Master ; 
Alexander  J.  Turner,  Senior  Warden  ;  and  Simon  Stevens, 
Junior  Warden. 

This  lodge  was  probably  one  of  the  strongest  in  the 
character  of  its  membership,  if  not  in  numbers,  of  any  in 
the  county.  Among  them  were  General  John  Williams, 
St.  John  Honeywood,  Abram  Allen,  M.D.,  Hon.  Asa 
Fitch,  Amherst  Wheeler,  I]sq.,  Artemas  Robbins,  M.D., 
Jared  Bostwick,  Cornelius  Holmes,  M.D ,  William  K. 
Adams,  Samuel  T.  Shepherd,  Philo  Curtis,  Jes.<e  S.  Leigh, 
Adam  Jlartin,  Hon.  John  Savage,  Roger  Crary,  Hon. 
John  Willard,  Thomas  Archibald,  Henry  Mathews,  Jamos 

B.  GIb.son,  Samuel  Stevens,  Hon.  Cornelius  L.  Allen,  and 
others. 

The  sixth  organized  was  Liberty  Lodge,  located  at 
Granville,  and  warranted  on  Djc.  7,  1796,  with  the  dis- 
tinguished Rev.  Salem  Town  as  Master. 

The  records  of  the  Grand  Lodge  show  that  the  officers 
of  Liberty  lodge,  Granville,  at  its  institution  in  1796,  were 
Zebulon  R.  Shipherd,  Master;  William  Huggins,  S.  W. ; 
iand  Abram  Bishop,  J.  W.  Tiiis  lodge  surrendered  its 
warrant,  and  a  new  one  was  issued,  in  September,  1806, 
by  the  name  of  Granville  Lodge,  No.  55.  On  the  grant- 
ing of  the  new  charter,  Salem  Town  was  madoMaster  ;  Jolin 

C.  Parker,  S.  W. ;  and  William  Swctland,  J.  W. 

The  seventh  lodge  warranted  was  located  at  Hartford, 
and  named  Jlerschel  Lodge.  The  warrant  was  ordered  by 
the  Grand  Lodge  on  the  3d  of  December,  1800. 

The  eighth  lodge  authorized  was  named  Farmers  Lodge, 
located  at  Etiston,  and  warranted  Dec.  1,  1802. 


96 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


The  ninth  lodge  was  named  Rising  Sun  Lodge,  war- 
ranted on  Sept.  4,  1805,  and  located  at  Greenwich. 

The  tenth  lodge  was  Hamilton  Lodge,  located  at  Queens- 
bury,  then  in  Washington  county.  The  warrant  was  granted 
the  same  day  as  that  to  Rising  Sun  Lodge,  and  afterwards 
the  name  was  changed  to  Rising  Sun  Lodge. 

The  eleventh  lodge  was  located  at  Port  Ann,  the  war- 
rant being  granted  June  4,  ISOG,  by  the  name  of  Brothers' 
Lodge. 

The  twelfth  lodge  was  located  at  Wiiitehall,  for  which  a 
warrant  was  granted  Sept.  li,  1800,  by  the  name  of  Social 
Hall  Lodge. 

The  thirteenth  lodge  was  located  in  Hebron,  the  war- 
rant being  granted  on  May  21,  1813,  by  the  name  of 
Hebron  Lodge.  The  petition  named  for  Master  William 
Livingston,  with  Israel  Ely  for  Senior  Warden,  and  Isaac 
Hewitt  for  Junior  Warden.  The  lodge  was  instituted 
under  the  warrant  Nov.  4,  1813,  but  for  some  reason 
Isaac  Hewitt  was  not  installed  as  Junior  Warden,  William 
Brewster  being  elected  and  installed  in  his  place.  This 
lodge  had  no  doubt  worked  under  a  dispensation  from 
the  Grand  Jlaster  for  that  purpose,  from  probably  some 
time  in  November,  1810,  up  to  the  time  of  the  granting 
of  the  warrant ;  so  that  in  fact  the  lodge  was  at  work  in 
Hebron  for  some  years  before  it  finally  received  a  warrant. 

The  fourteenth  lodge  was  located  at  Argyle,  and  its  war- 
rant was  granted  on  the  3d  of  March,  1813,  by  the  name  of 
Argyle  Lodge. 

All  these  lodges  went  down  under  the  fierce  persecution 
of  the  Anti-Masonic  war  of  1828-32.  So  bitter  and  last- 
ing were  the  consequences  of  this  strife,  that  more  than 
twenty  years  elapsed  before  a  single  lodge-fire  was  relighted 
in  Washington  county. 

The  first  lodge  to  reopen  was  that  at  Whitehall,  and 
with  eminent  propriety,  considering  the  ashes  out  of  which 
it  emerged,  it  was  named  Plioenlx,  Lodge,  and  bore  on 
its  newly-issued  banner  the  number  by  which  it  had 
been  originally  designated, — nlnetg-slx.  This  warrant  was 
i.ssued  mainly  through  the  influence  and  exertions  of  Dan 
S.  Wright,  M.D.,  who  subsequently  became  a  representa- 
tive man  and  Mason,  wielding  a  powerful  influence  in  the 
Grand  Lodge  and  over  the  fraternity. 

The  second  body  of  Masons  reorganized  in  the  county 
was  located  at  North  Granville,  and  its  warrant  was  issued 
on  the  5th  of  Juno,  1851.  It  took  the  place,  name,  and 
number  of  the  old  lodge  at  that  place,  and  was  called  Grnu- 
vllle,  No.  55.  This  lodge  was  subsequently  removed  to 
Middle  Granville,  and  thence  to  Granville  Corners,  where 
it  now  remains  and  is  in  prosperous  condition. 

The  third  lodge  reorganized  was  located  at  Fort  Ann, 
taking  the  place  of  Brothers'  Lodge,  and  receiving  a  war- 
rant June  5,  1851,  by  the  name  of  Mount  Hope  Lodge, 
No.  2G0.  Mount  Hope  lodge  was  formed  under  dispensa- 
tion of  Oscar  Coles,  then  Grand  Master,  Feb.  12,  1852,  to 
the  following-named  petitioners,  viz. :  A.  Barlow,  J.  F. 
Coon,  J.  Sutherland,  P.  H.  Lamb,  I.  W.  B.  Murray,  Jo- 
seph Bacon,  John  T.  Cox,  Asa  Root,  Jos.  Barker,  William 
Weller,  and  Thomas  McClure.  The.sc  were  the  "  charter 
members."  The  warrant  was  granted  June  14,  1852,  the 
following  being  the   officers   named   in    the  warrant,  viz. : 


John  T.  Cox,  Master;  Joseph  Bacon,  Senior  Warden;  I. 
W.  B.  Murray,  Junior  Warden, 

The  fourth  establishment  of  a  lodge  after  the  revival  was 
by  the  reopening  of  one  at  Fort  Edward,  on  the  3d  day  of 
June,  1852,  by  the  name  of  Fort  Edward  Lodge,  No. 
267. 

The  fifth  was  by  the  granting  of  a  warrant  for  a  lodge 
at  Sandy  Hill,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1855,  by  the  name  of 
Sandy  Hill  Lodge,  No.  372. 

The  sixth  was  by  the  issue  of  a  dispensation,  on  June  7, 
1855,  for  a  lodge  at  Salem,  by  the  name  of  Salem  Lodge, 
and  this  was  followed,  on  the  Cth  of  June,  1856,  by  the 
issue  of  a  warrant  to  it  as  Salem  Lodge,  No.  391.  One 
of  the  members  of  this  lodge  (James  Gibson)  has  been 
elected  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  this  State, 

The  seventh  was  by  the  issue  of  a  warrant  to  a  lodge  in 
Cambridge,  on  the  8th  of  June,  1860,  by  the  name  of 
Candjridge   Valley  Jjodge,  No.  481. 

The  eighth  was  by  the  issue  of  a  warrant  to  a  lodge  at 
Hartford,  June  6,  1861,  by  the  name  of  Herschel  Ijodgc, 
No.  508. 

The  ninth  was  by  the  i.ssue  of  a  warrant  to  a  lodge  at 
Argyle,  on  the  9th  of  June,  1865,  by  the  name  of  Argyle 
Jjodge,  No.  567. 

And  the  tenth,  and  last,  was  by  the  i.ssue  of  a  warrant 
to  a  lodge  at  Greenwich,  on  the  8th  of  June,  1866,  by  the 
name  of  Ashlar  Jjodge,  No.  584. 

These  are  all  the  lodges  located  in  the  county  of  Wash- 
ington for  which  warrants  have  been  granted  by  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  New  York. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  a  Grand 
Master  of  Masons  has  always  had  authority,  by  issuing  a 
dispensation  for  that  purpose,  to  create  a  temporary  lodge, 
with  the  power  to  make  Masons  and  confer  the  degrees  of 
Masonry  ;  but  such  bodies  were  ephemeral,  and  could  only 
last  till  the  next  annual  General  Assembly  of  Ma.sons, 
when,  if  a  warrant  was  not  ordered,  or  the  Grand  Master 
did  not  renew  the  dispensation,  the  lodge  would  cease  to 
exist.  The  traditions  of  the  existence  of  Ma.sonry  in  dif- 
ferent towns  probably  have  arisen,  in  some  cases,  from  a 
lodge  or  lodges  thus  created. 

ROYAL    ARCH    iMASONRY. 

This  branch  of  the  work  of  masonry  existed  in  the 
county  at  a  very  early  day,  and  probably  commenced  at  or 
about  the  same  time  with  the  establishment  of  lodges  of 
Master  Masons.  The  details  of  its  history,  at  that  early 
date,  are  not  readily  accessible,  and  we  therefore  pass  to 
occurrences  after  the  institution  of  the  Grand  Chapter 
of  the  State,  which  took  place  at  Albany,  on  the  14th  of 
March,  1798,  Dc  Witt  Clinton  being  the  first  presiding 
officer. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1799,  this  body  granted  warrants 
to  hold  lodges  of  Mark  Masters  at  Granville  and  Fort 
Edward. 

The  dispensation  for  that  at  Granville  was  afterwards 
followed  by  a  warrant,  but  the  one  for  that  at  Fort  Edward 
was  revoked  on  the  4th  of  February,  1808. 

The  first  chapter  opened  in  the  county,  under  a  warrant 
from  the  Grand  Chapter  of  New  York,  was  at  Granville, 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


97 


and  was  named  De  La  Fayette  Chapter,  No.  9, — warrant 
granted  Feb.  3,  1801.  It  had  previously  been  working 
under  a  dispensation,  and  Hon.  Zi-bulon  11.  Shipberd,  at 
the  same  convocation  of  the  Grand  Chapter,  on  returning 
the  dispensation  obtained  the  warrant  for  the  chapter,  and 
was  also  elected  Grand  Scribe  of  the  grand  body.  (See 
"Proceedings,"  Vol.  I.,  16).  This  chapter  continued  working 
till,  with  the  other  chapters  in  the  county,  it  ceased  to 
operate,  about  1832. 

The  second  chapter  was  granted  a  warrant  on  the  4th 
of  February,  1801,  and  was  named  Federal  Chapter,  No. 
10,  being  at  first  located  at  Cambridge.  It  was  removed 
to  Salem  on  the  first  of  February,  1814.  This  chapter  con- 
tinued to  work  with  great  prosperity,  and  from  its  mem- 
bership two  of  the  grand  officere  have  been  elected, — 
Asa  Fitch  as  Grand  High  Priest,  in  the  years  1826,  1827, 
and  1828,  and  Ephraiui  Allen,  Grand  Scribe.  During  the 
furor  of  anti-masonr}^  the  chapter  ceased  to  work,  and  did 
not  resume  labor  till  1864,  when,  a  dispensation  being 
issued,  it  reopened.  On  the  8th  of  February,  1865,  a 
warrant  was  granted,  and  the  chapter  is  still  working. 

The  third  act  to  establish  a  R.  A.  body  in  this  county 
was  the  issuing  of  a  dispen.sation  in  1807,  foi'miug  a  Mark 
lodge,  at  Hartford,  and  on  the  2d  of  February,  1808,  a  war- 
rant was  granted  to  it  by  the  name  of  Hartford  Mark  Lodije, 
No.  45.  This  lodge  continued  to  work  till  Feb.  7,  1826, 
when  its  warrant  was  returned  to  the  Grand  Chapter. 

The  fourth  was  the  issuing  of  a  dispensation  on  the 
28th  of  April,  1808,  to  hold  a  Mark  lodge  at  Glen's  Falls, 
followed  by  the  granting  of  a  warrant  for  such  body  by  tiie 
name  of  Felicity  Mark  Lodge,  No.  56.  This  was  followed 
by  the  issue  of  a  warrant  for  holding  a  chapter  on  the  6tli 
of  February,  1817,  by  the  name  of  Glens  Ftdls  Chapiter, 
No.  55.  As  this  chapter  was  located  in  the  county  of 
AVarrcn,  then  lately  established  and  taken  from  Washing- 
ton County,  its  further  history  is  not  given. 

The  fifth  was  the  issue  of  a  warrant  forming  Social 
Friends'  Mark  Lodge,  No.  62,  at  Whitehall,  Feb.  7,  1810. 
On  the  2d  of  February,  1814,  a  warrant  was  issued  constitu- 
ting this  lodge  a  chapter,  by  the  name  of  Williams  Chapter, 
No.  37.  On  the  9th  of  February,  1829,  this  chapter  was 
removed  to  Hampton,  and  with  other  similar  bodies  in  the 
county  soon  ceased  work. 

The  sixth  was  the  issue  of  a  warrant  to  hold  a  chapter 
in  Easton,  by  the  name  of  Washington  Chapter,  No.  49, 
on  the  8th  of  February,  1816.  On  the  3d  of  February, 
1819,  this  chapter  was  removed  to  Union  Village,  now  the 
village  of  Greenwich.  This  chapter  continued  working  till, 
with  other  chapters  of  the  county,  its  work  ceased. 

The  seventh  was  the  issue  of  a  warrant,  Feb.  3, 1819,  to 
hold  a  lodge  at  Fort  Ann,  by  the  name  of  Fort  Ann  Mark 
Lodge,  No.  83.     This  warrant  was  revoked  Feb.  7,  1823. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1850,  a  warrant  was  issued  to 
open  a  chapter  at  Whitehall  by  the  name  of  Champlain 
Chapter,  No.  25,  which  is  still  at  work. 

On  the  29th  of  February,  1860,  a  dispensation  was  issued 
to  open  and  hold  a  chapter  at  Fort  Edward. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1861,  a  warrant  was  issued  or- 
ganizing this  body  by  the  name  of  Fort  Edward  Chapter, 
No.  171,  and  it  is  still  at  work. 
13 


In  1865  a  dispensation  was  issued,  opening  a  chapter  at 
Sandy  Hill,  and  on  the  6th  of  February,  1866,  it  was  granted 
a  warrant  by  the  name  of  iSandy  Hill  Chapter,  No.  189. 
It  is  still  at  work. 

In  1 865  a  dispensation  was  issued,  opening  a  chapter  at 
Hartford,  and  on  the  6th  of  February,  1866,  a  warrant 
was  granted  organizing  it  into  Hartford  Chapter,  No.  192. 
This,  the  last  of  Wa.shington  county  chapters,  is  also  in 
successful  operation. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE     MEDICAL     SOCIETY    OF    WASHINGTON 
COUNTY." 

Incorporation — First  Meeting— First  Members — First  Officers — List 
of  Presidents — List  of  Members — Character  of  the  Society — Pro- 
posed Medical  School — Testimony  on  Temperance — Thomas  Clark, 
M.D.— General  Williams— Dr.  P.  Fitch— Dr.  Tomb— Dr.  Proudfit 
— Zina    Hitchcock,   M.D.— Hon.  Asa    Fitcli— Dr.   Dorr— Hon.  J. 

Stevenson — Dr.  Corliss— Dr.  Holmes — Dr.  Axtcll — Dr.  A.  Allen 

M.  Stevenson,  M.D.— Dr.  P.  V.  N.  Morris— Dr.  While— Dr.  Gray— 
Dr.  P.  Smith- Worthy  Waters,  M.D.— Dr.  Long— Dr.  Ingcrsoll— 
Dr.  Clary- Dr.  Bascom— D.  S.  Wright,  M.D.— Dr.  Porter— Re- 
marks— Old  Time  Practice — An  old  Doctor's  Statement, 

The  IMcdical  Society  of  the  County  of  Washington  was 
incorporated  under  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  regulating  the 
practice  of  physic  and  surgery,  pa.ssed  on  the  4th  of  April, 
1806. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  society  was  held  at  the  court- 
house in  Sandy  Hill,  July  1,  1806. 

(The  history  of  the  associated  medical  profession  of  the 
county  antedates  this  period,  but  no  records  can  be  found  of 
transactions,  beyond  the  dates  of  certificate  of  licensure.) 

There  were  twenty-three  members  present,  and  constitut- 
ing the  society,  viz.:  Zina  Ilitclicuk,  Philip  Smith,  Andrew 
Proudfit,  Isaac  Sargent,  Leonard  Gibbs,  A.sa  Stover,  Cyrus 
Baldwin,  William  Livingston,  Asa  Fitch,  Abram  Allen, 
James  Green,  Ephraim  Allen,  Jonathan  Mosher,  John 
McKinney,  Robert  Cook,  Daniel  Hervey,  Thomas  Patter- 
son, Liberty  Branch,  Israel  P.  Baldwin,  Artemus  Robins, 
Asahel  Morris,  Penfield  Goodell,  and  Cornelius  Holmes. 

The  following  officers  were  duly  elected :  Andrew  Proud- 
fit, president;  Asa  Fitch,  vice-president;  William  Ijiving- 
ston,  secretary  ;  James  Green,  treasurer.  Dr.  Philip  Smith 
was  elected  delegate  to  meet  with  delegates  from  other 
counties  to  form  the  State  Medical  Society. 

LIST   OF    PRESIDENTS. 

Andrew  Proudfit  (Argyle),  1806;  Zina  Hitchcock 
(Sandy  Hill),  1807  to  1810;  Asa  Fitch  (Salem),  1811  to 
1871  ;  Jonathan  Dorr  (Cambridge),  1818;  A.sahel  Morris 
(Cambridge),  1819  to  1820;  James  Stevenson  (Cam- 
bridge), 1821  to  1823;  Hiram  Corliss  (Greenwich?), 
1824;  Asa  Fitch  (Salem),  1825  to  1831  ;  William  Rich- 
ards (Cambridge),  1832;  Cornelius  Holmes  (Greenwich), 
1833;  Salmon  Axtcl  (Fort  Ann),  1834  to  1835;  Abram 
Allen  (Salem),  1836  ;  Russel  Clark  (Sandy  Hill),  1837  to 
1S39  ;  Matthew  Stevenson  (Cambridge),  1840;  Hiram 
Corliss  (Greenwich),  1841  to  1843  ;  S.  V.  N.  Morris  (Cam- 

»  By  John  Lambert,  JLD.,  Historian  of  the  society. 


98 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


bridge),  1844  to  1845  ;  Wm.  S.  Norton  (Fort  Edward), 
1846  to  1847:  H.  C.  Gray  (Cambridge),  1848  to  1852; 
S.  V.  N.  Morris  (Cambridge),  1853  to  18G1 ;  C.  J.  White 
(Hebron),  1862  to  18G3;  H.  C.  Gray  (Cambridge),  1864 
to  1865;  R.  W.  Blawis  (Fort  Miller),  1860;  J.  C.  Sill 
(Argyle),  1867;  Alfred  J.  Long  (Whitehall),  1868  to 
1869 ;  James  Savage  (Argyle),  1870 ;  Joseph  D.  Stewart 
(Cambridge),  1871  to  1872;  Asa  W.  Tupper  (North  Gran- 
ville), 1873  ;  John  Lambert  (Salem),  1874  ;  John  L.  Flint 
(Fort  Edward),  1875;  Henry  Gray  (Greenwich),  187G; 
S.  B.  Irwin  (Hebron),  1877. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members,  arranged  according 
to  years  of  admission  : 

1807. — Jonathan  Dorr,  Isaac  W.  McLeary,  Erastus 
Cross,  John  P.  Little,  John  Collins,  Zephaniah  Tubbs, 
Jedediah  Darrow,  Jr.,  Salmon  Dean,  James  Post,  Nathaniel 
Cruikshank,  David  Long. 

1808.— James  Dickson,  William  Richards,  Eli  Day, 
John  Jackway,  Herman  Hoffman,  Delucena  Newcomb, 
Rev.  Alex.  Denham. 

1810. — Ru!5.sel  Clark,  Adolphus  Freeman. 

1811. — John  Thompson. 

1812. — Richard  Sill,  Reuben  Gibson,  John  Woods, 
Burton  Streeter. 

1813. — Benjamin  Trumbull,  Robert  Henderson. 

1814.— William  P.  Cutter,  Archibald  McAllister,  James 
Scott,  Ebenezer  Ingersoll,  Zebulon  Rood,  Lemuel  Boomer, 
French. 

1815. — James  Mallory,  Cephas  Thompson. 

1817. — Alfred  Freeman,  James  W.  Porter,  Samuel  Stiles, 
Hiram  Corliss,  Benjamin  Walworth,  Jacob  Vosburgh,  Nel- 
son Porter,  Nathan  Colvin. 

1818.— William  Pride,  Rufus  Whitney,  William  Hicks, 
Israel  Town. 

1819.— William  S.  Norton, De  Garvis,  Simeon  F. 

Crandell,  Philip  Van  Ness  Morris,  Charies  R.  Mosher, 
William  K.  Scott,  Benjamin  D.  Utter,  Thomas  M.  Bowen. 

1820. — James  Stevenson,  Matthew  Stevenson,  James 
Savage, Tarmin. 

1821.— William  N.  K.  McLean,  Israel  Putnam,  Horace 
Smith,  Augustus  Milford,  David  McKnight, 

1822.— Worthy  Waters,  A.  W.  Robinson,  Joseph  S. 
Leigh,  John  Bostwick. 

1823. — George  M.  Turner,  Asa  II.  Cogswell,  James 
Lewis,  Laomi  Whitcomb,  John  Clapp. 

1824. — George  Gillis,  L.  G.  llarkness,  Jonathan  Dorr, 
Jr. 

1825. — Lyman  H.  Sprague,  Sumer  M.  Smith,  Salmon 
Axtel,  Watson  Sumner. 

1826.— John  L.  Dunlap,  Robert  M.  Stevenson,  Thomas 
Haskins,  Jr.,  Otis  Spurr. 

1827.— Philander  Toby,  Rial  Wright,  Zina  A.  Haines, 
Herman  Rogers. 

1828.— Elijah  Pratt,  Roderick  Row,  James  M.  McNish, 
N.  P.  Colvin,  Elihu  Haliday,  Daniel  Pond,  Amasa  Allen, 
John  M.  Bowen,  George  Allen,  Peter  Sherwood,  Ira  C. 
Backus,  Joseph  W.  Richards,  Duncan  Gillis,  David  Martin, 
Charies  Jones  White,  John  Seari,  Alfred  Gregory,  Wm. 
McLeod,  W.  Carpenter,  Blartin  Mason. 

1829.— Benj.  F.  Cornell. 


1830. — John  H.  Hopkins,  John  B.  Smith,  George  Post. 

1831.— Albert  Wright,  Orange  D.   Douglass,  

Hale,  Asa  Fitch,  Jr. 

1832.— H.  C.  Gray,  Wm.  Stevenson. 

1833.— Benjamin  S.  King,  Dan  S.  Wright,  Frederic 
Wheelock,  Jesse  Everts,  Jr.,  Eber  F.  Crandell,  John  Sar- 
gent, Jr.,  Marshall  Littlefield. 

1834.— Charies  De  Vol,  Kirkland  T.  Warner,  Thomas 
Richards,  Matthew  R.  Ransom,  Nelson  Munroe. 

1835. — Freeman  Hopkins,  Joseph  Bates,  John  Steven- 
son, Jr. 

1836.— James  D.  Stewart,  Thompson  Burton,  Asahel 
Perry. 

1837. — Cyrus  Sayles,  William  Collins,  James  M.  Foster, 
Alexander  J.  Spencer,  Ira  Hatch,  Athelon  Hall. 

1838. — John  C.  Mack,  Henry  Gray,  Robert  McMurray, 
Richard  Sill,  Jr. 

1839. — Ei-skine  G.  Clark,  Moses  A.  McNaughton. 

1840.— Hugh  P.  Proudfit. 

1841. — Asa  Hammond,  Reuben  Blawis,  Albert  Hon- 
drick,  Aaron  Goojspeed,  Daniel  M.  Neil. 

1842— Andrew  S.  Dean,E.  W.  Carmichael,  R.  B.  New- 
man, Orville  Pool  Gillman. 

1843. — Hiram  J.  Ward,  David  Darwin  Dorr. 

1848.— Wm.  G.  Nelson,  William  Bullions. 

1849.— Morgan  Cole. 

1851. — Warner  Cleaveland. 

1853.— Oliver  P.  Yates. 

1856. — John  Lambert. 

1859.— Charies  H.  Allen,  John  C.  Sill,  Theodore  C. 
Wallace,  James  Fonsythe,  John  J.  Flint,  James  McNeil. 

I860.— B.  F.  Ketchum,  R.  S.  Connelly,  William  W. 
Park. 

1861.— William  H.  Robertson. 

1862.- John  E.  Crampton,  J.  H.  Madison. 

1863.— George  W.  Little,  0.  M.  Bump,  Charie.s  0.  T. 
Gillman,  J.  B.  Blawi.s. 

1864.— Alfred  M.  Young. 

1865. — Burr  Schermerhorn. 

18G6.— J.  E.  Comfort. 

1867.— William  H.  Miller,  Edwin  Philips,  Samuel 
Shuuwvay^ohn  Stevenson. 

1868. — Lysander  W.  Kenneday,  William  George  Ste- 
venson. 

1869. — Asa  Tupper,  Henry  Gray. 

1870.- Daniel  S.  Smart,  A.  G.  Pierce,  Hewit,  S. 

B.  Irwin. 

1871.— D.  D.  Brayton,  H.  Renois,  B.  R.  Ilolcomb,  R. 
J.  Senton. 

1874.— Asa  B.  Cook,  Isaac  Munroe,  T.  S.  Nelson,  John 
Knowl.son,  William  B.  Slaynard. 

1875.— David  Pierce,  John  Millington,  E.  W.  Hill. 

1876.— G.  L.  Tripp, Hinds. 

1877.— Charies  M.  McLaurie,  Z.  P.  Herbert. 

The  medical  history  of  Washington  county  furni.shes 
many  honorable  and  prominent  names  not  appearing  on 
the  records  of  this  society  as  members,  but  who  received 
licenses  or  diplomas  from  it.  Its  members  have,  from  the 
beginning,  occupied  without  challenge  an  enviable  position 
in  the  profession,  and  it  has  never  been  wanting  in  men  of 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


99 


learning,  ability,  and  reputation.  Its  annual  and  semi- 
atuiual  meetings  were  for  a  long  series  of  years  attended 
with  interest  and  punctuality,  recusant  members  being 
pronipted  to  duty  by  reprimands  and  fines. 

This  society,  from  the  otiset,  has  had  a  clear  record  in 
sustaining  the  laws  of  the  State  regulating  the  practice  of 
medicine,  and  it  has  also  enforced  with  decision  the  rules 
of  medical  ethics.  Charlatanism  has  never  found  shelter 
within  its  ranks.  It  entered  at  an  early  date  into  active 
correspondence  with  other  county  medical  societies  in  this 
State,  and  took  its  full  share  in  the  labors  and  responsi- 
bilities of  establishing  the  medical  profession  of  the  State 
of  New  York  upon  an  honorable  and  firm  foundation.  As 
early  as  1809  it  had  under  advisement  the  question  of 
a  medical  school  in  the  county,  and  beyond  doubt  it  had 
within  its  membership  capable  men  to  fill  its  chairs. 

The  society  was  instrumental  in  securing  a  modification 
of  the  State  law  regulating  the  practice  of  medicine;  and 
also  a  repeal  of  that  part  of  the  military  law  which  com- 
pelled physicians  to  do  military  duty,  except  in  a  profes- 
sional capacity. 

In  1829  the  association  unanimously  bore  the  following 
testimony  on  the  subject  of  temperance :  "  That  in  the 
opinion  of  this  society,  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  is  in  no 
case  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  health,  and  rarely  to 
the  cure  of  disease."  The  influence  of  the  society  meet- 
ings has  always  been  very  decidedly  in  favor  of  progressive 
conservatism  in  practice.  The  records  are  remarkably  free 
from  evidences  of  cliquism  ;  and  the  few  cases  of  discipline 
found  necessary  seem  to  have  been  conducted  in  a  spirit  of 
kindness  and  moderation. 

In  making  brief  biographical  sketches  of  the  more  prom- 
inent men  connected  with  the  medical  profession  of  this 
county,  I  deem  it  eminently  fitting  to  refer  to  such  distin- 
guished men  as  I  am  able,  who  were  in  the  field  prior  to 
the  formation  of  the  society.  I  regret  to  note  that  a  few 
names  worthy  of  meritorious  mention  must  be  omitted, 
because  relatives  have  not  responded  to  frequent  requests  to 
furni.sh  the  needed  data. 

Rev.  Tiio.mas  Clark,  M.D.,  took  his  medical  degree  at 
the  University  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  about  1751.  He 
came  to  Salem  in  1765,  and  was  the  first  and  only  physi- 
cian until  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Williams,  in  1773  or  1774. 
Dr.  Clark  evidently  possessed  rare  abilities  as  a  physician 
of  the  times,  and  he  was  often  called  upon  by  his  parish- 
ioners and  others  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  the  sick 
bodies  as  well  as  souls  of  men.  Not  unfrequently  was  he 
called  from  the  pulpit  to  the  bedside  in  the  capacity  of  a 
jihysician.  The  department  of  midwifery  was  delegated  to 
his  housekeeper. 

General  John  Willi.\ms,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Barnsta- 
ble, county  of  Devonshire,  England,  in  September,  1752; 
and  died  at  Salem,  July  22,  1806. 

Of  his  early  life  little  is  known,  though  he  evidently  had 
good  educational  advantages,  and  improved  them  well.  He 
studied  medicine  in  I  is  youth,  and  according  to  a  diploma 
now  extant,  he  walked  St.  Thomas  Hospital,  London,  one 
year ;  he  was  first  surgeon's  mate  on  board  an  English 
man-of-war.  On  the  6th  of  IMay,  1773,  he  was  licensed 
at  Edinburgh,  for  six  months,  as  a  traveling  phyt^ician,  a 


form  of  medical  license  quite  common  in  those  days.  He 
soon  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Salem  ;  as  early,  cer- 
tainly, as  1774,  possibly  in  1773. 

His  professional  services  were  immediately  brought  into 
requisition,  and  his  practice  soon  became  extensive  and 
lucrative,  requiring  him  to  make  many  long  and  tedious  jour- 
neys on  horseback  through  the  almost  trackless  forest.  Many 
are  the  traditions  of  his  success  as  a  phy.sician,  of  his  skill 
as  a  surgeon,  and  of  his  kindness  to  the  poor. 

His  professional  as  well  as  patriotic  services  were 
promptly  given  to  the  country  in  the  Revolutionary  strug- 
gle. He  was  engaged  at  the  battles  of  Bennington,  Bemus' 
Heights,  Stillwater,  and  Monmouth,  where  he  proved  him- 
self not  only  an  intrepid  soldier  but  a  devoted  and  skilful 
surgeon.  Walking  over  the  field  at  night,  after  the  battle 
of  Monmouth,  he  found  his  old  friend  Colonel  McCraeken 
among  the  wounded,  his  left  arm  having  been  carried  away 
by  a  cannon-ball.  Taking  him  in  his  arms,  he  carried  him 
unassisted  to  a  place  of  safety,  and  then  successfully  ampu- 
tated his  arm  near  the  shaulder-joint. 

In  evidence  of  his  skill  as  a  surgeon  at  this  early  date, 
the  following  incident  is  related :  Sheriff  Abner  Stone  had 
received  a  severe  blow  upon  his  thigh  with  a  raw  hide. 
His  limb  became  greatly  swollen,  and  symptoms  of  lockjaw 
appeared.  His  life  was  despaired  of;  when  General  Wil- 
liams, returning  from  Congress,  carefully  investigated  the 
case,  and  decided  that  the  trouble  must  be  caused  by  some 
foreign  substance  lodged  in  the  tissues  of  the  limb.  By  a 
bold  surgical  operation  he  proved  the  correctness  of  his 
opinion  and  saved  his  patient. 

Dr.  Peletiaii  Fitch  came  from  a  long  line  of  dis- 
tinguished ancestors,  and  was  born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  May 
6,  1722.  He  received  a  thorough  literary  and  professional 
education.  After  practicing  medicine  twenty-eight  years  in 
Connecticut,  he  removed  to  Vermont,  and  came  thence  to 
Salem,  about  1780.  Though  eminently  qualified,  yet  owing 
to  his  advanced  age  and  the  care  of  a  rising  family,  Dr. 
Fitch  did  not  enter  largely  upon  general  practice,  but  con- 
fined his  services  to  his  neighbors  and  personal  friends.  He 
was  an  active  compatriot  with  General  Williams,  Judge 
Webster,  and  other  distinguished  men  of  that  heroic  era. 
Dr.  Fitch  died  April  16, 1803. 

Dr.  Joseph  Tojib  wa.s  the  son  of  David  and  Jean  Tomb, 
who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Salem.  He  studied 
medicine  with  Dr.  Williams,  with  whom  he  was  in  company 
for  a  short  time.  He  continued  to  practice  in  his  native 
town  of  Salem  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven 
years,  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1796. 

Andrew  Proudfit,  the  first  president  of  the  society, 
was  born  in  Pcqua,  Penn.  He  studied  medicine  with  the 
celebrated  Benjamin  Rush,  and  graduated  from  the  medical 
college  at  Philadelphia.  He  settled  in  Argyle  about  the 
year  1795,  where  he  practiced  medicine  until  1807,  when 
he  removed  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits. He  returned  to  Argyle  in  1818,  and  resumed  his 
profession,  in  which  be  continued  till  his  death  on  the  16th 
of  May,  1822. 

Dr.  Proudfit  was  justly  esteemed  a  man  of  superior  edu- 
cation and  professional  skill.  He  was  a  communicant  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 


100 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


ZiNA  Hitchcock,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Warren  or  New 
Milford,  Conn.,  Nov.  6, 1755.  He  settled  in  Sandy  Hill 
about  1783,  soon  becoming  eminent  both  as  a  physician 
and  a  surgeon. 

He  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  stirring  political  events 
of  the  day,  and  at  an  early  period  abandoned  the  active 
duties  of  his  profession  to  engage  in  affairs  of  State. 

Dr.  Hitchcock  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
court  of  common  pleas  in  1795,  and  remained  upon  the 
bench  most  of  the  time  during  his  continuance  in  the 
county.  He  was  also,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  civil  list 
elsewhere  given,  a  member  of  the  Assembly  four  years,  and 
of  the  State  Senate  no  less  than  ten  successive  years.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  trustees  of  Washington 
Academy,  and  was  also  one  of  the  first  directors  of  the 
Northern  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company,  appointed  as 
such  in  1792. 

Dr.  Hithcock  died  at  Franklin,  Ohio,  in  May,  1832, 
aged  seventy-seven  years. 

He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  abilities,  and  ex- 
erted an  important  influence  iu  Washington  county  and 
vicinity. 

Hon.  A.s.\  Fitch,  M.D. — The  name  of  this  gentleman 
is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  in  the  medical  history 
of  Washington  county. 

He  was  the  youngest  son  of  Dr.  Peletiah  Fitch,  and  was 
born  at  Noank,  Conn.,  Nov.  10,  1765.  He  came  to  Salem 
at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  at  sixteen  served  nine  months 
as  a  soldier,  guarding  the  northern  frontier,  near  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  war.  At  the  end  of  this  service  he 
commenced  the  .study  of  medicine  with  his  father  ;  finish- 
ing with  Dr.  Philip  Smith. 

In  1788  the  young  doctor  settled  in  Duanesburg,  Schen- 
ectady county.  After  a  very  successful  career  at  that  place, 
both  as  a  physician  and  as  the  financial  agent  of  Judge 
Duane,  he  returned  to  Salem,  for  family  reasons,  in  1795, 
and  soon  secured  a  very  lucrative  practice,  his  ride  extend- 
ing over  the  ground  now  occupied  by  four  or  five  physicians, 
although  the  population  was  nearly  the  same  then  as  now. 
During  seasons  of  much  sickness  his  daily  charges  often 
exceeded  one  hundred  dollars. 

Many  students  were  educated  by  Dr.  Fitch,  there  being 
almost  always  from  two  to  six  in  his  oifice,  some  of  whom 
became  eminent  practitioners. 

In  1797  he  received  a  certificate  as  a  regular  practi- 
tioner of  medicine  from  the  county  court. 

Dr.  Fitch  was  president  of  the  County  Medical  Society 
from  1811  to  1817,  and  again  from  1825  to  1831 ;  and  he 
was  often  called  upon  to  serve  as  its  vice-president  or  secre- 
tary, and  to  fill  other  positions  of  honor  and  responsibility 
in  the  society. 

As  a  justice  of  the  county  court,  as  a  member  of  Con- 
gress at  a  critical  period  of  our  national  history,  as  a  lead- 
ing elder  in  the  first  incorporated  Presbyterian  church,  as 
a  prominent  member  of  the  order  of  Free  Masons,  and  as 
an  active  and  eminently  useful  citizen,  Dr.  Fitch  was  richly 
deserving  of  the  confidence  and  esteem  so  freely  accorded 
to  him  ;  but  in  nothing  was  he  more  devoted  and  deserving 
than  in  the  arduous  duties  of  his  professional  life.  On  the 
26th  of  February,  183-t,  the  regents  of  the   University  of 


New  York  conferred  upon  him  a  well-merited  honorary 
degree  of  M.D.  Unfortunately,  during  the  last  few  years 
of  his  life,  all  the  faculties  of  his  mind  were  completely 
obliterated.     He  died  Aug.  24,  1843. 

Jonathan  Dorr,  M.D.,  was  born  Jan.  1,  17G2,  in 
the  town  of  Lyme,  Conn.  Left  dependent  upon  his  own 
exertions  at  an  early  age,  he  "  worked  his  way"  until  he 
came  to  Salem,  and  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Williams. 
After  completing  his  studies  he  settled  near  the  village  of 
Cambridge,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine,  in 
which  he  continued  with  eminent  success  until  smitten 
with  paralysis,  in  January,  1826.  He  died,  greatly  la- 
mented, on  the  2d  of  April  following. 

Dr.  Dorr  was  an  indefatigable  student  and  a  man  of  un- 
tiring energy.  He  was  distinguished  as  a  surgeon  of  rare 
abilities,  having  probably  performed  the  major  operations 
more  frequently  than  any  other  surgeon  of  his  day  in  the 
county.  In  a  series  of  twelve  cases  of  lithotomy,  he  was 
successful  in  eleven. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  was 
highly  esteemed  in  the  various  relations  of  life. 

Hon.  James  Stevenson,  M.D.,  the  son  of  a  profes- 
sional surgeon,  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Kilsyth,  Scot- 
land, on  the  21st  day  of  July,  1771.  He  was  educated  at 
the  University  of  Glasgow,  and  came  to  America  in  1789. 
He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.s.  Williams  and  Tomb,  of 
Salem.  He  settled  in  Cambridge  in  1793,  and  was  admitted 
to  practice  by  a  certificate  given  August  25,  1797,  by  John 
Williams,  M.D.,  as  judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas. 
Ten  years  later  he  became  a  naturalized  citizen.  On  the 
13th  of  March,  1827,  the  degree  of  M.D.  was  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  the  regents  of  the  University  of  the 
State. 

Dr.  Stevenson  acquired  an  extensive  practice,  and  as  a 
consultant  was  held  in  very  high  estimation.  He  was 
several  times  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  was 
also  supervisor  of  his  own  town. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  devoted  Christian,  and 
a  ruling  elder  in  the  Pre.sbyterian  church.  He  was  a  man 
of  undoubted  intellectual  and  professional  ability,  was  a 
diligent  literary  and  scientific  student,  and  possessed  what 
was  somewhat  remarkable  at  that  time,  a  library  of  a  thou- 
sand volumes.  Greatly  honored  and  beloved,  he  died  on 
the  14th  of  February,  1863,  having  retained  his  faculties 
unimpaired  until  fully  ninety-one  years  of  age. 

Hm.\ii  Corliss,  M.D.,  of  English  descent,  was  born  in 
Easton,  in  this  county,  in  1793.  He  studied  medicine  in 
1812  with  Drs.  Nathan  Thompson  and  Jonathan  Mosher. 
In  1813  he  went  to  New  York  city,  and  attended  lectures 
at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  from  which  in- 
stitution he  graduated  in  March,  1816. 

Dr.  Corliss  practiced  medicine  eight  years  in  his  native 
town,  receiving  his  license  therefor  from  the  County  Jledi- 
cal  Society  in  1817.  In  1825  he  removed  to  Union  Village 
(Greenwich),  where  he  continued  during  his  long  and 
eventful  career.  He  was  a  short  time  associated  with  Dr. 
Cornelius  Holmes. 

Dr.  Corliss  was  for  more  than  thirty  years  a  prominent 
member  of  the  State  Medical  Society,  and  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  American  Medical  Association.    At  a  meet- 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


101 


ing  of  the  former  society,  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death, 
his  absence  on  account  of  ilhicss  being  noted,  a  special 
salutatory  telegram  was  sent  him  by  the  unanimous  vote 
of  the  members. 

Dr.  Corliss  was  a  diligent  reader  of  current  medical 
literature,  having  been  for  many  years  a  regular  subscriber 
to  from  six  to  nine  medical  journals.  As  a  surgeon  he 
performed  many  severe  operations,  and  when  eighty  years 
old  he  successfully  performed  lithotomy  on  a  patient  who 
was  also  an  octogenarian. 

Dr.  Corliss  was  an  active  and  zealous  anti-slavery  and 
temperance  advocate;  a  man  widely  known  and  highly  es- 
teemed. He  was  the  father  of  the  inventor  of  the  world- 
renowned  Corliss  steam-engine.  He  died  on  the  7th  of 
September,  1877. 

CoRNEiJUS  Holmes,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Plymouth, 
Mass.,  June  15,  1774.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr. 
Graves,  of  Rupert,  Vt.,  a  short  time,  coming  to  Salem  about 
1800,  where  he  was  for  two  years  principal  of  Washington 
Academy.  He  completed  his  studies  with  Dr.  Asa  Fitch, 
and  was  licensed  to  practice  in  1805.  He  went  to  Whijiple 
city  (Greenwich)  in  1808,  when  it  was  a  mere  hamlet,  and 
for  more  than  sixty  years  he  discharged  the  various  duties 
incumbent  upon  him  as  a  phy.sician  and  citizen  with  such 
wisdom,  fidelity,  and  kindness  as  to  secure  the  confidence, 
respect,  and  affection  of  the  entire  community. 

Though  a  self-educated  man.  Dr.  Holmes  was  an  exten- 
sive reader,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  establishment 
of  schools.  After  a  career  of  great  activity,  extending 
through  three  generations,  he  died,  greatly  lamented,  on 
the  29th  of  January,  18G5,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  in 
the  almost  perfect  po.ssession  of  his  mental  faculties,  and 
leaving  a  memory  untarnished  by  a  single  blot. 

Salmon  Axtel,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Wilmington,  Vt., 
July  11,  1792.  In  1815  he  established  himself  as  a  phys- 
ician in  Fort  Ann,  where  he  secured  an  extensive  practice, 
which  he  retained  for  more  than  fifty  years.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  in  1838,  and  was  supervisor  of 
his  town  eight  years.  He  died  from  paralysis,  Nov.  19, 
1869. 

Abram  Allen,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Sturbridge,  Mass., 
and  came  to  Salem  about  1795.  Being  a  man  of  good 
education  and  great  energy,  he  soon  established  himself  in 
a  prosperous  professional  business.  He  became  one  of  the 
leading  surgeons  of  the. county,  and  was  often  called  upon 
in  cases  requiring  skill  and  firmne.ss. 

The  following  case  illustrates  his  characteristics  and  gave 
him  notoriety.  He  was  called  to  take  part  in  a  consulta- 
tion where  the  patient  had  received  a  heavy  blow  upon  the 
head. 

He  gave  his  opinion  that  the  critical  condition  of  the 
patient  was  caused  by  the  formation  of  matter  within  the 
cranium,  and  proposed  trepanning  as  the  only  remedy.  He 
was  not  permitted  to  operate,  and  a  serious  personal  ani- 
madversion grew  out  of  his  relations  to  the  case. 

The  patient  died,  and  Dr.  Allen  resolved  to  verify  his 
diagnosis,  if  pos.sible.  He  disinterred  the  body,  cut  off  the 
head,  took  it  to  his  office,  and  there,  in  the  presence  of  sev- 
eral friends,  demonstrated  the  correctness  of  his  opinion. 
For  this  act  he  was  arrested  and  tried,  as  ho  desired  to  be. 


He  took  good  care  to  have  the  court-house  filled  with  spec- 
tators, and  he  had  his  case  stoutly  defended,  calling  numer- 
ous witnesses.  He  was  fined  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
which  he  paid  with  great  pleasure,  regarding  the  sentence 
iis  the  best  advertisement  he  could  desire,  and  the  money  as 
the  best  investment  of  his  life.  From  that  day  he  was 
known  by  the  name  of  "  Old  Head."  He  died  March  20, 
1845,  aged  eighty  years. 

Russel  Clark,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn. 
He  pursued  his  preliminary  studies  in  that  town,  and  com- 
pleted his  professional  education  at  Philadelphia.  He  set- 
tled at  Sandy  Hill  about  1809,  where  he  contiuued  until 
his  death,  on  the  30th  of  May,  1849,  aged  sixty-seven 
years. 

Dr.  Clark  was  a  man  of  fine  abilities,  and  devoted  him- 
self with  zeal  to  his  profession.  He  was  justly  considered 
one  of  the  ablest  physicians  in  northern  New  York.  His 
pi'actice  extended  over  a  wide  range  of  country,  and  he  was 
extensively  called  as  a  consultant. 

Mattuew  Stevenson,  M.D.,  son  of  Dr.  James  Steven- 
son, was  born  at  Cambridge,  Sept.  9,  1794.  He  obtained 
a  classical  education  at  Union  College,  studied  medicine 
with  his  father,  and  graduated  at  the  Medical  College  of  the 
University  of  New  York. 

He  practiced  his  profession  several  years  with  his  father, 
and  then  removed  to  Newburgh,  on  the  Hudson,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 

Most  of  his  leisure  time  was  devoted  to  the  study  of  the 
natural  sciences,  botany  being  his  especial  favorite.  He 
and  his  brother.  Dr.  Wm.  Stevenson,  collected  and  arranged 
all  the  known  genera  and  species  of  plants  in  New  York, 
and  extended  their  researches  as  far  west  as  to  the  Missis- 
sippi. After  a  long  and  painful  illness,  he  died  in  July, 
18G8. 

Philip  Van  Ness  Morris,  M.D.,  was  bom  at  Cam- 
bridge, Dec.  11,  1795;  was  a  graduate  of  Williams  Col- 
lege at  eighteen,  and  studied  medicine  with  his  father.  Dr. 
Asahel  Morris.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession  with  his  father,  at 
Buskirk's  Bridge,  where  he  continued  during  life. 

Dr.  Morris  was  a  man  of  simple  and  industrious  habits, 
a  bachelor,  an  intelligent  and  successful  physician,  and 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  profession  and  his  numer- 
ous acquaintances.  He  was  an  earnest  Christian  philan- 
thropist, a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church,  and  a 
liberal  donor  for  benevolent  purposes, — for  years  devoting 
the  avails  of  his  Sabbath  practice  and  one-tenth  of  his 
income  to  such  objects.     He  died  in  November,  1864. 

Chas.  J.  White,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Waterford,  Sara- 
toga Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  December,  1803.  He  studied  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  Worthy  Waters,  and  graduated  at  the  Castle- 
ton  Medical  College  in  the  class  of  1825.  He  immediately 
entered  upon  a  successful  practice  in  Hebron,  where  he 
continued  through  life. 

Dr.  White  was  a  man  of  rare  and  .splendid  gifts,  a  close 
student,  an  independent  thinker,  and  a  self-reliant  practi- 
tioner. In  his  bearing  he  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old 
school.  As  a  Christian  he  w:\s  an  earnest  advocate  of  the 
tenets  of  the  Christian  or  Campbellite  church  during  his 
later  years.     He  died  April  24,  1869. 


102 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Henry  C.  Gray,  M.D.,  the  last  of  the  distinguished 
presidents  of  the  society  who  can  be  mentioned  in  the 
limits  assigned  me,  was  born  in  Mason,  N.  H.,  Jan.  7, 
1810.  Ho  received  a  good  education,  studied  medicine 
with  his  father,  Dr.  Henry  Gray,  and  graduated  at  Dart- 
mouth Medical  College,  Nov.  21,  1829. 

After  practicing  a  year  with  Dr.  Andrews,  of  Keene, 
N.  H.,  and  another  with  Dr.  Dutton,  of  Manchester,  Vt., 
he  established  himself  at  Cambridge,  in  1831,  and  was  for 
a  year  a  partner  of  Dr.  Jonathan  Dorr,  Sr.  Subsequently 
to  this  time  and  until  shortly  prior  to  his  death,  he  enjoyed 
an  extensive  and  lucrative  practice,  having  very  early 
received  the  confidence  of  the  citizens  of  Cambridge  and 
vicinity. 

Nature  was  most  lavish  in  her  physical  and  mental  gifts 
to  Dr.  Gray.  For  many  years  he  was  the  leading  surgeon 
in  Washington  county,  and  perhaps  no  physician  in  the 
county  was  ever  called  more  frequently  in  consultation  than 
was  Dr.  Gray.  At  one  time  he  is  said  to  have  been  offered 
a  professorship  in  one  of  the  Philadelphia  medical  colleges. 
Ho  was  a  permanent  member  of  the  State  and  National 
Medical  Societies  and  was  often  in  attendance  upon  their 
meetings. 

Late  in  life  Dr.  Gray  became  a  zealous  Christian,  as  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church,  laboring  in  season  and, out 
of  season  to  redeem  the  time,  and  taking  manifest  delight 
in  the  work.  He  died  instantly  on  the  10th  of  March, 
1877. 

Philip  Smith,  M.D.,  came  from  the  north  of  England 
and  settled  at  Buskirk's  Bridge.  The  first  notice  of  his 
being  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  is  in  the  year 
1795. 

He  "was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1794,  1798,  and 
1799,  and  sheriff  of  the  county  from  1796  to  1798.  He 
was  one  of  the  United  States  commissioners  of  taxes  for 
Washington  county  under  the  act  of  1799. 

Dr.  Smith  was  a  man  of  large  influence  in  the  public 
affairs  of  the  county,  yet  ho  found  time  to  answer  numerous 
calls  to  attend  the  sick,  and  had  the  reputation  of  being  a 
skillful  physician.     He  died  Nov.  9,  1807. 

Col.  James  Green,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Cambridge, 
N.  Y.,  and  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Williams,  of  Salem. 
In  an. advertisement  dated  March  12,  1798,  he  notifies  the 
people  of  Salem  that  he  has  taken  a  part  of  George 
Williams'  house,  where  he  intended  to  practice  physic  and 
surgery,  and  added :  "  He  has  on  hand  a  supply  of  brim- 
stone, salts,  Hooper's  and  Anderson's  pills,  court-plaster, 
and  so  on."  The  next  week  appeared  the  following  bur- 
lesque of  Dr.  Green's  notice  : 

"to   the   rUBLIC. 
"I've  lived  in  Salem,  if  I  remember, 
Four  years  the  tenth  of  last  September, 
Have  Hooper's  pills  of  every  sort, 
Brimstone,  salts,  and  plaster-court; 
My  friends  may  call,  nor  fear  the  cost, 
I've  neither  conscience  or  religion  lost. 

[Signed]  ABUASt  Alle.n." 

About  the  first  of  the  century  Dr.  Green  was  settled  at 
Argyle.  He  was  colonel  of  the  118th  Regiment  of  State 
militia  in  the  War  of  1812.     He  was  a  man  of  superior 


education,  and  was  held  in  high  estimation  as  a  physician. 
He  removed  to  the  western  part  of  the  State  in  1815  or 
1816. 

William  K.  Scott,  M.D.,  attended  medical  lectures 
at  Dartmouth  in  1807.  In  January,  1808,  he  received 
the  first  license  to  practice  medicine  granted  by  the  New 
York  State  Medical  Society.  In  1809  he  graduated  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  York  city. 

He  commenced  practice  the  same  year  at  Nassau,  Rensse- 
laer county,  where  he  remained  until  1818,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Argyle.  In  1822  he  went  to  Sandy  Hill,  where 
he  successfully  practiced  his  profession  until  1835,  when 
he  removed  to  Buffalo.  Dr.  Scott  was  one  of  the  most 
cultivated  and  accomplished  gentlemen  on  the  roll  of  the 
society. 

Worthy  Waters,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Cambridge, 
N.  Y.,  in  1798.  He  studied  medicine  with  J.  Dorr,  Sr., 
and  practiced  successfully  in  Salem,  Hebron,  and  Argyle. 
He  was  a  man  of  eccentric  character,  but  of  acknowledged 
skill  and  success  in  the  profession.  He  died  at  Argyle, 
May  29,  1828. 

David  Long,  M.D.,  a  gentleman  of  Irish  descent,  was 
born  in  Upton,  Mass.,  and  studied  medicine  with  his 
brother.  Dr.  John  Long.  He  came  to  Hebron  about  1785, 
where  he  continued  in  practice  until  1810.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Pembroke,  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died 
about  1810.  He  was  an  active,  resolute,  successful,  and 
Christian  physician. 

Ebenezer  Ingersoll,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Shaftsbury, 
Vt.,  Feb.  11,  1788,  was  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  College, 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Pitch,  of  Salem,  and  .succeeded 
Dr.  Long  in  Hebron.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  mental 
powers,  and  had  an  extensive  practice,  which  wore  him  out 
prematurely.     He  had  many  students,  and  several  partners. 

Dr.  Ingensoll  died  May  2,  1825,  having  for  many  years 
previously  been  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Ephraim  Allen,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Sturbridge,  in 
1766,  and  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College.  He  joined  his 
brother.  Dr.  Abram  Allen,  at  Salem,  in  1797,  and  died  in 
1815. 

Isaac  W.  Clary,  M.D  ,  the  first  physician  in  the  town 
of  Hartford,  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  about  1760.  He 
settled  in  Washington  county  in  1780,  and,  as  it  was  said, 
"  had  an  extensive  horse-  and  mule-back  ride."  He  was  an 
exemplary  Christian  and  a  useful  physician.  He  died  in 
1823. 

Richard  Sill,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Granville,  N.  Y.,  in 
1790  ;  was  a  student  with  Dr.  Clary  about  1808  ;  attended 
medical  lectures  at  Columbia  College  in  1809,  and  sub.se- 
quently  received  an  honorary  medical  diploma  from  Castle- 
ton  College.  He  succeeded  Dr.  Clary  in  practice,  and  con- 
tinued actively  engaged  in  his  profession  fully  fifty  years. 

Dr.  Sill  was  no  common  man ;  of  fine,  commanding 
presence,  possessing  a  strong  and  active  mind,  he  held  broad 
and  comprehensive  views  of  practice.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  in  1829.  He  was  an  earnest  Christian, 
of  the  Congregationalist  denomination.  He  died  in  July, 
1874,  much  lamented  both  by  the  profession  and  the  laity. 

Ira  Bascom,  M.D.,  was  a  native  of  Newport,  N.  H., 
and  was  born  in  1783.     He  graduated  at  Middlebury  Col- 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


103 


lege  in  the  class  of  1807,  and  took  high  rank  as  a  scholar. 
He  studied  medicine  at  Orwell,  Vt.,  where  he  first  practiced. 
He  then  removed  to  Granville,  N.  Y.  He  was  established 
as  a  physician,  at  Whitehall,  from  1809  to  1814.  He  died 
at  Orwell,  Dec.  6,  1820. 

Dr.  Bascom  was  scholarly  and  gentle  in  his  manners,  and 
gained  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  communities  where 
he  resided. 

Dan  S.  Wright,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Shoreham,  Vt., 
March  5,  1802.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Jotham 
Allen,  of  Middlebury,  Vt.,  and  graduated  at  Castleton  in 
the  class  of  1825.  He  commenced  practice  at  Westport, 
N.  Y^.,  but  removed  to  Whitehall  in  1832,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  his  death,  on  the  31st  of  January,  1867. 

Dr.  Wright  wa.s  a  man  above  medium  height,  and  of 
almost  perfect  physical  organization.  He  had  also  marked 
intellectual  power ;  he  observed  and  reasoned  closely  ;  had 
great  decision  of  character,  and  unliesitatingly  carried  his 
conclusions  into  practice.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Assem- 
bly in  1842,  and  of  the  State  Senate  in  1852  and  '53. 
.  Dr.  Wright  never  shrunk  fiom  a  discharge  of  any  of  the 
numerous  duties  which  devolved  upon  him  as  a  citizen  or 
physician.  His  health  was  permanently  injured  while 
attending  patients  during  the  prevalence  of  cholera  and  ship 
fever. 

NeL!30N  Porter,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Fort  Ann  in  1793. 
He  studied  medicine  with  the  eminent  surgeon,  Dr.  Valen- 
tine Mott,  with  whom  he  remained  five  years,  enjoying  the 
hospital  privileges  afforded  by  the  city  of  New  York.  In 
1817  he  returned  to  Fort  Ann,  established  himself  in  prac- 
tice, and  rapidly  gained  a  high  reputation  as  a  surgeon.  In 
1837  he  removed  to  Whitehall,  where  he  continued  until 
his  death,  in  1852. 

Dr.  Porter  was  an  excellent  physician,  and  his  reputation 
as  a  surgeon  has  never  been  surpassed  in  the  county. 
During  the  last  eight  years  of  his  life,  his  healtli  was  such 
that  he  could  only  respond  to  the  frequent  calls  made  upon 
him  as  a  consultant.  He  was  a  man  of  splendid  presence, 
standing  sis  feet  and  three  inches  high,  and  weighing  in 
his  prime  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  He  was  genial 
and  social,  had  many  attached  friends,  and  was  universally 
respected  and  mourned. 

Such,  very  imperfectly  sketched,  were  some  of  the  ancient 
members  of  the  medical  profession  of  the  county  of  Wash- 
ington ;  well  may  any  profession  or  county  be  proud 
of  such  men,  and  well  may  the  younger  members  of 
the  medical  profession  emulate  such  illustrious  examples. 
Nothing  is  hazarded  in  affirming  that  few  counties  in  the 
State,  if  any,  can  produce  a  fairer  record  of  professional 
ability  or  moral  worth  than  does  the  county  of  Washington. 
The  full  record  of  the  society  gives  a  moral  and  Christian 
history  that  proudly  refutes  the  oft-repeated  slander  upon 
the  medical  profession, — that  it  fosters  infidelity. 

No  space  is  left  for  the  narration  of  personal  incidents, 
nor  for  an  elaborate  statement  of  the  principles  of  practice 
pursued  in  the  early  days.  On  the  latter  subject,  however, 
we  quote  a  few  illustrative  remarks  from  the  letter  of  an 
aged,  retired  physician  :  "  An  apprenticeship  with  a  phy- 
sician in  those  days  included  a  large  amount  of  toil  in  the 
preparation    of    pills,     plasters,    tinctures,    ointments,   etc. 


The  student  gradually  worked  his  way  into  the  extraction 
of  teeth,  bleeding,  and  minor  surgery.  I  hesitate  not  to 
affirm,  that  during  the  last  two  years  of  my  pupilage,  I 
drew  fully  a  barrel  of  the  vital  fluid  !  We  usually  allowed 
it  to  flow  until  the  patieut  said  enough,  or  thought  he  had 
gotten  his  money's  worth,  which  was  one  .shilling  cash,  or 
two  shillings  to  book  it !" 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

AGHICULTUEAL    SOCIETIES. 

Organization  of  First  Society — Protection  from  IIorso-Thicves — First 
Oflicers — A  Series  of  Meetings — The  First  "  Farmers'  Holiday" — 
Succeeding  Ones— Fair  of  182»— Prize  for  Ladies'  Dresses— F.Tir  for 
1826— The  Plowing  Match— Dissolution  of  the  Society- The  Pres- 
ent Society — Its  Organization — Its  First  Officers — Its  First  Fair 
—Fair  of  1843— Extension  to  Two  Days— Showing  a  Subsoil  Plow 
— Fairs  held  in  a  Tent — Location  of  Successive  Ones — Great  Yield 
of  Potatoes — Premiums  for  Silk — Woolen  Manufactures — Exten- 
sion to  Three  Days— The  Rebellion- No  Fair  for  Two  Years— A 
Permanent  Arrangement — Nine  Fairs  at  Salem — Incorj)orntion  in 
I860— First  Officers  After  Incorporation— Premiums  for  Trotting 
Horses — Horace  Greeley  delivers  the  Address — Transferred  to  a 
Point  between  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward— List  of  Presidents 
— Present  Officers — The  Stock-Breeders'  Association — Its  Objects 
and  Organization — The  Mettawee  Valley  Society — The  Northern 
New  Y'ork  Poultry  Association — Its  Object  and  Officers. 

THE    FIRST     AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETY     OF     WASHINGTO.\ 
COUNTY. 

On  the  2d  day  of  December,  1818,  four  months  before 
the  passage  of  any  law  providing  for  the  establishment  of 
county  agricultural  societies,  many  of  the  most  prominent 
and  enterprising  citizens  of  Washington  county  met,  pur- 
suant to  call,  at  the  court-house  at  Sandy  Hill,  to  consider 
how  the  interests  of  agriculture  in  that  county  could  best 
be  promoted.  Hon.  Asa  Fitch,  of  Salem,  father  of  the  em- 
inent gentleman  now  bearing  that  name,  was  the  chairman 
of  the  meeting,  and  Isaac  Bishop,  of  Granville,  was  the 
secretary.  After  due  discussion,  it  was  resolved  to  organ- 
ize a  county  agricultural  society,  and  Garret  AVendell,  Zeb- 
ulon  R.  Shipherd,  David  Russell,  Asa  Fitch,  Isaac  Bishop, 
and  Roswell  Weston  were  appointed  a  committee  to  pre- 
pare a  constitution  and  by-laws.  Hon.  Z.  R.  Shipherd  was 
requested  to  deliver  an  address  at  the  organization.  At  an 
adjourned  meeting,  held  at  the  same  place  the  ensuing  Fri- 
day, the  committee  was  directed  to  report  a  plan  to  protect 
the  members  of  the  proposed  organization  from  liorse- 
thieves.  Of  this  scheme,  however,  we  find  no  further 
mention,  and  it  was  doubtless  found  impracticable. 

A  further  adjournment  to  the  11th  of  February,  1819, 
took  place,  when  the  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Joseph  Rouse,  in  the  village  of  Argyle.  Wide  notice  was 
"iven.  and  a  large  assemblage  of  farmers  and  others  gathered 
on  the  appointed  day  from  various  parts  of  the  county. 
An  able  address  was  delivered  by  Mr.  Shipherd,  his  hearers 
responded  with  every  indication  of  enthusiasm  and  liber- 
ality, a  resolution  for  the  immediate  organization  of  the 
society  was  promptly  carried,  a  constitution  was  adopted, 
and  more  than  forty  gentlemen  put  down  their  names  as 
members. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Hon.  Asa  Fitch  was  elected  the  first  president ;  Z.  R. 
Shipherd,  vice-president ;  Roswell  Weston,  corresponding 
secretary  ;  Thomas  N.  Clark,  treasurer  ;  Henry  C.  Martin- 
dale,  auditor;  and  John  C.  Parker,  clerk.  Andrew 
Proudfit,  M.D.,  John  Reid,  David  Russell,  John  Kirkland, 
and  Elijah  White  were  appointed  a  viewing  committee. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  selected  to  receive  the  signa- 
tures of  those  desiring  to  become  members  in  their  respec- 
tive towns:  Jonathan  Dorr,  of  White  Creek;  David 
McKillip,  of  Jackson ;  Gerritt  Wendell,  of  Cambridge ; 
David  Austin,  of  Hartford  ;  Daniel  JIcDonald,  of  Hebron  ; 
Calvin  Smith,  of  i]aston  ;  Moses  Cowan,  of  Greenwich  ; 
David  Russell,  of  Salem ;  Daniel  Shipherd,  of  Argyle ; 
Collins  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury  ;  William  A.  Moore,  of 
Fort  Ann  ;  Timothy  Stoughton,  of  Fort  Edward  ;  Melanc- 
thon  Wheeler,  of  Whitehall ;  James  Burnett,  of  Putnam  ; 
and  Samuel  Beaman,  of  Hampton.  Such  was  the  beginning 
of  the  first  Washington  county  agricultural  society. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September,  1819,  the  society  made 
a  special  effort  to  "  wake  up"  the  people  on  the  subject  of 
agricultural  improvement,  and  a  series  of  meetings  were 
held  throughout  the  county,  at  which  addresses  on  this 
topic  were  delivered  by  various  members  of  the  society. 
These  were  held  at  Taylor's  Inn,  in  Greenwich,  at  Free- 
man's, in  Salem,  at  Root's,  in  Hebron,  at  Reid's,  in  Gran- 
ville, at  Wiswall's,  in  Whitehall,  at  Bordwell's,  in  Kings- 
bury, and  Ransom's,  in  Argyle.  No  county  meeting  was 
held  that  year. 

The  first  general  assemblages  were  called  by  the  very 
appropriate  name  of  "  Farmers'  Holiday."  They  occupied 
but  a  single  day  each,  and  the  object  .seemed  to  be  full  as 
much  to  have  a  friendly  gathering,  and  an  interchange  of 
views,.as  to  enter  into  competition  over  the  products  of  the 
farm.     The  premium-li.st  was  necessarily  small. 

The  first  farmers'  holiday  of  which  there  is  any  positive 
record  was  held  at  the  hotel  of  Major  Andrew  Freeman,  at 
Salem,  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  October,  1822.  Officers 
were  on  hand  at  eight  o'clock,  and  entries  for  premiums 
were  received  till  ten.  A  plowing  match  came  off  at 
twelve  o'clock  sharp,  both  with  oxen  and  horses,  the  plow- 
men appearing  in  white  frocks,  with  spears  of  wheat  in 
their  hats.  There  was  an  address  delivered  in  a  church, 
for  the  society  had  neither  building  nor  tent. 

Several  successive  fairs  or  farmers'  holidays  were  held 
during  the  ensuing  years,  in  various  parts  of  the  county, 
but  their  records  were  not  generally  preserved  ;  nor  if  they 
had  been,  would  they  show  any  very  extensive  efforts, 
though  their  antiquity  would  make  them  interesting. 

The  fair  for  1825  was  held  at  Taylor's  inn  at  Union  Vil- 
lage (now  Greenwich),  and,  like  the  others  of  that  period, 
occupied  but  one  day.  The  badge  of  membership  was  a 
spear  of  wheat  and  a  ribbon.  There  were  only  a  few  prizes 
for  tillage,  animals,  domestic  manufactures,  and  agricultural 
implements,  the  whole  numbering  scarcely  a  hundred. 
Among  them  was  one  of  five  dollars  "  to  the  female  who 
shall  appear  in  full  dress,  as  far  as  practicable,  of  her  own 
domestic  manufacture."  The  officers  for  that  year  were 
as  follows  :  President,  Major  John  Reid  ;  Vice-President, 
Alexander  Livingston ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  John 
Crary  ;  Recording  Secretary,  Gerrett  Wendell ;  Treasurer, 


Colonel  Thomas  N.  Clark ;  Auditor,  William  K.  Adams  ; 
Viewing  Committee,  Aaron  Cleveland,  Asa  Fitch,  Robert 
Wilcox  (2d),  Elijah  White,  and  David  Whipple.  The 
address  was  by  Joseph  Boies,  Esq. 

The  "  fiirmers'  holiday"  for  1826  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Joseph  Rouse,  in  Argyle.  The  president  for  this  year 
was  John  M.  Reid  ;  the  corresponding  secretary,  John 
Crary.  Jesse  S.  Billings  delivered  the  address.  The 
first  premium  on  plowing  was  awarded  to  the  one  who 
could  plow  an  eighth  of  an  acre  in  the  best  manner,  turn- 
ing a  furrow  four  to  five  inches  wide  and  nine  to  eleven 
inches  deep,  and  performing  the  work  in  not  less  than  forty- 
five  minutes  with  horses,  or  sixty  minutes  with  oxen.  This 
would  not  now  be  considered  very  fast  time.  The  total 
amount  of  premiums  offered  was  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
three  dollars,  less  than  one-sixth  of  the  amount  usually 
disbursed  at  the  present  time. 

The  State  board  of  agriculture  ceased  to  exist  by  the 
limitation  of  the  law  creating  it  in  1820,  and  shortly  after- 
wards the  Washington  county  society  went  down  under 
the  apathy  of  the  public,  as  did  those  of  nearly  every  other 
county  in  the  State.  The  State  Agricultural  Society  was 
formed  in  1832,  but  it  received  no  aid  from  the  State  and 
had  little  influence  in  the  counties. 

THE  PRESENT   WASHINGTON    COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

In  May,  1841,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  appropri- 
ating eight  thousand  dollars  annually  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  agriculture,  seven  hundred  of  which  went  to  the 
State  society,  and  the  rest  was  to  be  apportioned  among 
county  societies,  in  the  ratio  of  the  Assembly  representa- 
tion from  their  respective  counties.  On  the  4th  day  of  Au- 
gu.st  following,  a  meeting  was  held  at  Argyle,  pursuant  to 
a  call  issued  by  Hon.  Edward  Dodd,  then  county  clerk. 
Hon.  John  Crary  was  chairman,  and  Asa  Fitch,  Jr.,  M.D., 
was  secretary.  After  full  discussion,  a  county  society  was 
duly  organized  under  the  law  just  alluded  to,  and  a  consti- 
tution was  adopted,  to  which  those  present  subscribed  their 
names.  The  following  officers  were  then  elected  :  Presi- 
dent, Henry  Holmes,  of  Greenwich  ;  Vice-Presidents,  John 
Crary,  of  Salem  ;  Thomas  C.  Whiteside,  of  Cambridge ; 
James  Fall,  of  Fort  Anne;  and  Harvey  Brown,  of  Hart- 
ford ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  John  McDonald,  of  Salem  ; 
Treasurer,  Ransom  Stiles,  of  Argj'le. 

The  first  fair  of  the  new  society  was  held  at  Greenwich, 
Oct.  12,  1841.  Notwithstanding  the  brief  time  which 
there  was  for  preparation,  and  for  awakening  the  people, 
the  secretary  reported  that  "  the  display  on  this  occasion 
was  in  the  highest  degree  creditable  and  the  attendance 
unexpectedly  largo."  The  address  was  by  John  McDon- 
ald, Esq.,  of  Salem.  As  was  the  case  with  the  previous 
fairs  before  mentioned,  all  the  business  was  transacted  in 
one  day. 

The  next  fair  was  held  at  Salem,  when  there  was  a  very 
large  attendance,  and  the  secretary  noted  especially  the  in- 
terest with  which  the  ladies  participated  in  the  doings  of 
the  day. 

In  1843  the  fair  was  held  at  Argyle,  and  by  this  time 
the  iutere.st  had  so  increased  that  the  managers  devoted 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


105 


two  days  to  the  exhibition.  The  people  were  so  well 
suited  with  this  movement  that  the  time  has  never  been 
reduced.  There  was  an  address  each  day  ;  the  first  by 
Ij  B.  Armstrong,  of  Kingsbury,  and  the  secoiul  by  Isaac 
Thompson,  of  Granville. 

At  the  next  fair,  held  at  Greenwich,  a  subsoil  plow,  ex- 
hibited and  operated  by  Mr.  McDonald,  was  the  object  of 
most  especial  interest,  being  an  entirely  new  instrument  to 
the  greater  part  of  the  assemblage. 

From  this  time  till  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  the 
annual  fail's  were  held  in  various  villages  of  the  county. 
A  large  tent  had  been  procured,  and  this  constituted  the 
only  shelter  from  rain  or  sun  during  all  this  period.  The 
locations  for  the  successive  years  were  as  follows  :  Salem, 
1845  ;  Cambridge,  1846  ;  Greenwich,  1847  ;  Argyle,  1848 ; 
Whitehall,  184'J ;  Argyle,  1850;  South  Hartford,  1851; 
Greenwich,  1852;  Granville,  1853;  North  White  Creek, 
1854;  Cambridge,  1855;  Greenwich,  1856;  Hartford, 
1857;  Salem,  1858;  Fort  Ami,  1859;  Cambridge,  1860. 

During  this  period  there  was  usually  a  steady  increase 
in  the  prosperity  of  the  society,  though  there  were  occa- 
sional complaints  of  apathy.  At  the  fair  of  1848  Daniel 
McDonald  produced  proof  of  having  raised  three  hundred 
and  ninety-seven  and  a  half  bushels  of  potatoes  on  an  acre 
of  ground,  the  largest  yield  ever  known  in  the  county. 
INIost  of  them  were  sold  at  thirty-two  cents  per  bushel, 
making  the  gross  receipts  a  hundred  and  twenty-seven  dol- 
lars and  twenty  cents.  The  cost  of  raising  them  was  four- 
teen dollars  and  sixty-two  cents,  but  that  of  marketing 
them  is  not  known.  The  same  year  James  Martin  raised 
three  hundred  and  seventy  bushels  on  an  acre,  and,  owing 
to  the  higher  price  he  received,  cleared  even  more  money 
from  the  same  area  than  Mr.  McDonald.  The  premiums 
this  year  aggregated  only  two  hundred  and  sixty  dollars 
and  twenty-five  cents. 

In  1850  the  committee  on  domestic  manufactures  awarded 
three  premiums  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gray,  of  Salem,  one  for 
a  parcel  of  cocoons,  one  for  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  reeled 
silk,  and  one  for  fifty  skeins  of  sewing-silk.  The  commit- 
tee gave  considerable  attention  to  the  subject  of  silk  culture 
in  their  report,  claiming  that  the  soil  and  climate  of  Wash- 
ington county  were  well  adapted  to  this  branch  of  industry. 

In  1852  it  was  voted  to  erect  buildings  and  make  a  per- 
manent location  in  Argyle,  but  the  vote  was  rescinded,  and 
the  society  continued  its  peregrinations  for  .several  years 
more. 

At  this  time  there  were  twelve  woolen  manufactories  in 
the  county,  all  but  one  of  which  were  creditably  represented 
at  the  fair. 

The  novel  feature  of  the  fair  at  Cambridge  in  1855  was 
the  ladies'  equestrianship,  then  just  coming  in  fashion  at 
such  exhibitions.  Five  prizes  were  distributed  to  the  pro- 
ficients in  this  charming  art.  But  the  display  was  consid- 
ered too  enchanting,  causing  the  cattle  and  potatoes  to  be 
entirely  overlooked,  and  after  1856  no  prizes  wore  ofiered 
for  ladies'  equestrianship. 

Thus,  with  varying  fortunes,  the  society  continued  until 

1860,  considerable  apathy  being  manifested  during  the  last 

few  years.     In  the  last-named  year,  however,  the  time  of 

holding  the  fair  was  for  the  first  time  extended  over  a  period 

14 


of  three  days.  In  1861  the  excitement  of  the  war,  and 
the  fact  that  so  many  of  the  younger  farmers  had  shoul- 
dered their  rifles  in  defence  of  their  country,  caused  the 
omission  of  the  annual  fair  for  the  first  time  since  the  foun- 
dation of  the  society.     In  1862  it  was  again  postponed. 

Meanwhile  the  subject  of  a  permanent  location  was  se- 
riously discussed,  and  in  1 803  the  proper  committee  made 
a  contract  with  James  Gikson,  Jam&s  McNaugbton,  and 
Howe  &  McNaugbton,  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  Salem,  by 
which  the  latter  agreed  to  furnish  the  ground  and  erect 
the  necessary  buildings  for  the  society,  on  condition  that 
the  fairs  should  be  held  for  ten  years  at  that  place,  counting 
1862.  This  agreement  was  duly  carried  out,  the  buildings 
were  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  two  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  first  fair  under  the  new  system  was  held  at  Salem  on 
the  9th,  10th,  and  11th  of  September,  1863.  Though  the 
display  of  articles  was  not  large  yet  the  attendance  was 
such  that  the  receipts  amounted  to  about  a  thousand  dol- 
lars, being  a  larger  sum  than  had  resulted  from  any  pre- 
vious exhibition. 

For  the  next  eight  years  the  fairs  were  regularly  hold  at 
Salem,  and  the  wisdom  of  providing  buildings  and  a  per- 
manent location  was  shown  by  the  great  increase  in  the 
display,  the  attendance,  and  the  receipts. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  1865,  the  society  was  duly  in- 
corporated under  the  law  of  1855,  by  the  name  of  "The 
Washington  County  Agricultural  Society,"  to  which  all 
of  the  property  was  transferred  by  a  resolution  of  the  un- 
incorporated society.  The  corporators  named  in  the  cer- 
tificate were  Bernard  Blair,  Samuel  W.  Crosby,  John  W. 
Eddy,  James  Gibson,  John  A.  McFarland,  S.  S.  Crandell, 
Hugh  R.  Cowan,  Thomas  Stevenson,  James  McNaugbton, 
John  Howe,  John  II.  McFarland,  Ebenezer  Beattie,  Asa 
Fitch,  William  A.  Russell,  and  William  M.  Holmes. 

It  was  provided  that  the  property  and  business  of  the 
society  should  be  controlled  by  a  boai'd  of  managers,  con- 
sisting of  the  president,  first  vice-president,  secretary, 
treasurer,  and  six  directors.  The  first  officers  of  the  society, 
after  its  incorporation,  were  as  follows  :  President,  Ralph 
Richards,  of  Hampton ;  Vice-Presidents,  Bernard  Blair, 
of  Salem ;  Berry  Long,  of  Cambridge ;  B.  J.  Lawrence, 
of  Fort  Ann;  E.  Hopkins,  Jr.,  of  Granville;  Alexander 
Barkley,  of  Argyle  ;  E.  McMurray,  of  Salem ;  Recording 
Secretary,  S.  S.  Crandall,  of  Salem  ;  Assistant  Secretary, 
J.  A.  McFarland,  of  Salem ;  Corresponding  Secretary, 
Milo  Ingalsbee,  of  Hartford  ;  Treasurer,  William  M.  Holmes, 
of  Greenwich.  The  same  year  the  buildings  of  the  society 
were  considerably  enlarged. 

In  1867  the  exhibition  was  for  the  first  time  kept  open 
four  days.  For  the  first  time,  too,  premiums  were  offered 
for  the  fastest  trotting  horses.  Horace  Greeley  delivered 
the  address.  At  the  fair  of  1870,  the  number  of  entries 
was  nearly  three  thousand,  while  the  total  receipts  were 
over  three  thousand  dollars. 

The  advantage  of  having  good  buildings  was  now  ad- 
mitted by  all,  and,  when  the  term  for  which  the  fair  had 
been  located  at  Salem  expired,  the  board  of  managere  lo- 
cated it  for  the  next  ten  years  at  a  point  between  the  vil- 
lages of  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward ;  the  consideration 
being  that  the  inhabitants  of  tho.se  villages  and  the  vicinity 


106 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


should  furnish  and  fit  up  a  lot  of  twenty-five  acres,  and 
pay  a  bonus  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  to  the 
society.  The  first  fliir  on  the  new  grounds  was  held  in 
September,  1872,  and  since  then  the  annual  exhibitions 
have  been  regularly  held  there  up  to  the  present  time,  with 
Constantly  increasing  prosperity. 

LIST   or    PRESIDENTS. 

Henry  Holmes,  Greenwich,  1841  ;  John  Savage,  Salem, 
1842  ;  Edward  Long,  Cambridge,  1843  ;  David  Sill,  Hart- 
ford, 1844  ;  John  McDonald,  Salem,  1843  ;  Ahira  Eldridge, 
White  Creek,  1840;  General  Orviile  Clark,  Sandy  Hill, 
1847;  Asa  Fitch,  Salem,  1848;  John  H.  Boyd,  White- 
hall, 1849  ;  James  Farr,  Fort  Ann,  1850  ;  Harvey  Brown, 
Hartford,  1851;  John  M.  Steven.son,  Cambridge,  1852; 
Milo  Ingalsbee,  Hartford,  185:^;  Leroy  Mowry,  Greenwich, 
1854;  Peter  Hill,  Jackson,  1855;  James  Savage,  Argyle, 
1856;  Henry  W.  Beckwith,  Granville,  1857;  James  S. 
McDonald,  Salem,  1858  ;  Hosea  B.  Farr,  Fort  Ann,  1859  ; 
Truman  A.  Fuller,  White  Creek,  18G0  ;  Otis  Dillingham, 
Granville,  1861  ;  William  M.  Holme.s,  Greenwich,  1862- 
63  ;  Rev.  E.  H.  Newton,  Cambridge,  1864  ;  Ralph  Rich- 
ards, Hampton,  1865;  George  N.  Bates,  Granville,  1866; 
S.  W.  Crosby,  Cambridge,  1867  ;  J.  M.  Williams,  Salem 
(resigned  and  I.  V.  Baker,  Jr.,  elected),  1868;  I.  V. 
Baker,  Jr.,  Fort  Ann,  1869;  Berry  Long,  Cambridge, 
1870-71 ;  Deliverance  Rogers,  Granville,  1872 ;  Milo 
Ingalsbee,  Hartford,  1873 ;  Edwin  B.  Nash,  Fort  Edward, 
1874;  Edward  S.  Coy,  Hebron,  1875;  Zenas  P.  Buggies, 
Fort  Edward,  1876  ;  Leonard  W.  Cronkhite,  Sandy  Hill, 
1877. 

The  following  are  the  present  ofiicers :  John  M.  Barnett, 
Fort  Ann,  president ;  Alexander  Barkley,  Argyle,  first 
vice-president ;  E.  H.  Crocker,  Sandy  Hill,  recording  sec- 
retary ;  F.  B.  Davis,  Fort  Edward,  corresponding  secretary  ; 
Asahel  R.  Wing,  Fort  Edward,  treasurer ;  Samuel  W.  Cros- 
by, Cambridge,  William  M.  Holmes,  Greenwich,  Milo  In- 
galsbee, Hartford,  and  Granville  M.  Ingalsbee,  Sandy  Hill, 
counsellors;  John  R.  Willett,  Hebron,  M.  T.  C.  Day, 
Granville,  George  Shannon,  Argyle,  John  Hall,  Fort  Ann, 
James  Lytle,  Hartford,  and  Lewis  Potter,  Easton,  direc- 
tors. The  board  of  managers  is  composed  of  the  fore- 
going officers  and  the  five  last  ex-presidents,  viz.,  Edwin 
B.  Nash,  Fort  Edward',  Edward  L.  Coy,  Hebron  ;  Milo 
Ingalsbee,  Hartford;  Z.  P.  Ruggles,  Fort  Edward,  and  L. 
W.  Cronkhite,  Sandy  Hill. 

stock-breeders'  association  of  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

This  society  was  organized  on  the  20tli  day  of  February, 
1816.  Its  object  was  and  is  to  preserve  records  of  pedi- 
gree, sales  of  stock,  etc.,  and  to  increase  the  interest  in  the 
culture  and  breeding  of  fine  stock  of  all  kinds,  by  the  means 
of  lectures,  speeches,  discussions,  etc.,  at  the  various  meet- 
ings of  the  association.  Annual  meetings  are  held  in  Feb- 
ruary each  year,  and  regular  meetings  are  also  held  quarterly 
and  monthly.  The  officers  are  a  president,  vice-president, 
two  secretaries,  treasurer,  sis  directors,  and  an  executive 
committee  of  seventeen — one  from  each  town  in  the  county. 
During  its  brief   existence  the  association  has  met  with 


marked  success,  and  bids  fair  to  exert  a  decided  and  benefi- 
cial influence  in  aid  of  the  objects  it  is  designed  to  promote. 

THE    METTAWEE   TALLEY    AGRICULTURAL   SOCIETY 

is  a  flourishing  local  institution,  which  is  described  in  the 
town-history  of  Granville. 

THE    NORTHERN    NEW   YORK   POULTRY   ASSOCIATION. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1878,  the  admirers  of  "  high 
class  poultry,'"  mostly  in  the  northern  towns  of  Washing- 
ton county  and  adjacent  parts  of  Warren  county,  organized 
the  foregoing  association,  locating  its  headquarters  at  Sandy 
Hill.  Its  object  is  the  improvement  of  such  poultry,  the 
advancement  of  the  interests  of  poultry-breeders,  and  the 
giving  of  an  annual  show,  with  premiums  large  enough  to 
induce  breeders,  far  and  near,  to  enter  their  "  birds"  for 
competition.  Its  career  is  still  in  the  future,  but  those  who 
have  taken  hold  of  the  enterprise  have  little  doubt  that  it 
will  be  a  complete  success.  The  following  officers  have 
been  chosen  for  the  ensuing  year :  J.  H.  Derby,  Sandy 
Hill,  president ;  Leonard  Fletcher,  Cambridge,  David  H. 
Rice,  Fort  Ann,  C.  M.  Ilolley,  Glen's  Falls,  G.  W.  Little, 
Fort  Edward,  Hon.  Ralph  Richards,  Hampton,  C.  K. 
Baker,  North  Granville,  George  D.  Belden,  Poultney,  Yt., 
and  F.  P.  Aiken,  Greenbush,  Rensselaer  Co.,  vice-presi- 
dents;  Charles  Witpen,  Sandy  Hill,  secretary;  George  K. 
Hawlcy,  Glen's  Falls,  recording  secretary ;  James  H. 
Cheeseman,  Fort  Edward,  treasurer ;  General  T.  J.  Strong, 
W.  B.  Clark,  William  Thomas,  Charles  Piersons,  and  Edgar 
Hull,  executive  committee. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

THE  PKESS    OF  'WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 
JOURN.'VLISM    IN    SALEM.* 

The  first  newspaper  in  Washington  county  was  pub- 
lished in  the  town  of  Salem,  and  there  is  now  before  the 
writer  one  of  the  first  issues.  It  is  lettered  and  numbered 
"  Vol.  1,  No.  1,"  and  the  following  is  a  copy,  in  small  type, 
of  its  heading,  with  its  motto,  location,  etc.  : 

"  The  Times  on  National  Coukier." 
'*  May  Tve  never  seek  applause  from  party  principles,  but  always  de- 
sire it  from  public  spirit." 
"  Salem  (State  of  New  York).     Printed  by  George  Gerrish. 
'*  Three  doors  south  of  the  Court  House. 
"Price,  Simjle,  id.  Per  Amnim,  12». 

"Wednesday,  18  June,  1791." 

On  the  inside  of  the  paper  is  an  address  to  the  people, 
written,  as  is  presumed  from  certain  peculiarities  of  style 
and  quotations,  and  its  motto,  by  St.  John  Honeywood, 
at  the  time  a  practicing  lawyer,  residing  at  Salem.  The 
article  is  in  part  as  follows  : 

"  For  the  Coukiek. 
"  The  citizen's  address  to  his  countrymen  on  the  opening  of  the 
first  printing-press  in  the  County  of  Washington. 
"  Qiiis  iioiiis  luc  Itospes?      Virg. 

"Salem,  IS  June,  1794. 
**  It  is  with  great  satisfaction,  I  congratulate  you,  my  worthy  fel- 
low-citizens, on  the  establishment  of  a  printing-press  in  this  place. 


■  Contributed  by  Hon.  Jumes  Gibson. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


107 


It  affords  a  pleasiag  proof  of  our  advancement  in  population,  wealth, 
and  respectability,  and  if  it  be  judiciously  conducted  and  suitably 
encouraged,  it  cannot  fail  of  promoting  very  valuiiblc  purposes. 
.  .  .  .  An  industrious  citizen,  whose  objcot  is  to  procure  an 
honest  subsistence  for  himself  and  to  deserve  well  of  the  public,  has 
settled  among  us  ;  let  us  encourage  him  in  his  laudable  undertaking. 
Let  us  cherish  in  his  breast  that  spirit  of  independence  which  be- 
comes a  man  whose  business  it   is  to  transmit  the  sentiments  of 

freemen We  wish  to  see  him,  as  our  printer,  rise 

superior  to  all  local  and  partial  considerations,  and  pursue,  as  the 
object  of  his  labors,  the  instruction  and  happiness  of  mankind." 

The  Times  or  Courier  was  probably  not  su.staincd,  for  in 
tlie  month  of  January,  1795,  but  little  over  seven  months 
from  his  first,  Mr.  Gerrish  issued  his  hist  paper. 

Thus  ended  the  first  effort  to  establish  a  newspaper  in 
tlie  county. 

The  necessity,  however,  for  the  newspaper  still  existed, 
and  the  people,  having  once  tasted -the  fruits  and  pleasures 
of  reading  it,  could  not  long  forego  that  enjoyment.  There 
was  probably  no  person  living  in  this  village  at  that  time 
who  had  a  stronger  appreciation  of  this  public  craving,  and 
liow  to  supply  it,  than  St.  John  Honeywood,  who  as  editor, 
and  jointly  with  William  W.  Wands  as  publisher,  made 
the  second  effort  to  establish  a  paper  here. 

Mr.  Honeywood  was  a  finished  artist,  a  gifted  poet,  and 
a  highly-educated  scholar.  His  associate,  Mr.  Wands,  had 
previously,  for  a  time,  been  the  publisher  of  the  American 
Spy,  a  newspaper  printed  at  Lansingburg.  Their  first 
paper  is  now  before  the  writer,  and  is  headed  : 

"WASHINGTON    PATROL. 
"  Salem  (Washington  County),  Wednesday,  May  27,  ITOfi." 

The  mottoes  adopted  were  beautifully  appropriate  for  a 
journal,  and  are : 

"  Nullui9  addictu^  jurare  in  verba  inar/Utri." 
"  Impartial  and  uninfluenced." 

At  the  head  of  the  paper,  and  between  the  words  "  Wash- 
ington" and  "  Patrol"  is  an  engraved  plate,  representing  a 
sentinel  marching  on  duty,  fully  armed  and  accoutred,  and 
carrying  his  musket,  with  bayonet  attached,  at  shoulder, 
while  from  his  mouth  apparently  issue  the  words : 

"All  is  well .'" 

In  a  marginal  border  to  the  plate,  on  the  upper  side,  is 
engraved  this  sentence : 

'*  La  unit  est  paxsce" 

and  on  the  lower  side  the  following  one : 

"  Watch  for  the  Republic!" 

The  introductory  address,  written  by  St.  John  Honey- 
wood, is  so  beautiful  and  appropriate,  and  so  faithfully 
presents  the  duties  and  properties  of  journalism,  that  we 
cannot  forbear  giving  it  in  full. 

'*  INTRODUCTORY    ADDRKSS. 

"  Too  long  have  vile  abuse  and  party  rage, 
Employ'd  the  Press,  and  soiled  the  weekly  page, — 
While  Truth  herself,  by  partial  hands  portrayM, 
Half  met  the  light,  and  half  was  sunk  in  shade; 
And  was  the  Press,  fair  Freedom's  gift,  designed 
To  serve  each  baser  purpose  of  mankind  ? 
To  flatter  pride,  to  point  the  darts  of  spite. 
To  blast  the  good,  and  screen  the  bad  from  light  ? 
Forbid  it  Heaven  ! — A  nobler  aim  be  curs 
To  mend  the  heart,  to  aid  the  mental  powers, 


To  show  thp  world,  on  one  extcnsivo  plan, 
All  that  is  good  and  great  and  dear  to  man ; 
The  .statesman's  plans  and  counsels  to  display — 
To  point  where  Glory  shapes  the  Hero's  way. 
And  while  new  wonders  burst  from  every  clime, 
To  mark  the  unfoldings  of  eventful  Time: 
Thus  while  our  Youth,  with  sparkling  eyes,  shall  read 
How  Patriots  conquer,  or  more  nobly  bleed. 
Their  generous  souls  may  catch  the  sacred  flame, 
And  join  their  country's  love  to  that  of  fame. 
Co-]tatriots  dear !  of  every  sex  and  age. 
Whom  chance  may  lead  to  view  this  humble  page. 
Protect  our  press— espouse  a  stranger's  part. 
And  deign  to  foster  Learning's  favorite  art; 
With  candor  read,  nor  too  severely  blame — 
Is  all  we  ask,  who  dare  not  hope  for  fame." 
In   the  editorial  summary  on  public  affairs  allusion  is 
made  to  the  Times  or  Courier,  as  previously  publLshed  in 
Salem,  and  it  is  stated  that  it  "  was  discontinued  in  Janu- 
ary previous,  since  which  time,  although  the  Albany  and 
Lansingburg   papers    have  circulated    considerably  among 
us,  our  fellow-citizens  have  not  been  in  a  situation  to  inform 
themselves  of  the  important  events  which  have  engrcssed 
the  attention  of  the  world." 

Precisely  how  long  the  Patrol  was  published  the  writer 
has  not  been  able  to  ascertain,  but  it  ceased  to  exist  in  or 
during  the  year  of  its  being  established,  or  the  succeeding 
year,  and  thus  ended  the  second  effort  to  publish  a  local 
newspaper. 

The  third  effort  was  made  by  Henry  Dodd,  and  those 
who  recollect  his  character  for  pluck  and  resolution  will  not 
wonder  that  the  effort  was  successful.  One  of  his  first 
numbers  is  now  before  the  writer,  and  contains  at  its  head 
the  engraving  already  described  as  used  in  the  title  to  the 
Patrol.  The  issue  is  lettered  and  numbered  Vol.  1,  No.  1, 
and  is  dated  Monday,  Jan.  1,  1798,  and  its  title  is  North- 
ern Centinel. 

The  place  of  publication,  at  first,  was  "  in  the  house  for- 
merly occupied  by  Alexander  J.  Turner,  Esq.,  opposite 
Mrs.  Yale's  tavern." 

In  his  salutatory,  addressed  "  To  the  Public,"  Mr.  Dodd 
says,  "  The  editor  of  the  Northern  Centinel  this  day  re- 
sumes the  task  which  has  heretofore  been  tried  by  two  of 
the  profession  without  success." 

By  the  exercise  of  virtues  which  Mr.  Dodd  possessed 
in  a  very  marked  degree, — those  of  strict  economy,  persever- 
in"  industry,  and  untiring  care, — he  .succeeded  where  others, 
as  we  have  seen,  totally  failed.  From  Jan.  1,  1798,  to 
the  present  day,  Salem  has  never  boon  without  a  public 
newspaper  printed  and  published  within  its  borders,  except 
for  a  short  time  after  the  Post  was  taken  to  White  Creek, 
and  before  the  Press  was  established  here  in  1850. 

The  Centinel  became  a  permanent  institution,  and  was 
continued  by  Mr.  Dodd,  in  regular  weekly  numbers,  till 
May,  1803,  when  its  publication  cea.sed,  but  it  was  immedi- 
ately succeeded  by  the  Northern  Post,  published  by  the 
firm  of  Dodd  &  Rumsey,  composed  of  Henry  Dodd  and 
David  Rumsey,  by  whom  its  publication  was  continued  till 
June  6,  1814,  when  James  Stevenson,  Jr.,  was  taken  into 
the  firm,  the  publishers  thereafter  being  Dodd,  Rumsey 
&  Stevenson.  This  continued  till  December  21  of  the 
same  year,  when  the  new  firm  was  dissolved  by  the  re- 
tirement  of   ."Mr.  Rum,scy,  and  Dodd    &    Stevenson   then 


108 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


continued  its  publication.  They  subsequently  changed  the 
name  of  the  paper  from  the  Norlhern  Post  to  the  Wash- 
ington County  Fust.  Prior  to  November  21,  1831,  Ed- 
ward and  Henry  W.  Dodd,  both  sons  of  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Dodd  &  Stevenson,  purchased  the  print- 
ing apparatus  connected  with  the  Post,  and  continued  its 
issue  till  the  death  of  Henry  W.  Dodd,  which  occurred 
on  Nov.  6,  183-1,  after  which  it  was  published  by  Ed- 
ward Dodd  alone  for  the  remainder  of  the  year.  But 
he  having  been  elected  county  clerk  in  the  same  fall,  his 
intended  removal  to  the  clerk's  office  of  the  county  of 
Washington,  then  located  by  law  "  within  one-half  mile  of 
the  house  of  Peleg  Bragg,  in  the  town  of  Argyle,"  made  a 
change  necessary.  Negotiations  had  taken  place  between 
him  and  William  A.  Welles,  who  was  then  publishing  the 
North  l^tar  at  Whitehall,  by  which  that  brilliant  luminary 
was  absorbed  in  or  consolidated  with  the  Washington 
Connty  Post,  and  on  the  7lh  of  January,  1835,  the  new 
journal  was  issued  at  Salem  as  the  County  Post  and  North 
Star.  Thus  the  Post,  which  for  over  thirty  years  had 
been  more  or  less  under  the  management  of  the  Messrs. 
Dodd,  father  and  sons,  passed  permanently  into  other  hands, 
and  the  change  was  a  great  one.  The  Post,  as  published 
by  Edward  and  Henry  W.  Dodd,  had  been  conducted  with 
exceeding  ability,  and  had  shown  more  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  live  newspaper  than  was  exhibited  by  all  the  other 
journals  then  published  in  the  county  combined. 

The  County  Post  and  North  Star  was  published  by  Mr. 
Wells  till  May,  1837,  when  the  establishment  was  pur- 
chased by  Thomas  G.  Wait,  who,  on  the  17th  of  May, 
1837,  issued  his  first  number,  resuming  the  previous  name 
of  the  Washington  County  Post.  He  continued  the  pub- 
lication till  November,  1838,  when  it  was  purchased  by 
James  Gibson  ;  being  edited  and  published  by  him  for 
over  two  years,  and  through  the  presidential  canvass  of 
1840,  known  as  the  "  Coon,  log  cabin,  and  hard-cider  cam- 
paign," when  General  Harrison  was  elected  over  Martin 
Van  Buren. 

The  establishment  was  then  purchased  by  William  B. 
Harkness,  who  issued  his  first  paper  the  first  week  in 
January,  1841,  and  continued  the  publication  till  the 
last  issue  in  December,  1845.  Then,  a  sale  having  been 
made  by  him  to  F.  B.  Graham,  (he  latter,  with  the  first 
week  in  January,  1846,  came  before  the  public  as  editor 
and  proprietor,  and  continued  the  publication  (for  a  short 
time  alone,  and  a  portion  of  the  time  associated  with  Clark 
V.  B.  Martin)  till  1848,  when  he  became  embarrassed,  and 
was  unable  longer  to  i.ssue  the  paper,  and  the  Washington 
County  Post  drew  its  last  breath.  The  creditois  of  Mr. 
Graham  afterwards  sold  the  press  and  type  to  Robert  G. 
Young,  and  in  the  spring  of  1849  he  commenced  the  pub- 
lication of  a  paper  at  North  White  Creek,  which  he  named 
the  Washington  Connty  Post. 

We  return  to  the  time  when  the  Post  was  first  published, 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  in  May,  1803. 

This  journal  was  strongly  Federal  in  its  politics,  and  the 
Democrats  of  Washington  county  determined  that  an  anti- 
dote should  be  issued  for  this  Federal  poison.  After  an 
extremely  energetic  efl'ort,  made  by  the  Hon.  Edward 
Savage  and  his  son,  John  Savage,  subsequently  comptroller 


and  chief-justiee,  Hon.  Nathan  Wilson,  and  other  active 
and  leading  Democrats,  they  succeeded  in  establishing  at 
Salem  a  journal  to  advocate  the  principles  of  that  party. 

The  Washington  Register,  as  it  was  named,  was  first 
issued  in  October,  1803,  by  John  M.  Looker  as  editor  and 
publisher.  This  journal  was  also  a  success,  and  continued 
to  be  regularly  issued  under  that  name,  teaching  Demo- 
cratic principles  for  over  twenty-five  years. 

These  two  journals,  the  Post  and  Register,  for  about 
twenty  years  had  no  competitors  in  the  county  excepting 
an  ephemeral  journal  issued  at  Cambridge,  under  the  title 
of  the  Gazette,  which  had  scarcely  appeared  before  the 
public  eye  ere  it  ceased  to  exist. 

They  were  both  conducted  with  more  than  ordinary 
ability,  and  as  po/(V('ca?  journals,  though  sometimes  exceed- 
ingly bitter,  coarse,  and  harsh  toward  each  other,  or  distin- 
guished partisans  on  the  other  side,  yet  their  influence  was 
very  great. 

But  as  neicspapers  they  would  not  compare  favorably 
with  those  of  the  present  day. 

The  Register  was  edited  and  published  by  Mr.  Looker 
till  about  the  year  1805,  when  it  was  purchased  by  John 
P.  Reynolds,  who,  in  November,  180G,  was  appoir)ted  one 
of  the  State  printers,  which  office  he  continued  to  hold  till 
May  4,  1809,  when  by  law  the  number  was  reduced  to  one, 
and  the  office  located  at  Albany. 

The  Register,  while  conducted  by  Mr.  Reynolds,  was  one 
of  the  best  Democratic  papers  in  the  State,  outside  of  the 
cities.  He  tran.sferred  it  to  Timothy  Hoskin  in  December, 
1815,  and  the  first  issue  in  January,  181G,  was  by  Mr.  H. 
as  editor  and  publisher.  The  latter  continued  it  till  the 
24th  of  December,  1818,  when  he  transferred  it  to  James 
B.  Gibson,  Esq.  The  next  week  Mr.  Hoskin  retired,  and 
the  succeeding  issue,  in  the  first  week  of  January,  1819, 
was  by  Mr.  Gibson,  as  editor  and  proprietor. 

In  January,  1820,  Mr.  Gibson  materially  enlarged  the 
Register,  and  the  following  notice  of  this  event  is  extracted 
from  the  Albany  Argus  of  Feb.  3,  1820  : 


"It  is  with  much  pleasure  we  observe  the  enlargement  of  the 
Waahiu(/t(ni  lieffititer.  This  is  one  of  the  tirst  papers  in  tlic  State  of 
New  York,  and  is  conducted  with  a  spirit  and  ability  that  does  the 
highest  honor  to  the  head  and  the  heart  of  Mr.  Gibson,  the  editor." 

In  1822,  Mr.  Gibson  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Beriah  Stiles, 
as  editor  and  publisher,  who  continued  the  publication  till 
the  establishment  was  purchased  by  the  firm  of  Reynolds 
&  Warren,  consisting  of  Linus  J.  Reynolds  and  Ansel 
Warren  ;  the  first  issue  of  the  Register  by  them  being  on 
July  21,  1825.  On  the  27th  of  March,  1826,  the  interest 
of  Mr.  Warren  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Reynolds,  and  the 
paper  was  subsequently  under  his  sole  charge,  while  he 
remained  a  resident  of  Salem. 

The  Register,  while  edited  by  Mr.  Reynolds,  was  con- 
ducted with  more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  with  a  courtesy 
and  a  refinement  of  manner  that  have  never  been  excelled 
by  any  of  the  editors  of  this  town. 

In  the  spring  of  1827  he  removed  to  Poultney,  Vt.,  where 
for  several  years  he  published  the  Spectator,  and  it  was  in 
his  office  at  that  place  that  Horace  Greeley  learned  the 
mechanical  part  of  that  profession  in  which  he  afterwards 
won  such  hiu-li  distinction. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


109 


The  publication  of  the  Register  at  Salem,  after  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds left,  was  continued  by  Mr.  Patterson,  with  Alex.  Rob- 
ertson as  editor,  and  its  management  continued  under  him 
till,  in  1830,  the  paper  ceased  to  be  published.  The  press 
and  types  with  which  it  had  been  printed  were  removed  to 
Union  village  (now  Greenwich),  and  used  by  L.  Dewey  in 
the  publication  of  the  Anti-Masonic  Champion. 

The  Washiiifftoiiian  was  commenced  at  Salem  in  June, 
1842,  by  Messrs.  Wm.  B.  Harkness  and  John  W.  Curtis, 
being  printed  in  the  office  of  the  Post,  and  was  continued 
for  several  months,  but  went  out  and  left  no  mark.  It  was 
published  semi-monthly,  in  quarto  form  (eight  pages  to  an 
i.ssue),  at  the  low  rate  of  fifty  cents  a  year.  It  was  devoted 
mainly  to  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  temperance. 
It  was  not  supported  even  by  those  who  believed  in  its  doc- 
trines, and,  as  might  have  been  expected,  had  but  a  short 
life,  and  not  a  merry  one,  we  presume,  to  its  publishers. 

On  the  21.st  of  May,  1850,  Wm.  B.  Harkness  resumed 
the  publication  of  a  newspaper  at  Salem,  and  named  it  the 
Salem  Press.  This  was  the  largest  newspaper  then  or  ever 
previously  published  in  the  county,  and  remained  such  till 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion  compelled  its  j)roprietors,  from 
the  scarcity  and  high  cost  of  the  raw  material,  to  take  in 
sail  and  reduce  its  extraordinary  dimensions. 

Mr.  Harkne.ss  continued  the  issuing  of  the  Press  until 
Oct.  30,  1855,  when  the  establishment  was  purchased  by 
Mes.srs.  Daniel  B.  and  B.  ¥.  Cole,  its  politics  changed 
to  the  other  side  of  the  house,  and  it  was  issued  as  a  Dem- 
ocratic organ.  The  Messrs.  Cole  published  the  /'yess  jointly 
until  the  25th  of  October,  1859,  when  Mr.  B.  F.  Cole 
retiring,  its  publication  was  continued  by  Daniel  B.  Cole  for 
nearly  ten  years.  On  the  10th  of  March,  1869,  he  trans- 
ferred the  establishment  to  Col.  Solomon  W.  Russell,  by 
whom  the  Press  was  issued — still  advocating  Democratic 
principles — until  the  25th  of  December,  1871,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  Messrs.  James  Gibson,  Jr.,  and  Abner  Rob- 
ertson, their  first  issue  coming  out  with  the  opening  of  the 
year  1872,  and  taking  ground  in  favor  of  Republican  prin- 
ciples. This  continued  until  the  last  week  in  June  of  the 
same  year. 

At  this  time,  Mr.  Gibson  having  become  a  Liberal  Re- 
publican and  Mr.  Robertson  holding  the  views  of  the 
Republican  party,  the  former  purchased  Mr.  Robertson's 
interest,  and  conducted  the  Press  as  a  Liberal  Republican 
newspaper  till  July  16,  1875,  when  he  sold  the  printing 
establishment  to  Henry  D.  Morris,  formerly  editor  of  the 
Whitehall  Chronicle.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the 
father  and  grandfether  of  James  Gibson,  Jr.,  were  both 
editors  of  newspapers  in  Salem,  the  former,  editor  of  the 
Post,  and  the  latter  of  the  Register,  as  has  been  seen.  Mr. 
Morris  is  still  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Press,  which, 
ever  since  he  assumed  its  management,  has  been  devoted  to 
the  expression  of  Republican  principles. 

On  Dec.  8,  1877,  Daniel  B.  Cole,  a  former  editor  of  the 
Press,  issued  the  initial  number  of  the  Salem  Weekly  Re- 
view. In  politics  it  is  Democratic,  and  is  a  wcU-conductcd 
newspaper. 

KINGSBURY. 

The  Sandy  Hill  Herald,  a  Republican  journal,  edited 
and  published  by  John  Dwyer,  Esq.,  on  Main  street,  oppo- 


site the  park,  is  the  lineal  successor  of  the  Sandy  Hill 
Times,  the  first  newspaper  of  the  village,  established  by 
Adonijah  Emmons,  in  the  year  1810,  in  the  interest  of  the 
Federal  party.  In  1824  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  James 
Wright,  under  whom  the  name  was  changed  to  that  of  The 
Political  Herald,  and  about  a  year  later  to  The  Sandy  Hill 
Herald,  Democratic ;  in  which  advocacy  it  continued  until 
1865,  when  its  political  complexion  was  changed  to  that  of 
Republican,  and  continued  unchanged  to  the  present  time. 

In  1841,  having  then  a  circulation  of  not  over  four  hun- 
dred, it  was  purchased  by  E.  D.  Baker,  Esq.,  who  continued 
as  its  proprietor  until  1865,  when  it  was  sold  to  William 
Hammond ;  the  circulation  having  then  increased  to  about 
one  thousand.  In  the  same  year  (November)  it  was  pur- 
chased by  Brown  &  Dwyer,  under  whom  it  continued  until 
1869,  when  Mr.  Dwyer  became  sole  proprietor  and  editor, 
as  at  present.  The  office  (Main  street,  opposite  the  park), 
presses,  type,  machinery,  stock,  and  furniture  of  the  estab- 
lishment were  all  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of  Oct.  11, 
1876,  and  the  present  office  of  the  Herald  was  at  once 
erected  on  the  same  site.  The  paper  is  now  one  of  the 
leading  publications  of  the  county,  and  is  in  a  very  pros- 
perous condition,  its  circulation  being  considerably  over  two 
thousand  copies  weekly. 

Several  other  journals  have  been  published  in  Sandy  Hill 
from  time  to  time,  none  of  which  are  now  in  existence. 
Among  these,  the  earliest  was  The  Sun,  commenced  in 
1826  by  Mr.  Emmons,  the  first  proprietor  of  The  Times. 
This  died  a  natural  death  after  a  few  years. 

The  Temperance  Advocate,  the  first  total  abstinence 
paper  in  the  United  States,  was  commenced  at  Sandy  Hill, 
by  S.  P.  Hines,  in  1832.  It  was  most  ably  edited,  and  .soon 
secured  the  largest  circulation  of  any  journal  in  this  region 
of  country, — a  single  subscriber,  Mr.  Edward  C.  Delavan, 
taking  thirteen  hundred  copies,  paying  his  subscription 
quarterly  in  advance.  After  three  or  four  years  this  paper 
was  removed  to  New  York  city,  and  was  there  published 
under  the  patronage  of  the  State  Temperance  Society,  with 
Mr.  Hines  as  editor. 

The  Independent  Politician,  a  journal  published  in  the 
interest  of  Henry  Clay,  was  started  by  C.  J.  Haynes  &  Co. 
(C.  J.  Haynes  and  S.  P.  Hines),  in  1832.  The  terra  of 
its  existence  is  not  known. 

The  Free  Press — ^anti-Masonic — was  started  by  A.  Em- 
mons in  1832,  being  printed  in  the  office  of  the  Temper- 
ance Advocate.     This  was  also  short-lived. 

CAMBRIDGE. 

The  Washington  County  Post. — A  complete  history  of 
this  journal  would  describe  a  large  part  of  the  journalism 
of  Washington  county,  for  it  claims  the  right  to  trace  its 
orin-in  back,  through  an  unbroken  succession,  to  the  first 
successful  newspaper  in  the  county,  and  the  latter  was  the 
legitimate  heir  of  the  goods  and  chattels  of  two  unsuccess- 
ful predecessors. 

In  the  preceding  article  it  is  shown  how  the  Times  or 
NationiU  Courier  was  established  there  in  1794;  how  it 
died  at  the  age  of  seven  months  ;  how  it  was  succeeded 
(doubtless  on  the  same  press  and  type)  by  the  Washington 
Patrol;  how  this  venture  also  failed  in  the  cour.so  of  the 


110 


HISTORY  OP  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


year,  and  how  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1798,  the  first 
number  of  the  Northern  Ceiitiiicl  was  issued  at  Salem  by 
Henry  DoJd.  In  1803  the  name  was  changed  to  tlje 
Northern  Post,  which  was  the  origin  of  the  appelktiun 
now  in  use. 

Above  will  also  be  found  the  various  changes  of  name 
and  ownership  while  the  journal  remained  in  Salem,  it 
having  received  the  appellation  of  Waithington  County  Post 
there, — a  name  which  it  luis  ever  since  retained,  except 
from  January,  1835,  till  May,  1837,  when  it  was  termed 
the  County  Post  and  North  Star.  In  1848  the  Post  was 
being  issued  at  Salem  by  F.  B.  Graham,  when  that  gentle- 
man became  pecuniarily  embarrassed  and  suspended  publi- 
cation. 

His  creditors  took  possession,  removed  the  office  to 
North  White  Creek,  now  Cambridge,  and  sold  the  estab- 
lishment to  Robert  G.  Young,  who  issued  the  first  number 
in  Cambridge  village,  March  15, 1849,  under  the  old  name, 
—  The  Washington  County  Post.  Mr.  Young  continued 
the  publication  of  the  Post  till  Aug.  15,  1851,  when  ill 
health  compelled  him  to  relinquish  charge  of  its  columns. 
Edward  Gardner  then  purchased  the  paper,  and  became 
sole  editor  and  proprietor.  He  continued  it  till  April  7, 
1854,  when  he  associated  R.  K.  Crocker  with  him,  and  on 
the  14th  of  July,  1854,  he  sold  out  his  interest  to  Mr. 
Crocker.  The  Post  remained  under  R.  K.  Crocker's  editor- 
ship and  management  for  eleven  years. 

On  the  17lh  of  November,  1865,  the  Post  was  sold  to 
James  S.  Smart,  who  was  its  sole  publisher  and  editor  till 
March  1,  1869,  when  Henry  Noble  bought  an  interest  and 
became  joint  publi-sher  with  Mr.  Smart, — Mr.  Smart  still 
continuing  as  sole  editor.  The  Post  found  its  first  home 
in  Cambiidge,  in  the  old  Aaron  Crosby  store.  In  1852  it 
was  removed  to  the  second  floor  of  a  new  brick  building 
erected  by  B.  P.  Crocker,  just  west  of  the  railroad-track. 
It  remained  there  till  Oct.  29,  1875,  when  it  was  again  re- 


moved, this  time  to  a  home  of  its  own,  erected  by  Messrs. 
Smart  &  Noble  on  what  is  known  as  the  Blair  lot,  a  few 
rods  west  of  the  railroad.  A  view  of  this  building  is  here- 
with given.  This  building  is  the  first  erected  in  this 
county  for  the  sole  use  of  a  newspaper. 

In  politics  the  Post  was  first  Federal,  then  Whig.     For 
a  short  time  it  was  True  American,  and  now  Republican, 


and  it  is  largely  due  to  the  influence  of  the  Post  that  Wash- 
ington county  has  stood  so  firmly  by  those  parties.  The 
size  of  the  paper  when  first  issued  was  ten  by  sixteen  ;  it  is 
now  twenty-eight  by  forty-one.  During  the  major  portion 
of  its  career  it  has  been  a  well-paying  establishment.  It 
circulates  now  three  thousand  eight  hundred  copies  weekly. 
Of  its  editors  who  survive,  Hon.  Edward  Dodd,  who  may 
justly  be  called  the  first  journalist  the  county  ever  pro- 
duced, is  now  living  at  Argyle  and  retired  from  business; 
Hon.  James  Gibson  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at 
Salem  ;  Edward  Gardner  is  the  editor  of  the  Hudson  County 
Times,  published  in  New  Jersey ;  Hon.  R.  K.  Crocker  is 
practicing  law  ;  Hon.  James  S.  Smart  is  still  editor  of  the 
Post.  Two  of  the  editors  of  the  Post  have  been  members 
of  Congress, — Edward  Dodd  and  J.  S.  Smart ;  one  a  State 
senator, — James  Gibson  ;  and  one  a  member  of  Assembly, 
— R.  K.  Crocker. 

WHITEHALL. 

There  are  at  present  two  weekly  newspapers  published  in 
Whitehall, —  The  Chronicle  (Republican)  and  The  Times 
(Democratic). 

The  Whitehall  Chronicle  wds  established  June  IS,  1840, 
by  H.  T.  Blanchard.  It  was  continued  about  ten  years, 
when  the  name  was  changed  to  The  Washington  County 
Chronicle,  by  W.  G.  Wolcott,  then  proprietor.  In  the 
times  of  Know-Nothingism,  the  Chronicle  was  purchased 
by  Potter  &  Abell,  who  afterwards  sold  to  Henry  D.  Morris, 
lu  the  fall  of  1864  it  wa.s  sold  by  him  to  John  A.  Morris 
&  Allen  Clarke,  who  continued  it  till  1866.  In  September 
of  that  year  it  was  purchased  by  W.  H.  TefFt,  and  by  him 
published  until  the  destruction  of  its  office  by  fire,  in  1870. 
The  presses  and  some  other  property  being  recovered  with 
but  little  injury,  the  paper  was  revived  in  the  following 
spring  as  The  Washington  County  Neivs,  by  Charles  0. 
Smith  &  Co.,  who  afterwards  admitted  Stephen  Carver,  Jr., 
to  their  firm.  In  December,  1872,  it  was  again  purchased 
by  W.  H.  Tefl't,  who  changed  the  name  to  that  of  The 
Whitehall  Chronicle,  and  has  continued  until  the  present 
time  as  its  editor  and  proprietor. 

The  Whitehall  Times  is  the  successor  of  the  American 
Sentinel,  which  was  established  by  John  E.  Watkins  in 
June,  1855.  It  was  first  published  under  its  present  name 
in  the  spring  of  1860,  by  H.  T.  Blanchard,  who  the  same 
year  sold  it  to  W.  H.  Bodwell  &  A.  D.  Vaughan.  They, 
in  turn,  sold  to  E.  E.  Davis  in  the  summer  of  1861,  at 
which  time  the  editorial  charge  was  assumed  by  Mr.  Han- 
son. W.  J.  Smith  became  editor  from  1862  to  1863,  when 
W.  G.  Ilogan  succeeded  as  editor  and  proprietor.  In  1865 
the  paper  reverted  to  E.  E.  Davis,  with  George  W.  Biizee 
as  editor.  In  1866  it  was  purchased  by  Walter  J.  Don- 
nelly, who  continued  proprietor  and  editor  till  May,  1873, 
when  W.  A.  Wilkins  became  editor  and  publisher,  as  at 
present.  The  Times  has  been  an  official  paper  of  the 
county  for  the  past  four  years,  and  is  designated  ;is  such 
for  the  ensuing  year  of  1878.  Its  circulation  is  eighteen 
hundred,  extending  through  the  counties  of  Washington, 
Essex,  and  Clinton.'and  into  western  Vermont. 

The  journals  which  in  pa.st  years  have  been  published 
in  Whitehall  for  longer  or  shorter  time  have  been  as  fol- 
lows :    The  Whitehall  Emporium  (before  mentioned)  from 


HISTORY  OP  AVASHINGTON  COUNTV,  NEW  YORK. 


Ill 


1822  to  about  1B28  ;  The  Whitehall  Republican,  by  J.  K. 
Averell,  1832  to  18—;  The  North  Star,  by  W.  A.  Wel- 
ler,  from  1830  to  1832,  and  then  merged  in  Washington 
County  Post  ;  The  Whitehall  Democrat,  aXixrioA  in  1845, 
and  afterwards  published  by  J.  B.  Wilkins  and  H.  Dudley  ; 
The  Whitehall  Telegraph,  a  triweekly  paper  of  short  dura- 
tion, commenced  in  1817  ;  and  The  Whitehallcr,  by  W.  S. 
Southmaid,  in  1849. 

FORT    EDWARD. 

The  Fort  Edward  Gazette  was  firSt  issued  Nov.  10, 
1866,  by  H.  T.  Blanchard,  who  still  continues  its  editor 
and  proprietor.  In  jjolitics  it  is  Democratic.  Circulation, 
seven  hundred.  Office  of  publication,  Bradley's  Opera 
House. 

llie  Fort  Edward  Indejyendent  was  started  in  January, 
1877,  by  J.  A.  Morris,  as  a  newspaper  free  from  party  bias. 
In  January,  1878,  it  was  sold  to  the  present  proprietor  and 
editor,  James  E.  Bennett,  Esq.  Office  of  publication,  Opera 
House  block. 

Of  journals  formerly  published  in  Fort  Edward,  but  now 
defunct,  we  mention  The  Fort  Edward  Institute^Monthli/, 
started  in  1856  by  William  A.  Holley;  also  The  Public 
Ledger,  which  was  started  in  1854  by  H.  T.  Blanchard, 
and  continued  by  him  till  1851.  It  was  then  sold  to  \V.  A. 
Holley,  who,  after  two  or  three  years'  publication,  changed 
it  to  The  Local  Observer,  which  about  a  year  later  was 
discontinued. 

GREENWICH. 

Union  Village*  has  been  prolific  of  newspapers ;  twelve 
in  all  having  been  published  there,  viz. :  The  Anti-Masonic. 
Champion,  The  Banner,  The  Union  Village  Courant, 
The  Union  Village  Democrat,  The  Democratic  Champion, 
The  Washington  County  Sentinel,  The  Union  Village  Jour- 
nal, The  Chamjiion,  The  Eagle,  The  Union  Village  Eagle, 
The  UnionVillage  Democratic  Standard,  and  the  People's 
Journal;  all  but  the  latter  having  been  suspended  prior  to 
1850.  The  People's  Journal  has  been  published  uninter- 
ruptedly from  its  origin,  in  1842,  by  the  following  publishers : 
John  W.  Curtis,  H.  C.  Page,  C.  L.  Allen,  Jr.,  W.  J.  King, 
E.  P.  Thurston,  E.  P.  &  D.  P.  Thur.ston,  C.  L.  Allen,  Jr., 
Corliss  &  Allen,  Meeker  &  Mandoll,  D.  W.  Mandell,  and, 
since  Aug.  3, 1876,  by  H.  C.  Morehouse,  who  has  enlarged 
the  paper  to  an  eight-column  sheet. 

GRANVILLE. 

In  1847  the  Washington  Telegraph  was  started  in  Gran- 
ville. It  was  a  five-column  four-page  paper,  edited  by  Ze- 
bina  Ellis.  He  was  a  printer  from  Glen's  Falls,  to  which 
jilaco  he  returned  when,  at  the  end  of  five  or  si.>;  years,  he 
had  sold  the  paper  to  Marcellus  Strong,  who  changed  its 
name  to  the  Granville  Telegraph.  This  continued  about 
six  years,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  F.  W.  Cook.  He 
changed  its  name  to  The  Granville  Times,  and  stopped  its 
publication  in  about  one  year.  He  is  now  a  printer  in  the 
Herald  office,  Rutland. 

In  June,  1849,  a  printing-office  was  again  opened,  and 
the  Granville  Register  started  by  C.  M.  Haven,  with  A.  S. 


Burdick,  editor.  At  tlie  end  of  the  first  year  Mr.  Burdick 
resigned  his  position,  when  Mr.  Haven  became  the  editor, 
and  continued  as  such  until  Sept.  1,  1861.  The  paper 
was  then  sold  to  J.  A.  Morris  of  the  Whitehall  Chronicle, 
who  continued  its  publication  till  December,  1864,  when  it 
was  suspended.  C.  M.  Haven  is  now  an  insurance  operator 
in  Troy,  N.  Y. ;  A.  S.  Burdick  is  a  lawyer  at  Saratoga 
Springs.  The  Granville  News  was  established  two  years 
later  by  W.  &  H.  C.  Morehouse,  who  after  two  years  dis- 
continued it.  H.  C.  Morehouse  is  now  publisher  of  a 
paper  at  Greenwich  in  this  county. 

The  Granville  Reporter  was  started  as  a  six-column  paper 
in  September,  1869,  by  George  C.  Newman  and  J.  A.  Mor- 
ris, who  at  the  end  of  two  months  enlarged  it  to  seven  col- 
umns. Three  months  later  it  became  the  sole  property  of 
J.  A.  Morris,  who  enlarged  it  to  nine  columns,  and  con- 
tinued it  at  that  size  until  Jan.  1,  1870,  when  he  enlar-'ed 
it  to  eight  pages  of  six  columns  each.  The  establishment 
was  entirely  burned  the  10th  of  February,  1873,  when  so 
much  other  property  was  destroyed  in  Granville. 

This  closed  the  printing  business  for  a  time.  On  the  1st 
of  September,  1875,  L.  McArthur  commenced  the  publi- 
cation of  the  Granville  Sentinel,  adopting  a  new  name,  as 
his  predecessors  had  done  at  every  change.  It  has  now 
reached  the  middle  of  its  third  volume.  It  has  an  excellent 
local  correspondence,  is  a  bright,  clear,  and  readable  paper, 
and  its  editorial  department  is  conducted  with  ability  and 
taste.  It  apparently  has  before  it  a  long  and  prosperous 
career. 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

■WASHINGTON  COUNTY  CIVIL  LIST. 

Members  of  Council  of  Appointment— Acting  Governor— Chief  Jus- 
tice and  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court — Comptroller — >"<tate  Treas- 
urer— Inspector  of  State  Prisons — Regents  of  (ho  University — Clerk 
of  Court  of  Appeals — Commissary-General — Canal  Commissioner — 
Members  of  Convention  to  Ratify  Federal  Constitution — Members 
of  Constitutional  Convention  of  1801 — Member?  of  Convention  of 
1821— Members  of  Convention  of  1846— Presidential  Electors- 
Members  of  Continental  Congress — Members  of  United  States  Con- 
gress— First  Judges  of  Common  Pleas — County  Judges — Special 
County  Judges — Surrogates — Special  Surrogates — Sheritfs — Assist- 
ant Attorney-General — District  Attorneys — County  Clerks — County 
Treasurers — Members  of  Provincial  Congress  or  Legislature — State 
Senators — Members  of  Assembly — School  Commissioners — Justices 
of  the  Peace. 

MEMBERS   OF   THE   COUNCIL   OF  APPOINTMENT. 

The  following  were  chosen  by  the  Assembly  from  among 
the  senators,  one  being  selected  each  year  in  each  of  four 
senatorial  districts  into  which  the  State  was  divided,  from 
1777  till  1822, — no  senator  being  eligible  two  successive 
years : 

Alexander  Webster,  of  Hebron:  appointed  Sept.  Ifi,  1777. 
Ebeneier  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Oct.  17,  1778. 
Ale.tander  Webster,  of  Hebron  ;  appointed  Sept.  11,  1779. 
Ebeuezer  Russell,  of  Salem  :   appointed  Sept.  11,  1780. 
Alexander  Webster,  of  Hebron  ;  appointed  Oct.  2.i,  1781. 
Alexander  Webster,  of  Hebron:  appointed  Jan.  21,  1784. 
Ebenezer  Kusscll,  of  Salem:  appointed  Oct.  19,  1784. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron  :  appointed  Jan.  19,  1786. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Jan.  18,  1787. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron;  appointed  Jan.  18,  1788. 
John  Williams,  of  Salem  ;   appointed  Jan.  2,  1789. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Edward  Savage,  of  Palera  ;  appointed  Jan.  lo,  1790. 
Alexander  Webster,  of  Hebron;  appointed  Jan.  14,  1791. 
Zina  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury;  appointed  Jan.  7, 1794. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem;  appointed  Jan.  7,  1796. 
Ebenezer  Clark,  of  Argyle;  appointed  Jan.  4, 1799. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Jan.  30,  1802. 
Stephen  Thorn,  of  Granville;  appointed  Jan.  29,  1805. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Jan.  28,  1807. 
John  McLean,  of  Granville  ;  appointed  Jan.  30,  1811. 
Koger  Skinner,  of  Kingsbury;  appointed  Nov.  8,  1820. 

LIEtTTENANT-GOVERNOR   AND    ACTING-GOVERNOR. 
Nathaniel  Pitcher,  of   Kingsbury;    entered  on  office  Jan.  1,  1827; 
after  the  death  of  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton,  Feb.  28,  1828,  Mr. 
Pitcher  acted  as  governor  till  the  close  of  that  year. 

CHIEF  JUSTICE  OP   THE   SUPREME   COURT. 
John  Savage,  of  Salem;  appointed  Jan.  29,  1823;  held  till  1837. 

JUSTICES   or   THE   SUPREME   COURT. 
Cornelius  L.  Allen,  of  Salem;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1852,  to  Dec.  31, 1859. 
Joseph  Potter,  of  Whitehall ;  term  began  Jon.  1,  1872. 

CO.MPTROLLER. 
John  Savage,  of  Salem;  appointed  Feb.  12,  1821 ;  held  until  Jan.  29, 
1823. 

STATE   TREASURER. 

David  Thomas,  of  Salem;  held  from  Feb.  5,  180S,  to  Feb.  8,  1810, 
and  again  from  Feb.  18,  1812,  to  Feb.  10,  181,3. 

INSPECTOR   OF    ST.\TE   PRISONS. 
Wm.  A.  Russell,  of  Salem;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1856,  to  Dec.  31,  1858. 

REGENTS   OF   THE  UNIVERSITT. 

{HoliUngfor  life.) 
John  Williams,'- of  Salem;  appointed  May  1,  1784. 
John  McCrea,*  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edw.ard) ;  appointed  May  1, 1784. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem;  appointed  April  13,  1787. 
John  McLean,  Jr.,  of  Salem:  appointed  April  8,  1835. 
Rev.  Isaac  Parks,  D.D.,  of  Cambridge;  appointed  April  7,  1857. 

CLERK  OP  THE  COURT  OP  APPEALS. 

Charles  Hughes,  of  Sandy  Hill;  held  from  Jan.  I,  1860,  to  Dec.  31, 
1862. 

COMMISSARY-GENERAL. 

John  McLean,  of  Salem;  held  from  1801  to  1813. 

CANAL  COMMISSIONER. 

Oliver  Bascom,  of  Whitehall;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1869,  till  death,  in 
November,  1869. 

MEMBERS    OP    CONVENTION    WHICH     RATIFIED    FEDERAL 

CONSTITUTION. 
Albert   Baker,  of  Kingsbury;    David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron;   John 
Williams,  of  Salem ;  Ichabod  Parker,  of  Granville. 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION  OP  1801. 

John  Gale,  of  Easton  ;  Solomon  King,  of  Cambridge  :  Thomas  Lyon, 
of  Whitehall ;  Edward  Sav.ago,  of  Salem  ;  Solomon  Smith,  of 
Cambridge;  John  Vernor,  of  AVarren  county. 

MEMBERS  OP  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION  OP  1821. 

Nathaniel  Pitcher,  of  Kingsbury;  Melanchthon  Wheeler,  of  White- 
hall; Alexander  Livingston,  of  Greenwich;  Wm.  Townsend,  of 
Hebron. 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION  OP  1846. 
Albert  L.  Baker,  of  Greenwich  ;  Edward  Dodd,  of  Argyle. 


*  These  two  were  members  of  the  first  board,  which  did  not  go  into 
operation. 


MEMBERS    OF    THE    CONSTITUTIONAL    CONVENTION    OF 

1867. 

Cornelius  L.  Allen,  of  Salem ;  Adolphus  F.  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury. 

PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTORS. 
St.  John  Honeywood,  of  Salem,  1796;  Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann, 
1804;  Micajah  Pcttit,  of  Kingsbury,  1808;  James  Hill,  of  Cam- 
bridge, 1812;  Alexander  McNish,  of  Salem,  1816:  John  Baker, 
of  Kingsbury,  1820;  Edward  Savage,  of  Salem,  1824;  Peter  J. 
H.  Meyers,  of  Whitehall,  1828;  John  Gale,  of  Easton,  1832  and 
1836;  Josiah  Hand,  of  Kingsbury,  1840 ;  John  Savage,  of  Sa- 
lem, 1844;  Jamos  McKie,  of  White  Creek,  1848;  Isaac  W. 
Bishop,  of  Granville,  1852;  Cornelius  L.  Allen,  of  Salem,  1864. 

MEMBER   OF   THE   CONTINENTAL   CONGRESS. 

William  Duer,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward)  ;  appointed  March  29, 
1777;  re-appointed  May  13,  1777,  and  again  Oct.  3,  1777;  held 
until  Oct.  17,  1778. 

MEMBERS   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES   CONGRESS. 

John  Williams,  of  Salem;  held  two  terms,  from  March  4,  1795,  to 

March  3,  1799. 
David  Thomas,  of  Salem  ;  held  three  terms,  from  March  4,  1803,  to 

Feb.  17,  1808  (resigned). 
Nathan  Wilson,  of  Salem ;  elected  in  place  of  Thomas:  held  from 

March,  1808,  to  March  3,  1809. 
Asa  Fitch,  of  Salem  ;  held  from  March  4,  1811,  to  March  3,  1813. 
Nath.aniel  Pitcher,  of  Kingsbury  ;  held  two  terms,  from  March  4, 

1819,  to  March  3,  1823;  and  again,  one  term,  from  March  4, 

1831,  to  March  3,  1833. 
Henry  C.  Miirtindale,  of  Kingsbury  :  held  four  terms,  from  March  4, 

1823,  to  March  3,  1831 ;  and  again,  one  term,  from  March  4, 1833, 

to  March  2,  1835. 
David  Russell,  of  Salem;  held  three  terms,  from  March  4,  1835,  to 

March  3,  1841. 
Bernard  Blair,  of  Salem  ;  held  from  March  4, 1841,  to  .March  3, 1843. 
■Charles  Rogers,  of  Kingsbury;  held  from  March  4,  1843,  to  March 

3,  1845. 
Erastus  D.  Culver,  of  Greenwich ;  held  from  March  4, 1845,  to  March 

.3,  1847. 
John  H.  Boyd,  of  Whitehall ;  held  from  March  4,  1851,  to  March  3, 

1853. 
Charles  Hughes,  of  Kingsbury  ;  held  from  March  4,  1853,  to  March 

3,  1S55. 
Edward  Dodd,  of  Argyle;  held  two  terms,  from   March  4,  1855,  to 

March  3,  1859. 
Adolphus  H.  Tanner,  of  Whitehall :  March  4,  1869,  to  March  4, 1871. 
Jas.  S.  Smart,  of  Cambridge;  March  4,  1872,  to  March  4,  1875. 

FIRST   JUDGES   OP   THE   COMMON   PLEAS. 

Philip  Schuyler,  of  Albany  county;  appointed  for  the  county  of 
Charlotte,  by  the  royal  governor,  Sept.  8,  1773. 

William  Duer,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward);  appointed  by  the  pro- 
vincial convention,  Jlay  8,  1777  ;  re-appointed  by  the  council  of 
appointment,  after  the  formation  of  the  State,  Jan.  30,  1778 ;  de- 
clined or  resigned. 

Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem;  appointed  March  17,  1778. 

Ebenezer  Clark,  of  Argyle  ;  appointed  March  12,  1800. 

Anthony  I.  Blanchard,  of  Salem;  appointed  March  12,  1810. 

John  P.  Wendell,  of  Cambridge;  appointed  Feb.  5,  1823. 

Roswcll  Weston,  of  Kingsbury  ;  appointed  April  25,  1825. 

John  Willard,  of  Salem;  appointed  Feb.  13,  1833. 

John  McLean,  Jr.,  of  Salem;  appointed  March  18,  1835. 

COUNTY   JUDGES,    ELECTED    BY    THE   PEOPLE. 

Martin  Lee,  of  Granville:  held  from  June,  1847,  to  Dec.  31,  1851. 
James  Gibson,  of  Salem  :  from  Jan.  1,  1852,  to  Dee.  31,  1855. 
A.  Dallas  Wait,  of  Fort  Edward ;  from  Jan.  1,  1856,  to  Dec.  31, 1859. 
Oscar  F.  Thompson,  of  Granville  :  from  Jan.  1, 1860,  to  Deo.  31, 1863 
Joseph  Potter,  of  Whitehall;  from  Jan.  1,  1864,  to  Deo.  31,  1871. 
A.  Dallas  Wait,  Fort  Edward;  term  (six  years)  began  Jan.  1,  1872; 
re-elected  in  1877. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


113 


SPECIAL   COUNTY   JUDGES. 
Oscar  F.  Thompson,  of  Granville;  held  from  Jan.  1, 1856,  to  Deo.  31, 

1S59. 
Henry  Gibson,  of  Whitehall ;  heM  from  Jan.  1, 1860,  to  Dee.  31, 1SG3. 
Royal  C.  Betts,  of  Granville;  terra  began  Jan.  1,  1SG4. 
Samuel  Thomas,  of  Granville;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1S71. 
0.  L.  Allen,  Jr.,  of  Salem ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1875. 

SURROGATES. 

Patrick  Smith,  of  Fort  Edward;  appointed  by  royal  governor,  Jan. 

28,  1775. 
Ebenezer  Clark,  of  Argylo;  appointed  by  council  of  appointment, 

March  13,  1778. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  March  21,  1783. 
Melanchthon  Woolsey,  of  Plattsburg,  Clinton  county ;  appointed  Juno 

23,  1786. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem;  appointed  March  13,  1787. 
Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  .\nn  ;  appointed  Feb.  16,  180S. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem;  appointed  Feb.  9,  1810. 
Isaae  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann;  appointed  Feb.  8,  1811. 
Nathaniel  Pitcher,  of  Kingsbury  ;  appointed  M.arch  24,  1812. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  March  5,  1813. 
Henry  C.  Martind.ale,  of  Kingsbury;  appointed  July  8,  1816. 
Calvin  Smith,  of  Easton  :  appointed  July  3,  1819. 
Leonard  Gibbs,  of  Granville;  appointed  Feb.  21,  1821. 
Samuel   Standish,  Jr.,  of  Granville;    appointed    by   governor    and 

Senate,  Jan.  13,  1824. 
John  Willard,  of  Salem ;  appointed  Feb.  7,  1832. 
Alexander  Robertson,  of  Salem;  appointed  Jan.  10,  1837. 
John  C.  Parker,  of  Granville;  appointed  Jan.  15,  1S41. 
Luther  Waite,  of  Kingsbury;  appointed  Jan.  27,  1S45. 
Joseph  Boies,  of  Greenwich  ;  elected  by  the  people,  June,  1847 ;  held 

till  Dec.  1,  1851. 
David  A.  Boies,  of  Greenwich;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1852,  to  Deo.  31, 

1855. 
Marinus  Fairchild,  of  Salem;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1856,  to   Dec.  31, 

1859. 
tJrias  G.  Paris,  of  Kingsbury;  held  two  terms,  from  Jan.  1,  1860,  to 

Dec.  31,  1867. 
J.ames  J.  Lowrie,  of  Greenwich ;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1868,  to  Dec.  31, 

1871. 
Lonson  Frazer,  of  Salem  ;  began  Jan.  1,  1S72,  for  term  of  six  years  ; 

re-elected  in  1877 

SPECIAL    SURROGATES. 
John   H.  Boyd,  of  Whitehall;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1857,  to  Dec.  31, 

1859. 
Leonard  Wells,  of  Cambridge;  held  two  terms,  from  Jan.  1,  1860,  to 

Dec.  31,  1865. 
Daniel  M.  Westfall,  of  Cambridge ;  held  from  Jan.  1,  1866,  to  Dec. 

31,  1872. 
Leonard  Fletcher,  of  Cambridge;  term  began  Jan.  1, 1873  ;  re-elected. 

SHERIFFS. 
Philip  P.  Lansingh,  of  ;  appointed  by  the  royal  governor,  Oct. 

12,  1772. 
Jonathan  Parker,  of  Granville;  appointed  Nov.  12,  1774. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem;  appointed  by  the  provincial  convention. 

May  8,  1777;  re-appointed  by  the  council  of  appointment  after 

the  organization  of  the  State,  Jan.  4,  1778. 
Joshua  Conkey,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  March  22,  1781. 
Hamilton  McCoUister,  of  Salem;  appointed  March  28,  1785. 
Peter  B.  Tearse,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward) ;  appointed  Fob.  24, 

1789. 
Andrew  White,  of  Cambridge;  appointed  Feb.  18,  1793. 
Philip  Smith,  of  Cambridge;  appointed  Sept.  30,  1796. 
Abncr  Stone,  of  Salem;  appointed  Feb.  22,  1798. 
Nathan  Wilson,  of  Salem;  appointed  Feb.  12,  1802. 
David  Woods,  of  Granville;  appointed  March  13,  1806. 
Simon  Stevens,  Jr.,  of  Easton;  appointed  Fob.  16, 1810. 
John  Doty,  of  Fort  Ann;  appointed  Feb.  8,  1811. 
Wadsworth  Bull,  of  Granville;  appointed  March  5,  1813. 
John  Doty,  of  Fort  Ann  ;  appointed  Feb.  13, 1819. 
John  Gale,  of  Easton;  appointed  Feb.  12,1821;  ro-electcd  by  people 

to  hold  three  years  from  Jan.  1,  1823. 

15 


Wm.  McFarland,  of  Salem;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1826. 
Warren  F.  Hitchcock,  of  Whitehall;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1829. 
Darius  Sherrill,  of  Kingsbury ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1832. 
Benj.  Ferris,  of  Kingsbury ;  term  beg.an  Jan.  1,  1S35. 
Philander  C.  Hitehoook,  of  Whitehall ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1S3S. 
Leonard  Wells,  of  Cambridge;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1841. 
Horace  Stowell,  of  Whitehall ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1844. 
Daniel  T.  Payne,  of  Fort  Edward;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1847. 
William  A.  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1850. 
James  R.  Gandall,  of  Fort  Edward;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1853. 
Hugh  R.  Cowan,  of  Cambridge;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1856. 
Oliff  Abell,  of  Whitehall;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1859. 
Benj.  F.  MeNitt,  of  White  Creek;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1862. 
Dennis  P.  Nye,  of  Whitehall ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1865. 
James  C.  Shaw,  of  Salem  ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1868. 

Orrin  S.  Hall,  of ;  term  began  Jan.  1, 1871. 

John  Larmon,  of  White  Creek;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1874. 
George  W.  Baker,  of  Granville;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1877. 

ASSISTANT   ATTORNEY-GENERAL.* 

Anthony  I.  Blanchard,  of  Salem;  appointed  March  12,  I79C. 
DISTRICT   ATTORNEYS. f 

Anthony  I.  Blanchard,  of  Salem;  appointed  August,  1801. 

John  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  April  8,  1S03. 

John  Savage,  of  Salem  :  appoin(ed  April  5,  1806. 

Roger  Skinner,  of  Kingsbury;  appointed  June  7,  1811. 

John  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Aug.  11,  1812. 

David  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  March  23,  1813. 

Jesse  L.  Billings,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Feb.  13,  1815. 

John  Savage,  of  Salem;  appointed  June  11,  1818. J 

Jesse  L.  Billings,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  June  5,  1820. 

Henry  C.  Martindale,  of  Kingsbury;  appointed  B'cb.  24,  1821. 

Leonard  Gibbs,  of  Granville;  appointed  1828. 

Cornelius  L.  Allen,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  1836. 

Charles  F.  Ing,alls,  of  Greenwich  ;  appointed  1843. 

Henry  B.  Northup,  of  Kingsbury  ;    elected  by  the  people,  June,  1847- 

Joseph  Potter,  of  Whitehall;  term  began  Jan.  I,  1851;  rc-eleetcd. 

Archibald  L.  McDougall,  of  Salem;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1857;  re- 
elected and  resigned  in  September,  1862. 

Joseph  Potter,  of  Whitehall ;  appointed  Sept.  23,  1862. 

A.  Dallas  Wait,  of  Fort  Edward;  elected;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1863  ; 
re-eleeted. 

Royal  C.  Belts,  of  Granville ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1869 ;  re-elected. 

Samuel  Thomas,  of  Granville;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1875. 

Marinus  Fairchild,  of  Salem;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1878. 

COUNTY   CLERKS. 

Patrick  Smith,  of  Argyle  ;  appointed  by  royal  governor,  Sept.  8, 1773. 

Ebenezer  Clarke,  of  Salem ;  appointed  by  provincial  convention,  May 
8,  1777. 

John  MeCrea,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  by  the  council  of  .appointment, 
April  16,  1785. 

St.  John  Honey  wood,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Feb.  24,  1797. 

Gerritt  L.  Wendell,  of  Cambridge;  appointed  Cot.  9,  1798. 

Daniel  Shipherd,  of  Argyle;  appointed  April  7,  1806. 

John  Cr.ary,  of  Salem  ;  appointed  Feb.  27,  1807. 

Daniel  Shipherd,  of  Argyle ;  appointed  Feb.  8,  1808. 

Matthew  D.  Danvers,  of  Argylo;  appointed  Feb.  24,  1821 ;  re-elected 
by  the  people,  term  beginning  Jan.  1,  1823. 

Jesse  S.  Leigh,  of  Argyle;  elected;  term  beginning  Jan.  1,  1826; 
twice  re-elected. 

Edward  Dodd,  of  Salem;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1835;  twice  re-elected. 

Henry  Shipherd,  of  Argylo;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1844;  re-electod  two 
terms. 

Nathaniel  B.  Milliman,  of  Kingsbury;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1853; 
re-elected. 

Philander  C.  Hitchcock,  of  Argylo;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1859;  re- 
elected three  times. 

William  H.  Kincaid,  Kingsbury;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1871;  re- 
elected. 

Charles  W.  Taylor,  Argyle;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1877. 


»  Corresponding  to  district  attorney. 

t  For  district  composed  of  Washington  and  four  other  counties. 

J  For  Washington  county  alone. 


114 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


COUNTY  TREASURERS. 
When  this  oiBcer  was  appointed  by  the  board  of  super- 
■vi-sors,  Ebenezer  Russell  was  county  treasurer  for  about 
forty  years.  Since  the  treasurer  was  elected  by  the  people, 
the  following  gentlemen  have  held  the  oiEce,  begiuniug  at 
the  specified  dates: 

Calvin  L.  Parker,  of  Hartford;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1847. 

EtlwardBulkley,  of  Granville;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1850;  re-elected. 

John  M.  Barrett,  of  Fort  Ann;  term  began  Jan.  1,  185fi. 

John  King,  of  Salem  ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1859. 

Nelson  G.  Moor,  of  Greenwich;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1862;   re-elected. 

Samuel  W.  Crosby,  Cambridge;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1868. 

Asahel  R.  Wing,  Fort  Edward;  term  began  1S71. 

James  M.  Northup,  Hartford;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1874;  re-elected. 

MEMBERS     or     THE     PROVINCIAL     CONGRESS     OR     LEGIS- 
LATURE. 

{lielicccn    ilhsolution    of   Culi,„!,d   Asr.embly   ,„„l  funmiHo,,    ../   ,S7ft(c 

ff„,cn„„e,„.) 
Archibald  Camitbell,  of  Cambridge  (now  Jackson),  1775. 
"William  Marsh,  of  Vermont,  1775. 
George  Smith,  of  Fort  Edward,  1775-77. 
David  Watkins,  of  Kingsbury,  1775. 
John  Williams,  of  Salem,  1775-77. 
William    Malcolm,  of  New  York   city,  represented    Charlotte  Co., 

1776. 
Alexander  Webster,  of  Hebron,  1776-77. 
William  Duer,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward),  1776-77.; 

STATE    SENATORS. 

William  Duer,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward) ;  elected  in  summer  of 

1777;  held  one  year. 
John  Williams,  of  Salem  ;  elected  in  summer  of  1777  :  held  two  years. 
Alexander  Webster,  Hebron  ;  elected  in  summer  of  1777;  held  two 

terms  of  four  years  each. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem;  elected  in  summer  of  1778;  held  four 

years. 
Elishama   Tozer,    of  Skenesborongh    (now   Whitehall)  ;    elected    in 

summer  of  1779  ;  held  one  year. 
John  Williams,  of  S.alcm ;  elected  in  1783;  held  three  terms,  of  four 

years  each. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  elected  in  1784;  held  four  years. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron  ;  elected  in  1786;  held  four  3-ears. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  elected  in  1788  ;  held  four  years. 
Zina  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury  ;  elected  in  17013 ;  held  ten  years. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem  ;  elected  in  1795  ;  held  two  terms  of  four 

years  each. 
Ebenezer  Clark,  of  Argyle  ;  elected  in  1796;  hold  six  yeai-s. 
James  S.iT.age,  of  Salem  ;  elected  in  1796  ;  held  two  years. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem  ;  elected  in  1801 ;  served  six  years. 
Stephen  Thorn,  of  Gr.inville;  elected  in  1804;  held  four  years. 
John  McLean,  of  Cambridge  (now  Jackson) ;  elected  in  1807;  held 

four  years. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron  :  elected  in  1S09  ;  held  four  years. 
Gerritt  Wendell,  of  Cambridge ;  elected  in  1812;  held  three  years. 
Allen  Hascall. 

Roger  Skinner,  of  Kingsbury  ;  elected  in  1817  ;  heM  four  years. 
David  Shipherd,  of  Argyle;  elected  in  1821  ;  served  one  year;  term 

closed  by  constitution  of  1821. 
Melanchthon  Wheeler,  of   Whitehall;    served  two  years,  beginning 

Jan.  1,  1823. 
Slephen  Thorn,  of  Granville;  served  three  years,  beginning  Jan.  1, 

1823. 
John  Crary,  of  Sal-em  ;  served  four  years  from  J.in.  1.  1825. 
John  McLean,  Jr.,  of  Salem;  served  four  years  from  Jan.  I,  1829. 
Isaac  W.  Bishop,  of  Granville;  served  from  Jan.  1,  1834,  to  resigna- 
tion. May  22,  1836. 
John  McLean,  of  Jaekson  ;  elected  in  place  of  Bishop  ;  served  till 

Dec.  31,  1837. 
Martin  Lee,  of  Granville ;  served  four  years  from  Jan.  1,  1838. 
Qrville  Clark,  of  Kingsbury  ;  served  four  years  from  Jan.  1,  1844. 


Dan  S.  Wright,  of  Whitehall ;  served  term  of  two  years  (under  t 

stitution  of  1847),  beginning  Jan.  1,  1852. 
Justin  A.  Smith,  of  Whitehall;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1856. 
Ralph  Richards,  of  Hampton  ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1862. 
James  Gibson,  of  Salem  ;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1866. 
Isaac  V.  Baker,  Jr.,  of  Fort  Ann;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1871. 
Charles  Hughes,  of  Kingsbury;  term  began  Jan.  1,  1878. 

MEMBERS   OF   THE  ASSEMBLY. 
John  Barnes,  of  Salem,  1777-78. 
Ebenezer  Clark,  of  Salem,  1777-78. 
John  Rowan,  of  Salem,  1777-78. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem,  1777-78. 
Albert  Baker,  of  Kingsbury,  1778-80. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron,  1778  to  1785,  inclusive. 
Elishama  Tozer,. of  Whitehall,  1778-79. 
John  Grover,  of  Granville,  1779-80. 
Noah  Payn,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward),  1779-80. 
Hamilton  McCoIlister,  of  Salem,  1780  to  1784,  inclusive. 
Matthew  McWhorter,  of  Salem,  1780-82. 
John  Williams,  of  Salem,  1781-82. 
Benjamin  Baker,  of  Kingsbury,  17S2-S3. 
Joseph  McCraeken,  of  Salem,  1782-83. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem,  1784-85. 

Adiel  Sherwood,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward),  17S4-S5. 
Albert  Baker,  of  Kingsbury,  1786-86. 
Joseph  MeCrackeu,  of  Salem,  1786. 
Ichabod  Parker,  of  Granville,  1786-87. 
Peter  B.  Tearse,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward),   17SC   to  1789, 

elusive. 
Adam  Martin,  of  Salem,  17S7. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem,  1787-89. 
Alexander  Webster  of  Hebron,  1788-89. 
Joseph  MeCracken,  of  Salem,  1788-89. 
John  Rowan,  of  Salem,  1789-91. 

Zina  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury,  1789  to  1793,  inclusive. 
Daniel  Curtice,  of  Granville,  1791-93. 
Thomas  Converse,  of  Kingsbury,  1791. 
John  Conger,  of  Cambridge,  1792. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron,  1792-93. 
William  Whiteside,  of  Cambridge,  1794. 
Bcnj.  Colvin,  of  Cambridge,  1794. 
Philip  Smith,  of  Baston,  1794. 
David  Thomas,  of  Salem,  1794. 
Samuel  Beman,  Jr.,  of  Hampton,  1795. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron,  1795-96. 
Edward  Savage,  of  Salem,  1795  to  1801,  inclusive. 
Thomas  Smith,  of  Hebron,  1796. 
Timothy  Leonard,  of  Granville,  1796-97. 
Anthony  I.  Blanch  vrd,  of  Salem,  1796-97. 
Gcrrit  G.  Lansing,  of  Easton,  1796-97. 
Daniel  Mason,  of  Hartford,  1796-98. 
An.irew  White,  of  Cambridge,   1790-97. 
Charles  Kane,  of  Fort  Ann,  1798-99. 
Reuben  Pride,  of  Cambridge,  1798. 
Thomas  Smith,  of  Hebron,  1798. 
Melanehthon  Wheeler,  of  Whitehall,  1798. 
Seth  Crocker,  of  Argyle  (now  Fort  Edward),  1798-99. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron,  1798-99. 
Philip  Smith,  of  Easton,  1798-99. 
David  Thomas,  of  Salem,  1798-99. 
Mieajah  Pcttit,  of  Kingsbury,  1800. 
Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann,  1800. 
Benjamin  Colvin,  of  Cambridge,  1800. 
David  Hopkins,  of  Hebron,  1800-1. 
Gcrrit  G.  Lansing,  of  Easton,  1800-1. 
Timothy  Leonard,  of  Granville,  1800-1. 
William  McAuIey,  of  Cambridge  (now  Jackson),  1800-1. 
Alexander  Cowen,  of  Argyle,  1802-3. 
Jason  Kellogg,  of  Hampton,  1S02-3. 
John   McLean,  of   Cambriige  (naw   Jackson),   1802  to  1806,  in 

sivc. 
Mieajah  Pettit,  of  Kingsbury,  1802. 
Isaac  S.argent,  of  Fort  Ann,  1802-3. 
David  Austin,  of  llartlbrd,  1803-4. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


115 


William  Livingston,  of  Hebron,  180-1-6. 

Dr.  John  McKinney,  of  Hartford,  ISO-t. 

Stephen  Thorn,  of  Granville,  IS04. 

Isaac  Uarloiv,  of  Whitehall,  1804-5. 

Jason  Kellogg,  of  Hamilton,  1S04-.5. 

.Solomon  Smith,  of  Cambriage,  1S04-5. 

James  Starbuck,  of  Easton,  ISO  !—:">. 

Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann,  ISO(>. 

Kathanicl  Pitcher,  of  Kingsbury,  ISOG. 

Daniel  Shiphercl,  of  Argylc,  1S06. 

I'eleg  Bragg,  of  Argyle,  18U7. 

John  Gray,  of  Salem,  IS07. 

James  Hill,  of  Cambridge,  ISOT-'J. 

Jason  Kellogg,  of  Hampton,  1807. 

Thomas  Cornell,  of  Easton,  1808. 

Lyman  Hall,  of  Hartford,  1808. 

Henry  Matteson,  of  Hebron,  1808. 

Gideon  Taft,  of  Whitehall,  1808. 

Alexander  Livingston,  of  Greenwich,  lSOS-9. 

Roger  Skinner,  of  Kingsbury,  ISOS-IO. 

Reuben  Whallon,  of  Argyle,  180S-y. 

John  Gale,  of  Easton,  ISIO. 

William  Livingstin,  of  Hebron,  1810. 

John  Baker,  of  Kingsbury,  1811. 

John  Richards,  of  White  Creek.  1811. 

Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann,  ISU. 

Reuben  Whallon,  of  Argyle,  1811. 

David  Woods,  of  Granville,  1811. 

Lyman  Hall,  of  Hartford,  1812. 

James  Hill,  of  Cambridge,  1812. 

John  Kirtland,  of  Granville,  1812. 

Alexander  Livingston,  of  Greenwich,  1812. 

John  Beebeo,  of  Cambridge,  1812-13. 

Jason  Kellogg,  of  Hampton,  1812-13. 

Francis  McLean,  of  Cambridge,  now  Jackson,  1812-13. 

Ebenezer  Russell,  of  Salem,  1812-13. 

Melanchthon  Wheeler,  of  Whitehall,  1812-13. 

Raul  Dennis,  of  Cambridge  (now  White  Creek),  ISU. 

Samuel  Gordon,  of  Hartford,  1S14. 

John  Richards,  of ,  1S14-U. 

John  Savage,  of  Salem,  1814. 

Charles  Starbuck,  of  Easton,  1814. 

John  White,  of  Argyle,  1814. 

John  Gale,  of  Easton,  1814-15. 

Henry  Matteson,  of  Hebron,  1814-15. 

Nathaniel  Pitcher,  of  Kingsbury,  1814-15. 

Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann,  1814-15. 

Michael  Harris,  of  Hartford,  1816. 

John  Reid,  of  Argyle,  181C. 

David  Russell,  of  Salem,  1816. 

James  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge,  1810. 

Ruswell  Weston,  of  Kingsbury,  1816. 

John  Gale,  of  Easton,  1816-17. 

Nathaniel  Pitcher,  of  Kingsbury,  1816-17. 

Isaac  Sargent,  of  Fort  Ann,  1816-18, 

David  Woods,  of  Granville,  1816-17. 

Jason  Kellogg,  of  Hampton,  1818. 

Alexander  Livingston,  of  Greenwich,  1818. 

John  McLean,  Jr.,  of  Salem,  1818. 

William  K.  Adams,  of  Salem,  1819. 

John  Doty,  of  Fort  Ann,  1810. 

John  Gale,  of  Easton,  1SI9. 

William  McFarland,  of  Salem,  1819. 

David  Austin,  of  Hartford,  1820. 

Peleg  Bragg,  of  Argyle,  1820. 

James  Hill,  of  Cambridge,  1820. 

John  Kirtland,  of  Granville,  1820. 

Wadsworth  Boll,  of  Hartford,  1820-21. 

James  Mallory,  of  Easton,  1820-21. 

John  Moss,  of  Kingslury,  1820-21. 

William  Richards,  of  Cambridge  (now  White  Creek),  1820-21. 

John  Baker,  of  Kingsbury,  1820-21. 

Silas  D.  Kellogg,  of  Hampton,  1822. 

James  Teft,  of  Easton,  1822. 

Timothy  Eddy,  of  Fort  Edw.ard,  1823. 


John  King,  of  Argyle,  1823. 
Martin  Lee,  of  Granville,  1823. 
James  McNaughton,  of  Cambridge,  1823. 
David  Campbell,  of  Jackson,  1824-25. 
John  Crary,  of  Salem,  1824. 
Silas  D.  Kellogg,  of  IlamptoD,  1824. 
Ezra  Smith,  of  Whitehall,  1824-25. 
Lemuel  Hastings,  of  Fort  Ann,  1835. 
Samuel  Stevens,  of  Salem,  1825. 
Hiram  Cole,  of  Kingsbury,  1826. 
James  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge,  182G. 
Israel  Williams,  of  Greenwich,  1826. 
David  Woods,  of  Granville,  1S26. 
John  McDonald,  of  Hebron,  1827. 
Peter  J.  H.  Myor.s,  of  Whitehall,  1S27. 
Samuel  Stevens,  of  Salem,  1827. 
Jonathan  Moshcr,  of  Easton,  1828. 
Henry  Thorn,  of  Fort  Ann,  1S2S. 
Henry  Whiteside,  of  Cambridge,  1828. 
John  McDonald,  of  Hebron,  1829. 
Robert  McNiel,  of  Cambridge,  1829. 
Richard  Sill,  of  Hartford,  1829. 
David  Russell,  of  Salem,  18.30. 
Robert  AVileox,  of  Cambridge,  1830. 
David  Sill,  of  Hartford,  1830. 
George  W.  Jermain,  of  Cambridge,  1831. 
Henry  Thorn,  of  Fort  Ann,  1831. 
William  Townsend,  of  Hebron,  1831. 
Isaac  W.  Bishop,  of  Granville,  1832. 
John  McDonald,  of  Hebron,  1S32. 
James  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge,  1832. 
Walter  Cornell,  of  Cambridge,  1833. 
Charles  Rogers,  of  Kingsbury,  1833. 
David  Russell,  of  Salem,  1S3.3. 
Charles  F.  Ingalls,  of  Greenwich,  1834. 
Melanchtlion  Wheeler,  of  Whitehall,  1834. 
James  Wright,  of  Kingsbury,  1834. 
Jonathan  K.  Ilorton,  of  Greenwich,  1835. 
George  MoKie,  of  Easton,  1835. 
Allen  R.  Moore,  of  Granville,  1835. 
Aaron  Barker,  of  Easton,  183R. 
Alexander  Robortsoa,  of  Putnam,  18.3S. 
Stephen  L.  Viele,  of  Fort  Edward,  1836. 
Joseph  W.  Richards,  of  White  Creek,  1837. 
Charles  Rogers,  of  King.sbury,  1837. 
Erastus  D.  Culver,  of  Greenwich,  1838. 
Reuben  Skinner,  of  Granville,  1841. 
Leonard  Gibbs,  of  Granville,  1833. 
Salmon  Axtell,  of  Fort  Ann,  1839. 
Jesse  S.  Leigh,  of  Argyle,  1839. 
John  U.  Boyd,  of  Whitehall,  1840. 
Anderson  Simpson,  of  Salem,  1840. 
Erastus  D.  Culver,  of  Greenwich,  1841- 
Reuben  Skinner,  of  (rreenville,  1841. 
James  McKie,  Jr.,  of  White  Creek,  1842. 
Dan  S.  Wright,  of  Whitehall,  1842. 
Anson  Bigelow,  of  Greenwich,  1843. 
James  W.  Porter,  of  Hartford,  1843. 
John  Barker,  of  Granville,  1844. 
John  W.  Proudfit,  of  Salem,  1841. 
James  Rice,  of  Fort  Ann,  1845. 
John  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge,  1845. 
James  S.  Foster,  of  Hebron,  1846. 
Lodovicus  S.  Viele,  of  Fort  Edward,  1846. 
Adolphus  F.  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury,  1847. 
Samuel  McDonald,  of  Cambridge,  1847. 
Benjamin  Crocker,  of  White  Creek,  1848. 
Elisha  A.  Martin,  of  Whitehall,  1848. 
Lo  Roy  Mowry,  of  Greenwich,  1840. 
Alexander  Robertson,  of  Putnam,  1849. 
David  Sill,  of  Argyle,  1850. 
Calvin  Pease,  of  Putnam,  1850. 
Thomas  C.  AVhitesidc,  of  Easton,  1851. 
James  Farr,  of  Fort  Ann,  1S5I. 
Elisha  Billings,  of  Jackson,  1852. 


116 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


David  Nelson,  of  Whitehall,  1852. 

Charles  R.  Ingalls,  of  Greenwich,  1853. 

Samuel  S.  Beaman,  of  Hampton,  1853. 

Ebenezer  McMurray,  of  Salem,  1854. 

George  W.  Thorn,  of  Fort  Ann,  1854. 

James  I.  Lowrie,  of  Greenwich,  1855. 

Justin  A.  Smith,  of  'Whitehall,  1855. 

John  S.  Crocker,  of  White  Creek,  1856. 

Henry  S.  Korthuji,  of  Kingsbury,  185S. 

Anson  Ingraham,  of  Cambridge,  1857. 

Henry  AV.  Beckwilh,  of  Granville,  1857. 

Thaddcus  H.  Walker,  of  Salem,  1S58. 

Ralph  Richards,  of  Hampton,  1S5S. 

Andrew  Thompson,  of  Easton,  1859. 

James  M.  Northup,  of  Hartford,  1859. 

James  Savage,  of  Argyle,  ISCO. 

Peletiah  Jackw.ay,  of  Fort  Ann,  18G0. 

Peter  Hill,  of  Jackson,  18(51. 

Nicholas  M.  Catlin,  of  Kingsbury,  1861. 

George  H.  Taylor,  of  Fort  Edward,  1802. 

Philip  H.  Ncher  of  Hebron,  1862. 

Asa  C.  Tefft,  of  Fort  Edward,  1863. 

Ervin  Hopkins,  Jr.,  of  Granville,  18G3. 

R.  King  Crocker,  of  White  Creek,  18G4. 

Andrew  G.  Meiklejohn,  of  Putnam,  1854. 

Alexander  Barklcy,  of  Argyle,  1865-66. 

Sylvester  E.  Spoor,  of  Hebron,  1865. 

James  C.  Rogers,  of  Kingsbury,  1866. 

Thomas  Shiland,  of  Cambridge,  1867. 

Adolphus  F.  Hitchcock,  of  Kingsbury,  1867. 

David  Underwood,  of  Fort  Edward,  1868. 

Nathaniel  Daily,  of  Hampton,  1868. 

William  J.  Perry,  of  White  Creek,  1869. 

Isaac  V.  Baker,  Jr.,  of  Fort  Ann,  1869-71. 

Thomas  J.  Stevenson,  of  Salem,  1870-71. 

Edward  W.  Hollister,  of  Greenwich,  1872-73. 

George  W.  L.  Smith,  of  Kingsbury,  1872. 

Eleazer  Jones,  of  Granville  (died,  and  William  H.  Teffl,  Whitehall, 

elected  in  his  place),  1873. 
Alexander  B.  Law,  of  Salem,  1874-75. 
Emerson  E.  Davis,  of  Whitehall,  1874-75. 
Townsend  J.  Potter,  of  Fort  Edward,  1876-77. 
Henry  G.  Burleigh,  of  Whitehall,  1876. 
Isaac  V.  Baker,  Jr.,  of  Fort  Ann,  1877. 
Abr.aham  Reynolds,  of  Greenwich,  1878. 
George  L.  Terry,  of  Kingsbury,  1878. 

SCHOOL   COMMISSIONERS. 
First  Distrtct.— Earl  P.  Wright,  Robert  Gr.aham,  David  V.  S.  Qua, 

Abram  G.  Cochran,  Ezra  H.  Snyder. 
Second  Distrct. — John    Hall,    Charles   L.    Mason,    John    C.    Earl, 

Thomas  8.  Whittemore,  Isaac  Parks,  AVilliam  H.  Tefft,  Ezra  H. 

Snyder,  E.  J.  C.  AVhittemorc. 

JUSTICES    OF   THE   PEACE. 
The  following  are  the  justices  of  the  peace  from  the  or- 
ganization of  the  county  of  Charlotte  (afterwards  Washing- 
ton), and  residing  within  the  limits  of  Wa.shington  county 
giving,  as  far  as  possible,  the  present  name  of  the  town : 

APPOINTMENT.S    BY    ROYAL    AUTHORITY. 

Appuiiilfd  J  Illy  1,  1773. 
William  Duer,  Fort  Edward. 
Philip  Skene,  Whitehall. 
James  Gray,  Cambridge. 
Patrick  Smith,  Fort  Edward. 
Ebenezer  Clark,  Salem;  re-appointcd  1795,  1798,  1801,  1807,  ISOS, 

1810. 
Robert  SncU. 

Alexander  McNachtcn,  Salem. 
Archibald  Campbell,  Jackson. 
Philip  Embury,  Salem. 
John  Barnes,  Salem. 
Stephen  Rogers. 


Ajij^ointcd  December  8,  1773. 
Alexander  Webster,  Hebron  ;  re-appointed  1786, 1789, 1792, 1795, 1798. 

Appointed  March  12,  1774. 
Thomas  Green,  Cambridge. 

Appointed  June  11,  1774. 
Garret  Keating,  Whitehall. 

ArrOlNTMENTS   BY   THE   STATE    OP    NEW    YORK. 

Appointed  June  23,  1786. 
Ebenezer  Russell,  Siilem;  ro-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795, 1798. 
David  Hopkins,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795,  1798,  1801, 

1804,  1807,  1810. 
Moses  Martin,  Salem;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795,  1818. 
Albert  Baker,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795. 
John  McAllister,  Salem;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795. 
Aaron  Fuller,  AVhitehall. 

Samuel  Crosset,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1792,  1798,  1801,  1807. 
Adiel  Sherwood,  Kingsbury;  re-appointcd  1789,  1792. 
Silas  Child,  Granville. 

John  Rowan,  Salem;  re-appointed  1789,1792, 1795,  1804,  1807,  1808. 
Asaph  Cook,  Granville;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,1795,  1804,  1807, 

1808. 
Gideon  Warren,  Hampton;  rc-appoinfed  1792,  1795. 
William  McDougall,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795. 
Peter  B.  Tearse,  Fort  Edward. 

James  Randolph,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1789,  1792,  1795. 
Aljihcus  Spencer. 

Ap2>ointed  May  5,  1789. 
John  Williams,  Salem;  re-appointed  1792,  1795,  1798. 
Jonathan  Foster,  Argyle. 
William  Keid,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1792,  1795,  1708,  ISOl. 

Appointed  A2)ril  6,  1792. 
John  Younglove,  Cambridge ;  re-appointed  1795,  1798.   /^ 
Edmund  Wells,  Jr.,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1795,  1798,  1801. 
Slanton  Tefft,  Easton;  re-appointed  1795,  1798,  1804. 
Thomas  Dennis,  Easton;  re-.appointed  1795,  1798,  1804,  1807,  1808, 

ISll. 
John  Fish,  Granville;  re-appointed  1795. 
Setts  Sherwood,  Fort  Edward. 
Medad  Harvey,  Fort  Ann. 
Asahel  Hitchcock,  Kingsbury. 

Daniel  Curtice,  Granville;  re-appointed  1795,  1798,  1801. 
Timothy  Leonard,  Granville;  re-appointed  1795,  1798,  1801. 
John  McWhorter,  Granville ;  re-appointcd  1705. 
Daniel   Earl,  Jr.,  Whitehall;    re-appointed  1795,  1798,  1801,  1804, 

1807,  1812. 
Edward  Harris,  Salem  ;  re-appointed  1795, 1798,  1801,  1804. 
Asahcl  Hodge,  Hartford;  re-appointed  1795,  1798,  1801,  1804,  1807, 

1808. 
John  MeKillip,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1795. 
Jacob  Van  Valkenburg,  Salem;  re-appointed  1795. 
Sanford  Smith,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1795,  1798. 
Samuel Beamau,  Hampton;  re-appointed  1798, 1801, 1807,  1810,1818, 

1821. 
William  Whiteside,  Cambridge. 

Thomas  Smith,  Easton;  rc-ajipointed  1798,  1801,  1S04,  1807. 
David  Sprague,  Greenwich;  re-appointed  1705. 
Alexander  Webster,  Jr.,  Hebron  ;  re-appointcd  1795. 
Thomas  Bellows,  Hebron;  rc-appointed  1795,  1798. 
John  Hamilton,  Hebron  ;  re-appointed  1795. 
Walter  Raleigh,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1705,  1798. 

Appointed  March  18,  1795. 
Zina  Hitchcock,  Kingsbury;  rc-appointed  1798,  1810. 
Edward  Savage,  Salem;  re-appointed  1798,  1801,  1804,  1807,  1810. 
John  Law,  Salem;  re-appointed  1798,  1801,  1804,  1807,  1808. 
John  Conger,  Cambridge. 

John  Harroun,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  179S. 
David  Long,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1798. 
John  Hitchcock,  Hebron  ;  re-appointed  1798. 
Samuel  Harris,  Kingsbury;  rc-appointed  1798. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


117 


Api>oliilc<l  July  ],  1798. 
Charles  Kane,  Fort  Ann. 
David  Tbornc,  Salfm. 
Phineas  Hitchcock,  Hebron;    re-ajipointcd   ISOl,  1807,  1808,  ISIO, 

1815,  1818. 
Isaac  Brinkerhoff,  Hebron. 
William  McAiiley,  Cambridge. 
James  Rogers,  Fort  Edward. 
Albert  Baker,  Jr.,  Kingsbury. 

David  Thomas,  Salem;  re-appointcd  1798,  1801,  1804,  1811. 
William  Harkness,  Salem  ;  re-appointed  1798. 
Stephen  Thorne,  Granville;  re-appointed  1801,  1804,  1808,  1811. 
Solomon  Smith,  Granville. 

Walter  Martin,  Salem;  re-appointed  1798,  1801. 
Thomas  AVhiteside,  Cambridge;  rc-appointed  1798,  1801,  181C. 
John  Folsom,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1798. 
Manning  Bull,  Hartford. 

John  Kincaid,  Hampton  ;  rc-appointed  1798,  1801. 
Philip  Smith,  Easton. 

Micajah  Pctlit,  Kingsbury;  rc-appointed  1801,  1808,  1811. 
Anthony  I.  Blanohard,  Salem;  re-appointcd  1810,  1811. 
Daniel  Mason,  Hartford ;  re-appointed  1798. 

Alexander  Cowan,  Argyle;  re-a]]pointcd  1798, 1801,  ISOG,  1807,1815. 
Israel  Lamb,  Granville;  re-appointed  1801,  1804. 
Phineas  Freeman,  Kingsbury. 
Ozias  Coleman,  Fort  Ann. 
Gurdon  Johnson,  Granville. 
Matthew  Ogden,  Argyle. 

John  White,  Argyle;  rc-appointed  1811,  1815. 
Simeon  Stevens,  Jr.,  Argyle;  re-ai)iiointe(l  1801,  1804. 
John  McLean,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  ISOl,  1804, 1807,  1808, 1811, 

1815,  1818. 
Jonathan  Harris,  Kingsbury. 
Austin  Underbill,  Hartford;  re-appointed  1801. 
David  Austin,  Hartford;  re-appointed  1801,  1804,  1807,  ISOS. 
Melanchthon  Wheeler,  Whitehall ;  re-appointed  1807. 
Isaac  Harlow,  Whitehall;  re-appointed  1801,  1804,  1807,  1808,  1811, 

1815. 
Sanford  Smith,  Cambridge. 
Jason  Kellogg,  Hampton;  re-appointcd  1801,  1804,  1807,  1808,  1811, 

1815. 

Appohital  July,  ISOl. 
John  Ball,  Hampton. 
Joseph  Wells,  Easton. 

Appuinled  A  mjuKt  22,  1801. 
Asa  Fitch,  Salem;  re-appointed  1804,  1810,  1815,  1818,  1821. 
John  Gray,  Jr.,  S.alem;  re-appointed  1804,  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Robert  Stewart,  Salem;  re-appointcd  1804,  1807,  1814. 
Wm.  Livingston,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1804,  1807,  ISll,  1S15. 
James  Wilson,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1804,  1807,  1808, 1811. 
Henry  Mattison,  Hebron;  re-appointcd  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Wm.  Porter,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1804,  1809,  1811. 
Wm.  Johnson,  Whitehall;  re-appointed  1805,  1811,  1815,  1818. 
Alexander  Cruikshank,  Whitehall;  re-appointed  1804. 
Jabez  Burrows,  Hartford. 

Edward  Riggs,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1804,  1807,  1808,  1815. 
Robert  Perrigo,  Jr.,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1S04,  ISIO. 
James  Green,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1804,  1807,  1811,  1815. 
George  Jackway,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1804,  1807,  1815. 
Lyman  Hall,  Argyle;  rc-appointed  1804,  1807,1808, 1811,  1812,  1819. 
Martin  Van  Buskirk,  Cambridge;  1804,  1807,  1808. 
Hczekiah  King,  Cambridge;  rc-appointcd  1804,  1808,  1811. 
James  Irvine,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1804, 1807,  1808,_1811, 1815, 

1818. 
Ebenezer  Dwinnell,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1807. 
Jonas  Earl,  Granville. 
Ebenezer  Gould,  Granville. 

Caleb  Baker,  Kingsbury  ;  rc-appointed  1804,  1807,  1811. 
John  Stewart,  Kingsbury. 
Daniel  Beadle,  Easton;  re-nppointed  1804. 
Thomas  Cornell,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  1804. 
John  McKenny,  Easton. 

Appointed  May  Z,  180.'!. 
Solomon  Smith,  Greenwich;  rc-appointed  1804,  1808,1811. 
Benajah  Hill,  Granville;  rc-appointed  1804,  1808,  1811. 


James  Rogers,  Argyle;  re  appointed  1804,  1807. 

Reuben  Skinner,  Granville;  re-appointcd  1804. 

David  Shepherd,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  1804. 

Henry  Van  Schaick,  Easton  ;  rc-appointed  1804, 1812,  1815. 

David  Pettys,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  1804. 

Appointed  July  .1,  1804. 
Hugh  Moor,  Salem  ;  re-appointcd  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Daniel  Hopkins,  Salem;  rc-appointed  1808. 
John  Munson,  Jr.,  Salem;  rc-appointed  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Martin  Van  Duzen,  Whitehall;  re-appointcd  1808. 
Aaron  Norton,  Hartford. 

Joseph  West,  Hartford;  re-appointcd  1808,  1811. 
Judah  Thompson,  Fort  Ann. 
Nathan  Hopkins,  Salem;  re-appointed  ISO". 
Doty  Collamer,  Kingsbury;  re-appointcd  1808,  1812. 
Wm.  McCoy,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Moses  Carey,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Wm.  C.  McLean,  Argyle. 
Jonathan  Sprague,  Greenwich;  ro-appointed  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815, 

1818,  1821. 
Alexander  Livingston,  Greenwich;    rc-appointed  1807,  1808.  181 1, 

1815. 
Jesse  Fairchild,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1807,  1808. 
Joseph   Stewart,   Cambridge;  ro-appointed  1807,  1808,   InII,    Ibli, 

1818. 
Solomon  King,  Cambridge ;  re-appointcd  1807. 
Joseph  Younglove,  Cambridge. 

John  Kirtland,  Grtinvillc;  rc-appointed  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Cornelius  Whitney,  Granville;  re-appointcd  1807. 
Amos  GoulJ,  Granville;  rc-appointed  1807,  1808,  1811,  1815. 
Samuel  Hoopes,  Hampton;  re-appointed  1811. 
John  Stewart,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  1815. 
Nathaniel  Pitcher,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  1806,  1807,  1808,  1811. 

Ai>2>oinled  April  8,  1805. 
Simon  Do  Ridder,  Easton;  re-appointed  1807i  1810,  1817. 
James  Hill,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1807,  1811. 
Solomon  Dean,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1808, 1811, 1815,  1818,  1821. 
Jonathan  Wood,  Hartford;  re-appointed  1815,  1818. 
John  White,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1808,  1814,  1815. 
Abraham  Case,  Hebron. 
David  Root,  Hampton. 

Appointed  Mivvli  1.3,  I80G. 
Reuben  Wh.allon,  Argyle;  rc-appointcd  1807,  1811. 
Collins  Hitchcock,  Kingsbury;  rc-appointed  1807. 
James  Burnett,  Putnam  ;  re-appointed  1807,  1808,  1809,  1811,  1815, 

1818,  1821. 
N.ath.inicI  Porter,  Easton;  re-appointed  1807,  1808. 
Timothy  Case,  Granville. 

Aj,/;,inlcd  M„rcli  30,  1807. 
Samuel  Hough,  Granville;  re-appointed  1808,  1811. 

Appuinled  April  3,  1807. 
Henry  Adams,  Hampton. 
Cornelius  Holmes,  Salem. 

Appointed  June  10,  )S07. 
Snyder  Stevens,  Cambridge. 
Thomas  Cowcll,  Easton. 
Moses  Rice,  Salem. 
David  Russell,  Salem. 
Henry  Rico,  Hebron. 
Shubael  Simmons,  AVhilehall. 

Nathaniel  Cruikshank,  AVhitchall;  re-appointed  1809. 
Pliny  Adams,  Hampton. 

Samuel  Hooker,  Hampton:  reappointed  1808,  1815,  1818. 
Samuel  Underbill,  Hartford;  re  apjiointcd  1808. 
Aaron  Austin,  Hartford. 

Jonathan  Wood,  Hartford;  reappointed  1808,  1811. 
Jonathan  Leigh,  Argyle;  rc-aiipointed  1810,  1813. 
John  P.  Raker,  Greenwich. 
Artemas  Bobbins,  Greenwich. 
Roswcll  Weston,  Kingsbury. 


118 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


William  Hill,  Cambridge. 
Baiijamin  Smith,  Camljridgo; 
David  Simpson,  Cambridge. 
Obadiah  Brown,  Cambridge. 


-appointed  ISII. 


Aj,p„intol  Jiuw  10,  1S07. 


Eliud  Smith,  Granville. 
Joseph  Tower,  (iranville. 
Nathan  Kogers,  Easton. 
Richard  Rogers,  Easton. 
Daniel  Shepherd,  Easton  ; 


inted  ISOS,  ISIO 


i-appointcd  181 1,  1815, 1818,  1821. 


Appointed  Fv.bni(ir,j  1  Ij,  1808. 

Nathan  Wilscm,  Salom;  re-appointod  1811. 
Gideon  Taft,  Whitchnll;  re-appointed  ISII. 
Leonard  Gibbs,  Granville:  re-appointed  ISII,  ISIS. 
Alexander  Simpson,  Jr.,  Salem  ;  re-appointed  1811,  1815. 
James  MuFarland,  Jr.,  Salem. 

Amherst  Wheeler,  Salem;  re-appointed  1811,  181,%  1818. 
John  Baker,  Fort  Ann  ;  rc-appoinled  1815. 
Jesse  L.  Billings,  Salem. 
Ezra  Holmes,  Salem. 
Wm.  Raymond,  Jr.,  Granville 
Rial  Tracy,  Granville. 
Benjamin  Hill,  Granville. 
Roger  Skinner,  Kingsbury. 

Collins  Hitchcock,  Kingsbury;  rc-ajipointcd  1811,  1819,  1821. 
Wm.  C.  McLean,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1811. 
■  Beniamin  Smith,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1811. 
Benjamin  Brownell,  Easton;  re-appointed  1811. 

Appuhited  Fvhniurij  10,  1808. 

James  Tcfft,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  ISll. 

James  Kenyon,  Easton. 

John  P.  Webb,  Ilartl'ord  ;  re-appointed  1811. 

Isaac  Crocker,  Argyle:  re-appointed  1811. 

.Alexander  McDougall,  Argyle;  re-appointcJ  1811,  1815. 

Samuel  Hatch,  AVhitehall ;    re-appointed  1811. 

Reuben  Jones,  Whitehall;   re-appointed  1811,  1815, 1818. 

Alexander  Cruikshank,  Whitehall;  re-a])pointed  181G. 

Thomas  McLean,  Greenwich. 

Marmaduke  Whipple,  Greenwich  ;  re-appointcd  1811,  1815. 

Joseph  Tefft,  Greenwich;   re-appointed  1811. 

Appointed  April  2,  1808. 

Zachariah  Sill,  Hartford;  re-appointed  1811. 

Thomas  Gourley,  Hebron;  re-appointed  ISll. 

Wm.  Thompson,  Easton. 

Calvin  Smith,  Easton. 

Thomas  Eddy,  Argyle. 

Zerah  Rider,  Salem. 

John  Hall,  Hebron;  rc-apjiointeil  1811. 

Appointed  Man/,  27,  1809. 
Ebcnezer  Blinn,  Whitehall. 
John  Doty,  Fort  Ann. 
Wm.  Pratt,  Greenwich. 


Paul  Dennis,  Cu 
Pelatiah  Bugbce 


Appointed  June  5,  1809. 

nhridgc  !  re-appointed  1811,  1815. 
Putnam;  rc-appoinled  1811. 


Appointed  M.oek  20,  1810. 
Wm.  Richards,  Cambridge. 
John  P.  Becker,  Greenwich. 
William  Williams,  Salem. 
Theodoras  Stevens,  Salom. 
John  H.  Northrop,  Hebron. 
Wm.  McClellan,  Hebron. 
Dennison  Darrow,  Hebron. 
Caleb  West,  Granville. 
Orla  Hall,  Granville. 
Martin  Lee,  Granville;  re-appointed  1815,  1818,  1821. 


Jeremiah  Spiccr,  Granville. 

James  Sntterlee,  Hampton. 

Enoch  Wright,  Whitehall. 

Nathaniel  Hall,  Whitehall:  re-.appointed  1814,  1S15,  181fi,  1818,  1819, 

1821. 
John  C.  Parker,  Hartford,  reappointed  1815,  1818,  1821. 
Aaron  Ingalsbc,  Hartford. 
Thomas  N.  Clark,  Argyle. 
Samuel  T.  Shepherd,  Argyle. 
John  Reid,  Argyle;  re-appointed  18M. 
Andrew  Haggart,  Argyle. 
Abraham  Wright,  Argyle. 
Jonathan  Moshcr,  Argyle. 
John  F.  Whipple,  Greenwich. 
Charles  Ingalls,  Greenwich. 
Lemuel  T.  Bush,"  Fort  Ann. 
Duty  Saylcs,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  1816. 
Jacob  Holmes,  tiranvillc. 
John  Thomas,  Kingsbury. 

Appointed  Febnmrn  20,  181  1. 
George  Clark,  Fort  Ann  ;  re-ajipointed  1815,  1818,  1821. 
Stephen  Easty,  Salem. 

Stephen  Ransom,  Salem  ;  re-appointed  1815. 
Alexander  Mcintosh,  Salem. 
Joshua  Steel,  Salem. 
Calvin  Smith,  Easton. 
Abraham  Wright,  Easton. 

Zephaniah  Kingsley,  Fort  Ann;  re-appointed  1815. 
Reuben  Baker,  Fort  \nx\. 

Lemuel  Hastings,  Fort  Ann;  re-appointcd  1815. 
John  Crosby,  Fort  Ann  ;  re-ajipuintcd  1S15. 
Liberty  Branch,  Fort  Ann. 
Asahel  Hodge,  Hartford. 

Samuel  Gordon,  Hartford;  re-appointed  1815. 
Samuel  Downs,  Hartford. 
Daniel  Hopkins,  Hebron. 

Amos  Smith,  Hebron;  re-appointcd  1815,  1818,  1821. 
Read  Phillips,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  1815. 
William  Calvin,  Kingsbury;  re-appointcd  181-4,  1815,  1818. 
Beriah  Rogers,  Hampton;  re-appointcd  1815. 
Edward  Riggs,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1818. 
John  F.  Gandall,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1S13,  1815. 
John  Robertson,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1815. 
John  McNiel,  Argyle. 
John  McCoy,  Argyle  ;  rc-nppointed  1815. 
Thomas  McLean,  Greenwich. 
Araspus  Folsom,  Greenwich;  re-appoiuted  1815. 
Aaron  M.  Ferine,  Greenwich. 
James  Vanderwerker,  Greenwich. 
Gardner  Philips,  Greenwich. 
William  Pratt,  Greenwich. 
Isaac  Lacoy,  Cambridge. 
Warbam  Hastings,  Cambridge. 
Abraham  F.  Vaudenburgh,  Cambridge. 

Appointed  April  6,  1811. 
Christian  Seckrider,  Kingsbury. 
Timothy  Eddy,  Argyle;  rc-.appointed  1815,  1818. 

Appointed  June  10,1811. 
Pliny  Whitcomb,  Griinville;  rc-appointed  1817. 
Nathaniel  Frank,  Granville. 
Asa  Northam,  Granville;  re-appointcd  1815. 
Elijah  Dexter,  Ciimbridgc. 

Appointed  Morel,  24,  1812. 
David  Woods,  Fort  Ann. 

App,. inted  Jnne  Ifi,  1812. 
Gardner  McCracken,  Fort  Ann  ;  re-appointed  1815. 
Benjamin  Copeland,  Fort  Ann;  re-appointed  1815,  1818,  1821. 
Elisha  Thornton,  Argyle. 
Gerrct  II.  Van  Schaick,  Easton. 
Cyril  Carpenter,  Granville;  re-appointed  1815. 
David  Campl.iell,  Cambridge. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


110 


Appuinted  March  25,  1814. 
Abner  Stone,  Salcm. 
Win.  Van  Nortwyok,  Argyle. 
John  Moss,  Kingsbury;  i-c-appointcd  1815. 
David  Doane,  Jr.,  Hartford  ;  re-appointcd  1818. 
Squire  Bartholomew,  Whitehall. 
Seth  Peck,  Hampton. 

Appointed  April  16,  ISll. 
Clark  Rico,  Cambridge. 
Jesse  S.  Leigh,  Argylc. 
Daniel  Carswell,  Argyle. 
Thomas  firiffiths,  Whitehall. 

Appmiitcd   March  3,  1815. 
James  Sloan,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  1818. 
Throop  Barney,  Kingsbury. 
Reuben  Farr,  Fort  Ann. 

Luther  Wait,  Kingsbury  ;  re-appointed  1818. 
James  Nichols,  Hampton. 
Samuel  Warford.  Salem. 
Andrew  Martin,  Salem;  re-appointed  181S. 
Levi  Hcrrington,  Granville. 
Ezekiel  Smith,  (iranvillc. 
Reuben  Muz2.y,  Argyle;  re-appointed  1818. 
Wm.  Van  Nortwick,  Argylc;  re-appointed  1819. 
Eben  Crandall,  Greenwich  ;  re-appointed  ISli). 
James  McNaughton,  Greenwich;  re-appoited  1817,  1818. 
Levi  Cole,  Greenwich. 
Leonard  6.  Bragg,  Greenwich. 
John  Paddock,  Greenwich. 
John  Wilson,  Jr.,  Hebron. 

Samuel  Livingston,  Hebron  ;  re-appointed  1818. 
David  Wbeadon,  Hebron. 
James  Carlisle,  Hebron. 
James  Hill,  Cambridge. 
Oliver  Sherman,  Cambridge. 
Paul  Cornell,  Cambridge. 
James  Tefft,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  ISIS. 
Philander  Tobey,  Easton;  re-appointed  1817,  ISIS. 
Calvin  Smith,  Easton;  re-appointed  ISIS. 
Rcdford  Dennis,  Easton. 
James  Mallory,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  ISIS. 
James  S.  Tefft,  Easton. 
Justin  Smith,  Whitehall. 
Thomas  Lyon,  Whitehall. 
Samuel  Hatch,  Whitehall. 

Appointed  April  S,  1815. 
Henry  C.  Martindale,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  18IS. 
Solomon  Smith,  Greenwich. 
James  Hill,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  ISIS. 
Wm.  C.  McLean,  Cambridge;  re-appointed  ISIS. 
Austin  Wells,  Cambridge. 
Benjamin  Smith,  Cambridge. 
Abram  F.  Vandenburgh,  Cambridge. 
M'm.  R.  Adams,  Salem. 

Gurdon  Bull,  Hartford;  re-appointed  ISIS,  1821. 
Alpheus  Underbill,  Hartford. 
David  McXiel,  Argyle. 
Elisha  Thompson,  Argyle. 

Thomas  McLean,  Greenwich;  re-appointed  18IS. 
George  Barney,  Whitehall. 
Truman  Clark,  Putnam. 

Hiram  Lawrence;  Fort  Ann;  re-appointed  1821. 
Silas  D.  Kellogg,  Hampton;  reappointed  ISIS,  1S21. 

Appointed  March   1,  181 K. 
James  B.  Gibson,  Salem;  re-appointed  1818. 

Appointed  March  2C,  ISIC. 

John  Bliss,  Whitch.all. 

Robert  Vredcnburgh,  Whitehall. 

Dan  Foster,  Whitehall. 

01)adi.ih  Dingmore,  Whitehall. 

Wm.  Briggs,  White  Creek;  re-appointcd  ISIS. 


Appointed  Jnhj  8,  ISlC. 
John  Sprague,  Salem. 

Appointed   March    5,  1817. 

Ebenezer  Kimball. 

David  Simpson,  Jackson;  re-appointed  1818. 

Samuel  T.  Shepherd,  Argyle. 

Franklin  Hunter. 

Horace  M.  F.  Smith,  Hartford. 

Daniel  Mosher,  Jr.,  Cambridge;  re-appointcd  1818. 

Hezckiah  King.  Cambridge. 

Benjamin  Deuel,  Easton. 

John  D.  Putuam,  White  Creek. 

Appointed  March  19,  1817. 
Bethuel  Church,  Jr.,  Salem;  re-appointed  1821. 

Appointed   Febrnari/  18,  1818. 
Lewis  Shearer,  Greenwich;  re-appoiuted  1821. 
Josiah  Sheldon,  Easton. 
David  Chase. 

Appointed  April  24,  ISIS. 

William  Butlerfield,  Putnam. 

John  Bliss,  Whitehall. 

Ransom  Harlow,  Whitehall;    re-a]ipointed  1821. 

Hiram  Lawrence,  Fort  Ann. 

lliram  Cole,  Kingsbury. 

Timothy  Stougbton,  Fort  Edward. 

Warren  Bell,  Fort  Edward. 

Stephen  L.  Velio,  Fort  Edward. 

David  Sill,  Argyle. 

Beriah  Rogers,  Hampton;  re-appointed  1821. 

Nathan  Smith,  Hebron;  re-appointed  IS2I. 

Jedcdiah  Darrow,  .Tr.,  Hebron;  re-appointed  1821. 

Richard  Sill,  Hartford. 

David  Oatnian,  Hartford;  re-appointcd  1821. 

Seneca  G.  Bragg,  Greenwich. 

David  Campbell,  Jackson. 

Oliver  Sherman,  Cambridge. 

Austin  Wells,  White  Creek;  rc-appointcd  IS2I. 

John  Willard,  Salem. 

Appointed  April  1.3,  1819. 
Lemuel  IIasting,s,  Fort  Ann;  rc-appointed  1822. 

Appointed  JnljS,  1S19. 
David  Congdon,  Putnam. 
Jacob  Viele,  Cambridge. 

Appuinted  Fehrnary  17,  1820. 
Alexander  McLaughlan,  Putnam. 
Daniel  Adams,  Hampton. 
Eliud  Manvillc,  Whitehall. 
Samuel  T.  Tanner,  Granville. 
Joseph  Boies,  Greenwich. 

Appointed   April  1,  1S20. 
Samuel  Hubbard,  Argyle. 

Appointed  FehrHaru  2\,  I82I. 
.Tohn  Baker,  Fort  Ann. 
John  L.  Wendell,  Cambridge. 
Alexander  McLaughlan,  Putnam. 
Daly  Allen,  Putnam. 
Robert  Easton,  Putnam. 
William  II.  Parker,  Whitehall. 
Micah  G.  Bigelow,  Whitehall. 
William  Miller,  Hampton. 
Elisha  M.  Forbes,  Fort  Ann. 
James  Ilawley,  Hartford. 
Archibald  Hay,  Hartford. 
Luther  Wait,  Kingsbury. 
Nathan  P.  Colvin,  Kingsbury. 
Alexander  McDougal,  Argyle. 
Constant  Storrs,  Argyle. 
Benjamin  Clapp,  Argylc. 
William  KciJ,  Jr.,  Argylc. 


120 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Timothy  Eddy,  Fort  Edward. 

Samuel  T.  Shepherd,  Fort  Edward. 

Warren  Bell,  Fort  Edward. 

Amherst  Wheeler,  Salem. 

Philo  Curtis,  Salcm. 

Alexander  Robertson,  Salem. 

Henry  Bull,  Hebron. 

Abel  Wood,  Hebron. 

Jonathan  Conger,  Hebron. 

Wheelock  Keith,  Hebron. 

Daniel  Hatch,  Hebron. 

Benjamin  F.  Skinner,  Cambridge. 

Benjamin  BrowncII,  Cambridge. 

Rufus  Pratt,  Cambridge. 

Harmon  S.  Barnum,  Cambridge, 

Joseph  Stewart,  White  Creek. 

Augustus  King,  White  Creek. 

William  Briggs,  White  Creek. 

Thomas  McLean,  Greenwich. 

Enoch  Hanks,  Greenwich. 

John  Davenport,  Easton. 

Gideon  Cornell,  Easton. 

Ebcnezer  Norton,  Easton. 

James  Tefft,  Easton. 

Isaac  Matthews,  Whitehall ;  re-appointed  1S22. 

Adonijah  Emmons,  Kingsbury;  re-appointed  1S22. 

Simeon  Dennis,  Easton  ;  re-appointed  1S22. 

In  1821  a  new  constitution  was  adopted,  and  the  justices, 
■who  had  before  been  appointed  by  the  governor  and  senate, 
were  made  appointable  by  the  board  of  supervisors  and 
the  court  of  common  pleas  combined.  In  1827  tliey  were 
directed  to  be  elected  by  the  people.  The  names  from 
1821  to  1827  are  not  on  record  in  the  county  clerk's  office. 

ELECTIONS    BY   THE   PEOPLE. 


Benjamin  Clapp, 

November,  1S27 

Argyle. 

Theodore  Shepherd, 

«             « 

" 

William  Reid,  Jr., 

"             " 

" 

John  Reid, 

«             " 

" 

Henry  Shepherd, 

"          1828 

" 

William  Reid,  Jr., 

"          1S29, 

" 

Josiah  Dunton, 

"          1827, 

Cambridge. 

James  P.  Robertson, 

«                u 

" 

Jesse  Pratt, 

"             " 

" 

Julius  Phelps, 

"             " 

" 

Robert  Marshall, 

"          1828, 

" 

Sidney  Wells, 

"          1829, 

" 

Abraham  Conklin, 

"          1827, 

Easton. 

John  Wright, 

«             « 

'< 

Gideon  Cornell, 

"             " 

" 

Lemuel  Simmons, 

"             " 

" 

Ebcnezer  Norton, 

"          1S2S, 

" 

Martin  Mason, 

"          1829, 

" 

Lemuel  Hastings, 

1827, 

Fort  Ann. 

Amos  T.  Bush, 

"             " 

" 

Benjamin  Copeland, 

"             " 

" 

John  Root, 

"             " 

" 

Kingsley  M.artin, 

1828, 

" 

Amos  T.  Bush, 

"          1829, 

" 

Samuel  T.  Shipherd, 

"          1827, 

Fort  Edward 

David  Sanders, 

"             " 

" 

Timothy  Eddy, 

"             " 

" 

Timothy  Stoughton, 

"             " 

" 

Edward  Fullerton, 

"          1828, 

" 

Warren  Bell, 

"          1829, 

" 

Eloathan  Benjamin, 

"          1827, 

Dresden. 

Doty  Allen, 

"             " 

" 

Palmer  Blunt, 

"             " 

" 

Jonathan  Winn, 
Elnathan  Benjamin, 
Jonathan  Winn, 
Ralph  Barber, 
John  C.  Parker, 
Esek  Fitch, 
Jonathan  Todd, 
Boswell  Ellsworth, 
Roswell  Ellsworth, 
Esek  Fitch, 
Charles  F.  Ingalls, 
Duncan  Peterson, 
Thomas  McLean, 
Alfred  Fisher, 
Thomas  McLean, 
Robert  Coon, 
Slade  D.  Brown, 
Luther  Mann, 
Curry  Maynard, 
Solomon  S.  Cowan, 
Luther  Mann, 
Slade  D.  Brown, 
Jedediah  Darrow, 
Samuel  Livingston, 
John  Button, 
John  Woodward, 
Samuel  Livingston, 
John  Button, 
Henry  Bull, 
John  P.  Adams, 
Moses  Ward, 
William  Miller, 
Samuel  B.  Hooker, 
Ethan  Warren, 
John  P.  Adams, 
Beriah  Rogers, 
Constant  Clapp, 
Calvin  Smith, 
Solomon  Dean, 
George  W.  Robertson, 
Calvin  Smith, 
Francis  McLean, 
Collins  Hitchcock, 
Hiram  Colvin, 
John  Moss, 
Luther  Wait, 
Luther  Wait, 
John  Moss, 
Henry  Mathews, 
John  W.  Proud  fit, 
Aaron  Martin,  Jr., 
Warren  Norton, 
Henry  Mathews, 
Aaron  Martin,  Jr., 
Paul  Cornell, 
Harmon  S.  Barnam, 
Henry  Rice, 
Benjamin  Crocker, 
Benjamin  Crocker, 
Paul  Cornell, 
Alexander  McLaughlin 
Robert  Easton, 
James  Blair, 
Anthony  D.  Welch, 
Abel  Comstock, 
Robert  Easton, 
Isaac  Wood, 
James  I.  Stevens, 
Ransom  Harlow, 
William  H.  Parker, 
John  Boyd, 
James  I.  Stevens, 


November  1827,  Dresden. 
"  1823,         " 

"  1829,         " 

"  1827,  Granville. 


"  1828,         " 

"  1829,         " 

"  1827,  Greenwich. 


"  1828,  " 

"  1829,  " 

"  1827,  Hartford. 


"  1828,  " 

"  1829,  " 

"  1827,  Hebron. 


"  1828,      " 

"  1829,      " 


1827,  Hampto 


1828, 


"  1829,         " 

"  1827,  Jackson. 


"  1828,         " 

"  1829,         " 

"  1827,  Kingsbury. 


"  1828,         " 

"  1829,         " 

"  1827,  Salem 


"  1828,      " 

"  1829,      " 

"  1827,  White  Creek. 


"  1828,  " 

"  1829,  " 

"  1827,  Putnam. 


"  1828,      " 

"  1829,      " 

"  1827,  Whitehall. 


"  1828,        " 

"  1829,        " 


H  I  S  T  O  E  Y 

OF   THE 

VILLAGES  AND  TOWNS  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 


SALEM. 


LOCATION    AND    N.\TUR,\L   FEATURES. 

Salem  is  situated  upon  the  east  border  of  the  county, 
south  of  the  centre.  It  is  bounded  upon  the  north  by 
Hebron,  east  by  Vermont,  south  by  Jackson,  west  by 
Jackson,  Greenwich,  and  Argyle.  It  contains  thirty-two 
thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  or  a  fraction  over 
fifty  square  miles.  Its  surface  consists  of  moderately-ele- 
vated ridges,  separated  by  narrow  valleys,  all  extending  in 
a  northeast  and  a  southwest  direction.  The  hills  are  usually 
bordered  by  gradual  slopes,  and  their  summits  are  crowned 
with  forests.  There  is  very  little  waste-land  in  town.  The 
Batten  Kill,  on  the  south  boundary,  and  Black,  White, 
and  Trout  creeks  arc  the  principal  streams.  Lytle's  pond,  in 
the  north  part  of  the  town,  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water, 
lying  in  a  basin  among  the  hills  and  surrounded  with  for- 
ests. The  town  is  drained  southwardly  by  the  several 
streams  that  flow  to  the  Batten  Kill.  At  the  east  Jenks' 
brook  unites  with  the  main  stream,  a  little  east  of  the 
school-house  in  district  No.  22.  Next  in  order  is  the  Cam- 
den creek,  formed  of  two  branches,  the  east  and  the  west. 
This  joins  the  Batten  Kill  at  a  prominent  northern  bond. 
Steele's  brook,  a  stream  of  but  little  importance,  flows  in,  a 
short  distance  below  the  village  of  East  Salem.  Tracing 
the  kill  northward  from  the  bend,  where  it  makes  nearly  a 
right  angle  at  the  southernmost  point  of  the  town,  the  small 
stream  that  forms  the  outlet  of  Juniper  swamp  is  the  next 
in  order.  No  other  tributaries  are  found  until  the  mouth 
of  Black  creek  is  reached,  at  the  west  town-line.  This 
stream  drains  more  than  half  of  the  town,  and  a  large 
portion  of  the  town  of  Hebron  on  the  north.  It  has  one 
considerable  branch  from  the  east,  formed  of  Beaver  creek, 
upper  White  creek,  lower  White  creek,  Dry  creek,  and 
Trout  brook.  Farther  north  is  the  West  Beaver  brook, 
rising  partly  in  Hebron  and  draining  one  of  the  pleasant 
valleys  of  Salem.  Black  creek  has  some  unimportant  riv- 
ulets from  the  west.  The  outlet  of  Lytle's  pond  flows 
nortliward  into  Hebron  before  uniting  with  Black  creek. 
McDougall's  lake  on  the  west  town-line  has  its  outlet 
through  Livingston  brook.  Slate  deposits  are  found  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  town,  and  a  quarry  for  roofing 
16 


material  has  been  worked  to  soinc  extent.  Other  natural 
features  worthy  of  mention  are  the  peal  marsh,  not  far 
from  the  slate  quarry,  and  the  Juniper  swamp,  south  uf  the 
Centre. 

PATENTS. 

This  town  consists  mostly  of  the  Turner  patent  of  twenty- 
five  thousand  acres,  granted  Aug.  7,  1764,  to  Alexander 
Turner,  James  Turner,  and  others.  One  half  of  this 
patent,  however,  became  the  property  of  Olivcir  De  Lancey 
and  Peter  Du  Bois,  two  government  oflicials.  These  last 
sold  their  share  in  1765  to  Rev.  Dr.  Thom.is  Clark,  for  his 
colony  of  Scotch  and  Irish  emigrants,  at  a  perpetual  rent 
of  one  shilling  per  acre.  This  patent  was  survej'ed  imme- 
diately after  it  was  obtained  from  the  colonial  government, 
in  176-t.  It  was  divided  into  three  hundred  and  four  lots, 
and  a  large  lot,  covered  with  splendid  pine  timber,  w;js  re- 
served for  the  common  benefit  and  laid  out  into  .small  lots 
for  division.  Of  the  three  hundred  and  four  lots  the  full- 
sized  ones  contained  eighty-eight  acres  each.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  boundary  lines,  a  part  of  the  way  on  the 
Batten  Kill,  and  also  diagonally  on  the  east,  gave  some  frac- 
tional lots,  and  also  some  having  more  than  eighty-eight 
acres  each.  The  numbering  of  the  lots,  as  made  in  1764, 
is  found  on  recent  township  maps,  showing  very  clearly  the 
ancient  division  lines. 

This  patent  was  divided  by  lot  between  the  New  Eng- 
land patentees  and  Dr.  Clark's  colony.  A  record  of  the 
drawing  is  not  preserved,  or  at  least  has  not  yet  been  dis- 
covered among  the  collections  of  old  papers  in  the  town. 
Each  party  first  gave  three  lots,  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  acres  in  all,  for  religious  purposes.  Just  how  the 
drawing  w;i8  conducted  has  not  been  ascertained  in  any  re- 
cent investigations.  Whether  each  party  drew  out  numbers 
at  random  alternately  until  they  were  all  taken,  or  whether 
the  New  England  men  did  all  the  drawing  until  they  had 
obtained  their  half,  is  uncertain.  No  account  of  trouble  or 
litigation  over  the  division  has  come  down  to  the  present 
time,  and  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  the  method  adopted  for 
the  drawing  w;is  mutually  agreed  upon  and  the  results  sat- 
isfactory.    The  Now  Englanders  and  the  Scotch-Irish  were 

121 


122 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


evidently  intermingled  all  over  the  town,  and  one  writer 
intimates  that  the  rivalry  in  settlement  and  cultivation 
tended  to  develop  the  town  faster  than  would  have  been 
the  case  if  they  had  been  a  homogeneous  people,  all  of  the 
same  nationality. 

Besides  the  Turner  patent  the  town  of  Salem  also 
contains,  on  the  west,  lots  G7  and  08  of  the  Argyle  pat- 
ent, lying  between  McDougall's  lake  and  the  Ratten 
Kill.  At  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town  is  the  Farrant 
Patent,  or  a  portion  of  it,  forming  a  small  triangle.  The 
southeast  portion  of  the  town,  forming  a  large  triangle,  with 
the  ba.se  upon  the  Batten  Kill,  consists  of  Duane's  patent 
and  Cockburu's  patent,  with  a  small  .separate  tract  around 
Jenks'  brook,  or  Chunk's,  to  give  the  earlier  name.  The 
patents  of  Duane  and  Cockburn  comprise  the  beautiful 
Camden  valley. 

These  patents  will  be  more  particularly  explained  under 
the  head  of  Early  Settlement  in  the  Camden  Valley. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT. 

From  the  sermon  of  Rev.  Edward  P.  Spraguo,  delivered 
June  4,  1876,  we  take  the  following  passage,  as  an  excel- 
lent summary  of  the  facts  connected  with  the  first  settlement 
of  Salem  : 

"  In  the  spring  of  1701,  t\vo  racn  from  Pclham,  Mass.,  James  Turner 
and  Joshua  Conkey,  visited  this  county,  which  they  had  perhaps 
traversed  during  the  war  ju.st  before,  and  selected  the  flats  where  the 
pleasant  village  of  Salem  now  stands  as  the  site  of  their  future  resi- 
dence. Going  back  to  Pelham  for  the  winter,  they  returned  the  next 
spring,  accompanied  by  Hamilton  McColUster,  the  father  of  the  late 
William  MeCoUister,  who  died  in  1S71.  These  three  men,  Turner, 
Conkey,  and  McCollister,  were  the  original  settlers  of  this  place,  and 
the  first  also  in  the  entire  county.  Their  lirst  cabin  (hut,  it  might  as 
proi)erly  be  called)  was  erected  where  the  Ondawa  House  now  stands, 
and  the  stump  of  a  large  tree,  cut  oif  as  level  as  possible  and  left  in 
the  middle  of  their  cabin,  served  as  their  first  table.  Each  of  these 
three  selected  a  tract  of  land  for  himself,  Turner  taking  that  west  of 
their  cabin,  and  in  the  rear  of  the  present  academy  building  ;  McCol- 
lister going  up  the  creek,  about  where  the  present  dam  now  is,  and 
Conkey  still  a  mile  farther  up  the  stream.  After  two  summers  here, 
with  their  winters  in  Pclham,  they  removed  their  families  in  the 
spring  of  J7G3,  transporting  their  goods  through  the  woods  on  horse- 
back, and  fording  or  swimming  "the  streams.  They  made  this  place 
henceforth  their  permanent  home.  These  three  families  were  the  first 
actual  settlers  in  the  county." 

The  claim  that  this  was  the  first  actual  settlement  in 
Washington  county,  as  well  as  in  the  town,  can  hardly  be 
sustained.  As  we  have  fully  shown  in  the  general  history 
of  the  county,  there  was  a  considerable  settlement  around 
old  Fort  Saragbtoga,  in  Easton,  twenty  years  or  more  before 
the  arrival  of  the  pioneers  of  Salem.  That  settlement, 
however,  has  passed  so  completely  out  of  the  knowledge  of 
men  of  later  generations,  that  no  one  can  be  expected  to  be 
aware  of  it  unless  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  searching  out 
the  early  history  of  the  county.  Salem,  however,  may  con- 
tain the  earliest  continuous  settlement  in  the  county,  though 
Cambridge  claims  to  have  been  actually  settled  in  17C1,  and 
all  the  accounts  declare  that  in  that  year  Philip  Skene  es- 
tablished his  thirty  families  in  Skene.sborough.  These  three 
settlements  were  within  a  few  months  of  each  other,  and  if 
Conkey  and  Turner  actually  built  a  house  and  commenced 
operations  when  they  came  to  look  at  the  land,  then  Salem 
was  probably  the  first ;  if  not,  then  Skenesborough  takes  the 
lead.     It  is  all  a  matter  of  probability  at  best. 


The  best  ancient  documents  throwing  light  upon  the 
names  and  location  of  the  early  settlers  of  Salem  are  the 
following  schedules,  with  the  certificates  attached.  The 
first  is  dated  January,  1789,  the  other  about  a  year  later. 

These  papers  show  that  the  farms  there  described  were 
the  property  of  the  signers  ten  or  twelve  years  earlier,  or 
not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  years  after  the  first  gen- 
eral settlement  of  the  town,  and  before  very  many  transfers 
would  have  taken  place.  In  many  eases  positive  pioneer 
location — 17G4  to  17G8 — is  no  doubt  clearly  shown.  In  a 
few  instances  the  same  family  names  yet  appear  upon  town- 
ship maps  on  the  very  farms  selected  one  hundred  and  ten 
yetirs  ago. 

These  documents  show  more  than  ownership.  Actual 
residence  is  certified  to, — residence  earlier  than  the  Rur- 
goyne  campaign  of  1777.  These  certificates  must,  however, 
be  interpreted  with  some  degree  of  liberality.  The  son  of 
an  early  proprietor  was  permitted,  no  doubt,  to  offer  "  satis- 
factory proof"  of  his  father's  residence.  An  agent  or 
hired  man  or  subsequent  purchaser  might  have  been  per- 
mitted to  do  so  as  the  legal  successor  of  an  original  proprietor. 
James  Proudfit,  coming  here  in  1783,  was  no  doubt  allowed 
to  offer  proof,  not  that  he  himself  had  been  driven  off'  in 
1777,  six  years  before  he  came  to  Salem,  but,  as  pastor  and 
tenant  of  church  property,  that  his  predecessor  or  the  agent 
of  the  church  had  been  obliged  to  leave.  It  may  be  thought 
strange  that  the  two  parties,  loyalists  and  Federalists,  Tories 
and  rebels,  could  both  furnish  the  same  kind  of  proof,  and 
have  their  titles  confirmed,  and  both  be  released  from  (juit- 
rent  for  the  same  reason.  It  will  easily  be  seen  that,  in  a 
certain  sense,  both  coh/i/ furnish  the  evidence,  and  no  doubt 
conscientiously.  The  Unionists  in  arms  against  the  king 
were  directli/  driven  off  by  the  approach  of  the  Rritish 
army  and  their  allies.  The  loyalists  had  been  obliged  to 
leave  indirecl/i/  for  the  same  reason.  The  incursion  of  the 
enemy  brought  on  a  crisis  in  which — obliged  to  choose  be- 
tween the  rebels  and  the  king,  and  choosing  in  favor  of  the 
latter— they  had  been  compelled  to  leave.  The  difficulty 
of  the  times  is  illustrated  by  the  story  of  one  settlor  whose 
house  was  visited  by  a  party  demanding  to  know  whose 
side  he  was  on.  Thinking  it  a  matter  of  prudence  to  give 
a  cautious  answer,  he  replied,  "  On  the  Lord's  side."  But 
the  parties  persisting,  and  asking  again  whether  he  was  for 
the  king,  he  replied,  "Yes,  I  am  for  the  King  of  kings." 
Failing  to  extract  a  political  opinion  from  him,  they  left 
him  undisturbed  in  his  Scriptural  meditations. 

As  to  the  proof  required  for  which  quit-rent  might  be 
discharged  and  title  confirmed,  there  was  no  doubt  a  dispo- 
sition on  the  part  of  the  State  authorities  to  conciliate  and 
therefore  harmonize  existing  difficulties.  Men  whose  worth 
and  integrity  as  citizens  were  unquestioned  had  taken  sides 
in  favor  of  adhering  to  the  crown, — retaining  the  allegiance 
of  their  fathers, — and  it  was  not  deemed  best  to  ostracize 
and  drive  from  the  country  men  of  that  stamp. 

The  term  "  actuaUi/  resided"  must  also  be  construed  in 
a  .somewhat  general  sense.  A  man  claiming  two  lots,  upon 
one  of  which  he  lived  and  the  other  a  wild,  unsettled  lot, 
no  doubt  brought  them  both  in  under  the  same  term. 

Subject  to  these  explanations,  and  interpreting  the  lan- 
guage of  the  certificates  somewhat  liberally,  these  schedules 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YOKK. 


123 


must  be  considered  a  reliable  statement  of  the  actual  citi- 
zens of  this  town  before  and  in  the  Revolutionary  war 

1767  to  1777. 

Men  of  other  towns  and  other  patents  could  not  well 
have  been  included  to  any  great  extent  in  these  lists. 

The  numbers  attached  to  the  names  indicate  the  lots  of 
the  Turner  patent.  The  acres  in  the  original  document 
are  omitted  hei'e. 


PiiRsesiiora  Ntimliers  of 

of  LhiiiI.  the  Luts. 

Jolin  Armstrong       1  40   iqi 

Thomas  Armstrong  J  "' 

James  Armstrong 129 

Wra.  Beatty 154 

John  Blakely 226,  250 

Bartholomew  Bartlett 29i) 

Joseph  Bartlett 274 

Wm.  Bell 3'J 

Eliz.  Boyd 256 

Thomas  Boyd 12.^ 

Wm.  Boyd 13.3 

Wm.  Brown ...219,  220 

John  Beatty 146,  221,  220 

John  Beatty,  Jr 156,  157 

Nathaniel  Carswell  I      to   ci    le 
*  I  ry  1,  ^  ...52,  51,  45 

Abner  Carswell         J  '      ' 

Joshua  Conkey 153.  63 

-Kobert  Clark 229 

Benjamin     Cleveland  1^  3 

Palmer  Cleveland         J!         ' 

John  Chambers 24 

Thomas  CoUancc 247 

Samuel  Covenhoven....s„^...  193 

John  Conner 295 

James  Craig 204 

James  Crossett  80 

George  Cruikshank 108 

John  Duncan 237 

David  Edgar 60 

Elisha  Fitch 219 

Wm.  Feral 36 

James  Gault 224 

Jane  Gibson  31 

Samuel  Gillis 40 

Ebenezer  Getty 170 

Alexander  Gaiilt 88,  S4,  82 

Robert  Getty 7 

i"\?'^.Yr         \ 11'.  1« 

pJathanicl    Gray   J  ' 

George  Gun 167 

Calvin  Gault 16 

John  Gray,  Jr 89 

Robert  Gilmore..,. 83 

John  F.  Gault Ill 

John  Harsha 69 

David  Hanna 30 

Samuel  Hopkins       |       13"    l^s 

Nathaniel  Hopkins] ' 

Allen  Hunsden 

James  Henderson 152 

William  Huggins 133 

John  Henry 86 

Richard  Hoy 48 

Wm.  Hoy 44 

Isaac  Linoey 37 

John  Lyon 98 

Moses  Lemmon 61 

John  Livingston 179 

Robert  Lowdon 158 

John  Lytic 92 

Andrew"  Lytic 191 

Thomas  Lyon 121 

Edward  Long 160,  40 

John  McCartor      I  ,,, 

Samuel  MeCarti-r  f  "- 

James  MoFarland 84 

Wiii.  M,-CI.Mrv 184 

Jauifs  .\Io..r..". 276,  265 

Jolm  McJlicbael 59 

"CoIISTV    OF       1 

Washington,  J  *** 
"  I  do  hereby  certify  that  the  above-named  persons,  of  the  county 
of  Washington,  have  given  me  satisfactory  proof  that  they  actually 
resided  on  the  respective  farms  named  to  their  names  in  the  division 
of  a  patent  of  twenty-five  thousand  acres  of  land,  originally  granted 
to  Alexander  Turner  and  twenty-four  others  on  the  7th  day  of  .August, 
1764,  ami  that  on  account  of  the  late  war   they  were  respectively 


Posspssora  Numbirs  of 

of  Liiiul.  tile  Lots. 

Joseph  McCrackcn,  Jr 53 

Hezekiah  Murdoch 101 

Hamilton  McCollister 190 

Daniel  MuNitt 73 

Daniel  Mattison 58 

William  Moncrief.Jr 32 

William  McCov 44 

William  Moocrief,  Sr 41,  48 

Hugh  Muncricf 28 

Ale.-Lander  McNish 19 

David  Muchelnea 141 

Samuel  McCraoken 214 

Robert  McMurray 230 

David  Matthias..' 44,  60 

Matthew    McClaughrey  1     ,-   ,<, 
Thomas  McClaughrey     J  -'^'  '" 

Andrew  McClaughrey 34 

Wm.  Matthias 140 

James  Moor,  Sr 279 

John  McMillan 297 

Hugh  Moor 278 

Potter  McDuugall 220 

Moses  Martin     I 

Aaron    Martin  j  ^-^ 

Robert  Matthias 32 

Joseph  Nelson 104 

Thomas  Oswald 228,  190 

Robert  Orr 127 

James  Ramagc 272,  273 

James  Rowan 141, 138 

Wm.  Rogers 173 

John  Rowan,  Esq 198 

James  Rogers 160 

Andrew  Robinson 176 

John  Rowan,  Jr 194 

Robert  Stewart 26 

William  Sloan 217 

Edward  Savage,  Esq 100,  15 

Margaret  Savage 99,  18,  6 

Abner  Stone 205 

John  Steel 6 

James  Stewart 95 

Ale.vandiT  Stewart 47 

Alexander  Simson 11 

James  Stevenson 167 

David  Scott 102,  109 

Joseph  Slaraw 48 

Wm.  Smith 198 

Thomas  Steel 299 

Abraham  Turner 10 

Wm.  Thompson 22 

Josej)h  Tomb 57 

Alexander  Turner 9.3,  22 

Alexander  Turner,  Jr 50 

Reuben  Turner 49 

Jennet  Thomas 160,  159 

James  Thompson 75 

Joseph  WilKson 178 

Nathan  Wilison 145,  135 

Patrick  Wilison         1         j-j   j-j. 

Nathaniel    Wilison  J  '    ' 

Thomas  Williams S3 

S.amuel  Wilison 76 

David  Webb 258 

John  Williams 167,  77,  209 

Leonard  Webb 235 

Siimucl  Wright 196 

Alexander  Wright 27 


obliged  to  quit  thoir  said  farms  by  the  invasion  of  tho  enemy,  as 
witness  my  hand  this  24th  day  of  January,  1789. 

"  Davib  Hopkins, 
"  One  0/  Ihc  Jiirlget  0/  the  Court  of  Common  I'lenn 
fur  the  County  of  WuMnglon. 

"  Albany,  January  24,  1789. 
"  I  certify  that  the  within  is  a  true  copy  of  a  certificate  and  sched- 
ule signed  by  David  Hopkins,  Esq.,  one  of  the  judges  of  coinmoa 
pleas  for  Washington  county,  and  I  do  further  certify  tho  several 
persons  therein  named  are  free  from  paying  all  past  as  well  as  future 
quit-rents  for  the  number  of  acres  opposite  their  respective  names. 

"  PeTEII   S.    ClIUTKNlUS, 

"State  Auditor." 

A  year  later  there  is  a  similar  list,  as  follows : 


Possessors  Nultihers  of 

or  I.utid.  the  Luta. 

Thorn  is  Armstrong 122 

Robert  Armstrong,  Jr 130 

John  Armstrong,  Jr 42,  43 

John  Armstrong 125,  131 

Thomas  Beatty     )  !i.>   1-. 

William  Realty     }  ''*'''  ^^* 

Samuel  Beattv 218 

Robert  Boyd.'. 192 

John  Boyd 128 

Moses  Bartlett 234,  238 

Joseph  Bartlett 203,  267 

Mo.<es  Bartlett,  Jr.  )    „-„ 

Bartholomew  Bartlett,  Jr.  J    ''"^ 

James  Clark,  Jr 237 

John  Cooper 110 

John  Crossett 245,  242 

Benjamin  Cleveland,  Jr 115 

David  Cleveland 116 

John  Crossett,  Jr 66,  67 

Abel  Cleveland 106 

Wm.  Cruikshank 113,  114 

James  Craw 139 

Samuel  Covenhoven 282,  183 

Reuben  Cheney 98 

Lemuel  Clapp   )    3^2 

Stephen  Clapp  J 

Asa  Cleveland 250 

John  Crossett.... 134,  144 

Ebenezer  Clark 161,  163 

Aimer  Dwelly 283 

Silas  Estee 243,  248 

Asa  Eastey 257 

Pelatiah  Fitch,  Jr 54 

Wm.  Graham,  Jr 269 

John  Graham 266,  288 

John  Graham,  Jr 289 

George  Guthrie 201 

'John  Guthrie 105 

Samuel  GarabiU 175 

Joshua  Gates 71.  72 

Samuel  Gambill 232 

.Tames  Gambill 181,  185 

James  Gault 210,  211 

William  Henderson 20,  26 

Benjamin  Harvey 91 

Hugh  Henry 74 

James  Henderson 154,  159 

James  Hopkins 202,  206 

Samuel  Hopkins 207 

George  Hopkins 203 

Timothy  lUth 292 

John  llarsha 168,  169 

Allen  llunsden  253,  260 

John  llunsden 261,  262 

Andrew  Jackson  290 

Alexander  Kenaday 199,  200 

Joseph  Lyon 21 

.Tohn  Law 264 

John  Law.  Jr 263 

John  Linnin 149 

Francis   Lamon 213 

John  Lamon 215 

Samu<d  Lamon 116 

Moses  Lamon 218 

William  Lamon 222 

Thomas  Lyon 275,  282 

Samuel  Lyon  240 

John  MeCleary 217 

JohuM.-Nitt 5 

Moses  Martin,  Jr.     {  g-   25 

Martin  Dessably       J  

Elizabeth  McCollister 15,  17. 

Ebenezer  Henderson 18,  29. 


Possessors  Nunili'^r.-'  of 

of  I-nu(l.  tlie  Lots, 

Daniel  MoFarlan  1 241 

James  McFarland 246,  247 

Henry  Matthews 233,  214 

Hugh  Hartin 268 

Wm.  Matthews.  Jr 236 

Matthew  McWhortor 162 

John  McWhorter 16,  14 

John  Mc.VIurray 225 

John  .\1oorc 9 

John  McAllister 62 

Mary  McAllister 63 

Alex.  McNitt,  Jr 23,  46 

Daniel  McClearv 118,  ISO 

John  McClearv,  Jr 119 

John  Moor,  Jr 78 

John  May 188 

John  Martin 85 

Alexander  McDonald 150 

John  -McDonald 264 

James  Moor,  Jr 249 

Hugh  Moor 279,  291 

James  Moor 255 

John  McCollister      )  «f., 

M.  Conkey  (  ■"" 

Adam  Martin,  Mill  lot. 

ArchibaldMcCoUister 232 

Wm.  Moncrief 124 

John  McMillan 300,  303 

John  McFarland 251,  252 

John  Mains 230  or  216,  239 

James  Mills 102,  103 

Alexander  McDonald 189,  197 

John  Nivins 164,  165 

John   Nivins,  Jr 16« 

Robert  Orr 193 

James  Proudfit 79 

Robert  Penall 94 

Robert  Penall,  Jr 94 

Hugh  Penall 87 

Christopher  Page 281,  289 

Abraham  Rowan 142 

Wm,  Rowan 195 

Stephen  Rowan 212 

David  Rice 270 

David  Rude 273,  271 

Alexander  Simson 1,  3 

James  Simson 2 

Alexander  Simson,  Jr 8 

Thomas  Steel 254 

Aaron  Stone 126 

Aaron  Stone,  Jr 127 

Henry  Smith 283,  284 

Ebenezer  Sulley 293 

James  Tomb 69 

Wm.  Thompson 223,  156 

Wm.  Thompson,  Jr 157 

David  Tomb 66 

John  Tomb 65 

.Tames  Thompson 81 

James  Takles 278,  280 

David  Thomas 79,68 

John  Williams  Turner 55,  56 

Joseph  Wright 298 

Alexander  Wright 269 

.Toseph  Welsh 90 

John  AVillson  69,  70 

Samuel  Wright 184 

Amas.x  Wheeler 287,  288 

Ephraim  Wheeler 291,  298 

John  Webb 242 

Lewis  Williams 82,  96 

Patrick  Wilison 172,  174 


124 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


"County  op  1 
Washington,  J  * 
"  I  do  hereby  certify  that  the  above-named  persons,  of  the  county 
of  Washington,  have  given  me  satisfactory  ])roof  that  they  actually 
resided  on  the  respective  farms  named  to  their  names  in  the  division 
of  the  patent  of  twenty-five  thousand  acres  of  land,  originally  granted 
to  Alexander  Turner  and  twenty-four  others  on  the  seventh  day  of 
August,  1764,  and  that  on  account  of  the  late  war  they  were  respect- 
ively obliged  to  quit  their  said  farms  by  the  incursions  of  the  enemy, 
as  witness  my  hand  this  24th  day  of  December,  1789, 

"Alexander  Webstek, 
"  One  of  the  Jiulgei ../  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 

for   Wuahington   Cunnlij." 

"AiiniTou's  Office,  New  York, 
"4th  March,  1790. 
"I  do  hereby  certify  that  the  persons  mentioned  in  the  foregoing 
certificate  are  thereby  exonerated  from  paying  all  past  quit-rent  for 
the  number  of  acres  set  opposite  their  respective  names,  amounting 
in  the  whole  to  twelve  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres, 
in  the  before-mentioned  patent. 

"PeTEU    CURTENll'S, 

"Slate  A  utlilur." 

This  differs  from  the  first  certificate  by  leaving  out  the 
words  "  as  well  as  future  quit-rents."  This  may,  however, 
be  an  omission  of  the  town  clerk  copying  the  document, 
for  it  is  probable  one  party  who  could  swear  to  the  same 
thing,  would  obtain  the  same  terms  as  the  other. 

These  schedules  comprise  one  liundred  and  twenty  family 
names;  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  jn-oprietors.  The 
number  of  faiuilies  would  be  considerably  greater  than  the 
former  number,  and  somewhat  less  than  the  latter. 

Of  the  family  names  the  following  ten  appear  attached 
upon  recent  township  maps  to  the  same  lots  as  their  ances- 
tors are  certified  to  have  resided  upon  a  hundred  years  ago: 
Boyd,  123  ;  Beattie,  145  ;  Carswell,  52  ;  Ciuikshank,  108  ; 
McClaughrey,  38;  Beattie,  218;  Thompson,  223;  Hop- 
kins, 206  ;  Law,  264;  McCleary,  118;  Thompson,  156; 
McCleary,  119;  Williams,  96. 

In  the  family  notes  given  at  another  place  it  will  appear 
that  still  other  families  are  now  upon  the  homesteads  of 
their  ancestors. 

Comparing  those  schedules  with  the  last  assessment-roll, 
1877,  it  appears  that  the  following  fifty-seven  other  names 
of  the  ante  revolutionary  families  are  still  found  in  town, 
and  in  many  cases  in  the  same  neighborhoods,  and  very  near 
to  the  same  lots  attached  to  the  names  in  1789  :  Edgar, 
Duncan,  Fitch,  Craig,  Conner,  Cleveland,  Hanna,  McMurray, 
Scott,  White,  Rogers,  Wilson,  Steele,  Moore,  McNitt, 
Brown,  McMillan,  Clark,  McFarland,  Martin,  Lytic,  McAl- 
lister, McNish,  Armstrong,  Law,  Moncrief,  Lyon,  Nelson, 
McArthur,  Gray,  Campbell,  Bartlett,  Conkey,  Craig,  Gibson, 
Sillis,  Lyon,  Lytic,  McCarter,  Moore,  Murdock,  McNish, 
Robinson,  Rice,  Stewart,  Simpson, Stevenson,  Smith,  Turner, 
Thomas,  Webb,  Wright,  Clapp,  Jackson,  Kennedy,  McDon- 
ald, Mills. 

In  the  ca.se  of  some  more  common  names.  Smith,  Brown, 
etc.,  the  families  of  the  present  may  not  be  descendants  of 
the  former,  and  this  may  be  true  in  other  cases,  but  the 
statement  is  probably  a  fair  exhibit  of  the  permanence  of 
the  families. 

It  may  still  further  be  noticed  that  this  shows  fifty-three 
of  the  old  family  names  to  have  disappeared  from  the  town, 
but  one  or  two  of  these  are  due  to  a  modern  change  of 
spelling,  as  McCoUister  to  McAllister. 


A  large  number  of  the  fifty-three  families  are,  no  doubt, 
represented  yet  through  the  descendants  of  the  daughters 
who  could  tranj-mit  the  virtves  and  the  property  of  their 
ancestors,  even  the  old  homesteads  with  all  their  memories, 
but  not  the  family  name. 

We  add  the  following  notes  re.«ipecting  some  of  the  pio- 
neer families  who.»e  names  appear  in  the  various  papers 
embodied  in  this  history,  viz. :  the  list  of  soldiers  from  the 
rolls  of  Colonel  John  AVilliams'  Regiment,  1776  to  1777  ; 
list  of  town  officers,  1787  to  1788  ;  list  of  claimants  for 
exemption  from  quit-rent,  1789  ;  and  some  others  from  early 
church  records  and  miscellaneous  soui'ces. 

It  is  not  supposed  that  these  hasty  notes  arc  in  every  in- 
stance accurate,  nor  are  they  in  any  sense  complete,  but  it 
is  hoped  they  may  afford  some  clue  to  future  writers  who 
may  desire  to  compile  either  public  or  private  history  at 
greater  length  than  our  limits  permit.  If  errors  are  found, 
even  these  may  the  more  surely  induce  further  investigation. 

This  brief  commentary  upon  family  names  will  at  least 
indicate  the  wealth  of  material  existing  in  Salem,  and  already 
largely  gathered  by  Judge  Gibson  and  Dr.  Fitch,  well  known 
as  standard  authorities  upon  this  subject. 

And  the  documents  presented  here  may  well  induce  the 
people  to  ^»(j«c/((//y  su.stain  future  efforts  to  place  in  per- 
manent form  not  only  the  interesting  annals  of  early  settle- 
ment, the  records  of  social  and  civil  life,  but  the  very 
muniments  of  title  upon  which  every  man's  possession  of 
his  home  depends. 

THE    TURNER    FAMILY.* 

Alexander  Turner,  of  Pelham,  Mass.,  who  being  the 
first  named  in  the  principal  grant  of  lands  located  in  Salem, 
caused  the  same  to  be  called  "  Turner's  patent,"  never 
came  to  Salem  to  reside,  and  indeed  died  shortly  after  the 
issuing  of  the  grant. 

By  his  wife,  Mary  Conkey,  had  children — Alexander, 
James,  Andrew,  Daniel,  Reuben  and  Sarah. 

1.  Alexander,  also  a  patentee,  settled  at  Salem  about 
1765,  there  remained  till  1801,  when  he  removed  to 
Homer,  N.  Y.,  and  there  died  on  the  2d  of  April,  1835,  aged 
ninety  years.  By  his  wife,  Sarah  (Pennell),  had  twelve 
children  born  at  Salem,  viz. :  William,  Archibald,  Mary, 
Sarah,  James,  Esther,  Andrew,  who  died  young,  Andrew 
again,  Elizabeth,  Alexander,  Isaac,  and  Jane. 

2.  James  Turner,  also  one  of  the  patentees,  settled  at 
Salem  in  1764,  having  married  Susannah  Thomas,  by  whom 
he  had  Alexander  J.,  who  was  the  first  white  male  child 
born  at  Salem,  and  who  married  Sarah  McCrea,  and  about 
the  year  1800  removed  to  and  settled  in  St.  Lawrence 
county,  having  a  large  family,  and  becoming  a  man  of 
note ;  Jeanette,  who  married  General  David  Thomas,  of 
Salem,  and  their  only  daughter  and  child,  Jane,  married 
George  Vail,  of  Troy;  Sarah,  who  married  at  Salem,  Gen- 
eral Walter  Martin,  the  founder  of  Blartlnsburg,  Lewis 
Co.,  N.  Y. ;  James,  who  married  Eleanor  Hun.sden,  and 
had  children,  viz.  :  William  W.,  who  settled  at  Fort  Cov- 
ington ;  James,  long  a  blacksmith  at  Salem ;  Susannah, 
who  married  John  S.  Hunsden,  and  settled  at  Shoreham, 

-^  By  Hon.  James  tiibson. 


JUDGE   C.  L.  ALLEN. 


CouNELirs  Lassixr  Ali.rn  was  born  in  Lansingburg,  Re 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  17, 1800.  He  was  the  eldest  son  in  a  family  of  eight 
children  of  David  Allen  and  Elizabeth  Lansing,  the  former  a  native 
of  Fairfield.  Conn.,  born  Sept.  22,  1773,  and  a  son  of  David  Allen 
and  Sarah  Hull,  of  Fairfield,  Conn. ;  the  former  born  1743,  the  latter 
born  1744,  and  married  Nov.  10,  1768. 

The  family  of  Allen  is  traced  through  several  generations  in  this 
country,  and  are  lineal  descendants  of  Gideon  Allen,  a  lieutenant  of 
the  British  army  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne. 

The  latter,  Elizabeth  Lansing,  was  eldest  daughter  of  Cornelius 
Lansing  and  Hester  Vanderheyden,  and  born  in  Lansingburg,  N.  V., 
Sept.  1,  1779.  Her  grandfather  on  the  paternal  side,  Abraham 
Jacob  Lanson  (now  Lansing),  was  born  in  Holland,  April  18,  1720. 

His  father,  David  Allen,  was  a  lawyer  by  profession  ;  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  of  the  State  of  Connecticut;  removed  to  Lansingburg, 
N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1803  ;  rapidly  rose  in  his  profession ;  was  member 
of  the  Assembly  of  New  York  State  for  three  terms,  and  of  the 
State  Senate  for  one  term  of  four  years,  and  surrogate  of  Rensselaer 
county  for  one  term.     He  died  May  11,  1S20. 

Judge  Allen  spent  his  minority  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  at 
home,  receiving  the  advantages  of  academical  instruction.  At  that 
age,  in  the  year  1815,  he  entered  Princeton  College,  N.  J.,  taking 
high  rank  in  his  class,  and  graduating  from  that  institution  in  the 
year  1818,  September  30,  with  the  usual  honors.  The  same  fall  he 
came  to  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  entered  the  ofiice  of  Hon. 
David  Russell  as  a  student  at  law,  where  he  remained  for  three  years, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  the  legal  profession  in  the  year 
1821,  October.  He  at  once  entered  upon  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ilussell,  which  continued  for  six  years,  when  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Hon.  B.  Blair. 

In  the  year  1828,  October  1,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  H.  Russell, 
daughter  of  Hon.  David  Russell  and  Alida  Lansing,  of  Salem.  She 
was  born  May  7,  1806.  During  the  six  years  Judge  Allen  was  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Blair  he  was  appointed  district  attorney,  which 
ofiice  he  retained  for  nine  successive  years.  He  was  also  during  this 
time  master  and  examiner  in  chancery,  appointed  by  the  Senate  and 
governor  of  the  State,  which  ofiice  he  held  for  some  five  years,  and 
also  brigade  inspector  of  the  Sixteenth  Brigade  of  the  New  York 
State  Militia  for  four  years. 

Since  the  close  of  his  partnership  with  Mr.  Blair,  Judge  Allen  has 
remained  by  himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  rapidly  rising 


in  influence  among  the  people,  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  legal  fraternity  for  his  integritj'  of  purpose  in  giving 
counsel,  his  clear  and  conclusive  elucidation  of  the  law,  and  for 
his  ripe  judgment  and  sagacity  foreshadowing  the  results  of  litigation. 

He  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Washington 
Academy  for  over  half  a  century,  and  president  of  the  same  for  some 
twenty  years,  which  position  he  still  retains. 

In  November,  ISol,  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
for  the  Fourth  Judicial  district  of  New  York  State,  which  office  he 
held  for  eight  years.  Judge  Allen,  previous  to  being  elected  justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  was  active  in  the  political  interests  aff'ecting 
his  county  and  State;  was  early  in  life  a  member  of  the  old  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Rebellion 
became  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  the  preser- 
vation of  the  Union. 

He  has  been  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  society  of  Salem  ever 
since  he  came  to  the  place,  and  trustee  of  that  church  for  over  half 
a  century.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  old  Bank  of  Salem, 
and  director  and  vice-president  of  the  same  during  its  existence,  and 
since  the  organization  of  the  National  Bank  of  Salem,  Judge  Allen 
has  been  its  president  until  May,  1878,  when  his  feeble  health  com- 
pelled him  to  resign  the  duties  of  the  oflSce.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention  of  New  York  State  during  the  session 
of  that  body  for  the  purpose  of  amending  the  constitution. 

Judge  Allen  has  spent  a  life  of  activity  in  his  profession,  and 
ranked  among  the  foremost  members  of  the  bar  of  the  State  in  his 
day,  and  is  now  one  of  the  old  landmarks,  pointing  back  to  the 
early  days  of  history  in  the  legal  profession  of  Washington  county. 

Judge  Allen  was  a  man  remarkably  quick  of  comprehension.  In 
his  professional  life  was  very  alert  to  seize  upon  the  weak  points  of 
his  adversary  and  fortify  bis  own,  and  rarely  taken  by  surprise.  His 
generosity,  and  genial,  courteous  demeanor,  not  only  to  the  members 
of  the  legal  fraternity,  but  to  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  were 
common  characteristics  of  the  judge.  His  marked  recuperative 
power  as  an  advocate,  when  accidentally  placed  under  embarrassment 
in  court,  was  uncommon,  and  worthy  of  note  in  undertaking  to  write 
a  sketch  of  his  life. 

Judge  Allen  has  three  surviving  children,  viz.,  Cornelius  Lansing 
Allen,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  of  the  class  of  '67;  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  of  the  State  at  Schenectady  in  1869,  and  is,  in  1S7S,  an 
attorney  and  connselor-at-law  in  Salem,  N.  Y.;  Alida,  and  Kate. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHIOGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


125 


Vt. ';  Eliza,  who  was  brought  up  in  the  family  of  Ebenezer 
Proudfit,  and  that  of  his  widow,  and  nian-ied  Rev.  John 
A.  Savage,  and  Jaw,  who  married  Wesley  Piatt. 

James  Turner,  the  first  settler  at  Salem  above  named, 
died  very  suddenly  at  Salem,  in  February,  in  the  year 
1773. 

JOSHUA    CONKEY 

came  from  Pelham,  Mass.,  to  Salem  with  James  Turner 
in  1761,  as  usually  stated.  Dr.  Fitch  does  not  regard 
this  as  determined,  but  considers  it  safe  to  state  that  he 
brought  his  family  in  17()3.  He  located  up  the  creek 
nearly  two  miles  from  the  village,  on  the  present  Chester 
Billings  farm.  His  children  were  Richard,  who  settled  in 
Roxbury,  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  John,  who  settled  in 
Martinsburg,  Lewis  Co. ;  Elizabeth,  who  married  first 
Amos  Saiford,  of  Salem,  and  after  his  death,  Daniel  Pratt,  of 
Lakeville ;  Margaret,  who  married  William  Miller,  and 
moved  to  Martinsburg;  Mary,  who  married  Nathaniel 
Stearns,  of  Salem  ;  J]unice,  who  married  Samuel  Safibrd 
(brother  of  Amos),  and  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Caniiilus, 
N.Y. 

Of  Rev.  Charles  Conkey  we  learn  that  Richard's  chil- 
dren were  Joshua,  of  Salem  ;  Joel,  who  died  unmarried  ; 
John,  who  went  to  Western  N.  Y. ;  and  daughters,  Mrs. 
Covel  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Montgomery. 

The  children  of  Joshua,  son  of  Richard,  were  Mrs. 
Jason  Williams,  Cambridge  ;  Mrs.  Hiram  Lewis,  Salem, 
now  living  in  Troy  ;  Rev.  Charles  Conkey,  Salem  ;  Thomas, 
who  died  in  Hebron;  Nathaniel,  now  of  Sandgate;  and 
Daniel,  who  died  in  Salem  in  1876. 

Silas,  a  brother  of  the  pioneer,  came  from  Pelham  near 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  settled  at  Fitch 
Point,  erecting  clothing-works  ;  after  about  twenty  years  he 
moved  to  Martinsburg.  Of  his  children  only  one  settled 
in  Salem,  Mrs.  William  Fitch. 

HAMILTON    MCCOLLISTER 

came  to  Salem  with  Turner  and  Conkey  on  their  first 
return.  If  1761  was  the  correct  date  for  them,  1762  was 
the  year  of  his  arrival.  He  came  as  a  single  man  in  the 
employ  of  the  others.  He  located  a  farm  two  miles  down 
the  creek  from  the  village,  on  the  place  still  owned  by  his 
descendants.  He  married  a  sister  of  the  wife  of  Joshua 
Conkey.  Of  his  children,  two  died  young;  Archibald 
settled  in  Salem  ;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Stephen  Rowan,  of 
Salem;  Martha,  Mrs.  Elijah  Mack,  of  Salem  ;  John  settled 
in  Martinsburg;  Mary  Ann,  Mrs.  Jesse  Mack,  of  Argyle; 
Hamilton,  Jr.,  moved  to  Ohio ;  Charles  settled  in  White 
Pigeon,  Mich. ;  William  remained  on  the  homestead  in 
Salem. 

Judge  McCollister,  of  Chicago,  is  a  grandson  of  the 
pioneer. 

DR.    PELATIAH    FITCH 

came  from  Norwich,  Conn.,  to  Groton,  Mass.;  then  to 
Halifax,  Vt. ;  and  from  there  to  Salem  in  1779.  He 
settled  on  what  is  now  the  present  place  of  H.  Flowers, 
known  as  Milliman's  Corners.  Of  his  children,  Joseph 
remained  in  Groton;  Chester  became  a  sea-captain,  and 
finally  settled  in  the  West  Indies;  Pelatiah,  Jr.,  settled  in 
Salem  ;   Elisha  first  settled   in   Salem,  and   afterwards  re- 


moved to  Leroy,  Genesee  Co. ;  Benjamin  settled  in  Salem  ; 
and  Asa  in  Salem.  Of  his  daughters,  Lydia  became  Mi-s. 
David  Henderson,  of  Salem,  afterwards  of  St.  Lawrence 
Co.;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Aaron  Martin,  of  Salem.  Asa  Fitch, 
above  mentioned,  was  a  member  of  Congress,  1811-13, — 
the  well-known  Dr.  Fitch  of  olden  times, — and  father  of 
the  now  equally  well-known  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  Jr.  To  the 
latter  we  are  indebted  for  much  valuable  assistance  in  the 
preparation  of  this  town  history,  and  for  advice  upon  diffi- 
cult questions  respecting  dates,  persons,  and  places. 

THE    GIBSON    FAMILY   OF   SALEM. 

John  Gibson  was  a  sergeant  in  the  Seventy-seventh 
Regiment  of  Highlanders,  which  served  in  America  in 
the  French  and  Indian  war.  He  served  through  the  war, 
and  received  a  certificate  of  his  service  from  Captain  Rob- 
ertson, who  commanded  the  company  in  which  ho  was  a 
sergeant.* 

He  was  secretary  to  the  committee  of  safety  of  the 
county  of  Charlotte,  now  Washington,  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary war;j"  and  was  paymaster  of  the  Rangers  in 
said  county,  commanded  by  Captain  Joshua  Conkey.  \ 

He  received  a  grant  of  land  for  his  services  in  the 
French  and  Indian  war ;  but  unfortunately  the  patent  was 
located  on  the  "  Hampshire  grants,"  and  he  lost  the  whole 
of  it.§ 

He  had  a  lease  of  a  lot  in  New  Perth  from  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Clark,  which  he  held  till  178(1.  He  seems  then  either  to 
have  left  tlie  premises,  or  been  driven  therefrom  during 
some  incur.sion,  and  never  returned,  or  more  jirobably  he 
died  about  1780,  as  his  wife,  Jean  Gibson,  got  the  land 
discharged  from  quit-rent  on  account  of  being  driven  off.  || 

He  had  sons,  John,  Jr.,  James,  and  perhaps  Thomas 
and  Richard.  John  and  James  were  both  privates  in 
Captain  Armstrong's  company,  in  Colonel  Williams'  regi- 
ment of  militia,  and  served  at  times  during  the  war. 

There  was  another  Gibson  family  came  into  the  town  of 
Salem  at  a  later  day. 

James  B.  Gibson,  of  English  ancestry,  born  at  Johnston, 
near  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  died  at  Salem,  May  10,  1827. 
He  was  educated  at  Plainfield  Academy,  Connecticut,  and 
Middlcbury  College;  admitted  as  a  lawyer  in  1806;  and 
immediately  settled  in  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
at  Salem.  He  soon  after  married  Margaret,  the  only 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Townsend,  of  Hebron,  and  had 
children,  viz. :  Frances  Ann,  who  married  Jed.  P.  Clark, 
of  Sheldon,  Vt.,  and  there  died  in  1859  ;  Horatio,  who 
died  at  Aurora,  111.,  in  1836;  Esther  Maria,  who  married 
Cyrus  Stevens,  and  died  in  1836  ;  James,  who  is  now  a 
practicing  lawyer  at  Salem  ;  Henry,  who  became  a  lawyer, 
settled  at  AVhitehall,  and  there  died  suddenly  in  1875; 
William  T.,  who  has  been  largely  in  the  insurance  business 
at  Indianapolis  ;  Allen,  in  the  same  business  at  Chicago ; 
and  Sarah  Margaret,  who  married  Formau  IToxie,  and  re- 
sides in  Illinois. 


*  17  New  York  Land  Papers,  71. 

t  2  Journal  P.  C,  338. 

+  1  N.  Y.  Prov.  Papers,  174. 

J  S^eo  return  of  the  survey,  IS  N.  Y.  Land  Papers,  73. 

11  See  Town  Records. 


126 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


OTHER   PIONEEKS. 

Dr.  James  Proudfit,  the  second  minister  of  the  Scotch 
church,  left  eight  children  :  1st,  Dr.  Andrew  Proudfit,  of 
Argyle;  2d,  John,  a  physician,  of  Norfolk,  Va. ;  3d,  Dr. 
James,  of  Philadelphia ;  4th,  Dr.  Daniel,  of  New  York  city  ; 
5th,  Rev.  Alexander,  colleague  pastor  with  his  father  in 
Salem  ;  6th,  Ebenezer,  a  merchant,  of  Saleni ;  7tli,  William, 
a  farmer,  of  Saleni ;  8th,  Mary,  wife  of  John  Reid,  merchant, 
of  Troy,  and  afterwards  of  Whitehall. 

David  Tomb,  the  pioneer  and  elder  in  Dr.  Clark's  church, 
settled  on  what  is  now  the  Smith  Barrett  place.  His  sons 
were:  1st,  James,  who  settled  on  the  farm  nest  south  of 
his  father ;  2d,  John,  who  inherited  the  homestead,  and 
had  an  early  distillery,  finally  removing  to  the  vicinity  of 
Syracuse ;  3d,  Rev.  Samuel,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  Salem  ;  4th,  Dr.  Joseph,  of  Argylc. 

Dr.  Clark,  the  minister,  had  two  sons,  Ebenezer  Clark, 
of  Argyle,  first  judge  of  this  county  in  1800;  Dr.  Benja- 
min Clark,  who  went  to  South  Carolina  with  his  father.  A 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  became  Mrs.  James  Campbell.  He 
was  a  son  of  Duncan  Campbell,  first  supervisor  of  Argyle, 
moving  afterwards  to  Greenwich,  and  finally  to  Canada. 

Robert  Clark,  a  brother  of  Dr.  Clark,  came,  it  is  sup- 
posed, with  the  colony,  and  settled  on  the  Stewart  farm, 
next  south  of  Deacon  James  B.  Stevenson's.  His  sons 
were  Thomas,  a  physician,  of  Argyle,  and  Robert,  also  a 
physician,  an  early  resident  of  Monroe,  Mich. 

The  pioneers  of  the  Boyd  family  were  three  brothers, — 
Thomas,  Robert,  and  John.  Thomas  settled  north  of  Salem 
village,  on  the  firm  now  owned  by  his  granddaughter,  ]Mrs. 
D.  D.  McCleaiy.  Of  his  children,  William  and  Robert 
settled  in  Salem  ;  John  H.,  a  lawyer,  at  Whitehall.  The 
daughters  were  Mrs.  Wm.  Chapman,  of  Franklin  county; 
Mrs.  James  Smart,  of  Salem  ;  Mrs.  John  McAllister,  of 
Salem;  Mrs.  George  McMillan,  of  Argyle.  The  pioneer 
Robert  settled  on  land  adjoining  that  of  Thomas,  and  left 
two  daughters,  Catharine  and  Margaret,  the  latter  becoming 
Mrs.  Keracher.  John,  the  third  of  the  pioneer  brothers, 
settled  where  James  Moore  now  lives.  There  was  also  in 
town  a  family  of  Boyds,  distinct  from  these,  one  of  whom 
was  known  as  John  Boyd  B.,  to  distinguish  him  from  other 
Johns.     Of  this  family  were  also  Joseph  and  William. 

The  pioneer  homestead  of  the  Armstrong  family  was  up 
the  turnpike,  in  the  "  Bu.shes"  district.  There  were  evi- 
dently two, — John  and  Robert, — and  each  had  a  son  of  the 
same  name. 

Benjamin  Cleveland,  from  Rhode  Island,  came  in  before 
the  Revolution,  and  settled  on  the  present  Solomon  Moore 
farm.  Of  his  sons,  David  and  Palmer  settled  in  Pawlet, 
and  afterwards  went  west;  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Daniel  set- 
tled in  Salem,  but  Moses  and  Daniel  finally  went  west. 

Job  W.  Cleveland  came  .six  years  later  than  his  brother 
Benjamin,  and  settled  on  the  farm  still  in  the  family.  Of 
his  son.s,  Daniel  C.  went  to  Hebron,  Job  to  Wyoming,  Ira 
to  Ohio,  Levi  H.  remained  on  the  old  homestead,  now  liv- 
ing, and  Benjamin,  also  living,  in  Salem  village.  Daughters 
were  JMrs.  Chester  Fernam,  of  Hebron  ;  Mrs.  Ames  Lewis, 
of  Rupert;  Mrs.  Alvin  Grey,  of  Dorset ;  Mrs.  Elijah  Gray, 
of  Dorset ;  Mrs.  Morris  Graves,  of  Salisbury,  Vt. ;  Mrs. 
Anson  Gray,  of  Dorset. 


Job  W.,  Sr.,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  was  in 
many  battles.  His  son,  Benjamin,  states  that  his  father 
used  to  relate  that  he  once  heard  General  Washington  ask  a 
soldier  to  move  a  rail.  The  man,  drawing  himself  up,  re- 
plied, "  I  am  a  corporal !"  Wa.shington  an.swered  quietly, 
"  Oh,  I  did  not  know  that,"  and  getting  down  from  his  horse, 
immediately  moved  the  rail  himself  Benjamin  Cleveland's 
maternal  grandfather,  William  Clark,  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Saratoga. 

Thomas  Beaftie  came  from  Ireland,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's 
congregation,  and  settled  on  the  present  farm  of  James 
Smart.  Of  his  sons,  John,  already  married  in  Ireland,  set- 
tled in  Salem,  David  in  the  Camden  valley,  Samuel, 
Thomas,  Jr.,  and  William,  all  in  Salem  ;  James  died  young 
while  obtaining  an  education.  One  daughter,  Jane,  became 
Mrs.  Riley,  went  west,  later  in  life  returned  to  Salem,  and 
died  here. 

John  H.  Beattie,  a  grandson  of  Samuel,  is  now  living  in 
Salem.  Robert  Bsattie,  a  produce-dealer  of  Salem,  is  a 
grandson  of  Thomas,  Jr.  Colonel  John  C.  Beattie,  an  ofiicer 
of  Sing-Sing  prison,  is  a  grandson  of  William  ;  and  Samuel, 
a  prominent  wealthy  farmer  of  Salem,  is  a  grandson  of  John, 
and  resides  on  a  part  of  John's  old  homestead. 

Malcolm  McNaicyhton  was  a  pioneer  of  Argyle,  coming 
over  in  the  same  ship  with  the  McDonalds.  His  son,  Alex- 
ander, came  to  Saleni  at  an  early  day,  and  exchanged  lands 
in  Argyle  for  the  farm  of  John  Harsha,  the  latter  removing 
to  Argyle.  A  daughter  of  Alexander  is  Mrs.  John  H. 
Beattie,  of  Salem. 

John  Ilnrslm  was  a  brother  (as  understood  by  Ebenezer 
McMurray)  of  Dr.  Clark's  elder,  who  died  at  Stillwater, 
1765  or  '66. 

R'lherl  McMurray  came  in  1774,  but  was  a  member  in 
Ireland  of  Dr.  Clark's  congregation  that  had  come  to  Salem 
eight  years  earlier.  He  settled  on  what  is  still  known  as 
the  McMurray  farm,  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Salem 
village.  Of  his  children,  John  settled  on  the  homestead  in 
Salem ;  Robert,  Jr.,  died  young,  having  marrried  a  daughter 
of  John  Whiteside,  of  Cambridge ;  James  never  married, 
died  in  1815,  a  merchant  in  Salem  ;  William,  a  minister, 
died  pastor  of  Market  Street  Reformed  church.  New  York, 
in  1835  ;  Jane  became  Mrs.  John  McCoy,  of  Argyle; 
Margaret,  Mrs.  Peter  Cruikshank,  of  Salem  ;  Nancy,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Stevenson,  of  Salem ;  Elizabeth  and  Su.san  were 
the  first  and  second  wives  of  Abner  Austin. 

Ebenezer  McMurray,  member  of  Assembly  in  1854,  now 
living  in  Salem,  and  Dr.  Robert  McMurray,  of  New  York, 
are  sons  of  John.  The  latter  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven,  having  passed  all  his  life,  except  the  last  few  months, 
on  the  farm  where  he  was  born.  AVilliam  McMurray,  of  New 
York,  son  of  the  minister  mentioned,  was  one  of  the  first 
police  commissioners  of  that  city  under  the  authority  of  the 
State,  associated  with  Thomas  C.  Acton.  Robert,  a  son  of 
the  Robert  who  died  young,  is  living  on  the  Whiteside  farm 
in  Cambridge. 

Ziiccheus  Ahoood  came  from  Barre,  Mass.,  about  1804, 
and  settled  in  Salem  on  the  present  place  of  Mrs.  McKie. 
He  had  a  large  family  of  children, — Elijah  G.,  Charles, 
Abiathar,  Jlrs.  Benjamin  Cleveland,  Cyrus,  Anson,  Samuel, 
Mrs.  Pliny  Hall,  Mrs.  Dr.  Turner,  and  Mrs.  T.  R.  Weston. 


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HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COlLNTr,  NEW    YORK. 


127 


Charles  was  a  distinguished  inventor,  once  selling  the  right 
to  use  an  automatic  machine  for  putting  hooks  and  eyes  on 
the  papers  for  thirteen  thousand  dollars  in  a  single  town. 
Anson  is  also  an  inventor  of  note. 

Robert  Stetcarf  was  one  of  the  New  England  men  ;  set- 
tled about  three  miles  south  of  Salem,  in  what  is  now 
school  district  No.  4.  Of  his  children,  James  settled  in 
Putnam  ;  Robert,  not  married,  a  merchant  in  Greenwich  for 
a  few  years  ;  William  settled  adjoining  the  old  homestead, 
and  died  there ;  two  daughters,  Mrs.  Joseph  Clark  and 
Mrs.  Chester  Billings,  of  Salem.     The  latter  is  still  living. 

Alexuiider  Steicart,  another  pioneer,  left  two  sons, — 
David,  of  Salem,  and  James,  of  St.  Lawrence  countv ; 
daughters,  Mrs.  White,  of  Argylc ;  Mrs.  Blorcy,  of  Green- 
wich, and  the  second  wife  of  Abner  Carswell. 

Alexander  McNlsh  was  an  early  pioneer.  His  father 
came  to  this  town  with  him,  and  died  at  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  four ;  remembered  as  a  smart,  hale  old  man. 
He  went  to  town-meeting  the  last  spring  before  he  died, 
and  voted.  Alexander  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
William  McNish,  a  grandson.  His  children  were  William, 
who  settled  in  Salem  ;  Alexander,  Jr.,  who  went  west ; 
Dr.  McNish,  who,  after  practicing  several  years  in  Salem, 
also  went  west ;  Sally,  IMrs.  Thomas  Steele,  of  Salem ; 
Betsey,  Mrs.  Alexander  Steele.  Alexander,  Sr.,  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution ;  at  Schuylerville  he  was  shot 
through  the  shoulder  while,  with  one  or  two  other  bold 
spirits,  endeavoring  to  capture  horses  from  the  fields  just 
before  Burgoyne's  headijuarters,  on  the  Schuyler  farm. 
When  wounded  he  is  said  to  have  been  carried  over  the 
river  by  John  Rowan. 

John  Linnlit  lived  a  little  northeast  of  the  village.  Mrs. 
John  H.  Beattie  states  that  she  has  heard  her  father  speak 
of  John  Linnin  and  wife  coming  to  the  old  church,  the  wife 
riding  on  the  pillion,  behind  her  husband,  horseback. 

Joseph  McGracken  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  He 
lost  an  arm  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  He  is  intimately 
connected  with  the  early  history  of  Salem.  He  left  three 
sons, — John,  David,  and  Joseph, — who  settled  in  Salem. 
A  daughter  became  Mrs.  Nathan  Wilson. 

The  pioneer  McFarlands  consisted  of  two  brothers,— 
James  and  William, — and  with  them  a  nephew, — James. 
Another  brother  of  the  first  two — Daniel — came  somewhat 
later.  The  elder  James  was  a  bachelor.  The  j'ounger 
James  had  a  large  faiuily.  Of  his  children,  William,  James, 
Jr.,  John,  David,  Daniel,  and  Mitchell  settled  in  Salem. 
The  latter  never  married,  and  another  son,  Robert,  died 
young.  Daughters  were  Mrs.  Win.  Steele,  BIrs.  James  B. 
Stevenson,  Mrs.  William  H.  Stewart,  of  Salem,  and  one 
daughter  died  young.  A  son  of  John — James  McFarland 
— is  a  produce  dealer  in  Salem.  A  son  of  James,  Jr., 
above  is  a  merchant  in  Salem.  William,  the  pioneer,  is  un- 
derstood by  James  B.  Stevenson  to  have  settled  about  three 
miles  south  of  the  village,  and  one  son,  William,  removed 
to  Whitehall.  Daniel  McFarland,  the  third  of  the  pioneer 
brothers,  had  one  son, — Wm.  McFarland,  .sheriff  of  Wash- 
ington county,  elected  in  1825,  and  father  of  John  H. 
McFarland,  lawyer,  of  Salem.  Another  son  of  Daniel — 
John — settled  in  Hebron  ;  unmarried.  One  daughter,  un- 
married. 


William,  John,  and  Daniel  McCleary,  three  brothers, 
came  over  with  Dr.  Clark's  colony.  William  settled  just 
over  the  line  in  Rupert,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  the 
ftimily  of  the  late  Luther  Sheldon.  John  in  Hebron,  on 
the  farm  known  in  late  years  as  the  'Squire  James  Wilson 
place.  Daniel  in  Salem,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Wm. 
and  D.  D.  McCleary.  The  family  understand  there  was 
also  a  fourth  brother,  Tiiomas. 

The  sons  of  William  were  William,  Jr  ,  Thomas,  and 
another.  William,  Jr.,  married  a  sister  of  the  Mormon 
prophet,  Joseph  Smith. 

John,  the  pioneer  in  Hebron,  had  one  son,  Daniel. 

Daniel,  the  other  pioneer,  had  two  sons, — one  who  died 
in  youth,  and  John,  who  settled  in  Salem.  Daughters, — 
INIrs.  Chatham,  Mrs.  Joseph  Nelson,  Mrs.  Turquoine,  and 
Nancy,  unmarried. 

D.  D.  McCleary,  of  Salem,  is  a  son  of  John,  grandson 
of  Daniel. 

With  reference  to  John  Bhdceli/,  I'^benezer  Murray  states 
that  Rev.  John  B.  Dales,  of  I'hiladelphia,  is  a  connection 
of  the  Blakely  family  of  old  times  living  in  Salem. 

John  Rowan  came  with  Dr.  Clark's  colony,  and  settled 
south  of  Salem  village,  on  the  farm  known  in  late  years  as 
the  Brown  farm.  One  son — Stephen — settled  in  Salem, 
and  kept  a  hotel  on  the  site  of  the  present  depot.  His 
wife  was  a  daughter  of  Hamilton  McColIister,  and  a  son  is 
Deacon  Archibald  Rowan,  of  Argyle. 

John  Rowan  (2d),  another  pioneer,  known  as  "  Little  " 
John,  was  also  here  before  the  Revolution  ;  was  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Bennington.  His  place  was"  Rowan  Hill."  His  sons, 
William  and  Abram.  Daughters,  Mrs.  David  Lytic,  Mrs. 
Samuel  V.  Lytic.     The  two  pioneer  Johns  were  cousins. 

James  Rowan,  brother  of  "  Little"  John,  was  a  third 
pioneer.  His  sons  were  Stephen,  James,  Jr.,  and  Abram. 
The  latter  known  as  "  Big"  Abram. 

Stephen  became  the  distinguished  Rev.  Dr.  Rowan,  of 
New  York. 

Moses  Barftelt  lived  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Shushan, 
on  the  present  farm  of  Wm.  H.  Grocsbeck.  His  sons  were 
Moses  and  Thomas, — perhaps  others. 

Thomas  lived  where  Samuel  McArthur  now  resides,  in 
Camden  valley. 

William  Bell  was  an  early  pioneer  on  the  present  place 
of  Robert  Shaw.  Daughters  were  Mrs.  Wm.  McFarland, 
Mrs.  David  Edgar,  Mrs.  King,  of  Argyle,  Mrs.  Getty,  of 
Hebron. 

John  Savaye  and  his  sons  Edward  and  James  came  with 
the  New  England  colony,  and  were  united  in  the  Turner 
patent.  They  were  from  Pelham.  Edward  settled  on  the 
present  Hatch  place.  James  on  the  place  next  west.  John 
Savage,  the  father,  was  a  seafiviing  man  ;  had  lost  one  leg 
in  the  naval  service.  Edward  Savage  had  one  son,  John, 
the  well-known  chief-justice  of  the  State,  and  one  daugh- 
ter, wife  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sweetman,  of  Saratoga  county. 

Of  the  children  of  James,  Abram  settled  in  Salem  ; 
Thomas  in  Salem,  afterwards  removed  to  Argyle.  Daugh- 
ters were  3Irs.  Edward  Riggs,  of  Argyle,  Mrs.  Thomas 
Clark,  of  Argyle,  Mrs.  Ralph  Clark,  of  Argyle,  and  Mrs. 
John  McMurray,  of  Salem.  A  daughter  of  Ralph  Clark 
was  the  first  wife  of  Schuyler  Colfax. 


128 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Dr.  James  Savage,  now  of  Argyle,  i.s  a  son  of  Abram, 
and  another  son  was  the  late  Professor  Edward  Savage,  of 
Union  College. 

Major  Sle.pheii  Clopp  came  from  Connecticut  before  or 
during  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  was  a  soldier;  won  his 
title  in  the  service.  His  place  was  the  present  village  of 
Baxterville,  and  from  him  it  was  known  a.s  Clapp's  mills 
for  many  years,  a  term  that  might  appropriately  have  been 
continued  to  the  present  time. 

Of  his  children.  Constant  settled  tlie  other  side  of  the 
Kill,  in  Jackson  ;  Stephen,  Jr.,  also  in  Jackson  ;  Wheeler 
remained  at  the  mills,  better  known  as  Colonel  Ephraim  W. 
Clapp,  of  the  War  of  1812,  finally  removed  to  Anaquassa- 
cook  ;  Otis  settled  in  Moriah,  Essex  county,  after  being  a 
longtime  merchant  just  below  South  Salem  village;  Leonard 
H.,  a  merchant  of  Sulcm  village,  afterwards  removed  to 
Pittsford ;  Samuel  settled  in  Hebron,  kept  a  tavern ; 
Dwelly  now  living  in  Adrian,  Michigan.  Mrs.  Hiram 
Green,  daughter  of  Stephen  Clapp,  Jr.,  is  the  only  member 
of  the  family  left  in  Salem. 

William  Mattliews  and  David  Matthews  were  pioneers 
from  Ireland,  and  settled  in  the  McMurray  neighborhood. 
Wm.  Matthews  and  Robert  McMurray  married  sisters. 

David  was  the  father  of  James  M.  Matthews,  chancellor 
of  New  York  University. 

Samuel  Crozier's  homestead  was  a  part  of  the  present 
Thomas  Steele  farm.  Of  his  children,  William  settled  on 
the  homestead,  and  John  in  Jackson.  A  daughter  was 
Mrs.  William  Thompson,  of  Salem. 

Wm.  Brown.  This  name  appears  in  the  land  certificate 
for  No.  219,  220  of  the  Turner  patent.  This  is  just  above 
the  north  end  of  Cockburn's  patent.  The  name  was  after- 
wards common  farther  south  in  the  Camden  valley. 

The  pioneer,  Murtyii,  came  from  Ireland  in  1767  or  1768, 
and  settled  on  what  is  now  known  as  the  Smith  Brownell 
farm.  His  name  was  probably  Hugh.  He  was  accident- 
ally killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree  which  his  two  sons  were 
chopping.  One  of  his  sons,  John,  removed  to  New  Jersey. 
The  other,  Hugh,  settled  in  Salem.  A  granddaughter  of  the 
younger  Hugh,  Mrs.  Frazier,  is  a  resident  of  Salem  at  the 
present  time. 

Archibald  Gillis  settled  in  Argyle  about  the  time  Dr. 
Clark's  colony  came  to  Salem.  His  sons  were  James, 
Joseph,  and  John,  all  of  whom  settled  in  Argyle,  and  one 
daughter,  Mrs.  Leigh,  of  Argyle.  A  son  of  James  now 
resides  in  Salem. 

Gideon  Safford  was  one  of  the  New  England  colony. 
He  settled  on  the  present  farm  of  Joseph  Gillis,  in  Salem. 
His  sons  were  Chester,  Gideon,  Nathan,  Adin,  Thomas,  and 
at  first  settled  in  Salem ;  afterwards  scattered  somewhat. 
Daughters  were  3Irs.  John  Mclntyre,  Mrs.  Carswell,  Mrs. 
James  Turner,  Mrs.  James  Gillis,  Mrs.  John  Bradford, 
Mrs.  David  Stewart,  Mrs.  Elias  Rhodes. 

John  Duncan  was  an  eaily  pioneer  from  Scotland,  and, 
according  to  the  account  of  Miss  Jane  Duncan,  of  Salem, 
settled  first  in  Hebron.  He  had  at  least  two  sons  ;  one  died 
on  the  passage  over  the  ocean.  John  Duncan,  Jr.,  settled 
in  Salem,  on  the  place  now  owned  by  David  Duncan.  John, 
Sr.,  came  with  him,  and  died  in  Salem.  A  daughter  in 
the  original  family  was  Mrs.  Mclntyre,  of  Fort  Edward. 


Mathew,  Thomas,  and  Andrew  McClaiighrey  were  three 
brothers,  early  pioneers.  A  sister  became  Mrs.  Ebenezer 
Clark.  He  was  cleik  of  the  county  of  Charlotte,  appointed 
May  8,  1777. 

David  Thomas  was  the  well-known  general  of  old  times, 
proprietor  of  the  Turner  farm,  or  Ondawa  House,  for  many 
years,  and  father-in-law  of  George  Vaif,  the  noted  agricul- 
turist and  stock -grower  of  Troy. 

John  Gray  was  one  of  the  New  England  colony  from 
Pelham,  Mass.  He  settled  in  Salem,  on  what  is  known 
among  the  older  people  as  the  Harkness  place. 

Of  his  sons,  John,  Jr.,  settled  in  Salem  ;  Nathaniel  also 
in  Salem ;  later  in  life  removed  to  western  New  York  ; 
Isaac,  in  Salem  ;  one  daughter  was  Mrs.  Hulett,  of  Hartford. 

The  children  of  John,  Jr. — William  and  John — settled 
in  Salem.  James  kept  tavern  on  what  is  now  the  John  Clark 
place ;  afterwards  went  west ;  and  another  son  is  Judge 
Hiram  Gray,  of  Elmira. 

Nathaniel  Gray,  of  Camden  valley,  was  a  later  settler,  not 
connected  to  the  preceding  family.  Of  his  sons,  llossiter 
went  west ;  Alonzo  was  a  merchant  in  Salem  village  for 
many  years,  and  died  in  187-4;  Curtiss  went  west;  Lyman 
settled  in  Salem. 

Colonel  David  Gray,  of  Camden  valley,  was  of  another 
distinct  family,  as  his  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Alonzo  Gray, 
supposes.  He  had  a  brother,  Mathew.  Sons  of  David 
were  David,  Jr.,  Levi,  William,  Clark;  daughters,  Mrs. 
Hawley,  Jlrs.  Dr.  Holmes,  Mrs.  Ebenezer  Eldridge,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Wright,  of  Syracuse. 

Joseph  Welsh  lived  near  Salem  village  in  the  time  of  the 
Revolution.  It  is  a  story  come  down  in  the  family,  that 
Indians  came  to  their  home  once  and  were  offered  some- 
thing to  eat;  refusing,  they  retired,  but  carried  oflF  a  sheep 
and  killed  it. 

Ebenezer  Russell  was  from  New  England,  and  settled  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Warren  Burch.  Of  his  children, 
William  settled  on  the  homestead ;  another  son.  Dr.  Rus- 
sell, of  Cooperstown ;  a  daughter  was  Mrs.  Isaac  Powers. 
Ebenezer  Russell  was  a  distinguished  public  man  of  early 
times,  an  oflSeer  and  representative  enjoying  the  confidence 
of  the  people  for  a  long  series  of  years. 

David  Ilanna,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's  elders,  17G5-1767, 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Michael  Collins.  Three 
sons,  John,  Robert,  and  David;  two  daughters,  Mrs. 
William  Lytic  and  Mrs.  Sproules.  John  went  to  St.  Law- 
rence county.  David  to  Hebron.  Robert  remained  on  the 
homestead. 

William  T/iompson,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's  colony,  settled  in 
the  north  part  of  the  town.  His  sons  were  William,  David, 
and  John. 

James  Thompson  was  another  pioneer  at  the  .same  time, 
and  he  had  one  son,  James,  Jr. 

James  Stevenson  was  from  Paisley,  Scotland.  He  came 
to  this  country  just  before  the  ports  were  closed  by  the 
opening  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  vessel  in  which 
he  sailed  being  one  of  the  last  to  make  the  pa.ssage  unmo- 
lested. He  settled  in  Salem,  about  two  miles  east  of  the 
village,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  a  grand.son,  Thomas  S. 
Stevenson.  Of  his  children,  James  received  a  classical 
education,  became  a  noted  teacher  of  New  Jersey,  after- 


^  t  ^u  J   juZF7^Zni\^  -frvv 


MRS.    J.    B.    STEVENSON. 


THE   STEVP]NSON   FAMILY. 


This  family  traces  its  descent  back  to  the  emigrant,  James  Steven- 
son, who  was  a  native  of  Paisley,  Scotland,  and  with  his  wife,  Mar- 
garet Brown,  came  to  America,  settling  in  the  town  of  Salem,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1774,  and  just  as  the  blockading  of  the 
liiirbor  at  Boston  began  in  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 
The  children  who  emigrated  were  James,  Jenny,  and  John,  there 
being  born  to  them  after  arriving  in  this  country  two  sons,  David 
and  Thomas. 

Mr.  Stevenson  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Salefti, 
and  first  took  up  one  lot  of  eighty-eight  acres  upon  which  he  settled, 
and  on  which  his  grandson,  Thomas  S.  Stevenson,  now  resides,  the 
same  hind  remaining  in  the  family  ever  since.  His  first  rude  log 
cabin,  tlie  hardships  endured  to  meet  the  obstacles  of  pioneer  life,  the 
embarrassments  and  dangers  through  which  the  family  passed  on  ac- 
count of  the  presence  of  the  Indians,  would  fill  a  volume,  and  can 
only  be  referred  to  in  this  sketch ;  and  although,  pecuniarily,  the 
family  had  a  sufficient  competence  to  secure  the  home,  yet  a  home 
in  the  wilderness,  the  consequent  labor  in  clearing  off  the  forest,  estab- 
lishment of  school,  church,  and  other  kindred  interests,  required  effort 
and  resolution  characteristic  of  the  ancestry,  and  in  which  the  grand- 
children are  still  largely  interested. 

Mr.  Stevenson  and  wife  were  united  as  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  established  by  Dr.  Clark  in  1765,  at  Salem,  and  he  was  prom- 
inent in  the  councils  of  that  body;  he  was  an  elder  in  the  church 
for  many  years  previous  to  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  year 
179S,  his  wife  dying  in  the  year  171*9. 

Of  this  family  of  children,  James  graduated  in  Columbia  College, 
under  Dr.  Wilson;  married  Hannah  Johnson,  of  Morristown,  N.  J., 
by  whom  he  had  six  children;  spent  his  life  as  a  teacher,  and  was 
an  instructor  of  wide  repute,  having  been  principal  of  the  academies 
of  Eli/abethtown  and  Morristown,  N.  J.  Subsequently  going  to  New 
Brunswick,  he  was  principal  of  the  academy  there  for  some  seven 
years,  when  he  came  to  Salem  about  the  year  1812  and  took  charge 
of  the  Washington  Academy,  which  he  conducted  for  some  fifteen 
years,  and  afterwards  was  at  the  head  of  the  schools  at  Canandaigua. 
The  balance  of  his  life  was  spent  as  a  private  instructor.  He  died,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years,  in  the  year  1843. 

John  was  a  farmer  the  most  part  of  his  life;  spent  his  early  life  in 
the  county  of  his  adoption,  but  subsequently  moved  to  Steuben  county, 
where  he  died,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years,  in  the  year  ISfifi. 

Jenny  married  George  Telford  ;  resided  in  the  town  of  Argyle  until 
her  death. 

David  was  never  married  ;  lived  on  the  homestead,  and  died,  a 
young  man,  about  the  year  1S12. 

Thomas  remained  on  the  home^ead ;  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer ; 
was  an  elder  of  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  church  at  Salem  for  forty- 
five  years,  being  elected  and  ordained  to  that  office  in  1S09,  ten  years 
after  the  decease  of  his  father.  Elder  Thomas  Stevenson  was  a  man 
of  God,  of  cultivated  intellect  and  sound  Judgment,  and  one  whose 
whole  deportment  was  characterized  by  simplicity  and  godly  sin- 
cerity. It  was  frequently  said  of  him,  "  Behold  an  Israelite  in  whom 
there  is  no  guile."    He  died  Feb.  11,  1854,  aged  seventy-six  years. 

His  first  wife,  Nancy  McMurray  (married  1800),  had  two  children 
(twins),  James  Brown  and  Bobert  McMurray.  She  died  January, 
1802.     Robert  M.  was  educated  for  a  physician,  receiving  his  educa- 


tion at  Washington  Academy  and  Castleton,  Vt.  Practiced  his  pro- 
fession at  Salem  for  several  years,  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four 
years.    He  was  a  man  of  much  skill  and  prominence  in  his  profession. 

For  his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Mary  Steele,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Steele,  of  Salem,  about  the  year  1S02,  by  whom  he  had  two 
children,  Thomas  Steele  and  David  ;  the  latter  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years.  Mrs.  Stevenson  died,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years, 
March  22,  1856. 

James  Brown  Stevenson  was  born  Dec.  28,  1801 :  spent  his  early 
life  on  the  old  farm  and  at  the  district  school,  receiving  the  advantages 
of  the  academy  at  Salem.  He  at  the  age  of  twenty  began  teaching 
winters,  which  he  followed  for  some  five  years.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  he  married  Miss  Martha,  youngest  daughter  of  Captain  James 
McFarland  and  Margaret  Matthews,  of  Salem.  She  was  born  Aug. 
29,  1807 ;  was  a  woman  of  purity  of  life,  retiring  in  her  ways,  an  ex- 
emplary Christian,  and  received  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  her. 
She  died  Aug.  29,  1855. 

Mr.  Stevenson  has  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  the  town 
of  Salem,  and  by  industry  and  economy  secured  a  sufficient  com- 
petence to  place  him  beyond  the  apprehension  of  want.  About  the 
year  1829  he  became  a  member  of  the  chui-cb  of  his  ancestors  :  shortly 
afterwards  was  elected  and  ordained  elder  of  the  church,  and  still 
retains  that  office.  Elder  Stevenson  is  a  plain,  unassuming  man, 
possessed  of  that  integrity  of  character  that  graces  manhood  and 
makes  life  valuable  to  others.  He  has  never  taken  a  very  active  part 
in  politics :  was  first  a  AA^'hig,  but  is  now  a  Republican. 

He  has  had  four  children  ;  the  eldest  died  in  infancy.  Thomas  re- 
sides on  the  homestead  with  bis  father ;  married  Miss  Alida,  daughter 
of  William  A.  Russell,  of  Salem.  Is  a  man  active  in  the  political 
interests  of  his  town  and  county,  and  has  for  two  terms  represented 
his  assembly  district  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State  as  a  Republican. 

Robert  M.  is  a  merchant  of  Salem,  of  the  firm  of  R.  M.  Stevenson 
A  Co. :  has  been  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Salem  for  two  terms,  and 
is  serving  his  first  term  as  justice  of  the  peace. 

James  M.  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College  and  of  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary;  of  the  latter,  1864,  and  installed  as  pastor  of 
the  Second  Presbyterian  church,  Jersey  City  ;  but  after  a  very  suc- 
cessful pastorate  of  six  years  returned  home,  where  he  died  in  1871. 
AVas  married  to  Miss  Isabella  Rich,  daughter  of  Elder  James  Rich, 
of  Delaware  county. 

Thomas  S.  Stevenson  was  born  in  the  year  1S03,  December  17 ;  has 
spent  his  boyhood  and  manhood  on  the  farm  first  settled  by  his 
grandfather  on  coming  to  this  county.  In  the  year  1S40  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  R.,  daughter  of  James  Stevenson,  who  was  a  son  of  the 
emigrant.  They  have  no  children.  Characteristic  of  Mr.  Stevenson 
are  his  unobtrusiveness,  self-denial,  modest  and  unostentatious  ways. 
He  belongs  to  that  class  of  men  who  contentedly  and  quietly  move 
in  the  circles  of  society,  leaving  the  busy  bustle  of  the  world  at  one 
side.  AVith  such  men  our  court-houses  would  be  without  use,  attorneys 
without  labor,  and  society  pure.  He  is  a  quiet  member  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  has  been  an  unswerving  standard-bearer  of  the 
old  Whig  party. 

Mrs.  Stevenson  is  a  lady  of  rare,  good  common  sense  and  culture,  of 
great  decision  of  character,  and  retains  remarkable  activity  of  body 
and  mind  now  in  her  seventy-ninth  year,  having  been  born  in  1799. 


^A^nri^.J^,  Jtmf^TTMrO 


t,^  }}v^,    ^m 


RES.&  Farm   of    THOMAS    S  .  STEVENSON,  Saum, Washington  Co.N.Y. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


129 


wards  returning  to  Salem  as  principal  of  the  academy. 
John  settled  in  Salem,  afterwards  a  merchant  in  Hebron, 
and  then  moved  to  Bath,  Steuben  county.  IJavid  died  in 
middle  life,  unmarried.  Thomas  settled  on  the  homestead, 
and  died  there.  A  daughter  was  Mrs.  George  Tilford,  of 
Argyle.  James  B.,  a  son  of  Thomas,  resides  in  Salem, 
south  of  the  village. 

The  pioneer  families  of  Wru/hls  were  from  the  north  of 
Ireland.  Mrs.  Archibald,  a  descendant,  st^ites  that  the 
father  of  two  sons,  Samuel  and  Alexander,  came  over  with 
them,  bought  each  a  farm,  furnished  them  with  teams  and 
farming  implements,  and  bidding  them  for  the  future  to 
succeed  or  fail  by  their  own  eflForts,  set  sail  for  the  old 
world  again,  and  was  lost  at  sea  on  the  return  passage.  Of 
the  children  of  Samuel,  Samuel,  Jr.,  settled  first  in  Salem, 
afterwards  went  to  Argyle,  and  finally  to  Franklin  county. 
Moses  settled  in  Franklin  county.  Joseph  went  west. 
Alexander  settled  in  Salem.  A  daughter  of  the  pioneer, 
Alexander,  became  Mrs.  Andrew  Marty n. 

William  Cniikshank  came  from  Scotland,  about  the  time 
of  the  emigration  of  Dr.  Clark's  congregation.  His  wife 
was  the  widow  of  a  brother  of  Dr.  Clark.  He  purchased 
a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  north  part  of  the  town.  Of  his 
sons,  Peter  settled  in  Salem,  where  Peter,  Jr.,  now  lives, 
father  of  Robert  Cruiksliank,  postmaster  of  Salem.  George 
moved  to  Ohio. 

Thomas  Steele  was  from  the  north  of  Ireland ;  was  in 
Salem  very  early.  The  tradition  of  the  family  is  that  there 
was  only  one  house  in  Salem  village  when  he  came,  that  of 
James  Turner,  on  the  site  of  the  Ondawa  House.  He  set- 
tled on  the  Shushan  road,  on  a  farm  now  the  property  of 
Thomas  Steele,  a  grandson.  Of  his  sons,  John,  born  in 
Ireland,  settled  in  Salem.  Joshua,  in  Salem,  on  the  home- 
stead of  his  father.  Daughters  were  Mrs.  Thomas  Steven- 
son, Mrs.  Andrew  McNish,  both  of  Salem,  and  Mrs.  Rich- 
ard Hoy,  who  went  west.  A  granddaughter  of  Joshua, 
Mrs.  Frazier,  resides  in  Salem  village. 

James  Getty  was  an  early  pioneer  in  Salem.  The  old 
homestead  was  the  place  known  in  later  years  as  the  Haw- 
ley  farm,  southeast  of  the  village.  Of  his  children,  Ebeu- 
ezer  settled  in  Hebron.  Robert,  in  Lansingburg.  Isaac, 
in  Salem.  A  daughter,  Mrs.  Duncan  JIcNaughton,  of 
Argyle.  Mrs.  John  J.  Beattie,  of  Salem,  is  a  grand- 
daughter of  the  pioneer,  and  daughter  of  Ebenezer.  James 
Getty's  certificate  of  church  membership  in  Ireland  is 
preserved  among  the  papers  of  the  family  in  Hebron. 

John  Conner. — This  is  the  same  family  name  as  the 
noted  school-teacher  and  conveyancer  of  the  Camden 
valley. 

Thomas  Collins  was  a  New  England  man, — though  he 
became  an  elder  in  the  Scotch  church.  He  was  a  man  of 
sound  judgment  and  lived  to  a  great  age.  One  son  was 
Ebenezer. 

John  Lain,  born  in  1743,  came  from  Lisburn,  Ireland, 
to  America  in  the  summer  of  1773.  His  family  consisted 
of  liis  wife  and  two  children.  They  sailed  from  Belfast, 
arriving  in  New  i'^ork  after  a  long  and  tedious  voyage. 

After  residing  about  a  year  in  Albany  they  moved  to 
Salem,  and  settled  on  a  farm  a  little  north  of  the  present 
village  of  Shushan,  now  occupied   by  Oliver  Shedd.     In 
17 


November,  1784,  he  purchased  of  John  JIcFarland,  for 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  lot  205  of  Turner's  patent, 
in  Salem.  He  ahso  owned  for  a  time  a  tract  of  two  thou- 
sand acres  west  of  Lake  George,  the  tract  bearing  his  name 
in  after-years. 

He  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  an  anecdote 
remains  of  one  of  his  lawsuits.  It  was  a  case  of  assault 
and  battery.  Robert  Simpson,  the  constable,  with  the  par- 
ties, came  to  Mr.  Law's,  and  the  case  opened  with  the  fol- 
lowing address  from  the  court :  "  Robert,  we  must  make 
ourselves  comfortable  while  this  is  going  on.  Y'ou  go 
down  cellar  and  draw  a  mug  of  cider,  and  the  lads  here 
will  cut  off  some  sticks  for  the  fire  ;  and,  lads,  you  had 
better  leave  your  coats  in  the  house,  for  it  is  a  thick  log. 
We  want  a  back-stick  and  a  fore-stick."  The  plaintiff  and 
defendant,  laying  ofi'  their  coats,  attacked  the  wood-pile. 
The  next  official  step  :  "  Robert,  set  the  cider  on  the  hearth, 
and  just  draw  in  the  latch-string ;  the  lads  uae  come  in  till 
they  settle."  After  the  axes  had  been  plied  vigorously  for 
some  time  the  court,  through  the  door,  announced  the 
terms:  "Lads,  ye  nae  get  any  cider,  nor  your  coats,  nor 
come  in,  till  ye  settle."  And  the  order  was  executed.  In 
due  time  they  yielded  without  appeal,  warmed  up  over  the 
cider  and  the  fire,  and  went  home. 

Of  the  children  of  John  Law.  Thomas  settled  at  the 
brick  house  east  of  Shushan,  now  occupied  by  his  descend- 
ants ;  Isabella  became  Mrs.  James  IMcJMorris,  of  Jackson  ; 
John  settled  first  in  New  Y^ork,  and  about  1800,  returning 
to  Salem  on  account  of  the  yellow  fever  in  the  city,  he 
opened  a  store  near  what  is  known  as  the  "  Red  Grocerj'," 
and  passed  the  rest  of  his  life  in  Salem,  his  later  years  on  the 
present  farm  of  John  S.  Sherman  ;  Robert  I.  settled  on  the 
turnpike  near  Baxterville,  was  a  merchant,  came  to  Shushan 
in  the  same  business,  and  afterwards  succeeded  John  Law 
in  the  store  at  the  "  Red  Grocery,"  and  died  on  the  present 
place  of  David  Law  ;  Agnes  became  Mrs.  John  Irving,  and, 
after  Irving's  death,  Mrs.  Wm.  Monerief 

The  sons  of  Thomas  were  Robert  T.,  John  T.,  Thomas, 
Jr.,  and  Alexander  B.  Wm.  Law,  now  of  Shushan,  is  the 
son  of  John,  and  the  sons  of  Robert  I.  were  James,  Isaac, 
David, — still  living  on  the  homestead, — and  Edward,  in 
Illinois. 

Belhuel  Chnrch,  the  pioneer  at  Shushan  as  early  as  in 
or  before  the  Revolution,  had  two  sons, — Bethuel,  Jr.,  who 
lived  for  many  years  on  the  old  homestead,  finally  removed 
to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan  ;  Leonard  Chnrch,  a  lawyer  at 
Shushan,  died  only  a  few  years  since.  Of  Leonard's  chil- 
dren, A.  ]M.  lives  in  Troy,  and  Mrs.  Piser,  of  Shushan, 
and  Mrs.  Bartlett  are  daughters. 

Marcns  Liddlc,  from  Scotland,  was  an  early  pioneer  in 
Argyle.  His  son  Thomas  settled  in  Salem.  Of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  l-4^er,  George  and  Thomas  are  still  living. 
Leonard  31.  Liddle,  merchant,  is  a  son  of  John,  recently 
deceased. 

John  iVeviit's  pioneer  place  was  the  farm  now  owned  by 
John  H.  Beattie.     He  had  one  son, — John,  Jr. 

Geoiye  Gitnn. — The  land-certificate  indicates  that  he 
w:is  the  owner  of  lot  1G7,  in  Blind  Buck  holl&w,  in  the 
time  of  the  Revolution.  The  family  of  that  name  were 
principally  known  as  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  around 


130 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Shushan.  Two  remembered  by  Wm.  Law  were  Leander 
and  William,  probably  sons  of  the  pioneer. 

Robert  Gilmore  was  the  claimant  of  lot  83,  north  of 
Fitch's  point,  in  1789. 

It  is  known  that  John  Law,  Sr.,  married  for  liis  second 
wife  Widow  Elizabeth  Gilmore,  with  nine  children,  but  it 
is  not  certain  that  these  were  of  the  same  family. 

The  Ihmsdeii  family  were  connected  by  marriage  to  the 
Savage  family,  John  Hunsden's  wife  being  a  sister  of  Ed- 
ward and  James  Savage. 

The  Henderson  family  removed  to  Pittstown  at  an  early 
day.  Wm.  Beattie  succeeded  to  the  Henderson  homestead. 
One  of  the  farms  now  owned  by  the  sous  of  Thomas  Law 
was  called  the.Henderson  place.  There  were  several  names 
amcmg  the  pioneers  of  1777, — James,  Ebenezer,  and  Wil- 
liam. 

The  Hopkins  name  is  frequent  in  the  early  times — very 
extensively  in  Hebron.  In  Salem  the  fiiniilies  were  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  town,  near  the  Vermont  line. 

Richard  Hoy  married  the  sister  of  John  and  Joshua 
Steele ;  moved  to  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  The  Hoy  family 
were  mostly  in  Jackson,  near  the  flax-mill  west  of  JIcLean's 
pond. 

The  lands  of  the  J/oncTfV/' family  claimed  in  1789  were 
in  the  Upper  Black  creek  district,  Nos.  32,  41,48;  also 
124  at  the  peat  marsh.  A  descendant  in  after-years  oc- 
cupied the  farm  south  and  adjoining  the  farm  of  A.  B. 
Law,  at  Shushan.  The  pioneers  seem  to  have  been  Hugh 
and  William.  Hugh'.s  homestead,  the  present  William  J. 
Hanna  place;  and  his  children,  Coburn,  John,  William 
II.,  Hugh,  Jr.,  James,  Mrs.  William  Pierce,  Mrs.  Priudle 
Hebron,  and  another  daughter,  Hebron.  The  pioneer, 
William,  had  one  son,  William,  Jr.  The  homestead  was 
the  present  William  McKinTiey  place. 

Daniel  Madison  is  supposed  by  Mrs.  John  H.  Beattie 
to  have  been  an  early  school-teacher.  His  homestead  wa.s 
the  AV.  Barnsey  place.  No.  58. 

Alexander  McDonald  was  a  pioneer.  He  owned  lot 
150  ;  sons  were  Alexander,  Jr.,  James,  Isaac.  The  first 
was  an  early  teacher. 

Matthew  Mc  Whorter  was  a  son-iu-law  of  James  Turner. 
His  place  was  lot  162. 

James  3Ioore  was  an  early  pioneer,  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  town.  He  had  two  .sons,  James  and  Hugh. 
The  latter  lived  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  John  S.  Fos- 
ter, and  kept  a  hotel.  A  long  litigation  is  spoken  of 
between  the  Moores  and  the  proprietors,  Church  and  others, 
owners  of  the  water-power  at  Shushan.  It  is  said  that  the 
two  brothers,  Hugh  and  James,  were  opposed  to  each 
other  in  the  war  times, — one  loyalist,  the  other  Federalist. 

The  Smiths  were  very  early  settlers  in  the  Camden 
valley.  William,  in  1789,  was  a  claimant  on  Turner's 
patent  for  198,  nearly  adjoining  Cockburn's  patent,  and 
Henry  Smith,  for  283  and  284,  on  the  Batten  Kill,  above 
Baxterville. 

The  Simpson  family  were  settlers  of  Jackson.  Robert, 
the  constable  of  John  Law's  early  court,  was  from  that 
side  of  the  kill.  Two  distinct  families  were  in  this  section, 
the  one  Simpson,  the  other  Simson. 

John   Livingston,  claiming  lot   179,  John   Maines,  239, 


and  Benjamin  Harvey,  in  1789,  wore  probably  Hebron 
men,  either  then  or  soon  after.  The  latter  became  a  Bap- 
tist preacher  at  the  age  of  eighty,  preached  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, New  York,  when  he  was  one  hundred  and  twelve,  and 
died  in  Western  New  York,  at  one  hundred  and  fourteen. 

The  Dwelly  family  were  at  Clapp's  mills,  and  were  con- 
nected to  the  pioneer  Clapp.  Abner  Dwelly  wa.s  a  claim- 
ant, in  1789,  with  Henry  Smith,  to  lot  283,  above  Baxter- 
ville, on  the  kill.  The  family  afterwards  settled  in  Green- 
wich. 

William  Graham  and  John  Graham  each  had  a  son  of 
the  same  name.  They  lived  north  and  east  of  Shushan, 
as  will  be  seen  in  the  certificates ;  claimants,  in  1789,  to 
lots  2G6,  2G9,  288,  289.  A  sister  of  the  pioneer  brothers 
Law,  Mary,  married  a  Clark,  and  her  daughter,  Elizabeth, 
was  the  wife  of  John  Graham,  Jr. 

Robert  I'ennell  was  an  early  pioneer  in  the  Camden 
valley.     The  family  all  left  town  before  1815. 

Christopher  Page.  His  homestead  was  near  the  "  Red 
Grocery,"  and  the  family  moved  away  at  an  early  day. 

Andreto  Jackson  lived  in  the  Black  creek  district,  and 
was  connected  by  marriage  to  the  McNitt  family. 

David  Rice,  a  laud  claimant  for  No.  270,  just  east  of 
Shushan,  was  connected  with  the  Eldridge  fiimily,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  soon  after  removed  to  Cambridge.  As 
the  certificates  required  satisfactory  proof  of  actual  resi- 
dence in  the  Burgoyne  campaign,  he  must  have  been 
located  liere  for  a  time. 

Daniel  Rood's  homcfytend  was  the  present  farm  of  Thomas 
Kerslake.  A  family  of  the  same  name  lived  in  after-years 
on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Archibald  Armstrong. 

John  McCarters  homestead  was  in  Hebron  ;  Samuel's, 
the  farm  now  owned  by  John  McKeever ;  Robert's,  the 
present  place  of  William  SlcClary.  They  were  three 
brothers, — pioneers. 

J'Jphraim  Wheeler  was  an  early  settler  at  Baxterville, 
connected  to  the  Clapp  family,  a  son  of  the  latter,  Colonel 
Ephraim  W.,  bearing  his  name.  Two  sons  were  Amherst 
Wheeler  and  Paul  Wheeler.  The  latter  removed  to  Wis- 
consin. 

Ja)nes  Gambill,  claiming  lot  232,  in  178P,  George 
Guthrie,  201,  and  Joseph  Nelson,  104,  were  evidently 
Hebron  men  either  then  or  soon  after. 

The  McArthur  family  were  in  the  Camden  valley,  near 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  town,  and  deseeudants  are  still 
in  that  neighborhood. 

Jonathan  Barber  was  an  early  tavern-keeper  at  Centre 
Falls,  Greenwich.  About  1800,  James  Barber  lived  on  a 
part  of  the  present  farm  of  John  Sherman. 

Jolin  Dnidap  may  have  been  the  minister  of  that  name 
in  Cambridge.  A  son  of  the  latter  was  John  L.  Dunlap, 
for  many  years  a  physician  at  Shushan. 

Abner  CarsiccU's  sons  were  Ira,  David  P.,  and  Abner, 
Jr.  The  latter  died  young.  Mre.  James  McDaniel  was  a 
daughter.  The  old  homestead  was  the  present  Russell 
Smith  place.  Abner,  the  pioneer,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolution,  and  he  had  a  brother  David  taken  prisoner. 

Nathaniel  Carswell  was  another  early  settler,  a  black- 
smith. Of  his  children,  John  A.  went  west,  was  sheriff  of 
Racine  county,  Wis. ;  Nathaniel  Jr.  also  went  west.     His 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


131 


daughters  were  Mrs.  Adams  Lytle,  Mrs.  John  Chamber- 
lain, and  one  unmarried  still  living  in  Hebron. 

Daniel  Coon,  an  orderly  sergeant  of  the  Revolution, 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  a  great-grandson  of  the 
same  name.  His  sons  were  Rufus,  Samuel,  and  John. 
Daughters,  ]\Irs.  General  Wm.  Root ;  Mrs.  Wm.  Getty, 
Hebron  ;  Sarah,  married  a  Merrill,  and  for  a  second  hus- 
band Stephen  Rowan.  The  present  owner  of  the  farm  is 
a  grandson  of  Rufus  by  his  son  Thomas. 

John  McMichacVs  homestead  was  the  present  John 
Dillon  farm.     Sons  were  John  and  James. 

The  McNilt  homestead  was  the  present  Woodard  farm. 
His  sons,  Daniel,  known  as  the  deacon,  and  Alexander, 
who  went  west.  Daughters,  Mrs.  Thomas  McClaughrey, 
Mrs.  Whipple,  Mrs.  Thompson.  Daniel  was  the  father  of 
Captain  James. 

Alexander  Sunsons  homestead  was  the  present  Barkley 
farm.  One  son,  Alexander  Jr.  Daughters,  Mrs.  Jacob 
McEachron,  Mrs.  David  Carswell. 

Thomas  Oswald  lived  in  the  east  j)art  of  the  town.  His 
sons,  George,  James,  Thomas,  all  moved  away  in  early 
years. 

John  Morey,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  from  Orange 
county,  settled  in  1785  on  the  present  Chester  Martin 
farm.  April  1,  1792,  changed  to  the  homestead  now 
owned  by  his  grandson.  Sons,  John,  Erastus,  Matthew, 
Christopher.  John  went  to  Camillus,  N.  Y.,  Erastus  to 
Iowa.  Daughters,  Mrs.  Dratt,  Mrs.  Dr.  James  Turner ; 
Thankful  and  Julianna,  unmarried.  Tlie  present  owner  is 
a  son  of  Christopher. 

David  Edgar  was  from  Scotland,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's 
colony,  1765  to  17(57 ;  settled  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Gray  farm,  now  owned  by  B.  B.  Blair.  Sons,  D.ivid,  Jr., 
Joseph,  Robert.  The  last  two  went  west  about  1820  ;  tlie 
former  to  Canada.  A  daughter  was  Mrs.  James  Burnett, 
of  Shaftsbury.  The  latter  came  to  Salem  in  1803,  and 
was  killed  in  1805,  by  being  thrown  from  his  horse.  He 
had  three  sons.  Andrew  and  Robert  went  west.  John 
Burnett  resides  on  his  father's  homestead,  at  an  advanced 
age.  His  active  mind,  retentive  memory,  and  clear  state- 
ments have  been  of  great  assistance  in  preparing  many  of 
these  notes. 

John  McAllister  was  from  Ireland.  His  homestead  was 
the  present  place  of  James  Ferguson.  Of  his  children, 
Ebenezer,  Dr.  Archibald,  and  John,  Jr.,  settled  in  Salem. 
Daughters,  Mrs.  Collins  Whitehall,  Mrs.  Wm.  McFarland 
(he  was  known  as  Yankee  Billy),  Mrs.  Alvin  Goodrich, 
Mrs.  Ross,  of  Argjle. 

Thomas  Baker,  who  was  in  the  Revolutionary  army, 
settled  on  the  present  Owen  Smith  farm.  Sons  were  Asa- 
hel,  Nathaniel,  and  Thomas,  Jr.  Daughters,  Mrs.  Wm. 
II.  Moncrief,  and  there  were  others  who  went  west. 

C.VMDEN   VALLEY. 

In  securing  the  following  special  items  upon  this  section 
of  the  town,  we  arc  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  David  V. 
T.  Qua  for  the  use  of  valuable  papei-s  in  liis  poissession  and 
copious  notes  made  by  him  as  a  member  of  the  town  his- 
torical committee,  which  was  appointed  in  the  spring  of 
1S7G,  consisting  of  Hon.  James  Gibson,  Dr.  Asa  Fitch, 


William  Law,  Esq.,  Hon.  John  McDonald,  and  David  V. 
T.  Qua. 

Land  Grants  Inj  the  King. — May  19,  1770,  a.  patent  fur 
two  thousand  three  hundred  acres  of  land  was  issued  "by 
his  majesty.  King  George  the  Third,  to  Bjnjamin  Tinnoson, 
Moses  Ibbet,  Joseph  Lawrence,  John  Watts,  John  Andrew 
Castroft,  John  Brodie,  Muir  Trotter,  lati  .sergeants,  John 
Wesield,  late  corporal,  George  Goodshield,  late  drummer, 
Samuel  Baines,  William  Fisher,  John  McPherson,  Patrick 
Leary,  Martin  Askill,  Timothy  Hough,  Casper  Latlicrraan, 
Godfrey  Ilarpest,  John  Brown,  Herman  Snow,  Peter  Li- 
braugh,  Stephen  Chasey,  David  Hartshorn,  Patrick  Mul- 
rany,  William  Blair,  Martin  Hcrni.sh,  John  Welch,  George 
Younkers,  John  Clifford,  and  Donald  Mclnnis,  late  private 
soldiers  of  our  regiment  of  foot." 

The  land  is  described  as  lying  adjoining,  and  ea-st  of 
what  is  known  as  Alexander  Turner's  patent,  and  the 
boundaries  are  as  follows  : 

••  Begins  at  a  small  beech  tree  on  the  west  bank  of  Batten  Kill, 
marked  D.  S.  and  I.  JI.,  distant  thirty-one  chains  and  two  rods  on 
a  course  north  forty  degrees  east  from  a  hejniock  tree  or  saplinj; 
standing  on  the  south  side  of  said  kill,  marked  by  ArchibaM  Camp- 
bell, in  .July,  1705,  with  the  letters  I.  C.  for  the  northeast  corn':r  of  a 
tract  of  land  granted  to  Ryan  .Sebenncrhorn  and  others,  and  runs 
from  said  beech  tree  north  twelve  chains  and  two  rols:  then  west 
forty  chains :  then  north  sixty-five  chains  and  sixty-three  links ;  then 
east  forty  chains;  then  north  one  hundred  and  twonty-fivo  chains  and 
eighty-seven  links;  then  west  seventy  chains  to  the  east  bounds  of 
Turner's  patent;  then  along  the  said  east  bounds  of  said  patent  to  the 
Batten  Kilt ;  then  up  the  stream  of  said  kill,  as  it  winds  and  turns,  to 
the  beech  tree  or  place  of  beginning.  Containing  two  thousand  three 
hundred  acres,  with  the  usual  allowance  for  highways." 

This  is  the  original  Carabden  tract,  and  the  name  Caiub- 
den,  in  late  years  written  Camden,  seems  to  have  been  given 
to  it  either  by  Duane  or  the  colonial  authorities,  as  the 
name  Camden  is  not  among  the  patentees,  nor  does  there 
seem  to  be  anything  in  connection  with  it  in  this  country 
to  originate  the  name.     It  is  an  old  English  name. 

These  lands  became  the  property  of  James  Duane  in  two 
or  three  years  after  they  were  granted  by  the  king. 

May  23,  1770,  under  authority  of  Lieutenant-Governor 
Colden,  the  surveyor-general,  Alexander  Golden,  surveyed 
and  laid  out  for  Archibald  McFarland,  late  private  soldier 
in  his  majesty's  Sixth  Regiment  of  foot,  and  John  Foy,  late 
private  soldier  in  one  of  his  majesty's  independent  compa- 
nies, a  tract  of  land  north  of  the  Batten  Kill,  adjoining  and 
east  of  the  Camden  tract,  containing  one  hundred  acres, 
with  the  usual  allowance  for  higliw;iys. 

May  23,  1770,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  north  of 
and  adjoining  this  land  of  Archibald  McFarland  and  John 
Foy,  was  granted  to  Ross  McCabe.  Philip  Kihier,  late  of  the 
Eighteenth  Regiment,  John  Swift,  and  Charles  Rams;iy, 
late  of  the  Sixtieth  Regiment,  and  Thomas  Eaton,  late  of 
the  Forty-sixth. 

May  23, 1770,  one  hundred  acres  of  land  east  of  and  adjoin- 
ing the  lot  of  two  hundred  and  filly  acres  described  above, 
and  extending  to  the  Vermont  lino,  were  granted  to  Edwjird 
Rogers  and  Crismus  Howell,  late  private  soldiers  of  hi.s 
majesty's  Sixtieth  Regiment. 

May  23,  1770,  a  tract  of  two  hundred  acres  west  of  and 
adjoining  the  McCabe  lot  of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  ex- 
tending to  the  Turner  patent,  was  surveyed  for  John  Crab- 


132 


HISTOKY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


tree,    late   sergeant    in    Lis    majesty's    Thirty-fifth    Regi- 
ment. 

June  12,  1775,  a  tract,  containing  seven  hundred  acres 
lying  north  of  the  Batten  Kill  and  east  of  the  so-called 
Camden  tract  of  two  thousand  three  hundred  acres,  and  ex- 
tending to  the  Vermont  line,  was  granted  to  William  Blax- 
well,  "gentleman,  a  reduced  deputy  commissioner  of  stores, 
having  served  in  North  America  during  the  late  war."  Also, 
in  the  same  patent  to  the  same  William  Maxwell,  a  tract 
of  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  acres  farther  north,  comprising 
what  appears  on  recent  township  maps  as  the  north  part  of 
the  Camden  valley. 

The  first  tract  of  seven  hundred  acres  now  constitutes  the 
farm  of  David  Law  and  Almond  Sweet,  and  has  passed 
down  from  the  original  patentees  with  few  changes. 
Though  described  as  north  of  the  Batten  Kill,  yet  there 
seems,  from  the  original  papers  in  the  possession  of  Wm. 
Law,  of  Shushan,  to  have  been  a  small  tract  patented  to 
Munro  between  the  seven  hundred  acres  and  the  kill. 

The  several  tracts  thus  far  described  constitute  the  tri- 
angular portion  of  the  town  southeast  of  the  great  Turner 
patent.  There  was  apparently  some  interference  in  these 
grants.  The  patent  to  Trotter,  and  another  marked  Innis 
on  the  map,  were  on  the  Camden  patent  of  two  thousand 
throe  hundred  acres.  This  may  have  been  due  to  the  pur- 
chase of  soldiers'  rights  beforehand  by  the  patentees  of  the 
two  thousand  throe  hundred  acres,  and  therefore  no  real 
interference. 

As  already  stated,  James  Duane  purchased  in  a  short 
time  the  Camden  tract,  and,  according  to  the  subsequent 
papers,  he  also  became  the  owner  of  two  other  small  lots, 
one  a  hundred  acres,  the  other  fifty.  It  is  not  exactly 
clear  where  the  last  two  were,  but  they  may  have  been  the 
strip  south  of  the  Maxwell  patent  of  seven  hundred  acres, 
and  known  as  Munro 's. 

The  lands  acquired  by  James  Duane^  under  a  leasehold 
tenure,  were  granted  by  him,  reserving  a  perpetual  annual 
rent  of  sixpence  per  acre,  to  Philip  Embury.  Tiiis  docu- 
ment, written  on  parchment,  is  in  the  possession  of  BIr.  Wil- 
liam Edie,  now  residing  on  what  was  the  Philip  Embury 
homestead.  The  lease  is  dated  May  1,  1773.  James 
Duane  is  named  as  party  of  the  first  part.  Philip  Embury, 
Esq.,  David  Embury,  Paul  Heck,  John  Dulmage,  Edward 
Carscallon,  Peter  Sparling,  Valentine  Detler,  Abraham 
Bininger,  Peter  Miller,  and  Nathan  Hawley,  farmers,  and 
Elizabeth  Hoffman,  widow,  in  trust  and  for  the  Uise  of  her- 
self and  her  children,  all  of  West  Camden,  parties  of  the 
second  part. 

The  lands  are  described  as  in  the  township  of  West  Cam- 
den, and  granted  by  his  majesty  in  three  separate  tracts, 
known  as  1st  lot,  2d  lot,  and  3d  lot.  The  1st  lot,  the 
Camden  tract  of  two  thousand  three  hundred  acres ;  the 
2d  lot,  fifty  acres ;  the  3d  lot,  two  hundred  acres, — the  last 
two  adjoining  the  Camden  patent. 

The  rent  was  payable  on  the  first  day  of  May  in  each 
year.  The  grantees,  before  signing  this  paper,  executed 
an  agreement  (endorsed  upon  it)  stating  the  respective 
amounts  of  land  each  was  to  have.  Philip  Embury,  one 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  and  one-half  acres  ;  Peter  Spar- 
ling, one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  and  one-half;  David 


Embury,  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  ;  Edward  Carscal- 
lon, tliree  hundred  and  seventy-five  ;  Abraham  Bininger, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  ;  Paul  Heck,  two  hundred  and  fifty ; 
John  Dulmage,  two  hundred ;  Elizabeth  Hoffman,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  ;  Valentine  Detler,  three  hundred 
and  twelve  and  one-half;  Peter  Miller,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five ;  Nathan  Hawley,  having  the  right  of  the 
widow  Moore,  one  hundred  and  nineteen  and  one-half 

This  document  posses.ses  not  only  considerable  value  for 
the  purpose  of  explaining  land-titles,  but  also  much  of  his- 
toric interest,  as  the  principal  grantee  was  the  founder  and 
apostle  of  American  Methodism  ;  and  his  autograph,  writ^ 
ten  one  hundred  and  five  years  ago,  leads  the  list  of  signa- 
tures. Here,  too,  may  be  seen  the  autograph  of  Abraham 
Bininger,  one  of  the  earliest  Moravian  ministers  in  the 
United  States,  and  whose  descendants  were  mainly  instru- 
mental in  sustaining  for  many  years  a  church  of  that  faith 
in  the  Camden  valley. 

The  names  of  John  G.  Leake,  John  Roberts,  Jr.,  John 
Dulmage,  and  John  Embury  are  appended  as  witnesses. 
A  bond  was  attached,  by  which  Duane  was  required  to 
give  separate  conveyances  to  each  of  the  grantees  for  their 
respective  amounts  of  land,  whenever  a  map  executed  at 
the  expense  of  the  grantees  should  be  completed.  The 
rent  of  these  lands  having  fallen  in  arrears,  new  leases  wore 
given,  reserving  an  annual  rent  of  six  pounds  of  wheat 
per  acre. 

A  memorandum  of  the  names  and  location  of  the  lessees 
shows  quite  fully  the  early  settlers  of  1796  to  1800  : 

Lots  1,  2,  3  were  leased  to  Peter  Switzer,  the  farm  now 
occupied  by  William  Eddie.  Lot  No.  4  to  John  Patterson, 
a  part  of  John  L.  Sherman's  present  farm.  Lots  Nos.  5 
and  6  to  John  Bininger,  constituting  now  portions  of  the 
farms  of  John  L.  Sherman  and  Edward  G.  Fleming.  No. 
7  to  Jacob  Patterson,  a  part  of  the  present  Fleming  farm. 
Nos.  8  and  9  to  IMichael  McCabe,  now  a  part  of  Sidney 
Ru.ssell's  farm.  No.  10  to  Michael  McCabe,  now  a  part 
of  John  L.  Sherman's  farm.  No.  11  to  Jacob  Patterson, 
now  a  part  of  John  L.  Sherman's  farm.  No.  12  to  John 
Patterson  and  Jacob  Archer,  now  a  part  of  Samuel  Mc- 
Arthur's  farm.  No.  13  to  John  Patterson,  now  a  part  of 
Abner  West's  fiirm.  Nos.  l-t  and  15  to  James  Archer, 
now  James  Murphy's  farm.  Nos.  16  and  17  to  Robert 
Montgomery,  now  divided  into  small  wood-lots.  No.  18 
to  John  Mack,  now  occupied  as  wood-lots.  No.  19  to 
David  Patterson,  now  a  wood-lot.  No.  20  to  Robert  Mont- 
gomery, now  divided  into  wood-lots.  No.  21  to  David 
Gray,  now  occupied  as  wood-lots.  No.  22  to  William 
Cristy,  now  Ebenezer  Austin's  farm.  Nos.  23,  24,  25,  20 
to  James  Wier,  a  part  of  Mrs.  Thomas  Liddle's  present 
farm.  No.  27  to  William  Cristy,  now  occupied  as  wood- 
lots.  No.  28  to  David  George,  now  a  part  of  William 
Grocsbeck's  farm.  No.  29  to  Robert  Montgomery,  now 
the  farm  of  Hollis  Bruce.  Nos.  30  and  31  to  David 
Patterson,  now  portions  of  the  farms  of  William  Austin, 
Elijah  Harris,  and  Ira  Robinson.  No.  32  to  Abraham 
Bininger,  now  the  farm  of  Freeborn  Sweet.  No.  33  to 
Robert  Montgomery,  now  a  part  of  Dyer  Baldwin's  farm. 
No.  34  to  Jacob  Patterson,  now  a  part  of  William  T. 
Foster's  flu-m.     No.  35  to  James  Archer,  now  belonging 


\ 


General  Isaac  Bininger  was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  15, 1797.  His  great-grandfather, 
a  Moravian  minister,  was  a  native  of  Switzerland ;  left 
that  country,  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  on  account  of 
religious  persecution,  emigrated  to  America,  and  while  on 
shipboard  both  the  parents  died,  leaving  the  two  sons,  Abra- 
ham and  Christopher,  to  come  to  the  new  country  as  orphans. 

On  board  the  same  ship  was  John  Wesley,  the  founder  of 
Methodism,  and  he  was  so  impressed  with  the  religious  devotion 
of  the  Moravians  on  shipboard,  that  he  thought  he  himself 
had  never  been  converted.  In  possession  of  the  general  is 
now  a  mahogany  chair  brought  over  by  the  brothers,  which  is 
of  historic  interest,  not  only  as  a  relic  of  over  a  century  and 
a  half,  but  also  as  having  been  a  seat  for  the  great  John  Wesley 
on  shipboard. 

Of  Christopher  little  is  known  after  the  two  bi-others  came 
to  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  where  it  is  certainly  known  that  Abraham 
was  educated  for  the  ministry.  At  the  close  of  his  studies  he 
went  as  a  missionary  to  the  West  Indies,  where  he  had  first  to 
be  sold  as  a  slave  before  he  was  allowed  to  preach  the  gospel. 
He  subsequently  returned  to  Bethlehem,  and  was  .sent  out  as 
a  missionary  among  the  Indians,  under  William  Penn's  pro- 
tection. The  balance  of  his  life  was  spent  as  a  missionary, 
until  he  removed  to  Camden,  Washington  county,  about  the 
year  1764,  settled  on  a  farm,  where  he  lived  until  he  died, 
March  8,  1811,  aged  ninety-one  years,  leaving  four  sons,  John, 
Joseph,  Isaac,  and  Abraham. 

Isaac,  father  of  the  general,  was  drafted  as  a  soldier  in  tlie 
Revolutionary  war  ;  went  to  Whitehall  and  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Indians  ;  was  taken  to  Montreal,  and  kept  for  some  throe 
years,  when  he  was  released  through  the  interposition  of  his 
brother  John,  who  was  in  Canada,  holding  an  office  under  the 
king.  During  this  time  the  homestead  was  robbed  by  tlie 
Tories  and  Indians  of  everything  of  value.  Eeturning  to 
Camden  valley  in  the  year  1787,  Nov.  15,  Isaac  went  into 
business  as  a  merchant  in  a  general  country  store,  receiving 
his  goods  from  New  York  from  his  brother  Abraham,  and 
carting  them  with  an  ox-team  from  Lansingburg.  He  carried 
on  this  business,  together  with  the  manufacture  of  potash,  for 
several  years,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  carried  on  farm- 
ing on  the  old  homestead.  He  died  July  30,  1827,  aged  sixty- 
seven  years,  leaving  eleven  children,  of  whom  General  Binin- 
ger was  the  eldest  son. 


i-ia-r-'dL^ 


Oyu^^/'^ 


""^-^^-O^^ 


General  Bininger  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  the  farm  at 
home.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  the 
store  of  Robert  K.  Law,  of  Shushan,  where  he  remained  for 
some  five  years,  when  he  bought  out  Mr.  Law's  interest  in  the 
store,  and  successfully  carried  on  the  mercantile  business  for 
twent\--two  years,  a  part  of  which  time  he  had  a  store  at 
Eagleville,  which  he  had  built  and  carried  on.  After  the 
close  of  his  career  as  a  merchant,  he  bought  a  fixrm  in  the  town 
of  Salem,  upon  which  he  now  resides. 

In  politics,  General  Bininger  has  always  stood  an  unswerving 
standard-bearer  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  took  the  front 
rank  in  the  political  interests  of  his  vicinity  in  his  day.  While 
he  was  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Mr.  Law  he  was  elected  corporal 
of  militia,  and  has  been  promoted  through  regular  gradations 
of  office  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  of  the  Sixteenth 
Brigade,  Tenth  Division  New  York  Militia,  with  commission 
by  Governor  Marcj',  dated  Sept.  5,  1834,  which  rank  he 
resigned  at  the  end  of  about  seven  years,  with  resignation 
dated  Dec.  31,  1840,  and  signed  by  Kufus  King,  adjutant- 
general. 

While  a  merchant  at  Shushan  he  was  appointed  postmaster, 
which  office  he  held  for  some  fifteen  years.  In  the  year  1825, 
Feb.  23,  tie  married  Miss  3Iary,  fourth  daughter  of  Rev.  Wni. 
McCullar,  of  Shushan.  She  was  born  May  23,  1801,  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  an  exemplary  Christian 
woman  in  all  her  ways.  She  died  Feb.  19,  1829.  For  his 
second  wife  he  married,  Oct.  4,  1830,  Miss  Gloreyanna,  third 
daughter  of  the  Honorable  Simon  Stevens,  of  Greenwich, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.     She  was  born  July  13,  1807. 

To  tlie  General  and  Mrs.  Bininger  have  been  born  seven 
children.  Three  died  young,  and  four  sons  grew  to  manhood  : 
William  (deceased),  Henry  L.  (deceased),  Albert  I.,  and 
Abraham.  The  two  surviving  sons  reside  with  the  general. 
The  latter  married  Miss  Maggie  Robertson,  of  Cambridge,  this 
county,  Jan.  25,  1870. 

William  was  cut  oft' prematurel.v.  Had  become  a  very  suc- 
cessful merchant  at  Milwaukee,  and  his  natural  business 
ability  and  good  judgment  had  won  for  him  the  very  high 
esteem  of  the  best  business  men  with  whom  he  had  been 
associated.  He  died,  while  home  on  a  vi-sit,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years,  having  been  married  to  Miss  Harriet 
Volentine,  of  Aurora,  111.,  daughter  of  Daniel  Volentine,  for- 
merly of  Shushan,  Washington  county. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


133 


to  the  estate  of  Richard  West  and  a  part  of  tlie  farm  oc- 
cupied by  I.  Mattison.  No.  36  to  Robert  Montgomery, 
now  the  farm  of  John  Dwjer.  No.  37  to  David  Patter- 
son, now  a  part  of  John  Dwyer's  farm.  No.  38  to  John 
Bininger,  now  a  part  of  John  L.  Sherman's  farm.  No.  39 
to  John  Patterson,  a  part  of  John  L.  Sherman's  farm. 
No.  40  to  James  Archer,  now  Henry  F.  Robinson's  farm. 
No.  41  to  Jacob  Patterson,  now  James  Law's  farm.  No. 
42  to  James  Potter,  now  a  part  of  James  Blatteson's 
farm.  No.  43  to  James  Archer,  now  a  part  of  tlie  forms 
of  James  Wallace  and  James  Matteson.  No.  44  to  Jacob 
Patterson,  now  a  part  of  William  T.  Foster's  farm.  No. 
45  to  Robert  Montgomery,  now  a  part  of  Dyer  Baldwin's 
farm.  No.  4C  to  Abraham  Bininger,  now  a  part  of  the 
farms  of  Dyer  Baldwin  and  James  Wallace.  No.  47  to 
David  Patterson,  now  occupied  as  a  part  of  the  farms  of 
James  Wallace  and  Dyer  Baldwin.  No.  48  to  James 
Archer,  now  part  of  Henry  P.  Robinson's  farm.  No.  4!) 
to  Jacob  Patterson,  now  owned  by  James  Law  and  George 
W.  Robinson.  No.  50  to  John  March,  parts  of  which  are 
now  occupied  by  James  Law,  Worden  Woodard,  William 
T.  Foster,  and  James  Wallace. 

We  add,  also,  tlie  purchasers  of  the  eleven  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  Cockburn  patent,  by  lots :  No.  1 ,  James  Weir ; 
No.  2,  William  Cri.stie ;  No.  3,  D.  Tyrrell ;  No.  4,  Gideon 
Smith  ;  No.  5,  Hugh  Montgomery  ;  No.  6,  Henry  Mont- 
gomery ;  No.  7,  William  Cristie ;  No.  8,  David  Gray ;  No. 
9,  William  Henderson;  No.  10,  Edward  Wheeler;  No.  11, 
Hugh  Montgomery  ;  No.  12,  Henry  Montgomery  ;  No.  13, 
Michael  Conly ;  No.  14,  William  Henderson;  No.  15, 
David  Gray;  No.  16,  William  Henderson;  No.  17,  David 
Gray ;  No.  18,  Henry  Montgomery  ;  No.  19,  James  Wier  ; 
No.  20,  William  Cristie;  Nos.  21,  I.  Freeman;  Nos.  22, 
23,  Michael  Conly ;  No.  24,  James  Wier. 

Upon  the  seven-hundred-acres  tract  of  the  Maxwell 
purchase  the  CaldwoUs  were  early  settlers,  and  their  de- 
scendants for  many  years ;  Isaac  Gerard  and  Thomas 
Flanders  somewhat  later ;  John  Gainer,  Thomas  McMorris, 
and  Almond  Sweet. 

Camden  VuJley  and  the  South  fart  of  the  Toivii — Fam'dij 
Notices  and  Miscellaneous  Items. — Chunks  brook,  spelled 
Jenkes  on  the  modern  maps,  takes  its  name  from  an  old 
Indian  who  lived  on  its  banks  after  the  advent  of  the  white 
men.  This  tradition  comes  down  from  George  Peck,  one 
of  the  earliest  surveyors. 

Ebenezer  Harris,  of  Connecticut,  came  to  Camden  in 
February,  1788.  He  traveled  on  foot,  his  wife  on  horse- 
back, bearing  an  infant  six  months  old.  He  was  the  first 
teacher  of  Jared  Sparks,  afterwards  the  well-known  historian. 
He  taught  a  pioneer  school  in  the  valley  for  fourteen  years, 
and  in  the  same  house.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  by 
Bishop  A.sbury.  At  the  time  that  Harris  came  to  Camden 
there  were  inhabitants  enough  for  a  military  company.  It 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Gault.  The  captain  was  acci- 
dentally killed  at  a  muster,  and  a  dirge  written  by  Edward 
Harris  was  sung  at  the  funeral.  Tiie  latter  was  the  father 
of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Harris. 

Jared  Sparks,  the  future  historian,  seems  to  have  been 
in  the  Camden  valley  undtu'  the  care  of  Mrs.  Eldridge,  and 
to  have  been  the  pupil  and  ward  of  Ebenezer  Harris. 


Tlie  first  interment  in  tlie  old  Camden  burying-ground 
was  the  wife  of  Piiilip  Hoffman,  and  the  next  was  that  of 
Philip  Embury,  tlie  pioneer  Metiiodist. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  this  section  may  be  mentioned 
Colonel  David  Gray,  Nathaniel  (iray,  Theophiius  Ransom, 
George  Cloys,  Lemuel  and  Gideon  Smith,  Noah  Taylor, 
Zerah  Rider,  Silas  Boers,  Robert  Weir,  Ebenezer  Eldredge, 
Ebenezer  Harris,  Edward  Harris,  James  Harvey,  mercliant, 
William  Mitchell,  Levi  and  Jethro  Bonney  (the  latter 
succeeded  by  John  Crocker),  Ebenezer  Allen,  Isaac  Binin- 
ger, merchant  (whose   son    Jacob    now  occupies  the  old 

homestead),  Daniel   Squires, Dumphy  (succeeded  by 

Richard  Sutlill'),  Andrew  McNi-sh  (whose  descendants  now 
occupy  the  old  place),  Mr.  Gould  (who  has  numerous  de- 
.scendants  in  town),  Thomas  Shepherd,  Zalmun  Squires, 
Daniel  Clark,  Nathaniel  Tillotson,  Nahum  Ward  (succeeded 
by  James  Getty),  James  Archer,  Levi  Patterson  and 
brothers,  James  Beebe,  Harvey  Little,  Alexander  IMagoon 
and  brothers,  John  Switzer.  James  Harvey,  the  merchant, 
kept  store  in  the  Camden  valley,  on  the  place  now  occupied 
by  Dr.  Elijah  Harris.  He  was  afterwards  a  merchant  for 
many  years  at  Salem  village. 

The  following  epitaph  from  the  Camden  burying-ground 
has  so  much  of  historic  value,  we  copy  entire : 

"Here  repose  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  just  the  mortal  remains 
of  the  venerable  father  in  Christ,  Abraham  Bininger,  a  missionary 
of  the  United  Brethren  church  (commonly  called  tlie  Moravians),  who, 
after  serving  his  Divine  master  with  fidelity,  both  in  the  West  India 
island  of  St.  John  and  among  the  Indians  of  this  country,  retired  in 
the  decline  of  life  to  the  vale  of  Camden,  where,  with  patriarchal 
simplicity,  he  lived  in  communion  with  his  Redeemer,  a  pattern  of 
Christian  holiness  to  all  around,  and  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  full  of  tito 
hope  of  glory,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years,  two  months,  and  eight 
days.  lie  was  born  at  Buleich,  Canton  Zurich,  Switzerland,  January 
IS,  1720.     Departed  this  life  at  Camden,  March  26,  1811." 

Another : 

"  In  memory  of  three  children  who  were  burned  to  death  in  the 
absence  of  their  parents,  Thomas  and  Margaret  Flanders,  February 
'i,  1S08.     James,  eight  years  old;  Thomas,  seven;  and  Laura,  five." 

Isaac  Bininger,  a  son  of  the  old  minister,  was  in  the 
military  service  of  the  United  Stjites  in  1779  for  a  month, 
under  Captain  Levi  Stockwell.  In  October,  1780,  he  again 
joined  the  army,  in  Colonel  Sherwood's  regiment.  At  Fort 
Ann  he  was  taken  prisoner,  carried  to  Canada,  and  re- 
mained a  prisoner  until  the  close  of  the  war,  three  years. 

Among  the  very  old  inhabitants  of  the  valley  were  the 
Smiths,  Levi  and  jMattbew. 

Tiic  first  store  at  the  "  Lino"  in  Camden  valley  was  kept 
by  William  Bristol,  about  the  year  1835.  A  post-ofiico 
was  established  there,  called  "  Line." 

Another  early  store  was  Bininger's.  Edward  Harris  also 
kept  store  in  the  same  building  as  James  Harvey. 

A  succession  of  stores  were  kept  in  the  house  now  occu- 
pied by  John  Sherman. 

Dr.  Boies  was  a  physician  in  the  valley  about  1815. 

Gainer  bridge  w;is  built  by  Caleb  Orcutt,  io  1840.  A 
brid;^e  was  built  by  Robert  Law  ten  years  earlier,  on  the 
same  abutments.  Another  bridge,  a  few  years  earlier  than 
that,  was  placed  about  four  rods  above  it.  Still  earlier  by 
seven  years  the  bridge  had  stood  a  few  rods  yet  farther  up 
the  stream.  The  earlier  bridges,  however,  from  the  first 
settlement  down,  had  all  been  about  thirty-five  rods  below 


134 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NE-W   YORK. 


the  Gainer  bridge.  Over  this  was  the  main  line  from 
western  Vermont  to  Troy.     This  bridge  was  very  early. 

For  thirtj'  years  or  more  a  tavern  was  kept  near  it. 
Early  landlords  were  Asa  Hull,  Andrew  Powers,  and,  some- 
what later,  John  Gainer. 

Isaac  Merriam,  in  early  times,  built  a  tavern  now  used  as 
a  dwelling-house  by  Sidney  Russell.  After  Merriam,  Aaron 
Dean,  D.iniel  Hobart,  Thomas  Edie,  and  Edward  Law  kept 
the  tavern. 

The  old  "  yellow  store"  was  first  occupied  by  John  Law, 
about  1800  ;  later  by  Robert  R.  Law  ;  and  afterwards,  about 
1858,  by  Robert  I.  Law. 

The  bridge  at  the  bend  of  the  Batten  Kill,  between  John 
Sherman's  and  William  Edie's,  was  one  of  the  earliest  iu 
town  ;  originally  built  about  1785.  It  was  used  down!  to 
about  1809.     A  foot-bridge  was  kept  up  some  years  later. 

The  red  bridge,  a  very  old  landmark,  and  so  common  as 
to  become  the_name  of  a  school  district,  was  the  route  of 
the  old  Northern  turnpike  over  the  Batten  Kill. 

Earlier  than  this,  however,  the  great  line  of  Montreal 
travel  southward  passed  farther  up  the  valley  to  the  great 
southeastern  angle  of  the  stream,  and  crossed  at  Bloore's 
bridge,  now  Foster's.  Moore  for  a  long  time  kept  a  noted 
tavern  there.  Another  tavern  was  north  on  this  same  route, 
at  the  present  Murphy  pl.ice.  Still  another  at  the  place  of 
George  Austin,  better  known  to  the  older  people  ;is  the 
Rowan  hill. 

For  this  entire  article  upon  the  Camden  valley  and  the 
south  part  of  the  town  we  arc  largely  indebted  to  Wm.  Law, 
of  Sliushan,  who  possesses  many  valuable  documents,  sur- 
veys, and  maps,  and  who  added  his  personal  recollections 
upon  many  important  points. 

Dr.  Asa  Fitch  has  courteously  furnished  the  following 
notes  upon  matters  of  pioneer  interest,  as  well  as  further 
family  notices  in  addition  to  those  ah-eady  secured : 

On  the  Argyle  patent,  lot  68,  adjoining  Turner's  patent, 
first  lived  Timothy  Titus,  a  blacksmith,  having  his  house 
and  shop  near  the  Batten  Kill,  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  lot.  The  only  other  early  resident  was  Silas  Conkey, 
a  clothier,  who,  towards  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war, 
came  from  Pelham,  Mass.,  and  bought  the  other  lot,  67, 
and  occupied  a  small  log  house  upon  it  until  he  erected  his 
clothing-works  and  a  dwelling  on  the  north  side  of  the 
creek,  nearly  upon  the  east  line  of  lot  68.  These  two  were 
the  only  early  residents  in  that  part  of  Salem  taken  from 
the  Argyle  patent. 

The  taverns  licensed  in  1787  had  each  been  kept  many 
years  before.  The  tavern  of  Thomas  &  Turner  was  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Ondawa  House,  where  James  Tur- 
ner kept  a  public-house  from  nearly  the  first  settlement  of 
the  town.  The  tavern  of  Adam  and  Walter  Martin  was 
in  the  building  which  is  still  standing,  and  is  the  present 
residence  of  Dr.  Asa  Fitch.  The  Biningcr  tavern  was  in 
Camden,  in  the  old  Biniuger  house,  which  is  still  standing. 
Dr.  Pelatiah  Fitch,  grandfather  of  the  doctor,  opened  his 
house  at  Milliman's  corners  as  a  tavern  for  some  years  after 
he  first  came  to  town.  Dr.  Fitch  supposes  these  were  all 
the  taverns  iu  the  earliest  years. 

It  was  by  the  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  March  7, 
1788,  that  the  town  received  the  name  Salem, — given  to 


it,  no  doubt,  by  General  John  Williams,  who  was  then  the 
State  senator. 

Dr.  Clark's  colony  was  scattered  around  among  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Stillwater  during  their  stay  from  August,  1704,  to 
May,  1707,  and  also  through  Schaghticoke  ;  both  the  men, 
women,  and  larger  children  working  wherever  they  could 
find  employment,  taking  for  pay  whatever  clothing,  cooking 
utensils,  furniture,  or  other  articles  they  were  going  to  need 
in  their  new  home,  many  of  them  thus  obtaining  a  cow  and 
a  pig.  And  for  years  after  they  were  settled  in  Salem  many 
of  the  men  were  accustomed  to  go  back  there  to  work  during 
haying  and  harvesting  to  obtain  things  they  needed. 

Sheep  husbandry  had  long  been  a  leading  pursuit  of  the 
county,  when  the  opening  of  the  railroads  completely  revo- 
lutionized our  agricultural  pursuits  ;  the  culture  of  potatoes 
becoming  so  much  more  remunerative  (a  single  crop  often 
e(jualing  in  value  the  gi'ound  on  which  it  grows)  that  sheep 
were  no  longer  of  any  account,  and  the  noted  flocks  of  a 
former  d.ay  are  nearly  all  extinct.  The  McNish  flock  is  still 
preserved,  in  much  diminished  numbers. 

The  first  house  at  Fitch's  point,  and  the  first  house 
(built  of  logs)  in  town,  was  on  the  bank  of  the  Batten  Kill, 
some  eighty  rods  up  the  stream  from  the  corner  of  this  and 
the  Argyle  patent.  It  was  built  by  one  Germond,  who  also 
had  several  acres  of  land  cleared  and  in  cultivation,  known 
in  the  neighborhood  to  this  day  as  the  "  Jarniun  field." 
He  took  title  from  Lydius,  and  on  coming  to  find  his  title 
worthless  he  abandoned  the  place,  and  went  no  one  knows 
where.  When  Wm.  Blake  and  George  Telford  first  came 
to  this  vicinity,  August,  1772,  they  for  a  time  occupied  Ger- 
mond's  vacated  house. 

The  leading  exports  of  the  town  are  potatoes,  potatoes, 
potatoes,  to  both  the  New  York  and  Boston  markets.  Next 
to  this  in  value  is  probably  butter.  Besides  agricultural 
products,  roofing-slate  is  exported  largely. 

FAMILY    SKETCHES. 

Moses  Martin,  from  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  settled  at  Fitch's 
point  about  1708  ;  was  supervisor,  justice  of  the  peace,  etc. 
The  children  were,  first,  Aaron,  a  farmer  and  lumberman, 
of  Salem ;  second,  Miriam,  wife  of  Abner  Dwelly,  farmer, 
of  Greenwich ;  third,  Triphena,  wife  of  Augustus  Angel, 
carpenter  and  millwright,  of  Jackson,— removed  to  Chester, 
Warren  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  fourth,  Moses,  Jr.,  former  and  justice 
of  the  peace,  of  Salem  ;  fifth,  x\dam,  saddle-  and  harness- 
maker,  of  Salem  ;  sixth,  Anna,  wife  of  Abner  Glines,  of 
Greenwich, — Fort  Miller,  Ya. ;  seventh,  Asa,  farmer,  of 
Salem  ;  eighth,  Lydia,  wife  of  James  McNitt,  distiller  and 
farmer,  of  Salem. 

Colonel  Adam  Martin,  of  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  an  older 
brother  of  Moses,  during  the  Revolutionary  war  was  a  cap- 
tain of  one  of  the  Massachusetts  companies  in  the  Conti- 
nental army.  On  its  close  he  removed  to  Salem,  and,  in 
company  with  his  son  Walter,  purchased  the  grist- and  saw- 
mill and  farm  of  Wm.  Reid,  at  Fitch's  point,  and  erected 
the  large  dwelling-house  in  which  they  kept  tavern.  In 
1795  the}'  sold  out  to  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  and  Walter  then  kept 
store  in  Salem  village ;  and  having  purchased  a  township 
(Martinsburg)  in  Lewis  county,  they  removed  thither  in 
1803.     The  children  of  Colonel  Adam  were,  first,  Zerinah, 


34^.^/e    4'f'M^o^ 


r  CLINTON    F.  WILSON,  Salem, WASHiNcroN  Co.NY 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


135 


wife  of  Silas  Conkey ;  second,  Hon.  Walter,  above  men- 
tioned ;  third,  Sarah,  wife  of  Chillus  Doty, — removed  to 
Martinsburg.  He  was  there  sheriff  and  general  agent  of 
Walter  Martin.  Their  son,  James  Duane  Doty, — born  in 
Salem,  Nov.  5,1800, — was  territorial  governor  of  Wiscon- 
sin, and  subsequently  of  Utah,  also  superintendent  of  Indian 
affairs  ;  fourth,  Abigail,  wife  of  Dr.  Asa  Fitch  ;  fifth,  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Andrew  Freeman,  landlord,  of  Salem  village. 

William  Reid,  a  skilled  millwright  from  Scotland,  in 
1772  erected  an  excellent  grist-mill  and  a  saw-mill  at 
Fitch's  point,  for  doing  which  he  received  from  the  propri- 
etors of  the  town  the  lot  of  land  which  had  been  reserved 
for  that  purpose.  In  1786  he  sold  and  moved  to  a  mill- 
seat  in  Argyle,  to  which  town  a  more  particular  notice  of 
his  family  belongs. 

John  Lytic,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's  colony,  located  a  mile 
southwest  of  the  village,  on  the  road  to  Shushan.  His  chil- 
dren were,  first,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  James  Rowan,  of  Salem  ; 
second,  Isaac,  of  Hebron;  third,  William,  of  Lisbon,  St. 
Lawrence  Co. ;  fourth,  Rebecca, — Mrs.  James  Jlills,  of 
Argyle;  fifth,  Esther, — Mrs.  Robert  Lytic,  of  Li-sbon  ; 
sixtli,  Susan, — ^Mrs.  Robert  Vance,  of  Hebron  ;  seventh, 
Jane, — Mrs.  Wm.  Russell,  of  Cambridge. 

Andrew  Lytle  (probably  a  brother  of  John),  also  of 
Dr.  Clark's  colony,  lived  west  of  John,  on  the  place  re- 
cently occupied  by  Hon.  David  Russell.  Children, — 
first,  James,  of  Lisbon  ;  second,  Hannah,— Mrs.  Charles 
Nelson,  of  Lewi-stown,  Essex  Co. ;  third,  William,  of  He- 
bron ;  fourth,  IMary, — Mrs.  Dr.  Andrew  Proudfit,  of  Ar- 
gyle; fifth,  Andrew,  long  an  inn-keeper  on  his  father's 
place, — finally  emigrated  to  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  sixth,  Mar- 
garet,— Mrs.  James  McClellan,  of  Hebron. 

Leonard  Webb  resided  on  the  present  Rich  farm,  some 
three  miles  south  from  the  village,  and  had  two  sons, — 
John,  removed  to  Pembroke,  Genesee  Co.,  and  David,  to 
the  vicinity  of  Cooperstown,  Otsego  Co. 

Captain  Joseph  Slarrow,  from  Pelham,  resided  in  the 
Perkins  neighborhood,  near  the  line  of  Vermont.  His  son, 
Jo-seph,  was  a  miller,  and  his  daughter,  Betsey,  became  the 
wife  of  John  Conkey, — removed  to  Martinsburg. 

James  Long  resided  at  the  north  end  of  the  village,  on 
the  recent  David  Johnson  farm.  His  only  child,  Edward, 
of  Salem,  was  the  father  of  Edward  Long,  st)  many  years 
the  landlord  of  the  "  Checkered  Hou.se"  in  Cambridge. 

James  Rogers  emigrated  from  Londonderry,  N.  H.,  to 
Baskenridge,  N.  J.,  and  ten  years  later,  in  1775,  to  Salem, 
settling  in  the  Blind  Buck  hollow,  next  above  the  Deacon 
Stevenson  farm.  His  sons,  Hugh  and  William,  removed 
to  Le  Ray,  Jefferson  Co.,  and  James  settled  in  West  He- 
bron, on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  son  David.  His 
daughters  were  Jane, — Mrs.  John  Blair,  of  Cambridge, 
and  afterwards  Putnam  ;  Polly, — Mrs.  Deacon  Daniel  Mc- 
Nitt,  of  Salem  ;  Peggy,  the  wife,  first,  of  Samuel  Banner, 
,of  Hebron,  and,  second,  of  Robert  Cox,  Pawlet,  Vt. ;  and 
Sarah, — Mrs.  Colonel  David  Rood,  of  Hampton. 

William  Huggins  emigrated  from  the  north  of  Ireland  to 
Penn.sylvania,  and  thence  to  Salem,  settling  on  the  present 
Odbert  farm,  two  miles  north  of  the  village,  where  he  kept 
a  public-house.  He  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters, 
namely  :   Sanuul,  who  resided  in   Catskill,   Rochester,  and 


Cohoes ;  William,  located  in  Dutchess  county,  and  from  thence 
moved  west;  John,  finally  settled  in  Pembroke,  Genesee 
Co.;  Elizabeth,— Mrs.  Robert  Stewart,  of  Salem;  Mary, — 
Mrs.  James  Hammond,  moved  west;  Isabel, — Mrs.  James 
Rowan  ;  Hebron,  also  moved  west. 

Nathan  Wilson,  from  Greenwich,  Mass.,  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Colonel  Joseph  McCracken,  and  settled  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  town ;  was  sheriff,  member  of  (Jon- 
gress,  and  county  judge.  His  two  sons,  Nathan  W.  and 
Josiah,  remained  upon  the  same  farm. 

James  Gibson,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's  colony,  and  no  connec- 
tion to  the  Gibson  family  now  in  town,  settled  near  the 
present  Bu.shc8  school-house.  Ilis  son  John  located  on 
the  present  John  Cleveland  farm  ;  was  a  rank  Tory,  and  was 
driven  from  town  vi  et  armis.  Their  father  dying,  the 
family — James,  Andrew,  ^Matthew,  and  Richard — all  fol- 
lowed John  to  Canada.  Richard  and  his  mother  sub- 
sequently returned  to  Salem.  He  remained  in  town  many 
years,  and  finally  went  west. 

James  Craig,  one  of  Dr.  Clark's  colony,  lived  on  the 
turnpike,  adjoining  the  line  of  Hebron.  His  three  sons, 
Joseph,  Robert,  and  John,  settled  in  Hebron. 

Thomas  McCrea.  of  Dr.  Clark's  colony,  took  up  the  lot  on 
which  Clapp's  mills  were  afterwards  built.  His  children 
were  Mary,  wife  of  Deacon  Thomas  Collins,  Salem,  and 
Elizabeth  and  Martha,  unn)arried. 

Abner  Stone  erected  the  tavern  in  the  South  village, 
which  continued  to  be  kept  long  afterwards  by  McKellip 
and  by  the  Woodwortlis,  father  and  son.  Major  Stone's 
daughter.  Thankful,  married  James  Y.  Watson,  farmer,  of 
Salem,  who  removed  to  Wauke.sha,  Wi.scon.sin. 

John  Clark  came  from  Andover,  Mass.,  at  an  early  day, 
and  lived  on  the  hill  north  of  the  present  Hugh  Perry 
place.  His  children  were,  first,  Isaac,  remained  in  Salem  ; 
second,  John,  moved  to  Hamburg,  Erie  Co.;  third,  Joseph, 
a  farmer  of  Salem  and  elder  in  the  U.  P.  church  ;  fourth, 
Thomas,  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  hotel-keeper;  fifth,  James, 
farmer,  of  Salem ;  sixth,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Dr.  Seth 
Brown,  Salem. 

Thomas  Lyon  resided  in  Sandgate  and  had  three  sons, 
Thomas,  Samuel,  and  Joseph. 

Several  names  upon  the  land-lists  of  1780  were  prob- 
ably non-residents,  or  at  most  only  in  Salem  for  a  short 
time,  sufBcicnt  to  be  included  in  the  certificates.  Dr. 
Fitch  finds  in  old  papers  the  names  of  Samuel  Covenhovcn, 
Francis  Lammon,  James  and  Jonathan  Tackles,  Alex. 
Gault,  James  Crow,  and  others  whom  he  concludes  were  in 
town  for  only  a  few  years,  and  there  remains  here  no 
record  of  their  families. 

The  following  memorandum  with  reference  to  Philip 
Embury  and  his  associates  is  furnished  by  Hon.  James 
Gibson,  from  manuscripts  prepared  with  a  view  to  publica- 
tion by  himself  at  some  future  date.  This  is  also  the  case 
with  reference  to  other  papers  appearing  in  this  history 
from  his  pen  : 

SETTLERS    AT     CAMDK.V     KEFOnE     THE    REVOLUTIO.NAKY 
WAR. 

Paul  Heck,  one  of  the  settlers  who  came  to  Camden 
with    Philip  Embury,  died  at  Augusta,  Canada  West,  in 


136 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


1792,  aged  sixty-two  years,  and  is  buried  in  the  old  "  Blue 
church  grave-yard"  at  that  place.  The  venerable  Barbara 
Heck  outlived  her  husband,  Paul  Heck,  twelve  years, 
dying  at  the  residence  of  her  son  Samuel,  in  the  year  1804, 
aged  seventy  years,  and  her  remains  were  buried  beside 
those  of  her  husband  in  the  old  "  Blue  church  grave-yard" 
at  Augusta. 

Andrew  Embury,  Philip  Switzcr,  Peter  Switzer,  and 
A'^ale  Detlor,  associates  of  Philip  Embury  in  planting  a 
colony  at  Camden,  wore  all  loyalists,  and  went  to  Canada 
West  soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  settled  at  and  about  Augusta. 

John  Embury  early  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York. 
He  attained  the  great  age  of  nearly  one  hundred  years. 

Edward  Gainer,  who  came  to  Camden  valley  with  Philip 
Embury,  and  married  Catharine  Lowe,  died  at  the  house 
of  his  daughter,  Elizabeth  Buck,  on  the  border  of  Camden, 
in  the  year  1846,  aged  ninety-three  years.  His  wife 
Catharine  had  previously  deceased,  on  May  2,  1838,  in 
the  ninety-first  year  of  her  age.  Both  are  buried  in  the 
old  grave-yard  at  West  Arlington. 

Catharine,  the  widow  of  Philip  Embury,  married  John 
Lawrence,  and  both  died  in  Augusta,  and  are  buried  in 
the  old  "  Blue  church  grave-yard."  « 

Philip  Embury,  it  is  well  known,  came  to  Camden,  and, 
though  young  in  years,  was  the  patriarch  of  the  settlement 
there, — its  leader  and  adviser  in  all  its  spiritual  and  ma- 
terial interests.  His  early  death,  in  1773,  left  his  people 
without  any  one  competent  to  wisely  advise  and  lead  them, 
and  nearly  the  whole  flock  he  had  lovingly  gathered  and 
faithfully  governed  became  dispersed,  most  of  them  going 
to  Canada,  and  there  making  for  themselves  new  and  per- 
uianent  homes,  and  their  places  in  the  vallej'  of  Camden 
knowing  them  no  more. 

ORGANIZATION — CIVIL    HISTORY. 

The  town  having  been  settled  by  so  large  an  emigration 
at  once  in  1764-65,  it  is  inferred  that  a  precinct  or  district 
organization  of  some  kind  must  have  been  made  soon  after. 
There  are  many  evidences  of  this,  although  the  actual 
records  of  such  an  organization  are  not  known  to  be  in  ex- 
istence. Between  1764  and  1787  was  a  period  of  twenty- 
three  years, — a  period  in  which  the  great  contest  that  sepa- 
rated the  colonies  from  England  and  gave  to  the  United 
States  a  national  existence  was  begun,  fought  through,  and 
closed.  In  this  same  period  was  the  exciting  home  struggle 
over  the  New  Hampshire  grants,  that  rolled  its  waves  of 
fierce  neighborhood  dissension  up  to  the  very  boundaries  of 
New  Pertli,  and  endeavored,  though  in  vain,  to  lead  away 
from  their  allegiance  to  New  York  the  settlers  upon  the 
great  patent.  Questions  that  involved  the  title  to  every 
farm,  the  safety  of  every  home,  the  personal  allegiance  of 
every  citizen,  were  in  daily  and  hourly  discussion.  The 
very  foundations  of  civil  society  were  shaken  by  the  mighty 
tread  of  revolution.  It  is  not  possible  that  that  period 
could  have  been  passed  in  a  chaotic,  unorganized  state  by 
the  intelligent  citizens  who  had  established  homes  for  them- 
selves and  their  families  in  this  valley.  Committees  of 
safety  were  to  be  appointed,  roads  were  to  be  laid  out,  taxes 
to  be  levied,  the  poor-  to  be  cared  for.  courts  of  justice  to 


be  sustained.  All  this  required  meetings  and  ofi&cers,  and 
they  must  have  been  held  and  appointed.  The  names  of 
road  commissioners  eight  years  before  the  first  town- 
meeting  are  on  record.  That  there  was  also  a  clerk,  and 
that  assessors  and  overseers  of  the  poor  were  regularly 
elected,  is  also  very  certain.  Where  is  the  old  book  ?  In 
whose  attic  is  it  waiting  the  grasp  of  a  Fitch  or  a  Gibson 
to  be  brought  to  light? 

It  is  in  evidence  that  the  question  of  submitting  to  the 
jurisdiction  of  Vermont  actually  came  up  at  a  town-meeting 
during  this  period,  that  it  was  a  severe  and  hotly-contested 
struggle,  and  that  the  friends  of  New  York  triumphed  by 
a  regular  lawful  decision,  though  only  by  a  small  majority. 
Other  proof  of  this  "  prehistoric"  organization  is  found  in  - 
the  amount  of  public  business  transacted  at  this  point,  the 
concerted  movements  for  defense  in  1777-78,  all  the  records 
of  which  indicate  a  town  of  considerable  population  and  a 
growing,  organized  community. 

A  list  of  the  oflBcers  for  those  twenty-three  years  would 
possess  much  interest.  But  we  cannot  hope  to  give  what 
the  veteran  students  of  history  residing  here  have  failed  to 
find. 

Further  traces  of  the  district  organization  prior  to 
that  of  the  town  appear  in  the  first  book.  There  is  on 
record  a  road-survey,  made  June  19,  1781,  by  Joshua 
Conkoy,  Robert  Pennell,  and  Alexander  Simson,  in  the 
town  of  New  Perth,  extending  from  Martin's  Mills  north- 
ward. It  is  recorded,  however,  by  the  first  town  clerk, 
June  20,  1788.  The  surveyor  was  Moses  Martin.  An- 
other survey,  Dec.  12,  1782,  was  made  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Road  Commissioners  John  Armstrong  and  Nathan 
Morgan.  This  was  a  road  "  extending  from  Salem  to 
Cockburn's  patent,"  the  name  Salem  thus  appearing  to  be 
used  regarding  the  village  five  years  before  the  organization 
of  the  town. 

There  is  also  a  petition  fcir  an  alteration  in  the  road 
"from  David  Hopkins'  to  the  place  of  Mr.  Rowan,'  bear- 
ing date  March  29,  1783,  signed  by  John  Hamilton,  Da- 
vid Whitney,  Joseph  Nelson,  Wm.  Cruikshank,  Josiah 
Parish,  Sr.,  Robert  Wilson,  Joseph  Hamilton,  Thomas 
Armstrong,  James  Armstrong,  David  Gray,  Samuel  Hop- 
kins, Daniel  McCleary,  and  sworn  to  before  David  Hopkins, 
justice  of  the* peace. 

A  road  was  laid  out,  Nov.  22,  1782,  "  from  Black  Line 
by  Mr.  Monson's  to  Martin's  Mills,"  Nathan  Morgan,  John 
Rowan,  John  Armstrong;  commissioners. 

Still  earlier,  in  1779,  a  road  was  laid  out  "  from  Rupert 
to  Dr.  John  Williams',"  by  Joshua  Conkey  and  Robert 
Penall,  commissioners,  and  Moses  Martin,  surveyor. 

As  touching  the  Vermont  question,  it  perhaps  should 
be  added  that  though  this  town,  by  a  formal  vote,  refused 
to  act  under  the  jurisdiction  of  that  State,  yet  White  Creek 
district  was  represented  in  some  way  at  the  celebrated  Cam- 
bridge convention,  held  May  9th  to  the  15th,  1781.  It 
was  this  convention  (hat  resolved,  in  due  form,  to  include 
in  the  State  of  Vermont  all  the  district  or  tract  of  land 
bounded  north  by  latitude  45°,  west  by  the  Hudson  river, 
and  south  by  the  north  line  of  Massachusetts  extended  to  the 
Hudson.  The  "  Documentary  History  of  New  York"  (vol. 
iv.  page  1004)  gives  the  articles  of  union  agreed  upon  at 


Samuel  Beaty  was  born  where  he  now  resides,  in  the  town  of 
Salem,  Washington,  Co.,  N.  Y.,  February  25,  1807. 

The  Beaty  family  traces  descent  to  Thomas  Beatj,  who  emigrated 
from  Ireland,  in  the  year  1767,  October,  with  his  wife  and  five  chil- 
dren, David,  Jean,  Thomas,  Samuel,  and  William,  leaving  one  son, 
John,  who  was  married,  in  Ireland.  The  family  settled  first  in  Salem, 
and  hence  were  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  this  part  of  Washing- 
ton county.  The  ancestry  were  of  Scotch  descent,  and  emigrated  to 
Ireland  on  account  of  religious  persecution  in  Scotland.  The  great- 
grandfather erected  his  log-cabin  in  the  wilderness  on  the  lot  he  had 
taken  up,  the  greater  part  of  which,  with  the  assistance  of  his  boys,  he 
cleared.  lie  lived  to  be  eighty-three  years  of  age,  and  died  where  he 
had  settled.  John,  the  grandfather,  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  Jane, 
emigrated  from  Ireland  the  same  year  as  his  father,  and,  after  a  voy- 
age of  seventeen  weeks,  first  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  re- 
mained tor  about  two  years,  where  he  earned  money  enough,  as  a 
common  laborer,  to  get  to  Washington  county,  town  of  Salem,  where 
he  arrived  and  erected  his  log  shanty  in  the  woods  in  the  year  1769, 
taking  up  one  lot  of  land.  He  erected  his  second  log-cabin  in  the 
year  1772,  which,  at  the  time  of  writing  this  sketch,  1S7S,  is  still 
standing,  and  the  property  owned  by  one  of  the  grandchildren, 
Wm.  J.  The  early  history  of  this  family  in  meeting  the  obstacles  of 
settlement  in  a  new  country;  the  slow  but  sure  development  from 
scanty  means  to  pecuniary  competence  and  comfortable  surroundings  ; 
the  raising  of  a  large  family  ;  the  consequent  dread  and  fear  by  the 
presence  of  the  Indians  and  the  march  of  Burgoyne,  with  incidents 
connected  with  the  embarrassments  under  which  settlers  were  placed 
at  that  time,  would  fill  a  volume,  and  can  only  be  briefly  referred  to 
in  this  narrative.  The  result  of  the  labor  of  the  grandfather,  in 
buildings  and  surroundings,  are  to-day  as  he  left  them,  except  their 
natural  decay.  John  Beaty  lived  on  the  spot  where  he  first  settled 
during  the  balance  of  his  life;  after  his  settlement,  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  received  a  very  limited  education  from  books  in  his 
youth,  but  gained  by  observation  and  business  experience  what  he 
was  wanting  in  early  education.  He  was  a  man  of  unquestioned 
integrity  in  all  his  business  transactions  ;  was  warmly  attached  to  the 
best  interests,  building  up  churches  and  schools  in  the  town  ;  was  a 
member  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  church  at  Salem, 
established  by  Dr.  Clark  in  1765.  He  died  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year,  May  20,  1S17,  leaving  a  wife  and  nine  children  (Jane  having 
died  while  young).  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Grizzy  MeRa- 
bert,  died  in  the  year  1S28,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 

John,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  and  eighth  child  of  this 
family,  was  born  in  January,  1784.  Married  for  his  first  wife  Mary 
Beaty,  by  whom  he  had  five  children, — Samuel,  John,  Jane,  Mary  G., 
and  Ebcnczer.  The  mother  of  these  children  was  a  woman  of  great 
courage  and  resolution  to-do  what  she  conceived  to  be  right,  possess- 
ing great  decision  of  character.     She  died  in  1S35. 


For  his  second  wife  he  married  Agnes  McCoy,  of  Argyle,  by 
whom  he  had  one  son,  William  J.,  who  now  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead. 

The  father  spent  his  life  after  the  year  1818,  for  the  next  thirty 
years,  as  a  merchant  in  Salem  village;  previous  to  which,  and  sub- 
sequently, he  was  a  farmer.  Was  never  solicitous  of  any  notoriety  by 
way  of  political  preferment,  but  was  prominent  in  the  councils  of  the 
church  of  his  choice,  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  church 
at  Salem,  in  which  he  was  an  elder  for  about  thirty  years.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  (nearly)  seventy,  in  the  year  1853.  .The  second  wife  died 
in  the  year  1867. 

Samuel  Beaty  spent  his  minority  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  his 
father  at  Salem.  Was  married,  in  the  year  1830,  to  Hannah  D., 
daughter  of  Judge  Rising,  of  West  Rupert,  Vt.  By  this  union  he  has 
two  surviving  children, — Mary  L.  and  Ebenezer.  His  wife  died  May 
II,  1839.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Beaty  married  Lemira  S.  Har- 
wood,  daughter  of  Perez  Harwood,  of  Bennington,  Vt.,  by  whom  he 
had  one  daughter, — Lemira  M.  The  second  wife  died  October  14, 
1844.  For  his  last  wife  he  married  Fanny  J.,  daughter  of  Henry 
Harwood,  of  Bennington,  Vt.,  by  whom  he  has  three  surviving 
children, — Abby  A.,  Henry  H.,  and  Jenny  Bell.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  November  19,  1873. 

Mr.  Beaty  has  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  is  ranked 
among  the  successful  agriculturists  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Beaty  cast  his  first  vote  for  president  of  the  United  States  for 
John  Quincy  Adams.  Was  a  member  of  the  old  Whig  party,  and 
since  the  organization  of  the  Rejuiblican  party  has  been  an  ardent 
supporter  of  its  principles  until  the  year  1S72,  wlu'ii  he  became  a  lib- 
eral and  independent  voter.  It  is  a  fact  worlby  oC  note  here  that  the 
political  principles  held  by  the  ancestry  are  still  firmly  adhered  to  by 
the  great-grandchildren. 

Characteristic  of  Mr.  Beaty  are  his  strong  temperance  proclivities  ; 
his  firmness  and  decision  in  all  matters  in  which  hois  interested:  his 
indefatigable  resolution  to  carry  forward  to  a  successful  issue  any 
measure  receiving  his  attention;  his  kindness  in  his  family,  and 
sociality  with  his  friends. 

Ebenezer  Beaty  was  born  December  S,  1819.  During  his  early  life 
was  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store  at  Salem,  and  subsequently  became  a 
partner.  The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  spent  as  a  farmer  on  the  old 
homestead.  He  was  never  married.  He  died  January  1,  1S78.  His 
portrait,  with  his  brother  William  J.'s.  will  be  found  above  a  view  of 
the  old  homestead  first  settled  by  the  grandfather. 

William  J.  Beaty  was  born  October  26,  1838;  occupies  and  owns 
the  old  homestead ;  married  Mrs.  Mary  Jane,  widow  of  the  late  Robert 
Hunter  (who  was  a  soldier  of  the  war,  and  deceased),  and  a  daughter  of 
John  Denison,  of  Salem.  They  have  three  children, — Agnes  McCoy, 
Frank,  and  Fanny  J, 


IrrM    BY  in  Cviir. 


Residence  or  W^  J.  BEATY.  Salem    Washington  County  New  roRK 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


137 


Cambridge  between  a  committee  representing  the  State  of 
Vermont  and  the  convention.  The  convention  is  there 
stated  to  be  composed  of  "representatives  from  the  dis- 
tricts of  Hoosick,  Schaghticoke,  Cambridge,  Saratoga,  Upper 
White  Creek,  Bhick  Creek,  Granville,  Skeensborough,  Kings- 
bury, Fort  Edward,  and  Little  Hoosick."  The  word  rep- 
resentatives implies  delegates  formally  chosen.  If  this  was 
the  case  iu  White  Creek,  it  is  evident  that  only  a  portion 
of  the  citizens  shared  in  the  movement;  for  when  the  con- 
test ended  by  act  of  Congress,  August,  1782,  the  district 
of  White  Creek  was  under  no  necessity  of  executing  any 
act  of  submission  to  New  York,  because  it  had  not  changed 
its  allegiance.  In  the  "  Documentary  History"  alluded  to 
above  (vol.  iv.  page  1010)  is  a  paper  strangely  headed  by 
the  editor  "  Submission  of  the  People  of  White  Creek  to 
New  York."  We  copy  it  to  show  that  it  is  not  anything 
of  the  kind  : 

"  To  His  Excdlennj  George  Ctininn,  Esquire,  and  the   Hvnnrahle  ihe 
Senate  and  Assembly  of  the  Stale  of  New  York,  the  petition  nf  the 
snhacrihp-s  most  humbly  sheweth, — 
"That  your  petitioners  have  been,  ever  since  their  settling  in  this 
county,  faithful  subjects  to  the  State  of  New  York,  and  notwithstand- 
ing numbers  of  this  county  having  gone  over  to  Vermont,  yet  such 
as  have  shown  themselves  friends  to  the  common  cause,  and  appear 
to  be  truly  penitent  for  their  misconduct,  we  would  recommend  to 
your  excellency  and  the  honorable  Legislature  for  pity ;  that  although 
they  have  swerved  from  their  allegiance  to  this  State  yet  they  have 
shown  themselves  to  be  always  in  readiness  to  oppose  our  enemy. 
We  would  therefore  i-equcst  that  your  excellency  and  the  honorable 
Legislature  will  take  their  case  into  consideration,  and  restore  them 
to  their  former  privileges,  and,  as  in  duty  bound,  shall  ever  pray. 
"JoHS  Armstrong,  Joshua  Coxkey, 

"Jonx  Uesry,  Thomas  Armstrong, 

"Edward  Savage,  Robert  Boyd, 

"John  Gray,  Alexander  Kennedy, 

"■  Matthew  McWhorter,        Samuel  McWhortek, 
"  Robert  Pennell,  Thomas  Lyon, 

"Alexander  Turner,  Saxford  Smith. 

"  Pelatiah  Fitch,  Jr., 
"White  Creek,  March  5,  17S2." 

A  glance  will  show  that  the  paper  is  not  an  act  of  sub- 
mission, but  a  petition  from  those  "  who  had  ever  since 
their  settling  in  the  county  been  faithful  subjects  of  the 
State  of  New  York,"  asking  lenient  treatment  for  those 
who  had  swerved  from  their  allegiance.  The  petitioners 
ask  mercy  for  others,  not  for  themselves. 

It  may  nevertheless  be  true  that  a  minority  were  favor- 
able to  the  pretensions  of  Vermont,  and  that  had  Ethan 
Allen  and  his  associates  been  less  violent  in  their  proceed- 
ings the  minority  might  have  become  the  majority.  But 
the  settlers  upon  the  patent  of  twenty-five  thousand  acres 
were  all  holding  their  farms  by  a  grant  from  the  crown 
through  the  colonial  government  of  New  York  ;  this  title 
was  not  contested  even  by  the  Vermont  authorities.  Nat- 
urally, the  settlers  were  willing  to  render  allegiance  to  New 
York, — preferred  to  do  so.  Besides,  many  of  the  fii-st 
settlers  of  Salem  were  men  of  distinguished  public  char- 
acter, men  of  education,  statesmen,  able  to  thoroughly 
understand  the  merits  of  the  pending  questions, — and  they 
clearly  saw,  what  the  documents  yet  fully  prove,  that  the 
claim  of  New  York  to  the  ichole  of  Vermont  was  beyond  all 
legal  doubt ;  that  the  government  of  New  Hampshire  had 
no  royal  authority  to  grant  to  any  one  an  acre  of  land  west 
IS 


of  the  Connecticut  river ;  that  even  the  shadow  of  a  shadow 
upon  which  Bonning  Wentworth  rested  his  claim  extended 
no  farther  west  than  the  west  line  of  Massachusetts. 

With  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  period  came  the 
appropriate  time  for  more  thorough  civil  organization.  The 
loose,  informal  district  government  on  the  one  hand,  often 
no  doubt  with  indefinite  boundaries,  and  the  absolute 
powers  of  colonial  or  provincial  war  committees  on  the 
other,  both  passed  away.  Laws  were  enacted  creating 
towns,  strictly  defining  their  boundaries,  providing  the 
necessary  officers,  their  jurisdiction,  and  duties. 

From  the  year  1787  the  records  are  preserved,  and  the 
succession  of  town-meetings  fully  recorded,  except  that  of 
1802. 

In  the  tables  of  town  officers  we  have  given  the  name 
of  Nathan  Wilson  as  the  probable  collector  for  1802,  while 
the  supervisor  and  town  clerk  are  no  doubt  correct,  as  they 
are  easily  determined  by  other  evidence  than  the  minutes  of 
the  town-meeting. 

The  name  of  the  town  was  the  result  of  a  compromise. 
The  Seotch-Irish  colony  desired  the  place  to  be  called  New 
Perth  ;  the  New  England  men  were  in  favor  of  White 
Creek.  The  first  mention  of  the  name  Salem  we  find  re- 
corded was  when  the  stockade  erected  in  1777  was  called 
"  Fort  Salem,"  as  mentioned  in  the  general  history.  From 
the  road-reeord  before  mentioned  the  name  seems  to  have 
been  applied  to  the  village  as  early  as  1782,  and  when  the 
people  became  tired,  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  of 
quarreling  over  "  New  Perth,"  they  agreed  on  the  same 
name  they  had  adopted  for  their  fort. 

We  take  the  following  notes  from  the  town  records  : 

The  first  book  was  bought  by  James  Tomb  in  New  York, 
in  the  year  1788  ;  price,  one  pound  twelve  shillings. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  minutes  of  the  first  town- 
meeting  : 

"Salem  District. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Thomas 
Turner,  upon  the  first  Tuesday  of  April,  17S7,  agreeable  to  a  law  of 
our  Legislature,  for  the  more  orderly  holding  of  town-meetings, 
passed  the  14th  of  February,  1787.  Before  John  McCollistcr  and 
John  Rowan,  justices  of  the  peace  for  the  said  district.  The  act 
read.  Moderator  appointed,  John  Armstrong;  Town  Clerk,  James 
Tomb  J  Supervisor,  John  Rowan  j  Assistant  Supervisor,  Adam  Mar- 
tin ;  Assessors,  Nathan  Morgan,  Abner  Carswcll,  John  Harsba 
Commissioners  of  Highways,  Alexander  Gault,  Ale.vander  McNish 
Alexander  McNitt;  Pathmasters,  Robert  Stewart,  Hamilton  McCol 
lister,  Hugh  Moncrief,  Elisha  Fitch,  John  Morey,  William  Thompson 
Sr.,  John  Hanna,  Uri  Brooks,  John  Beatty,  Benjamin  Cleveland 
David  McCracken,  Moses  Cleveland,  James  Gamhill,  Timothy  Ilcth 
Jcdcdiah  Gilbord,  .lohn  Steel,  Noah  Barnes,  Alexander  Turner,  Sr. 
David  Thomas,  Joel  Lake,  David  Webb,  Isaac  Michael,  Abel  Cleve 
land,  Robert  Iluggins,  Allen  Hunsdon,  Jacob  Patterson,  James 
Henderson,  Samuel  Safford;  Poormasters,  Reuben  Cluiincy,  Nathan 
Morgan;  Constable,  and  probably  Collector,  Elisha  Fitch;  Fcnco- 
Viewcrs,  James  Hopkins,  Robert  Pennell,  Sr.,  Andrew  McNitt. 

"  Further  voted,  that  a  pound  be  built,  and  Major  McCracken  supcr- 
intcnil  the  business.  That  Hamilton  McCollislcr,  Nathan  Morgan 
Robert  Pennell,  Joseph  McCracken,  John  Lytic,  Benjamin  Cleveland' 
Moses  Martin  be  a  committee  to  appoint  the  place  where  said  pound 
is  to  be  built. 

"  The  committee  report  the  aforesaid  pound  to  he  built  upon  a  corner 
of  the  ministerial  lot,  belonging  to  the  New  England  congregation, 
near  .lohn  Lytlc's. 

"  Voted,  that  lUchard  Hoy  and  John  Harsha  inspect  into  the  excise 
and  fines,  and  call  the  justices,  supervisors,  and  poormasters  to  an 
account  respecting  the  same. 

"Voted,  that  hogs  be  shut  up  or  confined  so  as  not  to  do  damage. 


138 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


"Voted,  that  three  men,  namely,  Hamilton  McCoIIistcr,  James  Ste- 
venson, and  James  Tomb,  write  a  petition  to  our  Legislature  respect- 
ing immorality. 

"  Voted,  that  none  of  the  inhabitants  of  Salem  be  found  in  the 
tavern  after  nine  o'clock  at  night,  except  upon  necessary  business. 

**  Voted,  that  any  man  who  takes  a  family  upon  his  farm  shall  return 
the  number  and  names  of  such  family,  within  forty  dayc  after  their 
arrival,  to  the  poormasters  of  the  district. 

"Voted,  that  the  poormasters  settle  with  David  Tomb  respecting 
the  expenses  of  Patrick  Sloan.  Wardens,  William  McCoy,  Robert 
Stewart,  Andrew  Lytle,  Uamilton  McCollister,  John  McCarter,  John 
Gray,  John  McSealon,  Aaron  Stone,  Thomas  Collamer." 

It  would  probably  be  difficult  to  pass  some  of  tbese  votes 
of  1787  at  the  town-meeting  of  the  present  year  (1878). 

1788. — Benjamin  Cleveland,  John  Armstrong,  and  Hugh 
Moor  were  appointed  assessors  ;  Alexander  Gault,  collector; 
Alexander  McNish,  constable;  Aaron  Stone,  William  Mon- 
crief,  Sr.,  and  James  McFarland,  highway  commissioners ; 
William  McCoy,  a  poormaster ;  Matthew  Wborter  a  fence- 
viewer.  The  other  officers  were  mostly  the  same  as  those 
of  the  previous  year. 

1790. — George  Schamp  was  elected  a  hog  constable. 

At  the  town-meeting  of  1791  it  was  voted  that  a  com- 
mittee be  chosen  out  of  the  first  and  second  congregations 
of  Salem  to  superintend  the  fencing  of  the  grave-yard; 
that  Colonel  Joseph  McCracken  and  James  Tomb  carry 
on  the  above  business ;  that  the  expense  be  a  town-charge. 
It  was  also  voted  "  that  every  inhabitant  of  thi^  town  shall 
stop  travelers  that  travel  unnecessarily  upon  the  Sabbath," 
— a  comprehensive  warrant  surely. 

1792. — Wardens  were  still  chosen  by  the  people.  This 
year  they  were  Daniel  Mattison,  David  Carswell,  Daniel 
McCleary,  Thomas  Collins,  Walter  Martin,  William  Ilark- 
ness,  Moses  Martin,  Hugh  Moor,  Stephen  Clapp,  James 
Tomb,  Hamilton  McCollister,  John  Honeywood. 

1793. — Voted  a  pound  to  be  built,  and  that  twenty-four 
pounds  be  raised  for  that  purpose ;  that  one-third  of  that 
sum  belong  to  Camden.  Committee :  Alexander  Turner, 
Jr.,  Stephen  Clapp,  John  Gray,  Jr.,  and  David  Gray. 
That  the  pound  be  built  between  the  court-house  and  the 
white  bridge ;  if  the  ground  cannot  be  obtained  there,  then 
where  it  can  be  obtained  most  conveniently.  The  Camden 
pound  to  be  built  near  James  Wier's  house.  Pouudmas- 
ter's  fees,  fourpence  per  head  for  all  cattle;  one  penny  a 
head  for  sheep. 

Here  is  an  estray  notice,  with  a  critical  description,  that 
ought  to  have  left  no  doubt  of  identity  when  found  : 

"Broke  into  the  inclosure  of  the  subscriber  two  sheep  some  time 
in  June,  1794 :  one  of  a  (jray  culler,  the  other  white,  with  a  croop  off 
the  top  of  each  car,  and  short  tails. 

"James  Cbearv." 

1797. — Voted,  "  that  the  pound  be  moved  unto  the  road 
at  the  expen,se  of  the  town,  and  that  the  assessors  purchase 
a  place  to  set  it  upon."  Voted,  "  that  a  lane  be  made  to 
the  grave-yard  at  the  expense  of  the  town."  Voted,  "  that 
the  supervisors  and  justices  give  no  license  to  Sabbath- 
breakers." 

1798. — Voted  "  the  sum  of  ten  dollars  for  the  purpose 
of  killing  crows  and  blackbirds ;"  one  shilling  for  each 
crow,  and  threepence  for  each  blackbird  killed  between 
May  12  and  July  1.  Voted,  "that  all  cattle  found  on  the 
highway  within  one  mile  of  the  court-house,  between  the 


1st  day  of  December  and  the  1st  day  of  April,  be  liable 
to  be  pounded,  and  pay  the  same  fees  as  the  law  directs  in 
other  cases,  and  to  pay  the  same  for  keeping  such  cattle  as 
the  tavern-keepers  have."  "  Cattle"  seems  to  be  the  nomi- 
native of  the  verb  "  pay." 

1801. — The  town  invested  tivcnty  dollars  in  crows  and 
blackbirds. 

1804. — Thirty  dollars  for  the  same  purposes. 

1808. — Joshua  Streeter  was  appointed  a  leather-sealer, 
to  be  governed  by  the  laws  of  the  State  on  that  subject. 

The  geese  had  evidently  taken  some  advantage  of  technical 
defects  in  previous  by-laws,  for  this  year  the  vote  on  that 
subject  was,  "  Every  goose  or  gander  running  at  large, 
the  owner  to  forfeit  twenty-five  cents." 

It  is  probable  the  crow-hunters  in  previous  years  had 
not  observed  town-lines  as  they  ought  to  have  done,  for 
they  are  now  recjuired  to  furnish  "  .satisfactory  proof  that 
the  birds  were  killed  in  the  town  of  Salem." 

This  was  evidently  a  time  of  "  civil  service  reform"  gen- 
erally, when  new  and  improved  laws  were  brought  to  bear 
on  geese,  crows,  and  tanners.  Besides,  another  vote  per- 
emptorily orders  "  every  man  to  keep  his  sheep  and  hogs 
in  his  own  inclosure." 

1809. — The  assessors  were  appointed  a  committee  "  to 
call  upon  the  former  town  clerks  for  an  account  of  the 
moneys  appropriated  for  the  purpose  of  killing  crows  and 
blackbirds;"  and  while  the  present  town  clerk  was  intrusted 
with  twenty-five  dollars  for  similar  purposes,  he  was  re- 
quired to  render  "  an  account  to  a  justice  of  the  peace,  the 
same  as  poormasters."  The  town  fathers  evidently  sus- 
pected there  might  be  a  full-grown  African  somewhere  in 
the  brush-fences  that  the  crow-hunters  had  to  climb,  or  in 
the  town  clerk's  office. 

1810. — One  hundred  and  thirty-nine  dollars  and  eighty- 
six  cents  was  voted  for  a  fence  around  the  burying-ground. 
Families  having  other  burying-grounds  were  exempted  from 
the  tax.  Building  Committee :  Thomas  Baker,  Abner 
Stone,  Aaron  Martin.  Voted,  "  that  five  dollars  be  raised 
by  tax  of  the  town,  and  be  appropriated,  together  with  the 
money  in  Alexander  Simson's  hands  belonging  to  the  town, 
for  the  purpose  of  building  a  stocks  for  said  town,  and  that 
the  supervisor  and  town  clerk  superintend  the  building  of 
the  same."  Voted,  "  that  all  fines  be  collected  in  the  name 
of  the  supervisor,  and  the  fines  go  to  the  use  of  the  poor." 
Voted,  that  if  the  supervisor  fail  of  recovering  the  fines 
the  person  complaining  pay  the  cost.  A  sure  plan  to  luake 
complainants  careful. 

1811. — A  committee  was  appointed  to  audit  the  accounts 
of  the  committee  upon  the  fence  of  the  burial-ground.  The 
sum  of  four  hundred  dollars  was  voted  towards  finishing 
the  academy. 

1813. — It  was  "  Resolred,  That  the  poormasters  of  this 
town  meet  on  Tuesday  next  at  ten  o'clock  iu  the  forenoon 
at  the  hotel  in  the  village,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  who 
will  take  the  town  paupers  the  cheapest." 
-  1815. — Having  refused  to  electa  pound-keeper  in  1814, 
they  now  voted  to  repair  the  pounds  once  more.  It  was 
also  "  Itesolved,  That  one  hundred  dollars  be  raised  by  tax 
for  the  purpose  of  searching  for  stolen  property  and  the 
thief  or  thieves,  and  that  the  money  be  paid  over  to  the 


^^^'^'^ 


(^XO<JLC^€^7l. 


cC, 


(2y'im^'l  ^^OyU^^^ 


'^■•^^Sfc-'Sfyj^rt-i 


F?ESiD£NCL  or   JOHN   CLtVELAND.5ALrM   //^^hington  Co  N  Y 


f?TS  *C0  PNlUUJttPHIA.f 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


139 


inspectors  of  election,  and  they  be  appointed  a  standing 
committee  to  carry  the  above  resolution  into  effect." 

1818. — The  following  certificate  of  manumission  appears 
in  the  records  : 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  EJward  Savage,  master 
and  owner  of  a  female  slave  named  Lott,  have  manumitted  and  dis- 
charged her  the  said  Lott  from  her  servitude,  and  do  hereby  manu- 
mit, discharge,  and  set  free  the  said  Lott. 

"  Witness  my  hand  and  seal  this  27th  day  of  August,  181S. 

"EnwARD  Savage."  [l.s.] 

This  was  in  pursuance  of  the  act  of  the  Legislature  upon 
the  subject  of  .slavery  in  this  State.  The  birth  of  slave 
children  is  occasionally  recorded  in  the  town-book,  as  in 
1809  :  "  Peter,  born  of  my  negro  woman  named  Beck," 
signed  Anthony  T.  Blanchard.  Also,  in  the  same  family, 
1814  :  "  Kate,  born  of  my  negro  slave  woman  Amy."  Also, 
in  1817  :  "  Cato,  born  of  Amy,  a  negro  woman,  his  slave." 
Amy  seems  to  have  afterwards  been  manumitted,  Nov.  29, 
1820.  Sept.  21,  1818,  John  Savage  certifies  to  the  birth, 
on  or  about  the  6th  of  October,  1817,  of  "Nan,  child  of 
Chris,  a  female  slave  belonging  to  this  deponent." 

1819. — At  a  special  town-meeting,  held  November  5,  the 
decision  of  the  judges  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  in 
the  matter  of  a  certain  road  was  taken  up  for  consideration, 
a  strong  resolution  opposing  said  decision  passed,  and  the 
highway  commissioners  directed  to  take  steps  for  a  legal  ad- 
judication of  the  matter,  the  town  to  defray  the  expense  of 
costs,  not  to  exceed  fifty  dollars.  (See  pages  154  and  155, 
first  book  of  town  records.)  The  judges  whose  decision 
■was  thus  appealed  from  were  Asa  Fitch,  Jonathan  Wood, 
and  Nathaniel  Hall.  Fifty  dollars  would  be  a  small  .sum 
to  attempt  a  modern  lawsuit  with  in  the  upper  courts. 

1821.- — -AH  town  officers  receiving  pay  for  their  services 
were  required  to  report  in  writing,  the  report  to  be  read  on 
the  morning  of  the  town-meeting.  Asa  Fitch,  Aaron  Cleve- 
land, John  Law,  Joshua  Steel,  and  David  Russell  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  consider  the  expediency  of  building 
a  poor-house. 

1822. — The  committee  reported  in  favor  of  a  county 
poor-house,  and  their  action  was  approved  by  a  majority  of 
twenty-eight. 

1825. — There  was  manumitted,  under  date  of  March  8, 
"  a  certain  negro  slave  called  Jock  Becker  or  John  Dean,  the 
property  of  Elijah  C.  Pearl." 

1826. — "Charles,  a  colored  man,  now  the  property  of 
Nathan  Wilson,  Esq.,"  was  manumitted  January  11. 

At  the  town-meeting  it  was 

"  Hesolved,  That  the  town  clerk  call  on  William  McColIistcr  for  the 
original  field-book  and  chart  of  the  town  of  Salem,  and  that  the  same 
be  deposited  in  the  town  clerk's  office." 

1832. — Twenty-five  dollars  were  voted  to  pay  for  standard 
weights  and  measures  for  the  use  of  the  town  sealer. 

At  a  special  town-meeting,  Jan.  28,  1869,  C.  M.  Huff, 
.  chairman,  five  thousand  dollars  was  voted  on  the  part  of 
the  town  towards  the  erection  of  a  new  court-house  at  Salem. 
A  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  present  the  said 
action  to  the  board  of  supervisors,  and  to  apply  to  the  Leg- 
islature for  authorizing  the  same,  viz.,  John  H.  McFarland, 
S.  H.  Ru.ssell,  and  John  M.  Williams. 

At  the  annual  town-meeting  of  1872,  James  Gibson  and 


Robert  M.  Stephenson  were  appointed  a  committee  to  col- 
lect and  remove  to  the  room  in  the  court-house  assigned  for 
the  use  of  this  town,  by  resolution  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors of  the  county  of  Washington,  all  the  books  and 
papers  and  documents  in  the  town  clerk's  office,  or  belonging 
thereto,  or  to  the  town,  suitably  arrange  an  inventory,  and 
classify  the  same,  index  and  bind  any  or  such  parts  thereof 
as  they  shall  think  proper,  and  provide  suitable  cases  for 
their  safe-keeping  and  ready  examination ;  the  expenses 
thereof  to  be  a  town  charge,  to  be  audited  by  the  board  of 
auditors,  provided  the  said  committee  give  their  services 
free  of  charjre. 


LIST   OF    TOWN    OFFICERS. 


1787. 

1788. 
1789. 
1790. 
1791. 
1792. 
179:!. 
1794. 
1795. 


Siiperviiors. 

John  llowan. 

Adam  Martin. f 

John  Rowan. 

James  Tomb. 

Hamilfn  McAllister. 

John  Williams. 


Town  Ck-rks. 
James  Tomb. 


Collectors. 
Elisha  Fitch.* 

Alexander  Gault. 
Alex.  Turner,  Sr. 
John  lieattio. 
Benjamin  Cleveland. 
John  Beattic. 

Alexander  McNish. 


Alexander  T.  Turner. 
David  Thomas. 


1798.         "             " 

"           " 

«              « 

1799.         "             " 

"           " 

"              " 

ISOO. 

"           " 

" 

1801.  Edward  Savage. 

"           " 

Nathan  Willson. 

1802. 

"           " 

" 

isoa. 

"           " 

Moses  Rice. 

1804.  Abner  Stone. 

«           « 

"         " 

180.').  John  Savage. 

«           « 

Joseph  Boyd. 

1806.       " 

James  Hawlcy. 

"           " 

1807.  Andrew  Lytle. 

James  Tomb. 

Jonas  Sloan. 

1808.  John  Gray. 

Alex.  Simpson.  Jr. 

Paul  AVheeler. 

1809.       "  .      " 

D.  Matthews,  Jr. 

" 

1810.  David  Woods. 

"             " 

Jonas  Sloan. 

1811.         " 

"             " 

"         " 

1812.  Alexander  McNish. 

Henry  Matthews. 

James  Dobbin. 

1813.  John  Savage. 

" 

Joshua  Streeter. 

1814.  John  Williams. 

James  McXish. 

James  Y.  Watson. 

181,5.       "             " 

" 

James  I.  Sherwood. 

181G.  Philo  Curtis. 

Henry  Mathews. 

"              " 

1817.       " 

James  McNish. 

"              " 

1818.  John  Crary. 

Joseph  Hawley. 

"              " 

1819.       "         " 

«             /( 

Joshua  Streeter. 

1820.       "         " 

James  McNish. 

Adams  Lytle. 

1821.  James  Harvey. 

"     ,       " 

"         '■ 

1822.         "           " 

"            " 

"         " 

1823.  John  McMurray. 

"            " 

"         " 

1824.       " 

"            " 

«         « 

1825.       "               " 

"            " 

"         " 

1826.       "               " 

Henry  Matthews. 

li        *i 

1827.       "               " 

"             " 

"         " 

1828.       " 

"             " 

"        " 

1829.       "              " 

"             " 

Ebenczcr  Martin. 

1830.       "               " 

"             " 

"             " 

1831.       " 

"             " 

«             " 

1832.       "               " 

"             " 

«             <( 

1833.       "              " 

John  AV.  I'roudfit. 

"             " 

1834.  Bernard  Blair. 

Alonzo  Gray. 

Alvan  Robertson. 

1835.         "           " 

" 

"                " 

1836.  James  B.  Stevenson 

"          " 

"                " 

1837.  Aaron  Martin,  Jr. 

"          " 

"                " 

1838. 

"          " 

"                " 

1839.  James  B.  Stevenson 

"          " 

Henry  Nichols. 

1840.  Stephen  Ransom. 

Jas.  A.  McFarland 

Cyrus  Atwood. 

«  Constable. 

■f  Assistant. 

140 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. 
1854. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
ISfiO. 
1861. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 


Supcnisors. 
John  McMurray. 
Alex.  Robertson. 
Marvin  Preeman. 
William  iMcKie. 
John  McNaughton. 


JarvJs  Martin. 
Josephus  Fitch. 

John  R.  Lytle. 
Jas.  M.  Thompson. 
Josephus  Fitch. 
Alexander  B.  Law. 


Town  Clerks.  Collectors. 

Jas.  A.  McFarland.  Henry  Nichols. 
John  M.  Mai'tin.        John  C.  Beattie. 


Wi 


B.  Harkn 


Wm.  R.  Austin. 
.Jas.  A.  McFarland. 
Wm.  R.  Austin. 

Orrin  Austin. 


Dirck  C.  Russell. 
W.  McFarland  (2d), 

Jas.  M.  Crawford. 

Orrin  Austin. 
James  Blashfield. 
John  Liddlc. 
Wm.  McFarland. 


Jas.  M.  Thompson. 
James  Gibson. 
Robt.  M.  Stevenson. 

Edward  G.  Johnson. 
Wm.  McFarland. 

Jas.  M.  Thompson. 
Robert  McFarland. 
Smith  II.  Brownell. 
Daniel  B.  Cole. 
John  Edwards. 


Slockwcll  Liddlc. 
Edw'n  McNaughton 
Wm.  B.  Bool. 
E.  McNaughton. 

John  W.   Dobbin. 


Andrew  R.  Fenton. 


Charles  Robinson. 
Alva  Wrisht. 


John  F.  Beers. 
Clark  K.  Valentine. 
Robt.  McFarland. 
John  R.  Dobbin. 
James  L.  Martin. 
Clark  K.  Valentine. 
Edwin  M.  Pratt. 
Peter  Cruikshank. 
Sylvanus  Dickinson. 
Lewis  Austin. 
Gideon  A.  Safford. 
Wm.  C.  Gillis. 
Robert  Stewart. 
J.  C.  McXaughton. 
William  R.  Boyd. 
McCrca  Hedges. 
Wm.  I.  Cruikshank. 
.Wm.  T.  Fleming. 
Robt.  Cruikshank. 
Robert  McFarland. 
Eli  Wilson. 
Melvin  W.  Orcutt. 
David  N.  Brownell. 
Michael  Tierney. 
Edward  G.  Hcming. 
Gideon  A.  Safford. 
Wm.  J.  McCoUum. 


JUSTICES   OF   THE    PEACE. 


1829. 

Henry  Mathews. 

1852. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

John  W.  Proudlit. 

1853. 

Aaron  Martin. 

Aaron  Martin,  Jr. 

1854. 

James  A.  McFarland. 

AVarren  Norton. 

1855. 

Charles  A.  AVhite. 

1830. 

John  W.  Proudfit. 

1856. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

1831. 

Warren  Norton. 

1857. 

James  H.  Fitch. 

William  K.  Adams. 

1858. 

James  A.  McFarland. 

1832. 

Warren  Norton. 

1859. 

John  R.  Lytle. 

1S33. 

Aaron  Martin,  Jr. 

Aaron  Martin. 

1834. 

Cyrus  Stevens. 

1860. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

Andrew  Martin. 

1861. 

William  B.  Bool. 

1835. 

Jesse  L.  Billings. 

William  Robertson. 

1836. 

Andrew  Martin. 

18G2. 

«               <( 

James  A.  McFarland. 

1863. 

Ebcnezcr  McMurray. 

1837. 

Aaron  Martin,  Jr. 

1864. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

Philo  Curtis. 

1865. 

William  B.  Bool. 

1838. 

James  A.  McFarland. 

1866. 

William  Robertson. 

1839. 

Philo  Curtis. 

1867. 

Christopher  M.  Wolff. 

184,0. 

Anthony  C.  Saunders. 

1868. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

1841. 

Aaron  Martin,  Jr. 

1869. 

John  R.  Lytle. 

1842. 

James  A.  McFarland. 

1870. 

Chester  Adams. 

1843. 

William  A.  Russell. 

1871. 

Daniel  T.  Steele. 

1844. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

1872. 

David  Dobbin. 

1845. 

Aaron  Martin. 

1873 

C.  L.  Allen. 

1846. 

James  A.  McFarland. 

Robert  L.  Foster. 

1847 

William  A.  Russell. 

1874 

Robert  M.  Stevenson. 

1848. 

Alexander  B.  Law. 

1875 

Leonard  C.  Piser. 

1849. 

Aaron  Martin. 

1876 

James  Gibson,  Jr. 

1850 

James  A.  McFarland. 

1877 

C.  L.  Allen,  Jr. 

1851 

Charles  Crary. 

1878 

John  King. 

VILLAGES. 
SALEM. 

The  act  incorporating  this  village  was  passed  by  the 
Legislature,  April  4,  1803.  This  described  the  boundaries 
as  "  beginning  at  a  stone  marked  corporation  number  one, 
standing  north  two  degrees  west  thirteen  rods  and  fourteen 
links  from  the  northwest  corner  of  George  Williams' 
dwelling-house ;  thence  running  west  eighty  two  rods  to 
east  Beaver  brook  ;  thence  southerly  along  the  same  to  a 
stone  marked  corporation  number  two,  standing  on  the  west 
bank  of  said  brook,  two  rods  north  of  the  bridge  over  the 
said  brook,  on  the  road  leading  to  the  dwelling-house  of 
John  Gray;  thence  south  eighty-one  degrees  west  twenty- 
eight  rods  to  a  stone  marked  corporation  number  three ; 
thence  south  fifty-three  degrees  oast  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-one rods  and  twelve  links  to  the  centre  of  the  turn- 
pike-road, in  front  of  the  dwelling-house  of  the  late  Rev. 
James  Proudfit ;  thence  north  fifty-one  degrees  east  two 
hundred  and  thirty-six  rods  to  a  stone  marked  corporation 
number  four ;  thence  north  twenty-two  degrees  west  one 
hundred  and  eighty  rods  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

The  first  meeting  was  held  at  the  court-house,  on  the 
first  Monday  in  May,  1803,  and  the  following  officers  duly 
elected :  James  Harvey,  Anthony  I.  Blanchard,  John  Rus- 
sell, Robert  Pennell,  and  Moses  S.  Curtis,  trustees;  Ebene- 
zer  Proudfit,  James  Hawley,  David  Carswell,  assessors ; 
John  Gray,  treasurer ;  John  Streeter,  collector ;  Thaddeus 
Smith,  Nathaniel  Carswell,  Jr.,  Seth  Brown,  firewardens. 

August  12,  1803. — At  a  meeting  of  the  freeholders  and 
inhabitants  of  the  village  of  Salem,  agreeable  to  previous 
notice  duly  given, 

Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  be  raised 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  fire  implements  for  the  secu- 
rity of  the  said  village. 

1804. — Trustees,  John  Williams,  James  Harvey,  An- 
thony I.  Blanchard,  James  Rowan,  David  Carswell ;  asses- 
sors, Ebenezer  Proudfit,  John  Savage,  Seth  Brown  ;  John 
Gray,  treasurer ;  John  Streeter,  collector ;  Thaddeus  Smith, 
Nathaniel  Carswell,  and  Jo.shua  Streeter,  firewardens. 

The  treasurer  was  voted  fifty  cents  for  compensation,  and 
the  assessors  were  voted  twelve  and  a  half  cents  each. 

180.5. — One  hundred  dollars  voted  for  fire  implements. 

1806. — Eighty  dollars  voted  for  lighting  the  streets; 
fifty  dollars  for  hay-seales. 

1810. — One  hundred  dollars  for  engine  purposes. 

1811. — Three  dollars  compensation  to  the  late  collector; 
two  hundred  dollars  for  an  engine-house. 

1812.— Three  dollars  to  the  collector. 

1814. — One  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  for  a  public 
market ;  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  added  at  a 
special  meeting  in  October,  for  the  same  purpose. 

1815. — One  hundred  dollars  for  two  wells,  pumps,  and 
miscellaneous  expenses. 

1822. — The  public  market  rented  for  ten  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  to  William  McFenton. 

182G. — Seventy  dollars  for  hay-seales, — rescinded  next 
year. 

1814. — One  item  in  the  record  shows  the  vigilance  of 
the  tas-payers.     The  late  assessors,  Seth  Brown  and  Henry 


^ 


jYru^ 


BEKNAKD   BLAIR 


Bernard  Blair  was  bom  in  Williamstown,  Berkshire  Co., 
Mass.,  May  24,  1801.  Of  a  family  of  ten  children, — seven 
sons  and  three  daughters, — Mr.  Blair  was  third  son,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  sketch,  1878,  only  his  two 
younger  brothers,  Edwin  H.  and  Henry  James,  and  one 
sister,  Sarah  Maria,  survive.  His  father,  William  Blair, 
was  also  a  native  of  Williamstown,  bom  Oct.  2, 1765  ;  was 
a  farmer,  and  lived  on  the  farm  that  the  grandfather  pur- 
chased when  he  first  settled  in  Massachusetts.  This  farm 
has  been  in  the  family  over  a  century,  and  was  only  recently 
sold  by  the  subject  of  this  memoir  to  his  brother,  the  late 
George  T.  Blair,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  His  grandfather,  Absolom 
Blair,  enlisted  in  the  war  for  independence,  and  was  a  cap- 
tain at  the  battle  of  Bennington,  and  died  April  20,  1811. 
His  father  died  May  4,  1842.  His  mother,  Sarah  Train, 
was  a  native  of  Williamstown,  Mass.,  bom  Oct.  15,  1772, 
and  died  June  26,  1864. 

Mr.  Blair  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  routine  of  farm 
labor  and  district  schools,  and  after  he  attained  proper  age 
prepared  for  college  under  the  instrection  of  a  private 
teacher.  Entering  Williams  College  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
and  graduating  from  that  institution  in  the  year  1825, 
having  for  his  classmates  men  who  have  taken  high  rank 
in  the  nation,  such  as  David  Dudley  Field,  LL.D.,  the  late 
Robert  McClellan,  and  the  late  David  Addison  Noble,  ex- 
members  of  Congress. 

During  the  same  year  he  came  to  Salem,  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  entered  the  law  office  of  Hon.  David  Russell 
&  Judge  Allen,  where  he  remained  until  the  year  1828, 
when  he  was  admitted  to  practice  as  arf  attorney  in  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State.  He  was  subsequently  ad- 
mitted as  counselor  and  soUcitor  in  chancery.     In  the  year 


1828  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge  Allen,  which 
continued  for  some  twelve  years.  During  this  time  this 
firm  enjoyed,  it  is  said,  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  not 
only  in  their  county,  but  in  the  various  courts  of  the  State. 

Mr.  Blair  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  old  Whig 
party,  and  from  its  ranks,  in  the  year  1839,  was  elected  to 
the  Twenty-seventh  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

Since  his  return  he  has  gradually  withdrawn  from  the 
active  duties  of  his  profession,  giving  his  attention  more 
particularly  to  other  matters.  Upon  the  organization  of  the 
Troy  and  Rutland  railroad  he  was  elected  president,  which 
office  he  retained  until  the  road  was  leased  to  another  com- 
pany. He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  old  State 
Bank  of  Salem,  and  was  a  director  and  its  president  during 
its  existence,  and  since  the  organization  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Salem  he  has  been  a  director. 

Mr.  Blair,  in  the  year  1833,  May  23,  married  Miss 
Charlotte,  daughter  of  Abraham  C.  Lansing  and  Sophia 
Gorham,  of  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.  They  have  no  children. 
Mr.  Blair  is  now  seventy-seven  years  of  age,  able  to  review 
the  past  history  of  the  legal  fraternity  of  Salem  for  half  a 
century,  and  remembers  when  it  was  said,  "  that  the  bar  of 
Salem  had  no  superior  for  talent  and  legal  learning  in  the 
State ;"  and  as  a  member  of  that  bar  he  ranked  among  the 
first. 

He  was  one  of  the  board  of  tmstees  of  the  Washington 
Academy  for  several  years,  and  has  been  a  trustee  of  the 
First  Incorporated  Presbyterian  church  of  Salem  since  1846, 
and  one  of  its  most  liberal  supporters.  In  1846,  Mr.  Blair 
received  from  Middlebury  College  the  honorary  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts,  the  same  being  conferred  upon  him  by 
Williams  College  in  1855. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


141 


Whitney,  having  brought  in  a  bill  of  one  dollar  each,  for 
services,  the  action  is  entered  as  follows :  "  On  which  a 
motion  was  made  that  the  above  persons  have  the  compen- 
sation mentioned,"  which  was  accordingly  carried  almost 
unanimously — in  the  negative. 

1826. — Trustees  authorized  to  dispose  of  the  public 
market,  or  remove  the  same  to  a  suitable  place  in  the 
village. 

1820. — One  of  the  ordinances  forbade  any  person  to  fire, 
for  amtisement  or  sjwrt,  any  sort  of  gun  or  fire-arms,  or 
throw  any  squib  or  exhibit  any  fire-works,  in  the  village 
within  the  distance  of  one  hundred  yards  from  any  church, 
meeting-house,  dwelling-house,  store-house,  or  barn. 

In  1803  it  was  resolved  by  the  board  that  the  seal  of 
the  corporation  be  a  device  of  a  sheaf  of  wheat,  with  the 
words  "  Common  Seal  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Village  of 
Salem,"  and  the  figures  of  1803. 

In  1837  it  was  resolved  that  the  seal  of  the  corporation 
be  "  A  plain  ground  with  a  ring  margin,  and  the  letters 
C.  S.  in  the  centre,  with  a  star  between  them,  meaning 
'  Corporation  Seal.'  " 

The  present  seal  displays  an  open  safe,  with  the  words 
"  Seal  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Village  of  Salem,"  bearing 
the  date  1803. 

Early  in  the  War  of  1861-65,  when  change  was  scarce, 
the  village  corporation  issued  scrip  in  certificates  of  five 
cents,  ten  cents,  and  fifteen  cents  each,  which  circulated 
freely,  and  became  a  matter  of  great  convenience. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  presidents,  clerks, 
treasurers,  and  collectors  from  1803  to  1878,  three-quar- 
ters of  a  century  : 

Presidents.  Clerks. 

180.3 James  llarvcy.  J.  Bostwick. 

1804 JiihQ  Williams.  "  " 

1805 " 

1806 .\nth'y  J.  Blanchaid.    "  " 

1807 "                 "  "  " 

1808 James  Harvey.  Philo  Curtis. 

1809 " 

1810 John  Gray.  "  " 

1811 David  D.  Gray.  "  " 

1812 John  Gray.  "  " 

1813 "         "  "  " 

1814 David  Wood.  "  " 

1815 James  Nichols.  **  ** 

1816 "             "  "  " 

1817 Joseph  Hawley.  "  " 

1818 "             ••  "  " 

1819 "             "  "  " 

1820 "             "  "  " 

1821 James  Harvey.  "  " 

1822 "             "  "  " 

1823 Anth'y  J.  Blanchard.     "  " 

1824 John  Williams.  "  " 

1825 John  McLean,  Jr.  "  " 

1826 Anth'v  J.  Blanchard.     "  " 

1827 JohnWillard.  "  " 

1828 Cornelius  L.Allen.  "  " 

1829 "             "  "  " 

1830 "             "  Philo  Curtis.* 

1831 "             "  Henry  W.  Dodd. 

1832 Maj.  Jas.  Harvey.  "  " 

1833 "             "  C.Stevens. 

1834 Joseph  Hawley.  •'  " 

1835 "             "  "  " 

1836 "  " 

1837 John  Williams,  Jr.  James  Gihson. 

1838 John  Crcary.  "  " 

1839 "          "  " 

1840 "          "  "  " 

1841 Henry  Mathews.  "  " 

1842 Alex.  Robertson.  "  " 

1843 Cornelius  L.  Allen.  "  " 

1844 Joseph  Hawley.  "  " 

*  Probably. 


Presidents.  Clerks. 

1S45 Abncr  Austin.  James  Gibson. 

1846 Josenhus  Fitch. 

1847 

1848 Oliver  Whitcomb.  S.  B.  Shipley. 

1S49 James  W.  Peters.  James  Gibson. 

1850 Cornelius  L.  Allen.  " 

1851 "            "  S.  B.  Shipley. 

1S52 Josephus  Fitch.  "             " 

1854  David  T.  Archibald.      "  " 

1855 "            "  Charles  A.  White. 

1856 "            "  " 

1857 Marinus  Fairchild.  " 

1858 Timothy  Cronin.  B.  F.  Robinson. 

1859 

1860 " 

1861 "     "  "     " 

1862 Ale.\.  McDougall.  John  W.  McFarland. 

1863 John  Howe. 

1864 "         "  " 

1865 Matthias  Bartlctt.  "             " 

1866 .lames  McNaughton.  "             " 

1867 "                 "  "              " 

1868 "                 "  "              " 

1869 Col.  .Sol.AV.  Russell.  George  H.  Arnott. 

1870 "                 "  "                 "f 

1871 "                 "  Joseph  Oliver. 

1872 "                 "  "           ■' 

1873 "                 "  "          " 

1874 "                "  "           '•■ 

1875 "                "  "           " 

187li "                 "  "           " 

1S77 "                "  "          " 

VILLAGE   OFFICERS. 

Treasurers.  Collectora. 

1803 John  Gray.  John  Streeler. 

1S04 "         "  "           " 

1805 "         "  Joshua  Strecter. 

1806 Henry  Dodd.  James  Y.  Watson. 

1807 "         "  " 

1808 "         "  Abner  Austin. 

180!) "         "  "            " 

1810 "         "  "            " 

ISII John  Kennedy.  Joseph  Nichols. 

1812 *'           ''  Joshua  Streeter. 

1S13 Henry  Dodd.  "             " 

1814 "         "  James  Y.  Watson. 

1815 Henry  Matthews.  Joseph  Nichols. 

1816 Joseph  Warlord.  James  I.  Sherwood. 

1817 Henry  Matlhews.  "              " 

1818 "               "  "               " 

1S19 "              "  Ebcnc7.er  Martin. 

1S20 "              "  " 

1821 Philo  Curtiss.  David  Stewart. 

1822 Abner  Austin.  Wm.  K.  Ad.'iras. 

1823 "             "  AVm.  McFarland. 

1824 James  McNish.  Ebeneacr  Martin. 

1825 Cornelius  L.  Allen.  "             " 

1826 Ebenczer  Martin.  Henry  Dodd. 

1827 James  Harvey.  F.benezer  Martin. 

1828 "             "  " 

1829 Joseph  Hawley.  James  0.  Proudfit. 

1830 James  Harvey.  Hbenezer  Martin. 

1831 "            "  "  " 

1832 Joseph  Hawley.  "              " 

1833 "             "  Abner  Austiu. 

1834 John  Adams. 

1835 " 

183(i "         "  Wm.  S.  Barnard. 

1837 Tames  Harvey.  "            " 

1838 John  Adams.  Ebencjier  Hanks. 

1839 "         "  Henry  Nichols. 

1840 "         "  Cyrus  Atwood. 

1841...!!.." " 

1S42 "         "  Loraness  Clark. 

1S43 "         "  Cyrus  Atwood. 

1S44 "         "  "            " 

1845 "         "  " 

1840 George  Allen.  Alva  Wright. 

1847 " 

1848 "          "  "            ' 

1849 Archib'd  McDougall.  John  R.  Lytle. 

1850 Murray  McFarland.  Orrin  Austin. 

1851 Cyrus  Atwood.  Wm.  W.  Hill. 

1852 "             "  Orrin  Austin. 

1853.!!!!! "             "  "          " 

1854 "             <<  «          . 

1855 "            "  W.  H.  LakiD. 

1856 "             "  "           " 


f  Resigned;  Joseph  Oliver  appointed. 


142 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Treasurers.  Collectors. 

1857 Orrin  Austin.  Rufus  Fox. 

1858 •'          "  " 

1859 "          "  "         " 

1860 "          "  Lewis  Herrington. 

1861 "          "  John  S.  Crarv. 

1862 "          "  S.  S.  Crandafl. 

186.S "          "  Jno  C.  McNaughton. 

1864 "          "  John  W.  McFarland. 

1865 " 

1866 '•          "  "                   " 

1867 Leonard  M.  Liddle.  Christopher  M.AVolff. 

1868 "                 "  Edwin  McNaughton. 

1869 **                 "  Sylvanus  Dickinson. 

1870 fieorge  H.  Arnott.  A"ndrew  J.  Hickey. 

1871 Edwin  McNaughton. •\«m.  J.  Cruikshank. 

1872 George  H.  Arnott.  Eli  Wilson. 

1873 "               "  John  Howe. 

1874 James  W.  Tollman.  "         " 

1875 John  J.  Ceattie.  "         " 

1876 "             "  " 

1877 John  W.  Dobbin.  Jno.  C.  McNaughton. 

FIRE    DEPARTMENT    OF    .SALEM    VILLAGE. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the  author,  James 
Gibson,  Jr.,  for  permission  to  use  a  series  of  articles  upon 
this  subject,  prepared  for  the  press  during  the  year  1877- 
Connected  with  the  department  himself  for  many  years,  he 
industriously  gathered  material  so  interesting  and  valuable 
that  we  regret  our  limited  space  prevents  giving  it  entire : 

"  Among  the  powers  vested  in  the  village  trustees,  by 
section  three  of  that  charter,  was  that  of  making  and  pub- 
lishing ordinances  '  relative  to  the  establishing,  regulating, 
and  ordering  their  fire-company,  and  ordering  and  procur- 
ing their  fire-buckets,  fire-utensils,  and  guarding  against 
fire  generally.' 

"  The  first  meeting  of  freeholders  and  inhabitants  under 
the  charter  wa.s  held  at  the  court-house,  on  the  first  Mon- 
day of  May,  1803.  At  this  time  the  inhabitants  were  fully 
awake  to  the  necessity  of  protection  against  conflagrations, 
as  will  be  seen  by  their  early  action.  At  the  first  election 
they  chose  firewardens.  Two  months  later  (Aug.  2,  1803j, 
a  special  meeting  passed  the  following  resolution  : 

"  ^Resolved,  That  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  be  raised  for  the 
purpose  of  procuring  fire  implements  for  the  security  of  the  said 
village.' 

"  It  does  not  appear  from  the  records  that  anything  was 
done  by  the  trustees  under  the  foregoing  resolution.  It  is 
certain  that  no  fire-engine  was  purchased  at  that  time.  On 
May  12,  180-t,  the  trustees  adopted  the  following  resolu- 
tions, and  it  is  fair  to  presume,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter, 
that  they  were  making  their  first  expenditure  under  the 
resolution  passed  by  the  inhabitants  in  1803 : 

"'Resolved,  That  six  sufficient  ladders  be  procured  for  the  use  of  the 
trustees  of  said  village,  under  the  direction  of  Messrs.  Ilawley  and 
Cirswell, 

"  'Resolved,  That  twenty-four  leather  fire-buckets  be  procured  for 
the  use  of  said  trustees,  under  the  direction  of  Messrs.  Ilawley  and 
Blanchard.' 

"  The  fire-ladders  were  soon  thereafter  purchased,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  following  resolution  adopted  May  26,  1804: 

"  'Resolved,  That  twelve  dollars  be  paid  by  the  treasurer  to  Thad- 
deus  Smith,  for  four  fire-ladders  purchased  by  him  for  the  use  of  the 
trustees  of  the  village  of  Salem.' 

"At  a  meeting  held  July  31,  1804,  the  following  was 
adopted : 

"  'Resolved,  That  the  fire-buckets  be  deposited  at  the  stores  of  James 
Harvey,  J.  Hawley,  and  Ebcnezer  Proudfit.' 


"  It  thus  appears  that  the  first  fire-ladders  were  ready  for 
use  on  or  before  May  26,  1804,  and  the  fire-buckets  and 
hooks  by  July  31  of  the  same  year.  It  will  be  observed 
that  the  original  fire-apparatus  was  not  very  extensive  or 
expensive.  The  ladders  cost  only  twelve  dollars,  and  the 
buckets  perhaps  but  little  more.  Probably  the  whole  ex- 
pense did  not  exceed  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars. 

"  It  is  presumed  that  the  then  '  fathers'  of  the  village 
did  not  consider  a  fire-engine  necessary.  They  probably 
thought  that  their  facilities  for  extinguishing  fires  were 
ample.  They  had  four  ladders,  a  number  of  buckets,  and 
a  few  hooks.  In  case  of  fire,  water  could  be  carried  in 
buckets  from  the  nearest  well,  ladders  could  be  hoisted  on 
the  burning  building,  and  the  water  thrown  on  ;  and  in 
case  the  building  could  not  be  saved,  which  is  quite  reason- 
able to  believe,  it  could  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  hooks.  It 
may  be,  however,  that  Major  James  Harvey  (who,  previous 
to  coming  to  this  place,  was  a  member  of  a  New  York  city 
fire-company)  owned  an  engine  at  this  time,  which  the 
trustees  relied  on.  The  writer  is  informed  by  the  descend- 
ants of  Major  Harvey  that  he  owned  a  small  fire-engine 
about  this  time,  but  they  cannot  give  the  year  of  its  deliv- 
ery to  him  in  Salem. 

"  On  the  Gth  of  October,  1806,  the  trustees  appointed  the 
first  fire-company.  It  consisted  of  only  seven  members, 
and  they  were  the  leading  citizens  of  the  village.  Its  mem- 
bers were  Abner  Austin,  Amasa  Allen,  William  Faulkner, 
Jeremiah  Griswold,  Sutherland  Doty,  James  B.  Gibson, 
Esq.,  and  Colonel  John  Williams.  Was  there  not  a  fire- 
engine  here  in  1806?  If  there  was  no  engine,  why  then 
should  the  trustees  appoint  a  company  ?  It  is  inferred  that 
there  must  have  been  an  engine  here  as  early  as  1806, 
owned  by  one  or  more  citizens  (probably  Major  Harvey), 
and  that  the  company  in  question  was  appointed  for  the 
purpose  of  using  it  in  ca.se  of  need.  The  records  are  silent 
as  to  who  was  the  first  foreman,  but  it  is  likely  that  Colonel 
John  Williams  was  chosen  to  fill  that  position. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  held  Jan.  10,  1810,  a 
resolution  was  adopted  to  the  eifect  that  the  foreman  of  the 
company  present  a  list  of  the  members.  •  In  pursuance 
thereof  the  foreman  immediately  presented  the  list,  which 
was  ent€red  in  the  records,  and  is  as  follows  :  James  Har- 
vey, Philo  Curtis,  John  Williams,  Henry  Dodd,  David 
Rumsey,  William  Faulkner,  John  P.  Reynolds,  Ebenezer 
Martin,  James  J.  Sherwood,  James  Nichols,  Joseph  Nichols, 
William  Carson,  Samuel  Prince,  Jr.,  Jeremiah  Griswold, 
Henry  D.  Beeman,  Abner  Austin,  Amasa  Allen,  Joseph 
D.  Benjamin,  Isaac  Powers,  Jr.,  and  John  Kennedy. 

"  At  this  time  (January,  1810)  Major  James  Harvey,  a 
prominent  merchant  here,  was  foreman,  but  when  he  joined 
the  company,  or  became  foreman,  the  records  fail  to  disclose. 
He  continued  to  act  in  that  position  till  March  20,  1810, 
when,  as  appears  by  an  entry  in  his  journal,  he  removed  to 
Pelham,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  resided  till  March, 
1819,  when  he  returned  to  this  village.  Colonel  Williams 
probably  succeeded  as  foreman.  An  old  resident  informs 
the  writer  that  in  1814  the  company  was  out  on  parade  and 
inspection,  and  that  Colonel  Williams  commanded  it. 

"On  Blay  7,  1811,  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  was 
hold,  at  which  the  following  resolution  was  adopted : 


Ow.G£Of?GC  Allen. 


This  gentleman  was  descended  paternally  from  James 
Allen,  who  emigrated  from  or  near  Wrentham,  in  county 
Suffolk,  England,  and  in  1639  settled  in  Dedham,  Mass., 
and  t>y  Anna,  his  wife,  had  for  his  ninth  and  youngest  son, 
Joseph  (2),  of  Rehoboth,  who  was  born  June  24,  1652; 
and  who  had  by  his  wife,  Hannah  Sabine,  of  Seekonk, 
Nehemiah,  who  was  their  twelfth  and  youngest  child,  born 
May  21,  1699 ;  and  whose  fourth  son  was  Jacob  (4),  born 
February  4, 1734;  and  whose  third  son,  Ephraim  (5),  born 
March  10,  1766,  graduated  in  medicine,  and  married,  May 
26,  1793,  Miriam,  a  daughter  of  General  Timothy  Newell, 
of  Sturbridge,  Mass.,  and  whose  fifth  child  by  her  was 
George  (6),  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in 
Salem,  N.  Y.,  January  12,  1806  ;  educated  at  Washington 
Academy  while  it  was  under  the  charge  of  the  Rev.  Sidney 
Wilber ;  pursued  the  study  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  the 
office  of  his  uncle,  Abram  Allen,  M.D.,  and  his  brother-in- 
law,  Archibald  McAllister,  M.D.,  who  were  copartners  in 
the  practice  of  medicine,  at  Salem. 

He  attended  two  courses  of  lectures  at  the  Medical 
University,  Castleton,Vt.,  but  could  not  graduate,  as  he  was 
not  then  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  returned  to  Salem, 
and  entered  at  once  into  the  active  practice  of  his  profession 
until  he  attained  his  majority,  and  then  returned  to  Castle- 
ton  and  graduated,  December  19,  1827,  and  became  a 
member  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  county  of  Washing- 
ton. He  renewed  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Salem,  and 
continued  in  practice  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
August  16,  1866,  aged  sixty  years.  His  wife  had  died 
previously, — August  4,  1856. 

He  was  of  a  family  of  physicians,  for  his  father  and  uncle 
were,  as  we  have  seen,  of  that  profession  ;  and  his  cousin, 
Amasa  Allen,  M.D.,  who  settled  in  Granville,  was  also 
a  physician  ;  and  his  son,  Charles  H.  Allen,  M.D.,  died  in 
the  practice  of  medicine,  at  Salem,  March  1,  1875. 


Dr.  George  Allen  was  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  as  a 
surgeon,  and  as  a  physician  he  had  no  superior  in  the 
county.  His  life  was  devoted  to  his  profession,  and  no  one 
could  be  more  attentive  than  he  was  in  the  performance  of 
its  duties.  As  long  as  life  remained  in  the  body  he  never 
lost  all  hope,  and  it  was  his  belief  that  his  patient  had 
a  right  to  the  services  of  his  physician  till  his  last  breath , 
for,  while  life  remained,  nature  might  struggle,  and,  with 
the  aid  of  the  physician,  might  save;  and  this  possible 
chance,  he  insisted,  ought  never  to  be  lost  for  want  of  care 
and  attention.  Another  noble  quality  he  had  in  an  eminent 
degree  was  his  cheerful  countenance  in  the  presence  of  his 
patient ;  nothing  could  surprise  him  out  of  this,  for  with 
him  it  was  a  duty,  and  practiced  on  the  same  principle  as  the 
quality  before  mentioned.  For  it  was  his  opinion  that  a 
cloudy,  dubious,  solemn,  or  melancholy  face  should  never  be 
carried  by  a  physician  into  the  sick-room.  He  felt  bound 
to  give  the  patient  every  chance  for  recovery,  and  he  gave 
them  not  only  medicine,  but  hope ;  and  whatever  he  might 
do  as  to  stopping  the  prescription,  he  never  lost  the  cheerful 
face,  nor  the  hope  of  a  good  result,  in  the  presence  of  the 
patient.  His  mode  of  practice  w;»s  a  revolution  from  that 
previously  had,  for  bleeding  in  nearly  all  cases  had  been  the 
rule  previous  to  his  commencing,  but  in  his  practice  rarely, 
if  ever,  employed.  The  doctor's  social  (pialities  were  such  as 
to  endear  him  to  every  one  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

He  married,  soon  after  graduating,  Caroline  S.,  daughter 
of  Major  James  Harvey,  of  Salem,  and  his  wife,  Mary 
(Barrows),  and  had  the  following  children  :  Charles  H., 
who  subsequently  became  a  distinguished  physician  and 
surgeon  at  Salem ;  George,  who  is  a  resident  of  Washington, 
D.  C. ;  James  H.,  a  resident  of  Cameron,  Mo. ;  and  Caro- 
line, who  married  Geo.  B.  McCartie,  Esq.,  for  many  years 
chief  of  the  bureau  of  engraving  and  printing  in  the 
treasury  department  at  Washington. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NJ]W   YORK. 


143 


'"  Reuolved,  That  the  trustees  of  the  village  of  Salem  be  directed 
forthwith  to  cause  to  be  raised  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars,  for 
the  purpose  of  building  an  engine-house,  ftnd  the  re/tidue  to  be  (tpjtlicd 
hy  said  trustees  to  refund  the  money  advanced  last  year  by  individuaUj 
towards  purehnsing  euijine  iVo.  1.' 

"  At  the  same  meeting  it  was  furtlior 

"  *  Jiesnlved,  Tliat  the  trustees  he  authorized  to  rent  a  suitable  lot 
of  ground  on  which  to  place  an  engine-house,  which  rent  shall  not 
exceed  the  sum  of  ten  dollars  per  aunuru.* 

"  The  inference  to  be  drawn  from  tlie  foregoing  resolu- 
tions, and  particularly  from  the  italicised  portion  of  the 
former  one,  is  that  the  first  engine  was  purchased  by  private 
subscription,  during  the  year  1810.  A  brief  description 
of  it  may  be  of  interest.  It  has  iron  wheels,  eighteen 
inches  in  diameter  ;  length  of  box,  five  and  a  half  feet ; 
width,  twenty-two  inches  ;  depth,  fourteen  inches.  There 
were  originally  two  brakes, — one  at  each  end  of  the  engine, 
— each  brake  only  long  enough  for  five  men  to  work  on. 
It  had  a  brass  air-chamber  which  extended  some  five  or  six 
inches  above  its  top.  The  fire-buckets  were  used  in  feeding 
it  with  water.  Having  no  suction-pipe,  it  could  not  be  fed 
from  wells  or  reservoirs  like  modern  engines. 

"  Persons  unacquainted  with  the  power  of  such  an  engine 
would  naturally  say  that  it  could  throw  water  but  a  very 
short  distance.  Such  was  not  the  case,  as  will  be  seen  by 
the  following  facts:  In  July,  1871,  when  the  engine  was 
over  .sixty  years  old,  some  of  the  village  boys  organized  a 
company,  and  bought  the  "  old  tub,"  as  they  called  it,  for 
a  few  dollars,  and  shortly  after,  these  boys  took  the  "  tub" 
out  and  threw  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet. 
Under  the  old  .system  here,  in  case  of  fire,  the  inhabitants 
would  form  in  two  lines  extending  from  the  engine  to  the 
nearest  well.  Those  forming  one  line  would  pass  from 
hand  to  hand  the  buckets  filled  with  water  to  supply  the 
engine,  and  the  other  line  would  return  the  empty  buckets 
to  the  well. 

"The  trustees,  on  May  17,  1820,  adopted  an  ordinance, 
the  interest  of  which  consists  in  the  fact  that,  so  far  as  is 
known,  it  shows  the  style  of  the  first  uniform  ever  worn 
by  Salem  firemen  : 

" '  Be  it  ordained  by  the  trustees  of  the  village  of  Salem,  that  here- 
after every  person  appointed,  or  to  be  appointed,  in  the  company  of 
firemen  of  the  said  village,  shall,  within  fifteen  days  after  notice  of 
such  appointment,  equip  himself  with  a  short  coat  of  blue  woolen 
cloth  anil  a  leather  hat  such  as  is  usually  worn  by  a  fireman  :  and  in 
default  of  such  an  equipment  within  the  time  aforesaid  suoh  person 
shall  be  deemed  to  have  refused  acceptance  of  such  appointment,  and 
be  no  longer  a  member  of  said  fire-company.' 

"  In  March,  1833,  a  tax  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars was  voted,  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the  depart- 
ment and  for  contingent  expenses.  In  July,  1833,  Alonzo 
Gray  was  appointed  to  procure  an  axe  for  the  use  of  the 
engine-company.  This  was  the  first  axe  ever  purchased  by 
authority  of  the  trustees,  at  least  for  fire  purposes.  From 
1803,  for  thirty  years  firewardens  were  elected  annually; 
and  by  an  ordinance  adopted  in  July,  1833,  it  was  made 
their  duty  '  to  attend  strictly  at  every  alarm  of  fire  in 
the  village,  and  to  form  the  lines  to  carry  water  to  the 
engine  with  all  possible  dispatch.'  In  July  of  that  year 
(1833)  a  committee  was  appointed  to  procure  four  ladders, 
two  twenty-four  feet  long,  and  the  other  two  sixteen  feet 
in  length.     At  the  next  meeting  the  committee  reported 


that  they  had  procured  the  axe  and  ladders,  at  an  expense 
of  nine  dollars  and  forty  cents.  It  appears  that  the  old 
hook-and-ladder  department  cost  about  ten  dollars. 

"  From  1803  to  1835  the  enterprise  of  the  residents  of 
the  village  kept  pace  with  its  growth,  and  in  the  latter  year 
many  of  the  citizens  were  in  favor  of  selling  engine  No.  1, 
and  purchasing  one  with  modern  improvements.  There 
was,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  ca.se,  one  party  who  wanted  a  new 
engine  and  another  party  who  were  satisfied  with  the  old 
one.  But  finally,  pursuant  to  the  request  of  those  who 
wanted  to  exchange  engines,  the  trustees  called  a  special 
village-meeting,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  subject  into 
consideration,  which  was  held  Aug.  15,  1835,  and  it  was 
resolved  that  it  was  '  inexpedient'  to  raise  money  for  that 
purpose  at  that  time.  The  meeting,  however,  went  so  far 
as  to  appoint  John  Williams,  Jr.,  John  W.  Proudfit,  and 
John  Willard  as  a  committee  '  to  inquire  into  the  expense 
of  a  new  engine.'  But  the  committee  made  haste  slowly, 
and  the  subject  was  dropped  for  a  while.  At  an  adjourned 
special  village-meeting,  held  Jan.  7,  1837,  it  was  resolved 
'  that  the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  be  raised 
by  tax,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  for  a  fire-engine  and  a 
suitable  quantity  of  hose  for  the  use  of  said  village.'  Jan. 
28,  1838,  the  resolution  adopted  a  year  earlier  was  re- 
scinded, and  the  following  resolution  adopted  in  lieu  thereof: 

"'  Resolved,  That  two  htindred  and  fifty  dollars  be  raised  .  .  .  for 
the  purpose  of  paying  John  Williams,  Jr.,  for  a  fire-engine, /ifieJo- 
fore  furnished  said  rilla.je  I,,,  him.' 

"At  a  meeting  hold  June  25,  1838,  the  sum  of  two 
hundred  and  thirty-one  dollars  and  fifty  cents  was  paid  Mr. 
Williams  for  the  engine  in  question.  It  seems,  therefore, 
that  the  second  engine  was  purchased  of  Mr.  Williams,  or 
loaned  by  him  to  the  village,  in  1837.  It  was  built  in  his 
manufactory  by  the  Lord  brothers,  who  were  considered  to 
be  the  leading  mechanics  of  the  day  in  this  section. 

ENGINE-HOUSES,    AND   WHERE   LOCATED. 

"  At  the  time  of  the  purchase  of  the  fire-engine,  in 
1810,  a  building,  located  on  the  lot  next  north  of  the  old 
court-house  lot,  was  secured  for  its  shelter.  The  engine 
was  kept  there  till  1842,  when  a  new  engine-house  was 
erected.  The  subject  was  brought  before  the  inhabitants 
at  a  special  meeting  held  in  August,  1835,  at  which  Messrs. 
John  Williams,  Jr.,  John  W.  Proudfit,  and  John  Willard 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  report  as  to  the  advisability 
of  a  change.  Nearly  two  years  later  (April,  1837)  a  res- 
olution was  adopted  to  the  effect  that  the  engine-house  be 
removed  to  the  Salem  Hotel  lot,  provided  such  removal 
coidd  he  made  without  expense  to  the  village.  It  is  inferred 
that  the  ardor  of  the  advocates  for  the  removal  was  con- 
siderably dampened  by  the  proviso  of  the  foregoing  reso- 
lution, as  the  subject  was  dropped  and  not  revived  until 
1838.  In  January,  1838,  Major  Harvey,  Dr.  Robert  M. 
Stevenson,  and  Hon.  Marinus  Faircbild  were  appointed  as 
a  committee  to  fix  upon  a  permanent  location  ;  but  the 
change  was  not  made,  and  in  1840  the  old  engine-house 
was  repaired.  This  subject  received  further  ventilation  in 
May,  1842,  when  the  trustees  recommended  the  erection 
of  a  new  engine-hou.se,  and  the  inhabitants  at  the  annual 


144 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


meeting  in  that  year  voted  to  expend  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  less  collector's  fees,  for  that  purpose. 

"  A  committee,  consisting  of  John  Williams,  Jr.,  Cor- 
nelius L.  Allen,  and  Dr.  George  Allen,  was  appointed  to 
select  a  site.  The  new  building  was  erected  by  the  then 
owners  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Salem  Hotel,  in  rear 
of  the  hotel  and  fronting  on  West  Broadway,  and  was  leased 
to  the  village  for  a  term  of  years.  The  room  was  fitted  up 
by  a  committee  from  the  trustees  early  in  1843,  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  village. 

"  The  company  of  18.37  consisted  of  twenty-three  mem- 
bers, as  appears  by  a  list  presented  to  the  trustees  on  Sep- 
tember 9  of  that  year,  as  follows  :  John  Williams,  John 
Adams,  James  H.  Seymour,  John  Williams,  Jr.,  John  Mc- 
Lelland,  Jonathan  F.  Danforth,  Taylor  Manville,  A.  M. 
Proudfit,  Loraness  Clark,  Marvin  Freeman,  William  H. 
Reab,  Cyrus  Stevens,  Alonzo  Gray,  Abner  Austin,  Thomas 
G.  Wait,  David  Bowen,  Harrison  Libbey,  Abner  Austin, 
Jr.,  William  Gunnison,  Loughton  Lane,  Moses  Whitney, 
David  Rider,  Adam  W.  Freeman. 

"  On  Aug.  20,  1840,  a  contract  was  awarded  to  George 
R.  Lakin  to  build  two  fire-wells  for  seventeen  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  each.  One  of  these  wells  was  located  in  front  of 
the  old  court-hou.se  lot,  and  the  other  at  the  junction  of 
Main  street  and  Broadway. 

"  The  second  engine  was  used  from  1837  to  1849,  and  in 
the  later  year  a  tax  was  voted  for  the  purpose  of  paying  for 
a  new  engine  and  hose.  It  was  furnished  by  Samuel  Lord 
the  same  year,  and  in  1850  he  was  paid  two  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  leaving  due  him  sixty- 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  which  was  soon  thereafter  paid. 
It  is  probable  that  the  old  engine  was  turned  in  towards  the 
purchase  price  of  the  new  one,  the  old  engine  and  the  three 
hundred  dollars  making  the  cost  of  the  third  machine. 
That  engine,  like  the  second,  was  manufjictured  here. 

"  In  the  early  days  of  the  department,  and  down  to  a  very 
recent  period,  for  that  matter,  there  were  no  fire-bells  or 
alarms,  and  the  writer  has  often  wondered  how  meetings 
were  announced,  and  the  company  '  warned  out'  to  attend 
fires,  etc.  The  earliest  by-laws  now  in  existence  are  those 
of  1840,  and  one  of  the  sections  gives  the  method  of  notify- 
ing members  of  meetings  and  alarms  of  fire.  The  company 
had,  among  other  officers,  one  called  the  '  horn-blower,' 
and  his  duties  are  defined  as  follows : 

" '  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  horn-blower  to  blow  the  horn  at  least 
ten  uiiuutes  before  the  time  for  each  regular  meeting,  under  a  penalty 
of  fifty  cents  for  each  omission  ;  and  immediately  on  the  alarm  of 
fire,  under  the  penalty  of  three  dollars  for  each  and  every  neglect.' 

"  There  is  an  ancient  expression  about '  blowing  one's  own 
horn,'  which  has  been  commonly  applied  to  men  who  mag- 
nify their  own  exploits,  but  the  writer  was  never  satisfied 
as  to  the  origin  of  the  expression,  until  he  discovered  the 
by-laws  to  which  he  has  referred.  The  names  of  the  '  horn- 
blowers'  of  the  Salem  fire  department  ought  to  be  handed 
down  to  future  generations ;  but,  alas  !  the  records  are  lost 
and  the  golden  opportunity  has  passed,  and  their  names  will 
never  be  disclosed. 

"  The  two  '  great  fires,'  as  they  are  called,  occurred,  the 
first  in  September,  and  the  latter  in  October,  1840,  just  one 
month  apart.     The  fire-company  at  that  period  was  com- 


posed of  the  following-named  persons:  John  Williams,  Jr., 
James  H.  Seymour,  Marvin  Freeman,  A.  M.  Proudfit,  Wm. 
H.  Reab,  Loraness  Clark,  Warren  Tanner,  W.  W.  Freeman, 
Alonzo  Gray,  Wm.  McLelland,  Cyrus  Atwood,  David 
Rider,  David  Bowen,  B.  F.  Robinson,  Ebenezer  Beaty, 
Rufus  Fox,  Thomas  M.  Hopkins,  Abner  C.  Barnard, 
Robert  McMurray. 

"The  fire-company  organized  in  1806  continued  in  un- 
broken existence  until  1847,  when  a  petition  for  a  new  fire- 
company  was  presented  to  the  trustees  May  1.  The  peti- 
tion was  received  and  placed  on  file,  but  no  action  was 
taken  thereon  for  several  months.  On  May  7,  1847,  a 
petition  signed  by  a  number  of  members  of  the  existing 
company  was  presented  to  the  trustees,  and  is  as  follows : 

"  '  To  the  Tninltea  o/  the  viUar/e  o/  Salem  : 

"  '  Respectfully  showeth  that  they  are  members  of  the  present  fire- 
company  in  said  village,  and  are  desirous  that  the  same  should  be 
dissolved,  and  they  fully  discharged  therefrom.  All  which  they  re- 
spectfully submit. 

"'CvRus  W.  Hall, 
"'Cvnrs  Atwood, 
"'A.  Grav, 
" '  W.  W.  Freeman, 
"'OnniN  Austin. 
"'Sai.em,  May  1,  1847.' 

'■  The  petition  was  ordered  on  file,  and  subsequently  (June 
2,  1847)  the  trustees  dissolved  the  existing  company  and 
constituted  those  named  in  the  foregoing  petition  for  a  new 
fire-company  as  the  fire-company  of  this  village.  During 
the  years  1848-49,  Henry  S.  Osborn,  C.  "V.  B.  Martin, 
John  L.  Woodin,  John  J.  Steele,  John  King,  David  Lid- 
die,  David  Youlin,  Geo.  Quackenbush,  S.  G.  Patterson, 
Joseph  H.  Guild,  Murray  McFarland,  Lewis  Herrington, 
and  possibly  others,  were  appointed  firemen. 

"  This  company  was  disbanded  in  1856.  Its  foremen 
were  as  follows  :  Josephus  Fitch,  1847-49  ;  Robert  C.  Cun- 
ningham, 1850;  Abram  C.  Lansing,  1851-54;  Alvin  Rus- 
sell) 1855-56. 

'•The  company  turned  out  on  parade  for  the  last  time  on 
July  4,  1856,  and  practically  disbanded  on  that  day,  but 
was  not  formally  dissolved  till  Nov.  28  of  that  year. 

"  Old  Uinon  No.  1.— From  July,  1856,  to  18G1,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  this  village  was  not  protected  against 
fire.  On  Dec.  9,  1861,  Messrs.  T.  C.  Cronin,  John  M. 
Williams,  and  Geo.  Hastings  were  appointed  as  a  com- 
mittee from  the  board  of  trustees,  with  full  power  to  pur- 
chase a  fire-engine  and  the  necessary  hose.  The  committee 
subsequently  reported  their  proceedings,  and  at  a  meeting 
held  Dec.  18,  1861,  the  board  resolved  to  purchase  Cataract 
Engine,  No.  8,  of  Troy,  for  eight  hundred  dollars,  and  four 
hundred  feet  of  hose  for  two  hundred  dollars.  The  engine 
and  hose  were  purchased  and  reached  here  soon  thereafter. 

"  It  appears  that  Union  Engine  and  Hose-Company  No.  1 
was  organized  previous  to  Dec.  18,  1861,  because  at  the 
meeting  held  on  that  day,  it  was  resolved  '  that  the  ofiicers 
and  members  of  the  company  lately  organized,  ai]d  called 
Union  Company  No.  1,  be  approved.'  In  September  of 
the  following  year  the  trustees  instructed  the  village  treas- 
urer to  borrow  six  hundred  dollars  '  for  the  special  purpose 
of  purchasing  hose  for  the  fire-engine,  and  digging  wells 
and  reservoirs.'  Under  the  charter  of  1851  the  fire-com- 
pany could  only  have  thirty-four  members.     This  being  too 


y  ^ 

DAnD   HAW' LEV. 


David  Hawley  was  bom  in  the  village  of  Salem, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  9, 1809.  He  was  only  son 
(having  one  sister,  Mrs.  Alonzo  Gray,  of  Salem)  of  Joseph 
Hawley  and  Sally  Gray,  the  former  a  native  of  Bridge- 
port, Conn.,  and  came  to  this  county  while  a  young  man, 
spent  his  life  as  a  merchant  in  Salem,  and  died  in  the  year 
1858,  aged  eighty-three  years.  The  latter  was  a  native  of 
Camden,  town  of  Salem,  and  died  in  the  year  1856.  His 
grandfather's  name  was  Woolcot  Hawley. 

David  Hawley's  early  life,  until  he  was  sixteen,  was  spent 
at  home  and  as  a  student  in  Washington  Academy,  at 
Salem,  where  he  received  such  cultivation  of  intellect  as 
gave  him  ready  ability  to  enter  upon  a  clerkship  in  his 
father's  store,  which  he  continued  until  he  was  nineteen, 
when  his  father  gave  up  business,  and  the  son  entered  a 
partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Alonzo  Gray,  which 
continued  for  a  time ;  he  then  caiTied  on  the  business  aloue 
successfully  until  the  year  1838,  when  his  health  became 
somewhat  impaired,  and  he  spent  the  following  ten  years 
traveling  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States. 

In  the  year  1830,  May  25,  he  married  Miss  Katharine 
Matilda,  daughter  of  the  late  Major  James  Harvey,  of 
Salem.  She  was  born  July  11,  1813,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three,  leaving  an  only  daughter,  Mrs.  Rev.  J.  K. 
McLean,  of  Oakland,  California.  After  the  death  of  his  wife 
Mr.  Hawley  retu-ed  from  business,  and  resided  elsewhere 
for  several  years,  first  in  Greenwich  and  then  in  Schaghticoke. 

In  the  year  1848,  February  16,  he  married  Miss  L. 
J.,  youngest  daughter  of  the  late  Col.  Bethel  Mather,  of 
Schaghticoke,  who  was  a  native  of  Torringford,  liitchfield 
Co.,  Conn.,  and  had  for  his  pastor  the  Rev.  Samuel  J. 
Mills,  father  of  the  first  missionary  of  this  country.  Her 
mother  was  Haldah  Smith,  nf  Aiueuia,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Elijah  Smith,  cousm  of  John  Cotton  Smith, 
ex-Governor  of  New  Yurk  State. 


To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawley  have  been  born  two  sons: 
Joseph  Mather  Hawley,  graduated  from  Amherst  College, 
June,  1875,  and  entered  thf  same  year  the  banking-house 
of  C.  A.  Mather  &  Co.,  of  Beriin,  Wis. ;  and  Charles  D. 
Hawley,  spending  his  minority  at  school. 

After  Mr.  Hawley's  second  marriage  he  returned  to 
Salem,  and  soon  after  entered  into  the  grain  and  commission 
business  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Cyrus  Atwood,  which  con- 
tinued until  his  partner's  demise;  after  which  time  he  carried 
on  the  business  aloue  until  nearly  the  time  of  bis  death, 
Feb.  5,  1871. 

In  January,  1859,  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church,  filling  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  his  father.  Ten  years  later  lie  became  one  c^f  the 
directors  of  the  National  Bank  of  Salem,  both  of  which 
positions  he  continufd  to  hold  by  successive  re-elections  until 
his  death.  Mr.  Hawley  was  a  man  of  activity  in  business, 
a  warm  friend  to  the  deserving  needy,  and  many  whom  he 
befriended  will  cherish  his  name  in  grateful  remembrance. 
He  possessed  fixed  integrity  of  purpose  in  all  his  business 
transactions,  and  was  honored  and  esteemed  by  all  who 
knew  him. 

He  was  never  solicitous  of  any  public  notoriety  by  way 
of  political  preferment ;  neither  did  he  shrink  from  bearing 
his  duties  as  a  citizen,  and  was  an  unswerving  member  of 
the  Republican  parly.  Soci^  "y,  ho  wr«  the  attractive  centre 
not  only  of  his  family,  but  of  the  business  community,  and 
his  pleasant  words  cheered  the  mind  of  many  a  despondent 
and  sufiering  one.  While  a  young  man  Mr.  Hawley  was 
interested  in  military  matters,  and  was  paymaster  on  the 
staff  of  General  McNaughton,  in  the  Sixteenth  Brigade, 
Tenth  Division  N.  Y.  S.  Militia. 

A  view  of  the  residence  of  the  late  David  Hawley  will  be 
seen  on  another  page  of  this  -,7ork,  7<;)ere  his  widuw  still 
resides,  having  come  there  immediately  aflcr  her  marriage. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


145 


small  a  number  for  the  proper  management  of  the  engine 
and  hose,  the  trustees  applied  to  the  Legislature,  and  the 
charter  was  amended  so  as  to  allow  sixty  members. 

"  This  company  is  the  lineal  descendant  of  the  original 
fire-company,  and  can  fairly  inscribe  on  its  engine  '  Estab- 
lished in  ISOG.'  It  has  at  all  times  since  its  organization 
(and  at  no  time  more  than  the  present)  been  a  credit  to 
the  village.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  better  managed 
fire-company  than  this  in  any  village.  Its  members  are 
and  always  have  been  thoroughly  drilled  in  their  important 
duties,  and  never  since  the  company  was  created  has  it 
failed  to  do  its  whole  duty.  John  M.  Williams  was  fore- 
man from  its  organization  to  and  including  1870,  and  would 
have  been  re-elected  until  now,  in  all  probability,  had  he 
not  positively  declined  to  accept  the  office.  The  foremen 
since  1870  have  been  as  follows :  Sylvanus  Dickinson, 
1871  ;  W.  J.  Toleman  and  James  C.  Shaw,  1872;  John 
M.  Clapp,  1873 ;  James  Gibson,  Jr.,  1874 ;  John  H. 
Thomas,  1875 ;  Patrick  Congdon,  1S7G.  The  latter  was 
re-elected  at  the  annual  meeting  for  the  present  calendar 
year.  The  uniform  of  the  fire-company  consists  of  black 
trowscrs,  red  shirts,  blue  caps,  and  black  belts.  The  hose- 
company  connected  with  this  engine  was  formed  at  the 
same  time  as  the  engine-company.  Since  its  formation  the 
following-named  have  served  as  foremen  :  Jos.  Kelly,  John 
W.  McFarland,  James  A.  Brown,  S.  Watson,  Wm.  A. 
Connor,  and  James  H.  Cooney.  At  the  last  annual  meet- 
ing Dennis  Leary  was  chosen  for  the  present  year. 

"  As  stated  above,  the  new  engine  was  purchased  in  ISGl. 
It  was  placed  in  a  building  near  the  White  creek  bridge,  in 
rear  of  the  present  Union  engine-house,  where  it  was  kept 
till  186G,  when  the  new  building  was  erected.  At  the 
annual  village-meeting  held  in  April,  1865,  it  was  voted 
that  the  trustees  be  authorized  to  purchase  or  lease  a  suita- 
ble site  for  an  engine-house,  and  erect  thereon  a  suitable 
building,  the  total  expense  not  to  exceed  three  thousand 
dollars.  The  site  selected  was  on  the  south  side  of  White 
creek  bridge,  on  Main  street.  John  M.  Williams  gave  the 
use  of  the  necessary  land.  The  building  was  erected  by  D. 
B.  Parks,  and  was  completed  early  in  18GG,  and  accepted 
by  the  trustees  May  19,  1866.  It  is  a  fine  brick  structure, 
containing  throe  rooms  on  the  upper  floor,  and  one  room, 
the  size  of  the  building,  on  the  lower  floor. 

"  Enlargement  of  the  Department. 

"  From  the  time  of  the  incorporation  of  this  village  to 
and  including  the  year  1874,  the  corporation,  as  has  been 
shown,  owned  but  one  serviceable  fire-engine  at  any  one 
time.  Its  facilities  for  extinguishing  fires  were  hardly 
what  would  naturally  be  expected  for  a  village  situated  as 
this  is.  It  is  quite  probable  that  no  important  changes 
would  have  been  made  in  the  department  had  it  not  been 
for  the  unusual  number  of  fires  during  the  year  1874. 
These  fires,  occurring  at  short  intervals  during  that  year, 
and  culminating  with  the  fire  at  which  the  Salem  Hotel 
barn  and  other  out-buildings  were  destroyed,  and  a  number 
of  dwellings  threatened  with  destruction,  attracted  public 
attention  to  the  insufficiency  of  the  existing  fire  depart- 
ment. 

"  A  special  meeting  was  held  at  Academy  Hall  Dec.  2, 
10 


1874.  At  that  meeting  Messrs.  John  H.  Thomas,  F. 
Kegler,  B.  F.  Bancroft,  C.  H.  Allen,  S.  W.  Russell,  and 
Ira  Broughton  were  appointed  a  committee  to  report  as  to 
the  cost  of  a  steam  fire-engine,  additional  hose,  and  other 
necessary  apparatus. 

"  The  meeting  adjourned  to  Dec.  9,  1874,  at  which  the 
above-named  committee  presented  a  report.  The  questions 
involved  were  debated,  and  the  following  resolution  was 
almost  unanimously  adopted  : 

"  ■  Ucmheil,  That  the  trustees  of  the  villugo  of  Salem  be  and  they 
are  hereby  authorized  and  instructed  tu  purchase  on  the  credit  of 
said  village  a  steam  fire-engine,  ladders,  truck,  hose,  reel,  and  other 
apparatus,  including  one  thousand  feet  of  hose,  suitable  for  the  fire 
department,  not  to  exceed  the  sum  of  four  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.' 

"  Jlessrs.  Fred.  Kegler,  B.  F.  Bancroft,  John  M.  Williams, 
and  John  W.  Thomas  were  appointed  as  purchasing  com- 
mittee. The  trustees  were  further  authorized  to  raise  and 
expend  five  hundred  dollars  for  fire-wells,  so  that  the  total 
amount  voted  to  be  raised  was  five  thousand  dollars.  The 
meeting  was  largely  attended,  and  was  quite  harmonious. 
In  pursuance  of  the  terms  of  a  resolution  adopted  thereat, 
the  trustees  subsequently  applied  to  the  Legislature  for 
authority  to  raise  five  thousand  dollars  in  one  annual  pay- 
ment, and  an  enabling  act  was  passed  April  24,  1875,  for 
that  purpose,  and  the  tax  was  collected  the  same  year  ;  so 
that  this  village  does  not  now  owe  a  cent  on  account  of  its 
fire  department. 

"  The  committee  purchased  a  steamer  of  IMessrs.  Clapp 
&  Jones,  of  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  which  reached  this  villaire 
Feb.  3,  1875.  It  weighs  three  thousand  seven  hundred 
pounds,  is  strongly  and  handsomely  built,  and  highly 
finished.  John  M.  Williams,  Esq.,  who  has  been  spoken 
of  as  the  long-time  foreman  of  Union  Engine-Company, 
provided  extras  for  the  steamer  at  his  own  expense.  The 
first  trial  of  the  steamer  here  occurred  Feb.  9,  1875.  The 
engine  was  placed  in  position  at  the  fire-well  in  front  of  the 
Press  office,  one  thousand  feet  of  hose  were  attached,  and 
in  ten  and  one-half  minutes  from  the  time  it  was  located 
water  left  the  pipe  a  thousand  feet  away.  The  distance 
thrown  was  two  hundred  and  ten  feet,  with  one  hundred 
and  forty  pounds  pressure.  The  committee  purchased  one 
thousand  feet  of  hose  of  Clapp  &  Jones,  and  paid  four 
thousand  dollars  for  the  steamer  and  hose.  On  Jan.  16, 
1875,  the  trustees  selected  Os-o-mu  as  its  name,  that  being 
the  Indian  name  of  White  Creek,  and  signifying  the  creek 
of  white  pebbles.  The  committee  also  purchased,  for  the 
sum  of  five  hundred  dollars,  a  four-wheel  hose-cart  of 
Button  &  Co.,  of  Waterford,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Williams  con- 
tributed a  very  handsome  sum  for  the  purpose  of  beautify- 
ing it,  and  it  is  beyond  doubt  the  handsomest  hosc-eart  in 
this  vicinity. 

"  The  Os-o-ma  Steamer  Cumpany  was  organized  by  the 
trustees  on  Jan.  23,  1875,  the  board  accepting  the  follow- 
ing named  as  members  thereof:  George  Tcfi"t,  E.  Ilerrick, 
Dennis  Leary,  Timothy  Quinn,  M.  Sweeney,  George  Law- 
rence, James  Sweeney,  Frederick  Linsenbarth,  W.  W. 
Hill,  Wallace  Barnes,  Anderson  Brown,  Charles  Depaw, 
John  Watt,  Martin  Malthaner,  John  Toohey,  Jr.,  Daniel 
Garey,  Cornelius  Shipley,  Oliver  Copeland,  Romanzo 
Spaulding,  C.  P.  Copeland. 


146 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NI-]W   YORK. 


"  On  February  5  following,  the  company  elected  the 
following  officers :  George  Tefft,  foreman  ;  L.  P.  Copeland, 
first-assistant  foreman ;  W.  W.  Hill,  second-assistant  foreman ; 
E.  Herrick,  engineer  ;  George  Lawrence,  assistant  engineer  ; 
0.  J.  Copeland,  fireman  ;  Charles  J.  Fox  (who  joined  after 
its  organization),  secretary  ;  Frederick  Linsenbarth,  treas- 
urer. 

"  About  the  time  of  its  organization,  the  D.  and  H.  R. 
R.  Co.  fitted  up  a  room  in  the  roundhouse  connected  with 
the  railroad  works,  wherein  the  steamer  and  the  new  hose- 
cart  have  ever  since  been  kept.  At  the  annual  election  in 
187G,  James  Sweeney  was  chosen  captain.  This  company, 
at  its  organization,  was  composed  mainly  of  per.sons  who 
worked  in  the  railroad  shops,  and  when  the  shops  were 
closed,  early  in  1876,  most  of  the  members  left  town,  and, 
as  a  result,  the  company  was  reduced  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  trustees,  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  disbanded  it. 
The  company  formed  in  its  stead  consists  of  all  the  original 
members  who  remained  in  town,  and  the  honorary  mem- 
bers ISf  Union  Engine-Company.  Charles  Whitcomb  was 
elected  captain  of  the  new  company,  and  was  re-elected. 

"A.  M.  ^Y<^lles  Houk-and- Ladder  Company. — The  A.  M. 
Welles  Hook-and-Ladder  Company  was  organized  by  the 
board  of  trustees,  Jan.  23, 1875,  with  the  following  members  : 
A.M.Welles,  John  D.  Faxon,  George  Andrews,  E.  M.  Smith, 
Jerry  Costigan,  T.  C.  Gregory,  M.  L.  Roberts,  E.  R.  Smith, 
Addison  Getty,  John  Kelly,  Hobert  Kelly,  John  Beattie, 
Charles  Linsenbarth,  A.  Linsenbarth,  David  Jones. 

'•  Its  first  officers  were  as  follows  :  A.  M.  Welles,  foreman  ; 
E.  R.  Mandigo,  assistant  foreman  ;  David  Jones,  recording 
secretary ;  J.  R.  Lytic,  Jr.,  financial  secretary ;  George 
Andrews  and  E.  R.  Smith  representatives  to  fire  depart- 
ment ;  A.  C.  Lansing,  president ;  Thomas  C.  Gregory,  vice- 
president. 

"  The  truck,  ladders,  etc.,  were  purchased  of  Trojan  Hook- 
and-Ladder  Company,  No.  3,  of  Troy,  and  originally  cost 
$1500.  It  is  not  known  who  purchased  the  same,  but  it  is 
the  general  impression  that  A.  M.  Welles,  after  whom  the 
company  is  named,  paid  for  this  valuable  apparatus.  The 
truck,  etc.,  arrived  here  Feb.  23,  1875.  Its  entire  length 
is  fifty-five  feet,  the  seven  ladders  thereon  ranging  from 
fifteen  to  forty-five  feet  in  length.  There  being  no  suitable 
building  in  the  vilhige  which  could  be  obtained  for  the  pui- 
po.se  of  stowing  away  the  truck,  a  number  of  gentlemen,  in 
March,  1875,  formed  an  association,  with  Judge  Gibson  as 
president,  and  advanced  five  hundred  dollars  to  build  a  suit- 
able building.  The  contract  therefor  was  awarded  to  L.  P. 
Copeland  &  Bro.  The  building  was  erected  on  Railroad 
street,  and  the  company  took  possession  thereof  April  6, 
1875.  The  trustees,  soon  after  its  completion,  leased  it  for 
a  term  of  fifteen  years  from  the  association,  at  the  annual 
rental  of  thirty-five  dollars.  The  rooms  of  the  hook-and- 
ladder  company  are  fitted  up  in  very  handsome  style,  the 
furniture  costing  about  four  hundred  dollars.  Their  uniform 
consists  of  white  trousers,  gray  shirts,  white  leather  belts,  and 
black  caps,  and  cost  them  over  three  hundred  dollare.  The 
members  take  great  interest  in  their  company  affairs,  and 
have  rendered  excellent  service.  It  is  hoped  and  believed 
that  this  company  will  long  maintain  its  present  standard  of 
excelleuce.     A.  M.  Welles,  who  was  re-elected  fureniau  in 


1876,  resigned  his  position  soon  thereafter,  and  Edwin  S. 
McFarland  was  chosen  to  fill  vacancy.  The  latter  was  re- 
elected for  the  present  year. 

"  Mdrion  Iluse-Compatij/,  iN'b.  2. — This  companj'was  or- 
ganized by  the  trustees.  May  1,  1875,  with  the  following 
members:  A.  J.  Haggart,  John  K.  Larmon,  H.  V.  Brown, 
Andrew  Morri.son,  John  McCleary,  John  Murphy,  J.  Taber, 
C.  V.  Magee,  John  Ryan,  W.  D.  Watt,  A.  G.'Oatley,  W. 
II.  Ladd,  Henry  Fox,  F.  E.  Linsenbarth,  Owen  Farley,  L. 
Cooncy,  Jr.,  Paul  Pincus,  C.  M.  Keefer,  M.  Ryan,  George 
Lyons,  J.  N.  Kelly,  Charles  Kelly,  John  Johnson,  John 
Welch. 

"  At  the  election  held  after  their  organization,  the  follow- 
ing named  were  chosen  as  officers  :  A.  J.  Haggart,  foreman  ; 
John  Jlurphy,  fir.st-assistant  foreman  ;  A.  G.  Oatley,  see- 
ond-as.sistant  foreman;  J.  K.  Larmon,  secretary;  H.  V. 
Brown,  treasurer. 

"  They  adopted  as  a  company  name  '  The  Marion  Ho.se- 
Company,'  in  honor  of  the  only  daughter  of  John  M.  Wil- 
liams, Esq.  IMiss  Williams  soon  thereafter  acknowledged 
the  compliment  by  presenting  the  company  with  a  beautiful 
silk  flag.  Their  uniform  consists  of  black  trousers,  gray 
shirts,  white  belts,  and  black  leather  caps.  At  their  annual 
election  in  1876,  John  Murphy  was  chosen  foreman,  and 
at  the  last  election  A.  J.  Haggart  was  then  chosen  for  the 
present  year.  They  have  done  good  service  in  the  past, 
and  no  doubt  will  do  equally  well  in  the  future.  Seventy 
years  ago  the  department  had  a  membership  of  only  seven, 
while,  at  the  present  time,  it  has  over  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five. 

"  C/ii(if  (tnd  Assistant  Engineers. — Although  the  village 
charter  of  1851  provided  for  the  election  of  chief  engineer 
and  assistant  engineer,  no  persons  were  elected  to  these  posi- 
tions till  January,  1871,  when  John  M.  Williams  was 
elected  to  the  former  office,  and  John  S.  Clary  to  the  latter. 
In  January,  1872,  Mr.  Williams  was  re-elected  chief,  and 
Sylvanus  DickinsoTi  was  chosen  assistant  engineer.  The 
elections  since  1872  have  resulted  as  follows:  John  A.  Mc- 
Farland, chief  engineer,  1873  and  1874  ;  James  McNaugh- 
ton,  a.ssistant  engineer,  1873  and  1874  ;  Frederick  Kegler, 
chief  engineer,  1875  and  1876  ;  Solomon  W.  Russell,  as- 
sistant engineer,  1875  and  1876. 

"  The  charter  of  1830  contains  a  provision  to  the  effect 
that  the  freeholders  and  inhabitants  shall,  at  the  animal 
meeting,  elect  three  freeholders  as  firewardens.  Fire- 
wardens were  elected  under  that  act  till  the  adoption  of  the 
charter  of  1851.  The  latter  provided  that  they  should  be 
appointed  by  the  board  of  trustees.  The  following  is  be- 
lieved to  be  a  correct  list  of  firewardens  from  18(»3  to  the 
present  time:  1803,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Nathaniel  Carswcll, 
Jr.,  Seth  Brown  ;  1804,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Nathaniel  Cars- 
well,  Jr.,  Joshua  Streetcr  ;  1805,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Nathan- 
iel Carswell,  Jr.,  Soth  Brown;  1806,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Na- 
thaniel Carswell,  Jr.,  Robert  JMcMurray,  Jr.;  1807,  Thad- 
dtus  Smith,  Nathaniel  Carswell,  Jr.,  Robert  McMurray,  Jr. ; 
1808,  Thaddcus  Smith,  David  Hall.  Robert  McMurray,  Jr.  ; 
1801;l,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Joseph   Nichols,  Ebenczor  iVJarlin  ; 

1810,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Joseph   Niehols,  Ebenczer  Marliii  ; 

1811,  Thaddcus  Smith,  Jas.  J.  Sherwood,  Wm.  Faulkner; 

1812,  William  Williams,  David  Woods,  Robert  Archibald; 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


1-47 


1813,  William  Williams,  David   D.  Gray,  Seth  Brown; 

1814,  no  firewardens  elected;  1815,  William  Williams, 
Jason  Burgess,  Seth  Brown;  1816,  Henry  ^lattliews,  Da- 
vid D.  Gray,  Thaddeus  Stevens;  1817,  Joseph  Smith,  Jos- 
eph Warlord,  Justin  Fariiani ;  1818,  James  H.  Seymour, 
Joseph  Nichols,  Seth  Brown  ;  1819,  William  Williams, 
Alexander  Robertson,  Andrew  Freeman ;  1820,  William  Wil- 
liams, John  McNaughton,  Thaddeus  Stevens;  1821,  Wil- 
liam Williams,  John  McNaughton,  James  A.  McFarlaiid  ; 
1822,  William  Williams,  Joseph  Ilawley,  William  JIcFar- 
land  (2d)  ;  1823,  William  Williams,  Joseph  Hawley, 
James  A.  McFarland ;  1824,  William  Williams,  William 
McFarland  (2),  Andrew  Freeman;  1825,  William  Wil- 
liams, John  McNaughton,  James  A.  McFarland  ;  182(5, 
William  Williams,  John  McNavighton,  James  A.  McFar- 
land ;  1827,  Henry  Matthews,  John  McNaughton,  Andrew 
Freeman;  1829,  John  W.  Proudfit,  John  McNaughton, 
James  A.  McFarland;  1830,  Henry  Matthews,  John  BIc- 
Naughton,  James  A.  McFarland;  1831,  Joseph  Smith, 
John  McNaughton;  1832,  Joseph  Smith,  Alonzo  Gray; 
1833,  Joseph  Smith,  John  Williams,  Jr.;  1834,  William 
S.  Barnard,  Lorenzo  B.  Olmsted;  1835,  James  A.  McFar- 
land, Josephus  Fitch;  1836,  James  A.  McFarland,  Jose- 
phus Fitch;  1837,  James  A.  McFarland,  John  Adams; 
1838,  James  A.  McFarland,  Benjamin  Cleveland;  1839, 
James  A.  McFarland.  Benjamin  Cleveland  ;  1840,  William 
McFarland,  Loraness  Clark;  1841,  Alonzo  Gray,  Loraness 
Clark;  1842,  Alonzo  Gray,  Rufus  Fox;  1843,  Alonzo 
Gray,  Rufus  Fox  ;  1844,  Josophus  Fitch,  Cyrus  Atwood  ; 
1845,  Chester  Safford,  Jr.,  Cyrus  Atwood  ;  1846,  Hugh 
Smart,  Nelson  Watson;  1847,  Hugh  Smart,  Nelson  Wat- 
son ;  1848,  John  Liddle,  James  A.  McFarland  ;  1849, 
John  Liddle,  James  A.  McFarland ;  1850,  Cyrus  Atwood, 
Alonzo  Gray. 

"  The  following  were  appointed  :  1851 ,  James  A.  McFar- 
land, David  Hawley ;  1852,  Benjamin  Cleveland,  David 
Lytle;  1853,  no  appointments  ;  1854,  Alonzo  Gray,  Cyrus 
Atwood;  1855,  Rufus  Fox,  Cyrus  Atwood;  1856,  Rufus 
Fox,  Cyrus  Atwood  ;  1857,  Alonzo  Gray,  William  B.  Bool ; 
1858,  Alonzo  Gray,  Rufus  Fox  ;  1859,  no  appointments, 
Gray  and  Fox  held  over;  1860,  A.  M.  Stockwell,  L.  P. 
Copcland;  1861,  A.  M.  Stockwell,  L.  P.  Copeland ;  1862, 
A.  M.  Stockwell,  L.  P.  Copeland ;  1863,  Alonzo  Gray, 
Rufus  Fox  ;  1864,  no  appointments,  above  named  held 
over;  1865,  Rufus  Fox,  A.  M.  Stockwell. 

"  There  were  no  appointments  from  and  including  1866  to 
and  including  1871,  at  least  the  village  records  show  none. 

"  1872,  E.  G.  Atwood,  William  J.  Whitlock.  Mr.  At- 
wood served  for  a  year  or  two,  and  after  he  resigned 
Mr.  Whitlock  was  the  sole  warden  to  and  including  1875. 
1876,  William  Whitlock  and  John  Murphy.  Mr.  Whit- 
lock's  removal  from  town  leaves  Mr.  Murphy  the  only 
warden  at  this  time. 

"  The  first  bell  ever  used  for  fire  purposes  in  this  village 
was  placed  on  the  Union  engine-house,  about  the  time  of  its 
completion  in  1866.  At  the  present  time  there  are  lour 
bells  here  with  a  fire-alarm  attachment,  viz.,  on  the  Union 
engine-house,  Hook-and-Ladder  building,  St.  Paul's  (Epis- 
copal church),  and  the  courl -house. 

I'reaeid  Officers  of  the   Firc-Cotiqmnics,  1878. — Union 


Engine  and  Hose  Company  No.  1 :  John  Larnion,  foreman  ; 
Patrick  Congdon,  1st  a.ssistant;  James  W.  Toleman,  2d 
assistant ;  C.  M.  Wolff,  secretary ;  Wm.  McFarland,  treas- 
urer ;  Dennis  Leary,  foreman  hose-company ;  Mark  Brom- 
ley, assistant;  Samuel  Baker,  1st  pipeman  ;  Horace  P. 
Matthews,  2d  pipeman;  John  Fox,  foreman  suction-hose; 
Thomas  Dolan,  assistant;   John  Ryan,  pilot. 

O.snma  Steamer-Company:  Charles  Whitconib,  captain; 
L.  P.  Copeland,  1st  a.ssistant ;  S.  S.  Sherman,  recording 
secretary;  Fred.  Linsenbarth,  Sr.,  treasurer ;  P].  Herrick, 
engineer ;  Wm.  D.  Watt,  assistant ;   Mr.  Haner,  fireman. 

Marion  Hose-Company:  H.  V.  Brown,  foreman  ;  Wra. 
Ward,  1st  assistant  ;  John  Austin,  2d  a.ssistant;  John  Mc- 
Cleary,  secretary ;  Daniel  Ward,  treasurer ;  Oliver  Cope- 
land, 1st  pipeman  ;  John  Toohey,  2d  pipeman. 

A.  M.  Wells  Hook-and-Ladder  Company:  A.  C.  Lan- 
sing, president ;  E  S.  McFarland,  foreman  ;  George  Shan- 
non, assistant;  Charles  Kellogg,  recording  secretary;  Geo. 
Dickinson,  financial  secretary;  John  T.  Ryan,  treasurer. 


is  situated  upon  the  Batten  Kill,  six  miles  south  of  Salem 
village.  It  has  a  post-office  and  a  station  on  the  Rutland 
and  Washington  railroad.  It  contains  two  churches,  and 
there  is  another  one  near,  the  history  of  which  are' given  else- 
where. There  is  one  woolen-factory,  a  grist-mill,  harness- 
shop,  five  stores,  two  blacksmith-shops,  saw-mill,  planing 
and  turning  works,  and  three  wagon-shops.  Shushan  is 
the  centre  of  a  large  and  important  trade  from  the  towns  of 
Jackson  and  Salem. 

The  village  is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
kill ;  .some  portions  very  rocky.  The  water-power  and  the 
convenience  of  trade  developed  the  growth  of  a  village  at 
this  point.  The  name  is  not;  the  result  of  local  choice  nor 
of  any  associations  connected  with  the  place.  The  tradi- 
tion is  that  the  petitioners,  having  proposed  the  name  of 
South  Salem,  the  post-oflice  department  objected  because 
Salem  was  already  so  frequent  upon  the  list  of  United 
States  post-offices,  and  the  august  officials  at  Washitigton 
proceeded  to  christen  the  place  Shushan,  a  good  Bible 
name  and  suggestive  of  royal  magnificence.  The  people 
accepted  the  situation,  and  have  gracefully  borne  the  name 
ever  since. 

The  lumbering  business  here  was  extensive  in  early 
times.  The  heavy  pine  forests  from  the  plains  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  from  the  surrounding  country  in  general,  were 
manufactured  into  lumber  here,  rafted  down  the  kill  to 
Centre  falls,  and  then  taken  overland  to  the  Hudson,  and 
floated  to  Troy.  The  oldest  house  in  Shushan  now  stand- 
ing was  built  by  Bethuel  Church  about  the  time  of  the 
Revolution,  and  it  was  probably  about  the  earliest  dwelling 
at  this  point.  It  is  now  a  tenant-house,  near  the  railroad, 
in  the  extreme  north  part  of  the  village.  Mr.  Church 
was  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  water-power.  The 
grist-mill  is  thought  to  have  been  erected  by  the  brothers 
Iluflf  before  or  about  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  war, 
but  passed  immediately  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Church. 
There  w;is  a  mill  for  cloth-dressing  very  early,  no  doubt 
before  1800;  about  1830  it  developed  into  a  woolen-fac- 
tory.   Lot  Woodworth  was  connected  with  it,  and  Johnson. 


148 


HISTORY   OF   WAglllNGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


It  is  understood  there  was  a  store  at  Shushan  about  the 
same  time  or  soon  after  the  building  of  the  mills.  Wjman 
was  a  very  early  merchant,  and  the  old  store  stood  very  nearly 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Ilurd  &  Pratt  store.  At  or  near 
this  same  site  were  successive  merchants,  for  a  long  series 
of  years,  Robert  R.  Law,  Isaac  Bininger,  David  Simpson, 
Mr.  Oviatt,  Voluntine,  Lawrence  &  Higgins,  Henry  Cleve- 
land, Congdou  &  Robinson,  and  Law  &  Congdon.  The 
Church  family  held  the  water-power  for  fifty  or  sixty  years. 
The  grist-mill  and  woolen-mill  arc  now  owned  by  Charles 
Lyons,  the  planing-mill  by  George  AV.  llobinson,  of  Cam- 
bridge, also  the  saw-mill  and  wagon  shops.  Well-known 
physicians  of  the  vill.ige  in  past  years  have  been  Dr.  Dun- 
lap,  Dr.  Gilman,  and  Dr.  Bock. 

EAGI.EVILI.E 

is  located  upon  the  Batten  Kill,  two  miles  ea.st  of  Shu.shan. 
It  is  a  thriving  business  place,  the  centre  of  considerable 
bu.siness  (though  not  extensive  mercantile  trade)  from  the 
south  part  of  Salem,  and  from  the  southern  Anaquassacook 
portion  of  Jackson.  The  name  of  the  post-ofSce  at  this 
point  is  East  Salem.  The  latter  name  is  also  given  to  the 
school  district  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town.  The 
post-office  was  first  located  at  Werriam's  store,  three  miles 
flirther  up  the  kill,  where  at  one  time  was  a  place  of  con- 
siderable trade,  but  in  later  years  declined.  The  post-office 
was  established  there  about  1831,  and  Isaac  Merriam  was 
the  first  postmaster,  followed  by  Seth  C.  Billings,  Daniel 
Ilobart,  and  Edward  Law.  It  was  removed  to  Eagleville 
in  1848,  and  Isaac  Bininger  was  appointed  postmaster. 
In  1850  he  was  succeeded  by  George  Russell. 

The  water-power  of  the  kill  is  here  very  valuable,  and 
has  been  considerably  improved.  A  grist-mill  was  built 
about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  by  the  brothers  Ruif, 
probably.  It  was  run  by  Armitage  &  Stevenson,  and  the 
property  passed  through  the  hands  of  John  and  George 
Eussell  to  the  present  owners,  William  C.  Cleveland  and 
John  Keeper. 

A  saw-mill  was  also  erected  nearly  or  quite  as  early,  now 
owned  by  the  same  parties. 

A  woolen-factory  was  established  as  early  as  1820,  and 
that,  too,  is  now  owned  by  Cleveland  &  Co.  A  sieve- 
factory  existed  here  for  a  few  years,  established  by  Uriah 
Hanks. 

The  woolen-mill  has  at  some  periods  of  its  history  done 
a  very  large  and  prosperous  business,  averaging  from  fifteen 
thousand  to  twenty-five  thousand  yards  of  cloth  annually. 

There  was  a  select  school  of  some  note  near  Eagleville, 
on  the  road  to  Shushan,  about  twenty -five  years  ago,  estab- 
lished by  Henry  Barnes. 

CLAPP'S    MILLS 

were  situated  on  the  Batten  Kill,  three  miles  south  of  Salem 
village.  The  works  there  in  early  times  consisted  of  grist- 
mill and  saw-mill,  and  somewhat  later,  clotliing-works. 

In  later  years  the  water-power  has  been  utilized  by  the 
Baxter  IMarble  Blanufacturing  works,  and  from  that  fact 
has  become  known  as  Baxterville.  There  was  a  store  near 
there  on  the  old  turnpike. 


FITCH  S   POINT 

is  a  place  of  very  early  settlement.  The  name  arises  fiom 
the  confluence  of  the  Black  creek  and  Batten  Kill,  and 
also  marks  the  location,  for  many  years,  of  the  Fitch  family, 
and  the  present  residence  of  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  known  through- 
out the  State  as  a  distinguished  naturalist  and  entomologist, 
the  author  of  many  valuable  papers,  scientific,  historical, 
and  agricultural. 

SCHOOLS. 

These  were  very  early  established.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  delegation  of  Dr.  Clark's  congregation  that  came 
to  Salem  in  the  summer  of  17(36,  to  make  preparation  for 
the  removal  of  the  colony  from  Stillwater,  built  not  only  a 
meeting-house  and  a  parsonage,  but  also  a'  school-house. 
This  pioneer  log  building  stood  near  the  meeting-house  on 
the  historical  ground  still  marked  to  this  generation  by  the 
o]d  frame  meeting-house,  the  second  of  Dr.  Clark's  congi'e- 
gation, — the  venerable,  weather-painted  building,  the  pic- 
ture of  which  is  given  in  another  place.  That  was,  no 
doubt,  the  first  school-house;  for,  though  the  New  England 
men  had  been  coming  in  thickly  for  a  j'ear  or  two  previous, 
and  their  usual  custom  was  to  open  a  school  immediately 
after  settlement,  yet  there  is  no  record  of  any  before  17GG. 
Ten  years  later,  in  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  of  war,  schools 
were  established  at  several  points,  though  little  or  no  records 
remain.  There  was  a  school  of  some  note  in  the  south  part 
of  the  town,  in  the  John  T.  Law  neighborhood,  and  Master 
Conner  was  a  well-known  teacher.  A  large  number  of  the 
children  of  the  first  settlers  were  taught  by  him.  blaster 
Conner  was  a  conveyancer  and  writer. 

The  town  was  in  no  hurry  to  accept  the  offers  of  the 
State  under  the  laws  of  1812  and  1813.  At  the  annual 
town-meeting,  April  6,  1813,  the  following  resolution  was 
passed : 

"  lusolrcrl,  tliat  we  reject  the  raising  of  money  for  the  school 
fund." 

April  5,  1814,  it  was  also 

"  Remhed,  that  wc  will  not  accept  the  school  money." 

Under  the  amended  act  of  April  15,  1814,  a  special 
town-meeting  was  held  Dec.  3,  1814,  and  there  were  then 
chosen  three  school  commissioners,  Isaac  Getty,  John  Law, 
and  Thomas  Baker  ;  three  in.spectors,  Alexander  Proudfit, 
Samuel  Tomb,  and  David  Woods. 

At  the  annual  meeting  the  next  spring  two  inspectors 
were  added,  James  Stevenson,  Jr.,  and  David  Ilusscll,  and 
Isaac  Steel  chosen  commissioner  in  the  place  of  Thomas 
Baker.  During  the  thirty  years  of  this  system  the  follow- 
ing persons  were  inspectors  for  one  or  more  years  each  : 
John  Willard,  Jesse  L.  Billings,  John  Savage,  Seth  Brown, 
John  JIcLean,  Jr.,  Archibald  McAllister,  Samuel  Stevens, 
William  Williams,  James  B.  Gibson,  Abram  Allen,  John 
W.  Proudfit,  Anthony  Blanchard,  Ezra  S.  Sweet,  Alexan- 
der Robertson,  Cornelius  L.  Allen,  John  McNaughton,  Ber- 
nard Blair,  Cyrus  Stevens,  Henry  W.  Dodd,  Aaron  Martin, 
Jr.,  Jlarinus  Fairchild,  George  W.  Beers,  Wm.  A.  Wells, 
Henry  Nichols,  James  Gibson,  George  Allen,  Thomas  G. 
Wait,  Henry  Barnes,  John  W.  Martin,  Thomas  M.  Hop- 
kins, Wm.  B.  Lytic,  Robert  McMurray. 

During  the  same  period  the  following  persons  were  com- 


'>m-^ 


JOHN  A.  MoFAELAND. 


The  ancestry  of  the  MoFarland  family  ia  traced  to  the  Scottish  High- 
land clan  Macfarlane,  or  Pharlan,  the  only  one,  with  one  exception, 
whose  descent  is  from  the  charters  given  the  ancient  Earls  of  Lennox, 
from  whom  the  clan  sprang,  and  who  held  possession  of  their  original 
lands  for  over  six  hundred  years.  From  the  most  reliable  informa- 
tion at  hand,  Aluin  was  the  first  Earl  of  Lennox,  and  died  in  the  year 
1225.  The  eighth  Earl  of  Lennox  died  without  male  issue,  and  his 
eldest  daughter,  having  married  the  Duke  of  Murdook,  held  the  pro- 
prietorship. Upon  her  death  (1395)  three  families  claimed  the  earl- 
dom,— the  Macfarlanes  claiming  the  earldom  as  heirs  male.  They 
resisted  all  other  clans,  and  in  the  struggle  became  scattered  to 
difl'erent  parts  of  the  kingdom.  The  timely  support  by  the  Darnley 
family  (some  of  whose  members  had  married  into  the  clan)  restored 
their  ancient  family  estate,  and  upon  the  establishment  of  the  Stuarts 
as  Earl  of  Lennox,  the  clans  nnder  their  patronage  became,  in  14S8, 
separate  and  independent.  The  principal  of  these  was  the  Macfar- 
lane. From  the  subject  of  this  sketch  the  descent  is  traced  back  six 
generations  to  Duncan,  the  father  of  .lames,  the  father  of  Malcom, 
the  father  of  Daniel,  the  father  of  .lohn,  the  father  of  Daniel,  the 
father  of  John  A.  At  the  time  the  ohm  was  separated  the  ancestors 
settled  in  the  lowlands  of  Scotland,  at  Thorn  Hill,  whence  the  great- 
grandfather, Daniel,  emigrated  to  America  in  the  year  1785,  with  his 
wife  and  one  son,  John,  bom  1764,  and  are  supposed  to  have  settled, 
upon  first  coming  to  this  country,  in  the  town  of  Salem.  The  great- 
grandfather lived  for  many  years  in  the  town  of  Salem,  and  was 
there  in  1805,  but  subsequently  moved  to  the  town  of  Argyle,  where 
he  died  at  an  advanced  age.  The  grandfather  was  a  resident  of  the 
old  town  of  Cambridge  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  life,  and  followed  prin- 
oipally-the  occupation  of  a  farmer;  but  during  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  lived  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1847, 
leaving  six  children,  who  reached  advanced  ages  of  over  sixty  years, 
all  dying  between  the  years  1867  and  1869.  Daniel,  the  eldest  of 
these  children,  and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
the  year  1793,  in  the  town  of  Cambridge  ;  married  Miss  Jane  Shiland, 
of  the  same  town,  daughter  of  Deacon  John  Shiland,  great-grandson 
of  John  Shiland,  who  emigrated  from  Scotland  prior  to  the  French 
war:  was  taken  prisoner,  with  his  family,  by  the  Indians  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, carried  to  Canada,  where  they  were  kept  in  continement  for 
some  time ;  they  were  finally  released  and  settled  there,  but  at  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  war  returned  to  Cambridge,  N.  Y. 

Daniel  McFarland  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer  mostly  in  the  town  of 
Jackson  :  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  closely  allied  to 
the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  society  in  his  day ;  was  an 


elder  in  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  church  at  Coila,  town  of  Cambridge, 
for  many  years ;  raised  a  family  of  five  children,  viz. :  John  A.,  Mar- 
garet, William,  Robert,  and  James,  of  whom  Margaret  died  in  the 
year  1850,  at  the  .age  of  twenty-four,  and  Robert  died  in  the  year 
1854,  at  the  same  age.  The  father  of  these  children  was  a  man  of 
strong  decision  of  character,  inheriting  from  his  Scotch  ancestry  that 
firmness  and  resolution  to  do  whatever  he  conceived  to  be  right  char- 
acteristic of  the  people  of  the  mother-land,  and  instructed  and  reared 
his  children  to  respect  and  honor  all  that  makes  true  manhood  and 
secures  happiness  and  longevity.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six, 
in  the  year  1869.  The  wife  and  mother  still  survives,  and  in  the  year 
1878  is  in  her  seventy-ninth  year,  retaining  that  vigor  of  both  body 
and  mind  uncommon  to  people  of  that  advanced  age. 

John  A.  McFarland  was  the  eldest  son  ;  spent  his  minority  on  the 
farm  of  his  father,  availing  himself  only  of  the  advantages  of  the 
district  school ;  but  so  improved  these  opportunities  that  he  was  able 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  to  begin  teaching,  by  which  means  he  secured 
a  sufficient  competence  to  prepare  for  college,  which  he  did  in  Cam- 
bridge Washington  Academy,  under  Rev.  E.  H.  Newton,  D.D.,  enter- 
ing in  the  advance  course  of  third  term  sophomore  of  Union  College, 
graduating  from  that  institution  of  learning  in  the  year  1848. 

During  his  college  course  his  health  had  become  considerably  im- 
paired, and  be  went  to  South  Carolina,  where  he  spent  some  time ; 
but,  regaining  his  health,  engaged  as  a  teacher  at  Parrotsvillc,  Tenn., 
where  he  remained  aijout  one  year.  In  the  fall  of  1849  he  returned 
north,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Amanda  H.,  daughter  of  Ransom 
Hawley  and  Margaret  Tice,  of  Cambridge. 

After  his  marriage  he  returned  south,  and  was  principal  of  Wythe- 
viJle  Academy  for  two  years,  ard  from  1856  to  1859  had  charge  of 
the  Rural  Seminary  at  Pembroke,  N.  Y.  His  health  again  failing, 
ho  returned  to  hi.-;"  native  county,  but  soon  after  took  charge  of 
Washington  Academy,  at  Salcm,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
has  remained,  and  still  remains  (1878),  with  the  exception  of  two 
years,  for  nineteen  successive  years.  Prof.  McFarland,  in  recounting 
his  past  history  in  connection  with  the  last-named  institution,  is 
enabled  to  see  tho.se  who  have  graduated  under  his  instruction  filling 
important  positions  in  the  various  professions,  and  ranking  among 
the  first  as  attorneys,  physicians,  clergymen,  and  business  men.  His 
natural  ability  as  an  instructor  has  given  him  rank  nraong  the  most 
successful  teachers  of  the  State,  and  secured  for  him  a  reputation 
worthy  the  emulation  of  the  young  men  of  to-day,  who,  unassisted, 
must  meet  the  obstacles  coincident  with  self-made  men.  He  has  one 
son,  Edwin  Stanley  McFarland,  of  Salem,  N.  Y. 


HISTORY  OP  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NP^W   YOEK. 


149 


niissioners  for  one  or  more  years'  each :  Abner  Austin, 
D;ivid  Matthews,  Jr.,  James  McNisli,  John  Adams,  John 
Beatty,  John  Law,  Stephen  Ransom,  George  Stewart,  John 
McNaughton,  Ebenczer  Martin,  John  McLean,  Jr.,  John 
Wiliard,  James  A.  INIcFarland,  James  H.  Seymour,  Seth 
C.  Brown,  John  W.  Proudfit,  David  B.  Thompson,  Chaun- 
cey  S.  Ransom,  Hugh  B.  Thompson,  Clark  K.  Estee,  Mar- 
vin Freeman,  James  Steel,  Joscphus  Fitch,  Aaron  Martin, 
Jr.,  David  Gray,  Wm.  A.  Ru.s.sell,  Wm.  T.  Foster,  James 
Clark,  Marvin  Freeman,  Jolin  Burnet,  John  W.  Martin, 
Asa  Fitch,  Jr. 

The  supervision  of  the  scliools  by  commissioners  and 
inspectors  was  abolished  in  1843.  Supervision  by  town 
superintendents  followed,  and  Asa  Fitch  was  elected  the 
first  superintendent  at  the  town-meeting  of  1844.  He  was 
re-elected  in  1845.  In  184G,  John  R.  Lytle  succeeded  to 
the  office,  and  served  for  six  years.  Chester  S.  Murdock 
followed  for  four  years,  and  in  the  spring  of  1856,  David 
V.  T.  Qua  was  chosen.  He  was  legislated  out  by  the  act 
abolishing  the  office  of  town  superintendent,  and  in  June 
of  that  year  the  schools  passed  from  the  control  and  super- 
vision of  the  town.  Under  the  wise  management  of  the 
noble  men  of  old,  followed  by  the  vigorous  work  of  their 
children,  the  schools  of  Salem  had  made  a  long  and  honor- 
able record.  The  first  log  school-houses  had  given  place  to 
the  better  buildings  of  later  years.  From  these  liills  and 
valleys  had  gone  forth  men  of  education  and  of  culture,  to 
wield  a  powerful  influence  in  every  sphere  of  human 
activity. 

To  eijual  the  grand  results  from  ninety  years  of  town 
management,  will  require  wise  action  by  the  administrators 
of  the  modern  system  of  supervision  by  assembly  districts. 

The  firet  annual  report  of  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  town  super- 
intendent, is  a  finely-engrossed  document,  giving  a  clear 
view  of  the  condition  of  the  schools  for  the  school  years 
184.3  and  1844.  From  that  it  appears  there  were  then  in 
town  618  children  between  the  ages  of  five  and  sixteen, 
that  the  districts  received  public  money  for  teachers'  wages 
to  the  amount  of  $536.60,  and  there  was  raised  by  the 
districts  the  sum  of  §680.11.  Total  paid  for  salaries  of 
teachers,  $1216.71.  There  were  1714  volumes  in  the  dis- 
trict libraries. 

We  add  that  Dr.  Fitch,  as  the  first  town  superintendent, 
carefully  defined  the  boundaries  of  the  districts,  re-num- 
bered them,  and,  in  addition,  officially  recognized  the  spe- 
cial names  by  which  they  are  no  doubt  better  known  than 
by  their  numbers.  This  feature  is  seldom  found  in  any 
town  so  complete. 

The  special  names  are  derived  in  several  cases  from  their 
connection  with  the  natural  features  of  the  country,  as 
Upper  Black  Creek  and  Lower  Black  Creek,  Upper  White 
Creek  and  Lower  White  Creek,  Upper  Camden  and  Lower 
Camden,  along  the  valley  of  the  Camden  creek. 

West  Hebron  district  is  so  named  because  the  school- 
house  is  in  the  west  part  of  Hebron ;  the  "  Bushes"  from 
the  woods  in  that  section. 

Upper  Turnpike  and  Lower  Turnpike,  named  from  their 
situation  north  of  Salem  village  along  the  old  Northern 
turnpike,  an  important  route  for  travel  in  the  early  times. 

Perkins  Hollow,  for  many  years  forming  a  district  with 


a  portion  of  Vermont,  but  now  having  a  school-house  of  its 
own,  is  named  from  an  early  family  residing  there. 

Fitch's  Point  is  named  from  Fitch's  family  ;  Red  Bridge, 
from  the  bridge  of  early  times  by  which  the  old  turnpike 
crossed  the  Batten  Kill. 

Juniper  Swamp  district  has  an  appropriate  name,  as  its 
school-house  is  near  the  swamp. 

Blind  Buck  Hollow  perpetuates  by  its  name  the  old  tra- 
dition of  the  pioneers  that  a  sightless  deer  had  its  pasture- 
grounds  in  that  valley, — a  tradition  that  is  said  to  have 
been  Avorthy  of  being  embalmed  in  story  and  song. 

Stewart's  district  and  Law's  retain  the  names  of  two 
of  the  pioneer  families. 

Salem,  Shushan,  and  Eagleville  districts,  are  named  from 
the  villages,  and  East  Salem  from  its  remote  eastern  location. 

The  early  condition  of  the  schools  is  somewhat  shown 
by  the  following  incomplete  report  of  the  commissioners  of 
common  schools  to  the  county  clerk,  Juno  5,  1815  : 


Chiliiren  bp- 


SU.OL' 

2C.:i'j 


I5.:i.i 
47.iiy 


Disti 
No. 


The  present  condition  of  the  schools  is  to  some  extent 
shown    by   the   commissioners'   aj)portionmeut  for   March, 

1877: 

„.  ,  .  ,                                        Cliil.lrc-n  lw>-        Library  For  Teachers' 

'^"*""-''-  tween  JaiiJlO.      Moriuy.  Wages. 

No.    1 (H  $1.9.3  $120.74 

"      2 3t  1.117  95.30 

"      3 62  1.95  129.29 

"      4 34  1.07  92.99 

"      5 19  .fiO  73.11 

"      6 25  .80  84.35 

"      7 51  l.f.l  118.91 

"      8 38  1.20  101.37 

"      9 43  1.35  105.27 

"    10 44  1.39  110.71! 

"    11 99  3.12  IS4.13 

"    12 635  16.85  1194.74 

"    13 52  l.fi4  104.94 

"    14 50  1.56  115.90 

"    15 63  1.99  127.10 

"    16 47  1.48  111.66 

"    17 23  73  85.52 

"    18 36  1.13  97.77 

"    19 32  1.01  95.83 

Total  for  1877...  $1348  $42.48  $3149.14 

"         1843...     S61S  $536.60 

About  two  and  one-third  times  as  many  children  as  in  1843,  and 
about  six  tinics  as  much  money  received. 

THE    WASHINGTON    ACADEMY.* 

This  venerable  institution  was  commenced  as  a  classical 
school  in  the  year  1780,  or  perhaps  a  little  earlier,  as  in 


'  By  lion.  James  G'bso 


150 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


that  year  four  persons  were  prepared  for  college  at  this 
school,  and  subsequently  each  became  distinguished  in 
public  life.  It  was  organized  and  taught  a  number  of  years 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Watson,  and  was  continued  by  the  dis- 
tinguished St.  John  Honeywood,  and  in  the  year  1791 
had  obtained  such  standing  that  it  was  incorporated  by  the 
regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  as  an  institution  of 
learning  by  the  name  of  Washington  Academy,  and  was 
the  fourth  incorporated  academy  in  the  State. 

Its  first  board  of  trustees  was  named  in  its  charter,  and 
consisted  of  the  following-named  persons :  Rev.  James 
Proudfit,  Rev.  John  Warford,  Rev.  Cornelius  Jones,  Rev. 
Samuel  Smith,  General  John  Williams,  Colonel  George 
Wray,  Colonel  John  Thurman,  Major  Peter  B.  Tearce, 
Hon.  Edmund  Wells,  John  Younglove,  John  Rowan,  Ed- 
ward Savage,  Alexander  Webster,  Daniel  Hopkins,  Zina 
Hitchcock,  John  Bradstreet  Schuyler,  Hamilton  McCol- 
listcr,  James  Stevenson,  Hugh  Morr,  Charles  llane, 
Timothy  Leonard,  Peter  P.  French,  and  Joseph  Jcnks, 
Esq. 

The  first  principal  of  the  institution  after  its  incorpora- 
tion was  Charles  Ingalls,  who  had  graduated  at  Dartmouth 
College,  and  who  remained  its  principal  for  nearly  ten  years. 

Among  the  distinguished  principals  of  the  institution 
since  may  be  placed  first  in  usefulness  James  Stevenson, 
who  took  charge  of  it  in  1811,  and  remained  such  about 
six  years,  having  among  his  pupils  Professor  Taylor  Lewis, 
Hon.  Hiram  Gray,  Lamon  G.  Harkness,  M.D.,  Rev.  George 
W.  Bethunc,  D.D.,  Rev.  William  R.  De  Witt,  D.D.,  and 
Hon.  John  McLean,  with  numerous  others. 

The  Rev.  Sidney  Weller  became  the  first  principal  after 
the  construction  of  the  brick  academy  edifice  in  1819  ;  was 
succeeded  by  William  Williams,  Esq.,  in  1824,  remaining 
six  years,  and  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  James  W.  Stewart, 
who  remained  two  years.  His  successor  was  Henry  Borus, 
in  1833,  under  whom  a  success  was  attained  as  great  as 
under  Mr.  Stevenson.  After  him  came  a  number  of  dif- 
ferent principals,  none  of  whom  remained  long,  till  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  present  principal,  John  A.  McFarland,  in 
1859,  and  who  has  remained  ever  since,  except  for  a  time 
while  ill  from  over-labor  he  relinquished  the  work,  and  it 
was  placed  in  charge  of  William  Gorrie,  followed  by  James 
S.  Dobbin,  who  continued  until  January,  1867,  when  Pro- 
fessor McFarland,  with  renewed  strength  and  vigor,  resumed 
the  charge  of  the  institution,  and  still  remains  at  its  head. 
The  succe.ss  of  this  institution  has  been  very  great,  and  the 
pupils  from  it  are  numbered  by  many  thousands. 

The  academy  edifice  has  lately  been  very  much  enlarged 
and  fitted  up  and  furnished,  under  the  direction  of  M.  F. 
Cummings,  of  Troy,  as  architect,  and  now  readily  accom- 
modates the  increased  number  of  its  pupils. 

It  was  made  a  free  academy  in  1852  to  the  children  of 
all  residents  of  the  village  of  Salem,  and  has  remained  such 
ever  since. 

It  was  the  first  free  academy  In  the  State  outside  of  the 
city  of  New  York.  But  the  example  it  gave  has  been 
adopted  in  all  parts  of  the  State;  and  the  blessings  of  a 
free  academical  education  are  now  within  the  reach  of 
many,  who  in  the  olden  time  would  have  sought  long  with- 
out finding  any  such  beneficent  result. 


CHURCHES. 

THE    UNITED    rRE.SBYTERIjVN    CHURCH. 

The  sketch  of  this  venerable  body  is  taken  very  largely 
from  the  historical  sermon  delivered  by  Rev.  W.  A.  Mac- 
kenzie, Oct.  29,  1S7G. 

About  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  perhaps  in  the 
year  1747,  about  two  hundred  families  of  Presbyterians  in 
and  about  Monaghan  and  Ballibay,  Ireland,  not  finding 
themselves  edified  by  those  who  had  been  placed  over  them 
as  religious  teachers,  withdrew  from  them,  refusing  to  longer 
wait  upon  their  ministrations.  These  religious  teachers 
were  trained  mostly  at  Glasgow  College,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  Professor  Simpson,  the  Arian.  The  "  fathers" 
were  afraid  to  trust  them  with  the  pastoral  care  of  their 
families.  Accordingly  a  petition  was  prepared  and  for- 
warded to  the  "  Associate  Burgher  Presbytery  of  Glas- 
gow," asking  that  there  should  be  sent  to  them  some  one 
to  break  unto  them  the  bread  of  eternal  life  whom  they 
would  be  willing  to  trust. 

The  presbytery  then  had  under  its  care  a  young  man 
whom  it  licensed  and  sent  to  officiate  among  this  people, 
and  on  July  3,  1748,  he  preached  among  them  his  first 
sermon,  taking  as  his  text  Acts  xvii.  lG-18.  That  young 
man  was  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clark,  M.D. 

Having  completed  his  studies  he  was  in  April,  1748, 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  sent  to  Ireland,  to  labor 
among  the  people  at  Ballibay,  Clannanees,  and  other  com- 
munities. Here  the  young  missionary  found  a  wide  field 
opened  up  before  him,  and  wherever  he  went  he  preached 
with  groat  acceptance. 

A  subsequent  call  from  Ballibay  Dr.  Clark  accepted,  and 
was  accordingly,  by  a  committee  of  the  Glasgow  presby- 
tery, installed  pastor  of  Ballibay  congregation  on  July  23, 
1751.  Here,  therefore,  we  have  the  date  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  congregation,  it  being  at  that  time  and  place 
recognized  by  synod  as  a  regularly  established  church. 
This  church,  as  an  organized  body,  is  therefore  more  than 
a  century  and  a  quarter  old,  having  now  entered  its  one 
hundred  and  twenty-eighth  year  ;  its  beginning,  however, 
dating  three  years  earlier.  Dr.  Clark  being  its  founder  and 
first  pastor. 

At  Ballibay,  Dr.  Clark,  after  his  ordination,  labored 
most  faithfully  for  thirteen  years. 

The  path  of  the  congregation  thus  organized  was  by  no 
means  a  smooth  one.  These  thirteen  years  were  years  of 
trial  and  persecution. 

It  had  become  known  to  his  persecutors  that  Dr.  Clark 
entertained  scruples  with  regard  to  the  "  Oath  of  Abjura- 
tion," as  it  Wiis  called,  as  also  in  regard  to  the  manner  of 
taking  it, — by  "  kissing  the  Bible," — and  that  he  refused 
to  tiike  it  in  the  manner  and  form  prescribed  by  law. 
Learning  this,  his  enemies  procured  a  waiTant  lor  his  arrest 
as  being  disloyal  to  the  king.  Jau.  23,  1754,  nine  months 
after  the  warrant  had  been  procured,  men  entered  the 
church  and  arrested  Dr.  Clark,  just  as  he  concluded  his 
sermon  at  New  Bliss, — a  neighboring  station. 

When  the  congregation  understood  what  the  interrup- 
tion meant,  he  would  have  been  at  once  rescued  from  the 
hands  of  his  persecutors;  hut  this  servant  of  Uod  mildly 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NKW  YORK. 


151 


bade  them  be  calm  and  do  no   violence  or  harm   to   any 
one. 

That  night  he  was  kept  under  guard  in  a  t(tvern,  and 
the  next  day,  under  a  strong  guard,  taken  to  Munaghan 
and  thrown  into  the  county  jail  to  await  his  trial. 

Although  now  within  prison  walls,  yet  this  man  of  God 
was  not  silenced.  Week  by  week  he  wrote  a  letter  of  in- 
struction, of  comfort,  and  of  encouragement  to  the  people 
of  his  charge,  which  was  read  to  them  on  the  Lord's  day 
as  they  assembled  for  worship. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  about  three  months  after,  the  judge, 
upon  examining  the  warrant,  found  it  to  be  defective,  and 
ordered  hi.s  immediate  release. 

lie  had  only  a  few  days  of  freedom,  however.  On  the 
24th  day  of  this  .same  month  of  April  a  new  writ  was  ob- 
tained against  him,  upon  which  he  was  a  second  time  cast 
into  prison.  It  was  now  the  summer  season,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  this  church  came  to  the  prison  for  divine  service 
regularly.  So  many  as  the  space  could  accommodate 
gathered  about  the  honored  pastor,  listened  to  the  words  of 
life  from  his  lips,  and  joined  in  prayer  and  praise  to  God. 
When  or  how  he  was  relea.sed  is  not  stated. 

The  imprisonments  to  which  the  arbitary  laws  of  the 
country  had  subjected  him  led  the  people  to  seek  for  a  new 
home  in  the  wilds  of  America, — a  home  where  they  could 
enjoy  their  religious  sentiments  undisturbed. 

Some  time  previously.  Dr.  Clark  had  received  from  one 
congregation  in  America  a  letter,  and  from  another  a  call, 
each  wishing  him  to  come  and  become  its  pa.stor.  These 
papers  were  laid  before  his  presbytery,  which  appointed 
liim  to  labor  one  year  in  America.  lie  and  those  who  had 
decided  to  accompany  him  thereupon  made  their  final  ar- 
rangements, and  the  time  was  fixed  to  start  for  the  new 
world  beyond  the  sea.  Of  the  departure  and  voyage  across 
the  Atlantic  of  the.se  "  Pilgrim  Fathers"  of  Salem,  we  have 
a  brief  account  in  the  following  devout  terms  of  Dr. 
Clark  himself:  "May  10,  a.d.  17G4,  we  sailed  from 
Nowry.  The  all-gracious  God  carried  three  hundred  of 
us  safe  over  the  devouring  deep  in  the  arms  of  His  mercy  ; 
praised  be  His  name,  we  arrived  safe  in  New  York  July 
the  28th." 

At  New  York  the  colony  divided,  several  families  going 
to  Cedar  Spring  and  Long  Cane,  South  Carolina;  the  main 
body  of  the  people,  however,  and  the  congregation  proper 
coming  to  Stillwater,  where  they  remained  until  their  re- 
moval here. 

In  the  spring  of  1765,  in  looking  out  fur  a  place  fur  the 
settlement  of  his  people.  Dr.  Clark  visited  this  vicinity,  and 
in  the  cabin  of  James  Turner,  to  a  few  people  gathered 
from  the  neighborhood,  preached  the  first  sermon  ever 
preached  in  the  town  of  Salem. 

With  the  place  he  was  pleased,  at  once  fixed  upon  it  as 
the  future  home  of  his  people,  and  was  successful  in  having 
conveyed  to  him  twelve  thousand  acres  of  land  wholly  free 
of  charge  for  five  years,  after  which  there  was  to  be  paid 
by  him  an  annual  rent  of  one  shilling  per  acre. 

It  was  during  this  summer  that  the  first  death  occurred 
in  the  colony  or  congregation,  while  hailing  at  Stillwater. 
It  was  that  of  one  of  the  elders,  Jainos  Harshaw. 

After   the   return    of   Dr.   Clark    from    New   York,  and 


probably  late  in  the  autumn  of  1765,  some  of  the  people 
came  here  to  look  at  the  lands  which  had  been  secured, 
with  an  eye  to  situations  for  their  future  homes.  Early 
the  following  spring.  Dr.  Clark,  with  a  number  of  his  col- 
ony, came  with  a  view  to  improvements.  Their  first  work 
was  the  erection  of  a  log  house  in  which  to  deposit  their 
provisions  and  baggage,  which  house  served  them  as  a 
place  of  repose  at  night,  and  of  protection  against  the  wild 
beasts  of  the  forest.  It  was  also  to  be  the  future  residence 
of  their  pastor.  At  this  time,  therefore,  and  in  these  cir- 
cumstances, the  first  parsonage  was  built.  Some  years 
afterwards  it  was  taken  down  and  a  frame  building  erected 
on  the  same  spot  by  the  congregation,  which  building  con- 
tinued to  be  the  parsonage  during  the  pastorate  of  Dr. 
Clark's  successor,  the  Rev.  James  Proudfit.  In  176()  the 
first  church  building  was  erected,  the  first  structure  of  the 
kind  in  the  county,  and  in  fact  in  all  the  region  north  of 
Albany  to  the  Canada  line.  It  was  built  of  logs  such  as 
the  men  could  bring  together  by  hand,  as  they  had  no 
teams ;  the  crevices  between  the  logs  were  filled  with  clay. 
The  floor  was  the  earth  ;  the  roof  was  of  black-ash  bark, 
taken  from  the  trees,  cut  into  suitable  lengths,  and  flattened 
by  stones  being  placed  upon  it  while  drying ;  the  seats  were 
rough  benches  made  from  logs  split  in  halves  and  placed 
on  blocks  of  wood.  The  building  was  some  forty  feet  in 
length,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  largest  house  of  the 
kind  then  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  county.  In  the  .same 
year  the  first  school-house  was  built,  after  the  same  fashion 
and  as  the  church  had  been  built. 

Thus  coming  to  their  new  homes,  these  fathers  erected, 
at  the  same  time  with  their  own  dwellings,  the  church  and 
the  school-house.  There  is  no  questioning  the  fact  that 
they  considered  the  influences  going  out  from  these  two 
sources  the  grand  essentials  in  making  the  wilderness  to 
blossom  as  the  rose. 

The  next  year,  1767,  is  the  era  of  the  general  settlement 
of  the  town.  In  this  year  the  diflFereut  families  of  the  con- 
gregation came  from  Stillwater  and  occupied  the  cabins 
which  had  been  erected  the  year  before.  The  first  family 
that  reached  here  was  that  of  John  Lytic,  on  the  7th  day 
of  May.  Other  families  came  in  rapid  succession,  and  near 
the  close  of  the  same  month  services  were  held  in  the  log 
church.  Our  congregation,  therefore,  for  the  first  time,  per- 
haps on  the  last  Sabbath  of  May,  1767,  here  came  together 
to  worship  God,  making  this  year  memorable  as  that  in 
which  the  regular  preaching  of  the  gospel  on  the  Lord's 
day  was  commenced  in  this  town.  From  this  fact  the  con- 
gregation is  called  in  its  charter  of  incorporation  "  The  First 
Presbyterian  church  in  Salem,"  and  this  is  its  legal  title. 

We  would  note  two  interesting  facts.  The  congregation 
was  born  and  nurtured  to  maturity  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  was  transplanted  from  thence  a  fullj'-organ- 
ized  church,  with  pastor,  elders,  and  members;  and  from 
the  time  the  congregation  left  Ballibay,  Ireland,  until  it 
assembled  here  in  the  church  referred  to,  a  period  of  three 
years,  there  was  little  if  any  interruption  of  the  regular 
services.  The  preaching  on  the  Lord's  day  and  the  admin- 
istration of  the  sacraments  were  regularly  observed  on  the 
sea  and  on  the  land.  Like  Israel  of  old,  they  had  the 
clmrili  with  them,  and  the  wcir.ship  of  Jehovah  in  the  con- 


152 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


gregation  and  in  the  family  was  regularly  kept  up.  In 
these  respects  this  congregation  stands  altogether  singular. 
The  congregation,  as  we  find  it  in  thi.s  country,  wa.s  com- 
posed of  Dr.  Clark,  pastor ;  George  Oswald,  David  Tomb, 
William  Thompson,  William  Moncrief,  William  Wilson, 
Richard  Hoy,  John  Foster,  and  David  Hanna,  elders ;  and 
some  two  hundred  members,  including  baptized  children, 
which  were  about  one-fourth  of  the  number.  Of  this 
mcmber.ship  no  complete  list  can  now  be  found. 

The  first  child  baptized  after  the  congregation  carae  here, 
tlie  first  child  baptized  in  the  town,  and  the  first  female  in- 
fant born  here,  was  Mary  Lytic,  who  afterwards  became 
the  wife  of  Dr.  Andrew  Proudfit,  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Clark's 
successor. 

Inasmuch  as  there  was  at  that  time  no  other  "  Burgher" 
minister  in  this  country.  Dr.  Clark,  believing  it  to  be  his 
duty  to  be  in  connection  with  some  ecclesiastical  body, 
united  wilh  the  Anti-Burglier  As.sociate  presbytery  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  connection  with  which  this  congregation 
continued  down  to  the  time  of  the  union  between  the  As- 
sociate and  Reformed  churches,  17S2,  which  gave  rise  to 
the  "  Associate  Reformed  ciiurch." 

The  log  church  in  which  the  congregation  first  wor- 
shiped was  most  inconvenient.  Besides  being  too  small  to 
accominodate  the  worshipers,  it  was  very  uncomfortable. 
The  house  was  without  a  floor  or  means  of  heating.  It 
was  occupied  only  during  the  winters  and  on  stormy  days 
in  the  summers.  On  pleasant  days  the  meetings  were  held 
in  the  open  air.  This  church  was  used  as  a  place  of  wor- 
ship only  about  three  years.  In  1770  was  erected  beside 
this  log  church  a  more  commodious  and  comfortable  build- 
ing, which  still  stands,  the  most  venerable  structure,  the 
most  interesting  antiquity,  we  have  in  the  town.  From  a 
subscription  paper  still  in  existence  it  appeal's  that  each 
gave  to  this  cause  in  proportion  to  the  valuation  of  his 
property. 

When  this  church  was  completed  and  occupied  as  a 
house  of  worship,  the  old  log  church  was  occupied  for  a 
time  by  the  school,  afterwards  as  a  barn,  and  finally,  July 
27,  1777,  it  was  taken  down,  the  larger  portion  of  its 
timbers  cut  into  suitable  lengths  and  used  to  fortify  the 
church  of  our  sister  congregation,  the  New  England  church 
as  it  was  called,  as  a  place  of  safety,  should  a  party  of  the 
savages  following  in  the  train  of  Burgoyne's  invading 
arn)y  attack  the  place.  The  rest  of  the  logs  were  taken  to 
the  top  of  what  is  known  as  Mill  hill,  and  laid  up  into  a 
block-house  as  an  outpost  to  the  fort. 

During  the  time  Dr.  Clark  remained  in  Salem  the 
amount  of  labor  he  performed  was  simply  marvelous.  No 
other  than  an  iron  constitution  could  have  borne  it.  Until 
the  arrival  of  Dr.  John  Williams  he  was  the  only  physi- 
cian in  the  place.  In  addition  to  his  care  of  the  church 
he  was  called  to  attend  the  sick  ;  in  addition  to  this  he  reg- 
ularly visited  Hebron,  Argylc,  and  Cambiidge,  preaching, 
and  thus  prepared  the  way  for  the  organization  of  flourish- 
ing congregations.  Like  Paul,  he  was  abundant  in  labor.s, 
and  like  his,  his  labors  were  crowned  with  success.  In 
addition  to  all  this,  the  secular  business  he  had  taken  upon 
him  would  have  been  suflicient  to  burdtn  any  one.  He 
looked  not  only  after  the  spiritual  interests  of  his  people. 


but  also  their  temporal  interests.  He  seemed  to  have  one 
desire  which  was  controlling,  viz.,  that  his  people  might 
have  prosperity. 

The  secular  business,  and  especially  the  collection  of  the 
rents,  for  which  he  had  originally  become  responsible,  after 
a  time  involved  him  in  some  trouble,  and  his  pastoral  rela- 
tion terminated  in  the  summer  of  1782.  He  made  a  visit 
south,  and  after  visiting  for  some  time  among  those  of  his 
people  who  had  located  in  South  Carolina,  he  returned  to 
Albany,  N.  Y.  Here  he  remained  between  two  and  thi'ee 
years,  then  went  to  Abbeville,  South  Carolina,  to  labor 
among  the  people  of  the  colony  who  had  parted  from  them 
in  New  York.  There  he  organized  the  Cedar  Spring  and 
Long  Cane  congregations,  over  which  he  was  installed 
pastor  in  the  year  178G. 

In  this  charge  he  labored  with  great  acceptance  and  re- 
markable success  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred December  2C,  1792.  As  a  servant  was  pa.ssing  his 
room  she  heard  him  breathe  heavily.  Entering,  she  found 
him  in  his  chair  just  expiring;  on  the  table  before  him  an 
earnest,  able,  and  most  afl^ectionate  epistle,  addressed  to  the 
people  of  his  charge  whom  he  had  left  in  Ballibay,  Ireland, 
which  he  had  evidently  just  completed  and  subscribed,  the 
letter  closing  with  these  words:  "  What  I  do  thou  knowest 
not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter."  His  dust  lies  in 
the  grave-yard  at  Cedar  Spring,  South  Carolina. 

We  add  one  anecdote  of  this  venerable  patriarch :  On 
one  occasion  he  was  visiting  a  family  in  this  vicinity.  Dur- 
ing his  visit  he  was  asking  the  different  members  of  the 
family  some  questions  on  the  subject  of  religion  ;  the  gen- 
tleman of  the  house  professed  not  to  understand  English 
well  enough  to  answer  the  question  asked  him.  He  was 
pa.ssed  over.  A  few  days  after  this  man  was  driving  a 
team  of  oxen  along  the  highway  ;  for  some  reason  he  be- 
gan to  swear  at  the  oxen.  Dr.  Clark  was  driving  along  the 
same  way,  but  a  little  distance  behind.  Hearing  the  man 
use  profane  language,  he  at  once  drove  alongside  of  him, 
and  calling  him  by  name,  he  said,  "  I  see,  sir,  ye  ha'  learned 
to  talk  English  since  I  last  saw  ye,  an'  it's  na'  the  best  o' 
English  that  ye  use,  either." 

After  the  removal  of  Dr.  Clark  the  church  had  no 
shepherd  for  a  little  over  a  year,  when  Rev.  James  Proud- 
fit  accepted  the  call  of  the  congregation,  and  was  installed 
in  October,  1783.  To  secure  his  services  Elder  James 
Steven.son  had  made  the  long  journey  from  Salem  to  Penn- 
sylvania on  horseback,  and  most  of  the  way  through  an 
unbroken  wilderness. 

After  Mr.  Proudfit's  settlement  here  the  population  be- 
gan to  increase  rapidly,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  persons 
annually  settling  in  the  town  for  a  number  of  years.  From 
records  we  learn  that  the  old  meeting-house  contained 
thirty  pews,  and  that  in  the  year  1792  the  gallery  was 
finished,  adding  five  more  pews  and  a  number  of  seats  to 
the  previous  accommodations  of  the  building.  The  names 
of  those  owning  pews  were  William  McDougal,  John 
Williams,  Matthew  McWhorter,  James  Tomb,  Abner 
Carswell,  William  McFarland,  John  McCrea,  James  Stc- 
veiuson,  John  Rowan,  John  Hanna,  Jcjhn  Tomb,  William 
and  Peter  Cruickshank,  John  Crozior,  Walter  Stewart, 
Alex.  McNish,  John  Steele,  Andrew  Lytle,  Samuel  Boatty, 


-^x^^-^ 


Residence  of  the  urt  HIRAM  WALKER  Now  ownldand  occuriio  syWILLIS  H  &  JOHN  D  WALKER 

SALEM  WASHINOroN  CO   N  Y 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


153 


William  and  Samuel  Graham,  James  Armstrong,  Joshua 
Steele,  Tiionias  Boyd,  Andrew  MeMillan,  Alex.  Reid. 

Tlie  house  of  worship  was  still  too  small  for  its  large  con- 
gregation, and  it  became  necessary  that  a  more  commodious 
church  edifice  should  be  erected.  The  work  was  at  once 
begun,  and  in  the  year  1797  the  present  church  was  com- 
pleted, at  a  cost  of  four  thousand  dollars.  This  sum  was 
expended  mostly  in  the  purchase  of  material,  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  work  being  done  by  the  people  themselves. 
On  the  ]  st  of  November  of  the  same  year  the  new  house 
was  occupied  for  the  first  time  by  the  congregation. 

For  a  time  the  site  of  the  new  church  was  a  matter  of 
contention  among  the  people.  One  portion  of  the  congre- 
gation was  determined  that  it  should  be  on  the  other  side 
of  the  creek  near  the  old  church,  and  the  other  portion 
w;is  just  as  determined  that  it  should  be  on  this  side.  This 
matter  was,  however,  satisfactorily  arranged  and  the  present 
site  chosen,  through  the  influence  and  skillful  management 
of  General  John  Williams,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
New  England  church,  but  who,  after  the  marriage  of  his 
daughter  with  Mr.  Proudfit's  son,  October  2,  179G,  became 
an  efficient  member  of  this  one.  The  wisdom  of  this  choice 
of  site  for  the  church  was  afterwards  acknowledged  by  those 
who  at  first  opposed  it,  and  is  now  apparent  to  all. 

To  meet  the  cost  of  building  the  new  church  the  pews 
were  sold  at  auction,  subject  to  an  annual  rent  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  minister.  Eighty-six  persons  purcliased  pews  or 
slips,  taking  nearly  all  those  in  the  body  of  the  church  and 
a  number  in  the  gallery.  The  sales  amounted  to  four  thou- 
sand tliree  hundred  and  sixty-seven  dollars.  Thus  the  cost 
of  building  was  more  than  met. 

Two  years  before  this  (on  May  13, 1795)  the  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Proudfit  had  been  installed  as  the  colleague  of  his 
father. 

From  this  time  it  was  the  custom  of  the  father  and  son 
to  divide  the  labors  of  the  Sabbath,  one  conducting  the 
forenoon  and  the  other  the  afternoon  services,  until,  in  the 
summer  of  1797,  the  father  was,  by  a  paralytic  stroke, 
disqualified  for  active  service.  He  died  Oct.  22,  1802.  In 
this  year  there  were  on  the  roll  of  membership  three  hun- 
dred names.  At  that  date  only  two  congregations  in  the 
body  had  a  larger  membership, —  the  one  of  which  Dr. 
Clark  had  been  pastor  in  South  Carolina,  which  numbered 
five  hundred  and  twenty  members,  and  the  congregation  of 
Dr.  Mason  in  New  York,  which  numbered  four  liundred 
members. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  father  the  son  became  sole  pastor 
of  the  congregation,  in  which  relation  he  continued  for  over 
thirty-throe  years,  having  previously  sustained  that  relation 
with  his  father  seven  years, — making  in  all  a  pastorate  of 
over  forty  years.  Years  before  "  tract  societies"  were  known 
lie  formed  what  was  in  reality  a  tract  society  in  this  congre- 
gation, called  "  The  Female  Society  in  Salem  for  Promoting 
Religious  Knowledge."  The  word  female  was  subsequently 
dropped.  This  society  was  for  many  years  efficiently  en- 
gaged in  distributing  religious  tracts,  not  only  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, but  also  in  sending  them  to  the  distant  settlements 
already  referred  to,  whither  many  had  gone  from  this  commu- 
nity. This  was,  perhaps,  the  first  tract  society  in  America, 
being  organized  in  the  year  1800.  Its  first  publication  was 
20 


an  eight-page  tract  bearing  the  following  heading:  "No.  1. — 
A  Word  to  Mothers  on  the  Religious  Instruction  of  their 
Children.  Published  by  Dodd  and  Ramsey  for  the  Female 
Society  in  Salem  fjr  the  Promotion  of  Religious  Knowl- 
edge." Many  other  publications  followed.  Some  of  them 
are  still  in  existence,  and  are  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  Asa  Fitch. 

In  the  year  1827  or  1828  the  sounding-board  (as  it  was 
called)  was  taken  down  and  the  inside  of  the  church  un- 
derwent some  repairs.  The  pulpit,  as  originally  con- 
structed, was  very  lofty,  with  about  room  enough  in  it  for 
the  preacher, — in  shape  very  much  like  a  tumbler.  This 
was  removed,  and  a  platform  built  at  the  same  altitude  ;  it 
was  surrounded  with  a  railing  and  a  gate  opening  on  either 
side,  through  which  the  occupant  entered  and  by  which  he 
was  shut  in.  It  is  said  that  the  bell-shaped  sounding- 
board,  which  was  su.spended  from  the  ceiling  .some  little 
distance  above  the  preacher's  head,  looked  as  though  it 
was  intended  as  a  lid  for  the  tumbler-shaped  pulpit,  and 
that  Dr.  Proudfit,  after  a  time,  began  to  enter  that  pulpit 
with  some  misgivings,  fearing  lest  the  lid  should  suddenly 
drop  and  shut  him  in.  His  fears  having  been  communi- 
cated to  some  of  his  friends,  their  cause  was  removed  by 
the  changes  referred  to.  , 

Dr.  Proudfit  continued  pastor  of  this  congreg.ation  until 
June,  1835,  when  the  relation  was,  at  his  own  request, 
dissolved,  in  order  that  he  might  accept  the  secretaryship 
of  the  New  York  Colonization  society.  This  position  he 
held  until  the  winter  of  1811-42,  when  he  resigned  it.  The 
latter  part  of  the  winter  of  1813  he  was  confined  to  the 
house,  and  on  April  17  of  the  same  year,  at  the  house  of 
his  son  in  "  New  Brunswick,"  after  a  ministry  of  almost 
forty-nine  years.  Dr.  Proudfit  •"  passed  thipugh  the  gates 
into  the  City."  His  remains  were  brought  to  Salem,  and 
his  dust  now  lies  beside  that  of  his  father  in  our  own  beau- 
tiful cemetery. 

After  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  between 
Dr.  Proudfit  and  this  congregation  there  was  a  vacancy  of 
about  eight  months.  A  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  James 
Lillie,  D.D.,  and  on  Feb.  19,  183G,  he  was,  by  the  Asso- 
ciated Reformed  presbytery  of  Washington,  installed  the 
fourth  pastor  of  the  congregation.  Dr.  Lillie  was  a  native 
of  Kelso,  Scotland,  and  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Edinburgh.  He  is  spoken  of  by  such  as  remember  him 
here  as  having  been  a  most  eloquent  preacher.  He  was  an 
earnest  advocate  of  the  cau.se  of  temperance.  This  ques- 
tion had  been  agitated  here  by  Dr.  Proudfit  during  the 
latter  part  of  his  ministry,  and  seems  to  have  made  some 
considerable  progress.  Dr.  Lillie  followed  up  the  matter, 
and  his  voice  was  heard  on  the  side  of  temperance.  At  a 
meeting  held  in  this  church  the  following  resolution  was 
introduced  by  Dr.  Lillie,  and  was  unanimously  adopted  : 

'■Il,n,,hc,l,  Tlmt  toliU  a,l)stiiiiMice  from  all  that  o.xn  intoxicate  as  a 
beverage  is,  in  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  the  only  course  by  wliich 
intemperance  can  be  b;\nishe(l  from  our  land,  and  we  believe  it  essen- 
tial th.at  the  sober  and  respectable  portion  of  our  citizens  set  tlje 
example." 

Dr.  Lillie  reniiiiiiod  in  this  place  only  a  little  more  than 
one  year.  In  Jiine,  1837,  he  resigned  this  charge,  and 
accepted  a  call  rnmi  a  congregation  in  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y., 
in  connection  with  the  Reformed  Dutch  church. 


154 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NE\V   YORK. 


The  congregation  was  without  a  pastor  until  September 
3,  1838,  a  little  over  two  years.  At  this  time  Dr.  Ilalloy, 
having  been  called,  came,  and  was  installed  the  fifth  pa-stor 
of  the  congregation  by  the  Associate  Reformed  pi-csbytery 
of  Washington. 

Dr.  Halley  was  born  in  Scotland  in  the  year  1801,  en- 
tered the  University  of  Edinburgh  in  the  year  1816,  and 
from  that  institution  graduated  four  years  after.  He  took 
a  five  years'  course  of  tlieological  study  in  Glasgow  under 
the  celebrated  Dr.  John  Dick.  lie  was  licensed  to  preach 
the  gospel  April  5,  1825,  by  the  United  Associate  pres- 
bytery of  Dumferline. 

His  first  charge  was  in  the  city  of  St.  Andrew's.  After 
serving  this  church  three  years,  he  was  called  to  a  church 
in  Leith,  where  he  remained  ton  years,  when,  to  use  his 
own  words,  "  Owing  to  his  admiration  of  the  free  institu- 
tions of  this  country,  its  rapidly-developing  energies  and 
its  advantages  as  a  field  of  usefulness,"  he  came  hither. 

Soon  after  landing  in  America  he  came  here  to  preach, 
with  a  view  to  settlement.  His  preaching  was  so  accepts 
able  to  our  people  that  they  immediately  called  him.  This 
call  he  accepted,  and  was  at  the  time  above  stated  installed 
pastor  of  this  church.        , 

This  pa.storate  continued  until  the  year  1848.  Dr. 
Halley  then  accepted  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  church  in  Troy.  In  this  church  he 
remained  seven  years.  He  was  then  called  to  the  Third 
Presbyterian  church  in  Albany,  removed  thither,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  the  pastor  of  that  congregation  for  twenty 
years.  At  the  close  of  this  twenty  years'  pastorate,  and 
after  preaching  the  gospel  for  fifty  years  with  great  accept- 
ance and  with  most  satisfactory  results,  he  retired  from 
active  service,  and  now  resides  in  Albany.  He  is  now 
serving  on  his  third  term  as  the  loved  and  venerated  chap- 
lain of  the  Senate. 

It  was  while  Dr.  Halley  was  hero  that  the  session-house, 
that  stood  in  front  of  the  church,  was  burned.  This  oc- 
curred in  1840.  It  was  also  while  he  was  here  that  the 
present  church  building  was  enlarged  and  improved.  In 
the  year  1841  the  front  of  the  building  was  extended  even 
with  the  tower.  The  square  pews  around  the  walls  and 
on  the  sides  of  the  galleries  were  changed  into  slips  as  at 
present.  The  wide  aisle,  in  which  the  communion-table 
used  to  stand,  was  changed  into  its  present  dimensions. 
The  galleries  were  lowered,  and  the  pulpit  was  brought 
down  from  its  lofty  position,  and  the  late  pulpit  and  plat- 
form, the  design  and  gift  of  Mr.  John  Williams,  was 
erected.  The  plastering  was  taken  from  the  walls,  and 
the  house  was  rcplastered.  The  church  was  remodeled 
and  improved  generally,  at  a  cost  of  about  five  thousand 
dollars. 

After  the  removal  of  Dr.  Halley  the  congregation  was 
again  without  a  pastor  for  a  little  over  two  years,  when  the 
Rev.  Thomas  B.  Farrington  was  called,  and  was  by  the 
Associate  Reformed  presbytery  of  Washington  installed 
the  sixth  pastor  in  May,  1849.  He  remained  eight  years. 
The  pastors  since  have  been  Rev.  J.  C.  Forsythe,  June, 
J84S,  twelve  years;  and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  W.  A. 
JMackcnzie. 

The  following  persons  have  served  as  ciders  in  this  con- 


gregation, besides  those  wlio  came  with  Dr.  Clark,  already 
named  :  There  were  ordained  in  Dr.  Clark's  time  Robert 
McJIurray,  James  Stevenson,  John  Rowan,  William  Mat- 
thews, William  McFarland.  In  1797,  Matthew  McWhor- 
ter,  John  Steele,  Thomas  Collins ;  and  Walter  Stewart, 
received  by  letter  from  another  congregation.  1809,  Abra- 
ham Savage,  Richard  Hoy,  George  Arnott,  Isaac  Getty, 
and  Thomas  Steven.son.  1819,  Andrew  Martin,  John 
Me^Iurray,  John  Beatty.  1831,  George  McWhorter, 
James  B.  Stevenson,  David  B.  Thompson.  The  last 
named  died  in  the  spring  of  1875,  the  only  member  of 
session  who  has  died  since  I  came  to  this  church.  1840, 
Ira  Carswell,  Jo.seph  Clark,  and  Hugh  Thompson  were 
ordained  ;  and  John  JMcMillan  was  received  by  letter  from 
another  congregation.  1850,  William  C.  Safford,  P]arl  P. 
Wright,  and  William  Edgar.  1876,  William  Chamberlain 
and  Robert  Stewart. 

The  session. at  present  consists  of  six  members:  John 
McMillan,  James  B.  Stevenson,  William  Edgar,  Earl  P. 
Wright,  William  Chamberlain,  and  Robert  Stewart. 

Tlie  trustees  are  Thomas  Stevenson,  John  Edwards, 
James  G.  Gillis,  William  McFarland,  William  Chamber- 
lain ;  superintendent  of  Sunday-school,  James  iMcDonald  ; 
librarian,  Andrew  Getty. 

The  first  board  of  trustees  was  elected  in  1784,  to  which 
was  deeded  the  church  property,  which  had  heretofore  been 
in  the  name  of  Dr.  Thomas  Clark.  This  consisted  of 
three  lots  of  land,  which  had  been  obtained  from  Oliver 
De  Lancy  and  Peter  Dubois  for  church  and  school  pur- 
poses. This  land  was  afterwards  sold,  and  the  proceeds 
otherwise  invested.  Part  of  the  proceeds  of  these  lots  is 
in  the  parsonage  and  the  grounds  on  which  it  now  stands. 
From  the  rest  the  congregation  has  an  income  of  between 
three  and  four  hundred  dollars  annually. 

The  following  persons  composed  this  first  board  of  tru.s- 
tees :  John  Harshaw,  Joseph  Tomb,  Richard  Hoy,  Peter 
Sim,  and  William  Thompson. 

The  Sabbath-school  in  connection  with  this  church  was 
organized  during  Dr.  Halley's  ministry,  in  the  year  1841 
or  1842.  The  first  superintendents  were  Dr.  Asa  Fitch 
and  Jlrs.  Maria  Proudfit.  The  next  was  John  McDonald ; 
he  was  succeeded  by  John  B.  Fairly,  he  by  John  King ; 
after  his  resignation  Elder  Earl  P.  Wright  acted  as  super- 
intendent until  April  10,  1864,  when  James  S.  McDonald 
was  called  to  the  position,  which  position  he  has  filled 
with  great  acceptance  and  ofliciency  down  to  the  present 
time. 

THE   PRESUYTERIAN    CHURCH    IN    SALEM. 

The  following  sketch  is  taken  from  the  histoncal  dis- 
course of  llev.  Edward  P.  Sprague,  delivered  June  4, 
1876: 

This  church  has  existed  for  more  than  a  century,  and 
has  borne  for  over  ninety  years  the  same  name,  that  of 
"  The  First  Incorpoi-atcd  Presbyterian  Congregation  in 
Salem,  County  of  Washington,  and  State  of  New  York." 
The  commencement  of  its  history  dates  back  to  the  very 
beginning  of  the  settlement  of  this  place  and  region. 

Tlie  "  New  England  colony,"  so  called,  came  to  Salem  in 
1764-66.  The  Scotch  and  Irish  colony  in  1766-67.  The 
New  Englanders  from   Pelham  were  of  similar  ancestry  to 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NKW   YORK. 


155 


some  extent  with  the  colony  led  here  by  Dr.  Clark,  and 
there  was  at  thues  some  prospect  of  a  formal  union  relig- 
iously ;  but  though  an  excellent  friendly  spirit  seems  to  have 
existed,  each  colony  sharing  the  sympathy  and  the  assist- 
ance of  the  other,  and  often  worshiping  together,  yet  they 
could  not  see  eye  to  eye  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  doctrine. 
Sojiarate  churches  naturally  grew  up,  and,  besides,  the  num- 
bers of  the  people  to  attend  eliureh  sooner  or  later  reiiuired 
two  places  of  worship. 

From  a  document  preserved  among  the  Williams  Papers, 
Vol.  I.,  page  1,  it  is  evident  that  as  early  as  1707  the  New 
Eiiglanders  endeavored  to  secure  a  miiii.ster  of  their  own 
faith  and  one  formerly  known  by  them.  It  is  not  certain 
that  they  succeeded,  but  on  March  4,  17G7,  three  of  the 
town-lots  originally  assigned  for  religious  purposes  were 
pledged  to  them  for  the  maintainance  of  a  regular  gospel 
minister. 

The  church  was  formally  organized  in  1769.  It  was 
composed  at  the  outset  of  the  goodly  number  of  fifty-two 
members.  A  full  list  of  their  names  cannot  be  obtained, 
although  many  of  them  may  be  inferred  from  various  old 
records.  Whether  they  immediately  elected  any  trustees 
is  also  uncertain,  but  the  first  elders  chosen  to  constitute 
the  session  appear  to  have  been  Alexander  Turner,  Edward 
Savage,  and  Daniel  IMcCleary.  The  fir.st  communion  sea- 
son was  held  at  the  house  of  James  Savage,  which  stood 
then  on  the  top  of  the  hill  just  north  of  the  residence  of 
the  late  Wm.  McCoUister.  The  exact  date  when  this  first 
communion  was  observed  cannot  now  be  determined  ;  but  it 
is  thought  that  the  Rev.  John  McDonald,  of  Albany,  was 
probably  the  officiating  minister. 

Notwithstanding  their  organization  into  a  distinct  church, 
the  New  England  people  continued  to  worship  very  J^ener- 
ally  with  the  Scotch  congregation  ;  and  even  co-operated 
with  them  in  the  erection  of  a  church  edifice.  The  sub- 
scription-paper drawn  up  for  this  purpose  is  still  extant. 
It  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Colonel  Jo.seph  McCrackcn, 
subsequently  a  trustee  of  this  church,  and  one  of  the  two 
to  whom  the  subscriptions  were  to  be  jxiid.  Of  the  twenty- 
nine  signers,  also,  fully  one-third  are  names  which  were 
afterwards  identified  with  the  New  England  congregation. 
This  paper*  bears  date  Nov.  15,  17G9.  This  was  the  sub- 
scription for  the  erection  of  the  old  meeting-house,  still 
standing  on  the  hill,  which  is  said  to  be  the  oldest  house 
but  one  in  the  entire  county. 

Five  years  later  this  church  proceeded  to  erect  for  them- 
selves their  first  house  of  worship.  This  house,  which 
stood  on  the  same  lot  that  the  present  church  occupies,  was 
a  long  time  in  building,  and  in  fact  was  never  completed. 
The  people  were  too  poor  to  give  much  money,  so  they  fur- 
nished materials  as  they  were  able,  and  freely  contributed 
their  labor.  What  money  was  given  had  to  be  expended 
almost  wholly  for  nails  and  similar  articles,  which  could  be 
liad  only  by  purchase. 

These  material ;  were  procured  from  Albany  ;  and  the 
method  by  which  tiuy  were  brought  here  well  illustrates 
the  difficulties  under  which  the  fathers  labored,  and  the 
liard.-ihips  they  had  to  endure  during  the  early  years  of  the 


us  Papers,  Vol.  I.,  |iagu  17 


settlement  of  this  region.  It  was  the  custom,  as  the  late 
AVm.  McCollister — whose  father  procured  them — used  to 
relate,  to  bring  these  supplies  up  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Hudson  river  as  far  as  Schuylerville,  where  the  crossing 
was  effected  in  this  perilous  manner :  the  driver  stood  up 
above  the  wagon,  with  one  foot  on  each  of  the  sides,  and 
drove  his  horses  into  the  stream.  The  hor.ses  waded  as  far 
as  they  could,  and  then  swam  the  remainder  of  the  way 
across,  drawing  the  floating  wagon  behind  them,  the  driver 
from  his  precarious  position  directing  their  course,  as  best 
he  could,  by  the  reins. 

The  fact  that  this  first  church  was  never  completed  does 
not  at  all  indicate  that  it  was  never  used  for  the  purpose 
for  which  it  was  intended.  Directly  the  opposite  was  in- 
deed the  ease.  The  fathers  did  not  consider  themselves 
obliged  to  wait  until  the  edifice  Wiis  finished,  much  less  for 
anything  like  a  dedication.  Once  at  least,  in  the  summer- 
time, the  people  attended  preaching  there  when  only  the 
roof  was  on,  the  sides  being  entirely  open  ;  and  frequent 
services  were  held  when  it  had  been  clapboarded  but  was 
still  destitute  of  a  floor,  and  of  course  of  anything  like  per- 
manent benches.  It  was  either  here,  or  perhaps  in  some 
barn  in  the  place,  that  during  the  early  part  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  a  strange  minister  greatly  ofleuded  many  of 
the  people  by  preaching  from  the  text  Ilosea  ii.  7,  "  I 
will  go  and  return  to  my  first  husband ;  for  then  it  was 
better  with  me  than  now."  He  made  no  direct  reference 
to  the  political  condition  of  the  country,  but  the  mere  text 
was  too  suggestive  for  the  zealous  patriotism  of  the  day  to 
endure,  and  the  preacher  was  indignantly  denounced  as  a 
Jesuit  and  Tory  in  disguise. 

After  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  war  this  uncom- 
pleted church  building  was  taken  by  the  patriot  forces,  and 
occupied  by  them,  first  as  barracks,  and  then  constructed 
into  a  fort.  The  building  was  put  into  better  shape  for 
defense,  ovens  were  built  for  provisioning  the  troops,  and  a 
stockade  was  erected  around  it.  This  stockade  ran  around 
the  church  at  a  distance  of  about  sixty  feet  from  its  walls, 
about  ten  feet  from  the  line  of  the  present  lot  on  the  east. 
It  was  constructed  of  contiguous  logs,  some  ten  inches  in 
diameter,  as  many  feet  in  length,  sunk  about  three  feet 
into  the  ground,  and  was  completed  July  26,  1777.  The 
stumps  of  some  of  these  pickets,  burned  and  broken  off 
nearly  level  with  the  ground,  remained  visible  for  a  long 
number  of  years.  One  of  the  present  members  of  the 
church  says  that  he  well  remembers  seeing  them ;  and 
doubtless  even  now  a  slight  excavation  in  the  proper  place 
would  bring  them  again  to  light.  This  transformed  church 
was  called  Fort  Williams,  in  compliment  to  Dr. — or,  as  he 
was  subsequeutly  better  known.  General — John  Williams, 
by  whose  influence  and  activities  the  interests  of  this  place 
were  so  considerably  advanced. 

What  perilous  times  those  were  may  be  judged  from  the 
many  incidents  handed  down  even  to  the  present.  The 
grandmother  of  one  of  the  present  members  used  frequently 
to  relate  her  experience  of  a  single  night  when  she  was 
alone  with  her  children  in  her  house,  some  two  miles  out 
of  the  village,  the  barn  full  of  Indians,  and  her  husband 
here  in  the  fort.  In  still  earlier  days  the  men  used  fre- 
quently to  bring  their  guns  with   them  to  church,  so  as  to 


156 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


be  ready  for  any  emergency,  and  even  the  dogs  were  some- 
times taken  with  them,  that  their  keen  scent  and  hearing 
might  be  of  use  in  sooner  detecting  the  approach  of  an 
enemy. 

Only  a  brief  time  did  tliis  half-church  and  half-fort  re- 
main to  serve  as  a  defense  for  the  patriots.  Early  in  tlie 
autumn  following  the  completion  of  the  stockade,  the 
liberty-loving  inhabitants  of  the  place  were  compelled  to 
flee  from  their  homes  before  the  advance  of  General  Bur- 
goyne.  The  village  was  almost  entirely  evacuated,  at  great 
loss  to  the  people ;  and  the  fort  itself  WiW  burned  by  the 
royalists  on  some  day  prior  to  the  25th  of  September,  and 
probably  during  the  very  last  days  of  August,  1777.  The 
old  records  of  the  church,  since  destroyed,  used  to  charac- 
terize it  as  done  "  by  some  domestic  rather  than  foreign 
enemy,"  meaning  evidently  that  it  was  the  act  of  a  Tory 
rather  than  of  a  soldier.  Thus  the  first  and  original  build- 
ing erected  by  this  church  was  destroyed  within  three  years 
of  its  commencement ;  and  there  took  place  the  earliest  of 
the  three  fires  by  which,  during  the  one  hundred  and  seven 
years  of  their  existence,  they  have  been  deprived  for  a  time 
of  a  house  of  worship. 

The  officer  in  command  of  the  troops,  stationed  for  a 
time  in  the  fort,  was  Colonel  Joseph  McCracken,  who  wrote 
the  subscription  paper  drawn  up  in  1709.  He  was  a  most 
entlmsiastic  patriot  and  a  most  active  laborer  in  behalf  of 
this  church,  of  which  he  was  for  several  years  a  trustee. 
He  lost  an  arm  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  and  is  still  re- 
membered by  some  of  the  older  m'embers  as  sitting  during 
his  later  years  in  the  pulpit  on  Sunday,  so  that  he  might, 
in  spite  of  his  deafness,  still  hear  the  words  of  the  preacher. 
Of  the  many  incidents  still  related  by  Colonel  McCracken, 
there  is  one  which  serves  to  show  how  ardent  his  attachment 
was  for  the  commander-in-chief,  under  whom  he  had  served. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Tomb,  who  was  his  pastor  at  the  time,  was 
one  day  conversing  with  him  and  seeking  to  comfort  him 
after  the  loss  of  his  wife.  During  the  conversation  Mr. 
Tomb  spoke  of  the  heavy  afllictions  endured  by  men  of  old, 
and,  either  in  passing,  or  with  an  intent  to  draw  out  a  re- 
sponse, characterized  David  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  warriors. 
Instantly  the  old  soldier  was  all  interest.  lie  waited  a 
moment,  and  tlien  looked  up  into  Mr.  Tomb's  face,  and 
broke  out,  "Yes,  Samuel,  David  was  a  great  warrior;  but 
he  was  not  any  greater  than  George  Washington." 

Consequent  upon  the  heavy  losses  endured  during  the 
Revolutionary  war,  the  people  were  too  much  impoverished 
to  proceed  at  once  upon  the  construction  of  a  second  church 
to  take  the  place  of  the  one  destroyed.  Just  when  the 
second  church  edifice  was  erected  there  is  now  probably  no 
way  of  definitely  determining.  Certainly  it  was  not  done 
for  some  time,  and  perhaps  not  until  17S3  or  1784:. 

The  first  trace  of  any  plan  for  rebuilding  consists  of  two 
petitions,  addressed  in  the  same  year  to  the  Legislature  of 
New  York,  and  asking  tlieir  assistance  in  the  matter. 

The  first  of  these,  which  bears  date  Juno  16,  1779,  and 
is  signed  by  Joseph  IMeCracken,  ]"]dward  Savage,  Edward 
Long,  John  Gray,  and  Daniel  McCleary,  recounts  how  they 
had  been  a  committee  "  to  superintend  the  building  of  a 
meeting-house,"  and  how  this  had  been  destroyed;  and 
then  asks  that  certain  moneys,  arising  from  the  auction  sale 


of  cattle  and  carriages  confiscated  from  the  Tories,  and 
amounting  to  two  hundred  and  ninety-three  pounds,  seven 
shillings,  eleven  pence,  be  ordered  for  the  rebuilding  of  said 
meeting-house. 

The  second  petition,  which  was  dated  Oct.  11, 1779,  and 
signed  by  Joseph  McCracken,  Edward  Savage,  Hamilton 
McCollister,  and  Alexander  Turner,  as  committee,  is  still 
more  remarkable,  especially  in  the  way  it  proposes  to  obtain 
the  needful  money.  They  ask  for  "  leave  to  erect  a  lottery 
for  the  raising  a  sum  sufficient  to  build  a  new  church  and  a 
parsonage  house." 

For  reasons  which  can  easily  be  inferred,  neither  of  these 
petitions  was  ever  granted. 

Then  followed  a  period  of  several  years  during  which 
the  people  slowly  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  war, 
and  started  upon  a  new  couree  of  activity  and  pros- 
perity. During  this  time  this  congregation  had  occasional 
preaching  of  their  own,  and  the  rest  of  the  time  worshiped 
with  the  other  church.  So  far  as  extant  records  show,  the 
years  until  1787  were  filled  with  ineflectual  attempts  at 
union  between  the  two  congregations,  with  temporary  sup- 
plies by  this  church,  and  unsuccessful  calls  addressed  to  de- 
sired ministers.  In  all  these  movements  one  of  the  most 
prominent  persons  was  General  John  Williams.  He  subse- 
quently became  one  of  the  other  church  after  the  marriage 
of  his  daughter  to  the  Rev.  Alexander  Proudfit ;  but  prior 
to  this  had  been,  for  years,  a  devoted  member  of  this  church, 
one  of  its  most  active  and  efficient  helpers,  and  for  several 
years  one  of  its  board  of  trustees.  It  is  from  among  his 
papers  that  many  of  the  valuable  documents  which  throw 
light  upon  this  time  have  been  derived. 

One  of  the  calls  which  finally  failed  was  to  the  Rev. 
John  'JMcDonald,  of  Albany.  This  was  .signed  by  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  male  persons,  and  promised  to  the  minister 
a  mansion-house,  with  parsonage  of  eighty-eight  acres;  also 
the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  settlement-money 
and  an  annual  salary  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds. 

About  twenty  years  had  now  elapsed  since  this  church 
began  its  work,  and  eighteen  since  its  actual  organization. 
Previous  failures  and  disappointments  were  at  last  to  be  re- 
warded by  the  installation  of  a  pastor. 

A  call  addressed  Sept.  27,  1787,  to  Rev.  John  Warford 
was  accepted. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  signers  of  the  call : 
John  Williams,  Adam  Martin,  Abram  Turner,  Jr.,  Eben- 
ezer  Ru.ssell,  Joseph  McCracken,  H.  BlcCollister,  Joseph 
Younglove,  Allen  Hunsdon,  Wm.  Brown,  Nathaniel  Gray, 
James  Bothell,  Robert  Hopkins,  Samuel  Hopkins,  Wm. 
McCracken,  John  jMcCracken,  John  McCrea,  John  McDon- 
ald, Francis  Lamman,  James  Rogers,  David  Rood,  John 
McCleary,  James  Gault,  John  Narrens,  Samuel  Safford, 
Jo.seph  Wilson,  'Benjamin  Harvey,  John  Gray,  Jr.,  David 
Thomas,  John  Conkey,  James  Henderson,  Joshua  Conkey, 

Honeywood,  Wm.  Henderson.  Chris.  Paige,  Jonathan 

Hayford,  Alex.  Turner,  Jr.,  James  Long,  Daniel  McCleary, 
James  Crow,  Thomas  McCleary,  James  Hopkins,  George 
Hopkius,  Samuel  McCracken,  Jr.,  David  McCracken,  Sam- 
uel JlcCracken,  Sr.,  John  Gaut,  Benjamin  Cleavland,  Job 
Cleavland,  Abel  Cleavland,  Aaron  Stone,  Abner  Stone, 
James  Taklos,  Walter  Martin,  Edward  Gray,  Henry  Shep- 


-^fe^-CJ^^X, 


MRS.    WILLIAM    JICKIE. 


William  McKie  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cambridge, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  the  year  1796.  He  was  third 
son  in  a  family  of  eleven  children  of  James  McKie  and 
Elizabeth  Wilson,  the  former  a  native  of  Scotland,  who 
came  to  this  country  with  his  parents  prior  to  the  Kevolu- 
tionary  war,  stopping  first  in  New  Jersey,  but  subsequently 
settling  in  the  town  of  Cambridge,  this  county,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  families  to  settle  in  the  county.  The  father, 
James  McKie,  was  a  .soldier  in  the  war  for  independence, 
and  it  is  supposed  was  married  and  settled  in  this  county 
about  that  time. 

Mr.  McKie  spent  his  boyhood  days  at  home  on  the 
farm,  receiving  the  advantages  of  the  meagre  district 
schools  of  those  days ;  but  there  he  became  impressed  with 
a  desire  for  knowledge  of  passing  events,  and  during  his 
whole  life  was  a  man  of  reading  and  study,  and  especially 
interested  himself  in  the  study  of  the  Bible  and  secular 
literary  research. 

His  father  was  a  well-to-do  farmer  in  the  town  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  consequently  gave  his  children  a  fair  compe- 
tence to  start  them  in  life,  William  receiving  a  farm  in  that 
town.  He  afterwards  purcliased  another  in  the  town  of 
Salem,  which  he  sold,  and  purchased  another  near  Salem 
village,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  in  1863. 

For  his  first  wife  he  married  Bliss  Nancy,  daughter  of 
John  Law,  of  Shushan,  town  of  Salem,  a  man  of  promi- 
nence in  that  vicinity,  and  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  town 
of  Salem.  Mrs.  McKie  was  a  model  Christian  woman, — 
a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church.  She  died 
April  18,  1838.  For  his  second  wife,  in  the  year  1847, 
he  married  Mrs.  Julia,  widow  of  the  late  Ira  Smith,  and 


daughter  of  Josiah  Austin  and  Mary  Bush,  of  Suffield, 
Conn.  Mrs.  McKie,  the  second  child  in  a  family  of  six 
children  of  Josiah  Austin,  was  born  May  4,  1805,  and 
traces  her  ancestry  to  England.  She  resides  on  the  farm, 
and  in  the  residence  near  Salem,  where  she  came  after  her 
marriage,  and  desires  to  place  the  portrait  of  her  husband 
in  the  history  of  the  county  in  which  the  family  have  lived 
so  long.     She  has  no  children. 

Mr.  McKie,  although  an  active  supporter  of  political 
interests,  was  not  solicitous  of  either  oiBce  or  emolument 
arising  from  the  same,  and  never  consented  to  accept  of 
office  in  his  town  or  county.  He  was  first  a  Whig,  and 
subsequently  a  Republican. 

His  life  was  one  of  great  activity,  and  besides  being  a 
farmer  in  his  later  years,  he  engaged  largely  in  buying  and 
selling  wood,  which  business  he  carried  on  for  several  years 
in  Salem.  He  invested  quite  largely  in  timber  lands  in 
other  parts  of  the  State.  He  was  one  of  the  directors  of 
the  old  State  Bank  of  Salem  during  its  existence.  In  his 
business  operations  he  was  successful ;  a  man  possessed  of 
much  shrewdness  and  sagacity  ;  a  warm  supporter  of  church 
interests,  although  not  identified  as  a  member.  To  Mr. 
McKie  the  village  of  Salem  is  largely  indebted  for  their 
fine  cemetery,  second  to  none  in  the  county,  and,  perhaps, 
in  the  State,  outside  the  cities.  He  was  the  principal  mover 
in  founding  the  cemetery,  and  was  president  of  the  Cemetery 
Association  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  interested 
in  all  enterprises  tending  to  advance  the  best  interests  of 
society,  and  a  liberal  supporter  of  church  and  school  in- 
terests. Although  passed  away,  his  influence  still  remains. 
He  was  respected  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


157 


ard,  Archibald  McCollister,  James  Bowen,  James  Thomp- 
son, Wm.  Adams,  Ezra  Dyer,  Peter  Rowell,  John  Adams, 
Daniel  Faulkner,  John  Faulkner,  Samuel  Faulkner,  James 
McKillip,  Dan  Rude,  Moses  Bartlett,  John  Savage,  Mat- 
thew Claughry,  Robert  Fennel,  John  McMickil,  Abraham 
Turner,  Isaac  Lindsay,  Jesse  Durkcy,  Alexander  McNitt, 
Isaac  Mitchel,  Daniel  McNitt,  Nathan  Morgan,  Alexander 
Gault,  Joseph  Slarrow,  Moses  Blartin,  Reuben  Cheney, 
Lemuel  Clapp,  Abner  Dwelle,  Stephen  Clap,  Alexander 
Turner,  Aaron  Tafl,  Benjamin  Wilson,  Robert  Fennel, 
Thomas  Baker. 

His  formal  installation  was  in  July,  ITSD,  though  he  had 
labored  here  for  a  year  or  more  before  that  date. 

The  interval  between  this  call  and  Mr.  Warford's  instal- 
lation was  occupied  in  putting  the  financial  affairs  of  the 
congregation  into  better  condition.  The  church  building 
had  probably  been  finished  several  years,  and  on  Nov.  1-1, 
1788,  a  deed  was  executed  by  Savage  &  Conkey,  attorneys 
for  the  "  proprietors,"  by  which,  according  to  the  promise 
made  twenty-one  years  before,  the  three  lots,  Nos.  91,  192, 
and  188,  extending  from  the  present  carriage-shop  in  South 
Salem  southward  over  the  hill  to  Juniper  swamp,  were  con- 
veyed to  the  trustees  of  this  congregation,  "  in  consideration 
and  for  the  sole  use  of  supporting  a  regular  gospel  minister 
of  the  Presbyterian  persuasion,  belonging  to  the  synod  of 
New  Y'ork  and  Philadelphia,  in  and  over  said  congregation 
in  Salem." 

There  is  no  connection  between  the  way  these  three  lots 
were  conveyed  and  the  possession  of  that  one  occupied  by 
the  successive  church  edifices.  These  three  were  the  part 
of  the  "  proprietors' "  portion  originally  set  apart  for  religious 
purposes.  This  one  was  part  probably  of  Hamilton  ^IcCol- 
lister's  original  tract,  and  by  him  appropriated  for  the  site 
of  the  New  England  church.  No  formal  deed,  however, 
appears  to  have  been  given  at  the  time,  and  accordingly 
when  General  Williams  purchased  McCollistcr's  lands  the 
title  to  the  church-site  became  vested  in  him,  and  remained 
thus  for  several  years.  On  Oct.  25,  1797,  about  the  time 
of  his  becoming  a  member  of  the  other  congregation,  there 
was  executed  by  General  Williams  and  Susanna,  his  wife, 
what  might  be  termed  a  "deed  of  confirmation,"  by  which 
this  lot  was  for  the  sura  of  one  dollar  conveyed  to  the  trustees 
of  the  church. 

Mr.  Warford  remained  pastor  of  the  church  until  his 
death.  May  19,  1802. 

He  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  earnest  devotion  for 
the  cause  to  which  ho  had  consecrated  himself,  a  scholarly 
man  and  able.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  founding  of 
the  academy  here,  and  was  one  of  the  original  twenty-five 
trustees.  Perhaps  no  more  correct  estimate  can  be  given 
of  him  than  that  furnished  by  the  inscription  on  his  tomb- 
stone :  "  He  was  an  affectionate  pastor,  husband,  parent, 
and  friend  ;  an  evangelical  preacher,  meek  in  his  disposition, 
and  grave  in  his  address." 

The  old  I'rame  church,  in  which  Mr.  Warford  preached, 
and  which  remained  practically  unchanged  during  the  pas- 
torate of  5Ir.  Tomb,  is  deserving  of  something  more  than 
a  passing  notice.  It  was  a  large  wooden  building,  about 
seventy-five  feet  long  by  sixty  deep,  and  stood  with  its 
length  towards  the  front  of  the  lot.     It  ]irobnbly  covered 


some  portion  of  the  ground  occupied  by  the  present  church, 
but,  while  running  in  the  other  direction  lengthwise,  it  also 
stood  back  from  the  street,  on  a  line  with  the  buildings  on 
the  east.  It  had  two  rows  of  large  windows,  and  three 
different  entrances,  one  on  each  side  except  the  north.  Of 
the  interior  arrangements  of  the  old  church  one  can  form 
quite  a  clear  idea  from  the  descriptions  still  given  by  older 
persons,  and  from  a  plan  of  the  pews,  drawn  earlier  than 
1808,  giving  the  names  of  the  different  occupants  at  the 
time,  with  the  amounts  of  the  several  assessments,  which 
has  been  recently  discovered,  and  is  now  among  the  papers 
of  the  trustees. 

On  the  middle  of  the  north  side,  facing  therefore  the 
breadth,  not  the  length,  of  the  building,  was  the  pulpit, 
high  up  against  the  wall,  and  surmounted  by  its  immense 
"  sounding-board,"  the  possibility  of  whose  falling  and  cru.sh- 
ing  the  minister  always  afforded  so  large  a  field  for  the 
wondering  interest  of  the  children. 

The  pews  in  the  body  of  the  church,  and  along  the  sides, 
as  well  as  some  in  the  galleries,  were  the  great,  high,  square 
boxes  of  the  day,  varying  in  size,  some  of  them  nearly  or 
quite  eight  by  nine  feet,  with  a  seat  running  around  three 
of  the  sides,  so  that  the  congregation  sat  faced  every  way, 
with  doors  that  closed  and  fastened,  and  backs  so  high  that 
a  small  person  was  almost  completely  hidden  from  view 
when  .seated.  The  principal  aisle,  which  was  probably  fully 
five  feet  wide,  ran  from  the  main  door,  on  the  .south  side 
of  the  church,  to  the  front  of  the  pulpit.  Parallel  to  this 
were  two  narrower  aisles,  also  running  north  and  south,  and 
about  two-thirds  of  the  way  from  the  centre  to  the  walls. 
The  church  was  likewise  crossed  by  three  other  narrow 
aisles,  extending  ea.st  and  west,  one  through  the  middle  of 
the  building,  connecting  thus  the  two  end  entrances,  one 
just  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  and  one  near  the  south  side. 
This  arrangement  gave  four  solid  squares  of  pews,  with  six 
pews  in  each,  making  twenty-four  in  all,  in  the  body  of  the 
church,  and  a  row  of  pews  all  around  the  four  walls,  con- 
tinuous, except  as  broken  by  the  pulpit,  the  three  doors, 
and  the  two  gallery  stairs  in  the  southeast  and  southwest 
corners.  This  made  forty-six  pews  on  the  floor  of  the 
church,  besides  those  in  the  galleries;  and  to  these  forty- 
six  another  was  added  in  1809.  At  that  time  the  trustees 
executed  what  might  be  termed  a  ground-rent  for  the 
term  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years  to  Judge 
Blanchard,  allowing  him  to  erect  at  his  own  expense  a 
square  pew  in  the  vacant  place  at  the  east  door,  and  for 
which  he  was  to  pay  the  annual  rent  of  eleven  dollars 
during  the  time  there  was  a  settled  pastor  over  the  con- 
gregation . 

Wide  galleries  surrounded  the  church  on  three  sides, 
and  at  each  corner  of  the  southern  one  there  was  a  large 
square  pew,  raised  higher  than  the  rest,  and  appropriated 
exclusively  for  the  use  of  colored  persons.  What  the  ob- 
ject was  of  this  greater  altitude,  whether  necessitated  by 
the  structure  of  the  stairs,  whether  it  was  designed  that 
their  behavior  might  be  scrutinized  more  easily,  or  whether 
there  was  any  poetic  idea  of  dispensing  to  them  some  pecu- 
liar advantages,  no  one  seems  now  able  to  decide.  The 
large  choir,  which  in  those  days  led  the  singing  of  the  con- 
gregation, usually  occupied  and  almo.st  filled  the  main  gal- 


158 


IIISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUxNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


lery ;  but  there  must  have  been,  occasionally  at  least,  some 
variation,  for  on  January  22,  1822,  in  connection  with  the 
appointment  of  Leonard  Church,  chorister  (and  the  choos- 
ing a  chorister  was  one  of  the  items  of  business  at  the 
annual  meeting),  it  was  voted,  "  that  he  sit  below  stairs  in 
front  of  the  pulpit  to  lead  the  singing,"  and  that  an  altera- 
tion in  the  deacons'  seat  be  allowed,  so  as  to  make  it  more 
convenient  for  this  purpose. 

All  the  extensive  amount  of  wood-work  in  these  large 
pews  was  left  wholly  unpainted,  and  many  are  the  stories 
told  even  now  of  the  experiences  of  the  younger  ladies  of 
the  congregation  who  attempted  to  make  them  as  bright  and 
clean  as  their  sense  of  propriety  re(|uircd. 

Admirable  places  those  great  S(juare  pews  were  for  holding 
a  large  family,  but  not  very  convenient  for  looking  at  or 
listening  to  the  minister;  nor,  if  we  may  trust  tradition, 
was  the  utmost  devoutness  of  manner  always  maintained 
behind  their  high  backs.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a  neces- 
sity of  those  times,  happily  past  now,  to  have  certain  per- 
sons in  the  congregation  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  the 
older  ones  did  not  sleep  nor  the  younger  play  within  these 
pews.  How  early  this  usage  may  have  prevailed  here  is 
unknown  ;  but  we  find  that  on  January  25,  1820,  Seth 
Brown  and  James  H.  Seymour  were  by  vote  appointed,  to 
quote  the  words,  "  Tything  men  for  the  purpose  of  keeping 
good  order  and  good  conduct  amongst  the  hearers  while  at 
church  ;"  and  although  the  name  is  not  repeated,  the  rec- 
ords for  the  next  eighteen  years  show  the  election  of  men 
for  this  duty. 

Following  Mr.  Warford's  decease  in  1802,  there  succeeds 
a  space  of  nearly  four  yeai's  during  which  the  church  was 
without  any  settled  pastor.  The  people  were  divided  be- 
tween two  ministers,  one  the  llev.  Samuel  Tomb,  who  sub- 
sequently became  their  much-loved  pastor,  and  the  Rev. 
Walter  FuUerton. 

There  was,  however,  due  submission  to  the  will  of  the 
majority.  Mr.  Tomb  was  installed  Feb.  0,  180C.  His 
pastorate  lasted  twenty-six  years. 

For  the  first  twenty-five  years  of  its  existence  there  were 
no  heating  arrangements  in  the  old  frame  church,  except 
such  as  the  people  brought  with  them  in  the  .shape  of  the 
old-fashioned  foot-stoves,  now  almost  forgotten.  In  1808 
this  deficiency  was  met,  and  a  stove  was  obtained,  for  the 
procuring  of  which  John  Gray,  Nathaniel  Wilson,  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Tomb  were  appointed  a  special  committee.  This  stove, 
which  was  a  large  one,  over  three  feet  long,  was  placed, 
when  obtained,  on  a  high  bench,  as  high  as  the  backs  of  the 
pews,  in  the  broad  aisle  and  immediately  in  front  of  the 
main  door ;  the  congrogatiou  coming  in  for  the  time  through 
the  side  entrances.  Subsequently  two  stoves  were  obtained 
in  place  of  this  one.  Tiiese  were  placed  one  in  front  of 
each  of  the  end  doors,  the  people  coming  in  then  by  the 
front. 

During  the  War  of  1812  the  members  of  this  congrega- 
tion were  fully  enlisted  upon  the  side  of  the  country,  and 
the  company  which  started  from  here  took  almost  every 
able-bodied  man  from  among  our  people.  It  is  afiirmod 
that  on  the  Sunday  after  their  departure  there  was  but  one 
man  in  the  whole  church  besides  the  pastor;  and  persons 
still  living  recall  most  vividly  the  earnest  prayer  Mr.  Tomb 


ofiered  on  that  day,  that  the  blessing  of  God  might  follow 
the  fathers  and  brothere  and  sons  who  had  gone,  and  that, 
if  possible,  they  might  all  be  returned  in  safety.  He  was, 
in  fact,  unable  to  finish  his  sermon  that  day.  After  preach- 
ing awhile  he  stopped,  exclaiming,  "  I  cannot  go  on  I  I 
am  thinking  so  constantly  of  the  ones  that  have  left  us 
that  I  cannot  keep  my  mind  on  my  sermon.  And  if  God 
will  spare  my  life,  and  Providence  direct  my  way,  I  shall 
this  week  be  with  them."  And  but  for  the  news  that  the 
company  was  to  return  at  once,  he  would  have  gone. 

In  connection  with  this  church,  it  may  be  the  proper 
place  to  mention  the  great  historic  revival  in  Salem  during 
the  year  1824.  It  was  general  throughout  the  town.  And 
the  two  churches  were  united  harmoniously  in  the  great 
work. 

At  the  preparatory  lecture  only  just  previous,  Mr.  Tomb 
had  spoken  in  the  most  despondent  manner,  saying  that 
none  were  uniting  with  the  church  to  take  the  places  made 
vacant  by  death,  and  that  he  felt  as  if  the  church  was 
almost  ready  to  die  out.  Little  did  he  foresee  then  how 
quickly  the  light  was  to  dispel  the  gloom. 

As  Mr.  Tomb  was  on  his  way  to  church  one  Sunday 
morning  ho  was  told"  that  there  was  a  stranger  at  the  hotel 
who  desired  to  see  him.  Going  there  he  found  a  minister 
who  had  come  on  to  this  place  the  night  before,  out  of  his 
way,  because  there  were  no  religious  services  in  the  place 
where  he  would  otherwise  have  stopped.  Mr.  Tomb  invi- 
ted the  brother  to  preach  for  him,  which  he  did,  taking  as 
his  text  in  the  morning  the  verses  which  enumerate  Job's 
substance  of  "  seven  thousand  sheep  and  three  thousand 
camels,  and  five  hundred  yoke  of  oxen  and  five  hundred 
she  asses  and  a  very  great  household.''  The  novelty  of  the 
text  and  sermon  drew  a  large  number  of  persons  to  the 
social  meeting  in  the  evening.  At  its  close  the  preacher 
requested  the  elders  of  the  church  to  remain,  and  began 
addressing  them  a  series  of  most  pointed  questions,  asking 
each  in  turn  how  long  he  had  been  a  church  member  and 
how  long  an  elder,  what  his  own  religious  state  was,  what 
work  he  was  doing  for  the  Master,  what  the  condition  was 
of  religion  in  his  neighborhood,  what  prayer-meetings  were 
held,  and  what  Christian  work  performed.  To  several 
ladies,  who  had  not  yet  left  the  church,  he  addressed  simi- 
lar inquiries ;  and  then  exacted  from  each  a  solemn  prom- 
ise to  visit  his  neighbors  immediately  and  converse  with 
them  on  the  subject  of  personal  religion. 

So  the  evening  meeting  closed.  The  next  morning  the 
strange  minister  went  his  way.  Neither  record  nor  tradi- 
tion tells  us  anything  about  him  ;  even  his  name  is  not  re- 
membered ;  but  only  eternity  can  reveal  the  amount  of  good 
that  resulted  from  the  influences  he  was  the  agent  for  set- 
ting in  motion. 

A  prayer-meeting  was  commenced  in  the  school-house  a 
mile  east  of  the  village,  and  a  large  attendance  immediately 
secured.  From  there  the  religious  interest  spread  into  the 
village,  and  then  into  the  districts  around.  Prayer-meet- 
ings were  quickly  started  in  every  direction  ;  and,  before 
men  were  aware  of  it,  a  mighty  revival  was  in  full  progress. 
Mr.  Tomb  himself  seems  not  to  have  recognized  the  move- 
ment at  the  outset.  Coming  on  Sunday  evening,  contrary 
to    his    custom,  to  the    prayer-meeting  held  in  what  was 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   Y'ORK. 


159 


termed  the  "  session-house,"  he  was  completely  surprised, 
exclaiiiiiiig,  "  Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew 
it  not.'' 

For  two  months  the  revival  lost  none  of  its  power. 
Meetings  were  held  mornings  and  evenings.  The  two  pas- 
tors worked  harmoniously  together.  The  element  of  sing- 
ing entered  very  largely  into  the  meetings.  Little  sheets 
were  printed  containing  special  hymns  to  be  used,  and 
although  some  objected  strongly  to  such  an  innovation,  the 
mass  of  the  people  sung  them  gladly,  and  testified  to  the 
power  they  exerted. 

When  it  came  to  the  examination  of  persons  asking  to 
be  received  into  the  church,  the  session  were  obliged  to 
hold  meetings  on  successive  days  in  the  different  school- 
houses.  The  communion  season  followed,  and  presented 
such  a  scene  as  those  who  witnessed  it  never  ceased  to  re- 
member. Over  one  hundred  persons  were  baptized, — per 
sons  of  all  ages  and  former  character.  Whole  families 
presented  themselves  in  the  broad  aisle  before  the  pulpit, 
and  among  them  a  man  who  was  accompanied  by  his  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren.  As  the  result  of  this  revival  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  persons  united  with  this  church, 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  persons  were  added  to  Dr. 
I'roudfit's  church. 

The  revival  of  1831  was  almost  equally  remarkable. 
This  did  not  have  so  striking  a  commencement  as  its  prede- 
cessor ;  yet  in  the  additions  to  this  church  it  was  even  larger 
than  the  first.  It  seems  to  have  originated  in  "  a  four-days' 
meeting,"  such  as  were  not  uncommon  then,  when  several  of 
the  neighboring  ministers  came  and  labored  together.  One 
of  its  peculiarities  was  the  holding  a  meeting  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  To  this  persons  came  from  distances  of 
tliree  or  four  miles  around,  returning  home  at  its  close,  get- 
ting their  breakfast,  and  then  coming  to  the  village  again 
for  the  next  meeting.  There  would  be,  besides  the  five 
o'clock  service,  preaching  in  the  church  in  the  forenoon,  and 
again  in  the  afternoon,  and  prayer-meetings  in  the  houses 
and  school-houses  in  the  evening.  To  these  last  meetings 
ladies  of  the  village  rode  and  walked  through  the  mud — 
for  it  was  spring — one,  and  even  two  miles. 

It  is  related,  as  illustrating  the  depth  of  feeling  that  per- 
vaded the  congregations  assembled,  that  one  evening  Rev. 
Mr.  Kinney,  coming  to  the  church  a  little  late,  found  it  too 
crowded  for  him  to  get  a  seat  below,  and  so  went  into 
the  gallery,  where  he  sat  through  the  service,  unnoticed. 
At  the  close  of  the  meeting  the  benediction  was  pronounced, 
the  congregation  standing ;  but  no  one  seemed  inclined  to 
leave  the  house.  Mr.  Kinney,  noticing  from  his  position 
the  evident  waiting  of  the  people,  and  realizing  how  oppor- 
tune the  moment  was  for  deepening  the  impression  already 
made,  stepped  up  on  the  back  of  his  seat,  and  in  a  clear, 
strong  voice  and  solemn  tones,  began  to  sing — 

"Sinner,  stop — Oh  stop  and  think, 
Before  you  farther  go  ; 
Will  you  sport  upon  the  brink 
or  everlasting  woo?" 

The  effect  was  marvelous.  The  whole  congregation  was 
melted  by  it  and  sat  down  in  a  body,  waiting  fur  the  service 
to  be  continued. 

As  the  fruit  of  this  revival  two  hundred  and  twelve  per- 


sons were  added  to  this  church  on  examination  ;  and  of  the.se 
one  hundred  and  fifty-four  united,  and  seventy-four  were 
baptized,  at  the  same  time,  the  communion  in  July,  1831. 
Within  three  weeks  after  Mr.  Tomb's  resignation  this 
congregation,  at  a  meeting  held  February,  21,  1832,  voted 
to  invite  the  Rev.  John  Whiten,  of  Middle  Granville. 
This  call  was  accepted,  and  Mr.  Whiton  installed  the  21st 
of  March. 

During  the  summer  following  his  installation  the  old 
frame  church,  which  had  remained  the  same,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  addition  of  the  steeple,  for  nearly  fifty  years, 
was  thoroughly  repaired.  The  whole  interior  arrangements 
of  the  church  were  changed.  The  old-fashioned  great 
square  pews  were  removed,  and  ordinary  slips  substituted. 
The  high  pulpit,  with  its  immense  sounding-board,  wtis 
taken  down  from  the  wall  on  the  north  side  and  placed 
lower  down,  probably,  and  without  the  sounding-board,  at 
the  east  end.  The  galleries  were  modernized,  and  the 
entrance  made  through  the  west  door  alone.  These  repairs 
were  made  at  an  expense  of  about  three  thousand  dollars,  and 
were  probably  completed  by  December,  1832,  for  then  the 
building  was  insured,  the  first  time  apparently,  for  two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

The  remodeled  church  was  destined  to  stand  but  a  brief 
time.  On  the  morning  of  Feb.  28,  1836,  occurred  its  de- 
struction by  fire.  The  flames,  which  probably  caught  from 
the  stove-pipe,  and  in  a  partition  through  which  it  passed, 
consumed  the  building  completely.  The  congregation  was 
still  in  debt  for  the  repairs  of  three  and  a  half  years  before  ; 
the  insurance  had  been  allowed  to  expire  unrenewed  just 
five  days  previous.  Still,  with  undaunted  courage,  the  people 
set  themselves  at  once  to  repairing  their  loss.  The  very 
next  day,  with  admirable  spirit,  it  was  resolved  to  rebuild 
at  once,  as  large  as  before,  of  brick  instead  of  wood ;  and 
the  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars  was  then  subscribed  on 
the  spot. 

The  work  of  rebuilding  was  commenced  at  once ;  the 
foundations  and  walls  then  constructed  are  those  on  the 
present  edifice.  The  stone  for  the  foundation  was  obtained 
at  a  cost  of  three  hundred  dollars,  from  the  old  quarry  west 
of  the  village,  and  the  brick  were  manufactured  in  the  place. 
The  house  was  first  built  with  the  intention  of  using  the 
basement  as  a  Sunday-school  and  lecture-rooiu,  but  this  was 
early  abandoned  because  of  the  peculiarity  of  the  soil. 

The  change  that  was  made  in  location  was  perhaps  of  ques- 
tionable advantage.  The  old  church  stood  with  its  side  to 
the  street,  and  back  from  it  on  a  line  wi.th  the  buildings  on 
the  east.  In  building  the  now  one  they  very  properly  made 
it  front  the  street,  but  also  crowded  it  clear  forward,  almost 
to  the  fence.  This  was  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  many, 
and  especially  of  Judge  Blanchard,  who  kindly  offered,  if 
they  would  not  do  this,  to  give  them  all  the  land  they  might 
need  in  the  rear.  This  offer  was  refused,  and  we  have  now 
no  chance  for  a  lawn  in  front  of  the  church,  that  might 
add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  its  location. 

Two  items,  with  reference  to  the  rebuilding,  serve  to 
show  that  this  church  early  took  a  decided  attitude  upon 
the  temperance  question.  The  articles  of  agreement  with 
the  contractor  fi)r  the  mason  work,  which  are  still  extant, 
signed   by  Marvin    Freeman,   Aloiizo   Gray,  and  James  Y. 


160 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Watson,  contain  this  specification,  "  tliat  no  ardent  spirits 
or  strong  drink  shall  be  brought  upon  the  premises  by  any 
person  in  employment  on  the  job,  and  that  he  shall  in  all 
reasonable  ways  discountenance  his  workmen  from  the  use 
of  intoxicating  drinks."  The  trustees'  book  also  bears  this 
note,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  clerk,  Mr.  Jo.sepb  Hawley  : 
"  It  may  be  proper  to  record  that  the  roof  of  the  church 
was  raised  on  the  22d  of  September,  183(1,  without  acci- 
dent and  injury  to  any  one,  and  without  using  any  ardent 
spirits."  That  shows  a  decided  advance  upon  the  state  of 
things  indicated  by  an  old  paper,  which  bears  date  June, 
1808,  and  is  still  extant.  This  is  a  bill  rendered  by  Mr. 
Joseph  Hawley  for  entertainment  of  presbytery,  and  one  of 
the  items  in  it  is  "  one  quart  of  brandy,  six  shillings." 

The  new  church  was  completed  in  the  spring  following, 
and  was  dedicated,  probably,  on  June  1,  1837.  It  is  of 
interest  to  note  that  the  metal  which  formed  the  first  bell 
in  the  old  frame  house,  does,  after  passing  through  two 
successive  fires,  and  after  receiving  needful  additions  to  its 
amount,  still  ring  forth  its  calls  to  the  house  of  God. 

In  June  of  the  year  succeeding  this  fire  the  llev.  Mr. 
Whiton  presented  to  this  people  his  resignation  of  the  pas- 
torate. 

Rev.  A.  B.  Lambert  succeeded  him,  and  was  installed 
Nov.  7,  1837.  His  piistorate  continued  to  Oct.  12,  18C5. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Henry  Brodt  for  a  part 
of  two  years,  and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Edward  P. 
Sprague,  was  installed  April  9,  1SC8. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Lambert  there  were  several 
critical  exigencies  which,  with  rare  ability,  sustained  by  a 
judicious  board  of  elders,  he  was  enabled  to  lead  the  con- 
gregation safely  through.  The  division  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  into  old  and  new  in  the  United  States  compelled 
this  church  to  decide  its  relations.  The  loss  by  fire,  and 
the  resulting  debt, — the  church  having  been  destroyed 
April  12,  1840,  and  rebuilt  within  a  year, — also  called  for 
courage,  faith,  and  sacrifices  by  both  pastor  and  people. 

The  loss  of  two  volumes  of  church  records  by  the  burn- 
ing of  the  houses  of  the  pastor  and  clerk,  is  severely  felt, 
as  they  were  carefully  written  up,  and  contained  very 
valuable  material. 

The  elders  of  this  church  have  been  the  following : 

Edward  Savage,  from  17S9  to  October,  1833. 

Daniel  JlcCleary,     "  "     "  July,  1797. 

Alexander  Turner,  "  "     "  April,  1802. 

Daniel  McNitt,  before  October,  1804,  to  November, 
1829. 

William  Harkness,  before  January,  1798,  to  June,  1801. 

Job  Cleveland,  "  "  1801,  to  April,  1S2G. 

Seth  Brown,  M.D.,     "  "         1809,  to  May,  1840. 

Thomas  McClaughny,  before  January,  1811,  to  Septem- 
ber, 1842. 

James  Bell,  to  February,  1813. 

James  Stevenson,  from  June,  1815,  to  September,  1818. 

James  Harkness,       "         "  "      to  May,  1834. 

Asa  Fitch,  M.D.,  from  February,  1819,  to  August,  1843. 

Daniel  Ilarkn&ss,     "  "  "       to  July,  1857, 

James  H.  Seymour, "  "  "       to  July,  1842. 

Marvin  Freeman,     "  "  1834,  to  Juno,  18G9. 


David  Cleveland,  from  February,  1834,  to  August,  1851. 

Lyman  Sanderson,  "    September,  1841,  to  May,  1845. 

Joseph   Hawley,     "  "  "       to    September, 

1858. 

David  Gray,  from  January,  1848,  to  Augu.st,  1852. 

Benjamin  Cleveland,  from  January,  1848,  to  August, 
1852." 

Levi  II.  Cleveland,  from  January,  1848. 

Orla  Hall,  from  June,  1859,  to  March,  1863. 

John  Lambert,  M.D.,  from  June,  1859. 

Clark  Oviate,  from  June,  1859,  to  November,  1862. 

Elijah  G.  Atwood,  from  March,  18GG. 

John  Liddle,  "  "  "     to  January,  1875. 

Seth  Clark,  «  "  "     to  April,  1876. 

William  0.  Shaler,  from  March,  1866,  to  September, 
1877. 

The  present  ofiicers  of  the  church  (1878)  are:  pastor. 
Rev.  Edward  P.  Sprague  ;  Session,  Benjamin  Cleveland, 
Levi  II.  Cleveland,  John  Lambert,  M.D.,  Elijah  G.  At- 
wood ;  trustees,  Cornelius  L.  Allen,  Norman  H.  Beebe, 
Leonard  M.  Liddle,  Bernard  Blair,  James  Clark,  Franklin 
Stevens,  William  McCleary,  James  H.  Cleveland,  William 
Walker. 

FIRST   BAPTIST   CHURCH   OF   SALEM.* 

This  church,  located  at  Shushan,  was  organized  June  19, 
1790.  The  first  book  of  records  having  been  lost,  we  are 
unable  to  give  a  full  list  of  the  constituent  members,  but 
have  gathered  a  few  names,  as  follows :  A.sa  Estee,  Silas 
Estee,  Oliver  Brown,  and  Sarah  HuflF.  We  also  find  some 
others  who  united  with  this  church  from  1792  to  1808,  as 
follows :  James  Wolden,  Esther  Volentine,  Rev.  Obed 
Warren  (who  united  with  the  church  by  letter  ]May  28, 
1792,  although  he  was  with  the  church  when  it  was  or- 
ganized and  continued  with  it  and  subsequently  became  the 
first  pastor),  Sarah  Lake,  Bathsheba  Beers,  Sarah  Wash- 
burn, Deborah  Wheeler,  Sarah  Bruce,  John  Herrington, 
John  Arnold,  Stephen  Estee,  Charles  Ford,  Amos  Terryl, 
Josiah  Goodale,  Gideon  Church,  James  Hastings,  Aaron 
Grover,  Nathaniel  Winslow,  James  Lake,  William  Eager, 
Eleazer  Harmon,  David  Brown,  John  Estee,  Ephraim 
Wheeler,  James  Ilusted,  Reuben  Wait,  John  Magahan, 
Oliver  Cobleigh,  Ansel  Estee,  Asa  Handol,  Ebenezer  El- 
dredge,  Daniel  Little,  Loton  Lawson,  Theodore  Hastings, 
Lewis  Brown,  Thomas  Stevens,  James  McKee,  Anna  Her- 
rington, Elizabeth  Brown,  Sarah  Estee,  Abigail  Estee, 
Polly  Letts,  Betsy  Ford,  Anna  Younglove,  Tabitha  War- 
ren, Abijah  Wyman,  Persis  Goodale,  Rachel  Terry,  Geru.sha 
Cleveland,  JIarilla  Grover,  Submit  Estee,  Anna  Heath, 
Amarilla  Heath,  Polly  Winslow,  Lydia  Eager,  Mary 
Fuller,  Polly  Allen,  Sally  Terryl,  Anna  Drake,  Ruth 
Church,  Margaret  Hurd,  Hannah  Babcock,  Sally  Lawson, 
Lydia  Lawson,  Barhiel  Magahan,  Betsy  Cobleigh,  Polly 
Little,  Peggy  Randall,  Sarah  Blowers,  Nancy  Volentine, 
Polly  Church,  Leviah  Eldredge,  Mrs.  James  Ilusteed, 
Eunice  Ilixon,  Lucy  Lake,  Caroline  Dirnahue,  Mrs.  James 
McKee,  and  Nancy  Sirapgou. 

The  house  of  worship  was  commenced  in  the  year  1800. 

«■  Prepa-.-cd  by  D.  V.  T.  Qua,  March,  ISTS. 


r;4RM    Residence  or  J.  M.THOMPSON, Salem  .W/(sHiNGTON  County  N    Y 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


IGl 


Previous  to  this,  and  during  the  building,  they  held  their 
meetings  in  a  dwelling-house  situated  a  little  east  of  the 
present  railroad,  near  the  dwelling  of  the  late  Lucy  McMil- 
lin.  That  house  was  at  that  time  used  as  a  parsonage. 
The  Rev.  Obed  Warren  helped  organize  the  church,  and 
we  presume  the  council  was  composed  of  delegates  from 
the  Greenwich  Baptist  church,  organized  in  1766  ;  Shafts- 
bury,  Vt.,  in  1768;  White  Creek,  1772;  Hartford,  1783;  and 
North  Granville,  1784.  The  Rev.  Obed  Warren  supplied  this 
church  until  May  28,  1792,  when  he  became  their  settled 
pastor,  and  continued  as  such  until  1812,  when  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Plumb  was  called,  and  remained  with  the  church 
until  1814.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Baker  became  pastor  July 
1,  1815,  and  remained  until  August  28,  1819.  November 
13,  1819,  the  Rev.  William  McCuUer  was  recognized  as 
pastor,  and  continued  until  April  28,  1828.  May  3, 1828, 
the  Rev.  Burton  Carpenter  commenced  his  labors,  and  re- 
mained until  March  31,  1832.  On  October  21,  1832,  the 
Rev.  Anthony  Case  was  called  to  the  pastoi-al  charge,  and 
remained  one  year.  From  this  time  the  church  was  with- 
out a  settled  pastor,  and  was  supplied  in  part  by  A.  M. 
Swai,n  and  R.  D.  Harrington,  licentiates.  July  2, 1836,\he 
Rev.  Archibald  Kenyon  became  pastor,  and  remained  until 
May  5,  1838.  The  same  day  he  resigned  the  Rev.  Sydney 
A.  Estee  became  pastor,  and  remained  with  the  church 
until  April  11,  1840.  Immediately  on  his  resig!iation  the 
Rev.  William  Brand  assumed  the  pastorate  of  the  church, 
and  continued  as  such  until  March  7,  1842,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Perrin  B.  Fisk,  April  1,  1842.  He 
remained  but  one  year.  On  the  Ist  of  5Iay,  1843,  the 
church  called  the  Rev.  Edwin  Westcott,  and  he  continued 
pastor  until  April  1,  1846.  He  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  James  J.  Peck,  who  officiated  until  April  1,  1849. 
On  the  5th  of  January,  1850,  Rev.  Winthrop  Morse  was 
called  to  the  pastorate,  and  continued  his  labors  until  April 
1,  1852.  On  the  1st  of  May,  1852,  the  church  extended 
a  call  to  the  Rev.  Oscar  F.  A.  Spinning,  who  served  the 
church  until  October  15, 1854. 

The  church  then  recalled  the  Rev.  James  J.  Peck,  who 
entered  on  his  second  pastorate  Dec.  17,  1854,  and  served 
the  church  until  Dec.  27,  1856.  On  the  2d  of  September, 
1857,  the  Rev.  Edwin  P.  Brigham  was  ordained,  and  con- 
tinued as  pastor  until  Nov.  27,  1859.  Jan.  1,  1860,  the 
Rev.  Philander  Perry  was  ordained,  and  remained  until 
Sept.  22,  1861.  The  church  was  then  without  a  pastor 
until  April  13,  1862,  when  a  call  was  given  to  the  Rev. 
Israel  C.  Carpenter,  who  ministered  to  the  church  until 
Jan.  1,  1865.  The  church  then  called  the  Rev.  Erastus 
Willard,  who  commenced  his  labors  March  19,  1865,  and 
continued  a  faithful  minister  of  the  gospel  fur  nearly  seven 
years,  when  the  Master  called  him  to  his  eternal  rest.  He 
died  Dec.  29,  1871,  and  rests  on  that  beautiful  island 
(Rhode  Island)  in  the  sea,  while  old  ocean  chants  his 
requiem.  During  his  sickness  the  church  was  supplied  by 
the  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Chandler,  who  was  subsequently 
settled  as  pastor.  He  closed  his  pastorate  June  1,  1872. 
Oct.  2,  1872,  the  Rev.  Eliphalet  Owen  was  called  to 
the  pastorate,  and  ministered  acceptably  to  the  church 
until  Oct.  17,  1875.  May  21,  1876,  the  Rev.  William 
W.  Moore  accepted  a  call  and  entered  on  his  labors. 
21 


Owing  to  sickness,  Mr.  Moore  resigned  his  charge  April 
22,  1877.  Stated  preaching  was  had  by  supplies  until 
July  1, 1877,  when  the  church  extended  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
Joseph  B.  Lewis,  who,  at  this  writing  (March,  1878),  is 
officiating  in  that  capacity.  This  church,  during  nearly 
eighty-eight  years  of  its  existence,  has  had  twenty-two 
pastors. 

The  erection  of  their  house  of  worship  was  commenced 
in  the  year  1800,  but  not  completed  until  some  time  in  the 
month  of  June,  1 803,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  church 
records.     The  book  commences  as  follows  : 

"book  of  records. 
"  Recorded  in  this  Ijook  the  proceedings  of  tliosc  who,  on  the  28th 
day  of  October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred, 
did  mutually  enter  into  compact  and  covenant  to  each  other,  thereby 
forming  a  society  denominated  the  Baptist  Society,  for  the  purpose 
of  building  a  meeting-house  for  public  worship,  and  for  other  reli- 
gious and  moral  purposes  agreeable  to  their  articles  of  faith  and  reli- 
gious profession." 

Then  follow  the  proceedings  of  the  first  meeting  of  the 
society  for  this  purpose  : 

"  Tuesday,  Oct.  2S,  ]  81)0. 

"  SOCIETY-MEICTISa. 

"Meeting  opened  and  proceeded  to  business  in  due  form.  Rev. 
Obed  Warren,  moderator,  and  Lucius  Gunn,  clerk.  Voted  to  build 
a  meeting-house,  forty  feet  by  fifty,  on  a  certain  piece  of  ground 
furnished  by  Theodorus  Stevens.     Also, 

**  liesohed,  To  give  said  Stevens  thirty  dollars  in  the  house  for  said 
lot  of  ground. 

"  Resoh-edj  To  build  the  house,  cover  and  close  it;  then  have  the 
ground  pews  sold  to  defray  the  expense  of  building. 

"Chose  five  trustees,  Lucius  Gunn,  Israel  Hodge,  Stephen  Estee, 
Charles  Ford,  and  Theodorus  Stevens." 

After  which  follows  the  subscription,  with  the  names  and 
the  amount  each  sukscribed.     The  latter  we  give  : 

Stephen  Estee,  $100 ;  L.  and  W.  Gunn,  $50  ;  Israel 
Hodge,  $50  ;  Charles  Ford,  $50  ;  Nathan  Thompson,  $40  ; 
Josiah  Goodale,  $50;  Silas  Estee,  $70;  William  H.  Church, 
$40,  Benjamin  Wyman,  $50  ;  Samuel  Cooper,  $20 ;  Elisha 
Smith,  $5  ;  Asa  Estee,  $30  ;  Rufus  Church,  $20  ;  Theodorus 
Stevens,  $50  ;  William  Fuller,  $15  ;  Bethuel  Church,  $75  ; 
Jonathan  Dunham,  $45  ;  Samuel  Pitts,  $25  ;  Oliver  Brown, 
$20  ;  Samuel  Lewison,  $5  ;  Windham  Hastings,  $22  ;  Philip 
Pitts,  $10  ;  Jabez  Hamilton,  $16  ;  John  Hatch,  $25  ;  Moses 
Bartlett,  $20  ;  William  Henderson,  $20  ;  Elisha  Phillips, 
$4;  Caleb  Randall,  $30;  Clark  Rice,  $10;  James  Prouty, 
$5,  Thomas  McKillip,  $10,  Gould  Styles,  $25.  Total, 
$1007. 

Further  entries  show  the  progress  of  the  work  during 
the  remainder  of  the  year  1800,  and  until  Nov.  2,  1801, 
when  the  pews  were  sold  as  follows : 

No.  Pew.  Amounts. 

Theodorus  Stevens 1  $101.00 

Lucius  Gunn 14  94.00 

SilasEstee 28  81.00 

Rufus  Church .3  78.00 

Caleb  Randall 34  51.00 

Benjamin  Wyman -. 13  70.00 

Charles  Ford fi  GC.OO 

Josiah  and  Wm.  Fuller 4  03.00 

Jonathan  Dunham  2  54.00 

Israel  llodge 30  63.00 

William  U.  Church 17  57.00 

Philemon  Allen 21  52.00 

Elisha  Phillips 31  51.00 

Silas  Pccts 32  40.00 

William  Henderson 35  38.00 


1C2 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


E.  Austin  and  M.  Bartlctt 20 

Stephen  Estee 27 

Warham  llastiDgs 22 

Asa  Estee 36 

(iould  Styles .I.i 

Bethuel  Church 2I» 

Warham  Hastings 5 

Ihez  Uamihon 15 

Josiah   Gootlale 23 

John  Uatch 24 

Oliver  Brown 18 

llufus  Towns 33 

Jonathan  Ileffortl If, 

Nathaniel  Haskin 7 

Samuel  Barr 18 

Theodorus  Stevens 10 

Benjamin  Carter i) 

James  Bowkcr 12 

Daniel  Heath 2n 

Reserved  lor  the  minister 1!) 

[fKWS    IX    GAI.l.ERV.] 

Silas  Church 3 

Eleazur  Harmon 2 

Aaron  Goodalc 0 

William  Gunn 10 

Nathaniel  Winslow  IS 

Silas  Estee 17 

Daniel  and  Elias  S.  Volentine 14 

Ebcnezer  Noble 15 

Stephen  Estee I) 

Ebcnezer  Moore 5 

James  Norton Ifi 

David  Wright 14 

Benjamin  Collins 19 

Moses  Bartlett 1 

Increase  Wyman 7 

Hugh  Moore,  Jr 4 


AnionntB. 
$54,110 
81.00 
51.00 
50.00 
4y.00 
SI. 00 
40.00 
42.00 
44.00 

30.no 

37.00 
27.00 
40.00 
3V.00 
18.00 
22.76 

1H.:;7 
15.00 


25.00 
22.00 
24.00 
36.00 
20.00 
22.00 
20.11(1 
16.00 
16.00 
16.00 
16.00 
14.62 
13.62 
111.50 
15.25 
16.00 


Mr.  Reuben  Fields  performed  the  work,  and  completed 
the  inside  of  the  house  ready  for  plastering  for  the  sum  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty  dollars,  and  Mr.  Smith  did  the  plas- 
tering. 

The  following  excerpts  from  the  records  need  no  com- 
ments : 

*' January  1,  lSO;i. — Trustees  report  that  they  have  completed 
said  house  agreeable  to  their  engagement,  settled  with  their  work- 
men, and  were  ready  to  give  a  certificate  to  each  proprietor  for  bis 
pew.      Delivered  said  certificate  and  made  report  of  other  matters. 

"April  18,  1803.— Made  choice  of  Mr.  Stephen  Estee,  moderator, 
and  Elisha  Wilson  as  clerk,  of  said  societies:  and  it  was 

"  Jieeolvefl,  That  the  inside  work  of  this  house  in  part — namely, 
front  of  the  gallery-pillars,  the  desk  and  its  stairs — be  painted  with 
Prussian  blue,  and  also  that  of  the  ornamental  part  of  the  work,  viz., 
the  pine-apple  and  the  two  lilies  over  the  desk,  be  overlaid  with  gold 
leaf. 

"It  was  further  Jicsofved,  That  the  trustees  collect  and  present  to 
Mr.  Reuben  Field  fifty  dollars,  an  extra  compensation  from  this 
society,  thereby  expressing  their  approbation  of  his  faithful  perform- 
ance of  the  work,  and  further  indemnifying  him  for  his  services. 

"Dec.  26,  1803.— Made  choice  of  Bethuel  Church,  moderator,  and 
Eisha  Wilson,  clerk,  for  the  ensuing  year.  Trustees  reported  that 
they  have  painted  and  completed  the  business  proposed  to  them. 
That  there  is  from  the  sales  of  pews  an  overplus  of  money  (when 
collected),  besides  finishing  the  house. 

"  The  overplus  was  appropriated  to  Rev.  Obcd  AYarren's  use. 

" Mond.ay,  June  18,  1804. — Society  met;  Bethuel  Church,  moder- 
ator. .  .  .  Uearilced,  That  James  Shay  take  charge  of 
the  meeting-house,  open  and  shut  doors  and  windows,  carry  the  key, 
and  sweep  the  house  or  cause  it  to  be  swept  six  times  before  the  18th 
of  April,  1805,  viz.,  four  times  in  summer  time  and  two  in  winter 
seasons.  The  service  bid  oil' by  him  at  tiro  dollars  tliiily-seeen  inid  a 
half  cmi,." 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing  record  that  the  meeting- 
house was  completed  about  the  18th  of  June,  1804,  and 
must  have  been  dedicated  about  tliis  time. 

We  arc  unable  to  give  the  exact  statistics  of  this  church 
through  these  many  years,  but  its  membersliip  has  never 


been  large,  averaging  about  one  hundred^  as  may  be  seen 
from  the  following  figures : 

In  June,  1835,  there  were  105  members;  1836,  102; 
1837,  70;  1838,  92;  1839,  87;  1840,  GO;  1841,  55; 
1842,  48;  1843,  61;  1844,  91;  1845,  93;  1846,  81; 
1847,  81;  1848,  93;  1849,  97;  1850,  98;  1851,  99; 
1852,  117;  1853,  122;  1854,  129;  1855,  121;  1856, 
118;  1857,  110;  1858,  100;  1859,  109;  18G0,  106; 
1861,  109;  1862,  110;  1863,  105;  1864,  107;  1865, 
104;  1866,105;  1867,84;  1868,78;  1869,  89  ;  1870, 
87;  1871,  89;  1872,  86;  1873,  85;  1874,  86;  1875, 
83;  1876,  79;  1877,  98;  1878,  105. 

We  are  unable  to  give  the  yearly  membership  previous 
to  1835,  as  no  record  was  made  before  that  year.  The 
first  Sabbath-school  was  organized  in  1826,  but  the  name 
of  the  superintendent  is  not  given.  Aug.  6,  1831,  is  the 
first  record  given  of  the  election  of  a  superintendent,  at 
which  time  Thomas  Stevens,  Jr.,  was  chosen.  In  1843 
the  Sabbath-school  was  reorganized  and  Daniel  Volentine 
chftsen  superintendent,  and  served  as  such  until  1850,  when 
S.  D.  W.  Simpson  was  chosen  superintendent,  and  has 
continued  faithfully  to  discharge  the  duties  of  that  position 
until  the  present  time  (1878),  and  still  occupies  that 
position. 

The  church  was  first  incorporated  Feb.  26,  1836,  as 
"  The  First  Regular  Baptist  Church  of  Salem."  The  first 
trustees  chosen  under  this  incorporation  were  Thomas 
Stevens,  Joseph  Rose,  Cyrus  Johnson,  Elijah  Eldrcdge, 
Arza  Brown,  and  Luinan  Stevens.  The  State  laws  having 
been  somewhat  changed  in  regard  to  church  property,  a 
reorganization  took  place  June  7,  1856.  Samuel  Gilbert 
and  Dewitt  C.  Brown  were  cho.sen  as  chairmen,  and  Wm. 
Lawrence  as  clerk.  The  following  trustees  were  chosen  : 
Wm.  Lawrence,  Joel  Volentine,  Dewitt  C.  Brown,  Martin 
Williams,  Simeon  D.  W.  Simpson,  and  Milton  B.  Stevens. 

The  "  Washington  Association"  held  its  fourth  anniver- 
sary with  this  church  in  1830.  After  the  "  Wiushington 
Association"  was  changed  to  the  "  Washington  Union  Bap- 
tist Association,"  the  nineteenth  anniversary  was  held  with 
this  church  in  1853. 

In  1845  the  church  edifice  was  thoroughly  repaired  and 
modernized.  A  tower  was  placed  on  the  south  end  of  the 
building,  in  which  was  placed  a  fine  bell  that  continues  to 
call  the  congregation  to  their  stated  worship. 

In  1815  a  house  and  garden  were  purchased  as  a  par- 
sonage for  the  sum  of  $300.  This  house  and  lot  are  now 
owned  by  Oliver  Shedd,  and  the  house  is  still  standing, 
used  as  a  tenant-house.  In  1847  this  parsonage  was  sold, 
and  a  lot  was  purchased  in  the  village  and  a  neat  and  com- 
modious parsonage  erected  thereon,  which  is  still  in  use  by 
the  pastor. 

The  following  have  been  licensed  to  preach  by  this 
church,  viz. :  Daniel  Eldrcdge,  Sept.  18,  1824;  Sidney  A. 
Estee  and  James  Eldrcdge,  March  5,  1831  ;  William  W. 
Moore,  June  1, 1833  ;  and  James  C.  Stevens,  May  1, 1852. 

The  following  have  served  as  deacons  of  the  church  since 
its  organization,  with  the  time  of  their  election:  Stephen 
Estee  and  Charles  Ford,  Nov.  2,  1805  ;  James  Lake,  April 
30,  1808;  Thomas  Stevens,  Oct.  3,  1828;  Jo.seph  Rose 
and  Clark  K.  Estee,  Aug.  6,  1831;  Samuel  Gilbert,  April 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   Y^ORK. 


163 


7,  1838;  Lyman  Bartlett,  Feb.  1,  1840;  Simeon  D.  W. 
Simpson,  May  4,1844;  Elijah  Eldrediie,  July  5,  1845; 
Dewitt  C.  Brown,  March  10,  1856;  D.  V.  T.  Qua,  Paul 
Weisbach,  and  James  Williams,  Aui;;.  2,  1873.  The  pres- 
ent deacons  are  S.  D.  W.  Simpson,  I).  V.  T.  Qua,  Paul 
Weisbach,  and  James  Williams  (1878). 

The  following  have  served  the  church  as  clerks  since  its 
organization,  viz. :  Rev.  Obed  Warren,  from  June  19,  1790, 
to  Jan.  4,  1812  ;  Aaron  Grovcr,  from  Jan.  4,  1812,  to  May 
21,1815;  Ezra  King,  from  May  21,  1815,  to  Nov.  13, 
1824;  Clark  K.  Estee,  from  Nov.  13,  1824,  to  July  2, 
1836 ;  Thomas  Stevens,  Jr.,  from  July  2,  1836,  to  Feb.  2, 
1844  ;  Daniel  Volentine  (2d),  from  Feb.  2,  1844,  to  April 
29,  1851 ;  James  C.  Stevens,  from  April  29,  1851,  to  May 
2,  1852 ;  William  Lawrence,  from  May  2,  1852,  to  June 
4,  1859 ;  D.  V.  T.  Qua,  from  June  4,  1859,  and  is  still 
officiating  in  that  capacity  (March,  1878). 

The  present  trustees  are  S.  D.  W.  Simpson,  D.  V.  T. 
Qua,  Paul  Weisbach,  James  Williams,  Fletcher  M.  Sinalley, 
and  Almond  Sweet. 

In  the  year  1876  many  improvements  were  made,  as  fol- 
lows :  An  addition  twenty-four  feet  square,  built  on  the 
north  end  of  the  church  edifice,  for  prayer,  social,  and 
other  meetings.  The  main  or  original  building  was  re- 
painted both  outside  and  in,  the  walls  of  the  inside  beau- 
tifully frescoed,  the  main  audience-room  carpeted,  and  the 
seats  cushioned  ;  a  baptistery  put  in,  together  with  chande- 
lier, pulpit-chairs,  lamps,  etc.,  and  the  congregation  now 
has  a  neat  and  commodious  house  of  worship. 

This  church  as  a  whole  has  been  attended  with  a  good 
degree  of  prosperity.  There  have  been  times  of  depression 
"  when  Zion  has  languished  and  but  few  came  to  her  solemn 
feasts,"  but  these  seasons  of  discouragement  have  been 
closely  followed  by  glad  tokens  of  Divine  approval.  There 
has  never  been  serious  dissension  nor  prevailing  heresy. 
The  church  has  always  been  fully  loyal  to  the  faith  of  our 
fathers,  baptizing  none  but  professed  believers,  and  ad- 
mitting none  to  the  Lord's  table  but  those  they  deemed 
Scripturally  baptized.  Reviewing  all  the  past  with  deep 
thanksgiving,  we  can  say  to-day,  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  has 
helped  us."  This  church  is  in  harmony  with  the  triumphal 
march  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  In  these  centennial 
years  of  our  national  existence,  it  may  well  bo  asked,  From 
■whence  have  sprung  these  grand  principles  which  are  the 
distinctive  features  of  our  civilization  ?  The  response  must 
be.  From  the  Bible :  they  were  taught  by  Christ  and  his 
apostles,  by  martyrs  and  confessors  in  all  ages. 

"With  malice  towards  none,  and  charity  for  all,"  this 
venerable  church,  for  nearly  eighty-eight  years,  has  held 
these  distinctive  principles ;  and  its  colors  are  still  nailed  to 
tlie  mast,  and  the  old  banner  still  floats  on  the  breeze,  and 
on  its  ample  folds  are  still  inscribed,  "  One  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism," — •"  for  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than 
tliat  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ." 

THE    MORAVIAN   CHURCH    IN    SALEM.* 

A  mission  of  this  church  was  nearly  coincident  in  its 
establishment  with  the  first  settlement  of  that  part  of  the 

*  By  ITon.  James  Gibson. 


town  called  the  "  valley  of  Camden,"  and  its  first  missionary 
was  the  Rev.  Father  Abraham  Bininger,  the  epitaph  on 
whose  monument  is  given  in  connection  with  the  ancient 
grave-yard  in  that  valley.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  only 
minister  of  that  church  from  his  coming  here,  in  or  about 
1770,  till  his  death.  Many  years  elap.sed  before  another 
came. 

The  second  was  the  Rev.  Ciiarlcs  A.  Block,  coming  in 
November,  1832.  In  the  course  of  the  year  1834,  a  com- 
modious though  small  church  edifice  was  erected.  This 
was  followed  by  a  parsonage  in  1835.  Mr.  Bleck  left  in 
October,  1838. 

The  third  was  the  Rev.  Emanuel  Rondthaler,  who  came 
in  June,  1839,  and  remained  till  November,  1844.  Dur- 
ing his  ministry,  in  1843,  there  was  a  revival  of  religious 
interest,  and  thereby  over  forty  members  were  added  to 
tlie  congregation. 

The  fourth  was  the  Rev.  Ambro.se  Rondthaler,  who  was 
a  brother  of  Emanuel;  came  in  November,  1844,  and  re- 
mained till  the  autumn  of  1846. 

The  fifth  was  the  Rev.  Christian  L.  Thaeler,  who  came 
shortly  after,  but  only  remained  till  November,  1848. 

The  sixth  was  Rev.  Edward  H.  Reiehel,  who  came  in 
the  spring  of  1849,  and  labored  in  that  field  for  five  years, 
leaving  in  the  summer  of  1854. 

The  seventh  was  the  Rev.  Charles  Barstow,  who  came  in 
the  fall  of  1854,  remained  two  years,  leaving  in  September, 
1856. 

The  eighth  was  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Ricksecker,  who 
came  in  the  summer  of  1859,  and  remained  nearly  ten 
years,  leaving  in  the  spring  of  1869. 

The  Moravian  mission  in  Camden  valley  ceased  on  his 
departure,  and  has  never  been  revived. 

The  society  was  thus  virtually  dissolved,  but  there  are 
some  left  who  remember  with  affbotion  the  solemn  services 
of  this  society .^ — a  branch  of  the  earliest,  and  in  some  re- 
spects the  most  noted,  missionary  church  of  the  world. 
Rev.  Jlr.  Sprague  relates  the  incident  that,  being  called  to 
attend  a  funeral  in  the  Camden  valley,  he  procured  the  old 
Moravian  book  and  read  their  funeral  service.  As  the  words 
of  the  ritual  fell  upon  the  audience  many  tearful  eyes  told 
of  the  tender,  loving  memories  of  tlie  past, — the  sweet 
Moravian  hymns,  the  holy  Christian  faith  of  the  fathers, 
the  solemn  dirge  of  the  old  burial  customs,  the  inspiring 
hope  of  a  better,  brighter  life. 

THE    UNITED    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    OP    E.\ST    SALEM. 

This  society  was  organized  in  1820  as  the  associate  con- 
gregation of  Salem.  The  first  elders  were  Thomas  Law, 
James  I.  Robertson.  At  its  organization  there  were  eleven 
male  members.  Their  names,  with  those  of  the  female 
members,  were  as  follows :  Robert  I.  Law,  Anna  Law,  John 
Law,  Elizabeth  Law,  Ephraim  Bdie,  Jennette  Edie,  Thomas 
Law,  Mary  Law,  David  French,  Elizabeth  French,  Robert 
Irvine  and  wife,  William  Fenwick,  Jennette  Fen  wick,  John 
Graham  and  wife,  Robert  T.  Law,  John  T.  Law,  Mary 
McCulloch,  and  Alexander  Wright;  in  all  twenty  members. 

In  1822  the  congregation  erected  a  church  edifice  one 
mile  east  of  Shushan,  and  in  1827  they  built  a  suitable 
parsonage  near  the  church. 


164 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


The  first  pastor  called  was  Rev.  James  Whyte,  who  was 
licensed  to  preach  by  the  associate  presbytery  of  Stirling, 
Scotland,  in  1819.  He  came  to  America  in  October, 
1824,  and  was  ordained  pastor  of  this  church  July  C,  1825, 
and  died  Dec.  12,  1827,  aged  thirty-one.  At  the  time  he 
accepted  the  call  from  the  East  Salem  congregation  he 
had  two  other  calls,  one  from  Baltimore  and  the  other 
from  South  Argyle,  both  of  which  were  much  larger  and 
wealthier  congregations,  and  offering  larger  salaries.  At 
the  time  of  his  emigration  to  this  country  there  were  pend- 
ing seven  calls  for  him  in  his  native  land,  one  of  which  was 
from  Dumfermlinc,  where  the  celebrated  Ralph  Erskine 
once  preached,  which  shows  the  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held  by  those  who  had  listened  to  his  elociuence.  After 
his  death  a  volume  of  his  sermons  was  printed.  His  re- 
mains lie  in  the  old  burying-groiind  near  the  village  of 
Salem.  Mr.  White  left  a  widow  and  live  children, — four 
daughters,  and  one  son.  The  latter,  after  graduating  and 
giving  promise  of  great  usefulne.ss,  was  cut  down  by  con- 
sumption. One  daughter  died  in  Scotland.  Of  the  other 
daughters,  one  was  married  to  James  Thompson,  another  to 
Mr.  Thompson's  brother,  and  the  third  to  Rev.  J.  Lusk. 
They  are  all  dead.  The  widow  still  lives  with  her  son-in- 
law,  James  Thompson. 

The  second  pastor  was  David  Gordon,  a  licentiate,  who 
was  ordained  and  installed  on  the  2d  day  of  May,  1832, 
and  resigned  his  charge  June  20,  1843,  to  accept  an  ap- 
pointment by  the  associate  synod  as  missionary  to  the  island 
of  Trinidad,  to  which  place  he  went.  He  died  there,  and 
his  remains  are  buried  upon  that  island. 

The  third  pastor  was  David  Wishart  French,  a  licentiate, 
who  was  ordained  and  installed  Sept.  8,  1847,  and  re- 
signed his  charge  in  the  spring  of  1855.  Dr.  French  was 
a  grandson  of  David  French  mentioned  in  the  list  of  the 
first  members  of  this  church,  and  son  of  tlie  Rev.  David 
French,  of  Washington  Co.,  Pa.  His  death  occurred 
March  16,  1875,  in  Mercer,  Pa.,  where  he  settled  after 
leaving  this  congregation. 

The  fourth  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Hugh  Brown,  who  was 
installed  May  4,  1858,  and  resigned  May  7,  1867,  making 
a  pastorate  of  nine  years  and  three  months,  having  done 
pastoral  duty  from  February,  1858.  Mr.  Brown  received 
his  theological  education  in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  He  is 
still  living. 

The  fifth  pastor  settled  here  was  J.  B.  Clapperton,  a  licen- 
tiate, who  began  his  pastoral  work  May  1,  1869,  and  was 
ordained  and  installed  June  22,  1869,  and  resigned  his 
charge  Feb.  8,  1876,  having  been  pastor  a  little  over  six 
years.     Mr.  Clapperton  is  a  native  of  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y. 

The  sixth  and  present  pastor.  Rev.  J.  B.  Cunningham, 
was  called  by  the  action  of  the  congregation,  June  8,  1876. 
He  was  ordained  and  installed  in  August  of  the  same  year. 
His  services  began  in  May  preceding  the  call.  His  native 
place  is  Allegheny  Co.,  Pa. 

The  first  elders,  as  already  stated,  were  Thomas  Law  and 
James  I.  Robertson.  Thomas  Law  died  March  4,  1830, 
aged  sixty-two.  James  I.  Robertson  is  still  living  in  the 
town  of  Greenwich,  N.  Y.  March  14,  1826,  Andrew 
Martin  and  William  Dobbin  were  elected  ruling  elders,  and 
installed  on  the  following  Sabbath.     William  Dobbin  died 


June  24, 1858.  Andrew  Martin  also  died  in  office.  John 
Dobbin,  who  had  been  an  elder  in  the  associate  congregation 
of  Cambridge,  was  called  to  that  office  in  East  Salem  church 
October,  1845.  Mr.  Dobbin  died  March  22, 1861.  Aug. 
25,  1832,  Robert  T.  Law  and  John  T.  Law  were  chosen 
elders,  and  ordained  September  6  of  the  same  year,  and 
are  the  only  persons  living  out  of  the  twenty  members  at 
the  organization  of  the  church.  James  Thompson  was 
elected  elder,  and  ordained  Sept.  12,  1850.  He  removed, 
July  31,  1859,  to  Cambridge,  and  is  now  an  elder  in  the 
congregation  of  Rev.  W.  B.  Short.  May  2,  1869,  George 
McGeoch  and  William  T.  Foster  were  chosen  elders,  and 
were  inducted  into  office  June  5, 1869.  Mr.  McGeoch  is  now 
an  elder  at  Cambridge.  On  the  15th  of  December,  1870, 
Andenson  S.  Foster  was  chosen  elder,  and  ordained  June  5, 
1871.  In  the  summer  of  1876,  David  Dobbin  and  Wil- 
liam J.  McCollum  were  chosen  and  ordained  elders,  mak- 
ing the  present  session  (1878)  consist  of  Robert  T.  Law, 
John  T.  Law,  William  T.  Foster,  Anderson  S.  Foster, 
David  Dobbin,  and  William  John  McCollum. 

This  society  was  first  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the 
State  Dec.  3,  1838,  by  the. name  of  "  The  First  Associate 
Congregation  of  Salem."  The  first  trustees  were  Robert  T. 
Law,  John  Dobbin,  and  James  Thompson.  The  present 
trustees  (1878)  are  Alexander  B.  Law,  William  T.  Foster, 
and  William  J.  McCollum.  The  first  treasurer  was  Robert 
T.  Law.  The  second  treasurer  and  clerk  was  James  Thomp- 
son. The  third  and  present  treasurer  is  Robert  L.  Foster. 
The  society  still  worship  in  the  house  first  built,  it  having 
been  repaired  in  1848. 

According  to  the  session  records,  since  the  organization 
of  the  society  there  have  been  admitted  to  membership 
two  hundred  and  sixty-four,  of  whom  seventy  have  died 
and  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  have  I'emoved,  showing 
an  unusual  number  gone  forth  to  found  churches  in  other 
places.  A  Sunday-school  was  commenced  about  1832,  and 
has  been  continued  ever  since.  The  present  superintendent 
is  Robert  L.  Foster.  There  is  a  library  of  nearly  five  hun- 
dred volumes,  conducted  by  William  Law.  Present  mem- 
bership of  the  church  may  be  stated  at  eighty. 

TUE    WELSH    PRESBYTERIAN    CHIIRCII 

was  organized  by  Griffith  Jones  and  John  Edwards,  in 
1S6S.  The  church  edifice  is  a  neat  chapel,  which  will 
comfortably  seat  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  and  valued 
at  about  two  thousand  dollars  when  built.  The  enterprise 
grew  up  in  connection  with  the  slate-works  in  the  north 
part  of  the  town,  the  Welsh  people  with  their  accustomed 
promptness  seeking  immediately  to  found  a  church  and  en- 
joy religious  services  in  their  own  language  and  according 
to  their  own  faith. 

With  the  varying  success  of  the  slate-works  the  pros- 
perity of  the  church  has  varied,  and  its  pulpit  has  not 
always  been  supplied. 

METUODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    OP    SIIUSHAN. 

Philip  Embury  preached  in  the  south  part  of  Salem  from 
1770  to  1775,  and  the  Shushan  church  is  the  nearest  ex- 
isting Methodist  society  to  his  old  homestead.  Following 
him  were  early  circuit-riders  for  fifty  year;:,  perhaps,  preach- 


^ 


Hugh  Fairleiy. 


^Rs.  Hugh  Fairlev. 


Residence   of  SARAH    FAIRLEY.Salem. WashingtonCo.N.Y. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


165 


iiig  from  house  to  house  in  various  neighborhoods  at  regular 
intervals.  Rev.  Mr.  Spicer  and  Lorenzo  Dow  are  remem- 
bered in  connection  with  this  work.  Special  places  of 
preaching  in  those  early  years  were  at  the  house  of  Edward 
Gainer,  over  the  line  in  Jackson,  and  the  old  homestead  of 
William  Law,  now  owned  by  J.  S.  Skinner.  Ebenezer 
Harris  was  a  local  preacher,  settled  in  Camden  valley, 
where  Elijah  Harris  now  lives.  It  is  the  recollection  of 
Rev.  Charles  Coukey  that  an  early  class  was  at  Eaglevillc, 
the  place  of  meeting  being  Warren  Norton's,  and  he  the 
leader.  Methodist  services  continued  to  be  maintained  at 
.school-houses  and  private  houses  down  to  the  beginning  of 
more  definite  work  at  Shu.shan. 

There  was  preaching  here  for  several  years  before  an  or- 
ganization occurred,  sometimes  in  the  Bapti.st  church.  The 
church  w.is  formed  in  1846,  with  Rev.  Edward  Noble  first 
pastor,  and  consisted  of  fifteen  members.  Gideon  S.  Potter, 
David  Hanson,  Peter  Brewer,  and  Edie  Bowen  were  the 
prominent  men  in  the  organization, — the  latter  class-leader, 
tlie  others  stewards. 

The  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1847,  at  an  expense 
of  less  than  one  thousand  dollars.  It  was  dedicated  in  Sep- 
tember, 1847,  Peter  Hitchcock  preaching  the  sermon,  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Beman  ofi'ering  the  dedicatory  prayer.  The 
house  was  improved  about  ten  years  later,  and  has  been 
estimated  as  worth  three  thousand  dollars.  The  society 
have  no  parsonage.  The  present  ofiicers  are  Warren  Kin- 
yon,  G.  H.  Stevens,  Samuel  Buck,  James  S.  Campbell,  B. 
F.  Cowen,  Charles  Lyon,  and  L.  C.  Piser,  truistees ;  Samuel 
Buck,  G.  H.  Stevens,  William  Fleming,  Simeon  Lyon,  S. 
Foster,  Warren  Kinyon,  James  Campbell,  and  E.  R.  Bailey, 
stewards  ;  Lee  Wait,  class-leader ;  G.  H.  Stevens,  recording 
steward.  There  has  always  been  a  Sunday-school  iu  con- 
nection with  the  church.  Present  superintendent  (1878), 
Samuel  Buck  ;  Lee  Wait,  a.ssi.stant.  One  hundred  volumes 
in  the  library.  One  hundred  and  thirty  scholars.  One 
hundred  and  four  church  members. 

The  connection  of  Rev.  Philip  Embury  with  the  settle- 
ment of  this  town,  and  his  general  work  in  connection  with 
the  establishment  of  the  Methodist  church  in  the  United 
States,  render  proper  this  additional  note : 

Philip  Embury  was  one  of  a  company  of  Palatines 
(Methodists)  from  Balligarrane,  Ireland,  who  sailed  for  New 
York  in  the  spring  of  1760.  He  had  been  licensed  as  a 
local  preacher.  The  company  consisted  of  Philip  Embury 
and  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Switzer ;  two 
brothers,  John  Embury  and  David  Embury;  one  brother- 
in-law,  Peter  Switzer ;  Paul  Heck,  with  his  wife,  Barbara 
Heck ;  Valer  Tctlor  (the  name  seems  to  bo  Dctlor  after- 
wards in  Salem) ;  and  one  Dulmage.  They  landed  in 
August,  1760.  In  1765  a  few  more  of  the  same  people, 
and  partly  of  the  same  family  connection,  came  over  and 
joined  them, — ^Paul  Ruckle,  Luke  Rose,  Jacob  Heck,  Peter 
Barkman,  Henry  Williams,  and  their  families.  From  1760 
to  1765  it  seems  young  Embury  had  not  exercised  his 
gifts  as  a  preacher.  It  was  not  till  the  arrival  of  this 
second  company,  and  the  awakened  feelings  of  Mrs.  Heck 
at  seeing  a  general  decline  of  their  religious  zeal,  that 
Philip  Embury  was  induced  by  her  entreaties  to  open  ser- 
vices in  his  own  house.     This  he  did,  preaching  at  first  to 


only  five  persons  besides  his  own  family.  The  little  move- 
ment however,  was  the  planting  of  the  Wesleyan  faith  upon 
this  continent, — the  erection  of  an  altar  upon  which  the 
sacred  fire  of  devotion  has  burned  brightly  ever  since.  The 
work  in  a  few  months  required  the  hiring  of  a  room  for 
services,  and  developed  rapidly  until  John  Street  church 
was  built,  which  Philip  Embury  dedicated  by  a  sermon 
preached  in  a  pulpit  be  had  built  with  his  own  hand.s. 
This  was  Oct.  30,  1768.  Meanwhile,  Captain  Thomas 
Webb,  a  veteran  of  the  old  French  wars,  and  no  less  a 
veteran  of  the  Christian  warfare,  had  joined  them  from 
Albany.  He  had  i^rcached  at  Albany,  but  there  is  no 
record  that  he  formed  a  society  nor  even  a  preliminary 
class.  If  he  had  it  would  antedate  Ashgrove  church  in 
this  county;  yet  Albany  mu.st,  according  to  Stevens'  history, 
have  had  Methodist  meetings,  under  this  brave  old  .soldier, 
earlier  than  any  other  place  north  of  New  York.  Mission- 
aries sent  over  by  Mr.  Wesley  reached  New  York  in  1769. 
Philip  Embury  transferred  his  work  to  them  and  came  to 
Salem,  it  is  presumed,  about  1770,  and  with  him  most  of 
the  associates  who  came  over  from  Ireland.  In  the  lease 
from  Duane  to  Embury  and  in  the  various  agreements 
between  the  parties,  and  in  certain  military  documents  else- 
where given,  there  appear  the  names  of  Paul  Heck,  John 
Dulmage,  John  Embury,  David  Embury,  Valentine  Detlor, 
Philip  Switzer,  Peter  Switzer.  It  might  be  supposed  that 
this  company  of  Methodists  thus  transferred  to  Salem,  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  present  village  of  Eagleville,  would 
have  immediately  formed  a  class  among  themselves  and 
had  at  once  the  nucleus  of  a  future  church.  Some  study 
given  to  that  point  has  not  availed  to  find  records  of  any 
such  work,  and  the  company  of  Irish  Methodists  coming 
in  about  the  same  time  in  White  Creek,  no  doubt  led 
Embury  to  assist  at  that  place  in  the  formation  of  Ash- 
grove church. 

As  these  names  have  all  become  somewhat  historic  in 
the  Methodist  church,  it  may  be  interesting  to  state  some- 
thing further  of  them.  Philip  Embury  himself  died  in  the 
summer  of  1773,  injured  by  being  overheated  while  at 
work  haying.  The  company  adhered  generally  to  the 
crown  in  the  opening  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  and  as 
a  consequence  were  involved  in  trouble  with  the  local 
authorities  and  the  war  committees  of  the  patriot  forces. 

On  the  roll  of  the  loyalist  company  may  be  noticed  the 
names  of  Dana  Dulmage,  Paul  Heck,  Andrew  Embury, 
Philip  Switzer,  Valentine  Detlor,  Peter  Detlor.  In  a  later 
document,  the"  bond  of  allegiance,"'  April  22,  1776,  appear 
the  names  of  John  Embury,  John  Dulmage,  Paul  Heck, 
Peter  Switzer,  and  Philip  Switzer,  showing  that  they  sub- 
mitted to  the  authority  of  Congress  and  promised  to  defend 
the  rights  and  liberties  of  America. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,   SALEM. 

Methodist  meetings  were  held  in  the  central  portion  of  the 
town  as  early  as  1821 ,  and  probably  earlier  than  that.  The 
place  was  at  Thomas  Milliman's,  two  miles  from  the  village, 
and  at  the  school-house  in  that  neighborhood.  A  society 
was  formed  there  as  early  as  1825,  though  it  seems  that  ser- 
vices were  held  at  the  court-house  in  the  village  not  long 
after.     Preaching  was  maintained  regularly  by  circuit  ap- 


166 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


pointment  for  several  years, — down  to  about  1839.  The 
society  was  then  so  weakened  by  deaths  and  removals  that 
it  virtually  became  extinct.  In  1841  three  young  men  of 
Troy,  formerly  from  Salem,  returned  to  visit  their  friends 
in  the  neighborhood  of  William  McCollister.  Very  much 
engaged  in  religion,  they  held  some  meetings  at  the  school- 
house.  Some  were  awakened  ;  the  interest  deepened  ;  con- 
versions took  place.  The  young  men  returned  to  Troy.  At 
the  last  meeting  one  of  the  Presbyterian  mir)isters  spoke, 
but  no  appointment  was  given  out  for  any  more  meetings. 
At  the  close  of  the  service  several  came  to  Charles  Conkey, 
tlien  an  exhorter  in  the  Methodist  church,  and  urged  him 
to  go  on  with  the  work  ;  that  the  interest  was  too  great  and 
the  work  too  important  to  be  allowed  to  stop.  He  con- 
sented, arranged  for  another  meeting  the  next  night,  and 
this  was  the  beginning  of  a  six  weeks'  effort  iu  which  Mr. 
Conkey  spoke  nearly  every  night.  No  ministerial  help  from 
abroad,  with  only  one  or  two  exceptions.  Rev.  Elijah 
Hubbard,  from  East  Greenwich,  came  over  and  helped 
establish  the  church,  leaving  Mr.  Conkey  in  charge,  with 
authority  to  reeeive  members  and  complete  the  organization. 
As  the  result  of  this  effort  sixty-one  names  were  enrolled, 
and  it  is  believed  there  were  a  hundred  conversions.  Mr. 
Conkey  was  licensed  as  a  local  preacher.  He  is  still  living 
in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  and  from  him  these  facts 
have  been  derived.  The  class  then  formed  was  the  nucleus 
of  the  present  Methodist  church  of  Salem.  Records  show 
that  in  1844:  there  was  appointed,  by  the  bishop  presiding 
over  the  Troy  conference,  a  preacher  to  the  Salem  mission. 
That  preacher  was  the  Rev.  John  Fassett,  who  labored  for 
one  year,  holding  service  mainly  in  the  White  school-house 
iu  the  south  part  of  Salem  village.  This  building  is  now 
a  dwelling-house,  occupied  by  Miss  Esther  Bassett  and 
Miss  Mary  Johnson. 

He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  E.  Noble,  who,  on  the 
15th  of  September,  1845,  called  a  meeting  at  the  White 
school-house  to  elect  trustees  and  organize  according  to  law. 
The  first  trustees  then  elected  were  Thomas  Blilliman,  Syl- 
vanus  Dickinson,  Warren  Martin,  Hugh  Moncrief,  and 
Timothy  B.  Wilds. 

The  first  property  purchased  was  the  lot  upon  which  the 
present  church  and  parsonage  now  stand;  the  conveyance 
being  made  on  the  23d  of  March,  1846,  by  J.  Stevenson, 
for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

In  the  same  year  the  first  house  of  worship  was  erected, 
being  fifty  feet  long,  thirty-five  feet  wide,  surmounted  by  a 
small  tower,  and  finished  with  one  room,  having  a  seating 
capacity  of  nearly  two  hundred.  It  was  dedicated  by  the 
Rev.  J.  T.  Peck,  then  principal  of  the  Troy  Conference 
Seminary,  and  now  one  of  the  bLshops  of  the  Methodist 
church.  This  house  was  used  for  thirty  years,  when  it  was 
taken  down  and  a  large  portion  of  the  materials  used  in 
the  new  structure.  The  present  edifice  was  commenced  in 
the  spring  of  1876,  and  is  not  yet  completed.  The  ex- 
treme length  is  97j\  feet,  with  a  width  of  58  feet  front, 
including  towers,  while  the  main  building  is  44jt.  feet 
wide.  It  is  two-story,  has  a  chapel  39  by  44,  seated  with  218 
chairs,  two  classrooms,  each  26  by  17,  opening  with  folding 
doors  into  the  lecture-room.  The  audience-room  is  64  by  44, 
and  when   finished  will   afford   400   sittings.     The  whole 


edifice  when  completed  will  be  a  beautiful  and  imposing 
structure.  The  present  membership,  including  East  Green- 
wich, numbers  140,  having  a  good  Sabbath-school,  an  active 
corps  of  teachers,  and  a  large  library.  The  following  min- 
isters have  served  the  church  as  pastors  during  the  thirty- 
three  years  of  its  varied  history  ;  Revs.  John  Fassett,  one 
year^  Edward  Noble,  two  years ;  Joseph  Harris,  two  years  ; 
P.  M.  Hitchcock,  one  year ;  A.  Camjjbell,  two  years ;  J. 
Phillips,  one  year ;  George  Losee,  two  years ;  J.  L.  Cask, 
two  years  ;  T.  W.  Harwood,  two  years  ;  C.  Edgerton,  one 
year  ;  S.  Stillman,  two  years  ;  C.  Bedell,  one  year  ;  T.  W. 
Harwood,  three  years ;  J.  J.  Noe,  three  years ;  C.  Hawley, 
three  years ;  J.  Phillips,  three  years  ;  J.  W.  Thompson, 
two  years ;  and  T.  W.  Harwood,  the  present  pastor,  now 
returned  a  third  terra  to  the  same  pastorate. 

The  present  board  of  trustees  (1878)  are  Levi  Copeland, 
Joseph  Kelly,  Sylvanus  Dickinson,  William  Dillon,  Rufus 
Shaw,  George  Teft,  James  Blashfield.  The  officers  of  the 
church  have  given  nobly  and  planned  largely  for  the  future, 
and  have  had  a  vigorous  support  in  the  membership.  If 
the  congregation,  now  being  tested  to  its  utmost  financial 
ability,  can  hold  steadily  against  the  pressure  of  the  times, 
it  will  achieve  a  noble  victory. 

ST.  paul'.s  eplscopal  CIIURCn.* 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1859  a  number  of  the 
residents  of  this  town,  many  of  whom  had  been  brought 
up  in  the  Episcopal  church,  being  desirous  of  establishing 
a  society  in  this  village,  made  arrangements  for  religious 
services,  to  be  held  at  the  old  court-house.  The  first 
public  service,  we  believe,  was  held  on  Sunday,  Feb.  5, 
1860,  at  which  Rev.  H.  C.  Potter,  then  rector  of  St.  John's 
church,  Troy,  officiated.  On  the  following  Sunday  (Feb. 
12),  Rev.  J.  Scarborough,  then  rector  of  St.  Paul's  church, 
Troy  (now  bishop  of  New  Jersey),  preached  at  the  same 
place.  Notice  was  given  on  each  of  these  Sundays  that  on 
Feb.  18  "  the  persons  belonging  to  this  congregation  would 
meet  for  the  purpose  of  incorporating  themselves  into  a 
church  and  electing  two  wardens  and  eight  vestrymen." 
The  meeting  was  held  Feb.  18,  1860,  at  which  time  war- 
dens and  vestrymen  were  elected,  and  the  society  incorpor- 
ated under  the  name  of  "  the  rector,  churchwardens,  and 
vestrymen  of  St.  Paul's  church.  From  February  to  July, 
there  being  no  settled  pastor,  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by 
Rev.  T.  W.  Coit,  of  Troy ;  Rev.  Dr.  Manser,  Benning- 
ton ;  Rev.  Dr.  Babcock,  Rev.  Mr.  Twing,  of  Lansingburg ; 
Rev.  BIr.  Lord,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Adams,  of  Whitehall.  On 
May  9,  18G0,  the  sacrament  of  baptism  and  rite  of  confir- 
mation were  administered  at  the  court-house,  by  Right  Rev. 
Bishop  Potter,  of  the  diocese  of  New  York,  on  which  oc- 
casion ten  persons  were  confirmed.  Bishop  Potter  was  as- 
sisted by  Rev.  Mr.  Twing  and  Rev.  Jlr.  Potter.  The 
bishop's  text  was  taken  from  Acts  ix.  6.  In  March,  1860, 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions  to  build 
a  house  of  worship.  The  committee  entered  at  once  upon 
the  discharge  of  that  duty.  Soon  after  a  plan  was  adopted, 
a  building  committee  appointed,  and  the  work  commenced. 
On  July  8,  1860,  the  wardens  and  vestry  issued  a  call  to 


By  James  Gibson,  Jr. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


167 


the  Rev.  Charles  Purviance  to  accept  the  charge  of  the 
parish  as  rector.  The  call  was  accepted,  and  on  July  22, 
Rev.  Mr.  Purviance  preached  for  the  first  time  at  the  court- 
house. The  corner-stone  of  the  church  was  laid  Sept.  10, 
1860,  Rev.  Dr.  Coit,  of  Troy,  officiating.  Rev.  Mr.  Pur- 
viance remained  rector  but  a  few  months,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  Francis  Mansfield,  to  whom  a  call  was  issued  Dec. 
1,  1S60.  Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  church,  and  on 
Dec.  13,  1860,  it  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Potter.  On 
March  31,  ISGl,  after  a  pastorate  of  only  four  months, 
Rev.  Mr.  Mansfield  delivered  his  farewell  discourse.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Francis  C.  Wainwright,  a  few 
months  later,  who  continued  as  rector  till  Aug.  1,  1862. 
A  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev.  Henry  M.  Davis  to  be- 
come rector  of  the  parish  on  Feb.  28,  1864,  who  accepted 
the  rectorship  on  that  day.  He  continued  as  rector  till  his 
decease.  After  his  death.  Rev.  John  H.  Houghton  suc- 
ceeded, and  remains  rector  at  the  present  time  (1878). 

Since  the  church  was  organized,  in  1860,  there  have 
been  baptized,  235  ;  confirmed,  83 ;  number  admitted  to 
communion,  121;  number  of  marriages,  39;  burials,  76  ; 
average  oflFerings  for  church  purposes  per  year,  $1500; 
number  of  families,  40;  individuals,  200;  adults,  100; 
children,  100;  Sunday-school  scholars,  80;  teachers,  7; 
average  offerings  in  Sunday-school  per  year,  8100;  value 
of  church  property,  $6000.  The  additions  and  improve- 
ments made  the  centennial  year  amounted  to  at  least  $1800. 

At  the  first  election  of  officers,  held  at  the  old  court- 
house, Feb.  18,  1860,  the  following  were  chosen  :  senior 
warden,  Geo.  B.  McCartee ;  junior  warden,  James  Gibson; 
vestrymen,  Horace  S.  Smith,  Charles  H.  Alien,  James  A. 
Fairley,  William  B.  Bool,  James  Williamson,  Orville  P. 
Gilman,  William  W.  Hill,  Myrtle  II.  Lockwood. 

The  following  are  the  present  officers:  senior  warden, 
James  Gibson  ;  junior  warden,  George  B.  McCartee  ;  vestry- 
men, John  31.  Williams,  Frederick  Kegler,  Daniel  B.  Cole, 
S.  W.  Russell,  James  Gibson,  Jr.,  Frederick  Liusenbarth, 
Albert  K.  Broughton,  John  D.  Faxon. 

ROMAN    CATHOLIC    CHURCH    OF    SALEM.* 

This  church  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1859.  Pre- 
vious to  such  erection,  for  a  number  of  years  services  were 
held  at  the  court-house  and  at  private  residences.  After 
the  completion  of  the  church  the  congregation  was  under 
the  charge  of  Rev.  John  McDermott,  pastor  of  St.  Pat- 
rick's church,  Cambridge.  He  had  charge  of  the  Salem 
mission  from  the  time  of  the  church's  establishment  until 
October,  1863.  The  church  was  dedicated,  under  the 
name  of  Holy  Cross  church,  by  Bishop  McCloskey  (now 
cardinal),  Nov.  6,  1861.  At  that  time  a  large  number 
were  confirmed.  This  was  the  bishop's  first  visitation. 
At  the  conclusion  of  Rev.  Mr.  McDermott's  pastorate 
(October,  1863)  the  church  was  placed  under  the  charge 
of  the  St.  Augustine  fathers  by  the  bishop  of  the  diocese, 
and  so  continued  for  nearly  ten  years.  Rev.  James  A. 
Darragh  succeeded  Rev.  Mr.  McDermott,  and  had  charge 
of  the  mission  till  April,  1865.  Rev.  Edward  A.  Dailey 
succeeded  him,  taking  charge  in  August,  1865,  and  con- 

^  By  James  Gibson,  Jr. 


tinning  till  September,  1866.  Rev.  Edward  C.  Donnelly, 
assistant  of  Rev.  Mr.  AValdron,  of  St.  Patrick's  church, 
Cambridge,  followed  Rev.  Mr.  Dailey,  and  had  charge 
until  November,  1869.  Rev.  J.  J.  Fedigan  took  charge 
in  December,  1869,  and  continued  in  such  charge  until 
February,  1873,  when  the  church  was  taken  from  under 
the  control  of  the  St.  Augustine  order.  Up  to  this  time 
(February,  1863)  the  church  had  been  supplied  from  St. 
Patrick's,  Cambridge ;  but  the  congregation  having  grown 
in  size  and  wealth,  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  sent  Rev. 
James  S.  O'Sullivan,  the  first  resident  pastor,  who  is  still 
here. 

The  cemetery  connected  with  the  Catholic  church  wa.s 
dedicated,  Sept.  3,  1869,  by  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Lynch,  bishop 
of  Charleston.  On  this  occasion  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  persons  were  confirmed  by  him. 

Father  McDermott,  the  first  pastor,  was  educated  in 
Ireland,  and  was  for  some  time  a  missionary  in  England. 
He  came  to  this  country  in  1848.  Ho  died  a  few  years 
since. 

GRAVE-YARDS    IN    SALEM.f 

The  oldest  is  the  one  situated  in  the  village,  which  was 
set  apart  for  the  burial  of  the  dead,  on  the  lands  donated 
to  the  congregation  of  which  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clark,  M.D., 
was  pastor.  The  dedication  of  this  lot  as  a  place  for  the 
burial  of  the  dead  was  very  soon  after  the  first  settlement 
of  the  town.  The  first  burial  in  it  was  that  of  an  Indian, 
whose  grave  was  nearly  at  the  present  southwest  corner. 
The  first  white  man  buried  there  was  Solomon  Barr. 
Neither  of  these  graves  are  marked  by  any  grave-stone, 
and  few  of  the  early  graves  were  so  marked. 

During  the  space  of  a  century  after  the  first  burial  this 
grave-yard  had  received  the  remains  of  an  immense  num- 
ber, so  that  it  might  well  be  said  "  there  was  no  place"  for 
any  more.  This  made  it  absolutely  necessary  to  seek  a 
new  location,  and  this  caused  the  selection  of  what  is 
known  as  the  Evergreen  Cemetery,  situated  on  an  elevated 
plateau  of  land  about  a  mile  southwest  from  the  village. 
The  location  is  one  of  exceeding  beauty  naturally,  and  all 
that  art  could  do  to  aid  in  making  it  beautiful  has  been 
done.  For  this  result  much  credit  is  due  to  the  energetic 
efforts  and  labors  of  the  first  president  of  the  association, 
William  McKie,  ably  and  artistically  continued  by  his 
successor,  Asa  Fitch,  M.D. 

This  cemetery  has  done  a  noble  work,  not  only  in  itself, 
but  it  has  educated  public  taste  till  the  people  in  the 
vicinity  have  made  the  improvement  of  their  burial-places 
a  subject  for  study  and  labor.  The  skull  and  cro.'^s-bones, 
and  other  deathly  and  deathlike  memorials,  are  now  rarely 
used  to  make  the  grave  repulsive  and  hideous ;  but  the 
monuments  erected  show  that  the  people  believe  in  the 
resurrection,  and  that  the  gravej'ard  is,  what  the  Jews  call 
it,  "  the  place  of  the  living,"  or,  better,  as  the  German 
names  it,  "  God's  acre," — only  the  gate  to  a  new,  and,  to 
all  who  trust  in  God,  a  brighter  and  happier,  state,  eternal 
in  the  heavens. 

The  grave-yard  in  the  valley  of  Camden,  in  the  east  part 


f  I!y  Hon.  James  Gibson. 


168 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


of  the  town,  is  beautifully  located.  It  was  dedicated  to 
use  as  a  grave-yard  by  being  made  tiie  place  of  repose  for 
the  remains  of  that  noted  servant  of  God,  Philip  Embury, 
who  died  in  Camden  in  1773.  All  that  was  mortal  of 
him  here  rested  for  over  half  a  century,  and  then  a  removal 
was  sought  to  the  grave  yard  at  Ashgrove,  in  a  neighboring 
town,  and  from  thence  another  movement  was  made  to  the 
cemetery  at  Cambridge. 

In  this  ancient  grave-yard  at  Camden  still  repose  the  re- 
mains of  the  earliest  Moravian  missionary  to  this  town. 
His  grave  is  marked  by  a  suitable  monument,  still  standing 
in  excellent  preservation,  informing  the  visitor  that  "  Here 
repose  the  mortal  remains  of  the  venerable  father  in  Christ, 
Abraham  Bininger,  missionary  of  the  United  Brethren's 
Church,  commonly  called  Moravians."  .  .  .  He  was  born 
at  Bulach,  Canton  Zurich,  Switzerland,  Jan.  18,  1720. 
Departed  this  life  at  Camden,  March  26,  1811,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one  years,  two  months,  and  eight  days. 

This  grave-yard  is  secured  from  intrusion  by  a  substan- 
tial inclosure,  suitably  maintained,  and  in  location  and  con- 
dition, and  indeed  in  all  other  respects,  is  creditable  to  the 
people  among  whom  it  is  placed. 

There  is  a  more  modern  grave-yard  about  midway  between 
Shushan  and  Eagleville,  and  adjacent  to  the  residence  of 
General  Isaac  Bininger.  It  was  probably  dedicated  to  use 
as  a  grave-yard  about  1790,  though  the  earliest  monument 
noticed  in  it  was  that  of  Harvey  Church,  a  son  of  Bethuel 
Church  and  his  wife  Diadema,  who  died  March  26,  1795, 
aged  one  year. 

This  cemetery  is  well  maintained,  but  as  the  fence  about 
it  is  of  wood,  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  its  dese- 
scration  may  be  looked  for  with  reasonable  certainty.  Stone 
or  iron  should  be  used,  instead  of  perishable  wood,  for  the 
inclosure  of  such  sacred  places. 

These  are  all  the  public  grave-yards  in  the  town. 

There  are  two  places  of  burial  situated  on  farms,  and  it 
is  a  subject  of  congratulation  that  there  are  no  more.  One 
of  these  is  on  the  Cleveland  farm,  adjacent  to  the  Hebron 
line,  and  on  the  west  side  of  the  old  turnpike  on  the  north 
side  of  the  town.  It  is  inclosed  by  a  substantial  stone 
wall,  and  is  well  maintained.  The  burials  in  it  are  mainly 
of  the  Cleveland  family,  or  of  persons  connected  with  that 
family.  The  other  private  grave-yard  is  on  the  McNitt 
farm,  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town,  and  contains 
mainly  members  of  that  family. 

SOCIETIES. 

Salem  Lodge,  J.  0.  0.  F.,  No.  45.— The  history  of  this 
lodge  is  of  an  interesting  character.  It  was  chartered  by 
the  Grand  Lodge  Sept.  14,  1846.  Upon  the  division  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  it  surrendered  its  then  charter  and  ac- 
cepted one  from  the  Northern  Grand  Lodge,  dated  Dec. 
1,  1850.  The  petitioners  for  the  first  charter  were  Hon. 
Charles  R.  Ingalls,  now  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  J. 
B.  Crosby,  Hon.  James  Gibson,  J.  R.  Lytle,  Esq.,  and  C. 
V.  B.  Martin.  On  the  evening  of  Sept.  29,  1846,  D.  D. 
G.  M.  Peter  L.  Barker  instituted  the  lodge  and  installed 
James  Gibson  as  N.  G.,  and  C.  R.  Ingalls  as  V.  G.,  and 
other  officers.  Of  the  eleven  persons  who  joined  the  lodge 
by  initiation  at  its  first  meeting,  W.  W.  Hill  is  the  only  one 


now  connected  with  this  lodge.  Nearly  all  the  others  have 
since  deceased.  The  lodge  worked  faithfully  until  the 
summer  of  1851,  when,  owing  to  the  heavy  dues  and 
assessments  they  were  obliged  to  pay  under  the  benefit 
system,  they  were  forced  to  suspend  labor,  and  did  not  re- 
sume work  until  1856.  From  that  time  the  lodge  worked 
until  the  fall  of  1859.  From  this  time,  for  nine  years, 
the  more  devoted  members  met  only  once  every  six  months, 
made  out  the  semi-annual  reports,  paid  the  Grand  Lodge 
assessments,  and  elected  officers,  thereby  keeping  the  lodge 
alive  and  saving  the  charter  from  being  called  in.  This 
brings  us  to  December,  1867,  when  meetings  of  the  "  tried 
and  true"  were  held  at  various  places  until  a  revival  was 
effected,  and  on  Jan.  25,  1868,  the  first  regular  meeting 
was  held  at  Masonic  hall,  with  brother  W.  H.  Lakin  in 
the  chair.  From  that  time  down  to  the  present  this 
lodge  has  prospered,  and  will,  it  is  believed,  continue  to 
prosper. 

March  29,  1876,  the  lodge  dedicated  a  new  and  beauti- 
ful hall, — D.  D.  G.  M.  James  Gibson,  Jr.,  presiding  and 
delivering  the  dedicatory  address. 

Present  officers  of  the  lodge  :  James  Gibson,  Jr.,  N.  G. ; 
Henry  D.  Wicks,  V.  G. ;  Abner  Robertson,  Sec. ;  John  D. 
Faxon,  Per.  Sec. ;  David  Mahaffy,  Treas. ;  Christopher  M. 
Wolff,  S.  P.  G. ;  W.  H.  Laken,  R.  S.  N.  G. ;  Don  C. 
Brown,  L.  S.  N.  G. ;  Edgar  Ladd,  R.  S.  V.  G. ;  Mark 
Bromley,  L.  S.  V.  G.  ;  Henry  V.  Brown,  Warden  ;  Joseph 
Hcofert,  Conductor ;  Elliot  Allen,  O.  G. ;  John  Y.  Jones, 
I.  G.  ;  William  W.  Hill,  II.  S.  S.  ;  Sylvanus  Dickinson, 
L.  S.  S. 

Masonic  lodges  are  fully  treated  of  in  a  paper  by  Judge 
Gibson,  appearing  in  the  county  history  in  this  volume. 

BANK    OF    SALEM. 

The  Bank  of  Salem  was  organized  in  1853,  with  a  capi- 
tal of  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars.  The  first  elec- 
tion of  directors  and  officers  was  on  the  1 1  th  day  of  January, 
1853.     The  following-named  were  elected  : 

Directors,  Bernard  Blair,  Benjamin  F.  Bancroft,  Cor- 
nelius L.  Allen,  Marvin  Freeman,  Abram  C.  Lansing,  Isaac 
W.  Bishop,  H.  Newcomb  Graves,  Franklin  Stevens,  James 
Cleveland,  Andrew  Houghton,  Alfred  Ward,  A.  L.  McDou- 
gall,  George  N.  Bates.  Bernard  Blair  was  elected  president; 
Isaac  W.  Bishop,  vice-president;  Benj.  F.  Bancroft,  cashier; 
A.  L.  McDougall,  attorney. 

The  bank  started  off  doing  a  small  business,  which  in- 
creased from  year  to  year  and  proved  a  success,  always 
earning  fair  and  satisfactory  dividends  for  the  stockholders, 
and  having  the  confidence  of  the  community,  to  whom  it 
was  a  very  great  convenience. 

In  February,  1858,  John  Williams  was  elected  president. 
In  the  early  days  of  the  Rebellion  (April  23,  1861)  the 
following  resolution  was  passed  : 

"  Retoteed,  That  the  Bank  of  Salem  hereby  tender  to  the  State  of 
New  York  their  share  of  the  three  million  five  hundred  thousand 
dollar  loan,  for  arming  and  cquipiiiug  the  military  forces  of  the 
State,  which  is  subject  to  the  order  of  the  State  when  required." 

The  bank  aided  largely  in  advancing  funds  to  the  town 
and  county  in  forwarding  the  raising  and  equipping  of  the 
volunteers  of  the  war ;  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third 


Officers  and  Directors 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF 
SALEM,    N.  Y., 
June  t,  1878 

President, 

Benj.  F.  Bancroft 

Vice-President, 

WiLLiAU  McFarland 

Cashier, 

UaBK  L.  SlIELDtJN 

Teller, 
Addison  Getti. 


Bbnj.  Cleveland, 
Otis  I>illinuh\m, 

I    HN  M    WlLlMM-J, 

Benj  F  Bancieokt 
^\M  McFarland, 
James  M<  NAroHTON 
Leonard  M  Lii  dle 
William  J  Finn 


NATIONAL    BANK"  or  SALEM,  S/^i  EM    VA  a    h  f  cjln    Co    N    Y 


^^t*,^*c 


'     •'   '*<fCV  ^ivv ;•'-!',   '    .eVf.'-WSimi^^ 


<\?';i^, 


fvfnisiCo  Pmu  PA 


(RESIDENCE    OF     B  .F.  BANCROf  T,  SALEM.   New   VorK 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


109 


Regiment  New  York  State  Volunteers  being  wholly  from 
this  county,  and  were  mustered  in  and  for  some  time  en- 
camped in  this  place. 

This  bank  continued  business  until  1865  (having  always 
paid  its  semi-annual  dividend  of  never  less  than  four  per 
cent.),  closing  up  in  July  of  that  year  with  a  large  surplus. 

The  present  National  Bauk  of  Salem  was  organized  the 
same  year  (ISGo),  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  The  following-named  were  the  first  direc- 
tors :  Bernard  Blair,  Benj.  F.  Bancroft,  John  M.  Williams, 
Marvin  Freeman,  James  Gibson,  Cornelius  L.  Allen,  James 
Cleveland,  Alexander  Cherry,  Daniel' Woodard,  Jr.,  Benj. 
Cleveland,  Otis  Dillingham,  Francis  H.  Arnott,  Charles  II. 
Allen,  Robert  Beattie,  Sylvester  S.  Crandall.  The  officers 
were  C.  L.  Allen,  president ;  D.  Woodard,  Jr.,  vice-presi- 
dent ;  B.  F.  Bancroft,  cashier. 

In  June,  1875,  the. capital  stock  was  reduced  from  one 


"  There  is  hanging  in  the  National  Bank  of  Salem  a 
lieutenant's  commission,  issued  by  the  colony  of  Mas.sachu- 
setts  Bay,  in  New  England,  to  Samuel  Bancroft,  Jr.,  gentle- 
man, April  26,  1776,  signed  by  the  council  of  that  colony, 
James  Otis,  W.  Spooner,  Caleb  Cashing,  J.  Winthrop,  J. 
W.  Cliadbourn,  T.  Gushing,  John  Whitcomb,  Jed.  Foster, 
James  Prescott,  Moses  Gill,  Michael  Farley,  J.  Palmer,  S. 
Hotten,  Eldad  Taylor,  and  B.  White,  and  by  Perez  Morton, 
D.  secretary.  The  signatures  are  as  plain  and  distinct  as 
when  written,  a  hundred  years  ago.  In  the  same  frame  are 
two  other  commissions  issued  to  Jonathan  B.  Bancroft,  son 
oF  the  above  Samuel  Bancroft ;  the  fii-St  dated  August  1, 
1805,  the  second  dated  24th  day  of  April,  1811,  and  is 
signed  by  Elbridge  Gerry,  then  governor  of  Massachusetts, 
and  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
These  soldiers  of  the  olden  time  were  the  grandfather  and 
father  of  Benjamin  F.  Bancroft  of  this  place." 


THE   OLD    MEETING-HOUSE    [N    SALEM. 


hundred  and  fifty  thou.sand  dollars  to  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  returning  the  stockholders  the  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

At  the  present  writing  (1878)  the  directors  are  C.  L. 
Allen,  B.  F.  Bancroft,  James  Gibson,  B.  Blair,  Wm. 
McFarland,  James  MoNaughton,  B.  Cleveland,  L.  M.  Liddle, 
Wm.  J.  Fitch,  0.  Dillingham,  J.  M.  Williams. 

During  the  twelve  and  a  half  years  of  business  of  the 
National  Bank  of  Salem  there  has  been  paid  to  the  stock- 
holders in  dividends  on  the  stock  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  thousand  six  hundred  and  eleven  dollars  and 
thirty-two  cents,  and  the  present  surplus  is  over  seventy 
thousand  dollars,  or  seventy  per  cent,  on  its  present  capital 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  showing  a  success  very 
creditable  to  its  management,  and  .seldom  excelled  in  any 
location. 

To  the  foregoing  notice  of  this  bank  we  append  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  item  from  the  Salem  (New  York)  Press: 
22 


PLACES   OF   HISTORIC   INTEREST.* 

THE   OLD    MEETING-HOUSE    IN    SALEM. 

This  historic  building  was  constructed  prior  to  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  probably  in  the 
summer  of  the  year  1770,  but  the  precise  date  cannot  now 
be  ascertained.  Its  existence  is  noticed  on  the  first  page 
of  the  record-book  of  the  town  of  Salem,  in  1779,  in  the 
laying  out  of  a  road.  It  is  also  .specified  in  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  passed  March  19, 
1778,  as  the  place  from  which  the  sheriff  of  the  county  of 
Charlotte  was  to  compute  his  mileage  in  the  service  of 
process.  It  was  the  first  framed  building  erected  in  the 
county,  except  the  barracks  within  the  fortification  at  Fort 
Edward.     In  this  meeting-house  and  barracks  the  courts 

'*"  By  James  Gibson,  Jr. 


170 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


were  at  first  alternately  held  for  the  county.  In  this 
ancient  structure,  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1780,  was  held 
the  nieeting-of  the  Associate  Presbytery  of  New  York,  at 
which,  by  a  unanimous  vote,  the  union  with  the  Re- 
formed Presbyterians  was  agreed  to,  by  which,  subse- 
quently, the  Associate  Reformed  church  of  this  county 
was  constituted.  It  was  occupied  for  divine  service  till 
the  construction  of  a  new  edifice  by  the  Associate  Reformed 
congregation  in  the  year  1796.  After  they  ceased  using 
it  for  religious  purposes  it  was  converted  into  a  dwelling- 
house,  and  is  still  occupied  as  such.  The  entrances  were 
at  the  ends  of  the  Tauilding,  and  the  pulpit  was  located  on 
the  north  side.  This  venerable  edifice  is  situated  at  tlie 
foot  of  Mill  hill,  in  the  village  of  Salem,  a  short  distance 
west  of  the  Salem  steam-mills. 

After  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  war  the  uncom- 
pleted church  building  of  the  first  incorporated  Presbj'terian 
congregation  was  taken  by  the  patriot  forces,  and  occupied 
by  them,  first  as  barracks,  and  then  constructed  into  a 
fort,  and  a  stockade  erected  around  it.  This  stockade  ran 
around  the  church  at  a  distance  of  about  sixty  feet  from  its 
walls,  and  was  completed  July  2G,  1777.  This  transformed 
church  was  called  Fort  Williams,  in  compliment  to  General 
John  Williams.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  church 
edifice  occupied  by  tlio  first  incorporated  Presbyterian 
congregation  (generally  known  as  tlie  Brick  church)  in  tlie 
village  of  Salem.  The  fort  was  burned  by  the  royalists  on 
some  day  prior  to  September  25,  and  probably  during  the 
last  days  of  August,  1777. 

The  block-house  on  Mill  hill,  in  Salem  village,  was  con- 
structed by  the  patriots  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
probably  in  1777,  when  it  was  expected  by  the  inhabitants 
that  General  Burgoyno  would  invade  the  town. 

The  log  church  in  which  Dr.  Clark's  congregation  first 
worshiped  was  erected  in  1766,  and  was  the  first  house  of 
worship  erected  in  this  county.  It  was  used  as  a  church 
only  about  three  years.  It  was  located  near  the  first  frame 
church  of  this  congregation,  erected  in  1770,  of  which  an 
engraving  is  elsewhere  presented.  The  old  log  churcli  was 
taken  down  on  July  27,  1777. 

The  first  log  house  in  this  town  was  erected  by  some  of 
tlie  members  of  Dr.  Clark's  congregation  in  the  spring  of 
1766,  and  in  that  building  they  lived  while  erecting  other 
houses.  This  log  house  was  occupied  by  Dr.  Clark  for 
several  years,  and  stood  where  the  residence  of  Franklin 
Stevens  now  stands.  It  was,  a  few  years  later,  taken  down, 
and  a  frame  building  erected  on  the  same  spot  by  the  con- 
gregation, and  this  building  was  occupied  as  a  parsonage 
by  Dr.  Clark,  and  by  his  successor,  Rev.  James  Proudfit, 
during  his  pastorate. 

The  log  house  still  standing  in  town  is  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  Deacon  Stevenson.  It  was  probably  built  by 
David  Matthews  in  1774.  The  original  house  has  been 
added  to,  and  the  log  portion  clap-boarded.  It  is  said 
that  a  log  building  constructed  about  the  same  time  is  still 
standing  on  the  farm  owned  by  the  heirs  of  the  late  Eben- 
ezer  Beattie. 

THE   SALEM    HOTEL. 

Not  many  years  after  the  settlement  of  the  town  James 
Rowan  built  a  log  house  on  the  corner  where  now  stands 


the  foundation  of  the  Salem  Hotel,  and  it  was  occupied  as 
a  tavern  by  him  till,  in  the  spring  of  1802,  General  Wil- 
liams commenced  the  erection  of  a  large  and  handsome 
building,  which  was  finished  during  the  season,  named  the 
Salem  Hotel,  and  leased  to  and  kept  by  David  Carswell. 
He  was  succeeded  in  1806  by  Ephraim  Allen,  M.D.  He 
kept  the  house  till  his  death  in  1815.  His  successor  was 
Lsaac  Lc  Boss,  who  remained  till  1824,  and  was  followed  by 
Joseph  Wells,  and  he  by  Ruel  Harvey  in  the  fall  of  1835. 
In  June,  1836,  Samuel  S.  Hooker  succeeded  Mr.  Harvey, 
and  remained  till  the  spring  of  1838,  and  was  followed  by 
Stephen  Clapp.  Mr.  Clapp  kept  the  house  till  the  spring 
of  1840,  when  it  was  taken  by  Messrs.  Bullock  &  Fes- 
senden,  who  continued  it  till  it  was  burned  in  October, 
1 840.  That  firm,  immediately  after  the  fire,  leased  the 
building  then  and  still  standing  on  the  corner  diagonally 
opposite,  and  opened  it,  and  continued  the  business  there 
as  a  firm  till  February,  1842,  when  Mr.  Bullock  sold  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Fessenden,  who  carried  it  on  till  the  spring 
of  1843,  when,  a  new  brick  building  having  been  con- 
structed on  the  old  site,  the  Salem  Hotel  commenced  a  new 
existence  under  the  charge  of  Mes.srs.  Gile  &  Cowan. 
They  were  followed  in  the  spring  of  1852  by  Gilbert  Wood- 
worth,  who  continued  its  sole  landlord  until  April  1,  1856, 
when  the  hotel  property  was  sold  to  James  McNaughton. 
The  latter  kept  the  hotel  until  April  1,  1869,  and  then 
sold  it  to  Thomas  Kerslake,  who  kept  the  same  until  Feb. 
22,  1877,  when  the  hotel  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The 
premises  were  sold  in  the  spring  of  1878  by  Mr.  Ker.slake 
to  Marinus  Fairchild,  Esq. 

THE   ON-DA-WA   HOUSE. 

The  first  tavern  at  Salem  was  opened  soon  after  the  set- 
tlement of  the  town,  and  about  the  year  1766,  by  James 
Turner,  in  a  log  house  built  where  the  On-da-wa  House  now 
stands.  It  was  kept  by  him  until  his  death  in  1773,  and 
was  continued  by  his  widow,  and  afterwards  by  David 
Thomas  and  Alexander  J.  Turner,  and,  the  latter  retiring, 
the  former  continued  the  business  for  several  years.  On 
retiring  from  it,  Mr.  Thomas  built  a  brick  dwelling-house 
on  the  lot  in  the  place  of  the  old  tavern,  and  resided 
there  till  his  removal  to  the  city  of  Albany.  His  dwell- 
ing-house was  then,  with  the  addition  of  a  wooden  wing 
at  the  south  end,  turned  into  a  tavern  called  the  Washing- 
ton Cofi'oe-House,  and  was  kept  by  Major  George  Rcab, 
who  was  succeeded  by  his  son.  Colonel  Josiah  Reab,  and  in 
April,  1825,  by  Major  Andrew  Freeman,  who  kept  it  till 
his  death  in  January,  1829.  Hall  &  Finch  followed,  and 
they  were  succeeded  by  Colonel  Joseph  Hanks,  who  was 
keeping  it  at  the  time  of  its  destruction  in  the  great  fire 
which  occurred  in  September,  1840. 

During  the  year  1841  the  house  was  reconstructed, 
mainly  on  the  old  foundation,  twenty-five  feet  being  added 
at  the  south  end,  making  it  seventy-five  feet  long.  It  was 
opened  by  Colonel  Hanks  in  the  spring  of  1842.  In  the 
summer  following,  becoming  involved,  he  leased  the  prop- 
erty to  Pratt  &  Martin,  who  kept  the  house  open  till  th.-j 
winter  of  1844. 

In  January,  1844,  James  Gibson,  with  others,  purchased 
it,  and  soon  thereafter  Mr.  Gib.son  became  its  sole  owner. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


171 


On  February  5,  1814,  the  house  was  leased  to  Chester 
SafFord,  Jr.  In  the  summer  of  1847  he  was  succeeded  by 
Merritt  &  Moore,  who,  in  the  spring  of  1849,  were  fol- 
lowed by  John  Howe.  He  remained  till  the  spring  of 
1858.  The  house  was  then  thoroughly  repaired  by  Mr. 
Gibson,  and,  on  being  re-opened,  was  carried  on  by  Henry 
Frink,  who,  in  1859,  was  succeeded  by  M.  H.  Lockwood. 
In  April,  1861,  he  was  succeeded  by  Jones  &  Wheelock, 
and  they  by  George  W.  Rider  in  1865-GG,  and  Mr.  Rider 
was  succeeded  by  William  C.  Scarritt  in  1807.  He  only 
remained  a  few  months.  In  June,  1867,  Hugh  R.  Cowan 
took  and  opened  the  house,  exclusively  on  temperance 
principles,  and  continued  to  operate  it  as  such  till  the 
spring  of  1874.  Mr.  Gibson  then  sold  the  premises  to 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Potter,  who,  with  her  hu.sband,  Horace 
Potter,  kept  the  house  till  her  decease.  Mr.  Potter  kept 
it  after  her  death  till  the  .spring  of  1 877,  when  he  leased 
it  to  White  &  Shannon,  who  have  conducted  it  ever 
since.  In  April  of  the  present  year  (1878)  they  became 
the  owners  of  the  property  by  deed  from  Mr.  Potter. 

AGRICULTURAL   ADVANTAGES,    STOCK,    ETC. 

The  agricultural  advantages  of  the  town  are  superior. 
The  soil  is  a  rich  slaty  or  gravelly  loam.  The  slopes  of  the 
hills  afford  some  of  the  finest  pasturage  of  the  world.  The 
valleys  are  extensive,  fertile,  under  excellent  cultivation, 
producing  abundant  returns  for  the  labor  of  the  farmer. 
The  alluvial  lands  along  the  streams  are  exceedingly  valu- 
able. 

All  the  cereals  adapted  to  the  county  are  grown  here  with 
success.  Sheep  husbandry  was  for  many  years  an  import- 
ant industry.     It  has  declined  in  later  times. 

The  noted  flocks  of  Milliman  and  McNish,  the  former 
dating  back  to  1821  and  the  latter  to  1810,  were  in  this 
town  ;  and  the  brothers  Levi,  David,  and  William  Gray 
owned  about  one  thou.sand ;  William  Edie,  eight  hundred  ; 
Stephen  R.  Gray,  six  hundred  ;  Thomas  and  John  Law, 
six  hundred.  Above  Salem  village,  on  White  creek,  were 
the  flocks  of  Aaron  Cleveland,  Robert  Wilson,  Isaac  Sher- 
man, George  Hopkins,  Seeley  Sherman,  Nathan  W.  Wilson, 
averaging  from  four  hundred  to  five  hundred  each.  (Fitch, 
"Sheep  Husbandry  of  Washington  County,"  1848.) 

No  flocks  of  such  numbers  exist  in  the  town  at  the 
present  time.  There'were  ten  thousand  five  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  sheep  in  Salem  in  1825  ;  twenty-one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  forty-eight  in  1835  ;  twenty-five  thousand 
four  hundred  and  twenty-two  in  1845. 

Potatoes  are  extensively  grown,  and  large  ([uantities  ex- 
ported . 

IXDU.STIUAL   PURSUITS.* 

OUR    RAILROAD    AND    SHOPS. 

The  most  important  project  in  which  the  citizens  of  this 
town  were  ever  engaged  was  that  of  assisting  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Troy  and  Rutland  railroad.  This  subject 
was  discussed  during  the  year  1849,  and  among  the  prime 
movers  in  this  town  were  Hon.  Bernard  Blair,  William 
Law,  Esq.,  and  Hon.  C.  L.  Allen.     The  Troy  and  Rutland 

*  By  James  Gibson,  Jr. 


railroad  company,  of  which  Mr.  Blair  was  president,  let  the 
contract  for  building  the  road  from  Eagle  Bridge  to  Salem 
to  George  W.  Barker  &  Co.,  and  its  construction  was  com- 
menced at  Eagle  Bridge  on  June  3, 1850.  About  the  same 
time  the  construction  of  the  Rutland  and  Washington  rail- 
road (from  Salem  to  Rutland,  Vt.)  was  commenced.  The 
first  passenger-train  from  Rutland  to  Eagle  Bridge  passed 
over  the  road  on  Jan.  27,  1852.  The  roads  were  to  have 
been  opened  for  public  travel  on  Feb.  27,  1852,  but,  owing 
to  the  death  of  Horace  Clark,  one  of  the  projectors,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  the  treasurer  and  superintendent  of 
the  Rutland  and  Washington  railroad  company,  the  date  of 
opening  was  postponed.  Passenger-trains  began  making 
through-trips  from  Rutland  to  Troy  early  in  March,  1852. 
In  July,  1850,  George  Vail,  of  Troy,  sold  the  Troy  and 
Rutland  company  five  acres  of  land  in  the  village  of  Salem, 
on  which  were  subsequently  erected  the  machine-shops  and 
depot.  From  the  time  of  the  completion  of  these  shops  to 
the  28th  of  April,  1876,  when  a  portion  of  them  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  these  two  companies  and  their  successors 
have  had  their  repairing  done,  and  to  a  great  extent  their 
cars  made,  in  them.  At  the  time  of  the  fire,  the  road  was 
under  a  lease  to  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  canal  company, 
and  still  so  remains,  and  this  company  has  not  rebuilt  the 
shops.  The  monthly  pay-roll  for  the  workmen  was,  at  the 
time  of  the  fire,  about  five  thousand  dollars,  and  the  loss  of 
that  sum  is  greatly  felt  in  the  village.  It  is  probable,  how- 
ever, that  the  shops  will  soon  be  rebuilt,  when  the  village 
will  have  its  old-time  prosperity. 

THE    MARBLE-MILL. 

The  marble-mill  at  Baxterville  (formerly  known  as 
Clapp's  mills),  in  this  town,  was  erected  by  the  Baxter 
manufacturing  company,  of  Rutland,  Vt.,  in  1865.  It 
is  built  of  marble  taken  from  their  quarries  at  Rutland, 
and  is  situated  on  the  Batten  Kill  river,  about  two  miles 
from  the  village  of  Salem.  In  addition  to  the  mill  are  a 
number  of  other  buildings.  It  is  called  the  "  Branch  mill," 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  Rutland  mills.  It  is  run  by 
water-power,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  State,  having  a  fall  of 
seven  and  a  half  feet.  The  property  is  very  valuable,  the 
business  profitable,  and  the  town  benefited.  It  is  estimated 
that  over  two  thousand  tons  of  marble  have  been  sawed  in 
this  mill  and  shipped  each  year  since  its  completion. 

Prominent  among  the  early  industries  of  this  town  was 
the  nail-factory,  established  by  Ezekiel  Reid,  in  Camden 
valley,  after  the  Revolutionary  war  and  prior  to  the  year 
1800,  and  probably  about  the  year  1790.  He  invented  a 
machine  for  cutting  and  heading  nails  at  one  operation, 
and  this  was  probably  the  first  invention  of  the  kind  in 
this  country.  It  was  not  until  1790  that  machinery  was 
used  for  this  purpose  in  England ;  and  it  is  said  that  the 
first  patent  in  this  country  for  a  cutting  and  heading  ma- 
chine was  granted  in  November,  1796,  to  a  resident  of 
Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Reid  invented  a  machine  for  drawing 
wire  ;  also,  a  machine  for  bending  card  teeth  and  to  punch 
holes  in  leather  in  which  to  fasten  the  teeth  ;  he  also  in- 
vented what  he  called  a  centre-vent  water-wheel,  and  which 
are  now  called  centre-discharge  wheels.  5Ir.  Reid  wa,s 
without  capital,  and  could  not  introduce  his  various  inven- 


172 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


tioDS.  Some  of  the  nails  made  by  him  are  now  in  a  mu- 
seum at  Philadelphia.  His  shop  or  factory,  aft«r  he  ceased 
occupying  it,  was  converted  into  a  barn,  which  is  now  on 
the  farm  in  Camden  valley  of  which  HoUis  Bruce  died 
seized.  While  Mr.  Reid  lived  at  Camden  he  boarded  with 
Robert  Montgomery,  who  then  kept  a  hotel  there. 

ROOFING-SLATE    INDUSTRY. 

This  industry  has  added  largely  to  the  prosperity  of 
this  town.  Slate,  suitable  for  roofing  purposes,  was  dis- 
covered here  early  in  1854,  upon  the  farm  then  owned  by 
J.  and  H.  Harkness,  and  on  two  other  farms  in  the  same 
year.  The  slate  ledge  on  the  Hustings  farm  was  leased,  in 
1854,  to  the  Messrs.  Roberts,  who,  in  July  of  the  same 
year,  began  taking  out  slate  of  superior  quality.  Some 
fifteen  years  ago  the  Excelsior  Slate  company  was  organized, 
and  they  soon  opened  and  have  ever  since  worked  their 
quarries  with  marked  success.  At  this  time  (1878)  the 
Excelsior  quarries  and  the  quarries  under  the  charge  of  C. 
W.  Pierce  are  in  operation. 

THE    OLD    STORES    OF    SALEM.* 

Mercantile  business  in  the  town  and  village  of  Salem 
antedates  the  Revolutionary  war.  Two  stores  are  known 
to  have  been  in  trade  within  the  limits  of  the  town  prior  to 
1775,  although  the  precise  dates  of  their  erection  have  not 
as  yet  been  fixed.  One  of  these,  probably  the  latter,  chro- 
nologically considered,  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present 
residence  of  Hon.  John  McDonald,  about  two  miles  south- 
west of  the  village  of  Salem.  This  store  was  erected  by 
Wm.  Moffat,  as  also  were  the  potash-works,  which  were  a 
little  distance  northeast  of  the  store.  (A  son  of  Mr.  Mof- 
fat, Robert  Moffat,  was  a  printer,  who  at  his  death,  May  4, 
1807,  was  senior  proprietor  of  the  Troy  Northern  Budget , 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders.)  The  MofF<it  store 
was  afterwards  occupied  by  Pennel  &  Ferguson,  and  was 
yet  standing,  unoccupied,  at  the  time  McDonald  purchased 
the  property.  Mr.  McDonald  took  down  the  building  and 
built  his  house  on  its  site  about  1834.  We  do  not  learn 
that  the  store  was  ever  occupied  except  by  the  firms  named. 

The  store  in  the  village  of  Salem,  that  was  first  erected, 
and  which  probably  is  the  oldest  in  the  town,  was  built  by 
James  Turner,  one  of  the  three  original  settlers  of  the  town, 
and  was  probably  erected  as  early  as  1773.  It  occupied  a 
portion  of  the  present  site  of  Fitch  &  Beattie's  store,  was 
fourteen  feet  wide,  and  about  twenty-four  feet  in  length. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Turner  the  store,  by  the  marriage 
of  his  widow,  passed  into  the  hands  of  General  John  Wil- 
liams, and,  later,  from  him  to  his  relative,  General  David 
Thomas.  While  Thomas  owned  the  store  it  was  for  a  time 
occupied  by  Alexander  Thompson,  who  went  out  of  busi- 
ness only  a  short  time  before  the  store  was  bought  by  Slajor 
James  Harvey.  The  date  of  this  purchase  was  June  20, 
1794,  and  in  Garrick's  Courier,  second  number,  we  find 
the  following  advertisement : 

"CHEAP    STORE! 

"  James  Harvey  has  opened  a  store  in  Salem,  formerly  occupied  by 
Alexander  Thompson,  where  he  has  a  complete  assortment  of  Drv 

»  By  E.  P.  Thurston. 


Goods  a^x>  Ghoceries,  etc.    All  of  vhich  he  is  determined  to  sell 
(for  Ihiidy  Pay  itnly)  at  the  New  York  prices,  barely  adding  the  ex- 
pense of  the  carriage  up. 
"  2Gth  June,  1794." 

While  doing  business  at  this  point  Major  Harvey  re- 
moved the  narrow  structure  referred  to,  and,  purchasing 
additional  land,  erected  a  substantial  wooden  structure, 
about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  on  the  same 
foundation  now  occupied  by  the  brick  store.  He  continued 
business  here  until  Oct.  14,  1809,  when  he  sold  the  store 
property  to  Samuel  Prince  and,  March  20,  1810,  removed 
to  New  York,  and  afterwards  to  Pelham,  N.  Y.  Mr. 
Prince  did  not  retain  the  property  long,  but  sold  it  to  Wil- 
liam M.  McFarland,  known,  to  distinguish  him  from  others 
of  the  same  name,  as  "  William  the  Merchant,"  or  "  Store 
Billy."  He  did  business  for  a  time  alone,  and  afterwards 
with  his  brother.  Esquire  James  A.  McFarland  (father  of 
Wm.  McFarland,  now  of  the  "  Corner  Store"),  to  whom  he 
afterwards  sold  his  interest.  James  A.  McFarland  contin- 
ued the  business  for  a  time,  and  then  sold  to  Jesse  L.  Bil- 
lings, who,  being  a  lawyer,  did  not  go  into  trade,  and  the 
store  was  next  occupied  by  Major  Harvey,  who  returned 
from  Pelham  May  5,  1819,  and  at  once  went  into  business 
in  his  old  store,  remaining  until  the  spring  of  1822,  when 
he  removed  to  an  old  building  standing  on  the  present  site 
of  the  bank,  where  he  traded  until  Sept.  19,  when  he  moved 
into  his  new  store,  that  is  now  occupied  by  Leonard  M. 
Liddle.  April  24,  1822,  Mr.  Billings  sold  the  old  store  to 
Leonard  H.  Clapp  and  Cephas  Smith.  They  continued 
business  (except  for  a  short  time  when  a  brother  of  Cephas 
Smith  took  Mr.  Clapp's  place)  until  Oct.  1,  1825.  At 
this  time  it  was  purchased  by  Deacon  John  Beattie,  who 
had  just  withdrawn  from  his  partnership  with  General  John 
McNaughtou  in  the  business  of  the  old  "  Corner  Store." 
Mr.  Beattie  carried  on  business  in  the  building  he  had 
purchased  until  it  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of  1840. 
After  that  fire  he  erected  the  present  brick  structure  (ex- 
cepting only  the  few  feet  that  have  been  added  at  the  rear 
by  the  present  firm),  and  carried  on  the  business  until 
about  Nov.  1,  1849,  when  he  sold  the  building  to  Silas 
Brown.  On  the  15th  of  that  month,  Abuer  C.  Robertson 
commenced  trade,  and  conducted  the  business  until  March 
15,  1850,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  J.  L.  Woodin 
and  Henry  Osborn.  Business  did  not  prosper  with  them, 
and  in  September,  1852,  they  made  an  assignment  for  the 
benefit  of  their  creditors,  John  R.  Lytic  and  John  H.  Mc- 
Farland being  the  assignees.  The  store  passed  again  into 
the  possession  of  Mr.  Robertson,  who  then  conducted  the 
business  until  April  1,  1855,  when  he  sold  to  Eugene 
Hodge.  He  continued  there  in  the  clothing  trade  but  a 
short  time.  James  A.  Fairley  then  bought  his  stock.  The 
store  building  had  meanwhile  passed  successively  from  Silas 
Brown  to  Alexander  M.  Proudfit,  and  from  him  to  John 
King  (Feb.  7,  1853)  ;  and  from  Mr.  King  it  passed  to 
James  A.  Fairley  at  the  time  he  commenced  business  in 
1855.  Mr.  Fairley  was  unsuccessful,  and  in  March,  1858, 
the  store  was  sold  under  judgment,  and  purchased  by  Dea- 
con Benjamin  Cleveland.  He,  after  conducting  the  busi- 
ness for  five  years  alone,  sold  a  half-interest  in  store  and 
goods    to    Josephus  Fitch,   and  they   continued   partners, 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YOEK. 


173 


under  the  name  of  Cleveland  &  Fitch,  until  the  death  of 
the  latter,  which  occurred  March  17,  1868. 

After  the  death  of  Josephus  Fitch  his  son,  Wui.  J.  Fitch, 
succeeded  to  the  business.  This  partnership  lasted  under 
the  same  style  until  March  18,  1872,  when  George  H. 
Arnott  purchased  Mr.  Cleveland's  interest,  which  he  re- 
tained nearly  to  the  time  of  his  death,  the  firm  being 
known  as  Fitch  &  Arnott.  A  short  time  before  his  death, 
which  took  place  December  23,  1874,  Mr.  Arnott  made  a 
contract  of  sale  of  his  interest  to  John  J.  Beattie.  This 
contract  was  consummated  January  21, 1875,  as  to  the  stock, 
title  to  the  store  passing  to  Mr.  Beattie,  March  6,  1876. 
The  store  has  since  that  time  continued  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Fitch  &  Beattie. 

As  stated  before,  Major  James  Harvey  commenced  busi- 
ness in  his  new  store  (the  building  now  occupied  by  L.  M. 
Liddle)  September  19,  1822.  He  remained  alone  until 
November  1,  1825,  when  Marvin  Freeman,  who  had  been 
a  clerk  in  his  employ,  was  taken  as  partner  in  the  business, 
and  so  remained  until  April  11,  1836,  when  the  partner- 
ship was  dissolved.  Major  Harvey  retiring.  The  business 
was  conducted  by  Marvin  Freeman  alone  until  March  1, 
1840,  when  his  brother,  W.  W.  Freeman  (now  of  Free- 
man Manufacturing  Co.,  North  Adams,  Mass.),  entered 
into  partnership  with  him,  trade  being  carried  on,  under  the 
firm-name  of  M.  &  W.  W.  Freeman,  until  March  1,  1849. 
May  24,  1850,  Marvin  Freeman  received  his  son  Harvey 
as  a  partner,  Harvey  having  attained  his  majority  at  that 
time,  and  the  firm  of  M.  Freeman  &  Son  continued  until  May 
1,  1SC9,  when  Leonard  M.  Liddle  purchased  the  interest 
of  Marvin  Freeman  (who  died  June  13  of  the  same  year), 
and  formed  the  partnership  which  did  business  under  the 
firm-name  of  Freeman  &  Liddle.  This  partnership  con- 
tinued until  the  death  of  Harvey  Freeman,  April  12, 
1873.  Soon  after  this  Mr.  Liddle  purchased  of  the  estate 
the  half-interest  which  had  belonged  to  Harvey  Freeman, 
and  has  on  his  own  account  continued  the  business.  The 
store  has  always  held  a  high  place  in  public  estimation, 
doing  a  large  and  profitable  business. 

The  store  now  occupied  by  McNaughton  &  Beattie  is 
also  one  of  the  old  mercantile  sites.  There  formerly  stood 
on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  store  and  house  com- 
bined two  buildings;  the  one  being  the  long  house,  north 
of  the  railroad,  known  as  the  Bruce  house,  and  the  other 
being  the  James  Nichols  store.  That  store  is  stated  to 
have  been  built  before  the  beginning  of  the  present  cen- 
tury by  "  Priest  Nichols"  as  he  was  called,  an  Episcopal 
clergyman  and  uncle  to  James  Nichols,  for  whom  the  store 
was  built.  James  Nichols  carried  on  business  here  for 
many  years,  keeping  a  general  store,  but  was  finally  un- 
successful and  went  out  of  business  some  time  about  1818. 
In  April,  1819,  Henry  Matthews  purchased  the  property, 
and,  later,  erected  the  present  large  building.  He  carried 
on  the  business  until  his  death,  keeping  not  only  a  general 
country  store,  but  also  doing  a  large  business  as  a  wool 
merchant.  At  his  death,  which  occurred  March  29,  1845, 
Mr.  Cyrus  Atwood,  who  had  been  a  clerk  with  him,  pur- 
chased the  store.  The  following  year.  May,  1846,  Mr. 
Benj.  Cleveland  became  a  partner  in  the  store,  the  wool 
business  still  being  carried  on.    The  partnership  of  Atwood 


&  Cleveland  continued  until  June,  1853,  when  Mr.  Cleve- 
land withdrew  (engaged  in  the  mercantile  and  hardware 
business  in  the  "  Hawley  store").  Mr.  Cyrus  Atwood  con- 
tinued the  business  alone  until  his  death,  August  5,  1858. 
After  his  death,  Sylvester  S.  Crandall  and  Henry  Cleve- 
land formed  the  copartnership  known  as  Crandall  &  Cleve- 
land, which  continued  about  one  year,  when  Job  Sherman 
bought  Cleveland's  interest.  The  firm  of  Crandall  & 
Sherman  lasted  until  about  the  1st  of  January,  1860, 
when  they  failed.  The  store  was  then  for  a  short  time  oc- 
cupied by  James  A.  Fairley  as  a  grocery  and  news-stand. 
In  July,  1861,  Archibald  Robertson  occupied  it  as  a  post- 
ofiice.  Two  years  after  he  removed,  and  it  was  not  again 
occupied  until  James  T.  Hyde  purchased  it  from  Charles 
Crary,  a  son-in-law  of  Henry  Matthews,  April  1,  1865. 
Mr.  Hyde  continued  in  business  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  January,  1872.  The  business  .was  continued  by 
his  administrators  until  February  1  of  the  same  year,  when 
it  was  purchased  by  James  C.  Shaw  and  Wm.  A.  Taylor. 
Shaw  &  Taylor  carried  on  the  business  until  March  1, 
1873,  when  Edwin  McNaughton  purchased  the  stock  and 
traded  alone  for  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  he  sold  a 
half-interest  to  Thomas  C.  Gregory,  forming  the  firm  of 
McNaughton  &  Gregory.  March  1,  1875,  Gregory  sold 
out  to  John  W.  Dobbin.  McNaughton  &  Dobbin's  partner- 
ship lasted  for  year,  McNaughton  buying  Mr.  Dobbin's 
interest  and  remaining  alone  until  March  1,  1877,  when 
he  sold  a  half-interest  to  John  S.  Beattie,  forming  the 
present  firm  of  McNaughton  &  Beattie.  This  firm  does  a 
large  business,  enjoying  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the 
public. 

"The  Corner  Store"  was  built  by  Ebenezer  Proudfit, 
early  in  the  present  century.  The  precise  date  we  are  at 
this  time  unable  to  learn,  but  from  maps  of  the  village 
made  in  1800  and  1805  respectively,  we  ascertain  that  the 
building  was  erected  in  the  interim  between  those  years, 
probably  1801  or  1802.  Upon  its  completion  Mr.  Proud- 
fit  occupied  it,  and  continued  business  until  his  death,  in 
the  year  1813.  John  Kennedy,  who  had  been  in  his  em- 
ploy, in  company  with  Djugrey  &  Rutherford,  of  Lan- 
singburg,  took  the  business  and  carried  it  on  for  a  short 
time,  when,  becoming  somewhat  discouraged,  he  abandoned 
the  business,  which  then,  according  to  the  best  data  at 
command,  passed  into  the  hands  of  David  D.  Gray,  who 
conducted  it  for  a  short  time,  leaving  the  store  in  1814. 
Henry  S.  Beman,  of  Salem,  then  in  connection  with 
Beman,  dossing  &  Co.,  of  Lansingburg,  continued  the 
business  until  March  27,  1816,  when  the  firm  was  dis- 
solved. Beman  conducted  the  business  alone  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  entered  into  partnership  with  Amasa  B. 
Gibson,  a  brother  of  James  B.  Gibson,  and  an  uncle  to 
Judge  James  Gibson.  This  firm  endured  until  April  14, 
1817,  when  it  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Gibson  retaining  the 
business  until  the  month  of  November  of  that  year.  He 
then  sold  out  to  John  Beattie  and  General  John  McNaugh- 
ton, who  formed  the  firm  of  Beattie  &  McNaughton.  Mr. 
McNaughton,  who  had  spent  some  time  in  Troy,  in  the 
capacity  of  clerk,  took  charge  of  the  business  during  the 
winter,  Mr.  Beattie  joining  actively  with  him  in  trade, 
April  1,  1819,  and  continuing  until  the  1st  of  October, 


174 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


1825,  when  lie  removed  to  a  store  occupying  the  site  of 
the  present  store  of  Fitch  &  Beattie.  James  E.  ProuJfit  at 
that  time  became  a  partner  of  Mr.  McNauj;hton,  and  con- 
tinued in  business  witii  him  three  years,  until  Oct.  1, 182S. 
McNaughton  then  retired,  taking  a  portion  of  the  goods 
and  selling  them  out  in  the  store  now  occupied  by  James 
Hickey.  J.  W.  Proudfit  &  Co.  then  became  the  managers 
of  the  business  until  Jan.  1,  1831,  John  W.  Proudfit, 
James  E.  Proudfit,  and  A.  M.  Proudfit  composing  the 
firm.  A.  M.  Proudfit  was  sole  proprietor  of  the  business 
from  Jan.  1,  1831,  to  April  1,  1835,  when  Josephus  Fitch 
became  a  partner  of  Mr.  Proudfit,  and  the  firm  was  con- 
ducted under  the  style  of  Proudfit  &  Fitch  until  April 
1,  18-14.  Mr.  Fitch  went  out,  and  Mr.  Proudfit  was  alone 
for  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which,  April  1,  1845,  Mr.  Fitch 
returned  and  remained  two  years.  Mr.  Proudfit  continued 
the  business  in  his  own  name  for  six  months,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  the  firm  of  King  &  Guild  was  formed. 
John  King,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  had  been  a 
clerk  with  Mr.  Proudfit  since  1840.  King  &  Guild  did 
business  until  July,  1850,  when  Guild  sold  his  interest  to 
Mr.  King,  who  remained  alone  until  April  1,  1851.  At 
this  time  James  A.  Fairley  became  a  partner  in  the  busi- 
ness, which  was  conducted  under  the  name  of  King  & 
Fairley  until  April  1,  1855.  King  &  Fairley  at  this  time 
dissolved,  Mr.  Fairley  buying  a  portion  of  the  stock  and 
removing  to  the  "  Brick  Store."  Mr.  Wm.  McFarland, 
one  of  the  present  proprietors,  now  became  a  member  of 
the  firm.  This  copartnership  of  King  &  McFarland  con- 
tinued until  April  1,  1865,  during  two  years  of  which 
time  John  W.  McFarland  was  associated  with  the  firm, 
which  was  for  that  time  known  as  King  &  McFarland. 
From  Jan.  1,  1805,  to  Jan.  1,  186G,  the  business  was  con- 
ducted by  William  McFarland  alone.  At  the  latter  date 
Mr.  King  again  entered  the  firm,  which  was  styled  King 
&  McFarland  until  March  1,  1868,  at  which  time  Mr. 
John  J.  Beattie  was  received  as  a  partner.  They  did 
business  under  the  name  of  King,  McFarland  &  Co. 
until  the  1st  day  of  March,  1871,  when  William  McFar- 
land retired,  and  the  fii'm  was  King  &  Beattie  for  one 
year.  March  1,  1872,  Mr.  McFarland  returned,  and  the 
firm  was  known  for  three  years  as  King,  McFarland  & 
Beattie.  Mr.  Beattie  then  retired,  and  the  business  was 
conducted  by  King  &  McFarland  till  March  1,  1876, 
when  Mr.  King,  in  consequence  of  ill  health,  sold  out  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Andrew  Getty,  the  junior  member  of  the 
present  firm,  who  for  four  years  had  been  an  efficient  clerk 
in  the  store. 

The  store  has  always  enjoyed  a  fair  proportion  of  the 
material  prosperity  of  the  town,  and  has  been  singularly 
fortunate  in  its  extended  business  history.  No  failure  of 
firms  or  individuals  has  occurred  during  the  more  than 
threescore  years  and  ten  that  this  old  building  has  with- 
stood the  ravages  of  time.  The  ownership  of  the  building 
has  never  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  lineal  descendants 
of  the  family  by  whom  it  was  built.  Mr.  McFarland,  the 
present  owner,  is  a  grandson  of  Ebenczer  Proudfit,  and 
great-grandson  of  General  John  Williams,  who  held  the 
title  of  the  store,  which  was  built  by  Mr.  Proudfit  on  his 
lands,  and  at  his  death,  which  occurred  in   1806,  was  by 


will  left  to  his  daughter  Betsey,  by  whom  it  passed  to  Rev. 
Alexander  Proudfit,  of  Sai'atoga,  and  from  him  to  Wm. 
McFarland,  the  present  owner,  by  purchase. 

SIILIT.VRY. 

There  are  no  extensive  military  operations  involving 
battles  to  be  spoken  of  in  Salem,  but  in  the  time  of  the 
Revolution  there  was  already  a  busy,  stirring  population. 
Colonel  Williams,  to  whom  so  many  important  matters  were 
intrusted,  resided  here.  Military  stores  were  kept  here ; 
and,  as  shown  in  the  general  history,  "  Fort  Salem"  was 
built  here  in  1777  by  stockading  the  Presbyterian  church, 
using  the  logs  from  the  First  Scotch  church  for  the  pur- 
pose. A  block-hou.se,  called  "  Fort  Williams,"  was  built 
the  next  year  on  Mill  hill,  where  so  fine  a  view  of  Salem 
may  still  be  had.  The  church  fort  was  burned  by  the  Tories 
after  the  people  had  been  compelled  to  flee  during  the  Bur- 
goyne  campaign. 

On  the  authority  of  Hon.  S.  E.  Spoor,  of  Hebron,  we 
add  the  following  incident : 

Captain  McNitt  was  in  command  of  a  portion  of  the 
Black  Creek  militia  in  the  time  of  the  Revolution.  His 
company  was  attacked  by  the  loyalists.  Captain  McNitt 
aiid  his  men  took  refuge  in  the  plank-house,  on  the  present 
farni  of  Daniel  Woodard,  northwest  part  of  Salem,  and, 
it  is  said,  there  was  a  sharp  skirmish.  The  Tories  were  re- 
pulsed. The  building  is  still  standing,  though  clap-boarded 
and  used  as  a  wagon-house.  Mr.  Spoor  has,  himself,  seen 
the  places  from  which  bullets  were  cut,  and  had  the  account 
personally  from  James  McNitt,  a  son  of  the  captain. 

This  incident,  together  with  the  items  in  various  other 
places  of  this  history,  shows  something  of  the  stirring  times 
in  Salem. 

The  Revolutionary  documents  annexed  are  from  the  vol- 
umes of  Williams  Papers,  preserved  so  carefully  by  the 
present  family  in  Salem.  Our  acknowledgments  arc  due 
to  them  for  free  access  to  these  valuable  memorials. 

As  to  the  War  of  1812,  the  history  of  the  churches 
shows  that  in  the  crisis  of  danger  on  Lake  Champlain,  all 
the  arms-bearing  men  of  the  community  turned  out,  leaving 
churches  mostly  with  audiences  of  only  women. 

Pensioners,  living  in  Salem,  in  1840,  by  the  official 
register,  were  George  Field,  eighty  years  of  age ;  George 
Harvey,  forty-six ;  Robert  Stewart,  seventy-three ;  Sarah 
Wilson,  seventy ;  Robert  McCarter,  eighty-seven  ;  Sarah 
Sanderson,  eighty ;  Sarah  McNisli,  eighty-two ;  George 
Fowler,  seventy-nine ;  Asa  Fitch,  seventy-four ;  Margaret 
Gray,  seventy-five. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  an  Indian  was  killed  near  the 
present  school  house  in  Black  Creek  district.  He  was  one 
of  a  raiding-party  in  Burgoyne's  campaign,  and  was  shot 
by  some  of  the  men  of  the  neighborhood,  who  knew  his 
enmity.  The  swamp  near  has  been  known  as  Purgatory 
ever  since. 

The  following  names  are  taken  from  a  payroll  of  Captain 
Charles  Hutchinson's  company,  in  Colonel  John  Williams' 
regiment  of  militia,  in  the  county  of  Charlotte  and  State 
of  New  York,  from  June  20  to  Oct.  20,  both  days  in- 
cluded :* 

«  Williams  Papers,  vol.  i.  p.  101. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


175 


Officers. — Charles  Hutchinson,  captain  ;  Edward  Long, 
first  lieutenant ;  Robert  Stewart,  second  lieutenant ;  Alex- 
ander Turner,  ensign ;  Daniel  McNitt,  James  Stewart, 
Thomas  Williams,  Thomas  Lyon,  sergeants;  Isaac  Gray, 
David  McNitt,  Robert  Hopkins,  James  Tomb,  corporals. 

Privates. — Alexander  McNitt,  Sr.,  John  McNift,  An- 
drew Simson,  John  Sirason,  Alexander  Sim.?on,  John  Hop- 
kins, Robert  Hopkins,  Alexander  Henderson,  John  Gray, 
Jr.,  Reuben  Wood,  Alexander  Hunsden,  James  Moore,  Jr., 
John  Gray,  Sr.,  James  Henderson,  David  Hopkins,  John 
Dunlap,  John  Harsha,  James  Hamilton,-  Lewis  Williams, 
David  Webb,  Robert  Creighton,  John  McMichael,  Wil- 
liam Rogers,  John  McAllister,  Samuel  Hopkins,  Jr., 
John  McClure,  Nathan  Gray,  John  Wilson,  Hugh  Martyn, 
James  Thompson,  John  Miller,  Isaac  Hopkins,  David 
Hopkins  (2d),  John  Thompson,  Alexander  McNish,  John 
Chambers,  Samuel  Lyon,  John  Rowan. 

On  this  pay-roll  appear  also  the  names  of  the  regimental 
officers,  with  their  time,  which  we  also  annex  : 

Colonel  Williams,  one  hundred  and  seventeen  days ; 
IMajor  Alexander  Webster,  sixty-eight  days ;  Major  Alex- 
ander Turner,  sixty-eight  days ;  Adjutant  Moses  Martin, 
seventy-four  days  ;  and  Quartermaster  John  Conkey,  eighty- 
four  days. 

A  memorandum  attached  states  that  twenty-two  of  this 
company  had  marched  from  New  York  to  Ticonderoga. 
The  oath  attached  has  a  refreshing  brevity  in  these  days  of 
long  iron-clads: 

"  I  swear,  by  God,  that  this  is  a  just  and  true  pay-roll,  and  their 
respective  time  of  service  and  discharge. 

"Charles  Hutchan,*   Cnjilnin. 
"Sworn  before  me  at  New  Perth,  Nov.  10,  1777. 

•'John  Williams,  Cliiiinnaii." 

In  another  pay-roll  of  the  same  companyf  we  find  the 
following  additional  names:  John  Gray,  Jr.,  Alexander 
McNish,  John  Livingston,  Joseph  Tomb,  John  Lytle, 
William  Lytle,  Andrew  Lytle,  John  McFarland,  John 
Lytle  (2d),  William  Sloan,  Turner  Hamilton,  Lewis 
Williams,  James  Miller,  Thomas  Williams,  Robert  Stewart, 
Isaac  Gray,  Andrew  Simpson,  Lewis  Williams,  Jr.,  Samuel 
Hopkins,  Sr.,  Francis  Lemmon,  John  Chambers,  Samuel 
Lyon,  James  Hamilton,  Jr.,  John  Rowan,  Ebenezer  Russell, 
James  Hopkins,  James  Moor,  Sr.,  James  Moor,  Jr. 

In  another  pay-roll  of  the  same  company  there  are  still 
other  names,  as  follows,J  under  date  of  March  16,  1778  : 
Nathan  Gray,  John  Rowan,  Jr.,  George  Easton,  Hamilton 
McCoUister,  Richard  Hoy,  Matthew  McClaughery,  David 
Stewart,  Archibald  Stewart,  Alexander  Stewart,  Thomas 
Oswald,  Samuel  Wilson,  Robert  Matthews,  Daniel  Mat- 
thison,  John  Webb,  William  Miller,  Jr.,  George  Miller, 
Robert  Gilmore,  Daniel  Livingston,  Peter  McQueen, 
Thomas  Bar,  Wm.  Campbell,  Timothy  Titus,  Wm.  Mof- 
fett,  George  Robinson,  Wm.  Matthews,  Alexander  Garrett. 

To  this  roll  are  attached  the  following  memoranda : 
"  Reuben  Wood  was  a  sergeant  in  the  company,  and  did 
duty  while  Captain  Hutchinson  was  in  command,  and  until 

*'  Charles  Hutchinson. 

f  Williams  Papers,  vol.  i.  p.  119. 

t  Ibid.,  p.  125. 


Burgoyne's  defeat.  Thomas  Williams  was  clerk  in  the 
company,  and  was  all  the  time  doing  duty  as  such,  and  as 
sergeant,  while  Captain  Hopkins  had  the  command.  John 
Gray  is  a  freeholder  in  this  town,  and,  notwithstanding  he 
was  an  exempt,  he  went  to  Ticonderoga  and  was  in  service 
until  Burgoyne's  defeat. 

"  Allen  Hunsden  was,  through  a  mistake,  put  on  this  roll 
instead  of  Captain  Armstrong,  and  was  in  service  all  the 
time.  David  Hopkins  was  above  age,  but  notwithstanding 
did  duty ;  was  taken  prisoner,  and  put  in  irons.  John 
Dunlap  was  at  Ticonderoga." 

This  company  was  in  service  from  June  20,  1777,  to 
Oct.  10, 1777,  and,  judging  from  the  pay-roll,  some  portion 
of  1778. 

Captain  Hutchinson's  company  was  afterwards  com- 
manded by  Captain  Edward  Long.  The  captain  wrote  his 
own  name  sometimes  without  the  final  syllable,  as  appears 
from  the  following  order  : 

"  Mns.  Williams, — Give  these  three  men  of  the  guard  half  a  pint 
of  rum  and  one  gill,  and  place  to  my  account. 

"CiiAiiLES  Hdtchan,   Captain." 

The  following  names  are  taken  from  the  pay-roll  of  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Armstrong's  company  of  Colonel  John  Wil- 
liams' regiment  of  militia,  in  the  county  of  Charlotte  and 
State  of  New  Y'ork,  from  the  20th  of  June  to  the  20th  of 
October,  both  days  included :  §  Thomas  Armstrong,  cap- 
tain ;  John  Armstrong,  first  lieutenant ;  Daniel  McCleary, 
second  lieutenant ;  John  Martin,  ensign  ;  Zebulon  Turner, 
sergeant-major;  John  Gibson,  John  Hunsden,  David  Mc- 
Knight,  Robert  Caldwell,  sergeants;  Wm.  Lytle,  Wm. 
Smith,  Jonathan  Nivins,  Wm.  Huggins,  corporals ;  Robert 
Armstrong,  drummer ;  James  Turner,  fifer. 

Privates. — George  Blakeney,  Robert  McMichael,  Isaac 
Lytle,  Robert  McArthur,  Robert  Boyd,  John  Boyd,  James 
McFarland,  Sr.,  James  Means,  John  Wilson, Wm.  Lytle,  Jr., 
Joseph  Wilson,  Wm.  Moncrief,  Thomas  Gibson,  Robert 
Lytle,  Benjamin  Cleveland. 

The  following  names  are  taken  from  the  pay-roll  of  Cap- 
tain John  Hamilton's  company,  in  Colonel  John  Williams' 
regiment  of  militia,  in  the  county  of  Charlotte  and  State  of 
New  York  :  John  Hamilton,  captain,  Hebron  ;  James  Wil- 
son, first  lieutenant,  Hebron ;  George  H.  Nighton,  second 
lieutenant;  Samuel  Croget,  ensign;  David  Hopkins, ||  R. 
V.  Willson,  Nathaniel  Munson,||  Wm.  Smith,  sergeants; 
Jonathan  Barber,  Robert  Getty,||  Isaac  Hopkins,  David 
Wheaton,||  corporals. 

Primtcs. — David  Willson,  James  Brown,  David  Getty, 
John  Getty,  Samuel  Tirrell,  Samuel  Gammis,  Abel  Sharp, 
David  Whitten,  Solomon  Wade,  Adam  Getty,  Daniel 
Fisher,  Daniel  McCloud,  John  Duncan,  Martin  Harmon, 
Alpheus  Harmon,  Sr.,  Selah  Harmon,  Alpheus  Harmon,  Jr., 
Josiah   Parrish,  John  Fisher,  Isaac  Lytle. 

This  roll  was  sworn  to  by  Captain  Hamilton,  Nov.  10, 
1777,  before  John  Williams,  chairman. 

It  is  probable  this  company  was  largely  from  the  town  of 
Hebron. 

A  muster  roll  of  the  following  company  of  loyalists  is  also 
found  among  the  Williams  Papers  :^ 

5  Williams  Paper.',  vol.  i.  page  103.  [  Also  of  Hebron. 

^  Williams  Papers,  vol.  i.  page  121. 


176 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


A  Iklof  Giptain  J.  SItencood's  comjiany  in  Colonel  Pefers' 
regiment : 

Justus  Sherwood,  captain;  Edward  Cascallen,  lieuten- 
ant; John  Wilson,  ensign;  James  McKim,  sergeant;  John 
Embury,  sergeant ;  Abraham  Marsh,  sergeant. 

Privates. — Paul  Heck,  Charles  Sweet,  Dana  Dulmage, 
Philip  Singer,  Andrew  Embury,  Philip  Switzer,  Samuel 
Wilson,  Wm.  Busted,  Francis  Nicholson,  John  Hogal, 
Selah  Stiles,  Solomon  Beecher,  Alexander  McDougall, 
Ebenezer  Wright,  Asel  Wright,  John  Brooks,  John  Cas- 
callen, Charles  Griffen,  John  Bininger,  James  Buchanan, 
Joseph  Moss,  John  Beecher,  Enoch  Mallory,  Jacob  Tyler, 
Daniel  McGilivray,  Eleazer  Laraby,  James  Perigo,  John 
Singer,  Oliver  Sweet,  Abel  Sharp,  Peter  Miller,  Valentine 
Detlor,  Peter  Detlor,  Robert  Parry,  Ezra  Ward,  Elijah 
Bolton,  Caleb  Henderson,  John  Griffin,  Daniel  Culver, 
George  Patmer,  Conroy  Devoe,  John  Lawrence. 

Some  of  the  above  names  are  found  upon  the  following 
"bond  of  allegiance,"  executed  April  22,  1770.  (Wil- 
liams Papers,  vol  i.  page  03.) 

"We  the  subscribers  do  bind  ourselves  in  the  penal  sum  of  one 
hundred  pounds  each  to  be  obedient  to  the  rules  and  orders  of  (ho 
Continental  Congress;  and  also  that  we  will  protect,  and  defend  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  America,  in  the  present  contest  against  the 
oppressive  acts  of  the  English  Parliament,  according  to  their  abili- 
ties.    Signed  l)y  our  hands  this  22d  day  of  April,  1776. 

"James  Cascallen.        Johs  Bi.vingeu. 

"ADAXf  SCHOOLCHAFT.         JoHN  EmBUUV. 

"  Abram  Bininger.  John  Dulmage. 

"  Garret  Miller.  J.  CuEBOonn. 

"  Padl  Heck.  Peter  Switzer. 

"Philip  Switzer.  Puh.ip  Durgeon." 

Paul  Heck  was  one  of  Embury's  associates.  It  was  bis 
wife,  Barbara  Heck,  who  urged  Philip  Embury  in  New 
York  to  preach,  and  by  her  persistent  entreaty  induced 
the  young  local  preacher,  who  had  received  a  license  in 
Ireland,  to  commence  active  religious  work.  This  was  in 
New  York,  before  they  came  to  Salem.  Stevens,  the 
Methodist  historian,  ascribes  to  Barbara  llech  the  honor 
of  being  the  real  founder  of  the  American  Methodist 
church. 

Charles  Hutchinson,  the  captain,  had  a  personal  ex- 
perience in  the  "war"  over  the  New  Hamp.shire  grants, 
as  shown  by  a  complaint  to  be  found  in  the  documentary 
Iiistory  of  the  State.  Charles  Hutchinson's  home  was  on 
Farrant's  patent,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town,  near 
the  Vermont  line. 

At  a  special  town-meeting  held  Aug.  29,  1802,  Wil- 
liam B.  Bool,  chairman,  and  William  McFarland,  clerk, 
resolutions  were  offered  by  James  Gibson,  seconded  by  C. 
L.  Allen.  After  a  stirring  and  patriotic  discussion  they 
were  adopted.  The  supervisor  was  authorized  to  borrow 
on  the  credit  of  the  town  thirty-five  hundred  dollars, 
the  money  to  be  expended  in  raising  volunteers  to  sup- 
ply the  deficiency  of  twenty-five  men  in  the  filling  of 
the  quota  of  the  town,  paying  bounties  and  expenses 
necessary  to  fill  Captain  Crary's  company  to  the  minimum. 
The  Legislature  was  petitioned  to  pass  a  legalizing  act,  if 
necessary,  to  confirm  these  proceedings.  The  final  resolu- 
tion requested  the  enrolling  officers  to  make  a  complete  list 
of  all  who  bad  or  should  volunteer,  attest  tlie  same  by  their 


signatures;  that  said  list  should  be  filed  in  the  town  clerk's 
office,  and  entered  in  full  upon  the  town  records,  "  to  the 
end  that  it  may  be  known  who  have  gone  from  this  town 
into  the  field  to  save  their  country  in  the  hour  of  peril." 

Dec.  23,  1863,  a  special  town-meeting  was  held,  at 
which  C.  L.  Allen  was  chairman,  and  D.  V.  T.  Qua,  clerk. 
Resolutions  were  adopted  ratifying  the  action  of  the  super- 
visors in  raising  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars,  to  be  used  for  bounties  to  recruits,  at  the 
rate  of  two  hundred  dollars  each,  the  same  to  be  charged 
to  each  town  in  proportion  to  the  amount  drawn.  A  pre- 
vious town-meeting,  December  7,  had  provided  for  a  town 
bounty  of  three  hundred  dollars.  This  was  rescinded,  the 
town  deciding  to  act  under  the  resolution  of  the  super- 
visors. A  town  war  committee  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  A.  B.  Law,  James  Gibson,  William  A.  Russell,  John 
M.  Williams,  and  William  Cleveland. 

At  the  annual  meeting,  March  1,  1804,  it  was  resolved 
that  a  town  bounty,  not  exceeding  the  sum  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars,  be  offered  for  thirty  men  to  fill  the 
present  call,  and  the  remainder  be  applied  to  the  next  call 
for  volunteers,  and  that  the  same  sum  be  paid  for  any  other 
men  that  may  be  required  to  fill  the  next  quota,  should 
another  call  be  made. 

At  a  .special  town-meeting  called  June  25,  1804,  general 
authority  was  given  to  the  supervisor,  in  connection  with 
the  war  committee  appointed  Dec.  23,  1803,  to  raise  what- 
ever number  of  men  may  be  necessary  to  fill  the  calls  now 
or  soon  to  be  made  by  the  President  of  the  United  States ; 
and  the  supervisor  was  authorized  to  expend  whatever 
money  might  be  necessary  for  that  purpose,  issuing  town 
bonds  or  procuring  county  bonds,  and  such  taxes  were  fully 
authorized  as  might  be  necessary  to  meet  the  payments 
thus  provided,  bonds  to  run  four  years. 

At  the  annual  meeting,  March  7,  1805,  the  war  com- 
mittee was  continued,  their  past  acts  and  doings  fully  con- 
firmed, and  further  authority  given  to  expend  sums  a.^ 
might  be  necessary  to  fill  any  future  calls,  and  to  levy 
whatever  taxes-  might  be  required  to  carry  out  this  res- 
olution. 

The  unlimited  authority  thus  conferred  at  .successive 
meetings  shows  how  freely  the  people  voted  money  for  war 
purposes,  and  how  fully  and  justly  they  confided  in  their 
appointed  committee  and  in  the  supervisor  of  the  town. 
The  trust  reposed  was  executed  as  fliithfuUy  as  it  bad  been 
cheerfully  conferred.  All  the  successive  calls  were  promptly 
filled.  The  town  was  in  advance  of  all  demands  of  the 
national  government — more  than  met  them — having  men 
standing  to  its  credit  in  excess  of  quotas  at  the  close  of 
the  war.  The  committee  protected  the  town  from  draft, 
and  at  the  same  time  saved  the  tax-payers  from  the  swin- 
dling operations  of  bounty  brokers,  and  their  confederates, 
— bounty  jumpers. 

Such  a  war  committee  of  patriotic  prudent  citizens,  hon- 
ored and  trusted  by  the  whole  people,  and  therefore  in- 
vested with  well-nigh  unlimited  power,  proved  to  be  the 
safety  of  all  classes. 

The  town-clerk  not  having  made  the  report  requested  by 
the  State  in  1805,  the  following  list  was  prepared  from  the 
printed  muster-in  rolls  of  the  State.     But  it  has  been  left 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


177 


for  correction  and  fully  advertised  in  town,  and  Mr.  Cruik- 
sliank,  postmaster  of  Salem  village,  lias  jiiveii  valuable  and 
patriotic  assistance  in  perfecting  it.  To  his  unwearied 
labor.  Company  H,  of  the  123d,  are  particularly  indebted 
for  the  completeness  of  their  record. 

(icorKn  H.  AUiircI,  imiI.  June  11,  lS6i,  1st  MouiitoJ  Bitlra,  Co.  E. 

Al.iKT  Austin,  Mil.  Dec.  17,  18G:>,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  K. 

Aluxiirnli'r  Austin,  enl.  Dec.  17, 1861,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  K. 

Satniiel  Atwood,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1802, 12:jd  Begt.,  Co.  II. 

David  Austin,  lunsidan  ;  enl.  Sept.  20,  1801,  2d  Cav. 

.I.iliri  Akiris,  enl.  Sept.  15,  1801,  2d  Cm'.,  Co.  A. 

Samuel  Atwood,  onl.  Sept.ll,  1801,  2d  Oav.,  Cu.  A ;  discli.  at  Kiisl  Division  hos- 

jiital  at  close  of  war. 
Alixander  Austin,  enl.  Oct.  1,  1801,  2d  Cny.,  Co.  A. 
Win.  Austin,  Corp. ;  enl.  Sept.  U,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
rlatt  1).  Abell,  farrier;  enl.  Sept.  11,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
George  W.  Austin,  enl.  Dec.  4, 1801,  'JM  Uegt.,  Co.  I. 
Wni.  Andre.ss,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1802,  12.1d  Regt.,  Co.  U  ;  left  sick  at  Salem. 
Win.  C.  Askey,  enl.  .June,  1801,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D;  two  jeais. 
Asa  Buike,  enl.  June  11, 1862,  Ist  Monnted  Bitles,  Co.  E. 
Bobert  B.  Hcattie,  scrgt.;  enl.  Aug.  2,  1802,  12:id  Begt.,  Co.  H  ;  pro.  to  2d  lieut. 

Oct.  21,  1803;  discli.  June  8,  1805. 
Garrett  W.  liriggs,  coip. ;  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  U ;  woundtd  May 

1,  l«Oi,  at  CliancelloraviUe  ;  discli.  June  8,  1805. 
James  L.  Bcattie,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  H  ;  killed  on  picket  at  At- 

lantii,  Ga.,  Aug.  18,  1804. 
Milo  H.  Brown,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1862,  123il  Begt.,  Co.  11 ;  died  of  disease  at  Louden 

Valley,  Va.,  Nov.  27,  1862. 
Oliailes  Hillings,  enl.  Aug.  19, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  H;  died  of  disease  at  Lou- 
den Valley,  Va.,  Dec.  13, 1864. 
Patrick  ilurus,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  H  ;  trans,  to  Invalid  Corps. 
George  Beebee,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  H  ;  discli.  June  8,  1805. 
Elijah  liuker,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  H;  disch.  for  disability  May  24, 

1864. 
Evander  Burtis,  eill.  Sept.  4,1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  H;  died  in  I'liiladelpliia,  Ta., 

Sept.  8,  1802. 
Albert  K.  lirougliton,  musician  ;  enl.  Sept.  20, 1861,  2d  l^av. 
Channcey  L.  Beebee,  enl.  Sept.  23, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Colen  JI.  Bnrke,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Dolbert  Brown,  enl.  Sept.  11, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Bicliard  Burke,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co,  A. 
Wales  M.  Barton,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Andrew  Beebee,  Corp.;  enl.  Sept.  7,  1862,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Asa  Burke,  wagoner;  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Norman  L.  Barber,  enl.  Sept.  1, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Wm.  T.  licattie,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.  June,  1801,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D ;  two  years  ;  killed 

at  bull  Bun. 
Flank  A.  liarringer,  enl.  June,  1801,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  two  years. 
Simon  B.  Bruce,  trumpeter;  enl.  Sept.  20,  1802,  1st  Mounted  BiHes,  Co.  B; 

disch.  at  Point  of  Bocks,  Sept.  19,  1804;  re-enl.  as  a  veteran  volunteer. 
T.  Flank  Brown,  enl.  1st  Mounted  Bitles,  (Jo.  H. 
Edward  Crow,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862,  123a  Begt.,  Co.  C. 
Peter  Crombio,  enl.  Ang.  6, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  O. 
John  S.  Crary,  capt.;  enl.  Aug.  22, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  II  ;  resigned  July  28, 

1803. 
Josiah  W.  Culver,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.  Aug.,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  U  ;  pro.  to  1st  lieut. ; 

to  dipt.  Oct.  21,  1S03. 
James  II.  Cowan,  corp. ;  enl.  Ang.  2, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  II ;  died  at  Harper's 

Ferry,  from  disease,  Dec.  2,  1862. 
Wm.  II.  Creighton,  Corp.;  enl.  July  30, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  II;  sick  in  hospital, 

Aug.  19,  1864  ;  disch.  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  at  close  of  war. 
Lewis  D.  Chase,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Wm.  J.  Cruiksliank,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  U  ;  pro.  to  Corp.; 

wounded  at  ChancoUorsville,  May  3, 1863;  disch.  on  account  of  wounds, 

March  11,  1804. 
Henry   J.  Cleveland,   enl.   Aug.  5,  1802,   123d   Begt.,   Co.   II;    pro.   to   Corp.; 

wounded  at  Dallas  and  Pine  Mountain  ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
George  M.  Creighton,  enl.  Aug.  0,1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  II ;  discli.  from  hosi.ital 

at  Chattanooga,  Ga.,  at  close  of  war. 
Dudley  E.  Cornell,  musician;  enl.  Sept.  26,  1862,  2d  Cav. 
James  H.  Cimklin,  enl.  Oct.  2, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Elias  P.  Craiidall,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Volney  Craw,  enl.  Sept.  21,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
George  Clark,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
David  E.  Ci-onin,  Ist  lient.;  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861, 1st  Mounted  Bitles,  Co.  E  ;  bad 

before  served  in  2d  Cav. 
Benjamin  F.  Cole,  sergt.;  enl.  Sept.  11, 1861,  2d  Cav  ,  Co.  A. 
Charles  II.  Clark,  qnar.-ina  i  sergt.;  enl.  Sept.  II,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Stephen  U.  Chellis,  sergt.;  enl.  Sepl.  II,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
J:i3on  A.  Conkey,  farrier;  enl.  Sept.  7,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Bobert  Cruiksbauk,  ord.  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  5,  1802;  must.  Sept.  4,  1862,  123d 

Begt.,  Co.  II;  pro.  2d  lieut.,  Feb.  2U,  1803;  Ist  lieut.,  Oct.  21, 1803;  acting 

adj.,  Se|it.  1  to  Nov.  10,  1804;  acting  prov.  marshal  for  brigade,  Nov.  10 

to  April  11, 1805 ;  acting  aid-de-camp,  April  11  to  June  8, 1865. 

23 


George  Cobb,  enl.  .lime,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D. 
Body  Cramer,  enl.  .luiie,  Dial,  for  two  yeara,2id  Begl.,  Co.  D. 
Willard  H.  Coltoii,  enl.  Jan.  21,  1804,  Ist  Mounted  Eifles,Co.  E;  di.scli.  Nov.  29, 

1S6.J. 
Hugh  Dorrance,  enl.  June  19,  1862,  Ist  Mounted  BiBes,  Co.  E. 
Thiunas  L.  Dobbin,  enl.  Dec.  28,  1863,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Horatio  H.  Dana,  enl.  Doc.  30,  1803,  16th  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Wm.  H.  Doniiison,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  2,  1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  II ;  wounded   at 

Chancellorsville,  May  2, 180;l ;  discli.  June  8, 1805 . 
Philip  II.  Danforth,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  II. 
Martin  P.  Duiilap,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1802,  I23d  Kegt,  Co.  II. 
Henry  Danforth,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1862,123d  Begt.,  Co.  H;  wounded  at  Peach-Treo 

Creek,  July  2(1,  1804 ;  died  at  King.ston,  Ga.,  July  31,  1804. 
Austin  Deuel,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  C.i.  H;  taken  prisoner  at  Knip's 

Farm,  July  22, 1864;  not  heard  from  afterwards. 
Peter  Donahue,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1802,  123d  Begt., Co.  H;  disch.  June  8,  ISO,'.. 
John  Doig,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  12id  Begt,  Co.  II. 

Philip  H.  Danforth,  enl.  Sept.  9,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  ,<,  ISIIJ. 
John  J.  Dnnlap,  enl.  Sept  23,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
John  S.  Doig,  enl.  Oct.  1, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A;  wounded  at   (Jhaucellorsville 

May  3,  1863;  discli.  June  8,  1865. 
Orlando  Dana,  enl.  June,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Begt,  Co.  D. 
Henry  C.  Earle,  onl.  Jan.  5, 1804,  lOtli  Art,  CJo.  K. 
Wright  Edie,  enl.  Dec.  28,  1803,  lOth  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Benjamin   Elliott,  1st  lieut;  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  121d  Begt,  Co.  H;  resigueil 

Feb.  6,  1863. 
George  II.  Edie,  musician;  onl:  Aug.  14, 1802, 123d  Begt,  Co.  H. 
Frank  W.  Esler,  saddler;  enl.  Oct 29, 1801,  2d  C.iv.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8,1865. 
Daniel  A,  Foster,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1802,  123il  K.-gt,  Co.  H;  disch.  June  8,  1S05. 
Henry  Fleming,  onl.  Sept.  II,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Wm.  G.  Fisher,  bugler;  enl.  Sept.  30,  1801,  2d  Gar.,  Co.  A. 
Thomas  B.  Fisk,  Ist  lieut. ;  enl.  June,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt,  Co.  D ;  re- 
signed Oct.  20,  1802. 
Carlos  Ferguson,  enl.  June,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt,  Co.  D. 
James  C.  Gray,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  9,  1802,123d  Kegt,  Co.  H;  died  of  disease, 

March  21,  1805. 
Edward  Gleason,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  H;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Levi  H.  Gray,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  H;  disih.  June  8,  1865. 
Edward  Graves,  enl.  Ang.  9, 1862, 123d  R-gt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  April  21, 1863. 
John  Gibson,  musician ;  enl.  Sept.  20, 1801,  2d  Cav. 
James  Gilchrist,  enl.  Oct  28, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Benjamin  B.  Gilman,  corp. ;  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Samuel  Giles,  enl.  Aug.  3,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Cfe.  D. 
Beuben  Hill,  enl.  June  1, 1802, 1st  Mounted  BiBes,  Co.  E. 
King  S.  Hammond,  enl.  Dec.  28, 1803,  loth  Art,  Co.  K. 
W'illiam  B.  Haskins,  enl.  Dec.  28,  1803,  16th  Art,  (3o.  K. 
John  Haslin,  enl.  Dec.  28, 1803,  lOtli  Art,  Co.  K. 
Forrest  E.  Hatch,  enl.  Dec.  31,  1803,  lOlh  Art,  Co.  K. 
Ira  Hawthorne,  enl.  Dec.  31,  1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Thomas  Highland,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Kegt,  Co.  G. 
John  Hopkins,  wagoner;  enl.  Ang.  6,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  H;   disch.  June  8, 

1805. 
Albert  Hopkins,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862,  12.id  Regt.,  Co.  H;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Silas  Hopkins,  enl  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  H;  disch.  from  Harper's  Ferry 

hospital. 
Jacob  Hevcr,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1802,  l-2.3d  Regt,  Co.  H;  missing  on  march,  June 

27,103. 
Newell  L.  Harwood,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  Kegt,  Co.  H ;  disch.  at  hospital  in 

Baltimore,  Md. 
William  Howe,  musician;  enl.  Sept  7, 1861,  2d  Cav. 
King  S.  Hammond,  Corp. ;  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Woodard  Hill,  enl.  Sept  15,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
John  N.  Hayes,  enl.  Nov.  1, 1861,  'id  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Henry  Hodge,  enl.  Sept.  18,  ISOl,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
William  B.  Haskins,  enl.  Sept.  11,  ISOl,  2d  Cav.,  Co,  A. 
George  W.  Haywanl,  onl.  Oct.  1. 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
George  H.idley,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
John  A.  Hearn,  enl.  Oct  7,  1801,  •2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Nelson  B.  Ilolden,  enl.  Sept  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
John  Hunt,  enl.  Sept  11, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
John  Haslem,  enl.  Sept  -20, 1861,  '2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Addison  Hayner,  enl.,  Dec.  4, 1861,  93d  Begt,  Co.  J. 
John  Haley,  enl.  Aug.  3, 1863,  2d  Vet  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Elisha  Hill,  enl.  Aug.  17,  1803,  2d  Vet  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
James  Hayden,  enl.  Aug.  31,  1863,  2d  Vet  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Daniel  Harley,  enl.  Aug.  1, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  (Jo.  D. 
Wm.  Hover,  enl.  June,  I86I,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt,  Co.  D. 
Archibald  Johnson,  enl.  Aug.  21  1862, 123d  Kegt,  Co.  H ;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville, Va.,  and  died  May  6,  186:1. 
James  Jerniain,  enl.  Sept.  '23,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Ck>.  A. 
John  A.  Kemp,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  'id  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Henry  C.  Keuyon,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Joseph  Kearsing,  enl.  Ang.  17,  1802;  wounded  at  Kulp's  Farm,  Ga.,  June  22, 

1804;  died  in  rebel  hospital. 
George  Lawrence,  enl.  Doc.  28,  1803, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K. 
William  Leonard,  enl.  Sept.  21,  1861,  •2d  Cav.,  Co.  A.. 
Jolm  Leonard,  enl.  Sept.  21, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 


17? 


HISTORY   OF   WASIIINGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Wm.  II.  T.iulil.  onl.Scpt.  11,  1801, 1st  Moiiiitcd  Itiflce,  Co.  E ;  liad  before  scTTCd 

in  LM  Ciiv.;  iliscli.  Nov.  29,  1805. 
Joscjih  Lowric,  enl.  Sept.  7,  ISCl,  2il  «iv.,  Co  A. 
KJgiir  Liuld,  enl.  Jim.  IO,lao;i,  1st  N.  Y.Mcuntcd  Rifle»;  taken  prisoner,  Marcli, 

1804 ;  discharged.  i 

David  Jliihaffj,  enl.  Dec.  30,  1863,  lOlli   Art.,  Co.  K ;  niu>tenil  uiit,  Ang.  28, 

ISe,'),  with  regiment. 
JIaltliew  Mouaglian,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1802,  12:;d  Rcgt.,  Co.G. 
I'lank  IIcFarland,  con'. ;  enl.  Aug.  2, 1802,  12;jd  Kegt.,  Co.  II  ;  wounded  May 

2!),  1804 ;  disrli.  June  8,  18CS. 
11.11  ace  r.  Malllieivs,  ei.l.  Aug.  0, 1802,  lild  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  discli.  June  8,  1865. 
Siiuinil  Maliaffv  (2d),  enl.  Ang.  22, 1802, 12;!d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  i)ro.  sorgt.;  disch. 

.lunc  8, 18C5. 
Jnlin  A.  Mains,  Clil.  Aug.  5, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  II ;  killed  at  Cliancelloi-sville, 

Va.,  May  3, 1803. 
Charles  Marsliall,  enl.  Aug.  22, 18C2, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  lull.d  at  t'liancellors- 

ville,  Va.,  May  3, 1803. 
Mitcliell  McFarland,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  12:id  Kigt.,  Co.  II ;  »..uii.Il-<1  at  Clian- 

cellorsville,  Va.,  May  3,  1803. 
I'i'ter  McNassof,  enl.  Aug.  5, 1^C2,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  H  ;  killid  at  Kulp's  Farm, 

G».,  June  22, 18C+. 
Levi  Matthews,  musician  ;  enl.  Sept.  20, 1861,  2d  Car. 
Austin  Magee,  niufiiciau;  enl.  Sept.  20,  18C1,  2d  Cav.;  also  roenL.  in   Isl 

Mounted  KiHes. 
Watson  W.  MeCullough,  Jorgt. ;  onl.  Sepfe  11, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Wni.  MeKchron,  sergl.;  enl.  Sept.  11, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
James  C.  McClellan,  con). ;  enl. Sept.  19;  1801,  2dCav.,  Co.  A. 
Thomas  Mclutyre,  enl.  Sejit.  7, 1801,  2d  Car.,  Co.  A. 
Martin  Moor,  enl.  Oct.  13, 1801.  2d  Cav.,  Co  A. 
James  McGeocli,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Seucea  Mcliain,  eul.  Oct.  1, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Horace  B  Matthews,  eul.  Sept.  30,1801,  ii  t^av.,  Co.  A. 
Joseph  B.  Madison,  enl.  June,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Edward  Kidson,  enl.  Sept.  12, 1861,  2d  Oav.,  Co.  A. 
Robert  D.  Nelson,  cul.  Aug.  31, 1864,  for  one  year,  liSd  Kegt.,  C...  11 ;  Jiscb. 

June  8, 1865. 
John  Nelson,  enl.  June,  1801,  for  two  ycare,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
I'eter  Naylor,  enl.  Ist  Mounted  R Hes,  Co.  C. 
Wui.  J.  Orcutt,  enl.  July  30,1862,  12::d  Regt.,  Co.  II;  di.d  of  disea.se  at  Elk 

River  Bridge,  Tcnn. 
Patrick  O'Brien,  enl.  Nov.  4, 1861, 2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Ccorge  Pattersou,  enl.  June  23,  1862,  Isl  Mounted  Rifles,  Co.  E. 
Calvin  I.  Parker,  onl.  Aug.  12, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 
John  A.  Perkins,  enl.  July  31,  1802,  ISid  Regt.,  Co.  II ;  wounded  and  prisoner, 

ClianecllorsvlU.',  Va.,  May  3, 1803;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Alexander  Pralt,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  II;  disch.  Juno  8,  1805. 
■\Villiani  Pierce,  eul.  Aug.  21,  1802,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  II;  wounded  at  Kc.sa.a,  Ga., 

May  15, 1804;  disch.  June  8,  1800. 
]I(!nry  Paris,  enl.  Se|)t.  20, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Josephus  Perry,  enl.  Nov.  4,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Alexander  Pratt,  eul.  Oct.  1,  1^61,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  discliargeil. 
Edgar  S.  Perry,  bugler;  enl.  Sept.  9, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Go.  A. 
Wm.  C.  Partridge,  enl.  Aug.  11,1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  left  sick  at  S;ilem. 
Hiram  Pratt,  ml.  June,  1861,  fur  two  years,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Daniel  li.  Ross,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  14,  1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  II ;  prisoner,  June  22, 

1?64;  returned  to  duty;  discliargcd. 
Wm.  I..  Rich,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  H  ;  killeil  at  Cliancellorsvllle, 

Va.,  5Iay  3, 1863. 
Wm.  H.  Kvan,  musician;  eul.  Sept.  26,  1861,  2d  Cav.;  re-onl.  in  1st  Mounted 

RiHes. 
Solomon  W.  Russell,  capt.;  eul.  Sept.  7,  1S61,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Win.  Robertson,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.,  Sept.  7,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Itobert  Rac,  sergt. ;  eul.  Sept.  11,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Matthew  Relihau,  enl.  Nov.  4,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Marcus D.  Rice,  enl.  Sept.  II,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Daniel  R.  Ross,  enl.  Sept.  11, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  discharged. 
Daniel  C.  Rogers,  enl.  Sept.  19,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Charles  W.  Kasey,  enl.  Sept.  11, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Lawrence  M.  Roy,  drnm-maj. ;  enl.  Aug.  6,  1802,  123d  Eegt. ;  pro.2d  lieut. ;  not 

mustered. 
John  D.  Ross,  enl.  Sept.  1, 1864,  for  one  year,  12:!d  Regt.,  Co.  II. 
John  L.  Rice,  enl.  June,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Wni.  T.  Runey,  enl.  June,  1861,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Abram  Rowan,  enl.  June,  1861,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
John  C.  Shields,  enl.  Dec.  28, 1803,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Wm.  H.  Steivart,  col-p.;  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  died  of  wounds 

received  at  Chancellorsville,  May  12, 186:). 
Charles  R.  Sherman,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  U  ;  disch.  June  8, 

1805. 
John  Schneider,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  disch.  June  8, 186.5. 
Charles  A.  Sheppard,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1802, 123.1  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  siragglod  May  2, 1863. 
Alvah  Streetcr,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  wounded  at  Chaucellors- 

ville.  May  3, 186:1 ;  disch.  for  disability,  June  8, 1864. 
George  Sweet,  enl.  July  30,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  II  ;  died  of  disease  in  camp, 

Stafford  Courl-IIouse,  Va.,  Feb'.  4, 1863. 
Henry  0.  Sweet,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  died  of  disease  at  Har- 
per's Kerry,  Va.,  Dec.  20, 1802. 


Elias  Smith,  innsician  ;  enl.  Sept.  26, 1861,  2d  Cav. 

James  R.  Skinner,  Corp.;  enl.  Sept.  .30, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

Ira  S'ss.)n,  Corp.;  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

Joseph  Spniguc,  enl.  Sept.  11,  ISGI,  2.1  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

Cornelius  Shaw,  eul.  Sej.t.  11, 1801,  2.1  Ov.,  Co.  A. 

Klward  Sweeni-y,  enl.  Sept.  11,  18  1,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

John  Stevens,  eul.  Sept.  11, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

James  Smilh,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1861,  'id  Cav.,  Cv.  A. 

David  G.  Stewart,  eul.  Oct.  1,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

James  B.  Slocuni,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1?61,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

John  Snyder,  enl.  Oct.  1, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

Thomas  Smith,  enl.  Oct.  23,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

Wni.  Scandall,  enl.  Oct.  22, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 

Edward  Sprague,  enl.  Dec.  4,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I  ;  le-eiil.   in    1>1  3Ioiiiiled 

Rifles,  Co.  U,  June  1,  1862. 
RaiKson  S.|i.iers,  .'nl.  Aug.  1.5, 1863,  2il  Vet  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Fr.ink  Sayles  enl.  June,  1861,  for  two  years,  2-2d  Kegt.,  (a>.  D. 
Wm.  II.  Smart,  eul.  May  lu,  ISCI,  for  two  years,  22il  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
James  Stalker,  eul.  Jnuc,  1801,  for  two  years,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Warren  Thomas,  onl.  Dec.  28, 1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Owen  Torreuce,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  II ;  disch.  from  hospital, 

Louisville,  Ky..  at  close  of  war. 
Wallace  Thames,  musician  ;  enl.  Sept.  26, 1861,  2d  Cav. 
David  N.  Thompson,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Dennis  Tooliey,  enl.  Oct.  1,  1801,  2d  Cav..  Co.  A. 
Hiram  L.  Thomas,  enl.  Oct.  1, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Daniel  Van  N.irder,  enl.  Oct.  1, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Josiah  S.  Whitney,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1803,  16th  Art.,  Co.  X. 
Allien  II.  Wing.  eul.  Dec.  28,  186:1,  lOlh  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Frederick  I.  Williamson,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  2, 1862,  12:id  Regt.,  Co.  H ;  pro.  to 

sergt. ;  died  of  disease  in  hospital  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  March  0,  1805. 
EJgiir  L.  Wheelock,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862,  12;id  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  lr..m  hospital 

at  Jellersonville,  Ind.,  at  close  of  war. 
Alexander  U.  Wells,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1802,  I'iSd  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  trans,  to  Iiivali.l 

C.>rps. 
James  H.  Wright,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1802,  123d  Regt ,  Co.  H  :  disch.  June  8, 180.5. 
E.lward  D.  Whitney,  enl.  Aug.  6,  ISOi,  123d  Kigt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  June  8,  186.5. 
Williaui  Warner,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  II ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
David  II.  Warner,  cul.  Aug.  21,  1802',  I'iSd  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  died  of  disease,  A|.ril 

20, 1805. 
Richanl  West,  enl.  July  .30, 1862,  12:W  Regt.,  Co.  H ;  committed  suici.le  at 

Louden  Valley,  Va.,  Dec.  6,  1802. 
Luther  Woodbridge,  musician  ;  enl.  Sept  26,  1861,  2.1  Cav. 
Charles  Wliitcomb,  mnsc  an  ;  eul.  Sept.  20, 1801,  ^d  Cav. 
Henry  Watkiu",  musician  ;  enl.  Sept.  2li,  1861,  2d  Cav. 
Robert  C.  Wager,  enl.  Oct.  26, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
.Tolin  Wright,  eul.  Oct  1,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Dennis  Welch,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1801,  2.1  Cav.  Co.  A. 
Thomas  West,  eul.  Sept.  7, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
Myrou  Woo.1,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
James  Wig!;ins,  onl.  Oct.  1,  1861,  2.1  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
John  M.  Wcl.ster,  enl.  Oct.  1,  ISOl,  '211  Cav.,  Co.  A. 
George  Wait  enl.  Dec.  4,  1661,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Christopher  M.  Wolff,  enl.  Sept  ]S61,93d  Regt,  Co.  D;  disch.  Septl8Ci;  re-nnl. 

May,  1803, 5th  N.  II.  B.;  disch.  Dec. '28,1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Ream's 

Stjition,  Va.,  Aug.  25,  1804. 
James  West,  enl.  June,  1861,  22d  Regt,  Co.  D. 
James  Yates,  enl.  Dec.  28,  1803,  16th  Art,  Co.  K. 
John  Young,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1803,  2d  Vet  Cav.,  Co.  D. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

GENERAL  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 
Tills  distliiijuislied  gentlciuan  was  born  at  Barnstaple,  in 
the  county  of  Devon,  England,  in  the  year  1752,  was  lib- 
erally educated,  studied  luodicine  and  surgery,  and  prepared 
for  the  practice  of  his  profession  by  one  year's  attendance 
in  the  great  hospital  of  St.  Thomas,  in  London,  and  after- 
wards serving  for  one  year  as  surgeon's  mate  on  board  of  an 
Engli.sh  vessel  of  war,  emigrated  to  this  country,  and  settled 
at  Salem,  in  the  then  county  of  Charlotte,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  year  177^:^,  and  there  commenced  business  as  a  physician 
and  surgeon,  and  almost  immediately  obtained  an  extensive 
practice  in  his  profession  ;  which  rapidly  increasing,  he  be- 
came widely  known  and  greatly  beloved  and  respected  by 
all  classes   in   the   community.      Indeed,  so  rapid  was  his 


'"'^VJ-i^u^..  Jarii 


/a^v^I^/Z-c  C^<:^y?r?^^z^/ 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


179 


advance  in  the  populai-  affection  and  confidence  that  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  April,  1775, — - 
less  than  two  years  after  his  coming, — lie  was  chosen  unan- 
imously as  one  of  the  representatives  of  the  county  of 
Charlotte  in  the  New  York  Provincial  Congress,  which 
met  and  organized  in  the  city  of  New  York  on  May  20, 
1775,  and  which  for  some  years,  and  during  "troublous 
times,"  administered  the  government  of  this  State.  Of  this 
body  Dr.  Williams  was  thrice  re-elected  a  member,  and 
served  as  such  during  its  whole  existence.  In  this  he  was 
active  and  influential,  and  was  appointed  on  .some  of  its 
most  important  committees,  and  had  in  his  charge  or  under 
consultation  and  determination  many  of  its  most  consid- 
erable affairs.  He  took  his  seat  in  the  Congress  on  the 
2-lth  of  May, — only  four  days  after  its  opening, — and  was, 
on  the  next  day,  appointed  the  second  member  on  a  com- 
mittee of  five  to  prepare  and  report  the  draft  of  a  letter  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  northern  counties  of  the  State  as  to 
incursions  into  the  neighboring  province  of  Canada.'  (1 
Journal,  11.)  On  the  25th  of  May  ho  was  appointed  on 
the  committee  to  confer  with  Captain  Douglas  on  the  cap- 
ture of  Ticonderoga ;  on  the  2Gth  on  one  to  prepare  a  letter 
to  all  the  counties,  recommending  in  each  the  organization 
of  war  committees  or  committees  of  safety.  (Id.,lo.)  On 
INIay  31  lie  was  appointed  on  the  committee  to  report  an 
organization  of  the  troops  to  be  embodied  for  the  defense 
of  the  country  and  regulations  for  their  discipline  and  gov- 
ernment. {Id.,  21.)  On  June  2  on  a  committee  to  report 
a  plan  for  the  accommodation  of  the  differences  between 
the  colonies  and  the  mother-country.  {Id.,  26.)  On  June 
14  on  committee  to  hear  and  report  on  Colonel  Duer's 
memorial.  {Id.,  42.)  On  June  21  on  another  to  report 
a  plan  for  the  enforcement  of  a  resolution  iis  to  salt.  {Id., 
49.)  On  June  15  his  colleague,  Colonel  Marsh,  had 
leave  of  absence,  and  Dr.  Williams  had  power  granted  him 
to  cast  the  full  vote  of  the  county.  (/(/.,  44.)  On  the 
30th  of  June  he  was  appointed  a  surgeon,  and  was  subse- 
quently assigned  for  duty  in  that  capacity  to  one  of  the 
regular  regiments.  In  February,  1776,  on  the  unanimous 
recommendation  of  the  committee  of  safety  of  Charlotte 
county,  he  was  appointed  and  commLssionod  as  colonel  of 
the  regiment  which  had  been  raised,  mainly  by  his  efforts, 
in  that  county,  and  remained  its  commanding  officer,  except 
for  a  brief  period,  all  through  the  war  and  till  his  subse- 
(|uent  promotion,  in  1786,  to  be  the  brigadier-general  of 
the  brigade. 

The  service  of  Dr.  Williams  as  surgeon  continued  in 
one  of  the  New  York  regiments  on  the  Continental  line 
till  the  declaration  of  peace,  acting  as  such  in  some  of  the 
heaviest  battles  of  the  war,  especially  in  the  battle  of  Mon- 
mouth, where,  by  his  efficient  aid  and  services,  the  life  of 
his  friend  and  associate.  Major  Joseph  McCracken,  was 
saved.  The  arm  of  the  latter  had  been  cut  off  by  a  can- 
non-.shot,  and  he  lay  bleeding  in  some  bushes  on  the  field — 
to  which  his  servant  had  carried  him — when  found  by  Dr. 
Williams,  by  whom  ho  was  brought  home  and  finally  re- 
stored to  health. 

These  services  by  no  means  prevented  the  attendance  of 
Dr.  Williams  as  a  memb;;r  at  the  sessions  of  the  Provincial 
Congress,  though   they   no  doubt   prevented    his   being  as 


active  and  useful  as  he  had  been  when  burdened  with  no 
other  official  duty. 

The  Journal  shows  his  taking  a  scat  in  1776,  on  Feb- 
ruary 14,  and  on  the  seventeenth  he  was  on  a  committee  to 
organize  the  four  New  York  regiments  on  the  Continental 
line  {Id.,  306),  and  on  March  11  on  another  to  report  the 
powers  to  be  granted  to  the  committee  of  safety,  which 
was  to  sit  during  the  recess  of  the  Congress  {Id.,  351 ) ; 
and  on  March  15  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  that  com- 
mittee during  the  recess  of  the  Senate. 

On  April  8,  1777,  he  gave  his  vote  for  the  ordinance 
creating  the  State  of  New  York  and  adopting  its  constitu- 
tion. (/(/.,  892.) 

Besides  these  public  and  official  stations  ho  was  also  an 
active  member  of  the  convention  by  which  the  State  of 
New  York  adopted  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  ; 
member  of  the  Council  of  Appointment  of  this  State  for 
the  year  1789  ;  member  of  the  Assembly  of  New  York  for 
the  years  1781  and  1782;  and  of  the  Senate  of  this  State 
from  1777  to  1795,  except  while  in  the  Assembly;  four 
years,  from  1792  to  179G,  a  representative  in  Congress 
from  the  district  compo.sed  (jf  the  counties  of  Washington 
and  Saratoga ;  and  during  over  twenty-five  years,  from  the 
organization  of  the  State  government  to  his  death,  liolding 
the  office  of  judge  of  the  county  courts  of  Charlotte,  and 
its  successor,  Washington,  county;  and  often,  while  offi- 
ciating as  such,  presiding  over  the  courts, — trying  the  casus 
and  charging  the  grand  and  trial  juries  with  ability  and 
dignity. 

During  much  of  this  time  he  also  held  the  office  of  super- 
visor of  the  town  of  Salem,  and  while  such  was  an  active  and 
efficient  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors  of  the  county. 
It  .should  be  borne  in  mind  that  from  the  time  ho  .settled 
in  Salem  till  his  last  illness  unfitted  him  for  the  work,  he 
was  giving  attention  to  a  large  and  constantly-increasing 
busiiiess.  He  was  the  largest  landholder  the  county  ever 
had,  owning  at  one  time  all  the  lands  in  Hampton,  except 
three  thousand  five  hundred  acres,  more  than  half  of  Put- 
nam, nearly  half  of  Whitehall,  and  the  like  in  Hebron, 
largely  in   Granville  and  more  than   half  of  Salem,   with  ^ 

many  other  separate  parcels  in  various  parts  of  the  State.  ' 

His  death  occurred  at  Salem  on  the  22d  July,  1806,  he 
being  aged  fifty-three  years  and  ten  months.  His  life  had 
been  one  of  great  activity  and  usefulness,  and  to  his  untiring 
exertions  the  county  is  largely  indebted  for  its  rapid  growth 
in  population  and  in  material  power,  resources,  and  influ- 
ence. 

General  Williams  lived  in  a  time  when  party  spirit  ran 
riot.  He  occupied  a  high  and  shining  station,  and,  of 
course,  was  a  constant  mark  for  the  arrow  of  a  public 
opponent  or  the  private  shaft  of  malice  and  envy.  The 
dread  of  his  power  and  influence  by  those  who  were  op- 
posed to  him,  the  ignoble  fear,  and  the  sycophantic  expres- 
sions of  others  towards  him  were  well  described  by  the  pa- 
triarch Lmsing,  of  Linsingburg,  on  one  occasion,  when  a 
large  gathering  had  assembled  and  were  deriding  the  gen- 
eral and  threatening  what  t/ui/  would  do  with  him  when 
he  should  pass  on  his  returning  liome  from  the  Legislature. 
The  reason  of  their  anger  was  that  the  general  had  by  his 
labors  and   influence   obtained  the  passage   of  the  law  by 


180 


HISTORY   OF   WASniNGTON    COUiNTV,  NEW   YORK. 


which  Cambridge  and  Easton  were  taken  from  Albany 
county  and  placed  with  the  county  of  Washington  instead 
of  Rensselaer.  To  this  measure  the  people  of  Lansin- 
burg  had  been  bitterly  hostile,  and  their  wrath  at  its  chief 
promoter  was  unmeasured  in  words.  It  was  after  hearing 
for  some  time  the  idle  talk  of  this  crowd  ready  to  do  some 
great  thing  that  Mr.  Lansing  said,  "  Oh,  no,  gentlemen, 
when  the  general  comes  along  through  this  place  not  a  soul 
of  you  but  will  take  off  his  hat.  with  a  low  bow,  saying, 
'  Your  most  obedient,  General  Williams.'  No ;  he  is  to 
be  respected  for  the  governing  influence  he  has  in  the  Legis- 
lature, and  for  his  ability  shown  in  the  passage  of-  this  law, 
as  well  as  in  every  other  measure  he  takes  in  hand." 

This,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  a  tribute  of  respect 
from  one  whose  interests  had  been  prejudiced  by  the  action 
of  General  Williams,  and  who  yet  had  the  manliness  to 
acknowledge  his  great  ability  and  rebuke  those  who  de- 
tracted from  his  merit. 

This  measure  greatly  benefited  this  county,  rendering  it 
more  powerful  in  wealth,  territory,  and  population,  and  in- 
creasing greatly  its  influence  in  the  legislative  bodies  of  the 
State  and  nation.  The  town  of  Salem  was  also  thereby 
placed  nearer  the  geograpliical  centre  of  the  county,  and 
thus  the  "  Central  Court-house  question,"  then  looming 
into  importance,  was  for  a  long  time  bridged  over  or  avoided. 

As  a  physician  and  surgeon,  Dr.  Williams  was  highly 
distinguished ;  as  a  scholar  and  a  linguist  he  had  no  supe- 
rior among  his  associates.  His  skill  and  learning  prove 
him  to  have  been  a  hard  student,  as  otherwise  he  could  not 
have  attained  and  held  the  high  position  he  did,  as  well  in 
his  profession  as  among  the  learned  men  of  the  time. 

It  would  be  gratifying  to  exhibit  his  more  than  ordinary 
ability  by  extracts  from  his  extensive  correspondence,  bis 
charges  to  grand  juries,  his  elaborate  reports  in  the  Legis- 
lature and  in  Congress  from  the  various  committees  on 
which  he  so  frequently  served,  but  the  length  of  this  sketch 
already  admonishes  us  to  brevity,  and  we  refrain.  But  it 
was  as  a  statesman  and  in  the  walks  of  legislation  that  his 
gieat  power  and  influence  were  exhibited.  Some  of  the 
measures  which  he  presented  or  advocated  have  been 
already  noticed. 

His  legislative  career  lasted  nearly  twenty  years,  and  at  a 
time  when  all  his  ability  was  required  and  was  efficiently 
given  in  the  organization  of  the  great  State  of  New  York  ; 
not  merely  in  its  formal  creation,  but  its  potential  exist- 
ence as  one  of  the  powers  of  the  earth.  This  required  skill 
as  a  lawgiver,  care  and  prudence  in  meeting  and  avoiding 
existing  and  numerous  evils,  and  foresight  in  preventing 
those  likely  to  arise.  The  journals  of  both  Houses  show 
him  to  have  been  active  in  all  the  important  measures 
before  the  Legislature  while  he  was  a  member.  One  proof 
of  his  ability  and  exertions  in  legislation  will  bo  given,  and 
that  must  sufiice  as  a  fair  specimen  of  his  life-long  works. 

The  subject  of  opening  a  vrater  communication  from  the 
Hudson  river  to  the  west,  by  the  great  lakes,  and  to  the 
north  by  Lake  Champlain,  had  been  suggested  as  feasible 
by  .several  different  persons,  but  to  General  John  Williams 
are  we  indebted  for  its  first  introduction  into  the  legisla- 
tion of  the  State.  He,  then  being  a  member  of  the  Senate, 
offered  a  resolution  in  that  body  on   the  15th  of  February, 


1791,  for  the  appointment  of  a  joint  committee  of  the 
Senate  and  Assembly  on  this  subject,  and  the  resolution 
being  adopted  in  both  Houses,  the  committee  was  raised, 
and  he  was  appointed  its  chairman.  This  committee  sub- 
sequently and  in  the  following  year  reported  favorably. 
This  report  was  referred  to  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land- 
Oflnce  to  report  as  to  the  feasibility  of  the  measure,  and  on 
the  5th  of  January,  1792,  their  report,  which  was  favor- 
able, was  submitted  to  both  Houses,  and  General  Williams 
then  moved  for  another  joint  committee,  to  which  the  report 
was  referred.  On  the  7th  February  following  he  brought 
in  a  bill  authorizing  the  construction  of  the  proposed  works, 
and  this  bill  became  a  law  on  the  30th  March,  1792. 

In  the  company  which  was  organized  for  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Northern  Inland  Lock  Navigation,  connecting 
the  Hud.son  River  and  Lake  Champlain,  General  Williams 
was  a  director  and  a  heavy  stockholder,  and  devoted  much 
time  and  lubor  to  advance  the  undertaking. 

General  Williams  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Mrs.  Susanna  (Thomas),  the  widow  of  James  Turner,  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Salem.  She  dying,  he 
married  Mrs.  Mary  Townley,  of  the  city  of  New  York. 
By  her  he  had  no  children.  By  his  first  wife  he  bad  four 
children,  viz. : 

Susan,  who  married  the  Rev.  Alexander  Proudfit,  P.H., 
over  forty  years  minister  of  the  Associate  Roforniod  church 
at  Salem. 

Elizabeth,  who  married  Ebcnezer  Proudfit,  long  a  distin- 
guished merchant  at  Salem. 

Maria,  who  married  the  Hon.  Anthony  T.  Blanchard, 
one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  Washington  County,  and  long 
first  judge  of  the  county  courts;  and 

John,  who  subsequently  for  many  years  commanded  the 
Washington  County  Regiment  of  Cavalry,  and  from  that 
obtained  the  military  title  of  colonel,  by  which  he  was 
afterwards  uniformly  called.  He  married  Ann,  a  daughter 
of  Colonel  George  Wray,  of  Fort  Ann,  and  by  her  had  an 
only  son,  John,  who  married  Miss  Harriet  B.  INIartin,  a 
niece  of  Governor  Enos  T.  Throop ;  and  an  only  daughter, 
Mary,  who  married  the  Kev.  George  W.  Bethune,  D.D., 
and  who  died  without  leaving  any  children. 

John  Williams,  Jr.,  last  mentioned,  by  his  wife  Harriet, 
had  an  only  son,  John  M.,  and  daughters,  Harriet  M.  and 
Fanny  H.,  who  are  all  living.  John  M.  Williams  married 
IMi.ss  Francos  Sehriver,  and  by  her  has  a  son,  John  Francis, 
and  daughter,  Marion. 

John  Williams,  Jr.,  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  greatly 
beloved  and  respected,  on  June  14,  1840,  in  the  lliirty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age. 


HON.  JAMES   GIBSON. 

This  gentleman,  on  the  paternal  side,  is  descended  from 
John  Gibson,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  by  his  grandmother 
is  ninth  in  descent  from  John  Brown,  the  Assistant  of  the 
Plymouth  colony,  and  by  his  mother,  seventh  in  descent 
from  John  Townsend,  of  Warwick,  R.  I.,  afterwards  of 
Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island. 

He  is  the  son  of  James  B.  Gib.son  and  Margaret  Town- 
send,  his  wife,  and  was  born  at  Salem,  N.  Y.,  September  5, 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,   NEW   YORK. 


181 


1816.  Jaines  B.  Gib.son  was  a  lawyer  of  distinction,  and 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  fellow-townsiuen,  and  by 
the  people  of  the  county  generally.  His  wife  was  a  lady 
of  rare  attainments,  highly  cultured,  and  deeply  versed  in 
literature.  She  departed  this  life  July  20,  1825,  and  her 
husband  on  May  10,  1827.  During  his  lifetime  he  was  in 
good  pecuniary  circumstances,  but  when  his  estate  was 
settled  but  little  was  left,  except  family  heirlooms,  for  his 
children,  so  that  James  and  his  brothers  and  sisters  had  to 
depend  upon  their  own  exertions  for  their  support.  James, 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  was  only  eleven  years  of 
age,  and  he  took  up  the  threads  of  his  young  life  with  a 
determination  to  weave  thera  into  something  that  would 
give  him  position  and  influence.  He  was  educated  at 
Washington  Academy,  at  Salem.  While  a  student  he 
entered  the  law-office  of  his  uncle,  Samuel  Stevens,  a  former 
partner  of  his  father,  who  was  at  that  time  eminent  as  a 
practitioner,  and  who  afterwards  became  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Albany  bar.  After  the  departure  of  Mr. 
Stevens,  he  .studied  in  the  office  of  Cyrus  Stevens,  at  Salem, 
and  subsequently  with  Hun.  John  H.  Boyd,  at  Whitehall. 
During  the  years  of  his  student  life,  he  laid  broad  and  deep 
the  foundation  for  his  future  success  as  a  lawyer.  In  1836, 
at  the  October  term  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Mr.  Gibson  was 
admitted  to  practice,  and  on  the  1st  of  January  following, 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  Cyrus  Stevens,  which  con- 
tinued one  year,  and  until  the  latter  nioved  to  Albany. 
From  that  time  he  continued  the  practice  of  his  profession 
on  his  individual  responsibility  at  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  In  October,  1839,  he  was 
admitted  as  a  counsellor-at-law.  He  was  successful  from 
the  outset  in  his  profession.  "  His  qualifications,"  to  quote 
the  language  of  another,  "  were  such  as  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  public;  and,  in  a  brief  time,  he  gathered  to 
himself  an  extended  practice."  Very  many  important 
causes,  civil  and  criminal,  have  been  intrusted  to  him 
during  the  forty-odd  years  of  his  professional  life,  and,  if 
space  permitted,  the  writer  would  be  pleased  to  speak  some- 
what in  detail  concerning  the  more  important  controversies. 
But  this  sketch  would  be  imperfect  without  a  brief  allusion 
to  a  few  of  the  cases  in  which,  by  his  deep  research  into  the 
principles  and  logic  of  law  and  the  science  of  jurispru- 
dence, he  became  the  instrument  by  means  of  which  the 
law  was  settled  in  our  courts  on  many  novel  questions. 
The  first  cause  which  Mr.  Gibson  tried,  which  was  carried 
to  the  Supreme  Court  on  appeal,  and  in  which  he  prepared 
the  argument,  was  that  of  Prindle  vs.  Anderson  (reported 
in  19  Wend.,  391).  This  was  a  case  in  which  he  raised 
and  succeeded  on  the  question  that  the  receipt  of  rent  by  a 
landlord  after  service  by  him  of  notice  to  quit  on  his  tenant, 
was  a  waiver  of  the  notice.  This  decision  was  affirmed  in 
the  court  for  the  correction  of  errors,  and  is  reported  in  23d 
Wend.,  616. 

In  the  case  of  Shaw  is.  Bevcridge,  .3  Hill,  26,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  as  law,  that  an  action  of  trespass 
would  lie  for  disturbing  a  party  in  the  possession  of  a  pew 
in  a  church. 

In  Saffijrd  vs.  People,  .5  Dcnio,  112,  he  prepared  the  case 
and  succeeded  on  the  question  that  a  party  cannot  give 
evidence  derogatory  to  the  character  of  his  own  witness,  or 


show  by  the  witness'  own  evidence  that  he  is  unworthy  of 
belief. 

In  Hanks  ikIs.  Fake,  not  reported,  he  argued  for  and  the 
court  held,  that  an  action  would  not  lie  to  recover  for  brandy 
sold  by  a  "commercial  traveler,"  being  the  "growth,  pro- 
duce, or  manufacture"  of  a  foreign  country,  without  the 
latter  having  a  license  as  a  hawker  or  peddler,  it  being  con- 
trary to  the  statute.    (1  R.  S.,  595.) 

In  Buck  vs.  Bininger,  .3  Barb.,  391,  ho  maintained,  and 
the  court  held,  that  a  party  was  estopped  from  taking  sum- 
mary proceedings  to  remove  a  tenant  by  an  existing  cove- 
nant for  quit  possession. 

In  Adams  vs.  R.  and  S.  R.  R.  Co.,  6  Seld.,  328,  held 
that  ejectment  would  lie  to  recover  the  fee  of  a  public  high- 
way, and  in  which  the  railroad  tunnel  at  Whitehall  was 
held  to  belong  to  the  plaintiff. 

In  Steven.son  vs.  Bardin,  tried  in  1860,  the  court  hold, 
on  his  motion,  that  photographs  of  an  instrument  alleged 
to  be  forged  could  be  used  to  establish  such  forgery.  As 
this  was  the  first  attempt  to  use  this  art  as  evidence  in  the 
courts,  the  decision  was  of  general  interest. 

Since  1853,  iMr.  Gib.son  has  been  largely  engaged  in 
railroad  suits,  and  is  at  this  time  (1878)  the  attorney  fur 
the  Boston,  Iloosac  Tunnel,  and  Western  Railway  com- 
pany in  several  important  causes,  and  especially  in  reopening 
the  Albany  Northern  railroad. 

After  reaching  his  majority  he  entered  with  great  spirit 
into  politics,  joining  the  Whig  party,  with  which  he  re- 
mained connected  until  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party,  in  1856.  So  great  was  his  interest  in  politics  that, 
on  Nov.  22,  1838,  he  assumed  the  editorial  chair  of  the 
Wasliington  Couniy  Post,  at  Salem,  and  continued  as  editor 
through  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1840,  and  till  Jan.  1, 
1841,  when  he  sold  the  establishment.  It  was  while  making 
a  political  speech  in  the  canvass  of  1840,  a  few  miles  from 
home,  that  the  hotel  where  he  boarded  was  burned,  and  all 
his  personal  effects  destroyed. 

At  the  first  judicial  election  after  the  adoption  of  the 
Constitution  of  1846,  Mr.  Gibson  was  nominated  as  a  can- 
didate for  justice  of  the  supreme  court  by  the  Whigs.  His 
associates  on  the  ticket  were  James  G.  Hopkins,  of  St. 
Lawrence  county  ;  George  A.  Simmons,  of  Esses  county ; 
and  Daniel  Cady,  of  Fulton  county.  They  were  all  defeated, 
except  Mr.  Cady,  although  Mr.  Gibson  ran  over  a  thousand 
ahead  of  his  ticket  in  his  own  county.  He  owed  his  defeat 
to  his  connection  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. At  that  time  the  feeling  against  secret  societies  was 
of  considerable  force,  and  he  encountered  the  tide  before 
its  ebb. 

In  November,  1850,  Jlr.  Gibson  was  elected  county  judge 
of  the  county  of  Washington,  and  served  from  Jan.  1, 
1851,  for  the  ensuing  four  years,  and  it  is  but  just  to  say 
that  he  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  with  marked 
ability,  and  left  it  with  the  judicial  ermine  unspotted. 

In  November,  1866,  he  was  elected  State  senator  from 
the  Twelfth  Senatorial  District,  composed  of  the  counties 
of  Ren.«selaer  and  Washington,  and  took  his  seat  on  the 
first  of  January  following.  His  reputation  preceded  him, 
and  led  to  his  selection  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
claims,  and  as  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee,  two 


182 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


of  the  most  important  committees  in  the  Senate.  It  was 
with  reluctance  that  he  accepted  this  chairmanship,  as  he 
well  knew  the  pressure  that  would  be  brought  to  bear  on 
liim  to  report  favorably  on  iniquitous  claims,  and  he  also 
well  knew  the  amount  of  firmness  it  would  be  necessary  for 
him  to  exercise  to  keep  the  would-be  plunderers  from  growing 
fat  from  the  public  crib.  lie  served,  however,  on  this  com- 
mittee during  his  entire  term,  and  examined  and  passed 
upon  claims  against  the  State  to  the  amount  of  over  one 
million  of  dollars,  and  with  few  and  meritorious  exceptions 
rejected  them,  in  which  course  he  was  sustained  by  the 
Senate.  During  his  first  year  lie  introduced  a  resolution 
authorizing  the  survey  of  the  Hudson  river  from  the  head 
of  tide-water  to  Fort  Edward,  and  of  the  Champlain  canal 
from  Fort  Edward  to  Wliiteliall,  the  object  of  which  was 
to  test  the  feasibility  of  improving  navigation  so  that  vessels 
of  large  tonnage  could  pass  through  the  canal  and  river  to 
Troy  and  return.  This  resolution  was  adopted,  and  the 
ensuing  year  a  favorable  report  wa.s  made,  after  which  5Ir. 
Gibson  introduced  a  bill  for  the  enlargement  of  the  Cham- 
plain  canal  from  Troy  to  Whitehall  in  accordance  with  the 
report.  He  made  an  exhaustive  speech  on  the  measure,  and 
it  passed  the  Senate,  but  was  killed  in  the  Assembly. 
Senator  Gibson  was  a  member  of  the  Senate  when  George 
W.  Smith,  county  judge  of  Oneida  county,  was  tried  by 
the  Senate  for  various  crimes  and  misdemeanors.  In  ex- 
plaining his  vote  in  favor  of  the  removal  of  Judge  Smith, 
he  made  a  speech  in  which  he  beautifully  expressed  the 
characteristics  which  a  judge  should  possess,  and  ended  his 
peroration  by  quoting  "  The  land  wants  such  as  dare  with 
vigor  execute  the  laws,"  etc.  He  took  a  very  active  part 
in  the  legislation  of  the  Senate,  and  made  several  speeches, 
the  most  notable,  perhaps,  being  the  one  sustaining  the 
policy  of  the  national  government  on  the  then  pending 
issues.  As  a  senator  he  did  his  duty.  What  greater 
praise  could  be  given  than  this  ? 

Mr.  Gibson  was  an  active  member  of  the  Republican 
party  from  its  organization  to  the  presidential  canvass  of 
1871,  when  he  became  a  Liberal  Republican,  and  labored 
earnestly  during  that  campaign  and  afterwards  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  principles  of  the  Liberal  party.  He  is  now 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party. 

Mr.  Gibson,  early  in  life,  manifested  a  great  interest  in 
military  affairs.  In  1810  he  raised  and  was  made  captain 
of  a  company  of  light  infantry  attached  by  special  order  to 
the  Fiftieth  Regiment  of  infantry  in  the  State  militia,  and 
subsequently  became  major,  and  thence  promoted  to  be  lieu- 
tenant-colonel of  that  regiment,  and  on  its  being  disbanded 
he  was  attached  to  the  Thirtieth  Regiment  of  the  New  York 
State  National  Guard,  and  was  subsequently  promoted  to 
the  colonelcy  of  that  regiment.  During  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion  the  Thirtieth  Regiment  was  twice  filled  up  by 
draft,  in  readiness  for  service,  but  many  of  its  members  vol- 
unteered into  the  United  States  service,  thus  reducing  its 
membership.  In  1867  he  became  brigadier-general  of  the 
Twelfth  Brigade,  which  was  disbanded  in  1874.  This  bri- 
gade was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  diilled  and  best- 
disci|)lined  brigades  in  this  State,  outside  of  the  large  cities. 

Notwithstanding  his  labors  in  his  profession  and  the  other 
calls  upon  his  time,  Mr.  Gibson  yet  fiiund  time  In  give  con- 


siderable attention  to  Odd  Fellowship  and  Free  Masonry. 
He  became  an  Odd  Fellow  in  1845 ;  pa.ssed  the  various 
chairs  in  Salem  Lodge,  No.  45  ;  served  as  District  Deputy 
Grand  M:uster  for  the  years  1856  and  1857  ;  and  was  elected 
Grand  Warden  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Northern  New  York, 
in  1857  ;  Deputy  Grand  Master  in  1858,  and  Grand  M;ister 
in  1859. 

In  1860  he  was  elected  Worshipful  Master  of  Salem 
Lodge,  No.  891,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  ;  was  appointed 
Senior  Grand  Deacon  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  this  State  in 
1862;  was  elected  Junior  Grand  Warden  in  18()3,  and 
again  in  1864  ;  Senior  Grand  Warden  in  1865,  which  office 
he  held  for  three  years;  Grand  JLuster  in  1868,  and  was 
re-elected  in  1869.  As  Grand  Master,  he,  on  June  8, 1870, 
assisted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  and  twelve  thou.sand  of  the 
craft,  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  Masonic  temple  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  During  his  connection  with  the  Grand  Lodge 
he  has  occupied  a  commanding  position,  and  has  been  either 
chairman  or  member  of  the  leading  committees.  It  appears 
that  he  has  been  Grand  Master  of  both  these  great  frater- 
nities. In  this  he  stands  alone  in  this  State,  as  no  other 
person  who  has  been  Grand  JIaster  of  Free  Mtisons  has  over 
been  at  the  head  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  vice  versa. 

During  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  his  voice  was  often 
heard  in  public  debate,  urging  the  people  of  his  county 
to  do  all  in  their  power  for  the  defense  of  the  Union.  The 
same  spirit  which  filled  the  hearts  of  "  the  fathers"  during 
the  days  of  the  Revolution  animated  him  during  the  late 
civil  war.  He  was  a  member  of  the  war  committee  of  Salem, 
a  committee,  by  the  way,  that  did  its  duty  so  well  that  this 
town  had  its  quota  raised  in  advance  of  every  draft,  except 
on  the  occasion  of  the  first  draft. 

The  old  court-house  in  Salem  was  erected  about  the 
year  1800,  and  after  .standing  for  sixty-seven  years  had 
outlasted  its  usefulness  and  was  only  valuable  as  a  relic. 
Tiie  circuit  judges,  lawyers,  and  laymen  complained  of  it, 
and  it  was  proposed,  in  1867,  to  repair  it,  and  an  order 
therefor  was  granted.  Tiiis  started  a  discussion  as  to  the 
advisability  of  the  erection  of  a  new  edifice.  Mr.  Gibson 
was  strongly  in  favor  of  a  new  court-house,  and  he  was,  in 
the  spring  of  1868,  elected  supervisor  of  Salem  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  out  the  desires  of  his  constituents  on 
that  subject.  But  other  towns  wanted  the  court-house 
within  their  limits,  and  a  strong  though  unsuccessful  eft'ort 
was  made  to  get  it  away  from  Salem.  In  December,  1868, 
Judge  Gibson  brought  the  matter  before  the  board  of 
supervisors,  whereupon  a  committee  was  appointed,  with 
JMr.  Gibson  as  chairman,  to  obtain  plans,  etc.  In  January 
following  it  was  resolved  to  build  at  Salem,  and  Mr.  Gibson 
was  ap])ointed  as  chairman  of  the  building  committee,  and 
they  were  to  use  not  to  exceed  thirty  thousand  dollars  in 
its  construction  ;  and  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  com- 
mittee kept  the  expense  within  the  ajipropriation. 

On  June  17,  1845,  Mr.  Gibson  was  chosen  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Washington  Academy,  one  of 
the  oldest  educational  institutions  in  the  State,  and  has  con- 
tinuously served  on  that  board  ever  since,  being  one  of  its 
most  valued  membei's.  He  drew  the  charter  of  the  village 
of  Salem,  which  went  into  effect  in  1851,  and  which  pro- 
vided for  a  new  school  system  which,  although  over  twenty- 


/S .  J./9. 


(^i-'Z^^   C-f 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


183 


seven  years  old,  still  meets  the  requirements  of  to-day.  He 
also  drew  the  agreeiiiunt  between  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  academy  and  the  board  of  education  of  the  village, 
whereby  the  common  schools  were  consolidated  and  shel- 
tered within  the  walls  of  the  academy.  This  led  to  the 
adoption  of  the  luiion  or  graded  system  of  education, 
which  has  proved  so  beneficial  to  the  youth  of  Sulem.  He 
was  elected  a  lueniber  of  the  board  of  education  soon  after 
its  organization,  and  has  served  continuously  as  such  to 
the  present  time.  Before  his  election  to  these  offices  he 
took  and  ever  since  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  educational 
matters,  and  notwithstanding  his  long  service  he  still  fre- 
fjuently  visits  the  academical  department  and  the  common 
schools,  assists  at  examinations,  and  in  every  possible  way 
shows  his  love  for  the  institution  wherein  he  received  his 
education. 

In  ISOO  he  assisted  in  organizing  St.  Paul's  (Episcoi)al) 
church,  at  Salem,  and  was  chosen  one  of  the  wardens  of 
the  congregation,  and  has  ever  since  filled  that  position. 
He  was  licensed  as  lay  reader  by  Bishop  Potter  of  tiic 
New  York  diocese,  in  18G0. 

Mr.  Gibson  has  for  several  years  devoted  most  of  the  time 
he  could  spare  from  professional  labors  to  collecting  facts  con- 
cerning the  history  of  Washington  county,  and  at  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Washington  County  Historical  Society,  in  1876, 
was  elected  its  president.  On  the  occasion  of  his  election  ho 
delivered  an  address  on  the  history  of  agriculture  in  the 
county.  On  8th  of  June,  1872,  he  delivered  an  historical 
address  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  court- 
house at  Sandy  Hill,  on  the  bench  and  bar  of  the  county 
for  one  hundred  years,  which  was  intended  for  an  intro- 
duction to  biographical  sketches  of  the  judges,  lawyers,  and 
officers  of  the  courts  in  this  county  during  that  period. 
He  has  also  published  .sketches  on  the  graves  and  grave- 
yards of  the  county,  on  journalism,  and  on  various  other 
subjects. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Geographical  Society. 

He  is  and  has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  National  Bank  of  Salem,  concededly  one  of  the  best- 
managed  banks  in  the  State ;  is  connected  with  the  Ever- 
green Cemetery  Association  as  trustee,  and  in  fine  is  in- 
terested in  nearly  all  public  matters  concerning  his  native 
town. 

The  writer  has  encountered  two  rather  interesting  if 
not  curious  facts  in  the  history  of  the  Gibson  family.  On 
Dec.  24,  ISIS,  James  B.  Gibson  purcha,sed  the  Reg- 
ister and  conducted  it  for  several  years;  his  son,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  owned  and  edited  the  Post,  as  has 
been  stated ;  and  James,  tlie  son  of  the  latter,  edited  the 
S'dcm  Press  for  over  three  years.  These  three  gentle- 
men were  all  jiraeticing  lawyers  while  occupying  the  edi- 
torial chair. 

Mr.  Gibson  was  married  Oct.  17,  1841,  to  Mi.ss  Jane, 
the  daughter  of  Ira  Woodworth,  Esq.,  and  Wealthy  Ann 
Gilbert,  his  wife.  His  faiuily  consists  of  his  wife  and  three 
children,  viz.:  (1)  Mary,  wife  of  T.  A.  Wright,  of  New 
York  city  ;  (2~)  James,  who  resides  at  Salem  and  practices 
law  ;  and  (3)  Jennie. 

His  perisonal  appearance  is  spoken  of  in  "  Life  Sketches  of 
Members  of  the  Legislature,"  published  in  18C7,  as  follows : 


"  Senator  Gibson  is  a  gentleman  of  quiet  dignity.  His 
long  flowing  hair  and  whiskers,  tinged  with  gray,  his  mild 
eye,  which  seems  to  be  overflowing  with  kindly  feelings, 
his  low  persuasive  voice,  which  is  seldom  brought  up  to  a 
high  pitch,  unite  in  throwing  around  him  a  personal  atmo- 
sphere which  renders  his  presence  both  pleasant  and 
powerful." 

Judge  Gib.son  has  passed  the  meridian  of  life,  but  his 
mind  is  as  powerful,  his  blue  eyes  are  as  bright,  his  step  is 
as  active,  and  he  still  toils  as  in  bygone  years.  Cautious 
and  firm  as  a  legislator,  righteous  as  a  judge,  of  highest 
honor  as  a  man,  of  signal  ability  in  his  profession,  rich  in 
experi(!ncc,  large-hearted,  of  great  energy,  faithful  in  all 
his  relations,  above  fear  and  beyond  reproach, — such  are 
the  qualities  which  this  gentleman  possesses. 


BENJAMIN   F.    BANCROFT 

was  born  at  Granville,  Mass.,  Oct.  27,  181G.  His  great- 
grandfather, Samuel  Bancroft,  was  an  early  settler  of  that 
place,  and  died  July  6,  1788,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
years.  His  grandfather,  Samuel  Bancroft,  Jr.,  was  an  offi- 
cer of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  there  is  preserved  in  the 
possession  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  his  commis.sion  as 
a  lieutenant,  issued  by  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
and  dated  April  26,  1776.  He  died  in  the  year  1820, 
aged  eighty-three  years.  His  father,  Jonathan  B.  Ban- 
croft, was  born  April  10,  1781,  on  the  old  homestead  at 
Granville,  Ma.ss. ;  was  commi.ssioned  lieutenant  in  an  infantry 
brigade,  with  commission  dated  April,  1811.  Ho  was  a 
representative  in  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  for  three 
terms ;  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and  died  at  his  home,  Dec. 
29,  1870. 

Benjamin  F.  Bancroft  was  only  son  of  Jonathan  B, 
Bancroft  and  Betsey  Clark,  there  being  one  daughter  by  a 
former  marriage  of  his  father, — Julia  Ann, — wife  of  Edwin 
Foote,  of  New  Haven,  Conn. 

Mr.  Bancroft  spent  his  early  life  at  home,  receiving  the 
advantages  of  the  common  school,  and  was  also  under  the 
private  instruction  of  Rev.  Timothy  M,  Cooley,  D.D.,  vice- 
president  of  Williams  College,  and  a  teacher  of  wide  repute. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  went  into  the  busy  world,  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  of  leading  a  business  life.  Spent 
some  five  years  as  a  elerk  in  a  store  at  Hartford,  Conn., 
and  in  New  York  city.  In  the  year  1838  he  came  to 
Granville,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  entered  into  the 
mercantile  business,  which  he  carried  on  successfully  for 
some  fifteen  years,  when,  in  the  year  1853,  the  Bank  of 
Salem,  at  Salem,  N.Y.,  was  organized.  Mr.  Bancroft  largely 
assisted  in  its  organization,  became  one  of  its  directors, 
and  was  elected  cashier,  which  office  he  held  during  the 
existence  of  that  bank  ;  and  upon  the  organization  of  the 
National  Bank  of  Salem,  he  retained  the  position  of  cashier 
until  April,  1878,  when  he  was  elected  president. 

The  financial  standing  of  these  banks  attests  the  careful 
and  judicious  management  of  interests  connected  with  them 
under  Mr.  BancroiVs  supervision,  which  has  given  them 
rank  with  the  best  financiered  of  the  State. 

His  life  has  been  one  of  active  business,  yet,  interested 


184 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


in  the  great  political  issues  of  the  day,  he  has  been  un- 
swervingly connected  with,  first,  the  old  Whig  party,  and 
subse(|uently  the  Republican  party.  He  was  one  of  the 
presidential  electors  in  his  party  of  the  State  in  the  fall  of 
1876  ;  was  among  the  foremost  in  raising  money  and  me.n 
in  his  town  and  county  for  putting  down  the  late  Re- 
bullion. 

Ill  the  year  1844  he  married  ]Miss  Mary  J.,  second 
daughter  of  General  Edward  Bulkley  and  Mary  Brown, 
of  Granville,  this  county. 

AVhile  Mr.  and  Mis.  Banciuft  have  no  children  of  their 
own,  they  have  remembered  the  deserving  in  various  ways, 
and  particularly  by  founding  a  scholarship  in  Williams 
College,  which  has  already  graduated  some  seven  young 
men,  most  of  them  ministers'  sons. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bancroft  are  warmly  attached  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  society  in  which  they  live,  are  liberal 
supporters  of  church  and  school  interests,  and  all  enter- 
prises tending  to  educate  and  elevate  the  rising  generation. 


ASA    FITCH. 

The  Fitches  are  one  of  the  old  Anglo-Saxon  families 
of  England,  who  came  to  that  country  from  Germany,  it  is 
supposed,  at  the  period  of  its  subjugation  by  Ilengist  and 
Horsa,  about  five  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Chri.st. 
There  are  written  records  tracing  the  family  pedigree  back 
nearly  four  centuries,  to  the  period  of  the  discovery  of 
America  by  Columbus. 

In  the  year  1638  five  brothers  of  this  name,  with  their 
■widowed  mother,  emigrated  from  Biaintree,  England,  to 
America,  and  settled  in  Connecticut.  One  of  these.  Rev. 
Ja.mes  Fitch,  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Saybrook,  from 
whence  he  removed  with  the  greater  part  of  his  congrega- 
tion and  founded  the  city  of  Norwich,  where  he  was  the 
first  minister  during  thirty-si.'c  years.  He  married,  first, 
Abigail,  daughter  of  Rev.  Henry  Whitfield,  of  Guilford, 
Conn.,  and  second,  Priscilla,  daughter  of  Major-General 
John  Mason,  leader  in  the  I'cqiiof  Indian  war,  and  had  six 
children  by  the  former  and  eight  by  the  latter  wife. 

His  second  son,  Samuel,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Ben- 
jamin Brewster,  a  grand.son  of  Elder  William  Brewster,  the 
spiritual  leader  and  guide  of  the  Pilgrims  of  the  "  Mayflower." 
They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  the  ninth  was  Jabez,  the 
father  of  Hon.  Peletiau  Fitch,  a  physician,  justice  of 
the  peace,  land  surveyor,  etc.,  who  resided  in  Groton,  Conn., 
eighteen  years,  and  then,  owning  a  share  in  the  town  of 
Halifax,  Vt.,he  removed  thither,  and  was  couimi.ssioned  by 
Governor  George  Clinton  first  judge  of  Cumberland  Co., 
N.  Y.  (now  Windham  and  Windsor  Cos.,  Vt).  From  that 
sterile,  mountainous  neighborhood  he  removed,  with  his 
family  to  this  town  in  1779,  purchasing  a  confiscated  lot 
two  miles  west  of  the  village,  which  is  now  owned  by  H. 
S.  Flower.  He  was  here  appointed  a  "  commissioner  for 
detecting  conspiracies  again.st  the  liberties  of  America,"  and 
was  intimately  associated  with  General  Williams,  Webster, 
and  the  other  leading  patriots  of  the  town  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  war  of  independence,  three  of  his  sons  being 
enlisted  in  the  military  service,  one  of  these  having  the 
misfortune  of  being  made  prisoner  at  the  surrender  of  Fort 


Ann  and  taken  to  Canada.     He  (Peletiah)  died  April  16, 

1808,  aged  eighty-one  3'ears. 

Hon.  A.s.\  Fitch,  M.D.,  the  youngest  of  the  six  sons 
of  Peletiah,  was  born  in  Groton,  Conn.,  Nov.  10,  1765. 
There  being  no  schools  convenient  for  him  to  attend,  he 
received  from  his  father  the  most  of  his  education,  which 
extended  only  to  a  partial  knowledge  of  the  Latin  language. 
When  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  there  being  a  call  for 
" nine-months'  men"  to  guard  this  noithern  frontier  against 
incursions  from  Canada,  he  enlisted,  and  was  a  sergeant  in 
Captain  A.  Livingston's  company,  which  was  stationed 
mostly  in  Schuylerville  and  Salem. 

On  the  close  of  the  war  he  commenced  the  study  of  med- 
icine with  his  father,  and  completed  it  with  the  locally- 
celebrated  Dr.  Philip  Smith,  of  Easton,  subsequently  of 
Cambridge.  He  (1788)  settled  in  professional  practice  fir.st 
in  Uuanesburg ;  and  Judge  Duane,  the  proprietor  of  the 
town,  but  residing  mostly  in  New  York,  on  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  him,  appointed  him  his  deputy  and  business 
manager  for  the  town.  Here,  also,  he  instruc;ted  his  first 
medical  student,  the  late  Dr.  William  Hicliards,  of  White 
Creek. 

Jan.  27,  1791,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Abigail, 
daughter  of  Adam  JMartin,  who,  during  the  war,  wass  cap- 
tain of  one  of  the  Massachusetts  companies  in  the  Conti- 
nental army,  and  after  its  close  removed  from  Sturbridge, 
Mass.,  to  Salem,  and  in  partnership  with  his  son  Walter 
(who  afterwards  became  proprietor  of  the  town.ship  of 
Martinsburg,  in  Lewis  county)  purchased  of  William  Reid 
the  valuable  mills  on  the  west  line  of  the  town. 

After  residing  seven  years  in  Duanesburg,  Dr.  Fitch  re- 
turned to  Salem  and  purchased  of  his  wife's  father  and 
brother  their  mill  property  and  farm,  at  the  place  which 
has  .since  continued  to  be  named  Fitch's  Point.  He  here 
soon  acquired  an  extensive  professional  practice,  his  ride 
extending  six  to  eight  miles  in  different  directions,  the 
amount  of  business  usually  requiring  a  partner-to  be  asso- 
ciated with  him.  He  was  much  called  in  consultations  with 
neighboring  physicians,  with  all  of  whom  he  was  always  on 
most  amicable  terms.  Few  of  the  physicians  of  that  day 
had  so  large  and  well  selected  a  library  and  anatomical 
museum  as  he  possessed,  and  a  large  number  of  students 
r&sorted  to  him  for  professional  instruction,  there  being 
from  two  to  six  or  more  almost  always  in  his  office.  In 
1806,  at  a  meeting  of  medical  men  in  Albany,  he  was  ap- 
pointed chairman  of  a  committee  to  obtain  the  Legislative 
recognition  of  a  few  medical  societies  which  had  been 
formed  in  the  State.  The  memorial  which  this  corauiitteo 
presented  to  the  Legislature  resulted  in  the  pas.sage  of  a 
general  law  for  the  incorporation  of  the  State  and  county 
medical  societies.  A  society  was  thereupon  organized  in 
this  county,  he  being  elected  its  vice-president,  and  five 
years  afterwards  its  president,  in  which  office  he  was  con- 
tinued twenty  years,  when  he  declined  further  service.  In 
the  latter  part  of  his  life  the  honorary  degree  of  M.D.  was 
conferred  upon  him  by  the  regents  of  the  university. 

In  1799  he  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace,  in 
which  office  he  was  continued  eleven  years,  when  he  was 
advanced  to  the  position  of  county  judge.  Soon  after  this 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  took  his  seat  in 


HISTORY    OP   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


185 


that  body  at  the  opening  of  the  session,  Nov.  4,  1811.  He 
here,  after  a  time,  became  extremely  disquieted  with  the 
reitei-ated  intelligence  from  home  tliat  the  person  he  had 
engaged  to  take  charge  of  his  farm  and  liousehold  affair.s 
was  quite  negligent  and  inattentive  to  his  trust.  Finally, 
just  as  the  hurry  of  the  season's  work  upon  the  farm  was 
at  hand,  to  his  consternation,  the  tidings  came  that  this 
man  had  absconded,  leaving  everything  in  confusion.  He 
felt  that  he  could  remain  in  Washington  no  longer,  and 
accordingly  obtained  leave  of  absence  during  the  remainder 
of  the  session,  and  returned  home  the  beginning  of  May. 
But  a  few  days  after  a  communication  was  received  from 
his  political  friends,  urging  his  immediate  return  to  Wash- 
ington, to  vote  on  the  all-important  question  of  war  with 
(ireat  Britain.  Hastily  arranging  his  domestic  matters,  he 
hurried  back  and  leappeared  in  his  seat,  after  an  absence 


In  1816  he  experienced  the  greatest  disappointment  and 
severest  affliction  of  his  life  in  the  loss  of  his  oldest  son, 
Martin,  who  had  graduated  at  Middlebury  College,  studied 
medicine  with  him,  and  surgery  with  the  distinguished 
Dr.  Valentine  Mott,  of  New  York.  It  had  for  many 
years  been  the  cherished  purpose  of  the  Hither  to  have  his 
son  succeed  him ;  but  when  he  was  nearly  prepared  to 
enter  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  that  fell  destroyer, 
consumption,  fastened  upon  him  and  carried  him  to  his 
grave. 

Elected  in  1819  an  elder  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  he 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  lay  itembers  of  the  Troy 
presbytery,  was  repeatedly  its  delegate  to  the  general  assem- 
bly, and  in  important  trials  was  .selected  prosecutor  to  con- 
duct the  case  on  the  part  of  the  pre.sbytery. 

Upon   the  organization  of  the   first  county  agricultural 


of  three  weeks.  Five  days  after,  the  great  question  of  war 
came  to  an  issue  in  the  House,  in  secret  .session,  he  record- 
ing his  vote  in  the  negative.  The  remaining  business  was 
rapidly  disposed  of,  and  July  G  this  protracted  session  was 
brought  to  a  close. 

The  second  session  of  this  congressional  term  being  a 
short  one,  limited  to  four  months,  he  was  able  to  make 
such  arrangements  for  liis  absence  as  to  relieve  him  from 
the  hara.ssing  anxiety  he  had  previously  experienced.  But 
such  loiig  periods  of  absence  from  home  were  found  to  be 
so  detrimental  to  his  business  interests,  that  he  decidedly 
declined  a  re-nomination.  He  was  thereupon  re-appointed 
a  county  judge,  and  continued  in  the  office  .some  fifteen 
years,  punctually  attending  all  the  courts,  and  on  some 
occasions,  the  first  judge  being  absent,  it  devolved  upon 
him  to  preside. 
24 


society  he  was  elected  its  president,  and  continued  three 
years  to  be  its  presiding  officer.  In  the  County  Bible 
Society,  and  other  benevolent  associations,  he  felt  a  deep 
interest,  and  was  uniformly  in  attendance  at  their  meetings. 
When  the  first  State  Temperance  Society  was  formed,  he 
was  named  one  of  its  vice-presidents.  Many  years  before 
the  temperance  reform  was  commenced,  he  had  abandoned 
the  use  of  all  intoxicating  drinks.  He  was  strongly  attached 
to  Freemasonry,  and  ro.se  to  the  highest  positions  in  the 
order,  succeeding  Ezra  Ames  and  De  Witt  Clinton  as  Grand 
High-Priest  of  the  Royal  Arch  Chapter  of  the  State. 

Towards  the  close  of  his  life  he  gradually  passed  into 
the  second  childhood  incident  to  old  age,  his  mental  facul- 
ties becoming  impaired  to  such  an  extent  that  finally  he 
ceased  to  know  his  own  children.  He  died  Aug.  24,  1843. 
In  the  exercises  at  his  funeral  Rev.  Drs.  Lambert  and 


186 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Halley  participated,  the  former  delivering  a  sermon  from 
the  text,  "  A  great  man  and  a  prince  has  fallen  in  Israel." 
Prof  Asa  Fitch,  M.D.,  the  elder  of  the  two  surviving 
sons  of  Hon.  Asa  Fitch,  was  born  in  Salem,  Feb.  24,  1809. 
The  death  of  his  older  brother,  just  as  his  literary  and 
professional  education  was  completed,  disheartened  the 
father  from  incurring  the  expense  of  giving  a  liberal  educa- 
tion to  another  of  his  sons,  and  he  had  determined  that  his 
namesake  should  be  a  farmer.  But  when  twelve  years  old, 
a  course  of  sickness,  in  which  for  nearly  a  week  he  was  nut 
expected  to  live  from  one  day  to  another,  left  him  so  ex- 
tremely feeble  and  puny,  that  it  was  thought  he  could  never 
attain  the  strength  and  vigor  required  for  encountering  the 
toil  and  fatigue  of  farm  labor.  It  was,  therefore,  con- 
cluded to  educate  him  for  one  of  the  learned  professions. 

His  preliminary  education  was  obtained  at  the  academies 
in  Salem  and  Bennington ;  and  having  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  view,  he  preferred  to  a  college  course  the  round  of 
practical  instruction  in  the  natural  sciences  given  in  the 
newly-established  Rensselaer  school,  now  the  Rensselaer 
Polytechnic  Institute,  in  Troy.  He  accordingly  entered 
this  institution  in  the  spring  of  1826,  accompanying  its 
first  class  of  graduates  in  their  scientific  expedition  to  Lake 
Erie,  and  completing  the  course  and  graduating  A.B.  in 
June  of  the  following  year.  He  then  pursued  a  course  of 
medical  studies  in  the  ofiice  of  Dr.  Freeman,  to  whom  his 
father  had  several  years  before  resigned  his  ride,  his  cousin, 
G.  N.  Fitch,  late  United  States  senator  from  Indiana,  being 
his  associate  a  moiety  of  the  time.  He  attended  two  courses 
of  lectures  at  the  Vermont  Academy  of  Medicine,  in  Cas- 
tleton,  and  one  at  the  Rutgers  Medical  College  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  graduating  M.D.  at  the  former  institution, 
December,  1829,  and  spending  some  months  thereafter  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  March,  in  Albany.  In  the  capacity  of 
assistant  professor  of  natural  history,  he,  the  following  sum- 
mer, joined  the  expedition  of  the  Rensselaer  school  from 
New  York  city  to  Lake  Erie,  and  from  thence  made  a  tour 
through  the  Western  States  to  Illi[iuis  and  Missouri,  re- 
turning the  next  year. 

He  then  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Fort  Miller,  where,  Nov.  15,  1832,  he  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  McNeil,  deceased,  of  Still- 
water. A  more  desirable  opening  for  his  business  being 
presented  in  the  village  of  Stillwater,  he  removed  thither 
soon  after  his  marriage.  Whilst  located  in  this  place  he 
took  much  interest  and  a  leading  part  in  all  measures  for 
the  moral,  the  literary,  and  scientific  advancement  of  the 
community,  giving  addresses  and  lectures  on  temperance 
and  on  scientific  topics  in  this  and  the  neighboring  villages 
and  hamlets,  instructing  a  class  of  young  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen in  botany,  and  actively  participating  in  conducting 
a  village  lyceum  for  debates,  declamations,  etc.  An  ad- 
dress which  he  delivered,  on  the  importance  of  mental 
culture,  was  so  much  admired  that  a  copy  of  it  was  soli- 
cited and  published.  Elected  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  he  served  the  church  session  as  its  clerk  and  its 
usual  representative  in  meetings  of  the  higher  judicatories. 
His  father,  becoming  by  advanced  years  incapacitated 
for  business,  caused  his  return  to  Salem,  in  the  spring  of 
1838,  to  take  charge  of  the  paternal  estate.     He  thereupon 


became  occupied  principally  in  agricultural  pursuits,  but 
instructed  some  medical  students  and  classes  in  botany  in 
the  Granville  and  Salem  Academies,  and  in  1844  and  '45 
he  served  in  the  newly-cre.ited  office  of  town  superintendent 
of  schools.  An  act  to  promote  agriculture,  passed  by  the 
State  Legislature  in  1841,  led  to  the  organization  of  the 
County  Agricultural  Society,  in  which  he  actively  partici- 
pated, and  was  chosen  secretary  of  the  society,  and  the  draft- 
ing of  its  rules  and  regulations  and  the  general  oversight 
and  management  of  its  business  aiFairs  devolved  upon 
him.  The  society  soon  acquired  the  public  confidence,  and 
grew  into  eminent  popularity.  He  continued  in  this  position 
five  years,  and  in  1848  was  elected  president  of  the  society. 

The  State  Agricultural  Society,  with  the  design  of  ob- 
taining a  complete  agricultui'al  survey  of  the  State,  com- 
menced this  work  by  engaging  Dr.  Fitch  to  make  a  survey 
of  Washington  county.  He  was  occupied  with  this  survey 
nearly  three  years,  the  results  being  published  in  the  TVans- 
actions  of  the  State  Society  for  the  years  1848  and  '49, 
comprising  some  three  hundred  pages  of  those  volumes. 
Among  the  topics  on  which  he  was  required  to  report  was 
the  date  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  several  towns,  the 
places  from  whence  the  settlers  came,  etc.  To  obtain  this 
information  he  visited  the  aged  people  in  the  several  parts 
of  the  county,  from  whose  recitals  he  gathered  an  unex- 
pected amount  of  interesting  matter  relating  to  the  early 
history  of  the  county,  which  was  on  the  point  of  passing 
into  oblivion,  and  this  historical  portion  of  his  report  has 
attracted  much  general  notice,  and  led  to  his  election  as  a 
corresponding  member  of  the  New  York  and  honorary 
member  of  the  New  Jersey  Historical  Societies. 

Through  life  insects  had  been  a  leading  and  favorite 
study  with  him,  and,  being  solicited  by  Dr.  Emmons  to 
contribute  entomological  articles  to  his  newly-commenced 
American  Quarterly  Journal  of  Agriculture  and  Science, 
he,  in  1845,  furnished  to  the  second  number  of  that  period- 
ical, a  communication  of  thirteen  pages  upon  "  Insects  of 
the  genus  Cecidomyia,"  describing  therein  a  new  species 
of  willow  gall-fly,  illustrated  with  figures  of  the  insect  in 
the  difierent  stages  of  its  growth,  and  the  excrescence  which 
it  produces  upon  the  willow.  This  was  followed  six  months 
after  by  an  essay  of  thirty  pages  upon  the  wheat-midge, 
and  in  1846,  an  essay  of  sixty-three  pages  upon  the  Hes- 
sian fly,  which  was  subsequently  revised  and  re-published 
in  the  Transactions  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society. 
In  1847,  an  article  of  twelve  pages  on  the  "Winter  In- 
sects of  Eastern  New  York,"  describing  eight  new  species, 
appeared  in  Dr.  Emmons'  journal,  and  in  the  Transactions 
of  the  State  Agricultural  Society  for  this  year  he  gave  an 
account  of  the  currant-worm  and  the  moth  by  which  it  is 
produced.  This  interesting  new  species,  beautifully  illus- 
trated with  a  finely-engraved  colored  plate,  was  widely 
noticed  in  the  foreign  scientific  journals,  whereby  the  author 
became  favorably  known  to  entomologists  the  world  over. 
At  this  period  he  was  employed  for  a  time  in  collecting 
and  naming  the  insects  of  the  State,  for  the  State  cabinet 
of  natural  history,  and  in  the  report  of  the  regents  of  the 
university  for  1851  he  gave  a  descriptive  catalogue  of  the 
New  York  insects  of  the  order  Homoptera,  in  which  a 
new  species  is  named  and  described. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


187 


The  Legislature  having  made  an  appropriation  for  his 
employment  as  State  entomologist,  he,  in  1 854,  commenced 
an  examination  of  the  insects  of  the  State,  particularly  those 
that  are  injurious,  reporting  his  investigations  each  year  to 
the  State  Agricultural  Society  for  publication  in  its  trans- 
actions. He  engaged  in  this  work  con  amore,  dropping 
the  town  offices  and  other  minor  positions  to  which  he  had 
l>een  giving  a  part  of  his  time ;  and  wholly  withdrawing 
from  every  other  employment,  he  devoted  himself  assidu- 
ously to  this  work.  He  aimed  to  make  these  annual  re- 
ports scientifically  accurate,  and  at  the  same  time  so  divested 
of  technical  language  as  to  be  perfectly  intelligible  and  fully 
comprehended  by  common  readers.  In  addition  to  their 
insertion  in  the  Agricultural  Transactions,  they  were  issued 
separately,  so  often  as  they  formed  a  volume  of  suitable 
size  for  binding.  And  year  after  year,  as  these  reports 
appeared,  tli»y  received  marked  notice  and  commendation, 
both  in  this  country  and  in  foreign  lands,  several  of  the 
scientific  periodicals  giving  extended  accounts  of  their  con- 
tents. Says  Prof  Lindley,  the  distinguished  botanist  and 
editor  of  the  London  Gardener's  Chronicle,  "  That  Dr. 
Fitch  is  an  observer  of  a  high  order  is  manifest  upon  every 
page  of  the  volume  before  us."  Dr.  Gerstacker,  of  Berlin, 
Prussia,  in  his  Review  of  the  Progress  of  Entomology  for 
1856,  says,  "  One  of  the  most  interesting  works  which 
the  reporter  had  to  examine  in  preparing  this  report  is  a 
treatise  of  Mr.  Asa  Fitch  on  the  insects  which  appear  as 
noxious  in  North  America.  On  one  side  the  author  shows 
himself  most  prominently  as  an  excellent  observer,  who, 
armed  with  the  most  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
knows  how  to  fill  with  the  greatest  success  the  existing 
gaps  in  our  information,  and,  on  the  other  side,  he  has  not 
at  all  neglected  the  scientific  side  of  the  subject,  but  has 
advanced  it  with  equal  success."  A  multitude  of  simi- 
lar commendatory  notices  could  be  presented.  He  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  entomological  societies  of  France, 
of  Russia,  and  other  scientific  societies,  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  the  Imperial  and  Central  Agricultural  Society  of  France 
bestowed  a  gold  medal  upon  him  as  a  testimonial  of  its  ap- 
preciation of  the  valuable  services  he  was  rendering  to 
science.  Thirteen  of  these  annual  reports  were  issued,  the 
first  nine  of  them  forming  three  bound  volumes,  and  the 
last  four  having  appeared  only  in  the  Agricultural  Trans- 
actions. 

In  1863,  sanitary  considerations  and  his  taste  for  rural 
embellishment,  caused  him  to  accept  the  position  of  presi- 
dent of  the  Evergreen  cemetery,  a  burial-ground  of  sur- 
passing beauty,  which  was  then  recently  opened.  He  has 
since  continued  to  give  a  portion  of  his  time  to  the  over- 
sight, the  improving,  and  adorning  of  these  grounds. 


DAVID  VAN  TUYL   QUA. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Hebron,  Washington  county,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  1826.  He 
was  second  son  of  David  Qua  and  Abigail  Scott  (the  only 
other  child  being  Andrew  J.),  the  former  a  son  of  John 
Qua,  who  emigi-ated  from  Ireland  with  his  two  brothers  prior 
to  the  Revolutionary  war  and  about  the  year  1764,  and 


hence  is  of  Irish  descent.  The  latter  was  the  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Scott,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  soldier  in 
the  war  for  independence.  His  grandfather  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Hebron  ;  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy  and  about  the  year 
1820.  His  grandmother  Qua  lived  to  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-three  years,  and  died  about  the  year  1848.  His 
father,  David  Qua,  born  in  the  year  1798,  died  at  the  prema- 
ture age  of  twenty-eight  and  in  the  year  1826  ;  the  mother 
dying  in  the  year  1857,  aged  fifty-nine  years.  David  Van 
Tuyl  Qua  being  then  only  three  months  old  when  his  father 
died,  and  the  family  not  pecuniarily  in  good  circumstances, 
was  obliged  to  spend  his  boyhood  days  without  assistance, 


■  IT.  "lJ. 


only  from  his  mother,  who  resolved  that  her  boys  should 
have  a  good  education  ;  with  her  needle,  as  a  tailoress, 
she  earned  sufficient  to  give  them  a  fair  English  education 
while  young.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  had  so  improved 
these  opportunities  as  to  be  able  to  enter  the  field  as  a 
teacher,  and  as  an  instructor  of  the  rising  generation  he  has 
spent  nearly  his  whole  life.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr. 
Qua  was  a  student  at  the  Cambridge  Academy,  and  has  been 
mostly  a  teacher  in  the  common  schools  of  his  own  county, 
but  was  for  a  short  time  principal  of  the  West  Pawlet 
Academy,  Vt.  His  particular  forte  has  been  the  building 
up  of  the  common  district  schools,  and,  in  connection  with 
which,  he  has  been  the  means,  to  a  large  extent,  of  laying 
the  foundation  of  a  more  thorough  system  of  education 
among  the  people  at  large.  His  proficiency  as  a  teacher, 
and  his  standing  among  the  educational  interests  of  the 
country,  caused  his  friends  to  place  him  at  the  head  of  the 
schools  of  the  first  school  commissioner  district  of  Wash- 
ington county  as  school  commissioner,  which  office  he  held 
for  six  years  in  succession. 


188 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Mr.  Qua  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party, 
but  became  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Republican  party 
soon  after  its  formation,  and  has  received  the  suffrages  of 
the  voters  of  his  town  to  elect  him  to  the  most  important 
offices  of  trust  and  responsibility  in  his  town,  and  he  was 
the  last  superintendent  of  schools  of  his  town  under  the 
old  law.  He  has  enjoyed  the  office  of  notary  public  for 
some  six  years,  being  first  appointed  by  Governor  Hoffman. 
He  has  also  been  clerk  of  the  Washington  Union  Ba^ttist 
association  for  ten  years,  and  corre.sponding  secretary  of 
the  same  for  six  years. 

It  is  to  such  men  as  Mr.  Qua  that  the  people  owe  a 
large  debt  of  respect  for  their  untiring  efforts  in  instilling 
into  the  minds  of  our  youth  the  first  principles  of  educa- 
tion and  morality,  and  thereby  laying  the  foundations  for 
their  future  usefulness  as  men  and  women,  and  to  such  men 
the  business  and  professional  men  of  to-day  are  indebted 
largely  for  their  success  in  after-life ;  turning,  in  early  boy- 
hood, many  who  otherwise  would  run  into  other  channels 
and  drift  into  seclusion,  and  be  of  no  use  to  society.  He  is 
really  a  self-made  man,  but  looks  back  with  honest  pride  to 
the  early  instruction  of  a  devoted  mother.  In  the  year 
1854  he  married  Miss  Rhoby  E.,  daughter  of  Samuel  Van 
Pelt  and  Lucretia  Owen, — the  former  a  native  of  Sche- 
nectady county,  arid  of  Dutch  descent ;  the  latter  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  and  of  English  descent.  To  Mr.  atid 
Mrs.  Qua  have  been  born  two  children, — Ida,  died  on  her 
birthday  at  the  age  of  two  years,  and  Ilermie  D.  Qua. 


JAMES  M.  THOMPSON 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem,  where  he  now  resides,  June 
15,  1822.  His  grandfather,  William  Tiiouipson,  came  from 
Ireland  to  this  country  with  Rev.  Thomas  Clark,  in  the 
year  1764,  July,  and  in  the  spring  of  1765  settled  in  the 
town  of  Salem,  eastern  part,  where  he  remained  for  some 
fifteen  years  and  then  bought  some  one  hundred  acres  of 
land,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  now  resides,  from 
Dr.  Clark,  to  which  purchase  he  afterwards  added  about  as 
much  more.  A  view  of  the  first  rude  log  cabin  erected  by 
him  will  be  seen  on  another  page  of  this  work,  together 
with  a  view  of  the  residence  of  the  youngest  grandson, 
built  on  the  same  place,  showing  the  result  of  the  labor  of 
the  successive  generations. 

William  Thompson  and  his  wife,  Sarah  Rowen  (who  had 
emigrated  with  him),  began,  as  only  pioneers  can,  in  a 
lonely  home  in  the  wilderness,  cleared  off  most  of  his  first 
purchase ;  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  by  trade,  but  spent 
his  life  in  Salem  as  a  farmer.  He  was  one  of  the  elders  in 
Dr.  Clark's  church,  from  the  time  he  came  to  the  county 
until  his  death,  1813.  Of  his  fimiily  there  were  five 
children,  John,  William,  Mary,  Sarah,  and  David,  all 
deceased  in  1878. 

David,  father  of  James  M.,  was  the  youngest  son ;  spent 
his  life  as  a  farmer  on  the  old  homestead ;  married  Miss 
Grisselle,  daughter  of  John  Beattie,  of  Salem,  by  whom 
he  had  ten  children,  William,  John,  David  B.,  Phebe, 
James,  Robert  C.,  Grace,  Mary  Jane,  and  James  M.,  all  of 
whom   are   deceased   but  the  youngest,  James  M.     The 


father  died  in  the  year  1827,  Oct.  17,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
eight  years,  his  wife  surviving  him  some  twenty  years, 
dying  Jan.  2,  1847,  aged  sixty-eight  years. 

James  M.  Thompson  has  spent  his  entire  life  upon  the 
old  homestead,  receiving  his  education  from  books  at  the 
district  school.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  he  married 
Miss  Mary,  eldest  daughter  of  Walter  Beattie  and  Jerusha 
Bennett,  of  Salem.  She  was  born  Oct.  18,  1822.  By 
this  union  were  born  three  children,  Jenny,  James  Albert, 
and  Franklin.  Jenny  is  a  teacher.  James  A.  graduated 
in  Michigan  University,  for  the  medical  profession,  in 
1876  ;  is  now  a  practicing  physician  in  Valley  Falls,  N.  Y. 
Franklin  resides  at  home. 

Mrs.  Thompson  was  a  woman  closely  attached  to  the 
best  interests  of  her  family,  of  strong  decision  of  character 
and  correct  moral  habits.  She  was  an  invalid  for  sixteen 
years  previous  to  her  death,  and  died  May  19,  1870. 

For  his  second  wife  he  married  Mrs.  Achsah,  widow  of 
the  late  John  B.  Fairley,  of  Salem,  and  daughter  of 
Leonard  Barker  and  Hannah  Sawyer,  of  Salem.  She  was 
born  in  Salem,  Sept.  30,  1824. 

Mr.  Thompson,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  was  connected 
with  the  50th  Regiment  of  State  militia ;  was  first  lieu- 
tenant, and  in  1844  was  commissioned  captain,  of  the  light 
infantry  company  of  the  regiment,  and  served  during  the 
same  time  as  president  of  the  board  of  court-martial.  He 
was  also  commissioned  captain  of  infantry,  under  the  new 
organization  of  the  State  militia,  of  the  30th  Regiment,  in 
1848. 

In  his  younger  days  Captain  Thompson  was  a  Democrat, 
but  upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  became  an 
unswerving  supporter  of  its  principles,  and  received  the 
first  election  from  that  party  as  the  supervisor  of  the  town 
of  Salem,  in  the  year  1857,  which  office  he  has  held  for 
some  four  years,  and  in  the  year  1874  was  chairman  of  the 
board  of  supervisors  of  the  county. 

The  family  of  Thompson  is  one  of  the  oldest  which 
settled  in  Washington  county,  and  has  lived  to  pass 
through  the  days  of  the  Revolution  and  the  War  of  1812- 
14,  and  the  third  generation  were  supporters  of  the  pre- 
servation of  the  Union  formed  by  the  fathers,  during  its 
years  of  peril,  1861-65. 


ENOCH  S.  SHERMAN 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Sandgate,  Vt.,  Nov.  18,  1812. 
He  was  third  son  of  Seeley  Sherman  and  Betsey  Phillips, — 
the  former  a  native  of  Weston,  Conn.,  the  latter  a  native 
(jf  Suffield,  Conn.  Of  the  children  there  now  survive  seven  : 
Seeley  M.,  of  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa;  Enoch  S.,  of  Salem,  N. 
Y. ;  Josiah,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.  ;  Mrs.  Thankful  J.  Kirkaldie, 
of  New  Rutland,  111. ;  Squire  K.,  of  Salem,  N.  Y. ;  Mrs. 
Catherine  M.  Haseltiue,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio  ;  and  Benjamin 
D.,  of  Hebron,  this  county. 

His  father  moved  with  his  family  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Salem  in  the  year  1820,  and  lived  in  the  same  house 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  subject  of  this  narrative, 
residing  there  the  balance  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-four  years.     His  wife  was  eighty-six  years  of 


HISTOKY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


189 


age  at  the  time  of  her  death.  The  ancestry,  as  far  back  as 
is  iiiiown,  is  noted  for  longevity,  the  grandfather  living  to 
bo  eighty-two,  and  the  grandmother  ninety-six,  botli  of 
Vermont. 

Enoch  S.  spent  his  early  life  until  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age  at  home.  He  then  went  to  the  academy  at  Rutland, 
Vt.,  where  he  remained  for  three  years,  and  one  year  at  the 
academy  at  Castletou  Vt.,  followed  by  three  years  in  the 
Literary  and  Scientific  Institution  of  New  Hampton,  N.  H. 
where  he  prepared  for  college,  and  closed  his  connection 
with  the  institution  by  teaching  in  the  same  for  one  year. 

He  became  a  teacher  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years,  and 
during  tlie  fifteen  years  following  his  course  in  New  Hamp- 
ton, spent  ten  of  tlie  same  as  a  teacher  at  Dover,  N.  H. 

During  this  time,  in  the  year  1842,  he  was  married 
to  Abby  E.  Haseltine,  of  Suncook,  N.  H.,  by  whom  he 
had  one  child,  which  died  at  the  age  of  six  weeks,  and  sur- 
vived the  mother  four  weeks,  slio  dying  in  1844.  For  his 
second  wife  lie,  in  the  year  1840,  married  Maranda  W. 
Warner,  of  Andover,  Vt.,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, — 
Lucy  Helen,  a  graduate  of  Oswego  Normal  School,  and  now 
a  teacher  in  Prescott,  Arizona  Territory  ;  Moses  Haseltine, 
also  a  graduate  of  the  same  school,  and  principal  of  the 
Union  graded  school  of  Prescott,  Arizona  Territory  ;  Charles 
Warner ;  and  Kate  Maranda.  His  wife  died  in  August, 
1870. 

For  his  third  wife  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Ann,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Francis  Mason,  D.D.,  a  missionary  of  British  Bur- 
mah  for  forty  years,  of  English  birth.  Mrs.  Sherman  was 
born  in  Burmah  in  the  year  1831,  came  to  America  with 
her  mother  to  be  educated  in  the  year  1838,  where  she  has 
since  remained.  Her  mother  returned  to  Burmah,  where 
she  died,  in  the  year  1846,  and  her  father  died  at  Rangoon, 
Burmah,  1874.  Mr.  Sherman  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Baptist  church  at  West  Rupert,  Vt.,  and  interested 
in  the  support  of  all  interests  tending  to  make  society  better, 
and  educate  the  rising  generation. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  old  Whig  party,  and  is  now  an 
unswerving  Republican.  Was  always  opposed  to  the  princi- 
ples of  slavery,  and  was  a  representative  at  large  from  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire  at  the  Abolition  convention  held 
at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1838,  to  nominate  James  G.  Birney 
as  candidate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

The  last  thirty  years  of  his  life  have  been  .spent  as  a  far- 
mer, and  a  view  of  his  residence  and  surroundings,  with  the 
portraits  of  himself  and  fiither,  will  be  found  on  another  page 
of  this  work. 


WILLIAM    LAW 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
May  7,  1807.  The  Law  family  of  this  county  is  one  of 
the  oldest.  John  Law,  the  emigrant,  was  of  Scotch  de- 
scent (and  his  ancestors,  driven  from  Scotland  on  account 
of  religious  opinions,  settled  in  Ireland  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century),  and  was  the  first  to  come  to  this 
country,  leaving  Belfast  in  the  summer  of  1773  with  his 
wife  and  two  little  children,  reached  Albany  that  year,  and 
remained  for  about  one  year  and  came  to  the  south  part  of 
the  town  of  Salem,  purcha.sed  a  piece  of  land,  and  settled 


in  a  wilderness  home.  This  was  only  nine  years  after  let- 
ters-patent liad  been  granted  by  King  George  III.  of  Eng- 
land for  the  land  of  Salem  township,  and  since  it  had  been 
in  the  hand,s  of  the  aborigines  of  the  forest.  John  Law 
was  largely  engaged  in  land  speculation  and  held  large 
estates  of  land, — erected  and  owned  several  mills.  He  was 
called  out  as  a  volunteer  during  the  invasion  of  Burgoyne, 
and  served  sonic  three  months.  He  died  in  the  town 
where  he  lived,  June  9,  1811,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
years.  John  Law,  Jr.,  third  child  of  John  Law  and  Agnes 
Herrin,  was  born  while  the  family  was  in  Albany,  Oct.  3, 
1773  ;  received  an  academical  education  at  the  Salem  Acad- 
emy;  received  his  first  business  lessons  in  Camden  valley  in 
a  store ;  was  subsequently  cashier  of  the  Sterling  Iron-works 
of  New  Jersey  ;  spent  some  time  as  a  grocer  in  New  York 
city,  during  which  time,  1798,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  Law,  who  was  brother  of 
John  Law,  Sr.,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1789.  She 
was  born  1771,  was  a  member  of  the  Associate  Presbyterian 
church  from  her  girlhood  until  her  death,  and  particularly 
characteristic  of  her  were  her  qualities  of  self-sacrifice  and 
benevolence.  She  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three 
years  in  full  possession  of  all  her  faculties.  She  is  remem- 
bered for  her  many  virtues. 

John  Law,  Jr.,  le'fl  New  York  city  on  account  of  the 
yellow  fever  in  the  year  1799,  and  came  back  to  Salem, 
buying  a  place  on  the  Arlington  road,  a  little  southwest  of 
the  building  known  as  the  "  Red  Grocery,"  and  opened  a 
store,  where  he  continued  in  successful  business  for  seven- 
teen years,  when  he  engaged  largely  in  speculating  in  wild 
lands  in  this  and  other  States,  and  accommodating  finan- 
cially settlers  and  others  with  means  to  carry  forward  the 
various  enterprises  of  the  vicinity.  After  closing  his  mer- 
cantile business  he  purchased  a  fiirm  at  the  foot  of  Camden 
valley,  and  on  it  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days,  dying 
very  suddenly,  June  15,  1836,  at  Brockport,  N.  Y.,  as  he 
was  returning  home  fi-om  a  trip  to  the  west  on  business. 
He  was  known  as  a  man  of  honesty  of  purpose  and  pos- 
sessed of  more  than  ordinary  sagacity  and  shrewdness  in 
business  operations,  and  particularly  noticeable  were  his 
natural  traits  of  kindness  to  those  needing  assistance,  and 
liberal  views  of  any  enterprise  for  the  propagation  of  good 
society. 

Of  his  fiimily  there  were  seven  children,  five  of  whom 
reached  maturity,  viz. :  William  (died  in  infancy),  Jlar- 
garet  (died  in  infancy),  Margaret  G.,  widow  of  the  late 
Peter  Campbell ;  Agnes,  widow  of  the  late  William  McKie, 
of  Salem;  William;  Mary  (deceased),  wife  of  the  late  Rev. 
Abraham  Anderson,  of  Canonsburg,  Pa. ;  and  Elizabeth 
(deceased),  wife  of  Edwin  D.  Miner,  now  of  California. 

William,  subject  of  this  memoir,  spent  his  early  life  on  the 
farm  and  at  school,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  opened  a  store 
in  Eagleville,  which  he  carried  on  for  some  three  years,  and 
went  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  wholesale  dry-goods  busi- 
ness, which  proved  a  successful  operation.  He  continued 
this  business  until  1837,  when  he  returned  to  Salem  to 
take  charge  of  his  father's  estat«,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. Mr.  Law  was  a  member  of  the  Whig  party,  and 
has  been  since  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  an 
ardent  supporter  of  its  platform.     He  has  always  declined 


190 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


official  preferment  and  political  notoriety,  but  has  not  shrunk 
from  the  duties  and  responsibilities  incumbent  upon  him  as 
a  citizen  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of  his  party. 

For  his  first  wife  he  married  Miss  Eliza  Agnes,  daughter 
of  David  Law,  of  Salem,  May  5,  1869.  She  died  April 
19,  1871  ;  she  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Shushan,  and  lived  a  model  Christian  woman.  For  his 
second  wife  he  married.  May,  1872,  Mrs.  JIary  L.,  widow 
of  the  late  Rev.  James  Duff. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Law  arc  warmly  attached  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  United  Pre.sbyterian  church,  and  Mr.  Law 
with  his  cousins,  descendant.s  of  the  Law  fiimily,  are  erect- 
ing a  memorial  Presbyterian  church  at  Shushan,  in  1878,  an 
interest  started  by  their  fathers,  John  and  Thomas  Law,  as 
far  back  as  1822. 


HIRAM    WALKER 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Dougla.ss,  Mass.,  Feb.  23,  1799. 
This  family  traces  descent  through  the  father,  Thaddeus 
Walker,  a  native  of  Douglass,  Mass.,  to  the  grandfather, 
Benjamin  Walker,  who  was  an  emigrant  from  England 
(with  his  parents,  Obadiah  Walker  and  Hannah  Goddard) 
to  this  country  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war  ;  was  born 
in  the  year  1747  in  England,  married  Elizabeth  Harwood, 
and  died  June  15,  1813.  Thaddeus  Walker,  the  father, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation ;  spent  his  youth  in  the  State  of 
his  birth,  a  part  of  his  life  in  Vermont,  and  the  latter  part 
in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died,  Sept.  1,  1856,  aged  eighty- 
one  years. 

By  his  first  marriage  with  Susannah  Smith,  Thaddeus 
Walker  had  three  children, — Hiram,  Hannah,  and  Sarah. 
By  his  second  marriage  with  Lillis  Burlingame,  he  had  sis 
children, — Smith,  Warren,  Susan,  Lestina,  Balsora,  and 
Lodaisky. 

It  is  a  matter  worthy  of  note  in  this  sketch  that  Oba- 
diah Walker,  the  great-grandfather,  was  brother  of  Sir 
Hovenden  Walker,  who,  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne, 
1711,  unsuccessfully  attempted  the  capture  of  Quebec  with 
fifteen  ships  of  war  and  forty  transports. 

Hiram  Walker's  maternal  grandmother — Douglass  Dud- 
ley— was  the  first  child  born  in  Douglass,  Ma.ss.,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  the  first  governor  of  that  State,  who  originated 
a  very  prominent  and  wealthy  family  by  that  name, — the 
Dudleys  of  Massachusetts. 

'Of  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  Hiram  Walker,  only  four 
survive  in  1878, — Smith,  Lestina,  Balsora,  and  Lodaisky. 

Mr.  Walker's  mother  dying  when  he  was  quite  young, 
he  lived  with  his  grandparents  until  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  went  to  Vermont  to  live  with  his  fiither, 
where  he  remained  during  his  minority.  His  means  for  ob- 
taining an  education  from  books  while  young  was  limited 
to  the  district  schools,  and  his  labor  confined  to  farm-work 
at  home ;  but  his  subsequent  life  was  characterized  particu- 
larly with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  not  only  the  current 
topics  of  the  day,  but  he  was  also  conversant  with  history, 
and  especially  the  Bible,  which  he  delighted  to  discuss. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  in  the  year  1824,  July  4, 
he  married  Miss  Mary,  only  daughter  of  George  Griffith 
and  Lydia  Tabor,  of  Danby,  Vt., — the  former  a  native  of 


Massachusetts,  the  latter  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  In 
this  family  there  were  seven  sons,  all  of  whom  are  dead 
— in  1878 — except  one, — Hiram  Griffith. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Walker  and  his  wife  .settled  mi  a 
farm  in  Vermont,  where  they  remained  until  the  year  1S36, 
whoLi  they  removed  to  Basterville,  town  of  Salem,  Washing- 
ton county  (formerly  Clapptown),  where  he,  in  partnei-ship 
with  Horatio  Walker,  engaged  extensively  in  manufac- 
turing cloth,  and  at  the  same  time  carried  on  a  grist-mill, 
a  saw-mill,  and  a  farm  of  some  three  hundred  acres.  At 
the  end  of  five  yeai's,  having  sold  his  interest  in  Baxter- 
ville,  he  came  to  the  northeast  part  of  the  town  of  Salem, 
and  purchased  the  Colonel  McCracken  place,  containing 
two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  laud,  and  carried  on  farm- 
ing during  the  balance  of  his  life. 

In  politics  Mr.  Walker  was  first  a  meml)er  of  the  old 
Whig  party,  always  strongly  opposed  to  the  principles  of 
slavery,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  an  unswerving 
standard-bearer  of  the  Republican  party.  He  was  among 
the  active,  indu.strious  business  men  of  his  day,  and  ranked 
with  the  first  agriculturists  of  his  town.  A  view  of  his 
homestead,  together  with  portraits  of  himself  and  wife, 
will  bo  found  on  another  page  of  this  work,  showing  the 
result  of  a  life  of  active  toil  and  judicious  management. 

Characteristic  of  Mr.  Walker,  were  his  integrity  of  pur- 
po.se  in  all  business  tran.sactions,  his  ripe  judgment  in  all 
his  deliberations,  his  firmness  and  decision  in  what  he  con- 
ceived to  be  right,  and  his  adaptability  and  social  qualities 
with  all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  contact.  He  died 
Dec.  11,  1870. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  have  been  born  seven  children, 
—George  G.,  Lydia  S.,  Sarah  M.,  Willis  H.,  Thaddeus  H., 
Mary  J.,  and  John  D. 

Mrs.  Walker  was  born  April  21, 1797,  and  has  survived 
her  husband  some  seven  years,  and  although  in  her  eighty- 
second  year,  retains  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  vigor  of 
both  body  and  mind  uncommon  to  people  of  that  age,  and 
dictated  very  many  of  the  facts  for  this  sketch. 


JOSHUA  STEELE 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem  in  the  year  1808.  The 
family  traces  its  descent  through  Joshua  Steele,  the  father, 
to  Thomas  Steele,  the  grandfather,  who  emigrated  from 
Ireland  with  his  wife  and  one  son,  John,  prior  to  the  war 
for  independence,  first  settling  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town  of  Salem,  AVashington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  took  up 
one  lot  of  timber  land,  when  the  family  of  three  began  in 
a  lonely  home  in  the  wilderness.  The  top  of  a  stump  served 
for  a  table,  and  a  log  shanty  surrounding  it  as  the  house. 
The  reader  can  picture  in  his  mind  such  a  beginning  in  a 
new  country,  compared  with  the  comforts  of  life  and  begin- 
nings of  those  who  start  out  for  themselves  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  grandchildren  of  this  couple  now  are  among  the 
most  thrifty  and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  the  county 
having  by  economy  and  industry  secured  fine  residences  and 
broad  acres.  There  were  born  after  coming  to  this  country, 
Joshua,  James  (died  a  young  man),  Elizabeth,  Jean,  Mary, 
Priscilla  (died  a  young  woman).     The  rest  of  these  reached 


Vj 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


191 


advanced  ages,  were  married,  had  families,  and  all  settled  in 
Washington  county  except  Jean,  who  after  her  marriage 
went  to  Ohio. 

Joshua,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  second 
son,  lived  on  the  old  homestead  ;  was  a  farmer  during  his 
life;  married  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Beattic,  of  Salem,  and 
raised  a  family  of  six  sons  and  four  daugliters, — Priscilla 
(deceased),  1829;  James  (deceased);  John  B.,  clergyman 
of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church,  now  a  resident  of  Saratoga 
county;  Jane  (deceased);  William,  married  Margaret  Mc- 
Parland,  of  Salem,  have  one  daughter,  Maria  M.,  wife  of 
James  T.  Norton  ;  Grace,  wife  of  Thomas  Law,  of  Salem  ; 
Thomas  (died  young)  ;  Joshua ;  Daniel  D.  (deceased) ; 
Thomas,  married  Isabel  Fenwick,  have  nine  children ;  Mary 
Ann  (died  young). 

The  father  of  these  children  spent  his  life  a  farmer,  was 
a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church,  of  Salem, 
with  his  wife,  and  brought  up  their  children  under  the  strict 
rules  of  that  church,  and  impressed  upon  their  minds  while 
young  the  religious  convictions  of  the  ancestry.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  in  May,  1843.  The  mother 
died  about  1845,  at  the  age  of  seventy^one  years. 

Joshua  Steele,  Jr.,  was  seventh  child  of  the  family,  and 
spent  his  boyhood  days  at  home  on  the  farm,  married  for 
his  first  wife  Jane  McMurray,  daughter  of  Deacon  John 
McMurray,  of  Salem.  He  settled  the  year  after  his  mar- 
riage on  ninety  acres  of  land,  given  to  him  by  his  father, 
in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town  of  Salem,  on  which  he 
resided  as  a  farmer  during  his  life,  and  on  which  his  widow 
and  only  surviving  son  now  reside,  a  view  of  which,  with 
the  portraits  of  himself  and  second  wife,  will  be  found  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  four 
children, — William  James,  Mary  Ann,  John,  and  Emma 
Jane, — all  deceased.  The  mother  of  these  children  died 
Feb.  15,  1844.  For  his  second  wife  he  married,  Oct.  8, 
1844,  Miss  Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Thomas  Beattie  and 
Rebecca  Pairley,  the  former  a  native  of  Salem,  the  latter  a 
native  of  Ireland.     Mrs.  Steele  was  born  April  24,  1823. 

By  this  union  there  were  born  two  sone, — Thomas  B.  and 
Daniel  T.  The  eldest  died  Oct.  27,  1871,  aged  twenty-six 
years,  having  been  married  to  LouLsa  A.  Growl,  of  Salem. 
Tiie  youngest,  Daniel  T.,  was  first  married  to  Jennie  Thomas, 
Nov.  19,  1873.  His  wife  died  March  18,  1875.  For  his 
second  wife  he  married  Miss  Georgie  B.,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Hugh  Brown  and  Margaret  Walker,  the  former  a  native  of 
Ireland,  now  a  resident  of  the  town  of  Salem,  gave  up  his 
ministry  on  account  of  blindness;  the  latter  a  native  of 
Prince  Edward  Island.  Daniel  T.  Steele  resides  on  the 
farm  left  by  his  father,  and  was  the  first  man  to  bring  a  reaper 
in  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  grain,  having  bought 
the  same  the  centennial  year;  is  a  young  man  of  enter- 
prise, and  represents  the  fourth  generation  from  the  ancestor 
first  settling  in  this  country. 

His  father,  Joshua  Steele,  Jr.,  died  January,  1873. 


JOHN    CLEVELAND. 

The  only  known  emigrant  of  the  name  of  Cleveland 
who  came  to  this  country  during  the  seventeeth  and  eigh- 
teenth centuries  was  Moses  Cleveland,  from  Ipswich,  Sufiblk 


Co.,  England.  He  is  supposed  to  have  come  as  an  appren- 
tice to  a  joiner,  in  1635,  but  the  first  known  record  of  him 
is  in  1642,  when  he  received  a  portion  of  the  public  land 
in  Woburn,  Ma.ss.  He  married  there  Sept.  26,  1648, 
Ann  Winn  (daughter  of  Edward  and  Joanna).  Their 
fourth  son  and  seventh  child,  Edward  Cleveland,  was  born 
at  Woburn,  May  20,  1663.  He  married  about  1690, 
Deliverance  Palmer.  Their  son,  Palmer  Cleveland,  born 
about  1692,  at  North  Kingston,  R,  I.;  married  1715, 
Deborah  Gardner  (?).  Their  third  child  and  second  son, 
Deliverance  Cleveland,*  was  born  at  North  Kingston,  R.  I., 
in  May,  1721,  and  settled  in  that  part  of  North  Kingston 
which  became  the  town  of  Exeter ;  lived_  there  and  in 
West  Greenwich  till  his  death  in  the  latter  town  in  1705. 

His  first  child,  Benjamin,  was  born  in  1744,  in  Exeter, 
R.  I.,  and  married  in  West  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  as  appears  by 
the  following  certificate:  "Benjamin  Cleveland  and' Mar- 
garet Hopkins,  both  of  West  Greenwich,  were  lawfully 
joyned  together  in  ye  marriage  covenant  this  fifth  day  of 
February,  A.D.,  1767. — Witness,  Benjamin  Tillinghast, 
Justice  of  ye  Peace."  In  1709,  Benjamin,  with  his  wife  and 
son.  Palmer,  then  about  one  year  of  age,  emigrated  to  the 
vicinity  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  located  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  John  Cleveland,  Esq.  Of  Benjamin 
Cleveland's  family,  Palmer  emigrated  about  1836,  to  Whit- 
ley Co.,  Ind.,  and  settled  and  named  Cleveland  township 
there.     He  died  there  in  1842.     Moses  died  in  Wisconsin. 

Benjamin  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  by  this  means  and 
making  shoes  for  the  army  in  the  days  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  paid  for  his  land. 

It  is  an  incident  worthy  of  note  that  when  he  came  into 
this  wilderness,  he  moved  his  entire  effects,  including  his  wife, 
on  the  back  of  one  horse.  The  family  met  the  obstacles 
of  pioneer  life  with  that  resolution  and  fortitude  character- 
istic of  successive  generations  now  occupying  a  part  of  the 
same  land.  He  raised  a  family  of  ten  children,  of  whom 
Aaron,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  fourth 
child.  The  grandfather,  although  uneducated  in  book 
knowledge,  was  shrewd  in  business  matters,  and  profited  by 
observation  and  experience.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  New  School  Presbyterian  church  at  Salem.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-two,  in  the  year  1806.  His  wife 
died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  in  the  year  1836.  The 
greater  number  of  the  children  went  west  and  settled.  The 
eldest  son  was  a  seafaring  man,  and  died  in  the  east  at 
Madras. 

Aaron  spent  his  early  life  at  home,  receiving  only  a  com- 
mon school  education ;  married  Miss  Dorathy  Stone,  of 
Windsor,  Vt.,  raised  a  femily  of  ten  children, — five  sons  and 
five  daughters, — Laura,  Martha,  Cyrus,  Joel,  Ezra,  Dorathy, 
Zedekiah,  Jlargaret,  Mary,  and  John,  of  whom  wdy  four 
arc  supposed  to  be  living. 

The  father  was  a  captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  Spent 
his  life  as  a  farmer;  was  a  man  of  sti-ict  integrity  in  all  his 
business  relations  ;  of  correct  moral  habits ;  and  stood  a 
model  man  in  his  ways.     His  example  is  worthy  of  emula- 


•»  Deliverance  Cleveland  married  in  1743  Hannah  Barber,  who, 
with  her  sons  Job,  Abel,  and  two  daughters,  came  to  Salem  from 
West  Greenwich,  about  177S. 


192 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


tioii  by  those  who  follow  hiin.  He  died  Oct.  2, 18G4,  aged 
eighty-four  years.  The  mother  died  Jan.  10,  1852,  aged 
.seventy-six  ;  was  a  woman  of  good  influence,  firmly  attached 
to  her  family,  and  instructed  her  children  in  all  that  makes 
true  manhood  and  womanhood. 

John,  youngest  son,  was  born  in  8alem,  where  he  now 
resides,  June  12,  1824.  He  lived  at  home  during  his 
minority,  receiving  a  fair  English  education,  which,  with 
his  early  parental  training,  fitted  him  to  become  one  of  the 
representative  agi-iculturists  of  his  town  and  county.  A 
view  of  his  improvements  seen  on  another  page  of  this 
work,  shows  the  result  of  his  industry  and  management  in 
carrying  to  a  satisfactory  completion  what  his  ancestors 
began  in  a  log  cabin  in  the  wilderness.  His  chief  busines.s 
has  been  farming,  and  has  only  been  diverted  from  that  occu- 
pation by  two  years'  stay  in  New  York,  in  the  omnibus  busi- 
ness, and  two  years  as  keeper  of  the  State-prison  at  Auburn. 

Mr.  Cleveland  has  been  a  strong  advocate  of  entire  pro- 
hibition from  the  use  of  liquors  as  a  beverage,  wliich  princi- 
ple is  a  legacy  from  his  ancestors,  and  the  propagation  of 
which  he  spares  on  pains  or  self-sacrifice  to  carry  to  a  suc- 
cessful issue  in  his  town  and  county. 

In  politics  Mr.  Cleveland  is  a  Republican,  dating  back 
to  his  ancestry,  who  were  unswerving  men  in  the  old  Whig 
party. 

In  the  year  1857  he  married  Miss  Sarah  H.,  daughter  of 
John  W.  Beattie  and  Sarah  Getty,  the  former  a  grandson 
of  Thomas  Beattie,  an  emigrant  from  England,  in  the  year 
1-764,  and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of 
Salem.     She  was  born  May  13,  1837. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cleveland  have  been  born  three  children, 
— William,  Margaret,  and  John. 


FAYETTE  WILSON 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Rupert,  Vt.,  Nov.  14,  1816.  He 
was  only  son  in  a  family  of  three  children,  there  being  two 
daughters,  Mariette  and  Jaoette,  of  Robert  Wilson  and 
Hannah  Taylor,  the  former  born  in  Hebron,  Washington 
county,  the  latter  a  native  of  Rupert,  Vt.  His  grandfather, 
James  Wilson,  came  from  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  set- 
tled in  Hebron  in  the  year  1772,  where  he  was  married  to 
Martha  Hopkins,  by  whom  he  had  seven  sons  and  one 
daughter.  The  seventh  son,  James,  now  survives  and 
resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  Hebron. 

The  Wilsons  of  Salem,  of  this  fomily,  are  supposed  to  be 
of  Scotch  descent,  and  during  the  persecution  of  Christians 
in  Scotland,  the  ancestors  were  driven  out  of  that  country 
and  settled  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  whence  they  emigrated 
to  this  country. 

James  Wilson,  the  grandfather,  being  a  single  man  when 
he  came  to  Hebron,  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  was  a  captain  in  the  army  of  General 
Gates  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Saratoga,  1777. 

Robert  Wilson,  the  father,  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son, 
Fayette,  in  Salem,  1867,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 
He  was  a  close  student,  a  man  of  great  memory  and  un- 
common powers  of  mind,  and  took  a  strong  position  against 
Masonry  and  slavery  in  their  day. 


One  brother,  David,  was  a  Congregational  minister, 
preached  in  Rupert,  Vt.,  for  seventeen  yeare,  afterwards  in 
Port  Byron,  N.  Y . ;  his  health  failing  he  returned  to  Hebron, 
where  he  died. 

Of  the  daughters,  Mariette  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  and  Janette,  wife  of  Pjlijah  Burton  of  Rupert,  Vt., 
still  survives. 

Mr.  Wilson  spent  his  minority  at  home  on  the  farm  and 
attending  the  common  .school,  where  he  received  such  les- 
sons in  parental  training,  with  his  limited  educational  facili- 
ties, as  fitted  him  for  the  active  and  useful  life  which  he 
subsequently  led. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  married  Miss  Juliette,  eldest 
daughter  in  a  family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  Thomas  K.  Beebeand  Ruth  Nelson,  of  Rupert, 
Vt.,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, — Robert  King,  Clinton 
Fay,  Helen  Janette,  wife  of  Rufus  Coon  of  Salem,  and 
Fannie  Elizabeth.  Mr.  Wilson  after  his  marriage  spent 
his  life  as  a  farmer,  settling  in  the  town  of  Salem  in  the 
year  1840.  A  view  of  his  residence  and  surroundings,  .show- 
ing the  result  uf  his  labor,  will  be  seen  on  another  page  of 
this  work. 

He  was  identified  with  the  Whig  party  in  his  earlier  life, 
and  an  ardent  supporter  of  Ihe  Republican  party  after  its 
formation. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  society, 
and  always  interested  in  enterprises  tending  to  promote  the 
good  of  society.  A  man  of  sterling  integrity,  of  great  sym- 
pathy for  those  less  fortunate  than  himself,  closely  attached 
to  the  best  interests  of  his  family,  and  with  ready  cheer  and 
sociability  made  home  attractive.  He  was  respected  by  all 
who  came  in  contact  with  him.     He  died  Nov.  18,  1876. 


HUGH  FAIRLEY 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem,  Dec.  26,  1791.  He  was 
third  child  in  a  family  of  six  children  of  Hugh  Fairley 
and  Sarah,  both  natives  of  Ireland,  who  came  to  America 
with  their  two  eldest  children,  Margaret  and  Mary,  first 
settling  in  the  town  of  Salem,  where  they  lived  the  balance 
of  their  lives.  The  other  children,  born  in  Washington 
county,  were  Hugh,  John,  Sarah,  and  Jane,  all  deceased. 

Hugh  received  no  assistance  pecuniarily  from  his  father, 
and  was  obliged  to  commence  with  only  his  hands  and  a 
willing  mind,  as  is  the  case  with  all  self-made  men.  He 
only  received  the  advantages  of  the  district  school  by  way 
of  education  from  books.  By  economy  and  industry  he 
after  awhile  accumulated  sufiicient  to  buy  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  acres  of  land  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town  of 
Salem,  upon  which  he  lived  the  balance  of  his  life,  and  the 
fruit-growing  and  ornamental  trees  of  over  thirty  years' 
growth  bear  witness  of  his  untiring  industry.  A  view  of 
his  residence  and  surroundings,  showing  the  result  of  his 
labor,  together  with  the  portraits  of  himself  and  wife,  will 
be  seen  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Mr.  Fairley  was  not  an  active  politician.  Was  first  con- 
nected with  the  old  Whig  party,  but  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  1862,  October  9,  was  an  unswerving  member  of  the 
Republican  party.  Active  in  business,  he  ranked  among 
the  representative  farmers  of  his  town,  and  was  respected 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


193 


as  a  man  for  his  sterling  (|ualitie8  of  honesty  and  decision 
of  cliaracter. 

In  the  year  1819  he  married  Miss  Catherine  McNaugh- 
ton,  daugliter  of  Alexander  McNaughton,  of  Salem,  by 
whom  he  had  four  children, — John  B.,  James  A.,  Mary 
Jane,  and  William  D.  The  eldest  and  youngest  are  de- 
ceased. James  A.  resides  in  Vermont.  Mary  Jane  is  the 
wife  of  Levi  Copeland,  of  Salem,  and  resides  on  the  home- 
stead of  her  father  in  Salem. 

Mrs.  Fairley  was  born  Nov.  22, 1793.  Was  a  member  of 
the  United  Presbyterian  church,  a  woman  of  great  energy, 
and  especially  characteristic  of  her  was  her  kindness  to  the 
needy  and  sick.  She  was  an  exemplary,  model  wife  and 
mother.     She  died  in  the  year  1844. 

For  his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Henderson, 
daughter  of  William  Henderson  and  Sarah  Cole,  of  Salem. 
She  was  born  March  6,  1808.  Mrs.  Fairley  is  now  in  her 
seventy-first  year,  retaining  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  vigor 
of  body  and  mind  common  to  much  younger  persons.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church  at  Salem. 
Early  in  life  Mr.  Fairley  united  with  the  same  church,  and 
remained  a  consistent  member  of  that  body  until  the  time 
of  his  death. 


ALONZO  GRAY. 

Among  the  early  emigrants  to  the  town  of  Salem  was 
Nathaniel  Gray,  who,  settling  in  the  beautiful  valley  of 
Camden  prior  to  1800,  there  resided  till  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  Nov.  12,  1850,  when  he  had  nearly  attained 
the  patriarchal  age  of  four  score  years.  He  was  buried  in 
the  Camden  graveyard,  from  the  church  of  the  United 
Moravian  Brethren,  of  which  society  he  had  been  a  mem- 
ber from  the  establishment  of  their  mission  in  that  valley 
in  1834. 


Lucy,  his  wife,  had  deceased  eight  years  previously, 
having  died  on  March  20,  1842,  aged  sixty-five  years. 

Alonzo,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  their  sou,  and  wa.s 
born  in  Camden,  in  September,  1798,  and  died  at  Salem 
on  the  16th  June,  1874,  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his 
age. 

His  father,  Nathaniel,  was  by  trade  a  blacksmith,  and 
had  brought  up  his  son  Alonzo  to  the  same  occupation,  and 
it  was  not  till  the  twenty-second  year  of  his  age  that  he 
became  fiee  to  choose  his  own  way.  He  then  came  to  tlie 
village  of  Salem  and  entered  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of 
Joseph  Hawley,  and  remained  with  him  as  such  until 
David  Hawley,  who  was  a  son  of  the  former,  had  become 
of  age,  when  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr.  Hawley,  Mr.  Gray 
went  into  business  with  his  son,  and  continued  in  that  con- 
nection in  the  business  of  general  merchandising  for  many 
years. 

During  this  time  ho  married  Miss  Mary  Hawley,  the 
only  daughter  of  Joseph  Hawley  and  Sally  (Gray)  his 
wife. 

On  the  dissolution  of  the  co-partnership  with  Mr.  Haw- 
ley, Mr.  Gray  continued  the  mercantile  business  alone. 

In  the  spring  of  1834,  at  the  annual  town-meeting  in 
Salem,  he  was  elected  to  the  ofifice  of  town-clerk,  and  was 
annually  re-elected  for  the  ensuing  five  years,  holding  the 
office  and  doing  its  important  duties  with  accuracy  and 
faithfulness,  till  April  in  the  year  1839. 

He  held  various  other  positions  of  honor  and  trust  in  the 
town,  the  village,  the  academy,  and  in  the  church,  and  in 
all  of  them  was  diligent  and  iiiithful. 

The  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  was  Hawley,  who 
died  quite  young. 

Mr.  Gray  was  for  several  years  an  invalid,  but  until  a 
short  time  prior  to  his  death  not  so  ill  as  to  be  confined  to 
his  house.  His  death  came  quietly  and  peacefully  in  a 
ripe  old  age,  he  having  attained,  as  did  his  father,  nearly 
four  score  years. 


GRANVILLE. 


SITUATION    AND    NATURAL    FEATURES. 

This  town  is  located  upon  the  eastern  border  of  the 
county,  centrally  distant  seventeen  miles  from-Saleni,  one 
of  the  iialf-shirc  towns.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
^iiitchall  and-IIauipton.  east  by  Vermont,  south  by  Hebron, 
west  by  Haxtford  and  EarLAnn.  It  contains  thirty-three 
thousand  one  hundred  and  forty  three  acres,  or  nearly  fifty- 
two  srjuare  miles. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  undulating  and  hilly.  The 
ridges  are  elevated  from  three  hundred  to  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  valleys.  A  large  portion  of  the  township  lies  on 
what  is  sometimes  called  the  Granville  river,  though  it  is 
better  known  historically  as  the  Pawlet,  the  name  Gran- 
ville not  applying  to  the  stream  until  after  it  receives  the 
tributaries  near  North  Granville.  It  has  somewhat  ro- 
mantically been  called  the  Mettowec.  In  most  of  the  town 
the  slopes  of  the  hills  are  gradual,  and  with  few  or  no  pre- 
cipitous heights ;  the  valleys  arc  delightful.  There  is  a 
quiet  pastoral  beauty,  very  attractive  and  charming,  in  the 
natural  scenery  of  the  town.  The  surface  is  drained  almost 
wholly  by  the  stream  already  named  and  its  tributaries. 

The  main  river  enters  the  town  from  Vermont  at  Gran- 
ville village.  The  largest  southern  branch,  formed  of  two 
streams  flowing  from  Hebron,  unites  a  little  northwest  of 
the  village.  Another  southern  branch  forms  a  junction 
with  the  Pawlet  a  little  east  of  North  Granville.  Almost 
exactly  opposite  is  the  entrance  of  the  principal  branch  from 
the  north.  These  streams  are  beautifully  clear  and  limpid, 
and  are  fringed  with  alluvial  meadows  through  most  of  their 
course.  They  furnish  a  large  amount  of  water-power,  which 
is,  howevei',  but  partially  utilized. 

A  range  of  slate  deposits  passes  through  the  centre  of 
the  town,  mostly  on  the  southwestern  bank  of  the  Pawlet, 
which  furnishes  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  roofing  material 
and  stock  for  other  purposes.  Clay  for  the  manufacture 
of  brick  crops  out  in  various  places,  and  is  used  to  some 
extent  at  Middle  Granville. 

P.\TENTS. 

On  the  11th  of  September,  1764,  Alexander  Menzies  re- 
ceived a  patent  for  two  thousand  acres,  and  under  the  same 
date  Thomas  Menzies  was  also  granted  two  thousand  acres  ; 
on  the  7th  of  March,  1771,  John  Maunsell  received  five 
thousand  acres  ;  on  the  5th  of  September,  17G4,  Erick 
Sutherland  received  two  thousand  acres,  and  on  the  2d  of 
March,  1775,  John  Watkins  was  granted  two  thousand 
acres.  The  two  Menzies'  patents  are  somewhat  north  of 
the  centre  of  the  town,  extending  from  a  meridian  line, 
passing  through  Sliddle  Granville,  to  the  west  bounds  of 
the  town.  The  Maunsell  tract  is  on  the  eastern  border  in 
the  north  part  of  the  town.  The  Watkins  patent  lies  to 
194 


the  northward  of  North  Granville,  extending  from  the  same 
meridian  line  before  spoken  of  to  the  w&st  boundary.  The 
other  patents  are  those  of  Berry  Byrnes,  Farquar,  Suther- 
land, Dupason,  Hutchinson,  Atlas,  Campbell,  and  Grant. 
There  arc  also  three  other  patents  unnamed  on  recent  town- 
ship maps.  Hough's  "  Gazetteer "  disjwses  of  this  subject 
with  the  following  remark :  "  The  land  in  this  town  is  em- 
braced in  several  grants  made  to  about  thirty  captains  and 
lieutenants  who  had  served  in  the  French  war,"  and  these 
were  known  by  the  names  of  the  patentees. 

It  is  further  stated  that  the  Byrnes  patent  in  the  .south- 
east corner  was  sold  to  Kenneth  McKenneth,  a  merchant 
of  New  York,  who  again  sold  it  to  Donald  Fisher,  a  tailor 
of  that  city.  Fisher  induced  several  of  his  relatives  from 
Scotland  to  remove  to  Granville  and  settle  upon  the  tract. 
This  was  before  the  Revolution.  Fisher  as  a  loyalist  with- 
drew to  Canada  during  the  war,  and  his  lands  were  con- 
fiscated and  sold.  Owing  to  some  informality,  the  State,  in 
after-years,  recognized  his  claim  and  paid  him  twelve  thou- 
sand dollars.  Of  the  other  patents  (or  the  patentees  them- 
selves) there  is  very  little  information  to  be  obtained. 
Their  date  is  not  generally  known,  and  few,  if  any,  of  the 
actual  grantees  settled  in  town.  The  large  manorial  tracts 
soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  land-jobbers,  the  titles  were  in 
dispute,  and  settlers  were  shy  of  purchasing.  This  state 
of  things  had  the  eficct  to  retard  settlement  until  the  close 
of  the  Ilevolution. 

E.\RLY    SETTLEMENT. 

Of  early  settlement,  and  of  the  union  with  Vermont, 
Hon.  Hiel  HoUister  writes: 

"  Settlements  were  effected  prior  to  the  Revolutioil. 
The  first  emigrants  were: mostly  from  New  England,  f  The 
attempt  in  1781  to  place  themselves  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  VernlonE^was  due  to  the  fear  of  invasion/ as  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  was  not  then  closed,  ind  it  was  thought  to 
be  easier  to  secure  the  necessary  protection  from  Vermont 
than  from  New  York.  Besides,  they  favored  the  New 
Engliind  institutions  of  universal  suffrage  and  individual 
ownership  of  land,  rather  than  the  property  qualification 
required  by  New  York  and  the  feudal  land  system,  granting 
the  soil  in  large  manors  to  be  cultivated  by  tenants." 

The  progress  of  early  settlement  was  slow.  A  state  of 
war  was  unfavorable  to  emigration  and  to  the  development 
of  the  arts  of  peace.  Conflicting  land-titles  also  dis- 
couraged settlers.  Soon  after  the  war  closed  these  valleys 
filled  up  as  if  by  magic.  The  settlement  of  the  boundary 
lines  cleared  away  the  difficulties  to  some  extent,  and  the 
final  adjustment  between  New  York  and  Vermont,  in  1790, 
left  titles  mostly  clear  and  unquestioned.  Emigrants  pur- 
chased with  confidence,  cleared  their  lands,  and  erected 
their  dwellings  without  fear  of  ejectment. 


RESIDENCE   or  G.  L.BULKLEY, /<  "SffANV/ucW^NiNGrON  Go.N  >, 


LrTH  BT  L  H  Ivcrrrs  tco  rmu  rt 


HISTORY  OP   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


195 


The  fiist  settlement  undoubtedly  dates  back  to  about 
1770,  and  probably  even  earlier  than  that, — at  least  twenty 
years  before  the  first  recorded  town-meeting  of  1787. 
Several  lists  of  names  that  appear  under  the  head  of  church 
history,  etc.,  show  quite  a  population  in  the  midst  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary war.  The  Congregational  church  of  Middle  Gran- 
ville had,  in  1782,  a  membership  of  seventy-two.  The 
petitioners  for  pardon  and  amity  in  1782  are  thirty-seven. 

These  lists,  together  with  the  names  found  upon  the 
town  books  for  1787-88,  constitute  the  sources  from  which 
we  determine  the  early  settlers  and,  approximately,  the  time 
when  they  came  to  this  town. 

The  following  notices  of  pioneer  settlement  have  been 
obtained  by  cons^iderable  labor  ;  we  are  indebted  for  them 
very  largely  to  Jonas  Tanner,  Roger  Wing,  Hon.  Hicl  Hol- 
lister,  Isaac  W.  Thompson,  B.  F.  Ottarson,  Miss  Mary 
Harnden,  Noah  Day,  Nelson  Guilder,  Asa  Parkerfand  to 
many  others.  )  Mr.  Hollister  has  especially  shown  his  in- 
terest in  the  work  by  courteously  permitting  the  free  use  of 
material  gathered  by  him,  with  some  of  which  the  people 
are  familiar  in  his  published  writings. 

Daniel  Curtice  came  from  New  Lebanon  about  1780. 
He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  the  town,  and  a  prominent 
citizen.  His  homestead  was  the  present  place  of  Silas  Hall, 
near  Middle  Granville.  He  had  several  sons,  including 
Daniel,  Elisha,  and  Samuel.  A  grandson,  Harvey  Curtice, 
was  in  after  years  president  of  Knox  College,  having  been 
assisted  to  obtain  an  education  by  the  Congregational  church 
of  Middle  Granville. 

Ebenezer  Gould  was  from  Killingly,  Conn.,  and  settled 
very  early  in  South  Granville.  His  place  was  the  present 
farm  of  Jefferson  Thompson.  His  sons  were  Amos,  Daniel, 
Ebenezer,  Joseph,  Jonathan,  David,  and  Fayette.  The  first 
went  west  very  early,  and  after  the  death  of  Ebenezer,  Sr., 
the  others  all  removed  from  town.  Daughters  were  Mrs. 
Cornelius  Whitney,  Mrs.  Joseph  Whitney,  Mrs.  Parley 
AVhitney,  Mrs.  Warren  Day.  Several  from  these  families 
settled  in  Ontario,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  widow  of  old 
John  Brown  (O.ssowatomie),  is  a  granddaughter  of  Captain 
Ebenezer  Gould. 

Moses  Sawyer  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  paper  of 
submission  in  1782.  He  lived  near  the  bridge  at  Middle 
Granville.  A  daughter  married  David  Barrett  and  settled 
in  Evans,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Ebenezer  Walker  settled  two  miles  north  of  Middle 
Granville,  on  the  present  Cratty  farm,  near  the  Jacob  Allen 
place  at  North  Bend. 

David  Doane  located  on  the  present  Conant  place,  in 
Middle  Granville.  Of  his  sons,  Nathan  removed  to  Vir- 
ginia ;  David  settled  in  Hartford,  N.  Y. ;  Julius  went  west, 
having  become  a  minister  ;  Artemas  settled  as  a  physician 
in  Ithaca.     The  Doane  house  is  still  standing. 

John  Bateman,  one  of  the  signers  to  the  paper  of  sub- 
mission of  1782,  lived  at  or  near  West  Granville.  Smith 
Bateman,  a  well-known  citizen  of  later  years,  was  a  .son. 

Nathaniel  Spring's  homestead  was  at  Middle  Granville. 
The  deeds  of  the  old  cemetery,  of  the  site  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  of  the  former  brick  school-lion.se 
property,  all  came  from  him.  He  removed  from  Granville 
to  western  New  York  at  an  early  day. 


John  Spring  was  a  signer  of  the  paper  of  submis.sion  in 
1782,  but  his  location  in  town  is  uncertain. 

Asaph  Cooke  was  an  early  resident,  and  was  active  at 
the  time  of  the  contest  over  the  New  Hampshire  grants. 
He  represented  the  town  in  the  Vermont  Legislature  in 
1781.  One  son  was  Elutherus  Cooke,  who  removed  to 
Ohio,  became  a  prominent  citizen  of  that  State,  and  a 
member  of  Congress.  Jay  Cooke,  the  noted  financier,  is  a 
son  of  Elutherus.  Many  stories  are  told  in  Granville  of 
the  young  Elutherus.  Being  required  to  hoe  three  rows 
of  corn  as  a  "  stent"  one  day,  he  hoed  three  hills  on  each 
row,  and  counting  crosswise  made  three  rows.  Perhaps 
this  talent,  descending  in  the  family,  enabled  the  grandson 
so  dexterously  to  manipulate  the  sale  of  Northern  Pacific 
railroad  stock.  Other  sous  of  Asaph  were,  Erastus,  Israel, 
and  Asaph;  Jr. 

James  Otis,  a  "  submissionLst"  of  1782,  was  a  resident 
near  West  Granville.  His  homestead  seems  to  have  been 
just  over  the  line  in  the  town  of  Fort  Ann. 

Timothy  Allen,  whose  name  appears  in  connection  with 
Granville,  1780  to  1790,  lived  in  the  town  of  Pawlet,  a 
mile  and  a  quarter  from  Granville  village.  It  is  a  tradition 
of  the  neighborhood  that  he  was  a  connection  of  Ethan 
Allen. 

A  descendant  is  Mrs.  Deliverance  Benjamin,  of  White- 
hall, N.  Y.  Timothy  Allen  is  buried  in  the  old  burying- 
ground  of  school-district  No.  9,  in  Pawlet, — an  unmarked 
mound,  near  the  stone  erected  to  his  son  Caleb. 

The  name  of  David  Skinner  is  found  in  a  road  survey 
of  1784.  He  is  spoken  of  as  a  blacksmith.  The  family 
name  is  prominent  in  town  matters  at  an  early  day. 

Deacon  Skinner  was  a  well-known  citizen  for  many 
years  at  Middle  Granville,  and  had  a  cotton-factory  there. 

Joseph  Herrington's  name  is  given  in  a  road  survey  of 
1784.  This  family  was  probably  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town,  or  perhaps  in  the  town  of  Hebron.  Miss  Harn- 
den, and  also  Noah  Day,  concur  in  this  view.  The  latter 
recollects  hearing  that  three  brothers  of  that  name  were  in 
the  battle  of  Bennington.  The  name  of  Harinton,  attached 
to  the  paper  of  submission,  b  probably  the  same;  also  Her- 
inton. 

Christopher  Potter  was  from  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  His  father  was  a  colonel.  He 
settled  in  Granville  about  1790.  His  sons  were  Stacy, 
John,  Philip,  and  Jeremiah.  Daughters,  Mrs.  Josiah 
Rice,  Mrs.  E.  Baker,  Mrs.  John  Kinyon,  Mrs.  Crandall 
Kinyon,  Mrs.  Daniel  Smith.  Grandsons  living  in  Gran- 
ville are  Charles  W.,  and  Stacy  K.,  the  present  town  clerk. 

Captain  John  Stocking,  at  whose  house  the  first  town- 
meeting  was  held,  resided  at  Middle  Granville,  and  his 
tavern  was  on  the  present  place  of  Henry  Lapham.  Osborii 
afterwards  kept  the  same  tavern. 

Gurdon  Johnson,  the  first  town  clerk,  lived  north  of 
JMiddle  Granville.  His  sous  were  Gurdon  C.  and  Samuel 
Van  Veghten. 

Major  Thomas  Convers  was  one  of  the  first  asse.s.sors  in 
1787.  He  was  a  prominent  man;  was  called  to  the  chair 
as  moderator  of  the  second  town-meeting,  1788.  His  title 
indicates  a  military  history.  He  probably  removed  from 
town  at  an  early  day. 


196 


HISTOKY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY",  NEW  YORK. 


Captain  John  McWhorter,  another  of  tlie  assessors  of 
1787,  lived  on  the  present  David  Brown  farm,  half-way 
between  Granville  and  Middle  Granville.  Phelps  succeeded 
him  on  the  same  fann. 

Lieutenant  Henry  Watkins  was  one  of  the  first  road 
commissioners.  His  name,  spelt  Wadkins,  is  also  upon 
the  paper  of  submission,  1782.  Asa  Parker  states  that 
the  lieutenant  lived  at  North  Bend.  This  would  be  upon 
the  patent  that  bears  that  name.  He  removed  to  Auburn 
at  an  early  day.  Whether  Jiis  title  indicates  service  in  the 
Revolutionary  army  or  not  is  not  .settled. 

Jonathan  Harnden,  from  Massachusetts,  came  into  Gran- 
ville in  1779,  and  settled  on  the  Montgomery  Parker  place. 
He  afterwards  opened  a  hotel  with  a  large  dancing-hall 
in  it. 

His  sons  were  Samuel,  who  settled  in  Warrensburg; 
John,  in  the  west  and  afterwards  in  Canada ;  Kiah,  in 
Granville  and  finally  in  Warrensburg,  and  Joshua,  in  Gran- 
ville.    Daughters  were  Mrs.  Gould  and  Mrs.  Draper. 

Children  of,  Jo.shua  still  living  in  Granville  are  Mrs. 
Erastus  Monroe,  and  Miss  Mary  Harnden  residing  with  her. 
According  to  the  recollection  of  the  latter,  and  she  is  very 
clear  in  her  statements,  Joshua  Harnden  was  running  a 
curdhig-machinc  as  early  as  1802  or  1803;  that  she  re- 
members wool  being  brought  from  Sandy  Hill  at  that  early 
day  to  her  father's  mill,  because  the  Sandy  Hill  machine, 
a  small  affair,  could  not  do  the  work.  She  states  that  the 
Harnden  family  always  understood  that  Joshua  had  the  first 
carding-machiue  in  town.  Gazetteers  and  encyclopedias 
all  being  in  error  if  they  stated  otherwise. 

If  this  conflicts  with  the  Kirtland- Allen-Rood  claim 
on  behalf  of  North  and  Middle  Granville,  noticed  elsewhere, 
we  leave  the  question  for  future  antiquarians  to  search  out 
and  settle. 

Captain  Seth  Wheeler  settled  in  Middle  Granville  about 
1800,  on  the  farm  afterwards  owned  by  his  son,  T.  B. 
Wheeler.  He  had  raised  a  company  of  volunteers,  and 
fought  through  the  Revolution. 

Daniel  H.  White  was  the  first  collector  of  the  town  in 
1787.  Asa  Parker  locates  him  as  a  goldsmith  at  Middle 
Granville.  Noah  Day  inclines  to  the  opinion  that  he  be- 
longed to  a  family  of  that  name  near  Stevens'  saw-mill. 

John  Walker,  an  overseer  of  the  poor  in  1787,  was  an 
early  pioneer  on  the  place  north  of  Middle  Granville,  after- 
wards sold  to  Nathaniel  Parker. 

Solomon  Baker  was  overseer  of  the  poor  in  1787.  His 
liomestead  was  east  of  North  Granville,  on  the  Ackley  or 
Slocum  farm,  now  owned  by  Stephen  Staples.  One  son, 
Ira,  settled  in  Cortland  county. 

Benjamin  Wait  settled  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
town.  The  old  homestead  is  the  present  place  of  N.  G. 
Folger.  Sons, — Washington  Z.,  settled  in  Hebron,  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Nelson;  Archibald  Wait,  a 
Baptist  minister,  now  living  in  Chicago. 

Joseph  Wait,  brother  of  Benjamin,  also  lived  on  the 
Gorham  Folger  place,  and  afterwards  moved  to  Middletown, 
Vt. ;  left  thi'ee  sons, — Samuel,  who  became  a  minister  and 
went  south,  Hiram  and  Smith,  who  settled  in  Middletown. 

Hephon  Austin,  a  pathmaster  of  1787,  was  an  early 
pioneer  east  of  Middle  Granville.     Of  his  .sons,  Jonathan 


settled  on  the  old  farm,  Nathaniel  recently  died  in  the  same 
neighborhood,  and  John  also. 

Zachariah  Loomis,  connected  to  the  Austin  family,  also 
died  not  long  since  in  the  same  neighborhood,  and  a  son 
in  Illinois. 

Richard  Barnes  was  an  early  pioneer  at  South  Granville. 
A  daughter  was  Mrs.  Lyman  Ellsworth,  of  Canton,  St. 
Lawrence  county.  One  son,  John,  also  removed  to  that 
county,  was  elected  sheriff,  and  was  also  appointed  keeper 
of  Dannemore  prison  ;  another  son,  James,  came  to  Gran- 
ville village,  and  erected  a  dwelling  now  standing  nearly 
opposite  the  house  of  J.  S.  Warren. 

F.  S.  Hodge,  of  1787,  a  pathmaster  of  that  year,  we 
have  not  been  able  to  locate.  He  may  have  been  here  only 
temporarily. 

Joseph  Morton,  a  pathmaster  of  1787,  we  have  not  been 
able  to  locate. 

Timothy  Case  was  a  pathmaster  in  1787.  The  name  is 
prominent  in  the  town  of  Hebron.  From  Noah  Day,  of 
South  Granville,  we  learn  that  Timothy  Case  owned  the 
present  Hewitt  farm  on  the  town  line.  The  old  pioneer 
home  of  1787  may  have  been  on  the  Granville  side  of  the 
line,  or  perhaps  town  lines  were  rather  uncertain,  as  the 
town  records  seem  to  contain  a  few  names  frt)m  Hebron, 
Hartford,  Fort  Ann,  and  also  from  Vermont  towns. 

Joseph  Andrews  was  a  pioneer  in  the  northeast  p.irt  of 
the  town,  near  Poultney.  His  sons  were  Daniel  and  David, 
well  known  in  the  town. 

Captain  Nathaniel  Baker  settled  north  of  Granville  vil- 
lage. Sons, — Braddock  and  John,  of  Granville  ;  Allen,  a 
teacher  at  the  south.  George,  son  of  Braddock,  is  the 
present  sheriff  of  Washington  county. 

Reuben  Graves  was  an  early  pathmaster  of  1787  or  1788, 
and  the  name  of  Ira  Graves  also  appears  in  connection  with 
the  north  part  of  the  town. 

H.  Newland  Graves,  of  Granville  village,  does  not  trace 
any  connection  with  those  families.  His  father  was  Rufus, 
who  moved  to  Granville  as  late  as  1825,  and  opened  a  store 
opposite  the  present  hotel.  Newland  Graves  liimself  was 
lor  many  years  a  merchant,  and  afterwards  largely  engaged 
in  business  for  incorporations,  banks,  insurance  companies, 
and  railroads. 

Benjamin  Baker  was  a  brother  of  Solomon  Baker.  He 
formerly  kept  tavern  at  what  is  now  Truthville.  He  also 
owned  the  present  farm  of  Sanford  Carlton.  Of  his  .sons, 
Byram  settled  in  Granville  ;  Bonaparte  went  to  Cortland 
county;  Benjamin  settled  in  Granville;  Miar  settled  in 
Granville,  and  went  west  in  later  years. 

Daniel  Porter  was  a  pathmaster  in  1787,  and  this  family- 
name  was  common  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  of  Ileblon. 

Joseph  Ackley,  step-father  of  George  N.  Bates,  of  Middle 
Granville,  came  to  this  town  about  1800.  He  w;i8  a 
builder  ;  erected  at  North  Granville  the  hotel,  the  academy, 
and  other  buildings.  About  1810,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Olipliant,  he  built  and  afterwards  carried  on  the  old  brewery 
that  was  on  the  grounds  of  tli.e  present  military  .school. 

Joseph  Woodworth  settled  at  South  Granville  probably 
very  early,  as  his  name  (or  Woodruff)  appears  among  the 
pathmasters  of  1787.  Noah  Day  remembers  a  man  of 
'that  name  thrashing  for  his  father;  that  he  used  to  tell 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


197 


wonderful  bear  stories  and  frighten  the  children  so  they 
hardly  dare  go  out  after  dark. 

Zaccheus  Patterson,  whose  name  appears  among  the  path- 
masters  of  1787,  must  have  been  an  early  settler  in  the 
northwest  part  of  the  town,  near  Fort  Ann. 

Kitchel  Heed  lived  near  North  Granville  on  the  present 
farm  of  Patriek  Fanaing,  formerly  the  Dr.  Searles  place. 
Of  his  .sons,  Kitchel  settled  in  Lansingburg,  Ezra  in  Middle 
Granville,  Silas  was  a  manufacturer  at  Granville.  A  grand- 
son, Orville,  became  a  minister.  It  is  a  neighborhood 
anecdote  of  tiie  younger  Kitchel  that  when  he  was  set  to 
thrashing  with  a  flail,  he  used  to  turn  the  hogs  on  to 
the  barn  floor,  put  them  through  a  lively  pace  and  make 
them  do  the  work. 

Benjamin  Marsh  was  an  early  pioneer  in  town.  He  had 
been  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and  a  portion  of  the 
time  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution  under  Arnold. 

Joseph  Northrup,  one  of  the  pathmasters  of  1787,  was 
an  early  pioneer  about  the  close  of  tlie  Revolutionary  war. 
He  settled  in  the  neighborhood  where  so  many  of  the  same 
family-name  have  since  been  prominent  citizens.  Clark 
Northrup  was  an  over.seer  of  the  poor  for  many  years.  He 
is  said  to  have  owned  at  one  time  seven  hundred  acres  of 
land.     He  left  several  sons. 

Israel  Lamb  was  an  early  settler  at  South  Granville. 
Noah  Day  recalls  the  name  of  George  Limb  in  that 
vicinity;  also  Samuel.  There  was  also  'S((uire  Lamb,  of 
Wells,  Vt.,  from  this  neighborhood. 

John  Crary,  one  of  the  early  town  officers,  afterwards 
moved  to  Salem.  He  became  a  prominent  citizen  of  that 
town,  and  was  elected  State  Senator. 

Joseph  Cook,  was  among  the  town  oflicers  of  1787,  but 
our  information  does  not  connect  him  with  the  family  of 
either  Asaph  Cook  or  Isaiah  Cook.  The  latter  settled  in 
Kingsbury  in  1797,  and  was  a  builder.  He  removed  to 
Granville  village,  and  settled  on  the  place  now  owned  by 
his  son,  Dr.  Asa  B.  Cook.  The  other  sons  of  Isaiah  were 
Isaiah  P.,  Adin  V.,  and  John  C. ;  the  daugiiters  were  Mrs. 
Gideon  Potter,  and  two  unmarried,  Myra  and  Anna. 

Dr.  Asa  B.  Cook  has  been  a  piacticing  physician  for 
many  years.  On  the  carding-machiue  question,  he  re- 
members positively  having  heard  James  Smith  say  he 
brought  the  first  machine  to  tiiis  town. 

Elijah  White  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  North  Granville, 
and  was  the  founder  of  the  village  very  largely.  He  lived 
on  the  corner  where  the  present  tavern  Ls.  His  father  was 
about  the  earliest  pioneer  in  this  section  of  the  town.  He 
settled  near  the  bridge  and  built  the  house  still  in  use,  re- 
paired and  improved  and  occupied  by  James  Beecher,  better 
known  as  the  Barrett  Place.  Elijah  built  the  hotel  in  l.SOO, 
and  the  store  in  1801.  Of  his  brothers,  Charles  settled  in 
Sandy  Hill,  Wilson  lived  and  died  in  Granville. 

Elijah  White  w;ls  a  liberal,  public-spirited  man,  did  much 
not  only  to  develop  the  interests  of  North  Granville  as  a 
village,  but  the  whole  town.  In  18J4  he  removed  to  Platts- 
burg,  and  died  there. 

Ebenezer  Chapin  was  an  early  resident  of  the  Gilder 
neighborhood.  A  pathmaster  of  1787.  He  left  several 
children,  and  the  name  has  always  been  known  in  that  part 
of  the  town. 


Jonathan  Wright  was  named  as  a  fence-viewer  in  1787. 

He  settled  near  Middle  Granville,  on  the  hill.  A  Welsh 
family  now  reside  on  the  old  farm.  Of  his  sons,  Jonathan 
moved  west. 

Timothy  Leonard,  a  merchant,  settled  in  Middle  Gran- 
ville about  1704,  and  Wni.  Raymond  about  1800. 

Asa  Reynolds  was  an  early  settler  on  the  present  place 
of  Alouzo  Norton,  coming  here  about  1795.  He  had  a 
peculiarity  of  naming  his  children  so  that  their  names  would 
read  the  .same  backwards  a.s  forwards,  Alila,  Harrah,  Asa, 
Anna,  Numun,  Zizziz. 

Safford  Reynolds,  a  grandson,  lives  at  Middle  Granville, 
and  another  grand.son  is  Mr.  Reynolds  of  the  railroad  station 
at  Granville  village. 

Amos  Beard  was  fence-viewer  of  1787.  That  name  is 
common  in  Hartford,  and  the  location  of  the  family  was 
probably  there,  although,  in  the  uncertainty  of  early  town 
lines,  he  may  have  been  acting  with  the  town  of  Granville. 

Peter  Parker  was  appointed  a  pound-keeper  in  1787. 
His  homestead  was  the  present  Harvey  Wing  farm,  over  the 
line  in  Hartford.  Of  hi.s  sons,  John  C.  was  a  lawyer, — a 
justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years  at  North  Granville. 
Harry,  also  a  lawyer,  settled  at  Whitehall,  and  died  there. 
John  M.  Parker,  son  of  John  C.,  was  a  member  of  Con- 
gress from  the  Binghamton  district,  then  a  judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  died  in  office.  Edward,  another  son 
of  John  C,  was  cashier  for  many  years  of  the  Bank  of 
Whitehall.  William,  another  son  of  John  C.,  is  now  a 
professor  in  Middlebury  college.  Another  sou  of  John  C, 
Geoi'ge  W.,  is  a  judge  in  New  York  city. 

Benjamin  Baker  was  a  pound-keeper  of  1787.  There 
were  many  families  of  this  name,  and  some  seem,  from  the 
recollection  of  the  older  people,  to  have  been  located  at 
South  Granville. 

Captain  Abraham  Dayton,  of  Middle  Granville,  was  an 
early  settler,  before  or  about  1800.  He  was  an  officer  in 
the  militia  at  the  time  of  the  War  of  1812. 
/Nathan  Law,  collector  in  the  year  1788,  was  from  New 
London,  Conn.,  and  lived  in  Granville,  a  bricklayer.  He  had 
a  son  Amos,  a  well-known  citizen  of  late  years.  Nathan  Law 
built  the  brick  store  now  owned  by  J.  S.  Warren.  Nathan 
Law's  sister  was  the  wife  of  Thoni;is  Thompson.  Nathan 
Law  was  a  captain  in  the  Revolutionary  army.  He  died  / 
in  1842. 

Scottoway  Wliitcomb  was  an  as.scssor  in  1788.  He  lived 
at  South  Granville.  One  son,  a  physician  at  Loammi,  died 
in  Ontario,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  name  is  still  prom- 
inent in  Granville.  Scottoway  Wliitcomb  was  with  the 
Bay  State  troops  in  the  Revolutionary  army;  was  in  nearly 
every  engagement  of  his  regiment ;  held  two  commissions. 
He  died  in  1814. 

John  Champion  Bishop,  an  overseer  of  the  poor  in  1788, 
entered  by  the  town  clerk  as  "  Friend  "  Bishop,  came  to 
Granville  from  Dutchess  county  about  1780.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  his  life  and  character 
are  a  priceless  inheritance  to  his  descendants.  He  had  six 
sons,  Abraham,  who  settled  in  Ohio  ;  Isaac,  who  succeeded 
his  father  as  a  merchant  in  (iranville  ;  Arch,  who  also  settled 
in  Granville,  but  later  in  life  moved  to  Wi-sconsin,  and  died 
in  1875;  Jacob  also  settled  in  Granville;   John,  moved  to 


198 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Ohio,  and  died  tliere ;  Stephen,  died  young,  in  Granville. 
There  were  also  seven  daughters,  Mrs.  Howell  Smith,  Mi-s. 
Amos  Carpenter,  Mrs.  Jacob  Holmes,  Mrs.  Stephen  Thorn, 
Dutchess  county,  Mrs.  Richard  Hall,  of  Clinton  county, 
Mrs.  Charles  White,  of  Ohio,  and  Lucy,  never  married. 

Isaac  built  the  Bishop  homestead  as  early  as  1804,  now 
owned  by  Mrs.  Nathan  Lewis.  Daughters  of  Isaac,  Mrs. 
I.  W.  Thompson,  Mrs.  II.  Ncwland  Graves,  and  a  son, 
John  C,  named  for  his  grandfather,  all  of  Granville. 

John  C.  Bishop's  first  house  was  moved  from  its  place 
by  Otis  Dilliiighum,  and  is  now  occupied  by  Otis  D.  Hull. 

Cornelius  Whitney  and  Joshua  Whitney  were  path- 
masters  in  1788.  Cornelius  built  the  hotel  at  Middle 
Granville,  purchased  before  it  was  finished  by  Roger  Wing, 
who  took  possession  in  1804.  Cornelius  Whitney  died  in 
Ontario,  Wayne  Co  ,  N.  Y.  The  pioneer  Whitney  home- 
stead was  at  South  Granville,  the  present  farm  of  De  Witt 
Peets. 

Nathan  Day,  appointed  pathmaster  in  1787,  for  the  east 
road  from  Black  Creek,  was  a  pioneer  at  South  Granville, 
on  the  present  Monroe  farm.  The  old  house  stood  west  of 
the  bridge  on  the  north  side  of  the  road.  His  sons,  Lemuel 
and  David,  settled  in  Granville,  but  after  a  few  years  went 
north  to  the  Canada  line  or  near  there. 

Sylvester  Rowley  was  a  major  of  the  militia.  He  set- 
tled on  the  farm  which  he  afterwards  sold  to  David  Doane. 
He  was  a  well-known  drover,  taking  horses  to  Philadelphia, 
and  also  built  a  hotel  in  the  Slyborough  neighborhood.  A 
daughter  of  Mr.  Rowley  became  the  wife  of  Isaac  Bishop. 

Luther  Cady,  a  pathmaster  of  1788,  settled  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  North  Granville.  A  son,  Lewis  Cady,  lived  and 
died  in  Granville. 

William  Huggins  settled  at  what  is  now  West  Granville, 
on  the  present  Franklin  Wyman  form.  A  son,  William 
R.,  went  west  after  living  till  advanced  life  on  the  same 
farm.     A  daughter  married  Thaddeus  Rowe. 

Ezra  Lee  settled  near  South  Granville  about  1787.  He 
had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  and  held  two  commis- 
sions. He  died  in  1820.  Noah  Day  .remembers  him  as  a 
man  of  excellent  character,  a  leader  in  religious  meetings, 
and  prominent  in  church  work. 

Lemuel  Barber  was  an  early  settler  near  West  Granville, 
and  a  town  officer  in  1788. 

Joseph  Crippen. — This  family  were  in  the  north  part  of 
the  town. 

David  Martin,  a  pathmaster  of  178S,  was  at  Slyborough. 
Several  of  his  grandsons  are  now  living  in  that  neighbor- 
hood.    He  perhaps  lived  over  the  line  in  Hartford. 

Chauncey  Barnes  is  understood  to  have  been  the  father 
of  Joseph  Barnes,  who  lived  with  Captain  Dayton,  at  Mid- 
dle Granville,  and  who  was  afterwards  county  judge  of- 
Clinton  county. 

Araasa  Cook,  also  on  the  town  records  of  1788,  lived  in 
the  Austin  neighborhood. 

Richard  Cook  also  lived  in  the  same  district,  but  came 
there  from  Vermont  in  1817. 

Nathaniel  Parker  came  from  Connecticut.  He  was  in 
the  Revolutionary  army,  and  was  with  Ethan  Allen  at  the 
capture  of  Ticonderoga.  He  probably  settled  not  long  after 
that  (1775  to  1777)  i'l  Granville.     His  homestead  was  just 


north  of  tlie  middle  village,  on  the  Poultney  road,  the  place 
of  the  Evans  Hopkins  brick  house.  His  children  wore 
Cynthia,  never  married  ;  Susan  (Mrs.  Levi  Miller) ;  Nathan- 
iel, settled  in  Granville  ;  Asa,  still  living  at  South  Granville, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-eight ;  Tamson  (Mre.  Luke  Hitch- 
cock) ;  Elind,  .settled  in  Granville;  Matthias,  in  Granville  ; 
Emily,  never  married. 

Nathani(!l,  the  pioneer,  also  had  two  brothers,  who  settled 
on  farms  adjoining  his, — -Eliphalet  and  Michael.  The  for- 
mer is  no  doubt  the  signer  of  the  submission  paper  of  1782, 
there  given  as  Eliphahad. 

It  is  remembered  by  Asa,  from  whom  these  items  are  ob- 
tained, that  his  father  was  in  the  Quebec  attack  under 
Montgomery,  making  the  date  of  settlement  a  little  later 
than  above  stated. 

John  Tanner  was  from  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolution.  When  first  eidisted  he  was  stationed 
at  Albany,  then  farther  north,  and  wiis  finally  discharged 
at  Skene.sborough,  now  Whitehall.  Did  not  return  home, 
but  settled  in  North  Granville  about  1784.  His  pioneer 
homestead  was  the  present  farm  of  James  Brown,  known 
as  the  Corbiii  place.  A  few  years  afterwards  he  bought 
where  his  grandson,  John  Tanner,  now  resides.  Mr.  Tan- 
ner had  eight  sons, — William  and  Joseph,  went  west;  James, 
settled  on  the  old  place  and  died  there, — the.se  three  were 
in  the  army  during  the  War  of  1812  ;  Jonas,  now  living 
at  North  Granville,  from  whom  many  items  of  pioneer  set- 
tlement have  been  obtained  ;  Salem,  settled  in  Cortland 
county,  and  still  living  ;  John  Jay,  at  Glen's  Falls  ;  Edward, 
at  Whitehall ;  Sylvester,  in  Texas.  Daughters, — Thirza, 
became  Mrs.  Josiah  Norton,  of  Indiana;  Esther,  Mrs.  Wm. 
Jones,  of  Fort  Ann. 

Jonas  Tanner  mentions  as  early  physicians  Dr.  Backus, 
Dr.  Gibbs,  Dr.  Spurr.  In  later  years,  and  for  a  long  time, 
Dr.  Searles.  He  considers  the  first  tavern  at  North  Gran- 
ville the  present  Dayton  homestead.  White  &  Doolittle 
were  early  merchants.  The  dwelling-house  next  to  the 
academy  was  a  very  old  one. 

In  1787,  Coomer  Mason,  from  Cheshire,  Vt.,  settled  in 
what  is  still  known  as  Mason  Hollow,  in  Fort  Ann.  He 
pa.ssed  through  North  Granville  to  reach  his  place,  and 
was  afterwards  identified  in  business  matters  with  this 
town.  Of  his  children,  Shubael  settled  on  the  old  home- 
.stead.  Truman  and  Conner,  after  a  few  years,  came  into 
North  Granville  ;  were  both  deacons  of  the  Baptist  church 
at  Truthvillo.  Mrs.  John  Jenkins  and  Mrs.  Supply 
Kingsley  were  daughters  of  Coomer  Mason.  Two  other 
children  made  up  a  family  of  eight,  all  of  whom  lived  to  a 
remarkable  average  of  seventy-five  years.  A  grandson, 
now  of  North  Granville,  was  one  of  the  later  principals  of 
Granville  Academy. 

He  gives  it  as  derived  from  his  father,  that  the  first 
grist-mill  in  this  section  was  back  of  the  barn  on  the 
present  place  of  Mrs.  Shaw,  at  Truth ville,  all  traces  of  the 
old  mill  now  being  removed.  The  water-power  was  from 
Carlton  brook.  Shubael  Mason  used  to  come  there  to 
mill,  horseback,  when  a  boy.  That  brook,  in  a  hundred 
years,  has  cut  down  and  worn  (more  than  fifty  feet)  for 
itself  a  very  different  channel.  Originally  crossed  by  a  light 
bridge  of  poles,  it  now  requires  a  stone  arch. 


^Yl 


DAVID  ROGERS. 


Among  the  many  worth}'  men  whose  names  appear  upon 
the  pages  of  our  county  history,  none  is  more  deserving  of 
an  honorable  ilaentioii,  none  have  done  more  to  build  up 
fallen  humanity,  none  have  left  a  better  record  of  an  honest 
Christian  life  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

He  was  the  son  of  Deliverance  and  Judith  Rogers,  and 
was  born  in  Danby,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  June  28,  1304.  His 
iather  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Rogers,  a  martyr  to 
Christian  principles,  and  was  a  native  of  Vermont  also. 
David's  mother  was  a  native  of  Nantucket,  R.  I.,  and 
removed  to  Easton,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  her 
parents  while  she  was  young.  David  is  one  of  a  family  of 
eight  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  He  settled 
in  Granville,  in  company  with  his  parents,  while  he  was 
young.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  which  was  his  occupation 
through  life ;  and  we  may  say  right  here,  with  no  injustice 
to  others,  that  the  Rogers  family,  including  Deliverance,  Sr., 
and  his  son  David,  were  among  the  very  best  farmers 
Washington  or  any  other  county  ever  produced.  David 
married  Miss  Hannah  Dillingham,  a  native  of  this  town, 
Sept.  13,  1826.    By  this  happy  union  twelve  children  were 


born  to  them,  four  of  whom  are  now  living.  Mr.  Rogers 
lived  with  his  parents  till  their  death,  at  which  time  he 
came  in  possession  of  some  cf  his  father's  estate.  David 
commenced  life  poor,  but  by  industry  and  economy,  a.ssisted 
by  his  faithful  wife,  was  numbered  among  the  wealthy  of 
his  community.  At  one  time  he  owned  some  one  thousand 
acres  of  good  land.  His  unostentatious  generosity  was 
equal  to  the  measure  of  his  abundant  means.  He  was  a 
man  possessed  of  fine  traits  of  character ;  indeed,  he  was 
one  of  nature's  noblemen.  He  was  an  honest  man,  whom 
the  good  delight  to  look  upon,  and  whose  countenance  al- 
ways wore  a  smile  radiant  with  good-nature.  In  politics  he 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  but  always  preferring 
the  quiet  of  home  to  any  official  position.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Living  a  life  of  which  there 
is  such  a  universal  attestation  of  his  integrity  and  upright- 
ness, it  is  not  surprising  that  "  he  should  approach  his 
grave  like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch  about 
him  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams."  He  died  Sept.  8, 
1861,  and  was  buried  in  the  Friends'  Cemetery  at  Gran- 
vUle. 


MRS.  HANNAH    D.  ROGEKS. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest 
(laughter  of  Stejjhen  and  Amy  Dillingham,  and 
was  born  in  Granville,  Nov.  14,  1803.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  Marshfield,  Mass.,  and  born 
there  about  1773.  Her  paternal  great-grandfather 
was  a  native  of  England,  and  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, and  settled  in  the  Now  England  States.  Her 
mother.  Amy  Tucker,  was  a  daughter  of  Abram 
and  Deborah  Tucker,  and  was  born  Sept.  15,  1775, 
at  Chappaqua,  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Hannah  is  one  of  a  family  of"  seven  children, — 
five  sons  and  two  daughters.  She  married  David 
Jiogcrs,  Sept.  l;J,  182G,  by  whom  she  had  twelve 
children;  four  only  remain.  As  Mrs.  Rogers' 
life  is  so  identit-al    witli    that  of   her    husband's  in 


Christian    worth,    we    need    but    refer  you    to   his 
biography,  and  you  \vill  have  Iters  iu  the  main. 

Since  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Rogers 
has  taken  a  more  prominent  part  in  the  society  to 
which  she  belongs,  and  for  many  years  she  has 
been  the  principal  minister  in  the  S(x;iety  of  Friends 
at  Granville.  She  is  also  deeply  interested  in  the 
cause  6f  temperance,  and  is  among  the  active  work- 
ers. She  is  now  an  old  lady  of  nearly  seventy- 
five;  hale  and  hearty,  mind  as  good  as  ever,  she 
would  be  taken  for  a  lady  very  much  younger. 
She  is  sjwken  of  by  all  as  one  of  tlie  finest  and 
best  lo'^i- -  they  ever  knew.  She  is  greatly 
resjiected  iu  Granville,  where  she  has  always 
lived. 


IIISTOUY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


199 


Duty  Sliuniway  came  from  Bolchertown,  in  1794,  to 
AVcst  Granville  Cuniors,  wlicn  eleven  years  of  age,  and 
learned  the  blacksmith  trade  of  his  uncle,  Benjamin  Town. 
He  married  Eunice  Kinney,  of  Fort  Ann  ;  lived  and  died 
at  West  Granville.  He  was  a  captain  of  militia  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  with  ills  company  was  ordered  out  to 
Champlain.  They  were  at  Whitehall  at  the  time  of  the 
McDonougli  victory. 

His  children  were  Horatio  Gates  Sliumway,  a  prominent 
and  successful  lawyer  of  Chicajio;  Joseph  B.,  who  i.s  now 
living  on  the  old  homestead  ;  Charles,  a  resident  of  Batavia, 
111. ;  and  Eliza  S.,  now  Mr.«.  Addison  Willets,  of  North 
Granville. 

John  Kirtland  was  from  Wallingford,  Conn.,  and  was  in 
the  army  of  the  Revolution  for  a  few  months.  He  came  to 
Granville  about  1795,  and  settled  on  the  present  Willis  farm, 
two  miles  north  of  West  Granville.  He  established  a  i'orge 
there,  and  in  company  with  Mr.  Eowe  opened  a  store  at 
that  point.  It  did  not,  however,  prove  to  be  a  favorable 
business  point,  and  there  has  been  no  trade  there  in  later 
times.  Of  bis  children,  Henrietta  (Mr.  Sweatland)  set- 
tled at  Plattsburg  ;  Henry,  in  Canada ;  George,  in  Water- 
ford,  and  afterwards  in  Brooklyn  ;  John,  in  Orange,  N.  J. ; 
J.  B.,  at  St.  Louis  ;  E.  S.,  at  West  Granville  ;  J.  T.,  at 
Orange,  N.  J.  Two  daughters,  Mrs.  Hale  and  Mrs.  3Iyers, 
at  Plattsburg;  Mre.  Tonilinson,  at  Keeseville;  and  Mrs. 
P.  J.  H.  Myers,  of  Whitehall. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall  settled  as  pastor  of  the  first  Congrega- 
tional church  in  1797.  His  labors  extended  down  to  his  death 
in  1S20,  and  he  is  thus  closely  associated  with  the  pioneer 
period  of  the  town.  His  wife  was  of  distinguished  ances- 
try, a  daughter  of  Deacon  Daniel  Emor.son,  of  Hollis.  The 
children  of  Mr.  Hall  were  Hannah  E.,  who  married  Rev. 
Abijah  Crane  ;  Willis  H.,  who  graduated  at  Yale  College 
and  became  a  distinguished  lawyer,  and  was  attorney-gen- 
eral of  the  State  under  Governor  Seward ;  Nathaniel  E., 
who,  after  living  some  years  in  the  west,  settled  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Granville  ;  Eliza,  now  living  on  the  old  place; 
Richard  B.,  a  physician  of  San  Francisco  ;  Daniel  E.,  a 
lawyer  of  Mobile,  Ala. ;  Daniel  B.,  a  minister  of  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  church;  Mary,  who  died  unmarried;  and 
Edwards,  a  physician  of  New  York  city. 

Dr.  Ira  Hall,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  settled,  about 
1795,  at  Middle  Granville,  having  married  the  daughter  of 
Peter  Parker.  He  owned  at  one  time  the  present  farm 
of  E.  B.  Temple,  and  laid  off  from  it  a  Masonic  burial- 
place,  of  which  he  is  said  to  have  been  the  fir.st  occupant, 
dying  in  181 G.  In  company  with  Nathaniel  Hall  and  Roger 
Wing,  he  established  and  sustained  a  select  school  in  the 
upper  story  of  the  old  brick  school-house.  His  children 
were  Ira;  Silas,  a  justice  of  tlie  peace  for  many  years; 
Edwin,  the  distinguifihed  theologian  and  president  of  Au- 
burn theological  school ;  Jjyman,  who  died  young  ;  Sidney, 
who  is  still  living  in  Granville  ;  and  Storrs,  for  many  years 
a  teacher,  and  alterwards  a  practicing  physician  at  Rosen- 
dale,  Wis. 

Stephen  Van  Guilder  came  from  Now  Jersey  during  tlie 
Revolution.  He  had  been  drafted  for  the  army,  but  a 
younger  brother  took  his  jilace.  He  used  to  say  that,  when 
he  came  to  Granville,  John  C.  Bishop  was  the  only  one  at 


the  "  Corners."  Another  house  stood  at  Stevens'  saw-mill, 
two  at  Middle  Granville,  and  only  one  more  beside  his  own 
on  the  road  to  Hartford,  through  Slyborough.  That  was 
on  the  present  O.  Rlartin  farm.  Stephen  Van  Guilder  firet 
settled  on  what  is  now  the  Ebenezer  Starks  farm ;  then 
lived  in  Hartford  awhile ;  but  finally  located  on  the  farm  of 
the  late  Stephen  Van  Guilder,  son  of  the  pioneer.  Besides 
this  son  Stephen,  there  were  James  (father  of  Nelson,  from 
whom  we  obtain  these  fticts),  Ira,  Oliver,  and  Ephraim. 
The  daughters  became  Mrs.  Winchell,  Mrs.  George  God- 
frey, Mrs.  Wm.  Winchell,  besides  one  who  was  not  mar- 
ried. Ira  and  Oliver  went  to  Batavia,  N.  Y. ;  Ephraim  to 
the  west. 

The  pioneer  Stephen  had  two  brothers,  who  came  to 
Granville  a  little  later, — Jo.seph  and  Daniel.  The  sons  of 
Joseph  were  Cornelius,  Joseph,  and  Squire.  Those  of 
Daniel  were  Philander,  David,  and  Dyer.  Nelson  Guilder 
states,  as  matter  of  tradition,  that  Slyborough  was  named 
for  one  Sly,  an  early  settler.  An  orchard  planted  by  the 
elder  Stephen  Van  Guilder  is  still  bearing. 

Stephen  Dillingham,  from  Hanover,  Mass.,  first  settled 
in  Easton  about  1792.  He  came  to  Granville  about  1801, 
and  located  on  the  well-known  Dillingham  farm,  two  miles 
north  of  Granville.  In  1819  he  moved  to  the  present 
place  of  Otis  Dillingham.  His  sons  were  Joseph,  Abram, 
Stephen,  Jr.,  Otis,  and  Reuben.  All  settled  in  Granville 
except  Reuben.  The  daughters  were  Deborah,  who  never 
married,  and  Hannah,  who  became  Mrs.  David  Rogers. 

Jacob  Savage  came  from  Middlotown,  Conn.,  soon  after 
the  Revolution,  and  settled  on  the  present  place  of  his 
grandson,  W.  R.  Savage.  He  had  been  a  privateer  on  the 
ocean  during  the  war,  and  was  a  prisoner  for  several 
months.  He  was  exchanged  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  and 
walked  home.  His  sons  were  Jacob,  John,  Eleazer,  and 
Benjamin,  who  all  settled  in  Granville.  Jacob  and  Eleazer 
are  still  living.  lie  had  two  daughters,  Mrs.  James 
Wright,  and  Lucy,  who  was  not  married. 

Noah  Day  came  from  Killingly,  Conn.,  in  1792  or  1793, 
and  settled  on  the  hill  south  of  the  burying-ground,  on  the 
road  from  Granville  village  to  South  Granville.  A  barn 
which  was  there  when  Mr.  Day  came  is  still  standing.  Of 
his  sons,  Luther,  David,  and  IIo.sea  settled  and  died  in 
Granville.  Noah  is  still  living  at  South  Granville  at  the 
age  of  eighty-eight ;  and  Alvah,  a  minister  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  is  living  at  Manchester,  Delaware  Co., 
Iowa.  Of  the  daughters,  Ruth  never  married  ;  Hannah  be- 
came Mrs.  Roswell  Ellsworth,  of  Granville  ;  Edith,  Mrs. 
Erastus  Foot,  of  Ontario,  Wayne  Co.,  and  Lydia,  Mrs. 
Scottoway  Whitcomb,  of  the  same  place. 

Noah  Day,  Sr.,  had  two  brothers,  who  came  to  South 
Granville  earlier  than  he  did, — Jonathan,  who  settled  on  a 
part  of  the  present  Luther  R.  Temple  farm,  and  Elihpalet, 
an  early  physician,  who  practiced  for  several  years,  and 
died  in  1800,  in  the  dwelling-house  now  occupied  by  Noah 
Day. 

The  name  of  Blakesley  appears  in  some  of  the  earliest 
town  records.  Noah  Day  states  that  the  Blakesley  home- 
stead was  a  part  of  the  present  Luther  Temple  farm.  He 
recalls  the  names  of  David  and  Reuben,  two  sons.  The 
pioneer  Blak&sley  must  have  been  here  very  early.    He  had 


200 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


an  orchard  bearing  in  1792,  when  Mr.  Day's  father  moved 
in.  His  name  is  among  the  "  submissionists"  of  1782,  as 
David  Blakeslee. 

Gideon  Allen  was  probably  a  resident  of  South  Gran- 
ville from  1775  to  1782,  as  his  name  is  attached  to  the 
paper  of  submission,  1782.  Noah  Day  remembers  Jonathan 
Allen,  Norman,  David,  and  John,  and  supposes  they  were 
sons  of  Gideon. 

Tlie  name  of  Aaron  Smith,  1782,  seems  to  liave  belonged 
within  the  limits  of  Hebron. 

Noah  Day  recalls  the  name  of  Spencer  as  an  early  pio- 
neer at  Soutli  Granville.  He  had  a  son,  Jeremiah.  The 
family  were  here  before  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  or  in  its 
earlier  years.  They  suffered  severe  privations, — reduced  at 
one  time  to  milk  and  birch-bark  to  sustain  life.  In  the 
Burgoyne  campaign  of  1777  they  burned  their  household 
articles  and  drove  their  stock  southward. 

Noah  Day  states  that  his  father  was  a  blacksmith,  and 
David  Whitney,  on  the  present  Day  homestead,  was  also 
a  blacksmith,  and  the  old  shop  stood  near  the  present  gate. 
The  firet  pair  of  boots  worn  by  Mr.  Day  were  made  by 
Deacon  Crocker,  a  shoemaker  df  Hebron.  There  was  an 
early  grist-mill  (1790  to  1795)  on  the  present  Adams  place, 
west  of  South  Granville.  A  saw-mill,  in  later  years  owned 
by  Caleb  West,  Esq.,  now  the  Boomer  mill.  Dr.  Lamb  also 
had  a  carding-machine  just  below  the  grist-mill, 

Mr.  Day  has  many  anecdotes  of  his  own  boyhood  and 
of  the  early  times.  Sent  home  through  the  woods  with  a 
yoke  of  oxen  one  night,  and  afraid  of  bears,  he  went  up 
between  the  oxen,  took  hold  of  the  ring  of  the  yoke,  and 
thus  guarded  on  either  side  considered  himself  peculiarly 
safe.  To  look  back  at  the  affair  now,  he  thinks  he  was 
more  in  danger  from  the  oxen  than  from  the  bears. 

Dr.  Reuben  Jones  had  been  a  surgeon  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary army,  and  settled  at  South  Granville.  He  practiced 
for  many  years. 

Noah  Day,  the  pioneer,  was  in  the  army  of  the  Revolu- 
tion ;  was  at  the  battle  of  Trenton  under  Washington,  and 
as  he  was  a  full  pensioner,  it  is  presumed  that  he  served 
three  years  or  more. 

The  Hollister  brothers,  William,  Isaac,  and  Hiel,  were 
early  settlers  at  or  near  Middle  Granville.  They  were 
from  Glastenbury,  Conn.  They  and  most  of  the  members 
of  their  families  were  members  of  Dr.  Hall's  church. 
William  settled  in  the  village, — a  leather-dresser  and  shoe- 
maker. Isaac  settled  on  the  place  now  Owned  by  David 
Brown,  midway  between  the  villages.  Hiel  settled  near 
the  present  residence  of  Truman  Temple. 

Roger  Wing  came  to  Middle  Granville  from  Lenox, 
Mass.,  in  1804,  and  bought  of  Cornelius  Whitney  the 
hotel,  then  unfinished,  which  stood  opposite  the  pioneer 
tavern  of  John  Stocking,  where  the  first  town-meeting  was 
held.  He  soon,  in  connection  with  Seth  Cook,  opened  a 
road  to  the  present  residence  of  John  Staples. 

Mr.  Wing  made  an  effort  to  have  the  Granville  Academy 
located  at  the  middle  village,  offering  one  thousand  dollars 
for  that  purpose,  but  others  were  not  ready  to  assist.  He 
died  in  the  midst  of  his  vigorous  enterprises,  only  two 
years  after  his  settlement.  His  son,  Roger  D.,  a  few  years 
later,  took  charge  of  the  hotel  and  kept  it  most  of  the  time 


since.  He  has  also  been  largely  instrumental  in  developing 
the  interests  of  Middle  Granville  and  of  the  town. 

His  father  had  a.s.sisted  James  Smith  in  setting  up  the 
first  carding-machine.  Roger,  the  son,  was  concerned  for 
a  time  in  the  cotttm-factory  built  when  he  was  a  lad. 

To  accommodate  that  enterprise  he  built  the  brick  store 
on  the  corner.  Henry  D.  Wing,  brother  of  Roger,  but  six 
months  old  at  his  father's  death,  became  a  man  of  unusual 
business  enterprise.  Fir.st  a  clerk  with  the  Kelloggs,  of 
Troy,  he  was  afterwards  in  an  exchange  and  fur  business 
connected  with  John  Jacob  Astor.  In  1828  or  1830  had 
charge  of  gold  transfers  to  Canada,  driving  through  Gran- 
ville with  .six  four-horse  teams,  loaded  with  kegs  of  coin, — 
making,  as  stated,  thirty  thousand  dollars.  He  afterwards 
recovered  ninety  thousand  dollars  in  England,  which  the 
son  of  a  wealthy  man,  enticed  by  an  artful  girl,  had  carried 
off.  For  the  details  of  these  transactions  we  refer  to 
Roger  D.  Wing,  and  the  biography  of  the  family  in  the 
Granville  Scii/iiicl  of  March  10,  187G. 

Henry  D.  Wing  died  in  Chicago. 

Jonathan  Brown  was  an  early  settler  soon  after  the 
Revolution,  his  homestead  being  a  part  of  the  present 
David  Brown  farm.  His  sons  were  Jonathan,  Daniel, 
David,  Bishop,  and  Richard ;  his  daughters  were  Mrs. 
Culver,  afterwards  Mrs.  Pearse,  Mrs.  Smith,  Sirs.  INIay- 
nard,  and  Mrs.  Ray.     Four  children  died  young. 

Abraham  Reed  settled  about  1785  near  North  Gran- 
ville. He  was  a  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church,  and 
his  son  Leonard  became  a  minister.  The  latter  is  still 
preaching  at  the  west. 

Hon.  Martin  Lee  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  the 
son  of  a  Congregational  clergyman.  He  came  to  this  place 
in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  and  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law.  He  remained  here  through  the  years  of 
his  active  life,  except  a  short  time  spent  at  Cambridge  in 
1827  or  1828.  He  stood  high  in  his  profession,  and  was 
honored  with  many  important  civil  trusts,  which  he  dis- 
charged with  conscientious  fidelity.  Devoutly  attached  to 
the  Episcopal  church,  he  was  the  trusted  counselor  of  the 
pastor,  the  leader  of  services  in  the  absence  of  the  latter, 
and  always  the  life  and  soul  of  the  music,  assisted  by  his 
childi'en,  whom  he  had  carefully  trained  to  join  in  the  ser- 
vice of  song.  He  was  a  major-general  of  militia,  and  stood 
high  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  His  wife  was  the  daughter 
of  Hon.  Gerrit  Wendell,  and  in  their  hospitable  and  happy 
home  she  presided  with  culture  and  refinement.  She  died 
May  15,  1SG4,  and  he  passed  his  last  years  with  his  chil- 
dren in  Chicago,  where  he  died  April  17,  1868.  Their 
sepulchre  is  with  the  people  they  served  so  long,  in  the 
shadow  of  the  church  they  loved  so  well.  Of  them  it  was 
beautifully  written,  "At  evening  time  there  shall  be  light." 

The  Bulkley  families  who  settled  in  Granville  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century  consisted  of  five  brothers, — 
Charles,  Alfred,  Henry,  Chester,  and  Edward.  Their  father 
was  Charles  Bulkley,  from  Colchester,  Conuecticut.  He 
died  in  extreme  old  age  at  his  son  Alfred's,  in  1822.  These 
five  brothers  became  prominent  in  business  and  in  the 
affairs  of  the  town. 

Charles  settled  at  Granville  village,  and  carried  on  the 
business  of  a  hatter  for  many  years. 


X 


STEPHEN   DILLINGHAM. 


JIRS.    STEPHEN    DILLINGHAM. 

STEPHEN   DILLINGHAM, 


son  of  Joshua  and  Hannah  Dillingham,  was  born  in  Marsh- 
field,  Mass.,  ahout  1773.  His  ancestors  were  of  English  origin, 
being  among  the  early  settlers  of  New  England.  His  father 
was  a  blacksmith  by  occupation,  and  was  extensively  engaged 
in  ironing  vessels  for  many  years.  About  1785  lie,  Joshua, 
and  family,  settled  in  Easton,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
from  this  time  on  was  a  farmer. 

He  was  a  worthy  and  esteemed  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  a  very  liberal  supporter  of  the  same.  Just  before 
his  death,  about  1826,  while  sitting  in  his  old  arm-chair,  he 
called  his  children  and  grandchildren  to  him,  and  leaning  on 
his  staff,  like  Jacob  of  old,  he  gave  them  a  parting  blessing ; 
and  judging  from  what  we  know  of  the  life  and  character  of 
his  descendants,  we  can  but  believe  his  prayer  was  heard,  and 
the  influences  which  he  set  in  motion  will  be  known  only  when 
eternity  shall  flash  upon  the  doings  of  time.  His  wife  died  some 
years  before.  She  was  a  lady  very  much  respected,  and  left 
an  impress  for  good  on  the  character  of  her  cliildren.  Stephen 
was  reared  a  farmer,  and  by  industry  and  economy  became 
one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Washington  county.  He  mar- 
ried, on  the  20th  of  the  11th  month,  1794,  Amy,  daughter  of 
Abram  and  Deborah  Tucker.  She  was  born  at  Chappaqua, 
Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.  At  the  time  of  her  marriage  she  was 
a  resident  of  Queensbury,  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.  By  this  happy 
union  seven  children  were  born,  namely:  Joseph,  Deborah, 
Abram,  Hannah,  Stephen,  Otis,  and  Reuben  ;  of  this  number, 
Joseph,  Deborah,  and  Reuben  are  dead. 

About  1801,  Mr.  Stephen  Dillingham  and  family  settled  on 
a  farm  some  two  miles  east  of  Middle  Granville,  where  thoy 
continued  to  reside  for  some  twenty-two  years,  and  then  re- 
moved on  to  the  farm  now  owned  by  their  son  Otis.     Mr. 


Dillingham  died  on  the  27th  of  the  8th  month,  1859.  He  was 
a  birth-right  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  was  an 
elder  in  that  societ}'.  He  was  generous  to  the  poor,  and,  aided 
by  his  devoted  Christian  wife,  left  a  name  ever  worthy  to  be 
remembered. 

MKS.    STEPHEN    DILLINGHAM. 

Something  more  than  a  passing  notice  should  be  made  of 
this  good  woman.  Her  birth  and  marriage  are  spoken  of 
above.  She  was  a  good  wife  and  an  aftectionate  mother,  gov- 
erning her  children  in  the  spirit  of  love.  She  murmured  not 
at  the  dispensation  of  Providence  as  she  witnessed  the  death 
of  some  of  her  children,  but  with  greater  diligence  continued 
her  guardian  care  over  the  remainder  of  the  family.  Her  gift 
in  the  ministry  was  acknowledged  about  the  year  1810.  She 
often  made  religious  visits  to  other  meetings,  always  adminis- 
tering consolation  to  the  afiiicted.  She  was  one  to  whom  the 
parable  would  fittingly  apply,  both  temporally  and  spiritually  ; 
"  When  I  was  an  hungered,  ye  gave  me  meat;  thirsty,  and  ye 
gave  me  drink;  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in,"  etc.  From 
her  kind,  beneficent  hand  many  have  been  made  partakers  of 
the  good  things  of  this  life,  as  the  destitute  had  a  very  large 
share  of  her  sympathy.  She  passed  away  on  the  IGth  of  8th 
month,  1856,  with  the  full  assurance  of  a  "Home  over  there." 
She  often  expressed,  "There  is  not  a  cloud  in  ray  way,"  and,  in 
ecstasy  of  joy,  said:  "Do  not  hold  me,  do  7iot  keep  mc ;  my 
work  is  done;"  and  a  noble  work  it  was.  "  If  we  work  upon 
marble,  it  will  perish  ;  if  we  work  upon  brass,  time  eifaces  it: 
if  we  rear  temples,  they  will  crumble  to  dust;  if  we  work  upon 
immortal  minds, — if  we  imbue  them  with  principles,  with  the 
just  fear  of  God  and  love  of  our  fellow-men, — we  engrave  upon 
these  tablets  something  which  will  brighten  for  all  eternity." 


Stephen  DiLLmoHAWi .z''- 


Mrs.  Stephen  DaLiNGH/!M,2- 


LiTH.  BY  L.H.ErtRTsaCo.  Phila.Pa. 


Residence  or    STCPHEN    DILLfNGHAM,Gp-*NviLLE  Washington  Co  N  Y 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


201 


Henry  was  a  partner  witli  Reuben  Skinner  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  over  twenty  years. 

General  Edward  Bulkley  is  still  living  at  the  ago  of 
eiglity-nine  years,  in  the  same  house  at  North  Granville  in 
which  he  coniniencod  hou.sekccping  in  1815.  He  success- 
fully followed  the  manufacture  of  hats  for  a  long  period,  and 
was  able  to  give  his  children  unusual  ducatioual  advan- 
tages. 

Nathan  Thompson,  from  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  settled 
in  1801  on  tlie  turnpike,  near  where  Warren  Thompson 
now  lives.  His  sons  were  Nathan,  Lavi,  Asa,  Ezra,  Ce- 
phas, and  Martin.  All  but  the  first  settled  in  Granville, — 
Nathan  in  Blassachusetts.  Daughters,  Mrs.  John  Wait 
and  Mrs.  Dibble. 

Dr.  Cephas  Thompson  was  the  father  of  Jefferson  Thomp- 
son of  South  Granville. 

Daniel  Martin  and  Samuel  Bourne  were  early  settlers, 
just  after  the  war,  beyond  Slyborough,  over  the  line  in 
Hartford.  It  is  said  they  owned  everything  in  common, 
and  raised  large  families,  until  late  in  life,  when  the  two 
men,  without  the  help  of  lawyers,  and  without  interference 
by  the  children,  made  a  division  satisfactory  to  themselves 
and  their  families, — a  division  never  contested  or  litigated. 

Joseph  Ottarson,  of  Londonderry,  Vt.,  was  the  grand- 
father of  B.  P.  Ottarson,  the  pre.sent  postmaster  at  Gran- 
ville village.  He  had  eight  children,  of  whom  John,  the 
youngest  son,  came  to  Granville,  or  near  there  in  Pawlct, 
in  1800  to  180G.  He  was  a  builder,  and  as.sisted  in  the 
erection  of  many  church  edifices  and  private  residences 
throughout  this  section  of  countrj'. 

E-VRLY    MILLS,  STORES,  TAVERNS,  SHOPS,  ETC. 

Nathaniel  Spring  erected  a  grist-mill  at  Granville  about 
1787.  Elijah  White  had  a  saw-mill  in  1784,  and  proba- 
bly .some  years  before  that. 

At  the  Kirtland  forge  place  there  was  some  quarrying  of 
marble  at  an  early  day. 

The  first  store  at  West  Granville  was  by  Manning  & 
Thompson,  1837  to  1840. 

The  post-office  was  established  in  1850. 

Benjamin  Baker  kept  an  inn  at  North  Granville  about 
1790,  and  Jenks  kept  store  there  in  1705. 

John  Kirtland  was  the  first  postmaster  in  all  this  part  of 
the  town,  the  oflicc  being  kept  wliere  E.  S.  Kirtland  now 
lives. 

The  first  blacksmith  in  this  section  was  probably  Benja- 
min Town. 

Jonas  Tanner  states  that  his  father  used  to  go  to  mill  at 
Bishop's  Corners,  carrying  the  grist  on  his  back,  and  take 
along  his  axe  to  have  it  ground  while  waiting  for  his  grist. 

Other  notices  of  stores  and  mills  appear  in  the  sketches 
of  villages,  or  in  those  of  individuals. 

Charles  Kellogg  kept  a  tavern  at  Granville  in  1800. 
Bronson,  three  miles  north,  on  the  road  to  Poultney. 

The  early  manufactures  of  the  town  were  lutiul-madc. 
Flax  and  wool,  raised  on  the  farm,  were  carded,  spun,  and 
woven  by  the  family  fireside.  The  rattle  of  the  loom  and 
the  buzz  of  the  spindle  could  be  hoard  in  every  house. 
The  first  luacliinc  fur  carding  wool  was  brought  from  Eng- 
land privately  at  an  early  day,  ISOO  to  180G,  and  .set  up  at 
20 


Kirtland's  forge.  North  Granville,  by  James  Smith.  This, 
after  a  time,  superseded  hand-carding. 

Pot-  and  pearl-ashes  were  extensively  exported  from  this 
town  while  the  process  of  clearing  was  going  on.  Jlaple- 
sugar  wa.s  also  an  article  of  early  export.  Tanneries  were 
found  in  almost  every  village,  and  were  carried  on  until 
they  declined  for  want  of  a  supply  of  bark  and  their  work 
drawn  away  by  larger  establishments  in  more  eligible  locali- 
ties. Distilleries  and  cider-brandy  establishments  existed 
in  town,  but  have  long  since  been  abandoned. 

The  first  machine  for  carding  wool,  mentioned  above, 
seems  to  be  fairly  credited  to  James  Smith.  Financially 
unable  to  set  it  up  himself,  he  was  assisted  by  John  Kirt- 
land, and  we  add  also  Roger  Wing,  on  the  authority  of 
Hon.  Hiel  Hollistcr.  After  a  time  it  was  moved,  as  Mrs. 
Bates,  of  Middle  Granville,  understands  it,  to  the  mill  nearer 
North  Granville  village,  afterwards  owned  by  Gilbert  Allen, 
her  father,  and  was  soun  after  established  at  Middle  Gran- 
ville. 

In  connection  with  the  grist-mill  of  Gilbert  Allen,  Mrs. 
Bates  remembers  riding  with  her  father  through  neighbor- 
ing towns,  trying  to  buy  grain  for  the  mill  in  1816,  the 
"year  without  a  summer."  There  were  a  forge  and  a 
nail-factory  at  the  Allen  mill  place, — and  it  is  among  Mrs. 
Bates'  recollections  that  she  and  other  children  used  the  old 
nail-rod  heating-furnace  as  an  oven  when  playing  ''keep- 
house." 

The  following  memoranda  are  furnished  by  Roger  D. 
Wing,  of  Middle  Granville,  showing  the  changes  in  social 
and  religious  interests  as  well  as  in  commercial  pursuits 
that  have  occurred  in  seventy-flve  yeans,  together  with  a 
few  anecdotes. 

The  tavern  property,  consisting  of  a  house  and  forty-six 
acres  of  land,  was  bargained  for  as  early  as  1800,  with  the 
understanding  that  no  other  taverns  should  be  started  in 
the  village.  In  1804,  however,  when  possession  was  given 
to  Roger  Wing,  another  tavern  was  being  kept  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  road  by  Jo.seph  Osborn,  but  the  two  land- 
lords maintained  friendly  relations.  They  both  died  in 
1806.  At  that  time  might  have  been  seen  a  large  sign- 
board hanging  between  two  sign-posts,  a  large  spread-eagle 
painted  on  both  sides  of  the  sign,  being  the  arms  of  the 
Wing  family  as  they  were  pictured  on  the  panels  of  the 
coaches  in  old  England,  in  1650.  How  changed  the  scenes 
in  the  vicinity  of  this  old  tavern !  On  that  farm  the  Met- 
towee  agricultural  fair  is  annually  held,  where  are  dis- 
played implements  of  the  latest  improved  form, — wagons, 
carriages,  pianos,  organs,  and  ladies  of  the  latest  style, 
instead  of  the  old  spinning-wheels  and  looms  of  a  hundred 
years  ago,  and  the  brave  pioneer  mothers  and  the  daughters, 
at  whose  skillful  touch  the  music  of  industry  arose  in  stir- 
ring if  not  melodious  notes. 

In  1804  there  might  be  seen  in  the  winter  from  one  to 
thirty  teams  every  night  putting  up  at  this  tavern.  The 
sleighs  loaded  with  wheat  on  the  way  to  Troy.  When  the 
horses  were  put  out  the  teamsters  would  bring  their  pro- 
vision-boxes into  the  bar-room,  call  for  a  brandy  sling  or  a 
mug  of  flip,  and  cat  their  pork  and  beans.  In  the  morn- 
ing they  would  hitch  up  their  teams,  pay  their  bills,  and 
resume   the  long  drive.     It  .so  happened  that  the  church 


202 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


was  opposite  the  hotel  in  those  days,  and  some  highly- 
respectable  church-going  people  would  call  for  a  nnig  of 
flip  or  a  brandy  sling,  and  drink  without  going  behind  the 
door.  The  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall  was  the  first  minister  set- 
tled over  this  congregation.  His  monument  gives  a  record 
of  five  hundred  and  eighty  members  received  during  his 
life  charge,  and  all  went  on  in  peace  and  harmony  while  he 
lived.  The  customs  were  very  different  then  from  now, 
for  every  Saturday  afternoon  ^Ir.  Hall  would  call  at  the 
deacon's  store  and  procure  a  supply  of  brandy  and  a  loaf  of 
sugar  to  replenish  his  sideboard.  After  his  death,  divided 
councils,  conflicting  sentiments,  and  church  trials  gave  to 
the  society  the  name  of  "  church  mi'litaitt." 

I  well  recollect  (though  but  a  lad  at  the  time),  when 
Mr.  Hall  walked  into  the  pulpit,  how  solemnly  he  would 
look  around,  and  how  impressively  he  would  say,  "  My 
friends,  what  motive  brought  you  here  ?"  A  knotty  ques- 
tion for  those  days,  and  possibly  for  these. 

I  remember  well  Lemuel  Haynes,  the  celebrated  colored 
minister,  who  preached  for  many  years  at  South  Granville. 
It  is  said  he  preached  thirty  years  in  Rutland  before  they 
knew  he  was  black.  He  was  quite  noted  not  only  for 
preaching  but  for  ready  wit.  Two  men  meeting  him 
asked  if  he  had  heard  the  news.  "  What  news?"  said  Mr. 
Haynes.  "  Why,  the  devil  is  dead."  Quick  as  a  flash, 
laying  his  hands  upon  their  heads,  he  exclaimed,  "  Poor 
fatherless  children  !"  and  passed  on.  I  recollect  he  called 
one  dark  night  and  said  he  must  have  a  little  brandy.  Some 
one  told  him  that  a  temperance  society  was  organized. 
"  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  have  belonged  to  a  temperance  society 
for  forty  years,  but  I  will  take  some  brandy  to  go  home 
upon." 

One  of  the  original  doctors  in  this  town  was  Dr.  Safibrd, 
who  built  a  splendid  mansion  half  a  mile  from  Granville. 
He  was  very  popular,  and  withal  a  man  of  considerable 
humor.  About  the  wickedest  man  in  town — one  accus- 
tomed to  swear  and  fight  for  mere  comfort — was  taken 
violently  ill.  Dr.  Safi^ord  came,  took  in  the  case  at  once, 
and  saw  there  was  no  special  danger.  Putting  on  a  solemn 
face,  however,  he  said,  "  Dan,  if  you  want  to  make  your 
peace  with  God  you  had  better  do  it  now.  '  Sure  enough, 
Dan  got  down  on  his  knees  and  prayed.  "Oh, good  Lord! 
oh,  good  devil ! — oh,  good  Lord  !  oh,  good  devil !"  and  so 
on  in  alternate  order  for  a  long  while.  Finally,  being 
relieved  by  the  doctor's  medicine,  the  latter  asked  him, 
"  What  did  you  pray  so  for,  Dan  ?"  '■  Oh,  I  didn't  know 
whose  hands  I  should  fall  into." 

Dr.  Hall  was  a  popular  man.  He  bought  the  fine  house 
now  occupied  by  Edwin  Temple.  The  house  was  built  by 
Benajah  Hill  in  1800.  The  doctor  was  buiicd  with  Ma- 
sonic honors. 

Dr.  Glbbs  settled  in  North  Granville, — a  man  of  decided 
views  in  politics  as  well  as  medicine.  He  was  a  near  neigh- 
bor to  Zebulon  R.  Shipard,  the  noted  lawyer.  The  two 
always  differed  over  politics,  and  many  stoiies  are  told  of 
their  wordy  conflicts.  Hon.  Leonard  Gibbs  was  a  son  of 
the  doctor.  Dr.  Scarl  was  a  later  physician  (a  homoeopa- 
thist)  in  that  part  of  the  town. 

In  the  year  1800  a  goldsmith  lived  in  Middle  Granville, 
by  the  name  of  Douglas,  said  to  bo  a  relative  of  Stephen 


A.  Douglas.  A  Dr.  Martin  lived  with  Douglas,  and 
made  musical  instruments, — bass  viols  and  violins. 

About  1815  or  '20  a  man  taught  sacred  music  in  Middle 
Granville,  by  the  name  of  Doolittle.  His  name  may  be 
.seen  in  some  of  the  old-fashioned  singing-books.  He  be- 
came deranged,  and  went  singing  up  and  down  the  country 
for  many  yeais. 

It  may  be  inferred  from  a  few  of  the  above  notes  that 
the  venerable  author  thinks  that  the  old  times  were  at  least 
as  good  as  the  new,  and  that  some  of  the  modern  progress 
is  hardly  worth  boasting  over.  He  adds  the  following  post- 
script to  this  as  an  instance  of  the  precocious,  but  somewhat 
undesirable,  shrewdness  of  the  modern  youth  of  his  neigh- 
borhood : 

On  the  arrival  of  a  young  .son,  weight  about  ten  pounds, 
in  one  of  the  families  of  Middle  Granville,  a  little  brother, 
four  years  of  age,  whose  nose  might  be  supposed  injured, 
was  brought  in  to  see  the  new  visitor.  After  looking  at 
it  some  time,  he  turned  to  his  father  with  the  solemn  ques- 
tion, "  Pa,  where  did  that  little  cuss  come  from?" 

We  will  also  add,  what  is  well  known  in  Granville,  that 
Roger  D.  Wing  is  the  genuine  landlord  of  the  Brandy 
Story,  which  appeared  in  Harper's  Mugnzine  in  1850  or 
'51,  and  afterwards  ran  the  rounds  of  the  papers  through- 
out the  country.     It  was  as  follows : 

Wing  is  deaf  as  a  post,  and  so  is  the  village  painter,  Fish. 
Wing  was  behind  his  bar  one  day  and  Fish  was  seated  ; 
the  one  intent  on  business,  the  other  waiting  for  a  treat. 
A  stranger  stepped  in,  and  the  following  dialogue  occurred: 

'•  Can  you  tell  me  how  far  it  is  to  Brandon  ?  " 

"  Brandy?"  said  Wing;  "yes,  sir,  I  have  got  it,"  setting 
down  the  bottle. 

"  I  wanted  you  to  tell  me  how  far  it  is  to  Brandon,  if 
you  could,"  said  the  stranger. 

"  Good  ?  yes,  it  is  the  very  best  bought  in  Albany  ;  but 
let  me  get  you  some  sugar." 

The  stranger,  turning  to  Fi^h,  said,  "  The  landlord  is 
deaf,  I  believe ;  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  how  far  it  is  to 
Brandon." 

"  Brandy?  yes  I  drink  it  sometimes." 

"  I  want  to  know  how  far  it  is  to  Brandon." 

"  Yes,  thank  you,  I  will  take  some." 

The  stranger  surrendered  at  discretion  ;  tlioy  drank,  he 
paid  the  bill,  and  moved  on — to  Brandon,  if  he  ever  found 
the  way. 

Mr.  Wing  furnishes  the  following  names  of  early  citizens, 
earlier  than  1810,  who  perhaps  have  not  been  mentioned 
before  :  Joseph,  William,  and  Charles  Norton,  James  and 
Robert  Hamilton,  David  Hull,  Abijah  Prouty,  Caleb  Curtis, 
Amos  Savage  and  Richard,  Oliver  Lampson,  Elizur  and 
John  White,  Nathaniel  Parker,  Ezra  Perkins,  Prince  and 
Stated  Potter,  Lewis  McDaniel,  John  Phelps,  John  De 
Kalb,  Gideon  Beebe,  Samuel  Clark,  Amos  Collins,  Zachariah 
Loomis,  William  Brown,  William  Feleh,  Tibbets  Northrup 
and  Gardner,  Nathan  R.  Crippen,  Jeremiah  and  Norman 
Spicer,  Elias  Dayton,  Abijah  Palmer,  Reuben,  Nathan, 
and  Thomas  Roblee,  Peter  Cramer,  Amos  Ensign,  Martin 
Ensign  (a  carpenter).  Dyer  Lee,  Timothy  Leonard  and 
A.sa  Northuni  (merchants,  1780),  Augustus  and  Charles 
Chandler  (the  latter  a  wagon-maker  about  1815). 


Edwin  B  Temple 


/Wrs,  Edwin  R  Temple:, 


tim  St  L  H  E»E/>rs«Co  i 


RESIDENCE  or   EDWIN   B   TEMPLE   Granville  WtsHiNaTOH  CoN  Y. 


Truman  Tcmple 


jJ\fis  Truman  Temple, 


Residence  or  TRUMAN    TElMPLE.GJfANWLLE. W/ishington  Co  N  / 


IIISTOllY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTS,  NEW    YORK. 


•20:! 


ORGANtZATION. 

It  is  cviikiit  i'nim  vaiiuus  documents  that  a  district 
oruaiiizatiuii  existed  in  Giuiivillc  for  several  years  prior 
to  tlie  firet  election  of  town  officers  in  1787.  This  whole 
country  was  involved  in  the  difficulties  over  the  "  New 
llamiishire  grants." 

Many  of  tlio  citizens  of  Granville,  [jcrliaps  a  majority, 
took  part  in  the  luoveuietit  to  anne.\  Charlotte  county,  and 
other  territory,  to  Vermont,  described  in  the  general  his- 
tory, and  elected  delegates  to  the  Cambridge  convention. 
After  this  movement  failed, — which  it  did  in  the  course  of 
a  few  months, — the  Granville  people,  who  had  engaged  in 
it,  as  well  as  those  of  other  districts  in  the  same  predica- 
ment, were  compelled  to  make  submission  to  the  authorities 
of  New  York,  which  they  proceeded  to  do  as  gracefully  as 
possible  by  presenting  the  following  paper  : 


To  ins  ExrKLi.F.xcv,  the  Govkrnoh,  and  tiik  ho 
.\ND  Assembly  oi-  the  State  of  New  Youk. 


\BLE  Senate 


"  The  petition  of  tile  subscribers,  inbabitaats  of  Granville,  humbly 
shovveth:  That  your  petitioners  have  been  e.vposeJ  to  the  invasions 
ami  depredations  of  the  enemy  since  the  year  1770,  and  since  the 
ewacuation  of  Ticonderoga  have  had  only  a  small  guard  ut  Skeues- 
borough  till  in  the  spring  of  17S0.  Since  that,  your  petitioners  have 
been  entirely  destitute  of  any  succor,  notwiihstnnding  the  many 
petitions  and  remonstrances  repeating  the  same.  That  your  pe- 
titioners have  been  for  the  last  three  campaigns  almost  constantly  in 
alarms,  which  hath  rendered  them  in  a  most  deplorable  condition,  so 
that  there  are  numbers  of  families  now  among  us  who  have  scarce 
one  Imshel  of  grain  to  support  them,  nor  is  there  any  to  bo  purchased 
within  twenty  miles'  distance.  That  under  these  distressing  circum- 
stances, and  the  insinuation  of  artful  and  designing  men,  your  pe- 
titioners were  seduced  to  swerve  from  their  allegiimce,  not  from  any 
desire  of  leaving  the  State,  could  we  have  been  protected. 

"  But  we  trust  your  excellency  ani  the  honorable  body  will  again 
receive  us,  and  overlook  what  your  distressed  subjects  have  done. 
Hoping  for  the  future,  we  shall  take  care  how  we  are  led  by  any  de- 
signing men,  and  remain  happy  subjects  under  your  protection. 

*•  Your  petitioners  most  humbly  pray  that  your  excellency  and  the 
honorable  Senate  and  Assembly  will  take  our  case  into  consideration, 
nnd  not  only  pardon  them  of  their  transgression,  but  afTbrd  them 
some  defense  for  the  ensuing  campaign,  and  3'our  petitioners,  as  in 
duty  bound,  will  ever  pray. 

"Dated  Granville,  March  the  -tth,  a.d.  17S2. 


'Moses  Sawveu, 
Daniel  CritTis, 
AsAPu  Cook, 
Henry  Watki.ss, 
Kksjamis  Bakeu, 
David  Doaxe, 

GlIIEOX    .\i.LE.\, 

Klii'ualet  Park er, 
Aaron  Smith, 
MicAn  Grifejtii, 
Peter  IIarriscton, 
Moses  Powers, 
.Joseph  Barker, 
Thomas  Grieeith, 
Josiah  Mix, 
Samtei,  IIarxben, 
James  Covei,, 
Isaiah  Bexxet, 
TnEODoiirs  Xortox, 


Joxath.vn  Harxoen, 
EiJESEZER  Walker, 
IcuAiton  Parker, 
John  Bateman, 
James  Otis, 
Peter  Groveu, 

AllRAIIAM    VaXUL'RSEE, 
JoH.X    G  ROVER, 

.John  Barnes, 
Davih  Blakeslee, 
John  Walker. 
John  Si-king, 
Solomon  Bakeu',     . 
Thomas  Greeks, 
J()sei'II  IIerrixgton, 

EUENEZER    GoiLD, 

Jesse  Atwater, 

HeIX    WiLLlAM.S." 


The  records  of  the  district  of  Granville  arc  no  doubt 
lost.  At  all  events,  the  careful  .search  of  Hon.  Iliel  Hol- 
lister,  J.  W.  Thompson,  and  others  interested  in  such 
studies,   have  failed   to  discover   them.     There    are   some 


traces  of  this  prior  organization  in  the  old  town  books, 
under  the  head  of  "  Road  Surveys  of  17S+." 

Asaph  Cook  was  a  representative  to  the  Vermont  L;:gis- 
luture  under  the  union  effected  on  May,  1781.  In  the 
fail  of  the  same  year,  Benjamin  Baker  and  Joseph  Craw- 
were  also  representatives,  and  probably  the  last  to  attend 
the  Vermont  Legislature.  Upon  the.so  three  pioneers  fell 
the  honors  and  emoluments  of  official  life  undi;r  the  Slate 
of  Vermont. 

Judging  from  the  time  of  settlement,  from  the  known 
organization  of  other  districts,  from  the  habits  of  local  .self- 
government  peculiar  to  New  England,  and  evidently  derived 
from  their  ancient  town-meeting  system,  it  is  fair  to  infer 
a  district  organization  of  from  ten  to  iifteen  years  before 
1787,  the  date  of  the  first  town-meeting.  The  records  are 
supposed  by  some  to  have  been  purposelj'  destroyed,  in  view 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  conflicting  allegiance  of  that  period 
and  the  danger  of  pro.socution  against  individuals  for  par- 
ticipation either  on  one  side  or  the  other.  Certainly  there 
is  little  or  nothing  left  of  written  annals,  either  for  courts 
or  historians. 

The  town  of  Granville  is  supposed  to  have  received  its 
name  through  early  settlers  from  JMassachusetts,  naming 
their  new  home  after  the  Granville  of  the  old  Bay  State. 
There  is  no  particular  proof  of  this,  however.  The  name 
is  spelled  in  the  older  papers,  Grandvil  and  Graiwil. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  Mr.  George  N.  Bates,  himself  from 
Granville,  Massachusetts,  that  this  town  was  not  named 
from  that. 

Granville  was  organized  as  a  town,  bj'  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, in  178U,  and  the  following  are  the 

MINL'TES   OP   THE   FIKST   TOWN-MEETING: 

"April  ye  2d,  17S7. — .4t  an  Annual  town-meeting  (according  to  a 
law  passed  in  the  tenth  session  of  the  Assembly  of  the  State  of  New 
Y'ork)  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Granville,  held  at  the  house 
of  Capt.  John  Stocking,  in  said  town  : 

"Meeting  being  opened,  Voted  fur  Town  Clerk,  Gurdon  Johnson. 
Proceeded  and  chose  Capt.  Daniel  Curtis,  Supervisor ;  Major  Thomas 
Convers,  Capt.  .John  McWhorter,  Ebenezer  Walker,  Assessors;  Lieut. 
Henry  Watkins,  David  Doane,  Samuel  Harnden,  Road  Commission- 
ers ;  Daniel  H.  White,  Constable  and  Collector;  John  Walker,  Solo- 
mon Baker,  Poorinastcrs ;  f,)r  Pathmasters,  Benjamin  Wait,  Hephon 
Austin,  James  Barnes.  Timothy  Case,  Joseph  Andrews,  Joseph  Mor- 
ton, .Joseph  Graves,  Benjamin  Baker,  Daniel  Porter,  Joseph  AVood- 
rulT,  Zaccheus  Patterson,  Joseph  Northrop,  John  T.  Wright,  Israel 
Lamb,  Timothy  Baker,  Kitchel  Heed,  John  Walker,  John  Crary, 
Joseph  Cook,  Elijah  White,  Ebenezer  Chapin;  Jonathan  Wright, 
John  McWhorter,  Amos  Beard,  Fence-Viewers;  Peter  Parker,  Ben- 
jamin Baker,  Samuel  Harnden,  Pound-Keepers. 

"  Voted,  that  the  town  clerk  procure  a  book  for  record,  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  town. 

"  Voted,  that  sheep  should  not  be  free  commoners. 

"  Voted,  th.at  this  meeting  dissolve." 

SECOND    TOWN-MEETIN'G. 

"  April  1,  anniversary  for  town-meeting  was  on  Tuesday, 
the  5th  dixy  of  April,  1788.  Met,  according  to  former 
custom,  at  the  hou.se  of  Captain  John  Stocking ;  meeting 
opened  by  Esquire  Cook.  Then  Major  Thomas  Convers  was 
nominated  and  chose  moderator  for  the  day.  The  question 
was  put  whether  to  adjourn  to  the  meeting-house*;  proceeded 
there  and  elected  town  officers.  The  new  names  among  the 
officers  were  Nathan  Law,  collector;  Scottaway  Whitconili, 


204 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


assessor ;  John  C.  Bishop,  poormaster ;  pathmaster,  Nathan 
Day.  On  the  east  road  from  Black  creek,  Cornelius 
Wliitney,  Joshua  Whitney,  Ezra  Lee,  Esquire  Parker,  Peter 
Parker;  from  James  Olds'  to  the  top  of  the  hill  by  Es((uire 
Cook's,  Lemuel  Barber,  Philip  Lanjrdon,  Jonathan  Binwn, 
Jeremiah  Baker,  Abraliani  Reed,  Josiah  Beard,  William 
Barber,  Amasa  Cook,  David  Martin,  Chauncey  Barnes, 
Charles  Haydon,  Luther  Cadj',  Wni.  Ilurrgins,  Sylvester 
Rowley.  Voted,  every  man's  yard  his  own  pound,  and  ad- 
Tertise  the  owner.  Voted,  hogs,  sheep,  and  horses  not  free 
commoners.  " 

Tuesday,  the  3d  of  March,  17S!),  according  to  the  order 
of  the  assembly,  the  freemen  of  Granville  met  at  the  uieet- 
ing-hou.se,  and  voted  for  a  representative  for  the  House  of 
Representatives  of  the  United  States, — forty-three  voters. 

The  third  town-meeting,  April  7.  1789,  was  held  at  the 
meeting-liouse.  Thomas  Convers,  moderator.  Proceeded 
to  choo.se  by  going  across  the  house  and  voting  (the  former 
town  clerk  keeping  the  tally)  a  town  clerk,  and  after  he  had 
qualified,  the  other  town  officers  were  chosen  the  same  way. 

At  this  7neeting  it  was  voted  to  join  with  the  other  towns 
in  the  county,  and  choose  and  send  a  committee  for  the 
purpose  of  nominating  governor,  lieutenant-governor,  two 
senators,  and  four  members  of  assembly.  Committee  chosen 
were  Captain  Daniel  Curtis,  Timothy  Leonard,  Captain 
Elijah  White,  Major  Thomas  Convers,  Ensign  Samuel 
Harnden,  and  David  Doane,  to  meet  at  the  house  of  Major 
Thomas  Convers  on  the  15th  of  April.  A  tax  of  thirty- 
four  pounds  was  voted  for  the  support  of  the  poor,  and  grain 
allowed  in  payment. 

The  town-meetings  were  held  at  the  meeting-house  for 
several  years.  In  1793  the  place  was  the  house  of  Corne- 
lius Whitney.  The  town  at  that  time  seems  to  have  been 
out  of  debt  and  money  on  hand,  as  the  overseers  of  the  poor 
wore  authorized  to  loan  seventy-five  pounds,  "  at  legal  in- 
terest, on  land  security." 

Michael  Parker,  Ebenezor  Simmons,  Stephen  Graves, 
and  John  Felshaw  advertise  estrays. 

At  the  town-meeting  of  1804,  it  was  voted  that  Isaac 
Bishop  purchase  for  the  town  a  surveyor's  compass  and 
a  chain. 

Still  earlier  items  are  as  follows :  September  4,  1784, 
tliere  is  recorded  the  survey  of  a  road  beginning  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  school-house  standing  between 
Joseph  Herrington's  and  Lieutenant  Ebenezer  Gould"s, 
and  extending  to  the  west  side  of  the  highway  west  of 
Samuel  Harnden's  house. 

Another  laid  out  by  Ichabod  Parker,  David  Doane,  and 
Ambrose  Parker,  Oct.  18,  1784.  "  Beginning  at  a  maple- 
tree  on  the  north  side  of  the  highway,  from  Granville  to 
Skenesborough,  in  the  line  between  the  lands  of  Benjamin 
Baker,  Sr.,  and  those  of  Jonathan  Brown,  and  extending 
to  a  hemlock  staddle,  marked  on  the  road  that  leads  from 
Captain  Elijah  White's  saw-mill  to  Skenesborough,  on  the 
east  side  of  Pawlet  river." 

Also,  Oct.  22,  1784,  another,  "  beginning  at  the  last 
turn  in  the  road  north  of  Zebedee  Young's  house,  and  ex- 
tending finally  to  a  beech  staddle,  marked  '  eleven'  and 
'  twelve'  in  the  east  line  of  the  Provincial  patent,  a  corner 
bound  of  lots  in  the  said  patent  of  the  said  numbers." 


Another,  "beginning  at  a  hard  maple  staddle,  marked 
at  the  crotch  of  the  paths  by  Mr.  Seth  Baker's  liouse,"  and 
extending  •'  to  a  hard  maple  sapling,  by  the  road  from 
Aaron  Smith's  to  Eleazer  Smith's." 

Also,  one  "  beginning  at  a  great  red-oak  stump,  by  Josepli 
Van  Gilder's  house,"  and  extending  to  "  a  stake  on  the 
west  side  of  the  highway  formerly  laid  out  at  the  south 
end  of  the  school-house  that  David  Skinner  set  up  for  a 
blacksmith-shop." 

At  the  town-meeting  in  1811,  the  support  of  the  poor 
was  let  individually  to  the  lowest  bidder,  and  it  is  recorded 
that  "  David  Holly  bid  to  take  and  board  and  bed  Joseph 
Barrett  for  eighty  cents  per  week,"  and  that  "  John  L.  Davis 
bid  to  take  Leonard  Eldridge  to  board,  bed,  and  clothe  for 
one  dollar  and  forty- five  cents  per  week." 

It  was  voted  in  1792,  that  a  work-house  be  provided  for 
any. poor  person  likely  to  become  chargeable  to  the  town. 

In  1792  it  was  voted,  that  "  no  person  should  be  inocu- 
lated for  the  smallpox,  without  permission  of  the  officials 
of  the  town,  on  pain  of  incurring  the  highest  displeasure 
of  the  inhabitants."  In  1796  it  was  voted,  ''that  this  town 
does,  not  approve  of  people  spreading  the  smallpox,  and 
that  any  person  that  publicly  travels  the  road,  leaving  the 
smallpox,  .shall  be  considered  as  (tcling  ovt  of  character .'" 
It  was  also  voted,  "  that  any  person  that  does  not  destroy  the 
Canadian  thistle  on  or  about  his  farm  shall  be  considered  (i 
Tpoor  farmer  l" 

The  following  lists  include  the  names  of  all  those  who 
have  held  the  offices  of  supervisor,  town  clerk,  and  collec- 
tor to  the  present  time ;  also  justices  of  the  peace  since 
1830: 


Si 

pervisors. 

Town  Clerks. 

Collectors. 

1787. 

Da 

icl  Curtis. 

Gordon  Johnson. 

Daniel  H.  White. 

1788. 

' 

" 

" 

Nathan  Law. 

1789. 

< 

"                " 

Daniel  H.  White. 

1790. 

Timothy  Lcon.ard 

Diiniel  Curtis. 

Soloiuou  Baker. 

1791. 

'• 

Timothy  Leonard. 

Daniel  H.  While. 

1792. 

" 

Daniel  Curtis. 

Zadoc  Lee. 

1793. 

"        .      " 

"            " 

Jeremiah  Spicer. 

1794. 

"               " 

"            " 

1795. 

"               " 

Gordon  Johnson. 

" 

1797.  "  " 

1798.  "  " 

1 799.  "  " 

1800.  "  " 

1801.  " 

1802.  .Tacob  Holmes. 
180.3.  John  Kirtland. 

1804.  Jacob  Holmes. 

1805.  "  " 

1806.  John  Kirtl.and. 
1S07.   "     " 
1808.   "     " 
1S09.   " 

1810.  '•■     " 

1811.  "     " 

1812.  "     " 

1813.  Isaac  Bishop. 

1814.  " 

1815.  "     " 

1816.  AVm.  Raymond. 

1817.  " 

1818.  Salem  Town. 

1819.  " 

1820.  Martin  Lee. 
1S21.        '■  " 


Asa  Reynolds. 


Wm.  Rayn 


Eliphalct  Parke 


Cyrel  Carpenter. 
Samuel  Standish. 
Cyrel  Carpenter. 
Jeremiah  Spicer. 
Cyrel  Carpenter. 
Jose])h  Osborne. 
Cyrel  Carpenter, 
Samuel  Hough. 
Wadsworth  Bull. 
1,  Jr.    I'liiiy  Whitcomb. 


Levi  Thompson. 
Justin  Kellogg. 
Levi  Thompson. 
Derrick  I.  Wright. 
Samuel  Everts. 
Roswell  Ellsworth. 
Timothy  B.  Whcclei 


Da 


id  Burdick. 


Robert  Sackrider. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


205 


Siipervisurs.  Tiiwn  Clerks. 

Martin  Lee.  IMkH  Siickrider, 

S.im'l  Stau.lish,  Jr.    John  Wells. 


Isaac  Bisho)). 
Jonathan  Toild. 


John  C.  Parker. 
James  W.  Parker. 
Jonathan  Todd. 


1S22. 
1823. 
lf<24. 
1S2.^. 
1,S26. 
IX2-. 
1S2.1. 
1S29. 
IS.",!). 

18:11. 
is.-i2. 

lS.-!3. 

is:m. 
is:io. 

IS.'iO. 

1S37.  " 

1S:1S.  Reuben  .^kinncr. 

1S39. 

1840.  "  " 

1841. 

1S42. 

184.'!. 

1844. 

1S45. 

1846. 

1S47. 

184S. 

1849. 

1850. 

ISol. 

1852. 


Jonathan  T 
Jolin  €.  l':u 


Oollectora. 
David  Burdick. 
James  Wilson. 
AVni.  R.  Iliggini 
.\;irnn  Looinis. 


Philan'r  Hitclic 

Nathan  Doanc. 
John  C.  Parker. 
(Jeorge  N.  Bates. 


Lym.an  lOllsworlh. 
Samuel  Daily. 
Aaron  Loouiis. 
ek.  Morgan  Duel. 


Samuel  Smith. 
David  Burdick. 


He 


Weeks 


1853. 
1S54. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
1860. 
1861. 
1862. 
1863. 
1861. 
1805. 
1866. 
1867. 
1808. 
1869. 


1873. 
1874. 
1875. 


Isaac  Munroo,  Jr 
Isaac  W.  Bishop. 

B.  D.  Utter. 
Edward  Buckley. 
Fayette  L.  Spencer. 
James  Norton. 
James  Hopkins. 
Alfred  Buckley. 
Isaac  Norton. 
Oscar  F.  Thompson. 

Isaac  Norton. 
Nathaniel  Mason. 
Oscar  F.  Thompson. 


Ervin  Hopkins. 

Wm.  II.  Allen. 
Edward  Bcechcr. 
Wm.  H.  Allen. 

George  N.  Bates. 
Wm.  U.  Allen. 
Samuel  Thomas. 

Royal  C.  Bctts. 

John  Watkins. 
Silas  Hall. 
David  Brown. 
Palmer  D.  Everts. 
David  Brown. 
Edwin  B.  Temple. 


S.  H.  Cowan. 

Alfred  Buckley. 
H.  D.  Sargent. 
Alfred  Buckley. 

F.  A.  Barker. 
Benj.  F.  Otlarson. 


Thos.  Roblee  (2d). 
Benj.  Hitchcock. 
Joseph  U.  Burdick. 
Tbos.  J.  Aniidon. 
Samuel  Smith. 
Cornelius  Dutcher. 
Amos  Law. 
Rowland  Smith. 
B.  B.  Whitcomb. 
Simeon  N.  Dunson. 
Wm.  D.  Ausment. 
Martin  W.  Smith. 
Timothy  B.  Wheeler 


'*  "  Morgan  Duel. 

"  "  John  J.  Hill. 

"  "  Isaac  J.  Bishop. 

"  "  George  Osborn. 

"  "  Rowland  Smith. 

"  "  Wm.  Martin, 

(ieorge  N.  Bates.  Loami  Lee. 

"  "  Wm.  Martin. 

Rob't  J.  Humphrey.  Alanson  W.  Town. 

Benj.  F.  Ottarson.  Jonathan  Brown. 


Wm.  H.  Cowe 
Benj.  F.  Ottai 


Wm.  Lyons. 


nj.  F.  Ottarson. 
ehael  Welch. 


1878.  AsburvH.  Me 


S.  K.  Potter, 
.  Lewis  F.  Stii 


kney. 


Chaun'y  L.  Guilford. 
Judson  H.  Austin. 
Stacy  K.  Potter. 
Edward  B.  Rasey. 

Hugh  Willi.ams. 
David  Brown. 
Hugh  Williams. 
Ch.as.  E.  Simonds. 
Sanford  Carlton,  Jr. 
Ghas.  E.  Simonds. 

Ellis  Humphrey. 
Michael  Welch. 


JUSTICES   OF   THE    PEACE. 


1830. 
1831. 
1 832. 
1833. 
18.34. 

1835. 
1836. 
1837. 
1838. 
1830, 
1840, 
1841, 
1842, 


Isaac  W.  Bishop. 
John  C.  Parker. 
Roswell  Ellsworth. 
Esek  Fitch. 
Martin  Lee. 
Asa  Parker. 
John  C.  Parker. 
Cephas  Thompson. 
Esek  Fitch. 
Martin  Lee. 
John  C.  Parker. 
Alexander  Patrick. 
Silas  Hall. 
Fayette  L.  Spinner. 


1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 

1848. 
1849. 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. 
1854. 
1855. 


Samuel  Standish. 
Lyman  \Voodward. 
Silas  Hall. 
Oscar  F.  Thompson. 
John  C.  Parker. 
Pascal  P.  Smith. 
Reucl  Pern  her. 
Stutely  H.  Cowen. 
Albert  S.  Burdick. 
Charles  11.  Mann. 
Reucl  Pember. 
Samuel  G.  Guilford. 
Albert  vS.  Burdick. 
Jonas  Tanner. 


1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
I860. 
l.Sfll. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 

1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 


Edward  Bcecher. 
Samuel  O.  (Juilford. 
Lyman  Woodward. 
.Tohn  S.  Burbank. 
.lefferson  Thompson. 
Samuel  Thomas. 
Samuel  G.  Guilford. 
Charles  R.  Mann. 
Reucl  Pember. 
Isaac  W.  Thompson. 
John  S.  Burbank. 
Samuel  G.  Guilford. 
Charles  S.  Mason. 
Reuel  Pember. 
Isaac  W.  Thompson. 


1869. 

Elcnior  Jones. 

John  S.  Burbank. 

1870. 

Fayette  S.  Spencer. 

1871. 

Edward  .L  Smith. 

1872. 

Reuel  Pember. 

1873. 

Franklin  T.  Pember 

1.S74. 

Samuel  G.  Guilford. 

1875. 

Chas.  R.  Mann. 

Wm.  P.  Beecher. 

1876. 

Charles  W.  Potter. 

Wm.  P.  Beecher. 

1877. 

Charles  W.  Potter. 

Silas  Beecher. 

1878 

Samuel  G.  Guilford. 

The  assessment-roll  of  the  town  of  Granville  for  the  year 
1798  contains  the  names  of  about  four  hundred  proport3'- 
holders,  and  this  does  not  include  houses  and  lots  of  less  than  • 
two  acres  valued  at  not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars  each. 
The  following  list  includes  the  names  of  those  assessed  for 
$1000  or  upwards :  Jesse  Atwater,  $1008  ;  Rufus  Backus, 
$1364;  Jonathan  Brown,  $1GS6;  Amos  Beard,  $1(J02; 
John  Bentley,  $1106;  David  Blakeslee,  $151H;  Samuel 
Bristor,  $28(12;  Job  Bateman,  $1(150;  John  C.  Bishop, 
$6271;  Benjamin  Baker,  $2004;  John  Backus,  $1668; 
Solomon  Baker,  $2280;  Joseph  Chandler,  $16.56;  Daniel 
Curtis,  $1209;  Silas  Doty,  $2524;  Noah  Day,  $1122;  Cor- 
nelius Dutcher,  $1009;  Nathaniel  Draper,  $1146;  David 
Doane,  $4414;  Jonas  Earl,$;5450;  Charles  Everts,  $1836; 
Abiel  Eda,  $1548;  Joshua  Eaton  (2d),  $1128;  John  Fel- 
shaw,  $1306;  Solomon  Farnsworth,  $1229;  Ebenezer 
Gould,  $1923;  Bonaiah  Hill,  $3547;  Jonathan  Harndcn, 
$1464;  Jacob  Holmes,  $1563;  Oliver  Hitchcock,  $1273; 
Jonathan  Hall,  $1152;  Timothy  Johnson,  $1740;  John 
Kirtland,  $1231;  Charles  Kelly,  $1622;  Ichabod  Knee- 
land,  $2254;  Israel  Lamb,  $1500;  Timothy  Leonard, 
$1173;  John  BIoss,  $1090;  David  Martin,  $1251  ;  Hcze- 
kiah  Merchant,  $2217;  Eli  Murdock,  $1164;  Andrew 
Parker,  $1143;  Nathaniel  Palmer,  $1014;  Nathaniel 
Parker,  $3600  ;  Michael  Parker,  $1131  ;  Eliphalet  Parker, 
$1014;  Abraham  Reed,  $1464;  Thomas  Roblee,  $1855  ; 
Asa  Rcynold.s,  $2518;  Sylvester  Rowley,  $1032;  Jere- 
miah Spicer,  $1390;  Daniel  and  Samuel  Stanley,  $1371  ; 
Moses  and  Jacob  Savage,  $1120  ;  Jonathan  Steel,  $4116  ; 
Daniel  Steward,  $1749;  Michael  Skinner,  $1212  ;  Urial 
Shapley,  $1344;  Joshua  Tanner,  $1324;  Theophilus 
Tracy,  Jr.,  $1047;  William  Tanner,  $1536;  Joseph  P. 
Upham,  $1747  ;  Elijah  White,  $2556  ;  Joseph  Whitney, 
$1(J56;  Prince  West,  $1638;  Solomon  Williams,  $1201  ; 
Lemuel  Williams,  $3192  ;  Rufus  Whitney,  $1033  ;  Jona- 
than Wright,  $1070  ;  John  McWhoiter,  $1692. 

It  is  supposed  that  assessments  in  those  times  were  at 
much  nearer  full  value  than  at  present. 

SUMMARY   OF   PUBLIC   OFFICERS,    REPRESENTATIVES, 
AND   OTHERS,   FROM    GRANVILLE. 

Asaph  Cook,  as  stated  elsewhere,  represented  the  town 
in  the  Vermont  Legislature  in  1781,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  Benjamin  Baker  and  Joseph  Craw  were  also  repre- 
sentatives to  the  same  body. 

The  first  member  of  the  New  York  Assembly  from 
Granville  was  Captain  Daniel  Curtis,  in  1791  and  1793. 


20G 


lilSTOlU"   OF   WASIIINGTOxV   COUNT!'    NEW   YOlUv. 


Timothy  Leonard  was  member  of  Assembly  in  1796-97, 
and  several  subsequent  years.  These  men  appear  to  have 
been  the  most  prominent  citizens  at  that  time,  and  each 
received  a  public  vote  of  thanks  when  he  retired  from 
office.  From  the  town  of  Granville  also  there  were  sent 
to  the  Assembly,  Colonel  Stephen  Thorn,  in  1804;  David 
Wood.s,  in  1811,  1817,  and  1S2G ;  John  Kirtland,  in 
1812  and  1820;  Wadsworth  Bull,  in  1821;  General 
Martin  Lee,  in  1823;  Isaac  W.  Bishop,  in  1832;  Allen 
15.  Moore,  in  1835  ;  Leonard  Gibbs,  Jr.,  in  1838  ;  Iteuben 
Skinner,  in  1841  ;  John  Barker,  in  1844;  Henry  W.  Beck- 
with,  in  1857;  Erwin  Hopkins,  in  1863. 

Tiiere  have  been  elected  to  the  Senate,  also,  Colonel  Ste- 
phen Thorn,  1804;  Isaac  W.  Bishop,  1834-36;  Martin 
Lee,  1839-1841  ;  James  C.  Hopkins,  1854-56. 

The  only  member  of  Congress  elected  from  this  town 
was  Zcbulon  li.  Sliipherd,  in  1813,  a  man  of  commanding 
ability,  and  elected  during  a  period  of  high  political  ex- 
citement.    He  belonged  to  the  old  Federal  party. 

For  the  office  of  .surrogate  this  town  has  furnished 
Leonard  Gibbs,  five  years ;  Samuel  Standish,  Jr.,  seven 
years;  and  John  C.  Parker,  four  years.  For  sheriff, 
David  Wood,  one  term,  from  1806 ;  Wadsworth  Bull, 
from  1810  ;  and  Warren  F.  Hitchcock,  from  1828.  Leon- 
ard Gibbs,  Jr.,  was  district  attorney  in  1828.  He  was  a 
man  of  brilliant  attainments,  and  was  afterwards  widely 
known  as  an  abolitionist.  Royal  C.  Betts,  district  attorney, 
two  terms,  from  1868;  Martin  Lee,  county  judge,  one 
term,  from  1847  ;  Oscar  F.  Thompson,  special  judge,  from 
1855  to  1859,  and  county  judge,  one  term,  from  1859; 
lloyal  C.  Betts,  one  term,  special  judge,  from  1863.  I.saae 
W.  Bishop  was  a  presidential  elector  in  1852.  Edward 
Bulkley,  county  treasurer,  from  1849,  one  term. 

VILLAGES. 

MIDDLE   GRANVILLE. 

This  is  probably  the  earliest  businass  point  in  the  town. 
Captain  David  Bood,  according  to  local  tradition,  built  the 
first  house,  and  also  put  up  a  saw-mill  on  the  site  of  the 
present  paper-mill.  Captain  Abraham  Dayton  was  an  early 
tanner  at  this  place,^father  of  Nathan  Dayton,  once  vice- 
chancellor  of  the  State.  WnL  Ilollister  was  also  a  tanner 
at  this  village  about  1800.  He  afterwards  moved  to  west- 
ern New  York.  Both  these  dealers  used  to  take  leather  to 
Canada,  bringing  back  gold  received  in  payment.  The  grist- 
mill is  .said  to  have  been  first  built  by  Mr.  Goodrich,  on  the 
site  of  the  one  now  owned  by  Zenas  Ellis.  The  old  tan- 
nery, not  now  in  use,  was  probably  built  or  established  by 
Captain  Cowan.  Earlier  than  the  tannery  there  was  a  trip- 
hammer and  blacksmith-shop,  by  Kingsley. 

The  paint-works  and  fla.\-mill  are  of  modern  times.  The 
latter  was  changed  into  a  paper-mill  about  1868,  now  owned 
by  the  WaterforJ  bank.  The  present  cheese-box  factory 
was  originally  a  carding-machine  establishment,  spoken  of 
in  another  place.  There  was  a  cotton-mill  many  years  ago, 
— burned  about  1847  or  1848.  lloger  Wing  was  a  clothier, 
and  when  he  came  to  Middle  Granville  he  offered  Asa  Iloud, 
it  is  said,  five  thousand  dollars  for  his  clothing-works ;  but 
tiie  offer  was  declined,  and  he  bought  the  Whitney  tavern. 


Of  Middle  Granville  and  vicinity  the  following  items  are 
added  on  the  authority  of  R.  D.  Wing : 

Asa  Rood,  it  is  stated,  declined  to  sell  his  water-power 
to  Roger  Wing  in  1798  or  1800.  The  reason  seems  to  be 
that  he  had  a  saw-mill  at  the  south  end  of  the  dam,  and  an 
immense  pile  of  large  pine  logs  in  the  yard,  and  he  regarded 
the  opportunities  loo  valuable  to  sell  for  the  handsome  price 
offered.  Just  below  the  saw-mill  he  had  a  cl^othier's-shop, 
where  he  soon  after  placed  the  carding-machine  elsewhere 
spoken  of.  He  also  had  a  cider-mill  on  the  premises  where 
the  paper-mill  now  stands.  It  had  a  large  wheel,  revolving 
in  a  trough,  that  mashed  the  apples  by  hor.se-power,  two 
presses  \vith  very  large  wooden  screws, — all  these  he  con- 
sidered a  fortune.  The  introduction  of  the  carding-machine 
relieved  the  women  from  carding  the  wool  on  their  laps 
with  hand-cards, — but  even  the  next  stage  of  wool-carding 
by  machines  is  not  very  common  to  the  children  of  the 
country  towns  now,  so  much  has  cloth-making  become  the 
work  of  large  manufactories.  The  old  sight  of  great  piles 
of  wool  tied  up  in  sheets  and  blankets,  marked  carefully 
with  the  owner's  name,  carried  to  the  mill  and  returned  in 
rolls,  has  almost  passed  away  from  the  rural  sections.  The 
spinning-wheel  in  private  families,  even  for  stocking-yarn, 
is  well-nigh  one  of  the  lost  arts  of  this  century.  Asa  Rood 
lived  to  saw  up  all  his  logs,  and  sighed  for  more  logs  to 
conquer.     His  dreams  of  prosperity  were  not  realized. 

About  seventy  years  ago  there  was  a  wealthy  farmer, 
Esek  Fitch,  who  lived  about  a  mile  north  of  the  village. 
He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He  had  two  sons,  Chauncey 
and  John.  Chauncey  was  a  most  mischievous  youth.  He 
would  run  up  the  lightning-rod  of  the  church  like  a  squir- 
rel to  the  belfry,  and  look  down  into  the  street  and  make 
a  speech,  boy  fashion.  If  he  happened  to  see  a  trustee 
who  lived  opposite,  and  had  charge  of  the  house,  he  would 
come  down  quicker  than  he  went  up.  He  became  an 
Episcopal  minister,  and  preached  in  Washington  city. 
Esek  Fitch  sold  his  farm  to  Ervin  Hopkins,  and  moved 
into  the  village.  He  built  the  house  now  owned  by  Dr. 
Prouty.  When  Fitch  was  on  his  farm  he  had  a  hired  man 
b}'  the  name  of  Eben  Ferry,  a  somnambulist.  He  would  go 
through  his  day's  work  every  night  in  motion, — talk  while 
sitting  in  his  chair,  make  all  the  motions  of  driving  oxen 
and  ploughing, — all  the  time  in  a  deep  trance.  He  would 
walk  to  the  bridge,  throw  off  his  clothes,  plunge  into  the 
river  and  swim,  dross  up  again,  walk  back  to  the  hou.se, 
and  retire  to  bed,  all  unconscious  either  of  the  things  he 
did.  or  of  the  people  gathered  to  witness  them.  It  was  re- 
garded as  a  most  wonderful  phenomenon. 

The  oldest  son  of  Erwin  Hopkins  became  a  noted  lawyer 
of  Wisconsin,  quite  recently  deceased,  while  occu[i3'ing  the 
position  of  United  States  judge.  The  youngest  .son  also 
died  a  few  years  since  in  the  west,  a  member  of  Congress. 
The  old  gentleman  still  survives,  near  ninety  years  of  age. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  College,  but  had  the 
misfortune  to  become  deranged.  He  was  taken  to  the  asy- 
lum by  Deacon  Cleveland.  Hopkins  was  a  portly  man,  of 
pleasing  address,  and  very  gentlemanly  except  when  excited. 
When  they  met  the  keeper  at  the  door  of  the  asylum, 
Hopkins,  in  his  polished  manner,  said  instantly,  before  the 
deacon  could  open  his  mouth,  "  I  have  a  patient  here  for 


■i^^$-' 


^H^P^iPMv^ 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


207 


yoii.  He  will  probably  tell  j'ou  tliat  I  am  the  man  that  is 
crazy.  But  do  not  pay  any  attention  to  what  he  says. 
Take  him  in  immediately."  And  he  actually  jrot  his  tem- 
porary j^uardian  into  the  in.stitution,  dodjred  away  himself, 
and  got  home  before  the  deacon  did.  Of  course  the  old 
gentleman  was  crazy,  or  he  would  never  have  said  this  of 
his  son,  when  the  future  judge  first  began  the  study  of  law  : 
"  Jim  is  going  to  be  a  lawyer.  He  has  got  all  the  qualifi- 
cations. He  will  cheat,  he  will  swear,  he  will  steal,  and 
ho  will  lie  like  the  devil !" 

GR.VNVILLE. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  firet  house  built  in  this  place  was 
by  John  C.  Bishop,  when  he  came  into  this  beautiful  val- 
ley in  1780.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  the  new  dwelling  of 
INIarcus  Allen,  the  old  well  marking  the  spot.  Eliphalet 
Petty  settled  here  about  the  same  time,  his  house,  remodeled, 
being  the  present  Methodist  parsonage.  Mr.  Bishop  opened 
the  first  store,  and  that  stood  near  the  site  of  the  present 
Friends'  meeting-house.  These  facts  are  stated  on  the 
authority  of  H.  N.  Graves  and  J.  W.  Thompson.  The 
village  first  grew  up  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  but  was 
afterwards  changed  to  the  corners,  at  the  present  Central 
Hotel,  by  Isaac  Bishop.  He  secured  the  opening  of  the 
so-called  Shun  pike,  drawing  the  travel  and  the  bu.siness 
from  Hebron  and  from  the  south  generally.  The  grist-mill, 
now  a  part  of  the  Stevens  estate,  is  very  old, — erected 
before  1800.  There  was  also  a  saw-mill  and  fulling-mill, 
long  since  gone. 

About  1840  a  woolen-mill  was  established  in  the  place  of 
an  earlier  hemp-mill,  and  it  is  now  a  knitting-mill,  belong- 
ing to  the  Stevens  estate.  The  water-power  is  regarded  as 
very  valuable. 

This  village  is  connected  by  a  stage-line  daily  to  West 
Granville,  and  through  to  Conistock's,  uniting  conveniently 
the  two  railroads.  The  Central  House  is  the  site  of  an 
ancient  hotel,  kept  in  1800  by  Charles  Kellogg.  It  is  now 
kept  by  Edward  J.  Brown. 

There  has  been  a  partial  incorporation  of  this  village  for 
the  purpose  of  protection  from  fire.  Latterly,  the  friends 
of  incorporation  have  been  defeated  by  a  popular  vote. 
The  fine  driving-park  of  E.  I.  Brown  is  just  south  of  the 
village,  west  of  the  Mettowee. 

The  following  notes  with  regard  to  the  merchants  of 
Granville  village  are  obtained  of  H.  Newland  Graves,  Esq. : 

John  Champion  Bishop  opened  the  first  store.  Isaac 
Bi.shop  succeeded  to  his  father's  business.  He  was  asso- 
ciated in  it  a  portion  of  the  time  with  his  brother.  Arch 
Bi.shop,  with  Wadsworth  Bull,  and  with  Howell  Smith. 

The  Bishops  and  their  partners  were  thus  the  prominent 
merchants  for  the  first  fifty  years  or  more  of  Granville  his- 
tory. Another  merchant  was  Reuben  Skinner,  from  1811 
or  1812  to  1S30  or  1835.  He  was  also  a  manufacturer, 
and  was  in  partnership  at  one  time  with  Arch  Bishop,  and 
with  Wm.  Woods,  and  also  with  Henry  Bulkley. 

Jonathan  Todd  and  Colonel  Lee  T.  Rowley  were  also  a 
not«d  mercantile  firm  from  1828  to  1840. 

Rufus  Graves,  in  company  with  Dr.  McClure,  opened  a 
store  about  1825,  put  up  the  brick  building  now  the  cloth- 
ing-store of  Schifi".    Mr.  Graves  continued  in  business  until 


1850,  and  died  in  1851.  During  his  career  John  E. 
Strong,  noted  in  the  iron  business  and  al.so  woolen  manu- 
facture, was  a  partner  a  portion  of  the  time.  In  the  later 
years  his  son,  H.  Newland  Graves,  was  also  associated  with 
him.  Gooken  &  Warren  succeeded  to  the  business  of 
Rufus  Graves  in  1850, — the  J.  S.  Warren  of  the  present 
time. 

Alfred  Bulkley  succeeded  Todd  in  the  firm  of  Todd  & 
Rowley,  mentioned  above,  and  finally  bought  the  whole 
business,  and  continued  till  1875,  the  year  of  his  death. 
Alfred  Bulkley  was  succeeded  by  Slocuui  B.  Norton,  the 
present  well-known  merchant. 

Chester  A.  Bulkley  was  associated  with  his  father  for 
some  years.  He  now  resides  on  the  old  homestead  of  his 
maternal  grandfather,  Samuel  Morrison,  and  is  engaged  in 
the  insurance  business.  He  has  a  valuable  collection  of 
relies  and  autographs;  among  the  latter  that  of  Matthew 
Thornton,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Other  merchants  at  various  times  have  been  Wm.  Graves, 
Rufus  G.  Fordish,  partners  in  the  Graves  store,  1835  to 
1838,  Joseph  Allen,  grandson  pf  the  pioneer,  Ira  Marks, 
Morgan  Duel,  Samuel  Smith,  Stacy,  John,  and  Charles 
W.  Potter,  Henry  D.  Sargent  (in  company  with  Henry 
Bulkley). 

In  very  early  times  the  Bishops  had  an  ashery,  and  after- 
wards a  foundry,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Burdick  prop- 
erty, known  as  the  Mettowee  cottage. 

The  site  of  Granville  was  originally  covered  with  a  growth 
of  splendid  pines. 

Chester  Lee  states  that  Wadsworth  Bull  built  the  Skin- 
ner store,  was  unsuccessful,  and  the  store  and  stock  were 
bought  by  Deacon  Skinner.  Mr.  Lee  remembers  back  over 
sixty  years  of  a  sleigh  owned  by  Sherift"  Bull,  bought  and 
used  by  Lee's  father  for  many  years. 

NORTH    GR.iNVILLE. 

This  village  was  not  developed  by  water-power,  though 
the  stream  at  this  point  might  furnish  it  to  considerable  ex- 
tent. There  are  two  saw-mills,  two  grist-mills,  a  hub-factory, 
cotton-bat  factory,  and  Dr.  Kincaid's  manufactory  of  cough- 
syrup.  This  statement  includes  the  handet  of  Truthville, 
usually  considered  a  part  of  North  Granville. 

The  Baptist  church  is  at  Truthville.  At  North  Gran- 
ville proper  there  is  a  Methodist  church  and  a  Presbyterian, 
the  old  Granville  academy,  now  used  for  the  district  school, 
and  the  new  military  school. 

At  West  Granville  Corners  there  is  a  store,  justice's  office, 
harness-shop,  and  several  dwellings,  blacksmith-shop,  and  a 
paint-shop.  At  North  Granville  was  a  woolen-mill,  by 
Jonathan  Barrett,  continued  for  n)any  years.  One  of  the 
first  presses  lor  cloth  was  invented  by  him. 

Andrew  Wilson,  of  North  Granville,  relates  that  he  saw 
Francisco,  the  centenarian,  plowing  when  he  was  from  one 
hundred  and  ten  to  one  hundred  and  fifteen  years  of  age; 
two  yoke  of  oxen  ;  driving,  a  boy  holding  the  plow.  At 
North  Granville  the  presses  taken  from  a  very  old  cider-mill 
are  still  in  use  by  J.  H.  Kineaid. 

SOUTH    aR.\NVILLE. 

Most  of  the  early  history  of  this  village  is  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  the  reminiscences  of  Noah  Day.      It  is  now  a 


208 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


pleasant  rural  village,  with  no  business  or  manufacturing 
enterprises,  having  post-office,  school-house,  cheese-factory, 
and  the  meeting-house  of  the  Congregational  church. 

The  Gilder  neighborhood  is  so  called  from  the  ancient 
families  of  Van  Guilders,  located  there  many  years  ago. 
One  side  of  their  family  tree  is  said  to  branch  off  to  the 
aborigines  of  Stockbridge,  and  some  of  the  later  families 
claim  land  in  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  through  Indian  title; 
and  many  of  them  have  become  leading  citizens  of  wealtli 
and  prominence.  Slyborough  is  another  name  applied  to 
the  same  neighborhood.  The  origin  of  this  word  seems  to 
be  uncertain.  Some  insLst  that  the  first  word  carries  its  own 
history  with  it. 

THK    (illEAT    BEND. 

This  name  belongs  to  the  neighborhood  at  the  northern 
bend,  almost  a  right  angle  in  the  Mettowee,  directly  north 
of  Middle  Granville. 

R.VCEVILLE. 

This  takes  its  name  from  an  enterprising  citizen,  spoken 
of  in  connection  with  the  Methodist  church. 

JAMESVILLE. 

This  settlement,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town,  also 
derives  its  name  from  the  James  families  of  that  section. 

TIIUTIIVILLE, 

a  part  of  North  Granville,  seems  to  have  gradually  acquired 
that  title,  either  naturally  or  by  the  rule  of  contraries. 
Citizens  do  not  agree  as  to  that. 

scuooi.s. 

The  oarlii'st  mention  of  school-houses  in  the  records  of 
the  town  occurs  in  connection  with  a  road  survey.  The 
minute  of  a  road  laid  out  Sfj>f.  4,  1784,  refers  to  a  school- 
house  standing  between  Joseph  Herrington's  and  Ebenezer 
Gould's.  Another  road  survey,  the  same  year,  refers  to  a 
school-house  that  "  David  Skinner  had  set  up  for  a  black- 
smith-shop." This  must  indicate  that  an  old  school-build- 
ing had  stood  there  years  before.  A  school  was  taught  at 
South  Granville  as  early  as  1783,  by  James  Richards. 

Salem  Town  taught  a  school  in  1800,  at  North  Gran- 
ville, in  a  barn  that  stood  opposite  the  Dayton  store. 

An  early  teacher  at  South  Granville  was  Spencer.  The 
old  school-house  west  of  the  village  stood  by  two  poplars, 
opposite  the  present  bi  iek  house.  Sylvanus  West  was  also  an 
early  teacher  ;    also  Mr.  dale.     He  lived  in  the  school-house. 

At  South  Granville,  Mr.  Pettibone  once  taught  a  select 
school,  and  also  John  I'ollock. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  1813  the  town  chose,  in 
accordance  with  the  law,  six  inspectors  of  schools :  Salem 
Town,  Rev.  Ralph  Robinson,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Caleb 
West,  John  Kirtland,  Reuben  Skinner;  and  three  com- 
missioners, Wm.  Raymond,  Jr.,  Jacob  Holmes,  John  C. 
Parker;  and  also  voted  to  secure  a  share  of  the  public 
school  moneys  of  the  State,  by  assessing  upon  the  town  an 
equal  sum.  The  commissioners  elect  proceeded  to  divide 
the  town  into  nineteen  school  districts.  The  description  of 
district  No.  1  is  as  follows  :  "  Including  all  the  inhabitants 
on  the  turnpike  from  Hebron  north  line  to  James  Hop- 
kins' now  dwelling-hou.sc,  inclusive,  and  all  east  of  the  turn- 


pike to  Pawlet  line,  as  far  north  as  James  Hopkins',  and 
south  to  Hebron  line.' 

District  No.  10:  "Including  all  the  inhabitants  on  the 
road  leading  to  Hartford  southwesterly  from  Edmund 
Brown's,  exclusive,  to  Hartford  line,  and  north  to  Peter 
Boyce  and  Eiisha  Webster's,  inclusive." 

District  No.  19 :"  Including  all  the  inhabitants  from 
John  Davis',  exclusive;  then  south  to  John  L.  Davis',  in- 
clusive; east  to  Wells  line;  west  to  Abner  P.  Hitchcock's, 
exclusive. " 

An  academy  was  established  at  North  Granville  in  1807. 
It  was  then  known  as  Fnirvltle  Academy.  Under  the 
charge  of  Salem  Town,  as  principal,  it  did  the  work  of 
normal  schools  for  years,  training  the  early  teachers,  whose 
ability  and  devotion  to  their  duties  have  left  an  impress 
for  good  upon  all  the  surrounding  country. 

The  following  are  the  students  from  Granville,  whose 
names  appear  in  the  catalogue  of  1817  :  Sarah  Ackley, 
Frances  Ackley,  Patty  Burdick,  Clarissa  Bissell,  Esther 
Chandler,  Delia  M.  Kirtland,  Clarissa  Palmer,  Thirza  N. 
Tanner,  Clorinda  Yale,  Henry  Ackley,  Jesse  Averill,  Bona- 
parte Baker,  Jcjnathan  B.  Burdick,  Mason  Burdick,  Fred- 
erick A.  Chandler,  Orrin  Doty,  John  A.  Dayton,  Sidney 
Dayton,  G.  Dayton,  Calvin  M.  Corbin,  Charles  Everts, 
John  Hulett,  Saumel  H.  Marshall,  Charles  Norton,  Jonah 
Norton,  John  31.  Parker,  G.  A.  Standish,  David  C.  Stew- 
art, Charles  G.  Stewart,  Horace  Steel,  Amos  Savage,  Salem 
Town  (2d),  James  Tanner,  Jonas  Tanner,  Cyrus  Taylor, 
Rial  K.  Town,  Ezra  Spicer,  Russell  Underwood. 

The  price  of  board  was  named  at  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  in  1820.  Rather  a  strong  contrast  between 
that  and  the  prices  at  the  present  military  school,  or  any 
other  modern  institution. 

The  academy  was  continued  down  to  about  the  year 
1870,  when  the  building  was  purchased  by  the  district. 
It  retains,  as  a  district  school-house,  something  of  its 
ancient  success  and  thoroughness.  IMiss  Easton,  of  Put- 
nam, continued  in  the  same  position  now  for  two  years,  is 
in  charge  of  the  school. 

The  name  of  Salem  Town,  first  associated  with  a  quiet 
teacher's  work  here  in  Granville,  afterwards  became  well 
known  in  all  the  educational  circles  of  the  land,  and  in  al- 
most every  school-house  of  the  Union.  While  he  was  an 
enthusiast  in  his  own  peculiar  work,  yet  he  shared  in  all 
the  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  As  a 
church  oflicer,  as  a  prudent  adviser  of  the  young  people 
growing  up  around  him,  as  a  leader  in  fraternal  societies, 
everywhere,  through  all  these  relations,  he  was  loved, 
trusted,  and  honored.  Largely  instrumental  in  furnishing 
reading-books  for  the  schools  of  the  nation,  in  conducting 
teachers'  institutes,  and  active  in  so  many  other  fields  of 
influence,  he  passed  a  long  life,  reaching  a  serene  and  happy 
old  age,  conscious  of"  having  written  no  line  which,  dying, 
he  would  wish  to  blot." 

A  circular  of  1820  gives  the  names  of  resident  trustees 
as  Ralph  Robin.son,  Elijah  White,  John  Kirtland,  Leonard 
Gibbs,  John  C.  Parker,  Jonathan  Steel. 

The  North  GianviUe  Ladies'  Stminarij  was  established, 
and  the  buildings  erected,  in  1854.  It  was  incorporated 
and  under  the  care  of  the  regents  of  the  University.     The 


ffj^'g^l''^' '' 


^OAH 


DAY. 


JAHSfloAH  Day 


Residence  or  NO/AH    DAY,  South  Granviue.  Washington  Co.N  Y 


Ml  C.Day. 


fAHS.M.J.C.OAY. 


HLblULNCE     or  M.  T.C.DAY,  &(?ANvaLr,  Washincton  Co.N.y. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YOKK. 


209 


principal  was  Hiram  Orcott.  He  was  succeeded  by  Pro- 
fessor Chas.  F.  Dowd,  now  of  Saratoga  Springs.  W.  Wed- 
worth  Dowd  followed  liiiu,  and  the  buildings  were  burned 
during  his  principalship.  He  rebuilt  the  institution,  but 
financially  the  new  enterprise  was  not  a  success.  Mr. 
Dowd  entered  the  Presbyterian  ministry.  The  property 
was  sold  to  Professor  Wallace  C.  Wilcox,  in  the  winter  of 
187(),  and  the  present  military  school  opened  in  April  of 
that  year.  The  location  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  State, — 
in  a  pleasant  rural  village,  free  from  the  temptations  of 
larger  towns.  The  grounds  are  extensive,  comprising  an 
eligible  parade  that  has  a  decided  military  appearance,  with 
its  flag-staff,  artillery,  and  range  for  target  practice.  The 
buildings  are  elegant,  warmed  by  steam,  and  furnished 
with  every  needed  facility.  Besides  the  principal  there 
are  employed  five  other  instructors, — Colonel  Chatficld, 
professor  of  military  science,  Profe.ssor  Thompson,  Pro- 
fessor Swope,  Charles  Wilcox,  tutor,  and  Miss  Hattie 
Rogers,  teacher  of  bookkeeping  and  telegraphing.  The 
necessary  steps  are  now  being  t^iken  to  place  the  school 
under  the  care  of  the  regents. 

At  Middle  Granville  there  is  a  flourishing  graded  school. 
The  first  mectitig  to  consider  the  propriety  of  such  an  in- 
.slitution  was  held  Jan.  13,  18G8.  Charles  H.  Bull  was 
chairman  of  the  meeting — the  acting  trustee  of  the  dis- 
trict— and  A.  W.  Town,  clerk.  The  movement  encountered 
considerable  opposition ;  but  after  full  and  prolonged  dis- 
cussion, continued  through  several  meetings,  a  favorable 
result  was  reached.  The  first  board  chosen  con.sisted  of 
George  W.  Baker,  Wm.  H.  Allen,  A.  AV.  Town,  John  11. 
Staples,  Nathaniel  Parker,  Eleazer  Jones,  Charles  H.  Bull, 
Henry  P.  Prouty,  Palmer  D.  Everts.  The  officers  were 
Eleazer  Jones,  president ;  Charles  H.  Bull,  secretary ; 
George  N.  Bates,  treasurer;  John  Williams,  collector. 
The  entire  expense  of  grounds  and  building,  excluding 
the  public  hall,  was  fourteen  thousand  and  thirty-one  dol- 
lars and  forty-two  cents.  The  old  brick  school-house, 
which  this  succeeded,  stands  on  the  west  side  of  Main 
street  (now  a  dwelling  house),  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  old  burying-ground.  The  district  had  occupied  it  since 
1823.  Earlier  than  that  was  the  pioneer  school-house  of 
olden  times,  standing  upon  the  same  site.  The  church 
held  a  deed  from  1808  of  their  own  ground,  the  cemetery, 
and  the  school-house.  On  the  sale  of  the  latter  the  pro- 
ceeds were  divided  between  the  church  and  district,  the 
former  receiving  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  The 
Union  school  was  opened  in  September,  1868.  Four  teach- 
ers are  steadily  employed.  The  first  principal,  Edward  C. 
Whittemore,  remained  four  years.  The  successive  princi- 
jjals  since  have  been  Judson  Barker,  Charles  L.  Mason,  A. 
J.  Qua,  C.  W.  Atwood,  Merritt  C.  Sherman,  Fred.  A. 
Sykcs.  The  present  officers  of  the  board  are  John  Tyfe, 
president;  Dr.  H.  P.  Prouty,  secretary;  David  J.  Humph- 
rey, collector ;  and  George  N.  Bates,  treasurer. 

Corinthian  Hall,  the  third  floor  of  the  school-building, 
was  a  private  enterprise,  added  by  George  N.  Hull,  at  a 
cost  of  eight  thousand  dollars. 

About  1819  a  few  entorpri.sing  citizens  of  the  east  part 
of  the  town  established  a  young  ladies'  seminary  at  Gran- 
ville. The  institution  was  not  successful,  and  after  a  few 
27 


years  it  was  given  up.  Reuben  Skinner,  Martin  Lee, 
Horace  Smith,  and  Lsaac  Bi.shop  were  the  leading  spirits  in 
the  enterprise,  and  the  school  was  opened  in  what  is  now 
the  Merritt  Bardwell  House,  built  by  Isaac  Bishop  for  that 
purpose,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Henry  Bowker. 

The  Friends  at  a  very  early  day  established  a  school,  and 
erected  a  house  for  it  on  about  the  site  of  their  present 
school-house.  Finally,  that  house  became  the  district  school- 
house. 

The  present  Friends'  school,  of  an  academic  character, 
was  established  about  1873,  in  the  basement  of  the  meeting- 
house. The  first  teachers  were  Lulu  Trump,  of  Baltimore, 
principal;  Louisa  Sill,  assistant.  The  .school  became  too 
large  for  the  basement,  and  the  present  house  was  erected 
in  187-1,  at  an  expense  of  about  seven  hundred  dollars. 

Fanny  Mitchell,  of  Philadelphia,  followed  Lulu  Trump 
as  principal.  The  present  teachers  are  Ada  Miller,  princi- 
pal, and  Phebe  R.  Dillingham,  assistant. 

The  school  system  having  been  established  in  1813,  and 
the  first  officers  elected  during  the  years  down  to  1843, 
others  served  in  the  office  of  school  commissioner  one  or 
more  years  each,  as  follows:  Caleb  West,  Samuel  Standish, 
Jr.,  Asa  Northum,  Wadsworth  Bull,  Abial  Hathaway, 
Jr.,  Henry  Bulkley,  Gilbert  Allen,  Horace  vSuiith,  David 
Northum,  Loammi  Whitcomb,  Leonard  Gibb.s,  Gurdon 
Smith,  Stukely  H.  Cowan,  Charles  P.  Everts,  Leonard 
Brown,  Ervin  Hopkins,  James  W.  Porter,  Leonard  Root, 
Samuel  Allen,  Albert  Wright,  Ephraim  Potter,  Charles  R. 
Mann,  William  II.  Ward,  Lyman  Woodard,  Fayette  P. 
Muson,  Alfred  Bulkley. 

In  the  same  period  the  following  persons  also  served  one 
or  more  years  each  in  the  office  of  inspector:  Constant 
Storrs,  Moses  Parmelee,  Eli  Day,  Ira  Bascomb,  Martin  Lee, 
Luther  Fletcher,  Asa  Northum,  Washington  L.  Waitc, 
Leonard  Gibbs,  Nathan  H.  Raymond,  Samuel  T.  Tanner, 
Wm.  Raymond,  Jr.,  Cephas  Thompson,  Wm.  R.  Huggins, 
Dexter  Hitchcock,  Charles  P.  Everts,  John  West,  James 
Hopkins,  Nathan  Doane,  John  McNaughton,  Edward  Par- 
ker, Julius  Doane,  E.  L.  Parker,  Reuben  Graves,  Julius 
Danforth,  Isaac  Munroe,  Isaac  W.  Thompson,  Charles  G. 
Baker,  Joseph  Holmes,  Allen  R.  Moore,  Jacob  Savage,  Jr., 
Leonard  Root,  Nelson  Monroe,  Aaron  Goodspeed,  Jeremiah 
Clark,  Ephraim  Potter,  A.  W.  Smith,  Salem  Town  (2d), 
Job  I.  Reynolds,  Jonathan  W.  Potter,  Oscar  F.  Davis, 
Lyman  Woodard. 

In  1844  town  superintendents  were  sub.stitutod  in  the 
place  of  the  previous  officers,  and  continued  down  to  18515 
as  follows:  1844,  Nathan  Doane;  184.5,  Wm.  Potter; 
1846,  Wm.  Potter;  1847,  Charles  D.  Barbour;  1848, 
Albert  S.  Burdick ;  1849,  Charles  D.  Barbour;  1850, 
Charles  D.  Barbour;  1852,  James  H.  Reynolds;  1854, 
Wm.  P.  Beecher;  185G,  Charles  D.  Barbour. 

We  add  the  following  statement  of  the  money  received 
by  the  districts  at  two  points  twenty  years  apart : 

I)i,l,-ict.  1837.  1877. 

No     I  $00.(12        Sl:i7.2'J 

"     9  y:t.:r2  7S.4C. 

•  1  :j'          GG.2;i  lOa.3.') 

•  •  4"                  7:!.3fi  101.G2 

<.  5                             fi<).2.S  101.77 

"  li ■.7.07  14:!.80 

"  7          '              11C.85  3S5.6S 


210 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


District.  ls:.7.  1877. 

No.    8 ?10,S.28  $J2:'..79 

"      9 fi4.lli»  OS. 72 

"   li» '.i:;:.',:i  I4!i.,i5 

"   11 1U1.02  Hl.sii 

••    12 72.0,')  10i).7y 

"13 4:',. 41  1(17. Ifi 

"   14 '.Ili.l.s  III.U 

"    1.0 (11.11.^  11)4. fii) 

"    IC .il.lll  ll!1.24 

"    17 8i;.2ll  107.00 

"    IS (14. Hi*  84.00 

CHUKCIIES. 

THE   FIR.ST    rRESI!YTERI.\N     CHURCH    AT    MIDDLE    GR.\N- 

VILI.E. 

This  .society  lias  a  long  and  varied  histoi-y  i-caching  buck 
for  nearly  a  century.  It  was  organized  as  a  Congregational 
body,  in  1782,  under  the  name  of  "  The  Union  Religions 
Society,"  with  seventy-two  members.  Rev.  Jlr.  Hitchcock 
was  the  first  pastor  under  a  call,  Sept.  26,  1786,  continuing 
his  labors  for  twelve  years,  and  occasionally  until  1807. 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall  succeeded  him  in  1794,  and  remained 
pastor  until  his  death  in  1820.  Rev.  Mr.  Rosseter  fol- 
lowed, remaining  three  years.  Rev.  Mr.  Whiton  next  filled 
the  pastorate  for  eight  years.  During  this  time  an  unfor- 
tunate division  occurred,  and  the  disaffected  portion  erected 
another  meeting-house.  In  1832  a  reunion  was  effected 
under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Henry  Morris,  who  remained 
three  years.  After  a  brief  vacancy.  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson 
became  pastor,  and  his  labors  were  continued  for  three 
years.  He  was  connected  with  the  celebrated  Georgia  case 
of  imprisonment,  having  been  sent  with  Messrs.  Worcester 
and  Butler  as  missionaries  to  the  Cherokccs.  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, however,  was  not  arrested  with  them,  and  escaped  con- 
finement. Under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Charles  Doolittle 
the  church  became  Presbyterian,  and  the  first  elders  chosen 
were  Peter  Cramer,  Joseph  Short,  Dexter  Hitchcock, 
George  N.  Bates,  Albert  Wright,  and  Henry  Leonard. 
The  pastors  following  Mr.  Doolittle  have  been  Rev.  J.  B. 
Hubbard,  S.  B.  Swift,  Chauncey  Hubbard,  Sjlden  Haynes, 
John  E.  Baker,  Mr.  Crawford,  A.  Traver,  J.  P.  Velie,  W. 
W.  Dowd.  The  present  ciders  are  Alonzo  Conant,  Na- 
thaniel E.  Hall,  George  N.  Bates,  Samuel  G.  Guilford, 
Levi  Crosby,  David  J.  Humphrey,  George  F.  Hammond. 
Mr.  Bates  has  been  an  elder  from  the  first  election,  and  is 
the  only  one  living  of  the  first  board  chosen.  The  house 
of  worship  is  the  first  one  built ;  date  not  ascertained.  In 
late  years  it  has  been  improved  and  repaired.  This  society 
is  the  earliest  church  of  the  town,  with  nearly  a  hundred 
years  of  history.  The  meeting-house  was  erected  before 
1788.  On  the  roll  of  1782-85  are  the  names  of  Nathaniel 
Spring,  Timothy  Allen,  Asaph  Cook,  Ebenezer  Walker, 
Enos  Parker,  Nathaniel  Parker,  Daniel  Curtis,  Philip 
Langdon,  Eliel  Todd,  James  Barber,  Jr.,  Josiah  Blix, 
Ambrose  Parker,  Andrew  Parker,  Amos  Beard,  Peter 
Parker,  Lsaac  Doty,  Coonrad  Harkinan,  Thomas  Skinner, 
Abraham  Reed,  Kitchel  Reed,  Abel  Conistock,  Benjamin 
Barber,  Nathaniel  Hitchcock,  Silas  Hitchcock,  James 
Barber,  Thomas  Convcrs,  Titus  A.  Cook,  Samuel  Cook, 
Jo.seph  Martin,  David  Martin,  Elijah  Saekett,  Isaac  Parker, 
Daniel  Curtis,  Jr.,  Calvin  Otis,  Gideon  Allen.  As  a  speci- 
men of  discipline  we  notice  that  under  date  of  Feb.  10, 
1807,  two  members  made  confession  "  for  going  into 
carnal  company  and  spending  late  hours  in  dancing." 


FIRST    CO.NfiREGATIONAL    CHURCH    AT   .SOUTH    GRAN- 
VILLE. 

At  an  ecclesiastical  council  convened  at  Granville,  De- 
cember 22,  1789,  for  the  purpose  of  gathering  a  church  in 
Granville  if  deemed  expedient,  there  were  present  Rev. 
James  Thom.son,  Rev.  Increase  Graves,  Rev.  Lewis  Bccbe, 
and  Delegates  Abisha  Mosely,  Jo.seph  Leavitt,  Joel  Ilamon. 

Mr.  Thomson  was  chosen  moderator,  and  Mr.  Becbe 
scribe.  After  a  full  examination  into  the  circumstances  of 
the  case,  and  the  (^jualifications  of  the  proposed  candidates 
for  membership,  it  was  decided  to  be  expedient  to  organize 
them  into  a  church  after  the  design  should  be  properly 
published  to  the  congregation.  This  having  been  done. 
Rev.  Increase  Graves,  pastor  of  the  church  of  Rupert,  Vt., 
on  the  12th  of  January,  1790,  publicly  organized  into  a 
church  the  following  persons,  after  their  assent  was  given 
to  the  confession  of  faith  and  covenant: 

Thomas  North,  Thomas  Wilson,  Scottoway  Whitcomb, 
and  his  wife  Mary,  Ezra  Lee  and  his  wife  Sarah,  Arthur 
Hnggins,  Elizabeth  Johnson,  Mary  Denton, — nine  in  all; 
the  first  four  by  letter,  the  rest  by  profession.  At  the 
evening  meeting  of  the  same  day  it  was  arranged  that 
Rev.  Mr.  Graves,  of  Rupert,  .should  be  the  moderator  of  the 
Granville  church.  Arthur  Huggins  was  chosen  clerk,  and 
Scottoway  Whitcomb  was  appointed  to  lead  in  public  wor- 
ship. The  entire  series  of  ministers  following  Jlr.  Graves 
have  been  Rev.  Jlessrs.  Hitchcock,  Griswold,  Washburn, 
Taylor,  Porter,  Parmelee,  Perrin,  Haynes,  Clark,  Avery, 
Dennison,  Payne,  Webster,  Barber,  Tyler,  Donald,  Bas- 
sott,  Beecher,  Stuart,  White,  Doe,  Tombs,  Hanks,  Ed- 
wards, Dowd,  Hanks.  Mr.  Hanks  has  returned  to  his 
connection  with  the  church  and  is  the  present  pastor,  the 
twenty-sixth  in  succession.  It  may  be  noticed  that  Rev. 
Lemuel  Haynes,  who  was  pastor  from  1822  to  1833,  was 
the  celebrated  colored  minister,  filling  his  position  with 
great  acceptance  to  the  church  and  congregation. 

The  first  hou.se  of  worship  was  erected  in  1806.  This 
was  succeeded  in  1847  by  a  new  one  upon  the  present  site. 
In  1873  the  society  replaced  that  building  with  the  present 
fine  edifice,  thirty-four  by  fifty-six,  at  a  cost  of  thirty-seven 
hundred  dollars,  and  free  of  debt.  The  membership  of  the 
church  is  sixty-three.  The  pre.sent  church  clerk  is  Walter 
E.  White,  and  the  deacons  are  Noah  Day,  Wni.  P.  Beecher, 
Wm.  Sweet,  Wni.  Baker. 

The  house  of  worship  first  erected  by  this  society  in 
1789  or  1790  is  still  standing,  near  the  brick  school-house 
by  the  Marcus  Day  farm,  a  mile  west  of  South  Gran- 
ville. 

THE    NORTH    GRANVILLE    BAPTLST    CHURCH. 

After  several  conferences  had  been  held,  the  first  meet- 
ing for  actual  organization  Wiis  held  about  the  1st  of  Au- 
gust, 1784.  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  August  18,  held 
at  the  house  of  Brother  John  Stewart,  the  society  was  fully 
recognized  as  a  church,  Elder  Ilezekiah  Eastman,  of  Danby, 
Elders  Wait  and  Cornell,  of  Manchester,  conducting  the 
services.  The  next  day  twenty-two  members  partook  of 
the  communion.  In  November  a  call  was  extended  to 
Rev.  Richard  Sill,  and  he  was  ordained  in  January,  1785, 
and  became  the  first  pastor.     We  add  from  the  venerable, 


IlISTOllY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


211 


timc-staiiicJ  records  the  luiiues  of  tlio  following  male  mem- 
bers, tlioujrh  djtes  of  admission  were  not  entered,  but  tliey 
arc  evidently  from  178-t  to  1792:  Joshua  Calkins,  John 
Stewart,  Sr.,  Jonathan  Brown,  Silas  Mer(Uolthy,  Daniel 
Rowley,  Reuben  Mequeltliy,  Riehard  Sill, "Daniel  Stewart, 
Tjenjamin  Baker,  David  Stewart,  Abram  Vanduzer, Timothy 
Baker,  Alexander  Brown,  Joshua  Smith,  John  Stewart, 
James  Vanduzer,  Joseph  II(jlly,  Nathaniel  Gastman,  Geo- 
bad  Parker,  James  Meartner,  Alplieus  Crippen,  Jonathan 
Heed,  Solomon  Williauis,  William  Gastman,  Amos  Utter, 
Cliaunoey  Barnes,  Lotan  Simons,  Silas  Bobbins,  James 
Covil,  Edward  Lawrence,  David  Doane,  Nathan  Bhodes, 
Elijah  Stoddard,  Abram  Swan,  Wanser  Hendricks,  Tim- 
othy Pool,  Caleb  Commons,  Jabez  Gicen,  Benaijah  Hill, 
Israel  Calkins,  Jordan  Dodp;e,  William  Powei-s,  Silas  Barnes, 
Cornelius  Barnes,  John  Kent,  Samuel  FiUis,  Robert  Wat- 
son, Caleb  Calkins,  Benjamin  Spencer,  Joel  Dodge,  James 
Austin,  Elisha  Andrus. 

The  ministers  since  the  first  have  been  Elders  Dodge, 
Amasa  Brown,  1799 ;  Sylvanus  H0II3',  1800 ;  Ephraim 
Sawyer,  Samuel  Bowley,  180G,  eleven  years;  Abel  Wood, 
1820  ;  Samuel  Dillaway,  1822,  eleven  years  (the  great  re- 
vival work  of  1831-32  bringing  over  one  Imndred  into 
the  church  in  six  months)  ;  J.  C.  Holt,  G.  Norris,  1834 ; 
II.  H.  Haff,  Robert  Bryant,  1837  ;  Ransom  Sawyer,  S.  C. 
Dillaway,  1840;  James  Delany,  1841  ;  Seth  Ewen,  1842; 
Alfred  Harvey,  1843;  Stillman  B.  Grant,  1846;  William 
Hutchinson,  1849;  J.  H.  Pratt,  1851  ;  O.  Adams,  1853  ; 
Lyman  Smith,  1854;  J.  H.  Pratt,  1858;  Joseph  Earl, 
ISliS,  nine  years  ;  Joshua  Wood,  1874. 

The  first  clerk  was  Benjamin  Baker ;  the  first  deacon 
was  Joshua  Calkins,  and  soon  after,  Jonathan  Brown. 
Coomer  Mason  and  Truman  iMason  were  deacons  for  many 
years,  and  Captain  Jehiel  Dayton  was  an  active  church 
worker  i'or  nearly  half  a  century. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1802.  Previous 
to  that  the  society  had  met  in  various  buildings,  as  other 
pioneer  societies  usually  did.  The  house  was  built  very 
largely  by  donations  of  labor  and  materials.  It  was  repaired 
in  1845  at  a  cost  of  seven  hundred  dollars,  and  again  in 
1871.  Seven  hundred  and  forty  members  by  baptism  and 
two  hundred  and  forty-three  by  letter  were  received  down  to 
1807.  The  church  suffered  from  divisions  over  Masonry 
in  1829-30. 

From  this  branch  of  the  church  n)any  young  men  have 
gone  into  the  ministry, — Samuel  Clark,  Melancthon  Turner, 
Ashley  Vaughan,  A.  D.  Gillette,  Hiram  Everts,  J.*0.  Mason, 
Edward  Savage,  H.  G.  Mason,  Warren  Mason,  Charles  H. 
Nash,  John  Secomb,  Linus  Reynolds,  Ransom  Harvey, 
Gershoin  B.  Day,  Nelson  Chapin,  Charles  N.  Chandler, 
J.  T.  Vinson,  R.  J.  Adams,  Adin  Kendrick,  Hariah  J. 
Reynolds.     Surely,  this  is  a  record  seldom  equaled. 

Three  were  sons  of  Deacon  Truniati  Temple. 

Present  officers  are:  Deacons,  Sardis  Otis,  Silas  Beecher, 
William  Grimes;  rustees,  0.  T.  Ma.son,  Henry  Barnard, 
Silas  Beecher,  L.  R  JIason,  Lorenzo  Barnard,  Horace 
Rhodes;  Clerk  of  Church,  David  Ingalsbe  ;  Clerk  of  Soci- 
ety, Jo.sepli  Stafford ;  Superintendent  of  Sunday-school, 
F.  .M.  !\Ia.son. 

The  list  of  deaciuis,  from  the  first,  will  be  of  interest  to 


many  who  remember  them  in  the  days  of  their  useiulne.ss : 
Joseph  Calkins  and  Benjamin  Boker,  elected  in  1792  ; 
Jacob  Savage,  in  1808;  Job  Leonard^  in  1820  or  1822; 
Samuel  Standish,  in  1823  ;  Truman  Mason  and  /acliariah 
Waldo,  in  1830;  Coomer  Mason,  in  1850;  Linus  R.  Ma- 
son and  John  B.  Brown,  in  1853;  William  Nelson  and 
Sardis  Otis,  in  1870 ;  Silas  Beecher  and  William  A. 
Grimes,  in  1876.  Jonathan  Brown,  whose  name  appears 
so  frequently  in  all  the  earlier  meetings  of  the  church,  was 
once  chosen  deacuii,  but  declined. 


The  Friends'  Society  of  Granville  was  organized  in 
1800  by  John  C.  Bishop  and  others,  with  a  membership 
of  twenty-six.  The  first  minister  was  Hannah  Bishop. 
The  first  house  of  worship  was  ereoted  in  1806  at  a  cost 
of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  In  later  years  it  has  been 
repaired  and  improved.  The  first  records  were  burned, 
and  names  of  early  members  are  given  from  the  memory  of 
elderly  people  :  John  C.  Bishop,  Abraham  Bishop,  Stephen 
Bishop,  Matthew  Rogers,  Amos  Carpenter,  Chilion  Wood, 
Nathaniel  Potter,  Lemuel  Chase,  Prince  Potter,  Abner 
Potter,  Stephen  Dillingham,  Samuel  Morrison,  David  Pot- 
ter, Asa  Moslier,  John  Duel,  Christopher  Potter,  and  De- 
liverance Rogers. 

Ministers  from  the  first:  John  C.  Bishop,  Hannah 
Bishop  (Mrs.  Amos  Carpenter),  Lillis  Wood,  Richard 
Cook,  and  Amy  Dillinghain. 

Freborn  Potter,  Joseph  Dillingham,  and  Hannah  Rogers, 
present  ministers. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  John  C. 
Bishop,  or  in  a  barn  near  by.  In  1873  the  house  was  re- 
paired at  an  expense  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

Present  officers:  Clerk,  Henry  Dillingham;  Trustees, 
Stephen  Dillingham  and  John  W.  Gray  ;  Overseers  of  the 
Meeting,  Otis  Dillingham  and  John  W.  Gray ;  Overseers 
of  the  Poor,  Stephen  Dillingham  and  Henry  Dillingham. 

Every  meeting  supports  its  poor.  No  Friend  being  per- 
mitted to  be  sent  to  the  county-hou.se.  The  Sabbath-school 
— established  about  1867  ;  J.  Warren  Gray,  superintendent 
— adds  to  the  numbers  and  the  interest. 

About  1828  another  society  of  Friends  was  formed,  and 
established  a  meeting,  about  a  mile  south,  at  tlie  house  of 
Ephraim  Potter.  A  few  years  later  they  erected  a  brick 
meeting-house,  and  occupied  it  until  about  1872,  when  the 
society  dissolved,  and  the  liouse  was  sold  for  school  purposes. 

l'UE.S75YTERI.\N    CIIUKCU    AT    NOItTH    GRANVILLE. 

This  church  was  organized  Feb.  22,  1810,  as  a  Congre- 
gitional  society.  It  became  Presbjterian  in  1823.  The 
ministers  of  this  church  have  been  Rev.  R.  Robinson,  Rev. 
C.  Williams,  Rev.  Amos  Savage,  Rev.  J.  B.  Shaw,  Rev.  D. 
Johnson,  Rev.  Ciiarles  Gillette,  Rev.  Ciiarlcs  Doolittle,  Rev. 
Jonathan  Sewell,  Rev.  Lewis  Kellogg,  the  present  pastor. 

The  corporate  name  of  this  society  was  '■  The  Fair  Vale 
Religious  Society."  Its  territory  embraced  both  North  and 
AVest  Granville  and  piirt  of  Fort  Ann.  and  does  now.  The 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall  organized  the  church.  Tiie  following 
wore  the  first  members  : 

Sylvanus  Cone,  David  ^Martin,  Joseph   Chandler,  Peter 


212 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


J'iirkor,  Joseph  Town,  David  Graves,  Obadiah  Archer,  Bcn- 
jiimin  Town,  Butler  Beckwith,  Ichabod  Morse,  Charity 
Cone,  Esther  Chandler,  Esther  Parker,  Hannah  Town, 
Elizabetli  Archer,  Hannah  Bcckwitli,  Sally  Morse,  Triphcna 
Iluggins,  Anna  Blorse,  Susanna  Leaving,  Ascnath  Town, 
Elizabeth  Cady. 

The  church  belonged  to  the  Southwestern  consociation 
of  Vermont.  The  church  first  held  ita  meetings  in  the 
large  upper  room  of  the  academy,  which  had  been  erected 
in  1807. 

Mr.  Robinson's  pastorate  continued  eleven  and  a  lialf 
years.  The  first  deacons  elected  were  Salem  Town  and 
Ichabod  Morse,  and  Salem  Town  seems  to  liave  been  the 
first  clerk.  When  the  church  became  Presbyterian,  the 
first  elders  were  Salem  Town,  Zebulon  R.  Shipherd,  Reu- 
ben Graves,  and  Joseph  Town.  A  very  noted  revival  work 
occurred  in  1831  and  1832. 

Tlio  pastorate  of  Rev.  Mr.  Sewcll  was  extended  to 
thirteen  years.  He  is  still  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six,  in  Chicago.  The  present  pastor.  Rev.  Lewis 
Kellogg,  was  for  twenty-three  years  pastor  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  in  Whitehall.  His  labors  tlicre  were  many 
and  abundant.  His  historical  addre.ss,  delivered  in  White- 
hall, in  1847,  has  for  years  been  a  standard  work  of  refer- 
ence there,  not  only  for  church  but  also  for  general  history. 
He  is  now  in  the  ninth  year  of  his  labors  in  this  beautiful 
rural  village.  The  present  elders  are  Melancthou  W.  Blinn, 
Edwin  S.  Kirtlaud,  Addison  Willett,  Gurdon  D.  Bull ; 
clerk  of  society,  Joseph  B.  Shumway. 

TRINITY  CHURCH,  GRANVILLE.* 
As  early  as  1790  there  were  organizations  of  the  Episco- 
pal church  in  Pawlet  and  Wells,  adjoining  Granville. 
Clergyman  officiating  were  in  part  compensated  by  the 
rents  of  the  glebes  donated  in  the  original  charters  of  these 
towns.  These  glebes  were  confiscated  by  the  State  about 
the  beginning  of  this  century,  and  applied  to  the  support 
of  schools.  Leading  churchmen  in  Wells,  prior  to  the 
formation  of  the  church  in  Granville,  were  Daniel  Goodrich, 
John  C.  Hopson,  Dr.  Socrates  Hotchkiss,  David  Lewis, 
Samuel  Culver,  David  Blossom,  John  Pray,  and  Amos 
Bowe.  In  Pawlet  were  Benoni  Smith,  Seely  Brown,  Henry 
Worcester,  Ashbel  Hollister,  Lemuel  Chipnian,  Jonathan 
Willard,  Josiah  Smith,  Jesse  Tryon,  Daniel  Fitch,  James 
Cook,  and  others.  These  families,  widely  scattered  over 
the  two  towns,  decided  to  unite  at  Granville,  as  a  common 
centre,  with  the  few  of  similar  faith  there.  This  led  to  the 
organization  of  Trinity  church,  July  15,  1815.  The  cler- 
gymen who  had  officiated  prior  to  this  period  were  Revs. 
Bethuel  Chittenden,  Amos  Pardee,  Abraham  Bronson, 
D.D.,  and  Daniel  Barber.  These  ministers,  in  their  ordi- 
nary services,  were  not  accustomed  to  wear  the  gown  or 
surplice,  but  simply  the  plain  linen  band  which  has  fallen 
into  disuse.  Rev.  Stephen  Jewctt,  who  had  officiated  two 
or  three  years  in  Pawlet,  was  the  first  rector  of  Trinity. 
Besides  the  churchmen  already  named  in  Pawlet  and 
Wells,  there  were,  among  the  early  members  of  the  church, 
Martin  Lee,  Wadsworth  Bull,  John  Kirtland,  Elihu  Orvis, 


'  By  Uon.  Hid  Hollister. 


Harvey  Rice,  Nathan  Doane,  Isaac  Bishop,  and  others,  of 
Granville.  The  wardens  were  Josiah  Smith  and  Martin 
Lee.  The  vestrymen,  llayniond  Hotchkiss,  David  Lewis, 
John  C.  Hopson,  Daniel  Goodrich,  Jesse  Tryon,  Isaac 
Bishop,  Wadsworth  Bull,  and  John  Kirtland.  The  first 
church  edifice  was  of  brick,  built  in  1815,  on  the  site  of 
the  present  one,  and  con.secrated  by  Right  Rev.  Bishop 
Hobart.  The  cost  was  about  three  thousand  dollars.  It 
was  taken  down  in  1850,  and  an  edifice  of  wood  erected 
nearly  opposite  the  Metliodist  church.  This  was  conse- 
crated by  Bishop  Wainwright,  in  1852.  It  cost  about  five 
thousand  dollars.  This  edifice  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
November,  1854.  The  society,  with  something  of  love  for 
the  very  site  selected  by  the  fathers,  returned  to  the  old 
place  and  erected  the  present  church,  at  about  the  same 
expense  as  the  second  house.  Since  Rev.  Stephen  Jewett, 
the  first  pastor,  the  succession  has  been  about  as  follows : 
Revs.  Moses  Burt,  1818;  Palmer  Dyer,  1822;  James 
McKinney,  1829  ;  Alva  Bennett,  1830  ;  Reuben  Hubbard, 
1832;  Palmer  Dyer  again,  1835;  Darwin  B.  Mason,  1837  ; 
John  Scovill,  1840  ;  Louis  iMcDonald,  1843  ;  Moore  Bing- 
ham, 1845-48;  Wm.  H.  Williams,  1850-53;  Nathan 
Monroe,  1854-56;  Nathan  F.  Whiting,  1857;  Daniel  E. 
Willis,  1858-59;  Wm.  G.  Hyer,  1862-63;  James  A. 
'Upjohn,  1809-70;  John  Kiernan,  1871;  Thomas  Cole, 
1872-74;  Thomas  B.  Berry,  1875-77.  Catechetical  ex- 
ercises were  always  maintained  in  connection  with  the 
church,  and  for  the  last  forty  years  a  more  formal  Sunday- 
school.  Rev.  Bethuel  Chittenden  was  a  brother  of  the  first 
governor  of  Vermont,  and,  though  of  only  common-school 
education,  a  zealous  and  an  acceptable  preacher.  Rev. 
Daniel  Barber,  in  his  old  age,  left  the  Episcopal  church, 
and  became  a  Romanist.  Rev.  Abraham  Bronson,  D  D., 
was  a  dignified  and  scholarly  man,  and  commanded  uni- 
versal respect.  Rev.  Stephen  Jewett  was  an  attractive 
and  popular  preacher,  possessed  of  rare  conversational 
powers.  Rev.  Palmer  Dyer,  under  whom  this  church  at- 
tained its  highest  prosperity,  was  a  profound  scholar  and 
devoted  minister.  He  met  with  a  sad  fate  in  1844,  being 
precipitated  from  a  bridge  over  the  Au  Sable  river,  in  Es- 
sex county,  and  drowned.  His  tomb  is  in  the  shadow  of 
the  church  he  loved  so  well,  by  the  side  of  Rev.  Darwin  B. 
Mason,  BI.D.,  who  died  in  1840.  The  clergymen  who 
succeeded  him  have  all  served  but  brief  periods.  Bishop 
Hobart,  who  consecrated  the  first  edifice  in  1816,  was  in 
the  habit  of  visiting  this  church  once  in  two  years  when 
his  diocese  embraced  the  whole  of  New  York  State.  He 
used  to  compliment  the  church  on  the  beauty  of  its  site 
and  the  surrounding  scenery,  pronouncing  it  the  finest  site 
in  the  diocese. 

Josiah  Smith,  of  Pawlet,  who  more  than  any  one  else 
was  the  founder  of  this  church,  was  killed  by  the  kick  of  a 
horse  in  1823.  Hon.  Martin  Lee  was  a  prominent  leader 
in  this  church  for  a  long  period,  being  accustomed,  in  the 
absence  of  a  minister,  to  conduct  the  services ;  he  was  as- 
sociated also  largely  with  the  lute  Hon.  I.  W.  Bishop,  Arch 
Bishop,  and  H.  N.  Graves. 

The  present  officers  of  the  church  are  P.  D.  Everts  and 
J  S.  Warren,  wardens  ;  I.  W.  Thompson,  George  Tobey, 
Amos  Wilcox,  George  W.  Henry,  and  R.  C.  Betts,  vestry- 


,_:^ 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


213 


nipi).  There  is  a  parish  library  belonging  to  the  church. 
There  are  nearly  fifty  communicants.  The  congregation 
numbers  about  one  hundred  ;  Sunday-school  of  about  fifty. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  AT  GUANVILLE  VILLAGE. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1827,  and  services  have 
been  maintained  uniformly  since.  The  house  of  VForsliip 
was  erected  in  1832  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  five  hundi'cd 
dollars.  Previously  services  had  been  held  in  the  school- 
house.  The  first  trustees  were  Nehemiah  Nel.son,  John 
Potter,  Solomon  Williams,  David  Lee,  Lee  T.  Rowley, 
Thomas  L.  Wakefield,  Daniel  Loomis,  Newman  Spicer,  and 
Jolin  D.  Bard.sley. 

The  pastors  of  this  church  have  been  Joseph  Ames, 
Reuben  Westcot,  Joseph  Crawford,  Peter  M.  Hitchcock, 
John  W.  B.  Wood,  Peter  P.  Harrower,  William  Griffin, 
Josiah  Brown,  Charles  Drool,  Lyman  Prindle,  Lunian  A. 
Sanford,  Bera  0.  Meeker,  William  A.  Miller,  Charles  C. 
Gilbert,  J.  Fasset,  P.  H.  Smith,  D.  Lytle,  P.  M.  Hitch- 
cock, C.  Meeker,  E.  E.  Taylor,  D.  II.  Loveland,  A.  Rob- 
ins, H.  C.  Farrar,  W.  A.  Miller,  W.  W.  Whitney,  C.  C. 
Bedell,  D.  B.  MeKenzie,  J.  Phillips,  and  A.  Hall.  The 
last  named  is  the  present  pastor  in  charge. 

The  liouse  of  worship  is  still  in  use,  having  been  thor- 
oughly repaired  in  the  summer  of  1875. 

Present  officers:  Stewards,  Chester  Lee,  L.  H.  Ayres, 
S.  L.  Potter,  Hon.  0.  F.  Thompson,  J.  Usher,  G.  W.  Race, 
T.  F.  Perry,  A.  De  Kalb,  T.  P.  Austin  ;  Class-Leaders,  J. 
Usher,  E.  Monroe,  M.  P.  Norton,  E.  D.  Sherman,  C.  W. 
Race,  H.  W.  Trouty  ;  0.  F.  Thompson,  recording  steward. 

The  charge  includes  Raceville.  At  that  point  is  a  neat 
and  convenient  chapel,  and  G.  W.  Race,  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, has  ornamented  the  grounds  of  the  chapel  with  a 
park  of  rare  taste  and  beauty. 

METHODIST  PROTESTANT  CHURCH  AT   SOUTH  GRANVILLE. 

This  church  was  organized  April  18,  1830.  The  various 
ministers  have  been  George  Smith,  William  Gone,  Chand- 
ler Walker,  George  Smith,  Ziba  Boynton,  Elbridge  Drake, 
Peleg  Weaver,  Peter  D.  Esmond,  John  Dorris,  Anson  H. 
Spear,  Reuben  Buttolph,  Levi  S.  Smith,  and  Reuel  Hanks. 

They  had  a  meeting-house  on  the  hill  southwest  of  Gran- 
ville. It  was  taken  down  about  1871-72.  Meetings  had 
been  discontinued  some  years  earlier  than  that. 

WESLEVAN     METHODIST     CHURCH     OP     GRANVILLE     VIL- 
LAGE. 

This  church  was  organized  June  15,  1843,  by  the  Rev. 
Lyman  Prindle.  It  was  formed  by  a  secession  from  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  by  a  union  of  those  of 
siiliilar  sentiments  from  Congregational  and  Presbyterian 
sources,  growing  out  of  the  discussions  upon  the  subject  of 
slavery  in  that  eventful  period.  Taking  the  name  of  the 
great  founder  of  Methodism,  they  established  a  church 
that  should  express  the  most  decided  opposition  to  slavery, 
to  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and  also  to  secret,  oath- 
hound  societies. 

The  church  was  well  sustained  for  several  years,  and  its 
membership  at  one  time  was  nearly  one  hundred.  The 
preachers    for    this    society    were    Lyman    Prindle,    John 


Lowery,  Calvin  J.  Goodwin,  George  P.  Taylor,  Henry  W. 
Stewart,  John  F.  Crowl,  Asa  C.  Hand,  and  Henry 
Hawkins. 

This  Wesleyan  organization  continued  until  it  was 
weakened  by  removals,  about  the  year  1850.  Not  long 
after,  most  of  those  remaining  returned  to  the  older  organi- 
zations. This  society  held  their  meetings  in  the  school- 
house,  and  did  not  build.  The  first  officere  were  Lyman 
Prindle,  pastor ;  Horace  Campbell,  W.  Z.  Manning,  local 
preachers;  William  Baker,  Anson  Flowers,  class-leaders; 
David  Whitney,  James  F.  Esty,  B.  F.  Ottarson,  stewards; 
and  the  la.st-namcd,  clerk. 

THE    METHODIST     EPISCOPAL     CHURCH    OF    NORTH    (IR.VN- 
VILLE 

was  established  in  1860.  Services  had  previously  been 
held  for  two  years  or  more  in  the  old  academy,  by  Rev. 
S.  McChesney  and  J.  Noah.  A  class  was  formed  under 
the  leadership  of  Peter  Grant,  consisting  of  about  twenty 
members.  The  house  of  worship  was  built  in  the  summer 
of  18G0,  at  an  expense  of  nearly  five  thousand  dollars.  A 
large  amount  was  donated  in  labor  and  materials.  "  The 
people  had  a  mind  to  the  work."  And  when  the  house 
was  finished,  they  had  the  profound  sati.sfaction  of  dedi- 
cating a  church  free  of  debt.  The  first  trustees  were 
Andrew  Wilson,  Gilman  Graves,  and  Peter  Grant.  Among 
the  official  or  leading  members  of  the  church  were  also 
Charles  Walker,  William  Frazier,  Mr.  Hall,  Obadiah  Smith 
and  family.  Philander  Whitney,  Loton  Whitney.  The 
ministers  laboring  here  have  been  W.  Foster,  E.  Marsh, 
Dr.  Meeker,  William  Poor,  A.  C.  Rose,  H.  Smith,  D. 
Starks,  D.D.,  J.  Crary,  L.  Lawrence,  H.  Stewart. 

The  last-named  is  the  present  minister.  The  present 
class-leaders  arc  James  Johnson,  Philander  Whitney, 
Samuel  McFaren,  and  Mr.  White.  Stewards,  William 
Frazier,  Lemuel  Wing,  Mr.  Spinks,  James  Johnson,  and 
Rodney  Richardson. 

For  these  facts  we  are  indebted  to  Andrew  Wilson, 
chairman  of  the  first  board  of  trustees.  He  also  had 
charge  of  the  building  of  the  house. 

THE  WELSH  CHURCHES. 

The  slate-works  led  to  the  emigration  of  many  Welsh 
families  to  Granville  during  the  period  from  1850  to  1870. 
John  Pritchard  and  thirty  others  arrived  at  the  middle 
village  about  the  first  of  Augu.st,  1853.  Tliey  reached 
there  Saturday  night,  and  Mrs.  Prilchard  recalls  the  fact 
that  the  hotel  was  so  thoroughly  eaten  out  that  night  that 
the  proprietor  had  to  buy  flour  Sunday  morning.  Five 
families  had  previously  settled  in  this  vicinity. 

Under  the  lead  of  Mr.  Pritchard  and  John  Davies,  re- 
ligious meetings  and  a  Sunday-school  were  immediately 
commenced.  They  had  occasional  preaching  in  the  village 
hall,  and  a  union  society  was  formed  upon  Congregational 
principles,  and  Rev.  Griffith  Jones  preached  for  them  in 
connection  with  Fairhaven,  Vermont.  In  1859  or  'GO 
there  was  a  large  number  came  over,  and  these  were  mostly 
Presbyterian  in  their  sentiments.  Two  societies — one 
Presbyterian  and  the  other  Congregational — wore  formed 
In  180(1.    The  i'rcsbvterian  church  elected  John  W.  Hum- 


214 


HISTORY   OF   WASHLNGTON   COUxVTY,  NEW    YORK. 


phrey,  John  Hughes,  and  Griffith  Jones  elders.  Preach- 
ing has  been  maintained  steadily  since.  The  first  pastor 
Wiis  llev.  John  Jones.  The  society  bought  the  iiouse  that 
was  built  at  the  time  the  old  Congregational  church  di- 
vided, and  repaired  and  refitted  it,  at  an  expense  of  about 
si-K  thousand  dollars.  The  present  officers  are  Rev.  Hugh 
Jones,  pa.stor;  John  W.  Humphrey,  Griffith  Jones,  Hugh 
1).  Foulkes,  and  William  R.  Evans,  elders ;  Trustees,  Wil- 
liam E.  Jones,  chairman ;  Hugh  Williams,  secretary  ; 
Thomas  D.  Jones,  treasurer;  John  Williams,  John  H. 
Williams,  Evan  J.  Roberts.  They  have  a  parsonage  co.st- 
ing  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  The  communicants 
are  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-six.  The  Sunday-school 
numbers  from  one  hundred  and  seventy  to  two  hundred. 
Evan  J.  Roberts  is  the  superintendent. 

Under  the  labors  of  Rev.  ]Mr.  Davis  a  society  of  about 
thirty  members  has  been  formed  at  Granville  village,  with 
Isaac  Roberts  and  John  W.  Edwards  elders.  The  Sun- 
day-school numbers  thirty  to  forty.  Mr.  Davis  preaclies 
for  tliem  each  Sunday  afternoon  in  a  village  hall. 

THE  CONGKEGATIONAL  CHURCH, 

formed,  as  stated,  in  1860,  erected  a  neat  and  convenient 
house  of  worship  at  Middle  Granville,  at  a  cost  of  about 
two  thousand  dollars.  The  communicants  number  about 
sixty,  and  the  Sunday-school  averages  that  number.  The 
successive  pastors  have  been  Rev.  Griffith  Jones,  Llewyllen 
Howells,  Samuel  Jones,  Giiffith  Jones  again;  and  since 
that  the  pulpit  has  been  filled  by  temporary  supply. 

While  the  slate-works  flourished  at  Jamesville,  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  town,  a  Congregational  church  was 
established  there  and  a  convenient  house  of  worship 
erected.  It  was  supplied  by  the  same  pastor  as  the  Con- 
gregational church  at  Middle  Granville.  With  the  decline 
of  the  slate  interests  at  that  point  and  the  removal  of  the 
people  the  church  dissolved,  and  no  services  are  now  held 
at  that  place. 

The  energy  with  which  this  people  ha/e  sustained  re- 
ligious institutions  is  worthy  of  groat  praise.  Zealous  for 
the  faith  of  their  fathers,  they  are  laying  broad  and  deep 
the  foundations  of  Christian  faith  as  certainly  as  they  are 
developing  the  business  interests  of  the  town. 

The  Presbyterian  church  has  raised  in  the  brief  seven- 
teen years  of  its  existence  not  less  than  thirty  thousand 
dollars  for  the  supply  of  the  pulpit  and  for  its  general  work. 
Doubtless  the  Congregationalists,  in  proportion  to  their 
numbers,  have  made  similar  sacrifices. 

CATHOLIC    CHURCH,    MIDDLE    OUANVILLE. 

The  Catholic  society  at  Middle  Granville,  known  to  the 
church  authorities  as  "  Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,"  was 
established  in  1807.  The  first  meeting  was  in  January  of 
that  year.  For  various  reasons,  perhaps  prudential,  the 
movement  was  met  with  some  hesitation  by  some  Catholic 
authorities  in  the  vicinity.  But  a  request  to  the  bishop  of 
Albany  for  a  pastor,  received  the  response  that  when  a 
church  was  built  a  pastor  would  be  sent.  Taking  the  good 
prelate  at  his  word,  without  further  negotiation  abroad,  the 
people  erected  the  present  commodious  church.  The  build- 
ing committee  was  Wm.  Lyon,  Thomas  Noonan,  and  James 


Murphy.  The  citizens  of  the  village  unhesitatingly  award 
to  Mr.  Lyon,  then  a  young  man  not  twcnty-ono,  great 
credit  for  the  success  of  the  movement.  At  the  completion 
of  the  church  he  went  to  Albany  in  company  with  Thomas 
Noonan,  and,  no  doubt  with  something  of  youthful  enthu- 
siasm and  just  pride,  reported  to  the  bishop  that  they  were 
ready  to  claim  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise.  There  stood 
a  finished  edifice  waiting  the  acceptance  of  the  church. 
Vicar-General  W^adhams  investigated  the  location  and  the 
work.  Bishop  Conroy  consecrated  the  church,  and  Rev. 
W.  B.  Hannett  became  the  first  pastor.  He  remained  eight 
years.  The  church  cost  five  thousand  dollai's,  and  a  pastoral 
residence  worth  seven  thousand  dollars  was  also  added. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Hayden,  the  present  pastor,  succeeded  Father 
Hannett. 

The  congregation  numbers  five  hundred. 

ST.  Patrick's  church  op  north  oranville 

extends  back  to  1852,  or  about  that  time.  Meetings  were 
first  held  at  the  house  of  Miles  Cahoes  by  pastors  from 
Whitehall.  Soon  after,  a  small  chapel  was  built,  super- 
seded by  the  present  edifice  in  18G6,  at  a  cost  of  about  four 
thousand  dollars.  It  has  been  under  the  charge  of  the 
same  pastor  as  the  church  at  Middle  Granville. 

baptist    church    at   GRANVILLE    VILLAGE. 

This  is  a  recent  organization.  Meetings  were  commenced 
in  the  village  hall,  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  L.  A.  Fish,  in 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1870.  The  organization  was 
made  in  March,  1870.  A  house  of  worship  was  erected 
and  dedicated  in  March,  1877. 

First  Trustees,  E.  C.  Whiting,  Willis  II.  HoUister, 
Daniel  Woodard.  Church  Clerk,  Willis  H.  Hollister ; 
Deacons,  Daniel  Woodard,  Truman  Temple,  Wm.  Nelson. 
House  cost  about  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  Dedi- 
cation .services  conducted  by  Rev.  E.  A.  Johnson,  of  Green- 
wich. The  pastor  of  the  Hebron  church  officiates  for  this 
congregation. 

BURIAL-PLACES. 

The  principal  places  of  burial,  old  and  recent,  may  be 
enumerated  as  follows : 

The  one  at  Trulhville,  near  the  Baptist  church.  In  this 
there  are  the  remains  of  many  of  the  earliest  settlers.  It 
is  a  tradition  in  the  neighboihood  that  at  first  the  burials 
were  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  but  the  bodies 
wore  removed  to  the  present  place  so  long  ago  that  few 
citizens  know  anything  about  it.  The  new  cemetery  at 
North  Granville  was  established  about  1S,")1.  The  Catho- 
lics have  a  cemetery  in  connection  with  their  church  at 
West  Granville  Corners.  Private  burials  were  on  the  Wil- 
let  place, — very  old, — remains  mostly  removed.  The  Otis 
ground,  within  the  limits  of  Fort  Ann,  is  very  old,  and 
used  largely  by  curly  citizens  of  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town. 

The  burial-place  in  the  village  of  Middle  Granville  is 
very  old.  The  following  early  names  and  dates  are  found 
in  it.  Lydia,  wife  of  Jacob  Egbarton,  Nov.  25,  1779. 
A  daughter  of  Solomon  Baker,  Sept.  2,  1787.  Jerusha, 
wife  of  Benjamin  Baker,  April  0,  17D0.      Benjamin  Baker, 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


215 


Nov.  4,  1798.  Man-,  wife  of  Ebenczer  Backus,  April  IB, 
1794.     Deacon  Thomas  Skinner,  Dec.  14,  1797. 

The  Masonic  burial-ground  wa.s  set  apart  by  the  order  at 
an  early  day,  on  the  present  farm  of  E.  B.  Temple,  formerly 
that  of  Benaijah  Hill. 

In  Gi'anville  village  is  the  Bishop  family  ground,  also 
the  Episcopal  church  cemetery,  and  that  at  the  Friends' 
meeting-house.  At  South  Granville  there  are  two  burial- 
places,  one  on  the  Hartford  road  west  of  the  village,  the 
other  north.  The  latter  was  cared  for  particularly  by  a 
Mr.  Williams  in  early  times.  Dissatisfied  at  the  action  of 
certain  others  in  relation  to  it,  he  is  said  to  have  declared 
that  he  would  never  be  buried  there  as  long  as  he  lived  ! 

The  extensive  cemetery  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Middle 
Granville  is  spoken  of  in  connection  with  that  church. 

A  cemetery  association  designed  to  embody  the  whole 
town,  and  put  an  end  to  burials  in  small  and  unprotected 
grounds,  was  formed  at  (Jranville,  in  March,  18C2.  Levi 
Crosby  was  chairman  of  the  meeting  for  organization,  and 
tlie  officers  elected  were  S.  W.  Wright,  president;  Levi 
Crosby,  vice-president ;  B.  P.  Ottarson,  secretary  ;  William 
H.  Allen,  treasurer.  About  twelve  acres  were  bought  near 
Middle  Granville,  and  laid  out  by  a  landscape  artist.  Burton 

A.  Thomas,  forming  a  beautiful  resting-place  for  the  dead. 
Some  portions  of  the  town  have  not  united  in  the  work 

as  was  expected,  burials  continuing  in  some  of  the  older 
grounds. 

The  present  board  of  trustees  are  D.  I.  Day,  president; 
William  H.  Allen,  treasurer;  B.  F.  Ottarson,  secretary; 
Abram  Barker,  superintendent  of  grounds  ;  G.  W.  Baker ; 
S.  Reynolds. 

On  the  academy  grounds  at  North  Granville  is  the  grave 
of  Mr.  Whipple,  a  teacher,  who  died  with  no  relatives  here, 
and  none  came  for  the  remains.  He  rests  near  the  .scene 
of  his  labors,  and  the  citizens  erected  the  stone. 

SOCIETIES,    BANKS,    ASSOCIATIOiNS,    ETC. 

A  Masonic  lodge  was  established  in  Granville  in  179G, 
but  neither  the  names  of  its  charter  members  nor  of  its 
officers  are  preserved  in  the  records.  Some  difficulty  arose 
with  the  Grand  Lodge  in  respect  to  the  payment  of  dues, 
and  in  1S06  Salem  Town  was  sent  as  a  delegate  and  se- 
cured a  new  charter  under  the  name  of  Granville:  lodfjo. 
The  lodge  of  1796  was  called  Liberty  lodtjc.  The  now 
organization,  however,  retained  the  old  number,  55,  and 
have  kept  it  ever  since.  The  first  officers  (1800)  were 
Salem  Town,  M. ;  J.  C.  Parker,  S.  W. ;  W.  Sweatland,  J. 
W. ;  J.  M.  Stewart,  See. ;  Clark  Northrup,  Treas.  ;  Isaac 
I'hclps,  S.  D. ;  Wm.  Foster,  Jr.,  J.  D.  The  meetings  of 
the  lodge  have  never  been  interrupted  for  any  long  period, 
and  it  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  continuously  working  lodges 
in  the  State.  The  name  of  Salem  Town  heads  the  list  of 
members  in  the  old  book,  and  the  signatures  of  ninety-six 
others  are  appended,  men  well  known  in  every  part  of  the 
town  and  in  every  profession  and  business  seventy  years 
ago.  The  officers  elected,  Dec.  19,  1877,  are  Salford  Rey- 
nolds, M. ;  G.  W.  Henry,  S.  W. ;  D.  W.  Ilerron,  J.  W. ; 

B.  F.  Ottarson,  Sec;  Deliverance  Rogers,  Treas.;  George 
Tobey,  S.  D. ;  W.  H.  Hollister,  J.  D. ;  Julius  Jones,  Sr. 
M.  C. ;  Joseph   W.    Williams,  Jr.  M.  C. ;  R.W.Jones, 


Chaplain  ;  J.  S.  Goodspecd,  Tyler.  This  lodge  was  at 
North  Granville  in  the  old  times  and  down  to  1804  or 
1805.  It  was  then  removed  to  Middle  Granville,  and 
about  the  middle  of  February,  1874,  to  Granville  village. 

The  Mntnal  Lianrdncc  Cowpam/,  nf  Wnsltiiigtoii  County, 
located  at  Granville,  was  for  many  years  a  noted  in.stitution. 
It  did  an  extensive  business,  having  upon  its  books  at  one 
time  the  names  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
policy-holders,  scattered  through  many  States  of  the  Union, 
and  also  in  Canada.  Having  started  among  the  earliest 
of  such  enterprises,  it  had  the  advantage  of  the  upward 
swelling  tide  in  favor  ol'  insurance,  and  especially  in  favor 
of  farmers'  companies.  It  was  finally  weakened  by  a  host 
of  competitors  upon  the  same  field,  and  was  compelled, 
by  the  non-payment  of  as-sessments  in  several  States  and  the 
difficulty  or  impossibility  of  enforcing  collection  beyond  the 
limits  of  New  York,  to  retire.  Its  affairs  were  closed  by 
the  courts,  a  receiver  appointed,  two  wagon-loads  of  books 
passed  into  his  hands,  and  the  long  and  well-known  com- 
pany ceased  its  operations. 

Granville  Tent  of  Rechihites  was  organized  April  10, 
1845.  The  fir.st  officers  were  Dr.  John  Sarle,  P. ;  Dr. 
Albert  Kendrick,  D.  P. ;  C.  G.  Baker,  Reading  Scribe  ; 
Addison  Willets,  Recording  Scribe  ;  Samuel  Dailey,  Keeper 
of  the  Treasury;  John  Craig,  High-Priest;  Samuel  Allen, 
Deputy  High-Priest ;  Thomas  Worden,  First  Lavite  ;  Jo- 
seph B.  Shumway,  Second  Levite;  Cyrus  Hinman,  First 
Steward  ;  James  Craig,  Second  Steward  ;  C.  V.  Dutcher, 
Warden  ;  C.  R.  Mann,  Jonas  C.  Tanner,  Philander  Barnard, 
W.  Scott,  Smith  Bateman,  J.  D.  Drippen,  Pjlders  in  Black. 

The  society  had  a  vigorous  existence  for  a  few  years 
until  .superseded  by  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  It  wielded  a 
powerful  influence  in  saving  men  from  habits  of  drinking  ; 
and,  in  its  own  quiet  way,  carried  the  town  by  a  large  ma- 
jority against  license. 

The  division  of  the  Sons  of  Ten)perance  coTjfinued  a  ^l-'k 
years,  and  was  followed  by  a  lodge  of  Good  Templars,  which 
also  failed  after  a  few  years. 

The  National  Bank  of  Granville  was  organizL>d  in  1875, 
the  certificate  bearing  date  April  21.  The  first  board  of 
directors  were  Henry  Cleveland,  B.  F.  Bancroft,  Daniel 
Woodard,  Jr.,  William  J.  BIcCiellan,  James  Foster,  Sher- 
man Weed,  Edwin  B.  Temple,  J.  S.  Warren,  Truman  Tem- 
ple, L.  C.  Thorne,  John  R.  Staples,  Luther  R.  Temple, 
Royal  C.  Betts,  George  L.  Bulkley,  M.  T.  C.  Day. 

The  first  officers  were  Daniel  Woodard,  Jr.,  president ; 
Edwin  B.  Temple,  vice-president ;  George  R.  Thompson, 
cashier;  D.  D.  Woodard,  teller.  The  president  and  vice- 
president  at  the  present  time  are  the  same.  The  cashier  is 
D.  D.  Woodard,  and  the  teller,  Willie  D.  Temple.  The 
capital  is  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  They  have  a  fine 
brick  banking  building  in  Granville  village. 

La/ai/ettc  Chapter,  No.  9,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  was  estab- 
lished very  early  at  North  Granville,  and  m-.!t  in  a  hall  of 
Elijah  White's  house.  It  dissolved  about  the  time  of  the 
Morgan  excitement. 

The  Union  Dairymen's  Board  of  Trade,  at  Granville, 
was  organized  in  Feb.  1875,  with  the  following  officers: 
Otis  Dillingham,  president ;  J.  E.  Goodman,  first  vice-presi- 
dent ;  M.  T.  C.  Day,  second  vice-president ;  E.  L.  Coy, 


216 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


third  vice-president ;  D.  D.  Woodard,  secretary  ;  D.  Wood- 
ard,  Jr.,  treasurer ;  M.  B.  Allen,  0.  H.  Siiuomla,  C.  E. 
Sheldon,  executive  committee. 

About  forty  checse-llictories  are  represented  in  the  asso- 
ciation, scattered  over  several  towns,  both  in  New  York  and 
Vermont.  Friday  i.s  the  usual  sales-day,  regularly  from 
the  middle  of  Jlay  to  the  middle  of  November.  Samples 
are  shown  ;  buyers  from  the  cities  make  their  purchases, 
and  shipments  are  made  the  following  Monday.  The  as.so- 
ciation  represents  a  capital  engaged  in  cheese-making  of 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  present  officers 
are  M.  T.  C.  Day,  president;  J.  E.  Goodman,  first  vice- 
president;  Rufus  Clark,  second  vice-president;  Joshua 
Rogers,  third  vice-president ;  D.  D.  Woodard,  secretary  and 
treasurer;  S.  S.  Brown,  lleury  Welch,  Henry  McFadden, 
executive  committee. 

W(isIiii>ff/on  Coiinti/  Lodge.,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  A^o.  105,  was 
originally  located  in  Hartford,  under  the  same  name  and 
number  as  it  now  has  in  this  town.  It  was  organized  in 
the  early  years  of  the  order  in  this  country.  Its  lodge- 
room  and  all  of  its  books  were  burned  in  1866.  The 
lodge  ceased  to  work  until  1872,  when  it  was  revived; 
but  for  various  reasons  it  was  decided  by  a  majority  to 
move  it  to  North  Granville.  This  was  done  January  1, 
1873.  The  officers  chosen  then  wore  Edward  J.  Brown, 
N.  G. ;  F.  T.  Bump,  V.  G. ;  John  Graves,  Sec. ;  J.  H. 
Kincaid,  Treas.  The  lodge  met  for  some  years  at  Colton's 
hall,  but  recently  has  occupied  the  hall  of  the  old  academy. 
The  present  officers  are  J.  J.  Ingalls,  N.  G. ;  John  O'Brine, 
V.  G. ;  Wni.  Robbins,  Sec. ;  Henry  W.  Palmer,  Treas. ; 
J.  J.  Wing,  D.  D.  G.  M.  for  Grand  District,  Wajhiugton 
and  Warren. 

There  are  some  members  of  this  lodge  whose  member- 
ship in  the  order  has  extended  to  thirty  years. 

r/iwiilx  Lr>d(/i;  No.  150,  /.  0.  G.  T.,  located  at  North 
Granville,  was  organized  May  29,  1873. 

The  first  officers  were  J.  J.  Wing,  W.  C.  T. ;  John 
O'Brine,  Sec;  Mrs.  O'Brine,  F.  S.  ;  Thomas  Walker, 
Treas. ;  Mrs.  C.  C.  Wing,  W.  V.  T. ;  Elisha  Noles,  M. ; 
Austin  Perrin,  0.  G. ;  Oscar  Perrin,  P.  W.  C.  T. 

The  lodge  has  occupied  the  same  hall  as  the  Odd-Fellows. 
The  present  officers  are  E.  R.  Rhodes,  W.  C.  T. ;  Mrs. 
Sarah  Palmer,  W.  V.  T. ;  Win.  R.  Robbins,  W.  R.  S.  ; 
Wm.  Stoddard,  W.  F.  S.  ;  H.  W.  Palmer,  W.  T. ;  Mrs. 
Rhodes,  W.  C. ;  A.  J.  Wing,  P.  W.  C.  T. ;  Mary  F. 
Wing,  W.  R.  S.;  Mrs.  Edith  Ingalls,  W.  L.  S. ;  J.  J. 
AVing,  W.  S. ;  Mrs.  C.  C.  Wing,  W.  G. ;  Norman  Stod- 
dard, W.  M. ;  Ellen  Grant,  W.  D.  M. ;  J.  J.  Wing,  D.  D. 
G.  W.  C.  T. ;  John  O'Brine,  I.  D.        . 

A  Good  Templars"  lodge  was  organized  at  Middle  Gran- 
ville in  1807,  and  had  a  vigorous  existence, — placing  before 
the  public  many  first-class  lecturers.  It  was  dissolved  in 
1873. 

The  North  Granville  Natiowd  Bank. — "  The  Farmers' 
Bank  of  Washington  County  at  Fort  Edward"  was  organ- 
ganized  Sept.  10,  1855, —  George  Harvey,  president;  Ran- 
som Stiles,  vice-president ;  George  Clements,  ca.sliicr.  June 
28,  18G5,  it  became  "  The  Fanners'  National  Bank  located 
at  Fort  Edward,"  George  Harvey  continuing  president  and 
George  Clements  cashier.      At  the  annual  election,  January 


10,  1871,  Robert  G.  Dayton,  of  North  Granville,  was 
elected  president,  and  John  A.  Russell,  vice-president.  In 
January  and  February,  1871,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of 
the  stockholders,  it  was  decided  that  the  location  and  the 
name  of  the  bank  be  changed, — the  same  to  be  located  at 
North  Granville,  and  to  be  known  as  the  North  Granville 
National  bank.  The  certificate  of  the  comptrollers  of  the 
currency  authorizing  the  organization  of  the  bank  at  this 
place,  pursuant  to  special  act  of  Congress,  bears  date  March 
21,  1871,  and  the  bank  commenced  business  in  North 
Granville  about  the  last  of  April.  On  the  1st  of  May, 
1871,  George  B.  Culver  was  elected  cashier  in  place  of 
George  Clements,  resigned.  The  neat  and  convenient 
banking-house,  with  its  strong  vault,  was  erected  in  the 
fall  of  1871.  The  present  directors  are  Isaac  V.  Baker, 
president ;  Levi  Hatch,  vice-president ;  George  B.  Culver, 
cashier;  I.  V.  Baker,  Jr.,  N.  T.  Jillson,  B.  J.  Lawrence, 
George  Clements,  E.  S.  Kirtland,  Addison  Willcts. 

The  Meftowce  Vidlc.y  Agricultural  Soclet)/,  of  Middle 
Granville,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  comprising  the  towns  of 
Granville,  Hebron,  Hampton,  Hartford,  Fort  Ann,  Pawlet, 
Wells,  Poultney,  Middletown,  Rupert,  and  Fairhaven,  was 
organized  April  4,  1874.  The  first  board  of  managers 
were  David  G.  Blossom,  president ;  Truman  Temple,  vice- 
president  ;  E.  C.  Wliittcmore,  secretary ;  David  Brown, 
treasurer;  Chester  Getty,  Thomas  B.  Woodcock,  Milo 
IngaLsbe,  Sandford  Carlton,  and  Abram  Barker. 

In  the  by-laws  it  was  provided  that  the  annual  fairs  for 
five  years  should  be  held  on  the  lands  known  as  Peabody's 
driving-park. 

At  the  annual  meeting  held  at  Corinthian  hall.  Middle 
Granville,  Feb.  1,  1878,  the  following  officers  were  duly 
elected : 

President. — Samuel  Culver,  of  Pawlet,  Vt. 

V.ice-Frexlilents. — John  Fife,  Middle  (jranvilie ;  Lorenzo 
Nelson,  North  Hebron;  Otis  Dillingham,  Granville;  John 
Carpenter,  South  Granville  ;  F.  I.  Cliandler,  West  Gran- 
ville, D.  I.  Day,  Granville. 

Recording  Secretary. — \Vm.  R.  Savage,  North  Gran- 
ville. 

Corresponding  Secretary. — L.  Barnard,  North  Granville. 

Treasurer. — Abram  Barker,  Middle  Granville. 

Directors — Leonard  Brown,  Granville;  Truman  Temple, 
Granville;  R.  J.  Humphrey,  Poultney,  Vt. ;  Sandford 
Carlton,  Jr.,  North  Granville ;  Benjamin  Bell,  Hartford  ; 
Franklin  Hicks,  North  Granville. 

The  Union  Musical  Association,  of  Granville,  was  or- 
ganized in  December,  1861.  Its  object  was  declared  to  be 
"  the  advancement  of  the  members  in  the  science  and  art 
of  music,  especially  vocal  music ;  the  encouragement  of 
thorough  musical  study  among  all  classes  of  the  community  ; 
and  the  establishment  of  a  public  and  general  musical 
taste."  The  first  officers  were  Rev.  J.  Sewall,  president  ; 
C.  D.  Barbour,  S.  W.  Wright,  0.  F.  Thompson,  vice- 
presidents  ;  J.  M.  North,  musical  director ;  G.  A.  Meitzke, 
organist;  R.  J.  Humphrey,  secretary;  B.  F.  Ottarson, 
treasurer ;  R.  D.  Baker,  auditor ;  Rev.  J.  W.  Sewall,  S. 
W.  Wright,  G.  W.  Baker,  executive  committee. 

The  present  officers  (1878)  arc  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Poor, 
president;   Rev.  J.   E.    Baker,   D.  M.  Westfall,    and   J.  J. 


CC'cy^yt^u^^^^:^  ^/^/t^_„^^, 


GENERAL  EDWARD  BULKLEY. 


General  Edward  Bulkley  traces  his  descent  to  Rev.  Peter 
Bulkley,  who  emigrated  from  England,  and  settling  in  Massa- 
chusetts, died  in  Concord,  Mass.,  1659.  It  is  said  of  him  in 
hist«ry  that  "  he  was  remarkable  for  his  benevolence,  kind 
dealings,  and  the  strictness  of  his  virtues."  His  father,  Cap- 
tain Charles  Bulkley,  born  in  1749,  died  Feb.  12,  1824. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Colchester,  Conn.,  in 
the  year  1789,  and  when  about  four  years  of  age  the  family 
removed  to  Massachusetts.  He  was  youngest  son  of  the  family 
of  twelve  children,  and  was  educated  in  the  State  of  his  adop- 
tion. In  the  year  1806  he  came  to  tha  town  of  Granville, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  in  the  year  1810  he  established 
himself  as  a  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  hats  and  furs. 

Although  his  business  was  comparatively  new  in  that  section 
of  the  country,  and  his  capital  at  that  time  quite  limited,  by 
strict  attention  to  his  business,  economy,  and  judicious  man- 
agement, his  trade  gradually  increased  with  the  increasing 
demands  of  the  surrounding  country,  then  fast  developing. 
Subsequently  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  and  farming. 

Until  within  the  last  twenty-five  years  preceding  1878  he 
was  a  man  of  great  activity  in  business,  and  possessed  that 
resolution  to  carry  forward  to  a  successful  completion  whatever 
he  undertook;  a  man  of  sterling  qualities,  and  ripe  judgment 
in  all  business  matters. 

Genera!  Bulkley  was  a  decided  and  unswerving  standard- 
bearer  <if  the  old  Wliig  party,  and  always  regarded  the  right 
of  suffrage  a  boon  conferred  upon  every  American  citizen. 
Since  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  he  has  been 
identified  with  its  principles,  and  since  the  casting  of  his  first 
vote,  it  is  said,  has  never  missed  voting  at  every  election  in 
his  town  and  county.  He  has  lived  under  the  administra- 
tion of  every  president  of  the  United  States  until  the  time  of 
writing  this  sketch,  1878. 

Known  by  the  citizens  of  his  town  and  county  for  his  integ- 


rity, he  has  been  elected  to  the  office  of  supervisor  of  his  town, 
and  has  held  the  office  of  county  treasurer  for  two  terms.  In 
the  War  of  1812-14  he  was  ordered  to  Plattsburg,  and  subse- 
quent to  that  war  was  made  captain  of  a  company  of  State 
militia,  and  rose  by  regular  successive  gradations  to  the  rank 
of  brigadier-general,  which  title  he  still  retains. 

General  Bulkley  has,  since  his  residence  in  Granville,  been 
a  leading  man  in  all  school  and  kindred  interests,  and  always 
lent  his  influence  in  support  of  all  public  enterprises  looking 
toward  improvement  and  reform.  He  has  been  an  active 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Granville  for  nearly 
a  half-century,  and  has  lived  to  see  the  various  changes  in  the 
history  of  our  country  for  nearly  a  century.  He  is  now  in 
his  ninetieth  year  of  age,  and  retains,  to  a  very  remarkable 
degree,  the  vigor  of  both  mind  and  body  uncommon  to  people 
of  that  age.  He  has  always  been  a  careful  reader,  and  con- 
versant with  the  current  topics  of  the  day. 

In  the  year  1815  he  married  Miss  Mary,  only  daughter  of 
David  Brown  and  Mercy  Slade,  of  Hartford,  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.  She  was  hern  Aug.  27,  1795;  was  a  lady  of  rare 
intellectual  culture  and  refinement,  and,  by  precept  and  exam- 
ple, reared  and  instructed  her  children  in  all  that  makes  life 
honorable,  and  lends  influence  and  character  to  society. 

To  the  General  and  Mrs.  Bulkley  have  been  born  six 
children  :  Juliet  S.,  wife  of  Hon.  George  Reed,  of  Wisconsin  ; 
Mary  J.,  wife  of  B.  F.  Bancroft,  of  Salem,  N.  Y.  ;  Frances 
C,  widow  of  the  late  Henry  Salisbury,  of  New  York ;  Edward 
B.,  of  New  York;  George  L.,  of  North  Granville,  N.  Y. ; 
and  Charles  E.,  of  New  York.  The  mother  died  July  18, 
1878. 

An  incident  worthy  of  note  hare  is  that  all  the  children, 
with  their  husbands  and  wives,  together  with  seven  grandchil- 
dren, celebrated  the  golden-wedding  of  this  worthy  couple  at 
the  old  homestead  in  the  year  1865. 


HISTORY  OF   WASIIINGTOx\   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


217 


Joslin,  vice-presidents;  W.  0.  Perkins,  musical  director  ; 
H.  I.  Proctor,  organist;  R.  J.  Humphrey,  secretary;  B. 
F.  Ottarson,  treasurer ;  George  Tobey,  auditor ;  Rev. 
Win.  H.  Poor,  Walter  Scott,  and  Wni.  R.  Savage,  execu- 
tive committee. 

SL.ITE-WOEKS. 

The  importance  of  the  slate  business  to  the  town  of 
Granville  justifies  a  brief  statement  concerning  the  geologi- 
cal and  mineralogical  character  of  slate  as  a  preface  to 
the  notice  of  the  companies  developing  it,  taken  from  the 
catalogue  of  the  Penrhyn  company.  Slate  is  one  of  tho 
most  common  and  universally-distributed  rocks,  forming 
in  some  cases  very  extensive  bods,  and  even  tracts  of 
country.  The  principal  constituents  of  slate  are  alumina, 
silex,  talc,  mica,  oxide  of  iron,  manganese,  magnesia, 
potash,  carbon,  and  water;  hence  the  different  varieties  are 
disiinguished  by  the  names  of"  Mica  Slate,"  "  Hornblende 
Slate,"  "  Chlorite  Slate,"  "  Talcose  Slate,'"  "  Drawing  Slate," 
"  Red  Slate,"  and  last,  but  of  the  greatest  value,  "  Clay 
Slate." 

1.  Mica  slate  is  a  mountain  rock  of  vast  extent,  com- 
posed of  quartz  and  mica.  The  structure  is  foliated. 
The  more  compact  specimens  of  this  variety  are  used  for 
door-  and  hearth-stones,  and  for  flagging  and  curbing. 

2.  Hornblende  slate  resembles  mica  slate,  but  does  not 
break  into  thin  slabs ;  its  toughness,  however,  makes  it 
very  valuable  for  rough  paving  purposes. 

3.  Chlorite  slate  is  known  by  its  various  tints,  from  pale 
to  a  bright  green  color,  and  is  generally  very  hard  and 
strong. 

4.  Talcose  slate  is  used  for  hones  and  scythe-stones. 

5.  Drawing-slate,  or  black  chalk,  is  used  in  crayon-draw- 
ings. 

tJ.  Red  slate  is  used,  to  some  extent,  in  combination 
with  other  colors,  in  ornamental  roofing  and  tiling.  This 
description  is,  however,  with  some  exceptions,  very  hard 
and  brittle,  perhaps  from  the  predominance  of  oxide  of 
iron  and  silica. 

7.  Clay  slate  differs  from  mica  slate  from  the  particles 
being  so  fine  as  not  to  be  distinguished.  The  purest  and 
best  kinds  of  this  species,  when  freshly  quarried,  are  so  soft 
as  to  be  easily  worked  ;  yet  after  a  little  exposure  to  either 
the  sun  or  atmosphere,  become  very  hard.  There  are 
transitions  frequently  noticeable  from  a  true  clay  state  into 
the  other  varieties,  or  .sometimes  even  into  different  sub- 
.stances  ;  for  instance,  the  finer  kinds  pass  in  some  cases 
into  "  Chloride  schist,"  of  which  the  (/recn  slules  afford  an 
example,  while  the  coarser  often  alternate  with  the  primary 
sandstone,  passing  into  it  by  a  gradual  increase  of  quartz 
and  loss  of  the  alumina  in  their  composition.  The  pure 
argillaceous  substance  sometimes  becomes  partially  but 
gradually  developed  into  hornblende  schist. 

The  tenacity  with  which  different  kinds  of  stone  resist 
the  effect  of  a  blow  is  known  to  be  infinitely  various,  and 
quite  independent  of  their  hardness  ;  and  it  must  be  recol- 
lected that  the  power  of  the  hammer  in  splitting  a  rock  or 
in  detaching  a  fragment  depends  more  upon  its  impulse 
than  its  heaviness.  In  slate  the  frangibility  also  varies  in 
proportion  to  the  water  it  may  contain  ;  thus  when  freshly 
quarried  it  is  often  exceedingly  tough,  but  comparatively 
J28 


sofb,  being  damp  and  cold  to  the  touch,  and  in  this  state  is 
easily  divided  into  plates ;  after  a  few  days  of  exposure  to 
the  air  the  rock  loses  in  part  its  fissile  character,  and  a  little 
of  its  toughness,  although  it  becomes  harder  with  age. 

As  to  the  localities  of  slate,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the 
best  kinds  of  drawing-slate  still  coms  from  Spain,  Italy,  and 
France.  All  the  other  descriptions  are  abundant  in  Great 
Britain,  from  the  highlands  of  Scotland,  where  they  form 
some  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  .scenery,  to 
the  extensive  masses  of  slate-rock  which  stretch  from  North 
to  South  Wales.  But  in  our  own  and  widely-extended 
country  we  also  find  all  the  varieties  of  slate-rock,  and  in 
ranges  of  almost  boundless  extent ;  and  this  remark  will 
apply  to  some  of  the  new  States  and  Territories,  as  well  as 
to  the  older  settled  States,  such  as  Virginia,  Pennsylvania, 
New  York,  and  Vermont,  in  all  of  which  localities,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  quarries  have  from  time  to  time  been 
opened,  and  many  of  them  are  now  being  actively  worked. 

Colors  of  Slate. — The  dark-blue  or  blackish  varieties, 
which  are  generally  of  fine  texture,  but  frequently  very 
soft,  are  found  in  large  tracts  in  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  some  of  these  are  peculiarly  fitted  for  school  slates, 
and  are  still  used  and  preferred  by  many  persons  who  are 
not  familiar  with  the  more  beautiful  and  varied  colors  of  tho 
varieties  now  extensively  quarried  in  the  States  of  New 
York  and  Vermont.  The  prevailing  colors  of  the  New 
York  slate  are  bluish-gray,  purple,  green,  and  a  variety  in 
which  two  or  more  of  these  colors  are  blended ;  and  when 
these  different  slates  are  arranged  with  taste  on  the  roofs  of 
prominent  buildings,  either  in  strips  or  other  distinct  forms, 
they  produce  a  most  pleasing  effect. 

Slate  Paint. — Slate,  when  finely  pulverized  and  kiln- 
dried,  is  readily  combined  with  cheap  mineral  oxides  and 
oil,  producing  an  excellent  and  durable  stone  paint,  which 
is  found  to  be  a  suitable  covering  for  many  kinds  of  outside 
work,  such  as  buildings,  sheds,  fences,  fancy  iron  railings, 
etc.  It  is  also  used  by  floor-cloth  manufacturers  and 
others  in  a  variety  of  ways.  All  the  colors  of  slate  can 
be  judiciously  used  and  blended  in  tho  preparation  of  this 
paint. 

/Middle  Granville  Slate  Compani/. — The  discovery  of 
slate  near  Middle  Granville  was  about  the  year  1850.  A 
gentleman  having  bargained  for  one  of  the  farms  upon 
which  works  now  exist,  and  walking  over  the  farm  with 
the  owner,  and  carelessly  kicking  over  a  stone  or  two,  re- 
marked, "  There  is  slate  here."  The  remark  awoke  a  train 
of  thought  in  the  proprietor,  and  the  half-completed  bargain 
was  delayed  to  give  time  to  investigate.  Procuring  two  ex- 
perts from  Vermont,  an  examination  showed  valuable  slate. 
The  bargain  was  not  completed,  but  soon  after,  George  N. 
Bates,  in  company  with  Stebbins  and  Garabrandt,  purchased 
the  farm.  Wm.  R.  Williams  and  brothers  were  the  first  to 
open  quarries,  about  1853.  The  partnership  was  succeeded 
by  the  Empire  Slate  company,  Mr.  Bates  retaining  an  in- 
terest. This  dissolved  in  185G,  and  nothing  more  was 
done  until  18G0.  Then  the  present  Middle  Granville  Slate 
company  w;is  formed.  The  first  officers  were  W.  W.  Angles, 
president;  George  N.  Bates,  secretary  and  treasurer;  the 
capital  stock,  forty-eight  thousand  dollars.  This  property 
lies  north  of  the  quarries  of  the  Penrhyn  company. 


218 


HISTORY   OF   AYASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YOEK. 


The  Middle  GraiiTille  company  manufacture  only  roofing- 
slate,  averaging  yearly  about  ten  thousand  squares.  Their 
quarries  are  now  leased  for  a  series  of  years.  John  Fyfe  is 
the  president  and  acting  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Tke  Penrliyn  Shite  Covtpaiiy. — This  association,  orga- 
nized a  few  years  later  than  the  Empire  Slate  company, 
owns  a  tract  of  slate  deposits  very  near  to  the  village  of 
Middle  Granville,  and  are  employing  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men  in  the  quarries  and  the  mills.  Their  paid-up 
capital  stock  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The 
projectors  of  this  company  were  Eleazer  Jones  and  William 
E.  Jones.  The  fomrer  was  the  general  manager  of  the 
company  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1873,  and  the 
latter  superintendent  of  quarries,  and  Hugh  Williams, 
.superintendent  of  factories. 

The  company  manufacture  roofing-slate,  and  have  also 
undertaken  and  successfully  prosecuted  the  manufacture  of 
a  1  arge  variety  of  other  slate  work,  plain,  marbleized,  enam- 
eled, and  decorated.  It  is  well  worth  a  visit  to  their  mills 
to  witness  the  various  processes  of  manufacture,  and  to 
their  warerooms,  Union  Square,  New  York,  to  see  the 
choice  variety  and  the  artistic  display,  rivaling  in  richness 
and  beauty  the  costliest  marbles  of  the  world.  There  are 
.to  be  seen  mantels  of  unique  design  and  finish,  wainscoting 
or  paneling  for  rooms  and  halls,  enameled  slabs,  for  piers, 
tables,  bureaus,  sideboards,  etc.,  billiard-table  beds,  hearths, 
tiles,  cisterns,  steps,  and  risers,  baths,  sinks,  and  filters,  slabs 
and  ridges  for  ornamental  roofing,  plumbers'  .slabs,  black- 
boards, and  shelving  of  all  kinds,  laundry  tubs,  and  enam- 
elled slate  cofiins  and  caskets. 

The  mills  of  the  Penrhyn  company  are  picturesquely 
located  upon  the  Mettowee,  and  the  fine  bridge  they  have 
built  over  the  stream  for  convenience  of  railroad  connec- 
tion adds  to  the  beauty  of  the  arrangement.  The  heaped- 
up  masses  from  their  quarries,  and  the  high,  swinging  der- 
ricks, aflbrd  a  background  for  a  picture  worthy  the  pencil 
of  an  artist. 

The  present  ofiicers  of  the  company  are  R.  J.  Curtis, 
president ;  Wm.  H.  Guion,  treasurer ;  and  W.  H.  Kirt- 
land,  secretary,  all  of  New  York  city. 

Recently  the  Mettowee  Red  Slate  company  has  been 
formed,  consisting  of  Owen  W.  Williams,  Wm.  M.  Jones, 
Charles  Morris,  and  Elli.s  Humphrey. 

In  Jamesville  the  Empire  Slate  and  Tile  company  and 
Union  Slate  company  carried  on  business  for  a  few  years, 
but  have  latterly  been  discontinued. 

The  slate  business  at  Granville  village  was  commenced 
about  1871.  The  quarries  are  over  the  line  in  Vermont, 
town  of  Pawlet,  Hugh  W.  Hughes,  proprietor.  The  quar- 
ries are  worked  by  contract,  about  sixty  men  being  em- 
ployed. The  ofiice  is  at  Granville.  Mr.  Hughes  is  also  a 
dealer  in  slate,  buying  largely  of  others.  His  shipments  in 
1876  were  twenty-three  thousand  squares  of  roofing-slate. 

At  the  same  village  is  located  the  Warren  Slate  com- 
pany, J.  S.  Warren,  Edward  Williams,  and  Wm.  P.  Fran- 
cis. Their  quarries  are  also  in  Vermont.  They  manufac- 
ture sea-green  roofing  slate,  employing  from  fifty  to  sixty 
men,  making  ten  or  twelve  thousand  squares  a  year.  They 
are  also  purchasers  to  some  extent  from  others  for  ship- 
ment. 


A  few  years  since  some  quarries  of  slate  were  opened  on 
the  Northrup  farm,  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  but 
.soon  after  were  discontinued. 

CURIOSITIES,    HISTORICAL    PLACES,    ETC. 

There  is  a  powder-horn  to  be  seen  at  the  post-office  in 
Granville  village — a  rare  and  valuable  relic — with  a  colonial 
map  upon  it.  This  was  brought  off  of  the  battle-field  at 
Bennington  by  Samuel  Culver,  whose  son,  Samuel  Culver, 
Jr.,  kept  a  hotel  in  Middle  Granville  for  some  years. 

The  old  Standish  Hotel,  now  the  George  Warren  place, 
was  somewhat  noted  as  a  gathering-place  for  importers  who 
paid  but  little  attention  to  national  lines  when  bringing  in 
goods,  and  also  as  the  place  where  they  were  sometimes 
caught.  At  the  bridge  in  Guilder's  hollow,  a  loyalist  was 
shot  while  driving  away  cattle  to  the  Rritish  army.  Nelson 
Guilder  states  that  the  man  killed  was  John  Van  Guilder, 
probably  a  cousin  of  the  pioneer,  Stephen,  and  that  he  was 
said  to  be  the  only  Guilder  siding  with  England  in  that 
struggle. 

Dr.  Asa  B.  Cook  states  that,  in  digging  for  slate  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  town,  after  removing  ten  or  twelve 
feet  of  earth,  a  well-like  pit  was  found,  eight  feet  across  and 
twelve  feet  deep.  In  the  bottom  was  a  boulder,  goose-egg 
shape,  three  feet  by  two.  The  action  of  water  upon  the 
boulder,  in  remote  ages,  had  evidently  excavated  the  pit. 
Isaac  W.  Thompson  adds,  that  several  such  have  from  time 
to  time  been  found  in  this  vicinity. 

Mr.  Thompson  also  relates  the  following:  In  1850,  when 
he  was  building  the  dwelling  now  owned  by  A.  S.  Burdick, 
on  the  margin  of  the  Pawlet,  in  Granville  village,  a  com- 
pany of  St.  Francis  Indians,  carrying  bead-work  southward 
for  sale,  came  here  and  desired  to  encamp  for  a  few  days 
upon  his  grounds.  The  leader  was  an  intelligent  man  and 
quite  civilized.  He  claimed  the  right,  by  virtue  of  imme- 
morial usage,  to  encamp  at  various  places  in  this  vicinity, 
and  among  them,  on  the  beautiful  spot  Mr.  Thompson  was 
building  upon.  He  said  that  it  was  the  tradition  among 
his  people  that  their  ancestors  had  for  ages  fished  and 
hunted  in  this  town,  finding  here  their  best  beavers,  and 
that  in  this  section  and  at  this  place  they  had  formerly 
come  to  make  their  arrows  and  hatchets.  The  chief's 
mother,  traveling  with  him,  an  old  woman  of  a  hundred 
years,  confirmed  his  account.  Mr.  Thompson,  in  the  prog- 
ress of  his  excavations  for  building,  had  the  pleasure  of 
throwing  up  a  quantity  of  defective  arrow-heads  and 
hatchets,  clearly  showing  the  truth  of  the  Indian's  story, 
that  at  this  spot,  for  ages,  they  had  made  their  weapons, 
and  that  here  were  the  favorite  hunting-grounds  of  the 
tribe. 

AGRICULTURAL. 

The  soil  of  this  town  is  described  as  a  slaty,  gravelly 
loam.  It  is  particularly  adapted  to  potatoes,  and  large 
quantities  are  exported  at  times.  Sheep  husbandry,  treated 
of  in  the  general  county  history,  has  prevailed  exten- 
sively. In  later  years  the  dairy  business  has  largely  en- 
grossed the  attention  of  farmers.  The  town  of  Granville  not 
only  contains  within  its  own  limits  several  cheese-factories, 
but  it  is  the  centre  of  the  cheese-  and  butter-business  for  a 
large   section   of   country   beyond   its   own   borders.     The 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


210 


town  is  not,  however,  limited  to  any  one  form  of  rural  in- 
dustry. There  is  no  product  of  this  latitude  to  which  the 
soil  of  this  town  is  not  adapted.  Its  hillsides  as  well  as  its 
plains  and  the  meadows  on  its  water-courses  are  fertile  and 
productive. 

There  are  .several  cheese-factories  in  the  town  doin";  an 
extensive  business.  That  of  J.  Stevens,  Granville,  makes 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  a  year. 
One  near  Middle  Granville,  owned  by  Seymour  Tanner, 
made  in  187G  one  hundred  and  four  thousand  pounds. 
The  one  at  North  Bend,  owned  by  a  company  and  run  by 
Wm.  P.  Beccher,  si.Kty-five  thousand  pounds.  Others,  also, 
at  South  Granville,  Granville,  and  other  parts  of  the  town, 
are  doing  a  business  similar  in  amount  to  those  stated. 

A  creamery  is  being  erected  the  present  year  by  Race, 
Farwell,  Lee,  and  others,  at  Raceville. 

The  town  is  peculiarly  favored  with  commercial  facilities, 
having  the  Rutland  and  Washington  railroad  on  the  east, 
which  runs  the  entire  length  of  the  town,  and  has  two  sta- 
tions ;  and  the  Champlain  canal  and  the  Rensselaer  and 
Saratoga  railroad  on  the  west,  but  three  miles  from  it«  west- 
ern boundary, — thus  giving  the  people  a  choice  of  markets 
and  a  choice  in  the  mode  of  reaching  them. 

Tiie  population  of  this  town  is  rapidly  increasing,  which 
is  true  of  but  few  rural  towns  in  the  State. 

With  reference  to  the  sheep  husbandry  of  earlier  j'ears, 
it  may  be  added — from  Dr.  Fitch's  work,  1.S4S — that  there 
were  then  many  fine  flocks  in  Granville.  John  Barker  had 
a  flock  of  four  hundred.  Isaac  BLshop,  in  still  earlier  years, 
was  very  prominent  in  this  business,  having  introduced 
valuable  blooded  stock  from  Long  Island,  the  result  of  then 
recent  importations  from  Spain.  The  number  of  sheep  in 
Granville  in  1825  was  8660;  1S3J,  l!},46i;  18i5,  10,902. 

3IILITARY    RECORD. 

The  history  of  movements  in  this  town  during  the  War 
of  the  Revolution  cannot  be  obtained  with  any  complete- 
ness or  accuracy.  That  there  was  considerable  of  a  popu- 
lation here  is  evidently  true,  and  that  they  shared  in  the 
prevailing  excitement  and  in  patriotic  efl^orts  for  defense  is 
also  true.  Rccoids  of  what  was  actually'  done  are  not 
easily  attainable.  Among  the  "  Williams  Papers"  (vol.  i. 
p.  ICl )  preserved  at  Salem  is  the  following  fragment : 

"  A  pay-roll  of  Capt.  Silas  Child's  company,  of  Gran- 
ville, in  Col.  John  Williams'  regiment  of  militia,  in  the 
year  1778." 

Unfortunately,  the  list  only  contains  three  names, — 
Ebenezer  Danforth,  Henry  Watkins,  Daniel  Stewart. 

There  is  also  the  following  receipt,  probably  1777  : 

"Oct.  18.  Received  of  Col.  John  Williams  100  weight 
of  lead  and  fifty  flints  for  Granville  precinct. 

"Nathaniel  Sprino." 

The  following  are  mentioned  in  the  ■'  National  Official 
Register  "  as  pensioners  living  in  Granville  in  1810  :  Reuben 
Van  Guilder,  aged  eighty  ;  Nehemiah  Hulelt,  seventy-five  ; 
Noah  Day,  eighty-three;  Bcnajah  Hill,  eighty-five;  Jona- 
than Brown,  eighty  ;  William  Town,  eighty-one  ;  Simeon 
Howard,  eighty-seven  ;  Samuel  Standi.sh,  eighty-six  ;  Jacob 
Alien,  seventy-nine;    John   Kirkland,  eighty-two;    Jesse 


Averill,  eighty-si.'!;;  Liwis  Hatch,  eighty;  Samuel  Weeks, 
eighty-two;  Mason  Liw,  seventy-five;  Isaac  Djty,  eighty- 
one.     Twelve  octogenarians  at  once. 

Lswis  Hatch  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  from  Cape 
Cod;  cams  to  Granville  in  1781-85  ;  died  in  1817. 

The  detachment  to  which  he  belonged  joined  the  Canada 
expedition  under  Montgomery  at  Skenesborough,  having 
passed  through  Granville  on  the  way.  They  reached 
Quebec  a  day  or  two  after  Montgomery  had  fallen.  He 
was  with  the  northern  army  through  the  dreary  winter  of 
1775-70,  the  varying  campaign  of  1776,  and  through 
1777  to  the  glorious  capture  of  Burgoyne.  While  the 
army  was  at  Fort  Edward,  Mr.  Hatch  was  one  of  tiie 
party  that  ventured  out  and  brought  in  the  bod}'  of  the 
unfortunate  Jane  McCrea. 

His  settlement  in  Greenville  was  upon  lots  30  and  31  of 
Kelly's  patent.  Living  here  for  sixty  years,  he  passed  a 
useful  life,  a  patriot  and  a  Christian.  Upon  his  tombstone 
is  the  epitaph,  "A  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and  of  the 
Cross." 

He  left  three  sons :  Wait,  who  settled  in  Hebron  ;  T. 
D.ivis,  in  western  New  York ;  Asa  N  ,  on  the  homastead. 
D.iughters:  Mrs.  Rowland  Smith  and  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Be- 
dell, of  Granville.  Other  daughters:  Mary;  Tabitha;  Anne, 
married  and  settled  in  western  New  York.  There  was  one 
other  daughter,  Phebe. 

Capt.  Moses  Amidon,  a  Revolutionary  .soldier,  removed 
from  Hartford,  Conn.,  to  Granville  in  1809.  He  died 
about  1834.  He  had  a  fiimily  of  nine  children,  five  of 
whom  were  boys.  Two  of  his  sons,  Henry  and  Davis, 
were  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  two  of  his  grandsons,  Henry 
and  Edwin,  were  in  the  Mexican  war.  William,  the  young- 
est grandchild  of  the  captain's  youngest  son,  was  in  the 
war  for  the  suppression  of  the  late  rebellion, — two  years  in 
the  infantry,  and  then  enlisted  in  the  cavalry, — a  patriotic 
record,  extending  through  four  wars,  worthy  of  note. 

Caleb  West  and  Hiram  Chapell  were  also  Revolutionary 
soldiers. 

WAR  OF   1812. 

Capt.  Jehiel  Dayton  commanded  a  company  of  volunteer 
artillery  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  company  records  are 
now  preserved  by  his  son,  Robert  G.  Dayton,  of  North 
Granville.  Tiie  order  directing  the  company  to  proceed  to 
Whitehall  bears  date  Aug.  1,  1812,  and  is  signed  by  Lieut.- 
Col.  Stephen  Thorn.  The  company  belonged  to  the  4th 
Regiment  and  2d  Brigade.  The  captain  was  directed  to 
draft  one  in  four  of  those  who  did  not  volunteer. 

Capt.  Dayton's  address  to  his  company  at  Whitehall 
closes  as  follows : 

"  I  am  well  satisfied  that  you  know  the  responsibility  we 
are  under  at  this  post ;  that  the  accomplishmsnt  of  our 
duty  as  soldiers,  as  citizens,  as  friends  to  our  country,  will 
protect  drink  and  food  for  the  thirsty  and  wearied  soldiers, 
who  have  taken  up  arms  in  defense  of  tho.so  dear-bought 
rights  and  privileges  bequeathed  to  us  by  the  bleeding  and 
sufiering  sages  and  heroes  of  the  Revolution  ;  that  pru- 
dence, care,  and  patience  are  necessary  to  form  the  leading 
features  of  our  conduct,  which,  I  doubt  not,  will  be  strictly 
adhered  to.  ' 


220 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


The  ccmpany  was  ordered  out  the  second  time,  Sept.  9, 
1814,  by  Lieut.-Col.  Pliny  Adams. 

We  add  the  roster  of  the  company,  iiichuling  some,  per- 
haps, residents  of  other  towns. 

RvU  of  Copliilii  Jehid  Daytuns  Compatitj  (if  ArtUkrij 
fur  1812,  ordered  to  WliiteltuU : 

Captain,  Jehiel  Dayton ;  first  lieutenant,  Elnathan 
Scraunton  ;  second  lieutenant,  Joseph  Thomas;  fir.st  ser- 
geant, Joel  Hyde ;  second  sergeant,  Frederick  Baker  ;  third 
sergeant,  Russell  Abels ;  fourth  sergeant,  Levi  Everts ; 
first  corporal,  Calvin  Crippen ;  second  corporal,  Alfred 
Tanner ;  third  corporal,  Erastus  A.  Barker ;  fourth  corporal, 
Jonathan  Hull  ;  first  drummer,  Rosley  Darley,  substitute ; 
second  drummer,  Amos  Winters  ;  fifer,  Wm.  Foster,  Jr., 
substitute ;.  privates, — Roger  F.  Archer,  Randall  A.  Ful- 
ler, James  Dickey,  Simeon  Cornwell,  Ralph  Rowe,  F]lias 
Newbre,  James  Chandler,  Elkanah  Comstock,  Samuel  B. 
Wait,  Henry  Mason,  Elisha  Norton,  Walter  .Colton,  Samuel 
Andrus,  Asahel  Gillctt,  Rufus  Harvey,  Wra.  Hammond, 
Orrin  Doty  (substitute),  Charles  Chandler  (substitute), 
Wm.  Tanner,  Major  E.  Fry  (substitute),  Wm.  Norton, 
David  Johnson,  George  Johnson,  Stephen  Baker,  Lsaac 
Baker,  Lemuel  Jones,  Norman  B.  Thompson  (substitute), 
Wm.  B.  Williams  (substitute),  Nathaniel  G.  Piatt  (sub- 
stitute), Patrick  Roach  (substitute),  Sylvanus  Robbison 
(substitute),  Dcnnison  Mason  (substitute),  Almon  Walling 
(substitute),  James  P.  McVein,  Daniel  Johnson,  David 
iSIartin,  Jr.,  Caleb  Curtis,  Robert  Hamilton. 

(Signed)  Wm.  F.  Baker, 

Acting  Orderli/  Serr/erint. 

Roll  of  a  Mdilia  Comjxtvi/  commnidid  hy  Cdptaui 
Duty  Sliiimu'uy,  and  ordered  out  dvriiiy  tJie  ll'ar  c;/' 1812: 

Solomon  Baker,  Jr.,  James  Thorn,  Elias  Hitchcock, 
Julius  C.  Abels,  Byram  Baker,  Abiel  Hathaway,  Jr., 
Ebenczer  Mudge,  Calvin  Crawford,  Roswell  Ellsworth, 
Jacob  Spencer,  Nehemiah  Baker,  George  Smith,  David 
Rhoades,  Asa  Farnam,  Ilhamar  Harvey,  Daniel  Needham, 
Joseph  Tanner,  David  Brown,  John  Everts,  Blarvin 
Averill,  Collins  Purple,  Nathan  Phillips,  Robert  Bruiford, 
Wm.  Brown,  Roswell  Philley,  Isaac  Vandebogert,  Lemuel 
Boomer,  Thomas  T.  Sherwood,  Joseph  Kinyon,  Mumford 
Northup,  Elijah  Billings,  Dudley  Everts,  Henry  Gardner, 
Truman  Everts,  Henry  Reynolds,  Ira  Baker,  James  Bash- 
ford,  Abijah  Smith. 

In  the  War  of  1812  there  was  a  militia  company  at 
South  Granville  that  was  ordered  to  Whitehall  at  the  time 
of  the  battle  of  Plattsburg.  It  belonged  to  a  regiment 
commanded  by  Col.  Adams.  The  captain  of  the  com- 
pany was  Hosea  Day  ;  Asa  Thompson,  lieutenant ;  Parley 
Whitney,  ensign;  Thomas  D.  Hatch,  first  sergeant;  Noah 
Day,  second  sergeant.  The  latter  recalls  the  names  of  the 
following  members  of  the  company  who  went  to  Whitehall : 
Three  brothers  Foot, — Foster,  Erastus,  and  James, — Scot- 
toway  Whitcomb,  Pliny  Whitcomb,  Cornelius  Whitney, 
Obed  Washburn,  Orscmus  Thompson,  Isaac  Roberts,  Eli 
Smith,  Alvin  Cooper,  Mr.  Tanner,  John  Becchcr,  Luke 
Wilson,  John  West,  Eli  Whitcomb,  John  Wheaton,  Wash- 
ington Z.  Wait,  two  brothers  Ander.sou,  and  Chauncey 
Beebe. 


Nathaniel  Parker  and  Eliphalct  Parker  were  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary army,  under  Arnold,  in  the  expedition  against 
Quebec ;  also  at  the  taking  of  Fort  Ticonderoga  by  Ethan 
Allen,  and  the  battle  of  Bennington,  under  Gen.  Stark. 

In  reference  to  the  war  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, the  town  took  the  following  action  :  A  meeting  was  held 
at  the  house  of  R.  D.  Wing,  in  Granville,  by  the  citizens 
of  said  town,  Aug.  18,  1862.  Rev.  Seldon  Haynes  was 
elected  chairman,  and  Albert  S.  Burdick,  secretary.  Res- 
olutions were  adopted  authorizing  the  supervisors  to  borrow 
the  sum  of  five  thousand  two  hundred  dollars,  to  be  used 
for  the  procuring  of  men  to  fill  the  quota  under  the  call  of 
the  President  for  troops,  one  hundred  dollars  to  be  paid  to 
each  soldier  enlisted  to  the  credit  of  the  town.  This  action 
was  before  the  State  had  passed  any  law  legalizing  such  an 
appropriation.  To  secure  the  matter  beyond  all  fjuestion, 
the  money  was  raised  by  the  supervisors  executing  a  note 
for  the  amount,  and  then  one  hundred  and  sixteen  citizens 
signed  an  agreement  indemnifying  and  protecting  the  super- 
visors against  loss. 

Dec.  12,  18G3,  another  meeting  was  held.  Rev.  Seldon 
Haynes  again  acting  as  chairman.  After  a  spirited  discus- 
sion, resolutions  were  passed  approving  the  action  of  the 
supervisors  in  raising  moneys  to  provide  for  a  bounty  of 
two  hundred  dollars  each  to  volunteers. 

At  other  meetings  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  18G4 
prompt  action  was  taken  to  fill  the  quota  of  the  town,  and 
the  bounty  was  carried  up  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
and  finally  to  one  thousand  dollars.  So  promj>t  and  thor- 
ough was  the  action  of  the  town  authorities,  heartily  sus- 
tained by  the  people,  that  in  January,  1865,  the  town  was 
found  to  have  a  surplus  of  men  credited  upon  the  books  of 
the  provost  marshal.  Very  honorable  action,  too,  was 
taken  for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  volunteers,  and  in  one 
case,  where  a  wife  had  moved  from  the  town,  the  meeting 
voted  to  continue  the  aid. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  twenty  votes  were  received  from 
soldiers  in  the  army,  and  voted  by  proxy. 

The  following  list  of  those  who  went  from  this  town  into 
the  army  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion  is  prepared 
from  the  copy  made  by  the  town  clerk  in  1865,  from  the 
printed  muster-in  rolls  of  the  State,  and  it  has  also  been  left 
for  correction  at  the  towu  clerk's  office  several  weeks,  and 
advertised : 

Joel  Aldons,  enl.  Dec.  2.5, 186:1, 10th  .Art.,  Co.  I ;  disch.argcd. 
John  Aldons,  enl.  Dec.  2G,  1S03,  IGth  Art.,  Co.  I ;  diaclmrged. 
Judson  H.  Austin,  enl.  Aug.  8,  18(;2, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  K;  pro.  2.1  lieut.;  dis- 

cliarged. 
Henry  E.  Allen,  eul.  Aug.  ~'.  1SC2, 123d  Regt..  Co.  K  ;  pro.  coip. ;  discliiirgid. 
Wm.  Aniid..ii,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1SC3,  21st  N.  Y.  Cav. ;  had  before  served  full  time  in 

311th  Regt.;  disih.  July  3, 1860. 
Wm.  Ausmeiit,  eul.  ISGl,  3Glh  Regt.;  died  of  consumption  at  Granville  while 

in  the  service. 
Isaac  Ausmeut,  eul.  1801,  Vermont  Regt.;  died  at  New  Orleans,  La. 
Homy  Bush,  enl.  Jan.  7, 18C>,  93d  Regt. 
John  H.  Babbitt,  musician  ;  enl.  OCtli  Regt. 

Amos  W.  Babbitt,  enl.  OOlh  Kegt. ;  wounded  ;  disch.  for  disability. 
Wni.  W.  Brown,  1st  lieut.:  eul.  Aug.  9, 1802,  l-23d  Begt.,  Co.  U ;  wounded  in 

Gcol-gia ;  disch.  1865. 
Joseph  S.  Blossom,  eul.  Aug  15, 1862, 12.ia  Kegt.,  C...  K  ;  disch.  June  8, 1S65. 
David   II.  liaik.r,  onl.  Aug.  21,  1SG2, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  minor,  not   mustered 

into  service. 
Nathauiel  Bedell,  enl.  Sept.  2,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  disch.  Juno  8,  180,5. 
Visli  Boudevin,  eul.  Aug.  4,  1862,  123d  Kegt,  Co.  K ;  died  in  hospital  near 

Chattanooga,  Tenn. 
Martin  V.  B.  lintler,  enl    Ang.  6,  lSG2,'l23d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  discharged. 
Leioy  L.  Barnard,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  0,  If  02,  12^1  Ri'gt.,  Co.  K  ;  discharged. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


221 


U.  Balermo,  enl.  Aug.  1802, 123(i  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

Martin  liowkcr,  oiil.  Aug,  22, 1802, 123<1  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  (iis(li..Tunc  S,  18C5. 

Gcurgo  W.  Baker,  enl.  Aug.  18G2, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  K;  pro.  2U   lieut.,  I»t  lieut., 

and  oipt.  j.disch.  June  8, 1805. 
Israel  S.  Barber,  cnl.  12Ctli  Regt.;  disch.  for  disability. 
JIatthew  W.  Barber,  enl.  ]20th  Regt. 
Peter  Balis,  enl.  ISlil,  2-2d  Regt. 

George  F.  Bra.vton,  enl.  44th  Itegt. ;  disch.  for  disability. 
George  R.  Brown,  ecd.  Feb.  27.  1804,  lOOth  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  wounded  ;  disch.  May, 

1S0.5  ;  had  served  three  years  in  the  .Mexican  war. 
Wm.  H.  Bowker,  pro.  ord.-sergt.,  sergt.-niaj.,lst  lieut.,  and  acting  adj.;  disch. 
Reuben  Burgess,  enl.  Sept.  30,  1801,  2d  Cav.'Co.  F. 
Peter  Bradley,  Corp.;  cnl.  Sept.  19, 1801,  0th  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
George  H.  Bushnell,  cnl.  Sept.  14, 1801,  Olh  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Henry  JI.  Bailey,  enl.  Nov.  5,  1SC3,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
Joseph  Burdett,  enl.  Ang.  19,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
John  W.  Bnrrows,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1S02,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Itufns  M.  Boughton,  enl.  Dec.  3,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Elijah  Chapman,  enl.  Dec.  10,  ISOI,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
S.iniuel  Carey,  enl.  Dec.  24, 1863, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I ;  discharged. 
William  Cooper,  enl.  Dec.  1803,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  1 ;  Imd  served  his  time  in  22d 

Regt.  ;  disch.  Nov.  1805,  serving  four  and  a  half  yciira. 
Vim.  H.  Cowan,  cnl.  Sept.  1801,  49th  Regt.;  pro.  sergt.;  Ist  lieut.;  mustered 

out  by  consolidation  oC  regiment. 
Charles  D.  Cowan,  enl.  Ang.  7, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  wounded  in  Georgia; 

pro.  Corp.,  sergt.,  and  oi*d.-8ergt.;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
George  H.  Cowan,  enl.  Ang.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  prisoner  at  Richmond ; 

paroled ;  detailed  clerk  at  brigade  headquarters;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Richard  C(.sttllo,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  .Tune  8,  1805. 
Ilaniel  S.  Carmody,  cnl.  Aug.  21,  1802,  123d   Regt.,  Co.  K;  died  at  StalTord 

Court-IIonse,  March,  1803. 
Franklin  CVjok,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Altadore  W.  Cook,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  for  disability. 
Lorenzo  R,  Coy,  enl.  Ang.  5, 1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  K  ;  pro.  sergt. ;  disch.  June 

8,  1805. 
Daniel  Chapman,  enl.  Aug.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Lucius  Cluuse,  enl.  Sept.  1862,  93d  Regl.,  Co.  I. 
Palmer  K.  Clark,  enl.  Ang.  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Hiram  Cook,  cnl.  March,  1804,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
.K.hn  Cook,  enl.  Marx;li,  1SG4,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Elisha  Cook,  enl.  Sept.  6,  1801,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 

Edmunil  Croak,  enl.  1861,  93d  Vet.  Inf.,  Co.  E;  at  the  expiration  of  flrat  enlist- 
ment he  re.enlisted  in  tlie  same  company  and  regiment  as  a  v  eteran  ;  was 

disch.  .July,  1S65. 
Horace  Dowd,  eul.  Aug.  11, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  died  of  disease,  at  Na.sh- 

v.Uc,  Tenn. 
Michael  Donahue,  Corp.,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1S02. 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  pro.  sergt. 
Albert  W.  Doanc,  cnl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 12:ld  Regt., Co.  K  ;  died  of  wounds  at  Chan- 

cellorsville  ;  oneleg^llotoft'.    When  struck,  exclaimed,  "Boys,  the  devils 

have  hit  me  ;  but  give  Iheiu  fits !"     When  last  seen,  was  winding  a  gun- 
strap  around  the  stump  of  the  limb,  and  twisting  it  with  a  bayonet  to 

stop  the  blood. 
Hugh  Dorrence,  enl.  Sept.  28,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
'i'hon  as  Doluihue,  eul.  Aug.  20, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  K  ;  woumled  ;  lost  use  of 

arm ;  iliscli.  1805. 
Edward  Dnshou,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 12M  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  for  disability;  re- 

enlM  Dec.  1S03.  lOtli  Art.;  disch.  Aug.  1SG5. 
Edward  Donnelly,  enl.  Sept.  5, 1862,  lOOtli  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
Henry  K.  Dnuton,  eul.  Sept.  7,  1801,  2J  Vet.  Cav.,  C...  I. 
lloiace  P.  Eldridge,  enl.  Jan.  7,  1862,  93d  Rout.,  Co.  I :  disch. 
Hiram  Prazier,  enl.  Dec.  31,  1803,  lOth  Art.,  Co.  I  ;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Daniel  Flood,  eul.  Aug.  1802,  12;)d  Kegt. 
Gilbert  Fritcher,  eul.  Feb.  28,  1864,  93d  Regt. 

James  K.  Ford,enl.  Ang.  9,  1863,  121d  Regt,  Co.  K  ;  disch. for  disability. 
John  Fish,  enl.  Feb.  1864,  90th  Kegt.;  wounded  at  Chapiu's  Farm  ;  w.is  one 

yeai'  in  hospital ;  disch.  1805. 
Tdus  E.  Gilman,  cnl.  Aug.  1802,  123d  Regt.;  discli.  June  S,  If 05. 
John  Gorman,  enl.  Oct.  29,  1862. 
William  Gallup,  enl.  ISOl,  93d  Regt. 
James  Gordon,  cnl  Aug.  22,  1862,  12:;d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  died  at  Harper's  Ferry, 

1863. 
John  Ganey,  enl.  Dec.  31,  186 i,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I;  h.xd  before  served  full  time  iu 

22dRegt. ;  disch. 
Francis  A.  Granger,  enl.  Feb.  1804,  93d  Regt.;  died  at  Andersouvillc  prison. 
Ethan  A.  Granger,  enl.  Feb.  1864,  93d  Regt.;  disch. 
Chavmcey  S.  Guilford,  cnl.  Aug.  7,1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  pro.  corp;  woundud 

at  Pe.ach-Tiec  Creek;  disch.  June  8,  1S05. 
Joseph  Gravlin,  Old.  May,  1861,  30th  N.  T.  Vols.;  woundud,  rifle-ball  through 

the  right  lung  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run. 
Pliineas  Hall,  enl.  Jan.  7, 1862,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  1805. 
Ira  Hall,  enl.  Dec.  1S&!;  !)3d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  wounded  ;  disch.  Aug.  1805. 
David  J.  Humphrey,  enl.  Aug.  17,  1802, 12)d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  wounded;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
Noah  S.  Ilili;  enl  Aug.  8,  1802,  laid  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
William  M.  Hill,  enl.  Ang.  8,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  d  s Jli.  June  8,  1.S65. 
Andrew  Harris,  enl.  Ang.  10,  18(i2,  123d' Regt.,  Co.  Iv  ;  pro.  corii.;  di=ch.  June  8, 


Edmund  Hayes,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,  ]2.1d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

William  K.  Hills,  cnl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 

Horace  E.  Howard,  enl.   Aug.  5,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  (U>.  K;   pro.   ord.-sergt.; 

wounded  at  Cliancellorsville,  and  died  from  cITects  of  wounds. 
Ralph  E.  Hall,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  died  of  diphtheria,  at  Har- 
per's Ferry,  Va. 
William  S.  Hcndly,  cid.  Aug.  20, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Morris  Harris,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1802,  12!d  Regt.,  Co.  K ;  detailed  to  ambulance 

corps;  ilisch.  June  8,  1865. 
Fayette  Hale,  ord.-sergt,  enl.  Aug.  180^  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  wounded;  disch. 

June  8, 1805. 
Andrew  Haley,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
George  Heath,  cnl.  1862, 125th  Regt.;  wounded;  disch. 
James  Harris,  enl.  1604,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K ;  dis.  h.  Juno  8,  1805. 
Roderick  Harris,  enl.  Sept.  22, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
William  Harvey,  cnl.  Nov.  23, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
Andrew  Hickey,  enl.  Nov.  .3,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Francis  D.  Hammond,  enl.  Feb.  23, 1862,  woumlcd  in  the  right  thigh.  In  the 

Seven  Days'  battle  on  the  Peninsula,  near  Savage  Station,  Va.,  June  28, 

1862;  disch.  Dec.  3,  1802. 
Nathan  J.  Johnson,  capt.,  enl.  Dec.  II,  1801,93d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  com.  lieut.-col., 

115th  Regt.,  Nov.  13, 1863 ;  wounded  at  Fort  Fisher ;  disch.  Juno  17, 1805. 
Morris  E.  Jones,  enl.  July  2, 1802,  134th  R(.gt.,Co.  B  ;  disch. 
David  E.  Jones,  March,  1864,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  suffered  from  starvation  in  Libl.y 

prison  ;  exchanged  in  spring  of  1865;  disch. 
Andrew .lonbert,  enl.  April,  1801, 22d  Regt.;  disch.;  re-enl.GriswoldCav. ;  disch. 
James  B.  Johnson,  enl.  Ang.  23, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
Jnel  Jupson,  eul.  Oct.  1, 1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
Thomas  Keuney,  onl.  July,  1802,  lB9th  Regt. 
Merrick  H.  Knapp,  eld.  Airg.  6,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  pro.  Corp. ;  disch.  Juno 

8,  1805. 
Andrew  Lord,  enl.  Jan.  7,  1802,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

William  U.  Laugwiuthy,  enl.  Dec.  1863,  loth  Art. ;  disch.  Aug.  29,  1805. 
Lh-wellyn  Lloyd,  enl.  Match,  1804,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  1. 
John  Lahue,  Corp.,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  two  years  with  regt.; 

trans,  to  navy;  discli.  July,  1865. 
Thomas  J.  License,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  12:id  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June,  ISCm. 
Nicholas  Lamb,  enl.  July,  1802, 169,h  llegt. 
Eratus  Lowidl.  enl.  109tli  Regt. ;  disch.  for  disability. 
John  McDowell,  enl.  Feb.  1864,  •2d  Cav. 
James  Muiphy,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Stephen  McGowau,  enl.  Feb.  21, 1864,  146th  Regt. 
John  Murphy,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1862,  123d  Regt ,  Co.  K. 

John  McCoy,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1862, 12  id  Regt.,  C.i.  K ;  wounded  ;  discharged. 
Henry  Moshicr,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  wounded;  iliscliarged. 
Th.iuias  McKenneday,  enl.  Sept.  1862, 169tli  Regt. 
Francis  Mow,  enl.  Aug.  1802,  12  'd  Regt. ;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Michael  McUriau,  enl.  Sept.  1802, 169th  Regt.;  supposed  to  be  killed  in  battle. 
Sylvester  Maddock,  eul.  Pa.  regiment;a  prisonerat  Andersouville;  exchanged; 

diSLharged. 
Michael  Maloney,  enl.  ISO!,  9.'id  Regt. ;   served  term,  a:id   re-enl.  same  regt.; 

discharged. 
William  Mairs,  eul.  Dec.  1861,  lOlh  Art.;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Harlan  P.  Martin,  onl.  Oct.  2.-),  1801,  'id  Cav.,  Ga.  F. 
George  Marcy,  eul.  Sept.  18,  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
Robert  McMurray,  cnl.  Sept.  28,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  (.'o.  I. 
William  Mitchell,  eul.  Aug.  21,  1802,  12:!d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Daniel  Morgan,  enl.  93d  Regt.,  N.  Y.  S.  V.;  killed. 
Willam  Norton-,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1802,  t23d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  lostau  arm  at  Gettysburg; 

discharged. 
Jay  Northrup,  capt. ;  enl.  Dec.  ISCl,  93d   Regt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  to  2d  lieut. ;  disch. 

July,  1865. 
Albeit  Nash,  enl.  April,{1861,  22d  Regt.;  discharged. 
Clark  Nelson,  enl.  1801,  Vt.  regt.;  firat  eul.  iu  22d  N.  Y.  Inf.;    disch.    May, 

1865. 
Edward  Nye,  enl.  Oct.  21, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Samuel  L.  Norcloss,  enl.  Sept.  4,  186!,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
George  Osborne,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862,  l-23d  Regt.,  Co.  K,  died  of  disease  in  N.  C. 
Albert  S.  Porter,  enl.  Dec.  30,  1803,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Ang.  29,  1865. 
Amos  C.  Potter,  eul.  Ang  8, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  wounded  at  Kesaca,  Ga., 

May  15,  1861 ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Stjicy  K.  Potter,  cnl.  Ang.  9,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  detailed  clerk  at  brig.ide 

lieadiinarteRj;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Philip  Potter,  eul.  Aug.  13,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 

The  above  were  three  brothers. 
Benjamin  F.  Pitts,  cnl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  wounded ;  discharged. 
Samuel  A.  Potter,  enl.  Sept.  I,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  disch.  June  8,  UKt. 
J.din  Pitts,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  K  ;  killed  at  Kesaca,  Ga.,  M  ly  15, 

1864. 
Jonathan  W.  Potter,  co:p. ;  cnl.  Aug.  22,  1862, 12:>d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Rilss.  II  U.  IMts,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  l'23d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  discharged. 
Uzillo  Pillcuir,  enl.  .\ug.  4, 1862,  l'23d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  detailed  to  ambulanco 

corps;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
0-car  Perriii,  enl.  44lh  Regt.;  disch.  fordis;tbility. 
A.lin  H.  Potter,  enl.  Sept.  10,  1861,  Cth  Div.,  Co.  D. 
Jules  Prescott,  enl.  Sept.  11, 1861,  6th  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
.Seraphim  Pcrroul,  enl.  Sept.  21,  1863,  2d  Vol.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 


222 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


George  Phillips,  enl.  Sept.  17,  ISO-I,  2.1  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 

Lyman  Raymond,  onl.  Dm.  2J,  186:i,  IGtli  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Oliver  Reynolds,  enl.  Jan.  2,  18G4,  ICth  Ait.,  Co.  I;  diach.  Aug.  1805. 

Fianklin  E.  Rnssell,  enl.  ICOIh  Rcgt. ;  diseliarged. 

David  W.  Rngere,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802, 123d  Itegt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  to  2d  lieut. ;  discli. 

June,  180.5. 
Edward  B.  Rasey,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  12:id  Regt,,  Co.  K ;  disch.  June  8, 

1805. 
Barzilla  Roquay,  enl.  Aug. 4, 1802, 123a  Regt.,  Co.  K;  wounded;  discharged. 
John  W.  Rasey,  enl.  Aug.  1802, 12:!d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Amos  E.  Biissell,  enl.  Fob.  l«Gt,  loth  Cav.;  had  before  served  from  Sept.  11, 

1801,  in  6th  Cav,,  Co.  D ;  discharged. 
Edward  Rock,  enl.  Feb.  19,  18G4.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  injured  by  falling  from 

the  cars;  disabled;  discharged. 
John  Ryan,  enl.  Ang.  18, 1802, 12:id  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Walter  Smith,  enl.  Jan.  7, 1802, 9;)d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  wounded  at  Gettysburg  ;  disch. 

1865. 
Kead  C.  Stewart,  enl.  Dec.  17, 1803,  16th  Art., Co.  I;  b.a.l  served  in  22d  Regt. 

two  years;  wounded  at  second  Bull  Run;  disch. 
Jcdln  Sherman,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1802, 12M  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  wounded  at  Aiken's  Rini. 
Amarilla  Searles,  enl.  90th  Regt. 
Alonzo  Searles,  enl.  109th  Regt. 

.Samuel  Slilos.  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123a  Regt.,  Co.  K  :  disch.  June  S,  1805. 
Cyrus  K.  Smith   enl.  tid  Regt.;  wounded;  diach.  fi-om  hospital. 
Wilbur  Steid,  enl.  Sept.  1803, 2d  Vot.  Cav. ;  had  served  two  years  in  30th  Regt. ; 

discharged. 
Milo  Shaw,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  supposed  killed  at  Cbancel- 

loraville. 
AlonZM  Shaw,  enl.  1861,  2d  Vt.  Inf.;  disch.  ISO"). 
George  Shaw,  enl.  1801, 2d  Vt.  Inf  ;  disch.  1805. 
Wm,  Sinnot,  enl.  Sept.  11, 1801,  0th  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Waynan  Stewart,  enl.  Sept.  10,  180 1,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  T. 
Siiniuel  W.  Thurber,  enl.  Jan.  7,  1SC2,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Edwin  Thomson,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1802,  I23a  Regt.,  Co.  K ;  disch.  July,  1  RO.i. 
Wm.  A.  Tooley,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  killed  while  fording 

Jones'  creek,  near  Goldsboro',  N.  C,  April  10, 1865,  the  company  at  that 

time  being  deployed  as  skirmishers;  the  huit  man  killed  in  the  regiment. 
Horace  II.  Tooley,  enl.  Aug.  19, 1862, 123d  Kogt.,  Co.  K  ;  killed  at  Dallas,  Ga. 
Edward  Tanner,  enl.  Aug. 4, 1862, 123d Regt.,  Co.K;  killed  atChancellorsvillo; 

fii-st  man  killed  in  company. 
Nelson  G.  Thayor,  onl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  killed  at  Gettysburg. 
Warren  Thomson,  musician  ;  enl.  Aug.  18, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June 

8,  1805. 
Welcome  Thomson,  enl.  March,  1864,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  died  at  Albany,  July, 

1865,  a  few  days  before  regiment  was  mustered  out. 
James  K.  Tyler,  enl.  9  Id  llcgt.;  disch.  fordisability. 
Joseph  Tellior,  enl.  Sept.  23,  ISOl,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Leoniird  Thomas,  enl.  Sept.  4, 1863,  2a  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I. 
John  C.  Thompson,  residence,  Granville,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.;  born  in  Gian- 

ville;  enl.  Nov.  19,  1861,  1st  Vt.  Cav.  Regt.,  at  Burlington,  Vt. ;  re-cnl. 

as  veteran,  Feb.  11,  1864,  at  Stevensburg,  Va. ;  pio.  to  lat  duty  sergt. ; 

discli.  Aug.  9,  1865,  at  Burlington,  Vt. 
James  H.  Van  Guilder,  enl.  Jan.  7,  1862,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Alvin  Van  Guilder,  onl.  Dec.  1863, 93d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  wounded  at  Spott.iylvania  ; 

discharged. 
Russell  Van  Guilder,  enl.  Sept.  1862, 169th  Regt.;  discharged. 
Frederick  Van  Guilder,  enl.  Sept.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  served  nine  months  ; 

omitted  from  muster-rolls  ;  not  paid ;  left  the  regiment  and  enlisted  in  a 

Vermont  regiment. 
Henry  0.  Wiley,  capt. ;  enl.  Aug.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  killed  at  PeacIiTi  ee 

Creek,  July  20,  1804. 
John  R.  Williams,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Foster  Winchell,  enl.  Sept,  1802,  100th  Regt. 
Edson  Whitney,  onl.  Aug.  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  died  at  Fairfax,  Va.,  winter 

of  1802. 
Philander  Whitney,  enl.  Aug.  1802, 123d  Regt,,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  for  disability. 
Philip  Washburne,  enl.  Aug.  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
John  D.  Warren,  enl.  Aug.  1862, 109th  Regt. ;  pro.  Corp. ;  killed  at  Fort  Fisher, 

.Ian,  10,  1805. 
Truman  H.  Winchell,  enl,  109th  Regt.;  discharged. 
Charl.a  Wade,  enl,  July,  1802,  169tll  Regt, 
Clark  H.  Waite,  enl,  March  26,  1804, 12  id  Rejt,,  C ).  K  ;  died  of  disease,  at  Jef- 

fersonville,  Ind, 
Benjamin  F.  Wiight,  cnl,  Aug.  8, 1862, 123a  Regt,  Co,  K  ;  supposed  died  iu 

hospital  at  Nashville,  Tenn, 
Isaiah  Wright,  enl.  Aug.  11,   18C2,  121d  Regt.,  Co.  K ;  trans,  to  Inv.  Corps; 

discharged. 
Henry  Welch,  enl,  Aug,  11, 1802,  123d  Regt,,  Co,  K;  pro,  Corp.;  wounded  at 

Peach-Tree  Creek  ;  di<ch.  April  21, 180"). 
A,  WillKon,  enl,  1801,  17th  Regt.;  pro,  capt. ;  died  of  wounds, 
James  Wilkinson,  cid,  Jan,  7,  1802,  9  id  Regt,,  Co,  I. 

F.ayette  Wilbur,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862,  12  id  Rogt,,  Co,  K  ;  wounded  ;  discharged. 
Ellis  Williams,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June,  1SG5. 
Samuel  Wright,  enl.  Aug,  6, 1862, 12  id  Regt ,  Co,  K  ;  wounded  ;  discharged. 
James  A,  Wright,  enl,  Aug,  7, 1862, 123d  Regt,,  Co,  K, 
Wili:am  R,  Williams,  enl,  Aug,  11, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  homo  ou  sick-leave ; 

did  not  return  to  regiment. 


ThomM  Walker,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co,  K  ;  disch.  Juno,  1803. 

Benjamin  F,  Wyman,  enl,  Aug,  21, 1802, 12  id  Regt,,  Co.  K. 

Edmund  Warner,  enl.  Ang,  11,  1802,  12)d  Regt,,  Co,  K. 

Henry  Wilkins,  cnl.  Aug.  4, 1802, 123d  Regt,,  Co,  K  ;  disch,  June  8, 1805. 

C:issiu3  J,  Waite,  enl.  Sept.  29,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  accidentally  wounded  ; 

discharged. 
George  Wagner,  cnl,  169th  Regt. 
J.ames  H.  Wright,  enl.  Ang.  4,  1862,  I2!a  Bigt.,  Co.  K ;  in  hospital  fourteen 

months;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Benjamin  F.  Waite,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Regt,  Co.  K;  disch.  Juno,  1805. 
Ephraim  Wilcox, enl.  April,  1801,  22d  Regiment;  detailed  for  hospiUl  service  ; 

trans,  to  clerk  in  War  Departmeut. 
Ancus  Ward,  cnl,  1801,  22d  Regt, 

A,  Iliile  Ward, enl.  1801,53d  Regt.;  trans,  to  17lli  Rcgt. 
Obarlus  II.  Waite,  enl.  Sept,  21,  18G1,  77tli  Inf„  U.  S.  Vols. ;  wounded  befor 

Yorktown,  Va.,  Apiil  29  1802  ;  di.scli.  June  10, 1802. 
John  A,  Wiley,  oul,  1804,  5th  N,  II, ;  jiro,  corp, ;  served  two  years  in  2d  N.  Y.  i 

wounded  at  Petersburg;  supposed  died  in  hospital. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


LEONARD   C.  THORNE.* 

In  quick  succession  one  sad  event  follows  another.  Again 
lias  death  thrown  its  melancholy  mantle  of  sorrow  over  our 
community  by  the  demise  of  our  mo.st  respected  townsman, 
Leonard  C.  Thorno,  which  occurred  at  an  early  hour  Sun- 
d;iy  morning,  March  3,  1878,  after  a  brief  illness  of  pleuro- 
pneumonia. On  no  occasion  since  we  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  journalism  has  it  been  our  province  to  perform  so 
distressingly  sad  a  matter  as  chronicling  the  death  of  this 
gentleman, — one  so  much  beloved  and  respected, — one  who, 
by  his  magnanimity  and  philanthropic  acts,  has  immortal- 
ized his  name  in  the  hearts  and  memory  of  our  citizens. 
Mr.  Thorne  was  born  at  Glen  Cove,  Queen's  county,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  9,  1833.  He  entered  a  village  store  at  an  early  age, 
and  remained  there  about  five  years,  when,  in  1855,  he  went 
to  New  York  as  bookkeeper  for  the  firm  of  which  his 
brother  William  was  a  member.  He  rose  rapidly  in  the 
estimation  of  the  firm,  and  on  Feb.  1,  1859,  became  a 
partner  in  the  business,  under  the  firm-name  of  W.  H.  & 
L.  C.  Thorne.  In  1871  he  became  editor  of  the  Herald  nf 
Life,  a  religious  paper  published  by  the  Life  and  Advent 
Union,  with  which  he  had  been  connected  for  some  years  ; 
but  finding  the  duties  of  the  paper  too  arduous  fur  him, 
with  those  of  his  business,  he  retired  from  the  latter  in 
1873,  and  continued  the  management  of  the  paper  until 
August,  1877,  when  he  resigned.  In  18G3  he  assisted  in 
organizing  the  Ninth  National  bank  of  New  York,  and  was 
chosen  a  director  in  the  same,  a  position  which  he  held  two 
years,  when,  its  management  becoming  distasteful  to  him,  he 
severed  his  connection,  and  associated  himself  with  the 
Security  National  bank,  in  which  he  was  also  chosen  a 
director.  He  has  also  resided  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Orange 
and  Bloomfield,  N.  J., — at  each  place  gathering  about  hiiii 
the  bast  citizens  as  fast  friends.  His  health  continuing 
poor,  he  found  it  necessary  to  spend  several  winters  in  the 
south,  and  early  in  1873  he  went  to  Colorado,  hoping  there 
to  build  up  his  strength.  He  returned  from  the  west  in  Oc- 
tober of  the  same  year,  and  purchased  his  late  residence  in 
the  village  of  Granville.  In  1871  he  published  "  Man  not 
Immortal,"  a  book  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  pages,  review- 
ing a  work  of  Rev.  N.  B.  George,  entitled  "  Annihilation 

»  From  the  Granville  Saitinel. 


J^^^^/^^^-^^^  a^.  (2>^^,in^^>-,c^ 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


223 


not  of  the  Bible,"  which  has  been  widely  read.  He  was  an 
easy,  clear,  and  forcible  writer,  and  all  his  writings  were 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Christian  charity  and 
courtesy.  He  was  married,  April  11, 1861,  to  Hannah  E. 
Rogers,  of  this  village.  Since  locating  in  this  place  we 
feel  as  though  it  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  make  any  prolix 
mention  of  his  life  and  labors,  as  it  is  familiar  to  all.  He 
a.ssisted  in  organizing  the  National  bank  of  this  village ; 
was  chosen  a  director,  a  position  which  he  held  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  Republican  and  an  active 
temperance  man.  At  one  time  the  temperance  district  con- 
vention placed  him  in  nomination  Jbr  member  of  Asscmblj', 
but  he  declined,  fearing  that  the  ticket  might  impair  the 
•success  of  the  Republicans.  Through  his  efibrts,  and  these 
of  the  excellent  gentlemen  whom  be  called  to  his  aid,  the 
Reform  club  was  organized  at  this  place,  of  which  he  was 
president.  He  has  labored  a.ssiduou.^ly  for  all  that  was 
right  and  manly,  for  the  promotion  of  that  which  would 
tend  to  improve  the  morals  of  society  and  community,  and 
the  depression  of  that  which  tends  to  degrade,  debauch, 
and  demoralize.  That  he  has  been  successful  is  apparent 
to  all.  No  man  ever  did  more  to  improve  the  moral  stand- 
ing of  the  town.  Men  who  were  wont  to  revile  him  in 
drunken  song  have  been  reformed,  and  now  bow  in  deep 
sorrow  at  his  death.  He  was  loved  and  respected  by  all, 
and,  although  his  life  has  gone  out,  he  yet  lives  and  will 
continue  to  live  in  the  hearts  of  our  people  while  life  exists. 
His  funeral  obsequies  took  place  at  the  Friends'  meeting- 
house, and  at  no  time  iu  the  history  of  the  town  was  such 
marked  respect  paid  to  any  person  on  such  an  occasion. 
Every  store,  office,  and  shop  was  closed,  and  a  Sabbath 
stillness  was  noticeable  everywhere  about  the  village.  The 
funeral  coitegc  was  made  up  of  many  carriages,  the  officers 
and  directors  of  the  bank,  and  the  members  of  the  Reform 
club,  numbering  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
persons, — among  the  party  being  many  with  grief  unmis- 
takably marked  upon  their  faces,  and  tears  dimming  their 
eyes.  Many,  too,  were  in  the  procession  whom  the  deceased 
had,  by  personal  efforts,  induced  to  reform  from  habits  the 
most  demoralizing,  and  become  useful  and  respected  citi- 
zens. The  crowd  which  assembled  at  the  meeting-house 
numbered  not  far  from  two  thousand,  and  the  house,  of 
course,  was  inadequate  to  accommodate  so  large  a  number, 
so  services  were  held  in  the  school-house  and  the  basement 
of  the  meeting-house,  in  connection  with  those  in  the  regular 
audienee-room.  Aaron  Maey,  of  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  A.  N. 
Pile,  editor  of  the  Herald  of  Life,  of  Springfield,  Mass., 
conducted  the  principal  services  in  the  body  of  the  church, 
where  the  remains — reposing  in  a  rich  and  elegant  velvet- 
covered  and  beautifully-trimmed  casket — were  placed.  The 
casket  was  decorated  with  flowers  arranged  in  different 
forms,  emblematical  of  the  life  of  the  deceased, — one  device 
being  a  cross,  an  anchor  and  heart  attached,  representing 
"  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity,'  surmounted  by  a  white  dove 
with  spreading  wings,  denoting  purity.  This  was  placed 
at  the  foot  of  the  casket,  while  at  the  head  was  a  beauti- 
fully-wreathed crown  of  flowers,  also  a  pillow  of  the  same, 
representing  "  Rest,"  and  a  sheaf  of  ripened  wheat,  signi- 
fying that  the  departed  was  ready  for  Death's  sickle.  The 
services  iu  the  basement  and  school  hou.se  were  conducted 


by  Nelson  Hull,  of  Glen's  Falls,  Rev.  D.  B.  McKenzie,  of 
Hampton,  and  Rev.  A.  Hall,  of  this  village, — and  in  each 
of  the  three  places  were  very  impressive  indeed.  As  the 
speakers  referred  to  the  life  of  the  deceased  many  who 
were  not  akin  were  moved  to  tears,  and  the  fact  was  plainly 
demonstrated  that  one  need  not  be  a  relative  to  mourn  for 
the  loss  of  such  a  man.  After  services  were  concluded  at 
the  church,  and  an  opportunity  given  friends  to  look  for  the 
la.st  time  upon  the  loved  form,  the  remains  were  conveyed 
to  the  Friends'  burial-ground,  in  rear  of  the  meeting-house, 
where  they  were  interred,  the  grave  being  decorated  with 
evergreens  by  the  members  of  the  Reform  club.  The  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  acted  as  pall-bearers:  Truman  Temple, 
Nathaniel  Parker,  Marcus  Allen,  J.  E.  Pratt,  Warren  Gray, 
and  Abram  Barker.  Deceased  leaves  a  wife  and  three 
children,  who  have  the  .sympathy  of  the  whole  community 
in  this  their  hour  of  sorrow  and  affliction. 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Thorne,  the  directors  of  the 
National  bank  of  Granville  passed  the  following: 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Notional  bank  of 
Ciriinvillc,  held  March  4, 1S7S,  iho  following  resolutions  were  ado|iled  : 

"  Wlierr:,i»,  The  directors  of  the  National  bank  of  Granville  have 
learned  with  deep  sorrow  of  the  death  of  their  late  colleague,  Leonard 
C.  Thorne,  to  whose  wise  counsel  and  faithful  service  this  bank  is 
indebted  in  a  great  degree  fur  its  success  and  prosperity.  In  all  rela- 
tions of  life  his  record  is  an  enviable  one, — genial  and  courteous  in 
social  intercourse  J  a  successful  business  man,  who,  in  an  honorable 
career,  had  by  honest  and  generous  dealings  won  the  highest  confi- 
dence of  all  associates  in  official  trusts:  faithful  and  vigilant,  irre- 
proachable in  private  life,  of  an  integrity  whiter  than  snow,  tolerant, 
charitable  in  thought  and  deed,  the  very  soul  of  honor,  he  commanded 
and  retained  the  respect,  the  confidence,  and  the  affection  of  his  fel- 
low-men,— his  death  will  be  sincerely  mourned  by  .ill  who  knew  hiin. 
He  died  before  the  measure  of  his  years  was  full,  but  he  has  left  a  noble 
fame,  the  record  of  a  life  clear  and  clean  in  its  aims,  pure  in  public 
ways  and  private  paths,  full  of  busy,  useful  labors,  and  of  duties  well 
discharged,  and  crowned  with  honor. 

"  lieaoUed,  That  we  bow  with  reverence  and  resignation  to  the 
irrevocable  decree  that  has  deprived  us  of  an  associate  and  personal 
friend.  While  we  may  not  murmur  against  the  inscrutable  ways  of 
God,  wc  may  still,  in  common  with  a  stricken  community,  mourn  the 
loss  of  our  honored  associate,  a  most  exemplary  citizen,  Christian  gen- 
tleman, and  noble  man.  We  tender  to  the  surviving  relatives  of  the 
deceased  our  deep  sympathy,  and  afTectionately  commend  them  to  the 
only  source  of  consolation  in  this  hour  of  great  affliction. 

"  liesoheil,  That  the  officers  of  this  bank  attend,  iu  a  body,  the 
funeral  of  deceased. 

"  liesolred,  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  be  forw.irded  to  the  family 
of  the  deceased,  published  in  the  village  paper,  and  spread  upon  the 
minutes  of  the  board. 

"Dasikl  WuoDAnn,  I'rcildeiil. 

"J.  S.  WAItREN,  Sccretfirt/." 

The  members  of  the  Temperance  Reform  club  held  a 
special  meeting,  and  prejiarcd  the  following  resolutions  on 
his  death  : 

"  At  a  speciiil  meeting  of  the  Temperance  Reform  club  of  Granville, 
held  March  4,  1878,  the  undersigned  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
prepare  for  publication  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  deceased 
brother,  Leonard  C.  Thorne,  in  pursuance  of  which  we  have  prepared 
the  following: 

"  Wherriie,  It  hath  pleased  -Minighty  God  in  his  wisdom  to  remove 
from  us,  by  death,  our  beloved  president,  L.  C.  Thome;  therefore. 

'•  Jlffolrcil,  That  we  reverently  and  submissively  bow  tn  the  divine 
will,  as  indicated  by  this  mysterious  anlictive  dispensation  of  his 
providence. 

"  /l,;i„lr,',l.  That  in  the  death  of  our  beloved  brother  the  cause  of 
terjiperance,  licnevrileuce,  and  religion  have  Inst  one  of  their  brightest 


224 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


ornaments  and  most  efficient  promoters,  and  that  the  poor  have  lost 
a  true  friend,  whose  sympathizing  heart  could  and  did  feel  for  bis 
neighbor  in  sorrow  and  distress,  as  commanded  by  the  word  of  God. 

"  Jieaolved,  That  in  imitation  of  our  deceased  brother's  kind  and 
Christian  spirit,  as  well  toward  the  enemies  as  the  friends  of  temper- 
ance, we  will  address  ourselves  anew,  and  with  increasing  earnestness 
and  fidelity,  to  the  prosecution  of  the  temperance  reformation  to  a 
complete  and  glorious  triumph. 

"  llenolced,  That,  desiring  to  manifest  our  respect  for  his  many  vir- 
tues, and  an  appreciation  of  his  services  in  the  faithful  adherence  to 
the  cause  of  truth  and  temperance,  we  drape  our  club-room  with 
suitable  emblems,  and  that  we,  iu  a  bod3%  follow  his  remains  to  their 
last  resting-place.  'Brother,  rest  in  peace j  thine  earthly  labor  is 
done.' 

"  Jl<:8oh'ed,  That  we  most  cordially  and  fraternally  extend  to  the 
bereaved  family,  relatives,  and  friends  of  the  deceased,  in  their  afflic- 
tion, our  sympathies  and  condolence,  commending  them  to  'Our 
Father  in  Heavea,'  whom  our  brother  loved,  faithfully  served,  and 
in  whose  presence  there  are  joys  f<)revermore. 

"  Jiesohed,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  on  the  records  of  the 
society,  and  that  a  copy  be  presented  to  the  family;  also,  that  tbc 
same  be  furniphed  the  Granville  Sentinel,  JltniUl  of  Life,  Living  hsiie, 
and  The  ]yafcfiwor<.L 

"Ri:v.  A.  Hall.        ■] 


■Ti 


Tkmplf 


"IJ.  F.  Ottaieson, 
"  G.  11.  Thompson 

"S.     K.    PoTTKIt, 

"K.  R.  JoNi:s, 
IN    MEMORIAM. 

[The  writer  pens  these  lines,  feelinjj;  liow  weak  and  feeble 
they  are  in  expressing  the  grief  and  loss  felt  by  our  towns- 
men in  the  death  of  L.  C.  Thorne.] 

A  great  man  has  gone  from  the  world's  busy  streets, 
And  laid  down  the  burden  of  life  and  its  cares  ; 

A  bravc-hcarted  worker,  whom  we  neeied  so  much. 

But  God  called  him  in  spite  of  our  tears  and  our  prayers. 

No  pen  can  portray  all  his  goodness  of  heart, — 

His  hand  ever  ready  the  fallen  to  save; 
Kind-hearted  and  loving,  and  tender  and  true, — 

A  ciniHC  and  unpeople  will  weep  o'er  his  grave. 

'Mong  the  ransomed  and  blessed  on  the  radiant  shore 
Where  is  one  more  worthj'  its  glories  to  share? 

IHr  work  teas  ice/l  done,  and  God's  fingers  have  placed 
Gems  of  love  in  the  crown  he  forever  will  wear. 

Mourn  not  without  hope,  for  your  loved  one  has  gone 
AVhcre  no  crire  can  disturb,  or  a  sorrow  shall  come. 

lifif  dead,  nor  yet  shepinf/  !  oh,  mystical  words 
That  thrill  tu  our  hearts,  he  has  ouly  gone  home! 


STEPHEN   DILLINGHAM, 

Sim  of  Stephen  and  Amy  Dillingham,  was  born  in  Granville, 
July  23,  1809.  His  father  was  born  in  Marshfield,  ]Mass., 
and  removed  to  Easton,  Washington  Co.,  and  married 
Amy  Tucker,  a  native  of  Chappaqua,  N.  Y.,  by  whom 
seven  children  were  born,  of  whom  Stephen,  Jr.,  is  the 
fifth.  Stephen,  Sr.,  was  an  early  settler  in  the  county,  Mid 
settled  in  Granville  about  1800,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
about  eighty-six,  and  wife  about  eighty.  Stephen  was 
reared  a  farmer,  and  this  has  been  his  occupation  princi- 
pally through  life.  He  married  Miss  Eliza  E.  Rogers, 
Oct.  17,  1827.  She  was  born  Sept.  9,  1809,  in  Danby, 
Vt.,  and  settled  in  Granville  about  1818,  with  her  parents. 
By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dillingham  live  children 


were  born,  four  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Dillingham  com- 
menced his  married  life  by  working  in  company  with  his 
brother-in-law,  David  Rogers,  the  home  farm  of  Deliverance 
Rogers.  This  they  continued  for  five  years ;  then  Stephen 
removed  on  to  another  farm  of  D.  Rogers  for  five  yeai-s; 
then  removed  to  Pawlet,  Vt.,  and  carried  on  another  farm 
of  Deliverance  Rogers ;  said  farm  contained  about  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres,  which  Deliverance  Rogers  gave  to 
his  daughter,  Eliza  R.,  at  his  death. 

Mr.  Dillingham  has  been  a  very  large  farmer,  raising 
stock  and  making  butter  and  cheese  being  the  principal 
business  of  his  life.     In  politics  lie  is  a  Republican. 

He  and  his  wife  have  always  been  members  of  the  Soci- 
ety of  Friends,  and  Mr.  Dillingham  is  one  of  its  most  lib- 
eral supporters,  and  all  the  other  calls  of  humanity  find  in 
him  a  sympathizer.  He  and  Mrs.  Dillingham  are  active 
workers  in  the  temperance  cause.  About  ISfiG,  Mr.  Dil- 
lingham sold  out  his  farm  and  removed  to  Granville,  and 
in  1876  purchased  his  present  home,  a  view  of  which,  and 
portrait.s  of  himself  and  wife  above,  may  be  seen  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 


OTIS   DILLINGHAM, 

son  of  Stephen  and  Amy  Dillingham,  was  born  in  Gran- 
ville, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  eighteenth  of  the  eleventh 
month,  1811.  His  father,  Stephen,  was  born  in  1773,  in 
Mar.shfield,  Mass.,  and  settled  in  Easton,  Washington  Co., 
in  1792.  Stephen  married  Amy  Tucker,  in  1795.  She 
was  born  in  Chappaqua,  N.  Y.,  in  1775,  and  removed  to 
Queensbury,  Warren  Co.,  while  young,  in  company  with 
her  parent.^!.  For  five  or  six  years  after  their  marriage 
they  lived  in  Easton,  and  then  settled  in  Granville,  where 
they  continued  to  reside  till  their  death.  Otis  was  reared 
a  farmer,  and  has  followed  it  successfully  ever  since.  His 
advantages  for  an  education  were  limited,  but  by  reading 
and  reflection  he  has  acquired  a  good  practical  education. 

He  married  Elizabeth  Keese,  a  native  of  Peru,  N.  Y., 
twelfth  of  first  month,  1832.  She  was  born  first  of  third 
month,  1810.  By  this  union  five  children  were  born, 
three  of  whom,  John  K.,  Hannah  K.,  and  Elizabeth,  are 
now  living ;  Edwin  and  Deborah  are  dead.  Mr.  Dillingham 
carried  on  his  father's  farm  for  thirty  consecutive  years 
after  his  marriage  and  until  the  death  of  his  parents. 
During  this  time  he  had  saved  nearly  enough  so  that  he 
could  pay  off  the  heirs  and  become  the  sole  owner  of  the 
old  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres,  to  which 
he  has  added  until  now  he  owns  some  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres,  on  which  are  some  of  the  very  best  farm-build- 
ings in  the  count}',  together  with  a  fine  park  and  numerous 
trees  which  shade  the  entire  premises,  a  view  of  which  may 
be  seen  in  another  part  of  this  work,  with  portraits  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dillingham  above.  Elizabeth  Dillingham  died 
the  tenth  of  first  month,  1845.  Mr.  Dillingham  married 
Lydia  Barker,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  Barker, 
eleventh  of  third  month,  1846.  She  was  born  twenty- 
fifth  of  twelfth  month,  1821,  in  White  Creek,  Wa.shington 
Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Dillingham  and  both  of  his  wives  were 
birthright  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  were 
married  according  to  the  order  of  that  society.      In  politics 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Mr.  Dillingham  has  always  affiliated  with  tlie  Republican 
party,  but  always  preferred  the  quiet  of  domestic  life  to 
any  political  honors.  He  is  one  of  the  most  highly-re- 
spected citizens  in  the  town,  and  his  life  has  been  spent  in 
trying  to  build  up  the  moral  and  religious  interest  of  his 
community.  He  is  an  upright  citizen  and  an  honest  man. 
He  is  liberal  iu  his  views  and  accords  to  others  what  he 
claims  for  himself  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dillingham  are  among 
the  earnest  workers  in  the  temperance  cause  of  Granville, 
giving  of  their  means  to  support  that  great  and  good 
cause. 

The  historian  wishes  to  say  that  no  man  in  the  county 
is  more  highly  respected  than  JVIr.  Dillingham,  and  no 
other  man  has  done  more  to  build  up  Granville  than  he. 
All  men  speak  of  him  in  the  highest  praise. 

We  copy  the  following  from  the  GnnwiUe  Sentinel,  of 
July  16,  1878: 

"  Friday  morning  of  last  week  our  community  was 
startled  by  the  announcement  that  Otis  Dillingham  had 
been  found  dead  in  a  field  adjacent  to  his  residence.  He 
had  started  across  the  field,  about  eight  o'clock  a.m.,  in 
search  of  a  choice  cow  which  had  strayed  away  from  the 
barn,  and  his  body  was  found  about  ten.  No  inquest  was 
held.  The  physicians  attribute  the  cause  of  his  death  to 
apoplexy.  The  deceased  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
about  seventy  years  of  age.  He  was  born  and  lived  here 
during  his  life.  He  has  always  been  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  presi- 
dent of  the  temperance  organization.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  Christian  principles,  and  a  faithful  champion  for  the 
promotion  of  the  same  in  this  community.  We  tender  to 
the  bereaved  family  and  friends  our  most  sincere  .sympathies, 
recognizing  that  by  their  loss  we,  as  a  community,  lose  one 
of  our  noblest  and  most  upright  citizens.  The  funeral  ob- 
sequies, which  were  largely  attended,  were  held  Sunday 
forenoon,  at  the  Friends'  meeting-house.  Aaron  Macy,  of 
Hudson,  and  Thomas  Fouk,  of  New  York,  ministers  of 
that  society,  conducted  the  services.  Remarks  were  also 
made  by  our  village  clergy.  A  large  number  of  persons 
were  present  from  Cambridge,  Salem,  Whitehall,  and  ad- 
joining towns." 


DEACON  NOAH  DAY  AND  HIS  SON, 
MARCUS  T.  C. 

Deacon  Noah  Day  is  the  son  of  Noah  Day,  Sr.,  and 
Alice,  his  wife,  and  was  born  in  Killingly,  Ct.,  Oct.  16, 
1789.  He  is  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  namely: 
Luther,  Ilosea,  Ruth,  Hannah,  Edith,  Noah,  David,  Lydia, 
and  Alva.  Of  this  large  and  intelligent  family,  Noah  and 
Alva  are  the  only  ones  now  living. 

The  Day  family  is  of  Welsh  origin,  three  brothers  having 
come  to  America  and  settled  in  the  New  England  States 
among  the  early  settlers  there.  From  those  three  brothers 
have  descended  some  of  the  most  intelligent  and  esteemed 
citizens  ia  our  country,  and  many  of  their  descendants 
have  filled  some  of  the  most  responsible  positions  in  the 
gift  of  the  people.  They  will  be  found  in  all  the  profes- 
sions of  life, — on  the  bench,  at  the  bar,  in  the  ministry, 
professors  or  presidents  of  colleges,  in  all  the  manufacturing 
29 


interests,  as  well  as  mercantile  and  agricultural  pursuits. 
The  family  of  whom  we  write  were  and  are  fiirmers. 

Noah,  Sr.,  was  born  Feb.  14,  1757,  and  removed  to 
South  Granville  with  his  family  in  1792  or  1793,  and 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  the  grandson,  Marcus 
T.  C.  Day.  He  died  Jan.  10,  1840,  having  lived  a  good 
and  useful  life.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church  at  South  Granville,  and  deacon  of  the  same.  His 
wife  died  some  years  before ;  she  was  a  member  also. 

Noah,  Jr.,  was  about  four  years  of  age  when  he  came  to 
South  Granville  with  his  parents,  and  this  has  been  his 
home  ever  since.  He  continued  to  live  with  his  parents 
till  their  death  on  the  home-farm. 

He  married  on  the  11th  of  June,  1812,  Susan,  daughter 
of  William  and  Susan  Wilson.  She  was  born  in  Hebron. 
By  this  alliance  four  children  were  born  ;  two  died  in  in- 
fancy. Their  daughter,  Mary  E.,  married  David  W.  Her- 
ron,  and  now  resides  with  her  father  at  South  Granville, 
and  the  son,  Marcus  T.  C,  resides  in  Granville. 

In  1842,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Noah  Day  joined  the  Congrega- 
tional church  at  South  Granville,  and  Mr.  Day  was  chosen 
deacon  of  the  same  in  1845,  and  continued  till  age  com- 
pelled him  to  give  place  to  some  younger  man.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Day  have  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  everything 
which  pertains  to  the  best  interest  of  the  church  and 
society.  Mr.  Day  has  always  been,  and  is  now,  though  in 
his  eighty-ninth  year,  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  church, 
always  contributing  largely  to  its  maintenance.  Mrs.  Da)', 
having  lived  a  good  and  useful  life,  passed  away  on  the  12th 
of  November,  1867,  leaving  a  name  which  will  grow 
brighter  and  brighter  as  the  ages  go  by.  In  polities  Mr. 
Day  has  been  a  Whig  and  Republican.  He  has  never 
aspired  to  any  political  offices,  though  he  has  filled  some. 
He  has  always  been  a  fiirmer,  and  to-day  is  the  owner  of 
some  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land.  At  this 
writing  (June,  1878)  his  mind  is  just  as  good  as  it  ever 
was.  He  has  lived  longer  in  this  town  than  any  other  man 
now  living,  and  remembers  well  the  things  which  transpired 
here  more  than  eighty  years  ago.  He  is  now  at  South 
Granville  with  his  daughter,  Mary  E.  Herron.  Though  his 
mind  is  so  good,  and  his  memory  brings  to  view  the  in- 
cidents of  his  long  and  useful  life,  he  reviews  the  past 
with  no  apprehensions  of  the  future,  only  waiting  for  the 
time  when  the  Master  shall  say,  "It  is  enough:  come  up 
higher." 

Of  his  son,  Marcus  T.  C.  Day,  little  need  be  said  in 
this  connection.  He  inherited  from  his  parents  those 
manly  virtues  of  mind  and  heart  that  ever  characterized 
them,  and  to-day  is  one  of  the  good,  substantial  business 
men  of  Granville.  He  was  born  in  South  Granville,  Feb. 
23,  1821,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  B.  Potter, 
daughter  of  Stacy  and  Cynthia  Potter,  Dec.  21,  1843. 
Mrs.  Day  was  born  May  19,  1821,  in  Hampton.  By 
this  happy  union  three  children  were  born,  namely  :  David 
L.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years  and  four  months ; 
Annette  C,  who  married  Mr.  Willard  J.  Whitney,  and 
now  resides  on  the  home-farm  of  her  father  at  South 
Granville;  and  Noah  G.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one  year 
and  seven  months.  Mr.  Day  has  been  a  farmer,  and  May 
3,  1877,  left  his  farm  for  a  home  in  Granville,  where  he 


226 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


now  resides.  In  politics  a  Whig  and  Republican.  He 
has  been  poormaster  of  his  town ;  assessor  for  six  years ; 
chorister  of  the  Congregational  church  at  South  Granville 
for  more  than  thirty  years ;  county  superintendent  of  the 
poor  for  six  years.  He  is  one  of  the  board  of  managers 
of  the  Washington  County  Agricultural  Society ;  director 
in  the  Granville  National  Bank  ;  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  Union  Dairymen's  Board  of  Trade,  Now  York ;  and 
president,  salesman,  and  treasurer  of  the  Granville  Cheese- 
Manufacturing  Co.,  No.  5,  at  South  Granville. 


DANIEL  WOODARD. 

Among  the  representative  men  of  Granville,  none  are 
more  highly  spoken  of  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Anna  Woodard,  and  was  born  in 


namely,  Lucina,  Abraham,  Archibald,  William,  Daniel, 
Lucinda,  Mary,  Anna,  Martha,  Phebe,  and  Eli.  Martha 
and  Eli  are  dead ;  all  the  rest  are  married  and  settled  in 
life,  and,  as  a  whole,  are  an  industrious  and  intelligent 
class  of  people.  Daniel  was  a  farmer,  and  a  very  success- 
ful one,  rearing  his  family  to  industry  and  economy.  He 
and  his  faithful  wife,  early  in  life,  united  with  the  Baptist 
church  at  Hebron,  and  ever  remained  steadfast  to  the  faith 
of  his  younger  days.  On  their  sixtieth  anniversary  they 
celebrated  the  occasion  by  having  their  children,  grandchil- 
dren, and  great-grandchildren  meet  them  at  the  "old  home." 
They  continued  to  live  together  until  1877,  when  both  died 
in  May,  there  being  only  eleven  days  between  their  deaths  ; 
the  mother  died  first.  Daniel,  Jr.,  son  of  the  above,  was 
reared  on  the  farm,  and  continued  to  follow  it  until  1875. 
His  advantages  for  an  education  were  limited  to  the  com- 
mon schools,  yet  by  reading  and  reflection  he  has  to-day  a 


DANIEL   WOODARD. 


Hebron,  Aug.  31,  1822.  His  father  was  born  in  Hebron, 
Jan.  28,  1792.  His  grandfiither,  Archibald  Woodard, 
was  a  native  of  Poughkeepsie,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
born  about  1770.  His  great-grandfiither,  Samuel  Wood- 
ard, was  a  native  of  England,  and  emigrated  to  America, 
and  settled  in  Dutchess  county,  a  great  many  years  before  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Archibald  Woodard  settled  in  Hebron 
about  1787  ;  by  occupation  a  farmer.  He  reared  a  family 
of  eight  children,  all  of  whom  lived  to  be  grown.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Anna  Scott,  a  native  of  Dutchess  county.  She 
died  in  1837,  and  Mr.  Woodard  died  in  1838.  Mr.  Woodard 
was  considered  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  his  day.  Daniel, 
Sr.,  was  one  of  his  eight  children,  and  was  born  Jan.  28, 
1792  ;  he  was  reared  a  farmer.  He  married  Miss  Anna 
Case,  a  daughter  of  Abram  and  Naomi  Case,  about  1813. 
Mrs.  Woodard  was  born  in  Hebron,  in  1794.  By  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodard  eleven  children  were  born, 


good  practical  business  education.  When  about  twenty 
years  of  age  he  made  a  trip  to  Wisconsin  on  business  for 
his  father,  and  was  gone  about  a  year.  He  married  Miss 
Miriam  McNitt,  daughter  of  James  and  Lydia  McNitt,  of 
Salem,  Jan.  7,  1845.  She  was  born  in  Salem,  April,  1826. 
By  this  alliance  ten  children  were  born,  namely,  Lydia, 
Emma,  James  Me.,  Frances,  Daniel  D.,  Martin,  Eli,  Archi- 
bald, Miriam,  and  Lucina.  Of  these,  Frances  and  Archibald 
are  dead. 

Mr.  Woodard  has  been  one  of  the  large  farmers  of  the 
county.  Duriug  this  time,  in  1865,  he  was  elected  vice- 
president  of  the  National  bank  of  Salem,  and  held  that  po- 
sition until  he  was  elected  president  of  the  National  bank 
in  Granville,  in  1875,  which  position  he  still  continues  to 
hold.  In  1875,  Mr.  Woodard  came  to  Granville,  but  did 
not  remove  his  family  until  June,  1876.  When  he  was 
twenty-six  years  of  age  he  joined  the  Baptist  church  ;  his 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


227 


wife  jiiined  at  the  same  time.  Since  coming  to  Granville 
Mv.  Woodard  has  been  chosen  deacon  of  the  Baptist  church. 
Ho  has  always  been  a  very  liberal  man  in  the  support  of 
schools  and  churches,  and  was  one  of  the  principal  men  who 
gave  liberally  to  build  the  present  Baptist  church  and  par- 
sonage. In  politics  Mr.  Woodard  formerly  affiliated  with 
the  Democratic  party ;  but  when  the  first  gun  was  fired  on 
Fort  Sumter,  on  April  15,  18G1,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to 
come  out  in  the  support  of  the  war  and  of  the  putting  down 
of  the  Rebellion.  He  found  himself  in  accord  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  and,  since  1861,  has  been  affiliating  with 
that  ■  party.  He  is  now  fifty-six  years  of  age,  hale  and 
hearty,  enjoys  the  good-will  of  his  neighbors,  and  seems  to 
be  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  a  happy  home. 


EDWIN   B.   TEMPLE, 

SOD  of  Roswell  and  Elizabeth  Temple,  was  born  in  Gran- 
ville, Jan.  8,  1825.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Hartford, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  born  June  3,  1801.  His 
grandfather,  Roswell  Temple,  was  a  native  of  Shrewsbury, 
Massachusetts,  and  married  Betsey  Baker,  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, by  whom  eleven  children  were  born, — four  sons 
and  seven  daughters.  Roswell  Temple,  Sr.,  was  among  the 
early  settlers  of  this  county  ;  Roswell,  Jr.,  was  one  of  that 
large  family.  He  married  Elizabeth  Case,  January,  1824. 
She  was  born  in  Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  Aug.  8,  1803. 
By  this  union  seven  children  were  born, — six  sons  and  one 
daughter ;  and  five  sons  are  now  livirtg.  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Case)  Temple's  parents,  Mr.  Abraham  and  Mrs.  Naomi 
Case,  were  the  first  pioneers  of  Hebron,  save  a  French 
family  in  West  Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  Roswell 
Temple,  Jr.,  removed  to  Poultney,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  when 
nine  years  of  age,  and  in  1820  removed  back  to  Granville, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  since  then,  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  time,  has  been  living  in  Hebron,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. Edwin  B.  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  early  learned 
those  principles  of  industry  and  economy  which  are  the 
cardinal  principles  in  every  successful  man's  life.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  he  left  home  to  seek  his  own  fortune.  He 
commenced  by  working  by  the  month,  in  Vermont,  on  the 
farm ;  then  followed  making  walls  for  some  five  years,  then 
a  year  on  the  farm,  then  worked  land  on  shares  for  two 
years.  Sept.  5,  1852,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Woodard,  a 
native  of  Hebron,  and  who  was  born  March  21,  1827. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  Hebron  also.  By  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Temple  eight  children  have  been  born, 
namely, — first,  an  infant,  dead ;  Charlotte  E.  ;  Orla  M. ; 
Roswell,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three ;  Ilorton,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two;  Edwin  B.,  died  at  the  age  of  five; 
Ralph  R. ;  and  Roscoe  C,  died  at  the  age  of  three.  Mr. 
Temple  settled  in  Hebron  soon  after  he  was  married,  and 
remained  there  twelve  years  ;  thence  to  Granville  in  the 
spring  of  1865,  and  purchased  the  Hopkins  farm,  one  and 
a  half  miles  from  Pawlet,  Vermont ;  remained  there  a  year 
and  a  half;  then  went  to  Salem,  and  resided  seven  months  ; 
thence  to  Hebron.  In  1868  came  to  Granville,  on  the 
place  which  he  now  owns,  a  view  of  which,  and  portraits 
of  himself  and  wife  above,  may  be  .seen  elsewhere. 


Mr.  Temple's  business  has  been  a  farmer  and  a  general 
dealer  in  stock  and  wool  and  produce  generally.  In  all  his 
business  transactions  he  has  been  generally  successful,  and 
to-day  ranks  among  the  enterprising  and  intelligent  citizens 
of  Granville.  In  politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Republican 
party.  For  the  past  three  years,  ending  March  2,  1878, 
Mr.  Temple  has  held  the  office  of  supervisor  of  his  town, 
and  that  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  He 
has  been  vice-president  of  the  Granville  National  bank 
since  its  organization  in  the  fall  of  1875,  and  was  one  of 
the  prime  movers  in  the  formation  of  said  bank.  Mrs. 
Temple  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  Mr.  Tem- 
ple is  a  regular  attendant  of  the  same. 


TRUMAN  TEMPLE. 

Among  the  enterprising  citizens  and  successful  farmers 
of  Granville  may  be  mentioned  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  is  the  son  of  Roswell  and  Elizabeth  Temple,  and  was 
born  in  Hebron,  March  5,  1834.  His  youthful  days  were 
spent  on  the  fiirm,  where  he  early  imbibed  those  principles 
of  success  which  have  been  the  mainspring  to  his  success 
in  after-years.  His  advantages  for  an  education  were  eon- 
fined  to  the  common  school  until  he  was  about  fifteen  years 
of  age.  He  worked  for  his  parents  until  he  was  nineteen, 
when  his  father  gave  him  his  time.  At  this  early  age  he 
commenced  to  work  land  on  .shares  for  two  years.  In  1855 
— March  28 — he  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Welch,  who 
was  born  in  Hebron,  Feb.  15,  1837.  Mr.  Luther  Welch 
was  born  in  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  his  wife,  Phebe  Tan- 
ner, was  born  in  Granville.  Mr.  Welch  is  of  Welsh  origin, 
whose  grandfather. came  to  America  and  settled  in  the  New 
England  States. 

By  the  union  of  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Truman  Temple  four  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely,  Levi  D.,  Alice  M.,  Elizabeth  C., 
and  Laura  P.,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Temple  was  married  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Hebron  of  one 
hundred  and  two  acres,  on  which  he  lived  about  one  year ; 
he  then  bought,  in  company  with  his  brothers,  Luther  and 
Abram,  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres,  at 
South  Granville.  Mr.  Temple  resided  there  five  years,  and 
in  1861  he  sold  out  to  his  brother  Luther  his  interest,  and 
purchased  a  farm  lying  just  south,  containing  some  one 
hundred  and  eighty-six  acres  in  all.  Sold  that  in  1868, 
removed  to  Hebron,  and  remained  three  years,  living  on  a 
small  place,  and  in  1871  settled  on  his  present  fine  ftirni  of 
two  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres.  He  now  owns  one  of 
the  very  best  farms  in  the  county  ;  none  are  superior.  It 
lies  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mettowee  river,  and  extends  east 
to  the  State  line  of  Vermont.  The  buildings  are  fine,  as 
may  be  seen  by  reference  to  a  view  of  the  same  in  another 
part  of  this  work.  In  politics  Mr.  Temple  is  a  Republican, 
and  for  two  terms  has  been  excise  commissioner.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Temple  have  been  members  of  the  Baptist  church 
for  twenty-nine  years,  and  are  among  its  liberal  supporters. 
The  cause  of  temperance  has  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Temple's  hearty 
'support.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  Temple  is  chairman  of 
the  Temperance  Reform  Club,  at  Granville.  He  succeeded 
Leonard  C.  Thome,  upon  the  death  of  the  latter,  in  the 
spring  of  1878. 


228 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


LUTHER  R.  TEMPLE, 

third  son  of  Roswell  and  Elizabeth  Temple,  was  born  in 
Granville,  November  28,  1829.  He  lived  with  his  parents 
till  he  was  twenty,  then  worked  by  the  month  for  three 
years,  then  carried  on  land  for  three  years,  making  his 
home  with  his  parents.  He  married  Miss  Delia  M.  Smith, 
daughter  of  Eli  and  Eunice  Smith,  of  Hebron,  April  9. 
1856.  Mrs.  Temple  is  the  oldest  of  three  children  ;  two 
only  are  living.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  native  of  North  Hebron, 
and  Mrs.  Smith  of  White  Creek.  Mr.  Smith's  father, 
Nathan,  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  was,  with  his  father, 
Aaron  Smith,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Hebron.  Mrs. 
Temple's  maternal  grandparents  came  from  Rhode  Island, 
and  settled  in  White  Creek  very  early.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Temple  have  had  four  children,  namely,  William  D.,  Eli 
S.,  Mary  C,  and  Eunice  L., — all  living.  Mr.  Temple  .set- 
tled on  his  present  farm  in  1856.  He  owns  some  two 
hundred  and  thirty-two  acres  of  good,  productive  land  in 
South  Granville,  on  which  are  good  buildings.  In  politics 
a  Republican,  he  has  been  assessor  for  nine  years.  He  is  a 
director  in  the  National  bank  at  Granville. 

In  November,  18C5,  Mr.  Temple  joined  the  Bapti.st 
church  in  North  Hebron,  and  has  been  clerk  for  many 
years,  and  is  now.  He  has  been  Sunday-school  superin- 
tendent for  some  three  terms,  and  is  one  at  present.  He  is 
one  of  the  liberal  supporters  of  the  Baptist  society.  Mrs. 
Temple  joined  Dec.  3,  1848,  and  has  been  a  member  ever 
since.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Temple  are  active  workers  in  the 
temperance  cause  at  South  Granville,  and  he  has  been  pres- 
ident.    Mrs.  Delia  M.  Temple  was  born  August  4,  1832. 


ROYAL   C.    BETTS. 

Among  the  leading  attorneys  of  Washington  county. 
Royal  C.  Betts,  of  Granville,  justly  takes  his  place.  His 
success  in  the  conduct  of  his  cases,  both  as  a  counselor  and 
advocate,  is  marked,  and  he  has  arisen  to  an  eminence  in  the 
ranks  of  his  profession  alike  honorable  to  himself  and  pleas- 
ing to  his  many  friends.  He  was  born  June  18,  1835,  at 
Pawlet,  Rutland  Co  ,  Vt.,  being  the  fifth  .son  of  John  and 
Lydia  (Loveland)  Betts,  and  was  educated  at  the  common 
school  and  Troy  Conference  Academy.  He  obtained  his 
education  and  profession  by  his  own  exertions,  without  the 
aid  of  influential  friends  or  pecuniary  means,  paying  the 
expenses  thereof  by  teaching  district  school,  which  he 
taught  seven  consecutive  winters.  At  the  age  of  twenty 
he  entered  the  law-office  of  Fayette  Potter,  Esq..  of  Pawlet, 
Vt,  and  began  the  study  of  the  law.  He  remained  in  this 
office  one  year,  and  in  the  winter  of  1856  went  to  Gran- 
ville, and  entered  the  law-office  of  0.  P.  Thompson,  Esq., 
and  punsued  his  studies  in  this  office  until  May,  1859,  when 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  immediately  began  the 
practice  of  his  profe.ssion  at  Granville,  which  he  has  steadily 
and  successfully  followed  until  the  present  time.  In  1863 
he  was  elected  special  county  judge  of  Washington  county, 
and  again  elected  in  1867,  holding  the  office  eight  years. 
In  the  spring  of  1867  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  his 
town,  and  re-elected  in  1868.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  was 
elected  district  attorney  of  the  county,  and  re-elected  in  1871 , 


holding  the  office  six  years.  In  politics  a  Republican,  com- 
mencing political  life  with  the  birth  of  the  party,  has  been 
an  earnest  supporter  and  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the 
party  since  its  organization. 

On  the  12th  of  February,  1861,  Mr.  Betts  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Melissa  E.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Me- 
lissa Van  Vorst  Holmes,  and  a  granddaughter  of  John  Van 
Vorst,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  city  of  Schenec- 
tady, and  a  niece  of  Hon.  Hooper  C.  Van  Vorst,  judge 
of  the  superior  court  of  the  city  of  New  York.  Mrs. 
Betts  was  born  in  Schenectady,  Nov.  10,  1838.  Of  three 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Betts  there  are  now  living 
Frederick  Willis,  born  Jan.  7,  1862  ;  Anna  Van  Vorst, 
born  Sept.  27,  1874.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Betts  are  members  of 
Trinity  church,  Granville,  he  being  one  of  the  vestry. 

Mr.  Betts  possesses  a  genial  nature,  which,  added  to  his 
courtesy  and  affability,  makes  him  a  pleasant  and  entertain- 
ing companion,  and  wins  him  many  warm  friends. 


SEYMOUR  L.  POTTER. 

Among  the  native  settlers  of  this  county  may  be  men- 
tioned Seymour  L.  Potter,  having  been  born  in  Hampton, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  5,  1826.  He  is  the  seventh 
child  and  fifth  son  of  Stacy  and  Cynthia  Potter.  There 
were  eight  children  in  the  family.  The  Potter  family  is 
of  English  origin.  Christopher  Potter  married  Elizabeth 
Baker ;  both  of  them  were  natives  of  Rhode  Island. 
They  had  nine  children, — Stacy,  John,  Mary,  Philip,  Sal- 
lie,  Hannah,  Elizabeth,  Phebe,  and  Jeremiah.  They  set- 
tled on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Seymour  L.  Potter  in  the 
year  1800. 

Christopher  died  June  2,  1842 ;  Elizabeth,  March  26, 
1848.  They  were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  He 
was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  by  trade. 

Stacy  was  born  October  7,  1788,  and  married  Cynthia 
Hitchcock  March  25,  1809.  They  had  eight  children,— 
Mary,  John  H.,  Russel  F.,  Charles  W.,  Elizabeth,  Philip, 
Seymour  L.,  Daniel  S.  John  H.,  Russel,  and  Philip  died 
while  young ;  Stacy  was  principally  a  farmer,  but  he  also 
worked  at  the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade.  Stacy,  soon  after 
marriage,  went  to  Hampton,  and  resided  there  till  about 
1837,  when  he  removed  back  on  to  his  father's  farm  ;  re- 
•sided  here  till  March,  1856,  and  then  removed  to  Granville, 
and  died  July  10,  1856.  Mrs.  Stacy  Potter  died  February 
26,  1848.  They  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  He  was  a  prominent  Methodist,  and  contributed 
liberally  to  the  .support  of  schools  and  churches.  In  politics 
a  Whig.  He  was  commissioner  and  assessor  of  Hampton 
for  several  years.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  was  class-leader  and 
steward. 

Seymour  L.  worked  for  his  parents  till  his  majority; 
then  worked  three  years  by  the  month  for  one  hundred 
dollars  per  year ;  then  purchased  one-half  of  the  old  home. 
Married,  April  11,  1850,  Lucy  L.  Lee,  daughter  of  David 
and  Polly  Lee.  She  was  born  April  1,  1829.  They  have 
four  children, — Libbie  M.,  David  S.,  John,  Marcus, — all 
living.     Mr.  Potter  now  owns  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 


LiTif  Br  I  H  EvtPTs  ^.Tc  *■" 


HISTOKY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


229 


on  which  are  good  buildings.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  wife  also.  He  is  steward 
of  the  same.  In  politics,  Republican  ;  stockholder  and  di- 
rector in  cheese-factory  No.  5,  and  assistant  salesman.  Mr. 
Potter  is  one  of  the  prominent  men  and  farmers  of  Gran- 
ville, and  is  a  man  held  in  high  respect  by  those  who  know 
him.  A  view  of  his  place,  and  portraits  of  himself  and 
wife  above,  may  be  seen  in  another  part  of  this  work. 


J.  L.  McARTHUH. 

J.  L.  McArthur,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Granville 
semi-weekly  Sentinel,  is  a  man  of  large  stature  and  of  quiet 
dignity.  He  was  born  in  Putnam,  this  county,  March  16, 
1853,  being  a  son  of  the  late  Wm.  McArthur.  His  edu- 
cational advantages  were  very  limited,  attending  a  district 
school  in  the  winter  and  laboring  on  his  father's  farm,  and 
in  his  carriage-shop  the  other  seasons.  At  an  early  age  he 
developed  a  strong  taste  for  journalism.  His  parents 
bitterly  opposed  his  aspirations  in  this  direction,  but  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  was  secretly  furnishing  articles  of  high 
merit  for  several  city  literary  and  political  journals.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1875,  he  left 
the  farm  and  workshop  and  established  the  Granville  Sen- 


tinel, the  largest  weekly  publication  in  the  county,  and  the 
success  of  which  has  been  quite  phenomenal.  But  his 
active  mind  and  progressive  disposition  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  monotonous  routine  of  weekly  journalism,  and  in 
June,  1877,  he  changed  the  Sentinel  to  a  semi-weekly. 
By  strict  application  to  business,  by  good  judgment  and 
his  eminent  journalistic  ability,  he  has  succeeded  in  making 
his  journal  the  leading  and  most  complete  epitome  of  local 
and  general  events  to  be  found  in  the  county,  its  weekly 
circulation  aggregating  nearly  five  thousand  copies.  He 
has  also  one  of  the  finest  equipped  steam  printing-ofiices  in 
the  county.  Jan.  15,  1878,  he  was  united  in  holy  matri- 
mony to  Miss  Anna  A.  Lewis,  youngest  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Isabel  and  the  late  Nathan  Lewis. 


BENJAMIN   F.  OTTARSON. 

Benjamin  F.  Ottarson,  of  Granville,  was  born  in  Pawlet, 
Vt.,  and  commenced  business  at  Granville,  N.  Y.,  in  the 
year  1840.  He  married,  Oct.  31,  1843,  Miss  Nancy  F. 
Richardson,  of  Poultney,  Vt.,  whose  father  was  born  at 
Leominster,  and  her  mother  in  Lancaster,  Ma.ss. 

Mr.  Ottarson's  father  was  born  in  Londonderry,  Vt.,  and 
his  mother  at  Middletown  (now  Portland),  Conn. 


A  R  G  Y  L  E, 


This  town  lies  in  the  central  part  of  Washinjiton  County. 
It  derived  its  name  from  the  Duke  of  Argyle,  of  Scotland, 
and  as  originally  constituted  included  the  towns  of  Port 
Edward  and  Greenwich.  The  latter  was  set  off  in  1803, 
and  the  former  in  1818.  The  present  area  comprises  nearly 
35,000  acres,  and  is  bounded  north  by  Kingsbury  and 
Hartford,  east  by  Salem  and  Hebron,  south  by  Greenwich, 
and  west  by  Fort  Edward. 

The  surface  is  broken  by  moderate-sized  hills  in  the 
west,  and  in  the  east  by  mountainous  elevations  and  ridges, 
the  sides  of  some  of  which  are  very  abrupt.  Several  of 
these  have  received  local  names,  the  most  prominent  being 
Todd's  mountain.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  town  is  a 
cedar  swamp,  and  south  of  it,  along  the  water-courses,  are 
pleasant  valleys.  The  entire  surface  was  originally  timbered 
with  the  various  hard  woods  and  white  pine.  The  latter 
grew  to  large  size  in  the  southeastern  section,  and  a  limited 
quantity  yet  remains.  The  soil  is  a  clayey  loam,  intermixed 
in  some  localities  with  gravel  or  disintegrated  slate,  and  is 
remarkable  for  its  productiveness.  The  various  cereals  are 
cultivated,  and  grass  yields  well. 

Argyle  is  well  watered.  Its  principal  stream  is  the 
Moses  Kill  (probably  a  corruption  of  Moss'  Kill,  from 
Captain  Moss,  who  early  lived  near  its  mouth),  which  flows 
diagonally  through  the  town  from  the  northeast,  and  empties 
into  the  Hudson,  in  Fort  Edward.  It  has  several  fair' 
sized  tributaries,  the  largest  being  a  brook  which  is  the 
outlet  of  Mud  lake.  This  body  of  water  is  chiefly  on  lot 
83,  and  is  so  called  from  the  character  of  its  banks  and 
bottom.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  on  an  elevation, 
is  Argyle  lake,  whose  crystal  waters  and  enchanting  scenery 
have  made  it  a  favorable  resort.  It  is  tributary  to  Cossa- 
yuna  lake,  in  the  southeast,  and  partly  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  town  and  Greenwich.  In  extent,  Cossayuna 
lake  is  about  three  and  a  half  miles  long  and  half  a  mile 
wide.  Its  waters  are  deep  and  clear,  and  well  stocked  with 
fish.  The  lake  is  surrounded  by  hills  covered  with  pines, 
and  has  a  fine  island  near  its  northern  extremity,  much 
frecjuented  by  pic-nic  parties.  In  the  southern  part  of  the 
town  are  also  several  mineral  springs. 

The  entire  area  of  the  town  was  comprised  in  the  Argyle 
patent.  We  have  already  told  the  story,  in  the  general 
history,  of  the  advent  in  this  country  of  Captain  Laughlin 
Campbell,  about  173S,  with  a  large  number  of  Highlanders, 
whom  he  intended  to  colonize  in  this  vicinity,  of  his  dis- 
appointment and  death,  and  of  the  granting  of  a  considei'- 
able  tract  to  his  children  after  the  French  war.  This  latter 
event  inspired  the  surviving  comrades  of  Campbell  and  their 
descendants  to  seek  a  similar  recompense  for  their  hard- 
ships and  disappointments. 

Accordingly,  on  the  2d  of  March,  1764,  Alexander  Mc- 
230 


Naughton  and  one  hundred  and  six  others  of  the  original 
Campbell  immigrants  and  their  descendants  petitioned  for 
one  thousand  acres  to  be  granted  to  each  of  them,  "  to  be 
laid  out  in  a  single  tract  between  the  head  of  South  bay  and 
Kingsbury,  and  reaching  east  towards  New  Hamp.shire  and 
westwardly  to  the  mountains  in  Warren  county.  The  com- 
mittee of  the  council  to  whom  this  petition  was  referred 
reported  May  21,  1764,  recommending  that  forty-seven 
thou.sand  seven  hundred  acres  should  be  granted  to  them, 
between  the  tract  already  granted  to  Schuyler  and  others 
(Fort  Edward),  and  the  tract  proposed  to  be  granted  to 
Turner  and  others  (Salem).  The  grant  was  made  out  in 
conformity  with  the  recommendation  of  the  council,  and 
specifies  the  amount  of  land  that  each  individual  of  the  pe- 
titioners is  to  receive,  two  hundred  acres  being  the  Iciist  and 
six  hundred  acres  being  the  most  that  any  individual  obtains. 
It  also  appoints  five  men  as  trustees,  to  divide  and  distrib- 
ute the  lands  as  directed.  By  the  same  instrument,  the 
tract  was  incorporated  as  a  township,  to  be  named  Argyle, 
and  to  have  a  supervisor,  treasurer,  collector,  two  assessors, 
two  overseers  of  highways,  two  overseers  of  the  poor,  and 
six  constables,  to  be  elected  annually  by  the  inhabitants  on 
the  first  day  of  May."  Dr.  Fitch,  further  says,  "  It  is  com- 
monly reported,  and  is  currently  believed  to  this  day,  that 
this  town  was  granted  directly  from  the  king.  This  is  erro- 
neous. The  charter  emanated  from  the  same  source  with, 
and  is  in  all  respects  similar  to,  the  charters  of  the  adjoining 
towns."  This  grant  included  a  largo  portion  of  what  is 
now  the  northern  half  of  the  town  of  Greenwich,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  town  of  Fort  Edward. 

The  Argyle  patent  was  subject  to  the  following  condi- 
tions, under  which,  at  that  period,  all  public  lands  were 
granted,  viz. :  "  An  annual  quitrent  of  two  shillings  and 
sixpence  sterling  was  imposed  on  every  one  hundred  acres, 
and  all  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  and  all  pine-trees  suitable 
for  masts  for  the  royal  navy,  namely,  all  which  were  twenty- 
four  inches  or  more  in  diameter,  twelve  inches  from  the 
ground,  were  reserved  to  the  crown." 

This  patent  is  on  record  in  the  library  at  Albany  in  "  Pat- 
ents," vol.  iv.  pages  3-17,  and  a  copy  on  parchment  is  in  the 
possession  of  Dr.  H.  G.  Barton,  of  Argyle  village.  The 
instrument  is  so  much  faded  that  but  little  of  the  writing 
is  legible,  and  only  a  portion  of  the  royal  seal  remains,  but 
enough  to  denote  the  insignia. 

The  five  trustees  above  provided  were  vested  with  power 
to  execute  title-deeds  to  the  grantees  if  they  should  claim 
their  lands.  The  first  instruments  of  this  nature  were  issued 
in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1764-65,  by  Duncan  Reid  of 
the  city  of  New  York,  gentleman;  Peter  Middleton  of  the 
same  city,  physician  ;  Archibald  Campbell  of  the  same  city, 
merchant  ;   Alexander  McNaughton  of  Orange  county, /ar- 


HISTORY    OF    WASUINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


231 


mer ;  and  Neil  Gillaspie  of  Ulster  county,  farmer,  of  the 
one  part,  and  the  grantees  of  the  other  part.  The  parch- 
ment deed  of  lot  44,  granted  by  the  above  to  Duncan  Mc- 
Arthur,  bears  date  Jan.  15,  17G5. 

While  the  application  for  the  grant  was  yet  pending,  the 
petitioners  evolved  a  grand  scheme  for  the  survey  of  tiicir 
prospective  domain,  which  should  include  a  stately  street 
from  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  eastward  through  the  tract, 
upon  which  each  of  the  allottees  was  to  have  a  town-lot, 
where  he  might  enjoy  the  protection  of  near  neighbors,  as 
well  as  tlie  benefits  accruing  from  their  companionship.  In 
the  rear  of  these  town-lots  were  to  be  farm-lots,  where  the 
grantees  might,  in  time,  open  extensive  demesnes,  to  be 
occupied  by  their  tenants.  Pleased  by  this  plan  the  trustees 
instructed  the  survey  of  the  grant  to  be  made  as  nearly  in 
accordance  with  it  as  the  lessened  area  permitted,  the  street 
to  extend  from  west  to  east,  and  to  set  aside  a  glebe  lot 
for  the  benefit  of  the  minister  and  schoolmaster.  The 
surveyors,  Archibald  Campbell,  of  Raritan,  N.  J.,  and 
Christopher  Yates,  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  began  their 
labors  June  19,  1764.  A  street  twenty-four  rods  wide 
was  projected,  extending  through  the  width  of  the  grant  as 
near  the  centre  as  practicable.  North  and  south  of  this, 
bordering  on  it,  were  lots  running  back  one  hundred  and 
eighty  rods  and  varying  in  width,  so  as  to  contain  from 
twenty  to  sixty  acres.  One  hundred  and  forty-one  lots 
were  thus  located,  and  numbered  fi'om  west,  on  the  south 
side,  to  east,  seventy-two  lots  in  all.  The  remaining  sixty- 
nine  lots  were  on  the  north  side.  No.  141  being  at  the  ex- 
treme west  end.  The  survey  of  the  farm-lots,  also  141, 
began  at  tVie  southwest  corner,  the  numbers  running  north 
to  No.  6,  then  south  to  No.  11,  and  so  on  until  No.  29  was 
reached,  when  the  numbers  no  longer  followed  in  the 
order  of  location.  North  of  the  "  street"  the  order  was  again 
regular,  beginning  with  No.  74  at  the  southeast  corner, 
thence  north  and  south  in  reverse  order  until  lot  No.  141 
was  reached. 

The  grant  was  now  allotted,  but  it  was  soon  found  that  it 
was  finer  in  theory  than  in  practice.  No  allowance  had 
been  made  for  the  nature  of  the  country,  and  the  magnifi- 
cent "street"  was  located  over  hills  whose  proportions  pre- 
vented its  u.se  as  a  public  highway,  while  some  of  its  lots 
were  uninhabitable. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  grantees,  the  number  of  the 
lot  and  its  contents  being  set  opposite  the  name : 


Acres, 

1.  Catherine  Campbell 250 

2.  Elizabeth  Cargill 2.i0 

3.  Allan  McDonald 300 

4.  Neil  Gillaspie 4o0 

5.  Mary  Campbell 350 

6.  Duncan  McKerwan 350 

7.  Ann   MoAnthony 250 

8.  Mary  McGowne 300 

9.  Catherine  McLean 300 

10.  Mary  .Anderson 300 

U.  Archibald  McNeil 300 

12.  Dougall  McAlpine 300 

13.  David  Lindsey 250 

14.  Elizabeth  Campbell 300 

15.  Ann  McDuffie 350 

16.  Donald  MoDougall 300 

17.  Archibald  McGowne 300 

18.  Eleanor  Thompson 300 

19.  Duncan  McDuffie 350 

-20.  Duncan  Reid 600 

21.  John  McDuffie 250 

22.  Dougall  McKallor 550 


23.  Daniel  Johnson 330 

24.  Archibald   Campbell 250 

25.  William  Hunter 300 

26.  Duncan  Campbell 300 

27.  Elizabeth  l-'razcr 200 

28.  Alexander  Campbell 360 

Glebe  lot 500 

29.  Daniel  Clark 350 

43.  Elizabeth  Campbell 300 

44.  Duncan  McArthur 450 

45.  John  Torrcy 300 

46.  Malcom  Campbell 300 

47.  Florence  McKenzifc 200 

48.  John   MoKenzie 300 

49.  Jane  Cargill 250 

50.  John   McGowan 300 

59.  John  McEwcn 500 

60.  John  McDonald 300 

61.  James  McDonald 400 

62.  Mary  Belton 300 

72.  Rachael  Neviu 300 

7.3.  James  Cargill 400 


liots  29,  43,  44,  50,  and  G2  are  partly  in  Greenwich,  as 
the  bounds  are  at  present  located,  and  the  other  lots,  from 
29  to  73,  not  above  enumerated,  are  wholly  in  that  town 
and  Salem.  Their  allottees  will  be  given  in  connection 
with  tho.se  towns. 

The  following  lots  arc  north  of  the  '•  street :" 


71. 

John  Cargill 

.   300 

103. 

Morgan   McNeil 

250 

iti. 

Duncan  McDougiill... 

.  300 

104. 

Malcom  McDuffie 

550 

70. 

Alexander  Christie... 

.  350 

10.6. 

Florence  McVarick.... 

300 

n. 

Alc.\.  Montgomery.... 

.   600 

106. 

Archibald  McEwcn 

3111) 

7S. 

Marian  Campbell 

.   250 

107. 

Neil  Mcl),mald 

5IM> 

79. 

John  Gilchrist 

Angus   McDougall.... 

.  300 
.  300 

lO.S. 
109. 

Jill,,.-    Cilli. 

.SO. 

A, .I,,!,:, Ill  .M,- Dougall. 

450 

SI. 

Duncan  McGuire 

.   500 

no. 

iM;,ii:.„     M.  K»..n 

200 

S2. 

Edwar.l   McK:,ll„r..,. 

.   500 

HI. 

rut.u:k   .M.^V.thur 

350 

.S3. 

Alexiui.l.'r  (ri!,.|,,i,i.. 

.  300 

112. 

John  McGowne,  Jr.... 

250 

84. 

Arcliilr:,!.!    \l,c, ,11,11,1. 

.  360 

113. 

John  Shaw,  Sr 

300 

85. 

Archil,;. Id  .M,  (  ,,ii-.... 

.   300 

114. 

Angus  Graham 

.300 

86. 

John  JleCartcr 

.  350 

115. 

Edward  McCoy 

300 

87. 

Neil  Shaw 

.   600 

116. 

Duncan  Campbell,  Jr. 

300 

88. 

Duncan  Campbell.  ... 

.   300 

117. 

Jenette  Ferguson 

250 

89. 

Roger  McNeil 

.  300 

118. 

Hugh  McElorov 

200 

90. 

Elizabeth  Rav 

.   200 

119. 

Dougall  Thomijson 

400 

91. 

James  Nutt 

.  300 

120. 

Marv  Graham. 

300 

92. 

D(mald  McDuffie 

.  350 

121. 

R..l..rl  M.'Mj.ino 

.300 

93. 

George  Campbell 

.   300 

122. 

1 a..    Ti.ilur 

600 

94. 

Jane  Widrow 

.  300 

123. 

I';ii/;,l"ll:  r;,l,|well 

250 

9-> 

John  McDougall 

Archibald  McCartcr.. 

.   400 
.  300 

124. 
125. 

WilHuni  rhiili 

90. 

Barbara  McAllister.... 

300 

97. 

Charles  McAllister.... 

.  300 

126. 

Mary  Anderson 

300 

«S. 

William  Graham 

.  300 

127. 

Donald  McMullin 

460 

99. 

Hugh   McDougall 

.  300 

130. 

John  Shaw,  Sr 

300 

100. 

James  Campbell 

.   300 

131. 

Duncan  Lindsey 

300 

101 

George  McKenzie 

John  McCartcr 

.  400 
400 

132. 
133. 

Daniel  Shaw 

102. 

John  Campbell 

300 

Ten  lots,  comprehended  between  Nos.  127  and  146,  are 
comprised  in  the  bounds  of  Fort  Edward,  and  their  allot- 
tees will  be  given  in  the  history  of  that  town.  Each  of  the 
foregoing  had  a  ''street"  lot,  with  a  corresponding  number, 
and  containing  just  one-tenth  the  area  of  the  fiirm  lots ; 
thus  a  lot  of  two  hundred  acres,  the  smallest  area  of  a  farm 
lot,  had  a  "street"  lot  containing  twenty  acres,  etc. 

A  number  of  the  grantees,  among  them  the  Reid,  Gillis, 
McNeil,  McKallor,  Gilchrist,  Taylor,  and  other  families, 
came  on  to  possess  their  lands  ;  and  in  some  instances  their 
descendants  yet  retain  them.  Others  never  claimed  their 
lands,  which  were  left  unoccupied  for  a  time,  then  pa.ssed 
into  the  hands  of  other  settlers,  or  squatters,  who  were 
generally  left  in  undisputed  possession. 

This  state  of  affairs,  in  connection  with  the  large  .size  of 
the  lots,  had  the  effect  of  retarding  the  settlement  of  Ar- 
gyle,  so  that  for  the  first  forty  years  it  did  not  keep  apace 
with  other  towns,  where  the  acquisition  of  small  farms  was 
more  practicable. 

With  more  inviting  conditions  came  a  large  number  of 
settlers  whose  zeal  in  developing  the  true  interests  of  the 
town  soon  gave  it  a  position  which  has  been  retained  to 
this  day. 

Among  a  number  who  came  about  the  same  time  the 
honor  of  being 

THE   FIRST   SETTLERS 

is  shared,  and  equal  credit  must  be  accorded. 

Duncan  McArthur  was  one  of  the  Campbell  immigrants, 
and  drew  lot  44.  In  the  spring  of  1765  he  came  on  to 
his  land,  putting  up  a  rude  hut,  in  which  he  lived  several 
years.  In  1775  he  put  up  a  house  of  rude  timbers,  seven 
by  sixteen  inches,  notched  at  the  ends  so  that  the  logs 
touched  each  other  in  the  wall.     Its  size  was  twenty  by 


232 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


twenty-four  feet,  and  at  the  cast  end  stood  a  huge  stone  fire- 
place and  chimney,  the  capacity  of  which  for  fuel  and  sniolce 
was  almost  unlimited.  The  logs  were  taken  down  and 
put  together  a  number  of  times,  and  the  house  stood  in 
one  form  or  other  nearly  a  hundred  years.  McArthur  was 
a  brother-in-law  of  James  and  Alexander  Campbell.  His 
daughter,  Margaret,  born  in  1767,  married  John  Reid, 
whose  son.  Deacon  John  Raid.,  yet  lives  on  the  McArthur 
homestead.  Duncan  McArthur  died  in  1813,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years. 

The  above-named  John  Reid  was  a  son  of  William 
Reid,  a  millwright,  who  settled  in  Salem  in  1768,  and 
afterwards  in  Argyle,  dying  in  1833,  aged  ninety-five 
years.  The  sons  of  John  Reid  vrere  Alexander,  John, 
the  deacon,  Thomas,  yet  living  in  North  Greenwich, 
Arthur,  the  author  of  "  Reminiscences  of  the  Revolution," 
and  Archibald,  who  became  a  minister.  The  first  and  last 
two  are  dead.  The  brothers  of  the  elder  John  Reid  were 
William, — who  had  among  his  sous,  William,  a  physician, — 
James,  and  John  W.  Another  brother,  Joseph,  also  reared 
a  large  family. 

James  Gillis,  the  grantee  of  lot  lOS,  which  is  on  the 
road  between  Argyle  village  and  North  Argyle,  also  came 
about  1765.  His  sons  were  James,  John,  Archibald,  and 
Alexander,  who  reared  large  families,  and  many  descend- 
ants live  in  town,  some  of  them  on  the  homestead. 

George  Kilmore,  or  Kilmer,  was  not  an  original  grantee, 
but  was  an  early  .settler,  and  one  of  the  largest  land-owners 
of  his  time.  He  came  about  1768,  purchased  the  mill 
site,  which  he  improved,  and  put  up  a  square  log  house, 
which  stood  until  a  few  years  ago.  He  had  three  sons, 
Simon,  Adam,  and  Henry,  whose  descendants  remain  in 
town  ;  also  a  number  of  daughters,  one  of  whom  was  mar- 
ried to  John  Allen,  whose  massacre  by  the  Indians  is  de- 
tailed elsewhere. 

Duncan  Taylor,  the  allottee  of  lot  No.  122,  came  in  the 
summer  of  1765,  with  a  family  of  two  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. One  of  the  latter  married  a  McNaughton,  another 
Peter  MoEachroo,  and  a  third,  David  Smith.  Of  the 
sons,  John  became  the  father  of  Duncan,  John,  James,  and 
Archibald.  The  first-named  is  the  only  survivor,  living  in 
the  village,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  Most  of  the  Tay- 
lors have  died  in  town. 

Duncan  Gilchrist,  settled  in  northern  Argyle  about  1770. 
He  had  several  sons, — Duncan,  the  father  of  John,  James, 
and  Archibald,  and  John,  the  father  of  Alexander  and 
others.     They  became  a  numerous  family. 

Archibald  McNeil,  also  one  of  the  grantees,  settled  on 
lot  11.  Here  one  of  his  sons,  Archibald,  wandered  into 
the  woods,  and  was  seen  no  more.  His  other  sons  were 
John  and  Alexander.  The  former  reared  John,  Archibald, 
Alexander,  Daniel,  and  Robert ;  and  the  latter  a  large 
family.     The  McNeils  in  town  number  several  hundred. 

The  Robertson  family  settled  on  lot  10-1,  the  sons  being 
David,  John,  Nicholas,  Robert,  William,  and  Joseph  ;  and 
their  numerous  descendants  became  well-known  citizens. 

Dr.  Andrew  Proudfit,  a  son  of  Rev.  James  Proudfit,  of 
Salem,  settled  just  north  of  the  village,  about  1790,  as  a 
physician.  His  sons  were  James,  Andrew,  John,  William, 
Hugh,  and  Alexander. 


Judge  Ebcnezer  Clark,  a  son  of  Dr.  Clark,  of  Salem, 
came  about  the  same  time,  and  was  a  prominent  man.  He 
had  three  sons, — Thomas  N.,  Ralph,  and  John. 

IJdward  Riggs  was  an  early  settler  on  the  "  street."  The 
house  stands  as  erected  nearly  one  hundred  years  ago. 

Daniel  Reid,  who  became  the  owner  of  the  mills  at 
Argyle,  was  an  old  citizen,  and  related  to  the  Reids  of 
Greenwich. 

Casparus  Bain  was  one  of  those  living  on  the  lower 
Hudson  that  followed  the  first  settlers.  But  he  died  be- 
fore moving  to  his  new  home,  and  the  widow,  with  her 
sons,  Ca.sparus,  Hugh,  Philip,  William,  James,  and  John, 
came  on,  and  their  descendants  yet  live  in  town. 

William  Bishop,  with  his  sons  John  and  Archibald, 
came  before  the  Revolution  and  settled  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  town  ;  soon  after  came  John  Harsha  and  his 
sons,  James  and  John ;  and  members  of  these  families  yet 
live  in  town. 

In  the  same  locality  settled  James,  John,  and  Archibald 
McDougall,  the  McKallors,  McKalpins,  McQuaries,  Lind- 
seys,  Tinkeys,  and  Gifibrds,  and  other  families  of  note. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Cossayuna  lake  was  Adam  Dings, 
with  a  large  fomily,  and  Peter  and  Neal  McEachron.  The 
former  became  a  centenarian.  His  sons  were  John,  Daniel, 
Simon,  and  George.  Neal  McEachron  had  six  sons, — Jacob, 
Daniel,  Cornelius,  Philip,  John,  and  Peter.  Their  de- 
scendants are  very  numerous. 

John  Todd  was  an  early  settler  on  lot  85,  which  yet 
remains  in  the  Todd  family,  having  passed  into  the  hands 
of  John,  Jr.,  born  in  1790,  and  from  him  to  his  sons 
Thomas,  David,  and  George,  who  now  occupy  it.  The 
mountain  in  the  neighborhood  is  named  after  the  family. 

Daniel  Stevenson  settled  at  North  Argyle  before  1800, 
on  lands  formerly  owned  by  John  Johnson,  an  early  settler 
who  removed.  Stevenson  was  a  prominent  man,  but  had 
no  family.  A  brother,  John  Stevenson,  settled  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  town,  having  sons, — William  and  Dan- 
iel.    The  latter  lives  at  North  Argyle. 

Among  other  early  settlers  here  are  members  of  the  fol- 
lowing families :  Williams,  McDougall,  Lester,  Austin, 
Patten,  Clapp,  Robinson,  Fenton,  and  Harsha. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  town  lived  John  Smith,  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  whose  son,  Henry  Smith,  who  died 
in  January,  1878,  was  born  on  the  place  more  than  eighty- 
six  years  ago.     The  latter  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 

Joseph  Rouse  settled  at  the  village  about  1800.  He 
was  a  tailor  by  trade,  and  made  clothing  for  the  ofiicers  in 
1812.  Of  the  five  sons  he  reared,  John  C.,  George,  and 
Calvin  live  in  town.  Other  old  settlers  at  this  place  are 
John  Ross,  A.  M.  Rowan,  and  Dr.  James  Savage. 

The  names  of  many  others  who  lived  in  the  town  at  an 
early  period,  and  who  were  prominent  in  its  history,  can  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  lists  of  town  ofiicers,  church  ofli- 
cials,  etc.-  In  1815  the  jury-list  showed  the  residence  in 
town  of  thirty-seven  yoemen,  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
farmers,  three  joiners,  five  blacksmiths,  two  saddlers,  three 
shoemakers,  one  surveyor,  one  inn-keeper,  one  doctor,  two 
lawyers,  and  ten  merchants.  In  1845  the  population  was 
sixteen  hundred  and  nine  males  and  sixteen  hundred  and 
thirty-two  females. 


Zlizabzth  Reid. 


John  rzid. 


&EORGE  C.DENNIS. 


Jas.Willmmson, 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


233 


CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 
The  record  of  the  first  town-meeting  bears  date  April  2, 
1771,  and  states  that  the  meeting  "was  to  regulate  laws 
and  to  choose  officers."  This  assembly  was  called,  doubt- 
less, by  virtue  of  the  power  granted  by  the  Argyle  patent, 
since  the  town  was  not  officially  organized  by  the  State 
council  until  March  28,  1786.  Tiie  records  mention  the 
presence  of  Esquires  MoNaughton  and  Campbell,  but  do 
not  state  where  the  meeting  was  held.  The  officers  elected 
were  ;  Supervisor,  Duncan  Campbell ;  Town  Clerk,  Archi- 
bald Brown  ;  Collector,  Roger  Reid  ;  Assessors,  Archibald 
Campbell,  Neal  Shaw;  Constables,  John  Offery,  John 
McNiel;  Poor  Masters,  James  Gilles,  Archibald  McNicl ; 
Road  Masters,  Duncan  Lindsey,  Arcliibald  Campbell  ; 
Fence  Viewers,  Duncan  McArthur,  John  Gilchrist. 

LIST    OF    TOWN    OFFICERS. 

From  1771  to  1S7S  the  following  have  been  the  princi- 
pal officers;  the  first  named  justices  of  the  peace  having 
been  elected  for  constitutional  terms: 


Supe: 


CoMi'Ctyr.^. 


T.iwn  Clerks.    , 

1772.  Duncan  Campbell.      ArchibaU  Gampbell.  Roger  Reid. 

1773.  "  '•  ••'  "  "  " 

1774.  "  "  "  "  "  « 

1775.  " 
177().           " 


Kthvard  Patterson. 


John   McNeil. 
Duncan  (lilcbrist. 


1779. 

1750.  "  " 

1751.  Roger  Reid. 

1752.  "  " 

1753.  James  Bcatty. 
John  McNaughton 
Peter  Fiers. 

17S4,.  Duncan  McArthur. 

James  Beatty. 
I7S,i.       "  "  Alex.  McDougal 

KSii.       "  "  John  MeNeil. 

Duncan  McArthur. 

John  McKnight. 

1787.  Adiel  Sherwood. 
William  Reid. 

1788.  "  " 

1789.  "  " 

1790.  "  " 

1791.  " 

1792.  "  " 

1793.  "  " 
179i.       "             " 

1705.  "  " 

1706.  "  " 

1797.  " 

1798.  "  " 

1799.  "  " 

1800.  "  " 

1801.  John  Hay. 
1S02.  William  Reid. 

1803.  Alexander' Cowan 

1804.  " 

1805.  Alex.  McLangall. 
1800.       " 


Duncan  McArthur. 

"  "  Alexauder  Gilchrist. 

Robert  Christie. 

Duncan  Gilchrist.      John  McFail. 


John  McNeil. 


John  White,  Jr 


John  Lind.-ey. 
Duncan  Mclut 


Neal  McEachrou. 

Neil  Gillasjiie. 
Alexander  Taylor 
James  Gillis,  Jr. 
David  Tetrt. 
Hector  Gillis. 


James  Magee. 


Amos  I.eigh 


Nathaniel  (i.age. 
Amos  Leigh. 


Neal  McCounellee. 


Edward  Riggs. 

I'cleg  Bragg.  "  '* 

1807.  Neal  McConncllec.      Anth'y  M.  Hoffman.  Ichabod  Davis. 

1808.  "  "  "  "  Daniel  McNeil. 

1809.  "  "  "  " 

ISIO.       "  "  "  "  Amos  Lci-h. 

1811.       " 

I81-.'.  John  Reid. 

30 


Suitcrviso 
John  Reid. 


ISl:!. 

ISM. 

181.i. 

1810. 

1817. 

1818. 

ISIU. 

1820. 

182L 

1822. 

1823. 

1824. 

1825. 

1825. 

1S27. 

1828. 

1829. 

1830. 

1831. 

1832. 

18.33. 

1834. 

1835. 

1830. 

1837. 

1838. 

1S39. 

1840. 

1841. 

1842. 

1843. 

1844. 

1845. 

1840. 

1847. 

1848. 

1849. 

1850. 

1851. 

1852. 

1853. 

1854. 

1855. 

1850. 

1857. 

1858. 

1859. 

1860. 

18G1. 

1862. 

1863. 

1861. 

180.5.    " 

1866.    " 

1SG7.  John  C.  Sill. 

1868.  " 

1869.  "         " 

1870.  "         " 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 


Alexander  Gillis 
John  Robinson. 


William  Reid. 


Ransom  Stiles. 


William  R.  Mills. 
Ransom  Stiles. 
Anthony  McK.-illor. 


David  Sill. 

James  Savage. 

.Jesse  S.  Leigh. 

Ransom  Stiles. 
Freeman  Hopkins. 

John  Robcrtsoa. 

William  Boyd. 

James  Stewart,  Jr. 

AVilliam  Congdon. 

Arehib'd  M.  Rowan. 
Willi.am  Clapp. 

Ransom  Stiles. 
David  Hall. 
Edward   Riggs. 
William  Lendrum. 

Alex.  P.  Robinson. 

Robert  G.  Hall. 

Charles  G.  Harsha. 

David  ILill. 


Town  Clorka.  Collectors. 

Anth'y  .M.  Hoffman.  Philip  Gifford. 

"  "  Samuel  Leigh. 

Daniel  McNeil. 

"  "  Archib'd.!.  Gilchrist 

Ransom  Stiles.  "  " 

David  McNeil. 


Charles  McKallor.      Duncan  Thompson. 


1875. 
1876. 


George  Shannon. 
David  McDougall. 
Wm.  Lendruui. 


John  Ross. 
Duncan  Tavlor. 


.Tames  McDougall. 
.Tames  Stewart. 
Gideon  Caswel. 
Cornelius  S.  WilleU 
Daniel  McNeil. 
David  M.  Harsha. 


Robert  G.  llall. 
Freeman  UopUins.    David  M.  Harsha. 

"  "  Chester  Dennis. 

Henry  K.  White.  "  " 

John  D.  .McNeil. 
Lucius  Cottrell. 

"  "  Joseph  Ashton. 

Archih'd  M.  Rowan.        "  " 

"  "  .Tames  (X  Harsha. 

Alex.  McFadden.       Artcmas  J.  Rowland. 

William  S.  Ashton.    Joseph  H.  Sloan. 

John  C.  Rouse. 


John  T.  Taylor. 
John  C.  Rouse. 
Alex.  McFaddcu. 

Geo.  M.  Robinson. 
Boyd  Madden. 

Andrew  J.  White. 


David  0.  Crawford. 
Charles  W.  Taylor. 


Daniel  M.  White. 

John  E.  Rextraw. 

Theodore  S.  Ross. 
James  K.  Henry. 
James  W.  Tavlor. 


Boyd  Madden. 
John  Wcllnian. 


Jesse  Spencer. 
Joseph  H.  Sloan. 
Stephen  M.  Tinkey. 

.Tohn  Gilchrist. 
John  J.  McDougall. 
Alexander  Bain. 
William  Patten. 
Stephen  M.  Tinkey. 
William  Patten. 
Alexander  Bain. 
Neal  A.  Brown. 
Joseph  H.  Sloan. 
David  Harsha. 
Wm.  W.  Hawkins. 
John  Martin. 
Ebenezer  Kinney. 
.Jos.  M.  McMurray. 
Geo.  H.  Robinson. 
Moses  L.  McNeil. 
Sylv'r  S.  McMurray. 
James  Gilchrist. 
Robert  Smith. 
Robert  Williams. 
Henry  Irwin. 
James  E.  Perry. 
William  C.  Skellie. 


1829.  John  Ross. 

1830.  William  Willet. 
Mason  Martin. 

1831.  John  Robinson 


JUSTICES    OF   THE    PEACE. 

1833.  Henry  Shiphcrd. 

1834.  Arcliibald  Gillis. 

1835.  Samuel  F.  Tomb. 
Samuel  Hulburd. 


Samuel  F.  Tomb. 
1832.  William  Reid,  Jr. 


183C.  William  Hall. 
1837.  James  Tilford. 


23J: 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


1838. 

Henry  Shiphcrd. 

1858. 

1839. 

J.imcs  Tilford. 
Ilcnij  K.  While. 

1859. 

1840. 

William  R.  Mills. 

isr.o. 

Antiion^'  McKallor. 

18B1. 

IS-H. 

William  Cungdon. 

1SG2 

1S42. 

Henry  Shipherd. 

John  A.  McXcil. 

ISfiS. 

1S43. 

James  Tilford. 

1864. 

1844. 

William  H.  King. 

1SC5. 

Henry  K.  White. 

1866. 

1845. 

John  A.  McNeil. 

1867. 

1S4G. 

J.imes  C.  Coon. 

1847. 

Nicholas  Robertson. 

1SC8. 

1848. 

William  H.  King. 

184«. 

John  A.  McNeil. 

ISfiO 

1850. 

Jesse  S.  Leigh. 

1871). 

1851. 

Nicholas  Robertson. 

1871 

John  Robertson. 

1872 

1852. 

William  H.  King. 

1873 

1853. 

George  M.  Robinson. 

1874 

1S54. 

Henry  Shipherd. 

1875 

1855. 

John  Patten. 

1876 

1856. 

William  U.  King. 

1877 

1857. 

Ebenezer  Cam[)bell. 

1878 

Henry  Shipherd. 

John  Clark. 

John  A.  Patterson. 

John  A.  Patterson. 

Finley  M.  Congdon. 
,  Henry  Shinhcrd. 

Alexander  P.  Rubinson. 

John  Chirk. 

John  MeCi.lI. 

Finley  M.  Congdon. 
,  Henry  Shipherd. 

John  Clark. 

William  J.  Annitagc. 
,  William  J.  Armitage. 

W'illiam  Chipp. 

AVilliam  Lendrum. 
,  Henry  Shipherd. 
.  William  Clapp. 
,  Wiiliiim  J.  Armitage. 
.  William  Lendrum. 
,  John  G.  .^afford. 
,   William  Clapp. 
,  William  J.  Armitage. 
,  William  Lendrum. 
.  John  G.  SafFord. 


The  following-  cxtract.s  from  the  town  records  will  be 
read  with  interest : 

1772. — "All  men  from  sixteen  to  sixty  jcars  old  to  work  on  the 
roads  this  year.     Fences  must  be  four  feet  and  a  hnlf  high." 

1776. — "  Duncan  Reid  is  to  be  the  constable  for  the  south  part  of 
the  patent,  and  Alexander  Giilis  for  the  north  part;  George  Kilniore 
and  James  Beatty  for  masters.  John  Johnson  was  chosen  a  justice 
of  the  peace." 

1781. — "Alexander  ^IcDougall  and  Duncan  Lindsey  were  elected 
tithing  men." 

1783. — "It  is  agreed  that  hogs  may  run  with  yokes  of  eighteen 
inches  until  September." 

17S7.— '*  The  town-meeting  was  held  at  tlie  house  of  John  Taylor; 
seven  years  later  at  the  house  of  John  White,  who  is  afterwards 
spoken  of  as  a  farmer." 

1793. — "Voted  that  no  stone  horses  shall  run  at  hirge.  on  the  pen- 
alty of  the  law." 

1799.— "A  special  town-meeting  was  held  on  Fri  lay,  Xov.  l.i, 
*for  the  purpose  of  putting  in  force  that  part  <ff  the  law  of  this  State 
for  the  suppression  of  vice  and  immorality,  which  relates  to  Sabbath- 
breaking  in  particular.'  Alexander  Cuwnn  was  chosen  moderator, 
and  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 

*'  •  W/itreas,  God  halh  inte'i>oKcd  his  anthortv,  1-y  a  dear  and  positA-e  law, 
that  he  hath  reserved  for  himself  one  dny  in  sevi-n  ;  that  he  hath  conserrjited 
this  portion  of  time,  by  his  pn-ci-pt,  exaiiipli*,  ami  bUs-ing,  for  a  holy  i  est  from 
secular  employments  and  audi  acts  nl  religions  wor.-)iiii  and  aiiomtiun  as 
creatures  owe  ro  their  Creator, — "Kemember  On-  Sabhath  day  tokei-p  it  Jmly  ;" 
an  J,  by  a  wholesome  law  of  this  State,  all  secular  employmfi'tK  on  ilic&d-bath 
(lay  are  prohibited  by  a  pt-nalty.  Notwithstanding  both  the>e  aulhoiiiies, 
there  are  many  who  continue  to  violate  this  divine  command  of  Goil  and  com- 
mendable law  of  man,  to  Ihe  great  di^turbanco  of  those  who  would  wish  cou- 
scientiously  to  observe  said  day. 

**  *  Itesolofd,  therefure,  That  every  person  composing  this  meeting  conceive 
themselves  to  be  bound  in  conscience  to  use  evt-ry  lepal  exertion  to  enforce  tlio 
law  of  this  State  against  vice  and  iiimiorality,  and  to  stop,  or  give  information 
against,  every  person  who  is  found  triiveling,  laboring,  fishing,  or  hunling  on 
the  Sahbath. 

'• '  i^eso/rcd.  That  proper  characters  he  appointed  to  apprt-heud  such  as  are 
found  violating  i he  Sahbath  by  traveling  or  otherwisr-;  and  it  is  recommemled 
that  when  such  ofTcnders  aro  unknown,  they  bu  detained  until  after  the  Sdb- 
balh,antl  tlien  delivered  to  a  justice  of  tin-  peace,  lo  be  fined  jw  Ihe  law  directs; 
but  if  Ihcy  he  persons  whoso  names  aro  known,  information  shall  be  given  to 
a  magistrate  of  the  town  within  three  days  nfter  such  offense  is  committed, 
that  they  may  be  duly  convicted  and  fined,  according  to  law. 

"'Jlasolvrd,  That  John  Gikhrist,  James  McGet-,  Alexander  Giilis,  Andrew 
Haggart,  Neal  SlcConneJIe,  Dotigal  McKallor,  William  MeC^y,  John  McCleary, 
Thomas  Wiigiit,  Jolin  Hermon,  Joseph  Heath,  ('aspurus  Bain,.  John  Ueid, 
■William  McDougal,  Jr.,  Peter  McKadiron,  ■  Peter  McEathiMn,  Jr.,  Edwiird 
Uiggs,  Rohei  t  Perrigo,  Jr.,  Thomas  Bentley,  John  Hall,  Pardon  T.-fft,  .lohn 
Uarsha,  Juhn  AlcNeil,  Martin  Hopkins,  Roger  Campbell,  Joseph  Barber,  David 


McKnight,  Alexander  Livingston,  Thomas  Hopkins,  and  Joseph  Hall  be  ap- 
pointed for  the  above  purpose. 

"•  Rfsnlve<lt  That  a  committee  of  four  be  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  corre- 
sponding with  other  towns  for  the  above  oiject.  anrl  that  faiil  roinnntteo  ho 
composed  of  the  Rev.  George  Blaii-s,  the  Rev.  Archibald  M'hite,  Williimi  Reid, 
and  Kheuezcr  Clark,  Es(ts.'" 

This  law  was  re-affirmed  at  the  followinir  town-meeting. 

1803.— "A  .special  meeting  was  held  Jan.  31,  1803,  at  the  house  of 
John  AVhyte,  'for  the  purpose  of  eonsidering  the  propriety  of  peti- 
tioning Congress  for  a  post-road  through  the  town  and  Hartford,  for 
carrying  the  mail  from  Troy  to  Whitehall,  and  for  considering  the 
propriety  of  this  town  being  divided  into  two  towns.'  Judge  Clark 
was  appointed  moderator,  and,  after  proper  deliberation,  James 
Green,  Jr»hn  Reid,  Ebenezer  Clark,  Simon  Stevens,  and  Alexander 
Giilis  were  appointed  to  memorialize  Congress  as  to  the  need  of  such 
a  route.  It  was  also  voted  that  the  interests  of  the  town  did  not 
demand  its  division. 

]SO-i.—"  lUxoheJ,  That  $15  be  given  for  every  full-grown  wolf 
killed  within  the  town  of  Argyle,  providing  that  the'  said  wolf  or 
wolves  be  actually  found  in  the  town,  not  led  in  to  defraud  the  town." 

1807. — "  This  may  certify  that  a  negro  child,  named  Sue,  daughter 
of  a  negro  woman  named  Sue.  a  slave  for  life  in  my  own  right, in  my 
service,  was  born  Feb.  S,  1S07. 

(Signed)  "  Andrew  pRornpiT." 

1810.—"  I  David  Russell,  attorncy-at-law.  in  the  town  of  Argyle,  do 
certify  that  there  was  born  of  my  negro  woman,  a  slave,  on  the  23d 
of  August  last,  a  female  child,  whose  name  is  Ann  Mariah  Rosetta. 

"May  2,  ISIO." 

ISM.— "That  no  cattle  be  brought  from  Saratoga  or  any  other 
place  to  run  on  our  commons,  under  penalty  of  §5." 

1812.^"  A  special  meeting  was  held  Jan.  25,  whtn  Daniel  Ship- 
herd,  John  White,  Samuel  T.  Shipherd,  Reuben  AVhalen.  and  John 
Reid  were  appointed  a  committee  to  memorialize  the  legislature  to 
repeal  the  Insolvent  Act." 

1813. — "  That  no  cattle  be  permitted  to  run  i 
the  house  of  Joseph  House,  inn  keeper,  during 

1814.—"  Broke  into  my  fields, 

A  couple  of  pigs, 
BeloDging  to  someboily, 

Maybe  to  Eiggs. 
The  one  is  a  red  one, 

The  other  a  wiiifc, 
Therefore,  Mr.  Clerk, 

In  your  book  you  must  write 
How  I've  had  tlieni  a  montli, 

Tliat  the  owner  must  come, 
And  if  ihey  are  his,  sir, 

Why,  then,  take  them  home. 

"  AUGYLK,  Oct.  It.   IS  14. 

RoBKUT  MoXai euros. 
"  N.  B.— I  forgot,  iMr.  Clerk. 

To  inform  you  before. 
That  one  is  a  sow,  sir. 
And  the  other  a  bore." 
1S4G.— "A  s|iecial  mcoling  was  held  May  19,  to  determine  the  senti- 
ment of  tlie  electors  on  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors.     Five  hundred 
anil  twenty-one  voles  were  east,  of  which  number  four  hundred  and 
seven  were  inscribed  "No  License,'  and  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
*  For  License.'  " 

1847.— "April  27  the  question  was  again  te  tod,  when  of  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety-nine  voters  there  were  three  hundred  and  seventeen 
who  expressed  themselves  opposed  to  a  license  system,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-two  favored  the  sale  of  liquor  under  the  conditions 
imposed  by  the  act  of  May  14,  1S45." 

1SG8. — "A  special  meeting  was  held  Jan.  11,  to  consider  the  expe- 
diency of  taking  such  action  as  would  secure  the  location  of  the  con- 
templated new  county  buildings  at  .\rgyle.  An  offer  of  an  eligible 
site  for  the  proposed  buildings,  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for 
their  construction,  was  made.  Hon.  Alexander  Barkley,  P.  C.  Hitch- 
cock, Wm.  Clapp,  David  Hall,  Edwin  Hill,  and  Win.  D.  Robertson 
were  appointed  an  advisory  committee  to  represent  the  claims  of 
Argyle  before  the  board  of  sujjcrvisors." 


itbin  half  a  mile  of 
the  fall,  win'.er,  and 


HISTORY   OF    WASniNGTON    COUNTY,  NKW    YORK. 


2:55 


were  located  at  an  early  day,  and  at  tlie  first  niootiiij;  two 
overseers  or  masters  were  appointed  to  see  that  tliey  were 
properly  worked.  In  most  instances  the  principal  roads 
remain  as  located  a  hundred  years  ago,  or  have  met  with 
minor  changes  only.  In  general  the  roads  of  the  town 
present  a  good  condition,  and  ample  provision  for  their 
care  has  been  made  by  the  formation  of  ninety-two  districts. 
Although  Argyle  has  no  railway  communication  witliin  lier 
own  boundary,  easy  access  is  afforded  by  way  of 

The  Anjijh  and  Foi-f  Kihaird  Ptuiih-Rond  to  Fort 
Edward,  distant  five  miles,  where  is  one  of  tlie  principal 
thoroughfares  of  the  country,  as  well  as  facilities  for  canal 
transportation.  The  above-mentioned  road  was  constructed 
by  a  eompaii}'  iiicoiporated  in  lS5t),  with  a  capital  stock 
of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  which  is  at  present  controlled 
by  a  board  of  trustees,  of  which  James  Savage  is  presi- 
dent and  Edward  Dodd  secretary. 

CEMKTKIUES. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  the  death  of  Mrs.  Archibald 
Brown,  June  22,  1770,  was  the  first  in  the  present  town. 
Her  remains  were  interred  on  "  Out"  lot  No.  23,  which  at 
that  time  belonged  to  JMr.  Brown,  and  was  for  a  long  time 
the  only  one  at  a  place  which  became  the  first  cemetery  in 
town.  It  is  a  plain  spot  on  the  public  highway  ;  but  con- 
tains the  graves  of  many  who  were  once  prominent  in  the 
history  of  the  town.  For  many  years  the  Associate  Re- 
formed church  stood  near  this  locality,  and  the  cemetery 
was  under  the  supeivi.sion  of  the  congregation. 

In  1855  a  new  burying-ground  was  opened  at  Argyle 
village,  which  received  the  appropriate  name  of 

The  Prospect  Hill  Cemetery. — To  this  spot  many  of 
those  interred  in  the  old  ground  have  been  transferred. 
The  cemetery  contains  about  ton  acres,  pleasantly  located 
on  a  brook,  beyond  which  is  the  elevation  which  has  given 
the  place  its  name.  It  is  controlled  by  an  association 
which  numbers  more  than  three  hundred  members,  and 
whose  first  board  of  trustees  was  organized  May  15,  1855. 
It  was  composed  of  Ransom  Stiles,  John  S.  Gilchrist, 
James  Savage,  A.  31.  Rowan,  W.  H.  King,  and  John  A. 
Patterson. 

The  improvements  have  enhanced  the  nntural  beauty  of 
the  place,  making  it  very  attractive. 

A.  M.  Rowan  is  the  present  president,  and  Edward 
Dodd  .secretary. 

The  North  Argi/le  Cemetery  is  controlled  by  an  associa- 
tion whose  organization  is  dated  April  23,  1873,  and  its 
incorporators  were  William  Gibson,  John  S.  Lundy,  Daniel 
Stevenson,  Robert  McGeoch,  George  P.  Liddle,  Nicholas 
Robertson,  Alexander  Copelaud,  George  Lester,  and  James 
11.  McDougall.  This  body  purchased  three  acres  of  ground 
north  of  the  old  burying-ground,  which  had  been  given  to 
the  church  opposite,  in  1830,  by  Daniel  Stevenson.  The 
whole  has  been  1  eatly  inclosed  and  improved,  and  now 
forms  a  very  handsc  me  cemetery.  The  officers  from  the 
beginning  have  been  :  President,  James  II.  McDougall ; 
Secretary,  Daniel  Stcver.son ;  and  Treasurer,  Nicholas 
llobertson. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  town   intermcnt.s  are  gener- 


ally made  in  the  cemetery  connected  with  thj  eluirch, 
which  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  town,  and  the  resting-place  of 
many  pioneers.  In  life  they  loved  this  spot  for  its  peace- 
ful and  quiet  repose,  and  in  death  their  reciuiem  is  chanted 
by  the  venerable  pines  growing  here  among  the  beautiful 
monuments  of  marble  which  grace  the  ground. 

Northeast,  and  at  the  head  of  that  pleasant  sheet  of 
water,  is 

The  Cosaai/iaia  Luke  Cemelerij. — Although  first  used 
many  years  ago.  it  was  not  incorporated  until  Sept.  2, 
1877.  The  association  at  that  time  was  com|)osed  of  Na- 
thaniel Reynolds,  John  A.  Lasher,  Theodore  McIOachron, 
Charles  A.  McE.ichron,  James  L.  MeFaciiron,  Adin  Me- 
Intyre,  John  Living.ston,  James  Barkley,  John  Keys,  and 
Robert  Randies. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  there  arc  a  few  other  small 
burying-grounds  in  town,  which  are  cared  for  by  individuals 
living  in  those  localities. 

Agriculture  being  the  principal  industry  of  the  people  of 
Argyle,  and  as  there  is  but  a  limited  water-power, 

THE    M.^NUI-'AC'TIIRING    INTERESTS 

have  never  attained  to  any  great  prominence.  Nevertheless, 
the  town  has  had  some  mills  and  factories  which  deserve 
mention. 

George  Kilmer  erected  a  mill  on  the  Closes  Kill,  near 
the  site  occupied  by  the  present  mill  at  Argyle,  before  the 
Ilevolution.  It  was  built  of  logs,  and  was  a  rude  affair, 
but  served  the  purpose,  and  was  patronized  by  people  living 
forty  miles  away.  Mr.  Kilmer  was  a  generous,  hospitable 
man,  and  used  to  entertain  his  customers,  sometimes  for 
several  days,  until  their  grist  was  ground.  In  1789  Chris- 
tian Schriver  was  the  miller,  working  for  Adam  Calder- 
wood,  who  had  rented  it.  A  new  mill,  on  the  opposite 
bank,  the  present  structure,  took  its  place,  which  has  for 
more  than  fifty  years  been  operated  by  Daniel  lleid  and  liis 
fatnily.  It  is  a  small  mill,  having  but  two  run  of  stones. 
Several  miles  below  this,  Thomas  N.  Clark  put  up  saw-  and 
grist-mills  seventy  years  ago,  which  have  been  operated  ever 
since  ;  and  on  the  east  branch  of  the  Moses  Kill  were  grist- 
mills owned  by  Shannon  and  Gillis,  both  of  which  have 
been  abandoned.  At  the  same  point  Jes.se  Mack  had  a 
tannery,  which  has  also  been  discontinued.  That  business 
was  started  at  the  village  a  hundred  years  ago  by  a  man 
named  McLean,  and  afterwards  carried  on  by  Jesse  JIack. 
In  1822  A.  M.  Rowan  took  the  tannery,  and  yet  carries  it 
on  in  a  small  way. 

About  1815  chairs  were  manufactured  in  a  building  that 
stood  near  the  woolen-factory,  and  a  saw-mill  at  the  same 
place  was  swept  away  by  a  freshet.  'J'ho  woolen-factory 
was  erected  by  the  Reid  family,  and  has  been  operated  by 
George  W.  Harsha  and  Nelson  Keefer.  It  has  been  idle 
since  1860.  A  fulling-mill,  erected  below  the  village  by 
Ransom  Stiles,  was  subsequently  turned  into  a  feed-mill, 
and  is  still  used  as  such  by  William  Williams. 

On  the  brook  which  is  the  outlet  of  Argyle  lake  were 
several  saw-mills  to  cut  up  the  pine  growing  in  that  local- 
ity ;  but  these  have  long  since  been  abandoned.  At  the 
head  of  the  above  lake  an  enterprise  was  attempted  many 


236 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


years  ago  which  ought  to  be  mentioned  in  this  connection. 
It  was  a  tunnel  projected  and  successfully  constructed  by 
Mrs.  E.  Giftord,  who  was  a  woman  of  more  than  ordinary 
energy.  Iler  purpose  was  to  turn  the  waters  of  the  lake  by 
this  means  to  a  spot  where  she  had  put  up  a  woolen-factory. 
Of  course,  the  idea  met  with  ridicule,  and  the  impossibility 
of  the  thing  was  decried,  as  tunnel-building  was  at  that 
time  an  unknown  art  in  this  country.  The  day  appointed 
for  its  opening  brought  an  immense  concourse  of  people, 
who  confidently  expected  that  it  would  prove  a  failure,  and 
"  that  the  water  would  not  run  the  wrong  way."  But  it 
did  run  to  such  an  extent  that  the  mill-owners  at  the  natural 
outlet  secured  an  injunction  to  prevent  her  from  diverting 
the  course  of  the  lake,  thus  depriving  Mrs.  Gifford  of  tiie 
reward  to  which  her  genius  and  pluck  entitled  her. 

At  North  Argyle,  the  power  afforded  by  the  Moses  Kill 
was  used  at  an  early  day  by  the  Duncan  Gilchrist  family 
to  operate  saw-mills,  and  after  1833  by  Nicholas  Robertson, 
who  added  a  feed-mill  and  a  plaster-mill.  Afterwards  a 
flax-mill  was  operated  by  Daniel  S.  Guthrie,  which  was 
diSro^d  by  fire.  In  former  times  there  was,  also,  a  fulling- 
mill.     At  present  there  are  saw-  and  feed-mills. 

Of  late  years  more  attention  has  been  paid  to  dairying, 
and  as  a  result  several  cheese-factories  have  been  estab- 
li.'-hed. 

THE   SOtTTH    ARGYLE   DAIRY   ASSOCIATION 

was  the  pioneer,  and  was  formed  in  1S74,  with  AVm.  D. 
Robertson,  president ;  Albert  Stewart,  secretary ;  William 
Lendrum,  treasurer ;  and  H.  B.  Sybrant,  D.  W.  Reid,  Wm. 
Ellis,  S.  Mathews,  and  A.  Armstrong,  trustees.  A  fine 
factor}'  was  erected  in  the  hamlet,  costing,  complete  to 
operate,  four  thousand  dollars.  The  factory  is  supplied  by 
twenty  dairies,  and  the  annual  product  of  cheese  is  about 
forty  tliousand  pounds. 

Albert  Stewart  is  the  present  secretary. 

A  year  later,  twenty-five  farmers  of  North  Argyle  formed 

THE    NORTH    ARGYLE   DAIRY    ASSOCIATION. 

Filing  the  certificate  of  incorporation  Feb.  4,  1875.  The 
trustees  were  James  Fenton,  AVilliam  J.  Armstrong,  John 
S.  Lundy,  James  H.  McDougall,  and  Hirum  W.  Bardin. 

A  very  fine  two-story  factory  was  erected  east  of  the 
hamlet,  where  the  manufacture  was  begun  that  year.  The 
entire  cost  of  the  establishment  was  three  thousand  one 
hundred  and  four  dollars.  The  association  has  had  various 
obstacles  to  contend  with,  but  has  had  an  encouraging  in- 
crease of  business,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  pro- 
duets:  1875,  25,252  pounds;  1876,  32,085  pounds;  1877, 
43,000  pounds. 

George  M.  Hunt  is  the  present  secretary. 

EDUCATION.\L    INTERESTS. 

The  early  school-history  of  the  town  is  somewhat  vague, 
and  to  a  large  extent  traditional.  It  is  well  known  that 
schools  were  early  maintained,  but  the  first  satisfactory 
record  is  that  of  1815.  That  year,  twenty-three  districts 
were  reported,  having  twelve  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
pupils  between  the  ages  of  five  and  fifteen  years;  and 
seven   hundred  dollars  was  paid  for  their  instruction.     It 


would  seem  that  the  inspectors  were  somewhat  lax  in  their 
duties,  as  in  1818  the  following  action  was  taken  : 

''As  it  appears  to  the  inhabitants  of  tlic  town,  in  meeting  assem- 
bled, that  there  has  been  an  unaccountable  neglect  on  the  part  of  Ihe 
"inspectors  in  vi.-iting  the  schools,  as  the  law  requires ;  therefore, 
JiemtU'cdf  That  hereafter  the  inspectors  be  required  to  report  the 
number  of  schools  visited,  and  at  what  time,  at  the  annual  meeting. 

"N.  B.  The  above  was  passed  by  a  large  majority."' 

It  is  not  on  record  whether  this  produced  the  desired 
effect,  but  we  are  led  to  believe  that  there  was  a  reaction  in 
favor  of  the  derelict  inspectors,  since  the  law  was  repealed 
soon  after. 

In  1875  the  town  had  sixteen  whole  and  a  number  of 
fractional  districts,  containing  eight  hundred  children  of 
school-age,  and  the  amount  paid  for  the  support  of  schools 
was  seventeen  hundred  and  thirty-five  dollars  and  twenty- 
six  cents. 

ARGYLE    ACADEMY, 

a  mathematical  and  classical  school,  was  incorporated  on 
the  petition  of  twenty-five  citizens,  by  the  State  regents, 
May  4,  1841,  with  the  following  trustees:  Ransom  Stiles, 
Jesse  S.  Leigh,  James  Savage,  George  Mairs,  Jr.,  Gideon 
Gifford,  George  Gillis,  Archibald  M.  Rowan,  John  Bishop, 
Thomas  M.  Clark,  John  Robertson,  James  M.  Hall,  An- 
thony McKallor,  Samuel  Donaldson,  Joshua  Selfridgc,  Jo- 
seph Rouse,  James  Stewart,  Edward  Dodd.  Ransom  Stiles 
was  elected  president  of  the  board,  and  Edward  Dodd 
secretary. 

To  accommodate  this  school,  a  substantial  brick  house, 
twenty-eight  by  forty-four  feet,  and  two  stories  high,  was 
erected  in  1840,  on  half  an  acre  of  ground  in  the  southern 
part  of  Argyle  village,  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  one  hundred 
dollars.  A  library  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  volumes, 
and  apparatus  worth  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  dollars, 
were  also  provided,  and  the  school  opened,  with  flattering 
prospects,  in  the  fall  of  1840,  under  the  principalship  of 
Earl  Larkins.  Since  that  time  the  principals  have  been 
D.  W.  Wright,  Charies  H.  Taylor,  Joseph  McCracken, 
Robt.  McClellan,  Robt.  Cruikshauk,  James  S.  Dobbin,  Wm. 
McLaren,  J.  McNought,  George  D.  Slocum,  A.  G.  Cochran, 
James  Dobbin,  Grenville  M.  Ingalsbe,  H.  W.  Hunt,  W. 
L.  Klein,  George  A.  Hoadley. 

The  school  is  designed  for  the  education  of  both  sexes, 
and  has  a  department  presided  over  by  a  preceptress.  The 
lady  who  first  filled  that  position  was  Maria  McLean.  The 
position  has  since  been  occupied  by  Jane  M.  Jones,  Juliette 
Buchanan,  Sarah  A.  Pettis,  Mrs.  James  S.  Dobbin,  Marion 
Barkley,  Phebe  A.  Wilson,  Mary  Lourie,  Abby  Perry, 
Harriet  E.  Crocker,  Elizabeth  Wright,  E.  A.  Burch. 

The  last  named  and  George  A.  Hoadley  are  at  present  in 
charge  of  the  academy.  The  aggregate  yearly  attendance 
is  ninety  students,  from  ten  to  twenty  passing  the  reciuired 
regents'  examination,  and  many  of  the  citizens  of  Argyle 
were  here  educated.  The  library  numbers  nearly  a  thousand 
volumes,  and  the  apparatus  is  ample  for  the  wants  of  the 
school.  The  entire  academic  property  is  worth  five  thousand 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  is  under  the  control  of 
the  trustees,  of  which  A.  M.  Rowan  is  president,  G.  D. 
Stewart  secretary,  and  J.  C.  Sill  treasurer. 

The  people  also  strove  to  educate  themselves  by  means  of 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


237 


the  iiistiuctioii  aflForded  by  books  in  libraries,  and  several 
wore  established. 

THE    ARCYLK    LUillARY 

was  formed  at  the  house  of  Peieg  Bragg,  May  1,  1805,  and 
the  following  trustees  chosen :  George  Mairs,  Ebenczer 
Clark,  Andrew  Proudfit,  James  Green,  and  Alexander 
Cowan.  It  became  an  incorporated  body,  atid  was  an 
acknowledged  power  in  its  day,  but  deelinod  after  a  number 
of  years,  leaving  no  further  records. 

THE   ARGYLE    SOCIAL    LIBRARY 

was  couiposed  of  twenty  odd  members,  and  was  incorporated 
March  26,1823;  the  meeting  for  this  purpose  liaving  been 
lield  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Rowe. 

The  trustees,  AVilliani  llcid,  Jr ,  David  Sill,  James 
JleDougall,  Alexander  Bachop,  George  W.  Snyder,  Pliny 
Freeman,  and  Jesse  S.  Leigh,  attested  the  subscription  of 
more  tlian  forty  pounds,  as  the  law  required,  and  proceeded 
to  procure  a  good  assortment  of  standard  books.  These 
were  kept  at  the  county  clerk's  office,  Jesse  S.  Leigh  ser- 
ving as  librarian.  As  soon  as  periodical  literature  was  more 
generally  diffused  the  library  was  abandoned. 

RELIGIOUS  SOCIETIES. 
The  first  settlers  of  Argyle  were  imbued  with  strongly 
religious  sentiments,  which  early  manifested  themselves  in 
the  formation  of  religious  societies,  and  the  consequent 
building  of  churches  where  they  and  their  posterity  might 
worship.  These  houses,  though  humble  at  first,  were 
erected  to  keep  apace  with  advancing  civilization  and  its 
attendant  styles  of  architecture.  Early  pronounced  in  their 
professions,  the  sincerity  of  the  people  of  the  town  has  been 
I'ully  sustained  by  a  judicious  provision  for  fine  houses  of 
worship,  whose  presence  denotes  the  wealth,  refinement,  and 
morality  of  .sons  and  daughters  of  a  God-fearing  people.  No 
portion  of  tlie  history  of  Argyle  will  be  read  with  greater 
interest  than  that  embraced  in  this  chapter. 

Some  years  after  the  settlement  in  Salem-  of  that  staunch 
Presbyterian  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clark,  members  of  that 
faith  came  to  the  wilds  of  Argyle  to  found  themselves 
homes.  These  were  sometimes  visited  by  their  reverend 
pastor,  who  preached  to  them,  although  there  was  no  regu- 
lar congregation  prior  to  his  leaving  for  South  Carolina,  in 
1780.  His  successor  at  Salem  was  the  Rev.  James  Proud- 
fit,  who  came  from  Pequa,  Pa.,  in  1783,  and,  as  he  belonged 
to  the  Associate  Reformed  synod,  his  congregation  also 
adopted  those  principles. 

A  few  years  later,  the  settlers  of  Argyle  were  joined  by 
Andrew  Proudfit  and  Ebenezer  Clark,  sons  of  Drs.  Clark 
and  Proudfit,  who  began  to  exert  themselves  to  form  a 
congregation  of  the  faith  of  their  fathers  ;  but  this  purpose 
was  not  immediately  accomplished,  and  several  years  elapsed 
before  a  congregation  was  formed,  from  wiiicli  ■■sprang  the 
present 

UNITED  PRESBYTEUIAN   COXGREOATIO.V  OP  ARGYLE. 

The  history  of  that  body  has  been  so  faithfully  portrayed 
by  Alexander  P.  Robinson  that  we  compile  this  sketch 
largely  from  his  matter.     Mr.  Robin.son  says: 

'•  The  first  church  building  erected  by  the  society  in  Ar- 


gyle was  a  frame  about  thirty  by  forty  feet  in  size,  built  on 
land  belonging  to  Dougall  McKallor,  about  one  mile  south 
of  the  present  church  building,  near  the  old  cemetery.  In 
this  church  the  congregation  was  organized  by  the  election 
of  three  elders  in  the  month  of  November,  1792.  Rev. 
James  Proudfit  preached  on  the  occasion,  from  Psalm  28, 
and  9th  verse, '  Save  thy  people,  and  bless  thine  inheritance: 
feed  them  also,  and  lift  them  up  forever.'  Ebenczer  Clark, 
James  Batty,  and  Alexander  Cowen  were  elected,  and  on 
the  18th  day  of  December  following  they  were  ordained  to 
be  ruling  elders  in  this  congregation  by  Rev.  John  Dunlap, 
who  had  been  settled  over  the  A.ssociate  Reformed  congre- 
gation of  Cambridge  in  the  year  1790. 

"About  this  time  the  congregation  applied  to  the  Legis- 
lature and  obtained  a  charter,  the  corporate  name  being  the 
First  Incorporated  Congregation  of  Argyle,  under  the  care 
of  the  Associate  Reformed  synod.  In  addition  to  the 
Presbyterian  element  mentioned  above,  Argyle  had  a  popu- 
lation of  different  nationalities,  quite  a  large  number  of 
Dutch  settlers,  and  its  full  proportion  of  mere  adventurers, 
such  as  usually  locate  in  new  settlements,  where  land  is  free 
or  can  be  had  at  a  nominal  price,  many  of  these  being  un- 
able to  either  read  or  write,  with  little  or  no  early  religious 
training,  and  all  classes  being  addicted  to  the  use  of  intoxi- 
cating liquors.  Argyle  was  ajtparently  a  not  very  desirable 
place  to  attempt  to  build  up  a  large  and  prosperous  congre- 
gation. In  the  good  providence  of  God  the  congregation, 
now  fully  organized,  were  soon  to  have  their  own  spiritual 
teacher. 

"  On  the  2d  day  of  May,  1793,  Rev.  George  Mairs,  who 
had  for  some  years  been  settled  over  a  congregation  at 
Coothill,  in  Ireland,  demitted  his  charge  of  said  congrega- 
tion to  the  presbytery  of  Ballybay,  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  and  received  from  the  said  presbytery  a  letter  of 
dismission,  with  the  purpose  of  emigrating  to  the  United 
States  of  America.  Accordingly  he,  with  his  family  and 
his  brother  (Rev.  James  Mairs)  and  family,  sailed  on  the 
15th  day  of  the  same  month  from  Ireland  for  New  York, 
where  they  arrived  in  the  following  August,  and  preached 
the  first  Sabbath  after  their  arrival  for  Rev.  John  51.  Mason, 
of  the  Associate  Reformed  church  of  that  city,  and  by  his 
advice  set  out  the  next  day  for  Salem,  Washington  County. 
Rev.  G.  Mairs  supplied  the  vacant  congregations  of  Hebron 
and  Argyle  a  few  Sabbaths.  His  preaching  was  so  accepta- 
ble that  a  meeting  of  the  two  congregations  was  called  in 
the  church,  then  recently  built  in  Hebron,  on  the  27th  day 
of  September,  1793,  at  which  Rev.  John  Dunlap  presided, 
and  moderated  a  call,  which  was  unanimous,  for  the  Rev. 
George  Mairs  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  united  congre- 
gations above  named,  offering  as  support  £120,  being  $300. 
This  call  Mr.  Mairs  accepted,  and  was  installed  as  pastor  of 
the  united  charge  on  the  14th  day  of  November  thereafter. 
Rev.  James  Mairs  preaching  the  sermon  from  the  2d  Co- 
rinthians, 4th  chapter,  and  5lh  ver.sc,  Rev.  James  Proudfit 
giving  the  charge.  The  call  of  Mr.  Mairs  was  signed  by 
the  following-named  elders  and  trustees  of  the  Hebron 
congregation  : 

"  Elders  :  Samuel  Crosett,  Charles  Hutchans,  and  Alex- 
ander JlcClellan.  Trustees:  James  Flack,  John  Wilson, 
and  William  Lytic. 


238 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


"  Of  Arayle  congregation,  by  Elders  Ebeiiezar  Clark,  James 
Batty,  and  Ales.  Cowan.  Trustees:  Edward  Patten,  John 
White,  Jr.,  Dougall  McKallor,  Jolin  Johnson,  Duncan  Gil- 
clirist,  and  Duncan  Shaw. 

"  In  addition  to  these  there  were  about  forty  male  mem- 
bers, and  eighty-five  male  adherents  signed  the  call  from 
the  two  congregations. 

"  Mr.  Mairs  was  in  the  thirty-third  year  of  his  age  when 
settled  as  above  stated,  and  his  labors  from  the  first  were 
most  abundant.  His  services  on  the  Sabbath  were  very 
lengthy,  always  lecturing  on  the  first  psalm  sung  in  the 
morning,  and,  except  in  winter,  two  services  in  addition, — 
occupying  the  greater  part  of  the  Sabbatli.  There  seemed 
to  be  a  necessity  for  these  protracted  services  on  the  Sab- 
bath, as  many  families  had  little  or  no  religious  reading 
except  the  Bible  and  Catechisms ;  con-sequently  their  relig- 
ious instruction  was  mostly  from  the  living  teachers.  In 
addition  to  the  services  of  the  Sabbath,  Mr.  Mairs  visited 
all  the  families  of  his  charge  one  part  of  the  year,  and  during 
the  other  part  had  catechizings  in  the  different  neighbor- 
hoods, so  that  all  might  attend.  Thus  twice  each  year  Mr. 
Mairs,  in  the  family  or  neighborhood  gatherings,  met  old 
and  young  of  his  charge,  requiring  the  latter  to  learn  first 
the  questions  of  the  shorter  and  then  the  larger  catechism. 
And  when  we  consider  the  extended  boundaries  of  the 
united  charge  and  the  state  of  the  roads  at  the  time,  it 
seems  almost  incredible  that  one  man  could  perform  all  this 
labor.  Mr.  Mairs  continued  to  labor  in  this  double  charge 
for  about  four  years,  when  each  congregation  desired  to 
obtain  bis  entire  labors.  Presbytery,  in  accordance  with 
his  own  inclinations,  decided  in  favor  of  Argyle  congrega- 
tion, and  the  late  Dr.  James  Grey  was  settled  over  Hebron 
congregation  in  the  autumn  of  1797. 

"  Mr.  Mairs'  labors  from  the  first  in  Argyle  seemed  to 
be  greatly  blcs.sod.  In  November,  1794,  oue  year  after  his 
settlement,  forty-six  persons  united  with  the  church,  and 
in  May,  1797,  forty-three  were  admitted,  with  several  at 
each  intervening  communion.  From  the  state  of  society 
in  Argyle,  as  above  de.scribed,  when  Mr.  l\lairs  settled,  as  a 
matter  of  course  ofFcn.ses  would  come ;  but  the  discipline 
of  the  church  was  very  .strict  and  seemed  to  have  the  de- 
sired efiect, — few,  if  any,  fleeing  to  other  churches  to  escape 
discipline. 

"  Mr.  Mairs  from  his  settlement  was  sustained  by  an  able 
session,  and  as  the  congregation  increased  in  numbers  fre- 
quent additions  to  the  first  session  were  made.  The  13th 
of  April,  1794,  Neal  McEacbron  and  James  Gillis  were 
ordained  to  be  ruling  elders.  In  the  spring  of  1795  John 
McDougall,  James  Lytic,  and  Samuel  JMcFadden  were 
added  to  the  session.  In  April,  1798,  Wm.  McCoy,  Nicho- 
las Mills,  and  Alex.  McDougall  were  ordained  to  be  ruling 
elders. 

"  The  congregation  had  so  increased  in  nienilicrs  by  the 
j'oar  1800  that  it  became  necessary  for  their  accomnioua- 
tion  to  build  a  hirger  church.  For  this  purpo.se  a  lot  of 
one  acre  of  land  was  purchased  in  the  village  of  Argyle, 
where  the  present  church  building  now  stands,  from  John 
AVhitc,  for  twenty-five  dollars, — the  deed  bearing  date  the 
8th  of  December,  1800,  from  John  White  to  Wm.  McKee, 
Ebenezor  Clark,   Andrew   Proudfit,   James  Lytic,  Edward 


Biggs,  and  John  White,  trustees  of  the  first  incorporated 
Presbyterian  congregation  of  Argyle,  under  the  care  of  the 
Associate  Bcformed  synod. 

"The  congregation  built  on  the  lot  purchased  in  the  vil- 
lage a  church  about  forty-five  by  sixty  feet  in  size,  with  a 
porch  about  sixteen  feet  square,  intending  to  finish  a  steeple 
with  belfry.  But  this  was  never  done.  The  church  was 
finished  in  about  the  style  of  country  churches  seventy- 
five  years  since.  In  this  church  the  congregation  wor- 
shiped until  after  the  decease  of  the  senior  Mr.  Mairs. 

"In  1801  the  congregation  commenced  to  occupy  the 
new  ehuruh.  In  this  year  Archibald  Stewart,  who  had 
been  an  elder  before  coming  to  Argyle,  was  elected  and 
installed  an  elder,  and  in  1802  Archibald  Gillis  was  or- 
dained and  installed  an  elder.  About  this  date  the  num- 
ber of  members  belonging  to  the  congregatio:i  as  recorded 
was  four  hundred  and  fifty-two,  the  bounds  of  the  con- 
gregation being  probably  forty  miles  in  circumference, — no 
other  church  except  South  Argyle  being  within  eight  or 
ten  miles  of  our  village. 

"  And  the  labors  of  Mr.  Mairs,  as  before  described,  to- 
gether with  visiting  the  sick,  attending  funerals,  and  many 
other  incidental  duties,  made  a  most  laborious  charge,  the 
routine  of  his  duties  continuing  for  some  thirty  years  after 
his  settlement.  Without  Sabbath-school  or  congregational 
prayer-meeting,  a  large  number  was  gathered  each  year  into 
the  church  through  the  promised  blessing  attending  his 
faithful  ministrations. 

"  In  December,  1808,  the  fullowingnanied  persons  were, 
by  election  and  ordination,  added  to  the  session :  John 
Bobinson,  Edward  Biggs,  Philip  McEacbron,  and  John 
Lester;  and  in  June,  1817,  Alexander  JMcDougall,  Archi- 
bald Crawford,  and  Gordon  Bull  were  elected  and  ordained 
ruling  elders.  Although  large  accessions  were  yearly  re- 
ceived to  the  membership  of  the  church,  yet  many  families 
who  settled  in  Argyle  soon  i-emoved  to  other  localities,  and 
some,  from  the  prevailing  evils  of  the  times,  went  out  from 
us,  showing  that  they  were  not  of  us.  From  such  causes 
it  is  believed  that  the  congregation  seldom  numbered  more 
than  given  above. 

"  xVfter  thirty  years  of  faithful  labors  in  the  congrega- 
tion, Mr.  Mairs,  feeling  the  infirmities  of  age  approaching, 
consulted  with  bis  session  as  to  the  propriety  of  obtaining 
an  assistant.  The  result  was  that,  in  the  summer  of  1823, 
the  congregation  called  his  son  and  namesake,  George 
Mairs,  Jr.,  to  be  his  colleague  in  the  ministry.  Accord- 
ingly, he  was  ordained  and  installed  on  the  ^id  day  of  Sep- 
tember following. 

"The  routine  of  duties  in  the  congregation  conlijiued 
about  the  same  after  the  settlement  of  the  colleague  as 
belbre,  the  senior  minister  generally  taking  the  forenoon 
services,  the  other  the  afternoon  ;  each  doing  part  of  the 
other's  labors  necessary  in  the  congrcgaiion.  But  as  tlie 
infirmities  of  age  increased,  the  labors  of  the  firet  pastor 
decrea.sed,  for  a  time  explaining  the  first  psalm  sung,  and 
prayer.  A  few  years  before  his  decease  his  mental  facul- 
ties failed,  and  he  sank  into  second  childhood.  His  death 
occurred  on  the  10th  of  October,  1841,  and  his  remains 
were  followed  to  the  grave  by  a  large  concourse  of  sym- 
pathizing friends,  who  cherished  his  memory  with  affec- 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


239 


tion,  and  many  were  ready  to  say  of  liiui,  '  An  Israelite 
indeed  in  whom  was  no  guile." 

"In  1823,  previous  to  Mr.  Mairs'  scttleiiioiit,  John 
McCoy  was  elected  and  ordained  a  ruling  elder.  During 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  G.  Mairs,  Jr.,  the  followinsr-nanied 
persons  were  elected  and  ordained  to  be  ruling  elders  in 
about  1828:  John  Beatty  and  James- Barkley ;  in  the 
summer  of  1831,  Thomas  McFadden,  John  Graham, 
Anthony  SltKallor,  and  George  Harsha;  and  in  the  winter 
of  1842,  James  Telford.  James  Stevenson,  John  W.  Flack, 
David  Robert.son,  James  B.  Taylor,  Archibald  M.  Rowan, 
Alexander  P.  Robinson,  Edward  Riggs,  and  Cornelius 
McEaebron. 

"In  the  winter  of  184-1  the  congregation  resolved  to 
take  down  the  church  building  and  erect  one  more  in  con- 
formity wiih  modern  style.  Accordingly,  early  in  the 
spring,  the  old  church  was  taken  down  and  another  raised 
and  partly  finished,  when,  on  the  4tb  of  July  in  that  year, 
the  new  building,  the  remains  of  the  old,  and  the  sheds  on 
the  church  lot  were  entiicly  destroyed  by  fire.  The  con- 
gregation, however,  soon  entered  into  a  contract  to  build 
another  on  the  same  plan  of  the  one  consumed,  which  was 
finished  in  the  spring  of  1845,  and  was  soon  after  oc- 
cupied by  the  congregation.  Tiiis  church  was  somewhat 
larger  than  the  former  one,  and  would  seat  nearly  seven 
hundred  persons.  In  this  church  Mr.  IMairs'  labors  con- 
tinued about  the  same.  But  finding  the  labors  more  than 
he  could  well  ]ierforn),  in  the  autumn  of  1850  he  read  a 
long  communication  to  the  congregation,  stating  that  on 
account  of  the  feeble  state  of  his  health,  and  the  amount 
of  labor  necessary  in  his  present  ehargo,  be  would  soon  ask 
to  be  released,  in  part  or  in  whole,  from  his  labors  in  the 
congregation.  In  April,  1851,  at  a  congregational  meeting, 
the  vote  was  against  calling  a  colleague.  Consequently, 
at  a  meeting  of  the  presbytery  in  May  following,  Mr. 
Mairs  asked  to  be  and  was  relieved  from  the  congregation. 
Thus  for  about  fifty-eight  years,  without  a  vacancy,  the 
congregation  had  the  Messrs.  Mairs — father  and  son — as 
their  ministers;  and  the  latter  stated,  in  the  communication 
above  referred  to,  that  during  this  long  period  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  dispensed  three  times  each 
year,  and  on  every  occasion,  except  one  in  about  18UG, 
some  were  added  to  the  communion  of  the  church,  averag- 
ing from  eight  to  twelve  each  communion  ;  and  as  far  as  the 
records  of  admission  can  be  found  they  sustain  the  asser- 
tion, making  near  seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  during  their 
ministry. 

"  Mr.  Mairs  is  still  living  in  Argyle,  and  a  member  of 
our  church. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  held  on  the  24th  of 
November,  1851,  a  call  was  made  out  for  the  Rev.  James 
B.  ScouUer,  then  of  Cuylerville,  N.  Y.,  who  accepted  the 
same,  and  was  installed  May  31,  1852,  as  pastor  of  the 
congregation.  Mr.  Scouller  had  been  settled  at  Philadel- 
phia and  Cuylerville,  N.  Y.,  before  being  called  to  Argyle, 
and  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  very  able  preacher,  and 
this  reputation  was  well  sustained  in  Argyle  until  his 
health  failed.  He  spoke  with  a  loud  and  clear  voice,  that 
at  once  drew  and  held  the  attention  of  his  hearers.  Soon 
after  his  settlement  the   church  was  filled  with  attentive 


hearers  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  lai-ge  additions  were 
yearly  added  to  the  membership  of  the  church.  He  had 
two  services  on  the  Sabbath,  often  a  sermon  and  a  lecture. 
His  lectures  in  course,  through  several  of  the  Epistles  and 
Revelations,  were  very  interesting  and  instructive.  A  Sun- 
day-school and  Bible-class  were  started  and  held  part  of  the 
time  during  his  ministry,  and  weekly  prayer-meetings  were 
held  in  the  congregation.  Some  seven  or  eight  years  after 
his  settlement  his  health  began  to  fail,  aiul  continued  to 
decline  until,  the  winter  of  18(52,  lie  demitted  his  charge 
to  the  presbytery,  and  in  March  following  removed  from 
Argyle  to  Philadelphia,  nuieh  regretted  by  the  congregation 
and  the  surrounding  community.  There  were  about  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  received  into  membership  during 
the  ten  years  of  his  ministry.  He  is  now  living  at  New- 
ville,  Pa.,  but  unable  to  resume  his  ministerial  labors. 

"  Soon  after  Mr.  Scouller  removed  from  Argyle,  David 
M.  Ure,  ii  licentiate  in  the  United  Presbyterian  church, 
preached  several  Sabbaths  to  the  congregation,  and  on  May 
19,  1862,  a  call  was  made  for  him  to  become  their  pastor, 
which  was  accepted,  and  he  was  ordained  and  installed 
during  the  meeting  of  the  synod,  on  Oct.  9,  1862.  Mr. 
Ure  was  considered  an  able  preacher,  and  at  each  com- 
munion during  his  ministry  some  were  added  to  the  mem- 
bership of  the  church,  and  at  two  communions  following  a 
revival  the  large  number  of  sixty-two.  Under  the  pastorate 
of  Mr.  Ure  the  Sabbath-school  became  a  more  permanent 
institution,  and  finally  a  sermon  in  the  forenoon  and  Sab- 
bath-school in  the  afternoon  became  the  order  of  exercises 
for  the  Sabbath.  There  were  added  to  the  membership  of 
the  church  during  Mr.  Ure's  ministry  one  hundred  and 
ninety-six,  and  the  following-named  persons  were,  by  the 
rules  of  the  church,  added  to  the  session  :  John  Armitage, 
David  Hall,  James  Savage,  M.D.,  James  Stott,  and  William 
McMurray. 

"Near  the  1st  of  jLinuary,  1872,  Mr.  Ure  notified  the 
congregation  that  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  ask  for  a  dis- 
solution of  the  connection  existing  between  hiui.self  and 
congregation.  The  connection  was  dissolved  by  the  pres- 
bytery ill  January,  and  Mr.  Ure  left  Argyle  and  has  been 
laboring  as  an  agent  in  raising  an  endowment  fund  for 
Monmouth  College,  Illinois. 

"  After  Mr.  Ure's  dismission  the  congregation  remained 
vacant,  having  a  regular  supply  of  preaching  until  May  17, 
1873,  when  a  call  was  made  for  Wm.  P.  Kane,  a  licentiate 
of  Steubenville  presbytery,  who  accepted  and  entered  upon 
his  labors  Sept.  21,  and  was  ordained  and  installed  on  the 
20th  of  November  following.  During  the  week  of  prayer, 
in  the  winter  after  Mr.  Kane's  settlement,  there  was  an 
earnest  religious  feeling  manifested  in  the  congregation, 
particularly  among  the  young,  which  resulted  in  an  admis- 
sion to  the  church,  at  the  communions  of  Jan.  7  and  May, 
of  about  fifty  members,  and  some  have  been  added  to  the 
membership  at  each  oommunion  since  that  time.  About 
the  1st  of  January,  1874,  the  congregation  discu.ssed  the 
propriety  of  repairing  their  church  building  or  of  erecting 
a  new  one,  and  as  the  old  chuicli  had  no  room  suitable  for 
Sabbath-schools,  and  needed  pretty  extensive  repairs,  it  was 
resolved  to  take  down  the  old  church  and  build  of  brick 
a  more  substantial  one,  with   lecture   and   Sabbath-school 


240 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


rooms,  etc.  A  buildinp;  committee  was  appointed,  com- 
posed of  J.  C.  Sill,  John  Barkly,  and  William  Stewart, 
who  adopted  plan.s  prepared  by  Nichols  &  Ilalcott,  archi- 
tects, of  Albany,  N.  Y.  The  building  was  coinraonced  in 
the  spring  of  1875,  and  was  ready  for  consecration  on  the 
18th  of  July,  1876. 

"  It  is  of  Gothic  style  of  architecture,  .sixty-five  by  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  feet  on  the  ground,  with  a  spire  one 
hundred  and  thirty  feet  high  in  the  centre  of  the  front  of 
the  building,  with  a  dwarf  tower,  surmounted  with  a  pin- 
nacle on  each  of  the  front  corners.  There  is  a  transept  in 
the  rear,  containing  two  stories,  with  a  lecture-room  in  the 
first  and  Sabbath-school  rooms  in  the  second  stories,  with 
stairs  leading  from  rear  hall  to  second  story. 

"  The  remainder  of  the  building  is  compo.sed  of  vestibule 
in  front  with  stairs  leading  to  the  gallery  and  doors  leading 
to  the  auditorium,  which  is  fifty-eight  by  seventy  feet,  with 
a  seating  capacity  of  six  hundred  persons.  Number  of 
seats,  one  hundred  and  twenty,  which  are  arranged  on  a 
curved  line,  all  being  nicely  cushioned.  There  are  four 
roomy  aisles  and  three  double  rows  of  seats, — pine,  with 
black  walnut  ornamental  work.  The  building  is  wains- 
cotted  throughout  three  and  a  half  feet  high,  .surmounted 
by  black  walnut  railing.  The  gallery,  which  is  directly 
over  the  vestibule  and  extending  to  the  right  and  left,  is 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  choir  and  others. 

"  The  exterior  walls  are  of  brick,  with  buttresses  mounted 
with  stone  copings  projecting  from  each  of  the  corners, 
and  between  each  of  the  windows.  The  roof  throughout 
the  building  is  of  slate,  and  decorated  with  an  iron  crest- 
ing, extending  along  all  ridges  and  all  points  on  pedestals, 
mounted  with  an  iron  pinnacle.  Surroundings  are  attract- 
ive, being  nicely  graded,  and  having  a  chain  fence,  sup- 
ported by  cut  stone  posts,  around  the  entire  lot,  which 
covers  about  one  acre.  The  fence  is  relieved  by  three 
gates,  one  (double)  in  front  and  two  on  the  south. 

"The  cost  of  the  elinrch,  I'urnished  complete,  was  about 
thirty-two  thousand  dollars. 

"The  dedication  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  W. 
A.  Makenzie. 

"The  congregation  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and 
numbers  nearly  five  hundred  members." 

THE    t'.N'ITED    PRE.SBYTEItl.VN    CO.NGIIEG.ITIOX    OF    SOUTH 
AH<1YI,E. 

This  body  was  formed,  and  for  many  years  was  known, 
as  the  Associate  Presbyterian  congregation  of  Argyle. 
The  original  members  were  mostly  emigrants  from  Scot- 
land who  had  been  in  communion  with  the  anti- Burghers  of 
that  country,  and  would  not  accept  the  terms  of  the  union 
of  the  various  presbyteries  in  the  country  in  1782,  but 
adhered  to  the  associate  presbytery  of  Pennsylvania,  which 
refused  to  go  into  the  union,  as  more  nearly  representing 
the  principles  of  the  synod  of  Scotland.  Accordingly,  in 
1785,  the  organized  congregation  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  petitioned  the  Pennsylvania  presbytery  to  be  taken 
under  its  care  and  be  supplied  by  it  with  preaching.  That 
body  gave  the  petition  a  favorable  reception,  and  appointed 
the  bearer,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Beveridge,  who  had  come 
from  Scotland  in   1784,  to  take  the  care  and  oversight  of 


these  steadfast  supporters  of  the  original  principles.  In 
obedience  to  this  appointment  he  returned  to  his  people  as 
their  authorized  minister,  and  at  once  began  to  extend  his 
work.  In  the  summer  of  that  year,  1785,  he  organized  the 
congregation  of  Argyle,  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  on  the 
farm  of  John  and  David  McKnight,  now  owned  by  George 
and  John  Christie.  Here  John  McNeil,  John  McKnight, 
and  \\\n.  Reid  were  elected  the  first  ruling  elders.  The 
labors  of  Rev.  Beveridge  were  now  divided  between  the 
older  congregation  in  Cambridge  and  the  one  in  Argyle, 
preaching  at  the  latter  place — probably  first  in  private 
houses — once  a  month,  and  dispensing  the  Lords  Supper 
once  a  year.  It  is  believed  that  his  last  service  with  the 
congregation  was  in  the  ministration  of  the  sacrament  in 
June,  1798,  his  death  occurring  a  few  weeks  later,  on  the 
23d  of  July.  The  congregation  also  enjoyed  occasional 
preaching  by  the  Rev.  Archibald  Whyte,  who  came  about 
1798,  and  who,  although  ninety-three  years  old,  was  a 
sound  theologian  and  one  of  those  good  old  Scotsmen  who 
honestly  believe  that  "  reading  is  not  preaching." 

Bleantime  a  church  had  been  erected  on  a  part  of  the 
glebe  lot,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  the 
remainder  having  been  given  to  the  Associate  Reformed 
congregation,  and  a  portion  sold  to  aid  in  building  the 
house.  It  was  built  of  white-pine  logs,  thirty  by  forty 
feet,  and  had  a  gallery  in  the  east  end.  Opposite  this 
was  a  high  pulpit,  shaped  much  like  a  square  box.  It 
was  innocent  of  paint  or  tapestry,  and  was  the  simple  pine 
as  the  carpenter  left  it.  In  front  was  the  choristers'  seat, 
and  the  seats  for  the  audience  were  rough  pine  slabs,  bark 
and  all,  supported  by  plain  wooden  legs.  This  una.ssuniing 
structure  was  built  in  1787—88,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  interest 
to  know  who  contributed  to  its  erection.  It  is  probable 
that  those  who  a  few  years  later  subscribed  to  maintain  the 
work  were  also  interested  in  building  the  hou.se,  and  per- 
haps in  the  same  proportion.  The  list  of  1789,  agreeing 
to  pay  the  sums  set  opposite  their  names  to  John  McKnight 
and  John  McNeil,  is  here  produced  for  that  purpose,  and 
to  show  also,  in  the  absence  of  other  records,  who  were 
among  the  original  members  : 


ArcliibaM   CiUiipholl...  1 

ArcliibalJ  Livin;;.-<ti>ii..  0 

John  Fcrsuson II 

DuMcvii  Cam).liell II 

John  Metjuire II 

Kobfit  McNabb 0 

John  McF.lrlin 0 

I'etcr  Christie 1) 

James  Maii-s 0 

Aichihiihl  McNeil II 

John  McNeil II 

Alexander  McNeil 0 

M:ilcoIm  McNaughtun  1 

Williiun  Robertson 0 

Hcnrv  Tinkcy 0 

Daniel  Livingston 0 

William  Itoi.l 2 

Robert  iMcNau.'hton...  0 


Ale 


.ler  Ma 


John  McICnighl 1 

Ale.vaniler  McKnight..  1 

William  Campbell (I 

Roger  Rei.l II 

))uncan  McArthur 1 

William  Ui.ho|i II 

ArchibaUl  Mclvallor...   II 

WiJovv  Bain 1 

James  Beatly 0 

John  lieatrv'. 0 

John  McDougiill II 

John  White II 

D.iniel  Mefiilvery II 

Joseph   Patterson 0 

Allen  McLean 0 

John  Miller 0 

Casparus  Bain I) 


In  1800,  Rev.  Thomas  Allison  preached  to  the  congre- 
gation ten  Sabbaths,  but  declined  a  call  to  the  pastorate. 
On  the  2Clh  of  June,  1800,  George  Dunn,  Robert  Robert- 
son, John  Reid,  and  John  Harsha  were  elected  elders. 

The  congregation  was  incorporated  Oct.  28,  1801,  and 
the  following  trustees  elected  to  take  care  of  its  temporal- 


Photos,  by  Nims,  Fort  Edward,  N.   Y. 


ROBT.  CUTHBERT. 


MRS.  ELEANOR  CUTHBERT. 


JAS.  FOSTER. 


rbutus.  by  Nims,  Furt  EUwaril,  N.  Y. 


MRS.  JAS.  FOSTER. 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


241 


ities:  Casparus  Biiin,  Wm.  Robertson,  Robert  Robertson, 
David  McKiiight,  John  ReiJ,  and  John  Harsha. 

In  180-t  a  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev.  Robert  Lang, 
signed  by  thirty-five  male  members,  promising  a  salary  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  the  use  of  the  glebe 
and  parsonage;  and  in  the  fall  of  1805  Mr.  Lang  accepted 
the  call,  being  installed  the  following  March.  He  was.  an 
excellent  preacher,  but  his  conduct  out  of  the  pulpit  did 
not  please  his  parishioners;  so  that  it  was  said,  "  When  Mr. 
Lang  is  in  the  pulpit,  he  should  never  go  out;  and  when 
out,  he  should  never  go  in."  The  pastoral  relation  was 
dissolved  Sept.  2,  1811. 

In  the  mean  time  a  parsonage  had  been  erected  near  the 
church  (in  1805),  and  in  1807  the  old  log  church  gave  place 
to  a  good  frame  meetlDg-house,  costing  three  thousand  dol- 
lars. To  defray  the  expense  attending  these  buildings, 
forty  acres  of  the  glebe  lot  were  sold,  reducing  the  land 
owned  by  the  congregation  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  which  are  still  retained  by  it. 

From  the  time  Mr.  Lang  left  the  church  until  1818  the 
congregation  had  no  regular  pastor,  but  had  prerfching  by 
stated  supplies.  March  4,  1818,  the  Rev.  Peter  Bullions 
was  installed,  and  served  as  pastor  until  1824,  when  he  re- 
signed to  accept  a  professorship  of  languages  at  Albany. 

For  five  years  the  congregation  was  without  a  pastor, 
when  the  Rev.  James  P.  Miller  was  called,  and  assumed 
charge  in  September,  1829.  The  following  year  a  number 
of  members  withdrew  and  formed  a  new  congregation  at 
North  Argyle.  The  leaders  in  this  movement  wore  Daniel 
Stevenson  and  Robert  Robertson,  and  under  their  direction 
the  new  congregation  at  once  entered  upon  a  pro.sperous 
existence.  On  the  9th  of  May,  1849,  another  portion  of 
the  congregation  withdrew  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a 
new  society  at  East  Greenwich,  thus  again  diminishing  the 
membership  of  the  Argyle  congregation.  Mr.  Miller 
served  as  pastor  twenty-one  years,  and  in  1851  left  to  a.s- 
sume  the  duties  of  a  missionary  in  Oregon.  Rev.  James 
Thompson  was  next  installed  as  pastor,  July  13,  1852,  but 
remained  only  a  short  time.  Calls  were  subsequently  ex- 
tended to  Joseph  and  Alexander  Thompson,  brothers  of  the 
first,  but  neither  was  accepted,  and  the  congregation  was 
again  for  a  time  without  a  pastor. 

About  this  time  a  new  church  was  erected, — a  com- 
modious frame,  forty-six  by  eighty-two  feet,  with  vestibule, 
gallery,  and  session-room,  frescoed  walls,  fine  pulpit,  and 
cushioned  seats,  making  it  one  of  the  most  comfortable 
country  churches  in  the  county.  A  few  years  later  a  new 
parsonage  was  erected,  and  other  improvements  were  sub- 
sequently made  in  tlie  church  property,  so  that  it  is  now 
(1878)  in  good  repair. 

In  February,  1857,  the  Rev.  James  A.  Duff  was  or- 
dained, and  remained  until  his  death,  Oct.  6,  ISfiO.  Three 
years  later,  Rev.  James  H.  Andrew  assumed  the  pastoral 
relation,  but  remained  only  a  year.  Since  July  1,  1875, 
the  Rev.  A.  W.  Morris  has  been  the  pastor,  and  under  his 
ministrations  the  congregation  is  highly  prosperous.  The 
membership  is  about  two  hundred  and  forty,  and  its  ag- 
gregate membership  has  been  very  largo,  giving  to  the 
world  many  able  men,  and  rearing  the  following  ministers : 
James  Martin,  D.D.,  Finley  McNaughton,  Archibald 
31 


Whyte,  Wm.  Easton,  John  S.  Easton,  D.D.,  George  M. 
Hall,  John  W.  Harsha,  A.M.,  John  SkcUie,  Archibald 
Reid,  James  A.  Shankland,  Andrew  R;jveridge,  Gilbert 
Small,  Gilbert  H.  Robertson,  D.D.,  William  James  Reid, 
D.D.,  and  some  others  whose  studies  are  not  yet  completed. 
The  congregation  assumed  its  present  name  in  1858, 
when  the  union  of  the  Associate  and  Associate  Reformed 
churches  was  effected.  The  present  elders  are  John  Rjid, 
William  Lendrum,  William  McNeil,  R.  0.  Robertson,  and 
George  Henry.  A  flourishing  Sabbath-school  of  two  hun- 
dred members,  superintended  by  Robert  Alexander,  is 
maintained. 

THE  UNITED  PRESBYTEBI.VN  CONGREGATION  OP  NORTH 
ARGYLE 

is  a  branch  of  the  congregation  of  South  Argyle,  and  was 
organized  in  1830,  in  response  to  a  petition  to  the  Associate 
presbytery  of  Cambridge,  as  the  Associated  Congregation 
of  North  Argyle.  Its  southern  bounds  were  fixed  on  the 
"  street"  road,  and  it  was  established  to  accommodate  mem- 
bers living  in  the  north  and  western  part  of  town,  many 
having  been  obliged  before  this  to  go  ten  miles  to  attend 
services.  The  persons  who  thus  associated  themselves  wore 
Daniel  Stephenson,  Sr.,  and  wife ;  Robert  Robertson,  wife 
and  daughters,  Ann  and  Mary;  William  Shepherd  and 
wife ;  Duncan  Shepherd  and  wife ;  John  Stevenson  and 
wife;  John  Tilford  and  wife;  Alexander  McGeoch  and 
wife;  William  Swale  and  wife;  Nicholas  Robsrtson  and 
wife;  Robert  G.  Hale  and  wife;  Alexander  Bachop  and 
wife ;  Nathaniel  Reynolds  and  wife ;  William  Wahle  and 
wife;  Mary  Walsh,  Andrew  Haggard,  Phoebe  Coulter, 
Sarah  Coulter,  Mrs.  Archibald  Gillis,  and  John  Robertson. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  school-house,  and 
preaching  was  supplied  by  the  Rev.  Lang  and  others.  The 
first  ruling  elders  elected  were  George  Lendrum,  William 
Stevenson,  and  Rjbert  Robertson,  at  a  meeting  in  1830, 
over  which  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Miller  presided.  The  congre- 
gation erected  a  house  of  worship  the  same  year  on  the 
site  occupied  by  the  present  edifice,  Daniel  Stevenson 
being  the  chief  contributor  for  this  purpose  ;  and  while  he 
lived  he  paid  one-half  of  the  ministerial  support  and  char- 
itable contributions.  The  first  session  of  the  congregation 
was  held  April  4,  1831,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  the 
Rev.  Duncan  Stalker  became  the  first  pastor.  About  the 
same  time  the  number  of  elders  was  increased  by  the  addi- 
tion of  William  Wahle  and  Nicholas  Robertson.  The 
Lord's  Supper  was  first  commemorated  July  28,  1832. 
In  1835  the  session  of  ciders  was  still  further  increased  by 
the  election  of  Walter  Edgar,  Benjamin  Skellie,  and  John 
Snell. 

Considerable  trouble  arose  about  this  time  in  the  Asso- 
ciate presbytery  of  Cambridge,  relative  to  the  case  of  Alex- 
ander Bullions,  D.D.,  which  extended  to  congregations  out^ 
side  the  Cambridge  presbytery.  In  1841,  the  deposed 
ministers  of  several  presbyteries  lield  a  meeting  at  Cam- 
bridge, and  formed  themselves  into  a  synod.  Thus  there 
were  two  bodies  in  the  county  claiming  to  be  the  Associate 
presbytery  of  Cambridge.  In  this  issue  the  congregation 
of  North  Argyle  and  its  pastor  allied  themselves  with  Dr. 
Bullions'  party. 


242 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


In  the  summer  of  184(3  the  church  was  enlarged  and 
improved,  the  congregation  meanwhile  worshiping  in  the 
adjacent  woods.  Tlie  following  year  the  pastor  was  af- 
flicted with  an  attack  of  paralj'sis,  which  prevented  him 
from  attending  to  his  duties.  He  tendered  his  resignation 
in  June,  1852,  to  the  congregation  he  had  so  faithfully 
served  for  more  than  twenty  years.  Rev.  Stalker  died  in 
1854,  aged  seventy  years. 

In  June,  1853,  Rev.  W.  E.  Henning  was  settled  over 
the  congregation,  and  still  serves  it  in  the  pastoral  relation. 
His  labors  have  tended  to  tlie  prosperity  and  welfare  of  the 
congregation,  greatly  endearing  him  to  the  people. 

In  185(>  the  congregation  withdrew  from  the  new  As.so- 
ciate  presbytery  of  Cambridge,  and  asked  to  be  received 
into  the  old.  This  action  had  the  effect  of  hastening  the 
union  of  the  two  presbyteries,  which  took  place  later  in  the 
season.  Two  years  later  the  congregation  a.ssumed  its 
present  name,  in  consequence  of  the  union  of  the  Associate 
and  the  Associate  Reformed  branches  of  the  I'resbyterian 
church. 

The  present  church  edifice  is  a  very  neat  and  attractive 
frame,  forty-five  by  seventy-two  feet,  with  a  well-propor- 
tioned spire,  and  was  completed  in  1866,  at  a  cost  of  eleven 
thousand  dollars.  The  pulpit  furniture  was  the  gift  of 
Anna  Stevenson.  The  hou.se  is  on  ground  deeded  to  the 
society  by  William  Lundy.  The  burial-ground  opposite 
was  the  gift  of  Daniel  Stevenson,  and  at  present  forms  a 
part  of  the  North  Argyle  cemetery.  North  of  the  church 
a  parsonage  was  erected  in  1833,  which  has  since  been 
renovated  and  now  forms  a  comfortable  dwelling.  The 
congregation  has  also  received  the  following  legacies :  In 
1842,  from  William  Wahle,  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars; 
1847,  from  Daniel  Stevenson,  Sr.,  one  thousand  dollars; 
1853,  from  Aim  Robertson,  one  hundred  dollars;  1869, 
from  Thomas  Murray,  one  thousand  dollars;  and  in  1875, 
from  Mary  Robertson,  two  hundred  dollars.  These  have 
been  properly  invested  for  the  good  of  the  society. 

The  present  membership  of  the  congregation  is  neaily 
two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  every  communion  season  wit- 
nesses accessions.  Of  the  original  communicants  at  North 
Argyle  but  three  survive,  namely,  Elizabeth  Stewart 
Guthrie,  Sarah  Coulter  Harsha,  and  Nicholas  Robertson. 
The  latter  has  been  clerk  of  the  church  since  its  formation, 
and  has  always  rendered  it  faithful  and  elEeient  service. 
Much  of  the  prosperity  also  is  due  to  Daniel  Guthrie,  the 
precentor,  whose  services  of  song  have  an  edifying  efl'ect. 
The  benevolent  contributions  of  the  church  are  truly  praise- 
worthy, more  than  five  hundred  dollars  having  been  raised 
the  past  year. 

An  excellent  Sabbath-sehool  has  been  connected  with  the 
church,  which  is  largely  attended  by  old  and  young.  It  is 
at  present  superintended  by  John  McGeoch. 

The  first  trustees,  consisting  of  Daniel  Stevenson,  Wil- 
liam Stevenson,  Alexander  McGeoch,  David  Harsha,  John 
Robertson,  and  Archibald  Bishop,  filed  their  certificate  of 
incorporation  Dec.  1,  1832. 

Several  churches  have  become  extinct  in  Argyle,  and 
whatever  history  they  may  have  had  is  involved  in  obscu- 
rity, no  records  having  been  preserved.  The  first  of  these, 
in  point  of  organization,  was  known  as 


THE   BEFORMED   PROTESTANT   DUTCH   UNION  CHURCH    IN 

ARGYLE, 
and  its  official  board  was  to  be  distinguished,  from  and  after 
Oct.  16,  1809,  as  the  ministers,  elders,  and  deacons  of  the 
above-named  body.  The  first  board  was  composed  of  Ileze- 
kiah  Swiner,  Ludwig  Yungler,  Jacob  Dings,  Casparus 
Schultz,  and  Cornelius  Sehermerhorn. 

About  1814  a  plaiu  wooden  meeting-house  was  erected 
in  Argyle  village,  in  which  services  were  held  by  the  Rev. 
Isaiah  Johnson,  the  Rev.  Van  Hook,  and  others.  The 
changes  in  the  population  of  the  town  affected  the  church 
so  much  that  the  work  was  abandoned.  The  meeting-house 
subsequently  became  the  property  of  the  Methodi.sts. 

Another  obsolete  body  was  known  as 

THE    REFORMED    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH, 

which  was  legally  constituted  April  14,  1828,  with  the 
following  officers:  Rev.  James  W.  Stewart,  minister;  Wil- 
liam Thompson  and  Neal  McNeil,  ruling  elders;  and  Wil- 
liam Shaw  and  John  Hall,  deacons. 

The  body  was  generally  known  as  the  Cameronian 
church,  and  had  no  pastor  besides  Mr.  Stewart.  A  small 
frame  church  was  erected  on  the  Site  at  present  occupied 
by  the  public  hall,  which  was  removed  and  changed  into  a 
furniture-store  by  John  Ross.  Whatever  other  interests 
remained  were  transferred  to  the  church  in  Hebron. 

The  earliest  record  of  Methodism  in  Argyle  bears  date 
Jan.  16,  1815,  when  a  meeting  was  called  at  the  house  of 
Ichabod  Davis  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  legal  society. 
G.  Pierce  was  chosen  chairman,  and  James  Thompson 
clerk.  The  trustees  elected  were  Joseph  Allen,  Thomas 
Carl,  James  Stewart,  John  Sprague,  and  William  F.  Swift. 
From  this  period  until  1836  no  records  have  been  kept, 
but  meetings  were  held  in  school-houses  in  various  parts 
of  the  town  where  clas.ses  existed.  About  1835,  Rev. 
Daniel  Brayton  was  appointed  to  the  circuit,  who  at  once 
urged  the  members  to  unite  and  procure  a  church.  This 
was  done  soon  after ;  the  old  Dutch  church  was  bought  for 
this  purpose,  and  meetings  were  now  held  with  greater 
regularity. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1850, 

THE    FIRST    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL  CHURCH    OF   AROVLE 

was  formally  incorporated,  and  the  following  trustees  elected : 
James  Pollock,  Edward  Hunt,  and  Charles  C.  Wills.  The 
meeting-house  was  enlarged  and  repaired,  and  preaching 
was  regularly  held  by  the  following  ministers  :  David  P. 
Hulburd,  Ezra  Sprague,  William  P.  Graves,  William  Henry, 
S.  Young,  I'aul  P.  Atwell,  Ensign  Stover,  Thomas  Dodson, 
William  A.  Miller,  J.  L.  Cook,  Aaron  Hall,  Amos  Osborne, 
W.  W.  Foster,  Ward  BuUard,  D.  Lytle,  J.  M.  Webster, 
J.  L.  Slauson,  J.  F.  Craig,  Daniel  Rose,  D.  Brough,  A. 
Hall,  and  J.  W.  Shank.  The  latter  came  to  the  place  in 
the  spring  of  1877,  and  atonee  instituted  measures  to  erect 
a  new  church,  the  old  frame  house  having  proved  inade- 
quate for  the  wants  of  the  society.  A  building  committee, 
composed  of  C.  W.  Taylor,  Daniel  Baker,  and  J.  W.  Shank, 
was  appointed.  May  26,  1877,  and  the  erection  of  the  pres- 
ent edifice  was  soon  after  begun  on  the  site  occupied  by 
the  old  house,  which  was  removed.     It  is  a  very  handsome 


.A.-~;,.;^,JW;^^JJj.i?3i.J^^:l,^.,t 


Residence:  OF  Wm  CLAPP,  JVorth  Atoyle  Washin&ton  Co  Ny 


Residence  OF  JOHN  R.  HARSHA  ,/Jorth  Argyle, Washington  Co, NV 


HTSTORV    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


243 


brick  structure,  having  an  audience-ronm  forty-five  by  fifty- 
thrue  feet  atid  twenty-five  feet  high,  witli  a  two-story  tran- 
sept in  the  rear  twenty-one  by  forty-eight  feet  long.  The 
lower  story  of  this  part  of  the  building  has  been  fitted  up 
for  parlors,  pastor's  study,  etc.,  while  the  upper  portion 
forms  a  session-room.  The  front  of  the  church  has  a 
shapely  tower  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  high,  and  the 
Gothic  roof  is  relieved  by  appropriate  crestings.  The  inte- 
rior of  the  house  has  been  finished  in  good  style,  the  pulpit 
work  being  especially  fine.  The  entire  cost  of  the  church  was 
about  nine  thousand  dollars,  a  large  proportion  of  which 
w;is  contributed  by  Daniel  Baker.  A  parsonage,  worth 
one  thousand  dollars,  was  erected  many  years  ago.  The 
trustees  controlling  this  property  are  A.  P.  Wills,  Aaron 
Pollock,  and  Daniel  Baker.  The  membership  of  the  church 
is  eighty-five,  and  under  the  ministrations  of  the  Rev.  Shank 
the  work  has  become  very  prosperous.  The  church  also 
maintains  a  Sunday-school  of  seventy -five  members,  which 
is  under  the  superintendence  of  Aaron  Pollock. 

THE   FIRST   PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    OF    ARGYLE 

is  the  corporate  name  of  a  branch  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  formed  in  Argylc  village  in  the  spring  of  1873. 
Its  doctrines  are  similar  to  those  of  Dr.  Hall's  New  York 
city  church,  and  it  is  a  member  of  the  Troy  presbytery. 
The  organization  was  effected  June  29,  1873,  when  thirty- 
eight  persons  subscribed  to  the  Articles  of  Faith,  and 
John  Wollman,  John  L.  Gilchrist,  and  William  Cook  were 
chosen  elders.  No  regular  pastor  was  connected  with  the 
church  until  June,  1874,  when  George  Ainslie,  of  the 
Princeton  Seminary,  assumed  that  relation,  and  still  con- 
tinues. That  same  season  the  building  of  a  house  of  Avor- 
ship  was  begun  in  Argyle  village,  which  was  consecrated 
in  April,  1875,  by  Revs.  Robinson  and  Irwin,  of  Troy. 
It  is  an  attractive  frame  edifice,  thirty-six  by  sixty-eight 
feet,  built  in  modern  stylo,  and  finished  throughout  with 
good  taste,  at  a  cost  of  nine  thousand  dollars.  The  church 
is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  having  ninety  members.  John 
H.  Smith  and  Freeman  Mclntire  have  been  added  to  the 
board  of  elders.  It  supports,  also,  a  good  Sunday-school 
of  eighty-five  members,  which  was  organized  in  1873,  and 
of  which  John  H.  Smith  is  superintendent. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  churches  there  are  several 
religious  and  benevolent  societies  in  town,  the  most  promi- 
nent being 

THE    ARCYLE    BIBLE    AND    TRACT    .SOCIJITIES. 

These  were  formed  Feb.  6,  1837,  as  the  Young  People's 
Bible  Society,  with  John  Small  president  and  John  Rob- 
ertson secretary.  The  present  names  were  adopted  about 
1870,  and  the  first  society  is  auxiliary  to  the  American 
Bible  Society.  About  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  are 
contributed  annually  to  the  treasury  of  the  society. 

SECRET    ORDERS. 

Somewhere  about  1800  there  was  a  lodge  of  Masons  at 
Argylc,  embracing  among  its  members  some  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  that  day.  In  common  with  other  lodges  it  went 
dowu  during  the  Morgan  excitement,  and  the  records  have 
been  lost. 


Argyle  Lodge,  No.  5G7,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  chartered 
June  27,  18G5,  with  the  following  officers  :  William  Cook, 
W.  M. ;  John  McCall,  S.  W. ;  A.  J.  White,  J.  W. ;  E. 
Hill,  Sec. ;  R.  Shannon,  Treas.  The  present  Master  is  E. 
H.  Snyder,  and  P.  F.  Dixon  is  Secretary.  The  lodge  has 
fifty-one  members,  and  meets  in  a  comfortable  hall. 

Argi/Ic  Lodge,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  instituted  in  1848,  its 
first  officers  being  Allen  Gibson,  N.  G. ;  George  C.  Har.sha, 
V.  G. ;  John  A.  Walker,  R.  S. ;  Joseph  Kinney,  Treas. 
The  lodge  has  long  since  discontinued  its  meetings. 

In  1848  a  division  of  Sons  of  Temperance  was  also  in- 
stituted, which  had  a  very  flourishing  existence  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  has  also  gone  down,  leaving  no  record  of 
its  usefulness  other  than  that  furnLshed  by  memory. 

The,  Alpha  Fraternal,  No.  1,  of  the  Order  of  Monadic 
Riielliana,  was  a  secret  association,  whose  object  was  to 
cultivate  literary  and  scientific  qualities.  A  tonple  was 
established  at  Argyle,  having  as  officials  Gilbert  Small, 
Arch  Elder ;  James  D.  Gourlay,  Scribe ;  Allen  Gibson, 
Deacon ;  G.  H.  Robertson,  Warden.  We  cannot  learn 
that  the  order  is  yet  in  existence,  or  that  it  accomplished 
its  purpo.ses. 

Besides  the  foregoing  there  have  been  other  societies, 
the  data  concerning  which  we  have  not  been  able  to  pro- 
cure. 

The  town  has  several  villages  within  its  bounds.  The 
least  of  these  is  commonly  called 

THE    HOOK, 

and  is  simply  a  cluster  of  houses  at  the  forks  of  the  roads, 
on  lot  89,  two  miles  northeast  of  North  Argyle.  Store  was 
kept  there  at  an  early  day  by  Joseph  Hall,  Samuel  Don- 
aldson, and  others,  and  a  tavern  by  Arthur  Barker,  as  well 
as  a  number  of  mechanic  shops.  Tiie  latter  are  yet  carried 
on.  The  place  was  formerly  called  "  Coot  Hill,"  and  in 
1829  a  post-office  was  established  by  this  name,  with  Samuel 
Donaldson  postmaster.     lu  1830  it  was  removed  to 

NORTH    ARGYLE, 

and  Daniel  Stevenson  appointed  postmaster.  Ho  was  the 
first  to  engage  in  business  at  this  point,  which  was  formerly 
known  as  "  Stevenson's  Corners."  It  is  a  pleasantly-located 
hamlet,  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Argyle  village,  contain- 
ing some  comfortable  homes  and  several  hundred  inhabitants. 
Besides  Daniel  Stevenson,  other  members  of  the  family  were 
successfully  engaged  in  trade,  as  well  as  Marvin  Clapp  & 
Co.  and  Archibald  Gillis.  Cuthbert  &  McDougall  are  at 
present  in  trade  in  a  fine  business  block,  whose  arrangements 
permit  them  to  carry  a  large  stock  of  goods. 

In  1845,  William  Stevenson,  Jr.,  became  the  postmaster, 
and  the  office  has  since  been  held  by  Nicholas  Robertson, 
Theo.  Clapp,  Seth  H.  Terry,  John  Walsh,  W.  D.  Stevenson, 
and  A.  S.  Cuthbert.  There  is  a  tri-weckly  mail.  The 
various  trades  are  carried  on  in  half  a  dozen  shops. 

At  Mack's  Mills,  James  Haggart  had  a  store  at  an  early 
day.     John  Shannon  is  at  present  in  trade. 

In  the  southern  part  of  town,  on  lot  14,  is  the  hamlet  of 

SOUTH    ARGYLE, 

with  about  a  hundred  inhabitauts. 


244 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


The  place  became  a  business  point  about  1824,  when 
John  Jlitchcll  opened  a  store.  He  was  soon  succeeded  by 
Wm.  G.  McMasters,  an  active  merchant,  who  left  about 
1835.  The  place  was  then  occupied  by  McNaughton  & 
Proudfit,  and  afterwards  by  Aaron  McCall,  and  at  present 
by  Albert  Stewart.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  village, 
Samuel  Stewart  opened  a  store  in  1840,  whioli  he  has  eon- 
ducted  ever  since. 

The  post-ofiice  was  established  about  1830,  at  the  house 
of  Rev.  J.  P.  31iller,  the  first  postmaster.  It  was  shortly 
after  removed  to  the  hamlet,  and  William  G.  McMasters 
appointed.  His  successors  in  office  have  been  William 
McNaughton,  William  Congdon,  John  H.  Ferguson,  Mrs. 
Eliza  MtCall,  and  the  present  incumbent,  Albert  Stewart. 
The  office  has  a  daily  mail. 

Mechanic  shops  were  put  up  in  1827,  by  Wn).  Congdon, 
who  has  carried  on  wagon  and  carriage  making  ever  since. 
Other  tradesmen  that  remained  a  long  period  of  years  were 
William  Christie,  Simon  Schermerhorn,  the  French  family, 
and  Moses  McNeil.  The  place  has  at  present  its  full  com- 
])loment  of  shops. 

ARGYLE   VILLAGE. 

This  rising  place  is  finely  situated  on  an  elevated  plain, 
on  the  Moses  Kill,  a  few  miles  west  of  the  centre  of  the 
town.  Settlement  was  first  made  here  by  George  Kilmer, 
who  fiirmerly  owned  the  village  site.  It  has  always  been 
the  most  important  place  in  the  town.  But  its  growth  was 
slow,  and  John  Ross  recollects  that  in  1817  there  were  only 
half  a  dozen  houses  in  the  place.  It  was  incorporated  in 
1838.  There  are  several  good  business  houses,  a  number 
of  fine  homes,  and  beautiful  churches,  ranking  the  village 
among  the  foremost  in  the  county.  Population,  eight 
hundred. 

One  of  the  first  to  engage  in  trade  on  a  large  scale  was 
Alexander  Backup.  His  first  place  of  business  was  in  a 
house  that  occupied  the  site  of  the  carriage-factory.  He 
afterwards  located  in  the  southern  part  of  the  village,  con- 
tinuing in  trade  many  years  and  being  highly  respected. 
His  old  stand  was  subsequently  occupied  by  leading  mer- 
chants, as  by  Carl  &  Dodd,  Edward  Dodd,  and  the  present 
J.  Armitage  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  At  the  lower  end 
of  the  village,  James  IMcNaughton,  Carl  &  Terry,  Robert 
Campbell,  and  Clark  &  Stewart  were  successively  engaged 
in  what  has,  since  1832,  been  the  stand  of  the  present  John 
C.  Rouse.  The  old  house  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1867, 
when  the  present  building  was  removed  to  this  place.  Near 
the  centre  of  the  village  Stiles  Ransom  was  in  business 
before  1815,  and  was  for  nearly  forty  years  a  leading  mer- 
chant. His  stand  is  at  present  occupied  by  Taylor  &  Strain. 
John  Ross  has  been  in  the  furniture  trade  more  than  half 
a  century.  The  place  has  eight  or  ten  stores  in  the  difltr- 
eiit  branches  of  trade. 

A  tavern  was  kept  opposite  the  county  clerk's  office  soon 
after  the  Revolution  by  Peleg  Biagg  and  others.  About 
1800,  Joseph  Rouse  became  the  proprietor,  and  continued 
it  as  a  hotel  and  stage  headquarters  many  years.  All  the 
buildings  connected  with  the  old  hostelry  have  been  re- 
moved. Directly  opposite,  at  the  present  stand,  John  Ran- 
som  kept  a  public-house — and  a  portion  of  the  building 


he  used  is  yet  standing — more  than  seventy  years.  The 
changes  of  landlord  here  were  quite  frequent,  James  Stew- 
art, Daniel  Buck,  James  Carl,  Dennis  &  Harrison,  George 
Shannon,  and  Shannon  &  White  following  as  successors 
of  John  Ransom.  The  house  has  been  enlarged,  and  is 
adequate  for  the  wants  of  the  place. 

The  post-office  was  established  about  1807,  the  mail  being 
supplied  by  a  line  of  stages  running  from  Troy  to  White- 
hall. Joseph  Rouse  was  the  postmaster  for  the  first  thirty- 
four  years.  Since  1841,  the  office  has  been  held  by  John 
C.  Rouse,  Wm.  H.  Rouse,  John  A.  Pattison,  James  Hall, 
Henry  Shipherd,  and  John  C.  Rouse,  who  holds  it  at  pres- 
ent. 

The  office  has  two  mails  per  day  from  Fort  Edward,  and 
mails  125  letters  per  day ;  receives  100  letters.  Registered 
letters  mailed  per  quarter,  90 ;  received,  30.  More  than 
500  newspapers  ai'e  distributed  each  week. 

The  public  hall  is  a  commodious  frame  edifice,  with 
accommodations  for  five  hundred  people,  erected  in  1865, 
by  an  association  formed  for  this  purpose,  and  of  which 
Edward  Dodd  is  the  secretary. 

The  cornet-band  was  organized  in  November,  1873,  with 
seventeen  members.  Has  at  present  ten  members,  under 
the  leadership  of  John  Hopkins. 

The  village  has  had  a  liberal  supply  of  professional 
men.  In  medicine  there  were  many  able  practitioners. 
Among  them,  Dr.  Andrew  Proudfit,  a  student  of  Dr.  Rush, 
of  Philadelphia  ;  settled  in  Argyle  in  1790  ;  removed  to 
Troy,  in  1807,  to  engage  in  trade;  returned  in  1818,  and 
died  in  1822.  He  was  the  earliest  physician  of  which  there 
is  any  record.  Dr.  Robert  Cook,  a  student  of  the  above, 
practiced  twenty-five  years;  Dr.  Thomas  Clark,  another 
student,  practiced  about  the  same  length  of  time  shortly 
after;  Dr.  Robert  Clark,  a  few  years,  about  1801;  Dr. 
James  Green,  from  Salem,  several  years  before  1815  ;  Dr. 
Zebulon  Rood,  from  Massachusetts,  about  1812,  until  his 
death  in  town  in  1824;  Dr.  Worthy  Watts,  prior  to  his 
death  in  1828;  Dr.  Andrew  Proudfit,  Jr.,  about  1820, 
removed  to  Stirling,  N.  Y. ;  Dr.  William  Wicks,  educated 
by  Dr.  Green,  from  1820  to  '24;  Dr.  William  Marshall,  in 
1835;  Dr.  George  Gillis,  a  student  of  Dr.  Cook,  in  prac- 
tice until  1859;  Dr.  Hugh  Proudfit,  prior  to  1850;  Dr. 
Freeman  Hopkins,  removed  to  Kalamazoo,  Mich.;  Dr. 
James  Savage,  located  at  Argyle  in  1820,  where  he  yet 
resides,  was  a  surgeon  under  Gen.  McClellan,  a  member  of 
the  Assembly,  etc. ;  Dr.  Andrew  Savage,  son  of  the  above, 
died  in  1863  ;  Dr.  David  Martin,  from  1845  to  1848  ;  Dr. 
John  C.  Sill  has  been  in  practice  since  1848 ;  Dr.  James 
S.  McNeil,  since  1858;  Dr.  Pierce  is  also  in  practice. 
(Hher  phy.sicians  in  town  were  Doctors  John  Stevenson,  T. 
Z.  Gibbs,  B.  F.  Ketchum,  Sharpe  IMcFaddeu,  Arnold  Dake, 
John  and  William  Stewart,  Daniel  Harvey,  and  David 
Lester. 

MUNICIPAL    GOVERNMENT. 

The  village  was  incorporated  under  a  special  act  of  the 
Legislature,  passed  March  27,  1838,  which  provided  for  the 
annual  election  of  five  trustees ;  from  whose  number  a 
president  shall  be  chosen,  and  other  officers,  and  conferred 
the  powers  usual  to  such  cases. 

The  first  election  was  held  June  5,  1830,  with  the  fol- 


\ 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


245 


lowing  result ;  Trustees,  Ransom  Stiles,  George  Gillis,  John 
31.  Stewart,  James  Caul,  James  Savage  ;  Clerk,  William  H. 
King  ;  Assessors,  Benj.  Caswell,  George  W.  Harsha,  and 
Ma.son  Martin  ;  Collector  and  Constable,  James  Stewart. 
Ransom  Stiles  was  chosen  president.  Since  1838,  the  fol- 
lowing have  been  the  presidents  and  clerks : 

PresiJeiits.  Cleiks. 

ISIill Ransom  Stiles.  Pidm-y  Mathews. 

1840 Jesse  S.  Leigh.  William  K.  Mills. 

]S41 "  "  "  '• 

1842 J.Tmes  Savage.  "  " 

JS43 Ransom  Stiles.  Alex.  MeFadJen. 

1844 " 

1845 .John  Robertson.  "  " 

184fi Ransom  Stiles.  A.  Gibson. 

1847 ••  •'  '•       •' 

1848 "  "  R.  G.  Clark. 

1849 "  " 

1830 James  Savage.  '•         " 

1851 "  •'  Henry  Shipherd. 

1852 Ransom  Stiles.  "  " 

185,'i James  Savage.  John  C.  Ronse. 

1854 Joseph  Rouse.  "  " 

1855 Cornelius  Sharp.         Boyd  Madden. 

1856 James  Hall. 

1857 Cornelius  Sharp.  *'  " 

18.58 "  "  John  C.  Rou.5e. 

18.5!) Edward  D.idd.  '■  " 

18B0 •• 

18BI "  "  "  " 

1862 John  C.  Sill.  "'  " 

1863 James  Saviigc. 

1864 "  "  .Tohn  McOall. 

1865 "  "  E.  Hill. 

186fi "  " 

1867 .lohn  C.  Sill.  " 

1868 E.  Hill.  O.  I..  Whitcomb. 

ISfi'J Alex.  BarUlcv.  C.  W.  Tavlor. 

1871) Edward  Dodd. 

1871 " 

1872 "  "  O.  r,.  Whileonib. 

1873 George  Shannon. 

1874 R.  G.  Clark.  J.  K.  lUnry. 

1875 " 

1870 James  S.  McXeil. 

1877 David  Hall.  0.  L.  Whitcomb. 

In  1845  the  board  of  trustees  purchased  a  fii-e-engiiie, 
and  commissioned  seventeen  persons  as  members  of  "  Argyle 
Fire  Co.,  No.  1."  Additions  to  the  membeiship  were  made 
from  time  to  time,  and  in  one  form  or  other  the  company 
had  an  existence  for  about  twenty  years.  On  the  5th  of 
Oct.,  18G6,  a  new  company  was  formed,  and  the  organiza- 
tion reported  and  received  the  sanction  of  the  council,  who 
provided  a  new  engine  and  apparatus,  costing  about  nine 
hundred  dollars.  An  engine-house  was  also  secured  in  a 
central  locality,  and  the  department  was  made  subject  to 
wholesome  regulations.  Unfortunately,  the  organization  has 
been  permitted  to  become  ineffective,  and  the  place  is  now 
without  a  regular  company. 

The  incorporation  of  the  village  has  contributed  much  to 
its  present  handsome  appearance,  resulting  from  the  action 
of  some  of  the  first  councils,  ordering  the  planting  of  trees, 
and  making  provision  for  their  protection  ;  also,  in  adopting 
measures  to  promote  the  cleanliness  of  the  village.  Some 
amendments  have  been  made  to  the  original  charter,  but  its 
general  character  remains  unchanged. 

THE  COUNTY  BUILDINGS. 
Owing  to  the  central  position  of  Argyle,  several  county 
institutions  are  located  within  her  bounds.  The  county 
clerk's  office  was  fixed  at  Argyle  village  as  an  intermediate 
point  between  Salem  and  Sandy  Hill,  where  the  courts  are 
held,  in  1806.  At  that  time  Daniel  Sliipherd  was  clerk, 
and  had  his  office  in  the  nei<;hborhood  of  the  United  Pres- 


byterian church.  Subsequently  a  building  was  erected  just 
west  of  the  present  office,  which  was  used  until  1870,  when 
the  present  structuie  was  erected.  It  is  a  plaiu  but  neat 
two-story  brick,  well  arranged  with  office  conveniences. 
C.  W.  Taylor  is  the  present  clerk. 

The  county  poor-house  is  located  on  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  situated  on  lot  18,  about  two  miles 
south  of  the  village.  It  is  a  substantial  brick  building, 
erected  in  1827,  and  enlarged  to  meet  growing  demands  for 
room.  Jo.seph  Stewart  was  the  first  keeper,  and  G.  S. 
Lake  is  the  present.  The  farm  is  in  a  good  state  of  culti- 
vation, the  buildings  in  good  repair,  and  the  institution  Ls 
creditably  managed. 

REVOLUTIONARY. 

Although  Argyle  was  not  the  direct  theatre  in  which 
were  enacted  the  stirring  scenes  of  the  long  struggle  for 
independence,  some  important  incidental  events  have  trans- 
pired within  her  bounds.  The  people  felt  the  power  of  the 
heavy  hand  of  war,  and  the  toix-h  was  applied  to  many 
lowly  homes,  causing  the  occupants  to  flee  for  their  lives. 
Thus  it  appears  from  the  town  records  of  1791  that  Robert 
McNaughton,  living  on  lot  30,  was  expelled  from  his  farm 
by  the  incursions  of  the  enemy,  and  a  year  later  William 
and  Gilbert  Robert.son  petitioned  to  be  exempt  from  paying 
quitrent  for  similar  reasons.  The  conduct  of  the  treach- 
erous Indians  that  had  allied  themselves  to  Burgoyne's 
army  occasioned  especial  alarm,  and  justly  so,  for  they 
swept  through  the  country  as  with  the  besom  of  desolation. 
How  terrible  their  work,  and  how  sad  the  fate  of  those  iu 
their  pathway,  is  graphically  told  in  the  following 

REMINISCENCES  OP  THE  REVOLUTION.* 

"  Incidents  of  the  Revolution  must  be  interesting  to 
every  American  citizen,  and  particularly  so  to  the  surviving 
friends  and  relatives  of  those  immediately  connected  with 
such  incidents,  as  well  as  tliose  now  residing  in  the  vicinity 
where  such  iicidents  occurred. 

"  It  is  perhaps  worth  while  to  rescue  from  oblivion  the 
following  reliable  reminiscences  of  the  Revolution,  which  I 
had  from  various  sources,  but  particularly  from  the  lips  of 
my  aged  aunt  (lately  deceased),  who  was  eight  years  of 
age  at  the  time  these  incidents  transpired, — a  time  of  lili; 
in  which  the  memory  is  in  full  vigor.  The  impr&sions 
then  made  arc  vivid  and  lasting.  The  accumulating  cares 
and  toils  and  sorrows  of  after-life  can  never  eradicate  them. 
And  even  in  old  age,  when  the  mind  is  incapacitated  for 
receiving  new  impressions, — when  the  passing  events  of  the 
day  are  soon  obliterated,  and  leave  scarcely  a  trace  upon  the 
mind, — incidents,  even  the  most  minute,  connected  with 
youth,  or  even  childhood,  are  recalled  without  any  apparent 
effort,  with  vivid  and  startling  accuracy.  The  human  mind 
being  thus  constituted,  early  recollections  may  be  received 
as  reliable  information,  and  may  be  recorded  as  such  on  the 
historic  page. 

"  In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1777,  a  .scout ing- 
party  of  Indians,  consisting  of  eight  persons,  received  an 
injury,  or  a  supposed  injury,  from  some  wliite  persons  at 


Ry  Ihe  late  Arthur  Reid,  who  was  a  native  of  the  to 


246 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


New  Perth,  now  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  New  York,  for 
which  tiiey  were  determined  to  have  revenge. 

"  At  the  above  date,  the  inhabitants  of  New  Perth  and 
vicinity  had  erected  a  temporary  fort,  to  which  they  resorted, 
especially  at  night,  for  protection.  The  inmates  of  this 
fort,  observing  the  scouting-party  of  Indians  above  alluded 
to  prowling  around,  fired  upon  them  from  the  fort  and 
killed  one  of  their  number,  at  which  the  seven  surviving 
Indians  were  exceedingly  exasperated.  With  a  spirit  of 
revenge  rankling  in  their  bosoms,  they  swore,  according  to 
their  custom,  that  for  the  blood  of  their  comrade  they  would 
exact  the  blood  and  scalps  of  the  first  white  family  that 
came  in  tiieir  way,  as  a  plenary,  expiatory  sacrifice.  This 
oath  was  taken  in  the  presence  of  a  white  man,  a  prisoner, 
then  in  their  possession.  AVho  this  prisoner  was,  where 
he  resided,  how,  where,  and  when  they  became  in  possession 
oP  him,  is  not  now  known ;  to  each  of  these  inquiries 
history  is  silent;  and  all  that  is  known  of  his  future  history 
will  appear  in  the  sequel. 

"  The  party  of  Indians  alluded  to  was  a  part  of  a  large 
body  who  had  assembled,  according  to  previous  arrange- 
ments, at  the  place  where  the  invading  army,  under  General 
Burgoyne,  was  then  encamped,  which  was  on  the  banks  of 
the  Boquet,  a  romantic  and  picturesque  little  river  upon 
the  west  bank  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  not  far  distant  in  a 
northerly  direction  from  Crown  Point.  In  order  to  inspire 
the  savages  with  eourag-e,  General  Burgoyne  considered  it 
expedient,  in  compliance  with  their  custom,  to  give  them  a 
war-feast,  at  which  they  performed  many  rites  and  cere- 
monies peculiar  to  themselves,  indulging  in  the  most  ex- 
travagant manoeuvres,  gesticulations,  and  exulting  vocifer- 
ations, such  as  lying  in  ambush  and  displaying  their  rude 
armorial  devices,  and  dancing  and  whooping  and  yelling, 
and  brandishing  their  tomahawks  and  scalping-knives. 
Such  barbarous  conduct,  preparatory  to  engaging  in  war, 
must  have  been  looked  upon  by  the  assembled  civilized 
troops  with  suspicion  and  disgust. 

"  This  particular  band  of  Indians  was  in  command  of  an 
Iioquois  chief,  who,  i'rom  his  bloodthirsty  nature,  was 
called  Le  Loup,  the  wolf.  Ho  was  bold  and  fiercely  re- 
vengeful, adapting  him  well  to  lead  the  party  which  com- 
mitted these  atrocities. 

"About  a  month  after  the  above  date  we  find  Le  Loup 
and  his  party  in  the  vicinity  of  Salem,  as  before  related. 
Although  more  than  three-fourths  of  a  century  has  elapsed 
since  that  time,  and  although  all  the  busy  actors  of  the 
stirring  scenes  of  the  Revolution  have  passed  from  ofF  the 
stage  of  time,  yet  may  the  bloody  trail  of  these  fierce  ma- 
rauders still  be  traced. 

"  Accordingly,  Le  Loup  and  his  band  started  from  Salem, 
en  route  to  the  place  where  the  van  of  the  invading  army, 
under  General  Burgoyne,  was  then  encamped,  which  was 
about  four  miles  north  of  Fort  Edward,  with  a  full  deter- 
mination of  massacring  and  scalping  the  first  white  family 
that  came  in  their  way. 

"  My  grandfather's — Duncan  SIcArthur — family  was  the 
first  that  came  in  the  Indians'  way  on  their  direct  route 
from  Salem  to  the  encampment.  At  that  epoch  the  country 
was  exceedingly  sparsely  settled.  The  margins  of  streams 
and  lakes  were  dotted  .here  and  there  by  small  clearings ; 


the  vast  intervening  wilderness  was  almost  entirely  unin- 
habited, except  by  the  Indians  and  the  wild  beasts  of  the 
forest.  At  that  time  a  few  families  had  settled  along  the 
right  bank  of  the  On-du-wa,  now  Batten  Kill,  between 
what  is  now  called  Fitch's  Point  and  the  bend  of  the  Kill, 
about  two  miles  north  of  Battenville.  The  Indians  passed 
north  of  this  settlement. 

"  My  grandfather's  family  consisted  of  six  persons,  viz. : 
the  parents  and  four  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  ten, 
and  the  youngest  four  years  of  age. 

"  As  the  Indians  approached  the  clearing  upon  which 
the  dwelling  stood  they  halted  in  an  opening  in  the  forest, 
according  to  their  custom,  in  order  to  make  preparations 
for  executing  their  fiendish  design.  They  examined  their 
implements  of  warfare ;  they  looked  at  the  powder  with 
which  their  fire-anns  were  loaded  ;  they  picked  their  gun- 
flints;  they  sharpened  their  tomahawks  and  scalping-knives, 
and  returned  their  gleaming  blades  into  sockets  prepared 
for  their  reception,  in  broad  leathern  belts  around  their 
swarthy  waists,  to  be  drawn  the  instant  they  were  needed  ; 
they  put  their  ammunition  in  the  most  convenient  place 
for  momentary  use.  After  partaking  of  a  hasty  repast,— 
the  material  of  which  was  a  fruit  of  their  plunder, — they 
painted  in  spots  their  faces,  necks,  and  shoulders  with  a 
thick  coat  of  vermilion,  and  arrayed  themselves  with  their 
customary  ornaments  of  warfare.  Thus  the  naturally 
savage  and  ferocious  appearance  of  the  Indians  was  greatly 
enhanced  by  the  artificial  lueans  studiousl}'  employed  by 
them,  in  order  to  make  themselves  appear  more  hideous 
and  terrific  to  their  enemies.  Nature  and  art  being  thus 
combined  in  producing  the  ferocious  and  terrifying  appear- 
ance of  the  savage,  this  appearance  needs  only  to  be  accom- 
panied by  his  characteristic  yell, — so  much  dreaded  by  the 
early  settlers, — to  strike  terror  to  the  bravest  spirit,  and 
to  make  the  stoutest  heart  quail.  All  things  being  now 
ready  for  the  expected  conflict,  the  munitions  of  war 
having  been  put  in  the  best  possible  order,  Le  Loup  and 
his  party  moved  slowly  forward  with  stealthy  steps  to  the 
very  edge  of  the  forest,  and  again  halted  in  order  to  take 
a  survey  of  the  premises  around  the  house,  and  to  mature 
a  particular  plan  of  attack.  They  were  particularly  cautious 
not  to  expose  themselves  to  view  from  the  house,  con- 
cealing themselves  behind  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  cautiously 
peering  through  small  interstices  in  the  foliage.  After 
having  made  as  thorough  an  examination  of  the  house  and 
its  surroundings  as  the  circumstances  would  admit,  they 
retired  a  short  distance,  and  assembled  in  council. 

"  It  was  so  ordered  by  the  overruling  hand  of  Provi- 
dence that  on  that  very  day — an  unusual  occurrence — two 
men  from  a  distant  neighborhood  were  assisting  my  grand- 
father in  harnessing  and  breaking  a  young  horse.  The 
Indians,  on  discovering  three  men  about  the  premises, 
were  not  a  little  disconcerted.  They  were  still  more  in- 
timidated on  discovering  what  they  took  to  be  three  dwell- 
ings on  the  place.  The  temporary  dwelling  that  my  grand- 
father had  first  erected  was  still  standing,  and  also  a  rude 
barn  erected  about  the  same  time,  making  three  buildings 
on  the  place,  with  the  one  the  family  lived  in.  The 
Indians  were  led  into  the  belief  that  each  of  these  build- 
ings was  occupied  by  a  distinct  family,  from  the  fact  of 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


247 


there  being  three  men  about  the  place.  They  hesitated 
about  making  an  assault  upon  the  house.  Accordingly, 
they  convened  a  council  to  take  into  consideration  the 
practicability  of  carrying  out  their  premeditated  plan. 
The  members  of  the  council  were  divided  in  their  opinions; 
but  the  probability  of  there  being  three  families  on  the 
premises  had  the  preponderance.  It  caused  them  to  hesi- 
tate, and  finally  to  abandon  the  undertaking. 

"  Thus,  by  the  interposition  of  a  kind  Providence,  a  foniily 
was  saved  from  a  fearful  doom.  If  the  overruling  hand  of 
Providence  liad  not  directed  the  footsteps  of  the  two  men 
thither,  undoubtedly  the  fiimily  would  have  fallen  a  sacri- 
fice to  the  relentless  cruelty  of  the  savages. 

"  Although  Le  Loup  and  his  comrades  had  been  frustrated 
in  accomplishing  their  design  upon  the  family,  and  were  not 
a  little  irritated  and  chagrined  at  the  failure,  yet  their  thirst 
for  blood  was  not  at  all  abated.  After  they  had  abandoned 
tho  undertaking,  they  passed  rapidly  onward,  with  elastic 
step,  in  Indian  file,  winding  along  among  the  umbrageous 
forest-trees.  In  about  an  hour  from  the  time  they  started 
they  came  in  sight  of  a  clearing  upon  which  a  dwelling 
stood,  occupied  by  a  family  by  the  name  of  Allen.  As  the 
Indians  nearcd  the  clearing  they  slackened  their  pace,  and 
as  they  approached  still  nearer  they  used  more  caution, 
looking  in  every  direction  to  see  that  they  were  not  discov- 
ered, and  finally,  with  muffled  steps,  they  proceeded  to  the 
very  edge  of  the  forest  in  order  to  get  a  view  of  the  premises. 
It  was  wheat  harvest ;  the  men  were  in  the  field  reaping 
their  grain.  The  Indians,  after  having  recounoitered  the 
place  as  well  as  they  could  without  being  discovered  from 
the  field  or  the  house,  held  a  short  consultation,  and  unani- 
mously agreed,  as  it  was  near  mid-day,  to  wait  till  the  men 
in  the  field  went  into  the  house  to  dinner.  They  considered 
that  time  as  the  most  favoi'able  opportunity  to  approach  the 
house  undiscovered,  and  to  perpetrate  their  diabolical  design 
upon  the  family. 

"  From  the  house  that  the  Indians  had  just  left,  Mr. 
Allen's  dwelling  was  situated  at  the  distance  of  about  two 
miles,  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  and  about  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  northeasterly  from  the  present  South  Argyle. 
The  land  upon  which  the  house  stood  is  now  owned  by 
Charles  T.  Fullerton,  and  is  situated  at  the  distance  of  about 
twenty  rods  in  an  easterly  direction,  on  a  rise  of  ground, 
from  the  residence  of  Mr.  Fullerton,  and  about  the  same 
distance  in  a  southerly  direction  from  the  dwelling  of  Archi- 
bald Armstrong,  Jr. 

"  Mr.  John  Allen's  family,  for  the  time  being,  consisted 
of  nine  persons,  viz. :  himself  and  Mrs.  Allen,  and  three 
children,  and  temporarily  residing  in  the  family,  Sirs. 
Allen's  sister,  two  colored  men,  and  a  colored  woman. 
These  colored  people  were  slaves  owned  by  Mr.  George 
Kilmore,  who  was  Mr.  Allen's  father-in-law.  George  Kil- 
more  (or  Yerry,  the  German  name  by  which  he  was  then 
called,  George  being  the  English  of  Yerry)  resided  in  a 
northerly  direction,  at  the  distance  of  about  three  miles  from 
Mr.  Allen's  house.  Mr.  Kilmore's  house  was  situated  on 
the  northern  suburbs  of  the  present  Argyle  village,  on  the 
left  bank  of  Moses  Kill. 

"  On  Friday  morning  Mr.  Kilniure  sent  three  slaves  to 
assist  his  son-in-law  harvest  his  wheat.      Mrs.  Allen's  sister 


went  along  with  them.  Whether  the  slave  woman  was 
assisting  harvest  the  grain,  or  whether  she  was  assisting 
about  the  domestic  affairs  of  the  house,  is  not  known.  The 
reapei-s  were  in  the  harvest-field  when  the  Indians  arrived, 
as  before  related. 

"  There  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  time  when  the  ma.ssacre 
occurred,  .some  placing  the  date  as  Saturday,  July  26,  and 
others  Friday,  July  25,  1777.  All  the  circumstances  seem 
to  indicate  the  latter  as  the  more  probable  date. 

"  It  will  be  recollected  that  we  left  the  Indians  waiting 
till  the  reapers  retired  from  the  field  to  dinner.  They  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  wait  quietly  till  the  time  arrived.  All 
their  paraphernalia  of  warfare  had  been  put  in  order  for  the 
occasion,  as  before  related,  and  had  not  been  used,  and  was 
still  iu  readinass.  The  time  fixed  for  the  perpetration  of  the 
deed  was  rapidly  approaching.  The  prisoner  made  an  earnest 
request  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  remain  behind,  and  not  be 
compelled  to  witness  the  heartrending  scene.  The  Indians 
at  first  seemed  disinclined  to  grant  his  request,  but,  after 
the  prisoner  had  made  repeated  earnest  entreaties  to  spare 
his  feelings,  they  finally  consented  to  grant  his  request. 
Accordingly,  it  was  agreed  that  one  of  the  Indians  was  to 
remain  with  him  and  guard  him,  while  the  others  were  to 
go  forward  and  execute  the  deed. 

"  Hark  !  the  signal  for  dinner  was  announced  from  the 
house.  The  men  retired  from  the  field  to  the  house.  The 
family  sat  down  to  their  last  dinner.  Little  did  they  think 
that  the  signal  inviting  them  to  the  table  was  also  the  sig- 
nal for  the  approach  of  the  mes.sengers  of  death.  But  no 
time  was  now  to  be  lost ;  the  Indians  forthwith  issued  from 
the  forest  with  all  their  hideousness  and  blood-thirstings, 
and  approached  the  house,  and,  with  a  terrific  yell,  they — 
But  what  followed  can  only  be  gathered  from  the  different 
positions  in  which  the  different  members  of  the  fomily 
were  found,  as  no  eye  saw  it,  save  the  All-seeing  Eye,  and 
the  eyes  of  the  perpetrators  of  the  deed. 

"  Although  more  than  eighty-one  years  have  elapsed 
since  that  time,  and  although  the  actors  in  that  frightful 
scene  have  probably  long  since  departed  this  life,  yet  even 
now,  in  attempting  to  describe  the  horrible  scene  that  pre- 
sented itself  after  the  awful  tragedy  was  enacted,  the  imag- 
ination sickens,  and  a  noticeable  tremulousness  of  our  pen 
may  be  observed  as  we  write. 

"  Mr.  Allen  was  found  at  the  distance  of  a  few  rods  iu  a 
northerly  direction  from  the  house,  about  midway  between 
the  house  and  barn.  It  is  supposed  that  when  alarmed  by 
the  Indians  he  had  escaped  through  a  back  door  or  win- 
dow, and  had  proceeded  thus  fiir  when  shot  down  by  the 
Indians.  Mrs.  Allen,  her  sister,  and  the  youngest  child 
were  found  in  the  same  direction  from  the  house  with  that 
of  Mr.  Allen,  but  nearer,  and  had  probably  got  out  of  the 
house  in  the  same  way.  It  is  likely  that  the  women  had 
hold  of  the  child's  hands,  and  were  escaping  with  all  pos- 
sible speed,  when  overtaken  by  the  Indians,  tomahawked, 
and  scalped.  The  other  two  children,  when  alarmed  by  tho 
Indians,  had  secreted  themselves  in  a  bed,  and  were  there 
found  tomahawked  and  scalped.  One  of  the  colored  men 
was  found  with  his  body  in  the  house,  his  back  downwards, 
his  head  protruding  from  tho  door,  his  neck  across  the 
threshold,   his   body  gashed   and   mutilated   in   a   horrible 


248 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTi',  NEW   YORK. 


manner,  his  scalp  torn  off,  and  his  lips  skinned  and  turned 
back  on  his  face  and  chin,  thus  presenting  a  shocking  sight. 
From  the  numerous  wounds  found  inflicted  on  his  body,  it 
is  supposed  that  he  made  a  dcsparate  resistance,  and  prob- 
ably wounded  .some  of  the  Indians,  and,  in  order  to  gratify 
their  revengeful  dispositions,  they  thus  mutilated  his  body, 
and  left  it  in  this  condition.  The  position  in  which  the 
colored  woman  and  the  other  colored  man  were  found  is  not 
distinctly  recollected.  Thus,  in  and  around  the  hou.se,  lay 
nine  inanimate  gory  bodies,  their  scalps  torn  off,  and  their 
bloodshot  eyes  protruding  fearfully  from  their  sockets. 

"  Mr.  Kilmore  expected  his  daughter  and  slaves  home  on 
Friday  evening,  but  as  they  did  not  return  at  that  time,  he 
supposed  that  they  had  not  finished  harvesting  the  wheat, 
and  that  they  would  return  in  the  forepart  of  the  succeed- 
ing day.  But  hour  after  hour  of  that  day  passed  away, 
and  they  did  not  return.  Mr.  Kilmore  waited,  with  the 
expectation  that  they  would  make  their  appearance,  until  it 
was  too  late  to  send  and  ascertain  the  cause  of  their  de- 
tention. On  the  next  (Sabbath)  morning  he  sent  a  colored 
lad  on  horseback  to  find  out  the  reason  why  they  were  thus 
detained.  As  the  boy  approached  the  house,  the  keen- 
scented  horse  stopped,  and  refused  to  go  forward, — he 
snielled  the  blood  of  the  slaughtered  family.  It  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  horse  was  urged  forward  till 
his  rider  got  a  view  of  the  appalling  scene.  He  was  not 
long  in  conveying  the  fearful  tidings  home.  A  few  men  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Kilmore's  assembled  on  that  day 
and  buried  the  dead.  The  men,  while  performing  the  burial 
.service,  were  greatly  afraid  of  the  return  of  the  Indians. 
Whilst  some  stood  with  rifles  in  their  hands,  the  others 
dug  two  graves,  and  spread  a  sheet  in  each,  and  deposited 
the  bodies  of  the  whites  in  one  grave,  and  the  blacks  in  the 
other.  Although  the  plow  now  passes  over  the  ground 
where  the  house  stood,  and  where  the  graves  were  made, 
yet  their  situation  can  still  be  pointed  out.  Until  recently, 
boards  have  been  kept  up  at  the  graves  to  designate  the 
spot.  Two  aged  apple-trees  stand  near  the  place,  and  it 
is  supposed  they  were  young  trees  at  the  time  the  scene 
was  enacted  ;  if  so,  they  are  living  witness  of  that  eventful 
tragedy. 

"  On  Monday  evening  following,  the  news  of  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  Allen  family  reached  my  great-grandfather's, 
who  resided  some  two  miles  north  of  Battenville,  on  what 
is  latterly  known  as  Dwellie's  hill.  When  the  information 
of  the  foul  murder  had  arrived,  the  family  thought  it  was' 
more  than  probable  that  their  near  family  relatives  had 
also  became  the  victims  of  savage  cruelty,  from  the  fact  of 
their  nearness  to  the  massacred  family.  In  order  to  relieve 
the  awful  suspense  under  which  the  family  labored,  Archi- 
bald Campbell,  my  grandmother's  brother,  was  determined 
to  ascertain  what  might  be  the  truth  of  the  matter.  He 
endeavored  to  get  some  one  to  accompany  him  in  his  un- 
dertaking, but  as  no  one  seemed  willing  to  go,  he  was 
about  to  start  alone,  when  Mr.  Neil  Gillaspie  (whose 
daughter,  Mrs.  Bain,  is  still  living  at  an  advanced  age  in 
the  township  of  Argylc)  volunteered  to  accompany  him. 
The  two  started  on  hoi-seback,  under  the  covert  of  the 
night  and  the  forest-trees, — the  distance  being  about  four 
miles, — with  the  expectation  of  bringing  back — if,  indeed. 


they  came  back — mournful  tidings  respecting  the  fate  of 
the  family.  When  they  were  within  about  half  a  mile 
of  the  clearing,  they  dismounted  and  tied  their  horses  to 
trees,  and  proceeded  on  foot  in  order  to  make  as  little 
noise  as  po.ssible.  They  considered  it  expedient  to  ap- 
proach the  house  with  great  caution  ;  for  they  were  ap- 
prehensive thiit  the  family  had  been  massacred,  and  that 
the  Indians  miglit  still  be  lurking  about  the  place  or  had 
perhaps  taken  up  a  temporary  residence  in  the  house.  As 
the  two  man  crossed  the  stream  on  the  south  side  of  the 
house,  they  were  not  a  little  alarmed  at  liearing  something 
that  resembled  the  groans  of  a  person.  This  groaning, 
intermingling  with  the  murmuring  of  the  water  in  the 
stillness  of  the  night,  sounded  dolefully  upon  their  cars. 
They  supposed  that  the  family  had  been  murdered,  and 
that  the  groans  proceeded  from  some  of  the  members  of  it 
who  had  been  left  for  dead.  But  on  a  more  particular  ex- 
amination, they  ascertained  that  the  noise  proceeded  from 
a  swine-sty,  and  was  occasioned  by  the  snoring  of  its 
inmates.  Encouraged  by  this  discovery,  they  went  for- 
ward to  the  barn-yard,  and  there  found  the  cattle  lying, 
quietly  chewing  their  cuds.  They  looked  upon  this  as  a 
good  sign  that  all  was  safe.  They  proceeded  to  the  gate 
that  led  to  the  house,  and  found  it  shut.  They  considered 
this  another  good  sign ;  for  if  the  Indians  had  been  there, 
they  would  likely  have  left  the  gate  open,  and  all  would 
have  been  in  confusion.  And  finally,  they  groped  their 
way  to  the  house,  and  found  its  inmates  sleeping  soundly, 
— unconscious  of  any  danger.  This  was  the  first  intima- 
tion of  the  probable  danger  they  had  been  in,  and  of  what 
had  befallen  the  Allen  family.  But  as  yet  they  knew 
nothing  about  the  council  of  Indians  that  had  convened  a 
few  rods  from  the  house  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
their  fate. 

"  Although  the  family  wore  not  fully  aware  of  the  great 
danger  they  had  been  in,  yet  they  knew  sufficient  to  alarm 
them  greatly.  Without  delay,  they  arranged  their  affairs 
as  well  as  they  could,  and  started  that  night  for  Duncan 
Campbell's.  They  put  the  children  on  the  horses,  and 
groping  their  way  through  the  dense  forest,  arrived  in 
safety  at  the  place  of  destination. 

"  At  this  time,  a  few  families  had  taken  up  their  resi- 
dence at  the  head  of  the  Cossayuna  lake,  and  in  that 
vicinity.  On  the  northern  margin  of  the  lake  one  of 
these  families  lived,  whose  name  was  McEachron.  The 
maternal  head  of  this  liousehold  was  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
George  Kilmore,  and  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Allen's,  whose 
melancholy  fate  is  recorded  on  a  preceding  page.  The 
lineal  descendants  of  Peter  McEachron 's  family  reside,  at 
the  present  day,  only  a  few  feet  distant  from  the  same 
place. 

"  On  hearing  of  the  direful  calamity  that  had  befallen 
their  near  relatives,  this  family,  with  the  others  in  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood,  resorted  without  delay  to  the  Cos- 
sayuna island,  as  the  nearest  place  of  comparative  safety. 
This  island,  as  before  stated,  was  situated  towards  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  lake,  and  nearly  equidistant, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  rods,  from  the  west,  north, 
and  east  shore  of  the  lake  ;  and  towards  the  south  the  lake 
extended  to  the  distance  of  some  two  or  three  miles. 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


249 


"  These  terror-stricken  families  disposed  of  tlieir  tempo- 
ralities as  well  as  they  could  ;  and  taking  along  with  them 
such  of  their  effects  as  could  be  easily  removed,  including 
some  of  the  smallest  of  their  domestic  animals,  they  re- 
moved to  the  island,  and  there  encamped  for  the  space  of 
two  or  three  weeks.  In  choosing  a  location  for  tlieir  en- 
campment, they  were  particularly  careful  to  select  a  spot 
that  was  well  screened  by  the  thick  foliage  of  the  surround- 
ing forest-trees,  in  order  to  prevent  exposure  from  the  lake- 
shore.  During  the  time  they  sojourned  there  they  were 
continually  apprehensive  that  they  would  be  ferreted  out 
by  the  keen-scented  savages.  In  order  to  secure  their 
safety,  if  possible,  they  took  turns  in  standing  sentinels, 
especiallj'  during  the  silent  watches  of  the  night.  The 
sentinels  were  stationed  so  that  they  could  have  a  command- 
ing view  in  all  directions ;  and  if  the  Indians  attempted  to 
approach  the  island  with  stealth  and  muffled  oars  they  could 
give  the  alarm  to  their  companions,  and  thus  be  prepared 
to  make  a  defense.  The  party  on  the  island  deemed  it 
necessary  to  keep  as  quiet  as  possible,  so  as  not  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  Indians.  They  used  every  means  in 
their  power  to  prevent  the  wailing  of  their  younger  chil- 
dren and  the  boisterousness  of  those  that  were  older,  the 
barking  of  their  hunting  dogs,  and  the  crowing  and  cack- 
ling of  their  fowls ;  for  they  were  fearful  that  the  noise 
occasioned  by  their  bipeds  and  quadrupeds  would  reveal 
their  whereabouts  to  the  lurking  savages.  But  when  Bur- 
goyne  had  left  Fort  Edward,  and  the  Indians  had  disappeared 
from  around  the  lake,  these  families  cautiously  returned  to 
their  former  homes. 

"  Dismayed  and  terrified,  the  settlers  no  longer  relied 
upon  Burgoyne's  promised  protection.  The  panic-stricken 
patriots  and  loyalists,  on  hearing  of  the  massacre  of  the 
Allen  family,  and  other  similar  depredations  committed  by 
the  Indians,  fled  with  all  possible  speed  to  some  place  of 
protection. 

"  Most  of  the  families  residing  along  the  On-da-wa,  or 
Batten  Kill,  and  in  that  vicinity,  went  to  Fort  Edward,  and 
among  them  was  our  ancestral  family.  After  the  different 
families  had  arranged  their  respective  affairs  as  hastily  as 
possible,  they  assembled  and  started  for  Fort  Edward,  tak- 
ing along  with  them  some  indispensable  necessaries,  and 
driving  their  cattle  before  them.  The  company  went  by 
way  of  my  grandfather's,  and  thence  to  the  place  where 
the  Allen  family  were  murdered.  There  the  party  made  a 
halt,  and  took  a  melancholy  view  of  the  place  where  the 
bloody  tragedy  had  been  so  recently  enacted.  Among  other 
things  that  attracted  their  notice  was  a  bloody  cap — with 
a  long  cut  in  it,  made  by  the  blade  of  a  tomahawk — lying 
on  a  stump,  that  had  been  worn  by  one  of  the  family  at 
the  time  of  the  murder.  After  taking  a  brief  survey  of 
the  place,  they  hastened  on  towards  the  encampment. 

"  From  Friday  afternoon,  the  25th  of  July,  until  Sab- 
bath morning  following,  the  whereabouts  of  Le  Loup  and 
his  band  cannot  now  be  designated.  But  on  that  morning 
they  made  their  appearance  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  north 
of  Fort  Edward,  and  then  and  there  a  shocking  tragedy 
was  enacted;  and  well  may  it  be  said,  in  reference  to  it, 
that  '  truth  is  stranger  than  fiction.'  It  was  the  massacre 
of  Miss  Jane  McCrea,  an  amiable  and  intelligent  lady, 
32 


under  peculiar  circumstances.  She  was  attired  in  her  wed- 
ding-dress, and  about  to  be  joined  in  marriage  to  Mr.  David 
Jones,  who  was  an  officer  in  the  British  army.  The  indig- 
nant patriots,  on  hearing  of  the  atrocious  conduct  of  the 
Indians,  were  fired  with  an  extra  stimulus,  and  were  deter- 
mined to  make  a  desperate  effort  to  avenge  these  cruelties, 
and  to  free  themselves  from  the  arbitrary  domination  of 
Great  Britain.  Not  allowing  their  excited  passions  to  cool, 
the  colonists,  with  all  possible  ha.ste,  rushed  from  the  moun- 
tain sides  and  the  intervening  valleys,  and  from  the  extended 
plains,  to  the  battle-field,  and  by  their  daring  deeds  of  valor 
forced  General  Burgoyne  and  his  army  into  an  uncondi- 
tional surrender.  This  defeat  exerted  a  deleterious  effect 
upon  the  whole  of  the  British  arms  in  America,  and  event- 
ually resulted  in  the  withdrawal  of  the  whole  army.  It  is 
possible  that  the  blood  of  the  victims,  shed  by  savage 
cruelty,  sealed  the  fate  of  the  American  Revolution." 

MILITARY. 

Among  those  who  rendered  service  as  soldiers  of  the 
Revolution  was  John  Smith.  He  was  once  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Indians,  and  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life.  John 
Taylor  did  service  in  the  patriot  cause  as  a  teamster,  and 
others  served  in  various  capacities. 

In  1812  a  number  responded,  and  hastened  with  alacrity 
to  the  defense  of  the  northern  frontier  as  members  of  the 
118th  N.  Y^.  Regt.  Jesse  S.  Leigh  was  a  paymaster  in 
the  above  organization.  John  Ross,  Duncan  Taylor,  Henry 
Smith,  James  Bain,  Asa  Bristol,  and  John  Todd  were 
among  the  men  that  went  to  Plattsburg. 

In  the  support  of  the  government,  in  the  trying  hours 
of  the  late  civil  war,  the  town  was  not  wanting.  Appro- 
priations were  frequently  voted,  at  annual  and  special  meet- 
ings called  for  this  purpose,  to  encourage  enlistments,  and 
the  taxes  for  this  purpose  aggregated  nearly  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  Wm.  Congdon,  P.  C.  Hitchcock,  James 
M.  Hall,  Alex.  Barclay,  John  McCall,  and  David  Hall 
were  a  war  committee,  and  their  action  secured  the  requi- 
site quotas. 

Appended  hereto  is  a  list  of  the  citizens  of  Argyle  who 
did  service  for  their  country  in  the  Rebellion  : 

Jolm  Armstrong,  pnl.  Dec.  29,  186:i,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  H ;  discli.  Aug.  29,  186.5. 

William  Anintning,  enl.  Deo.  29,  ISO),  ICth  Ait.,  Co.  H ;  died  of  dise.Tse  nt 
Wilsoirs  WImrf,  Dec.  19, 1864. 

Chfiilea  A.  Ackley,  eul.  Dec.  29,  1863,  10th  Art.,  Co.  H;  disch.  Aug.  29,  1805. 

■William  J.  Armstrong,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  Jan.  4, 1804. 

John  Bain,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  F;  liisch.  June  8,  1805. 

Orlando  D.  Beattie,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch  June  8,  1805. 

William  Bready,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1802,  123d  Uegt.,  Co.F;  wounded  at  Chantollors- 
ville  ;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 

Garner  Baker,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1802, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  F;  wounded  and  taken  pris- 
oner May  3, 1863;  died. 

George  K.  Bain,  enl.  July  31,  1802,  123d  Regt,,  Co.  F;  disch.  Nov.  30,  1862. 

James  D.  Brown,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

William  J.  Bain,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1801,  9.id  Regt.,  Co.  X. 

Heury  P.  Briggs,  enl.  Nov.  7, 18(11,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

James  C.  Brijrgs,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 

Zachariah  D.  Baird,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  93d  Hegt.,  Co.  I. 

David  Bain,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Ileriry  V.  D.  Brown,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 

Walter  C.  Brlggs,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

HaUey  Brislol,  enl.  Dec.  29.  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  H. 

James  M.  Crawford,  2a  liuut.;  eul.  Nov.  15,  1861,  93.1  Regt;  pro.  to  chap.  ; 
discli.  Junes,  1865. 

Andrew  L.  Crawford,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  pro,  to  1st 
lieut. ;  diM-li.  .1 ^8,  18i;.'>, 

James  H.  Crawford,  eul.  Aug.  13,  1802,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  d  sell.  June  8,  1865. 


250 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


James  K.  Cronk,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  Kegt^  Co.  F ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg ; 

disch.  March  3,  1805. 
James  H.  Conklin,  cnl.  Aug.  4,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  disch.  Mny  18,  1863. 
James  Currons,  eul.  Aug.  13, 1802,  133d  Regt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Walter  Chapman,  eul.  Dec.  26, 1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  Aug.  29,  1806. 
Chirk  Curtis,  enl.  July  31,  1862, 123d  Uegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  July  7,  1803. 
Wni.  B.  Caiul>ljell,  enl.  Aug.  U,  1S02, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wounded  May  25, 1804  ; 

disch.  Juno  8.  ISCi. 
Charles  Carter,  enl.  Aug.  10, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 186:!. 
Wni.  J.  Copeland,  enl.  Aug.  17,  1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Simon  D.  Curtis,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1802,  12  id  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  July  15,  186.3. 
Joseph  Cart%vright,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  I23d  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  died  in  New  York, 

April  21,  1865. 
George  Congdon,  enl.  Dec.  19, 1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  H;  died  at  Elmira,  Feb.  28, 

•  1864. 

Henry  C.  Carter,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  trans,  to  COtli  N.  Y.  Inf. 
J.acob  Dings,  eul.  Aug.  31,  1861,  44th  Regt.,  Co.  K;  wounded;  disch.  Oct.  II, 

1864. 
Charles  Dings,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  I23d  Reg(.,  Co.  F;  prisoner  March  9,  1865; 

disch.  June  17,  1805. 
James  S.  Dobbin,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  in  q.m.  dept.;  disch. 

May  27,  1865. 
Schuyler  Durkee,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  pro.  to  corp. ;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
Thomas  Dennison,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Martin  Davis,  enl.  Nov.  7,  I86I,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Ezra  Durham,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I, 

Alva  Durkee,  enl.  Dec.  7,  1863;  in  Libby  prison,  1804;  disch.  Aug.  29,  180.5. 
Phineas  F.  Dunn,  enl.  123d  Regt,,  Co.  A. 

Stokes  Ellsworth,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1S62,  liSd  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Wui.  11.  Emerson,  enl.  Aug.  9,1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  died  at  Stafford  Court- 

House,  Va.,  Feb.  10,  1863. 
Henry  Everett,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

George  H.  Farnsivorth,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1663, 16th  Art.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  Aug.  29, 1805. 
John  French,  enl.  July  31,  1862,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  sergt.;  disch.  June 

8,  1866. 
Russell  Fnllertou,  enl.  Aug.  31,  1802,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wounded;  pro.  to  Corp.; 

disclj.  March  14, 1865. 
Simoon  IS.  Foster,  enl.  Nov.  7,  I80I,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Cortland  Faxon,  e:il.  Dec.  6,  1801,  OJd  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
James  Gilchrist,  blacksmith;  enl.  Sept.  1861,  7th   Cav.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  April  3, 

1802. 
Michael  Gleason,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  1. 
Augustus  A.  Gorham,  cnl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  O-Jd  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
William  W.  Hawkins,  enl.  Dec.  0,  I86I,  93J  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  sorgt. ;  wounded ; 

disch.  July  12,  1665 ;  died  Aug.  6, 1870,  Ironi  eflects  of  wound. 
Henry  C.  Hopkins,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  Aug.  26,  1863. 
Theodore  Haggart,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Regt,  Co.  F;    died  at  Harper's 

Ferry,  Va,,  Jan.  6, 1863. 
Taylor  A.  Hopkins,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  killed  at  Peach-Tree 

Creek,  July  20,  1804. 
Henry  C.  Hutchens,  cnl.  Aug.  .5,  1862,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  died  at  Fairfax  Sta- 
tion, Va.,  Jan.  15,  1863. 
Lewis  R.  Harsha,  cnl.  June  0,  1801,  22d  Uegt.,  Co.  B;  disch.  June,  1863. 
I.ynnin  Howard,  Jr.,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  Oid  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Samuel  K.  Huggius,  eid.  Nov.  7, 1861,  93d  Regt., Co.  I. 
Geoigc  Henry,  enl.  Nov.  11,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
James  T.  Hoy,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wouniled  Sl.ay  10,  1864,  Re- 

saca,  Ga.;  disch.  Juno  8,  1865. 
David  Irvin,  cnl.  Aug.  4,  1862,  12:)d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wounded  April  10, 1S05,  at 

Goldsboro' ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Henry  Irvin,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps  ; 

disch.  June  28,  1805. 
Edward  T.  Jackson,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Samuel  Johnson,  cnl.  Sept.  4, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
William  T.  Knickerbocker,  enl.  July  31,  1802,  12  id  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wuunded; 

trans,  to  Invalid  Corps;  disch.  July  3,  1865. 
Ebenezer  Kinney,  eul.  Aug.  8, 1862,  123d  Kegt,,  Co.  F  ;  wounded  July  20,  180J, 

at  Peach-Tree  Creek,  Ga. 
James  Kelly,  cnl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
John  Kenyon,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  Old  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Archiliald  Killmer,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1802;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Duncan  Londrum,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.  ISUI,  22d  Regt. 
William  Lackey,  cnl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 12.id  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  wounded;  .lis.h.  June 

11,  1865. 
Samuel  A.  Lester,  enl.  Dec.  29, 186  i,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  K;  disch.  Aug.  29, 1865. 
William  A.  Lant,  enl.  Aug.  20,  IS62, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  March  16,  1863. 
Joseph  La  Port,  enl.  Aug.  1,  1862,  12  Id  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  discli.  March  27,  1863. 
Alexander  I).  Lester,  eul.  Nov.  7, 1861,  9  id  Eegt.,  Co.  I. 
Morgan  Lulher,  enl.  Dec.  10,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
John  Lotrace,  enl.  Dec.  18.  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Erskiiio  Lester,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  U. 
Zenas  Langworthy,  enl.  Nov.  30,  1861,  9!il  Regt. 
Andrew  II.  McWhorter,  enl.  Aug.  5, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  corp. ;  lost 

right  arm;  di.sch.  June  15,  1863. 
William   H.  Blorrisju,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862,  123d  Begf.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 

ISO.). 


George  McKibben,  enl.  Aug.  1, 1862,  I2:id  Regt,  Co.  F;  killed  at  C^ancellors- 

villc.  May  3,  1863. 
George  Mickel,  onl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Joseph  M.  BIcMurray,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wou]ided ;  disch. 

Feb.  15,  1863. 
Jacob  Mickel,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  I23d  Regt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1863. 
Patrick  Malone,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Regt,  Co.  F. 
William  J.  McCollum,  enl.  July  31,  1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  sergt.; 

disch.  June  8,  1865. 
John  K.  McMillan,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  pro  to  sergt;  disch. 

May  27,  1865. 
Sylvester  McMurray,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  pro.  to  sergt. ;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
John  Miirlin,  enl.  Aug. 6,  1862,  12.3d  Regt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  Corp.;  wounded;  lust 

right  leg;  disch.  July  19,  1865. 
Daniel  M.  McClellan,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862,123d  Regt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  Corp.;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
Duncan  E.  McDougi\ll,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  Corp.; 

disch.  Junes,  1865. 
John  McCluskey,  musician  ;  enl.  July  31, 1862,  123d  Regt,  (k).  F;  disch.  June 

8,  1865. 
Moses  L.  McNeil,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co  F  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Matthew  McCandless,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1802, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  9, 1863. 
Alexander  I.  McDougall,  enl.  Aug.  9,1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  9, 

1863. 
Joseph  H.  Morrish,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  F ;  died  at  Atlanta,  Ga., 

of  dropsy,  Oct  28,  1864. 
John  Murray,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123.1  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 
John  McPhillips,  enl.  Dec.  31,  1863, 16tli  Art,  Co.  K. 
William  Mabb,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Hugh  .Martin,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Eegt,  Co.  I. 
James  McLane,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Rigt,  Co.  I. 
Patrick  McCall,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  I. 

Sylvester  McMorris,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
William  J.  Nelson,  enl.  July  30,  1862,  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
James  E.  Perry,  enl.  Aug.  T,  1862,  123d  Regt ,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Robert  A.  Pendergniss,  enl.  .lug.  11,1802,123d  Regt,  Co.  F;  disch.  Juno  8,1805. 
Duncan  A.  Peterson,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123,1  Eegt,  Co.  F;  tiiken  prisoner.  May 

3,  1S63;  disch.  June  8,  18C5. 
Duncan  Eobortson,  capt ;  onl.  Aug.  11,  1862.  12id  Eogt.Co.F;  disch.  June  8, 

1865. 
Williiuii  Randies,  1st  lieut. ;  enl.  Nov.  1.5,  1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  A  ;  pro.  to  capt. ; 

wounded;  disch.  April  5,  1865. 
James  M.  Ronan,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  sergt.;  died  of 

wounds,  June  24, 18i;4. 
Donald  Reid,  1st  lieut;  enl.   Aug.  4,  1862,  12:id  Bcgt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 

1865. 
Robert  S.  Robertson,  enl.  Nov.  16,  1861,  9  Id  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
John  E.  Rice,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1862,   lOlh  Art,  Co.  11;    pro.  to  artificer;  disch. 

Aug.  29,  1805. 
William  J   Rice,  enl.  Feb.  9,  1864,  16th  Art,  Co.  H;  disch.  Aug.  29,  1865. 
Peter  D.  Robbins,  eul.  Aug.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  F ;  wounded  ;  disch.  March 

30,  1804. 
George  H.  Robinson,  enl.  Aug.  21,  18G2;  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F;  lost  right  arm; 

d  sch.  June  5, 1865. 
Orville  C.  Robinson,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co  F;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Charies  W.  EobinsOLi,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1863,  16th  Art,  Co.  11 ;  disch.  Aug.  29,  1863. 
John  K.  Eeckstraw,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Alexander  Robinson,  enl.  Aug.  18(i2,  123d   Regt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  Corp.;  disch. 

Dec.  I,  1862. 
George  Robinson,  2d  lieut ;  old.  Aug.  1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  K ;  pro.  to  1st  lieut; 

disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Alexander  Reid,  enl.  Aug.  I,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Charles  E.  Reid,  enl.  Aug.  4,1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  Juno  8,  1865. 
Thomas  Rogers,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F;  wounded  at  Allatoona; 

disch.  May  22,  1865. 
Zenas  Ui.binson,cnl.  Aug.  22, 1802 ;  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F;  disch.  Feb.  4,1863. 
Clark  Bice,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1862,  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F ;  pro.  com.-sergt 
Harvey  M.  Reid,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1862,  123d   Eegt.,  Co.  F  ;  d.e.l  at  Stafford  Court- 

House,  Feb.  26,  1863. 
.Sylvester  Ray,  eul.  Dec.  29, 1861 ;  16tli  Art.,  Co.  I ;  disch:ir.;ed. 
Cliailes  Rice,  enl.  Nov.  12, 1861,  9.ld  R.-gt,  Co.  I. 
Archibald  Itobci  tson,  ml.  Dec.  20,  1801, 03d  Regt,  Co.  I. 

Orville  C.  Robinson,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1862.  123<l   Regt,  Co.  F ;  disch.  June  S,  1803. 
John  E.  Rexstraw,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1802.  123d  Eegt,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1804. 
George  L.  Robinson,  enl.  July  24,  1862,  12  id  Eegt,  Co.  F;  pro.  to  sergt.;  disch. 

April  21,  1803. 
Z.nas  S.  Kol.inson,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1861,  123d  Regt,  Co.  F ;  disuh.  Jan.  20,  1803. 
Harvey  Reynolds,  enl.  in  Co.  E,  12.id  Regt 
John  Scott,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1801,10tli  Art,  Co.  F  ;  died  at  Fort  Fisher,  N.  C,  Feb. 

19,  1805. 

Alexander  Stewart,  enl.  Doc.  20, 180  i;  16th  Art,  Co.  H ;  disch.  Aug.  29, 1805. 
Walter  Scott  eul.  lite.  29,  1863,  161h  Art,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  Aug.  29,  1865. 
William  C.  Skellie,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1802,  12:W  Regt,  Co.  F;  wouniled  at  Chan- 

cellorsville;  disch.  .A.ug.  12,  1865. 
James  N.  Stowe,  enl.  Aug.  28,  1862,  123d   Regt,  Co.  F;  wounded;  discli.  Jan. 

20,  1863. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


251 


Aimer  Q.  Scott,  enl.  Aug.  It,  1802,  123(1  Ri-gl.,  Co.  F ;  discli.  Juno  8, 18C5. 
William  II.  Scott,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,  123il  Rogt.,  Co.  F  ;  pro.  to  coiTi. ;  discli. 

June  8, 18G5. 
Robert  Smilb,  enl.  July  31, 18G2,  laid  Rogt.,  Co.  F  ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Eusaell  C.  Smith,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  discli.  June  8,  ISW. 
■Williiim  H.  Kinitli,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  discli.  June  23,  1805. 
John  T.  Selfridge,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1802,  12!d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Theodore  Stanley,  enl.  Aug.  1, 1862,  123d   Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  pro.   to   Corp.;  disch. 

March  23,  1803. 
James S.  Schermeihorn,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wounded;  pro. 

to  sergt.;  trans  to  V.  R.  C;  disch.  July  20,  180.5. 
George  S.-otl,  enl.  July  31,  isivi,  123d  Regt.,  Co,  V  ;  pro.  to  Bergt. ;  disch.  Juno 

8,  1805. 
David  G.  Stewart,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1S62,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  died  of  wounds,  June 

22, 1864,  at  Gulp's  Farm. 
John  Smith,  ciil.  Nov.  12, 1801, 93rt  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Jerome  Sears,  enl.  Dec.  26,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Harvey  J.  Sanders,  enl.  Dec.  29, 1863,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  II. 
Jolin  S<!ott,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1802,123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  wounded  June  22,  1S04,  .it 

Culp'a  Farm,  Ga.;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
■William  Sheffield,  enl.  Sept.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  discli,  June  8, 1S65. 
Theodore  C.  Taylor,  enl.  Dec.  29, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  II ;  iliscli.  Aug.  29. 1805. 
John  A.  Taylor,  eul.  Dec.  29, 1863, 10th  Art.,  Co.  H  ;  pro.  corp;  disch.  Juno  4, 

1805. 


James  W.  Taylor,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1802,123d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 
Simon  Tucker,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 
George  I..  Taylor,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  wounded  May  3,  1863  ; 

supposed  died  a  prisoner. 
James  Tuclier,  enl.  Jan.  5,  1804,  90lli  R"gt.,  Co.  I;  disih.  Feb.  0, 1806  ;  3d  sergt. 
Glenroy  Williamson,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  H;  di^ch.  Aug.  29,  1865. 
Daniel  McN.  White,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1S02,  123d  Regt,,  Co.  F;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Robert  McM.  Williams,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  prisoner;  disch. 

Junes,  1805. 
John  D.  Williams,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Jacob  Williams,  enl.  Aug.  4,  I8G2,  12  Id  KBgt.,Co.  F  ;  discli.  Sept.  25, 1804. 
Chiistopiier  Wilson,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disih.  Juno  8, 1805. 
William  J.  Wood,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  killed  at  Chancel l.irs- 

ville.  May  3,  1803. 
Ebeneler  Willett,  enl.  Dec.  19, 1803,  ICtb  Art.,  Co.  II  ;  disch.  Aug.  29, 1S65. 
Samuel  Willett,  enl.  Dec.  l:i,  I8G 1,  lOlli  Art.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  Aug.  29, 1865. 
Arthur  Wllaley,  eul.  Nov.  7,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Albert  Wait,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  93d  Regt,,  Co.  I. 
Elijah  Warren,  enl.  Nov.  7,  18G1,  93d  Regt,,  Co.  I. 
Joseph  R.  White,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1803,  10th  Art.,  Co.  II. 
William  Wilson,  enl,  1751h  Regt, 
0.  L.  Wbitcomli,  enl.  May  18,  1801,  2d  Regt.  Yermont  Vols, ;  in  firet  battle  of 

Itull  Run,  July  21,  1801  ;  pro.  hospital  steward,  regular  army,  June  2U, 

1802  ;  disch,  June  20,  1805. 


CAMBRIDGE. 


When  first  erected  Caruhridjie  included  its  present  terri- 
tory, the  towns  of  Jackson  and  White  Creek,  and  a  part  of 
Vermont,  and  was  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  county  of 
Albany. 

By  the  act  dividing  the  county  of  Albany  into  districts, 
passed  on  the  12tii  of  March,  1772,  it  was  enacted  that  all 
that  part  of  Albany  county  lying  north  of  Schaghticoke  and 
east  of  Saratoga  be  what  was  then  called  a  district,  and 
named  Cambridge,  and  it  was  thereby  enabled  to  elect  cer^ 
tain  officers  to  manage  its  local  affairs,  and  a  supervisor  to 
act  in  county  affairs  with  those  of  the  other  districts.  It 
remained  as  a  district  in  the  county  of  Albany  till  it  was 
organized  as  a  town  in  1788,  and  as  such  continued  in  that 
county  till  annexed  to  the  county  of  Washington,  in  the 
year  1791. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  town  never  belonged  to 
Charlotte  county,  the  name  of  which  was  changed  to  Wash- 
ington in  1784,  nor  to  the  latter  until  seven  years  after  the 
change  of  name.  In  181G  the  towns  of  White  Creek  and 
Jackson  were  set  off,  leaving  Cambridge  with  its  present 
area,  twenty-two  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty-seven  acres, 
and  the  following  bounds:  north  by  Jackson;  east  by 
White  Creek,  the  boundary  line  being  the  turnpike;  south 
by  the  Huosick  river  and  Rensselaer  county ;  and  west  by 
Easton.  Its  position  relative  to  the  other  towns  in  the 
county  is  the  southernmost  in  the  middle  tier. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  pleasantly  varied  by  hills  and 
dales,  the  summits  of  the  hills  rising  from  two  hundred  to 
three  hundred  feet  above  the  valleys,  and  decreasing  in  ele- 
vation towards  the  Hoosick  river,  where  the  country  is  gen- 
erally level.  Along  the  eastern  border  is  a  portion  of  the 
valley  of  the  Owl  Kill,  or  the  famous  Cambridge  valley, 
whose  reputation  fur  fertility  and  beauty  is  world-wide. 
The  town  was  originally  well  timbered,  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  lowlands  with  pine.  A  fair  proportion  of  the 
uplands  are  yet  covered  with  fine  groves,  whose  contrast 
with  the  well-tilled  fields  and  attractive  buildings  produces 
a  happy  effect.  The  soil  is  a  loam,  varying  from  a  sandy 
composition  to  a  light  clay,  with  occasional  lots  of  a  gravelly 
nature.  It  is  generally  very  productive,  and  especially 
adapted  fur  the  cultui'e  of  flax,  potatoes,  and  garden  seeds. 
The  production  of  the  latter  forms  an  important  industry. 

The  town  has  but  few  streams,  and  none  larger  than  a 
brook,  but  these  are  well  distributed  and  afford  good  drain- 
age. 

Cambridge  embraces  a  part  of  the  Hoosick  patent,  which 
was  granted  on  both  sides  of  that  stream  in  1G88.  the  prin- 
cipal portion  being  in  Rensselaer  county.  About  four  thou- 
sand acres  are  included  in  Cambridge.  The  remainder  of 
the  town  w;is  a  part  of  the  Cambridge  patent,  granted  in 
17G1    to    Isaac   Sawyer,  Edmund  Wells,  Jacob    Lansing, 


Wm.   Smith,    Alexander   Golden,   Guldsbnro   Bangor,   and 

others,  on  condition  that  immediate  settlements  be  made. 

The  tract  included  thirty-one  thousand  five  hundred  acres, 

north  of  the  Hoosick  patent  and  extending  up  the  valley, 

which  took  the  name  of  the  patent. 

To  induce  settlements  on  this  land,  the  patentees  gave  one 

hundred  acres  to  each  of  the  first  thirty  families  who  would 

become  actual  settlers.     The  names  which  are  now  known 

of  the  first  settlers  are  John  McClung,  James  and  Robert 

Cowan,  Samuel  Bell,  Colonel  Blair,  George  Gilmore,  George 

Duncan,    David    Harrow,    Wm.    Clark,    John    Scott   and 

Thomas  Morrison  (whose  son  was  the  first-born  child  among 

the  settlers).      These  came   on    the    lands   in    17<Jl-()3. 

Other  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity  were  Ephraim   Cowan, 

Robert   Gilmore,  Austin  Wells,  Samuel   Clark,  Jonathan 

Slorrison,  Edwin  Wells,  John  Allen,  David  Sprague,  Seth 

Cha.se,    John   Woods,    John    Harroun,    Thomas    BIcCool, 

-Thomas  A.shton,    Simeon    Fowler,    John    Younsr,    Josiah 
'  '  J 

Dewey,  Rael  Beebe,  Samuel  Clark,  Wm.  Eager,  Wm.  Sel- 

fridge,  John  Younglove,  and  John  Corey. 

The  names  of  other  early  settlers  are  given  in  the  record 
of  those  who  were  disturbed  in  possession  of  their  lands  by 
reason  of  the  Revolution,  and  which  for  a  time  were  ex- 
empted from  quitrents  on  that  account.  They  were  James 
Cowden,  Ephraim  Bessey,  Benjamin  Smith,  John  Morri- 
son, Wm.  Cooper,  Isaac  Gibbs,  James  S.  Cowden,  Samuel 
Cowden,  David  Cowden,  George  Searl,  Wm.  Block,  Archi- 
bald Campbell,  John  Campbell,  Wm.  Campbell,  George 
Telford,  Winslow  Heath,  Timothy  Heath,  Wm.  King, 
Amos  Buck,  James  Warner,  Eben  Warner,  John  Austin, 
on  the  Cambridge  patent.  Many  who  had  taken  up  lots 
previous  to  the  Revolution  left  them  during  that  period, 
some  from  fear  of  disturbance  by  Tories  and  Indians,  who 
were  prowling  about  the  country  for  plunder,  and  some, 
who  chose  to  desert  their  friends  and  join  their  enemies, 
left  this  region  altogether.  The  lands  of  some  of  these  were 
confiscated  by  the  government  after  the  war,  and  sold  to 
other  settlers. 

Very  many  of  the  foregoing  settled  in  what  is  now  White 
Creek,  and  a  few  in  Jackson.  A  few  of  the  more  important 
settlers  arc  noted  at  length  in  the  following  pages. 

Edmund  Wells  was  descended  from  an  English  stock. 
His  father,  Thomas  Wells,  was  born  in  Dudley,  Worcester- 
shire, England,  in  1G94,  and.  came  to  America  in  1712, 
and  settled  in  Saybrook,  Conn.  Here  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Elizabeth  Merrill,  in  May,  1720.  Edmund 
Wells,  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  Cambridge  pa- 
tent, was  born  in  Saybrook,  Feb.  19,  1721.  In  1773  he 
removed  with  his  family  from  Hebron,  Conn.,  and  settled, 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Cambridge,  on  the  farm  now 
owned  and  occupied    b  Thomas  Cornell.     He  is  the  only 


—5 A---'^-Jiv.w;.Air.i 


'.^5^ 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


253 


one  of  the  patentees  who  came  to  live  upon  the  patent. 
His  children  were  John  Howell  Wells,  lived  and  died' in 
Connecticut.  Edmund  Wells,  Jr.,  born  in  174G  ;  graduated 
at  Yale  College,  Sept.  14,  1768 ;  came  with  the  family  in 
1773.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  town.  He  died 
on  the  homestead,  Sept.  2(3,  1826,  aged  eighty  years. 
Mary  Wells,  married  Walter  Raleigh,  and  lived  and  died 
in  Cambridge.  Henry  Wells,  died  young.  James  Wells, 
was  a  lieutenant  of  dragoons  in  the  Continental  service. 
He  died  at  Croton  River,  Sept.  23,  1701,  aged  thirty  years. 
Sarah,  married  Joseph  Peters,  and  lived  and  died  in  Cam- 
bridge. Au.stin,  lived  and  died  on  his  farm  in  White  Creek, 
Dec.  8,  1849. 

Captain  Daniel  Wells  was  born  in  Hebron,  Conn.,  in 
1754  ;  in  April,  1776,  enlisted  and  joined  the  army  then 
stationed  on  Long  Island  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Washington.  He  held  the  rank  of  orderly-sergeant, 
and  was  selected  as  the  bearer  of  a  dispatch  from  General 
Washington  to  General  Sullivan,  containing  sealed  orders 
apprising  him  of  the  intended  retreat.  The  duties  were 
discharged  with  promptness  amidst  darkness  and  storm. 
Sergeant  Wells'  term  of  enlistment  having  expired  while 
the  army  was  at  White  Plains,  he  received  his  discharge,  and 
returned  to  Hebron,  Conn.,  where  he  stood  as  a  minute- 
man.  In  1779  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Cambridge 
and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  William  Curtis. 
Here  he  lived  with  the  companion  of  his  youth  for  more 
than  half  a  century,  and  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  six- 
teen children.  He  died  May  6,  1840,  aged  eighty-six  years. 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  mind.  Respected  by  his  fellow- 
citizens,  he  had  been  honored  with  various  posts  of  office, 
both  civil  and  military,  which  he  filled  with  fidelity. 

Descendants  of  the  Wells  family  are  yet  living  in  this 
and  the  adjoining  towns. 

On  the  west  of  the  Owl  Kill,  several  miles  below  the  vil- 
lage of  Cambridge,  settled  the  Cowdens  and  Longs,  when 
James  Cowden  opened  the  first  tavern  in  the  old  town  of 
Cambridge,  in  a  log  house.  It  stood  on  the  west  side  of 
the  road  now  known  as  the  turnpike,  and  consequently  in 
the  present  town  of  Cambridge. 

Major  Cowden  was  somewhat  peculiar  in  his  tastes,  and 
originated  the  checkered  style  of  painting,  after  the  original 
log  house  was  substituted  with  a  frame  building.  He  was 
buried  in  the  "old  grave-yard,"  July  30,  1800,  aged  sixty- 
five  years,  where  he  lies  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Hall,  who  died  May  9,  1811,  aged  sixty-five  years.  She 
(Sarah  Comstoek)  was  first  married  to  Thomas  Comstock, 
a  descendant  of  the  Puritans,  who  heroically  fell  in  the 
battle  of  Bennington,  Aug.  16,  1777  ;  then  to  Captain 
Edward  Long,  of  Revolutionary  memory ;  afterwards  Major 
James  Cowden ;  and  last  to  Burgess  Hall.  The  heroic 
death  of  her  first  husband  in  defense  of  his  country  con- 
stituted her  a  heroine  at  the  recurring  anniversary  of  the 
battle  of  Bennington,  which  she  invariably  attended. 

Many  years  ago,  Edward  Long  repainted  the  "  Chcckei-ed 
House''  on  the  north  and  south  ends  and  front  side.  When 
the  house  was  remodeled  in  1853,  at  a  considerable  ex- 
pense, he  painted  the  front  side  only  in  checkers,  which 
serves  to  perpetuate  its  name. 

The   late    Edward    Long    resided   in    the   hou.se   nearly 


seventy  years,  and  died  Aug.  10,  1860,  when  the  property 
came  into  the  possession  of  Colonel  Berry  Long,  and  is  now 
occupied  by  tenants  as  a  private  residence. 

Phiueas  Whiteside,  Esq.,  was  born  in  Ireland,  county  of 
Tyrone,  June  31,  1716.  When  a  young  man,  he  and  a 
brother  emigrated  to  this  country,  and  settled  in  Linoaster 
Co.,  Pa.  Shortly  after,  his  brother  returned  to  Ireland. 
About  the  year  1766,  Mr.  Whiteside  purchased  eight  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  from  the  Cambridge  patent,  in  the  south- 
wast  part  of  the  town,  and  contracted  for  six  hundred  acres 
more ;  but  the  War  of  the  Revolution  breaking  out  before 
he  got  a  title,  he  was  unable  to  do  so  after  the  war  closed, 
and  consequently  took  a  perpetual  lease  at  a  rental  of  one 
shilling  per  acre.  This  lease  was  terminated  by  a  purchase 
of  the  land  in  the  year  1877.  As  his  sons  came  of  age  he 
gave  to  each  two  hundred  acres  of  land.  John,  the  eldest 
son,  made  choice  of  the  farm  now  owned  by  a  grandson, 
Robert  McMurray,  who  lives  in  the  brick  house  built  in 
1794. 

William,  the  second  son,  chose  the  farm  now  owned  by 
David  Hawley,  who  married  a  granddaughter,  and  by  Mrs. 
Fuller,  another  granddaughter. 

Peter,  the  third  son,  located  on  a  farm  now  owned  by  F. 
Thayer  ;  Mrs.  Thayer  is  a  granddaughter.  Thomas  settled 
on  a  part  of  the  six-hundred-acre  tract,  on  the  northwest 
two  hundred  acres.  The  frame  house,  built  in  1796,  is  yet 
standing.  The  whole  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Thomas  C. 
Whiteside,  a  grandson.  Edward,  the  fifth  son,  settled  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  leased  tract,  and  it  is  now  in 
possession  of  Henry  Whiteside,  a  great-grandson.  Oliver 
remained  on  the  homestead  of  his  father.  It  is  now  owned 
by  F.  Thayer. 

Mr.  Phineas  Whiteside  was  a  very  patriotic  man,  and 
during  the  War  of  the  Revolution  espoused  the  eau.se  of 
the  colonies,  and  subscribed  one  thousand  pounds  to  aid  the 
colonial  government.  He  also  exerted  himself  in  behalf  of 
some  men  who  had  straggled  from  the  army  in  search  of 
provisions  which  their  officers  had  neglected  to  furnish. 
They  were  arrested  and  tried  by  cotlrt-martial  for  desertion. 
In  defending  them  he  used  so  much  skill  that  he  procured 
their  acquittal,  and  the  officers  were  reprimanded.  The 
members  of  the  Whiteside  family  created  a  church  in  1800, 
which  will  be  noticed  elsewhere. 

John  Shiland  and  family  emigrated  from  Galway,  Scot- 
land, in  the  year  1774,  and  .settled  first  in  the  town  of  Una- 
dilla,  Otsego  county.  During  the  War  of  the  Revolution 
they  were  driven  away  from  their  lands  by  the  Indians. 
They  came  to  the  town  of  Cambridge  about  1780,  and  set- 
tled on  the  present  homestead,  now  owned  by  a  grandson, 
Mr.  Thomas  Shiland. 

Tlie  children  were  John,  who  lived  and  died  on  the 
homestead.  May  2,  1844  ;  William,  kept  a  store  at  an  early 
day  in  the  vicinity  of  the  homestead,  afterwards  moved  to 
Montreal,  and  died  there;  Ann,  became  Mrs.  Wm.  Hanna, 
and  lived  and  died  in  Montreal.  The  children  of  a  second 
wife  were  James,  moved  to  Argyle,  and  Thomas,  moved  to 
Delaware  county. 

Nathaniel  Kenyon  and  family  moved  from  Rhode  Island 
before  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  settled  in  the  town  of 
E;iston.      His  sons,  Muniford  and  Perry,  settled  in  the  town 


254 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


of  Ciinibridsic  about  the  same  time.  Munifbrd  located  on 
a  farm  now  owned  by  11.  Ely.  Of  liis  children,  Chiri-ssa 
became  Mrs.  Asa  Ilill,  and  lives  in  Micbicraii ;  Elisha  lives 
in  Jackson  ;  Nathaniel  and  John  live  in  Cambridge.  Of 
Perry  Kenyon's  family,  Martin  lived  in  Canibridj;e ;  Benj. 
B.  lives  in  White  Creek  ;  Ruth  married  Cornelius  Willett; 
and  Plucbc  became  Mrs.  Elliott  Lee, — they  are  living  in 
Canibridjje.  Thomas  E.,  a  grandson,  is  now  postmaster  at 
Centre  Cambridge. 

Samuel  Willett  moved  from  New  Jersey  at  the  close  of 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  settled  on  a  farm  now  owned 
by  the  estate  of  Seneca  Wright.  There  were  four  sons, 
John,  Cornelius,  Samuel,  and  Sidney. 

Hugh  Larmouth  (now  Larmon),  from  Scotland,  was  a 
very  early  settler.  The  farm  was  in  the  possession  of  de- 
scendants until  a  few  years  ago ;  it  is  now  owned  by  David 
English.  John  Galloway,  a  pioneer  from  Scotland,  settled 
on  a  farm  afterwards  owned  by  John  Cowan,  an  old  settler. 
It  is  now  owned  by  the  estate  of  R.  Wiigbt.  Among 
other  old  settlers  and  families  in  the  centre  of  the  town 
are  David  Burrows,  Calvin  Skinner,  Alexander  Marshall, 
and  the  Almys,  Tiltoiis,  Mayhews,  and  Brownells.  In  the 
Sherman  family  Polly  Sherman  lived  to  be  upwards  of  one 
huiidrod  years  old. 

Among  the  early  settlers  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
town  of  Cambridge  was  Elihu  Giflbrd.  Ho  was  one  of 
tlie  crew  of  a  privateer  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution, 
and  the  following  incident  is  related  of  him.  The  vessel 
to  which  ho  belonged  captured  a  British  merchant  vessel, 
which  proved  to  be  a  rich  prize,  as  she  had  on  board  a  large 
amount  of  silver.  The  money  was  transferred  to  the  pri- 
vateer and  the  merchant  vessel  sent  into  port.  For  gallant 
conduct  he  was  promoted,  and  made  mate  of  the  privateer 
immediately  after  the  capture.  The  privateer  caught  a 
Tartar  in  the  next  .ship  she  undertook  to  capture.  She 
proved  to  be  a  British  seventy-four-gun  ship-of-war  in 
disguise,  and  the  saucy  privateer  was  captured.  Mr.  Gif- 
ford  and  others  were  confined  in  the  hold  of  the  British 
ship,  which  was  to  sail  the  next  day  for  England.  They 
were  then  off  the  coast  of  the  island  of  Cuba.  Mr.  Gif- 
foid,  who  was  a  large,  powerful  man  and  an  excellent  swim- 
mer, proposed  to  a  comrade  to  escape  that  night  by  swimming 
to  the  land.  The  comrade  said  he  "  could  not  swim  so  far." 
"  Then  I  will  help  you,"  Mr.  Gifford  said.  As  soon  as  it 
was  dark  (bey  let  themselves  down  into  the  water  quietly 
and  .struck  out  for  the  shore,  some  three  miles  distant, 
which  they  reached  in  safely.  Mr.  Gifford  made  his  way 
to  the  States,  and  after  awhile  settled  in  this  town.  His 
son  Nathan  still  lives  in  the  town,  a  hale  and  hearty  old 
man,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  He  was  in  the  Cambridge 
company  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  captain  refusing  to  go, 
Mr.  Gifford  took  the  command. 

East  of  the  Giffordswere  .several  Lee  families  at  an  early 
day,  and  descendants  yet  reside  there.  One  of  them,  John 
Lee,  was  the  first  president  of  the  Greenwich  &  Johnson- 
ville  Railroad. 

George  Gilmore  emigrated  from  the  north  of  Ireland 
about  the  year  1774-73,  and  settled  on  a  farm  between  Cam- 
bridge village  and  Coila.  At  the  time  Baum's  forces  passed 
through  the  town  the  family  had  sixty  bushels  of  wheat 


stored  in  the  chamber  of  their  house.  This  the  enemy 
took,  and  fed  to  their  horses.  Captain  Gilmore  took  part 
in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  at  the  battle  of 
Saratoga.  Of  the  children,  Jenny  became  Mrs.  Daniel 
Patten,  and  moved  to  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  Sarah  became  Mrs. 
Watson,  and  7noved  to  western  New  York  ;  Betsey  married 
Robert  Law  ;  James  settled  near  Coila ;  John  moved  to 
Oneida  county  ;  Jielsey  moved  to  the  town  of  Easton.  Of 
the  children  of  James  in  this  county  are  Mrs.  Ham  (living 
in  Coila,  aged  eighty-four);  Martin,  living  in  Cambridge; 
and  Mrs.  Culver,  living  in  Coila. 

William  Stevenson,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Stranraur,  Scotland, 
February,  1772,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  17S)5,  settling 
in  Cambridge  at  what  was  known  as  Stevenson's  Corners,  now 
Coila,  where  he  established  himself  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness. He  was  united  in  marriage,  Oct.  16,  ISOd,  with 
Mary  McNeil,  of  Argyle.  She  died  Jlarch  28,  1815,  leav- 
ing four  children,  Jane,  William,  Anna  Maria,  and  James. 
Jane  married  Rev.  Donald  C.  McLaren  ;  she  died  in  Gen- 
eva, N.  Y.  William  lived  and  died  in  Cambridge.  Anna 
Maria  married  Rev.  John  G.  Smart,  D.D.  When  he  re- 
tired from  the  ministry,  in  1850,  he  came  to  Cambridge 
and  took  up  his  residence  at  Coila  in  the  Stevenson  home- 
stead. Several  of  his  sons  have  become  well-known  minis- 
tei^s.  James  S.,  another  son,  has  been  a  member  of  Con- 
gress, and  is  the  editor  of  the  WKshiiiffton  C'liinlij  Post. 
James  M.  resided  in  Troy,  and  edited  the  Dm'/)/  W'/iitj.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Union  College,  and  a  lawyer  by  profession. 

Wm.  Stevenson,  Sr.,  was  married  a  second  time,  July  8, 
1817,  to  Fanny  McAllister,  of  Philadelphia.  She  died 
Nov.  22,  1823,  leaving  three  children, — Sarah  Mary,  who 
died  young,  John  JIcAllistcr,  and  Frances  Wardale,  who 
died  at  Geneva,  N.  Y.  John  McAllister  Stevenson  was 
born  in  Cambridge,  and  always  resided  there  till  his  de- 
cease. He  received  a  classical  education  at  the  Cambridge 
Academy  and  Union  College.  Soon  after  graduating  from 
the  latter  institution,  in  1832,  he  studied  law  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  but  did  not  enter  upon  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  the  large  estate  left  by  his  father  requiring 
all  his  care. 

He  was  united  in  marriage,  Sept.  2(1,  1843,  with  Miss 
Seraph  H.,  daughter  of  Rev.  E.  H.  Newton,  and  leaves 
her  surviving  him  with  (piite  a  large  fiiniily. 

Other  settlers  of  prominence  and  note  were  Arthur  Ack- 
ley,  Samuel  Bowen,  John  Webster,  John  Green,  John  Weir, 
Jesse  Averill,  Luke  English,  John  Wait,  Abraham  Wright, 
and  James  Coulter. 

The  nanies  of  many  others  will  appear  in  connection 
with  early  church  histories  and  the  villages  in  which  they 
resided.  The  population  in  1843  was,  males,  1049;  fe- 
males, 1126.  In  1875  there  were  1250  males  and  1022 
females.  Of  this  number  1577  were  natives  of  Washington 
County,  294  of  Ireland,  and  the  remainder  of  four  other  for- 
eign countries. 

CIVIL    OOVERNMENT. 

We  extract  from  the  ''  Town-book  for  Cambridge,  in  the 
County  of  Albany  and  Province  of  New  York,  for  the  In- 
habitants of  Cambridge  Di-strict,"  the  following: 

"  Officers  cho.sen  at  the  annual  meeting  held  at  Cam- 
bridge,  in  ye  county  of  Albany  and   in   the  province  of 


HISTORY  OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


New  York,  on  the  fii-st  Tuesday  in  May,  1774  :  First,  for 

moderator, Morrison,  Esq.     For  supervisor,  Simeon 

Covel.  For  sessurs,  David  Sprai;uo,  of  Wliite  Crock,  and 
Micliael  Ryan,  of  Cambridj;c.  For  town  treasurer,  Isaiah 
Y''ounj;lovo,  Esq.  For  overseers  of  tlie  road,  Samuel  Hetli, 
for  the  west  quarter;  John  Morrison,  Edward  Wells,  and 
Robert  Edmundson,  for  the  middle  division ;  Nathan  Smith, 
for  Kyhir's  patcntj,  Jolin  Soule  and  Samuel  Hodges,  for 
White  Creek;  Harv&rd  Wilco.x,  for  Walloomsaek  ;  Andrew 
Thomas,  for  Quassacook  ;  Tliomas  Asliton,  for  Ashgrove  ; 
Simeon  Berry  and  Jabez  Mo.sher,  for  Fowlis.  For  over- 
seers of  tiie  poor,  John  Lake,  of  Wliite  Creek,  and  Robert 
Gilmore,  of  Cambridge.  For  coUeetor  and  constable,  Geo. 
Giimore,  of  Cambridge,  and  Ebenezer  Allen,  constable  of 
AViiite  Creek  ;  Peter  Halley,  for  Allentown  ;  John  Corey, 
for  Shaft-sbury.  For  fence-viewers  and  appraisers,  Seth 
Chase  and  David  Sprague,  of  White  Creek  ;  Samuel  Ileth 
and  Hugh  Gray,  of  Cambridge.  For  firemen,  John  Wyer, 
James  Morrison,  Hazard  Wileox,  Jabez  Mosher,  Isaiah 
Younglove,  and  Ebenezer  Wright.  For  poundmasters, 
James  Cowden,  Samuel  Hodges.  Hogs  voted  by  a  ma-" 
jority  of  votes  to  run  at  large,  being  yoked  and  ringed. 

"  An  occasional  meeting  held  at  Simeon  Covel's,  White 
Creek,  Feb.  1,  1775.  Simeon  Covel  cho.sen  moderator. 
Voted  to  petition  the  Assembly  to  be  set  ofi"  from  Cam- 
bridge. Voted  to  petition  the  Assembly  for  an  increa.se 
of  commissioners.  New  ones  to  be  chosen,  wliich  were 
David  Preston,  David  Sprague,  and  Jonathan  Walker. 
Voted  to  petition  the  Assembly  to  have  district  lines  run. 
A''oted  to  j)elition  to  the  A.sseml)ly  to  let  the  people  keep 
bloodhonnds.  Voted  that  Simeon  Covel  sliould  wait  on 
the  Legi.slature  with  the  petitions. 

"  Officers  chosen  at  the  annual  meeting  held  at  the  house 
of  Simeon  Covel,  in  White  Creek,  in  Cambridge  district, 
in  the  county  of  Albany,  and  province  of  New  York,  on 
the  first  Tuesday  of  May,  1775:  Samuel  Hodges,  moder- 
ator; Nicholas  Mosher,  town  clerk;  Simeon  Covel,  super- 
vi.sor ;  Abraham  Lake  and  Asa  Flint,  assessors ;  Simeon 
Covel,  town  treasurer;  Seth  Chase  and  Samuel  Hodges, 
poormasters ;  Noah  Wilcox,  for  White  Creek,  and  Joseph 
West,  for  Shaftsbury,  constables  ;  Noah  Wilcox,  collector  ; 
Samuel  Hodges,  Ebenezer  Allen,  James  Parrot,  and  Jabez 
Mosher,  pathmasters ;  Seth  Chase  and  Levi  Preston,  fence- 
viewers  ;  Samuel  Hodges,  poundma.ster ;  William  Brown, 
Edward  McDaniel,  and  Thomas  Lake,  firemen. 

"At  the  annual  distrietmeoting  of  Cambridge,  held  at 
the  hou.se  of  Simeon  Covel,  at  White  Creek,  the  first  Tues- 
day in  May,  177(5,  Lewis  Van  Wort,  moderator;  John 
Younglove,  clerk  ;  David  Sraug,  supervisor ;  Joseph  Y'oung- 
love  and  Seth  Chase,  assessors;  John  Younglove,  treasurer; 
l.saac  Wood,  Jabez  Mosher,  James  Cowan,  and  Jolin  Jlor- 
rison,  pooruuistei-s  ;  James  Patterson  and  David  Slarrow, 
constables ;  David  Sterrow,  collector ;  Philip  Van  Ness, 
Samuel  Hodges,  Simeon  Covel.  John  Allen,  Jabez  Mosher, 
Jiihn  Morrison,  Isaiah  Younglove,  John  Wood,  Captain 
Henry  Sherman,  Samuel  Bell,  Joseph  Younglove,  Captain 
Edmund  Wells,  Moses  Cowan,  James  Ashton,  Elisha 
Wadsworth,  Samuel  Hetli,  and  Richard  JlcClaughrey, 
pathmasters;  Joseph  Wells,  Gershom  Woodworth,  Samuel 
Hodges,  Jolin   Hogel,  fence-viewers  and  ajipraisers ;  Isaac 


Ferine,  Abraham  Wright,  John  Pierce,  Benjamin  Tiffany, 
Oliver  Selfridgc,  Alex.  Skelly,  Samuel  IMorrison,  Robert 
Christie,  firemen;  Samuel  Hodges  and  James  Cowden, 
poundmasters.  Voted  five  pounds'  fine  for  any  person  or 
persons  who  shall  willfully  or  through  neglect  fire  the 
woods;  to  be  collected  by  the  committee,  and  appropriated 
to  mending  the  highways.  A'^otcd  that  every  male  above 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  shall  work  on  the  roads  six  days, 
unless  lightened  by  their  bail ;  and  any  who  sliall  neglect 
or  refuse  to  conform  to  this  vote  shall  be  mulcted  the  sum 
of  five  shillings, — three  of  the  members  of  the  committee 
to  grant  a  warrant  to  the  overseer  of  the  highway  for  the 
recovery  of  said  fines, — which,  also,  is  to  be  laid  out  on 
the  highways.  Voted  as  cominittee-men  :  Comfort  Curtis, 
David  Preston,  Phineas  Whiteside,  John  Y^ounglovo,  Jas. 
Ashton,  Samuel  Hodges,  John  Blair,  and  Henry  Smith. 
Voted  as  committee  in  reserve :  Edward  Rigg,  James 
Green,  Levi  Preston,  Gershom  Woodworth,  Cornelius 
Djty.  Voted  that  the  field-officers  for  the  Eighteenth 
Regiment  of  militia  be  chosen  the  lUh  instant,  at  tlie 
house  of  Captain  John  Wood,  by  the  plurality  of  votes. 
Voted  that  the  next  annual  meeting  be  at  the  house  of 
Captain  John  Wood.  May  11,  177G,  met,  according  to 
the  vote,  at  the  house  of  Captain  John  Wood,  and  voted 
LewLs  Vandevort,  colonel ;  John  Blair,  second  colonel ; 
James  Ashton,  first  major;  Ebenezer  Allen,  second  major; 
John  Younglove,  adjutant;  Asa  Flint,  quartermaster. 

"  The  meeting  for  1777  was  held  at  Captain  John 
Wood's,  '  by  order  of  Congress,'  first  Tuesday  in  April. 
John  Younglove,  moderator;  Edmund  Wells,  Jr.,  town- 
clerk  ;  John  Younglove,  supervisor ;  Ebenezer  Allen,  James 
Cowden,  Edward  Rigg,  Asa  Flint,  Joseph  Younglove, 
Elisha  Allen,  asses.sors ;  Edmund  Wells,  Jr.,  treasurer ; 
Henry  Smith,  John  McKellip,  James  Green,  Samuel 
Hodges,  Joseph  Wells,  Elias  Golden,  overseers  of  the  poor  ; 
I'hilip  Van  Ness,  collector ;  David  Slarrow,  Benjamin 
Wells,  constables;  Hartnian  Van  Duzen,  Asa  Flint,  Job 
Green,  John  Allen,  James  Morrison,  Edmund  Wells,  Mor- 
gan Powell,  Josiah  Rathbone,  Samuel  Bell,  Simeon  Berry, 
Oliver  Selfridge,  Moses  Cowan,  Thomas  Ashton,  Andrew 
Thompson,  Daniel  Heath,  Thomas  McClaughrey,  Samuel 
Dennis,  overseers  of  the  roads;  Jo.seph  Wells,  Gershom 
Woodworth,  Samuel  Hodges,  Nathaniel  Lucas,  fence-view- 
ers ;  Isaac  Ferine,  Abraham  Wright,  John  Preston,  Ben- 
jamin Tiffany,  Joseph  I'ounglove,  Alexander  Skelly,  John 
Morrison,  Jr.,  Robert  Christie,  John  Mushat,  Thomas  Gal- 
loway, fircmasters ;  Job  Green,  James  Cowan,  poundmas- 
ters; Joseph  Younglove,  Edmund  Wells,  David  Preston, 
William  Cooper,  Robert  Gilmore,  road  commissioners. 

"  Viilcil,  That  hounds  shall  not  be  allowed  to  run. 

"  Votcil,  Tli.it  hogs  shall  run  with  lawful  yokes. 

"  The  district  met  at  James  Cowan's  on  the  first  Tues- 
day in  May,  agreeable  to  charter,  and  confirmed  the  above 
proceedings,  and  likewise  voted  that  the  annual  meeting 
shall  be  held  for  the  future  at  the  present  dwelling-house 
of  James  Cowan,  and  that  the  inhabitants  shall  work  on 
the  roads  as  ordered  last  season. 

1782. — "  Meeting  at  the  house  of  James  Cowan.  John 
Heron,  moderator.  John  McClung  was  chosen  as  treasurer, 
an   office   that   seems  to  have    continued   for  some  years. 


256 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Only  two  firemen  were  chosen  this  year, — William   Ellis 
and  John  Clark.     Swine  not  to  run  at  large. 

1783. — "  A  pound  was  directed  to  be  located  on  the  east 
side  of  the  road  by  Captain  Edmund  WclKs'  house,  Captain 
Jo.seph  Well.s  to  build  it,  and  Captain  Edmund  Wells  to  be 
poundmaster.  Slocks  were  also  voted.  They  were  to  be 
built  by  Captain  Joseph  Wells  near  the  pound. 

178G. — "It  was  voted  that  a  pound  be  at  Ebenezer 
Allen's  by  subscription.  There  were  forty-six  pathma.sters 
appointed. 

1787. — "  Certificates  are  recorded  showing  that  AVilliam 
Gilmore  had  been  obliged  by  the  incursions  of  the  enemy 
to  leave  a  farm  in  this  patent  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
acres;  also  John  McClung  a  farm, — the  north  halves  of 
lots  4  and  9,  one  hundred  acres.  Signed  by  Abraham 
Ten  Broeck,  judge. 

1789. — "  Voted,  To  meet  for  the  future  at  the  'old 
meeting-house.' 

1791,  March  14. — "  Edmund  Wells,  Esq.,  moderator  of 
a  special  meeting. 

"  Voted,  That  Andrew  White,  Benjamin  Colvin,  Phin- 
eas  Whiteside,  and  Ebenezer  Allen  be  appointed  as  a  com- 
mittee of  correspondence  to  confer  with  the  eastern  and 
northern  parts  of  the  county  of  Washington  with  regard  to 
proper  measures  to  be  taken  in  consequence  of  our  being 
annexed  to  Washington  County. 

"  Voted,  That  the  town-clerk  transmit  this  day's  pro- 
ceedings to  the  clerk  of  Easton  and  to  sundry  gentlemen  in 
the  western  and  northern  parts  of  Washington  County. 

1794. — "Philip  Bell,  by  his  own  agreement,  is  to  keep 
Hugh  Wright  for  fifteen  shillings  and  six  pence  per  week, 
to  be  paid  quarterly,  until  the  next  annual  meeting. 

1795. — "  Captain  David  SafTord  agreed  to  keep  the  said 
Hugh  Wright  for  ten  shillings  three  pence." 

Many  of  the  early  town-meetings  about  this  time  were 
held  at  the  house  of  Reuel  Beebe  ;  sometimes  at  the  house 
of  James  Comstock. 

1812. — "One  hundred  and  four  pathniasters  were  ap- 
pointed, covering  the  territory  that  soon  after  became  the 
three  towns  of  Cambridge,  White  Creek,  and  Jackson." 

The  following  items  relative  to  the  institution  of  slavery 
in  the  "  old  town  of  Cambridge"  have  been  extracted  from 
the  town  records.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  sentiment 
against  it  produced  the  manumission  of  many  servants  : 

"  April  1,  1802,  John  Younglove,  Esq.,  manumits  his 
negro  slave  man,  Prince  Acker,  aged  thirty-one  years." 

"  Sept.  18,  1802,  Austin  Willis  certifies  to  the  birth  of  a 
female  negro  child  named  Jude.  Same  date,  Thomas  Green 
certifies  to  the  birth  of  a  male  negro  child  named  Pomp." 

"  Paul  Cornell  certifies  that,  on  the  8th  day  of  Nov., 
1804,  was  born  of  his  female  slave  named  Ann,  a  female 
child  named  Fanny." 

"Jeremiah  Stillwell  eertifies  that  Jan.  20,  180G,  there 
was  born  of  his  female  slave  named  Isabella,  a  female  child 
named  Harriet." 

"  Philip  Smith  manumits  his  negro  man,  '  Sam,'  March 
25,  180(5." 

"  Abraham  Van  Tuyle  had  born  in  his  house,  Sept.  29, 
1807,  of  his  negro  slave  named  Rachel,  a  female  child 
named  Susan." 


"  Jeremiah  Stillwell  manumits  his  negro  man  slave  named 
Salem  Bedeau,  and  negro  woman  slave  named  Arabella,  his 
wife,  Aug.  24,  1810." 

"  Wm.  McAuley  manumits  his  slave  man  named  Samuel, 
April  8,  1810." 

"  Austin  Wells  manumits  his  slave  woman  named  Han- 
nah, Feb.  13,  1813." 

"  John  Dunlap  manumits  his  female  negro  slave,  Nell, 
Sept.  30,  1814." 

"  David  Simpson  manumits  his  negro  man  slave  named 
Harry  Van  Schaick,  Oct.  8,  181G." 

"  Henry  Ham  manumits  his  negro  man  slave,  Thomas 
Thompson,  March  24,  1819." 

PRINCIPAL   TOWN    OFFICERS   SINCE    1774. 


Supervisors. 
Simeon  Covcll. 

David  Praug. 
Juhn  Younglove. 
Edmund  Well?. 
John  Younglove. 


Town-Clerks. 
William  Brown. 
Nicholas  Mosher. 
John  Younglove. 
Edmund  Wells,  Jr 


1781. 

1782. 

178.3. 

1784. 

1785. 

1786. 

1787. 

1788. 

1789. 

1790. 

1791. 

1792. 

179.3. 

1791. 

1795. 

179B. 

179 

17S 

1799. 

1800. 

1801. 

1802. 

1803. 

1801. 

1805. 

1806. 

1807. 

1808. 

1809. 

1810. 

1811. 

1812. 

1813. 

1814. 

1815. 

1816. 

1817. 

1818. 

1819. 

1820. 

1821. 

1822. 

1823. 

1824. 

1825. 

1820. 

1827. 

1828. 


James  Cowden.  "  " 

John  Younglove.        Johu  MeClung 


John  Harroun.  Edmund  Wells,  Jr 

Andrew  White.  "  " 

Daniel  Wells.  "  " 


Andrew  White. 
Lewis  Berry. 


Daniel  Wells. 


"  "  (probably)     **  " 

Jonathan  Dorr.  '■  " 

'*  '*  Ira  Parmeley. 


James  Stevenson.         "  ** 

William  Richards.        "  ** 

Missing  from  the  books. 
Missing  from  the  books. 
James  Stevenson.        Sidney  Wells 


Collectors. 

Edward  Akin. 
Noah  Wilcox. 
David  Slarrow. 
Philip  Van  Ness. 

James  Cowden. 
Edward  Akin. 
Joseph  Henry. 
James  Patterson. 
Wm.  Woodworth. 
James  Barber. 
Walter  Raleigh. 
Samuel  Dennis. 
Joseph  Heath,  Jr. 
AValter  Wood. 
Philip  Cooke. 
David  Saft'ord,  Jr. 
John  Weir. 
Jonathan  Chase. 
Reuben  Pride. 
Gibson  Sprague. 
William  Adams. 
Samuel  Deming. 
Elizur  Skinner. 
James  S.  Cowden. 
Christopher  Allen. 
Alexander  Skelly. 
James  Smith. 
Ira  Parmeley. 
Erastus  Orcutt. 
Obadiah  Brown. 
Joshua  Brownell. 
Ira  Parmeley. 

Christopher  Allen. 
Sidney  Wells. 
Adin  Sanger. 
Reuben  Stone. 
Daniel  II.  Pralt. 
Benjamin  Perine. 


William  Frazer. 


Philip  V.  N.  Morris.  Bunj.  Brownell,  Jr. 


Philip  V.  N.  Morris.  Henry  AVhiteside. 

Edward  Long.  '•  '•' 


William  Frazer. 
Benj.  Brownell,  Jr. 
Thomas  A.  Corey. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


257 


1S29. 
IS.-iO. 
1S3I. 
1832. 
is:!3. 
lS3i. 
18.35. 
1836. 
1837. 
1833. 
1839. 
1810. 
1811. 
18-42. 
1813. 
1814. 
181,1. 
1S4G. 

isir. 

1848. 
1819. 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. 
1854. 
1855. 
185B. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
1860. 
1801. 
1862. 
1803. 
1864. 
1865. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1809. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 


.Supervisors.  Town-Clerks. 

Phili))  V.  N.  Morris.   Henry  WhitcsiJe. 
Sidney  Wells.  John  Dennis. 

James  Stevenson.        Julius  Phelps. 
Jusiah  Dunton.  "  " 

Benj.  F.  Skinner.    -      "  " 


Jesse  Pratt. 
Julius  Phelps. 


John  Stevenson. 


Morris  L.  Wright. 
Julius  Phelps. 
Isaac  Gilford. 
Anson  lugraham. 


Anson  Ingrahain.       Julius  Phel|)a. 

Thomas  S.  Green.       Elijah  P.  Fcnton. 

Anson  Ingraham. 
Thos.  C.  Whileside. 

Benjamin  Ilall. 
Zina  Sherman.  "  ** 


Berry  Long. 
Garret  Fort. 
Berry  Long. 

James  Kenyon. 
Andrew  Wood. 
Orrin  S.  Hall. 


John  Larmon. 
James  Kenyon. 


John  Larmon. 
John  B.  Wri>rht. 


Thomas  E.  Kenyi 


Berry  Long.  *' 

Jacob  S.  Qaaekenbush.  " 

Berry  Long.  " 
Azor  Culver. 

.John  L.  Hunt.  " 

Lemuel  Sherman.  " 

James  McKie.  " 

Ira  S.  Pratt. 

William  Dimiok. 

Henry  Darrow.  *' 

John  1 
Thomas  F.  Cornell.       " 

Parisinus  Burch.  " 

U.  R.  Eldridge.  " 


Collectors, 
id  Gordon. 


John  Dennis. 
Hiram  S.  Pratt. 
Ephraim  Burrows. 
John  S.  Carpenter. 
Uriah  N.  Pratt. 
Noah  Fowler. 
J.  S.  Quackenbush. 
Noah  Fowler. 
Pardon  Durfeo. 
Daniel  Burroughs. 

Robert  Skellie. 
John  S.  Carpenter. 
Clark  McClelland. 

Edmund  C.  Wait. 
Esek  Browncll. 
Edward  Wood. 

Hezekiah  K.  Wood. 
Robert  Skellie. 
Wm.  Livingston. 

Benj.  S.  Closson. 
Seneca  A.  Green. 
.   Larmon  Green. 

Russell  6.  Allen. 
Esek  Brownell. 

Wm.  E.  Doild. 

David  A.  Kenyon. 
James  D.  Sherman. 
Jacob  Dodd,  Jr. 
George  H.  Overacker. 
James  A.  Bassett. 
Inman  AV.  Thomas. 
James  MeClellan. 
David  Whipple. 
Fits  G.  Hall. 
Andrew  Pratt. 
Charles  B.  James. 
John  Jenkins,  Jr. 
Henry  Gray. 
Ira  King. 
McCrea  Hodges. 


JUSTICES   OF   THE   PEACE   ELECTED   BY   THE   PEOPLE. 


1830. 

Henry  Whiteside. 

1843. 

Chauncey  S.  Ransom 

1831. 

Josiah  Duuton. 

Garret  Fort. 

1832. 

Wm.  Perry. 

1844. 

Philip  Pratt. 

1833. 

Sidney  Wells. 

Wm.  I'erry. 

Wm.  King. 

1845. 

William  Perry. 

1834. 

Henry  Whiteside. 

1S4B. 

Alexander  H.  Wells. 

1835. 

Josiah  Dunton. 

1847. 

Elijah  P.  Fenton. 

1836. 

Wm.  Perry. 

Thomas  Shiland. 

Anson  Ingraham. 

1848. 

AValter  Skellie. 

1837. 

Anson  Ingr.aham. 

William  Hall. 

1838. 

Isaac  Gifford. 

1849. 

Philip  Pratt. 

John  Stevenson. 

Julius  Phelps. 

1839. 

Joseph  Green. 

1850. 

Philip  Pratt. 

Thomas  C.  Whiteside. 

Thomas  Shiland. 

1840. 

Uriah  N.  Pratt. 

1850. 

James  Skiff. 

Harvey  E.  Pettys. 

1851. 

William  ILall. 

1841 

Courtland  Skinner. 

Thomas  C.  Whiteside 

Wm.  Perry. 

1852. 

Samuel  Skiff. 

Thomas  Shiland. 

1853. 

Philip  Pratt. 

1842. 

Thomas  Shiland. 

Herman  K.  Sharpc. 

Robert  McMurray. 

1854 

Thomas  Shiland. 

33 

1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
1860. 
1861. 
1802. 
1803. 
1864. 
1865. 
1806. 
1867. 
1S6S. 


Herman  K.  Sharpc. 
Ebcnezer  McLean. 
Thomas  Shiland. 
Philip  Pratt. 
John  W.  Martin. 
Samuel  Skiff. 
Thomas  Shiland. 
John  L.  Pratt. 
John  M.  -Martin. 
Samuel  Skiff. 
Thomas  Shiland. 
James  McKie. 
Edward  J.  McKcrnan. 
Courtland  Skinner. 


1868. 
1809, 
1870. 
1871, 
1872, 

1873, 


William  Dimmick. 
Thomas  Shiland. 
Charles  W.  Darrow. 
Alexander  M.  Sherman. 
Samuel  Skiff. 
Leonard  Fletcher. 
Thomas  E.  Kenyon. 
Isaac  W.  Durfee. 
Ebcnezer  A.  Balch. 
Samuel  Skiff. 
Thomas  Shiland. 
E,  James  Burroughs. 
lsa.ac  W.  Durfee. 


TURNPIKES    AND    RAILROADS. 

The  provisions  for  locating  and  improving  tlic  roads  of 
the  town  have  been  noted  in  the  extracts  from  the  town 
records.  But  the  necessity  for  an  improved  road,  loading 
to  points  south,  became  early  apparent,  and  led  to  the  con- 
struction of  the  northern  turnpike. 

The  Northern  Turnpike  Company  was  incorporated  in 
1799,  with  Wm.  Hay,  Edmond  Weils,  Jr.,  David  Long, 
Martin  Van  Buskirk,  John  Williams,  Edward  Savage,  and 
others,  directors,  and  the  road  was  constructed  soon  after- 
wards from  Lansingburg  through  Cambridge,  and  became 
a  continuous  road  on  to  Burlington,  Vt.  Tiiis  was  by  far 
a  more  valuable  improvement  for  a  new  country  than  was 
generally  acknowledged,  and  though  many  would  patronize 
the  shunpike  to  avoid  the  toll,  they  were  glad  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  better  road  in  wet  seasons.  There  was 
much  complaint  about  the  location  of  tliis  road  over  Oak 
Hill,  and  justly,  for  the  little  distance  saved  was  no  com- 
pensation to  the  public  for  climbing  over  the  steep  grade 
of  this  hill. 

The  turnpike  retained  its  importance  until  the  Rutland 
railroad  was  built  in  1852  along  its  general  course,  and  has 
since  become  a  public  highway.  The  above  railroad  does 
not  run  through  the  town  of  Cambridge,  but  so  near  it,  in 
White  creek,  that  it  supplies  good  .shipping  facilities.  A 
station  is  provided  at  Cambridge  village.  Railroad  facili- 
ties were  extended  the  western  part  of  the  town  in  1870 
by  the  completion  of  the  Greenwich  and  Johnsonville  rail- 
road. Its  general  course  is  along  the  Wampecack  creek. 
There  are  stations  in  the  town  at  Summit,  West  Cambridge, 
South  Cambridge,  and  Lee. 

THE    CEMETERIES 

of  the  town  deserve  a  passing  note.  William  Smith,  one 
of  the  original  owners  of  the  Cambridge  patent,  gave  a 
lot  of  land  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  to  en- 
courage the  object,  on  whicli  was  erected  a  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  a  parsonage  house  for  their  minister.  According 
to  the  custom  to  which  they  had  been  bred,  they  wished 
for  a  burying-ground  near  their  place  of  public  worship, 
which  in  those  times  was  often  called  "  the  church-yard." 
Accordingly,  on  the  south  side  of  this  glebe,  so-called,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  highway,  and  some  sixty  rods  south  of 
the  church,  a  parcel  of  ground  was  selected  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  is  the  same  ground  which  has  been  called  for  a 
long  time  "  the  old  grave-yard  on  the  turnpike,"  and  is 
about  half  a  mile  south  of  Cambridge  Washington  Acad- 


258 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


eniy,  and  is  supposed  to  bo  the  oldest  public  burial  lot  in 
the  original  township. 

It  is  a  matter  of  tradition  that  the  first  person  interred 
was  a  young  man  who  died  with  the  small-pox,  in  a  log 
house  near  the  residence  of  the  late  Robert  Wilcox,  and 
that  Mr.  Wells  assisted  in  carrying  the  body  through  the 
woods  to  the  "  glebe''  lot,  about  1775. 

In  connection  with  this  event,  according  to  tradition, 
there  was  no  saw-iuill  in  Cambridge,  and  no  boards  were  to 
be  had  for  a  coffin,  and  it  was  thought  too  indecent  to  split 
out  plank  from  a  tree  for  the  purpose,  and  that  the  late 
]Mr.  James  Cowden,  step-father  of  Colonel  Edward  Long, 
now  living,  went  to  Pittstown,  Rensselaer  Co.,  and  obtained 
a  coffin  made,  excepting  the  putting  together,  and  brought 
it  to  Cambridge  on  horseback  upon  the  pummel  of  his 
saddle,  which  was  the  first  coffin  used  in  the  said  "  old 
grave-yard."  How  great  the  contrast  between  that  and 
the  present  time,  when  coffins  are  used  of  the  best  material 
and  finest  finish,  conveyed  in  a  hearse  of  corresponding 
excellence  ! 

The  "  old  grave-yard"  was  considered  common  ground, 
free  and  open  for  the  use  of  all  classes.  Within  the  memory 
of  some  who  still  survive,  there  was  but  here  and  there  a 
scattering  grave ;  that  for  several  years  the  deceased  for 
eight  or  ten  miles  around,  and  especially  of  Scotch  and  Irish 
settlers,  were  brought  to  this  yard  for  interment.  From 
time  to  time  the  yard  has  been  enlarged,  and  contains  a 
larger  number  of  interments  than  any  other  grave-yard 
within  the  limits  of  the  old  township.  Generally  it  has  been 
kept  in  good  condition,  and  is  respectable  for  the  number 
and  value  of  monuments  erected  to  the  memory  of  deceased 
friends.  Yet  it  is  a  sad  and  melancholy  fact  that  the 
grounds  have  been  so  long  occupied  that,  in  some  instances, 
in  the  absence  of  monuments,  all  appearances  of  graves 
have  been  obliterated  by  age,  and  in  digging  new  graves 
the  remains  of  former  occupants  gave  the  first  evidence  of 
suspicion  of  an  intrusion  upon  the  mouldering  dust  of  the 
deceased,  unknown  and  forgotten. 

In  this  yard  is  buried  the  body  of  the  late  Rev.  John 
Dunlap,  once  a  pastor  of  the  Associate  Reformed  congre- 
gation, but  dismissed  .some  time  before  his  death. 

In  179.3,  the  First  United  Presbyterian  congregation  of 
Cambridge  was  organized ;  their  house  of  worship  was 
erected  in  1792,  but  not  finished  until  some  time  afterwards, 
and  painted  white.  This  gave  rise  to  the  name  by  which 
it  has  been  designated  as  the  "  Old  White  Mccting-IIouse," 
or  "  White  Church."  A  few  rods  to  the  north  of  this 
house,  William  King  gave  a  parcel  of  ground,  supposed  to 
be  one  acre,  for  a  burying-place,  free  and  open  to  all  classes, 
without  charge.  The  first  burial  was  the  body  of  Mrs. 
Abigail,  wife  of  Mr.  Seth  Rising,  who  died  June  18,  1794, 
as  specified  by  the  inscription  upon  the  stone  at  the  head 
of  the  grave.  Those  grounds,  with  some  exceptions,  have 
been  well  kept,  and  contain  a  largo  amount  of  interments, 
and  are  well  studded  with  suitable  monuments,  and  in  some 
instances  inclosed  with  substantial  iron  fences.  This,  as 
has  been  stated  of  other  similar  places,  has  been  occupied  to 
an  extent  requiring  enlargement,  which  has  been  done  by 
individual  enterpri.se.  Hero  sleeps  a  large  congregation  to 
be  awakened  to  the  judgment  when  the  last  trumpet  shall 


be  blown.  In  this  yard  was  originally  buried  the  body  of 
the  late  Rev.  Asahel  B.  Crocker,  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  who,  while  on  a 
visit  to  his  friends  in  this  place,  was  taken  sick  and  died, 
and  whose  remains  have  recently  been  removed  to  the  Wood- 
lands Cemetery. 

The  Whiteside  grave-yard  is  situated  by  the  Whiteside 
church,  in  the  westerly  part  of  Cambridge,  and  was  estab- 
lished in  May,  1790.  The  first  person  there  buried  died 
May  7,  1790,  an  infant  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  White- 
side, aged  eighteen  days.  The  second  burial  was  Phineas 
Whiteside,  Esq.,  who  died  April  1,  1793,  in  the  seventy- 
seventh  year  of  his  age.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
American  Revolution,  and  was  one  of  the  few  who  pledged 
himself  for  the  credit  of  his  country  to  the  amount  of 
£10,000.     His  monument  is  thus  inscribed  : 

"  In  memory  of  Phineas  Whiteside,  Esq.,  bj'  birth  a  Hibernian  ; 
WHS  born  .Tune  31,  1716.  He  saw  this  and  many  parts  of  America  a 
wilderness.  He  saw  Columbia  struggling  for  liberty,  in  which  he 
toolc  an  active  part;  he  saw  her  successful.     He  died  April  1,  1793. 

"  Full  ripe  in  virtue  as  in  age, 
For  endless  bliss  he  quit  the  stage." 

Here  is  also  buried  the  Rev.  Edward  F.  Whiteside,  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  born  July  17,  1806,  and 
died  Feb.  23,  1853.  The  yard  contains  many  graves,  and 
some  valuable  headstones  and  monuments  sacred  to  the 
memory  of  those  crumbling  to  dust. 

The  King  meeting-house  grave-yard,  in  the  southeast 
part  of  Cambridge,  was  deeded  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  1823,  and  the  first  interment  was  the  remains  of 
Hezokiah  King,  Esq.  The  yard  has  been  used  since  by 
that  denomination,  who  have  extended  privileges  to  others, 
and  now  contains  many  graves  and  valuable  monuments. 

Attached  to  the  grounds  of  the  North  Cambridge  3Ieth- 
odist  Episcopal  church  is  a  graveyard  of  about  twenty 
years'  standing.  It  being  comparatively  new,  it  is  not  as 
fully  occupied  as  those  of  an  older  date,  but  contains  many 
graves  and  some  headstones  with  inscriptions. 

It  may  also  be  stated  there  are  a  number  of  private 
burying-grounds  in  the  township,  in  which  the  owners  of 
lands  selected  a  spot  on  their  farms  for  the  burial  of  the 
members  of  their  own  families.  Some  of  these  farms  have 
since  been  sold  and  gone  out  of  the  possession  of  relatives. 
These  small  patches  occupied  by  graves  are  liable  to  become 
an  annoyance  to  present  or  future  occupants  as  being  in 
the  way  of  farming  purposes. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  monuments  referred  to  are  almost 
wholly  of  white  or  clouded  marble.  Some  few  of  the  old- 
est are  of  the  Conueeticut  red  sandstone.  Many  of  the 
inscriptions  are  of  an  interesting  historical  character,  plainly 
to  be  read,  and  not  obliterated  by  age,  as  in  many  instances 
in  the  older  .sections  of  our  country. 

WOODLANDS    CKMETERY. 

In  view  of  the  crowded  coi.dition  of  the  old  graveyard 
on  the  glebe  lot,  and  the  demand  for  a  more  suitable  site 
for  the  future  cemetery  of  the  place,  John  M.  Stevenson, 
Esq.,  caused  an  examination  of  several  localities  to  be 
made  as  early  as  1852.  For  this  purpose  he  secured  the 
services  of  J.  C.  Sidney,  of  Philadelphia,  a  civil  engineer 


HISTORY  OP  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


259 


and  rural  architect  of  good  repute,  who  selected  the  pres- 
ent site  as  the  most  eligible  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Cambridge,  and  prepared  a  map  of  the  same.  But  noth- 
ing further  was  done  until  the  10th  of  November,  1857, 
when  a  public  meeting  was  called  to  take  such  measures 
as  would  secure  the  desired  cemetery.  As  a  result  of  the 
deliberations,  the  "  Cambridge  Valley  Rural  Cemetery  As- 
sociation" was  formed,  with  the  following  trustees :  John 
M.  Stevenson,  Calvin  Skinner,  B.  Porter  Crocker,  J).  M. 
Westfall,  J.  G.  Smart,  Peter  Hill,  Elisha  Billings,  George 
McGeoch,  B.  W.  Walkley,  Thomas  Shiland,  Richard  Bar- 
ton, and  Lewis  Nicholson. 

The  first  officei-s  were:  President,  John  51.  Stevenson; 
Vice-President,  Calvin  Skinner;  Secretary,  D.  M.  West- 
fall  ;  Treasurer,  B.  P.  Crocker. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  1858,  the  cemetery  site  sug- 
gested by  Mr.  Sidney  was  purchased  for  two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  The  ground  thus  secured  lies 
about  a  mile  north  of  the  village,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
old  northern  turnpike,  and  was  a  part  of  the  James  Coul- 
ter farm.  There  were  nearly  sixteen  acres,  about  equally 
divided  between  plain  and  elevated  laud,  so  situated  that 
many  fine  views  of  the  surrounding  country  are  obtained, 
while  the  ground  itself  admits  of  varied  and  easy  improve- 
ment. The  natural  drainage  also  is  excellent.  The  fol- 
lowing April,  Mr.  Sidney  commenced  the  survey  of  the 
grounds  into  one  thousand  lots  of  two  hundred  square  feet 
each,  divided  into  sections,  with  appropriate  walks  and 
avenues.  On  the  eighth  of  the  same  month  the  first  in- 
terment occurred, — Mrs.  Mary,  wife  of  William  McMillan. 
The  first  monument  was  erected  by  Henry  0.  and  Mial  P. 
Barton,  to  the  memory  of  their  departed  wives,  who  died  in 
the  spring  of  1858. 

The  cemetery  was  dedicated  on  the  2d  of  June,  1858,  in 
the  presence  of  a  large  assemblage  of  people,  with  appropri- 
ate exercises,  consisting  of  religious  services  and  an  address 
by  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Gillette,  of  New  York  city,  as  the 
"  Woodlands  Cemetery,"  the  name  having  been  changed  by 
an  act  of  the  Legislature,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1858. 

In  1805  the  cemetery  was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of 
nearly  six  acres  on  the  north,  making  its  present  area  nearly 
twenty-two  acres.  The  grounds  have  been  adorned  by 
many  chaste  and  beautiful  works  of  art  to  the  memory  of 
loved  ones  gone  before.  There  are  also  several  monuments 
which  deserve  to  be  especially  noted.  The  most  conspic- 
uous is  the  Embury  monument.  It  stands  on  a  command- 
ing eminence,  from  which  a  fine  view  of  the  valley 
southward  is  obtained.  The  material  is  Barre  granite, 
worked  in  five  sections,  so  as  to  make  a  shapely  pile  thirty- 
one  feet  high.  On  it  are  engraved  the  simple  words 
"  Philip  Embury."  The  monument  was  erected  by  the 
National  Preachers'  Association,  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand 
four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  Rev.  Arthur  Mooney  being 
the  supervising  committeeman.  It  was  unveiled  Oct.  20, 
1873,  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  assemblage,  by  Bishop 
Simpson,  who  led  in  appropriate  ceremonies.  Addresses 
were  also  made  by  Bishops  Janes,  Campbell,  and  Dr.  J.  B. 
Wakely.  In  front  of  the  monument,  supported  by  low 
pillars,  is  the  tablet  placed  over  the  remains  at  Ash  (Jrovc, 
and  which,  now  covers  all  that  is  mortal  of  the  humble  but 


honored  Embury.     It  bears  the  inscription  dictated  by  the 
eloquent  Maffit: 

.    "PHILIP    EMBURY, 

The  earliest  Amcric.in  minister  of  the  Methodist  ehurch,  here  found 
his  last  earthly  resting-place. 

"  Born  in  Ireland,  an  emigrant  to  New  York,  Embury  was  the  lirst 
to  gather  a  tittle  class  in  that  city,  and  to  set  in  motion  a  train  of 
measures  which  resulted  in  the  founding  of  John  Street  church,  the 
cradle  of  American  Methodism,  and  the  introduction  of  a  system 
which  has  beautified  the  earth  with  .salvation  and  increased  the  joys 
of  Heaven." 

By  the  side  of  this  pioneer  minister  repose  the  remains 
of  David  Brown  and  John  Boxby,  two  fellow-preachers  of 
Methodism. 

Not  far  from  this  spot  is  the  Newton  memorial,  plain, 
yet  attractive.  Ephraim  Holland  Newton,  D.D.,  was  a 
descendant  of  John  Holland,  of  the  "  May  Flower,"  and  a 
scholar  and  divine  whose  memory  is  loved  and  cherished  in 
the  community.  He  was  born  at  Newfane,  Vt.,  June  13, 
1787,  and  died  at  Cambridge,  Nov.  26.  1853.  Here,  also, 
is  the  unassuming  shaft  which  marks  the  grave  of  the  hon- 
ored Dr.  Bullions,  whose  life-work  gave  the  community  a 
distinction  which  has  made  the  name  of  Cambridge  a  cher- 
ished term  throughout  the  land.  Not  far  from  this  is  the 
plain  monument  of  Hon.  John  McLean,  whose  services  as 
a  jurist  have  not  yet  been  forgotten. 

On  a  con.spicuous  spot  is  the  soldiers'  monument,  erected 
in  1868,  by  the  citizens  of  the  "old  town  of  Cambridge," 
in  memory  of  the  heroic  dead  of  the  late  civil  war  from 
those  towns.  It  is  simple,  but  very  chaste,  consisting  of  a 
shaft  of  Italian  marble,  surmounted  by  a  draped  urn.  On 
the  shaft  is  some  fine  carving  representing  implements  of 
warfare.  Below  is  a  marble  die,  on  which  are  engraved 
the  names  of  the  fallen  heroes,  and  the  whole  rests  on  a 
granite  base,  giving  an  entire  height  of  twenty-one  feet. 

The  following  names  appear  on  the  monument : 

"22d  New  York.— Captain  11.  S.  Milliman,  C.  J.  Eaton,  C.  C.  Green, 
J.  W.  Arnold. 

"93d  New  York. — Lieutenant  R.  L.  (Jray,  Sergeant- Major  N.  W. 
Gray,  Corporal  W.  H.  Pierce,  Corporal  A.  M.  Lawton,  A. 
McGeoch,  L.  N.  Ford,  C.  B.  Pitney,  N.  P.  Gray,  A.  Batie,  E. 
Fairbrothcr. 

"  ."iOth  New  York.— A.  E.  Gage. 

"12.5th  New  Yo:-k.— G.  E.  Hatch,  P.  Williams. 

"  lOth  Heavy  Artillery.— Sergeant  H.  B.  Cook,  .1.  Crozier,  C.  Cobb, 
Ira  Hawthoi-nc. 

"2d  Veteran  Cavalry.— M.  L.  Moore,  J.  Smith,  \Y.  Pratt. 

"  ITOth  New  York.— J.  M.  Austin. 

"5th  Vermont.— T.  W.  Taylor. 

"nth  Vermont.- N.  Cody. 

"20th  Colored  Infantry.— L.  P.  Cha.se. 

"123d  Now  York. — Sergeant  C.  Darrow,  Corporal  C.  L.  Coulter,  J. 
Herman,  W.  SkcUie,  C.  C.  Parker,  W.  J.  Scott,  J.  P.  Wood, 
A.  J.  Coon,  R.  K.  Bishop,  J.  .1.  Macomber,  J.  Foster,  R.  Hen- 
nelly,  ,T.  L.  Skellie,  D.  Baldwin,  Jr.,  W.  H.  Martin,  R.  W.  Skel- 
lie,  P.  Crombie,  W.  H.  Welch,  W.  H.  Phelps,  H.  King." 

The  cemetery  has  been  well  managed  from  the  first. 
John  M.  Stevenson  was  president  until  his  death,  in  1872, 
since  which  time  B.  P.  Crocker  has  filled  the  position. 
W.  P.  Robertson  has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  since 
1869. 

SCHOOLS. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1813  the  town  voted  to  accept 
the  provisions  of  the  school  law  of  1812,  and  raise  a  sum 


260 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


of  money  equal  to  the  amount  proposed  to  be  gi-anted  to 
the  town  by  the  State. 

Sis  inspectors  were  cliosen,  Erastus  Fenton,  David 
Simpson,  John  P.  Putnam,  James  Stevenson,  William 
Richards,  and  Asahel  Morris. 

Tiiree  commissioners  of  common  schools  were  also 
chosen  according  to  the  law,  Gcrret  Wendell,  Ira  Parmley, 
William  Nicliolson.  During  the  succeeding  years  to  1843, 
the  following  citizens  also  served  one  or  more  years  each  in 
tlic  office  of  commissioner :  Asahel  Morris,  John  Cornell, 
William  Stevenson,  Abraham  Van  Tuyl,  Oliver  Sherman, 
Benjamin  F.  Skinner,  Robert  JIarshall,  Edward  White- 
side, Peter  Hill,  Rufus  Pratt,  Gideon  Gilford,  John 
Dennis,  Philip  V.  N.  Morris,  Edward  Long,  John  Lee, 
George  McKie,  Isaac  Gilford,  Ama.sa  Pratt,  Wm.  Steven- 
son, Jr.,  George  W.  Jermain,  Wm.  King,  Pardon  Allen, 
Sidney  Wells,  Wm.  Hall  (2d),  Henry  Marshall. 

The  following  during  the  same  period  served  in  the 
office  of  inspector  one  or  more  years  each  : 

Alexander  Bullions  fifteen  years,  John  Dunlap,  David 
Chapell,  Jacob  L.  Viele,  Zadock  Norton,  John  L.  Wen- 
dell, David  S.  Benway,  Philip  V.  N.  Morris,  Matthew 
Stevenson,  James  McNaughton,  Joseph  Allen,  Donald  C. 
McLaren,  Sydney  Wells,  Benjamin  F.  Skinner,  Ira  C. 
Backus,  Robert  Marshall,  William  Wright,  Isaac  Gilford, 
Francis  N.  Empey,  iVbrahara  F.  Pruyn,  Morris  Pratt, 
Justice  Daily,  Zina  Sherman,  John  Stevenson,  John 
Dennis,  Freeman  A.  Fuller,  Morris  L.  Wright,  Thomas 
Shiland,  Harvey  E.  Pettys,  James  Coulter,  Ebenezer  Rob- 
ertson, Jacob  Myers,  John  M.  Stevenson,  Elijah  P.  Fenton. 

The  system  was  succeeded  by  that  of  town  superintend- 
ents, in  which  office  the  following  persons  served : 

William  Hall  (2d),  elected  1844-46 ;  John  C.  Durfee, 
1847-48;  Ebenezer  Baleh,  1849-50;  Wilber  Dennis, 
1852;  Owen  F.  Bacon,  1853;  Wm.  S.  Smart,  1S54;  Wm. 
Coggeshall,  1855. 

In  June,  1856,  the  entire  town  system  of  supei'vision 
was  abolished,  and  the  schools  passed  under  the  control  of 
commissioners  elected  by  Assembly  districts. 

The  earliest  school  report  seems  to  be  for  1821,  which 
shows  six  hundred  and  fifty-nine  children  in  town  between 
the  ages  of  five  and  fifteen.  The  public  money  appro- 
priated for  teachers'  wages  was  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine  dollars  and  twenty-six  cents.  The  boundaries  of  the 
.school  districts  had  been  readjusted  by  the  school  commis- 
sioners in  1817. 

The  condition  of  the  schools  is  shown  to  some  extent  at 
the  present  time  by  the  commissioners'  apportionment, 
March,  1876: 

Dislricls.                      Cliilrlicii  between        Liliniry  Pulilic  Money, 
five  iiii.l  twenty-one.      Bloriey.             Tiachei-s'  Wages. 

No.    1 210  $6.03  $466.08 

•'      2 80  2.30  149.51 

"      3 40  1.15  Ofi.S? 

"     4 54  1.56  116.48 

"      5 55  1.58  114.13 

"     6 10  .29  61.10 

"      7 76  2.18  150..S0 

"      8 61  1.76  129.11 

"      y 68  1.96  123.76 

"    10 52  1.50  111.84 

"    11 32  .92  89.79 

"    12 46  1.31  56.96 

"   13 26  .74  82.41 

"14 49  1.41  106.84 

"    15 45  1.2'J  112.18 


NORTH   CAMBRIDGE 

is  a  small  hamlet  on  lot  70,  about  four  miles  west  of  Cam- 
bridge village.  Esek  Brownell  and  John  Willis  were 
among  the  early  settlere.  The  former  had  a  store,  and 
was  appointed  postmaster,  an  office  which  has  been  discon- 
tinued. The  business  of  the  place  is  at  present  limited  to 
a  few  mechanic  shops. 

Not  far  from  the  hamlet  is  a  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  worships  a  society  that  was  organized  in 
1838.  The  first  trustees  were  Peter  Hill,  Sr.,  Isaiah 
Darrow,  and  Edward  F.  Whiteside.  A  meeting-house, 
costing  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  was  erected,  and  Rev. 
Reuben  Wescott  preached  as  the  first  pastor.  The  society 
is  at  present  connected  with  the  Easton  circuit.  Rev.  H. 
M.  Muncie  preacher  in  charge. 

CENTRE   CAMBRIDGE 

is,  as  its  name  implies,  near  the  centre  of  the  town,  on 
the  old  thoroughfare  popularly  known  as  the  "  shunpike." 
The  surrounding  country  is  rich  and  beautiful. 

Among  other  early  settlers  were  the  Whitesldes,  Kenyons, 
Aliens,  Shermans,  Hills,  Skinner,  Pratt,  Burrows,  Miller, 
Hall,  and  Willett.  Jo.seph  Palmer  kept  a  store  at  an  early 
day,  in  which  afterwards  James  H.  Hall  was  long  engaged 
in  trade.  The  post-office  was  established  in  1829,  with 
James  H.  Hall  as  postmaster.  The  office  has  also  been  held 
by  A.  Ingraham,  James  Kenj'on,  Job  S.  Wait,  and  Thomas 
E.  Kenyon. 

Soon  after  1800,  Valentine  Randall  opened  a  public- 
house,  which  is  still  used  for  tavern  purposes.  From  1833 
to  1845,  John  Kenyon  was  the  keeper,  and  the  house  was 
much  patronized. 

Dr.  IMorris,  near  this  place,  was  the  first  to  practice 
medicine,  and  Dr.  John  Ashton  is  the  present  practitioner. 

A  mile  west  is  the  station  on  the  Greenwich  and  John- 
sonville  railroad,  and  just  beyond  this  is 

THE  WHITESIDE  CHURCH. 
This  edifice  was  erected  in  1800  by  the  Whiteside  family, 
from  whom  it  received  its  name.  Mrs.  Phineas  Whiteside, 
at  her  death,  left  one  hundred  pounds  for  the  building  of  a 
church  in  this  locality.  Other  members  of  the  family 
contributed  enough  money  to  complete  it.  The  church  is 
situated  on  a  hill,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  building,  as  originally  built,  had 
a  high,  .steep  roof;  the  doors  were  in  east  (the  main  or 
front  entrance),  west,  and  south  sides,  with  aisles  leading 
from  them.  The  pulpit,  which  was  a  high  one,  was  on  the 
north  side.  The  pew  backs  and  sides  were  about  four  feet 
high.  The  galleries  were  on  three  sides,  but  not  finished. 
In  1825  the  house  was  rebuilt,  the  roof  was  lowered  to  a 
quarter  pitch,  the  south  and  west  doors  were  closed  up,  the 
galleries  finished,  and  the  pulpit  lowered.  This  was  taken 
out  a  few  years  since  and  replaced  by  a  desk.  The  build- 
ing will  seat  about  two  hundred  persons.  There  has  never 
been  any  regular  church  organization  here,  though  it  was 
at  first  a  branch  of  the  United  Presbyterian  of  Cambridge 
village.  Rev.  Mr.  Dunlap  was  the  first  minister  to  preach 
here.  Regular  services  are  held  by  Rev.  Henry  Gordon, 
ofCoila. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


2GI 


THE    KING    METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH 
is  east  of  Centre  Cambridge.     A  class  of  this  faith  was  in 
existence  here  as  early  as  1813.     Foiincr  Kiiijr  was  the 
leader  and   most  active  promoter  of  the  work,  hcMce  the 
name  of  the  society. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1823,  a  legal  organization 
was  effected,  under  the  stylo  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  East  Cambridge.  The  first  board  of  trustees 
was  composed  of  Fenner  King,  Horace  Warner,  and  T. 
Thomas.  A  church  was  erected,  costing  one  thousand 
dollars,  which  has  been  rebuilt  at  a  further  cost  of  two 
thousand  dollars.  The  first  preacher  was  Rev.  Samuel 
Draper ;  the  present  is  Rev.  J.  Wood,  who  also  serves  the 
class  of  Methodists  worshiping  in  an  old  Friend.s'  meeting- 
house at  South  Cambridge.  A  full  account  of  Methodist 
work  is  ibund  in  the  interesting  sketch  of  the  Ash  Grove 
(Cambridge)  church. 

Along  the  line  of  the  Greenwich  and  Johnsonvillc  rail- 
road several  small  hamlets  have  sprung  up  since  1870.  At 
West  Cambridge  a  post-office  has  been  established  in  the 
depot  building.  There  is  a  steam  saw-mill.  Two  miles 
further  south  is  the  hamlet  of  South  Cambridge,  which 
contains  a  store,  post-office,  and  several  mechanic  shops. 
The  surrounding  country  is  extremely  beautiful,  and  was 
formerly  called  the  Quakerhood,  a  number  of  families 
belonging  to  that  sect  having  settled  there  very  early. 
Among  these  were  Jonathan  Allen,  Adam  Allen,  Gershom 
Allen,  John  Dennis,  and  Job  Allen. 

On  the  Hoosick  river,  and  partly  in  the  town  of  Cam- 
bridge, is  the  village  of 

BUSKIRK's    BRIDGE. 

The  place  derived  its  name  from  Martin  Buskirk,  an 
early  settler,  who  built  the  first  bridge  across  the  stream. 
He  was  also  a  pioneer  tavern-keeper,  his  house  on  the  Cam- 
bridge side  having  a  wide  reputation.  Philip  Van  Ness, 
John  Quackenbush,  and  Colonel  Lewis  Van  Wort,  of  Revo- 
lutionary times,  were  among  the  early  prominent  .settlers 
near  Buskirk's.  There  was  a  store  kept  by  Carpenter,  and 
afterwards  by  Allen,  which  enjoyed  a  large  trade  in  those 
daj'S.  But  the  business  interests  have  all  passed  to  the 
Rensselaer  county  side. 


The  pleasant  little  village  of  Coila  is  located  on  the  town 
line  and  partly  in  Jackson,  about  one  mile  from  Cambridge 
village.  The  locality  was  first  known  as  the  Green  settle- 
ment, from  early  settlers  by  that  name,  and  subsequently 
as  Stevenson's  Corners,  in  honor  of  William  Stevenson,  a 
prominent  resident.  The  present  name  has  been  substi- 
tuted as  more  appropriate  and  reminding  the  inhabitants 
of  bonnie  Scotland. 

Wm.  Stevenson  had  a  store  at  this  point  at  a  very  early 
day,  doing  a  large  business.  He  was  succeeded  by  McNeil 
&  McNaughton.  John  Gow  has  been  in  trade  since  1840, 
and  is  also  the  postmaster.  A  little  west  of  this  place 
Coulter  &  McClellan  carried  on  a  mercantile  business  a 
number  of  years. 

In  1800  a  small  tannery  was  erected  by  a  man  named 
liich.     This  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Robertsons,  in 


181G,  and  is  at  present  carried  on  by  J.  E.  Robertson. 
The  tannery  has  been  much  enlarged,  and  at  present  has  a 
CHjiacily  of  two  thousand  hides  per  year.  In  the  lower 
part  of  the  village  is  another  tannery,  which  has  long  lain 
idle. 

THE    UNITKD    PRESB YTERI.VN    CHURCH    OF   COIU.A. 

This  body  originated  from  and  was  in  reality  a  part  of 
the  old  "  Protestant  Presbyterian  Congregation  of  Cam- 
bridge." It  was  that  portion  which  adhered  to  Rev.  Thos. 
Beveridgc,  in  the  controversy  between  the  "  Burgher"  and 
"Anti-Burgher"  elements.  Until  the  spring  of  1786  the 
histories  of  the  two  bodies  are  identical,  and  are  detailed 
in  the  sketch  of  the  present  "  United  Presbyterian  Congre- 
gation of  Cambridge."  Both  churches  had  the  same  hum- 
ble beginning,  and  any  fact  bearing  upon  the  early  history 
of  the  original  body  will  prove  of  equal  interest  to  the 
members  of  both  churches.  From  an  old  church  book  we 
note  the  observance  of  one  of  the  ordinances,  the  holy 
communion,  as  it  gives  the  names  of  those  composing  the 
original  body  at  that  time. 

The  first  Lord's  Supper  was  celebrated  Aug.  13,  1785, 
before  the  division  of  the  congregation.  This  took  place 
in  the  meeting-house  on  the  turnpike,  near  the  old  grave- 
yard. At  this  communion,  including  the  minister,  seventy- 
eight  persons  commemorated  the  love  of  a  crucified  R(!- 
deemer.  Their  descendants  would  no  doubt  like  to  read 
the  names  of  those  to  whom  they  are  so  much  indebted. 
They  are  as  follows:  Minister,  Rev.  Thomas  Beveridge  ; 
Elders,  Alexander  Skellie,  James  Edie,  James  Rolls,  James 
Small,  and  William  McAuley  ;  Members,  Alexander  Cowan, 
William  Skellie,  John  Skellie,  Mrs.  Skellie,  William  Edie, 
Mrs.  Edie,  Mrs.  Rollo,  David  French,  Mrs.  McKie,  Mrs. 
Cowan,  Mrs.  French,  Jonathan  French,  Peter  McGill,  Sr., 
Peter  MoGill,  Jr.,  Mrs.  McGill,  Mary  McGill,  Robert  Som- 
mers,  Janet  Sommers,  William  Edgar,  Henry  Crawford, 
John  Blair,  Sr.,  Mrs.  Blair,  John  Blair,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Blair, 
Mrs.  Fotheringame,  Janet  Fotheringame,  Mrs.  Groen,  Mrs. 
Small,  James  McGeoch,  Walter  Bell,  Mrs.  Bell,  Mrs. 
Miller,  Alexander  Hill,  Mrs.  Hill,  George  Miller,  Mrs. 
Miller,  Alexander  Fraser,  William  Reed,  Mary  Barnct, 
Jean  Millar,  James  Millar,  Mrs.  McAuley,  Sr.,  Blrs. 
MeAuley,  Jr.,  Jlrs.  Green.  William  Mushet,  David  iMushet, 
Mrs.  Mushet,  Elizabeth  Robb,  James  Irvine,  Sally  Coulter, 
Mrs.  Boyd,  Robert  Weir,  Mrs.  Weir,  George  Easton,  Mrs. 
Irvine  (from  New  Perth),  Robert  McClellan,  James  Thomp- 
son, Mrs.  Thompson,  Mrs.  iNIathews,  Janet  Thompson, 
John  Foster,  James  Foster,  Jonah  Foster,  Mary  Foster, 
Joseph  Nelson  (from  Black  creek),  Andrew  Beveridgc 
(from  the  new  city),  James  Hamilton  (from  Argyle  town), 
Duncan  McArthur,  Mrs.  I\IeArthur,  John  McKnight,  John 
McNeil. 

Rev.  Dr.  Beveridge  and  his  followers  having  withdrawn 
from  the  original  congregation,  proceeded  with  the  organ- 
ization of  the  new  society,  which  received  the  name  of 
"The  Associate  Presbyterian  Congregation  of  Cambridge." 
In  July,  1781),  half  an  acre  of  ground  was  obtained  from 
Jonathan  French,  on  which  was  erected  the  famous  yellow 
meetinghou.se,  where  for  years  were  given  the  soundest  and 
ablest  expositions  of  the  Bible  to  the  largest  audiences  in 


262 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


tills  part  of  the  Stato.  Summer's  heat  and  winter's  cold 
did  not  prevent  the  regular  attendance  of  large  numbers 
who  often  walked  seven  miles  to  attend  the  regular  Sab- 
bath services,  which  were  never  suspended.  It  is  said  that 
in  the  first  seventy  j'ears  of  the  church  not  a  single  omis-. 
sion  occurred.  There  was  preaching  twice  a  day,  which 
was  listened  to  with  devout  attention  in  spite  of  the  cold — 
tlie  house  Wiis  not  warmed  by  fire  then — or  the  sweltering 
heat  of  August  days.  Unaffected  zeal  and  true  piety 
abounded.  From  pastor  to  humblest  member  there  was 
no  deviation  from  a  purpose  to  do  the  right  as  it  was  re- 
vealed to  them  by  their  religion  ;  and  no  people  were  ever 
more  rigid  in  the  observance  of  the  customs  of  the  church 
than  the  members  of  the  "  old  yellow  meeting-house"  so- 
ciety. It  is  said  that  one  of  the  old  members  forgot  the 
announcement  of  a  day  of  fasting,  on  a  certain  Thursday, 
and  engaged  to  melt  some  tar  over  the  hearth-fire.  Twice 
he  failed  in  his  efforts ;  and,  when  on  the  third  trial  the  tar 
took  fire  with  a  large  blaze,  the  remembrance  of  the  last 
Sabbath's  announcement  came  to  mind.  Throwing  down 
the  pot,  he  exclaimed,  "  It  is  no  wonder ;  the  judgments  of 
the  Lord  are  upon  me  for  neglecting  his  ordinance !"  It 
was  too  late  for  church  then,  but  all  household  work  was 
immediately  suspended,  the  family  was  assembled,  and  the 
remaining  hours  of  the  day  were  spent  in  reading  the  Bible, 
singing  psalms,  and  repeating  the  catechism.  Such  was  the 
character  of  the  early  members  of  a  church  whose  influ- 
ence has  always  been  a  power  in  the  community. 

On  Sept.  10,  1789,  Mr.  Bevcridge  was  permanently  in- 
stalled as  the  first  pastor  of  the  church.  During  his  minis- 
try his  labors  were  abundant  and  successful.  He  preached 
in  Argyle,  near  South  Argyle,  in  Black  creek,  near  West 
Hebron,  in  Florida,  a  towii.ship  west  of  Schenectady,  and 
in  Putnam,  and  may,  with  truth,  be  said  to  have  laid  the 
foundation  of  all  these  congregations.  In  June,  1798  he  set 
out  for  Barnet,  Vt.,  to  assist  Mr.  Goodwillie  at  his  com- 
munion, whore  he  contracted  the  di.sease  that  terminated  in 
his  death.  When  the  church  here  heard  of  his  sickness 
they  sent  two  of  the  elders,  James  Small  and  Robert  Oliver, 
to  render  what  assistance  might  be  necessary,  there,  as  on  his 
return  home.  These  not  coming  as  soon  as  the  people  here 
expected,  they  sent  two  others,  who  just  reached  Barnet  as 
the  people  were  returning  from  the  funeral.  The  remains 
of  the  first  minister  lie  in  Vermont,  over  which  the  con"re- 
gatiun  erected  a  suitable  memorial.  There  is  still  in  the 
church  one  of  Mr.  Beveridge's  children,  Jlrs.  Geo.  Lcwrie, 
sjrving  as  a  link  between  the  present  and  the  past.  She 
is  full  uf  years  and  greatly  respected,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  name  she  bears,  but  also  on  account  of  her  many 
excellent  social  and  moral  virtues.  The  congregation  was 
not  long  vacant.  The  death  of  Mr.  Beveridge  took  place 
in  July,  1798,  and  November  20  of  the  same  year  we  have 
an  account  of  Rev.  John  Banks  preaching,  the  second 
minister  of  the  church.  The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Banks  was 
not  very  pleasant.  In  1803,  receiving  a  call  to  the  church 
in  Florida,  N.  Y.,  the  presbytery  dissolved  the  relationship. 
Afterwards  he  was  called  to  the  Walnut  Street  church,  Phil- 
adelphia, where  he  preached  and  acted  as  professor  in  the 
theological  seminary  until  he  died,  full  of  years  and  useful- 
ness.    The  third  pastor  of  the  chuich  was  Rev.  Alexander 


Bullions,  who  came  to  Cambridge  in  1807.  Here  for  lialf 
a  century  he  labored  with  great  zeal,  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  always  the  warm  advocate  of  every  good  cause.  In 
1842  the  Rev.  D.  G.  Bullions  was  unanimously  called  to 
be  the  assistant  of  his  father.  In  the  spring  of  1857  he 
received  and  accepted  a  call  from  the  Presbyterian  church 
of  West  Milton,  N.  Y.,  where  he  labored  faithfully  until 
removed  by  death  in  18(54. 

In  May,  1857,  the  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Henry  Gor- 
don, commenced  preaching,  although  Dr.  Bullions  still  held 
the  relation  of  pastor.  This  position  he  retained  until  his 
death,  June  26,  1857,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age.  He 
was  a  man  of  noble  intellect,  and  the  impressions  of  his 
pastorate,  extending  through  half  a  century,  are  yet  felt  by 
the  church.  He  has  a  worthy  successor  in  Rev.  Gordon, 
who  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  ably  carried  on 
the  work  ititrusted  to  him  at  the  death  of  the  honored 
divine. 

In  spite  of  the  troubles  which  have  beset  the  church  it 
has  always  been  a  vigorous  body,  and  has  had  an  aggregate 
membership  of  about  one  thousand.  In  1833  the  congre- 
gation left  the  "  old  yellow  meeting-house"  for  a  commo- 
dious brick  edifice,  which,  in  a  repaired  condition,  is  the 
present  meeting-house.  It  is  an  imposing  structure,  and 
amply  meets  the  wants  of  the  congregation. 

THE    VILL.\GE   OF   CAMBRIDGE 

comprises,  since  its  incorporation,  in  1866,  what  were  for- 
merly known  as  Cambridge,  North  White  Creek,  and  Dorr's 
Corners.  It  is  very  pleasantly  located  across  the  valley, 
about  one-third  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town  of 
Cambridge,  extending  eastward  into  the  town  of  White 
Creek.  The  present  village  occupies  the  plain  between  the 
ranges  of  hills  which  at  this  point  bound  the  valley,  and  is 
distant  from  Troy  thirty  miles;  from  Salem,  twelve  miles; 
and  from  Greenwich,  eight  miles.  The  Owl  Kill  and  other 
brooks  run  through  the  place,  but  no  water-power  is  afforded. 
These  streams,  however,  secure  good  drainage  and  help  to 
produce  that  neat  appearance  which  characterizes  the  vil- 
lage, and  which  places  it  among  the  finest  in  the  State. 
The  streets  arc  plea.santly  shaded,  and  there  are  many  fine 
public  and  private  buildings.  The  inhabitants  are  esti- 
mated at  twenty-five  hundred,  and  are  noted  for  their  thrift, 
indu.stry,  and  intelligence. 

Settlement  was  luade  in  this  locality  as  early  as  1770. 
The  village  site  originally  belonged  to  James  and  Thomas 
Morrison,  a  son  of  the  latter  being  the  first  person  born  in 
the  place.  No  effort  was  made  to  locate  a  village,  and  it 
grew  up  as  a  simple  .settlement  on  the  cross-roads,  whose 
business  importance  increased  with  the  development  of  the 
rich  surrounding  country.  Its  real  growth  as  a  village  did 
not  begin  until  alter  the  completion  of  the  Troy  and  Rut- 
land railroad,  in  1852,  which  has  a  station  at  a  point  which 
was  until  that  period  the  west  part  of  North  White  Creek. 
The  giound  on  which  the  depot  stands  was  a  meadow  on 
which  parades  and  musters  were  held  in  the  times  of  bat- 
tallion  drills.  Since  the  railroad  gave  the  place  an  assured 
future,  the  growth  has  been  steady,  though  not  rapid,  and 
all  the  improvements  have  been  made  in  obedience  to  a 
normal  demand,  crea'ed  by  a  substantial  business. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


263 


The  early  and  prominent  settlers  of  the  place  will  be 
noted,  in  connection  with  its  business,  churches,  and  socie- 
ties, in  the  following  pages. 

Ruel  Beebe  was  an  early  settler,  who  owned  a  lot  of  ten 
acres  in  tlie  neighborhood  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Where  that  building  stand.«  he  opened  the  first  tavern,  and 
kept  it  many  years.  His  house  was  well  conducted  for 
those  times,  and  was  a  conspicuous  landmark  for  many  years. 
In  front  of  it  was  a  green,  on  which  the  youth  of  those 
days  assembled  to  play  ball  and  other  games.  This  is  now 
covered  with  tall  trees.  The  old  iiotcl,  on  the  opposite  cor- 
ner, was  erected,  in  part,  as  early  as  1795,  and  was  first  kept 
by  Adonijah  Skinner.  While  he  had  it  another  story  was 
added  for  a  Masonic  lodge  room,  giving  the  house  a  tall 
and  quaint  appearance.  Major  John  Porter  succeeded 
him,  and  kept  it  until  about  1815.  Since  then  the  tavern 
lias  been  best  known  as  "  Comstock's,"  and  at  present  as 
the  "  Fenton  House." 

The  brick  hotel  at  this  place  was  built  on  a  smaller  scale, 
in  1842,  by  James  Durwell,  the  first  keeper.  The  changes 
of  host  have  been  very  frequent.  The  house  was  enlarged 
to  its  present  size — four-story  brick — by  Charles  Stroud, 
and  then  received  its  present  name,  the  "  Irving  House." 

On  the  turnpike  crossing  was  a  pioneer  tavern  kept  as 
long  ago  as  the  last  century  by  a  man  named  Peters.  After- 
wards Aaron  Chase  became  the  keeper,  and  remained  many 
years.  About  1850  the  Feutons  enlarged  the  house  and 
gave  it  a  reputation  which  secured  for  it  a  large  patronage. 
It  was  known  as  the  "  Union  Hotel."  A  fire  in  1875  com- 
pletely destroyed  it  as  well  as  other  buildings  in  the  locality. 
At  present  a  commodious  frame  house  is  building  on  the 
old  site,  to  be  used  for  tavern  purposes. 

At  what  is  now  Dorr's  Corners  was  kept  the  first  store, 
by  Jeremiah  Stillwell.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rice  &  Bil- 
lings, whose  fame  as  merchants  was  widely  known.  F]ddy 
&  Brown  also  kept  there.  The  old  house  was  burned.  At 
the  meeting-house  corner  Paul  Dennis  was  in  trade  many 
years,  where  the  Irving  House  now  stands.  On  the  site  of 
Fuller's  Block,  Clark  Rice,  Jr.,  had  a  store,  and  goods  have 
been  sold  there  ever  sinoe.  Among  those  in  trade  at  that 
place  were  the  Rices,  Ransom  Hawley,  Kellogg  &  Crocker, 
B.  W.  Walkley,  and  the  present  Porter  &  Hawkins.  The 
store  opposite,  now  occupied  by  W.  P.  Robertson,  was  built 
and  kept  by  J.  D.  Crocker.  Farther  down  the  street  were 
Aaron  Crosby  and  B.  F.  McNitt.  B.  P.  Crocker  was  the 
first  to  open  a  store  near  the  railroad.  The  building  now 
occupied  by  him  was  erected  iu  1850.  On  the  turnpike 
Leonard  Wells  had  the  first  store,  on  the  northeast  corner. 
He  was  in  trade  man}'  years.  Diagonally  opposite  were 
Carpenter  &  Livingston,  and  afterwards  H.  Carpenter,  yet 
in  trade,  and  one  of  the  oldest  merchants  in  the  place. 
Others  who  should  be  named  as  having  been  here  many 
years  are  Charles  Porter,  B.  P.  Crocker,  W.  P.  Robertson, 
and  B.  F.  McNitt.  The  village  has  about  thirty  stores, 
doing  a  large  aggregate  business.  H.  51.  Wells  has  carried 
on  photography  many  years. 

The  Cambridge  post-office  was  established  about  1797, 
with  Adonijah  Skinner  as  the  first  postmaster.  It  is  prob- 
able that  he  was  at  that  time  inn-keeper  of  the  place,  and 
kept  the  offiio  in  his  tavern  near  the  white  meeting-house. 


The  mail  route  was  from  Albany  to  points  north,  with 
another  route  shortly  thereafter  from  Bennington  to  Sara- 
toga. Mr.  Skinner's  successor  was  Paul  Dennis,  in  the 
same  locality,  and  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Clark  Rice, 
Jr.,  and  about  1829  by  Matthew  Stevenson.  The  latter 
changed  the  location  of  the  office  to  a  place  half  a  mile  west, 
on  the  "  old  turnpike."  This  led  to  the  establishment  of 
another  office  a  year  later  in  the  old  locality,  which  received 
the  title  of  "  North  White  Creek,"  which  was  at  that  time 
the  name  of  that  part  of  the  village.  L.  J.  Howe  was  the 
first  postmaster.  His  successors  in  the  order  named  were 
B.  P.  Crocker,  B.  F.  McNitt,  and  Charles  Porter.  While 
in  charge  of  the  latter,  in  186C,  it  was  merged  into  the  old 
office,  which  was  removed  to  a  central  location  of  the  now 
united  villages. 

Mathew  Stevenson's  successors  in  the  old  Cambridge 
office  were  James  P.  Robertson,  Joseph  Green,  Oliver  Cook, 
Clark  McClellan,  William  Livingston,  Leonard  Wells, 
Mrs.  Leonard  Wells,  and  Ezra  Smith.  The  latter  changed 
the  location  of  the  office,  as  before  stated,  and  held  it  until 
his  death,  in  1867,  when  the  present  incumbent,  B.  P. 
Crocker,  succeeded  to  the  position.  In  1869  the  office  took 
rank  among  those  of  the  third  class,  and  in  1870  was  desig- 
nated a  postal  money-order  office.  The  amount  of  orders 
issued  per  quarter,  in  1877,  was  three  thousand  and  twelve 
dollars  ;  of  orders  paid,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
eighty  dollars.  About  three  hundred  and  fifty  letters  are 
mailed  daily,  and  from  three  to  four  hundred  are  received. 
More  than  twelve  hundred  papers  are  distributed  per  week, 
exclusive  of  those  sent  away  in  bags.  The  office  has  six 
mails  per  day,  and  sends  an  equal  number  out. 

In  the  village  but  little  manufacturing  has  been  done. 
Soon  after  ISOO  there  was  a  saw-mill  on  the  Owl  Kill  near 
the  turnpike,  which  was  operated  until  it  got  out  of  repair. 
In  1860,  Cornelius  Wendell  put  up  a  large  grist-mill  on  this 
spot,  but  to  be  operated  by  steam.  It  was  operated  only  a 
short  time,  when  the  machinery  was  removed,  and  the  build- 
ing was  idle  until  it  was  transformed  into  a  seed  warehouse, 
for  which  it  is  still  used. 

The  next  enterprise  was  inaugurated  in  1800  by  Alfred 
Woodworth  and  William  Qua,  who  put  up  a  saw-mill  near 
the  railroad,  using  power  from  a  splendid  two  hundred  and 
fifty  horse-power  engine.  A  planing-mill  and  sash-and- 
blind-factory  was  added,  and  as  many  as  sixty  hands  em- 
ployed. In  1876  all  the  buildings  north  of  the  engine- 
house  were  destroyed  by  fire.  The  same  year  the  present 
saw-mill  was  erected  by  A.  A.  Beveridge  and  T.  E.  MeCou- 
nell.  The  latter  still  operates  it,  and  employs  six  men. 
The  feed-mill,  on  the  other  side  of  the  engine,  was  put  up 
in  1872,  and  also  belongs  to  SIcConnell.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  railroad  was  another  saw-mill  by  Woodworth  & 
King,  which  was  burned  down  in  1872. 

A  small  furnace  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  Beebe 
tavern,  about  1840,  by  S.  W.  Warner  and  Levi  Tilton, 
which,  after  a  few  years,  was  changed  to  the  site  of  Love- 
joy's  blacksmith-shop,  and  a  new  firm  formed, — Warner  & 
Lovejoy.  In  1861,  the  location  of  the  shops  was  changed 
to  Dorr's  Corners,  using  power  from  the  east  branch  of  the 
Owl  Kill.  In  1865,  C.  D.  Warner  was  associated  with  the 
firm,  and  the  capacity  of  the  business  increased.     Twenty 


2G4 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


men  were  employed,  and  much  work  was  produced.  A 
specialty  was  made  of  saw-niill  machinery,  which  was 
shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  These  shops  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1875,  but  were  rebuilt  tlie  next  year,  and 
are  at  present  conducted  by  A.  Walsh.  The  main  shop  is 
thirty  by  si.xty-five  feet,  one  and  a  half  stories  high,  and 
there  are  a  number  of  side  shops.  Plows  and  all  kinds  of 
ai^ricultural  implements  are  made,  as  well  as  a  water-wheel 
governor,  patented  by  Walsh  in  1808  and  1870. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  place  a  man  named  Page  had 
a  hat^faotory  near  the  meeting-house,  which  employed  a 
number  of  persons.  Ransom  Hawley  succeeded  to  the 
business,  and  afterwards  B.  F.  McNitt,  who  discontinued 
the  business. 

The  village  has  had  the  usual  (juota  of  mechanic-shops, 
and  is  at  present  well  supplied  by  a  number  of  large  and 
well-conducted  shops,  in  which  the  diiferent  trades  are  car- 
ried on  by  skillful  mechanics. 

The  legal  profession  found  an  early  and  able  representa- 
tive in  (i.  Wendell.  His  office  was  in  the  western  part  of 
the  village,  at  the  Academy  Corners,  where  he  also  had  the 
county  clerk's  office  a  short  time  about  the  beginning  of  the 
century.  Wendell  was  familiarly  known  as  the  "  old  law- 
yer," and  was  much  consulted.  John  L.  Wendell  was  an- 
other pioneer  attorney,  and  attained  an  honorable  position 
in  his  profession.  He  was  a  first  judge,  and  held  other 
offices. 

John  P.  Putnam  came  ne.Kt.  He  was  a  grandson  of 
Gdneral  Israel  Putnam,  and  after  having  graduated  at  Wil- 
liams College,  in  1809,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1812, 
and  came  to  Cambridge  the  same  year.  He  continued  in 
practice  until  about  1830,  but  remained  in  the  village  until 
his  death,  in  1867.  It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  the 
famous  Pitcairn  pistols  which  fired  the  shot  at  Concord,  in 
1775,  "  that  echoed  and  re-echoed  until  its  sound  was  heard 
all  around  the  world,"  were  the  property  of  Mr.  Putnam, 
and  are  now  preserved  at  Cambridge.  In  the  order  of 
time,  G.  W.  Jermain  was  the  next  attorney,  having  an  office 
«here  the  Irving  House  now  stands.  Luther  J.  Howe  was 
a  contemporary,  and  built  an  office  on  the  street  towards 
Dorr's  Corners,  living  in  the  village  until  his  death.  Both 
of  these  wore  associate  judges.  Colonel  John  Crocker 
studied  law  in  Judge  Howe's  office,  and  practiced  at  Cam- 
bridge until  his  removal.  H.  K.  Sharpe,  an  attorney,  died 
in  the  village  in  1877.  R.  King  Crocker  and  D.  M.  WestM 
have  been  practicing  attorneys  for  the  past  twenty-five 
years.  Other  lawyers  are  Shi^ldon  Corliss  and  Lemuel 
Fletcher. 

Dr.  Jonathan  Dorr,  the  owner  of  a  large  tract  of  land 
at  the  corners  which  took  his  name,  was  one  of  the  first 
prominent  physicians  in  the  village,  living  here  until  his 
death.  Dr.  William  Stevenson  was  another  early  practi- 
tioner of  note;  and  Dr.  Henry  C.  Gray  was  a  leading  phy- 
sician until  his  death  but  a  few  years  ago.  Drs.  William 
Wright,  Joseph  Stewart,  Cyrus  Sayles,  Oliver  Cook,  and 
others  have  been  located  in  the  village;  and  Drs.  B.  F. 
Ketchum  and  T.  C.  Wallace,  allopaths,  J.  F.  Niver  and 
L.  A.  Clark,  homoeopaths,  and  J.  L.  Smith,  eclectic,  are 
the  present  physicians.  The  Washington  County  Post,  a 
weekly  journal  of  nnusual  excellence  and  influence,  is  pub- 


lished in  the  village.  A  full  account  of  this  paper,  and 
others  published  at  this  point,  appear  in  the  paper  on  the 
Press  of  the  county. 

CAMBRIDGE    SEED    BUSINESS. 

Simon  Crosby  cultivated  garden  and  vegetable  seeds  as 
early  as  1816,  having  a  small  seed-house  at  Coila.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  sons  Otis  and  Aaron,  and  in  1836  by  S. 
W.  Crosby,  having  occupied,  meantime,  the  Tracy  building 
and  a  house  at  Dorr's  Cornens.  About  this  time  Roswell 
Rice  was  also  engaged  in  the  business.  In  1834  the  .seed- 
trade  was  started  in  Salem  by  R.  Niles  Rice  in  a  very  small 
way,  (disposing  the  seeds  from  a  wagon,  worth  about  fifty 
dollars,  with  which  he  traveled  through  the  country.  He 
increased  his  business  from  year  to  year,  finally  locating  at 
Cambridge,  in  1844,  and  purchasing  the  interests  of  R.  Rice 
and  the  Crosbys,  with  a  view  to  engage  on  a  larger  scale. 
His  efforts  have  been  attended  with  a  large  measure  of  suc- 
cess, and  the  business  has  attained  such  proportions  that 
it  is  the  principal  interest  of  the  place.  In  1865,  Mr 
Niles  Rice  associated  his  son,  Jerome  B.  Rice,  with  him 
in  the  management  of  the  business,  which  now  extends 
through  all  the  New  England,  Middle,  and  many  of  the 
Southern  States.  A  large  number  of  men  and  women  are 
employed,  and  the  arrangements  for  the  distribution  of  the 
seeds  are  in  .strong  contrast  with  the  humble  beginning  forty 
years  ago,  some  of  the  wagons  used  costing  more  than  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  other  things  are,  in  the  same  propor- 
tion, more  complete  and  extensive.  Besides  the  seeds  grown 
at  home,  the  Messrs.  Rice  have  a  large  farm  in  Illinois  where 
many  tons  of  vegetable  seeds  are  grown  annually.  The 
firm  has  originated  .several  choice  vegetables,  among  them 
tomatoes,  and  Rice's  "  Perfection"  sweet  corn,  which  is  re- 
puted the  nc  plus  ultra  of  that  vegetable. 

THE   CA.MBRIDGE    VALLEY    B.VNK 

was  organized  Sept.  15,  1855,  with  a  capital  stock  of  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  which  was  subscribed 
by  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  persons.  A  board  of  eigh- 
teen directors  was  chosen,  composed  of  A.  B.  I^aw,  George 
W.  Wilcox,  Solomon  AVarner,  James  McKie,  B.  P.  Crocker, 
J.  BI.  Stevenson,  Anson  Ingraham,  Calvin  Skinner, 
Nathaniel  Barnett,  George  Barker,  T.  A.  Fuller,  B.  P. 
McNitt,  Benjamin  Long,  Jonathan  Hoag,  0.  Kellogg, 
James  Thompson,  Henry  C.  Gray,  and  B.  W.  Walkley. 
These  selected  Orrin  Kellogg  president,  and  James  Thomp- 
son cashier. 

In  1859  the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  one  hundred 
and  seventy-two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  but  was  re- 
duced March  20,  1876,  to  its  present  capital,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

In  May,  1865,  it  became  a  National  bank,  with  a  board 
of  twelve  directors.  At  present  there  are  thirteen  directors 
and  one  hundred  and  nineteen  stockholders.  In  1869, 
James  Thompson  was  elected  president,  and  J.  E.  Smith 
cashier.  Since  1872  the  present  officers  have  served, — M. 
D.  Hubbard  president,  and  James  Thompson  cashier. 

In  1867  the  association  erected  a  very  handsome  banking- 
house  on  Main  street,  near  the  railroad,  at  a  cost  of  twelve 
thou.sand  dollars.     It  is  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  with  a 


John  P  Putnam. 


Mrs.£liz/<beth  Putnam. 


JOHN  P.  PUTNAM. 


John  P.  Putnam  was  a  grandson  of  General  Israel  Put- 
nam, of  Revolutionary  fame.  He  was  born  at  the  old 
Putnam  homestead,  in  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1786,  and  was  the  fir.st  male  child  horn  in  the  town  of 
Pomfret  after  its  incorporation.  He  was  brought  up  on 
a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  given  in  part 
to  his  father  by  his  grandfather,  General  Putnam,  and  lived 
there  till  1805,  when  the  family  removed  to  Williamstown, 
Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.  His  father  sold  his  farm  and  settled 
in  Williamstown,  in  order  to  educate  his  three  sons,  which 
were  all  of  his  childi-en. 

The  early  education  of  John  P.  Putnam  was  commenced 
by  his  mother,  whom  he  regarded  as  his  best  instructor, 
although  a  private  teacher  was  employed  in  the  family,  and 
he  attended  district  school  a  mile  and  a  fjuarter  from  his 
home,  after  he  became  old  enough  to  walk  that  distance, 
night  and  morning.  After  the  removal  to  William.stown 
lie  entered  Williams  College,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1809,  and  immediately  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the 
oflSce  of  Abraham  Van  Vechten,  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  He 
was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  August  term  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  in  1812.  In  November,  1812,  he  entered  upon  his 
practice  in  Cambridge,  N.  Y.,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1813,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Elizabeth,  second  daughter  of  Jonathan  Dorr,  M.D.,  a 
distinguished  physician  and  surgeon  of  Cambridge,  many 
years  since  deceased.  They  had  one  son,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy.    Mrs.  Putnam  and  two  adopted  daughters,  residing 


respectively  in  Brooklyn  and  Cambridge,  N.  Y.,  are  the 
only  surviving  members  of  the  family. 

Among  the  relics  of  General  Israel  Putnam,  preserved 
by  the  family  descendants,  Mrs.  Putnam  has  in  her  posses- 
sion a  pair  of  pistols  of  beautiful  workmanship.  They  be- 
longed to  Major  Pitcairn,  and  fired  the  first  shot  in  the 
Revolution,  at  Lexington,  and  were  afterwards  presented  to 
General  Putnam,  and  carried  by  him  through  the  memor- 
able struggle  for  independence. 

John  P.  Putnam  continued  the  practice  of  law  in  Cam- 
bridge till  1826,  when  he  disposed  of  his  office,  and  was 
engaged  in  other  business  till  the  time  of  his  decease.  He 
died  on  the  10th  of  October,  1867,  aged  eighty-two  years, 
leaving  behind  him  a  record  singularly  free  from  any  stain. 
He  lived  the  advocate  of  everything  refined,  noble,  and 
pure.  In  the  Bible-class,  the  Sunday-school,  and  the 
church  he  was  especially  active  and  influential.  "  His 
erudition,  varied  and  extensive,  lent  a  charm  to  his  conver- 
sation that  made  him  a  most  agreeable  companion,  and  en- 
abled him  to  illustrate,  as  he  lived  to  do,  the  word  and 
providence  of  God.  He  was  an  ornament  to  society  and  a 
strong  right  arm  to  help  in  church  affairs ;  but  the  place 
wherein  he  shone  brightest  and  best  was  the  home  circle. 
A  most  affectionate  husband  and  father,  his  unruffled  tem- 
per and  calm  judgment  enabled  him  always  to  do  for  the 
members  of  his  household  the  most  judicious  thing  at  the 
opportune  moment.  By  his  universal  kindness  and  true- 
hearted  affection  he  won  a  love  in  return  that  can  find  no 
consolation  for  his  loss." 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


twenty-eight  foot  front  and  forty-six  foot  rear,  and  is  well 
adapted  for  the  wants  of  the  bank. 

MUNICIPAL    GOVERNMKNT. 

The  privileges  attending  incorporated  villages  wore  be- 
stowed upon  this  place  by  a  charter  of  the  Senate  and  As- 
sembly, passed  April  IG,  1806,  wliich  provided  that  the 
villages  should  thereafter  be  known  by  the  corporate  title 
of  "  Tlie  Village  of  Cambridge."  The  charter  has  been 
amended  several  times,  but  its  essentials  remain  unchanged. 
The  limits  of  the  corporation  were  fixed  so  as  to  include  all 
the  territory  from  the  cemetery  southward  about  two  miles, 
and  from  west  to  east  about  two  and  a  half  miles.  Two 
districts  were  formed,  with  the  railroad  as  the  dividing  line, 
which  were  to  have  equal  representation  on  the  board  of 
trustees,  and  one  each  of  the  street  commissioners,  firewar- 
dens, and  police  constables.  The  council  is  presided  over 
by  a  president,  elected  with  the  trustees,  and  a  clerk  ap- 
pointed by  the  board.  The  first  oflacers  were  :  President,  13. 
V.  McNitt;  Trustees,  W.  J.  Bockes,  J.  N.  Hodge,  Solomon 
W.  Warner,  H.  M.  Wells,  Fletcher  Baker,  J.  J.  Gray; 
Clerk,  Henry  Noble  ;  Treasurer,  Harvey  Carpenter ;  Street 
Commissioners,  Merrit  Hurd,  Robert  Blair ;  Firewardens, 
John  W.  Eddy,  Simeon  Browncll ;  Police  Justice,  L.  W. 
Gunn ;  Police  Constables,  Hiram  A.  Rice,  James  H. 
Archer ;  Poundmaster,  Nathan  E.  Rice. 

Since  18G6  the  following  have  been  the  presidents  and 
clerks  of  the  village : 

Presidonts.  Clerks. 

ISfiT B.  P.  McNitt.  Henrv  Noble. 

iscs •'        "  "  ■     " 

ISfiy L.W.Kennedy.  "  " 

1870 Charles  Porter.  Charles  G.  Harsha. 

ISn Solomon  Fuller.  Charles  T.  Hawley. 

1S72 0.  W.  Hiill.  "       "         " 

1873 Azor  Culver.  John  F.  Shortt. 

1S74 John  W.  E.lily.  "     "         " 

lS7o .James  Thompson.  James  L.  Robertson. 

IS76 .\lfred  Worth.  Robert  R.  Law. 

1877 "  •'  Lewis  P.  Worth. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  board  of  trustees,  in  1866, 
was  the  formation  of  a  fire  department.  Several  com- 
panies were  formed,  but  only  one  was  officially  recognized. 

The  J.  J.  Gray  Fire  Company,  No.  1,  was  organized 
with  forty-four  members,  on  the  19th  day  of  May,  1866. 
The  officers  elected  and  approved  by  the  board.  May  26, 
were:  Foreman,  C.  S.  Shattuck  ;  Finst  Assistant,  G.  II.  Over- 
docker  ;  Second  Assistant,  F.  Dickinson ;  Secretary,  W.  C. 
McLean  ;  Treasurer,  A.  H.  Comstock. 

At  the  same  time  the  J.  J.  Gray  Hose  Company  was 
formed,  with  J.  P.  Howden,  foreman  ;  C.  W.  Arnold,  first 
assistant. 

These  companies  were  named  in  compliment  to  J.  J.  Gray, 
Esq.,  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  village,  who  generously  pro- 
vided handsome  uniforms  for  the  men,  and  Mrs.  Gray  pre- 
sented the  company  with  an  elegant  silk  flag,  procured  from 
Paris.  The  latter  part  of  the  same  month,  May,  a  good 
second-hand  engine  was  purchased  of  the  Troy  fire  depart- 
ment, on  the  recommendation  of  the  chief-engineer,  R.  H. 
Noble,  as  well  as  other  suitable  apparatus.  The  engine  was 
built  by  Davis,  of  that  city,  and  has  a  nine  inch  cylinder 
and  a  sixteen-inch  stroke.  But  two  machines  of  this  pat- 
tern were  ever  constructed.  Its  appearance  is  uncouth,  and 
does  not  indicate  much  power,  but  its  peculiar  construction 
34 


gives  it  superior  force,  so  that,  in  contests  with  other  ma- 
chines, it  generally  proves  victorious.  At  the  muster  in 
Burlington,  Vt.,  in  September,  1874,  the  J.  J.  Gray  threw 
a  large  stream  of  water  the  extraordinary  distance  of  two 
hundred  and  four  feet  and  seven  inches,  winning  the  prize 
of  four  hundred  dollars,  in  competition  with  ten  other  com- 
panies. Prizes  have  also  been  won  at  Saratoga,  Hudson,  and 
other  places,  aggregating  more  than  thirteen  hundred  dol- 
lars. In  1868  a  neat,  two-story  engine-house  was  erected 
for  the  use  of  the  companies,  at  a  cost  of  nearly  two  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  assembly-room  in  the  upper  story  has 
been  very  attractively  fitted  up  aud  adorned  with  works  of 
art,  which  have  been  donated  by  an  appreciating  public. 

A  fine  hook-and-ladder  company  has  lately  been  organ- 
ized and  thoroughly  equipped.  The  department  is  at  pres- 
ent under  the  control  of  Chief-Engineer  Jerome  B.  Rice. 
The  hose  company  numbers  nineteen  members,  aud  the 
engine  company  has  a  membership  of  forty-eight  men, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  S.  II.  Whittaker. 

THE    W.ISHINGTON    LIBRARY 

was  formed  in  the  town  of  Cambridge,  Jan.  12,  1802,  at  a 
meeting  called  at  the  house  of  Reuben  Pride,  innkeeper. 
The  incorporators  were  John  Dunlap,  Daniel  Wells,  Jr., 
Gerrit  Wendell,  John  Lee,  Austin  Wells,  Jesse  Fairebild, 
Wm.  Hay,  Johu  Porter,  Reuben  Pride,  Adonijah  Skinner, 
James  Comstock,  Martin  Lee,  Hermanns  C.  Wendell,  Fred- 
erick A.  Dawson,  John  L.  Wendell,  and  Jonathan  L.  West. 
Nothing  further  concerning  this  society  can  be  learned. 


The  Camhrldge  Valley  Lodge,  No.  481,  F.  and  A.  M., 
is  the  second  lodge  of  the  order  instituted  in  the  valley,  the 
first  being  noted  in  the  history  of  White  Creek.  The  pres- 
ent lodge  was  chartered  June  12,  1860,  with  Hiram  House, 
W.  51. ;  John  S.  Crocker,  S.  W.  ;  and  James  E.  Robertson, 
J.  W.,  and  twenty-sis  charter  members. 

A  fine  hall  has  been  secured  in  the  Fuller  block,  and 
the  lodge  is  in  a  prosperous  condition.  The  present  ofiicers 
are  J.  F.  Niver,  W.  M. ;  L.  Fletcher,  S.  W. ;  and  C.  S. 
Arnold,  J.  W. 

HLSTORY    OF  THE   CAMBRIDGE    W.4^SIIINGT0N   ACADEMY.* 

The  early  settlers  in  the  Cambridge  valley  brought  with 
them  love  of  liberty,  love  of  learning,  and  love  of  God. 
They  had  the  indomitable  spirit  which  everywhere  character- 
ized the  Scotch-Irish  blood.  Accustomed  to  oppression  in 
the  mother-country,  they  fully  appreciated  the  blessings  of 
liberty,  both  political  and  religious  ;  and  our  beautiful  valley 
was  fortunate  in  being  selected  as  their  home.  Schools 
were  early  instituted,  and  the  log  school-house  and  the  log 
church  were  among  the  first  buildings  erected.  After  a  few 
years  the  valley  becoming  more  thickly  settled,  the  need  of 
better  educational  facilities  was  felt,  and  a  subscription  was 
circulated  with  the  following  result : 

"  We,  the  subscribers,  do  promise  to  pay  to  William  McAuley,  AVil- 
liam  Hay,  and  Jesse  Fairchilds,  or  to  their  order,  the  sums  annexed 
to  our  respective  names,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  house  suitable 
for  an  academy  or  school-house,  to  be  erected  within  thirty  or  forty 

"^By  Robert  R.  Law. 


2G6 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


rods  of  the  new  ilwelling-house  of  Wm.  Ilay,  on  or  before  the  first  day 
of  May  next;  as  witness  our  hands  this  14th  day  of  September,  1799: 
"Gerritt  Wendell,  $30;  Jonathan  Dorr,  $20;  Wm.  Hay,  a  deed  of 
half  an  acre  of  land;  Archibald  Kohcrtsou,  $12;  Timothy  Rugglcs, 
$10;  Elizer  Skinner,  $10;  Colin  Gibson,  $S ;  Lott  Woodworth,  $10 
in  timber  and  boards  ;  Benjamin  Boycc.  $8  ;  Patrick  Robertson,  $5 
in  work;  Archibald  MoVeccar,  $20  in  materials;  John  Dawson,  $10; 
James  Gilmorc,  $15;  Daniel  Pattin,  $5  ;  John  Blair,  $15 ;  William 
Stevenson,  $6;  Benjamin  French,  twenty  pounds  of  nails;  James 
Mather,  $5  in  timber  or  work  ;  Robert  Thompson,  $4  in  work  ;  James 
Irvine,  $10:  John  McDoual,  $5  in  work:  William  McAuley,  $15; 
James  Hues,  $6;  William  Mushet,  $6;  John  Miishet,  $4;  Thomas 
Green,  $10;  James  Small,  $10;  George  Fleming,  $5  in  work ;  John 
RoUo,  $S;  Lauohlin  Wright,  $10  in  blacksmith  work  ;  John  Dunlap, 
$20;  John  Cowan,  $5  in  boards  or  timber;  David  French,  $10  in 
boards  or  limber:  Walter  Wright,  $4  :  Roderick  King,  $4  in  work  ; 
Andrew  White,  $2;  Jesse  Fairchild,  $20  ;  John  Miller,  $10;  James 
Hay,  a  thousand  feet  of  boards ;  Lemuel  Sherman,  $2 ;  Ira  Savonsley, 
$2.50  ;  John  L.  Wendell,  $2.50  ;  C.  Wendell,  $2.60  ;  John  Green,  $5 ; 
Daniel  Wells,  $fi  in  work  and  materials:  David  Adams,  $3;  David 
Rice.  $4;  John  Armitage,  Jr.,  $5;  John  Adkins,  $2.50;  Matthew 
Gibson,  $2.50;  George  Coulter,  $5;  James  Fleming,  $2;  Jonathan 
French,  $6 ;  James  Mooney,  $5 ;  Robert  Wallo,  $2.50  in  boards  ; 
John  Kctchum,  $2.50  :  Solomon  IjCC,  $2.50  ;  A.  Skinner,  $5  in  boards  ; 
Wm.  Robertson,  four  day.s'  work  with  team  ;  John  Stratton,  $4  in 
work;  George  Barber,  $15;  Wm.  V.  Kirk,  $5  ;  Edmund  Wells,  Jr., 
$10;  Solomon  Dean,  $5;  Reuben  Pride,  .$5;  Abraham  Van  Tyle, 
$15;  Patrick  McGill,  $5  ;  Ale.i.  Marshall,  $5  ;  Gerritt  Wendell,  .$20. 
Total,  $559.50." 

With  the  avails  of  tliis  subscription  a  building  was 
erected  on  the  lot  of  land  donated  by  Wm.  Hay,  and  a 
school  was  maintained  in  it  for  a  number  of  years.  During 
the  greater  part  of  the  time,  however,  instruction  was  con- 
fined to  the  common  English  branches.  The  lot  was  con- 
veyed in  trust  to  Cornelius  Wendell  and  others,  by  deed 
dated  April  2,  1800,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  thereon 
"  an  academy  or  school-house."  The  deed  contained  the 
proviso  that  if  the  building  to  be  erected  should  remain  un- 
occupied for  a  year  or  upwards  at  any  one  time,  the  land 
should  revert  to  the  donor  or  his  legal  representatives. 
About  the  year  1814,  this  reversionary  interest  was  con- 
veyed to  the  trustees  by  Herman  Van  Veghtou,  in  whom 
it  was  then  vested. 

In  the  year  1814,  with  a  view  of  estiiblishing  a  perm:i- 
nent  fund,  and  obtaining  an  act  of  incorporation,  the  fol- 
lowing subscription  was  circulated  among  the  original  sub- 
scribers and  others  : 

"The  subscribers,  duly  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  encour- 
aging literature,  and  bringing  the  means  of  education  within  the 
reach  of  many  who,  from  the  remoteness  of  their  situation  from 
seminaries  established  for  the  purpose,  are  deterred  by  various  con- 
siderations from  receiving  the  benefit  of  a  regular  and  correct  educa- 
tion, promise  to  pay  and  to  secure  to  be  paid  annually  forever  here- 
after, the  sum  set  opposite  their  respective  names  to  such  trustees  as 
shall  hereafter  bo  appointed  to  take  the  charge  of  the  academy  to  be 
supported  in  the  town  of  Cambridge,  in  the  county  of  Washington,  near 
thccentreof  the  town,  and  to  the  successors  of  such  trustees;  in  which 
academy  shall  be  taught  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  grammar, 
geography,  astronomy,  belles-lettres,  Latin,  Greek,  and  such  other 
languages  as  the  trustees  shall  from  time  to  time  determine.  And 
we  further  promise  that  wc  will  either  pay  or  secure  to  the  said 
trustees,  or  their  successors,  such  principal  sum  as  at  an  interest  of 
seven  per  cent,  per  annum  will  produce  the  annual  sum  subscribed. 
Provided,  always,  that  the  academy  contemplated  shall  be  recognized 
by  the  regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Dated 
July  25,  1814." 

(The  following  subscriptions  were  secured,  the  sum  named 
being  the  principal  subscribed  :) 


G.  Wendell,  $500 ;  Wm.  Stevenson,  $500  ;  John  Dun- 
lap,  $100;  Alexander  Bullions,  $50;  Herman  Van  Vegh- 
tcn,$200;  John  L.  Wendell,  $200  ;  H.  C.  Wendell,  $200  ; 
Anna  Wendell,  $200  ;  Francis  McLean,  $20  ;  Alexander 
Marshall,  $20  ;  James  Hill,  $5  ;  Whiteside  Hill,  $5  ;  Timo- 
thy Hyde,  $5  ;  Rogers  Hyde,  $2.50  ;  M.  Kenyon,  $5  ;  Mrs. 
Margaret  Hill,  $5;  Marcha  Hill,  $5;  James  Stevenson, 
$50  ;  Samuel  McDoual,  $25  ;  PMward  Lauderdale,  $5  ;  Ezra 
West,  $5;  James  Coulter,  $20;  John  McMillan,  $15; 
David  Simpson,  $50;  Alexander  Livingston,  $5;  Michael 
Kerr,  $5  ;  Kirtland  Warner,  $5  ;  Sylvester  Warner,  $5  ; 
John  Younglove,  $15;  Graves  Warner,  $1  ;  John  Dunni- 
hugh,  $2  ;  James  Gilmore,  $50  ;  Nathaniel  S.  Pruyn,  $25  ; 
Solomon  Wells,  $5  ;  Daniel  Wells,  $5  ;  Charity  Hay,  $5  ; 
John  Thompson,  $10;  Robert  Wilcox,  $25  ;  Joseph  Gil- 
bert, $25 ;  John  McClelland,  $10 ;  Austin  Wells,  $25 ;  Wm. 
Gilmore,  $25  ;  Hercules  Rice,  $25  ;  Clark  Rice,  Jr.,  $25  ; 
James  Post,  $25  :  yThias  Johnson,  $15  ;  Clark  Rice,  $25. 

Upon  the  completion  of  this  subscription  a  memorial  was 
prepared  and  forwarded  to  the  regents  of  the  University  of 
the  State  of  New  York. 

The  memorial  stated  that  the  sum  of  two  thousand  three 
hundred  dollars  had  been  collected  ;  that  the  association 
had  the  use,  free  of  rent,  of  a  commodious  house,  and  re- 
quested that  articles  of  incorporation  be  granted.  It  was 
signed  by  John  Dunlap,  Alexander  Bullions,  Herman  Van 
Veghten,  Wm.  Stevenson,  Edward  Lauderdale,  John  L. 
Wendell,  and  G.  Wendell.  Upon  receipt  of  this  memorial, 
the  regents  granted  the  act  of  incorporation. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees  was  held  March 
29,  1815.  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  held  April  6,  Rev. 
John  Dunlap  was  elected  president,  and  John  L.  Wendell, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

A  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Mr.  McJinipsey,  but  he 
declined.  David  Chassel  was  then  engaged  at  an  annual 
salary  of  sis  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Chassel  came  from  the 
town  of  Peacham,  Vt.,  and  was  a  man  of  ability,  whom  the 
trustees  were  fortunate  in  securing. 

The  academy  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  scholars  on 
the  16th  d;ty  of  August,  1815,  although  it  was  not  formally 
dedicated  until  September  5  of  the  same  year.  The  academy 
was  "  dedicated  with  due  solemnity,  and  with  prayer  to 
Almighty  God  for  his  divine  maintenance  and  blessing  on 
this  infant  institution,"  saith  the  minutes  of  the  meeting. 
The  opening  prayer  was  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  Bullions,  the 
dedicatory  address  by  the  president.  Rev.  John  Dunlap,  and 
the  closing  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ostrander. 

The  school  opened  with  fifty-one  scholars,  fourteen  in 
the  classical  department  and  thirty-seven  in  the  English. 
Among  them  were  Wm.  Stevenson  and  John  Robertson, 
afterwards  for  many  years  trustees  of  the  academy. 

The  following  was  the  course  of  study  proscribed  by  the 
trustees,  Oct.  23,  1815  : 

CLASSICAL    DEPARTMENT. 

Latin — Adams'  Grammar  (to  be  used  as  the  first  book, 
except  in  those  eases  in  which  the  preceptor  may  judge  it 
proper  to  be  preceded  by  Rudimau's  Rudiments)  ;  Bige- 
low's  Latin  Primer,  with  the  introduction  to  making  Latin  ; 
Caesar's  Commentaries  ;  Ovid  s  Metamorphoses,  with  Latin 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


267 


Prosody ;  Sallust ;  Virgil ;  Cicero's  Select  Orations ;  Horace ; 
Cicero,  De  Oratore  ;  Tacitus.  Greek — Moor's  Grammar ; 
Translation  ;  Testament,  with  Neillson's  Exercises  ;  Collec- 
tanea Minora  ;  Collectanea  Majora  ;  Homer. 

ENGLISH    DEPARTMENT. 

Murray's  English  Grammar  and  Exercises ;  Morse's 
Geography,  with  maps  and  globes ;  Blair's  Lectures  on 
Rhetoric  ;  Watt's  Logic ;  Enfield's  Natural  Philosophy  ; 
Paloy's  Moral  Philosophy;  Euclid's  Elements,  by  Simpson. 

This  course  of  .study  was  maintained,  with  some  slight 
additions,  during  the  whole  period  the  school  had  an  exist- 
ence, though  the  text-books  used  were  frequently  changed. 

The  Rev.  John  Dunlap  resigned  the  presidency  of  the 
board  Sept  27,  ISIG,  on  account  of  removal  from  town,  and 
Rev.  Alexander  Bullions  was  elected  to  fill  his  place.     In 

1817,  the  number  of  students  having  increased  to  ninety- 
five, — -thirty-eight  in  the  classical,  and  fifty-seven  in  the 
English  department, — John  Alden  was  employed  as  a.ssist- 
ant,  at  a  salary  of  three  hundred  dollars,  and  it  was  also 
found  necessary  to  employ  one  of  the  more  advanced  stu- 
dents to  assist.  James  Martin  was  elected  to  the  position 
of  usher  (as  it  was  then  called)  at  a  salary  of  ten  dollars 
per  month  and  his  tuition.  Thomas  Clarksou  was  after- 
wards employed  in  the  same  position. 

May  1,  1818,  the  number  of  trustees  was  reduced  to 
thirteen  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  securing  a  quorum 
at  the  meetings. 

Mr.  Chassel  resigned  his  position  as  principal  October  5, 

1818,  and  Rev.  Alexander  Bullions  took  his  place,  John 
Alden  being  retained  as  assistant.  Mr.  Bullions  remained 
in  charge  one  year,  when  Mr.  Chassel  returned,  and  in 
November,  1819,  again  assumed  the  po.sition  of  principal. 
June  18,  1821,  Mr.  Chassel,  having  received  a  flattering 
call  from  Fairfield  Academy,  at  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  relin- 
quished his  position  in  Cambridge.  He  was  a  talented 
teacher,  and  under  him  the  Fairfield  Seminary  attained 
considerable  prominence.  Mrs.  Maria  M.  Cummins,  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  N.  S.  Prime,  in  a  letter  written  July  23, 
1857,  to  the  New  York  Observer,  makes  this  mention  of 
Mr.  Chassel :  "  He  was  an  accomplished  scholar  .  .  .  and 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  and  successful  classical 
teachers." 

The  school  was  now  without  a  teacher  ;  but  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Bullions,  who  so  often  saved  the  institution  from 
death,  came  to  the  rescue,  taking  charge  July  24,  1821. 

Rev.  Andrew  Stark  was  now  called  as  principal,  but 
did  not  accept.  The  position  was  then  ofl^ered  to  Rev. 
Nathaniel  8.  Prime.  He  accepted.  The  entire  avails 
from  tuition  and  the  money  received  from  the  regents  was 
given  him  as  compensation.  Mr.  Prime  took  charge  of 
the  academy  Nov.  28,  1821,  and  remained  as  its  principal 
until  May,  1824.  He  was  assisted  by  Alexander  McCall 
and  W.  E.  Lauderdale.  About  this  time  (1824)  the  trus- 
tees became  embarrassed,  partly  on  account  of  the  failure  of 
many  of  the  subscribers  to  pay  their  subscriptions,  and 
partly  on  account  of  the  decline  in  the  number  of  students. 
From  ninety-five  students  in  1817  the  number  fell  to  sixty- 
four  in  1820,  forty-five  in  1822,  and  in  1823  to  thirty- 
seven,  of  whom  only  twelve  were  cla,ssical  .scholars. 


After  Mr.  Prime  relinquished  his  charge  of  the  school 
the  classical  department  was  taught  for  a  few  months  by 
Alexander  McCall,  who  took  it  upon  his  own  responsibility. 
Alexander  McCall,  over  forty  years  after  this,  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  the  board  of  trustees,  which  explains 
itself: 

"Tnor,  March  i,  186.i. 

"Drar  Sir, — For  one  year,  from  the  spring  of  IS22  to  the  spring 
of  1823,  I  was  a  student  in  the  Cambridge  Washington  Academy, 
while  fitting  for  college.  During  my  junior  year  in  college,  in 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1824,  I  taught  the  academy  two  quarters. 
In  both  the  periods  alluded  to  I  was  treated  with  great  kindness  by 
the  people  of  the  place,  and  obtained  many  warm  friends.  I  wish 
now,  after  a  lapse  of  more  than  forty  years,  to  present,  through  you,  to 
the  trustees  of  the  academy,  as  a  token  of  remembrance,  a  donation 
of  five  hundred  dollars, — for  which  I  enclose  my  check, — to  be  used 
by  them  as  they  shall  judge  best  for  the  interest  of  the  institute. 
"  Respectfully  yours, 

"J.  M.  Stevenson',  Esq.  "Alexaxder  McCall." 

Mr.  McCall  was  a  well-known  citizen  of  Troy,  and  for 
some  time  an  editor  of  the  Troy  Whiy. 

From  1824  until  1827  were  dark  days  for  the  Cambridge 
Washington  Academy.  The  trustees  had  not  sufficient 
funds  to  maintain  the  school,  and  ''  preferred  an  entire  sus- 
pension of  instruction  to  its  continuance  by  the  temporary 
engagement  of  young  and  inexperienced  teachers,"  and 
the  doors  of  the  institution  were  closed. 

In  September,  1827,  by  unusual  effort,  the  school  was  re- 
opened. Rev.  Nathaniel  S.  Prime  again  taking  charge.  He 
was  a.ssi.-jted  by  Miss  Maria  51.  Prime,  who  was  the  first 
female  teacher  employed.  The  school  was  never  afterwards 
closed.  In  1828,  when  the  first  catalogue  was  published, 
there  were  sixty-four  students  in  attendance.  Thirty-five 
of  these  were  in  the  classical  department  and  twenty-nine 
in  the  English  department,  of  whom  fifteen  were  males 
and  fourteen  females. 

On  the  24th  of  December  of  the  same  year  the  bell, 
which  for  over  fifty  years  has  rung  through  this  valley, 
calling  lagging  students  to  their  labors,  was  hung  in  the 
belfry  of  the  old  academy.  It  cost  ninety-six  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents.  The  money  for  its  purchase  was  raised 
by  subscription. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  held  March  17,  1828,  the 
following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  offered  by  the 
Rev.  Alexander  Bullions,  and  unanimously  adopted  : 

"  Whereas,  There  are  many  indigent,  talented,  and  pious  young 
men  desirous  of  obtaining  an  education  for  the  gospel  ministry,  and 
whose  services  are  urgently  demanded  for  the  supply  of  our  popula- 
tion,— comparatively  destitute  of  public  religious  instruction  ;  and 
whereas  the  scantiness  of  our  finances  as  an  academy  not  permitting 
us  to  extend  gratuitous  instruction  to  many, 

"Uisoh-ed,  first.  That  the  trustees  of  the  Cambridge  Washington 
Academy  apply  to  a  generous,  patriotic,  and  Christian  public  to  aid 
them  in  carrying  into  effect  their  desires  and  exertions  to  extend  to 
indigent  j'oung  men  of  piety  and  talents  opportunities  to  pursue, 
without  the  expense  of  tuition,  preparatory  studies  with  a  view  to  the 
gospel  ministry. 

"Second,  That  for  this  purpose  the  trustees  establish  scholarships, 
to  be  endowed  by  one  or  more  individuals  united,  whose  name  or 
names  said  scholarships  shall  bear.  The  endowment  of  a  scholar- 
ship shall  be  two  hundred  dollars.  For  every  scholarship  endowed 
to  that  amount  the  trustees  pledge  tljemselves  to  teach  annually,  for 
all  time  coming,  as  long  as  the  academy  and  tuition  therein  can  be 
maintained,  one  pious,  talented,  and  indigent  young  man  intending 
the  holy  ministry.     The  nomination  of  candidates  shall  be  with  the 


208 


HISTOKY  OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


individual  that  endows  the  scholarship  or  any  other  whom  ho  may 
appoint. 

"  Third,  That  the  moneys  advanced  for  such  endowment  may  never 
be  lost  nor  misapplied,  the  trustees  bind  themselves  and  their  suc- 
cessors in  office  to  have  the  same  invested  in  secure  or  landed  estate 
of  good  titles;  and  if  at  any  time  those  funds  are  not  appropriated 
for  the  particular  object  for  which  they  are  advanced, — provided 
suitable  candidates  offer, — it  shall  be  at  the  discretion  of  the  regents 
of  the  university  to  dispose  of  them  in  conformity  to  the  intention 
of  the  donors,  unlcfs  the  donors  themselves  shall  otherwise  direct." 

Eev.  Alex.  Bullions,  Thonia.s  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge, 
Daniel  Stevenson,  of  Argryle,  and  John  McAllister,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, immediately  advanced  two  hundred  dollars  each 
and  secured  a  scholarship.  The  money  was  invested  in  a 
lot  adjoining  the  academy.  It  contained  one  acre  and 
thirty  perches  of  land  and  cost  six  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  dollars.  Upon  the  lot  was  a  commodious  house  for 
the  use  of  the  preceptor.  Afterwards,  April  20,  1844, 
Nathan  Culver  subscribed  two  hundred  dollars  for  a  schol- 
arship. 

Kev.  N.  S.  Prime  resigned  his  charge  of  the  school  May 
10,  1830.  Rev.  Alex.  Bullions  again  assumed  the  duties 
of  principal  until  arrangements  could  be  made  to  secure  a 
permanent  teacher.  June  9,  of  the  same  year,  Rev.  John 
Monteith  was  elected  principal.  August  19,  of  the  same 
year.  Miss  Maria  Prime  relinquished  her  charge  of  the 
female  department  of  the  school,  and  Mrs.  Abigail  Mon- 
teith was  elected  in  her  place.  Mr.  Monteith  remained  in 
charge  until  March  19,  1832, — a  little  less  than  two  years, 
— when  he  resigned,  and  Dr.  Alex.  Bullions  again  came  to 
the  rescue  and  took  charge  of  the  school.  During  the 
years  1829,  1830,  1831,  and  1832  the  school  averaged 
about  forty-five  scholars,  there  being  but  little  variation 
from  this. 

The  trustees  now  .secured  the  services  of  Wm.  I).  Beattie, 
who  came  in  May,  1832.  He  received  as  compensation  all 
moneys  arising  from  tuition  and  moneys  received  from  the 
regents.  The  school  remained  under  the  care-of  Mr.  Beat- 
tie  for  seven  years.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College, 
and  was  twenty-nine  years  of  age  when  he  first  came  to 
Cambridge.  April  20,  1839,  he  resigned  his  position,  and 
the  academy  was  again  without  a  teacher.  Mr.  Beattie  died 
in  New  York,  July  7,  1861.  The  records  of  the  institu- 
tion are  not  very  full  from  the  years  1833  to  1839,  but 
from  what  knowledge  we  can  glean  we  are  led  to  believe 
that  the  school  did  not  have  an  average  attendance  of  over 
forty.  During  a  portion  of  the  time  Mr.  Beattie  had 
charge  of  the  school  ho  was  assisted  by  Miss  iMaria  H. 
Ilaswell. 

Since  the  division  of  the  town  into  districts,  under  the 
common  school  law,  a  common  school  had  been  kept  in  a 
vacant  room  of  the  academy,  and  at  last  the  district  raised 
a  claim  to  a  perpetual  use  of  the  room.  In  1838  the  trus- 
tees of  the  academy  procured  the  relinquishment  of  this 
claim  of  the  district  by  the  payment  of  one  hundred  dollars. 

Addison  Lyman,  a  student  in  Williams  College,  was  next 
secured  as  principal.  He  was  twenty-six  years  of  age  and 
had  just  graduated.  He  received  five  hundred  dollars  per 
annum.  The  trustees  secured  the  services  of  Miss  Roxanna 
Bixby  as  assistant.  She  received  eight  dollars  per  month 
in  the  winter,  and  ten  dollars  per  month  in  the  summer. 


Mr.  Lyman  remained  in  charge  until  1841,  a  period  of  two 
years.  The  school  flourished  under  Mr.  Lyman.  In  1839 
there  were  seventy-three  in  attendance, — thirty-eight  gentle- 
men and  thirty-five  ladies, — and  in  1841  the  number  rose 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight — seventy-three  gentlemen 
and  fifty-five  ladies. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Russel  M.  Wright,  a  graduate  of 
Williams  College.  Miss  Bi.xby  was  retained  in  charge  of 
the  female  department.  Fletcher  Hawley,  of  New  York, 
was  also  employed  to  deliver  a  cour.se  of  lectures  on  chem- 
istry. 

Mr.  Wright  had  charge  of  the  school  but  one  year.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  C.  McLaurie,  who  received 
as  compensation  for  his  services  the  income  arising  from 
tuition  and  the  moneys  received  from  the  regents.  Blr. 
McLaurie  remained  in  charge  one  year,  resigning  July  2, 
1843. 

Rev.  Ephraim  H.  Newton  was  now  called  as  principal  of 
the  school.  For  compensation  he  received  all  incomes  of 
the  academy,  from  whatever  source,  except  seven  per  cent., 
which  was  given  to  the  trustees.  He  was  bound  by  con- 
tract to  employ  "a  competent  instructor  in  the  Latin, 
Greek,  and  French  languages;  also  a  female  teacher."  The 
contract  was  signed  Sept.  15,  1843. 

The  school  now  rapidly  increased  in  .size,  and  the  need 
of  a  larger  edifice  was  felt.  As  early  as  May,  1841,  reso- 
lutions were  passed  by  the  board  of  trustees  in  regard  to 
the  desirability  of  erecting  a  new  academic  building,  and 
from  time  to  time  after  that  similar  resolutions  appear  on 
their  minutes  It  was  not  until  the  spring  of  1844,  how- 
ever, that  they  received  suflBcient  encouragement  from  the 
people  of  Cambridge  and  vicinity  to  warrant  the  undertak- 
ing. The  plans  of  the  new  building  were  drawn  by  Dorris 
Eldridge,  Sylvester  E.  Spoor,  and  Ludawig  Esman.  The 
plau  of  the  front  was  drawn  by  Eldridge,  the  roof  and 
ground  plans  by  Spoor,  and  the  seats  by  Esman,  each  plan 
being  amended  by  the  board  of  trustees.  The  dimensions  of 
the  first  floor  were  as  follows  :  lobby,  twelve  by  twenty- five 
feet;  school-room,  twenty-one  by  thirty-two  feet ;  recitation- 
rooms,  fifteen  by  twenty-one  feet.  On  the  second  floor  there 
was  a  music-room,  directly  over  the  lobby,  a  hall  occupying 
the  remainder  of  the  floor,  termed  in  the  specifications  "  the 
chapel."  The  contract  was  awarded  to  Dorris  Eldridge  and 
Ludawig  Esman,  jointly,  for  three  thousand  four  hundred 
dollars.  The  new  edifice  was  built  a  few  feet  north  of  the 
old  building.  The  building  was  occupied  for  examination 
and  exhibition  September  IS,  although  it  was  not  finished 
till  later  in  the  autumn.  The  work  of  the  contractors  was 
formally  accepted  Nov.  15,  1844. 

About  this  time  .some  property  of  Janet  Stratton,  de- 
ceased, was  deeded  to  the  academy  by  Dr.  Bullions,  in 
whose  possession  it  was.  The  trustees  accepted  it,  paying 
all  debts  against  the  estate,  and  voting  to  erect  "  grave- 
stones, not  to  exceed  ten  dollars,  for  Janet  Stratton."  The 
estate  of  Margaret  JlcClellan,  a  lunatic,  who  died  without 
heirs,  \p)6,  by  act  of  the  Legislature  of  1848,  conveyed  to  the 
academ-y.  It  amounted  to  four  hundred  dollars.  These 
two  benefactions  aided  the  institute  materially. 

Under  Rev.  E.  H.  Newton  the  .school  attained  a  greater 
degree  of  prosperity  than  it  had  ever  previously  enjoyed. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


2G9 


The  attendance  in  1844  reached  two  hundred  and  seventeen, 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  of  whom  were  gentlemen,  and  one 
hundred  and  one  hidics ;  and  in  1845  we  find  the  names  of 
two  hundred  and  forty-three  on  tlie  rolls,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-one  gentlemen  and  one  hundred  and  twelve  ladies. 
The  assistant  teachers  in  1844  were:  gentlemen's  depart- 
ment, Alexander  B.  Bullions,  William  Bullions  (in  Greek, 
Latin,  and  mathematics),  William  Hall ;  ladies'  department, 
Miss  3Iary  W.  Arms,  Miss  Mary  R.  Whitney,  Miss  Olivia 
P.  Rider,  Miss  Jane  31.  Jones  (in  music  and  French),  Miss 
Elizabeth  P.  Beadle,  Miss  Lydia  A.  Foster,  assistant  pupils. 
In  1845,  Andrew  M.  Beveridge  took  the  place  of  Alexan- 
der Bullions  as  assistant;  Miss  Sarah  Loomis,  the  place  of 
Miss  Mary  W.  Arms;  Miss  Laura  0.  Norton,  the  place  of 
Miss  Olivia  P.  Rider;  and  Miss  Eliza  M.  Draper,  the  place 
of  Elizabeth  P.  Beadle  as  assistant  pupil. 

Rev.  Mr.  Newton  resigned  at  the  end  of  the  spring  term 
of  1848,  after  having  labored  five  years  with  great  success. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Andrew  M.  Beveridge,  who  had 
been  a  tutor  under  Rev.  Dr.  Newton.  Mr.  Beveridge  re- 
mained in  charge  two  years,  resigning  July  2,  1850.  Mr. 
Beveridge  was  assisted  by  William  Hall,  teacher  of  English, 
and  Robert  H.  McClelland,  teacher  of  chemistry,  in  the 
gentlemen's  department;  Miss  Sarah  Beveridge,  Miss  Mary 
A.  Sheldon,  Miss  Mary  A.  Munsou,  in  the  ladies'  depart- 
ment;  Miss  Caroline  A.  Branch  (French,  music,  drawing, 
and  painting)  ;  Miss  Julia  A.  Davis  (primary  department). 
He  maintained  the  excellence  of  the  academy.  He  now 
has  charge  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Lansingburg, 
N  Y. 

The  trustees  now  called  to  the  management  of  the  school 
Charles  S.  Robinson.  He  was  engaged  for  a  period  of  two 
years,  and  as  compensation  received  all  incomes  of  the 
academy,  except  twelve  per  cent,  thereof,  which  the  trustees 
reserved.  Mr.  Robinson  was  an  accomplished  scho'ar,  and 
under  him  the  school  flourished.  He  is  now  settled  over  a 
church  in  New  York  city,  and  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
preachers  in  that  city.  Ho  was  assisted  by  William  Hall, 
in  the  gentlemen's  department  ;  Miss  Sarah  S.  Barnes,  in 
the  ladies'  department;  Miss  J.  E.  Robinson  and  Miss  Car- 
oline M.  King,  music,  painting,  etc. ;  and  Miss  Julia  M. 
Wright,  assistant  pupil.  The  school  under  him  numbered 
about  two  hundred  and  forty-one. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  succeeded  by  Charles  H.  Gardner, 
who  was  elected  principal  July  14,  1852.  He  resigned, 
March  13,  1854,  on  account  of  ill  health.  Mr.  Gardner 
was  assisted  by  James  H.  Parsons,  gentlemen's  department; 
Miss  Lucy  E.  Edmans,  Miss  Elizabeth  S.  Olmstead,  Miss 
Caroline  V.  Burns,  Miss  Harriet  M.  Crocker.  The 
number  of  students  under  Mr.  Gardner  was  two  hundred 
and  twenty,  one  hundred  and  nineteen  of  whom  were 
gentlemen. 

John  Henry  Burtis  was  secured  to  teach  the  summer 
quarter  of  1554,  and  was  afterwards  engaged  for  a  year, 
making  one  and  one-fourth  years  the  school  was  under  his 
direction.  He  received  all  the  incomes  of  the  school,  with 
the  exception  of  twelve  per  cent.,  which  the  trustees 
reserved. 

The  trustees  next  scoured  the  services  of  Aldeu  P. 
Beals,  who  took  pos.session  of  the  school  in  the  autumn  of 


1855.  His  as!5istants  the  first  quarter  were  Rev.  E.  H. 
Newton  ;  Miss  Francis  A.  Bacon,  preceptress  ;  Bliss  Mary 
E.  Jones,  teacher  of  French  and  botany;  Miss  Mary  Pierce  ; 
Miss  Maria  R.  Nims,  music,  painting,  and  drawing.  The 
attendance  for  1855  and  1856  was  one  hundred  and 
seventy-seven.  Miss  Bacon  was  succeeded  as  preceptress, 
during  the  principals!) ip  of  Mr.  Beals,  by  the  following 
ladies,  in  the  order  named :  Miss  Martha  D.  Billings, 
Miss  Clara  Dodge,  Miss  Maria  L.  Harrison,  Miss  Maria 
Cary,  Miss  Martha  H.  Sprague,  Bliss  Blartha  Feary,  Bliss 
Kate  S.  De  Witt. 

Rev.  Alexander  Bullions  died  June  26,  1857.  In  him 
the  school  lost  its  most  ardent  supporter  and  warmest  friend. 

Rev.  Dr.  Bullions  was  succeeded  in  the  presidency  by 
Rev.  E.  H.  Newton.  About  this  time  the  board  of  trus- 
tees lost  another  valuable  member  by  death,  Hon.  Luther 
J.  Howe. 

In  1858  the  academic  year  was  divided  into  three  terms 
instead  of  four,  as  formerly.  The  first  term  now  com- 
menced on  the  first  Blonday  of  September,  continuing 
fifteen  weeks ;  the  second  term  commenced  the  last  Blonday 
of  December,  and  continued  fifteen  weeks;  and  the  third 
term  commenced  the  third  Blonday  of  April,  and  continued 
fourteen  weeks. 

In  1862  the  board  of  trustees  met  with  a  serious  loss  in 
the  death  of  Rev.  John  G.  Smart,  D.D.  He  became  a 
member  of  the  board  January  17,  1855. 

In  1863  the  academy  building  was  repaired  and  en- 
larged by  an  addition  in  the  rear  of  brick,  twenty-four  by 
forty-two,  and  two  stories  in  height.  The  old  building 
was  also  repaired  and  painted,  new  seats  were  substituted  for 
the  old  ones,  and  new  slate  blackboards  for  the  old  wooden 
ones.  The  entire  cost  of  improvements  was  two  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  forty-five  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1864,  Rev.  Ephraim  H. 
Newton,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees,  died.  In  him 
the  school  lost  a  warm  friend  and  an  earnest  supporter. 
The  board  attended  his  funeral  in  a  body,  and  passed  reso- 
lutions of  respect. 

December  29,  1864,  BIr.  Beals,  the  principal,  offered 
his  resignation,  which  was  accepted  by  the  board  of  trus- 
tees, February  1,  1865.  BIr.  Beals  had  charge  of  the 
school  ten  years.  He  was  a  thorough  scholar,  an  accom- 
plished gentleman,  and  a  successful  teacher.  Under  him 
the  school  reached  the  height  of  its  prosperity.  The  school 
lost  in  him  more  than  was  realized  at  the  time.  The 
school  averaged  about  two  hundred  students  during  the 
time  he  was  in  charge. 

BIr.  Beals  was  succeeded  by  Wm.  S.  Aumock,  BI.D. 
He  came  to  this  place  from  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  and  took 
charge  of  the  school  in  the  autumn  of  1865.  BIr.  Au- 
mock received  the  incomes  of  the  school,  excepting  twelve 
per  cent.,  for  his  compensation.  He  was  assisted  by  Miss 
II.  Hettie  Baker,  as  preceptress  ;  Bliss  Charlotte  Kellogg, 
teacher  of  drawing  and  painting  ;  Bliss  Isabella  G.  Osborn, 
teacher  of  music;  Bliss  Ella  BI.  Barnes,  primary  depart- 
ment. 

In  the  autumn  of  1865,  John  BI.  Stevenson  donated  to 
the  school  a  piece  of  land  adjoining  the  school  grounds, 
containing  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  rods  of  laud.     Tliis 


270 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


autumn  the  board  of  trustees  lost  its  oldest  member,  in  the 
death  of  Leonard  Wells,  who  had  been  a  member  since 
1832,  a  period  of  thirty-three  years. 

In  186G  a  new  piano  was  bought,  the  old  one,  which 
had  been  in  use  since  1853,  being  worn  badly.  The  trus- 
tees at  the  same  time  purcha.scd  a  Goodman  melodeon. 

From  the  earli&st  days  of  the  institution  there  was  a 
literary  society  maintained,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
trustees.  Dr.  Bullions  actively  maintained  this  society. 
This  society  gathered  a  number  of  books,  some  being  pur- 
chased by  the  trustees  and  some  being  gifts  of  friends  of 
which  was  called,  in  the  early  days,  the  Philologian  society. 
the  institution.  April  20,  1868,  the  trustees  received  a 
cimimunication  from  the  Young  Men's  Association  of 
Cambridge,  a  society  which  had  been  organized  two  years 
previous  to  this  time.  The  communication  stated  that 
the  society  had  two  hundred  dollars  in  its  treasury,  which 
they  desired  to  donate  to  the  academy  upon  certain  con- 
ditions, the  most  important  being  the  following:  That  the 
money  be  expended  in  the  purcha.se  of  books ;  that  the 
privileges  of  the  library  be  extended  to  all  members  of  the 
Young  Jlen's  association  ;  that  upon  the  decease  of  said 
association,  the  trustees  should  open  the  library  to  the 
public  upon  the  payment  of  a  fee,  not  to  exceed  one  dollar; 
that  the  board  elect  a  librarian,  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  association.  The  trustees  accepted  the  proposition. 
The  association  passed  out  of  existence  shortly  afterwards, 
and  the  library  was  opened  to  the  public.  It  now  contains 
over  two  thousand  volumes.  It  is  located  in  the  addition 
to  the  academy,  in  the  room  originally  constructed  for  a  trus- 
tees' room.     John  M.  Stevenson,  Jr.,  was  first  librarian. 

After  having  charge  of  this  school  two  years,  in  August, 
1SG7,  W.  S.  Aumock  tendered  his  resignation,  which  was 
accepted.  The  number  of  students  under  Mr.  Aumock's 
charge  was  two  hundred  and  four. 

His  successor  was  Rev.  Geo.  I.  Taylor.  As  compensa- 
tion he  received  all  incomes  of  the  institution,  from  what- 
ever source,  less  ten  per  cent.,  which  was  reserved  by  the 
trustees,  he  paying  his  assistants.  He  was  assisted  by  Miss 
Helen  M.  Foster,  preceptress;  Miss  H.  B.  Taylor,  teacher 
of  music ;  Mrs.  l\Iaria  T.  Conant,  teacher  of  drawing  and 
painting;  and  Miss  Ellen  M.  Barnes  in  the  primary  depart- 
ment. Mr.  Taylor  remained  in  charge  of  the  school  one 
year.  The  number  of  students  under  Mr.  Taylor  was  one 
hundred  and  ninety-four. 

The  trustees  next  engaged  Daniel  March,  Jr.,  at  a  salary 
of  twelve  hundred  dollars  per  annum.  He  assumed  the 
duties  of  his  position,  September  2,  1868.  Mr.  March 
remained  as  principal  of  the  school  two  years.  He  was  a 
successful  teacher  and  a  gentleman,  and  was  highly  es- 
teemed by  all  who  knew  him.  The  assistant  teachers  were 
the  same  under  Mr.  March  as  under  Mr.  Taylor,  with  the 
exception  of  Miss  Amelia  Merriam,  preceptress,  and  Miss 
Eliza  A.  Campbell,  teacher  of  music. 

He  was  succeeded  by  J.  P.  Lansing,  who  took  charge  of 
the  school  in  September,  1870,  and  who  remained  as  prin- 
cipal one  year.  Miss  Amelia  Merriam,  who  had  been 
preceptress  since  1868,  was  next  installed  over  the  school. 

John  M.  Stevenson,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees,  died 
September  8,  1872.     He  had  held  tlie  office  of  trustee  since 


1844,  and  of  president  since  1865.  Always  interested  in 
whatever  was  for  the  public  weal,  he  had  been  a  strong  friend 
and  supporter  of  the  academy,  and  his  loss  was  a  severe  one. 

Miss  Merriam  was  assisted  by  Miss  Sarah  E.  Sears ;  and 
by  Miss  Eva  S.  Pease,  teacher  of  music  ;  Miss  Maria  T. 
Conant,  teacher  of  painting  and  drawing;  and  Miss  Nettie 
Harsha,  primary  department. 

In  1873,  on  account  of  financial  embarrassment,  the 
trustees  were  at  a  loss  how  to  sustain  the  institution. 
Unless  the  school  could  be  endowed  it  must  be  closed. 
An  effort  to  secure  an  endowment  met  with  little  encourage- 
ment ;  an  eff'ort  for  a  Union  school  failed,  and  the  academy 
was  finally  leased  to  the  trustees  of  the  west  district.    . 

Thus,  after  an  existence  of  fifty-eight  years,  the  Cam- 
bridge Washington  Academy  was  virtually  closed ;  for 
although  the  trustees  of  the  Union  school  district  bound 
themselves  to  maintain  an  academic  department,  and  have 
since  done  so,  the  school  lost  its  distinctive  character  as  an 
academy  when  this  agreement  was  signed.  The  school  had 
an  honorable  career,  and  no  student  of  the  Cambridge 
Washington  Academy  need  blush  for  her  record. 

Instruction  has  been  maintained  in  the  academy  by  the 
Union  school  district  to  the  present  time.  The  school  has 
been  under  the  charge  of  the  following  teachers :  Wm.  E. 
Faulkner,  Miss  Maggie  Shiland,  James  McCoy,  James  L. 
King,  and  M.  J.  Oatman.  Mr.  Oatman  has  now  charge  of 
the  school. 

The  following  tables  show  the  names  of  all  the  presi- 
dents, secretaries,  treasurers,  trustees,  and  principals  of 
Cambridge  Washington  Academy,  from  the  date  of  its  in- 
corporation until  the  building  was  leased  to  the  Union 
school  district,  with  dates  when  they  were  elected  and  the 
dates  when  their  office  was  vacated  : 


PRESIDENTS. 


Na 


Elected.  Office  Vacateil. 

Rev.  .John  Diinlap April  6,    1815  Sept.  27,  18IB 

Rev.  Alex.  Biillion.>i Sept.  27,  1816  Jan.  U,    lS.i7 

Rev.  E.  H.  Xewton Jan.  14,    1857  Oct.  26,     1H65 

J.  M.  Stevenson Jan.  20,    18(15  Sept.  8,     1S72 

*Rov.  Henry  Gordon Nov.  1,     1872     


SECRETARIES. 


Rev.  N.  S.  Prime 1825 

Gen.  Martin  Lee 1827 

Dr.  jMatthew  Stevenson 1S29 

Dr.  William  Sumner 18:!2 

Wm.  Stevenson 18.35 

Rev.  J.  G.  Smart 1856 

Rev.  Chas.  H.  Taylor 1802 

«11.  K.  Sharpe.....". 1870 

TREASURERS. 


Office 
Vacated. 
1825 
1827 
1829 
18.32 
1835 
1856 
1802 
1870 


Offlci 


Names.  Elected.  Vo 

John  L.  WenJcll 1815         1821 

Wm.  Stevenson 1821  18U 

John  M.  Stevenson 1844         1805 

II.  Carpenter 18115         1872 

■•:•  James  Harper 1872         


PRINCIPALS. 


Offlc 


Names.  Elected.  Vaciited. 

David  Chassel 1815         1818 

Rev.  Alex.  Bullions 1818         1819 

David  Chassel 1819         1824 

Rev.  Alex.  Bullions 1821         


HoUlinj;  office  when  the  t 


;  leased  to  the  school  district. 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


271 


Namea.  Elected. 

Kev.  N.  S.  Prime 1821 

Kcv.  N.  S.  Prime 1827 

Rcv.  Alex.  Bullions IS.'SO 

Rev.  John  Monteith 1S.10 

Rev.  Ale.x.  Bullions... ]S:!2 

Wm.D.  Beat  tie lS.'i2 

AJdison  Lvman 18.!'J 

Russell  M.  Wright ■ 1811 

Rev.  Thomas  C.  McLaurie 1812 

Rev.  E.  H.  Newton lSj;i 

Rev.  A.  M.  Bcveridge 184S 

Rev.  Charles  I.  Robinson 1850 

Charles  H.  Gardner lSo2 

John  Ilenrv  Burtis 1854 

Alden  P.  Beals 1853 

AVm.  S.  Aumock 1865 

Rev.  Geo.  I.  Taylor 1867 

Daniel  March,  Jr 1868 

J.  P.  Lnnsing 1870 

Miss  Amelia  Merriam 1871 


Vaeiiled. 
1824 
1830 


]S:i2 


I8:',9 
1841 
1842 
1843 
1848 
1850 
1852 
1854 
1855 
1865 
1807 
1868 
1870 


March  29, 
Bept.  27, 
.June  26, 
Sepl.  15, 
Jan.  7, 
May  9, 

May  (1, 
M,ay-  1, 

August  21, 
May  9, 
Ma"y  1, 
March  19, 
May  1, 


lateil. 
1844 
1816 
1857 
1830 
1841 
1825 
1819 
1S25 
1818 
1827 
1815 
1825 
1818 
1832 
1818 


Sept.  27,     1816 

1827 

March  25,  1835 
March  15,  1837 
March  19,  1827 
February,  1827 

1827 

1S29 

June  20,  1857 
April  26,  1845 
Feb.  9,  1835 
Feb.  9,        1835 


TRUSTEES. 

Names.  Elected. 

Wm.  Stevenson March  22,  1815 

JohnDunlap 

Alex.  Bullions " 

Nathaniel  S.  Prime " 

Gerrit  Wendell " 

James  Gilnuire " 

liarmau  Van  Veghten " 

James  Stevenson " 

Harmanus  C.Wendell " 

David  Simpson " 

James  Hill " 

John  L.Wendell 

Joseph  Gilbert " 

Robert  Wilcox " 

Samuel   McDoual " 

Austin  Wells 

Wm.  Gilmore 

Edward  Lauderdale August  21,1815 

Clark  Rice.  Jr Sept.  27,     1816 

Thias  Johnson,  Jr Sept.  27,     1810 

Geo.  W.  Jermain,  Esq May  9,        1825 

Dr.  M.Stevenson " 

Rev.  Donald  McLaren " 

Martin  Lee,  Esq July  27,      1827 

Wm.  Robertson " 

Dr.  M.  Stevenson August  24,  1827 

Rev.  Wm.  Howden July  30,      1829 

Dr.  W.  Sumner " 

Rev.  Wm.  Lusk Sept.  12,     1829 

Rev.  John  Monteith Sept.  15,     1830 

Wm.  Stevenson,  Jr March  19,  1832 

liConard  Wells *' 

Wm.  D.  Beattie June  8,       1832 

Geo.  W.  Jermain Feb.  9,        1835 

John  Robinson " 

Kev.  0.  P.  Hoyt " 

Aaron  Crosby March  25,  1835 

Peter  Hill Dee.  12,      1836 

Rev.  E.  H.  Newton March  15,  1837 

Edward  Small May  4,        1839 

Ahira  Eldridge " 

Luther  J.  Howe June  1,       1840 

Thomas  Rice 1840 

John  M.  Stevenson March  29,  1844 

Rev.  Archibald  Reid April  20,    1845 

James  McKie,  Esq Jan.  18,      1848 

Rev.  Isaac  A.  Filmore March  13,  1854 

Rev.  J.  G.  Smart Jan.  27,      1855 

«Rev.  W.  B   Shortt May  19,      1855 

Rev.  J.  H.  Patterson Jan.  9,        1856 

James  E.  Small June  15,     1857 

*Freenian  A.  Puller " 

Peter  Hill Sept.  4,       1857 

Calvin  Skinner " 

Rev.  J.  H.  Nixon " 

«Rcv.  Henry  Gordon March  30,  1860 

«Thomas  Shiland Oct.  9,         1861 

Rev.  Chas.  H.  Taylor " 

®Berry  Long July  31,      1862 

H.  Carpenter Jan.  25,      1865 

D.  M.  Wcstfall Dec.  4,        1865 

«H.  K.  Sharpe Oct.  22,       1867 

*James  Thompson Nov.  4,       1869 

*Jaines  S.  Smart " 

*James  Harper Oct.  27,       1872 

James  E.Robertson '• 

«H.  G.  Blinn " 

*Azor  Culver " 


'  Holding  ofBce  when  the  academy  was  leased  to  the  school  district. 


June  8, 
Feb.  21, 
Dec.  4, 

Dec!  l'2, 
Oct.  22, 
March  15, 
June  1, 

Oct.  '26, 
Jan.  27, 
June  20, 
Sept.  4, 
March  13, 
Sept.  8, 
Jan.  18, 
Jan.  27, 
Jan.  9, 
July  19, 


1832 
1860 
1865 

.1839 
1836 
1867 
1837 
1840 

.1861 
1864 
1S55 
1857 
1857 
1854 
1872 
1848 
1855 
1856 
1862 


June  14, 
Oct.  28, 


1857 
1872 


Oct.  9,  1861 
Nov.  4,  1869 
Oct.  9,    1861 


Nov.  4,   1869 
Oct.  28,   1872 


To  the  list  of  teachers  .should  be  added  the  name  of 
Daniel  M.  Westfall,  who  taught  the  summer  term  of  1865. 
INIr.  Westfall  was  assisted  by  Miss  S.  E.  Smeed  and  Jennie 
E.  Arms.  The  assistant  teachers  under  Mr.  Burtis  were 
D.  M.  Westfall,  male  department ;  in  the  female  depart- 
ment, Maggie  Hill,  who  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Barstow 
and  Miss  Smeed ;  in  music  and  painting.  Miss  Jennie  Arms, 
succeeded  by  Miss  Jennie  Blakley. 

THE     UNITED     PRESBYTERIAN     CONGREGATION    OF    CAM- 
BRIDGE. 

The  organization  of  this  body  closely  followed  the  early 
settlements  in  Salem  and  Cambridge.  It  is  probable  that 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Clark  preached  to  the  settlers  in  the  fitll 
of  1765,  and  afterwards  at  occasional  intervals,  until  his 
removal  to  the  south  in  1780.  In  1765,  a  petition  was 
forwarded  to  the  synod  of  the  Secession  Church  of  Scot- 
land, requesting  the  services  of  a  preacher.  In  response, 
Rev.  David  Telfair  came  to  the  New  World,  and  visited 
Cambridge,  but  did  not  remain  to  form  a  congregation. 
Failing  in  their  efforts  to  secure  a  minister  from  the  Scotch 
synod,  the  associate  presbytery  of  Pennsylvania  was  next 
verbally  petitioned.  In  response  thereto,  Dr.  Clark  was 
instructed,  on  the  19th  day  of  April,  1769,  to  organize  a 
congregation  at  Cambridge.  It  is  altogether  probable  that 
this  was  done,  as,  soon  after,  a  glebe  lot  was  donated  for  a 
building  site  by  William  Smith,  one  of  the  original  Cam- 
bridge patentees.  On  the  northern  portion  of  this  a  house 
of  worship  was  begun  in  1775,  or  earlier,  but  which  was 
not  finished  until  after  the  treaty  of  peace,  in  1783.  The 
building  stood  about  sixty  rods  north  of  the  old  grave-yard, 
and  was  most  likely  used,  before  its  completion,  for  occasional 
meetings.  After  the  war  many  settlers  came  to  Cambridge, 
and  the  desire  ibr  regular  services  now  became  so  strong 
that  it  was  resolved  to  petition  the  presbytery  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  person.  This  mis.sion  was  undertaken,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1784,  by  a  devout  Irish  woman.  Widow  Nancy 
Hinsdale,  who  belonged  to  Dr.  Clark's  Salem  congregation. 
Pilgrim-like,  with  a  bundle  of  clothing  and  provisions,  she 
began  and  completed  the  toilsome  journey,  walking  all  the 
way  to  Philadelphia.  Fortunately,  the  presbytery,  at  that 
time,  composed  of  but  two  ministers,  had  convened  to 
deliberate  what  should  be  done  with  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Beveridge,  who  had  just  arrived  from  Ireland,  with  a  view 
to  preach  in  America.  The  petition  was  most  opportune, 
and  Mr.  Beveridge  was  at  once  appointed  to  Cambridge, 
where  he  arrived  in  the  fall  of  1784.  His  labors  were 
followed,  Jan.  5,  1785,  by  the  legal  organization  of  the 
new  body  as  the  "  Protestant  Presbyterian  Congregation 
of  Cambridge."  The  trustees  chosen  were  Josiah  Dewey, 
John  Morrison,  Edmund  Wells,  Phineas  Whiteside,  John 
Younglove,  James  Ashton,  John  McClung,  John  Welsh, 
and  Joseph  Wells.  Edmund  Wells  was  cho.sen  president ; 
John  McClung,  clerk  ;  and  Edmund  Wells,  Jr.,  collector. 
This  board  secured  a  deed  for  the  glebe  lot,  and  made  pro- 
vision for  its  future  disposition. 

Unfortunately  the  troubles  which  were  at  that  time  agi- 
tating the  Presbyterian  churches  also  affected  the  Canjbridge 
congregation  in  so  pronounced  a  manner,  that  it  resulted  in 
the  withdrawal  of  a  portion  of  the  members  adhering  to 


272 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Mr.  Beveridge,  who  belonged  to  the  "  Burghers."  This 
led  to  the  temporary  cessation  of  services,  the  locking  up 
of  the  meeting-house,  and  the  formation  of  a  new  society, 
which  is  at  present  known  as  the  United  Presbyterian 
church  of  Coila.  The  claims  of  the  Beveridge  and  anti- 
Beveridgo  parties  to  the  ownership  of  the  meeting-house 
were  adjusted,  after  a  great  deal  of  iiard  feeling,  on  the  5th 
of  iMay,  1786,  by  a  board  of  arbitration,  which  decided  that 
tlie  Beveridge  party  should  be  paid  in  equity  for  what  it 
had  contributed  towards  the  erection  of  the  house. 

The  meetings  of  the  congregation  were  now  resumed. 
Revs.  Annan,  Ma.son,  Proudfit,  and  others,  preaching  as 
supplies.  A  call  was  finally  extended,  July  7,  1786,  to 
Rev.  James  Snodgrass,  signed  by  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  persons,  which  shows  that  the  congregation  was,  in 
.spite  of  its  division,  yet  a  strong  body.  Mr.  Snodgrass  as 
well  as  a  !Mr.  Young,  who  was  afterwards  asked  to  become 
pastor,  declined  to  assume  this  relation.  The  effort  to 
secure  a  Congregational  minister,  a  Mr.  McCoy,  was  at- 
tended with  no  better  success,  and  it  was  not  until  June 
22,  1791  that  the  Rev.  John  Dunlap  was  ordained  as  the 
first  regular  pastor.  He  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and 
came  with  bis  fathei;  to  America  in  177-1.  Both  espoused 
the  American  cause,  and  served  in  two  campaigns.  He 
was  a  student  under  Dr.  Mason,  and  was  licen.sed  to  preach 
by  the  Associate  Reformed  presbytery  of  New  Yorlc.  He 
devoted  much  of  his  time  to  mi.ssiouary  work,  and  left  in 
1816  to  establish  missions  in  western  New  York.  He 
afterwards  returned  to  live  in  Cambridge,  where  he  died 
in  1829. 

The  congregation  was  without  a  pastor  until  1820,  when 
Rev.  Donald  C.  McLaren  was  ordained,  and  gave  it  six  years 
of  faithful  service,  leaving  in  1826.  Again  the  pastoral 
office  was  unoccupied,  except  by  supplies,  until  1829,  when 
the  Rev.  W.  Howden  was  installed.  He  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, where  he  served  as  a  Congregationalist  minister.  His 
connection  continued  until  18.36,  when  he  resigned  to  en- 
gage in  missionary  work.  Mr.  Howden's  immediate  suc- 
cessor was  Rev.  Peter  Gordon,  who  had  been  a  student  at 
the  Glasgow  University,  but  completed  his  studies  under 
Rev.  Alexander  Bullions,  D.D.,  of  Cambridge,  N.  Y.  He 
was  with  the  congregation  until  about  18-10,  when  he  also 
left  to  resume  his  duties  as  a  missionary.  In  1812  Rev. 
T.  C.  McLaurie  was  installed  as  pastor,  and  remained  until 

1852.  During  his  administration  the  congregation  left  their 
old  house  of  worship  on  the  glebe  lot  for  a  more  comfort- 
able building  on  Main  street,  in  the  village  of  Cambridge. 
It  has  a  very  pleasant  location,  and,  with  the  improve- 
ments and  repairs  made  since  its  erection  in  1815,  is  a 
substantial  and  neat  edifice.  The  glebe  lot  has  passed  into 
private  hands,  under  the  provisions  of  a  special  act  of  the 
Legislature,  passed  May  27,  1855.     In  the  early  part  of 

1853,  William  B.  Shortt,  a  licentiate,  came  as  a  supply,  and 
on  the  23d  of  December,  of  the  same  year,  was  installed 
as  the  pastor.  Mr.  Shortt  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1826, 
and  there  received  his  education.  He  has  been  the  pastor 
of  the  congregation  ever  since  1853,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  his  members,  who  at  present  number  about  one  hundred. 
In  1858  the  congregation  assumed  its  present  name,  but 

he   trustees  are  still  known  by  the  old   title.     The  first 


elders  were  Phine:is  Whiteside,  James  Ashton,  James 
Stevenson,  Fortunatus  Sherman,  Archibald  Robertson,  and 
Jo.seph  Wells.  The  present  elders  are  Zina  Sherman, 
James  Thompson,  George  McGeoch,  and  John  R.  Mc- 
Arthur. 

A  Sabbath-school  was  organized  about  1810,  which  is 
attended  by  seventy-five  members.  There  is  a  fine  library 
of  three  bundi-ud  volumes.  John  McGeoch  is  the  super- 
intendent. 

THE     FIRST     UNITED     rilESBYTERI.\N     CHURCH     IN     CAM- 
BRIDGE. 

About  1792  a  plain  frame  meeting-house  was  erected 
near  the  inns  kept  by  Rucl  Beebe  and  JIajor  John  Porter, 
by  a  number  of  persons  of  various  shades  of  Presbyterian 
and  Congregational  belief,  who  afterwards  formed  them- 
selves into  a  society  bearing  the  name  of  "  The  Fir.st  United 
Presbyterian  Congregation  in  Cambridge."  This  organiza- 
tion was  effected  Aug.  17,  1793,  and  the  persons  thus 
uniting  themselves  were  John  Welsh,  Sr.,  Hannah  Wcl.sh, 
Moses  Holmes,  Keziah  Holmes,  John  Younglove,  Martha 
Younglove,  John  Gunn,  Jerusha  Gunn,  Thomas  Beach, 
Joseph  Welsh,  Sr.,  Mary  Wilson,  Eliphalet  Adam.s,  Sarah 
Adams,  William  Abbott,  Eleazer  Crocker,  Richard  Prouty, 
Susannah  Prouty,  Timothy  Kelly,  Betsey  Kelly,  Esther 
Oviatt,  Rebecca  Estee,  Lucas  and  Lydia  Younglove, 
Heman  Howes,  Phcebe  Williams,  Elizabeth  Skinner,  Isaac 
Bell,  Anthony  Empy,  John  McLean,  May  McLean,  Pa- 
tience Adams,  Catharine  Van  Kirk,  Japhetli  Le  Barron, 
Pattie  Le  Barron,  James  and  Phoebe  JIcLean,  Asenath 
Woodworth,  May  Adicius,  Thankful  Luke,  Eleazer  Warner, 
Elizabeth  Warner,  Ebenezer  Billings,  and  5Iay  Billings. 

A  board  of  trustees  was  also  chosen,  but  no  record  of  the 
names  can  be  found.  The  meeting-house  was  painted  white, 
a  circumstance  which  gave  it  the  name  by  which  it  was  so 
long  and  favorably  known,  even  after  the  rains  and  storms 
of  many  years  had  beaten  off  that  pure  color. 

The  first  record  of  a  religious  meeting  is  that  of  Aug. 
28,  1793,  when  Rev.  John  Warford  preached,  and  a  call 
was  extended  to  Rev.  Gersbom  Williams,  a  licentiate  of  the 
"  Presbytery  of  New  York."  Mr.  Williams  was  ordained 
pastor  June  25,  1791,  and  on  the  19th  of  October  of  the 
same  year  John  Welsh  and  jMoses  Holmes  received  the 
ordination  of  the  elders'  office. 

Rev.  Williams'  pastoral  connection  extended  through  nine 
years,  and  resulted  in  the  accession  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety  members.  Rev.  Robert  H.  Chapman  was  the  second 
pastor,  and  also  remained  nine  years  ;  one  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  members  were  added  during  this  period.  The 
longest  and  most  eventful  pastorate  was  that  which  next 
followed. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  S.  Prime,  D.D.,  was  installed  July  11, 
1813,  and  remained  until  1828.  He  found  the  church  a 
strong,  vigorous  body,  but  arrayed  against  itself  on  account 
of  diverse  opinions  on  church  polity  and  custom,  and  the 
Christian  conduct  of  the  members.  Dr.  Prime  took  a 
bold  position  for  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  right,  and 
manfully  maintained  it,  coming  off  victor,  although  op- 
posed by  a  strong  element,  whose  conduct  made  his  pas- 
torate no  ea.sy  life.     He  was  a  man  of  strong  intellect  and 


HLii, ULui,i- .J,    iiORACE  &  FHEB£  VALENTINE, C/iv;8mi)G£.W/isH)NGroNCo,N.y' 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


273 


great  pulpit  powers,  making  liiin  a  worthy  compeer  of  Dr. 
Bullions,  wlio  at  that  time  pre.sided  at  the  yellow  meeting- 
house. As  the  result  of  his  labors  one  hundred  and  six 
members  were  added.  The  next  pastor,  Rev.  Gordon 
Hayes,  remained  but  a  short  time.  Rev.  William  Lusk 
was  installed  June  16,  1830,  for  a  four  years'  pastorate. 
Soon  after  his  coming  the  church  enjoyed  a  revival,  whereby 
two  hundred  members  were  added.  This  sudden  increase 
had  the  effect  of  hastening  a  long-cherished  purpose  to 
build  a  new  house  of  worship  in  place  of  the  old  building, 
which  wore  a  neglected  appearance,  besides  having  a  steejile 
which  threatened  to  tumble  off  any  moment.  In  1832 
the  building  was  demolished,  and  another  erected  in  its 
place,  which  still  stands,  although  used  for  other  purposes. 
The  house  was  erected  by  a  building  committee  composed 
of  Gerrit  Wendell,  Jonathan  Dorr,  Clark  Rice,  Jr.,  and 
Ahira  Eldridge.  The  latter  was  especially  active  in  push- 
ing the  work  to  a  speedy  and  satisfactory  completion.  The 
house  cost  four  thousand  dollars,  which  was  contributed  by 
one  hundred  and  forty  persons,  but  few  of  whom  are  alive 
to-day.  The  official  board  of  the  church  at  that  time  were  : 
elders,  Kirklaiid  Warner,  Azor  Thompson,  Benjamin 
Crocker,  Lewis  McLean,  Sidney  Wells,  Eli[)halet  Day, 
Mathias  Johnson,  Jr.,  John  Stevenson,  and  Ru.ssell  Nor- 
ton ;  trustees,  G.  Wendell,  Sylvester  Warner,  Sidney  Wells, 
Solomon  Warner,  Robert  Wilcox,  Arthur  Ackley,  Clark 
Rice,  Jr.,  Lewis  McLean,  and  Ebenezer  Billings. 

Rev.  O.  P.  Iloyt  was  the  sixth  pastor,  remaining  two 
and  a  half  years.  Dr.  E.  H.  Newton,  the  next  pastor, 
was  installed  March  15,  1837,  and  served  until  Aug.  23, 
18-13.  He  was  a  sound  theologian  and  a  very  learned 
man.  His  successor  was  Dr.  I.  0.  Fillmore,  who  was  in- 
stalled Sept.  14,  18-13,  and  served  the  church  in  a  most 
efficient  manner  twelve  years.  In  1856,  Rev.  J.  H.  Nixon 
became  the  ninth  pastor,  remaining  such  three  years.  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Taylor  was  installed  in  June,  1861,  and  filled 
the  pastoral  office  nine  years,  winning  many  friends  by  his 
pleasing  address  and  polished  eloquence.  In  1870,  Rev. 
H.  G.  Blinn,  the  present  pastor,  was  installed.  His  labors 
have  been  richly  and  abundantly  blessed  not  only  with  an 
increase  of  membership,  but  in  the  erection  of  a  new  house 
of  worship,  whose  beauty  and  convenience  give  it  rank 
among  the  best  in  the  county.  This  handsome  structure 
stands  opposite  the  old  church,  on  the  spot  formerly  occu- 
pied by  the  Beebe  tavern.  It  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of 
nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars,  under  the  direction  of  J.  F. 
Hall,  Thomas  Oviatt,  and  Charles  Porter,  building  com- 
mittee. The  house  was  formally  dedicated  March  6,  1872, 
at  which  time  the  officers  of  the  church  were:  elders, 
Benjamin  Crocker,  John  Stevenson,  Nathan  Culver,  Ahira 
Eldridge,  William  Holden,  Asaph  Warner,  Lemuel  Sher- 
man, and  William  P.  Robertson ;  deacons,  James  Ellis 
and  John  W.  Eddy ;  trustees,  Furman  Fuller,  S.  W. 
Crosby,  John  Qua,  R.  King  Crocker,  Mial  P.  Barton, 
Charles  Porter,  Thomas  Oviatt,  William  Watkins,  and 
Alanson  McLean ;  treasurer,  S.  W.  Crosby ;  and  clerk, 
William  P.  Robertson. 

Besides  the  church  the  society  also  owns  a  fine  parson- 
age worth  five  thousand  dollars.  A  summary  of  the 
church  shows  an  aggregate  membership  of  about  fifteen 
35 


hundred,  from  whose  ranks  ten  have  entered  the  ministry. 
There  have  been  eleven  pastors  and  thirty  elders ;  one  of 
these,  Benjamin  Crocker,  was  an  active  member  of  the 
session  sixty  years  ;  and  several  others  have  served  more 
than  forty  years.  The  church  has  at  present  more  than 
four  hundred  members,  and  has  maintained  a  Sabbath- 
school  since  about  1840.  The  school  is  superintended  by 
Gilbert  Robertson,  and  has  two  hundred  and  seventy-five 
members.     A  fine  library  is  maintained. 

ASHGaOVE    METHODIST   EPISCOPAL    CIIURCU. 

The  religious  organization  bearing  the  above  name  was 
constituted  according  to  Methodist  usages  before  the  ham- 
let where  it  was  located,  the  town  within  which  it  was  em- 
braced, or  the  present  county  of  Washington  was  known. 
It  was  the  first  church  organization  within  the  bounds  of 
what  was  subsequently  known  as  "the  old  town  of  Cam- 
bridge," the  first  Methodist  church  in  the  county,  and  the 
first  organized  in  tlie  State  north  of  the  city  of  New  York. 

It  was  located  in  a  beautiful  valley  among  the  Taghanick 
hills,  about  two  miles  east  of  the  present  village  of  Cam- 
bridge. 

In  the  summer  of  1769,  Thomas  Ashton  and  his  wife, 
emigrants  from  Ireland,  and  members  of  Mr.  John  Wes- 
ley's society  there,  landed  at  New  York,  and  soon,  with 
some  other  Methodist  emigrants,  made  their  way  to  what 
was  then  known  as  Cambridge  patent.  They  settled  among 
the  hills,  on  the  southeastern  corner  of  "  Anaquasscoke 
patent,"  afterwards  embraced  in  the  town  of  Cambridge 
when  that  was  organized  in  1773,  now  within  the  limits  of 
the  town  of  White  Creek.  Here,  in  company  with  other 
emigrants,  some  from  "  the  Nine  Partners,"  and  some  from 
the  eastern  States,  was  commenced  that  hamlet  which  took 
the  name  of  Ashgrove ;  apparently  and  probably  given  by 
incorporating  a  part  of  the  name  of  Ashton  with  the  wild 
region  where  he  had  fixed  his  home.* 

In  the  early  part  of  the  succeeding  year  (1770)  Philip 
Embury,  another  emigrant  from  Ireland,  and  for  ten  years 
preceding  a  resident  of  the  city  of  New  York,  accompanied 
by  his  family,  came  into  the  same  region.  He  was  joint 
proprietor  with  his  brothers,  David  and  Peter,  and  with 
James,  George,  Samuel,  and  John  Wilson,  Moses  Cowan, 
and  Thomas  Proctor,  of  a  patent  of  eight  thousand  acres  of 
wild  land,  lying  directly  east  of  Ashgrove,  and  covering  the 
hills  and  valleys  of  that  region.  He  did  not  locate  on  his 
patent-lands,  but  fixed  his  residence  in  the  region  then 
known  as  West  Camden,  county  of  Charlotte,  now  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  town  of  Salem.  He  was  a  Wesleyau 
IMethodist  local  preacher  in  Ireland  ;  as  such  preacher  he 
had  organized  the  first  Methodist  society  in  New  York,  and 
erected  there  the  first  Methodist  church  edifice  in  America, 
and  now  he  formed  a  classf  at  Ashgrove  of  the  Methodist 
emigrants  there,  and  others  desiring  such  religious  fellow- 
ship, and  began  at  once  his  local  ministrations,  as  he  had 
previously  done  in  the  city  of  New  York. 


«  It  was  a  custam  in  Bnglaiul,  Ireland,  and  Scotland  thu.s  tn  give 
names  to  localities. 

t  The  class  is  the  organic  form  of  Methodism.  All  Methodist 
churches  are  composed  of  classes. 


274 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


The  record  of  names  composing  that  first  chiss  is  lost, 
but  the  fullowiiis;  persons  were  known  to  have  lived  in  that 
vicinity  at  that  time,  and  their  names  appear  on  the  oldest 
records  now  extant:  Thomas  Ashton,  Elizabeth  Ashton, 
Jolin  Armitage,  Ely  Armitage,  James  Barber,  Sarah  Bar- 
ber, Philip  Embury,  Margaret  Embury,  Peter  Switzer, 
Anna  iM.  Switzer,  Chri.stoplier  Switzer. 

To  these,  and  all  who  would  attend,  Embury  preached 
for  three  years,  and  then  suddenly  died.  The  services  were 
held  at  the  residence  of  Thomas  Ashton,  John  Armitage, 
and  others,  as  no  church  edifice  was  erected  until  1788. 
From  the  death  of  Embury,  in  1773,  until  October,  1788, 
the  society  was  destitute  of  preaching,  having  only  class-  ^i 
and  prayer-meetings.  In  the  mean  time  a  large  emigration 
reached  this  locality.  Many  ftimilies  of  Irish  and  German 
(or  Palatine  Irish)  Methodists  from  Mr.  Wesley's  societies 
.settled  in  Ashgrove  and  the  surrounding  valleys. 

In  September,  1788,  Lemuel  Smith  was  appointed  by 
the  Methodist  conference  as  the  first  itinerant  minister  to 
this  society.  He  arrived  early  in  October.  The  appoint- 
ment was  called  ''  Cambridge."  He  immediately  revived 
the  society  as  organized  by  Embury,  adding  many  members 
thereto.  He  enlarged  the  circuit  until  it  covered  the 
present  county,  with  adjoining  sections  of  Bennington  and 
Rensselaer. 

He  closed  his  labors  and  the  conference  year  in  eight 
months,  leaving  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  fifiy- 
four. 

This  year  a  church  edifice  was  projected  and  commenced. 
It  was  completed  early  in  1789.  It  was  built  upon  land 
donated  by  Thomas  Ashton  for  a  church  and  burial-ground, 
and,  from  the  uncertainty  of  accurate  boundaries,  the  deed 
was  given  by  William  Fisher,  James  Ashton,  and  Thomas 
Ashton,  their  lands  all  converging  near  the  church  lot.  It 
was  a  small,  unpretentious,  unpainted  structure,  some 
thirty-four  by  forty- six  feet,  on  a  beautiful  rise  of  ground 
fronting  the  west,  and  pronounced  by  Rev.  Freeborn  Gar- 
rettson  (the  first  presiding  elder),  at  its  completion,  "  the 
most  elegant  church,  according  to  the  size  of  it,  that  I  know 
in  the  connection."  It  is  not  known  to  the  writer  that 
any  record  is  extant  showing  who  composed  the  building 
committee,  what  its  cost  was,  or  when  or  by  whom  it  was 
dedicated.     It  was  occupied  in  July,  1787. 

The  trustees  were  Ephraim  Bessey,  Jalnes  Barber, 
Nathan  Sherman,  John  Baker,  John  Armitage,  Jr.,  Wil- 
liam EUice,  George  Fisher,  Edward  Dillon,  and  Zachariah 
Fisher.  The  following  composed  the  male  iliember.ship  a 
few  years  later,  the  whole  number  in  church  fellowship, 
male  and  female,  being  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine: 

Thomas  Ashton,  James  Barber,  John  Baker,  Jeremiah 
Austin,  Loughlin  McLean,  Alexander  McLean,  George 
Fisher,  Ephraim  Bessey,  Cornelius  Thorp,  William  Fisher, 
John  Armitage,  Richard  Sutliff,  Othiniel  Preston,  Robert 
Langworthy,  Daniel  Sumner,  Noah  Dodge,  John  Hanna, 
John  Grimes,  Uriah  Palmerton,  John  Dart.  Zachariah 
Fisher,  Edward  Smallman,  John  Barber,  Jacob  Goodsell, 
Thomas  Empy,  John  Sutliff,  William  Ellice,  John  Doune, 
David  Hammon,  Peter  Sharp,  William  Cowan,  Amos 
^Austin,  Thomas  Cowan,  John  Giles,  Thomas  Taylor,  Na- 
than  Larrabee,  Nathan  Taylor,  John  Empy,  Edward  Dil- 


lon, John  Macnamara,  John  Rhodes,  Thomas  Moore, 
Constant  Reynolds,  Daniel  Austin,  Elijah  Austin,  Gaius 
Blowers,  James  Moon,  Robert  Moon,  Solomon  Blowers, 
Henrj'  Little,  Thomas  Austin,  John  Lilly,  Benjamin  Harris, 
Henrj'  Stillson.  Abram  Hodge,  Charles  Blowers,  Robert 
Hull,  Wm.  Dougherty,  Wm.  Williams,  Garrett  Sharp, 
Cornelius  Sharp,  Wm.  Tidd,  Job  Blowers,  Ebenezer  Hall, 
Dennis  Hall,  Merchant  Hall,  Peter  Switzer,  Christopher 
Switzer,  John  Switzer,  John  Tompkins,  Peter  Sharp, 
Thomas  Maddin,  Wm.  Galusha,  Job  Herrington,  Wm. 
Worden,  Clark  Little,  John  Tompkins,  George  Empy, 
Richard  Empy,  John  Empy,  Ally  Cooper,  David  Lucas, 
Clark  Jinks,  Cornelius  Shaw,  Gideon  Rathbone,  John 
Blowers,  Andrew  Sharp,  Thaddeus  Tidd,  John  Nowlan. 

The  first  church  edifice  remained  till  1832.  It  was 
then  taken  down,  removed  to  Sandgate,  Vt.,  and  erected 
there  as  a  Methodist  church.  It  yet  remains,  used  as  a 
"  town-house." 

A  second  church  edifice  was  erected  at  Ashgrove,  a  few 
rods  west  from  the  first,  in  1832,  and  dedicated  the  Decem- 
ber following.  The  dedicatorial  services  were  conducted 
by  Rev.  John  B.  Stratton,  he  preaching  a  jwwerful  sermon 
from  Exodus  19,  10th  and  11th  verses.  This  church  cost 
about  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  It  remained 
until  November,  1835,  when  it  was  fired  one  night  about 
midnight  by  an  insane  man,  and  totally  destroyed.  After 
this  calamity  the  society  resolved  to  change  the  location  of 
the  church  edifice.  Land  was  accordingly  secured  of  Philip 
Blair,  in  the  village  of  Cambridge  (then  called  North  White 
Creek),  whereon  the  present  church  edifice  stands.  On  July 
12,  183G,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies by  Revs.  Samuel  Covell  and  Elijah  B.  Hubbard, 
preachers  of  the  circuit,  and  the  building  completed  in  the 
year  1837.  This  house  was  occupied  as  a  place  of  worship 
before  its  completion.  This  edifice  was  forty-five  and  a 
half  feet  by  sixty,  and  cost  about  three  thousand  dollars. 
When  or  by  whom  dedicated  is  unknown  to  the  writer.* 

Succeeding  the  completion  of  this  a  chapel  was  erected 
at  Ashgrove,  tliirty  by  forty  feet,  on  the  site  of  the  one  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand  dollars. 

It  was  dedicated  in  the  winter  of  1839-40  by  Rev. 
Noah  Levings.     His  text  was  Matthew  18  :  20. 

It  stood  there  until  1858,  when  it  was  sold  to  parties  in 
West  Hebron,  and  removed  there  in  1859.  It  was  erected 
there,  and  used  as  a  Methodist  Episcopal  church  until 
superseded  by  a  better.  It  is  now  (1878)  used  for  town 
purposes. 

Since  that  removal,  no  church  edifice  has  existed  in  Ash- 
grove. Excepting  an  occasional  sermon,  a  ])rayer-meeting, 
or  funeral  service,  that  whole  region  is  as  destitute  of  pub- 
lic religious  services  as  it  was  when  the  first  pioneer  Chris- 
tian emigrant  entered  it  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago. 

The  first  Sabbath-school  was  organized  at  the  old  Indian 


*■  This  structure  was  cnlargeil  by  the  addition  of  twenty  feet  to  its 
length  and  something  to  its  height,  and  greatly  beautified  under  the 
pastorate  of  llev.  ]i.  Hawley,  D.D.,  in  1861,  at  an  expense  of  about 
six  thousand  dollars,  and  reopened  in  January,  1SC2,  Kevs.  S.  I). 
Brown  and  C.  W.  Gushing  officiating,  and  each  preaching  able,  elo- 
quent, and  instructive  sermons.  It  was  again  rebeautificd  in  1873, 
costing  some  sixteen  hundred  dollars. 


HISTORY    Of    WASEIINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW    YORK. 


275 


village  of  Pompanuck  (now  Pumpkin  Hook),  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1833.  It  was  held  at  the  school-house  there, 
George  Fisher  and  Laurana  Russell  bcinp:  the  principal 
originators.  The  second  was  at  Ashgrove  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  in  the  summer  of  1835.  Wm.  FLshor,  super- 
intendent ;  John  Fisher,  secretary  ;  and  Janios  I.  Bennett, 
librarian. 

A  missionary  society  was  formally  organized  January  7, 
1832,  called  "  The  Cambridge  Circuit  Branch  of  the  Troy 
District  Missionary  Society,  auxiliary  to  the  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  the  minister 
in  charge,  president ;  his  colleague,  vice-president ;  and  all 
members  of  the  quarterly  conference,  managers. 

A  temperance  society  wa.s  first  formed  by  resolution  of 
the  official  members  of  the  circuit,  in  quarterly  conference 
assembled,  April  9,  1831.  It  specified,  "  Not  to  manufac- 
ture, sell,  or  drink  ardent  spirits,  and  discountenance  the 
same  in  others;  and  that  class-leaders  of  the  conference  be 
requested  to  present  these  resolutions  to  their  respective 
classes  for  co-operation  and  adoption  by  all  the  members 
throughout  the  circuit." 

Incidents. — The  New  Y^ork  conference  held  religious 
services  in  the  old  church  on  the  Sabbath,  and  evenings, 
during  the  time  of  its  session,  at  the  house  of  John  Baker, 
"  in  the  hollow,"  in  1803. 

A  second  session  was  held  there — business  and  religious 
services — in  1805.  At  this  session  a  marvelous  work  of 
grace  began  on  the  Sabbath.  In  one  single  prayer-meet- 
ing, outside  the  church,  nine  persons  professed  to  be  con- 
verted. 

There  were  several  other  most  powerful  revivals  in  con- 
nection with  that  church.  One  in  1799  began  here,  under 
the  pastorate  of  Timothy  Dewey  and  Lorenzo  Dow,  sweep- 
ing over  the  entire  circuit,  till  more  than  six  hundred  pro- 
fessed to  have  been  saved. 

Another  in  181 1-12,  under  the  pastorate  of  John  Finne- 
gan  and  Samuel  Weaver,  continuing  for  two  or  three  years. 
Another  of  like  character  in  1819-20,  while  Tobias  Spicer 
and  Sherman  Miner  and  Samuel  Draper  were  preachers. 
The  last  occurred  in  connection  with  the  dedicatorial 
services  of  the  church  which  was  burned  during  the  suc- 
ceeding winter. 

The  following-named  ministers  have  served  this  church 
as  pastors.  The  peculiar  organization  of  the  church,  being 
connectional  in  its  polity,  itinerant  as  to  its  ministry,  and 
oftentimes  large  circuits  as  to  its  form,  accounts  for  the 
number  of  names  appearing  in  this  connection.  This  pecu- 
liar arrangement  leaves  no  church  without  a  pastor,  and  no 
effective  minister  without  a  pastorate.  The  ecclesiastical 
or  conference  years  in  no  case  harmonize  with  the  calendar 
years. 


1770-7.-!.   Philip  Embury. 
1788-S9.  Lemuel  Smith. 
178'.l-90.  Darius  Dunham. 
1790-91.  Darius  Duuham. 

Philip  Wagar. 
1791-92.   Daviil  Valloau. 

Matthias  Swaim. 
1792-93.  John  Crawford. 

Thomas  Woolscy. 
1793-9-1.  .Toel  Ketchuin. 

Elijah  Woolscv. 


-9.'j.   Robert  Green. 

Joseph  Mileliell. 
-96.  Samuel  Fuwier. 

Ezekiel  CanHcIil. 
-97.  Shadr.ich  Bostwic 

Smith  Weeks. 
-9S.  Timothy  Dewey. 

Eben  Cowles. 
-99.  Timothy  Dewey. 


I,ori 


Do 


1799-lSOO.  Jacob  Rickli( 


1799 

-1800.  Billy  Hibbard. 

1824-25. 

Samuel  Howe. 

ISOO- 

-1. 

Ezekiel  Canfield. 
Ebenezer  Pterens. 

Elias  Crawford. 
Edward  Snulard. 

ISOl- 

-2. 

Koger  Searl. 
Ebenczcr  Stevens. 

1825-26. 

Samuel  Howe. 
Elias  Crawford. 

1802- 

3. 

Roger  Searl. 
Smith  Arnold. 

1826-27. 

Daniel  Brayton. 
Henry  Eames. 

1803- 

-i. 

David  Brown. 
Luman  Andrews. 

1827-28. 

Daniel  Brayton. 
Henry  Eames. 

180-t- 

5. 

Elias  Vanderlip. 
Phineas  Cook. 

1828-29. 

Jas.  B.  Houghtaling 
John  M.  Weaver. 

1805- 

6. 

Elijah  Chichester. 
Nehcmi  ah  U.Tompkins. 

1829-30. 

Jas.  B.  Houghtaling. 
Joseph  Ayros. 

1800- 

""■ 

Noble  W.  Thomas. 
Nathaniel  Gnge. 

1830-31. 

RoswcU  Kelley. 
Wm.  Rider. 

1S07- 

-8. 

Daniel  Brumly. 
Francis  Brown. 

1831-32. 

B.  Kelley. 
Theodofius  Clark. 

1808- 

-9. 

Mitchell  B.  Bull. 
Lewis  Pease. 

1832-33. 

Stephen  Remington. 
Henry  Smith. 

1809- 

-10. 

Mitchell  B.  Bull. 
William  Swayze. 

1833-34. 

Joel  Squire. 
John  Lagrange. 

Stephen  Sornberger. 

1834-35. 

Joseph  Eames. 

18 10 

-11. 

Samuel  Draper. 

Bishop  Isbel. 

Samuel  Howe. 

1835-36. 

Joseph  Eames. 

1811 

-12. 

John  Finncgan. 

Elijah  B.  Hubbard. 

Samuel  Weaver. 

1836-37. 

Samuel  Covell. 

1812 

-13. 

Datus  Ensign. 

E.  B.  Hubbard. 

Samuel  Weaver. 

1837-38. 

Samuel  Covell. 

1813 

-14. 

Datus  Ensign. 

Wright  Hozcn. 

Gcrshom  Pierce. 

1839-10. 

Peter  M.  Hitchcock. 

1814- 

-15. 

Gershom  Pierce. 

1841. 

John  Frazer. 

Stephen  Beach. 

1842-43. 

Milton  n.  Stewart. 

Samuel  Luckcy. 

1844-45. 

Daniel  P.  Hubbard. 

1815 

-16 

Andrew  McKean. 

1846. 

Alfred  Sa.\e. 

Peter  Bussing. 

1847-48. 

John  Harwood. 

1810 

-17. 

Andrew  MoKean. 

1849. 

Wm.  W.  Pierce. 

Jacob  Hall. 

1850-51. 

F.  Benedict. 

1817- 

-IS. 

Friend  Draper. 

1852-54. 

Ensign  vStover. 

Tobias  Spicer. 

1855. 

Hiram  Chase. 

1818 

-19. 

Tobias  Spicer. 

1856. 

James  H.  Patterson. 

Sherman  Miner. 

1857-58. 

James  Phillips. 

1819 

-20. 

Siimuel  Draper. 

1859-60 

Merritt  Bates. 

Sherman  Miner. 

1861-62 

Bostwick  Hawley. 

1S20 

-21 

David  Lewis. 

1863-64 

E.  Stover. 

Daniel  J.  Wright. 

1865-66 

Isaac  Parks. 

1821 

-22 

David  Lewis. 

1867-68. 

Joel  W.  Eaton. 

George  Smith. 

1869-70 

Samuel  McRea. 

1822 

-23 

Samuel  Draper. 

D.  W.  Gates. 

John  LoA-ejoy. 

1870-73 

W.  H.  Meeker. 

1823 

-24 

Samuel  Draper. 

1874-76 

Oliver  A.  Brown. 

John  Lovcjuy. 

1877-78 

Sherman  M.  William 

The  foregoing  sketch  has  been  furnished  by  the  Rev.  J. 
E.  Bowen,  of  Troy,  who  has  in  preparation  a  complete  his- 
tory of  Methodist  work  in  eastern  New  I'^ork. 

THE    FIRST    BAPTIST   CHURCH    OP    CAMBRIDGE 

was  organized  at  the  house  of  Benejah  Cook,  July  8, 1843, 
with  twenty-six  members.  On  the  26th  of  the  same  month 
it  was  formally  recognized  by  a  council  called  for  this  purpose 
at  the  Presbyterian  meeting-house,  in  which  thirteen  neigh- 
boring Baptist  churches  were  represented.  Anson  Fowler 
was  chosen  deacon,  and  Rev.  Levi  Parmely  pastor.  He 
continued  this  connection  until  Oct.  12,  1844,  when  he 
resigned,  leaving  the  new  church  with  an  increased  mem- 
bership. His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Charles  0.  Kimball, 
and  during  his  pastorate  the  church  edifice,  begun  in  1844, 
was  completed,  and  consecrated  June  5,  1845.  It  is  a  sub- 
stantial brick  structure,  near  the  centre  of  the  village,  and 
is  estimated  worth  ten  thousand  dollars.     Mr.  Kimball's 


270 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


pastoi'al  connection  was  severed  the  same  year,  and  since 
that  period  the  church  has  enjoyed  tlie  services  of  tlie  fol- 
lowing clergy  as  pastors  or  supplies :  Revs.  A.  H.  Danforth, 
AVilliani  Harris,  E.  II.  Brownell,  A.  G.  Bowles,  J.  W. 
Grant,  A.  B.  Stowcll,  Daniel  Tinkham,  Lamson  Stewart, 
Philander  Perry,  Charles  W.  Palmer,  Joshua  Fletcher, 
and  J.  Gardner.  The  charge  is  at  present  vacant.  These 
frequent  changes  in  tlie  ministerial  office  have  not  promoted 
the  best  interests  of  the  church,  and  often  left  it  in  a  weak 
condition.  The  present  membership  is  one  hundred  and 
nineteen,  and  the  aggregate  number  of  members  has  been 
three  hundred  and  ninet3'-six.  Besides  the  Deacon  Fowler 
mentioned,  Arnold  Ilerrington,  John  R.  Twiss,  and  A.  J. 
A.  Fowler  have  served  in  that  capacity. 

ST.  Patrick's   roman  catholic  church,  Cambridge, 

AND    MI.SSION.S. 

The  following  account  of  Catholicism  in  Cambridge  and 
vicinity  has  been  prepared  by  the  Rev.  Father  Meagher, 
pastor  of  the  church.  The  first  mass  in  the  town  of  Cam- 
bridge was  celebrated  in  the  house  of  James  Connaughty, 
by  Rev.  J.  B.  Daly,  in  the  fall  of  1839,  and  in  the  house 
of  Edward  Fox,  in  1840,  by  the  same  priest.  He  then 
had  a  very  large  parish.  It  comprised  the  western  half  of 
Jlassachusotts,  the  whole  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont, 
also  the  northeastern  part  of  New  York,  from  Troy  to  Lake 
Champlain.  In  1841,  the  Rev.  Father  Quinn,  then  living 
with  Father  Shanahan,  pastor  of  St.  Peter's  church,  Troy, 
celebrated  mass  at  Buskirk's  Bridge.  The  congregation 
numbered  forty-five.  Shortly  after.  Father  Coyle  was  ap- 
pointed pastor  of  Ren.?selaer  and  Washington  counties. 
He  built  the  first  Catholic  church  in  Sehaghtieokc,  holding 
missions  in  both  counties  for  about  two  years.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Father  Gilligan,  who  did  the  same  for  about 
one  year.  The  next  priest  was  Father  Farley,  now  pastor 
in  Jamaica,  L.  I.,  who  was  permanently  stationed  in 
Schaghticoke,  and  ofliciated  in  both  counties  in  diffei'ent 
places.  He  was  the  first  priest  who  possessed  a  horse  and 
buggy  in  these  parts.  He  celebrated  the  first  mass  in  the 
old  Baptist  church  at  Hoosic  Falls.  There  was  no  place 
he  could  secure  in  tlie  village  of  Cambridge,  as  much 
prejudice  then  existed  against  Catholicism.  He  went, 
however,  up  the  mountains,  and  celebrated  mass  in  some 
poor  Irishman's  humble  dwelling.  He  was  next  sent  to 
Lansingburg,  and,  in  1850,  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Hugh  Quigley.  In  the  fall  of  1853,  during  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Troy  and  Boston,  and  Rutland  and  Washington 
railroads,  he  began  to  build  the  present  St.  Patrick's 
church,  previous  to  which  he  said  mass  in  the  old  brick 
school-house  on  North  Park  street  (now  a  dwelling),  and 
also  in  the  house  or  wagon-shop  of  Thomas  McGrane 
(since  burned  down),  opposite  Mr.  Porter's  dwelling;  sub- 
sequently in  the  old  hall  where  Mr.  Fuller's  block  now 
stands.  This  old  hall  was  burned  in  1866.  In  the  spring 
of  1855,  Father  Havcrmans  took  charge  and  completed  the 
present  church  edifice.  During  his  government  the  Rev. 
Fathers  Herfkins,  Bradley,  and  La  Abbe  Cheves,  from  the 
Albany  cathedral,  officiated  in  this  parish.  In  November, 
1856,  Rev.  Jonathan  Furlong  was  appointed  pastor.  He 
died  in  the  spring  of  1857,  and   his  remains  are  buried 


under  the  altar  of  the  present  church.  In  July,  1857, 
Rev.  John  McDermott  became  the  pastor,  and  continued 
until  the  fall  of  1862,  when  it  came  under  the  care  of  the 
Augustine  fathers  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  who  at  present 
have  the  charge.  Father  McDermott  had  as  a  parish 
Hoosic  Falls,  Buskirk's  Bridge,  Cambridge,  and  Salem, 
where  he  built,  in  1859,  the  present  Church  of  the  Holy 
Cross.  He  enlarged  and  decorated  the  church  in  Hoosic 
Falls,  built  a  fine  addition  to  the  pastoral  residence  here, 
and  otherwise  beautified  the  place.  He  was  succeeded,  in 
October,  1802,  by  Rev.  James  A.  Darragh,  O.S.A.,  now 
an  invalid  at  Villanova  College,  Pennsylvania.  His  as- 
sistant was  Rev.  Edward  M.  Mullen.  The  mission  was 
the  same  in  extent  that  Father  McDermott  attended  ;  that 
is,  from  Buskirk's  Bridge  on  the  south  to  Granville  on  the 
north,  and  from  the  State  line  on  the  east  to  the  Hud.son 
river  on  tlie  west,  above  Schaghticoke.  Father  Darragh 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  Aug.  Dailey,  O.S.A.,  in  August, 
1865,  who  attended  to  this  extensive  mission  himself  for 
one  year.  The  next  year  Rev.  Edward  C.  Donnelly  came 
as  assistant,  and  officiated  in  Salem  and  Cambridge, 
Father  Dailey  attending  to  Hoosic  Falls  until  his  removal 
ill  April,  1867,  to  this  place,  which  then  became  a  separate 
parish.  Father  Donnelly  became  pastor  of  Cambridge  and 
Salem,  and  had  as  assistant  Rev.  Timothy  Hayes,  who 
died  in  1869.  Rev.  James  D.  Waldron  became  pastor 
Nov.  21,  1868,  and  in  January,  1869,  opened  the  mission 
in  Greenwich,  saying  mass  in  Temperance  Hall,  in  the 
Brick  Block,  every  second  Sunday,  until  the  present  church 
was  bought  from  the  Methodists,  and  fitted  up  by  his  suc- 
cessor, Rev.  J.  J.  Fedigan,  who  became  pastor  in  1870. 
There  were  in  Greenwich  about  sixty  families  when  Father 
Fedigan  said  the  first  mass,  and  about  eighty  children  in 
the  Sunday-school.  Sunday-schools  were  opened  in  each 
of  the  missions  as  soon  as  they  were  begun.  Father 
Fedigan,  O.S.A.,  had  as  assistants  the  following:  Rev. 
Thomas  Shandly,  now  pastor  in  the  diocese  of  Peoria,  III. ; 
Father  McDonald,  who  returned  to  Europe  in  1872-73  ; 
and  Rev.  Timothy  O'Donovan,  who  died  as  pastor  of 
Schaghticoke  in  January,  1875 ;  al.so  Rev.  Thomas  A. 
Field,  now  pastor  in  Mechanicsville,  Saratoga  county.  It 
was  under  Father  Fedigan  that  St.  Joseph's,  Greenwich, 
became  what  it  now  is,  a  beautiful  Roman  Catholic  church. 
He  was  succeeded,  in  January,  1874,  by  Rev.  George  A. 
Meagher,  O.S.A.,  the  present  pa.stor,  who  has  made  many 
improvements,  not  the  least  among  them  being  the  pur- 
chase of  a  bell  for  the  church,  the  sweetest-toned  in  this 
valley.  In  September,  1875,  Father  Dailey  returned  to 
Cambridge  and  succeeded  Father  Field  as  assistant,  and  is 
now  living  with  Father  Sleagher.  During  Father  Fedi- 
gan's  pastorate,  Salem  became  a  separate  parish  under 
Father  O'Sullivan,  the  present  pastor. 

In  August,  1874,  Father  Meagher  began  the  tburch  at 
Buskirk's  Bridge,  and  held  a  service  there  every  second 
Sunday.  Father  Donnelly,  of  Hoosic  Falls,  is  now  in 
charge  of  this  mission.  In  the  fill  of  1875,  Father 
Bleaghcr  built  a  chapel  at  White  Creek  village,  and  holds 
a  service  once  a  month,  and  sometimes  oftener.  Services 
have  also  been  held  at  Shushan,  in  Congdon's  Hall,  and  in 
private    houses.     Mission   work   has  been   commenced    at 


IIISTOIIY   OF   WASHINCTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


277 


Bald  Mounfiiin  by  Father  Dailey,  of  Greenwich,  who  says 
mass  in  the  hall  over  Mr.  Burke's  residence  near  the  lime- 
kilns. Before  1870  mass  was  said  here  by  Father  Finne- 
■>an,  of  Schuylerville.  Services  were  frequently  held  in 
Easton  (North),  and  Barker's  Grove,  in  this  county,  by 
Revs.  Louis  M.  Edge,  O.S.A.,  and  G.  A.  Meagher,  O.S.A., 
both  pastors  successively  in  Schaghticoke. 

ST.  Luke's  church  (protestant  episcopal)  of  Cam- 
bridge.* 

The  movement,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  tiiis 
church,  began  Aug.  19,  A.  D.  18G6,  at  Woodworth's  Union 
Hall,  at  which  time  the  Rev.  Charles  S.  Hale,  rector  of  St. 
James',  Arlington,  Vt.,  officiated.  This  was  the  first  regu- 
lar service  of  the  church  at  this  point  which  had  been  held 
for  many  years.  Among  the  few  who  were  active  in  secur- 
ing it  were  Edwin  E.  Ilawley,  E.  S.  Houghton,  John  H. 
Houghton  (now  rector  of  Salem),  J.  G.  Woodworth,  and 
John  H.  Newman.  The  "parish  was  duly  organized,  Sept. 
23  of  tlic  same  year,  by  the  election  of  Edwin  E.  Hawley 
and  Perry  E.  Wager,  as  wardens  ;  and  Edward  S.  Hough- 
ton, J.  Gilbert  Woodworth,  John  H.  Newman,  Charles  T. 
Hawley,  Ran.som  Hawley,  John  Walker,  and  Joseph  Gil- 
bert, as  vestrymen.  On  December  2  the  Rev.  Clarence 
Buel  became  its  rector,  the  services  having  been  sujjplied 
through  the  fall  by  Rev.  Dr.  Coit,  of  Troy ;  Rev.  J.  H. 
Hobart  Brown,  Colioes ;  Rev.  John  H.  Bctts,  of  Burnt 
Hills;  and  by  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Hale  and  Duel.  On  July 
0,  18G7,  the  corner-stone  of  the  church  building  was  laid 
by  Rev.  George  Seymour,  D.D.,  of  New  York,  and  on  the 
24th  of  November  services  were  held  in  the  (partly  fin- 
ished) church,  since  which  time  they  have  been  continued 
by  the  following  clergy:  The  Rev.  Clarence  Buel,  rector, 
from  December,  18G6,  to  April,  1868;  Rev.  Charles  A. 
Wenman,  July,  1868,  to  April,  1869;  the  Rev.  Gctnont 
Graves,  November,  1869,  to  spring,  1872  ;  the  Rev.  William 
Fisher  Lewis,  spring,  1872,  to  October,  1873  ;  the  Rev.  W 
H.  Capers,  November,  1873,  to  November,  1874;  the  Rev. 
Walter  Thompson,  June,  1875,  to  June,  1876  ;  and  the  Rev. 
J.  Sydney  Kent,  from  July,  1876,  to  the  present  time.  Li 
the  intervals  between  these  rector.ships,  services  were  sup- 
plied by  neighboring  clergy.  On  Thursday,  Sept.  15,  1870, 
iSt.  Luke's  church  was  consecrated  by  the  bishop  of  Albany, 
ten  clergy  being  present ;  sermon  preached  by  the  first 
rector  (Buel),  and  the  offering  devoted  to  the  defrayment 
of  the  church  expenses.  The  building  and  land  cost  be- 
tween seven  thousand  and  eight  thousand  dollars,  on  which 
there  rests  no  debt.  The  Sunday-school  has  been  in  work- 
ing order  since  the  parish  was  regularly  organized,  and  has 
had  upon  its  roll  six  to  seven  teachers,  and  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  fifty  scholars  on  the  average.  Attendance  usually 
thirty  to  forty. 

Missionary  efforts  have  been  made  by  this  pari.sh  (which 
is  but  a  missionary  station)  at  Eagle  Bridge  and  Anaquass- 
coke,  two  points  near  by.  These  have  been  but  temporary, 
however,  and  the  work  is  now  confined  to  Cambridge. 

The  number  of  communicants  is  now  fifty-three,  and  the 
number  of  people  belonging  to  the  chuich  one  hundred  and 


*  By  the  rector,  the  Rev.  J.  Sydney  Kent. 


twenty-five.  During  the  eleven  years  of  its  existence 
there  has  been  baptised  within  the  parish  one  hundred  and 
twenty-six  adults  and  infants,  and  sixty-two  adults  con- 
firmed. These  confirmations  have  been  holden  by  Bishop 
Potter,  of  New  York,  Bishop  Hopkins,  of  Vermont,  and 
Bishop  Doane,  of  Albany.  Many  members  and  communi- 
cants have  been  received  from  other  parishes  through  these 
years,  and  many  have  been  added  to  other  parishes  from 
this;  and  this  flux  and  reflux  has  been  so  constant  that, 
at  present,  there  are  not  more  than  a  dozen  members  that 
formed  part  of  the  fiist  congregation  left.  The  marriages 
for  the  whole  period  amount  only  to  five,  and  the  burials  to 
but  fifteen.  The  church  is  neatly  furnished,  with  books, — ■ 
hymn  and  prayer, — Sunday-school  libi'ary,  organ,  and  bell. 
There  is  also  a  very  handsome  carved  stone  font,  the  gift  of 
Rev.  Clarence  Buel,  a  memorial  of  a  little  daughter  who 
died  while  Mr.  Buel  was  rector  here.  It  is  a  costly  and 
beautiful  piece  of  workmanship. 

The  scats  in  the  church  are  always  free,  and  the  entire 
expen.ses  are  met  by  the  voluntary  gifts  of  the  worshipers 
at  morning  and  evening  services.  The  present  officers  are 
Henry  C.  Day,  senior  warden  ;  Robert  Davis,  junior  warden  ; 
William  II.  lloyt,  Charles  T.  Hawley,  Thomas  Le  Guys, 
J.  T.  Niver,  iM.D.,  B.  31.  Deuel,  vestrymen  ;  Charles  T. 
Ilawley,  treasurer  ;  Thomas  Lc  Guys,  clerk  of  the  vestry. 

JIILITARY    HISTORY. 

In  the  movement  of  Gen.  Baum  with  his  detachment 
towards  Bennington,  the  passage  was  made  along  the  roads 
which  are  at  present  the  bounds  between  Cambridge  and 
the  towns  of  Jackson  and  White  Creek,  pa.ssing  into  the 
latter  town  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Checkered  tavern, 
and  camping  at  Waite's  Corners.  As  far  as  can  be  learned, 
nothing  more  than  this  transpired  on  the  present  Cam- 
bridge territory.  Some  of  the  settlers  left  their  homes 
through  fear  .of  the  enemy  and  their  Indian  allies,  and  the 
followinir  are  known  to  have  served  in  the  American  cause: 
James  McKie,  Ca])t.  Geo.  Gilmore,  Elisha  GiflFord,  Joseph 
Volentine,  John  Weir,  Jesse  Averill,  John  Wait,  Earl 
Durfec,  and  Azor  Bouton. 

Among  those  who  responded  to  the  call  of  their  country 
in  1812  were  Capt.  Hiram  Pratt,  Capt.  Nathan  Gilford, 
Capt.  Daniel  Robertson,  John  Green,  HhuiifiS-  Chandler, 
Samuel  Green,  Nathan  Skinner,  John  Waite,  Jr. 

The  late  Rebellion  called  many  of  the  patriotic  sons  of 
the  town  to  the  defense  of  the  government.  An  extended 
list  of  those  who  served  is  given  below. 

The  town  also  adopted  the  following  measures  to  en- 
courage enlistments:  at  a  special  meeting,  March  26,  1864, 
a  bounty  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  was  authorized 
to  be  paid  to  each  volunteer  by  the  supervisor. 

At  a  special  meeting,  June  25,  1864,  John  L.  Hunt, 
John  H.  Balch,  and  Thomas  Shiland  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  fill  the  quota  and  pay  bounties,  not  exceeding 
four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  each  volunteer.  This 
bounty  being  deemed  insufficient,  a  meeting  was  held 
Aug.  6,  1864,  when  appropriate  action  was  taken  to  hasten 
enlistments,  the  supervisor,  Thomas  Shiland,  and  John  H. 
Balch   to  be  a  committee  to  carry  out  the   terms  of  the 


278 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW    YORK. 


resolutions,  which  provided  for  the  payment  of  five  hun- 
dred dollars  for  every  volunteer. 

The  gratitude  of  the  town  towards  those  who  have 
given  their  lives  in  defense  of  the  country  has  been  mani- 
fested in  the  erection  of  a  suitable  monument  to  their 
memory.  This  is  noted  in  the  sketch  of  the  Woodlands 
Cemetery. 

SOLDIERS   OF   THE   REBELLION. 
Frank  L.  Ames,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802,  123(1  Rogt.,  Co.  I. 
--John  A.  Anslin,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1801,  9:)il  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Aldiich  Adlienmr,  enl.  Nov.  C,  ISOl,  9:)il  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Jnnips  A.  Bassetl,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1S02, 12.'iil  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Juseph  R.  Beadle,  enl.  Ang.  II,  ISOi,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 
Horace  Biirtlelt,  enl.  Aug,  13,  1.S02,  12:!d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
David  H.  Bratt,  enl.  Ang.  18,  lS(i2,  123d  Rigt..  Co.  I. 
John  W.  Bennett,  enl.  July  29,  1^02.  12;id  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 
Charles  II.  Baker,  enl.  Aug.  la,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Hiram  F.  Berith-y,  enl.  Ang.  14, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
John  H.  Beutley,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1802, 12  id  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Roswell  K.  Bishop,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802, 12:!d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 
Francis  S.  Bailey,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.  Nov.  6,  ISCI,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Uenry  0.  Barton,  eid.  Nov.  0, 1861,  9Jd  Regt.,  Co.  G;  with  9.id  Regt.  7  months; 

re-ent.  November,  1803,  in  7th  H.  .\rt. ;  served  time  out. 
Abell  Brimmer,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
James  Bevis,  enl.  Nov.  C,  1801,  9:ld  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
John  A.  Blimnier,  enl.  Nov.  0,  1801,  9.id  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Noel  J.  Biites,  enl.  Nov.  0,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Anrlrew  Beattie,  eul.  Nov.  0,  1861,  93il  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
John  H.  Boopland,  eJll.  Nov.  0,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Henry  Birch,  enl.  Dec.  2.5, 180),  Ifith  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Wm.  H.  Burrows,  musician  ;  ejd.  Oct.  l.'),  1801,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Andrew  A.  Beveridge,  enl.  luoth  Illinois  Regt.,  Co.  H. 
Darron  Clark,  sergt. ;  enl.  July  20, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Geo-ge  Clapi),  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Newton  Clark,  corp. ;  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Simoon  H.  Corbett,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1801,  9.3d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
George  Caldwell,  enl.  Dec.  21,  1863,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  K. 
J.  Gardner  Dyer,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Charles  H.  Dennis,  enl.  Ang.  11,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Theodore  A.  Devhy,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Ephraim  Dubois,  corp.;  eul.  Dec.  9,  1801,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  G. 
Leioy  Eldriilge,  enl.  Ang.  8, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Berthold  Emiscli,  enl.  Xov.  6, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Wm.  B.  Ellis,  enl.  Nov.  6,  ISGl,  93(1  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
George  Fairchild,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  8,  1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Wm.  G.  Fisher,  Corp. ;  enl.  Ang.  7,  1862,  123d  Kegt,  Co.  I. 
Lewis  N.  Ford,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Walter  S.  Gray,  capt. ;  enl.  Nov.  C,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Norman  W.  Gray,  3d  sergt.;  enl.  Nov.  6,  1801,  93(1  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Perry  A.  Goodell,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Robert  L  Gray,  enl.  Nov.  6,  1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Nathaniel  P.  Gray,  enl.  Nov.  G,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
(li.iil.'s  W.  Gilbert,  sergt. ;  enl.  Ang.  12, 1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
.I..bi(  iiioes,  Jr.,  coiT. ;  enl.  Ang.  11,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
William  Hag.^erty,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1802,  12i(l  Regt..  Co.  I. 
Anderson  D.  Hoover,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Harvey  A.  Hodge,  enl.  Ang.  9, 1802.  123d  Kegt,  Co.  I. 
Richard  llennelly,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Mark  Kurd,  enl.  Oct.  6, 1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Abraham  Harrington,  enl.  Jan.  17, 1862,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  G. 
Benjamin  Hall,  enl.  Dec.  9, 1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Fif/.-Oreen  Hall,  eul.  Dec.  10,  1861,  93d  R"gt.,  Co.  I. 
Peter  Hill,  enl.  Nov.  15, 1861,  77th  Regt,  Co.  P. 

0.  S.  Hall,  capt ;  enl.  July  22,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  discli.  June  15,  1805. 
Jolin  Jenkins,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  I23d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Charles  Jenkins,  enl.  Ang.  6, 1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
John  Kelly,  enl.  Ang.  11, 1802,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Edward  Knopf,  enl.  Ang.  13, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
George  Ketcham,  enl.  Ang.  15,  1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Ira  King,  fnl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Uegt.,  Co.  I. 
John  Kejchum,  enl.  Ang.  13,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Tho(nas  H.  Kerkin,  enl.  Nov.  0,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Dr.  B.  F.  Kctchnni,  was  surgeon-in-chief  of  Gen.  Geo.  Stannard"s  staff,  1st 

Army  Corps. 
J.din  A.  Larmon,  musician  ;  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Albert  Lawton,  enl.  Nov.  30,  ISOI,  U3d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Charles  B.  Loouiis,  eul.  Nov.  0,  ISGI,  93d  Kegt,  Co.  G. 
Peter  Linda.y,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  9  id  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Wilbur  D.  Mo.sior,  Ist  sergt.;  enl.  Nov.  0,  1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Albert  J.  Mu7.jy,  coi-p. ;  eid.  Nov.  0,  1801,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  G  ;  rccul.  and  pro.  to 

2d  lieut.,  Ist  lieut.,  and  captain. 
Alexander  McGeocIi,  enl.  Nov,  0,  ISOI,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G;  killed. 
David  H.  Marshall,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 


Isaac  J.  Milliman,  enl.  Nov.  6,  1801,  9id  Regt,  Co.  G. 

George  Motcalf,  eul.  Dec.  9,  1801,  93d  R»gt.,  Co.  G. 

Darius  Millington,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  !l3d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Lucius  McClarty,  eul.  Aug.  29, 1803,  2d  Vet  Oiv.,  Co.  E. 

Joliu  Maloue,  enl.  Oct  13,  ISOI,  Bit.  H,  3d  N.  Y.  Art  ;  diich.  .Vpril   19,  1863; 

wounded  through  the  left  hip. 
Wm.  I.  Riggs,  capt 

Th.iuias  Pendy,  enl.  Dec.  9, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
John  II.  I'eckham,  enl.  Sept  13, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Wm.  H,  Ross,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Daniel  C.  Rice,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1801,  93d  Uegt,  Co.  G. 
Clark  S.  Rico,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Wm.  Rising,  eul.  Nov.  0,  IsOl,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Lnman  Ross,  enl.  Nov.  0,  1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
John  Skeller,  corp.;  enl.  Aug.  18,1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  T. 
Charlea  A.  Sfcirbuck,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,  12  id  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Fred.  A.  Slocum.  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862, 12 td  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Lemnel  T.  Skinner,  corp.;  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Beiyamin  F.Searles,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Justus  N.  Stillman,  corp. ;  eul.  Nov.  6, 1861,  9  id  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Orin  W.  Stephenson,  musician ;  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
James  Surdani,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
James  Smith,  eul.  Sept  4, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
John  Stevens,  eid.  Dec.  19,  1863,  10th  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Allieit  Shiland,  2d  lieut.,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Lewis  S.  Tripp,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802.  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Inmi(n  Thomas,  eul.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Daniel  W.  Thompson,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  R"gt.,  Co.  I. 
Dennis  Tracy,  enl.  Nov.  22,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Wm.  C.  Weatherwiut,  enl.  Ang.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Jesse  P.  Wood,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Thomas  A.  Weir,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,  I2M  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Elihu  Wicks,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802, 12  id  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
John  S.  Wetzel,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Franklin  Wells,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Hiram  R.  Wilder,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Clark  Weir,  enl.  Nov.  30, 1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Edgar  Walkley,  enl.  Jan.  12,1802,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Christopher  M.  Wolf,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1861,  93<l  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Nathaniel  Wentworth,  enl.  Oct.  14, 1801,  53d  Regt,  Co.  C. 
Dr.  T.  C.  Wallace,  asst.  surg.,  Olst  N.  Y. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


REV.  HENRY  GORDON 

was  born  in  the  county  of  Meath,  Ireland.  He  was  tlie 
youngest  child  of  Henry  Gordon  and  Elizabeth  McAuley. 
His  family  were  of  Celtic  or  Highland-Scotch  extraction. 
At  an  early  age  he  expressed  a  strong  desire  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  and  when  a  mere  child  had  frequently  been 
known  to  retire  to  a  room  by  himself  and,  standing  by  a 
chair  for  a  desk,  address  an  imaginary  audience. 

After  acquiring  the  rudiments  of  an  English  education 
in  a  private  school  near  his  father's  residence,  he  was  sent 
to  a  classical  school  in  the  village  of  Kingscourt,  kept  by 
John  McKeon,  then  among  the  most  noted  classical  schol- 
ars outside  of  the  city  of  Dublin.  Here  he  made  rapid 
progress,  especially  in  the  study  of  Greek  and  Latin,  for 
which  he  retains  a  fondness  even  now,  amid.st  the  pressure 
of  professional  duties.  After  the  removal  of  Sir.  McKeon, 
Henry  was  next  placed  under  the  instruction  of  Mr. 
McMahon,  who  had  studied  on  the  continent  for  the  priest- 
hood. In  this  school  he  made  great,  proficiency  in  the 
study  of  Latin,  being  able  to  read  and  translate  at  sight 
almost  any  Latin  author.  He  was  next  placed  under  the 
instruction  of  Rev.  Patrick  White,  of  Corglass,  who  kept 
a  very  noted  academy.  To  this  period  of  his  school-days 
Mr.  Gordon  has  always  attached  great  importance.  About 
this  time  his  father  died,  necessitating  a  change  iu  his 
worldly  prospects. 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


279 


Although  a  boy  in  his  teens,  his  thoughts  began  to  turn 
to  the  United  States  of  America,  and  accordingly,  after  a 
little  time,  without  giving  much  intimation  to  any  of  his 
friends,  he  embarked,  and  landed  in  New  York  in  the  month 
of  May,  1847.  He  could  not  be  said,  though  far  away 
from  the  home  of  his  childhood,  to  be  in  the  land  of 
strangers.  He  had  here  an  aunt,  jMrs.  Jane  Wells,  who 
showed  him  marked  kindness,  for  whose  memory  he  has 
still  the  highest  regard.  Here  he  kept  up  his  studies  for 
the  ministry,  and  in  Philadelphia,  under  the  instruction  of 
Samuel  B.  Wylie,  D.D.,  and  J.  W.  Wylie,  D.D.,  his  son, 
and  Samuel  Crawford,  D.D.,  professor  in  an  institution 
connected  with  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  church,  he  com- 
pleted them,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  when  only  twenty- 
two  years  of  age. 

After  preaching  in  some  mission  stations  in  Nova  Scotia, 
he  returned  to  the  States,  and  preached  for  a  few  years  in 
Lisbon,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.  Beginning  with  about  a 
dozen  of  people,  he  saw  three  new  churches  erected  by  his 
own  labors. 

In  1854  he  married  Julia  Anne,  youngest  daughter  of 
James  Coulter,  of  Cambridge,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  In 
1857  he  was  called  to  the  United  Presbyterian  church,  in 
Coila,  N.  Y.,  his  present  charge.  Wc  may  here  state  that 
this  is  the  church  in  which  his  wife  was  reared,  and  where 
her  father  had  always  been  a  prominent  member. 

Sir.  Gordon  has  had  three  invitations  from  different 
churches  in  New  York,  and  three  pressing  calls  from  other 
places,  all  of  which  were  respectfully  declined,  preferring 
rather  his  quiet  country  home  and  wide  field  of  labor  to 
the  busy  and  crowded  cities. 

At  ihe  opening  of  the  war,  in  18G1,  he  took  a  very  de- 
cided stand  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Union  and  the  duty 
of  every  person  to  use  the  influence  of  which  he  was  pos- 
sessed to  preserve  its  integrity,  thereby  making  some  ene- 
mies, but  a  far  greater  number  of  friends.  Accordingly, 
when  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Regiment  was 
raised  in  this  county  he  was  unanimously  chosen  chaplain. 
He  went  out  to  the  field  in  1862  and  returned  in  1SG3, 
forming  such  friendly  acquaintance  with  officers  and  pri- 
vates as  remains  not  only  unimpaired  at  the  present,  but 
rather  seems  to  increase  as  the  years  glide  on. 

Mr.  Gordon  is  in  the  prime  of  life.  Being  possessed  of 
a  vigorous  constitution  naturally,  and  blessed  with  a  larger 
shai'e  of  health  than  most  professional  men  (nfever  being 
one  week  sick  during  his  ministry),  he  is  capable  of  under- 
taking a  great  amount  of  work,  his  professional  duties  being 
to  him  more  like  a  healthy  exercise  than  the  pressure  of 
fatiguing  labor. 

He  is  surrounded  by  a  very  intelligent  and  warnil^y- 
attached  people,  characterized  by  a  generous  support  of 
their  pastor,  and  should  he  be  spared  amongst  them  during 
the  period  of  life  allotted  to  man,  he  will  still  have  extended 
opportunity  of  promoting  the  cause  to  which  he  has  conse- 
crated his  life. 

ZERAH  RIDER. 

Mr.  Rider,  on  his  father's  side,  is  descended  in  a  direct 
line  from  the  Pilgrims,  William  Rider,  his  great-grand- 
father, having  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock  in  the  "  Mayflower" 


in  1620.  He  has  also  inherited,  through  his  grandfather 
and  father,  the  Puritan  cognomen  of  Zerah,  both  of  these 
ancestors  having  borne  that  name.  The  former  removed 
from  Connecticut — where  the  family  settled  soon  after 
their  arrival  in  this  country  —  to  Salem,  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.  Zerah  Rider,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  notice,  was  born  in  Salem,  N.  Y.,  June  25, 1799.  He 
married,  in  that  town,  Sarah  A.  Coggshall,  December  2, 
1824,  whose  parents  were  natives  of  Rhode  Island.  Mr. 
Rider  is  thus  of  New  England  stock  by  both  his  paternal 
and  maternal  ancestors.  His  father  and  mother  had  eight 
children, — five  sons  and  three  daughters, — viz.,  Zerah,  James 
M.,  George  W.,  Henry  M.,  Elizabeth  51.,  Mary  C,  Phebe 
A.,  and  Benjamin  W.,  of  whom  five  are  now  living.  It 
is  a  circumstance  worth  mentioning — which,  perhaps,  is 
not  true  of  one  family  in  ten  thousand,  perhaps  not  of 
another  family  in  the  United  States — that  there  are  two 
pairs  of  twins  in  the  family,  and  they  are  all  living  at  this 
writing,  although  their  ages  average  fifty  years  each. 

Zerah  Rider  was  born  in  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
on  the  30th  of  August,  1825,  and  was  brought  up  in  the 
village  till  the  age  of  ten,  where  he  had  good  advantages 
for  education,  which  he  diligently  improved.  Circum- 
stances, however,  forced  him,  at  an  early  age,  to  work  for 
his  living  as  a  hired  boy  and  at  compensation  by  no  means 
remunerative.  At  eleven  years  of  age  he  went  to  work 
for  Daniel  Rice,  of  Cambridge,  and  worked  six  months  for 
twelve  dollars.  He  continued  to  work  out  by  the  month, 
earning  larger  wages  from  year  to  year,  although  the  re- 
muneration was  then  small  compared  with  what  laborers 
receive  in  these  days.  Thus  he  worked  on  until  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  when  he  commenced  a  more  independent  mode 
of  life  by  farming  on  shares.  After  following  this  two 
years  he  returned,  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr.  Rice,  to  take 
temporary  charge  of  his  farm,  and,  at  the  expiration  of  six 
months,  resumed  his  farming  again  on  shares,  which  he 
continued  to  pursue  with  industry  and  energy  for  several 
years. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1849,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Ann  Eliza  Fletcher,  daughter  of  Solomon 
Fletcher,  of  Greenwich,  whose  parents  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  that  town.  Three  children,  viz.,  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  Charles  Henry,  and  Ida  May,  have  been  the 
fruit  of  this  union. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Rider  purchased  the  Alexander  farm,  in 
the  town  of  Jackson.  He  subsequently  sold  this  and  pur- 
chased the  James  Woodward  place,  which  he  sold  in  a  few 
years,  and  purchased  the  Skinner  farm  in  Cambridge. 
After  the  lapse  of  eight  years  he  sold  again  and  bought  the 
Skiff  farm,  and  also  the  one  he  now  occupies,  in  1869. 
The  adage,  "  A  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss,"  may  hold 
good  as  a  general  rule,  but  Mr.  Rider's  experience  has  cer- 
tainly been  an  exception  ;  for  with  all  his  changes  he  has 
certainly  bettered  his  position  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view, 
and  placed  himself  in  a  situation  better  adapted  to  the 
accomplishment  of  his  object  as  an  agriculturist  and  stock- 
grower.  Mr.  Rider  has  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  acres 
in  his  present  farm,  adapted  to  mixed  husbandry,  and  has 
so  managed  the  products  of  his  estate  as  to  take  many  of 
the  leading  premiums  both  at  the  county  and   State  fairs. 


280 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTV,  NEW   YORK. 


He  has  received  the  first  premium  on  corn  in  the  county 
and  the  first  premium  on  flax  in  the  State.  In  improved 
stock  he  has  in  sonic  respects  taken  the  lead  of  all  compet- 
itors, having  a  flock  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  delaine  wool 
sheep,  bred  from  the  Atwood  stock,  considered  the  finest 
in  the  country.  In  1877  he  began  to  raise  and  introduce 
the  Swiss  thoroughbred  cattle, — considered  the  best  in  the 
world  for  combining  the  qualities  of  good  beef  and  milk. 
Some  fine  specimens  of  tliis  stock  can  be  seen  on  his  farm, 
wliich  is  very  rare  in  this  country,  there  being  only  about 
sixty  of  tlie  breed  in  tiie  United  States. 

Mr.  Rider's  efibrts  in  tlie  direction  of  making  his  farm 
produce  the  best,  not  only  in  the  products  of  the  soil  but 
of  the  dairy,  and  also  in  improved  breeds  of  sheep  aud 
cattle,  have  certainly  been  very  successful,  as  the  list  of 
premiums  awarded  both  at  the  county  and  State  fairs  will 
abundantly  show.  A  view  of  his  place  appears  among  the 
illustrations  uf  this  work. 


JAMES  MAXWELL, 


son  of  George  Maxwell  and  Margaret  McDonald,  was  born 
in  Jackson,  on  the  28th  of  February,  1824.  lie  was  of 
Scotch  ancestry,  both  on  the  father's  and  mother's  side. 
His  grandfather  Maxwell  came  from  Thornhill,  in  Perth- 
shire, Scotland,  where  a  branch  of  the  family  still  resides. 
James  spent  his  early  days,  like  most  American  boys,  on 
his  fiither's  farm,  attending  to  such  duties  on  the  farm  as 
his  yeai-s  would  eirablo  liim  to  discharge.  His  entire  edu- 
cation was  received  where  many  of  the  most  eminent  men 
of  the  county  graduated  from, — the  common  school.  When 
a  few  years  past  his  majority  he  purchased  from  his  father 
the  homestead  on  which  he  was  born,  and  was  shortly  after- 
wards united  in  marriage  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Captain 
James  Green,  of  Cambridge.  They  lived  happily  together 
for  several  years,  during  which  Mr.  Maxwell  enjoyed  un- 
usual prosperity  in  the  business  of  the  fiirm.  But  while 
earthly  prosperity  was  rolling  in  upon  him,  a  dark  cloud  of 
sorrow  settled  down  on  his  dwelling.  The  wife  of  his 
youth  was  taken  from  him,  leaving  him  with  two  fine  boys, 
but  in  a  short  time  one  after  another  was  taken,  making 
the  home  completely  desolate.  He  continued  for  a  few 
years  to  carry  on  the  farm,  but  finding  it  diflicult  as  well  as 
impracticable  to  carry  on  farming  without  some  one  in  the 
house  to  take  the  charge,  ho  formed  a  happy  marriage  with 
Kliza,  youngest  daughter  of  John  Robertson,  of  Coila.  On 
account  of  a  long  fever,  which  greatly  impaired  his  health, 
he  sold  his  large  farm  to  great  advantage,  and  has  since 
chiefly  boarded  at  difiicrent  places  in  Cambridge  valley. 
He  has  enjoyed  himself  traveling,  having  visited  Scotland 
and  several  places  in  his  own  land.  As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Max- 
well is  highly  respected  for  his  sterling  integrity, — one  of 
those  men  that  it  would  be  well  for  the  country  liad  they 
been  more  numerous  during  the  past  five  years.  His  word 
is  as  good  as  his  bond  in  any  place  where  he  is  known. 
He  is  a  man  of  excellent  moral  habits  and  the  friend  and 
supporter  of  every  good  cause.  He  is  and  always  has  been 
a  consistent  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church  in 
Coila,  which  has  sent  out   into  the  world  as  many  sterling 


men  and  women  as  any  society  we  know  of  in  this  part  of 
the  State. 

In  the  winter  of  1870  he  was  again  left  a  widower  with 
no  children  living.  His  wife  was  removed  by  a  very  pain- 
ful sickness.  He  still  resides  in  Cambridge,  in  the  midst 
of  relatives  and  many  attached  friends.  He  is  possessed  of 
ample  means  for  his  comfort,  and  is  always  ready  to  help 
along  any  worthy  object.  It  is  just  such  citizens  as  he 
that  form  the  solid  foundation  on  which  the  republic  must 
depend  for  its  safety. 


HENRY  HALL,* 
son  of  William  Hall  and  Mary  Thomas,  was  burn  in  Cam- 
bridge, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  10,  1812.  Both  his 
parents  were  from  Rhode  Island,  and  both  originally  were 
of  Engli.sh  extraction.  Some  of  Henry's  ancestry  on  his 
father's  side  figured  prominently  in  the  Revolution,  on  the 
side  of  liberty,  one  of  them  being  described  in  the  old 
family  grave-yard  as  captain  of  a  company  of  patriots  that 
did  good  .service. 

Henry  also  had,  during  the  late  civil  war  in  the  land,  two 
brothers  and  two  nephews  in  the  service.  One  of  his  brothers 
(Orin  Hall)  was  a  captain  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twentj'- 
third  Regiment,  from  this  county,  and  passed  three  years 
— through  several  battles — without  receiving  a  wound. 
Henry's  tastes  were  from  early  boyhood  towards  a  quiet 
farming  life.  Consequently  he  never  traveled  far  from  his 
native  town,  except  to  visit  friends  in  his  father's  old  home 
in  Rhode  Island.  In  183G  he  was  very  happily  united  in 
marriage  to  Patience  Brownell,  of  Easton,  who,  having 
similar  tastes  for  the  quiet  and  comfort  of  country  life,  has 
made  herself  a  very  pleasant  companion  in  life's  journey. 
By  industry  and  attention  to  his  business  Mr.  Hall  has 
secured  for  himself  a  very  comfortable  home.  His  farm 
bears  tlie  .stamp  of  thrift  and  attention,  and  his  dwelling 
and  surroundings  are  models  of  neatness.  As  a  citizen, 
Mr.  Hall  is  held  in  high  estimation.  No  man  despises  a 
low,  mean,  tricky  act  more  than  he.  He  is  upright  in  all 
his  transactions;  a  farmer  of  the  olden  time,  given  to  no 
speculation,  and  perfectly  content  with  the  true  market 
equivalent  for  anything  he  has  to  sell.  We  never  knew  a 
neighbor  who  would  not  be  perfectly  satisfied  with  Henry's 
word,  apart  from  any  other  security  He  concedes  the  right 
to  other  men  to  differ  from  him  in  politics  or  religion.  We 
never  knew  a  man  so  intolerant  of  dishonesty  and  fraud. 

As  a  neighbor  he  is  kind  and  very  obliging.  No  man 
more  willing  ever  to  inconvenience  himself  for  the  relief  of 
others.  He  is  a  man  of  peace ;  always  a  firm  friend  and 
supporter  of  any  enterprise  tending  to  benefit  his  fellow-man. 
It  would  be  well  for  the  land  if  we  had  more  citizens  of 
such  sterling  integrity  as  Henry  Hall.  Widows  and  orphans 
would  not  be  mourning  the  loss  of  their  support,  taken 
away  by  misplaced  confidence  in  well-dressed  scoundrels. 

Patience  Hall,  daughter  of  Esek  Brownell  and  Annie 
Wilcox,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Easton,  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Aug.  26,  1815.  Her  parents  were  of  English  ex- 
traction. Her  father  was  of  the  Quaker  order,  and  was 
much  respected  for  his  sterling  integrity.     When  compara- 


Hj  Rev.  Henry  CiorJuu. 


flENf?Y  flALL 


'  >i 


PATIENCE  Hall 


>>i4 


'€i 


% 


Jane  M.Si^ellie 


Thomas  Sicellie. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


281 


tively  a  young  man  he  was  taken  from  his  family  by  death, 
leaving  a  widow  and  large  fiimily  of  children.  Her  mother 
was  a  remarkable  woman  in  many  ways.  She  so  managed 
the  affairs  of  her  Imsband's  farm  as  not  only  to  keep  it,  but 
to  acquire  a  hand.some  sum  of  money  to  be  divided  to  each 
child.  Mrs.  Brownell  (or,  as  she  was  familiarly  called,  Aunt 
Annie)  was  noted  for  her  kindue.ss  to  those  in  want.  You 
might  well  infer  that,  brought  up  in  such  a  home.  Patience 
would  be  thoroughly  trained  in  all  the  qualifications  of  a 
first-class  housekeeper ;  your  inference  would  be  correct. 
lu  her  day,  young  girls  did  not  have  the  chance  of  studying 
so  many  of  the  fine  arts,  but  they  became  proficient  in  the 
necessary  arts  of  domestic  life.  They  made  their  own  gar- 
ments and  carpets.  There  were  few  pianos  in  her  day,  but 
every  home  had  its  spinning-wheel,  on  which  the  girls  prac- 
ticed with  benefit  to  their  health  and  profit  to  the  house- 
hold. In  183G  she  was  united  in  marriage  to  Henry  Hall, 
of  Cambridge. 

Mrs.  Hall  has  been,  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  a 
helpmeet  to  her  husband.  Her  early  training  is  plainly 
visible  in  the  management  of  her  own  home.  It  is  a  model 
of  neatness  and  comfort.  Mrs.  Hall  is  held  in  high  esteem 
among  her  neighbors.  Blessed  with  the  goods  of  this 
world,  she  makes  excellent  use  of  them.  She  is  the  constant 
friend  of  those  in  want,  doing  much  not  only  to  relieve 
their  material  wants,  but  by  her  kind  sympathy  she  man- 
ages to  cheer  them  in  their  sorrows.  The  manner  of  her 
giving  greatly  enhances  the  value  of  the  gift.  Though 
her  earthly  home  is  one  of  comfort,  she  is  looking  for  one 
that  is  better  and  will  be  more  permanent.  She  is  formally 
connected  with  a  Presbyterian  church,  and  by  her  consistent 
living  exerts  a  wide  and  good  influence.  Because  of  her 
disinterested  kindness,  she  is  privileged  to  give  advice  that 
would  not  be  as  well  received  from  others  ;  but  whether  they 
act  on  it  or  not,  all  are  willing  to  listen  to  what  Patience 
Hall  has  to  say  to  them.  Few  persons  of  our  acquaintance 
have  more  good  wishes  now,  and  certainly  few  women  in  all 
the  region  will  be  more  regretted  when  gone. 


JOHN  L.   HUNT 


was  born  in  the  town  of  Cambridge,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.i 
Feb.  27,  1818,  and  was  brought  up  by  his  grandfather's 
family,  on  the  premises  adjoining  his  present  place,  his 
mother  having  died  when  he  was  less  than  three  years  of 
age.  He  had  a  younger  brother,  Thomas  B.  Hunt,  who 
was  brought  up  with  him  at  his  grandfather's,  and  who  died 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1861,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  child. 
John  L.  and  Thomas  B.  Hunt  were  sons  of  John  Hunt, 
who  came  from  England  as  a  British  soldier,  and  was  taken 
a  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Plattsburg.  He  married  Eliza- 
beth Skellie,  of  Cambridge,  who  was  the  mother  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  and  left  him  an  orphan,  as  above  stated,  at 
a  tender  age.  She  was  the  second  child  of  a  family  of  fifteen, 
and  John  L.  was  brought  up  in  the  family,  and  treated  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Skellie  as  one  of  their  own  children.  When 
he  was  nineteen  years  old,  Mr.  Skellie  gave  him  charge  of 
36 


the  farm,  which  he  held  till  the  age  of  twenty,  when  he  was 
hired  by  Mr.  Skellie,  and  had  the  full  management  of  the 
business  of  the  place  two  years  longer.  He  then  went  to 
■work  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  about  five 
years. 

On  the  3d  of  October,  1844,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Sarah  S.  Edie,  daughter  of  David  and  Margaret  Edie,  of 
Cambridge.  Her  father  was  an  early  resident  of  the  town, 
and  her  mother  a  native  of  Scotland.  By  this  marriage  he 
had  children  as  follows:  David  E.  Hunt,  born  July  24, 
1845,  died  Nov.  5,  1863 ;  Elizabeth  Hunt,  born  Sept.  12, 
1849  ;  John  Hunt,  born  June  5, 1852,  died  July  3,  1852  ; 
Thomas  Albert  Hunt,  born  Oct.  12,  1856  ;  Amelia  Hunt, 
born  Feb.  12,  1860,  died  Feb.  21,  1860;  Sarah  Margaret 
Hunt,  born  May  21,  1861.  These  were  the  children  of 
Mr.  Hunt  by  his  first  marriage.  Mrs.  Hunt  died  June  26, 
1861. 

He  married  for  his  second  wife  Mary  A.  Gallaway, 
daughter  of  James  and  Phebe  Gallaway,  of  Cambridge,  May 
24,  1864.  The  children  by  this  marriage  are  John  L., 
born  Feb.  1,  1866;  infiint  son,  born  Sept.  4,  1867,  died 
same  date;  Henry  Skellie  Hunt,  born  Aug.  5, 1868  ;  James 
Gallaway  Hunt,  born  Aug.  9,  1870 ;  Alvin  Robertson 
Hunt,  born  July  1,  1872  ;  infant  daughter,  born  Sept.  16, 
1874,  died  16th  same  mouth  ;  Bessie  Hunt,  born  Feb.  18, 
1878. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Hunt  purchased  a  farm  near  the  village  of 
Cambridge,  which  he  traded  for  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
resides,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  acres,  and 
erected  most  of  the  buildings  on  the  place.  He  has  steadily 
followed  farming  since  1845,  and  by  his  own  unaided  exer- 
tions has  acquired  a  comfortable  competence.  He  has 
served  his  town  as  assessor  nine  years,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  supervisors  in  1863  and  1864,  being  a  Re- 
publican in  politics.  Himself  and  wife  and  three  of  his 
oldest  children  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
church  at  Coila,  of  which  he  has  frequently  served  as 
trustee. 


RUSSELL  S.  FISH. 

Russell  Sherman  Fish  was  born  in  Sehaghticoke,  Rens- 
selaer Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  25,  1808.  His  maternal  grand- 
father. Captain  Thomas  Allen,  was  a  sea-captain,  formerly 
of  New  Bedford,  Mass.  He  settled  at  an  early  time  in  the 
town  of  Easton,  Washington  county,  where  his  descend- 
ants still  remain.  His  uncle,  Stephen  Allen,  son  of  the 
captain,  is  now  a  resident  of  Easton,  and  is  in  his  ninety- 
eighth  year.  Mr.  Fish's  ancestors  were  from  Rhode  Island. 
His  grandfather,  Benjamin  Pish,  was  a  Revolutionary  sol- 
dier, and  was  among  the  early  settlers  of  Sehaghticoke.  He 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  married  Eunice  Hammond, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts.  They  had  a  family  of  nine 
children, — four  sons  and  five  daughtere, — of  whom  Isaac, 
the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  second  son. 
Isaac  Fish  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Captain  Thomas 
Allen.  They  had  eleven  children, — five  sons  and  six 
daughters, — of  whom  Mr.  Russell  S.  Fish  is  the  second  son. 


282 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


He  was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm  at  Schaghticoke 
till  the  age  of  tliirty  years,  and  received  his  education  at 
the  common  schools.  On  the  26th  of  November,  1840,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Sarah  E.  Forrence,  daughter  of 
William  H.  Forrence,  of  Peru,  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr. 
Fish  settled  in  Clinton  county  in  1842,  where  he  resided 


fourteen  years  previous  to  removing  to  Cambridge  in  1857, 
where  he  has  since  resided. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fish  have  one  of  the  most  desirable  homes 
in  this  .section  of  the  State,  adjacent  to  the  village  of  Cam- 
bridge, whose  ample  grounds  and  artistic  decorations  are 
well  shown  in  the  sketch  in  this  work. 


MRS.   .1.    u.   ArsTl.v. 


DRESDEN. 


This  town,  the  seventh  in  size  and  ranking  next  to  the 
lowest  in  popuhition,  contains  an  area  of  thirty-one  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres,  and  its  popuhition 
in  1870  was  six  hundred  and  eighty-four.  It  is  situated 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  between  Lake  Chaniplain 
and  South  bay  on  the  east  and  Lake  George  on  the  west. 
It  is  bounded  north  by  Putnam  and  south  by  Fort  Ann. 
Its  average  length  is  ten  miles,  and  its  average  breadth  is 
five  and  a  half  miles.  It  is  centrally  distant  from  the 
clerk's  office  (Ai-gyle)  about  twenty-five  miles.  It  is 
formed  from  parts  of  six  patents,  named  and  located  as 
follows  :  Firet,  "  Alexander  Turner's  great  patent,''  since 
known  as  the  "  Williams  patent,"  the  southern  part  of 
which  occupies  the  extreme  northwest  part  of  the  town. 
Second,  "  Turner's  little  patent,"  a  narrow  strip  lying  along 
Lake  Champlain,  in  the  northea.stern  part  of  the  town. 
Third,  the  "Thomas  and  Turner  patent,"  since  known 
as  the  "  Mitchell  patent,"  which  lies  next  south  of  the 
"  Turner's  little  patent."  This  patent  embraces  the  lands 
lying  in  and  around  Dresden  Centre.  Fourth,  the 
"  Stewart  patent,"  embracing  a  narrow  tract  lying  along 
South  bay,  commencing  at  its  mouth  and  extending  nearly 
to  the  Fort  Ann  line.  Fifth,  the  "  Lake  George  tract," 
commencing  near  the  foot  of  Black  mountain  on  Lake 
George,  and  extending  to  and  beyond  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  the  town.  Sixth,  the  "  South  bay  tract,"  which 
includes  all  the  rest  of  the  town,  and  embraces  by  far  the 
larger  part  of  its  area. 

The  general  character  of  the  surfece  is  rougli  and  moun- 
tainous, the  hills  rising  gradually  from  the  shore  of  Lake 
Champlain,  and  attaining  their  greatest  altitude  near  the 
shores  of  Lake  George,  to  which  they  descend  with  a  sharp 
and  sudden  slope  that  in  some  parts  is  precipitous.  These 
mountains  are  rocky  and  broken,  and  generally  covered 
with  a  forest  of  hard-wood  trees.  The  pines  and  hemlocks 
have  mostly  been  disposed  of,  and  a  second  growth  of 
beech,  maple,  birch,  oak,  ash,  hickory,  and  popple  has  taken 
their  places. 

There  are  several  quite  prominent  mountain-peaks  in 
this  town.  Spruce  mountain  occupies  the  western  part 
north  from  Knowlton's  bay,  reaching  its  greatest  height  at 
that  point.  Elephant  mountain  lies  to  the  south  of  Bosom 
bay.  Sugar-loaf  mountain  is  a  prominent  feature  of  the 
scenery,  and  lies  near  the  centre  of  the  town.  The  "  Hog's 
Back"  mountain  occupies  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
town.  Diameter  precipice  lies  in  the  south  part,  near  the 
head  of  South  bay.  "  Black"  mountain,  the  sovereign 
of  them  all,  rises  to  a  height  of  two  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  seventy-eight  feet  from  the  shore  of  Lake  George, 
just  south  of  Elephant  mountain.  It  extends  along  the 
shore  in  a  southerly  direction. 


The  principal  stream  is  Pike  brook,  which  rises  near  the 
centre  of  the  town,  and  flowing  in  a  southerly  direction, 
empties  into  South  bay  about  one-third  of  the  distance 
from  its  head.  Other  small  streams  rise  among  the  moun- 
tains and  flow  in  an  easterly  course  to  Lake  Champlain,  and 
one  empties  into  Lake  George  in  the  vicinity  of  Hulett's 
Landing. 

The  only  body  of  water  of  any  size  lying  in  the  town  is 
known  as  Long  pond,  and  is  a  little  southeast  of  the  centre. 
Its  outlet  flows  northeast,  and  empties  into  Lake  Champlain 
at  a  place  called  the  "  Ling-hole." 

The  soil  of  the  arable  lands,  which  he  mostly  along  the 
shores  of  Lake  Champlain  and  South  bay,  with  a  small 
tract  along  Lake  George,  between  Blufi'  Head  point  and 
Elephant  mountain,  is  generally  of  a  hard  clay,  mixed  in 
some  places  with  gravelly  or  sandy  loam.  It  is  a  strong 
and  productive  soil,  but  hard  to  till.  It  is  well  adapted  to 
purposes  of  grazing  and  stock-raising.  The  principal  occu- 
pations of  the  people  are  lumbering,  farming,  and  boating. 

In  the  early  period  of  the  history  of  this  section  wild 
animals  of  all  kinds  were  found  in  abundance,  and  even 
as  late  as  1850  "  Corey's  Gazetteer"  says,  "  It  is  a  wild, 
mountainous  township,  abounding  with  bears  and  wolves. 
Deer  are  occasionally  seen."  At  the  present  time  (1878) 
a  good  many  deer  are  found  roaming  the  forests,  and  laige 
quantities  of  the  different  kinds  of  smaller  game  are  found. 
But  bears  and  wolves,  panthers  and  wild-cats  are  now  sel- 
dom found. 

The  settlement  of  this  town  was  begun  by  Joseph  Phip- 
peny,  at  the  mouth  of  South  bay,  about  1784.  Soon  after 
a  few  others  settled  in  the  same  vicinity.  Settlements  were 
begun  in  other  parts  of  the  town  between  then  and  1800. 
It  is  impossible  to  obtain  full  data  of  these  settlements,  and 
we  give  a  brief  list  of  those  who  are  supposed  to  have  been 
the  original  settlers,  appending  to  their  names  the  number 
of  the  lot  and  name  of  the  tract  on  which  they  settled,  and 
the  date  when  known  ;  and  following  this  list,  the  best  ob- 
tainable sketch  of  the  families  in  the  order  of  their  settle- 
ment:  Joseph  Phippeny,  Stewart  patent,  1784;  Ebenezer 

Chapman,   South  bay  tract,   1796  ;  Boggs,  Stewart 

patent,  1786 ;  Daniel  Kuff,  Stewart  patent,  1786  ;  Soger 
Barrett,  Stewart  patent,  1806;  James  Snody,  Stewart  pa- 
tent, 1805;  Palmer  Blunt,  lot  6,  Turner  patent;  Abraham 
Clemens,  lot  4,  Turner  patent,  1808-12  ;  Daty  Allen,  South 
bay  tract,  1817;  Orrin  Brewster,  14,  South  bay  tract; 
Israel  Woodcock,  153,  South  bay  tract ;  John  Burgess,  154, 
South  bay  tract;  Harvey  Hulett,  151,  South  bay  tract,  1804 ; 
Amariah  Taft,  155  and  156,  South  bay  tract,  1822  ;  Elijah 
Nobles,  154,  South  bay  tract ;  Amos  Slater,  15,  South  bay 
tract ;  Welcome  Hulett,  13,  South  bay  tract ;  Charles  No- 
bles, 11,  South  bay  tract;  John  H.  Waters,  10,  South  bay 

283 


284 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


tract ;  Isaac  Hurlburt,  one-half  mile  west  of  Dresden  Centre; 
Dr.  Nathaniel  Rhoads,  on  Pike  brook ;  Levi  Belden,  near 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  town ;  Solomon  Belden,  7, 
Turner  patent ;  Nathan  Curtis,  7,  Turner  patent ;  Jonathan 

Mclntyre,  43,  South  bay  tract ;  Lindley,  68,  South 

bay  tract ;  Elnathan,  Duthan,  and  Walter  Benjamin,  north 
end  of  Stewart's  patent.  The  first  white  settler  on  Lake 
George  was  a  Frencliman  named  Levisee.  He  occupied  a 
■part  of  the  Hulctt  farm,  died,  and  was  buried  there  near 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  previous  to  the  year  1800.  This 
was  probably  the  first  death  in  the  town.  Nothing  remains 
to  mark  his  grave,  and  tradition  alone  perpetuates  his  name 
and  memory. 

Joseph  Phippeny,  the  hardy  pioneer  who  first  dared  the 
perils  attending  the  settlement  of  tliis  wild  tract,  was  from 
Connecticut.  His  wife,  one  son,  and  three  daughters  ac- 
companied him.  The  son  died  unmarried.  Of  the  daugh- 
ters, Rebecca  became  Mrs.  McClintock,  lived  in  Whitehall 
for  a  few  years,  and  then  moved  to  Ohio  ;  Abigail,  Mrs. 
Martin,  and  lived  in  Vermont,  and  moved  to  Ohio.  Both 
of  these  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  The  third  daughter, 
Mabel,  married  Ebenezer  Chapman  in  1798.  Their  wed- 
ding is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  celebrated  in  this 
towu.  Joseph  Phippeny  .settled  on  the  place  now  owned 
by  Ralph  Barber.  He  died  about  1816.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  many  years,  went  to  live  with  her  daughters  in 
Ohio,  and  died  in  1831  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four. 
Only  one  of  his  descendants  is  now  living  in  town,  Mrs. 
William  Suody,  who  is  also  the  only  descendant  of  Ebenezer 
Chapman,  now  living  in  Dresden. 

Ebenezer  Cliapuian  married  Mabel  Phippeny  in  1798, 
and  settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  William  Snody. 
Here  they  lived  till  1810.  Five  children  were  born  to 
them. — Annis,  Sally,  Joseph,  Mabel,  and  Delia.  In  1810 
his  wife  died,  and  he  removed  to  Vermont,  where  he  mar- 
ried again.  His  second  wife's  name  was  Esther,  and  they 
had  six  children, — Nancy,  Maria,  Sophia  Ann,  Dennis, 
Esther  M.,  and  Ebenezer,  Jr.  Of  these  eleven  children 
but  three  are  now  living, — Mrs.  Esther  Buell,  in  White- 
hall ;  Mrs.  Mabel  Snody,  in  Dresden  ;  and  Mrs.  Sophia  A. 
Benson,  in  Iowa.  Daniel  Ruff  had  quite  a  family.  One 
of  his  daughters,  Ruth,  married  a  Mr.  West,  and  lived  in 
this  .section  for  ten  or  fifteen  years,  then  moved  away.  None 
of  his  descendants  are  known  to  be  in  this  section. 

Roger  Barrett  was  a  son  of  Hildreth  Barrett,  of  Killings- 
worth,  Conn.,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  together  with  his 
father,  enlisted  in  the  American  army  and  fought  through 
the  Revolution.  He  was  at  West  Point,  under  Benedict 
Arnold,  when  the  gallant  but  unfortunate  Major  AndriJ  was 
captured,  and  witnes.sed  his  execution.  When  Clinton 
evacuated  the  city  of  New  York,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
force  under  Washington  that  marched  into  the  city.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  settled  in  Whitehall.  He  came  to 
Dresden  (then  Putnam )  in  1806,  and  bought  the  farm  now 
occupied  by  Eleazer  McMore.  About  1810-12  he  returned 
to  Whitehall,  where  he  remained  till  1816,  when  he  again 
came  to  Dresden,  and  this  time  to  stay.  He  died  in  Dres- 
den, June  13,  1838.  His  family  consisted  often  children, 
two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  names  of  the  others 
were  Joseph,  Jane,  Anna,  David,  Smith,  Sally,  Wilson,  and 


Polly.  Joseph,  Jane,  and  Polly  are  dead.  The  others  still 
reside  in  town.  David  Barrett,  second  son  of  Roger,  early 
developed  a  remarkable  degree  of  business  capacity,  and 
throughout  his  long  life  has  ever  been  a  leading  spirit 
among  his  fellow-townsmen.  He  was  born  in  Whitehall  in 
1800.  At  or  soon  after  the  time  of  his  majority  he  was 
appointed  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
forty-two  years.  He  was  also  supervisor  of  Dresden  for 
fourteen  years.  In  the  old  training  days  he  was  a  member 
of  the  militia,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general. 
He  has  largely  engaged  in  lumbering  and  in  boating.  He 
brought  from  Ottawa,  Canada,  the  first  load  of  Canadian 
lumber  that  was  ever  brought  in  an  American-built  boat. 
It  was  in  1849.  Part  of  the  lumber  was  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  his  present  residence,  the  rest  was  sold  in 
Albany.  It  cost  in  Ottawa  four  dollars  per  thousand 
feet. 

James  Snody,  born  in  Saratoga,  Saratoga  count}',  July  9, 
1781,  was  a  son  of  William  and  Annis  Snody.  In  1804, 
on  the  4th  of  December,  he  was  married  in  Half-Moun 
to  Hannah  WilLsey,  a  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Mercy 
Willsey,  of  Amenia,  Dutchess  county.  Soon  after  they  came 
to  Dresden,  and  settled  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north 
of  the  mouth  of  Pike  brook,  near  the  shore  of  South  bay. 
Of  their  children,  Mercy  married  Amos  Waters,  and  after 
her  parents'  death  they  occupied  the  homestead.  She  died 
several  years  ago.  William  married  Mabel  Chapman,  and 
now  lives  on  the  old  Phippeny  homestead.  Daniel  lives  in 
Michigan.  Harriet  became  Mrs.  Jones,  and  removed  to 
California,  where  she  is  still  living.  John  died  young. 
Jeremiah  lives  in  Dresden  ;  Duthan  B.  in  Missouri.  Hiram 
is  a  blacksmith  at  Dresden  Centre.  Samuel  is  living  in 
Oswego.  James  Snody  died  in  Dresden,  March  25,  1864, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-three ;  Hannah,  his  wife,  died  Sept. 
20,  1863,  aged  eighty-two  years. 

Palmer  Blunt  was  a  farmer  and  surveyor,  and  was  one  of 
the  earliest  justices  of  the  peace  in  Dresden. 

Abraham  Clemons  came  from  Vermont  about  ISIO  or 
1812.  He  had  a  family  of  five  children,  named  respectively 
Caty,  .John  D.,  Abraham  O.,  Alonzo  B.,  and  Archibald  M. 
The  two  first^named  died  some  five  or  six  years  since ; 
the  three  last-named  are  living, — Alonzo  B.  in  Allamakee, 
Iowa;  Abraham  0.  at  Dresden  Centre;  and  Archibald  M. 
on  the  homestead,  a  little  north  of  Dresden  Station.  Abra- 
ham Clemons  died  Aug.  29,  1861,  aged  eighty-two  years, 
and  his  wife  Patty  died  Dec.  3,  1860,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years. 

Israel  Woodcock  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bosom  bay,  on  Lake  George.  He  and  his  son 
Ivy  lived  together.  In  course  of  time  Israel  died.  Ivy 
reared  a  family  on  the  homestead,  and,  dying,  was  succeeded 
in  the  possession  of  the  property  by  his  son  Israel  (2d). 
He  sold  the  fiirm  to  a  Mr.  Gillett,  and  he  sold  to  the 
present  owner,  Mr.  Samuel  Cook,  of  Whitehall. 

John  Burgess  was  the  first  owner  of  the  place  now  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Hiram  Vowers,  at  the  foot  of  Elephant  moun- 
tain. He  had  eleven  children,  none  of  whom  now  reside 
in  Dresden,  and  but  one  is  known  to  be  living  in  this  State, 
— Lewis  Burgess,  of  Hague. 

Harvey  Hulett  came  to  Dresden,  and  settled  near  Bosom 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


285 


bay,  about  1804.  In  1806  his  father,  David  Hulett,  also 
came  and  lived  with  him.  About  this  time  Harvey  married 
Miss  Olivia  Pratt,  of  Jackson,  Washington  county.  Their 
family  consisted  of  four  sons,-^Arnold,  Alouzo,  Harvey, 
and  Philander, — all  of  vrhom  are  still  living  :  Arnold,  in 
Putnam  ;  Alonzo,  in  Fort  Ann  ;  Harvey,  Jr.,  in  Benson, 
Vt. ;  and  Philander,  in  St.  Augustine,  Fla.  Harvey  and 
his  wife  died  a  few  years  since,  and  were  succeeded  on  the 
homestead  by  their  son,  Philander,  who,  in  1877,  sold  the 
place  (which  was  attaining  considerable  note  as  a  pleasant 
summer  resort)  to  J.  W.  Hall,  Esq.,  of  Whitehall. 

Amariah  Taft,  thougli  not  an  early  settler,  was  one  of  the 
first  owners  of  the  land  north  from  Bosom  bay.  His  first 
residence  was  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  an  Indian  fiimily 
named  Jakway.  He  first  came  to  Dresden  from  Cambridge, 
lumbering,  in  April,  1822.  He  decided  to  remain  in  that 
locality,  and  bought  the  land  as  far  north  as  BluiF  Head 
point.  He  built  his  residence  on  the  place  now  occupied  by 
Wiles  Saxon,  and  lived  there  till  his  death,  in  June,  1862. 
He  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  arc  still  living,  both  of 
them  in  Hague, — ^Mrs.  Samuel  Weston  and  Geo.  Taft. 
Rev.  A.  D.  Gillett,  of  New  Y'ork,  who  is  pastor  of  a  Baptist 
church  in  Sing-Sing,  was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Taft,  and  spent 
his  summer  vacations  at  her  pleasant  home  on  the  shores  of 
the  Horicon.  The  little  island  in  Knowlton's  bay  which 
bears  his  name  was  his  favorite  resort,  and  under  the 
shade  of  its  trees  many  pleasant  hours  of  study  and  reverie 
were  spent.  He  conceived  such  a  liking  for  this  chosen 
spot  that  he  finally  purchased  the  island  of  the  State. 
Subsequently,  in  1872,  he  bought  the  northern  part  of  the 
Taft  farm  and  erected  a  fine  residence  on  Blufl"  Head  point, 
where  he  spends  the  hot  summer  days  in  the  enjoyment  of 
quiet  repose. 

Doctor  Nathaniel  Rhoades  was  an  early  settler  on  Pike 
brook.  He  was  a  practicing  physician  for  many  years, 
dying  about  1858-59.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Anna  Rhoades,  is 
still  living  in  Dresden,  and  has  reached  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  tliree  years. 

Three  brothers,  Elnathan,  Walter,  and  Duthan  Benjamin, 
settled  along  the  shore  of  South  bay,  near  its  moutli,  pre- 
vious to  1820.  Elnathan  was  an  early  justice  of  the  peace. 
None  of  the  families  are  now  represented  in  town  except 
Walter's.  Two  of  his  .sons,  Burr  and  Charles,  still  reside 
here. 

This  town  was  originally  a  part  of  Westfield  (now  Fort 
Ann).  In  1806,  together  with  Putnam,  it  was  set  ofif  as 
a  part  of  that  town.  March  15,  1822,  it  was  set  off  from 
Putnam,  as  "  South  Bay,"  and  on  the  succeeding  17th  of 
April  it  was  re-named  "  Dresden." 

The  records  of  the  town  were  all  destroyed  by  fire  when 
Geo.  L.  Clemons'  store  was  burned  in  the  winter  of  1875-76, 
so  that  whatever  of  interest  may  have  been  there  recorded 
is  lost  beyond  the  power  of  the  historian  to  reach. 

The  town-meetings  were  for  several  years  held  in  the 
church.  When  the  Good  Templars'  hall  was  built  the 
first  floor  was  to  be  used  for  town  purposes.  Since  that 
was  burned  the  elections  are  held  in  different  places. 

The  following  is  as  full  and  complete  a  list  of  the  town 
officers  as  we  have  been  able  to  obtain  in  the  absence  of  the 
destroyed  records : 


TOWN   GPFICERS. 

Supervisor. 

Town  Clerk. 

Colleet..!. 

1R23.  Isaac  Boomer. 

Daty  Allen. 

No  record. 

1S24.  Daty  Allen. 

.•Vbraham  Clemons. 

" 

1825.      " 

i,              .< 

" 

1826.  Elnathan  Benjam 

n.           "               " 

"■ 

1827.  Palmer  Blunt. 

Elnathan  Benjamii 

1828.  Elnathan  Benjamin.  Daty  Allen. 

1829. 

David  Barrett. 

" 

IS.'JO.          "                ■' 

Amos  i51ater. 

" 

1831.  David  Barrett. 

Ralph  Barber. 

" 

1832.        "           " 

«            « 

" 

1833. 

Duthan  Benjamin. 

" 

1834.        " 

.. 

" 

1835.       " 

" 

Amos  Slater. 

183fi.        "           " 

«              « 

John  D.  Clemons. 

1837.        " 

«              .< 

«                « 

1838. 

lienj.  Benjamin. 

Henry  H.  Hulctt. 

1839.       " 

•' 

Ilir^im  Beblen. 

1840.        "           " 

<. 

1841.        " 

u 

Luther  Carter. 

1842.  Hiram  Bcldcn. 

D.irius  Jones. 

« 

1843.  Darius  Jones. 

William  Snody. 

« 

1844.  J.  F.  Mclntyre. 

"             " 

Caleb  Mclntyre. 

1845.  Darius  Jones. 

"             " 

Luther  Carter. 

1846.  Ralph  Barber. 

Luther  Carter. 

1847. 

" 

James  Chase. 

1848. 

Samuel  0.  Welch. 

Joseph  Beebe. 

1849.  Harvey  HuIctt. 

David  Barrett. 

«             « 

1850.  0.  Clemons. 

Luther  Carter. 

« 

1851.  Samuel  0.  Welch. 

L.  H.  Gould. 

1852.         " 

Luther  Carter. 

1853.  Joseph  Beebo. 

'■         " 

1854. 

Nathaniel  Derby. 

1855.  Burr  Benjamin. 

Reuben  J.  Hurlburt 

John  Ingalls. 

185(5.  Oliver  L.  Stcere. 

John  Ingalls. 

1857.  Burr  Benjamin. 

Reuben  J.  Hurlburt 

Harvey  Hulett,  Jr. 

1858.       "              " 

Geo.  Bartholomew. 

" 

1859.  J.  Bartholomew. 

Charles  Benjamin. 

Jos.  Bartholomew. 

1860.  Oliver  L.  Steere. 

"               " 

John  Ingalls. 

1861.  Charles  Benjamin. 

Jos.  Bartholomew. 

" 

1862. 

Roswell  C.  Beebe. 

Israel  Woodcock. 

1863.  Israel  Woodcock. 

"               " 

Myron  H.  Ingalls. 

1864.         "             " 

"               " 

Gardner  F.  Belden. 

1865  Harvey  Hulett,  Jr. 

Israel  Woodcock. 

W.  S.  Wetherbee. 

1866.  Jos.  Bartholemew. 

Richard  W.  Philips 

Nathaniel  King. 

1867.  David  Barrett. 

Isaac  Stockwell. 

1868.         " 

William  Stockwell. 

1S69.  Charles  Benjamin. 

Amos  Walker. 

Oscar  F.  Gillett. 

1870.         "               " 

Thos.  Bartholomew 

"             " 

1871.  Joseph  Beebe. 

Tlios.  Bartholomew. 

1872. 

A.  M.  Hathaway. 

1873.  Joseph  Barrett. 

Dan'I  A.  Plandrcau. 

1874. 

L.  D.  Carter. 

William  Stockwell. 

1875.  David  Barrett. 

George  L.  Clemons. 

James  K.  Benjamin 

1876.  Oliver  L.  Steere. 

" 

Dan'l  A.  Flandreau. 

1877.  D.an'l  A.  Flandreau 

James  K.  Benjamin 

Isaac  Stockwell. 

1878. 

" 

Wm.  G.  Brown. 

JUSTICES  OF  THE  PEACE  ELECTED  BY  THE  PEOPLE. 


1821 

Daty  Allen. 

1833 

Duthan  Benjamin 

1827 

"          " 

Roswell  C.  Beobo. 

Elnathan  Benjamin. 

1834. 

John  H.  Waters. 

Palmer  Blunt. 

Ralph  Barber. 

Jonathan  Winn. 

John  C.  Burgess. 

1828. 

Elnathan  Benjamin. 

18.35. 

John  H.  Waters. 

1829. 

Jonathan  Winn. 

1836. 

David  Barrett. 

Ralph  Barber. 

1837. 

Hiram  Bcldcn. 

1831. 

" 

1838. 

Ralph  Barl;,er. 

Roswell  C.  Beebe. 

1839. 

Darius  Jones. 

Abraham  Clemons. 

1840. 

Roswell  C.  Beebe. 

1832. 

Daniel  Snody. 

David  Barrett. 

David  Barrett. 

1841. 

William  Snody. 

Lyman  Allen. 

1842. 

Hiram  Belden. 

286 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


1S43. 

Arnolil  iruk-tt. 

1861. 

Wm.  Snody. 

I8U. 

David  Barrett. 

Amariah  Taft. 

1845. 

William  SnoJy. 

1862. 

Philander  Uulett. 

1846. 

George  Buciianan. 

1863. 

Oliver  L.  Steere. 

1847. 

Amariah  Talt. 

1864. 

Calvin  Pease. 

1818. 

David  Barrett. 

1865. 

Wm.  Snody. 

Elea/.er  MoMore. 

1866. 

Jonathan  Tracy. 

1849. 

Samuel  0.  Welch. 

Gardner  F.  Belden. 

1850. 

Ralph  Barber. 

1867. 

Oliver  L.  Steere. 

1851. 

Amariah  Taft. 

1868. 

Gardner  F.  Belden 

1852. 

David  Barrett. 

1869. 

J.  L.  Chase. 

1853. 

Samuel  0.  Welch. 

1870. 

B.  Waters. 

1854. 

Hiram  Snody. 

1871. 

Philander  Hulett. 

1855. 

Joseph  Moore. 

1872. 

Oliver  L.  Steere. 

1856. 

William  Burpee. 

1873. 

B.  Waters. 

1857. 

William  Sniid.v. 

1874. 

Samuel  Barrett. 

David  Barrett. 

1S75. 

William  Snody. 

1858. 

Hilaln  Snody. 

1876. 

Oliver  L.  Steere. 

1859. 

William  Burpee. 

1877. 

B.  Waters. 

R.  R.  Rhoados. 

187S. 

D.  S.  Nichols. 

1860. 

Jonathan  Tracy. 
David  Barrett. 

Robert  Walker. 

COMMISSIONERS    OF    EXCISE. 


1875.  Joseph  Bartholomew. 
David  Stockwell. 
Gardner  F.  Bekleu. 


1876.  .Joseph  Bartholomew. 

1877.  Ralph  Barber. 

.■Vmos  Walker  (appointed). 


There  are  no  village.s  in  thi.s  town.  Chubb's  dock  and 
Dresden  are  stations  on  the  New  York  and  Canada  rail- 
road. Dresden  Centre,  Dresden  station,  and  Hulett's  land- 
ing are  post-offices.  Dresden  Centre  is  a  small  hamlet 
three-((uarters  of  a  mile  west  of  Chubb's  dock,  and  con- 
tains about  a  dozen  dwellings,  a  store,  a  blacksmith-shop,  a 
school-hou.se,  and  a  church.  There  is  a  store  at  Dresden 
station,  and  during  the  summer  season  stores  are  kept  at 
Hulett's  landing  and  Kuowlton's  bay.  There  are  five  or  six 
saw-mills  in  Dresden,  but  one  of  which  is  doing  much  work. 

The  first  inn  was  kept  by  Solomon  Belden,  in  the  north 
part  of  the  town,  on  the  present  David  Sleight  fitrm.  The 
site  of  the  building  was  some  distance  north  of  Mr.  Sleight's 
residence.     It  was  first  opened  about  1815. 

The  first  store  was  kept  by  John  Chubb,  near  the  present 
residence  of  Abraham  Stockwell,  about  18-11. 

There  never  has  been  a  grist-mill  or  manufactory  of  any 
kind  in  the  town. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  built,  about  1815,  by  Amos  Col- 
lins, near  the  "  Ling-hole,"  at  the  mouth  of  the  outlet  of 
Long  pond.  It  rotted  down  and  was  replaced  by  a  tan- 
nery, which  existed  for  a  brief  period.  The  site  is  now 
unoccupied.  Daty  Allen  subsequently  built  a  saw-mill  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  creek. 

During  the  progress  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  while  the 
British  forces  were  advancing  up  the  lake  to  attack  Platts- 
bui'g.  Captain  Squire  Bartholomew's  company  of  infantry, 
from  Whitehall,  was  ordered  to  march  to  and  occupy  the 
rocky  blufl^  near  the  present  residence  of  General  David 
Barrett,  at  a  point  called  the  Narrows.  The  waters  of  the 
lake  here  pass  between  two  bluffs  but  a  few  rods  apart,  the 
rocks  towering  nearly  a  hundred  feet  above  the  water.  On 
the  western  bluff  the  troops  built  a  breastwork  of  loose 
stones  fronting  the  channel,  and  on  the  highest  point,  near 
the  southern  extremity,  they  erected  a  square  block-house 
for  their  better  security.  The  fortunate  termination  of  the 
battle  of  Plattsburg  rendered  these  defenses  unnecessaiy, 


and  soon  after  they  were  abandoned.  Some  slight  traces 
of  thase  fortifications  are  still  to  be  seen,  but  they  are 
nearly  obliterated.*  The  block -house  was  t«rn  down  about 
1830.     Some  of  its  timbers  are  still  in  existence. 

The  shores  of  Lake  George,  from  the  head  of  the  lake 
to  the  junction  at  Ticonderoga,  are  full  of  legendary  and 
romantic  interest.  Combining  the  beauties  of  nature  with 
the  fascinations  of  historic  lore.  Lake  George  is  well  fitted 
for  a  summer  resort,  where,  leaving  the  follies  of  the  fash- 
ionable world,  people  may  find  a  secluded  j'et  lovely  retreat 
wherein  to  spend  the  sultry  days  of  summer,  breathing  the 
pure  air  of  the  mountains,  rocking  gently  on  the  placid 
waters,  bathing  in  their  sparkling  depths,  climbing  the 
mountain-tops  to  view  nature's  panorama,  or  swinging  be- 
neath the  fragrant  pines  to  dream  of  the  long-ago.  Among 
the  pleasantest  of  these  resorts  is  the  narrow  stretch  of  level 
lands  between  Elephant  mountain  on  the  south  and  Spruce 
mountain  on  the  north,  embracing  the  lovely  .sheets  of 
Bosom  and  Knowlton's  bays.  Cottages  and  summer  resi- 
dences have  sprung  up  like  magic,  and  in  the  summer-time 
the  place  presents  a  lively,  charming,  and  interesting  ap- 
pearance. At  Hulett's  landing,  John  W.  Hall  has  fitted 
up  a  place  for  the  entertainment  of  guests.  Three  commo- 
dious buildings  and  a  handsome  cottage,  with  a  bath-house 
and  a  boat-house,  furnish  accommodations  for  fifty  or  sixty 
guests.  A  store  and  post-office  are  located  here,  and  the 
principal  steamers  stop  regularly  on  each  trip.  A  stage- 
line  fiirnishes  communication  with  the  New  York  and  Cen- 
tral railroad  at  Chubb's  dock.  A  wide  and  shelving  sandy 
beach  affords  unequaled  bathing  facilities,  and  the  numer- 
ous islands  render  the  scene  one  of  unsurpassed  beauty. 
The  summit  of  Black  mountain  is  easily  reached  by  a  well- 
broken  path,  and  all  the  points  of  special  interest  are  easily 
accessible  from  this  point. 

At  Knowlton's  bay  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  points 
along  the  whole  lake.  The  place  was  formerly  owned  by 
Amariah  Taft,  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  W.  A. 
G.  Arthur,  of  Ticonderoga,  who  sold  it  to  Israel  Wood- 
cock. He  sold  it  to  a  man  named  Amos  Smith,  from  whose 
hands  it  passed  into  the  possession  of  its  present  owner, 
Delorme  Knowlton,  of  New  York.  The  tract  consists  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres,  and  was  bought  for  one 
thousand  dollars. 

Several  thousand  dollars  have  been  spent  in  beautifying 
the  place  and  fitting  it  for  occupancy.  A  fine,  commo- 
dious, and  showy  residence  has  been  put  up  on  the  highest 
point  of  the  rocky  cape  that  juts  out  into  the  bay  ;  trees 
have  been  removed  from  some  places  and  set  out  in  others; 
rocks  have  been  removed ;  crevices  filled ;  winding  roads 
and  walks  laid  out ;  rustic  stairs,  summer-houses,  and  seats 
built;  and,  in  short,  everything  done  to  render  a  residence 
there  comfortable  and  pleasant.  The  farm  buildings  have 
been  remodeled,  and  present  a  neat  and  tasty  appearance. 
Agnes  and  Gillette  islands  are  seen  near  the  northern  side 
of  the  mouth  of  the  bay.     From  the  observatory  is  an  ex- 

■*■  This  place  was  the  scene  of  Putnam's  exploit  in  1756,  when  he 
crossed  over  from  Lake  George  with  two  cannon  and  two  blunder- 
busses and  a  small  company  of  his  rangers,  and  attacked  a  troop  of 
French  and  Indian  marauders,  who  were  retre.iting  to  Canada  viii 
Whitehall  and  Lake  Champlain. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NP:W   YORK. 


287 


tensive  view  of  about  twenty  miles  along  the  surface  of  the 
lake,  extending  from  Rogers'  Slide,  on  the  north,  to  Bol- 
ton, on  the  south.  Sabbath-Day  point  is  just  across  the 
lake.  The  place  is  kept  in  charge  of  David  Nichols,  whose 
courtesy  enabled  us  to  see  and  appreciate  its  beauties. 

On  the  summit  of  the  first  ridge  of  Spruce  mountain, 
and  about  one  and  a  half  miles  from  Mr.  Knowlton's,  is  a 
cave  which,  though  as  yet  not  fully  explored,  bids  fair  to 
prove  an  interesting  and  noted  feature  of  the  vicinity.  It 
was  discovered  about  a  year  ago  (1876-77)  by  James 
Adams,  of  Dresden,  who,  while  hunting,  tracked  an  ani- 
mal into  the  cave.  It  was  soon  after  partially  explored, 
and  was  found  to  extend  into  the  mountain  at  least  some 
fifty  or  sixty  feet.  The  outer  entrance  faces  the  southwest, 
and  at  that  time  had  to  be  entered  in  a  creeping  position. 
It  has  since  been  enlarged,  and  can  be  entered  by  stooping 
slightly.  This  entrance  is  five  or  six  feet  wide,  and  ex- 
tends into  the  mountain  some  ten  or  twelve  feet,  opening 
into  a  circular  chamber  fifteen  feet  in  diameter  and  about 
six  feet  high.  At  the  rear  of  this  a  similar  opening  passes 
through  a  wall  of  rock  to  a  second  chamber,  with  a  higher 
ceiling.  From  this  chamber,  to  the  right,  upon  a  shelf  of 
rock  some  three  feet  above  the  floor,  is  the  entrance  to  a 
third  chamber.  At  the  rear  of  the  second  chamber  aiiotlier 
opening,  only  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  in  diameter  and 
only  two  feet  above  the  floor,  opens  into  still  another  cham- 
ber, which  has  not  been  explored.  The  walls  of  it  could 
not  be  reached  with  a  pole  twelve  feet  in  length.  The 
walls  and  roof  of  these  chambers  are  a  rough  grayish  rock. 
The  floor  is  covered  with  a  fine  black  soil.  Tradition  has 
always  hinted  at  the  existence  of  a  cave  on  the  mountain, 
and  a  curious  legend  is  told  about  it.  Many  years  ago  it 
was  the  abode  of  a  white  man  and  an  Indian.  It  was  also 
a  secret  hiding-place  for  a  large  amount  of  gold  and  silver 
that  in  some  manner  they  had  secured.  The  white  man 
was  of  French  blood,  and  had  a  son  who  was  then  a  small 
lad.  One  day  he  and  the  Indian  got  into  a  quarrel,  and  a 
desperate  fight  ensued,  in  which  the  Indian  was  slain  and 
the  white  man  mortally  wounded.  With  wonderful  vitality 
and  persistence,  he,  however,  managed  to  get  away  from  the 
vicinity,  and  communicated  to  his  son,  either  personally  or 
by  letter,  the  secret  of  the  cave  and  directions  for  finding 
it.  Many  years  elapsed,  when  one  day  an  old  man  came 
to  the  residence  of  one  of  the  settlers  and  wanted  to  secure 
board  for  the  summer.  His  request  was  acceded  to,  and 
he  established  himself  as  an  inmate  of  the  house.  With 
his  staff  in  his  hand  and  a  haversack  of  provision  at  his 
side,  day  after  day,  week  after  week,  month  after  month, 
he  wandered  through  the  woods  and  over  the  mountains. 
He  did  not  hunt,  he  did  not  collect  geological  or  botanical 
specimens,  but  simply  wandered  around  in  a  seemingly  aim- 
less search  after  something.  When  winter  came  he  left 
the  vicinity  never  to  return,  but  told  his  host,  before  leav- 
ing, this  story  in  explanation  of  his  mysterious  conduct. 

Another  legend  holds  that  it  was  the  abode  of  counter- 
feiters, who  here  made  spurious  coin  to  foist  upon  the  un- 
suspecting world.  In  support  of  this  is  adduced  the  testi- 
mony of  an  old  resident  in  the  town  of  Hague,  just  across 
the  lake,  who  claims  to  have  frequently  seen  the  flash  and 
glow  of  mysterious  lights  upon  the  mountain  side. 


In  the  earlier  days  of  Dresden  the  lumbernun  :iii(l 
farmers  depended  upon  oxen  for  the  most  of  their  work. 
None  but  the  thrifty  and  prosperous  could  hope  to  own  a 
horse.  A  few  figures  from  the  original  census  of  the  town, 
taken  in  1825,  will  be  of  interest.  There  were  94  families 
in  the  town  (ranging  in  numbers  from  three  to  eleven  per- 
sons each),  and  composed  of  523  persons, — 271  of  whom 
were  males  and  252  females.  They  tilled  2007  acres  of 
land,  run  5  saw-mills,  owned  22  horses,  404  head  of  cattle, 
298  hogs,  and  698  sheep,  and  cast  96  votes  at  elections. 

SOCIETIES. 

Monnt  Vernon  Lodge,  No.  136,  /.  0.  G.  T.— This  lodge 
was  instituted  March  9,  1873,  by  John  J.  Wing,  of  Gran- 
ville, at  that  time  county  deputy  of  Washington  county. 
It  had  thirty-three  charter  members,  fifteen  of  whom  were 
initiated  at  this  first  meeting.  The  first  officers  were  Hiram 
Snody,  W.  C.  T. ;  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hartley,  W.  V.  T. ;  Rob- 
ert Steele,  W.  Secretary  ;  Martha  Bartholomew,  W.  Treas- 
urer ;  and  Thomas  Bartholomew,  L.  D. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  church  until  about 
eighteen  months  after  its  organization,  when  the  lodge  pur- 
chased a  building  site  of  Abraham  Stockwell,  near  the 
corner  of  the  road  leading  to  Chubb's  dock,  and  erected  a 
fine  two-story  building,  twenty-two  by  forty-two  feet,  the 
upper  room  of  which  was  finished  off'  for  a  lodge-room. 
The  entire  cost  of  the  property  was  nearly  or  quite  twelve 
hundred  dollars.  The  lodge  prospered,  and  increased  its 
membership  to  one  hundred  and  fifty.  In  the  spring  of 
1876  this  building  was  burned  by  an  incendiary.  Through 
careleissness,  the  insurance  policy  had  been  been  allowed 
to  expire,  and  there  was  a  total  loss.  The  lodge  then  met 
in  the  school-house  for  a  time,  but  was  at  length  driven 
from  that  by  the  action  of  the  school-meeting,  and  having 
obtained  the  use  of  the  old  school-house,  fitted  it  up  and 
now  occupy  it.  The  present  membership  is  sixteen.  The 
present  officers  are  Wm.  Stockwell,  W.  C.  T. ;  Mary  E. 
Bartley,  W.  V.  T. ;  T.  D.  Bartley,  W.  S. ;  Amos  Walker, 
W.  F.  S. ;  Asa  Chubb,  W.  T. ;  Asa  Winn,  W.  Chaplain  ; 
Amos  Walker,  L.  D. 

Dresden  Temperance  Clnh. — Under  the  auspices  of  the 
Whitehall  Temperance  club  a  public  meeting  was  held  at 
the  church  in  Dresden  Centre,  on  the  evening  of  June  20, 
1877,  and  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a  temperance  club. 
The  meeting  adjourned  to  the  school-house  on  the  27th, 
when  an  organization  was  completed  by  the  election  of  the 
following  officers, — viz. :  President,  George  L.  demons  ; 
vice-presidents,  Charles  Bartholomew,  William  Stockwell, 
Joseph  Barrett,  Edward  Adams,  Oliver  L.  Steere ;  secre- 
tary, J.  Marvin  Snody  ;  treasurer,  Isaac  Jakway  ;  executive 
committee,  James  Bartholemew,  Robert  Walker,  Jr.,  Oliver 
L.  Steere,  Joseph  Barrett,  William  Stockwell,  William 
Snody. 

The  constitution  adopted  at  that  meeting  declares  it  to 
be  the  object  of  the  society  "  to  render  assistance  to  per- 
sons who  are  endeavoring  to  abandon  the  use  of  alcoholic 
drinks ;  also,  to  prevent  others  from  acquiring  habits  of  in- 
temperance." Its  meetings  are  held  on  the  second  Tuesday 
of  each  month,  and  the  amnual  meeting  occurs  on  the 
second  Monday  of  May  in  each  year. 


288 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YOEK. 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  OF  DRESDEN. 

About  the  year  1823,  Elder  Fuller,  of  Poultney,  Ver- 
mont, met  some  of  the  Christian  people  of  Dresden  at  the 
house  of  Deacon  Huntington  (the  place  is  now  occupied 
by  a  grandson,  Thomas  Huntington),  and  after  an  inter- 
esting service  proceeded  to  organize  a  Baptist  church.  It 
was  composed  of  twenty-one  members,  who  joined  at  this 
meeting  or  soon  after.  Their  names  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Deacon  Huntington,  their  three  sons,  John,  Erastus,  and 
Noel,  and  their  two  daughters ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Silas  Guil- 
ford ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deacon  Bosworth ;  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs. 
Abraham  Stockwell ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  S.  Wetherbee ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  Blunt,  and  hi.s  father  and  mother ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Barker. 

The  church  struggled  along  with  various  degrees  of  suc- 
cess until  about  1833,  when  a  powerful  revival  swept  over 
the  town,  and  the  membership  increased  to  sixty.  But 
members  moved  away,  died,  or  were  lost  to  the  church,  and 
few  additions  were  made  until  the  number  fell  to  twelve, 
in  1874.  In  June  of  that  year  Rev.  Joseph  Earl,  of 
Whitehall,  was  sent  to  preach  to  this  people  by  the  Wash- 
ington County  Baptist  Association.  He  preached  but  once 
in  two  or  three  weeks.  In  the  winter  of  1876  another  re- 
vival visited  the  town,  and  as  a  result  twenty-five  were 
added  to  the  church  at  one  time.  This  was  followed  by 
other  occasional  additions,  until  the  present  membership 
amounts  to  fifty-two. 

The  ministers  who  have  served  this  people  during  the 
fifty-five  years  of  its  existence  are  Elder  Fuller,  Rev. 
William  Jliller,  the  originator  and  great  expounder  of  the 
doctrines  of  "  Millerism,"  or  Second  Adventism,  Rev. 
Enos  Flew,  who  was  the  first  settled  pastor  in  1835,  Dan- 
iel A.  Flandreau,  and  Rev.  Joseph  Earl,  who  has  regu- 
larly supplied  the  pulpit,  since  the  winter  of  1876,  in  the 
capacity  of  stated  supply. 

The  deacons  have  been  Deacons  Huntington,  Asa  Winn, 
William  Snody,  and  Oliver  L.  Steere, — the  two  latter  act- 
ing in  that  capacity  at  present. 

A  Sunday-school  was  started  in  connection  with  the 
church  about  1835-45.  James  Rickert  was  the  first 
superintendent.  The  present  superintendent  is  A.  0. 
Clemons,  and  the  school  has  an  average  attendance  of 
thirty  or  forty. 

The  early  meetings  of  the  society  were  held  mostly  in 
the  north  part  of  the  town,  in  school-houses  or  barns  or 
woods,  as  circumstances  permitted.  This  state  of  things 
continued  till  July  5,  1848,  when,  at  a  meeting  in  the 
school-house  of  Dresden  Centre,  a  resolution  was  passed  to 
erect  a  building  to  be  called  the  "  Freeman's  Church  of 
Dresden."  A  committee  to  solicit  subscriptions,  build  the 
church,  and  act  for  the  society,  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  G.  C.  Burdett,  David  Barrett,  Lemuel  Bartholomew, 
Roswell  C.  Beebe,  and  William  Snody. 

There  were  ninety-one  subscribers  to  the  fund,  and  they 
were  entitled  to  one  vote  for  every  three  dollars  paid. 
April  1,  1850,  Henry  and  William  Ingram  donated  the 
lot  on  which  the  church  now  stands,  and  before  winter  the 
church  was  built  and  ready  for  use.  It  has  simply  been 
kept  in  good  condition  since,  no  extensive  repairs  having 


been  made.  Its  estimated  cost  was  eight  hundred  dollars 
and  its  present  valuation  is  one  thousand  dollars. 

When  first  built  it  was  used  as  a  hall  for  all  town-meet- 
ings, elections,  political  meetings,  etc.,  but  now  two-thirds 
of  the  stock  is  controlled  by  members  of  the  church, 
or  by  them  held  in  trust  for  its  benefit,  and  the  church  is 
now  used  simply  for  church  purposes,  and  controlled  by  the 
Baptist  denomination.  George  L.  Clemons  is  the  present 
church  clerk. 

The  first  post-ofiice  in  Dresden  was  established  in  1828, 
and  Lyman  Allen  was  the  postmaster.  The  ofiice  was  kept 
a  little  south  of  the  present  residence  of  Oliver  L.  Steere. 
It  was  supplied  with  the  mail  by  a  carrier  named  Ballard, 
whose  route  was  from  Whitehall  to  Ticonderoga.  It  was 
abandoned  about  1831,  and  was  revived  again  in  1872,  at 
Dresden  Centre,  Thomas  Bartholomew  acting  as  postmaster. 
There  are  now  three  post>-olEces  in  town. 

In  1840  there  was  one  pensioner  living  in  Dresden. 
His  name  was  Thomas  Huntington,  and  he  was  eighty- 
three  years  old. 

MILITARY. 

We  add  a  list  of  men  from  this  town  who  served  in  the 
War  of  1861-65,  taken  from  the  report  of  the  town  clerk 
to  the  military  bureau  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  sub- 
mitted recently  for  correction  to  the  people  of  the  town. 

Andrew  Allen,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1S61,  43d  Begt.,  Co.  F  ;  disch.  Due.  7,  ISCl. 
John  AriU!itrung,  cnl.  Oct.  20,  1864. 
Jami'S  Allen,  enl.  June  17, 1804. 

John  Biirrott,  enl.  Nov.  12, 186'2,  S"th  Begt.,  Co.  A;  wounded;  discli.  for  disa- 
bility, Feb.  14,  1862. 
Isiuic  Barrett,  enl.  Sept.  3,1861,87th  Begt.,  Co.  A;  wounded;  re-enl.;  disch.  July 

17,  1865. 
Leonard  W.  Barrett,  enl.  Sept.  16, 1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  died  of  disease  at 

Fortress  Monroe,  Aug.  19,  1862. 
Joseph  Barrett,  enl.  Nov  12,1861,87th  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  wounded;  disch,  March, 

1863. 
John  B.  Benjamin,  enl.  Sept.  13, 1801,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability. 
Wm.  W.  Bartholomew,  onl.  Sept.  8,  1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  captured  iu  Seven 

Days' fight;  prisoner  in  Libby;  paroled;  re-enl.  1864. 
Eugene  Bartholomew. 

Charles  liartholomew,  enl.  Aug.  26, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  June  8, 1866. 
Joseph  Bartholomew,  enl.  Aug.  26, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Francis  Bartholomew. 
Carter  Barrett,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  for  disivbility,  in 

1862. 
Dennis  Barrett,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  with  regiment, 

June  8,  1865. 
George  L.  Clemons,  enl.  Sept.  3, 1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A;  wounded;  disch.  for 

disability,  Oct.  6,  1862. 
Matthew  Curraii,  enl.  Sept.  3, 1.S61, 87th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Aug. 

II,  1862. 
John  Clute,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  -V ;  disch.  at  consolidation  of 

regiment. 
John  Cook. 

Thaddous  Chubli,  enl.  Aug.  30,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  Juno  S,  1865. 
John  CarroU,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  C;  disch.  June  S,  18G5. 
Bernard  Carroll,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1864. 
John  M.  earns,  enl.  Oct.  20,  1864. 
George  Clark,  enl.  Dec.  27, 1864. 
Augustus  P.  Chase,  enl.  Sept.  20,  1861,  S7th  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  died  of  disease,  in 

ho8pit.al  at  Washington,  D.  C,  1863. 
Charles  Duclat,  enl.  Sept.  1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  at  consolidation. 
S.  A.  Eastman,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Daniel  Flandreau,  enl.  Sept.  1, 1861, 87th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  lieut. ;  wounded  at  Fair 

Oaks;  disch.  ;  re-enl.  Jan. 22, 1864,  Art.,  Co.  G.  (U.  S.  N.);  disch.  June  2, 

1805. 
Thomas  Glenn,  enl.  Sept.  3, 1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  re-enl.;  discharged. 
Adoniram  J.  Huntington,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A;  wounded  at 

Fair  Oaks,  Va. ;  discb.  for  wounds. 
Oscar  F.  Hopkins,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  C ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
James  Hurlburt,  enl.  Aug.  2, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.C;  prisoner;  disch.  June  8, 

1865. 
George  B.  Hopkins,  onl.  Feb.  12,  1804,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  died  at  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, June  21, 1604. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


289 


■Wm.  D.  Jones,  enl.  Sept.  15,  1801,  87tli  Kcgt.,  Co.  A  ;  re-tnl. ;  di<ch.  at  con- 
solidation. 

Molancllion  Jones,  enl.  Feb.  18, 18C2,  93d  Begt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  June  21, 1SC2. 

John  H.  Jolinson,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1864,  4;id  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  disclmrged. 

Oliver  Jewell,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1861,  87th  Kegl.,  Co.  A  ;  disclmrged. 

Nathaniel  King,  enl.  1861,  44th  Regt,  Co.  A  ;  lost  Bu  aim  above  the  elbow,  and 
was  furnislied  with  artificial  arm  by  government ;  discharged. 

Patrick  Lahey,  enl.  Oct.  20, 18G4,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  discharged. 

Henry  May,  enl.  Sept.  18, 1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Joseph  Moore,  enl.  May  25, 1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  19, 1863 ;  rc-enl. ; 
discharged. 

Cliarlcs  Marshall,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1864. 

Baker  B.  Plow,  enl.  Aug.  26, 1862,  123d  Regt..  Co.  D  ;  discli.  June  8,  IS65. 

James  Piatt,  enl.  March  23, 1864, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  July  17,  1865. 

Albert  Pifer,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1864. 

Royal  Plew,  enl.  Aug.  26,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  Juno,  1865. 

Hiram  Snody,  Ist  sergt.;  enl.  Sept.  3,  1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A;  wounded; 
prisoner;  disch.  May  5, 1863. 

Alexander  Sleight,  enl.  Sept.  3, 1861,  87th  Regt,  Co.  A;  disch.  at  consolidation. 

James  Sliepard,  enl.  Nov.  12, 1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  discli.  March  27,  186;i. 

Nelson  St.  Clair,  enl.  Sept.  2, 1861, 87th  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  re-enl.  1804 ;  disch.  at  con- 
solidation. 

raniel  Sullivan,  enl.  Jan.  24, 1864  ;  discharged. 

Joseph  St.  Clair,  eul.  Feb.  17, 1864;  discharged. 

37 


Wm.  Smith,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1864  ;  discharged. 

John  Sheran,  enl.  Dec.  7,  1864. 

JohnSlavin,  enl.  Sept.  16,  1862,169th  Regt.,  Co.  F:  disch.  at  Weller's  Point,  Va. 

AVm.  W.  Stockwell,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1801,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  Oct.  1864. 

Thomas  Sullivan,  enl.  1863;  discharged. 

Robbins  Wetherby,  enl.  Sept.  2,  1801,  87Ib  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  wounded  ;  pro.  to  3d 
sergt. ;  disch.  Aug.  4,  1862. 

Leveret  t  Wilson,  enl.  June  27,  1801,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  June  20, 1863. 

Rames  W.  Walker,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  4:id  Begt., Co.  F;  died  of  disease,at  Point 
Lookout. 

John  J.  Wetherby,  enl.  Sept.  2, 1861,  87th  Begt., Co.  A;  died  of  fever,  at  York- 
town,  April  23, 186J. 

Amos  Walker,  enl.  Aug.  26, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  di^ch.  June  8,  1865. 

Asahel  Ward,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  died  of  fever,  at  Stafford 
Court-IIoune,  Va. 

Alphonz..  C.  Wilson,  enl.  Feb.  22, 1864, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C  :  disch.  June  17, 1866. 

Wm.  Waters,  enl.  March  25,  1864,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  killed  in  battle.  May  15, 
1864. 

Eugene  Wilson,  enl.  March  25, 1864, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  July  17, 1805. 

James  Waters,  musician  ;  discharged. 

Abijah  W.aters,  enl.  Sept.  8, 1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability. 

James  F.  Wallace,  enl.  July  26, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  discharged. 

Joseph  Young,  eul.  Aug.  26,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 

Wm.  Yates,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1864 ;  disch.  at  close  of  war. 


E  A  S  T  O  N. 


This  is  the  southeast  town  of  the  county,  and  is  bounded 
north  by  Greenwich ;  east  by  Jackson  and  Cambridge ; 
south  by  Renssehier  county ;  and  west  by  the  Hudson 
river.  It  is  of  irregular  rectangular  form ;  its  greatest 
length,  from  north  to  south,  being  about  eleven  and  three- 
fourths  miles,  and  its  greatest  breadth,  from  east  to  west, 
six  miles.  It  is  centrally  distant  from  Salem  about  sixteen 
miles,  and  contains  an  area  of  thirty-eight  thousand  eight 
liundred  and  thirty-four  acres,  ranking  second  in  size  in 
the  county.  The  surface  is  varied :  level  along  the  Hud- 
son, lightly  rolling  to  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  then  moun- 
tainous in  the  eastern  part.  The  princijMl  peaks  are  Wil- 
hird's  and  Swain's  mountains  near  the  centre,  Harrington 
hill  and  Whclden  hill  near  the  eastern  line,  and  Louse  hill 
ill  the  northern  part.  Wiilard's  mountain  dei'ives  its  name 
from  the  fact  that  during  the  Burgoyne  campaign  a  Mr. 
AVillard  reconnoitred  the  British  position  from  its  summit 
with  a  spy-glass,  and  also  because  it  was  part  of  the  tract 
owned  by  this  same  Mr.  Willard,  who  resided  in  Albany. 
The  range  of  mountains  that  enters  the  town  from  the 
south,  and  occupies  the  eastern  half  of  its  surface,  is  a 
portion  of  the  Pcterl  o;ough  ir  TagI  a  lic  mointain 
chain  that  extends  northward  through  Columbia  and 
Ilen.sselaer  counties.  The  northern  extremity  of  this  range 
in  Easton  is  known  as  the  "  Cement  mountain."  This 
furnishes  an  excellent  quality  of  limestone  and  cement, 
both  of  which  are  usually  manufactured  in  large  quanti- 
ties, though  the  business  is  now  temporarily  suspended. 
The  only  .streams  of  importance  are  the  Hudson  and  Batten 
Kill,  which  form  the  west  and  north  boundaries.  Fly  creek 
in  the  north,  and  Kidney  creek  in  the  south.  On  the 
Batten  Kill  are  three  falls, — the  first  at  Greenwich  ;  the 
second  at  Galesville,  forty  feet  high  ;  the  third,  half  a  mile 
below  and  west  of  Galesville,  known  as  "  Dionondahowa 
falls."  The  last  is  worthy  of  note,  the  .stream  falling 
seventy-five  feet  within  a  distance  of  three  hundred.  For 
forty  or  fifty  rods  above  the  falls  the  sti-eam  runs  in  a 
gently-descending  rapid,  curving  to  the  right,  and  descend- 
ing more  rapidly  as  it  nears  the  fall.  It  then  suddenly 
narrows  its  channel,  inclines  to  the  left  between  rough 
walls  of  slate-rock,  aiid  falls  over  four  successive  terraces, 
each  narrower  and  higher  than  the  preceding.  The  waters, 
now  of  creamy  foam,  here  gather  together,  and  entering  a 
rocky  gorge  hurl  them.selves  madly  over  the  brink  into  the 
"  Devil's  Caldron."  Now  lashed  to  fury,  beaten  to  spray, 
dashed  hither  and  thither  with  resistless  force,  they  sul- 
lenly pour  forth  over  another  fall  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet,  and 
turning  to  the  right  flow  through  a  dark  ravine  between 
liigh  rocky  banks  on  their  way  to  the  Hudson.  The 
scenery  at  this  point  is  beautiful  and  picturesque,  and  may 
Will  repay  the  tourist  for  a  trip  to  view  this  wonderful 
290 


manifestation  of  the  power  an<l  masterly  skill  of  nature's 
great  Architect. 

On  the  eastern  border  of  the  town  is  a  large  swamp, 
called  the  "  Fly."  This  is  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch  word 
vlaic  (pronounced  "vly"),  used  to  designate  low  grounds 
subject  to  overflow.  The  creek  of  the  same  name  takes  its 
rise  in  this  swamp. 

The  soil  of  this  town  is  composed  of  a  rich  loam,  vari- 
ously intermixed  with  clay,  gravel,  and  .sand.  There  is 
scarcely  an  acre  of  waste  land  in  the  town,  all  being  tillable 
and  exceedingly  fertile.  The  principal  occupation  of  the 
inhabitants  is  farming,  though  manufacturing  is  carried  on 
to  some  extent  at  Greenwich  and  at  Galesville. 

This  town  was  originally  a  part  of  the  Saratoga  patent 
of  1684,  and  was  afterwards  a  part  of  the  towns  of  Still- 
water and  Saratoga,'  of  Albany  county.  On  the  3d  of 
March,  17S9,  it  was  erected  into  a  separate  township,  and 
from  being  the  easternmost  town  of  the  patent  was  called 
East  Town  or  Easton. 

In  the  general  history  of  the  county  is  an  account  of 
the  great  military  expeditions  which  passed  up  the  Hud.son 
in  early  times  (some  of  them  through  the  town  of  Ea.ston) ; 
of  the  building  of  Fort  Saraghtoga,  on  the  .bank  of  the 
Hudson,  in  1709,  and  its  destruction  in  1745;  of  the 
erection  of  Fort  Clinton  some  distance  back  from  the  river 
in  174G,  and  of  its  destruction  in  1747.  As  there  stated, 
there  is  little  doubt  but  that  there  was  a  thriving  settle- 
ment around  Fort  Saraghtoga  previous  to  1744  ;  but  no 
authentic  records  regarding  it  can  now  be  found. 

All  traces  of  Fort  Clinton,  as  well  as  of  Fort  Saragh- 
toga, have  long  since  been  obliterated  ;  but  judging  from 
the  topography  of  the  country,  from  the  description  given 
by  the  French  partisan,  St.  Luc  (La  Corne  de  St.  Luc),  and 
by  the  traditions  handed  down  among  the  settlers,  we  con- 
clude that  Fort  Clinton  was  on  a  wide  plateau,  which  forms 
the  top  of  an  extensive  bluff  bordering  the  course  of  the 
Batten  Kill,  and  about  half  a  mile  south  of  Galesville,  or 
Middle  Falls.  Taking  the  road  from  Galesville  to  Schuyler- 
ville,  and  at  the  second  three-corners  entering  the  field  to 
the  right,  the  aiiti((uarian  is  believed  to  stand  on  the  site 
of  Fort  Clinton. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  extent  of  the  settlement 
previous  to  the  War  of  1744,  the  territory  in  question  re- 
mained unoccupied  and  desolate,  so  far  as  known,  between 
the  close  of  that  war  in  1748  and  the  breaking  out  of  the 
last  French  war  in  1754  ;  though  it  is  po.ssible  that  some 
of  the  original  settlers  returned  during  that  period  to  re- 
build their  shattered  homes  and  cultivate  their  abandoned 
fields.  But  it  was  not  until  after  the  close  of  the  latter 
war  in  1760  that  anything  positive  is  known  regarding  the 
settlement  of  Easton.    Immediately  after  that  event  several 


R£S/D£<C£   Of   COL    ANDffEW    THOMPSON ,  fASrOAI.W/._H  •«C70N  f.o    N    Y 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YOIIK. 


291 


families  moved  in,  and  again  began  the  worli  of  making 
"  the  wilderness  to  blossom  as  the  rose."  During  the 
period  between  the  French  war  and  the  Revolution  a  large 
number  of  settlers  entered  on  the  task  of  subduing  the 
forest.  The  earliest  of  these  located  on  the  rich  intervale 
that  borders  the  Hudson,  and  others  struck  out  into  the 
woods  to  locate  their  future  habitations.  Then  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  with  all  the  horrors  springing  from  Indian 
atrocity  and  Tory  malignity,  stayed  the  progress  of  the 
pioneers.  Nearly  all,  save  some  families  of  Friends  and  a 
few  others,  fled  to  safer  localities,  and  returned  only  when 
peace  once  more  brooded  over  the  hills  and  dales  of  Easton. 
Then  the  settlement  rapidly  grew  iu  numbers  and  wealth, 
and  the  town  soon  became  known  as  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  fertile  of  all  this  section.  Our  limits  permit  but  a 
brief  history  of  a  few  early  settlers. 

Nathan  Tefft  came  from  North  Kingston,  R.  I.,  in  17G6, 
being  then  fifty  years  of  age.  His  son  Stanton,  then 
twenty-two,  accompanied  him.  The  latter  was  a  surveyor 
noted  for  the  accuracy  of  his  work.  They  traveled  on 
horseback  through  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  to  the 
Hoosic  river,  which  they  followed  down  to  the  mouth  of 
White  creek.  They  then  pursued  the  course  of  this  latter 
stream  to  Cambridge,  whence,  guided  by  marked  trees, 
they  crossed  the  hills  to  the  Middle  falls  ou  the  Batten 
Kill,  where  the  village  of  that  name  now  stands.  Here 
Mr.  Tefft  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the 
stream  lying  cast  of  the  "  Big  falls,"  and  on  the  .south 
bounded  by  the  road  to  the  Hudson  river,  being  a  part  of 
the  purchase  of  Killian  De  Bidder.  The  title  was  a  lease 
for  an  annual  rental.  He  commenced  a  clearing  and  built 
a  saw-mill  near  the  site  of  the  present  one,  which  was  the 
fir.st  mill  of  any  description  not  only  in  Easton,  but  upon 
the  Batten  Kill.  He  built  his  house  and  barns  east  of 
the  saw-mill,  and  in  1768  returned  to  Rhode  Island  for 
his  family.  They  came  to  Albany  in  a  sailing-vessel,  and 
then  up  the  Hudson  to  their  new  home. 

Nathan  Tefft's  wife  was  Isabel  Stanton.  Of  their  chil- 
dren, Isabel  and  John  died  unmarried  ;  Stanton  and  Na- 
than settled  in  Easton ;  Mercy  married  a  man  named 
Rogers ;  Mary  married  Nathan  Cottrell,  of  Greenwich ; 
and  Sarah  married  a  Mr.  Crandall. 

Stanton  Tefft  married  Mehetabel  Rogers,  and  had  a  fam- 
ily of  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  settled  iu 
Easton  or  Greenwich.  Stanton  was  quite  promiTient,  hold- 
ing several  important  oiEces  and  practicing  his  profession 
of  surveying. 

Nathan  Tefft  (2d)  married  Dorcas  Babcock.  Their 
children  were  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  The  youngest 
of  these  is  Mrs.  Phrebe  Conkliu,  of  Schuylcrvilie.  The 
farm  belonging  to  this  branch  of  the  family  is  now  occupied 
by  a  great-grandson  of  the  first  Nathan  Tefft,  known  as 
Nathan  Tefft  (4th). 

Killian  De  Bidder  emigrated  from  Holland  to  America 
in  company  with  his  four  brothers, — Simon,  Walter,  Hen- 
drick,  and  Garrett.  They  all  settled  on  the  Hudson. 
Killian  purchased  a  tract  in  the  north  part  of  Easton  that 
was  seven  miles  long,  and  ran  back  from  the  river  one  mile 
in  width.  He  was  a  bachelor,  and  f|uite  eccentric  in  his 
ways.     Of  the  other  brothers  little  is  known,  though,  with 


the  exception  of  Hendrick,  who  lived  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Mohawk,  they  probably  settled  in  Easton. 

Simon's  farm  was  opposite  and  a  little  above  Schuyler- 
ville.  His  son  Walter  succeeded  him  on  the  homestead. 
He  had  three  children, — Mrs.  Ann  Abeel,  of  Easton  ;  Mrs. 
Jane  Levisee,  of  Waterford,  and  afterwards  Greenwich  ; 
and  Simon,  who  married  in  opposition  to  his  father's  wishes, 
and  was  left  to  work  out  his  own  fortune  by  the  incensed 
parent.  His  second  marriage  was  with  Maria  Van  Schaick. 
Killian  De  Ridder  went  to  her  and,  in  a  bantering  way, 
said  if  she  would  catch  Simon  De  Ridder  in  the  matrimo- 
nial noose  he  would  give  her  a  wedding-present  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  his  best  land.  Taken  as  a  jest, 
it  soon  passed  from  mind.  He  then  went  to  Simon,  and 
told  him  if  he  would  woo  and  wed  Maria  he  would,  on  his 
wedding-day,  deed  him  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land. 
This,  too,  was  accepted  as  a  harmless  pleasantry,  and  was 
soon  forgotten.  But  as  time  rollcd'on  Simon  saw  and  loved 
Maria.  She,  too,  felt  the  kindling  power  of  love  in  her 
breast.  Simon  proposed, — she  accepted.  True  to  his 
promise,  Killian  drew  two  deeds  from  his  pocket  on  the 
wedding-day,  and  presented  one  to  the  bride  and  the  other 
to  the  bridegroom.  Astonishment  and  thanksgiving  were 
mingled,  and  a  merry  party  sat  down  to  the  nuptial  feast. 
This  three  hundred  acres  was  directly  across  the  river  from 
Schuylerville,  and  is  now  occupied  by  Simons  son,  Mr.  A. 
G.  L.  De  Ridder. 

Jacob  G.  Van  Schaick,  of  Albany,  and  later  of  Half- 
Moon,  came  to  Easton  prior  to  the  Revolution.  His  farm 
was  on  the  river,  near  Smith's  ferry.  When  the  war  broke 
out  he  joined  the  army,  and  was  given  a  major's  commis- 
sion under  General  Gates.  During  Burgoyne's  campaign 
his  family  returned  to  Albany.  The  Tories  and  Indians 
burned  all  his  buildings.  From  Gates'  camp  he  saw  the 
fire,  and  asked  leave  to  go  to  the  defense  of  his  property. 
Gates  refused,  telling  him  he  would  "  lose  his  scalp  as  well 
as  the  rest  of  his  property."  He  had  three  sons  and  three 
daughters, — Hendrick,  Garrett,  and  Evart,  Mrs.  Kendrick 
Van  Buren,  Mrs.  Killian  Vandenburgh,  and  Mrs.  Simon 
De  Ridder,  all  of  Easton. 

Hendrick  Van  Schaick  rose  to  considerable  prominence 
in  legal  affairs,  being  at  one  time  judge  of  the  court  of 
common  pleas.  His  son,  Jacob  H.  Van  Schaick,  is  still 
living  at  North  Easton. 

Thomas  Beadle  was  a  resident  of  Smithfield,  R.  I.  His 
wife's  name  was  Phoebe  Meach.  In  1763  they  removed 
with  their  seven  children  to  Amenia,  in  Dutchess  county, 
where  they  remained  eight  or  ten  years ;  then,  with  a  fam- 
ily increased  to  eleven  children,  they  came  to  Easton,  some 
time  in  1770-73,  where  their  twelfth  and  last  child  was 
born.  Tliey  settled  about  a  mile  from  the  present  village 
of  Easton,  near  the  Friends'  meeting-house,  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  Royal  Slocum. 

Of  his  children,  Thomas  settled  oti  the  place  now  occu- 
pied by  Frankliu  Willett,  two  miles  fjom  South  Easton; 
Daniel  settled  on  the  Hudson,  near  Van  Buren's  ferry 
(now  Searles')  ;  David  on  the  homestead  with  his  father; 
Mishael  settled  near  his  brother  Thomas,  on  the  place  now 
occupied  by  his  grandson,  Zina  Beadle.  Sylvia  died,  leav- 
inc    no    children.^     IMishael    married     Pliilena     Brownell. 


292 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Their  children  were  Sylvia,  Sarah,  Elijah,  Thomas,  Phoebe, 
John,  and  Hannah.  These  all  lived  to  about  the  allotted 
threescore  years  and  ten,  and,  what  is  quite  remarkable, 
their  deaths  were  in  the  order  of  their  births.  The 
youngest  child  is  still  living, — Mrs.  Hannah  Barber,  of 
Cambridge  village, — and  she  is  now  seventy-three  years 
old. 

The  house  built  by  Mishael  Beadle  is  still  standing. 
The  Beadle  burying-grouiid  is  supposed  to  be  the  oldest  in 
the  town.  The  first  burial,  that  of  a  young  lady,  is  said 
to  have  been  attended  by  six  persons,  representing  every 
family  in  the  town.  The  first  recorded  burial  was  May 
6,  1776, — Mrs.  Meach,  mother  of  Thomas  Beadle's  wife. 
Jonathan  and  Loammi  Beadle  were  also  buried  there  in 
177S  and  1777  respectively. 

Elijah  Freeman,  of  Dutchess  county,  in  1773,  at  the 
age  of  seventeen,  came  to  Easton  and  purcliased  of  Mr. 
Willard,  of  Albany,  three  hundred  acres  of  land  about  three 
miles  northeast  of  North  Easton.  He  married  Pernella 
Follett.  Of  his  children,  Elmer  and  Mrs.  Matilda  Badger 
died  in  Easton  ;  Lyman,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  enlisted 
in  the  army  of  1812,  and  died  of  fever  at  Sackett's  Harbor ; 
Manly  lives  in  Iowa ;  BIrs.  Perlina  Rathbone  in  Easton  ; 
Mrs.  Harriet  Kenyon  and  Phoebe  in  Jackson  ;  and  Mrs. 
Eunice  Kenyon  in  Cambridge. 

Thomas  Dennis  came  from  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  previous 
to  the  Revolution,  and  settled  about  a  mile  west  of  Easton. 
Of  his  children,  William,  John,  Simeon,  Humphrey,  Elihu, 
and  Charles  lived  and  died  in  Easton  ;  Britton  settled  in 
Cicero,  Onondaga  county  ;  Thomas  in  Delaware  county ; 
George  in  Erie  Co.,  Pa. ;  Patience  Rider  went  to  western 
New  York  ;  and  Job  enlisted  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was 
killed  at  Queenstown.  Daniel,  a  son  of  Charles,  Bedford, 
a  son  of  Job,  and  Marvin,  a  son  of  William,  are  still  living 
in  Easton. 

Thomas  Dennis  was  a  leader  among  his  fellow-townsmen, 
one  of  the  first  justices  of  the  peace,  and  held  the  office 
many  years.  He  was  associate  judge  in  1808  and  in 
1811. 

Jacob  Haner,  from  England,  settled,  some  time  before 
the  Revolution,  about  a  mile  south  of  Greenwich,  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  Ephraim  Burdick.  Of  his  children, 
Mary  married  and  went  west.  Cornelius  and  Jacob  settled 
in  Easton.  Mrs.  Taber,  a  daughter  of  the  former,  is  still 
living  in  Easton.  Jacob,  Jr.,  is  said  to  have  planted  the 
first  apple-orchard  and  made  the  first  cider  in  town. 
People  came  from  a  distance  to  drink  of  the  cider,  so  great 
was  the  novelty. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war, 
Jonathan  Wilbur,  of  Beekman,  Dutchess  county,  came  to 
PJaston  and  settled  about  half  a  mile  north  of  North  Ea.ston. 
He  was  accompanied  by  bis  seven  sons,  Joseph,  Job, 
Fones,  Thomas,  John,  William,  and  Humphrey,  all  of 
whom  settled  in  Easton,  except  Foiics  and  Thomas,  who 
settled  in  Saratoga  county.  Several  of  their  children  and 
grandchildren  are  still  residing  in  town. 

Among  the  other  early  settlers  were  John  Fish,  George 
Deuel,  Abner  Fuller,  and  Richard  Davenport,  who  settled 
in  the  south  part  of  the  town  ;  Charles  Russell,  Peter 
Becker,    William     Abeel,    Abraham    Wright,    Rensselaer 


Schuyler,  William  Thompson,  Gerritt  Wendell,  Nathaniel 
Potter,   Jacob    Miller,   Peter   Miller,   Garrett  Van    Buren, 

Peter    Ruiidel,  Captain   Van   Vorst,  • Vandeiiburgh, 

Samuel  Sheldon,  James  Storms;  and  Rufus  Hall  and  Zeb- 
ulon  Hoxsie,  from  Beekman,  Dutchess  county,  who  were 
Friends.  Soon  after  these  two  Friends  .settled  here,  Daniel 
Folgor,  William  Coflan,  William  Swain,  Robert  Meader, 
Barzilla  Hussey,  David  Beard,  John  Swain^  and  Nathan 
Coffin,  all  captains  of  whaling-vessels/whom  the  portentous 
cloud  of  coming  war  had  driven  from  the  sea,  left  their 
homes  at  Nantucket  and  Dartmouth,  and  came  to  settle 
down  to  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  the  agriculturist. 

In  addition  to  these,  in  1789  we  find  the  following 
named  persons  recorded  as  residents  of  the  town,  viz.: 
William  Foster,  David  Petteys,  David  Petteys,  Jr.,  Benja- 
min Fish,  Stephen  Anthony,  Ephraim  Fi.sh,  Samuel  Cook, 
Morton  Van  Buren,  Henry  Van  Buren,  Gideon  Bowditch, 
Joseph  Potter,  Abel  Coon,  Elihu  Robin,son,  F]dmund 
Robin.son,  Jedediah  Robinson,  Robert  Dennis,  Richard 
Macomber,  Barzilla  Pease,  Abraham  Pease,  Benjamin 
Starbuck,  James  Smith,  Philip  Smith,  Thomas  Smith  (an 
early  ju.stice  of  the  peace),  Joseph  Smith,  Eleazer  Slocum, 
p]lisha  Freeman,  Sylvester  Satterlee,  Jacob  Benson,  Tyler 
Wilcox,  Abraham  Ru.ssell,  Greeve  Hall,  Garrett  Lansing, 
Sterling  Waters,  Asa  Crandall,  Ezra  Crandall,  Roswell 
Osborn,  Alexander  Case,  Francis  Brock,  John  Petteys,  and 
David  Remington. 

The  first  grist-mill  in  town  was  built  by  John  Gale,  in 
1810,  at  Galesfille,  of  Middle  Falls. 

The  first  woolen-mill  was  built  at  Galesville,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  184G,  by  Gale,  Rogers  &  Reynolds. 

The  first  foundry  was  established  by  Walden  Eddy,  at 
Greenwich,  in  1832. 

The  first  flax-mills  were  erected  at  Greenwich. 

The  first  knitting-mill  was  established  in  1862,  at  Green- 
wich, by  a  stock  company. 

The  first  paper-mill  was  built  at  Greenwich,  by  Ballou  & 
Craig,  in  1863. 

The  first  store  was  kept  by  Garrett  Lansing,  at  North 
Easton,  in  1794. 

The  first  school  was  kept  near  Greenwich,  in  1787. 

CIVIL  HISTORY. 
This  town  was  formed  from  Saratoga  and  Stillwater  in 
1789.  It  remained  a  part  of  Albany  county  till  Feb.  7, 
1791,  when  it  was  annexed  to  Washington  county.  The 
records  go  back  only  to  1793,  and  the  following  is  a  ver- 
batim copy  of  the  first  recorded  town-meeting : 

"At  a  town-meeting  held  in  Easton,  at  tlie  liouse  of  John  Swain, 
on  Tuesday,  5th  day  of  April,  I79S,  the  following  persons  were 
elected  to  the  respective  offices  set  opnsi^l  their  names;  Philip 
Smith,  supervisor;  Richard  Macomber,  town-clerk  ;  Simon  Deridcr,* 
David  Potter  Jr.,  Nathaniel  Potter,  Daniel  Beadle,  Thomas  Dennis, 
assessors:  Thomas  Williams,  Philip  Smith,  Ebenezcr  Deuel,  commis- 
sioners of  highways;  Thomas  Beadle,  Nathan  Tiff.f  overseers  of  the 
poor;  Jonas  Catcham,  Derias  Bodwill,  Henry  I.  Lent,  Albert  Coffin, 
constables;  Albert  Coffin,  collector  of  ta.ves;  William  Thomson, 
Robert  Dennis,  Thomas  Beadle,  fence-viewers  :  David  Beard,  pound- 
master;  niumd  Veslrht  No.  1,  Nathan  Tifft ;+  2,  David  Petticc  Jr. ; 
3,  Peter  Scot;  4,  Benjamin  Burch;  5,  Samuel  Reynolds;  6,  Jeremiah 
Cole;  7,  Jonathan  Potter;  8,  Tyler  Wilcox  ;  9,  Ilendrick  Van  Scoyk  :t 


'  Do  Riddcr. 


t  Tefft. 


J  Van  Schaick. . 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


293 


in,  Allen   Potter;  11,  D 

avid  Archer;  12,  James  Storms;  13,  Samuel 

Supervisor. 

Town  Clerk.                     CoMector. 

Fuller;  14,  Oliver  Sweet ;  15,  Daniel  Thomas 

16,  Jabez  Briggs;  17, 

1845.  Thomas  D.  Beadle. 

Alfred  Worth.             Harrison  Leslie. 

Michel  Beadle;  18,  Ebenezer  Stickland;  -19, 

Israel  Harrington;  20, 

1846.          " 

"            '•                   Daniel  Nutting. 

John  Luse." 

1847.  Job  Eldridge. 

"           "                   Edmund  Rice. 

The  first  school  commissioners  were  elected  in  1814,  and 

1848.  Anson  Bigelow. 

"           "                   Benjamin  Robinson. 

James  Mallory,  Chai 

les  Starbuek,  and  Philander  Tobey  were 

1849.  Joel  Buckley. 

1850.  Peleg  Thomas. 

"           "                   Elijah  S.  Anthony. 
"           "                   AVilliam  Dennis. 

chosen  to  that  office. 

At  the  same  time 

,  Jonathan  Mosher, 

1851.      "             " 

Ale.x.  H.  B.  Potter. 

Calvin  Smith,  and  Elli.s  May  were  elected  as  in.spectors  of 

1852.  Adam  Cottrell. 

James  Barr.                 MishacI  Beadle. 

common  schools. 

1853.  Elihu  Gifford. 

Alfred  AVorth.             George  Osborn. 

The  following  is 

as  full  and  compi 

:!te  a  record  of  the 

1854.  Adam  Cottrell. 

1855.  Russell  S.  Borden. 

Alex.  H.  B.  Potter. 

George  Osborn.           Ephraim  Tilton. 

names  of  the  princi 

)al  town  officers  as  we  are  able  to  ob- 

1856.  Adam  Cottrell. 

Ale.\.  H.  B.  Potter.    James  E.  Crandall. 

tain  : 

1S57.        " 

1858.  Jesse  B.  Fursman. 

1859.  Russell  S.  Borden. 

"             "                  Caleb  A.  Cornell. 
"             "                 J.  G.  Edmonson. 
Ephraim  Tilton. 
*'             "                  David  Gordon. 

TOWN    OFFICERS 

OF    EASTON    FROM 

1793  TO  1878. 

1860.  Simon  Burton. 

SiiperTisor. 

Town  Clerk. 

Collector. 

1861.  Horace  Cottrell. 

"             *'                 James  M.  Eddy. 

1793.  Philip  Smith. 

Richard  Maoomber 

.  Albert  Coffin. 

1862.         "             " 

James  Hill. 

1794.  Stanton  Tefft. 

<. 

Jonas  Ketch  urn. 

1863.  John  J.  Wetsell. 

Richard  L.  Eddy.       William  Morgan. 

Darius  Bordwell. 

1864.       " 

"               "            James  Cornell. 

1795.  Thomas  Dennis. 

Gilbert  Gardner. 

Darius  Bordwell. 

1865.  Edm'dW.Hollister 

Charles  A.  Cornell.     Richard  L.  Eddy. 

1796. 

u 

Abel  Coon. 

1866.        " 

"                 "            L.  A.  Slocum. 

Darius  Bordwell. 

lSfi7.  Warren  Crau.lall. 

"                 "            Daniel  Eddy. 

1797.        " 

i<                    u 

Nathan  Rogers. 

1808. 

"                 "            Abel  Thomas. 

Jonath'n  Coolidge. 

1869.         "              " 

Elijah  S.  Anthony.    Allen  Ensign. 

1798. 

William  Woolley. 

E.  Burlingame. 

1870.  Andrew  Thompson. 

Wm.  W.  Wilbur. 

Kathaniel  Delano. 

1871.  James  B.  Allen. 

"                   "            Alonzo  Hemstrect. 

1799.  Jonathan  Mosher 

«              « 

David  Petteys,  Jr. 

1872.        " 

"                   "           Jonathan  Wilbur. 

Nathaniel  Delano. 

1873.  James  Hill. 

"                   "            Alonzo  Hemstreet. 

isno.         "           " 

«              « 

1874.       "          " 

"                   "            Nathan'l  B.  Welling. 

1801.  Daniel  Beadle. 

Charles  Starbuek. 

«                <i 

1875.        " 

"                   "            Harvey  L.  Potter. 

18112.         " 

ti             .( 

<i                „ 

1876.  J.  Warren  Fort. 

Franklin  G.  Tefft. 

1803.  11.  Van  Sehaick. 

« 

,i               ,• 

1877.  J.  Warren  Fort. 

Freder'k  H.  Merrill.  Reuben  E.  Ferguson. 

1804.       " 

«             « 

.<                « 

1878.  Harvey  Tubbs. 

"         Samuel  M.  Skiff. 

1805.  Daniel  Beadle. 

" 

« 

1806. 

" 

"                " 

JUSTICES   OF   THE   PEACE. 

1807. 

<i             « 

George  Coffin. 

1808. 

« 

,i 

From  1792  to  1830 

,  they  were  appointed  by  the  State; 

1809.  John  Gale. 

"             " 

"           " 

from  1830  to  1878,  they  were  elected  by  the  people. 

1810.  Jonathan  Mosher 

Jacob  Van  Buren. 

John  Luce. 

1811.  John  Gale. 

" 

John  Prince. 

1792.  Stanton  Tefft. 

1811.  Benjamin  Brownell. 

1812.      "         " 

" 

George  Briggs. 

Thomas  Dennis. 

Calvin  Smith. 

1813.  Charles  Starbuek. 

"             " 

" 

Thomas  Smith. 

James  Tefft. 

1814.         "              " 

"             " 

Luke  Chapin. 

1795.  Stanton  Tefft. 

Abraham  Wright. 

1815.  Calvin  Smith. 

"             " 

John  Prince. 

Thomas  Dennis. 

1812.  Gcrritt  H.  Van  Sehaick. 

1816.         " 

Charles  Starbuek. 

"          " 

Thomas  Smith. 

1815.  James  Tefft. 

1817.  James  Mallory. 

Philander  Tobey. 

Simeon  Dennis. 

1798.  St.anton  Tefft. 

Philander  Tobey. 

1818.  James  TefTt. 

Calvin  Smith. 

Ebenezer  Norton. 

Thomas  Dennis. 

Calvin  Smith. 

1819.        "          " 

Luke  Chapin. 

Esek  Brownell. 

Thomas  Smith. 

Rcdlord  Dennis. 

1820.  Jonathan  Mosher. 

Calvin  Everest. 

Simeon  Tefft. 

1801.  Stanton  Tefft. 

James  Mallory. 

1821.  John  Davenport. 

Stephen  Jackson,  Jr.  James  Abel  (2d). 

Thomas  Dennis. 

James  S.  Tefft. 

1822.      " 

" 

"       " 

Thomas  Smith. 

1817.  Simon  De  Riddcr. 

1823.  Esek  Brownell. 

Abraham  Cornell. 

Abraham  Cornell. 

D.anicl  Beadle. 

1S18.  Josiah  Sheldon. 

1824.  James  Tefft. 

"                " 

Joel  Potter. 

Thomas  Cornell. 

David  Chase. 

1825.       " 

"                " 

Wm.  M.  Lockwood. 

John  McKenney. 

Calvin  Smith. 

1826.        " 

" 

« 

1804.  Thomas  Dennis. 

James  Tefft. 

1827.  Gideon  Cornell. 

" 

« 

Thomas  Smith. 

James  Mallory. 

1828. 

" 

" 

Daniel  Beadle. 

Philander  Tobey. 

1829.  Anson  Bigelow. 

Joel  Potter. 

Esek  Brownell. 

Thomas  Cornell. 

1821.  John  Davenport. 

1830.        " 

" 

Sidney  Deuel. 

Daniel  Shepherd. 

Gideon  Cornell. 

1831.  John  Davenport. 

" 

Wm.  M.  Lockwood. 

Hendrick  Van  Sehaick. 

Ebenezer  Horton. 

1832.  Pelcg  Thomas. 

" 

John  Ad.aras. 

David  Petteys. 

James  Tefft. 

1833.      " 

"         " 

Joseph  Benson. 

1805.  Simon  De  Bidder. 

1822.  Simeon  Dennis. 

1834.  Aaron  Barker. 

«         « 

a                u 

1806.  Nathaniel  Potter. 

1827.  Abraham  Conklin. 

1835.  Peleg  Thomas. 

"         " 

" 

1808.  Nathaniel  Potter. 

John  Wright. 

1836.      " 

«         ,. 

Wm.  V.  S.  Allen. 

Benjamin  Brownell. 

Gideon  Cornell. 

1837.  Aaron  Barker. 

<i 

James  Tefft. 

Lemuel  Simmons. 

1838.   Peleg  Thomas. 

..         i< 

John  Skiff. 

J.ames  Kenyon. 

1828.  Ebenezer  Norton. 

1839.      " 

« 

David  S.  Hastings. 

Daniel  Shepherd. 

1829.  Martin  Mason. 

1840.  Anson  Bigelow. 

" 

Horace  Brownell. 

William  Thompson. 

1830.  Abr.aham  Conklin. 

1841.        " 

Russell  S.  Borden. 

"                 " 

Calvin  Smith. 

1831.  Dcrastus  D.  Dennis. 

1842.        " 

« 

James  Cornell. 

ISIO.  Simon  De  Bidder. 

Chancellor  Ensign. 

184.3.  Alien  GifTord. 

« 

« 

.Abraham  Wright. 

Job  Eldridge. 

1844.      " 

" 

Daniel  Nutting. 

Jonathan  Mosher. 

1832.  James  M.  Skiff. 

294 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


1833.  Royal  Slociim. 

1834.  Cbiincellor  Ensign. 

1835.  Isaac  Crandall. 
William  Coizens. 

1836.  Willinm  Coiiicns. 
IJcrial)  W.  Briggs. 

1837.  Royal  Slooum. 

1838.  Horatio  Emmons. 

1839.  David  Smith. 
184n.  William  Cozzens. 

1841.  Royal  Slocum. 

1842.  Horace  Bigelow. 

1843.  Horatio  Emmons. 
Giles  Benson. 

1844.  William  Cozzens. 

1845.  Royal  Slot-urn. 

1846.  Seneca  W.  Uifiord. 

1847.  Horatio  Emmons. 

1848.  William  Cozzeus. 
lS4i).  Royul  Slocum. 

1850.  Seneca  W.  Gilford. 

1851.  Daniel  Rice. 

1852.  William  Cozzens. 
Horatio  Emmons. 

1853.  Asahel  Perry. 

1854.  Seneca  W.  Gifford. 

1855.  Trustram  Corliss. 


1855.  Seneca  W.  Gifford. 

1856.  James  B.  Allen. 
Henry  S.  Crandall. 

1857.  Horatio  Emmons. 

1858.  Seneca  W.  Gifford. 

1859.  William  Cozzens. 
1800.  James  B.  Allen. 

1861.  Harvey  WiIco.\. 

1862.  Seneca  W.  GitTord. 
1SC3.  William  W.  Mead. 
1SC4.  James  B.  Allen. 

Lewis  Potter. 
1865.  Harvey  Wilcox. 
1800.  Seneca  W.  Gifford. 
1807.  Charles  M.  Slocum. 

1868.  James  B.  Allen. 

1869.  Harvey  Wilcox. 

1870.  Lewis  Potter. 
1S71.  William  Uoxic. 

1872.  Charles  H.  Dennis. 

1873.  Harvey  Wilcox. 

1874.  Lewis  Potter. 

1875.  William  Hoxie. 
James  B.  Allen. 

1876.  Russell  A.  Borden. 

1877.  Lewis  Potter. 

1878.  W.  V.  K.  Reynolds. 


The  town-meetings  are  usually  held  at  North  Easton, 
but  there  arc  two  election  districts.  During  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion  the  town  of  Easton  sent  its  full  quota  of  soldiers 
info  the  field,  and  also  eared  for  their  families  during  their 
absence.  A  war-committee,  of  which  Lewis  Potter,  Esq., 
was  secretary,  was  fully  empowered  to  offer  such  bounties 
and  take  such  other  measures  as  might  he  necessary  to  se- 
cure the  requisite  number  of  soldiers.  In  the  year  179'J 
there  were  nine  places  licensed  to  sell  spirituous  liquors. 
T!ie  fee  for  license  was  from  five  dollars  to  eight  dollars 
and  seventy-five  cents  each.  The  names  of  those  who  took 
out  the  licenses,  and  who  of  course  were  either  inn-keepers 
or  store-keepers,  were  John  Van  Buskirk,  Joseph  Wills, 
Benjamin  and  John  Gale,  Ebenezer  Deuel,  John  Swain, 
Samuel  Southworth,  John  MeGill,  Daniel  and  Isaac  Mer- 
ritt,  and  John  Gould. 

In  1877  there  were  hut  tico  licensed  hotels  in  town.  There 
are  three  villages,  one  hamlet,  and  parts  of  two  other  villages 
in  this  town.  The  oldest  of  these  is  Easton.  Jacob  Ben- 
son was  the  first  settler  there.  Dr.  Jonathan  Mosher  re- 
sided there  for  many  years.  The  village  is  divided  into 
two  parts.  The  northern  part  is  called  "  Bang  All,"  and  the 
southern  part  "  Barker's  Grove."  The  former  is  the  old 
settlement.  In  (he  early  years  of  this  century  it  was  a 
thriving  village.  It  now  contains  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  inhabitants,  lias  two  stores,  a  hotel,  a  large  carriage- 
shop,  and  is  the  seat  of  Marshall  Seminary.  The  first 
blacksmith-shop  was  by  Stephen  Allen  and  his  brother 
George,  about  the  year  1800.  Stephen  Allen  was  born  in 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  in  1781,  came  to  Easton  in  1799,  and 
is  now  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninet.j'-seven  years, 
about  one  mile  south  of  Easton.  His  faculties  arc  wonder- 
fully preserved,  and  he  bids  fair  to  live  yet  many  years. 

Easton  village  is  located  near  the  centre  of  the  southern 
half  of  the  town. 

North  Easton,  two  miles  north  of  Easton.  has  been  called 
Easton  Corners.  It  is  the  principal  village,  and  most  of 
the  town  business  is  transacted  there.     In  early  times  it 


was  called  "  Starbuck's  Corners,"  from  one  of  its  prominent 
business  men,  Nathaniel  Starbuck,  who  owned  most  of  the 
lands  on  which  the  village  was  subsequently  built.  Garrett 
Lansing  kept  the  first  store  here  in  1794.  Other  early  mer- 
chants were  Jacob  Van  Buren,  Charles  Starbuck,  and  John 
Gale,  who  afterwards  went  into  business  at  "  Middle  Falls," 
and  gave  the  place  its  present  name  of  "  Galesville."  The 
first  post-office  in' town  was  established  here  early  in  the  cen- 
tury. It  was  on  the  mail-route  from  Troy  to  Whitehall. 
John  Gale  was  the  first  postmaster.  At  present  the  village 
has  about  two  hundred  inhabitants.  There  is  a  Reformed 
Dutch  church  and  a  Methodist,  a  carriage- and  blacksmith- 
shop,  owned  by  David  Herrington,  a  store,  a  hotel,  a  liarness- 
shop,  and  about  twenty-five  dwelling!?. 

South  Ea.ston  is  a  small  village  near  the  Cambridge  line, 
and  two  miles  east  of  Easton.  It  contains  about  fifteen 
dwellings,  a  store,  and  a  blacksmith-shop.  Samuel,  Benja- 
min, Leonard,  Joseph,  and  David  Cook,  five  brothers,  were 
the  first  settlers,  and  the  locality  was  then  called  Cook's 
Hollow.  Isaac  Merritt  was  the  first  merchant,  and  kept  a 
large  store  previous  to  1800.  He  was  afterwards  a  promi- 
nent business  man  of  Troy.  His  store  in  this  village  was 
about  opposite  the  present  one.  Some  years  later  Thomas 
D.  Beadle  built  the  store  now  occupied  by  Fred.  E.  Hill. 
The  place  was  then  called  "  Beadle  Hill."  The  post-office 
was  established  about  the  same  time,  with  Thomas  D. 
Beadle  as  first  postmaster. 

Crandall's  Corners  is  about  two  and  a  half  miles  south 
of  Easton,  and  within  a  mile  of  the  town  and  county 
line.  It  was  named  after  Holden  Crandall,  who  kept  a 
tavern  and  store  there  many  years  ago.  A  church  at  that 
place,  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Warren  Crandall,  is  used 
irregularly  by  all  denominations.  The  post-office  was  estab- 
lished in  18(J7,with  W.aiTen  Crandall  the  first  postmaster. 

Fly  Suiumit  is  a  post-office  and  station  on  the  Greenwich 
and  Johnsonville  railroad,  near  the  line  between  Easton 
and  Cambridge. 

Part  of  Greenwich, — including  the  furnace  and  fia.x-niills 
of  Eddy,  Reynolds,  Langdon  &  Co.,  the  carriage-shop  of 
Joseph  Jliller,  the  paper-mill  of  Angell,  Safford  &  Co., 
and  the  Pleasant  Vale  knitting-mill, — together  with  about 
one-ninth  of  the  population,  lies  in  this  town.  The  saw-mill, 
grist-mill,  woolen-factory,  plaster-mill,  and  a  few  dwellings 
at  Galesville,  are  in  Easton. 

At  a  very  early  day  there  was  a  little  settlement  in  the 
valley  east  of  the  residence  of  Mr.  H.  Taber,  about  a  mile 
.and  a  half  south  of  Greenwich.  There  was  a  store,  said  to 
be  the  first  in  the  town,  a  saw-mill  owned  by  Benjamin  Pros- 
ser,  and  a  wheelwright-shop  kept  by  Andrew  Ferguson. 

During  tlie  Burgoyne  campaign  in  1777  the  town  of 
Easton  was  overrun  by  Hessians,  Tories,  and  Indians.  No 
battles  were  fought  on  its  soil,  but  the  horrors  of  war  swept 
over  it.  Charred  and  blackened  ruins  marked  the  site  of 
many  a  once  happy  home.  Bauni's  forces,  on  their  way  to 
Bennington,  left  the  Hudson  near  the  mouth  of  the  Batten 
Kill,  and  crossed  the  town  in  a  generally  southeast  course. 

When  the  battle  of  Saratoga  was  in  progress,  a  force  of 
Aiuerican  scouts  occupied  the  hills  on  the  De  Bidder  farm, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  the  enemy  brought  some 
of  his  batteries  to  bear  ujioii  them  and  tried  to  drive  them 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTV,  NEW   YORK. 


295 


out.  Cannon-balls  and  shells  have  frequently  been  plowed 
up  there,  but  none  have  been  found  for  some  years. 

A  lawsuit,  tried  a  long  time  ago,  liad  such  a  novel  termi- 
nation as  to  make  it  worthy  of  a  record  here.  Mrs.  Cook 
was  the  plaintiiF,  and  Erastus  D.  Culver  the  counsel  for  the 
defendant.  The  case  was  tried  before  a  referee.  In  the 
midst  of  the  trial  Culver  did  something  that  aroused  the 
ire  of  his  legal  opponent,  who  thereupon  called  him  a 
"  pettifogging  little  rascal,"  adding,  by  way  of  emphasis, 
that  were  it  not  for  the  law  he  would  "  take  it  out  of  his 
hide."  The  referee  then  proposed  that  they  should  soothe 
their  lacerated  feelings  and  argue  the  case  by  a  wrestling- 
match,  the  victor  in  that  struggle  to  have  the  case  decided 
in  his  favor.  The  proposition  was  accepted,  the  room 
cleared  of  its  furniture,  and  the  combatants  "  pitched  in." 
After  a  long  and  desperate  struggle,  Mrs.  Cook's  lawyer 
was  thrown  by  his  opponent.  Culver.  Mrs.  Cook  paid  the 
costs  with  a  good  grace,  remarking  that  "  it  was  the  only 
smart  thing  she  ever  saw  Rat  Culver  do." 

A  choese-factory  was  established  about  two  miles  north 
of  North  Easton,  in  May,  1874,  by  Job  H.  Wilbur  and 
John  Pratt.  The  first  cost  was  about  two  thou.saud  two 
hundred  dollars,  and  as  the  depreciation  of  property  has 
about  counterbalanced  the  improvements  made,  it  is  now 
valued  at  about  the  same  figure.  In  the  season  of  1877 
five  hundred  and  forty-nine  thousand  five  hundred  and 
seventy-five  pounds  of  milk  were  received  at  the  factory, 
and  converted  into  fifty-five  thou.sand  four  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  pounds  of  cheese,  which  sold  for  six  thousand 
three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  dollars  and  thirty-two  cents. 

There  was  a  ferry  at  Sehuylerville  from  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  town  till  1837,  when  the  bridge  was  built.  It 
is  eight  hundred  feet  long,  and  is  a  toll-bridge. 

There  are  three  ferries  across  the  Hudson  from  the 
centre  of  the  town  south,  known  respectively  as  "  Searle's," 
"  Smith's,"  and  "  Hogan's"  ferries. 

There  are  some  family  burial-grounds,  but  no  extensive 
cemetery,  in  Easton.  One  of  the  oldest  is  near  Galesville. 
Nathan  Teift's  wife  was  buried  there  in  June,  1777. 

MARSHALI,    SEMINARY. 

This  institution  of  learning  was  established  in  1863,  and 
opened  for  scholars  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  The  building 
is  pleasantly  located  in  the  northern  part  of  Easton  village. 
Its  first  cost  was  four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
two  dollars.  The  amount  was  raised  by  selling  shares  of 
stock  of  the  denomination  of  twenty-five  dollars  each.  The 
school  derived  its  name  from  Benjamin  Marshall,  one  of  the 
principal  stockholders.  In  1868  it  was  sold  to  the  "  Easton 
and  Saratoga  Quarterly  Meeting"  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
for  the  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars.  In  March,  1873, 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  was  rebuilt,  in  1874,  by 
"  Easton  Monthly  Meeting"  of  the  Friends.  The  present 
building,  which  is  a  fine  structure,  cost  twelve  thousand 
dollars,  and  is  still  owned  by  the  same  society. 

The  principals  in  charge  of  this  school  have  been  Rev. 
A.  G.  Cochran,  Miss  Maria  Shepherd,  Andrew  J.  Qua, 
Thomas  Smedley,  Mr.  Lippincott,  A.  W.  Macy,  and  Mi.sses 
Fannie  Mitchell  and  Lucy  Phillips,  who  have  leased  the 
building  and  are  now  carrying  on  the  school. 


The  attendance  at  the  present  time  is  about  forty  or  fifty 
pupils. 

REFORMED    CHURCH    OP    EASTON. 

The  first  meeting  to  organize  this  church  was  held  in 
1803,  and  Hendrick  Van  Schaick  was  appointed  chairman 
and  John  JIcKenney  secretary. 

The  church  was  called  "  The  Reformed  Protestant  Dutch 
Church  of  Easton."  It  was  reorganized  under  its  present 
title  February  8,  1872.  Jacob  H.  Van  Schaick  was  chair- 
man of  the  meeting,  and  Zephaniah  Eddy  was  secretary. 

The  first  trustees  were  chosen  Nov.  11,  1872.  They 
were  James  A.  Van  Schaick,  Jacob  V.  S.  Becker,  Charles 

A.  Cornell,  Thompson  W.  Handy,  Caleb  A.  Cornell,  Edwin 
Wright,  Zephaniah  Eddy,  James  B.  Allen,  and  W.  P.  C. 
Waldron. 

The  first  elders  were  Garrett  Van  Buren  and  Walter  De 
Bidder.  The  first  deacons  were  John  Norton  and  Reuben 
Wilson.  The  pastors  in  their  order  have  been  Revs.  Philip 
Duryea,  Jacob  H.  Fonda,  John  B.  Kendall,  John  H. 
Pitcher,  Asahel  Bronson,  David  A.  Jones,  A.  G.  Cochran, 
and  A.  H.  Myers,  wlio.se  pastorate  closed  in  1875,  since 
which  time  the  church  has  been  without  a  pastor.  The 
pulpit  is  supplied  by  Eev.  D.  K.  Van  Doren,  of  Sehuyler- 
ville. 

The  first  church  edifice  stood  on  the  same  site  as  the 
present  one.  It  was  built  during  the  years  1803,  1804,  and 
1805,  and  in  1807  the  church  and  one  acre  of  ground  were 
valued  at  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  About  1845 
this  building  was  repaired,  and  its  value  was  then  put  at 
one  thousand  dollars.  Since  that  time  it  has  been  rebuilt, 
and  in  1875  the  interior  was  refitted  at  a  cost  of  three 
hundred  dollars.  The  present  valuation  is  about  fifteen 
hundred  dollars.  The  membership  is  now  fifty-six.  It  has 
been  larger  than  this.  The  present  officers  are :  Elders, 
Gerritt  G.  Vaudenburgh,  William   H.  Van   Buren,  James 

B.  Allen,  Joseph  Wells;  deacons,  John  G.  Edmonson, 
George  W.  Van  Buren,  Solomon  H.  Houghtaling;  clerk, 
James  B.  Allen.  During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  A.  H. 
Myers  a  Sabbath -school  was  regularly  held,  and  occasion- 
ally at  other  times. 

friends'  meetings  op  easton. 
The  first  Friends  who  settled  in  this  town  were  Rufus 
Hall  and  Zebulon  Iloxsie.  They  were  brothers-in-law,  and 
came  froiu  Dutchess  county  in  the  fall  of  1773.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  soon  after  at  Zebulon  Hoxsie's  house.  In 
1775,  Hall  brought  his  family  here,  and  the  society  had 
then  increased  by  the  addition  of  several  families  of  Friends 
from  Rhode  Island  and  from  Dutchess  county.  The  first 
preparative  meeting  was  establLshed  in  May  of  that  year, 
and  a  log  meeting-house  was  immediately  built  on  the  site 
of  the  present  "  old  meeting-house."  Other  additions  were 
made  to  their  numbers  from  time  to  time,  and  they  were 
prosperous  and  happy.  Then  the  Revolutionary  struggle 
took  place,  and  they  fimnd  them.selves,  notwithstanding  their 
peace-loving  principles,  in  the  midst  of  the  theatre  of  war. 
During  the  continuation  of  this  struggle,  they  suff'ered 
much  in  loss  of  property  and  by  the  persecutions  of  the 
warriors,  who  looked  upon  the  peaceful  Friends  with  .scorn. 
They  were  subject  al.so  to  visits  from   the  Indians,   who 


296 


niSTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


roamed  the  forests  iu  search  of  blood  and  spoils.  At  one 
time  a  party  of  these  savages,  with  fresh  scalps  dangling  at 
their  girdles  and  leading  some  prisoners,  entered  the  meeting- 
house just  as  the  meeting  was  breaking  up.  After  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  society  rapidly  grew  in  numbers  and 
influence.  In  1787  a  frame  meeting-house  was  built,  and, 
having  been  repaired  several  times,  is  still  standing  about 
one  mile  east  of  Easton.  In  1838  a  preparative  meeting 
was  established  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  ;  it  was  an 
outgrowth  of  the  original  meeting.  This  meeting  erected 
a  house  of  worship  on  a  lot  donated  by  John  Wilbur.  It 
was  of  brick,  and  with  fixtures  and  furniture  cost  about 
one  thousand  dollars.  This  branch  is  .still  in  existence,  but 
the  original  meeting  went  down  several  years  since.  The 
monthly  meeting  is  held  alternately  at  either  meetinghouse. 

The  recommended  ministers  from  the  first  have  been 
Robert  Nesbitt,  Abial  Gifford,  Rufus  Hall,  Joseph  Wilbur, 
Humphrey  Wilbur,  Job  Wilbur  (2d),  Thankful  Merritt, 
Martha  Baker,  Jcdediah  Gifford,  and  Pardon  Tripp. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows,  viz.  :  Elders  and 
overseers,  John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  Peleg  Wilbur;  clerk,  Allen  E. 
Wilbur  ;  minister,  Job  Wilbur. 

The  officers  of  the  women's  meeting  are  as  follows,  viz. : 
Elders,  Sarah  B.  Wilbur,  Eliphal  Wilbur,  Avis  Pratt; 
overseers,  Sally  Thomas,  Avis  Pratt;  clerk,  Sarah  B.  Wil- 
bur ;  clerk  of  the  monthly  meeting,  Mrs.  Jane  Wilbur. 

The  present  membership  of  the  monthly  meeting  is  about 
one  hundred.  The  north  meeting-house  is  valued  at  one 
thousand  dollars. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  OF  E.\STON. 

This  church  was  first  organized  near  Crandall's  Corners. 
The  date  of  its  formation  is  not  known,  but  it  was  many 
years  ago.  In  1849,  Corey's  Gazetteer  says  the  church  "  has 
been  built  many  years."  This  was  the  church  at  Crandall's 
Corners.  In  1835  the  society  erected  a  church  near  North 
Easton,  which  was  occupied  until  the  present  church  was 
built  in  1850,  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

The  first  trustees  elected  in  1835  were  Sanford  R.  Benson^ 
John  Robinson,  Asa  Cogshall,  William  Read,  Gardner  An- 
thony. 

The  pastors  from  1835  have  been  Revs.  Roswell  Kelly, 
Tobias  Spicor,  Reuben  Wescott,  Henry  Stead,  William  W. 
Pierce,  Orrin  Pier,  S.  S.  Simmons,  Benjamin  Ayres,  John 
Graves,  Paul  P.  Atwell,  John  Harwood,  Purmcnas  Watts 
(assistant),  down  to  1850. 

The  first  meetings  were  held  in  a  school-house,  at  Cran- 
dall's Corners,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Losce.  Lorenzo  Dow  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Storms  also  held  services.  Daniel  Ireland,  Thomas 
Ireland,  and  Losee  Ireland  were  three  brothers  who  were 
converted  at  these  meetings,  and  afterwards  became  ministers. 
Roswell  Kelly  was  the  tiret  pastor,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Howe 
also  preached  here.  The  society  built  a  small  church  at 
Crandall's  Corners,  about  1835-38,  on  lands  donated  for  the 
purpose  by  John  Drake  and  Benjamin  B.  Hutchins.  This 
reverted  to  Hutchins,  and  was  by  him  presented  to  the 
JMethodist  Episcopal  church  at  Schaghtieoke,  to  be  sold  for 
their  benefit.  It  was  purcha.sed  by  Warren  Crandall,  who 
repaired  it  thoroughly,  and  iu  the  fall  of  18C8  it  was  dedi- 
cated as  a  union  church.     Rev.  A.  G.   Cochran  and   Mr. 


Lyon  participated  in  the  services  on  that  occasion.  Rev. 
A.  G.  Cochran,  a  Presbyterian,  Rev.  Dolos  Cronk,  a 
Methodist,  and  Revs.  William  B.  Walker  and  George 
Walker,  Episcopalians,  have  preached  in  this  church.  No 
regular  services  have  been  held  since  the  spring  of  1877. 


The  following  soldiers  went  out  from  Easton  during  the 
War  of  1812.  They  were  members  of  the  15Ulh  New 
York  Infantry,  and  attached  to  the  IGth  Brigade  of  the 
10th  Division:  Captain,  Walter  De  Bidder;  lieutenant, 
Curtiss  Cole;  Henry  W.  Northrup,  Alvin  Allen,  John 
Remington,  James  James,  sergeants ;  Philo  B.  Sabine, 
Keeler  Burdick,  corporals;  Phineas  Bennett,  Alexander 
Hay,  fifers ;  Ephraim  Petteys,  drummer;  privates,  John 
B.  Allen,  Daniel  Brewer,  Amos  Chapman,  Jonas  Crandall, 
William  Dunlap,  Caleb  Green,  Elisha  Herrington,  David 
Hanmiond,  Cephas  Hammond,  David  Kittridge,  John  Mead, 
Thomas  Moody,  Jo.seph  I.  Northrup,  George  Remington, 
Simeon  Rouse,  David  Richardson,  Abraham  Shelley,  Aaron 
Wallis,  John  I.  Young. 

Captain,  John  Davenport;  liotitenant,  Lemuel  Simmons  ; 
John  Moore,  David  Neley,  Job  Wright,  James  Darrow, 
sergeants;  Noble  Anthony,  Matthew  C.  Barker,  John  Stone, 
David  Witt,  corporals;  William  Beckley,  fifer;  Paine  Potter, 
Jr.,  drummer  ;  privates,  Ephraim  Adams,  James  Atkins, 
Thomas  G.  Beckley,  Silas  W.  Collins,  Otis  Crandall,  Judah 
Chase,  Hiram  Corliss,  Enoch  Dennis,  David  Darrow,  Jede- 
diah  Gifford,  Zerr  Luther,  Abraham  Lent,  John  Merrill, 
Gideon  Mackinburgh,  Alexander  McCullough,  John  Rey- 
nolds, James  R.  Smith,  John  Swe,  Abraham  Storms, 
John  Van  Tassel,  Wiliam  Verback,  William  Wilbur,  John 
Winne. 

Captain,  Jacob  H.  Van  Schaick  ;  Samuel  Badger,  Aaron 
Lilley,  Luke  Chapin,  Lewis  Potter,  sergeants  j  Henry  Day- 
ton, corporal ;  Simeon  Adams,  Lyman  Strowbridge,  fifers  ; 
Andrew  Green,  drummer;  privates,  William  Benson,  Elisha 
Burlingham,  Giles  Benson,  Jeremiah  Bennett,  Moses  Combs, 
Peter  Delong,  Ezekiel  D.  Ellis,  Edward  Ellsworth,  Charles 
Ensign,  Elmer  Freeman,  Philip  Fryer,  Thomas  Folger, 
Alden  Handy,  Cornelius  Handy,  Andrew  Lansing,  George 
Manchester,  Robert  Nelson,  Kerr  Pitkin,  Asa  Putnam, 
Abner  Perry,  Thomas  Sawtell,  Benjamin  Springer,  John 
Smith,  Chauncey  Scoville,  Jcdediah  Smith,  James  Smith, 
Peter  Straight,  Evert  Vandenburgh,  Jonathan  Willis,  Daniel 
Wilcox,  Hendrick  Van  Buren. 

The  soldiers'  record  for  the  War  of  18(31-65  has  been 
prepared  from  that  of  the  town  clerk,  written  for  the  bureau 
of  military  statistics  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Many  names 
have,  however,  been  added  to  this  from  the  printed  muster- 
in  rolls,  and  the  list  submitted  to  the  corrections  and  addi- 
tions of  citizens : 


Elias  H.  Aldrkh.enl.  7Vth  Regt.,  Co.  I;  re-enl.  Aug.  2.'i,18C2, 123d  Eegt, 

pro.  lieut.,  lUOth  Col.  U.  S.;  wounded. 
Arthur  W.  Buatty,  eul.  Aug.  9,  1802, 12  Id  Inf.,  Co.  I ;  in  various  battles  ; 

at  expiration  of  time. 
Wni.  R.  Briton,  4th  Corp. ;  onl.  Oct.  14,  18G1,  77th  Ilegt.,  Co.  C;  pro.  2d 

wounded  in  tlie  Wilderness  ;  discharged. 
John  R.  Briton,  enl.  Dec.  I8G3,  ;7th  Regt.,  Co.  C ;  lost  his  right  arm 

Slicliael  B.  Beard,  enl.  Nov.  10,  1802,  90th  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  disilmrged. 
Joseph   It.  Beadle,  enl.  Aug.  18G2,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  died  in    Easton,  51 
1S(13. 


,  Co.  I; 
diseh. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


297 


Marena  Beadle,  1st  lieut.;  enl.  Sept.  4, 1862,  12-3d  Re;;t.,  Cu.  I ;  prisoner;  es- 
caped ;  disch.  at  Albany. 

Jabez  Bonnet  (2d),  enl.  March  10, 1861,  22d  Eegt.,  Cu.  I) ;  discli.  Jan.  11,  1861!. 

Benjamin  Bennett,  enl.  Oct.  7, 1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  .liach.  June  5, 1862. 

David  H.  Bratt,  enl.  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 

Horace  Beadle,  enl.  April  18, 1861,  2d  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  May  27,  1.S64. 

Clark  W.  Billings,  enl.  Nov.  i,  1862,  177tll  Kegt.,  Co.  C  ;  liilleil. 

Peter  G.  Breeze,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1364, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K. 

Michael  Borphy,  enl.  Capt.  Lemon's  Co. 

\Vm.  Brewer,  enl.  Saratoga  Kegt.,  "7th. 

Albert  Burbanks,  enl.  77th  Regt. 

Philander  Brownell. 

Richards.  Cornielle,snrg.;  onl.  Sept.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  served  thnmgli ; 
disch.  June  22,  1866. 

John  Henry  Cobb,  enl.  A\ig.  9, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  discliarged. 

Lewis  II.  Cmndall,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1861, 125th  Regt.,  Co.  I;  pro.  sergt.,  2d  lient., 
let  lieut.,  capt. ;  prisoner;  disch.  June  10, 1864. 

Thomas  Cornell,  enl.  Dec.  29, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

William  Clackner,  enl.  Dec.  29, 1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Esek  Cowen,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Henry  Carter,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Albert  Clark,  enl.  Nov.  3, 1862, 177th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

John  Castello,  enl.  Capt.  Lemon's  Co. 

James  Clerri'. 

Volney  Craw,  enl.  77th  Regt. 

John  Cavanagh,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Doctor  Connelly,  asst.  surg. ;  enl.  123d  Regt. 

GeorgeL.  DenniSiCorp.;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,123d  KeKl.,('...  1;  prison,  r  iit  I.il.b.v; 
pro.  1st  sergt. ;  in  various  battles  ;  disch.  at  end  of  time, 

tllmrles  H.  Dennis,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  39th  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  1st  lieut.  ;  disc  li. 
Dec.  20,  1864. 

John  Dooly,  eul.  March  8,  1864,  54th  Inf.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  July  S,  1864. 

Theodore  A.  Derby,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Uogt.,  Co.  I ;  detailed  its  teamster  ; 
disch.  Jan.  8, 1865. 

James  U.  Dennis,  enl.  Jan.  18,1861,  4th  Art.;  pro.  sergl.;  rc-enl.Jan.  10,1804; 
disch.  Sept.  26,  1865. 

I'eter  Darrow,  enl.  77th  Regt. 

Calvin  Davis,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1864, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K. 

Seneca  Delavergne,  enl.  Sept.  10, 1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

George  Delavergne,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

Emery  Doolittle,  enl.  77th  Saratoga  Regt. 

Albert  A.  Davis,  enl.  4.3d  N.  Y.  Regt. 

Nelson  Ferris,  enl.  Aug.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  discli;irgi-.l. 

Josiah  Fletcher,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  seried  througli;   dis- 
charged. 

.Stephen  R.  Frost,  enl.  Sept.  6,  1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

James  H.  Ferris,  enl.  123d  Begt.,  Co.  I. 

John  Fisher,  enl.  125th  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

Alonzo  Gooden,  enl.  Ang.  11,  1861,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  in   several   battles:  dis- 
charged. 

Ilavulind  Gifford,  enl.  Dec.  28,   1863,  93d  Regt.;    pro.  to  lieut.-col.,  aiid   c,.l.  : 
wounded ;  discharged. 

Courtland  Golden,  enl.  Sept.  11,  1862,93d  Inf.,  Co.  H;  woumlid  Ma\  r.,  1.S04; 
disch.  Feb.  11, 1865. 

Augustus  Gorham,  enl.  Sept.  14, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  I. 

George  Gill,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  C;  disch. 

Henry  Granger,  enl.  May  20, 1861,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  Feb.  '28,  1863. 

Charles  C.  Gooden,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

RufuB  Galloway,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Alanson  Gifford,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Jerome  Gill,  onl.  169th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Rensselaer  Green,  enl.  77th  Eegt. 

Alexander  Hemstreet,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Alonzo  Hemstreet,  enl.  Nov.  3, 1S62, 177th  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  in  battle  of  I'ort  Hud- 
son ;  discharged. 

John  Hard,  enl.  Jan.  '27, 1862,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Jan.  '28,  1865. 

George  Hurley,  enl.  Oct.  1, 1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  C;  injured;  disch.  April,  1802. 

Blisha  Hurley,  enl.  Nov.  3, 1862, 177th  Regt,  Co.  C  ;  died  at  Cambridge,  N.  Y. 

John  Hines,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co,  I ;  wounded;  disch.  Jujie '22, 
1866. 

■Wm.  H.  Harrington,  enl.  Sept.  0, 1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

Robert  Hayuer,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Daniel  Hurley,  enl.  Aug.  1863, 15th  Art. 

Charles  E.  Hyde,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Jacob  Herman,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I, 

John  A.  Henry,  enl.  123d  Regt. 

John  Hoover,  onl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  l'23d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Thomas  Hennelly,  enl.  Aug.  12, 186-2,  l'23d  Eegt.,  Co.  I. 

Hugh  Hill,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1862,  l'23d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

George  Iligby,  enl,  Aug,  11, 1862, 123d  Regt,,  f'o,  I, 

Robert  0.  W,  Haner,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Charles  M,  Hart,  enl.  Sept,  6,  1861,  77th  Regt,,  C*i,  K, 

Robert  Uariiibaugh,  enl,  123.1  Regt,,  Co.  A. 

Thijmas  Hughes. 

JohTi  Hyde. 

Francis  J.  Joffers,  enl,  Oi-l,  1,  1S61,  77th  Regt.,  I'o.  C;  lost  right  leg;  disch. 
Juno  6,  1862. 

38 


Kt.  and  Ul 


.lied 


Frank  Knapp,  enl.  Aug.  o,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Cu.  A ;  served  through  ;  discharged. 
Gilbert  Knapp,  enl.  1862,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  detailed  assistant  ipiartemmster ; 

discharged. 
Henry  J.  Knapp,  enl.  Aug.  6,  186'2,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Alanson  Lewis,  enl.  Sept.  6, 186'2,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  C ;  died  at  Point   Lookout. 

June  9,186,'!. 
George  H.  Lewis,  enl.  Sept.  6,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  C  ;  iliscliar^-ed. 
Thomas  Lynch,  enl.  Dec.  '29, 1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
John  Lampman,  enl.  Oct.  28,  1862, 177th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
Samuel  McCoone,  enl.  May  18, 1861,  30th  Eegt.,  Co.  H;  disch. 
Thomas  McCoone,  enl.  April  25,  1861,  30th  Regt.,  Co.  H. 
Wm.  McConnell,  onl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  l'23d  Eegt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Jan.  16,  1803, 
Edward  Meder,  enl, Oct.  1, 1862;  disch.  Dec.  1, 1864. 
Joseph  McCann,  enl.  June  1,  1861,  30th  Eegt.,  Co,  H ;  pro,  t 

sergt, ;  discharged, 
Samuel  P.  Millard,  enl,  June,  1861,  3ilth   Begt,,  (ai.   H; 

Georgetown,  Nov,  17,  1863. 
Stephen  H,  Millard,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  30tll  Eegt. ;  ilischargeil. 
William  Millard,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  30th  Regt.;  wounded;  discharged. 
Joseph  H.  Mattice,  enl.  Dec.  30,  186;!,  16th  Art.,  Co.  1. 
George  McBain,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Jacob  Mickle,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Wm.  McComber,  enl.  43d  Regt. 

Patiick  McCarthy,  enl.  Nov.  4, 1861, 177th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
John  Mertes,  enl.  Oct.  18,  1862,  177th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
Walton  Mead,  Sept.  6,  1861,  77th  Begt.,  Co.  K. 

Thomas  McGwerk,  enl.  .Sept.  22,  1862,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  died  on  battle-fiel.l, 
Patrick  Meene,  enl,  Troy  Begt. 

Bruster  Nickerson,  onl.  Doc.  27,  1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
William  K.  Neil,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
John  Obern,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  .Ian.  20,  1S65. 
James  Oliver,  enl.  Aug.  22, 186-2, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Lewis  H.  Phelps,  onl.  Aug.  11,  1862,   12,'!d  Regt,,  Co,  I;  in    various  batll.- 

disch,  at  expiration  of  time. 
Henry  Plant,  enl.  1861,  77th  Eegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  June  5, 1802. 
Jacob  Parlimene,  enl.  Dec.  29, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Myron  Palsey,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1864, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
William  H.  Phelps,  enl.  Aug.  11,  186-2, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  I. 
.loseph  Pecott,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  I. 
James  Pelting,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Ephraim  Poncher,  enl.  77th  Regt. 

George  Parish,  enl.  March,  1864,  19-2d  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  died  at  Wh.-eliiiK.  Va, 
Albert  Richards,  onl.  May  20,  1861,  22d  Regt,,  Co,  B  ;  disch,  Aug,  28, 1863, 


Francis  Randall,  . 

1865. 
Stephen  Rathbono, 
George  H.  Russell, 
Frederick  A.  Sloci 


il,  March  14,  186.'),  192d  Begt.,  Co.  G;  discharged  Aug.  :!1, 


1.  Aug.  14,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  I. 

,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  I ;  w.juuded  July 

1864;  disch.  Jan.  29, 1865. 
B.  F.  Saris,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  llcgt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
PatrickSullivan,  enl.  June  10, 1864,  —  Begt.,  ('«.  A;  disch.  July  14,  1865, 
Nathaniel  Safford,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1862,  77th  Eegt,,  Co,  K, 
Peter  Simons,  enl,  Nov.  3, 1862,  177th  Begt.,  Co.  C. 
James  L.  Springer,  enl.  Aug.  9,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Esek  Smith,  Capt.  Lemon's  company,  Troy  Eegt. 
Martin  Shearer,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Theodore  Slover,  enl.  l-23d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Jesse  Shaw,  77th  Regt. 
Jacob  Salsbury,  22d  Art. 
Peter  S.Taylor,  enl.  Oct.  1801,77th  Regt.,  Co.  I;   died 

Springs. 
John  H.  Vandeuburgh,  enl.  Oct.  1,  1862,  5th  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  disch.  Dec.  1,  1864. 
Abrem  Vrooman,  enl.  Doc.  29, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
George  W.  Vinson,  sergt. ;  enl.  Dec.  14, 1864,  20th  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Nov,  7. 

1865, 
Benjamin  Van  Norman,  enl,  123d  Regt,,  Co,  A, 
Henry  I,  Van  Wie,  enl.  77th  Regt. 

Wm.  Wyatt,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1861,  77tli  Regt.,  Co.  K ;  disch.  Dec.  29, 1864. 
Elihu  Gifford  Wicke,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  June  '28, 1863  ; 

died  Oct.  14, 1863. 
James  Pierce  Wicks,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1862,  l'23d  Begt.,  Co.  I ;  wounded  May  4, 1863  ; 

disch.  March,  1864. 
Erastus  Wade,  enl.  Sept.  19,  1862,  77th  Eegt.,  Co.  C  ;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C, 

Feb.  24,1865. 
Andrew  J.  Walker,  enl.  Sept.  5,  1862,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  C ; 

disch.June  1,1865. 
John  F.  White,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ; 

cellorsville;  disch.  June  -22, 1865. 
Sherman  H.  Warner,  enl.  1862,  77th  Begt.;  died  at  Fort  Wood,  N.  \. 
John  Wright,  enl.  Sept.  1802,  77th  Regt.;  died  soon  after  discharge. 
Patrick  Warren,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
James  Wylie,  eul.  Dec.  30, 1803,  16th  Art.,  Co.  K. 
Charles  Wade,  enl.  77th  Eegt. 
Charles  Wilbur. 
David  Whipple,  enl.  12:5.1  Rogl. 
Albert  Wilcox, 
giark  Whitaker,  onl.  123d  Rogt. 


ral  battlei 


unded  at  Chan- 


298 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES. 


'^^^^Mr?   ^o^^^ 


Pliutos.  by  L.  V.  Uur.l, 


MRS.    SUSAN    COTTKELL. 


ADAM  COTTRELL, 

the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, Washington  Co.,  April  30,  1798.  He  was  the  son 
of  Nathan  Cottrell  and  Mary  Tefft.  The  elder  Cottrell 
was  a  substantial  farmer,  and  Adam's  boyhood  days  were 
spent  upon  his  father's  farm.  He  acquired  as  good  an  ed- 
ucation as  the  common  schools  of  that  day  aiForded.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  his  father  came  to  Easton,  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  owned  and  occupied  by  him  after  his 
father's  decease,  which  took  place  in  1842.  After  the 
death  of  his  father  he  succeeded  to  his  business  and  the 
homestead,  upon  which  he  resided  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  Nov.  25,  1877.  In  1842,  Mr.  Cottrell  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Susan  C.  Gardiner.  She  was  born  July  24, 
1794,  on  Nantucket  island,  Mass.,  and  came  to  Washing- 
ton county  about  183(3.  She  was  educated  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  for  many  years  succeeding  her  emigration  to 
Washington  county  was  engaged  in  teaching.  She  is  a 
lady  of  much  cultivation  and  refinement,  and  all,  in  fact, 
that  is  embodied  in  the  term  amiable  and  intelligent. 
Adam  Cottrell  was  emphatically  a  business  man,  and  in  his 
cho.sen  calling — that  of  a  farmer — was  eminently  success- 
ful.     He  was  po.ssessed  of  mcire  (han  an  ordinary  amount 


of  energy  and  perseverance ;  in  fact,  energy  and  persever- 
ance were  his  predominant  characteristics.  He  was  a  very 
genial  man,  and  possessed  of  high  social  qualities,  winning 
and  retaining  the  esteem  and  regard  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  In  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  interests 
of  his  town  and  county  he  took  a  prominent  and  active 
part.  As  a  farmer  he  was  very  progressive  in  his  ideas, 
and  was  always  foremost  in  all  matters  which  had  for  their 
object  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  his  fellow- 
farmers.  He  introduced  the  first  mowing-machine,  and 
also  the  first  seeder,  and  his  beautiful  farm  of  four  hun- 
dred acres  attested  his  skill  and  enterprise.  lie  took  an 
active  interest  in  political  matters,  and  for  a  number  of 
terms  represented  liis  town  on  the  board  of  supervisors, 
which  position  he  filled  with  much  credit.  During  the 
war  he  took  a  decided  stand  for  the  right.  Incapacitated 
by  age  for  military  duty,  he  contributed  liberally  from  his 
well-won  means  to  the  cause  of  his  country.  Of  sound 
judgment,  high  character  and  integrity,  and  uncompro- 
mising morality,  Adam  Cottrell  was  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial men  of  Washington  county,  and  a  powerful  aid  in 
developing  the  resources  of  his  town,  building  up  and  ad- 
vancing the  best  interests  of  society, — a  man  of  broad 
charity,  generous  liberality,  and  manly  honor. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHTNCfTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


.'99 


l-(Jurv      '/]/.i^<^^ ^^--(^  ^ 


JOHN  WILBUR,  Jr. 

The  ancestors  of  the  Wilbur  family  wure  English,  and 
emigrated  at  an  early  time  to  New  England.  Jonathan, 
the  grandfather  of  John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Little 
Compton,  R.  I.,  in  which  State  the  Wilburs  became 
numerous  and  influential,  one  of  them  being  lieutenant- 
governor. 

Benjamin  Wilbur  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  of  Rhode  Island. 

John  Wilbur,  the  father  of  John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  was  born 
iu  Rhode  Island,  in  17(56,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 

About  1780  he  removed  to  Washington  county  with  his 
fether's  family,  consisting  of  seven  sons  and  two  daughters, 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Easton.  Here  his  father  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  is  at 
present  part  of  the  farm  owned  by  the  heirs  of  Jacob 
Pratt.  When  about  twenty  years  of  age,  he  sold  his  in- 
terest in  his  father's  estate  and  purchased  one  hundred 
acres,  which  constitute  a  part  of  the  present  farm  of  John 
Wilbur,  Jr.  He  was  a  man  of  great  decision  of  character, 
industrious,  energetic,  and  in  his  day  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent and  successful  farmers  of  the  town.  Of  a  social  and 
genial  turn  of  mind,  and  characterized  by  rare  liberality, 
he  held  a  leading  place  iu  the  Society  of  Friends,  in  which 
he  was  both  an  elder  and  an  overseer.  He  married,  in 
1803,  Sarah  Bragg,  of  Easton,  and  had  a  large  family  of 
children,  eight  of  whom  grew  up  to  maturity. 


John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  was  the  oldest  of  the  family,  and  was 
born  on  the  form  where  he  now  resides,  in  1804.  Nicholas 
was  born  in  1805  ;  Fones,  in  1807  ;  Job,  in  1809  ;  Polly, 
in  1811  ;  Anna,  now  Mrs.  Charles  G.  Haviland,  in  1813; 
Mary,  Mrs.  Elnathan  Thomas,  in  1815;  Samuel,  in  1817. 
The  early  life  of  John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  was  spent  upon  his 
father's  farm,  and  was  like  that  of  farmers'  boys  generally 
in  the  country.  During  the  season  of  suspension  of  farm 
labor  he  went  to  school.  Thus  he  lived  with  his  father 
during  his  boyhood,  and  continued  to  remain  with  him, 
except  about  three  years,  till  the  death  of  the  latter.  In 
1839,  he  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Waterman  and  Sarah 
Beard,  who  was  born  in  Hartford,  Washington  county,  in 
1809.  Shortly  after  their  marriage,  Mr.  Wilbur  purchased 
a  farm,  which  he  occupied  about  three  years,  when  he  re- 
turned to  his  father's  place,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
His  father's  death  occurred  in  1850;  his  mother  died  in 
1838. 

Mr.  Wilbur  has  not  only  been  a  successful  farmer,  but 
his  whole  life,  measured  by  the  unobtrusive  Christian  vir- 
tues which  have  adorned  his  character,  has  been  a  success 
in  the  highest  and  best  sense  of  the  word.  Few  men  have 
lived  a  more  upright,  honorable,  and  exemplary  life,  and 
few  have  secured  in  a  larger  measure  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  their  contemporaries.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  in  which  he  has  long  held  a  leading 
position. 


300 


FIISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


E.  W.  HOLLTSTER. 

Mr.  E.  W.  Hollister,  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch, 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Chatham,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y., 
on  the  7th  day  of  July,  1827.  His  father,  Sylvester  Hol- 
lister, now  deceased,  w:ts  a  native  also  of  Chatham,  havin-i; 
been  born  tliere  in  the  year  1797,  from  which  place  he  re- 
moved while  E.  W.  IloUi.ster  was  still  a  cliild.  tn  Easton, 
in  this  county. 


E.    \V.    HOLIJSTER. 

In  the  common  schools  and  academies  of  the  locality 
where  he  passed  his  youthful  days,  Mr.  Hollister  was  edu- 
cated. Like  many  other  young  men,  in  early  manhood  he 
resorted  to  teaching,  alternating  summer  and  winter  be- 
tween the  duties  of  the  school-room  and  the  farm. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Holliister  made  an  engagement  with  R.  W. 
Lowber,  as  superintendent  of  the  Bald  Mountain  Lime- 
Works,  a  position  which  he  filled  acceptably  for  ten  years ; 
since  which  time  he  has  followed  the  avocation  of  a  farmer, 
devoting  much  of  his  time  to  the  buying  and  selling  of 
country  produce. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Hollister  has  always  been  a  Republican, 
and  has  not  only  taken  a  deep  interest  in  party  movements, 
but  has  for  many  years  been  known  as  one  of  the  active 
workers  of  the  party.  He  has  also  been  called  upon  to  fill 
responsible  stations,  as  the  representative  of  his  fellow- 
townsmen.  In  1868  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  the  town 
of  Easton,  and  served  two  years  with  credit  to  himself  and 
constituency.     In  1S71  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by 


the  large  majority  of  fourteen  hundred  and  twenty-two 
votes.  He  served  upon  important  committees  of  the  As- 
sembly,— those  on  canals  and  on  charitable  and  religious 
societies, — and  the  ensuing  fall  wa.s  re-elected  by  an  in- 
creased majority, — his  opponent  being  R.  W.  Lowber,  a 
popular  and  well-known  Democrat.  Again,  at  the  State 
capital,  we  find  him  officiating  on  the  committees  on  canals 
and  roads  and  bridges,  and  making  for  himself  an  excellent 
record  as  a  legislator. 

Mr.   Hollister  was  married  February  27,  187!^,  to  Miss 
Julia  F.  McMuUen. 


ANDREW   THOMPSON 

was  born  in  Jackson  town.ship  on  March  22,  1808.  He 
was  the  son  of  Andrew  Thoiup.son  and  Hannah  Steven.'^, 
who  had  ten  children,  of  whom  eight  grew  to  years  of 
maturity,  and  of  whom  Andrew  was  the  fifth  child.  The 
elder  Thompson  was  also  a  native  of  Jackson,  and  one  of 
the  foremost  farmers  of  the  place.  The  family  were  of 
Scotch  extraction,  and  emigrated  from  the  north  of  Ireland 
previous  to  the  Revolutionary  war.  Two  of  Andrew 
Thompson's  uncles  were  Revolutionary  soldiere.  After  the 
war  they  settled  in  Washington  county. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  passed  on  his  fathei's 
farm.  He  received  a  common  school  education.  He  re- 
mained on  his  father's  farm  until  1840,  when  he  married 
Eliza  A.  Stevens,  daughter  of  Judge  Stevens,  of  Greenwich, 
where  she  was  born  in  November,  1816.  Her  father  was 
prominently  identified  with  the  county,  w.is  a  member  of 
the  Legislature,  sheriif  of  the  county,  and  filled  other  prom- 
inent positions.  In  1841  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Easton, 
and  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  a  view  ot 
which  may  be  seen  in  another  part  of  the  work,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson. 

Mr.  Thompson  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
material  growth  and  improvement  of  his  town,  and  has  filled 
many  prominent  positions.  In  1859  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent his  district  in  the  Legislature,  where  he  served  as 
chairman  on  engrossed  bills  and  printing.  He  served  his 
constituents  faithfully.  He  also  served  a  term  as  supervisor 
in  1869.  He  has  also  been  prominent  in  military  matters. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  received  a  commission  as 
colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  New  l^ork 
State  Militia,  a  position  that  he  held  eight  years. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  church. 
Has  had  five  children,  all  boys,  viz. :  Simon  A.,  James  H., 
Leroy,  William  A.,  and  Frank  D.  Simon  is  farming  at 
Cambridge,  N.  1'. ;  Leroy  is  in  business  in  New  York  city  ; 
William  is  a  civil  en>;ineer,  and  Frank  is  with  his  father. 


Residence^   ISRAEL  THOMt^SOfv  ,;  o^'   -^nn  .  n   y 


F  O  Pv  T     ANN. 


Fort  Ann  lies  on  the  west  side  of  Washington  county, 
and  in  the  northern  part.     It  is  the  largest  town  in   the 
county,  having  an  area  of  56,386  acres.     It  is  bounded     ; 
north  by  Dresden,  Whitehall,  and  Lake  George ;  east  by    ; 
Dresden,  Whitehall,  and  Granville;  south  by  Hartford  and 
Kingsbury;  west  by  Qiieensbury  (^Warren  Co.)  and   Lake 
George.     Its  greatest  length  and  breadth  are  each  thirteen 
miles.     The  extreme  southern  part  is  level  or  rolling  land, 
and  the  rest  of  the  town    is  divided   by  three   mountain 
ranges,  between  which  are  two  fertile  valleys.     On  the  east    ' 
line  of  the  town  lies  the  range   known   as  the  Fort   Ann 
mountains.     This  rises  near  the  Wood   Creek   valley  and 
runs  in  a  northerly  direction   to  the  head  of  South  bay,     I 
then  along  the  southeast  shore  of  tlie  bay  to  its  junction     I 
with  Lake  Champlain.     The  principal  peaks  of  this  range     1 
are  Battle  Hill,  Pinnacle,  Ore  Bed,  and  Saddle  mountains.     , 
They  are  very  rocky  and  precipitous.     On  this  range,  about 
six  miles  from  Fort  Ann  village,  is  quite  a  large  pond  that 
must  be  a  thousand  feet  or  more  above  the  level  of  the  sea.     ! 
The  central  part  is  occupied  by  the  Putnam  mountains,  a     j 
ridge  rising  a  little  east  of  West  Fort  Ann,  and  running 
northerly  with  a  little  inclination  eastwardly  to  the  head  of 
South  bay ;  then  towards  the  north  and  enters  the  town  of    l 
Dresden.      The  most  prominent  peaks   of  this   range  are     j 
Peaked  Mountain,  Mount  Nebo,  Mount  Hope,  and   High 
Knob.     Between  this  range  and  Fort  Ann  range  lies  the 
beautiful  valley  known  as  Welch   Hollow.     In  the  early    | 
days  it  was  known  as  Tuttle's   Hollow.     It  received  its 
present  name  in  honor  of  Josiah  Welch,  who  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers.     This  valley  is  wide  at  the  south  and 
narrow  at  the  north,  where  it  becomes  a  mere  gully  between 
the  two  ranges.     At  the  head  of  South  bay  it  widens  to  a 
level  of  some  extent.     The  western  part  of  the  town  is 
occupied  by  the  Palniertown  mountains,  which  extend  along 
the  shore  of  Lake  George  into  Dresden.     Sugar-loaf  moun- 
tain at  the  south,  on  the  Queensbury  line,  and  Buck  moun- 
tain on  the  north,  or  Dresden  line,  are  the  principal  peaks.     | 
Between  this  and  the  Putnam  range  lies  the  valley  known 
as  Furnace  Hollow,  which  name  it  derived  from  the  Mount 
Hope  furnace,  which  was  formerly  located  in  it.     On  the 
north  shore  of  South  bay  rises  Diameter  Precipice,  a  rocky, 
almost  perpendicular  cliiF,   which   attains  an   elevation   of 
thirteen  hundred  feet.     Buck  mountain  is  the  highest  peak 
in  the  town,  its  altitude  being  two  thousand  five  hundred 
feet. 

In  the  western  valley  there  are  numerous  ponds  varying 
in  area  from  a  few  rods  to  a  mile  or  more.  Their  names 
are  Ore  Bed,  Sly,  Hadlock,  Copelaud,  Trout,  Forge,  Lake, 
Bacon,  Round,  Cressets,  Thurber,  Little,  and  Three  Ponds. 
All  of  these,  except  Crossets,  Thurber,  and  Lake,  discharge 
their  waters  through  Half-way  creek  and  Wood  creek  into 


Lake  Champlain.  Those  three  flow  through  Furnace  Hol- 
low creek  into  South  bay. 

The  principal  streams  are  Furnace  Hollow  creek,  rising 
in  the  west  centre  of  the  town  and  flowing  northeast  to 
South  bay  ;  Podunk  brook,  the  outlet  of  the  ponds,  flowing 
in  a  generally  southea.st  course  and  emptying  into  Half-way 
creek  ;  Half-way  creek, — known  in  old  times  as  Scoou  creek 
and  Clear  river, — which,  rising  in  Queensbury,  flows  east- 
wardly, enters  this  town  near  its  southwestern  corner,  and 
empties  into  Wood  creek,  at  Fort  Ann;  and  Wood  creek, 
which  enters  the  town  from  the  south,  where  the  Hartford 
and  Kingsbury  town  lines  join,  and  flows  in  a  northeasterly 
course  to  Whitehall.  It  forms  a  feeder  to  the  Champlain 
canal,  which  runs  in  its  channel  for  some  distance  below 
Fort  Ann.  The  principal  falls  are  in  Half-way  creek,  a 
mile  north  of  Fort  Ann,  and  known  as  Kane's  falls,  .so 
called  because  the  power  was  occupied  by  Charles  Kane  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  last  century  as  a  site  for  mills  and 
forges.  The  creek  falls  nearly  seventy  feet  in  a  distance  of 
twenty  or  thirty  rods.  ITnder  the  dam  is  a  cave  of  con- 
siderable extent. 

The  soil  of  the  town  is  somewhat  varied  in  its  character, 
being  of  a  sandy  nature  in  the  southwest,  and  clayey  in  the 
eastern  part.  Some  gravelly  and  clayey  loam  is  scattered 
through  the  tillable  portion.  In  the  mountains  the  soil  is 
sterile,  scarcely  strong  enough  to  support  the  natural  growth 
of  forest  trees. 

Iron  ore  is  found  to  some  extent  in  the  mountains,  and  a 
large  bed  lies  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Nebo,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Putnam  mountains.  This  mine  had  been  worked 
from  1825  until  about  March,  1877,  when  it  was  abandoned. 
The  depth  of  the  shaft  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet. 

The  town  embraces  the  whole  of  the  "Artillery  patent" 
(granted  to  Joseph  Walton  and  twenty-three  other  officers 
of  the  British  army,  Oct.  24,  1764,  and  containing  twenty- 
four  hundred  acres.  This  patent  forms  the  southern  part 
of  the  town)  ;  a  part  of  the  Lake  George  tract  lying  in 
the  western  part,  a  part  of  the  Saddle  mountain  tract  in 
the  northeast;  and  the  Westfield,  Fort  Ann,  and  Ore  Bed 
tract  in  the  central  part. 

The  earliest  history  of  Fort  Ann,  lying  as  it  did  in  the 
very  track  of  nearly  all  the  great  military  expeditions  which 
were  set  on  foot  in  this  part  of  the  country,  is  necessarily 
treated  of  at  full  length  in  the  general  history.  There  will 
be  found  a  full  account  of  the  first  military  movements  in 
this  vicinity  ;  of  the  building  of  Fort  Schuyler  and  the 
subsequent  erection  of  Fort  Ann  on  the  same  site ;  of  the 
marching  and  countermarching  of  armies  in  the  later 
French  wars ;  of  the  desperate  conflict  between  Majors 
Putnam  and  Rogers   and    the    French  leader   Marin  or 

301 


302 


HISTORY    OF    WA8IIIN(;T0i\    COUNTY,  iNEW    YORK, 


Molang ;  of  the  great  invasion  by  Burgoyne ;  of  the  vic- 
tory gained  by  the  Americans  on  the  Stli  of  July,  1777  ; 
and  of  the  surrender  of  the  fort  by  Captain  Sherwood  in 
17S0.  This  town-history  will  deal  mostly,  though  not 
entirely,  with  the  details  of  more  peaceful  times. 

Among  the  minor  events  of  the  "  Old  French  war"  was 
one  which  occurred  at  the  head  of  South  bay.  Here  Put- 
nam surprised  a  party  of  French  and  Indians,  and  after 
stealthily  setting  their  boats  adrift  attacked  and  routed 
them.  The  scene  of  this  engagement  is  known  as  the 
"  Old  Pickets,"  probably  because  a  stockade  was  built  there 
either  at  this  time  or  at  a  later  period.  It  ran  from  the 
southeast  bank  of  Furnace  Hollow  creek  to  the  foot  of 
Saddle  mountain,  and  inclosed  a  tract  of  several  acres. 
The  later  fortification  known  as  Fort  Ann  was  erected  in 
1757  at  the  junction  of  Half-way  creek  with  Wood  creek. 
It  was  a  stockade,  formed  by  planting  heavy  posts  in  a 
double  row  deeply  in  the  ground,  and  stood  on  the  edge  of 
the  high  ground  a  few  rods  back  from  the  banks  of  the 
streams.  Around  the  inside  of  this  wall  of  timber  two 
platforms  were  built  for  the  accommodation  of  sentries  or 
the  soldiers  during  an  engagement.  One  of  these  was 
built  within  a  foot  or  two  of  the  top,  and  afforded  the 
guard  a  wide  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  other 
was  built  at  a  height  just  sufficient  to  allow  the  head  of  an 
average-sized  man  to  project  above  the  stockade.  The 
battle  of  July  8,  1777,  was  about  a  mile  northeast  of  the 
village  or  fort.  Here  Wood  creek  breaks  through  the 
Fort  Ann  mountains  in  a  narrow  rocky  pass.  This  range, 
commencing  at  Whitehall,  gradually  converges  to  the  creek, 
and  at  this  point  terminates  in  a  rocky  knoll.  To  the 
northeast  the  valley  widens  a  little,  presenting  a  narrow 
tract  of  comparatively  level  ground.  As  one  goes  north 
from  Fort  Ann  and  enters  this  narrow  defile.  Battle  hill 
rises  precipitously  on  the  left,  and  a  rooky  bluff  a  little 
back  from  the  creek  on  the  right.  The  ravine  in  which 
the  slain  of  that  battle  are  said  to  have  been  buried  skirts 
the  southeastern  face  of  the  mountain  for  some  distance 
towards  Whitehall.  Upon  the  retreat  of  the  Americans 
this  fort  was  burned.  The  fort  erected  in  1769  was  gen- 
erally known  as  the  "Mud  fort,"  and  was  a  mere  earth- 
work, abandoned  soon  afler  its  erection.  Mr.  John  Hall, 
of  Fort  Ann,  has  in  his  possession  what  is  supposed  to  be 
a  portion  of  the  windlass  with  which  the  garrison  used  to 
draw  water  from  the  well  in  the  fort.  The  Champlain 
canal  crosses  the  site  of  this  old  fort. 

Besides  the  great  military  thoroughfare  from  Fort  Ed- 
ward to  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain,  aTiother  road  was 
constructed  from  Queensburg  to  Fort  Ann  during  the  later 
French  wars,  and  a  well-defined  trail  led  from  the  latter 
post  to  the  head  of  South  bay. 

Previous  to  the  Revolution,  Major  Philip  Skene,  of 
Skenesborough  (novr  Whitehall),  had  erected  mills  at 
Kane's  falls  in  this  town,  which  were  under  the  charge  of 
an  agent,  by  whose  name  they  were  known.  Until  after 
the  close  of  Burgoyne's  campaign,  however,  and  probably 
until  after  the  Tory  raid  of  1780,  no  permanent  settlement 
was  made  in  the  town,  except  the  Harrisons  and  Braytons, 
who  came  in  1773.  In  the  winter  of  1781,  Joseph  Hene- 
gan,   Isaiah    Bennett,    Hope    Washburn,    Ozias    Colexnan, 


John  Ward,  Joseph  Bacon,  George  Scranton,  Caleb  Noble, 
Josiah  Welch,  Samuel  Ward,  and  Samuel  Ilurlburt  were 
resident.s  on  the  Artillery  patent.  In  1784  the  following 
were  added  to  this  list,  viz.  :  Silas  Tracy,  Elijah  Backus, 
Andrew  Stevenson,  Joseph  Kellogg,  and  James  Sloan.  In 
1785,  Medad  Harvey,  Nathaniel  Osgood,  and  Zephaniah 
Kingsley  were  added ;  and  in  1786,  Silas  Child,  Alpheus 
Spencer,  Samuel  Wilson,  Elijah  Bills,  Israel  Brown,  and 
Samuel  Chapin.  Of  the  facts  connected  with  the  struggles 
that  attended  pioneer-life  in  this  country  no  record  appears, 
and  (jnly  a  meagre  sketch  can  be  given. 

Ephraim  Griswold  came  probably  from  Dutchess  county 
about  the  year  1791,  and  followed  the  military  road  from 
Fort  Edward  to  Fort  Ann.  He  was  in  search  of  a  water- 
power  for  a  grist-mill.  Commencing  at  Kane's  falls,  he 
followed  the  stream  to  a  fall  near  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  town,  which  he  at  once  took  possession  of  He  bought 
a  large  tract  of  land,  and  commenced  clearing  it.  3Iean- 
time,  amid  burning  log-heaps  and  the  light  of  pine-knot 
torches,  the  timbers  for  the  proposed  mill  were  framed. 
In  1791  or  1792  the  mill  was  erected.  The  fall,  however, 
was  insufficient,  and  in  a  few  years  the  mill  was  removed 
further  down  the  stream.  In  a  few  years  a  forge  for  the 
manufacture  of  chains  and  anchors  was  erected  by  Gris- 
wold, and  operated  by  his  son-in-law,  Elisha  M.  F"orbes. 

A  settlement  sprung  up  at  this  point  and  was  christened 
"  Griswold's  Mills,"  by  which  name  it  is  still  known.  There 
have  been  at  different  times  a  pottery,  a  furnace,  a  woolen- 
mill,  and  some  similar  establishments  at  this  point.  Now 
thei'e  is  a  grist-mill,  a  blacksmith  and  machine  shop.  There 
are  about  a  dozen  houses.  The  post-office  was  established 
in  1833,  with  Elisha  M.  Forbes  as  postmaster.  The  set- 
tlement is  .sometimes  called  "  Tripoli,"  but  for  what  reason 
is  unknown.  Ephraim  Griswold  had  ten  children, — Eph- 
raim, Sylvester,  Samuel,  Ebin,  Mercy,  Miranda,  Maria, 
Caroline,  Eunice,  and  one  daughter,  name  not  obtained. 
Of  these,  Ephraim  is  still  living  in  Burlington,  Vermont, 
and  Hiram  Griswold,  a  grandson,  son  of  Samuel,  resides  in 
Fort  Ann. 

Jacob  Van  Wormer  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and 
came  to  Kingsbury  from  Schaghticoke,  at  the  close  of  the 
war,  when  there  were  but  seven  families  in  that  town.  In 
a  few  years  he  removed  to  the  site  of  the  present  village  of 
West  Fort  Ann,  and  built  the  first  saw-mill  on  the  Podunk 
brook.  He  had  eight  children,  four  boys  and  four  girls. 
Most  of  thse,  together  with  their  parents,  went  to  the  Black 
river  country  and  died  there.  Jacob,  Jr.,  married  a 
daughter  of  Ephraim  Griswold,  and  lived  in  West  Fort  Ann. 
Two  of  his  sons  still  reside  there,  Fletcher  and  William. 

After  this  saw-mill  a  grist-mill  was  built  by  Stephen  Pal- 
mer, about  1815.  This  was  burned,  and  in  1827,  Mix, 
Haskins  &  Spalding  erected  a  forge  and  anchor  shop,  which 
was  run  for  many  years.  A  tannery  was  built  by  Warren 
Kingsley  in  1843,  near  the  same  place,  and  is  still  standing. 
A  village  sprung  up  at  this  place  and  was  called  "  Van 
Wormer's  village,"  now  "West  Fort  Ann." 

"  Johnny-cake  Corners "  is  an  old  name  said  to  have 
arisen  from  the  fact  that  the  first  mill  ground  little  but  corn. 
The  post-office  was  established  in  1850,  with  Hiram  Ever- 
est as  postmaster.     The  village  now  contains  about  twenty 


RESIDENCE    or   JOHN     HALL  ,  For:  Ann  ,U    Y 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,   NEW   YORK. 


303 


dwellings,  widely  scattered,  a  store,  a  Union  church,  a 
school-house,  blacksmith-shop,  wagon-shop,  and  tannery. 
The  entire  western  part  of  the  town  was  called  "  Hogtown.'' 
The  early  settlers  turned  their  swine  into  the  woods  to  grow 
fat  on  acorns,  beech-nuts,  and  chestnuts.  This  was  par- 
ticularly the  case  in  the  cold  season  of  1816.  The  south- 
ern part  of  Furnace  Hollow  was  formerly  called  "  Po- 
dunk,"  from  a  tribe  of  eastern  Indians  of  that  name,  who 
came  here  in  search  of  a  secure  retreat,  and  were  in- 
duced to  settle  by  the  ponds  and  streams  abounding  with 
fish,  the  plentiful  supply  of  game,  and  the  safety  given  by 
the  surrounding  mountains.  They  named  the  Palmertown 
range,  and  designated  one  of  tlie  principal  peaks  Mount 
Hope,  both  in  memory  of  the  eastern  home  from  which 
they  had  come  a  mere  remnant.  Benjamin  Copeland  was 
a  man  of  note  in  this  town.  He  came  from  near  Boston 
some  years  before  1800,  and  settled  near  the  pond  that  bears 
his  name.  He  built  a  saw-mill,  and  engaged  largely  in 
lumbering  and  farming.  He  accumulated  property  rapidly, 
and  eventually  became  one  of  the  most  extensive  land-owners 
of  the  town.  He  married  Hannah  Pettcngill.  Of  their 
children,  Cuyler  lives  in  Canada,  Horatio  at  Glen's  Falls, 
Benjamin  C.  at  West  Fort  Ann,  Mrs.  Relief  Ketchum  in 
Illinois,  Mrs.  Hannah  R.  Clements  in  Fort  Ann,  and  Mrs. 
Corada  Seeley  in  Queensbury.  Judah  Thompson,  a  native 
of  Dutchess  county,  came  to  this  town  from  Schoharie,  in 
1795,  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  two 
sons,  Israel  and  Leonard.  Another  son,  John  H.  Thomp- 
son, lives  in  Welch  Hollow. 

-'Anthony  Haskins  came  from  Shaftesbury,  Vermont,  to 
Fort  Ann  in  1788.  Settled  near  Thompson's.  Of  his 
children,  Seth  was  murdered  in  Saratoga  county  ;  John  was 
a  Methodist  minister,  and  with  Isaac  went  to  western  New 
York  ;  William  and  David  settled  in  Chautauqua  ;  Ira  went 
to  Clinton  county,  and  afterwards  to  Chautauqua  ;  Franklin 
lived  on  the  homestead ;  Martha  became  Mrs.  Samuel 
Winegar,  of  Fort  Ann  ;  and  Sarah  died  on  the  day  she  was 
to  have  been  married.  Franklin  had  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren ;  one  died  in  childhood ;  the  other  nine  are  still  living, 
the  youngest  being  sixty  years  old.  Anthony,  Samuel, 
Ensign,  and  Martha  Thompson,  of  this  town,  are  four  of 
these  children. 

Samuel  Winegar  came  to  this  town  about  1790,  and  mar- 
ried Martha  Haskins.  They  had  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren. The  only  son  removed  to  Chautauqua  county  about 
1853.  Two  of  the  girls,  Mrs.  Weller  and  Mrs.  Farr,  died 
in  Fort  Ann.     The  rest  married  and  moved  away. 

Thaddeus  Dewey,  born  in  Westfield,  Mass.,  in  1752, 
came  from  Lee  to  this  town  in  1788.  He  leased  lot  62 
of  the  Artillery  patent  of  Joseph  Walton,  for  the  term  of 
forty  years,  at  a  rental  of  one  shilling  per  acre  per  annum. 
It  was  stipulated  in  the  lease  that  within  seven  years  he 
must  plant  at  least  fifty  apple-trees  in  rows  two  rods  apart 
each  way,  and  keep  the  same  properly  pruned.  He  built 
his  house  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres.  He  built  a  bridge  across  Wood  creek,  which 
was  called  "  Dewey's  bridge,"  and  the  settlement  that  grew 
up  there  around  the  limestone  quarries  still  has  that  name. 
Of  Thaddeus  Dewey's  children,  Olive  married  Krastus  Day 
and  went  to  western  New  York ;  Sarah,  Matthias  Whit- 


ney, of  Fort  Ann ;  Klecta,  Henry  Mason  of  Fort  Ann  ; 
Chester,  settled  on  the  homestead ;  one  son  of  Chester, 
Thaddeus  N.  Dewey,  lives  in  Welch  Hollow. 

Ephraim,  Robert,  and  John  Washburn  emigrated  from 
Holland  to  this  country  in  1748,  and  lived  in  Hoboken. 
John  went  to  Maine.  Robert  came  to  Saratoga,  and  his 
son,  Ephraim,  .settled  in  Port  Ann  in  1807.  Luther  Wash- 
burn, of  Welch  Hollow,  is  a  son. 

George  Wray  was  a  prominent  man.  He  owned  a  grist- 
mill at  Kane's  Falls  in  1787,  and  also  a  large  proportion 
of  the  best  farming  lands  in  the  town.  His  two  sons-in- 
law,  Charles  Kane,  from  whom  the  falls  derive  their  name, 
and  John  Williams,  a  resident  of  Salem,  were  also  large 
land-owners.  Kane  removed  to  Schenectady  about  1800. 
Wray  was  one  of  the  few  residents  of  this  town  who  owned 
slaves,  and  his  name  appears  .several  times  on  the  records  in 
connection  with  this  obsolete  institution.  He  lived  on  the 
Farr  place,  two  miles  west  of  Fort  Ann  village. 

Daniel  Comstock  settled  in  town  previous  to  1790.  The 
little  village  of  Comstock  Landing  no  doubt  owes  its  name 
to  him.  It  is  composed  of  a  dozen  dwellings,  a  hotel,  a 
store,  a  Baptist  church,  and  some  other  buildings.  The 
residence  of  Isaac  V.  Baker,  superintendent  of  the  Rens- 
selaer and  Saratoga  railroad,  is  here,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
finest  buildings  in  the  county.  The  post-office,  called 
"  Comstock,"  was  established  in  1832,  with  Peter  Com- 
stock as  postmaster. 

Prentiss  Brown  was  an  early  pioneer  in  the  town  on  the 
Alvin  Rice  place.  His  sons  were  John,  Prentiss,  Josiah, 
James,  William,  and  Jonathan.  His  daughters  were  jMrs. 
Nathan  Eldridge,  Mrs.  Tyler,  and  two  who  died  unmarried. 
John  settled  in  Warren  county,  Prentiss  and  Josiah  in 
western  New  York,  William  in  Hartford,  Jonathan  in 
Illinois,  James  in  Granville.  A  son  of  the  latter  is 
Edward  J.  Brown,  proprietor  of  the  Central  Hotel,  Gran- 
ville village. 

CIVIL    HISTORY. 

This  town  was  formed  as  Westfield  from  a  portion  of  the 
territory  of  Washington  county,  March  23,  1786.  It  had 
not  previou.sly  been  under  any  town  government.  Its  name 
was  from  Westfield,  Mass.,  from  which  place  some  of  the 
early  settlers  came.  At  this  time  it  comprised  the  towns  of 
Putnam,  Dresden,  and  Hartford,  in  addition  to  its  present 
area.  Hartford,  comprising  the  Provincial  patent,  was  set 
off  in  1793,  and  Putnam,  including  Dresden,  in  1806.  In 
the  year  1808  the  name  was  changed  to  Fort  Ann,  to  pre- 
vent a  confusion  of  names  in  the  State  and  in  memory  of 
the  old  fort  at  the  village. 

The  first  records  of  the  town  .show  that,  Jan.  22,  1781, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Artillery  and  Provincial  patents, 
agreeable  to  the  advice  of  the  "  principal  town  officers  of 
Kingsbury,"  met  at  the  house  of  John  Ward,  in  the  Artil- 
lery patent,  and  elected  the  following  officers,  viz. :  Joseph 
Henegan,  moderator ;  Isaiah  Bennett,  supervisor  and  town- 
clerk  ;  Hope  Washburn,  Ozias  Coleman,  John  Ward, 
assessors  ;  Joseph  Bacon,  collector  ,  George  Scranton,  con- 
stable ;  Caleb  Noble,  Josiah  Wdch,  a immil toners  of  rodcs; 
Joseph  Ilencgan,  Thomas  Harris,  poormasters ;  Samuel 
Ward,  Nicholas  Scrier,  fence-viewers ;  John  Ward,  pound- 


304 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


keeper  ;  Benjamin  Blake,  Silas  Tracy,  Samuel  Hurlburt, 
Joseph  Henegan,  pathmasters. 

Again,  in  1784,  a  meeting  was  held  Apiil  6,  and  Silas 
Tracy,  moderator,  Ozias  Coleman,  supervisor,  Isaiah  Ben- 
nett, town-clerk,  Elijah  Backus,  collector,  together  with 
the  usual  other  town  officers,  were  elected. 

April  5,  1785,  another  meeting  was  lield  at  the  house  of 
Medad  Harvey,  Esq.,  a  little  over  a  mile  south  of  the 
present  village  of  Fort  Ann,  and  William  Carter  was  cho.sen 
moderator.  The  following  were  elected  to  the  principal 
offices,  viz. :  Medad  Harvey,  supervisor  ;  Isaiah  Bennett, 
town-clerk  ;   William  Carter,  collector. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  record  of  the  first  regular 
town-meeting : 

"  April  4,  A.i>.  1 786,  at  an  annuel  meeting  In  The  Town  of  West- 
field,  Chosen  by  a  Plurality  of  voices  the  following  town  officers: 
.Joseph  Kellogg,  moderator ;  Isaiah  Bennett,  clerk  ;  Alpheus  .Spencer, 
Silas  Child,  supervisors;  Joseph  Kellogg,  Silas  Tracy,  Joseph  Bacon, 
James  Sloan,  Bethuel  Bond,  assessors;  Joseph  Kellogg,  Medad  Har- 
vey, Caleb  Noble,  Isaiah  Bennett,  Joseph  Bacon,  commitioners  of 
rodes ;  George  Scranton,  collector;  George  Scranton,  Wm.  Potter, 
constables :  Medad  Harvey,  .loseph  Kellogg,  Ozias  Coleman,  poor- 
masters;  Alexander  Brown,  Elijah  Backus,  Hope  Washburn,  damage 
prisors ;  Israel  Brown,  Elijah  Backus,  Alexander  Brown,  fence- 
viewers ;  .John  Ward,  pound-keeper ;  Elijah  Bills,  Winthrop  Bacon, 
Samuel  Willsou,  Medad  Harvey,  Andrew  Stevenson,  Hope  Wash- 
burn, Samuel  Chapin.  overseers  of  the  highway. 


MST    OF   TOWN    OFFICERS. 


1787. 
178S. 
1789. 

1700. 
1791. 
1792. 
1793. 
1794. 


Stephen  Spcne 
Silas  Child. 
George  Wrav. 


Daniel  Mason. 
George  Wray. 

Ralph  Coffin. 
Charles  Kane. 
George  Wray. 
Charles  Kane. 
George  Wray. 
Isaac  Sargent. 


1799. 
1800. 

1801. 

1802.  '• 

1803.  " 

1804.  •'  " 

180.5.      " 

1806.  ZephaniahKingi^loy. 

1807.  " 
1808. 
1809. 
1810. 
1811. 
1812. 
1813. 
1814. 
181. 5. 


Tuwn-Clork. 
Isaiah  Bennett. 


(Tcorge  A\'ray. 
Nathaniel  Bull. 


George  Wray. 


Asahel  Hod 
Charles  Kai 


I.<iiac  Sargent. 
Leonard  Gibbs. 
Lemuel  Hastioj 


Reuben  Bakoi 
Zephaniah  Kii 


igsley.  Henry  Thnru. 


Ocilloctor. 
George  Scranton. 

Samuel  Wilson. 

Ezckiel  Goodale. 
William  Sloan. 
Paul  Austin.* 
William  Sloan. 


Solomon  Brown. 
William  Potter. 
Thomas  Dewey. 
William  Potter. 
.John  Kingsley,  .Jr. 
William  Potter. 
John  Kingsley,  Jr. 
Thomas  Dewey. 
William  Potter. 
Anron  Colton. 
William  Potter. 
Aaron  Colton. 
William  Potter. 
Aaron  Colton. 

Abraham  Boyco,  Jr. 
George  Wiley. 
Aaron  Colton. 
Wright  Adams. 
William  Potter. 
Peri.am  Thompson. 
Wright  Adams. 

Thomas  Benuett. 

Abraham  Boyce, 


In  what  is  now  Hartford. 


1861. 
1817. 
1818. 
1819. 
1820. 
1821. 
1822. 
1823. 
1824. 
1825. 
1826. 
1827. 
1828. 
1829. 
1830. 
1831. 
1832. 
1833. 
1834. 
1835. 
1836. 
1837. 
1838. 
1839. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
1850. 
1851. 


Supervisor.  Town-Clerk.  Collector. 

Zephaniah  Kingsley.  Henry  Thorn.  Abraham  Boyc 

"  ''  Lemuel  Hastings.  '• 

Lemuel  Hastings.      Joseph  M.  Bull.  "  " 


"  William  C.  Brow 

*'  *'  *'  "  Benjamin  Cutter. 

"  **  "  "  Abraham  Boyce. 

"  "  **  "  Oren  Barker. 

William  A.  Moore.  **  "  Reuben  Baker. 

Moses  Miller. 
Henry  Thorn.  "  •*  *'  " 

Benjamin  Copeland.  Erastus  D.  Culv 
Salmou  Axtell.  '' 


William  Baker. 
Eben.  Brougbton. 


Jar 


iRi( 


.John  Sargent,  Jr. 


Albert  L.  Bake 
Isaac  Clements 
Leander  N.  Bu 
.John  T.  Cox. 


.James  Farr.  '•  ■' 

George  Clements.       Horatio  G.  Sb 
Eben.  Broughton.  '* 

John  Hillebert. 
Robert  Hopkins. 
Salmon  Axtell. 
Samuel  Corning. 
Israel  Thompson. 
John  H.  Thompson 


Reuben  Baker. 
Pelatiab  Jakway. 


William  Wellcr. 
John  M.  Barnett. 
Isaac  Clements. 
Hosea  B.  Farr. 
William  S.  Gardner, 
Hosea  B.  Farr. 
Alanson  B.  Axtell. 

Artemas  H.  Wheelei 
Willis  Swit't.t 
Alanson  B.  Axtell. 


Geo.  S.  Broughton. 
Elijah  Stevens. 
George  W.  Miller. 

Henry  Thorn. 
Lyman  U.  Davis. 
Leonard  Corning. 
William  E.  Brown. 
.Leonard  Corning. 

James  F.  Thompson 
William  E.  Brown. 


1854. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
I8B0. 
1861. 

1862. 
1863. 
I80(. 
1SH5. 
1860. 
1867. 
1868. 
1S69. 
1870. 
1871. 

1872.  Orson  W.  Sheldon.     Edward  Corning.       John  Main 

1873.  "  "  "  "  "  " 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 


AViUiam  £.  lirowu, 
Alanson  B.  Axtell. 
Lvman  Hall. 


Orson  W.  Sheldon. 
Wm.  H.  Piersons. 
Low  AVasbburne. 
Horatio  W.  Brown. 


Abraham  Boyce. 
Hiram  B.  Gilbert. 
Saml.  R.  Hendersoi 
Abial  W.  Howard. 
Coomcr  Mason. 
Stillman  D.  Orcutt. 
Abial  W.Howard. 
(Jcrald  Potter. 
Jefferson  Branch. 


Leonard  Farr. 
.  Stillm.in  D.  Orcutl. 

Abial  W.  Howard. 

Jefferson  Br.nnch. 
■.  Isaac  Sargent. 

Porter  Nims. 

Warren  H.  Nims. 

John  C.  Pattison. 

Anthony  llaskins. 

Russell  Winegar. 

L.  F.  Baker. 

.Tames  Briggs. 

Porter  Nims. 

Henry  S.  Root. 

Anthony  Haskins. 

Porter  Nims. 

David  0.  Briggs. 

Stillman  V>.  Orcutt. 

Anthony  Haskins. 

Jehiel  Stevens. 

Pbipps  H.  Lamb. 

Francis  D.  Wray. 

.  David  0.  Briggs. 

•John  H.  Skinner. 
David  0.  Briggs. 


John  C.  Patterson.  James  E.  Skinner.  Patrick  Gill. 

"  "  Edward  Corning.  Nathan  Sheldon. 

II.  G.  Sargent.  Patrick  Gill.  Horace  A.  Stevens 

Orson  W.  Sheld<m.  A.  H.  Farringtou.  "  " 


JUSTICES    OF    THE   PEACE. 


1789.  Medad  H.arvey. 

1792.  Medad  Harvey 

Seth  Sherwood. 

1794.  Ozias  Coleman. 

1795.  Ozias  Coleman. 


1795.  Charles  Kane. 

Medad  Harvey. 
1798.  Charles  Kane. 

Ozias  Coleman. 
1801.  Zejdianiah  Kingsley. 


f  Ajipointed  October  21. 


Residence  of    B.J.LAWREN 


East  Fort  Ann ,Washihcton  Co.N  Y 


LITH.   BV  L.H  E»f«rs  4Co.  Philj.P*. 


HISTORY   OF   WASIIINCxTON   COUNTr,  NEW    YORK. 


305 


isni 

Leonard  Gibbs. 

1838. 

.John  H.  Thompson. 

180i 

Isaac  Sargent. 

1839. 

Leander  N.  Barnctt. 

Zephaniah  Kingsloy. 

1810. 

Henry  Thorn. 

I-ieouard  Gibbs. 

Albert  L.  Baker. 

Judah  Thompson. 

1841. 

John  Hillebert. 

1805 

Judah  Thompson. 

1842. 

Orestes  Garrison. 

David  Woods. 

1843. 

Albert  L.  Baker. 

1806. 

George  Clark. 

Reuben  Baker. 

1808 

George  Clark. 

1844. 

Henry  Thorn. 

Zephaniah  Kingslcy. 

John  H.  Thompson. 

John  Crosby. 

Matthias  A.  Pike. 

Reuben  Baker. 

1845. 

Charles  W.  Kellogg. 

Lemuel  Hastings. 

James  P.  Sloan. 

Liberty  Branch. 

184G. 

John  H.  Thomi)Son. 

1810 

Lemuel  T.  Bush. 

1847. 

James  P.  Sloan. 

ISU. 

Zephaniah  Kingsley. 

1848. 

Abial  W.  Howard. 

Reuben  Baker. 

1849. 

George  W.  Thorn. 

Lemuel  Hastings. 

Isaac  e.  Mi.\. 

John  Crosby. 

Reuben  Baker. 

Liberty  Branch. 

1850. 

Reuben  Baker. 

1812. 

Lyman  Hall. 

1851. 

J.ames  P.  Sloan. 

Gardner  MeCracken. 

1852. 

Silas  P.  Pike. 

David  Woods. 

1853. 

George  W.  Thorn. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1854. 

Isaac  C.  Mix. 

1815 

George  Clark. 

1855. 

James  P.  Sloan. 

Zephaniah  Kingsley. 

1856. 

John  T.  Co.\. 

Gardner  MeCracken. 

Henry  S.  Root. 

John  Crosby. 

1857. 

Henry  S.  Root. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1858. 

John  11.  Thompson. 

James  Sloan. 

Andrew  Clark. 

Throop  Barney. 

1859. 

James  P.  Sloan. 

Reuben  Farr. 

1860. 

Eli  Skinner,  Jr. 

Hiram  Lawrence- 

186L 

John  T.  Cox. 

1818. 

George  Clark. 

Simon  Hcald. 

Hiram  Lawrence. 

1862. 

Omer  W.  Owen. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

Nathan  Smith. 

James  Sloan. 

1863. 

James  P.  Sloan. 

181!l. 

Lemuel  Hastings. 

1864. 

Pelatiah  Jakway. 

1821. 

George  Clark. 

Warren  H.  Root. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1805. 

Warren  H.  Root. 

Hiram  Lawrence. 

1S06. 

Omer  W.  Owen. 

Elisha  M.  Forbes. 

Andrew  Clark. 

1S22. 

Lemuel  Hastings. 

1867. 

James  P.  Slonn. 

1827. 

Lemuel  Hastings. 

1868. 

Henry  S.  Root. 

Amos  T.  Bush. 

Abial  West. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1869. 

John  C.  Pattison. 

.John  Root. 

1870. 

Rufus  Farringlon. 

1828. 

Kingsley  Martin. 

Edward  Harrigan. 

1829. 

Amos  T.  Bush. 

Eli  Skinner. 

Lemuel  Hastings. 

1871. 

John  G.  Adams. 

1830. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1872. 

Horatio  W.  Brown. 

1831. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1873. 

Pelatiah  .lakway. 

Erastus  D.  Culver. 

1874. 

Omer  W.  Owen. 

1832. 

Kingsley  Martin. 

Nathan  Smith. 

1833. 

Hiram  Shipman. 

1875. 

Martin  H.  Adams. 

1834. 

Benjamin  Copeland. 

1876. 

Willis  Swift. 

1835. 

Henry  Thorn. 

1877. 

Frederick  I.  Baker. 

1836. 

Reuben  Baker. 

1878. 

William  Huyck. 

1837. 

John  Hillebert. 

Ira  S.  Brown. 

Early  town-meGtings  were  lield  in  the  western  part  of  tlic 
town,  and  also  in  the  eastern  part,  at  private  houses  or  inns. 
Among  these  we  mention  a  few  of  the  most  fre(|nent  phiccs 
of  meeting, — Medad  Harvey's,  Nathaniel  Bull's,  Thaddeus 
Dewey's,  and  Samuel  Winegar's.  After  about  1805  they 
were  licld  almost  invariably  at  Fort  Ann  village.  At  pres- 
ent the  town  is  divided  into  four  election  districts,  and  the 
polling  places  are  at  South  Bay,  Comstock  Landing,  West 
Fort  Ann,  and  Fort  Ann. 

The  town  line  (and  also  the  county  line)  was  run  between 
Queetisburg  and  Fort  Ann  in  Oct.,  1791-!,  by  Aaron  Hainht, 
surveyor,  and  George  Wray  and  Asa  Slower,  supervisors. 
39 


In  1797  there  were  twelve  licensed  retailers  of  spirituous 
liquors  iu  the  town,  and  they  paid  twenty-six  pounds  twelve 
shillings  into  the  town  treasury,  equivalent  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  dollars  and  eighty-one  cents,  or  an  average  of 
ten  dollars  and  eight3--one  cents  each.  In  1877  there  were 
granted  thirteen  licenses  in  tiie  same  territory,  and  the  fees 
received  amounted  to  three  hundred  and  fifty-five  dollars, 
or  an  average  of  twenty-seven  dollars  and  thirty  ccnt.s 
each. 

In  1797  the  town  offered  a  bounty  of  three  pence  per 
head  for  killing  squirrels,  "  except  flying  squirrels."  The 
time  was  limited  from  tile  fourth  of  April  to  the  fifhienth 
of  June,  and  so  vigorous  was  the  war  against  them,  that 
two  thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirty-one  were  killed  and 
paid  for  in  the  time  specified, — of  which  number  Samuel 
Winegar  killed  ninety,  Jonathan  Lee  ninety-three,  David 
Dailey  ninety-four,  David  Ward  ninety-seven,  and  Samuel 
Hubbard,  the  mightiest  Nimrod  of  them  all,  one  hundred 
and  one. 

In  1795,  Ozias  Coleman,  Esq.,  and  James  Sloan  took  a 
census  to  ascertain  the  number  of  electors  iti  town,  and  to 
classify  them  as  directed  by  law.  The  following  is  a  list 
from  their  returns : 

Electors  qualified  to  vote  for  senators  by  reason  of  posses- 
sing a  freehold  to  the  value  of  one  hundred  pounds :  James 
Rich,  John  Nichols,  Jr.,  Kingsley  Martin,  John  Griswold, 
Thomas  Dewey,  Dennison  Kenny,  Reuben  Baker,  Samson 
Mason,  Jr.,  Thaddeus  Dewey,  Stephen  Bradley,  Alexander 
Harper,  Robert  Harper,  Jeicniiah  Conklin,  Medad  Harvey, 
Charles  Kane,  Ralph  Coffin,  David  Harvey,  George  Wray, 
Samuel  Welsh,  Jr.,  Benjamin  Eastman,  Josiah  Welsh, 
Oliver  Smith,  James  Sloan,  David  Welsh,  Samuel  Welsh, 
Jonathan  Draper,  Peter  Boyce,  Ephraim  Cowan,  Hope 
Washbout,  Wirithrop  Graham,  John  Sykes,  George  A. 
Lyndey,  Jonathan  Lee,  David  Griswold,  James  Shaddick, 
John  Phetteplace,  Levi  Holcomb,  Henry  Lewis,  Peter 
Holmes,  John  Simmons,  Daniel  Stone,  Elisha  Walton, 
Silas  Robbins,  Asa  Goodell,  Ozias  Coleman,  Sr.,  Ozias 
Coleman,  Jr.,  Samuel  Haskins,  John  Wray,  Zephaniah 
Kingsley,  Ebenezer  Northern,  Isaac  Sargent,  Samuel  Brown, 
Samuel  MeCracken,  Josiah  Farnsworth,  Ebenezer  Farns- 
worth,  Thomas  Gilbert,  Benjamin  Webster,  John  Kingsley, 
Jr.,  Abda  Dulpli,  Joseph  Dolph,  .\ndrew  Stevenson.  Total, 
sixty-one. 

Electors  qualified  to  vote  for  assemblymen  by  virtue  of 
possessing  a  freehold  of  the  value  of  twenty  pounds,  but  less 
than  one  hundred  pounds  :  Elisha  Doubleday,  David  Dailey, 
John  Wallace,  Oliver  Smith,  Jr.,  Asahel  Gillet,  John  Boyce, 
Amasa  Smith,  David  Ward,  James  Carter,  Daniel  Frank- 
lin, Ephraim  Morrison.     Total,  eleven. 

Electors  not  possessed  of  freeholds,  but  renting  tenements 
of  the  yearly  value  of  forty  shillings,  and  thereby  qualified 
to  vote  for  assemblymen  :  Benjamin  Warden,  Zephaniah 
Mason,  Nathan  Mason,  Bethuel  Bond,  Wm.  Norton,  Aaron 
Osgood,  Benjamin  Cornwell,  Daniel  Hill,  Jenkins  White, 
Shubal  JMason,  Samson  Ma.son,  James  Mitchell,  Joseph 
Mitchell,  Amos  Hiscock,  Elijah  Chapin,  Joseph  Congdon, 
David  Parlus,  Jeremiah  Sunderland,  Aaron  Crawford, 
jyiatthew  Van  Gelder,  Ebenezer  Smith,  Ezekiel  Smith, 
Moses  Smith,  Israel  Brown,  Tarble  Wetherbee,  Caleb  Jones, 


306 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTOxX   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Diiniul  Welsh,  Abniin  Van  Strander,  Henry  Boyce,  Gideon 
Pitts,  Benjamin  Wliitney,  Jesse  Jakway,  John  Ward,  Jr., 
Witithnip  Bacon,  Lemuel  Bacon,  Benjamin  Babcock,  David 
Babcock,  Comfort  Goss,  Anthony  Haskiiis,  Abram  Van 
Allen,  Wm.  Sweet,  John  Holmes,  John  Stockholm,  Hu;;h 
I'aul,  Gilbert  Snow,  Philip  Reynolds,  William  Robinson, 
Timothy  Chase,  William  Hamilton,  Lemuel  T.  Bush,  John 
Crosby,  Lemuel  Hastings,  Asahcl  Root,  John  Bell,  Leonard 
Chambers,  John  Taylor,  Aaron  Lloyd,  David  Griffin,  James 
Griffin,  Joseph  Henegan,  John  Henegan,  David  Henegan, 
John  De  Goliei-,  Benjamin  Pelton,  Ezokiel  Sweet,  William 
Potter,  Adam  Slighter,  James  Mitchell,  Abram  Boyce,  Sr., 
Abram  Boyce,  Jr.,  Freeman  Perry,  Robert  Cowan,  William 
Pattison,  James  Pattison,  Thomas  Stevens,  Joseph  Wilkins, 
Israel  Ward,  Benjamin  Cutter.  Silas  Child.s,  Amos  Stowe, 
David  Vosburgh,  Daniel  Witherell,  Mason  Otis,  Richard 
Otis,  John  Nicliols,  Elijah  Bills,  Abel  Simmons,  Gideon 
Hitchcock,  John  Ma.xwell,  Sylvanus  Cone,  Eleazer  Cone, 
Aaron  Colton,  Obadiah  Archer,  David  Abel,  Oliver  Stacy, 
Joseph  Backus,  David  jMcCracken,  Abijah  Webster,  Nathan 
Kingsley,  John  King.sley,  Benjamin  Webster,  Allen  Web- 
ster, Ashbel  Webster,  Samuel  Thornton,  James  Kingsley, 
Patrick  Welsh,  James  Houghton,  Hezekiah  Wetherbee, 
Benjamin  Burgess,  Caleb  Chase,  James  Perkins,  Jacob  Van 
Wormer,  Joseph  Brayton,  Jacob  Snyder,  Elijah  Johnston, 
Ciiarlcs  Kelly.  Total,  one  hundred  and  sixteen.  Making 
the  total  vote  of  the  town  on  assemblymen  amount  to  one 
hundred  and  eighty-eight. 

To  show  the  rapid  increase  of  population,  and  the  growth 
in  material  prosperity,  we  append  a  list  of  the  number  of 
votes  cast  at  the  election  for  senators  and  assemblymen,  held 
in  Westfield,  on  April  30  and  May  1  and  2,  1799.  Two 
tickets  were  in  the  field,  each  bearing  the  names  of  three 
candidates  for  senator  and  six  for  assemblymen.  The  vote 
was,  for  senators :  Timothy  Leonard,  101;  Robert  Yates, 
100;  Ebenezer  Rus.sell,  89;  Boriah  Palmer,  43  ;  Moses  Vail, 
33;  Zina  Hitchcock,  32.  For  assemblymen  :  David  Thomas, 
175;  Edward  Savage,  173;  John  Tburman,  173;  Ben- 
jamin Colvin,  170;  Isaac  Sargent,  169;  Micajah  Pettit, 
163;  David  Hopkins,  59;  John  White,  56;  Philip 
Smith,  56  ;  Zebulon  R.  Sheppard,  56;  I^aniel  Ma.son,  54; 
John  Williams,  5  1.  Showing  that  there  were  cast  for  as- 
semblymen at  least  227  ballots, — an  increase  of  39, — and 
for  senators  at  least  133  ballots, — an  increase  of  72.  In 
the  election  of  1876  the  town  cast  a  vote  of  870. 

In  1847  the  town  voted  on  the  question  of  licensing  the 
sale  of  intoxicating  liquors.  The  vote  stood,  for  license, 
310  ;  against  license,  188.  Since  the  passage  of  the  law  of 
1S74,  the  town  has  elected  commissioners  favoring  the 
granting  of  licenses  at  each  election.  The  vote  in  1877 
stood,  381  to  227  on  one  commissioner,  and  497  to  109 
on  the  other. 

In  1813,  Zephaniah  King,sley,  William  A.  Moore,  Benja- 
min Copeland,  corami.ssioners,  and  Liberty  Branch,  James 
Sloan,  Lemuel  T.  Bu.sh,  Joseph  A.  Turner,  Solomon 
Northern,  Jeremiah  Spalding,  inspectors  of  schools,  divided 
the  town  into  twenty-four  school  districts,  and  filed  a  de- 
scription of  their  several  boundaries  in  the  office  of  the 
town-clerk. 

The   first   a.s.=efsni('iit-rull    mow    in    existence   was    made 


about  the  year  1807.  It  contains  the  names  of  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-three  tax-payers,  of  whom  two  hundred  and 
.seventy-five  were  assessed  for  less  than  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, fifteen  for  from  one  to  five  thousand  dollars,  and  but 
three  for  more  than  five  thousand.  Among  the  highest  tax- 
payers at  that  time  were  the  following,  with  their  assess- 
ments following  their  names:  John  Williams,  818,559; 
George  Wray,  SI  1,9(>5  ;  Charles  Kane,  $5920  ;  Ephraini 
Griswold,  $2500;  Thankful  Lawrence,  $2^50;  Jacob 
Campbell,  $1866  ;  Ozias  Coleman,  $1686  ;  Benjamin  Col- 
lins, $1650;  Edward  Patten,  $1252;  David  I'arkhurst, 
$1250;  Ebenezer  Farnsworth,  $1235;  James  Sloan, 
$1205 ;  Richard  Stevens,  $1200  ;  Andrew  Stevenson, 
$1150;  James  Rich,  $1112;  David  Griswold,  $1100; 
Joshua  Harris,  $1073;  Isaac  Sargent,  $1010;  Joseph 
Congdon,  $1000  ;  Polly  Lee,  $1000  ;  Winthrop  Graham, 
$955 ;  Samuel  Winegar,  $925 ;  Samson  Mason,  $910 ; 
Matson  Otis,  $905  ;  Dennison  Kinney,  $900  ;  Jacob  Van 
Wormer,  $900;  Shubal  Mason,  $-i90;  Thaddeus  Dewey, 
$890.  The  total  assessment  was  $163,738.  The  assess- 
ment-roll for  1877  bears  the  names  of  five  hundred  and 
eighty-two  tax-payers,  and  the  total  asses.sment  was 
$561,741,  $36,875  of  which  was  personal  property. 

The  following  is  the  account  of  school  moneys  appor- 
tioned in  the  town  of  Westfield  iu  the  year  1797,  by 
Charles  Kane,  supervisor: 

D:stiii!t.  TnislLi-s.  £   s.  cl. 

No.    1.  .Tanathan  Pollcv,  Abiur  HubljarJ 117  '.) 

"      2.  MiUlhew  IhiWj'ird,  John  Sly 4    7  7 

"      ;i.  Josi'pl.  Uacou,  Comlort  (iosf 1111  1 

"      4.  .Toliii  Stockhiiiii,  Siiiiiiicl  Woiegiir in  1(1  1 

"      5.  .himes  Huikiiis,  Anthuny  Jliiskins 3  i:i  a 

"      H.  John  Cbadick,  Giirducr  Baool] C     5  2 

"      7.  Diiuicl  \Vul.4i,  Abraham  Van  Strander 1117  !> 

•'      S.  Oliver  Smith,  Jidin  Sykes Ki  12  7 

"      U.  Joseph  Uillet,  Winthrop  (Jrabam 7     4  7 

"    10.  John  Henegan,  Stephen  Curtis 7  12  9 

"    II.  Israel  Krown 2    8  7 

"    12.  Thaddeus  Dewey,  Muses  Ba.'iter fi    3  11 

"    13.  Zephaniah  Kingsh'y,  Eleazer  Cone It)    2  7 

"    14.  Ebenezer  Farnsworth,  Samuel  Clark S  12  10 

"    1  A.  Daniel  Mason,  Shubal  lVar,<e C    15  5 

"    It).  Nathan  Mason.  Zephaniah  Mason 14  IS  3 

"    17.  John  Maxwell,  Aaron  Cultun U     1  7 


Or  all  cqtiivalent  of  six  hundred  and  eleven  dollars  and 
sixty-one  cents.  In  1877  the  amount  apportioned  in  a 
little  over  one-half  the  same  territorj'  was  fifty-four  hun- 
dred and  twelve  dollars  atid  thirty-six  cents. 

i'ORT    ANN    VILLAOE. 

This  village  was  incorporated  by  tin  act  of  the  Ijcgisla- 
ture,  pas,sed  March  7,  1820,  and  its  boundaries  have  been 
twice  enlarged,  and  now  inclose  a  tract  about  one-quarter 
of  a  mile  square.  Wood  creek.  Halfway  brook,  and  Mud 
brook  form  parts  of  its  boundary  line.  The  first  village  or 
charter  election  was  held  at  the  school-house  May  9,  1820. 
Lemuel  Hastings  was  chairman,  and  Joseph  M.  IJiiil  was 
secretary  of  the  meeting.  The  following  officers  were 
elected,  viz. :  William  A.  Moore,  president;  Willitini  A. 
Moore,  Lemuel  Hastings,  Henry  Thorn,  George  Clark,  and 
John  Root,  trustees;  Amos  T.  Bush,  treasurer;  Charles 
McCracken,  collector. 

The  meeting  selected  Ilciiry  Tliorti,  Jo.>ieph  M.  liiill,  tiud 
William  Bell  to  ascerttiiii  tiiid  ti.x  the  boundaries  of  thosev- 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUxNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


307 


eral  lots  and  streets  included  in  the  corporation.  In  18G7 
the  corporation  was  made  a  separate  road  district.  Tlie 
seal  was  adopted  Aug.  11, 1823,  and  was  described  as  "  the 
shilling  piece  (sterling  money),  and  sat  into  a  piece  of 
cherry  wood  by  nie,  Ozias  Coleman,  this  day." 

At  a  meeting  held  Sept.  11,  1873,  the  charter  was  re- 
scinded, and  the  village  incorporated  under  the  general  law 
passed  April  20,  1873. 

The  presidents,  in  their  order,  have  been  as  follows: 


y,Mi-. 

l're^,i.li-n(. 

YLMir. 

riv,i,i,.j,i. 

ISJO. 

William  \.  Moore. 

1S4'.I. 

Aljial  W.  11., ward. 

1821. 

" 

IS.'.O. 

•• 

1S22. 

'• 

1851. 

" 

1823. 

Elhim  A.  Fay. 

1852. 

"                    " 

1824. 

" 

1853. 

182,i. 

Joseph  M.  Bull. 

1854. 

1820. 

" 

185.^). 

F.  L.  nra.vti.n. 

1827. 

Lemuel  Ilasling.?. 

ISJfi. 

1S28. 

•' 

lS.i7. 

lS2y. 

William  A.  Moore. 

1S5S. 

" 

1830. 

George  Clark. 

1859. 

"              " 

1831. 

Matthias  A.  Pike. 

1860. 

-     " 

1S32. 

" 

ISOl. 

Willis  Swift. 

1S33. 

Moses  Miller. 

1  Si;2. 

" 

1834. 

Matthias  A.  Pike. 

1803. 

Charles  H.  Adams 

]83.^). 

George  Clark. 

1864. 

Willis  Swift. 

1836. 

" 

1805. 

F.  L.  I5,a.vton. 

183T. 

Moses  Miller. 

1860. 

" 

1838. 

George  Clements. 

1867. 

G.  W.  Hull. 

lS.3fl. 

George  Clark. 

1868. 

George  P.  Mooro. 

1840. 

Johu  T.  Cox. 

1869. 

" 

1841. 

"             " 

1870. 

"                 " 

1842. 

Abial  AV.  Howard. 

1871. 

John  Hall. 

1843. 

William  A.  Moore. 

1872. 

Willis  Swift. 

1844. 

Ahial  W.  Howard. 

1873. 

Periam  Sheldon. 

1845. 

•' 

1874. 

Pelatiah  Jakway. 

1816. 

" 

1875. 

David  Iliee. 

1847. 

«                   « 

1876. 

Pelatiah  Jakway. 

1848. 

"                  " 

1877. 

Orville  W.  Sheldon 

The  present  officers  are  Orville  W.  Sheldon,  president; 
Jaiues  Nelson,  David  N.  Knipey,  Periam  Sheldon,  trustees ; 
Willis  Swift,  Jr.,  treasurer ;  Charles  Hastings,  collector. 

The  village  is  a  station  on  the  Ilonsselaer  and  Sai'atoga 
railroad,  and  the  Champlain  canal  passes  through  it.  There 
are  three  locks  in  the  canal  here.  It  contains  about  seven 
hundred  inhabitants.  The  post-office  was  first  established 
in  1800,  and  George  Clark  was  the  first  postmaster. 

The  business  of  the  place  consists  principally  of  mercan- 
tile trade.  There  are  seven  or  eight  stores,  a  bank,  a 
tannery,  hotel,  livery,  and  a  number  of  shops.  A  cheese- 
factory,  owned  by  a  stock  company,  was  started  about  1865, 
and  is  still  in  existence,  though  doing  a  limited  amount  of 
business.  Several  of  the  farmers  in  this  town  ship  large 
quantities  of  milk  to  Albany,  Troy,  Cohoes,  and  New  York. 
The  shipments  from  the  town  la.st  year  were  eight  thou- 
.sand  nine  hundred  and  forty-five  cans  from  Coinstock's 
Landing,  and  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty-four 
cans  from  Fort  Ann,  an  aggregate  of  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-one  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty  rpiarts. 

Kaiic'.s  Falls  is  a  village  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  inhabit- 
ants, about  a  mile  north  of  Fort  Ann.  It  is  a  manufac- 
turing village,  and  owes  its  existence  to  the  fine  water- 
privilege  affi)rded  by  the  Halfway  brook.  The  first  mills 
built  here  before  the  R  ;volution  were  owned  by  Major 
Philip  Skene.    After  the  close  of  the  war  they  passed  into 


the  hands  of  Colonel  George  Wray,  who  sold  them  to 
Charles  Kane.  He  erected  other  buildings,  and  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  iron  and  forging  cables  and  anchors. 
He  also  built  a  carding-mill,  and  embarked  largely  in  busi- 
ness. From  Kane  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of 
John  Ilanna,  and  he  sold  to  Sylvanus  Cone.  Subsequently 
John  Bullis  owned  it,  and  a  Mr.  Walker  al.so  owned  it  at  a 
later  day.  Samuel  and  James  Lamb  were  the  next  owners, 
and  they  erected  a  brick  building,  and  fitted  it  up  for  the 
manufacture  of  fine  ca.ssimeres.  In  1872  it  was  bought 
by  A.  II.  Griswold,  W.  M.  Keith,  John  M.  Barnett,  and 
David  Kice,  who  put  in  new  and  improved  machinery,  so 
that  the  mill  now  ranks  first-class  in  the  quality  of  its 
manufactures.  The  mill  is  known  as  the  Kane's  Falls 
Woolen-mill,  run  by  the  Fort  Ann  Woolen  Company.  The 
buildings  cover  a  superficial  area  of  about  eight  thousand 
five  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  and  afford  an  aggregate  of 
nearly  twenty-three  thousand  square  feet  of  space  on  the 
several  floors.  The  machinery  employed  consists  of  over  a 
thousand  spindles,  fourteen  broad  looms,  four  sets  of  forty- 
eight-inch  cards,  and  the  other  usual  accompanying  ma- 
chinery. The  buildings  are  heated  by  steam,  and  furnished 
with  admirable  facilities  for  quenching  fires.  A  fire-escape 
also  extends  to  every  floor.  The  mill  annually  consumes 
upward  of  two  hundred  thou-sand  pounds  of  wool,  brought 
wholly  from  California,  and  turns  out  about  sixty  thousand 
yards  of  fine  cassimeres  in  the  same  time.  It  furnishes 
employment  to  over  fifty  hands.  Mr.  E.  Wall  is  the 
superintendent. 

The  works  of  the  Bridgeport  Wood  Finishing  Company 
are  also  located  here.  The  office  of  the  company  is  in 
New  York.  S.  J.  Gordon,  of  New  York,  is  president ; 
William  H.  Perry,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  is  secretary;  and 
Slyron  Perry,  of  New  York,  is  treasurer.  R.  G.  Fair- 
banks is  the  agent  in  charge. 

The  capital  is  fixed  at  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  mill 
is  one  hundred  and  ten  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-four 
feet,  two  stories  and  a  basement,  and  built  of  wood.  The 
business  carried  on  is  that  of  preparing  quartz-rock  for  use 
in  the  manufacture  of  paints,  porcelain,  pottery,  soap, 
polish,  and  sand-paper.  The  process  is  performed  by  first 
calcining  the  rock,  and  then  grinding  it  to  a  fine  powder 
beneath  massive  stones.  The  application  of  this  material 
to  producing  a  smooth  surface  to  wood  without  hiding  or 
ob.scuriug  the  grain,  is  covered  by  letters-patent  issued  in 
1876. 

The  mill  furnishes  employment  for  twenty  men  and  two 
teams,  uses  two  hundred  tons  of  quartz  per  month,  which 
is  obtained  from  the  mountains  near  by.  It  turns  out  from 
seven  thousand  to  fourteen  thousand  casks  yearly,  contain- 
ing from  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  six  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  each. 

SOUTH    BAY', 

a  small  liaiulot  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  contains 
about  one  hundred  inhabitants.  There  is  a  church  and  a 
store.  It  is  a  sort  of  headquarters  for  the  lumbermen  of 
the  region,  to  which  fact  it  owes  its  existence. 

Along  the  shore  of  Lake  George,  and  on  '•  Fourteen 
Mile  Island,"  there  are  several  boarding-houses  for  the 
accommodation  of  summer  boarders. 


308 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Mount  Hope  Furnace  was  started  about  1825,  for  the 
purpose  of  uianufacturing  pig-iron.  Doctor  Smith  Sayres, 
of  Salem,  was  the  proprietor.  After  passing  through 
several  hands,  it  at  last  was  abandoned,  in  1858,  while 
owned  by  Mr.  Woodruff. 

Brulhers  Lmlgc.  of  F.  and  A.  M.  was  organized  early  in 
the  present  century,  and  flourished  till  the  Morgan  times, 
when  it  was  swept  out  of  existence  by  the  tide  of  anti- 
Masonry.  In  1852,  on  the  14th  of  June,  another  lodge 
was  organized,  under  the  name  of  Mount  Hope  Lodge,  No- 
2C0.  The  first  officers  were  John  T.  Cox,  M. ;  Joseph 
Racon,  S.  W. ;  J.  W.  B.  Murray,  J.  W.  The  present 
officers  are  H.  A.  Stevens,  M. ;  John  Hall,  S.  W. ;  David 
N.  Empey,  J.  W. ;  L.  R.  Bailey,  Sec. ;  D.  S.  Babcock,  • 
Treas.  The  Masters,  in  their  order,  have  been  John  T. 
Cox,  Phipps  H.  Lamb,  II.  A.  Stevens,  H.  W.  Brown, 
H.  A.  Stevens,  G.  W.  Hull,  H.  A.  Stevens.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1876,  they  moved  into  their  new  hall,  over  Finch, 
Babcock  &  Co.'s  store,  which  they  furnished  at  a  cost  of 
about  two  hundred  and  seventy  dollars.  The  present 
membership  is  seventy-eight. 

Fort  Ann  Lodge,  JSo.  31,  /.  0.  0.  /".,  was  instituted  Dec. 
9,  1845.  The  officers  were  A.  Barlow,  N.  G. ;  H.  B. 
Farr,  V.  G. ;  Alanson  B.  Axtell,  R.  S. ;  A.  F.  Briggs,  T. 
At  one  time  this  lodge  had  upwards  of  one  hundred  mem- 
bers, but  it  began  to  lose  and  was  disbanded  about  1858. 

FIRST    BAPTIST    CHURCH    OP   FORT    ANN. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1789,  and  the  first  church 
meeting  was  held  July  13.  Rev.  Sherman  Babcock  was 
the  first  pastor,  and  began  his  labor  Feb.  12,  1790.  The 
church  has  several  times  been  for  years  without  a  pastor ; 
but  the  pulpit  has  generally  been  filled  by  supplies.  The 
pastors,  in  the  order  of  their  services,  are  Revs.  Daniel 
Hurlburt,  James  Rogers,  Harris  Griswold,  Amos  Stearns, 
Barney  Allen,  George  Witherell,  Elder  Norris,  Levi  Sco- 
field.  Elder  Stearns,  Enos  Plue,  Caleb  C.  Gurr,  Nelson 
Combs,  Amos  B.  Wells,  William  Dickens,  Amos  Stearns, 
Joseph  Earl,  and  Levi  S.  Smith,  the  jjrcscnt  pastor,  whose 
services  began  in  1866. 

The  first  deacons  were  Reuben  Baker,  Shubal  Mason, 
Truman  Mason,  and  Coomer  Mason.  John  Turner,  George 
Johnson,  and  Asa  P.  Church  have  also  acted  in  that  ca- 
pacity. The  present  deacons  arc  E.  S.  Storrs,  Reuben  Mar- 
tin. In  1828  the  church  was  much  agitated  on  the  ques- 
tion of  Freemasonry,  and  a  division  was  feared,  but  wiser 
counsels  prevailed,  and  the  danger  was  averted. 

The  first  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1807  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town,  about  three  miles  east  of  the 
present  site.  A  few  years  after,  about  1810,  a  building 
was  erected  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  at  "  Policy's 
Landing"  and  partly  finished.  In  1844  it  was  completed 
in  modern  style,  and  continued  to  be  used  for  church  pur- 
poses till  the  present  church  at  Couistock's  Landing  was 
erected  in  1858,  at  a  cost  of  about  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars. 

The  church  was  quite  small  in  the  beginning,  and  in 
1810  some  thirty  of  its  members  were  granted  letters  to 
form  the  second  or  South  Bay  church.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  about  seventy. 


The  Sunday-school  connected  with  the  church  was  first 
organized  about  1826,  and  has  been  continued.  It  num- 
bers one  hundred  and  twenty-three  members,  and  is  under 
the  efficient  management  of  E.  J.  Smith,  who  also  has  a 
Sunday-school  at  Dewey's  Bridge. 

SKCONB    BAPTIST    CHURCH    OF    FORT    ANN. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  1809,  under  the  min- 
istrations of  Rev.  C.  H.  Swain,  there  appears  to  have  been 
a  religious  awakening  in  Welch  Hollow,  and  many  were 
converted.  The  only  Baptist  church  in  town  was  then  lo- 
cated at  Comstock's  Landing,  and  the  people  of  South  Bay 
had  to  travel  some  ten  or  twelve  miles  for  meeting.  As 
soon  as  it  became  apparent  that  there  would  be  enough 
members  in  that  part  of  the  town  to  warrant  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  separate  churcli  the  subject  was  agitated,  and  at 
a  meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Captain  Stephen  Porter 
(now  the  residence  of  Benjamin  Brewster),  Dec.  2, 1809,  it 
was  resolved  to  petition  the  first  church  for  permission  to 
call  a  council  ai>d  organize  a  church.  This  petition  con- 
tained the  names  of  fifty-one  persons.  The  request  was 
granted,  and  in  pur.suance  of  a  call  the  churches  of  White- 
hall, Granville,  Hartford,  Kingsbury,  and  Fort  Ann  met  in 
council  at  Captain  Porter's  residence,  Jan.  10,  1810,  and 
constituted  the  new  church.  Silas  Spalding,  Joseph  Os- 
borne, Joel  Peets,  William  Hambleton,  Abijah  Barker, 
Ebenezer  Brainard,  John  Simmons,  Benjamin  Eastman, 
Silas  Spalding,  Jr.,  Nathaniel  Brainard,  Jacob  Cook,  Wil- 
liam Lighthall,  James  Barker,  Oliver  Wetherbce  were  the 
male  members  at  the  organization.  Tliirty-seven  sisters 
also  joined  at  that  time. 

The  history  of  the  church  has  been  uneventful,  and  a  fair 
degree  of  prosperity  has  attended  it.  At  present  it  num- 
bers seventy-four  members. 

The  deacons  of  the  church  have  been  Benjamin  East- 
man, Benjamin  Wing,  Elijah  Garrison,  William  Stevens, 
Whitman  Vaughan,  James  P.  Sloan,  William  Stevens,  Jr., 
Leonard  Vaughan,  John  G.  Adams,  and  Walter  Fish,  the 
last  three  being  at  present  in  that  office. 

The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  Revs.  Calvin  H. 
Swain,  Sylvanus  Holley,  Sherman  Babcock,  Ebenezer  Har- 
rington, Horace  Griswold,  Bradbury  Clay,  Phineas  Colver, 
Amos  Stearns,  Enos  Plue,  S.  C.  Dilliway,  William  Dick- 
ens, C.  R.  Green,  M.  P.  Forbes,  William  Bogart,  Levi  S. 
Smith,  and  Robert  W.  Vaughan,  who  is  now  supplying 
the  pulpit. 

The  first  and  present  trustees  are  Leonard  Vaughan, 
John  G.  Adams,  and  Adolphus  Washburn.  The  first  clerk 
was  Joseph  Osborne,  and  the  present  one  is  John  G. 
Adams. 

The  early  meetings  were  held  at  the  houses  of  the  mem- 
bers, and  afterwards  in  the  school-house  at  South  Bay  until 
1868,  when  the  first  and  present  church  was  erected,  under 
the  supervision  of  Lyman  Bailey,  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars.  It  is  a  neat  rural  church,  and  fur- 
nishes comfortable  sittings  for  about  two  hundred  persons. 
It  was  dedicated  December  22,  18G8,  and  Rev.  A.  J.  Frost, 
of  Hamilton  College,  preached  the  sermon. 

The  first  Sabbath-school  was  organized  in  1842,  with  a 
membership  of  about   thirty.     William    Stevens  was  the 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


309 


supeiinteiidcnt.  At  present  the  average  attendance  is  from 
tliirty  to  forty.  Jolin  Gr.  Adams  is  the  superintendent, 
and  J.  Melvin  Adams  tlie  secretary  at  present. 

BAPTIST    CIIUUCII    OF    FORT    ANN    VILLAOE. 

This  society  was  organized  June  12,  1822,  with  twenty- 
seven  members,  and  united  with  the  Saratoga  association 
the  same  month. 

For  two  years  the  cluirch  was  without  a  pastor,  and  re- 
ceived assistance  from  tlie  pastors  of  neighboring  diurchcs. 
Among  tliose  tlius  oificiating  were  Revs.  Horace  Griswold, 
Ebcnezor  Harrington,  and  Calvin  II.  Swain. 

Tlie  first  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  Bradbury  Clay,  who 
began  his  ministry  here  May  1,  1824.  He  was  succeeded 
by  the  following,  in  order :  Revs.  Phineas  Colver,  Nathan- 
iel Colver,  Phineas  Colver,  Barney  Allen,  Samuel  Marshall, 
Amos  Stearns,  Daniel  Harrington,  William  Grant,  Stephen 
Wilkins,  William  Arthur,  J.  0.  Mason,  William  Smitli, 
Gardner  C.  Tripp,  George  Fisher,  James  L.  Douglass,  J. 
W.  Grant,  Volney  Church,  Horace  G.  Mason,  Joseph  Earl, 
and  Edward  Tozer,  who  began  his  pastorate  here  in  1865. 
And  this  relationship  was  only  terminated  when  death  sev- 
ered the  ties  that  bound  people  and  pastor  in  close  and 
loving  union.  He  died  about  the  clo.se  of  the  year  1877. 
Since  that  time  the  pulpit  has  been  supplied  by  Rev.  Levi 
S.  Smith. 

During  the  first  four  years  of  its  existence  the  church 
worshiped  in  the  village  school-house,  and  then,  in  connec- 
tion with  two  other  denominations,  built  the  brick  cliurch, 
which  was  jointly  occupied  by  them  till,  in  1836,  they  pur- 
chased and  assumed  full  possession  of  that  building.  In 
September,  1873,  the  present  commodious  and  attractive 
church  was  commenced,  and  the  work  was  carried  on 
through  the  fall  and  winter  to  completion.  July  1,  1874, 
the  house  was  dedicated.  The  cliurch  is  built  of  brick, 
with  a  corner  tower  surmounted  by  a  handsome  .spire.  The 
inside  of  the  walls  are  beautifully  frescoed,  and  the  pews 
are  of  chestnut  and  black-walnut.  The  entire  cost  was  a 
little  over  seventeen  thousand  dollars. 

In  the  fifty-six  years  of  its  existence  the  church  has  re- 
ceived into  fellowship  by  baptism  nearly  six  hundred  mem- 
bers. In  1842  the  meuiborship  was  the  largest,  being 
then  two  hundred  and  fifty.     It  is  now  about  two  hundred. 

The  parsonage  was  a  bequest  to  the  church  from  Mrs. 
Sarah  D.  Baker.  Its  net  value  was  then  about  eleven 
hundred  dollars.  Thirteen  hundred  dollars  were  afterwards 
expended  upon  it.  The  total  church  property  is  now  val- 
ued at  twenty  thousand  dollars.  The  following  arc  the 
present  officers  of  the  church,  viz. :  Trustees,  Edward 
Nicholson,  Charles  Hastings,  Sylvester  Woodruff;  Deacons, 
Russell  Winegar,  Jason  Corning,  Charles  Wright,  L.  L. 
Barnard,  John  C.  Pattisou ;  Clerk,  0.  G.  Burnham ; 
Treasurer,  Jason  Corning.  The  following  persons  have 
also  served  in  the  office  of  deacon,  viz. :  Daniel  Cook,  Eli- 
jah Garrison,  John  Simmons,  Samuel  (!ook,  Morrel  Baker, 
William  Brayton,  and  Whitman  Vaughan. 

METHOUI.ST    EPISCOPAL   CIIUllCII    OP   FORT    ANN. 

This  society  was  organized  some  time  previous  to  the 
year   1826,  the  exact  date   not   known.      It  was  small   in 


numbers.  Still  they  worked  with  a  will,  and,  under  the 
blessing  of  God,  succeeded  in  building  up  a  prosperous 
church.  In  1820  they  united  with  the  Baptists  and  IJni- 
versalists  in  the  building  of  a  brick  church,  which  stood 
a  little  south  of  the  present  Baptist  church,  and  which  was 
u.sed  by  each  in  propi)rtion  to  their  share  in  the  expense  of 
building  it. 

In  1836  the  Baptist  society  purchased  the  exclusive  use 
of  this  church,  and  the  Methodists  held  their  meetings  from 
that  time  until  the  .spring  of  183S,  part  of  the  time  in  tlie 
old  Presbyterian  church  and  part  in  the  liall-rooin  of  the 
hotel. 

The  now  and  present  church  was  commenced  in  31ay, 
1837,  and  finished  in  the  following  winter.  The  dedica- 
tion was  March  8,  1838,  and  was  a  time  of  peculiar  interest 
to  the  people.  Rev.  James  B.  Houghtaling,  the  pastor 
of  the  church,  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon. 

The  land  on  which  this  church  stands  was  purchased  of 
John  Hillebert,  and  the  site,  church  bell,  and  fixtures 
altogether,  cost  four  thousand  dollars. 

The  present  valuation  of  the  entire  church  property  is 
about  five  thousand  dollars. 

Among  the  most  prominent  of  the  earlier  members  of 
this  church  were  iMr.  and  Mrs.  William  Baker,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Barnett,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Hillebert,  Mr. 
and  Jlrs.  John  Hanna,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Thorn,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Richard  Empey,  Blr.  and  Mrs.  John  T.  Cox,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  C.  Pattison. 

The  history  of  this  society  has  been  unmarked  by  any- 
thing more  than  the  usual  ebb  and  flow  of  events,  and  it 
has  steadily  moved  on  in  its  mission  of  mercy.  The  present 
membership  is  one  hundred  and  fifty-two. 

A  Sabbath-school  was  established  at  the  time  they  occu- 
pied their  new  house  of  worship,  which  has  continued  to 
the  present,  and  now  numbers  one  hundred  members.  John 
Hillebert  was  the  first  superintendent.  The  present  one  is 
Carini  C.  Farr,  and  Miss  Mary  Gardner  is  secretary.  The 
library  is  small.  Under  the  State  law  passed  in  1813,  the 
church,  August  13,  1 836,  was  incorporated  under  the  name 
of  the  "  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Fort  Ann." 
P.  N.  Empey,  Benjamin  Barnett,  Moses  jMiller,  John  T. 
Cox,  and  Henry  Thorn  were  elected  trustees. 

The  present  officers  of  the  church  arc  as  follows,  viz. : 

Stewards,  George  P.  ]Moore,  Alexander  C.  Brown,  James 
Nelson,  John  Howard,  and  W.  R.  Norris.  Cla.ss-lcaders, 
Martin  V.  B.  Washburn,  Lemuel  Andrews. 

The  pastors  of  the  church,  in  the  order  of  their  service, 
have  been  Revs.  Samuel  Howe,  Daniel  Brayton,  Sherman 
Minor,  Julius  Fields,  Elislia  Andrews,  Jacob  Beeman, 
Joseph  Ayers,  J.  B.  Houghtaling,  James  Covell,  Abiathar 
Osborne,  Charles  P.  Clark,  E.  B.  llub'oard,  Seymour  Cole- 
man, C.  D.  De  Vol,  Coles  R.  Wilkins,  Christopher  Morris, 
Hiram  Meeker,  C.  C.  Gilbert,  E.  0.  Spicer,  J.  D.  White, 
R.  Wescott,  G.  II.  Townsend,  D.  C.  Hall,  W.  N.  Frazer, 
G.  II.  Townsend,  Joel  Hall,  James  T.  Slawson,  W.  W. 
Foster,  J.  C.  W.  Cox,  John  M.  Webster,  H.  II.  Smith,  A. 
Bobbins,  William  H.  Miller,  J.  E.  Metcalf,  William  C. 
Butcher,  E.  Morgan,  and  Alfred  J.  Day,  the  present  pas- 
tor, who  began  his  pastorate  here  in  the  summer  of 
1877. 


310 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  OK  WEST  FORT  ANN. 
Previous  to  the  erection  of  any  church  building  in  this 
town  regular  meetings  were  held  every  Sunday  at  the  stone 
school-house  west  of  West  Fort  Ann.  It  was  an  appoint- 
ment on  the  Glen's  Fails,  Fort  Edward,  and  Fort  Ann  cir- 
cuit. It  is  believed  that  these  meetings  extended  back  as 
far  as  1820.  Among  the  early  preachers  who  officiated  at 
these  meetings  were  Revs.  Eli-sha  Andrews,  Joseph  Ayers, 

Hitchcock,  and  Jacob  Beeraan. 

Tlie  class,  at  first  small,  has  increased  from  time  to  time, 
and  at  present  numbers  about  fortj'-five,  part  of  whom  have 
services  in  a  school-house  further  north. 

In  1833  the  people,  needing  a  more  commodious  house 
of  worship,  and  not  able  to  build  alone,  united  with  the 
Baptist,  Presbyterian,  and  Universalist  societies  in  erecting 
a  union  house.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  a  committee,  con- 
sisting of  Messrs.  Benjamin  Copeland,  Franklin  Haskins, 
Periam  Thompson,  JMoses  Taylor,  and  Elisha  M.  Forbes, 
was  appointed  to  select  a  site  and  report  an  estimate  of  the 
size  and  cost.  In  the  following  May  the  church  was  begun  ; 
finished  and  dedicated  in  the  fall.  Its  total  cost  was  about 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety  dollars.  The  build- 
ing is  tiiirty  by  sixty  feet,  with  a  vestibule  and  galleries, 
surmounted  by  a  square  bell-tower.  The  money  was  raised 
by  subscription,  and  each  subscriber  was  entitled  to  place 
as  much,  or  the  whole,  of  his  subscription  to  the  credit  of 
whichever  denomination  he  chose,  and  the  fifty-two  Sab- 
baths of  each  year  were  then  distributed  pro-rata  among 
the  four  denominations.  The  first  of  these  distributions 
occurred  in  1835,  and  gave  to  the  Universalists  twenty-two 
Sabbaths,  to  the  Methodists  eighteen,  to  the  Baptists  ten, 
and  to  the  Presbyterians  two.  In  1837  a  second  distribu- 
tion occurred,  and  the  Methodi-sts  received  the  use  of  the 
church  for  twenty-two  Sabbaths,  the  Universalists  for  nine- 
teen, the  Baptists  for  six,  and  the  Presbyterians  for  five. 
The  last  time  a  distribution  was  made  was  in  18-13,  since 
which  time  the  Methodists  have  had  almost  the  sole  use 
of  the  church.  The  other  denominations  became  merged  in 
neighboring  churches  or  dissolved. 

The  Methodist  society  was  incorporated  in  1S70,  under 
the  title  of  the  "  Evangelical  Union  Ciiurch  of  West  Fort 
Ann."  During  the  years  from  183-1  to  1858  the  pulpit 
was  supplied  by  the  minister  of  Fort  Ann,  but  since  that 
time  it  has  been  under  the  charge  of  the  minister  at  Sand- 
ford's  Ridge,  in  Kingsbury. 

The  names  of  the  pastors,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained, 
in  the  order  of  their  time  of  service,  are:  Revs.  Elisha 
Andrews,  Jacob  Beeman,  Joseph  Ayers,  J.  B.  Houghtaling, 
James  Covell,  Abiathar  0.sborne,  Charles  P.  Clark,  E.  B. 
Hubbard,  Seymour  Coleman,  C.  D.  De  Vol,  Coles  R.  Wil- 
kins,  Christopher  Morris,  Hiram  Meeker,  R.  \Vescott,  G. 
H.  Townsend,  D.  C.  Hall. 

The  present  officers  of  the  church  are  as  fillows,  viz.  : 
Xrustees,  Horace  Campbell,  Jerome  ]>ighthall,  George 
Bailey ;  Cla.ss-leaders,  Horace  Campbell,  Darius  Grout ; 
Stewards,  Nathan  Spicer,  Sidney  DjCjolia;  Clerk,  Rodney 
Van  Wormer.  The  estimated  value  of  tiie  church  property 
is  two  thou.sand  four  hundred  dollars,  one-half  of  which  is 
owned  Isy  the  Slethodists,  the  rest  being  held  by  outsiders 
(ir  members  of  other  denominations.     At  an  early  day  in 


the  history  of  the  church  a  Sabbath-school  was  organized 
by  the  Methodists.  The  Universalists  also  organized  one, 
but  in  a  short  time  they  were  both  merged  into  a  union 
school,  and  as  such  continued  almost  uninterruptedly  to  the 
present  time.  Sidney  De  Golia  is  now  and  has  been  for 
many  years  the  superintendent  of  the  .scliool,  and  has  kept 
it  in  a  prosperous  condition.  At  present  the  average  at- 
tendance is  from  forty  to  fifty,  and  the  school  lias  a  library 
of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  volumes. 

The  Universalists  had  pretty  regular  services  for  a  few 
years  after  1834,  but  not  since.  Among  their  ministers 
were  Revs.  Mr.  HoUister  and  Mr.  Aspinwall. 

PROTESTANT    METHODIST    CHURCH    OF    WEST    FORT    ANN. 

During  the  times  when  anti-Masoniy  was  at  its  height, 
a  diSerence  of  opinion  arose  in  the  Methodist  church,  and, 
partially,  at  least,  out  of  this  grew  a  society  of  Protestant 
Methodists,  who  organized  a  church,  and  built  a  house  of 
worship  a  little  southwest  of  the  present  residence  of  Ben- 
jamin Brown.  It  was  a  plain  wooden  structure,  thirty  by 
fifty  feet,  and  cost  from  eight  hundred  to  nine  hundred 
dollars.  Meetings  were  held  quite  regularly  till  about  1858, 
when  they  ceased.     In  1872  the  building  was  torn  down. 

Among  those  who  ministered  to  this  church  we  find  tlie 
names  of  Revs.  German,  Isman,  Munger,  George  Smith, 
Levi  Smith,  and  Peleg  Weaver. 

rRESliVTEltl.VN    CHURCH    OF    FORT    .VNN. 

This  society  was  organized  about  1823,  and  erected  a 
house  of  worship.  The  society,  always  weak,  at  last  became 
extinct,  and  tha  house  was  taken  down  and  removed  to 
Kingsbury. 

MILITARY. 

Among  the  soldiers  of  the  War  of  1812-15  who  went 
from  this  town  we  are  able  to  name  the  following,  viz. :  In 
Captain  Duty  Shumway's  company:  Calvin  Mason,  Jo.seph 
Farn.sworth,  Chester  Dewey,  Levi  Jenkins,  Bernice  Bab- 
cock,  Supply  Kingsley,  Solomon  Northern,  Samuel  Jenkins, 
Alexander  Hopkins,  Ebenezer  Farnsworth,  Jr.,  James 
Riley,  John  Aldrich,  Zephaniah  Baker,  John  Griswold, 
Jr.,  Darius  Martin,  Robert  Riley,  Preserved  Mason,  Garret 
Wray,  Oliver  Plumb. 

In  Captain  Fi-anklin  Haskins'  company:  Stephen  Grout, 
William  Chase,  Ellison  Chase,  Levi  Osgood,  Joel  Harvey, 
Joseph  Burgess,  William  Harvey,  Nalhau  Curtis,  Leonard 
Wine^ar,  Chester  Winegar,  John  Haskins,  Caleb  Thomp- 
son, Lieutenant  Periam  Thompson,  James  Farr,  Caleb 
Vaughan,   William    De  Golia,  Adjutant   John   De  Golia, 

Luther    Spalding,    Uriah    Sheldon,    Nathan    Brown,  

Brown,  Joel  Holmes,  lOnsign  Holmes,  Orderly  David 

Haskins,  John  Congdon,  Sylvester  Griswold,  Justin  Keats. 

In  other  companies:  Lieutenant  Benjamin  Eastman, 
Captain  Brewster  Coleman,  Colonel  Benjamin  Copeland, 
John  Palmer,  Rufus  Perry,  Henry  Bacon,  John  Hacon, 
Lawson  Fenton. 

In  1840  the  following  pensioners  were  living  in  the  town  : 
Moses  Harvey,  seventy-five ;  Sally  Root,  seventy-eight ; 
David  Butler,  fifty ;  George  Clark,  eighty-one ;  Lucinda 
Weller,  seventy-eight;  Israel  Lamb,  seventy-eight;  John 
Parish,  eighty-nine;  Samuel    Fenton,  eighty-three;    Ben- 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


311 


jamin  Cutter,  scventy-eiglit;  John  Granger,  sovcnty-iiine ; 
Jenkins  White,  seventy-nine;  Michael  IMason,  eighty; 
Jonatlian  Kingsley,  eighty  ;  John  Simmons,  seventy-nine  ; 
Dorcas  Goss,  eighty-seven ;  William  Pattison,  eighty ; 
Amos  Allen,  eighty-eight;  John  Baker,  eighty-four. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  men  who  serveil  in  the  war 
of  1801-05,  as  far  as  they  can  be  obtained  from  the  records 
of  the  town-clerk,  and  tlii^  printed  muster-in  rolls  of  the 
State : 


.F;<i:srli.f„r.rsalii 


.v.tso:!. 


Duvi.l  An.IeM.M.  eiil.  Aus.  0, 1802,  If.Otli  Kogt, 

Aiulivw  J.  AMricli,  c-iil.  Dec.  21,  l.sii:!,  intli  .\rl.,  Co.  I ;  ilisch.  Ail;;.  ISG.i. 

K.  C.  Bull, Corp.;  uril.  Aug.  Vi,  1S02,  123d  Rogt.,  C.i.  I);  pro.  Corp;  wouniluil  at 

Clmncellorsvilli' ;  prisoner;  disch.  June,  18C.'>. 
Cliarles  BlnncliiU-d,  cul.  July  30,  ISGi,  12:id  l{ogt.,  Co.  D;  discll.  June,  18(15. 
Edward  Blancliard.  eiil.  Aug.  22, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  diHoli.  J\iiie,  180.'). 
Orson  Briuor,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1802,  123d  Bcgt.,  O).  D;  wounded  at  Dallas,  Ga.; 

disch.  June,  1805. 
Grin  Belden,  enl.  Aug.  5, 1802, 121d  Ri-gt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June,  1805. 
Orestes  G.  Batchelder,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Uegt.,Co.  D;  defciilcd  as  hospital 

steward  ;  discll.  June,  8,  1805. 
Julius  B.  Brown,  enl.  Dec.  20,  1803,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Ang.  I80.'>, 
Kdward  Bell,  eol.  Dec.  10, 180!,  10th  Art.,  Co.  I;  discli.  Aug.  1805. 
Joseph  Barher,  enl.  Dec.  20, 1803,  lOth  Art.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Charles  Baitell,  enl.  Sept.  20,  1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Saniuol  0.  Benton,  sergt.;  enl.  AUi'.  23,  1802,  lO'Jth   llogt.,  Co.  Y;  die.l  from 

wounds,  March,  1803. 
Alexander  P.  Blowers,  enl.  Ang.  30, 1SC2,  IGOth  Uogt,  Co.  F;  lulled  at  Fort 

Fishor,  1805. 
John  W.  Burg.s3,  enl.  Aug.  27,  1S62,  lOOtli  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  disch.  June,  ISO.-.. 
Juhli  Baron,  capt. ;  enl.  Aug.  18C2, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  dismissed  for  absence  with- 
out leave,  Feb.  22,  1803. 
Norman  Baile.v,  enl.  1802;  disch.  for  disabilit.v. 

AiuoB  Bliinchiird,  enl.  Sept.  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  K  ;  discll.  Nov.  1805. 
Newell  Blanch  ird,  cul.  Sept.  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  Nov.  1805. 
Fayelte  Bush,  enl.  Dec.  U,  ISOI.Uld  Regt. ;  re-enl.  1863,  same  reg  ment;  discll. 

at  close  of  war. 
Duane  Baker,  enl.  2d  N.  Y.  Cav.;  disch.  for   disability;  1st  lieut.  Co.  E,  21st 

Cav.  ;  1804,  court-nnrtialed. 
Kiigene  M.  Baker,  gmluated  from  West  Point,  enl.  2d  Regt.  Cav.;  pro.  to  maj. 

and  brevet  lieut.-col. ;  served  through  the  war,  and  is  still  in  service. 
Henry  Brown,  enl.  1804, 131-1  Regt. ;  disch.  willi  regiment,  1805. 
0.  O.  Bailey,  2d  sergt. ;  enl.  Sept.  1802,  lOUtli  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  wounded  in  battle 

of  Cold  Harbor  ;  disch.  1SC5. 
Orville  G.  Brougliton,enl.  1802,  lOUth  Regt.;  died  in  hospital,  Djc.  1802. 
Leroy  L.  Barnaid,  enl.  Dec.  14, 1801,  9id  Begl.,  Co.  1;  Iraris.  to  Signal  Coips  in 

1803  ;  disch.  Dec.  14,  1804. 
James  Cunningham,  enl.  Aug.  !,,  1802, 123d  IVgt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  June  8,  ISOo. 
Marion  Cha<e,  enl  July  29,  1.S02,  123d  Regl.,  Co.  D;  disch.  Juno  8,  180.5. 
Daniel  Connore,  eul.  July  28,  1S112.  12id  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  July  8,  1805. 
Timothy  Crowley,  enl.  July  28,  1802,  123J  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  d.sch.  June  8,  1805. 
Horace  Chase,  enl.  July  20,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  di-'ch.  for  disability,  1803. 
Geinge  W.Chase,  enl.  Aug.  11,1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Win.  0.  Clark,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1SG2, 12  id  R-gt.,  Co  D ;  disch.  for  dis  ibility,  1803. 
Leonard  Corning,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1802,  12id  R"Bt.,  Co.  D  ;  pro.  Iiosp  tal  steward, 

regiment,  brig.xle,  and  division  ;  disch.  June  8,  1SC5. 
Wni.  Clements,  i-nl.  Nov.  10, 1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  L  ;  disch.  Willi  the  regiment, 

Nov.  1805. 
Dennis  Carroll,  enl.  Nov.  17, 1803, 2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  L  ;  disch.  Nov.  1SC5. 
Charles  Codner,  enl.  Nov.  10,  ISG-i,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  L ;  drscli.  Nov.  1805. 
Horace  B.  Coleman,  Corp.;  enl.  Dec.  28,  ISO  1,10th  Art.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  to  .sergt.; 

disch.  Aug.  1805. 
Hiram  I,.  Cook,  ciil.  Dec.  30, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I ;  trans,  to  2d  N.  Y.  Mounted 

Rifle.". 
Thomas  J.  Congdou,  enl.  Ang.  27,  1802,  lOOtli  Regt.,  Co.  F;  discll.  June,  1805. 
Horace  Chamberlain,  sergt.;  enl.  Ang.  20, 1802,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  F ;  killed  in 

fioi.t  of  Petersburg,  Va.,1804. 
Ira  Chamberbiin,  eul.  Aug.  21,  1802,  109th  Regt..  Co.  F;  wonuded  at  Cold  Har- 
bor; disch.  June,  1805. 
Wni.  H.  Cliase,  enl.  Aug.  30, 1802,  ICOth  Regt.,  Co.  F;  died  of  disease,  while  on 

furlough  at  home. 
James  Curve,  enl.  Jan.  2,  1804,  ICth  Ait.,  Co.  I;  discll.  Aug.  1805. 
David  Cunningham,  enl.  18C2,30tli  Regt.,  Co.  B  ;  klled  at  second  Bull  Run. 
James  Cr.iig,  onl.  1801,  30th  Regt. ;  disch.  lor  disaielily,  1802. 
Win.  Craig,  enl.  1804,  192d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  June,  1805. 
James  W.  Chase,  enl.  May  7,  ISOl,  22d   Regt.,  (!o.   II;  disch,  with  regiment, 
March,  1803  ;    ro-eiil.  Sept.  22,  1E03,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  K  ;    discll.  Nov. 

I8rw. 

Joseph  Claffe,  enl.  May,  1801,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  II  ;  disch.  June,  186!. 
Thomas  Dona,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  for  disability,  1863. 
Wallace  W.  Dean,  enl.  Dec.  24,  1803,  loth  Ai  t.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  1805. 
Edward  ncrby,  enl.  Jlarcli,  1SC4,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  Nov.  1805. 
Levi  Eaton,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  8,  18.05. 


Jeremiah  Finch,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Ck).  D;  killed  at  Chancellors- 

ville.  May  1, 1863. 
Andrew  J.  Fisher,  enl.  July  24, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  June  S,  18G5. 
John  Fuller,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  121d  liegt,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disability,  1803. 
Ransom  O.  Fisher,  corp.,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  12.!d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  accidentally 

killed  with  rev.dver,  Dec.  1803,  at  Bridgeport,  Ala. 
Leonard  Fish,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1862,  16'Jtll  Begl.,  Co.  F;  killed  in  front  of  Fort 

Darling,  Va. 
Daniel  Fo-s-y,  enl.  Dec.  20, 1801, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I;  disdi.  Aug.  10, 1865. 
George  Fisher,  enl  1804,  lOlll  Art.,  Co.  1  ;  ilisch.  Aug.  1865. 
J.din  Green,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1SG2, 12td  Regt.,  Co.  I) ;  dis.li.  r,n-  disability,  1803. 
Charles  Grout,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1802,  I2:id  Begt.,  Co.  1) ;  ..ic.l  of  disease,  June,  1SC3, 

in  Chattanooga. 
Amos  Green,  enl.  Aug.  :i(),  1802,  109th  Begt.,  Co.  F;  died  in  hospital  in  South 

Carolina. 
James  Goronin,  enl.  1SC4,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Ang.  1805. 
Win.  B.  Iliddleston,  enl.  Ang.  22,  1802, 123d  Kegt., Co.  D  ;  disch.  June  ,8,  1805. 
Peter  L.  Hiuskins,  enl.  Ang.  22,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  detailed  to  hospital 

service;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Wm.  Henderson,  enl.  July  30,  1802,  123d  Begt,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disability, 

1803. 
Oscar  F.  Hopkins,  enl.  Ang.  11, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Joel  Harvey,  eul.  Aug.  9,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D :  wounded  severely  at  Peach 

Tree  Creek,  July  20,  1803;  disch.  June  8,  186.5. 
John  Hall,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1862, 12:id  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  wounded  severely  at  Chau- 

celloraville,  Va.,  May  3,  1863  ;  discll.  June  8,  1805. 
Abial  Howard,  enl.  2d  Vermont  Cav.;  wounded  at  Bull  Run. 
James  Jenkins,  enl.  Dec.  21,  1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Ang.  1805. 
Virgil  D.  Jackson,  enl.  Ang.  20,  1802,  ICOth  Begt.,  Co.  F;  wolin.li-,1  in  front  of 

Petersburg;  disch.  June, 1805. 
Abncr  Jackson,  enl.  1862,  31st  U.S.  Colored  Regt,  Co.  E;  killed  in  front  of 

Petersburg,  July  30, 1804. 
Damon  Jackson,  enl.  1802,  31st  U.  S.  Colored  Begt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  Oct.  1805. 
Geo.  F.  I.  Kingsley, Corp.,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  discli.  for  dis- 
ability, isai. 
Alliert  Koech,  enl.  Ang.  24, 1802, 169th  Begt.,  Co,  F ;  died  in  hospital  in  1862. 
Slcplion  B.  Keech,  enl.  Aug.  28,  1802,  109th  R.-gt.,  Co.  F ;  wounded  in  front  of 

Fort  Darling,  Va.;  disch.  Aug.  1805. 
Ilirain  Keech,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  K  ;  discli.  with  regt.,  1865. 
Wm.  Keech,  enl.  1801,  2d  N.  Y.  Cav.;  died  in  liospital,  1862. 
Wm.  Keech,  Jr.,  enl.  Aug.  1802, 109th  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Augustus  Keech,  enl.  1803, 109tli  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  disch.  Ang.  1865. 
Wm.  H.  Looniis,  enl.  Aug.  2, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  ilisch.  Juno  8,  1805. 
J.  hn  Lesson,  eul.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  discll.  June  8, 1805. 
James  II.  Loomis,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802,  liid  Regt,  Co.  D ;  died  of  disease,  1863,  at 

Harper's  Ferry,  Va. 
Duncan  Laprairie,  corp. ;  onl.  Ang.  30, 1802, 109th  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  for  dis- 
ability. 
John  Laprairie,  enl.  Aug.  30, 1862,  lOOlh  Begt.,  Co.  F;  taken  prisoner  and  died 

at  Ander-onvdle  pii-son. 
Francis  Laprairie,  enl.  Aug.  30,  1862, 169th  Begt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  Aug.  1, 1805. 
Levi  La  Doo,  enl.  1802,  118tli  Begt.;  disch.  at  close  of  war. 
Louis  La  Doo,  enl.  May,  1861,  22d  Regt.;  killed  in  the  Shenandoah  valley. 
Mollis  Lyncii,  eul.  Aug.  1863,  lOUtli  Begt.,  Co  D;  taken  prisoner  in  front  of 

Petei-sbnrg;  discli.  1805. 
Isaac  McNutt,  enl.  July  30,  1802,  12:id  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  wounded  at  Chancellors- 

ville.  May  3,  1803;  died  of  wounds.  May  16,  1803,  at  Aquia  Creek,  Va. 
James  M.  Mattson,  enl.  Ang.  11,  1802,  12ad  Begt.,  Co.  D;  died  of  d.8eii6e,180;i. 
Albert  Malt.soii,  eul.  Ang.  11,  1802,  I23d  Begt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  lor  disability, 

1861. 
George  Matti.son,  enl.  July  28, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D:  died  of  disease,  1802. 
Eli  Mattisoii,  eul.  July  28,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  deUilod  as  bnlcher;  di>ch. 

June  8,  1805. 
Beiiben  W.  Martin,  enl.  Anp.  21,  1862, 122d  Regt., Co.  D;  died  of  disease,  1SC2. 
Walter  F.  Mai  tin,  enl.  Ang.  2,  1S02,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  pio.  to  Bergt.-miiJ.;  to 
lieiit.;   detailed  lor  staff  duly;  taken  piisoner  at  Gulp's  Farm,  UM; 
discll.  June  8,  1865. 
Win.  Mansfield,  enl.  Aug.  11,  180:),  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  E;  disch.  180.5. 
James  D.  Maransvilli',  Corp.;  cul.  Aug.  22,  1862,  ICOlh  Regl.,  Co.  F;    detailed 

for  hospilal  duly  ;  disch.  Aug.  1,  1805. 
John  B.  Malli.-on,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1862,  169lh  Regt.,  Co.  F;  diseli.  Aug.  1,  1865. 
Charles  Mix,  oOlh  Engineer^;  dis.  h.  1864. 

Horace  Mix,  Olltli  Eiigineel-s;  dolailud  as  liospital-sleward  ;  diseh.  1864. 
James  A.  Mix,  2d  Vet.  Cav.;   tak.-n   prisoner;   held  until  .b.s..  ..f  the  w.ir  at 

Alideisonvillc. 
Bobert  McViear,  2d  N.  Y.  Cav. 
John  McVicar,  2d  N.  Y.  Cav. 

Barney  McGiiire,  109th  Begt. ;  pro.  to  2il  lieut. ;  discll.  Aug.  1,  1805. 
George  McWhorter,  enl.  July  12,  1862,  liUtli  Regl.,  Co.  B;  di.ch.  1804;  re-enl. 
21st  N.  Y.  Cav.,  Co.  B;  disch.  July,  1800;  tttUen  p.isoner  lit  Antielain, 
liall's  Bluff,  and  second  Bull  Run. 
Albert  Nicholson,  eoip.;   eul.  Ang.  11,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;    wounded  at 
Chancellorevillc,  May  3,  1863;  taken  prisoner  in  Georgia,  and  remained 
a  p.isoner  till  alter  the  close  of  the  war. 
Charh-s  Nicholson,  cnl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  123d  Ibgt.,  Co.  D;  dis,  li.  for  di-abilily, 

1863. 
Marcus  Nelson  ;  w.mnded  at  Cdd  Harbor. 
Peter  V.  Orcutt,  enl.  Ang.  30,  1862,  109th  Begl.,  Co.  F;  discll.  lor  di. ability. 


312 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Ci-.irgo  P;ilti3on,  Corp.;  eiil.  Aug.  5, 1802,  ]i:id  Regt.,  Co.  D;  discli.  June  8, 

1806. 
Allen  Plue,  e[il.  Aug.  14, 1862,  123J  Regt.,  Co.  D;  trans,  for  one  year  to  Buttery 

F,  4tli  Art. ;  disch.  June  8,  18G5. 
James  L.  Perry,  cnl.  Sept.  24, 18(i3,  2(1.  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  L ;  died  in  hospital,  March, 

1861. 
Horace  Plue,  cnl.  Pec.  26, 1863,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Lrander  Pasco,  enl.  Dec.  HI,  186:!,  lOlli  Art.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Isaac  Plue,  22d  Kcgt. ;  killed  at  second  Bull  Run. 
Robert  Porlci-,  2d  N.  Y.  Cav. ;  wounded  in  cavalry  charge  ;  disch.  1865. 
Addison  Palraer,  cnl.  Sept.  24, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  Nov.  1865. 
Lorenzo  Palmer,  enl.  Sept.  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  K ;  wounded  on  Red  River 

expedition  ;  died  in  transportation. 
Edward  P.  Qninn,  2d  lieut.;  enl.  Aug.  1862,  liSd  Regt.,  Co.  D;  wounded  at 

Culp's  Farm,  June  22,  18G3;  disch.  June,  18G5. 
R.  P.  Ricli,  Corp.,  enl.  Aug.  11,  18C2,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disability, 

1863. 
Edward  Rice,  enl.  Atig.  22, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  died  of  disease,  at  Alex- 
andria, Dec,  1862. 
Page  Rowell,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123il  Regt.,  Co,  D  ;  disch.  for  disability,  1SG3. 
Kallianiel  S.  Rowell,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1862, 12:!il  Regt.,  Co.  D;  pro.  to  Corp.;  served 

one  year  iis  scout ;  disch.  June  8,  l»'6o. 
Scynn.ur  D.  Rich,  enl.  Aug.  2, 18C2, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Elijali  Ralhbun,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  169th  Begt.,  Co.  F ;  disch.  for  disablility, 

1864. 
James  Ramsey,  enl.  Dec.  31, 1863,  IGtIi  Kegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Ang.,  1S65. 
Edward  Rinmo,  enl.  April,  1804, 12;!d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  trans,  at  close  of  war  to 

COlh  N.  Y,  and  discli. ;  re-enl.  In  U.  S.  Regt.;  wounded  at  New  Orleans; 

pro.  to  com.  scrgt.;  died  in  Uartl'ord,  Jan.  1875. 
George  Rice,  5tli  Cav. 
Willis  Swilt,  Jr.,  Old.  scrgt.,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862,  12:ld  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  pro.  2d  lieut. 

Fel'.  22,  1863;  detailed  to  coniiuand  of  pioneer  and  ambulance  corps; 

disch.  June  8, 1805. 
Henry  Sartwell,  sergt.,  enl.  July  2B,  1802, 123d  Regt.  Co.  D ;  wounded  at  Chan- 

cillorsville,  May  3,  1803,  and  about  June  25,  1803,  at  Gulp's  Farm,  Ga. ; 

disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Julius  Swift,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  detailed  to  ambuhmoe  corps; 

disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Barney  Shnndley,  enl.  July  30,  1862,  12';d  R.-gt.,  Co.  D  ;  wounded  at  Peach  Tree 

creek.  July  20,  1863;  died  of  wounds  soon  alter. 
George  Sheldou,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Phinciis  M.  Spencci,  cnl.  Aug.  11,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disability, 

1863. 
Oliver  11.  Smith,  cnl.  Aug.  0, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  taken  prisoner  at  Cnlp's 

Farui.Ga.;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
L.-nt  Siiiilli,  enl.  Nov.  -ZT,  1863,  2d  Vet.  (;av.,  Co.  L ;  died  in  hospital  at  New  Or- 
leans. 
John  II.  Suiilh,  enl.  Nov.  17,  1803,  2il  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  L;  d:ed  iii  hospiliil  at  New 

Orlc.ms. 
Robert  F.  Sutlierland,  enl.  Dec.  22.  ISO.i,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  1 ;  discli.  Aug.  1805. 
George  Steves,  eiil.  Ang,  2S,  1802,  lOJlli  liegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  lor  disal.ilily. 
Gilbert  Steves,  enl.  .\ug.  31,  1802,  lOlltli  Kegt.,  Co  F;  di.-^cli.  Aug.  1,  1805, 
Smith  Sieves,  enl.  Ang.  28,  1802,  I69tli  Kegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  .\ug.  1865. 
Jlerrill  Swilt,  enl.  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav,,  Co.  D  ;  di.ich.  Willi  regiment,  1865. 
David  Swilt,  enl.  Feb.  1861,  5tli   Kcgt.  Cav.,  Co.  G;  served  three  years;  re-eul. 

Maicli,  ISO  ,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  1);  disch.  1865. 
Luther  Swift,  enl.  March,  1864, 2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D;  disch.  with  regiment,  1805. 
Darius  Sheldon,  enl.  1st  Refit.  Cav.;  died  in  Washington  in  hospital. 
Steplien  M.  Sutherland,  enl.  1861,  2id  Regt ,  Co.  II ;  disch.  1803. 
Jas.  1!.  Smilh,  enl.  Dec.  1S04,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I  ;  disch.  1805. 
llyi-oii  Trowbridge,  enl.  Ang,  9,  1802,  121d  Kegt,,  Co.  D. 
Will.  Thompson,  2d  lieut.,  enl.  1803,  2d  Mich.  Cav. 
Gamaliel  Tliompsun,  quartennaster's  department,  enl.  1803. 
James   Tliom|.soli,   lieut.,  cnl.  Aug.,  1802,  109lh  Ke^t.;  pro.  to  capt.;  di-cli. 

1!-01:  courtmaitial. 
Jaiue.s  Taylor,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  wounded  in  battle. 
Job  Vaughan,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Kegt,,  Co.  D;  i>ro.  to  sergt. ;  iletaileil  lo 

color  guard  ;  disih.  June  8,  1865. 
Frank  Van   W.u-lner,  drummer,  eul.  Aug.   II,  IS02,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
Arlhnr  Vaughan,  enl.  .Tan.  4,  1861,  loth  Art., Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.lS05. 
A>hel  S.  Vaughan,  enl.  Jan.  4,  1SG4,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I ;  diseh.  Ang.  186.5. 
Fayette  Vaughan,  cnl.  1804,  lOlh  Art.,  Co.  I  ;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Albert  Woodrulf,  ciup.,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1802,  123.1  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  woumleil  at  Cass- 

v. lie,  Ga.,  about  May  18,1863;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
('harles  Welch,  cnl.  Ang.  22,1802,  123d  R.),,t.,  Co.  D;  detailed  to  ambulance 

corps;  diseh.  June  8,  1>05. 
Daniel  Wagner,  enl,  Ang,  0,  1862,  123d  Regt,,  Co.  D  ;  diseh.  June  8, 18li5. 
Jas.  F.  Wallace,  enl.  July  20,  1802,  12  id  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  diseh.  June  8, 1805. 
Theodore-  Williams,  enl.  Ang.  4,  1.802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  d  sell.  June  8,  1805. 
Philip  M.-Whorter,  enl.  Ang.  f,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disability, 

1863. 
Lewis  Walker,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  di.sch.  f..r  disability,  186.1. 
Elihu  Wilson,  enl.  Dec.  23,  1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co  I;  was  ftret  in  31th  Inf. 
Am.w  Wheeler,  enl.  Oct.  l(i,  1801,  77lh  Kejit.,  Co.  K. 
Weston  F.  Warner,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  IG'.ltli  Kegt ,  c,,,  V-  pro.  lo  old.  sergt.; 

diseh.  Ang.  I,  1805. 


Elijah  Webster,  enl.  Aug.  20,  18G2,  IGOlh  Regt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  Aug.  1,  1865. 
James  Wliitlie,  enl.  Dee.  29, 1863,  16th  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  1866. 
Rollln  Wymali,  22d  Regt.,  C.i.  II ;  killed  at  second  Bull  Run. 
Will.  Waltei-s,  cnl.  1862,  31st  U.  S.  Coloretl  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  Oct.  1866. 
Low  Washburn,  enl.  Dec.  180.!,  IGlh  .\rt,;  pro,  lieut.  of  Co.  I. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


JOHN    HALL. 

Jolin  Iliill  and  Ectliiali,  liis  wife,  came  fiom  near  London, 
England,  in  the  early  settlement  of  this  country.  They 
settled  in  (and  were  among  the  founders  of  the  chureh  in) 
Charlestown,  which  afterwards  became  the  first  church  in 
Boston,  Mass.  They  left  Benjamin,  he  Capt.  Wm.  Hall,  who 
died  in  Mansfield,  Conn.,  in  1727.  His  son,  Theophilus, 
married,  in  1717,  Ruth,  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  Sear- 
gent,  and  left  Nathaniel,  who  married,  in  1745,  Martiia 
Storrs,  daughter  of  Captain  S;imuel  Storrs,  of  Mansfield, 
Conn.  They  left  Nathaniel,  Jr.,  who  married,  in  1768, 
Mehctabel,  daughter  of  Cornelius  Storrs.  They  left  Mans- 
field and  settled  in  Lebanon,  N.  H.,  where  Dr.  Ira  Hall, 
of  Granville,  Waishington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  was  born,  December 
10, 1773.  After  graduating  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1793, 
he,  at  twenty-one  years  of  age,  left  his  home  in  Lebanon, 
came  on  horseback  to  Granville,  N.  Y. ;  there  taught  school 
at  ten  dollars  per  month,  studied  medicine,  and  married,  in 
1795,  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Peter  and  P^sthcr  Parker  (the 
Parker  family  came  from  Farmington,  Conn.).  He  died  in 
181 G;  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  given  by  him  to  the 
Ma.sonic  fraternity  from  the  farm  then  owned  by  him,  now 
known  as  the  Temple  farm.  Rebecca,  his  wife,  was  born 
in  1777;  died  in  Granville  in  1847.  He  left  seven  sons, 
viz. :  Ira,  born  in  1798,  died  in  Fort  Ann,  N.  Y.,  in  1873; 
Silas,  born  in  1800,  died  in  Granville  in  1872;  Edwin, 
born  in  1802,  died  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  1877;  Horace,  born 
in  1804,  died  in  Granville  in  1825;  Lyman,  born  in  180G, 
died  in  Granville  in  1828;  Sidney,  born  in  1812,  living; 
Storrs,  born  in  1814,  living. 

Ira  removed  to  Fort  Ann,  N.  Y.,  and  married,  in  1819, 
Rachel,  daughter  of  Judali  and  Mary  (Polly)  Thompson. 
Judah  was  a  son  of  Caleb  Thompson,  of  Stamford,  Dutchess 
Co.,  N.  Y. ;  Mary,  the  daughter  of  John  Harris,  of  North 
East,  Dutches  Co.,  N.  Y.  Rachel  was  born  in  1798  ; 
died  in  1873.  They  had  children,  viz. :  Edward,  born  in 
1823,  died  1848;  Horace,  born  in  1825,  died  while  on 
his  way  to  California*  in  1849;  Silas,  born  in  1827, 
living;  Lyman,  born  in  1829,  living;  John,  born  in 
1833,  living;   Abigail,  born  in  1838,  died  in  1847. 

John  married,  in  1858,  Nancy,  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Ann  Hopkins,  of  Fort  Ann;  is  now  cashier  of  the  banking- 
house  of  John  Hall  ct  Co.,  Fort  Ann,  N.  Y. 

Robert  Hopkins,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  John  Hall,  was  a 
soldier ;  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  surrender  of  the  fort  at 
Fort  Ann,  taken  to  Canada,  and  there  held  three  years.  After 
the  war  he  came  back  to  Fort  Ann,  and  settled  on  the  i'arm 
where  he  died  and  where  Mrs.  Hall  was  born. 

John    Harris,  before   mentioned,  came  in   an  early  day 

«  At  Plaltc  Citv,  Mo. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


313 


with  his  fiiniily,  and  settled  in  this  county  near  what  is 
now  Kingsbury  street.  Was  driven  off  by  the  Indians  when 
his  daughter  Mary  was  about  throe  years  old,  her  mother 
taking  her  on  horseback.  The  family  thus  escaped,  going  to 
Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.  None  returned  until  Mary  married 
Judali  Thompson,  when,  receiving  from  her  father  a  deed 
for  a  part  of  what  was  known  as  the  Harris  tract,  they 
came  to  Fort  Ann  and  settled  thereon,  where  tlieir  sons, 
Israel  and  Leonard  Thompson,  now  reside.  Harris,  after 
going  to  Dutchess  county,  manufactured  what  was  widely 
known  as  the  Harris  scythe. 

In  all  the  long  list  of  this  Hall  family  we  find  none  ex- 
tremely poor,  nor  one  not  prompt  in  all  payments  or  who 
failed  to  pay  every  debt  in  full.  This  con.servatism  in 
financial  matters  has  come  to  be  a  family  trait  of  which 
they  arc  justly  proud. 


ISRAEL   THOMPSON. 

Caleb  Thompson,  grandfather  of  Israel,  moved  from  Con- 
necticut, and  settled  at  an  early  day  in  Dutchess  Co  ,  N.  Y. 
His  father,  Judah  Thompson,  was  born  there,  March  25, 
17G7.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  went  to  Schoharie 
county,  where  he  remained  one  or  two  years.  Returning 
to  Dutchess,  he  married  Mary  Harris,  daughter  of  John 
Harris,  of  Pine  Plains,  Dutchess  Co.  After  marriage  he 
returned  to  Schoharie,  where  he  remained  one  year.  He 
then  moved  to  Washington  county,  and  settled  on  the 
farm  still  owned  and  occupied  by  his  sons,  Israel  and 
Leonard  Thompson.  Their  children  were  as  follows :  Ca- 
leb, Rachel,  John  H.,  Israel,  Rhoda,  Leonard,  Joel,  Mary 
Ann,  and  Betsey.  Caleb,  Rachel,  Joel,  and  Mary  Ann  are 
decea.sed.  John  H.  is  a  farmer,  living  in  Fort  Ann. 
Leonard  is  joint  owner  with  Israel  of  the  homestead  farm 
in  West  Fort  Ann.  Rhoda,  wife  of  John  Hanna,  lives  at 
Ilerndon,  Fairfax  Co.,  Va.  Betsey,  wife  of  Abner  Baker, 
also  lives  near  Ilerndon.  The  father  died  Feb.  28,  1829  ; 
the  mother,  Blarch  23,  1850.  Both  are  buried  in  the 
West  Fort  Ann  burying-ground. 

Israel  Thompson  was  born  at  the  homestead.  West  Fort 
Ann,  Sept.  28,  1803.  Received  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  in  the  Granville 
and  Fort  Ann  academics.  In  1830,  in  company  with 
Franklin  Haskins,  John  Spalding,  and  Isaac  Mix,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  iron  into  anchors  at  West 
Fort  Ann.  Remained  in  connection  with  the  enterprise 
four  years.  Three  years  thereafter  he  traveled  in  the 
southern  and  western  States.  Returning  to  Fort  Ann, 
in  connection  with  his  brother  Leonard  he  bought  out  the 
other  heirs  in  the  home  farm,  which  comprised  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres,  since  which  they  have  carried  on  the 
farm. 

Mr.  Thompson  married,  Oct.  25,  1837,  Martha  Ann 
Baker,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Baker,  who  were 
natives  of  Massachusetts, — the  father  of  Fall  River,  the 
mother  of  Rehoboth.  Their  children  were  Martha  Ann  ; 
Royal  W.,  farmer  in  Fort  Ann  ;  William,  deceased;  Gama- 
liel Ingham,  graduated  from  Union  College,  studied  law 
with  Daniel  Law,  of  New  York  city,  and,  after  one  year  of 
practice,  died  there ;  Sarah,  wife  of  Norman  S.  Field,  dc- 
40 


ceased  ;  and  Mary  Eliza,  second  wife  of  Norman  S.  Field. 
Mrs.  Thompson  was  born  Jan.  30,  1815,  in  Fort  Ann. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson's  children  are  as  follows : 
William  B.,  born  Aug.  27,  1838 ;  superintendent  of  the 
postal  service  office  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Gamaliel  Ing- 
ham, born  April  11,  1813;  banker  in  Hudson,  Michigan. 
Royal  Wheeler,  born  Oct.  8,  184-1;  postal  clerk  on  railroad 
from  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  to  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Norman  Field, 
born  Nov.  10,  1847,  died  Dec.  7,  1848.  Sarah  Baker, 
born  Jan.  20,  1850  ;  living  at  home.  George  Whitfield, 
born  April  21, 1853  ;  died  Aug.  23, 1855.  Leonard  Jud- 
son,  born  Sept.  23,  1859  ;  died  Nov.  13,  1862. 

Mr.  Thompson  has  filled  the  offices  of  highway  commis- 
sioner and  township  supervisor.  In  politics  he  was  a  Jack- 
son Democrat,  but  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican 
party  since  its  organization.  He,  with  his  brother  Leon- 
ard, are  counted  among  the  most  substantial  farmers  in 
Fort  Ann  township. 


B.  J.  LAWRENCE 

was  born  in  Fort  Ann,  March  21,  1823,  the  second  child 
of  Hiram  and  Mary  Lawrence.  He  descended  from  Uriah 
Lawrence,  son  of  Sir  John  Lawrence,  who  married  the 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Effingham,  and  settled  on  Long 
Island.  His  grandfather,  Jonathan  Lawrence,  was  born 
March  31,  1751,  and  married  Eunice  Lawrence  in  1772. 
They  had  children  as  follows  :  Uriah,  born  Dec.  30,  1776, 
a  physician;  Pamelia,  born  Dec.  21,  1779,  wife  of  David 
Wood,  deceased;  Fanny,  born  Oct.  25,  1781,  wife  of 
Reuben  Skinner;  Hiram,  born  Jan.  22,  1786;  Allothea, 
born  March  2,  1788,  wife  of  Samuel  Todd;  Phebe,  born 
Nov.  25,  1790,  wife  of  Jonathan  Todd,  brother  of  Samuel. 
All  are  decea,sed.  Hiram  Lawrence,  father  of  B.  J.,  was 
born  in  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived  until  eleven 
years  of  age,  when  his  father  (in  1797)  moved  to  Fort 
Ann,  and  settled  near  the  present  residence  of  B.  J. 
I/awrence.  After  his  father's  death  (which  occurred  in 
1802),  at  the  ago  of  sixteen,  he  came  into  the  management 
of  the  form,  and  so  continued  till  his  death,  which  occurred 
Jan.  23,  1854.  He  was  twice  married  ;  first  to  Unity 
Thomas,  Jan.  22,  1817,  by  whom  he  had  one  child, 
William  Thomas,  born  Nov.  19,  1817,  died  March  18, 
1818.  His  wife  died  Jan.  16,  1818.  He  married  Mary 
Butler  Griffin  for  his  second  wife,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children,  viz.,  Mary  B.,  born  Oct.  21,  1820,  died  April 
27,  1853 ;  B.  J.,  .subject  of  this  sketch ;  Pamelia  Woods, 
born  June  20,  1825,  married,  Jan.  7,  1847,  to  A.  S. 
Turner,  living  in  Elmira,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  B.  J.  Lawrence  inherited  from  his  father  the  home- 
farm  of  five  hundred  acres,  one  of  the  finest  in  Washington 
county,  and  has  followed  farming  all  his  days.  He  was 
educated  at  the  Granville  Academy,  under  the  instruc- 
tions of  I]li  Mack,  a  prominent  educator  in  that  section. 
Upright  in  all  his  dealings,  liberal  towards  all  public  and 
benevolent  enterprises,  of  a  genial  disposition,  IMr.  Lawrence 
enjoys  the  esteem  and  good-will  of  all  who  know  him. 
He  was  never  married.  A  representation  of  his  fine  farm- 
house, with  portraits  of  himself  and  father,  appear  OQ 
another  page  of  this  work. 


rORT     EDWARD. 


The  town  of  Fort  Edward  lies  on  the  west  border  of 
Washinjiton  county,  south  of  its  longitudinal  centre.  It  is 
joined  by  Kingsbury  on  the  north,  Argyle  on  the  east,  and 
Greenwich  on  the  south,  while  its  entire  western  boundary, 
against  the  county  of  Saratoga,  is  formed  by  the  Hudson 
river. 

In  the  east  are  ridgy  highlands,  broken  with  abrupt  de- 
clivities. Passing  west  from  these,  we  find  less  elevated 
lands,  with  undulating  surface ;  and  on  the  western  side  of 
the  town,  along  the  river,  is  a  broad  extent  of  level  land. 
Of  .streams,  the  next  in  size  to  the  Hudson  is  the  Moses 
Kill,  which  enters  the  southeast  part  of  the  town  from  Ar- 
gyle,  and,  passing  in  an  exceedingly  tortuous  course  for  a 
distance  of  about  seven  miles,  and  receiving  a  small  tribu- 
tary from  the  northeast,  flows  into  the  great  river.  Fort 
Edward  creek,  a  small  stream  which  enters  the  river  at 
the  village,  comes  into  this  town  from  Kingsbury,  where  it 
is  known  as  Moss  brook.  In  that  portion  of  the  river 
which  borders  the  town  are  five  islands,  viz.,  Munroe's 
island,  containing  42  acres ;  Bell's  island  (opposite  Black 
House),  3  acres ;  Taylor's,  70  acres ;  Galusha's,  30  acres  ; 
and  Payne's,  3  acres.  Tiie  Champlain  canal  traverses  the 
entire  length  of  the  town,  running  parallel  to  the  river  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  distance,  and  is  joined  by  the  Glen's 
Falls  feeder  near  the  Kingsbury  line.  The  route  of  the 
llensselaer  and  Saratoga  railroad  lies  diagonally  across  the 
northwestern  corner,  and  passes  over  the  river  from  the  vil- 
lage into  the  county  of  Saratoga. 

The  locality  of  the  present  village  of  Fort  Edward, 
being  at  the  southerly  terminus  of  the  portage,  between  the 
Hudson  and  the  waters  of  the  lake,  was  universally  known 
as  "  the  great  carrying-place,"  and  became  a  most  important 
strategic  point  and  base  of  military  operations  from  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  seventeenth  century  until  near  the  close  of 
the  Revolution.  The  first  pas-sage  of  organized  English 
or  colonial  forces  through  this  wilderness  of  pine  forests 
was  that  of  a  thousand  New  York  and  Connecticut  troops, 
under  General  Fitz-John  Wirithrop,  who  marched  from 
Albany  in  the  summer  of  1090,  with  the  object  of  in- 
vading Canada  and  capturing  Jlontrcal  in  retaliation  for 
the  then  recent  destruction  of  the  settlement  of  Schenec- 
tady. 

This  expedition,  with  the  minor  ones  of  the  two  Schuy- 
lers,  and  those  of  General  Nicholson  in  "  Queen  Anne's 
War,"  are  fully  described  in  the  general  history  which 
begins  this  book.  Their  principal  connection  with  Fort 
Edward  lies  in  the  fact  that  they  pa.ssed  through  it.  The 
troops  of  General  Nicholson,  however,  built  a  fort  there  in 
1811),  which  was  called  Fort  Nicholson.  It  was  desti'oyed 
on  the  retreat  of  the  army  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  and 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  rebuilt  during  the  second  ex- 
314 


pedition  of  Nicholson,  in  1811.  The  locality,  however,  was 
called  Fort  Nicholson  for  a  long  time  afterwards.* 

The  territory  which  now  forms  the  town  of  Fort  Edward 
was  covered  by  that  remarkable  grant  to  the  Ilev.  God- 
fredius  Dellius,  the  granting  and  nullification  of  which  are 
also  set  forth  at  length  in  the  general  history. 

The  "Schuyler  patent,"  granted  July  IS,  1740,  and  the 
triangular  patent  of  thirteen  hundred  acres,  granted  to 
Stephen  Bayard,  July  1,  1743,  covered  four-fifths  of  the 
present  town,  the  last  named  extending  north  to  about  the 
centre  of  the  present  village,  and  both  being  laid  upon  the 
nullified  Dellius  patent.  But  in  the  mean  time.  Colonel 
John  Henry  Lydius,  son  of  Ilev.  John  Lydius,  to  whom 
Mr.  Dellius  is  supposed  to  have  transferred  his  title,  being 
in  nowise  inclined  to  yield  up  his  claims  as  his  father's  heir, 
but  dispo.sed  rather  to  fortify  them  by  the  nine  points  of 
possession,  entered  upon  the  lands,  built  a  house,  and 
located  with  his  family  at  old  Fort  Nicholson  ;  this  being, 
so  far  as  is  positively  known,  the  first  settlement  made  within 
the  limits  of  Washington  county,  and  his  daughter  Catha- 
rine being  the  first  white  child  born  within  those  limits.f 

Colonel  Lydius  here  opened  a  trade  with  the  Indians, 
which  it  may  be  reasonably  inferred  was  a  profitable  one. 
It  has  also  been  said  that  he  engaged  in  lumbering,  and 


-  Forty  years  after  the  construction  of  this  fortification,  the  Swedish 
naturalist  Kaim,  passing  this  way  on  a  scientific  tour  from  the  lower 
settlements  to  Can.ada  hy  way  of  Lake  Champlain,  mailc  a  halt  of 
several  hours  for  rest  at  Fort  Nicholson,  lie  also  traced  the  old  mil- 
itary road,  though  it  was  overgrown,  and  in  many  places  nearly  ob- 
literated. In  his  narrative  of  that  journey,  he  pays,  "  Above  the  fall 
{near  Fort  Saratoga)  the  river  is  very  deep  again  j  the  water  glides 
along  silently,  and  increases  suddenly  near  the  shores.  After  rowing 
several  miles  we  passed  another  waterfall  (at  Fort  Miller),  which  is 
longer  and  more  dangerous  than  the  preceding  one.  .  .  .  We  intended 
to  have  gone  quite  up  to  Fort  Nicholson  in  the  canoe,  which  would 
have  betn  a  great  convenience  to  us,  but  we  found  it  impossible  to 
get  over  this  upper  fall,  the  canoe  being  heavy,  and  scarce  any  water 
in  the  river,  except  in  one  place,  where  it  flowed  over  the  rock,  ami 
where  it  was  impossible  to  get  up  on  account  of  the  steepness  of  the 
fall.  We  were  .accordingly  obliged  to  leave  our  canoe  here,  and  to 
carry  our  baggage  through  unfrequented  woods  to  Fort  Anne,  on  the 
river  Woodereek.  .  .  .  All  the  land  passed  over  this  afternoon  was 
almost  level,  and  entirely  covered  with  tall  and  thick  forest,  in  which 
we  continually  met  with  trees  which  were  fallen  down,  because  no  one 
made  the  least  use  of  the  woods.  We  passed  the  night  in  the  midst 
of  the  forest,  plagued  with  mosquitoes,  gnats,  and  wood-lice,  and  in 
fear  of  all  kinds  of  snakes."  The  level  and  heavily-timbered  lands 
alluded  to  were  those  on  the  cast  side  of  the  river,  between  Fort  Mil- 
ler and  Fort  Edward  vill.age. 

t  Catharine  Lydius,  born  where  Fort  Edward  village  now  is,  mar- 
ried Henry  Cuyler,  of  Greenbush,  and  became  the  mother  of  four  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Her  two  eldest  sons  entered  the  British  service, 
one  becoming  a  captain  in  the  navy,  and  the  other  a  colonel  in  (he 
army.  The  third  son,  an  oflficer  in  the  American  service,  was  killed 
in  the  War  of  1S12,  and  the  youngest  probably  remained  a  private 
citizen.     Their  mother  died  iu  Greenbush,  about  ISIS. 


IILSTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


that  he  built  a  saw-mill,  with  a  wing-ilaiii  nlIlMin^■  IVdiii  the 
cast  shore  to  the  island  ;  but  this  is  doubtless  an  error.  If 
he  had  built  a  mill  at  all,  he  would  not  have  been  likely  to 
select  so  ineligible  a  site  in  preference  to  the  excellent  ones 
which  offered  themselves  a  little  farther  up  the  river.  It 
is  probable  that  his  lumbering  operations  (if  any)  were 
confined  to  the  cutting  of  a  few  logs  along  the  river  and 
floating  them  to  points  below.  Through  this  traffic,  and 
his  connection  with  the  Dellius  grant,  the  colonel  became 
quite  widely  known,  and  his  trading-post  often  received  the 
designation  of  "  Fort  Lydius."  The  settlement,  however, 
was  destined  to  be  short  lived;  for  in  November,  1745,  the 
year  succeeding  the  opening  of  the  first  French  war,  it  was 
attacked  and  burned  by  French  and  Indians,  under  Marin, 
and  the  sou  of  Colonel  Lydius  was  carried  away  a  prisoner 
to  Canada.  From  this  time,  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  the 
place  remained  uninhabited  and  desolate.* 

In  the  summer  of  1755,  the  second  year  of  what  is  dis- 
tinctively known  as  the  "  old  French  war,"  a  new  expedi- 
tion having  been  planned  again.st  Crown  Point,  under  Gen- 
eral Williaiu  Johnson,  this  locality  again  became  the  scene 
of  martial  enterprise.  The  expedition  itself  is  sufficiently 
de!3cribed  in  the  general  history.  Suffice  it  to  say  here, 
that  in  July  the  advance-guard,  under  General  Phineas 
Lyman,  erected  a  new  fortification  upon  the  old  site  of 
Fort  Nicholson,  in  the  northern  angle  formed  by  the  river 
and  the  creek  at  their  confluence.  Its  construction  was  of 
earth  and  timber,  with  ramparts  twenty-two  feet  thick  and 
sixteen  feet  high,  and  with  a  deep  moat  protecting  the  front 
stream  to  stream.  Its  form  was  quadrangular,  with  three 
bastions,  the  fourth  angle  being  covered  by  the  river.  The 
work  mounted  six  guns,  and  within  its  inclosure  were 
erected  barracks,  hospital,  storehou.se,  and  magazine.  A 
postern  gate  at  the  rear  angle  opened  on  the  river,  and  a 
bridge  was  thrown  across  the  creek  near  its  mouth.  Bar- 
racks and  storehouses  were  also  erected  on  the  island  in  the 
river  opposite.  The  fortification  was  named  for  the  general 
who  superintended  its  construction.  Fort  Lyman,  but  Gen- 
eral Johnson,  the  commander  of  the  army,  afterwards  re- 
christened  it  Fort  Edward,  in  honor  of  Edward,  Duke  of 
York,  grandson  of  the  then  reigning  sovereign,  and  biother 
of  George  III.,  thus  naming  not  only  the  fortress  and  mili- 
tary post,  but  also  the  future  town  and  village. 

This  was  a  more  formidable  defensive  work  than  any 
which  had  previously  been  erected  in  this  part  of  the 
province,  and  it  became  a  point  of  leading  importance  in 
the  military  movements  which  crowd  the  annals  of  this 
section  for  the  ensuing  quarter  of  a  century.  Few  traces 
of  the  old  rampart  and  fosse  can  now  be  seen,  but  a  vener- 
able cotton  wood-tree  still  stands  like  an  unrelieved  sentinel 
over  the  place,  and  yearly  .sheds  its  balsamic  fleece  upon 
the  neighboring  dwellings,  just  as  of  old  it  was  scattered 
over  Nicholson,  Johnson,  Putnam,  and  Webb, — on  eagle 
and  chicken  heart  alike. 

A  substantial  military  road  was  constructed  from  Fort 
Lyman,  or  Edward,   o  the  head  of  Lake  George,  and  south- 


*  One  account,  however,  has  it  that  Colonel  Lydius  returned,  built 
a  stone  house  on  the  south  side  of  Fort  BUivard  creek,  reopened  his 
Indian  trade,  and  realized  great  gains  therefrom  ;  but  we  have  re- 
garded this  as  of  extremely  doubtful  authenticity. 


ward  to  Fort  Miller  and  the  lower  posts;  this  latter  sec- 
tion being  on  the  Saratoga  side  of  the  river,  and  not  over 
the  route  of  the  old  road  of  1709.  It  should  also  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  defensive  work  erected  by  Colonel  Sillier, 
about  the  same  time,  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson, 
opposite  to  the  village,  which  now  bears  its  naiue. 

In  the  general  history  arc  also  detailed  at  length  the 
operations  of  Winslow's  army  in  1756,  the  humiliating 
scenes  enacted  at  Fort  Edward  under  the  eye  of  the  wretched 
Webb  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  Fort  William  Henry  in 
1757,  and  the  subsequent  operations  of  Abcrcrouibie  and 
Amheiist.  We  give  place,  however,  to  two  minor  incidents, 
occurring  at  Fort  Edward,  in  both  of  which  that  gallant 
Connecticut  soldier  and  farmer,  Israel  Putnaiu,  was  the 
chief  actor. 

After  the  disbanding  of  Webb's  army,  in  the  autumn  of 
1757,  the  command  of  the  fort  was  given  to  General  Ly- 
man, who  set  about  repairing  and  strengthening  the  de- 
fenses. In  prosecuting  this  work,  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  laborers  had  been  detailed  to  cut  timber  upon  the  low 
ground  to  the  eastward  of  the  fort,  and  a  force  of  one  hun- 
dred men,  under  Captain  Little,  posted  as  a  guard  to  pro- 
tect them  at  their  work.  One  morning,  in  August,  the 
sentinel  upon  an  advanced  post  thought  he  saw  a  number 
of  birds  sailing  swiftly  along  near  the  ground  and  directly 
towards  him,  nor  was  ho  undeceived  until  an  Indian  arrow 
struck  in  the  trunk  of  a  tree  at  his  side.  The  truth  was  then 
apparent !  A  party  of  savages  had  crept  up  under  cover, 
with  the  intention  of  silently  murdering  the  sentinel,  and 
tlien  taking  the  guard  and  the  laborers  by  surprise.  The 
man  discharged  his  piece,  and  fell  back  on  the  main  body. 
The  laborers  fled  and  gained  the  shelter  of  the  fort ;  but 
Captain  Little  and  his  men  were  not  equally  fortunate,  as 
General  Lyman — fearing  a  stratagem  and  an  attack  on  foot 
— had  closed  the  gates  again.st  them ;  their  situation  was  be- 
coming exceedingly  critical,  when  Major  Putnam,  who  had 
been  stationed  on  the  island,  waded  ashore  with  his  men  on 
hearing  the  musketry,  and  hurried  to  their  assistance.  As 
Putnam  passed  the  fort,  the  general  called  from  the  par- 
apet, ordering  him  to  stop ;  but  he  remembered  Webb  and 
William  Henry,  and  General  Lyman  might  as  well  have 
shouted  his  command  to  the  rushing  waters  of  the  Hudson. 
The  savages  recoiled  and  fled  before  the  determined  a.ssault 
of  the  rangers,  Captain  Little  was  extricated  from  his  peril, 
and  Putnam  returned  to  the  island  without  so  much  as  a 
reprimand  for  his  disobedience  of  orders.  The  locality  of 
this  fight  was  upon  the  low  ground  south  and  southwest  of 
the  present  Milliman  house. 

Another  incident,  which  occurred  at  Fort  Edward  during 
the  following  winter,  illustrates  still  more  remarkably  the 
dauntless  .courage  of  this  unassuming  Connecticut  major. 
The  barracks  within  the  fort  accidentally  took  fire  near  the 
northeast  bastion.  The  building  was  highly  combustible, 
and  its  opposite  end  stood  only  twelve  feet  from  the  maga- 
zine, in  which  were  stored  three  hundred  barrels  of  powder. 
The  situation  was  one  of  extreme  peril,  and  Colonel  Ilavi- 
land,  then  in  command,  ordered  the  guns  of  the  fort  to  play 
on  the  barracks  to  demolish  them  and  check  the  fire,  but  it 
was  without  avail.  Putnam,  still  on  the  island,  heard  the 
cannouade  and  came  to  the  rescue.     He  at  once  formed  a 


316 


HISTORY   OF   ^YAS^INGTON    COUxNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


bucket  line  to  tlie  river,  and  himself  entered  the  infernal 
gap  between  the  fire  and  the  powder ;  and  there  he  re- 
mained emptying  the  buckets  as  they  came  to  him,  regard- 
less alike  of  the  awful  peril,  the  entreaties  of  the  command- 
ing officer,  and  the  overpowering  heat,  until,  at  the  end  of 
an  hour  and  a  half,  the  barracks  were  consumed  so  that 
the  flames  subsided  and  the  magazine  was  saved ;  though 
from  the  burns  and  injuries  received  in  that  fiery  fight  the 
liero  was  prostrated  in  the  hospital  for  many  days.  It  was 
an  exploit  at  which  we  never  cease  to  marvel,  even  while 
remembering  that  the  actor  was  Israel  Putnam. 

After  the  defeat  of  Aborcrorabie  at  Ticondcroga,  on  the 
5th  of  July,  1758,  the  soldiers  of  his  army  were  brought 
back  to  Fort  lidward.  They  began  to  arrive  about  the 
lOth  of  the  month,  and  the  melancholy  procession  con- 
tinued until  all  who  were  able  to  bear  removal  from  the 
lake  were  collected  here,  filling  the  hospital  with  ghastly, 
mutilated  wrecks  of  humanity,  who  died  by  hundreds. 
Among  the  desperately  wounded  who  were  brought  here 
from  Ticouderoga  was  IMajor  Duncan  Campbell,  of  the 
Forty-second  Highlanders,  who  languished  in  misery  for  a 
week  until  relieved  by  death.  He  was  interred  in  the 
ground  which  afterwards  became  the  village  graveyard, 
and  the  spot  was  marked  by  a  memorial  stone ;  but  the 
great  mass  of  these  unfortunates  were  given  to  mother 
earth  "  unknclled,  uncoffincd,  and  unknown." 

Years  afterwards  excavations  for  building  and  other  pur- 
poses disclosed  rows  of  skeletons  who.se  presence  had  been 
unsuspected,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  others  remain, 
perhaps  in  the  very  heart  of  the  village,  whose  resting- 
places  will  never  be  disturbed  or  discovered. 

SETTLEMENTS    AND    SETTLERS. 

Very  soon  after  the  close  of  the  last  French  war  immi- 
grants began  to  arrive,  and  permanent  settlements  were 
made  within  the  territory  which  is  now  the  town  of  Fort 
Edward.  Nathaniel  Gage  was,  perhaps,  the  earliest  of 
these,  he  having  settled  on  the  site  of  the  village  of  Fort 
Miller  about  1762.  Patrick  Smyth  and  James  Smyth 
were  also  among  the  earliest  comers,  and  settled  in  17G4 
at  Fort  Edward,  where,  in  17G5,  Patrick  erected  a  dwell- 
ing of  great  solidity  and  of  large  size  for  that  period.  At 
the  raising  of  the  frame  it  became  necessary  to  send  even 
as  far  as  Salem  to  procure  sufficient  help  to  perform  the 
■work.  This  house,  which  became  successively  the  head- 
quarters of  Schuyler  and  of  Burgoyne,  having  been  since 
remodeled,  is  still  standing  in  Port  Edward  village,  and  is 
the  oldest  building  in  \Vashington  county. 

The  Argyle  patent  was  granted  May  2\,  17G4,  and  of 
this  grant  ten  lots  laid  in  present  Fort  Edward.  The  num- 
ber of  these  lots  and  the  persons  to  whom  set  off  were  as  fol- 
lows: No.  128,  Duncan  Shaw  ;  129,  Alex.  McDougall ;  134, 
John  McArthur;  135,  John  Mclntyre;  136,  Catharine 
Mcllfender;  137,  Mary  Hamniel;  138,  Duncan  Gilchrist ; 
139,  John  Mclntyre;  140,  Mary  McLeod ;  141,  David 
Torrey.  These  tracts  varied  in  area  from  two  hundred 
and  fifty  to  five  hundred  acres  ;  the  only  one  of  the  largest 
size  being  that  of  Duncan  Gilchrist.  Most  of  these  people 
occupied  their  lands  immediately. 

Noah    Payne,  afterwards  a  well-known  citizen  of  Fort 


Edward,  came  from  Warren,  Conn.,  and  settled  at  Fort 
Miller  in  the  spring  of  1706,  and  Levi  Crocker  and 
Timothy  Ruel,  also  from  Connecticut,  settled  in  the  same 
locality.  Several  of  the  settlers  at  Fort  Miller  atid  its 
vicinity  came  hither  through  the  influence  and  under  the 
patronage  of  Colonel  Wm.  Duer,  son-in-law  of  Lord  Sterl- 
ing, and  first  judge  of  the  county  of  Charlotte.  It  is  said 
that  he  was  the  first  to  build  saw-  and  grist-mills  at  Fort 
Miller,  and  that  he  afterwards  built  a  snufi-mill  and  a 
powder-mill.  (^Kiiickerbockcy  M<i</iizi)ie,\o\.  xx.  p.  95.)  The 
Sanders  and  Bell  families  came  about  the  same  time,  and 
James  Durkee,  from  Woodbury,  Conn.,  settled  in  the  east 
part  of  the  town.  He  had  one  daughter,  Bet.sey,  and  five 
sons, — Solomon,  Thomas,  James,  Nathan,  and  Lydius, — 
and  was  the  ancestor  of  the  numerous  and  substantial 
Durkee  family  in  this  .section.  The  son,  Lydius,  was  so 
named  for  the  proprietor  of  the  Dellius  patent,  from  whom 
tho.se  settlers  had  taken  their  titles,  but  afterwards  found 
themselves  obliged  to  purchase  again  under  the  Schuyler 
patent. 

That  the  settlement  had  grown  somewhat  in  importance 
seems  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  was  selected  as  the  place 
of  meeting  of  the  first  court  held  in  the  county  (then  Char- 
lotte), which  was  convened  at  the  house  of  Patrick  Smyth 
at  Fort  Edward,  then  in  the  town  of  Argyle,  Oct.  19, 1773, 
under  authority  of  the  king  of  England.  The  last  court 
under  King  George's  authority  was  also  held  at  the  i^ame 
place,  June  20,  1775. 

During  the  Revolution  Fort  Edward  became  again  a 
central  point  of  military  operations.  The  fort  had,  how- 
ever, by  that  time  become  dilapidated  and  nearly  worthless 
as  a  defensive  work,  and  General  Schuyler  gave  this  as  his 
opinion  of  it,  in  a  letter  written  to  General  Washington, 
in  1777  ;  adding  that  he  had  often  galloped  his  horse  in 
at  one  side  and  out  at  the  other,  over  the  ramparts.  To 
strengthen  the  position  somewhat,  several  block-houses  were 
erected,  in  a  circular  cordon,  on  the  more  elevated  ground 
surrounding  the  fort ;  one  or  more  being  built  on  the  heights 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  exciting  events  of  1777, 
the  movements  of  Schuyler  and  Burgoyne,  the  irruption 
of  savage  hordes  and  their  barbarous  murder  of  the  beau- 
tiful Jane  McCrea,  form  the  subject  of  the  longest  and 
most  interesting  chapter  in  the  general  history.* 

The  war  and  the  terrors  of  invasion  not  only  wholly 
checked  immigration,  but  caused  many  of  the  settlers 
already  here  to  abandon  their  homes  and  flee  in  jjanic. 
Peace,  however,  caused  these  to  return,  and  also  brought 
new  and  large  accessions  to  the  population.  Among  the 
early  settlers  at  Fort  Miller  and  vicinity,  besides  those 
already  mentioned,  were  Peleg  Bragg,  Thomas  Lamb,  John 


"^■"  The  house  from  which  the  unfortunate  young  lady  just  named 
went  forth  to  her  shocking  death  is  still  standing  in  the  village,  and 
forms  part  of  the  present  residence  of  Walter  llogers,  Esq.,  at  111 
Broadway.  The  spot  where  the  foul  deed  was  dune  is  shown,  within 
a  few  yards  of  a  uohle  spring  which  has  been  called  by  her  name,  on 
the  land  of  George  Bradley,  Esq.,  in  the  north  part  of  the  village. 
Her  remains  were  buried  nearly  three  miles  below  the  fort,  in  a  spot 
which  was  afterwards  a  part  of  the  farm  of  Truman  Bell,  about  one 
quarter  of  a  mile  above  the  Black  House.  They  were  disinterred  and 
roMoveJ  to  the  old  vilhige  burial-ground  in  1S22,  but  have  since  been 
again  removed,  and  now  rest  in  (he  Union  cemetery. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


317 


IJuci's,  A.  IMcaclmm,  Tlionias  Carpenter,  Jesse  and  Arclii- 
1j;iI(1  Patrick,  Garret  Viele,  Simeon  Taylor,  Cj'rus  Adams, 
Joiiii  McAdou,  and  Philip  Viele.  We  have  a  list  of  orig- 
inal members  of  a  Masonic  lodge  established  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward in  1787,  and  we  give  it  here  as  including  the  names 
of  many  of  the  settlers  in  this  vicinity  at  that  time  ;  though 
they  were  not  all  within  the  present  town  of  Fort  Edward, 
but  were  many  of  them  residents  of  Kingsbury.  The  list 
is  as  follows  :  Adiel  Sherwood,  Hugh  McAdam,  R.  Visgeer, 
Seth  Sherwood,*  P.  B.  Tear5e,f  Duncan  Sliaw,  William 
Bott,  Gilbert  Carswell,  Samuel  Harris,  Stephen  Cuyler, 
Manning  Bull,  Murphy  Jlclntyre,  Alexander  Baldwin,  Jr., 
Thomas  Bradsliaw,  Moses  Martin,  Isaac  B.  Payn,  Charles 
Robinson,  John  Williams,  Nicholas  McArthur,  Eben  Wales, 
Duncan  Mclntyre,  Joseph  Adams,  Levi  Stockwell,  Benja- 
min Johnson,  George  Jakway,  Adam  Calderwood,  Warren 
Ferris,  Samuel  Wilson,  Nehemiah  Seelye,  John  Hitchcock, 
John  Perrigo,  Stephen  Mead,  Micajah  Pettet,  Asa  Catling, 
John  Watson,  Jr.,  Zina  Hitchcock,  Benjamin  Scott,  Isaiah 
Mead,  Stephen  Allen,  Daniel  Barber,  Edward  S.  Salisbury, 
Elijah  Denham,  Absalom  Heller,  Harelehigh  Sage,  Theo- 
doras Doty,  Jr.,  Peter  Tallman,  Simon  De  Bidder,  Asa 
Way,  John  P.  Baker,  Samuel  Faulkner,  Simon  Stevens, 
Henry  Sherman,  Jr.,  Philip  Smith,  Benjamin  Bontly,  James 
Sheffield,  Job  Whipple,  David  Beard,  Marniaduko  Whipple, 
Ephraim  Patten,  Joseph  Barry,  Joseph  B.  Berry,  Joseph 
W.  Dunham,  William  Ashmun,  Benjamin  Haywood,  Peter 
P.  French,  J.  S.  Mather,  William  Chase,  Elislia  Forbiss, 
William  Ilagarty,  John  Vernon,  Matthias  Ogden,  James 
Wilson,  Isaac  Foster,  John  Hamilton,  Aliijah  Jones,  Al- 
pheus  Doty. 

ERECTION    OF    THE    TOWN. 

By  an  act  of  Legislature,  passed  April  10,  1818,  Fort 
Edward  was  detached  from  Argyle  and  erected  a  town,  with 
its  present  limits.  The  first  town-meeting  was  held.  May 
22,  1818,  at  the  house  of  Solomon  Emmons.  Present: 
Timothy  Eddy  and  Timothy  Stoughton,  Esqs.,  justices 
of  the  peace.  Timothy  Stoughton  was  made  moderator, 
and  the  following  town  officers  were  elected,  viz. :  Super- 
visor, Moses  Carey ;  town  clerk,  Walter  Rogers ;  assess- 
ors, James  Durkee,  Daniel  Payn ;  commissioners  of  high- 
ways, Abel  Potter,  Benjamin  Hamlin,  John  Montgomery  ; 
overseers  of  the  poor,  Ephraim  Crocker ;  constable  and 
collector,  Nicholas  Mclntyre;  constables,  Noah  Payn,  Jr., 
David  Bristol  ;  overseer  of  highways,  Alexander  Gilchrist. 
The  officers  elected  at  the  last  election  in  Argyle  residing 
within  the  limits  of  the  new  town  retained  their  offices  in 

•■■■  Seih  Sherwood  was  first  a  resident  of  Fort  Edward,  and  after- 
wards of  Kingsbury.  He  was  a  most  ardent  patriot,  and  suffered 
greatly  by  the  persecutions  of  Pat  Smyth,  Ueni-y  Cuyler,  Munro, 
and  other  Tories,  having  been  at  one  time  dragged  to  Albany,  in 
irons,  llirougb  their  influenee.  His  losses  by  depredation,  and  his 
contributions  of  supplies  to  the  government  during  the  Revolution, 
amounted  to  nearly  two  thousand  Bve  hundred  pounds,  of  which  he 
never  recovered  a  penny. 

t  iMajor  I'eter  13.  Tearsc  was  one  of  the  early  residents  at  Fort 
Edward,  and  is  credited  with  having  built  and  first  occupied  the 
McNeil  house  (now  Walter  Ilogers"),  from  which  Jane  MoCrea  was 
taken  by  the  savages.  .Major  Tcarse  afterwards  failed  in  business 
and  removed  to  the  "Malloi-y  place."  His  name  is  fiiund  in  Ihe  list 
of  sheriffs  of  Washington  county. 


Fort  Edward  for  the  year.  The  sum  of  fifty  dollars  was 
rai.sed  '•  to  defray  expenses  the  current  year." 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  persons  who  have  since  held  the 
office  of  supervisor  in  Fort  Edward,  with  the  years  in  which 
,so  elected:  Timothy  Eddy,  1819-29,  inclusive,  and  1833  ; 
James  Mclntyre,  1830-32;  Piatt  C.  Viele,  183-1-3G-; 
Milton  E.  Shaw,  1837,  1840,  18-14;  Wm.  S.  Norton, 
1838-39,  1849;  James  Stephen.son,  1841,  1847;  Charles 
Harris,  1842,  1846,  1850  ;  Abraham  I.  Fort,  1843,  1848  ; 
Wm.  Forbes,  1845;  Isaac  M.  Guy,  1851-52;  George  H. 
Taylor,  1853,  1858;  Caleb  Wells,  1854-55;  George  Sat- 
terlee,  185G  ;  Fletcher  Coleman,  1857  ;  James  Chceseman, 
1859;  George  B.  Mosher,  1860;  Solomon  R.  Durkee, 
1861-02;  Melvin  A.  Nash,  1863-71,  inclusive;  David 
Underwood,  1872;  Michael  Mory,  1873-75,  inclusive; 
Edgar  Hull,  1870-77. 

The  list  of  town  clerks  is  as  follows :  Walter  Rogers, 
1818;  John  Crocker,  1819-21;  Samuel  T.  Shepherd, 
1822-26,  inclusive;  Timothy  Stoughton,  1827, 1833,  1846, 
1855;  Daniel  T.  Payn,  1828-29,  1838;  John  C.  Viele, 
1830-32;  Milton  E.  Shaw,  1834-36;  Joseph  Stewart, 
1837;  Samuel  Bennett,  1839;  Nicholas  Rogers,  1840, 
1842 ;  Edward  Washburn,  1841  ;  Thomas  McCollum, 
1843;  Morritt  Sprague,  1844;  Warren  Sprague,  1845; 
George  M.  Sanders,  1847-49;  A.  D.  Wait,  1850;  John 
Parry,  1851  ;  Bradley  S.  Bennett,  1852,  1858-60,  1863- 
65;  James  S.  Bell,  1853-54;  Fletcher  Coleman,  1856; 
Lemuel  C.  Holmes,  1857;  Russell  W.  Pratt,  1861-62; 
James  H.  Cheeseman,  1866-71,  inclusive,  and  1873-76, 
inclusive;  David  H.  King,  1872;  Aaron  B.  Cole,  1877. 

Among  tho.se  who  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Fort  Edward  before  1827  were  Timothy  Stoughton, 
Timothy  Eddy,  Timothy  N.  Allen,  Samuel  T.  Shepherd, 
S.  L.  Viele,  Warren  Bell.  The  list  of  those  elected  in  and 
since  that  year  is  as  follows :  David  Matthews,  1827  ; 
Ebenezer  Kimball,  1827  ;  Samuel  T.  Shepherd,  1830, 1850, 
1854,  1859;  Samuel  Bennett,  1831,  1838,  1846,  1862; 
Edward  Fullerton,  1832;  Milton  E.  Shaw,  1832,  1834, 
1861 ;  David  Sanders,  1833,  1839,  1843 ;  Marcius  But- 
ton, 1835,  1843;  John  F.  Gandall,  1836;  Warren  Bell, 
1837;  Walter  Rogers,  1840  ;  Nathan  Payn,  1840;  Nich- 
olas Mclntyre,  1841,  1845,  1852,  1858;  Benjamin  Row- 
ell,  1842 ;  Timothy  Stoughton,  1844,  1849  ;  Reuben 
Durkee,  1846;  Jacob  Bitely,  1847,  1851;  Elias  Durkee, 
1848;  Warren  S.  Fox,  1849;  James  Mclntyre,  1850, 
1863-64,  1868-69;  Edwin  Crane,  1853,  1857,  1872; 
Elisha  H.  Ferris,  1855;  James  L.  Reynolds,  1856,1860, 
1805,  1868;  George  Guy,  1858  ;  John  W.  Bassctt,  1863; 
Leonard  Vanderwerker,  1864;  Sidney  Bell,  1865;  David 
Lane,  1866;  William  Robinson,  1866;  Wm.  II.  Mat- 
thews, 1867,1871;  Edgar  Hull,  1867;  William  R.  De 
Garme,  1809,  1872;  Charles  Ackerman,  1870;  John 
Claik,  1872;  Linus  W.  Bishop,  1873;  Sidney  Betts, 
1874;  Walter  M.  Lane,  1875;  Daniel  W.  Taylor,  1876; 
D.  D.  Wifiu,  1S77  ;  George  Scott,  1877. 

The  office  of  collector  has  been  held  by  the  fullowing 
persons:  Nicholas  Mclntyre,  1818-19;  James  Baldwin, 
1820-21;  John  Crocker,  1822  ;  Francis  Gleason,  1823  ; 
Edward  Fullerton,  1824-28,  inclusive  ;  Alexander  Tilford, 
1829;  George  Button,  1830;  David  Taylor,  1831,  1855  ; 


318 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


William  Bristol,  1832,1835;  Charles  Payn,  1833;  Chris- 
topher Van  Duscn,  1834-38,  inclusive;  Stephen  Scovill, 
1839-40,  1847;  Stephen  Bitely,  1841,  1848-49,  1854; 
Alexander  Gilchrist,  1842-43;  Edward  Washburn,  1844; 
Solomon  Durkee,  1845  ;  Absalom  Livcrmore,  1846  ;  Leo- 
nard Vanderwerker,  1850  ;  Gideon  Carswell,  1851  ;  Bush- 
rod  M.  Sherwood,  1852  ;  Ansel  C.  Durkee,  1853  ;  Thomas 
Bristol,  1856,  1860;  Jonathan  S.  Hubbeli,  1857-58; 
Charles  Harris,  1859;  Albert  J.  Robinson,  1861-62; 
George  M.  Sanders,  1863;  James  Bennett,  1867;  John 
Somers,  1864;  George  B.  Moshcr,  1865  ;  Walter  M.  Lane, 
1866;  P.  O'Brien,  1868;  Robert  Taylor,  1869;  Halsey 
W.  Stoughton,  1870-71;  H.  S.  Wells,  1873;  E.  P. 
Morgan,  1874  ;  James  Downey,  1875  ;  James  M.  Russell, 
1876  ;  James  Mickel,  1877. 

Other  officers  for  1877  are:  Assessor,  William  Doig ; 
commissioner  of  highways,  E.  Flanagan  ;  overseers  of  the 
poor,  Seth  Parish,  L.  Vanderwerker;  auditors,  Edwin 
Crane,  D.  Brisbin,  A.  C.  Hodgeman  ;  board  of  excise,  B. 
M.  Tasker,  Michael  Mory,  J.  H.  Viele. 

FORT   EDWARD  VILLAGE. 

The  principal  land-owner  at  Fort  Edward  in  the  early 
days  was  Mr.  John  Eddy,  who  held  a  tract  of  seven  hun- 
dred acres,  comprising  the  whole  northern  portion  of  the 
present  village.  William  Finn  was  also  a  large  owner  in 
the  south  part,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  fort.  His  house 
stood  where  now  is  the  residence  of  Morrill  Grace,  Esq., 
and  there  also  was  his  store,  he  being  one  of  the  early  mer- 
chants of  the  place.  Another,  and  perhaps  an  earlier  mer- 
chant, was  James  Rogers,  whose  store  was  on  the  present 
site  of  the  Somers  block.  This  was  before  1800,  and  at  the 
same  time  Peter  Hilton  was  keeping  a  store  where  now  is 
the  engine-house  on  Broadway.  Ebenczer  Kimball  had  a 
small  store  in  the  lower  corner  of  the  lot  where  Timothy 
Stoughton's  house  now  is,  and  this  he  afterwards  removed 
to  a  small  building,  which  is  still  standing,  on  the  ea.st  side 
of  Broadway,  below  Notre  Dame  street.  Colonel  John 
Kane  had  his  residence  and  a  .store  in  a  long  frame  house, 
still  standing,  across  the  canal  from  the  Milliman  House, 
and  owned  by  James  Baldwin.  This  was  considered  a  fine 
establishment  in  those  early  times,  and  was  probably  the 
first  opened  in  the  village.  Dr.  John  Lawrence,  who  had 
been  a  surgeon  in  Burgoyne's  army,  married  Colonel  Kane's 
daughter  Abigail,  Aug.  14,  17S5,  and  afterwards  became 
himself  one  of  the  merchants  of  Fort  Edward.  A  very 
early  store  was  also  kept  in  the  house  which  had  been  built 
by  Patrick  Smyth.  Livy  Stoughton  came  here  in  1811, 
and  opened  a  store  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  above 
where  Mr.  Walter  Rogers  now  lives.  Daniel  W.  Wing 
came  from  Sandy  Hill  to  Fort  Edward  in  1820  (probably  on 
account  of  the  prospective  opening  of  the  canal),  and  estab- 
li.'-hing  himself  where  Davis'  drug-store  now  is,  became, 
and  for  many  years  conti nurd  to  be,  the  principal  merchant 
of  the  village. 

It  may  be  said  that  Dr.  Willoughby,  who  lived  where  the 
Milliman  House  now  stands,  was  the  first  phjsician,  for 
although  Dr.  Lawrence  was  before  him,  the  latter  practiced 
little,  being  more  inclined  to  merchandising.  Dr.  Blorton 
was  the  next,  and  not  much  later.      The  first  and  the  only 


lawyer  for  many  years  was  Matthias  Ogden,  whose  office 
stood  on  or  near  the  present  site  of  the  St.  James  Hotel. 
The  first  tavern  Wiis  kept  by  Russell  Rossiter,  in  the  Yel- 
low House,*  and  this  was  afterwards  kept  for  a  long  time 
by  Robert  Anderson. 

Another  was  the  Baldwin  Tavern,  near  the  old  fort. 
A  public-house  was  kept  by  John  Eddy,  and  afterwards  Ijy 
Asa  Eddy,  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Eddy  street, 
and  one  by  Jasper  Deuel,  whore  the  Eldridge  House  now 
is.  The  Mansion  House,  also  kept  by  Deuel,  was  a  well- 
known  tavern  in  Fort  Edward  for  many  yeai-s,  and  is  the 
same  which,  having  been  removed  a  short  distance  south- 
west froui  its  ancient  site,  and  remodeled,  is  now  known  as 
the  Milliman  House. 

The  Charaplaiu  canal  was  opened  hcnco  to  Whitehall  in 
1822.  Here  was  then  the  summit  level,  fed  from  the  Hud- 
son by  means  of  a  dam  nine  hundred  feet  long,  twenty- 
eight  feet  high,  with  feoder-canal  about  one-half  mile  long. 
In  the  fall  of  1822,  this  dam  was  partially  carried  away, 
causing  damage  and  interrupting  navigation.  The  cost  of 
construction  of  dam  and  the  repairs  was  ninety-two  thou- 
sand dollars.  At  that  time  there  was  no  canal  between  Fort 
Edward  and  Fort  Miller,  but  boats  passed  between  these 
points  on  the  slack-water  of  the  Hudson,  entering  and  leav- 
ing the  canal  at  Fort  PMward  by  the  passage  of  three  locks. 
In  1828  this  arrangement  was  abandoned,  and  the  canal 
opened  along  the  east  bank  of  the  river  to  Fort  Jliller.  In 
1828  (April  14)  the  Fort  Edward  Bridge  company  was 
incorporated,  and  in  the  following  year  the  first  bridge  was 
built  across  the  Hudson,  connecting  Fort  Edward  with  the 
Saratoga  side. 

In  1845  the  State  sold  the  old  feeder  and  d;ini  to  certain 
citizens  of  Fort  Edward  ;  the  comjjletion  of  the  Glen's 
Falls  feeder  having  long  before  rendered  them  unnecessary 
for  the  use  of  the  canal.  In  the  fall  of  1848  the  Sara- 
toga and  Washington  railroad  was  opened  to  this  place,  and 
the  station  established  at  the  Broadway  crossing;  but  after- 
wards, upon  the  opening  of  the  Glen's  Falls  road,  the  -sta- 
tion was  removed  to  East  street  to  give  room  for  the  tracks 
necessary  to  connect  the  two  roads. 

The  opening  of  railway  facilities,  and  the  establishment 
of  manufactories  upon  the  water-power  then  recently  pur- 
chased from  the  State,  gave  a  sudden  impetus  to  the  pros- 
perity and  growth  of  the  village,  and  caused  it  soon  after 
to  assume  a  new  municipal  dignity  and  importance. 

VII,I,.\GE  INCORPORATION. 
The  village  of  Fort  Edward  was  iucurporatcd  by  order 
of  the  court  of  sessions  Aug.  28,  1S49,  and  at  a  meeting 
of  the  electors,  called  in  pursuance  of  the  court's  order,  and 
held  at  the  house  of  Gideon  Carswell  on  the  28th  of  Sep- 
tember following,  the  said  incorporation  was  ratified  by  a 
vote  of  eighty-one  to  sixty-seven.  The  area  of  territory 
comprehended  in  the  described  boundaries  was  one  thousand 
acres,  embracing  the  greater  part  of  the  island  in  the  river 
now  known  as  Freeman's  island.     The  officers  elected  at 


«  The  same  before  mentioned  as  erected  by  Patrick  Sm.vth.  Origi- 
nally it  was  gambrel-roorcd,  but  was  changed  to  its  present  form  by 
Colonel  .Vliraham  I.  Fort,  since  which  it  has  been  known  as  "  the  old 
Fort  House.- 


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HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


319 


the  first  cliiirtcr  election  were  as  follows:  Trustees,  F.  I). 
Hodiiemaii,  Charles  Harris,  James  R.  Gaiidall,  Daniel  S. 
Carswell,  John  Williams;  assessors,  Edward  Washburn, 
H.  W.  Bennett,  George  H.  Taylor;  collector,  Edwin 
Crane  ;  treasurer,  E.  B.  Nash  ;   clerk,  William  Wright. 

There  appears  no  record  of  elections  or  other  proceed- 
ings in  tlie  years  1854-56,  and,  on  Feb.  26,  1857,  an  act 
was  passed  by  tlie  Legislature  "  to  revive,  amend,  and  con- 
tinue the  charter  of  the  village  of  Fort  Edward  ;"  of  which 
the  effect  was  to  restore  to  the  village  the  corporate  powers 
and  privileges  which  had  lapsed  through  the  omissions 
above  mentioned.  At  the  first  election  held  under  this  act. 
May  1,  1857,  A.  Dallas  Wait,  George  H.  Taylor,  Caleb 
Wells,  George  W.  Tilford,  and  John  E.  Mclntyre  were 
elected  trustees. 

On  the  30th  of  March,  1859,  an  act  was  passed  "  to  en- 
large the  bounds  of  the  village  of  Fort  Edward,  to  make 
the  same  a  separate  road  district,  and  confer  additional 
powers  on  the  trustees  and  taxable  inhabitants  of  the  said 
village,"  the  immediate  object  of  this  act  being  to  facilitate 
the  construction  of  the  bridge  across  the  Hudson  to  the 
town  of  Moreau. 

An  act  amendatory  of  the  village  charter  was  passed  by 
the  Legislature  April  14,  1866;  and  on  the  25th  of  Feb- 
rary,  1873,  the  electors  voted  "to  adopt  the  act  of  April 
20,  1870,  for  the  incorporation  of  villages." 

Following  is  given  a  list  of  the  gentlemen  who  have 
filled  the  office  of  president  of  the  village,  with  the  years 
of  their  election  or  appointment :  Frederick  D.  Hodgeman. 
1849;  A.  Dallas  Wait,  1850,  1857-58;  Russell  Hickock, 
1851 ;  Daniel  Carswell,  1852  ;  Edwin  Crane,  1853  ;  James 
L.  Reynolds,  1859-GO,  1873;  Edwin  B.  Nash,  1861- 
6Z,  1865-66, 1869-70  ;  George  Satterlee,  1863-64,  1875, 
1877;  Peter  Rozell,  1867;  Caleb  Welis,  18G8;  Edgar  De 
Forest,  1871  ;  H.  W.  Stoughton,  1872;  John  A.  Russell, 
1874;  David  Underwood,  1876. 

JIILI,S    AND    MANUFACTORIES. 

The  first  utilization  of  water-power  in  Fort  Edward  vil- 
lage was  by  Timothy  Eddy,  Esq.,  who  erected  a  clothing- 
mill,  nearly  on  the  site  of  the  present  foundry  and  machine- 
shop  of  J.  Osgood  &  Son,  before  the  building  of  the  canal. 
Its  motive  power  was  furnished  by  a  small  stream,  which 
came  from  the  northeast  and  entered  the  river  near  that 
point.  On  the  construction  of  the  old  feeder  it  absorbed 
this  stream,  but  the  mill  was  entitled  to,  and  continued  to 
receive,  an  equal  amount  of  water  from  the  feeder.  The 
proprietors  following  Mr.  Eddy  cannot  all  be  named  ;  but 

the    mill    was    run    by    Waldron,  in    1827,    • 

Williams,  in  1832,  and  afterwards  by  P]nos  and  Gardner 
Howland  as  a  manufactory  of  coarse  papers,  this  being  the 
first  manufactory  of  paper  of  any  kind  in  Fort  Edward  or 
its  vicinity.  The  mill  remained  in  existence  until  the  pur- 
chase of  the  old  feeder  from  the  State. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  erected  at  the  feeder-dam,  about 
1822,  by  Melancthon  Wheeler  and  Jarvis  Martin.  The 
later  proprietors,  if  any,  are  not  known.  It  stood  on  the 
present  site  of  Teft  &  Russell's  mill. 

A  grist-mill,  the  first  in  Fort  Edward  village,  was  built 
about  1824,  by  D.  W.  Wing,  Samuel  B.  Cook,  and  John 


Mclntyre,  using  water  from  the  old  feeder  at  the  waste-weir. 
It  was  run  by  E.  B.  Nash,  from  1832  to  1844,  about 
which  time  it  was  abandoned,  and  was  afterwards  used  in 
the  building  of  the  mill  now  owned  by  the  gristmill  com- 
pany. The  above  mentioned  were  all  the  mills  which  had 
been  put  in  oiicration  in  Fort  Edward  village  prior  to 
1845. 

In  that  year  a  number  of  gentlemen  of  Fort  Edward 
purchased  from  the  Slate  the  old  feeder  and  feeder-dam  at 
this  place,  and  also  purchased  from  Timothy  Eddy,  Esq., 
all  his  reversionary  right  in  the  said  property,  as  well  as 
ten  acres  of  land  contiguous  to  and  below  the  dam,  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  mill-sites.  The  names  of  these 
purchasers  were  E.  B.  Nash,  H.  W.  Bennett,  D.  W.  Wing, 
James  Cheesman,  Morrill  Grace,  Lansing  G.  Taylor,  E. 
Washburn,  Abraham  I.  Fort,  and  John  Doty.  These 
afterwards  a.ssociated  with  themselves  Jonathan  S.  Beach, 
G.  Kennedy,  Harvey  Chapman,  Roscius  Kennedy,  and 
Frederick  D.  Hodgeman,  and  together  became  incorporated 
as  the  Fort  Edward  Manufacturing  Company  ;  the  object 
of  which  was  to  promote  the  establishment  of  manufactur- 
ing industries  in  Fort  Edward  village,  by  furnishing  sites 
and  power  to  persons  who  might  be  desirous  of  engaging 
in  such  enterprise.  In  accordance  with  a  condition  of  the 
purchase,  they  cut  down  the  dam  from  twenty-eight  feet 
to  its  present  height  of  sixteen  feet,  and  it  is  from  this 
that  all  the  water-power  in  the  village  is  now  furnished. 

Hodgeman  &  Falser  s  paper-manufactory  is  the  successor 
of  an  establishment  erected  about  1850,  by  the  Hudson 
River  Iron  and  Machine  Company  for  the  Fort  Edward 
Manufacturing  Company,  as  a  cotton-factory.  It  was  never 
used  as  such,  however,  but  remained  unoccupied  until  Sep- 
tember, 1853,  when  it  was  purchased  by  J.  S.  Beach  & 
Co.,  who  formed  a  stock  company,  "  The  Fort  Edward 
JIanufacturing  Company,"  by  whom  it  was  run  as  a  paper- 
mill  for  a  number  of  years,  then  rented  to  Gardner  How- 
land  and  J.  B.  Falser,  who  admitted  F.  D.  Hodgeman, 
forming  Howland,  Falser  &  Co.,  under  whom  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1866.  Hodgeman  &  Falser  then  pur- 
chased the  property  from  the  company,  rebuilt  the  works, 
and  so  continued  until  1872,  when  they  were  again  burned, 
and  the  proprietors  erected  the  present  mill.  The  mill 
manufactures  printing-paper  amounting  to  about  eight  hun- 
dred tons  annually,  and  employs  about  sixty  hands. 

The  Fort  F^dward  blast  furnace  was  erected  and  put  in 
operation  in  1854,  by  George  Harvey  &  Co.  Its  location 
is  on  Mill  street,  eight  hundred  feet  below  the  dam,  from 
which  the  water  is  brought  in  a  flume.  It  is  now  owned 
by  the  Albany  and  Rensselaer  Iron  and  Steel  Company,  and 
is  running  on  Bessemer  pig-iron,  of  which  its  capacity  of 
production  is  twenty-five  tons  per  day.  The  ores  use<l  are 
chiefly  from  Crown  Point  and  Fort  Ann.  The  works  em- 
ploy an  average  of  about  fifty  men,  and  are  under  the  gen- 
eral management  of  Joiin  F.  Harris,  Esq. 

Bradley  &  Underwood's  sawmill  was  built  in  1846,  and 
went  into  operation  with  one  gang-  and  two  English  saws. 
It  now  runs  five  gangs,  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  feet  per  day.  Runs  about  six  months 
in  the  year,  and  etnploys  sixty  to  seventy-five  hands. 

Tefi't  &  Russell's  saw-mill  has  four  gangs  of  saws,  cuts 


320 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


about  one  hundred  thousand  feet  of  lumber  daily,  runs 
about  six  months  in  the  year,  and  employs  about  sixty 
hands.  This  is  a  consolidation  of  two  mills,  built  in  the 
years  1846  and  1847,  the  former  by  Beach  &  Hodgeman 
(one  s^ang  and  one  English),  and  the  latter  by  Scott  Sher- 
wood (one  gang  and  two  English). 

The  records  of  the  canal  collector's  office  show  that  the 
total  value  of  the  forest  products  cleared  at  Fort  Edward 
in  1877  was  »1, 483,899,  viz.,  lumber,  119,65.5,972  feet; 
timber,  256,298  cubic  feet ;  staves,  4,63G,0U0 ;  wood, 
10,532  cords. 

The  grist-mill  of  S.  II.  and  W.  E.  Durkee,  at  the  corner 
of  Jlill  and  Mechanic  .streets,  is  the  same  which  was  built 
by  F.  D.  Hodgeman,  in  1846,  a  portion  of  the  old  Wing 
&  Mclntyre  mill  being  used  in  its  construction.  After 
]\Ir.  Hodgeman,  the  ownership  passed  successively  to 
Hodgeman  &  Valentine,  J.  Usher  &  Son,  Haxstun  &  Ott- 
mann,  Russell  &,  Colo,  T.  J.  Potter  &  Co.,  and  the  present 
proprietors,  whose  style  is  "  The  Grist-Mill  Company  of 
Fort  Edward."     A  plaster-mill  is  also  connected  with  it. 

The  steam  saw-,  grist-,  and  planing-mill,  and  sash-,  blind-, 
and  door-factory  of  N.  B.  Milliman  is  located  on  South 
Broadway,  at  the  southern  end  of  the  village.  The  first 
mill  on  this  site  was  erected  by  the  same  owner,  in  1861, 
and  was  similar  to  the  present  establishment,  except  that  it 
included  no  gi'ist-mill.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  July, 
1877,  and  rebuilt  in  1877-78.  When  running  to  full 
capacity  it  employs  twenty-five  hands. 

The  foundry  and  machine-shop  of  J.  Osgood  &  Son  was 
built  bj'  tiie  Fort  Edward  Iron  and  Jlachine  Company,  in 
1848.  Messrs.  Bradley  &  Underwood  purchased  and  still 
own  an  interest  in  the  works,  which  have  been  operated 
successively  by  Lyman  Cox,  Osgood  Brothers,  and  the 
present  firm.  The  sams  power  also  drives  the  broom- 
handle    factory    of    Bunihaui,    started    by    Harvey 

Wells,  and  em|)loying  throe  to  five  men.  Location,  next 
above  the  grist-mill. 

The  stoneware  manufactory  of  Ottman  Brothers  &  Co. 
was  first  run  as  a  sash-  and  blind-factory  by  Thayer  & 
Ilolton,  then  as  a  handle-factory,  and,  in  the  iall  of  1865, 
was  put  to  its  present  use  by  J.  A.  &  C.  W.  Underwood. 
It  was  afterwards  run  by  Haxstun,  Ottman  &  Co.,  and 
since  the  fall  of  1872  by  the  present  proprietors.  The 
works  have  three  kilns,  and  manufacture  jugs,  pots,  and 
Rockingham  ware,  emjiloying  about  twenty  men  and  con- 
suming about  six  hundred  tons  of  clay  and  fifteen  hundred 
cords  of  wood  annually. 

The  stoneware  manufactory  of  Satterlee  &  Mory,  located 
on  Mill  street,  adjoining  the  foundry,  was  established  by 
George  Satterlee,  in  1859.  Jlichael  Mory  was  admitted 
in  1861,  and  the  firm  became  as  at  present.  The  works 
have  two  kilns,  and  employ  about  fifteen  hands,  manufac- 
turing same  ware  as  the  Ottman  Brothers. 

The  Fort  Edward  Stoneware  Company  (A.  K.  Haxstun  & 
Co.)  manufacture  the  .same  ware  as  the  other  potteries. 
Their  works,  located  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Argylc 
street,  were  erected  and  started  by  themselves  in  1875. 
They  use  steam-power,  have  two  kilns,  and  employ  twelve 
to  fifteen  hands.  The  clay  u.sed  in  this  and  the  other  pot- 
teries is  brought  from  Anibov,  N.  J. 


The  bridge-works  of  Melvin  A.  Nash,  located  in  the 
north  part  of  the  village,  were  started,  in  1875,  by  Cooper 
&  Nash,  for  the  manufacture  of  iron  bridges.  They  do 
excellent  work,  which  may  be  seen  spanning  many  of  the 
streams  in  this  region.  About  fifteen  hands  are  employed 
here. 

The  Hillside  brick-kiln  of  C.  II.  Ran.som  is  located 
about  one  mile  north  of  the  village,  on  the  canal.  This 
establishment  manufactures  pressed  bricks  by  steam-power. 
Smith's  brick-kiln,  about  one  mile  below  the  village  on  the 
canal,  employs  four  or  five  men. 

The  malt-house  of  Geo.  H.  Taylor  was  put  in  operation 
by  Geo.  H.  Taylor  &  Co.,  about  1852.  Its  yearly  produc- 
tion is  about  twenty  thou.sand  bu.shels,  and  it  employs  three 
to  five  men. 

The  ale  brewery  of  Durkee  &  Co.  is  a  large  brick  estab- 
lishment on  the  canal  at  the  northeast  part  of  the  village, 
having  a  yearly  capacity  of  ten  thousand  barrels,  and  em- 
ploying about  twelve  men.  This  was  started,  in  1858,  by 
S.'  R.  Durkee  and  Geo.  H.  Taylor.  A  malt-house  was 
added  .soon  after,  and  is  now  carried  on  with  the  brewery. 
A  brewery,  carried  on  by  John  Mackinhill,  formerly  stood 
where  George  H.  Taylor's  block  now  is,  and  adjoining  it 
was  a  distillery  (the  only  one  in  Fort  Edward),  started 
probably  as  early  as  1825,  and  afterwards  carried  on  by 
Joshua  Deuel. 

The  boat-yard  of  E.  P.  Ileustis,  on  the  canal  above  the 
brewery,  and  the  dry-dock  company  (Northup  &  Vander- 
werker),  at  the  old  lock,  do  something  respectively  in  the 
way  of  building  and  repairing  canal-boats.  Brougham's 
match  and  broom  factory,  on  South  Broadway,  has  run  a 
number  of  years,  and  employs  three  to  five  hands. 

THE    WATER    SUPPLY. 

Nearly  or  quite  as  early  as  the  year  1800,  an  aqueduct 
was  constructed  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  water  to  the 
few  inhabit.mts  of  the  locality  which  is  now  Fort  Edward 
village.  William  Finn,  Dr.  John  Lawrence,  David  Scovill, 
and  others,  were  proprietors  of  this  enterprise,  and  their 
supply  was  drawn  from  springs  north  of  the  village.  The 
old  aqueduct  shares  passed  through  various  hands  into 
those  of  Russell  W.  Pratt  and  other  gentlemen,  by  whom 
the  present  water-works  were  constructed. 

The  Fort  Edward  Water-works  Company  was  incorporated 
April  10,  1855.  President,  Russell  W.  Pratt;  .secretary, 
John  Parry.  The  original  stockholders  were  R.  W.  Pratt, 
John  Mclntyre,  George  II.  Taylor,  S.  R.  Durkee,  John 
Parry,  and  William  J.  Wliitehouse. 

Their  supply  of  water  is  drawn  from  two  reservoirs,  fed 
by  perennial  springs.  The  Case  reservoir  is  upon  lands  of 
Sandford  Case,  and  the  Mclntyre  reservoir  is  so  called  be- 
cause constructed  on  land  of  John  Mclntyre.  Both  these 
lie  about  one  mile  from  the  village,  towards  the  nortlieast 
and  north  respectively.  The  company  have  laid  about  five 
miles  of  pipe,  and  furnish  water  to  a  large  portion  of  the 
village,  and  to  the  tanks  of  the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga 
railroad.  The  present  officers  of  the  company  are  G.  H. 
Taylor,  president;  David  Underwood,  vice-president;  S.  II. 
Durkee,  treasurer ;  Zach.  Taylor,  secretary. 

A  portion  of  the   north  part  of  the  village  is  supiplied 


rii.itos.  by  Wni.  Nims,  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y. 


(^OiL^  M!¥/>^'^^  ./^^     ^/^.^^r<^   J/a  ^y^. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  \v;is  born  in  the  year  1796,  in 
the  town  of  Fort  Edward.  His  father,  Duncan  Mclntyre, 
was  a  teamster  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  settled  in  Wash- 
ington county  about  the  time  of  its  close,  and  located  on 
six  hundred  acres  of  land,  a  grant  from  the  king  of  England 
to  the  Mclntyre  family,  near  the  village  of  Fort  Edward. 
Tills  land  was  occupied  in  common  with  his  brother.  Murphy 
Mclntyre. 

His  grandflither  was  an  emigrant  from  Scotland,  and  came 
to  this  country  prior  to  the  war  for  independence,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  settled  in  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.  Of  Duncan 
Mclntyre's  family  there  were  seven  sons  and  one  daughter, 
of  whom  John  was  the  second  sou,  and  spent  his  minority 
at  work  on  the  farm  at  home,  receiving  an  ordinary  common- 
school  education.  Upon  coming  of  age  he  became  a  sub- 
contractor for  building  the  Lake  Champlain  Canal,  then  in 
process  of  construction,  and  afterwards  a  contractor.  In 
these  operations  he  became  very  successful.  The  canal 
completed,  he  went  to  New  York,  where  he  engaged  exten- 
sively in  dock  building  and  building  breakwaters,  which 
business  he  continued  for  some  thirty  years  with  varying 
success. 

During  these  years  he  invested  quite  largely  in  real  estate 
at  home,  and  at  one  time  owned  some  fine  farms.  He  was 
an  active  business  man,  self-reliant,  a  man  of  strict  integrity 
of  purpose.  In  the  year  1817  he  married  Bliss  Lucy  Maria, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Eaton  and  Nancy  Charter.  The  former 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  but  moved  to  Vermont,  where 
he  was  married,  and  became  a  farmer.  He  raised  a  flimily 
of  ten  children,  two  sons  and  eight  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Mclntyre  was  the  fourth.  Her  father  died  in  Vermont,  at 
the  age  of  about  eighty-five  years.  Her  paternal  grand- 
father w;is  in  the  American-Pranco-English  war,  and  assisted 
in  building  the  fort  at  Fort  Edward.  The  latter  was  a 
native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and  came  to  America  with 
her  father  and  mother  and  two  brothers,  James  and  Alex- 


ander, in  the  year  1776.  She  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-nine,  and  died  at  Castleton,  Vermont,  in  November, 
1857. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mclntyre  have  been  born  five  children, — - 
Adelia  Olivia,  wife  of  the  late  Edwin  Smith,  of  New  York 
city ;  James  Stewart,  who  married  Miss  Margaret  Williams, 
of  Stillwater,  N.  Y. ;  John  Edwin  (deceased)  ;  Elizabeth 
Isabella  (deceased)  ;  and  Lucy  Maria  (deceased). 

Mrs.  Mclntyre  is,  at  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  sketch, 
in  her  eighty-first  year,  having  been  born  Sept.  29,  1797. 
Soon  after  her  marriage  she  became  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  at  Fort  Edward,  and  remained  a 
devoted  Christian  and  member  of  that  church  until  about 
the  year  1852,  when  she  united  with  the  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  .she  is  still  a  member,  in  1878. 

Mrs.  Mclntyre  remembers  Fort  Edward  without  any 
churches,  and  limited  opportunities  for  obtaining  any  edu- 
cation. She  has  seen  and  passed  through  the  various  changes 
of  upwards  of  threescore  years  as  a  resident  of  the  place, 
and  seen  the  rude  log  cabin  supplanted  by  elegant  residences, 
school  and  church  edifices  established,  and  now  remains  as 
one  of  the  pioneer  women  of  the  early  days  in  Washington 
county.  She  retains,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  strength 
of  body  and  a  clear  mind,  and  is  able  to  give  readily  many 
of  the  facts  for  this  sketch. 

John  Mclntyre  was  first  connected  with  the  old  Federalist 
party,  afterwards  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  during  the 
latter  years  of  his  life  was  a  Republican.  He  was  the  Dem- 
ocratic nominee  for  Congre-ss  in  Washington  county  in 
1834,  but  the  large  Republican  majority  prevented  his 
election.  Mr.  Mclntyre  was  not  a  professional  politician  in 
any  sense  of  the  term,  but  principally  devoted  his  life  to 
active  business.  He  was  always  very  much  interested  in  the 
establishment  of  good  society,  and  made  liberal  contributions 
for  the  support  of  both  church  and  school.  He  died  in  the 
year  18G2. 


Photos,  by  Wui.  Nims,  Fort  Eilward,  N.  Y. 


^Jrrt.  Jio,,J^.y^  ^i^J^-i  ..*ry*--/A 


JOHN  MAC  GREGOR. 


The  family  from  wliich  the  subject  of  this  sketcli  traces  its 
descent  is  traced  to  Griogar,  third  son  of  Alpin  MacAeliai, 
king  of  Scotland,  who  commenced  his  reign  in  787.  Donng- 
heal,  the  elder  son,  gave  the  patronymic  MacGregor  to  his 
])Osterity,  and  his  brother  Guarai  was  founder  of  the  clan 
since  distinguished  as  MacQuarrie.  The  family  has  had  rep- 
resentatives in  the  battle  of  Bannockburn,  in  the  invasion  of 
Ireland,  and  many  of  the  important  changes  in  Scottish  history. 
The  military  power  of  the  MacGregors  in  1645  was  one  thou- 
sand, when  they  were  persecuted  by  some  of  the  most  powerful 
clans  of  Scotland,  notwithstanding  which,  there  was  a  feeling 
of  respect  and  sympathy  for  them  throughout  the  Highlands, 
and  to  this  day  "  Clann-na-Griogar"  is  frequently  given  as  a 
spontaneous  and  cordially  received  toast. 

The  homestead  of  the  family  in  Scotland  was  Thorn  Hill, 
in  Perthshire.  William  MacGregor  emigrated  to  America  in 
the  year  1785,  in  company  with  his  two  brothers,  James  and 
John.  The  three  brothers  all  had  trades.  William  and 
James  were  tanners,  curriers,  and  shoemakers.  John  became 
a  very  prominent  merchant  in  New  York  city,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother  Alexander,  who  subsequently  came  to  this 
country.  All  these  four  young  men  had  to  commence  with 
in  a  strange  land  was  their  hands,  and  hearts  willing  to  do. 

William  worked  at  the  shoe  trade  for  a  few  years  in  New 
York,  and  came  to  Saratoga,  where  his  main  business  was 
I'arming.  After  coming  to  Saratoga  county  he  married  Miss 
Charlotte  Cameron,  in  the  year  1793,  who  had  come  over  the 
water  on  the  same  ship  with  himself,  and  was  descended  from 
one  of  the  most  influential  and  prominent  Scottish  families. 
He  settled  in  the  town  of  Northumberland,  and  hence  became 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  that  part  of  Saratoga  county.  He 
lived  to  be  seventy-four  years  of  age,  and  died  in  the  year 
18.34.     His  wife  died  June  22,  1830,  aged  sixty-six  years. 

From  this  union  were  born  eleven  children,  of  which  the 


subject  of  this  memoir  was  eldest  son,  being  born  May  8,  1797, 
and  is,  at  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  sketch,  nearly  eighty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  able  to  give  the  facts  for  this  biography. 
He  received  while  young  the  careful  training  of  a  very  intelli- 
gent and  cultured  mother,  and  a  judicious  and  careful  father  ; 
but,  aside  from  that,  received  little  education  from  school. 
Mr.  MacGregor  remained  at  home  until  he  was  over  thirty 
years  of  age,  engaged  in  farming  and  rafting  lumber  down 
the  Hudson,  finding  a  market  in  Albany  and  New  York. 

In  the  year  1827  he  married  Miss  Charlotte,  daughter  of 
John  Beakraan  and  Catharine  Ten  Eyck  ;  the  former  a  native 
of  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.Y.,  thelatter  a  native  of  Albany  Co.,  N.Y. 

Mrs.  MacGregor  was  born  in  1798,  March  8;  was  a  woman 
of  great  decision  of  character,  of  correct  moral  habits,  and  is 
said  never  in  a  single  instance  to  have  prevaricated,  but  re- 
mained as  she  had  been  taught  in  her  youth,  faithful  to  all 
the  principles  of  true  womanhood.     She  died  Nov.  5,  1874. 

Mr.  MacGregor  received  little  assistance  from  his  father, 
pecuniarily,  at  the  time  of  his  marriage,  and  after  farming  for 
nine  years  went  to  Clinton  county  and  engaged  in  lumbering, 
buying  a  large  tract  of  pine  timber  land.  Here  he  remained 
for  twenty  years,  and  in  1853  went  to  Saratoga,  thence  to 
Connecticut,  and  bought  a  place  at  Saybrook,  where  he  lived 
for  seven  years,  and  in  1863  came  to  Fort  Edward,  where  he 
has  since  lived.  In  his  business  operations  he  was  successful, 
and  has  spent  a  life  of  constant  activity.  Characteristic  of  Mr. 
MacGregor  is  his  integrity  of  purpose,  his  unassuming  and 
plain  way.  What  he  lacked  in  early  education  has  been 
largely  made  up  by  extensive  reading. 

In  politics  he  was  originally  a  Whig,  but  upon  the  formation 
of  the  Republican  party  became  an  ardent  supporter  of  that 
party.  His  firmness  and  resoluti<m  to  do  what  he  conceived  to 
be  right  have  gained  for  him  the  high  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated  during  his  life. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


321 


with  excellent  water  from  the  IMcCrea  spring,  owned  by 
Georjie  Bradley,  Esq. 

GAS-WORKS 

have  never  been  constructed  at  Fort  Edward,  though  pro- 
position.s  to  that  effect  have  several  times  been  made,  and 
privileges  granted  to  couipanie.s.  Articles  of  incorporation 
were  filled  by  "  The  Fort  Edward  Gas-Light  Company," 
June  19,  1875,  but  the  introduction  of  gas  into  the  village 
in  the  near  future  now  seems  iin[)r()bable. 

FIRE    DEP.\RTMKNT. 

The  Fort  Edward  fire  department  dates  from  the  pur- 
chase of  the  old  hand-engine  '•  Relief,"  in  the  .summer  of 
1857.  At  a  village-meeting,  held  on  the  9th  of  June, 
in  that  j'ear,  it  was  voted  to  raise  fifteen  hundred  dol- 
lars for  purchase  of  engine  and  hose-cart,  two  hundred 
and  twelve  dollars  for  four  hundred  feet  of  hose,  eight  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  building  of  an  engine-house,  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  for  lot,  purchased  of  E.  Washburn, 
on  which  to  erect  the  same,  two  hundred  and  eighty  dollars 
for  hydrants,  and  fifty-eight  dollars  for  hooks,  ladders,  and 
buckets.  A  fire-company  of  forty-si-ic  members  was  organ- 
ized for  the  new  engine,  and  a  hook-and-ladder  company  of 
thirty  members  appointed  by  the  trustees.  At  a  meeting 
held  on  the  9th  of  December  following,  it  was  voted  to 
raise  fifty  dollars  for  suction  hose,  four  hundred  dollars 
additional  to  complete  engine-hou.se,  four  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  leather  hose,  and  three  hundred  dollars  for  hook.s, 
ladders,  and  buckets.  Soon  after,  six  hundred  dollars  was 
raised  for  construction  of  cisterns. 

In  June,  1874,  a  steam  fire-engine  (the  John  F.  Harris) 
was  purchased  of  Clapp  &  James,  of  Hudson,  N.  Y. ;  the 
sum  of  four  thousand  dollars  having  been  voted  for  that 
purpose,  as  well  as  fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  lot,  and  five  thousand  dollars  for  the  erection 
of  an  engine-house  thereon;  three  hundred  dollars  for 
hooks  and  ladders,  and  seven  hundred  dollars  for  hose. 
The  steamers  first  company  was  organized  with  thirt3--one 
members,  May  27,  1874.  President,  John  F.  Harris  ;  vice- 
president,  B.  M.  Tasker ;  secretary,  David  H.  King ;  cap- 
tain, A.  A.  Van  Loon ;  a.ssistant,  W.  S.  Durkee ;  treasurer, 
Francis  B.  Davis. 

The  composition  of  the  present  fire  deiiartinent  is  as 
follows:  chief  engineer,  James  Mickel ;  assistant  engineer, 
E.  E.  Groesbeck ;  secretary,  W.  H.  Lowe ;  treasurer,  John 
C.  Tefi-t. 

John  F.  Harris  Steamer  Company,  No.  1,  has  about 
fifty  active  members.  President,  Edward  Matthews  ;  vice- 
president,  H.  S.  Wells  ;  captain,  W.  S.  Durkee  ;  a.ssistant, 
AV.  C.  Wilder  ;  secretary,  W.  H.  Lowe ;  treasurer,  William 
Black  ;  steward,  M.  M.  Terriault ;  engineer,  A.  M.  George. 

Satterlee  Hose  Company,  No.  2  (incorporated),  has  forty 
active  members.  President,  D.  R.  Williamson  ;  vice-presi- 
dent, F.  E.  Barton  ;  foreman,  A.  J.  Mullin  ;  first  assistant, 
S.  F.  Godfrey ;  second  assistant,  J.  F.  Loughlin  ;  secretary, 
K.  L.  Crawford;  treasurer,  A.  R.  Wing;  steward,  A.  L. 
Moore :  trustees,  Charles  Matthews,  John  Pair,  T.  F. 
Stoughton. 

John  A*.  iJnrher  Hose  Company,  No.  ?,,  about  I'oriy 
41 


members.  President,  J.  R.  Durkee;  vice-president,  A.  E. 
De  Forest ;  foreman,  0  F.  Gilchrist ;  first  assistant,  Charles 
W.  Dean;  second  assistant,  S.  Oppenheimer;  secretary, 
E.  E.  G  roesbeck ;  treasurer,  N.  E.  Cook ;  steward,  M. 
Rus.sell.  No  company  is  attached  to  the  old  ''  Relief"  en- 
gine, which  is  housed  with  the  steamer  in  the  house  on 
Broadway. 

The  village  has  never  been  vi-sited  by  any  extensive  con- 
flagration. One  of  the  mast  destructive  fires  was  that  of 
Nov.  19,  1877,  when  the  Collegiate  Institute  was  destroyed. 
The  fire  department  did  good  service  on  that  occasion  iu 
saving  neighboring  property,  although  tlieir  water-supply 
was  drawn  from  a  great  distance.  From  canal,  river,  cis- 
terns, and  water-works  a  supply  of  water  sufficient  for  pur- 
poses of  extinguishment  is  usually'  accessible  in  most  parts 
of  the  village. 

SOCIETIES. 

Waahtiiyfon  Ludgi',  No.  \l,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  organ- 
ized June  25,  1787,  with   Adiel  Sherwood,  W.  M.  ;  

•,  S.  W. ;    Hugh  McAdam,  J.  W. ;    Rynier  Visgeer, 

Sec. ;  Seth  Sherwood,  Treas.  ;  and  seventy-eight  members. 
The  lodge  lost  its  organization  about  1820,  but  was  soon 
after  revived;  reorganized  and  removed  to  Sandy  Hill.  It 
finally  went  down  in  the  anti-Ma.sonic  hurricane,  about 
1830. 

Fort  Edward  Lodge,  No.  2G7,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  or- 
ganized by  dispensation,  July  1,  1852,  with  about  forty 
members.  The  first  officers  were  C.  G.  Smith,  W.  M. ; 
Caleb  Wells,  S.  W. ;  P.  J.  J.  Kinney,  J.  W. 

The  present  membership  is  about  one  hundred.  The 
officers  for  1878  are  James  Mickel,  W.  M. ;  George  God- 
frey, S.  W. ;  W.  M.  F.  Craft,  J.  W. ;  Samuel  Godfrey, 
Treas. ;  David  M.  Odell,  Sec. ;  George  Turner,  S.  D. ;  Jesse 
Stanley,  J.  D. ;  Rufus  Smith,  Tyler. 

Fort  Edward  Chapter,  No.  171,  7?.  A.  J/.,  was  chartered 
in  1867.  W.  R.  Ottman,  H.  P.;  R.  W.  Pratt,  K.-  W. 
M.  Lane,  Scribe.  The  present  membership  is  sixty-two. 
The  officers  for  1878  are  William  A.  Fox,  H.  P.;  H. 
McFarland,  K. ;  John  Thompson,  Scribe ;  T.  R.  Wade, 
Treas.;  W.  M.  F.  Craft,  Sec;  O.  O.  Niles,  C.  of  H. ; 
Z.  P.  Rugglcs,  R.  A.  C. ;  King  Soper,  M.  1  V. ;  Charles 
Payne,  M.  2  V.  ;  C.  A.  Elmore,  M.  3  V.  ;  Kufus  Smith, 
Tyler. 

Jane  McCrea  Lodge,  No.  2G7,  I.  0.  of  O.  F.,  Was  insti- 
tuted Aug.  10,  1848,  with  over  fifty  members.  The  first 
officers  were  John  E.  Mclntyre,  N.  G. ;  W.  S.  De  Wolf,  V. 
G. ;  George  A.  Raymond,  R.  S. ;  H.  Willard,  P.  S. ;  S. 
Carrington,  Treas.  The  lodge  was  organized  Feb.  21,  1871, 
with  eighty-five  membei-s.  The  officers  for  1878  are  George 
Crandall,  N.  G. ;  E.  P.  Morgan,  V.  G. ;  0.  0.  Niles,  R.  S. ; 
D.  M.  Martin,  P.  S. ;  W.  J.  Irving,  Treas. 

The  American  Order  of  United  Workmen  was  organized 
in  Fort  Edward  village  Feb.  4,  1878,  with  tlie  following 
officers:  II.  McFarland,  P.  M.  W. ;  T.  R.  Wade,  M.  W. ; 
Charles  W.  Carey,  Foreman;  Ernest  Elmore,  Overseer; 
Edward  Crawford,  Recorder;  David  Whipple,  Financier ; 
J.  M.  Reeves,  Receiver;  F.  Mills,  Guide. 

The  Fort  Edward  Temperance  Reform  Club  was  or- 
ganized   in  January,  1878.     President,  J.   E.   Reynolds; 


322 


HISTORY    OF   WASIIINGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Sec,  Zach.  Taylor;  Treas.,  A.  Dc  Forest.  The  club  num- 
bers three  hundred  and  seventy-tive  members.  They  have 
fine  and  commodious  rooms  in  Harris  place,  Broadway, 
which  were  dedicated  Feb.  5,  1878. 

Fori  Edwiird  Diviawn,  No.  222,  Sous  of  Temperance, 
was  organized  at  Fort  Kdward  village  March  5, 1847,  with 
about  fifty  members;  and  Fort  Miller  Division,  of  the 
same  order,  was  in-ganizod  at  Fort  Miller,  May  18,  1848, 
with  about  tliirty  members.  Both  these  have  long  been 
extinct. 

POST-OFFICE. 

The  Fort  Edward  post-office  was  established  in  1800, 
with  James  Rogers  as  postmaster.  The  list  of  succeeding 
postmasters  is  as  follows :  John  F.  Gandall,  James  Mcln- 
tyre,  Darwin  B.  Eldridge,  John  F.  Gandall  (second  term), 
Charles  Harris,  Timothy  Stoughton,  James  Mclntyre 
(second  term,  ending  1861),  Daniel  S.  Carswell  (died  in 
office,  1874),  James  H.  Harris,  the  present  incumbent. 

Bradley's  opera-house 

is  a  fine  brick  block,  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway,  built  in 
1870,  by  Robert  Alien,  from  whose  estate,  after  his  death, 
it  was  purcha.sed  by  George  Bradley,  the  present  proprietor. 
Besides  the  exhibition  hall,  which  has  a  seating  capacity  of 
one  thousand,  the  building  contains  the  post-office  and  the 
offices  of  the  Gazette  and  Independent. 

Several  fine  business  structures  have  been  erected  in  Fort 
Edward  during  the  past  few  years,  among  which  we  notice 
the  "  Harris  place"  block  and  "  Somers'  block,"  both  on 
Broadway,  the  former  built  in  1874,  and  latter  in  1877. 
The  population  of  the  village  is  set  at  about  four  thousand. 

BANKS. 

The  National  Bank  of  Fort  Edward  was  chartered  as 
The  Bank  of  Fort  Edward,  in  1851,  with  a  capital  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars.  President,  Lansing 
G.  Taylor;  cashier,  George  Harvey.  In  1865  it  became 
a  national  bank,  with  its  present  name,  and  its  capital  was 
increased  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  at  which  figure 
it  remained  until  1876^  when  it  was  reduced  to  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  as  at  present.  The  banking-house 
is  on  Broadway,  Fort  Edward  village.  President,  E.  B. 
Nash  ;  cashier,  P.  C.  Hitchcock. 

The  Farmers  Bank  of  Wanli.inf/lon.  County  was  char- 
tered in  1856,  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  and  seventy 
thousand  dollars.  President,  George  Harvey ;  cashier, 
George  Clements.  In  1865  it  became  the  Farmers  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Washington  County,  without  change  of 
capital,  and  was  afterwards  removed  from  Fort  Edward  vil- 
lage to  North  Granville. 

The  State  Bank  of  Fort  Edward  was  chartered  April 
1,  1871,  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thou.sand  dollars, 
which  has  remained  unchanged.  David  Underwood,  pres- 
ident ;  George  Clements,  cashier.  Banking-house,  Broad- 
way and  Eddy  street. 

FORT    miller. 

This  is  a  pleasant  village,  containing  some  hundreds  of 
inhabitants,  located  eight  miles  south  of  Fort  Edward,  and 
built  chiefly  on  a  i)lain   lying  between  the  canal  and  the 


Hudson  river.  It  derives  its  liame  from  the  defensive 
work  erected  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  by  Colonel 
^Miller  during  the  old  French  wars.  Of  this,  Corey,  in  his 
"  Gazetteer  of  Washington  County,"  says,  "Although  his- 
tory is  silent  in  regard  to  this  station,  many  of  the  older 
inhabitants  remember  that  a  garrison  was  continued  there 
until,  or  near  to,  the  Revolution."  It  was  where  this  vil- 
lage stands  that  tradition  has  laid  the  scene  of  one  of  the 
characteristic  feats  and  hair-breadth  escapes  of  Israel  Put- 
nam, then  a  captain.  He  had  crossed  the  river  alone  to  the 
present  site  of  the  village,  and  had  just  entered  the  canoe 
to  return,  when  he  discovered  that  a  party  of  Indians  had 
crept  to  the  bank  of  the  river  above  him,  at  a  point  which 
they  believed  he  would  be  compelled  to  pass  to  avoid  being 
carried  into  the  rapids.  A  moment  he  stood  upright,  at- 
tentively regarding  his  foes,  as  if  to  count  their  numbers, 
and  then,  with  one  mighty  sweep  of  his  paddle,  he  whirled 
the  canoe  into  the  rapids  and  over  the  falls.  The  savages 
meanwhile  looked  on  with  amazement,  refusing  to  fire  on 
one  who  seemed  to  bo  under  the  special  protection  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  gave  a  wild  whoop  of  admiration  as  he 
sped  away  unharmed  in  the  still  water  below. 

Many  of  the  first  settlers  at  this  place  we  have  already 
mentioned.  Several  of  the  original  dwellings  occupied  by 
them  still  remain  ;  among  which  are  the  two  tavern  stands, 
the  McAdou  house,  the  widow  Viele  house,  and  one  be- 
longing to  the  paper-mill  company.  A  tavern  was  kept  by 
Simon  Kittle,  in  what  is  now  De  Garmo's  house,  where 
afterwards  Thomas  Lamb  kept  until  his  death.  It  is  sup- 
posed, though  not  certain,  that  this  was  erected  by  Kittle. 
It  was  last  kept  as  a  public-house  by  Isaac  M.  Guy,  about 
1855,  and  is  now  a  dwelling. 

The  lower  hotel,  now  in  use,  was  kept  at  an  early  day  by 

Beers.     Other  keepers  were  Wm.  Wilson,  Alex. 

Sutherland,  L.  S.  Violc,  and  Lyman  Steel.  It  has  never 
been  used  except  as  a  tavern.  Farther  down  Simeon  Taylor 
had  a  public-house,  and  one  mile  north  Daniel  Payne  had 
also  a  tavern.  All  were  much  patronized  by  raftsmen. 
The  "  Black  House"  should  not  be  omitted,  although  it  was 
not  in  Fort  Miller,  but  five  miles  north  of  that  village,  on 
the  road  to  Fort  Edward.  It  was  built  by  Elisha  Reynolds 
at  a  very  early  day,  and  afterwards  kept  by  Solomon  Em- 
mons and  others,  during  which  time  it  was  often  designated 
as  the  place  of  holding  the  annual  town-meetings.  It  re- 
ceived its  name  on  account  of  the  color  which  it  was  ori- 
ginally painted  (said  to  have  been  a  compromise  between 
Mr.  Reynolds'  preference,  red,  and  that  of  Mrs.  Reynolds, 
who  desired  yellow).  The  old  house  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  the  fall  of  1877,  having  ceased  to  be  kept  as  a  public- 
house  some  fifteen  years  ago. 

Stores  were  kept  in  Fort  Miller  at  an  early  day,  by  Jesse 
Patrick  and  A.shbcl  JMeacham,  in  a  frame  house  which  stood 
near  the  old  lock.  Another  pioneer  store  was  by  Thomas 
Carpenter,  near  the  present  site  of  the  Baptist  church.  It 
was  burned  in  1813.  Bennett  &  Crocker  opened  a  store 
about  1815,  on  the  site  where  Daily's  store  now  is.  The 
large  frame  storehouse  now  occupied  by  Nichols  &  Son,  on 
the  canal,  was  built  by  Stephen  L.  Viele,  about  1825.  Viele 
was  a  merchant  in  the  place  from  ISlfS  to  1840. 

The  first  physician  was  Dr.  John  De  Garmo,  who  was 


Photos,  by  Wni.  Ninis, 
Fort  Edward,  N.  Y. 


JOHN   CLARK. 


MRS.    JOHN    CLARK. 


JOHN   CLARK. 


The  suljject  of  this  sketch  was  born  hi  the  town  of  Hebron,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14,  1803.  He  traces  his  descent  through  his 
father,  John  Clark,  who  emigrated  from  Ireland,  May  10,  1764,  in 
company  with  his  brother  James,  his  mother,  and  uncle,  Rev.  Thomas 
Clark,  M.D.  His  grandfather  was  a  native  of  .Scotland,  and  after  his 
marriage  moved  to  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  where  he  left  his  wife  and 
two  children,  and,  while  engaged  as  a  surgeon  on  board  a  man-of-war 
of  the  English  fleet,  died  off  the  coast  of  Guinea.  Hence  the  wife  and 
two  sons  emigrated  under  the  |>rotection  of  the  brother  and  uncle, 
Thomas. 

"The  Rev.  Thomas  Clark  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  had  grad- 
uated in  the  University  of  Glasgow,  where  he  took  the  degree  of 
doctor  of  medicine.  From  this  he  obtained  the  title  of  doctor.  He 
studied  divinity  under  Rev.  Ebenezcr  Erskine.  During  the  Civil 
"War  of  1745  and  1746  he  served  in  the  army  against  the  *  Pretender.' 
At  the  close  of  that  war  he  resumed  his  theological  studies,  and  in  April, 
174S,  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Associate  Burger  Presbytery  of 
Glasgow.  On  the  23d  of  April,  1751,  he  was  installed  by  a  committee 
of  that  presbytery  over  the  congregation  of  Ballibay,  Ireland.  Here 
he  labored  thirteen  years,  suffering  persecution  and  imprisonment 
for  conscience'  sake.  He  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  abjuration,  ac- 
knowledging the  king  as  the  head  of  the  church,  and  engaging  to 
assist  in  dethroning  him  if  he  should  become  a  Presbyterian.  He  also 
refused  to  swear  by  kissing  the  book,  which  he  considered  a  popish 
superstition,  and  hence  left  Ireland,  and  landed  in  New  York,  July 
28,  17G4,  accompanied  by  about  three  hundred  of  his  people.  Part 
of  them  separated  and  went  to  South  Carolina,  but  the  main  body 
came  with  him  up  the  Hudson  and  halted  at  Stillwater.  In  the 
spring  of  1765,  in  search  of  a  place  of  settlement,  he  visited  the  town 
of  Salem,  then  a  wilderness,  and  in  the  cabin  of  James  Turner 
preached  the  first  sermon  ever  delivered  in  those  parts." 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  only  four  years  of  age 
when  he  reached  his  home  in  the  wilderness.  His  mother  married 
again,  and  he  spent  his  minority  at  home  on  the  farm.  Was  a  volun- 
teer in  the  American  army,  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Saratoga  at  the 
time  of  Burgoyne's  surrender.  Was  married  first  to  a  Miss  Hamilton, 
of  Scotch  descent,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,— the  eldest,  a  son, 
drowned  while  young;  the  second,  a  daughter,  grew  up  to  woman- 
hood and  was  married,  now  deceased.  Married  for  his  second  wife, 
after  the  decease  of  his  first.  Miss  Sarah  Qua,  of  Hebron,  but  a  native 
of  Ireland,  emigrating  with  her  parents  in  1790. 

From  this  second  union  there  were  born  seven  children, — Phebe, 
Jane,  Margaret,  John  (died  in  infancy),  John,  James,  and  Agnes,  of 
whom  only  the  eldest  daughter,  Phebe,  and  John,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  survive. 

The  father  of  these  children  was  a  farmer  hy  occupation  and  in 
limited  circumstances,  and  gave  his  children  only  such  opportunities 
for  an  education  as  the  district  schools  of  that  day  afforded  and  hia 


means  would  support;  and  as  parents  were  necessitated  in  those  days 
to  place  a  pecuniary  value  upon  the  time  of  their  children  after  the^' 
were  able  to  earn  their  own  living,  it  was  no  exception  in  the  case  of 
these  children,  and  hence  John,  with  the  rest,  became  early  in  life 
inured  to  the  hardships  common  to  the  pioneer  days  of  the  county, 
but  gained  thereby  habits  of  economy,  self-reliance,  and  resolution 
to  do.  He  received  that  parental  training  that  gives  character  to 
manhood,  fixes  honesty  for  life,  and  gains  the  respect  of  the  cultured 
and  learned.  Mr.  Clark  had  so  improved  his  meagre  opportunities 
by  self-denial  and  study  as  to  be  able  to  teach  school  winters  after  he 
became  of  the  proper  age,  working  on  the  farm  summers.  In  this  way 
he  continued  until  he  was  twen'y-five  years  of  age,  when,  in  the  year 
1828,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  Nelson  and 
Esther  Belch.  The  former  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  died  when 
Mrs.  Clark  was  only  ten  years  of  age,  and  about  the  year  1816.  The 
latter  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  died  January,  1810.  Mrs.  Clark 
was  born  May  19,  1800,  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y. 

While  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  have  no  children  of  their  own,  they 
have  remembered  others  needing  their  assistance,  and  have  con- 
tributed to  give  to  others  the  advantages  of  education,  which  they 
in  youth  were  denied. 

Mrs.  Clark  has,  since  she  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  been  con- 
nected with  the  United  Presbyterian  church  (now  called) :  is  a  lady 
of  modest,  unassuming  ways,  hospitable,  with  ready  cheer,  and  is  a 
friend  to  those  in  need. 

Mr.  Clark  received  very  little  pecuniary  assistance  from  his  father, 
but  what  was  of  far  greater  importance,  disciplined  and  correct 
moral  habits,  and  a  will  to  do  whatever  he  conceived  to  be  right. 
His  life  since  his  marriage  has  been  spent  largely  as  a  merchant  in 
the  town  of  Argyle  for  some  thirty-four  years,  and  for  some  time  as 
a  farmer.  In  the  year  1SG7  he  removed  to  the  village  of  Fort  Ed- 
ward, where  he  has  remained,  partially  resting  from  his  usual  active 
life.  Mr.  Clark's  life  has  been  one  of  self-reliance,  economy,  and 
industry,  and,  while  he  has  been  blessed  with  a  fair  competence,  he 
has  remembered  the  Giver,  and  liberally  contributed  to  all  enterprises 
tending  to  elevate  and  educate  the  rising  generation. 

Since  a  boy  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
formerly  the  Associated  Reformed  Presbyterian  church.  He  was 
first  a  member  of  the  old  Whig  party,  and  upon  the  formation  of  the 
Republican  party  became  an  ardent  supporter  of  its  principles.  He 
has  been  connected  with  the  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility  in  the 
town  of  Argyle  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  some  nine  years,  and  since 
his  residence  in  Fort  Edward  has  served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace 
for  one  term. 

Mr.  Clark  is  the  only  living  representative  of  the  name  descended 
from  the  emigrants  of  the  last  century.  A  man  of  good  influence 
among  his  fellow-citizens,  of  strict  integrity  of  purpose,  and  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fort 
Edward,  Feb.  18,  1801.  He  was  the  youngest  child  in  a 
family  of  eight  children  of  Solomon  Durkee  and  Christiana 
Sanders.  The  former  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and 
came  to  what  is  now  Durkeetown,  in  the  town  of  Fort  Ed- 
wai'd,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  when  only  fifteen  years  of 
age.  Solomon  was  the  eldest  of  five  sons  and  two  daughters, 
and  emigrated  to  that  place  from  Connecticut  with  his 
parents,  Thomas  Durkee  and  Lydia  Pitcher,  in  1762. 

This  family  came  into  the  then  wilderness  of  Argyle 
among  the  earliest  pioneer  families,  and  the  same  land 
settled  upon  by  the  pioneer,  Thomas  Durkee,  is  at  the  time  of 
writing  this  sketch  owned  by  a  great-grandson  by  the  name 
of  George  H.  Taylor.  The  grandfather  and  grandmother 
passed  away  about  the  close  of  the  last  or  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  at  very  advanced  ages. 

Solomon  Durkee,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  owned  the  old  homestead 
during  his  day.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-four  years, 
and  died  in  the  year  1831.  His  wife  died  in  the  eighty- 
first  year  of  her  age,  the  19th  of  February,  1838. 

The  names  of  the  children  were  Solomon,  Reuben, 
Samuel,  John  S.,  Elizabeth,  Mehetabel,  Clarissa,  and  Lovisa. 

John  S.  Durkee,  the  youngest  of  these  children,  is  the 
only  one  left  to  give  the  facts  for  this  sketch,  and  is  now 
in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age.  He  received  limited 
opportunities  for  book  education,  but  learned  while  young  the 
importance  of  industry,  temperance,  and  economy,  and  the 
value  of  honesty  in  all  pursuits  in  life.  During  his  minority 
he  became  inured  to  agricultural  pursuits  at  home.  After 
he  became  of  age  he  engaged  in  lumbering  during  the 
winter  on  the  Luzerne  mountains,  and  at  farming  during 
the  summer.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  married  Miss 
Mary,  daughter  of  John  Ellis  and  Mary  Robinson, — the 
former  a  native  of  Montreal,  the  latter  a  native  of  Albany, 
but  at  the  time  of  her  man-iage  a  resident  of  the  town  of 
Fort  Edward.    She  was  next  youngest  of  the  family  of  nine 


children,  three  of  whom  were  girls  and  six  boys.  Mrs. 
Mary  Durkee  was  born  Jan.  8,  1798,  in  the  town  of 
Moreau,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.  Her  father  was  a  carpenter 
and  joiner  by  trade,  and  settled  in  that  town  during  the 
last  part  of  the  last  century. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Durkee  have  been  born  five  children, — 
Lorenzo,  John  V.  R.,  William  E.,  Elmira,  and  Ann  Eliza. 

Soon  after  their  marriage,  and  in  the  year  1828,  Mr. 
Durkee  removed  to  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  which 
contains  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  a  large  part 
of  which  he  has  cleared,  a  part  of  it  being  original  forest. 

He  and  his  wife  have  lived  on  this  farm  over  half  a 
century.  The  result  of  his  labor  may  be  seen  in  fruit- 
growing trees  of  fifty  years'  growth,  together  with  the  agri- 
cultural improvements  of  the  day.  The  house  he  now  lives 
in  he  built  when  he  first  moved  on  to  the  place,  and  it  ranks 
well  with  the  farm-houses  of  more  modern  erection. 

Mr.  Durkee  has  spent  an  active,  industrious  life,  and  his 
characteristic  integrity  and  self-reliance  have  gained  for  him 
the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men.  He  has  stood  as  one  of  the 
standard-bearers  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  although  not 
an  active  politician,  has  been  elected  to  important  offices  in 
his  town  ;  was  assessor  for  some  six  years. 

Mr.  Durkee  has  done  well  his  part  in  building  up  the 
schools  and  churches  of  his  vicinity,  and  stands  favorably 
identified  with  the  best  interests  of  society.  He  has  lived 
to  see  the  various  changes  and  improvements  that  have 
taken  place  during  the  past  half-century,  and  the  growth 
and  prosperity  of  a  rapidly  developing  nation.  In  his 
father's  day  the  Indians  roamed  over  the  hills  and  through 
the  valleys  where  now  civilization  is  everywhere  found. 
The  sound  of  martial  music  and  din  of  battle  often  broke 
the  monotony  of  the  rural  scene  in  the  days  of  Burgoyne's 
march  through  this  valley  and  the  War  of  1812.  The 
Durkee  fiimily  is  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  this  county, 
and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  the  oldest  representative  of 
the  family  save  one — Nancy  Phillips. 


IILSTOIIY    OF    WASIILNGTOX   COUNTV,  NEW    YORK. 


323 


followed  by  Br.  John  Bostwick.  Their  successors  to  the 
present  time  have  been  Drs.  B.  F.  Cornell,  Asu  Fitch,  J.  D. 
Stewart,  11.  Blois,  Walter  Mott,  Peter  Blois,  Boss  Wilson, 
and  C.  W.  Keefer. 

The  Fort  Miller  post-oiEee  was  established  about  1S15, 
with  Seneca  G.  Bragg  postmaster.  The  list  ol'  his  succes- 
sors in  the  office  is  as  follows:  L.  S.  Viele,  Johu  C.  Viele, 
L.  S.  Viele  (second  term),  Leonard  Vanderwerker,  Isaac  M. 
Guy,  Samuel  Pike,  Joseph  Fenton,  Alfred  F.  Nichols,  pres- 
ent incumbent.  The  mails  run  daily  between  this  place  and 
Fort  Edward  and  Sehuylerville. 

A  post-office  was  established  many  years  ago  at  Moses 
Kill;  was  afterwards  discontinued  for  a  term  ;  then  re-estab- 
lished, with  James  D.  Mott  as  postmaster,  who,  having  re- 
signed the  office,  was  succeeded  by  James  D.  Mott,  the 
present  postmaster. 

It  is  probable  that  the  first  iniprovcmont  of  water-power 
at  Fort  Miller,  looking  to  the  establishment  of  mills  and 
manufacturing  industry,  was  made  at  the  lower  falls  by 
Judge  Duer.  Daniel  Viele  recollects  a  grist-mill  on  the 
Saratoga  side,  operated  by  Burt  Brothers  and  Harris,  and 
a  saw-mill  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  by  Joel  Gleason. 
On  the  Washington  county  side  were  saw-,  grist-,  and  card- 
ing-niills,  at  the  point  of  rocks  below  the  stock-yard  of 
the  paper-mill  company.  These  were  owned  by  Ashbel 
Moacham.  The  power  was  ruined  by  the  Saratoga  dam, 
and  the  owner  was  indemnified  and  the  mills  removed. 

The  improvement  of  the  upper  falls  began  about  1822. 
Upou  the  present  site  of  the  grist-mill  a  gang  saw-mill  was 
erected,  and  another  lumber-mill  farther  up  the  stream. 
The  present  grist-mill  was  built  about  1825,  by  Stephen 
Viele,  for  B.  and  J.  R.  Bleecker.  It  has  been  repaired,  and 
is  now  equipped  with  four  run  of  stones.  In  1855  it  be- 
came the  property  of  Hosea  Nichols,  who  also  owns  the 
adjacent  saw-mill.  The  mills  (saw  and  grist)  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river  are  owned  by  the  Harris  estate. 

The  paper-manufactory  of  Wagman,  Thorpe  &  Co.  occu- 
pies a  building  forty  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in 
size,  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  which  was  erected  in 
18-18-49,  by  L.  S.  Viele,  for  the  Bleeckcrs,  as  a  woolen- 
factory  ;  for  which  purpose,  however,  it  was  never  used,  but 
remained  idle  until  18()5,  when  it  was  purchased  by  H.  G. 
Craig  &  Co.,  who  adapted  it  as  a  paper-mill  and  ran  it  as 
such  until  1873,  when  it  passed  to  the  present  owners. 
They  employ  eighteen  hands  in  the  manufacture  of  hang- 
ing-paper, of  which  their  yearly  product  is  about  six  liun- 
dred  tons,  consuming  about  four  hundred  tons  of  straw 
and  five  hundred  tons  of  other  stock.  The  establishment 
has  four  engines,  one  being  a  forty-eight-inch  cylinder. 

Boat-building,  employing  a  few  hands,  has  been  carried  on 
to  a  limited  extent  at  Fort  Miller  in  the  past  ten  years. 
The  business  is  at  present  carried  on  by  Geor'j;e' W.  Kings- 
ley. 

CEMETEUIE8. 

The  mo.st  ancient  place  of  interment  in  the  town  is  the 
old  graveyard  in  Fort  Edward  village,  located  on  the  east 
side  of  Old  Canal  street,  below  Notre  Dame,  a  burial,  and 
perhaps  the  first  one  within  it  (^that  of  Major  Duncan 
Campbell),  having  been  made  in  July,  1758.  The  ground 
was  donated  as  a  burial-jilace  by  Henry  Ciiylcr,  but  was 


not  fenced  until  180!),  when  it  was  done  by  subscription. 
It  was  the  only  burial-place  used  by  the  iidiabitants  of  the 
village  until  the  establishment  of  the  Union  cemetery,  in 
1847,  to  which  afterwards  very  many  of  the  remains  from 
this  ground  were  transferred.  It  is  now  no  longer  used  as 
a  place  of  sepulture. 

The  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward  Union  Cemetery  As- 
sociation was  organized  July  31,  1847,  with  the  following 
officers,  viz. :  executive  committee,  0.  Clark,  B.  F.  Hoag, 
Wm.  S.  Norton,  D.  W.  Wing,  G.  Harvey,  II.  B.  Northup, 
John  Mclntyre ;  president,  O.  Clark ;  vice-president,  J. 
Parry;  treasurer,  Wm.  Coleman;  secretary,  H.  B.  Northup. 

Their  first  ground  was  a  lot  of  fifteen  acres  lying  on  the 
east  side  of  the  main  road,  about  midway  between  the  vil- 
lages of  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward,  purchased  of  Joseph 
Parry  for  eight  hundred  and  twcnt}'  dollars,  and  laid  out  by 
H.  B.  Northup,  William  Coleman,  and  William  S.  Norton, 
they  being  a  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose.  Four 
subsequent  purchases  of  land  adjoining  have  been  made, 
bringing  the  entire  area  of  the  present  cemetery  up  to  about 
forty  acres ;  of  which  about  twenty-two  acres  have  been 
laid  out  into  eight  hundred  and  thirty  lots,  and  five  hun- 
dred and  eighty  of  these  have  been  sold.  The  entire  cost 
of  the  land  has  been  about  four  thousand  dollars,  and  a 
further  expense  of  four  thou.sand  five  hundred  dollars  was 
incurred  by  the  erection  of  a  substantial  and  ormxmental 
iron  fence  on  the  front  line  in  1875.  The  debt  of  the  asso- 
ciation is  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  fir.st  interment 
was  that  of  Mrs.  Coleman,  in  1847,  and  the  total  number 
of  interments  up  to  the  present  time  is  about  three  thou- 
sand. The  present  board  of  trustees  is  composed  as  fol- 
lows :  E.  B.  Nash,  president ;  A.  R.  Wing,  H.  W.  Bennett, 
Loren  Allen,  U.  G.  Paris,  William  Coleman,  Joseph  E. 
King,  Charles  Stone,  and  L.  W.  Cronkhite.  Many  fine  and 
expensive  monuments  have  been  erected  in  the  ground. 
The  most  noticeable  among  the  graves,  on  account  of  the 
historical  interest  connected  with  the  deaths  of  their  occu- 
pants, are  those  of  Jane  McCrea  and  Major  Duncan  Camp- 
bell, both  of  whose  remains  were  removed  hither  from  the 
old  burial-grouud  in  Fort  Edward  village.  Those  of  Major 
Campbell  were  reinterred  in  the  Gilchrist  lot,  of  which  fam- 
ily he  was  a  relative,  and  the  brown  sandstone  taVjlet  over 
his  grave  bears  this  inscription  :  "  To  the  memory  of  Major 
Duncan  Campbell,  of  the  Seventy-seventh  Highland  Regi- 
ment. Born  at  Invershaw,  Scotland,  in  the  year  1703,  and 
died  of  wounds  received  at  the  assault  on  Fort  Ticondcroga, 
the  8th  July,  1758,  aged  fifty-five  years."  The  inscription 
on  the  head.stone  of  l\Iiss  McCrea  is  as  follows:  "Here 
rest  the  remains  of  Jane  McCrea,  aged  seventeen.  Made 
captive  and  murdered  by  a  band  of  Indians  while  on  a  visit 
to  a  relative  in  this  neighborhood,  A.n.  1777.  To  com- 
memorate one  of  the  most  thrilling  incidents  in  the  annals 
of  the  American  Revolution,  to  do  justice  to  the  fame  of 
the  gallant  British  officer  to  whom  she  was  affianced,  and  as 
a  simple  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  departed,  this  stone 
is  erected  by  her  niece,  Sarah  Hannah  Payn,  A.D.  1852." 

The  Riverside  Cemetery  Association  of  Fort  Miller 
was  organized  June  29,  1864,  with  Asa  C.  TefFt,  Daniel 
T.  Payn,  Ho.sea  Nichols,  Alexander  Stewart,  John  W. 
Bassett,  and  B.  Hoyt  Hatch  as  trustees.     For  the  present 


324 


IlISTOllY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YOEK. 


year  Lyman  White  is  president,  W.  R.  De  Garmo,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer.  The  cemetery  grounds  comprise  a 
tract  of  about  three  acres,  lying  near  the  bank  of  the 
Hudson,  a  short  distance  above  Fort  Miller,  on  the  road 
to  Fort  Edward.  Thoy  are  finely  shaded  by  ancient  oak- 
trees,  and  include  the  old  burial-ground  of  one  and  one- 
half  acres  donated  for  the  purpose  many  years  ago  by 
Noah  Payn,  Esq.,  in  which  repose  the  ashes  of  many  of 
the  early  settlers  of  the  town.  The  first  interment  in  the 
new  portion  of  the  cemetery  was  that  of  Peletiah  Harris, 
killed  by  lightning.  May  8, 18G0.  The  sexton,  Mr.  Daniel 
Viele,  has  held  tiie  office  for  forty-six  years,  and  has  per- 
formed its  duties  most  acceptably.  The  number  of  inter- 
ments made  by  him  in  this  ground  is  three  hundred  and 
ninety. 

There  is  also  a  public  burial-ground  about  one  mile 
below  Fort  F]dward  village,  between  the  canal  and  the 
river,  and  near  the  residence  of  W.  A.  Potter. 


KELIGIOUS. 

'inn    JtETIIODIST    EPISCOPAL   CHURCH. 

Within  a  few  years  immediately  following  1788,  when 
Rev.  Lemuel  Smith  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of  the 
Canibridge  circuit,  Methodist  cla.sses  were  formed  under 
the  auspices  of  that  circuit  in  nearly  every  village  and 
neighborhood  within  its  scope,  where  twelve,  or  ten,  or 
even  a  less  number  of  converts  could  be  found.  These 
were  attached  to  tlic  nearest  appointment,  and  were  visited 
as  often  as  tlieir  necessities  required  or  the  engagements 
of  the  preachers  permitted.  And  Fort  Edward  was  one  of 
the  places  whore,  at  that  early  time  and  in  that  modest  way, 
tlie  seed  of  the  church  was  sown. 

The  church  organization  was  formed  in  1828,  by  Rev. 
Julius  Field,  preacher  in  charge  of  the  societies  at  Sandy 
Hill  and  Glen's  Falls.  The  number  of  original  members 
was  fifteen.  Li  the  following  year,  under  the  leadership  of 
Mr.  Fields,  they  erected  their  first  house  of  worship,  a 
brick  edifice  on  East  street,  the  same  now  owned  and  occu- 
pied by  the  Catholic  congiegation.  In  the  same  year 
(1829)  this  church  was  included  in  tlie  Fort  Ann  circuit, 
and  so  continued  for  twenty-three  years. 

The  first  appointee  to  Fort  Edward  as  a  distinct  charge 
was  Ilcv.  John  E.  Bowen,  who.se  successors  have  been  the 
Revs.  Seymour  Colenuin,  H.  W.  Ransom,  J.  F.  Yates,  S. 
Washburn,  J.  J.  Noc,  S.  R.  Bailey,  S.  McKcan,  and  E. 
Wentworth,  D.D.,  the  present  pastor. 

The  house  in  which  they  now  worship  was  built  in  1853, 
under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  James  M.  Edgcrton.  It  is  a 
handsome  brick  edifice  located  at  the  corner  of  Broadway 
and  Church  street.  Its  valuation  is  twelve  thousand 
dollars,  and  that  of  their  par.sonage  three  thousand  dollnrs. 
The  present  trustees  of  the  society  are  II.  W.  Bennett, 
E.  B.  Nash,  A.  W.  Carey,  A.  K.  Ilaxstun,  and  J.  Stevens. 
The  church  numbers  two  hundred  members,  with  an 
additional  supporting  constituency  of  several  hundreds. 
The  Sabbath-school  enrolls  twenty-four  teachers  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  scholars,  under  the  superintendcncy  of 
Mr.  A.  K.  llaxstnn. 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  IN  FORT  EDWARD. 
This  church  edifice  is  located  at  "  Durkeetown,"  in  the 
ea.st  part  of  the  town  of  Fort  Edward,  in  which  vicinity 
tliere  were  Baptist  worshipers  many  years  before  there  were 
any  in  the  village.  These,  from  the  year  1802  until  1816, 
were  considered  as  members  of  the  Quecnsbury  Baptist 
church,  but  in  the  last-named  year  they  were  constituted 
a  branch  of  the  church  of  Hartford  and  Kingsbury  (now 
Adamsville),  with  about  ninety  members.  The  Rev.  Calvin 
H.  Swain,  pastor  of  that  church,  preached  statedly  to  this 
people  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years.  They  were  organ- 
ized as  a  church  on  the  4th  of  April,  18o2,  and  were 
recognized  by  an  ecclesiastical  council  on  the  1st  of  May 
fijllowing.  In  early  years  they  had  met  in  barns  and 
private  dwellings,  and  al'terwards  in  the  school-house.  Their 
present  house  of  worship  was  erected  soon  after  the  organ- 
ization, and  was  the  place  of  meeting  of  the  association  in 
the  year  1837.  Elder  Swain  continued  his  labors  with 
them  until  September,  1833,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Norman  Fox,  who  remained  until  April,  1835,  from 
which  time  Elder  A.  Wait  served  them  for  two  years. 
Elder  Fox  then  returned  for  a  few  months,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Elder  H.  M.  Allen,  who  remained  until  April, 
1839,  since  which  time  the  church  has  been  served  by  the 
following  elders,  viz.,  II.  II.  Rouse,  Daniel  Cobb,  Seth  Ewer, 
Amos  Stearns,  George  W.  Freeman,  R.  F.  Parshall,  Wil- 
liam  Brown,  Hodge,  A.  Clark,  and  several  others, 

until  the  coming  of  J.  W.  Le  Seur,  the  present  preacher 
in  charge,  who  labors  here  in  connectil)n  with  the  congre- 
gation at  Fort  Miller.     The  membership  is  now  eighty. 

REFORMED    CHURCH    AT    FORT    MILLER. 

The  meeting-house  of  this  church  is  the  oldest  place  of 
worship  in  the  town,  it  having  been  built  in  181G,  by 
subscription,  upon  a  lot  which  was  given  by  Barent  and 
John  R.  Bleecker.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  donors, 
and  of  the  subscribers  to  the  building  fund,  that  the  church 
should  be  free  to  all  Protestant  denominations  ;  and  it  was 
so  used  and  supplied  by  ministers  of  neighboring  societies, 
without  any  regular  church  here,  until  1822,  when  a  Re- 
formed Protestant  Dutch  church  was  organized  with  fifteen 
members,  of  which  L.  S.  Viele  was  ordained  elder,  and 
Benjamin  H.  Payn  and  Nathaniel  Burnliam  were  ordained 
deacons.  Their  first  minister  was  Rev.  Philip  Duryea  ; 
and  among  those  who  followed  him  were  Revs.  Isaiah  T. 
Johnson,  Isaac  A.  Van  Hook,  Hugh  Mair,  D.  R.  Thomas- 
son,  Joseph  Parry,  and  H.  Slauson.  Some  ten  or  twelve 
years  ago  a  reorganization  took  place  during  the  ministry 
of  Rev.  A.  G.  Lansing,  and  the  church  received  the  simple 
designation  of  The  Reformed  church.  After  Mr.  Lansing 
came  the  Rev.  Charles  D.  Kellogg,  now  of  Passaic,  N.  J., 
who  was  followed  by  Rev.  Ford.  They  are  now  sup- 
plied by  Rev.  A.  G.  Cochran. 

FORT    MILLER    PRESBYTERI.iN    CHURCH. 

A  Presbyterian  church  of  twelve  members  was  organized 
at  Fort  Miller,  Sept.  6,  1853.  Rev.  A.  G.  Cochran  was 
ordained  and  installed  :is  pastor  in  January,  1854,  and 
resigned  January,  1857.  Subsequently  Rev.  Wm.  Han- 
cock and  Rev.  Eddy  served  as  stated  supplies.      The 


QJ  Ou^rr\JL^   / J (^^(^k^,^^^^^^ 


Photo,  l.y  Wni.  Xiina,  Fort  Edward. 


The  family  of  Baldwin  in  Washington  county  traces  its  origin  to 
Alexander  Baldwin,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  who 
emigrated  from  England  with  his  two  brothers  during  the  early  days 
of  the  settlement  of  the  New  England  States.  He  was  married  to 
Catharine  Dutcher  before  his  emigration,  and  raised  a  large  family 
of  children.  About  the  year  1770  he  came  to  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  on  his 
way  stopping  a  while  at  White  Plains.  Alexander  Baldwin  was  a 
captain  in  the  English  army  in  the  French  and  English  war  of  1759 
for  supremacy  in  Canada.  He  was  employed  as  a  scout  with  others 
by  the  army  of  the  colonists  under  Washington  to  look  after  the 
Indians.  The  pai-ty  of  eighteen  stopped  to  rest  and  fell  asleep,  when 
fifteen  of  their  number  "Were  slain  by  the  Indians,  he  with  two  others 
escaping.  Afterwards  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  Fort  Ann  by  the 
Tories  and  Indians,  carried  to  Montreal,  where  he  was  kept  in  close 
confinement  for  two  years;  and,  being  exchanged,  appeared  at  his 
home,  then  at  Fort  Edward,  very  much  to  the  surprise  and  joy  of  his 
family,  who  supposed  him  tomahawked  with  the  rest.  He  spent  the 
balance  of  his  life  in  Fort  Edward,  and  died,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty,  in  the  year  1800,  and  is  buried  at  Fort  Edward.  The  grand- 
mother, and  second  wife,  was  previously  burned  to  death. 

The  oldest  son,  Alexander,  was  the  first  man  to  pilot  a  raft  over 
the  Fort  Miller  Falls. 

Cornelius,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  in  the  first 
battles  of  the  Revolutionary  war;  was  one  of  the  guides  to  lead  the 
American  army  as  it  was  followed  by  Burgoyne,  and  was  in  the  battle 
of  Saratoga.  He  was  afterwards  taken  prisoner  at  Fort  Ann  by  the 
English  and  carried  to  Montreal,  where  he  remained  in  confinement 
for  one  year  and  eight  months.  He  was  married,  raised  a  family 
of  eight  children,  and  spent  a  large  part  of  his  active  life  in  farming 
and  lumbering.  He  suffered  very  much  from  the  influences  of  British 
interests  by  the  loss  of  his  lands.  He  was  a  man  of  great  strength 
of  body  ;  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years,  and  died  in 
Ulster  county,  at  the  residence  of  his  son. 

The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  died  when  he  was  about 
eight  years  of  age,  and  is  buried  at  Fort  Edward. 

James  was  second  son  in  the  family,  and  was  born  Dec.  IS,  1791, 
in  a  log  house  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  river,  at  Fort  Edward, 
and  is  now,  at  the  time  of  writing  this  sketch,  in  his  eighty-seventh 
year. 

He  spent  his  early  life,  until  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  rafting 
on  the  Hudson.  He  volunteered  as  a  soldier  in  the  AVar  of  1S12; 
was  connected  with  the  service  about  Lake  Charaplain  ;  was  regularly 
discharged  at  its  close,  and  is  now  one  of  the  few  left  to  relate  the 


reminiscences  of  the  early  days  of  the  county's  history.  Mr.  Baldwin 
received  very  limited  opportunities  for  education,  and  learned  more 
in  his  business  pursuits  than  from  books. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  he  married  Miss  Betsey  Morgan,  of  Fort  Ed- 
ward. Her  parents  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Washington 
county.    Her  grandfather  was  a  sea-captain. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin  were  born  six  sons  and  three  daughters, 
— Catharine,  wife  of  Wra.  B.  Hitchcock,  of  Fort  Edward  ;  Charles  (de- 
ceased) j  John,  married  Miss  Adelia  Hall,  and  lives  in  Eureka,  III.; 
James,  married  Miss  Esther  Livermore,  of  Fort  Miller,  and  resides  at 
Fort  Edward  ;  Margaret,  wife  of  Peter  Snider,  resides  at  Kewance, 
111.,:  Ezekiel  (deceased);  Russel  (deceased);  Julia  resides  at  Fort 
Edward,  and  cares  for  her  father  in  his  declining  years;  Stephen, 
who  was  a  volunteer  in  the  late  Kebellion,  remained  in  the  service 
until  the  close  of  the  war.    His  whereabouts  are  not  now  known. 

Mrs.  Baldwin  is  remembered  by  her  children  and  by  all  who  knew 
her  as  a  woman  of  great  kindness  of  heart,  very  indulgent  to  her 
children,  devoted  to  all  the  interests  of  her  family,  and  did  her  part 
well  to  make  them  respectable  members  of  society.  She  was  a  great 
Bible  student,  and  instructed  her  children  in  all  that  makes  true 
manhood  and  womanhood. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  a  merchant  for  a  few  years  after  his  marriage. 
He  built  the  first  boat  called  a  scow,  and,  naming  it  "Hornet,"  put 
up  for  the  canal  at  Fort  Edward.  He  has  spent  ninuy  years  as  a 
pilot  on  the  Hudson  from  Fort  Edward  to  Albany,  and  remembers 
working  for  two  shillings  a  day.  His  familiarity  with  the  river 
brought  his  services  in  great  demand  as  a  pilot,  which  business  he 
was  following  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  1812, 
getting  three  dollars  per  day. 

He  has  spent  some  part  of  his  life  as  a  farmer.  In  politics  he  was 
originally  a  Whig,  but  latterly  has  been  associated  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  In  his  last  years  he  has  varied  in  his  opinions  of  party 
interests,  looking  to  the  principles  involved  and  not  to  party.  He 
thinks  the  changes  very  great  since  the  forefathers  framed  the  consti- 
tution, and  looks  back  with  pride  to  the  days  of  purity  and  honesty 
in  the  administration  of  national  affairs. 

He  has  lived  through  every  administration  save  one  of  the  Amer- 
ican government,  and  comes  down  to  the  present  generation  as  one 
of  the  fathers  who  built  our  schools,  established  our  councils,  and 
assisted  in  preserving  intact  the  principles  of  government  founded 
by  our  forefathers. 

Mr.  Baldwin  is  known  as  a  man  of  strong  resolution,  of  character- 
istic honest^-,  iind  pure  motives. 


,  Furt  E.hvarU,  N.  Y. 


WALTER   ROGERS. 


MRS.    WALTER    ROGERS. 


WALTER   ROGERS. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  Nov.  28,  171)5.  His 
fatlier,  James  Rogers,  came  to  Washington  county  with  the 
beginning  of  the  century,  and  located  at  Fort  Edward.  He 
lived  in  the  house  built  by  Widow  McNeal,  afterwards 
Campbell,  and  occupied  by  her  and  her  niece,  Jane  McCrea, 
who  was  shot  by  the  Indians.  James  Rogers  was  a  man  of 
great  enterprise ;  bought  considerable  real  estate  near  Fort 
Edward,  including  the  island  in  the  Hudson ;  was  a  man  of 
great  activity,  and  successful  in  business.  He  died  in  the 
year  1810. 

Walter,  before  his  father's  death,  was  in  the  store,  for 
some  two  years  owned  and  carried  on  by  his  father ;  the 
store  having  been  built  by  him  upon  first  coming  to  Fort 
Edward.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  had  received  such  favor- 
able opportunities  for  an  education,  that  he  entered  Union 
College,  at  Schenectady,  and  was  in  the  class  of  1814 ;  but, 
on  account  of  the  settlement  of  his  father's  estate,  was 
obliged  to  leave  that  institution  a  short  time  before  his 
graduation.  Upon  arriving  at  home  he  at  once  assumed  the 
re,sponsibility  of  business,  and  has,  until  the  time  of  the 
writing  of  this  sketch,  been  more  or  less  connected  with 
farming  and  business. 

For  his  first  wife  he  married,  in  1822,  Miss  Margaret  Duel. 
They  had  three  children, — George  Arthur,  Walter,  and  Mary 
Melva ;  all  living.  Mrs.  Rogers  died  at  the  ago  of  twenty- 
three  years,  in  the  year  1826.  For  his  second  wife,  Blarch 
12,  1828,  he  married  Miss  Anna  M.  Crocker,  daughter  of 
Ephraim  Crocker  and  Mary  Eldridge,  of  Fort  Sliller,  N.  Y. 
Her  father  and  grandfather  were  of  Connecticut  birth,  and 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Washington  county.  Mrs. 
Rogers  is  a  lady  of  rare  womanly  qualities ;  was  born  in  the 
year  1807,  and  is  still  living  in  1878.  She  has  the  esteem 
and  consideration  of  all  who  know  her,  and  has  been  a'de- 


voted  wife  and  mother.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  wa.s  born 
one  child,  which  died  in  infancy. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Rogers  wiis  originally  a  Democrat,  after- 
ward a  Clintonian,  and  subsequently  a  Republican.  He  has 
taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  political  interests  of  his  town 
and  county  in  his  day,  and  now  is  one  of  the  oldest  landmarks 
of  the  party  which  he  has  so  ardently  supported.  He  has 
been  honored  with  offices  of  responsibility  and  trust  by  his 
fellow-citizens  during  his  long  and  useful  career.  He  was 
secretary  of  the  Fort  Edward  Manufacturing  Company  ;  has 
held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  terms,  and 
until,  on  account  of  his  age,  he  declined  re-election. 

In  all  his  business  career,  Mr.  Rogers  has  been  known  as 
a  man  of  good  judgment,  and  judicious  in  his  decisions ;  a 
man  of  correct  moral  h.abits,  and  very  methodical  in  all  his 
business  transactions. 

Jlr.  Rogers  has  been  connected  for  many  years  with  the 
Episcopal  church,  and,  with  his  wife,  has  been  a  constant 
attendant  upon  its  services.  He  has  been  prominent  in  the 
councils  of  that  church,  and  was  for  many  years  a  warden, 
and  is  now  the  oldest  or  senior  warden. 

For  many  years  he  has  been  afflicted  with  deafness,  which 
has  almost  debarred  him  from  social  intercourse,  in  which 
capacity,  before  his  affliction,  many  incidents  of  interest 
were  related,  to  the  edification  and  entertainment  of  his 
many  friends. 

]Mr.  Rogers  is  now  in  his  eighty-third  year,  and  has  lived 
to  see  the  country's  growth,  the  establishment  of  society, 
schools,  churches,  the  telegraph,  railroads,  and  the  many  and 
important  uses  of  steam,  and  all  these  improvements  and 
wonderful  enterprises  pass  vividly  before  his  mind,  as  he  re- 
calls the  days  that  are  past  and  gone.  He  has  been  able,  at 
his  advanced  age,  to  give  most  of  the  details  for  this  sketch. 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTF,  NEW    i'ORK. 


325 


churcli  was  always  very  feeble,  and  about  18G8  it  became 
extinet.  During  its  existence  its  worship  was  licld  in  the 
IJeforuied  meeting-house. 

FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    OP    FORT    EDWARD. 

A  Presbyterian  church  was  formed  in  Fort  Edward 
between  the  years  1820  and  1830,  the  Rev.  R.  K.  Rodgers 
assisting  at  the  organization  ;  but  it  languished  and  became 
extinct,  and  little  can  be  recalled  of  its  history.  The  pres- 
ent church  was  organized  with  seventeen  members,  Jan.  17, 
1854.  James  McCoy  and  John  Mitchell  were  ruling 
elders,  and  the  church  was  under  the  pastoral  charge  of 
Rev.  Edward  E.  Seelye,  CD.,  of  Sandy  Hill.  The  second 
pastor  was  Rev.  Henry  F.  Hickok,  who  served  from  1859 
to  18C9,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Heman  H.  Neill,  who 
remained  until  Dec.  1,  1874.  Rev.  Robert  J.  Beatlie  was 
installed  April  12,  1875,  and  disiuissed  April  24,  1870. 
Rev.  William  B.  Stewart,  the  present  pastor,  commenced 
his  labor  here  June  1,  1876,  and  was  installed  on  the  11th 
of  July  following.  The  congregation  worshiped  in  the 
Union  church,  on  East  street  (now  owned  by  the  Catho- 
lics), until  1869,  in  the  fall  of  which  year  they  occupied 
the  basement  of  their  fine  new  church  on  Eddy  street, 
which  was  completed  and  dedicated  in  the  following  year. 
The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  one  hundred  and 
thirty-one,  eighteen  additions  having  been  made  during  the 
past  year.  The  Sabbath-school  enrolls  one  hundred  and 
twenty-six  teachers  and  scholars,  under  Daniel  C.  Farr, 
superintendent. 

FORT   EDWARD   VILLAGE   B.VPTIST    CHURCH. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1842,  fourteen  persons  met  in 
the  white  .school-house,  in  Fort  Edward  village,  and  by  the 
advice  and  assistance  of  Elder  B.  F.  Garfield,  of  the  West 
Greenwich  church,  organized  themselves  into  a  Baptist 
society,  auxiliary  to  the  Washington  Union  Association. 
The  names  of  these  fourteen  original  members  were  James 
Cheesman,  Nelson  Combs,  Thomas  Pike,  George  Mills, 
Lucinda  Van  Dusen,  Melissa  Hall,  Abigail  Pike,  Electa 
Shaw,  Isabel  Sanders,  Clarissa  Henderson,  Polly  Sprague, 
Sally  Pike,  Emma  Pike,  and  Lucinda  Bovee.  James 
Cheesman  was  chosen  to  serve  them  as  deacon,  and  Elder 
Garfield,  upon  their  invitation,  continued  his  labors  with 
them  for  one  month,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  .society, 
then  numbering  twenty-five,  was  received  as  a  branch  of 
the  Sandy  Hill  church,  which  delegated  to  them  the  power 
to  transact  all  church  business. 

Their  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Solomon  Gale,  who  .served 
them  (in  connection  with  the  Sandy  Hill  church)  for  one 
year,  and  was  succeeded,  April  17,  1843,  by  Elder  Amos 
Sternes,  who  labored  with  the  branch,  in  connection  with 
the  Fort  Edward  church,  for  nearly  four  years.  Upon  the 
close  of  Elder  Sternes'  pastorate,  the  branch  united  with 
the  Fort  Edward  church  in  support  of  Elder  G.  W.  Free- 
man, who  commenced  his  labors  here  May  1,  1847,  and 
continued  his  labors  two  years.  During  his  pastorate — 
January,  1848 — the  branch  was  granted  a  letter  of  dismis- 
sion from  the  Sandy  Hill  church,  and  on  the  24th  of  that 
month  the  members  met  in  the  white  school-house,  ap- 
pointed G.  W.  Freeman  moderator,  and  S.  Mears  secretary. 


and  organized  into  the  "  Fort  Edward  Village  Baptist 
church,"  as  at  present,  the  constituent  members  being 
thirty-four  in  number.  After  the  pastorate  of  Elder  Free- 
man closed,  their  pulpit  was  supplied  for  about  four  months 
by  Elder  W.  W.  Moore,  of  the  Sandy  Hill  church  ;  then 
by  Father  Sternes  for  about  one  year.  On  the  21st  of 
April,  1850,  Elder  G.  W.  Fisher  accepted  a  call  to  the 
pastorate,  and  remained  for  about  three  years.  A  short 
time  before  his  coming,  the  church  had  become  a  corporate 
body,  and  on  the  2Sth  of  May,  1851,  it  was  received  into 
the  Washington  Union  Association.  Up  to  this  time  their 
worship  had  been  held  chiefly  in  the  school-house,  and  for 
a  short  time  in  the  Methodist  church  ;  but  they  now  re- 
solved to  build  an  edifice,  and  proceeding  with  energy,  had 
so  fiir  completed  their  present  house  of  worship  that  services 
were  held  in  its  basement  about  Dec.  25,  1851. 

Elder  Fisher  resigned  in  the  spring  of  1853,  and  was 
followed  by  Elder  Eastwood  and  others,  as  supplies,  until 
Sept.  1,  1854,  when  Elder  11.  F.  Parshall  assumed  charge. 
He  resigned  Sept.  1,  1858.  Since  that  time  the  pastors 
of  this  church  have  been  the  following:  Elder  B.  F.  Gar- 
field, Dec.  15,  1858,  to  March,  1861;  Elder  William 
Brown,  April  1,  1862,  for  a  period  of  nearly  three  years; 
Elder  G.  W.  Holman,  April  1,  1865,  to  July  1,  1866; 
Elder  J.  W.  Grant,  Jan.  1,  1867,  to  April,  1868;  Elder 
II.  R.  Traver,  Nov.  1,  1868,  for  about  one  year;  Elder  J. 
D.  Tucker,  Jan.  1,  1870,  to  May  1,  1872;  Rev.  W.  H. 
Hawley,  who  was  succeeded,  July  14,  1876,  by  Rev.  A.  H. 
Putnam,  the  present  pastor. 

Auxiliary  to  the  church  is  a  Sabbath-school,  organized 
Feb.  22,  1850,  with  Simeon  Mears  superintendent.  The 
attendance  is  now  one  hundred  and  seventy-five.  Superin- 
tendent, II.  Tefft. 

.ST.    JAJIES'    CHURCH    (EPISCOPAL). 

The  parish  of  this  church  was  organized  in  Fort  Edward 
in  December,  1844.  For  several  years  prior  to  this  the 
congregation  had  met  for  worship  in  the  old  Union  church, 
under  charge  of  Rev.  John  Alden  Spooner,  rector  of  Zion 
church,  of  Sandy  Hill,  of  which  church  they  had  also  been 
considered  a  part.  Upon  the  organization,  Mr.  Spooner 
also  became  their  rector  jointly  with  Sandy  Hill,  holding 
services  there  on  Sabbath  mornings  and  at  Fort  Edward  in 
the  afternoons. 

In  1844  measures  were  taken  looking  to  the  erection  of 
a  house  of  worship.  A  lot  on  the  cast  side  of  Broadway 
was  purchased  from  Walter  Rogers,  and  the  corner-stone  of 
the  edifice  was  laid  in  1845;  but  their  building-fund  be- 
came exhausted  and  work  Wiis  suspended  while  the  house 
was  yet  far  from  completion.  It  remained  in  this  condi- 
tion until  1848,  when  Daniel  W.  Wing,  Esq.,  most  gen- 
erously came  to  the  rescue,  completed  the  building  from 
his  own  private  funds,  and  presented  it  to  the  vestry  free 
of  debt  for  consecration,  which  ceremony  was  performed 
in  that  year  by  Right  Ilev.  Bishop  Uelaneey,  of  the  western 
diocese  of  New  York.  The  church  is  a  substantial  brick 
structure  in  the  Gothic  style,  thirty  by  sixty-five  feet  in 
dimen.sion,  costing  about  three  thou.sand  five  hundred  dol- 
lars, of  which  Mr.  Wing's  donation  was  fully  one-third. 

Mr.  Spooner  was,  in   the  spring  of  1847,  succeeded  by 


326 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY',  NEW    YOllK. 


Rev.  Samuel  B.  Bostwick,  D.D.,  who  also  became  rector 
both  of  this  church  and  that  at  Sandy  Hill,  and  remained 
ill  chargi  of  St.  James'  for  nearly  a  ((uarter  of  a  century. 
His  successor  was  Rev.  F.  M.  Cookson,  the  present  rector. 

TUE    BAPTIST    CIIUllCU    AT    FORT   MILLER 

Wii-s  organised  in  December,  1858,  as  a  branch  of  the  church 
at  Fort  Edward  village,  and  under  charge  of  the  preachers 
of  the  last-named  organization.  The  meeting-house  (their 
present  place  of  worship)  was  completed  and  dedicated  in 
1808.  The  church,  having  now  a  membership  of  .sixty- 
nine,  is  under  charge  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Le  Seur,  a  licentiate, 
who  serves  this  congregation  in  connection  with  that  of  the 
old  church  at  Dnrkeetuwn. 

ST.  J0.SEPU'S    CUURCU   (CATHOLIC). 

About  three  hundred  families  of  Catholics  living  in  Fort 
Edward  worshiped  at  Sandy  Hill,  for  the  I'eason  that  they 
had  no  church  in  their  own  town  prior  to  18G9,  when  they 
purchased  the  brick  church  on  East  sti'eet  formerly  used 
by  the  Methodists  as  a  meeting-house.  The  price  paid  was 
five  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  ;  but  in  repairs  and  other- 
wise the  total  cost  amounted  to  nearly  ten  thousand  dollars. 
Father  James  McGee  assumed  priestly  charge  in  1870,  and 
remained  till  1876,  when  he  was  .succeeded  by  Rev.  Father 
Fitzpatrick,  who  still  remains.  In  numbers  the  congrega- 
tion is  about  the  .same  as  at  the  time  of  its  establishment. 
They  have  a  parsonage  on  East  street,  purcliased  in  1874 
for  four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  earliest  school  of  which  we  have  any  account  was 
taught  in  a  small  frame  building,  which  stood  on  a  spot 
now  occupied  by  the  canal  and  adjoining  the  old  burial- 
ground,  the  land  for  both  school-house  and  cemetery  having 
been  given  by  Henry  Cuyler.  In  this,  soon  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  century,  the  children  of  Fort  Edward 
were  taught  by  Mr.  Thurber,  who  was  succeeded  by  a  Mr. 
Allen,  the  latter  remaining  in  charge  for  a  considerable  i 
length  of  time.  James  McCall  and  Milton  E.  Shaw  were 
teachers  who  taught  fifteen  or  twenty  years  later  in  a  school- 
house  where  Marinus  Parker  now  lives.  The  old  brick 
.school-house  on  Eiist  street  was  not  erected  until  about 
1835. 

At  Fort  Miller  an  early  school-luuiso  stood  above  the 
cemetery,  and  among  its  teachers  were  Otis  Bigelow,  David 
Carswell,  and  others.  The  next  school-house  at  that  vil- 
lage stood  near  Nichols'  store.  The  first  commissioners  of 
schools  in  the  town  were  Samuel  Bennett  and  Reuben 
Durkce,  elected  in  1818.  In  the  following  year  inspectors 
of  schools  were  chosen,  viz.,  Stephen  L.  Viele,  Alexander 
Sutherland,  John  F.  Gandall,  Solomon  Emmons,  and  Ste- 
phen Bell.  In  August  of  that  year  school  districts,  num- 
bering from  one  to  eight,  were  laid  off  by  Commissioners 
Walter  Rogers,  Warren  Bell,  and  Samuel  Bennett.  The 
report  of  those  commissioners  for  1819  showed  that  seven 
schools  were  taught  in  tln^  town,  for  jieriods  varying  from 
three  to  eleven  months  ;  that  ilic  number  of  children  taught 
Was  two  hundred  and  sixty-one;   that  the  whole  number  of 


children  of  school-age  was  three  hundred  and  fifty-three, 
and  that  the  amount  of  public-school  money  apportioned  to 
the  town  was  one  hundred  and  sixteen  dollars  and  ten  cents. 
The  books  in  use  at  that  time  were  Webster's  spelling-book 
and  grammar,  Morse's  geography.  Pike's  arithmetic,  and 
the  English  Reader.  By  the  last  recorded  report  of  the 
superintendent,  July  1,  18-1-t,  it  is  shown  that  there  were 
seven  entire  and  six  fractional  districts,  containing  a  total  of 
five  hundred  and  five  children  from  five  to  sixteen  years  ; 
that  the  public  money  received  was  three  hundred  and 
ninety-five  dollars  and  ninety-seven  cents,  and  that  the 
amount  paid  to  teachers  in  addition  to  the  public  money 
was  five  hundred  and  twenty-three  dollars  and  seventy-nine 
cents. 

By  this  time  there  had  been  awakened,  especially  in  Fort 
Edward  village,  a  desire  for  better  educational  advantages. 
As  a  result  we  find  that  in  1847,  in  district  No.  7  (village), 
the  attendance  at  the  select  .schools  of  Jliss  Montgomery 
and  Mr.  Choate  was  nearly  double  that  at  the  public  school, 
and  the  sentiment  which  led  to  this  .soon  after  brought 
about  the  establishment  of  the  present  graded  system. 

The  union  school  at  Fort  Edward  village  was  among  the 
earliest  organized  under  the  law  authorizing  their  estab- 
lishment. It  appaars  from  the  record  that  the  first  move- 
ment in  the  matter  was  made  at  the  annual  district-meet- 
ings in  the  spring  of  1848,  and  th.it  the  best  and  most 
prominent  people  of  the  village  were  from  the  first  almost 
unanimous  in  its  favor. 

At  a  meeting,  •'  held  in  the  brick  school-house"  (district 
No.  7),  on  the  14th  of  March  in  that  year,  a  committee, 
consisting  of  Walter  Rogers,  Dr.  William  Wright,  and 
Edward  Crane,  was  appointed  "  to  collect  such  facts  in  re- 
lation to  the  practical  working  of  the  union  school  system, 
and  to  present  such  arguments  in  favor  of  its  adoption  in 
this  village,  as  shall  by  them  be  deemed  most  appropriate, 
in  order  to  a  clear  and  correct  understanding  of  the  great 
question  which  now  agitates  the  district."  At  an  adjourned 
meeting,  held  April  8,  H.  W.  Bennett  and  D.  S.  Cars- 
well  were  added  to  that  committee,  and  at  an  adjourned 
meeting,  held  on  the  22d  of  the  same  month,  their  favor- 
able report  was  read  by  Dr.  Wright,  and  at  once  accepted. 
Upon  which  (although  the  consolidation  of  the  districts  was 
not  yet  accomplished)  it  was,  by  the  meeting,  "  Itesuhed, 
That  a  union  school-house  be  built.'  Dr.  William  Wright, 
Walter  Rogers,  and  D.  S.  Carswell  were  then  chosen  a 
committee  "  to  coni'er  with  the  lower  district,'"  and  the 
meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  29th  of  April,  at  which  time 
it  was  ^^Jiesu/vid,  That  school  district  No.  1,  in  Fort  Ed- 
ward village,  be  united  with  school  di.strict  No.  7  in  said 
village  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  union  school-house ; 
and  that  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  said  district  be  taxed 
as  the  law  prescribes  for  building  said  house."  Dr.  Wil- 
liam Wright  and  Abraham  I.  Fort  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  notify  the  town  superintendent  of  public  .schools, 
by  whom,  oii  the  2d  of  May  following,  it  was  announced 
that,  "  Agreeably  to  the  inianimous  resolution  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  school  districts  Nos.  1  and  7,  in  school-meeting 
assembled,  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  said  distiicts  be  con- 
solidated, and  hereafter  known,  as  school  district  No.  1." 
Tlic  order  to   take  effect  iinnicdiately.      And  at  a  special 


Joseph  E.  King  was  born  in  Laarens,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  T.,  November 
30,  1823,  tbe  son  of  liev.  Klijah  King,  a  Mi^thodist  clergyman,  and  a 
member  of  "the  old  Genesee  Conference,"  until,  his  health  failing,  he 
located,  purchasing  a  farm  in  Otsego  county,  amid  the  friends  he  had 
known  as  an  itinerant. 

Until  ten  years  of  age  a  constant  attendant  at  the  public  schools.  At 
that  time  transferred  to  the  store  of  his  father,  who  had  become  a  mer- 
chant, he  wa^  made  clerk  and  assistant  book-keeper. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  for  a  few  months  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  Albany. 
He  then  rejoined  the  family,  who  "went  west"  as  far  as  Grirard,  Erie 
Co.,  Pa.,  where,  with  an  interval  of  a  single  term  only  in  a  select 
school,  he  was  kept  at  the  business  of  clerking  in  the  village  store  until 
the  age  of  seventL-en.  At  this  period  the  desire  for  better  educational 
advantages  so  inflamed  him  that  he  wrote  to  his  parents  an  argument  of 
four  pages  of  foolscap,  which  quite  convinced  them  that  he  must  bo  per- 
mitted and  encouraged  to  prepare  for,  and  go  through,  college.  The 
preparation  was  at  once  begun  at  the  Grand  River  Institute,  Austinburg, 
Ohio,  whither  the  family  moved,  to  make  for  him  a  home. 

The  father's  health  being  injured  by  the  lake  winds,  in  the  hope  of 
repairing  it  the  family  returned  to  "the  east,"  residing  at  Cambridge, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where,  in  1847,  died,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one. 
Rev.  Elijah  King. 

The  student,  following  the  family  home  in  1843,  entered  Poultney 
Academy,  then  under  Rev.  Je?se  T.  Peck  (now  bishop),  to  prepare  for 
advanced  standing  in  college.  In  18 1-4,  admitted  to  the  sophomore  class 
in  Wcsleyan  University,  he  took  rank  among  the  foremost  of  his  class, 
despite  the  fact  that  he  bad  to  be  absent  each  winter  in  the  grammar- 
school  of  Glastenbury,  which  he  taught.  Both  from  neceisity  and 
choice  he  began  school-teaching  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  has  never 
been  relieved  from  this  work  since.  At  the  junior  exhibition  of  his  class 
he  was  appointed  to  the  Latin  salutatory  (in  the  temporary  absence  of 
the  future  valedictorian),  the  first  honor  of  tbe  class.  In  his  senior  year 
ho  was  elected  to  tbe  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  Graduating  from  Wesleyan  in 
1847,  in  the  class  which  produced  Orange  Judd,  Senator  Cole,  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  Bishop  Andrews,  he  accepted  an  engagement  to  teach  Latin 
and  natural  science  at  Newbury  Seminary,  Vermont,  the  conference 
seminary  at  that  time. 

In  184S  he  was  made  principal  of  tho  seminary.  Though  among  his 
predecessors  had  been  such  men  as  Rev.  Doctors  Ilinman,  Adams,  and 
Hoyt,  and  Bishop  Osman  C.  Baker,  yet  during  the  reign  of  Professor 
King  this  seminary  enjoyed  its  highest  intellectual  and  financial  pros- 
perity. He  paid  its  debts,  reconstructed  its  chapel  and  class-rooms, 
built  its  public  fountain,  and  brought  the  roll  of  its  adult  students  up  to 
.325  in  attendance  at  the  time  of  his  retiring,  in  November,  1853. 

Accepting  a  call  to  his  native  State,  he  assumed  the  principalship  of 
Fort  Plain  Seminary,  N.  Y.,  and  in  November,  1853,  five  days  after  his 
term  closed  at  Newbury,  he  opened  its  first  term, — all  its  rooms  filled 
with  students. 

It  being  in  contemplation  to  erect  at  Fort  Edward  an  institution  on  a 
grander  scale  than  any  existing  boarding  seminary,  the  principal  of 
Fort  Plain  Seminary  was  invited  to  visit  the  town  with  a  view  to  give 
his  advice  in  the  proposed  enterprise.  In  connection  with  Rev.  Henry 
B.  Taylor,  he  matured  the  plans,  assisted  at  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone in  May,  1854,  and  was  induced  to  assume  the  principalship  of  Fort 
Edward  Institute  for  a  term  of  ten  years.     Tec.  7,  1854,  ho  opened  the 


first  term  with  five  hundred  students  in  attendance,  and  daring  the 
twenty  three  years  of  its  subsequent  history  he  has  been  its  sole  prin- 
cipal, registering  over  ten  thousand  different  names,  hailing  from  over 
thirty-three  of  the  States  of  the  Union.  Many  of  his  students  have 
taken  conspicuous  places  among  the  successful  men  and  women  of  this 
generation.  Over  one  hundred  of  his  students  joined  in  the  war  for 
maintaining  the  Union,  of  whom  eighteen  gave  their  lives  that  the  nation 
might  not  die.  A  few  of  his  young  men  also  fought  on  the  Confederate 
side.  He  has  sent  out  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  clergymen  of  tbe 
various  denominations,  of  whom  already  two  have  become  doctors  of 
divinity.  Tbe  lawyers  and  physicians  have  been  almost  as  numerous. 
The  institute  has  had  one  representative  in  Congress,  one  State  Senator, 
and,  at  different  times,  nearly  a  score  of  Assemblymen.  It  has  five 
or  six  judges  and  several  school  commissioners,  and  a  whole  army  of 
teachers.  Besides  the  hundreds  of  its  regular  graduates,  it  has  sent  not 
less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  young  men  to  college  and  professional 
schools. 

In  1862,  Union  College  conferred  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity 
upon  Professor  King,  and  in  1873  the  regents  of  the  University  of  New 
York,  in  recognition  of  uis  efiiciency  as  an  educator,  conferred  upon  him 
the  degree  of  "  Ph.  D." 

In  1850  he  was  married  to  Miss  Melissa  Bayley,  of  Newbury,  Vt. 
The  "silver  wedding"  was  duly  celebrated  in  July,  1875. 

In  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  principal  of  Fort  Edward  Institute, 
he  has  lectured  before  the  faculty  and  students  over  three  hundred  times, 
and  has  found  leisure  to  deliver  outside  the  walls  of  the  institute  two 
hundred  and  ten  lectures  and  addresses,  besides  having  preached  one 
thousand  and  thirty-two  sermons,  in  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  dif- 
ferent jiulpits.  From  the  sessions  of  the  conference  of  clergymen,  of 
which  he  is  a  member,  he  has  never  been  absent  for  a  day.  In  1864  he 
was  elected  by  his  brethren  a  delegate  to  the  general  conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Philadelphia;  having  also  enjoyed  the 
honor  of  serving  as  a  delegate  to  the  general  conference  of  1856,  repre- 
senting the  Vermont  conference,  from  which  he  was  transferred  tc  the 
Troy  conference,  on  a  vote  of  that  conferenco  requesting  it.  For  two 
weeks  he  served  as  acting  delegate  in  the  general  conferenco  at  Chicago, 
in  1868.  Once  he  has  been  called  upon  to  address  the  alumni  of  his 
college,  once  to  deliver  the  oration  before  the  convention  of  Psi  Upsilon, 
— his  college  fraternit}', — and  twice  to  deliver  the  annual  poem  at  Psi 
Upsilon  conventions. 

In  1867  he  gave  himself  a  special  vacation  of  about  three  months 
abroad,  chiefly  in  the  British  isles,  France,  and  Belgium. 

By  way  of  recreation  from  the  severer  routine  of  his  educational  and 
spiritual  tasks,  he  enjoys  helping  with  his  presence  and  counsels  the 
various  institutions  and  corporations  in  which  he  takes  an  interest. 
Besides  being  a  working  trustee  in  Fort  Edward  Institute,  he  is  also  a 
trustee  or  a  director  in  the  following  corporations  :  Wesleyan  University, 
Syracuse  University,  Round  Lake  Camp-Meeting  Association,  Mechanic- 
viile  Academy,  the  Union  Cemetery  Association,  the  National  Bank  of 
Fort  Edward,  two  banks  in  Iowa,  and  the  Glen's  Falls  Insurance  Asso- 
ciation. 

He  aims  to  set  the  example  to  his  young  men  of  rarely  being  absent 
from  tho  primary  meetings  of  his  political  party,  from  the  home  coun- 
cils of  his  church,  or  tho  convocations  of  his  fellow-workers  in  the  cause 
of  education. 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


327 


meeting,  held  by  direction  of  the  superintendent  on  the 
IGth  of  Jlay,  1848,  the  following  gentlemen  were  elected 
the  first  officers  of  the  consolidated  district,  viz. :  Robert 
McCoy,  William  S.  Norton,  Frederick  J).  Ilodgeuum,  tru.s- 
tees ;  Timothy  Stoughton,  clerk  ;  James  Deuel,  collector ; 
and  Dr.  William  Wright,  librarian. 

The  remarkable  unanimity  of  opinion  which  had  thus  far 
marked  the  proceedings  was  temporarily  disturbed  in  the 
selection  of  a  school-house  site,  and  a  period  af  more  than 
nine  months  elap.sed  before  this  was  definitely  agreed  on. 
On  the  15th  of  July,  1848,  it  was  voted — Ihirty-nine  to 
twenty-three — to  purchase  a  lot  oifered  by  Edwin  B.  Nash, 
but  this  vote  was  rescinded  at  an  adjourned  meeting,  held 
Feb.  24,  1849.  It  wa.s  then  voted — eighty  to  sixteen — to 
purchase  a  lot  of  Walter  Rogers,  adjoining  the  Episcopal 
church  lot,  for  one  thousand  dollars;  and  on  the  2d  of 
May,  1849,  that  lot  was  conveyed  by  Mr.  Rogers  to  Wil- 
liam S.  Norton,  Frederick  D.  Hodgeman,  and  Robert 
McCoy,  trustees  of  the  district.  These  trustees,  with 
Messrs.  William  Wright,  Abraham  I.  Fort,  George  H. 
Taylor,  and  Edwin  B.  Nash,  were  constituted  a  building 
committee,  with  full  power  to  proceed  in  the  erection  of  a 
house,  of  which  the  cost  should  not  exceed  four  thousand 
dollars,  and  this  sum  was  voted — seventy-four  to  thirteen 
— to  be  raised  by  tax  in  five  annual  installments.  The 
school-house  (the  same  now  in  use),  a  brick  building,  forty- 
four  by  sixty  feet  and  three  stories,  was  completed  during 
the  year  1849,  at  a  total  cost  of  about  thirteen  thousand 
dollars,  and  was  occupied  by  the  school  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  winter  term,  January,  1850.  On  the  third  of 
that  month,  at  a  special  meeting  held  in  the  new  house,  it 
was  voted  to  raise  five  hundred  dollars  as  the  salary  of  the 
principal  teacher,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  each 
for  two  assistants  for  the  ensuing  year ;  and  so  the  school 

went  into  successful  operation,  with   Rev.  Moore  as 

its  first  principal. 

The  succeeding  principals  of  the  school  have  been  Pro- 
fessor E.  P.  Wright,  Miss  Eunice  Shapleigh  (during  summer 
term,  1854),  Professor  Robert  Montgomery,  September, 
1854,  to  October,*  1872  ;  Professor  D.  C.  Farr,  from  fall, 
1872,  till  resignation  at  end  of  spring  term,  1877;  Pro- 
fessor L.  D.  Bishop,  fall  term,  1877  ;  Professor  E.  P.Wright, 
present  principal,  from  January,  1878. 

The  salary  of  the  principal  was  formerly  fifteen  hundred 
dollars,  but  has  been  reduced  to  twelve  hundred  dollars. 
In  the  lower  school-house  ai'e  at  present  employed  seven 
subordinate  teachers,  as  follows :  In  the  high-school  depart- 
ment two  (assistants  to  the  principal)  ;  in  the  grammar  de- 
partment two  ;  and  in  the  first  and  second  intermediate  and 
primary  departments  one  teacher  each.  All  these  are  ladies, 
and  the  salary  of  each  is  six  dollars  per  week,  excepting  the 
first  a.ssistant  in  the  high  school,  who  receives  ten  dollars. 

*•  Oct.  8,  1ST2. — "  The  resignation  of  Robert  Montgomery,  who 
has  filled  the  office  of  principal  for  eighteen  years,  with  honor  to 
the  district  and  credit  to  himself,  was  received  and  accepted  by  the 
trustees."  At  the  same  time  "the  resignation  of  Timothy  Stoughton, 
clerk  of  the  district  for  forty  years,  was  received  and  accepted,  and 
D.  M.  Odell  was  elected  to  the  office."  Mr.  Stoughton,  at  the  time  of 
his  resignation,  was  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  his  age,  and  during 
nearly  half  those  years  had  performed  the  duties  of  this  oihce  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  give  universal  satisfaction. 


In  the  Seminary  Street  school-house  (a  two-story  brick 
building  erected  in  18G8  at  a  cost  of  about  four  thousand 
dollars,  on  a  lot  purchased  of  John  Parrell  for  eight  hundred 
dollars)  are  employed  a  male  vice-principal  at  a  .salary  of 
seven  dollars  per  week  in  the  grammar  department,  and  in 
each  of  the  other  departments  (first  and  second  interme- 
diate and  primary)  a  lady  teacher  at  six  dollars  per  week. 
The  attendance  in  this  building  is  nearly  three  hundred, 
and  in  the  lower  school-house  about  four  hundred.  The 
board  of  trustees  for  1877-78  is  composed  as  follows: 
A.  Dallas  Wait,  president ;  George  Bradley,  George  W. 
Tilford,  John  J.  Burby,  James  L.  Reynolds,  John  F.  Har- 
ris, Robert  Montgomery,  John  L.  Woodin.  George  W. 
Tilford.  treasurer ;  John  J.  Burby,  secretary. 

The  town  now  embraces  nine  .school  districts,  containing 
si.^teen  hundred  and  ten  children  of  school  age  ;  of  which 
number  ten  hundred  and  thirty  are  in  Fort  Edward  village. 
The  town  receives  an  apportionment  of  three  thousand 
three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  dollars  and  twenty  cents,  of 
which  the  .share  of  district  No.  1  is  two  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-seven  dollars  and  fifty-four  cents. 

Outside  the  village  the  period  of  teaching  is  generally 
about  twenty-eight  weeks  in  the  year,  and  the  salaries  paid 
teachers  are  from  four  dollars  to  six  and  a  half  per  week. 
The  school-house  at  Fort  Miller  is  a  fine  brick  structure, 
and  both  edifice  and  school  are  creditable  to  the  village. 

The  Hudson  River  Academy  was  established  at  Fort 
Miller,  in  the  building  which  had  been  Guy's  Hotel.  The 
first  principal  was  Rev.  A.  G.  Cochran,  who.se  successors 

were Barnes  and  Almon  F.  Reynolds.     This  school 

closed  in  1864. 

The  Fort  Edward  Collegiate  Institute,  a  seminary  of 
high  grade,  was  established  in  Fort  Edward  village  in 
1854.  The  buildings,  consisting  of  a  main  structure  of 
brick  throe  hundred  by  forty  feet,  five  stories,  and  a  wing 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty  by  forty  feet,  also  of  brick,  were 
erected  on  the  elevated  ground  at  the  north  end  of  the  vil- 
lage, during  the  summer  and  autumn  of  that  year,  at  a  cost 
of  about  eighty  thou.sand  dollars. 

Under  the  management  of  Rev.  Joseph  E.  King,  D.D., 
its  first  and  only  principal,  this  institute  achieved  a  high 
reputation,  which  was  maintained  and  extended  during  its 
twenty-three  years  of  existence,  which  was  abruptly  and 
disastrously  closed  by  the  total  destruction  of  its  buildings 
by  fire  on  the  evening  of  Monday,  Nov.  19,  1877.  This 
event  was  a  severe  misfortune  to  the  village,  but  the  im- 
mediate rebuilding  of  the  institute  is  now  in  contemplation. 

The  Island  Grove  school,  located  on  Freeman's  island, 
Fort  Edward  village,  is  a  school  of  academical  grade,  estab- 
lished in  1877  by  Professor  Daniel  C.  Farr,  formerly  prin- 
cipal of  the  Fort  Edward  union  school.  With  such  a 
principal,  its  prospects  are  most  encouraging. 

AGR1CIILTUR.\L 1>OPUL.\TION. 

The  area  of  the  town  is  sixteen  thousand  three  hundred 
and  seventy-.si.x  acres,  of  which  about  three-fourths  is  im- 
proved. The  soil  is  clay,  except  a  small  portion  in  the 
northeast,  which  is  sandy.  Agriculturally,  Fort  Edward 
does  not  rank  auiong  the  first  towns  of  the  county,  though 
it  is  excellently  adapted  for  grazing  and  dairying,  and  for 


328 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


tiio  production  of  rye,  oats,  hay,  and  potatoes.  Of  the  last- 
named  product  there  were  cleared  at  the  collector's  ofiBce  in 
Fort  Edward,  during  the  year  1877,  four  hundred  and 
seventy-two  thou.sand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-eight  bushel.^, 
valued  at  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine  thou.sand  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  dollars,  though  thi.s  entire  amount 
must  not  be  credited  to  the  agriculture  of  tliis  town. 

The  Fort  Edward  dairy  company  (incorporated)  has  a 
cheese-factory  at  Durkeetown,  in  the  east  part  of  Fort  Ed- 
ward, which  receives  the  patronage  of  about  two  hundred 
cows,  and  is  under  the  supervision  of  Townsend  J.  Potter, 
general  manager. 

The  annual  fairs  of  the  county  agricultural  society  are 
held  in  an  inclosure  of  twenty-five  acres,  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  Fort  Edward,  on  the  road  leading  to  Sandy 
Hill,  and  near  the  southern  boundary  of  that  village.  These 
grounds  were  purchased  from  Amasa  Howland  by  "  The 
Washington  Park  A.ssociation,"  composed  of  a  number  of 
citizens  of  the  two  villages,  who,  being  desirous  of  attract- 
ing the  fairs  to  their  vicinity,  offered  the  society  the  gratui- 
tous use  of  the  ground,  ready  fenced,  for  a  term  of  ten  years, 
and  also  a  donation  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  in 
cash,  on  condition  that  the  society  should  erect  buildings  and 
hold  their  annual  exhibitions  upon  it.  The  offer  was  ac- 
cepted, the  buildings  constructed,  and  the  first  ftir  was  held 
in  them  September,  1872.  Four  more  fairs  remain  to  be 
held  under  this  agreement. 

There  is  no  grange  of  the  I'atrons  of  Ilu.sbandry  in  Fort 
Edward.  • 

The  population  of  the  town  was  172(5  in  1840;  1711  in 
1845;  2328  in  1850;  2i)l)I  in  18').5  ;  35U  in  1800; 
H!)97  in  18G5;  5125  in  1870  ;  5068  in  1875.  The  pop- 
ulation of  the  village  is  about  4000. 


This  town  has  not  been  lacking  in  patriotism,  as  is  evi- 
denced by  the  following  list  of  tho.se  who  served  during 
the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion  : 

Guorgi)  Allen,  onl.  Dec.  12,  ISO.'S,  lOlli  Ait.,  Co.  I. 
Kdwin  Armstrong,  onl.  Sept.  B,  18G1,  7th  C.iv  ,  Co.  E. 
Lester  Archer,  Corp.;  eiil.  Dci:.  1, 1801,  OOlh  liogt.,  Co.  E. 
John  Aiken,  enl.  Nov.:iO,  ISfil,  %th  Kcgt.,  Co.  E. 
Oeorge  C.  Archer,  enl.  Dec.  1,  ISOl,  OOth  Itegt.,  Co.  E. 
William  II.  11. in,  enl.  Sept.  30, 1801,  7th  Civ.,  Co.  L. 
Francis  liurnhani,  enl.  Sept.  18, 1801,  7th  Cav.,  Cii.  h. 
Jiilins  n.  Maker,  enl.  Sept.  3U,  1801,  7lh  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
Williaiii  Drock,  wagoner;  enl.  Sept.  5,  ISOl,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
.III. inn  Uriigi,',  enl.  Aug.  12,  LSOl,  7th  Ciiv.,  Co.  E. 
Jolin  K.  Urown,  enl.  Sept.  2,  1801,  7lh  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Elihi-.iim  linrch,  enl.  Nov.  10,  1301,  OOth  llegf.,  Co.  E. 
Blarahall  H.  Bairil,  cill.  Nov.  1.1, 1801,  OOth  llegt.,  Co.  E. 
Charles  M.  Berry,  enl.  Nov.  10,  1801,  OOth  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 
William  ISiuk,  enl.  Nov.  o,  1801,  OOth  Uegt.,  Co.  E. 
Jeremiah  Unckley,  enl.  Nov.  2S,  1801,  OOth  Kegt.,  (!o.  E. 
John  Itiown,  enl.  Due.  1:!,  1801,  OOlh  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
John  Bibbins,  enl.  Feb.  12,  1802,  OOth  K.-Rt.,  Co.  E. 
William  Biockan,  enl.  Jan.  1, 1802,  OClh  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
John  Bailey,  Ist  liellt. ;  enl.  Nov.  5,  1801,  OM  Regt ,  Co.  F. 
Daniel  Bennett,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  Mil  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Moses  Benway,  enl.  Jan.  C,  1802,  9:W  llegt.,  Co.  F. 
Alfred  L.  Bain,  enl.  Dec.  31, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  H. 
I'eter  Berry,  enl.  Dec.  20,  1S03, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
John  K.  Brown,  enl.  Doc.  20, 1803,  Kith  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Al.-.\aiMler  1>.  Detts,  enl.  Dec.  25, 1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Lewis  Bnrdick,  enl.  Jnne  1, 1802, 1st  Monntoil  Rifles,  Co.  E. 
Alphiinso  Bi.thy,  enl.  June  1,  1802, 1st  Monntcd  Ritles,  Co.  E. 
Charles  Beatly,  sergt.;  onl.  Sept.  18,  1801,  "tli  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
William  Brown,  farrier ;  enl.  Sept.  28,  1801,  7th  Vnv.,  Ca.  L. 
Edwin  Bar.y,  t.unister;  enl,  Oct.  8,  IKCl,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 


Caspar  T.  Boln,  enl.  Sept.  30, 180i,  7lh  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
Charles  K.  Bain,  enl.  Sept.  30,  1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
John  Blake,  enl.  Nov.  10, 1801,  OOth  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 
Thomas  Brown,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1802,  lOOtli  llegt.,  Co.  D. 
Moses  Burnell,  onl.  Aug.  10,  1802,  lliOtli  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
James  Boyce,  enl.  Jnly  30,  1802,  lOOtli  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Sidney  Brown,  enl.  Feb.  2,  1802,  90th  llegt.,  Co.  E. 
Daniel  Brayman,  enl.  March  12,  18li4,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
John  Briiynian,  enl,  March  14,  1804,  OOth  Regt,,  Co.  E. 
Newell  Cohnrn,  enl.  Dec,  28,  1803,  lOOi  Art.,  Co.  H. 
James  E.  Crawford,  enl.  Doc,  24,  ISO:!,  lOth  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Orrin  T.  Cook,  enl.  Dec.  24, 1801,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I. 
George  H.  Chaser,  enl.  Sept.  23,  1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
John  Clark,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1801,  7th  Cav,,  Co.  E. 
James  Crowley,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1801,  2il  Cav.,  (.'o.  E. 
Michael  (Jlary,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
William  Crossett,  Sept.  6, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Jainea  L.  Cray,  2d  lieiit. ;  enl.  Feb.  27,  1.S02,  OOlh  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Timothy  Cain,  onl.  Nov.  2,  1801,  OOth  Regt.,  Co,  E. 
Jiihii  Carpenter,  enl.  Jan,  7, 1802,  OOlh  Regt.,  Co,  K. 
James  Colden,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1802,  ICOth  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Patrick  Carroll,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1802,  100th  Be^t.,  Co.  D. 
James  Catou,  enl.  Feb.  20,  1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Orrin  Dubois,  enl.  Nov.  12,1801,  03il  Kegt.,"Co.  F. 
Frederick  Darrow,  enl.  Nov.  12,  1801,  03d  Regt.,  &).  F. 
William  Diigan,  enl.  Dec.  20, 1801,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Edward  Davy,  enl.  Dec.  17,  180 1,  lOlh  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Michael  Daly,  enl.  Dec.  19, 1803,  lOtli  Art.,  C...  I. 
John  Davy,  enl.  Aug.  22,1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  G. 
George  L.  Darby,  saddler;  enl.  Aug,  12,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Edward  Davy,  enl,  Oct.  29,1801,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Nicholas  Daily,  enl.  Nov.LI,  1801,  90th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Lawrence  Daily,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1801,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
William  Decker,  enl.  Dec.  10,  1801,  OOth  Regt,,  Co.  E. 
Gary  Donaldson,  enl.  Doc.  Ul,  1861,  OOlh  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Patrick  Dolan,  onl.  Jan.  9,  1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Frederick  Distall,  enl.  Jan.  0, 1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Levi  Dexter,  enl.  Nov.  8, 1801,  06tli  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
James  Dolan,  enl.  Jnly  12,  1802,  lOOIh  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Daniel  Donahue,  enl.  Nov.  29,  1861,  9Ctli  llegt.,  Co.  E. 
Timothy  K.ldy,  enl.  Dec.  -25, 186.3, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Hiram  Eldridge,  capt.;  enl.  Nov.  28, 1802,  9Cth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Joseph  EIra,  enl.  Aug.  22,   1802,  109th  Regt ,  Co.  D. 
Albert  Eogleston,  enl.  Feb.  15,1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
William  A.  Fox,  enl.  Nov.  13, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  P. 
George  H.  Farnsworth,  onl.  Dec.  30, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  H. 
Charles  H.  Forbes,  enl.  Dec.  17, 1803,  loth  Art ,  Co.  I. 
Daniel  F.  Flood,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
Gordon  C.  Finn,  enl.  Aug.  8,1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
John  II.  Fish,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1801,7th  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
AdolhertC.  L'ox,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co   E 
William  W.  Founlain,  enl.  Jan.  13,  1802,  OOlh  Regt,,  Co.  E. 
Elind  Graves,  enl.  Dec.  10, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Van  Ness  Goolah,  enl.  Dec.  28,  1803,  loth  Art.,  Co,  I. 
Michael  GorniKii,  Dec.  23,  1803,  10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Stephen  II.  Graham,  enl.  Dec.  12, 1803,  lOlh  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Joseph  Girard,  enl.  Dec.  22,  ISOi,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I, 
Edward  Granger,  sergt.,  enl.  Sept.  14, 1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
Edward  Gallagher,  old.  Sept.  4,  1801,  2d  C.iv.,  Co.  E. 
Wm.  Gr.ihani,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Berry  S.  Grant,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
James  E.  Gould,  sergt.,  cnl.  Dec.  1, 1801,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Georgo  Graham,  enl.  Jan.  0, 1862,  OOth  Regt.,  Co,  K. 
John  Gray,  enl.  J.iu  3,  1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Silas  S.  Hubliell,  2d  lieut.,  enl.  Oct.  10,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Franklin  Hamlin,  enl.  Nov.9,  l.SOl.Oid  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Daniel  W.  Harrington,  cnl.  Dec.  21,  ISOi,  10;h  Art,  Co.  I. 
Charles  H.  Henry,  enl.  Dec.  10, 1803,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Jacob  0.  llubbell,  enl.  Dec.  2,i,  180  1, 10th  Art., Co.  I. 
Gnslavus  A.  ILile,  enl.  Sept.  30, 1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
Leonard  llydley,  enl.  Sept.  13, 1801, 7lll  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
David  Ilendel-sou,  enl.  Sept.  0,  1801,  7lli  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Dennis  W.  Hickey,  enl.  Aug.  12,  ISOI,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
I'atrick  Iliekey,  Corp.,  enl.  Nov.  10,  ISOI,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Ilirain  Hydi<,  drum  uer,  enl.   Dec.  30,  1801,  OOth  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 
Ebenezer  Howe,  enl.  Dec.  6,  1801,  OOlh  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Alonzo  Hurd,  enl.  Dec.  9,  1801,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
James  D.  Ilaynes,  enl.  Feb.  20,1802,  OOth  Regt ,  Co.  G. 
John  II.  Harris,  enl.  Feb.  24,  1802,  OOlh  llegt,,  Co.  E. 
Thomas  Holcomb,  enl.  Aug,  15, 1802,  109th  llegt.,  Co.  V>. 
Luke  Holly,  enl.  Aug.  IS,  1802, 103th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
George  Hopkins,  enl.  March  10,  1804,  OOth  llegt.,  Co.  E. 
Jonathan  Hopkins,  enl.  March  13,1804,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
R.illin  .lenkins,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1802,  lOOIh  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Johh  II.  Kincaid,  Jr.,  cnl.  Nov.  13, 1801,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
James  Kerr,  onl.  Nov.  3,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Joseph  D.  Keyworth,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1801,  2d  Cav,,  Co,  E. 


7 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


329 


Wm.  Kinmonth,  ™1.  Sept.  3, 1801,  2(1  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Michael  Kennedy,  enl.  Jan.  6,  18G2,  OGtIi  Rcgt.,  Co.  E. 

Eugene  Kelley,  cnl.  Aug.  15, 18011,  lOOIli  Kegt,  Co.  T>. 

John  Kane,  aergt.;  enl.  Sept.  10,  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Alanson  Lewis,  enl.  Nuv.  12,  1801,  9.1(1  Rogt.,  Co.  F. 

Dennis  Leonaril,  cnl.  Dec.  21, 18C3, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Isaac  W.  Lander,  enl.  Sept.  7, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Samuel  A.  Lesler,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

David  Lucee,  drummer;  enl.  Dec.  20,  1801,  OCtli  Uegt.,  Co.  E. 

Adam  Looniis,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1801,  OOlh  Uegt.,  Co.  E. 

Josejdi  Leclerc,  cnl.  Dec.  9,  1801,  OOth  licgt.,  Co.  E. 

James  F.  Lincoln,  enl.  Nov.  29, 1801,  90th  Regt.,  Co.E. 

Joe!  Loveless,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802,  169tli  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Jolin  H.  Miller,  enl.  Sept.  16,  ISOl,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Roger  Mesack,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

George  E.  Milliman,  sergt.;  cnl.  Aug.  8,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Thomas  McDonald,  cnl.  Aug.  12, 1801,  2a  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Henry  McFai  land,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

James  McGuire,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

James  McLaughlin,  enl.  Sept.  14, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Alexander  McMillan,  enl.  Sept.  3, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Robert  McVickar,  cnl.  Aug.  12, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

James  McCarthy,  sergt.;  enl.  Nov.  5, 1862,  9Cth  Regt., Co  E. 

Wm.  Muri>hy,  corp.;  enl.  Nov.  1,  1802,  9eth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Fdward  Moss,  corp.;  enl.  Dec.  0,  1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Abrnm  R.  Mosher,  corp.;  enl.  Jan.  7, 1802,  OOlh  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Horace  F.  Miller,  Corp. ;  enl.  Jan.  7, 1862,  96th  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 

George  B.  Moshier,  capt.;  enl.  Oct.  19,  ISOl,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Conday  Morrison,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  T. 

Samuel  McMillan,  cnl.  Dec  30, 1863, 10th  Art.,  Co.  H. 

Joseph  Miller,  enl.  Dec.  31, 1863,  10th  Art., Co.  U. 

Joshua  Morse,  enl.  Dec.  21,  1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

David  Mountain,  cnl.  Dec.  29, 1803,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

John  Mountain,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1803,  10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Ealscy  S.  Mills,  enl.  Dec.  12,  1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Michael  McNetty,  enl.  Dec.  21, 1863,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Nicholas  J.  Mclnlyrc,  cnl.  Dec.  25,  1863,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Jan)cs  McNeil,  Corp.;  eul.  Sept.  30, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Joseph  D.  Myers,  s.addlcr;  enl.  Sept.  8,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  h. 

Edgar  Murray,  enl.  Sept.  30, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Randall  McDonald,  enl.  Sept.  13,  ISGl,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Eugene  Munn,  cnl.  Nov.  13, 1861,  OOlh  Regt ,  Co.  K. 

Edward  McAvoy,  enl.  Nov.  14,  1861,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

John  McGuire,  enl.  Nov.  11, 1801,  OOth  Regt,  Co.  E. 

John  F.  Miller,  enl.  Dec.  1,  1861,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

James  A.  Mix,  enl.  Jan.  12,  1862,  961h  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Benjamin  Mouty,  enl.  Feb.  10, 1802,  OOlh  Regt.,  C...  E. 

A.  A.  Munroe,  enl.  Ang.  22, 1802, 1  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Duncan  McNeil,  enl.  Ang.  15, 1802,  lOOth  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Oscar  0.  Niles,  cnl.  Nov.  13,  1801,  93d  Regt,,  Co.  F. 

Edward  O'Keefe,  enl.  Nov.  8, 1861,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Robert  Orr,  cnl.  Feb.  14. 1802,  90th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Joseph  Pardee,  enl.  Nov.  10, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  V. 

James  C.  I'ratt,  enl.  Dec.  23, 1803,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

George  H.  Prindlc,  enl.  Sept.  15,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Stephen  Pelot,  enl.  Sept.  2, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Er.istiiB  M.  Pierce,  sergt.;  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Henry  Parker,  enl.  Oct.  20, 1861,  9r,th  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 

George  Payne,  cnl.  Dec.  10, 1801,  OOth  Regt ,  Co.  E. 

Henry  Pizro,  enl.  Jan.  7,  1862,  9Gth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Eli  Pokct,  cnl.  Feb.  3, 1862,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

James  M.  Pelton,  enl.  Oct.  10, 1861,  77tli  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

licwis  J.  Pharnies,  enl.  March  16, 1864. 

John  Quiglcy,  enl.  Sept.  23, 1861,  2il  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

W.  A.  Reyn(dds,  enl.  Oct.  30,  1801, 93il  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Benjamin  S.  Robinson,  enl.  Dec.  25,1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Reuben  E.  Robinson,  enl.  Dec.  23,  1803,  lOlh  Art.,  Co.  I. 

George  H.  Rice,  corp. ;  enl.  Sept.  30, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Clark  Racey,  enl.  Sept.  13, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 

Stephen  Reynolds,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

Andrew  J.  Kussoll,  Ist  lieut. ;  enl.  Nov.  28, 1802,  90lh  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Stephen  F.  Rathbun,  sergt. ;  enl.  Nov.  0, 1802,  96th  Regt.,  (h.  E. 

George  W.  Smith,  sergt. ;  enl.  Oct.  21, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Clark  Simpson,  enl.  Dec.  15, 1803,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Charles  Simmonds,  enl.  Dec.  25, 1803,  loth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Fisher  A.  Stoughton,  enl.  Dec.  16,  1803,  lOth  Art.,  Co.  I ;  had  served  hi 

beforcin2dCav.,Co.  E. 
William  Smith,  enl.  Dec.  17, 1803, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Edward  Squiers,  enl.  Sept.  8, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
John  Smith,  corp.;  enl.  Sept.  2,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Silas  E.  Swift,  sergt. ;  enl.  Nov.  0, 1SG2,  OOth  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 
George  Stevens,  Corp.;  cnl.  Nov.  8, 1802,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Charles  II.  Skidmorc,  enl.  Nov.  1, 1801,  96th  Regt., Co.  B. 
Edward  Smith,  enl.  Nov.  10,1861,  96tli  Regt.,  O.  K. 
Duncjin  Stalker,  enl.  Dec.  1, 1861,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
John  J.  Starks,  enl.  Dec.  2,  ISOl,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
William  Spanlding,  enl.  Dec.  7, 1801.  OOth  Rogt.,  Co.  E. 

42 


Patrick  Sullivan,  enl.  ,Ian.  7, 1862,  OOth  Rogt,  Co.  B. 
William  H.  Taylor,  enl.  Doc.  21, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
John  Thompson,  corp. ;  enl.  Sept  18, 1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
William  Tabor,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  B. 
James  G.  Tanner,  cnl.  Sept.  4,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Andrew  Thornton,  cnl.  Dec.  2, 1861,  9Cth  Kegt,  Co.  E. 
Henry  Taylor,  enl.  Jan.  5,  1862,  96th  Regt,  Co.  E. 
Edward  Taylor,  enl  Jan.  18,  1802,  9Glh  Regt,  Co.  E. 
Joseph  Vinos,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  G. 
Joseph  Vilmer,  Ang.  12,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Henry  Van  Schaick,  enl.  Dec.  30,1801,  OOth  Regt,  Co.  E. 
Norinau  Williams,  enl.  Nov.  12,   1861,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Ralph  S.  Williams,  cnl.  Nov.  12, 1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  F. 
Peter  Wood,  enl.  Sept.  26,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  L. 
Charles  E.  Whitney,  Corp.;  cnl.  Aug.  12, 1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  K. 
Cornelius  Willbur,  enl.  Nov.  12,  1801,  OOlh  Kegt,  Co.  E. 
James  Welch,  enl.  Dec.  13,  1801,  OOth  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Alvin  Woodruff,  enl.  Nov.  1,  1801,  OOth  Kegt, Co.  D. 
Peter  Wolman,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  lOOHi  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 
Jidin  AVhalen,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1862,  160th  Regt,  Co.  D. 
George  White,  enl.  Aug.  16, 1802,  109th  Regt,  Co.  D. 
George  H.  Youngs,  cnl.  Sept.  18, 1801,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  L. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SRETCHh^S. 


FREDERICK  D.  HODGEMAN 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Fairfax,  Lamoille  Co.,*  Vt.,  June 
10,  1812.  He  was  third  son  in  a  fliiiiily  of  eight  children  of 
Jonathan  Hodgeman  and  Marvel  Burdiek,  both  natives  of 
Vermont.  His  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  his 
ancestors  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  State,  and  upon 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war  he  enlisted  on 
the  side  of  the  colonists,  and  he  was  among  the  brave  ones 
at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

In  this  battle  he  became  incapacitated  for  very  much  ser- 
vice afterwards,  by  deafness.  He  lived  to  the  very  advanced 
age  of  ninety-six  years,  and  died  in  the  year  1847.  The 
mother  of  Frederick  D.  Hodgeman  died  in  the  year  1824. 
Both  were  buried  where  they  lived,  at  Fairfax. 

Mr.  Hodgeman's  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  education 
from  books  were  very  limited  while  young,  but  his  subsequent 
career  gives  unmistakable  evidence  that  what  was  lost  in  his 
early  life  in  book  knowledge  was  compensated  for  by  his 
great  natural  ability.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  left  home, 
and  soon  after  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  manufacture  of 
cloth  in  a  woolen-factory,  at  which  business  ho  remained 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  during  the  latter 
part  of  this  time  he  became  the  proprietor,  and  the  one  to 
whom  he  had  been  apj)renticed  became  the  employee.  Thus, 
early  in  life,  he  manifested  groat  self-reliance,  strong  resolu- 
tion, and  a  shrewdness,  tact,  and  executive  ability  not  com- 
mon to  young  men. 

In  1831  he  left  his  native  State  and  came  to  Rexford's 
Flats,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  in  the  course  of  two 
years  contracted  for  and  built  the  lower  aqueduct,  a  public 
work  constructed  by  tlie  State.  He  was  successful  pecu- 
niarily in  this  operation,  and  upon  its  completion  purchased  a 
farm,  and  for  a  few  years  carried  on  farming  in  that  county. 

After  an  examination  of  the  water-power  on  the  IIud.son 
river,  at  Fort  pjdward,  with  his  usual  sagacity,  foreseeing  its 
future  value,  he,  in  a  company  with  others,  erected  a  saw-mill, 
the  first  built  in  tlie  place.     He  afterwards  erected  the  first 


■  Now  Franklin  county. 


330 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


grist-mill  put  up  at  Fort  Edward,  and  from  that  time  until 
his  demise  he  was  largely  interested  in  tha  business  interests 
of  the  place.  In  18GG  he  built  a  paper-mill  on  the  river 
to  replace  the  one  burned.  In  1872,  that  one  being  burned, 
he  erected  another,  which  is  now  in  operation.  He  was 
president  of  the  National  Bank  of  Fort  Edward  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  A  portion  of  the  time  he  lived  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward he  was  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  at  one  time  a 
partner  with  James  Cheeseman. 

Mr.  Hodgeman's  life  was  one  of  almost  unexampled  ac- 
tivity, and,  with  a  will  to  do  whatever  he  conceived  to  be 
right,  he  evinced  a  determination  characteristic  of  his 
nature  and  not  uncommon  among  self-made  men. 

It  is  to  his  sagacity  and  enterprise,  in  a  large  degree,  that 
the  prosperous  village  of  Fort  Edward  owes  its  advance 
from  the  hamlet  of  thirty  years  ago,  he  having  been  fore- 
most in  inaugurating  nearly  all  of  the  large  manufacturing 
interests  of  that  place,  and  from  its  inception,  through 
many  successful  years,  during  the  balance  of  his  life,  he 
was  the  friend  and  most  munificent  patron  of  the  Fort  Ed- 
ward Institute.  In  his  earlier  political  life  ho  was  a  Jeffer- 
soiiian  Democrat,  but  upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party  became  an  ardent  supporter  of  its  principles.  He 
was  never  solicitous  of  any  publicity  by  way  of  oiEce  or 
emolument,  but  regarded  carefully  the  principles  involved,  as 
well  as  the  representatives  of  the  same,  in  casting  his  vote. 

As  early  in  life  as  the  age  of  thirteen  he  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  remaining  an  active  and  de- 
voted member  of  the  same  during  his  life.  He  was  warmly 
attached  to  the  church  of  his  choice,  yet  liberal  in  his  views 
towards  those  diifering  with  him  in  religious  doctrine. 

As  he  was  prosperous  in  worldly  goods,  he  remembered 
the  Giver,  and  contributed  largely  in  the  establishment  of 
church  and  school,  and  to  all  entwprises  looking  to  the 
building  up  of  good  society.  Especially  worthy  of  record 
were  his  large  contributions  to  benevolent  societies,  as  indi- 
cated in  his  will,  as  also  the  investment  permanently  of  a 
sum  of  money,  the  income  of  which  was  to  form  a  fund 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  his  church.  Mr.  Hodgeman 
is  remembered  by  those  who  best  knew  him  as  a  man  of 
strict  integrity  of  purpose,  of  mature  judgment,  of  correct 
habits,  and  strong  decision  of  character.  He  died  Dec.  7, 
1873. 

Mr.  Hodgeman  was  married  three  times, — first,  to  Miss 
Angeline  Knowlton,  of  llexford  Flats,  a  lady  of  good  judg- 
ment, a  safe  counselor  in  all  her  husband's  matters,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  possessing  that 
marked  decision  of  character  which  lends  influence  and 
honor  to  life.  She  died  March  16,  18G1,  at  the  age  of 
fifty  years. 

For  his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Jemima  Washburn, 
at  the  time  of  the  marriage  preceptress  of  the  Jennings 
Seminary  (formerly  Clark's),  at  Aurora,  111.  She  was  a 
native  of  Fishkill,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.  A  lady  of  strong 
sympathy,  accom2}anied  with  that  force  of  affection  for 
those  around  her  that  gave  her  prominent  rank  in  the  best 
circles  of  society.  She  died  May  23,  1867,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-nine  years. 

For  his  third  wife  he  married  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter 
of  Lucius  A.  Foutc  and  Emily   I'.  Smith,  of  Port  Henry, 


N.  Y.,  the  former  a  native  of  Rutland,  Vt.,  the  latter  a 
native  of  Addison,  Vt. 

Her  father  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Nathaniel  Foote, 
an  emigrant  from  England  as  early  as  1033,  when  he  took 
the  freeman's  oath  at  Watertown,  Mass. 

Mrs.  Hodgeman  has  been  for  many  years  identified  with 
the  Slethodist  church,  and  a  constant  attendant  upon  its 
.service. 


JOHN  WAGMAN 


traces  his  descent  on  the  paternal  side  through  Nicholas 
Wagman,  born  in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1781,  to  Henry 
Wagman,  his  grandfither,  who  emigrated  from  Zurich, 
Switzerland,  about  the  year  1760.  A  singular  incident  or 
custom  of  that  country  was  exemplified  in  connection  with 
his  emigration.  No  person  leaving  the  country  vras  allowed 
to  carry  any  money  away  with  him  ;  hence,  although  the 
Wagmans  in  Switzerland  were  well-to-do  in  the  world, 
Henry  was  only  allowed  to  bring  with  him  what  he  secretly 
received  from  his  friends  while  bidding  them  adieu.  His 
sLster  came  with  him.  Born  in  the  year  1740,  he  came  to 
this  country  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  settled  in  Dutchess 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  was  married  about  the  year  1768  to  an  Amer- 
ican lady  of  German  descent,  by  whom  he  had  three  children. 
His  wife  dying,  he  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Efiii 

,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children,  of  whom  Nicholas 

was  the  fifth.  All  these  children  lived  to  advanced  ages, 
engaging  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

The  grandfather  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

Nicholas  Wagman  married  Miss  Sarah  Euiigh,  of 
Dutchess  county,  about  the  year  1812,  by  whom  he  had 
five  children, — Almira  (deceased),  Henry  E.,  William  (de- 
ceased), Rachel  and  Elizabeth  (deceased).  Mrs.  Wagman 
was  of  German  descent.  She  died  about  the  year  1828. 
For  his  second  wife  he  married,  in  1829,  Miss  Mary  Close, 
of  Greenfield,  Saratoga  county,  by  whom  lie  had  five  chil- 
dren,— Lewis  S.,  Benjamin  C.  (deceased),  Sarah,  John,  and 
Nicholas. 

In  the  year  1818,  Nicholas  Wagman,  with  his  family, 
removed  from  his  native  county  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Saratoga,  Saratoga  Co.,  where  he  remained,  following 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  until  his  death.  May,  1870. 
He  left  his  wife,  who,  at"  the  time  of  writing  this  sketch 
(1878),  is  now  in  the  eighty-first  year  of  her  age,  being 
born  Aug.  7,  17'J7. 

The  third  son,  John,  was  born  Aug.  20,  1835,  in  the 
town  of  Saratoga,  Saratoga  Co.  He  spent  his  boyhood 
days  on  the  farm  at  home,  and  attending  the  district  school 
winters.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  gave  his  attention  to 
teaching  during  the  winter,  and  followed  farming  during 
the  summer.  In  the  year  1863,  December  31,  he  married 
Miss  Naomi  Swctland,  of  the  town  of  Moreau,  Saratoga 
Co.  Mrs.  Wagman  died  October  28,  1874,  leaving  behind 
her  a  record  of  purity  of  character,  and  devotion  to  the 
churcli  in  which  she  took  so  active  and  influential  a  part. 
She  was  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  her.  Her  example  and  influence 
still  live.  For  his  seeund  wife  Mr.  Wagman  married,  on 
October  G,  in   the  year  1875,  Mis^s  Ida  M.,  daughter  of 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


331 


George  W.  Bennett  and  Lydia  M.  Hill.  Her  father  is  a 
native  of  Saratoga  county,  and  was  boru  August  20,  1820. 
He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  resides  iu  the  county  of 
his  birth.  Her  mother  is  also  a  native  of  Saratoga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  and  was  born  June,  182-1. 

Mrs.  Wagman  was  born  Nov.  16,  1855. 

Mr.  Wagman  came  to  Fort  Miller  in  the  year  1870,  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  under  the  firm-name 
of  H.  G.  Craig  &  Co,  having,  soon  after  his  marriage  the  first 
time,  engaged  in   the  manufacture  of   jiaper   in   Saratoga 


county,  town  of  Greenfield.  This  business  he  continues  at 
the  present  time,  under  the  firm-name  of"  Wagman,  Thorpe 
&  Co." 

The  Wagman  family  still  retain  the  political  principles 
of  the  ancestors,  who  were  among  the  standard-bearers  of 
the  old  Whig  party,  and  now  the  representatives  of  this 
fiimily  are  ardent  supporters  of  the  Republican  party. 
Characteristic  of  this  family  are  their  temperance  proclivi- 
ties,— the  result  of  early  education  at  home,  and  tlie  impres- 
sions received  from  a  model  mother. 


'^-•i'-'n 


Niiiis,  Fmt  E.1«:im1. 


JIAIIU.MIET    OII.CimiST. 


GILCHRIST   FAMILY. 

Alexander  Gilchrist,  the  emigrant,  was  born  in  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  about  the  year  1722.  He  came  to  America  in  the 
year  17-10.  His  emigration  was  purely  accidental.  Many 
of  his  friends  were  embarking  for  a  new  home  in  America. 
Alexander  went  to  the  ship  to  give  them  farewell  presents, 
and  while  on  board  the  ship  put  out  to  sea,  and  he  then  was 
prevailed  upon  to  continue  the  voyage.  He  was  so  much 
attracted  with  the  new  country  that  he  wrote  back  to  his 
father  '•  that  he  liked  it  better  than  Scotland,"  and  hence 
he  settled  here  for  life.  He  first  settled  in  Orange  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  the  town  of  Goshen,  where  he  married  Miss 
Catherine  McNeal,  of  Scotch  descent,  who  had  come  to 
tliis  country  with  an  uncle  by  the  name  of  Brown.  He 
remained  in  Goslien  for  some  fifteen  years,  and  removed  to 
the  town  of  Argyle,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  his 
family  of  wife  and  seven  children,  and  settled  ou  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  and  a  half  acres  of  land,  obtained  by 
liis  father  from  the  duke  of  Argyle,  and  deeded  by  the  king, 
George  III.,  of  England,  by  letters-patent  dated  17C5. 


The  father  died  in  the  year  17GS.  The  mother,  with 
the  family  of  two  .sons  (Alexander  and  Archibald)  and  five 
daughters,  trusting  in  the  protection  of  Him  "  who  doeth 
all  things  well,"  managed,  with  the  assistance  of  her  sons, 
to  clear  ofi"  the  original  forest  and  establish  a  home.  The 
incidents  of  the  family's  career  as  pioneers,  in  detail,  would 
doubtless  interest  the  ofispring  now  If  a  narration  could  be 
given.  The  devoted  mother  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-nine  years. 

The  eldest  son,  Alexander,  became  the  sole  owner  of  his 
father's  estate.  His  brother  Archibald  purchased  a  farm 
of  the  Mclrityro  fixmily,  a  part  of  Livingston's  manor,  in 
the  town  of  Fort  Edward,  and  where  now  liis  nephew, 
Lewis  Gilchrist,  resides.  Alexander  was  born  about  the 
year  1758,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  White,  of  Irish 
descent,  then  of  the  town  of  Argyle,  about  the  year  1704. 
He  spent  his  whole  life  upon  the  farm  owned  originally 
by  his  father,  and  raised  a  family  of  eleven  children, — 
Alexander,  Walter,  Charles,  Gertrude,  Blargaret  (now 
living),  Ann  Maria,  Sally,  Almira,  Catherine,  John,  James 
H.  (deceased).     Alexander,  the  father   of  these  children, 


332 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


died  in  the  town  of  Fort  Edward  in  the  year  1843.  His 
wife  died  in  1845.  Walter  Gilchrist,  whose  portrait  is 
found  above  this  sketch,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fort 
Edward,  Aug.  10,  1812,  and  was  the  ninth  child  of  the 
family.  He  now  resides  on  a  part  of  the  firm  upon  which 
he  was  born,  and  has  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Gilchrist  was  identified  first  with  the  Whig,  and 
tlien  witli  the  Republican  party.  Although  not  active  ia 
politics,  he  is  firmly  attached  to  the  principle.s  of  his  party. 
He  has  always  been  identified  with  the  best  interests  of 
society,  and  a  liberal  contributor  to  church  and  school  in- 
terest. Miss  Margaret  Gilchrist  was  born  June  18,  1808, 
and  resides  with  her  brother  Walter.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  cliurch  at  Fort  Edward,  and  is  a 
lady  of  strong  decision  of  character  and  sound  judgment, 
pos.scsses  a  very  retentive  memory,  and  has  given  most  of  the 
facts  for  this  sketch.  She  has  always  remained  a  maiden 
lady. 


^ 


James  II.  Gilchrist  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fort  Edward, 
April  21,  1805.  He  spent  his  minority  at  home,  and 
owned  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  until  his  death,  Aug.  1, 
1877.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  decision  of  character, 
very  industrious,  and,  active.  He  was  connected  with  the 
best  enterprises  for  the  public  good  in  his  vicinity ;  was 
trustee  of  the  Presbyterian  society  of  Fort  Edward  for 
some  twenty-four  years,  and  a  member  of  that  church  at 
the  time  of  his  decease. 

Mr.  Gilchrist  was  a  stanch  and  ardent  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  some  thirty  years  ago  was  elected  to 
and  held  the  office  of  .school  commissioner  of  the  county  of 
Washington.  He  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen,  a  man 
of  plain,  unpretending  ways,  considerate  in  judgment,  and 
of  strict  integrity  of  purpose. 

In  the  year  1874,  May  6,  he  married  Miss  Mary,  daugh- 
ter of  John  G.  and  Agnes  Gallagher,  of  Fort  Edward.  She 
was  a  native  of  Liverpool,  England,  and  came  to  America 
with  her  parents.     She  was  born  Aug.  30,  1840,  and  has 


one  child  by  this  union,  who  inherits  the  estate  of  her 
father,  which  has  now  been  in  the  family  for  one  hundred 
and  thirteen  years. 


ENOS  HOWLAND. 

The  Howland  family  in  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  is  traced 
to  the  emigrant  Stephen  Howland,  who  emigrated  from 
England,  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  while  he  was  a 
young  man,  and  settled  in  Dartmouth,  Mass.,  where  he 
Wiis  married.  Shortly  after  the  marriage  he  became  a  sea- 
captain,  and  followed  the  sea  for  a  few  years.  He  was  cast 
away  on  an  Lslaiid,  and  returned  finally  to  his  family  after 
an  absence  of  about  one  year  and  a  half  After  his  return 
he  moved  to  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  the  majority  of  a 
family  of  fourteen  children  were  born.  He  afterwards 
settled  in  Mayfield,  Saratoga  Co.  He  remained  there  a 
short  time,  and  finally  settled  in  Galway,  the  same  county, 
where  he  died  Sept.  20,  1831,  having  been  born  June  21, 
1754. 

Enos  Howland,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  grand- 
son of  Stephen  Howland,  and  son  of  Stephen  Howland 
and  Susan  McOmber.  The  former,  born  May  29,  1793, 
in  Providence,  Saratoga  county,  was  next  to  the  youngest 
child  of  the  flimily ;  the  latter  was  a  native  of  Dutchess 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  Aug.  12,  1789.  She  is  now  living  with 
her  son  Amasa,  at  Fort  Edward,  Wa.shington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  gives  quite  readily  the  facts  narrated  in  this  sketch. 
Stephen  Howland,  the  father,  was  married  Nov.  7,  1812, 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  Saratoga  county  for  several 
years. 

David,  eldest  of  the  sons,  first  came  to  Sandy  Hill  about 
the  year  1835,  and  carried  on  a  book-binding  establish- 
ment, and  died  April  30,  1838.  Gardner,  the  second  son, 
then  assumed  control  of  the  business,  and  carried  it  on  for 
some  years,  when  the  father  and  his  two  sons,  Enos  and 
Amasa,  in  the  year  1844,  came  to  Sandy  Hill  and  erected 
the  first  paper-mill  there  and,  of  any  importance,  in  the 
county.  At  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  father,  July  28, 
1802,  these  sons  assumed  control  of  the  paper-manufactory, 
which  is  now  carried  on  by  Amasa  and  his  nephews,  Derby 
and  Lansing  M.  Howland. 

Of  a  family  of  eleven  children  of  Stephen  Howland  and 
Susan  McOmber, — viz.,  David  (deceased),  Amanda  M., 
Gardner,  Enos  (deceased),  Joseph  (died  at  the  age  of  ten 
years),  Jane  F.  (deceased),  Mary  B.  (deceased),  Amasa, 
Philip  M.,  Deborah,  and  Edmund  Stephen, — Enos  was 
fourth  child,  born  July  20,  1819,  at  Galway,  Saratoga 
Co.  He  spent  his  minority  at  home  on  the  farm,  teach- 
ing school  during  the  winter  months  after  he  became 
of  proper  age.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  came  to 
Sandy  Hill  and  engaged  in  the  paper-manufacturing  busi- 
ness with  his  brother,  Amasa,  which  he  continued  until 
185G,  when  tlie  two  brothers  sold  out  their  interest  in  the 
paper-mill  at  Sandy  Hill,  and  established  a  mill  of  the 
same  kind  at  Fort  Ann,  Washington  Co.,  which  was 
the  first  in  that  place.  This  manufacturing  interest  was 
carried  on  for  some  ten  years,  when  the  partnership  was 
dissolved,  Enos  remaining  at  Fort  Ann,  and  Ama.sa  return- 
ing to  Sandy  Hill,  where  he  built  a  new  mill  for  the  manu- 


■t-"^'-  ''^^2>  ; 


-vjf^^,^ 


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f.^ 

v^^ 


>,  J 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


333 


facture  of  manilla  paper,  which  he  now  carries  on  in 
partnership  with  his  nephew. 

After  a  year's  stay  at  Fort  Ann  Mr.  HowhmJ  returned 
to  Sandy  Hill  and  retired  from  active  business  life.  He 
died  March  25,  1877. 

Mr.  Howland  was  an  active  and  resolute  man,  possessed 
of  sterlini;  integrity  and  good  judgment.  He  was  a  director 
in  the  old  Commercial  Bank  at  Glen's  Falls,  and  during  the 
latter  years  of  iiis  life  was  a  director  in  the  First  National 
Bank  at  Fort  Edward. 

In  politics  Mr.  Howland  was  formerly  a  member  of  the 
Whig  party,  but. upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party  became  an  ardent  supporter  of  its  platform  and  the 
propagation  of  its  principles. 

In  the  year  1845  (Feb.  0)  he  married  Miss  Susan  C, 
daughter  of  Elijah  Murphy  and  Elizabeth  Bliss,  of  Sandy 
Hill.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Springfield,  Ma.ss.,  and 
settled  at  Sandy  Hill  in  the  year  1812.  Her  mother  was 
a  native  of  the  same  place. 

Mrs.  Howland  was  born  May  10,  1823. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howland  have  been  born  seven 
children, — Helena  E.,  wife  of  Thoma.s  Phillips,  of  Akron, 
Ohio;  Lan.sing  M.,  married  to  Miss  Hattie  C.  Odell,  of 
Fort  Edward ;  Stephen,  resides  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  is 
a  teacher  in  a  business  college  ;  Clarence,  married  to  Miss 
Jennie  Frouser,  and  resides  in  Akron,  Ohio  ;  Charles  E. ; 
Anna  J. ;  and  Mary. 

Lansing  M.  is  a  partner  with  his  uncle,  Amasa  Howland, 
in  the  niaimfacture  of  paper  at  Sandy  Hill,  and  is  a  director 
in  the  First  National  Bank  at  Fort  Edward. 


AMASA    HOWLAND. 

Araasa  Howland  was  born  in  Galway,  Saratoga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  June  29,  1827,  being  the  eighth  child  of  Stephen 
Howland  and  Susan  McOmber.  He  was  first  married  to 
Miss  Mary  L.,  daughter  of  Rowland  Green,  of  Galway,  by 
whom  he  had  one  daughter,  Mary  L.  Howland.  His  wife 
died  in  August,  1858.  For  his  second  wife  he  married, 
in  the  year  1859,  Mrs.  Lydia,  widow  of  the  late  Nathaniel 
Groesbeck,  of  Fort  Ann,  by  whom  he  has  two  children, 
James  Edward  and  Fred.  Derby  ;  Mrs.  Howland  having 
previous  to  her  second  marriage  two  children,  Frank  Eliza 
and  Nathalie  Groesbeck. 

Mrs.  Howland  was  born  in  the  town  of  Fort  Ann,  Sept. 
29,  1833.  Mr.  Howland  spent  his  early  life  at  home  on 
the  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  came  to  Sandy  Hill 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  paper,  and  now  is  the 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Amasa  Howland  &  Co.  He 
has  given  his  entire  time,  since  his  first  coming  to  the 
place,  to  active  business  pursuits,  and  is  identified  not  only 
with  the  most  important  manufacturing  interests  of  the 
vicinity  in  which  he  lives,  but  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  of 
the  church  and  school  interests  of  Sandy  Hill. 

Mr.  Howland  is  really  the  oldest  paper-manufacturer  of 
the  county,  having  participated  in  the  first  one  established 
in  the  county  (except  one  on  a  small  scale  at  Fort  Edward, 
established  about  1843). 

He  was  first  identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  and 


remained  a  stanch  member  of  the  same  until  1861,  when 
he  became  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Union  cause,  and 
has  since  been  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 


ALEXANDER   CARSWELL. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ar- 
gylc,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  24,  1802.  He  was 
second  son  in  a  family  of  eight  children  of  Daniel  Carswcll 
and  Elizabeth  Safford, — the  former  a  native  of  the  town  of 
Coleraine,  Mass  ,  born  in  the  year  1775,  and  came  to  this 
county  with  his  parents,  Nathaniel  and  Sarah  Carswell, 
about  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  settled 
in  the  town  of  Salem,  some  of  the  descendants  now  residing 
on  the  farm  where  the  family  first  settled.  Abnor,  the 
oldest  brother  of  Daniel  Carswell,  was  a  soldier  of  the  war 
for  independence,  and  was  at  Fort  Ann.  He  was  substi- 
tuded  by  his  brother  David,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Indians  and  carried  to  Canada,  where  he  was  kept  in  irons 
six  months,  being  a  prisoner  altogether  for  twenty-two 
months.  Daniel  Carswell  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  which 
he  followed  during  the  former  part  of  his  life.  He  died  in 
the  town  of  Argyle,  at  about  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Elizabeth  Carswell  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  town  of 
Norwich  ;  born  in  1777  ;  moved  to  Salem  with  her  parents 
when  about  six  years  of  age.  She  died  about  the  year 
1857,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Alexander  spent  his 
early  life  at  hard  work  at  whatever  offered,  his  father  not 
being  in  circumstances  to  assist  his  children  financially. 
Hence  they  were  obliged  to  depend  upon  their  own  efforts 
for  support  after  becoming  of  sufficient  age,  and  Mr.  Cars- 
well  is  one  of  those  self-made  men  who  has  met  the  obstacles 
not  only  of  a  pioneer  life,  but  struggled  with  self-sacrifice 
and  poverty;  but  in  this  he  learned  those  valuable  les.son3 
of  economy  and  the  necessity  of  industry  which,  in  after- 
life, have  secured  a  sufficient  competence  to  place  him  be- 
yiiid  the  apprehension  of  want  and  leave  his  children  in 
fair  and  comfortable  circumstances.  His  education  from 
books  was  necessarily  very  limited. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  in  1824,  he  married  Miss 
Reconcile,  a  daughter  of  Shubael  Terry  and  Reliance  Hath- 
away, of  Argyle.  She  was  born  May  14,  1803,  in  Hart- 
ford, this  county.  Her  father  was  born  Feb.  4,  1771,  in 
Bedford,  Mass.,  and  came  to  this  county  about  1797.  Her 
mother  was  born  April  19, 1774,  and  was  a  native  of  Taun- 
ton, Mass.  The  family  consisted  of  nine  children,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Carswell  was  third  child. 

To  Mr.  and  INIrs.  Carswell  have  been  born  ten  children, — 
Shubael  T.,  Gideon  II.  (deceased),  Elizabeth,  Nancy  Reli- 
ance, Theodore  (deceased),  Mary  Jane,  Marcy  Joanna, 
Esther,  Theodore  A.  (deceased),  Daniel  Seth  (deceased). 

Mrs.  Carswell  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
having  united  as  a  member  about  1827,  and  was  a  devoted 
Christian  woman,  warmly  attached  to  her  family, — and  her 
many  virtues  will  long  be  remembered  by  all  who  knew  her. 
She  died  Feb.  24,  1877. 

Mr.  Carswell,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  learned  the  tailoring 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  the  year  1839,  when  he 
gave  his  attention  to  farming,  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one 


334 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  the  town  of  Fort  Edward,  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  A  view  of  his  residence  and  sur- 
roundings will  be  seen  on  another  page  of  this  work.  He 
afterwards  added  to  tliis  purchase  and  now  owns  some  one 
hundred  acres  more.  His  life  has  been  one  of  activity,  di- 
rected by  principles  of  integrity  in  all  business  transactions. 
He  was  formerly  a  Wiiig,  and  is  now  a  Republican. 
Held  in  favorable  esteem  by  liis  fellow-citizens,  he  has  been 
elected  to  important  offices  in  tlie  town  in  which  he  lives, 
and  was  assessor  for  three  years. 


Mr.  Carswell,  over  thirty  years  ago,  united  with  the 
Bajjtist  church,  and  has  been  prominent  in  the  councils  of 
that  body, — serving  as  deacon  for  some  twenty  years,  which 
office  he  now  retains. 

The  Carswell  family  has  ranked  among  the  best  families 
of  the  county,  and  several  of  the  descendants  have  occupied 
positions  of  distinction  in  the  councils  of  the  nation.  Mr. 
Carswell  has  only  one  brother — Gideon  S.,  of  Fort  Edward 
— and  two  sisters — Mrs.  Wm.  Taylor,  of  Fort  Edward,  and 
Mrs.  George  Taylor,  of  j\rgyle — still  living. 


->-ooc>=(i-=<. 


GREENWICH. 


Greenwich  was  formerly  embraced  within  the  limits 
of  Argyle.  In  1803  it  was  set  off  with  its  present  bounds, 
and  named  after  Greenwich,  R.  I.  The  shape  of  the  town 
is  very  irregular,  owing  to  its  having  the  Batten  Kill  for 
one  of  its  boundaries.  The  general  length  is  about  twelve 
miles  from  east  to  west,  and  it  is  nearly  six  miles  in  width. 
With  reference  to  other  towns  it  is  south  of  the  centre  of 
the  county,  extending  westward  to  the  Hudson  river.  The 
area  comprises  nearly  twenty-seven  thousand  acres,  some- 
what broken,  but  presenting  a  pleasing  aspect.  There  are 
high  hills  in  the  east,  and  west  of  the  centre  is  Bald  moun- 
tain, with  an  eminence  of  nine  hundred  and  twelve  feet, 
and  comprising  about  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land.  The 
elevation  belongs  to  a  range  of  the  same  name  extending 
northward  into  Vermont.  It  is  composed  of  a  peculiar 
rock,  resembling  in  general  the  blue  limestone,  but  the  strata 
to  which  it  belongs  has  not  yet  been  properly  determined. 
As  the  country  westward  to  the  Hudson  is  very  level,  the 
mountain  is  a  prominent  and  marked  object  in  the  land- 
scape. 

Greenwich  was  originally  covered  with  forests  of  pine, 
hemlock,  and  the  hard  woods.  Some  of  the  uplands  are 
yet  crowned  with  timber  lots,  whose  contrast  with  the  cleared 
lowlands  and  vales  produces  a  pleasing  elfect.  In  the  east- 
ern part  vast  quantities  of  pine  have  been  cut  into  lumber, 
whose  manufacture  formed  for  many  years  the  principal 
business.  The  soil  is  generally  fertile,  and  capable  of  yield- 
ing a  variety  of  productions.  It  varies  from  a  sandy  loam 
to  a  heavy  clay.  The  Batten  Kill  is  the  principal  stream, 
having  its  source  in  Vermont,  and  flowing  westward  through 
the  county  to  its  junction  with  the  Hudson.  For  many 
miles  it  forms  the  southern  boundary  of  the  town,  and  is 
characterized  by  a  number  of  falls  rapids,  affording  excel- 
lent power,  whose  improvement  is  a  source  of  wealth  to  the 
town.  The  river  descends  seventeen  feet  at  Centre  falls, 
forty  feet  at  Galesville,  and  half  a  mile  below  that  point  has 
an  almost  precipitous  fall  of  seventy  feet.  In  seasons  of 
high  water  these  rapids  attain  a  grandeur  rivaling  Niagara, 


and  in  any  condition  they  deserve  a  prominence  which  will 
place  them  alongside  of  the  minor  cataracts  of  the  country. 
They  have  been  appropriately  named  the  Dion-oudrhowa 
/(ills,  the  Indian  term  for  the  great  falls  of  the  Batten  Kill. 
The  picturesque  surroundings  make  the  place  highly  attract- 
ive, and  it  is  much  frequented  by  pleasure-parties.  Cossa- 
yuna  creek,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town,  is  the  outlet  of 
a  lake  by  the  same  name,  which  is  partly  between  Green- 
wich and  Argyle.  That  sheet  of  water  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  this  part  of  the  State,  and  affords  good  fi.shing.  Centuries 
ago  it  was  the  favorite  resort  of  the  Massachusetts  Indians, 
wliosc  trail  was  along  the  little  creek.  There  are  several 
small  brooks  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  and 
near  the  centre  is  a  peat  swamp,  which  has  not  yet  been 
developed. 

The  many  natural  advantages  and  location  of  Greenwich 
invited  early  settlement  and  the  disposition  of  the  lands  by 
patents  to  those  always  ready  to  engage  in  speculative  enter- 
prises. The  first  patent  issued  which  covered  any  portion 
of  the  present  town  of  Greenwich  is  that  known  as  the  Sara- 
toga patent,  which  was  granted  November  4,  1G84,  under 
the  provincial  administration  of  Thomas  Dongan.  The 
grantees  were  Cornelius  Vandyke,  John  John.son  Bleeker, 
Peter  Philip  Schuyler  (a  great-uncle  of  General  Philip 
Schuyler,  of  Revolutianary  fame),  Johannes  Wendell,  Dirck 
Wessells,  David  Schuyler,  and  Robert  Livingston.  Vandyke 
sold  a  portion  of  his  share  (that  east  of  the  Hudson  river) 
to  William  Kettlehuyn  and  Killian  De  Bidder,  in  1085. 
The  patent  covered  two  towns  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hud- 
son river,  and  the.  town  of  Easton,  and  a  portion  of  the 
town  of  Greenwich,  on  the  east  side  of  that  river.  "  The 
original  graut,"  says  Dr.  Fitch,  ''  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  recorded.  The  proprietors  subsequently  applied  for, 
and  Oct.  9,  1708,  obtained,  a  renewal  of  it,  in  which  that 
portion  of  the  patent  falling  within  this  county  is  described 
as  follows :  '  And  from  the  Last  Terminacion  by  a  Straight 
Line,  to  be  drawn  East,  to  the  North  side  of  the  mouth  of 
Creek  Dionondehowe  [Batten  Kill],  and  from  thence  con- 


RESIDENCE    or    EDMUND    H.  G-IBSON,  Gaeen  wich    WashinoiohCo  HY 


HISTORY  OP  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


335 


tinued  East  Six  Miles  into  the  Woods  on  the  East  Side  of 
Hudson's  River,  and  from  thence  by  a  Lino  Southerly  Par- 
allel to  the  course  of  said  Hudson's  River,  and  Six  Miles  Dis- 
tant from  the  same,  soc  farr  Southerly  until  it  come  Opposite 
to  and  bear  Six  Miles  Distant  from  the  North  Side  of  the 
Mouth  of  Schaachook  Kill  [Hoosiok  River],  which  is  the 
bounds  of  Schaachook  Patent,  Late  belonging  to  Henry  Van 
Rensselaer.'  (Patents,  vol.  vii.  pp.  375-379)  .  .  .  The 
northeast  corner  of  the  patent  being  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, nearly  two  miles  north  of  Centre  falls."  At  the  time 
of  the  re-issue  of  the  patent  its  ownership  had  changed  some- 
what, the  share  of  Vandyke  being  owned  by  his  grandson, 
Cornelius ;  David  Schuyler's  sliare  by  Peter  and  Robert 
Schuyler  ;  while  Johannes  Schuyler  owned  the  share  of 
Johannes  Wendell. 

In  1732,  William  Kettlehuyn,  a  merchant  of  Albany, 
before  mentioned  as  a  purchaser  of  a  portion  of  Vandyke's 
interest  in  tlie  Saratoga  patent,  in  connection  with  Cor- 
nelius Cuyler,  yeoman,  also  of  Albany,  applied  for  a  grant 
of  land  adjoining  that  patent,  claiming  to  have  purchased 
it  the  preceding  year  of  the  Indians.  May  6,  1732,  a 
patent  was  issued,  eight  hundred  and  fifty  acres  being 
given  to  Kettlehuyn,  and  seven  hundred  and  fifty  acres  to 
Cuyler,  the  lands  conveyed  therein  being  situated  near  the 
Hudson.* 

In  January,  1763,  Donald,  George,  and  James  Campbell, 
sons  of  Captain  Laughlin  Campbell,  whose  abortive  attempt 
at  colonization  is  described  in  the  general  history,  petitioned 
for  a  grant  of  a  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land.  This  was 
refused;  but,  on  the  11th  of  November  of  that  year,  a 
patent  of  ten  thousand  acres  in  the  present  town  of  Green- 
wich, just  north  of  the  Saratoga  patent,  was  issued  to  the 
Campbell  brothers,  their  three  sisters, — Rose  Graham,  Mar- 
garet Eustace,  and  Lilly  Murray,  and  four  others :  Allan 
Campbell,  John  Campbell,  Sr.,  James  Caldor,  and  John 
Campbell,  Jr.  Dr.  Fitch  states  that  at  the  commencemen 
and  during  the  Revolutionary  war  the  patent  was  sparsely 
settled  by  a  few  Dutch  families,  and  that  the  land,  so  far  as 
is  known,  was  owned  by  the  eldest  of  the  three  brothers, 
General  Donald  Campbell,  who  espoused  the  patriot  cause, 
while  the  other  brothers  were  Tories.  After  the  war,  all 
traces  of  the  family  disappeared. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  1704,  the  Argyle  patent  was 
granted  to  the  colonists  of  Laughlin  Campbell  and  their 
descendants,  and  so  located  that  it  covered  all  that  portion 
of  the  present  town  not  included  in  the  foregoing  patents. 
A  full  account  of  the  Argyle  patents  appears  in  the  general 
history.  The  lots  originally  belonging  to  that  township, 
but  now  forming  a  portion  of  the  town  of  Greenwich,  were 
numbered  and  allotted  as  follows:  Lot  41,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
Campbell  patent,  with  its  greatest  length  from  cast  to  west, 


*  Fort  Saraghtoga,  bo  often  mentioned  in  the  general  history,  was 
only  a  short  distance  below,  in  the  present  town  of  Easton.  As  sta- 
ted in  the  general  histoVy,  it  is  very  certain  that  there  was  a  settle- 
ment around  that  fort  considerably  before  the  war  of  1744.  It  is  also 
probable  that  settlements  were  made  on  the  Cuyler  and  Kettlehuyn 
tracts,  for  it  is  not  likely  those  gentlemen,  when  land  was  so  jjluuty, 
would  have  taken  the  trouble  to  prueurosuch  small  tracts  unless  Ihey 
had  desired  immediate  settlement. 


was  allotted  to  Catharine  Shaw.  South  of  this,  towards 
the  Batten  Kill,  were  nine  lots,  also  laid  out  with  greatest 
length  from  east  to  west,  and  numbered  and  allotted  in  the 
following  manner  :  lot  30,  three  hundred  acres,  to  Angus 
McDougall ;  lot  31,  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Don- 
ald Jlclntyre ;  lot  32,  six  hundred  acres,  to  Alexander 
MoNachten;  lot  33,  three  hundred  acres,  to  John  McCore; 
lot  34,  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  ^Villiam  Fraser ; 
lot  35,  running  east  across  Cossayuna  creek,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  to  Mary  Campbell ;  lot  36,  at  the  mouth  of 
Cossayuna  creek,  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Duncan 
Campbell,  Sr. ;  lot  27,  three  hundred  acres,  to  Neil  McFad- 
den  ;  lot  38,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Mary  Torry ; 
lot  39,  a  triangular  plot  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to 
Margaret  McAllister,  being  the  southernmost  allotment  of 
the  patent.  Then,  commencing  at  the  eastern  boundary  of 
lots  41,  and  30  to  35,  were  lots  with  greatest  length  from 
east  to  west,  and  numbered  and  allotted  as  follows :  lot  40, 
four  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Robert  Campbell,  Jr. ;  lot 
51,  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Charles  McArthur; 
lot  52,  three  hundred  acres,  to  Duncan  McFadden  ;  lot  53, 
three  hundred  acres,  to  Roger  Reed  ;  lot  54,  three  hundred 
acres,  to  John  McCarter ;  lot  65,  throe  hundred  acres,  to 
Hugh  l\Iontgomery  ;  lot  GO,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  at 
the  junction  of  White  crock  with  the  Batten  Kill,  to  Isabella 
Livingston ;  lot  67,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  running 
across  White  creek  to  the  Batten  Kill,  to  Catharine  McCar- 
ter; lot  68,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  also  running  to 
the  Batten  Kill,  to  Margaret  Gilchrist.  Besides  these  lots, 
there  were  several  on  the  east  side  of  Cossayuna  lake  running 
north  to  the  "  street."  The  numbers  and  allotments  are  as 
follows:  lot  42,  four  hundred  acres,  to  John  McGuire  ;  lot 
43,  two  hundred  acres,  to  Elizabeth  McNeil,  also  known  by 
the  name  of  Campbell,  from  her  first  husband,  Archibald 
Campbell,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  patent ;  lot  44,  four 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Duncan  McArthur;  lot  29,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Daniel  Clark  ;  lot  50,  three  hun- 
dred acres,  partially  in  the  lake,  to  John  McGowan,  Sr. ; 
lot  55,  three  hundred  acres,  to  Ann  Campbell;  lot  56, 
three  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Archibald  McCollum ;  lot 
57,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Alexander  McArthur ; 
lot  58,  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Alex.  McDonald ; 
lot  59,  five  hundred  acres,  to  John  McEwen ;  lot  62,  three 
hundred  acres,  to  Mary  Baino  ;  lot  63,  three  hundred  acres, 
to  Margaret  Cargyle ;  lot  64,  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
to  Neil  McEachcrn ;  lot  69,  four  hundred  acres,  to  Hannah 
McEven ;  lot  70,  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  John 
Reid;  lot  71,  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  to  Archibald 
Nevin,  making  in  all  about  twelve  thousand  acres  which 
were  set  off  from  the  old  township  of  Argyle  at  the  forma- 
tion of  the  town  of  Greenwich. 

The  patents  thus  briefly  described  as  making  up  the  area 
of  the  town  were,  with  the  exception  of  Saratoga,  subject 
to  the  following  conditions,  under  which,  at  that  period,  all 
public  lands  were  granted,  viz. :  "  An  annual  quitrent  of 
two  shillings  and  sixpence  sterling  was  imposed  on  every 
one  hundred  acres,  and  all  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  and  all 
pine-trees  suitable  for  masts  for  the  royal  navy, — namely,  all 
which  were  twenty-four  inches  or  more  in  diameter  twelve 
inches  from  the  ground, — were  reserved  to  the  crown." 


336 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


THE   FIRST   SETTLERS. 

The  first  man  known  to  have  attempted  a  permanent 
settlement  in  the  town  was  one  Rogers,  a  kind  of  desperado, 
who  built  on  the  flats  of  the  Batten  Kill,  above  the  mouth 
of  Cossayuna  ereek,  as  early  as  1763  or  1764  (the  exact 
time  of  his  coming  is  not  known),  and  lived  there  for  some 
time.  Alexander  MeNachten  (McNaughton),  Archibald 
Living.ston,  Duncan  Campbell,  and  Roger  Reid  settled  near 
the  Batten  Kill,  as  allottees  of  the  Argyle  patent,  in  the  spring 
of  17G5,  and  found  him  living  there  and  claiming  title 
from  Col.  Lydius  to  a  tract  of  land  running  east  from 
Co.ssayuna  ereek  to  the  vicinity  of  the  stream  now  known 
as  Black  creek.  He  warned  them  not  to  trespass  on  his 
claim,  making  various  threats  as  to  what  he  would  do. 
These  men  knew,  however,  that  they  had  perfect  titles,  and 
went  on  industriously  with  the  work  of  clearing  their 
lands  and  building  their  houses,  regardless  of  his  threats. 
One  day,  when  Livingston  was  away,  his  wife  was  forcibly 
carried  off,  and  set  down  outside  of  the  limits  of  the  claim, 
by  Rogers,  who  then  proceeded  to  remove  the  furniture 
from  the  promises.  For  this  act  he  was  subsequently 
arrested  by  Reid,  who  w:ls  a  constable  of  the  old  town  of 
Argyle,  assisted  by  Joseph  McCracken,  from  Salem.  The 
arrest  was  made  under  a  warrant  from  Esquire  MeNachten, 
who  had  been  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  the 
fii-st  civil  process  ever  served  in  this  county.  It  was,  of 
couree,  to  be  expected  that  a  man  of  the  reckless  character 
of  Rogers  would  resist  the  officers,  and  the  result  justified 
the  expectation.  Rogei-s  tried  to  defend  himself  with  his 
gun,  which  McCracken  seized.  In  his  endeavors  to  wrest 
it  from  the  liands  of  the  ruffian  he  burst  the  buttons  from 
tlie  waistband  of  his  pantaloons,  which,  as  he  did  not  wear 
suspenders,  slipped  down  over  his  feet.  The  little  son  of 
Rogers,  observing  MeCi'acken's  exposed  condition,  and  see- 
ing his  father  taken  at  a  disadvantage,  ran  up  and,  as  Dr. 
Fitch  relates,  "  bit  him  posteriorly,"  but  without  causing 
him  to  loosen  his  hold  of  the  gun.  Rogers  was  secured  and 
conveyed  to  Albany,  after  which  we  find  no  trace  of  him. 
His  house  was  the  first  one  erected  in  the  town. 

Different  portions  of  Argyle  township  began  to  be  set- 
tled at  this  time,  the  survey  having  been  completed  in  1704. 
Duncan  Campbell,  whom  we  have  mentioned  as  settling  on 
lot  oG,  was  the  first  supervisor  of  the  new  town,  and  held 
that  office  from  1771  to  1781.  The  surveyors  who  ran 
the  division  lines  in  1764  were  Archibald  Campbell  and 
Christopher  Yates.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Duncan 
Campbell,  and  a  brother  of  the  wife  of  Duncan  McArthur. 
Archibald  Campbell  1st,  as  he  was  called,  was  a  man  of 
wealth,  education,  and  influence.  He  married  Flora  McNeil, 
and  soon  after  the  survey  was  completed  settled  on  a  tract 
of  six  hundred  acres,  which  he  owned  in  what  was  then 
Cambridge,  now  Jackson.  Whether  this  land  came  to  him 
by  inheritance  or  purchase  we  are  unable  to  learn.  He 
posses.sed  no  little  vanity,  and  was  frequently  heard  to  boast 
of  his  distinguished  family  connection.  His  house  and 
furniture  and  his  manner  of  living  corresponded  with  his 
pretensions. 

The  house  which  he  built  in  the  year  1800,  and  in  which 
he  lived  at  his  death,  which  occurred  January  31,  1808,  is 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  John  Cowan.     Little  change 


has  been  made  in  the  house,  which  is  a  handsome,  modern- 
looking  structure.  Mr.  Campbell  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years.  He  had  prior  to  his  death  conveyed  to  his  son 
Jolin  the  tract  now  known  as  the  Lyman  Woodard  farm, 
and  which  ran  cast  as  far  as  the  old  tavern-stand  at  the  cor- 
ner of  the  road  leading  to  Cossayuna  lake.  To  his  son 
Alexander  he  had  conveyed  the  lands  now  composing  the 
farms  of  Job  Skellie  and  Alexander  Maxwell,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Batten  Kill.  In  his  will,  John  Campbell  is  not 
mentioned  as  a  legatee,  although  all  his  other  children  re- 
ceived legacies.  Duncan  inherited  the  tract  known  later  as 
the  "  Dunn"  place,  while  the  remaining  lands  in  Green- 
wich were  divided  equally  between  him  and  his  brothers 
Archibald  and  Alexander.  Archibald  received  the  home- 
stead, on  condition  that  he  gave  his  mother  a  comfortable 
support  during  her  natural  life,  or,  if  they  lived  separate, 
pay  to  the  executors  the  amount  of  a  legacy  (seven  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars)  mentioned  in  the  will.  A  similar  legacy 
was  devi.sed  to  EUinor,  the  daughter,  who  married  Hon. 
John  Crary,  of  Salem.  John  Campbell  married  Polly 
Walker.  They  were  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Marinus  Fair- 
child,  of  Salem.  Duncan  Campbell,  the  second  son,  married 
Betsey  Edie.  Alexander  Campbell  married  Nellie  Dyer, 
and  .settled  in  .Jackson,  on  what  is  now  the  Skellie  farm. 
Archibald  Campbell  (2d)  married,  late  in  life,  Sallie  Fuller, 
who  is  still  living,  his  widow,  at  Centre  Falls.  Their  son, 
Archibald  Campbell  (3d),  now  resides  in  the  town  of 
Easton.  This  family  were  related,  we  learn,  somewhat  dis- 
tantly, however,  to  Archibald  Campbell,  the  trustee  of  the 
patent,  who  was  a  merchant  and  hotel-keeper  of  the  city  of 
New  York.  In  his  later  years  he  removed  to  Fort  Edward, 
where  he  died. 

The  fiimily  of  Archibald  Livingston,  who  settled  with 
others  on  the  Argyle  patent  in  1765,  were  prominent  in  the 
community  at  an  early  date.  Living-ston  married  a  daughter 
of  Alexander  McNaughton.  The  record  of  that  event,  and 
of  the  subsequent  births,  is  so  quaint  that  we  cannot  help 
transcribing  a  portion  of  it:  "Archibald  Livingston  and 
Ellinor  McNaughton,  Joined  in  Matrimony  and  Lawfully 
married  in  November  23d,  In  the  year  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  1756,  And  Since  Children  are  Born  unto  them 
through  the  Blessing  of  God  of  which  the  first  is  a  girle 
whose  name  is  Mary  who  was  born  in  September  the  26th, 
in  the  year  1757  ;  the  second  a  girle  also  Whose  Name  is 
IMargaret.  She  was  born  in  May  the  30th  day,  in  the 
year  1759  ;  the  third  a  girle  named  Jennie  was  born  in  Feb- 
ruary the  2d  in  1767."  Four  other  children  were  born  to 
them.  Alexander  was  born  June  8, 1769  ;  Moses  was  born 
March  2,  1772  ;  Margaret,  June  29, 1774  ;  and  Nellie,  Au- 
gust 10,  1777.  Alexander  became  a  mark  in  the  town,  and 
was  well  known  throughout  the  county.  The  people  hon- 
ored him  by  sending  him  to  the  Assembly  iTi  1809,  and 
again  in  1812,  and  in  1818  he  was  elected  for  the  third 
time.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion of  1821.  He  died  October  23,  1863,  aged  ninety- 
four.  Members  of  the  family  still  reside  at  Kast  Green- 
wich. 

Lot  32  was  assigned  to  Alexander  MeNachten,  and  .set- 
tled by  him  in  1765.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  promi- 
nence, and  reared  a  large  family  of  daughters.      This  farm 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUxNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


337 


is  now  occupied  by  members  of  the  Christie  family,  also 
early  settlers.  Opposite  the  house  is  the  buria!-plot  of  the 
McNaughtou  and  Livingston  families. 

Roger  Raid,  before  mentioned  as  the  constable  who  ar- 
rested the  squatter  at  the  mouth  of  Cossayuna  creek,  was 
allotted  No.  50,  which  Ls  at  present  occu])ied  by  a  relative, 
Peter  Reid.  The  first  house  at  East  Greenwich  was  erected 
by  Roger  Reid,  and  yet  remains  as  the  property  of  James 
Dobbin.  Reid  removed  to  South  Argylc,  where  he  died  in 
the  family  of  Ebenezer  Campbell.  John  Reid,  a  brother 
of  Roger,  settled  on  lot  70.  Among  his  sons  were  Peter, 
who  removed  to  Onondaga  county,  Daniel,  removed  to 
Argyle  village  ;  and  Alexander,  who  lived  on  the  home- 
stead until  his  death.  The  latter  was  the  father  of  William 
Reid,  of  North  Greenwich,  and  of  Peter  Reid,  yet  living, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  on  lot  No.  50.  Another  early 
settler  on  the  Argyle  patent  was  William  H.  McDougall. 
His  first  liou.se,  on  lot  09,  was  formed  of  posts  dug  into  the 
ground  and  covered  on  the  sides  and  top  with  bark.  lie 
formerly  resided  in  Now  York  city,  as  a  merchant,  but  hav- 
ing become  destitute  through  the  war,  he  moved  to  this 
place  to  begin  anew.  He  brought  a  small  stock  of  goods 
with  him,  and  had,  in  this  humble  way,  the  first  store  in 
the  town.  Among  the  sons  he  reared  were  Andrew,  Rob- 
ert, John,  Samuel,  Nathaniel,  and  Ebenezer.  Descendants 
of  these  yet  live  in  Greenwich. 

The  next  settlement  in  the  town  was  in  the  Saratoga  pat- 
ent, in  17GC,  when  Judge  Nathan  Tefft  atid  his  two  sons, 
Stanton  and  Nathan  (2d),  came  from  South  Kingston, 
II.  I.,  and  located  in  the  towns  of  Easton  and  Greenwich, 
Judge  Tefft,  witli  his  son  Nathan,  taking  by  lease,  from 
Killian  De  Ridder,  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  great- 
grandson,  Nathan  B.  Tefft,  in  Easton,  while  Stanton  Tefft 
took  in  the  same  manner,  from  De  Ridder.  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Harvey  Rogers,  at  Middle  Falls,  and  built  on  the 
Batten  Kill,  at  the  fine  waterfall  at  that  point,  the  first 
saw-mill  on  that  stream  of  which  we  have  any  authentic 
information.  The  following  mention  of  this  mill  is  made 
in  the  field-book  of  the  survey  of  the  Saratoga  patent, 
made  in  17G4,  by  J.  R.  Blecker:  "  Whereas,  we  the  sub- 
scribers, commissioners  appointed  for  the  partition  of  all 
such  lands,  creeks,  rivers,  and  falls  of  water  as  remained 
undivided  in  the  Saratoga  patent,  have  lately  proceeded  to 
the  survey,  partition,  and  balloting  thereof,  and  have  as- 
signed for  defraying  the  expenses  accrued  on  the  same  all 
the  islands  lying  in  IIud.son  river  between  the  southernmost 
and  northernmost  bounds  of  the  .said  patent,  being  in  all 
nine  islands,  as  also  two  falls  of  water,  with  four  acres  of 
land  lying  adjacent  and  convenient  to  each  of  them,  the 
one  being  the  second  fall  on  Dionundehowa  creek,  where 
Staten  Tefft  now  has  a  saw-mill."  This  conclusively  proves 
the  early  date  of  their  .settlement  in  Greenwich.  After 
the  marriage  of  Nathan  (2d),  Judge  Tefft  lived  at  the 
house  of  his  son,  Stanton,  in  Greenwich,  until  liis  death, 
in  1789.  The  sjtilement  of  the  Teffts  was  the  beginning 
of  the  large  influx  n|  Rhode  Island  colonists,  from  which 
the  Baptist  church  subsequently  organized.  The  family 
yet  remains  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  town.  Soon 
after  their  arrival,  there  came  a  man  called,  from  his  pow- 
erful and  sonorous  voice,  "  Whi.spering  Somes."  He  saw 
43 


that  the  land  in  this  locality  was  good,  and  determined  to 
remain.  There  is  a  tradition  that,  after  looking  over  the 
country,  he  ascended  Bald  mountain,  and  called  back  to 
Jonathan  Foster,  in  Rhode  Island,  "  Come  up.  Captain 
Foster,  there  is  good  land  here."  We  do  not  vouch  for  the 
truth  of  the  tradition,  and  can  only  assert,  in  support  of  it, 
the  fact  that  "  Captain  Foster"  did  come  up  here  in  17G7, 
and  settled  upon  the  farm  now  owned  by  Morgan  Heath. 
Mr.  Foster  was  the  ancestor  of  several  families  of  that'name, 
who  still  reside  in  Greenwich.  One  of  his  daughters  mar- 
ried Nathan  Tanner,  afterwards  prominent  as  the  fii.st  pa.stor 
of  Bottskill  Baptist  church.  Not  far  from  the  time  of  Cap- 
tain Foster's  arrival,  a  man  named  Bryant  settled  at  the 
foot  of  Bald  mountain,  and  erected  a  log  house  of  peculiar 
strength,  to  resist  the  attacks  of  the  Indians,  who  several 
times  tried  to  gain  entrance  to  it,  but  were  unable  on  ac- 
count of  the  thickness  of  the  doors  and  the  manner  in 
which  they  were  strengthened  with  iron.  Through  some 
lieedlessness,  they  did  on  one  occasion  get  into  the  house  in 
the  absence  of  the  family,  and  tried  to  get  at  some  of  the 
valuable  possessions  of  the  settler,  which  they,  not  incor- 
rectly, supposed  were  kept  under  the  floor.  The  trap  to 
the  subterranean  room  defied  their  ingenuity,  and  they  un- 
dertook to  get  through  the  floor  with  their  tomahawks,  but 
failed  in  the  attempt,  as  the  floor  was  made  of  hewn  logs, 
pinned  to  heavy  sleepers  beneath.  In  after-years,  Mr. 
Bryant  would  gleefully  point  to  the  gashes  made  by  the 
tomahawks  of  the  savages  in  their  fruitless  attempts  to  find 
his  valuables.  At  an  early  day  Mr.  Bryant  burnt  lime  at 
the  mountain.  One  day,  when  absent  with  his  family,  he 
left  a  pan  of  air-.slacked  lime  in  the  house.  Some  Indians 
entered  the  place,  and  mistaking  the  lime  for  flour,  attempted 
to  make  some  broad  of  it,  but  discovering  (jualities  in  the 
flour  with  which  they  were  not  familiar,  they  abandoned 
culinary  pursuits  for  more  congenial  duties. 

Following  these  men,  Samuel  Dickinson  came  to  Green- 
wich in  1769,  and  located  on  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Bailey  place,  about  half  a  mile  east  of  Centre  Falls.  His 
son,  Thomas  Dickinson,  who  lived  most  of  his  life  near 
Bald  mountain,  was  born  here  in  1770.  In  17G9  or  1770, 
Daniel  Rose,  a  millwright  (long  in  the  employ  of  General 
Philip  Schuyler,  at  Old  Saratoga),  came  to  Greenwich,  and 
erected  the  first  grist-mill  in  the  town  on  what  was  then 
called  "  Foster's  brook,"  but  is  now  known  as  the  "  Flax- 
mill  brook,"  on  Job  G.  Sherman's  flirm.  This  mill  was 
probably  in  operation  as  early  as  1771,  as  Dr.  Fitch  speaks 
of  it  as  having  been  erected  before  Reed's  mill  at  Fitch's 
Point,  in  the  town  of  Salem,  and  that  mill  was  completed 
in  1772.  Mr.  Rose  also  erected  a  saw-mill  on  the  brook, 
and  we  believe  these  mills  to  have  been  those  called  by  the 
next  generation  the  "  Old  Rhodes'  Milks."  We  do  not 
learn  that  anywhere  in  the  county  there  were  mills  answer- 
ing as  clo.sely  to  the  traditionary  descriptions  of  "  Rhodes' 
Mills"  as  those  built  by  Daniel  Rose.  It  seems  probable 
that  the  name  "  Rhodes"  as  applied  to  mills  came  from  a 
misunderstanding  of  Rose's  name.  Robert  Kenyon  came 
to  Greenwich  with  Ro.se,  and  selected  the  farm  now  owned 
by  William  M.  Holmes  as  the  place  of  his  future  residence; 
but  being  obliged  to  go  to  Rhode  Island  for  money,  he 
found    on    his    rrtuni    that    a    man    named     Mosher    had 


338 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


"  squatted"  on  his  claim,  and  he  took  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Rev.  William  Day. 

In  1772,  James  Rogers  (2d),  father  of  Thomas  Rogers,  of 
Bald  Mountain,  and  of  the  late  James  Rogers  (3d),  of 
Middle  Falls,  came  from  Rhode  Island  and  settled  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Batten  Kill,  near  the  place  where  Clark's  mills 
now  stand,  on  lands  leased  from  the  Lansing  fiimily  of 
Albany.  Rev.,  or,  as  he  was  called,  "  Elder"  James  Rogers, 
fether  of  James  (2d),  came  with  his  son  and  occasionally 
preached  to  the  Christian  people  of  the  surrounding  country, 
although  he  was  not  settled  over  any  church.  Abner  Yates 
Rogers  now  lives  on  the  farm  first  owned  by  his  grand- 
father, James  Rogers  (2d).  In  the  same  year  (1772),  Smith 
Barber,  then  a  lad  of  twelve  years,  walked  from  Rhode 
Island  to  Greenwich.  After  a  few  years  he  married  a 
sister  of  Nathan  Rogers,  who  came  at  about  the  same  time 
with  himself,  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Ilorton 
Tefft,  Mr.  Rogers  taking  up  what  is  now  the  Centre  Falls 
tavern  stand.  Smith  Barber  was  for  many  years  a  deacon 
of  the  Baptist  church,  where  his  cousin,  Elder  Barber, 
afterwards  officiated  for  many  years  as  pastor.  Thomas 
Bentley  and  David  Tefft  located  themselves  in  Greenwich 
about  the  period  of  Barber's  coming,  the  first  on  a  lot  of 
one  hundred  acres,  just  east  of  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Hannah  Place  property.  He  built  a  dam  across  the  Bat- 
ten Kill,  near  his  house,  where  remnants  of  it  may  still  be 
seen.  He  erected  a  saw-mill,  which  he  ran  for  many  years. 
John  Rogers  settled  near  Bentley,  and  soon  after  David 
Tefft  came  and  erected  a  house  on  the  Hannah  Place  lot, 
where  he  early  kept  a  bar,  and  his  house  was  known  as 
Tefft's  Tavern.  It  was  afterwards  moved  to  where  it  now 
stands,  and  was  long  called  the  ''  Betsey  Whipple  House.'' 
It  is  the  present  residence  of  Amasa  Rose.  It  owns  the 
distinction  of  being  the  birthplace  of  the  celebrated  preacher 
Rev.  E.  H.  Chapin,  D.D.,  of  New  York.  Dr.  Chapin 
informed  the  writer  that  his  recollections  of  the  town  were 
very  indistinct,  as  he  left  when  he  was  only  a  few  months 
old.  His  father,  who  was  a  portrait-painter,  had  rented 
the  house  temporarily  while  plying  his  profession.  This 
is  one  of  the  oldest  houses,  if  not  the  oldest,  now  standing 
in  the  town.  Its  sides  are  built  of  three-inch  plank,  dove- 
tailed together  at  the  corners. 

In  the  Campbell  patent,  we  note  in  the  same  range  of 
time,  although  the  exact  date  we  have  been  unable  to  obtain, 
that  John  and  Rip  Van  Dam  Sybrant,  or  Soebrandt,  as  it 
was  then  called,  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Horace 
Gavette.  On  a  lot  belonging  to  this  farm,  opposite  a  large 
tree,  the  stump  of  which  may  still  be  seen,  was  erected  a 
log  meeting-house  for  the  us6.of  the  Baptists  of  the  locality .■ 
This  was  undoubtedly  the  first  house  of  worship  erected  in 
the  town.  It  was  abandoned  prior  to  1790,  about  which 
time  it  was  purchased  by  Jeremiah  Newberry,  and  removed 
to  the  next  firm  north,  and  fitted  up  as  a  dwelling.  Some 
of  its  timbers  may  still  be  seen  in  the  corn-house  on  the 
Newberry  farm,  now  owned  by  a  Mr.  Graham.  Mr.  Jere- 
miah Newberry  came  to  Greenwich  in  March,  1778.  His 
father,  a  soldier  of  the  French  war,  present  with  Wolfe  at 
the  storming  of  Quebec,  came  at  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, in  which  he  was  a  patriot  soldier,  to  Greenwich,  and 
lived  with  his  son   until   his  death.      A   large  number  of 


families  came  from  Rhode  Island  during  the  war,  of  whom 
we  may  mention  Eber  Crandall,  Robert  Pcrrigo,  Francis 
Robinson,  David  Sprague,  Phineas  Kenyon,  John  Edwards, 
Lemuel  Foot,  Eleazer  Woodworth,  and  Phineas  Langworthy. 

The  names  of  many  other  early  settlers  will  appear  in 
connection  with  the  sketches  of  the  villages,  the  church 
histories,  and  the  lists  of  civil  and  society  officers.  "Among 
the  early  .schools  was  one  in  the  western  part  of  the  town, 
taught  by  Elisha  Bentley ;  and  one  on  the  farm  of  the  late 
Alexander  Rcid,  where  Robert  McDougall  was  the  teacher. 
An  early  school  was  also  taught  near  Greenwich  on  the 
Easton  side. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  chapter  we  have  been  much 
aided  by  E.  P.  Thurston's  "  History  of  Greenwich,"  whose 
pioneer  sketches  we  have  largely  incorporated,  having  found 
them  conscientiously  prepared  and  worthy  of  a  place  in 
this  connection.  To  Blr.  Thurston,  Stephen  Newberry, 
and  Peter  Reid  obligations  are  due  for  favors  received. 

CIVIL    GOVERNMENT. 

The  first  town-meeting  was  held  in  April,  1803,  Robert 
Pcrrigo,  Jr.,  serving  as  moderator.  The  election  resulted 
as  follows:  supervisor,  John  Hay;  town  clerk,  Araspaes 
Folsom  ;  assessors,  Alexander  Livingston,  Samuel  Heath, 
Jr.;  collector,  Jonathan  Sprague;  poormasters.  Pardon 
Tefi't,  David  Sprague  ;  constables,  Jonathan  Sprague,  Aras- 
paes FoLsom,  James  Hunting ;  commissioners  of  highways, 
Nathaniel  Folsom,  Nathan  S.  Tefft,  Robert  Kenyon,  Jr. ; 
pounduiasters,  Reuben  Parker,  Abner  Dwello;  fence-viewers, 
Samuel  Ross,  Smitli  Barber,  Elijah  Wright. 

The  succession  of  the  principal  officers  from  180-1  to 
1877  has  been  as  follows  : 


Supervisors. 

Town 

Clerks. 

CoUectors. 

1S04. 

Robert  Konj-on. 

A 

rasp 

les 

Folsom. 

James  Huntington. 

1805. 

John  Itay. 

" 

" 

Jeremiah  Reynolds. 

1806. 

David  Sprague. 

" 

" 

"                " 

1807. 

John  Hay. 

" 

" 

Eber  Randall. 

1808. 

Simon  Stevens,  Jr. 

" 

" 

" 

1809. 

" 

•' 

" 

1810. 

Francis  Robinson. 

•' 

" 

"          " 

1811. 

"                " 

" 

" 

" 

1812. 

"                " 

" 

" 

" 

1813. 

Jonathan  Sprague. 

" 

" 

1811. 

John  Campbell. 

I 

rael 

W 

illiams. 

1815. 

"             " 

" 

" 

M'illiam  Shearer. 

1816. 

Israel  Willi.am?. 

A 

rasp 

aes 

Folsom. 

William  S.  Sprague 

1817. 

Pcleg  Bragg. 

I 

rael  Williams. 

" 

1818. 

Seth  Spr.ague. 

" 

" 

1819. 

Thomas  McLean. 

" 

Earl  Pierce. 

1820. 

Francis  Robinson. 

" 

1S21. 

.Joseph  Boies. 

" 

Nathan   Tucker. 

1822. 

Thomas  McLe.in. 

J 

uhn 

Ba 

n,ird. 

" 

182.'?. 

Seth  Sprague. 

" 

James  Sybrandt. 

1824. 

Gardner  Phillips. 

" 

1825. 

Joualban  K.  Norton 

" 

" 

1826. 

" 

" 

J.shua  Dyer. 

1827. 

" 

" 

" 

1828. 

" 

" 

" 

1829. 

Gardner  Phillips. 

" 

Joshua  ('.  Tucker. 

1830. 

Jonathan  K.  Ilorton 

" 

Itllanier  Barber. 

1831. 

" 

" 

Francis  Robinson. 

1832. 

" 

" 

Miller  I>obbin. 

1833. 

Moses  Robinson. 

" 

Lyman  Carpenter. 

1831. 

Jiison  Langworthy. 

" 

" 

1835. 

Moses  Robinson. 

" 

Joseph  Potter. 

1S3H. 

Jason  Langworthy. 

" 

Ebenezer  Bell. 

J-Oryn.^    Jl/l^yvO^-   oL&M.'KJL^ 


HON.  JAMES  I.  LOURIE. 


The  ancestors  of  Judge  Lourie  all  came  to  this  country  from 
Scotland  and  the  north  of  Ireland.  They  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers  of  the  ■'  old  town  of  Oambrirjj^e."  James  Irvine,  his  maternal 
grandfather,  wjis  the  first  supervisor  of  Jackson,  and  was  for  many 
years  a  prominynt  man  in  the  public  aflFairs  of  that  part  of  the 
country. 

His  father.  George  Lourie,  was  an  elder  in  Dr.  Bullion's  church 
— now  llev.  Henry  Gordon's — for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  was 
an  officer  of  the  Cambridge  regiment  in  thu  AVar  of  1S12  and  after- 
wards. 

His  brother,  Thomas  B.  Lourie.  owns  and  occupies  the  farm  which 
has  been  in  the  possession  uf  the  family  since  some  time  before  the 
Revolution. 

Judge  Lourie  was  born  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  on  the  29th  day  of 
September,  1810.  In  the  fall  of  1828  he  entered  the  Cambridge 
Academy,  under  Rev.  Nathaniel  S.  Prime  and  Samuel  Ireneus  Prime, 
and  in  four  years  from  that  time  graduated  and  received  his  diploma 
at  Union  College.  For  several  years  he  was  principal  of  the  Union 
Village  Academy,  of  which  he  was  the  founder,  having  commenced 
with  a  single  scholar,  who  came  with  him  from  Cambridge.  The 
school  became  known  far  and  wide,  and  its  exhibitions  and  examina- 
tions were  attended  by  multitudes. 

In  1840  he  married  Mary  H.  Robinson,  daughter  of  General 
Henry  Robinson,  of  Bennington,  Vt.  She  was  loved  by  all  those 
around  her,  and  very  highly  esteemed  and  respected  by  the  whole 
community  in  which  she  resided.  During  the  war  she  was  the  ladies' 
agent  for  this-county  of  the  Sanitary  Commission. 

After  studying  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Charles  F.  Ingalls,  Judge 
Lourio  was  admitted  to  the  bar  as  attorney  in  1844,  and  about  a  year 
and  a  half  afterwards,  by  special  favor  of  the  Supreme  Court,  he  re- 
ceived his  diploma  as  counselor.  A  short  time  previous  to  this  he  was 
nominated  by  Governor  Silas  Wright  as  one  of  the  judges  of  common 
pleas  for  this  county,  and  was  unanimously  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 
For  a  time  he  was  a  partner  in  Judge  Ingall's  office,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Ingalls,  Lourie  &  iiigalls.  In  1854  he  was  elected  member 
of  Assembly  for  the  First  district  of  this  county.  His  principal  op- 
ponent was  both  a  Democrat  and  Know-Nothing.  Many  of  the 
Democrats  voted  for  Judge  Lourie,  and  he  was  elected  by  over  six 
hundipd  majority.  In  the  Legislature  he  earnestly  advocated  tem- 
perance, and  opposed  with  much  success  fraudulent  claims  and  dis- 
noneat  schemes  of  every  kind. 

At  the  joint  caucus  of  the  two  houses  to  decide  on  the  propriety  of 
forming  the  Republican  party,  he  advocatod  that  measure  with  much 
energy,  and  it  was  carried  by  a  large  m-ijority.     He  has  ever  since 


been  a  Republican  in  theory  and  in  practice,  and  supported  the  war 
enthusiastically  and  with  all  his  powers.  He  has  always  spoken 
publicly  in  presidential  years. 

In  1856  he  went  to  Brooklyn,  retaining  his  pleasant  residence  in 
Union  Village.  It  is  said  thai  in  his  very  active  practice  in  that  city 
he  never  lost  a  case  before  a  jury.  lie  returned  to  Union  Village  in 
1861.  He  was  elected  surrogate  of  this  county  in  I86S  by  a  majority 
among  the  largest  in  the  county,  and  performed  its  duties  for  the 
term  of  four  years.  He  appointed  special  terms  once  in  each  month 
at  Argyle  and  Salem,  and  established  the  practice  of  publishing  the 
proceedings  of  the  surrogate's  court  in  the  county  papers.  Universal 
satisfaction  was  the  result  of  his  decisions  and  administration  of  the 
office. 

For  the  past  nine  years,  Edmund  H.  Gibson,  from  Poultney,  Vt., 
has  been  bis  partner,  under  the  firm-name  of  Lourie  k  Gibson.  The 
business  of  the  firm  has  always  been  large,  and  is  still  increasing  and 
successful.  Of  late.  Judge  Lourie  has  written  and  delivered  in  various 
places  in  the  county  three  historical  lectures,  which  have  been  much 
applauded.  The  subjects  are  "  Burgoyne's  Campaign."  "John  Paul 
Jones,"  and  "  King  Henry  the  Eighth  and  the  Episcopal  Church," 
each  exhibiting  very  extensive  research  and  a  general  knowledge  of 
history.  He  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  most  extensively  read  men  in  this 
region  of  country.  , 

As  an  educator^  Judge  Lourie  was  peculiarly  qualified ;  he  not  only 
took  a  deep  interest  in  education,  but  was  one  of  the  few  decidedly 
practical  and  successful  teachers.  Courteous  in  manner  and  indefati- 
gable in  whatever  he  undertook,  he  endeared  himself  to  his  pupils; 
he  seemed  to  know  just  how  to  manage  an  institution  of  learning. 
By  his  familiarity  and  kinduess  he  secured  the  confidence  of  his 
students,  and,  by  his  unobtrusive  dignity  of  manner,  commanded 
their  respect.  A  number  of  the  distinguished  men  of  this  State  were 
his  scholars. 

Asa  /(iioi/erhe  has  become  a  leading  member  of  the  profession  in  this 
county.  Deeply  and  accurately  read  in  the  law.  he  sways  a  jury  with 
great  power.  He  is  a  safe  and  candid  adviser,  being  more  anxious 
that  men  should  avoid  rather  than  engage  in  litigation.  His  clients' 
real  good  has  been  his  characteristic. 

As  a  man  of  undoubted  integrity,  none  stand  superior  to  Mr. 
Lourie.  His  high-toned,  moral  sense,  which  ever  moves  and  tempers 
his  acts,  is  known  to  all  acquainted  with  him,  either  in  person  or  by 
reputation.  Not  only  is  Mr.  Lourie  possessed  of  those  qualities 
which  so  distinguish  the  good  citizen  and  neighbor,  and  which  so 
adorn  the  home  life,  but,  combined  with  these,  a  degree  of  talent  and 
power  of  conversation  which  are  adornments  in  themselves. 


ISTOKY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YOllK. 


339 


Supervisora. 

Town  Clerks. 

Collectors 

1837. 

William  Rcid. 

Joh 

1  Barnard, 

James  C.  Tucker. 

183S. 

Oliver  Ro.-=s. 

Edw 

in  Andrews. 

Archibald  Campbell. 

1839. 

" 

" 

" 

Sidney  Fuller. 

1840. 

Lyman  Woodard. 

Joh 

1  Barnard. 

Elijah  Hyatt. 

1841. 

" 

" 

William  Teflt. 

1S42. 

Francis  Robinson,  J 

.     •' 

" 

C.  0.  Rand.Tll. 

1843. 

"                 " 

" 

" 

John  H.  White. 

1844. 

David  S.  Adams. 

" 

" 

James  iM.  Burdick. 

1845. 

«             " 

" 

" 

Christopher  Wallace. 

1846. 

Morgan  Heath. 

" 

" 

Joseph  Patten. 

1847. 

« 

" 

" 

Noadiah  Burnham. 

1848. 

Le  Roy  Mowry. 

" 

"' 

William  H.  Horton. 

1849. 

Orson  Salisbury. 

" 

" 

David  W.  Fisher. 

1850. 

Edwin  Andrews. 

" 

" 

Moses  White. 

1851. 

« 

" 

" 

Thomas  E.  Weir. 

1852. 

Simon  Pratt. 

Will 

iam  C.  Allen. 

Chas.  R.  Robertson. 

1853. 

William  Rcid. 

"           " 

Phineas  Langworthy 

1854. 

«            « 

" 

Thomas  E.  Weir. 

185.'>. 

Morgan  Heath. 

H.  A.  Thompson. 

John  H.  Barnard. 

185G. 

« 

' 

" 

John  H.  Tefft. 

1857. 

« 

Sidn 

ey  Morse. 

^  Hart  Reynolds. 

1858. 

" 

Edwin  Wilmarth. 

Moses  White. 

1859. 

Perry  M.  Sclleck. 

" 

" 

1800. 

« 

" 

John  M.  Dobbin. 

1861. 

John  Stewart. 

" 

David  W.  Fisher. 

1862. 

„ 

" 

Chauncy  P.  Johnson. 

1803. 

„           « 

" 

John  D.  Walsh. 

1804. 

Isaac  G.  Parker. 

" 

Abel  AVilder. 

1865. 

>, 

" 

Benj.  S.  Patterson. 

1866. 

"              " 

" 

George  Robinson. 

1867. 

James  C.  Shaw. 

" 

Albert  A.  Norton. 

1868. 

Monroe  Conlee. 

" 

Oscar  Tefft. 

1869. 

«             « 

" 

Alexander  Dobbin. 

1870. 

Edgar  S.  Hyatt. 

" 

Arnold  A.  Young. 

1871. 

"            " 

" 

William  A.  Hay. 

1872. 

Robert  W.  Lowber. 

Aaron  M.  Hyatt. 

1S73. 

George  L.  Robinson 

" 

Moses  White. 

1S74. 

Edwin  Andrews. 

" 

"          " 

1875. 

« 

" 

Thomas  Robinson. 

1S70. 

" 

" 

Harvey  J.  Martin. 

1877. 

William  Walker. 

" 

Jcdm  F.  Fi.ich. 

1878; 

" 

" 

Sidney  Morse. 

JUSTICES    OF   TIIF,   PEACE. 


1830. 
1831. 
1832. 
1833. 
1834. 
1835. 
1836. 
1837. 

1838. 
1839. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 

1845. 
1846. 
1847. 

1848. 
1849. 

1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. 
1854. 


Joseph  Boies. 
James  Watson. 
Tbom.as  Cottrell. 
Robert  Coon. 
Duncan  Patterson. 
James  Watson. 
Thomas  Cottrell. 
Richard  W.  Richey. 
Allen  Corey. 
Gilbert  Bailey. 
Jesse  Mott,  Jr. 
Thomas  Cottrell. 
Nathaniel  Rood. 
Titus  Bailey. 
Joseph  Hall. 
Jacob  Owen. 
David  A.  Boies. 
Robert  Coon. 
David  A.  Boies. 
Joseph  Hall. 
William  A.  Collins. 
William  A.  Collins. 
Nathaniel  Rood. 
Charles  R.  Ingalls. 
David  A.  Boies. 
Samuel  Burk. 
EInathan  Sanderson. 
Nathan  Tucker. 
Charles  R.  Ingalls. 


1855. 

1856. 
1857. 
1S58. 
1859. 
1860. 
1861. 
1862. 
1863. 

1864. 
1865. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 

1872. 


Samu(d  Burk. 
Charles  J.  Gunn. 
William  H.  Beid. 
Walter  G.  Stewart. 
Thomas  Ingalls. 
Anson  Durham. 
George  H.  Wells. 
Lewis  T.  McLean. 
James  I.  Louric, 
Anson  Durham. 
Edgar  S.  Hyatt. 
George  H.  Wells. 
Edgar  S.  Hyatt. 
Alonzo  T.  Mason. 
William  L.  Robinson. 
George  H.  Wells. 
Edgar  S.  Hyatt. 
Alonzo  T.  Mason. 
Anson  Durham. 
Edwin  Wilmarth. 
George  H.  Wells. 
Wilber  J.  Dennis. 
Edgar  S.  Hyatt. 
Charles  .1.  Gunn. 
James  White. 
Anson  Durham. 
George  H.  Wells. 
Edgar  S.  Hyatt. 
James  White. 


The  following  readable  extracts  have  been  made  from  the 
town  records : 

1803. — "  JicmliKil,  That  hogs  sliall  not  be  free  commoners  but 
when  well  yoked,  and  that  any  person  yoking  a  hog  may  recover 
from  the  owner  twenty-five  cents  before  any  court  having  cognizance 
thereof." 

1804. — "The  meeting  was  held  at  the  Baptist  meeting-house,  and, 
upon  a  vote,  it  was  decided  that  they  be  hci'eafter  held  alternately  at 
the  house  of  Jonathan  Sprague  and  the  White  meeting-house." 

Mat/  5,  1806. — "  This  day  entered  on  record  the  age  of  a  negro  girl 
named  Violet,  aged  one  year  eleven  months,  the  servant  of  .lohn  Fol- 
sora,  Esq.,  formerly  the  servant  of  James  McCowan." 

1807. — "  Jit^Kotred,  That  if  any  person,  from  the  first  day  of  May 
until  the  first  day  of  July,  shall  kill  a  crow  in  the  town  of  (rreen- 
wich  and  make  oath  before  the  supervisor  of  the  same,  .shall  be  en- 
titled to  one  shilling  per  head." 

1818. — "  A  ta.v  of  si.\  hundred  dollars  was  voted  for  the  support  of 
the  poor." 

1846. — "A  special  meeting  was  held  May  19  to  obtain  an  expression 
relating  to  the  excise  law  of  May,  1845.  603  votes  were  cast,  of 
which  number  442  were  inscribed  '  No  license,'  and  161  were  for 
'  License.' " 

1 847. — "  Again,  on  the  27th  day  of  April,  the  question  of  license  or 
no  license  was  brought  before  the  electors,  686  votes  being  cast.  The 
relative  vote  was,  '  No  license,'  327  ;  '  License,'  359,  a  majority  of  32 
favoring  the  sale  of  liquor  under  restriction." 

ROADS    AND    RAILROADS. 

While  yet  a  part  of  Argyle,  the  principal  roads  were 
located  very  much  as  they  now  run.  In  180-1  the  high- 
ways were  districted  in  the  following  manner  : 

District  No.  1,  Andrew  Freeman,  overseer ;  No.  2,  Auiasa 
Curtis ;  No.  3,  Simon  Dwellie ;  No.  4,  John  Campbell ;  No. 
5,  Smith  Barber;  No.  6,  Thomas  Bentley;  No.  7,  Otis 
Whipple  ;  No.  8,  John  Draper  ;  No.  9,  Francis  Robinson  ; 
No.  10,  Benjamin  Boss;  No.  11,  Joshua  Tanner;  No.  12, 
David  Remington  ;  No.  13,  George  Dunn  ;  No.  14,  Martin 
Luther  ;  No.  15,  Elijah  Wright;  No.  Ki,  John  Tefft ;  No. 
17,  Solomon  Draper;  No.  18,  Ichabod  White;  No.  19, 
Eleazer  Woodworth ;  No.  20,  Ebenezer  Hall;  No.  21, 
Ebenezer  Cahoon ;  No.  22,  Joseph  Crandall ;  No.  23, 
Jeremiah  Newberry;  No.  24,  Samuel  Crandall;  No.  25, 
David  Rood;  No.  26,  Ezra  Dyer;  No.  27,  Francis  Robin- 
son, Jr. ;  No.  28,  Tabor  Tefft ;  No.  29,  Peleg  Bragg ;  No. 
30,  David  Paddock  ;   No.  31,  David  Hodges. 

The  number  of  road  districts  in  town  has  been  greatly 
increased,  securing,  as  a  general  thing,  good  roads.  The 
Batten  Kill  and  other  streams  of  the  town  have  been  well 
bridged,  several  of  these  structures  being  substantially 
built  of  iron. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  town  is  the  Champlain  canal, 
affording  excellent  .shipping  facilities,  and  at  Greenwich 
village  is 

The  Greemcich  and  JohnsonviUe  Railroad. — This  line 
extends  south  along  the  lowlands  of  the  Vly  and  other 
streams,  through  the  towns  of  Easton  and  Cambridge  to 
JohnsonviUe,  on  the  Boston  railroad.  Its  lensth  is  four- 
teen miles,  and  all  its  grades  and  curves  are  easy.  The 
cost  of  the  road,  with  its  equipments,  which  are  first-class, 
was  three  hundred  and  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred  and 
fifty-two  dollars  and  seventy-seven  cents.  The  work  was 
begun  and  carried  to  completion  by  home  enterprise,  and  is 
yet  controlled  by  citizens  of  Greenwich  and  adjoining  towns. 
The  following  have  been  the  directors  since  the  company 


3iO 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


was  formed :  *Johii  Lee,  AVni.  M.  Holmes,  R.  W.  Lowbcr, 
AV.  L.  Cozzens,  W.  D.  Robertson,  Andrew  Thompson,  H. 
L.  Mowry,  *E.  L.  Kcnyon,*  Wm.  M.  Palmer,  E.  D.  Cul- 
ver, Waldon  Eddy,  *Adam  Cottrell,  *T.  C.  Whiteside, 
Abrani  Reynolds,  Whiteside  Hill,  *H.  Wilcox,  *Isaac 
Parker,  Edwin  Andrews,  I<].  H.  Gibson. 

John"  Lee  was  the  first  president,  and  it  was  largely 
tbrongh  his  untiring  efforts  that  the  road  was  built  in  op- 
position to  the  many  obstacles  which  beset  the  enterprise. 
He  retained  the  office  until  his  death  in  .1870,  when  Wil- 
liam H.  Holmes  succeeded  to  the  position.  Edwin  An- 
drews has  been  the  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  H.  H. 
Warner  the  superintendent,  since  1870.  The  firet  survey 
was  made  in  1864,  the  fii-st  ground  broken  in  1867,  and  on 
the  31st  of  August,  1870,  the  first  train  ran  to  Greenwich. 
At  this  point  the  company  has  a  repair-shop,  engine-houses, 
and  depot  buildings.  There  are  stations  at  Easton,  Sum- 
mit, West  Cambridge,  South  Cambridge,  and  at  Lee,  afford- 
ing every  facility  for  shipping  the  produce  of  the  rich 
country  through  which  the  road  passes. 

CEJIETERIKS. 

The  first  settlers  inhumed  their  dead  in  private  grounds, 
or  several  familie.«,  related  by  marriage,  united  in  setting 
aside  a  place  which  should  be  sacred  to  the  memory  of  the 
departed  ones,  but  which,  alas  !  after  the  lapse  of  years, 
has  too  often  been  abandoned  to  other  uses. 

One  of  the  first  cemeteries  is  that  connected  with  the 
old  Bottskill  church,  in  which  are  interred  many  pioneers. 
The  ground  is  completely  filled  with  graves.  A  new  ceme- 
tery was  formed  just  outside  the  corporation  limits,  on  the 
Middle  Falls  road,  which  has  been  incorporated  under  the 
general  act.  The  following  were  the  first  trustees :  John 
McClellan,  James  I.  Lourie,  George  L.  Robinson,  Wm.  L. 
Mowry,  Ilorton  Cottrell,  Henry  R.  Stone,  Edward  B.  Rob- 
inson, and  Edwin  Andrews.  It  contains  about  ten  acres, 
which  have  been  surveyed  into  appropriate  lots,  drives,  and 
lawns,  and  presents  an  attractive  appearance. 

In  the  northern  pait  of  the  town  is  a  small  burying- 
ground,  and  at  East  Greenwich  a  public  cemetery. 

GREENWICH    YILL.VGE. 

has  a  very  pleasant  location  on  both  banks  of  the  Batten 
Kill,  eight  miles  from  Cambridge,  and  five  miles  from 
Schuylcrville,  in  Saratoga  county.  The  natural  beauty  of 
the  place  has  been  much  enhanced  by  planting  its  wide 
Streets  with  rows  of  elms,  whose  spreading  branches  nearly 
overarch  the  avenues.  Beyond  these  are  spacious  yards, 
adorned  with  shrubbery  and  statuary,  surrounding  homes 
whose  appearance  denotes  the  wealth  and  refinement  of 
their  owners.  There  are,  also,  a  nuniber  of  good  business 
blocks  and  public  buildings,  and  the  village  ranks  among  the 
finest  and  most  flourishing  of  its  class  in'  the  State.  There 
are  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants. 

It  was  settled  as  a  business  point  about  1780,  by  a  IMr. 
Carbine,  who  purchased  tracts  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  and  built  a  dam  across  the  stream,  opposite  the  pres- 


*  Those  iiiai'ki.'il  wilh  :i  star  aif  not  niciiibcrs  of  the  prcsint  board 
of  directors. 


ent  site  of  Eleazer  Looker's  house.  He  erected  a  sawmill, 
and  a  small  dwelling  in  which  he  .sold  such  goods  as  the 
settlers  most  needed.  But  he  was  poorly  calculated  to  bear 
the  burdens  of  a  pioneer  life,  and  soon  tired  of  the  lot  in 
store  for  those  who  enroll  themselves  in  that  class.  He  re- 
turned to  Albany  and  disposed  of  his  intere.sts  to  Job 
Whipple,  of  Rhode  Island,  who  was  then  looking  for  a  lo- 
cation to  engage  in  manufacturing.  Mr.  Whipple's  deed 
for  the  properly  was  dated  1791,  and  it  was  supposed  that 
he  began  a  new  dam  and  grist-mill  a  little  north  of  the 
present  mill  the  same  year.  These  improvements  gave  the 
place  the  name  of  "  Whipple  City,"  by  which  it  was  known 
until  1809,  when  it  was  incorporated  as  "  Union  Village." 
This  name  was  selected  because  the  corporate  bounds  in- 
cluded the  settlements  in  Greenwich  and  Easton.  The 
present  name  was  adopted  in  1867,  sis  more  suitable,  since 
the  growth  of  the  village  has  been  principally  on  the 
Greenwich  side. 

A  number  of  the  Whipple  family  came  to  the  place,  and 
descendants  yet  live  in  the  village.  The  names  of  other 
prominent  settlers  are  given  in  connection  with  the  various 
industries  and  professions  which  follow. f 

"Mr.  Whipple  was  an  energetic,  pushing  man.  He  saw 
clearly  that  the  future  value  of  his  purchase  would  depend 
upon  the  rapidity  with  which  he  could  make  his  water- 
power  a  centre  of  productive  industries.  He  at  once 
sought,  and  in  William  Mowry  found,  a  man  competent  to 
carry  out  his  plans.  Mr.  Mowry  had  for  yeare  been  in  the 
employ  of  Samuel  Slater,  the  lather  of  American  cotton- 
manufacturers,  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  was  thoroughly  up  in 
his  business,  and  having  been  refused  a  merited  advance- 
ment by  Mr.  Slater,  he  the  more  readily  listened  to  Mr. 
Whipple's  proposals  to  remove  to  Greenwich.  This  he  did, 
married  Mr.  Whipple's  daughter,  and  about  the  year  1800 
set  up  some  spinning-frames  in  a  building  then  occupying 
the  present  site  of  Weaver's  machine-works.  His  yarn  was 
for  a  number  of  years  jobbed  out  to  the  women  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  to  be  woven.  Ladies  rode  in  on  horse- 
back from  Whitehall,  Granville,  and  other  remote  towns  in 
this  county,  and  also  from  Vermont,  for  yarn  to  weave, 
taking  their  pay  in  yarn  for  the  use  of  their  own  families. 
Probably  at  no  time  in  the  history  of  the  village  has  more 
briskness  characterized  its  people  than  during  those  primi- 
tive days,  when  the  dames  from  all  the  surrounding  country 
came  here  to  do  their  trading,  because  their  own  industry 
could  here  help  them  to  eke  out  the  earnings  of  the  year 
with  strong,  serviceable  cloth  for  house  and  under-wcar. 
The  enterprise  proving  eminently  successful,  an  association 
was  formed  in  1812,  under  the  style  of  Wm.  Mowry  &  Co., 
the  other  members  of  the  firm  being  Townsend  and  Samuel 
McCoun,  of  Troy,  and  John  Gale,  of  Greenwich. 

"  Mr.  Mowry 's  enterprising  spirit  would  not  permit  him 
to  rest  while  in  other  parts  of  the  world  manufacturers  were 
growing  rich  upon  the  fruitful  products  of  improved  ma- 
chinery. 

"  He  therefore  embarked,  July  9,  181G,  for  Liverpool, 
accompanied  by  a  Mr.  Wild,  of  Hudson,  a  most  expert 
mechanician ;  and  on   their  arrival   in   the  manufacturing 


I  Thurston. 


T 


^r, 


'A 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


341 


districts  of  England,  in  defiance  of  all  rules  refusing  admis- 
sion to  manufactories,  forced  their  way  to  the  machines  he 
most  desired.  His  able  coadjutor,  in  the  few  moments  be- 
fore they  were  ejected,  obtained  so  clear  an  idta  of  the 
double-speeder  that  on  his  return  he  was  able  to  build  for 
Mr.  Mowry,  and  put  in  operation,  the  first  doublc-specder 
used  in  this  country,  which  was,  in  1817,  placed  in  the 
brick  mill,  which  occupied  the  site  of  the  old  flax-mill, — in 
fact,  a  portion  of  the  present  flax-mill  is  the  old  weaving- 
room  of  the  cotlon-factory,  which  contained  eighty  looms 
and  two  thousand  five  hundred  spindles. 

"  Tims  commenced  in  Whipple  City  the  industry  that 
more  tlian  all  others  has  made  the  prosperity  of  the  village 
of  Greenwich,  which  continued  under  Mr.  Mowry's  man- 
agement until  failing  health  compelled  him  to  resign  the 
charge  of  the  business  to  his  son-in-law,  Henry  Holmes, 
by  whom  it  was  continued  until  the  year  1845,  at  which 
time  the  machinery  had  become  antiquated,  and  the  stock 
had  mostly  passed  into  the  hands  of  others ;  and  the  factory 
was  shortly  afterwards  abandoned." 

The  above  was  the  first  attempt  to  manufacture  cotton 
goods  in  tliL'  State,  and  its  success  caused  the  spaeJy  estab- 
lishment of  many  factories  in  other  localities. 

Meanwhile  saw-  and  grist-mills  wore  operated,  and  are 
yet  continued  near  the  original  location. 

About  the  close  of  the  last  century  Perry  Miller  moved 
to  the  place  and  began  the  manufacture  of  plows.  He  is 
credited  with  having  made  the  second  cast-iron  plow  in  the 
country.  In  front  of  his  shop  was  a  sign, — a  plow  on  a 
beam, — extending  across  the  road.  His  sons,  Hill  and 
David,  succeeded  him,  and  carried  on  the  trade  until  1830. 
In  1832,  Waldon  Eddy,  the  senior  member  of  the  present 
firm  of  Eddy,  Reynolds,  Langdon  &  Co.,  began  the  manu- 
facture of  plows,  having  a  pattern  which  became  justly  cele- 
brated afterwards  as  the  '•  Old  Rough  and  Ready  Wrought- 
Iron  Beam,"  and  it  is  believed  that  from  this  .source  have 
originated  all  the  wroughtiron  beam-plows  in  the  country. 
Mr.  Eddy  also  invented  a  shovel-plow  that  has  had  a  large 
sale,  and  the  firm  control  many  other  first-class  patents  of 
farm  machinery.  The  shops  erected  on  the  eastern  side, 
on  the  Vly,  have  been  extended  to  meet  the  demands  of 
the  growing  business,  and  now  include  a  main  shop,  forty- 
four  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  feet,  two  stories 
high,  and  a  number  of  side  shops.  Twenty-five  men  are 
employed.  This  firm  also  operates  the  flax-mills  at  this 
point,  using  a  number  of  buildings,  and  employing  in  the 
working  season  from  thirty  to  fifty  men. 

In  1848  the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  was  begun 
in  the  village,  and  soon  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
became  the  controlling  interest.  It  was  conducted  on  the 
co-operative  plan,  and  the  work  produced  had  a  reputation 
that  obtained  fur  it  a  ready  sale  wherever  introduced.  The 
long  brick  block  on  Washington  place  was  occupied,  and 
from  fifty  to  seventy-five  workmen  were  emjiloyed.  Un- 
fortunately for  those  interested  and  the  village,  a  business 
complication  caused  the  abandonment  of  the  shops,  and  the 
removal  of  the  trade  to  Troy  and  other  places,  about  1870. 
In  1851  a  new  enterprise  in  American  art  was  projected 
at  Albany  by  George  L.  Jones.  It  was  the  staiupitig  of 
tea-trays,  etc.     In  1859,  Mr.  Jones  was  employed  as  man- 


aging agent  by  Messrs.  ISIowry,  Masters  &  Anderson  to 
superintend  the  works  they  established  at  Greenwich  that 
year.  For  a  number  of  years  they  were  the  only  ones  of 
the  kind  in  the  country,  and  the  wares  produced  met  with 
a  ready  sale.  Mr.  Alfred  J.  Jones,  who  stamped  the  first 
tray  in  America,  is  yet  connected  with  the  works,  which 
are  now  operated  by  the  American  Tea-Tray  Company. 
Several  large  buildings  arc  occupied,  and  a  large  amount  of 
the  most  artistic  work,  consisting  of  tea-trays,  servers,  du.st- 
pans,  etc.,  is  manufactured. 

A  large  factory  building  was  erected  at  the  upper  dam 
in  1SG2,  which  was  occupied  by  the  "  Batten-Kill  Knitting 
Works,"  for  the  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  knit  goods  for 
men's  wear.  In  1870  the  establishment  was  incorporated 
as  the  "  Pleasant  Vale  Mills,"  and  is  at  present  operated  as 
such  by  William  M.  Palmer.  Employment  is  given  to 
fifty  operatives. 

In  the  .same  locality  is  a  good  paj)er-mill,  operated  by 
Angell,  Saff'ord  &  Co.,  in  a  building  erected  for  this  purpose, 
in  1863,  by  Ballou  &  Craig.  Several  hundred  tons  of 
excellent  hanging-paper  are  annually  manufactured,  em- 
ploying fifteen  men  and  women. 

About  18G8  a  movement  was  inaugurated  which  resulted 
a  year  later  in  the  formation  of  the  "  Greenwich  Linen 
Company,"  of  which  William  Weaver  and  the  Cottrell 
family  were  the  principal  stockholders.  A  third  dam  was 
built  below  the  village,  and  a  large  brick  building  erected 
and  supplied  with  machinery.  But  before  it  could  be 
gotten  into  operation  the  company  failed.  The  machinery 
was  removed,  and  the  building  has  lain  idle  ever  since. 

Mr.  Weaver  embarked  in  another  enterprise,  and  in  1870 
opened  the  "  Greenwich  Machine- Works,"  for  the  manu- 
facture of  wood-working  machines  of  his  own  invention, 
and  which  have  had  a  sale  extending  to  Europe  and  Aus- 
tralia. He  has  lately  invented  a  loom  for  the  weaving  of 
Turkish  toweling  and  similar  goods,  to  be  operated  by  power, 
which  promises  to  work  an  innovation  in  that  branch  of 
manufacturing,  as  heretofore  all  that  class  of  goods  has 
been  woven  by  hand  in  foreign  countries.  It  is  possible 
that  a  company  will  be  formed  to  occupy  the  linen-factory, 
to  put  in  operation  Mr.  Weaver's  invention  in  the  manu- 
facture of  goods  from  the  thread  of  the  flax  of  Washing- 
ton county,  which  is  not  excelled  in  this  country. 

The  village  has  several  wagon-  and  carriage-factories,  and 
a  large  number  of  mjchanic-.shops,  some  of  them  giving 
employment  to  a  number  of  men. 

Araspaes  Folsom  was  the  pioneer  merchant.  He  had  a 
store  about  1800,  on  the  corner  occupied  at  present  by 
Tefft's  store.  Moses  Cowan  and  Lewis  Younglove  were 
also  early  in  trade,  the  former  continuing  many  years. 
Edwin  Andrews  had  a  store  farther  down  the  street,  and 
Hill  Miller  had  a  grocery-store  until  1848.  Others  after 
that  period  were  Perry  Sellick,  Thompson,  Tobie  &  Hooper, 
and  Heath  &  Co.  Joseph  Satt^rd  was  one  of  the  first  to 
engage  in  the  s:ile  of  liardware,  and  Wm.  L.  Cozzens,  in 
1854,  and  T.  Crandall,  in  18G4,  have  since  been  in  this 
branch  of  trade.     The  place  has  about  a  dozen  stores. 

William  Tefft,  Jr.,  had  one  of  the  first  taverns,  in  the 
house  now  occupied  by  Hill  Miller.  It  wa.s  continued 
uutil  about  1810.     David  Whipple  built  a  tavern  on  the 


342 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


site  of  the  present  Union  Hotel,  about  1810,  where  Cap- 
tain Moores,  Simeon  Taylor,  Simon  Kittle,  and  John  R. 
Cameron  served  as  hosts.  The  present  house  was  erected 
in  1850,  by  a  stock  company,  for  a  temperance  hotel.  For 
many  years  it  was  kept  by  Billings  Blakely,  and  was  known 
by  that  name.  John  Bassett  had  an  inn  years  ago,  where 
the  Hill  block  now  is,  in  which  Consider  White  afterwards 
had  a  store  and  a  tavern.  A  public-house  was  also  kept  in 
a  building  which  occupied  the  site  of  the  Congregational 
church,  in  which  the  JMa.sons  had  a  lodge-room.  At  the 
lower  end  of  Main  .street  is  the  "  Greenwich  House,"  by  R. 
Hamilton,  which  is  the  oldest  in  the  place. 

The  banking  interests  of  the  village  have  always  been 
faithfully  represented  by  the  Washington  County  Bank, 
which  was  established  in  1838,  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  under  the  direction  of  thirteen  directors, 
elected  by  the  stockholders.  Henry  Holmes  was  the  first 
president,  and  served  until  his  death  in  1850.  Le  Roy 
Mowry  is  the  president  at  this  date  (1878).  Edwin  An- 
drews has  been  the  ca.shier  since  1839,  succeeding  the  first 
cashier,  Le  Roy  Salisbury.  The  capital  stock  of  the  bank 
was  increased  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  in 
1850,  and  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  1857.  In 
1865  it  became  a  national  bank,  retaining  its  former  name 
with  the  addition  of  this  distinguished  term.  A  very  fine 
building,  with  fire-  and  burglar-proof  vaults,  erected  by  the 
association  in  186G,  is  now  occupied  by  the  bank. 

The  People's  Bank  was  started  in  18G8  with  Edwin  Wil- 
marth  as  cashier,  and  had  a  fair  business  for  several  years. 
In  1872  this  bank  was  clo.sed,  and  its  interests  disposed  to 
other  banks. 

The  post-office  was  established  soon  after  1800,  with 
John  Herrington  as  postmaster.  H  is  successors  have  been 
William  Henry,  Simon  Kittle,  Moses  H.  White,  J.  K. 
Horton,  Joseph  Holmes,  Simeon  F.  Crandall,  Asa  P. 
Holmes,  Wm.  C.  Allen,  Moses  H.  White,  J.  W.  Curtiss, 
and  Norman  T.  Andrews.  The  latter  has  held  the  ofiiee 
since  1806. 

A  great  deal  of  business  is  done,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
report  :  Letters  received  daily,  250;  letters  mailed  daily, 
300  ;  papers  distributed  per  week,  800.  The  office  has 
six  or  eight  mails  per  day  to  various  points.  It  was  made 
a  postal  money-order  office  July  31,  1871.  The  amounts 
of  the  ordei-s  drawn  per  quarter  are  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars ;  paid  fi)r  orders  received,  two  thousand  dollars. 

Tiie  learned  professions  had  many  able  members  in  the 
village. 

One  of  the  first  physicians  was  Dr.  Cornelius  Holmes. 
He  was  an  able  practitioner,  and  remained  until  his  death. 
One  of  his  contemporaries  was  Dr.  Hiram  Corliss,  whose 
skill  as  a  surgeon  extended  beyond  his  home,  and  who  was 
so  attached  to  his  profession  that  he  continued  in  practice 
until  his  death,  Sept.  7,  1877.  Outside  of  his  profession 
he  was  equally  prominent,  as  the  subjoined  sketch  from 
'•  Thurston's  History"  well  shows  : 

"  Very  soon  after  he  came  to  Greenwich,  in  1827,  he  com- 
menced the  agitation  of  the  temperance  question,  and  soon 
after,  in  1833,  the  anti-slavery  movement  claimed  his 
attention.  He  was  one  of  the  first  abolitionists  of  the 
county  and  of  the  State.     Elder  Colver,  of  the   Bott,skill 


Baptist  church,  was  one  of  his  disciples  in  this  movement, 
and  from  the  meetings  called  and  held  by  these  two  men 
.sprang  that  intense  feeling  on  the  slavery  question,  which 
madevthe  town  of  Greenwich  noted  throughout  the  land  as 
a  prominent  station  on  that  line  of  march  towards  Canada 
and  freedom,  which  was  known  as  '  the  underground  rail- 
road.' Many  slaves  who  were  concealed  in  the  town  were 
tracked  by  their  owners,  but  not  one  who  had  reached  this 
point  was  ever  taken  back  to  slavery.  Notable  cases  a  re 
related  where  slaves  had  escaped  and  arrived  at  Greenwich 
closely  pursued,  but  so  securely  were  they  hidden  that  they 
were  never  found.  John  Salter,  now  a  farmer  living  in 
Easton,  was  formerly  a  slave  who  ran  away  from  his  master. 
He  intended  to  go  to  Canada,  but  Dr.  Corliss  and  other 
leading  abolitionists  told  him  to  stay,  and  they  would  pro- 
tect him.  He  accordingly  stayed,  although  for  five  years 
persistent  attempts  were  made  by  slave-holders  to  abduct 
and  carry  him  back  into  slavery.  The  movement  carried 
with  it  the  best  element  of  the  town's  population.  Active 
in  the  movement,  in  connection  with  Dr.  Corliss,  was  Elder 
Colver,  whom  we  have  already  mentioned,  Mrs.  A.  C. 
Holmes,  William  H.  Mowry,  Leonard  Gibbs,  and  many 
others.  In  the  houses  of  all  these  persons  might,  at  one 
time,  ha\'i3  been  found  secret  recesses  or  chambers,  where 
.slaves  were  hidden,  and  indeed  several  of  them  remain  to 
this  day.  Leonard  Gibbs,  who  was  the  legal  adviser  and 
constant  coadjutor  of  this  coterie  of  fugitive  slave  law 
breakers,  was  a  lawyer  of  distinguished  ability,  and  was 
brought  prominently  into  public  notice  by  his  connection 
with  the  '  Jerry  Rescue'  at  Syracuse,  which  took  place  in 
1848.  Mr.  Gibbs  came  to  Greenwich,  from  Granville,  in 
1846.  Up  to  the  commencement  of  the  war,  eiforts  were 
made  in  the  abolition  movement.  George  Corliss,  of  Pro- 
vidence, R.  I.,  whose  name  has  recently  been  so  much 
before  the  public  in  connection  with  the  construction  of 
the  immense  centennial  engine  which  bears  his  name,  is  a 
son  of  Dr.  Corliss,  who  is  mentioned  in  this  connection,  as 
is  also  William  Corliss,  the  inventor  of  the  '  Corliss  Spheri- 
cal Safe,'  and  Rev.  Albert  H.  Corliss,  of  Lima,  Livingston 
Co.,  in  this  State.  His  daughter  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  Sabiu 
McKinney,  of  Binghamton." 

Among  others  who  practiced  in  the  place  were  Doctors 
Simeon  F.  Crandall,  William  Bullions,  J.  B.  Scott,  Fayette 
P.  Mason,  Morgan  Cole,  A.  R.  Edson,  J.  Langwcu'thy,  and 
Williamson.  In  present  practice  are  Doctors  Langworthy, 
Bartlett,  Hulst,  Henry,  Gray,  since  1867,  and  A.  G.  Peirce, 
since  18G4. 

The  fir.st  lawyer  of  the  town  was  Charles  Ingalls,  who 
was  born  in  Andovcr,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1763,  graduated 
at  Dartmouth  College  in  1790,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1803,  when  he  establi.shcd  his  office  at  Union  village.  In 
1804  he  was  elected  member  of  Assembly.  Israel  Williams 
and  Joseph  Bjies  prosecuted  tiieir  legal  studies  under  his 
instruction.  He  continued  practice  until  his  death,  in 
1812.  His  son,  Charles  F.  Ingalls,  was  born  in  1795,  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  Oct.  29, 1819,  and  wasafterwards  appointed 
judge  of  the  court  of  common  pleas.  After  the  expiration 
of  his  term,  he  continued  his  professional  labors  until  his 
death,  in  1870.  His  sons,  Charles  R.  and  Thomas  F.  In- 
galls, followed   the   legal  profession  ;  the  former  at  Green- 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


343 


■wich  until  1860,  when  he  removed  to  Troy,  and  practiced 
as  partner  in  the  office  of  David  L.  Seymour,  where  he  re- 
mained until  elected  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  18C8, 
to  which  office  he  was  recently  re-elected  without  opposi- 
tion, both  parties  joining  in  his  nomination.  Thomas  F. 
Ingalls,  a  man  of  fine  natural  abilities,  practiced  until  his 
death,  in  1873. 

Joseph  Boies,  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  commenced 
practicing  law  in  Greenwich  in  1813,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion that  he  was,  for  a  time,  judge  of  the  court  of  common 
pleas,  and  afterwards  surrogate,  he  practiced  until  his  death, 
in  18G6.  His  son,  David  Artemus  Boies,  entered  the  legal 
profession  in  1852,  and  was  elected  surrogate.  E.  D.  Cul- 
ver came  in  1836  ;  was  a  member  of  Congress,  judge  of 
city  courts  in  Brooklyn,  and  minister  to  Venezuela.  James 
I.  Lourie  was  admitted,  in  1844,  a  member  of  Assembly; 
judge  of  common  pleas,  and  surrogate.  A.  A.  Moor,  ad- 
mitted in  1846.  E.  H.  Gibson,  in  1863;  is  a  member  of 
Lourie  &  Gibson.  Alonzo  T.  Mason  was  captain  Co.  A, 
123d  Regiment,  admitted  in  1866  ;  died  in  1872.  Besides 
some  of  the  foregoing, — Boies,  Moor,  Lourie,  and  Gibson, — 
the  following  are  also  in  practice:  J.  G.  Sherman,  S.  M. 
Burke,  and  J.  G.  Milliman. 

MUNICIPAL    GOVERNMENT. 

The  village  assumed  corporate  honors  in  pursuance  of  an 
act  of  the  Legislature,  "  to  vest  certain  powers  in  the  free- 
holders and  inhabitants  of  Union  village,  in  the  county  of 
Washington,"  passed  March  2,  1809.  The  electors  having 
been  assembled  at  the  house  of  Araspaes  Folsom,  May  2, 
1809,  the  first  municipal  election  was  held  with  the  follow- 
ing result,  the  president  being  afterwards  chosen  from  the 
board  of  trustees :  Trustees,  Job  Whipple,  Araspaes  Fol- 
som, William  Teift,  Jr.,  Moses  Cowan,  and  William  Mowry ; 
president.  Job  Whipple ;  clerk,  Jonathan  K.  Horton ; 
assessors,  Cornelius  Holmes,  Otis  Whipple,  and  Abraham 
Burrell ;  collector,  William  Whipple ;  treasurer,  John  S. 
Wright.  Since  the  foregoing  the  following  have  been  the 
presidents  and  clerks  : 

Presidents.  Clerks. 

1810 John  P.  Becker.  Thomas  Barrows. 

1811 Job  Whipple.  J.  K.  Horton. 

1S12 Robert  Moores.  " 

isi:'. "  ■' 

18U E.  Wells.  J.  Boies. 

1815 Willi.am  Mowry.  C.  F.  Ini^iilis. 

I.SIC Uor.ice  W.  Bowers.  J.  Williams. 

1817 "  "  J.  Southworth. 

1818 Henry  Robinson.  "  " 

1819 Moses  AVhite.  "  " 

1820 Edmund  Rowland. 

1821 William  Mowry.  C.  A.  Lockwood. 

1S22 Cornelius  Holmes. 

lS2:i Perry  Miller.  "  " 

1824 Moses  White. 

182.') "  "  C.  F.  Ingalls. 

1826 gtimon  Kittle.  William  Henry. 

1827 Joseph  Boies.  Moses  White. 

1S2.S Moses  White.  R.  M.  Norton. 

182'.l Marraaduke  Whipple.     G.  Tcfft. 

1830 "  ••  J.  Ilerrington,  Jr. 

lS.il 

18.32 Alexander  Mosher. 

Un John  Barnard.  Wm.  H.  Mowry. 

1834 Moses  White.  All.irt  Boies. 

18.33 Jonathan  K.  Horton.      Wm.  M.  Ferine. 

1836 

1837 .Joseph  Boies.  Edwin  Andrews. 

1838 Moses  White.  Asa  F.  Holmes. 

18.39 Wendell  Lansing.  Gilbert  Bailey. 

1.840 Moses  White.  C.  R.  Instils. 

1841 " 


Prcslilenta.  Clerks. 

1842 Abraham  Cornell.  C.  R.  Ingalls. 

1843 "  "  Joseph  Potter. 

1844 Moses  White. 

1845 Daniel  Frost.  0.  K.  Rice. 

1846 "  "  Edwin  Wilmarth. 

1847 Mosc    White.  P.  L.  Barker. 

1848 "  "  " 

1849 Leonard  Oibbs.  Wm.  C.  Allen. 

1850 Charles  11.  Ingalls.  "  " 

1851 " 

1852 P.  M.  Selleck. 

1853 •'  "  "  " 

1854 O.K.Rice.  " 

1855 C.  P.  Johnson.  Chnrlcs  J.  Gunn. 

1856 Aaron  Selleck.  Darwin  W.  White. 

1857  " 

1858 Charles  J.  Gunn.  Alanson  II.  Knapp. 

1859 Perry  M.  Selleck. 

1860 Simon  M.  Chubb.  "  " 

1861 "  "  "  " 

1862 " 

1863 "  "  "  " 

1864 llufus  A.  Lnmh.  "  " 

1865 Simon  M.  Chubb. 

1866 "  "  "  " 

1867 AVm.  M.  Holmes.  S.  L.  Stillman. 

1868 Harvey  Wi!eo.>i.  Alanson  11.  Knapp. 

1869 "  " 

1870 Wm.  H.Norton.  "  " 

1871 A.  G.  Peircc.  "  " 

1872  "  "  "  " 

1873 "  "  "  " 

1874 Abram  Reynolds. 

1873 "  "  "  " 

1876 "  "  " 

1877 Aaron  Griffin.  " 

It  is  interesting  to  note  some  of  the  ordiuances  enacted 
by  the  council,  but  which  did  not  meet  with  popular  ap- 
proval. A  law  to  prohibit  swearing  within  the  corporate 
limits  provoked  .so  much  opposition  that  a  special  meeting 
was  called  Sept.  14,  1829,  when  the  trustees  repealed  it. 

Measures  were  taken  as  early  as  1819  to  secure  protec- 
tion against  fires,  and  a  small  engine  was  soon  after  pur- 
chased. That  year  William  Cozzens,  Otis  Southworth, 
Israel  Williams,  and  David  Whipple  were  appointed  fire- 
wardens. About  1835,  the  matter  of  forming  a  regular 
department  was  agitated,  and  it  was  provided  tliat  Dr. 
Corliss,  C.  F.  Ingalls,  and  Henry  Holmes  should  give  the 
command  at  fires.  A  further  step  in  this  direction  was 
taken  on  the  22d  of  March,  1837,  when 

Fire  Company  No.  1  was  formed  with  twenty-four  mem- 
bers, comprising  the  leading  citizens  of  that  time.  Edwin 
Andrews  was  chosen  captain  of  the  company,  and  held  the 
position  until  May  10,  1858.  Suitable  apparatus  was  pro- 
vided, and  members  added  until  it  was  a  complete  organiza- 
tion. The  changes  in  the  population  of  the  place  made  a 
reorganization  desirable,  and  it  was  effected  June  3,  1872, 
with  William  Weaver  captain. 

The  present  rooms  of  the  company  are  on  Washington 
place,  where  suitable  provision  has  been  made  to  accommo- 
date the  engine  and  other  apparatus,  which  arc  first-class. 
The  company  has  forty  members,  with  Albert  Coibett 
captain,  and  George  E.  Dorr  secretary. 

Rongh-and-Ready  Fin  Company,  No.  2,  was  organized 
Au".  8,  1854,  with  thirty  members,  having  James  M. 
Eddy  foreman,  and  P.  S.  Taylor  secretary.  The  basis  of 
this  company  was  an  older  organization,  known  as  the 
'•  Washington  Volunteers,"  but  which  had  di.sbanded  a 
short  time  before.  A  house  was  secured  on  the  Easton 
side  for  headquarters,  and  the  rooms  have  been  very  hand- 
somely furnished  by  the  company,  with  co.sy  furniture, 
library,  etc. 


344 


HISTOllY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


In  1870,  H.  A.  Knapp  took  command  of  the  company, 
and  has  since  retained  that  position.  He  has  rendered  the 
organization  effective  service  in  bringing  it  to  its  present 
proud  position.  In  contest  with  other  companies  at  Salem, 
Bennington,  Saratoga,  and  other  places,  Ilough-and-Ileady 
was  successful  in  carrying  off  prizes  aggregating  nearly  one 
thousand  dollars  in  value.  The  present  engine  is  a  No.  3 
Button  &  Blake,  built  in  1859,  has  a  nine-inch  cylinder 
and  a  seven-inch  stroke.  The  company  owns  two  good 
hose-carts,  having  eight  hundred  feet  of  hose.  There  are 
at  present  forty  members,  fully  uniformed  and  trained  for 
their  work.  In  1875  they  became  members  of  the  State 
Firemen's  Association. 

GREENWICH    ACADEMY. 

This  institution  was  established  in  1836.  and  after  three 
years'  successful  conduct  was  incorporated  by  the  board  of 
regents.  In  1849  the  present  commodious  building  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  about  four  thousand  dollars.  It  has 
since  been  improved,  and  is  well  adapted  to  meet  the  wants 
of  the  school.  The  academy  has  been  well  patronized,  and 
has  always  maintained  a  good  reputation  for  scholarship. 
Hon.  James  I.  Lourie  was  the  first  principal,  and  of  his  ad- 
ministration and  those  in  attendance,  it  is  said : 

"  In  the  first  three  years  of  this  institution,  during  which 
time  Judge  Lourie  was  principal,  the  following  gentlemen 
were  scholars :  Daniel  11.  Anthony,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Kansas;  Chester  A.  Arthur,  collector  of  the  port  of  New 
Y'^ork  ;  Henry  A.  TefFt,  commissioner  to  establish  post- 
ofiices  in  California,  member  of  the  con.stitutional  conven- 
tion, and  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  that  State; 
William  Wallace  Rockwell,  member  of  Assembly  from 
Saratoga  county  ;  Charles  R.  Ingalls,  member  of  Assembly 
and  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  this  State;  Patrick 
Mullon,  judge  of  common  pleas,  Ohio ;  Rev.  James  A. 
TefTt,  known  among  his  companions  as  Ticonderoga  Tefft, 
missionary  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa ;  and  Joseph 
Potter,  district  attorney,  county  judge,  and  justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  this  State." 

In  1868  it  was  merged  with  the  village  .schools  as  a 
union  free  school,  but  retaining  its  individuality  as  an 
academy,  and  yet  offers  all  the  advantages  of  such  an  insti- 
tution. Three  separate  departmetits  are  maintained, — 
classical,  normal,  and  English, — -who.se  conditions  of  ad- 
mission are  similar  to  those  of  like  institutions.  The  ag- 
gregate attendance  is  about  one  hundred  and  thirty,  furnish- 
ing from  twenty  to  thirty  students  per  year  who  pass  the 
required  examinations.  The  academy  is  well  supplied  with 
philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus,  whose  estimated 
value  is  five  hundred  dollars,  and  has  an  excellent  library 
of  twelve  hundred  volumes. 

The  academy  and  the  other  schools  of  the  village  are 
under  the  control  of  a  board  of  education,  composed  of  a 
president,  clerk,  and  seven  members,  which  is  at  present  as 
follows:  Dr.  Henry  Gray,  president;  G.  T.  H.  Knapp, 
clerk  ;  Abram  Reynolds,  W.  V.  K.  Reynolds,  Aaron  Grif- 
fin, James  H.  Thompson,  James  M.  Eddy,  Dr.  A.  Lang- 
worthy,  Rev.  H.  F.  Austin. 

The  instructors  are  W.  Somcrs,  A.JL,  principal ;  Miss 
Alniie  Iving,  preceptress;    iMiss  Sula    Crandall,  a.ssistant; 


Miss  Alice  B.  Wheeler,  senior  intermediate  department ; 
Mrs.  W.  Somcrs,  junior  intermediate  department ;  Miss 
Georgie  McGown,  Easton  department ;  Miss  Emma  Wat- 
son, jirimary  department. 

SECRET   ORDERS. 

In  1805,  June  5,  Rising  Star  Lodge,  F.  <f-  A.  J/.,  or- 
ganized, and  had  a  prosperous  existence  until  1837,  when 
the  great  excitement  concerning  the  Morgan  disclosures, 
and  his  supposed  murder,  caused  its  downfall.  On  the 
10th  day  of  July,  1865,  some  of  the  Freemasons  of  the 
town  organized  Ashler  Lodge,  No.  584,  and  it  was  insti- 
tuted by  the  Grand  Lodge  June  27,  1866,  and,  notwith- 
standing some  opposition,  has  been  prosperous  and  growing, 
and  numbers  among  its  hundred  members  many  of  our 
leading  citizens.  It  has  had  but  three  Masters  since  its 
organization,  Chas.  H.  Robinson  being  the  first,  occujjyiug 
the  position  two  years.  Dr.  S.  L.  Stillmaii,  who  served  ten 
years,  and  the  present,  Allan  Stewart.  The  lodge  numbers 
ninety-nine  members,  and  meets  in  a  fine  room  in  Cozzens' 
block. 

Union  Village  Lodge,  No.  122,  I.  0.  of  0.  F.,  was  insti- 
tuted Aug.  15,  1844,  with  P.  L.  Barker  N.  G.  Its  meet- 
ings were  discontinued  in  1857,  but  on  the  24th  of  August, 
1871,  the  lodge  resumed  its  charter,  with  a  new  number 
for  lodge, — No.  253.  At  present  there  are  thirty-two 
members,  who  meet  in  a  comfortable  hall  in  Tefft's  block. 
M.  Sutherland  is  N.  G.,  and  John  S.  Culver  Sec. 

In  1848,  and  since  that  period,  divisions  of  the  Sons  of 
Temperance  were  instituted ;  and  other  orders  have  had 
lodges  in  the  village,  but  no  trustworthy  data  has  been 
available. 

PIONEER    LIBRARIES. 

The  village  has  had  several  libraries,  whose  former  exist- 
ence deserves  to  be  perpetuated  in  this  connection.  The 
Washington  library  was  formed  at  the  house  of  J.  K.  Ilor- 
ton,  Nov.  13,  1805,  and  the  following  trustees  chosen  to 
attend  to  its  affairs:  Araspaes  Folsom,  Oliver  Norton, 
Winter  Pettcys,  Charles  May,  Jonathan  K.  Horton,  Arte- 
nias  Robbins,  Joseph  Tefft,  Solomon  Place,  and  James 
Place.  It  is  probable  that  this  library  went  down  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years,  as  there  is  a  record  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Union  Village  library,  Feb.  12,  1828,  in  re- 
sponse to  the  agitation  of  need  of  such  an  institution. 
Forty  shares,  at  three  dollars  each,  were  taken  by  thirty- 
nine  citizens,  Joseph  Safford  taking  two  shares.  The  first 
trustees  were  Jonathan  K.  Horton,  Henry  Holmes,  Hiram 
Corliss,  James  Tefft,  James  Watson,  Joseph  Safford,  and 
Israel  Williams.  The  library  wa.s  continued  until  the  re- 
moval of  some  of  its  members,  and  other  reasons,  caused  its 
decline  and  final  dissolution. 

THE    BOTTSKILL    BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

The  history  of  this  old  and  respect;ible  body  has  been 
compiled  from  the  published  works  of  Rev.  J.  0.  Mason, 
D.D.,  and  others. 

The  time  when  the  church  was  organized  appears  some- 
what indeterminate,  and  is  fixed  at  periods  all  the  way  from 
1767  to  1775.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  numbers  of 
the    Baptist  faith   a.s.senibled   for  worship  as  early  as   the 


'^  0^^:j2y^ 


C^   Jiy^<2^jy 


^4^ 


THOMAS   ROGEKS 


was  bom  at  the  moutb  of  the  Batten  Kill,  in  the  town  of 
Greenwich,  March  2,  1784. 

In  the  year  1772,  James  Rogers,  father  of  Thomas,  came 
from  Rhode  Island  and  settled  at  the  mouth  of  the  Batten  Kill. 
"Elder"  James  Rogers,  the  grandfather,  came  with  his  son 
to  this  county,  and  occasionally  preached  to  the  Christian 
people  of  the  surrounding  country,  although  he  was  not 
settled  over  any  church. 

His  father,  James  Rogers,  was  married  to  Mercy,  daughter 
of  Judge  Nathan  TefFt,  prior  to  coming  here.  The  family 
of  TeflFt  also  came  at  the  same  time  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Greenwich.  By  this  union  there  were  born  ten  childi-en, — 
Isabell,  Mercy,  Betsey,  Samuel  and  James  (twins),  Polly, 
Thomas,  and  Susan,  and  two  died  young ;  all  of  whom,  in 
1878,  are  deceased. 

The  father  died  on  the  farm  where  he  first  settled,  at  the 
age  of  forty-eight  years,  in  the  year  1792.  The  mother 
died  April  1837,  aged  eighty-eight  years. 

Thomas  Rogers  spent  his  minority  at  home  and  at  the 
district  school,  where  he  received  those  lessons  of  industry 
and  economy,  and  cultivated  such  a  desire  for  knowledge, 
as  in  his  subsequent  life  made  him  a  useful  citizen,  a  leading 
agriculturist  in  his  town  and  county,  and  a  man  conversant 
with  the  current  topics  of  the  day. 

Previous  to  and  until  removing  to  the  farm  near  Bald 
Mountain,  where  he  died,  he  was  engaged  quite  extensively 
in  lumbering,  rafting  his  lumber  down  the  Hudson  river, 
and  shipping  to  Albany.  In  this  bus.ness  he  was  successful. 
In  the  year  1809,  Oct.  5,  he  married  Betsey,  daughter 
of  John  Merchant  and   Prudence  Stoddard,  of  Amenia, 


Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  May  5,  1788.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  1728;  her  grandflither  was  of 
French  birth  ;  the  former  died  in    1803,  in  Amenia,  N.  Y. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Rogers  have  been  bom  ten 
children :  Susan  (deceased),  wife  of  Hiram  Clark ;  Ann 
(died  in  infancy)  ;  Elizabeth ;  Louisa  (deceased) ;  James, 
resides  in  Alexandria,  Va. ;  Ann  (deceased),  wife  of  Vol- 
ney  Shearer  of  Mui-phy's,  Cal. ;  George,  Charles,  Abram 
Yates,  and  Helen  M. 

Mr.  Rogers  acquii-ed  a  large  property  in  real  estate,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  Dec.  19,  1877,  owned  some  three 
hundred  and  ninety-six  acres  of  land  near  Bald  Mountain. 
A  view  of  his  late  residence  and  surroundings,  showing 
the  result  of  a  life  of  toil,  may  be  seen  on  another  page  of 
this  work.  Politically,  Mr.  Rogers  was  a  Democrat,  and 
stood  an  unswerving  standard-bearer  in  that  party,  and  had 
lived  under  every  administration  since  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  war,  always  regarding  carefully  the  right  of 
suiTrage. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  were  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  since  the  year  1833,  and  always  ready,  with  a  char- 
acteristic liberality,  to  do  their  part  in  every  good  work. 
Mr.  Rogers  was  known  for  his  strict  integrity  in  all  business 
matters,  and  had  the  full  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Mrs.  Rogers  still  survives_,  and  has  lived  to  see  the  wilder- 
ness give  place  to  cultivated  fields  and  gardens,  schools  and 
churches  established,  and  machinery  of  all  descriptions  take 
the  place  of,  and  lessen  labor  ;  and  is  now,  in  her  ninety-first 
year,  able  to  dictate  most  of  the  facts  for  this  sketch,  having 
lived  with  her  husband  sixty-nine  years. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


345 


former  period,  and  that  these  meetings  were  composed 
essentially  of  the  same  persons  who  afterwards  formed  the 
Bottskill  church.  It  matters  little,  then,  as  to  the  date  of 
the  first  records, — June  9,  1775, — since  the  germ  of  the 
churcli  had  an  earlier  existence.  It  was  the  sixth  Baptist 
church  in  the  State,  and  at  that  period  the  communicants 
of  all  the  churches  did  not  exceed  two  hundred.  The  first 
meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  Nathan  Teift,  below 
the  Middle  falls,  and  among  the  early  attendants  were 
members  of  the  Tefft,  Rogers,  Bentley,  Rose,  Tanner, 
Kenyon,  Petteys,  and  Burdick  families.  Joseph  Reynolds 
was  the  first  clerk,  and  Harper  Rogers  and  Nathan  Teft't 
the  first  deacons. 

For  fifteen  years  the  church  was  without  a  pastor  or 
house  of  worship,  yet  during  all  this  time  the  regular  meet- 
ings of  the  church,  both  for  worship  and  business,  were 
sustained.  They  were  held  in  dwellings,  in  barns,  and  in 
the  open  air.  The  exercises  consisted  only  of  reading  of 
the  Scriptures,  prayer,  and  exhortation,  and  occasionally 
preaching  when  the  flock  was  visited  by  some  minister 
from  the  older  settlements,  at  which  times  people  would 
come  in  from  a  circuit  of  fifteen  miles  around,  on  foot,  on 
horseback,  and  in  ox-carts.  Converts  were  added  to  it 
from  time  to  time  in  covenant,  as  it  was  called,  being 
obliged  to  wait  many  months  for  the  visit  of  a  minister  to 
have  the  ordinance  of  baptism  administered.  The  first 
general  revival  occurred  in  1781,  extending  through  many 
months,  and  the  ordinance  of  baptism  wasadministered  on  the 
2d  of  February,  1782,  by  the  Rev.  Lemuel  Powers,  pastor 
of  a  church  recently  organized  at  Stillwater,  being  the  first 
time  the  ordinance  was  administered  in  the  waters  of  the 
Batten  Kill. 

After  this  revival, — which  may  properly  be  called  the 
close  of  the  first  period  of  the  church,  in  consequence  of 
the  inftision  of  young  and  active  men  into  the  church, — 
steps  were  taken  for  the  erection  of  a  house  of  worship, 
and  for  the  procuring  of  a  settlement  of  a  pastor. 

A  grant  of  land  was  obtained  from  General  Schuyler, 
on  petition  of  one  Joseph  Reynolds,  in  behalf  of  the 
church,  of  a  piece  of  ground  about  a  mile  south  of  Union 
village,  on  the  Easton  road,  for  a  site,  and  a  log  house 
twenty-six  by  thirty-two  feet  was  built,  mainly  by  the 
voluntary  labors  of  the  members  of  the  church.  The  work 
was  under  the  direction  of  David  Petteys,  Daniel  Rose, 
and  Elisha  Coon,  building  committee.  This  was  in  1783. 
The  first  pastor.  Elder  Nathan  Tanner,  had  been  ordained 
in  1782,  at  the  house  of  Robert  Kenyon,  by  a  council  of 
which  Elder  Peter  Worden,  of  Massachusetts,  was  moder- 
ator. Mr.  Tanner  had  been  an  active  member  of  the 
church  for  many  years,  and  continued  in  the  pastorate 
some  twelve  years,  until  1794.  Soon  after  the  completion 
of  its  house  of  worship  the  church  enjoyed  the  most  pow- 
erful revival  with  which  it  had  up  to  that  time  been 
blessed,  adding  one  hundred  and  eleven  by  baptism  alone. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1794,  Edward  Barber,  then  a 
young  man,  aged  twenty-six  years,  a  licentiate  from  the 
church  at  Stephentown,  presented  himself,  as  the  record 
says,  "  to  improve  his  gift  with  a  view  to  further  acquaint- 
ance." He  supplied  the  church  until  September  following, 
when  he  was  formally  installed  as  pastor.  The  exercises 
44 


were  held  in  the  barn  of  William  Tefft.  Rev.  Caleb  Blood 
ofiiciated  as  moderator,  and  preached  the  ordination  ser- 
mon ;  Rev.  Samuel  Rogers  offered  the  ordaining  prayer  ; 
Rev.  Clark  Rogers  gave  the  charge  to  the  candidate  ;  Obed 
Warren  gave  the  hand  of  fellowship  ;  and  Amasa  Brown 
made  the  concluding  prayer.  His  salary  was  fixed  at 
twenty-five  pounds  a  year,  or  a  little  more  than  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  Immediately  after  his  ordination  measures 
were  taken  for  the  erection  of  a  new  church  building. 

A  large  settlement  having  been  made  at  what  is  now 
Greenwich  village,  it  was  determined  to  erect  the  new 
church  at  that  point.  For  this  purpose  John  P.  Becker 
donated  a  lot  and  burying-ground  in  the  rear,  and  David 
Whipple  presented  the  parsonage  lot  several  years  later. 

The  society  was  incorporated  this  year  (1794),  with  the 
following  trustees:  Robert  Kenyon,  Nathan  Tefft,  William 
Tefft,  Oliver  Rogers,  Smith  Barber,  and  William  Tefft,  Jr. 
The  house  was  completed  in  179.5,  and  was  used  until 
1866. 

The  pastorate  of  Elder  Barber  continued  forty  years,  and 
left  an  abiding  impression  on  all  that  community.  During 
his  ministry  the  church  enjoyed  an  unexampled  degree  of 
prosperity  and  divine  favor.  Several  revivals  were  ex- 
perienced, the  most  powerful  of  which  was  that  of  1816, 
which  continued  through  two  years,  and  during  which  more 
than  three  hundred  were  added  to  it.  The  church  num- 
bered one  hundred  and  seventy-two  when  he  entered  it ;  it 
numbered  five  hundred  and  seventy  when  he  was  taken 
from  it. 

He  continued  in  the  pastorate  until  his  death,  in  1824. 
While  preparing  to  attend  the  annual  meeting  of  the  asso- 
ciation of  the  Washington  county  Baptist  churches,  he  was 
suddenly  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  survived  but  a  short 
time.  His  funeral  was  more  largely  attended,  probably, 
than  that  of  any  other  person  in  the  county.  The  sermon 
was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Witherell,  then  pastor  of 
the  Hartford  church,  from  the  text,  "  Help,  Lord,  for  the 
godly  man  ceaseth  ;  the  faithful  fail  from  among  the  chil- 
dren of  men." 

His  character  is  thus  summed  up  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Kend- 
rick :  "  He  was  a  man  possessed  of  a  vigorous  and  active 
mind,  a  ripened  and  well-balanced  judgment,  a  chastened  and 
humble  spirit,  a  generous  and  affectionate  heart.  As  a 
preacher,  a  pastor,  and  a  counselor  he  was  excelled  by  few. 
His  praise  was  in  all  the  churches,  and  his  remembrance  is 
garnered  up  in  the  hearts  of  thousands  who  knew  him." 

During  the  ministry  of  Elder  Barber  the  church  took  a 
very  decided  stand  against  what  is  known  as  "  speculative 
Freemasonry,"  a  position  it  has  persistently  held  to  the 
present  time.  We  find  the  church,  at  a  business  meeting 
held  May  7,  1796,  passing  the  following  resolutions : 

"  Resolved,  by  the  church,  that  any  member  of  this  church  that 
joins  the  Freemasons  after  this  date  is  a  transgressor  of  the  covenant 
of  this  church. 

"  Reaolfed,  by  this  church,  that  if  any  member  that  belongs  to  this 
or  any  other  church,  coming  here  and  joining  this  church,  and  then 
to  meet  with  the  Masons  without  acquainting  the  church  thereof, 
shall  be  culpable  for  so  doing." 

In  the  year  1808  the  subject  again  came  up,  and  was  laid 
before  a  large  council  called  to  meet  with  the  Bottskill 
church.     The  deci.sion  of  the  council  was  unanimous  in  ad- 


346 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


vising  the  churches  to  discountenance  the  institution,  for 
cei-tain  reasons  which  are  given  at  length  in  the  result. 
When,  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  the  disclo.sures  of  Wil- 
liam Morgan  and  others  laid  bare  the  secret  mysteries  of 
the  order,  the  church,  as  might  have  been  anticipated,  judg- 
ing from  her  antecedents,  took  still  stronger  ground  against 
the  institution.  Tiiis  position  she  has  endeavored  to  main- 
tain, in  regard  to  this  as  well  as  to  all  similar  oi^ganizations, 
unto  the  present  day.  A  position  so  peculiar  and  ultra,  as 
many  have  regarded  it,  has  not  failed  to  excite  a  great 
amount  of  secret  and  open  hostility  to  the  church  for 
seventy  years  past. 

His  successor  was  Elder  Nathaniel  (Jolvcr,  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent powers  of  mind  and  strong  convictions,  who,  with 
the  church,  took  advanced  ground  on  the  questions  of 
slavery  and  intemperance.  So  high  did  the  excitement  run 
that,  fi'om  1834  to  1837,  the  eliurch  edifice  itself  suffered 
damage  from  missiles,  and  it  is  stated  that  Elder  Colver,  in 
defense  of  his  principles,  did  not  hesitate  in  the  exercise  of 
muscular  Christianity.  His  pastorate  closed  Jan.  1,  1838, 
leaving  the  church  strong  and  vigorous. 

Elder  William  Arthur  succeeded  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
church,  commencing  his  labors  about  the  1st  of  November, 
1839,  and  remained  about  five  years,  enjoying  a  peaceful 
and  pro.sperous  pastorate.  Elder  Arthur  was  father  to 
General  Arthur,  the  present  collector  of  the  port  of  New 
York.  He  retired  from  the  charge  of  the  church  in  Au- 
gust, 1844,  and  in  September  of  the  .same  year  Rev.  J,  0. 
Mason  entered  upon  his  long,  peaceful,  and  useful  pastorate, 
during  which  about  one  thousand  persons  were  added  to 
the  church,  and  the  present  handsome  and  commodious  place 
of  worship  erected,  which  event  took  place  in  1866.  This 
history  can  add  nothing  to  his  reputation  or  to  the  esteem 
and  veneration  in  which  he  is  held.  The  resident  mem- 
bership of  the  church  was  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  at 
the  close  of  his  labors,  which,  owing  to  his  feeble  health, 
occurred  in  May,  1873. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Johnson  commenced  his  labors  with  the 
church  in  November  following,  and  proved  an  able,  consci- 
entious, and  discreet  pastor,  who  won  the  sincere  respect 
and  afFection  of  his  people.  The  chief  incident  of  interest 
connected  with  his  pastorate  was  the  endeavor,  during  the 
jvinter  of  1875-76,  to  secure  a  modification  or  abolishment 
of  the  clause  in  the  covenant  of  the  church  which  requires 
the  exclusion  of  members  who  unite  with  any  secret  organ- 
ization. The  pastor  earnestly  favored  the  proposed  change 
in  the  covenant,  preaching  a  very  able  discourse  in  its  favor, 
being  willing  to  trust  to  the  consciences  of  the  church 
membership  all  questions  of  this  kind  ;  but  at  a  church- 
meeting  held  during  the  winter  it  was  decided  to  leave  the 
covenant  unchanged,  and  offending  members  were  accord- 
ingly excluded  from  church  fellowship.  The  church  took 
this  extreme  ground  at  the  time  of  the  Morgan  disclosures, 
and  has  held  her  position  ever  since. 

This  state  of  affairs  caused  Mr.  Johnson's  resignation 
in  May,  1877.  Since  that  period  Dr.  J.  0.  Mason  has 
served  it  as  a  supply. 

Bottskill  church  has  been  a  power  from  the  first,  among 
its  members  being  some  of  the  most  prominent  families  in 
town,  as  the  Cottrells,  Heaths,  Barbers,  Teffts,  and  Rogers', 


etc.     Its  aggregate  membership  has  been  more  than  three 
thousand,  and  its  present  membership  is  five  hundred  and   ' 
twenty.     The  present  deacons  are  A.  R.  Crandall,  N.  R. 
Stewart,  Ezekiel  Herrington,  George  H.  Wells,  and  Enos 
Durham. 

The  present  house  of  worship  was  begun  in  1865,  in 
charge  of  a  building  committee  composed  of  N.  R.  Stewart, 
Adam  Cottrell,  Charles  Bradley,  Morgan  Heath,  and  Amos 
Tefft,  and  was  completed  in  the  fall  of  1866,  and  dedicated 
November  28.  It  is  of  brick,  and  its  dimensions  are  fifty- 
sis  by  seventy-six  feet.  From  one  angle  rises  a  tower  fif- 
teen feet  in  height.  The  basement  is  divided  off  into  a  fine 
large  lecture  and  Sabbath-school  room,  a  minister's  study 
and  reception-room,  a  robing  and  retiring  room  for  candi- 
dates for  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  and  a  room  for  meetings 
of  the  church  and  society  for  social  purposes.  These  are 
connected  with  folding-doors,  which  can  be  thrown  open, 
making  all  the  rooms  substantially  one  large  one  if  desired. 
The  audience-room  in  the  body  of  the  church  is  a  splendid 
one  for  a  worshiping  congregation.  The  windows  are  of 
stained  glass,  the  furniture  is  of  chestnut,  the  pulpit,  under 
which  is  a  baptistry,  ample  and  funiLshed  richly,  and  the 
seats  (a  rare  thing  in  modern  churches)  very  comfortable. 
The  cost  of  the  house  completely  furnished,  including  a 
large  organ,  was  thirty  thousand  dollars.  The  church  also 
owns  a  parsonage  worth  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

A  Sabbath-school  was  organized  in  connection  with  the 
church  work  in  1836,  which  at  present  has  two  hundred 
members,  and  a  library  of  three  hundred  volumes.  Wm. 
V.  R.  Reynolds  is  the  superintendent. 

THE   REFORMEK   CHURCH. 

The  following  sketch  has  been  compiled  from  a  sermon 
delivered  by  the  pastor.  Rev.  J.  G.  Smart,  May  11,  1873, 
on  the  occasion  of  leaving  the  old  meeting-house  ]ire[iara- 
tory  to  the  erection  of  the  new  building. 

The  church  was  formed  in  1807  of  members  who  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Easton  church.  On  the  20th  of  March, 
1807,  an  agreement  was  made  whereby  the  services  of  the 
Easton  pastor.  Rev.  Philip  Duryea,  were  secured  by  the 
new  society  for  one-third  of  the  time. 

This  agreement  was  renewed  the  next  year.  Services 
were  probably  held  at  Reuben  Bride's,  afterwards  Captain 
jSIoores'  tavern.  They  held  the  services  in  the  ball-room, 
Mr.  Duryea  preaching  part  of  the  time.  The  old  tavern 
stood  in  front  of  the  site  of  the  present  hotel,  its  front 
stoop  coming  dose  to  the  well  curb.  Opposite  and  a  little 
southeast  from  this  stood  the  house  soon  after  purchased 
and  occupied  by  Luke  Prentiss.  The  old  store  stood  near 
the  lower  part  of  Main  street,  and  the  road  ran  up  over 
the  hill,  across  the  place  where  this  building  is  standing ; 
it  also  branched  and  ran  north  of  Mr.  Prentiss'  house  and 
up  to  the  tavern,  and  came  together  again  near  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Dyer.  This  was  an  open  lot  down  to  Main  street, 
the  only  houses  on  it  being  those  owned  by  Mr.  Whipple. 

The  recorded  history  of  this  house  begins  with  the  fol- 
lowing brief  minute  ;  it  bears  no  date,  but,  as  we  learn  from 
the  unexecuted  bond  of  Charles  Ingalls,  should  have  been 
dated  Feb.  5,  1810  : 

"  At  a  nieetinii'  of  a  number  of  inhabitants  of  the  town 


MRS.    JAMES   BEVERIDGE. 


JAMES  BEVERIDGE. 


James  Beveridue  was  burn  iu  tlic  town  uf  Ilcbrou, 
WashiDgton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28,  1791.  He  wa.s  fourth 
child  in  a  family  of.  ten  children — George,  Thomas,  Janet, 
James,  Alexander,  John,  Ann,  Matthew,  Andrew,  and 
David — of  Andrew  Beveridge  and  Isabella  Cummings.  The 
former  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  this  country 
prior  to  the  war  for  independence,  in  the  year  1774,  with 
his  widowed  mother  and  one  full  sister,  Anne,  and  one  half 
sister,  Janet  Fotheringhame. 

His  father  was  born  about  1750  ;  first  settled  in  the  town 
of  Hebron,  on  a  farm  still  occupied  by  his  youngest  son, 
David.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  a  weaver  by 
trade ;  was  an  elder  of  the  Associate  Presbyterian  church 
of  Hebron.     He  died  about  the  year  1833. 

His  mother,  Isabella,  was  of  Scotch  birth,  and  came  to 
this  country  with  her  parents  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Cambridge.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  lived  to  an  advanced 
age,  and  died  about  the  year  183G.  Of  the  children  there 
are  three  brothers  living, — John,  Andrew,  and  David ;  the 
first  in  Jackson,  this  county;  Andrew  in  De  Kalb  Co., 
Illinois ;  and  David  on  the  old  homestead  in  the  town  of 
Hebron,  this  county. 

Mr.  Beveridge  spent  his  early  life  on  the  old  homestead 
in  Hebron,  receiving  the  limited  opportunities  only  of  the 
log  school-house  days  for  obtaining  an  education  from  books ; 
but  his  time  was  so  improved  in  his  youth,  and  impressions 
made,  as  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  successful  business 
career,  and  a  life  void  of  reproach. 

In  the  year  1827  he  married  Janet,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Lamb  and  Janet  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge.  She 
was  born  in  the  year  1800,  and  previous  to  her  marriage 
became  a  member  of  the  Associate  Presbyterian  church, 


remaining  warmly  attached  to  that  body  during  her  life. 
She  was  a  devoted  wife  and  mother,  and  instructed  her 
children  in  all  that  makes  true  manhood  and  womanhood. 
She  died  in  the  year  18G4. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beveridge  have  been  born  three  child- 
ren. Thomas  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-one,  in  the  year 
1860,  leaving  one  child,  John  T. ;  Andrew  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five,  in  the  year  1855,  leaving  a  wife  and  one 
child,  James  Andrew  ;  and  James,  Jr.,  who  was  born  Feb. 
2,  1832,  and  resides  on  the  homestead,  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich. In  the  year  1859  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Archibald  Armstrong  and  Nancy  Donaldson,  of  Argylc. 
She  was  born  Jan.  11, 1836.  They  have  three  children, — 
Thomas  L.,  Minnie  N.,  and  Archie  A.  James  Beveridge, 
Sr.'s,  and  his  wife's  portraits  are  herewith  given. 

In  the  year  1829,  Mr.  Beveridge,  soon  after  his  mar- 
riage, settled  on  the  farm  in  Greenwich,  where  he  now 
lives  with  his  son,  James,  Jr.*  He  has  spent  his  life  as  a 
farmer,  and  by  industry  and  economy,  secured  a  competence, 
sufficient  to  place  him  beyond  the  apprehension  of  want. 

In  polities  Mr.  Beveridge  was  formerly  a  Whig,  and  is 
now  identified  with  the  Republican  party.  Never  active  in 
politics,  or  desirous  of  political  notoriety,  he  has  led  a  quiet, 
unobtrusive  life,  having  the  confidence  of  his  fellow-men, 
and  known  for  his  uprightness  in  all  his  business.  He 
early  in  life  became  a  member  of  the  same  church  as  his 
father,  and  has  remained  a  constant  supporter  of  its  interests 
until  the  time  of  writing  this  sketch,  1878,  when  he  is 
found  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  his  age,  having  lived 
under  every  administration  .since  the  first  President  of  the 
United  States. 

*  A  view  of  the  homestead  is  given  ou  another  page. 


HISTORY   OF   WASIIINdTON    COUNTY,   NEW    VOKK. 


347 


of  Greenwich  and  Easton,  with  a  view  of  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  propriety  of  building  a  house  for  public 
worship  in  Union  village :  Voted,  That  it  is  a  wish  of  this 
meeting  to  build  such  house,  and  that  a  committee  be 
chosen  to  view  the  ground,  and  report  to  the  meeting. 
Committee, — Thomas  McLean,  John  P.  Becker,  and  Closes 
Cowan.  Committee  to  draw  a  plan  to  the  house, — -Captain 
Ezra  Dyer,  J.  S.  Wright,  and  Abram  Tice." 

Again,  on  the  14th  day  of  September,  181(1,  those  wlio 
had  subscribed  for  the  new  church  gathered  at  the  residence 
of  Reuben  Bride,  received  reports  from  the  two  committees 
appointed  at  the  first  meeting,  adopted  a  plan  and  arranged 
the  method  for  collecting  the  subscriptions.  A  building 
committee  of  six  was  appointed,  viz. :  Robert  Moores, 
Araspaes  Folsom,  Elijah  Norton,  Moses  Cowan,  Otis 
Whipple,  and  Aaron  M.  Ferine.  Captain  Moores  was 
specially  appointed  to  purchase  material,  employ  workmen, 
collect  and  pay  out  all  moneys,  to  superintend  the  work, 
and  was  to  be  paid  a  reasonable  compensation  for  this 
service. 

The  lot  selected  for  the  house  was  the  present  one,  hav- 
ing been  deeded  for  this  purpo.se  by  Nathan  Rogers  and 
John  S.  Wright. 

The  foundation  of  the  new  'church  was  immediately  be- 
gun, and  the  frame  erected  before  winter  set  in.  The  place 
was  selected  evidently  because  of  its  commanding  position. 

Rev.  Philip  Duryea,  of  Saratoga,  now  Schuylerville, 
continued  to  officiate  in  the  new  church  occasionally  until 
a  pastor  could  be  secured.  Under  his  influence,  in  1812 
(the  exact  date  we  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain),  the  peo- 
ple worshiping  here  appointed  Simon  De  Bidder  a  commis- 
sioner to  present  their  petition  to  the  classis  of  Rensselaer, 
praying  the  classis  to  organize  them  and  receive  them  into 
the  communion  of  the  "  Protestant  Reformed  Dutch 
Church,"  under  the  title  of  the  "Reformed  Dutch  Church 
of  Union  Village,"  the  same  now  designating  this  church, 
excepting  the  word  "  Dutch,"  stricken  out  a  few  years  ago 
by  the  general  synod. 

On  the  16th  of  November,  this  same  year,  a  commis- 
sioner from  the  classis  met  in  this  house,  and  resolved  to 
grant  the  petition.  Whereupon  the  congregation  proceeded 
to  organize.  Moses  Cowan  was  elected  chairman,  and  Israel 
Williams  clerk.  *An  election  was  held  for  officers,  and,  by 
a  unanimous  vote,  Benjamin  Griffin  and  Thomas  McLean 
were  chosen  elders,  Simon  De  Bidder,  Luke  Prentiss,  and 
James  Wells  were  chosen  deacons.  Thomas  McLean  re- 
fusing to  serve,  Simon  De  Ridder  was  chosen  elder  in  his 
place,  and  on  Sabbath,  the  29th  of  November,  the  first 
officers  of  this  church  were  ordained  and  installed,  and  the 
"  Reformed  Dutch  Church  of  Union  Village"  began  its 
existence,  all  things  having  been  made  ready  near  two  years 
before. 

The  first  communion  service  of  which  we  have  a  record 
was  held  July  10,  1813. 

Calls  to  the  pastorate  were  unsuccessfully  extended,  in 
1814,  to  Revs.  John  Battie  and  W.  C.  BrowncU,  and  full 
four  years  passed,  after  the  house  was  completed,  before 
Rev.  James  Christie  was  secured  as  the  first  regular  pastor, 
Nov.  25,  1815.  He  remained  two  years,  and  added  twen- 
ty-six to  the  church   membership.     His  home  was  in   a 


parsonage  on  Main  street,  which  was  purchased,  about  the 
time  lie  was  called,  for  880(1. 

In  1820  (February  29),  Jacob  D.  Fonda  was  called; 
one-third  of  his  time  to  be  given  to  the  church  in  Easton. 
He  remained  fifteen  years,  the  longest  pastorate  enjoyed  by 
this  church  since  its  organization  down  to  this  time.  In 
1830,  Easton  was  given  up,  and  he  labored  for  this  church 
alone.  The  most  interesting  period  of  the  church's  history 
was  during  Mr.  Fonda's  ministry. 

About  1824  four  men,  each  bearing  on  his  shoulders  a 
small  tree,  entered  the  church-yard,  and  to-day  four  large 
elms  put  forth  the  annual  promise  of  grateful  shade,  and 
stand  upon  our  northern  bordei's  a  living  monument  to  re- 
mind us  of  the  zeal  and  the  love  of  Dr.  Holmes,  Joseph 
Southworth,  Moses  Cowan,  and  Moises  White. 

In  1827  (Dec.  28),  Moses  Cowan  and  John  Hay  with- 
drew from  the  church  services,  their  consciences  being 
oifended  by  the  introduction  of  instrumental  music  at  the 
public  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  a  bass  viol  having  been 
brought  in  to  assist  the  choir.  Consistory  sent  a  commit- 
tee to  talk  with  them,  and  referred  the  question  to  classis 
for  their  opinion.  But  all  to  no  purpose.  The  offended 
parties  would  not  be  reconciled.  The  instrument  was  ban- 
ished, but  as  late  as  1829  we  find  consistory  sending  a 
committee  to  these  men.  Again,  in  1830,  resolutions  were 
passed  in  consistory,  regretting  the  occasion  of  offense,  and 
sending  another  commissioner.  At  this  time  Mr.  Cowan 
returned  to  attendance  upon  the  services  of  the  church. 
But  John  Hay  never  forgot  nor  forgave  the  bass  viol,  and 
remained  away  unreconciled.  Though  John  was  deaf,  he 
was  not  blind. 

Feb.  25,  1830,  was  appointed  a  day  of  fiisting  and 
prayer,  on  account  of  the  low  state  of  religion  existing  in 
the  community,  and  during  this  year  eleven  were  added  to 
the  church  upon  profession  of  their  fiiith ;  two  of  tliis 
number  are  still  living  in  our  community. 

The  next  year  began  a  revival  which  seems  to  have  been 
almost  continuous  up  to  the  last  year  of  Mr.  Fonda's  min- 
istry. In  1831  one  hundred  and  thirty- four  pereons  were 
received  into  the  membership  of  this  church, — one  hundred 
and  eighteen  of  these  upon  profession  of  their  faith,  and 
one  hundred  and  ten  of  these  between  April  20  and  June 
12.  This  was  probably  the  most  marked  revival  in  all  the 
history  of  the  church.  That  24th  day  of  April,  when  Wil- 
liam Mowry,  Reuben  Norton,  and  good  old  Solomon  Place 
stood  forth  with  fourteen  others  to  receive  the  sacrament  of 
baptism,  must  have  been  one  of  deep  and  lasting  impre.s- 
sions. 

On  Oct.  9,  1835,  on  account  of  some  difficulties  in  the 
church,  Mr.  Fonda  was  released  from  his  long  and  fruitful 
pastorate.  During  this  year  an  addition  was  made  to  the 
church  lot  by  purchase  from  John  Cushman  of  a  small 
parcel  of  land  at  a  cost  of  eighty  dollars. 

In  1863  (January  4)  a  call  was  made  out  for  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Cannon,  an  agent  for  the  missionary  society,  and  de- 
clined because  of  his  engagement  with  that  .society.  The 
following  August  a  call  was  sent  to  Benjamin  Van  Zandt, 
and  he  became  pastor  by  ordination  and  installation  Sept. 
23.  During  this  pastorate  the  old  parsonage  was  sold  and 
the  proceeds  appropriated  to  the  purchase  of  the  one  now 


348 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


belonging  to  this  church.  Nearly  forty  were  added  to  the 
church  as  the  results  of  .six  years'  labor  by  Mr.  Van  Zandt. 
The  most  memorable  thing  in  his  mini.stry  is  the  sad  dissen- 
sion of  the  first  few  months,  marring  the  church's  history 
and  resulting  in  that  separation  from  which  originated  the 
Congregational  church.  We  only  mention  it  in  its  histori- 
cal connection,  rejoicing  that  its  bitterness  has  passed  away, 
and  in  the  full  faith  that  many  who  were  thus  parted  here 
have  been  brought  together  in  that  kingdom  of  clear  and 
full  light,  where  all  see  eye  to  eye,  and  where  all  is  love. 

From  1839  to  1846  a  number  of  alterations  and  repairs 
were  made  on  the  meeting-house  to  give  it  a  more  modern 
appearance. 

Mr.  Van  Zandt  resigned  in  1842,  and  the  next  pastor. 
Rev.  Mr.  Morris,  was  called  in  February,  1843,  and  in- 
stalled the  following  April.  During  his  ministry  the  as- 
sembly's shorter  catechism  was  again  substituted  for  the 
Heidelberg  in  the  instruction  of  the  Sabbath-school. 

In  1845,  November  10,  by  request,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  arrange  a  basis  of  a  union  between  this  and  the 
Congregational  church.  Its  results,  if  not  all  that  was  hoped, 
yet  evinced  a  kindly  and  Christian  spirit.  It  is  summed 
up  in  one  of  the  resolutions,  a  copy  of  which  was  sent  to 
the  consistory  of  this  church  : 

"  Itemhed,  That  although  we  do  not  deem  it  ailvisable  to  dissolve 
our  church  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  with  the  Protestant  Reformed 
Dutch  church,  still  we  do  most  cheerfully  tender  our  willingness 
to  labor  reciprocally  with  them  in  any  moral  and  religious  effort  for 
the  good  of  mankind  and  the  glory  of  (rod." 

In  1848,  Rev.  Morris  was  released  from  his  charge, and  was 
succeeded  April  18  of  the  same  year  by  Rev.  Uriah  JIarvin. 
His  pa.storal  connection  was  severed  March  17,  1855.  His 
successor  for  the  next  three  years  was  the  Rev.  C.  Van 
Santwood,  who  was  followed,  in  1850,  by  Rev.  John  Steele. 
His  ministrations  extended  through  .six  years.      In  June, 

1867,  Rev.  David  Van  Horn  became  the  pastor,  remaining 
until  the  following  June.     Mr.  Hoyt  was  called  in  August, 

1868,  and  resigned  July  24,  1871.  In  February,  1872, 
the  present  pastor  came,  and  was  ordained  and  installed 
May  15,  1872.  Ten  pastors  have  been  in.stalled  over  this 
church.  Six  of  them  were  here  ordained  to  the  gospel  min- 
istry, and  gave  here  the  first  and  best  years  of  their  life 
work. 

We  find  no  report  in  all  the  records  which  places  the 
membership  so  small  as  at  present.  In  1854-55,  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve  families  were  reported,  four  hundred  and 
fifty  persons  in  the  congregation,  and  nearly  two  hundred 
members  of  the  church. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  one  hundred 
and  nineteen,,  but  under  the  pastoral  direction  of  Rev. 
Smart  the  work  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Through 
his  energetic  efforts  and  judicious  management,  the  present 
imposing  church  edifice  was  erected.  Work  on  the  founda- 
tion was  begun  May  26,  1873,  and  on  the  following  25th 
of  June  the  corner-stone  was  laid  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
concourse  of  people.  A  copper  box,  containing  various 
documents,  etc.,  was  placed  in  the  stone  by  Edwin  Andrews, 
and  the  stone  was  put  in  its  place  by  the  pastor.  Ad- 
dresses were  made  by  Revs.  Sprague,  Fisher,  and  Judge 
Culver,  of  New  York  city. 


Work  on  the  building  progressed  rapidly,  and  it  was 
ready  for  dedication  Jan.  29,  1874.  It  is  a  .stately  struc- 
ture of  brick,  in  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture,  with  a 
slate  roof,  whose  ridges  are  adorned  with  neat  cresting.  The 
front  of  the  church  is  relieved  by  a  handsome  side-tower. 
The  interior  is  finished  in  a  corresponding  style,  the  furni- 
ture and  adornments  being  chaste  and  appropriate.  The 
audience-room  affords  four  hundred  and  twenty  sittings. 
The  entire  cost  was  about  twenty  thousand  dollars.  The 
church  was  con.secrated  by  the  Rev.  C.  N.  Waldron,  D.D., 
assisted  by  Revs.  W.  S.  Smart,  D.D.,  J.  H.  Noble,  D.D., 
J.  R.  Fisher,  J.  H.  Collins,  and  others,  with  but  a  small 
debt  resting  on  it. 

The  society  has  received  bequests  from  the  following 
members:  in  1833,  a  forty-acre  farm  from  Moses  Cowan; 
1854,  one  hundred  dollars  from  Miss  Lydia  Mowry ;  1865, 
two  hundred  dollars  from  Obadiah  Culver;  and  in  1866, 
twelve  shares  bank  stock  from  Elizabeth  Stewart. 

THE    CONGREGATIO.NAL    CUIHCII. 

As  noted  in  the  history  of  the  Reformed  church,  there 
was  a  dissension  on  account  of  the  slavery  question,  result- 
ing in  the  withdrawal  of  a  number  of  persons  and  the 
formation  of  a  new  society.  Its  history  is  thus  given  in 
the  church  manual : 

"The  Orthodox  Congregational  church  of  Greenwich,  as 
is  the  corporate  name  of  the  body,  was  organized  March 
15,  1837,  by  a  council  composed  of  pastors  and  delegates 
from  the  nearest  Congregational  churches  of  the  region, 
without  reference  to  State  lines.  It  was  a  leading  object 
with  the  founders  to  have  a  church  according  to  their  idea 
of  the  primitive  Scriptural  plan, — one  independent  of  every- 
thing beyond  itself,  and  democratic  in  the  equality  and  self- 
government  of  its  members.  And  such  a  one  was  formed, 
and  has  been  continued  down  to  the  present  time,  as  being 
in  both  external  relations  and  internal  polity  just  like  all  the 
Congregational  churches  of  New  England,  except  a  portion 
of  those  in  Connecticut.  But  the  founders  sought,  as  an  ob- 
ject of  still  greater  importance,  to  represent  that  most  gen- 
uine, yet  much  neglected  type  of  religion,  which  has  compre- 
hensive, practical  love  for  mankind  in  all  their  interests, 
both  temporal  and  .spiritual.  This  was  felt  to  be  the  cry- 
ing want  of  the  land  and  of  the  Christian  world,  as  evi- 
denced not  only  by  the  too  generally  selfish  and  unbenevo- 
lent  course  in  private  life  of  professors  of  religion,  but  also 
by  the  existence,  tolerance,  and  even  indorsement  with 
Christianity,  of  huge  evils  like  intemperance,  slavery,  and 
war.  It  is  about  the  oldest,  if  not  indeed  quite  so,  among 
the  many  Congregational  churches  of  the  kind,  which  the 
growing  light  and  love  of  the  age  have  brought  into  being, 
and  especially  in  our  own  State  ;  while  it  also  belongs  with 
the  most  prosperous  of  such. 

"  The  original  members  of  the  organization  were  thirteen 
in  number:  Daniel  Frost,  Jr.,  Roxanna  Frost,  Hiram  Cor- 
liss, Susan  Corliss,  William  H.  Mowry,  Angelina  G.  Mowry, 
Charles  J.  Gunn,  Abigail  Gunn,  John  Clark,  Martha  Clark, 
Roswell  Grandy,  James  Watson,  Lydia  Watson,  Edwin  Wil- 
marth,  Beulah  Downs,  Elizabeth  Horton,  Mary  F.  Corliss 
(Cook),  Lucy  Pattison,  all  of  whom  have  passed  away. 

"  The  church  had  a  stormy  infancy,  from  outward  oppo- 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


349 


sition  in  part,  but  more  from  factious  elements  entering 
into  its  membership.  But  at  length  all  internal  troubles 
ceased,  from  the  exercise  of  the  wholesome  discipline  of 
Christ's  house.  And  then  followed  years  of  reigning  peace, 
prosperity,  and  happiness.  This,  however,  was  not  to  con- 
tinue always,  as  better  than  the  most  favored  human  lot ; 
for  next  came  what  before  was  hardly  known, — bereavement, 
and  such  in  a  very  grievous  and  repeated  manner.  Precious 
ones  have  passed  away  from  us  among  the  founders,  officers, 
and  members  of  the  church  ;  and  not  only  those  in  old  age, 
but  oftener  those  in  mid-age  or  youth.  Several  of  them, 
who  may  well  be  mentioned,  as  Mrs,  Angelina  G.  Mowry, 
Mr.  Charles  H.  Holmes,  and  Mr.  Erastus  Bigelow,  have 
left  senerous  funded  legacies  to  the  church  of  their  love, 
conditioned  on  its  maintenance  of  the  principles  of  human- 
ity and  reform.  The  various  bequests  made  amount  to 
several  thousand  dollars,  aside  from  the  waiting  ones  of  the 
living,  while  the  tasteful  and  pleasant  church,  with  its 
connecting  chapel,  of  a  hundred  feet  in  all  from  front  to 
rear,  and  the  contiguous  parsonage,  the  whole  standing  on 
a  roomy  lot  of  nearly  an  acre,  together  with  the  organ  and 
tower-clock,  have  been  provided  at  an  outlay  in  the  sum 
total  of  more  than  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  The  property 
is  held  by  trustees  elected  on  the  part  of  the  society,  which 
is  composed  of  all  those  statedly  attending  and  supporting 
the  church.  In  this  does  it  differ  from  that  of  churches 
not  of  the  independent  order,  as  held  by  a  ruling  board  of 
officers  in  their  own  name,  else  by  trustees  for  the  use  of 
an  extended  ecclesiastical  body.  But  in  so  well  providing 
for  itself,  this  church  has  not  forgotten  others  in  the  great 
field  of  the  world,  white  and  suffering  for  the  harvest,  nor 
to  move  in  their  behalf  by  way  of  liberal  giving  and  ready 
doing.  Indeed,  it  sustained  a  mission  church  in  Kentucky, 
with  the  help  of  the  people  on  the  ground,  for  a  time,  or 
till  a  pro-slavery  mob  burned  the  house  of  worship  and  broke 
up  the  operations.  While  it  assisted,  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, that  devoted  and  dauntless  man  of  the  same  State, 
Rev.  John  G.  Fee,  in  his  worthy  educational  enterprises  of 
religion  and  reform,  it  has  also  ever  taken  good  care  of 
the  needy  poor  in  its  own  circle,  as  keeping  them  from 
want  and  public  charity.  And  thus  from  small  beginnings, 
and  against  the  tide  of  the  world,  as  insisting  on  the  pure, 
whole  gospel  of  Christ,  did  this  baud  of  Christians,  in  view  of 
results,  ability,  influence,  and  numbers  even,  though  always 
a  secondary  thing  with  them,  have  much  reason  to  acknowl- 
edge the  blessing  of  Heaven,  and  to  say,  '  Hitherto  hath 
the  Lord  helped  us.' 

"  The  following  are  the  clergymen  who  have  served  the 
church  since  its  organization  :  Revs.  R.  A.  Avery ;  John 
Smith,  from  June,  1838,  to  January,  1841  ;  E.  C.  Prit- 
chett,  from  April,  1841,  to  August,  1845  ;  Sabin  McKin- 
ney,  from  November,  1845,  to  December,  1846;  J.  B. 
Grinnell,  from  June,  1847,  to  November,  1850;  C.  S. 
Shattuck,  from  November,  1850. 

"  Since  Mr.  Shattuck's  pastorate,  which  closed  in  IStlO, 
the  church  has  been  without  a  pastor  most  of  the  time. 
Mr.  Pomeroy,  a  Methodist  clergyman,  preached  there  for  a 
time,  after  which,  for  a  short  season.  Rev.  Mr.  Holmes  was 
settled.  Since  the  close  of  his  labors  there  has  been  no 
stated  preaching,  but  the  reading  of  the  sermons  of  dis- 


tinguished preachers  has  been  kept  up  until  very  recently. 
The  church  accomplished  much  good,  in  the  course  of  its 
existence,  by  the  advanced  ground  it  took  on  the  questions 
already  adverted  to.  But  the  changes  of  time  have  so 
much  affected  it,  that  the  organization  is  about  to  disband 
and  dii3po.se  of  its  temporalities." 

ST.  .Joseph's  roman  catholic  church 

was  established  as  the  result  of  the  labors  of  Father  Wal- 
dron,  who  preached  to  a  small  flock,  in  a  hall,  prior  to  1871. 
That  year.  Father  James  Fedigan,  aided  by  David  Don- 
nahue  and  others,  purchased  the  old  Methodist  Episcopal 
meeting-house,  which  was  moved  to  a  desirable  location  on 
Hill  street,  and  thoroughly  renovated  until  it  presents  an 
inviting  appearance.  The  property  is  estimated  worth 
three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  The  parish  has  been 
in  charge  of  the  following  reverend  fathers:  T.  A.  Field 
and  E.  A.  Daily,  and  under  their  tutelage  the  communi- 
cants of  the  church  have  increased  to  two  hundred  and  fifty, 
while  the  Sunday-school  numbers  fifty  members.  John 
Geetings  is  in  charge  of  the  temporalities  of  the  parish. 

ST.  Paul's  episcopal  church 

was  formed  as  a  mission,  under  the  spiritual  care  of  Rev. 
Walker,  of  Scbuylerville,  in  1872,  and  assumed  its  present 
name  a  few  years  after,  calling  the  Rev.  H.  M.  Blanchard 
to  the  rectorship.  Worship  was  held  in  the  Congregational 
meeting-house.  His  successor  in  the  pastoral  office  was  the 
Rev.  M.  Smythe.  The  parish  is  at  present  vacant,  and  no 
other  data  has  been  available. 

THE    WORK    of    THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    IN 
GREENWICH.* 

When  or  by  whom  IMethodist  preaching  was  introduced 
in  Greenwich,  no  records  existing  nor  recollection  of  the 
elders  give  reliable  information.  Cambridge,  the  mother  of 
Methodist  churches  in  Washington  county,  embraced  a  re- 
gion in  its  early  circuit  which  contained  many  preaching- 
places.  As  early  as  December,  1804,  Greenwich  appears  in 
the  Cambridge  circuit  records  as  paying  "  quarterage"  for 
the  support  of  the  circuit  preacher. 

At  that  time  the  circuit  was  embraced  in  the  New  Y^ork 
conference,  whose  bounds  extended  from  the  city  on  the 
south  to  Montreal  on  the  north,  including  Augusta,  Me., 
and  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  the  appointments.  In  1804,  Revs. 
Elias  Vanderlip  and  Phineas  Cook  were  the  preachers  on 
Cambridge  circuit,  and  doubtless  preached  part  of  the  time 
in  Greenwich  that  year.  Previous  to  that  time,  in  1806, 
one  Phineas  Laiigworthy  (father  of  the  late  Robert  and 
Dr.  James  Langworthy),  a  devout  Methodist,  moved  into 
Greenwich  from  the  town  of  Easton,  occupying  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Wm.  Fisher.  Mr.  Langworthy  soon  com- 
menced holding  Methodist  class-meetings  in  the  Gavette 
school-house,  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town,  now  district 
No.  18. 

Connected  with  the  class  in  that  neighborhood  was  the 
family  of  Eleazer  Woodworth,  whose  son  James  has  since 
made  the  name  familiar  as  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  Chicago 


By  Rev.  H.  F.  Austin. 


390 


HISTORY   OF 'WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


and  member  of  the  national  Congress.  The  Woodworth 
family  moving  west,  Mr.  Langwortliy  changed  his  meetings 
to  North  Greenwich,  where  to  the  present  time  Methodist 
meetings  have  been  maintained. 

Phineas  Langworthy  juay  justly  be  called  the  father  and 
founder  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Greenwich. 
By  his  invitation  and  influence,  North  Greenwich  became 
connected  with  the  Cambridge  circuit  through  the  preach- 
ing of  Methodist  ministers  at  that  place.  Doubtless,  before 
his  day  they  had  preached  occasionally  in  the  town  in 
various  places,  but  through  his  eflForts  Methodist  preacliing 
was  permanently  established  in  Greenwich.  He  was  a 
large-hearted,  open-handed  man ;  a  reliable  friend  and 
counselor  of  the  church ;  an  earnest,  efficient  Christian 
worker,  of  irreproachable  and  unblemished  Christian  char- 
acter and  conduct. 

His  son,  the  late  Robert  Langworthy,  long  and  well  filled 
the  place  of  his  father  in  the  church.  His  name  gave 
credit  and  his  testimony  was  a  tower  of  strength  in  the 
church,  and  his  life  was  a  shining  light  in  the  Christian 
community.  The  influence  of  his  experience  and  example 
is  still  manifest  in  the  ^Methodist  church,  and  his  memory 
will  be  long  and  gratefully  cherished  in  the  minds  of  its 
oldest  members. 

Of  the  family  of  Robert  Langworthy  there  are  now 
living  in  Greenwich  his  widow,  Mrs.  Harriett  Langworthy ; 
his  son,  Phinea.s  B.  Langworthy,  and  his  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  C.  B.  Carter  and  Mrs.  P.  Skinner,  all  worthy  members 
of  the  church  of  their  fathers.  Of  his  grandchildren  four 
are  also  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 

April  20, 1818,  the  first  Methodist  society  of  Greenwich 
obtained  a  legal  standing  according  to  the  statutes  at  North 
Greenwich.  The  society  wa.s  organized  in  the  school-house 
of  district  No.  6.  The  preachers  then  on  Cambridge  cir- 
cuit were  Revs.  Friend  Draper  and  Tobias  Spieer.  John 
Sprague,  Derastus  Hanks,  and  Phineas  Langworthy  were 
the  first  trustees. 

The  society  statedly  worshiped  in  the  school-house 
during  the  first  year  of  its  organization.  In  1819  the 
society  built  a  small  house  of  worship  at  North  Greenwich, 
which  they  occupied  till  the  building  of  the  present  Metho- 
dist church  in  that  place.  It  was  the  first  church  or  chapel 
erected  by  the  Methodists  in  the  town  of  Greenwich.  That 
first  building  is  now  owned  and  occupied  as  a  barn  by  Mr. 
Asa  Tefft.  It  formerly  stood  farther  north,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street  from  its  present  site. 

At  Battenville,  on  the  Batten  Kill,  in  the  southeast  part 
of  the  town,  a  Methodist  class  was  formed  in  August, 
1829. 

At  what  date  Methodist  preaching  commenced  at  that 
place  no  records  determine.  Revs.  J.  B.  Houghtaliug  and 
J.  M.  Weaver  were  the  circuit  preachers  when  the  first 
class  was  formed.  Of  the  members  of  that  class  several 
are  now  living  who  remember  well  the  circumstances  of  its 
formation  and  the  trials  of  those  times.  David  Walsh, 
now  eighty-two  years  and  his  wife  seventy-six  years  old, 
still  residing  at  Battenville,  joined  the  class  at  its  organiza- 
tion, and  have  to  the  present  time  been  consistent  members 
of  the  Methodist  church.  Several  of  their  children  are 
also  members  of  the  church,  and  one  son,  the  Rev.  John 


Walsh,  is  a  member  of  the  Kentucky  annual  conference. 
Phineas  K.  Stewart,  now  seventy-one  years  old,  born  near 
Battenville,  and  always  having  lived  at  that  place,  was  a 
member  of  that  class,  and  still  remains  a  member  of  the 
church  of  his  first  choice.  Abram  Edwards,  connected 
with  the  class  from  its  commencement,  was  an  earnest  and 
influential  member  for  years  till  he  moved  from  the  place. 
Abel  Whitney  was  also  an  active  member.  Rev.  Roswell 
Kelly,  a.ssisted  by  Rev.  W.  Rider,  followed  Rev.  Mr. 
Houghtaling  on  Cambridge  circuit,  and  preached  statedly 
at  Battenville.  During  his  ministry,  in  1831,  the  Hicksite 
Quakers  took  oft'ense  at  his  outspoken  trinitarian  theology, 
and  organized  such  an  opposition  to  such  orthodox  teaching 
in  the  school-house  that  the  majority  of  the  trustees,  being 
Hicksites,  decided  to  close  the  doors  against  Methodist 
ministers. 

Hence  the  Methodists  met  for  worship  in  the  house  of 
David  Walsh,  in  which  both  their  social  meetings  and 
stated  Sabbath  preaching  services  were  held  for  two  years. 
The  pressui'e  of  public  sentiment  becoming  so  strong  against 
the  course  of  the  school  trustees,  they  opened  the  school- 
house  again,  and  invited  the  Methodists  to  occupy  it  for 
public  worship. 

In  June,  1832,  Greenwich,  as  a  part  of  Cambridge  cir- 
cuit, fell  within  the  bounds  of  the  Troy  annual  conference 
from  the  division  of  the  New  York  annual  conference,  by 
the  decision  of  the  general  conference,  held  at  Philadelphia 
that  year. 

December  2,  1833,  the  Methodist  society  at  Battenville 
was  legally  organized,  with  Abram  Edwards,  P.  K.  Stewart, 
and  David  Walsh  as  trustees.  The  names  of  Abel  Whitney 
and  David  Walsh  appear  on  the  records  as  the  first  elass-^ 
leaders. 

The  Union  village  class  (now  Greenwich  proper)  was 
formed  some  time  in  1833.  At  that  time  Revs.  Joel 
Squires  and  John  Lagrange  were  the  circuit  preachers. 
Among  the  more  prominent  members  of  the  class  were 
Robert  Langworthy  and  wife,  George  Fisher  and  wife, 
Lemuel  Peterson  and  wife,  Joseph  Fisher  and  wife  (Eng- 
lish), and  Mrs.  Baily.  Lemuel  Peterson  was  the  first 
class-leader.  Previous  to  the  formation  of  this  Methodist 
class  the  circuit  ministers  had  occasionally  preached  at 
Union  village,  holding  meetings  in  the  old  school-house, 
then  standing  on  the  south  side  of  Church  street,  nearly 
opposite  the  present  ^lethodist  parsonage.  In  that  school- 
house  the  Methodists  worshiped  for  years.  Union  village 
first  appears  on  the  circuit  records  June  18,  1836. 

March  9,  1838,  agreeable  to  an  appointment,  several 
friends  met  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Baily  to  consider  the 
building  of  a  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Union  village. 
Rev.  Samuel  Covel,  preacher  in  charge  of  Cambridge  cir- 
cuit, was  chairman,  and  Rev.  Wright  Hazen,  assistant,  was 
secretary  of  the  meeting.  Francis  Roberson,  Oliver  Ross, 
and  Joseph  Hillman  were  "  appointed  to  circulate  a  sub- 
scription in  fiivor  of  a  church,"  and  also  to  "  ascertain  where 
the  most  favorable  site  may  be  obtained,  and  report  at  the 
next  meeting." 

The  Methodist  society  at  this  place  organized  according 
to  the  statutes  of  the  State,  at  the  school-house,  April  21, 
1838.     Abram    Mosher    was    chairman.     George    Fisher, 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


351 


Oliver  Ross,  Joshua  Dupy,  Francis  J.  Robersoii,  Joseph 
Milluiati,  and  P.  R.  Stewart  were  appointed  "  trustees  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Union  village." 

By  the  Troy  annual  conference,  held  at  Kecsville,  June, 
1838,  Greenwich,  including  North  Greenwich,  Union  vil- 
lege,  and  Battenville,  was  separated  from  the  Cambridge  cir- 
cuit, and  becoming  a  "  charge"  or  circuit  by  itself,  its  name 
first  appears  that  year  in  the  conference  minutes.  Rev. 
Wright  Hazen,  the  junior  preacher  of  Cambridge  circuit 
the  previous  year,  was  the  first  minister  appointed  to  the 
Greenwich  charge.  He  resided  at  North  Greenwich,  in 
the  Methodist  parsonage  which  liad  been  built  at  that  place 
in  1834-35.  He  statedly  preached  at  each  of  the  three 
places  where  a  Methodist  society  had  been  organized.  His 
ministry  continued  but  a  few  months.  His  health  the 
previous  year  had  been  poor,  and  entirely  failed  early  in  the 
fall  of  his  pastorate  in  Greenwich.  He  died  of  "  pulmo- 
nary consumption,"  at  North  Greenwich,  Nov.  12,  1838,  in 
the  thirty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Kent,  Putnam  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  joined  the  New  York 
annual  conference  in  May,  1827,  and  for  eleven  years  he 
was  a  successful  itinerant  minister  of  the  New  Testament. 
His  dying  testimony  was,  "  That  gospel  I  have  preached  to 
others  I  find  to  be  my  support  and  comfort  in  this  trying 
hour.  The  cradle  of  death  is  fast  rocking  me  away  into 
eternity,  and  I  am  sure  it  rocks  easy."  "  Elder"  Wash- 
burn preached  his  funeral  sermon  from  the  words,  "  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I 
have  kept  the  faith."  He  was  buried  with  his  friends  in 
Troy.  This  faithful  Methodist  minister,  the  only  one  hav- 
ing died  in  Greenwich,  was  "  diligent  in  business,  fervent 
in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord."  He  is  well  and  kindly  remem- 
bered by  several  of  the  older  members  of  the  church,  who 
attended  his  earnest  ministrations  of  the  Word. 

The  first  Methodist  church  at  Union  village  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Methodist  parsonage.  The  edifice  was 
erected  in  1839,  and  dedicated  in  March,  184U.  Rev.  C. 
P.  Clark,  of  the  Fort  Ann  circuit,  preached  the  dedicatory 
sermon.  Rev.  David  Poor  was  the  preacher  in  charge  of 
Greenwich  circuit,  and  Rev.  S.  D.  Simonds  superintendent. 

This  first  house  was  a  small  wood  structure,  with  seating 
capacity  (including  galleries)  for  four  hundred,  and  cost, 
with  one  acre  of  land,  some  four  thousand  eight  hundred 
dollars. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Edgerton,  in  1856, 
a  convenient  chapel,  costing  about  one  thousand  dollars, 
was  built  on  the  rear  of  the  church.  In  1871  this  church, 
with  its  chapel,  was  sold  to  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  re- 
moved to  Hill  street,  where  it  is  now  occupied  by  them  as 
a  hou.se  of  worship. 

The  society  at  North  Greenwich  having  by  default  lost  its 
legal  standing,  was  reorganized  March  14, 1842,  with  Jonas 
Soames,  John  W.  Clark,  and  Jesse  Spencer,  as  trustees. 

The  present  Methodist  church  at  that  place  will  com- 
fortably convene  an  audience  of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and 
cost  about  four  thousand  dollars. 

The  first  Methodist  parsonage  at  Greenwich  was  built  in 
the  fall  of  1843,  and  occupied  the  following  winter  by  the 
pastor,  Rev.  D.  C.  Starks.  It  stands  just  west  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  and  is  now  owned  by  John  S.  Crandall. 


In  1844,  the  society  at  Battenville  bought  a  lot  and 
building  formerly  occupied  as  a  carriage-shop,  and  changed 
it  into  a  comfortable  chapel,  with  a  capacity  for  convening 
two  hundred  jn'rsons,  at  an  entire  cost  of  six  hundred  dol- 
lars. 

The  present  magnificent  and  commodious  Methodist 
church  edifice  was  erected  during  the  very  successful  pasto- 
rate of  Rev.  F.  A.  Soule.  The  fine  building  site  on  the 
corner  of  Church  and  New  streets  was  purchased  of  Mr. 
William  Holmes.  The  ground  was  broken  and  the  mason- 
work  commenced  in  the  .spring  of  1868.  The  church  was 
completed  and  publicly  consecrated  to  the  worship  of  God 
in  February,  1870. 

Subse(|uently  a  two-story  brick  chapel,  corresponding 
with  the  main  edifice  in  style  and  finish,  was  built  in 
the  rear  of  the  church.  The  entire  cost  of  lot,  church,  and 
chapel  was  thirty-three  thousand  dollars.  It  is  an  attractive 
building,  of  Gothic  architecture,  and  composite  style  with 
beautiful  front,  well-proportioned  tower,  and  tall  spire, 
thoroughly  built,  and  pleasantly  frescoed  and  fini.shed  within, 
with  orchestra  and  auditorium,  and  end  gallery,  with  sufli- 
cient  capacity  foi-  comfortably  seating  a  thousand  persons, 
and,  including  its  capacious  aisles,  for  paching  a  congrega- 
tion of  over  fifteen  hundred  by  actual  count. 

Altogether  it  is  the  most  imposing,  spacious,  and  costly 
church  structure  in  Washington  county.  In  1875  the 
society  built  a  well  finished,  convenient,  two-story  par.'ionage 
fronting  south,  on  the  site  of  the  old  Methodist  church, 
valued  at  four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  making  the 
total  value  of  the  church  property  thirty-seven  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars.  In  convenience  and  value  of  church 
property  and  numerical  membership,  the  Greenwich  Metho- 
dist church  leads  the  denomination  in  the  county.  Not  in- 
cluding North  Greenwich,  which  now  is  connected  with  the 
Argy'le  Methodi.st  Episcopal  church,  the  present  total  mem- 
bership of  the  church  is  over  four  hundred  and  twenty-five 
communicants. 

During  several  pastorates  in  the  history  of  the  church  it 
has  been  greatly  favored  with  gracious  evangelical  awaken- 
ings and  extensive  religious  revivals,  adding  to  its  member- 
ship families  of  intelligence  and  influence.  As  results  of 
such  religious  awakenings,  about  sixty  were  added  to  the 
church,  in  full  fellowship,  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J. 
M.  Edgerton,  in  1856-57;  over  one  hundred  and  .sixty 
during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  F.  A.  Soule,  in  1866-68;  and 
ninety-three  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  H.  F.  Austin,  in 
1875-78.  During  several  other  pastorates  the  church  has 
been  prospered  greatly  in  spiritual  interests  and  material 
increase. 

The  growth  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Green- 
wich has  been  almost  constant  from  its  very  commencement. 
Its  gain  in  membership,  moral  power,  and  material  prosper- 
ity has  been  remarkable,  considering  the  obstacles  it  has 
had  to  contend  against  and  the  older  church  organizations 
it  has  had  to  compete  with,  that  were  already  occupying  the 
ground  when  Methodist  ministers  first  preached  the  gospel 
of  free  grace  in  Greenwich. 

In  Sunday-school  work,  evangelical  efforts,  Christian  ex- 
ample, benevolent  enterprise,  church  building,  gospel  tem- 
perance, Christian  patriotism,  and  ipiestions  of  moral  reform, 


352 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


the  Grreenwich  Methodist,  church  has  no  mean  record  or 
cause  for  shame,  when  compared  with  contemporary  Chris- 
tian ciiurchcs.  In  view  of  all  that  God  hath  wrought  in  the 
growth  of  this  church,  "  who  iiath  despised  the  day  of  small 
things?' 

At  its  organization  it  was  a  few  and  "  feeble  folk,"  de- 
spised and  disputed  in  its  efforts  to  establish  a  church.  It 
was  even  complained  of  to  civil  authorities  by  its  Christian 
neighbors,  who  petitioned  a  court-judge  to  enjoin  its  pro- 
ceeding to  build  as  a  "  public  nuisance."  But  their  cause 
was  of  God,  and  His  good  hand  in  prosperity  was  on  the 
Methodists,  who  now  command  the  respect  of  their  neigh- 
bors, and  are  in  love  and  charity  with  tlie  Christian  churches. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the  pastors,  with  the 
term  of  their  service,  of  the  Greenwich  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  commencing  with  its  separation  from  the  Cam- 
bridge circuit  in  the  spring  of  1838 :  1838,  Wright  Ha- 
zen,  one  year;  1839,  David  Poor,  one  year;  1840,  Benja- 
min Marvin,  one  year;  1841,  E.  B.  Hubbard,  two  years; 
1843,  D.  Starke,  two  years;  1845,  Clark  Puller,  one  year; 
1846,  Jacob  Leonard,  two  years ;  1848,  S.  L.  Stillman,  two 
years;  1850,  Ensign  Stover,  two  years;  1852,  L.  A.  San- 
ford,  one  year;  1853,  John  Pegg,  one  year;  1854,  Andrew 
Witherspoon,  two  years;  1856,  J.  M.  Edgerton,  two  years  ; 
1858,  Robert  Fox,  one  year;  1859,  S.  M.  Merrill,  two 
years;  1861,  Hiram  Dunn,  one  year;  1862,  Sanford  Wash- 
burn, two  years  ;  1864,  P.  P.  Harrower,  two  years;  1866, 
F.  A.  Soule,  three  years;  1869,  Thomas  W.  Harwood, 
three  years;  1872,  Elisha  Watson,  three  years;  1875,  H. 
F.  Austin,  three  years. 

For  list  of  Methodist  ministers  preaching  in  Greenwich 
from  1804  to  1837,  inclusive,  see  history  of  Cambridge 
(circuit)  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

CENTRE    FALLS 

is  a  small  liamlet  on  the  Batten  Kill,  two  miles  above 
Greenwich  village,  and  was  settled  about  1790  by  Smith 
Barber  and  Natlian  Rodgers,  who  have  already  been  men- 
tioned. James  Conlee  was  next  in  order  of  settlement, 
and  a  son,  Monroe,  yet  resides  at  the  place.  Osborn  Wil- 
son is  also  an  old  settler,  having  lived  in  the  house  he  occu- 
pies more  than  sixty  years.  Several  saw-mills  were  operated 
here  at  a  very  early  period,  and  one  was  continued  until 
1870.  A  grist-mill  was  added  on  same  side,  which  was 
operated  by  Mathew  Burdick.  Afterwards  this  was  changed 
to  a  flax-mill,  and  la,stly  enlarged  and  formed  a  part  of  a 
paper-mill  operated  by  Parker  &  Co.  It  was  burned  in 
1865.  On  the  Jackson  side  a  woolen-factory  was  erected 
forty  years  ago  by  Daniel  Anthony,  which  was  enlarged 
to  a  four-story  building,  and  used  as  a  cotton -factory  by 
Thomas  Truesdell.  Six  thou.sand  yards  of  sheeting  per 
week  were  manufactured  and  many  hands  employed.  This 
factory  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1853  ;  and  a  flax-mill 
erected  on  its  site  met  a  similar  fate.  The  magnificent 
power  is  at  present  entirely  unemployed. 

Near  the  bridge  is  the  old  Nathan  Rodgers  tavern,  yet 
in  good  condition,  but  long  since  surrendered  for  a  private 
house.  Farther  up  the  river  is  another  stand,  where  John 
Kenyon,  and  later  George  Ellendorph,  kept  a  tavern,  whicli 
has  also  been  converted  to  private  uses.     A  few  mechanic- 


shops  are  the  only  things  to  distinguish  the  place  from  a 
farming  settlement. 

BATTENVILLE. 

Four  miles  from  Greenwich  village  is  the  above-named 
village.  It  has  a  pleasant  location  on  both  banks  of  the 
Batten  Kill,  which  here  affords  good  power,  and  contains 
about  three  hundred  inhabitants.  It  was  settled  as  a  busi- 
ness point  about  1815  by  John  McLean,  Thomas  McLean, 
Pardon  Tefft,  Nathan  Cottrell  and  others.  Saw-  and  grist- 
mills were  early  erected,  and  as  late  as  1825  the  place  was 
known  as  the  "  mill-yard."  Both  are  yet  operated.  About 
1815,  Thomas  McLean  and  Abel  Dunham  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  old  woolen-mill  at  that  place.  They  failed,  and 
the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  Judge  McLean.  In 
1826  his  son-in-law  and  Daniel  Anthony  converted  it  into 
a  cotton-mill.  Soon  after  both  McLean  and  Campbell  died, 
and  Anthony,  who  acted  as  agent,  subsequently  failed.  In 
1836  it  was  for  a  while  run  by  a  man  named  Graves,  after 
which  it  again  lay  idle  until  1842,  when  Thomas  Truesdell, 
from  New  York,  carried  it  on  successfully  for  three  or  four 
years.  Then  a  man  named  Jloore  ostensibly  bought  it  and 
soon  after  failed,  and  the  Haskin  Brothers  bought  it  and 
ran  it  successfully  until  it  was  burned  in  1868. 

There  were  sixty  looms  in  charge  of  Elijah  Hyatt,  pro- 
ducing about  twelve  thousand  yards  of  calico  per  week  and 
employing  many  operatives. 

In  1872,  L.  W.  Haskin,  H.  L.  Mowry,  and  W.  R.  Hob- 
bie  formed  the  Phoenix  Paper  Company,  and  erected  a  mill 
fifty-five  by  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  and  two  stories 
high,  with  a  bleaching-room  attached.  It  was  designed  at 
first  to  manufacture  hanging-paper,  but  for  the  last  few 
years  it  has  been  run  on  wrapping-paper.  A  superior 
quality  is  produced,  which  has  been  awarded  the  first  prize 
at  several  State  fairs.  The  yearly  product  is  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  tons,  and  from  ten  to  twelve  hundred  tons  of 
straw  are  consumed.  Sixteen  hands  are  employed.  Mowry 
and  Hobbie  at  present  constitute  the  firm. 

A  small  store  was  carried  on  in  1828  by  Steward  & 
Merriam.  Afterwards  the  different  factory  companies  sold 
goods  to  their  employees  and  others,  among  the  store- 
keepers being  Willard  White,  Aaron  McLean,  and  An- 
thony. 

Edgar  S.  Hyatt  is  at  present  in  trade. 
The  post -oflice  was  established  about  1829, — Daniel  An- 
thony postmaster.  The  office  has  also  been  held  by  Aaron 
McLean,  Elijah  Hyatt,  Theodore  Graves,  Job  Skellie,  H. 
B.  Woodard,  E.  S.  Hyatt,  and  Fitch  McLean.  It  has  a 
tri-weekly  mail,  from  Salem  to  Greenwich. 

Evening  Star  Lodge,  No.  229,  /.  0.  of  0.  F.,  was  in- 
stituted in  1846,  with  Charles  Frederickson,  N.  G. ;  D.  S. 
Teff"t,  V.  G.  The  lodge  had  a  flourishing  existence  for  a 
few  years,  but  has  gone  down. 

The  place  has  had  two  churches, — a  Reformed,  on  the 
Jackson  side,  which  has  become  extinct ;  and  a  Methodist 
Episcopal,  whose  history  is  elsewhere  given. 

EAST    GREENWICH. 

This  is  a  pleasant  village,  near  the  Salem  line,  on  the 
Batten  Kill,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  places  in  the  town. 


CORNELIUS   HOLMES,  M.D. 


Cornelius  Holmes,  M.D.,  was  born  at  Plymouth,  Mass., 
June  15,  1774,  and  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the 
emigrant  Holmes,  one  of  the  Puritan  fathers  who  came  in 
the  "  Mayflower."  His  parents  died  when  he  was  only  three 
years  of  age,  and  he  was  adopted  by  his  uncle,  Cornelius 
Hood,  of  Pelham,  Mass.,  from  whom  he  received  his  name. 
Until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  his  time  was  spent  at 
school  and  on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  came 
to  West  Rupert,  Vt.,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  with 
Dr.  Graves,  which  he  continued  for  some  four  years.  Cir- 
cumstances necessitated  him  to  provide  his  own  means  for 
completing  his  studies,  and  he  accepted  the  principalship 
of  the  Washington  Academy,  at  Salem,  which  position  he 
filled  for  two  years,  when  he  resumed  his  study  with  Dr. 
Asa  Fitch,  at  Fitch's  Point. 

After  receiving  a  license  to  practice  his  profession,  he 
married,  September,  1809,  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Colonel 
David  Gray  and  Sarah  Smith,  of  Salem, — the  latter  of 
Scotch  descent  and  whose  ancestors  were  driven  from  Scot- 
land to  L-eland  on  account  of  religious  persecution.  Dr. 
Holmes  gave  the  first  impulse  to  planting  trees  in  the  vil- 
lage, and  brought  on  horseback  from  Fitch's  Point,  where 
he  had  studied  medicine,  the  first  shade-trees  planted  in 
the  village  of  Greenwich, — they  were  young  poplars, — but 
finding  they  were  not  the  best  trees  for  shade  or  beauty, 
he  planted  elms  and  maples  in  their  places. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  village  (in  1809), 
and  was  one  of  the  five  who  built  the  first  academy, — the 
building   now  owned   by    Mr.   Ira  C.  Stevens.     He  was 


earnest  and  very  energetic  in  its  support  and  prosperity, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  all  its  operations,  though  his 
medical  practice  was  very  large.  He  was  among  the  first 
to  suggest  improvements,  and  if  money  was  wanted  to 
carry  forward  any  enterprise  he  furnished  it  without  dis- 
play. Dr.  Holmes  was  a  man  of  much  decision  of  char- 
acter. Honest  and  upright  in  all  his  dealings,  studious 
and  very  skillful  in  his  profession,  outspoken  and  un- 
reserved, he  was  a  man  upon  whom  his  friends  could  rely 
under  all  circumstances.  He  held  in  contempt  cunning 
and  intrigue  and  prevarication  in  all  their  forms.  W^hat- 
ever  was  done  by  him  was  not  for  show  or  to  gain  applause, 
but  for  some  real,  genuine  benefit. 

Having  enjoyed  a  very  extensive  practice  for  over  forty 
years,  he  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  gave  up  his  ride  and 
retired  from  the  active  duties  of  life  ;  yet  so  long  as  he 
lived  he  did  not  relax  in  spirit,  in  the  development  of  not 
only  the  village  but  in  establishing  good  society.  He  died 
Jan.  29,  18H5,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety-one 
years.  There  were  born  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Holmes  nine 
children,  four  of  whom  died  young.  The  others  were  Asa 
Fitch  Holmes,  Leroy  ;  Sarah  Gray,  wife  of  Dr  Daniel  M. 
Neil,  of  Jersey  City;  Mary  Elizabeth  (decea.sed),  wife  of 
William  Dewitt  McLean,  of  Greenwich ;  and  Julia  A. 
The  wife  and  mother  survived  her  husband  some  twelve 
years,  and  died  Oct.  24,  1877.  Dr.  Holmes  was  a  self- 
made  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  left  an  example 
in  his  works  worthy  the  emulation  of  the  young  men  of 
the  rising  s;eneration.     His  influence  still  remains. 


ASA    FITCH    HOLMES. 


MRS.  ASA    P.  HOLMES. 


ASA   FITCH   HOLMES. 


Asa  Fitch  Holmes  was  boru  in  January,  1S13,  in  the 
village  of  Greenwich,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was  a 
son  of  Dr.  Cornelius  Holmes  and  Mary  Gray,  early  settlers 
of  the  village,  the  former  one  of  the  pioneer  physi- 
cians of  the  county,  and  especially  of  Greenwich,  and 
after  a  life  of  usefulness  as  a  citizen  and  in  his  pro- 
fession, honored  by  all  who  knew  him,  died  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-one  years.* 

Mr.  Holmes  spent  his  minority  at  school  at  Cambridge 
and  Eiizabethtown,  and  as  a  printer  and  a  clerk  in  a  store, 
where  he  learned  the  useful  lessons  of  a  business  char- 
acter, which  fitted  him  for  his  subsequent  career  of  active 
life.  In  the  year  1829  he  entered  a  partnership  with 
Edwin  Andrews,  in  the  dry  goods  trade,  which  continued 
for  soven  years.  Subsequently  he  went  into  trade  with 
Morgan  Heath,  and  continued  for  some  eight  years,  and 
the  balance  of  the  time  he  was  in  business  he  was  alone, 
until  about  six  years  prior  to  his  death.     After  the  close 

*   See  hia  portrait  and  biography  elsewhere  in  this  work. 


of  his  mercantile  business  he  was  appointed  postmaster, 
which  position  he  occupied  for  four  years.  His  life  was  one 
of  activity,  industry,  and  self-reliance,  with  that  unostentatious 
integrity  that  commands  the  confidence  of  all  good  citizens. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Holmes  was  a  Whig  formerly,  later  an 
ardent,  though  not  very  active,  member  of  the  Republi- 
can party.  In  whatever  he  undertook  he  was  characterized 
for  his  firmness,  decision,  and  great  resolution. 

In  the  year  1834,  September,  he  married  Miss  Lucy 
S.,  fifth  daughter  of  Luke  Prentiss  and  Susannah  Wil- 
der, formerly  of  Massachusetts,  but  of  Greenwich  at  that 
time.  By  this  union  there  were  born  two  children,  only 
one  of  whom,  a  son,  Leroy  M.  Holmes,  survives,  and 
resides  in  Springfield,  Vt.  He  married  Miss  Amelia 
Cutler,  of  Springfield. 

Mrs.  Holmes,  since  the  death  of  her  husband,  Feb.  5, 
1857,  has  most  of  the  time  resided  with  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Wing,  and  is  a  lady  of  great  sociability,  strong  resolution, 
and  of  tliose  fine  (jualities  that  make  home  attractive. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


353 


Roger  Reid  was  the  first  to  make  a  beginning  at  this  point, 
and  the  house  he  erected  remained  many  years.  Other 
pioneers  were  Archibald  Livingston,  William  Blake,  Alex- 
ander and  James  Shaw,  James  Cherry,  Samuel  Curtiss,  Wm. 
McDougall,  and  Wm.  Robertson.  The  growth  of  the 
place  has  not  been  rapid,  and  at  present  it  numbers  only  a 
few  hundred  inhabitants,  including  the  settlement  on  the 
Jackson  side. 

The  dam  across  the  Batten  Kill  aft"iirds  an  eight-fnot 
power,  which  was  employed,  about  ISOO,  to  operate  saw- 
mills for  James  Shaw,  James  Cherry,  and  others ;  and  mil- 
lions of  feet  of  lumber  were  cut  at  this  point.  This  fact 
caused  the  place  to  be  named  "  Slab  City."  A  sawmill, 
erected  in  1818  by  James  Shaw,  has  its  site  occupied  by  a 
first-class  lumber-mill,  operated  since  1861  by  Wm.  Walker. 

The  grist-mill  was  erected  the  same  year  by  Shaw,  and 
some  modifications  yet  remain.  Since  1856,  W.  H.  Lar- 
kins  has  owned  this  property.  On  the  Jackson  side,  a  two- 
story  woolen-factory  was  put  up  in  1828  by  Jedediah  Post 
and  John  Taggart,  which  was  operated  until  its  destructioti 
by  fire  in  1845. 

The  present  factory  was  shortly  after  erected  by  Wm. 
Baker,  and  enlarged  by  Nelson  Keefer.  It  is  a  good  fac- 
tory, but  has  not  been  operated  for  some  time.  A  sash- 
and  blind-factory  has  been  kept  in  succcs.sful  operation  since 
1850  by  Archibald  Leudrum. 

Seventy  years  ago  William  McDougall  had  a  saw-mill 
and  a  tannery  on  the  brook  below  the  village,  the  ruins  of 
the  works  yet  being  visible.  The  mechanic  arts  are  at 
present  represented  by  several  good  shops. 

James  Shaw  was  one  of  the  first  to  engage  iu  mercantile 
pursuits  to  any  great  extent,  and  remained  until  his  death. 
There  was  a  union  store  at  this  place ;  and  others  active  in 
trade  were  Moses  Robertson,  J.  E.  Beebe,  Thomas  Mc- 
Claughry,  Wm.  Jacoby,  and  Snyder.  The  village  has  sev- 
eral stores  doing  a  good  business. 

The  post-oiBce  was  established  about  1835,  with  Mo.ses 
Robertson  postmaster.  Subsequently  the  position  has  been 
held  by  William  Hall,  Moses  Billings,  Nelson  Keefer,  J. 
Beebe,  and  the  present  official,  Wm.  H.  Martin.  There  is 
a  tri-weekly  mail  from  Salem,  distance  five  miles. 

Chester  Johnson  put  up  the  first  tavern  in  1841,  using 
the  frame-work  of  an  old  factory  which  was  demolished  at 
Fitch's  Point.  In  an  enlarged  condition  this  is  the  tavern 
at  present.  Below  the  village,  at  the  foot  of  Sand  street, 
was  a  pioneer  tavern,  dating  its  origin  to  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century.  It  was  a  noted  hostelry,  and  in  later 
years  bore  the  name  of  the  keepers, — the  Dunn  family. 
The  house  is  used  as  a  farm  residence. 

About  1829,  Dr.  Robert  Stevenson  located  as  the  fir.st 
physician.  Since  his  removal  Drs.  Scott,  Stewart,  Doug- 
las and  others  have  been  in  practice.  Dr.  J.  J.  Milling- 
ton  is  the  present  resident  physician.  But  a  short  distance 
above  the  village  is  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  for  many  years  one  of 
the  foremost  physicians  in  the  county. 

THE    UNITED    PRESBYTERIAN   CONGREGATION    OF    EAST 
GREENWICH. 

This  society  was  organized  May  30,  1849,  with  fifty-one 
members,  most  of  whom  had  withdrawn  from  the  South 
45 


Argyle  congregation  for  this  purpose,  as  the  Associate 
congregation  of  East  Greenwich.  The  Rev.  D.  W.  French, 
of  Salem,  presided  over  the  meeting,  which  elected  Samuel 
Dobbin,  William  McNeil,  and  Robert  Telford  as  the  first 
ruling  elders.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  .steps  were  taken 
to  build  a  church,  and  the  same  season  a  substantial  frame, 
forty  by  fifty-two  feet,  was  erected  on  an  eligible  site  in  the 
village  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  dollars.  The  house  was 
consecrated  in  December,  1849,  by  the  Rev.  James  P. 
Miller,  of  South  Argyle,  who  preached  an  appropriate 
sermon  from  the  text,  "  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but 
by  my  spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  On  the  28th  of 
January,  1850,  the  congregation  appointed  George  Christie, 
Wm.  McNeil,  Francis  H.  Arnot,  Alexander  Small,  Andrew 
Randies,  and  Thomas  Cherry  a  board  of  trustees.  Their 
present  successors  in  office  arc  John  Cowan,  John  W. 
Snyder,  Alexander  Ilea,  and  Charles  Dunn. 

In  the  spring  of  1850  the  Rev.  Joseph  McKirahan  was 
ordained  as  the  first  pastor,  and  labored  in  that  capacity 
until  1854.  From  that  period  until  1857  the  congregation 
was  without  a  regular  pastor,  but  in  the  fall  of  that  season 
the  Rev.  John  B.  Dunn  was  settled,  and  remained  four 
years.  Again  there  was  a  vacancy  in  the  pastoral  office, 
but  in  October,  1863,  the  Rev.  James  M.  Orr  came  in 
obedience  to  a  call,  remaining,  however,  only  a  short  time, 
as  poor  health  warned  him  to  return  to  his  home  in  Ohio, 
where  he  died  in  1865.  In  July,  1868,  the  Rev.  W.  R. 
Gladstone  entered  the  pastoral  office,  continuing  until  Jan- 
uary, 1877.  The  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  George  T. 
Galbraith,  commenced  his  labors  in  July,  the  same  year, 
preaching  to  a  congregation  of  about  two  hundred,  and 
having  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  communicants.  The 
present  session  of  elders  is  composed  of  John  Beveridge, 
John  Arnot,  John  Maxwell,  A.  Lendrum,  John  Cowan, 
James  Small,  James  McMorris,  and  John  McGeoch. 

A  Sabbath-school  was  established  in  1850,  which  has 
been  superintended  since  1869  by  A.  Lendrum  ;  has  about 
one  hundred  members. 


Nine  miles  northeast  of  the  village  of  Greenwich  is  the 
thriving  hamlet  of  liake.  Being  situated  at  the  foot  of 
Cossayuna  lake,  on  both  sides  of  the  creek  of  the  same 
name,  it  has  attained  some  importance  as  a  manufacturing 
place.  The  first  settlers  at  Lake  and  its  vicinity  were 
Alexander  Reid,  John  McEachron,  John  Tinsler,  Robert 
Mount,  Jonathan  and  David  Paddock,  Richard  Hay,  James. 
Alexander,  Thomas  Lamb,  E.  Clougli,  William  Henry,  and  " 
Walter  Stewart.  The  latter  came  about  1782,  and  settled 
on  lot  41,  which  yet  remains  in  the  family.  Walter  G., 
one  of  his  sons,  is  an  old  resident  of  Lake.  Another  old 
settler  was  William  Pratt,  on  lot  57,  where  he  died  in  1830. 
Of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  Simon,  an  old  man,  resides 
at  Lake,  William,  an  attorney,  in  California,  and  Daniel  in 
Syracuse.  The  latter,  after  graduating  from  Union  College 
in  1833,  moved  to  Onondaga  county,  studied  law,  and  in 
1843  was  appointed  the  first  judge  of  the  county.  In 
1847  he  became  a  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  held 
that  position  until  1859.  In  1873  he  was  elected  attorney- 
general  of  the  State.     In   the   same   neighborhood    lived 


354 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


George  Beveridge,  who  removed  to  Illinois,  where  one  of 
his  sons,  John  L.,  was  elected  to  the  office  of  governor. 
An  uncle  of  his,  James  Beveridge,  Sr.,  still  resides  near 
Lake.  Here  also  settled  the  Hanks  family,  and  one  of  the 
sons  yet  occupies  the  homestead,  on  lot  71. 

One  of  the  first  mills  in  this  locality  was  erected  below 
the  village  by  Asa  Carter.  The  overflow  of  this  dam  caused 
a  great  deal  of  sickne.ss,  and,  on  complaint,  it  was  torn 
down  by  the  .sheriff,  when  the  epidemic  abated. 

At  the  village  three  dams  were  built  across  the  creek  to 
afford  power  for  as  many  saw-mills,  operated  by  men  named 
Vanderburg,  Pulsom,  and  Bragg.  But  one  mill  remains, 
and  is  operated  by  the  Alexander  brothers.  The  grist- 
mill was  erected  in  LSIO,  and  is  the  same  sti-ucture  in  a 
remodeled  condition. 

A  fulling-mill  took  the  place  of  one  of  the  early  saw- 
mills, and  was  owned  by  Silas  Walter  and  Jacob  Hyatt. 
Afterwards  it  was  used  as  a  potato-starch  factory,  and  is  at 
present  idle. 

Sixty  years  ago  a  tannery  was  built  at  the  middle  dam 
by  Moses  Cowan,  and  was  operated  by  different  parties 
until  a  few  years  ago,  being  at  present  inoperative. 

In  1860,  Durham  &  Burdick  erected  a  flax-mill,  which 
is  yet  operated  on  a  large  scale,  by  the  Alexander  Brothers. 
Employment  is  given  to  many  men,  and  an  excellent  quality 
of  lint  is  manufactured. 

A  store  was  opened  at  this  point  about  1800;  and  in 
1812,  George  Stewart  began  trade  in  a  small  frame  house 
near  the  present  stand  of  his  son,  Walter  G.,  who  has  been 
a  merchant  in  the  place  for  the  last  forty  years.  Among 
other  merchants  were  Moses  Cowan,  John  Viele,  R.  W. 
Richey,  Durham  &  Burdick. 

The  post-office  was  established  about  1840,  with  R.  W. 
Richey  as  the  first  postmaster.  G.  Taylor,  D.  Wallace, 
and  W.  G.  Stewart  have  been  his  successors.  The  mail  is 
semi-weekly  from  North  Greenwich. 

Among  the  physicians  resident  at  Lake  were  Doctors 
Turner,  Sprague,  McNish,  Mack,  Spencer,  Harris,  and 
Irwin.     There  is  no  practitioner  at  present. 

THE    LAKEVILLE   BAPTIST    CHURCH 

is  a  branch  of  the  Bottskill  church,  at  Greenwich,  and  was 
organized  Sept.  10,  1834,  at  a  council  called  for  this  pur- 
pose, over  which  the  Rev.  G.  Witherell  presided.  Norman 
Wallace  and  Joseph  Tefft  were  chosen  deacons,  and  Daniel 
Wallace,  clerk.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  school- 
house,  but  on  the  24th  of  January,  1835,  measures  were 
taken  to  build  a  meeting-house  thirty-four  by  forty  feet. 
But  it  is  believed  that  thie  house  was  not  dedicated  until 
January,  1837,  the  cost  at  that  time  being  estimated  at 
twelve  hundred  dollars.  In  1874  the  house  was  recon- 
structed, its  length  increased  by  the  addition  of  twelve  feet 
and  otherwise  improved,  so  as  to  make  it  a  comfortable 
place  of  worship.  This  cost,  including  the  bell,  was  three 
thousand  three  hundred  dollars.  The  rededication  services 
were  performed  Dec.  17,  1874,  by  the  Revs.  J.  0.  Mason 
and  A.  E.  Clark. 

The  following  have  served  as  pastors  or  stated  supplies : 
Revs.  A.  Kenyon,  B.  F.  Garfield,  W.  Brand,  S.  Wright,  D. 
Sweet,  J.  J.  Peck,  J.  0.  Mason,  E.  R.  Warren,  M.  P. 


Favor,  and  A.  E.  Clark.  The  latter  has  occupied  the  pul- 
pit about  one-third  of  the  time  since  1834.  The  church 
has  about  ninety  members.  H.  Hanks  and  L.  Brown  are 
the  deacons,  and  E.  Clough  clerk.  A  flourishing  Sabbath- 
school,  superintended  by  J.  H.  Dinge,  is  connected  with 
the  church. 

NORTH    GREENWICH 

is  a  small  hamlet  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  extend- 
ing to  the  Argyle  line.  It  was  foi'inerly  known  as  Reid's 
Corners,  from  William  Reid,  an  early  settler,  whose  son, 
H.  L.  Reid,  is  yet  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  place.  Other 
pioneers  in  this  locality  were  Nathan  and  Joshua  Tucker, 
Archibald  McKallor,  Asa  Teff't,  Seth  Rood,  Jedediah  Harts- 
horn, Phineas  Langworthy,  and  Woods  &  Shankland.  The 
latter  had  the  first  store,  about  1800.  W.  G.  McMasters 
was  also  early  in  trade.  From  1816  to  1860,  William 
Reid,  and  since  1865,  H.  L.  Reid,  have  been  the  merchants 
of  the  place. 

In  1825  the  post-office  was  established,  and  William 
Reid  was  the  first  postmaster.  It  has  since  been  in  charge 
of  F.  A.  Parker  and  H.  L.  Reid,  and  has  a  daily  mail 
from  Greenwich. 

About  1836  a  hotel  was  opened  by  Hezekiah  Luther, 
and  kept  by  him  until  his  death.  The  building  is  now  F. 
Gleason's  residence. 

The  place  has  had  as  physicians  Drs.  McKnight,  Har- 
kins,  and  Stevenson. 

The  apple-orchard  of  G.  H.  Wells,  near  the  hamlet,  is 
the  largest  in  the  county,  containing  four  thousand  thrifty 
trees.     It  was  planted  since  1850. 

The  history  of  the  Methodist  church  will  be  elsewhere 
given. 

MIDDLE  FALLS. 

This  enterprising  place  is  very  pleasantly  situated  on  both 
banks  of  the  Batten  Kill,  on  a  bend  of  the  stream,  two 
miles  below  Greenwich  village.  Settlement  was  begun 
here  before  1800,  but,  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the 
former  village,  the  place  has  never  attained  the  size  which 
its  valuable  water-privileges  would  otherwise  have  given 
it.  It  has  about  five  hundred  inhabitants.  The  village 
was  formerly  called  Galesville,  in  honor  of  John  Gale,  an 
early  settler  and  the  owner  of  a  portion  of  the  village  site. 
In  February,  1875,  the  name  of  the  village  and  post-office 
was  changed  to  the  present  one,  largely  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  J.  H.  Reynolds,  Esq.  Two  unsucces.sful  at- 
tempts had  previously  been  made  looking  to  the  same  end. 
The  village  is  situated  between  Hardscrabble  falls  above, 
and  the  Dionoudohawa  falls  below;  the  latter  being  ninety- 
five  feet  in  height,  the  former  twelve  feet,  and  the  middle 
falls  forty -five  feet ;  for  which  reason  the  name  adopted  is 
made  appropriate,  both  as  to  location  on  the  stream,  and 
height  of  the  fixll. 

Abraham  G.  Lan.sing  made  the  first  business  settlement 
about  1790,  by  building  a  house  and  mill  on  the  Greenwich 
side.  The  mill  was  a  small  affair,  and  when  Joseph  Heath 
purchased  it  he  enlarged  and  remodeled  it.  On  this  founda- 
tion the  present  mill  was  erected,  whose  capacity  is  six 
hundred  bushels  per  day.  On  the  Easton  side  John  Gale 
erected,  in  1810,  the  "  Washington  County  custom  and 
flouring-mills,"  which  are  yet  operated   by  his  sou,  F.  A. 


NELSON 

Nelson  H.  Wing  was  born  at  Glen's  Falls,  Warren  Co., 
N.  Y.,  March  U,  1807.  He  was  the  .son  of  William  Wing 
and  Rachel  Gray.  The  former  was  an  active  business  man, 
and  spent  most  of  his  life  as  the  proprietor  of  a  public- 
house,  for  many  years  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  and  subse- 
quently at  Troy,  N.  Y. 

Nelson  H.  resided  at  the  place  of  his  birth  until  ho  was 
thirteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Albany  as  clerk  for 
Wiswall  &  King,  and  remained  there  until  1822.  He 
then,  for  one  year  and  a  half,  was  clerk  for  J.  &  J.  R. 
Westcot,  of  Saratoga  Springs,  when  his  father  opened  the 
Clinton  House  at  Whitehall,  the  first  hotel  in  the  State 
named  after  Governor  Clinton.  He  was  at  Whitehall  for 
three  years.  In  the  spring  of  1827  his  father  went  to  Troy 
and  bought  the  Franklin  House,  and  they  as  partners  carried 
it  on  for  three  years,  when  Mr.  Wing  .sold  his  interest  to 
his  father  and  went  to  Michigan,  then  on  the  borders  of 
civilization,  and  engaged  in  trade  with  the  Indians,  who 
thickly  inhabited  that  part  of  the  country.  His  operations 
there  laid  the  foundation  of  the  immense  fortune  he  pos- 
sessed, for  he  went  west  with  only  a  small  sum  of  money, — 
one  thousand  dollars ;  but  he  had  made  many  friends  among 
the  first  business  men  of  Troy  and  Albany,  and  by  reason 
of  his  honesty  and  strict  business  habits  lie  could  get  all 
the  credit  he  desired.  Of  the  one  thousand  dollars,  he  built 
a  store  and  house  costing  three  hundred  dollars. 

He  left  Troy  for  Michigan  in  1830,  and  went  to  Dexter, 
about  forty-eight  miles  west  of  Detroit,  where  he  opened  a 
general  store  and  began  barter  with  the  Indians,  who  were 
his  chief  customers  during  the  first  five  years.  At  the  end 
of  twenty  months  he  had  made  seven  thousand  dollars, — a 
brisk  business  for  the  wilderness.  He  lived  at  Dexter  about 
twenty  years  in  all,  and,  in  connection  with  his  store,  engaged 
in  locating  land  at  the  government  price, — one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre. 


J}, 


U 


^7' 


II.  WING. 

Some  time  in  1851  or  1852,  with  Abram  Wing,  of  Glen's 
Falls,  he  established  a  bank  at  Detroit,  and  removed  to 
that  city,  living  there  more  or  less  until  1859,  when  he 
came  east,  living  at  Greenwich,  Washington  county,  during 
the  summer,  and  at  Boston  in  the  winter.  He  lived  at 
Boston,  with  his  family,  about  twelve  winters,  always  board- 
ing at  the  Revere  House.  While  in  the  west,  Mr.  Wing 
was  director  of  a  bank  fifteen  years ;  was  county  treasurer, 
and  was  postmaster  at  Dexter  seven  years  and  a  half. 

He  bought  and  sold  a  large  amount  of  real  estate  in 
Chicago,  Detroit,  and  Dubuque.  He  was  interested  in  all 
the  railroads  of  his  time.  He  went  to  Omaha,  Plattsmouth, 
and  Nebraska  City  to  fix  the  terminus  of  the  B.  k  M.  R. 
R.  R.,  and  purchased  property  along  the  line  for  depots 
and  other  purposes. 

He  purchased  the  lands  for  their  freight  depot  at  Chicago. 
In  Iowa  he  formed  a  land  company.  He  bought  and  con- 
tracted for  eighteen  farms  near  Jackson,  Michigan,  for  the 
M.  C.  R.  R.,  in  order  to  prevent  the  M.  S.  R.  R.  building 
a  road ;  and  at  one  time  he  owned  and  managed  four 
stores,  had  an  interest  in  two  grist-mills,  and  owned  twenty 
farms.  During  his  long  experience  among  the  aborigines 
he  never  lost  but  one  debt  due  him  by  an  Indian  ;  and  never 
had  a  difiiculty  with  any  of  them  but  once,  when  a  drunken 
Indian  drew  a  knife  to  stab  him,  when  he  immediately 
knocked  "  the  noble  red  man"  down  with  an  axe-helve, 
and  threw  him  out  of  the  store.  Mr.  Wing  was  considered 
one  of  the  shrewdest  business  men  that  ever  lived  in  the 
country. 

In  December,  1829,  he  married  Miss  Emma  Prentiss,  of 
Greenwich,  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  is  still  living. 
She  has  had  two  children,  both  deceased.  Mrs.  Wing 
is  a  lady  of  rare  good  common  sense,  unassuming  in  her 
ways,  and  a  model  woman,  carrying  arouud  her  a  circle  of 
warm  friends. 


HISTOllY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


355 


Gale.  Their  capacity  is  one  thousand  bushels  per  day.  Mr. 
Gale  also  operates  plaster-  and  cement-mills.  On  the  same 
side,  an  excellent  woolen-factory  was  built  in  1845,  of  brick, 
forty  by  sixty  feet,  and  four  stories  high,  by  Gale  &  Co.  It 
was  first  operated  by  Hart  Reynolds,  and  was  at  one  time 
supplied  with  knitting  machinery.  This  has  been  removed. 
A  fulling-mill  and  distillery  were  owned  many  years  ago  by 
Joseph  Heath.  He  had,  also,  one  of  the  first  stores,  in  the 
red  building  near  the  bridge.  Sherman  &  Gale  built  a 
good  business  block  on  the  Easton  side,  and  were  suc- 
ceeded in  their  business  in  1838  by  Ingraham  &  Hall.  It 
1842,  Hall  erected  the  large  brick  block  on  the  Greenwich 
side.  The  later  merchants  have  been  the  Reynolds  Brothers 
and  W.  L.  Robinson. 

Pioneer  taverns  were  kept  by  a  man  named  Crowner  and 
Nathan  Tefft.  The  present  Middle  Falls  House  was  origi- 
nally the  residence  of  Sidney  Heath.  The  physicians  of 
the  place  have  been  Doctors  Carmichael,  Mason,  Scott,  and 
Zipperley,  at  present  in  practice. 

The  post-office  of  Galesville  was  established  in  or  about 
the  year  1835,  with  Bryant  Sherman  as  postmaster.  He 
was  succeeded  by  S.  M.  Burke,  and  he  in  turn  by  William 
L.  Robinson.  The  present  postmaster  of  Middle  Falls  is 
James  H.  Reynolds,  and  the  office  is  now  located  at  the 
store  of  W.  Pitt  Reynolds. 

The  village  now  contains  one  large  woolen-factory,  two 
cement-  and  plaster-mills,  and  two  flouring-  and  custom- 
mills,  which  rank  among  the  best  in  the  county. 

THE    WEST    GREENWICH    BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1837,  a  number  of  persons  formed 
themselves  into  a  legal  body  to  be  known  as  the  "  Church 
and  Society  of  West  Greenwich,"  and  elected  the  following 
trustees  to  have  charge  of  the  temporalities  of  the  society  : 
D.  W.  Heath,  Abner  Wright,  David  W.  Williams,  James 
R.  Newbury,  Enos  C.  Clark,  Francis  P.  Robinson,  and 
Amos  Egleston.  On  the  23d  of  August,  1843,  the  corporate 
name  was  changed  to  the  present  title.  This  society 
erected  a  plain  but  neat  brick  house  of  worship  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Middle  Falls,  which  has  been  used  by  the  Baptist 
church,  as  well  as  by  other  bodies  for  occasional  services, 
and  in  which,  in  1837,  met  the  newly-organized  body. 
This  was  composed  of  sixty  members  who  had  withdrawn 
from  the  Bottskill  church  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
church  nearer  their  homes,  and  were  under  the  charge  of 
the  Rev.  B.  P.  Garfield.  His  pastoral  connection  extended 
to  1844,  when  Thomas  S.  Rogers  succeeded  him.  From 
1845  to  the  present  the  following  have  been  the  clergy : 
Solomon  Gale,  Jerome  Mason,  William  Bowen,  M.  P. 
Forbes,  Emerson  Andrews,  E.  S.  Yocum,  J.  0.  Mason,  and 
J.  Gardner.  The  church  has  a  membership  of  one  hundred 
and  forty-five,  and  the  Sabbath-school  has  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  members.  It  has  a  library  of  two  hundred  and  seventy 
volumes.     F.  A.  Parker  is  the  superintendent. 

The  present  church  clerk  is  W.  L.  Robinson. 

THE  BATTEN    KILL   DIVISION,    SONS   OP    TEMPERANCE, 

was  instituted  at  this  place,  June  12,  1848,  and  had  for 
several  years  a  very  flourishing  existence.  It  has  long 
since  disbanded. 


BALD  MOUNTAIN 
is  a  village  of  a  few  hundred  inhabitants,  situated  at  the 
western  base  of  the  mountain,  two  miles  from  Middle  Falls. 
A  scattering  settlement  was  made  here  before  1790  ;  and 
it  is  supposed  that  lime  was  burned  at  the  mountain  as  early 
as  1785.  Samuel  Dunham  erected  a  kiln  for  the  regular 
burning  of  lime  soon  after,  and  Gardner  Thayer  and  Sam- 
uel Heath  carried  on  the  business  on  an  enlarged  scale. 
In  1849  there  were  a  number  of  kilns,  owned  by  Gamble, 
Teff"t,  and  Wright,  but  the  business  was  not  carried  on  very 
extensively  until  1852.  That  year  Robert  W.  Lowber  pur- 
chased the  quarries  and  much  of  the  surrounding  land,  and 
pushed  the  business  with  remarkable  energy.  He  erected 
ten  kilns  of  the  most  approved  kind,  with  elevated  truck- 
ways  to  transport  the  rock  from  the  quarry  to  the  top  of 
the  kiln.  He  had  a  large  saw-mill  and  cooper-shop,  which 
enabled  him  to  manufacture  barrels  directly  from  the  log. 
These  facilities  enabled  him  to  manufacture  one  hundred 
and  sixty  thousand  barrels  of  lime  annually,  which  always 
found  a  ready  market.  To  facilitate  transportation  to  the 
canal,  three  miles  distant,  Mr.  Lowber  constructed  a  macad- 
amized road  costing  $10,000.  For  his  workmen  he  erected 
sixty  plain  but  very  neat  and  comfortable  tenements,  which 
compose  the  village.  For  many  years  this  place  was  one 
of  the  busiest  in  the  town,  but  in  1872  Mr.  Lowber  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  in  the  lime-works  to  the  Bald  Moun- 
tain Lime  Co.,  who  also  operate  lime-works  at  Glen's 
Falls.  By  the  terms  of  the  contract  the  Lowber  works 
were  to  bo  kept  in  operation  so  as  to  afibrd  employment  to 
his  old  workmen.  This  has  been  observed  in  the  .spirit 
only,  as  but  one  kiln  is  kept  at  work,  thus  throwing  hun- 
dreds of  persons  out  of  employment  and  causing  their  re- 
moval. The  place  at  present  has  a  forsaken  appearance, 
only  a  few  of  the  cottages  being  occupied.  Years  ago  an 
excellent  article  of  pottery  was  produced  at  this  place  by 
Lemuel  Rowel  and  others,  but  the  manufacture  has  long 
since  been  discontinued. 

lu  1853  a  store  was  opened  in  the  village  by  R.  W. 
Lowber,  and  continued  several  years  by  the  Bald  IMountain 
Union  Store  Co.  The  interest  was  disposed  to  the  Bald 
Mountain  Store  Association,  who  continued  in  trade  until 
Jan.  1,  1S78.  The  post-office  was  established  in  1854, 
and  had  Samuel  B.  Thome  as  postmaster.  John  Lowber 
had  the  office  in  1869,  when  it  was  discontinued. 

A  pleasant  chapel  was  erected  in  1870,  by  Mr.  Lowber, 
which  was  designed  for  the  use  of  his  workmen,  but  which, 
owing  to  the  affiiirs  at  the  lime- works,  has  never  been  opened 
for  worship. 

A  few  miles  below  Middle  Palls,  near  the  mouth  ot  the 
Batten  Kill,  is  a  mill  settlement  known  as 

Clark's  mills. 
The  place  contains  about  twenty  houses.  Here  is  the 
first  water-power  on  the  kill  from  the  Hudson,  and  it  is 
supposed  that*  it  was  improved  as  early  as  1731,  and  that 
the  mill  mentioned  in  the  records  of  the  French  and  Indian 
wars,  of  the  exploits  in  this  section,  was  located  at  this 
point.  In  later  days  Holmes  &  Shearer  carried  on  the 
lumber  business  very  extensively.  Hiram  Clark  succeeded 
to  the  business,  and  yet  operates  the  saw-  and  plaster-mills. 


356 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


A  planing-mill  is  operated  by  Carhard  &  Van  Valken- 
burg,  who  are  also  heavy  dealers  in  lumber,  having  large 
yards,  which  are  supplied  from  points  on  the  Hudson  river. 
The  place  has  a  store,  which  was  opened  in  1862,  on  the 
co-operation  system.  In  1869,  George  Rogers  secured  the 
interest,  and  has  been  in  trade  ever  since. 

Below  the  State  dam,  on  the  Hudson,  are  Thonipsun's 
mills,  which  rank  among  the  most  complete  establishments 
in  the  county.  The  dam  is  a  V-shaped  structure,  of  the 
most  substantial  masonry,  thus  affording  permanent  power. 
The  mills  were  erected  on  a  smaller  scale,  in  1870,  by 
Richards  &  Co.  Two  years  later,  L.  Thompson  purchased 
the  property  and  enlarged  to  the  present  dimensions,  ninety- 
.six  by  one  hundred  feet.  The  mill  has  six  wheels,  and  is 
supplied  with  the  most  approved  machinery  for  sawing  and 
finishing  all  kinds  of  lumber.  Its  cutting  capacity  is  forty 
thousand  feet  per  day.  The  logs  are  floated  to  the  mill 
from  the  forests  on  the  upper  Hudson  and  tributary  streams. 
Fifty  men  are  employed,  and  the  place  presents  a  scene  of 
interesting  activity.  Above  the  dam  is  the  Fort  Miller 
bridge,  a  wooden  structure  more  than  one  thousand  feet  in 
length.  Three  miles  above  is  the  Fort  Miller  village,  a 
small  part  of  which  is  in  Greenwich.  Formerly  a  saw-mill 
was  on  the  brook  at  this  place,  and  it  is  said  that  in  1790 
seven  mills  were  operated  by  the  same  stream  in  the  town 
of  Greenwich. 

MILITARY    HISTORY. 

Our  space  will  permit  but  a  brief  allusion  to  some  of  the 
events  which  will  be  more  fully  detailed  elsewhere.  In  the 
movements  of  Bargoyne's  army  from  the  north  a  detach- 
ment, under  Lieut.-Col.  Baum,  crossed  into  Greenwich  and 
encamped  near  the  present  Clark's  Mills.  From  this  point 
small  scouting-parties  were  sent  along  tlie  Batten  Kill,  on 
both  sides  of  the  stream,  towards  the  objective  point,  Ben- 
nington. It  is  thought  that  the  route  on  the  eastern  side 
was  reported  the  most  favorable,  and  that  the  movement  of 
Baum's  force  was  on  that  side.  The  scouting-party  which 
passed  up  on  the  Greenwich  side  stopped  at  the  house  of 
Thomas  Bentley,  near  the  Hannah  Place  house,  but  nothing 
was  done  to  molest  the  inmates,  who  at  that  time  were  Mrs. 
Bentley  and  two  small  children.  The  scouts  evidently 
intended  to  disguise  their  purposes,  and  moved  as  quietly  as 
possible.  The  presence  of  the  enemy  caused  the  flight  of 
many  of  the  settlers  to  what  were  supposed  to  be  places  of 
safety,  but  which  brought  them  into  the  path  of  the  army, 
near  Bennington. 

The  part  taken  by  the  citizens  in  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence does  not  seem  to  have  been  considerable,  but  the 
names  of  some  have  already  been  mentioned  in  the  list  of 
early  settlers. 

In  1812  a  large  number  responded,  but  did  not  reach 
the  seat  of  war  in  time  to  be  actively  engaged. 

In  the  Civil  War  of  1861-65  the  town  furnished  two 
hundred  and  thirty-one  men,  and  perhaps  more,  for  whom 
no  credit  has  been  received.  One  hundred  of  these  lost 
their  lives  in  the  service.  The  town  was  represented  in 
about  twenty  regiments,  although  the  greater  number  were 
in  the  12.Sd,  93d,  30th,  and  22d  Regiments  of  New  York 
Volunteers.  The  town  expended  for  war  purposes  eighty- 
eight  thousand   and   seventy-four  dollars   and   eighty-two 


cents,  and  furnished  the  following  commissioned  officers : 
Lieut.-Col.  E.  Franklin  Norton.  Capt.  Alonzo  Truman 
Mason,  Capt.  Abram  Reynolds,  Capt.  James  Cowan  Shaw, 
and  Brevet-Capt.  George  Robinson.  Lieut.-Col.  Norton 
was  the  only  commissioned  officer  who  lost  his  life  in  battle.* 
He  died  May  12,  as  brave  men  die,  from  wounds  received 
at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  May  1,  1863.  The  123d 
Regiment,  in  which  most  of  our  volunteers  were  found, 
participated  in  twenty  battles,  and  their  regimental  flag,  laid 
away  in  the  military  archives  of  the  State,  bears  evidence 
in  its  tattered  folds  of  the  true  hearts  that  followed  it. 

The  names  of  those  who  served  in  the  army  are  appended 
hereto.  The  town  adopted  appropriate  measures  to  fill  the 
quotas  required,  at  a  special  meeting,  Oct.  30,  1862,  when 
a  bounty  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  was  author- 
ized to  be  paid  by  the  town  auditors.  On  the  ISth  of  De- 
cember, 1863,  the  action  of  the  board  of  supervisors  was 
ratified,  and  John  Stewart,  James  I.  Lourie,  Archibald 
Lendrum,  Morgan  Heath,  and  I.  G.  Parker  appointed  a 
committee  to  fill  the  quota,  by  paying  a  two-hundred-dollar 
bounty  to  each  volunteer. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  town  auditors,  Nov.  15,  1863, 
it  was  resolved  to  extend  relief  to  indigent  families  of  sol- 
diers, and  the  town  clerk  and  justices  of  the  peace  were 
authorized  to  ascertain  such  cases  and  supply  their  needs. 

At  a  special  meeting,  March  26,  1864,  the  supervisor 
was  authorized  to  pay  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per 
volunteer;  and  Aug.  11,  1864,  Isaac  G.  Parker,  N.  G. 
Moor,  Abram  Reynolds,  Wm.  M.  Holmes,  J.  T.  Masters, 
Morgan  Heath,  as  a  committee,  were  to  pay  five  hundred 
dollars  per  volunteer.  Dec.  27,  1864,  I.  G.  Parker,  Abram 
Reynolds,  and  Wm.  L.  Cozzens  were  appointed  a  final  com- 
mittee to  fill  the  quota. 

WAK   OF  1861-66. 

Albert  Allen,  eiil.  Aug.  5,  1S62, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  A ;  ilied  of  ilisrase  at  Murfrees- 
boio',  Teiin.,  Dec.  1863. 

Joshua  AHen,  eiil.  Aug.  4,  1862, 123d  Kt-gt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  Juno  8,  1865. 

Frank  L.  Amos,  enl.  Aug.  20,  1862, 123d  Kfgt.,Co.  I ;  discli.  June  8,  1865. 

Evander  Burtis,  123d  Regl.,  Co.  A;  died  at  Philadelphia,  1862. 

Ansel  Bentley,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1862,  12.1d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  May  24, 1865. 

Ezra  Bootcr,  enl.  Aug.  16,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 

Le  Roy  Briggs,  enl.  July  24, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 

Ferdinand  Bourne,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  123d  Kcgt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 

Wni.  Bartlett,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  12;id  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  killed  in  battle  at  Chancel- 
lorsville, Va.,  May  3,  1863. 

Oscar  Baumes,  enl.  Aug.  17,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  killed,  May  1,  181*),  at 
Chancellorsville,  Va. 

.Tohn  Baumes,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  Juno  S,  1865. 

James  H.  Bennett,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Adelliert  Brown,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

John  Barry,  enl.  July  29,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  H. 

Wm.  Barron,  enl.  April  2.1,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co,  D;  pro.  to  sergt. ;  diacli.  June 
19, 1863. 

John  M.  Baker,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

.Tohn  Brackett,  enl.  Sept.  1,  1861,  44th  Regt.,  Co.  K-  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 
and  died  July  15, 1863, 

John  M,  Burdick,  sergt, ;  enl.  May,  1861,  30th  Regt,,  Co,  I ;  served  full  time; 
re-enl,  2l8t  Cav,,  Co.  I;  taken  prisoner  June  19,1864;  detained  seven 
months  ;  died  from  effects  after  reaching  home,  Jan.  8,  1865. 

Debis  Baird,  21st  Cav.,  Co.  E. 

George  F.  Burke,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K ;  died  of  wounds  received 
at  Old  Point  Comfort,  Va. 

.Tohn  Blake,  enl.  Nov.  1,  1862,  96th  Regt.,  Co.  E;  discharged, 

John  Brannin. 

Charles  Bridges,  enl.  Doc.  23, 1863, 16th  Art,,  Co,  I. 

John  Baker,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A, 

Harvey  Bosworth,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

s  See  iiiirtrait  and  hiogruijllical  sketch. 


^      '      V    '      S)4X</T!ZA^ 


GEO.   STEWART. 


WALTER   G.  STEWART. 


Walter  G.  Stewart  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Blarch  13,  1813. 

His  grandfather,  Walter  Stowai't,  with  liis  wife,  Isabella 
Dunlap,  came  from  Scotland  about  the  year  178-4,  soon 
after  their  marriage,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Greenwich 
about  the  year  1790,  and  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  is 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  one  of  the  grandsons,  Robert 
Stewart.  Once  settled  in  the  wilderness,  they  met  the  ob- 
stacles of  pioneer  life  with  that  courage  and  resolution  that 
characterized  the  generations  following. 

He  lived  to  the  age  'of  eighty-two  years,  and  died  Jan. 
22,  1836.  His  wife  died,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  some 
six  years  prior  to  his  death.  Their  children's  names  were 
Robert,  George,  and  James. 

George  Stewart,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  narrative, 
was  born  in  the  year  1786,  and  was  five  years  old  when 
they  came  to  Greenwich.  Married  Anna  Darrow,  of  Heb- 
ron, Jan.  10,  1810,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children, — 
Jared  D.,  Walter  G.,  James,  Mary  Ann,  Jane,  George  D., 
John,  William,  and  Robert ;  of  whom  four  are  living  in 
1878, — Walter  G. ;  Jane,  wife  of  Alexander  Lyon,  of  Ford 
Co.,  Illinois  ;  George  D.,  of  Argyle;  and  Robert,  of  Green- 
wich. 

The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Was  a  member 
of  the  Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  church  of  Salem 
nearly  his  whole  life  (of  which  church  the  grandfather  was 
an  elder,  and  among  the  members  in  its  early  history),  and 
died  in  the  year  1859. 

The  mother  was  only  daughter  of  Jared  Darrow,  of  Heb- 


ron ;  was  also  a  consistent  member  of  the  same  church  as 
her  husband,  and  died  May  27,  1839.  Some  of  her  an- 
cestors lived  to  be  very  old,  her  grandmother  living  to  be 
nearly  a  hundred  years  of  age. 

Walter  G.  spent  his  minority  until  the  age  of  fourteen 
on  the  farm,  and  at  that  age  entered  the  store  of  his  father 
at  Lake,  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  where  he  remained 
until  he  was  of  age,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  business 
for  himself;  he  has  made  the  mercantile  trade  a  life-work, 
and  ha.s  been  very  successful. 

In  the  year  1840  he  married  Miss  Eunice,  daughter  of 
William  Reid,  a  merchant,  of  North  Greenwich.  She  was 
born  in  the  year  1819.  By  this  union  were  born  four 
children, — Mattie  A.,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Robinson,  a 
Presbyterian  clergyman,  of  Delhi,  Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y. ; 
Caroline  (deceased) ;  William  Herbert ;  and  Mary  T.  Mrs. 
Stewart,  during  the  latter  part  of  her  life,  was  a  member  of 
the  United  Presbyterian  church  of  South  Argyle ;  was  an 
exemplary  woman  in  all  her  ways,  and  her  example  is 
worthy  the  emulation  of  those  who  follow  her.  She  died 
Dec.  10,  1873. 

Mr.  Stewart  has  spent  a  life  of  activity  in  business.  Has 
been  postmaster  of  Lake  for  some  twenty-five  years.  In 
politics  he  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party,  and  by 
the  suffrages  of  his  townsmen  has  enjoyed  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace  for  one  term  of  four  years.  He  is  still 
carrying  on  the  mercantile  business  at  his  old  stand,  having 
as.sociated  with  him,  in  the  year  1871,  his  son,  William 
Herbert,  under  the  firm-name  of  W.  G.  Stewart  &  Son. 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


357 


George  L.  Cramer,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  12.3d  Regt.,  Tn  A  ;  trans,  to  Vut. 

Reserve  Corps,  Sept.  1862 ;  disch.  June  24, 1865. 
Eugene  Cowen,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  pm.  to  sergl. ;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
Albert  M.  Cook,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 12ad  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  pro.  to  sergt. ;  discli. 

June  8, 1865. 
Robert  Cliambers,  enl.  Sept.  11, 18G2,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  trans,  to  76tli  Begt.;  to 

147th  Regt.;  disch.  June  7,  1805. 
Charles  Campbell,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8,  ISOO. 
Palmer  K.  Clark,  musician;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  for 

wounds,  Dec.  25, 1863. 
James  Curtis. 

Volney  Craw,  enl.  Aug.  18.  1862,  3d  Art. ;  disch.  July,  1865. 
John  Cutter,  enl.  April,  1861,  9th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  re-enl.  12.id  Regt.,  Sept.  1864; 

disch.  June  8,  I860. 
Darius  S.  Chapin,  enl.  June  3, 1801,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  June  19, 1803. 
John  R.  Creighton,  21st  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
John  Curtis,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
John  Cary,  enl.  Nov.  7, 1861,  93d  Begt.,  Co.  1. 
Martin  Curtis,  enl.  Dec.  6, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Charles  Dings,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Martin  F.  Dunlap,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
William  H.  Dobbin,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7,1802.  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  diedof  feverat 

Nashville,  Tenn.,  Aug.  10, 1804. 
Albert  A.  Davis,  enl.  Sept.  10, 1862,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June  16,  I860. 
Charles  H.  Davis,  corp. ;  enl.  July  26, 1862,  43rt  Itegt.,  Co.  G  ;  pro.  sergt. ;  died 

of  wounds,  July  14, 1864,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 
Elisha  Downing,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Michael  Divine,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H. 

Alexander  Dobbin,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Richard  Durham,  enl.  .\ug.  8,  1862, 123d  Regt ,  Co.  A;  pro.  Corp.;   taken  pris- 
oner, June  22,  1804;  disch.  June,  1865. 
David  Donobue,  enl.  .\ug.  22,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Feb. 

2,  1863. 
Edward  W.  Durling,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  June  29,  1865. 
James  E.  Davidson,  enl.  Oct.  1861,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  I;  killed  May  Id,  1864. 
Thomas  Dorsey,  July  28, 1863,  21st  Cav.,  Co.  K. 
Richard  Durrau. 
Alfred  Durling. 
Albert  Deming,  enl.  93d  Regt. 
John  Down,  enl.  Ang.  7,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
John  Decker,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Phineas  F.  Dixon,  enl.  Sept.  1864,123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  .June  8,  1865. 
Orrin  W.  French,  musician  ;  enl.  Sept.  12, 1862,  93d  Regt. ;  disch.  July  6,  1865. 
Charles  A.  Fowler,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 
Samuel  L.  Fones,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
John  B.  Fuller,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Cortland  Faxon,  enl.  Ang.  24, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 
William  Fenton,  enl.  Ang.  22, 1862,123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 

at  White  House  Landing;  disch.  July  7, 1865. 
James  H.  Ferris,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Norton  E.  Franklin,  capt.;  enl.  Sept.  1861,  77th  Begt.,  Co.  I;  pro.  lieut.-col., 

123d  Begt.,  Aug.  18,  1862;  wounded  at  Chancellorsville,  Va. ;  died  of 

wounds,  May  12, 1863. 
John  Grooms,  enl.  Ang.  6, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  S,  1865. 
Charles  Gilson,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Thomas  0.  Giles,  enl.  Ang.  6, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  .lune  8, 1865. 
Asel  Galusha,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Patrick  Gilroy,  enl.  March  4,  1862,  77th  Begt.,  Co.  I;  pro.  sergt.;  supposed 

killed.  May  10, 1804. 
Rensselaer  0.  Green,  enl.  Aug.  25, 1864,  4th  Art.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  Aug.  21,  I860. 
Russell  Goodwin,  enl.  July,  1863,  2l6t  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
James  Galusha,  cul.  July,  1863,  21st  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Richard  Galusha,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 
Edward  Green,  enl.  July,  1863,  21st  N.  Y.  Cav.,  Co.  B. 

Wm.  J.  Harrison,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  killed  at  Chan- 
cellorsville, Va.,  May  1, 1863. 
Myron  Holsopper,  enl.  25th  Begt. 
John  Hughes,  enl.  July  29, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Cb.  A. 

John  F.  Hillman,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
George  H.  Hay,  enl.  Aug.  8, 18U2, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
John   Hemibrook,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability, 

July  15,  1864. 
Jonathan  Hatch,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  Juno  8,  1865. 
Zachariah  B.  Hastings,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
James  Hay,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  July  10,  1865. 
Benjamin  B.  Hyde,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  115th  Regt. ;  taken  prisoner  at  Harper's 

Ferry  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Nov.  1862. 
lirainard  T.  Harkness,  enl.  Dec.  26,  1861,  4th  Art.,  Co.  D;  wounded  May  19, 

1864 ;  trans,  to  Vet.  Res.  Corps,  2d  Begt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  at  close  of  the 

George  W.  Hoffman,  enl.  Aug.  25, 1864,  4th  Art. ;  disch.  Aug.  21,  1805. 

Emory  L.  Hoffman,  enl.  Jan.  18,  1802,  4th  A  rt.,  Co.  D  ;  wounded  May  19,  1864 ; 

disch.  Dec.  19, 1864. 
Ferdinand  Hill,  enl.  Aug.  29,  1864,  4th  Art.,  Co.  D  ;  di.scli.  June  10,  1865. 
Aaron  M.  Hyatt,  coi-p. ;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  30, 

1865. 


Rnfus  Hall,  enl.  Dec.  1863,  16th  Art  ;  died  in  the  service. 

Obed  Hartwell,  enl.  16th  Art. 

Alexander  Hay,  eul.  May  10,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  1);  disch.  June  22,  1863. 

John  Herrin. 

Michael  Herrin. 

Arthur  Hughes,  enl.  "Ttb  Regt. 

Alexander  Hempstreet,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

John  F.  Hillman,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Thomas  Hughes,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1862,  12:id  Begt.,  Co.  A. 

Jnhn  II.  Hyde,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 

David  Irwin,  enl.  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 

Bobert  B.  Jones,  enl.  123d  Begt.,  Ca>.  A. 

Lewis  Y.  Johnson,  enl.  June  0,1861,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  G ;  killed  .at  sec.md   Hull 

Run,  Aug.  30,  1862. 
William  M.  Johnson,  eid.  Ang.  24, 1804,  2Gth  U.  S.  C.  T.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  May  18, 

1865. 
Henry  Jones,  enl.  Dec.  26,  1863,  20th  U.  S.  C.  T.,  Co.  E;  died  at  Port  Hudson, 

April,  1864. 
Roswell  B.  Jones,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co  A. 
Gilbert  H.  Kuapp,  enl.  May  22,  1861,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  19,  186.>. 
Franklin  A.  Knapp,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  July  14, 1865. 
Henry  J.  Knapp,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Jan. 

29, 1863. 
Edward  B.  Kenyon,  corp.;  enl.  Dec.  25,  1861,  4th  Art.,  Co.  D;  pro.  to  sergt.; 

had  served  seven  months  in  22d  Regt.;  disch.  for  wounds,  May  15,  1865. 
Harry  Knapp,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 
Robert  Kernigau,  enl.  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 
Johu  Luddy.enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

James  Livingston,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Vitell  Lapoint,  enl.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 
Lucius  Long,  enl.  Ang.  8,  1802,  123d  Regt..  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Alexander  Lambert,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  S,  1865. 
Charles  Lapoint,  enl.  Ang.  11, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  killed  at  Culp's  Farm, 

June  22,  1862. 
John  H.  Lampson,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 12.3d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  wounded  at  Chancel- 
lorsville; died  at  .\quia  Creek,  Va. 
Joseph  Lapoint,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 
Nathan  Lanpbier,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
John  C.  Lamont,  assist,  surg. 

John  Lampman,  enl.  Sept.  5, 1864, 123d  Regl.,  Cu.  A;  disch.  June  8,  18i;5. 
Preston  Long,  eld.  May  20,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  22, 1863. 
William  Langworlby,  enl.  Apiil  22,  1861,  22d  Begt.,  Ci>.  D;   pro.  to  sergt.; 

discharged;  re-enl.  Jan.  2,  1864,  16tli  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  Aug.  21.  1865. 
Henry  Lampman,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A^ 
.\lonzo  T.  M.ason,  1st.  lieut.;  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  A  ;  pro.  t.i  capt.; 

brevet  maj.;  di.sch.  June  8, 1865. 
Alexander  Mitchell,  enl.  Aug.  6,1802,  123d  Begt,  Co.  A;  died  of  disease,  at 

ChattaTiooga,  Tenn.,  Ang.  16,  1804. 
Edwin  B.  Mosher,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
William  H.  Manning,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 1805. 
William  McNulty,  enl.  77th  Begt. 
Thomas  McCuUough,  enl.  Aplil  22,1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  re-euL  I23d  Begt., 

Co.  A,  Aug.  25, 1864;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Henry  Morgan,  enl.  21st  Cav.,  Co.  E. 
Luther  Morgan. 
Daniel  Morse,  enl.  77th  Begt. 
Morgan  Morse,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1863, 16th  An.,  Co.  K. 
Albert  A.  Norton,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  6,  1802,  12id  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  Juno  8, 

1865. 
John  Sevins,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1862,  44th  Begt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  June  30,  1865. 
Charles  Norton,  enl.  Sept.  22, 1862,  169th  Begt.,  Co.  E;  disch. 
Wallace  Orton,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  at  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Daniel  Parks,  enl.  July  25, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
John  Preeve,  enl.  July  30, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  April  17, 1865. 
Albert  Potter,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  killed  near  Atlanta,  Ga., 

July  30, 1804. 
George  W.  Potter,  enl.  Aug.  26, 1864, 12:)d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
James  Pilling,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  May  21,  1865. 
John  H.  Pullman,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1861,  44th  Regt.,  Co.  B;  died  of  wounds,  Juno 

17,  1863. 
.\.bner  W.  Porter,  enl.  1861,  30th  Begt.,  Co.  G  ;  re-enl.  16th  Art.,  1864;  died  at 

Fortress  Monroe. 
Orion  C.  Potter,  corp. ;  enl.  Sept.  3, 1863,  2l8t  Cav.,  Co.  F ;  pro.  sergt. ;  prisoner ; 

disch. 
Alonzo  Rice,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  6, 1865. 
John  W.  Richards,  corp ;  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8, 1862. 
George  Robinson,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  pro.  2d  lieut. ;  1st 

lieut.;  brevet  capt.;  disch.  Juno  8,  1865. 
Edward  Remington,  enl.  43d  Regt. 
Albert  Rogers,  enl.  Aug.  16, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Jlarch 

27,  1863. 
Hiram  R.  Rice.  enl.  July  28,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  0,  1805. 
Benjamin  F.  Rodier,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Begt ,  Co.  A. 
George  J.  Ru.<8ell,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Adolphus  Rosebush,  eul.  Aug.  0,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Abram  Reynolds,  capt. ;  onl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  resigned  July  19, 

1863. 


358 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


William  Bobingon,  enl.  13d  Regl. 

Lewis  H.  Reynolds,  enl.  Nov.  21, 18Gl,93iI  Rest.,  Co.  F ;  re-enl.  192d  Regt.,  April 

12, 1865;  disch.  May  12,  186«. 
John  M.  Reynolds,  enl.  Jan.  7, 1864,  16th  Art.,  Co.  K ;  disch.  June  13,  1865. 
David  S.  Randall,  enl.  March  14, 1865, 192cl  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  pro.  corp. ;  disch.  Aug. 

28,  18&5. 
James  C.  Shaw,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  pro.  Ist  lieut.,  and 

capt. ;  discli.  June  8, 1865. 
George  H.  Sutfin,  enl.  44th  Regt. 
James  Saunders,  enl.  44th  liegt. 

Harmon  Shaw,  enl.  July  26, 1862,  12:id  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  for  disability. 
Jacob  Steves,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  dieil  in  the  service. 
George  Sheffield,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1866. 
George  W.  Sears,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1805. 
William  Sheffield,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  July  13,  18e.i. 
Jolin  A.  Spencer,  enl.  123J  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
William  H.  Spencer,  enl.  July  31,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Oscar  Sparhawk,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  May  10,  1865. 
Reuben  Stewart,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
John  Scott,  enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Theodore  Stover,  enl.  Aug.  16,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  June  8,  1806. 
Joseph  Safford,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June-g,  1S65. 
Isaiic  Saulter,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1864,  26th  Begt.  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  Co.  G;  disch. 

Sept.  9, 1865. 
Jerome  Sears,  enl.  Dec.  25, 1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  I ;  killed  at  Deep  Bottom,  Va., 

Aug.  15,  1864. 
Almon  Spencer,  enl.  Dec.  20, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I ;  discli.  June  IS,  1865. 
Patrick  Savage. 
John  Stevens. 

Charles  B.  Sweet,  enl.  Dec.  24,  1803, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Martin  Shearer,  enl.  Aug.  1,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 
Wm.  J.  Smith,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8,  1866. 
Albert  N.  Tanner,  corp. ;   enl.  Aug.  1,1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 

1805. 
Hir.im  B.  Tetft,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  trans,  to  navy,  April  17, 

1804;  discli.  July  15,  1805. 
Charles  Tucker,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Charles  Tofft,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
George  Tacy,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1803, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  28, 1865. 
Frank  Tefft,  enl.  q:-m.  sergt.,  July,  1863,  21st  Cav.,  Co.  E;  disch.  Sept.  9,  186.5. 
Caleb  B.  Tefft,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Samuel  Vorse,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1804,  2eth  U.S.  Colored  Troops,  Co.  D;  disch.  Aug. 

28,  1806. 
Wm.  U.  Van  Buren,  enl.  Aug.  29, 1864,  26th  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  Co.  D ;  pro.  to 

Corp. ;  disch.  Sept.  8,  1865. 
Charles  Van  Valkenburgli,  enl.  Aug.  17, 1801,  44th  Begt.,  Co.  C ;  died  of  disease 

at  Anuapolis,  Md. 
.loel  Volentine,  enl.  Dec.  28,  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Benjamin  Van  Norman,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  A. 
George  E.  Wilmarth,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862,  1st  Mounted  Billes,  Co.  D ;  was  present 

at  the  fall  of  Richmond  ;  disch.  June  12, 1805. 
Wm.  W.  Willard,  44ch  Begt. 

Alfred  Wilmarth,  wagoner;  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  for  dis- 
ability, Feb.  21,  1803. 
Monroe  Waller,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Thomas  D.  Wright,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Le  Boy  Wright,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  killed  at  Atlanta,  Ga., 

July  20, 1861. 
John  Wilson,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  for  disability,  March 

16, 1863. 
Erastus  T.  Williams,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  May  24, 1865. 
Thomas  W.  Wilson,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Clark  K.  Whittaker,  enl.  May  22,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  for  disability  ; 

re-enl.  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  died  of  disease  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  Sept.  19, 

1803. 
Abner  T.  Wilcox,  enl.  Aug.  25, 1864,  51st  Regt.,  Co.  J!;  disch.  June  1, 1865. 
Le  Boy  Whittaker,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1864,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
CharlesH.  Waller,  enl.  April  21,  1861,  2d  Regt,,Co.C;  disch.  May  21,1863;re. 

enl.  16th  Cav. ;  disch.  June,  1806. 
Sidney  R.  Wolf,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1861,  4th  Art.,  Co.  D. 
John  Willard,  44th  Begt. 

W.  G.  Watson,  enl.  Nov.  1, 1801,  77th  Regt.,  Co.  C;  disch.  Dec.  14, 1864. 
Webster  Woodward,  died  of  disease  at  Washington,  D.  C,  July  7, 1864. 
Wm.  Wright,  enl.  Dec.  24,  1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
David  Whipple,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Arnold  A.  Youug,  musician;  enl.  Aug.  0,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A;  disch.  May 

27,  1865. 
Hiram  T.  Young,  eul.  July  28, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  A. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

DAVID  A.  BOIES. 

Josepli  Boies,  the  father  of  David  A.  Boies,  w;is  born  at 
Bhindford,  Hampden  Co.,  Mass.,  Oct.  2,  1783.  The  Boies 
family  was  of  French  descent.  On  the  revocation  of  the 
edict  of  Nantz,  they  fled  to  England,  thence  removed  to 
the  north  of  Ireland,  and  some  time  in  the  last  century 
they  crossed  the  ocean,  and  finally  settled  at  Blandford,  a 
Green  mountain  town,  about  twenty  miles  west  of  >Spiing- 
field. 


Photo,  by  ArnoM,  Gr 


He  graduated  at  Williams  College  in  1808,  and  the 
same  year  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  in  the  office  of 
Savage  &  Crary,  of  Salem,  in  this  county,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  1810,  when  he  went  to  Union  village,  in  this 
county,  and  studied  in  the  office  of  Charles  Ingalls,  the 
grandfather  of  the  present  Judge  C.  R.  Ingalls,  of  Troy, 
until  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  in  1811.  He  then  went 
to  the  village  of  Cambridge,  and  opened  an  office  in  the 
hotel  then  kept  by  Major  Porter,  opposite  the  old  white 
church,  where  he  remained  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Ingalls, 
in  1812.  He  then  moved  back  to  Union  village  and 
opened  an  office,  where  he  continued  to  practice  law  until 
his  death,  in  1866,  aged  eighty-three  years. 

In  1813  he  was  married  to  Anna  Eights,  a  daughter  of 
Abraham  Eights,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  whose  name  appears 
as  one  of  the  committee  of  public  safety  in  Albany  in  the 
time  of  the  Revolution.  The  Boies  family  is  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  intermingling  of  blood  and  races  in  this 
country. 

As  before  stated,  the  Boies  family  were  originally  French, 
and  intermarried  with  the  Scotch-Irish  and  New  England 
Yankees.      Abraham    Eights,  the   father  of  Miss   Anna 


HISTORY   QF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


359 


Eights,  who  married  Joseph  Boies,  was  a  Dutchman  or 
Hollander.  His  father  immigrated  from  Rotterdam,  Hol- 
land.    The  wife  of  Abraham  Eights  was  an  Englishwoman. 

Joseph  Boies  mainly  spent  his  life  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  at  Union  village  (now  Greenwich),  Washington 
Co.  He  held  several  town  offices,  and  was  judge  of  the 
Washington  county  common  pleas  court  for  several  years. 
In  1847  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  surrogate  of  Wash- 
ington county. 

He  was  always  highly  respected  and  esteemed  as  a  good, 
safe  counselor,  and  an  honest  man.  He  joined  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  church  about  ISiU,  was  immediately  elected 
an  elder,  and  held  the  position  until  his  death,  in  1866. 
He  was  born  in  the  last  year  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
was  one  of  the  connecting  links  between  the  Revolution 
and  the  great  Rebellion. 

He  had  six  children,  only  three  of  whom  lived  beyond 
early  childhood,  and  they  are  still  living,  namely  :  Abra- 
ham Eights  Boies,  of  Greenwich,  unmarried,  sixty-two 
years  old ;  David  Artemas  Boies,  lawyer,  of  Greenwich, 
fifty-nine  years  old  ;  and  Catharine  Eights  Boies,  now  the 
wife  of  Hon.  Joseph  Potter,  of  Whitehall,  in  this  county, 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

David  A.  Boies,  the  son  of  the  Joseph  and  Anna  Boies 
above  mentioned,  was  born  on  the  28th  day  of  April,  1819. 

His  life  has  been  an  uneventful  one.  He  entered  Union 
College,  at  Schenectady,  under  the  presidency  of  the  cele- 
brated Dr.  Nott,  in  the  spring  of  1836,  and  was  graduated 
in  July,  1839.  The  class  of  1839  was  the  largest  class 
which  at  that  time  had  ever  been  graduated  in  the  United 
States ;  one  hundred  and  six  received  diplomas  at  "  com- 
mencement." Mr.  Boies  stood  number  two  on  the  merit- 
roll  of  that  large  class. 

Afler  his  graduation  he  entered  his  f;ither's  office  and 
commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  and  was  admitted  a.s  an 
attorney  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  1842.  He  has  continued 
the  practice  of  the  law  ever  since  in  his  native  village. 

In  1858  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Gilford,  daughter  of 
Eiihu  GiflFord,  Esq.,  of  Easton,  in  this  county.  He  has 
one  child,  a  daughter,  Louise,  fifteen  years  of  age. 

In  1852  he  succeeded  his  father  as  surrogate,  and  filled 
the  office  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people. 


HON.  LEONARD  GIBBS. 

His  grandfather  Gibbs  emigrated  from  England  about 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Cambridge,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was  eldest  son 
in  a  family  of  eleven  children  of  Dr.  Leonard  Gibbs  and 
Betsey  Roberts,  of  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born  April 
21, 1800  ;  was  educated  a  lawyer,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
practiced  his  profession  in  his  native  town.  Rapidly  rising 
in  influence  and  esteem  in  the  county,  he  was,  in  the  early 
days  of  his  profession,  appointed  district  attorney  for  the 
county,  in  which  office  he  continued  a  number  of  years, 
and  was  once  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  the  State.  He 
never  disappointed  his  friends,  but  filled  every  place  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  and  with  credit  to  himself 

In  the  year  1839  he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York, 


and  continued  the  practice  of  the  law  until  the  year  1845, 
when  he  came  to  the  village  of  Greenwich  and  retired  from 
business,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  Sept.  12,  1863. 
Mr.  Gibbs  was  a  man  of  strict  business  habits  and  un- 
swerving integrity,  possessed  a  warm  heart,  a  clear  intel- 
lect, pure  motives,  and  an  unyielding  will.  He  was  in  politics 
and  religion  radical  and  uncompromising.  His  course  was 
never  governed  by  policy  or  expediency.  He  desired  only 
to  know  the  right,  and  then  to  embrace  and  defend  it  with  all 
the  energy  of  an  ardent  and  sanguine  temperament,  and  the 
frequent  expressions  of  trust  and  confidence  on  the  part  of 
those  who  best  knew  him  is  a  worthy  commentary  upon 
his  life.  His  intellectual,  moral,  and  affectional  develop- 
ment was  as  symmetrical  as  it  was  rare.  True  to  his  highest 
convictions  and  noblest  aspirations, — and  his  ideal  standard 
was  ever  most  exalted, — he  had  no  fear  of  "  the  world's 
dread  laugh,"  or  of  its  frowns  or  threats,  and  seemed  proof 
against  every  temptation  to  turn  aside  from  a  hated  and 
unpopular  cause. 

He  was  long  known  as  among  the  early  advocates,  and 
most  thoroughly  conscientious,  of  the  anti-slavery  cause, 
and  in  his  addresses  delivered  before  the  public,  as  an  advo- 
cate at  the  bar,  or  elsewhere,  he  is  said  to  have  had  com- 
mand of  almost  unprecedented  wit,  and  to  have  been  a  most 
fascinating  and  accomplished  orator.  He  was  long  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion,  and  for  fifteen  years  had  been  a  member 
of  the  Orthodox  Congregational  church  of  Greenwich,  and 
at  his  death  looked  back  upon  life  with  gratitude,  and  for- 
ward to  eternity  with  hope. 

On  April  15,  1834,  he  married  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of 
Henry  Beckwith  and  Edie  Griswold,  the  former  a  native  of 
North  Granville,  Wiishingtou  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  whose  father 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  town,  and  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolutionary  war.  She  was  born  Jan.  9,  1813,  and 
slUl  survives  in  1878.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibbs  have  been 
born  four  children,  of  whom  Mary  and  Helen  £^re  living, 
and  reside  in  the  village  of  Greenwich. 


NELSON   PRATT. 


The  Pratt  family  is  of  English  extraction,  and  settled  in 
this  country,  probably  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  at  an 
early  day.  Daniel  Pratt,  the  great-grandfather  of  Nelson 
Pratt,  resided  at  Pomfret,  Conn.,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. In  1790  he  removed  to  the  town  of  Greenwich, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  also  pursued  farming. 
With  Daniel  Pratt  came  William  Pratt,  his  son,  and  grand- 
father of  Nelson  Pratt.  He  located  at  Greenwich  also, 
established  a  farm  at  that  place,  and  followed  farming 
throughout  his  life.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
the  town  of  Greenwich.  Ho  married  for  his  first  wife 
Eleanor  Newcomb,  of  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  by  whom  he 
had  six  children,  of  whom  Simon  N.,  father  of  Nelson,  was 
one,  and  Lydia,  a  daughter,  is  still  living  at  Argyle.  For 
his  second  wife  he  married  Sarah  Morey,  of  Salem,  by 
whom  he  had  fifteen  children,  of  whom  only  four  are  now 
living,  namely,  Hannah,  of  Plainville,  Minn.;  Judge  Daniel 
Pratt,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y. ;  William,  of  Walnut  Creek,  Cal. ; 
John  M.,  of  Mentor,  Ohio.    Of  those  who  lived  to  maturity 


360 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


and  are  now  deceased  are  the  following:  Sarah  (Newcomb), 
who  first  married  Joshua  Brown,  of  Saratoga  county,  after- 
wards Win.  Hutchins,  of  Greenwich  ;  Milly,  who  married 
Robert  Burnett,  of  Deerfield,  Mich. ;  Elizabeth,  who  mar- 
ried John  McClelland,  of  Greenwich  ;  Juliana,  who  married 
Rev.  Archibald  Kenyon,  of  Chicago,  111.  ;  Christopher,  and 
Alexander.    He  died  in  1830,  at  the  age  of  .sixty-five  years. 

Simon  N.  Pratt  was  born  Nov.  15,  1796,  at  Greenwich. 
He  passed  his  early  life  as  a  farmer,  and  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  On  March  9,  1819,  he  married  Deborah 
Nelson,  daughter  of  Joseph  Nelson,  of  the  town  of  Argyle, 
who  was  born  Dec.  15,  179U.  By  this  union  were  born  ten 
children,  namely,  Elizabeth,  who  married  Hon.  Wm.  Pat- 
ton,  of  Sandwich,  111.,  and  is  now  dead ;  Sarah  Maria,  widow 
of  Sydney  Matthews,  of  Argyle ;  Hannah,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Moses  T.,  now  deceased;  Jane  N.,  who  married 
Samuel  Johnston,  of  Omro,  Wis.,  and  is  now  dead  ;  Eleanor, 
now  dead  ;  William,  of  Greenwich  ;  Nelson,  of  Greenwich  ; 
Mary  L.,  of  Omro,  Wis. ;  Emily  A.,  wife  of  A.  M.  Nes- 
bit,  of  Hoopeston,  111. 

Simon  N.  Pratt  is  still  living  at  Greenwich,  engaged  in 
farming.  He  was  au  early  and  active  worker  in  the  tem- 
perance cause,  and  is  still  earnest  in  the  support  of  his 
principles.  He  is  a  man  of  prominence  in  the  community, 
and  possessing  great  influence,  and  has  filled  the  various 
offices  of  the  town,  including  the  important  one  of  super- 
visor.    He  is  now  in  his  eighty-second  year. 

William,  only  living  brother  of  Nelson  Pratt,  married 
Mary  E.  Somes,  daughter  of  Jonas  Somes,  of  Argyle,  and 
now  resides  at  Greenwich,  on  the  same  farm  cleared  and 
settled  by  his  great-grandfather,  his  children  being  the  fifth 
generation  of  Pratts  who  have  occupied  the  same.  He  has 
three  children,  namely,  Lizzie,  Newcomb,  and  Willie,  all 
residing  at  home. 

Nelson  Pratt  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  on 
Sept.  23,  1832.  He  passed  his  minority  at  home,  assisting 
on  his  flither's  farm,  and  attending  the  common  school  and 
the  Greenwich  Academy.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  com- 
menced teaching,  a  pursuit  which  he  followed  for  two  terms 
in  Greenwich,  and  one  term  in  Illinois.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two  he  went  to  Rice  Co.,  Minn.,  and  took  up  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  under  the  pre-emption  act, 
to  which  he  added  one  hundred  and  sixty  more  by  purchase, 
the  whole  of  which  he  traded  for  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  subsequently  pur- 
chased two  thousand  acres  in  Osage,  Iowa,  which  he  dis- 
posed of  to  settlors.  He  also  bought  an  interest  in  what  is 
now  the  town  of  Northwood,  county-scat  of  Worth  county, 
Iowa  (in  which  he  still  retains  an  interest),  and  for  four 
years  engaged  largely  in  real  estate,  both  here  and  in  the 
west.  In  the  year  1860  he  returned  to  his  native  town, 
purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  was  born,  and  married,  Jan. 
30,  1861,  Mary  E.,  third  child  and  only  daughter  of  Elijah 
and  Ann  Eliza  Clough,  who  was  born  Dec.  31,  1840.  He 
has  two  children,  to  wit,  Anna  E.,  born  Dec.  7,  1861.  and 
Simon  Nelson,  born  Oct.  9,  1864,  both  of  whom  reside 
with  their  parents. 

Politically,  Mr.  Pratt  is  identified  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  been  chosen  to  different  official  positions  by 
his  townsmen;  is   a  member  of  the   United   Presbyterian 


church  of  South  Argyle,  has  been  one  of  its  trustees,  and 
is  foremost  in  all  enterprises  tending  towards  temperance 
and  reform  in  his  vicinity.  Mr.  Pratt  controls  extensive 
business  interests  in  the  west,  and  is  a  man  of  great  activity, 
resolution,  and  perseverance,  and  of  the  strictest  integrity 
in  all  his  transactions.  He  has  met  with  marked  success 
in  all  his  business  enterprises. 

A  view  of  the  residence  and  farm  of  Nelson  Pratt  may 
be  seen  on  another  page  of  tiiis  work.  The  farm  comprises 
two  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres,  and  is  notably  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  productive  in  Washington  county. 


ALPHONZO  DWELLE 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  May  3,  1800,  and  was 
the  seventh  child  in  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
five  are  living,  viz.,  Lemuel,  born  Dec.  8,  1788;  Moses, 
May  17,  1790;  Lydia,  June  13,  1792;  Jedediah  (de- 
ceased), May,  1794;  Jedediah,  Feb.  12,  1796;  Betsey, 
April  27,  1798;  Alphonzo,  May  3,  1800;  Almyra,  May 
31,  1802;  Abner,  Jan.  2,  1805;  Horatio,  May  2,  1806; 
Horatio  Nelson,  Nov.  25,  1807;  Miriam,  June  25,  1811. 
His  father,  Abner  Dwelle,  was  born  at  Scituate,  Mass., 
June  10,  1758.  His  mother,  Miriam  Martin,  was  born  in 
Salem,  Washington  Co.,  Feb.  5,  1770,  and  married  Sept.  8, 
1786.  His  father  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
held  various  offices  of  trust  in  his  town.  He  was  identified 
with  the  Presbyterian  society,  but  not  as  a  member,  always 
contributing  to  its  support,  as  well  as  to  that  of  school  in- 
terests, and  every  other  good  woi-k.  In  politics  he  was 
first  a  Federalist  and  subsequently  a  Whig.  He  died  June 
30,  1826. 

His  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  society,  and 
died  Oct.  13,  1825. 

Mr.  Dwelle  spent  his  early  life  in  the  routine  of  farm- 
labor,  and  attending  the  common  school.  May  2,  1824,  he 
married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Tabor  Teff't,  who  had  a  family 
of  thirteen  children.  The  result  of  this  union  was  ten  chil- 
dren,— Lemuel,  born  Aug.  16,  1824;  subsequently  married 
to  Hattie  Edwards,  of  Wisconsin.  He  has  been  chosen 
State  Senator  one  term,  and  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture one  term.  James  Albert,  born  March  16,  1826  ;  mar- 
ried, in  1859,  to  Sarah  Walker,  of  Salem.  Occupation, 
real-estate  dealer  and  money-lender.  Henry  B.,  born  July 
13,  1827.  Practicing  medicine  in  St.  Louis.  Caroline, 
born  June  8,  1829  ;  widow  of  late  B.  T.  White.  Mary 
Elizabeth,  born  Nov.  16,  1830;  died  April  29,  1870. 
Horace  and  Horton,  born  Dec.  25,  1832  ;  the  latter  died 
June  7,  1868.  Lydia,  born  Jan.  19,  1835  ;  married  to  J. 
E.  Hoag,  of  Easton,  June  28, 1865.  Mariani,  born  May  7, 
1836  ;  died  in  infancy.  Charles  Hamilton,  born  Jan.  27, 
1842  ;  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years. 

Mr.  Dwelle  has  held  various  offices  of  trust  in  his  town, 
and  is  to-day  enjoying  the  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 
He  is  a  man  of  correct  moral  habits  and  strict  integrity  of 
purpose  in  all  his  business  transactions.  Mr.  Dwelle  has 
been  a  Republican  since  the  party's  formation,  prior  to 
which  he  was  a  Whig  ;  his  first  vote  was  cast  for  De  Witt 
Clinton,  and  he  has  never  failed  to  attend  a  presidential  or 


^  \ 


Alphonzo  Dwelle 

Lieut.-Col.  Franklin  Norton  was 
born  at  Greenwich,  July  20,  1834. 
The  family  of  Norton  is  supposed  to 
be  of  Welsh  descent,  and  the  ancestry 
to  have  emigrated  during  the  early 
days  of  the  settlement  of  the  Eastern 
States.  His  greatgrandfather,  Elijah 
Norton,  came  from  Martha's  Vineyard, 
and  settled  in  the  town  of  Cambridge 
prior  to  the  struggle  for  independence, 
and  with  a  brother,  Jonathan,  were 
soldiers  of  that  war.  His  grandfather, 
Kobert  Norton,  was  in  the  War  of 
1812-14.  Colonel  Norton  was  eldest 
son  of  William  H.  Norton  and  Mary 
Roumelia  Bassett ;  spent  his  minority  '■"'"'"  "  * 

at  school,  and  learned  the  business  of 
painting.  In  the  year  1855  he  mar- 
ried  Miss  Caroline  M.,  daughter  of 

Boughton  Lamb  and  Lydia  Le  Baron,  of  Greenwich,  the 
former  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  whose  father  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war ;  the  latter  was  of  French 
descent,  and  her  father  of  French  birth. 

By  this  union  there  is  one  sxirviving  daughter.  May 
Norton.  Colonel  Norton,  tnie  to  the  patriotism  of  his  ances- 
tors and   to   his   country,  enlisted  September  12,  1861,  in 


Col  fRANKUN  I^OffTON 


|V1RS./4lphonzo  Dwelle. 

the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  as  a  private 
of  the  Seventy-seventh  N.  Y.  In- 
fantry, under  Colonel  McKean.  His 
gallantry  and  bravery  soon  gained  him 
rank  as  captain,  and  just  before  the 
battle  of  Antietam  he  was  promoted 
to  the  office  of  lieutenant-colonel.  He 
was  in  the  various  engagements  on  the 
Peninsula ;  was  in  the  battles  of  York- 
town,  Williamsburg,  and  Mechanics- 
vjlle,  and  conducted  the  retreat  of  the 
regiment  to  Harrison's  Landing.  At 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  when 
color-bearer  after  color-bearer  had  been 
shot,  resolved  that  the  Union  flag 
""■">  should  float.  Colonel  Norton  stepped 

forward  and  raised  it,  but  was  pierced 
with  a  ball  from  a  rebel  sharpshooter, 
who  was  in  turn  also  shot  by  a  Union 
man.  He  went  at  once  to  Washington,  where  he  soon  died 
from  the  effects  of  the  wound,  May  12,  1863.  Thus  Was 
one  of  America's  noble  and  brave  sons  brought  to  a  premature 
grave,  just  at  a  time  when  there  loomed  up  before  him  a 
bright  fiiture  of  usefulness  to  the  country,  and  happiness  to 
his  family  and  friends. 


w|«=MBr- 


,A^yU  A^^:2Ja^^i/  ^^^c 


'^^^yfy^ 


Residence  or   HARVELY    HANKS, G)?C£NWlCH,WASHlNGTo^Co,,/'y 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


361 


township  election  since.     He  was  formerly  an  anti-Mason, 
but  latterly  more  favorable  to  tlie  organization. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dwelle  were  identiflod  with  the  Bapti.st 
church,  and  have  always  contributed  liberally  to  the  su])iiort 
of  school  interests. 


CAPTAIN  HARVEY  HANKS 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  IG,  1816.  He  was  seventh  child  and  youngest  son 
of  a  family  of  ten  children  of  Amos  Hanks  and  Polly  Fisk. 
The  former,  of  German  descent  but  of  American  birth, 
was  married  March  15,  1804,  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer  on 
the  farm  where  his  son  Harvey  now  resides,  was  a  .soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812-14,  and  died  in  April,  1859,  having 
survived  the  decease  of  his  wife  eight  years.  He  was 
prominent  as  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  was  also 
prominently  identified  politically  as  a  Jackson  Democrat 
u,ntil  the  agitation  of  the  slavery  question,  when  he  became 
a  Free-Soiler,  and  subsequently  au  ardent  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  The  latter,  his  wife,  was  of  English  de- 
scent, but  of  American  birth.  Of  the  children  living  are 
Louisa,  wife  of  Wm.  Brown,  of  Greenwich  ;  Fisk,  of  Onon- 
daga county ;  Isaac,  Harvey,  and  Harriet,  of  Greenwich  ; 
and  Alvira,  wife  of  Luther  Brown,  of  Greenwich. 

Mr.  Hanks  purchased  the  old  homestead  in  the  year  1841, 
and  has  resided  thereon  until  the  present  time  (1878).  His 
early  education  was  confined  to  the  common  school  of  that 
day.  In  the  year  1848  he  married  Sarah  Stewart,  of  Ar- 
gyle,  she  being  third  child  and  third  daughter  in  a  fiimily 
of  five  children.  She  has  only  one  sister  living,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Rogers,  of  Ohio.  The  result  of  this  union 
was  six  children, — Martin,  born  Nov.  7,  1848  ;  Mary,  born 
Nov.  28,  1850 ;  Fannie  S.,  born  Jan.  23,  1855  ;  Harriet 
L.,  born  July  1,  1858;  Harvey  A.,  born  Aug.  4,  1865; 
and  Stewart  W.,  born  Oct.  14,  1870.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanks 
are  identified  with  the  Baptist  church  of  Lakeville.  In 
politics  Mr.  Hanks  Ls  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Republi- 
can party.  In  the  year  1842  he  became  captain  of  a  com- 
pany, in  the  State  militia,  of  the  Fiftieth  Regiment,  Fif- 
teenth Brigade  of  Infantry,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for 
three  years.  His  ancestors,  grandfather  and  great-grand- 
father, were  also  at  one  time  residents  of  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, both  being  natives  of  Connecticut. 


WILLIAM  BUTTON 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  April  21,  1821,  being 
the  youngest  child  of  John  and  Margaret  Hutton.  He 
had  three  brothers  and  two  .sisters, — John  (deceased;  ; 
David,  of  Greenwich  ;  Mary  Ann  (deceased) ;  Susannah 
(deceased)  ;  and  Andrew,  of  Greenwich. 

His  father  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  settled  in  the  town 
of  Greenwich  about  the  year  1800.  His  mother  was  also 
of  Scotch  descent,  but  of  American  birth,  her  maiden  name 
being  Margaret  Carson.  She  survived  her  husband  some 
twenty-seven  years,  he  dying  in  the  year  1826. 

Mr.  Hutton  spent  his  minority  on  the  farm,  with  the 
usual  opportunities  for  an  education  at  the  district  school, 
residing  with  his  widowed  mother  until  her  death,  when 
46 


ho,  with  lii.s  bnithor  David,  bought  out  the  interest  of  the 
other  heir.s  in  the  homestead,  and  still  own  the  farm  to- 
gether, consisting  of  three  iiuiidred  and  thirty-four  acres 

In  the  year  1870,  March  2X,  he  married  Miss  Ann 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Joseph  R.  and  Lydia  Tefft,  of 
Greenwich.  Mrs.  Hutton  was  one  of  eleven  children,  of 
whom  ten  arc,  in  1878,  living, — five  .sisters  and  four 
brothers. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Iluttiin  huv(!  been  born  two  children, — 
Frank  Andrew,  born  Oct.  10,  187o,  and  Margaret  L.,  born 
May  13,  1876,  both  living. 

In  politics  Mr.  Hutton  has  been  identified  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  never  aspired  to  any  official  notoriety. 
He  is  a  man  of  no  ostentation  or  show,  satisfied  to  lead  a 
quiet  life,  and  is  known  for  his  honesty  and  uprightness  in 
all  his  business  transactions.  Although  not  connected  as  a 
member  of  any  church,  he  contributes  to  the  support  of  all 
interests  tending  to  educate  and  elevate  the  rising  genera- 
tion. ]Mrs.  Hult(jn  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  of 
Greenwich. 


HORACE    MORSE 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  Aug.  11,  1837.  He 
was  younge.st  son,  in  a  family  of  ten  children,  of  Sanford 
Mor.se  and  Lucinda  Mead.  The  former,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, came  to  the  town  of  Easton  when  a  young  man  ; 
was  married,  and  soon  after  settled  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich ;  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  ;  firmly  identified  first 
with  the  Whig  party  and  afterwards  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  lived  a  man  of  strict  integrity  of  purpose,  and 
was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  a  little  over  eighty  years,  and  about  the  year  1870. 
The  latter  was  a  native  of  Plattsburg ;  came  to  the  town  of 
Easton  when  a  young  woman.  She  was  born  in  the  year 
1800,  September  12,  and  still  survives  in  1878. 

Of  the  children  living  are  Joseph,  resides  in  the  town  of 
Greenwich  ;  Morgan,  of  Pontiac,  INIich. ;  George,  of  San 
Francisco,  Cal.  ;  and  Horace.  Mr.  Morse  spent  his  early 
life  on  the  farm  at  home,  and  attending  the  district  school. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  married  Miss  Mary  A.,  only 
daughter  in  a  family  of  two  children  (the  son's  name  being 
Alexander)  of  John  Hutton  and  Eve  Maria  Bain ;  the 
former  a  native  of  Greenwich,  and  whose  fiitber  was  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  town.  John  Hutton  died  about  the 
year  1867,  aged  fifty-six  years.  The  latter  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Argyle,  in  the  year  1811,  and  .still  survives  in  1878. 
The  son,  Alexander,  died  about  the  year  1869,  at  the  age 
of  thirty-five  years.  Mrs.  Morse  was  born  1838,  April  20. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Morse  settled  as  a  farmer  in  the 
town  of  his  nativity,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  in  the 
year  1868  he  purchased  the  Charles  H.  Cottrell  farm,  con- 
sisting of  one  hundred  and  six  acres,  a  view  of  which  may 
be  found  on  another  page  of  this  work.  After  the  manner 
and  integrity  of  his  ancestors,  Mr.  Morse  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  in  politics,  and  as  a  former  ranks 
among  the  foremost  of  his  town. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morse  have  been  born  eight  children, 
—Charles  H.,  Frank  E.,  Eva  B.,  Mattie  J.,  Willis  W., 
Grace  H.  (deceased),  Earl  C,  and  Roscoe  C. 


HAMPTON. 


LOCATION    AND    NATURAL   FEATURES. 

Hampton  lies  upon  the  east  border  of  the  county,  north 
of  the  centre.  A  range  of  hills,  about  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  valleys,  and  for  the  most  part  covered  with 
forests,  extends  through  the  central  and  eastern  parts  of 
the  town.  Poultney  river,  separating  the  town  from  Ver- 
mont, is  the  principal  streatn.  The  town  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Vermont,  on  the  east  by  Vermont,  south  by 
Granville,  and  west  by  Whitehall.  The  town  is  long  and 
narrow,  of  peculiar  sh;ipe,  comprising  twelve  thousand 
six  hundred  and  sixty-four  acres,  or  a  fraction  le.ss  than 
twenty  square  miles.  It  is  the  smallest  town  in  the 
county.  The  western  portion  of  the  town  is  liigh  and 
mountainous,  which  renders  it  not  very  attractive  for 
settlement.  The  suijace  is  mostly  drained  eastward  to 
the  Poultney  river.  A  small  stream  in  the  centre  of  the 
town  flows  westward  to  the  Pawlet  river.  In  the  south- 
west part  of  the  town  another  stream,  tlie  outlet  of  several 
ponds,  flows  into  the  Pawlet  river.  Between  the  foot  of 
the  hills  and  the  Poultney  river  are  alluvial  flats.  The 
stream  is  subject  to  overflows,  alternately  fertilizing  and 
desolating  the  valley. 

TITLE    OF    land. 

The  greater  part  of  this  town  is  included  in  patents 
granted  to  provincial  officers  after  the  French  war  of  1756- 
60.  The  north  part  embraces  about  two  thousand  acres 
of  the  so-called  •'  Skene's  Little  Patent."  This  patent,  of 
nine  thousand  acres  in  all,  was  granted  July  G,  1771. 

South  from  Skene's,  as  marked  on  old  colonial  maps,  are 
the  patents  of  L.  Williams,  L.  A.  Grant,  J.  Mooney,  and 
D.  Mooney. 

None  but  Skene's  appear  in  the  table  of  patents  prepared 
from  the  documents  in  Albany  ;  but  this  is  the  case  with 
most  of  the  small  patents  throughout  the  State.  The  land 
was  all  transferred  to  other  parties  at  a  very  early  day, 
probably  before  the  Revolution,  and  no  descendants  of  the 
original  proprietors  remain  in  the  town. 

The  eastern  boundaries  of  these  patents  are  not  co-in- 
cident with  the  present  east  line  of  Hampton,  as  they  ex- 
tend beyond  the  Poultney  river  into  what  is  now  Vermont ; 
but  they  are  apparently  limited  westward  by  the  present 
west  boundary  of  the  town.  Upon  late  township  maps 
appear  the  names  of  Turner,  Taylor,  Faesh,  and  Bass,  as 
also  patentees. 

EARLY    SETTLE.AIENT. 

The   early  settlement  of  the   town   was  probably  made 

previous  to  the  Revolution,  but  exact  dates  are  difiicult  to 

be  obtained.      A.s  in  other  towns  of  this  vicinity,  the  early 

settlers  endured  all  the  toils  and  privations  of  pioneer  life. 

362 


They  were  mostly  from  Massachusetts,  but  some  hailed 
from  Connecticut.  The  following  family  sketches  show 
the  first  and  early  settlement  : 

Colonel  Gideon  Warren  and  family  came  from  Williams- 
town,  Mass.,  into  Hampton,  among  the  firet  settlers,  and 
located  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  on  five  hundred  acres, 
a  part  of  which  is  now  included  in  the  village  limits.  He 
built  his  house  on  the  site  of  the  house  now  owned  by 
Wm.  Hyland.  His  sons  were  Caleb,  Eben,  Asa,  and 
Bishop.  Caleb  was  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution,  and 
was  a  pensioner.  He  married  Rachel  Webster.  They  had 
fourteen  children  grown  to  adult  age.  Those  who  remained 
in  the  town  were  Ethan,  Eben,  Rachel,  and  Mary  ;  the 
others  moved  to  the  west.  Ethan  married  Eunice  Owens 
for  his  first  wife.  Their  son,  Gideon,  is  now  living  on  his 
father's  homestead,  formerly  owned  by  a  man  named  Doo- 
little.  Eben  married  Abigail  Savage ;  Rachel  married 
Jason  Kellogg,  Jr. ;  and  Mary  married  John  New.  They 
are  both  living  at  Hampton  Corners.  Squire  A.  Warren 
lives  on  the  farm  first  owned  by  Jason  Kellogg.  Chauncey 
Warren  lives  at  Ea.st  Whitehall  on  a  farm.  They  are  sons 
of  Ethan.  Colonel  Gideon  Warren  was  at  Ticonderoga, 
and  Wius  wounded  in  his  elbow,  which  stift'ened  his  arm  for 
life. 

Benjamin  C.  Owen  and  wife  emigrated  from  Roxbury, 
Mass.,  at  an  early  day.  He  bought  land  on  the  Bass  pat- 
ent, now  owned  by  Mrs.  Warren,  south  of  the  village.  He 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and  a  pensioner,  and  was 
known  as  Major  Owen.  One  of  his  daughters  became  the 
wife  of  Ethan  Warren. 

Jason  Kellogg  was  heie  previous  to  1786.  He  was  the 
first  town  clerk,  elected  in  that  year,  and  continued  to  hold 
the  oflice  thirty-six  years.  His  farm  was  the  one  now  owned 
by  Squire  A.  Warren.  His  sons  were  Silas  D.  Kellogg, 
well  known  as  a  surveyor,  Jason,  Jr.,  Zina,  and  Ezra,  who 
became  an  Episcopal  minister.  The  family  moved  to  Ohio 
after  Mr.  Kellogg's  death,  which  took  place  in  1821-22. 
His  first  wife,  Miriam,  died  Oct.  4,  1789,  aged  thirty-one 
years.  His  second  wife,  Martha,  Nov.  25,  1812,  aged  fifty- 
six  years. 

Rufus  Hotchkiss  came  from  Connecticut  at  the  close  of 
the  Revolution.  He  settled  on  the  Granville  road,  about 
two  miles  from  Hampton  Corners.  He  made  a  clearing 
and  put  up  a  log  house,  then  went  back,  was  married,  and 
moved  here  with  his  wife.  Of  six  children,  only  two  are 
living  in  the  town. 

Shubael  Pierce  and  family — five  daughters  and  four 
sons — came  from  Swansea,  Mass.,  about  the  year  1800,  set- 
tled in  Salem,  and  then  moved  to  Hampton,  locating  in  the 
southwest  part  of  the  town,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Levi  Prouty.     Mason  Pierce,  a  son,  married  Anna  Archi- 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


363 


bald,  of  Salem ;  their  family  was  Hiram,  now  living  in 
Colton,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Prudence,  Lucina,  Dio- 
dema, — married  Horace  Hotchkiss,  and  are  still  living  in 
Hampton, — Solomon,  and  Betsey  Ann.  Mr.  Pierce  moved 
to  Eaton  Co.,  Mich.,  after  the  death  of  his  wife. 

Ashbel  Webster  moved  into  Hampton  from  East  Hart- 
ford at  an  early  period.  He  bought  land  of  Colonel  War- 
ren, and  settled  where  the  village  now  stands.  H.  Martin 
has  his  house  on  the  spot.  He  had  fourteen  children. 
Miner  Webster,  a  son,  lived  on  the  homestead,  but  sold  off 
to  John  P.  Adams  and  Daniel  Mallary.  Nathaniel  Dailey 
bought  of  them.     Miner  Webster  built  a  distillery. 

William  Morris  settled  on  what  is  now  known  as  Jlorris 
Hill,  and  gave  it  his  name.  He  followed  weaving,  and  wove 
blankets  and  cloth. 

Elisha  Kilbourn,  Enoch  Wright,  Samuel  Waterhouse, 
and  a  man  named  Carver,  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  town,  and  were  the  first  settlers. 
Their  land  was  on  the  river,  north  of  Low  Hampton.  Eli 
Parsons  was  an  early  settler,  and  lived  near  the  river. 
Among  other  early  settlers  near  the  Whitehall  line,  west 
and  south  of  the  Baptist  church,  were  Peter  and  Thomas 
Christie,  Ebenezer  West,  and  a  man  named  McFarlane. 
Beriah  Rogers,  supervisor  in  1816  and  at  other  times,  and 
also  justice  of  the  peace,  lived  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  of  Low  Hampton.  Richard  and  Samuel  Wheat 
lived  in  this  vicinity.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  town, 
among  the  early  settlers  was  Captain  Stephen  Brooks,  noted 
as  a  hunter.  He  lived  on  the  road  west  of  Hampton  Cor- 
ners, about  three  miles  out.  North  of  the  corners  lived 
Captain  Peter  P.  French  and  Esquire  Samuel  Beaman. 
They  built  and  kept  the  first  store  in  town,  and  Captain 
French  kept  the  first  tavern.  They  were  one  mile  north  of 
the  bridge.  Captain  French  and  family  moved  to  Penn- 
sylvania. McNoyes  kept  the  tavern  after  French.  Esquire 
Beaman  was  agent  for  the  sale  of  lands  and  a  prominent 
man  in  the  town,  and  was  supervisor  and  justice  of  the 
peace.  His  son,  the  Rev.  N.  S.  S.  Beaman,  D.D.,  late  of 
Troy,  was  born  in  the  town.  Lucy,  a  daughter,  married 
Charles  Bulkley  of  Granville. 

Samuel  Hooker  was  an  early  settler  in  the  southeast  part 
of  the  town.  His  son,  Martin  P.  Hooker,  resides  on  the 
homestead;  another  son,  Samuel  P.  Hooker,  lives  in  Le  Roy, 
N.  Y.  Ebenezer  Popple  was  an  early  settler,  and  gave  the 
name  to  Popple  Hollow.  Roderick  Chapin  was  also  an 
early  settler  in  the  Hollow.  Caleb  Warren  and  Captain 
Lemuel  Hyde  lived  on  what  is  the  D.  Smith  farm,  about 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  where  Gideon  Warreu 
now  lives. 

Abiather  Millard  came  from  Connecticut.  He  settled 
on  the  hill  about  half  a  mile  west  of  Poultney  river,  at  the 
upper  bridge.  He  was  a  blacksmith,  and  followed  his  trade, 
together  with  farming.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. His  son,  Paulinus,  born  in  1792,  is  still  living  on 
the  homestead.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Elder  Draper, 
the  first  Methodist  preacher.  Paulinus  Millard  was  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  was  at  Plattsburg.  His  sister,  Mrs. 
Stacy,  is  living  in  Benson,  Vt. 

Another  Abiather  Millard,  also  a  blacksmith,  came  in  at 
an  early  period,  and  settled  at  the  lower  bridge.     He  and 


the  Abiather  Millard  mentioned  above  were  not  related  by 
blood,  but  married  sisters. 

William  Miller,  Sr.,  the  father  of  the  celebrated  "  prophet'' 
Miller,  had  a  family  of  sixteen  children,  of  whom  there  are 
now  living  in  the  town  and  vicinity  Solomon  P.,  now  living 
on  the  homestead  on  which  he  was  born  ;  Mrs.  Shaw,  now 
living  in  the  town  with  her  son-in-law,  Levi  W.  Manchester  ; 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  Adams,  of  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 

From  Mrs.  Daniel  Mallary,  residing  in  Delavan,  Wis., 
we  receive  the  following.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Colonel 
Pliny  Adams,  a  pioneer  of  Hampton.  Colonel  Pliny  Adams 
and  wife,  Lucretia  (Vail)  Adams,  moved  from  Salisbury, 
Conn.,  to  Hampton  Corners,  about  1793.  Here  he  opened 
a  store,  which  was  the  first  and  only  one  at  this  point  for  a 
number  of  years.  His  first  store  was  the  old  yellow  house, 
afterwards  converted  into  a  tavern,  and  long  kept  by  Daniel 
Rockwell.  In  1803,  Colonel  Adams  built  the  house  now 
standing  next  the  tavern  building,  and  resided  in  it  for  some 
years.  He  built  a  store  across  the  street  from  his  house, 
which  he  occupied  till  his  death,  in  1816.  He  was  ap- 
pointed captain  in  a  militia  company,  and  furnished  the 
uniforms  for  most  of  his  company  from  his  store.  On  the 
breaking  out  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  was  commissioned  as 
colonel,  and  led  his  regiment  to  Platt.sburg. 

Among  the  old  settlers  were  Samuel  Beaman,  afterwards 
called  "  Old  Squire  Beaman,"  who  owned  a  large  farm  on 
the  "intervals,"  and  Major  Peter  P.  French,  also  a  farmer, 
who  raised  a  large  family.  Near  him,  on  Hampton  plains, 
lived  Mason  Hulett,  a  farmer.  His  youngest  daughter, 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Webster,  now  resides  in  Omro,  Wis.  "Old 
Squire"  Jason  Kellogg,  justice  of  the  peace  and  farmer,  had 
sons  who  grew  to  be  men  in  honorable  positions  ;  one  of 
them,  Rev.  Ezra  B.  Kellogg,  is  now  a  minister  of  the  Epis- 
copal church  in  Ohio. 

Prominent  in  later  years  was  the  family  of  Eli  Richards. 
He  came  from  Connecticut  in  March,  1813,  and  settled  on 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Ralph  Richards,  his  sou.  He  had 
one  daughter,  Mrs.  Franklin  Norton,  of  Clermout,  N.  H. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  returned  to  Hampton, 
and  resides  with  her  brother. 

CIVIL    HISTORY. 

The  town  of  Hampton  wa.s  organized  by  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature, March  3,  1786.  The  following  extracts  from  the 
records,  together  with  a  complete  list  of  town  oflBcers,  give 
a  full  account  of  its  civil  history.  The  old  school-house,  at 
which  the  first  town-meeting  was  held,  was  situated  on  the 
hill  just  east  of  the  old  cemetery,  near  the  present  residence 
of  Gideon  Warren.  The  present  school-house  occupies  the 
same  site.  The  town  of  Hampton,  before  it  was  organized 
by  law,  was  called  Greenfield  by  the  old  settlers.  The  name 
of  Hampton  is  a  common  one  among  New  England  towns. 

H.\MPTON  TOWN  RECORDS. 
At  a  town-meeting  holdeu  at  the  school-house,  near 
Colonel  Gideon  Warren's,  May  2,  1786,  the  following 
oflicers  were  elected  :  Captain  Lemuel  Hyde,  moderator ; 
Jason  Kellogg,  district  clerk  ;  Captain  Lemuel  Hyde,  1st 
supervisor;  John  Howe,  2d  supervisor;  Peter  Fuller, 
Joseph  Kellogg,  and  Moses  Perkins,  iisscssors ;  Asa  Tyler. 


364 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


coustable  and  collector ;  Samuel  Church,  David  Nichols, 
and  Jason  Kellogg,  commissioners  of  higliways ;  Lemuel 
Hyde,  Nathan  Wheeler,  Stephen  Brooks,  and  Samuel 
Calkins,  overseers  of  lughvpays ;  Jacob  Howe  and  Lemuel 
Hyde,  overseers  of  the  poor ;  Derick  Karner,  James  Michel, 
Jr.,  Nathan  Wheeler,  and  Moses  Perkins,  wardens ;  Peter 
P.  French,  pound-keeper,  and  his  barn-yard  for  a  pound ; 
Nicholas  Spoor,  David  Nichols,  and  Moses  Perkins,  fence- 
viewers ;  Asa  Warren,  Caleb  Warren,  and  Samuel  Church, 
grave-diggers  for  the  year  ensuing ;  Lemuel  Hyde,  Joseph 
Hyde,  aud  Nicholas  Spoor,  a  committee  to  purchase  a  bury- 
ing-place  at  each  end  of  the  town,  and  to  set  a  time  to  clear 
the  same ;  Joseph  Kellogg  and  Thomas  Treat,  choristers. 
It  was  voted  to  raise  a  tax  of  eight  pounds  to  defray  town 
expenses  for  the  year  ensuing. 

In  1787,  Jason  Kellogg  was  elected  town  clerk,,  and 
Peter  P.  French,  coustable  and  collector. 

Supervisors. — John  Howe,  1786;  Lemuel  Hyde,  1786- 
87  ;  Gideon  Warren,  Esq.,  1788-89  ;  John  Howe,  1790- 
91  ;  Peter  P.  French,  1792;  John  Howe,  1793;  Peter  P. 
French,  1794-95  ;  Samuel  Beaman,  1796  ;  Jason  Kellogg, 
1797-98;  Pliny  Adams,  1799-1801;  Jason  Kellogg, 
1802-5;  Samuel  Hooker,  1806-8  ;  Pliny  Adams,  1809  ; 
Samuel  Hooker,  1810-11  ;  Jason  Kellogg,  1812;  Samuel 
Hooker,  1813-14;  Jason  Kellogg,  1815;  Beriah  Rogers, 
1816-17;  Silas  D.  Kellogg,  1818-20;  Wm.  Miller, 
1821;  Silas  D.  Kellogg,  1822;  Beriah  Rogers,  1823; 
Moses  Ward,  1824-25;  Beriah  Rogers,  1826;  Ethan 
Warren,  1827-28;  Wm.  Miller,  1829;  Ethan  Warren, 
1830-31;  Wm.  Miller,  1832;  Samuel  P.  Hooker,  1833; 
Moses  Ward,  1834;  Hiram  Shaw,  1835;  Moses  Ward, 
1836-37  ;  Hiram  Shaw,  1838;  Ethan  Warren,  1839-40; 
Hiram  Shaw,  1841  ;  Henry  S.  Beaman,  1842 ;  Hezekiah 
Bosworth,  1843;  Martin  P.  Hooker,  1844-45;  Hiram 
Shaw,  1846  ;  Roswell  Clark,  1847-48  ;  Seth  Peck,  1849  ; 
John  Ward,  1850;  Martin  P.  Hooker,  1851;  Wm.  S. 
Miller,  1852;  Hiram  Hotchkiss,  1853-54;  Gilbert  Peck, 
1855;  J.  W.  Egery,  1856-57;  Thomas  Manchester, 
1858 ;  Hiram  Hotchkiss,  1859-60 ;  Thomas  Manchester, 
1861 ;  Martin  P.  Hooker,  1862-63 ;  Solomon  P.  Miller, 
1864;  Ralph  Richards,  1865-66;  Harrison  Phelps,  1867  ; 
Martin  0.  Stoddard,  1868-69  ;  Josiah  Peck,  1870  ;  Squire 
A.  Warren,  1871;  Rufus  H.  Clark,  1872;  L.  W.  Man- 
chester, 1873;  Squire  A.  Warren,  1874-75;  L.  W.  Man- 
chester, 1876 ;  Rufus  H.  Clark,  1877-78. 

Tovm  Clerks.— J aaou  Kellogg,  1786  to  Jan.  15,  1822, 
inclu,sive;  Moses  Ward,  Jan.  15,  1822,  to  fill  vacancy  oc- 
casioned by  the  death  of  Jason  Kellogg ;  John  P.  Adams, 
1822  to  1833,  inclusive;  Ethan  Warren,  1834-36;  John 
P.  Adams,  1837;  Samuel  H.  Beaman,  1838;  John  P. 
Adams,  1839 ;  Peter  Honey,  1840-41  ;  John  P.  Adams, 
1842 ;  Chauncey  L.  Adams,  1843-46 ;  Rufus  H.  Clark, 
1847-55  ;  John  Honey,  1856  ;  Rufus  H.  Clark,  1857-58; 
Peter  Farnham,  1859-60  ;  Henry  Martin,  1861-73  ;  Wm. 
Hyland,  1874;  Rufus  H.  Clark,  1875-77;  William  Hy- 
land,  1878. 

Justices  of  the  Peace. — Horace  K.  Rice,  1830;  Samuel 
P.  Hooker,  1832;  Hezekiah  Bosworth,  1833;  Horace  K. 
Rice,  1834  ;  Wm.  Miller,  1835  ;  William  Hotchkiss,  1835  ; 
Hiram  Shaw,  1836  ;  Gilbert  Leonard,  1836;  Beriah  Rogers, 


1837 ;  Seth  Peck,  1837  ;  Hiram  K.  Rice,  1838 ;  J.  P. 
Adams,  1839 ;  Hezekiah  Bosworth,  1840 ;  Wm.  Hotch- 
kiss, 1841 ;  Seth  Peek,  1842  ;  Jacob  Stowe,  1843  ;  M.  P. 
Hooker,  1843  ;  Geo.  W.  Neal,  1844  ;  Ruel  Ruggles,  1845 ; 
H.  Bosworth,  1845  ;  Wm.  S.  Miller,  1846  ;  H.  Bosworth, 
1847;  Nathaniel  Daily,  1848  ;  Ruel  Ruggles,  1 849 ;  N. 
Daily,  1851;  A.  Phelps,  1851;  Norman  Peck,  1852; 
Wm.  Hotchkiss,  1852  ;  A.  C.  Broughton,  1853  ;  William 
Hotchkiss,  1854;  A.  Witherell,  1855;  H.  W.Webster, 
1855;  N.  Peck,  1856;  R.  Clark,  1856;  J.  C.  Broughton, 
1857;  J.  Stowe,  1857;  B.  G.  Streetor,  1858;  II.  Phelps, 
1859  ;  Nathaniel  Daily,  1859  ;  Levi  W.  Manchester,  1 860  ; 
F.  Farwell,  1861  ;  J.  H.  Green,  1861  ;  N.  Daily,  1862 ; 
N.  Peck,  1862;  H.  Phelps,  1863;  Josiah  Peck,  1863; 
Thomas  Manche,ster,  1864;  F.  Farwell,  1865;  N.  Peck, 
1865;  A.  C.  Broughton,  1867;  W.  S.  Wood,  1868;  H. 
Phelps,  1868;  Ira  E.  Phelps,  1869;  A.  C.  Broughton, 
1870  ;  Josiah  Peck,  1871  ;  N.  Daily,  1872  ;  I.  E.  Phelps, 
1873;  Richard  McGrath,  1873;  A.  C.  Broughton,  1874; 
M.  P.  Churchill,  1875;  Lyman  J.  Warren,  1876;  M.  P. 
Churchill,  1876;  John  H.  Miller,  1877;  Henry  Martin, 
1878. 

Collectors.— Asa  Tyler,  1786;  Peter  P.  French,  1787  ; 
John  Howe,  1788-89;  Solomon  Morris,  1790 ;  Peter  P. 
French,  1791  ;  Peter  Fuller,  1792-93 ;  Elias  Hibbard, 
1794-95;  Elizur  Webster,  1796;  David  Morgan,  1797- 
1803;  Daniel  Rockwell,  1804;  David  Morgan,  1805; 
Caleb  Warren,  1806;  David  Morgan,  1807;  Moses  Per- 
kins, Jr.,  1808;  John  Lawrence,  1809-11;  Joel  Hyde, 
David  Morgan,  1812-13;  Josephus  Hyde,  1814;  Josiah 
Lyman,  1815;  John  Lawrence,  1816-20;  Samuel  P. 
Hooker,  1821 ;  Daniel  Merritt,  1822 ;  Robert  Millard, 
1823;  Eli  K.  Post,  1824-26;  Ambrose  D.  Rice,  1827; 
H.  Bosworth,  1828;  P.  F.  Kellogg,  1829;  Elliott  Lamp- 
.son,  1830;  Arnold  Harvey,  1831;  C.  L.  Adams,  1832; 
Hiram  Ransom,  1833 ;  Paul  Spink,  1834  ;  Gideon  AVarren, 
1835-36 ;  A.  Witherell,  1837  ;  George  W.  JIather,  1838- 
39;  J.  Kilbourn,  1840;  George  W.  Mather,  1841  ;  Otis 
D.  Kellogg,  1842;  John  Broughton,  1843;  Josiah  Peck, 
1844;  Daniel  Smith,  1846;  0.  H.  Webster,  1847;  Rob- 
bins  Miller,  1848  ;  L.  W.  Manchester,  1851  ;  John  Honey, 
1852;  0.  D.  Kellogg,  1853;  B.  F.  Millard,  1854;  J. 
Williams,  1855-56;  Byron  Inman,  1857-58;  Allen  Gil- 
christ, 1859  ;  J.  E.  Phelps,  1860  ;  J.  Q.  Hotchkiss,  1861- 
62;  E.  Inman,  1863;  Charles  J.  New,  1864;  Thomas  B. 
Clark,  1865  ;  I.  E.  Phelps,  1866;  Junius  L.  Clark,  1867  ; 
L.  J.  Warren,  1868  ;  William  H.  Leonard,  1869  ;  Warren 
Wilson,  1870-71;  W.  W.  Douglass,  1872;  Levi  W. 
Prouty,  1873;  A.  L.  Wilson,  1874;  T.  J.  Leard,  1875; 
W.  WiLson,  1876;  James  Q.  Hotchkiss,  1877;  Nathan 
Bachelor,  1878. 

We  add  the  following  notes  taken  from  the  town  records  : 

1792. — Voted,  to  allow  Captain  Howe,  £1  9s.  Id.  for 
his  loss  in  collecting  taxes  in  1788  ;  voted,  that  Esquire 
Beeman  shall  pay  but  twenty  shillings  for  his  license  to  sell 
spirituous  li()uors  the  ensuing  year. 

1793. — Voted,  to  pay  a  bounty  of  ten  dollars  for  every 
wolf  killed  by  any  inhabitant  of  this  town  ;  .said  wolves  to 
be  pursued  from,  or  killed  in,  said  town. 

1794. — Voted,  that  each  town  inhabitant  shall  mow  all 


Faulinus  Millard 


Benjamin  FMiLLAFfo. 


Residence  of  PAULINUS      MILL4RD,H,*MProN.WASHiNCTONCo„NY 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


365 


the  thistles  on  his  farm,  or  on  the  farm  in  liis  possession, 
highways  included,  twice  iu  each  year  ;  and  if  any  one  shall 
neglect  or  refuse  to  do  the  same,  shall  forfeit  or  pay  the 
sum  of  £2  New  York  money. 

1795. — Peter  P.  French  appointed  to  take  the  census  of 
the  electors  in  this  town. 

1796. — Voted,  Jason  Kellogg,  Samuel  Hec^man,  Samuel 
Bibbins,  commissioners  of  schools  ;  voted,  that  the  .small- 
pox may  be  set  up  by  inoculation  at  suitable  pest-houses  in 
this  town,  with  the  consent,  and  under  the  authority,  of 
said  town,  and  not  otherwise,  under  the  penalty  of  £50. 

1797. — Voted  to  pay  Amos  Collins  and  others  ten  dol- 
lars out  of  excise  money  which  is  in  the  hands  of  the  poor- 
masters,  for  killing  a  wolf,  agreeable  to  the  laws  of  this 
town  ;  voted,  to  raise  by  tax  twenty  dollars  to  rebuild  the 
bridge  at  the  north  end  of  town. 

1798. — At  a  special  town-meeting  held  on  tlu'  27th  day 
of  January,  1798,  it  was  unanimously  voted  to  set  off  the 
north  part  of  said  town,  lying  north  of  the  line  running 
easterly  from  Whitehall,  parallel  with  the  north  line  of 
Skenesborough,  old  town,  till  it  intersects  Poultney  river ; 
voted  to  hold  our  annual  town-meeting  in  future  at  the 
house  of  Peter  P.  French,  innkeeper. 

1811. — Voted,  that  the  dwelling-house  of  David  Collins 
be  occupied  as  a  house  of  correction  for  town  paupers  the 
year  ensuing. 

1822. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  inn  of  Samuel  W^ood. 

1823. — Voted,  That  the  town  raise  fourteen  dollars  to 
buy  a  cow  from  Elijah  Scott,  said  cow  to  be  town  property. 
And  that  Newton  Sanford  be  agent  in  behalf  of  the  town 
to  take  care  of  said  cow.  These  votes  were  reconsidered, 
and  thirty-nine  dollars  was  voted  for  the  support  of  the  poor. 

1824. — Town-meeting  was  held  at  Eli  K.  Post's  inn. 

1826. — Town-meeting  was  held  at  Wm.  P.  Noyes'  inn. 
The  tax  to  be  collected  the  year  ensuing  was  put  up  to  the 
lowest  bidder  Eli  K.  Post  being  the  lowest  bidder  it  was 
struck  off  to  him  at  three-fourths  per_cent. 

1827. — Voted,  To  allow  the  collector  three  per  cent,  for 
collecting. 

1832. — Town-meeting  held  at  Mallary  &  Ransom's  inn. 

1833. — Resolved,  as  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  that  it 
is  expedient  to  abolish  the  law  of  imprisonment  for  debt, 
and  recommend  a  repeal  of  said  law,  and  transmit  a  copy  of 
this  resolution  to  the  member  from  this  district. 

1847,  April  27. — At  a  special  town-meeting  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  votes  were  cast,  of  which  license  received 
fifty  votes,  no  license  seventy  votes. 

1864.— Special  town-meeting  held  March  30,  1864. 
Voted  to  raise  money  to  pay  four  recruits  the  sum  of  three 
hundred  dollars  each,  and  voted  to  pay  each  drafted  man 
three  hundred  dollars. 

Special  town-meeting  held  Aug.  12,  1864.  S.  P.  Mil- 
ler, Dan.  E.  Atwood,  and  S.  A.  Warren  appointed  a  war 
committee  for  raising  recruits  to  fill  the  quota  of  Hampton 
under  the  last  call.  Voted  to  have  the  county  treasurer 
pay  said  recruits  and  charge  the  same  to  this  town. 

Special  meeting  held  Dec.  24,  1864.  Voted  to  pay  vol 
unteers,  drafted  men,  or  substitutes,  one  year,  two  hundred 
dollars  ;  two  years,  four  hundred  dollars ;  three  years,  six 
hundred  dollars. 


1865.— Special  meeting  held  Jan.  3,  1865.  Voted  that 
the  supervisor  pledge  the  credit  of  the  town  to  pay  volun- 
teers or  substitutes  to  fill  the  quota. 


The  first  record  of  highways,  dated  June  19,  1786: 
"  Begins  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Richard  Wheat's  land, 
on  the  road  running  from  thence  to  Whitehall,  and  marked 
a  northerly  eour.se  to  Samuel  Wheat's  house.' 

"April  12,  1787.  Begin  at  a  stake  and  stones  in  the 
main  road  that  leads  from  Abraham  Sharpe's  bridge  to 
Whitehall ;  thence  north  six  chains  to  lots  1 1  and  1 2  ; 
thence  to  the  north  end  of  said  lots ;  thence  northwesterly 
to  a  stake  and  stones  upon  Mr.  Waterliouse's  lot ;  thence 
northerly  to  Mr.  Sears'  mill." 

"  Begin  at  a  stake  and  stones  from  the  south  side  of  the 
main  road  and  running  thence  south  across  the  corner  of 
Eli  Parson's  lot ;  thenee  southerly  to  Leonard's  bridge." 

"  January,  1788.  Begin  at  Elias  Stephens'  house  and 
running  thence  westerly  twelve  chains  fifty  links  to  a  hem- 
lock-tree marked  ;  thence  northerly  to  the  road  leading  from 
Leonard's  bridge  to  William  Miller's  house." 

LEGISLATIVE. 

This  town  has  been  represented  in  the  Legislature  of  this 
State  by  Hon.  Jason  Kellogg  in  1802-5,  inclusive,  1807, 
1810,  1812,  1813,  1818.  His  .son,  Silas  D.  Kellogg,  rep- 
resented this  town  in  1822,  both  being  members  of  Assem- 
bly. Hon.  Ralph  Richards  was  in  the  House  as  member 
in  1858,  .senator  in  1862-63.  Hon.  Nathaniel  Dailey  rep- 
resented the  town  at  a  later  date. 

V  ULLAGES. 
ILVMI'TON     CORNERS 

is  located  on  the  Poultney  river,  about  a  mile  west  from 
Poultney,  Vt.  The  building  of  a  dam  and  the  erection  of 
a  saw-  and  grist-mill  on  the  Vermont  side  of  the  river  at  an 
early  day  by  Solomon  Norton  and  the  convenience  of  trade 
led  to  the  growth  of  a  vilhige  at  this  point.  The  first  store 
in  the  village  was  kept  by  Colonel  Pliny  Adams.  The 
building  is  still  standing,  and  is  owned  by  J.  O'Donnell. 
Ormis  and  Reuben  Doolittle  built  the  first  blacksmith-shop 
where  the  brick  store  now  stands. 

A  distillery  was  built  at  an  early  day  by  Miner  Webster 
on  land  a  few  rods  west  of  the  present  residence  of  Rufus 
H.  Clark.      It  went  to  decay  and  was  finally  torn  down. 

LOW     HAMPTON 

is  a  hamlet  situated  im  the  Poultney  river,  about  five  miles 
above  Hampton  Corners.  It  contains  one  store  and  a 
woolen-factory. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  pioneers  of  Hampton,  realizing  the  advantages  de- 
rived from  education,  erected  their  first  school-house  on 
the  hill,  on  the  site  of  the  present  house,  which  is  the  third 
on  that  site.  The  first  .school-house  was  built  of  logs,  the 
second  and  third  were  frame ;  the  last  one  was  built  about 
thirty  years  ago.  Eliakim  Doolittle  was  probably  the  first 
teacher.     In  the  north  end  of  the  town  we  could  get  no 


366 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


definite  account  of  the  school-house.  Peter  Christie  is 
mentioned  as  having  taught  the  first  school.  The  first 
physician  in  the  town  was  Dr.  VVilJiaui  Codman.  The 
first  frame  house  was  built  by  Squire  Samuel  Beaman,  and 
used  as  a  store.  It  stood  on  the  Stowe  farm  till  within  a 
few  years,  when  it  was  torn  down  by  Mr.  Stowe.  The  first 
tavern  was  kept  at  this  point  by  Captain  Peter  P.  French. 
The  first  tavern  at  the  Corners  was  built  and  kept  by 
Daniel  Rockwell.  lie  was  succeeded  by  Eli  K.  Post,  and 
he  by  Mallary  &  Ransom.  Colonel  Pliny  Adams  built 
and  kept  the  first  store  at  the  Corners.  The  first  orchard 
planted  was  by  Colonel  Gideon  Warren. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1S16  the  town  accepted  the 
provisions  of  the  school  law  of  1812,  voted  to  raise  a  sum 
of  money  equal  to  that  proposed  to  be  given  by  the  State, 
and  elected  as  the  first  school  commissioners  the  following 
persons :  Silas  D.  Kellogg,  Luke  Hotchkiss,  William 
Miller.  Inspectors  were  also  elected  at  the  same  time,  as 
follows:  Stephen  Sweet,  Josiah  Lyman,  Price  P.  Kellogg, 
Seth  Peck,  Robert  Millard,  Isaiah  Inman. 

During  the  succeeding  years,  down  to  1843,  the  follow- 
ing citizens  also  served  one  or  more  years  each  as  commis- 
sioners :  William  Jliiler,  David  Rood,  John  P.  Adams, 
Silas  D.  Kellogg,  Seth  Peck,  Edward  W.  Martin,  Robert 
Millard,  Benjamin  Rice,  Samuel  P.  Hooker,  William 
Hotchkiss,  John  Fuller,  David  Rood,  Seth  Peck,  M.D., 
L.  F.  Hooker,  Henry  J.  Ruggles,  Roger  D.  Hotchki.ss, 
William  P.  Noyse,  Horace  K.  Rice,  Hiram  Shaw,  Samuel 
P.  Hooker,  Martin  P.  Hooker,  Hael  S.  Austin,  William  S. 
Miller,  Smith  Philips,  Augustus  Austin,  Warren  Brown, 
William  Ward,  Nathaniel  Daily,  William  H.  Ward, 
Ralph  Richards,  David  Bosworth,  Henry  S.  Beaman,  Levi 
S.  Smith,  Joseph  D.  Crippin,  Oliver  Hulet. 

In  the  same  period  other  citizens  served  as  inspectors 
one  or  more  years  each :  Henry  H.  Kilbourne,  Oliver 
Thayer,  Stephen  Brooks,  Rev.  Stephen  Sweet,  Rev.  Edward 
W.  Martin,  Benjamin  W.  Hoar,  David  Burt,  Jr.,  Robert 
Inman,  E.  P.  Kellogg,  William  Miller,  William  Hotch- 
kiss, Seth  Peck,  Harry  D.  Kilbourn,  Marvin  Cady,  Isaiah 
Inman,  Jr.,  Beriah  Rogers,  Samuel  P.  Hooker,  Robert 
Millard,  John  Ward,  John  Searles,  William  P.  Noyse, 
Henry  J.  Ruggles,  Truman  Andrus,  Jacob  Streeter,  John 
Norton,  Price  F.  Kellogg,  Samuel  P.  Hooker,  Hiram 
Ranson,  William  H.  Ward,  Oliver  Hulet,  Smith  Philips, 
Samuel  B.  Austin,  Gilbert  Peck,  John  W.  Wood,  Caleb 
S.  Philips,  Bobbins  Miller,  George  Morris,  Samuel  B. 
Law,  Hiram  Ward,  Amos  Pierce. 

This  system  was  succeeded,  in  1S43,  by  that  of  town 
superintendents,  and  the  incumbents  of  that  oiEce  were : 
1844,  Aaron  C.  Broughton ;  1845,  Amos  M.  Pierce; 
1846,  James  H.Wood;  1847,  David  Bosworth;  1848, 
Aaron  C.  Broughton;  1850,  John  M.  Webster;  1852, 
Aaron  C.  Broughton  ;  1854,  Ralph  Richards;  1856,  Henry 
A.  Bourne. 

This  last  ofiBcer  was  legislated  out  by  the  act  which 
changed  the  supervision  of  the  schools  from  the  town 
authorities  to  assembly  district  commissioners. 

The  earliest  report  upon  the  condition  of  the  schools  to 
be  found  in  the  town  clerk's  office  is  for  1849,  and  shows 
the    following    distribution   of   public    money   twenty-nine 


years  ago:  District  No.  1,  846.02;  No.  2,  855.23;  No.  3, 
$26.70;  No.  5,  830.38;  No.  6,  822.10;  No.  7,  19.34; 
part  of  No.  4,  810.14 ;  part  of  No.  6,  83.70  ;  part  of  No. 
9,  $4.62  ;  total,  $218.23. 

The  last  apportionment  filed  with  the  town  clerk  by  the 
school  commissioners  for  1877  shows  to  some  extent  the 
present  condition  of  the  schools  : 


ChlMiili  iHtuci'ii 

Kntiri'  giii 

fi\f  untl  eiYtoen. 

iminey. 

tr 

$101.4:1 

'^^> 

1.W.27 

40 

US.1 1 

.2 

97.90 

i>. 

96.ll.i 

i7 

IK).  19 

Total 269  $114:5.01 

CHRTST     (EPISCOPAL)    CHURCH,    HAMPTON.* 

This  parish  was  founded  in  the  year  1798,  by  Rev. 
Philander  Chase,  then  rector  of  a  parish  in  Vermont.  He 
afterwards  became  bishop  of  Ohio,  and  also  of  Illinois. 
The  Rev.  Amos  Pardee,  in  a  letter  dated  Aug.  15,  1839, 
says,  "  In  the  summer  of  a.d.  1797  I  was  introduced  to 
the  parish  composed  of  Episcopalians  of  Pawlet,  Wells, 
and  Granville.  I  officiated  during  that  summer  about  one- 
quarter  of  the  time.  About  the  beginning  of  the  following 
year  I  returned  to  Pawlet,  and  not  long  after  my  return  I 
was  invited  to  visit  Hampton.  In  Hampton  resided  Major 
Peter  P.  French,  whose  mother  was  an  Episcopalian,  and 
he  had  some  traditionary  attachment  to  the  church.  Here 
also  resided  John  Dowd,  a  good  sort  of  a  man,  and  very 
strongly  attached  to  our  church.  On  the  hill  towards 
Gi'anville  resided  a  Mr.  Doolittle,  who,  on  account  of  a 
deranged  brother  residing  with  him,  was  seldom  able  to 
attend  church.  A  Mr.  Martin,  also  living  on  the  lower 
road,  laid  some  claim  to  the  name  of  churchman.  The 
principal  men  of  the  place,  Samuel  Beaman,  Esq.,  Jason 
Kellogg,  Esq.,  Colonel  Pliny  Adams,  etc.,  though  previous, 
to  this  but  little  acquainted  with  the  church,  now  some- 
what readily  received  the  truth.  In  this  year,  viz.,  A.D. 
1798,  I  think  the  church  was  legally  and  canonically  organ- 
ized, and  a  subscription  was  circulated  for  the  erection  of  a 
church  edifice,  which  was  at  length  effected,  and  the  house 
used  for  religious  worship,  though  not  completed.  In 
Poultney  the  principal  man  who  manifested  much  regard 
for  the  church  was  Esquire  Canfield.  There  was  also  in 
the  south  part  of  the  town  Samuel  Dowd ;  perhaps  there 
might  have  been  some  others  in  the  town  who  laid  some 
claim  to  the  name  of  churchmen.  There  were  others  who 
were  friendly  to  the  church.  There  was  no  very  formal 
organization  of  the  time  spoken  of,  but  there  was  a  con- 
sultation held,  the  chief  object  of  which  was  to  request  me 
to  take  charge  of  the  spiritual  concerns,  to  lease  the  glebe 
lands  (the  rent  of  which  was  .small),  to  preach  in  the  town, 
as  special  occasions  required  and  my  convenience  would 
permit.  The  friends  of  the  church  were  willing,  for  the 
most  part,  to  attend  at  Hampton,  where  we  had  a  congre- 
gation and  house  of  our  own.  In  the  fall  of  a.d.  1800  I 
moved  my  foinily  into  East  Poultney,  because  I  could  not 


»  T.akcn   Iruiu   the  cluircli 
Town  of  PoiiliiK'V.'' 


[id  "Frisbic's  Histury  of  the 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


367 


find  a  comfortable  house  that  I  could  live  in  Pawlet,  nor 
in  Hampton.  I  remained  there  until  I  loft  the  State,  in 
the  forepart  of  A.D.  1802." 

At  a  period  still  earlier  than  the  ministry  of  the  Rev. 
Amos  Pardee,  this  parish  was  occasionally  visited  by  the 
Rev.  Bethuel  Chittenden,  of  Tinmouth,  Vt.  His  ordina- 
tion by  the  first  American  bishop,  Dr.  Seabury,  must  iiave 
taken  place  as  early  as  A.D.  1784-88.  Mr.  Chittenden 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Barber.  Mr.  Pardee 
was  succeeded,  it  is  supposed,  by  Mr.  Chittenden,  and  he 
by  the  Rev.  Stephen  Jewett,  who  remained  here  about  ten 
years  (1811-21 ).  Under  his  charge  the  parish  and  cliurch 
acquired  considerable  importance,  and  became  the  motlier- 
church  in  the  vicinity. 

Between  1820-25  the  churcli  in  East  Poultiicy,  Vt.,  was 
organized  by  the  Rev.  Palmer  Dyer,  and  became  a  separate 
and  independent  parish,  under  the  title  of  St.  John's  church, 
Poultney.  It  still  remained,  however,  as  before,  to  all  prac- 
tical purposes  a  part  and  parcel  of  Christ  church,  Hampton, 
until  July  13, 1828,  when  in  its  parochial  capacity  it  united 
with  .said  parish  in  calling  the  Rev.  Moore  Bingham,  and 
shared  equally  in  his  services  until  Easter  JMonday,  A.D. 
1837.  During  the  period  of  nine  years  the  parish  of 
Hampton  contributed  about  one-sixth  of  the  minister's 
salary,  which  averaged  about  four  hundred  dollars  per  an- 
num. In  the  spring  of  1831  St.  John's  church  edifice. 
East  Poultney,  was  commenced,  and  was  completed  and  oc- 
cupied on  the  27th  day  of  May,  1834.  On  Easter  Mon- 
day, 1837,  at  a  parish-meeting  the  rector  observed  that  as 
neither  parish  was  likely  to  prosper  with  half-services, 
he  advised  the  parishes  to  tiy  the  experiment  of  each 
sustaining  its  own  rector.  The  recommendation  was 
adopted,  but  the  Rev.  Moore  Bingham  remained  in  the 
Hampton  parish.  He  remained  here  a  year  or  two,  and 
then  removed  to  East  Berkshire.  In  1845  he  returned 
to  Hampton,  rendering  also  partial  service  in  Tinmouth 
(1848-52),  teaching  pupils  and  working  the  few  acres  of 
the  rectory  lot.  Finally,  he  bought  a  western  farm,  and 
had  scarcely  settled  upon  it  when  he  was  summoned  away 
from  all  earthly  toils  and  pains.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
moral  characteristics,  great  enei'gy,  a  good  mind,  and  a 
reliable  and  earnest  Christian  minister.  About  1840,  the 
Rev.  Lucius  M.  Purdy  ofiiciatod  in  this  parish.  About 
Christmas,  1844,  the  Rev.  Daniel  Barber  became  the  rector 
in  Hampton  and  Poultney.  His  ministry  was  brief  He 
died  the  following  September,  and  was  buried  in  the  old 
church-yard  in  Hampton.  The  nest  rector  was  the  Rev. 
Oliver  Hopson,  giving  one-fourth  of  his  time  to  this  parish 
(1850).  In  1853,  up  to  1868,  the  half-services  were  given. 
The  last  rector  in  the  parish  was  the  Rev.  J.  H.  H.  De 
Mill.  The  old  church  edifice  stood  on  ground  given  by 
Colonel  Gideon  Warren,  situated  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  cemetery.  The  site  commanded  a  beautiful  view  of 
the  valley  of  the  Poultney  river  and  the  surrounding  hills 
and  mountain-peaks.  It  was  a  church  upon  a  hill.  The 
building  was  torn  down  a  few  years  ago.  The  society  oc- 
cupied in  its  later  years  a  chapel  near  the  bridge,  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Roman  Catholic  society.  As  an  outgrowth  of 
the  church  in  Hampton  and  East  Poultney,  Trinity  church, 
Poultney,  was  organized  in  the  summer  of  18UG,  by  the 


Rev.  Nathaniel  F.  Putnam.  The  services  were  at  first  held 
in  Joslin  Hall,  and  were  well  attended,  and  by  the  vigorous 
eflbrts  of  the  friends  of  the  church  this  part  of  the  pari.sh 
increased  so  as  to  warrant  an  eifort  towards  building  a  church 
edifice  in  the  west  village.  Trinity  church  was  consecrated 
in  the  fall  of  18G8.  In  the  fall  of  1869  the  Rev.  E.  H. 
Randall  was  called  to  this  parish,  and  is  rector  at  this  time. 

METHODI.ST    EnSCOPAL  CHURCH. 

The  earliest  account  of  this  church  in  the  town  of  Hamp- 
ton is  from  an  entry  in  Bishop  Asbury's  journal,  that  the 
bishop  visited  Hampton  Hill,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and 
preached  at  the  hou.se  of  one  Wheat,  and  administered  the 
sacrament  to  a  society  which  Philip  Embury  and  Barbara 
Heck  had  organized.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that 
records  show  that  there  were  several  Methodists  there  in 
1788,  the  earliest  date  at  which  Methodist  ministers  were 
appointed  by  conference  to  this  territory.  The  whole  ter- 
ritory from  New  York  city  northward  was  created  into  one 
district,  entitled  New  York  district,  of  which  Freeborn  Gar- 
retson  was  the  first  presiding  elder.  In  the  year  1788,  al- 
ready mentioned,  Lemuel  Smith  was  appointed  to  Cam- 
bridge circuit,  and  Samuel  Wigdon  to  Lake  Champlain  ; 
both  circuits  embraced  in  the  New  York  district,  but  being 
quite  indefinite  with  regard  to  boundaries.  Smith  found 
members  and  a  class  at  Hampton,  but  whether  Wigdon  found 
any  we  cannot  say.  They  visited  Hampton  together,  and 
were  hospitably  received  by  Samuel  Bibbins,  whose  name 
thenceforward  is  prominent  among  Methodists  of  this  region 
for  many  years.  In  1801  Cambridge  circuit  was  divided, 
and  Hampton  was  set  ofi'  to  Brandon  (Vermont)  circuit.  At 
a  quarterly  conference  for  Brandon  circuit,  held  at  Pittsford, 
Oct.  27,  1821,  the  following  vote  was  passed:  "That 
Samuel  Draper  circulate  a  subscription  paper  to  build  a 
meeting-house  in  Hampton,  and  report  at  the  next  quar- 
terly conference."  At  this  time  John  B.  Stratton  was  pre- 
siding elder,  and  Samuel  Draper,  Moses  Amadou,  and 
Jacob  Beaman  the  circuit  preachers.  The  next  quarterly 
conference  was  held  at  Hampton,  Jan.  13,  1822,  and  Mr. 
Draper  reported,  "  That  he  had  attended  the  business  as- 
signed him  at  a  former  conference  to  circulate  a  subscrip- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  building  a  meeting-house  in  the 
town  of  Hampton,  and  that  his  report  was  unfavorable  to 
any  probable  success."  A  vote  was  called  to  dismiss  the 
subject,  and  carried  in  the  aflirmative.  Elder  Draper  in- 
formed the  conference  he  had  drawn  a  subscription,  at  the 
request  of  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of 
Poultney,  to  build  a  Methodist  meeting-house  in  Poultney, 
with  a  prospect  of  success.  In  1822,  Hampton  and  Poult- 
ney passed  from  the  Brandon  to  the  Whitehall  circuit.  Its 
first  quarterly  conference  was  held  in  a  school-house  near 
William  Hotchkiss',  Aug.  24,  1822.  J.  B.  Stratton  was 
presiding  elder ;  Orrin  Pier  and  Philo  Ferris,  circuit 
preachers.  At  a  quarterly  conference  for  Whitehall  cir- 
cuit, held  in  the  meeting-house  in  Poultney,  Nov.  5,  1825, 
Poultney  is  recognized  as  a  station,  and  Seymour  Landon 
is  called  "  station  preacher."  The  '■  Stone  church"  had 
been  occupied  by  the  circuit  preachers  for  meetings,  but  it 
was  unfinished  ;  and  on  the  13th  day  of  April,  1826,  the 
leading  Methodists  of  West  Poultney,  with  the  few  Metho- 


3G8 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


dists  ill  other  parts  of  the  town,  and  with  several  Methodists 
in  Hampton,  New  York,  to  the  number  of  thirty-six  in  all, 
united  to  form  a  society,  whose  objects  are  set  forth  in  the 
following  compact :  "  We,  the  subscribers,  inhabitants  of 
Poultney,  in  the  State  of  Vermont,  and  of  Hampton,  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  do  hereby  associate  and  agree  to  form 
a  society,  under  the  name  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  So- 
ciety of  Poultney,  for  the  purpose  of  building  or  furnishing 
a  meeting-house,  paying  and  supporting  ministers,  and  pro- 
curing a  parsonage  lot  for  their  accommodation." 

Tlie  first  Methodist  meeting-house  in  Poultney  was  built 
in  1822.  From  the  introduction  of  Methodism  into  this 
region,  Hampton  had  been  much  more  prominent  than 
Poultney,  and  the  house  would  have  been  located  there  but 
for  a  contest  which  arose  at  this  time  between  Poultney 
and  East  Poultney  in  regard  to  the  post-office. 

In  1841  the  Methodists  in  Hampton  separated  from  the 
Poultney  society,  and  organized  a  society  at  Hampton  Cor- 
ners. The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Mr.  Cooper,  who  officiated 
here  and  at  Whitehall  alternately  for  two  years.  The  first 
trustees  were  Wm.  Hotchkiss,  Roswell  Clark,  Ethan  War- 
ren, for  one  year ;  Lyman  Broughton,  P]benezer  Gould, 
Ma.son  Pierce,  for  two  years;  Hiram  Hotchkiss,  Z.  Kellogg, 
E.  R.  Morgan,  for  three  years.  Mr.  Cooper's  successor  was 
Rev.  Mr.  Chipp,  who  remained  two  years,  preaching  half 
the  time  at  Poultney,  Vt.  Rev.  S.  S.  Ford  was  the  next 
pastor,  giving  his  whole  time  to  this  church  for  two  years. 
The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1842.  The  ministers 
have  been  the  following :  A.  C.  Rose,  J.  G.  Craig,  R.  West- 
cott,  Wm.  G.  Leonard,  J.  N.  Webster,  S.  A.  Knapp,  Cyrus 
Meeker,  Hiram  Meeker,  D.  H.  Lovelaud,  J.  J.  Noe,  D. 
Starks,  R.  T.  Wade,  J.  W.  Belknap,  and  D.  B.  McKenzie, 
the  present  pastor.  The  present  trustees  are  Roswell  Clark, 
L.  E.  Prouty,  N.  Dailey,  J.  O'Donnell,  Rufus  H.  Clark, 
Gideon  Warren,  Jesse  Wilson,  J.  Q.  Hotchkiss,  and  Dr. 
H.  Meeker.  The  society  own  a  parsonage.  The  present 
membership  is  seventy.  The  Sunday-school  has  a  mem- 
bership of  sixty-five  pupils ;  T.  D.  Southworth,  superinten- 
dent. 

BAPTIST    CHURCH    (LOW    HAMPTON). 

Elder  Elnathan  Phelps,  of  Orwell,  Vt.,  a  minister  of  the 
Baptist  church,  was  well  known  in  his  day  for  the  plain, 
scriptural  character  of  his  preaching,  through  the  whole 
section  of  country  extending  from  western  Massachusetts 
along  the  line  of  Vermont  and  New  York  to  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  Through  his  labors,  the  Baptist  church  was  organ- 
ized in  Low  Hampton.  In  1799,  Elisha  Miller  was  .settled 
over  the  church,  and  was  pastor  to  1821  ;  a  small  meeting- 
house was  erected  about  1812.  In  1833,  Wm.  Miller  was 
licensed  to  preach,  and  officiated  for  this  society.  Here  and 
elsewhere  he  preached  his  doctrine,  and  a  majority  of  the 
members  having  embraced  the  Advent  faith,  they  were,  by 
the  action  of  an  ecclesiastical  council,  in  1845,  separated 
from  the  Baptist  denomination.  The  minority  being  weak 
the  church  disbanded,  and  the  building  was  finally  torn 
down.  The  members  now  attend  worship  at  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 

THE    SECOND    ADVENT   CHURCH 

was  organized  Sept.   11,   1850,  with   thirty  members  ;  the 
first  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1S48.    Elder  Leonard 


Kimball    was    the    firet    pastor;    at  pre.sent    it  has   none. 
There  are  but  few  of  the  society  left  in  the  neighborhood. 

William  Miller,  the  first  preacher  of  and  founder  of  the 
Advent  faith,  was  born  Feb.  15,  1872,  on  the  Miller  farm, 
about  one  mile  we.st  of  Pitt.sfield,  Mass.  His  father,  ('apt. 
Wm.  Miller,  was  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution.  He  mar- 
ried Paulina  Phelps,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Elnathan  Phelps, 
a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church,  residing  in  Orwell,  Vt. 
In  178(5,  Capt.  Miller  with  his  family  removed  to  Hampton 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  settled  on  a  farm  located 
near  the  bank  of  the  Poultney  river,  and  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  what  is  now  known  as  the  village  of  Fair 
Haven,  Vt.  He  leased  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  for  which 
he  was  to  pay  annually  twenty  bushels  of  wheat.  After  a 
suitable  clearing  had  been  made,  a  log  cabin  erected,  farming 
life  in  the  wilderness  with  its  toils  and  privations  was  fairly 
begun.  In  a  newly-settled  country,  the  public  means  of 
education  must  necessarily  be  very  limited.  William's 
mother  had  taught  him  to  read,  so  that  he  soon  mastered 
the  few  books  belonging  to  the  family.  But  if  the  terms 
of  school  were  short,  the  winter  nights  were  long.  Pine- 
knots  could  be  made  to  supply  the  want  of  candles,  and  the 
spacious  fire-place  was  ample  enough  as  a  substitute  for  the 
school-house.  ^Villiam  possessed  a  strong  physical  consti- 
tution, an  active  and  naturally  well-developed  intellect,  and 
an  irreproachable  character.  He  had  enjoyed  the  limited 
advantages  of  the  district  school  but  a  few  years,  before  it 
was  generally  admitted  that  his  attainments  exceeded  those 
of  the  teachers  usually  employed.  June  29,  1803,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Lucy  Smith,  of  Poultney,  Vt.,  and 
took  up  his  residence  there.  In  1809  he  was  appointed 
sheriff,  in  which  office  he  continued  until  he  received  a 
commission,  in  1812,  as  captain  of  a  company  of  infantry, 
in  the  1st  Brigade  of  Vermont  State  volunteers.  In  1814 
he  was  appointed  captain  in  the  30th  Regiment,  United 
States  Infantry,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg. 
On  the  retirement  of  Capt.  Miller  from  the  army,  he  re- 
moved his  family  from  Poultney  to  Low  Hampton,  to  begin 
the  occupation  of  farming. 

His  father,  dying  in  1812,  left  the  homestead  encum- 
bered with  a  mortgage ;  this  was  canceled  by  Captain 
Miller,  who  permitted  his  mother,  and  brother  Solomon 
(who  is  still  living  on  the  homestead),  to  live  there,  while 
he  purchased  another  farm  in  the  neighborhood,  about  half 
a  mile  west.  On  this  farm,  in  1815,  he  erected  a  con- 
venient farm-house  of  wood,  two  stories  high  (this  is  still 
standing  and  occupied  by  one  of  his  sons).  At  the  Baptist 
church  in  the  neighborhood  he  became  a  constant  attend- 
ant, and  contributed  liberally  to  its  support.  The  prox- 
imity of  his  house  caused  it  to  become  the  headquarters  of 
the  denomination.  There  the  preachers  from  a  distance 
found  food  and  shelter  and  a  home  beneath  his  roof. 
During  a  period  of  twelve  years  previous  to  1816  Captain 
Miller  was  an  infidel.  The  time  had  now  come  when  God, 
by  his  providence  and  grace,  was  about  to  enlist  the  patriotic 
soldier  in  another  kind  of  warfare.  In  the  minister's 
absence  one  Sunday  it  devolved  on  Captain  Miller  to  read 
a  sermon  of  the  deacons'  selection.  They  had  chosen  one 
on  the  importance  of  parental  duties.  This  sermon  was  the 
turning-point  in  his  life.     He  publicly  professed  religion 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YOllK. 


369 


and  united  with  the  little  cluireli  that  he  liad  despised, 
opened  his  house  for  meetings  of  prayer,  and  beeanio  an 
aid  to  pastor  and  people.  He  pursued  the  study  of  the 
Bible  with  the  most  intense  interest.  He  became  fully 
satisfied  that  the  Bible  is  its  own  interpreter.  He  found 
that,  by  a  comparison  of  Scripture  with  history,  all  the 
prophecies  as  far  as  they  had  been  fulfilled  had  been  ful- 
filled literally.  In  the  fall  of  1831  it  was  impressed  on  his 
mind  "  to  go  and  tell  it  to  the  world.''  He  delivered  his 
first  public  lecture  on  the  Second  Advent  iu  Dresden, 
Washington  Co.  In  February,  1833,  he  published  his 
views  in  a  pamphlet  of  sixty-four  pages,  entitled  "  Evi- 
dences fioui  Scripture  and  History  of  the  Second  Coming 
of  Christ  about  the  year  1843,  and  of  His  Personal  Reign 
of  One  Thousand  Years."     By  William  Miller. 

In  the  fall  of  1833,  Captain  Miller  received  a  license  to 
preach  froiji  the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member.  From 
1832  to  1844  he  had  lectured  three  thousand  two  hundred 
times  in  the  cities,  villages,  and  towns  of  this  country. 
The  vernal  equinox  of  1844  was  the  farthest  point  of  time 
to  which  Mr.  Miller's  calculation  had  extended.  The  pass- 
ing of  the  time  was  a  great  disappointment  to  Mr.  Miller 
and  his  followers,  but  it  did  not  impair  his  confidence  in 
God  or  affect  his  usual  cheerfulness  of  disposition.  Jan. 
29,  1845,  charges  were  made  against  him  before  an  eccle- 
siastical council.  In  tlie  fifth  charge  he  was  charged  with 
a  departure  from  the  usages  of  the  Baptist  church.  The 
charges  were  all  sustained,  and  he  and  a  majority  of  the 
church  were  separated  from  the  Baptist  denomination.  He 
continued  lecturing  in  the  towns  and  cities  until  January, 
1848,  when  his  health  began  to  decline,  and  in  April  he 
was  confined  mostly  to  his  room.  On  the  20th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1849,  he  died.  His  funeral  was  attended  from  the 
Congregational  church  in  Fair  Haven,  Vt.,  December  23. 
He  left  a  wife  and  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  His  re- 
mains repose  in  the  Low  Hampton  cemetery,  where  there 
is  a  monument  erected  to  his  memory. 

Mr.  Miller's  published  writings  comprise  his  sixteen 
lectures  on  the  Prophecies,  his  life  and  views,  of  about 
three  hundred  pages  each,  and  a  number  of  pamphlets, 
tracts,  etc.* 

BURYING-GROUNDS. 

At  the  town-meeting  held  May  2,  1786,  Lemuel  Hyde, 
Joseph  Hyde,  and  Nicholas  Spoor  were  appointed  to  pur- 
chase a  burying-place  at  each  end  of  tlic  town,  and  to  set  a 
time  to  clear  the  same.  At  the  same  meeting,  Asa  Warren, 
Caleb  Warren,  and  Samuel  Church  were  appointed  grave- 
diggers  for  the  year  ensuing.  The  grave-yard  in  the  south 
end  of  the  town  was  located  on  land  given  for  that  purpose 
by  Colonel  Gideon  Warren ;  this  lot  lay  between  the  school- 
house  and  the  Episcopal  church.  The  first  burial  was  that 
of  a  stranger  who  was  taken  sick  and  died  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

Up  to  1816  the  following  named  were  buried  in  this  old- 
time  grave-yard  :  Miriam,  wife  of  Jason  Kellogg,  Oct.  4, 
1789;  Martha,  wife  of  Jason  Kellogg,  Nov.  25,  1812; 
Mrs.  Lucy  French,  wife  of  Captain  P.  P.  French,  Nov.  23, 
1793,  also  his  second  wife,  Jerusha,  Nov.  13,  1798;  Mi-s. 


■  Memoirs  of  William  Miller,  by  Sylvester  Bliss. 


Elizabeth  French,  wife  of  David  French,  Aug.  24,  1795  ; 
Ashbel  Webster,  Aug.  1,  1801  ;  Colonel  Gideon  Warren, 
April  4,  1803,  aged  seventy-three  years;  Colonel  PHny 
Adams,  April  2,  1816,  aged  fifty  years.  The  grave-yard 
in  the  north  end  of  the  town  is  located  on  land  given  by 
Captain  Wni.  Miller,  Sr.  The  first  interment  in  this  ground 
was  a  daughter  of  Captain  Miller;  the  next  was  that  of  Eli 
Parsons.  Peter  Christie  was  buried  in  this  yard  May  8, 
1797  ;  Nehemiah  Lewis,  Feb.  15,  1799.  Here  lie  the  re- 
mains of  Wm.  Miller,  the  founder  of  the  Advent  faith. 

Here,  in  these  olden-time  grave-yards,  repose  all  that  is 
mortal  pertaining  to  names  loved  and  honored  ;  here  sleep 
the  dust  of  aged  pioneers. 

MANUFACTURES    IN    THE    TOWN    OF    HAMPTON. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  at  an  early  day,  the 
iron-forges  were  started.  The  iron  ore  was  brought  from 
the  west  side  of  Lake  Champlain.  Leonard's  forge  was 
located  near  Leonard's  bridge,  at  Lower  Hampton.  Daniel 
Smith  built  a  forge  and  cardingmill  near  this  point,  and  a 
man  named  Carver  built  a  forge  in  the  northern  of  the  town, 
where  the  powder-  and  woolen-mill  is  now. 

These  forges  made  flat  and  square  bar-iron  for  black- 
smiths' use.  The  powder-mills  were  erected  about  1850, 
by  Quackenbush,  Steere,  and  Armstrong,  of  Hoosick  Falls. 
They  employed  ten  men,  and  manufactured  blasting  and 
sporting  powder  ;  their  capacity  was  about  one  hundred  kegs 
a  day.  Austin  &  Goodwin  succeeded  them  in  the  business. 
The  concern  has  not  been  in  operation  for  about  four  years. 

There  is  a  woolen-mill  at  Low  Hampton.  All  the  slate- 
factories  in  the  town  are  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  Hamp- 
ton Corners.  At  present  there  are  only  four  worked, — the 
New  England  Slate  and  Tile  Company,  employing  about  ten 
men  ;  the  Warren  Slate  quarry,  employing  about  six  men  ; 
the  David  Williams  &  Brothers  quarry,  employini;  about  four 
men  ;  and  the  Jesse  Wilson  quarry,  of  red  slate,  employing 
four  men.  The  Hampton  Cheese-Manufacturing  Company 
was  organized  in  May,  1869,  with  a  capital  of  four  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  incorporators  were  Julius  J.  Stowe, 
president;  Rufus  H.  Clark,  superintendent  and  secretary; 
John  O'Donnell,  S.  A.  Warren,  L.  Collins,  M.  0.  Stod- 
dard, Jesse  Wilson,  M.  P.  Hooker,  C.  J.  Inman,  and 
Nathaniel  P.  Daily. 

Ofiicers  the  present  year:  M.  P.  Hooker,  president; 
R.  H.  Clark,  superintendent  and  secretary. 

This  factory  has  the  milk  from  four  hundred  cows,  and 
in  the  last  season  used  1,539,508  pounds  of  milk,  making 
150,492  pounds  of  cheese. 

SOLDIERS    OP    HAMPTON. 

Few  facts  have  been  obtained  upon  the  early  wars,  as  far 
as  this  town  is  concerned.  The  pensioners  living  iu  town 
in  1840,  according  to  the  official  register,  were  Thomas  Todd, 
aged  seventy-nine ;  Eleazer  Lyman,  seventy-four  ;  Samuel 
Beaman,  eighty-four  ;  Caleb  Warren,  seventy-sis  ;  Benja- 
min C.  Owen,  seventy-seven  ;  Joseph  C.  O'Brien,  forty -four. 

The  following  roll  of  men  who  served  in  the  war  of  1861 
-65  has  been  taken  from  the  list  written  by  the  town  clerk 
for  the  bureau  of  military  statistics,  Albany.  It  has  also 
been  compared  with  the  printed  muster-in  rolls,  and  has 


47 


370 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


furthcv  been  examined  for  additions  and  corrections  by  the 
present  town  clerk,  Mr.  Rufus  Clark  : 

Nelson  L.  Allard,  onl.  Sept.  IG,  1861,  2(1  Cav.,  Co.  F:  miHsing  after   the  »econil 

battle  of  Bull  Kiiu. 
Wm.  0,  Alliird,  onl.  Aug.  14,  1802,  123d  Bogt.,  Co.  K ;  died  of  disease,  at  WaBli- 

ington,  D.  C,  Fob.  28,  1803. 
Charles  E.  Allard,  onl.  Aug.  0, 1804,  llth  VI,;  died  of  fuvor,  at  Martinsliurg, 

Nov.  11,  1804. 
Wm.  B.  Barber,  cnl.  Nov.  1801,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  lut  «orgt. ;  dincli. ;  re-olil. 

Jan.  1804;  died  uf  wounds,  Juno  11,  1804. 
Benjamin  Barker,  onl.  Aug.  18, 1802,  9.3d  Rogt.,  Co.  I ;  lost  an  arm  in  battle  of 

Wilderness ;  discli.  1864. 
Hool  B.  Clark,  onl.  Aug.  26, 1862,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  March  1, 1803. 
Junius  L.  Clark,  enl.  Aug.  30,  1862,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  corp.;  disch.  Juno  2, 

1805. 
James  Crawloy,  onl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C;  disch.  Juno  8, 1805. 
Bdmond  Croake,  enl.  Dec.  3, 1801,  93d  Begt.,  Co.  K ;  disch.  Juno,  180.5. 
Thomas  Oassidy,  enl.  April,  1801, 1st  Vt.  ;  disch.  at  end  of  time  ;  re-enl.  in  reg- 
ular army  ;  killed  at  Vicksburg,  May,  1803. 
Jas.  Cassidy,  onl.  Oct.  1801, 12th  Rcgt. ;  killed  before  Richmond,  Juno  27, 1802. 
Patrick  Croake,  eul.  Doc.  3,  1801,  93d  Rcgt.,  Co.  K. 

Charles  B.  Doble,  Corp.;  onl.  Aug.  29, 1802,93d  llegt.,Co.  I ;  dixch.  June  1,  1805. 
Joseph  Dickinson,  onl.  Aug.  .5,  1802,  123d  Rogt.,  Co.  K. 
Chester  Dowd,  enl.  Dec.  10, 1861,  77th  Rogt. 
Wm.  H.  H.  Douglass,  cnl.  Harris  I,ight  Cav. 
Walter  W.  Douglass,  onl.  Vermont. 
OrilBth  Edwards,  enl.  Doc.  a9,  1803,  10th  Art.,  Co,  I. 
Rollin  M.  Green,  corp.;  onl.  Jan.  1862,  7th  Vt.,  Co.  C;   pro,  1st  lieut. ;  died  of 

fever,  at  Barancas,  Flu.,  Nov.  10, 1803. 
John  Grant,  onl.  Doc.  3, 1801,  03d  Rogt.,  Co.  E. 
Albert  Honey,  enl.   Aug.  29,  1862,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  1;    died  Dec,  1'2,  1S03,  at 

Washington. 
Thomas  B.  Huntington,  enl,  Aug.  1.5, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co,  K ;  di.ich.  for  dis- 
ability, Feb.  1803. 
Michael  Hayes,  musician  ;  enl.  Aug.  1802, 123d  Rcgt,,  Co,  K. 
Moses  R.  Jones,  enl.  Doc.  29,  1863,  10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Timothy  Kennedy,  onl.  Deo.  29,  1803,  lOth  Art,,  Co.  I. 
Franklin  Murray,  enl.  Doc.  17,  1861,  93il  R!lgt.,  Co,  1 ;  lo-eni.  Fob,  28,  1804,  93d 

Begt.,  Co.  I ;  lost  an  arm.  Doc.  29,  1804.  - 
Abol  F.  Mounts,  enl.  Aug.  1802,  123d  Begt,,  Co,  K  ;  disabled;  rliscliarged, 
Wm.  Mairs,  enl.  Dec.  29,  1803,  Kith  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Vcranus  W.  New,  enl.  Doc.  1801,  9'3d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  died  of  disease,  at  Yorktown, 

May  13,  1802. 
Lawrence  Ostrander,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K  ;  pio.  Corp. ;  discli. 

Juno  18,  1805. 
Alpheus  C.  Osborne,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1862,  123d   Regt,,  Co.  K;  killed  on   pirkc^t, 

Aug.  8,  1804,  at  Atlanta,  Ga. 
Charles  Pitney,  onl.  Doc.  18,  1801,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  I;  diod  soon  afler  discharged. 
Peter  auinn,onl.  Dec.  11,  1801,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  G. 
Frank  M.  Rood,  onl.  Doc.  10,  1801,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  10  ;  pio.  to  corp, ;  disch,  .June 

18,  1805;  rc-cnl.  93d  Regt.;  disch.  Aug.  1,  1805, 
Edward  Ryan,  onl.  Nov.  1,  1801,  93d  Rogt,  Co,  1;  re-enl.  Dec,  27,   1803,  93d 

Regt.j  Co.  H  ;  discli.  July  27, 1805. 
Wm.Beardon, enl.  Aug,  1802,123d  Begt.,  Co.  K  ;  died  at  Hilton  Head,  Oct,  1801, 
Clark  H.  Busaell,  enl.  Aug,  0,  1862,  llth  Vermuiit,  Co.  C ;  woundeii ;  died  Ironi 

that  cause,  Aug.  27,  1804. 
Isaac  Baco,  onl.  Dec.  10,  1801,  93d  Begt.,  Co.  E. 

William  SearlcB,  enl.  Dec.  1861,  93d  Regt,,  Co.  I;  diod  In  service,  1802. 
Barnnm  Stephens,  onl.  March  20,  1864,  93d  Rcgt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Juno,  1805, 
John  Soarlos,  enl,  March  20, 1804,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  I. 

John  B.  Shaw,  onl.  Doc.  16,  1863,  6th  Vermont,  Co,  I;  wounded  in  tin.  Wilder- 
ness ;  disch.  April  29,  1866, 
John  Shaw,  enl.  Jan.  1865,  7th  Vermont;  dischargeil. 
Milo  Shaw,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1862,  123d  Rogt.,  Co.  K. 
John  Sherman,  onl.  Aug.  10,  1802,  12;!d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Samuel  Stiles,  onl.  Aug.  21,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 
Chauncey  S.  Sharp,  enl.  Dec.  17, 1801,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  I. 
Edward  Tanner,  onl.  Aug.  4,  1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  K. 
N.  A.  Thayer,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  K. 

John  Van  Andeu,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1802,  123d  Bogt.,  Co.  0;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Hiram  0.  Warron,  Ist  liout.;  onl.  Sept.  14,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  K;  pro.  to 

capt.,  April  20, 1864. 
Peter  M,  Willis,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d   Begt.,  Co,  K  ;  dis.b,  for  disability, 

March  20,  1803. 
Edwin  Willis,  enl.  Aug,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  for  disability,  April  24, 

1803. 
Lyman  J.  Warren,  2d  liout.;  enl.  Oct.  1,  1801,  93d  Begt,,  Co.  E;  disch.  Jan.  22, 

1863. 
Stewart  Wilson,  enl.  Aug.  29, 1862,  93d  Regt,,  Co.  1 ;  wounded  ;  disch,  June  2, 

1805. 
Conrad  Weiss,  onl.  Aug.  1862,  93d  Rogt.,  Co.  1 ;  disch.  Juno  2, 1865. 
Charles  C.  Wostcot,  eul.  Aug.  3, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  disch.  for  disability, 

March,  1803. 
Gyrus  11.  Westcot,  onl.  Aug.  1861, 2d  Eogt. ;  wounded  at  second  Bull  Run  ;  died 

soon  after,  Sept.  14,  1802. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


HON.  RALPH    RICHARDS, 

son  of  Rli  ami  Amanda  lliclianl.s,  was  horn  in  Wonthors- 
field,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Nov.  22,  180!».  Hi'  i.-<  nf  Kiij,'lish 
descent.  After  receiving  a  comraon-scliool  education  he 
entered  Castleton  Academy,  where  he  spent  considerable 
time  preparing  himself  for  a  teacher.  In  1813,  his  father, 
Eli  Richards,  removed  into  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
settled  in  Hampton,  Washington  Co.,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death,  at  an  advanced  age,  in  March,  1858,  and 
where  his  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  still  resides.  For 
twenty-five  ytsars  Mr,  Richards  followed  the  profession  oi' 
teacher,  and  during  a  part  of  this  time  was  principal  of  the 
school  at  Whitehall.  He  was  eminently  successful  a-s  a 
tcacliiM-,  winning  by  his  kind,  genial  manners  a  host  of 
riiciid-;,  wliii  icg;inl  liiiii  to-day  as  the  earnest  and  faithful 
teacher  and  a  wi.se  and  good  man.  Several  years  since  hv. 
retired  to  the  old  home  in  Hampton,  where  he  has  been 
equally  successful  as  a  farmer.  He  has  always  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  political  affairs,  and  has  always  been  tmt- 
spoken  in  his  opinions.  He  was  a  Whig,  or  rather  an  Abo- 
litionist, until  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party, 
when  he  joined  it.  In  fact,  he  was  one  of  the  men  who 
helped  organize  that  party.  He  was  always  decidedly  op- 
posed to  slavery,  and  was  known  far  and  near  as  the  cham- 
pion of  anti-slavery  in  all  this  country.  Ho  was  personally 
acquainted  with  John  Brown  many  years  before  his  name 
had  been  blazoned  abroad.  He  has  always  been  a  strong 
and  unwavering  advocate  of  temperance  ;  and  upon  this 
subject,  as  well  as  slavery,  has  frequently  spoken  in  public, 
ever  maintaining  that  intemperance  and  human  bondage 
were  the  two  great  evils  of  our  day.  He  has  lived  to. see 
the  downfall  of  one,  and  hopes  to  see  the  other  consigned 
to  its  proper  place  before  he  is  called  away.  He  has  held 
vaiious  offices  of  trust  and  honor,  in  all  of  which  he  has 
given  general  satisfaction.  He  was  town  superintendent  of 
schools  for  several  years.  In  the  fiiU  of  1857  he  was 
elected  member  of  Assembly  from  the  northern  district  of 
Washington  county,  and  at  the  ensuing  session  of  the 
Legislature  comported  himself  so  well  as  to  secure  the 
a])probation  of  his  constituents.  In  the  fall  of  1862  he 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  representing  the  district 
composed  of  Rensselaer  and  Washington  counties.  His 
lionesty  of  purpose,  his  sound  judgment,  and  his  cordial 
manners  secured  for  him  an  honorable  position  among  his 
associates  in  that  body.  So  well  pleased  were  his  townsmen 
with  him  that  they  elected  him  supervisor  of  his  town 
without  opposition.  He  served  two  terms,  one  of  which 
he  was  chosen  "  chairman  of  the  board."  He  married 
Miss  Harriet  Leland,  daughter  of  Deacon  Otis  Leland,  of 
Hartland,  Niagara  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  23,  1838.  Mrs.  H. 
Richards  was  born  Oct.  22,  1820,  and  died  Jan.  31,  1847. 
Mr.  Richards  married  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  James 
and  Mary  Richardson,  of  Poultney,  Vt.,  Jan.  12,  1848 
She  was  born  Oct.  17,  1820.  By  this  union  five  children 
were  born, — Eugene  H.,  Frank  A.,  John  F.,  Hattie  E.,  and 
Martha  E., — the  last  of  whom  died  while  an  infant.      Mrs. 


^       -^    ^5^ 


I^RS  Ralph  Richards, 


^ON  Ralph  Richards 


h?iCHARDS,/(AMFroN. Washington  Co,N  Y 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


371 


Richards  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Poultney. 

In  private  life,  among  his  friends  and  neighbors,  no  man 
is  more  highly  esteemed  than  Mr.  Richards.  All  speak  of 
him  as  the  good  son  and  brother,  the  kind  and  aflFectionate 
husband,  the  faithful  guardian  and  father,  the  wi.se  coun- 
selor, and  an  honest  man. 


ALBERT   RICHARDS, 

brother  of  Ralph,  was  educated  at  the  Troy  Conference 
Academy  and  at  Union  College,  where  he  graduated  in 
1850.  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every  man  to  educate  him- 
self is  a  sentiment  that  he  always  dwelt  upon  with  em- 
phasis, and  by  which  his  own  course  of  life  had  for  years 
been  determined.  In  the  discharge  of  this  duty  he  had 
succeeded  in  completing  his  collegiate  course,  and  but  one 
short  month  before  his  decease  "  left  the  shades  of  his 
alma  mater"  to  pay,  as  the  sad  event  proved,  a  farewell 
visit  to  the  home  of  his  childhood.  When  arrested  by 
disease,  he  was  on  his  way  to  Troy,  Ohio,  where  he  in- 
tended to  follow  the  profession  of  teaching.  He  died  among 
strangers,  but  left  to  his  friends  a  good  name,  and  his  re- 
mains were  brought  home  and  he  was  buried  with  his 
parents. 

MRS.  JULIA  NORTON. 
Mrs.  Julia  Norton  is  a  daughter  of  Eli  and  Amanda 
Richards,  and  was  born  in  Weathersfield,  Vt.,  Jan.  30, 
1807.  She  is  one  of  nine  children, — namely,  Maria,  Ma- 
rian, Julia,  Ralph,  Alonzo,  Amanda,  Sally,  Martha,  and 
Albert.  Of  these,  Julia  and  Ralph  are  the  only  ones  that 
are  now  living.  Mrs.  Norton  settled  in  Hampton  in  1813 
with  her  parents.  She  received  a  common-school  education. 
She  has  always  been  identified  in  the  temperance  cause  and 
cause  of  religion.  She  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  Poultney  in  1829.  She  married  Mr.  Franklin 
Norton,  of  Claremont,  N.  H.,  Jan.  1,  1862.  Mr.  Norton 
died  Feb.  8,  1875.  Mrs.  Norton's  married  life  was  very 
short,  but  she  remembers  Mr.  Norton  to-day  with  very 
pleasant  recollections.  Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Norton  she 
has  returned  to  the  "  old  home,"  in  which  she  has  an  equal 
interest  with  her  brother  Ralph.  She  is  deeply  interested 
in  everything  which  pertains  to  the  highest  intere.st  of  her 
brother's  family  or  the  community  at  large. 


PAULINUS    MILLARD. 

Among  the  native-born  settlers  of  the  town  or  county, 
not  many  have  lived  to  see  as  many  years  as  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  He  is  the  son  of  Abiatha  and  Eleanor  Millard, 
and  was  born  on  the  place  he  now  owns  in  Hampton,  Aug. 
10,  1792.  His  father  was  born  in  Connecticut,  Sept.  14, 
1760  ;  his  mother  was  born  in  Connecticut,  Dec.  10,  1762. 
They  were  married  Jan.  16,  1784,  and  immediately  emi- 
grated to  Hampton,  where  they  continued  to  reside  till 
their  death.  Abiatha  Millard  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  He  was  married  three  times.  His  first  wife 
died  Sept.  22,  1793,  leaving  five  children,  of  whom  Pauli- 


nus  is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  had  three  children  by 
his  second  wife  (all  are  dead)  and  two  by  his  third  wife, 
of  whom  one  only  remains.  By  occupation  Mr.  Abiatha 
Millard  was  a  blacksmith  and  farmer.  He  died  Feb.  10, 
1825.  Paulinus  became  the  sole  owner  of  the  "  old  home- 
stead," and  has  been  a  farmer  through  life.  He  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  married  Ruth  Mathews, 
Jan.  1,  1815,  by  whom  one  son,  Benjamin  F.,  was  born. 
Mr.  Millard  married  Harriet  Draper,  a  native  of  Easton, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  for  his  second  wife.  She  was  born 
Oct.  11,  1800. 

Mr.  Millard  has  owned  some  four  hundred  acres  of  land, 
but  has  sold  some  two  hundred.  In  politics  he  rather  affil- 
iates with  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  been  commis- 
sioner of  highways  and  assessor  of  his  town.  He  and 
President  Fillmore  were  cousins.  He  is  now  an  old  man  ; 
time  has  made  its  mark  on  him,  and  ere  long  he  will 
go  to  join  the  grand  army  of  the  dead.  Mr.  Millard  and 
his  first  wife  joined  the  Baptist  church  soon  after  their 
marriage,  and  have  always  been  regarded  with  esteem  by 
those  who  know  them.  Benjamin  F.  married  Laura  Peck, 
a  native  of  Sandgate,  Vt.,  by  whom  four  children  were 
born, — Ruth,  George,  Frederick,  and  Adelia.  George  is 
dead.  Mr.  B.  F.  Millard  died  in  March,  1868.  Mrs. 
Millard  is  now  residing  at  Fair  Haven  with  her  daughter 
Adelia.  Ruth  married  Rollin  Smith,  a  farmer  of  Sandgate, 
Vt. ;  while  Frederick  lives  with  his  grandfather,  and  will 
own  the  "  old  home." 


FONROSE   FARWELL, 

son  of  John  G.  and  Lucy  Farwell,  was  born  in  Pond  Hill, 
Poultney,  Vt.,  Dec.  22,  1831.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Groton,  Mass.,  and  was  born  Nov.  15,  1783,  and  settled  in 
Poultney  in  December,  1798,  with  his  father,  Benjamin 
Farwell,  who  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Farwell. 

Fonrose's  mother  was  a  native  of  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  was  born  March  9,  1800.  Her  father  was  from  the 
Isle  of  Jersey,  and  emigrated  to  America  during  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  and  settled  in  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.  John 
G.'s  business  was  that  of  a  farmer  and  shoemaker.  He 
had  six  children, — two  of  them,  Laura  and  Daniel  P.,  died 
while  young.  Benjamin  F.,  Charlotte,  Lucy,  and  Fonrose 
are  still  living.  John  G.  died  in  Poultney  March  24, 1872. 
Mrs.  Farwell  died  July  22,  1863,  while  living  with  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  in  Hampton.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church  at  Poultney.  In  politics  Mr.  Farwell 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  Fonrose  was  reared 
a  farmer,  and  early  learned  those  principles  which  have 
ever  followed  him  through  life.  On  the  1st  of  April,  1855, 
he  settled  in  Hampton,  on  Dr.  Beaman's  form,  and  carried 
on  the  same  for  three  years  in  company  with  a  brother.  In 
1858  he  took  his  present  farm  on  shares,  and  continued  to 
carry  it  on  until  1866,  when  he  bought  it  of  the  heirs  of 
Mason  Hulett,  who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Hamp- 
ton. Said  farm  contains  some  three  hundred  acres  of  good 
land,  on  which  Mr.  F.  Farwell  has  remodeled  and  built  all 
the  fine  buildings  which  are  to  be  seen.  The  buildings  are 
very  fine  indeed,  being  mostly  new,  and  are  the  best  in  the 


372 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


town,  and  compare  favorably  with  the  best  in  the  county. 
He  has  the  very  best  cider-mill  in  the  county :  it  is  thirty 
by  forty  feet,  with  an  engine-room  attached.  It  is  complete 
throughout,  and  has  a  capacity  for  making  from  eighty  to 
one  hundred  barrels  of  cider  per  day.  Mr.  Farwell  is  also 
extensively  engaged  as  a  bee-raiser,  standing  to-day  in  the 
front  rank  in  the  county.  In  five  years  he  has  increased 
from  five  to  sixty-one  swarms,  having  in  the  mean  time  sold 
twenty-eight  swarms  for  eight  dollars  per  swarm.  It  is 
worth  any  one's  while  to  visit  him  and  learn  somewhat  of 
the  bee  interest.  He  married  JMiss  Ida  L.  Dyer,  daughter 
of  Samuel  E.  and  Julia  Dyer,  Dec.  22,  1863.     She  was 


bom  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  Aug.  24,  1842.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  Jan.  24,  1814,  and  married  Julia  A. 
Arnold  Oct.  31,  1839.  She  was  born  in  Clarendon,  Vt., 
Dec.  23,  1818.  For  many  years  Mr.  Farwell  has  been  en- 
gaged as  an  agent  for  Walter  A.  Wood,  and  during  fifteen 
years  has  sold  many  machines.  In  politics  a  Republican. 
He  has  held  several  town  offices,  among  which  may  be  men- 
tioned that  of  justice  of  peace  for  eight  years.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Morning  Star  lodge  of  Masons  at  Poultney, 
Vt.,  and  was  Master  of  the  same  in  1872.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  genial  men  in  the  county,  and  is  pointed  to  as 
one  of  the  leadinsr  farmers  of  the  town. 


HAKTFORD. 


This  town  was  erected  from  what  was  then  known  as 
Westfield  (now  Fort  Ann),  March  12,  1793,  and  received 
its  name  from  Hartford,  Conn.,  at  the  suggestion  of  settlers 
from  that  place.  Its  location  is  north  of  the  centre  of  the 
county,  and  equidistant  from  its  eastern  and  western  bounds. 
The  adjoining  towns  are :  north.  Fort  Ann  ;  east,  Granville 
and  Hebron  ;  south,  Argyle  ;  and  west,  Kingsbury.  The 
area  comprises  about  twenty-seven  thousand  five  hundred 
square  acres.  The  general  surface  is  uneven.  In  the  south- 
east and  the  northwest  are  hills  whose  elevation  is  seven 
hundred  feet  above  Lake  Champlaiu,  and  in  other  parts  of  the 
town  are  lesser  elevations.  Many  of  these  are  composed  of 
a  slaty  rock,  which  disintegrates  by  exposure,  and  forms  a 
soil  producing  excellent  crops  of  grass  and  wheat.  The  in- 
tervals are  noted  for  their  fertile  lands,  and  are  composed 
of  a  dark  loam  or  a  heavy  clay.  In  the  southern  part  is  a 
cedar  swamp,  extending  into  Argyle,  where  peat  is  found. 
The  timber  common  to  the  county  grows  in  the  town,  and 
a  fair  proportion  has  been  preserved.  East  creek,  flowing 
westerly  into  Wood  creek,  and  its  tributary  brooks  are  the 
principal  streams.     Several  chalybeate  springs  abound. 

The  town  of  Hartford  embraces  the  Provincial  patent, 
granted  May  2,  1764,  to  twenty-six  officers  of  the  New 
York  Infantry.  The  allotment  was  made  without  refer- 
ence to  rank,  each  man  receiving  one  thousand  acres.  The 
patent  was  surveyed  in  the  fall  of  1764,  under  the  direction 
of  Archibald  Campbell,  department  surveyor  of  the  colony, 
into  one  hundred  and  four  lots,  containing  each  three  hun- 
dred acres,  more  or  less.  These  lots  were  numbered  from 
the  northwest  corner,  and  thence  from  left  to  right,  and  the 
reverse,  until  the  limit  was  reached  at  the  southwest  corner. 
None  of  the  grantees  received  his  land  in  a  body,  but  it 
seems  to  have  been  distributed  with  a  view  to  equalize  the 
value  as  determined  by  the  location.  The  patentees  were 
Peter  Dubois,  Win.  Cockroft,  Bernard  Glazier,  Charles  Le 
Roux,  Michael  Thody,  George  Brewerton,  Sr.,  George 
Breworton,  Jr.,  Robert  McGinnis,  Peter  Middleton,  Isaac 


Corsa,  .loshua  Bloomer,  Tobias  Van  Zandt,  George  Dunbar, 
Barack  Snethew,  Jonathan  Ogden,  Richard  Rea,  Verdin 
Ellsworth,  Barnaby  Byrne,  Cornelius  Duane,  Abraham  De 
Forest,  Joseph  Bull,  Tennis  Corsa,  Thomas  Jones,  David 
Johnson,  Henry  Dawson,  and  Alexander  White.  Some  of 
these  never  chiimed  their  lands,  and  many  lots  were  settled 
by  squatters.  There  is  no  evidence  to  warrant  the  belief 
that 

THE   FIRST   SETTLEMENT 

was  made  before  the  Revolution.  It  is  probable  that  the 
first  settler,  or  among  the  first  settlers,  was  Col.  John  Buck, 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  soldier  of  the  war  for  inde- 
pendence, who  settled  on  lot  31,  living  at  first  in  a  house 
split  out  of  logs  and  covered  with  bark.  The  country  was 
very  wild,  and  it  is  related  that  on  one  occasion,  as  the 
colonel  and  his  wife  were  riding  through  the  forest,  his  dog 
treed  a  bear.  Leaving  his  wife  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the 
animal,  the  colonel  hastened  home  to  procure  his  rifle. 
Meanwhile  Mrs.  Buck  had  deposited  her  babe  at  the  foot 
of  a  neighboring  tree,  so  as  to  be  better  able  to  watch  the 
bear.  The  barking  of  the  dog  warned  Bruin  to  beat  a  re- 
treat, and  he  descended  from  the  tree  in  gi'eat  haste,  so 
thoroughly  frightening  Mrs.  B.  that  she  ran  away,  and  on 
the  return  of  the  husband  neither  child  nor  mother  was  to 
be  seen.  Having  found  the  alarmed  wife,  search  was  made 
for  the  child,  which  was  at  last  discovered  cosily  nestled 
against  a  tree,  none  the  worse  for  having  been  left  alone  in 
the  woods.  The  bear  also  was  shot  from  another  tree, 
where  he  had  taken  refuge. 

Of  the  three  daughters  of  Col.  Buck,  Abigail,  who  after- 
wards became  Mrs.  Jabez  Norton,  was  born  in  1785,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  been  the  first  female  born  in  town.  Col. 
Buck  died  in  1795.  His  sons,  Enoch  and  John,  removed 
to  Onondaga  county. 

About  the  same  time  came  Manning  Bull,  who  located 
on  lot  43,  .selecting  that  in  preference  to  any  other  in  town. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


373 


He  served  as  an  agent  for  some  of  the  proprietors;  died 
in  town,  leaving  one  daughter,  who  married  John  Smith. 

The  Bump  brothers — Stephen,  Laban,  and  Wanton — 
settled  on  lot  89,  and  were  the  first  in  that  part  of  the  town, 
now  East  Hartford.  Two  sons  of  Laban's,  Laban  and 
Robert,  yet  live  in  town  ;  and  Frederick  T.,  a  son  of  Wan- 
ton, lives  in  Granville.  Contemporary  with  the  Bumps, 
and  living  in  the  same  locality,  were  the  Ingals, — Edward 
and  John.  The  latter  left  sons:  John,  Reuben,  Horace, 
Chester,  and  Simeon  ;  also  three  daughters ;  and  the  de- 
scendants yet  live  in  town. 

Aaron  and  Eber  Ingalsbe,  two  young  unmarried  men, 
came  from  Massachusetts  in  1782,  settled  on  lot  87,  and 
built  a  shanty  near  where  A.  Gilchrist's  house  now  stands; 
went  back  to  Massachusetts  in  the  fall,  but  returned  the 
nest  spring.  Eber  removed  to  the  north,  but  Aaron  mar- 
ried Polly  Hieks,  of  Granville,  by  whom  he  had  ten  chil- 
dren. His  sons  were  James,  Silas,  Belas,  Aaron,  Reuben, 
Levi,  Elias,  and  Lewis.  James  was  born  in  July,  1789, 
and  yet  lives  in  town ;  has  four  sons,  Milo,  Royal,  Homer, 
and  James  L.,  who  are  prominent  citizens  of  Hartford. 

Nathan,  Samuel,  and  Joseph  Taylor  came  at  the  same 
time  from  Massachusetts,  following  marked  trees  to  their 
destination  in  East  Hartford.  A  son  of  Joseph,  Daniel, 
resides  in  Granville,  and  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Robert  Morrison, 
lives  in  Hartford  village.  Samuel  had  no  posterity,  but 
Nathan  had  eight  children.  A  daughter,  Mrs.  Henry  B. 
Northup,  of  Sandy  Hill,  is  the  only  survivor.  In  1784 
came  Timothy  Stocking,  Ebenezer  Smith,  and  John  Paine. 
but  who  removed  before  many  years. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  on  lot  6,  settled  Na- 
thaniel Bull,  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  his 
time.  He  was  generally  titled  Lieutenant  Bull.  He  had 
three  sons.  Guerdon,  William,  and  Wadsworth.  Nathaniel, 
a  son  of  Guerdon,  still  resides  on  the  homestead.  On  the 
adjoining  lot  lived  James  Henderson ;  members  of  the 
family  yet  reside  there.  Eastward  and  southward  of  these, 
and  coming  from  17S0  to  1796,  were  Daniel  Peirce,  John 
Utter,  Aaron  Calkins,  Obed  Hitchcock,  Captain  Levi  Gates, 
Isaac  Boomer,  George  Davis,  Timothy  Atwood,  Ezekiel 
Whitford,  Achilles  Walling,  Silas  Colton,  Phineas  Spring, 
William  and  Isaac  Warren.  John  and  William  Congdon 
also  settled  in  this  locality.  A  son  of  the  former,  William 
E.,  lives  in  the  village,  and  William,  a  son  of  the  latter,  in 
South  Argyle.  Various  members  of  the  Brayton  family 
also  settled  in  the  northern  part,  on  a  road  which  yet  bears 
their  name,  and  on  which  some  of  the  descendants  yet  live. 
David  Martin  settled  on  lot  32,  on  which  a  son.  Job,  yet 
resides;  and  the  homestead  of  Samuel  Bowen,  on  lot  81, 
is  also  occupied  by  two  sons  of  that  old  settler. 

Among  the  first  at  the  North  village  was  David  Austin, 
the  agent  of  De  Witt  Clinton,  who  owned  large  tracts  of 
land  in  this  locality.  Jabez  Norton  settled  on  the  lot  now 
occupied  by  his  son,  John  B.,  and  Richard  Norton  found 
a  home  on  lot  46.  The  family  is  yet  represented  by  a  son, 
John  Norton,  Esq.,  who  has  been  a  very  prominent  man 
in  town  and  county  affairs,  and  has  also  served  as  a  State 
official  and  crier  of  Washington  county  courts  since  1829. 
A  short  distance  from  the  village  lived  x\braham  Downs, 
who  died   in  1792.     His  tombstone  is  the  oldest  in  town. 


Samuel  Downs  settled  on  the  .same  lot,  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  pioneers.  Just  before  the  close  of  the  century, 
there  came  to  the  settlement  John  Hamel,  an  Irish  patriot, 
who  having  been  obliged  to  flee  the  country,  took  refuge 
on  board  a  vessel,  where  he  was  stowed  away  in  a  hogshead 
three  days  to  elude  the  search  of  the  officials  of  the  govern- 
ment, who  rolled  the  hogshead  over  and  over  in  their  efforts 
to  find  him.  He  came  to  Hartford  in  very  destitute  cir- 
cumstances, but  afterwards  was  a  most  prosperous  merchant. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  town  settled  Asahel  Hodge, 
the  first  town  clerk  ;  and  not  far  away  Jonathan  Wood,  also 
one  of  the  first  town  officers,  found  a  home.  Joseph  Bol- 
ton, Phineas  Pelton,  Joseph  Morrison,  the  Hawleys,  the 
Pattersons,  and  the  Underbills  were  also  among  the  pio- 
neers in  the  western  section. 

John  H.  Kincaid  settled  on  lot  17,  in  1790.  He  came 
from  Lansingburg,  where  he  had  erected  the  second  store, in 
that  place.  He  also  opened  a  store  at  his  new  home,  and 
carried  on  a  very  extensive  business  until  his  death,  in  1804. 
At  that  time  his  place  was  the  centre  of  trade,  having 
taverns,  asherics,  etc.  Kincaid  wiis  a  man  of  great  courage, 
and  performed  an  exploit  which  rivals  that  of  Putnam  in 
the  den  of  wolves.  Being  attracted  to  a  small  cave  on  his 
land  by  the  baying  of  his  hounds,  he  procured  a  pitchfork 
and  boldly  crawled  in  to  kill  the  animal,  a  large  lynx,  who.se 
skin  was  stuffed  and  placed  in  the  museum  at  Albany. 
Members  of  the  Kincaid  family  live  in  the  county. 

On  lot  19  lived  Ezekiel  Goodell,  a  man  of  considerable 
note  and  a  great  hunter.  On  one  occasion  he  boldly  at- 
tacked a  bear,  and  had  a  ■'  hand  to  paw"  encounter  with 
him.  The  bear  testified  his  affection  by  nearly  hugging 
Goodell  to  death,  he  being  saved  from  that  fate  only  by  the 
timely  arrival  of  a  fellow-hunter.  The  latter  hesitated  to 
fire  for  fear  of  killing  his  companion.  He  was,  however, 
encouraged  by  Goodell,  who  shouted,  "  Shoot,  for  God's 
sake,  and  kill  either  me  or  the  bear!'  The  other  obeyed, 
and  succeeded  in  slaying  the  animal  without  injuring  his 
friend.  Mr.  Goodell  did  not  give  up  his  habits  as  a  hunter, 
but  he  had  less  confidence  thereafter  in  his  ability  to  cope 
with  a  bear  in  a  regular  scuffle.  As  late  as  1856,  J.  H. 
Kincaid  killed  three  bears  on  East  creek,  being  the  only 
ones  that  had  been  seen  for  thirty  years. 

Daniel  Mason,  the  first  supervisor,  settled  on  lot  67, 
South  Hartford.  One  of  his  sons,  Daniel,  yet  lives  in  town, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  In  1785,  Daniel 
Brown,  from  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  came  to  this  place 
and  purchased  what  were  then  known  as  Poster's  Mills. 
He  reared  five  sons:  Lewis,  Daniel  M.,  Benjamin  F.,  War- 
ren H.,  and  William,  all  of  whom  are  dead.  Caleb  Brown 
located  farther  south,  and  opened  a  public-house.  His  son 
Harvey  yet  occupies  the  homestead.  Another  Brown,  but 
not  related  to  the  foregoing,  was  the  Rev.  Amasa,  also 
among  the  first  settlers.  Several  of  his  sons  became  promi- 
nent attorneys, — Stephen,  at  St.  Alban's,  Vt.,  and  Amasa, 
at  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.  Jonathan  Cable  was  also  one  of  the 
first  at  this  place,  as  well  a.s  Pasqua  Austin,  both  removed. 
Dr.  Isaac  W.  Clary  joined  the  new  settlement  before  1800. 
A  daughter  married  Richard  Sill,  a  son  of  Zachariah  Sill, 
who  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town.  One  of  his 
sons,  Zachariah,  yet  survives,  and  grandsons  live  in  various 


374 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


parts  of  the  county.  Calvin  Townsend  came  about  the 
same  time  as  Clary,  and  distinguished  himself  bj'  an  active 
busincs.s  life.  At  tiiis  point  also  lived  Daniel  Baker,  George 
Jilson,  the  Manns,  the  Maynards,  and  at  East  Hartford  the 
Harris  fiimilies,  from  which  have  come  some  of  the  most 
useful  citizens  of  the  town. 

The  settlement  of  Hartford  was  very  rapid,  many  poor 
men  coming  in  with  no  other  capital  but  the  axe  they  car- 
ried on  their  shoulders,  and  a  will  to  wrest  a  home  from 
the  forest  wild.  In  1800  there  were  nearly  four  hundred 
voters.  In  1845  the  population  was  twenty  thousand  and 
ninety-four. 

The  following  Ls  added  on  the  authority  of  Isaac  W. 
Thompson,  of  Granville.  The  date  is  earlier  than  our 
inquiries  were  able  to  verify  : 

Thomas  Thompson  came  into  Hartford  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  1775  or  1776.  He  was  from  New  London, 
Conn.  His  pioneer  homestead  was  what  has  since  been 
known  as  the  Beebe  place,  near  the  south  village.  He 
joined  the  American  army  during  the  Burgoyne  campaign, 
was  in  the  battle  of  Stillwater,  and  served  until  the  end  of 
the  war.  Of  his  sons,  William  settled  in  Pennsylvania ; 
James,  in  Gouverneur,  St.  Lawrence  county;  Nathan,  in 
Beekmantown,  Clinton  county  ;  Charles  was  in  the  regular 
army  in  1812;  Isaac  settled  in  Antwerp,  Jefferson  county; 
Orsemus,  in  Granville,  near  the  Hebron  line.  All  of  these 
sons  were  in  the  War  of  1812.  William  was  lost  in  the 
battle  of  Lake  Erie  ;  Charles  was  at  the  battle  of  Platts- 
burg.  There  were  two  daughters :  Polly,  Mrs.  Sprague,  of 
South  Hartford,  afterwards  removed  to  Michigan  ;  Nancy, 
Mrs.  Stephen  Smith,  of  Hartford,  removed  to  Gouverneur. 
Thirty-two  soldiers  from  these  families  served  in  the  war 
for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion, — a  patriotic  record 
worthy  of  notice.  Sons  of  James  Thompson  are  Isaac  W. 
Thompson,  Esq.,  and  Judge  0.  F.  Thompson,  of  Granville, 
the  former  of  whom  has  rendered  valuable  aid  in  the  pre- 
paration of  the  history  of  that  town.  The  other  sons  of 
James  are  Abram,  of  Gouverneur  ;  R.  M.,  of  St.  Louis ; 
L.  E.,  of  St.  Paul's;  E.  0.,  of  Rock,  Iowa;  James  H.,  of 
Gouverneur;  and  Joseph  S.,  of  Quincy,  111.,  of  the  regular 
army,  who  has  seen  and  shared  in  desperate  Indian  war- 
fare. 

CIVIL    GOVERNMENT. 

The  electors  of  the  newly-organized  town  assembled  at 
the  house  of  Daniel  Mason,  near  the  south  village,  to  hold 
their  first  meeting,  April  1,  1794.  Daniel  Mason  having 
been  appointed  moderator,  the  election  proceeded  with  the 
following  result : 

Supervisor,  Daniel  Mason;  town  clerk,  Asahel  Hodge; 
assessors,  Joseph  Bolton,  David  Baker,  Daniel  Brown ; 
collector,  Caleb  Goff ;  commissioners  of  highways,  Jona- 
than Wood,  Ichabod  Hawley,  Daniel  Brown  ;  overseers  of 
the  poor,  John  Buck,  Asahel  Hodge  ;  constables,  Matthew 
Taft,  Caleb  GofF;  treasurer,  John  Buck;  pound-keepers, 
John  Covel,  Benjamin  Stewart ;  fence-viewers,  Jonathan 
Covel,  Benjamin  Stewart,  Ezekiel  Goodell,  Abraham  Stock- 
well,  Daniel  Comstock. 

The  following  persons  have  held  the  principal  offices 
since  1794.     In  the  case   of  the  justices   of  the   peace, 


those  first  named  were  elected  for  full  terms,  others  to  fill 
vacancies : 


Supervisors. 

Town  Clerks. 

Collectors. 

179.i 

Daniel  Mason. 

Asahel  Hodge. 

Ezekiel  Goodell. 

1796 
1797 
1798 

Asahel  Ilodge. 

Nathaniel  Bull. 

Caleb  Goff. 

« 

« 

Aaron  Ingalsbe. 

1799 

"           " 

David  Austin. 

" 

1800 

Daviil  Austin. 

Asahel  Hodge. 

" 

1801. 

" 

.< 

Erastus  Hyde. 

1802 

Aaron  Norlon. 

" 

Samuel  rnderhill. 

180.3. 

" 

« 

Aaron  Ingalsbe, 

1804. 

.Jonathan  Wood. 

" 

Philander  Lathrop. 

1805. 

" 

" 

" 

1806. 

" 

" 

" 

1807. 

"              " 

" 

Samuel  I'nderhill. 

1808. 

"              " 

" 

" 

1809. 

"              " 

Samuel  Gordon. 

" 

1810. 

Daviil  Au.-tin. 

" 

" 

1811. 

" 

"             " 

"                " 

1812. 

Jonathan  Wood. 

"             •' 

"                " 

1813. 

" 

" 

1814. 

" 

David  Austin. 

" 

181.'). 

"               " 

Samuel   Gordon. 

'• 

1816. 

" 

" 

" 

1817. 

" 

David  Austin. 

" 

1818. 

Samuel  Downs. 

David  Doane.  Jr. 

Frederick  Baker. 

1819. 

Jonathan  Wood. 

" 

1820. 

Samuel  Downs. 

" 

" 

1821. 

David  Austin. 

Joseph  Harris. 

" 

1822. 

Samuel  Downs. 

" 

1823. 

Arehiliald  Hay. 

" 

" 

1824. 

'• 

Thomas  McConnell 

Thomas  Eldridge. 

1825. 

Sladc  D.  Brown. 

" 

William  Davis. 

1826. 

" 

" 

Silas  Ingalsbe. 

1827. 

« 

" 

Thomas  Eldridge. 

1828. 

"             " 

Calvin  L.  Parker. 

"             " 

1829. 

" 

William  Dorr. 

"             " 

1830. 

" 

" 

John  Norton. 

1831. 

Richard  Sill. 

Ebenezcr  Lord. 

" 

1832. 

Russell  Smith. 

" 

Elkanah  Bullock, 

18.33. 

" 

Alanson  Allen. 

Amos  Broughton, 

1834. 

Zaehariah  Sill. 

William  P.  Allen. 

Joshua  Pelton. 

1835. 

Robert  Morrison. 

" 

Giles  W.  Oatman. 

1836. 

George  Chandler. 

John  Carlisle. 

John  Norton. 

1837. 

" 

" 

Nathan  Crouch. 

18.38. 

Robert  Morrison. 

Samuel  N.  Harris. 

Jonathan  Woodard 

1839. 

<. 

Riehard  Sill,  Jr. 

Abraham  Stearnes. 

1840. 

u 

" 

Mason  H,  Slade. 

1841. 

" 

" 

Albert  Park. 

1842. 

George  Ch.andler. 

Samuel  Gordon. 

Elias  Ingalsbe, 

1843. 

Daniel  M.  Brown. 

" 

.\biather  Stearnes. 

1844. 

" 

Ralph  E.  Brown, 

1845. 

Wm.  E.  Congdou. 

David  D.  Cole. 

Johnson  Smith, 

1846. 

" 

Ira  A.  Perrin. 

Ralph  E,  Brown, 

1847. 

Caleb  Braytou. 

" 

" 

1848. 

" 

" 

.. 

1849. 

John  P.  Wood. 

M.  N.  McDonald. 

Johnson  Smith. 

1850. 

" 

u 

William  Strow. 

1851. 

" 

Ira  A.  Perrin. 

Lyman  Hall. 

1852. 

Samuel  D.  Kidder. 

John  Norton. 

Wm.  G,  McDonald, 

1853. 

.1 

William  Strow. 

Johnson  Smith, 

1854. 

John  P.  Wood. 

Daniel  Mason. 

Daniel  W,  Norton. 

1855. 

Daniel  Mason. 

Frederick  T.  Bump 

Wm.  G.  McDonald. 

1856. 

James  M.  Northup. 

Ransom  Clark. 

Amby  H.  Maynard. 

1857. 

" 

John  Perry. 

Johnson  Smith. 

1858. 

Edward  Sill. 

Wm.  P.  Sweet. 

Ransom  Clark. 

1859. 

" 

Chas.  D.  Higley. 

Wm.  P.  Sweet. 

1860. 

«          ,. 

William  Park. 

Lyman  Hall. 

1861. 

Russell  C.  Davis. 

M.  N.  McDonald. 

Alonzo  Norton. 

1862. 

Edmund  B.  Doane. 

Johnson  Smith, 

186.3. 

Milo  Ingalsbc. 

M.  N.  McDonald. 

Lyman  Hall, 

1864. 

-.             « 

John  Norton. 

M.  N,  McDonald, 

1865. 

"             " 

" 

Hansom  Clark, 

HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


S75 


Supemsora.  Town  Clerks. 

1866.  John  F.  Whitemore.  Rufus  H.  Waller. 
1867. 

1868.  " 

1869.  Andrew  I).  Rowc.  "  " 

1870.  "  "  Samuel  C.  Downs 
1871. 

1872.  Bavi.l  Hall. 

1873.  '•  ••  John  Brayton. 

1874.  James  E.  Goodman.    Henry  C.Miller. 
1875. 

1876.  "  "  Samuel  C.  Downs. 

1877.  "  "  "  " 

1878.  Alexander  Gourlay.  "  " 


Collectors. 
Alonzo  Norton. 
Lyman  Hall. 
M.  N.  MeDonald. 
Benjamin  Bell. 
Lyman  Hall. 
M.  N.  McDonald. 
Peter  Boushe. 
John  MeClarly. 
Edw'd  W.  Townsend. 
Edw'd  C.  Reynolds. 
Theo.  F.  Fa.\on. 
Milton  H.  Kinney. 
Daniel  Wiles. 


JUSTICKS    OF   THE    PE.VCE. 


1827. 

Slade  D.  Brown. 

1852. 

Warren  H.  Brown 

Luther  Mann. 

1853. 

Milo  Ingalsbe. 

Solomon  S.  Cowan. 

1854. 

William  Hall. 

XiTry  Maynard. 

1855. 

Levi  Hatch. 

1828. 

Luther  Mann. 

1856. 

Warren  H.  Brown 

1829. 

Slade  D.  Brown. 

1857. 

Milo  Ingalsbe. 

1830. 

Xury  Maynard. 

1858. 

.John  Norton. 

1831. 

Joshua  Pelton. 

1859. 

John  I.  Seeley. 

1832. 

J.  B.  Seeley. 

1860. 

Warren  H.  Brown 

1833. 

David  Doane. 

1861. 

Milo  Ingalsbe. 

Caleb  Brayton. 

1862. 

John  Norton. 

1834. 

Slade  D.  Brown. 

1863. 

John  I.  Seeley. 

1835. 

Amos  Broughton. 

1S64. 

Warren  U.  Brown 

1836. 

J.  R.  Seeley. 

1865. 

Levi  Hatch. 

1837. 

John  Norton. 

1866. 

John  Norton. 

1838. 

Solomon  S.  Cowan. 

1867. 

.lohn  I.  Seeley. 

William  Hall. 

1868. 

Warren  H.  Brown 

1839. 

Luther  Mann. 

1869. 

Levi  Hatch. 

1840. 

William  Hall. 

1870. 

John  Norton. 

1841. 

Calvin  L.  Parker. 

1871. 

John  I.  Seeley. 

1842. 

Solomon   S.  Cowan. 

1872. 

Warren  H.  Brown 

1843. 

.John  Norton. 

1873. 

Levi  Hatch. 

1844 

Horace  D.  Mann. 

Ransom  Qua. 

1845. 

Calvin  L.  Parker. 

1874. 

John  Norton. 

1846 

James  H.  Carlise. 

1875 

John  I.  Seeley. 

1847. 

John  Norton. 

Nathan  Jones. 

1848 

Calvin  J.  Townsend. 

1876 

William  P.  Sweet 

1849 

Ira  A.  Perrin. 

1877 

Levi  Hatch. 

1850 

William  Hall. 

R.  S.  Holley. 

1851 

John  Norton. 

187S 

John  Norton. 

From  the  town  records  the  followiug  interesting  excerpts 
have  been  made  : 

1794. — When  the  town-meeting  was  held  at  tiic  house 
of  David  Austin,  and  when  it  was  voted  that  sheep  and 
swine  be  not  allowed  to  run  on  the  commons,  and  that  a 
lawful  fence  shall  be  four  and  a  half  feet  high. 

179G. — "  That  geese  shall  not  run  at  large  on  the  com- 
mons. That  Canada  thistle  be  cut  in  the  months  of  June 
and  August." 

1800. — "  That  the  pounds  be  repaired  sufficiently  to  hold 
creatures  one  year,  under  the  inspection  of  the  commission- 
ers of  highways." 

1803. — A  special  town-meeting  was  held  at  the  Baptist 
church,  Jan.  7,  1803,  to  take  measures  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  the  smallpox.  A  committee  of  eleven  was  ap- 
pointed to  devise  ways  and  means  to  stay  the  malady,  and 
the  town  clerk  was  directed  to  petition  the  Legislature  to 
make  a  regulation  respecting  inoculation.  Also,  to  petition 
the  Legislature  to  authorize  the  county  to  build  a  court- 
house at  such  a  place  on  the  middle  road  as  they  in  their 
wisdom  may  deem  proper. 


At  the  annual  meeting,  Aaron  Norton,  Daniel  Mason, 
Jonathan  Wood,  Asahel  Hodge,  and  John  llamel  were 
appointed  a  committee  for  the  purpose  of  devising  some 
legal  measures  respecting  a  central  court-house  in  the 
county,  and  also  to  be  a  committee  of  correspondence  con- 
cerning the  nomination  of  a  governor  and  other  State 
officers. 

1800. — "  Voted,  that  the  town  poor  be  put  up  and  sold 
to  the  lowest  bidder  on  the  following  terms :  That  the 
bidder  is  to  board  and  keep  them  in  a  human-like  manner ; 
and  that  if  any  clothing  and  doctoring  are  required,  it  be 
at  the  discretion  and  expense  of  the  pocjnnastcr  and  justice 
of  the  peace." 

Widow  Phebe  Carpenter  was  bidden  oft'  by  l.saac  W. 
Clary,  at  seventy-five  cents  per  week. 

1818. — A  tax  of  three  hundred  dollars  for  the  support 
of  the  poor  was  voted,  and  the  overseers  empow(!red  to  pro- 
cure a  poor-house  at  their  discretion. 

1846. — In  common  with  other  towns,  Hartford  held  a 
special  election  on  the  19th  of  May  of  this  year  to  determine 
the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors.  Of  the  three  hundred  and 
two  votes  cast,  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  favored  license,  and 
a  like  number  were  opposed  to  license.  On  the  following 
27th  day  of  April,  1847,  three  hundred  and  fifty  voters 
gave  the  matter  another  consideration,  when  a  majority  of 
ninety-two  declared  for  the  sale  of  litjuor  under  a  licen.se 
system. 

In  1877  the  sale  of  li<juor  was  authorized  by  the  excise 
commissioners. 

EARLY   ROADS   AND   PUBLIC    HIGHWAYS. 

The  roads  of  the  pioneers  were,  in  most  instances,  blind 
paths,  whose  general  direction  was  indicated  by  blazed 
trees ;  but  exercising  that  tact  so  strongly  developed  in  the 
frontier's-man,  the  early  settlers  generally  selected  such 
courses  as  nature  pointed  out,  and  these  have  very  often 
remained  the  highways  between  the  principal  points  of  the 
town,  and  were  early  authorized  roads.  Before  the  division 
of  the  towns  more  than  forty  roads  were  located  ;  and  at 
the  second  town-meeting,  in  1795,  the  below-named  persons 
were  appointed  overseers:  Caleb  Brown,  Silas  Brooks, 
Colburn  Barrell,  Solomon  Skinner,  Jesse  Holmes,  Aaron 
Blanchard,  Jr.,  Stephen  Johnson,  Elisha  Maynard,  Daniel 
Bradley,  John  Smith,  James  Henderson,  Pasqua  Austin, 
Robert  Patterson,  Oliver  Stewart,  Ezekiel  Goodell,  David 
Gates,  David  Brayton,  Phineas  Pelton,  Nathan  Sikcs,  Luke 
Chapin,  David  Austin,  Joseph  Eldridge,  Ethel  Cummings, 
John  l^ierce,  Moses  Dusser,  Joshua  Comstock,  Reuben 
Thomas,  John  Ingalsbe,  Jo.seph  Dealing,  Samuel  Taylor, 
Ebenezer  Armsbury,  William  Bigelow,  Richard  Ogden, 
Martin  Salisbury,  and  Merrill  Darely. 

These  thirty-five  were  increased  to  forty-three  in  1800, 
and  the  list  of  persons  assessed  to  work  on  the  roads  that 
year  shows  more  than  three  hundred  and  sixty  names.  In 
1877  there  were  fifty-three  districts,  and  the  highways 
bear  favorable  comparison  with  those  of  other  towns.  The 
Saratoga  and  Whitehall  railroad  passes  through  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  town,  but  does  not  affijrd  a  station.  The 
principal  point  of  .shipment  is  Smith's  basin,  in  Kings- 
bury, where  also  the  Chauiplain  canal  has  a  depot. 


376 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


CEMETERIES. 

Besides  several  private  burying-grounds,  there  are  three 
small  grave-yards  in  the  western  part  of  the  town.  The 
principal  cemeteries  are  at  the  north  and  south  villages. 
At  the  former  place  are  many  old  graves,  some  having  head- 
stones whose  inscriptions  appear  quaint  compared  with 
modern  work  and  Websterian  orthography.  One  of  the 
oldest  stones  is  inscribed  : 

"In  memory  nf  Mr.  Benjamin  Baley. 

He  died  March  the  15  day  A.  1795  in  the 

49  year  of  his  age. 

Death  is  a  debt  to  Nater  du 

Which  I  have  paid, 
And  so  must  you." 

Another  inscription  tersely,  and  in  a  simple  manner,  ex- 
presses an  accident  whicli  befell  a  child  of  Reuben  and  Lydia 
Cole,  aged  six  years,  who  was  drowned  April  21,  1798: 

"  It  was  on  the  day  I  went  away 
I  fell  beneath  the  wave  ; 
I  lost  my  breath,  as  you  may  see, 
Prepare  for  death,  and  follow  me." 

A  third  stone,  commemoi'ating  a  death  in  1804,  should 
be  noted  for  the  sage  truth  it  contains : 

"  Afflictions  sore 
Long  time  I  bore, 

Physicians  were  in  vain, 
Till  God  was  pleas 
To  give  me  eas 

And  fre  me  from  my  pain." 

All  the  cemeteries  in  town  are  kept  up  by  individual 
effort,  and  generally  present  a  neat  appearance. 

THE    AGRICULTURAL    INTERESTS 

of  Hartford  have  always  been  the  pre-eminent  features  of 
the  town,  and  whatever  distinction  it  has  attained  are  in 
tills  direction.  The  products  of  the  soil  have  enriched  the 
land-owners,  and  the  proportion  of  well-kept  farms  and 
fine  homes  is  very  great.  Of  late  years  the  dairy  interests 
have  gained  prominence,  and  attention  has  been  paid  to  the 
manufacture  of  cheese.  The  oldest  factory  in  town,  and 
one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  county,  is 

The  Old  Hartford  Factory,  erected  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  town,  in  1869,  at  a  cost  of  five  thousand  dollars. 
Thirty-five  dairies,  representing  an  average  of  ten  cows 
each,  contribute  to  it,  and  an  average  of  one  hundred 
thousand  pounds  of  cheese  per  year  are  produced. 

The  East  Hartford  Factory  was  next  put  up,  in  1873, 
by  an  association  of  twenty-four  members,  of  which  Truman 
Harris  was  president,  and  Horace  Gilchrist  secretary.  The 
entire  outlay  has  been  thirty-three  hundred  dollars,  upon 
which  a  fair  dividend  has  been  realized.  The  milk  of  two 
hundred  cows  is  consumed,  and  eighty  thousand  pounds  of 
cheese  manufactured  annually. 

The  South  Hartford  Factory  is  being  built  by  an  asso- 
ciation formed  for  that  purpose,  and  will  do  much  to  pro- 
mote the  dairy  interests  in  that  part  of  the  town. 

The  numerous  springs  and  brooks  in  town,  with  the  al- 
ternate lots  of  woodland  and  mead  so  common,  have  also 
proved  favorable  to  bee-keeping,  and  as  the  result  of  experi- 
ments in  this  direction,  begun  in  1870,  John  H.  Martin,  of 


North  Hartford,  has  erected  an  apiary,  where  the  produc- 
tion of  honey  is  carried  on  in  a  scientific  manner.  From 
a  collection  of  more  than  one  hundred  stands  enough  has 
been  realized  to  demonstrate  the  probable  future  of  this  new 
interest. 

EDUCATION. 
In  matters  pertaining  to  the  education  of  the  youth  of 
the  town  the  people  have  always  taken  a  deep  interest,  and 
early  adojtted  means  to  further  this  end.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  first  school  was  taught  at  the  north  village,  about 
1790,  by  Thomas  Payne,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Shortly 
after  schools  were  opened  in  various  localities,  and  upon  the 
organization  of  the  town  districts  were  formed  whose  bounds 
were  changed  so  frequently  that  few  would  recognize  one  of 
the  original  districts  by  a  description.  In  1877  there  were 
thirteen  districts, — four  less  than  formerly,  having  five  hun- 
dred and  seventy-three  children  of  school  age,  from  which 
an  attendance  of  two  hundred  and  forty-four  was  secured. 
The  amount  appropriated  to  maintain  these  schools  was 
fourteen  hundred  and  sixty-three  dollars  and  eight  cents. 
Some  of  the  district  buildings,  especially  the  one  at  the 
north  village,  present  a  very  neat  appearance.  Opportunity 
is  also  afforded  to  obtain  the  elements  of  a  higher  education 
than  that  imparted  by  the  common  schools,  by 

THE   HARTFORD   ACADEMY. 

This  school  was  established  in  December,  1865,  under 
the  principalship  of  Lewis  Hallock.  The  lower  part  of  the 
Congregational  meeting-house  at  South  Hartford  having 
been  prepared  for  academic  purposes  by  an  association  of 
which  Levi  Hatch  was  the  first  president,  and  G.  M.  lu- 
galsbe  secretary,  and  the  proper  apparatus  and  library 
having  been  supplied,  the  academy  was  chartered  by  the 
board  of  regents  in  January,  1866.  Since  that  period 
about  fifty  students  have  passed  the  required  examination, 
and  the  general  scholarship  of  the  school  has  always  been 
good.  Forty  students  per  term  has  been  the  average  at- 
tendance, most  of  the  pupils  being  residents  of  the  town. 
Mr.  Hallock  was  succeeded  as  principal  by  John  McCarty. 
Henry  Barker  at  present  occupies  that  position.  Other 
principals  were  Wm.  McLaren,  George  Hunt,  Daniel  J. 
McDougall,  E.  R.  Safford,  Hiram  Hunt,  and  a  Mr.  Qua. 
Levi  Hatch  has  served  as  president  of  the  trustees  since 
the  organization  of  the  academy. 

CHURCHES. 

The  pioneers  of  Hartford  did  not  neglect  their  spiritual 
interests.  As  soon  as  their  own  humble  homes  had  been 
erected,  steps  were  taken  to  provide  a  place  of  worship. 
Initiatory  to  this  was  the  organization  of 

THE    BAPTIST    CHURCH    IN    WESTFIELD, 

about  1787,  in  a  barn  not  far  from  the  present  meeting- 
house. Two  years  later  a  small  house  was  erected  south  of 
the  cemetery,  on  part  of  the  burial  lot,  the  ground  having 
been  deeded  for  these  specific  purposes  by  De  Witt  Clin- 
ton, where  the  society  worshiped  until  1815,  when  the  pres- 
ent edifice  was  built. 

As  near  as  can  be  determined,  the  pioneer  members 
consisted  of  Deacons  H.  Mattison  ind  E.  Whitford ;  and 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


377 


Daniel  Pierce,  Noah  Scott,  Timothy  Atwood,  Daniel  Carr, 
Colburn  Barrell,  Samuel  Downs,  Thomas  Bmyton,  Achilles 
Walling,  Job  Pickett,  David  Biayton,  and  members  of  the 
Ingals,  and  Bump  and  lagalsbe  families.  Caleb  Cum- 
mings  was  chosen  the  first  clerk,  and  in  1789  the  Rev. 
Amasa  Brown  was  called  as  the  first  settled  pastor.  Prior 
to  this  a  Rev.  Simmons  preached  for  the  society  at  occa- 
sional intervals.  Mr.  Brown  came  from  Swansea,  Mass., 
in  the  full  vigor  of  life,  and  labored  with  untiring  zeal  until 
1821, — thirty-three  years.  During  his  pastorate  about  eight 
liundred  persons  were  added  to  the  membership  of  the 
church,  and  at  no  time  has  it  been  greater  than  at  the 
close  of  his  ministerial  connection.  It  is  a  matter  of  his- 
tory, not  without  interest  and  instructive  lessons  withal, 
that  his  salary  amounted  to  but  two  hundred  dollars  per 
annum,  one-half  of  which  was  to  be  paid  in  farm  produce. 
Elder  Brown  ended  this  earthly  life  among  the  people  he 
had  so  long  served,  Jan.  24,  1830.  He  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  George  Witherell,  who  remained  as  pastor  twelve 
years.  At  this  time  the  church  took  extreme  grounds 
against  Masonry,  which  caused  the  withdrawal  of  eighty 
members  belonging  to  that  order  or  sympathizing  with 
those  placed  under  condemnation  by  a  resolution  of  the 
church.  Accordingly,  in  1830,  these  united  themselves 
into  a  new  body,  called 

THE   SOUTH    BAPTIST    CHURCH, 

and  called  the  Rev.  B.  F.  Baldwin  as  pastor.  For  twelve 
years  he  served  it  faithfully,  increasing  the  membership  to 
one  hundred  and  eighty,  and  giving  it  a  character  which 
commanded  the  respect  of  the  older  body.  The  new  society 
had  meanwhile,  in  1833,  built  a  meeting-house,  at  a  cost 
of  two  thousand  three  hundred  dollars,  which  was  sold  to 
the  Methodists  in  1844.  The  year  previous  the  two  Bap- 
tist churches  were  reunited  on  a  satisfliotory  basis,  the 
names  of  members  of  both  societies  being  transferred  to  a 
new  record,  and  thenceforth  the  work  has  been  known  as 

THE   BAPTIST   CHURCH    IN    HARTFORD. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1845,  it  was  legally  incorporated, 
with  John  Park,  Jr.,  Eli  Smith,  Ira  A.  Perrin,  Gardner 
M.  Baker,  Joseph  Atwood,  Milo  M.  Whedon,  Caleb 
Brayton,  John  Ingals,  and  Sylvanus  Hatch,  trustees,  and 
Ira  A.  Perrin,  clerk. 

Services  were  now  held  in  the  upper  church,  and  having 
no  diverse  interests,  a  great  revival  ensued,  whereby  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  persons  were  added  to  the  church. 
From  that  time  to  the  present,  the  church  has  increased  in 
usefulness,  having  had  since  its  formation,  ninety-one  years 
ago,  an  aggregate  membership  of  nearly  eighteen  hundred, 
and  has  reared  a  large  number  for  the  ministerial  ranks. 
One  of  these,  Jonathan  Wade,  became  a  missionary  to 
Burmah,  and  John  Baudin,  a  distinguished  colporteur 
among  the  French  in  Canada.  Others  became  equally  emi- 
nent in  the  ministry  at  home ;  and  the  church  itself  is  one 
of  the  most  prominent  in  the  county.  Its  members  num- 
ber at  present  more  than  three  hundred,  and  are  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  J.  D.  Mcrrell,  who  assumed  this 
relation  in  July,  1870.  Tiie  church  is  at  present  a  member 
of  the  Washingtun  Union,  and  lias  S.  C.  Downs  as  clerk. 
48 


David  Baker  served  in  this  capacity  forty  years.  Besides 
the  clergy  mentioned,  the  Revs.  Barna  Allen,  Daniel  A. 
Cobb,  Daniel  Harrington,  William  McCormack,  J.  B.  Everts, 
Levi  Parmelee,  Leland  Howard,  Daniel  Eldridgo,  J.  B. 
Drummond,  G.  W.  Butler,  Wm.  Brown,  E.  D.  Towner, 
and  J.  M.  Ferris  have  been  pastors  from  1834  to  1870. 
To  the  deacons  mentioned  were  added  in  time  Timothy 
Heath,  Colburn  Barrell,  John  Ingals,  Caleb  Brayton,  Gard- 
ner M.  Baker,  John  Park,  Aaron  Ingalsbe,  Laban  Bump, 
Samuel  B.  Warren,  Leonard  Colton,  and  Lyman  Norton. 

The  meeting-house  is  a  substantial  frame,  with  tower  and 
fine  bell ;  remodeled  in  1843,  and  since  repaired,  and  with 
the  parsonage,  erected  in  18G9,  is  worth  thirteen  thousand 
dollars. 

A  Sabbath-school  was  organized  in  the  church  in  1828, 
and  has  been  continued  ever  since.  Lyman  Norton  is  the 
present  superintendent,  and  the  school  has  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  members. 

Methodism  had  its  adherents  in  the  town  prior  to  1844, 
but  that  year  Rev.  Ensign  Stover,  then  on  the  circuit  of 
which  Hartford  was  a  part,  induced  the  class  to  purchase 
the  new  Baptist  church  and  form  a  legal  organization,  to 
be  known  as 

THE    METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH   OF   HARTFORD. 

Solomon  S.  Cowan,  P.  AVhitcomb,  Mason  Hulet,  J.  Nor- 
ton, and  David  Arnold  were  chosen  the  first  trustees.  In 
1850,  having  then  forty  members,  with  the  Rev.  S.  Gard- 
ner in  charge,  the  work  was  detached  from  the  circuit  and 
became  a  station,  since  which  the  church  has  had  a  pros- 
perous existence.  The  pastoral  ofiice  has  been  held  since 
1850  by  Revs.  L.  D.  Sherwood,  W.  W.  Foster,  H.  Chase, 
J.  E.  King,  J.  J.  Noe,  C.  H.  Richmond,  C.  H.  Edgerton, 
J.  W.  Eaton,  W.  D.  Hitchcock,  A.  C.  Ro.sc,  W.  A.  Miller, 
C.  B.  Armstrong,  Newton  B.  Wood,  and  D.  Kronk,  the 
present  pastor. 

The  church  property  is  valued  at  sis  thousand  dollars, 
and  is  controlled  by  the  following  trustees :  jNlason  Hulet, 
Johnson  Smith,  Thomas  Gilchrist,  Joseph  Palmer,  Enoch 
Norton,  H.  B.  Weir,  E.  P.  Harden,  John  I.  Seeley,  and 
Wm.  Armstrong. 

A  Sunday-school  was  organized  nearly  forty  years  ago, 
which  has  been  maintained  by  the  church  ever  since,  and 
at  present  numbers  sixty  members.  D.  Krouk  is  tho 
superintendent. 

THE   FIRST   CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH    OF   HARTFORD. 

The  early  history  of  this  body  is  somewhat  obscure.  Its 
origin  dates  from  the  beginning  of  the  century,  and  a  house 
of  worship  was  erected  in  1805,  which,  in  a  reconstructed 
form,  is  still  used,  and  is  the  present  frame  church  in  the 
south  village.  On  the  18th  of  September,  1810,  a  legal 
organization  was  effected,  from  the  record  of  which  it  ap- 
pears that  Isaac  W.  Clary  and  Joseph  Martin  were  deacons, 
and  Israel  Harris,  Isaac  W.  Clary,  Asahel  Hodge,  Theoph- 
ilus  Tracy,  Matthew  Taft,  and  John  C.  Parker  trustees  of 
the  society.  From  this  period  until  Jan.  1, 1830,  no  record 
of  the  church  is  known  to  exist.  At  that  time  a  church- 
meeting  is  recorded  by  the  Rev.  John  B.  Sliaw,  the  pastor, 
who  gives  the  membership  a.s  ninety.     Tliirteen  years  later 


378 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YOIIK. 


the  church  was  again  left  without  a  pastor,  and  there  is 
once  more  a  blank  in  its  history  until  1865,  when  the 
question  of  reviving  the  work  or  abandoning  it  altogetlier 
was  presented  to  the  few  surviving  members.  It  was  de- 
termined "  to  go  forward,"  and  the  twenty-three  persons 
composing  tlie  church  secured  the  llcv.  J.  M.  Crawford, 
who  served  them  as  pastor  throe  years.  Tlie  house,  also, 
was  repaired  and  placed  in  its  present  inviting  condition. 
The  pastoral  office  was  next  filled  for  six  years  by  the  Ilev. 
A.  B.  Lambert,  and  then  supplied  by  the  presbytery  until 
Sept.  27,  1877,  when  the  Ilev.  G.  A.  Curtiss  assumed  this 
relation. 

The  church  numljors  thirty-four  members,  and  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Hudson  river  conference.  E.  B.  Doane  is 
the  clerk.  The  present  ti'ustees  are  James  Ingalsbe,  Joseph 
Sill,  and  E.  B.  Doane.  The  church  property  is  valued  at 
five  thousand  dollars. 

Although  maintaining  a  Sabbath-school  at  an  early  day, 
it  also  was  suffered  to  go  down.  In  1865  it  was  re-organ- 
ized, and  at  present  has  one  hundred  and  twenty  members, 
who  are  superintended  by  A.  W.  Vaughan. 

THE    riRST    UNIVKRSALIST    SOCIETY    OF    HARTFORD 

was  organized  at  the  south  village,  June  20,  1834,  and  the 
Articles  of  Faith  adopted  were  signed  by  forty-six  persons. 
A  board  of  trustees  was  chosen  consisting  of  Calvin  Town- 
send,  Benjamin  Hyde,  Jonathan  Hastings,  Samuel  Pear- 
sons, Jacob  Bump,  and  Samuel  Harris,  clerk.  In  1838,  a 
plain  brick  church  edifice,  thirty  by  forty  feet,  co.sting  six- 
teen hundred  dollars,  was  erected  in  South  Hartford,  and 
the  society  legally  incorporated.  At  this  time  Samuel 
Harris,  Eli  Smith,  Anson  Brayton,  Benjamin  Hyde,  Daniel 
Smith,  Levi  Hatch,  Jacob  Bump,  Burroughs  Maynard,  and 
Calvin  Townsend  are  recorded  as  trustees.  The  Revs.  J. 
A.  Aspinwall,  E.  S.  Foster,  Loveland,  and  several  others, 
have  served  as  clergy  of  the  church.  The  organization  has 
not  been  kept  up,  and  for  several  years  the  house  has  been 
unused.  Charles  Towusend  is  the  clerk  of  the  society  ex, 
officio. 

SECRET   ORDERS. 

Hirnchel  Lodge,  No.  89,  F.  und  A.  M.,  was  instituted 
Sept.  21,  1801,  at  the  house  of  Elijah  Sacket,  when  the 
following  officers  were  chosen :  Daniel  Mason,  M. ;  Gardner 
Maynard,  S.  W. ;  Thomas  Worden,  J.  W. ;  Asahel  Hodge, 
Scribe  ;  Caleb  Brown,  Treas. ;  Elijah  Sacket,  Senior  Deacon ; 
Jonathan  Wood,  Junior  Deacon  ;  George  Jilson  and  Nathan 
Taylor,  Stewards.  Among  the  other  original  members  were 
Enoch  Forman,  John  Swain,  George  Patterson,  Solomon 
Carswell,  C.  Higby,  Planning  Bull,  Sanuiel  Lo\'e,  Thomas 
Love,  John  Pierce,  Samuel  Taylor,  Zadock  Harris,  Luther 
Harris,  and  Wait  Doolittle. 

The  lodge  went  down  during  the  Morgan  excitement, — 
the  record  of  the  last  meeting  bearing  date  Dec.  13,  1830, 
when  Daniel  M.  Brown  was  the  Master.  On  the  13th  of 
June,  1861,  Herschel  Lodge,  No.  508,  was  chartered,  with 
William  Congdon,  M. ;  Johu  Norton,  S.  W. ;  and  Alonzo 
Wood,  J.  W.  It  at  once  entered  upon  a  career  of  prosper- 
ity, which  enabled  it  in  1874  to  build  one  of  the  finest 
halls  in  the  county.    At  present  there  are  one  huuJied  and 


thirty  members,  having  James  B.  Harrington  as  Master, 
and  E.  B.  Norton,  Secretary. 

Hartford  Chapter,  No.  192,  R.  A.  M.,  was  instituted 
Jan.  11,  186G,  with  AVilliam  H.  Rowe,  H.  P.;  William  E. 
Congdon,  E.  K. ;  John  Norton,  E.  S. ;  and  six  members 
besides.  At  present  there  are  fifty-seven  members,  who 
meet  in  Masonic  Hall,  North  Hartford. 

Washington  County  Lodge,  L.  0.  of  0.  F.,  was  organ- 
ized at  North  Hartford,  Feb.  12,  1844,  with  Curtis  Mann, 
N.  G.;  Lucius  Cottrell,  V.  G. ;  John  Norton,  Sec;  and 
John  Perry,  Treas.  For  some  time  the  lodge  had  a  pros- 
perous existence,  but  it  has  long  since  gone  down. 

The  town  has  also  had  several  temperance  lodges  and 
divisions,  but  no  trustworthy  data  of  their  institution  has 
been  received. 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    HARTFORD, 

formerly  North  Hartford,  is  located  in  the  centre  and  ca.st- 
ern  part  of  the  town,  chiefly  on  lot  48,  and  partly  on  lands 
formerly  owned  by  De  Witt  Clinton.  It  is  pleasantly  sit- 
uated on  elevated  ground,  and  has  some  fine  scenery  sur- 
rounding it.  The  place  enjoys  a  good  trade,  and  is  the 
most  important  village  in  town,  having  about  four  hundred 
inhabitants.  A  branch  of  East  creek  affords  limited  power, 
which  was  first  employed  east  of  the  place  by  William 
Covel  to  operate  saw-  and  grist-niUls.  In  a  repaired  condi- 
tion these  are  yet  operated  by  Manser  Hall.  Nearer  the 
village  clothing-works  and  cardiug-niachines  were  operated 
by  Joel  and  Samuel  Downs,  and  afterwards  by  Reuben 
Dexter,  using  the  water  from  a  dam  which  now  supplies 
power  for  the  cider-mill.  Here,  also,  a  starch-factory  was 
put  up  by  Andrew  Daizey  and  George  Wordell,  but  which 
was  soon  changed  to  other  purposes.  Distilleries  were 
operated  by  a  man  named  Hoffman,  John  Hamel,  and 
others,  and  a  tannery  by  Amby  Higby,  which  was  after- 
wards turned  into  a  cooperage.  Amasa  Ruggles  carried  on 
the  manufacture  of  hats  in  an  extensive  manner,  about 
1820  ;  and  years  later  Parks  &  Carlisle  had  a  shoe-factory 
which  employed  a  great  many  men.  The  manufacture  of 
cabinet  ware  also  formed  an  important  item,  Nathan  Hatch 
and  others  being  engaged  in  it.  In  the  common  mechanic 
arts  shops  were  carried  on  many  years  by  Jason  Havens 
and  Alonzo  Wood,  and  there  are  yet  several  shops,  all  the 
other  works  having  long  since  been  discontinued. 

Ethel  Cummings  had  the  first  house  of  entertainment, 
on  the  present  hotel  site,  in  a  two-story  frame,  which  was 
taken  by  Aaron  Norton  and  enlarged.  About  1812,  Ben- 
jamin Hyde  became  the  host,  and  for  twenty  years  served 
in  that  capacity.  John  P.  Wood  and  others  followed  in 
the  same  house,  which  was  burned  in  1860.  Three  years 
later  the  present  structure  was  erected.  A  few  other  houses 
were  used  a  short  time  for  tavern  purposes. 

Colonel  John  Buck  was  the  first  to  open  a  store,  where 
Hiram  Swain  now  lives.  Aaron  Norton  was  next  in  trade, 
and  John  Hamel  put  up  a  store  on  Reynolds'  corner,  in 
which  he  sold  goods  many  years.  Samuel  Harris  was  in 
trade  forty  years,  in  the  old  brick  store,  and  Slade  D.  Brown 
and  Archibald  Hay  were  also  active  in  trade.  At  present 
there  are  several  well-kept  stores. 

The  post-office  was  established  about  1807,  with  Aaron 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


379 


Norton,  postmaster,  and  has  since  been  kept  by  John 
Hamel,  Alanson  Allen,  Samuel  Gordon,  C.  L.  Parker,  J. 
Brunnell,  S.  D.  Kidder,  Doane  Jlartin,  R.  C.  Davis,  and 
John  Norter,  who  has  held  the  position  many  years.  There 
is  a  daily  mail  service  from  Smitli's  Rasin. 

A  Dr.  Cutter  was  one  of  the  first  located  physicians,  al- 
though Dr.  Jones,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  was  often  called 
to  visit  the  sick  prior  to  his  coming.  The  profession  has 
since  been  represented  by  Doctors  Harvey,  Porter,  Bigelow, 
Prouty,  Putnam,  and  the  present  Dr.  B.  B.  Gilman. 

The  village  was  not  without  its  legal  lights.  Sladc  D. 
Brown,  Ira  A.  Porrin,  Warren  H.  Brown,  and  others  had 
offices.  The  last  named  was  a  man  of  considerable  pmmi- 
nenee. 

About  1S50  a  bank  of  exchange,  and  later  also  of  issue, 
was  conducted  by  Charles  Wesley  &  Brother.  It  had  a 
prosperous  existence  for  three  years,  when  it  was  removed 
to  Buifalo. 

The  village  has  two  churches,  a  good  school.  Masonic 
lodge,  etc.,  whose  histories  are  elsewhere  detailed. 

About  two  miles  .southwest  of  this  place,  and  principally 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  south  branch  of  East  creek,  is  the 
village  of 

SOUTH    HARTFORD, 

with  a  population  numbering  several  hundred.  The  water- 
power  at  this  point  was  improved  about  1790  by  a  man 
named  Foster,  who  soon  after  sold  his  interests  to  Daniel 
Brown.  The  grist-mill  they  erected  was  the  first  in  town. 
In  1810,  William  Covel  having  purchased  the  property,  a 
saw-mill  was  added  to  the  power,  and  until  a  few  years  ago 
these  were  known  as  Covel's  mills.  At  present  George 
Whedon  operates  them.  Below  this  site  clothing-works 
were  carried  on  by  John  Scott,  which  were  abandoned  in 
1825.  The  site  was  sub.sequently  occupied  by  a  grist- 
mill, erected  by  Joseph  Harris,  who  had  also  a  distillery  in 
the  same  locality.  The  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1S48. 
Lower  down  the  stream  a  saw-mill  was  built  by  Caleb 
Brown  prior  to  1810,  and  a  mill  known  as  Moon's  was 
swept  away  by  a  flood  in  1811.  A  mile  below  the  village 
a  carding-machine  was  operated  by  Russell  Smith,  which, 
being  burned,  was  replaced  in  183G  by  a  woolen-factory, 
operated  by  Wm.  P.  Allen,  and  for  many  years  past  by  B. 
&  W.  Tolman.  A  tannery  was  established  at  this  place 
soon  after  its  settlement,  by  Daniel  Brown,  who  disposed  of 
bis  interests  to  Calvin  Townsend  about  1800.  By  him  it 
was  conducted  until  1846,  when  Levi  Hatch  became  the 
proprietor  and  yet  operates  it.  A  planing-mill,  on  the  site 
of  an  old  plaster-mill,  together  with  the  usual  mechanic 
shops,  concludes  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the  place. 

Major  Caleb  Brown  kept  the  first  tavern.  His  first 
license  bears  date  Feb.  1,  1797,  and  is  signed  by  Asahel 
Hodge  and  John  Kincaid,  "  commissioners  of  excise." 
About  1800  a  building  was  erected  for  tavern  purposes  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  village,  where  Brown  kept  until 
his  death,  in  1837.  Since  then  his  son  Harvey  has  con- 
ducted the  hotel,  a  period  extending  over  forty  years.  The 
house  remains  as  built.  About  1800,  John  P.  Webb  had 
a  public-house  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Thomas  Gil- 
christ's residence,  but  he  removed  in  the  course  of  a  dozen 
years. 


The  honor  of  opening  the  first  store  seems  to  be  divided 
between  Caleb  Brown  and  Daniel  Mason,  both  selling 
goods  about  the  same  time,  1795.  Soon  after,  they  were 
succeeded  by  Joseph  Harris,  who  remained  until  his  death, 
in  1828,  his  family  continuing  the  trade  thereafter.  In 
1830,  Jacob  Allen  engaged  in  business  and  remained  about 
twenty-five  years.  At  this  stand  E.  B.  Doane  and  G.  W. 
Harden  have  sold  goods  for  twenty  years. 

There  has  been  a  post-office  bearing  the  name  of  the 
village  since  1820,  when  Joseph  Harris  held  the  office. 
His  successors  in  office  were  George  Chandler,  Jacob  Allen, 
and  others.     K.  B.  Doane  is  the  present  incumbent. 

Dr.  Isaac  W.  Claiy  was  the  first  regular  practicing  phy- 
sician. His  successor  was  Dr.  Richard  Sill,  and  he  in  turn 
has  been  succeeded  by  the  present  Dr.  Joseph  Sill. 

There  are  two  churches;  and  it  is  the  scat  of  Hartford 
Academy.  Southeast  of  this  place,  and  on  the  same 
stream,  is 

E.\ST    HARTFORD, 

a  small  hamlet,  but  the  centre  of  some  of  the  first  settle- 
ments in  town.  The  water-power  is  meagre,  but  it  was 
early  improved  to  operate  saw-  and  grist-mills.  The  former 
was  put  up  by  Laban  Bump,  and  passed  thence  into  the 
hands  of  Zadock  Harris'  family.  The  grist-mill  was  prob- 
ably put  up  by  Hezekiah  Mann,  although  it  was  operated 
by  John  Ingals  and  other  members  of  that  family,  passing 
subsequently  into  the  hands  of  the  Larkins'. 

John  Park  carried  on  the  tanning  business  soon  after 
1800,  and  continued  about  fifty  years.  His  place  was  near 
Laban  Bump's  residence. 

Stores  were  kept  in  the  place  by  Fred.  Baker,  John  Car- 
lisle, Thomas  Qua,  T.  E.  Ingals,  J.  J.  Reynolds,  and  by 
the  present  G.  D.  Larkham. 

The  only  brick  house  in  the  place  was  erected  for  a 
tavern,  about  1810,  by  Elijah  Dixon.  It  was  not  long  u.sed 
for  this  purpose.  The  place  has  a  private  post-office,  and 
about  fourscore  inhabitants. 

In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town  and  principally  in 
the  town  of  Kingsbury  is  the  village  of  Adamsvillc,  which 
will  be  noticed  in  connection  with  the  history  of  that  town. 

THE    MILITARY    HISTORY 

of  Hartford  includes  the  names  of  several  who  rendered 
distinguished  service  on  a  hotly-contested  field.  Samuel 
Taylor  was  but  a  boy  when  the  cry  for  independence  rang 
through  the  land,  but  he  enrolled  himself  on  the  side  of 
the  patriots,  and  spent  the  dreary  winter  of  1777-78  at 
Valley  Forge,  participated  at  Monmouth,  and  was  one  of 
the  picked  men  who  assailed  Stony  Point.  Captain  Taylor 
died  May  5,  1850,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  Colonel  John 
Buck,  Captain  Asahel  Hodge,  Nathan  Taylor,  Samuel 
Bowen,  Doctor  Jones,  Alexander  Arnold,  Asher  Ford,  and 
others  also  belonged  to  the  American  forces.  A  number  of 
citizens  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  but  no  accurate  account 
of  those  engaged  can  be  given. 

The  late  civil  war  called  out  many  loyal  sons  of  Hart- 
ford, whose  names  and  terms  of  service  are  given  in  the 
annexed  list.  The  town  also  adopted  appropriate  mea.s- 
ures  to  secure  the  necessary  volunteers,  and  every  demand 


380 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


for  men  and  means  was  met  by  a  clieerful  and  hearty 
response. 

Jolin  Allc-n,  i-nl.  July  30,  1S02,  12M  EcRt.,  Co.  H  ;  (iisch.  June  8, 18G5. 

Wni.  Arm'-tning,  enl.  Auf;.  7, 18C2, 12:i(l  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 

Frank  Archiiniliolt,  (!iil.  .Inly  2S,  1802,  12:)il  Rogt.,  Co.  E;  killed. 

Dennis  linker,  enl.  Oct.  6, 1801.  2cl  Cuv.,Co.  F;  disch.  at  Wasliington. 

Pclcr  Ho\islie,  enl.  Oct.  6, 1801,  2tl  Ciiv.,  Co.  F  ;  dinch.  at  Washington. 

Henry  Busli,  enl.  Dec.  2:i,  1801,  93U  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 

refer  Boiuliee,  sergt.;  cnl.  Aug.  13, 1802,  123(1  Eegt.,  Co.  E;  resides  in  Hurt. 

ford. 
Byron  Briggs.  enl.  Ang.  5, 1802, 12:id  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  killed  at  Chancellorsville, 

Jlay  :i,  1803. 
John  Bell,  cnl.  Ang.  7, 1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  killed  at  Gettysburg,  July  3, 

1803. 
Darius  Brown,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  resides  at  Sandy  Hill. 
Dennis  Baker,  enl.  Aug.  10, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E ;  resides  at  Hartlonl ;  disch- 

July,  1805. 
John  Brayton.* 
Barrison  Brayton.* 

I.»aac  S.  Brayton,*  enl.  Jan.  2, 1804, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Melvin  A.  Brayton,*  enl.  Dec.  2-t,  1803,  ICth  Art.,  Co.  I. 
John  Burton,  died  in  the  service. 

Seth  C.  H.  Cary,  2d  lieut.;  enl.  July,  1802, 12.3d  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  living  in  nebrnn. 
Thuraas  Clark,  died  at  Albany  soon  after  enlistment. 
Thomas  Dickinson,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  H  ;  died  at  Atlanta,  Ga., 

Sept.  10, 1804. 
Patrick  D.dan,  enl.  Aug.  12, 18C2,^123d  Kegt,  Co.  E  ;  living  last  at  ■\Vhit<diaII. 
James  Dickerson,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1802, 123d  Rcgt.,  Co.  E  ;  dieil  in  the  service. 
John  H.  Duicey,  ord.  sergt. ;  eul.  Aug.  7, 1802;  pro.  to  1st  lieut.;  fell,  mortally 

wounded,  before  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  20, 1804,  and  died  July  22,  aged  28 

yeai-8 ;  brought  to  Hartford,  and  buried  by  the  members  of  Ilerschel 

Lodge,  No.  .5(18,  F.  and  A.  M. 
Joseph  Felleir,  corp  ;  onl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  E. 
Edward  Forsyth,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Stephen  C.  Gibbs,t  enl.  Dec.  3,  1801,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  F;  disch.  1862,  at  Newport 

News,  Va. 
Alfred  C.  Gibbs.t  enl.  Nov.  29, 1801,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  F;  re-enl.  at  Brandy  Station, 

Va.,  Dec.  1803  ;  com.  sergt. ;  ilisch.  July  13,  ISO.'i,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 
A.  .J.  Gibbs.t  enl.Nov.  20, 1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  F  ;  re-enl.  at  Brandy  Station, 

Va  ,  Dec.  1803 ;  hosp.  stew. ;  disch.  July,  180.'j,  at  Little  York,  Pa. 
Alvin  Gray,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  E ;  wounded  at  Peach-Tree  Creek, 

Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  id,  1804;   disch.  at  Albany,  June,  1806;  resides  at 

Hartford. 
Perry  A.  Goodell,  cnl.  1801,  9.3d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  at  Whitehouse  Landing, 

Va.,  on  account  of  a  rupture  made  by  doing  fatigue  duty  in  building  a 

corduroy  bridge. 
George  R.  Hill,  1st  lieut. ;  enl.  July,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Julius  II.  nigby,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  pro.  to  1st  lieut.,  July, 

1804;  to  capt.,  Jusjo,  1805;  trans,  to  lufltli  Regt.,  U.  S.  C.  I.;  in  Texas 

from  Juno  1, 1805,  to  March,  1800;  disch.  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  March  15, 

1800. 
Albert  E.  nigby,  enl.  April,  1801,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  disch.  May,  1803;  ro-enl. 

in  Heavy  Art.,  1804;  in  battles  of  second  Bull  Run,  South  Mountain, 

Antietam,  and  Cliancellorsville;  died  at  Wilmington,  N.  C,  April,  1805. 
Adolphns  Hatch,  enl.  Ang.  7, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 
James  A.  Henry,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
John  M.  Hughes,  Jr.,  died  in  the  service. 
Adolphus  Jcifway,  enl.  July  28, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  killed. 
Milton  H.  Kinney,  enl.  Oct.  0, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Andrew  J.  King,  enl.  Oct.  0, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F;  re-enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d 

Regt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  at  Albany ;  resides  at  Hartford. 
Joseph  B.  Latimer,  enl.  Aug,  11, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Wm.  H.  Link,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802, 12id  Rogt,  Co.  I. 

Marcus  Liddle,  enl.  July  29,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B;  resides  at  Hartford. 
Wm.  H.  Ladd,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
John  Miner,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Oliver  Miner,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  at  Albany,  1805. 
James  McMurray,  cnl.  Aug.  15, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  supposed  taken  pris- 
oner May  3, 1803;  never  heard  from. 
Wm.  McMillan,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  at  Albany. 
Thoniai  McCiirty,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  6, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Henry  C.  Miller,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 

Mason  McGan,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  at  Albany,  1805. 
Patrick  McKcnna,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  at  Albany,  1805 ; 

living  now  at  Argyle. 
Francis  More,  enl.  Ang.  7,  1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  E. 
Harlan  P.  Mm  tin,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Andrew  McMillan,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 
Wm.  Murphy,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
George  W.  Miner,  enl.  April  21),  1801,  22d  Kegt,  Co.  H  ;  killed  at  second  battle 

of  Bull  Run,  Va.,  July  8, 1802. 
John  McClarty  ;  died  soon  after  discharge,  on  account  of  disease  contracted  in 

the  service. 

*  One  of  the  Braytots  is  reported  to  have  died  in  the  service, 
t  Of  the  Gibl.s,  fiur  b.otheis  were  in  the  aimy. 


Jay  H.  Northup,  enl.  Nov.  12,1861,  03d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

Daniel  E.  Nelson,  onl.  Aug.  5,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  H;  disch.  Aug.  21,  1863. 
Osciir  B.  Nelson,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E. 

James  Allen  Norton,  enl.  Aug.  25, 1862;  pro.  to  sergt.;  killed  at  Cliancellors- 
ville, May  3, 1803. 
Chester  Orcutt,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  H  ;  disch.  June  8, 180.'-, ;  living 

in  Hartford. 
George  W.  Orcutt,  enl.  July  28,  1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June  8, 1805  ; 

living  in  Hartford. 
Henry  Orcutt;  killed. 
Douglass  I'ottor,  farrier;  enl.  Oct  6,  1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F;  re-cnl.  123d  Regt, 

Co.  E;  sergt 
John  Perry,  enl.  Oct.  6, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Charles  P.  Pitney,  enl.  Dec.  3,  1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  E. 
John  Patterson,  enl.  Ang.  7,  1802,  123d  Rogt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  at  Albany,  1805, 

with  the  regiment. 
Luther  M.  Park,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  E ;  wounded  Jan.  22, 1801,  at 

Kenesaw  Mountain,  Ga. ;  disch.  at  Albany,  with  regiment,  1805. 
Ransom  Qini,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1802,  12;ld  Regt,  Co.  E. 
Alexander  Reid,  enl.  Aug.  1, 1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  F. 
John  Riley,  enl.  July  28, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
John  Robinson,  enl.  at  Glen's  Falls,  Aug.  8,  1802,  .54111   Mass.,  Co.  G ;  served 

fifteen  months  ;  disch.  at  Morris  Island,  S.  C,  on  account  of  siokness ;  re. 

enl.  Aug.24, 1804,in20tli  Regt,  U.S.  Colored  Troops;  was  biuily  woundcil 

at  Pocufaligo,  W.  Va. ;  wounded  in  left  wrist ;  no  use  of  joint ;  receives  a 

pension  of  sixteen  dollarsper  month;  discli.  March,  1S05 ;   resides  at 

Hartrord. 
Walter  Smith,  enl.  Dec.  11, 1801,  93d  Regt,  Co,  G. 

Isaac  Stiles  enl.  July  28,1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I ;  living;  resides  in  Whitehall. 
Robert  W.  Skellie,  enl.  July  8, 1802, 123d  Rcgt,  Co.  I. 
John  L.  Skellie,  enl.  July  11, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
•  Wm.  Skellie,  enl.  July  15, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 
Il.amion  Shaw,  enl.  July  20,  1802,12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Wm.  I.  Scott,  enl.  Ang.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
James  L.  Sherman,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  with  regiment, 

at  Alb  iny,  1865. 
Charles  H.  Starks,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  C.i.  I. 
Samuel  Stiles,  onl.  July  20,  1802,123d  Regt,  (Jo.  E ;  wounded  at  Peach-Tree 

Creek, Ga.;  disch.  at  Albany,  1805;  living;  resides  in  Easton. 
Win.  M.  Smith,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802,  123d  Regt,  Co.  E  ;  living  now. 
James  Shevlin,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Austin  Taft,enl.  Dec.  17, 1801,  03d  Regt.  Co.  E. 
Hiram  L.  Thomas,  enl.  July  30, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  killed. 
Edward  Tanner,  enl.  Aug. 4, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Edward  Vance,  wagoner  ;  onl.  Aug.  0, 1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  E. 
Theophilus  T.  Whitcomb,  Corp. ;  enl.  Oct.  16, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Levi  N.  Walling,  enl.  Nov.  20, 1801,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Andrew  Wickes,  enl.  Oct.  21,  1801,  03d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
James  Wilknison,  eul.  Dec.  8,  1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  F.    ' 
Arlos  A.  Winchell,  enl.  Dec.  11, 1801,  03d  Regt,,  Co.  F. 
Norman  F.  Wier,  capt.;  enl.  July,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  killed  ;  buried  at 

Hartford  by  Masonio  lodge  ;  largest  burial  ever  held  in  town. 
Sidney  Wier,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt,  Co.  E. 
John  Wright,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  killed. 
James  Waugh,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Wm.  H.  Warner,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Harlon  P.  Waite,  cnl.  July  24, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  resides  at  Catlett  Station, 

Va. 
Daniel  Wilds,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1802, 12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  i 
Isaac  Winchell,  eul.  1801,  93d  Rogt.,  from  Granville  ; 

his  time  out;  discharged. 
.John  Wright,  killed. 
James  Wythe,  killed. 


ides  at  Hartford. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


HON.  JAMES  M.  NORTHUP 

is  of  Eii^liish  origin,  his  ancestors  having  emigrated  from 
England  and  settled  in  Rhode  Island  at  an  early  date  iu  the 
history  of  this  country.  Joseph  Northup,  the  paternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  and  roared  in  Rhode 
Island  ;  emigrated  in  after-life  to  Hebron,  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  settled  on  a  farm  at  that  phice,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death,  in  1830.  He  reared  a  family  of  seven  children, 
— five  sons  and  two  daughters.  John  S.,  the  fourth  son, 
was  born  at  Hebron  in  1792.  He  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  that  day,  and  became  a  good  scholar  in  the  P]ng- 


James  M.  Nof^THUP 


f^Rs  James  fJI  Nof^VHUP. 


RESIDENCE    OF     HON.   JAMES     M.   NOKTHUP,    j--^ 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


381 


lish  branches,  and  a  teacher  in  the  common  schools,  and 
also  of  singing.  He  served  an  apprenticeship  with  the 
firm  of  Clapp  &  Day,  who  were  noted  builders  of  that 
period.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  ho  was  married  to  Miss 
Laura  Baker,  of  Hebron,  and  the  next  year  removed  to 
Phittsburg,  where  for  the  next  fourteen  years  lie  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  his  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 
At  this  time,  meeting  with  some  reverses  of  fortune,  he  de- 
cided to  return  to  his  native  town  of  Hebron,  from  whence, 
in  1841,  he  removed  to  Hartford,  in  the  same  county,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1863.  His 
widow  survived  his  death  nine  years,  when  she  departed 
this  life,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  named  as  follows :  Mary  J., 
Sarah,  James  M.,  Hester  A.,  Charlotte  E.,  Eveline  M., 
Laura  E.,  and  William  B. 

James  M.,  the  third  child,  was  born  at  Plattsburg,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  8,  1820.  His  advantages  for  acquiring  an  education 
were  very  limited  indeed,  as  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  it 
became  necessary  for  him  to  seek  his  own  living,  which  he 
did  from  that  time  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  by  work- 
ing out  on  farms  by  the  month.  On  Jan.  4,  1842,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  A.  Davis,  daughter  of 
Hczekiah  Davis,  of  Hartford. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage  he  assumed  the  charge 
and  management  of  the  farm  of  Mrs.  Davis,  his  mother- 
in-law,  whicli  he  continued  for  the  next  eight  years.  In 
1842,  in  addition  to  his  farming  operations,  he  commenced 
buying  and  selling  produce,  making  potatoes  a  specialty,  and 
by  his  untiring  energy  and  business  activity  largely  stimu- 
lated the  growth  and  production  of  this  element  of  food  in 
Washington  county,  and  at  the  same  time  laid  the  founda- 
tion to  the  very  substantial  wealth  which  he  now  enjoys. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  to  the  farmers  of 
Washington  county  the  celebrated  "  Carter  variety,"  and 
by  liberal  inducements  in  the  way  of  contracts  for  the  plant- 
ing of  hundreds  of  acres,  succeeded  in  building  up  a  large 
and  lucrative  trade  directly  with  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
in  making  the  town  of  Hartford  and  vicinity  famous  as  the 
greatest  potato-growing  locality  of  New  York,  and  lie  be- 
came widely  known  in  the  city  and  country  as  the  "  Potato 
King." 

On  May  14,  1850,  he  was  bereaved  in  the  death  of  his 
wife,  leaving  him  with  two  children, — H.  Davis,  seven 
years  of  age,  who  is  at  this  time  living  with  his  family  in 
Hartford,  and  an  infant  of  six  months  of  age,  named  Clay- 
ton, who  died  in  one  month  after  its  mother. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1851,  Mr.  Northup  filled  the  va- 
cancy in  his  home  by  choosing  another  companion, — Miss 
Martha  Dunham,  daughter  of  Daniel  Dunham,  of  Argyle. 
About  this  time  he  moved  into  the  village  of  Hartford,  and 
became  engaged  in  selling  goods  under  the  firm-name  of 
Northup  &  Martin.  This  partnership  was  dissolved  at  the 
end  of  four  years,  and  Mr.  Northup  continued  his  produce 
business,  which  he  has  steadily  pursued  ever  since  on  an 
extensive  scale.  At  this  time  William  B.  Northup,  his 
brother,  and  II.  Davis,  his  son,  are  associated  with  him  in 
the  same  business. 

Mr.  Northup  has  held  various  ofiiees  and  positions  of 
trust   in   his   town,  county,   and   State,   commencing   with 


supervisor  of  his  town  for  the  terms  of  1856  and  1857, 
and  has  been  retained  in  some  important  office  ever  since. 
In  1858  he  was  member  of  Assembly  in  the  New  York 
Legislature,  and  for  the  next  nine  years  one  of  the  com- 
missioners of  the  board  of  excise  of  Washington  county. 
In  1871  was  made  treasurer  of  the  county  for  unexpired 
term,  and  in  1872  elected  to  the  same  office  for  the  term 
of  three  years;  and  again,  in  1875,  re-elected  to  the  same 
office,  which  position  he  still  fills. 

By  his  second  marriage  he  became  the  father  of  one 
child, — Minnie  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten  years  ;  and 
in  the  same  year,  on  the  30th  day  of  November,  1867,  his 
second  loved  companion  took  her  departure  for  the  world 
beyond,  leaving  him  alone  and  desolate.  After  four  years 
of  dreary  loneliness  Mr.  Northup  sought  and  obtained  the 
hand  and  heart  of  Jliss  Harriet  D.  Sill,  a  very  worthy  and 
intelligent  lady,  the  daughter  of  Zachariah  Sill,  of  Hart- 
ford. They  were  married  on  the  8th  day  of  February, 
1871,  and  the  fruit  of  this  union  is  a  bright  little  boy, 
three  years  of  age,  named  Charles  Sill  Northup. 

H.  Davis  Northup,  the  child  of  Mr.  Northup's  first 
marriage,  is  married,  and  has  three  children,  and  resides  in 
a  beautiful  residence,  at  a  short  distance  from  his  father,  in 
the  village  of  Hartford. 

It  is  with  pleasure  we  are  able  to  present  our  readers 
elsewhere  in  these  pages  a  fine  view  of  the  home  of  the 
Hon.  James  M.  Northup,  with  the  portraits  of  himself  and 
his  excellent  wife,  and  this  imperfect  sketch  of  the  life  and 
character  of  one  of  the  most  esteemed  and  honored  citizens 
of  Washington  county,  in  the  hope  that  his  descendants 
may  profit  by  and  imitate  his  noble  example  and  liberal 
generosity  in  all  that  concerns  the  well-being  of  society  and 
the  upbuilding  of  the  material  interests  of  the  country; 
and  that  they  may,  after  their  fiither,  sustain  the  same  hon- 
orable title  bestowed  upon  him  by  admiring  friends,  that  of 
"  the  poor  man"s  friend." 


HARVEY   BROWN. 

The  family  of  which  Harvey  Brown,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  is  a  rei)resentative  is  of  English  extraction.  Wil- 
liam Brown,  his  great-grandfather,  caiuc  from  England  to 
this  country  about  the  year  1685,  and  located  at  Hatfield, 
Blass.,  being  the  first  settler  at  that  place.  About  the  year 
.1718  he  removed  to  Leicester,  Mass.,  and  was  one  of  the 
fifty  original  .settlers  to  whom  the  town  was  conveyed  by 
deed  Jan.  11,  1724.  Governor  Washburn,  in  his  history 
of  Leicester,  says,  "  He  was  one  of  six  of  the  principal  men 
of  the  town,  Nov.  28,  1720,  to  address  a  letter  to  Rev. 
David  Parsons  to  become  their  pastor  ;  was  one  of  the  nine 
principal  men  of  the  town,  April  30,  1725,  to  petition  the 
lieutenant-governor  for  protection  against  the  Indians." 

At  the  first  town-meeting,  held  in  March,  1722,  William 
Brown  was  elected  surveyor,  and  for  several  years  after  one 
of  the  selectmen  of  the  town.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Indian 
and  French  wars.  He  had  four  sons, — William,  John, 
Zachariah,  and  Samuel.     He  died  in  Leicester  in  1752. 

His  grandfather,  John  Brown,  son  of  William,  was  born 
in  Leicester  in  1703.  Governor  Washburn,  in  his  history, 
says,  "  John   Brown  was  a  .soldier  in   the  French  war,  and 


382 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


commanded  a  company  in  the  Louisburg  expedition  in 
1745,  was  a  loading  man  in  the  town,  and  its  representa- 
tive in  the  grand  court  for  twenty  years,  with  great  accept- 
ance to  the  people."  He  says,  Sept.  16,  1768,  "  Captain 
John  Brown  was  moderator  of  a  meeting  to  pass  resolutions 
as  loyal  subjects  on  grievances,  and  that  they  chose  Captain 
Brown  as  a  delegate  to  Boston  to  consult  measures  that  may- 
come  before  them,  and  to  give  his  advice  and  influence, 
that  rash  measures  be  prevented  and  mild  ones  adopted, 
and  to  restore  the  court  which  had  been  prorogued."  Jan. 
4,  1773,  "he  was  chairman  of  a  committee  of  nine  to  re- 
port what  the  town  should  do  in  relation  to  the  Boston 
court." 

He  married  Lydia  Newhall,  by  whom  he  had  two  son.? — 
John  and  Parley — and  three  daughters.  His  second  wife 
was  Mary  Jones,  by  whom  he  had  four  sons — Benjamin, 
Caleb,  Daniel,  and  William — and  seven  daughters.  Of  the 
sixteen  children  all  but  William  married,  and  most  of  them 
had  large  families.  He  died  at  Leicester,  in  1791,  aged 
eighty-eight  years.  His  widow  died  at  Hartford,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  14,  1809,  aged  ninely-one  years. 

The  family  was  distinguished  for  its  patriotism,  sound 
common  sense,  retentive  memory,  great  vitality,  manly 
form,  and  healthy  organiz.ition.  Their  descendants  inherit 
in  a  marked  degree  the  characteristics  of  the  parent  stock. 
In  the  expedition  to  Fort  Wm.  Henry,  in  1756,  John 
and  Parley  Brown  were  volunteers  and  non-commi.ssioned 
officers,  and  the  historian,  in  .speaking  of  the  age  and  char- 
acter of  the  volunteers  from  Leicester,  says,  "  They  had 
families  and  homes  which  they  must  have  given  up  wilh 
reluctance ;  for  instance,  Parley  Brown,  a  son  of  the  most 
considerable  man  in  the  town,  was  nineteen."  In  1756, 
John  and  Parley  volunteered  in  the  expedition  to  Crown 
Point. 

John,  Parley,  Benjamin,  and  William  Brown  enrolled 
them.selves  as  minute-men,  and  marched  to  Cambridge,  April 
19,  1775.  They  soon  after  joined  the  regular  army,  and 
were  all  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  John  was  twice 
wounded  in  that  battle,  and  the  historian  records  that  his 
captain,  though  a  small  man,  carried  him  and  his  musket 
in  his  arms  to  a  place  of  security  till  his  brother  Parley 
could  care  for  him.  He  served  in  the  army  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  removed  to  Ohio  (then  called  the  North- 
western Territory)  in  1797,  and  died  in  1821  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year. 

Parley  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains  in  1776, 
leaving  a  widow  and  four  sons,  who  removed  to  western 
New  York,  and  have  for  half  a  century  been  regarded  as 
the  lost  tribe.  They  have  only  by  a  singular  circumstance 
within  the  past  year  "  been  restored  to  their  brethren." 
They  exhibit  unmistakable  evidence  of  their  identity. 
They  not  only  retain  the  family  names,  but  the  Hon.  D.  S. 
S.  Brown,  long  connected  with  the  Rochester  Democrul, 
has  in  his  possession  two  letters  written  by  bis  grandfather. 
Parley  Brown,  from  New  York  to  his  wife  a  few  days  be- 
fore the  battle ;  these  have  been  preserved  in  the  ftmily  as 
souvenirs,  and  arc  deemed  conclusive  proof  of  their  iden- 
tity. 

William  died  in  hospital  in  New  York  in  the  early  part 
of  the  war.    Benjamin  commanded  a  company  in  the  Eighth 


(Colonel  Michael  Jackson's)  Regiment,  and  was  actively 
engaged  among  the  patriots  of  the  Revolution.  He  re- 
moved from  Leicester  to  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  in  1789,  and 
from  thence  to  Ohio  in  1796,  where  he  raised  a  family  of 
ten  children, — six  sons  and  four  daughters, — among  whom 
was  General  John  Brown,  who  died  at  Athens,  Ohio,  in 
1876,  aged  ninety  years,  and  the  Hon.  Archibald  G.  Brown, 
still  living  at  that  place.  He  died  at  Athens  in  1821,  aged 
seventy-six  years.  His  sisters,  Mary  Reed  and  Opphia 
Cable,  settled,  raised  families,  and  died  in  Ohio.  These 
Ohio  branches  of  the  family  have  exhibited  a  high  order  of 
talent.  Many  of  them  have  been  distinguished  in  the  pro- 
fessions and  on  the  bench,  and  have  filled  creditably  many 
responsible  and  important  positions  in  the  army  and  navy. 

In  1780,  Daniel  was  drafted  for  six  months  when  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  and  served  his  time.  Worn  out  and  im- 
poverished by  the  long  struggle,  the  country's  independence 
gained  at  the  expense  of  their  own,  the  same  spirit  that  had 
animated  the  family  through  the  war  led  them  to  seek 
homes  in  a  new  country  where  their  labor  would  meet  a 
more  adei(uate  reward  than  their  own  bleak  New  England 
hills  would  permit. 

In  1785,  Daniel  went  out  as  a  pioneer  and  settled  in 
Hartford,  N.  Y.,  where  six  other  members  of  the  family 
soon  followed.  He  is  believed  to  be  the  fifth  settler  within 
the  present  boundaries  of  the  town.  He  located  at  what 
is  now  the  south  village,  and  erected  there  the  first  grist- 
mill and  tannery  in  the  town.  He  was  a  genial,  liberal, 
and  public-spirited  man,  was  not  ambitious  for  ofiice,  but 
in  the  military  line  acquired  the  rank  of  major.  He  was 
born  Dec.  17,  1761,  was  married  to  Janet  Moore,  March 

4,  1795,  and  died  at  Hartford,  June  12,  1826,  in  the 
sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  leaving  nine  children, — five  .sons 
and  four  daughters.  His  wife  was  born  at  Coleraine,  N.  H., 
April  6,  1775,  and  died  at  Hartford,  May  12,  1869,  aged 
ninety-four.  She  was  a  noble  Christian  woman,  whose  life 
is  worthy  of  imitation  ;  her  virtues  are  still  fresh  in  the 
minds  of  many  who  knew  her. 

Lewis,  the  oldest  son,  Wiis  born  at  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  April 
2,  1798.  He  was  a  capable  man  and  a  bachelor.  He  died 
at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  Sept.  1,  1842,  iu  the  forty-fifth  year 
of  his  age. 

Daniel  M.  was  born  July  29,  1800.     He  married  Olive 

5.  Higby,  daughter  of  Amby  and  Juliana  Higby.  He  was 
a  farmer  and  practical  land  surveyor.  He  represented  his 
town  in  the  board  of  supervisors,  and  was  popular  with  the 
people.  He  rose  by  grade  to  the  command  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Regiment  of  Inflintry,  was  a 
spirited  officer,  and  an  energetic  man.  He  died  Aug.  7, 
1858,  on  the  farm  long  occupied  by  his  father. 

Benjamin  F.  was  born  May  2,  1808,  and  spent  his  life 
in  the  ministry  ;  he  was  zealous  and  enthusiastic  in  his 
calling.  He  died  in  northern  New  York,  Dec.  27,  1867,  in 
the  sixtieth  year  of  his  age,  leaving  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,     'i'hree  of  his  sons  are  in  the  ministry. 

William  W.  was  born  Aug.  11,  1815.  He  removed  to 
Wisconsin  while  it  was  a  Territory,  and  settled  in  Milwau- 
kee in  1838.  He  was  enterprising,  engaged  in  large  busi- 
ness transactions,  and  was  identified  with  the  early  liistory 
of  the  city.     He  represented  that  city  in  the  State  Legisla- 


'^*>  "    , 


Harvey  Brown. 


y^VJiiW&t^^HJ^^^-^vA^  ^j^j^v^«s» 


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l,^-- 


fss       "M         UJ8II  tinii     rnij  »SS 


Residence  of  HARVEY    BROWN,  south  HAmroRo.N.Y 


HISTOllY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


383 


ture,  nnd  held  oflSces  of  much  political  importance.  He 
had  splendid  opportunities,  but  they  were  sadly  neglected. 

Warren  H.  was  born  March  27,  1822.  He  graduated 
at  Union  College  with  honor,  practiced  law  in  his  native 
town,  was  for  many  years  an  acting  magistrate,  and  clerk 
of  the  board  of  supervisors.  Ho  was  an  honest,  capable 
man,  and  enjoyed  the  full  confidence  of  the  people.  He 
married  the  widow  of  the  late  Rev.  David  Bullion,  and 
daughter  of  Thomas  Green.  He  died,  January  20,  1873, 
when  all  his  earthly  prospects  seemed  highly  flattering, 
leaving  two  children  who  did  not  long  survive  him. 

Lucinda  M.  was  born  Sept.  17,  1805  ;  married  David 
Austin ;  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  She  possesses 
strong  intellectual  powers,  with  a  well-disciplined  mind,  and 
is  forward  in  every  Christian  enterprise.  Resides  at  Port 
Byron,  N.  Y. 

Evelina  was  born  in  May,  1802  ;  married  Ma.son  Ilulett, 
and  resides  in  Granville,  N.  Y.  She  is  an  exemplary 
Christian  woman. 

Laura  Ann  was  born  April  12,  1810  ;  died  Nov.  26, 
1866.  She  was  unmarried,  an  exemplary  woman,  and  de- 
voted her  life  to  the  care  of  her  aged  mother. 

Mary  C.  was  born  July  28,  1812;  married  Harrison 
Root ;  resides  at  Weedsport,  N.  Y. ;  has  three  sons  and  two 
daughters ;  is  amiable,  learned,  and  wise,  and  an  exemplary 
Christian. 

Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Brown,  was  born  Dec.  16, 
1754  ;  married  Asahel  Hodge,  who  distinguished  himself 
as  an  olficer  by  daring  and  successful  feats  of  valor  during 
the  war  ;  died  at  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  4,  1799,  aged  forty- 
five  years  ;  she  left  no  issue. 

Sarah  was  born  Nov.  23,  1750  ;  married  Gad  Chapin,  and 
died  at  Hartford  about  September,  1799,  aged  forty-nine 
years,  leaving  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Several  of  her 
descendants  reside  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  and  many  in  western 
New  York. 

Azubah  married  Saddler ;  Dorothy  married  Isaac  Wilson  ; 
Lydia  married  Edward  Hall ;  Mary  married  Daniel  Reed  ; 
Rebecca  married  Isaac  Southgate  ;  Hannah  married  Fred- 
erick Baylies ;  Lucy  married  Sparrowhawk,  for  her  second 
husband  Whipple,  and  then  Sanger ;  and  Opphia  married 
Jonathan  Cable.  One  daughter  married  John  White. 
Their  descendants  are  numerous  and  widely  scattered,  but 
so  far  as  known  inherit  the  strong  family  traits  of  charac- 
ter and  reflect  no  dishonor  upon  their  ancestors. 

Caleb  Brown,  his  father,  was  born  at  Leicester,  Miiss., 
Feb.  16,  1760.  While  his  brothers  fought  the  battles  of 
his  country,  to  him  was  assigned  the  no  less  urgent  and 
filial  duty  of  providing  for  his  aged  father,  who  was  so  crip- 
pled by  exposure  in  the  French  war  as  to  unfit  him  for 
business  pursuits ;  to  pay  the  burdensome  taxes  imposed  on 
his  father,  and  to  supply  their  quota  of  clothing  and  blankets 
for  the  soldiers  in  service.  He  often  remarked  that  the 
necessity  of  the  times  imposed  greater  hardships  and  denials 
upon  those  who  remained  at  home  than  the  .soldiers  were 
subjected  to.  All  that  could  be  raised  on  the  farm  or  ac- 
quired by  manly  toil  and  self-denial,  he  said,  was  wholly 
inadequate  to  pay  for  substitution  and  taxes,  and  to  meet 
the  requisitions  of  the  government.  The  contest  of  arms 
was  over,  but  the  credit  of  the  government  was  destroyed. 


and  the  fomily's  means  greatly  impaired,  with  but  little 
hope  of  retrieving  them  by  a  human  struggle  with  an  un- 
propitious  soil.  In  1786,  with  no  capital  but  a  sound  body 
and  resolute  will,  he  traced  the  footsteps  of  his  brother 
Daniel  to  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  and  commenced  an  energetic 
contest  with  the  wilds  of  nature.  He  located  at  what  is 
now  the  south  village.  He  was  public-spirited  in  opening 
roads,  building  bridges,  erecting  churches,  and  organiz- 
ing schools.  He  opened  a  store  in  1795,  and  a  hotel  in 
1796 ;  he  soon  after  built  a  saw-mill,  and  in  1802  erected 
the  house  which  has  been  kept  as  a  hotel  by  him  and  his 
son  for  seventy-five  years.  In  civil  life  he  held  some  minor 
county  ofiices,  and  in  the  military  line  held  the  commission 
of  colonel.  In  1795  he  married  Abigail,  the  widow  of 
Elisha  Maynard,  and  daughter  of  Wm.  Whitney,  of  Tem- 
pleton,  Mass.,  a  Christian  woman  of  great  force  of  charac- 
ter, who  died  Aug.  28,  1846,  aged  eighty-two  yeai-s.  He 
had  two  daughters  and  a  son  that  survived  him.  He  died 
at  Hartford,  Jan.  30,  1837,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

Caleb  Brown  was  reared  under  the  home  influence  of 
Christian  parents  :  honesty  and  conscientiousness  were  lead- 
ing traits  in  his  character ;  his  perceptive  faculties  were 
large,  his  judgment  of  men  quickly  formed  with  almost 
unerring  accuracy,  and  was  seldom  changed.  His  habits 
were  unexceptionable,  and  his  character  was  above  reproach, 
— a  family  inheritance. 

Rosamond,  his  oldest  daughter,  was  born  March  31, 
1798.  She  married  Charles  Webster.  She  was  an  amiable 
woman,  with  a  cultivated  mind,  and  was  endeared  to  all  who 
knew  her.  She  died  April  22,  1866.  She  had  no  chil- 
dren. 

Vesta  was  born  Dec.  27,  1799;  she  married  Israel  Mc- 
Connell,  by  whom  she  had  five  children,  and  resides  in 
Wisconsin,  where  she  moved  in  1852.  She  is  a  noble,  model 
woman,  endowed  by  nature  with  rare  qualities,  and  is  an 
honor  to  her  sex.  Horace,  her  eldest  son,  died  with  cholera 
at  Council  Bluffs,  on  his  route  to  California,  in  1849.  Ed- 
ward was  drowned  in  Lake  Okauchee,  Wis.,  about  1858. 
Albert  resides  in  Wisconsin,  is  married,  and  has  three  sons. 
Louisa  E.  married  Wm.  11.  Powell ;  she  resides  in  Cam- 
den, N.  J. ;  she  has  but  one  child, — a  daughter, — who 
married  A.  D.  Hatch,  and  she  has  one  .son  named  Wm.  H. 
Rosamond  B.  married  Homer  II.  Hurd,  by  whom  she  had 
four  children  ;  she  removed  to  Colorado  Springs,  Col.,  1872 ; 
her  oldest  son,  Albert,  died  there  in  March,  1873,  and  her 
son  Mack,  in  June,  1871.  Susie  married  Joseph  B.  Doui- 
van,  and  resides  there,  as  does  Rosa,  who  is  unmarried. 

Harvey  Brown,  sou  of  Colonel  Caleb  Brown,  was  born  at 
Hartford,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  1804.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired at  the  district  school,  where  he  ranked  firet  in  his 
class  in  the  studies  there  taught.  At  eighteen  yeai-s  of  age 
he  taught  a  district  school,  and  made  teaching  his  business 
during  the  winter  for  several  years.  At  twenty-two  he  wa.s 
employed  for  a  seasou  as  civil  engineer  in  constructing  the 
eastern  division  of  the  Morris  Canal  across  the  State  of 
New  Jersey,  and  since  that  time  has  made  land  surveying 
a  branch  of  his  business. 

He  has  held  various  offices  of  honor  and  trust.  He  lias 
been  president  of  the  county  agricultural  society  ;  was  for 
three  years  vice-president  of  the  county  Bible  society  ;  was 


384 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


for  four  years  from  1848  superintendent  of  repairs  on  the 
Cham  plain  Canal  at  a  period  when  public  plunder  was  not 
the  end  sought,  and  when  the  faithful  discharge  of  a  public 
trust  was  the  rule  and  not  the  exception.  He  was  for 
fifteen  years  superintendent  of  the  poor  of  the  county. 
His  long  continuance  in  the  ofiSce  enabled  him  to  discover 
defects  in  the  poor-law,  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing it  amended,  embracing  several  important  sections  recom- 
mended by  him  as  superintendent  in  his  official  annual 
reports.  By  his  persistent  efforts  the  board  of  supervisors 
adopted  the  provisions  of  the  Livingston  county  poor-law, 
which  corrected  serious  and  growing  abuses,  and  largely 
reduced  the  expenses  for  the  support  of  the  temporary 
poor. 

While  an  incumbent  of  the  office  he  recommended  and 
procured  the  passage  of  a  law  making  the  office  a  salaried 
office,  and  fixing  the  salary  at  about  one-half  the  former 
allowance ;  believing  the  tendency  would  be  to  keep  the 
management  of  the  institution  in  the  hands  of  officers  not  in- 
fluenced by  pecuniary  considerations. 

He  is  a  bachelor,  and  resides  in  the  house  in  which  he  was 
born  and  has  continuously  lived  (a  sketch  of  which  accom- 


panies this  work)  ;  is  plain  and  unostentatious  in  manners, 
frugal  but  generous,  and  free  from  all  degrading  habits,  as 
well  as  from  the  common  and  offensive  ones  which  are  tol- 
erated in  good  society.  Positive  in  character,  he  acts  with 
decision  ;  with  a  well-balanced  mind  and  healthy  organiza- 
tion, he  plans  cautiously  but  with  judgment,  and  executes 
with  energy.  From  early  manhood  he  has  made  the  traffic 
in  cattle,  sheep,  and  wool  a  leading  business,  generally  with 
satisfactory  results  ;  but  too  much  confidence  in  parties  un- 
worthy of  it  has  led  him  to  give  credit  to  them,  which  has 
materially  lessened  the  earnings  of  a  long  and  active  busi- 
ness life.  Farming  has  long  been  his  legitimate  business, 
and  the  improvement  of  his  flock  of  fine  woolen  sheep  an 
important  branch  of  it. 

For  many  years  he  has  been  intimately  identified  with 
the  business  interests  of  leading  financial  institutions  of  the 
State.  The  severe  ordeal  through  which  all  these  institu- 
tions have  lately  pa.ssed,  and  the  perfect  wreck  of  many, 
forcibly  illustrate  by  what  a  feeble  tenure  we  hold  earthly 
possessions,  and  admonish  us  to  heed  the  injunction  "  to 
lay  up  treasures  where  moth  and  rust  do  not  corrupt,  and 
where  thieves  do  not  break  through  and  steal." 


HEBRON. 


SITUATION    AND   NATURAL   FEATURES. 

The  town  is  nearly  central  upon  the  eastern  border  of 
the  county,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Hartford  and 
Granville,  east  by  the  State  of  Vermont,  south  by  Salem, 
west  by  Argyle  and  Hartford.  It  contains  thirty-two 
thousand  .sis  hundred  and  fifty-three  acres,  or  about  fifty- 
one  square  miles.  A  broad  mountain  range  extends  through 
the  centre,  occupying  nearly  one-half  of  its  entire  surface, 
and  a  series  of  high  hills  extends  through  the  eastern  and 
western  sections.  The  summits  of  the  highlands  are  three 
hundred  to  five  hundred  feet  above  the  valleys,  and  are 
mostly  covered  with  forests.  The  ranges  of  hills  are  sepa- 
rated by  the  valleys  of  Black  creek  and  its  principal  west- 
ern branch.  In  the  hilly  regions  is  considerable  rocky 
land,  not  tillable.  The  surface  of  the  town  is  mostly 
drained  to  the  south  and  southwest.  In  the  northwest 
part  of  the  town,  in  connection  with  a  portion  of  Hartford, 
are  the  highlands  that  divide  the  waters  of  the  Pawlot 
valley  from  those  of  the  Black  creek  valley,  and  also  the 
valley  of  the  Moses  Kill.  In  this  section  rise  the  rivulets 
which  form  the  western  branch  of  the  Black  creek,  and 
others  also,  that,  bearing  easterly  and  then  south,  form  the 
Black  creek  itself,  which  drains  all  the  eastern  and  southern 
portion  of  the  town,  and  unites  with  the  other  branch  at 
West  Hebron. 

PATENTS. 

The  town  of  Hebron  was  partly  embraced  in  patents  of 
two  thousand  acres  each,  granted  to  commissioned  officers, 
and  also  in  lots  of  two  hundred  acres  each  to  non-com- 
missioned ofiicers,  and  fifty  acres  each  to  privates  who 
were  engaged  in  the  French  war.  These  grants  were  made 
mostly  to  the  Highland  Scotch  77th  Regiment  of  foot, 
which  had  served  in  America  seven  years.  Their  term  of 
service  having  expired,  they  were  discharged  in  New  York 
city.  Some  returned  to  Scotland,  otliers  scattered  about 
the  country. 

When  the  king's  proclamation,  entitling  every  soldier  to 
a  tract  of  land,  was  published,  those  that  remained  in  the 
country  applied  for  their  rights,  and  several  of  them,  after 
some  years,  thus  became  re-united  as  neighbors  in  Hebron, 
and  along  Indian  river,  about  the  year  1774-75. 

What  is  known  as  the  Campbell  patent  was  first  granted 
to  Lieutenant  Nathaniel  McCulloch,  and  by  him  sold  to 
Duncan  Campbell,  June  11,  17G5.  In  1771  one-half,  or 
one  thousand  acres,  was  sold  by  Campbell.  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  the  original  contract : 

Artirica  of  agreement  made  Jidi/  9,  1771,  between  Duncan  CfimpheU, 
on  the  fust  part,  and  Jtoht.  WlUon  and  John  J/umHton  on  the  second 
part. — Article  1.  Duncan  Campbell  engages  anil  iloth  bind  himself, 
bis  heirs,  etc.,  to  give  a  good  and  sufficient  deed  to  Robert  AV  ilson 
and  John  Hamilton,  their  executors,  etc.,  on  or  before  the  lOtli  d;iy 

49 


of  May  next,  for  one  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Albany  county  nnj 
province  of  New  York,  olf  the  cist  side  of  Hudson  river,  and  of  the 
east  end  of  a  tract  of  land  granted  to  Lieutenant  Nathaniel  McCul- 
loch, and  afterward  conveyed  to  Duncan  Campbell. 

The  consideration  was  four  hundred  pounds.  The  deed 
was  made  June  9,  1773. 

The  other  one  thousand  acres  was  confiscated  by  the 
State  on  account  of  the  treason  of  Campbell.  What  is 
known  as  Kempe's  patent  was  granted  to  John  Tabor 
Kempe  May  3,  1764.  The  tract  contained  ten  thousand 
two  hundred  acres.  Kempe  succeeded  his  father  as  attor- 
ney-general of  the  province  of  New  York  in  1758.  His 
property  was  confiscated  in  1777.  He  returned  to  Eng- 
land. Munro's  patent,  containing  two  thousand  acres,  was 
granted  Aug.  23,  1764.  The  other  patents  covering  this 
town,  and  granted  about  tlic  same  time,  were  the  Isaac  De 
Forest,  Lintott's,  Blundell's,  Marquis  De  Conti,  Farrant, 
Sheriff,  and  Williams. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  town  was  made  about  the 
year  1769-70  by  David  Whedon,  John  Hamilton,  and 
Robert  Creighton.  Whedon  located  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Silas  Boynton  ;  Hamilton,  on  the  farm  that  Jo- 
seph Crosier  now  lives  on  ;  and  Creighton,  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  his  son,  Thomas  White.  In  1771,  Robert  Wil- 
son and  Captain  John  Hamilton  purchased  one-half  or  one 
thousand  acres  of  the  Campbell  pat«nt,  which  now  lies  be- 
tween the  old  turnpike  and  Chamberlain's  mills.  In  1772, 
John  and  Joseph  Hamilton,  Robert,  Thomas,  James,  and 
John  Wilson,  and  David  Hopkins,  moved  from  Rhode 
Island  and  settled  on  this  tract.  Amos  and  Samuel  TyiTclI 
moved  from  Connecticut  the  same  year  and  settled  on  and 
hold  by  possession  an  unoccupied  tract  of  about  fimr  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  lying  between  the  De  Conti  and  Farrant 
patents.  This  tract  they  sold  out  to  other  settlers,  giving 
quitclaim  deeds.  Amos  moved  to  Oswego  county  ;  Sam- 
uel died  on  his  homestead.  Mrs.  Winne,  of  Salem,  a 
granddaughter,  is  the  only  descendant  living  in  the  county. 
When  Burgoyne's  army  was  going  through  the  county, 
Samuel  Tyrrell  started  to  join  the  forces  of  General  Schuy- 
ler, and  arrived  at  Joseph  Hamilton's  house  about  break- 
fast-time. Here  he  found  that  the  family  had  fled  in  such 
haste  that  they  had  left  their  breakfast  untasted.  Mr. 
Tyrrell  sat  down,  ate  his  breakfast  (|uietly,  and  then  went 
on.  The  high  hills  divided  the  early  settlers  into  several 
neighborhoods,  having  but  little  intercourse  with  each 
other.  The  northern  and  eastern  parts  were  settled  by 
families  from  New  England,  and  the  southern  and  western 
parts  by  Protestant  Scotch  and  Irish  belonging  to  the  As- 
sociate and  Associate  Keformud  Pre.'<bytorian  church,  who 

385 


386 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


came  to  this  country  at  that  early  day  in  order  to  worship 
according  to  their  belief  without  the  fear  of  persecution. 

An  application  from  Charlotte  county  to  be  allowed  the 
privilege  of  electing  a  representative  to  the  colonial  Assem- 
bly, presented  to  the  Assembly  in  January,  1775,  was 
signed  by  the  following  citizens  of  Hebron  :  Robert  Creigh- 
ton,  James  Lytic,  Samuel  Crossett,  Isaac  Lytle,  James  Wil- 
son, Alexander  Webster,  George  McKnight,  Robert,  Adam, 
David,  and  John  Getty,  John  Creighton,  David  Whedon, 
Robert  Wilson,  John  Hamilton,  Josiah  Parish,  James  Wil- 
son, David  Hopkins,  and  David  Wilson. 

The  following,  copied  from  the  original,  will  be  found  an 
interesting  reminiscence  of  early  days: 

Received  sundry  certificates  signed  by  David  Ilopkins,  judge  for 
Washington  county,  setting  forth  that  on  account  of  the  war  tlie  fol- 
lowing persons  were  obliged  to  quit  their  farms  containing  the  num- 
ber of  acres  set  ojiposite  their  respective  names,  viz. : 

Robert  and  Thomas  Wilson  {127i  each) 255 

John  Hamilton 125 

David  Wilson 145 

Thomas  Wilson 37 

Jjinies  Wilson 145 

Sundry  certiticates  of  same  import  signed  by  Alexander 
Webster,  judge  for  same  county. 

John  Wilson 150 

Asa  Wilson 4U 

In  patent  granted  Nathaniel  McCulloch,  Albany  county, 
3d  May,  1765. 

Solomon  Wailc 150 

David  Whedon 150 

John  Peck 93 

Jonathan   Barber 6U 

453 
In  patent  granted  Peter  DeConti  for  2000  acres  land  in 
Albany  county,  5th  September,  1764. 

And  I  hereby  certify  that  the  above  mentioned  persons  are  thereby 
discharged  from  paying  all  parts  of  future  quitrents  for  the  quantity 
of  acres  spccitied  opposite  their  respective  names. 

Pktkk  CuilTENIUS,  State  Aii<Uu>r. 

Oct.  3,  1788. 

Thomas,  Joshua,  and  Clark  Rogers,  "  three  brothers," 
emigrated  from  the  town  of  Hancock,  Mass.,  in  the  year 
1787.  They  settled  on  farms  adjoining  each  other,  just 
west  of  what  is  now  called  Chamberlain's  mills.  Thomas, 
the  eldest,  had  a  son  Samuel,  whose  children  are  as  follows: 
Benjamin  is  living  on  the  Andrew  Foster  farm;  James 
L.  lives  in  the  town  of  Salem  ;  Thomas  lives  on  the  turn- 
pike ;  Wilson  lives  in  Rupert,  Vt. ;  Charles  is  living  on  the 
homestead  of  his  grandfather,  Thomas  Rogers.  Clark 
Rogers  lived  in  the  town  but  a  few  years,  then  moved  to 
Canada.  Asa  E.  Rogers  now  owns  the  farm  where  he  lived. 
Clark  Rogers  has  no  descendants  living  in  this  town,  and 
the  only  one  of  Joshua  is  Mrs.  James  L.  Rogers,  a  grand- 
daughter. 

Hon.  Alexander  Webster  came  from  Scotland  about 
1772,  and  settled  about  three  n)iles  north  of  West  Hebron. 
His  children  were  two  daughters  and  three  sons.  Nelly, 
one  of  the  daughters,  married  Deacon  John  Steel,  and  the 
other,  Mary,  became  Mrs.  Garrett  (iuackeiibush.  The  sons 
were  George,  James,  and  Alexander,  Jr.  George  suc- 
ceeded to  the  homestead,  which  was  afterwards  occupied  by 
his  son,  Simeon  D.  Webster.  The  old  house  and  a  portion 
of  the  farm  is  now  owned  by  J.  Beattie.  Judge  Alexan- 
der Webster,  Sr.,  was,  in  his  day,  the  most  prominent  man 


in  the  town.  His  house,  built  at  an  early  period,  and  still 
standing,  in  a  beautiful  grove,  was  for  those  days  an  ele- 
gant mansion.  He  was  State  senator  from  1777  to  1785 
inclusive,  and  from  1790  to  1793.  He  was  member  of 
Assembly  in  1788-89.  He  was  first  judge  of  the  court  of 
common  pleas  in  1786,  and  was  also  a  sujicrvisor  of  the 
town,     lie  died  in  the  year  1810. 

James  Wilson  and  Martha,  his  wife,  both  born  in  West 
Greenwich,  R.  I.,  emigrated  to  Hebron  in  the  year  1772, 
and  settled  on  lot  18,  Campbell's  patent.  The  frame  house, 
which  he  erected  about  1787,  is  still  standing,  and  occu- 
pied by  his  youngest  son,  James,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  it  in 
the  year  1797. 

The  family  of  James  and  Martha  WiLson  consisted  of 
seven  sons  and  two  daughters.  Eli,  George,  and  John  I. 
moved  to  Port  Byron,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y.  Robert  moved 
to  Salem,  and  died  there.  David  lived  and  died  on  the 
homestead.  Isaac  moved  to  Geneseo,  111.,  and  died  there. 
Mr.  Wilson  held  the  rank  of  major  in  the  militia,  having 
been  commissioned  April  20,  1787. 

Robert  Wilson,  with  his  family,  moved  from  West  Green- 
wich, R.  I.,  in  the  year  1772,  having  previously  purchased, 
in  company  with  Captain  John  Hamilton,  one-half  of  the 
Campbell  patent.  He  settled  on  lot  IS.  His  sons  were 
Thomas,  Robert,  and  James.  James  had  three  sons:  Eli, 
now  living  on  the  farm  once  owned  by  his  uncle  Thomas; 
Charles  lives  one  mile  south  of  the  homestead,  and  Chester 
is  now  living  on  the  homestead.  The  daughters  were  Nancy, 
Jane,  and  Margaret.  Jane  married  a  Mr.  Hall.  One  of 
their  sons,  Geo  R.  Hall,  was  a  captain  in  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-third  Regiment  New  York  State  Volun- 
teer Infantry  ;  now  lives  in  Iowa. 

Jedodiah  Darrow  and  family  moved  from  Norwich,  Conn., 
at  an  early  day,  and  settled  on  the  northeast  corner  of  what 
was  known  as  Lintott's  patent.  The  children  were  Jared, 
Denison,  Jedediah,  Stephen,  Sally,  and  another  daughter, 
who  married  and  moved  to  Lewis  county.  Jared  went  to 
Salem,  and  lived  and  died  there.  He  weighed  about  four 
hundred  pounds,  and  had  to  go  through  a  door  sideways. 
Dr.  Jedediah  moved  to  Auburn,  N.  Y.  Stephen  lived  and 
died  on  a  portion  of  the  hoiuestead.  Denison  lived  and 
died  on  the  homestead.  His  son  Jedediah  is  the  present 
owner  and  occupant  of  the  homestead. 

Hon.  David  Hopkins  and  wife,  Hannah  (Parrish)  Hop- 
kins, emigrated  from  West  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  in  1772,  in 
company  with  others,  and  settled  on  the  turnpike,  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Silas  Boynton.  His  children  were  Joel, 
Ira,  Robert,  Henry,  David,  Josiah,  Levi,  and  five  daughters 
(names  unknown).  Joel  settled  on  a  farm  about  a  mile 
north  of  his  father's  place.  The  judge  died  in  1813,  and 
is  buried  in  the  family  burying-ground  near  the  Presbyte- 
rian church.  After  his  death  his  family,  except  Joel, 
moved  to  Cayuga  county,  near  Auburn.  David  Hopkins, 
a  son  of  Joel,  is  now  living  in  Salem.  Judge  Ilopkins 
was  the  first  clerk  of  the  district  of  Black  Creek,  being 
elected  to  that  position  in  1784.  He  was  supervisor  of  the 
town  at  different  times.  He  was  also  judge  of  the  county 
court,  senator,  member  of  Assembly. 

Archibald  Woodard,  from  Dutchess  county,  moved  into 
Hebron  about  the  time  of  the  lluvolulion,  1777-80.     He 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


387 


settled  on  the  present  place  of  Henry  Welch,  Monroe's 
njeadows.  Of  his  children,  Daniel  settled  in  Hebron. 
(He  was  the  Daniel  Woodard  of  old  times,  and  ftither  of 
Daniel  Woodard,  now  of  the  bank,  Granville.  Benjamin 
settled  in  Hebron  ;  John  and  Archibald  also.  Samuel  set- 
tled in  Granville.  Sally  became  Mrs.  Lyman  Seaver,  of 
Wisconsin, — still  living.  Anna,  Mrs.  Zebulon  Kinyon. 
Polly,  Mrs.  Hiram  Case,  of  Three  Rivers,  Mich. 

The  pioneer  Archibald  came  into  Hebron,  and  worked 
first  six  months  for  a  surveyor.  He  established  credit  for 
himself,  so  that  he  was  able  to  get  started  in  business  by 
borrowing  ten  dollars  of  Nathaniel  Webster.  He  did  not 
use  that,  however,  but  repaid  the  loan  afterwards  with  the 
same  bill. 

John  Wilson,  a  ruling  elder  in  the  Associate  Reformed 
Presbyterian  church,  died  at  the  age  of  nearly  one  hundred 
years.  This  venerable  man  was  an  active  .soldier  in  the 
War  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  present  at  Burgoyne's  sur- 
render. 

Alexander  McClellan,  wife,  and  two  .sons,  came  from 
county  Monaghan,  Ireland,  about  the  year  1770,  landed 
in  Philadelphia,  lived  there  some  time,  then  moved  to 
Schenectady,  then  to  Stillwater,  and  finally  to  Hebron, 
where  they  made  a  permanent  settlement  on  lot  No.  24. 
Of  the  children,  Betsey  became  Mrs.  Robert  Getty  ;  Jane, 
Mrs.  Hugh  Randall ;  Euphemia,  Mrs.  Ebenezer  Getty ; 
Mary,  Mrs.  Daniel  McDonald.  James  and  William  settled 
in  Hebron.  The  only  one  of  the  children  of  James  now 
living  is  James  McClellan,  Jr.,  now  upon  his  father's 
homestead,  where  he  was  born.  This  farm  once  belonged 
to  Benjamin  Livingston  and  James  Lytle,  the  latter  own- 
ing the  principal  part. 

Andrew  Lytle  came  into  Salem  at  a  very  early  day,  and 
bought  for  liis  two  sons,  James  and  William,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  in  Hebron.  William  built  a  grist-  and  saw- 
mill on  a  branch  of  the  Black  creek  that  ran  through  his 
farm. 

James,  John,  and  Robert  Getty  came  from  Newry,  Ire- 
land, soon  after  the  colony  under  Dr.  Clark  settled  in  Salem. 
James  settled  in  Salem,  where  the  name  is  frequent  in  the 
early  records.  John,  with  his  family,  moved  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  founded  Gettysburg.  Robert  moved  into  He- 
bron, and  settled  there  permanently.  He  left  four  sons, 
Adam,  Robert,  John,  and  David  ;  one  daughter,  Jane. 

Two  of  the  sons  of  James  Getty,  of  Salem,  came  into 
Hebron, — Ebenezer,  who  settled  one  mile  .south  of  Monroe's 
meadows,  and  Robert,  a  mile  northeast  of  Belcher.  The 
latter  afterwards  moved  to  Lansingburg.  Of  the  family 
of  Ebenezer  there  are  now  living  Mrs.  J.  S.  McClelland, 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Beatty,  and  Ebenezer,  Jr.,  who  resides  upon 
his  father's  homestead. 

Robert  Creighton  came  from  Ireland  and  settled  south 
of  West  Hebron.  He  had  a  family  of  one  son  and  five 
daughters.  Sally  married  William  White,  and  their  son, 
Thomas  White,  is  living  on  the  homestead. 

Isaac  Brinkerhoff  was  an  early  merchant,  having  a  store 
near  his  house,  about  a  mile  above  West  Hebron.  He 
was  clerk  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  removed  to 
Troy  in  1805  or  180G. 

Isaac  Boomer  built  a  saw-mill  and  a  fullinir-mill  abuut 


1812,  on  the  Beveridge  farm.  The  saw-mill  frame  is  still 
lefl. 

The  Livingston  family  came  from  Ireland  soon  after  the 
colony  of  Dr.  Clark,  and  first  settled  in  Salem;  then  moved 
to  Hebron.  John,  the  father,  had  seven  sons  and  one 
daughter;  one  of  them  was  John,  Jr.  A  daughter  of  his 
is  now  living-  in  town,  Mrs.  Robinson  ;  and  a  son,  James, 
lives  in  Argyle.  Of  the  other  children  of  John,  Sr., 
Francis  moved  to  St.  Lawrence  county,  Joseph  died  in 
Hebron,  Dr.  William  moved  to  Essex  county,  Robert  to 
Lisbon,  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  Samuel  to  Ohio,  and  Ben- 
jamin to  western  New  York. 

Patrick  Wilson  came  from  Ireland,  and  settled  in  Salem. 
His  sons.  Deacon  John,  James,  and  Samuel,  .settled  in  He- 
bron. Of  Samuel's  children,  one  daughter  was  Mrs.  Arclii- 
bald  Sill,  of  Hartford.  A  grandson  of  John  lives  on  the 
homestead.  J.  McWilson,  merchant  of  West  Hebron,  is 
also  a  grandson. 

David^  Whedon  and  Ansel  Whcdon  were  early  settlers  of 
Hebron;  the  former  afterwards  moved  to  Oberlin,  Ohio, 
and  the  latter  to  Pawlet,  Vt.  A  grandson  of  one  is  now  a 
teacher  in  the  academy  at  Pawlet.  A  son  of  David  is  a 
lawyer  at  Salt  Lake  City.  David  Whedon's  son,  David,  Jr., 
was  the  first  child  born  in  town,  1771.  There  were  only 
two  other  families  in  town  then,  Garret  Quackenbush  and 
John  Creighton. 

Peter  Buttou  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  school-teacher 
in  Hebron. 

James  Bassett  built  a  saw-mill,  on  the  stream  below 
Chamberlain's  mills,  in  1829.  A  saw-mill  was  built  across 
the  creek,  in  1811,  by  a  man  named  Rogers.  The  same 
machinery  then  used  is  now  in  the  present  mill.  It  was 
brought  from  Greenwich  in  1811,  and  had  then  been  in 
use  some  twenty  years. 

A  carding-mill  was  built  on  the  stream  in  1822.  Mr. 
Bflssett  bought  the  property,  and  continued  to  run  it  to 
1850,  when  he  took  out  the  machinery  and  put  in  one 
run  of  stone  to  grind  feed.  He  sold  out  to  Hon.  S.  E. 
Spoor  in  18t)0.  The  latter  now  runs  a  .saw-mill,  flax-mill, 
and  feed-mill. 

Mr.  Spoor  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  we  are  in- 
debted to  him  for  many  items  of  town  history,  and  for 
much  assistance  in  securing  other  valuable  information. 
He  is  mentioned  in  another  place. 

William  Porter  came  from  Ireland  at  an  early  day,  and 
settled  on  the  turnpike  near  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
He  bought  four  hundred  acres  of  land  in  that  vicinity.  He 
kept  a  store,  became  wealthy,  built  a  fine  mansion  for  those 
days  at  a  cost  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  was  appointed 
associate  judge  of  the  county.  Edward,  the  youngest  son, 
died  on  the  homestead  ;  George  moved  to  Wisconsin  ;  Robert 
is  a  physician  in  Michigan,  and  William  removed  to  Jordan. 

John  McDonald  was  a  member  of  Assembly  in  1832, 
William  Townsond  in  1831,  and  P.  H.  Near  in  1800. 

John  Munson  came  from  Connecticut  and  settled  on  the 
Lintott's  patent,  buying  one  thousand  acres,  or  half  of  the 
patent.  His  house  was  located  on  the  road  leading  to 
Salem,  and  on  the  southwest  corner  of  his  land.  He  had 
three  sons.  Nathaniel  lived  and  died  on  the  old  homestead  ; 
John,  Jr.,  and  one  killed,  were  the  other  two. 


388 


HISTOllY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


This  pioneer  family  endured  much  of  the  dangers  and 
exigencies  of  border  warfare.  To  avoid  the  scouts  of  Bur- 
goyne,  they  had  to  flee  to  a  hemlock  swamp  on  the  farm. 
After  Baum's  defeat  at  Bennington,  they  were  somewhat 
relieved  fi'om  danger. 

Joel,  a  son  of  Nathaniel,  lives  on  the  place  of  his  father. 

Colonel  William  Boot,  so  called  from  his  -command  of 
militia,  kept  the  first  tavern  in  Hebron,  on  the  turnpike. 
He  built  the  house,  and  kept  the  post-office.  His  place, 
one  of  considerable  resort,  was  a  well-kuown  stopping-place 
half-way  between  Salem  and  Granville. 

His  father.  Major  Root,  kept  a  tavern  at  a  very  early 
day  on  the  same  turnj)ike,  near  the  Salem  line. 

The  well-known  Jim  Hopkins,  from  Pawlet,  kept  tavern 
north  of  Nelson's.  He  died  in  1830,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two. 

Sylvester  E.  Spoor  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  in 
the  year  1814,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  E.  G.  Wilson. 
He  w;is  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  also  took  a 
scientific  course  at  the  Rensselaer  Institute,  now  the  Troy 
Polytechnic.  He  spent  some  years  in  the  southern  States. 
Returning  to  Hebron,  he  followed  farming  and  building. 
He  was  supervisor  in  1858-59,  and  member  of  Assembly 
in  18C5.  He  moved  to  his  present  location  seventeen 
years  ago.  In  1873,  as  contractor,  he  built  for  the  State 
several  dams  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Black  creek,  near 
Sand  Lake.  Eunice  Tyrrell,  a  pensioner  of  1840,  given 
elsewhere,  was  the  wife  of  Samuel  Tyrrell,  whose  name 
appears  upon  the  old  tax-list,  and  a  great-aunt  of  Mr.  Spoor. 
James  Wilson,  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Spoor,  was  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolution,  at  Crown  Point  and  elsewhere. 

Mr.  William  McClellan  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mickle- 
mox,  parish  of  Battle,  Scotland,  in  1755.  In  June,  1774, 
his  father,  Robert  McClellan,  with  six  children,  set  sail  for 
America  in  the  ship  "  Golden  Rule."  After  a  passage  of 
three  months  and  eleven  days  they  landed  in  New  York. 
They  went  from  there  to  Albany,  thence  to  Manchester, 
New  Hampshire.  From  there  they  came  across  the  Green 
mountains  to  Brumley.  They  were  four  days  going  four- 
teen miles.  No  wheeled  carriage  had  before  crossed  the 
mountains  at  that  point.  From  Brumley  they  went  to 
Springfield  and  lived  there  about  ten  years.  Then,  in  1781, 
they  came  to  Black  Creek,  now  Hebron,  and,  after  their 
long  travels,  reached  a  permanent  resting-place.  The  father, 
mother,  and  part  of  the  family  settled  in  Salem  ;  the  father 
dying  in  1789  and  the  mother  in  1799.  Of  the  children 
of  Robert,  John  settled  in  Cambridge ;  one  daughter  be- 
came Mrs.  Colen  Maxwell;  another  Mrs.  John  Hall,  of 
Argyle ;  another  Mrs.  Rev.  John  Cree,  and  after  his  death 
she  married  John  Moodie;  Robert,  Jr.,  died  in  Hebron. 

William  McClellan,  of  Hebron,  spoken  of  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  notice,  had  four  sons, — Robert,  James,  John, 
and  William ;  four  daughters, — Mrs.  Dr.  Alexander  Bullions, 
of  Cambridge,  Mrs.  Alexander  McGeoch,  of  Argyle,  Mrs. 
Jonathan  Morey,  of  Stillwater,  Mrs.  Daniel  Morey,  of  Still- 
water. Of  the  children  of  John;  William  J.  McClellan  is 
living  on  the  old  Hebron  homestead. 

James  Cummings,  originally  from  Scotland,  came  to 
Hebron  from  Cambridge  about  .1800,  and  settled  on  lot  15 
of  the  Kenijie  patent. 


Dr.  David  Long  was  an  early  merchant  in  town.  He 
removed  to  the  Holland  purcha.se,  western  New  York. 

Andrew  Beveridge,  born  in  Fifeshire,  Scotland,  in  1752, 
came  to  America  in  1774,  landing  at  Marblehead,  Mass. 
He  first  located  at  Cambridge,  but  finally  settled  in 
Hebron,  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  youngest  son, 
David  Beveridge,  northwest  corner  of  lot  4,  Kempe's  pat- 
ent. His  children  were  eight  sons  and  two  daughters. 
George,  the  oldest,  settled  in  Greenwich  ;  Thomas  in  He- 
bron ;  James  in  Greenwich;  Alexander  in  Hebron;  John 
in  Jackson;  Andrew  in  Illinois;  Matthew  in  Hebron; 
David  in  Hebron.  George,  who  settled  in  Greenwich, 
afterwards  moved  to  Illinois,  and  his  son,  born  in  1824, — 
John  I., — was  the  recent  governor  of  that  State  in  1875— 
76.  James  H.,  another  son,  was  treasurer  of  Illinois  at 
one  time.  Another  son,  Andrew  M.,  is  a  Presbyterian 
minister  of  Lansingburg.  The  governor  is  a  lawyer,  and 
was  colonel  of  the  Tenth  Illinois  Cavalry  during  the  War 
of  1861-65.  The  homestead  of  JIatthew  Beveridge  was 
on  lots  25  and  26  of  the  Kempe  patent,  bought  of  Robert 
McClellan,  and  Wm.  Beveridge  now  resides  upon  it. 

An  early  landed  proprietor  in  town  was  Mr.  Quacken- 
bush,  who  owned  one  thousand  acres  on  the  northwest  side 
of  Black  creek,  joining  Robert  Qua. 

John  R.  Nelson  emigrated  from  Ireland  to  America  at 
an  early  day,  and  settled  first  in  Argyle.  Soon  after  he 
moved  to  Salem,  and  in  1791  to  Hebron,  buying  lot  26, 
Kempe's  patent.  He  married  Jane  MeCarter,  of  Salem. 
Of  his  children,  John  J.  died  in  Hebron  on  the  old  home- 
stead ;  Samuel  was  educated  at  Salem  Academy,  and  be- 
came the  distinguished  judge  of  the  United  States  Supreme  ^ 
Court ;  Hannah  married  James  McClellan ;  and  Polly  be- 
came Rlrs.  Luther  Catheart,  of  Pawlet. 

Wait  Hatch,  from  the  Granville  family  of  that  name, 
moved  into  Hebron  about  1800,  and  settled  two  and  a  half 
miles  southeast  from  North  Hebron. 

The  following  document,  showing  early  names,  was  pro- 
cured through  the  eflbrts  of  Hon.  S.  E.  Spoor ;  it  is  the 
property  of  Chester  H.  Wilson.  It  is  the  fragment  of  "  a 
tax-list  for  the  district  of  Black  creeJc  in  the  county  of 
Charlotte,"  and  though  it  lacks  a  date,  yet  this  title  proves 
it  to  have  been  made  out  before  1786,  probably  as  early  as 
1780,  or  earlier,  judging  from  the  names  appearing  in  it, 
and  from  the  amount  figured  out  not  only  in  money,  but 
in  wheat. 

The  pupils  in  the  public  schools  of  Hebron  at  the  pres- 
ent time  may  find  it  a  matter  of  excellent  arithmetical 
practice  to  ascertain  from  this  list  the  rate  of  the  tax  per 
pound,  the  amount  of  each  individual's  tax  in  money,  and 
also  in  wheat,  and  to  show  how  the  final  fraction  of  a  quart 
is  expressed  in  ninths,  as  the  figures  are  copied  from  a  doc- 
ument some  portions  of  which  are  nearly  erased. 

Eo.l  Pprsi.nal              Tux  Amount  in 

E^tiite.  Kstate.  Assessed.  Wheat. 

£        «.  £».£».        <i.  Bli.  Pit.    Ql. 

James  Mills 52      8  17    00  0    1 1      64  13     ij 

James  Aflcsh 47    12  26    00  0    12     H  2     0     ij 

Amos  Gciu-s 2.'i    16  11    00  0      5      7i  0     .■)     6 

Wm.  Uamilion \?,    12  23    10  0      6      2i  10     1 

George  Fowler 40    (10  00    HO  0      6      8  10     3| 

Alexander  Cainblc 62    00  25    00  0    14     6  2     1     5| 

Samuel  Giimlilc 00    00  4    00  (10      8  0     0     ?.% 

Robert  Getty 47      4  60    10  0    17      6  2     .3     5| 

John  Getty 47      4  2'1    00  0    114  13     4| 


HISTOKY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


389 


0  10 
0  H 
0    10 


1  8  6.1 

0  7  7 

(I  U  Oil  J 

0  1(1  j|{ 

0  9  a\ 


0    18 
0    00 


0  4  4 

19  6} 

0  7  2 

0  12  8 

0  16  2 

0  12  00 

1  00  8 


0    18     3i 


Rl'hI  Personal 

Eatato.  Esliite. 

£        «.  £  s. 

David  Getty 45      4  19  00 

Adam  Getty :i2    16  S8  00 

Samuel  Cvoscti ftl    12  42  15 

Alexander  Webster. ...105      8  48  00 

George  MeKnight 00    00  40  10 

John  Munson,  Sr 110    00  32  00 

John  Munfon,  Jr .'^2   16  33  00 

Nathaniel  Munson 314  27  5 

Josiah  Parish,  Sr 9o    00  76  5 

Josiah  Parish,  Jr 20    00  25  00 

Haniel  Whcdon 51      4  33  00 

"Joseph  IT.imiltou 30    16  35  00 

Wm.  Clark 31      4  20  00 

David  Cotton 14    00  15  00 

Solomon  Wade 42    10  16  00 

DavidWilson 62    00  40  00 

John  Wilson 00    00  50  15 

EliasWilco.x 00    00  4  00 

Reuben  Smith 10    00  4  00 

Jared  Wilcox 13      4  00  00 

Mr.  Foster 20    00  30  00 

Jonathan  Clufl'. 23    16  14  00 

James  Lvtie 46    00  33  00 

John  Dick 26    00  6  00 

Jonathan  Harvey 31    00  17  00 

Wm.  Lytic 00    00  27  00 

"*  Samuel 'lloiikins 15    00  00  00 

Wm.  Smith 47    12  00  00 

Robert  Lvtle 48    00  00  00 

James  Ste'wart 26    00  00  00 

John  Peck 86    DO  91  15 

Aaron  Osgood 28    00  15  00 

-David  Whedon 76    00  00  00 

David  Hopkins,  Sr 45    00  49  00 

John   Hamilton 40    00  32  00 

James  Wilson 64    00  60  00 

Samuel  Tyrrell 24    00  27  00 

Ezra  Tyrrell 27    00  33  00 

Wm.  Tyrrell 10    00  14  00 

Benj.  Whittemore 20    00  38  00 

Robert  Wilson 60    00  79  00 

Matthew  Dickinson....  20    00  8  00 

Elisha  Morehouse 20    00  18  00 

Hugh  Ross 63    12  40  00 

David  Gibbs 20    00  32  00 

John  Shepherd 52    16  58  00 

Thomas  Bellows 20    00  22  00 

John  Ray 20    00  4  00 

Asa  Kinney 49    12  25  10 

VDavid  Hopkins,  Jr 44    00  29  00 

Aaron  Gibbs 27    00  23  00 

John  Shepherd,  Jr 25    10  26  00 

Darius  Gibbs 24    16  14  10 

Mr.  CuHer 24    16  20  10 

Thoma.=  Osgood 64    110  05  10 

PeterWilson 24    00  16  10 

John  McDonald 19    00  20  00 

John  Duncan 28    00  18  00 

Nathan  Smith 36    00  34  00 

Nathaniel  Robinson....  22    00  4  00 

Nathan  Cummings 40    00  4  00 

Philip  Case 28    00  20  15 

Timothy  Case 28   00  8  00 

Abraham  Case 20    00  0  00 

Norman  MoLcod 25    12  38  10 

David  Stewart 47    12  25  00 

John  White 63    12  33  5 

Isaac  Lytic 116    00  63  10 

Guile  Wilson 20    00  4  00 


CIVIL   HISTORY. 

This  section  of  country  Wiis  first  known  as  the  district  of 
Black  Creek,  and  the  records  of  the  annual  meetings  com- 
mence with  the  year  1784,  while  the  town  dates  its  exist- 
ence from  1786.     It  derives  its  name  from  Hebron,  Conn. 

The  following  minutes  of  the  first  meeting,  notes,  and 
list  of  ofiBcers,  are  taken  from  the  books  of  the  town  clerk's 
office  : 

1784. — The  following  are  the  proceedings  of  a  town- 
meeting,  held  on  the  3d  day  of  May,  1784,  for  the  District 
of  Black  Creek.  First  made  choice  of  Capt.  Warham 
Gibbs,  moderator ;  David  Hopkins,  town  clerk  ;  Warham 
Gibbs,  Samuel  Crossett,  supervisors ;  Thomas  Bellows,  con- 
stable; Capt.   Nathan   Smith,  Capt.  John   Shepard,  Esq., 


1  1  o| 

2  1  2| 
1  3  2J 
1  2  2J 

0  3  IJ 

1  2  4J 

2  3  2S 

3  1  0^ 
0  0  3| 

0  1  J;' 

0  1  3'>- 


0  1  5^ 

1  1  2^; 
1  1  2ii 
0  2  7.1 
0  0  0 
0  0  0 
0  0  0 
0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

0  0  0 

1  1  -if 

1  1  '4 

1  0  3 

1  1  55 


0 

8 

00  j 

0 

3 

H 

0 

4 

4 

0 

2 

OH 

0 

10 

10 

1 

3 

^} 

0 

12 

U 

2 

0 

n 

0 

16 

2 

2 

2 

'■>" 

1 

!l 

III 

5 

0 

0 

0 

4 

00 

0 

2 

51 

Samuel  Crossett,  town  assessors ;  James  Lytle,  James  Mc- 
Collum.  Jedediah  Darrah,  commissioners  for  laying  out  high- 
ways ;  James  Lytic,  David  Gibbs,  Guile  Wilson,  Nathan 
Robison,  Ephraim  Dewey,  John  Nelson,  Warham  Gibbs, 
John  Post,  David  Wilson,  Amos  Terrel,  David  Getty,  James 
Wilson,  Azariah  Cross,  pathmasters;  Nathan  Smith,  John 
Shepard,  Samuel  Crossett,  overseers  of  the  poor ;  John 
Getty,  Aaron  Smith,  Rob't  Wilson,  fence-viewers. 

Voted,  that  swine  shall  be  free  commoners,  yoked  and 
ringed. 

Supervisors. — Warham  Gibbs,  1784  ;  Samuel  Crossett, 
1784;  Capt.  John  Hamilton,  1785;  Capt.  Nathan  Smith, 
1785  ;  Alexander  Webster,  Esq.,  1786  ;  Capt.  John  Ham- 
ilton, 178C;  Alexander  Webster,  1787-90;  John  Hamilton, 
1790;  Alexander  Webster,  1791-92;  Dr.  David  Long, 
1793-1800;  William  Livingston,  1801-3;  Henry  Mattison, 
1804-7;  David  Hopkins,  1808;  Henry  Mattison,  1809-12; 
Daniel  McDonald,  1813;  Henry  Mattison,  1814;  William 
Townsend,  1815  ;  Geo.  Webster,  1816  ;  William  Townsend, 
1817-21 ;  Foster  Foot,  1822  ;  John  McDonald,  1823-25  ; 
William  Townsend,  1820-30;  Henry  Bull,  1831-33; 
Israel  McConnell,  1834-36;  Simeon  D.  Webster,  1837- 
40  ;  Isaac  Wilson,  1841  ;  John  Armitage,  1842-43  ;  John 
Brown,  Jr.,  1844;  Simeon  D.  Webster,  1845-46;  John 
Brown,  1847  ;  William  J.  Bockes,  1848-49  ;  Geo.  W. 
Wlijte,  1850-51  ;  John  Armitage,  1852;  S.  D.  Webster, 
1853;  William  Case,  1854;  Almon  C.  Wood,  1855; 
Stephen  M.  Ingersoll,  1856;  S.  D.  Webster,  1857;  S.  E. 
Spoor,  1858-59;  David  Johnson,  1860;  William  Arm- 
strong, 1861-62;  N.  Reynolds,  1863-67;  John  M.  Rea, 
IS68I7O;  John  Brown,  1871;  W.  J.  McClellan,  1872- 
73;  Chester  L.  Getty,  1874-75;  Geo.  Rea,  1876-77; 
Richard  H.  Durham,  1878. 

Town  Clerks.— DaY\d  Hopkins,  1784-85;  William 
Shepard,  1786-87;  William  McClellan,  1788  to  1809, 
inclusive;  William  Townsend,  1810-12  ;  William  McClel- 
lan, 1813;  William  Townsend,  1814;  W.  Livingston, 
1815;  William  McClellan,  1816-17;  Robert  McClellan 
(2dj,  1818;  John  H.  Northrup,  1819  to  1830,  inclusive; 
Simeon  D.  Webster,  1831-34;  David  Martin,  1835-36; 
William  B.  Blivin,  1837;  John  Armitage,  1838-40; 
Charles  Webster,  1841-43;  John  J.  Nelson,  1844;  John 
Armitage,  1845  ;  James  Hewitt,  1846-47  ;  Franklin  Day, 
1848;  J.  MeKnight,  1849;  Eli  Wilson,  1850;  James  B. 
Wilson,  1851;  L.  Smith,  1852-53;  George  Rea,  1854; 
Henry  McFadden,  1855;  James  B.  Wilson,  1856;  John 
Shaw,  1857-58  ;  George  Rea,  1859  ;  Albert  W.  Gary,  1860 
-62  ;  Franklin  II.  Smith,  1 863-64  ;  James  Barkley,  1865  ; 
James  R.  Munson,  1866-67;  F.  H.  Smith,  1868-69; 
H.  Mclntyre,  1870;  Leander  Cole,  1871-73  ;  George  D. 
MeKnight,  1874-75;  J.  R.  Munson,  1876-77;  James 
McCloy,  1878. 

Justices  0/  the  Peace. — Samuel  Crossett,  1786;  Henry 
Mattison,  1817  ;  Phineas  Hitchcock,  1817  ;  Nathan  Smith, 
1817;  Alex.  Cruikshank,  1817  ;  Hugh  Cruikshank,  1830; 
John  Button,  1831;  Samuel  Livingston,  1832;  Alfred 
Ward,  1833;  Wm.  Armstrong,  1834;  James  Getty  (2d), 
1835;  Samuel  Livingston,  1836;  John  Button,  1836; 
Geo.  W.  White,  1837;  Gilbert  Hard,  1837;  And.  Foster, 
1838;  Wm.'  Dorr,  1838;  James  Rcid,  183'J  ;  Isaac  Wil- 


390 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YOEK. 


son,  1839;  James  Reid,  1840;  George  W.  White,  1841  ; 
Andrew  Foster,  1842;  John  Tiplady,  1843;  Joseph  Cro- 
sier, 1844  ;  Ahnon  C.  Wood,  1844  ;  John  Shaw,  1846  ; 
Joseph  Crosier,  1847;  Abraham  Woodard,  1849;  George 
Ashley,  1850;  Joseph  Crosier,  1851  ;  James  McKnight, 
1852;  George  W.  White,  1853;  John  M.  Rea,  1854; 
Thomas  Gregory,  1855;  Almon  C.  Wood,  1856;  George 
W.  White,  1857;  John  M.  Rea,  1858;  E.  D.  Gilbert, 
1859;  Jesse  Sherman,  1860;  James  McKnight,  1860; 
Jesse  Sherman,  1861 ;  John  M.  Rea,  1862  ;  Sylvester  E. 
Spoor,  1863;  David  Seely,  1863-64;  Jesse  Sherman, 
1865;  John  M.  Rea,  1866;  James  McKnight,  1866;  J. 
S.  McFarland,  1867;  James  McKnight,  Whcdon  Smith, 
1868;  Justin  Beebe,  1869;  James  McW.  Getty,  1870- 
74;  J.  S.  McFarland,  1871-75;  James  McKnight,  1872- 
76;  Harvey  J.  Smith,  1873;  William  F.  Wood,  1877; 
Jauies  McW.  Getty,  1878. 

Gullectors. — Captain  Tlios.  Bellows,  1784-85  ;  Captain 
James  Wilson,  1786;  Wni.  McClellan,  1787  ;  Thos.  Bel- 
lows, 1788-89;  Clark  Rogers,  1790;  Thomas  Bellows, 
1791;  James  Webster,  1791 ;  Wm.  Lytle,  1792;  Israel 
Ely,  1793;  Wm.  Lytle,  1794-1800;  James  McClellan, 
1801;  Wm.  Hutchins,  1802;  J.  McClellan,  1803;  Wm. 
Lytle,  1804-7  ;  Wm.  McClellan  (2d),  1808-9  ;  Abel  Wood, 
1810;  Charles  Allen,  1811  ;  L.  Gardner,  1812;  Wm.  Sea- 
ver,  1813;  Chas.  Allen,  1814;  Abel  Wood,  1815.^17; 
Lewis  Gardner,  1818;  Wm.  Bockes,  1819;  Abner  Duel, 
1820-22;  Jas.  McClellan,  1823  ;  J.  Button,  1824;  Abner 
Duel,  1825-28;  David  H.  Lytle,  1829;  J.  W.  Beatty, 
1830-30  ;  Wm.  D.  Ely,  1837  ;  Samuel  Woodard,  1838;  W. 
D.  Ely,  1839  ;  W.  W.  McClellan,  1840  ;  Levi  Moone,  1841 ; 
J.  Clark,  1842;  E.  Allen,  1843-44;  J.  MuC.  Wils„n, 
1845;  Alex.  Beatty,  1846-47;  A.  Woodard,  1848;  W. 
Thomas,  1849  ;  J.  P.  Flack,  1850  ;  Silas  Root,  1851  ;  Jas. 
Moore,  1852  ;  E.  Smith,  Jr.,  1853  ;  J.  McW.  Getty,  1854  ; 
W.  D.  McConnell,  1855  ;  John  C.  Williamson,  1856;  J. 
Gilchrist,  1857;  J.  S.  Hall,  1858;  B.  D.  Oatman,  1859; 
Men-it  Temple,  1860  ;  J.  McC.  Wilson,  1861  ;  D.  J.  Levin, 
1862  ;  Jas.  Barkley,  1863  ;  W.  Howard,  1864 ;  L.  Amidon, 
1865;  Julius  Woodard,  1866  ;  R.  H.  Dunham,  1867  ;  D. 
Glazier,  1868;  R.  C.  McEachron,  1869;  Henry  Welch, 
1870 ;  D.  J.  Chamberlain,  1871 ;  J.  W.  Powel,  1872 ; 
Jas.  Lundy,  1873;  Theo.  Copeland,  1874;  Samuel  A. 
Mahaffy,  1875;  Charles  0.  Smith,  1876;  Jas.  A.  Getty, 
1877  ;  George  D.  McKnight,  1878. 

The  following  notes  are  taken  from  the  town  records : 
The  first  road  on  record  is  from  Ditvid  Whedon's  to  the 
Granville  line,  Dec.  1,  1783.  The  second  road  on  record 
is  laid  from  Samuel  Crossett's  to  the  White  Creek  line.  May 
26,  1784. 

The  third  road  on  record  is  laid  from  the  provincial  line 
to  Lytle' s  mills. 

1786. — The  wardens  elected  at  the  town-meeting  this  year 
were  Jedediah  Darrow,  Isaac  Lytle,  James  Lytle,  and  David 
Getty.  Voted,  that  a  committee  be  chosen  to  appoint  a 
place  to  hold  the  annual  town-meetings,  and  election,  and  to 
establish  a  line  between  the  two  militia  companies  through 
the  district.  The  committee  was  Captain  John  Hamilton, 
James  Flack,  Captain  Warham  Gibbs,  Captain  Nathan 
Smith,  Lieutenant  Geo.  McKnight. 


1789. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Lieutenant 
Geo.  McKnight. 

1791. — A  list  of  the  people's  names  that  have  taken  out 
license  this  year,  and  the  several  .sums  due  to  the  overseers 
of  the  poor  for  the  town  of  Hebron  :  Geo.  McKnight,  £2; 
Wm.  Porter,  £2;  John  Shepard,  £2;  Edw.  Shepard,  £2; 
Warham  Gibbs,  £2  ;  Lsaac  Brinckerhoff,  £2. 

1792. — Voted  to  choose  three  men  to  order  matters 
about  the  smallpox,  and  to  appoint  places  for  "  nucleation" 
(inoculation).  Thomas  Rogers,  Robert  Crcigliton,  John 
AVright,  and  Warham  Gibbs,  committee  for  the  above  pur- 
pose. Ten  pounds  forfeit  by  any  who  shall  disobey  the 
above  committee's  orders  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty. 

1793. — Voted  to  build  three  pounds  in  the  town.  Li- 
censed inns,  two  pounds  each.  John  Shepard,  Wm.  Porteri 
Warham  Gibbs,  John  Shepard,  Jr.,  Thos.  Gourley,  J. 
BrinkerhofF,  Wm.  McCracken,  Geo.  McKnight,  Phineas 
Hitchcock. 

1794. — Voted,  That  no  liquor  shall  be  brought  to  the 
barn  where  the  meeting  is  held. 

1796. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Calvin  Smith. 
Commissioners  of  schools,  now  first  elected :  I.  Brinker- 
hoif.  Dr.  David  Long,  Wm.  McClellan,  Phineas  Hitchcock, 
Thomas  Gourley. 

1899. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  hou.se  of  William  Mo- 
Clellan. 

1800. — Ten  dollars  for  the  head  of  a  wolf  who  shall  be 
killed  and  taken  within  the  bounds  of  this  town. 

BIRTH    OF    .V    SLAVE    CIIII.ll. 

ISOl.— "Eoin  on  the  22d  day  of  last  August,  a  bl.ack  negro  male 


Bett ;  child's  uame  is  Antony.    Said  Bett 
Wm.  McCuacken. 


child.    lUs  mother's  name 
is  a  slave  to  me. 

"Ukbron,  Feb.  1,  ISni 

"  Entered  on  record  May,  180],  per  me. 

"William  McClkllas,  Tonni  Clerk." 

F.MAXrlPATlOX    or    A    SLAVE. 

ISU.— "  This  may  certify  that  we,  Diiviil  Whcdon  and  Samuel  Liv- 
ingston, overseers  of  the  poor  for  the  town  of  Hebron,  having  e.xam- 
ined  Tamar,  a  black  woman,  a  slave  to  Thomas  Gourley,  and  the 
said  Thos.  Gourley  wishing  to  manumit  her,  or  give  her  her  freedom, 
we  the  said  overseers  of  the  poor  are  fully  of  the  opinion  that 
the  said  Tamar  is  not  of  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  and  is  of  suffi- 
cient ability  to  provide  for  herself,  agreeable  to  the  statute  of  this 
State  of  New  York,  passed  the  9th  day  of  ,  1813. 

"  Dated  the  5th  day  of  Sept.,  ISH." 

1817. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  William 
Livingston. 

1818. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Dunham. 

1819. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  John  II. 
Northrup;  also  in  1830. 

1824. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Morris  Mead. 

1826. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer 
Getty  ;  also  in  1835. 

1829. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Wm.  Mc- 
Clellan. 

1832. — Towu-meetiii 
Nelson. 

1 838. — Town-meotin^ 
Baker. 

1839. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  hou.se  of  John  Root. 

1840. — Town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Abner  Duel 


held  at  the   house   of   John  J. 
held  at  the  house  of  Blivin  and 


-r  / 


CHARLES  JONES  WHITE. 


Charles  Jones  White  was  born  in  Waterford,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  23, 1803. 
His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Margaret  Vandenbergh,  was  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  best  of  thuse  thrifty  Duteh  families  that  settled  along  the  line  of 
the  npper  Iliidsun  during  Colonial  times.  She  was  no  ordinary  woman  ;  gifted 
with  personal  bt-juity  and  superior  mental  ondowments,  she  became  widely 
known  and  respecU^d  fvrii  in  her  younger  days.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  she 
married  Ebenezer  Jones,  Ksq.,  a  nitrcliant  of  Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  who  died  within 
two  or  three  years  fr'm  the  date  of  their  marriage.  The  fniit  of  this  union 
was  one  child,  a  daughter,  Sarah  Maria  Jones,  born  a.d.  1800. 

During  the  following  year  Mrs.  Jones  married  with  Alfreil  WTiite.  Esq.,  also 
a  merchant,  and  a  man  of  considerable  literary  repute  withal.  He  was  a  man 
of  fine  presence;  he  had  a  princely  air;  his  manners  were  courtly,  and  his 
whole  hearing  commanding.  Notwithstanding  his  excellent  abilities,  and  the 
powerful  influence  he  exerted  among  his  peel's,  he  was  inTariably  unfortunate 
in  his  business  relations,  often  causing  thereby  great  embarrassment  and  priva- 
tion in  his  family.     He  died  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  1851,  aged  seventy  years. 

Of  his  marriage  with  tlie  "Widow  Jones,  tlie  sole  issue  was  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  Charles  Jones  White.  His  mother  assumed  the  management  and  train- 
ingof  her  son  in  his  early  childhood.  She  believed  that  education  was  the  true 
foundation  of  high  character  and  good  citizenship,  and  it  was  her  desire  and  her 
firm  purpose  that  he  should  receive  a  liberal  education.  But  the  pecuniary 
straits  to  which  his  father  was  so  often  reduced  quite  prevented  the  consum- 
mation of  her  designs.  She  took  sole  charge  of  her  son's  intellectual  training 
until  he  was  past  ten  years  of  age,  and  soon  after  placed  him  in  charge  of  a 
clergyman  (a  cherished  friend  of  the  mother)  for  further  instruction.  He  re- 
mained in  care  of  his  clerical  friend  upwards  of  three  years,  receiving  from  his 
teacher  the  highest  commendation  for  his  diligence  and  application.  He  early 
developed  a  taste  for  English  literature,  or,  we  may  say,  general  literature,  and 
this  he  indulged  to  the  partial  exclusion  of  the  sciences  and  higher  studies 
usually  pursued  at  his  time  of  life.  This  he  ascrDied  to  his  mother's  influence 
principally.  She  was  very  fond  of  the  Scottisli  and  English  bards  and  poeis, 
and  her  young  pupil,  when  he  went  out  from  her  training,  could  repeat  exten- 
sively from  Burns,  Young,  Pollok,  Watte,  etc. 

About  this  time  he  entered  his  father's  store  in  Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  contrary  to 
his  mother's  wishes,  of  course,  but  the  father's  will  was  law.  Failure  of  the 
business  soon  after  relieved  the  young  man  from  duty  as  clerk  of  a  store,  and, 
as  we  remember,  he  returned  to  his  books,  seeking  only  the  aid  and  counsel  of 
his  mother.  In  the  year  following  the  failure  at  Stillwater  his  father  removed 
to  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  Here,  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  he  again  engaged  in 
storekeeping,  with  bis  son  as  clerk.  But  this  connection  was  of  brief  duration, 
continuing  about  one  year.  Young  Charleb  Jones  at  once  joined  a  class  of  young 
men  who  were  preparing  for  college  or  professions  under  the  direction  of  a 
prominent  minister.  After  a  time,  a  year  or  so,  three  of  these  young  gentlemen 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine.  They  formed  for  themselves  the  strictest 
rules,  to  make  their  preparation  thorough.  They  entered  the  oflace  of  the  cel- 
ebrated Dr.  Waters,  in  Hebron.  Young  White  soon  gained  the  special  favor 
of  Ids  preceptor,  who  declared  that  "he  was  a  young  man  of  extraordinary 
diligence  and  force,  and  possessed  a  mind  singularly  receptive  and  retentive." 
Our  space  forbids  relating  interesting  incidents  illustrating  his  good  qual- 
ities as  a  student,  and  demonstrating  the  correctness  of  his  principal's  high 
estimate. 

About  half  his  preliminary  course  was  completed  when  he  suffered  a  crushing 
blow  in  the  death  of  his  mother,  in  1822.  She  had  been  his  trusted  friend  and 
counselor.  He  felt  "lost  and  left  in  the  wide  world,"  and  was  inconsolable. 
He  bad  thought  to  devote  to  her  the  beat  of  a  pure  and  honorable  manhood. 
To  be  admired  and  honored  by  her,  when  in  the  pursuit  of  his  chosen  life  avoca- 
tion, had  been  a  powerful  inspiration  to  him.  But  now,  alas,  all  bright  dreams, 
fond  hopes,  and  high  resolves  were  forever  blighted.  His  grief  was  marked 
with  all  the  copiousness  of  childhood's  tears.     But  the  lessons  that  noble  parent 


had  inculcated  were  now  called  to  mind,  and  he  tried  to  master  hia  sighiDf; 
and  sobbing,  for  they  were  unavailing.  His  loving  and  loved  sister  wap 
unwearied  in  her  efforts  to  reconcile  him'  to  his  loss. 

He  returned  to  his  reading,  after  a  long  suspension  of  study,  and  the  following 
year  entered  the  Vermont  Medical  College,  located  at  (  astleton,  Vt.  Here  he 
likewise  distinguished  himself,  and  in  due  course  of  time  graduated  from  that 
institution  with  honor,  in  1825. 

Waters,  the  great-hearted  man  and  skillful  physician,  had,  in  the  mean  time, 
died.  Our  young  friend  was  invited  to  become  his  euccessor.  This  h.-  did,  but 
with  characteristic  modesty.  His  deceased  preceptor  was  no  meari  man  Gifted 
with  a  powerful  mind  and  a  perfect  physique  (he  was  said  to  have  been  the 
handsomest  man  of  his  day),  he  had  become  widely  known,  and  hi.s  professional 
services  were  sought  far  and  near.  To  step  into  his  place  seemed  presumptuous 
in  the  extreme.  But  his  friends  encouraged  and  sustained  him.  and  though 
he  had  to  contend  with  "  Envy's  frown  and  Poverty's  unconquerable  bar,"  yet 
he  persevered,  and,  after  "  laboring  and  waiting,"  at  length  built  up  a  widely- 
extended  and  lucrative  practice. 

In  1825  or  1826  he  married  Miss  Ann  Wilson,  adopted  daughter  of  Judge 
Nathan  Wilson,  of  Salem,  N.  Y.  She  died  April,  1832,  in  her  twenty-sixth  year, 
leaving  three  children:  Charles  A.,  Frances  Olivia,  and  Alfred  D.  White,  of 
whom  only  the  first-named  survives. 

In  August.  1832,  Dr.  White  was  again  married  to  Mrs.  Catharine  Cleveland, 
widow  of  Abel  Cleveland,  of  Hebron,  N.  Y.  She  died  at  Hebron,  N.  Y.,  June 
23, 1863.  The  issue  of  this  marriage  was  four  children:  Henry  Clay,  George 
Alexander,  Walter  Scott,  and  Frances  Maria  White,  all  of  whom  are  dead  except 
the  last,  PYances  M.,  wlio  is  living  at  West  Rupert,  Vt.,  the  estimable  and  ac- 
complished wife  of  Mr.  Fayette  W.  Hopkins. 

Dr.  Charles  Jones  ^XTiite  was,  in  many  respects,  a  man  si'i  generis;  aa  a 
parent  he  was  stern  and  exacting,  more  especially  during  the  first  years  of  his 
domestic  life.  He  entertained  peculiar  notions  of  parental  discipline,  but  he 
saw  cause  to  radically  modify  them  in  later  years.  In  his  family  he  was  rigidly 
methodical  and  precise  in  all  his  personal  habits  and  ways. 

As  a  citizen  he  was  public-spirited,  and  an  ardent  and  uncompromising  advo- 
cate of  the  majesty  of  law.  Probably  no  better  illustration  of  this  jihase  of  his 
character  can  be  found  than  in  his  unremitting  efforts  to  support  the  govern- 
ment in  its  struggles  to  conquer  the  recent  Rebellion  of  the  States  of  the  south. 
He  held  that  the  Federal  Union  was  not  a  mero  league  or  confederation,  but  a 
union  of  all  the  States  into  one  grand  body,  one  supreme  stale.  Hence  he 
regarded  the  views  of  our  southern  malcontents  as  rank  political  heresy,  sub- 
versive at  once  of  all  stability  and  strength  of  organization.  Within  his  own 
county  and  township  he  was  foremost  among  the  supporters  of  the  Washington 
government.  He  was  chairman  of  the  county  committee  (or  town) ;  at  all  events 
a  prominent  member  thereof;  and,  s.ays  one  who  was  iutimately  associated  with 
him  on  said  committees,  "  He  was  unwearied  in  his  efforts  to  raise  the  quota  of 
men,  sparing  neither  labor  nor  money  for  that  purpose;  active  in  calling  meet- 
ing.s,  and  arousing  public  sentiment,  etc.,  etc.  So  well  did  our  town  committee 
perform  their  duties,  that  every  quota  was  filled  promptly,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  war  our  town  bad  a  surplus  of  men  to  her  credit,  for  wliit-h  the  State  paid  us 
back  S82UO.  Ours  was  the  onhj  town  that  did  so  well,  Fort  Edward,  of  our  county, 
ranking  next,  which  had  refunded  to  her  $6000.  Araoneall  the  workers  of  our 
town,  Dr.  White  stood  in  the  first  class," 

As  a  physician  he  stood  high.  While  ho  was  no  specialist,  few  of  his  follows 
in  the  counti-y  at  large  possessed  a  more  thorough  and  scientific  knowledge  of 
febrile  and  pulmonary  diseases.  For  skillful  treatment  of  these  umladics  he 
was  quite  celebrated.  He  never  laid  aside  his  books,  but  k<'i)t  himself  woll 
informed  upon  the  improvements  and  innovations  of  medical  scii-nce. 

Dr.  Charles  Jones  White  died  at  Hebron,  N.  Y.,  April  24,  1669,  in  the  sixty- 
sixth  year  of  his  age.  His  remains  were  interred  in  the  cemetery  at  Salem, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


391 


VILLAGES. 


EAST    HEBRON 


is  situated  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town,  in  the  valley 
of  the  Black  creek,  and  on  the  old  turnpike,  the  great 
traveled  route  of  eaily  times.  Some  of  the  first  settlers 
of  the  town  were  located  near  here.  It  was  only  a  .short 
distance  south  of  this  place,  just  within  the  present  town 
of  Salem,  that  Captain  Charles  Hutchinson  was  driven  from 
his  farm,  in  1771,  by  the  Vermonters,  Allen  and  Baker. 
In  his  afiBdavit  of  complaint  he  states  that  eight  or  nine 
others  in  his  neighborhood  had  been  driven  off,  among 
them  John  Reid, — this  last  a  name  still  prominent  in 
Hebron.  Jacob  Braymer  had  a  tannery  two  miles  above 
East  Hebron,  on  the  turnpike.  The  first  orchard  was 
planted  by  Jedediah  Darrow.  The  first  post-ofiice  under 
the  name  of  Hebron  was  located  at  this  place  about  1800. 
William  Porter,  the  first  postmaster;  Colonel  William 
Root,  the  second;  John  Root,  the  third;  and  William 
Root,  the  fourth.  This  village  is  seven  miles  from  Salem. 
A  store  was  opened  here  before  1800,  by  Dr.  David  Long. 

WEST    HEBRON. 

This  is  the  largest  village  in  the  town,  and  is  very  pleas- 
antly situated  in  the  southwestern  part,  near  the  junction 
of  the  two  branches  of  Black  creek.  It  was  settled  at  a 
very  early  day,  the  water-power  giving  to  the  place  much 
importance  in  connection  with  early  settlement.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  fine  scenery.  The  roads  are  superior,  afford- 
ing to  the  traveler  or  the  citizen  many  delightful  drives. 
Beveridge's  saw-mill  was  built  at  an  early  day, — only  the 
frame  now  standing.  One  mile  above  was  a  carding-ma- 
chine,  long  since  given  up.  A  very  early  grist-mill  was 
built  by  Garret  Quackenbush,  with  one  run  of  rock  stone. 
There  is  now  located  at  West  Hebron  a  starch-factory, 
founded  by  Rae  &  McDowell,  about  1866,  using  annually 
six  thousand  bushels  of  potatoes,  and  producing  forty-eight 
thousand  pounds  of  starch.  There  is  also  a  saw-mill,  a 
cheese-box  factory,  owned  by  W.  &  J.  Reid.  Brush- 
makers'  blocks  are  also  manufactured.  The  village  has  two 
churches,  one  hotel,  three  general  stores,  one  drug-store, 
and  one  clothing-store,  harness-shop,  blacksmith-sliop,  and 
marble-works.  A  post-office  was  established  here  about 
1816,  George  Getty  being  the  first  postmaster.  Others 
succeeding  him  were  Charles  Stone,  William  McClellun, 
Heman  Rogers,  and  William  J.  Bockes. 

This  village  has  sometimes  been  known  by  the  slang  term 
Bedlam. 

The  following  from  the  local  correspondence  of  a  county 
newspaper  condenses  so  many  items  of  interest  in  a  brief 
space  that  we  insert  it  entire  : 

"  West  Hebron. — Our  lively  little  village,  the  happy 
home  of  a  peaceful  community  and  the  admiration  of  vis- 
iting strangers,  is  located  in  a  protected  nook  in  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  two  branches  of  Black  creek  and  at  the  conjunc- 
tion of  the  main  roads  leading  to  the  village  of  Salem.  On 
all  sides,  excepting  the  road  valleys,  it  is  guarded  by  wooded 
mountains.  On  the  southeast  Wilson's  mountain  stands 
perpetual  guard  ;  the  fury  of  the  western  winds  is  broken 
by  Patterson's  range,  and  the  ragged  side  of  the  '  Devil's 


Threshing  Floor'  stands  like  a  faithful  sentinel  of  protection 
on  the  north  and  east.  In  connection  with  the  thrifl  and 
industry  of  this  burgh.  West  Hebron  and  the  adjacent 
neighborhoods  are  noted  for  their  splendid  roads  and  fine 
scenery.  The  valley  just  north  of  the  village  is  the  finest 
in  the  county.  For  half  a  mile  the  road  pa.sscs  through  a 
narrow  defile  that  in  the  distance  closely  resembles  an  Al- 
pine pa.ss.  Here  the  brick  church  edifice  of  the  Reformed 
Presbyterians  forms  the  nucleus  of  a  small  hamlet,  the  homes 
of  several  retired  families.  At  this  point  the  valley  widens 
to  half  a  mile  in  width,  and  extends  uniformly  in  a  northern 
direction  for  two  miles  or  more.  The  bed  of  the  valley  is 
a  large  tract  of  rich  bottom  meadow-land,  watered  by  the 
winding  western  fork  of  Black  creek,  while  the  sides  are 
gradual  slopes  of  tillable  land  surmounted  with  heavy  forests. 
For  over  a  mile  in  length  this  valley  is  traversed  by  two  par- 
allel roads,  each  at  the  base  of  the  uplands,  and  connected 
at  the  northern  limits  by  a  connecting  cross-road,  inclosing 
the  flat  in  its  boundaries,  forming  what  is  known  as  the 
'  Square.'  '  Around  the  Scjuare'  is  a  very  popular  drive 
during  the  summer  season,  owing  to  its  clo.se  contiguity  to 
the  village,  its  magnificent  roads,  and  its  beautiful  scenery, 
lowland  and  upland,  moderate  grades  and  steep  declivities, 
comfortable  farm-houses,  rich  meadows  and  waving  fields  of 
grain,  forests  in  the  distance  and  transplanted  rows  of 
maples  along  the  highways, — all  the  diversified  views  of  a 
lovely  panoramic  landscape.  By  a  fortunate  division  of  the 
land  by  the  early  settlers  of  the  valley,  each  farmer  on  both 
roads  owns  a  portion  of  the  flat,  and  thus  each  summer 
cuts  an  abundance  of  hay  of  the  best  quality,  while  their 
grain  and  pasture  lands  lie  on  the  slopes.  Since  the  intro- 
duction of  cheese-factories  the  farmers  keep  large  dairies, 
that  are  sources  of  much  profit.  The  soil  of  the  eastern 
side  of  the  valley  is  a  loam,  furnishing  good  pastures,  while 
that  on  the  western  side  is  of  a  slaty  and  lim&stone  nature, 
and  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  cereals.  On  one  farm  is 
an  unlimited  limestone  deposit,  from  which  was  burned  the 
lime  used  in  the  construction  of  the  farm-houses  on  the 
place,  also  the  stone  house  in  Argyle  now  occupied  by 
Charles  Getty.  This  valley  was  once  the  hunting-ground 
of  the  Indian,  as  is  plain  to  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  many 
antlers  of  the  deer  and  the  stone  arrow-heads  used  by  the 
Indians  have  frequently  been  found,  and  tradition  says  that 
every  spring  and  fall  the  Indians  roamed  the  banks  of 
Black  creek,  trapping  the  muskrat,  mink,  and  other  aquatic 
game.  The  church  edifice  of  the  Hebron  United  Presby- 
terian congregation  is  situated  in  this  valley,  it  being  the 
central  point  of  a  large  congregation.  In  a  drive  of  less 
than  five  miles  (from  Belcher  to  West  Hebron)  the  traveler 
passes  five  churches,  in  which  preaching  is  statedly  held; 
which  testifies  that  our  community  is  a  church-going  one. 
Our  valley  roads  being  on  the  direct  route  from  Granville, 
Hartford,  and  Argyle  to  Salem,  one  of  the  county-seats,  we 
have  a  great  deal  of  travel  passing  to  and  from  these  vil- 
lages, making,  with  the  above-mentioned  attractions,  a 
residence  in  the  valley  a  desirable  one." 

MUNRO'S    ME.VDOW.S. 

The  Rev.  Harry  Munro  was  an  Episcopal  minister  and 
chaplain  in  one  of  the  Highland  Scotch  regiments.      Ilav- 


392 


HISTORY  OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


ing  thus  the  rank  of  a  subaltern  oflScer,  he  drew,  Sept.  23, 
1764,  two  thousand  acres  of  land,  situated  in  the  northern 
part  of  Hebron.  In  the  year  1774,  having  been  discharged 
from  the  army,  he  persuaded  six  families  to  move  on  to  his 
tract.  These  settlers  were  Scotch  Highlanders,  some  of 
them  discharged  soldiers,  who  owned  land  in  this  neighbor- 
hood. They  each  took  a  lease  of  one  hundred  acres,  for 
twenty-one  years,  at  a  rent  of  one  shilling  per  acre.  The 
best  known  among  them  were  John  McDonald,  Norman 
and  Donald  McLeod,  and  John  Duncan.  Munro  himself 
moved  here  with  them  and  erected  a  cabin.  These  cabins 
were  built  of  logs  and  roofed  with  bark ;  they  were  in  size 
about  sixteen  by  twenty  feet,  having  but  a  single  room, 
without  any  floor.  The  earth  within  them  became  trodden 
down  so  hard  that  it  could  be  swept  nearly  as  clean  as  our 
present  floors.  Such  were  the  dwellings  in  which,  with 
few  exceptions,  nearly  all  the  first  settlers  in  the  town  re- 
sided for  several  years.  Munro's  cabin  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  the  brook  i.ssuing  from  the  marsh  on  his  lands, 
about  five  rods  from  the  brook  and  seventy  from  the  marsh. 
This  marsh  covers  about  twenty-five  acres,  and  is  situated 
near  the  centre  of  Munro's  tract.  He  doted  upon  this 
meadow,  supposing  it  would  form  most  valuable  meadow 
land.  Hence  the  neighborhood  has  received  its  name, 
Munro's  Meadows.  Before  moving  on  his  tract  Parson 
Munro's  wife  died,  leaving  a  daughter,  Betsey,  who  mar- 
ried Donald  Fisher.  He  bought  the  two-thousand-acre 
tract  which  forms  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town  of 
Granville.  The  original  owner  of  this  tract  was  Barnaby 
Bryn.  Parson  Munro  married  for  his  second  wife  a  sister 
of  Governor  Jay.  Whilst  the  war  was  in  progress  he  was 
permitted  to  retire  to  Canada.  He  died  in  Edinburgh  about 
1801.  His  wife  and  their  only  child,  Peter  Jay  Munro, 
remained  upon  the  Jay  estate.  This  son  accompanied  his 
uncle  to  England  when  he  went  there  to  negotiate  the  cel- 
ebrated "  Jay's  Treaty,"  and  while  abroad  obtained  a  quit- 
claim deed  from  his  father  of  the  lands  in  Hebron,  which 
he  sold  out  to  the  occupants  and  others. 

NORTH    IIEBllON. 

This  place  is  simply  the  Munro's  Meadows  of  olden  time, 
the  history  of  which  is  given  above.  A  post-office,  under 
the  present  name,  was  established  in  1833,  William  Rey- 
nolds the  first  postmaster.  Others  following  him  were  W. 
W.  Blivin  and  Henry  Bull.  The  old  Skene  road,  cut 
through  the  wilderness  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago, 
passed  near  this  place,  and  soon  after,  here  and  there  a  set- 
tler selected  a  home  upon  it. 

Abram  Case, — at  the  age  of  eighteen,  came  from  Massa- 
chusetts in  the  spring  of  1770j  stopped  a  few  days  with 
friends  at  West  Hebron,  and  then  came  through  the 
woods  to  this  place, — is  supposed  to  be  the  first  white  man 
to  enter  North  Hebron  as  far  north  as  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Merritt  Temple.  The  same  day  he  commenced  a  log 
hut.  At  night  he  returned  to  his  friends.  On  the  morn- 
ing he  came  over  on  horseback,  bringing  with  him  a  half- 
bushel  of  meal,  some  salt,  a  knife  and  fork,  a  four-quart  irou^ 
kettle,  some  seed-corn,  and  a  gun.  The  second  day  he  com- 
pleted his  shanty.  He  then  cleared  a  small  piece  of  land, 
and  planted  the  first  piece  of  corn  in  this  section.     In  Au- 


gust, hLs  brother  Timothy  came  and  lived  with  him.  In 
the  fall  they  took  their  corn  on  horseback  to  Lansingburg, 
the  nearest  mill,  to  have  it  ground. 

In  the  spring  of  1772,  Aaron  Smith  came  from  the  town 
of  White  Creek  to  this  place,  moving  his  family  on  an  ox- 
cart, and  located  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Walter  White. 
He  brought  with  him  the  first  potatoes  planted  here.  In 
the  same  year  Deacon  McCall  settled  on  the  place  now 
owned  by  Justin  Beebe. 

The  fir.st  school-house  in  this  section  was  on  the  farm  now 

owned  by  James  Foster.    The  first  teacher, McNaugh- 

ton. 

The  first  store  was  kept  by  Goodrich.     The  first 

person  buried  in  the  North  Hebron  burying-ground  was 
Aaron  Briggs. 

There  has  been  some  trade  and  other  business  at  North 
Hebron,  but  the  water-power  necessary  to  develop  a  large 
village  does  not  exist  on  the  small  rivulets  that  here  form 
the  sources  of  Black  creek. 

SL.\TEVILLE 

is  a  small  hamlet  that  grew  up  in  connection  with  the  at- 
tempt to  develop  slate-works  in  the  northeast  part  of  the 
town.  The  New  York  Slate  and  Tile  Company  was  formed, 
and  prosecuted  the  business  for  a  few  years,  but  either  from 
the  poor  quality  of  the  deposits  at  this  point,  or  from  other 
causes,  the  operations  were  discontinued.  North  of  Slate- 
villewas  a  neighborhood  of  early  settlement  by  Woodward, 
Case,  and  others,  some  allusions  to  which  occur  in  the 
history  of  Granville. 

BELCHER. 

This  hamlet  is  said  to  have  received  its  name  from  the  old 
town  in  Massachusetts,  Bolchertown,  dropping  the  final  syl- 
lable, however,  and  making  it  Belcher.  The  convenience  of 
ti'ade  at  the  junction  of  several  roads  seems  to  have  been  the 
cause  of  this  pleasant  little  village  growing  up  at  this  point. 
There  is  no  water-power  to  develop  mills  or  manufactories 
here.  Stores,  shops,  hotel,  church,  and  school-house,  with 
a  few  dwelling-houses,  constitute  the  village.  A  post-office 
was  established  here  in  1850,  W.  Cleveland  being  the  first 
postmaster.  The  name  shows  the  first  settlers  to  have  been 
from  Belchertown,  Mass. 

chamberlain's  mills. 

This  has  long  been  known  as  a  place  of  considerable 
business.  The  valuable  water-power  was  utilized  at  an  early 
day.  In  later  years  there  has  been  a  store  with  an  excel- 
lent country  trade.  The  mills  are  a  short  distance  west  of 
East  Hebron.  The  original  buildings  were  put  up,  it  is 
said,  as  early  as  1778,  by  Wilson,  Hamilton  &  Hopkins, 
who  owned  the  water-power.  The  grist-mill  afterwards 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Palmer  Jenkins.  We  add  a  copy 
of  the  original  contract,  one  hundred  years  old,  procured 
by  Hon.  S.  E.  Spoor,  the  property  of  Chester  H.  Wilson. 
The  latter  also  has  the  original  survey  of  Campbell's  patent : 


JohnUnmUlon,  Dmld 

»    W;ls.m,   and    Ihn-Ul 


"  Articles  of  ngreemait  made  mid  passed  hetn 
WHsml,  liohcrl  Wlhun,  John  Wilson,  J, 
llopkius. 

"  Arlirlr  A— Tli.-it  they  agree  to  Iniikl  a  saw-mill  on  the  falls  on  tho 
Great  creek,  and  each  tu  du  his  equal  part  and  proportion. 


\^6 


-  W-  0T^ 


James  Cf?AiG. 


Mrs.  James  CffAic. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


393 


"  Article  II. — And  whou  money  is  to  be  paid,  each  to  pay  his  equal 
sixth  part. 

"Article  III.^That  when  the  majority  of  the  proprietors  shall 
agree  upon  any  point  about  the  said  mill,  tho  rest  are  to  abide  by  it. 

"  Article  IV. — That  each  one  is  to  be  at  the  plaec,  ready  to  go  to 
work,  each  day  he  works,  by  the  sun  an  hour  and  a  half  high  in  tho 
morning. 

"To  which  agreement  we  bind  ourselves.  Witness  our  hands  this 
22d  day  of  March,  A.D.  177S. 

"Jons  Hamiltox, 
"  David  Wilsos, 

**  lloUBRT    AViI.SON, 

"Jonx  Wilson, 
"Jamk.s  Wii.sox, 

"  DaVIIJ    HoI'KIN'S.'' 

James,  a  son  of  the  James  Wilson  above,  states  tliat  the 
same  company  built  a  grist-mill,  probably  two  or  three 
years  later.  It  was  on  the  sit«  of  Chamberlain's  mills, 
and  was  originally  known  as  Wilson's.  Asa  Putnam  built 
a  cloth-dressing  mill  at  the  same  place  earlier  than  1800. 


Like  other  towns  in  this  vicinity,  the  records  are  almost 
entirely  wanting  with  reference  to  the  schools  before  1813. 
School  commissioners  were  elected  in  17!3(),  as  shown  in 
the  notes  taken  from  the  town  records,  but  the  office  docs 
not  seem  to  have  been  continued.  It  is  well  known  that 
school-houses  were  built  soon  after  the  first  settlement,  in 
many  instances  log  buildings,  some  upon  the  very  sites  of 
the  present  houses,  but  dates  and  facts  are  very  difficult  to 
obtain. 

At  the  town-meeting  in  1813  the  people  accepted  the 
provisions  of  the  school  law  of  1812,  voted  to  raise  an 
amount  of  money  equal  to  the  sum  to  be  donated  by  the 
State,  and  elected  the  following  officers : 

William  BlcClellan,  Joel  Hopkins,  William  Townsend, 
school  commissioners ;  James  Wilson,  George  Webster, 
William  Livingston,  school  inspectors. 

In  the  years  succeeding,  down  to  IS-IS,  the  following 
other  persons  served  one  or  more  years  each  in  the  office  of 
inspector :  Joel  Byington,  Ebenezer  Ingersoll,  Peter  Bockes, 
Samuel  Livingston,  Alfred  Ward,  Rev.  Alex.  Denham,  John 
McDonald,  John  Wilson,  William  Townsend,  Robert  Steele, 
Simeon  D.  Webster,  Washington  L.  Waite,  Henry  Bull, 
Jonathan  Blorey,  Hugh  Cruikshank,  Isaac  Wilson,  Andrew 
S.  Gilchrist,  Gordon  Smith,  John  A.  Waldo,  Gilbert  Hard, 
Henry  Warren,  William  Wilson,  George  McKnight,  John 
Woodard,  William  McLeod,  James  Hough,  James  Reid, 
Charles  G.  White,  William  Armstrong,  Camillus  Hanks, 
John  Root,  George  E.  Porter,  Maurice  Clapp,  James  M. 
Foster,  James  Reid,  John  Tiplady,  Ebenezer  tjua,  Stephen 
M.  Ingersoll,  Eli  Smith,  James  JIcKnight,  and  John 
McNaughton. 

During  the  same  period  the  following  citizens  also  served 
one  or  more  years  each  in  the  office  of  commissioner : 
Phineas  Hitchcock,  William  Livingston,  Ebenezer  Inger- 
soll, Jedediah  Darrow,  John  McDonald,  George  Webster, 
Edward  Johnson,  John  J.  Wilson,  Samuel  Livingston, 
Jonathan  Morey,  Foster  Foot,  Henry  Bull,  John  Moodie, 
Robert  Steel,  Hugh  Cruikshank,  Simeon  D.  Webster,  John 
Button.  John  Woodard,  Stephen  Fumsey,  Washington  L. 
Wait,  Gilbert  Hard,  John  F.  Merrill,  James  S.  Brown, 
50 


Camillus  Hanks,  Isaac  Wilson,  William  W.  Blivins,  James 
Reid,  John  W.  Beatty,  David  Hopkins,  John  McClellan, 
Whedon  M.  Smith,  Alexander  Beattic,  William  Getty, 
Darwin  Porter,  George  McKnight,  Piatt  Burch,  Abner 
Qua,  and  Joseph  Crosier.  This  system  was  superseded  by 
that  of  town  .superintendents  in  1843,  and  commencing  with 
1814,  the  following  were  elected  to  that  office:  1844—15, 
John  McNaughton;  184G-47,  James  McKnight;  1848- 
49,  Wesley  Nelson;  1850,  Warren  Clcaveland  ;  1852,  War- 
ren Cleaveland;  1 854-50,  William  W.  Hibbard. 

The  last  man  was  legislated  out  of  office  by  the  creation 
of  district  commis.sioncrs,  which  closed  all  town  supervision. 

The  earliest  report  upon  the  schools  of  the  town  to  be 
found  on  record  seems  to  be  the  following  for  1816  : 

Public  monoy 
District.  for  toiu-li<^ni' 

WllgfS. 

No.    1 ?11.S4 

"      2 21.18 

"      3 22.97 

"      4 11.48 

"      6 24.05 

"      6 13.28 

"     7 17.95 

"      8 24.05 

"      9 21.89 

"    in 2R.20 

"    11 19.38 

"    12 27.28 

"    13 12.20 

"    14 7. 89 

"    15 2.87 

"    li; 1.07 

"    17 4.B7 

On  hand 40.79 

Total $317.04 

At  the  annual  town-meeting  in  the  year  181.3  it  was 
voted  that  school  commissioners  and  inspectors  should  re- 
ceive seventy-five  cents  per  day  while  in  the  actual  dis- 
charge of  their  duties ;  also  that  the  town  would  raise  a 
sum  of  money  each  year  equal  to  the  sum  received  from 
the  county  treasurer. 

The  last  appointment  by  the  school  commissioners  for 
1877  .shows  to  some  extent  the  present  condition  of  the 
schools. 

Chililrcn  botwopn     Whole  public 
Distiict.                                                      five  ami  twenty-     uionuy  appro- 
one,  priutod. 

No.    1 123  $275.21 

••      2 48  111.68 

"     :i 49  llfi.IS 

"     4 .W  124.61 

"      5          110  132.60 

"     0 15  70.75 

"      7                                 42  98.26 

"     s 37  94.72 

"      y 45  ■  106.34 

"   10    33  93.98 

'.    u                   71  U8.60 

"    12 31  92.15 

"    i.i                             47  121.15 

"    14                     .             61  126.03 

"   15           24  S0.77 

"    16 32  97.43 

"    17 14  66.97 

Total 791  $1958.03 


NORTH    IIEimON    INSTITUTE. 

This  institution  is  located  in  the  village  of  North  He- 
bron. It  W.-I.S  built  in  1850.  The  edifice  is  a  substantial 
brick  structure,  with  a  capacity  adapted  to  the  accommoda- 
tion of  one  hundred  and  fifty  students.  It  has  a  hall  in 
the  .second  story  with  sittings  for  two  hundred  and  fifty. 


394 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


On  the  first  floor,  a  large  pleasant  school-room  and  a  recita- 
tion-room. 

This  institute  was  projected  ;ind  completed  mainly  by 
the  efforts  of  the  late  Rev.  George  Smith  and  Junatluin 
Allen. 

Rev.  Reuel  Hanks  was  the  first  principal.  After  two 
and  a  half  years  of  successful  labor,  he  removed  to  New 
York  city,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  institute  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Barrett. 

The  present  principal  is  AV.  S.  Hanks,  under  whose  con- 
trol a  fine  school  is  now  in  progress.  Tiiis  institution  was 
chartered  by  the  regents. 

THE    WEST    IIEBRON    CLASSICAL    SCHOOL 

was  chartered  by  the  repents  of  the  University  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  March  22,  1855.  The  first  trustees 
under  the  charter  were  Rev.  Joseph  Kimball,  Wm.  Ran- 
dies, David  W.  Ackley,  James  Robinson,  Alex.  P.  Robin- 
son, Daniel  Woodard,  Wm.  Amistrong,  John  M.  Rea, 
Henry  McEaehron,  James  R.  McClellan,  George  Ashley, 
and  Rev.  Joseph  McKee.  The  school  building  was  erected 
during  the  summer  of  1855.  At  the  opening  session  of 
the  school  Mr.  G.  D.  Stewart  was  the  principal;  JMiss 
Harriet  H.  Rowan,  preceptress;  and  Mr.  J.  K.  McLean, 
assistant.  This  school  was  <|uite  succe.ssful  during  a  period 
of  eight  or  ten  years,  when  it  became  expedient  to  con- 
vert it  into  a  union  free  school  in  this  district,  still  retain- 
ing its  academical  department.  The  trustees  made  an 
agreement  with  the  board  of  education  of  the  union  free 
school  that,  upon  payment  of  one  thousand  dollars,  the 
trustees  would  lease  the  district  and  the  academy  building 
for  a  term  of  ten  years.  The  present  teachers  are  David 
Reid,  principal;  Miss  Mary  Wilson,  intermediate;  and 
Miss  Maggie  Gibson,  primary  departments. 

CHUKCHES. 

ASSOCIATE    REFORMED,    NOW    UNITED    PRESBYTERIAN 
CIUIUCII. 

This  congregation  of  Presbyterians  of  Hebron  was  or- 
ganized about  the  year  1780,  and  was  occasionally  supplied 
for  several  years  by  Rev.  Thomas  Clark,  M.D.,  and  Rev. 
James  Proudfit,  ministers  at  Salem.  The  Rev.  George 
Mairs  was  installed  pastor  of  this  church  Nov.  14,  1793. 
His  brother.  Rev.  James  Mairs,  preached  the  sermon  from 
2d  Corinthians,  4th  chapter,  and  5th  verse.  Rev.  James 
Proudfit  gave  the  charge.  The  elders  signing  the  call 
were  Samuel  Crossett,  Charles  Ilutchins,  and  Alexander 
McClellan.  Rev.  Geo.  Mairs  lived  in  Argyle,  and  preached 
a  portion  of  the  time  there. 

The  first  minister  whose  services  were  wholly  given  to 
this  society  was  the  celebrated  Dr.  Gray,  an  eminent  author 
of  theological  works.  He  was  installed  about  the  year 
1795,  and  moved  to  Philadelphia  in  1804. 

Soon  after  this  Rev.  Alex.  Dunham  was  installed,  and 
remained  pastor  about  twenty  years.  He  moved  to  the 
city  of  New  York,  where  he  died  in  1848,  aged  seventy- 
five. 

Rev.  James  MoAuly  was  pastor  from  1826  to  1835, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Jasper  Middlemass, 
who  was  pastor  nearly  three  years. 


In  the  fall  of  1839  the  Rev.  Alex.  Shand  was  ordained 
and  installed  pastor  by  the  presbytery  of  Washington. 
Tliis  was  the  first  ordination  within  the  walls  of  this  ven- 
erable edifice.  The  following  have  been  the  ministers  in 
succession  :  Rev.  Joseph  Kimball,  Rev.  Gilbert  H.  Robert- 
son, Rev.  Isaac  N.  White,  Rev.  John  R.  Fisher,  Rev. 
Thomas  Wylie,  who  resigned  October,  1875,  since  which 
time  the  church  has  been  without  a  settled  pastor. 

This  congregation  have  been  organized  nearly  or  about 
ninety-eight  years.  Their  forefathers  were  Presbyterians 
from  the  north  of  Ireland,  some  of  whom,  to  avoid  the 
troubles  of  that  distracted  country,  sought  and  found  an 
a.syluni  in  this  place.  This  congregation  has  never  had 
any  deacons.  There  is,  however,  a  long  line  of  ruling 
ciders,  who  have  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  since 
the  organization  of  the  congregation. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  first  members  :  Hon.  Alexander 
Webster,  George  Webster,  Alexander  Webster,  Jr.,  James 
Webster,  John,  Francis,  Joseph,  William,  Robert,  Samuel, 
Benjamin,  and  Mary  Livingston,  Adam,  Robert,  John, 
David,  and  Ebenezer  Gett^',  Alexander,  James,  and  Wil- 
liam McClellan,  Samuel,  William,  and  Isaac  Lytic,  Ed^ 
ward,  William,  and  Oliver  Selfridge,  Stephen  and  James 
Rowan,  John  Wilson,  Daniel  and  John  McDonald,  Lsaac 
Gray,  Andrew  Proudfit,  Thomas  Gourley,  Robert  and  John 
Qua,  Boyd  Donaklson,  Samuel  and  William  Crossett,  James 
Flack,  Sr.  and  Jr.  Tlie  first  trustees  elected  at  the  first 
meeting,  called  Dec.  13,  1791,  were  Samuel  Crossett,  Isaac 
Lytic,  Isaac  Brinckerhoff,  Thomas  Mulhcnch,  George  Mo- 
Knight,  John  McDonald,  James  Flack,  William  Lytic,  and 
Andrew  Proudfit.  The  location  of  the  church  edifice,  as 
fixed  by  a  majority  of  the  trustees,  was  on  the  north  side 
of  Isaac  Lytle's  south  farm,  being  the  site  of  the  present 
church.  The  old  church  edifice,  which  was  built  in  1792, 
stood  till  1855,  when  it  was  torn  down,  and  the  present 
building  erected  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  dollars;  the  size 
is  forty  by  sixty-four  feet.  The  old  edifice  was  in  size  forty- 
six  by  fifty-five  feet,  and  cost  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds. 
It  stood  with  its  side  to  the  road,  a  door  in  the  centre  and 
at  each  end,  with  aisles  from  each  ;  the  pulpit  was  on  the 
east  side  and  opposite  the  centre  door ;  the  pews  were  about 
six  by  seven  feet  S((uare,  with  seats  on  three  sides, — they 
had  high  backs  and  sides,  with  a  door ;  when  a  person  wag 
sitting,  they  could  not  see  out  nor  be  seen.  There  was  a 
gallery  on  three  sides.  The  elders  at  this  present  time  are 
William  Gilchrist,  Alexander  McEaehron,  Robert  Martin, 
William  Shields,  J.  II.  Reynolds,  Alexander  Gourley,  Wil- 
liam Robinson,  and  William  J.  Armstrong.  The  present 
trustees  are  Philip  McEaehron,  Alexander  Williamson, 
James  Williamson,  James  E.  McClellan,  and  James  Shields. 
The  membership  of  this  church  is  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
five.  The  Sunday-school  has  one  hundred  and  fifty  scholars 
and  nine  teachers ;  William  Robinson  is  superintendent. 
This  society  owns  a  parsonage  in  the  village. 

ASSOCIATE    (NOW    UNITED)    rRESBYTBRI.\N    CUURCII. 

This  church  is  located  at  West  Hebron.  The  first  re- 
cords to  bo  found  date  back  to  1799,  in  which  year  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  house  of  Andrew  B;veridgo,  living 
about  three  miles  north.     Rev.  Robert  Laiiig,  of  Argyle, 


.-.-   UJ.-.'-  -     ■>-;■.«   -  ..-^V      r,.^^-._ 


METHODIST    CHURCH,  WEST   HEBRON. 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


395 


preached  in  1807  one-fourth  the  time.  Rev.  Peter  Bul- 
lions lived  at  South  Ariryle,  and  prcaehod  one-fourth  of  the 
time  in  this  church,  from  1808  to  1823.  He  was  succeeded 
by  the  Rev.  James  Irvin,  who  was  ordained  and  installed 
July  7,  1824,  and  was  pastor  till  1831,  when  he  resigned. 
Rev.  A.  Anderson  was  settled  over  this  church  in  1832, 
and  remained  until  1847.  Rev.  Mr.  Ballatine  was  ordained 
and  installed  in  September,  1848.  He  died  Oct.  24, 1849. 
Rev.  Joseph  McKee  was  installed  March  20,  1851,  and 
continued  until  1857.  Rev.  W.  R  McKee  was  ordained 
and  installed  Sept.  4,  1860,  and  remained  until  Sept.  3, 
18G7,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  G.  M.  Wiley, 
April  7,  18G8,  and  he  Ls  now  the  present  ptistor  (1878). 
The  first  elders  were  Andrew  Beveridge,  Hugh  Moncrief, 
and  William  McClellan.  The  first  trustees  were  William 
McClellan,  Hugh  Randies,  and  Hugh  Moncrief.  The 
present  trustees  are  Hugh  Pierce,  William  Scott,  and 
James  Foster.  The  elders  at  the  present  time  are  John 
M.  Ilae,  William  Reid,  John  A.  McKnight,  James  F. 
Randies,  and  James  Beveridge.  The  first  subscription  for 
building  a  meeting-house  is  dated  Nov.  C,  1790  ;  there  were 
fifty-six  subscribers.  John  Williams,  of  Salem,  gives  fifty 
dollars  in  pulpit  and  seats.  The  frame  was  erected  in  1800; 
the  house  was  completed  and  occupied  in  1802.  This  old 
house  stood  about  a  mile  east  of  the  village.  In  1831  it 
was  taken  down  and  rebuilt  on  its  present  site  in  the  village, 
at  a  cost  of  sixteen  hundred  and  twenty-four  dollars.  It  was 
repaired  in  1859,  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  two  hundred 
dollars.  A  parsonage  was  built  about  1860.  The  present 
membership  is  one  hundred  and  seventy-five.  The  Sunday- 
school  has  one  hundred  scholars  and  sixteen  teachers.  The 
pastor  is  the  superintendent. 

EAST   PRESBYTEIIIAN    CHURCH. 

The  first  settlers  of  the  east  part  of  the  town,  being 
mostly  New  England  people,  were  impressed  with  the  im- 
portance of  providing  the  means  of  religious  instruction. 
They  accordingly,  some  ten  or  fifteen  years  before  the 
church  organization,  formed  themselves  into  a  regularly 
incorporated  religious  society,  and  erected  a  meeting-house 
one  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  present  house  of  worship, 
in  which  they  had  occasional  preaching  until  1804.  On 
February  24  of  that  year  the  church,  consisting  of  sixteen 
members,  was  organized.  On  the  fourth  day  of  June  fol- 
lowing the  society  was  re-incorporated,  and  named  the 
"  East  Presbyterian  Society  of  Hebron."  The  ruling  elders 
were  John  Wilson,  David  Hopkins,  and  James  Wilson. 

Rev.  Jouits  Coe,  of  Troy,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Preston  assisted 
at  the  organization.  The  first  recorded  meeting  of  session 
was  presided  over  by  Rev.  Walter  Fullerton.  The  male 
members  at  the  time  of  organizing,  besides  the  elders 
above  mentioned,  were  Daniel  Hopkins,  Jedediah  Darrow, 
Robert  WiKson,  Cyrus  Baldwin,  William  Martin,  and  John 
Shepherd. 

The  first  house  of  worship  must  have  been  erected,  as 
above  stated,  about  1790.  Its  size  was  about  seventy  feet 
by  fifty.  In  1846  the  society  built  a  new  house  at  a  cost  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  It  was  dedicated  in  the  fall 
or  winter  of  1846,  the  services  being  conducted  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Doolittle,  of  Granville,  assisted  by  Rev.  David  Wilson 


and  J.  S.  L.  Tomb.  The  first  minister  was  Rev.  Walter 
Fullerton,  from  1805  to  May,  1809.  The  pulpit  seems 
to  have  been  filled  by  temporary  supplies  till  about  1813, 
when  the  Rev.  Joel  Byington  became  the  minister,  and 
continued  until  about  1827, — a  long  and  useful  piustor- 
ate.  After  an  interval  filled  by  supplies,  the  Rev.  Alva 
Day  became  pa.stor  in  1829,  and  continued  until  July, 
1833.  In  June,  1834,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hurd  came,  and 
preached  for  one  year.  Joshua  A.  Clayton  was  tlien  pastor 
from  October,  1835,  to  December,  1839.  May  4,  1841, 
Rev.  Phineas  Bailey  commenced  his  services,  and  remained 
until  some  time  in  the  year  1816.  Rev.  David  Wilson  suc- 
ceeded him  for  a  short  time.  From  1847  to  1849,  Rev.  J. 
S.  L.  Tomb  was  pastor.  He  was  followed  one  year  by  Rev. 
Loving  Brewster,  Rev.  Fish  Harmon  two  years,  and  Rev. 
Archie  Loomis  two  years.  From  1854  to  1859  there  was 
no  regular  minister.  Rev.  J.  S.  h.  Tomb  returned,  and 
preached  for  about  three  years.  Rev.  C.  S.  Marvin  was  pas- 
tor from  1864  to  1866.  He  was  followed  two  years  by 
Rev.  A.  Bronson.  In  1871,  Rev.  Allen  Traver  commenced 
his  labors,  and  preached  one  year.  He  was  the  last  regular 
minister.  Services  have  been  suspended  since,  except  that 
the  desk  was  supplied  one  year  by  a  Methodist  minister. 

The  church,  by  removals  and  deaths,  has  become  nearly 
extinct.  When  services  were  closed,  David  Wallace  and 
E.  G.  Wilson  were  elders  ;  the  latter  clerk  of  session.  A 
Sunday-school  was  organized  in  1827;  Deacon  John  Wil- 
son superintendent.     It  was  a  large  school  for  many  years. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAIi   CHURCH,  WEST   HEBRON. 

The  first  class  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  was 
organized  in  1859,  with  nine  members.  That  year  the  so- 
ciety purchased  the  frame  of  a  small  chapel,  which  had 
been  used  by  the  Ash  Grove  society,  and  was  the  third 
church  edifice  built  by  that  society.  This  frame  was  taken 
down,  taken  apart,  and  brought  to  West  Hebron  and  erected 
as  a  church  edifice,  and  was  in  use  until  the  erection  of  their 
present  new  edifice.  The  old  building  is  now  known  as 
Ashley's  hall.  The  trustees  of  the  first  church  were  Levi 
and  Robert  Copeland  and  Abiaham  Johnson.  This  society 
separated  from  the  Belcher  church  in  1 869,  and  proceeded 
to  organize  an  independent  society,  which  was  incorporated 
Nov.  29,  1869.  The  first  trustees  were  J.  L.  Irwin,  P. 
B.  Larkin,  William  T.  Morrow,  Robert  Copeland,  and 
Mathew  Dongan.  Rev.  Cyrus  Meeker  was  the  first  pastor, 
dividing  his  time  between  Belcher  and  this  church. 

A  new  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1874,  and  dedicated 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ives  October  20  of  that  year.  The  text 
from  which  he  preached  his  sermon  was  "  Let  your  light  so 
shine,"  etc.  It  was  an  eloquent  discour.se,  worthy  of  the 
doctor's  fame.  The  church  edifice  is  of  wood;  size,  thirty- 
five  by  sixty-one  feet.  At  one  angle  in  front  rises  the 
spire,  one  hundred  and  five  feet ;  the  main  entrance  is 
through  a  door  in  the  tower.  There  is  also  another  en- 
trance at  the  opposite  side  of  the  front.  These  doors  open 
into  a  vestibule,  from  which  several  doors  open  into  the 
audience-room.  Over  the  vestibule  is  a  room  for  holding 
prayer-meetings.  At  the  farther  end  of  the  audience- 
room,  on  a  raised  platform,  is  a  handsome  black  walnut 
pulpit  and  reading-desk.     The  platform  is  surrounded  by 


396 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


an  altar  railing  of  black  walnut.  A  panel  to  the  right  of 
the  pulpit  has  the  Lord's  prayer  in  gilt  letters,  and  also 
under  it  the  sentence,  "A  new  comuiaBdment  I  give  unto 
you,  That  ye  love  one  another."  On  this  panel,  over  the 
Lord's  prayer,  is  an  open  Bible  with  a  white  dove  descend- 
i  ng  upon  it.  On  a  panel  to  the  left  is  a  cross  and  crown ; 
underneath  is  the  apostles'  creed,  also  in  gilt  letters.  Over 
the  recess  back  of  the  pulpit,  in  colored  letters,  is  a  verse 
from  St.  John  xiv.  1.  The  windows  are  of  stained  ghiss. 
Tlie  frescoing,  which  is  very  beautiful,  was  done  by  Mr. 
Voelneke,  a  New  York  city  artist. 

The  bell,  weighing  one  thousand  pounds,  was  presented 
by  Lemuel  Carl,  of  Argyle.  The  commuTiion-service,  five 
pieces  of  silver  plate,  was  presented  by  Messrs.  John  & 
Ensign.  The  Bible  and  hymn-book  were  presetited  by  Mr. 
Arthur  Mooney,  of  Cambridge.  Deacon  William  Reid,  of 
the  United  Presbyterian  church,  gave  the  fence  in  front. 
The  present  trustees  are  Samuel  Irwin,  Peter  B.  Larkin, 
William  S.  Hanna,  John  Edgerton,  and  William  F.  Mcln- 
tyre. 

The  cost  of  the  new  edifice  was  seven  thousand  three 
hundred  dollars. 

METHODIST    EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,  EAST    HEBRON. 

This  society  was  organized  Aug.  2,  1847.  The  first 
trustees  were  David  Hopkins,  John  McNaughton,  Lucius 
Tappan,  John  J.  Woodard,  and  Archibald  Glazier.  The 
following  arc  the  ministers  who  have  had  the  pastoral  care 
of  this  church  :  Rev.  B.  0.  Meeker,  Rev.  E  T.  Remington, 
Rev.  Rufus  Pratt,  and  Rev.  Milton  H.  Steward. 

BAPTIST  CHURCH,  NORTH  HEBRON. 

In  the  summer  of  1816  meetings  were  held  in  this  vi- 
cinity by  Rev.  Amasa  Brown,  of  Hartford.  These  gather- 
ings were  held  sometimes  in  a  barn,  frequently  in  dwelling- 
houses,  and  often  in  a  school-house. 

December  31,  1817,  at  the  request  of  those  interested, 
a  council  convened,  composed  of  delegates  from  the  Bap- 
tist church  at  Hartford,  Bottskiil,  Poultuey,  and  Rupert 
churches.  Rev.  A.  Brown  served  as  moderator,  and  Bro- 
ther Jonathan  Sprague  as  clerk.  The  council  approving, 
the  following  day,  Jan.  1,  1818,  the  church  was  constituted  ; 
Rev.  L.  J.  Reynolds,  in  behalf  of  the  church,  receiving  the 
hand  of  fellowship  from  the  council  through  Rev.  A.  Brown. 
Elder  E.  Barber  preached  from  Eph.  ii.  20. 

Among  the  original  members,  the  names  are  recalled  of 
Joseph  Tanner,  Sr.,  Joshua  Tanner,  Holmes  Smith,  Ben- 
jamin Fuller,  Remington  Kenyon,  Aaron  Smith,  Christo- 
pher Smith,  Caleb  Green,  and  Charles  Cooper,  who  also 
served  as  the  first  deacons. 

Colonel  Israel  Eli,  Polly  Northrop,  and  Anna  Northrop, 
were  the  first  persons  baptized. 

The  present  church  edifice  was  built  in  the  summer  of 
1826.  In  size  it  was  eighty  by  fifty  feet.  It  was  dedi- 
cated the  same  year.  Rev.  E.  Barber  is  supposed  to  have 
preached  the  dedication  sermon.  In  1850  it  was  repaired 
at  an  expense  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and  rededicated, 
the  sermon  being  preached  by  Rev.  J.  0.  Mason,  D.D. 

In  1872-73  it  was  remodeled,  enlarged,  and  beautified, 
at  an  expense  of  nearly  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 


The  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  C.  A.  Johnson, 
of  Whitehall. 

The  ministers  who  have  served  the  church  as  pastors  are 
Werden  P.  Reynolds  (the  first  pa.stor),  Amasa  Brown, 
Archibald  Wait,  Levi  Walker,  Amos  Stearns,  David  Sweet, 
J.  J.  Trumbull,  Alfred  Harvey,  Amos  R.  Wells,  E.  W. 
Allen,  O.  H.  Capron,  H.  Barringtou,  E.  W.  Brownell,  Ja- 
cob Gray,  Calvin  Fisher,  J.  H.  Barker,  E.  D.  Wilcox, 
Warren  Mason,  R.  A.  Hodge,  Leander  Hall,  A.  E.  Clark, 
and  J.  L.  A.  Fish. 

The  following  are  the  present  oflicers :  Pastor,  Rev.  J. 
L.  A.  Fish  ;  deacons,  John  Welch  and  Jacob  Braymer ; 
membership,  one  hundred  and  thirty  ;  congregation,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  ;  Sabbath-school,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  ;  church  clerk,  L.  R.  Temple. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH,  BELCHER. 

About  the  year  1836  it  was  thought  best  to  build  a, 
house  of  worship  at  or  near  Belcher.  A  meeting  was 
called  at  the  school-house,  which  was  adjourned  to  the 
carpenter-shop  belonging  to  Jesse  Day,  where  a  board  of 
trustees  was  elected  and  the  necessar}'  steps  taken  to  pro- 
cure funds  to  build.  At  this  time  there  was  no  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  in  Hartford  or  Argyle,  which  places 
united  with  Belcher,  and  the  church  was  built,  at  a  cost  of 
sixteen  hundred  dollars,  which  was  a  fine  edifice  in  those 
days.  This  soon  grew  to  be  a  strong  charge,  and  Hartford 
and  Argyle  became  each  separate  charges.  Again  the 
Belcher  charge  grew  sti'ong,  and  another  church  was  built 
at  West  Hebron.  In  the  year  1875  it  was  thought  best 
to  move  the  old  church  edifice  from  its  old  site  to  the  vil- 
lage and  repair  it,  which  was  done  at  a  cost  of  three  thou- 
sand three  hundred  dollars. 

The  following  ministers  have  served  as  pastors  on  this 
charge:  Revs.  Mr.  Breyton,  P.  P.  Atwell,  Mr.  Dodson, 
W.  A.  Miller,  E.  Stover,  J.  L.  Cook,  S.  Smith,  A.  Hall, 
A.  Osborn,  J.  Fassett,  Mr.  Stewart,  Mr.  Sayrcs,  J.  G-. 
Perkins,  J.  M.  Webster,  J.  C.  Walker,  C  H.  Edgerton,  A. 
Ford,  J.  M.  Webster,  J.  B.  Searles,  C.  Meeker,  A.  Lyon, 
Reynolds,  G.  G.  Sutton,  M.  M.  Curry,  R.  Campbell. 

THE    SECOND    ASSOCIATE    CHURCH    OP   WEST    HEBRON. 

This  body  was  establi-shed  in  1841,  Rev.  Samuel  McQuack 
the  first  minister.  Elders  were  Abraham  Johnson,  Samuel 
Leyster,  and  Samuel  Guthrie.  Its  services  are  now  dis- 
continued, and  its  house  of  worship  is  occupied  by  the 
Reformed  Presbyterian  congregation. 

REFORMED    PRESBYTERIAN    CONGREGATION    OP 
WEST    HEBRON. 

This  is  the  continuation  of  a  society  foimed  under  the 
same  name  in  the  town  of  Hartford  in  the  early  part  of 
this  century,  though  no  records  are  now  in  existence  dating 
farther  back  than  1825.  The  congregation  was  reorganized 
Aug.  29,  1866,  at  West  Hebron.  Eight  persons  yet  re- 
main of  the  fifteen  forming  the  new  society.  The  present 
membership  is  thirty-eight.  The  church  edifice  is  a  sub- 
stantial brick  structure,  erected  and  formerly  occupied  by 
the  Associate  Presbyterian  congregation. 

Rev.  J.  A.  Speer  was  installed  pastor  July  28, 1875.     A 


i.BY    N.U.  WELLS, C*M 


^RS. Nathan  R.^ills. 


'I^^^^Ln.     £     P/M, 


Residence  or  NATHAN    R  HILLS   Hebron  WAjH/voroN Co  NY 


HISTOKY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


397 


Sabbath-school  was  organized  in  October  of  that  year,  with 
Henry  A.  Mahaffy  superintendent,  which  office  he  has 
held  to  the  present  time.  Tiie  present  officers  are  Ecv.  J. 
A.  Speer,  pastor  and  moderator  of  session  ;  J.  T.  Maliafly, 
clerk  of  session  ;  elders,  George  Keys,  John  Keys,  and 
John  McQueen  ;  deacons  or  trustees,  Alexander  Mahaffy, 
J.  C.  Iveid,  and  Hugh  G.  Dcniiisou.  The  members  in  this 
charge,  tliough  not  in  more  than  comfortable  circumstances, 
and  many  hardly  that,  are  liberal  in  supporting  the  gospel, 
both  at  home  and  in  the  mission-field.  Last  year  they 
contributed  an  average  of  twenty-three  dollars  each  for  re- 
ligious purposes.  Some  are  but  boys  and  girls,  while 
others  depend  upon  day  or  montlily  wages  for  their  money. 
The  congregation  is  in  vigorous  working  order. 

SECOND    ADVENT    CHURCH. 

In  September,  1849,  the  Rev.  R.  V.  Lyon  came  to 
Hebron,  and  held  a  series  of  tent-meetings,  advocating  the 
doctrine  of  the  second  advent,  as  taught  by  the  Rev.  Wm. 
Miller,  and  secured  a  large  number  of  converts.  The 
meetings  were  continued  under  the  preaching  of  Rev. 
David  Bosworth,  of  Hampton  (a  nephew  of  Rev.  Wra. 
Miller),  and  others,  until  the  next  fall,  when  the  Rev. 
David  Ross  was  employed  to  preach.  On  the  1st  day  of 
January,  1851,  the  church  was  duly  organized  under  the 
following  covenant : 

"We,  tbe  undersigned,  agree  to  organize  ourselves  as  tlie  Church  of 
Christ,  and  talte  the  following  rule  of  faith  as  our  guide: 

"  Beaolvedf  That  we,  the  undersigned,  as  believers  in  the  near  and 
personal  appearing  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  do  agree  to 
take  the  Bible  as  our  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  to  be  governed 
thereby.     Making  Christian  character  a  test  of  fellowship. 
"  David  Shaw, 
"N.  W.  Amede-v, 
"  Wm.  B.  Mavnahd, 

"ASAHEL    S.  ShELDOX, 

"  Sylvesteii  Clauk." 

In  the  spring  of  1852  it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  house 
of  worship.  Asahel  Sheldon,  N.  W.  Ameden,  and  S.  M. 
Ingersoll  were  appointed  building  committee.  The  church 
edifice  was  erected  that  summer,  and  dedicated  in  October. 
The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mathew  Batchelder. 
Asahel  S.  Sheldon  w:is  appointed  the  first  deacon,  and  David 
Shaw  the  second.  The  house  erected  was  thirty  by  thirty- 
six  feet,  and  will  seat  two  hundred.  It  cost  nine  hundred 
dollars.  A  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  the  spring  of 
1853,  and  has  been  continued  since.  The  first  trustees 
were  Joseph  Crosier,  Asahel  Sheldon,  S.  M.  Inger.soll. 
The  ministers  have  been  David  Ross,  Mathew  Batchelder, 
Elder  Champlin,  Cornelius  Pike,  Wm.  J.  Blanchard,  and 
George  A.  Streeter,  the  present  minister.  The  present 
officers  of  the  church  are  Elihu  Cox,  deacon ;  Warren 
Howard,  Wm.  0.  Munson,  Wm.  P.  Lincoln,  trustees  ;  Silas 
Root,  clerk.     The  church  now  has  fifty-nine  members. 

BURYING-GROUNDS. 
The  first  grave-yard  set  apart  in  Hebron  was  the  one  a 
little  west  of  the  present  residence  of  S.  M.  Inger.sotl,  on 
the  old  road  (now  discontinued)  leading  from  Salem  to 
Whitehall.  In  accordance  with  the  New  England  ideas  of 
the  first  settlers,  this  place  was  selected  on  a  high  piece  of 


ground  as  the  site  for  a  church  edifice,  which  was  finally 
built  about  one  mile  and  a  half  north.  The  first  person 
who  died  in  Hebron,  of  which  there  is  any  mention  or 
record,  was  Jennette,  wife  of  Thomas  Wilson,  who  died 
December  13,  1773,  and  was  buried  in  this  yard.  This 
yard  has  been  in  use  from  that  time  to  the  present,  and 
many  of  the  first  settlers  are  buried  in  it.  It  has  been 
well  cared  for,  and  is  now  inclosed  with  a  sub.stantial  wall 
four  feet  high.  The  burial-ground  at  North  Hebron  wna 
set  apart  at  an  early  day,  and  many  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
part  of  the  town  are  resting  in  it.  It  is  well  cared  for,  and 
kept  in  good  condition.  There  are  four  public,  and  more 
than  thirty  private,  grave-yards  in  the  town.  Tiie  old 
grave-yard  connected  with  the  cemetery  is  located  on  lot 
No.  13  of  Campbell's  patent.  A  portion  of  this  yard  was 
first  set  apart  for  burial  purposes  as  a  family  ground  by 
Joshua  Rogers,  upon  whose  farm  it  was  situated.  From 
the  best  information  to  be  obtained,  a  man  named  George 
McClurc  was  the  first  person  buried  in  this  yard,  and  the 
coffin  was  made  by  Peter  Stevens,  Esq.  The  first  head- 
stone erected  was  for  a  son  of  Thomas  Rogers,  who  died  in 
1798.  The  next  were  those  of  James  Crossett,  1802,  and 
Jennette  Getty,  180.3.  In  the  year  1799,  Robert  McClellan, 
Thomas  Rogers,  George  McKuight,  and  others,  seeing  the 
necessity  of  a  public  burying-ground,  purchased  half  an 
acre  of  land  of  Joshua  Rogers,  including  the  piece  he  had 
set  apart  for  a  family  ground.  This  ground  was  used  in 
commou  by  the  public,  but  was  principally  used  or  occu- 
pied by  the  members  of  the  Associate  and  Associate  Re- 
formed Presbyterian  societies,  whose  church  edifices  were 
situated  in  the  south  and  west  parts  of  the  town.  In  1822 
it  became  necessary  to  purchase  more  ground,  and  an  addi- 
tional half-acre  was  purchased  from  Mr.  Rogers. 

In  1860,  the  old  grave-yard  became  so  filled  that  it 
was  necessary  to  look  about  for  new  land.  As  the  trustees 
could  not  purchase  the  land  across  the  road  on  any  terms, 
the  owner  refusing  to  sell,  the  matter  was  dropped  for  a, 
time.  In  186G  this  land  came  into  market,  and  was  offered 
for  sale.  It  was  ascertained  that  seven  acres  could  be  bought 
for  one  thousand  dollars.  Two  thousand  two  hundred  dollars 
was  raised  by  subscription,  and  the  land  purchased  Dec.  22, 
18G6.  The  cemetery  association  was  formed  according  to 
law,  and  called  the  Hebron  Cemetery  Association.  The 
following  trustees  were  elected  :  Jas.  J.  Nelson,  James  A. 
McCounell,  Asa  E.  Munson,  Wm.  Beveridge,  Wm.  J.  Mc- 
Clellan, John  M.  Rea,  Sylvester  E.  Spoor,  Jo.shua  J.  Rog- 
ers, and  George  Rea. 

The  cemetery  was  opened  for  burials  Nov.  30, 18G7,  and 
the  first  person  interred  was  IMyron  E.  Bioughton,  a  soldier 
of  the  Thirtieth  Regiment  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry, 
who  was  buried  Jan.  3,  1868.* 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  burial-places  of  old  times 
or  later  years  scattered  over  the  town, — some  of  them  pub- 
lic, some  simply  family  plots  : 

Parrish's,   Darrow's,   Downing   and    Hamilton's,   Ingcr- 

«Wc  arc  indebted  to  Hon.  Sylvester  E.  Spoor  for  the  above  infor- 
mation, and  also  for  the  list  of  old  burial-places  added,  and  the  dates 
of  the  deaths  of  the  distinguished  citizens  of  early  years,  and  of 
Charles  Hutchinson,  who  became  noted  as  a  suflerer  from  the  "  War 
of  the  llanipsbirc  grants." 


398 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YOKK. 


soil's,  Fitzpatrick's,  Mattison's,  Merril's,  Wright's,  Shaw's, 
Porter's,  Munson's,  Hopkins',  H.  Smith's,  Button's,  Bray- 
mer's.  Grimes',  E.  Smith's,  Fuller's,  Duel's,  Burch's,  Carey's, 
Clapp's,  Cole's,  Santo's,  and  a  public  ground  near  Geo.  B. 
Holmes'. 

There  is  a  large  public  cemetery  in  connection  with  the 
Methodist  church  at  Belcher. 

Hon.  Alex.  Webster  died  Sept.  21,  1810,  aged  .seventy- 
seven.     He  is  buried  in  the  Hebron  cemetery. 

Hon.  David  Hopkins  died  Jan.  2G,  1813,  aged  sixty- 
four.  He  is  buried  in  the  Hopkins  family  ground,  on  his 
old  homestead,  near  the  Presbyterian  church  in  East  Hebron. 

Captain  Charles  Hutchin.son,  who  was  driven  from  his 
home  and  his  buildings  burned  by  Colonel  Ethan  Allen  and 
his  company  of  Green  Mountain  boys,  died  March  11,  ISll, 
aged  seventy-five.     He  i.s  buried  in  the  Hebron  cemetery. 

TOWN    SOCIETIES. 

A  Masonic  lodge  was  chartered  May  21,  1813,  under  the 
name  of  Hebmn  Lodye,  No.  216,  F.  and  A.  M.  It  held 
its  meetings  at  Clapp's  tavern,  on  the  turnpike,  north  of 
East  Hebron,  and  was  continued  probably  for  ten  or  twelve 
years. 

Haphins  Lodge,  No.  25G,  /.  0.  0.  F.,  was  chartered 
about  the  year  1848.  Its  meetings  were  held  in  a  room 
over  Allen's  store.  Becoming  nearly  extinct,  it  was  re- 
moved to  We-st  Hebron,  somewhat  revived,  met  over  Capt. 
Hays'  store ;  Listed  for  a  few  years  longer,  and  then  dis- 
solved. 

Hope  Lodge,  No.  295,  /.  0.  G.  T.,  was  organized  at 
West  Hebron,  Sept.  14,  1869.  Charter  members :  Henry 
Mattison,  Alexander  Gourley,  Edward  Crawford,  Edward 
McEacliron,  Levi  D.  Copeland,  Frank  Rogers,  Daniel 
Rogers,  Daniel  Woodard,  George  Hughes,  Robt.  McDow- 
611,  James  E.  McClellan,  A.  W.  Rea,  P.  McEachron,  R. 
Harsha,  H.  Mclntyre,  W.  J.  Williamson,  W.  H.  Whitman. 
Officers:  Henry  Mclntyre,  W.  C.  T. ;  E.  Alzina  Crawford, 
W.  V.  T. ;  Edward  Crawford,  W.  R.  S. ;  Jennie  McEach- 
ron, W.  T.     This  society  ceased  to  work  in  1871. 

Uebion  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co. — This  was  organized 
Sept.  10,  1877. 

Directors:  Wm.  J.  JMcClellan,  E.  L.  Coy,  Sylvester  E. 
Spoor,  Charles  H.  Sheldon,  John  M.  Rca,  Alexander  Pow- 
ell, C.  L.  Getty. 

Wm.  J.  McClellan,  president;  Sylvester  E.  Spoor,  secre- 
tary. The  company  has  issued  seventy-four  policies,  with 
an  aggregate  insurance  of  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
dollars. 

PLACES    OP    HISTORIC    INTEREST. 

The  old  road,  cut  through  by  Major  Skene,  about  1770, 
entered  the  town  north  of  the  present  village  of  North 
Hebron,  passed  south  a  little  west  of  Chamberlain's  mills, 
— taking  almost  a  direct  south  line  to  this  point.  It  crossed 
Black  creek  near  the  present  residence  of  Hon.  Sylvester 
E.  Spoor,  and  is  said  to  have  passed  exactly  over  the  site  of 
his  house.  Rockbottom,  on  the  creek  at  that  point,  made 
a  fivorable  place  for  crossing.  From  this  place  it  passed 
in  a  southwesterly  course  through  the  Munson  neighbor- 
hood, and  entered  the  town  of  Salem. 


AGRIOCLTURAL   AND    INDCSTKIAL   PURSUITS. 

The  soil  of  the  chief  part  of  Hebron  is  what  is  termed 
by  the  farmers  "slaty  gravel."  This  slaty  loam  is  of  a 
light,  porous  nature,  easy  of  cultivation,  and  well  calculated 
to  withstand  extremely  wet  or  dry  weather.  For  some 
crops  it  appears  to  excel  all  other  soils.  It  seems  to  be  a  well- 
founded  opinion  that  potatoes  are  generally  more  sound,  and 
also  more  productive,  when  grown  upon  this  than  upon  any 
other  soil,  and  these  are  the  chief  article  of  production  for 
export.  Flax  is  raised  to  some  extent.  The  chief  grains 
raised  are  corn,  oats,  buckwheat,  and  rye, — mostly  for  home 
consumption. 

Some  attention  has  been  given,  in  past  years,  to  sheep 
husbandry.  Like  many  other  towns  in  this  vicinity,  dairy- 
ing is  steadily  growing  in  importance. 

Several  cheese-factories  have  been  established,  of  which 
a  brief  statement  is  given. 

Hebron  did  not  .share  as  extensively  as  other  towns  in 
the  sheep  husbandry  of  thirty  years  ago.  John  Armitage 
in  those  times  had  a  flock  of  four  hundred.  William  and 
Gordon  McClelland  four  hundred  to  five  hundred.  The 
three  Braymers,  brothers,  and  Daniel  Parish,  also  had  large 
flocks.  There  were  in  Hebron  8894  sheep  in  1825 ; 
13,627  in  1835;  19,161  in  1845.* 

Nortli  IfehroH  Cheese-Factory. — At  the  annual  meeting, 
held  Jan.  1,  1878,  the  following  officers  were  elected  for 
the  ensuing  year:  President,  James  L.  Nelson;  secretary 
and  treasurer,  L.  A.  Cole;  directors,  Franklin  Burch,  John 
Brown,  Chester  L.  Getty ;  salesman,  Henry  Welch  ;  cheese- 
maker,  Dewitt  C.  Hurlbut.  The  amount  of  business  done 
the  past  season  is  as  follows : 

Amount  of  milk  received,  1,501,857  pounds.  Pounds  of 
cheese  made,  150,665.  Amount  received  from  sale  of 
cheese,  $16,288.45.  Amount  received  after  deducting  ex- 
penses for  making  and  boxing,  ^  13,925.26.  Number 
pounds  of  milk  for  pound  of  cheese,  9ii5..  Average  price  per 
pound  as  sold,  lOy^^.  Average  net  price  to  patrons,  9-jl(nr. 
Net  to  patrons,  per  100  pounds  milk,  90i  cents;  cost  for 
marketing,  estimated  |  cent;  cost  for  manufacturing,  per 
100  pounds,  11.72.  It  was  voted  to  pay  SI. 40  per  100 
pounds  for  the  ensuing  year. 

West  Uehron  Cheese- Factory  ConqHiiiy. — The  following 
officers  were  elected  :  President,  James  McClaughrey  ;  vice- 
presidents,  James  Patterson,  J.  R.  Willett ;  secretary  and 
treasurer,  George  Rea;  directors,  J.  McClaughrey,  J.  H. 
Hays,  J.  I.  Randies,  Wm.  Robinson,  A.  L.  Beveridge, 
James  Patterson  ;  auditors,  A.  L.  Beveridge,  J.  H.  Hays; 
salesman,  J.  H.  Hays.  The  whole  amount  of  milk  received 
at  the  factory  the  past  year  was  425,008  pounds.  Number 
pounds  of  cheese  made,  42,797  pounds.  Amount  of  money 
from  sales,  §4493.86. 

Fast  Ilehron  Cheese- Factory. — Built  in  1869  ;  capital 
stock,  $2800.  President,  Holden  F.  Nelson  ;  secretary,  Eli 
G.  Wilson  ;  treasurer,  Chester  Wilson.  Directors,  Jere- 
miah Hatch,  Martin  S.  IngersoU ;  salesman,  John  Q. 
Hatch.  This  factory  had  the  milk  from  about  three  hun- 
dred cows. 

There  are  two  other  cheese-factories,  one  known  as  the 

■5  Fitclr,  Sheep  Husb.andry,  ISiS. 


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HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YOEK. 


399 


Valley  factory,  centrally  located  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  town.  Another,  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town, 
near  West  Pawlet. 

SEED  CULTURE,  ETC. 

One  other  business,  carried  on  by  a  single  individual,  is 
worthy  of  special  notice.  Mr.  E.  L.  Coy  moved  from 
Bernardstown,  Ma.^^s.,  to  Cambridge  in  1849,  and  two  years 
later  into  Hebron,  where  he  bought  and  settled  on  his 
present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  situated  half- 
way between  West  and  North  Hebron.  He  began  raising 
seed,  which  he  still  continues.  He  has  contracts  with  the 
leading  seed-houses  in  New  York,  Boston,  and  other  cities. 
His  specialties  in  seeds  are  beets  in  varieties,  cucumbers, 
squash,  musk-melons,  parsnip  seed,  and  seed-corn  in  varie- 
ties. His  sales  amount  to  about  twenty  thousand  pounds 
of  seeds  and  from  two  to  three  thou.sand  busliels  of  potatoes 
per  year.  Mr.  Coy  originated  on  his  farm  Thorburn's  late 
rose  and  White's  late  rose  potatoes.  He  also  introduced  the 
Paragon  and  Beauty  of  Hebron  potatoes.  In  addition  to 
the  seed  business,  Mr.  Coy  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock- 
raising.  His  specialties  in  this  line  are  Ayrshire  cattle, 
Berkshire  hogs,  and  also  brown  Leghorn  fowls.  Mr.  S.  B. 
Bradley,  on  stock  bought  of  Mr.  Coy,  took  fii-st  prizes  on 
two-  and  three-year  old  Ayrshire  bulls,  at  the  New  York 
State  fair  at  Elmira  in  187G,  and  also  took  prizes  at  the 
Eastern  New  York  State  fair  at  Albany.  Mr.  Wm.  R. 
Sanford,  president  of  the  Vermont  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, won  the  first  prize  at  the  State  fair  held  at  Rutland 
on  the  bull  Duke  of  Hebron  against  five  competitors ;  also 
the  sweepstakes  prize  on  Lady  Jane  3d,  as  the  best  Ayr- 
shire cow,  against  twelve  conapetitors.  They  were  both 
bred  by  Mr.  Coy  and  sold  to  Mr.  Sanford.  The  results 
of  these  agricultural  exhibitions  have  placed  the  herd  of 
Mr.  Coy  in  the  front  rank. 

SOLDIERS   OF    HEBRON. 

No  records  of  the  soldiers  of  Hebron  in  the  Revolution 
have  been  preserved,  and  consequently  few  names  can  be 
given.  The  following  are  known  to  have  been  among  the 
number:  Col.  Alexander  Webster,  Guile  Wilson,  John 
Wilson,  Capt.  John  Getty,  Isaac  Slorehouse,  Robert  Getty, 
John  Munson,  Nathaniel  Munson,  Samuel  Tyrrell,  and 
James  Wilson. 

The  following  pensioners  were  living  in  the  town  of 
Hebron  in  1840.  according  to  the  oflficial  register:  Eunice 
Tyrrell,  aged  seventy-eight;  John  Wilson,  eighty-five; 
James  Rogers,  seven ty-seven ;  and  Ebenezer  Chapman, 
seventy-seven. 

In  the  Revolutionary  papers  from  the  Williams  collection 
found  in  the  history  of  Salera,  are  many  names  that  really 
belong  to  the  town  of  Hebron.  This  is  shown  by  their 
being  also  upon  the  tax  list  of  Hebron,  and  by  their  known 
residence. 

James  Rogers  was  one  of  the  party  that  captured 
Skenesborough,  under  Capt.  Hcrrick,  in  1775.  This  was 
the  time  when,  as  related  in  history,  the  soldiers  found  the 
body  of  Mrs.  Skene,  that  had  been  kept  "  above  ground" 
for  many  years.  Local  tradition  adds  that  the  coffin  was 
lead,  and  that  the  soldiers  buried  the  body  in  another  and 
used  the  old  one  fur  bullets. 


A  son  of  3Ir.  Rogers  is  still  living  in  Hebron,  at  an 
advanced  age. 

With  reference  to  the  War  of  1812,  it  may  be  noted  that 
Col.  Root,  of  Hebron,  was  in  command  of  a  regiment  of 
militia  at  that  time.  The  regiment  was  called  out  at  the 
time  of  the  battle  of  Platt.sburg,  taking  nearly  all  the  men 
of  Hebron  capable  of  bearing  arms. 

In  the  War  of  1812  a  draft  was  made  from  the  Hebron 
and  Salem  companies.  The  names  of  those  drawn  are  not 
now  easily  obtainable.  Among  them  were  Samuel  Living- 
ston, captain,  and  James  Willet,  lieutenant.  There  were 
some  from  Hebron,  in  the  regular  service.  Elihu  Clark 
served  under  General  Wade  Hampton,  who  commanded 
the  northern  army  in  1813.  When  the  army  started  on  a 
three  days'  march  through  the  Chateaugay  woods,  they  were 
on  short  allowance,  and  each  soldier  had  to  carry  whatever 
he  could  get  for  his  rations.  Clark  made  his  breakfast  the 
morning  they  started  on  a  roasted  horse-head,  and  that 
which  was  left  from  breakfast  was  all  that  he  had  for  three 
days.     He  was  an  uncle  of  Hon.  Sylvester  E.  Spoor. 

Samuel  Nelson,  of  Hebron,  was  in  the  battle  of  Platts- 
burg,  1814.  On  the  approach  of  Sir  George  Prevost  to 
Plattsburg,  General  Macomb  retired  across  the  Saranac 
river,  where  he  made  a  stand,  and  on  the  assault  of  his 
works  he  ordered  the  bridge  to  be  taken  up.  In  this  work 
Nelson  assisted,  and  carried  off  the  last  plank.  Before  he 
could  lay  it  down  nine  bullets  struck  it.  Adam  Day,  of 
Hebron,  was  also  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg  with  Nelson. 

In  the  War  of  1812  the  Ilebron-Salem  Regiment  was 
mustered  into  service  by  Major  William  Root,  of  Hebron. 
Colonel  McClary,  of  Salem,  was  in  command. 

The  following  muster-rolls  are  furnished  by  Hon.  S.  E. 
Spoor, — and  also  the  above  general  notes. 

Regiment  Band  belonging  in  Hebron,  1814. — John 
McDonald,  leader,  now  living  in  Salem ;  John  I.  Wilson, 
Josiah  Hopkins,  James  R.  Wilson,  David  Hopkins,  Isaac 
Wilson,  Orrin  Long,  Henry  Hopkins,  Robert  Christie, 
David  Whitman,  Simeon  Webster,  Nicholas  Northup, 
James  McClellan,  Reuben  Ely,  Luther  Cathcart,  John  J. 
Nelson,  Warren  Seaver,  Hugh  Flack,  Stephen  Darrow, 
James  Getty,  and  Simeon  Jenkins. 

East  Hebron  Company,  1814. — Hugh  McCall,  captain; 
James  Guthrie,  lieutenant ;  John  Nelson,  sergeant ;  John 
Willson,  Jr.,  N.  T.  Munson,  Joel  Munson,  Elisha  Munson, 
William  Munson,  Stephen  Smith,  Lamed  Parrish,  John 
Conant,  John  Shephard,  Arch.  Glazier,  Jonathan  Sliaw, 
Joseph  Shaw,  John  Shaw,  James  Herron,  Roland  Shop- 
hard,  Andrew  Braymer,  William  Tyrell,  Ezra  Tyrell,  AVyr- 
ham  Root,  David  Button,  Robert  Vanee,  Abner  Chandler, 
William  Houghton,  James  Porter,  Joseph  Wright,  William 
Button,  Joseph  Butterfield,  Daniel  Butterfield,  Tlmnias 
Munson,  John  Getty,  Joshua  Rogers,  Alex.  Cruikshank, 
David  Cruikshank,  Asahel  Stearns,  Lewis  Gardner,  Daniel 
McClary,  Job  Cleveland,  Timothy  Andrews,  Ziba  Andrews, 
and  David  Shaw. 

North  Hebron  Company,  1814. — Amos  Scott,  captain  ; 
Daniel  Hopkins,  lieutenant;  Abijali  Woodard,  sergeant; 
Abner  Duel,  Samuel  Ely,  Joel  Smith,  Caleb  Smith,  Amos 
Austin,  Ablather  Woodard,  Amos  Burch,  Benjamin  Bnrch, 
Andrew  Randies.  Alex.  Randies,  William  Randies,  Edward 


430 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


Johnston,  James  Johnston,  Daniel  Woodard,  Robert  Will- 
son,  Arch.  Morehouse,  Horace  Morehouse,  Ebenezer  Smith, 
Jr.,  Peleg  Smith,  Geort;e  Smith,  John  Craig,  Robei-t  Craig, 
Joseph  Craig,  Jonas  Foster,  Jo.seph  Foster,  Parley  Foster, 
George  Liddle,  and  Peter  Morehouse. 

West  Hchron  and  Belcher  Company,  1814. — William 
McClcllan,  captain  ;  George  Getty,  lieutenant ;  Nathaniel 
Covel,  Robert  Wakely,  Ruben  Shearer,  Alex.  Beveridge, 
George  Beveridge,  James  Beveridge,  John  Carey,  Piatt  Wil- 
son, David  Thomas,  John  Willson,  Matthew  McWhorten, 
Charles  Allen,  Robert  Qua,  Andrew  Qua,  Alex.  McWhor- 
ten, John  W.  White,  Andn'w  Egglcston,  Samuel  Wilson, 
Joseph  Ward,  George  Harsha,  Andrew  Nelson,  Samuel 
McGibeny,  John  McGibcny,  George  McGibeny,  Samuel 
Barnes,  Isaac  Fraser,  Andrew  Foster,  William  Carlyle,  and 
William  Nelson. 

The  only  action  of  the  people  at  town-meeting  with 
reference  to  the  War  of  1861-65  on  record  is  the  following : 

At  a  special  town-meeting  held  April  2,  1864,  it  was 

licsnhed,  That  the  supervisor  is  hereby  authorized  to  fill  the  quota 
of  the  town  at  a  bounty  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  each,  the 
same  to  be  chargeable  to  the  town. 

Under  this  single  brief  resolution  the  supervisor,  Na- 
thaniel Reynolds,  attended  to  the  interests  of  the  town, 
filled  the  quotas,  and  accounted  for  the  moneys  used.  How 
well  the  people  trusted  him  in  that  critical  period  is  shown 
by  the  fact  of  his  re-election  in  1864,  1865,  1866,  1867. 
He  was  ably  sustained  by  the  strong  committee  appointed 
in  1861,  con.sisting  of  Dr.  Chas.  J.  White,  John  S.  McFar- 
land,  Hon.  S.  E.  Spoor,  John  M.  Rea. 

The  following  roll  of  men  who  went  into  the  service 
from  this  town  is  prepared  from  the  list  written  by  the 
town  clerk  in  1865  for  the  bureau  of  military  statistics, 
Albany.  It  has  been  submitted  for  examination  and  cor- 
rection to  James  McCloy  and  to  Hon.  Sylvester  E.  Spoor, 
citizens  well  acquainted  with  the  people  of  the  town. 

WAR  OF  1861-65. 

Leonard  S.  Aniidon,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  123il  Kegt.,  Co.  H;  wounded  nt  Dallas, 

SIay-29,  1804;  disrli.  May  19, 1805. 
Albert  M.  Adiims,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 12;)il  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  discharged. 
Myron  E.  Brougliton,  enl.  Sept.  25,  ISOI,  :U)th  Kcgt.,  Co.  I ;  Uiseli.  for  disability, 

June  28,  180:l. 
Elliot  Biirch,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1SC2,  IJlid  Kfgt.,  0.>.  E  ;  wounded;   jTsdi.  .Inne  2:>,, 

1805. 
Win.  J.  Benttie,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1802,  12 Id  U.'gl.,  Co.  E;  pro.  sergt.;  disch.  June 

2.'!,  1805. 
Alexander  Beveridge,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  E;  died  at  Alexandria, 

Dec.  18,1802. 
Wni.  J.  Burke,  eid.  Aug.  8, 1S02,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  E  ;  discb.  June  23,  1805. 
Allia  M.  Barker,  enl.  Aug.  0, 1802, 12W  Ri'gt,,  Co.  E;  disili.  June  23, 1805. 
Barney  Burns,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1803, 16tb  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Asa  Burke,  soldier  of  the  Mexican  war;  also  in  the  War  of  1801-05. 
Danford  H.  Bennett,  enl.  Dec.  21,  1803,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I. 
David  Blowers,  enl.  July  21,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  II. 
John  Brown,  enl.  Dec.  24, 1863,  loih  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Wm.  Biady,  enl.  123d  Regt. 
Richard  Burke,  enl.  123d;  served  through  ;  then  enl.  in  regnlar  service;  five 

years  frontier  warfare. 
Seth  C.  Gary,  2d  lieut.;  enl.  July  20,  1802,  123d  Rcgt.,  Co.  E;  pro.  Ist  lieut.; 

adj.;  wounded;  disch.  Juno  23, 1805. 
James  A.  Crosier,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  Feb.  10, 1803. 
Chauncey  P.  Coy,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1802,  123d  Rcgt.,  Co.  E  ;  disch.  June  23, 1865. 
liorenzo  B.  Coy,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B;  disch.  June  23,  1866. 
Wm.  H.  Chamberlain,  enl.  Aug.  2, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  June  10, 1805. 
James  Clement,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1801, 44th  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  wounded  ;  died  of  wounds 

at  Savage  Station. 
Joseph  Carler,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  disch.  Juno  23,  1805. 
Clarence  Cool,  enl.  Dec.  10,  1803,  lOtb  Art.,  Vn.  I. 
John  Conner,  enl.  Aug.  '.1,  1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I. 


Wm.  V.  Crosier,  enl.  Ang.  5, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  March  3, 1863. 
George  Donley,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  killed  in  battle,  July  20, 

180*. 
Edward  W.  Darling,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862,123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  wounded;  disch.  June 

23, 1805. 
James  Frazier,  enl.  at  Troy. 
Wm.  J.  Gilchrist,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1.102,  12)d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  diej  of  pnennionia  at 

Harpei-'s  Ferry,  Jan.  0,  1803. 
Wm.  Graham,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  wounded;  tmns.  to  Vet. 

Res.  Corps;  disch.  June  23,  1805. 
William  J.  Graham,  enl.  Jan.  1,  1804,  10th  Art.,  Co.  11;   died  of  measles    at 

Elmira. 
Thorn  13  Gallagher,  enl.  Doc.  24,  1803, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Daniel  Harrington,  enl.  April  28,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  19,  1863. 
South  Hewitt,  enl.  Aug.  12,^802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  died  at  HariJer's  Ferry, 

Dec.  18,  1802. 
George  B.Hall,  lit  lieut.;  enl.  July  20, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  pro.  capt. ; 

disch.  June  23,  1805. 
Duane  M.  Hall,  eid.  Ang.  8, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E:  discb.  June  23,  1805. 
Stephen  Harrington,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1863,  lOtli  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Jeremiah  Hollirook,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  I23d  Regt ,  Co.  II ;   absent  without 

leave,  but  relumed  May  20,1864. 
Daniel  Harrington,  enl.  1801,  22d  Begt.;  wounded;  served  out  his  time;  dis- 

Janies  Johnson,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  Jane  23, 1865. 
Samuel  Johnson,  enl.  Aug.  8,1862,123d  Begt.,  Ci>.  E;  wounded,  and  died  of 

disease  at  Chattanooga. 
Joseph  L.  King,  enl.  Sept.  1,  1801,  44th  Regt.,  Co.  E;  re-enl.  Dec.  27,  1863, 

44th  Regt.,  Co.  G;  wounded;  disch.  July  15,  1805. 
Aaron  Lovelanil,  enl.  Ang.  7,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  E ;  diseb.  June  23,  1865. 
Joseph  li.  Latimer,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  disi  h.  Juno  23, 1805. 
Wm.  Lackey,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  June  23,  1805. 
Walter  Lackey,  eld.  Aug.  5,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  diseh.  June  23,  1805. 
Marvin  W.  Liddle,  enl.  Ang.  0,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  June  23,  1805. 
James  Luudy,  enl.  Aug.  0,  1802,  I23d  Kegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch  Jnne  23,  1805. 
James  McCluy,  enl.  April  22,  1801,  22.1  Rcgt.,  Co.  D;  pro.  Corp.;  disch. ;  re-enl- 

Dec.  3(1,  180 1,  loth  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  Ang.  28,  1805. 
John  II.  More,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862, 12  Id  Regt.,  Co.  E;  pro.  corp.;  disch.  June  23, 

1SG5. 
George  V.  Morris,  eid.  Aug.  0,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  Jnne  23,  1865. 
Thomas  MabalTy,  enl.  Ann.  7,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  disch.  Jnne  23,  1865. 
Henry  Mclntyre,  enl.  Aug.  «,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  Jnne  23, 1805. 
Martin  Mnrpby,  enl.  Ang.  8,  1802,123d  Regt.,  Co.  K;  disch.  June  23,  1805. 
Robert  C    McEchron,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  E;  pro.  to  Ist  Corp.; 
wounded  ;  discb.  June  23,  1805. 

Ira  MuMson,  erd.  Ang.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  died  of  measles  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  Feb.  10,  1803. 

James  McEchron,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802,  12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  liie.l  at  Ilarpor's  Ferry, 
Dec.  5,  1802. 

John  McKchron,  enl.  Dec.  30, 1803,  loth  Art.,  Co.  H  ;  wounded  May  10,  1804  ; 
discb.  Sept.  15,  1805. 

I).^vid  Mulligan,  enl.  Jan.  4,  1804,  lOlb  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Walter  Mattice,  enl.  Jan.  4,  1801,  10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Michael  McGowan,  enl.  22d  Begt.,  1801 ;  re-enl.  Dec.  30, 1863,  loth  Art ,  Co.  K  ; 
discb.  Aug.  28, 1805. 

John  S.  Mcluide,  eid.  lOth  Vt. ;  died  in  the  service. 

Alonzo  M.uebouse,  onl.  Ang.  22, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  I ;  died  of  disease  at  Har- 
per's Ferry. 

William  B.  Miller,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

I'atiick  Marley,  enl.  Aug.  18, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Edward  Nelson,  enl.  Sept.  11,  1861,  7th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  pro.  corp. ;  disch.  March 
31, 1802;  re-enl.;  disch.  April  20, 1865. 

James  I'ollock,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  a..  E ;  disch.  June  23, 1805. 

John  Patrick,  enl.  Dec.  25,  1804,  l-2.3d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  died  of  measles  at  Savan- 
nah, Jan.  21,1805. 

Edwin  Palmer,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  disch.  for  disability. 

John  Powers,  enl.  Dec.  23,1803,  10th  Art., Co.  I. 

Ambrose  Paase,  eul.  Doc.  23,  1803,  lOtb  Art.,  Co.  I. 

llcrvey  Reynolds,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862,  123d  Rcgt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  June  23,  1865. 

James  M.  Beynol.ls,  enl.  Aug.  1.5,  1802, 12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  June  23, 1865. 

Amos  C.  Rhodes,  enl.  Aug.  '2.5,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  June  23,  1865. 

Andrew  Reynolds,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  June  '23,  1803. 

Lyman  Itaymond,  enl.  Dec. 28,  1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  I;  discb.  Ang.  28,  1805. 

Nathan  Raymond,  enl.  Sept.  1,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  E ;  died  at  Alexandria, 
Feb.  16,  1803. 

Wm.  S.  Richardson,  enl.  Dec.  28, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Thomas  R»id,  onl.  18id,  lOtb  Vermont ;  taken  prisoner  at  Monocacy  ;  disch. 

Albert  R..gcis,  mustered  ill  May  6, 1861,  22d  Regt ,  Co.  D  ;  discb.  June  28,  1803. 

George  Edwd.  Rogers,  corp.  ;  mustered  in  May  C,1801,22d  Regt.,Co.D;  dis- 
charged, and  enl.  in  artdlery,  U.  S.  service;  wounded  at  Gettysburg; 
discharged. 

Abrani  Kowan,  mustered  in  May  6, 1801,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June 28, 1803. 

Joseph  Reid. 

M.  H.  Streeter,  asst.  surgeon;  enl.  Oct.  18, 1802, 101st  Regt. ;  disch.  Jan.  18631 
re-cul.  May  22,  1803,  64th  Regt.  ;  discb.  Aug.  1803. 

Pbilo  Smith,  enl.  Ang.  7,  1862,  l'23d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  died  of  measles,  April  24> 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY.   NEW    YORK. 


401 


Erastus  Scoville,  uiil.  .<ug.  6,  1862,  123d  Regl.,  C...  K:  l..st  a  leg;  disch.  Jan. 

25,  1805. 
Edwin  I.  Stnrbuck,  enl.  Jan.  1, 18M,  ICtli  .\i  t.,  ('«.  I. 
George  Scoville,  enl.  Dec.  2:),  1S6:!,  16tli  .\rt.,  C...  I. 
Samuel  Stanliover,  enl.  Jan.  4,  1804,  loth  Art.,  Cu.  1. 

Charles  Thompson,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  K  ;  liisch.  June  23, 180.-i. 
George  Tasej' 

Edwin  S.  Vance,  enl.  .\ng.  n,  1802, 123d  Kegt.,  fk>.  E ;  disch.  June  2:i,  180.i. 
MortimerH.  Wood,  i-nl.  Aug.  12,1802,  123d  Regt.Co.  E;dl-ich.  March  25,1863. 
Albii  I).  Wood,  enl.  Au),'.  14.  1862,  123d  Rcf:t.,  Co.  E;  disch.  March  19, 1803. 
Myron  Wood,  enl.  Ang.  s,  1802, 123il  liegt.,  Co.  K ;  disch.  June  23,  1865. 
Philip  Washhurn,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  E;  disch.  Jnne  23, 1805. 
Wm.  1.  Whitlock,  enl.  Ang.  8, 1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  K;  disch.  Jnne  23,  180.5. 


.  E ;  wo 


?d  ;  trans,  to  Vet. 


Arthur  WhHlock,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  123d  Begt., 
•     Bcserve  Corps  ;  disch.  June  23, 1805. 

Franklin  Woodard,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  I'o.  K ;  wounded  ;  disch.  June 
23,  1863. 

Samuel  Warren,  enl.  Jan.  4, 1864, 10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Edgar  J.  Webb,  enl.  Dec.  20,  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

James  E.  Wilson,  enl.  June  10, 1861,  loth  Mass.,  Co.  H  ;  was  in  eighteen  liattles  ; 
disch.  at  end  of  three  years,  July  1,  1804;  never  sick  enonph  to  go  to  a 
hospital,  and  never  rode  in  an  ambulance  or  government  wagon ;  was 
with  the  regiment  every  day,  from  its  organization  until  it  went  into 
winter-quarters  at  Brandy  Station,  Dec.  1803,  when  be  went  home  on  a 
ten-days'  furlough  ;  ho  was  taken  prisoner.  May  12, 1864,  at  Spottsylvania 
Court-House,  and  remain  d  in  (he  rebel  lines  about  two  hours,  when  he 
escaped  and  reached  the  Union  lines  in  safety  ;  he  never  was  wounded, 
but  had  a  button  shot  off  hi.«  cap  and  a  bullet  tbrongb  his  coat-sleeve 
and  haversack. 

Charles  E.  Wood,  enl.  Aug.  31,  1802, 123d  liegt,,  C...  It ;  wounded  at  Cbancel- 
lorsville.  May  3,  1862. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


ABRAHAM   JOHNSTON 

was  bm-ii   in  Ireland,  in  the  year  179fi,  and  emigrated   to 
America,  settling  in  Washington  county  in  the  year  1S17. 


AliR.\H.\.M    .lOH.NSTON. 

His  father,  John  Johnston,  was  a  native  of  Scotland  :  .spent 
his  life  as  a  teacher  most  of  the  time  in  Ireland,  where  he 
went  because  ho  could  obtain  more  wages  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. He  is  said  to  have  been  very  proficient  as  an  in- 
structor, giving  his  attention  to  the  instruction  of  young 
men  and  women.  He  died  in  Ireland  in  the  year  1837. 
His  wife  was  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Graham,  and  a  lady 
51 


who  had  been  a  school-girl  under  his  tutorship.  She  died 
in  the  year  1800,  after  being  married  only  five  years. 

-Mr.  Johnston  spent  his  boyhood  days  at  school,  and  after 
he  became  of  proper  age  assisted  his  father  as  a  teacher. 
After  coming  to  this  country,  he  engaged  as  a  farmer  in 
the  town  of  Hebron,  where  he  has  since  lived,  taking  rank 
among  the  industrious,  enterprising,  and  judicious  agricul- 
turists of  his  town. 

In  the  year  1820  he  was  married  to  Miss  Helen,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Pool.  She  died  in  the  year  1856.  For  his 
second  wife,  in  the  year  1858  he  married  Miss  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Guthrie,  of  Hebron. 

Although  brought  up  under  strict  rules  of  Catholicism, 
he  has  been,  since  he  came  to  this  country,  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  held  in  such 
esteem  as  a  worthy  member  of  that  body  that  he  has  held 
the  office  of  elder  in  the  church  for  many  years.  He  is  a 
liberal  supporter  of  both  church  and  school  interests,  and 
has  always  been  interested  in  all  enterprises  tending  to  build 
up  good  society.  His  only  brother,  Daniel,  came  to  this 
country  about  1837,  lived  here  several  years,  and  went  to 
Iowa,  where  he  spent  his  life  as  a  Presbyterian  clergyman. 
He  died  in  1877.  Mr.  Johnston  is  now  (1878)  in  his 
eighty-third  year,  retaining  to  a  remarkable  degree  his  vigor 
of  mind,  although  feeble  in  body. 


EDWARD  L.  COY. 

The  family  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  rep- 
resentative came  from  England  at  the  time  of  the  earliest 
settlement  in  Ma.ssaehusetts. 

Stephen  Coy,  the  great-grandfather  of  E.  L.  Coy,  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war  for  a  term  of  three 
years,  enlisting  at  Windham,  Conn.,  to  which  place  he  re- 
turned at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  where  he  subsequently 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  engaged  in  farming. 

Lemuel  Coy,  the  grandfather  of  E.  L.  Coy,  was  born  at 
Windham,  Mass.  From  thence  he  removed  to  Northfield, 
Mass.,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  and 
.subsequently  died.  He  had  a  number  of  children,  of  whom 
Asaph  Coy,  the  father  of  E.  L.  Coy,  was  one. 

Asaph  Coy  was  born  at  Northfield,  Mass.,  on  July  19, 
1797,  and  is  still  living,  residing  on  the  farm  occupied  by 
E.  L.  Coy,  at  West  Hebron,  N.  Y.  He  married  Eunice 
Kenney,  by  whom  he  had  six  children, — four  boys  and  two 
gills, — namely  :  E.  L.  Coy,  Lorenzo  R.,  livingat  Lincoln,  Ne- 
braska ;  C.  Wesley,  living  at  Lake,  Washington  Co. ;  Erne- 
line,  now  decetised  ;  Julia  A.,  living  at  North  Hebron  ;  and 
Chauncey  P.,  living  at  Greenwich.  Lorenzo  and  Chauncey 
each  served  three  years  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
third  New  York  Regiment  during  the  late  war.  Of  these 
E.  L.  Coy  is  the  oldest  child. 

It  is  fitting  to  remark  here  that  Reuben  Kenney,  the 
great-grandfather  of  E.  L.  Coy,  on  the  maternal  side,  also 
served  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier  for  the  term  of  five  years. 
He  enlisted  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  was  born,  and 
while  absent  from  home,  engaged  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  had  the  misfortune  to  have  his  entire  family  of 
four  children  taken  away.     Tiiree  more   were    afterwards 


402 


HISTOKY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


born.  After  the  close  of  the  war  lie  resided  at  Greenfield, 
Mass.,  where  he  finally  died.  His  brother  lived  to  the  re- 
markable age  of  one  hundred  and  seven  years,  and  on  his 
one  hundred  and  seventh  birthday  reaped  a  half-acre  of 
rye  in  the  forenoon. 

E.  L.  Coy  was  born  at  Bfrnardstown,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.. 
on  the  fourth  day  of  April,  1831,  where  Asaph  Coy  then 
resided,  following  farming  pursuits.  He  passed  his  early 
years  on  his  father's  farm,  meantime  acquiring  such  educa- 
tion as  the  common  schools  of  the  day  aiforded.  and  subse- 
quently filling  the  position  of  teacher  in  those  schools. 

In  the  spring  of  1849,  Mr.  Coy  removed  to  the  town  of 
Jackson,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  pursued  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  In  1851  he  changed  his  residence 
to  the  town  of  Hebron,  where  he  also  engaged  in  farming. 
He  soon  after  purchased  the  farm  at  West  Hebron,  which 
he  now  occupies. 

Mr.  Coy  has  not,  however,  confined  his  farming  opera- 
tions to  within  the  ordinary  limits  of  agricultural  experi- 
ence. Conceiving  that  there  are  new  methods  and  plans 
which  can  be  successfully  carried  out  by  the  farmers  of  the 
country,  aside  from  the  yearly  routine  of  raising  wheat,  rye, 
corn,  oats,  buckwheat,  and  potatoes,  he  has  struck  out  for 
himself,  and  demonstrated  to  a  certainty  that  such  concep- 
tions were  not  the  result  of  the  imagination  alone,  but  were 
practical  and  utilitarian  in  the  highest  degree. 

The  special  departments  to  which  Mr.  Coy  has  turned 
his  attention  are  those  of  raising  garden  seeds,  of  which  he 
supplies  large  quantities  to  the  principal  seed-dealers  of  the 
country,  and  in  breeding  and  raising  the  finest  Ayrshire  cat- 
tle, his  stock  in  point  of  excellence  being  second  to  none  in 
the  State. 

In  the  department  of  seed-raising,  Mr.  Coy  has  achieved 
remarkable  success,  raising  a  large  variety  of  seed.  He  has 
met  with  unexampled  success  in  potato-growing,  having 
originated  no  less  than  two  varieties,  namely,  "  Thorburn's 
Late  Rose"  and  "  Thorburn's  White  Rose,"  and  having 
also  introduced  two  other  varieties,  "  Thorburn's  Early 
Paragon,"  and  the  "  Beauty  of  Hebron."  The  annual 
shipment  of  these  important  varieties  by  Mr.  Coy  is  very 
large,  and  the  revenue  received  in  return  correspondingly 
satisfactory. 

In  the  selection  and  raising  of  the  celebrated  Ayrshire 
stock  of  cattle,  Mr.  Coy  has  also  met  with  marked  success. 
His  stock  has  been  pronounced  by  competent  judges  to  be 
of  the  very  best  in  the  entire  country,  and  this  has  been 
demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  the  stock  which  has  been 
exhibited  by  him  at  the  various  fairs  of  the  county  and 
State,  including  that  which  he  had  disposed  of  to  others, 
have  uniformly  received  the  prize  for  general  excellence, 
against  large  numbers  of  competitors. 

As  a  consequence  of  Mr.  Coy's  original  and  successful 
method  of  running  a  farm,  and  the  intelligence  and  enter- 
prise that  he  has  displayed  in  agricultural  affairs,  he  has 
assumed  a  prominent  position  among  the  agriculturists, 
not  only  of  his  own  locality,  but  of  the  entire  country. 
He  has  been  a  regular  and  valued  contributor  to  the  lead- 
ing agricultural  journals  of  the  country,  and  was  at  one 
time  president  of  the  Washington  Co.  Agricultural  Society, 
achieving  great  success  in  that  position.     Upon  his  retire- 


ment from  office  he  delivered  an  addr&ss  upon  agricultural 
topics  and  interests  that  excited,  by  its  originality  and 
breadth  of  thought,  the  favorable  comments  of  the  entire 
country,  resulting  in  his  receiving  repeated  invitations  to 
•'  take  the  stump,"  as  it  were,  in  agricultural  matters. 

In  his  social  and  family  relations,  Mr.  Coy  has  exhibited 
the  same  earnest  spirit  that  he  has  in  his  business  enter- 
prises. He  is  a  strong  temperance  man,  and  president  of 
the  temperance  society  of  his  town.  In  religious  sentiment 
he  is  a  strong  adherent  of  the  Methodist  church,  in  which 
he  has  held  a  leading  position  for  years,  and  whose  interests 
he  has  largely  advanced  by  his  liberal  contributions.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  West  Hebron  Methodist  church,  a  view 
of  which  appears  in  this  work,  and  led  the  list  of  contri- 
butions to  its  building-fund,  with  a  munificent  sum,  at  the 
time  of  its  erection. 

On  Sept.  21, 1858,  Mr.  Coy  married  Clara  B.,  daughter 
of  John  and  Catharine  Cary,  of  the  town  of  Hebron. 
They  have  had  four  children,  namely :  C.  Herbert,  born 
July  2G,  1859  ;  S.  Willard,  born  May  28, 1863;  Ida  Bell, 
born  Sept.  13,  1865;  and  Mabel,  born  August  28,  1873. 
Of  these  C.  Herbert  and  S.  Willard  are  pursuing  a  course 
of  study  at  the  East  Greenwich  Academy  and  Musical  Col- 
lege, in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  Willard  has  already 
displayed  special  musical  talent,  having  commenced  playing 
the  organ  in  the  West  Hebron  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  Sunda3'-school  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  since  which 
time  he  has  continued  to  fill  that  position.  He  is  now  en- 
joying the  advantages  of  careful  musical  tuition  under  an 
eminent  instructor. 

Mr.  Coy  is  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  actively  en- 
gaged in  his  calling.  He  is  untiring  in  his  search  after  the 
best  things  in  his  line,  and  successful  in  demonstrating  the 
true  nobility  of  those  who  labor  in  the  humbler  fields  of 
husbandry  He  has  proved  himself  an  inventor  in  his 
chosen  occupation,  but  does  not  reserve  to  himself  any  pat- 
ent for  having  discovered  that  there  are  yet  untried  methods 
of  farming  that  prove  of  infinite  pecuniary  advantage  to 
the  farmer,  while  at  the  same  time  they  satisfy  the  demands 
of  an  ever-increasing  market.  He  is  a  self-made  man  in 
the  truest  sense  of  the  word.  He  started  forth  in  the  world 
without  a  dollar,  and  has,  with  his  strong  hands,  ingenious 
brain,  and  untiring  energy,  achieved  a  handsome  compe- 
tency and  taken  a  prominent  position  in  society. 

A  view  of  his  attractive  and  tasteful  residence,  showing 
in  the  foreground  some  of  his  superior  stock,  may  be  seen 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 


DANIEL   BRAYMER. 

The  Braymer  family  came  originally  from  Germany. 
David  Braymer,  grandfather  of  Daniel  Braymer,  came  to 
this  country  during  the  French  and  Indian  war,  being  then 
about  twenty  years  of  age.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  that 
war.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  established  his  resi- 
dence in  New  York  city,  where  he  remained  until  the 
Revolutionary  war,  when  he  went  to  Nova  Scotia,  and 
engaged  in  the  business  of  tanning,  currying,  and  .shoe- 
making.     He  was  also  a  German  physician,  and  practiced 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY.  NEW    YOKK. 


403 


that  profession,  more  or  less,  at  different  periods  of  his  life. 
He  remained  in  Nova  Scotia  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  he  returned  to  this  country,  settling  at  Kast  Hebron, 
N.  Y.,  and  en<raged  in  farming:,  tanning,  currying,  and  the 
practice  of  medicine  to  some  extent,  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  Feb.  23,  1814,  when  over  eighty  years  of  age. 
Of  his  fir.st  wife  and  her  descendants  but  little  is  known. 
She  bore  him  two  children, — a  son  George,  and  a  daughter 
Polly,  who  married  a  Mr.  Ariel,  a  resident  of  New  York- 
city,  and  a  political  refugee  from  France.     George  engaged 


DANIEL    BRAYMER. 

in  the  wholesale  shoe  business  in  New  York  city.  He 
had  a  son  George,  who  engaged  in  printing  in  New  York. 
Hyacinthe  Ariel,  son  of  Polly  Ariel,  kept  a  military  acad- 
emy on  the  highlands  of  the  Hudson,  where  he  taught  the 
languages  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  branches  of  learning. 

David  Braymer's  second  wife  was  a  resident  of  New 
York  city.  By  her  he  had  six  children,  namely,  Jacob, 
William,  Andrew,  David,  Phoebe,  and  a  daughter  who 
married  a  Mr.  Parrish  and  went  west,  first  settling  at 
Syracuse  and  afterwards  in  Illinois. 

Jacob,  father  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  New  York  city  on 
Feb.  8,  1779.  During  his  early  years  he  attended  school 
at  New  York.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  went  to 
the  town  of  Hebron,  where  he  engaged  in  tanning,  shoe- 
making,  and  farming.  Soon  after  the  War  of  1812  he 
abandoned  tanning,  and  followed  farming  and  .shoemaking 
at  Hebron  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  married 
Anna  Blakesley,  daughter  of  David  and  Sarah  Blakcsley, 
of  Granville,  on  Jan.  7,  1802,  by  whom  he  had  four  chil- 
dren,— Sarah,  born  Dec.  25,  1802  ;  Daniel,  born  Oct.  2(5, 
1806;  Henry,  born  Jan.  11,  1809  ;  and  Frederick  A.,  born 
April  11,  1814.  Of  these  children  Sarah  married  Stephen 
McFadden,  and  resides  at  Pawlet,  Vermont.  Henry  farmed 
at  Hebron,  on  the  farm  adjoining  that  of  Daniel,  and  died 
Aug.  9,  1874,  aged  sixty -five.  He  married  Flliza  Mont- 
gomery, of  Watervliet,  N.  Y.,  and  left  two  children,  James 


and  Anne.  Frederick  A.  resides  in  Chicago,  and  has  three 
children  living,  namely,  Cordelia.  Frederick  A.,  Jr.,  and 
Albert. 

Daniel  Braymer  was  born  at  Hebron,  on  the  date  above 
mentioned.  He  passed  his  early  life  on  his  father's  farm, 
the  one  now  occupied  by  himself,  and  during  the  same 
time  received  such  education  as  the  district  schools  of  the 
day  afforded.  He  has  continued  to  follow  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer  at  the  same  place  up  to  this  date.  On  Jan.  2, 
1834,  he  married  Lucinda  Woodard,  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Anne  Woodard,  of  Hebron,  and  has  had  six  children, 
namely,  Jeanette,  born  Sept.  17,  1834;  Jacob,  born  Feb. 
6,  1835  ;  Alfred,  born  Feb.  25,  1836  ;  Daniel,  born  March 
17,  1843;  Rosalinda,  born  June  3,  1845;  and  George, 
born  March  13,  1860.  Of  these  all  are  living  save  Jean- 
ette, who  died  Dec.  19.  1857,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years. 

Jacob  married  Charlotte  Dibble,  daughter  of  Solomon 
and  Mary  Dibble,  of  Granville,  and  has  had  three  children, 
— Jeanette,  Mary  L.,  and  Eli.  He  is  engaged  in  farming, 
at  Hebi'on,  near  his  father's  farm,  and  is  a  man  of  probity 
and  enterprise. 

Alfred  married  Antoinette  Nelson,  daughter  of  B.  H. 
and  Fanny  Nelson,  of  Hebron.  He  has  five  children, — 
Nora,  Albert,  Charlie,  Harley,  and  Daniel,  and  is  als<) 
engaged  in  farming,  near  his  father's  farm. 

Daniel,  Jr.,  married  Nancy,  daughter  of  John  and  Ann 
Woodard,  of  Salem,  and  has  had  three  children, — Georgl^ 
Stella,  and  Frank.  He  is  engaged  in  farming,  in  Caldwell 
Co.,  Mo. 

Rosalinda  married  Richard  Durham,  of  Hebron,  on 
March  12,  1868,  who  is  at  present  managing  the  farm  of 
her  father,  and  residing  at  his  home  with  her. 

George  is  a  bright,  active  young  man,  and  resides  with 
his  father,  assisting  in  the  general  work  of  the  farm. 


WHEDON   SMITH. 

This  gentleman  was  born  at  North  Hebron,  nearly  oppo- 
site his  late  residence,  on  January  13,  1809.  He  was  a 
grandson  of  Aaron  Smith,  who  engaged  in  farming  at 
Hebron,  and  died  about  1833,  at  an  advanced  age.  Nathan, 
his  son,  married  Polly,  daughter  of  David  Whedon,  of 
Hebron,  by  whom  our  subject  was  begotten.  Polly  Smith 
died  in  1856,  and  Nathan  in  1866,  over  seventy  years  of 
age.     He  was  a  farmer  all  of  his  life. 

On  Dec.  29,  1829,  Whedon  Smith  married  Dolly  A. 
Dibble,  daughter  of  Eli  and  Cloe  Dibble,  of  South  Gran- 
ville. Five  children  were  born  to  them,  namely,  Russell, 
born  June  9,  1836;  Milo,  born  Nov.  22,  1837;  Julius, 
born  April  18, 1841 ;  Philo  W.,  born  Nov.  7, 1843  ;  Arthur 
L.,  born  Feb.  22,  1854.  Of  these  children,  Russell  Smith 
married  Lovina  Nelson,  daughter  of  Silas  Nelson,  of  Hebron, 
on  Dec.  1,  1855,  and  is  farming  near  Salem;  Milo  married 
Eliza,  daughter  of  John  Porter,  of  Hebron,  and  is  a  farmer 
at  Gainsville,  Wyoming  Territory  ;  Arthur  L.  Smith  mar- 
ried Ella  C.  Cronin,  daughter  of  J.  A.  Cronin,  of  Hebron, 
on  Feb.  22,  1876,  and  is  at  present  farming  on  the  old 
homestead  at  Hebron  ;  Julius  B.,  died  on  March  1,  1842  ; 


404 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,   NEW    YOllK. 


and  Philo  W.,  on  April  24,  1865,  shortly  after  returning 
from  the  war,  where  he  served  gallantly,  contracting  the 
sickness  of  which  he  died. 

Whedon  Smith  passed  his  life  quietly  as  a  farmer,  re- 
spected by  his  neighbore,  and  earnestly  performing  his  al- 
lotted task  in  life.  He  died  on  Oct.  18,  1874,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years.     His  widow  is  still  living. 


NATHAN  R.  HILLS. 

Nathan  Hills,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  came  from 
Hartford,  Conn.,  about  1793,  and  settled  in  the  town  of 
Hartford,  this  county.  He  there  fjUowed  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer.  He  had  about  nine  children,  of  whom  George 
Hills,  the  father  of  Nathan  R.  Hills,  was  one. 

George  Hills  was  born  in  1789,  at  Hartford,  (_'onu.,  and 
removed  to  Washington  county,  with  his  father,  at  an  early 
age.  He  passed  his  early  life  in  larming,  with  his  father. 
About  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  removed  to  Granville,  this 
county,  and  after  remaining  there  for  a  short  time  he  finally 
located  in  the  town  of  Hebron.  He  married  Polly,  daughter 
of  Stephen  Reynolds,  of  Granville,  by  whom  he  had  ten 
children,  Nathan  R.  being  the  fifth.     He  died  in  1874. 

Nathan  R.  Hills  was  born  at  Hebron,  in  1819.  He  has 
been  a  farmer  all  of  his  life,  part  of  the  time  engaged  with 
his  father.  He  married  Amanda  M.,  daugher  of  John 
Scott,  of  Hebron.     She  died  in  1875. 

He  has  had  four  children,  namely,  Emily,  Lury  Ann, 
Willie  J.,  and  an  infant,  which  died  young.  The  two  girls 
are  still  living  in  Hebron,  Emily  having  married  Joseph 
Durham,  and  Lury  Ann,  John  J.  Allen,  both  of  whom  are 
farmers. 

The  farm  and  residence  occupied  by  Mr.  Hills  present  an 
attractive  and  thrifty  appearance,  and  bear  evidence  to  the 
earnest  and  laborious  life  of  the  owner.  They  may  be  seen 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 


JAMES  CRAIG. 

The  Craig  family  came  originally  from  Ireland.  Robert 
Craig  was  born  at  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  about 
the  year    1781.       He  was   a    son   of  James    Craig,    who 


engaged  in  farming  at  that  place.  Robert  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  until  the  age  of  fourteen  yeare,  when  he  was 
afflicted  by  the  death  of  his  father.  He  then  removed  to 
Hebron  and  took  up  his  residence  with  his  brother  Joseph 
at  that  town  until  he  attained  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
years.  He  then  commenced  farming  operations  on  his  own 
account  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  James,  his  son.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Eagleston,  daughter  of  Andrew  Eagles- 
ton,  of  West  Hebron,  and  had  three  children, — two  daugh- 
ters and  one  son, — of  whoui  James  is  the  sole  survivor.  The 
two  daughters  were,  respectively,  Margaret  Maria,  born 
May  12,  1820,  died  Aug.  28,  1853,  and  Elizabeth,  born 
about  1825,  died  Dec.  30,  1839.  Maria  married  John 
White,  of  Hebron,  and  left  three  children.  Elizabeth 
Craig  died  on  March  22,  lS(i9,  and  Robert  Craig  on  Dec. 
11,  1857. 

James  Craig  was  born  at  Hebron,  on  the  farm  where  lie 
now  resides,  on  the  20th  day  of  April,  1823.  He  was 
raised  as  a  farmer,  and  has  passed  his  entire  life  engaged 
in  that  pursuit  on  the  farm  upon  which  he  was  born.  In 
the  year  1850  he  married  Elizabeth  White,  daughter  of 
William  and  Sarah  White,  of  We.st  Hebron.  Two  chil- 
dren were  the  fruits  of  this  union, — Robert  Henry,  born 
Aug,  28,  1851,  and  James  A,,  born  March  19, 1855,  His 
first  wife  died  about  April  5,  1855. 

Mr.  Craig  married  for  his  second  wife  Mary  Jane, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Parish,  of  the  town  of  Jack- 
son. The  event  occurred  on  Sept.  9,  1856.  By  this  wift 
he  had  also  two  children,  namely,  John  P.,  born  Sept.  9, 
1861,  and  Frank,  born  Sept.  27,  1865,  died  Feb.  5,  1874. 
The  three  surviving  sons  of  Mr.  Craig  reside  with  their 
father,  and  are  unmarried. 

Mr.  Craig  has  lived  a  quiet  life,  free  from  display,  yet 
earnest  and  successful  withal.  He  has  never  taken  any 
active  part  in  politics.  In  religious  matters  he  is  sincere 
and  active,  and  is  a  regular  attendant  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian church  of  Hebron,  of  which  he  is  a  member.  He 
owns  and  successfully  tills  an  excellent  farm  at  North 
Hebron,  and  his  surroundings  are  tasteful  and  attractive. 
A  view  of  his  residence  may  be  seen  on  another  page  of 
this  work. 


Res  OF  J    H  CLEVELAND  .Jack-son  Wa  h  wg  on  i.o  N  V 


JACKSON. 


SITUATION    AND    NATURAL    FEATURES. 

The  peculiar  shape  of  this  town  renders  it  difficult  of 
description.  Attached  for  many  years  to  Cambridge,  it 
was  taken  off  more  for  the  sake  of  divi.sion  than  because 
there  was  any  centre  of  importance  growing  up  in  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Jackson,  or  any  symmetrical  tract  that  could 
be  assigned  to  the  new  town.  Cambridge  was  to  be  divided, 
evidently,  no  matter  how  ;  and  divided  it  wa.s,  Jackson 
being  one  of  the  curious  results  of  the  process.  Its  inhab- 
itants almost  all  travel  beyond  its  boundaries,  both  for  busi- 
ness purposes  and  to  attend  church. 

The  town  is  situated  in  the  southern  portion  of  the 
county,  distant  but  a  few  miles  from  the  village  of  Salem, 
where  is  located  one  of  the  court-houses  of  the  county.  Its 
boundaries  may  be  approximately  stated  as  north  by  Green- 
wich and  Salem,  east  by  ^^ermont,  south  and  west  by  White 
Creek,  Cambridge,  and  Easton.  It  contains  twenty-two 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  .sixty-one  acres,  or  nearly 
thirty-six  square  miles. 

The  Batten  Kill,  with  its  tortuous  channel,  forms  half 
or  more  of  all  the  boundary-line.  This  stream,  having  the 
beautiful  Indian  name  Ondawa,  might  well  have  been  per- 
mitted to  bestow  that  designation  upon  this  segment  of  old 
Cambridge.  The  bluff,  decisive  hero  whose  name  the  town 
bears  always  went  straight  to  his  object,  and  would  have 
been  intensely  disgusted  with  any  such  crooked  lines  as 
bounded  the  most  of  JaoLson. 

Mrs.  Sigourney,  in  one  of  her  sweetest  poems,  said  of  the 
Indians, — 

'*  Their  names  are  on  your  waters, 
Ye  may  not  wash  them  out." 

But  the  prosaic  Batten  Kill  has  done  it  in  this  instance. 
It  is  reserved  for  a  hotel  at  Salem  to  make  one  desperate 
effort  to  break  the  line  of  destiny  and  preserve  the  name  by 
placing  upon  its  fi'ont  "  The  Ondawa  House."  Held  in 
the  grasp  of  the  stream,  Jackson  should  have  been  Ondawa. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  very  largely  drained  by  the 
Batten  Kill,  eight  rivulets  emptying  into  that  stream.  The. 
largest  of  these  is  the  outlet  of  Big  pond,  situated  very 
nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  tract  embraced  within  the  great 
northern  bend  of  the  kill.  Just  south  of  Big  pond  there 
are  three  other  ponds  in  a  chain, — Dead  pond,  McLean 
pond,  and  Long  pond.  All  these  are  upon  the  slight  water- 
shed of  the  town,  as  the  last  three  are  drained  southward 
by  the  largest  creek  in  the  town.  This,  flowing  into  the 
present  town  of  White  Creek,  is  called  the  Owl  Kill,  and 
joins  the  Hoosick  on  the  southern  boundary  of  the  county. 

The  north  branch  of  the  Taghanic  range  occupies  the 
east  portion  of  the  town,  and  several  parallel  ranges  extend 
through  the  central  and  west  portions,  rendering  the  entire 
surface  very  hilly.     The  summits  of  the   hills  are   three 


hundred  to  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  valleys,  and  are 
generally  crowned  with  forests.  The  declivities  are  otlen 
steep  and  rooky. 


The  largest  portion  of  the  town  is  upon  the  Cambridge 
patent.  This  consisted  in  all  of  thirty-one  thousand  five 
hundred  acres,  granted  July  21,  1761,  to  Colden  Banyar 
Smith  and  others.  This  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  right 
line,  leaving  a  long,  narrow  tract  between  the  Cambridge 
patent  and  that  section  of  the  Batten  Kill  that  flows  nearly 
north.  This  tract,  together  with  lauds  farther  south,  con- 
stitutes the  Scherinerhorn  patent,  granted  May  11,  1762, 
and  containing  ten  thousand  acres.  The  patentees  were 
Ryer  Schermerhorn  and  others. 

This  is  better  known  as  the  Anaquassacook,  although  in 
the  table  of  patents  prepared  for  Hough's  Gazetteer,  there 
are  two  patents  given  under  the.se  names, — Schermerhorn 
and  Anaquassacook, — and  both  assigned  to  Washington 
county,  both  for  ten  thousand  acres,  and  both  dated  May 
11,  1762.     They  are  undoubtedly  the  same. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT. 

This  town  was  settled  about  the  same  time  as  the  other 
portions  of  old  Cambridge, — from  1761  to  1765, — and 
the  names  of  the  pioneers  will  appear  very  largely  among 
the  earlier  records  of  that  town,  from  which  copious  ex- 
tracts are  given  in  this  volume. 

As  in  other  sections  of  this  county,  there  was  an  inter- 
mingling of  families  from  New  England  with  emigrants 
from  Scotland  and  the  north  of  Ireland.  The  energy  with 
which  they  subdued  the  forests  and  established  schools  and 
churches,  even  in  the  early  times  of  revolution  and  civil 
chaos,  proves  that  they  were  men  of  enterprise,  intelligence, 
and  Christian  principle.  The  town,  at  the  present  time,  is 
largely  indebted  to  the  courage,  the  integrity,  and  the  faith 
of  the  fathers  for  its  modern  prosperity  and  the  moral  and 
religious  character  of  its  people.  We  add  notices  of  a  few 
of  the  pioneer  families. 

Robert  Law,  a  brother  of  John  Law,  of  Salem,  came  to 
America  somewhat  later,  and  settled  in  Jackson  on  the 
place  known  in  later  years  as  the  G.  R.  Law  farm. 

He  had  two  sons, — John  R.,  who  settled  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  David  Simpson,  and  soon  afler  on  the 
Richardson  fiirm  next  north,  and  Robert  R.,  who  settled 
in  the  same  neighborhood.  He  had  five  daughters, — 3Iary, 
Margaret,  Elizabeth,  Ruth,  and  Isabella. 

John  R.  was  a  prominent  citizen  in  all  the  public  ati'airs 
of  the  town.  He  was  a  successful  farmer,  making  large 
quantities  of  butter,  so  widely  celebrated  that  he  became 
known  as  "  Btitter  John.  ' 

405 


406 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


One  of  his  sons  was  the  distinguished  citizen  George 
Law,  of  New  York,  a  skillful  engineer,  builder  of  the  high 
bridge,  proprietor  of  steamboat  lines,  owner  of  railroads, 
and  at  one  time  prominently  mentioned  as  a  candidate  for 
the  presidency  of  the  United  States.  A  daughter  of  John 
E.,  Mrs.  Marshall,  now  resides  upon  her  father's  home- 
stead. Joseph,  a  lawyer  of  brilliant  talents,  died  in  early 
life. 

Andrew  Thompson,  with  his  wife  and  three  children, 
came  from  Coleraine,  Mass.,  about  the  year  1774,  and  set- 
tled about  four  miles  above  Cambridge,  on  the  Arlington 
road,  purchasing  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  on  lot  No. 
17  of  the  Anaquassacook  patent.  The  children  were  Hugh, 
Samuel,  Sarah,  Andrew,  Thomas,  Nancy.  The  first  three 
were  born  in  Massachusetts ;  the  last  three  in  Jackson. 
Samuel  married  Mary  Howe ;  Sarah  married  William  G. 
Woodworth,  and  removed  to  Montgomery  county  ;  Andrew 
married  Hannah  Stevens;  Thomas  removed  to  Chautauqua 
county;  Nancy  married  Tyrus  Prouty,  of  Salem  ;  Hugh, 
Samuel,  and  Andrew  settled  on  the  home.stead.  Samuel 
had  a  son,  Horatio  T.,  who  went  to  Virginia,  now  a  Pre.s- 
byterian  minister  at  Timber  Ridge,  Rock  Bridge  county. 
James  Thompson,  a  son  of  Andrew,  is  the  present  cashier 
of  the  Cambridge  Valley  National  Bank,  and  has  lived  in 
Cambridge  since  1855. 

Ebenezer  Billings  came  from  New  England  to  Jackson, 
about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  settled  on  lot  19  of 
the  Anaquassacook  patent.  He  left  three  children,  Moses, . 
Ebenezer,  and  Elihu,  who  lived  and  died  on  the  homestead. 
William  Henry,  a  great-grandson  of  the  pioneer,  resides  on 
the  old  homestead. 

Obadiah  Culver  came  from  Hebron,  Conn.,  about  1780, 
and  settled  in.  the  west  part  of  Jackson.  A  son,  Obadiah, 
settled  on  the  turnpike,  about  a  mile  above  Cambridge. 
Solomon,  a  son  of  the  second  Obadiah,  is  still  living  in 
Cambridge,  at  an  advanced  age. 

Isaac  Waters,  in  the  same  neighborhood,  was  also  from 
Hebron,  Conn.  A  daughter  became  the  wife  of  Obadiah 
Culver  (2d). 

The  Crocker  brothers,  Seth,  Eleazer,  Nathaniel,  and 
John,  came  from  Windham,  Conn.,  just  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  Together  with  Esquire  Holmes  and  James 
Richardson,  who  came  from  the  same  place,  they  bought 
lot  16  of  the  Anaquassacook  patent,  consisting  of  about  five 
hundred  acres.  Eleazer  purchased  the  tract  in  New  York, 
at  twenty  shillings  an  acre,  refusing  on  the  spot  an  ofier  of 
five  hundred  dollars  for  his  bargain.  Seth  lived  and  died 
in  the  present  Marshall  house,  and  his  children  settled  in 
Leroy,  western  N.  Y.  Eleazer  built  a  log  house  on  the 
east  side  of  the  road,  opposite  the  Marshall  house ;  after- 
wards moved  into  what  is  now  White  Creek.  Nathaniel 
removed  to  Salem  ;  lived  and  died  in  the  Camden  valley. 
Of  the  children  of  Eleazer,  Judith  became  Mrs.  McNitt; 
Eleazer,  Jr.,  moved  to  Michigan  ;  Benjamin,  another  son, 
was  the  father  of  B.  Porter  Crocker,  the  present  postmaster 
of  Cambridge,  also  of  Colonel  Crocker,  of  the  Ninety-third 
Regiment  of  New  York  State  Volunteers,  War  of  1861-65. 

James  and  John  Telford,  at  an  early  day,  came  from 
Scotland,  and  settled  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  about  a 
mile  from  East  Greenwich. 


Robert  Telford,  a  son  of  James,  lived  and  died  on  his 
father's  homestead,  and  Mrs.  Arnott,  a  daughter  of  Robert, 
now  resides  there.  One  daughter  of  James  became  Mrs. 
James  Lowrie.  Another  is  unmarried,  and  both  are  now 
living  in  Coila.  A  son  of  John  now  lives  on  his  father's 
homestead. 

Mr.  Coulter  came  from  Ireland.  His  wife  was  a  sister 
of  Thomas  Green.  The  children  were  George  Coulter, 
James,  William,  and  Robert.  All  settled  in  town.  J.  A. 
Coulter  and  John,  descendants,  are  still  living  in  town. 

Mrs.  Eeatheringame,  then  a  widow  with  two  children  by 
her  first  husband  ( Andrew  and  Ann  Beveridge ),  and  one 
daughter,  Jennette  Eeatheringame,  emigrated  to  America  in 
1774.  They  were  eleven  weeks  on  the  passage.  The  open- 
ing of  the  war  prevented  their  landing  at  Boston  as  they 
intended.  Disembarking  at  Marblehead,  they  made  the 
journey  to  Cambridge  on  foot. 

Their  object  in  coming  to  this  place  was  to  be  near  the 
preaching  of  Dr.  Thomas  Clark,  of  Salem,  with  whom  they 
were  acquainted  in  Ireland.  The  son,  Andrew,  bought  a 
farm  near  the  present  village  of  Coila,  known  as  the  Small 
farm.  Tlie  daughter,  Ann,  married  James  Small.  Of  their 
children,  two  sons,  Edward  and  George,  settled  in  Jackson, 
and  two  daugliters  became,  respectively,  Mrs.  Wm.  JIcGeoch 
and  Mrs.  Robert  Law. 

Jennette  Eeatheringame  married  Rev.  Thomas  Beveridge, 
of  an  entirely  different  family.  He  came  from  Paisley, 
Scotland,  in  1784,  as  the  third  A.ssociate  Presbyterian 
clergyman  in  the  United  States.  He  was  sent  as  a  mis- 
sionary, and  became  the  founder  of  the  society  which  is  now 
the  United  Presbyterian  church  of  Coila.  Of  his  children, 
John  died  young;  Jennette  married  Geo.  Lourie;  George 
died  young ;  Thomas  became  a  minister,  died  in  Xenia, 
Ohio  ;  Ann  Maria  married  Isaac  Ashton. 

Mrs.  Beveridge  receiving  a  legacy  in  1795  from  Scot- 
land, they  bought  the  north  half  of  the  farm  now  owned  by 
T.  B.  Lourie.  It  has  remained  in  the  family  ever  since. 
The  mother  of  T.  B.  Lourie,  now  residing  with  him,  and 
eighty-seven  years  of  age,  is  one  of  the  oldest  persons  in 
town,  linking  by  a  single  life  the  present  generation  back  to 
the  mother  and  children  who  came  over  the  ocean  and 
through  the  forests  just  as  the  storm  of  war  was  bursting 
upon  the  colonies. 

Alexander  Lourie  i  father  of  George,  mentioned  above) 
came  to  Esopus,  from  Scotland,  in  very  early  times,  married 
there,  and  removed  to  Jackson,  settling  on  the  south  half 
of  the  present  farm  of  his  grandson,  T.  B.  Lourie. 

Of  his  children,  Alexander  died  young.  James  settled 
in  Coila.  Jennette  became  Mrs.  George  Small,  settling 
near  the  red  bridge,  Jackson.  Margaret,  Mrs.  Robt.  Arm- 
strong, and  removed  to  Ogdensburg.  Mary,  Mrs.  John 
Shiland,  of  Cambridge. 

John  ^Maxwell  and  his  brother  Walter  came  from  Scot- 
land at  an  early  day.  John  settled  in  the  neighborhood 
northwest  of  the  Ponds.  Walter  settled  farther  northwest, 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  son  Alexander.  Another 
son  of  Walter,  George,  lives  a  mile  south. 

John,  a  grandson  of  the  pioneer  John,  resides  on  the  old 
homestead. 

Thomas  Green  and  his  brother  James  came  from  Ireland 


Residence  or  SAMUtL    B.  HEDGES.  Jackson   Washinoton  Co  .NY 


.,f<«»*****^-> 


Thomas  JWeii^. 


James  f^.W£l^^ 


RESiotNct  OF   JAMES  H.WEIR.  Jackson  WASHIN6T0N  Co  N.  Y 


HISTOKY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


407 


about  the  year  1772,  and  located  in  Jackson,  two  miles 
north  of  Coila,  their  farms  lyinsr  partly  in  Cambridge. 
The  sons  of  Thomas  were  William,  Peter,  Thomas,  John, 
Samuel,  and  James.  The  latter  is  still  living,  at  the  age 
of  ninety-two  years,  on  his  father's  homestead. 

Joseph  Archer,  with  his  fiimily,  sailed  from  Belfast, 
Ireland,  1790,  being  from  county  Down.  They  lauded  in 
Wilmington,  Del.,  and  after  two  years  came  to  Jackson, 
and  settled  about  a  mile  northeast  of  Coila,  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  a  grandson,  John  Archer.  Children  of 
Joseph  were  Joseph,  Jr.,  Thomas,  Elizabeth,  Margaret, 
John,  and  two  by  his  second  wife,  Eben  and  William. 

John  Ferguson  and  his  wife  came  from  Scotland  at  an 
early  day,  and  settled  in  the  Maxwell  neighborhood,  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  a  grandson,  James  Ferguson. 

The  children  were  Peter,  George,  and  Duncan.  James 
Ferguson  is  a  son  of  the  latter. 

From  the  address  of  A.  D.  Gillette,  D.D.,  delivered  at 
the  centennial  celebration  in  Cambridge,  Aug.  29,  1873, 
we  extract  the  following  interesting  passages,  applicable  to 
the  early  history  of  Jackson  : 

"  In  1793,  Jonathan  Dunham  and  his  wife  Eunice,  town 
of  Piscataqua,  N.  J.,  with  their  son-in-law,  B.,  and  his  wife, 
Tabitha  Dunham,  and  their  children.  Philander  D.  and 
Cornelius  C,  turned  their  backs  upon  old  Piscataqua,  N.  J., 
and  came  to  New  York  with  their  own  wagon,  putting  most 
of  their  goods  on  board  of  a  sloop,  the  old  gentleman  driving 
the  horse  and  wagon  up  the  Hudson,  the  rest  of  the  family 
being  on  the  sloop,  and  thus  they  came  to  Troy  ;  embarking 
northward,  crossed  Oak  Hill,  arrived  at  Cambridge,  and 
went  on  north  of  this  village.  When  in  front  of  Mr. 
Joseph  Volentine's  house  something  happened  to  the 
wagon,  and  they  paused.  My  mother,  with  her  two  babes, 
she  herself  then  under  seventeen  years  of  age,  went  into 
the  house,  and  Mrs.  Volentine  proffered  all  the  hospitality 
of  the  place,  and  said,  '  Why,  my  child,  where  is  the 
mother  of  these  babes  ?'  My  mother  blushiugly  replied, 
'Here.'  '  Y''ou  the  mother  of  these  babes?'  'Yes, 
madam.'  'Who  is  your  husband?'  'Dr.  Gillette.' 
'Who  are  your  father  and  mother?'  'Jonathan  and 
Eunice  Dunham  ;  but  here  is  the  wagon.'  '  Well,'  said 
Mrs.  v.,  '  they  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  themselves,  and 
go  back  to  New  Jersey,  for  allowing  so  young  a  girl  as  you 
to  got  married  and  become  a  mother.  But  we  will  do  what 
we  can  for  you.  Tarry  here  for  the  night  with  your  babes. ' 
She  did  tarry  ;  and  then  the  family  went  on  to  the  noith- 
ward,  to  the  old  pond,  where  the  old  gentleman  had  pur- 
chased four  hundred  acres  of  land.  They  turned  to  the 
left,  and  climbed  the  hill  to  the  log  house.  A  family  by 
the  name  of  Adkins,  and  another  by  the  name  of  Gillman, 
were  in  the  company.  They  all  huddled  near  the  old  log 
house,  wiiere  I  have  caught  scores  of  woodchucks,  killed 
them,  and  eaten  them.  A  part  of  the  farm  is  in  the  Dun- 
ham family,  occupied  by  Henry  on  the  hill.  My  father 
settled  between  Mrs.  McLean's  and  my  grandfather's,  right 
north  of  the  ponds. 

"  As  my  brother,  the  president,  said,  I  have  roamed  far 
and  wide, — so  I  have ;  not  a  vagabond,  thank  God, — but  I 
have  never  seen  a  more  beautiflil  spot  than  this.  I  am 
talking  about  things  that  are  associated  with  my  boyhcmd. 


Time  went  on,  and  the  most  important  event  that  I  will 
mention  after  that  which  I  have  mentioned  occurred  on 
the  8th  day  of  September,  in  the  year  1807,  when,  by  the 
will  of  God  and  the  pains  of  my  mother,  I  came  into  the 
world,  and  have  lived  from  then  until  now.  My  mind 
runs  north  to  the  Batten  Kill,  to  the  '  red  bridge,'  as  it  was 
called.  The  teamsters  of  those  times  were  going  north  and 
south  as  early  as  I  can  remember,  and  I,  playing  by  the 
roadside  or  going  to  and  from  the  school-house,  which  was 
the  next  building  between  us  and  Judge  John  McLean's, 
was  asked  by  almost  every  teamster,  if  he  were  going  north, 
'  How  far  is  it  to  the  red  bridge?'  '  Four  miles,  sir.'  And 
every  boy  and  girl  made  their  obeisance.  We  boys  pulled 
off  the  old  slouch-hat  with  the  torn  rim,  and  bowed ;  the 
girls  caught  their  skirts  and  made  a  graceful  courtesy ;  and 
if  any  of  us  failed  to  do  that,  parental  reproof  or  school- 
master or  mistress  discipline  made  us  smart  for  it.  The 
traveler  south  would  ask,  '  How  far  is  it  to  the  Chequered 
House,'  and  we  would  reply.  On  the  north  lived  the  Clapps, 
I  think  on  the  other  side  of  Cleveland's,  and  consequently 
in  Salem.  One  of  the  great  sights  that  my  boyhood  eyes 
used  to  see  was  the  large  loads  of  barrels  which  they  sent 
to  Troy,  for  they  were  coopers.  Next  along  came  Mr.  Van- 
derlip,  a  farmer  and  a  tailor,  and  beyond  us.  Every  Sab- 
bath, with  his  old  horse  and  wagon, — not  a  modern  buggy, 
that  could  only  accommodate  two,  but  a  long  wagon  full, — 
he  came  down  here  to  Cambridge  to  worship  God,  with  his 
family  gathered  about  him.  Near  there  a  Mr.  Small  with 
an  old  farm-wagon,  and  in  it  six  or  eight  old  kitchen-chairs, 
one  or  two  across  for  the  '  old  people,'  and  never  less  than 
six  or  eight  persons  in  the  wagon  ;  and  thus  they  came  to 
the  old  yellow  meeting-house.  Should  he  find  a  foot-worn 
pilgrim  on  the  way  to  Sinai,  he  would  take  him  in  if  he 
had  to  hang  half  his  body  over  the  wagon-side  to  and  from 
church.  Next  along  came  the  Shoudlers'  turn,  and  then 
the  school-house,  and  then  Mr.  Dobbin's,  and  at  the  head  of 
that  pond  Jonathan  Conger,  a  cousin  of  my  grandfather, 
and  hence  a  relative,  whose  daughter  married  '  Uncle' 
Thomas  McLean,  as  I  call  him,  because  his  wife  was  my 
mother's  cousin  (and  I  am  related  to  all  the  McLeans  by 
reason  of  that).  Then  we  came  down  to  Mr.  Collins,  who 
kept  the  tavern  a  while ;  and  while  I  have  called  my  father 
a  '  doctor,'  and  such  he  was,  and  practiced  medicine,  he  was 
a  sort  of  'jack  of  all  trades,'  and  among  other  things  drew 
with  his  pen  and  pencil.  Among  my  earliest  recollections 
was  his  painting  a  sign  for  Mr.  Collins,  on  which  was  an 
eagle  with  darts  and  arms  and  something  in  its  bill, — that 
bird  of  liberty  which  soars  over  us  in  all  the  emblems  of 
freedom,  thank  God !  Then  there  was  '  Uncle'  Jimmy 
McLean,  as  I  told  you  (for  I  told  you  they  were  all  uncles), 
on  the  pond  near  by,  and  then  '  Uncle'  Solomon  Ackley ; 
and  a  little  lower  down,  but  with  more  dignity,  because  of 
his  commanding  presence  and  ofiScial  position.  Judge  John 
McLean,  Sr. 

"  His  son  John  became  judge;  and  when  he  was  a  stu- 
dent, and  could  come  home  and  go  fishing,  he  was  well  re- 
spected and  wore  his  gloves,  and  did  not  love  to  tan  his 
hands ;  and  he  would  get  mc  to  dig  the  worms,  bait  the 
hooks,  and  take  off  the  fish.  He  alluded  to  it  when  we 
met.      T  went  into  the  court-room  at  Salcni  one  dav  wher^' 


408 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


he  was  presiding.  He  begged  me  to  come  up  and  take  a 
vacant  chair  by  his  side.  I  did  so.  He  says,  '  Is  this 
Hai'm?'  I  says,  '  Yes.'  '  Well,'  he  says,  '  you  are  the  boy 
who  used  to  bait  the  hooks  for  me.' 

"  Then  came  the  school-house, — mightier  for  the  good  of 
mankind  than  all  the  seventy-four-gun  ships  that  ever 
floated, — the  district  school-house. 

"  As  I  said,  my  father  was  a  sort  of  'jack  of  all  trades,' 
sometimes  taught  the  school  there,  or  taught  writing  lessons 
in  various  sections.  The  doctors  were  not  so  busy  then  as 
now  ;  people  were  not  so  sickly.  Then  two  older  brothers 
of  mine  taught  the  school.  Back  of  us,  up  on  the  hill 
where  Mr.  Ackley  now  resides,  was  '  Uncle'  Daniel  Hol- 
brook.  The  McLeans  were  Jerseymen, — five  brothers ;  not 
the  two  who  came  in  the  '  Mayflower,'  but  five  who  started 
from  Scotland  and  got  to  New  Jersey  ;  and  whether  that 
State  was  too  small,  or  whether  it  was  'out  of  the  Union' 
then  or  not,  I  don't  know,  but  anyway  they  came  up  here. 
One  settled  in  the  east,  one  at  Batten  Kill,  one  at  the  head 
of  the  ponds,  and  on  the  turnpike  next  to  u.s.  Deacon 
Ford  on  the  hill.  I  want  to  say  a  word  to  deacons.  I  love 
deacons.  We  used  to  meet  for  worship  in  the  school-hou.se 
Sunday  afternoons,  and  Deacon  Ford,  who  belonged  to  the 
Baptist  church  in  Shushan,  seemed  to  be  by  common  con- 
sent superintendent  of  affairs  there,  and  the  regulator  of 
the  boys.  We  would  get  around  on  the  little  seats.  There 
Dr.  Bullions,  Mr.  Prime,  Elder  M used  to  hold  meet- 
ings. I  loved  to  go.  But  Deacon  Ford  was  the  presiding 
genius.  He  was  nearly  seven  feet  high,  and  I  presume  he 
looked  much  taller  to  me  then  than  now.  A  good  man, 
but  with  such  a  long,  grave  face.  So  watchful  of  us  boys 
that  at  one  time  when  Dr.  Prime  was  preaching  there  and 
speaking  of  heaven,  my  little  mind  labored  to  conceive 
what  heaven  was,  and  I  thought  it  was  something  like  the 
gathering  there, — two  or  three  rows  of  people  around  the 
house  singing  the  praises  of  God,  and  that  was  all  very 
pleasant,  but  I  asked,  '  Will  Deacon  Ford  be  up  there  ?'  I 
had  no  doubt  he  would  be,  but  I  hoped  his  ofiice  would  not 
be  to  regulate  us  boys. 

"  On  the  hill  my  Uncle  Nahuni  lived.  Up  farther  the 
Beebes.  Down  the  hill  road  lived  good  men  and  women. 
Down  the  turnpike  was  Uncle  Daniel  Volentine's,  old 
Uncle  Elias  and  sons  and  daughters,  and  Aunt  Esther,  and 
below  was  Mr.  Heath,  and  so  on  down  ;  and  I  must  not 
forget  Deacon  Thompson,  of  blessed  memory,  but  you  know 
all  the  rest.  I  used  to  pass  their  houses  and  come  down 
here  to  Cambridge  to  my  grandfather's  with  a  basket  of 
eggs,  and  get  something  to  carry  back,  but  I  always  pre- 
ferred to  trade  with  Mr.  McGeoch  in  getting  my  fish- 
hooks. So  much  for  this.  Now  for  some  of  the  clergy- 
men of  those  times. 

"  The  clergy  first  with  me, — no  disrespect  to  others.  Old 
Dr.  Bullions  used  to  come  and  catechise  us  in  the  school. 
He  wore  high  swell  boots  with  tassels.  I  played  with  the 
tassels  one  day,  and  was  punished  for  it.  Mr.  Prime  used 
to  come  and  talk  with  us.  Wo  were  always  glad  to  see 
him.  Of  tall,  noble  form,  perfect  symmetry,  I  could  paint 
him  to-day  were  I  an  artist ;  bland  countenance,  a  little 
dignified,  if  not  a  little  stern.  His  son  here  will  speak  for 
himself  by  and  by.     I  ought  to  say  we  always  knew  Mr. 


Prime's  carriage  and  the  white  horse.  We  were  always 
glad  to  see  him,  though  my  grandfather  on  reading  his 
book  on  baptism  used  to  say  '  nonsense.'  But  those  were 
the  days  when  men  spoke  for  themselves  as  well  as  wrote. 
Mr.  Prime  seldom  passed  my  grandfather's  or  father's 
house  without  a  kind,  ministerial,  friendly  Christian  call. 
Dr.  Dunlop,  with  his  .saddle-bags,  jogging  along  on  his 
horse,  would  always  stop  at  my  father's,  relight  his  pipe,  and 
take  a  sij)  of  old  New  England  rum,  something  to  eat  if  he 
would  accept  of  it,  and  then  he  would  go  on  his  way.  A 
good  old  man, — we  children  loved  him.  Mr.  Tombs,  of 
Salem,  used  to  do  the  same.  The  ministers  in  Shushan 
the  same.  I  frequently  came  with  the  family  down  here, 
and  heard  Mr.  Prime,  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  that 
I  remember ;  also  I  went  to  Dr.  Bullions',  as  my  eldest 
sister  married  into  that  church.  In  that  old  yellow  meet- 
ing-house I  have  sat  and  was  interested  in  hearing  the 
people  sing.  They  all  had  their  Bibles  in  their  churches, 
and  I  wish  all  who  attend  church  now  would  have  theirs. 
Generally  the  p.salms  were  in  the  back  part  of  the  Bibles, 
and  so  generally  was  it  their  custom  to  sing  that  it  was 
avowed  that  John  Donahue,  a  deaf  mute,  also  sang.  He 
certainly  looked  on  the  psalm  sung,  and  his  lips  moved, — 
that  I  know. 

"  I  must  be  brief,  but  there  are  two  or  three  other  things 
I  must  mention.  In  the  War  of  1812  my  brother  was  the 
school-teacher  of  that  district,  and  was  seventeen  years  of 
age.  At  night  he  dismissed  the  school  and  did  not  come 
home.  When  heard  of  he  was  among  the  troops  on  their 
way  north.  Whether  he  was  one  of  the  recreant  ones 
Judge  Jermain  spoke  of  I  don't  know.  Colonel  Rice  took 
him  as  a  sort  of  secretary,  and  had  him  with  him.  Then 
there  was  Major  Simpson  and  old  General  De  Ruyter  from 
on  the  Hudson.  I  know  queer  things  were  said  of  him, 
whether  true  or  not.  Some  said  thsit  he  mistook  the  prow 
for  the  stern  of  the  vessel,  and  went  the  wrong  way  on  Lake 
Champlain.  Well,  he  was  not  a  soldier ;  he  was  a  farmer. 
The  battle  of  Plattsburg  was  fought ;  we  soon  heard  of  it. 
I  remember  the  morning  when  the  news  came  seeing  my 
father  stand  before  the  old  fire-place  and  tell  the  story  as  he 
learned  it  somewhere  in  his  rides.  All  was  excitement.  The 
troops  finally  returned.  They  passed  our  door,  with  pris- 
oners, on  their  way  to  Greenbush  ;  they  were  drawing  a 
large  cannon.  My  brother  arrived  ;  they  paused  to  fire  him 
a  farewell  at  the  door.  I  went  out  and  stood  by  a  large 
cannon,  and  a  soldier  caught  me  up  and  ran  my  head  into 
the  muzzle.  An  oflBcer  drew  his  sword  and  was  about  to 
strike  him.  Some  one  interfered,  and  I  believe,  though 
terribly  frightened,  I  laughed,  and  that  was  the  end  of  it. 
They  went  on  to  Orcutt's  Hotel,  turned  in,  and  encamped 
there.  My  father  took  us  down  to  see  them.  I  was  pre- 
sented to  Commodore  McDonough  and  sat  upon  his  knee, 
and  he  said  he  hoped  I  would  be  a  soldier  or  a  sailor,  and  a 
good  one,  and  indeed  I  then  had  no  doubt  but  that  I  should 
be ;  but  I  never  have,  and  I  am  glad  of  it.  The  next  event 
was  the  removal  of  the  remains  of  General  Montgomery 
from  Quebec.  I  remember  the  parade  that  passed  our  door, 
and  that  the  bones  which  were  said  to  be  in  the  coflin  were 
taken  to  New  York  city,  and  deposited,  as  most  of  you  know, 
along  the  front  of  Broadway,  in  Trinity  church-yard. 


"ttiiii.J '''        "A. 


>pB|  ii^ 


^\A 


JAMES  E.  ROBERTSON. 


JOHN  ROBERTSON. 


JAMES  E.  IIOBERTSON. 


James  Edward  Kobertson  was  born  in  Jackson,  Wash- 
ington county,  on  the  place  where  he  now  resides,  March 
23,  1827.  He  is  of  Scotch  descent.  His  first  ancestor  in 
this  country,  William  Robertson,  was  born  in  Scotland, 
Jan.  24,  1752.  He  came  to  this  country  a  young  man, 
and  married,  in  Gi'eenwich,  Mary  Lebingston,  Sept.  24, 
1775.  He  died  in  February,  1825.  John  Robertson,  the 
father  of  James  Edward,  was  born  in  South  Argyle,  Wash- 
ington county,  May  2,  1786,  and  married  Ann  Small,  of 
Cambridge,  July  8,  1824,  she  having  been  born  Dec.  24, 
1803.  They  had  seven  children,  two  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  James  Edward  is  the  second  child  and  the 
oldest  son. 

He  was  brought  up  at  the  homestead  whore  he  was  born, 
educated  at  the  Cambridge  Washitigton  Academy,  and  suc- 
ceeded to  his  father's  business,  who  was  a  tanner  and  currier 
by  occupation,  and  carried  on  the  business  at  tliis  place 
from  1816  to  1852,  under  the  firm-name  of  William  & 
John  Robertson,  the  tannery  having  been  established  by 
other  parties  as  early  as  1806.  In  1856,  James  E.  Roberta 
son  purchased  the  stock  of  the  tannery,  and  has  since  eon- 
ducted  the  business,  together  with  the  farm  formerly  owned 
by  his  father,  which  he  came  into  possession  of  in  1861. 


His  mother  died  Sept.  15,  1850 ;  his  father  on  the  2d  of 
September,  1873. 

Mr.  Robertson  was  married  Dec.  29,  1864,  to  Mary 
Jane,  daughter  of  William  Reid,  a  merchant  of  North 
Greenwich.  She  was  born  Nov.  20,  1832.  The  fruit  of 
this  union  has  been  four  children,  one  son  and  three  daugh- 
ters, viz.,  Annie,  born  Nov.  19,  1865  ;  Mary,  born  July  4, 
1867  ;  Fannie,  born  Feb.  14,  1869  ;  and  William  D.,  born 
Nov.  20,  1872. 

In  politics  Mr.  Robertson  has  always  been  a  Democrat. 
In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace; 
he  was  re-elected  and  served  two  terms,  and  was  also  elected 
justice  of  sessions  one  term.  He  is  an  honorable,  straight- 
forward, consistent  gentleman  and  citizen,  and  like  most  of 
the  Scotch- American  residents  of  this  county  was  brought 
up  strictly  in  the  Presbyterian  faith.  Pew  men  have  the 
confidence  of  their  fellow-citizens  in  a  larger  degree  than 
Mr.  Robertson.  In  business  he  has  been  more  than  ordi- 
narily successful,  having  accumulated  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. 

His  fine  residence,  shown  in  this  work,  was  erected  by 
him  in  1869.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  this  section 
of  the  country. 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


409 


•■  These  events  were  imprinted  upon  a  boy's  mind.  But 
then  there  came  other  changes.  One  event,  however,  I 
will  speak  of  in  connection  with  physicians.  I  had  school- 
mates from  over  towards  Shushan  by  the  name  of  Kemmis. 
They  had  a  grandfiither.  People  now  say,  '  You  are  an 
aristocrat  if  you  had  a  grandfather.'  I  have  told  you  I  had 
one.  These  Kemmis  boys  had  one.  They  did  not  till  the 
farm  very  well,  aTid  did  not  dress  very  finely.  It  was  to 
them  an  advantage  ;  in  running  upon  the  ice,  they  could 
throw  oft'  their  old  .shoes,  and  outrun  any  one  of  us.  The 
old  gentleman  hurt  his  ankle,  while  snaking  a  log  out  of 
the  woods,  and  crushed  it  very  seriously,  and  my  father 
tried  all  he  could  to  save  it.  He  called  in  Dr.  Dorr  and 
Dr.  Dean  as  counsel.  It  was  decided  that  it  must  be  am- 
putated. An  old  physician  in  Salem,  whom  I  will  not 
name,  because  I  may  not  tell  the  truth  exactly,  heard  of 
the  matter,  and  having  a  feud  with  Dr.  Dorr,  and  I  believe 
not  liking  my  father  very  well,  took  two  or  three  students 
and  offered  the  patient  fifty  dollars  for  his  leg,  which  offer 
being  accepted,  the  Salem  physician  amputated  the  limb 
and  returned  home.  My  father  and  Dr.  Dorr  came  the 
nest  day,  I  think,  to  perform  the  important  operation,  but 
found  the  good  old  gentleman  in  his  bed,  comfortable,  the 
foot  gone  and  safe  in  Salem. 

"  The  end  of  it  came  when  '  by-gones  were  by-gones.' 
Sickness  came.  Fire  visited  the  old  house  in  which  I  lived 
one  day.  I  was  out  of  it,  by  the  wood-pile,  and  heard  a 
roar.  My  older  brother  and  my  younger  sister  looked  up, 
and  sparks  and  black  smoke  were  pouring  out  of  the  chim- 
ney. '  The  house  is  on  fire  !'  said  my  brother.  We  rushed 
in  (my  brother  always  sent  me  ahead,  whether  we  were 
after  pond-lilies,  or  frogs,  or  snakesl.  As  we  came  in  we 
beheld  the  flames  creeping  up  and  rapidly  destroying  the 
bed-curtains,  whose  voluminous  folds  had  worked  within 
their  borders  the  pictures  of  Shakspeare's  Seven  Ages. 
The  fire  scorched  me  some,  burned  the  hair  off  of  my  head, 
knocked  me  down,  and  my  brother  violently  drew  me  out. 
Never  a  prouder  boy  than  I  when,  in  two  or  three  days 
after  that,  I  received  an  entire  suit  of  clothing,  made  of 
blue  cloth,  almost  covered  with  bell-buttons,  together  with 
a  hat, — the  whole  a  present  from  the  Wendell  flimily. 
We  received  many  kind  favors.  Another  house  was  built, 
which  has  since  been  removed. 

"  Disease  came.  My  eldest  sister  died  at  twenty-two, 
and  was  buried  the  day  she  was  to  have  been  married  to 
Leonard  Church,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  My  youngest  brother 
was  born  at  a  time  when  we  were  houseless.  My  father, 
broken-hearted,  never  recovered  his  spirits,  and  in  1819  he 
pa.ssed  away,  dying  of  apoplexy  or  heart-disease,  by  the 
roadside,  after  a  fatiguing  travel.  His  last  visit  was  to  old 
Daniel  Holbrook,  where  Mr.  Maxwell  now  lives." 

Joseph  Volentine  and  wife,  with  two  sons,  Elias  and 
Daniel,  moved  from  Now  Jersey  about  1791  or  1792. 
They  came  with  ox-teams  through  the  wilderness.  Some 
of  the  way  there  was  only  an  Indian  path,  through  which 
they  could  just  drive  their  oxen  and  wagons.  Upon  their 
arrival  they  stuck  their  ox-goads  in  the  ground, — whips 
that  they  had  cut  from  a  Balm  of  Gilead  tree  in  New  Jer- 
sey. These  lived,  grew  to  a  great  age,  and  when  cut  down 
were  four  feet  through.  The  family  .settled  near  the  dutlct 
52 


at  the  south  end  of  Long  pond,  on  the  farm  now  occupied 
by  Mrs.  Harvey  Volentine. 

Of  the  children,  Daniel  and  Harvey  settled  in  Jack.son, 
the  latter  on  the  pioneer  homestead  ;  Elias,  in  Shushan  ; 
Pha}be(Mrs.  Elijah  Clough),  in  Hebron;  Betsey  (Mrs. 
Wm.  Orcutt),  in  western  New  York ;  Abbey  (Mre.  Abner 
Warren),  in  western  New  York  ;  John  also  settled  in  west>- 
ern  New  York  ;  Joel,  in  Bennington,  Vt.;  Prudence  (Mrs. 
Truman  Hendryx),  in  Bennington ;  Lydia  Ann  (Mrs. 
Clark  Estee),  in  Shushan ;  Moses  moved  to  Tecumseh, 
Mich. 

Daniel  McFarland,  born  in  Thornhill.  Scotland,  came  to 
America  in  1785,  and  settled  in  Salem,  on  what  is  now  the 
Samuel  Beattie  farm.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Argyle, 
settled  near  Argyle  Corners,  and  died,  his  remains  being 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  that  place.  By  his  first  wife  he 
had  one  son,  John  McFarland,  already  twenty-one  years  old 
when  the  family  came  to  America.  He  settled  first  in 
Cambridge,  on  a  farm  about  two  miles  west  of  Cambridge 
village,  and  afterwards  in  what  is  now  Jackson,  the  old 
homestead  being  near  East  Greenwich.  By  his  second 
wife  the  pioneer  Daniel  had  four  sons :  David,  who  settled 
in  St.  Louis  when  it  was  only  a  village,  passed  his  life 
there,  and  died  at  an  advanced  age  in  1873  ;  Alexander, 
■settled  and  died  many  years  ago  in  Salem  ;  Daniel.  Jr., 
settled  in  Greenwich,  and  afterwards  in  Fishkill ;  James, 
moved  to  Ohio  and  settled  near  Columbus, — a  man  of  note, 
holding  many  public  oflBces,  and  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture for  one  or  more  terms.  In  the  original  family  there 
were  no  daughters. 

The  children  of  John,  the  oldest  son,  who  settled  in 
Jackson,  were  eleven,  five  of  whom  died  young.  The  six 
remaining  were  Daniel,  John,  William,  Alexander,  Mrs. 
Wm.  Robertson,  and  Mrs.  Robert  Richardson.  A  son  of 
Daniel  is  Prof.  John  A.  McFarland,  who  is  now,  and  has 
been  for  nineteen  years,  principal  of  Washington  Academy, 
Salem. 

Robert  Simpson  moved  from  New  Hampshire  soon  after 
the  Revolution,  with  his  wife  and  family,  and  settled  in 
Cambridge.  His  son,  Anderson,  on  becoming  of  age,  spent 
some  time  in  a  store  at  Shushan,  then  settled  on  a  farm 
now  occupied  by  his  son,  John  Simpson.  The  wife  of 
Anderson  Simpson  was  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  Scott, 
the  only  Revolutionary  pensioner  in  town  in  1840.  An- 
derson Simpson  was  a  prominent  public  man,  filling  many 
important  oSices  in  town,  and  was  also  a  member  of  Assem- 
bly in  1840. 

A  very  early  store,  built  of  logs,  stood  a  little  west  of 
the  present  residence  of  James  Hill.  It  was  built  by  James 
McGill,  in  1781,  and  is  still  in  existence,  having  been  taken 
down,  rebuilt  at  a  short  distance,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a 
dwelling-house. 

William  McAulcy  bought  the  store  and  property  Oct.  7, 
1795,  and  continued  the  trade. 

Moses  Cowan,  whose  name  appears  in  early  records,  was 
a  clerk  in  this  store,  and  James  Irvin,  first  supervisor  of 
Jackson,  was  a  partner  with  McAulcy. 

Among  other  early  residents  the  Ileth  family  lived  south 
of  Jackson  centre,  on  the  turnpike. 

Edward  McDowel  lived  not  far  from  McAuley's  store. 


410 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Oliver  Selfridge  lived  north  of  Coila. 

John  MoKellip  in  the  north  part  of  the  town. 

Isaac  Ferine  also. 

Simon  Stevens  and  his  son,  Ira  C,  lived  in  the  western 
part  of  the  town,  near  Centre  falls. 

The  first  inn  was  kept  by  Isaac  Murray,  on  the  place 
now  owned  by  II.  C.  Maynard,  two  miles  north  of  Cam- 
bridge, on  the  turnpike. 

The  Pond  A^ alley  House  was  built  about  sixty  years  ago, 
by  Mr.  Orcutt.  The  house  still  in  use  is  kept  at  the 
present  time  by  George  Simpson. 

Besides  the  early  settlers  already  named,  mention  may 
be  made  of  the  McGeoch  family,  the  McMillans,  and  the 
McClellans.  The  names  of  many  others  will  appear  in  the 
town  records  and  the  church  histories  of  Cambridge  and 
White  Creek. 

The  first  mereiiant  at  Coila  was  William  Stevenson,  from 
Scotland,  and  the  place  was  known  as  Stevenson's  Corners, 
and  then  by  the  name  of  Scotland.  When  the  post-oifice 
was  established  John  M.  Stevenson,  an  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  Burns,  named  the  place  Coila,  from  a  passage  in  one  of 
his  favorite  poems. 

Succeeding  William  Stevenson  were  the  firm  of  McNaugh- 
ton  &  McNeil. 

An  early  school-house  built  of  logs,  about  1780,  stood 
a  little  west  of  the  present  residence  of  James  Hill. 

Early  teachers  remembered  by  Mrs.  Lourie  were  Mr. 
Alexander  and  Mr.  Neson. 

ANAQUASSACOOK    PATENT. 

The  original  map  and  partition  deed  of  this  patent,  en- 
grossed on  parchment,  is  in  possession  of  William  Law,  of 
Shushan.  It  is  dated  Oct.  2G,  1763,  and  was  drawn  by 
John  R.  Bleecker,  surveyor,  who  enters  the  variation  of  the 
needle  for  that  year  as  six  degrees  thirty  minutes  west. 
The  lots  commence  with  No.  1,  at  the  north  end  of  the 
narrow  strip  between  the  Cambridge  patent  and  the  Batten 
Kill,  and  the  25th  closes  opposite  the  old  "  Red  Grocery." 
in  Salem.  To  show  early  proprietors  we  give  the  names 
and  lots  from  this  deed. 

Nos.  1,  8,  11,  18,  and  23,  Thomas  Smith  ;  Nos.  2,  10, 
14,  19,  and  25,  William  Smith;  Nos.  3,  7,  15,  1(5,  22, 
Johannes  Quackenboss ;  Nos.  4,  6,  12,  17,  21,  Ryer 
Schermerhorn  ;  Nos.  5,  9,  13,  20,  24,  Jacob  and  Baruardus 
Vrooman  Schermerhorn. 

ORGANIZATION,    CIVIL    HISTORY. 

The  town  was  organized  by  act  of  the  Legislature  in 
the  year  1815.  It  i-eceived  the  name  of  Jackson,  no  doubt 
in  honor  of  the  general  whose  signal  victory  on  the  8th  of 
January,  at  N(>w  Orleans,  was  the  closing  struggle  of  the 
last  war  with  England. 

The  fir.st  town-meeting  was  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  in 
April,  1816;  and  the  following  oflicei's  were  duly  elected: 
Reuben  Stone, moderator ;  James  Irvin,  supervisor;  Kirtland 
Warner,  town  clerk  ;  William  Adams,  James  Richardson, 
Edward  Cook,  assessors;  William  McGeoch,  Alexander 
Livingston,  overseers  of  the  poor;  Reuben  Stone,  Clark 
Rice,  Simon  Stevens,  commissioners  of  common  schools ; 


James  Irvin,  Elisha  Billings,  Kirtland  Warner,  inspectors 
of  schools;  William  Adams,  Amos  Woodard,  Jr.,  and 
Elihu  Billings,  commissioners  of  highways  ;  Robert  Simp- 
son and  John  McDonal,  collectors  ; — these  two,  with  Ben- 
jamin Scott,  constables ;  Amos  Woodard,  Jr.,  George 
Small,  Abel  Cleveland,  Seth  Rising,  John  McMillan,  Jr., 
John  McLean,  George  McFarland,  Simon  Stevens,  Ede 
Bowen,  Timothy  Murch,  Thomas  McKillip,  Philip  War- 
ner, Russell  Norton,  James  Robertson,  William  C.  McLean, 
John  Ferguson,  James  Woods,  Eliab  Beebe,  Levi  Rice, 
Eldad  Baker,  Jr.,  Benjamin  Scott,  Jr.,  Samuel  McDonal, 
Anderson  Simpson,  William  Blake,  John  McClary,  George 
Maxwell,  Thomas  Griunolds,  Thomas  Clark,  Asher  B. 
Rood,  Elijah  Horton,  Jr.,  Solomon  Stewart,  John  McClel- 
lan,  George  Coulter,  overseers  of  highways ;  Robert  Simp- 
son, Clark  Rice,  Ezekiel  Sampson,  James  Woods,  William 
McLean,  Andrew  Slioudler,  fence-viewers  and  appraisers. 

Voted,  that  one  hundred  dollars  tax  be  raised  for  the 
support  of  the  poor. 

Voted,  that  Andrew  Heath's  barn-yard  be  a  pound,  and 
he  was  appointed  poundmaster. 

Recorded  May  6,  1818,  the  birth  of  a  black  female  child, 
by  the  name  of  Diana,  on  the  10th  of  July,  1816,  in  the 
house  of  William  McAuley,  which  he  claims  as  his  slave 
according  to  law. 

Recorded  Jan.  6,  1819,  James,  a  black  male  child,  born 
the  8th  day  of  August,  1818,  in  the  house  of  William 
McAuley,  which  said  McAuley  claims  as  his  slave,  accord- 
ing to  law. 

1821. — The  vote  was  taken:  all  that  are  in  favor  of 
joining  with  the  county  in  building  a  poor-house,  signify  it 
by  holding  up  their  right  hands, — not  a  hand  raised  ;  con- 
trary, by  the  same  sign, — all  hands  were  up. 

1824. — Voted,  that  inspectors  of  schools  have  one  dollar 
a  day  for  their  services. 

The  certificate  of  the  annual  election,  May  23,  1816, 
shows  the  following  result:  Rufus  King  for  governor,  113 
votes  ;  George  Tibbetts  for  lieutenant-governor,  113  votes ; 
Daniel  D.  Tompkins  for  governor,  83  votes;  John  Taylor 
for  lieutenant-governor.  83  votes.  Signed  by  the  inspectors 
of  election,  James  Irvin,  William  Adams,  James  Richard- 
son, Edward  Cook,  and  Kirtland  Warner. 

Oct.  3,  1823. — By  the  consent  of  the  overseers  of  the 
poor,  Clark  Rice  manumitted  his  "  negro  woman-slave, 
named  Betsey  W^illiams,  aged  about  thirty-six  years,  pur- 
chased by  him  of  Samuel  Storms." 

Town  officers  elected  at  the  annual  meeting,  March  G, 
1877: 

William  H.  Holden,  supervisor  ;  George  L.  Marshall, 
town  clerk;  Henry  Marshall  (2d),  justice  of  the  peace; 
John  R.  McArthur,  assessor ;  Henry  T.  Hedges,  commis- 
sioner of  highways  ;  William  McFarland,  Joseph  W.  Edie, 
overseers  of  the  poor;  James  W.  Thomp.son,  James  A. 
Coulter,  inspectors  of  election  ;  A.  C.  Blanchard,  collector; 
A.  C.  Blanchard,  Walter  T.  Graham,  Henry  Hover,  con- 
stables;  John  A.  McClellan,  Michael  Kerr,  town  auditors; 
John  Roberts,  game  constable  ;  Warren  Kenyon,  William 
McMillan,  excise  commissioners. 

We  add  the  following  lists  of  lour  town  officers  from 
1815  to  1878: 


R[         Lii    f      I     J/^MEh     COULTF  f^ 


j^iAjwjm^isi'Jfeiii^y^ii^vj^^ 


J/*MEs  Coulter,    y' 


M.- 


UTH.  BY  L.H.  Evert  = 


IIISTORV    OF    WA8IIIN(iT()N   COUNTY,  NKW    YOI!K. 


411 


:si9. 

ISlill. 
1821. 
1S2L'. 
1823. 
1824. 


siipei-visora. 
.lames  Iivin. 

DaviJ  Cam])ln-ll, 

Simon  Stevens. 

EJwanl  L'c.k. 


David  Camijljull. 
Edward  Couli. 


Town  Clerks. 
Kirtland  Warner 

Soli.uioii  Dean. 

Kobert  Simpson. 

.Ardeu  Heath. 

Win.  McOeoch. 

Arden  Heath. 
]<irtland  Warne 
Arden  Heath. 


1825.  Simon  Stevens. 


Elisha  Billings. 

Jas.  McNaughton. 

Thos.  K.  McLean. 

Elisha  Billings. 
Peter  Hill. 

Anderson  Simpson. 

Elisha  Billings. 

Thos.  K.  McLean. 

Wm.  S.  Warner. 
James  Thompson. 
AVm.  S.  Warner. 

Samuel  McDonal. 

R.  Alexander,  Jr. 
James  Thompson. 


1826. 
1827. 
1828. 
1829. 
1830. 
1831. 
1832. 
1833. 
1834. 
18.15. 
1836. 
1837. 
1838. 
1839. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. 
1854. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1858. 
1859. 
1860. 
1861. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1S65. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 

1875.  '■ 

1876.  '■ 

1877.  Wm.  H.  Holde 

1878.  " 


Francis  H.  Arnott. 
Alex.  Robertson. 

Wm.  Thompson. 


Thomas  B.  Lourie 
George  Arnott. 
James  Hill. 
T.  D.  Oviatt. 
.1.  C.  Simpson. 


John  McMiUan. 


Francis  McLean. 


.Samuel  Oviatt. 


Richard  Barton. 


Samuel  Oviatt. 

Joel  H.  Corbit. 

Wm.  McMillan. 

Charles  N.  Button. 

John  .\ckley. 
.T.  C.  Simpson. 


.■\lauson  McLe 


Thos.  D.  Oviatt. 


H.  T.  Hedges. 
D.  A.  Simpson. 

U.  N.  Dunham. 
A.  C.  Blanohard. 
George  L.  Marshall, 
Allen  Stewart. 


Robert  Simpson. 
John  McDonnl. 
Stephen  Clapp.  Jr. 
Benjamin  Carter. 
John  McDonal. 
John  Moor. 
Robert  Simpson. 
John  Moor. 
Stephen  Olapp.  Jr. 
Joseph  Poolman. 

Elias  Vanderlip. 

Lewis  Wo..dard. 

Elias  Vandcrli]). 

Lewis  Woodanl. 

James  Johnson. 
Elias  Vanderlip. 
Henry  K.  Higgins. 
Abraham  Weir. 

John  Collins. 
Abraham  Weir. 
Xenophen  Woodurd. 
John  Cowan. 
Abraham  Weir, 
.lames  Rice. 
Aliraham  Weir. 
Wm.  I.  Graham. 

.Abraham  Weir. 
James  Woodard. 
Reuben  F.  Stone. 
Wm.  S.  Graham. 

James  Woodar<i. 
Zerah  Rider. 
Wm.  J.  Graham. 


John  K.  Crosier. 
Hugh  Orcutt. 
Wm.  Watkins. 
James  H.  Weir. 
Robert  Haskins. 
Benj.  C.  Bishop. 
P.  D.  Moore. 
John  Edie. 
Alvin  B.  Barber. 
.Tames  Hayes. 
Robert  Haskins. 
James  Collins. 
George  Hedges. 
N.  E.  Rice. 
Wm.  Miller. 
J.  H.  McFarland. 
Andrew  Telford. 
S.  K.  Warner. 
T.  D.  Oviatt. 
J.  J.  McArthur. 
J.  Salisbury. 
M.  McFarland. 
A.  C.  Weir. 
A.  Blanchard. 
H.  T.  Hedges. 
J.  W.  Robertson. 
E.  G.  Shiland. 
D.  Lambert. 
A.  C.  Blanchard. 
George  L.  Marshall. 


JUSTICES    OF    THE    PEACK    KLKCTEU    BV    THE    I'Kdl'I.K. 


1830. 
1831. 
18.'!2. 
18.33. 

1834. 
1835. 
1 836. 
18.37. 
1S38. 
1S39. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1849. 
1850. 


1852. 
1853. 


Anderson  .Simpson. 
George  W.  Robertson. 
Ira  C.  Stevens. 
Francis  McLean. 
Anderson  Simpson. 
.Tames  Thompson. 
James  Thompson. 
Ira  C.  Stevens. 
Wm.  S.  Warner. 
Anderson  Simpson. 
James  Thomp.-ion. 
Charles  Clark. 
Wm.  S.  Warner. 
Paul  Doig. 
Elisha  Billings. 
Chas.  Clark. 
Wm.  S.  Warner. 
Alex.  Small. 
Elisha  Billings. 
Moses  S.  Hartwell. 
Candidate  ineligible. 
Paul  Doig. 
James  E.  Robertson. 
Robert  McArthur. 
E.  W.  Clapp. 
Robert  McArthur. 
Robert  Mc.irthur. 
.T.ames  E.  Robertson. 


1S54. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
1S5S. 
1859. 
1860. 

1861. 
1802. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 
1866. 

1867. 

1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 
1S72. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
187S, 


Paul  Doig. 
Harvey  Rice. 
Robert  McArthur. 
Wm.  Stevenson. 
Paul  Doig. 
P.  P.  Billings. 
Robert  Mc.-Vrthur. 
Frederick  Newton. 
Asaph  E.  Warner. 
Julius  Collins. 
John  C.  Simpson. 
Calvin  B.  Carter. 
A.  E.  Warner. 
Julius  Collins. 
Lewis  T.  McLean. 
John  C.  Simpson. 
Lewis  T.  McLean. 
.John  AVeir. 
Lewis  T.  McLean. 
W.  J.  Doig. 
J.  C.  Simpson. 
John  Weir. 
Ebenezer  McLean. 
W.  J.  Doig. 
.T.  C.  .Simpson. 
.Tohn  Weir. 
Henry  Marshall  (2d). 
W.  J.  Doig. 


The  town-meetings  were  held  in  the  various  years  as  fol- 
lows:  1817,  Nathan  Collins'  dwelling-house;  1818,  same; 
1820,  same;  1819,  David  Moor's  dwelling-house;  John 
Phelp's  dwelling-house,  1821-23;  Thomas  S.  Harve}\ 
innkeeper,  1824-26,  1828-29  ;  Nathan  Collins,  innkeeper, 
1827;  Christopher  Holden,  innkeeper,  1830-31;  Liherty 
Olds,  innkeeper,  1832-37;  Corbett,  innkeeper,  1838-42, 
1845-48 ;  Welders,  innkeeper,  1843  ;  J.  M.  &  W.  T.  Getty, 
innkeepers,  1844;  Joel  H.  Corbett,  innkeeper,  1849-50; 
Charles  Button's  house,  1851  to  1856  inclusive,  1859  to 
1866  inclusive;  Joseph  W.  Edie's  house,  1857-58;  Ly- 
sauder  Wheelock's  house,  1867  to  1871  inclusive,  1873- 
74  ;  Pond  Valley  House,  1872,  76-77  ;  George  Simpson, 
1875. 

This  town  is  peculiar  in  this  respect  as  in  that  of  churches, 
a  circle  of  villages  just  upon  or  beyond  the  boundary  line 
being  the  resort  of  the  citizens  of  Jackson  rather  than  any 
places  within  their  own  territory.  Shushan,  Salem,  East 
Greenwich,  Battenville,  Cambridge,  are  all  more  or  less 
places  of  business  for  the  town  of  Jackson, — Cambridge  in 
a  greater  degree  than  others. 

Coila,  the  northern  extension  of  Cambridge,  is  indeed  ex- 
actly at  the  southern  angle  of  Jackson,  and  has  a  post-office, 
shoe-shop,  wagon-shop,  and  store. 

At  Jackson  Centre,  so  called,  there  is  located  the  Pond 
Valley  Hotel,  now  kept  by  George  Simpson,  the  grandson 
of  an  old  settler.  At  Anaquassacook  there  is  a  settle- 
ment with  a  few  dwellings,  a  tannery,  and  shop.s.  The 
tannery  was  established  at  a  very  early  day,  before  1800,  by 
Knight.  He  was  succeeded  by  Elisha  Billings.  William 
Holden  followed  him,  having  learned  the  trade  of  Mr.  Bil- 
lings. The  present  owners  are  William  Holden  &  Son. 
The  works  are  run  by  steam,  with  modern  improvements. 

On  the  Batten  Kill,  opposite  Ea.st  Greenwich,  is  also  a 
place  of  some  business.     There  was  a  woolen-factory,  now 


412 


HISTORY   OP    WASHINGTON    COUNTS,  NEW    YORK. 


discontinued.  A  sash-  and  blind-factory  is  now  in  opera- 
tion at  that  point. 

The  place  opposite  Battciiville  was  formerly  of  some  im- 
portance as  a  neigliborliood,  tlie  (jld  Reformed  church  being- 
located  there. 

SCFIOOLS. 

The  town  havini;  been  organized  in  1815,  the  first  com- 
missioners of  common  schools  were  Reuben  Stone,  Clark 
Rice,  and  Simon  Stevens.  The  first  inspectors  chosen  were 
James Ij-vin,  Jr.,  Elisha  Billings,  and  Kirtlaud  Warner.  The 
school  districts  were  adjusted  and  their  boundaries  deter- 
mined in  the  year  1S23. 

After  the  fir.st  commissioners  tiie  following  persons  held 
the  office  one  or  more  years  each,  down  to  1843:  John 
McMillan,  Jr.,  Thomas  K.  McLean,  Thomas  Thompson, 
George  Lourie,  Obadiah  Brown,  Mo.ses  Billings,  David 
Campbell,  Daniel  Hatch.  John  Brown,  William  C.  McLean, 
John  McMillan,  John  Robertson,  Kirtland  Warner,  Sol- 
omon Cobb,  William  McGeoch,  Elisha  Billings,  Constant 
Clapp,  George  Arnott,  George  Small,  1825,  George  I. 
Maxwell,  Nathan  Culver,  Samuel  McFarland,  Paul  Doig, 
William  S.  Warner,  James  Cleveland,  Samuel  McDonal, 
William  Holden,  Julius  Collins,  Robert  McArthur,  Silas 
H.  Rice,  William  D.  W.  McLean,  Lewis  McLean,  Ephraim 
Burroughs,  James  Coulter,  Jr.,  William  3IcClellan,  Lewis 
Carter,  Francis  H.  Arnot,  Moses  B.  Ferine. 

The  following  citizens  also  held  the  office  of  inspector, 
one  or  more  years  each,  down  to  1843  :  1816,  James  Irvin, 
Jr.,  Elisha  Billings,  Kirtland  Warner;  1817,  Constant 
Clapp,  David  Campbell,  John  Robertson,  Kirtland  Warner; 

1818,  James  Lourie,  William  A.  Wells,  Samuel  C.  Culver; 

1819,  Solomon  Dean,  Francis  McLean,  Rufus  Church ; 
1821,  Isaac  Frindle,  Russel  Carter;  1822,  Daniel  Hatch, 
William  V.  McLean;  1823,  Robert  McClellan ;  1826, 
George  W.  Robertson;  1829,  Horace  Billings;  1832, 
Ales.  Smith;  1833,  Selah  Billings,  John  McLean;  1835, 
Thomas  Thompson  ;   1837,  Thomas  Stevens,  Jr. 

In  1843  the  system  of  supervision  by  town  superintend- 
ents commenced,  and  the  officers  elected  were:  1844-47, 
Cyrus  Bowen;  1848-49,  Robert  Graham;  1850,  Alonzo 
Du  Bois;  1851-52,  George  H.Wright;  1 854-5(5,  Alvin 
B.  Barber. 

The  following  figures  show  the  number  of  districts,  chil- 
dren of  school  age,  with  the  apportionment  of  the  public 
money  for  the  year  1877. 

Districts.  I'hililien.  Pul.Iic  Money. 

No.    1 

•'      2 4:i  .^HO.liS 

"      3 82  lfl:i.47 

"      4 42  109.08 

"      5 t:!  lO.'i.Il 

"      6 ,07  124.10 

"      1 65  122.15 

"      S 75  154.5.S 

•■      9 68  J40.71 

••    10 2S  92.40 

CHURCHES. 

From  the  peculiar  location  of  this  town,  and  the  arrange- 
ments for  worship  already  made  by  the  people  before  this 
territory  became  a  town  by  itself,  there  are  really  no  present 
churches  to  be  included  in  this  sketch. 

We  are,  however,  through  the  courtesy  of  L.  T.  McLean, 


enabled  to  give  a  brief  notice  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church 
that  for  a  time  existed  within  the  limits  of  the  town.  It 
was  located  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  opposite  the 
village  of  Battenville. 

The  building  was  erected  in  1833,  and  is  a  substantial 
brick  structure  about  forty-five  by  sixty  feet.  Judge  John 
McLean  was  the  most  prominent,  wealthy,  and  influential 
man  coiniected  with  the  enterpri.se.  The  first  congrega- 
tional meeting  held  in  the  building  seems  to  have  been  in 
December,  1833,  William  Wells,  chairman,  and  John  Mc- 
Lean, Jr.,  clerk.  The  following  resolutions  were  passed  at 
that  meeting : 

.  1st.  That  this  congregation  attach  itself  tn  the  Iiefurnn^d 
Dutch  church. 

2d.  A  committee  was  ajjpoinled  to  secure  sU2)|ilies,  viz., 
Mttses  H.  Hartwell,  John  R.  Weir,  John  McLean,  Henry 
Culver,  and  William  Wells. 

3d.  Committee  appointed  to  circulate  a  subscripticju,  con- 
sisting of  Francis  McLean,  Russel  Carter,  and  Henry  R. 
McLean. 

At  the  next  meeting,  Dec.  24,  1833,  the  church  was  or- 
ganized by  electing  John  McLean  and  George  H.  Ford, 
elders;  Moses  H.  Hartwell  and  John  Welsh,  deacons;  and 
Moses  H.  Hartwell,  clerk.  The  elders  and  deacons  were 
ordained  Dec.  31,  1833,  by  the  Rev.  Jacob  Funda.  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1834,  Rev.  James  W.  Stewart  was  installed  as 
pastor.  The  installation  sermon  by  the  Rev.  J.  Parry,  and 
the  charge  to  the  people  by  Rev.  J.  D.  Funda.  Rev.  Mr. 
Stewart  remained  pastor  about  two  and  a  half  years.  His 
successors  were  William  Pitcher,  two  years,  then  John  G. 
Quick  for  several  years,  until  about  1843.  The  last  pastor 
was  Rev.  John  H.  Pitcher;  he  remained  until  1851,  The 
consistory  at  that  time  was  composed  of  Thomas  K.  Mc- 
Lean, Lyman  Woodard,  and  Lewis  T.  McLean,  elders; 
the  latter  being  clerk.  The  church  is  now  disbanded  and 
extinct.  The  older  people  died,  others  removed,  their  farms 
bought  by  people  of  dift'erent  views.  There  are  some  left 
who  cherish  its  ancient  forms  of  worship,  but  in  these  times 
of  hearty  Christian  union  they  wor.ship  acceptably  with 
other  denominations.  The  church  lasted  a  little  over  twenty 
years,  and  many  were  there  trained  in  the  Christian  faith 
of  the  fathers. 

BURIAL-PLACES. 

These  are  mostly  outside  of  the  town,  like  the  churches 
and  the  villages ;  the  old  ground  at  Cambridge  and  the 
new  cemetery  having  very  largely  been  used  by  the  people 
of  Jackson  for  a  hundred  years. 

Within  the  town  may  be  mentioned  the  one  near  the  old 
Reformed  church,  and  the  private  ground  in  the  Maxwell 
neighborhood,  west  of  the  McLean  pond.  There  is  still 
another  near  Anaquassacook. 

SOCIETIES. 

For  these,  the  citizens  of  Jackson  go  beyond  their  own 
boundaries,  as  they  do  for  trade,  and  worship,  and  burial, — 
with  a  single  exception. 

Tlie  Jackson  Fire  Insurance  Company  is  an  institution 
of  considerable  value  to  the  people,  securing  for  themselves 
insurance  against  fire  at  a  much  cheaper  rate  than  through 
foreign  companies.     It  was  organized  Nov.  27,  1858,  under 


PAUL  DOIG. 


Paul  Doig  was  born  in  East  Greenwich,  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  April  22,  1801.  His  father,  Andrew  Doig,  was  a 
native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  where  he  was  born  Feb.  29, 
1776,  and  came  to  this  country  when  a  young  man.  He 
married,  for  his  first  wife,  in  1798,  Annis  Wheeler,  the 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  ;  she  died  in  the  year 
1805.  Andrew  Doig,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  July  24, 
1799.  He  settled  at  Lowville,  Lewis  county,  and  was  a 
member  of  Congress  eight  years  from  that  congressional 
district. 

His  father  married,  for  his  second  wife,  Polly  Thompson, 
July  7, 1807,  by  which  marriage  he  had  children  as  follows : 
James  Doig,  born  May  30,  1808,  married  Oct.  13,  1840, 
deceased ;  Almond  Doig,  born  March  14, 1810,  died  March 
19,  1810 ;  Betsey  Doig,  born  Oct.  10,  1811,  married  Feb. 
8,  1833,  resides  in  Lewis  county;  Polly  A.  Doig,  born 
Jan.  2G,  1814,  died  Sept.  11,  1815;  Janet  Doig,  born 
April  10, 1816,  married  Oct.  7, 1843,  lives  in  Turin,  Lewis 
county;  John  Doig,  born  May  15,  1820,  married  May  2, 

1848,  deceased  ;   Estro  Doig,  born  October, ,  died  the 

following  August. 

Paul  Doig  was  brought  up  in  the  town  of  Greenwich, 
and  during  his  entire  life  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  He  was  married  to  Abby  51.  Tnll,  Feb.  22,  1827, 
and  had  two  children,  viz.,  Jane  A.,  born  Nov.  24,  1827, 


and  W.  James  Doig,  born  Sept.  11,  1835.  After  his 
marriage  he  removed  from  East  Greenwich  to  the  town  of 
Jackson,  Washington  county,  and  settled  on  the  farm  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  his  son,  W.  J.  Doig,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  his 
town,  and  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty- 
four  years.  By  steady  application,  industry,  and  economy 
he  acquired  a  competence,  and  was  universally  esteemed 
for  his  honorable  and  upright  character.  He  was  also 
liberal  in  the  use  of  his  means  for  the  support  and  further- 
ance of  institutions  designed  to  promote  the  public  welfare; 
a  kind  and  indulgent  father,  an  affectionate  husband,  a  true 
and  generous  friend,  and  an  honest  and  exemplary  citizen. 
He  died  on  the  6th  of  September,  1870,  aged  sixty-nine 
years. 

W.  J.  Doig,  his  .son  and  successor  in  the  occujjancy 
of  the  homestead,  married  Mary  E.  Robertson,  daughter 
of  Abner  C.  Robertson,  of  Salem,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  6,  18C3, 
and  has  had  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  He 
was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  1870,  and  by  successive 
elections  has  held  the  office  ever  since.  His  wife,  Mrs.  M. 
E.  Doig,  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  preparation  for  the 
Centennial  celebration  at  Cambridge  in  187C,  composing 
an  appropriate  and  beautiful  ode  for  the  occa.sion,  which 
was  read  by  her  uncle.  Judge  Gibson,  of  Salem. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


413 


au  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  April  17,  1857.  The  first 
board  of  directors  consisted  of  Elisha  Billiiiiis.  Michael 
Kerr,  Peter  Hill,  Lewis  Carter,  Paul  Doig,  Julius  Collius, 
and  John  M.  Stevenson;  Peter  Hill  was  chosen  jiresideiit, 
and  Michael  Kerr,  secretary. 

The  board  for  1878  consists  of  VVui.  J.  Doig,  president; 
James  H.Cleveland,  secretary  and  treasurer;  James  W. 
McMorris,  Henry  T.  Hedges,  John  Cowan,  Alex.  IMaxwoi!, 
and  Wm.  Orcutt. 

TLACES    OF    ULSTORIC    INTEREST. 

The  road  now  forming  the  southwest  boundary  of  the 
town  is  the  route  over  which  Baum's  detachment  of  the 
British  army  moved  in  their  advance  upon  Bennington. 
Baum's  troops  opened  the  way  with  the  axe.  It  is  said 
the  present  road  is  almast  exactly  upon  the  old  war-path, 
little  or  no  variation  having  occurred  in  modern  times. 

There  is  another  incident  given  in  a  note  appended  to 
Judge  Gibson  s  address  at  the  Cambridge  centennial,  which 
from  his  well-known  accuracy  deserves  a  place  in  this  notice 
of  Jackson. 

pn  the  20th  day  of  August,  174(5,  a  party  of  nine  hun- 
dred French  and  Indians,  under  the  command  of  Major 
Rigaud  de  Vaudreuil,  captured  Fort  Massachusetts,  in  the 
town  of  Hoosic,  together  with  all  its  defenders  and  the 
women  and  children  which  it  sheltered,  killing  and  scalping 
some,  and  carrying  the  rest  into  Canada  as  captives. 

The  larger  part  of  this  raiding-party  started  for  home  on 
the  morning  following  the  capture,  and  on  the  night  of 
August  23,  encamped  on  the  high  ground  between 
the  two  ponds  in  the  present  town  of  Jackson.  As  one 
wanders  beside  these  beautiful  lakes,  in  this  now  peaceful 
town,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  the  horrors  of  that  encamp- 
ment,— the  bloodysealps  carried  by  the  chiefs, — the  wretched 
captives,  tortured  with  the  agony  of  the  recent  slaughter 
and  the  terrors  of  the  future  marcli. 

There  is  a  tradition,  too,  very  well  authenticated,  that  a 
sanguinary  battle,  between  hostile  Indian  tribes,  occurred 
in  the  town  of  Jackson  many  years  before  the  advent  of  the 
white  town.  The  scene  was  near  the  ponds,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a  struggle  for  the  control  of  the  pass, 

AGRICULTURE.       INDUSTRIAL    PURSUITS. 

The  soil  of  this  town  may  be  described  as  a  slaty  loam, 
and  very  productive.  All  the  crops  usual  to  this  section  of 
country  are  raised  here.  Potatoes,  particularly,  are  exported 
in  large  quantities,  and  form  the  main  article  of  produce 
sold  from  the  town.     Considerable  flax  is  also  raised. 

In  the  town  of  Jackson,  opposite  Shushan,  there  is  a 
business  place  of  some  importance,  having  a  saw-mill,  cut- 
ting a  large  amount  of  lumber ;  a  flax-mill ;  a  sash-  and 
blind-factory  ;  a  carriage-factory ;  and  a  foundry  is  being 
established  the  present  year. 

MILITARY    HISTORY. 

The  citizens  of  this  town  shared,  no  doubt,  in  the  great 
events  occurring  around  them  and  in  their  mid.st  during 
the  War  of  the  Revolution.  Doubtless  several  from  this 
town  were  in  service,  but  no  records  arc  found  in  the  town 


upon  this  point,  and  the  memory  of  the  older  people  does 
not  recall  them. 

The  list  of  pensioners  (or  1.S40,  pulilislied  by  the  gov- 
ernment, gives  as  living  in  Jackson  at  that  time,  Benjamin 
Scott  at  the  age  of  eighty-three. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  town  of  Jackson,  called  on 
the  26th  day  of  March,  1864,  Daniel  McFarland  chair- 
man, and  Wm.  H.  Holden  .secretary,  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  adopted  : 

''  Renoivedf  That  the  proceedings  of  the  supervisors  in  procurinrj 
volunteers  for  said  town  be  approved. 

•'  Rr.siilved,  That  the  supervisor  of  Jaekson  draw  on  the  treasurer  of 
thi-  county,  in  bonds  of  the  county,  to  the  amount  of  three  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  if  necessary,  for  the  purpose  of  pay- 
ing bounties  to  volunteers  to  fill  the  iiuota  for  said  town,  under  the 
call  of  the  President  for  two  hundred  thousand  men. 

"  liemi/ved,  That  said  bfinds  be  made  pay.ahle  on  the  1st  day  of 
llaroh,  186S. 

" Remh-cd,  That  Wm.  Thouip.son  and  Ale.tamler  Robertson  be  ap- 
pointed a  committee  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  to  the  enlistments 
from  said  town  that  have  not  been  heretofore  credited.'* 

At  another  special  meeting,  Sept.  9,  1864,  called  by 
the  committees  of  the  town,  to  take  into  consideration  the 
best  method  of  filling  the  quota  of  the  town  under  the 
last  call,  Paul  Doig  was  elected  chairman.  The  report  of 
the  committee  being  called  for,  Wm.  Tiiompson  stated  that 
the  set  price,  five  hundred  dollars,  is  not  sufiicient  to  the  num- 
ber, whereupon  Mr.  Collins  moved  that  the  committee  be  and 
are  hereby  authorized  to  raise  the  required  number  of  men 
at  once,  endeavoring  to  obtain  the  men  as  low  as  possible. 
Taking  into  consideration  the  uncertainty  of  having  our 
town  bonds  taken  at  the  rate  of  six  and  a  half,  he  therefore 
moved  that  the  resolution  of  last  meeting  be  rescinded. 
Carried. 

Moved  that  the  committee  be  authorized  to  draw  county 
bonds  sufiicient  to  pay  our  full  amount  for  the  required 
quota.     Carried. 

Moved  that  Mr.  Wilder  receive  from  the  town  one  thou- 
sand dollars  as  bounty  for  enlisting  one  year. 

Adjourned. 

Dec.  26,  1864. — At  a  special  meeting  called  by  the 
town  clerk  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  matter  of 
raising  men  to  fill  the  quota  under  the  call  for  three  hun- 
dred thousand  men,  the  committee  was  authorized  to  get 
the  men  to  fill  the  quota  for  the  lowest  price  possible. 

•'  RceolveJ,  That  the  committee  be  instructed  to  get  all  the  substi- 
tutes they  can.  Pktkb  McArtbvk,  Cliitirmnu. 
"  C.  B.  Coulter,  Scoretimj." 

Jan.  9,  1865,  at  a  special  meeting,  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  adopted  : 

"  llexidif.rl.  That  the  supervisors  be  authorized  to  take  the  fifteen 
men  already  bargained  for,  and  if  any  more  are  needed  to  get  them 
at  his  discretion. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  supervisor  be  authorized  to  call  on  the  county 
treasurer  to  issue  bonds  to  a  sufficient  amount  for  the  fifteen  men, 
and  for  more  if  necessary,  and  that  the  bonds  be  made  payable  March 
1,  1866." 

WAR   ov    1X61-65. 

Robert  Alexander,  ciil.  Aug.  18112,  lilil  Kegt.,  Co.  (i ;  discli.  June  8,  I86r,. 
Edward  Brxjwn,  enl.  April  22,  1801,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  wounded;  on  battle-Seld 

eight  days ;  then  taken  to  buspital ;  ilischargod. 
Hiram  W.  Brown,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1SC2,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  «  ;  wounded  ;  discli.  June 

8,  1865. 


414 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COdNTY,  NEW    VOKK. 


Andrew  Beebe,  eul.  Sept.  ISOl,  7tli  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  pro.  lo  Corp. ;  discli.  Marcli  .'il, 

1R02. 
Chmmcey  Becbe,  enl.  Sept.  lHi:\,  7th  Ciiv.,  Co.  X  ;  iliscli.  Marcli  31,  18U2. 
Gideon  Biigga,  musician  ;  enl.  Dec.  in,  isr.:),  IGth  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  Aug.l86f). 
Albert  Corbett,  enl.  Sept.  18B-.',  12:id  Kegt.,  Co.  D  ;  discharged. 
Peter  Coivnn,  enl.  Aug.  0,  18G2,  123d  Kcgt.,  Co.  G;   wounded;   discli.  June  8, 

181)5. 
Henry  Coulter,  enl  Aug.  1862, 12.ia  Kegt.,  Co.  G ;  wonnded ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Clarence  Coulter,  enl.  Aug.  1S62, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  died  ol  ivounds,  at  Alexan- 
dria, Oct.  2,  IStB. 
John  F.  Curtis,  ejil.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt. ;  disch.  June  8,  ISft'i. 
(iooige  Cobb,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  discharged  ;  re-cnl.  Dec.  186:1, 

16tli  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  killed  before  Richmond,  Sept.  10, 1864. 
Charles  W.  Decker,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Begt  ,  C.i.  (i ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Ira  Hawthorne,  enl.  Jim.  5,  1864,  16th  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  .lied  of  .lisease,  at  Wil- 
mington, Feb.  15,  1865. 
Aaron  M.  H.vatt.  c.rp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  June  29, 

1865. 
Jonathan  G.  Hatch,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  Jnne  8,  ISO.'). 
Forrest  R.  Uatcli,  eul.  Dec.  31,  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K;  disch.  Aug.  21,  1865. 
James  Hill,  1st   lieut.;    enl.  Aug.  19,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G;    pro.  to  capt.; 

disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Woodard  Hill,  onl.  Seiit.  18,  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  re-enl.  Dec!  18G3,  16th  Art., 

Co.  K  ;  disch.  for  disability. 
Thomas  Highland,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  disch.  June  8,  1SG5. 
Nelson  B.  H(dden,  enl.  Sept.  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  March  31,  1862. 
John  Hasleni,  enl.  Oct.  I'J,  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  March  31,  1862;  re-enl. 

Dec.  28,  1S63,  16th  Art., Co.  K  ;  pro.  to  Corp.;  disch.  June  18,  1865. 
\Vm.  R,  Haskin,  enl.  Sept.  11,  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  A;  disch.  March  31,  1862; 

re-enl.  Dec.  28, 1863,  16th  Art.,  (k).  K  ;  disch.  Ang.  21,  1865. 
Peter  Henry,  enl.  Aug.  1S62,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
John  Luddy,  enl.  Aug. 'J,  1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  G;  prisoner  at  Andersonvillo  ; 

exchanged;  discharged. 
David  C.  Lambert,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  prisoner  at  Anderson- 

ville,  Savannah,  etc. ;  exchanged  ;  disch. .July  6, 1865,  at  Little  York,  Pa. 
Alexander  McGeoch,  enl.  Nov.  7,  1861,  93d  Uegt.,  Co.  G  ;  died  at  Harrison's 

Landing,  July  6,1862. 
James  McGeoch,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  March  31,  1862. 
Jamci  R.  McClellan,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  discharged. 
Chester  L.  McGlellan,  eul.  April,  1861, 22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  wounded;  discharged. 
Robert  Maxwell,  enl.  Aug.  8.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  June  8,1865. 
James  H.  Moore,  enl.  July  9,  1862;  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  prisoner;   exchanged; 

disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Martin  L.  Moore,  enl.  Oct.  13,  1861,  7th  Cav.,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  March  31, 1862 ;  re- 
enl.  Sept.  1863,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  A ;  killed  at  Morganza. 
Matthew  Monigan,  enl.  Aug.  22 ,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  prisoner  at  Anderson- 

ville,  Doc.  1864  ;  returned  to  regt.  April,  1865. 
Robert  Miller,  enl.  Aug.  19,  1864,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
John  L.  Marshall,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
Michael  McGowan,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  discharged. 
Jerome  B.  Rice,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  G  :  pro.  to  sergt.  and  2d  lieut. ; 

prisoner;  exchanged;  ti'ans.  to  signal  corps  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
John  Shields,  enl.  Dec.  25,  1863,  16th  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  died  of  disease,  Oct.  7, 1864, 

at  Petersburg. 
Andrew  Shaler,  musician  ;  eul.  Ang.  8,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  O;  disch.  June  8, 

186.5. 
Thomas  B.  Small,  enl.  Aug.  .s,  1862,  12:1d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  June  S,  1866. 
John   A.Stevenson,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  1862,  I23d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  pro.  to  sergt.; 

disch.  June  8,  1805. 
Sylvester  R.  Warner,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  prisoner  at 

liibby  ;  exchanged;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
John  S.  Wilder,  enl.  Aug.  29, 1804,  123d  Regt.,  i:o.  K  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
Hiram  B.  Wilder,  enl.  Nov.  6,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Dec. 

23,  1862. 
Henry  W.  Welch,  enl.  Sept.  3, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  G;  killed  at  Atlanta. 
Charles  Welch,   enl.  Aug.  1862,  12.)d  Begt.,  Co.  G;  wonnded;    disch.  June  7, 

1865. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


JAMES  CLEVP]LAND 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
June  27, 1797.  He  was  youngest  son  in  a  family  of  three 
sons  and  four  daughters, — Palmer,  David,  James,  Almira, 
Lois,  Ruth,  and  Polly,  all  of  whom  are  decea,sed. 

The  father,  Abel  Cleveland,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 


of  Salem,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island.  He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy  years,  and 
on  the  homestead,  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  now  occupied 
by  the  grandson,  James  H.  Cleveland,  a  view  of  which, 
with  his  portrait  and  his  Other's,  will  be  found  on  another 
page  of  this  work. 

He  was  educated  at  the  common  school,  and  spent  his 
time  at  home  during  his  minority. 

In  the  year  1818  he  married  Fanny  Shepherd,  of  Hebron, 
Washington  Co.,  by  whom  he  had  five  children, — Turner 
S.,  William  Clark,  Frances  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  Ackley, 
of  Jackson,  Henry,  and  James  Harvey.  Mrs.  Cleveland 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  Aug.  14,  1794.  Her 
parents  were  of  New  England  birth,  and  early  settled  in  that 
town.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at 
Salem,  warmly  attached  to  the  interest  of  her  family,  a 
model  wife  and  mother.     She  died  Dec.  31,  1872. 

After  Mr.  Cleveland's  marriage  he  began  farming  in  the 
town  of  Jackson,  where  the  son,  James  H.,  now  resides, 
and  carried  on,  to  a  large  extent,  droving,  buying  his  stock 
in  Washington  and  adjoining  counties,  and  finding  a  market 
at  Troy  and  Lansingburg.  He  was  for  several  years  en- 
gaged as  a  merchant  at  Shushan,  and  for  some  time  in 
Salem,  and  w;is  a  wholesale  commercial  traveler,  selling 
mittens  and  gloves,  for  some  twenty-one  years  previous  to 
his  being  a  merchant.  His  life  was  one  of  great  activity, 
and  characteristic  of  him  were  his  indefatigable  perseverance 
in  business,  his  resolution  to  carry  forward  to  a  successful 
issue  whatever  he  conceived  in  his  mind. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  to  move  in  the  establishment  of 
the  bank  at  Salem,  and  was  a  director  of  tiie  same  during 
the  balance  of  his  life. 

With  a  will  to  do,  he  was  ready  to  engage  in  any  enter- 
prise tending  to  reform.  Was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  at  Salem  for  over  a  half-century. 

Mr.  Cleveland  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  one  of  the  standard-bearers  of  the  princi- 
ples established  by  the  fathers.  He  died  April  12,  187G, 
aged  seventy-nine  years. 

James  H.,  youngest  son,  resides  on  the  old  homestead  ;  is 
prominently  identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  his 
town  and  county  ;  is  the  present  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  town  insurance  company,  formed  in  1858,  with  the 
present  capital  of  three  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dol- 
lars.    He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation. 

In  the  year  1H58,  September  10,  he  married  Miss  Su- 
sannah, daughter  of  Abram  Rowan  and  Susannah  Cruik- 
sliank,  of  Hebron.  Her  father  was  of  Irish  descent,  and 
lived  the  most  of  his  life  in  the  town  of  Salem,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-nii.e  years,  in  the  year  1857.  Her 
mother  was  born  in  Salem  ;  was  of  Scotch  descent  on  the 
paternal  side,  and  Irish  descent  on  the  maternal  side.  Of 
this  family  there  were  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  three 
sons  and  three  daughters  of  whom  are  living.  To  Mr.  aud 
Mrs.  James  H.  Cleveland  have  been  born  two  children, — 
William  J.  and  Fred.  R. 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,   NEW    YORK. 


415 


f^ipl      ?5^ 


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JONATHAN    WARNER. 

Andrew  Warner  came  to  America  from  Wales  about  the 
year  1630.  He  resided  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  a  few  years, 
and  became  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Hartford  in  1635. 
He  removed  to  Hadley,  Mass.,  about  the  year  1660,  and 
died  there  in  1686,  at  an  advanced  age.  He  had  six  sons, 
viz.,  Andrew,  Robert,  John,  Daniel,  Jacob,  and  Isaac,  and 
fifty-six  grandchildren.  Andrew,  the  son  of  Daniel,  settled 
in  Saybrook  in  1696,  being  the  second  person  to  locate  in 
that  part  of  the  town.  He  had  two  sons,  Andrew  and 
Ichabod,  the  former  of  whom  had  five  sons,  viz.,  James, 
Eleazar,  Jonathan,  Seth,  and  Andrew. 

Jonathan  Warner  was  born  in  the  town  of  Jackson, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  ¥.,  Aug.  4,  1802.  He  was  eldest  son 
of  Solomon  Warner  and  Elizabeth  Woodworth,  the  former 
a  native  of  Saybrook,  Conn.,  and  came  to  Washington 
county,  settling  in  the  town  of  Jackson  with  his  father, 
James  Warner,  when  he  was  only  three  years  of  age,  and 
in  the  year  1780.  Hence  this  family  Ls  numbered  among 
the  pioneers  of  this  part  of  the  county.  At  the  time  of 
the  emigration  of  the  grandfather  there  came  also,  and  set- 
tled in  the  town  of  Jackson,  his  two  brothers.  His  grand- 
father died  at  an  advanced  age. 

An  incident  worthy  of  note  here  i.s,  that  the  ancestors 
moved  their  effects  into  their  wilderness  home  with  an  ox- 
team,  finding  their  way  by  marked  trees.  The  rude  cabin, 
the  incidents  of  pioneer  life,  the  obstacles  consequent  upon 
the  growth  of  a  new  country,  were  shared  by  this  family  in 
common  with  other  settlers. 

Solomon  WarTier,  the  father,  spent  his  life  as  a  tanner 
and  currier  and  shoemaker,  and  also  engaged  quite  exten- 
sively in  farming ;  raised  a  family  of  nine  children  to  ma- 
turity, of  whom  only  four  survive  at  the  time  of  writing 


MRS.    JONATHAN    WAKNEK. 


this  sketch  (1878).  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
He  was  accidentally  killed  by  the  cars,  on  the  railroad  near 
his  home,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years  and  eleven  months, 
and  in  the  year  1844.  His  wife  died  October,  1842.  Jon- 
athan spent  his  minority  on  the  farm,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion from  books  in  the  district  school ;  but  his  subsequent 
life  has  attested  during  his  youth  well-grounded  and  correct 
moral  habits  and  impressions  received  from  parental  training, 
that  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  a  successful  business  career. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  married  Miss  Maria,  daugh- 
ter of  David  Simpson  and  Rachel  Reid.  The  former,  a  native 
of  Ireland,  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents,  settling 
first  in  New  Hampshire,  and  subsequently  in  Jackson,  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  potash,  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, and  farming.  The  family  of  Simpson  became  very 
numerous  in  Washington  county.  The  latter  was  also  a 
native  of  Coleraine,  Ireland. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warner  have  been  born  four  children, 
all  dying  young  except  one  daughter,  Anna  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  Rev.  William  M.  Johnson,  who  is,  in  1878,  pastor  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Cohoes.  Mr.  Warner  is 
ranked  among  the  self-made  men  of  his  town  and  county, 
aud  one  of  its  leading  agriculturists,  and  has  spent  his  life 
as  a  farmer,  and,  by  industry  and  a  far-seeing  sagacity  in 
business  matters,  secured  a  competence  to  place  him  beyond 
the  apprehension  of  want. 

In  politics  he  has  led  a  quiet  life,  yet  guarding  carefully 
the  right  of  suffrage,  first  in  the  old  Whig  party,  and  sub- 
sccjueutly  in  the  Republican  party.  He  is  one  of  the  direc- 
tors of  the  Cambridge  Valley  National  Bank,  and  promi- 
nent in  the  councils  of  its  board  of  managers. 

Mr.  Warner  and  his  wife  are  both  identified  with  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  Cambridge,  and  liberal  supporters 
of  all  interests  looking  to  the  building  up  and  educating  the 


416 


HISTOKY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY.  NEAV    YORK. 


rising  generation.  A  view  of  his  residence  and  sunound- 
injrs,  eontrastinj;  strongly  the  present  improvements  with 
the  wilderne.ss  home,  and  showini;  the  result  of  a  life  of 
labor,  will  bo  seen  on  another  page  of  this  work. 


THP]  HEDGES  FAMILY. 

This  family  are  very  numerous,  and  widely  dispersed 
over  this  and  other  States.  They  all  trace  their  descent 
back  to  their  first  American  ancestor,  William  Hedges, — 
the  fir.st  of  the  name  in  East  Hampton,  Long  Island,  and 
wlio  died  in  1674.  From  him  to  the  present  have  been 
the  following  generations  : 

.Second,  Stephen  Hedges,  died  July  7,  17o4,  aged  one 
hundred  years. 

Third,   William  Hedges,  died  in  1771. 

Fourth,  Stephen  Hedges,  died  in  1801,  aged  seventy- 
seven  years. 

Fifth,  David  Hedges,  died  in  184G,  aged  eighty-four 
years. 

Sixth,   Stephen  Hedges. 

Seventh,  Stephen  L.  Hedges. 

Eighth,  David  E.  Hedges. 

The  three  last  named  were  living  in  1850  in  the  same 
house,  at  the  north  end  of  Main  street.  East  Hampton, 
upon  the  inheritance  which  had  descended  from  William 
of  the  third  generation,  who  lived  and  died  there.  There 
are  now  thirty-three  families  of  the  name  living  in  Ea.st 
and  South  Hampton,  L.  I.,  but  many  more  living  away 
from  Long  Island. 

Three  brothers,  John  W.,  William,  and  Henry  T. 
Hedges,  sons  of  Samuel  B,  and  Mary  (Baker)  Hedges, 
reside  on  the  old  homestead  in  Jackson,  where  they  were 
born,  and  are  the  present  representatives  of  a  well-known 
family. 

Samuel  B.  Hedges  was  born  in  East  Hampton,  L.  I., 
Feb.  12,  1786  ;  was  a  nail-maker  by  trade,  and  removed 
when  a  young  man  to  Lansingburg,  where  he  was  married 
(Jan.  2,  1812),  and  whence  he  came  here  and  purchased 
the  present  Hedges,  place  in  1822.  He  followed  farming 
from  that  time  until  June,  1854,  when  he  went  upon  a 
trip  to  the  copper-mines  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior. 
Nothing  was  heard  from  him  by  his  family  for  so  long  a 
time  that  they  became  alarmed  about  him,  and  on  examin- 
ing a  western  paper  read  a  notice  of  a  man  having  been 
found  drowned  in  the  Sault  St.  Marie,  whose  body  had 
been  rescued  and  buried.  No  one  knew  whether  he  had 
been  the  victim  of  foul  play  or  had  been  accidentally 
drowned,  but  it  proved  to  be  the  body  of  Mr.  Hedges,  who 
had  met  his  sad  fate  far  away  from  home  and  kindred. 
His  body  was  brought  home  as  soon  as  practicable  by  the 
family  and  interred  in  the  grave-yard  near  the  brick 
church,  in  Jackson,  N.  Y.  He  was  a  man  highly  respected ; 
had  served  as  an  ensign  under  Captain  Ballard  in  the  War 
of  1812,  and  afterwards  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  cap- 
tain in  1816.  He  was  a  pensioner  of  the  War  of  1812. 
In  civil  life  he  had  held  several  offices  of  trust  in  his  town, 
such  as  overseer  of  the  poor,  assessor,  etc.  His  wife,  Mary 
Baker,   was   the    dausihter   of  James   Baker    and   Esther 


(Collins)  Baker,  of  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  settled  at 
an  eai'ly  time  in  Lansingburg,  where  Mary  was  born.  May 
6,  1796.  They  were  married  Jan.  2,  1812,  and  had  a 
family  of  fifteen  children,  namely:  John  W.,  Mary  Ann 
(died  in  1814),  Mary  Ann  (died  in  1847),  Sophia,  George 
W.  (died  in  1867),  Matthew  J.  (died  in  1859),  Stephen 
D.  (died  in  1821),  Esther  (died  in  1823),  Esther  P., 
Timothy  ( died  in  1828),  Samuel,  William,  Stephen  McCrea, 
Timothy,  and  Henry  T.  Of  this  family  eight  are  living, 
six  sons  and  two  daughters :  MeCrea  Hedges  resides  in 
Cambridge ;  Daniel  is  a  resident  of  Iowa ;  Timothy,  of 
Aurora,  111,  ;  Sophia,  wife  of  James  Bradshaw,  resides  at 
Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  and  Esther,  an  unmarried  sister,  is 
living  at  home  on  the  farm.  The  three  brothers  at  home 
are  farmers,  having  purchased  the  estate  of  the  other  heirs. 
Henry  in  addition  to  farming  also  carries  on  building,  being 
a  practical  carpenter  and  joiner. 

Henry  T.  Hedges  was  married  to  Miss  A.senath  Burtt, 
of  Shu.shan.  in  March,  1863,  by  whom  he  has  four  children. 
For  about  five  years  he  has  held  the  office  of  road  com- 
missioner. John  W.  and  Timothy  served  in  the  late  war, 
the  latter  being  wounded  by  a  rifle-shot  while  serving  as 
captain  of  commissary  on  the  staflF  of  General  Kilpatrick. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry. 


JAMES  H.  WEIR. 


John  Weir,  the  grandfather  of  James  H.  Weir,  came 
from  the  north  of  Ireland  before  the  Revolution,  and  was 
a  soldier  during  that  war.  He  was  the  first  settler  on  the 
farm  known  as  the  Arnott  place,  about  three  miles  from 
the  village  of  Cambridge,  where  he  spent  his  days,  and 
where  Thomas  I.  Weir,  the  father  of  James  H.,  was 
born  Sept.  19, 1779.  He  married  for  his  first  wife  Matilda 
Howland,  December,  1803.  She  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts, April  2,  1784.  By  this  marriage  he  had  children 
as  follows:  Abraham,  born  May  5,  1805;  Deborah,  born 
Nov.  8,  1806;  Catharine,  born  Aug.  16,  1808;  Rozilla, 
born  July  27,  1810  ;  John,  born  May  7,  1812  ;  Maranda, 
born  April  4,  1814;  James  H.,  born  March  5,  1816. 
Mrs.  Weir  died  Dec.  17,  1817,  and  Mr.  Weir  married  for 
his  second  wife  Anna  Hay,  of  Cambridge,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  30, 
1821.  She  was  born  in  Cambridge,  May  2,  1791,  and  is 
still  living,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  at  the  old 
Weir  homestead  in  Jackson.  The  children  of  Thomas  I. 
Weir,  by  the  second  marriage,  were  Elizabeth,  born  Dec. 
25,  1821 ;  Henry,  born  Nov.  10,  1823  ;  Lewis,  born  Aug. 
5,  1826.  Mr.  Wier  died  Oct.  12,  1865,  aged  eighty-six 
years  and  twenty-three  days. 

Of  the  children  by  the  first  marriage,  Maranda,  Catha- 
rine, Deborah,  and  Rozilla  are  deceased,  and  of  those  by 
the  second  marriage,  Lewis  and  Elizabeth. 

James  Harvey  Weir  was  the  youngest  child  of  Thomas 
I.  Weir  by  his  first  wife.  He  was  brought  up  on  the  old 
homestead,  adjoining  his  present  place  in  the  town  of  Jack- 
son, till  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  received  his  education 
at  the  common  schools.  December  31, 1839,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Sarah  Jane  Stone,  daughter  of  Reuben 
Stone,   of  Jackson,     /rheir  children  are    Angel  ine,  born 


HLSTORY    OF    WASHLNGTOM    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


417 


May  20,  1843  ;  Dallas  P.,  born  March  29,  1845  ;  Mary 
Eudora,  born  Nov.  27,  1846 ;  Emma  Jane,  born  April  20, 
1854.  Angeline  died  Feb.  18,  1852;  Mary  E.  (Mrs. 
William  Hall)  died  Feb.  11,  1874. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Weir  settled  on  the  Rood  farm,  now  occu- 
pied by  his  son-in-law,  William  Hall,  whore  he  resided 
twenty  years.  He  then  removed  to  his  present  place, 
which  he  had  previously  purchased,  jiaying;  therefor  fifty 
dollars  per  acre,  the  highest  price  then  paid  for  land  in  the 
town.  The  location  is  a  very  beautiful  and  desirable  one, 
and  the  farm  one  of  the  best  in  this  portion  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Weir  is  a  very  successful  farmer,  and  highly  esteemed 
in  the  eommuiiitv  where  he  resides. 


THOMAS    B.  LOURIE. 

Thomas  B.  Lourie  was  born  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  at 
the  homestead  where  he  now  resides,  on  the  20th  of  April, 
1828.      Alexander   Lourie,  his   grandfather,    came   from 


latter  marriage  he  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  died 
young.  Those  who  reached  maturity  were  Anna  Maria, 
Thomas  B.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  Jennett,  now 
Mrs.  I)r.  John  Ashton,  of  Cambridge. 

His  maternal  grandfather,  Rev.  Thomas  Beveridge,  came 
from  Scotland  in  1784,  and  was  sent  by  the  presbytery  of 
Philadelphia  to  preach  in  this  section  of  northern  New 
York.  •  He  established  the  second  Associated  Presbyterian 
church  in  this  vicinity,  viz.,  the  present  United  Presbyte- 
rian church  of  Coila,  of  which  Rev.  Henry  Gordon  is 
pastor.  He  preached  extensively,  and  organized  most  of 
what  were  then  called  the  Associated  Presbyterian  churches 
of  this  county,  but  afterwards  united  with  the  Reformed 
churches,  constituting  the  United  Presbyterian  church. 

Rev.  Mr.  Beveridge  married  Jennett  Featheringame, 
whose  mother's  maiden  name  was  Jennett  Lourie.  She 
married  a  Beveridge  for  her  first  husband,  and  for  her 
second  a  Featheringame,  and  emigrated  from  Scotland  with 
her  son  and  daughter  by  the  first  marriage,  Andrew  and 
Anna  Beveridge,  and  her  daughter  by  the  second  marriage. 


P.  /3, 


Scotland  in  1770,  and  settled  first  iu  Orange  county, 
whence  he  removed  to  that  part  of  the  old  town  of  Cam- 
bridge now  included  in  Jackson  in  17U2.  He  married  in 
Scotland  a  Miss  McDonal,  and  had  two  sons  who  arrived  at 
maturity,  one  of  whom  was  George  Lourie,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  notice.  George  Lourie  was  born  Jan. 
11,  1786,  and  married  for  his  first  wife  Mary  W.  Irvine, 
Dec.  28,  1809,  by  whom  he  had  five  children.  He  after- 
wards married  Jennett  Beveridge,  daughter  of  Rev.  Thomas 
Beveridge,  who  was  the  founder  and  first  pastor  of  what  is 
now  the  United  Presbyterian  church  of  (Vila.  By  this 
53 


Jennett  Featheringame,  in  1774.  She  became  the  wife  of 
Rev.  Thomas  Beveridge  and  the  grandmother  of  Mr. 
Lourie,  as  above  stated. 

The  Louries  and  the  Beveridgcs  are  well-known  families 
iu  this  county.  Thomas  B.  Lourie  is  a  brother  of  Judge 
James  I.  Lourie,  of  Greenwich,  formerly  judge  of  the 
circuit  court.  Of  the  latter  family,  ex-Governor  Bev- 
eridge, of  Illinois,  is  a  reprasentative,  and  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Hebron  in  this  county. 

Thomas  B.  Lourie  wa.s  married  in  1855  to  Sarah  Jane 
Stevenson,  daughter  of  ILin.  John  Stevenson,  of  Cambridge. 


418 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


He  has  devoted  himself  to  the  occupation  of  a  flirmer  and 
mixed  little  in  politics,  iilthoiigh  a  man  of  decided  opinions 
and  an  ardent  Republican  since  the  organization  of  that 
party.  He  has  served  his  town  twice  in  the  board  of 
supervisors,  and  been  county  superintendent  of  the  poor 
for  tiie  jtast  ten  years. 


WILLIAM  HOLDEN, 
son  of  John  Ilolden  and  Abigail  Chipman,  was  born  in 
Arlington,  Vt.,  March  29,  1807.  Like  other  Vermont 
boys,  his  earlier  years  were  spent  about  his  father's  prem- 
ises, attending  to  such  duties  as  a  boy  could  do  and  availing 
himself  of  such  means  of  education  as  the  place  afforded. 
At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  placed  under  the  care  of  Col- 
onel E.  Billings,  of  Jackson,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  tanner  and  currier.  Here  he  spent 
four  years,  during  which  a  mutual  friendship  sprang  up 
between  the  employer  and  the  young  apprentice,  which 
continued  unbroken  until  the  death  of  Colonel  Billings  a 
few  years  ago.  Afler  spending  some  years  in  journey-work, 
he  returned  to  Colonel  Billings  and  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  him.  Having  now  a  permanent  business,  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  establish  a  home,  and  in  1833  he 
married  Evelyn  M.  Kelly,  of  Wardsboro',  Vt.  In  this 
choice  he  was  very  fortunate,  for  in  all  the  years  of  their 
wedded  life  she  has  been  to  him  a  true  helpmeet  and  cheer- 
ful companion  in  life's  journey. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen,  Mr.  Holden  connected  himself 
with  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Cambridge,  known  as  the 
White  church,  where  ever  since  he  has  not  only  been  an 
influential  and  consistent  member,  but  has  there  exercised 
the  office  of  ruling  elder  over  thirty  years.  He  is  a  Pres- 
byterian by  choice  and  conviction,  a  stanch  advocate  of 
the  distinctive  doctrines  of  that  venerable  denomination. 

Mr.  Holden  has  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  living. 
His  oldest  son,  during  the  nation's  peril,  went  forth  to  de- 
fend its  integrity,  but  never  returned.  Two  of  his  sons  are 
in  business  in  Chicago,  and  two  of  his  daughters  reside  in 
New  Jersey.  Tliough  partially  retired,  he  has  not  en- 
tirely relin([uished  his  business,  but  is  carrying  it  on  still, 
in  copartnership  with  his  son  Henry,  who  lives  with  him. 
He  is  thus  relieved  from  the  worry  of  business,  having 
largely  conveyed  his  interest  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  who 
inherits  many  of  his  father's  sterling  fjualities.  He  is 
spending  the  autumn  of  his  life  very  pleasantly.  The  wife 
of  his  youth  is  still  by  his  side. 

In  the  place  where  he  has  always  resided  and  is  best 
known  he  is  most  I'espected, — an  excellent  evidence  of  a 
man's  real  worth  and  the  soundness  of  liis  character.  As 
a  man  of  business  he  is  noted  for  his  old-fashioned  upright- 
ness in  his  dealings,  preferring  the  maintenance  of  his  word 
and  honor  to  anything  that  might  be  gained  by  the  modern 
tricks  of  trade.  As  a  citizen  he  has  always  taken  the  right 
side  of  every  enterprise,  and  though  by  no  means  desirous 
of  notoriety,  might  always  be  relied  on  to  aid  whatever  was 
considered  to  be  for  the  good  of  the  community  at  large. 
As  a  member  of  the  church  lie  has  always  been  consistent, 
and  as  an  officer  calm,  judicial,  and  charitable.  When  duty 
re((uired  it,  lie  has  always  been  tlie  uiifliiichiiig  advoc;ite  of 
what  he  believed  to  be  right  and  Scriptural.      Taking  him 


all  in  all,  he  is  a  well-rounded  type  of  the  American  char- 
acter, leaving  an  example  that  will  be  a  good  one  for  his 
children  to  imitate,  and  a  name  they  will  cherish  when  his 
head  lies  low  and  mingles  with  its  kindred  dust. 


JAMES  COULTER. 

Among  the  sturdy,  enterprising,  and  successful  farmers  of 
Washington  county,  none  are  more  deserving  of  mention 
than  James  Coulter.  He  is  of  Irish  descent,  with  a  re- 
markable genius  for  economy  and  thrift,  few  men  in  the 
county  having  attained  greater  success  in  the  exclusive  pur- 
suit of  agriculture. 

James  Coulter  wa.s  born  in  that  portion  of  the  old  town 
of  Cambridge  now  included  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  24, 1799,  and  is  the  son  of  George, 
and  grandson  of  James  Coulter.  His  grandfather  came 
from  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  was  the  first  settler  on  the 
farm  (then  a  wilderness)  adjoining  the  present  Coulter 
homestead  on  the  north,  where  George  Coulter  was  born  and 
reared  his  family,  and  where  James  was  also  born  and  re- 
sided until  the  age  of  twenty-six  years.  He  had  been  in 
no  haste  to  get  married  until  he  could  first  secure  a  situa- 
tion enabling  him  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  a  farm 
for  himself;  and  having  attained  that  object,  he  married  his 
cousin,  Nancy  Coulter,  a  discreet  and  comely  farmer's 
daughter,  who  has  fulfilled  Solomon's  ideal  of  a  wife,  in 
"  managing  well  the  affairs  of  her  household,  and  eating  not 
the  bread  of  idleness."  Her  mother's  name  was  Nancy 
Ferguson,  born  in  Scotland,  and  came  to  this  country  with 
her  parents  and  two  brothers,  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Washington  county.  She  married  a  brother  of  Mr.  Coul- 
ter's father,  and  her  daughter  Nancy  married  James  Coultei-, 
the  subject  of  this  biography,  on  the  18th  of  January, 
1826.  For  a  partial  payment  on  the  new  farm,  upon  which 
Mr.  Coulter  was  about  to  commence  his  married  life,  his 
father  gave  him  one  thousand  dollars,  and  other  personals, 
in  the  way  of  an  outfit.  He  purchased  one  hundred  acres 
for  twenty  dollars  an  acre,  on  which  he  settled  and  lived 
until  1836.  At  the  end  of  this  decade  he  bad  paid  for  his 
place  and  saved  a  surplus  of  sixteen  hundred  dollars  to  pay 
down  on  his  next  farm, — the  place  where  he  now  resides,— 
which  he  purchased  and  moved  upon  in  the  year  1836.  It 
is  only  summing  up  and  epitomizing  a  long  life  of  remark- 
able energy,  diligence,  and  success,  in  a  pursuit  exclusively 
agricultural,  to  say  that  he  has  grown  "  rich  in  children  and 
lands,"  as  did  the  patriarch  Jacob. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coulter  have  had  eleven  children, — six  sons 
and  five  daughters.  One  son  died  in  infancy,  and  they  lost 
three  little  girls  with  scarlet  fever,  who  died  within  two 
weeks  of  each  other.  Towards  his  children,  Mr.  Coulter 
has  been  munificent  in  his  liberality,  aiding  all  his  sons, 
except  the  youngest,  who  still  resides  at  home  (and  will 
probably  continue  to  do,  as  he  is  married  and  will  be  a 
necessary  stay  of  his  parents  in  their  old  age),  in  getting 
established  upon  their  respective  farms  m  the  sum  of  ten 
thousand  dollars  each. 

Besides  these  munificent  gifts  to  his  children,  Mr.  Coulter 
gave  liberally  to  build  the  Rutland  and  Washington  rail- 
road  through   this  county,  and   al.so   the  Johnsimville  and 


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Residencc  or  Wm  Holden,  Jackson.  WASHjNoroN  (;o,N  v 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


419 


Greenwich  railroad.  He  lias  always  been  a  Republican, 
and  while  he  has  been  too  busy  a  man  to  accept  or  desire 
office,  he  has  never  been  par.simouious  in  matter.?  pertaining 
to  home  or  the  public  welfare.  The  books  and  adornments 
of  art  which  the  visitor  notices  in  his  home  show  him  to 
be  a  man  of  refined  and  elevated  sentiments,  and  far  supe- 
rior to  the  mere  sordid  desire  to  accumulate  property.  He, 
and  his  wife  and  family  also,  evidently  desire  wealth  not 
for  its  own  sake,  but  for  the  higher  ends  of  intellectual,  es- 
thetic, and  social  life  to  which  it  is  made  to  minister,  and 
the  comforts  and  enjoyments  which  it  secures. 

They  have  one  married  daughter  residing  at  Union  vil- 
lage,— Cornelia,  wife  of  James  Thomp.son.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Coulter  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church  at 
Coila,  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  where  Rev.  Dr.  Bullions 
officiated  as  pastor  for  over  fifty  years,  of  which  church 
Mr.  Coulter  has  held  for  many  years  the  office  of  trustee. 
In  paying  the  tribute  justly  due  to  his  fiiithful  companion, 
Mr.  Coulter  wishes  to  accord  to  her  economy  and  good 
management  the  credit  for  a  large  share  of  his  success  in 
life.  As  they  have  traveled  the  up-hill  of  life  together, 
they  are  now  descending  its  declining  slope  in  company, 
and  may  they  at  last,  as  pilgrims,  reach  the  "  shining  gate." 


ANDREW  McLEAN. 

Andrew  McLean  was  born  in  Jackson,  Wa.shington  Co., 
N  Y.,  April  9,  1824.  He  is  a  son  of  Lewis  McLean,  and 
grandson  of  Hon.  John  McLean,  who  came  from  New 
Jersey  and  settled  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  Alansou 
McLean,  brother  of  the  subject  of  this  notice.  John 
McLean,  the  grandfather,  was  born  in  New  Jerse}',  May  9, 
1760.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Vankirk,  born 
June  28,  1762,  and  married  to  Mr.  McLean  June  4,  1783. 
Of  their  large  family,  Lewis,  the  father  of  Andrew  and 
Alanson  McLean,  and  their  eight  sisters,  was  the  fourth 
child,  and  was  born  on  the  homestead  in  Jackson.  He 
married  Esther  Collins,  of  Greenwich,  by  whom  he  had  ten 
children,  all  daughters,  except  the  two  sons,  Andrew  and 
Alanson  McLean,  both  of  whom  now  occupy  the  lands 
upon  which  their  grandfather,  Hon.  John  McLean,  settled 
ever  ninety  years  ago,  when  Washington  county  was  a 
wilderness.  John  McLean  was  among  the  prominent  men 
of  the  county,  which  he  represented  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly ;  while  a  member  of  that  body  he  secui'ed  the  passage 
of  the  law  dividing  the  old  town  of  Cambridge,  and  form- 
ing within  its  original  territory  the  two  new  towns  of  Jack- 
son and  White  Creek.  He  died  on  the  6th  of  July,  1834, 
and  his  wife  on  the  14lh  of  September,  1835. 

The  estate  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  Lewis  McLean, 
who  reared  upon  it  his  family  of  ten  children,  pursuing 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer  during  his  life.  At  his  death 
the  estate  was  divided  between  the  two  sous,  who  discharged 
the  obligations  to  the  remaining  children,  and  have  since 
resided  upon  the  premises  as  successful  and  prosperous 
farmers. 

Andrew  JIcLean  was  educated  at  the  common  schools, 
and  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture,  which  he  has  followed  all 
his  life,  having  resided  on  the  present  place  since  1828. 
He  was  married,  in  January,  1852,  to  Martha  E.  Valentine, 


daughter  of  Harvey  and  Eliza  Valentine,  whose  parents 
were  among  the  first  settlers  in  this  section  of  the  town  of 
Jackson,  and  whose  estate  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Ponds  is  still  owned  by  the  family  descendants.  The 
fruit  of  this  marriage  has  been  three  children,  as  follows: 
Lewis  Vankirk,  born  Jan.  6,  1853  ;  Arthur  H.,  born  Sept. 
16,  1857  ;  and  Esther  Addie,  born  Feb.  28,  1859. 

Mr.  McLean  was  reared  a  Whig,  but  became  a  Democrat 
upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party,  in  1856.  He 
has  taken  little  active  interest  in  politics,  and  never  sought 
office.  He  and  Mrs.  McLean  are  members  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  of  Cambridge,  of  which  organization 
he  has  served  many  years  as  trustee. 


WARREN   KENYON. 

Warren  Kenyon  was  born  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  30,  1834,  and  was  brought  up  there 
on  a  farm  till  he  attained  his  majority.  On  the  9th  of 
September,  1856,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Phoebe  Esther  V.  Clough,  of  Hebron,  and  soon  after  pur- 
chased a  farm  near  the  old  homestead,  upon  which  he 
settled  and  resided  about  seven  years.  He  then  removed 
to  a  farm  which  he  purchased  in  the  town  of  Easton.  He 
occupied  this  place  about  two  years,  when  he  removed  to 
the  beautiful  spot  on  which  his  residence  now  stands.  It 
is  situated  in  the  town  of  Jackson,  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Lauderdale,  on  the  turnpike  leading  from  Cambridge  to 
Salem.  He  has  here  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of 
fine  land,  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  land- 
scapes in  this  section  of  the  country.  The  lake,  embosomed 
in  the  rich,  green  valley,  spreads  its  silver  sheet  of  water 
almost  from  his  very  door,  and  is  not  only  a  gem  in  the 
emerald  of  the  surrounding  fields  and  hills,  but  is  a  place 
much  resorted  to  by  fishing  and  pleasure  parties.  Mr. 
Kenyon  has  constructed  a  convenient  dock  near  his  house, 
at  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  keeps  a  supply  of  skiffs  and 
small  boats  for  the  accommodation  of  those  who  desire  to 
use  them  for  fishing  and  other  purposes. 

His  father,  Zebulon  Kenyon,  was  born  in  Argyle,  and 
was  an  early  settler  in  the  town  of  Hebron.  His  ancestors 
came  from  Rhode  Island,  and  settled  in  Argyle  at  an  early 
time. 

Mrs.  Kenyon's  father.  Dr.  Levi  H.  Clough,  was  born  in 
Hebron,  his  parents  having  emigrated  from  Massachusetts 
at  a  time  when  Washington  county  was  a  wilderness. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenyon  have  had  four  children,  two  of 
whom'  died  in  infancy.  Those  surviving  are  Lois  Anna, 
now  Mrs.  Albert  Ackley,  of  Jackson,  and  Levi  Kenyon,  a 
lad  of  some  seven  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Kenyon  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  while  he  has  never  sought  office,  he  ha.s  discharged  the 
duties  of  tho.se  which  his  townsmen  have  imposed  upon  him 
with  fidelity.  He  is  a  man  of  energy  and  integrity  of 
character,  and  has  achieved  his  success  in  life  by  his  own 
unaided  exertions.  Both  himself  and  Mrs.  Kenyon  have 
been  members  of  the  Metiiodist  Episcopal  church  for  about 
twenty  years,  and  are  among  the  most  estimable  citizens  of 
the  town  in  which  they  reside. 


KINGSBURY. 


Tins  lies  in  the  western  vansje  of  towns,  and  is  about 
equidistant  between  the  northern  and  southern  extremities 
of  tlie  county.  Its  form  is  that  of  a  square,  of  which  tlie 
boundaries  are,  Fort  Ann  on  the  north,  Hartford  on  the 
east,  and  Argyle  and  Fort  Edward  on  the  south.  On 
the  west  it  bordere  on  the  county  of  Warren,  except  for 
about  one  mile,  at  the  southwest  corner,  where  the  Hudson 
river  divides  it  from  Saratoga  county.  Tlie  surface  is  for 
the  most  part  level  or  moderately  rolling,  but  in  the  east  it 
is  broken  by  bills,  some  of  which  rise  to  a  height  of  nearly 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  valleys.  Besides  the  Hudson, 
the  only  streams  of  size  are  Wood  creek,  which  enters  from 
Argyle  and  flows  across  the  town  in  a  northeasterly  direc- 
tion, and  Half- Way  creek,  a  tributary  of  Wood  creek,  en- 
tering from  Warren  county  and  crossing  the  northwest 
corner  into  Fort  Ann.  A  small  stream,  called  Bond's  creek, 
flows  south  from  Kingsbury  into  Fort  Edward,  where  it 
becomes  Fort  Edward  creek.  The  Champlain  canal  and 
the  Saratoga  and  Whitehall  railroad  traverse  the  town  in  a 
northeasterly  course,  and  nearly  pai'allel  to  each  other,  along 
the  valley  of  Wood  creek,  and  the  Glen's  Falls  navigable 
feeder  crosses  the  southwest  corner. 

The  present  domain  of  Kingsbuiy,  like  that  of  adjoining 
towns,  was  once  traversed  by  the  great  Indian  trails  leading 
from  the  lakes  to  the  Hudson,  over  which,  for  a  period 
whose  duration  none  will  ever  know,  the  warriors  of  the 
northern  and  southern  tribes  piissed  and  repassed  in  the  ad- 
vances and  retreats  of  their  ceaseless  warfare  against  each 
otlier,  and  along  whose  route,  in  every  mile,  from  river  to 
lake,  the  dark  pine  forest  echoed  to  the  whoop  and  the 
scalp-yell,  long  before  Abercronibie,  or  Dieskau,  or  Mont- 
calm were  born. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  first  white  man  who  ever 
set  foot  here  was  Father  Isaac  Jogues,  a  French  Jesuit, 
who,  in  1642,  while  on  his  way  from  Quebec  to  a  Huron 
mission  in  Upper  Canada,  accompanied  by  his  friends, 
Goupil  and  Couture  and  two  other  Frenchmen,  and  escorted 
by  thirty-five  Hurons,  was  captured  by  a  Mohawk  war-party 
and  brought  by  way  of  Lake  George,'''  and  tlience  over  the 
great  path,  to  the  Hudson  river.  A  year  later  he  made  his 
escape,  but  returning  afterwards,  with  the  purpose  of  estab- 
lishing a  mission  among  the  Mohmvks,  was  most  barbarously 
murdered  by  them  in  x\ugust,  1646.  Twenty  years  later 
came  the  French  expeditions,  led  by  De  Courcelles  and  De 
Tracey  against  the  Mohawks,  in  1665  and  1666,  the  former 
numbering  five  hundred,  and  the  latter  eleven  hundred  men. 
These  and  the  subsequent  raidiugs  which  culminated  in  the 
bloody  descent  on  Schenectady,  in  1690,  all  passed  over  this 

*  This  was  the  first  time  this  beautiful  lake  had  been  seen  by  Eu- 
ropeans, and  Father  Jogues  then  gave  to  it  the  name  of  Lat  dii  Si. 

.Snaruineill. 

420 


ground,  as  did  also  the  retaliatory  expeditions  which  marched 
northward  against  the  Canadian  French  and  Indians,  in 
1689-91,  and  that  of  Nicholson,  in  1709.  The  French 
leader,  Marin,  came  this  way  in  his  descent  on  Fort  Lydius 
and  Saratoga,  in  1745,  and  ten  years  later  commenced  the 
marchings  and  countermarchings  of  armies  which,  under 
Lyman,  and  Johnson,  and  Abercronibie,  and  Amherst,  were 
almost  constantly  moving  through  these  forests  until  the 
close  of  the  last  French  war,  and  which  are  described  at 
length  in  their  appropriate  chronological  position  in  the 
general  history  of  the  county. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  of  the  minor  events  of  that 
era  was  the  desperate  fight  which  occurred  on  the  8th  of 
August,  1758.  between  Majors  Putnam  and  Rogers,  with 
their  rangers,  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  body  of  French  and 
Indians,  under  the  celebrated  partisan  leader,  Marin  or 
Molang,  on  the  other.  This  is  believed  by  some  to  have 
occurred  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town  now  under 
consideration,  and  it  is  sometimes  called  the  battle  of  Kings- 
bury, but  the  weight  of  evidence  is  that  it  was  in  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Fort  Ann.  It  is  fully  described  in  the  general 
history.f 

In  the  times  of  which  we  write,  and  for  many  years  after, 
the  territory  which  is  now  Kingsbury  was  for  the  most  part 
covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  the  heaviest  timber.  In 
the  east  and  northeast  portion  was  a  region  which,  upon  a 
military  map  made  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago,  was  desig- 
nated as  open  pitch-pine  plains ;  but  in  the  western  part, 
and  particularly  along  the  road  between  Forts  Edward  and 
William  Henry,  was  an  unbroken  forest  of  mighty  white- 
pine  trees,  into  whose  gloomy  shadow  the  sun's  rays  seldom 
penetrated,  and  in  whose  dim  recesses  innumerable  deeds  of 
horror  and  m;issacre  were  done.  In  Graydon's  "  Memoirs" 
this  section  is  thus  described  :  "  Immediately  beyond  Fort 
Edward  the  country  assumed  a  dreary,  cheerless  aspect. 
Between  this  and  Lake  George,  a  distance  of  about  twelve 
miles,  it  was  almost  an  entire  wood,  acquiring  a  deeper 
gloom,  as  well  from  the  general  prevalence  of  pines,  as  from 
its  dark,  extended  covert  being  presented  to  the  imagination 
as  an  appropriate  scene  for  the  treasons,  stratagems,  and 
spoils  of  savage  ho.stility.  It  was  in  this  tract  of  country 
that  several  actions  had  been  fought ;  that  Baron  Dieskau 
had  been  defeated,  and  that  American  blood  had  flowed  as 
well  as  English  and  French  ;  in  commemoration  of  which, 
the  terror  we  attach  to  the  adventitious  circumstances 
which  seem  to  accelerate  man's  doom  had  given  to  a  piece 
of  stagnant  water  near  the  road  the  name  of  '  Bloody 
Pond.'" 

But  these  woods  saw  darker  hours  than  those  of  battle. 

t  See  page,«  29  and  .'10. 


Residence  s?  T.  M.QROESBECK,  KfNqsBURY,  /tf.  Y. 


UTH  sr  L.f.cvKins  dCo.rHicioapKM. 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW    YOKK. 


421 


Through  them  lay  the  route  over  which  must  pass  the 
trains  bringing  supplies  to  the  northern  armies,  and  these 
were  constantly  attacked  and  pillaged,  the  teamsters  and 
escort  tortured  and  massacred,  and  the  very  boast.s  often 
maimed  and  mutilated  with  inhuman  barbarity.  Dr.  Fitch, 
in  his  "  Survey  of  the  County  of  Washington,"  says,  "  Al- 
most every  step  between  the  present  village  of  Sandy  Hill 
and  the  lake  thus  became  tracked  with  blood,  and  '  Half- 
way brook,"  and  '  Blind  rock,'  and  '  Five-mile  run'  became 
noted  as  places  of  ambuscade,  and  were  always  approached 
by  the  trembling  teamsters  with  fear  and  circumspection." 

Among  the  numerous  tales  recounted  of  murders  and  mi- 
raculous escapes  in  this  di.smal  place,  none  awakens  a  deeper 
interest  than  that  of  the  adventure  of  young  John  Quacken- 
boss,  of  Albany,  who  had  been  impressed  as  a  teamster  by 
officers  of  the  quartermaster's  department,  and  ordered  to 
haul  a  load  of  supplies  to  the  post  at  Lake  George.  He 
had  passed  Fort  Edward  and  entered  the  dark  and  dreaded 
forest  which  lay  beyond,  when  he  was  ambushed  and  taken 
by  a  large  party  of  savages,  who  also  captured  the  guard  of 
fifteen  soldiers  and  their  officer.  Lieutenant  McGinnis,  who 
had  been  detailed  to  escort  the  train.  The  band  halted  at 
a  spot  which  is  now  the  public  park  at  Sandy  Hill,  then 
merely  a  partial  opening  in  the  surrounding  woods,  and 
here  the  .seventeen  unfortunates  were  seated  on  the  trunk 
of  a  fallen  tree,  and  being  securely  bound,  were  left  in 
charge  of  a  guard  of  two  or  three  Indians,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  band  absented  themselves  for  awhile,  per- 
haps in  the  hope  of  securing  more  victims.  After  a  little 
time  they  returned,  and  at  once  commenced  the  slaughter  of 
their  prisoners,  beginning  at  one  end  of  the  line  and  sink- 
ing their  tomahawks  into  the  skull  of  each  in  quick  succes- 
sion until  they  reached  Lieutenant  McGinnis,  then  the  sole 
survivor  except  Quackenboss,  who,  fortunately  for  himself, 
occupied  the  last  place  at  the  end  of  the  line.  The  love  of 
life  was  strong  in  the  young  soldier,  and  dodging  the  de- 
scending tomahawk,  he  threw  himself  backward  on  the 
ground  in  a  supreme  eflFort  to  break  his  bonds,  but  it  was 
all  in  vain  ;  a  dozen  tomahawks  whirled  in  the  air,  and  the 
soldier's  agony  was  ended.  Quackenboss  closed  his  eyes  to 
await  the  death-blow,  when  suddenly  a  squaw,  exercising 
a  prerogative  which  Indian  warriors  seldom  disregard,  de- 
manded that  as  he  was  not  a  fighting  man,  his  life  should 
be  spared  to  become  her  slave,  her  dug  !  This  was  at  once 
acceded  to,  and  the  teamster,  staggering  under  the  enor- 
mous load  of  plunder  which  they  piled  upon  him,  but  happy 
in  having  escaped  the  tomahawk,  started  on  the  weary  jour- 
ney to  the  Indian  villages  in  Canada,  where,  upon  his  arri- 
val, he  was  compelled  to  run  the  gauntlet,  from  which 
ordeal  he  barely  escaped  with  his  life,  but  was  soon  restored 
to  health  and  soundness  by  the  nursing  of  his  red  mistress. 

His  captivity  became  known  to  the  governor  of  Canada, 
who  then  purchased  him  from  the  Indians,  and  brought 
him  to  Montreal,  where  he  was  employed  at  his  trade, 
which  was  that  of  weaver.  His  situation  had  now  become 
endurable,  but  he  was  anxious  to  communicate  with  his 
friends  at  home,  his  family,  and  Jane  Vicle,  his  engaged 
wife,  to  assure  them  of  his  existence.  With  the  consent  of 
the  governor  he  wrote  a  letter,  which  was  given  in  charge 
of  a  reliable  Indian  runner,  who,  coming  as  near  to  Fort 


Edward  as  he  could  in  safety  to  himself,  fastened  it  securely 
to  the  trunk  of  a  conspicuous  tree,  and  returned  to  Mon- 
treal. The  letter  was  discovered  and  sent  to  its  destination, 
carrying  gladness  to  those  who  had  mourned  a  son  and  a 
lovei-  as  dead.  After  three  years  of  captivity  he  was  sent 
home  by  way  of  Quebec  and  New  York,  married  Miss 
Vielo,  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Cambridge,  where  ho 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  long  life  ;  but  never  to  the  day 
of  his  death  could  be  refer  without  deepest  emotion  to  the 
horrors  which  he  witnessed  on  the  pine-covered  plateau 
above  Fort  Edward. 

PROPRIETORS    AND    SETTLERS    OF    KINGSBURY. 

The  "Kingsbury  patent,"  embracing  a  territory  about  six 
and  a  half  miles  square,  the  same  which  is  now  compre- 
hended in  the  town  of  Kingsbury,  was  granted  on  the  11th 
of  May,  17G2,  to  James  Bradshaw,  of  New  Milford,  Conn., 
and  twenty-two  associates,  mostly  from  the  same  State : 
these  being  Daniel  Taylor,  Nathaniel  Taylor,  Samuel  Brown- 
son,  Comfort  Star,  John  Warner,  Kent  Wright,  Abe! 
Wright,  Benjamin  Seelye,  Preserved  Porter,  Ebeneuer 
Seelye,  Gideon  Noble,  Thomas  Noble,  Partridge  Thatcher, 
Daniel  Bostwick,  Samuel  Canfield,  Isaac  Hitchcock,  John 
Prindle,  Benjamin  Wildman,  Jonathan  Hitchcock,  John 
Hitchcock,  Amos  Northup,  and  Israel  Camp.  Ail  these 
lands,  comprising  more  than  twenty-six  thousand  acres, 
were  divided  into  lots,  numbered — commencing  on  the 
south  line — from  1  to  93,  and  the.se  were  allotted  among 
the  several  owners,  excepting  No.  93, — covering  the  limits 
of  the  present  corporation  of  Sandy  Hill, — which  included 
the  entire  river  frontage,  and  on  this  account  was  held  in 
common  by  the  patentees. 

Into  this  wilderness  tract,  which  was  for  years  known 
generally  as  "  Bradshaw's  township,"  the  first  to  enter  was 
Bradshaw  himself,  who  came  in  1763,  and  made  prepara- 
tions for  settlement,  but  did  not  remove  his  family  hither 
until  1765.  The  next  one  who  came  is  supposed  to  have 
been  Oliver  Colvin,  Sr.,  who  settled  in  the  north  part  of 
the  town.  The  third  settler  in  Kingsbury  and  the  first  at 
Sandy  Hill  was  Albert  Baker,  who,  in  the  year  1768,  came 
here  from  New  York  city,  bringing  his  young  wife  and 
their  two  sons,  Albert  and  Charles,  aged  respectively  three 
years  and  three  months,  locating  his  humble  dwelling  upon 
the  site  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  Hiram  Allen, 
near  those  noble  falls  of  the  Hudson  which  have  since 
borne  his  name,  and  upon  which  he  then  constructed  a 
short  wing-dam  (all  that  was  necessary  on  such  a  fall)  and 
built  a  saw-mill,  this  being  the  first  wheel  turned  by  water- 
power  in  the  town  of  Kingsbury.*     His  son,  Caleb,  born 


*  Mr.  Bulkeley,  in  his  "Leading  Industrial  Pursuits,"  etc.  (1877), 
says,  Bradsliaw  erected  the  first  mill  at  the  falls  in  1765  ;  that  it 
"was  of  ancient  style,  and  is  describe<i  by  one  of  the  oldest  residents 
of  the  village  as  '  an  old  Dutch  mill,  and  too  slow  to  do  business 
with.'  It  was  partially  demolished  by  Mr.  Baker,  and  two  mills  of 
modern  construction  erected  in  its  place."  There  was  no  person 
living  in  the  village  or  town  in  1877  who  could  "  describe"  that  mill, 
if  it  had  ever  existed,  for  there  was  not  one  here  who  saw  the  light 
until  nearly  twenty  years  after  the  time  when  it  is  represented  to 
have  been  remodeled  tiy  Baker.  It  is  e.\tremely  improbable  too  that 
Mr.  Baker,  upon  his  first  arrival  in  the  wilderness,  and  at  that  early 
day,  was  so  ovcr-anibitious  as  to  build  "  (ico    mills  of  modern  con- 


422 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


a  year  or  two  later,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
town. 

About  the  .sarn(!  time  came  Michael  Hufnogel,*  also  from 
New  York,  and  for  a  time  occupied  the  house  with  Mr. 
Baker,  whose  business  partner  he  was  for  several  years.  He 
afterwards  built  a  house  near  where  Mr.  Wait  now  lives, 
but  this  was  burnt  before  the  Revolution.  Other  settlers 
who  followed  very  soon  after  were  Samuel  Brownson  (orig- 
inal patentee),  Jo.seph  Smith,  Thomas  Grant,  Benjamin 
(Jnderhill,  Solomon  King,  Heury  Franklin,  William  Smith, 
Sylvanus  Dillingham,  Ennis  Graham,  George  Wray,  Moses 
Smith,  John  Moss,  Timothy  Harris,  Moses  Harris,  Gilbert 
Harris,  Nehemiah  Seelye,  John  Griffith,  John  Munroe, 
Leonard  Deklyn,  Amos  McKcney,  Asa  Richardson,  Sam- 
uel Sherwood,  Andrew  Sherwood,  Samuel  Sherwood,  Jr., 
John  Phillips,  Adam  Wint,  Samuel  Harris,  Adiel  Sher- 
wood, and  the  Jones  family,  which  consisted  of  a  widow 
and  her  six  .sons, — John,  Jonathan,  Dunham,  Daniel,  David, 
and  Solomon. 

This  family,  of  which  John  Jones  appears  to  have  been 
the  head,  settled  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  township, 
near  the  present  village  of  Patten's  Mills,  and  afterwards 
became  widely  known,  not  only  on  account  of  their  pro- 
nounced toryism,  but  still  more  from  the  fact  that  the  fifth 
son,  David,  was  the  affianced  lover  of  Jane  McCrea,  with 
whom  he  probably  became  acquainted  in  Leamington,  N.  J., 
fi-om  which  place  both  their  families  had  emigrated.  He, 
with  another  brother,  afterwards  held  commissions  in  Jes- 
sup's  Loyalist  Battalion,  under  Burgoyne,  and  both  he  and 
Daniel|  became  proprietors  of  lands  on  Bond's  creek,  about 


struction."  Again,  Mr.  Bulkeley  states  that  Mr.  Baker  "erected  the 
first  dwelling  in  the  township,"  from  which  we  should  be  obliged  to 
believe  either  that  Bradshaw  had  never  settled  in  Kingsbury  at  all 
or  that  he  had  been  living  in  the  open  air  from  1765  to  1768,  while 
building  and  running  his  "  old  Dutch  mill."  It  appears  to  us  plain 
that  Baker  built  the  first  mill  at  the  falls,  and  we  give  it  confidently 
as  the  correct  statement. 

'-■■"  This  orthography  is  presumably  correct,  as  it  is  copied  from  his 
own  signature  upon  a  deed  to  Timothy  Harris,  dated  Feb.  10,  1772. 
It  has  frequently  been  spelled  Uofl'nagle  and  Iluffnagle. 

t  Daniel  Jones,  who  appears  to  have  been  the  most  enterprising  of 
the  family,  did  not  long  remain  a  resident  of  this  town,  but  removed 
to  Qucensbury,  and  was  among  the  earliest  to  develop  the  water- 
power  at  Glen's  Falls,  with  Abraham  Wing,  whose  d.aughter,  Deborah, 
became  his  wife.  During  the  Revolution  he  became  an  obnoxious 
Tory,  and  on  the  declaration  of  peace  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  in 
Canada.  In  due  course  he  was  indicted  and  convicted  of  acts  of 
treason,  and  his  lands  in  Kingsbury  and  Queensbury  were  sold  by 
the  commissioners  of  forfeiture.  Some  years  afterwards  he  came 
from  Canada  to  attempt  to  regain  his  possessions  here,  but  was  met 
with  such  hostility  that  he  abandoned  the  undertaking.  About  18.30, 
his  son  Daniel  came  to  renew  the  attempt,  and  called  on  Major 
Thomas  Bradshaw,  who  occupied  a  portion  of  the  old  Jones'  farm 
(where  Daniel  Breen  now  resides).  His  reception  was  highly  inaus- 
picious, and  it  was  intimated  to  him  that  the  people  of  the  viciuity 
were  only  awaiting  a  signal  from  the  major  to  apply  to  him  a  coat  of 
tar  and  feathers,  whereupon,  fearing  for  his  personal  safety,  he  re- 
turned empty-handed  to  Canada.  After  the  death  of  Major  Brad- 
shaw, however,  he  came  again,  and  engaged  the  services  of  Luther 
Andrews  and  Joshua  Harris  to  aid  in  procuring  evidence  that  his 
lands  had  been  unlawfully  confiscated.  These  gentlemen  made  a 
very  thorough  search  at  Albany,  but  failed  to  find  the  book  contain- 
ing the  record  which  they  sought.  After  one  or  two  more  unsuccess- 
ful searches,  Jones  laid  his  case  before  Attorney-General  Chatfield, 
who,  after  investigating  the  matter,  reported  to  the  Legislature  that 
Jones'  claim  was  valid,  and  recommended  that  the  State  should  settle 


one  mile  southeast  of  Moss  street.  John  Moss  settled  at 
Moss  street,  and  gave  the  name  to  the  locality.  Samuel 
Harris  married  a  daughter  of  Hufnogel,  and  settled  at 
Moss  street.  Timothy  Harris  purchased  lot  No.  28  of  the 
survey,  and  small  lot  No.  9,  adjoining  No.  93,  and  he  also 
leased  from  the  proprietors  a  tract  of  twenty-seven  acres, 
being  a  part  of  No.  93,  and  bounding  upon  the  river;  but 
we  are  uncertain  upon  which  he  first  settled.  John  Grif- 
fith located  and  made  improvements  on  lot  No.  62  (Wood 
creek,  below  and  near  Smith's  basin),  and  this  land  and 
improvements  he  sold  to  John  Munroe  on  the  13th  of  June, 
1772,  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 

In  the  •'  Survey  of  Washington  County"  by  Asa  Fitch, 
JNI.D.,  the  doctor  remarks  that  he  was  able  to  gather  but 
few  definite  particulars  concerning  the  first  settlement  of 
the  town  of  Kingsbury  ;  and  such  has  also  been  our  expe- 
rience,— a  fact  which  is  chiefly  due  to  the  destruction  of 
records  and  the  disorganization  and  depopulation  of  the 
town  which  resulted  from  Burgoyne's  invasion,  and  the  still 
more  desolating  one  led  by  Carleton  in  1780. 

KINGSBURY    IN    THE  REVOLUTION. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  it  became  evi- 
dent that  although   Kingsbury  contained  many  true  and 
noble  patriots,  yet  that  the  prevailing  sentiment  of  its  in- 


it  on  the  best  attainable  terms.  No  favorable  action  being  taken  by 
the  Legislature,  Jones,  in  1855,  commenced  suits  against  several  of 
the  occupants  in  Kingsbury  and  Glen's  Falls,  to  eject  them  from  their 
lands.  The  interested  parties  in  Kingsbury,  to  the  number  of  about 
forty,  met  at  Vaughn's  Corners,  and  selected  Mr.  S.  0.  Cross,  one  of 
their  number,  to  proceed  to  Albany  and  ascertain  whether  the  Legis- 
lature could,  upon  petition,  be  induced  to  comi)romise  with  Jones 
and  save  litigation.  The  committee  to  whom  the  matter  was  referred 
reported  adversely,  and  nothing  remained  but  to  let  the  case  take 
its  course,  and  look  to  the  State  for  relief  in  ease  of  an  unfavorable 
decision.  Mr.  Cross  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  obtaining  of 
evidence  for  the  defense,  and  the  examination  of  the  earl3'  laws  bear- 
ing on  the  case,  and  finding  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  governor  to 
appoint  counsel  and  other  necessary  aid  in  the  defense  of  such  suits, 
procured  from  the  governor  the  appointment  of  Hughes  A  Northup 
as  counsel,  and  of  himself  as  assistant  in  the  case.  He  also  renewed 
the  search  for  the  book  of  records  which  Jones  had  sought  for,  and 
by  a  fortunate  mistake,  inquired  at  the  wrong  department,  hut/oiind 
there  the  bonk,  which  had  been  mislaid,  and  which  an  old  clerk 
assured  him  had  been  Ij'ing  there  for  thirty  years.  This  book  gave 
the  name  of  Captain  John  Pettit  as  the  purchaser  of  the  lands  in 
dispute,  but  the  date  of  the  purchase  was  not  entered. 

Jones  claimed,  and  Attorney-General  Chatfield  had  admitted,  that 
the  sales  were  made  after  the  ratification  of  Jay's  treaty,  which  pro- 
vided that  no  sales  of  confiscated  lands  should  thereafter  be  made. 
The  whole  question  then  turned  on  the  date  of  sale :  if  before 
the  treaty,  Jones'  title  was  void;  if  after,  it  was  good.  The  record 
was  made  considerably  later  than  the  treaty,  and  the  presumption, 
in  the  absence  of  the  deed  itself,  was  in  favor  of  Jones.  Mr.  Cross 
recollected  that  an  early  school-mate  of  his  was  the  grandson  of 
Captain  Pettit,  and  knowing  that  this  grandson  was  then  in  Newark, 
N.  J.,  wrote  him  in  relation  to  his  grandfather's  papers,  soon  re- 
ceiving the  reply  that  they  had  been  barreled  to  be  sent  to  the  paper- 
mill,  but  would  be  retained  for  his  examination  ;  and  the  result  was, 
in  brief,  that  at  the  bottom  of  the  last  examined  of  the  five  barrels 
the  deed  was  found,  hearing  date  a  few  weeks  prior  to  that  of  Jai/'s 
trcati/.  This  ended  the  litigation,  and  judgment  was  taken  against 
Jones  for  costs. 

As  a  protection  against  future  claims  of  the  Jones'  heirs,  under  the 
favorable  report  of  the  attorney-general,  Mr.  Cross  filed  the  deed  in 
the  county  clerk's  office  for  record,  May  19,  1871,  and  it  is  entered 
in  Book  3,  Miscellaneous,  p.  266.  The  deed  itself,  covering  the  farms 
of  Mr.  Gross  and  others,  remains  in  his  possession. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


423 


habitants  was  intense  toryism.  When  the  news  of  the 
capture  of  Ticoudeioga  was  received,  a  celebration  of  the 
event  was  attempted  by  the  Whij^s  at  Kingsbury  street, 
but  they  were  attacked  by  outnumbering  Tories,  who  not 
only  extinguished  the  bonfires  and  scattered  the  assem- 
blage, but  inaugurated  a  reign  of  terror  which  forced  the 
Whigs  of  that  vicinity  to  abandon  their  homes  and  to  con- 
tinue in  exile  until  the  surrender  at  Schuylersville  turned 
the  tables  on  their  persecutors.  In  fact,  the  town  was 
known  as  the  headquarters  of  a  nest  of  Tories  of  the  most 
desperate  and  malignant  type,  many  of  whom  enlisted  in 
the  royal  cause,  but  were  more  murderers  and  robbers  than 
soldiers,  and  more  barbarous  in  their  deeds  than  Hessians 
or  savages ;  hesitating  at  no  crime,  and  wholly  disregarding 
the  ties  of  neighborship  or  even  of  consanguinity.  Among 
these  were  Caleb  Closson,  Griffin,  Bell,  Andrew  Rakely, 
Adam  Wint,  and  many  others  less  notorious  ;  but  probably 
the  one  who  was  most  feared  and  execrated  was  Gilbert,  or 
"  Old  Gil"  Harris,  who  owned  a  square  mile  of  fertile 
land  in  the  north  paff  of  Tlie  town,  embracing  what  has 
since  been  known  as  the  Colvin  farm,  or  the  "  thousand 
apple-tree  form,"  where  Thomas  Owens  now  resides.  J^fter 
the  close  of  the  war  he  could  no  longer  HyeJn^Kingsbury, 
but  removed,  as  is  said,  to  Bolton,  where  he  died.  Michael 
Hufnogel  also  opposed  the  cause  of  the  patriots,  and  was 
obliged  afterwards  to  emigrate  in  consequence,  but  no  such 
infamy  as  attached  to  other  names  in  the  vicinity  has  been 
connected  with  his. 

Until  the  third  year  of  the  war,  Kingsbury  saw  nothing 
of  the  horrors  of  hostile  military  occupation  ;  but  on  the 
22d  of  July,  1777,  the  advance-guard  of  Burgoyne's  in- 
vading host,  having  made  a  long  stay  at  both  Skenesbor- 
ough  and  Fort  Ann,  moved  across  the  town  line  into 
Kingsbury.  It  was  the  light  infantry  and  rifle  corps  of 
Fraser,  composing  the  right  wing  of  the  British  army, 
which  advanced  to  Kingsbury  street,  where  the  general 
made  his  headquarters,  at  Gordon's  house.  On  the  26th 
this  corps  again  moved  southward,  and  reaching  Moss  street 
encountered  the  American  pickets,  who,  after  a  sharp  skir- 
mish, fell  back  to  Fort  Edward.  Burgoyne,  on  his  first 
entrance  into  Kingsbury,  established  his  headquarters  at 
Jones'  farm-hou.se,  which  was  afterwards  used  as  a  military 
hospital.  From  Jones'  his  headquarters  were  transferred 
to  the  vicinity  of  Sandy  Hill,  and  are  said  to  have  been 
established  in  a  house  standing  in  what  is  now  the  north- 
east angle  of  Pine  straet  and  Burgoyne  avenue.  On  the 
29th  the  right  wing  under  Fraser  was  advanced,  and  en- 
camped upon  the  table-land  a  short  distance  north  of  the 
hill  at  Fort  Edward  ;  the  Americans  retiring  down  the  river 
to  Moses  Kill.  Riedesel's  Hessian  mercenaries  made  their 
camp  farther  north  upon  the  plateau,  between  the  head- 
quarters and  the  river,  and  within  the  present  corporation 
limits  of  Sandy  Hill ;  while  the  grenadiers  took  up  their 
position  at  Moss  street. 

In  the  mean  time,  bands  of  Indians,  and  of  Tories  equally 
blood-thirsty,  had  spread  themselves  in  every  direction  in 
the  front  and  on  the  flanks  of  the  advancing  army,  and  in 
defiance  alike  of  the  checks  of  military  discipline  and  the 
dictates  of  humanity  had  carried  on  a  warfare  of  pillage, 
incendiarism,  and  murder  in  Kingsbury  and  the  adjoining 


towns.  On  the  26th  of  July  one  of  these  bands  entered 
Argyle,  and  massacred  two  entire  families  named  Barnes 
and  Allen.  Moving  thence  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Ed- 
ward, they  met  and  butchered  a  man  named  John  White, 
and  on  the  following  morning  the  dripping  scalp  of  Jane 
McCrea  was  flourished  in  savage  triumph  in  the  house  of 
the  Tory  Grifiin,  within  the  lines  of  the  Hessian  camp  at 
Sandy  Hill.* 

Most  of  the  Whig  inhabitants  and  many  of  the  loyalists 
had  fled  from  their  homes  upon  the  first  advance  of  the 
royal  army ;  and  the  terror  of  the  Indian  and  Tory  maraud- 
ings drove  out  nearly  all  the  remainder,  so  that  when  Bur- 
goyne finally  moved  southward  the  farms  and  homes  of 
Kingsbury  were  wellnigh  tenantless. 

In  the  invasion  of  1780  the  town  suffered  still  more  se- 
verely than  during  Burgoyne's  occupation.  On  Oct.  10  in 
that  year  there  suddenl}'  appeared  before  Fort  Ann  a  force 
of  about  eight  hundred  men,  under  Major  Carleton,  of  the 
British  army,  who  compelled  a  surrender  of  the  feeble  gar- 
rison commanded  by  Capt;iin  Adiel  Sherwood,  of  Kings- 
bury. 

Immediately  after  the  surrender  the  Indians  and  Tories 
of  the  party  proceeded  south  into  this  town,  everywhere 
marking  their  track  with  fire  and  pillage.  Among  the 
number  of  those  who  from  their  acquaintance  with  the  lo- 
cality acted  as  guides  and  promoters  of  the  work  of  devas- 
tation was  Adam  Wint,  who  had  been  a  resident  at  Sandy 
Hill,  but  had  fled  to  Canada  after  Burgoyne's  surrender. 
Some  others  in  the  baud  were  al.so  recognized  through  the 
paint  and  other  Indian  gear  by  which  they  believed  them- 
selves efiectually  disguised. 

The  utmost  terror  prevailed,  and  the  inhabitants  fled 
from  their  homes  in  precipitation.  Albert  Baker  was  ab- 
sent in  another  part  of  the  county,  and  his  sons,  of  whom 
the  eldest  was  but  fifteen  years  of  age,  were  the  only  males 
left  to  protect  the  family.  Thomas  Lyon,  a  neighbor,  came 
rushing  past  and  called  out  to  Albert  and  Charles,  "  Boys, 
get  away  in  a  hurry  !  What  are  you  thinking  of?  Don't 
you  see  Kingsbury's  all  afire?"  And  the  rolling  volumes 
of  smoke  away  to  the  northward  emphasized  his  admoni- 
tion. The  boys  yoked  their  two  pairs  of  oxen,  and  hastily 
tumbling  the  fiimily  and  such  articles  as  were  most  conve- 
nient into  the  carts,  they  made  the  best  possible  speed  to- 
wards Fort  Edward  Even  then  their  path  was  ambushed 
by  Gil.  Harrisf  and  some  kindred  spirits,  who,  as  Harris 
himself  afterwards  said,  would  have  captured  the  family 
and  taken  them  to  Canada  but  for  fear  of  the  soldiere  at 
the  fort.  As  it  was,  the  brave  boys  took  them  through  in 
safety;  and  before  night  the  home  they  had  left  was  a 
smoking  ruin. 

The  marauding  Tories  and  Indians  crossed  to  the  west 
side  of  the  river  and  devastated  the  country  as  far  down  as 
Stillwater.     There  were  but  seventeen   families  living  in 


*  A  full  account  of  this  tragic  event  is  to  be  found  in  the  general 
hist„ry. 

t  A  vouth  named  Graham,  coming  up  Ihc  road  towards  .Sandy 
llill,  passed  near  this  party,  one  of  whom  tired  on  and  wounded  him. 
Another  called  out,  "  Why,  that's  little  Oliver  Graham;  don't  kill 
him."  "Yes,  damn  'cm,  kill  'em  all!"  growled  Harris.  Graham, 
however,  leaped  into  the  undergrowth  and  escaped  with  hit  life. 


42-t 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,   NEW    YORK. 


Kingsbury  before  this  incursion  ;  after  it  there  were  none, 
except  Harris  and  a  few  of  his  confederates.  The  state- 
ment has  been  made  that  only  two  houses  were  left  standing 
in  the  town,*  these  being  one  which  had  been  occupied  by 
Wint,  the  Tory  (still  standing  as  part  of  the  barn  of  Henry 
Howe  at  Sandy  Hill),  and  another  near  the  feeder,  now  or 
recently  owned  and  occupied  by  Joseph  Fish. 

The  malignity  of  the  Tories  had  now  expended  itself, 
and  this  proved  to  be  the  last  serious  disaster  which  Kings- 
bury was  to  suffer  at  their  hands.  The  successes  of  the 
Americans  in  the  south  soon  made  it  apparent  that  the 
country  would  ere  long  see  peace  and  independence,  and 
before  the  close  of  1781  nearly  all  the  fugitives  of  the  pre- 
ceding year  had  returned  ;  and  these,  with  the  very  consid- 
erable accessions  of  new  settlers,  soon  made  the  town  much 
more  populous  than  before. 

TOWN   ORGANIZATION. 

By  the  royal  patent  granted  to  James  Bradshaw  and  his 
associates,  May  11,  1762,  Kingsbury  was  erected  a  town- 
ship, with  its  present  limits.  The  organization  effected 
under  the  king  was  suspended  during  the  Revolution,  as 
we  have  seen  ;  but  it  was  resumed  under  the  people  before 
the  close  of  the  war,  and  the  town  received  the  recognition 
of  the  State  government  March  23,  1786.  The  list  of 
supervisors  of  the  town  of  Kingsbury,  and  the  dates  of 
their  election,  from  the  year  1782  until  the  present  time,  is 
as  follows,  viz. :  Seth  Sherwood,  1782, 1786,  1788  ;  Albert 
Baker,  1783-84;  Joseph  Caldwell,  1787;  Seth  Alden, 
1789  to  1793  inclusive,  1796-97,  1799,  1811;  Oliver 
Colvin,  1794-95,  1802;  Asahel  Hitchcock,  1798,1800; 
Micajah  Pettit,  1801  ;  Thomas  Bradshaw,  1803;  Nathan- 
iel Pitcher,  1804  to  1810  inclusive  ;  Felix  Alden,  1812-14, 
1821-23,  1826-27;  John  Moss,  1815-17,  1830;  Hiram 
Cole,  1818-20,  1824-25;  Simeon  Berry,  1828;  Throop 
Barney,  1829;  Josiah  Hand,  1831  to  1840  inclu.sive,  1844 
to  1847  inclusive;  Luther  Andrews,  1841-42;  Joseph 
Tefft,  1843 ;  John  Newton,  1848-49 ;  Peter  H.  Cooper, 
1850,  1853;  Peter  Holbrook,  1851-52,  1865;  Orrin  E. 
Harris,  1854;  James  McFarland,  1855  to  1857  inclusive; 
Charles  Cole,  1858-59,  1861,  1867-68;  Hiram  Kenyon, 
1860  ;  Orson  Richards,  1862,  1864  ;  Guy  W.  Clark,  1863  ; 
Eber  Richards,  1866 ;  S.  H.  Kenyon,  1869-70 ;  Silas  B. 
Ambler,  1871;  William  H.  Miller,  1872-73;  Lyman  H. 
Northup,  1873  (to  fill  vacancy  caused  by  death  of  W.  H. 
Miller)  and  1874;  George  L.  Terry,  1875  to  1877  in- 
clusive; Chas.  R.  Paris,  1878. 

Town  Clerks. — Samuel  Harris,  1782,  and  1784  to  1795 
inclusive;  Fenner  Palmer,  1783;  Asahel  Hitchcock,  1796- 
97;  Joseph  Caldwell,  1798  to  1801  inclusive;  Collins 
Hitchcock,  1802  to  1810  inclusive,  and  1812;  James 
Nichols,  1811 ;  Nathaniel  Pitcher,  1813-14;  N.  Barnum 
Hitchcock,  1815  to  1830  inclusive;  Adolphus  F.  Hitch- 
cock, 1834;    Asahel  Hitchcock,  1839  to  1842  inclusive; 


*  Mr.  A.  F.  Hitchcock,  however,  is  firm  in  the  belief  that  this  is  a 
mistake,  and  that  the  houses  were  not  all  burned  in  other  parts  of  the 
town,  but  that  the  statement  was  intended  to  apply  onlj  to  the  vicin- 
ity of  Sandy  Hill.  At  all  events,  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  if  the  only 
two  houses  spared  from  the  flames  ninety-eight  years  ago  are  both 
still  standing  and  occupied. 


Allen  Dewey,  1843;  Danvers  Doubleday,  1844 ;  Thomas 
Toole,  1845  to  1847  inclusive;  William  Cronkhite,  1848- 
50 ;  Charles  D.  Culver,  1851 ;  Wm.  R.  Locke,  1852-54  ; 
Orville  C.  Howard,  1855-56 ;  John  A.  De  Forest,  1857  ; 
Frederick  C.  Burdick,  1858-59 ;  Alfred  A.  Miller,  1860- 
61, 1863  ;  Darius  Mathewson,  1862  ;  Daniel  Monty,  1864  ; 
William  Hooker,  1865;  Charles  H.  Cronkhite,  1866  to 
1872  inclusive;  Charles  H.  Beach,  1873;  John  J.  Cun- 
ningham, 1874;  Marvin  S.  Cronkhite,  1875-78. 

Among  the  justices  appointed  in  Kingsbury  prior  to 
1830  we  find  the  names  of  Seth  Sherwood,  Albert  Baker, 
Nathaniel  Pitcher,  John  Moss,  Collins  Hitchcock,  Hiram 
Cole,  H.  C.  Martindale,  Luther  Wait,  and  Hiram  Colvin. 
The  list  of  those  elected  from  1830  to  the^resent  timeTS' 
as  follows:  Hiram  Colvin,  1830;  Luther  Andrews,  1830, 
1854,  1858 ;  Salmacius  Bardwell,  1831  ;  Henry  B. 
Northup,  1832,  1836,  1840;  Caleb  Baker,  1833;  Samuel 
Andrews,  1834,  1838,  1842,  1846,  1850;  Adolphus  F. 
Hitchcock,  1835,  1839,  1849,  1862;  Peter  Holbrook, 
1837,  1841,  1859-60,  1864,  1873,  1875;  L.  B.  Arm- 
strong, 1843;  H.  C.  Martindale,  1844;  Charles  Hughes, 
1845,  1849;  Israel  Smith,  1847;  Urias  G.  Paris,  1848, 
1852,  1850;  George  B.  Underbill,  1848;  George  R.  Can- 
field,  1851  ;  Lyman  H.  Northup,  1853 ;  Luther  Wait, 
1855;  William  Brayton,  1857;  John  C.  Green,  1858; 
William  H.  Young,  1859;  Orlin  Andrews,  1861  ;  Romeo 
B.  Perry,  1863;  Stephen  H.  Mead,  1863;  Almon  M. 
Andrews,  1864;  Daniel  E.  Parks,  1865  ;  Loyal  L.  Avery, 
1865;  George  W.  L.  Smith,  1866,  1870,  1874;  Charles 
S.  Cromwell,  1867  ;  Thomas  J.  Strong,  1868  ;  John  D. 
Teller,  1869;  John  Andrews,  1871  ;  J.  W.  Brown,  1875; 
Robert  S.  Coleman,  1872,  1876;  Granville  M.  lugalsbe, 
1877;  Andrew  Minton,  1878. 

ihllectora. — Darius  Sherrill,  1814;  John  Bull.  1815  to 
1821  inclusive;  HiraiS_Co]xij)T- J-822;  William  Elliott, 
1823  to  1830  inclusive,  1837,  1839;  Franklin  Freeman, 
1831-32;  Horace  Doubleday,  1833;  Russell  Vaugh,  1834, 
1836,  1838,  1S40  ;  James  F.  Acker,  1835;  John  Thomas, 
1841;  Benjamin  Bentley,  1842,  1846;  John  Bowtell, 
1843;  H.  B.  Vaughn,  1844,  1874;  Cummings  Wiltsie, 
1845;  Charles  B.  Vaughn,  1847,  1859;  James  Burnham. 
1848;  Lemuel  C.  Holmes,  1849;  Guy  W.  Clark,  185(1; 
A.  Mass,  1851  ;  Wm.  W.  Blivin,  1852  ;  Hertsell  Colvin, 
1853;  Robert  C.  Carey,  1854;  Arvid  W.  Vaughn,  1853'; 
Jerome  H.  Smalley,  1857,  1864;  Aaron  K.  Cross,  1858; 
Harvey  Gilbert,  1860  ;  F.  C.  Burdick,  1861 ;  R.  C.  Hall, 
1862-63;  Wm.  H.  Kincaid,  1865;  Daniel  Monty,  1866; 
Darwin  C.  Vaughn,  1867;  Peter  H.  Cooper,  1868; 
Phincas  F.  Langworthy,  1870;  James  F.  Acker,  1871; 
Charles  B.  Guy,  1872;  Bradford  C.  Harvey,  1873;  John 
H.  Beach,  1875 ;  Hiram  Hyde,  1876 ;  Montgomery  C. 
Moss,  1877  ;  John  Toole,  1878. 

Other  officers  for  1878  are: 

Auditors.—^.  M.  Catlin,  Otis  A.  Tefft.  and  Eber  Rich- 
ards. 

Assessors. — Silas  Doolittle,  J.  W.  Goss,  and  Charles  T. 
Wright. 

Commissioners  of  Iligliways. — L.  W.  Burton,  J.  (). 
Buck,  and  T.  Willis. 

Overseers  of  Poor. — Morvalden  Bailey  and  D.  T.  Na.sh. 


f^ES/DENGE  OF  MRS  BENJAMIN  FERR/S  Sanu(Hiu  W/^shin&tu 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTV,  NEW    YORK. 


425 


Jitxpectors  of  Election. — District  1 :  J.  F.  Acker,  L.  ]<]. 
Burnliaiii,  and  Alfred  Slioriiian.  District  2:  A.  A.  Mil- 
ler, L.  L.  Ingalsbe,  and  W.  W.  Croiikhitc.  District  3  : 
David  Hall,  J.  H.  Derby,  and  Wm.  Bn.mley. 

Excise  O'lnmissioiicrs. — Jas.  M.  RaiLsum  (vacaiiey), 
Noah  Washburn,  and  Wni.  II.  Young. 

S.\NDV   niLL. 

The  earliest  recordjJ  event  in  tin  history  of  the  village 
— the  tragcniy  which  was  couiinittcd  in  its  park,  when  the 
life  of  John  (Juackenboss  was  saved  when  he  had  closed 
liis  eyes  to  die — has  already  been  narrated.  We  have  seen, 
too,  how  the  township  proprietors  had  been  awake  to  the  ad- 
vantages and  capabilities  of  the  great  river,  and  had  reserved 
all  its  frontage  in  the  evident  belief  that  some  day  a  busy 
village,  or  perhaps  even  a  city,  would  grow  up  upon  its 
banks.  We  have  noted  also  the  coming  of  Bradshaw,  and 
then  of  Baker  and  Hufnogel,  the  clearing  of  the  pines 
around  the  falls,  the  construction  of  the  dam  and  the  mill, 
and  the  few  years  of  peace  and  progress  that  followed,  and 
then  the  blight  and  terror  that  came  with  Burgoyne,  and 
finally  the  ruin  and  depojmlation  of  1780. 

Among  the  first  to  return  after  that  memorable  flight 
was  Albert  Baker.  Ho  found  the  charred  ruins  of  liis 
mill,  and  the  ashes  of  his  dwelling.  He  at  once  commenced 
the  rebuilding  of  the  mill,  and  erected  a  house  a  little  nortli 
of  the  jn'csent  residence  of  N.  W.  Wait.  In  1784,  John 
Moiss  built  the  dam  above  the  village,  and  erected  a  saw- 
mill upon  it.  Dr.  Zina  Hitchcock  came  in  the  same  year 
and  located  upon  the  highway,  which  is  now  the  main 
street,  his  lands  embracing  the  sites  of  the  court-house  and 
the  Bapti-st  church,  and  were  all  in  the  best  portion  of  the 
village.*  Another,  who  came  not  far  from  the  same  time, 
was  Jonathan  Harris,  whose  property  was  also  on  the  main 
street,  more  to  the  northward.  Nearly  all  were  men  of  en- 
terprise and  of  some  means,  and  now  the  settlement  began 
to  grow  apace.  In  1793  the  village  received  a  passing  visit 
from  no  less  a  personage  that  General  Washington,  who,  with 
a  portion  of  his  military  household,  was  on  a  tour  of  in- 
spection to  the  posts  at  Lake  George,  Ticonderoga,  and 
Crown  Point.  We  have  found  no  account  of  his  reception 
here,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  Sandy  Hill  did  her  best 
upon  the  occasion. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  present  century,  Sandy 
Hill  had  an  established  post^ofiice  (with  Judge  Weston  as 
postmaster),  two  taverns,  and  several  merchants  and  trades- 
men, and  began  to  be  regarded  as  a  place  of  considerable 
pronii.se.  At  that  time,  Dr.  Zina  Ilitcheock  was  owner  of 
all  the  property  on  the  east  side  of  JMain  street,  from  and 
including  the  cofl'ee-house  (then  his  residence),  southward 
to  Canal  street.  Adjoining  him  on  the  north  was  Doty's 
tavern-statid,!  and   next  came  the  property  of  Jonathan 


»  His  (Iwclling,  built  in  1784  or  17S5,  was  tlic  same  building  which 
is  now  Clark's  Coffec-House.  It  was  first  opened  us  a  tavern  by  Da- 
rius Sborrill,  in  May,  )S24,  and  bore  the  sign,  "  D.  Slicrrill,  Coffec- 
llouse."  It  was  kept  as  such  by  the  .Slierrill  family  until  about 
185a. 

t  The  "  Doty  Tavern"  was  owned  and  kept  by  Alpheus  Doty  from 
about  the  year  ISUO  until  his  death,  after  which  his  widow  remained 
as  its  landlady  til!  abont  lS:i-l,  when  the  property  eainc  inlo  posses- 
sion of  llalsey  Kogcrs,  and  was  by  him  rented  to  Thonu:s  Tuole,  who 

54 


Harris,  extending  northward  from  Doty's  up  to  and  in- 
cluding a  part  of  the  present  premises  of  Dr.  E.  G.  Clark. 

The  location  of  the  court-house  at  Sandy  Hill  (of  which 
a  more  extended  account  will  be  found  in  the  general  his- 
tory of  the  county)  was  a  material  enhancement  of  the 
dignity  and  importance  of  the  place.  A  fine  site  on  the 
main  street  (the  same  occupied  by  tlie  present  court-house) 
was  donated  for  the  purpo.sc  by  Dr.  Z.  Hitchcock,  and  the 
building  was  completed  in  ISOG,  being  tlien  considered  a 
very  imposing  structure.  It  is  now  standing  on  the  side 
street  opposite  its  original  site,  from  which  it  was  removed 
to  give  place  to  the  new  edifice.  It  is  used  as  a  feed-store 
and  for  other  similar  purposes,  and  presents  a  very  ordinary 
appearance  in  contnist  with  its  elegant  succes.sor. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Mos.s  built  his  grist-mill  at  the  dam, 
where  the  Richards  lumber-mills  now  stand.  Albert  Raker 
had  erected  a  grist-mill  at  the  falls  in  1795,  and  now  (1807) 
he  built  a  new  and  imj)rovcd  one,  changing  tlie  first  into  a 
carding-  and  fulling-mill.  A  carding-mill  and  clolhicry 
was  also  put  in  operation  at  the  dam  in  1807,  by  Ahijaii 
Jones.  So  the  village  was  well  supplied  with  saw-,  grist-, 
and  carding-mills  at  least. 

By  the  provisions  of  chapter  forty  of  the  laws  of  1810, 
passed  March  9,  in  that  year,  it  was  enacted  that  "  all  that 
part  of  the  town  of  King.sbury,  in  the  county  of  Washing- 
ton, known  by  the  name  of  lot  No.  93,  lying  on  the  Hud.son 
river,  and  all  thrt  part  of  the  plat  of  .said  town  lying  south 
of  lots  Nos.  33  and  34,  and  west  of  the  great  or  middle 
road  of  said  town  plat,  as  laid  down  on  the  map  ol'  the 
division  of  the  said  town,  shall  be  known  and  dLsliiiguishcd 
by  the  name  of  the  village  of  Sandy  Hill." 

In  the  highway  records  of  1811,  we  find  the  miimles  of 
the  "Survey  of  the  publick  square  of  Sandy  Hill  and  part 
of  the  roads  intersecting  the  same,"  by  Commissioners  Rus- 
sell Cole,  William  High,  and  Thomas  Brad.shaw,  dated  Aug. 
4,  1811.  This  was  identical  with  the  present  paik,  but  in 
those  days  it  was  u.sually  termed  "  the  green." 

At  the  time  of  the  laying  out  of  this  stiuare,  there  stood 
upon  its  three  sides,  and  on  the  main  street  above  and  be- 
low it,  the  dwellings,  shops,  and  other  buildings  which 
composed  the  village  of  Sandy  Hill,  and  of  wliich  the  fol- 
lowing is  very  nearly  a  complete  and  correct  list:  Beginning 
on  the  north  end  of  the  S((uare,  now  Park  place,  the  "  Cor- 
ner Tavern,"!  kept  by Ashley,  stood  on  the  Sliddlc- 

kept  it  for  some  ten  or  eleven  years  as  the  "  Bull's  Head ;"  his  sign 
(painted  by  .John  Sherwood)  being  the  head  of  a  bull,  with  the  words 
"  Travelers'  Home"  extending  across  the  horns.  The  house  was 
afterwards  sold  lo  N.  13.  Milliman,  who,  about  1S:>0,  remodeled  it, 
raised  it  one  story,  and  changed  its  name  to  "  Park  Hotel,"  and  as 
such  it  was  successively  ke]it  by  T.  U.  Toole,  Peter  Dmni.s  <icorgo 
M.  Ives,  J.  Milliman,  Harvey  Doublcday,  Samuel  Thomas,  P.  1''. 
Langworthy,  Kdgiir  VVclmorc,  Thomas  Dewey,  D.  A.  Barker,  and 
George  W.  Orcutt.  It  was  burnt  in  1873,  and  in  its  place  was 
erected  the  Uc.\ford  House,  which  was  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  IS7C. 
I  The  predecessor  of  Ashley  at  the  Corner  Tavern  was  Daniel  Cook, 
who  kept  it  probably  as  early  as  ISOO.  It  was  burned  in  December, 
1S55,  but  was  not  then  a  public-house.     The  Knglo  was  first  kept  by 

Dean,  from  New  York  ;  aflcrwarils  by  Daniel  W.  Ving,  John 

Baird,  and  Oliver  Cleveland.  It  was  the  stopping-place  of  the  White- 
hall stages,  Cleveland  &  Taylor's  line,  and  others  for  years,  and  en- 
joyed a  good  degree  of  prosperity.  It  was  destroyed  with  the  olh-.r 
tavern  iu  the  fire  of  Dc::.  'M,  U'iJ. 


42G 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


worth  liouse  corner ;  tlicn  came  the  "  Eagle  Tavern,"  on 
the  site  of  G.  AV.  Clark's  store  ;  and  west  of  this  was  the 
store  of  John  Lanih  and  his  residence,  where  A.  B.  Davis 
now  lives.  On  the  west  side  of  the  main  street,  goinj; 
north  from  the  sfjuare,  were  the  one-story  house  occupied 
by  Henry  C.  Martindale,  now  Mr.  Bartlott's ;  the  dwelling 
and  the  saddlery-shop  of  Captain  John  Thomas;  the  house 
of  Captain  Solcmwn  Day,  now  Dr.  Bostwick's  (his  burn 
was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street)  ;  the  small  Iiouse  of 
Mr.  Rood,  with  a  pottery  near  by,  where  he  manufactured 
jugs  and  earthen  milk-pans;  and  next,  the  tavern  of  Cap- 
tain William  High  (now  residence  of  George  Weston), 
which  was  the  northern  limit  of  the  village.  Returning 
south  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  one  would  pass  the 
house  of  Darius  Sherrill,  afterwards  the  residence  of  H.  C. 
Martindale ;  a  house  on  the  lot  now  of  Dr.  Clark,  and  a 
smaller  house  nest  the  Episcopal  church  lot;  a  blacksmith- 
shop  occupied  by  an  Englishman  named  Andrews ;  a  large 
building  occupied  as  a  wagon-shop  by  Amos  Call ;  the  house 
of  Dr.  Russell  Clark,  now  Mr.  Baldwin's;  the  largo  house 
and  office  of  Judge  Roswell  Weston,  on  present  site  of  L. 
AV.  Cronkhite's  residence ;  then  the  dwelling  and  hatter- 
shop  of  Jonathan  Harris,*  and  another  small  building- 
owned  by  him,  which  afterwards  was  the  law-office  of  Henry 
C.  Martindale  for  many  years.  Next  came  the  Doty  tavern 
and  Dr.  Hitchcock's  residence  below  mentioned;  and  below 
these  on  the  east  side  there  came  in  succession  the  store  of 
Samuel  M.  Hitchcock ;  the  court-house  ;  a  small  store,  pro- 
prietor unknown; -the  store  of  Carmi  Dibble  (now  prem- 
ises of  Charles  Hughes)  ;  the  residence  and  currier-shop 
of  Israel  Hand ;  the  house  of  Silas  Fellows  (present  site 
of  Advent  church) ;  and  lastly  the  residence  of  Judge  John 
Baker,  which  was  the  southern  outpost  of  the  settlement. 

Commencing  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  green,  and 
proceeding  south,  came  first  the  yellow  house  of  Micajah 
Pettit,  and  then  there  were  in  succession  the  double  house 
standing  where  the  engine-house  now  is,  and  occupied  by 
Brannock  and  Clark  Carlton  ;  the  law-ofiSce  of  Judge 


*  Mr.  Harris  resiJed  in  Srtndy  Hill  until  about  1S15,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Lake  George,  disposing  of  the  hat-shop  and  store,  and  the 
lot  adjoining,  to  AVilliaui  Finn,  of  Fort  Edward,  who  in  turn  sold  the 
store  to  Dr.  Reuben  C.  Gibson.  He  occupied  it  as  a  merchant  for 
many  3-ears,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  business  by  his  clerk,  Charles 
Dcwcy,  who  removed  the  old  frame  building  and  erected  in  its  place 
the  "stone  store,"  which  he  occupied  until  his  death  in  18^7.  The 
succeeding  proprietors  were  George  Bradley,  Walter  S.  Alden,  and  L. 
AV.  Cronkhite,  who  purchased  it  in  ISti'J,  and  remained  its  owner 
until  its  destruction  by  fire  in  1S76. 

The  Harris  residence,  afterwards  known  for  many  years  as  the 
Sherrill  house,  was,  after  Mr.  Harris'  removal  from  Sandy  Hill,  occu- 
pied by  John  H,  Sturtcvant,  who,  with  Edmund  Richmond,  had 
opened  a  dry-goods  store  on  the  lot  above  that  owned  by  Mr.  Finn. 
About  1820  the  house  and  adjoining  property  was  purchased  from 

Mr.  Harris  by Hempstead,  who  was  perhaps  succeeded  by  other 

proprietors  prior  to  ISJO,  when  Allen  Dcwcy  became  the  purchaser, 
and  in  1851  sold  the  property  to  James  11.  Sherrill,  who  resided  in 
the  house  until  it  was  consumed  in  the  great  tire  of  1S76.  Among 
those  who  kept  the  store  at  various  times  after  Richmond  &  Sturtc- 
vant, were  John  Hempstead,  Thomas  Cotton,  John  M.  Tubbs,  Allen 
DcKcy,  William  Cronkhite,  Harvey  Doubleday,  Samuel  Cary,  and 
others.  During  Tubb-'  occupancy,  he  kept  a  lottery  agency  there, 
and  on  one  occasion  sold  to  a  eitiicn  of  the  village  (A.  F.  Raird)  a 
ticket  which  drew  a  prize  of  five  thousand  dollars,  a  result  which 
greatly  promct-.-d  t'.ie  sale  of  lottery  tick.-ts  at  Sandy  UU!  and  viciuity. 


Roger  Skinner  (now  on  Mrs.  Wakeman's  property)  ;  the 

small  yellow  house  of Curtis  ;  a  small   gioccry  ;  the 

liouse,  tannery,  and  currier-shop  of  Luther  Johnson  ;  the 
residence  of  Christian  Sackrider,  Esq.  (now  roadway  of 
Depot  street) ;   the  house    and    hatter-shop  of   Bogardus 

Peaison  ;  the  houses  of Bird  and  Squire   CoUamer ; 

a  small  house  occupied  by  colored  people,  formerly  slaves 
of  Mi-.  Peebles,  of  Waterford  ;  next  the  residence  of  Major 
Thomas  Bradshaw  ;  and  finally  the  Albert  Baker  place  at 
the  corner  of  the  Falls  road,  then  occupied  bj'  Albert  and 
Caleb  Baker,  sons  of  the  first  settler.  Such  was  Sandy 
Hill  in  the  year  following  its  incorporation  as  a  village. 

In  1813  a  toll-bridge  was  constructed  across  the  Hudson 
at  Sandy  Hill,  one  of  the  principal  proprietors  being  Solo- 
mon Parks,  a  resident  on  the  Saratoga  side.  It  was  a  par- 
tially-covered structure,  and  remained  in  use  until  1835, 
when  it  was  carried  away  by  flood  and  was  not  rebuilt. ■]- 
The  .stones  from  its  piers  furnished  the  foundation  of  the 
Baptist  (now  Fi-cnch  Catholic)  church.  A  road  which 
was  laid  out  to  this  bridge  in  1814  was  discontinued  after 
its  destruction. 

It  would  seem  that  the  AVar  of  1812-15  must  have 
brought  adversity  to  the  people  of  the  village  and  town, 
for  we  find  that  in  1814  the  appropriation  for  the  poor  had 
been  rai.sed  from  the  old  amount  of  one  hundred  dollars  to 
three  hundred  dollars,  which  was  continued  in  1815,  raised 
to  five  hundred  dollars  in  1816,  and  to  eight  hundred  dol- 
lars in  1817.  In  1813  it  fell  back  to  three  hundred  dol- 
lars; in  1819  to  two  hundred  dollars,  and  in  1820  to  the 
ante-bellum  figure  of  one  hundred  dollars. 

In  1819  the  village  made  a  long  stiide  ahead  in  the  es- 
tablishment of  its  first  newspaper  and  its  first  bank  ;  the 
journal  being  the  Sandy  Hill  Times,  by  Adonijah  Emmons, 
and  the  financial  institution  being  the  AVashington  and 
AVarren  bank,  of  which  the  noted  Jacob  Barker,  of  New 
York  and  New  Orleans,  was  president  and  chief  proprietor, 
and  Benjamin  F.  Butler,J  of  this  State,  the  cashier.  The 
office  of  cashier  was  afterwards  held  by  George  R.  Barker, 
a  nephew  of  the  president,  and  temporarily,  for  a  short 
period,  by  Fitz  Greene  Halleck,  the  poet.  The  bank, 
which  is  well  (and  perhaps  sorrowfully)  remembered  by 
many  of  the  older  citizens,  was  located  in  a  house  which  is 
now  the  Wakeman  mansion,  on  the  west  side  of  the  park. 
It  continued  but  a  few  years  and  went  down  in  disaster. 
After  the  closing  of  the  bank  Geo.  R.  Barker  engaged  with 
AV.  AV.  Cionkhite  in  the  business  of  di.stilling  at  Sandy 
Hill,  and  for  a  tiiue  the  firm  carried  on  a  large  business,  in 
which  their  successor  was  Joseph  AVicks. 

The  Glen's  Falls  navigable  feeder,  which  passes  through 
the  northern  and  eastern  part  of  the  village,  and  has  added 
most  materially  to  its  prosperity,  was  surveyed  in  1823, 


■f  A  wire  ferry  above  the  dam,  owned  by  the  mill  pro])riclnrs,  is 
now  the  only  means  of  crossing  the  river  to  and  from  Sandy  Hill. 

t  Mr.  Butler,  in  a  letter  written  during  his  residence  here,  re- 
marked that  Sandy  Hill  was  an  e.\cccdingly  pleasant  place  of  abode, 
"  except  lliat  il  ciijut/eil  no  nliilcil  prcachiiuj  0/  ihc  ij(i'jkI."  This  hav- 
ing by  some  means  been  made  public,  gave  the  village  so  widespread 
a  notoriety  that  it  is  said  letters  from  distant  pl.aces  hearing  no  direc- 
tion but  "  Ihc  village  which  enjoys  no  slated  preaching  of  the  gos- 
pel," came  regularly  and  without  diiliiy  to  the  post-otficc  at  Sandy 
Hi:i. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


427 


and  excavated  through  in  1824-25,  but  was  not  then  made 
practicable  for  boats.  The  cnhirgemcnt  was  coMimericod  in 
1828  and  was  completed  in  18o2,  rendering;  it  iiavi<rable 
from  its  head  above  the  falls  to  the  Clianiplain  canal,  which 
it  enters  just  south  of  the  Fort  Edward  lino. 

The  six  solid  stone  piers  which  are  seen  in  the  river  be- 
low the  dam  were  constructed  in  183(3  for  a  railroad  brid|j;o, 
by  the  Saratoga  and  Washington  railroad  company,  wlujse 
projected  route  was  then  located  through  Sandy  Ilili.  The 
crisis  of  1837  suspended  their  operations  for  several  years, 
and  when  work  was  recommenced  the  route  was  changed 
to  pa.ss  through  Fort  Edward,  abandoning  all  that  had 
been  done  here.  The  change  was  an  unfoitunate  one  for 
this  village,  and  there  arc  many  who  believe  (not  without 
reason)  that  if  the  original  route  had  been  adhered  to,  the 
three  villages  of  Glen's  Falls,  Fort  Edward,  and  Sandy 
Hill  would  have  been  consolid:it;'d  into  o]io,  uimii  the  site 
of  the  last  named. 

EXTENSION     OF     I,IMIT.S — INroRPOR.VTIO.V     UNDEIl     GEN- 
Ell.\L    LAW. 

The  boundaries  of  Sandy  Hill,  as  established  by  the 
incorporating  act  of  1810,  were  materially  extended,  and 
additional  powers  and  privileges  were  conferred  on  the 
village  by  act  of  Legislature,  paissed  March  21,  185(i, 
chapter  48. 

And  at  the  annual  meetrug,  held  Feb.  23,  1875,  it  was 
"  Resolved,  That  this  village  become  a  corporation  under  the 
provisions  of  chapter  291  of  the  laws  of  1870,  and  possess 
the  powers  given  thereby," — ayes,  one  hundred  and  forty- 
six  ;  noes,  thirty-eight.  The  recording  of  this  return  in 
the  county  clerk's  office  perfected  the  incorporation  of  the 
village  as  at  present. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  the  earliest  village  records, 
covering  a  period  of  forty-six  years  fiom  the  first  incorpo- 
ration, have  been  lost  or  destroyed,  the  existing  records 
dating  back  only  to  the  year  1S5G.  The  list  of  presidents 
of  the  village  from  that  time  to  the  present  is  as  follows  : 
Orson  Richards,  185C-57 ;  J.  W.  Finch,  1858;  Nelson 
W.  Wait,  1859  ;  Joseph  McFarland,  1 8(30, 18G5,  1867-68, 
1870;  Marvin  F.  Cronkhite,  1861;  Darius  Mathowson, 
1862-63;  Hiram  Kenyon,  1864,  1872;  E.  H.  Crocker, 
1866,  1873;  J.  William  Wait,  1869;  Amariah  Holbrook, 
1871;  Guy  W.  Clark,  1874;  Loren  Allen,  1875;  E.  D. 
Baker,  1876;  Lyman  H.  Northup,  1877. 

JIILLIS    AND    OTIIEll    INDUSTRIES. 

The  locality  known  as  Baker's  Fulls,  a  half-mile  below 
the  centre  of  Sandy  Hill,  is  the  principal  seat  of  water- 
power  in  the  village,  the  clear  fall  of  the  Hudson  at  this 
point  being  fully  seventy  feet ;  and  although  there  are  here 
three  extensive  paper-manufactories,  besides  several  minor 
establishments,  not  one-tenth  of  this  vast  power  is  utilized. 

The  paper-mill  of  Allen  Brothers,  which  gives  cniplo}'- 
ment  to  sixty  hands  in  the  manufacture  of  wall-papers,  in 
which  its  capacity  of  production  is  six  tons  per  day,  stands 
on  the  site  of  the  ancient  mills  built  by  Albert  Baker.  In 
1844  this  property  (on  which  then  stood  the  old  .saw-mill, 
the  grist-mill  of  1807,  and  the  carding-mill,  remodeled  from 
the  grist-mill  of  1795,  but   all   in  disuse  and  in  a  state  of 


decay),  together  with  land  embracing  the  present  sites  of 
the  other  two  paper-mills,  was  purchased  from  Harvey  & 
Parry  by  Stephen  Ilowland,  who  rebuilt  the  wing-dam,  de- 
molished the  old  mills,  and  during  the  same  year  erected  in 
their  place  a  mill  which  was  operated  by  Stephen  Howland 
&  Sons  in  the  manufacture  of  manilla  paper.  That  mill — 
the  first  in  the  United  States  which  manufactured  manilla 
paper — -was  run  until  worn  out,  and  then  gave  place  to  the 
present  mill,  erected  by  Allen  Bros.,  who  had  previously 
purchased  the  property  of  Howland  &  Sons. 

The  paper-mill,  now  of  N.  W.  Wait  &  Son,  was  built 
about  1846  by  Benjamin  Ferris,  who  operated  it  on  manilla 
paper  until  1850,  when  it  was  purchased  by  Nelson  W. 
Wait  and  Elilm  Allen,  who  changed  to  wall-paper,  as  at 
present.  In  1860  Allen  withdrew,  and  in  1864  the  firm 
became  N.  W.  Wait  &  Sou  by  the  admission  of  J.  William 
Wait.  The  mill  has  been  once  rebuilt.  It  now  contains 
four  engines  and  a  fortyeight-inch  cylinder-machine,  pro- 
ducing fifteen  tons  of  wallpaper  per  week,  and  giving 
constant  employment  to  fifty  hands,  male  and  female. 

Howland  &  Co.'s  paper-mill  was  built  in  1866  by  How- 
land, Clark  &  Co.,  and  put  in  operation  on  manilla  paper,  in 
which  production  it  is  still  engaged,  manufacturing  from 
raw  material  jute-butts  and  grass-rope.  It  also  contains 
three  machines  for  manufacturing  satchel-bottomed  manilla 
flour-sacks,  by  a  patented  and  most  ingenious  process,  these 
being  turned  out  finished,  by  a  single  operation,  direct  from 
the  cylinders.  The  daily  production  of  the  mill  is  about 
fifteen  thousand  sacks  and  two  tons  of  manilla  papur.  The 
number  of  hands  em[iloyed  is  twenty,  including  the  girls 
at  the  sack-machines. 

Immediately  above  and  adjoining  the  paper-mills,  upon 
land  now  of  the  estate  of  Dr.  Wni.  II.  Miller,  a  grist-mill 
was  built  in  1845  by  Matthew  Burdick.  In  1860  it  was 
converted  by  U.  C.  Allen  into  a  shodd^'-mill,  and  was  run 
as  such  for  a  few  years  both  by  Allen  and  by  Dr.  Miller. 
About  1804  it  was  converted  into  a  paper-mill,  and  run  in  the 
manufacture  of  straw  printing-paper  successively  by  Stone 
&  Co.,  Meech  &  Co.,  and  H.  Tefl't  &  Co.,  and  was  destroj^ed 
by  fire  under  each  of  these  firms,  being  twice  rebuilt,  but 
abandoned  after  the  third  burning. 

The  Baker's  Falls  Iron  Machine  Works,  by  Wells  & 
Van  Wormer,  employ  ten  to  twelve  hands  in  the  manu- 
facture of  machinery  and  turbine  water-wheels,  of  which 
last  named  they  turn  out  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  an- 
nuall}'.  The  machine-shop  of  I.  Cornell  &  Co.,  one  of  the 
industries  at  the  Falls,  employs  two  to  three  hands. 

"The  Halm  Art  Pottery  Company,"  George  R.  Halm, 
president,  W.  II.  Kincaid,  secretary  and  treasurer,  estab- 
lished their  works  near  the  railroad  track  at  Baker's  Falls 
in  November,  1877.  They  have  a  main  building  forty  by 
eighty  feet,  with  two  extensions  forty  by  twenty-five  feet. 
Their  plan  contemplates  the  manufacture  of  purely  artistic 
ware,  of  a  quality  and  style  superior  to  anything  yet  pro- 
duced in  America,  in  which  industry  they  expect  to  employ 
about  fifty  hands.  At  present,  in  the  fourth  month  of 
their  operation,  they  are  producing  about  one  thousand 
pieces  per  week. 

At  "The  Dam"  on  the  river,  a  short  distance  above  the 
centre  of  the  village,   the  water-jiower,   although   far  less 


428 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COLLNTV,  NEW   YORK. 


than  at  the  Falls,  is  still  iuimciisc.  The  first  improvement 
liere  was  made  in  1784  by  John  Moss,  who,  peihaps  with 
some  associates,  constructed  an  imperfect  dam  and  built  a 
saw-mill.  Soon  after  the  year  1800  he  built  the  first 
grist-mill  at  the  dam.  This  afterwards  passed  into  the 
liands  of  Samuel  R.  Cook,  wlio  ran  it  until  1824  and  then 

sold  to Slai^ht,  who  not  long  after  sold  to  Cronkhite 

&  Barker,  who  employed  it  in  grinding  grain  for  thoir  dis- 
tillery in  the  yillagc.  In  18ol  it  passed  to  Nathaniel 
Wicks,  and  from  liim  to  Joseph  Wicks,*  who,  about  1850, 
sold  to  Orson  Richards.  It  was  then  continued  for  a  few 
years  as  a  grist-mill,  and  is  now  used  as  a  lath-mill  in  con- 
nection with  the  Richards'  lumber-mills. 

Richards'  lower  saw-mill  occupies  the  site  on  which 
Benjamin  Ferris  built  a  carding-  and  fulling-mill  in  1810. 
This  was  sold  about  1840  to  Asahel  Beach,  who  made  it  a 
woolen-factory,  and  used  it  as  such  for  about  ten  years, 
when  the  business  was  suspended,  tlie  building  removed, 
and  afterwards  converted  into  a  dwelling-house,  and  upon 
the  site  which  it  had  occupied  the  present  saw-mill  was 
built  by  Orson  Richards. 

Richards'  upper  saw-mill  is  the  successor  of  one  which 
was  built  on  the  spot  about  the  year  1810  by  Joseph  Wicks, 
who  owned  it  until  it  was  carried  away  by  the  same  flood 
which  destroyed  his  grist-mill  in  May,  1832.  In  1837 
it  was  rebuilt  by  Charles  Harris,  who  also  erected  a  second 
mill  adjacent  to  this.  These,  too,  were  carried  away  in  the 
freshet  of  May  2, 1843,  and  the  present  Richards'  mill  was 
erected  on  the  site  by  Mr.  Harris.  About  1849  it  came 
into  the  possession  of  Orson  Richards,  by  whom  the  bu.si- 
ness  of  the  upper  and  lower  mills  has  been  conducted  until 
recently,  when  it  has  passed  under  the  management  of  Mr. 
Eber  Richards.  Both  mills  contain  eight  gangs  and  two 
English  gates.  A  railroad  track,  constructed  in  1872  at 
an  expense  of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  connects  the  mills 
with  the  feeder,  and  extends  for  a  considerable  distance 
along  the  canal  to  facilitate  unloading  and  piling.  The 
logs  are  brought  from  immense  tracts  of  timber-land  owned 
by  the  concern  on  the  upper  river  and  tributaries.  In 
times  of  full  business  the  lumbering  operations  of  Messrs. 
Richards  give  employment  to  about  two  hundred  men. 

The  present  grist-mill  at  the  dam  was  built  by  Mr. 
Mather  about  18G7.  It  has  since  been  owned  by  0.  Rich- 
ards and  others,  and  is  now  carried  on  by  Mr.  Whitman. 

The  machine-shop  of  N.  W.  Ilolbrook,  on  River  street, 
is  the  same  building  which  was  erected  in  about  1807  by 
Aliijah  Jones  as  a  carding-mill  and  clothiery.  Jones  died 
in  1812,  and  tlie  mill  was  then  used  by  Mr.  Wheelock 
for  cloth-making.  Afterwards  it  became  the  tannery  of 
Jesse  Rhodes,  and  then  a  machine-shop  by  Enoch  1). 
jMcCord,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  manufacturer  of 
the  steel-jawed  cast-iron  vise.  About  1834  the  establish- 
ment passed  into  the  liands  of  Mr.  Ilolbrook,  the  present 
owner. 

Holbrook's  foundry  on  River  street,  adjacent  to  the 
machine-shop,  was  built  and  put  in  operation,  in  1831,  by 
the  present  proprietor,  Mr.  Lyman  Ilolbrook.     The  power 


«  It  was  carried  awiiy  in  tlie  IVcslict  of  Mu.v,  18;{2.  .Tiid  was  rebuilt 
by  Wicks. 


used  both  by  the  foundry  and  tlie  machine-shop  is  fur- 
nished by  a  creek,  which  enters  the  Hudson  below  the 
great  dam. 

Proceeding  south  from  the  foundry  on  River  street  to 
the  brow  of  the' hill,  we  passed  what  would  seem  to  be 
(judging  from  the  venerable  appearance  of  its  surround- 
ings) the  most  ancient  of  the  industries  of  the  place,  the 
blacksmithing  establishment  of  Mr.  Seneca  Hall.  This  old 
building,  of  brick  and  stone,  looks  gray  and  ancient  enough 
to  have  been  a  farriery  for  the  liorses  of  Burgoyne,  or  even 
of  Sir  William  Johnson  ;  but  upon  inquiry  we  find  that 
Mr.  Lyman  Ilolbrook,  still  an  active  citizen  of  the  village, 
hauled  these  same  bricks  for  the  proprietin-,  Robert  J. 
Walker,  who  erected  the  building  in  1828,  barely  a  half- 
century  ago. 

Kenyon  &  Baldwin's  saw-mill,  located  on  the  feeder  at 
the  foot  of  Canal  street,  was  put  in  operation  in  1852  by 
Hiram  Kenyon,  Alexander  Robertson,  and  C.  H.  Faxon, 
the  firm  being  Kenyon,  Robertson  &  Co.,  which  has  been 
once  or  twice  changed,  the  present  style  dating  from  1871. 
The  full  capacity  of  the  mill  is  ten  million  feet  of  lumber 
annually.  It  is  in  operation  for  seven  months  in  the  year, 
and  when  running  night  and  day  (as  is  the  case  in  pros- 
perous times)  employs  sixty  men.  The  power  is  derived 
from  the  water  of  the  feeder. 

The  planing-mill  of  R.  T.  Coleman,  on  Canal  and  Maple 
streets,  manufactures  flooring,  etc.,  as  is  common  in  similar 
mills,  and  employs  about  twelve  hands  in  the  running 
season,  which  covers  about  seven  months  of  the  year.  It 
was  built  about  1848,  by  John  J.  Harris  and  James  Finch, 
and  has  passed  through  several  proprietorships  to  the  pres- 
ent. It  was  originally  operated  by  steam,  but  is  now  driven 
by  water-power  from  the  canal. 

Wilber  &  Witpen's  carriage-factory,  located  on  Locust 
street,  employs  thirty  hands  during  the  summer  season  and 
about  twenly-two  in  winter,  turning  out  work  to  the  amount 
of  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  as  an  annual  average  for  the 
past  ten  years ;  their  market  being  in  the  States  of  New 
York,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Iowa,  and  in 
Canada.  These  works  were  first  put  in  operation  by  A.  A. 
Skinner  about  the  year  1845,  and  in  1857  were  purchased 
by  L.  D.  Ogdcn,  who  in  February,  18G0,  sold  them  to  J. 
S.  Wilber,  the  senior  of  the  present  firm  ;  the  trade  at  that 
time  amounting  to  about  six  thousand  dollars  {)er  annum. 
The  establishment,  which  in  the  mean  time  had  been  ma- 
terially enlarged  since  the  purchase,  was  consumed  by  fire 
in  September,  1875  ;  immediately  after  which  the  present 
spacious  works,  fronting  seventy-five  feet  on  Locust  street, 
were  erected  by  Mr.  Wilber.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1877, 
Mr.  Charles  Witpen,  of  Naw  York,  was  admitted  a  p.irtner, 
forming  the  present  firm. 

Barney  &  Morrison's  carriage- factory,  on  Main  street,  in 
the  north  part  of  the  village,  turns  out  work  chiefly  for  the 
local  trade.  The  business  was  started  on  its  present  site  by 
George  Barney,  in  1805,  and  the  works  were  destroyed  by 
fire  in  the  fall  of  1874.  The  present  factory  was  completed 
and  occupied  in  the  fall  of  1870.  Four  hands  are  employed 
in  the  business. 

H.  B.  Nash's  furniture-shop  on  Locust  street  employs 
three  hands,  and  does  a  yearly  business  of  about  twelve 


W(LB£R   &  W/TPEN./HAKUFACTU/fEfT-s  OF  CA/^/^/Aqcs,  Wagons  AND    Slli<\hs  , 

Sandy  Hill,  WASHiNeroN  County.  flEWYofiK 


John  S.Wilbz^. 


Est/iblishedJ86o. 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YOP.K. 


429 


tliou.saiid  dulhu's.  Mr.  Nash  coiiiineiiceil  tliis  business  in 
Siiiid)'  Hill  in  1838,  his  location  for  many  \oais  being  on 
Main  street,  opposite  the  park,  from  whence  he  removed  to 
his  place,  in  January,  1875.  Before  the  present  stagnation 
he  did  a  much  larger  business,  and  employed  double  bis 
present  number  of  hands. 

Yarter  &  Luther's  carriage-factory,  on  Main  street,  in  the 
north  part  of  the  village,  employs  about  three  to  five  hands, 
and  turns  out  about  twelve  thousand  dollars  worth  of  work 
annually.  The  business  was  started  about  1S45,  by  An- 
thony Yarter,  and  has  passed  through  several  Jiands  to  those 
of  the  present  proprietors,  A.  A.  Yarter  and  Lewis  Luther. 

Thomas  Brice's  sash-,  door-,  and  blind-l'actory,  on  Forest 
alley,  employs  six  to  ten  men,  and  produces  work  amount- 
ing to  about  ten  thousand  dollars  annually.  The  works 
were  built  many  years  ago  by  — —  Dd  Forest,  for  cabinet 
work,  and  afterwards  put  to  their  present  use  by  John  A. 
Do  Forest,  from  whom  Mr.  Briee  purchased  in  18(33. 

The  works  of  the  Washington  Mowing-Macliinc  Company, 
situated  on  Main  street,  at  the  feeder-bridge,  are  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  water-wheels,  pulp  machinery  for 
paper-mills,  and  the  usual  equipments  of  saw-  and  grist-mills. 
The  first  works  upon  this  site  were  erected  in  184tJ,  by 
George  Bradley,  as  a  manufactory  of  cast-iron  vises.  In 
1851  he  sold  to  J.  K.  Sanborn,  who  attempted  the  manu- 
facture of  saw-mills,  which  be  found  unprofitable  and  aban- 
doned, and  the  works  were  closed  for  a  number  of  years. 
In  18tj3  the  Wa.shington  Blowing-Machine  Coiupany,  formed 
in  Greenwich,  and  consisting  of  Le  Hoy  Mowry,  John  T. 
Masters,  Warren  Briggs,  and  one  other,  rented  these  works 
and  commenced  the  manufacture  which  their  name  implies; 
J.  K.  Sanborn  being  their  agent.  At  the  end  of  a  year  and 
a  half  they  abandoned  their  first  business  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  mill  machinery,  which  was  continued 
until  Sept.  27,  1870,  when  the  works  were  totally  destroyed 
by  fire;  the  property  at  that  time  being  owned  by  the 
Washington  County  Bank,  at  (Jreenwich,  from  whom  it  was 
purchased  by  the  company,  who  then  erected  the  present 
works.  At  the  time  of  the  fire  in  1870  they  were  employ- 
ing tliirty-five  ;  tlie  number  employed  at  present  is  twenty- 
five  to  thirty.  The  business  is  under  the  general  manage- 
ment of  Jlajor  James  McCarty. 

FIRE    DEPARTMENT — WATER-SUPPLY. 

The  first  apparatus  procured  for  the  extinguishment  of 
fires  in  Handy  Hill  was  a  .small  rotary  engine,  purchased 
about  1833 ;  the  "  Sandy  Hill  Fire  Company"  being  in- 
corporated in  that  year  and  organized  to  work  the  machine; 
which,  however,  like  most  others  of  its  class  and  construc- 
tion, proved  to  be  of  little  practical  use.  About  1850  the 
village  purchased  a  small  brake-engine  at  Saratoga  Springs, 
and  placed  it  in  charge  of  a  company  of  which  Charles 
Hughes  was  the  first  foreman.  Succeeding  3Ir.  Hughes 
was  Lynian  11.  Northup,  wlio  served  as  foreman  of  the 
company  for  several  years.  This  machine  was  never  of 
much  value  as  an  extinguisher,  and  after  a  time  it  wa.s 
thrown  aside  as  worthless. 

On  Sept.  11,  1858,  the  village  authorized  the  purchase 
of  a  new  engine  and  hose,  and  the  sum  of  twelve  hundred 
dollars  was  raised  for  this  purpose.     31essrs.  N.  W.  Wait 


and  J.  W.  Finch  were  made  a  committee  to  carry  this  into 
effect,  and  on  November  27  they  reported  to  the  trustees 
that  they  had  purchased  a  new  engine  and  two  hundred 
feet  of  hose  from  Button  it  Blake,  of  Waterford,  for  twelve 
hundred  dollars.  This  machine  was  named  the  "  llescue," 
and  is  still  in  use.  The  "  Rescue  Fire  Company"  was 
organized  with  fifty-four  members,  Dec.  10,  1858.  On  the 
8th  of  March,  1859,  the  president  was  authorized  to  sell 
the  old  engine  and  hose  for  two  hundred  dollars.  At  the 
annual  meeting  in  1860,  six  hundred  dollars  was  voted  to 
erect  upon  the  site  of  the  old  engino-hou.se  a  new  brick 
building,  to  be  used  as  an  engine-house  and  public  hall ; 
and  at  a  special  meeting  Aug.  11,  ISUO,  the  sum  was  in- 
creased to  eight  hundred  dollars,  and  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five dollars  additional  was  voted  for  hose,  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  for  the  construction  of  cis- 
terns. The  engine-house  was  comjileted  in  18G0,  being  the 
same  still  occupied,  standing  on  the  west  side  of  the  public 
park. 

The  Independent,  a  second-hand  engine,  was  jiurchased 
in  July,  1872,  for  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  raised  by 
subscription.  It  is  still  owned  in  part  by  the  original  sub- 
scribers. 

The  present  fire  department  is  composed  as  follows: 

Chief  engineer,  Russell  C.  Hall. 

Rescue  Fire  Companj/,  No.  1. — Guy  W.  Clark,  foreman  ; 
Alden  Ripley,  assistant  foreman  ;  Robert  Carter,  engineer, 
and  sixty  members. 

Eber  Richards  Independent  Fire  Oinipniii/,  No.  2. — 
John  H.  Derby,  foreman  ;  William  H.  Bennett,  engineer  ; 
number  of  members,  sixty. 

Rescue  Iluse  Cuinpiiny. — Fifteen  members ;  foreman,  A. 
A.  Yarter. 

Wakcnyui  Hose  Qjmpant/. — Fifteen  members;  foreman, 
William  Thomas. 

Sandy  Hill  had  been  fortunate  in  escaping  the  havoe  of 
an  extensive  conflagration  UDtil  the  morning  of  the  11th 
of  October,  1876,  when  a  fire,  which  .started  in  the  Rex- 
ford  House,  gained  such  headway  that,  before  it  could  be 
brought  under  control,  it  had  destroyed  every  building  on 
the  east  side  of  JIain  street  from  Clark's  Coffee-House 
northward  to  the  residence  of  L.  W.  Cronkhite,  Esq.,  thus 
desolating  the  principal  business  portion  of  the  village.  The 
sufferers  by  the  fire  were  A.  B.  Davis,  store,  opera-house, 
goods,  and  stable ;  N.  W.  Clark,  barns  and  contents  ;  Skin- 
ner &  McFarland,  stock  in  trade  ;  John  Dwyer,  Ucridd 
office,  type,  presses,  and  machinery  ;  A.  C.  Vaughn,  house, 
store,  and  contents;  Blary  L.  Rexford,  hotel,  barns,  sheds, 
and  contents ;  P.  Reilly,  building  and  stock  ;  George  L. 
Terry,  stock  ;  R.  C.  Hall,  stock  ;  L.  W.  Cronkhite,  stone 
store;  0.  Gritfin  &  Co.,  store  and  stock;  J.  II.  Sherrill, 
store-house  and  contents ;  E.  Scully,  stock  ;  J.  C.  Rogers, 
office  and  contents ;  Sandy  Hill  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Sandy 
Hill  Lodge,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  lodge-room  and  contents.  The 
total  loss  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  tbou.><and  dollars, 
on  which  was  an  insurance  averaging  about  fifty  per  cent. 
of  value.  The  final  check  of  the  fire  was  very  largely  due 
to  the  timely  assistance  rendered  by  Fort  Edward  steamer 
and  hose  companies,  without  which  the  destruction,  great 
as  it  was,  must  have  been  far  more  extended.     The  district 


430 


HISTORY  OF   WASniNGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


ravaged  by  this  fire  has  now  been  solidly  covered  with  new 
and  substantial  brick  buildinirs,  which  are  so  much  an  im- 
provetuBiit  and  orrianieiit  to  the  village,  that  to-day  it  is  a 
matter  of  doubt  whether  Sandy  Mill  suffered  any  real  injury 
from  the  great  fire. 

The  purchase  of  a  steam  fire-engine  is  now  strongly 
urged  upon  the  people  of  the  village,  but  this  is  met  by 
the  objection  that,  excepting  along  the  river  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  canal  during  the  open  season,  the  supply  of 
water  is  wholly  inefficient  for  the  use  of  a  steamer ;  in 
view  of  which  objection,  it  is  proposed  instead  to  construct 
water-works  on  the  Holly  system,  to  be  operated  by  water- 
wheels  at  Baker's  Falls.  One  of  these  projects  will  doubt- 
less be  carried  into  effect  in  the  near  future. 

THE   SANDY    HII.L   GAS-LHillT   COMP.A.NY 

was  incorporated  in  187(5,  with  a  capital  of  twenty-two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  and  was  organized  by  the 
election  of  the  following  board  of  trustees,  viz. :  Charles 
Hughes,  Loren  Allen,  John  S.  Wilber,  and  Guy  W.  Clark, 
of  Sandy  Hill,  and  S.  V.  R.  Ford  and  Charles  T.  Wiley, 
of  Saratoga.  The  works  were  erected  in  the  fall  of  187G, 
at  the  corner  of  Jlain  and  Sumter  street.s.  The  gas  is 
manufactured  from  gasoline,  by  a  patent  machine  and  pro- 
cess. The  company  has  laid  about  three  miles  of  pipe. 
Tiie  present  board  of  trustees  is  composed  as  follows  :  Loren 
Allen,  president;  John  S.  Wilber,  vice-president;  S.  V.  R. 
Ford,  Ciiarles  T.  Wiley,  S.  P.  Briggs,  George  P.  Ide  ;  Guy 
^V.  Clark,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

THE    POST-OFFICE 

was  establLshed  at  Sandy  Hill  in  1798,  with  Roswell  Wes- 
ton as  postmaster.  Since  his  term  the  office  has  been  held 
successively  by  the  following  gentleman,  viz. :  Alpheus 
Hoty,  Carmi  Dibble,  Bonjamin  Clark,  James  Wright, 
Thomas  Toole,  James  Wright  (2d  term),  E.  D.  Baker,  W. 
Cronkhite,  E.  D.  Baker  (2d  term),  James  M.  Moss,  C.  H. 
Cronkhite,  and  J.  E.  Locke,  the  present  incumbent. 

RAILROAD— COURT-HOUSE — BANK. 

The  Glen's  Falls  railroad  passes  through  the  western 
part  of  the  village,  near  the  river.  It  was  opened  for  traffic 
on  the  5th  of  July,  1869.  The  bonds  of  the  village,  to  the 
amount  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  were  issued  in  aid 
of  its  construction. 

The  new  court-house  was  b\ult  in  1873,  on  the  site  of 
the  old  one  of  1806.  The  bonds  of  the  town  of  Kingsbury 
were  issued  to  the  amount  of  twenty -five  thousand  dollars 
for  its  construction.  This  beautiful  building  is  a  great 
ornament  to  the  village. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  SanJjj  Hill  was  established 
Jan.  1,  18G4,  with  N.  W.  Waite,  president ;  J.  K.  Pis- 
ley,  cashier ;  capital,  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  The 
banking-house,  a  fine  substantial  building,  is  located  on 
Park  place.  ]\Ir.  Waite  is  still  the  president  of  the  insti- 
tuiion.  The  present  ca.shicr  is  C.  T.  Beach.  This  is  the 
only  bank  ever  located  at  Sandy  Hill,  except  the  Old  Wash- 
iiigtiin  and  Warren,  beHire  mentioned. 


SOCIETIES. 

Livingston  Lodge,  No.  28,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  the  earliest 
society  organization  in  Kingsbury,  but  wc  have  been  unable 
to  find  the  date  of  its  commencement;  the  earliest  record 
being  of  date  January  28,  1817,  when  the  lodge  was  "  re- 
vived and  reorganized,"  with  John  Moss  as  W.  JL  ;  Charles 
White,  S.  AV.'";  Luther  Waite,  J.  W. ;  Darius  Sherriil, 
Treas.,  and  Matthew  D.  Danvers,  Sec.  Besides  these 
officers,  there  were  present  at  the  meeting  of  reorgani- 
zation Micajah  Pettet,  Felix  Alden,  Warren  F.  Hitch- 
cock, and  Sanford  Case.  In  June,  1820,  it  was  removed 
to  Kingsbury  street,  and  afterwards  to  the  Colvin  farm,  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  town.  The  last  meeting  re- 
corded was  in  1830,  and  this  was  probably  the  last  held. 
While  at  Sandy  Hill,  its  meetings  were  held  at  the  corner 
tavern  and  at  Doty's. 

Washington  Lodge,  No.  11,  F.  and  A.  31.,  which  was 
organized  at  Fort  Edward  in  1787,  su.spended  its  organiza- 
tion there  about  1820,  and  was  revived  and  reorganized  at 
Sandy  Hill.  It  went  out  of  existence  in  the  anti-Masonic 
excitement  of  1827-30. 

Sandy  Hill  Lodge,  No.  372,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  organ- 
ized by  dispensation  in  185-i,  and  chartered  1855,  with 
Orville  Clark,  W.  M.  ;  Henry  G.  Breese,  S.  W.  ;  U.  G. 
Paris,  J.  W.  Their  lodge-room  was  destroyed  in  the  great 
fire  of  October  11,  1876.  They  now  meet  in  a  hall  in 
Davis'  building,  adjoining  the  coffee-house.  The  officers 
for  1878  are  J^  W.  Waite,  W.  M. ;  Robt.  C.  Carey,  S.  W. ; 
Montgomery  C.  Moss,  J.  W.  ;  JM.  Cornell,  Treas.  ;  S.  B. 
Ambler,  Sec. 

Sandy  Hill  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  No.  189,  was  organized 
in  December,  1864,  with  J.  W.  Wait,  H.  P.;  Sylvanus 
H.  Kenyon,,K. ;  Madison  Cornell,  Scribe.  The  present 
officers  are  John  S.  Shippey,  H.  P. ;  S.  B.  Ambler,  K. ; 
J.  F.  Loomis,  Scribe.  Meets  in  Masonic  hall,  Davis 
building. 

Arctarns  Lodge,  No.  55,  /.  0.  0.  F,  was  instituted  at 
Sandy  Hill,  Feb.  6,  1846,  with  Matthew  S.  Pitcher,  N.  G.; 
Amariah  Ilolbrook,  V.  G. ;  Hiram  G.  Wilson,  R.  S.;  Henry 
E.  Dibble,  P.  S. ;  H.  B.  Vaughn,  Treas.  As  first  chartered 
by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  New  York,  its  number 
was  two  hundred  and  two  ;  but  after  the  division  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  into  the  grand  lodges  of  northern  and  south- 
ern New  York,  and  their  subsequent  re-consolidation,  the 
Areturus  received  its  present  number, — 55.  The  present 
officers  are  A.  F.  Hawks,  N.  G.  ;  Cornelius  A'^an  Low, 
V.  G. ;  Charles  A.  White,  R.  S.  ;  William  Bromley,  P.  S.  ; 
Gilson  Mason,  Treas.  It  meets  in  Odd-Fellows'  hall.  Main 
street.  Their  previous  hall  and  furniture  were  destroyed 
in  the  fire  of  Oct.  11,  187G. 

Sandy  Hill  Lodge,  No.  902,  /.  0.  of  Good  Templarif, 
was  organized  M<y  11,  1869,  with  Mai-tiu  P.  Tanner, 
W.  C.  T. ;  Marion  Tanner,  AY.  V.  T. ;  Lawrence  AV.  Foot, 
AV.  Chap.;  James  C.  Beach,  AV.  S. ;  John  H.  Snyder, 
AV.  A.  S. ;  Charles  K.  AVilliams,  W.  F.  S. ;  S.  J.  Cornell, 
AV.  Treas.  The  following  are  officers  for  1878 :  AVilliam 
Thomas,  AV.  C.  T. ;  John  Smith,  AV.  Chap.  ;  John  Pock- 
lington,  AV.  Treas. ;  Frank  Hawkes,  AV.  Sec. 

The  Sandy  Jlill  lie/arm  Club,  having  for  its  principal 
object  the  ]iromoti()ii   of  the  print-iplo  of  ttjtal  abstinence 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTOX   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


431 


fruiu  tlia  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  was  organized  in  Jan- 
uary, 1878.  Tiie  following  gentlemen  arc  present  officers 
of  the  club:  James  M.  Wliitmoii,  president;  James  M. 
Hansom,  first  vice-president ;  E.  I).  Baker,  chaplain;  \Vm. 
L.  Sliorrill,  secretary.  The  spacious  and  inviting  rooms  of 
the  club,  located  on  Main  street,  opposite  the  park,  were 
dedicated  in  February,  1878.  Within  the  past  fuw  montlis 
two  thousand  per.?ons  have  signed  the  total  abstinence 
pledge  in  Sandy  Hill,  of  which  number  less  than  ten  are 
known  to  have  broken  it. 

EMINKNT    PUBLIC    MKN. 

In  the  number  and  character  of  the  distinguished  or 
prominent  men  who,  in  the  j'ears  that  are  past,  have  either 
sprung  from  Sandy  Hill,  or  at  some  time  been  counted  as 
her  citizens,  she  claims  pre-eminence  among  villages  of  her 
size,  and  the  following  incomplete  list  goes  far  to  substan- 
tiate her  claim  : 

Hon.  Henry  C.  Martindale,  district  attorney,  common 
pleas  judge,  and  member  of  Congress  for  several  terms,  was 
fur  nearly  half  a  century  a  resident  and  prominent  lawyer 
of  the  village. 

Governor  Silas  Wrigiit,  of  national  reputation,  was  a 
student  at  Sandy  Hill,  in  Judge  Martindalc's  office. 

Nathaniel  Pitcher,  acting  governor  of  New  York  upon 
the  death  of  De  Witt  Clinton,  was  a  lawyer  of  this  village. 

James  C.  Hopkins,  of  Sandy  Hill,  a  student  with  James 
McCall,  was  State  Senator  in  1853  ;  afterwards  removed  to 
Wisconsin,  where  he  was  appointed  commissioner  for  re- 
vising the  statutes  of  the  State,  and  United  States  district 
judge. 

Orville  Clark,  State  Senator  and  major-general  of  militia, 
was  a  leading  lawyer  of  Sandy  Hill.  He  died  at  Dos 
Moines,  Iowa,  March  19,  1862. 

Henry  B.  Northup,  another  leading  lawyer  here,  was 
member  of  Assembly  and  district  attorney. 

William  L.  Lee,  of  Sandy  Hill,  became  chief-justice  and 
lord  high  chancellor  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  aiid  died  in 
the  office. 

David  Wilson,  afterwards  clerk  of  Assembly,  studied  in 
the  office  of  General  Clark. 

John  H.  Martindale  (son  of  Henry  C.)  was  a  brigadier- 
general  during  the  Rebellion,  and  afterwards  attorney-general 
of  New  York. 

Hon.  Roswell  Weston,  judge  of  the  common  pleas,  and  a 
strong  and  eminent  lawyer,  was  a  Sandy  Hiller. 

Charles  Rogers,  a  citizen  here,  was  elected  to  Assembly 
in  1833,  and  to  Congress  in  1842. 

Seth  E.  Sill,  a  student  of  General  Clark,  became  justice 
of  the  Supreme  Coui't  at  BuiTalo. 

Hon.  H.  Emmons,  United  States  judge  in  Michigan, 
was  from  vSandy  Hill. 

Hon.  George  H.  Lothrop,  the  leading  lawyer  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  was  also  from  this  village. 

Hon.  Town.send  Harris,  an  eminent  merchant  in  the 
China  trade,  treaty  commissioner  to  the  empire  of  Siam^ 
and  United  States  consul-general  in  Japan,  was  the  son  of 
Jonathan  Harris,  the  first  hatter  of  Sandy  Hill,  and  was 
born  here  in  1803,  in  the  Harris  house,  opposite  the  village 
green. 


OTHER   VILLAGES   AND   NEIGHBORHOODS. 

Kingsbury,  or  "  Kingsbury  Street,"  as  it  is  often  called, 
situated  about  one  mile  north  of  the  territorial  centre  of 
the  town,  and  about  five  miles  northeast  from  Sandy  Hill, 
is  a  small  village  containing  two  churches,  two  stores,  a 
public-house,  two  or  three  mechanics'  shops,  and  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants.  Some  of  the  earliest  settlers 
in  the  town  located  here  and  in  the  vicinity.  Among  those 
who  came  here  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution 
were  Micajah  and  Daniel  Elliott,  Colonel  JIatthcw  Scott, 
William  Smith,  Asahel  Hitchcock,  who  built  his  hou.se  a 
half-mile  south,  in  1784,  and  Nehemiah  Scelye,*  who  lo- 
caated  and  built  a  grist-mill  on  a  small  stream  a  little  north 
of  the  street. 

Tae  first  business  of  the  place  (other  than  agriculture) 
was  probably  a  store  and  tavern,  opened  about  this  time,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  street,  the  present  premises  of  Wm.  R. 
Buokland.  A  store  was  continued  there  by  Warren  F. 
Hitchcock  as  late  as  1813.  A  tavern  was  kept  on  the 
present  site  of  the  Baptist  parsonage,  by  Arad  Spraguc, 
before  1810.  The  best-known  tavern  of  the  place  was 
opened  on  the  Matthew  Scott  place  by  Salmasius  Bordwell, 
who  kept  it  for  many  years ;  this  being  the  same  as  the 
present  Kingsbury  Hotel. 

The  Kingsbury  post-office  was  established  about  1810. 
The  first  postmaster  was  Jonathan  Bellamy,  who  continued 
many  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Gabriel  T.  Leggett,  whose 
sucoes.sors  in  the  office  have  been  Wm.  A.  Vaughn,  James 
F.  Acker,  Thomas  A.  Sherwood,  Charles  B.  Vaughn,  Wil- 
liam R.  Buckland.  James  F.  Acker  is  the  present  post- 
master, by  a  second  appointment. 

patten's  mills 

is  a  very  small  village,  situated  six  and  a  half  miles  north 
of  Sandy  Hill,  in  the  extreme  northwest  corner  of  the 
town,  on  Halfway  brook.  It  is  said  that  the  first  im- 
provement here  was  a  saw-mill,  erected  b^'  John  Jones,  who 
was  himself  a  millwright ;  and  that  the  locality  was,  in  those 
early  times,  known  as  "  Jones'  mill-place," — perhaps  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  Jones  farm-place,  which  was  a  mile  or 
two  farther  southeast.  Traces  of  the  submerged  timbers 
of  this  mill  may  still  be  found  in  the  stream,  near  the  bridge. 
The  next  saw-mill  was  built  by  Edward  Patten,  who  settled 
hero  nearly  or  (|uite  a  century  ago,  and  from  whom  the 
place  derived  its  name.  He  also  built  a  grist-mill  here,  in 
1801.  This  was  afterwards  carried  on  successively  by  James 
Patten,  Henry  Harvey,  James  Harvey,  John  Andrews, 
Royal  Bullion,  and  Robert  B.  Adams,  and  has  been  several 
times  repaired  and  remodeled.  The  road,  which  now  crosses 
the  stream  above  this  mill,  formerly  passed  to  the  east  of  it. 
A  store  was  opened  here  by  James  Patten  about  1822.  This 
was  torn  down  about  1850,  and  a  new  one  erected,  this  being 
the  same  now  kept  by  Samuel  Dickinson.  The  store  of 
Benjamin  F.  Kent  was  opened  by  him  about  18C0.  A 
tannery  was  projected  here  by  Warren  Nims,  and  a  building 
erected  for  the  purpose  between  1845  and  1850,  but  wa.s 
never  u.sed  for  the  purpose  intended,  and  is  now  a  paint- 
shop.     There  has  never  been  a  public-house  at  the  Mills. 


»Mr.  Scelye  had  been  here bcroio  llic  war,  l.ut  left  (he  town  in  17 


432 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY',  NEW    YORK. 


The  post-office  was  established  here  probably  about  1825, 
with  James  Patten  as  postmaster.  The  office  has  since  been 
held  by  James  W.  Harvey,  Wm.  M.  I>[arsliali,  Melvin  Col- 
vin,  Ahnon  M.  Andrews,  Benjamin  1<\  Kent,  Dr.  Philip 
Cromwell,  John  Farr,  John  Hill,  and  Benjamin  F.  Kent 
(.second  appointment),  the  present  incumbent.  Tiie  village 
now  contains  two  stores,  a  blacksmith-shop,  a  wagon-factory, 
and  about  tvvcuty-five  families. 

SMITHS    KASIN, 

a  station  on  the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  railroad,  and  a 
post-village,  lies  on  the  Champlain  canal,  about  tive  miles 
northeast  from  Sandy  Hill.  The  history  of  this  place 
dates  from  the  opening  of  the  canal,  in  1822,  when  a  large 
store-house  was  erected  by  Ezekiel  Smith,  for  whom  the 
village  was  named,  he  being  then,  as  since,  the  principal 
business  man  of  the  place,  and  proprietor  of  the  first  store 
and  public-house.  His  brother,  Israel  Smith,  was  also  at 
one  time  a  merchant  there.  The  post-office  was  established 
here  in  18-19,  with  L.  C.  Holmes  as  postmaster,  since  whose 
term  until  the  present  time  the  office  has  been  held  by  Hon. 
George  W.  L.  Smith.  The  village  now  contains  the  rail- 
load  buildings,  one  hotel,  two  stores,  blacksmith-shop, 
wagon-shop,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants. 
A  short  distance  etist  of  the  village  are  the  extensive  lime- 
kilns owned  by  John  Kenyon,  of  Glen's  Falls,  which 
produce  large  quantities  of  lime  of  the  finest  quality. 

duxuam's  basi.v, 

also  a  station  on  the  railroad  and  canal,  is  a  cluster  of 
buildings,  liardly  sufficient  to  be  called  a  village,  containing 
a  hotel  and  store  and  accommodations  for  the  building  of 
canal-boats.  It  is  .situated  about  two  miles  east  of  Sandy 
Hill,  and  received  its  name  from  Daniel  Dunham,  an  early 
resident  of  the  place. 

auamsville, 

a  hamlet  lying  about  six  miles  east  of  Sandy  Hill,  on  the 
Hartford  line,  was  formerly  a  place  of  considerable  trade 
and  importance,  containijig  a  store,  a  hotel,  and  several 
mechanic-shops,  but  its  business  is  now  nearly  extinct. 
The  post-office  was  established  here  as  early  as  1827,  or 
earlier,  during  the  administration  of  John  Quincy  Adams, 
and  this  circumstance  gave  it  its  name.  The  first  post- 
master was  Calvin  H.  Swain.  Afterwards  Mr.  A.  Hardin 
lield  the  oificeTbl'  lUdiTy^'earS,  and  until  his  death. 

MOSS    STREET 

is  a  rural  settlement,  situated  about  half  a  mile  north  of 
the  corporation  limit  of  Sandy  Hill,  on  the  line  of  Main 
street.  In  former  times  a  public-house  was  kept  for  many 
years  in  the  present  residence  of  D.  M.  Hyde,  and  another 
was  kept  for  a  time  by  Reid  Phillij)S.  The  place  has  now 
no  business.  Its  name  was  given  for  Deacon  John  Moss  and 
Captain  Isaac  Moss,  original  settlers,  whose  ashes  now  rest 
in  its  cemetery. 

Vaughn's  corneijs 

is  an  agricultural  hamlet  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  five' 
miles  from  Sandy  Hill.      It  was  so  called  for  William  M. 


Vaughn*  (afterwards  of  Kingsbury  Street),  who  purchased 
here  in  an  early  day,  and  opened  a  tavern  and  store,  which 
lie  continued  for  several  years.  There  was  once  a  post- 
office  here,  with  Marcus  Vaughn  as  postmaster ;  but  it  has 
been  discontinued  for  more  than  forty  years.  The  place 
now  has  no  business. 

langdon's  corners 
is  the  name  given  to  a  prosperous  farming  neighborhood  in 
the  west  part  of  the  town,  four  miles  north  of  Sandj'  Hill. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  oldest  place  of  burial  in  Kingsbury  was  the  ground 
now  occupied  by  the  Presbyterian  church,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  public  park,  several  soldiers  having  been  buried  there 
in  the  year  1775.  In  the  following  year  James  Bradshaw 
and  otliers  of  the  proprietors  of  lot  9o  cleared  off  this  spot, 
with  the  avowed  intention  to  set  it  apart  as  a  burial-ground 
for  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and  for  this  purpo.se  it  was 
held  and  used.  It  was  permanently  fenced  in  1793,  and 
continued  to  be  the  principal  place  of  sepulture  in  this  part 
of  the  town  until  it  became  filled,  and  the  Baker  ground 
was  set  apart  as  a  cemetery. 

In  1813  or  1814  the  trustees  of  the  village  assumed  the 
power  to  lay  out  a  road  across  the  north  end  of  this  ground, 
to  give  access  to  the  (then)  new  bridge  across  the  Hudson. 
From  the  track  of  this  road  some  of  the  remains  were  taken 
up  and  reinterred  in  the  Baker  cemetery,  while  others  were 
allowed  to  remain.  After  the  destruction  of  the  bridge  by 
freshet  this  road  was  discontinued,  and  afterwards  became 
the  subject  of  long  litigation.  Many  of  the  graves  were 
covered  by  the  church,  and  these  have  never  since  been 
disturbed.  One  or  two  head-stones  still  remain  in  the  rear 
of  the  church,  and  these  are  all  the  present  indications  of 
the  former  character  of  the  spot. 

The  Kingsbury  cemetery  is  the  second  ground  in  point 
of  antiquity,  the  first  burials  there  being  those  of  .several 
soldiers  of  Burgoyne's  army,  in  1777.  To  these  several 
interments  of  citizens  were  added,  establishing  it  by  custom 
as  a  grave-yard  ;  and  on  the  4th  of  April,  1792,  Colonel 
Joseph  Caldwell  and  Israel  Mead  purchased  the  ground 
(about  two  acres),  for  thirty  pounds,  from  John  Hitchcock. 
The  residents  of  the  vicinity  were  invited  to  subscribe  this 
amount,  and  consecrate  the  spot  as  a  permanent  burial- 
place.  A  meeting  was  held  on  the  4th  of  July  in  that 
year,  and  forty-nine  citizens  subscribed  their  names,  agree- 
ing to  reimburse  Caldwell  and  Mead  "  in  good  merchantable 
wheat"  for  their  outlay.  Joseph  Caldwell,  Collins  Hitch- 
cock, and  Micajah  Elliott  were  chosen  tru.stecs.  On  the 
9tli  of  April,  1850,  a  reorganization  was  had  under  the 
general  cemetery  law  of  1847,  and  John  Newton,  Bloomer 
Underbill,  H.  11.  Bordwcll,  Benjamin  Bentley,  M.  L.  Cald- 
well, and  A.  F.  Hitchcock  were  chosen  trustees.  That 
organization  still  exists.     The  present  trustees  arc  George 

»  AVilliain  M.  Vaughn  w.as  one  of  the  five  sons  (the  others  being 
Samuel,  Asalicl,  Whitni.an,  and  Thomas)  of  Thom.as  Vaughn,  Sr.,  one 
of  the  pioneers,  who  settled  about  one  mile  north  of  Kingsbury  Street, 
where  William  A.  and  Caleb  Vaughn  now  live,  and  was  probably  the 
first  of  the  very  numerous  and  substantial  family  of  tha»  name  who 
arc  now  living  in  the  toivn.  There  were  seventeen  Vaughns  named 
among  (lie  l,i.r„l,lc  inhabilants  of  Kingsbury  in  tl.c  year  \iZu. 


EzEKiEL  Smith. 


fJlHS.  EZEKi EL  Smith. 


PHCrrOS  BY  WM.  VJMS.  FOKT  EDWAffO 


.>,  v-  '^  ii^>-^'  .i- 

'>  4-''    -Sy"  '*.?*tsf  <'iS^        j- 


[VtWTh  &Co  r^iLA  /"A 


Hotel, Store*.  Residence  or  ezeiciel  SMiTH,SMiTHsff>i5iN,W/(jH/N6To«coN) 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YOIIK. 


433 


U.  L'aiifiekl,  president ;  Wallace  Elliott,  Saniuol  J.  Cald- 
well, N.  M.  Catlin,  0.  Brayton  ;  A.  F.  Ilitclicock,  secretary 
and  treasurer.  The  ground  is  in  the  village  of  Kingsbury 
Street. 

The  Moss  Street  burial-ground  is  nearly  as  old  ;  the  first 
burial  there  having  been  that  of  an  Indian,  probably  soon 
after  the  Revolution.  The  head-stone  may  still  be  seen  a 
few  inches  above  ground,  and  bearing  the  letters  K.  L. 
The  stone  of  Benjamin  Pitcher  may  also  be  seen,  bearing 
date  of  his  death,  June  15,  1796. 

The  first  plat  of  this  ground  (one  acre  and  fifty-eight  rods) 
was  deeded  by  Simeon  Moss,  June  5,  1804,  for  a  considera- 
tion of  sixteen  dollars,  to  Ebenczer  Willoughby,  Soth  Alden, 
Samuel  Phillips,  David  Cole,  Russell  Cole,  Giles  Brownell, 
Freegift  Cole,  Abraham  Wright,  John  Moss,  Parker  Cole, 
David  Conkling,  Elias  Southworth,  John  Moss,  Jr.,  Burden 
Phillips,  John  Ferris,  and  Nathaniel  Pitcher  as  trustees, 
"  for  the  purpose  of  burying  the  dead,  and  for  no  other  use 
whatsoever  but  a  buryiug-place."  About  two  acres  have 
been  since  added  to  the  south  end,  and  about  an  equal  area 
to  the  west  side ;  the  latter  purchased  within  the  last  five 
years  from  Mrs.  Mary  Cook.  The  ground  is  no  longer  in 
charge  of  trustees.  All  those  who  were  named  in  the  deed 
have  passed  away,  and  most  of  them  lie  within  this  inclos- 
ure.  The  sexton,  Mr.  Van  Schaick,  is  confident  that  the 
total  number  of  interments  will  ftilly  reach  one  thousand, 
and  among  them  are  many  names  well  known  as  those  of 
early  settlers  of  Kingsbury. 

The  old  "  Baker  burial-ground,"  in  the  south  part  of 
Sandy  Hill  village,  was  first  used  as  a  private  interment 
place  for  members  of  the  Baker  family,  probably  as  early  as 
1800.  It  was  the  property  of  John,  son  of  Albert  Baker, 
and  was  by  him  offered  to  the  public  as  a  cemetery  on  the 
condition  that  it  should  be  well  inclosed  with  a  substantial 
stone  wall.  It  began  to  be  generally  used  by  the  public 
about  1812,  when  the  Bradshaw  ground,  opposite  the  green, 
had  become  inconveniently  full.  This  in  its  turn  became 
crowded,  and  burials  within  it  have  been  discontinued  for 
many  years. 

The  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward  Union  Cemetery,  com- 
menced in  1847,  is,  as  its  name  implies,  a  ground  owned 
by  people  of  both  villages,  but  is  located  in  Fort  Edward  ; 
in  the  history  of  which  town  it  will  be  found  more  fully 
described. 

The  Harris  Cemetery,  in  the  northwest  part  oi'  the  town, 
near  Patten's  Mills,  is  an  old  and  well-filled  ground,  origin- 
ally taken  from  the  farm  of  Joshua  Harris,  one  of  the 
early  settlers. 

The  King  burial-ground,  near  Langdon's  Corners,  was 
laid  out  by  Solomon  King  upon  a  portion  of  his  farm. 
Some  lots  were  sold,  and  the  ground  became  a  cemetery, 
though  not  reserved  as  such  in  the  will  of  Jlr.  King.  It 
is  now  very  little  used. 

ZION    CHURCH  (episcopal). 

An  Episcopal  church  was  organized  in  Kingsbury  as 
early  as  about  1790,  the  Hitchcock  family  being  promi- 
nent among  its  members.  They  met  for  occasional  services 
in  private  houses  and  in  the  school-house,  and  after  a  few 
years  commenced  the  erection  of  a  church  on  the  farm  of 
55 


Joseph  Adams,  a  few  rods  nurtli  of  the  present  school- 
hou.se  of  district  No.  5.  It  was  never  completed,  probably 
for  lack  of  funds,  but  the  worshipers  often  met  here  in 
favorable  weather  during  several  years.* 

The  church  w:is  reorganized  A.D.  1813,  under  the  title  of 
Zion  church.  It  was  a  missionary  field,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  there  wa.s  no  settled  pastor ;  but  services,  more  or 
less  frequent,  were  held  by  different  missionaries  in  the 
court-house.  At  length,  in  March,  1840,  the  Rev.  John 
Alden  Spooner  was  called  to  the  rectorship,  and  continued 
in  it  till  September,  1848.  In  April,  1846,  the  Rev.  Sanuiel 
B.  Bostwick  was  called  as  an  assistant  minister,  and  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Spooner  in  the  rector,ship.  In  April,  1849, 
preparations  began  to  be  made  for  building  a  church.  An 
accumulating  fund  was  commenced  by  means  of  quarterly 
offerings  in  the  congregation,  and  deposits  in  a  savings- 
bank  in  Troy.  In  July,  1851,  Mr.  James  P.  Cronkhite, 
formerly  a  resident  of  Sandy  Hill,  and  then  a  merchant 
in  New  York,  offered  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars 
towards  the  project,  provided  the  church  should  be  built  'of 
stone,  furnished  with  hard  wood,  and  have  its  seats  forever 
free.  The  vestry  thankfully  accepted  the  generous  offer, 
and  additional  means  were  obtained  by  subscription,  and 
from  various  sources  abroad. 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  May  10,  1853,  and  the  edifice 
was  so  far  completed  during  that  and  the  following  year 
that  the  first  service  was  held  in  it  Sept.  14,  1854.  Addi- 
tions and  improvements  have  since  been  made,  and  the 
church  is  now  a  beautiful  specimen  of  rural  Gothic  church 
architecture.  It  is  but  justice  to  say  that  at  the  completion 
of  the  church  a  debt  remained  upon  it,  due  to  Mr.  Cronk- 
hite. This  debt  amounted  to  two  thousand  two  hundred 
dollars  in  1863,  when  it  was  generou.sly  canceled  by  Mrs. 
Cronkhite  (then  Mrs.  James  T.  Swift),  and  the  church  was 
consecrated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Horatio  Potter,  D.D.,  June 
14,  1864. 

The  church  has  prospered  spiritually  as  well  as  tempo- 
rally. From  a  small  missionary  station  it  has  become  a 
self-supporting  parish,  and  has  sent  missionaries  to  China, 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  the  Indian  Territories.  The 
rectorship  continued  to  be  held  by  Rev.  Dr.  Bostwick  until 
April,  1877,  when  he  was  compelled  to  resign  by  reason  of 
long-continued  ill  health.  In  September  of  that  year  the 
Rev.  Charles  T.  Whittemore  was  called  to  the  rectorship, 
and  the  parish  is  now  prospering  under  his  pastoral  labors. 

THE   KINGSBURY   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

It  is  probable  that  Baptist  worship  was  held  in  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  town  of  Kingsbury  very  soon  after  the 
people  returned  to  their  desolate  homes  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolution,  and  that  a  church  organization  was  effected 
about  1790,  as  we  find  that  as  early  as  1792  such  an  organ- 
ization was  in  prosperous  existence,  numbering  ninety-three 
members  on  its  roll,  with  Rev.  Ebenezer  Willoughby  as 
pastor.  Their  earliest  worship  was  in  dwellings,  and  in  ,the 
warm  season  in  barns ;    afterwards  the  school-house  was 

*  After  a  time  this  buililiug  was  completed  in  a  rough  manner  by 
the  town  of  Kingsbury,  and  was  used  for  the  holding  of  town-meot- 
ings  from  1814  or  earlier  to  as  late  as  tho  year  1824,  being  then  desig- 
nated as  the  "  Town-House." 


434 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


made  to  do  duty  as  a  place  of  meeting,  and  about  a.d.  1800 
a  church  edifice  was  built,  open  to  all  Christian  denomina- 
tions, upon  the  place  afterwards  known  as  the  Throop  Bar- 
ney farm,  but  then  the  land  of  Joseph  Adams,  who  leased 
the  site  for  the  annual  rental  of  one  peppercorn,  if  de- 
manded. 

Upon  the  completion  of  this  church  building  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Baptist  congregation  was  held  in  it,  in  common 
with  that  of  other  sects,  and  so  continued  for  many  years  ; 
but  finally,  from  their  preponderance  of  members  or  other 
cause,  it  came  to  be  known  and  regarded  not  as  the  union, 
but  as  the  Baptist  meeting-house,  and  as  such  was,  in 
1843,  removed  to  Kingsbury  Street,  remodeled  and  re- 
paired, and  has  been  the  house  of  worship  of  this  church 
until  the  present  time.  Soon  after  the  removal  of  their 
edifice  the  church  was  formally  reorganized  under  the  gen- 
eral law  as  at  present.  The  membership  is  now  eighty,  and 
the  church  is  under  the  pastoral  charge  of  Rev.  C.  Coon. 

ADAMSVILLE    BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

A  tradition,  which  extends  back  nearly  or  quite  a  cen- 
tury, informs  us  that  the  first  man  who  commenced  a  clear- 
ing for  the  settlement  of  his  family  at  the  place  now  known 
as  Adamsville,  on  raising  his  axe  to  fell  the  first  tree,  felt 
moved  upon  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  kneel  at  its  foot  and  ask 
God  that  that  place  might,  in  his  providence,  become  one 
for  spreading  the  gospel  net ;  a  place  where  God  would 
raise  him  up  a  people  to  serve  him  ;  and  that  he  would 
there  get  to  himself  a  great  name  in  the  salvation  of  pre- 
cious souls.  This  tradition  so  far,  no  doubt,  is  entirely  re- 
liable ;  but  who  the  devoted  man  of  God  was  who  offered 
this  prayer,  which  has  been  so  abundantly  answered,  as 
this  history  shows,  we  are  not  able  to  decide.  Tradition 
gives  the  names  of  two, — Butterfield  and  Barnes  It  is 
most  probable  it  was  the  latter,  who  was  the  father  of  the 
first  pastor  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Adamsville  Bap- 
tist church.  The  place  where  this  memorable  prayer  was 
offered  is  claimed  to  be,  and  probably  is,  the  identical  spot 
where  the  house  of  worship  occupied  by  the  church  now 
stands. 

The  records  of  the  church,  for  the  first  ten  years  of  its 
existence,  are  not  now  extant,  but  from  sources  believed  to 
be  reliable  we  gather  the  following  items  of  history.  The 
church  was  con.stituted  in  the  year  1795,  taking  the  name 
of  Second  Hartford  Baptist  church,  numbering  thirty-two  • 
members.  Who  the  constituent  members  or  any  of  them 
were,  we  have  no  means  of  determining.  The  first  two 
years  of  its  existence  the  church  was  without  a  pastor. 

In  1797,  Elder  Gamaliel  Barnes  was  called  to  the  pas- 
torate, and  served  the  church  in  that  capacity  three  years, 
or  until  the  year  1800.  During  the  next  six  years  they 
were  without  a  pastor,  the  effects  of  which  were  visible  in 
the  decrease  of  its  numbers,  which  diminished  to  twenty- 
one  at  the  end  of  the  first  three  years.  But  in  the  year 
1804  they  were  permitted  to  enjoy  a  revival,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  addition  of  sixty-seven  by  baptism. 

In  the  year  1806,  Calvin,  H.  Swain,  son-in-law  of  Elder 
Barnes,  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  while  a 
licentiate,  and  in  due  time  was  set  apart  by  ordination  to 
the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.     The  pastoral  relation  of 


Elder  Swain  with  the  church  extended  over  a  period  of 
twenty-six  years,  from  1806  to  1832.  During  his  ministry 
a  number  of  revivals  are  recorded,  the  most  marked  of 
which  occurred  in  the  years  1816,  1817,  and  1831. 

In  1813  the  church  changed  its  name  from  "  Second 
Hartford"  to  "Hartford  and  Kingsbury,"  which,  in  1827, 
was  again  changed  to  "  Adamsville,"  from  the  post-office 
then  recently  established  tliere.  A  branch  of  this  church, 
called  the  south  branch,  was  established  at  Durkeetown,  in 
Fort  Edward,  in  1816,  and,  sixteen  years  later,  having 
then  increased  its  membership  to  about  ninety,  it  was  in- 
dependently organized  as  the  Fort  Edward  Baptist  church. 
About  this  time  a  dissension  arose  upon  the  question  of 
Freemasonry.  Thirty-two  of  the  members,  refusing  to 
walk  with  the  church,  and  being  excluded  from  its  fellow- 
ship, formed  a  separate  organization,  under  the  name  of  the 
Hartford  and  Kingsbury  Baptist  church,  in  the  fall  of 
1832.  In  1833,  Elder  Nathaniel  Culver  served  them  for 
a  time,  and  was  followed  the  same  year  by  Archibald  Ken- 
yon,  a  licentiate,  who  in  April,  1835,  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry.  After  Mr.  Kenyou  the  church  was  served  by 
William  Carmack,  a  licentiate,  in  1837 ;  by  Elder  William 
Gonne  in  1838  ;  Elder  D.  A.  Cobb  as  pastor  for  three  ' 
years  from  1839  ;  and  by  Orrin  Shipman,  a  licentiate,  in 
1843. 

About  the  time  of  the  division  in  1832,  Elder  Swain  re- 
signed the  pastorate  of  the  Adamsville  church,  removing  to 
the  west,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Norman  Fox,  who 
gave  half  his  time  to  them.  He  was  followed  by  Elder 
Archibald  Wait,  after  whom  came  Elder  Levi  Scofield,  in 
1836.  On  the  20th  of  February,  1837,  the  church,  in 
special  meeting,  "  resolved  not  to  sustain  preaching  longer 
at  Adamsville,"  and  most  of  the  remaining  members  com- 
menced attending  the  South  Baptist  church,  of  Hartford, 
and  so  continued  until  1843,  when,  during  a  powerful  re- 
vival, which  had  commenced  the  previous  autumn,  the  two 
churches  laid  aside  and  forgot  all  their  old  JIasonic  differ- 
ences, and  having  disbanded  both  the  Adamsville  and 
the  Haitford  and  Kingsbury  organizations,  became  re- 
united under  the  name  of  the  Hartford,  Kingsbury,  and 
Adamsville  Baptist  church,  and  called  to  its  pastorate 
Elder  R.  O.  Dwyer,  who  remained  with  them  for  three 
years  from  April,  1843.  In  the  following  year,  however, 
the  name  of  the  church  was  again  changed  to  that  which 
it  still  retains.  Since  the  close  of  Elder  Dwyer's  labors 
with  them  the  church  has  been  served  by  Elder  E.  W. 
Allen,  1846  to  1848;  Elder  J.  H.  Barker  for  nine  years, 
fi'om  1848 ;  William  Remington  and  0.  C.  Kirkham, 
both  licentiates,  who  together  supplied  the  desk  for  two 
years;  Elder  Asahal  Brownson,  April,  1859,  to  January, 
1861  ;  Elder  M.  P.  Forbes  for  four  years,  from  April, 
1861  ;  Deacon  John  Newton,  a  licentiate  from  the  Kings- 
bury church,  who  closed  a  three  years'  term  of  labor  here 
on  Nov.  8,  1866 ;  and  Elder  J.  H.  Barker,  who  com- 
menced his  second  pastorate  here  April  1,  1868. 

Although  the  church  is  now  without  a  pastor,  and  regu- 
lar services  are  suspended,  its  organization  still  exists,  and 
its  few  members,  now  not  exceeding  twenty  (less  than  one- 
eighth  the  number  it  enjoyed  in  the  days  of  its  greatest 
prosperity),  still  hold  occasional  meetings  in  the  old  edifice, 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


435 


which  has  been  their  house  of  worship  for  the  past  sixty- 
six  years. 

A  feature  worthy  of  mention  is  the  unusual  number  of 
her  sons  this  church  lias  given  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry.  In  all,  ten,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  young  men 
of  promise,  who  in  after-life  faithfully  devoted  themselves 
to  the  great  work  of  leading  their  fellow-men  to  Christ. 
The  following  are  among  the  number:  Leonard  Fletcher, 
Joshua  Fletcher,  Ira  Love,  Horace  T.  Love,  John  Twiss, 
Philip  Slocum,  Aurora  M.  Swain,  E.  K.  Bailey,  Anson 
Brown,  and  R.  C.  Green. 

The  church  has  had  sixteen  pastors,  including  both 
bodies,  during  their  separation.  The  two  longest  pastorates 
together  extend  over  a  period  of  more  than  forty  years, 
while  the  average  is  a  fraction  less  than  five  years.  It  has 
had  four  revivals,  in  which  the  additions  by  baptism  have 
amounted  to  more  than  four  hundred  and  fifty.  The  first 
reported  in  1804,  when  sixty-seven  were  received.  The 
second  in  1816  and  1817,  during  which  more  than  two 
hundred  were  added.  The  third  in  1831,  when  one  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  received  baptism.  The  fourth  in  1843, 
when  some  seventy  were  received. 

THE    BAPTIST    CHURCH    AT    SANDY    HILL 

was  constituted  in  April,  1840,  with  forty  members, — ten 
male  and  thirty  female ;  the  services  upon  the  occasion 
being  conducted  by  Elder  William  Arthur,  of  Union  vil- 
lage, who  preached  the  sermon  in  the  Presbyterian  church. 
The  first  church-meeting  was  held  in  the  court-house,  on 
the  2d  of  May,  with  Elder  J.  B.  Murphy,  the  first  pastor, 
as  moderator,  and  Barnet  Bond  as  clerk.  Since  Mr.  Mur- 
phy, the  church  has  been  served  by  the  following  pastors : 
Seth  Ewers,  1841  ;  Solomon  Gale,  1842-14 ;  B.  A.  Web- 
ster, 1845  ;  Asa  Bronson,  1846  ;  W.  A.  Moore,  1847-49  ; 
James  J.  Peck,  1850  ;  William  Hutchinson,  1851-52  ;  J. 
A.  Bullard,  1853-54  (no  pastor  in  1855)  ;  B.  F.  Parshall, 
1856-58;  John  E.  Cheshire,  1859-60;  D.  C.  Hughes, 
1861-65  ;  George  Webster,  1866-69  ;  and  E.  R.  Sawyer 
from  1870  to  the  present  time.  The  succession  of  deacons 
has  been  as  follows:  John  Winchip,  James  Cheesman, 
Samuel  P.  Harris,  Ozro  M.  Bond,  Jacob  Churchill,  Gard- 
ner M.  Baker,  Jesse  King,  R.  J.  Winship,  Charles  Harris, 
Jr.,  L.  W.  Croukhite,  Loren  Allen.  The  clerks  have  been 
as  follows:  Barnet  Bond,  1841-42  ;  Otis  Churchill,  1843; 
Henry  Tefit,  1844  to  1872  inclusive ;  and  G.  M.  Baker, 
1873  to  the  present  (March,  1878). 

Their  first  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1844,  at  a 
cost  of  four  thousand  dollars,  and  was  dedicated  Jan.  7, 
1845  ;  the  services  being  conducted  by  Rev.  Isaac  Wescott. 
It  was  afterwards  sold  to  the  Catholics,  who  still  occupy  it. 

Their  present  beautiful  edifice  was  erected  in  1872,  and 
was  dedicated  Dec.  5  in  that  year;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bridg- 
man,  of  Albany,  leading  the  ceremonies.  The  church 
is  a  cruciform  structure  of  brick  and  limestone,  built  in 
the  Gothic  style  of  the  thirteenth  century.  The  founda- 
tions, including  tower  and  transept,  are  sixty-one  by  one 
hundred  and  sixteen  feet  in  dimension  ;  and  the  lot,  which 
adjoins  the  court-house  lot,  southward,  is  two  hundred  and 
seven  feet  front  by  ninety  deep.  The  co.st  of  the  building, 
including  bell,  organ,  and  furniture,  was  fifty-seven  thousand 


dollars,  and  it  is  one  of  the  finest  houses  of  worship  in  the 

county. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  two  hundred 
and  eighty-three. 

The  Sabbath-school  connected  with  it  was  organized  in 
April,  1842.  It  now  ein-olls  two  hundred  and  ninety-nine 
teachers  and  scholars,  under  the  .superintendency  of  Hiram 
Allen.  Its  library  contains  five  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
volumes. 

The  moneys  contributed  by  the  church  for  benevolent 
purposes  have  been  large  in  amount,  and  are  rather  remark- 
able in  the  rate  of  their  increase.  In  184]  the  sum  raised 
was  $8;  in  1872,  it  was  $1761.90;  in  1875,  $2126.03; 
in  187C,  $1748.82  ;  and  in  1877,  $846.43. 

THE    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    AT    SANDY    HILL. 

This  church  was  formed  by  Rev.  Lebbeus  Armstrong, 
in  September,  1 803  ;  the  meeting  for  the  purpo.se  of  organ- 
ization being  held  some  four  miles  north  of  the  village,  at 
the  house  of  Captain  William  Smith,  who,  with  his  wife, 
Thankful,  were  two  of  the  original  members.  Two  others 
were  Deacon  John  Moss  and  Captain  Isaac  Moss ;  and  it 
is  supposed  that  Deacon  Thomas  Magee,  Colonel  Joseph 
Caldwell,  and  Colonel  Matthew  Scott  were  also  included  in 
and  completed  the  roll  of  this  feeble  church,  which  was 
more  Congregational  than  Presbyterian,  and  was  then 
known  by  the  former  designation. 

For  several  years  they  were  unable  to  secure  regular 
preaching,  but  during  that  time  were  served  occasionally 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Willoughby,  Rev.  Lebbeus  Armstrong,  Rev. 
Jonas  Coe,  of  Troy,  and  others.  Their  worship  being 
frequently  held  at  the  commodious  dwelling  of  Deacon 
Moss  (now  occupied  by  Daniel  Hyde),  until  1806,  when, 
upon  the  completion  of  the  court-house,  it  became  their 
place  of  meeting  in  common  with  other  denominations,  and 
so  continued  to  be  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

In  1810  this  was  united  with  the  Queonsbury  church, 
in  connection  with  which  it  was  supplied  by  Rev.  William 
Boardman,  who  had  first  resided  at  Glen's  Falls,  but  soon 
after  this  union  removed  to  Sandy  Hill,  where  a  parsonage 
had  been  built  for  him,  and  remained  until  September, 
1811.  During  the  nine  years  succeeding  his  departure 
the  united  churches  were  occasionally  supplied  by  Rev.  L. 
Armstrong,    Dr.    Coe,    Dr.    Blatchford,    of    Lansingburg, 

Rev.  Samuel  Tomb,  of  Salem,  Mr.  Griswold, Smith, 

Rev.  Mr.  Sears,  and  others. 

In  1820,  the  Rev.  Ravaud  K.  Rodgors  commenced  labor 
here,  and  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  united  churches 
March  14,  1821.  Four  elders  were  ordained  in  this  church 
Jan.  30,  1820,  viz. :  Luther  Johnson,  John  Thoma.s,  Ed- 
ward Moss,  and  Dan.  Beaumont. 

Mr.  Rodgei-s  remained  here  until  March,  1830,  when  he 
was  dismissed  at  his  own  request,  and  the  pulpit  was  then 
supplied  a  short  time  by  Rev.  Edwin  Hall,  after  whom 
came  Rev.  Washington  Roosevelt,  who  remained  until  1834. 
From  this  time  until  1839  the  church  depended  on  occa- 
sional supplies,  when  Rev.  Joseph  Parry  was  installed  pius- 
tor  June  26,  and  continued  a  little  more  than  two  years. 

Then  followed  Revs.  Smith,  Stephen  Mattoon,  James 

T.  Hamlin,  and  George  Van  Cleve,  the  last  mentioned  re- 


486 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


ruaining  only  a  few  months.  The  church  now  langiiLshed, 
and  during  the  spring  of  1846  services  were  discontinued. 
Later  in  that  year  Rev.  Joseph  B.  Eastman  commenced 
labor  here,  and  remained  as  stated  .supply  till  1849.  In 
April,  1848,  the  church  was  reorganized,  and  a  new  board 
of  trustees  chosen,  as  follows :  Orville  Clark,  Harvey  B. 
Nash,  James  M.  Moss,  Lyman  Holbrook,  Loraness  Clark, 
Henry  E.  Dibble,  Benjamin  Ferris,  Coolidgc  B.  Murphy, 
and  A.  A.  Skinner.  Rev.  George  I.  Taylor  was  installed 
pastor  Nov.  14,  1849,  and  dismissed  Oct.  28,  18.51.  Rev. 
Edward  E.  Seelye*  served  as  stated  supply  from  Nov.  1, 
1851,  to  Nov.  1,  1858,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Henry 
F.  Hickok,  who  was  installed  pastor  of  this  and  the  Fort 
Edward  church  June  15,  1859,  and  so  remained  until 
April  1,  1869.  Rev.  James  E.  Platter  was  installed  pastor 
Sept.  26,  1870,  and  served  until  Sept.  17,  1872.  Rev. 
Thomas  B.  McLeod  became  pastor  March  18,  1873,  but 
left  in  October,  1874,  on  account  of  ill  health.  The  pres- 
ent pastor,  Rev.  Edward  P.  Johnson,  commenced  labor 
here  in  January,  1875,  and  was  installed  June  23  in  that 
year. 

As.  has  been  mentioned,  the  court-house  was  their  first 
place  of  worship  in  Sandy  Hill,  and  this  continued  till  the 
erection  of  their  first  and  present  church  edifice,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  public  square  in  the  village.  The  lot 
was  the  old  burial-ground,  laid  out  in  1785,  which  had 
been  ofifered  as  a  premium  to  the  denomination  which 
should  first  erect  a  hou.se  of  worship.  Acting  on  this,  the 
pastor.  Rev.  R.  K.  Rodgers,  started  a  subscription,  and  in 
two  days  had  secured  one  thousand  dollars,  with  which  the 
work  was  commenced.  The  whole  cost  was  over  four 
thousand  dollars,  which  was  realized,  with  an  excess  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  dollars,  from  the  sale  of  pews  and  slips; 
and  so  the  church  was  dedicated  free  of  debt  Feb.  15, 1827. 
It  was  repaired  and  the  interior  remodeled  in  1860  at  an 
expense  of  seven  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars.  On  the 
12th  of  April,  1869,  the  pews  of  the  church  were  declared 
free.  The  present  membership  is  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty.  Connected  with  the  church  is  a  flourishing  Sab- 
bath-school, under  the  superintendeney  of  James  M.  Ransom. 

SANFORD's    RIDQE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

Methodist  preaching  in  a  primitive  way  was  commenced 
in  this  neighborhood  soon  after  Rev.  Lemuel  Smith's  ap- 
pointment to  Cambridge  circuit  in  1788.  A  few  years 
later  we  find  these  people  enjoying  the  ministrations  of 
Revs.  Billy  Hibbard  and  Henry  Ryan,  circuit  preachens, 
and  about  the  year  1800  the  church  was  organized, — Daniel 
Brayton  being  then  preacher  in  charge,  and  Rev.  John  Love- 
joy  presiding  elder.  Among  the  multitude  of  preachers 
who  served  here  during  the  succeeding  thirty  years  were 
Revs.  Samuel  Howe,  Roselle  Kelly,  Seymour  Coleman,  Ju- 
lius Fields,  and  John  B.  Stratton,  who  conducted  .services 
in  private  houses  and  barns,  and  often  in  the  store  at  Pat- 
ten's Mills.  In  1832  the  present  church  on  the  Ridge  was 
built,  the  work  being  done  by  Levi  Andrews,  assisted  by  Mr. 
Madison.  Its  location  is  just  within  the  town  of  Kings- 
bury, on  the  Queensbury  border ;  many  of  the  congrega- 


«  Died  at  Sandy  Hill,  Aug.  10,  1S64. 


tion  being  residents  of  the  last-named  town.  The  present 
membeiship  numbers  two  hundred  and  seventeen.  Rev. 
A.  Campbell  is  the  preacher  in  charge. 

THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL   CHURCH    OP    SANDY    HILL. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1825,  with  thirteen  orig- 
inal members,  viz. :  Benjamin  Clark  and  wife,  Nathaniel 
Wickes  and  wife,  Jacob  Latimer  and  wife,  Seth  Smith  and 
wife,  George  Harvey  and  wife,  Mary  M.  Lee,  Katy  Carrier, 
and  Carmi  Dibble.  It  was  then  included  in  Poultney  dis- 
trict, and  the  first  preachers  who  labored  here  were  Revs. 
Carpenter  and  Houghtaling,  who  were  succeeded  by  Revs. 
Little  and  Chip;  this  reaching  to  the  year  1830,  since 
which  time  the  church  has  been  served  by  successive 
preachers  too  numerous  to  mention.  For  the  first  sixteen 
years  of  their  organized  existence  their  worship  was  held  in 
the  court-house,  and  in  the  brick  school-house  of  district 
No.  16  ;  but  in  1840  they  commenced  the  erection  of  their 
present  church  edifice,  on  a  lot  purchased  from  John 
Thomas,  and  located  on  the  main  street  of  the  village. 
The  cost  of  the  building  (including  lot)  was  about  four 
thousand  dollars,  and  it  was  completed  and  occupied  in 
1841.  In  the  same  year  the  society  was  legally  organized 
as  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Sandy  Hill  and  vi- 
cinity ;  the  preachers  at  that  time  and  immediately  following 
being  Reverends  Amer,  Scoville,  and  William  A.  Miller. 
Their  parsonage  (previously  the  residence  of  Allen  Buck) 
was  purchased  in  1855  at  the  price  of  twelve  hundred 
dollars.  The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  two 
hundred  and  .seventy -eight,  under  charge  of  Rev.  John 
W.  Quinlan,  pastor.  The  Sabbath-.school,  now  under  the 
superintendeney  of  Eber  Richards,  Esq.,  enrolls  one  hundred 
and  thirty-nine  teachers  and  pupils. 

THE     METHODIST    EPI.SCOPAL    CHURCH     AT     KINGSBURY 
STREET 

was  organized  in  1853,  with  about  ti'ii  members,  under 
Revs.  Miner  and  Benjamin  F.  Pomoroy.  Their  meeting's 
were  held  for  a  time  in  the  Baptist  church  ;  but  about  two 
years  later  they  purchased  a  church  building  of  the  Pres- 
byterians in  Fort  Ann,  and  removed  it  in  sections  upon 
sleds  to  a  lot  in  Kingsbury  village,  donated  to  them  by 
Misses  Lindamira  and  Fanny  Mason,  two  ladies  who  al- 
ways, during  their  lives,  were  stanch  friends  and  sup- 
porters of  this  church.  Miss  Fanny  Mason,  the  last  of 
the  sisters,  who  died  in  the  present  month  (March,  1878), 
bequeaths  an  eligible  lot  for  a  parsonage.  The  church  is 
not  strong  in  numbers,  its  membership  being  now  but 
thirty-six,  and  is  at  present  without  a  pastor. 

THE    ADVENT    CHRISTIAN    CHURCH 

was  organized  with  about  twenty  members,  in  1859,  by 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Parry,  who  was  its  first  pastor,  with  Elder 
Gordon  Matthewson  as  associate.  The  succeeding  pastors 
have  been  Elders  O.  R.  Fassett,  C.  H.  Leverton,  and  A. 
W.  Sibley  ;  these  extending  to  December,  1875,  at  which 
time  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  Arthur  A.  Waite,  commenced 
his  labors  here.  Their  church  edifice,  located  on  Main 
street,  in  the  south  part  of  the  village,  was  built  in  1860, 
largely  by  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Nelson  W.  Wait,  a  prom- 


M(?s.  Joseph  ]\  /Harris. 


Joseph  H,  Harris. 


ffESPOENCE   OT    JOSEPH    H .  HARRIS .Smith;?  SaSiN .WJSHlNGrON  Co.N.Y 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


437 


inent  member.  The  cost  of  the  building,  with  the  adjoin- 
ing parsonage,  was  four  thousand  dollars.  A  prayer-room, 
having  a  capacity  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty,  was  added 
in  1866,  and  this  was  enlarged  in  1877  at  an  additional 
cost  of  about  four  hundred  dollars.  The  membership  is 
now  about  two  hundred. 

ST.    MARY's   ROMAN    C.\THOLIC   CHURCH,  SANDY    HILL. 

The  church  edifice  of  the  English-speaking  Catholics  at 
Sandy  Hill  is  situated  on  Wall  street,  overlooking  the  Hud- 
son. It  is  substantially  and  solidly  built  of  cut  stone  from 
the  Kingsbury  quarries,  and  is  in  Gothic  style.  Size  of 
church  is  forty  by  sixty  feet,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  four 
hundred.  The  church  lot  occupies  about  one  acre,  upon 
which  is  a  parsonage,  purchased  in  1873.  The  number  of 
families  in  charge  of  the  pastor  of  this  church  is  about  two 
hundred,  with  a  membership  of  about  one  thousand  souls. 
The  church  stands  prominently  forth  as  the  mother  church 
of  Catholicity  in  Washington,  Warren,  and  Essex  counties, 
having  been  erected  in  18.38.  In  1839,  Bishop  Dubois,  of 
the  New  York  diocese  (in  which  Sandy  Hill  then  was), 
consecrated  the  edifice.  A  few  years  previous  to  this  date, 
a  number  of  emigrants  from  different  parts  of  Ireland  settled 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Sandy  Hill.  They  were  exclu- 
sively a  hard-working,  industrious  cla.ss,  and  were  much  re- 
spected for  their  honesty  and  fi-ugality.  In  1830  their 
number  was  so  augmented  by  constant  arrivals  from  the 
mother  country  that  a  congregation  was  formed,  and  it  was 
designated  as  "  Christ's  Church."  The  name,  however, 
was  retained  but  a  few  years,  when  it  was  changed  to  "  St. 
Mary's  Church."  Several  Canadian  French  resided  here, 
and  many  of  their  number  attended  the  services  of  this  con- 
gregation. Since  that  time  their  number  has  so  increased 
they  have  provided  a  church  edifice  of  their  own  (St.  Paul's), 
sermons  and  instructions  being  given  in  the  French  tongue. 
After  the  formation  of  the  congregation,  clergymen  from 
Troy  made  periodical  visits  here,  among  the  number  being 
Rev.  Fathers  Shanahan  and  Quinn,  who  held  services  in 
the  court-house.  This  temple  of  justice  has  been  utilized 
by  every  denomination  in  Sandy  Hill,  before  they  were 
numerous  enough  to  build  churches  of  their  own. 

In  1834,  the  first  resident  pastor,  Rev.  John  Kelly,  S.  J., 
was  appointed  to  Sandy  Hill  and  adjoining  missions,  com- 
prising Washington,  Warren,  and  Essex  counties.  In  these 
missions  services  were  .sometimes  held  in  halls  of  villages, 
but  principally  in  the  houses  of  the  few  families  scattered 
through  the  farming  communities.  When  the  present  stone 
structure  was  built  (which  at  this  writing  (1878)  is  the 
only  one  of  that  material  in  the  diocese  of  Albany),  it  was 
fully  adequate  to  accommodate  all  the  Catholics  in  the  sur- 
rounding country ;  but  now,  within  a  cii'cuit  of  five  miles, 
churches  are  provided,  with  a  convent  and  schools. 

From  the  year  1840,  Rev.  Francis  Coyle,  since  deceased, 
labored  zealously  for  four  years.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
Joseph  Guerdet,  now  pastor  of  St.  John's  church,  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  who  remained  but  a  short  time  in  charge.  In  1845, 
Rev.  Andrew  Doyle  (who  is  now  dead)  labored  here  one 
year. 

In  184(1,  Kev.  Michael  Olivetti  assumed  charge,  but  a 
short  time  afterwards  was  waylaid  and  foully  murdered,  and 


his  body  thrown  into  Lake  Champlain,  at  Port  Henry.    He 

was  engaged  at  the  time  in  his  missionary  duties.  Robbery 
no  doubt  was  the  motive  of  the  murder.  The  perpetrators 
were  unknown,  and  they  were  never  brought  to  justice. 
The  organ  at  present  in  use  in  the  church  was  procured  by 
this  zealous  priest. 

Rev.  John  Murphy  was  next  appointed  (in  1848).  He 
removed  his  residence  to  Glen's  Falls,  it  being  more  cen- 
trally located,  and  having  a  more  numerous  congregation. 
He  attended  both  villages  for  nearly  eighteen  years,  until 
1865,  when  he  resigned.  The  present  pastor  of  St.  Mary's 
church,  Glen's  Falls,  Rev.  James  McDermott,  was  his  suc- 
cessor, and  his  appointment  dated  1865.  During  the  ad- 
ministration of  Father  McDermott  a  stone  tower  was  built, 
a  spire  erected,  a  new  slate  roof  added,  and  the  interior  both 
tastefully  and  religiously  embellished. 

The  present  incumbent,  Rev.  Jcseph  F.  Leonard,  was  ap- 
pointed in  1873,  with  residence  in  Sandy  Hill.  The  num- 
ber of  Catholics  here  so  increased  that  they  required  a 
separate  pastor,  the  former  pastor  (Father  McDermott) 
giving  his  whole  attention  to  Glen's  Falls  and  vicinity. 
Rev.  J.  F.  Leonard  is  a  native  of  Albany,  where  he  was 
born  in  1847. 

He  was  educated  at  St.  Bonaventurc's  College,  Allegany, 
N.  Y.,  and  ordained  on  June  3,  1871,  at  the  Provincial 
Seminary,  Troy,  N.  Y. 

Previous  to  1844,  Archbishop  John  Hughes,  of  New 
York,  held  confirmation  in  the  church  of  those  prepared  by 
the  missionary  priests.  After  this  date,  Bishop  John  Mc- 
Closkey,  of  the  Albany  diocese,  performed  the  ceremony. 
In  1873,  Bishop  Francis  McNierny,  also  of  Albany,  held 
confirmation  here.  This  section  of  the  State  was  in  the 
diocese  of  New  York  until  1847,  when  the  diocese  of 
Albany  was  formed,  and  Sandy  Hill  included  in  the  same. 

ST.  Paul's  church — french  catholic. 

This  church  was  established  at  Sandy  Hill  in  1873. 
Their  church  building  at  Park  place  and  River  street  was 
the  first  Baptist  house  of  worship,  and  was  purchased  from 
that  denomination  for  three  thousand  dollars,  to  which  fif- 
teen hundred  dollars  was  added  in  repairs  and  improve- 
ments. Their  first  priest  was  Rev.  G.  Huberdault,  who 
was  succeeded  in  1873  by  Father  L.  N.  St.  Ange,  the 
present  pastor,  who  resides  at  Glen's  Falls,  iis  does  also  their 
curate,  Rev.  Father  Breserd.  The  congregation  numbers 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  families. 

educational. 

The  earliest  school-house  in  the  town  of  which  we  have 
any  reliable  account  was  a  wooden  building  of  one  room, 
which,  in  the  early  years  of  the  present  century,  stood  on 
the  present  site  of  the  French  Catholic  church  at  Sandy 
Hill.  Josiah  Beobe  taught  in  this  house  before  1810,  and 
it  is  certain  that  Stephen  Ashley  taught  there  in  1812,  as 
Mrs.  General  Clark  distinctly  recollects  hearing  him  an- 
nounce from  his  desk  the  terrifying  fact  of  the  declaration 
of  war  with  Great  Britain.  Another  teacher,  who  came 
soon  aft<^r,  was  Luther  Wait,  father  of  Judge  Wait,  of  Fort 
Edward. 

In  1813  or  1814  a  two-.story  wooden  school-house  was 


438 


HISTORY  OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


erected  at  the  head  of  Academy  lane,  where  the  old  brick 
ice-house  now  stands.  This  superseded  the  old  house  on 
the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  was  by  courtesy  called  "  the  acad- 
emy." Among  its  early  teachers  were  Mr.  Adams,  Mr. 
Edgerton,  Samuel  T.  Tanner,  and  others,  who  gave  good 
repute  to  the  school.  Miss  Almira  Hart  taught  the  girls' 
school  in  the  upper  room  for  two  years  from  1815.  She 
was  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Willard,  afterwards  principal  of  the 
Troy  Seminary.  Soon  after  her  installation  as  teacher  a 
Mrs.  Wilcox,  who  had  previously  received  the  offer  of  the 
place,  but  failed  to  signify  her  acceptance,  appeared  and 
demanded  the  school,  which  being  refused,  she,  being  .sup- 
ported in  her  claims  by  a  portion  of  the  parents,  opened  a 
school  in  the  court-house.  Quite  a  warm  feeling  was  thus 
engendered  between  the  two  parties,  and  this  was  the  first 
cause  of  the  division  of  the  village  into  the  "  upper"  and 
"  lower"  school  districts.  After  Miss  Hart  left,  in  1817, 
Miss  Sally  Martindale  became  teacher  in  the  upper  room. 
The  old  "  academy"  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  1820,  the 
accident  arising  from  the  use  of  combustibles  in  a  scientific 
lecture  delivered  in  the  house  by  Dr.  Zina  Pitcher,  brother 
of  the  governor.  Upon  the  destruction  of  the  wooden 
"academy"  a  brick  school-hou,se  was  erected  on  its  site, 
this  being  the  same  building  before  mentioned  as  still  in 
use  as  an  ice-house  at  the  head  of  Academy  lane.  The 
earliest  board  of  town  school  commissioners  whose  names 
appear  upon  existing  records  was  composed  of  H.  C.  Mar- 
tindale, Jonathan  Bellamy,  and  Ebenezer  Harrington,  who, 
on  the  10th  of  November,  1813,  divided  the  town  into 
twelve  school  districts,*  of  which  number  one  included  "  all 
the  Town  plat,  Mill  lot,  and  L  lot  in  said  town,"  this  being 
the  village  of  Sandy  Hill,  which  was  soon  afterwards 
divided  as  above  noticed.  The  remuneration  of  the  com- 
missioners and  inspectors  of  schools  was,  in  1822,  fixed  at 
one  dollar  per  day  for  time  actually  employed. 

The  town  now  embraces  sixteen  school  districts,  containing 
an  aggregateof  1513  children  of  school  age;  the  average  daily 
attendance  during  the  school  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1877, 
being  G74,8£5,  and  the  amount  of  public-school  money  re- 
ceived by  the  town  was  $3354.67.  The  wages  paid  to 
teachers  in  districts  outside  the  village  of  Sandy  Hill  ranges 
from  $3.50  to  $7  per  week.  The  time  taught  during  the 
year  is  usually  twenty-eight  weeks. 

THE   UNION    FREE    SCHOOL — PRIVATE    SCHOOLS. 

In  October,  1867,  certain  (jualified  voters,  resident  in 
each  of  the  adjoining  school  districts  Nos.  1,  13,  and  16, 
which  then  embraced  all  the  village  of  Sandy  Hill,  and 
some  contiguous  territory,  united  in  a  call  for  a  meeting  of 
the  inhabitants,  "  for  the  purpo.se  of  determining,  by  a  vote 
of  such  districts,  whether  an  union  free  school  shall  be  es- 
tablished therein,  in  conformity  to  the  provisions  of  chapter 
433  of  the  laws  of  1853." 

In  pursuance  of  this  call,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  court- 
house in  Sandy  Hill,  Nov.  15,  1867,  at  which  it  was  de- 
termined, by  a  two-thirds  vote,  to  consolidate  the  three  dis- 
tricts into  one,  and  to  establish  a  union  free  .school.     The 


iiiiil  inik-rmitc  l:uiii^'  nil' of  ilistricts  pi 


board  of  education  then  elected  for  the  consolidated  district 
was  composed  as  follows:  Loren  Allen,  D.  Mathewsou, 
Charles  Stone,  Jr.,  Eber  Richards,  G.  A.  Prescott,  Joseph 
McFarland  (2d),  William  H.  Miller,  Lyman  H.  Northup, 
and  Joseph  McFarland.  On  the  13th  of  December,  1867, 
the  village  voted  to  rai.se  twenty-one  thousand  dollars,  in 
three  equal  instalments,  for  the  purchase  of  a  site  and  the 
building  of  a  union  school-house  thereon,  and  an  act  of 
Legislature  was  soon  after  procured,  authorizing  the  board 
to  issue  the  bonds  of  the  village  for  this  purpose.  Only 
seven  thousand  one  hundred  dollars  of  bonds  were  issued, 
and  these  have  been  paid  and  canceled,  excepting  sixteen  hun- 
dred dollars.  A  donation  of  one  thousand  dollars  was  also 
received  from  Mrs.  Abram  Wakeman,  of  New  York  city. 
A  lot  located  at  the  head  of  Oak  street,  containing  about 
three  and  a  half  acres,  was  purchased  of  Charles  Stone,  for 
three  thousand  dollars,  and  the  present  stately  brick  school- 
house  was  erected  upon  it,  at  an  additional  cost  of  about 
twenty-three  thousand  dollars,  including  furniture  and  fix- 
tures. It  was  completed  in  1869,  and  first  occupied  by 
the  school  in  September  of  that  year.  William  McLaren 
was  employed  as  the  first  principal,  at  a  salary  of  twelve 
hundred  dollars  per  annum,  Miss  Teffts  as  preceptress,  at  five 
hundred  dollars,  and  seven  subordinate  teachers,  at  eight 
dollars  per  week.  The  academical  department  was  estab- 
lished in  1871,  and  the  salary  of  the  principal  was  raised 
to  thirteen  hundred  dollars.  That  of  the  preceptress  was 
raised  to  seven  hundred  dollars,  and  afterwards  to  one 
thousand  dollars. 

Prof  James  H.  Durkec,  the  successor  of  Prof.  McLaren, 
and  the  present  principal,  was  ajipointed  to  the  position  in 
September,  1876,  at  a  .salary  of  twelve  hundred  dollars, 
which  has  now  been  advanced  to  thirteen  hundred  dollars. 
The  preceptress.  Miss  Mary  Trumbull,  receives  five  hundred 
dollars,  and  an  assistant  four  hundred  and  eighty  dollars ; 
the  remaining  teachers,  nine  in  number,  receiving  from  nine 
to  seven  dollars  per  week.  All  these  are  employed  in  the 
main  building,  except  one,  who  t«aches  a  primary  school  in 
the  school-house  formerly  used  by  old  district  No.  16.  The 
present  board  of  education  is  composed  as  follows:  Guy 
W.  Clark,  president;  E.  H.  Crocker,  L.  W.  Cronkhite, 
John  H.  Derby,  John  Dwyer,  Lyman  H.  Northup,  Eber 
Richards,  Thomas  J.  Strong,  W.  B.  Baldwin. 

Private  schools  have  been  taught  at  various  periods  in 
the  village  of  Sandy  Hill,  and  some  have  achieved  a  marked 
success ;  but  none  in  a  greater  degree  than  the  classical 
school  taught  by  Rev.  Dr.  Bostwick  for  many  years  follow- 
ing his  acceptance  of  the  rectorship  of  Zion  church.  And 
recently,  since  his  resignation  of  the  pastorate,  the  school 
has  been  re-opened  by  him  on  the  same  plan. 

AGRICULTURAL POPULATION. 

Of  the  area  of  the  town  of  Kingsbury,  more  than  five- 
sixths  is  now  improved  land ;  this  proportion  being  much 
greater  than  is  found  in  most  of  the  towns  in  this  or  the 
adjoining  counties.  "  The  Kingsbury  Swamp,"  which  has 
been  mentioned  for  more  than  a  century,  and  which  was 
formerly  considered  a  waste  and  worthless  tract,  has  been 
reclaimed  by  judicious  drainage,  and  now  embraces  valuable 
tilled  lands.     The  soil   in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town. 


ii-'^TOllY   OF   WAS"-  ^rON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


430 


between  Bond's  creek  and  the  Hudson,  is  sandy;  in  otlier 
portions  it  is  a  stiff  and  rather  intractable  clay,  not  especially 
:i(lai)ted  to  the  production  of  fruits  or  of  strains,  exceptiii"' 
oats,  but  inferior  to  none  for  grazing  and  dairying  purposes, 
to  which  industries  the  attention  of  the  farmers  is  very 
generally  given. 

The  "  Kingsbury  Centre  Cheese- Factory"  is  an  establi.sh- 
ment  located  near  the  centre  of  the  town,  owned  by  a 
stock  company,  and  operated  under  charge  of  Ey.vn  Fuller, 
general  manager.  Its  patronage  is  1 25  cows.  This  is  the 
only  factory  in  Kingsbury  ;  the  greater  part  of  the  dairy 
product  being  shipped  hence  in  the  form  of  milk,  of  which, 
during  the  year  1877,  there  wa.s  sent  forward  by  railroad, 
from  Smith's  Basin,  284:,040  quarts,  and  from  Durham's 
Basin  station  112,400  quarts;  total  from  stations  in  Kings- 
bury, i596,440  quarts.  And  the  reputation  of  milk  sent 
from  here,  as  from  other  parts  of  this  county,  is  .second  to 
none  sold  in  the  city  markets. 

The  population  of  Kingsbury  in  1840  was  2773;  in 
1845,  27!)6;  in  1850,  3032;  in  1855,  3364;  in  1860, 
3471  ;  in  1865,  3751  ;  in  1870,  4277;  in  1875,  4545; 
showing  a  steady  and  constant  increase  which  is  very  grati- 
fying, as  it  is  in  marked  contrast  with  the  showing  of  many 
other  towns  in  this  and  the  adjoining  counties.  The  popu- 
lation of  Sandy  Hill  in  1855  was  1360  ;  in  1865,  1939  ;  in 
1870,  2350;  and  in  1875,  2501. 


MILITAKY. 

Wm.  D.  Akiiis,  onl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  12:id  Uegt.,  Co.  B. 

Horny  S.  Akins,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 169th  Kegt.,  Co.D. 

Charles  Allen,  enl.  Aug.  24, 186],  43d  Rcgt.,  Co.  F. 

Andrew  Allen,  con>.;  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  4:id  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

Ilcnry  H.  Bnrnes,  musician  ;  onl.  Oct.  12,  1861,  2d  Civ. 

Samuel  C.  Burton,  2d  lieut.;  enl.  July,  1862,  12:id  Rcgt.,  Co.  B. 

John  II.  Beach,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  B. 

Lemuel  Buck,  onl.  Aug.  4,  1863,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

N.  L.  Bailey,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Oiville  Branch,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

I'hineas  Barber,  onl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Uoswcll  Bryant,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  li. 

Jaraos  Bonnett,  enl.  July  29,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

A.  J.  Blake,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Dennis  Bennett,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Lyman  Bennett,  onl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Martin  Burton,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Alexander  Burnett,  enl.  July  30,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Arnold  Bullard,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Kugt.,  Co.  B. 

Charles  F.  Blakeman,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1802,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Wm.  Barber,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1862, 123d  Kegt,,  Co.  B. 

Francis  Biggart,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 169th  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Jay  Brown,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 16Uth  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Aloxaniler  Bell,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 169th  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Thomas  Brady,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1802,  10911i  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Owen  Bannon,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  7,1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I). 

Oenrge  H.  Baker,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

William  Bailey,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  l{egt.,  Co.  V. 

John  Barker,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Kogt.,  Co.  F. 

.John  Braiuard,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

Cjirnie  Buck,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Begt.,  Co.  F. 

Bernard  Carroll,  enl.  July  23,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Leon  Carpenter,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Edward  Capron,  enl.  July  22,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Francis  Clark,  enl.  July  19,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Warren  B.  Coleman,  capt. ;  enl.  Sept.  20,  1802,  lG9th  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Robert  0.  Connor,  lat  lieut. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1SG2,  169th  Rogt.,  Co.  I). 

Denniss  Corbett,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862,  169th  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

James  Crouan,  onl.  Aug.  10, 1862,  lOStli  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Dennis  (Jlancey,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 169th  Rcgt.,  Co.  D. 

Patrick  Callon,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862,  16gth  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 

James  Caten,  onl.  Aug.  12, 1862, 169th  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 

Patrick  Connelly,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  la9tli  Regt.,  Co.  I). 

John  Connor,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 169tli  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 

Thomas  Cunningham,  onl.  Aug.  13,  1862, 169th  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Benjamin  Criss,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1862, 109th  Uegt.,  Co.  D. 


Cornolius  CreigLton,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1862, 169th  Rcgt.,  Co.  D. 

George  B.  Culver.  Ist  lieut. ;  enl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  4.3d  Rogl.,  Co.  F. 

.lames  Crawford,  onl.  Aug.  26, 1861,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

John  Crockwell,  onl.  Aug.  26,  1801,  43d  Kegl.,  Co.  V. 

Francis  Carpenter,  onl.  Dec.  26, 1863, 16tli  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Harloy  Cusbman,  eul.  Dec.  23,  1863,  IGtIl  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Ini  Durkoc,  enl.  July  22, 1862, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  B. 

William  Donegan,  corp. ;  cul.  Aug.  22, 1862, 169tli  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 

John  Daley,  onl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  lG9lli  Begt.,  Co.  D. 

Charles  Domain,  onl.  Aug.  20,  1862, 169tli  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Taylor  Durkoc,  onl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  4:)d  Regt.,  (Jo.  F. 

Peleg  Dailey,  onl.  Doc.  19,  1863,  I6th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Nathan  Evans,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862, 169tll  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 

William  M.  Fuller,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 12:td  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Frederick  F.  French,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  10,  1862,  109th  Kegl.,  Co.  D. 

Daniel  Flood,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1802, 159lh  Kogt.,  Co.  D. 

Patrick  Farrell,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1802,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Charles  T.  Freeman,  eul.  Aug.  22, 1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Peter  Fish, sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

David  T.  Gleason,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,123d  Rcgt.,  Co.  B. 

E.  T.  Gihnan,  musician  ;  enl.  July  24, 1862,  123d  Rcgt.,  Co.  B. 

Jeremiah  Gioen,  chl.  July  20,  1862,  123d  Kogt.,  Co.  B. 

Audrcw  Giles,  enl.  July  22,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Jabez  Green,  onl.  Aug.  13, 1862,  123d  Rogt.,  Co.  B. 

Rouben  Gleason,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Jerome  Green,  enl.  Aug.  30, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

C.  H.  Gowin,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862, 169th  Rogl.,  Co.  D. 

Peter  Golaber,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862,  169lh  Rcgt.,  Co.  D. 

William  Gleason,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1802,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Henry  Gamble,  onl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  43d  Rogt.,  Co.  F. 

Charles  Gardiner,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 

Horace  A.  Gould,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Francis  Granger,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  -ISd  Rcgt.,  Co.  F. 

William  Hale,  eul.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

John  K.  Hamilton,  enl.  Aug.  30, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

John  II.  Hughes,  2d  liout. ;  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 169th  Kogt.,  Co.  D. 

Thomas  Hardin,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug. 22, 1862, 109tli  Rcgt.,  Co.  D. 

S.  P.  Harris,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  lonth  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Patrick  Holly,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 169th  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 

William  Iloag,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1802,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Joseph  Hillis,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1862, 169th  Kogt.,  Co.  D. 

Ebenezer  Hall,  onl.  Aug.  22, 1862, 169th  Kegt.,  Co.  D. 

Francis  M.  Hummell,  sergt. ;  onl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Rogt.,  Co.  F. 

Samuel  Hart,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Harrison  B.  Hays,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

John  G.  Henry,  onl.  Dec.  19, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Henry  C.  Hitcheth,  enl.  Dec.  4, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Levi  Heath,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  B. 

Nowton  R.  Hays,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  B. 

Willard  P.  Harris,  corp. ;  onl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Alonzo  Harrington,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  2,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Orrin  E.  Harris,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  1, 1862, 123d  Kogt., Co.  B. 

James  Haines,  enl.  July  30, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Honice  Harris,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Hogt.,  Co.  B. 

Wm.  F.  Harrington,  onl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  B. 

Harlan  Harrington,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

George  W.  Harrington,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  12;!d  Rcgt.,  Co.  B. 

Henry  Hill,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Abram  W.  Haight,  onl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Austin  Hazloton,  onl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

J.  G.  Harrington,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Wm.  Hurtley,  enl.  Dec.  29, 1863,  IGth  Art.,  Co.  I. 

George  W.  Irish,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Elias  Ives,  enl.  Dec.  19,  1803, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Ezra  Ives,  onl.  Dec.  19,  1863,  10th  Art.,  Co.  I. 

James  Johnson,  enl.  July  24,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Edward  J,ackson,  onl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

John  H.  Knapp,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Richard  Kearney,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862, 109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

James  Keating,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  lO'JIh  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

William  Kavanagh,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1802, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

H.  S.  Kenyon,  musiciKu ;  onl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  169th  Rcgt.,  Co.  D. 

Hugh  B.  Knickerbocker,  sergt. ;  eul.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

James  Lord,  old.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Joseph  Lenatli,  eul.  Aug.  19,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Dennis  Leary,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

Samuel  Liddio,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862, 109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 

David  Luce,  musician;  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Henry  E.  Lyon,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  4:id  Kegl.,  Co.  F. 

George  Lamb,  enl.  Dec.  19, 1863,  loth  An.,  Co.  I. 

Joseph  H.  Middleton,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Thomas  A.  Morris,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Gernmnd  Moshier,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802, 123d  Rogt.,  Co.  B. 

Charles  Moshier,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

John  H.  Middleton,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1802,  Piid  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 

Charics  Moore,  eid.  Ang.  9, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 

Wm.  Martindalo,  onl.  Aug.  12,  1802, 12:id  Regt.,  Co.  B. 


440 


inSTORY    OF    WASIIINGTOIS   COUNTY    NEW    YOPK^- 


Elias  Mead,  enl.  Aug.  10, 1862, 123d  llcgt.,  Co.  IJ. 
Thomas  McCloiuI,  enl.  Aug.  18, 1802,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  B. 
John  Morris,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  7, 18G2, 169tli  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Barnard  MeGuire,  corp. ;  eul.  Aug.  11,  18C2,  109th  Uegt.,  Co.  D. 
Bissell  Moore,  enl.  Aug.  11, 18C2,  lC9th  Ili'gt.,  Co.  I). 
Patrick  Murphy,  onl.  Aug.  13,  18(i2,  lUBtli  Regt.,  Co.  T). 
Sylvest<M'  Madden,  enl.  Aug.  22,  18C2, 169th  Regt,  Co.  D. 
John  Meohan,  .-iil.  Aug.  9, 1862,  lC9th  Regt,,  Co.  D. 
John  Mcfiinnis,  eul.  Aug.  12,  1862,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  I). 
Thoma.^  Mcl.achlin,  eul.  Aug.  13,  1862,  169th  Eegt.,  Co.  I). 
Lewis  Murray,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1802,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Joseph  Mouteuor,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  V. 
Lester  T.  Murray,  eul.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43a  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Michael  Manny,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
John  McQueen,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Edward  Mott,  eul.  Dec.  19,  1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  I. 
Kdwin  B.  Norton,  onl.  July  22,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Silas  A.  Orinsby,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
J.  U.  Ormshy,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Ernest  L.  Ormshy,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1862, 123d  Kogt.,  Co.  B. 
Edward  Phair,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
George  M.  Perry,  onl.  Aug.  4,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
William  H.  Pixley,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Edwin  Piereon,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Ezekiel  Parks,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Leaude  Pelot,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Robert  IL  Perkins,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Duncan  A.  Peterson,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Peter  Parron,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Charles  L.  Itansom,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Robert  Ramsey,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Patrick  Redman,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 169th  Rogt.,  Co.  D. 
John  Riley,  Jr.,  enl.  .4ug.  6, 1802, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
John  Royal,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
James  C.  Rogers,  capt. ;  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt. 
William  Robinson,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

George  W.  Smith,  sergt.;  eul.  July  3(1,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B;  served  pre- 
viously in  43d  Kegt. 
B.  F.  Smith,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 
George  H.  Simpson,  Corp. ;  enl.  July  23,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Dwight  Stone,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 
Walter  Stone,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
George  Stover,  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
John  Seally,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  22,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Moses  Severance,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
Robert  Stafford,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1802, 109th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
William  Seally,  enl.  Aug.  18, 1863,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
George  Sibley,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Eher  W.  Simmons,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  4:id  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
William  Stover,  eul.  Aug.  24, 1801,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Alexander  Smith,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1801,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 
William  SafTord,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Lewis  Tucker,  enl.  July  26, 1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
James  Taylor,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
H.  W.  Toole,  eul.  Aug.  14,  1862, 109th  Kegt.,  Co.  l>. 
James  Thomas,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1802, 109th  Kegt,  Co.  I). 
Henry  Van  Yea,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Henry  Van  Vranken,  eul.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Kegt,  Co.  B. 
Charles  H.  Vaughn,  sergt;  enl.  .A.ug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  B. 
E.  A.  Vaughn,  Corp.;  Aug.  11, 1862,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  U. 
George  W.  Warren,  capt.;  enl.  Jnly,  1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  B. 
James  C.  Warien,  1st  lieut ;  enl.  Jnly,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Joseph  Warren,  corp, ;  eul.  Aug.  7,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 
Munson  Wheeler,  enl.  Aug.  2, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  B. 
Joseph  White,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862, 123d  Rogt,  Co.  B. 
P.  C.  Wetmore,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,  123d  Rogt.,  Co.  B. 
George  Whitcomb,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 109th  Regt.,  Co.  D, 
Robert  Whilcomb,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862,  169th  Regt,  Co.  D. 
John  White,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  B. 
Edgar  Whiting,  eul.  Aug.  14,  1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
John  Wall,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  D. 
John  W.  Wilkinson,  2d  lieut,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1861,  43d  Regt,  Co.  F. 
Joseph  Woretley,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  24, 1861,  43d  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Rhoims  Walker,  enl.  Aug.  24,  1801,  4;)d  Regt,  Co.  F.      . 
Alfred  Welch,  enl.  Aug.  24, 1801,  43d  Kegt.,  Co.  F. 
Jacob  Yarker,  July  25, 1862, 123d  Kogt.,  Co.  B. 

COMPANY    H,  22D   REGIMENT,  NEW   YORK    VOLUNTEERS.* 
PromoHotis. 
Thomas  J.  Strong,  must,  as  capt.,  June  6, 1861 ;  pro.  to  maj.,  March  2;i,  1803, 
Matthew  S.  Teller,  must,  as  2d  lieut,  June  6, 1801 ;  pro.  to  1st  lieut.,  Feb.  21, 

1863;  to  capt,  May  8, 1863  ;  mustered  out  as  capt,  June  19, 1863. 
A.  Halleck  Ilolbrook,  must,  as  priv.,  June  6, 1801 ;  pro.  to  sergt.,  March  1, 1862 ; 
to  2d  lieut..  Fob.  27, 1803  ;  to  Ist  lieut..  May  14, 1863. 


Wm.  A.  Pi 

1S02 


nnst.  as  1st  lieut.,  June  6, 1861 ;  disch.  for  disability,  Oct  31, 
,  uinat  as  1st  ser-t,  June  6,  ISOl  ;  pro.  to  2d  lii 

orp.,  Juno  6, 1.S61 ;  pro.  to  Isl  sergt.  Ma 


.  May  14, 


gt,  .Sept.  1,  ISOl. 


Marshall  A.  Duere,  uinat  as 
1803. 

Thomas  A.  Murphy,  must 
1863. 

Kufus  Gardiner,  must,  as  2d  sergt,  June  0,1861. 

George  B.  Bradley,  must,  as  Ist  Corp.,  June  0,  1861 ;  pro.  ti 

Darwin  I).  Gardiner,  must  as  corp. ;  pro.  to  sergt,  Jan.  1, 1863. 

Albert  E.  Higley,  must,  as  priv.,  June  0, 1861 ;  pro.  to  sergt.,  Jan.  1, 1863. 

Charles  H.  Rhodes,  must  as  priv.,  June  6, 1801 ;  pro.  to  Corp.,  March  1, 1862. 

Theo.  Moss,  must.  July  3, 1801 ;  pro.  to  Corp.,  Jan.  1, 1803. 

All  the  above  mustered  out  June  19,  1863,  except  Maj.  Thomas  J.  Stnuig,  who 
was  promotetl  to  colonel  in  another  regiment,  and  afterwards  brevettod 
brigadier-general. 

List  of  Privities  mustered  out  June  19,  1803. 

Danford  Bennett,  Wm.  H.  Bennett,  Peter  Bolio,  Stephens  Chapman,  .fames  W. 
Chase,  Joseph  Claffy,  Louis  Cota,  Ira  J.  Foster,  David  Frisbie,  Ransom 
Gates,  liu/us  Galen,  Darwin  Harris,  Wm.  Huntley,  Patrick  Kenney, 
Ueman  Lake,  Oberon  Lapham,  Louis  Luther,  Patrick  Lyons,  Michael 
BIcCall,  Edward  Montour, Orville  H.  Moore,  Clark  Mott,  Aug.  A.  Nelson, 
As;i  Park,  Henry  Salter,  Elisha  P.  Shill,  Clark  Simpson,  George  W 
Sprague,  Wm  Stiles,  Stephen  Sutlierlanil,  Eugene  Telliet,  Hiram  Van 
Tassel,  George  H.  Wager,  John  Wright,  Jacob  Yarter. 
.Ml  were  mustered  June  6,  1861,  except  Kufus  Gates,  who  wa.-*  mustered 

July  3,  ISCl.     All  mustered  out  June  19, 1S03. 
Died. 

Edward  Blanchard,  Nov.  14,  1861,  fever;  Lyman  Chamberlain,  April  9,  1802, 
fever,  at  Bristow  Station ;  Charles  H.  Bowen,  June  20,  1862,  pneu- 
monia, Washington;  James  Wythe,  killed  in  battle.  Bull  Run,  Aug.  29, 
1862 ;  Kollin  Wyman,  killed  in  battle.  Bull  Run,  Aug.  30, 1802 ;  Stephen 
Podoin,  died  at  Washington,  Sept.  3, 1802,  of  wounds  received  at  Bull 
Run,  Aug.  30,  1862;  Seldeu  L.Whitney,  killed  in  battle,  South  Mountain, 
Sept.  14,  1862 ;  George  W.  Miner,  killed  iu  battle,  Bull  Run,  Aug. 30, 1862. 
Trans/erred. 

John  F.  Town,  must  as  1st  sergt,  June  6,  1861;  pro.  to  sergt.-maj.,  June  1, 
1864,  and  trans,  to  non-commissioned  staff. 

David  W.  Thompson,  must,  as  priv.,  June  6,  1861 ;  pro.  to  q.-m.  sergt,  Jnly  1, 
1802,  and  trans,  to  non-commissioned  staff. 

George  S.  Blake,  must,  as  priv.,  Feb.  23, 1802;  trans,  to  76th  Regt,  N.  Y.  Vols., 
May  28, 1863,  by  order  of  Maj.-Gen.  Reynolds. 

List  of  Officers  atid  Privates  of  tfie  Saudy  Hilt  Compauy  (i/),  as  rtwstered  June  6, 
1801. 

Captjiin,  Thomas  J.  Strong  ;  first  lieutenant,  Wm.  A.  Piersou;  second  lieuten- 
ant, Slatthew  S.  Teller ;  first  sergeant,  Slai'shall  \.  Duers ;  second  ser- 
geant, Riifus  Gardiner;  third  sergeant,  Charles  S.  Doubleday;  fourth 
sergeant,  James  Witlierall;  first  corporal,  George  B.  Bradley;  second  cor- 
pi>ral,  OrviUe  H.  Moore;  third  corporal,  Thos.  A.  Murphy  ;  fourth  corporal, 
Darwin  D.  Gardiner;  musicians,  Louis  Elms,  Oberou  Lapham.  Privates, 
James  C.  Allen,  Danford  Bennett,  Wm.  H.  Bennett,  Edward  Blauchard, 
Peter  Bolio,  Charles  H.  Bowen,  Henry  Chalk,  Lyman  Chamberlin,  Lo- 
renzo Chandler,  Stephen  Chapman,  James  W.  Chase,  Joseph  Claffy,  Tim- 
othy Connor,  Louis  Cota,  Jerome  Crippin,  Alex.  Dougherty,  Dennis 
Dennehe,  Augustus  Ferguson,  Ira  J.  Foster,  David  Frisby,  Ransom 
Gates,  Rufus  Gates,  George  R.  Goodwin,  Darwin  Harris,  Robert  Hermann, 
Albert  E.  Higley,  A.  Halleck  Holbrook,  Wm.  Huntley,  Patrick  Kenney, 
Hemau  Lake,  Merrill  Lansing,  Patrick  Lyons,  Louis  Luther,  Edward 
Montour,  Michael  McCall,  James  McCue,  George  E.  Minor,  Clark  Mott, 
-Vngustus  A.  Nelson,  Lorenzo  Palmer,  .\sa  Parks,  Stephen  Podviu,  Chas. 
H.  Rhodes,  Randolph  Rogers,  Henry  Salter,  George  Stevens,  Elisha  P. 
Shill,  Clark  Simpson,  George  W.  Sprague,  Wm.  Stiles,  Stephen  Suther- 
land, David  W.  Thompson,  Alex.  Threehonse,  Wm.  J.  Taylor,  Eugene 
Tellier,  James  Toole,  Hiram  Van  Tassel,  Edwin  A.  Vaughn,  Albert  A. 
Weatherwax,  Seidell  "Whitney,  John  J.  Wright,  Roland  Wyman,  James 
Wythe,  George  H.  Wagar,  Jacob  Y^artor. 


ndy  Hill. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 

HON.  KOSWELL  WESTON.f 
Mr.  Weston  was  born  on  the  24th  of  February,  1774, 
the  son  of  Zachariah  Weston,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revohition,  and  who  died  at  Sandy  Hill  on  the  19th  No- 
vember, 1828,  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age.  His 
wife  and  the  mother  of  Roswell  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
John  Lathrop,  D.D.,  of  Norwich,  Conn. 


f  Prepared  by  Hon.  Jnmos  Gibson. 


•^«T011Y   OF   AVAS^^" 


Residence  or  GEO. WESTON,  Sanoy  hili,Washinoion  co.n  Y. 


tin    av  L  H  ivlftTs  S<Co  Pm  u  r*- 


'OUNTY,  NEW   YOT' 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NE\V   YORK. 


441 


He  pursued  his  law  studies  in  the  office  of  Hon.  John 
Woodwoith,  in  the  city  of  Troy,  and  had  for  follow-students 
the  hite  Hon.  Thoma.s  H.  Hubbard,  Mr.  MouUun,  and  ]Mr. 
Tilghman,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  as  an  attorney-at- 
law  at  tlie  May  term  uf  the  Supreme  Court  in  179(5,  and 
at  the  May  term  in  1799  was  admitted  as  a  coun.selor-at- 
law.  While  a  student,  about  1795,  he  had  been  invited 
by  one  of  the  commi.s.sioners  to  negotiate  treaties  with  the 
Indian  tribes  to  attend  a  great  gathering  of  the  red  men 
at  the  site  of  Fort  William  Henry,  near  the  head  of  Lake 
George.  He  traveled  there  via  Fort  Edward  and  Sandy 
Hill,  and  noticed,  in  regard  to  the  former,  that  it  was  lo- 
cated at  the  head  of  what  was  then  called  "  navigation,"  on 
the  Hudson  river,  it  being  the  highest  point  from  which 
rafts  of  timber  and  lumber  were  floated  to  New  York  city, 
and  from  that  fact  judged  it  would  be  an  important  place 
in  the  future.  And  when  the  question  subse(|uently  arose 
in  his  mind  where  to  settle,  he  fixed  upon  Fort  Edward, 
and  there  commenced  to  practice  law.  Soon  finding,  how- 
ever, that  Sandy  Hill  would  be,  probably,  the  seat  of  the 
court-house,  he  removed  there  and  made  it  his  home  the 
rest  of  his  life. 

In  1801  he  married  Miss  Lydia  Willoughby,  who  v/as 
born  at  Lisbon,  Conn.,  Aug.  10,  1783, — a  daughter  of  Eli- 
jah Willoughby  and  Mary  (Galu.sha),  his  wife,  sister  of 
Governor  Jonas  Galusha,  of  Vermont. 

The  first  ajipearance  of  Mr.  Weston  in  the  published 
reports  of  the  Supreme  Court  was  for  the  plaintiff  in  error 
on  a  certiorari,  arguing  for  the  reversal  of  a  judgment 
rendered  by  a  justice  where  he  had  himself  been  sworn  as 
a  witness  before  himself  by  another  justice.  The  court  re- 
versed the  judgment  on  this  ground.  Perry  vs.  Weyman, 
1  Johns.  R.,  520.  In  High  ns.  Wilson,  sheriff  (2  /(/.,  4G), 
he  was  again  before  the  court,  arguing  to  reverse  a  judg- 
ment because  the  defendant,  a  sheriff,  produced  as  his 
justification  for  a  levy  only  the  execution  and  not  the 
judgment,  and  insisted  that  the  latter  must  be  produced. 
The  court  decided  the  point  well  taken,  but  allowed  the 
sheriff  to  produce  the  record  of  the  judgment  on  the  argu- 
ment, and  thus,  by  evidence  received  after  the  trial,  defeated 
the  claim  of  error.  One  of  the  most  interesting  cases  noticed 
of  his  arguing  is  that  of  Rogers'  executors  vs.  Berry  (10 
Johns.,  132),  where  a  son  of  Africa,  who  had  been  a  slave 
and  manumitted  by  his  owner  while  an  infant,  had  been 
sworn  as  a  witue.ss  while  the  law  forbidding  a  slave  from 
being  a  witness  was  in  force  in  New  York.  It  was  con- 
tended by  Weston  that  the  manumission  being  made  by  an 
infant  was  revocable,  and  therefore,  not  being  absolute,  the 
witness  was  not  a  freeman.  But  the  court  held  the  deed 
valid  till  revoked,  and  this  not  having  occurred  when  he 
was  sworn,  he  was  then  a  freeman,  and  overruled  the 
objection. 

Mr.  Weston  soon  became  very  popular  with  the  people 
and  remarkably  successful  in  his  profession.  He  was  ap- 
pointed, on  the  creation  of  the  post-office  at  Sandy  Hill,  its 
first  postmaster,  and  remained  such  till  succeeded  by  Al- 
pheus  Doty.  In  1807  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  justices 
■of  the  peace  in  and  for  the  county,  and  remained  such  for 
many  years,  and  was  designated  also  as  one  of  the  assistants 
to  hold  with  others  the  county  courts.  On  the  22d  April, 
56 


1825,  he  was  appointed  first  judge  of  the  county  courts  of 
the  county  of  Washington,  and  as  such  presided  first  at 
the  May  term  of  the  court  held  at  Sandy  Hill  next  follow- 
ing his  appointment. 

It  was  while  sitting  in  the  oyer  and  terminer  for  Wash- 
ington county,  at  the  term  held  at  Salem  in  December, 
1825,  with  Walworth,  then  circuit  judge,  presiding,  that 
Judge  Weston  exhibited  the  moral  firmness  and  ability 
which  always  distinguishes  a  faithful  judge.  It  was  on 
the  trial  of  Gordon  for  murder,  and  the  evidence  plainly 
establishing  to  the  mind  of  Judge  Weston  that  the  accused 
had  not  committed  the  offen.sc  with  malice  aforethought,  he 
did  not  think  him  guilty  of  murder,  but  only  of  manslaugh- 
ter ;  and  when  the  question  arose  among  the  judges  how  the 
jury  should  be  charged,  all  concurred  with  Judge  AVcston 
in  the  merciful  view  of  the  case  except  Judge  Walworth, 
and  he  was  so  indignant  that  he  refused  to  give  this  view  of 
the  law  to  the  jury,  and  said,  "  Charge  the  jury  yourselves !'' 
This  duty  was  performed  by  Judge  Weston  with  distin- 
guished force  and  clearness,  and  resulted  in  a  verdict  in 
conformity  to  the  charge. 

In  June,  182(1,  Judge  Weston  resigned  the  oflice  of  first 
judge  and  retired  from  official  station  entirely  for  the  rest 
of  his  life. 

His  modesty  and  retiring  nature  was  strongly  exhibited 
at  the  time  the  chancellorship  of  the  State  of  New  York 
was  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Samuel  Jones,  when  this 
eminent  station  was  tendered  by  Governor  Pitcher  to  Judge 
Weston,  and  was  absolutely  declined  by  the  latter,  though 
then  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  intellectual  strength. 

Among  the  distinguished  .students  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Weston  were  William  Metcalf,  James  B.  Gibson,  John  C. 
Parker,  John  Metcalf,  Henry  C.  Martindale,  and  numerous 
others. 

In  1816,  Judge  Weston  represented  the  county  of  Wash- 
ington in  the  Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  by 
resolution  of  that  body  was  appointed  on  the  commission 
for  the  improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson 
river.* 

Though  devoted  to  his  profession.  Judge  Weston  was 
not  inattentive  to  the  advancement  of  the  other  material 
interests  of  the  county.  Thus  he  is  found  active  in  as.si.st- 
iiig  in  the  organization  of  the  first  agricultural  society  of 
the  county,  on  the  committee  to  prepare  its  con.stitution, 
and  subsequently,  when  the  society  was  organized,  w:ts  ap- 
pointed secretary. 

And  in  November,  1819,  he  attended  and  participated 
in  the  celebration  of  the  fii-st  trial  trip  over  the  (then)  new 
Chaniplain  canal. 

And  on  the  18th  of  November,  1831,  he  is  found  with 
others  giving  notice  of  an  application  to  the  Legislature  for 
the  incorporation  of  a  company  to  construct  a  railroad  from 
Saratoga  Springs  to  Sandy  Hill. 

His  great  kindness  of  heart,  and  readiness  of  thought 
and  action  in  an  unforeseen  contingency,  are  well  shown  by 
the  following  fact :  Soon  after  he  came  to  the  bar,  he  acci- 
dentally learned  that  a  young  lawyer,  who  had  a  cause 
marked  for  trial  ou  the  calendar  for  the  morning  of  the 


»  Sec  Aascuibly  Journal,  276,  0S6. 


442 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


ensuing  day,  had  become  intoxicated  the  night  previous, 
and  when  the  court  opened  and  the  cause  was  called  was 
non  est  inventus.  His  client  was  in  great  distress,  not 
knowing  what  to  do,  and  judgment  was  about  to  pass 
against  him  by  default.  Young  Weston,  seeing  his  trouble 
and  suspecting  the  cause,  called  to  him,  and  voluntarily  as- 
sumed charge  of  the  trial,  and  managed  the  case  so  ably 
that  the  client's  case  was  gained.  The  latter  was  very 
grateful  to  Weston,  and  offered  to  make  compensation  to 
any  amount  he  would  name,  but  he  refused  to  take  any  pay 
whatever,  saying  it  was  wholly  voluntary  and  a  mere  friendly 
act,  and  that  he  would  take  nothing  for  the  service,  and  did 
not  accept  anything.  Nearly  fifty  years  elapsed  and  Judge 
Weston  had  never  again  seen  the  person  he  had  befriended, 
but  while  traveling  in  Michigan,  having  stopped  to  dine  at 
a  tavern  on  the  road,  he  noticed  a  farmer  who  came  in  from 
the  vicinity  and  sat  down,  making  an  effort  to  enter  into 
conversation  with  him  by  asking  where  he  was  from,  and 
he  answered,  rather  shortly,  from  the  east.  This  stopped 
him  for  a  while,  but  he  soon  plucked  up  courage  and  asked 
what  State  he  was  from.  And  the  reply,  "  From  New  York," 
made  the  in(|uirer  start  up  and  ask,  "  What  county  ?"  and 
received  for  answer,  "  Washington,"  when  he  jumped  to 
his  feet,  and  with  a  highly  interested  manner  said,  "  Why, 
that  is  my  native  county  !  What  town  are  you  from  ?" 
And  when  the  judge  replied,  "  Kingsbury,"  his  anxious 
manner  was  greatly  increased,  and  he  asked,  "  Do  you  know 
Roswell  Weston?  And  is  he  living?"  The  judge  replied 
yes,  and  that  when  he  left  home  he  was  living  in  Kingsbury. 
AVhen  the  man  said,  "  I  would  do  anything  in  the  world  to 
see  him."  The  judge  inquired  why  he  manifested  so  much 
interest  in  Roswell  Weston.  When  the  man  replied,  "  I 
was  once  in  great  distress, — in  court  one  uiorning  with  a 
case  moved  for  trial  and  my  lawyer  wholly  unable  to  attend 
to  it,  and  I  was  about  to  be  defaulted  when  Roswell  Weston 
volunteered  to  assist  me,  and  be  tried  the  case  and  defeated 
the  prosecution.  Do  you  think,  sir,  I  shall  ever  forget 
him  ?" 

The  unmingled  happiness  of  the  man  when  he  ascer- 
tained that  the  traveler  was  his  benefactor,  can  be  conceived 
but  not  expressed. 

Judge  Weston  had  a  remarkably  delicate,  sensitive,  and 
retiring  disposition  and  exceedingly  modest  deportment, 
accompanied  with  a  noble,  indeed  a  dignified  presence,  that 
received  the  respect  of  every  one  who  came  before  him. 

His  wife  was  a  woman  of  rarest  endowments,  mental  and 
moral,  and  certainly  of  great  beauty  and  grace,  combining 
so  many  attractions  that  every  one  admired,  respected,  and 
loved  her. 

The  death  of  Judge  Weston  occurred  at  Sandy  Hill,  on 
August  18,  18G1,  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 
His  remains  repose  beside  those  of  his  beloved  wife  in  the 
Union  cemetery,  between  Sandy  Hill  and  Fort  Edward. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  great  respect  entertained 
by  Governor  Pitcher  for  Judge  Weston,  and  this  continued 
down  to  the  death  of  the  former,  and  is  warmly  expressed 
in  his  last  will,  executed  shortly  prior  to  his  decease,  in 
winch  he  says:  "  To  the  Honorable  Roswell  Weston,  the 
companion  of  my  youth  and  the  constant  friend  of  my 
early  as  of  my  riper  years,  1  give,  as  a  token  of  my  affec- 


tionate and  continued  regard,  the  Osage  orange  walking- 
cane  which  was  presented  to  me  by  my  brother,  after  the 
same  shall  be  reduced  to  a  proper  size  and  handsomely  fin- 
ished and  mounted  with  gold  as  originally  designed." 

Judge  Weston  left  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  viz.,  (1) 
Frederick,  who  became  a  lawyer  and  practiced  for  a  time 
in  Warren  county,  returning  to  and  dying  at  Sandy  Hill, 
on  Dec.  27,  1858.  (2)  Henry,  also  a  lawyer,  who  settled 
at  and  still  resides  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  (3)  Charles, 
also  a  lawyer,  who  settled  in  Iowa,  and  there  attained  dis- 
tinction as  a  judge,  and  since  removing  to  and  residing  in 
New  Jersey.  (4)  George,  who  retains  and  resides  on  the 
farm  and  homestead  of  his  father;  and  (3)  daughter  Margaret, 
who  became  the  beloved  wife  of  James  P.  Cronkhite,  and 
whose  early  death  in  Rome,  Italy,  in  18li0,  leaves  only  in 
memory  the  virtues  and  graces  of  character  and  person  she 
inherited  from  her  mother,  and  exhibited  to  all  who  knew 
her  in  her  useful  though  brief  span  of  life. 


CHARLES   ROGERS 

was  born  in  Northumbei'land,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  on   the 
30th  day  of  April,  1800.     His  father,  James  Rogers,  who 

was  the  leading  business  man  in  that  section  of  the  State, 


\bo  ^nM 


having  large  landed,  lumber,  and  mercantile  interests  in 
AA  ashington  and  Saratoga  counties,  soon  after  removed  to 
Fort  Edward,  where  he  died  in  1810,  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-four.  Charles  was  then  ten  years  old.  His  mother) 
the  daughter  of  Colonel  Sidney  Berry,  of  Northumberland, 
a  year  or  two  later  married  Esek  Cowon,  who  subsequently 
became  famous  as  a  lawyer  and  jurist;  and  Charles,  there- 
after, when  not  at  school  or  college,  made  his  home  with 
his   uncle  and   guardian,   Judge   Halsty  Rogers,  at    Lake 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


443 


George.  He  was  at  the  Granville  Academy  when  his  father 
died,  and  remained  there,  under  the  instruction  of  tliat  cele- 
brated educator,  Salem  Town,  until  prepared  for  college. 
When  fourteen  years  old,  he  was  taken  to  Yale  Collesje  by 
his  guardian,  but  the  authorities  of  the  college  refused  to 
receive  or  examine  him,  on  account  of  his  youth.  He  then 
entered  Union  College,  where  he  graduated  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  in  the  class  of  1818,  having  William  H.  Seward, 
Alonzo  Potter,  Sidney  Brcese,  and  Augustus  Porter  as  his 
class-mates  and  friends.  After  leaving  college  he  read  law 
with  his  stepfather.  Judge  Cowen,  at  Saratoga  Springs,  but 
finding  himself  possessed  of  an  ample  fortune,  he  gave  up 
a  profession  which  his  great  abilities  peculiarly  fitted  him 
to  adorn,  and  removing  to  Sandy  Hill,  he  entered  upon  the 
independent  life  of  a  country  gentleman. 

Besides  the  care  of  his  estate,  he  devoted  a  good  share 
of  his  leisure  at  this  time  to  botanical  and  geological  re- 
searches and  general  literary  pursuits,  and  his  contributions 
to  the  local  press,  both  political  and  literary,  especially 
a  series  of  articles  entitled,  "  The  Musings  of  Hazclton 
Hazelwood,"  were  widely  read  and  admired. 

He  entered  the  political  field  as  a  champion  of  De  Witt 
Clinton,  as  oppo.sed  to  the  "  Bucktails  of  Tammany  Hall," 
and  was  afterwards  an  ardent  and  active  supporter  of  the 
Whig  and  Republican  parties.  And  for  many  years  the 
addresses  to  the  people,  and  other  campaign  documents  of 
his  party,  in  Washington  county,  were  the  productions  of 
his  polished  pen. 

In  1827,  Jlr.  Rogers  married  Susan  A.  Clark,  only 
daughter  of  Dr.  Russell  Clark,  one  of  the  mo.st  eminent 
physicians  in  northern  New  York,  by  whom  he  had  six 
children, — three  sons  and  three  daughters, — all  of  whom, 
with  his  widow,  survive  him. 

In  the  year  1832,  Mr.  Rogers  was  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State,  and  at  the  very  opening  of  the  session, 
by  an  elo<|uent  speech  in  favor  of  the  employment  of  chap- 
lains, which  time-honored  custom  was  opposed  by  some  in- 
fidel members  from  New  York  city,  he  placed  himself  in 
the  front  rank  of  that  body.  He  was  elected  again  in 
183G,  his  uncle  and  former  guardian  being  a  member  at  the 
same  time.  He  was  afterwards  the  Temperance  candidate 
for  the  Senate,  but,  though  receiving  a  very  large  vote,  he  w;us 
defeated.  In  1842  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress 
from  the  district  composed  of  Washington  and  Essex  coun- 
ties, receiving  four  thousand  and  seventy-three  votes,  out  of 
a  total  of  four  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventy-one,  in 
Washington  county.  Numerous  petitions  having  been  re- 
ceived from  the  north  praying  Congress  to  abolish  slavery 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  the  slave-holding  interest  at- 
tacked the  right  of  petition,  and  Mr.  Rogers'  speech  in  de- 
fense of  that  right,  and  of  the  power  of  Congress  to  abolish 
slavery  in  the  District,  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  able 
and  elo((uent  efibrts  of  the  session,  and,  being  published,  en- 
joyed a  wide  circulation  and  popularity. 

As  an  orator  Mr.  Rogers  had  fewe(|uals.  Possessed  of  a 
commanding  figure  and  presence,  a  voice  of  remarkable 
clearness  and  power,  and  a  rich  affluence  of  the  choicest 
language,  he  never  failed  to  wield  his  audiences  at  will ;  and 
many  old  residents  of  the  county  still  delight  to  recall  his 
effective  speeches  upon  the  stump.     Yet  great  as  was  his 


power  as  a  public  speaker,  perhaps  the  brilliancy  of  his 
mind  and  the  variety  of  his  acf|uircnients,  especially  in  later 
3'eai's,  were  never  better  exhibited  than  in  his  ordinary  con- 
versation. It  was  always  a  pleasure  to  listen  to  him  ;  there 
was  no  subject  which  he  discussed  that  was  not  adorned  by 
his  method  of  treating  it.  And  wherever  he  happened  to 
be,  his  rich,  sonorous  voice  and  brilliant  language  never 
failed  to  draw  a  crowd  of  attentive  listeners  about  him. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Rogers  en- 
tered heart  and  soul  into  the  struggle.  His  voice  and  pen 
and  niean.s,  and  all  the  strong  energies  of  his  nature,  were 
enlisted  in  the  country's  cause.  And  inspired  by  his  patri- 
otic teachings  and  example,  and  that  of  their  noble-hearted 
mother,  whose  exertions  in  behalf  of  the  soldiers  in  the 
field  were  constant  and  unceasing  during  the  whole  war, 
two  .sons  entered  the  army  ;  Randolph  enlisting  as  a  private 
in  the  Twenty-second  Regiment,  and  remaining  until  his 
health  gave  way,  and  James  C.  raising  a  company  in  liis 
native  village,  and  serving  successively  as  a  captain  in  the 
Forty-third  New  York,  major,  lieutenant-colonel,  and.  col- 
onel of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  New  York, 
and  brigadier-general  of  volunteers  commanding  the  First 
Brigade,  First  Division  of  the  Twentieth  Army  Corps,  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  though  but  twenty-five  years  of  age. 

After  the  return  of  peace,  believing  that  the  south  was 
sincere  in  her  professions  of  repentance,  Mr.  Rogers  united 
with  William  H.  Seward,  General  Dix,  Thurlow  Weed,  and 
others  of  his  old  friends  and  comrades,  in  organizing  the  cele- 
brated Philadelphia  convention  ;  and  one  of  his  last  public 
speeches,  made  soon  after  his  return,  was  an  able  and  elo- 
quent exposition  of  the  purposes  and  aims  of  that  well-in- 
tentioned but  premature  and  unsuccessful  movement.  In 
1872  he  supported  Horace  Greeley  for  President,  but  took 
no  active  part  in  the  campaign. 

Mr.  Rogers'  social  and  family  relations  were  of  the  most 
agreeable  and  happy  character,  and  during  the  later  years  of 
his  life  the  allurements  of  his  own  pleasant  home  drew  him 
from  the  strife  and  turmoil  of  public  life.  In  1873  his 
health  began  to  give  way,  and  though  not  confined  to  his 
bed  his  strength  gradually  failed,  and  on  the  13th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1874,  while  seated  in  the  midst  of  the  home  circle 
which  he  so  loved,  he  calmly  breathed  his  last.  Thus  pa.ssed 
from  earth,  at  the  end  of  a  long  and  honorable  career,  what 
Pope  has  called, — 

"The  noblest  work  of  God — an  honest  innn." 

His  high  sense  of  honor,  his  strict  moral  integrity,  and 
firmness  of  character,  placed  him  above  the  temptations 
which  so  often  beset  public  men.  No  man  ever  dared  to 
approach  him  with  a  mean  or  dishonorable  proposition.  In 
all  his  relations,  both  public  and  private,  the  breath  of  sus- 
picion never  for  an  instant  rested  upon  his  fair  fame  ;  and 
he  went  down  to  the  gi-ave,  as  he  had  lived,  beloved  by  his 
family  and  friends,  and  hcmorcd  and  res])ected  by  the  whole 
community. 

EZEKIEL  SMITH. 
Ebenezer  Smith,  grandfather  of  Ezekicl,  was  a  farmer  in 
Lexington,  Ma.ss.,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war.     He  w;is  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Lexington  and 
served  during  the  war.      His  son,  father  of  the  subject  of 


444 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


this  sketch,  whose  name  was  also  Ezekiol,  was  six  years  old 
at  the  time  of  the  battle,  and  remembered  it  well.  After 
the  war  the  family  moved  fiom  Massachusetts,  and  settled  in 
Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  As  an  incident  of  those 
times,  it  may  be  stated  that  Mr.  Smith  sold  his  farm  in 
Lexington  and  took  his  pay  in  Continental  money,  which, 
as  it  eventuated,  was  about  equivalent  to  giving  his  farm 
away.  From  Salem  they  moved  to  Hebron,  Washington 
Co. ;  thence  to  Fort  Ann,  where  they  settled  on  a  farm  one 
mile  east  of  the  village,  iiow  owned  and  occupied  by  Deacon 
Barnard.  The  grandfather  died  in  Clyde,  about  the  year 
1815.  Ezekiel  Smith,  the  futlier,  married,  Nov.  15,  1792, 
Nancy  Campbell,  whose  fatlier  emigrated  from  Scotland  and 
settled  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner, 
and  helped  build  Kane's  mills  at  Kane's  Falls. 

Mr.  Smith  bought  a  farm  at  South  Granville,  kept  a 
hotel  at  Hartford,  then  bought  a  farm  two  miles  east  of 
Hartford  village,  now  owned  by  Mason  Hulctt.  He  built 
the  house,  still  standing,  in  1811.  About  the  year  1830  he 
sold,  and  bought  a  farm  in  Kingsbury  township,  near  Kings- 
bury Street,  now  owned  by  Orlin  Brayton.  He  sold,  and 
purchased  at  Smith's  Basin  the  farm  known  as  the  Brad- 
shaw  farm.  He  died  there  Jan.  15,  1848.  After  his 
death  his  wife  lived  with  her  .son,  subject  ul  this  sketch, 
till  her  death,  which  occurred  Sept.  15,  18G0.  Their  chil- 
dren were  as  follows:  Daniel,  Ezekiel,  Jr.,  Lyman,  Israel, 
Maria,  and  Harvey.  Daniel  and  Lyman  are  deceased  ;  Is- 
rael is  living  in  Coluiubus,  Wi.s.,  a  retired  farmer;  Harvey 
is  living  in  Kingsbury,  a  farmer;  Maria,  widow  of  Elias 
Inglcsby,  is  living  in  Middletown,  Wis. 

Ezekiel  Smith  was  born  in  Granville,  Washington  Co., 
IMay  9,  1802.  Worked  on  the  farm  at  home,  receiving  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  ;  taught 
the  district  school  two  seasons  at  the  age  of  twenty  and 
twenty-one ;  clerk  for  Foster  Foot  at  Morrow's  Meadows,  in 
Hebron,  for  two  years  ;  fur  Harris  &  McConnell,  in  1825,  at 
what  is  now  called  Smith's  Basin,  which  received  its  name 
from  liim.  In  about  two  years  he  purchased  the  store,  and 
took  into  partnership  his  brother  Daniel.  Business  pros- 
pered, and  out  of  its  profits  they  purchased  from  time  to 
time  the  following  pieces  of  land:  the  Bradshaw  farm,  IGO 
acres;  Littlefield,  100  acres;  Griffin,  60  acres;  Butterfield, 
55  acres;  Nelson  and  Sidney  Miller,  85  acres;  Bardwcll, 
20  acres;  and  Underbill,  134  acres — the  latter  situated  in 
Hartford  township ;  altogether,  564  acres.  Daniel  Smith 
died  at  Smith's  Basin,  Feb.  9,  1840. 

A  store  has  been  run  at  the  Basin  by  either  Mr.  Smith 
or  some  member  of  his  family  since  it  was  first  establi-shed 
by  him.  The  fine  hotel  and  residence  was  built  in  1870,  to 
which  the  new  store  wa.s  added  two  years  thereafter. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Smith  was  a  partner  in  the  lime 
business  with  John  Keenan  ;  a.side  from  that,  merchandis- 
ing and  farming  has  been  his  life-work.  He  was  a  Jackson 
Democrat,  but  ca.st  the  first  Abolition  vote  in  the  township. 
He  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican  party  since  its 
organization. 

He  married  Catharine  Holmes,  daughter  of  Joel  and 
Elizabeth  Holmes,  both  natives  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Smith 
was  born  in  Fort  Ann,  Blarch  10,  ISOS.  They  have  chil- 
dren as  follows  :   Frances  A.,  born  Dec.  29,  1829  ;  married. 


Nov.  15,  1857,  to  Lucian  Rust,  living  in  Leudenville, 
Ohio.  Mrs.  Rust  died  May  7,  1859.  Her  daughter, 
Frances  Helen,  has  lived  with  her  grandparents  since  her 
mother's  death.  Elizabeth  H.,  born  Nov.  28,  1833;  mar- 
ried Edward  Coleman  Sept.  11, 1855,  farmer  in  Fort  Ann  ; 
one  child,  Helen  Mary,  born  Sept.  29,  1859.  Thomas, 
born  April  24,  1836;  died  May  1,  1836.  Mary  L.,  born 
May  15,  1837  ;  married,  Jan.  2,  1855,  to  Walter  S.  Alden; 
living  at  Smith's  Basin.  George  W.  L.,  born  Oct.  25, 
1839;  married,  Oct.  1,  1863,  to  Celina  B.  Hitchcock, 
daughter  of  Hon.  A.sahel  and  Sarah  Hitchcock,  of  Kings- 
bury ;  children  as  follows:  E.  Daniel,  born  Feb.  19,  1865; 
Mary  L.,  Oct.  11,  1867  ;  George  W.  L.,  Jr.,  Jan.  15, 1873, 
died  May  1,  1873;  Alfred  H.,  July  20,  1875.  Josephine 
A.,  Oct.  24, 1842  ;  married  Charles  C.  Smith,  June  5, 1862  ; 
three  children  ;  Georgianna,  born  March  23,  1803  ;  Edward 
I.,  born  Jan.  15,  1865,  died  July  20,  1866;  Frank  R., 
born  May  13,  1867. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Smith  took  into  partnership  his  son  George 
W.  L.  and  his  son-in-law  Charles  C.  Smith,  both  of  whom 
had  been  in  his  employ  many  years,  under  the  firm-name  of 
E.  Smith  &  Sons,  since  which  time  the  active  business  has 
devolved  on  the  two  latter.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  local  agent 
for  the  D.  &  H.  C.  Co.'s  road,  at  Smith's  Basin,  since  it 
was  built;  was  committee,  with  Dr.  E.  G.  Clark  and  Hon. 
A.  F.  Hitchcock,  to  provide  for  filling  the  township's  quota 
of  men  in  the  late  war ;  was  first  postmaster  at  Smith's 
Basin,  and  held  the  office  for  many  years.  Few  men,  if  any, 
in  the  township  have  spent  a  more  active  life  than  has  Mr. 
Smith.  What  is  also  rare,  he  has  been  almost  uniformly 
successful.  A  few  years  since  he  received  a  partial  .stroke 
of  paralysis,  since  which  time  he  has  remitted  the  care  of 
his  business  almost  wholly  to  his  children. 

In  their  declining  years,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  sur- 
rounded with  the  comforts  of  a  refined  home,  the  loving 
attention  of  children  and  grandchildren,  and  enjoy  in  the 
largest  measure  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
them. 

George  W.  L.  Smith,  their  son,  was  elected  member  of 
the  Assembly  in  1872;  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  for 
ten  years,  and  postmaster  for  the  last  eighteen  years. 


BENJAMIN    FERRIS. 

Reed  Ferris,  grandfather  of  Benjamin,  was  the  youngest 
of  four  brothers  who,  with  two  sisters,  immigrated  to  this 
country  from  England  (another  account  says  from  Wales) 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  A  portion, 
if  not  all  of  them,  settled  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Ob- 
long, in  Dutchess  county,  who,  in  religious  sympathy  with 
nearly  all  the  settlers  in  that  region,  were  Quakers. 

He  was  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  town.ship 
of  Queensbury,  and  an  intimate  friend  of  Abraham  Wing, 
the  founder  of  the  first  settlement  in  that  town.  He  died 
at  Quaker  Hill,  in  Dutche.ss  Co.,  March,  1804,  aged  sev- 
enty-four years.  He  had  ten  children,  one  of  whom,  viz., 
James,  was  father  to  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  The  latter 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Queensbury,  then  a  part  of  Wash- 
ington county,  now  of  Warren,  Sept.  7,  1794.     He  was 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


445 


married,  Jan.  23,  1822,  to  Celestia  Cook,  daughter  of 
Samuel  B.  and  Anna  Cook.  Mrs.  Ferris  was  born  at 
Fort  Ann,  Dec.  2G,  1802.  Her  father  was  owner,  at  an 
early  day,  of  a  flouring-mill,  on  the  site  where  Eber  Rich- 
ards' mill  now  stands. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris  have  had  children  as  follows: 
Charles,  born  Jan.  13,  1823,  died  Aug.  IG,  1824;  De 
Witt,  born  Aug.  17,  1824,  married,  and  living  in  Kansas; 
Emeline,  born  Aug.  30,  182G,  wife  of  Matthew  D.  Sherrill, 
living  in  Sandy  Hill ;  George,  born  Dec.  17,  1828,  died 
April  19, 1872,  in  California;  Charles,  born  Dec.  23, 1830, 
married,  Nov.  31,  18G0,  to  Jane  Ogden,  widow  of  Lucius 
Ogden,  living  in  Sandy  Hill;  Helen  M.,  born  Jan.  15, 
1833,  married,  Oct.  19,  1850,  to  Jno.  H.  Baker,  died  March 
14,  1873 ;  Benjamin  Franklin,  born  March  3,  1835,  mar- 
ried, Oct.  22,  1861,  to  Anna  D.  White,  living  in  Sandusky, 
Ohio ;  Henrietta,  born  May  12,  1837,  married,  Jan.  24, 
1861,  to  James  E.  Miller  (the  latter  died  Deo.  2,  1862; 
the  widow  resides  at  the  homestead  with  her  mother) ; 
Frederick,  born  July  12,  1840,  married  to  Jane  Wade, 
living  in  Columbus,  Ohio;  Samuel  Cook,  living  in  San- 
dusky, Ohio. 

With  the  exception  of  his  sheriff's  term  of  three  years, 
when  he  lived  at  Salem,  Mr.  Ferris  lived  in  the  same 
house  from  the  time  of  his  marriage  till  his  death,  which 
occurred  Feb.  15,  1875.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  his 
day,  and  held  several  offices  which  brought  him  promi- 
nently before  the  public.  He  came  from  Queensbury  to 
Sandy  Hill  in  1810.  He  learned  the  business  of  cloth- 
dressing  and  wool-carding  from  Ahijah  Jones,  whose  fac- 
tory was  in  a  building  now  used  as  a  machine-shop  by 
Newell  Holbrook,— the  first  factory  of  the  kind  in  Wash- 
ington county. 

.  In  1810  he  entered  into  copartnership  with  Philip 
Nichols  for  the  manufacture  of  cloth,  in  a  building  which 
stood  where  one  of  Richards'  saw-mills  now  stands.  The 
business  was  continued  till  1834.  In  that  year  he  was 
elected  high  sheriff  of  the  county,  which  important  office 
he  filled  to  the  entire  acceptance  of  the  people.  After  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  office  he  was  appointed  canal 
superintendent.  At  the  close  of  his  official  term  in  that 
capacity  he  embarked  in  a  new  bu.siness,  viz.,  paper-making. 
Id  company  with  Albert  Bartlett,  Mr.  Ferris  erected  the 
first  paper-mill  at  Baker's  Falls,  where  Wait's  mill  now 
stands.  They  were  subsequently  bought  out  by  Wait  & 
Allen.  He  was  one  of  the  foundere  of  the  old  Glen's  Falls 
bank,  and  continued  a  director  until  his  death.  At  the  time 
of  the  robbery  of  the  bank  it  is  believed  lie  suffered  heavily. 
Shortly  after  his  mind  became  impaired,  induced  by  soften- 
ing of  the  brain.  He  withdrew  from  public  affiiirs,  and 
remained  confined  to  his  home  almost  constantly.  Mr. 
Ferris  was  a  strong  anti-Mason.  In  the  conduct  of  his 
own  business  matters  he  exercised  rare  judgment  and  tact, 
and  his  counsel  and  advice  were  frequently  sought  by  his 
neighbors.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Ferris  united  with  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  Sandy  Hill,  in  1843.  In  politics  he  was 
first  a  Whig,  and  Republican  from  the  time  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  party.  A  representation  of  the  homestead,  with 
portraits  of  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Ferris,  appear  on  another  page  of 
this  volume. 


JOHN  DWYER. 

John  Dwyer,  of  Sandy  Hill,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Capt.  Michael  O'Sullivan's  com- 
pany, in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  early  in  18G1  ;  but  the  company 
was  subse((uently  consolidated  with  that  of  John  Branni- 
gan's,  agreeable  to  orders  from  the  War  Department,  when 
it  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  "  for  three 
years  or  during  the  war."  The  company  Wiis  attached  to 
the  63d  Regiment  (and  known  as  Co.  K),  and  formed  the 
third  regiment  of  Gen.  Thomas  Francis  Meagher's  Irish 
Brigade,  attached  to  the  1st  Division,  2d  Corps.  Col.  R. 
C.  Enright  commanded  the  regiment.  The  regiment  was 
encamped  on  Daird's  island.  Long  Island  sound,  during  the 
organization  of  the  brigade,  where  the  men  were  con.stantly 
drilled  and  taught  the  duties  of  the  soldier.     In  November, 

1861,  the  brigade  was  .sent  to  the  front,  and  was  enciunped 
at  "  Camp  California,"  in  front  of  Alexandria,  Va.  It  then 
numbered  three  regiments,  -viz.,  G3d,  69th,  and  8Sth,  in 
all  about  three  thousand  men,  beside  a  battery  of  volunteer 
artillery,  in  command  of  Capt.  Hogan. 

He  received  the  following  promotions:  Dec.  1,  18GI, 
sergeant,  Co.  K,  at  "  Camp  California,"  Alexandria,  Va. ; 
May  10,  1862,  first  sergeant,  Co.  G,  at  Y.n-ktown,  Va.  ; 
October  25,  18G2,  first  lieutenant,  Co.  K ;  Dec.  16,  1862, 
captain,  Co.  K;  May  1,  1866,  major  (brevet),  "  for  gallant 
and  meritorious  services,"  by  Governor  Reuben  E.  Fenton, 
of  New  York. 

Participated  in  the  following  engagements,  besides  num- 
erous minor  skirmishes  with  the  enemy:  May  6,  1862, 
siege  of  Yorktown,  Va. ;  June  1,  1862,  battle  of  Fair 
Oaks,  Va. ;  June  27,  18G2,  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill,  Va. ; 
June  28,  1862,  battle  of  Savage  Station,  Va. ;  June  30, 

1862,  battle  of  White  Oak  Swamp,  Va. ;  July  1,  18G2, 
battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  Va. ;  Aug.  31,  1862,  reinforced 
the  army  of  Gen.  Pope,  second  Bull  Run,  Va.,  and  covered 
the  retreat  of  the  Union  army  to  the  defenses  of  Washing- 
ton ;  Sept.  13, 1862,  battle  of  South  Mountain,  Md. ;  Sept. 
17,  1862,  battle  of  Antietam,  Md. ;  Dec.  13,  1863,  battle 
of  Fredericksburg,  Va. ;  Jlay  3,  1863,  battle  of  Cliancul- 
lorsville,  Va. 

Out  of  three  hundred  men  of  the  63d  Regiment  engaged 
at  Antietam,  five  officers  were  killed,  six  wounded ;  thirty- 
one  enlisted  men  killed,  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight 
wounded.     Total,  two  hundred  hors  de  combiit. 

Sergeant  Dwyer's  company  (G)  went  into  the  engage- 
ment at  Antietam  with  forty-two  officere  and  men.  All 
but  one  corporal  and  four  privates  were  killed  and  wounded. 
The  company  was  commanded  by  C!>pt-  !*•  J-  Condon 
(who  was  wounded).  Second  in  command,  Lieut.  George 
Lynch,  killed  on  the  field. 

At  Fredericksburg  one  hundred  officers  and  men  (full 
strength)  went  into  action.  Fifty  of  these  were  hors  Jc 
combat. 

In  the  summer  of  1863  the  63d  Regiment  wiis  reduced 
to  less  than  one  hundred  men  fit  for  duty  ;  tlie  69th  and 
SSth  to  about  the  same  number.  The  War  Department 
ordered  these  three  regiments  of  the  brigade  to  be  con- 
solidated into  a  battalion,  and  the  sui)ernumerary  officers  to 
be  mustered  out  by  an  lionorable  discharge.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  among  the  latter. 


446 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Wiis  dangerously  wounded  at  Antietam  by  a  rifle  ball  in 
the  head.  Tlio  63d  went  to  the  front  with  nine  hundred 
men,  not  including  recruits  received  during  1861-03. 
Lost  up  to  and  including  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pa., 
three  hundred  and  fifty-one  men  killed,  wounded,  and  miss- 
ing. Total  casualties  of  the  three  original  regiment.^,  up  to 
and  including  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty- 
two.  Of  one  hundred  and  two  enlisted  men  of  Co.  K  ( 63d) 
who  left;  Albany,  N.  Y.,  for  the  seat  of  war  in  1861,  oulj' 
ei'yht  were  present  for  duty  at  the  consolidation  of  the 
brigade  (June,  1863);  the  rcuiainder  killed,  wounded,  and 
missing. 

Mr.  Dwycr  is  editor  and  j)ruprietor  of  the  Sainli/  Hill 
Herald. 


JAxMES  P.  I5UCK 


was  born  in  Kingsbury  tflwnsbip,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
April  2,  1815,  the  youngest  child  of  Justus  and  Lovina 
Buck.  His  grandfather,  wliose  name  was  Justus,~emigrated 
with  two  brothers  from  England  and  settled  in  Saybrook, 
Conn.  He  moved  to  Kingsbury,  Washington  Co.,  about 
the  year  1790,  and  died  there.  His  fiither,  Justus  Buck, 
married  in  Kingsbury,  Lovina  Parks,  daughter  of  James 
and  Molly  Parks.  Their  eiiildrcn  were  William,  Abigail, 
John,  Rosamond,  and  James  P.  They  were  born  in  Kings- 
bury, and  are  all  living  except  Abigail ;  all  are  married,  and 
have  raised  families. 

The  father  died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  Jan.  6,  1852; 
the  mother  at  the  age  of  ninety-two,  Jan.  13,  1864.  James 
P.  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  his  majority.  His 
education  was  received  at  the  district  schools  of  his  native 
town.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  ran  a  line  boat  from 
Whitehall  to  Albany  one  season.  He  married,  March  3, 
1843,  Eliza  Ann  Brush,  daughter  of  James  H.  and  Eliza 
Brush,  of  CharltoT),  Saratoga  Co.  After  marriage  he  hired 
General  Pitcher's  farm,  near  Dunham's  Basin.  He  then 
bought  a  farm  of  sixty  acres  one  mile  and  a  half  east  of 
Sandy  Hill,  still  known  as  the  Buck  farm.  Sold  it  and 
bought  what  is  known  as  the  Beach  farm,  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres,  three  miles  north  of  Sandy  Hill;  built 
most  of  the  improvenunts  thereon,  and  worked  it  up  to 
the  year  1868. 

Leaving  the  conduct  of  the  farm  to  his  son,  under  con- 
tract with  the  State  he  built  the  aqueduct  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward. He  had  the  repair  contract  for  two  years  of  the 
canal  from  Glen's  Falls  to  the  river,  twenty-four  miles. 
He  then  engaged  in  the  construction  of  bridges  over  the 
canals  and  creeks  of  the  State.  His  last  work  for  the  State 
Wiis  the  construction  of  the  canal-lock  on  the  Glen's  Falls 
feeder,  one  mile  east  of  Sandy  Hill.  After  closing  up  his 
business  of  bridge-building,  Aug.  1,  1877,  he  engaged  in 
the  general  hardware  business  at  Sandy  Hill  in  company 
with  Solomon  H.  Parks,  his  son-in-law,  and  has  since  car- 
ried on  the  leading  business  in  that  line  at  Sandy  Hill. 
Leaving  his  home  with  only  three  hundred  dollars,  3Ir. 
Buck,  by  indefatigable  industry,  close  attention  to  business, 
and  honorable  dealing,  has  achieved  a  marked  success  and 
accumulated   an   ample   fortune.       For   ten   years  he   was 


township  assessor.  In  politics  he  has  beeu  identified  with 
the  Whig  and  Republican  parties. 

His  children  are  as  follows :  Henry,  born  April  28,  1844, 
died  Feb.  18,  1845;  James  Orville,  born  Nov.  1,  1845, 
married  to  Mary  Mead,  and  living  on  the  homestead  farm  ; 
Ann  Elizabeth,  born  Nov.  1,  1845,  wife  of  Isaiah  Miller, 
farmer  in  Kingsbury, — one  child,  Cora  Eliza ;  Rosamond 
Lovina,  born  July  23,  1847,  wife  of  William  D.  Sherman, 
farmer  in  Kingsbury,  one  son, — James;  Laura  Josephine, 
born  Sept.  27,  1850,  wife  of  Solomon  S.  Parks, — one  child, 
Eliza  G. ;  Caroline  Matilda,  born  March  18,  1854,  died 
IMtirch  1,  1857;  Cora  Eliza,  born  Aug.  23,  1856,  died 
3Iay  13,  1870;  Elleu  Mary,  born  Dec.  3,  1859,  died  June 
7,  1867. 

Mr.  Buck  married  for  his  scL'ond  wife,  Oct.  6,  1870, 
Blilien  Pervee,  daughter  of  John  JkDougall,  of  Argyle, 
atid  widow  of  Anthony  Pervee. 


LOREN    ALLEN. 


Daniel  Allen,  great-grandfather  of  this  gentleman,  was 
a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  and  lived  and  died  there.  His 
grandfather,  John  Allen,  after  marriage  to  Deborah  Palmer, 
moved  from  Rhode  Island,  and  settled  at  an  early  day  in 
Providence,  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  were  born  to  them 
seven  sons  and  one  daughter,  only  two  of  whom  are  still 
living,  viz.,  Elihu,  father  of  Loren,  and  Seabury,  living  in 
Providence,  Saratoga  Co. 

Elihu  was  born  in  Providence,  March  9,  1805;  married 
Laura  Cornell,  Oct.  25,  1828,  by  whom  he  had  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows  :  two  died  in  infancy.  Urias  C.  Allen,  born 
May  31, 1829  ;  married  Nov.  5, 1856,  to  Elizabeth  Stover, 
now  a  resident  of  New  York  city.  Hiram  Allen,  born  Jan. 
14,  1831  ;  married  Jan.  17,  1856,  to  Fanny  M.  Benedict, 
by  whom  he  had  one  son,  Hiram  ;  married  second  time,  June 
10,  1862,  to  Helen  S.  Benedict,  sister  of  first  wife.  Loren, 
subject  of  this  sketch.  In  the  first  years  of  his  business 
life  Mr.  Allen,  the  father,  followed  the  cabinet  and  carriage 
business.  In  1846  he  built  a  paper-mill  at  Stillwater, 
Saratoga  Co.  In  1850,  in  company  with  Nelson  W.  Wait, 
he  purchased  a  paper-mill,  at  Baker's  Falls,  of  Benjamin 
Ferris  and  Albert  Bartlett.  In  1860  he  sold  his  interest  to 
Wait  &  Son,  since  which  time  he  has  retired  from  active 
business.  His  wife  died  Feb.  22,  1861.  At  the  present 
time  he  makes  his  home  with  his  son  Loren.  The  latter 
was  born  in  Galway,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  7,  1833. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  di-striet  schools  of  Gallo- 
way, in  Stillwater,  Glen's  Falls,  and  Rhinebeck  Academics, 
and  McLaren's  mathematical  and  classical  school  at  Sandy 
Hill.  For  a  number  of  sca.sons  he  taught  school  in  Albany 
and  Sandy  HilL  In  1857  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
his  brother  Hiram,  who  had  built  a  paper-mill  at  Baker's 
Falls  in  1862.  They  enlarged  their  mill  in  1869.  They 
manufocture  wall-paper  exclusively,  and  have  been  very 
successful  in  their  business.  Mr.  Allen  married,  Dec.  25, 
1856,  Mary  Ann  Vandenburgh,  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Ann  Vandenburgh.  She  was  the  youngest  of  seventeen 
children,  and  was  born  in  Schaghticoke,  Rensselaer  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  20,  1834.     Her  grandfather  emigrated  from 


\ 


s    ,.' 


James  P  Buck  . 


r,AF?M  Property   or  JAMtS     BUCK  ,  5andy /^ill  /Vew  York 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,   NEW   YORK. 


447 


Holland  at  an  early  day.  Only  two  brothers  and  two  half- 
sisters  are  living,  viz.,  Jacob  L.,  in  Stillwater,  S.irato^^a  Co. ; 
James  H.,  in  Sandy  Hill ;  Mrs.  Abraham  Van  Vegliten, 
and  Mrs.  Sarah  V.  Wilson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  have 
children  as  follows:  Mary  Ida,  born  May  30,  1859  ;  Chas. 
L.  and  Clifford  H.,  twins,  born  Jan.  31,  1867,  all  livinijc  at 
homo.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  church  at  Sandy  Hill.  In  politics  Mr.  Allen  is 
Republican.  A  careful  and  prudent  manager  in  his  busi- 
ness, prompt  in  the  fulfillment  of  his  engagements,  liberal 
in  all  public  and  benevolent  enterprises,  Mr.  Allen  fully 
deserves  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  hold  by  the  community 
in  which  he  lives. 


JAMKS  McCARTY 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Hartford,  Jan.  6,  1840.  He  re- 
ceived a  common-school  education  in  that  town,  where  his 
parents,  who  were  engaged  in  firming,  then  resided.  He 
attended  school  at  the  North  Granville  Academy  one  term 
in  the  fall  of  1860.  When  the  President  of  the  United  States 
called  for  five  hundred  thousand  volunteers,  MeCarty  was 
attending  school  at  the  Fort  Edward  Collegiate  Institute, 
from  which  institution  he  volunteered,  on  the  4tli  day  of 
November,  1861,  as  private  in  Company  E,  Ninety-si.\th 
Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers,  then  being  organized, 
under  Colonel  James  Fairman,  at  Platt.sburg,  Now  York. 
The  officers  of  the  company  then  being  recruited  at  Fort 
Edward  were  Captain  Hiram  Eldridge,  First  Lieutenant 
A.  J.  Russell,  Second  Lieutenant  James  L.  Cray.  Me- 
Carty was  appointed  sergeant,  Nov.  22, 1861,  and  in  March, 
1862,  was  assigned  to  duty  as  commissary -sergeant  of  his 
regiment.  Was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  Sept.  25, 
1862;  to  first  lieutenant  and  regimental  quartermaster, 
July  17,  1863.  In  May,  1864,  he  was  assigned  to  duty  on 
the  staff  of  Brigadier-General  Gilnian  Marston,  as  brigade 
commis.sary.  He  served  on  staff  duty  in  different  capaci- 
ties, in  the  "  Army  of  the  James,"  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  Was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain,  May  15,  1865. 
He  served  after  the  close  of  the  wai'  on  the  staff  of  Brevet 
Major-General  N.  M.  Curtis,  as  assistant  adjutant-general  in 
the  department  of  Virginia,  and  received  commission  as 
major  by  brevet  from  the  President  of  the  United  States, 


and  also  from  the  governor  of  the  State,  for  gallant  and 
meritorious  service.  Mustered  out  Feb.  6,  1866.  Was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Johnston,  of  his  native  town, 
shortly  after.  Hj  has  since  given  his  attention  to  manufac- 
turing machinery,  and  is  now  manager  of  the  Washington 
Machine  Works  at  S.indy  Hill. 


JOSEPH    H.    HARRIS. 

This  gentleman  was  born  in  Hartford  town.ship,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  9, 1826,  the  eldest  son  of  Ebenezer 
and  Mary  S.  Harris.  Ebenezer  S.  is  the  only  other  child 
living,  a  resident  of  Bennington,  Vt.  The  father  and 
mother  were  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Tiiey  first  moved  to 
Hoosick,  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  tlien  to  Hartford,  Wiush- 
ington  Co.  The  father  died  in  Fort  Ann  ;  the  mother 
in  Hoosick,  June  20,  1875. 

Joseph  H.  Harris,  at  the  age  of  ten,  upon  the  death  of 
his  father,  went  to  live  with  his  uncle,  where  he  remained 
five  years,  attending  school  in  winter.  He  worked  out  by 
the  month  at  farming  up  to  the  time  of  his  majority.  He 
married,  Sept.  14,  1818,  Klmira  N.  Harris,  daughter  of 
Jno.  L.  and  Hannah  Harris,  residents  of  King.sbury  town- 
ship, Washington  Co.  Her  father  w;us  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, her  mother  of  King.sbury.  Mrs.  Harris  was  born 
May  4,  1828.  Elijah  Butterfield,  her  grandfather,  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  and  was  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Kingsbury.  Ho  came  witii  his  wife  on  horseback  from 
Lancaster,  Mass.  Mrs.  Harris  has  in  her  possession  tlie 
side-saddle  upon  which  her  grandmother  rode. 

They  have  children  as  follows:  Mary  S.,  born  Oct.  31, 
1854,  married  to  Frank  Sheldon,  Oct.  9,  1873;  Eva  H., 
born  Sept.  26,  1860;  Ervin  W.,  born  Jan.  14,  1867, 
died  Feb.  26,  1867;  Alice  E.,  born  Feb.  13,  1872,  died 
June  28, 1872.  From  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Harris 
carried  on  farming  in  Kingsbury  up  to  1857,  when  he 
moved  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  carried 
it  on  two  years.  He  then  returned  and  bought  a  farm  at 
Smith's  Bu.sin,  King.sbnry  township,  and  has  resided  there 
since.  He  built  liis  present  residence — a  sketch  of  which, 
with  portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mi-s.  Harris,  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  work — in  1875. 


PUTNAM. 


Putnam  is  the  northornmost  town  of  AA'^ashington 
county,  and  lios  on  tlic  peninsula  between  the  waters  of 
Lake  Champlain  and  Lake  George.  It  is  bounded  north 
by  Essex  county,  soutli  by  Dresden.  The  surface  is  rough, 
rocky,  and  mountainous,  and  divided  into  three  ranges  by 
the  valleys  of  Mill  and  Charter  brooks.  The  westernmost 
range  rises  quite  abiuptly  from  the  shore  of  Lake  George, 
and  in  some  places  attains  a  height  of  one  thousand  feet 
above  the  lake.  The  most  prominent  peak,  Anthony's 
Nose,  lies  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  just  below  Blair's 
bay.  It  is  a  bold,  rocky  promontory,  around  the  base  of 
which  Lake  George  bends  sharply  to  the  eastward  on  its 
way  to  the  waters  of  Lake  Champlain.  The  northern  point 
lies  partly  in  Ticonderoga,  and  is  the  historical  Mount  Do- 
fiance'  which  had  so  pi'ominent  a  part  in  all  the  wars  of  the 
last  century.  It  rises  abruptly  from  the  shores  of  Lake 
Champlain,  leaving  a  very  narrow  strip  of  land  at  its  base 
around  which  a  carriage  road  and  the  track  of  the  New 
York  and  Canada  railroad  run  in  close  proximity.  On  the 
shores  of  Lake  George  are  two  beautiful  bays,  called  re- 
spectively "  Blair's"  and  "  Gull''  bays.  These  are  fre- 
quently visited  by  summer  tourists,  and  the  lovely  waters 
of  the  Horicon,  abounding  with  fish  of  all  kinds,  furnish 
ample  opportunity  for  the  pursuit  of  pleasure.  In  the 
south  part  of  the  town  lies  Mud  pond,  a  small  body  of 
water  three  hundred  feet  above  Lake  George.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  wide  marsh  in  which  cranberry-bushes  flourish. 
About  two-thirds  of  the  surface  of  this  town  is  rough  and 
rocky.  The  remaining  third  is  tillable  land,  and  though 
hard  to  work  is  strong  and  productive.  The  soil  is  mostly 
a  hard,  gravelly  loam  intermixed  with  clay.  It  is  valuable 
for  grazing  and  grass  growing  purposes. 

The  eastern  range  of  mountains  lies  a  little  back  from 
the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain  and  terminates  near  Mill  bay. 
The  middle  range  extends  in  a  northeasterly  course,  and 
from  its  summit,  just  west  of  Putnam  Corners,  there  is  a 
fine  view  of  the  Champlain  valley  and  the  Green  Mountains. 

A  mine  of  graphite  of  a  fine  quality  was  opened  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  town  several  years  ago,  and  a  mill  built 
to  prepare  it  for  market.  But  the  veins  were  too  scattering 
to  make  the  mine  profitable,  and  it  was  soon  abandoned. 

Putnam  comprises  an  area  of  nineteen  thousand  two 
hundred  and  seventy-nine  acres,  and  has  the  smallest  popu- 
lation of  any  town  in  the  county,  the  census  of  1875 
showing  only  six  hundred  and  forty-nine  inhabitants. 

It  was  formerly  a  part  of  Westfield  (now  Fort  Ann), 
and  was  erected  as  a  separate  town  Feb.  28,  1806,  and 
named  in  honor  of  General  Israel  Putnam,  some  of  whose 
most  remarkable  military  exploits  were  performed  in  this 
vicinity.  At  that  time  it  also  comprised  the  territory  now 
embraced  in  the  town  of  Dresden. 
448 


The  first  town-meeting  was  held  at  the  residence  of 
James  Burnet,  Esq.,  on  the  4th  of  April,  180(!.  The 
following  is  a  copy  of  the  minutes  as  recorded  in  the  town- 
book: 

"  FIRST   TOWN-MEETI.\a. 

"PiTNAM,  April  -t,  1806. 

"The  freeholders  nnd  inb.ibitance  of  the  town  of  Putnam  met  at 
the  house  of  .Tames  Burnet  to  bold  their  first  town-meeting,  and  chose 
.Tames  Burnet  moderator:  proceeded  to  business  as  follows,  viz.: 
Voted,  that  all  aliens  and  them  that  are  not  freeholders  shall  hold 
offices  if  voted  in.  Chose  John  Gourly,  su])ervisor;  George  Willey, 
clerk;  Robert  Gumming?,  Levi  Harrington,  John  Butterfield,  asses- 
sors; William  Hutton,  Jr.,  Levi  Harrington.  Pelatiah  Bugby,  Jr., 
commissioners  of  highways;  Levi  Harrington,  George  Easton,  over- 
seers of  the  poor;  Peter  Hutton,  Levi  Harrington,  constables;  Peter 
Hutton,  collector;  Robert  Paterson,  Robert  Cummings,  William  Hut- 
ton, Jr.,  George  Record,  George  Euston,  Alexander  Corbet,  John 
Butterfield,  Frederick  Dedrick,  overseers  of  highways;  Samuel 
Rogers,  Pelatiah  Bubgy,  Pr.,  Obadiah  Bleak,  George  Easton,  fence- 
viewers;  James  Burnet,  Levi  Harrington,  !Xathan  Butterfield,  Geo. 
Easton,  pound-keepers. 

"Horses  is  not  to  run  on  the  commons.  A  seed  horse  above  two 
years  old  found  out  of  an  enclosure,  the  owner  is  fineable  of  twelve 
dolers  and  fifty  cents.  Kams  is  not  to  run  from  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber till  the  tenth  of  November,  or  the  owner  will  be  fined  of  two 
dolers.     Hogs  not  commoners. 

"  By  order  of  the  commissioners  every  person  is  to  work  two  days 
on  the  road  from  Mr.  Clark's  to  Walch  Hollow. 

"Ne.\t  town-meeting  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  George  Willey. 

"  The  commissioners  divided  the  town  into  districts  at  their  meet- 
ing, as  follows  : 

"  Dittrict  No.  1. — Beginning  near  James  Crage's  ;  thence  soutl.  to 
John  Gourly's  north  line. 

"  DinlricI  A'o.  2. — Beginning  at  John  Gourly's  north  line;  thence 
south  to  Mr.  Bugby's  north  line. 

"  [Uttrkl  Xij.  3. — Beginning  at  Mr.  Bugby's  north  line  ;  thence  to 
the  house  of  William  Hutton. 

"  Diilrlcl  No.  i. — Beginning  at  George  Easton's;  Ihcnce  to  the 
northeast  corner  of  Alexander  Corbet's  field  ;  thence  from  the  west 
end  of  Alexander  Corbet's  lane  to  the  west  end  of  James  Burnet's 

"  Dixlrict  Nn.  5. — Beginning  at  the  northeast  end  of  Alexander 
Corbet's  field  ;  thence  to  Mr.  Shill's. 

"  Dlatrict  No.  6. — Beginning  at  the  mill  bay  ;  thence  to  Nathan 
Butterfield's. 

"  DUli-ifl  No.  7. — Beginning  at  Nathan  Butterfield's  ;  thence  to 
Josiah  Clark's. 

"  Dhtrict  No.  8. — Beginning  at  John  Blair's  ;  thence  to  Mr.  Bug- 
by's. 

"  Diatn'cl  No.  9. — Beginning  at  the  west  enil  of  Levi  Harrington's 
barn  ;  thence  to  the  top  of  the  hill  south  of  Mr.  Shear's. 

"  Dhtikt  No.  10.— Beginning  at  Gull  b.-iy ;  thence  to  Obadiah 
Bleak's. 

"  JJistricl  No.  \l. — Beginning  at  Amos  Hiscock's;  thence  to  the 
road  south  of  Mr.  Clark's;  thence  north  to  said  Clark's. 

"  Dislrict  No.  12. — Beginning  at  or  near  the  house  of  Cyrus  Nel- 
son, near  Lake  George;  thence  southwardly  to  the  house  of  Judathan 
Dickson ;  and  from  the  house  of  Isaac  Lyman  eastwardly  to  the  main 

path. 

"  Levi  HAimiNGTox, 
"TiMOTHV  Rick, 
-     "  Amos  IIiscock, 
"  Oviirsecre  o/  Hiyhwat/a. 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY.  NEW    YOKK. 


449 


■•  A[»|>ointe<l  l)y  the  eoramissioDcrs  of  highways. 
*' The  proceedings  of  the  town  of  Putnam  of  the  year  past  was 
recorded  ijy  me. 

"(iKolUJE    Wu.l.KV,   T,>nn  r/ei-l.-." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  proniiiieiit  officers  of  the 
town  from  its  organization  to  the  present  time,  as  full  and 
accurate  as  can  be  obtained,  viz. ; 


AHthony  D.  Wclcli.    Walter  Benja 
George  Willev. 


Supervisors.  Town  Clerks, 

ISUO.  John  (rourly.  t>corge  Willev. 

ISO-.      '• 

1508.  "  " 

1509.  '• 
1810.       " 

ISll.  James  Burnet. 

1812. 

1813.   Robert  Cummings. 

1814. 

1815. 

ISIG.  Alex.  .MeLauglilin. 

1817. 

1818.  David  Congdon.         Freeman  Clark. 

1819.  "        ■     "  " 

1820.  Ale.\.  McLaughlin.    George  Willev. 

1821.  David  Congdon. 

1822.  Peter  Hutton. 
1823. 

1821.        •■  ••  Abel  Comstock. 

182o.        ■'  ••  •■  " 

1826.  Robert  Easton.  Alex.  Robertson. 

1827. 

1828. 

182'J.         ■'  '•  George  Willey. 

1830.  Alex.  McLaughlin.  " 

1831.  Alex.  Robertson.  "  " 
1632.       "                "                  Daniel  Williamsoi 

1833.  •• 

1834.  "  ■'  James  Blair. 
183.1.  Andrew  Mciklejohn.  George  Willey. 
183(3.  Robert  Wright. 

1837.  Alex.  Robertson.  '*  " 

1838.  James  Blair. 

1839.  " 

1840.  William  Hutton. 
1841. 

1842.  William  G.  Corbet, 
1843. 

1844.  John  Wright. 

1845.  " 

1846.  John  Backus. 

1847.  Alexander  Wiley. 
1848. 


Collectors 
Peter  lluttou. 


James  Easton. 
William  Corbet. 
Freeman  Clark. 

William  Cummings 
Anthony  D.  Welch. 
Peter  Hutton. 

William  Patterson. 
Josiah  Clark.  Jr. 


Sam'l  J.  Woodstock. 
.Tohn  L.  Hiscock. 


Silas  Beeclicr. 
George  Easton. 


Daniel  Willi; 
D.  Williamsc 


Abram  Shear. 
Andrew  Williamson. 


William  Hutton. 

George  Willey.  " 

"  "  Wm.  E.  Woodstock. 

"  William  M.  Wiley. 

William  M.  Wiley.     D.  Williamson,  Jr. 
Wm.  E.  Woodstock.      "  " 

William  G.  Corbet.        "  " 

Robert  C.  Wright. 

D.  Williamson,  Jr. 
James  Burnet.  ''  " 

1849.  William  G.  Corbet.    James  McLaughlin.  Robert  Williamson. 

1850.  Robert  Paterson,  Jr.         "  "  •'  •• 

1851.  "  "  William  G.  Corbet.    Geo.  E.  Meiklejohn. 

1852.  D.  Williamson,  Jr.  •■  "  '• 

1853.  •'  "  •'  •'  John  McLaughlin. 

1854.  James  McLaughlin.  "  " 

1855.  "  "  George  Easton.  Thomas  li.  Wright. 

1856.  John  Gourly.  D.  Williamson,  .fr.     J.ihn  McLaughlin. 

1857.  "  '•  "  ••■  Anthony  Anderson. 

1858.  .Tames  Leidgerwood.  James  McLaughlin.  "  '* 

1859.  •■  •'  D.  Williamson,  Jr.     Thos.  W.  Cummings. 

1860.  Henry  Beldin.  '■  "  Wm.  M.  Cummings. 

1861.  ••  "  ■■  •' 

1862.  A.  G.  Meiklejohn.      Alex.  C.  Thompson.  Elbcrton  .Spaulding. 

1863.  "  ••  D.  Williamson,  Jr. 

1864.  Anthony  Anderson.       •'  ''  "  " 
I860.           "                "               ■•                 ••              Thos.  B.  Cummings. 

1866.  William  McArthur.    Wm.  McLaughlin,Jr.John  S.  Cummings. 

1867.  "  "  D.  Williamson,  Jr.     Albert  Smith. 

1868.  Arnold  Hulett.  Chas.W. Williamson.  Wm.  J.  Wright. 

1869.  ■•  ••  '•  •'  George  G.  Burnet. 

1870.  Thomas  Lilley.  ■  " 

57 


Supoi*vi8ors. 

Town 

Clerks. 

Collecton*. 

1871. 

Thomas  Lilley. 

Chas.W.Williams. 

n.  John  Hcst.  Jr. 

1872. 

William  McArlhur 

" 

" 

.< 

1873. 

Daniel   William.son. 

1874. 

Thos.  Lcidgerwooi 

. 

Erastus  11.  Sears. 

1875. 

Robert  P.  Graham 

•' 

Wm.  McLaughlin. 

1876. 

" 

1877. 

Henry  D.  Easton. 

James  E.  Hutton. 

1878. 

1. 

JUSTICES    OF   THE    PEACE. 


1806- 

^.  .lames  Burnet. 

1845. 

Alexander  Wiley. 

1809- 

11.  Pelatiah  Bugboc. 

1840. 

James  Blair. 

1814. 

Alexander  McLaughlin. 

1847. 

Wm.  Hutton. 

1815. 

James  Burnet. 

184S. 

Robert  Paterson,  Jr. 

Freeman  Clark. 

1849. 

Alexander  Wiley. 

Levi  Harrington. 

1850. 

James  Blair,  f.  t. 

1SI6. 

Alanson  Clark. 

Wm.  McArthur,  v. 

Wm.  Butterlicld. 

1851. 

Wm.  Hutton. 

1818. 

James  Burnet. 

1852. 

Gustavus  A.  Goodrich. 

Wm.  Butterlield. 

1853. 

Wm.  MeArthnr. 

1819. 

David  Congdon. 

1854. 

John  Wright. 

1820. 

Alexander  McLaughlin. 

1855. 

Wm.  McLaughlin. 

1821. 

James  Burnet. 

1856. 

Gustavus  .\.  Goodrich. 

Alexander  McLaughlin. 

1857. 

Wm.  McArthur. 

Robert  Easton. 

1858. 

John  Wrighl. 

1827. 

Alexander  McLaughlin. 

1859. 

Wm.  G.  Corbet. 

Robert  Easton. 

1860. 

Gustavus  A.  Goodrich,  f.  t 

James  Blair. 

Arnold  Hulett,  v.       . 

Anthony  D.  Welch. 

1801. 

Robert  R.  Hutton,  f.  t. 

1828. 

Abel  Comstock. 

Wm.  Graham,  v. 

1829. 

Robert  Easton. 

1862. 

Thomas  Lilley. 

1830. 

James  Blair. 

186.3. 

Arnold  Hulett. 

1831 

Anthony  D.  Welch. 

1864 

Wm.  McArthur. 

1832 

Abel  Comstock. 

1865 

Wm.  G.  Corbet. 

1833 

Alexander  McLaughlin. 

18G6 

Thomas  Lilley. 

1834 

James  Blair,  f.  t. 

1867 

Arnold  Hulett. 

Robert  Wright,  v. 

1868 

AVm.  McArthur,  f.  t. 

1835 

Anthony  D.  Welch,  f.  t. 

James  Shear,  v. 

Andrew  Mciklejohn,  v. 

1869 

Thomas  Leidgerwood. 

1836 

George  Willey. 

1870 

Thomas  Lilley,  f.  t. 

1837 

James  Cummings. 

Wm.  Hutton,  v. 

1838 

Alexander  Wiley,  f.  t. 

1871 

Ezra  Roberts. 

Jasper  .Shear,  v. 

1872 

Arnohl  Hulett. 

1839 

Robert  Paterson,  Jr. 

1873 

Wm.  Hutton. 

1840 

-41.  Alexander  Robertson. 

1874 

Thomas  Lilley. 

1842 

.James  Blair,  f.  t. 

1875 

David  L.  Butler. 

Daniel  McLaughlin,  v. 

1876 

Arnold  Hulett. 

1843 

Wm.  Uutton. 

1877 

Wm.  Hutton. 

1844 

Alex.  Robertson,  f.  t. 
Jasper  Shear,  v. 

1878 

H.  D.  Easton. 

The  territory  of  this  town  was  composed  of  two  tracts 
known  respectively  as  "  Turner's  Patent"  and  "  Hutton  .s 
Bush."  The  former  lay  in  the  western  half  of  the  town, 
and  the  latter  in  the  eastern  part.  This  land  was  originally 
granted  to  soldiers  of  the  provincial  troops  who  participated 
in  the  French  and  Indian  wars.  The  eastern  tract  came 
into  the  possession  of  one  Hodgson,  who  came  to  this  country 
to  examine  the  land,  and,  returning  to  Paisley,  Scotland, 
sold  the  tract  to  "  William  Hutton  &  Co."  This  firm  was 
composed  of  three  individuals,  but  two  of  them  became 
discouraged  and  abandoned  their  claims.  The  third,  Wm. 
Hutton,  came  on  to  occupy  the  land,  and  lived  for  a  few 
years  at  Whitehall  before  actually  settling  on  this  tract. 
Some  few  years  after,  John  Williams  claimed  the  land  by 
virtue  of  an  alleged  purchase  from  Alexander  Turner,  and 
sought  to  enforce  bis  claims  to  tlie  title  through  the  courts. 
Hutton  resolved  to  contest  the  claim,  and  employed  a  lawyer 
named   Dickinson,  residing  at   Lansiugburg,  to  defend   the 


450 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY.  NEW    YORK. 


suit.  It  was  never  brought  to  trial,  the  plaintiff  withdrawing 
the  suit.  Hutton  paid  his  hiwyer  in  land,  and  they  em- 
ployed a  man  to  survey  the  tract  and  lay  it  out  in  lots.  His 
name  was  William  Cockburii.  After  the  survey  was  com- 
pleted, in  1801,  the  tract  was  divided  nearly  equally  among 
the  three,  Cockburn  taking  the  southern,  Hutton  the  cen- 
tral, and  Dickinson  the  northern  parts. 

The  first  settlement  was  made  near  the  centre  of  the 
town  by  Joseph  Haskins,  a  squatter,  who  built  a  log  house 
on  lot  22,  near  the  site  of  the  present  residence  of  George 
G.  Burnet.  He  afterwards  acquired  a  title  by  purchase 
from  William  Hutton  about  1786.  He  first  came,  possibly, 
as  early  as  1782. 

The  next  settler  was  William  Hutton,  in  1784,  followed 
by  George  Easton,in  1785,  and  several  others  soon  after,  a 
list  of  whose  names  will  be  found  elsewhere.  We  give  a 
brief  sketch  of  some  of  the  earlier  settlors  who  had  the 
courage  to  dare  the  dangers  of  pioneer  life  in  this  rocky 
fastness  of  northern  New  York.  They  were,  almost  with- 
out exception,  natives  of  Scotland,  and  prepared  by  their 
life  iu  the  highlands  to  enjoy  their  homes  in  this  some- 
what similar  region. 

First  and  most  prominent  was  William  Hutton,  with  his 
family  of  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  of  whom  settled 
here.  He  selected  a  situation  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Mill  bay,  and,  as 
the  title  to  the  lands  was  in  dispute,  in  order  to  secure  his 
dwelling  in  any  event,  built  it  beyond  high-water  mark  over 
the  lake.  This  was  called  the  ■'  big  house,"  and  was  ap- 
proached from  the  shore  by  a  broad  platform.  He  after- 
wards built  another  dwelling  near  the  present  residence  of 
his  grand.sou  and  namesake,  William  Hutton,  Esq.  Of  his 
sons,  Peter  settled  on  the  one  hundred  acres  next  north  of 
his  fathers,  where  Robert  R.  Hutton  now  lives,  and  all  of 
the  name  now  residing  in  Putnam  are  descendants  of  Peter. 
William,  Jr.,  lived  with  his  father  and  worked  the  home- 
stead farm.  While  crossing  Lake  Champlain  on  the  ice, 
the  team  broke  through  and  he  was  drowned.  John  settled 
on  the  place  now  occupied  by  John  Gourlie.  About  the 
year  1800  he  sold  to  John  Gourlie,  an  uncle  of  the  present 
occupant.  The  daughters  all  married  citizens  of  Putnam. 
Some  of  them  were  married  before  coming  to  America. 
At  one  time,  while  the  title  to  the  land  was  in  dispute,  a 
man  named  Lytle  came  and  claimed  a  part  of  the  tract  by 
virtue  of  purchase  from  some  other  alleged  owner.  One 
day,  when  all  the  men  of  the  family  were  absent  from 
home,  he  made  himself  more  than  usually  obnoxious,  and 
finally  two  of  the  girls  (one  of  whom  was  afterwards  Mrs. 
Robert  Cummings)  told  him  that  unless  he  would  agree  to 
leave  the  country  and  cease  his  annoying  persecutions  they 
would  "  duck  '  him  in  the  lake.  As  he  refused,  they,  true 
to  their  promise,  seized  him,  and,  despite  his  frantic  strug- 
gles, plunged  him  beneath  the  water.  As  he  came  above 
the  surface,  they  asked  him  for  his  promise,  and,  as  he  re- 
fused, put  him  under  again.  He  came  up  the  second  time, 
and  was  once  more  interrogated  as  to  his  willingness  to 
leave.  He  refused,  and  again  he  was  depressed  below  the 
rippling  water,  and  held  down  as  long  as  a  due  regard  for 
the  sanctity  of  human  life  would  allow.  A  third  time  he 
came  up  dripping  from  his  involuntary  bath,  and  was  asked 


if  he  would  leave.  Reluctant  to  consent,  he  said,  "  No ;" 
but,  as  he  began  to  sink,  cried  out,  "  You  won't  drown  me, 
will  you  ?"  He  was  informed  that  he  must  go  or  take  the 
consequences,  and  thereupon  signified  his  assent  to  the 
terms  and  was  released.  He  speedily  vanished  from  the 
scene  of  his  humiliating  defeat,  and  never  reappeared- 
William  Hutton's  wife  was  also  a  good  representative  of  the 
plucky  and  fearless  nature  of  these  Scotch  pioneers.  While 
livmg  in  Whitehall, during  the  Revolutionary  war,  a  foraging 
party  of  British  soldiers  attempted  to  break  into  the  barn- 
yard and  drive  off  the  cattle,  but  were  met  by  this  brave 
woman,  who,  armed  with  an  old  flint-lock  musket,  coolly 
informed  them  that  they  could  only  reach  the  bars  over 
her  body.  Struck  by  her  brave  demeanor,  they  gal- 
lantly, but  perhaps  ingloriously,  retreated  from  the  field, 
leaving  her  in  undisputed  posses.sion  of  the  stock  she  had 
so  courageously  defended. 

Robert  Cummings  was  a  re.sident  of  Cambridge  previous 
to  the  Revolution,  and  though  too  young  to  regularly  enlist 
as  a  soldier,  attached  himself  to  the  army  as  an  officer's 
servant.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Cam- 
bridge, and  about  the  year  1789  married  Hannah  Hutton, 
who  was  visilitig  friends  in  that  town.  Soon  after  they 
came  to  Putnam,  and  settled  on  lands  given  them  by  William 
Hutton,  on  lot  19  of  the  tract.  The  place  is  now  occupied 
by  a  grand.son,  James  L.  Cummings.  Robert  Cummings 
built  the  first  saw-mill  in  town,  in  1802.  It  was  located 
on  Mill  brook,  about  one  mile  from  Lake  Champlain.  This 
mill  was  long  known  as  the '' Angel  Mill,''  though  what 
gave  it  this  name  is  a  mystery  we  are  unable  to  solve.  It 
stood  on  the  north  side  of  the  stream,  and  was  carried  off 
by  a  freshet.  In  1837,  William  and  Robert  Hutton  erected 
a  grist-mill  on  the  same  site.  This  mill  was  burned  in  the 
spring  of  1876.  The  first  grist-mill  in  town  was  built  on 
the  south  side  of  the  stream,  in  the  year  1814,  by  Abel 
Comstock. 

Robert  Cummings  had  a  fiimily  of  thiee  sons  and  three 
daughters,  none  of  whom  are  now  living.  Several  of  his 
grandchildren  reside  in  the  town. 

George  Easton  came  from  Cambridge  to  Putnam  in  1785. 
A  short  time  after,  he  married  JIargaret,  the  youngest 
daughter  of  William  Hutton,  and  settled  on  the  place  now 
occupied  by  P.  W.  Hutton.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Meiklejohn  is 
the  youngest  and  only  surviving  child.  She  is  upwards  of 
eighty-three  years  old.  Several  grandchildren,  among  them 
George  Easton,  still  live  in  the  town. 

Alexander  Corbet  was  a  native  of  Paisley,  Scotland,  and 
came  to  America  in  1795,  landing  in  New  York  on  the 
third  of  October.  He  had,  previous  to  his  emigrating  to 
this  country,  married  Agnes  Hutton,  and  soon  after  landing 
in  New  Y'ork  came  on  to  Putnam  and  settled  in  the  valley 
where  the  village  of  Putnam  now  stands.  Alexander  Cor- 
bet, Jr.,  was  born  on  the  voyage  from  Greenock,  iu  1795. 
Arriving  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  attended  an 
election,  and  offering  his  vote  was  challenged  on  the  ground 
that  he  was  not  naturalized.  He  claimed  that  being  born 
on  the  high  seas  this  was  unnecessary,  and  his  vote  was 
received. 

Alexander  McLaughlin  was  a  native  of  the  Scottish 
highlands,  and  came  to  this  country  while  a  young  man. 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


451 


He  married  Anne,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Corbet,  in 
September,  1805.  He  bought  lots  43  and  44,  containing 
one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  and  one-quarter  acres,  of 
William  Cockburn,  in  1804,  giving  him  four  hundred  and 
ninety-five  dollars  and  sixty-two  cents,  or  a  little  less  than 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  acre. 

He  became  ((uite  prominent  in  town  affairs,  was  four 
times  supervisor,  and  held  numerous  other  oflnces.  One  of 
his  sons,  James  McLaughlin,  now  lives  on  the  homestead. 
While  building  the  stone  house,  this  gentleman,  then  a  boy 
of  thirteen  or  fourteen,  was  working  alone  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  getting  out  stone  for  the  building,  when  he  saw 
two  wolves  come  to  the  brow  of  the  cliff  above  him.  He 
heard  one  of  them  coming  down  the  hill  to  the  north,  and 
thinking  it  was  a  question  of  life  or  death,  he  plunged 
through  the  snow  in  the  direction  of  his  home  at  the  top 
of  his  speed.  As  he  neared  the  house,  the  footsteps  of  his 
pursuers  came  closer  and  closer  until,  as  he  reached  the 
door  and  sprang  through  its  protecting  portals,  he  cast  an 
anxious  look  backward,  and  saw  a  large — deer  dash  through 
the  yard  in  full  flight. 

James  Burnet  was  a  gardener  at  Paisley,  Scotland,  and, 
emigrating  to  America,  bought  a  piece  of  land  in  what  is 
now  the  central  part  of  New  York  city,  and  worked  at  his 
trade  for  several  years.  He  finally  disposed  of  his  property 
there,  and  upon  the  recommendation  of  his  uncle,  William 
Button,  decided  to  settle  in  Putnam.  He  purchased  the 
land  formerly  occupied  by  Joseph  Ha.skins,  in  1804.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  good  business  ability,  and 
possessed  of  a  commendable  public  spirit,  which  led  to  his 
becoming  prominent  in  all  public  enterprises.  In  1808  he 
contracted  to  open  up  the  "  State  road"  through  the  town, 
which  he  did  with  dispatch  and  credit.  He  was  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  appointed  in  the  town,  and  held  that 
office  for  some  twenty  years.  He  was  mainly  instrumental 
in  getting  the  first  post-ofBce  established  here  about  1808 
or  1810,  and  was  the  first  postmaster.  He  was  succeeded 
in  this  office  by  his  son  George.  James  Burnet  married 
in  Scotland,  and  he  had  a  family  of  two  sons  and  four 
daughters.  The  youngest  of  these,  Mrs.  Helen  Bullard,  is 
still  living.  She  resides  in  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.  Some  of 
his  grandchildren  still  live  in  Putnam,  one  of  them,  George 
G.  Burnet,  occupying  the  homestead. 

John  Gourlie*  came  from  Scotland  about  1788  and 
worked  in  New  York  city  at  gardening  and  distilling  until 
about  1800,  when  he  came  to  Putnam  and  settled  on  lot 
18  of  the  Hutton  tract.  His  house  stood  a  little  north  of 
the  present  residence  of  his  nephew,  John  Gourlie,  and 
nearer  the  lake  shore.  He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  the 
town,  and  held  the  office  five  successive  years.  He  was 
married,  but  had  no  children. 

Robert  Paterson  lived  in  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut, 
and  was  three  years  a  sailor  on  a  voyage  to  China.  Re- 
turning, he  came  to  New  York  for  a  short  time  and  then 
to  Putnam,  married  a  Widow  Graham,  and  settled  on  the 
place  now  occupied  by  his  only  son,  Robert  Paterson.  He 
taught  the  first  school  kept  in  town  in  the  winter  of  1803-4. 


'  Also  spelled  Gourly. 


It  was  held  in  the  log  house  built  by  Joseph  Haskins  on 
the  Burnet  place. 

Pelatiah  Bugbee  was  an  early  settler  on  the  place  now 
occupied  by  David  Cummings.  He  was  the  second  justice 
of  the  peace  appointed  in  the  town,  and  held  several  other 
town  offices. 

The  other  early  settlers  previous  to  1803  we  give  below, 
together  with  the  names  of  the  present  occupants  of  the 
places  where  they  lived  : 

William  Jones,  now  D.  Ray  Williamson. 

George  Willey,  now  George  W.  Thompson  ( Willey  was  the 
first  town  clerk,  serving  twenty-five  years  in  that  capacity^. 

James  McArthur,  now  Mrs.  William  McArthur. 

Goodspeed,  on  Goodspeed's  point. 

Luther  Gaut,  now  Simon  Cramond. 

Fuller,  now  William  B.  McLaughlin. 

All  of  the  above  were  in  "  Hutton's  Bush."  The  fol- 
lowing were  in  the  west  or  hill  settlement : 

George  Rickert,  now  Isaac  Graham. 

Aaron  Backus,  now  Henry  D.  Easton. 

Christopher  Burgess,  now  Henry  D.  Easton. 

Levi  Harrington,  now  John  Lilley. 

Asahel  Harrington,  now  Thomas  Lilley. 

Abiathar  Odell,  now  Thomas  Lilley. 

Samuel  Rogers,  now  .James  Smith. 

Philo  Rogers,  now  James  Smith. 

Samuel  McCarl,  now  James  Smith. 

Dyer  Perry,  now  William  JI.  Cummings. 

Jonas  Odell,  now  Charles  Lyon  (at  Blair's  bay ). 

The  south  settlement  was  composed  of  the  following- 
named  persons : 

Josiah  Clark,  now  Edwin  Peabody. 

Leman  Bunce,  now  William  Anderson. 

Frederick  Dedrick,  now  Ezra  Roberts. 

John  Hale,  now  John  A.  Easton. 

Luke  Welch,  now  John  A.  Easton. 

Ephraim  Case,  now  R.  and  J.  Simi)Son. 

Peleg  Durfee,  now  Michael  Glannery. 

John  Butterfield,  now  J.  G.  Williamson. 

John  Hale,  Jr.,  now  Nicholas  Flannery  (at  Gull  bay). 

Ords  B.  Johnson,  now  Daniel  Williamson. 

Black  Point,  on  Lake  George,  in  the  extreme  north  part 
of  the  town,  is  supposed  to  have  received  its  name  from 
the  legend  that  it  was  first  settled  by  black  people  at  a  very 
early  day.  Tradition  says  it  was  owned  by  one  Prince 
Taylor,  more  commonly  known  as  "  Black  Prince." 

Six-Mile  Point,  on  Lake  Champlain,  is  genei'ally  known 
as  "  Negro  Point."  It  received  this  name  from  the  fact 
that  a  negro  employed  on  one  of  the  lake  craft  died  of 
smallpox,  and  was  buried  on  this  point. 

Putnam  Academy  was  built  in  1854,  at  a  cost  of  one 
thousand  dollars.  This  amount  was  divided  int^)  fifty-dol- 
lar shares,  and  they  were  owned  by  Daniel  Williamson, 
Solomon  French,  George  E.  Meiklejohu,  George  Easton, 
William  G.  Corbet,  Samuel  W.  Haynes,  William  B. 
McLaughlin,  William  Graham,  James  L.  Cummings. 
Alexander  AViley,  Thomas  Lilley,  James  McLaughlin, 
William  Shiells,  Robert  Ilutton,  Robert  Ea.ston,  John 
Backus,  Rev.  Isaac  Law,  James  Blair,  William  Hutton, 
and  Robert  Paterson. 


452 


HISTOllV   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


The  land  on  which  it  stands  was  donated  by  George 
Easton. 

The  teachers,  in  tlie  order  of  their  service,  were  Joseph 
McKirahan,  Joseph  Shortledge,  Josepli  Thyme,  Andrew 
Cole,  John  Fisher,  J.  Q.  A.  Dickinson,  John  Dobbin, 
William  J.  Smith,  Miss  Boudry,  Mary  A.  McLauijhlin, 
Jane  Easton,  Slargaret  Easton,  Judith  Perry,  and  Mrs. 
Jane  A.  Corbet,  the  present  principal. 

THE    FREE-WILL    BAPTIST    CHURCH    OF    PUTNAM. 

This  church  was  an  outgrowth  of  the  Baptist  church  of 
Benson,  Vt.,  which  was  organized  previous  to  1817  by 
Rev.  Abel  Wood.  In  1820,  while  under  the  pastoral  care 
of  Elder  John  S.  Carter,  a  wonderful  revival  of  religion 
was  experienced,  which  extended  across  the  lake,  and  many 
converts  were  made  in  the  town  of  Putnam.  Soon  after 
this  Elder  Carter  became  exercised  in  mind  upon  some  of 
the  doctrines  of  the  church  and  was  disciplined.  Meantime, 
at  two  meetings  held  in  Benson,  Vt.,  April  6,  and  in  Put- 
nam, April  7,  1823,  a  church  was  organized  by  Elder  Syl- 
vester Robinson,  assisted  by  Elder  John  S.  Carter  and 
Deacon  Gideon  Carter.  Twenty-eight  members  composed 
this  church,  among  them  being  Gideon  Carter,  Joanna 
Carter,  John  S.  Carter,  John  C.  Woodstock,  Daniel  Carter, 
Jared  Carter,  Samuel  Fish,  Stephen  A.  Fish,  Levi  Fish, 
John  Backus,  Hiram  Congdon,  Hannibal  Cougdon,  Isaac 
Congdon,  Abraham  Shear,  William  Woodstock,  Simeon 
Bugbee,  Oatman  Fish,  Levi  Fish  (2d),  Joseph  Congdon, 
Anthony  D.  Welch,  John  Shear,  Willard  Woodstock,  Ruah 
Morton,  Jerusha  Carter,  Clarissa  Carter,  Highly  Carter, 
Almira  Fish,  and  Nancy  Dedrick. 

Upon  the  organization  of  this  societ\'.  Elder  John  S. 
Carter  was  called  to  the  charge  of  the  church,  and  upon 
conviction  of  holding  false  doctrines  by  the  Baptist  denom- 
ination, he  was  sustained  by  this  church.  He  and  they 
embraced  the  doctrines  and  connected  themselves  with 
the  Free-Will  Baptist  denomination.  Elder  Carter  con- 
tinued to  act  as  pastor  until  1825,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Abraham  Shear.  In  the  spring  of  1832  the  church 
sent  a  committee  to  Vermont,  with  teams,  to  move  Elder 
Carter  and  family  to  Putnam,  and  while  they  were  on  the 
way  he  embraced  the  Mormon  faith,  and,  as  the  records 
say,  "  leaving  the  church,  after  all  its  exijcnditure  and 
trouble,  without  a  pastor." 

The  pastors  of  the  church  since  Elder  Shear  have  been 
Revs.  Leland  Huntley,  Charles  Bowles,  William  P.  Chase, 
Samuel  Hart,  S.  D.  Keniston,  A.  Kilborne,   B.  S.  Baxter, 

Henry  Belden,  Harvey,    Loren    E.   Bixbj",  Joshua 

Tucker,  Joseph  Bruce,  Peleg  Fuller,  Frederick  H.  Part- 
ridge, W.  A.  Nealy,  and  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  R.  H. 
Tozer.  Of  these,  William  P.  Chase,  A.  Kilborne,  and  F. 
II.  Partridge  were  twice  pastors  of  this  church,  and  Henry 
Belden  four  times.  Besides  these  regular  preachers,  occa- 
sional ministerial  labor  has  been  perfermed  by  Gideon  Carter, 
James  Rickert,  Daniel  Jackson,  and  others. 

In  1823  the  church  connected  itself  with  the  HuntiTigton 
quarterly  meeting,  in  1825  with  the  Rutland  quarterly 
meeting,  and  at  a  subsequent  date  to  the  Lake  George 
quarterly  meeting,  of  which  ecclesiastical  body  it  is  still  a 
member. 


This  church  has  had  more  of  the  vicissitudes  and  trials 
of  existence  than  usually  fidls  to  the  lot  of  churches. 
Periods  of  unusual  prosperity  have  been  eventually  suc- 
ceeded by  con-esponding  periods  of  depression.  This  in 
turn  would  again  give  way  to  another  period  of  growth. 
During  a  sea.son  of  revival  interest,  in  1831,  Rev.  Charles 
Bowles,  a  colored  minister,  baptized  fourteen  converts  at 
one  time  in  Lake  George.  In  1840  a  successful  protracted 
meeting  was  held  by  Elders  S.  D.  Keniston,  L.  E.  Bixby, 
and  J.  E.  Davis,  which  resulted  in  thirty-five  additions  to 
the  church.     Other  revivals  were  had  in  1823  and  1852. 

In  1843,  Elder  B.  S.  Baxter  began  to  preach  Adventist 
or  "  Millerite"  doctrines.  This  created  considerable  excite- 
ment for  a  time,  but  was  eventually  combated  and  over- 
come by  the  efforts  of  Deacon  John  Backus  and  others. 

The  society  was  incorporated  in  1860.  The  church  edi- 
fice was  erected  in  1841,  on  the  present  lot,  at  a  cost  of  six 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It  is  a  neat  building,  twenty -six 
by  thirty-six  feet  in  size,  and  furnishes  sittings  for  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  people.  It  was  dedicated  Oct.  3,  1841. 
In  1875-76  the  church  was  repaired,  newly  furnished  with 
pews,  and  fitted  with  inside  blinds  given  by  Messrs.  Albert 
Crampton  and  Emerson  Belden,  of  Troy.  It  is  also  pro- 
vided with  an  organ,  and  presents  a  very  creditable  appear- 
ance, comparing  favorably  with  the  most  of  country 
churches. 

In  1858  a  parsonage  was  built  on  lands  leased  of  Deacon 
John  Backus,  the  cost  of  which  is  not  recorded.  The  com- 
mittee having  charge  of  the  erection  were  Hiram  Burgess, 
John  Backus,  and  Arnold  Hulett. 

Rev.  A.  Kilborne,  while  pastor  of  the  church  in  May, 
1844,  succeeded  after  many  efforts  in  having  a  temperance 
pledge  made  one  of  the  articles  of  the  covenant. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  seventy-two. 

The  present  officers  of  the  church  are  as  follows,  viz. : 
trustees,  James  Backus,  Arnold  Hulett,  A.  0.  Clemens; 
deacons.  James  Backus,  Hiram  Congdon,  Nathaniel  King ; 
clerk,  Edwin  Peabody. 

The  present  valuation  of  the  entire  church  property  is 
about  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

The  first  Sabbath-school  was  formed  in  1843,  with  three 
teachers  and  twenty  scholars.  The  school  now  hiis  an  aver- 
age attendance  of  from  forty-five  to  fifty  scholars,  and  is 
prospering  under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  R.  H.  Tozer. 

THE   UNITED    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH   OF   PUTNAM,  N.  Y. 

It  is  supposed,  though  not  absolutely  known,  that  the 
earliest  public  preaching  in  the  town  of  Putnam  was  held 
about  the  years  1798-99.  No  church  organization  was 
effected  until  the  year  1803,  when,  under  the  direction  and 
authority  of  the  associate  presbytery  of  Cambridge,  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  "  big  house"  owned  by  William  Hut- 
ton,  and  standing  on  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Champlain. 
about  a  mile  east  of  the  present  church  site.  This  meeting 
was  conducted  by  a  committee  of  presbytery,  Revs.  Archi- 
bald White  and  Robert  Lange.  A  church  Wiis  organized 
composed  of  the  followinsj  members,  seventeen  in  all,  viz. : 
William  Hutton,  Sr.,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Hutton,  Jr., 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Gourlie,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Easton, 
Mr.   and    Mrs.   Alexander   Corbet,   Mr.  and   Mrs.    Robert 


IIISTOUY    OK    WASHINGTON    COUNTV,  NEW    YORK. 


458 


Cumniings,  5Ir.  and  Mrs.  Goorue  Willey,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  Robertson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  J^iiiell,  and  Alex- 
ander i\IcLauj,diliii.  All,  or  n(n\rly  all,  of  these  persou.s 
were  natives  iif  Seothmd,  who  came  from  tiie  mother  coun- 
try and  to  this  locality  mainly  throuj;li  the  influence  of 
William  Button,  Sr.,  who  was  the  ori>;;inal  purchaser  of  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town. 

At  this  first  meeting,  John  Gourlie,  William  Shiell,  and 
Alexander  McLaughlin  were  chosen  elders  of  the  congre- 
gation. For  several  years  the  preaching  was  irregular.  In 
the  fall  of  1819  they  had  regular  preaching  and  a  settled 
pastor.  These  were  yoar.s  of  struggle  and  trial,  but  Scotch 
perseverance,  under  God's  blessing,  preserved  the  churcli 
and  brought  it  to  success  and  assured  prosperity. 

For  the  seventy-four  years  of  its  existence  tlie  church 
has  been  ministered  to  by  five  difterent  pastors,  oi'  whom  a 
brief  notice  will  be  appropriate. 

The  first,  Rev.  James  Miller,  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  obtained  his  theological  education  in  that  country.  He 
came  to  America  in  1818.  and  united  himself  by  letter  with 
the  associate  presbytery  of  Cambridge.  The  meeting  at 
which  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  was  presided  over  by 
John  Gourlie.  John  Gourlie  and  Alexander  McLaughlin 
were  the  committee  to  present  the  call  to  presbytery.  At 
the  same  meeting  the  anuual  salary  was  fixed  at  four  hun- 
dred dollars,  a  free  house  and  garden,  keeping  for  a  cow, 
and  firewood.  Nov.  4,  1819,  Mr.  Miller  was  installed  as 
pastor.  He  remained  in  this  capacity  till  some  time  in 
1825. 

The  second  pivstor  was  Rev.  Alexander  Gordon,  who  was 
born  in  Montrose,  Scotland,  in  1789.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  Latin  school  at  Montrose  and  the  University 
of  Edinburgh.  He  joined  the  presbytery  of  Edinburgh  in 
1813,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  June  25,  1817, 
by  the  synod  at  Howgate.  Sailing  from  Leith,  July  2(1. 
1817,  he  landed  in  New  York,  September  27.  He  preached 
during  the  next  eleven  years  at  Kingston,  York  Co.,  Pa. ; 
in  North  and  South  Carolina;  at  Baltimore,  Md.  ;  and  at 
various  places  within  the  bounds  of  tile  presbytery  of  Cam- 
bridge. July  2,  1828,  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  this 
church,  and  ministered  to  its  people  until  Aug.  8,  1842, 
when  the  relation  was  dissolved,  and  he  removed  to  John.s- 
town,  Fulton  county,  where  he  died  Aug.  20,  1845. 

The  tliird  pastor  was  Rev.  Isaac  Law,  a  native  of  Salem, 
N.  Y.,  who  was  educated  at  Union  College  and  the  theo- 
logical .seminary  at  Canoiisburg,  Pa.  He  was  installed 
pastor  Oct.  7,  1847,  and  labored  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  Jan.  28,  1861.  The  cougregatiou  held  a  meeting 
soon  after,  at  which  resolutions  of  respect  and  .sympathy 
were  adopted. 

Ou  the  6th  of  July,  1862,  the  fourth  pastor  of  this 
church  was  installed.  Rev.  Thomas  Lawrence,  who  remained 
four  years,  aud  then  went  to  Europe  to  continue  liis  studies 
in  the  Bonn  University. 

The  fifth  and  present  pastor.  Rev.  Samuel  Bigger,  was 
installed  on  the  5th  of  July,  1867.  He  is  a  graduate  of 
Westminster  College  and  the  theological  seminaries  of 
Xenia,  Ohio,  and  Monmouth,  111.  Licensed  to  preach  the 
gospel  in  1866,  he  was  ordained  in  October,  1868.  by  the 
presbytery  of  Argyle.     At  the  ordination  Rev.  J.  H.  An- 


drews presided,  Rev.  J.  R.  Fisher  preached  the  sermon. 
Rev.  J.  C.  Forsyth  delivered  the  address  to  the  pastor,  and 
Rev.  Henry  Gordon  the  address  to  the  people. 

From  the  first  membership  of  eighteen,  the  church  has 
steadily  increased  in  numbers  until  now  (1878)  the  mem- 
bership is  one  hundred  and  forty-two.  The  present  dthcei-s 
are  John  Hennessy,  George  W.  Thomp.son,  William  Graham, 
John  T.  Graham,  William  Gourlie.  and  John  Best,  trustees; 
Robert  Simpson,  James  McLaughlin,  William  G.  Corbet, 
John  Gourlie,  Thomas  Leidgerwood.  John  Lilley,  John 
Simpson,  John  Graham,  William  B.  McLaughlin,  elders; 
William  (Jraham,  John  Hennessy,  Thomas  Lilley,  deacons. 
The  other  members  who  have  been  ruling  elders  arc 
Adam  Darling,  John  W.  Graham,  Robert  Shiell.  Joseph 
Thompson,  James  Burnet,  James  Cummiiigs,  and  William 
Anderson.  At  those  times  when  the  chiinh  was  without  a 
pastor  the  pulpit  was  su]>plied  by  the  presbytery.  Among 
those  who  preached  during  the  infancy  of  the  churcii  were 
Revs.  Arcliiliald  White,  Robert  Lange,  Peter  Bullions. 
Alexander  Bullious,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Shaw,  all  noble  men, 
eminent  in  ability  and  worth . 

The  first  church  edifice  was  commenced  in  18t)6,bul  was 
not  completed  until  1817.  It  was  a  frame  building,  tweuty- 
four  by  thirty-two,  fourteen-foot  posts,  and  cost  the  sum  of 
three  hundred  and  forty-nine  dollars.  Two  hundred  and 
twenty-three  dollars  of  this  amount  was  raised  by  subscrip- 
tion among  the  members  of  the  congregation,  and  the  rest 
(one  hundred  and  twenty-six  dollars)  was  donated  by 
friends  in  New  Y'ork.  This  building  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  j)resent  burial-ground,  a  few  rods  southeast  of  the  pres- 
ent church.  In  1838  a  second  church  building  was  erected 
on  the  same  site.  It  was  built  of  brick,  and  was  a  low 
building.     The  cost  of  its  construction  is  not  known. 

In  1 857  the  present  churcli  was  built,  at  a  cost  of  about 
five  thousand  dollars.  It  is  a  fine-looking  and  substantial 
building,  with  a  handsome  spire,  and  the  inner  walls  tastily 
frescoed.  It  stands  to-day  just  as  it  was  built,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  the  high,  unsightly,  and  uncomfortable  pulpit 
has  been  replaced  by  a  modern  platform  and  desk  that  add 
much  to  the  appearance  of  the  church. 

A  Sabbath-school  has  been  connected  with  the  church 
for  many  years,  and  has  at  present  an  average  attendance 
of  about  fifty.  William  B.  McLaughlin  is  superintendent, 
and  William  Cummiugs,  secretary. 

The  following  list  gives  the  names  of  the  soldiers  from 
this  town  in  the  War  of  1861-65  : 

Aloiaudcr  Anderson,  1st  lieut.;  oiil.  July  28,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  pro. 

capt.,  Feb.  11, 1863  ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
William  Anderson,  Jr.,  enl.  March  20, 1864, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  D  ;  died  of  disease 

at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  Nov.  15, 1864. 
Jarius  D.  Backus,  enl.  Aug.  2, 1862, 123d  Kegt., Co.  D ;  disch.  with  the  regiment, 

June  8, 1865. 
Levi  A.  Belden,  enl.  Aug.  2,  1862, 12.(d  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  with  the  regiment, 

June  8,  1863. 
George  W.  nlair,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  for  disability,  Feb. 

23, 1863  ;  died  of  fevei-,Fob.  2.1, 1863,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 
Andrew  E.  Benson,  enl.  Aug.1l,  1862, 123d  R«gt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  with  the  regi- 
ment, June  8,  186r>. 
James  F.  Burnett,  enl.  1861,  44th  Kegt.,  Co.  C;  died  of  disease,  at  Windmill 

Point,  Va.,  Jan.  2.3, 186:i. 
Andrew  J.  Blanchard,  enl.  Sept.  1,  1861,  87tli  Begt,  Co.  A;  dismissed;  since 

died. 
Benjamin  F.  Blanchard,  enl.  Nov.  23,  1861,  1st  Md.  Cav.,  Co.  H;  pro.  Corp.; 

disch.  Bee.  3, 1864. 
Wm,  C.  Blanchard,  enl.  Solit.  1,  1«G1,  87th  Kegt.,  fto.  A  ;  pro.  sergt.;  disch.  at 

close  of  tlie  war. 


454 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Jumes  L.  CummingB,  «ergt. ;  pnl.  Aug.  8, 1802, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  died.  May  27, 
1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  25,  1864. 

.fohii  S.  Cunimings,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  with  the  regi- 
ment, June  8,  1863. 

Robert  I.  Cuinmings,  corp. ;  onl.  July  30.  1862,  123d  Begt.,  d.  D  ;  absent  from 
regiment  since  July  17,  1864. 

Joseph  H.  Congdon,  eril.  Aug.  2,  1882,  123J  Kegt.,  Co.  U;  disch.  with  the  regi- 
ment, June  8.  1863. 

Wni.  0.  Corbet,  enl.  Sept.  12,  1861,  87th  Kegt.,  Co.  A;  trans,  to  40th  Kegt.; 
served  through  the  war  from  Yorktown  to  Petersburg ;  once  wounded 
and  once  a  prisuner;  disch.  1865. 

William  Craig,  enl.  1861,  44th  Begt.,  Co.  A;  died  of  wounds  at  general  hospital, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Ruthven  W.  Craig,  enl.  Sept.  20, 1861,  3d  Cav.,  Co.  L;  disch.  in  Massachusetts. 

Peter  Ci-aniond,  enl.  Sept.  8, 1864,  2d  Battery  Art. ;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 

George  K.  Corbet,  enl.  Sept.  1, 1864,  76th  Begt.,  Co.  B ;  disch.  at  close  of  the 

Benjamin  Clark,  enl.  1861,  93d  Begt. ;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 

Thomas  Clark,  enl.  1861,  93d  Regt.;  died  of  smallpox  at  Albany,  N.  T. 

Allen  Congdon,  enl.  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 

Henry  A.  Dedrick,  enl.  Aug.  8,1862,123d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  died  of  disease,  at  Madi- 
son, Ind.,  July  25, 1864. 

Darwin  Easton,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D ;  died  of  disease,  at  Stafford 
Court-House,  Va.,  March.  1863. 

Theodore  Easton,  enl.  Dec.  25, 1863,  5th  Cav.,  Co.  L;  missing  soon  after  mus- 
tering in;  supposed  to  have  been  taken  prisoner;   never  heard  from 

P.atrick  Flannery,  enl.  Sept.  20, 1861,  87th  Begt.,  Co.  A  ;  discharged ;  mustered 
in  a  regiment  for  provost  duty  at  Alexandria,  Va. ;  discharged. 

John  C.  Gourlie,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  12, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  pro.  sergt. ;  disch. 
with  the  regiment,  June  8, 1865. 

James  H.  Haynes,  onl.  Aug.  8, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D ;  died  of  disease,  at  Har- 
per's Ferry.  Va ,  Nov.  15,  1862. 

William  Hutton,  Jr.,  sergt. ;  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  C ;  detailed  on 
color-guard  alter  Chancelloraville ;  died,  July  22, 1864,  of  wounds  received 
while  carrying  the  colors  at  Peach-Tree  Creek,  Ga.,  July  20, 1864. 

Edwin  F.  Harvey,  enl.  Dec.  25,  1863,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  trans,  to  60th  Begt., 
June  8, 1865  ;  disch.  Aug.  1, 1865. 

James  D.  Leigh,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  Feb.  23,  1863; 
re-enl.  5th  Cav. ;  discharged. 

Edward  Lyons,  enl.  Aug.  10, 1864,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  E ;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 

John  A.  McLaughlin,  ord.-sergt. ;  enl.  1861,  44th  Begt.,  Co.  A;  discharged; 
re-enl.  July  30,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  with  regiment,  1865. 

Robert  Maxwell,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disabil- 
ity, Jan.  13, 1863. 


James  McLaughlin  (2d),  enl.  Aug.  9, 1SC2, 12:td  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  with  regi- 
ment, June  8,  1865. 
Kilbourn  A.  Miller,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  with  regiment, 

Junes,  1 865. 
Wm.  D.  McLiiughlin,  enl.  March  1,1864,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  I);  trans,  to  60th 

Kegt.,  June  8, 1866  ;  disch.  Aug.  1, 1865. 
Alexander  McLaughlin,  enl.  April  16, 1861,  3d  Cav.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  1861 ;  re-enl. 

July  30,  1802, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D  ;  died  of  disease,  Dec.  1,  1863,  while  home 

on  furlough. 
William  Moore,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  with  regiment, 

June  8,  1805. 
William  W.  Miller,  musician;  enl.  Sept.  24, 1801,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A;  wounded 

at  Frederickslnirg;  leg  amputated  above  the  knee;  government  supplied 

artificial  limb ;  discharged. 
William  McLaughlin,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  pro.  to  corp. ;  disch. 

with  regiment,  June  8,  1865. 
Robert  McLaughlin,  enl.  March  25,  1864,  123d  Begt.,  C...   1);    trans,  to  00th 

Regt.,  June  8,  1865;  disch.  Aug.  1,  1865. 
Alexander  McLaughlin  (2d),  enl.  June  10,  1863,  54th  Begt.,  Co.  K.;  disch.  at 

close  of  the  war.    The  only  man  in  town  who  was  drafted  and  went  into 

the  service. 
Philander  Odell,  enl.  Sept.  8, 1864,  2d  Battery  Art. ;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 
Eber  W.  Odell,  enl.  Sept.  15, 1864,  2d  Battery  Art. ;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 
Joseph  Petty,  enl.  Aug.  1 ,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D  ;  disch.  with  regiment,  June 

8,  1865. 
Bara  M.  Rickert,  enl.  Sept.  15,  1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A;  wounded  and  taken 

prisoner  at  Chancellorsville,  May  3, 1863;  trans,  to  40th  Regt.;  wounded 

at  Wilderness;  disch.  with  regiment,  Dec.  3, 1864. 
Myron  Rickert,  enl.  Sept.  20,  1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A;  trans,  to  40th  Regt.; 

discii.  with  regiment,  Dec.  3, 1864. 
James  L.  Rickert,  enl.  Sept.  20,  1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A  ;  trans,  to  40th  Kegt.; 

wounded  in  side  at  Petersburg,  Va. ;  disch.  with  regiment,  Dec.  3, 1864. 
Harvey  H.  Rickert,  enl.  Sept.  20, 1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  A;  trans,  to  40th  Kegt. 
Philo  K.  Rickert,  enl.  Aug.  20, 1863, 2d  Vet.  Cav. ;  disch.  for  disability,  at  Camp 

Stoneman,  Va.,  Jan.  1864. 
John  D.  Rickert,  enl.  Dec.  25, 1863,  otii  Cav.,  Co.  L;  disch.  at  close  of  the  war. 
Henry  Stevens,  enl.  1861,  44th  Regt.,  Co.  A;  detailed  for  hospital  service  at 

Philadelphia ;  discharged. 
Alexander  C.  Thompson,  sergt.;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  died  of 

typhoid  fever,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  12, 1863. 
James  M.  Vaughn,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  with  regiment, 

June  8,  1865. 
George  T.  Wright,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  (>).  D. 
Daniel  B.  Williamson,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  wounded  in 

chin  at  Peach-Tree  Creek,  Ga.;  disch.  with  regiment,  June  8,  1865. 


f^ESiD£NC£  or  THE  LATE  ISAAC  ASHTQN,WHin  Chuk .ViASHiNCJONCo.MX 


WHITE     CREEK. 


SITUATION    AND    NATURAL    FEATURES. 

This  towu  is  at  the  southeastern  comer  of  the  county. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Jaekson,  east  by  Vermont, 
south  by  Rensselaer  county,  and  west  by  Cambridge.  It 
comprises  twenty-eight  thousand  three  hundred  acres,  or 
about  forty-four  square  miles.  The  surface  of  the  south 
portion  is  gently  rolling,  and  the  central  and  north  portions 
are  occupied  by  the  Taghanic  mountains.  The  summits 
of  these  mountains  are  rocky  and  broken,  and  covered  with 
forests,  and  their  sides  are  bounded  by  steep  declivities  and 
perpendicular  ledges.  The  surface  is  drained  in  a  general 
southwesterly  direction.  The  Owl  Kill  flowing  into  the 
town  from  the  north,  near  Cambridge  village,  takes  a 
southerly  direction,  uniting  with  the  Hoosick,  below  Centre 
White  Creek,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  county.  The 
principal  tributary  of  the  Owl  Kill  is  North  White  creek. 
This  is  formed  of  several  rivulets  rising  in  the  northeast 
part  of  the  town.  South  of  the  White  creek  the  Owl  KUl 
receives  five  small  creeks  from  the  east  and  three  from  the 
west.  In  the  southeast  portion  of  the  town  is  found  the 
Little  White  creek,  formed  of  several  small  streams  rising 
north,  near  the  centre  of  the  eastern  side.  This  flows 
directly  to  the  Hoosick,  uniting  with  it  in  Rensselaer  county. 

In  the  Taghanic  range  limestone  is  found,  but  has  never 
been  used  to  any  extent.  A  small  vein  of  lead  was  dis- 
covered on  the  Noxon  farm,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of 
Post's  Corners.  It  was  discovered  by  Samuel  Chase  dig- 
ging a  post-hole.  He  prosecuted  the  search  at  considerable 
expense,  and  abandoned  it.  The  farm  was  bought  by 
Charles  Tripp,  who  sunk  a  shaft,  but  likewise  gave  up  the 
undertaking.  Bruitt  &  Kane  also  experimented  with  the 
mine,  but  found  it  unprofitable.  The  assay  shows  twenty- 
two  per  cent,  of  silver,  but  the  vein  is  not  easy  to  work. 

PATENTS. 

About  one-third  of  the  town  is  upon  the  Cambridge 
patent,  mention  of  which  is  made  in  the  general  history. 
A  portion  of  the  Schermerhorn  patent  extends  into  this 
town  from  Jackson.  In  the  southeast  part  of  the  town  is 
included  the  Lake  and  Van  Cuyler's  patent.  Between  this 
and  the  Schermerhorn  patent,  occupying  a  large  portion  of 
the  northeast,  east,  and  centre  of  the  town,  is  the  Wilson 
patent.  This  is  stated  by  Hon.  G.  W.  Jermain,  in  the  Cam- 
bridge centennial  address,  to  be  the  same  as  the  Embury 
patent.  Other,  patents  given  in  Hough's  Gazetteer  as  in- 
cluded in  the  present  town  of  White  Creek,  are  those  of 
Bain,  Grant,  and  Campbell.  Land  was  plenty  in  tho.se 
days,  and  surveyors  were  careless.  The  boundary-lines  of 
patents  consequently  conflict  somewhat  with  each  other  ou 
colonial  maps  drawn  at  various  times  before  the  Revolution. 


EARLY   SETTLEMENT. 

The  settlement  of  this  town  may  be  stated  as  having 
been  made  from  1761  to  17ti5.  It  is  true  that  there  is 
proof  of  still  earlier  occupation  just  south,  in  the  valley  of 
the  Hoosick,  and  there  may  have  been  some  bold  adventurer 
who  located  within  White  Creek,  in  the  Owl  Kill  valley, 
or  in  some  secluded  nook  amid  the  ranges  of  the  Tagha- 
nic hills  to  the  east,  but  nothing  of  this  kind  seems  to 
be  authenticated.  The  Walloomsac  patent  was  bought  in 
1739,  but  settlements  are  not  known  to  have  occurred  until 
after  the  Cambridge  patent  was  obtained,  in  1761.  Then 
an  ofler  of  one  hundred  acres  to  each  of  the  first  thirty 
families  who  should  actually  settle  on  the  patent  began  to 
induce  those  seeking  new  homes  to  search  out  the  Cam- 
bridge valley. 

The  following  notices  of  individual  families  will  indicate 
the  progress  of  settlement,  and  the  general  remarks  in  the 
history  of  Cambridge  will  apply  very  largely  to  the  early 
history  of  this  town. 

The  town-meetings  of  Old  Cambridge  were  held  very 
frequently  within  ihe  present  town  of  White  Creek,  and 
very  much  of  the  early  public  business  of  Cambridge  was 
carried  on  within  this  town. 

Thomas  and  James  Ashton,  brothers,  were  from  the 
north  of  Ireland.  They  came  to  America  in  1772,  and 
settled  at  what  is  now  Ashgrove.  Thomas'  homestead  was 
the  present  farm  of  Charles  Hover.     He  left  no  children. 

James  Ashton  settled  on  the  present  farm  of  David  Ar- 
nold, and  spent  his  life  there.  He  was  a  prominent  public 
man,  holding  various  positions  of  trust,  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary. He  received  from  the  State  a  commission  as  major 
in  the  militia  in  1786.  His  children  were  John  Ashton, 
born  in  Ireland,  July  8,  1763 ;  Rebecca,  who  married 
George  Barber ;  Margaret,  who  married  Wm.  Van  Kirk. 

The  pioneer,  Thomas,  was  a  Methodist,  and  shared  in 
the  founding  of  the  church.  James  was  a  Presbyterian, 
and  his  descendants  were  and  are  generally  in  that  connec- 
tion. 

The  children  of  John  Ashton  were  James,  Joseph, 
Thomas,  William,  John,  Isaac,  Benjamin.  Sarah  (Mrs. 
John  Foster),  Rebecca,  and  Betsey. 

Mrs.  Darby,  a  daughter  of  Isaac,  is  still  living  on  her 
father's  homestead. 

John  Allen,  a  Friend,  moved  from  Now  Bedford  just 
before  the  Revolution,  and  settled  on  the  site  of  White 
Creek  village,  owning  a  large  tract  there.  A  readjustment 
of  the  patent  lines  after  his  purchase  changed  iiis  lino  to 
the  north  about  twenty  rods.  Of  his  children,  Mary  and 
David  died  young ;  Ruth  became  Mrs.  Dr.  Elihu  Allen  ; 
Rhoda,  Mrs.  Calvin  Murray  ;  both  these  settling  in  Welles- 

455 


456 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


ton,  Vt.  ;  Elizalioth.  Mrs.  Nathan  Draper,  of  Shaftsbury  ; 
Lydia,  Mrs.  Elihu  Cross,  of  Shaftsbury ;  Mary,  Mrs. 
Beardsley  Hendricks,  of  Shaftsbury ;  Anna,  Mrs.  Eben 
Deuel,  of  Easton;  Sarah,  Mrs.  Dr.  Wm.  Richards,  of 
White  Creek  ;  Chri.stopher  settled  in  White  Creek  ;  Gil- 
bert in  White  Creek  ;  John,  the  hatter,  in  White  Creek. 

Lyman  Cross,  a  son  of  Elihu  Cross,  wrote  the  first  total 
abstinence  pledge  in  this  section  of  country. 

James,  a  .son  of  Christopher,  is  now  living  on  the  pioneer 
homestead,  and  Quincy,  a  son  of  (iilbert,  on  his  father's 
homestead. 

John  Allen  moved,  by  means  of  a  sloop,  from  New  Bed- 
ford up  the  Hudson,  and  then  walked  from  Lansingburg  to 
White  ('reek. 

Dr.  William  Richards,  son  of  Colonel  Richards,  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Revolution,  residing  in  Waterbury,  Conn.,  was 
educated  for  the  medical  profession  at  Duanesburg,  Sche- 
nectady Co.,  N.  Y.  After  finishing  his  studies  he  returned 
to  Waterbury,  and  from  that  place  came  to  White  Creek 
village,  about  the  year  1795,  and  began  the  practice  of 
medicine,  whicii  he  followed  successfully  for  more  than 
forty  yeai's.  He  married  Sarah  Allen,  and  their  children 
are  Miss  Ann  P.,  now  living  on  the  homestead,  who  has 
been  engaged  in  teaching  a  large  portion  of  her  life;  Dr. 
Jo.seph  W.,  now  living  on  the  homestead,  attended  the 
academy,  and  graduated  at  Union  College,  studied  medi- 
cine, which  he  has  practiced  in  White  Creek,  Troy,  and 
New  York  city  for  about  fifty  years  ;  now  retires  from  busi- 
ness to  spend  his  remaining  years  in  the  home  of  his  child- 
hood. George,  his  brother,  following  farming,  is  still  living 
in  White  Creek  village  ;  Benjamin  lived  and  died  in  Canan- 
daigua  ;  Jane  became  Mrs.  Bristol,  and  lived  and  died  in 
White  Creek ;  Ruth  married  Hon.  T.  C.  Ripley,  and  lives 
in  Saginaw,  Mich. ;  Sarah  married  C.  J.  Sinton,  and  lived 
and  died  in  Richmond,  Va.  Dr.  William  Richards  held 
the  office  of  supervisor  for  the  old  town  of  Cambridge  in 
181:i-13,  and  the  town  of  White  Creek  in  181(5-23.  He 
was  also  member  of  Assembly  in  1820.  Dr.  Joseph  W. 
Richards  was  member  of  Assembly  in  1837. 

Zebulon  Allen,  a  brother  of  the  pioneer  John,  became 
very  noted  for  a  vigorous  old  age.  At  one  hundred  he 
worked  in  his  garden,  raising  tobacco  and  vegetables.  At 
the  celebration  of  peace,  in  1815,  he  carried  the  flag  in  the 
procession,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  three.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four,  aud  Elder  Waite,  next 
below  him  in  age,  preached  the  funeral  sermon.  He  lived 
with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Dwinnells. 

David  Sprag'ue  came  from  Rhode  Island  about  1771,  and 
settled  on  a  farm  where  Daniel  Gardner  now  lives,  the  lat- 
ter a  nephew,  now  eighty-four  years  old.  Sprague  in  a  few 
years  removed  to  Argyle.      He  was  an  early  magistrate. 

Seth  Chase  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
from  Rhode  Island ;  came  to  White  Creek  before  the  Revo- 
lution, and  kept  tavern  at  the  forks  of  the  road  southwest 
of  White  Creek  village. 

Joseph  Stewart  came  to  White  Creek  very  early  and 
settled  near  Martindale  Corners, — the  Stewart  Cemetery 
being  named  from  that  family.  Of  the  children,  David, 
Joseph,  Enos,  Reuben,  Sylvauus ;  daughters, — Mrs.  Dr.  Bar- 
num,  Mrs.  John    Allen,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Asa  Kellogg  (Ann,  the 


second  wife  of  Mr.  Kellogg),  Mrs.  Francis  Lauderdale. 
Joseph  was  at  one  time  county  superintendent  of  the  poor. 

Asa  Rice  was  captured  by  the  Indians  when  only  three 
years  old,  and  remained  with  them  until  ten  years  of  age. 
He  was  then  redeemed,  but  was  loth  to  leave  the  Indian 
life.  Ho  lived  a  long  time,  and  finally  died  at  White  Creek 
village.     His  descendants  still  reside  in  town. 

Paul  Cornell  came  to  White  Creek  village,  March  7, 
1783,  and  settled  just  above  the  new  creamery.  Of  his 
children,  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Michael  F.  Palmer,  St.  Alban's, 
Vt. ;  Maria,  Mrs.  David  Niles ;  Walter  R.,  of  Chicago ; 
McD.,  phy.sician,  of  White  Creek,  and  innkeeper.  The 
pioneer  finished  off  in  his  house  a  convenient  lodge-room 
for  the  Masons,  of  whom  he  was  the  Master  for  four  years. 
His  name  appears  in  early  public  matters,  and  he  was  of 
extensive  business,  engaged  in  iron- works  at  Bennington, 
and  was  connected  to  the  late  Hon.  Ezra  Cornell,  of  Ithaca. 

John  Harroun  came  from  Colerain,  Ma.ss.,  about  1790, 
and  settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Wallace.  Of  the 
children,  Oliver  Harroun  lived  and  died  on  the  homestead  ; 
Martha  married  Samuel  Fowler,  of  White  Creek.  A 
grandson  of  John  Harroun  lives  near  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Thomas  M.  Cool  was  probably  a  non-commissioned  ofiicer 
in  the  army  of  1750,  and  received  two  hundred  acres  of  land. 
His  homestead  was  Ijack  of  Brayton  Perry's,  on  a  farm  now 
owned  by  Austin. 

John  Wood  and  Isaac  were  brothers,  Friends,  from 
New  Bedford,  Mass.  Isaac  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Stephen  Barker.     Mrs.  Barker  is  a  granddaughter. 

John  Wood  settled  a  mile  south  of  the  village  of  White 
Creek.  His  son,  Jethro  Wood,  of  Moravia,  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  was  the  patentee  of  the  iron  mould-board  plow. 

Amos  Hoag  came  from  Dutchess  county  in  1781,  and 
settled  a  little  south  of  Pumpkin  Hook,  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Stephen  Hoag,  a  son,  still  living,  ninety-three  years 
of  age.  Other  children  :  Eleazer  moved  to  Ohio,  Anna  mar- 
ried Aaron  Perry,  Morris  and  Amos,  Jr.,  moved  to  western 
New  York,  Behmeu  moved  to  Adrian,  Mich.,  Elizabeth 
married  Herman  Swift,  of  Granville,  and  John  died  young. 
The  removal  from  Dutchess  county  was  made  in  the  winter 
by  sleighs.  House  aud  barn,  built  eighty-five  years  ago, 
still  standing. 

Jonathan  Hart  moved  from  New  Bedford  at  an  early  day, 
as  a  tanner,  currier,  and  shoemaker,  establishing  one  of  the 
first  tanneries  in  town.  The  children  all  moved  west.  A 
grandson,  Thomas  Hart,  lives  in  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 

Aaron  Van  Cuyler,  one  of  the  original  patentees  of  the 
Hoosick  grant,  settled  on  lot  10,  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Dennis  Brazel,  about  two  miles  southwest  of  White  Creek 
village.     Died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  eight. 

Rev.  Wm.  Waite,  the  pioneer  Baptist  preacher  spoken  of 
elsewhere,  was  from  Rhode  Island ;  came  to  this  town 
about  1772,  and  settled  very  near  the  southeast  corner,  as 
he  is  stated  by  Benedict,  the  Bajitist  hi.storiau,  to  have  been 
living  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Bennington  battle-ground. 

In  1786  he  had  settled  at  what  has  been  called  Waite's 
Corners  ever  since.  He  owned  a  large  tract  of  land, — gave 
the  site  for  the  church  and  burial-place.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  ninety-six,  March  20,  1820.  His  wife  also  lived  to 
the  age  of  ninety-one,  dying  in  1822. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,   NEW    YORK. 


457 


Joshua  Gardner  came  from  Argyle,  March  17, 179  4-,  and 
purchased  the  farm  of  David  Sprague.  Ho  built,  in  1813, 
a  brick  house  now  on  the  farm.  Of  his  children,  Ishmaei 
died  on  the  homestead  ;  Ann, — Mrs.  Kliplialut  Wells  ;  Delia, 
— Mrs.  Snyder,  of  Pittstown  ;  Daniel,  now  living  on  the 
homestead, — eighty-four;  Jo.shua  K.,  in  White  Creek; 
Susan, — Mrs.  George  Russell ;  Lydia  L., — Mrs.  Sylvester 
Milliman,  of  Onondaga  county;  Eunice, — Mrs.  R.  E. 
Gorton,  of  New  Jersey. 

Joiin  Corey  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  J.  H. 
Ilutchkins,  near  Friends'  meeting-hou.sc. 

Edward  Aiken,  an  earlier  proprietor  of  the  same  farm, 
afterwards  bought  the  Sir  William  Johnston's  place  iu 
Jolin.stown,  N.  Y.,  and  liis  descendants  are  still  in  posses- 
sion of  it. 

Isaac  Lacy,  who  lived  at  one  time  on  this  .same  farm, 
moved  to  South  Chili,  Monroe  county,  and  became  a  State 
senator  in  1835-38. 

Simon  Covell,  the  first  supervisor  of  Cambridge,  lived  in 
the  present  town  of  Wliite  Creek,  and  was  regarded  as  a 
friend  of  the  Englisli  government  during  the  Revolution. 

David  Preston  lived  a  mile  west  of  what  is  now  Briggs' 
Corners,  on  the  present  land  of  Sir.  Jermain. 

Joseph  Mosher  came  from  New  Bedford  at  an  early  date 
and  settled  south  of  Wiiite  Creek  village.  Of  his  children, 
Alien,  Abiel,  Jonatlian,  George,  Job,  Paulina,  SMary,  Amy, 
and  Margaret.     Mary  became  IMrs.  Tliomas  Hart. 

Among  other  Friends  from  New  Bedford  not  yet  men- 
tioned as  early  settlers  may  be  added  the  families  of 
Johnson,  Perrine,  Van  Kirk,  and  Lake.  The  latter  has 
descendants  in  the  town. 

Elisha  Southwiek  was  an  early  settler  and  a  merchant. 
The  family  moved  to  Moravia,  Cayuga  county.      Friends. 

Amciig  the  early  physicians  in  White  Creek  village  may 
bo  mentioned  Dr.  Sanford  Smith,  Dr.  Barnabas  Smith,  and 
Dr.  William  Richards. 

Among  the  early  lawyers  were  Judge  Dyer  Walwortli 
and  Siderio  G.  Carpenter. 

There  was  an  early  store  in  what  is  known  as  Shaker 
Hollow,  which  is  situated  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  town 
among  the  hills. 

It  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  the  fact  that  William 
Ellis  went  from  there  at  an  early  date,  and  joined  the 
Shakers  of  New  Lebanon.  After  a  few  years  he  returned 
to  his  old  farm,  married,  lived,  and  died  there,  known  as 
a  Shaker ;  the  place  was  called  from  him  by  the  name  it 
still  bears. 

Simeon  Fowler  came  from  Rhode  Lsland  in  1781,orper- 
liaps  earlier.  He  settled  on  a  farm  a  short  distance  north 
of  what  is  now  Centre  White  Creek,  the  place  now  owned 
by  a  granddaughter.  Miss  Fowler.  The  children  of  Simeon 
were  Abel,  Isaac,  George,  Deborah.  A  son  of  Abel  is 
Jonathan  Fowler,  now  living  at  the  age  of  cighty-sovcn  ; 
and  William  P.  Fowler,  postmaster,  is  a  son  of  Jonathan. 
With  the  pionoar  Simeon  Fowler,  there  also  came  his 
brother  Christopher. 

Josiah  Dowey  was  from  Canterbury,  Conn.,  and  settled 

at  Waite's  Corners  in  1781.     lie  was  an  early  magistrate 

before  tlie  Vermont  line  was  settled.      He  remained  but  a 

few  years,  selling  out  to  Hercules  Itice.      Of  his  children, 

58 


Joseph  remained  in  Connecticut;  Huldah  married  Samuel 
Doming,  who  was  from  Connecticut;  Mehetabel  married 
Tiiuothy  Wells,  who  was  killed  at  the  raising  of  a  barn, 
— the  widow  afterwards  marrying  Daniel  Herrick  ;  Mary, 
Mrs.  Hercules  Rice;  Josiah,  Jr.,  moved  to  Massachusetts; 
Abigail,  Mrs.  Clark  Rice,  of  Jackson  ;  Joel  settled  in  White 
Creek;  Eunice,  Mrs.  S'.;th  Veitch,of  Pawlet ;  Allen  .settled 
in  Ma.ssachusetts  ;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Elijah  Porter,  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Noah  Wilcox  lived  west  of  White  Creek  about  a  mile. 

Robert  Wilcox  had  a  trip-hammer  at  an  early  day. 

Three  brothers,  John,  Aaron,  and  William  Perry,  came 
from  Dutchess  county  about  the  opening  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war ;  first  bought  a  tract  of  four  iiundred  acres  of  the 
Lake  and  Van  Cuyler's  patent,  held  in  common.  After- 
wards it  was  divided,  William  taking  wliat  is  now  the 
James  farm  ;  John  removed  to  Lansingburg  ;  Aaron  re- 
mained on  a  part  of  the  farm  and  died  there. 

Of  Aaron's  children,  Mary  married  Mo.ses  Bristol,  Addi- 
son Co.,  Vt.  ;  Lydia,  Mr.  Anthony  Hart,  of  Kalamazoo, 
Mich.;  Isaac  died  young;  Elizabeth  settled  in  AVhite 
Creek;  Lncinda  married  and  settled  at  Post's  Corners; 
Deborah — Mrs.  Levi  Bristol,  of  White  Creek  ;  Piiebe — 
Mrs.  Peleg  Fi.sher,  of  Waltham,  Vt. ;  Arvilla  and  Ruth 
were  successive  wives  of  James  F.  Telford,  New  York 
city;  Patience  died  young;  Angelina  died  young;  Israel 
B.,  living  on  the  homestead. 

Of  William's  children,  Delcvan,  of  White  Creek  ;  Plii- 
lena — Mrs.  Jonathan  Fowler,  of  Waite's  Corners ;  Ovando 
settled  on  the  homestead  ;  Juliette — Mrs.  David  Fisher,  of 
White  Creek;  Cornelia,  not  married. 

Wm.  I.  Perry,  a  son  of  Elihu,  grandson  of  Aaron,  is  now 
living  on  the  homestead. 

Hercules  Rice  came  from  Worcester,  Mass.,  about  1785, 
and  settled  on  a  fiirm,  but  worked  at  blacksmithing.  In  the 
militia  he  held  the  rank  of  colonel.  He  bought  the  farm 
owned  by  Josiah  Dewey,  near  Waite's  Corners,  now  the 
property  of  his  daughter.  Miss  Harriet  Rice.  On  a  stream 
running  through  the  farm  he  built  a  dam  and  erected  a  saw- 
mill about  1790. 

Of  his  children,  Josiah  settled  in  Erie  county,  N.  Y.  ; 
Henry  lived  and  died  on  the  homestead ;  Persis — Mre. 
John  Russell — settled  in  Jack.son  ;  Mary — Mrs.  John  King 
— at  Eagle  Bridge;  Harriet,  unmarried,  is  still  living; 
Laura  went  to  Illinois;  Hercule-s,  Jr.,  to  Michigan;  and 
Walter  lived  and  died  on  the  homestead. 

John  Younglove,  whose  name  appears  in  early  provincial 
records,  settled  on  the  present  farm  of  Brayton  Perry,  east 
of  Waite's  Corners,  before  the  Revolution.  He  was  wounded 
in  his  house  by  a  shot  from  a  Tory  named  Partridge,  who.se 
property  was  confiscated,  and  he  returned  from  Canada  to 
make  the  murderous  attack.  Younglove  sold  to  Dr.  San- 
ford Smith,  and  removed  to  Jackson.  He  is  buried  iu  the 
old  White  meeting-house  burying-ground.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  judge  of  the  court  of  sessions  and  common 
pleas  for  the  counties  of  Albany  and  Washington. 

Austin  Wells,  a  son  of  Edmund  Wells,  the  latter  a  pio- 
neer of  Cambridge,  came  with  his  father  when  fourteen 
years  old ;  returned  to  Connecticut  for  a  time,  but  was  here 
iu  177G. 


458 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


In  1777  he  went  to  assist  an  older  brother  in  Cambridge 
to  remove  his  family  to  a  place  of  safety,  information  hav- 
ing been  received  that  a  detachment  of  Burgoyne's  army 
might  be  expected  through  tlie  Cambridge  valley.  Hav- 
ing taken  the  family  to  Williamstown,  the  brothers  has- 
tened back,  and  reached  Bennington  in  time  to  join  in  the 
closing  scenes  of  the  battle.  Not  long  after  he  went  into 
the  service  as  a  substitute  for  an  older  brother.  He  re- 
mained two  years  in  the  army,  was  stationed  at  the  differ- 
ent forts  on  the  Hudson,  north  of  Albany,  ai'ter  which  he 
wont  into  the  army  as  a  volunteer,  and  was  at  Fort  Stan- 
wis  and  Albany.  After  the  war  he  settled  in  White  Creek, 
upon  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Uriah  Pratt.  He  passed 
a  long  life  in  the  midst  of  his  people,  dying  at  the  age  of 
ninety-one,  Dec.  8,  1849.  He  was  very  highly  esteemed. 
At  his  funeral  psalm.s  were  read  from  the  Bible  he  carried 
with  him  into  camp,  said  to  have  been  the  only  one  in  the 
company  to  which  he  belonged. 

ORGANIZATION   AND    CIVIL    HISTORY. 

This  town  fuiniod  a  part  of  old  Cambridge  from  the 
earliest  settlement  down  to  the  year  1815.  The  venerable 
parchment  covered  book  yet  existing  in  the  town  clerk's 
office  of  Cambridge  goes  back  to  1773;  many  items  of 
interest,  appKing  to  what  is  now  the  town  of  White  Creek, 
are  recorded  in  that  book,  and  will  be  found,  to  some  ex- 
tent, in  the  history  of  Cambridge  and  in  the  lists  of  town 
oiEcers. 

This  town  sought  for  a  separate  organization  at  an  early 
day,  as  shown  by  an  "  occasional"  meeting  held  in  White 
Creek,  at  the  house  of  Simeon  Covell,  Feb.  1,  1775,  when 
it  was  resolved  to  petition  the  A.ssembly  to  be  set  off  from 
Cambridge,  and  Simeon  Covell  was  appointed  a  committee 
to  wait  on  the  Assembly  with  the  petition.  He  was  also 
directed  to  pre.scnt  another  petition,  asking  permission  for 
the  people  to  keep  bloodhounds. 

This  movement  was  a  failure,  and  the  people  of  White 
Creek  for  forty  years  more  continued  to  be  a  pait  of  Cam- 
bridge, and,  so  far  as  it  appears  frotn  the  records,  without 
any  further  effort  at  separation  until  near  the  close  of  that 
long  period.  The  reorganization  of  the  territory  of  old 
Cambridge  into  three  towns  was  made  by  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture in  1815,  and  the  following  notes  from  the  town  records 
show  the  minutes  of  the  first  town-meeting  in  White  Creek, 
and  other  interesting  items  in  the  years  following. 

At  an  annual  town-meeting,  holdcn  at  the  house  of 
Jafjues  Johnson,  innkeeper,  in  White  Creek,  on  the  first 
Tuesday  in  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixteen,  the  following  resolutions  wore 
passed  : 

"  lletohal,  That  I'aul  Cornell  be  moderator  of  (his  meeting. 

"  Henolml,  That  Ira  I'ariiicl.v  be  town  clerk  pro  tcm. 

**  liefolrecl,  To  raise  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  the  support 
of  the  poor  for  the  current  year. 

"  lienolcet,  That  the  justices  of  tbc  peace,  lojclher  with  the  over- 
seers of  (ho  poor,  be  authorized  to  rent  a  house  for  (ho  poor  if  they 
shall  deem  it  expedient;  the  rtnt,  however,  shall  not  exceed  fifty 
dollars  a  year. 

"  ticHiihcd.  To  elect  thi-ec  constables  and  tlircc  assessors. 

"  Itcmhed,  To  elect  four  inspectors  (if  common  sehool.s. 

"  Itftuhrd,  Thai  all  the  officers  by  law  requi-ed  to  b=  electc.l  by 
ballot,  the'.:-  u.mes  sl.all  bj  tu  cue  Lallot." 


The  following  persons  were  duly  elected  to  the  offices 
set  opposite  their  respective  names,  to  wit :  Wm.  Richards, 
supervisor  ;  Ira  Parmely,  town  clerk  ;  Paul  Cornell,  Krastus 
Fenton,  Robert  Wilcox  (2d),  assessors;  Paul  Cornell,  Jona- 
than Dorr,  Jr.,  George  McKie,  commissioners  of  common 
schools;  John  P.  Putnam,  John  McViccar,  Henry  Rice, 
Alvin  Cornell,  inspectors  of  common  schools;  Duty  Sayles, 
Hercules  Rice,  John  Barber,  commissioners  of  highways; 
Arthur  Ackley,  Solomon  Warner,  overseers  of  the  poor  ; 
Ira  Parmely,  William  Trull,  Wm.  Dwinnells,  constables  ; 
William  Trull,  Ira  Parmely,  collectors;  Elias  Manchester, 
William  Van  Kirke,  James  McKie,  Paul  Cornell,  Duty 
Sayles,  Samuel  Bowen,  Hercules  Rice,  Austin  Wells.  Abner 
Chase,  fence-viewers  and  appraisers. 

"  llnnlnd.  That  the  fcnoo-viewers  be  entitled  to  one  dollar  per  day 
for  their  services." 

Hezekiah  Smith,  Joseph  Smith,  Austin  Wells,  Alvan 
Cornell,  Samuel  Buwen,  Thomas  G.  Ashton,  Slocum  Barker, 
Paul  Dennis,  James  Bogart,  Joseph  Luckos,  Aaron  Vail, 
Elijah  C.  Pearl,  Humphrey  Russell,  Solomon  Warner, 
Zachariah  Fisher,  Jonathan  Fowler,  Nathan  Hunt,  Wil- 
liam Gillniore,  Abner  Sharem.in,  James  Post,  Benjamin 
Jcslin,  Thomas  Barber,  Benjamin  Smith,  Elijah  Slocum, 
James  Chivers,  David  Mosher,  John  Doane,  Asa  Rice, 
John  Cooper,  John  Barker.  Thoimis  Austin,  Wm.  Nichol- 
son, Howland  Smith,  Samuel  Rich,  Abraham  Briggs,  As.a 
Bowen,  and  Robert  Wilcox  (^2d)  were  elected  overseers  of 
highways. 

'•  llcK~,h;d,  That  niithcr  .sheep,  hogs,  horses,  nor  geese  sh.all  be 
pcrniilted  to  run  at  larfie  in  thecouimons  or  the  highways.  The  barn- 
yards of  Benjamin  Smith,  Ezekiel  Adams,  John  Cooper,  Jercmijih 
Stillwcll,  and  Aaron  Barnes  be  declared  pounds,  and  the  several  men 
named  pound-keepers,  except  Ezckicl  Adams,  in  whose  stead  Daniel 
Wells  was  made  the  otficcr." 

The  town-meeting  adjourned  to  meet  next  year,  at  the 
house  of  Garner  Wilkinson,  innkeeper. 

In  1817  the  amount  for  the  poor  was  raised  to  five  hun- 
dred dollars.  The  justices  of  the  peace  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  meet  with  similar  committees  from  Cambridge 
and  Jackson,  to  confer  upon  the  projiriety  of  erecting  a 
poor-house  jointly  for  the  three  towns.  In  the  event  of 
the  failure  of  this  plan,  the  authorities  were  still  directed 
to  rent  a  house  for  White  Creek. 

IS20.— Bt»o'r«/,  That  it  be  left  discretionary  with  the  poor-mas- 
ters to  cause  William  Stephens  and  wife  to  be  transported  to  Canada^ 
and  to  make  such  contract  with  any  person  to  transport  them  on  sueh 
terms  as  they  shall  think  proper. 

JtcMo/red,  That  a  ten  dollar  bill  belonging  to  the  town  of  White 
Creek  be  deposited  with  Clark  Rice,  Jun.,  to  keep  one  year  and  then 
to  return  it  to  the  overseers  of  the  poor,  or  to  exchange  it  if  possible 
at  par,  or  at  a  discount  not  exceeding  seven  per  cent. 

UcHohed,  That  Ihree  dollars  be  allowed  George  Barber  for  school- 
ing poor  children  during  the  past  year. 

1821. — The  currency  question  came  up  again,  and  it  was 

lli-H„lrrd.  That  a  t.n  d.dlar  bill,  now  in  the  hands  of  C:aik  Riee, 
Jun.,  belonging  to  the  town,  on  the  Washington  and  AVarren  lianl;, 
be  left  to  the  town  clerk  to  be  disposed  of  to  the  best  advantage,  and 
the  avails  to  be  paid  to  the  overseers  of  the  poor. 

KTi.—RcHidml,  That  the  law  be  put  in  force  against  pathmaslers 
who  may  neglect  their  duty. 

1S2G.— «oso/.-f'?,  That  the  school  inspectors  be  allowed  three  dol- 
lars each  if  they  perfurui  their  duties  according  to  law. 


^\l 


''\     '^^ 


I.Braton  Perry. 


^4        ^  Jt  H^'^ 


•       -  ■  ■. . -. ■  1.  .■■ . .-■-a.aataMilflMl 

Residence  uf    I.  B RATON    PERRY, White  C/?EEif.WASHiNGTDXCo,Nr 


HISTORY   OF   WASIIINOTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


459 


1832. — RennUed,  That  the  town  resist  all  applications  that  may  be 
made  in  favor  of  setting  otf  any  part  of  said  town. 

mi.—  Resulvcii,  That  milch  cows  run  in  the  road;  that  all  other 
cattle  be  excluded,  and  that  no  man  let  more  than  one  cow  run  in  the 
road. 

1835. — The  previous  overseere  of  the  poor  had  evidently 
been  prudent  and  economical,  as  one  hundred  dollars  remain- 
ing in  ihir  liands  was  voted  to  the  higliway  commissioneis. 

1S42. — Reeulred,  That  It  was  not  expedient  to  raise  money  to  erect 
a  central  court-house  in  the  county  of  Washington. 

The  town-meetings  have  been  held  at  the  following  places  : 
houses  of  Thias  John.son,  innkeeper;  Garner  Wilkinson, 
Abraham  Briggs,  Jun.,  Rcuel  Bcebe,  Zera  Waite,  at  Pump- 
kin Hook;  Hiram  Cook,  James  Comstock,  Widow  Benja- 
min Rogers,  Harvey  Waite,  Samuel  Crosby,  AVaito's  Cor- 
ners;  Otis  D.  Slocum,  Andrew  Houghton,  Jacob  Decker, 
Harry  Hurd,  S.  W.  Tanner,  John  H.  Arnold,  Hannah 
Comstock,  J.  D.  Mosher,  David  Fowler,  John  Shed,  Abel 
Fowler,  E.  A.  Loomis,  Hiram  Butts,  Daniel  Randall,  Ed- 
ward Long,  L.  U.  Davis,  J.  C.  Wright. 

TOWNSHIP    OFFICKRS. 


1818. 
1819. 
1820. 
1821. 
1822. 
1823. 
1824. 
1825. 
1826. 


Town  Clerks. 

Collectors. 

Ira  Parmely. 

Willard  Trull. 

Ira  Parmely. 

Wm.  DwinnelL 

" 

George  Wilber 

Clark  Rc",  Jr. 

Seth  Hays. 

" 

Wm.  DwinnclU 

" 

Dyer  Pierce. 

1827. 
1828. 
1829. 
1830. 
IS.'ii; 
1832. 
1833. 
1834. 
1835. 
1836. 
1837. 
1838. 
1S3<I. 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
184-1. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
1819. 
1850. 
1851. 
1852. 
1853. 
1854. 
1855. 
1856. 
1857. 
185S. 
1859. 
1860. 


Clark  Rice,  Jr. 

Michael  F.  Palmer. 

George  W.  Jerraain. 
John  McKie. 
Andrew  Cole. 
John  A.  Rice. 
James  McKie,  Jr. 

Stephen  Barker. 
Henry  Rice. 

Chaun'y  S.  Ransom. 
Stephen  Barker. 

David  Niles. 

Freeman  A.  Fuller. 

Dyer  Pierce. 
Garrett  W.  Wilcox. 


Palmer  D.Gardini 
John  Hubbard. 
John  McKie. 
John  K.  Dyer. 
Freeman  A.  Fulle 

Thom:i.s  Ellis. 
George  Barker. 


Johnson  D.  Stewart. 
Michael  F.  Palmer. 
Philip  N.  Draper. 
Michael  F.  Palmer. 

Norman  Clark. 
George  W.  J 
.  Michael  F.  Palmer. 
Andrew  Cole. 
John  A.  Riee. 
Burdick  G.  Allen. 


Reuben  Powers. 

Benj.  F.  McXitt. 

Bcnj.  P.  Crocker. 

Dyer  P.  Sisson. 

R.  King  Crocker. 
Wm.  Brown. 
Loomis  W.  Gunn. 
J(diu  Hubbard. 
,  J.  E.Kniekerboeker. 

Josiah  H.  Merchant. 

Thomas  II.  Lake. 
Chas.  C.  Oottrell. 
MialP.  Barton(2d). 
Fletcher  Baker. 


Abner  Shearman. 
Tilness  Briggs. 
Seneca  Mosher. 

.  Franklin  Dorr. 

John  Pierce. 
Franklin  D  .rr. 
Hiram  A.  Rice. 

Thomas  B.  Hughes. 
Solomon  Ourtiss. 

Hiram  A.  Rice. 

John  H.  Arnold. 


Hiram  A.  Rice. 
Austin  Wells  {2d). 
Oscar  Akins. 
Hiram  A.  Rice. 
Chris.  Burdick  (2d). 
Hugh  R.  Cowan. 
Jesse  Arnold. 
Hugh  R.  Cowan. 
,  Benj.  M.  Loomis. 
Abram  V.  T.  Fowler. 
Daniel  Ran<lall. 

Robert  A.  Rice. 
Edward  Russell. 
Daniel  Randall. 


Saporvisors. 

Town  Clerks. 

Collectors. 

1861. 

John  Larmon, 

Iliram  Butts. 

Worth  W.  Johnson. 

1862. 

" 

"          " 

11.  K.  Wood. 

1863. 

George  Barker. 

Franklin  Fowler. 

Benj.  M.  Loomis. 

1864. 

" 

Xury  J.  .Maynard. 

Giles  Russell. 

1865. 

G.  W.  Wilcox. 

.< 

John  H.  Pitney. 

ISfiO. 

Hiram  Sisson. 

"                 " 

Walter  C.  Niles. 

1867. 

" 

Warren  E.  Hawkins 

"                 " 

1868. 

" 

" 

John  C.  Wright. 

1869. 

Clarence  D.  Kenyon 

'■ 

Wm.  B.  Sisson. 

1870. 

" 

" 

Chas.  A.  Starhuck. 

1871. 

Wm.  KIdridgc. 

Josiah  H.  Merchant 

.  J.  Clark  Wright. 

1872. 

James  Ellis. 

El.  L.  Nicholson. 

Thomas  H.  Lake. 

1873. 

Wm.  Eldrldge. 

Wm.  P.  Robertson. 

Jesse  Arnold. 

1874. 

Charles  C.  Cottrell. 

" 

Jesse  Pratt  {2d). 

1S75. 

J.unes  Ellis. 

Warren  E.  Hawkins 

.  H.  F.  Sncll. 

1876. 

Hugh  Taber. 

.< 

Henry  G.  Howe. 

1S77. 

"           " 

Clark  Rice. 

Daniel  Rice. 

1878. 

"           " 

E.  J.  Fuller. 

Martin  11.  Robertson. 

JUSTICES    OF    THE    PEACE    ELECTED    BY   THE    PEOPLE. 


1830.  Henry  Rice. 

1831.  George  Fisher. 

1832.  Benj.  Crocker  (probably) 

1833.  John  P.  Pulman. 
James  Lake. 

1834.  Benjamin  Crocker. 
Gideon  C.  Olin. 

1835.  Gideon  C.  Olin. 
1S36.  Luther  L  How. 

1837.  James  Lake. 

1838.  Harmon  S.  Barnum. 

1839.  Gideon  C.  Olin. 

1840.  Henry  Rice. 

1841.  Dyer  Pierce. 

1842.  Luther  I.  Howe. 

1843.  James  Lake. 

1844.  Henry  Rice. 

1845.  Dyer  Pierce. 
1816.  Leonard  Wells. 
1S47.  Walter  R.  Connell. 

John  S.  Crocker. 
1818.  Henry  Rice. 

1849.  John  S.  Crocker. 
John  K.  Dyer. 

1850.  Leonard  Wells. 
Levi  Bristol. 

1851.  George  Barker. 
1S52.  John  K.  Dyer. 


1852.  Joseph  H.  Wheeler.     , 

1853.  James  L.  Robertson. 

1854.  Freeman  A.  Fuller. 

1855.  Joseph  H.  Wheeler. 
1850.  John  K.  Dyer. 

1857.  James  L.  Robertson. 

1858.  Loomis  W.  Gunn. 
]S59.  Burdick  G.  Allen. 

1860.  John  K.  Dyer. 

1861.  James  L.  R'bertson. 

1862.  Loomis  W.  Gunn. 

1863.  George  W.  Briggs. 

1864.  John  K.  Dyer. 

1865.  James  L.  Robertson. 

1866.  Loomis  W.  Gunn. 

1867.  Hugh  Taber. 
Daniel  M.  Westfall 

1868.  John  K.  Dyer. 

1869.  Leonard  Fletcher. 

1870.  James  L.  Robertson. 
1S71.  Hugh  Taber. 

1872.  John  K.  Dyer. 

1873.  Rufus  K.  Crocker. 

1874.  James  L.  Robertson. 

1875.  Hugh  Taber. 

1876.  Daniel  H.  Pratt. 

1877.  Rufus  K.  Crocker. 

1878.  James  L.  Robertson. 


Among  the  papers  of  Revolutionary  times,  the  calendar 
of  which  was  published  a  few  years  since  by  the  State,  is 
one  showing  a  meeting  of  district  committees  at  Albany  to 
elect  delegates  to  the  provincial  Congress  for  JNIay  2'1,  1775. 
The  committees  met  at  Albany,  May  10,  1775,  and  the  dis- 
trict of  Cambridge  was  represented  by  John  Younglove, 
Samuel  Ashton,  Simeon  Carll,  Jeremiah  Clark,  and  John 
Millington.  Of  these  the  first  two  were  from  the  present 
town  of  White  Creek. 

Among  the  same  papers  may  be  seen  the  deposition  of 
Isaac  Peabody  and  Samuel  Allen,  relating  to  ths  political 
position  held  by  some  persons  in  this  section.  As  tliis  is 
already  a  matter  of  documentary  liistory,  we  insert  the  affi- 
davit here,  though  it  does  not  furnish  much  evidence  of  the 
toryism  of  the  parties  mentioned : 

"  Isaac  Peabody  and  Samuel  Allen,  being  duly  sworn, 
depose  and  say,  that  on  the  12th  iiistjint  they  called  at  the 
house  of  Seth  Chase,  of  Little  White  Creek,  and  hearing 
some  words  dropped   which  induced  them   to  believe  the 


4G0 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


taid  Selli  Chase  an  (iKmy  to  the  country,  they  feigned 
themselves  to  be  of  the  same  sentiments.  The  said  Chase 
and  otlier  peisons  there  tlicn  asked  these  deponents  from 
wlienee  they  came,  and  upon  their  answe)ing  that  they 
came  from  Kiiidcrhook,  tliey  said  that  they  had  heard  that 
all  tlie  inhabitants  were  Tories;  these  deponents  thereupon 
said  tliat  tlie  word  Tories  was  more  properly  applied  to  their 
accusers  than  to  themselves ;  the  said  Seth,  and  tiie  other 
persons  at  liis  liouse.  said  that  they  were  of  the  same 
opinion. 

••  lii;.N.M.NMo.v.  October  H,  1770."  ' 

This  .seems  to  have  been  taken  at  some  meeting  of  com- 
mittees of  which  John  Yijunglove  was  chairman. 

To  the  affidavit  is  appended  the  I'ollowing  memorandum  : 

"  Simon  Covell's  name  was  mpiilioncd  as  a  great  friend 
of  the  government,  and  that  the  deponents  might  not  be 
afraid  of  him.  Is.\.\C  PeabODY." 

VILLAfiKS. 
NOUTII    WIIITK    CREEK. 

This  is  the  old  name  for  what  is  now  the  village  of  Cam- 
bridge, or  for  the  eastern  portion  of  it,  and  is  properly  in- 
cluded in  the  notice  of  that  place,  given  in  connection  with 
the  town  of  Cambridge. 

DOHli's    CORNERS, 

now  a  part  of  Cambridge  village,  was  a  business  point  at  an 
early  day.  Tiic  place  bears  the  name  of  a  noted  physician 
and  public  man  of  early  times.  Dr.  Jonathan  Dorr. 

StillwcU  was  a  merchant  there,  afterwards  Rico  &  Bill- 
ings. Above  Dorr's  Corners,  a  mile  or  so,  was  an  old  grist- 
mill. Nearer  the  Corners  there  is  the  new  mill  now  owned 
by  Clum  &  Horton,  built  in  18G1  by  A.  Woodworth ; 
burned  and  rebuilt  in  18G4.  It  is  run  by  water  brought 
from  the  old  pond,  cast,  through  a  trunk  underground,  one 
liundred  and  forty-eight  rods,  securing  a  fall  of  thiity  feet. 

Near  Dorr's  Corners  is  a  machine-shop  and  foundry. 
Farther  up  the  stream  is  an  old  saw-mill,  and  used  as  a 
fla-xinill  in  later  years. 

ASIICiROVE. 

This  place,  two  miles  east  of  Cambridge,  has  become  of 
historic  importance,  in  consequence  of  its  connection  with 
the  Methodist  church.  The  society  is  understood  to  have 
been  the  pioneer  church  of  that  denomination  in  the  United 
States  outside  of  the  city  of  New  York.  Old  John  Street 
church,  in  the  metropolis,  formed  in  1700,  and  Ashgrove 
next,  in  1770.  The  name  of  tlie  pioneer  of  Methodism, 
riiilip  Embury,  too,  is  associated  with  Ashgrove.  Though 
he  died  in  the  Camden  valley,  Salem,  his  remains  were 
afterwards  removed  to  this  place,  and  later  to  tlie  cemetery 
at  Cambridge  village.  Ashgrove  takes  its  name  from  the 
early  settler,  Thomas  Ashton.  The  first  frame  house  built 
at  this  point  was  by  Thomas  Ashton,  and  is  still  standing, — 
the  present  dwelling-house  of  Charles  Hover.  The  place 
has  never  had  any  special  amount  of  business,  being  merely 
a  .'-mall  hamlet  growing  up  around  the  old  church  and  the 
School-house.  It  lies  in  a  narrow  valley  upon  North  White 
creek,  between  two  ranges  of  Tajrhanic  hills. 


PUMPKIN    nOOK. 

This  name  is  regarded  as  a  corrupti(m  of  the  Indian 
word  I'onipa-miclc.  A  tribe  of  Indians  of  that  name  are 
said  to  have  moved  to  this  point  from  Connecticut.  The 
name  to  Yankee  ears  sounded  very  much  like  Pumpkin 
Hook,  and  was  very  easily  changed  to  that.  There  was  a 
mill  very  early  at  tliis  place.  In  later  years  a  chair-factory, 
by  John  AVarren.  In  ISIG,  or  about  that  time,  there  was 
a  clock-factory;  a  comb-factory,  by  Mr.  Glass;  a  woolen-mill, 
by  Joseph  Gordon  also ;  the  machinery  for  the  latter  was  built 
by  Leonard  Darby,  who  liad  a  machine-shop,  and  was  a 
gunsmith.  He  made  his  patterns,  had  his  casting  done  in 
Troy,  finishing  them  up  in  his  own  shop.  He  also  made 
the  machinery  for  the  cotton-mill  built  by  Briggs.  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor Talbot,  of  Massachusetts,  who  afterwards 
built  mills  at  Lowell,  learned  liis  trade  in  this  factory  at 
Pumpkin  Hook.  In  the  meadows  below  this  place,  John 
Rhodes  had  a  fulling-mill,  the  first  in  town.  About  1815 
there  was  a  dislillery  built  by  Frank  Crocker.  All  these 
various  enterprises  are  abandoned  ;  the  buildings  themselves 
gone  except  the  chair-factory.  The  frame  of  the  old  woolen- 
mill  was  removed  to  Cambridge,  and  is  now  in  the  store 
opposite  the  Irving  House. 

MARTI NDALE    CORNERS. 

This  place  is  near  the  east  boundary  of  the  town.  The 
name  is  derived  from  the  Martindale  family,  early  settlers 
at  that  point.  There  was  a  store  here  in  early  times  kept 
by  Kincaid.  The  place  is  better  known  as  Briggs"  Corners, 
from  the  name  of  the  family  residing  there. 

WHITE   CREEK. 

This  was  a  village  of  considerable  business  importance, 
and  is  also  a  point  of  very  early  settlement,  the  chief  vil- 
lage of  the  town  excepting  Cambridge.  White  Creek, 
spoken  of  in  the  old  documents  a  hundred  years  ago,  no 
doubt  refers  very  generally  to  this  place  rather  than  to  the 
present  territory  of  the  town. 

The  first  hou.se  at  this  point  was  built  by  John  Allen.  It 
was  a  log  building,  down  tlie  creek,  below  the  old  hat-factory. 
The  first  business  enterprise  was  a  store  at  the  forks  of  the 
road,  soon  after  the  Revolution,  a  mile  below,  southwest  of 
the  present  village.  Jacob  and  Benjamin  Merritt  were  the 
proprietors.  Not  satisfied  with  the  location,  they  soon  after 
moved  and  built  a  store  on  the  site  of  the  present  Dyer  P. 
Sisson  store,  in  the  village.  They  did  an  extensive  business, 
— forty  thousand  or  fifty  thousand  dollars  trade  a  year,  an 
immense  amount  for  those  times,— roxtending  into  Vermont. 
Farmers  sold  them  their  wheat,  drew  it  to  Troy,  and  re- 
turned to  trade  at  this  White  Creek  store.  As  a  specimen 
of  their  prompt  collection  and  the  thrifty  habits  of  their 
customers,  it  may  be  added  that  on  retiring  from  business 
there  was  only  five  hundred  dollars  due  them  from  the  com- 
munity.    They  were  followed  in  business  by  John  Barrett. 

A  little  earlier  than  the  removal  of  the  Merritts  to  the 
village,  Edward  Aiken  had  come  to  White  Creek,  and 
built  a  grist-mill  and  the  first  frame  house.  This  mill  was 
changed  to  a  cotton-factory  for  the  manufacture  of  sheet- 
ings, then  a  woolen-mill,  and  is  now  a  flax-mill.  As  a 
cotton-factory  it  was  run   by  a  company,  and  the  mill  was 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON  COUNT?,  NKW  YORK. 


4G1 


known  as  tlie  Washington  Company  Factory.  Paul  Cornell, 
Garner  Wilkinson,  and  Dr.  Williimi  Ricliards  were  the 
proprietors. 

Another  gri.st-niill  was  built  by  John  Allen  and  Paul 
Cornell,  below  the  house  now  occupied  by  Dr.  Joseph 
Richards. 

The  first  tannery  was  built  in  the  rear  of  the  hou.se  now 
occupied  by  Jaiues  Allen.  Another  early  tannery  was 
built  by  Jonathan  Hart,  now  a  tia.\-niill  owned  by  Hugh 
Tabor.  Still  another  tannery  was  by  Sylvanus  Tabor,  in 
1824;  changed  it  to  a  mitten-factory  afterwards,  which  he 
still  carries  on.   He  also  has  a  flax-mill  in  tlie  same  building. 

A  hat-factory  was  founded  by  John  Allen  at  a  very  early 
day.  George  N.  Briggs,  afterwards  congressman  and  gov- 
ernor of  Massachusetts,  learned  the  trade  in  this  establish- 
ment. His  father  was  then  •  living  as  a  blacksmith  in 
White  Creek,  having  moved  there  in  1805.  In  reference 
to  this  old  building,  still  standing,  is  told  the  anecdote  of 
Governor  Briggs : 

Once,  at  a  brilliant  party,  while  he  was  governor,  a  lady 
said  to  hiiu,  "  May  I  ask,  governor,  at  what  college  you 
graduated  ?"  He  replied  instantly,  with  great  gravity  and 
courtesy  of  manner,  "  At  John  Allen's  hat-shop,  madam.'' 

It  is  related  of  him  that  he  left  White  Creek  for  a  law- 
yer's office  in  Lanesboro,  Mass.,  with  only  five  dollars  in 
bis  pocket,  which  he  had  earned  at  haying. 

There  were  two  trip-hammer  e.stabli.shments  in  White 
Creek  at  an  early  day.  One  by  Paul  Cornell,  on  the  creek 
near  the  present  cheese-factory,  where  he  made  scythes  and 
hoes.  The  other,  by  George  Mann,  a  scythe-factory.  Ed- 
win Hurd,  an  axe-factory.  The  last  two  from  181-1  to 
1820, — Cornell's  earlier.  Mann's  factory  was  changed  into 
a  wagon-factory.  There  was  also  a  scythe-snath  factory, 
by  Garner  Wilkinson  ;  also  made  handles.  All  these  en- 
terprises arc  abandoned,  except  the  mitten-factory. 

The  first  tavern  was  kept  by  Garner  Wilkinson,  on  the 
site  of  the  present  tavern,  probably  about  the  time  of  the 
first  mills  and  store. 

Earlier  than  this  a  tavern  at  the  forks  of  the  road, 
already  mentioned,  had  been  kept  by  Scth  Chase  as  far 
back  as  the  Revolution.     Whipple  also  kept  tavern  there. 

The  first  post-office  is  said  to  have  been  established  in 
1822.  The  first  postmaster  was  Daniel  P.  Carpenter,  suc- 
ceeded by  Michael  F.  Palmer,  Dr.  Joseph  Richards,  Stephen 
Barker,  Jerome  Mosher,  and  Dyer  P.  Si.s.son,  from  1850  to 
the  present  time. 

post's  corners. 

This  place,  a  short  distance  east  of  Wuite's  Corners,  has 
the  advantage  that  may  be  derived  from  the  meeting  of 
several  roads, — -not  quite  at  a  common  point,  but  so  near  as 
to  cause  the  travel  from  several  valleys  of  the  town  to  con- 
centrate here  to  some  extent, — but  has  never  become  a 
point  of  much  business.  It  takes  its  name  from  Dr.  Post, 
a  former  physician  of  the  town.  Formerly  a  store  was 
opened  here,  and  a  post-office,  kept  by  James  Hay.  The 
office  was  removed  to  Waite's  Corners  in  1S3G. 

CENTRE    WIIIIE   CREEK 

designates  a  post-office,  but  the  name  fails  to  express  its 
real  location,  as  far  as  the  town  is  concerned,  it  being  much 


nearer  the  southwest  corner  than  tlie  centre.  It  is,  how- 
ever, about  half-way  between  White  Creek  and  North  White 
Creek,  and  may,  therefore,  fairly  be  considered  entitled  to 
its  name. 

It  is,  perhaps,  better  known  as  "  Waite's  Corners"  in  all 
the  old  records,  as  well  as  in  the  memory  of  the  older  citi- 
zens. This  place  is  about  two  miles  southeast  of  the  cele- 
brated historical  Iiou.se, — the  "  checkered  tavern." 

The  land  in  this  vicinity  was  purchased  by  William  Waite, 
a  Baptist  preacher,  and  from  him  the  place  was  named  for 
many  years. 

An  early  gri.st-mill  was  built  half  a  mile  south,  by  James 
Hay,  soon  after  the  Revolution  ;  sold  to  Aaron  Vail,  run  by 
him  for  many  years,  now  abandoned,  and  a  rope-factory 
existing  near  it.  A  saw-mill,  nearer  the  Corners,  was  built 
by  Colonel  Hercules  Rice  in  17!)0,  on  a  tributary  of  the  Owl 
Kill.  A  little  above  the  Corners  was  a  flax-mill,  now 
abandoned.  Zerah  and  Ezra  Waite  kept  the  first  store. 
Ishmael  Gardner  kept  the  fir.st  tavern,  and  afterwards  it 
was  Waite's  tavern  for  many  years.  The  town-nieelings  of 
White  Creek,  and  of  old  Cambridge  still  earlier,  were  fre- 
quently held  here. 

The  town  meeting  of  1773  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Archibald  McViccar.  This  was  about  half  a  mile  east  of 
Waite's  Corners.  The  present  hotel  is  kept  by  McD.  Cor- 
nell, a  son  of  the  Paul  Cornell,  a  prominent  business  man 
of  White  Creek,  already  mentioned. 

The  post-office,  removed  from  Post's  Corners  in  1800, 
was  first  kept  here  by  Thomas  Fowler.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Henry  Rice,  and  Waite,  and  Pratt.  The  present  in- 
cumbent is  Wm.  P.  Fowler,  who  keeps  the  only  store  at 
this  point. 


No  facts  of  special  interest  have  been  obtained  concern- 
ing early  schools  or  teachers.  Like  other  towns  in  this 
vicinity,  the  citizens  early  sought  for  the  means  of  educating 
their  children.  But  no  records  are  to  be  found,  except 
such  as  may  occur  in  the  annals  of  old  Cambridge. 

The  schoolmaster  was  abroad  here  as  elsewhere. 

The  town,  being  formed  after  the  statutes  for  the  general 
organization  of  school  districts  throughout  the  State  had 
been  passed,  elected  school  officers  at  its  first  town-meeting, 
as  follows:  Paul  Cornell,  Jonathan  Dorr,  Jr.,  George  Mc- 
Kie,  commissioners ;  and  John  P.  Putnam,  John  McViccar, 
Henry  Rice,  Alvin  Cornell,  inspectors. 

During  the  following  years,  down  to  1813,  the  following 
served  as  inspectors  one  or  more  years  each  :  Lyman  Cross, 
Clark  Rice,  Jr.,  Ira  Parmeley,  Rev.  Nathaniel  S.  Prime, 
Burdick  G.  Allen,  Ira  Hill,  Wm.  Nicholson,  Jr.,  John 
Alden,  Seth  Hays,  John  P.  Putnam,  Jonathan  Dorr,  Jr., 
Cyrenus  Swift,  Clark  Rice,  Jr.,  John  King,  Burdick  G. 
Allen,  Michael  F.  Palmer,  S.  G.  Carpenter,  Henry  Rice, 
Luther  I.  Howe,  Ira  Dickinson,  Philip  N.  Draper,  Joseph 
W.  Richards,  Benjamin  F.  Raleigh,  William  Woodworth, 
Watson  Sumner,  Allen  Sissons,  Benjamin  Richards,  Al- 
bert Wright,  Reuben  Powers,  Lyman  Cross,  John  Baker, 
Gideon  C.  Olin,  Cyrus  Bowcn,  Edwin  Parker,  William  D. 
Dillon,  Edward  Parker,  John  Wright,  Kirtland  Warner, 
Oliver  Cook,  Solomon  Blood,  Beiijaniin  F.  McNitt,  Myron 


462 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


C.  Tii)khaui,  Reuben  Powers,  Robert  C.  Masters,  Cyrus 
Sayles,  Slocum  Wilber,  Win.  P.  Chase,  C.  F.  R.  Wood- 
worth,  Charles  Qua,  B.  P.  Crocker,  Stephen  Herrick,  John 
S.  Crocker. 

Also  in  the  office  of  school  commissioner  the  following 
citizens  served  one  or  more  years  each :  James  Lake, 
James  Post,  Duty  Saylcs,  Austin  Welles,  Henry  Rice, 
Paul  Cornell,  John  P.  Putnam,  Jonathan  Dorr,  Jr.,  Michael 
F.  Palmer,  James  Post,  Lott  Wood  worth,  Jr.,  Thomas 
Joslin,  James  Lake,  Uriah  P.  Smith,  Ishraael  A.  Gardner, 
Seneca  Mosher,  John  Gilmore,  Henry  Ilatton,  Benjamin 
F.  Post,  Tra  Dickinson,  William  H.  Tabor,  George  Fisher, 
Dyer  Pierce,  Benjamin  Russell,  Albert  AVright,  Bur- 
dick  G.  Allen,  William  Dillon,  Elijah  Corbett,  Andrew 
Cole,  Henry  Rice,  Thomas  Rice,  Reuben  Powers,  Levi 
Bristol,  Samuel  Rust.  Lewis  Nicholson,  Joseph  Allen, 
Abram  Hoag  Waitc,  S.  Pratt,  Chauncey  S.  Ransom, 
Gideon  C.  Olin,  Charles  Smith,  Daniel  Rice,  C.  V.  K. 
Woodworth,  Garrett  W.  Wilcox,  John  K.  Dyer,  Slocum 
Wilber,  John  King,  George  Barker. 

The  following  were  elected  as  town  superintendents: 
Elon  Curtis,  in  184-t;  Ro.swell  N.  Rice,  in  184.5-4G; 
Alexander  King,  in  1848;  Morgan  Cole,  in  1850;  Daniel 
B.  Cole,  in  1851  ;  William  P.  Fowler,  in  1853;  Albert  C. 
Eddy,  in  1855. 

The  last  was  superseded  by  the  Assembly  district  super- 
vision, which  weut  into  efi'ect  in  June,  1856. 

The  school  commissioners  readjusted  the  boundaries  of 
the  school  districts  Feb.  14,  1818. 

The  earliest  report  preserved  in  the  books  seems  to  be 
under  date  of  April  (5,  1825.  The  children  in  each  dis- 
trict and  the  public  money  granted  at  that  time  were  as 
follows : 

Chil.lron  mijlic  monpy 

District.                                        bctwuLMi  0  aiid  IS  rBieivt-d. 

No.    1 fir  $29.70 

"      2 .il  13.75 

"      3 ; 4.5  ia.95 

"      4 45  111.94 

"      5 04  28.36 

"      6 47  20.83 

"      7 40  17.73 

"      8 44  19.50 

"      9 .01)  24.S2 

"    10 77  34.13 

"    15  and  16 12  5.32 

"    14 17  7.53 

"    15 4  1.77 

"    16 .33  14.63 

"    17 30  13.30 

'•    12 13  5.76 

625  $277.02 

State  of  the  schools  shown  by  the  school  commi.ssiouors' 
appointment  for  the  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1877. 

CliiUliiMi     Librar.v  Uruncy        Teachers'  Wages 

District.              between  5  and  IG  received.  received. 

No.  1 84  $2.65  $146.66 

"   2 55  1.73  131.13 

'•  ■'> 63  1.98  127. 2S 

"   4 84  2.65  144.67 

"   5 61  1.92  127.31 

"   6 38  I.2{1  91.12 

"   7 60  1.S9  127.12 

"   8 39  1.23  98.32 

"   9 50  1.58  120.76 

"  10 25S  8.13  475.53 

"  II 42  1.12  106.49 

"  12 6  19  12.6  i 

"  13 22  69  77.56 

"  14 27  86  86.79 

SS9      $28.00      $1873.10 


U.-VION   ACADEMY   OF   WHITE   CUEEK   VILLAGE. 

This  institution  was  established  in  1810  by  the  subscrip- 
tion of  the  principal  men  in  this  vicinity.  The  following 
arc  the  names:  Christ<}plier  Allen,  Ebcnezer  Dwinnells, 
Henry  Smith,  Jr.,  Abner  Lake,  Abraham  Smith,  Jonathan 
Woodward,  John  Barrett,  Jeremiah  lloyle,  Elias  Hunting- 
ton, Paul  Cornell,  David  Gooding,  Benjamin  Joslin,  Jere- 
miah Wheat,  Garret  S.  Lake,  Samuel  Bowcn,  John  Barber, 
William  Perry,  Joseph  Lucas,  Elias  Wheeler,  Thom;is 
Hart,  Duty  Sayles,  Joseph  Stewart,  John  Allen,  Jr.,  Dr. 
William  Richards,  Allen  Briggs,  Jaques  Johu.son,  Oliver 
Barber,  Benjamin  Smith,  Isaac  Lacy,  Gilbert  Allen,  Joseph 
Cornell,  Elihu  Cross,  Samuel  Cross.  Jedediah  Wood,  Joshua 
Gardner,  John  Matthews,  Garner  Wilkinson.  It  was  a 
large  two-story  frame  building,  conveniently  arranged,  sur- 
mounted by  a  belfiy.  On  'the  flrst  floor  were  two  school- 
rooms divided  by  a  hall.  One  of  them  was  devoted  to  the 
u.se  of  the  district  school. 

Isaiah  Y.  Johnson  was  the  first  principal,  beginning  in 
the  fall  of  1810.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Marsh,  of 
Vermont ;  Friend  Hall,  of  Vermont ;  Ambrose  Eggleston, 
from  Dutchess  county.  For  several  years  this  was  a  prom- 
inent and  flouiishing  academy,  and  many  students  were 
educated  there.  Among  them  the  following  noted  men : 
Governor  George  N.  Briggs,  of  Massachusetts;  Governor 
inland  Hall,  of  Vermont;  Senator  Joel  Talmage,  Judge 
Daniel  B.  Talmage,  Judge  Olin,  now  of  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Hon.  Gideon  Hard,  of  Orleans  county;  Prof  Gilbert  Mor- 
gan, of  Hampden  Sidney  College;  John  P.  McVicar,  and 
Hon.  John  McDonald,  of  Salem. 

In  late  years  a  private  or  select  school  was  taught  for 
some  time  by  Prof  Lyman  Crass,  who  afterwards  removed 
to  Toledo,  Ohio. 

The  building  was  finally  abandoned  for  school  purposes, 
and  is  now  occupied  as  a  dwelling-house  for  several  families. 

CHURCHES. 

BAPTIST   CHURCH   OF    WHITE   CREEK    VILLAGE. 

This  was  one  of  the  earliest  Baptist  churches  in  what  is 
now  Washington  county,  proliably  antedating  all  others. 
A  writer  In  1868,  furnishing  a  historical  sketch  to  the 
Washington  Union  Baptist  Association,  tjuotes  from  Bene- 
diets  History  of  Baptist  Churches: 

"  In  Canibiidge  a  church  was  planted  in  1772  by  Elder 
William  Waite,  from  Rhode  Island.  It  was  called  White 
Creek  at  first,  situated  near  the  line  of  Vermont,  and  within 
half  a  mile  of  Elder  Waite's  house  the  battle  of  Benning- 
ton terminated."  Benedict  further  states  that  some  of  this 
church,  the  night  before  the  battle,  weut  over  to  the  enemy, 
and  were  obliged  to  fight  in  the  eonflict  of  Aug.  16,  1777, 
against  their  own  brethren  and  neighbors,  which  threw  the 
church  into  confusion,  and  entirely  broke  it  up.  But  the 
next  year  Elder  Waite  collected  three  members  beside  him- 
self, and  began  anew,  and  a  revival  commenced  soon  after. 
In  the  records  of  the  church  it  is  said,  "  In  the  month  of 
November,  1778,  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  revive  his  work 
among  us." 

The  church  was  formally  organized  again  in  February, 
1779,  following  a  revival   that    commenced   in   November, 


"Round  Hill  F/irm.!' Residence  of  JOHN 


tl;  ■&.  fv  i;^^T 


t'^i'U.     -- 


S,  White  Creck,  WASHiNteTON  Cq.,H  Y. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


4fi3 


1778,  in  the  southciistein  poiiion  of  the  town,  on  the  Wal- 
luomsuc  ciwk.  Tlic  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Wni  Waite,  who 
was  ordained  June  2,  1779,  by  Eldurs  John  Gano  and  Peter 
Werden.  He  continued  in  that  otiice  about  fourteen  years,  or 
till  1703.  For  several  years  there  was  no  settled  pastor,  but 
in  February,  17'JS,  Israel  Craw,  a  lieeutiafe,  btf;an  to  labor 
amoui^  them,  and  on  the  15th  of  November  following  he 
was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  niini.stry  at  Waite's  Cor- 
ners' meeting-house.  He  was  pastor  about  three  years,  or 
till  tlie  spring  of  1801.  Until  1804  there  was  no  regular 
pastor,  when  Rev.  James  Glass  became  the  pastor,  and 
served  about  six  years,  or  till  about  1810,  when  ho  removed 
\  to  Iloosick,  wliere  lie  died  the  next  year.  For  two  years, 
till  1812,  there  was  no  pastor,  though  they  had  the  partial 
sei'vices  of  licentiates  and  neighboring  ministers.  In  the 
spring  of  1812,  Rev.  Obed  Warren,  who  liad  preached  for 
the  Baptist  church  at  Shu.shan  some  eighteen  or  twenty 
years,  became  pastor  of  the  church.  He  served  them  about 
two  years,  during  the  stormy  period  of  the  War  of  1812-15. 
He  was  dismissed  in  1815,  at  his  own  request,  and  for  one 
year  they  were  again  destitute.  In  July,  1816,  Rev.  Daniel 
Tinkham  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  church,  which  he 
filled  with  very  good  acceptance  for  more  than  thirty  years, 
except  in  1845—16,  when  Rev.  Samuel  Pollaid  served  as 
pastor.  In  1847,  P]lder  Tinkham  was  recalled.  During 
his  long  pastorate,  up  to  1853,  he  baptized  about  five  hun- 
dred persons.  In  the  year  1838  this  church  had  a  mem- 
bership of  two  hundred  and  eighty.  In  1850  the  number 
liad  diminished  to  ninety-three.  This  diminution  resulted 
from  the  formation  of  branches  at  North  White  Creek  and 
AVest  Iloosick.  This  church  has  furnished  about  twelve 
ministers  of  the  gospel  from  its  membership  who  have 
been  ordained. 

The  following  brethren  have  been  deaecjns  in  the  church  : 
John  Waldo,  1779-81  ;  Jabez  iMosher,  Jr.,  1700  ;  Henry 
Smith,  1709-1812;  Jacob  Parker,  1799;  Anion  Fowler, 
1809-43;  Hugh  Allen,  1812-19 ;  Seaman  Wright,  1819 
-33  ;  Henry  Barrington,  1832  ;  Increa.se  JMosley,  1832-35  ; 
Abel  Hodges,  Jr.,  1832  ;  Joel  Gay,  1839-50  ;  Whitman 
Joslin,  1845-78;  Nathaniel  Cottrell,  Abner  Brownell, 
Martin  Ames,  Joseph  Barrett,  Alva  Ames,  Gardner  Dyer, 
and  Wiu.  Gray.  S.  Ben.soii  was  the  first  clerk,  in  1782. 
George  H.  Wright  is  the  present  clerk.  Since  1853  the 
following  liave  been  pastors :  Rev.  Solomon  Gale,  Elder 
Lewis.  Rev.  Thomas  Tiller  was  pastor  for  three  years 
before  being  ordained,  which  took  place  May  9,  1877. 
The  first  housa  of  worship  was  erected  of  log.s,  like  the 
dwellings  of  the  first  settlers  of  those  days.  This  house 
was  about  twenty-five  by  thirty-five  feet,  and  was  located  on 
the  south  .side  of  the  road,  east  of  the  .school-house,  near 
the  present  residence  of  Mr.  Stephen  Barker,  and  two  miles 
west  of  White  Creek  village.  This  shows  where  the  centre 
of  the  church  then  was.  The  time  of  its  erection  must 
have  been  in  1783.  In  October,  178(),  it  was  voted,  "  That 
we  build  a  house  thirty-five  by  forty-five  feet,  near  the 
mouth  of  David  Sprague's  lane,"  about  one  mile  west  of 
tlic  log  hou.se  of  worship,  and  near  the  later  residence  of 
Mr.  Ovando  Perry,  now  the  residence  of  Mr.  John  James. 
Before  this  was  carried  out  the  house  was  located  at  Waite's 
Corners,  by  the  gift  of  a  site   by   Elder  Waite,  who  had 


made  a  purchase  and  settled  there.     The  meeting-house, 

thirty-five  by  fifty  feet,  was  erected  in  1788,  and  roughly 
seated  at  first.  It  was  not  entirely  fini.shed  until  1808.  In 
December,  1790,  the  log  meeting-hou.se  was  sold.  During 
the  year  1855  the  church  edifice  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of 
about  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  and  dedicated  Jan.  10, 
1856.  The  present  membership  is  about  one  hundred. 
The  Sunday-school  has  about  .sixty  scholars.  George  II. 
Wright  is  the  superintendent. 

The  operations  of  the  Baptist  church,  as  shown  in  the 
above  account,  having  become  mainly  tran.sierred  to  Waite's 
Corners,  further  arrangements  for  .services  at  White  Creek 
village  became  desirable. 

There  was  first  a  union  movement  which  resulted  in  the 
building  of  a  hou.se  of  worship  in  1796.  A  meeting  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Jaqiies  Johnson,  innliolder,  April  22. 

Peter  Wright,  chosen  moderator;  Paul  Cornell,  clerk. 
Voted,  to  build  a  meeting-house  near  John  Allen's.  Voted, 
that  it  be  forty  by  fifty  feet,  as  near  as  circumstances  will 
admit,  and  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  trustees.  Voted,  that 
Peter  Wright,  Es<|.,  Joseph  Stewart,  and  Comfort  Curtis  be 
trustees  to  effect  the  building  of  the  house. 

Voted,  that  the  trustees  buy  land  of  John  Allen  for  a 
site.  Voted,  that  the  trustees  proceed  as  soon  as  one  thou- 
sand dollars  are  subscribed. 

The  house  thus  built  by  the  citizens  in  general  was  there- 
after generally  occupied  by  the  Baptists,  the  same  minis- 
ters preaching  as  ofliciated  at  Waite's  Corners. 

In  1855  the  house  was  rebuilt  by  the  Baptists,  though 
the  Methodists  are  said  to  have  added  the  bell,  and  citi- 
zens generally  assisted.  The  rededication  was  in  October, 
1855.  There  is  now  a  pastor  for  this  part  of  the  church 
residing  at  White  Creek  village. 

friends'    MEETINd,  WHITE    (KEEK. 

The  oldest  record  dates  back  to  the  seventh  of  Tenth 
month,  1783.  The  meeting  was  probably  established  at  an 
earlier  date,  and  was  held  at  the  dwelling-house  of  Isaac 
Wood,  and  ,Iohn  Wood  was  clerk.  The  records  show  that 
at  a  meeting  held  the  tenth  of  the  Eleventh  month,  1783,  he 
was  appointed  clerk  for  one  year.  At  a  meeting  held  ninth 
of  Fifth  month,  1792,  Allen  Mosher  became  the  regular  clerk, 
and  continued  in  oifice  two  years,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Elisha  Soulhwick,  wlio  was  clerk  for  two  years,  after 
which  George  Barren  was  ajipointed  every  year  for  four- 
teen years.  In  1810,  Thomas  Hart  became  clerk  and  filled 
the  oSice  for  three  years.  He  died  during  the  epidemic 
which  raged  in  1813.  By  his  death  the  society  lost  one  of 
its  most  useful  members.  On  the  twenty-eighth  of  Seventh 
month,  1813,  Slocum  Barker  was  cluxscn  clerk,  and  con- 
tinued as  such  for  nine  years.  Then  Jonathan  Hart,  Jr., 
became  the  clerk,  and  filled  the  office  up  to  1832,  when 
Slocum  Barker  was  again  appointed  and  served  one  year, 
when  Stephen  Tabor  was  chosen.  Among  the  members 
who  held  various  stations  in  this  society  were  the  following  : 
Isaac  Wood,  Jonathan  Hoag,  Steiihen  Hoag,  Stephen  Hoag, 
Jr.,  John  Allen,  Philip  Allen,  Jonathan  Russey,  Samuel 
Mosher,  Joseph  Jlo.sher,  Allen  Mosher,  James  Carpenter, 
Benjamin  Nichols,  Micajah  Covell,  Micajah  Hunt,  John 
Soule,  John    Wing,  Nithaii    Nichols,   James    Hunt,   Jr., 


464 


HISTORY   OP  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW   YORK. 


Amos  Hoag,  Abraliam  Hoau,  Cornelius  Deuel,  David  Nor- 
ton. Amon;;  the  names  of  later  date  are  found  those  of 
Barker,  Hart,  Smith,  Chase,  Staples,  Taber,  Cornell,  Kinteli, 
Potter,  etc. 

In  1784-85,  measures  were  taken  to  finish  their  first 
meetinghouse,  which  was  located  about  half  a  mile  west 
from  the  village  of  White  Creek,  on  a  lot  leased  to  the  so- 
ciety by  Edward  Aikens,  at  a  rent  of  one  peppercorn  per 
year.  The  meeting-house  having  been  found  too  small  for 
the  increasing  numbers,  permission  was  given  by  the  supe- 
rior meeting  in  18U4  to  build  a  new  house.  The  new  meet- 
ing-house was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  and  is 
twenty-eight  by  twenty-five  feet  in  size,  two  stories  high, 
and  built  according  to  the  peculiar  notions  of  the  society, 
in  a  plain  and  simple  style,  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand 
dollars. 

House  was  burned  about  three  years  ago. 

METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH,   POSt's    CORNERS. 

A  house  of  worship  was  built  at  this  place  in  1850,  as  a 
union  house.  The  Methodist  church  was,  however,  in 
charge  of  the  services,  which  were  continued  for  some 
years  as  a  separate  appointment  of  the  North  White  Creek 
church.  Pastors  preaching  here  were  Rev.  Jonah  Phillips, 
llev.  Reuben  Washburn,  Rev.  Mr.  ShurtkiF,  Rev.  Mr. 
Patterson,  and  Rev.  Ensign  Stover.  The  enterprise  de- 
clined. In  1875  the  house  was  sold  to  the  Roman  Catholics, 
who  removed  it  to  Buskirk's  Bridge. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CIIDRCH    AT    WHITE   CREEK 
VILLAGE. 

The  society  was  organized  in  1831,  according  to  Corey's 
Gazetteer,  but  has  never  had  a  very  strong  or  vigorous 
existence.  They  have  always  worshiped  in  the  union 
house  of  that  place. 

John  M.  Weaver,  Wright  Hazon,  Henry  Burton,  Henry 
Smith,  E.  B.  Hubbard,  A.  A.  Parr,  Lorenzo  Sherwood, 
Wm.  Henry,  C.  Barber,  A.  Jones,  John  Seayre,  were  early 
ministers  at  this  place. 

BURIAL-PLACES. 

The  cemetery  just  on  the  line  of  Vermont,  southwest  of 
White  Creek  village,  is  called  the  Cornell  burying-ground, 
and  is  mostly  devoted  to  that  family. 

There  are  also  three  west  of  the  village  of  White  Creek, 
one  near  the  Friends'  meeting-house,  which  contains  the 
remains  of  very  early  settlers,  but  the  absence  of  head- 
stones prevents  securing  early  dates. 

There  are  two  smaller  yards  in  the  same  neighborhood. 

Between  White  Creek  and  Martindale  is  the  Stewart 
family  cemetery,  a  little  off  from  the  main  road  east. 

In  the  north  part  of  tlie  town,  near  the  Vermont  line, 
opposite  the  old  fla.\-inill,  is  an  old  neighborhood  burial- 
place. 

At  Ashgrovo  were  buried  many  of  the  early  settlers,  par- 
ticularly of  that  colony  of  Irish  Methodists  which,  under 
the  lead  of  Rev.  Philip  Embury,  organized  the  church  at 
that  jjlacc. 

This  burial-place  was  the  second  in  the  old  town  of 
Cambridge,  and  the  first  in  AVhite  Crock. 


The  first  Methodist  chapel  was  erected  on  part  of  the 
ground  in  1788.  The  deed  of  the  property  bears  date 
May  10,  1792,  and  was  given  by  Thomas  and  James  Ash- 
ton,  from  whose  family  name  the  word  Ashgrove  has  come 
down  in  the  annals  of  American  Methodism.  Burials  were 
still  earlier, — the  fir.st  about  178G.  The  oldest  gravestone 
is  erected  to  Mr.s.  Elcy  Annitage,  Dec.  22,  1793. 

Other  old  dates  are  Mrs.  Sarah  Fisher,  Dee.  24,  179G  ; 
Mrs.  Catharine  McLean,  April  10,  1798. 

On  the  stone  of  John  Armitage,  who  died  Nov.  13, 1S05, 
is  the  following  epitaph  : 

"  The  old  must  die  and  leave  the  stage, 
The  young  may  die,  you  see ; 
But  I  was  called  in  middle  age, 

Prepare  to  follow  me."  . 

In  the  wall  of  the  old  burial-place,  near  the  steps,  is  AV 
preserved  a  marble  tablet,  marked  "  Ashgrove  M.  E.  Church, 
built  A.D.  1708.  Rebuilt  a.d.  1832.'^ "  The"  remains  of 
Piiilip  Embury,  brought  from  his  first  burial-place  in  Cam- 
den valley,  were  deposited  in  this  yard  not  far  from  the 
entrance  until  their  later  removal  to  Cambridge  Cemetery. 
Many  others  of  the  dead  have  been  removed,  but  this  ven- 
erable spot  will  ever  be  a  sacred  place,  connected  as  it  is 
with  the  memories  of  the  early  settlers,  the  pioneer  work 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  the  name  of  Philip  Embury. 

It  is  in  a  neglected  condition,  burials  have  nearly  ceased; 
but  the  citizens  of  White  Creek  can  never  aflbrd  to  permit 
so  sacred  and  classic  a  place  to  remain  in  decay  and  ruin. 

The  early  Ashtons,  though  pioneers  here  and  giving  name 
to  the  place,  yet  are  themselves  buried  on  the  old  turnpike, 
south  of  Cambridge  village. 

North  of  Centre  White  Creek  is  the  Fowler  family  bury- 
ing-ground. One  stone  in  this,  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Molly  Fowler,  a  child  of  twelve  years,  bears  the  date 
Sept.  5,  1792,  though  there  were  earlier  burials  than  that. 
Siniecm  Fowler's  grave  is  marked  by  a  stone  bearing  the 
date  of  his  death,  Sept.  7,  1807,  aged  ninety-one. 

At  Waite's  Corners,  opposite  the  Baptist  church,  is  the 
old  public  burial-place  belonging  to  the  church,  but  free  to 
all.  The  first  interment  was  Mrs.  Sarah  Wright,  wife  of 
Abraham  Wright,  who  died  April  27,  1787. 

Mr.  Fibcnezer  Wright,  a  .son,  used  to  relate,  that  while 
standing  around  the  grave,  a  person  said,  '■  We  have  now 
opened  a  vineyard,  and  who  will  help  fill  it."  A  new 
ground  has  been  set  apart  a  little  east,  in  which  the  dc.id 
are  buried  at  the  present  time. 

A  mile  east  of  Post's  Corners  is  another  burying-place 
of  long  standing. 

TOW.V  SOCIETIES. 

Rural  Lodge,  No.  32,  F.  ami  A.  J)/.— Nov.  20,  1793, 
Brother  John  Williams,  Master  of  Aurora  Lodge  in  Hamp- 
ton, by  virtue  of  warrant  and  dispensation  from  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  this  State  authorizing  him  to  install  John  Honey- 
wood  as  Master,  Gerrit  Y.  Lansing  as  Senior  and  Andrew 
White  as  Junior  Wardens  of  Rural  Lodge,  No.  32,  in  Cam- 
bridge, and  for  constituting  said  lodge.  A  lodge  was  opened 
in  due  form.  Present,  John  Williams,  Worshipful  Master; 
Philip  Smith,  Senior  Warden  ;  and  Alexander  J.  Turner, 
Junior  Wardcu  ;  George  Eagus,  Scc'y  ;   Simon   D.  Rider, 


HISTOKY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


465 


Jcihii  P.  Becker,  Samuel  Cook,  Ezra  St.  Johu,  Abram 
Van  Tuyl,  Solomon  King,  Benjamin  Scott,  Reuben  Pride, 
Andrew  Simpson,  John  Mclntj're. 

The  lodge  was  constituted  in  due  form,  Dee.  24,  1793. 
The  lodge  met  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Wells.     July  15, 

1794,  the  lodge  decided  to  remove  to  the  house  of  Adam 
Skinner,  and  directed  a  meeting  for  that  purpose  on  the 
third  Tuesday  of  August.  Lodge  met  at  one  o'clock, — 
opened  in  due  form, — then  walked  to  the  new  room,  and 
opened  at  four  o'clock.  Grand  Lodge  was  petitioned  to 
allow  this  lodge  to  meet  alternately  in  the  towns  of  Cam- 
bridge, Easton,  and  Salem.  Another  resolution  is  worth 
inserting: 

"  Rettilreil,  unanimoiisly,  That  Bro.  Treasurer  rlo  advance  to  Bro. 
Ij.  Berry  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  purchase  the  following  articles 
in  New  York,  viz.,  ten  gallons  spirits,  ten  gallons  sherry  wine,  five 
gallons  brandy,  and  a  cask  of  crackers,  for  the  use  of  this  lodge." 

The  oflicers  chosen  Dec.  16,  1794,  were  Andrew  White, 
Master ;  Alex.  J.  Turner,  Senior  Warden  ;  Ezra  St.  John, 
Junior  Warden  ;  Joseph  Heath,  Treas. ;  Lewis  Berry,  Sec'y ; 
Reuben  Pride,  Senior  Deacon  ;  J.  P.  Becker,  Junior  Dea- 
con ;  Simon  D.  Rider,  Eben  Jones,  Stewards.     In  February, 

1795,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  purchase  furniture  and 
contract  with  Brother  Skinner  for  the  use  of  the  lodge- 
room. 

St.  John's  day,  June  24,  1795,  was  celebrated,  and  the 
following  lodges  invited:  Federal,  Washington,  Aurora, 
Livingston,  and  Montgomery. 

Rev.  Mr,  Williams  was  invited  to  preach  on  that  occa- 
sion. He  accepted.  The  lodge,  under  Worshipful  Master 
White,  met  in  due  form,  the  Master  delivering  an  appro- 
priate opening  address.  Marching  in  procession  to  the 
church,  the  sermon  was  delivered  as  arranged,  followed  by 
an  elegant  dinner.  This  custom  was  observed  in  1796  and 
1797. 

Jan.  21,  1800,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted : 

"  Jleaohed,  That  this  lodge  do  meet  on  the  22d  day  of  February 
next,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  said  day,  agreeably  to  the 
proclamation  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  for  the  purpose 
of  paying  a  suitable  and  becoming  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory 
of  our  once  illustrious  Grand  Master,  George  Washington,  deceased." 

Other  lodges  joining  in  the  celebration  were  North  Star, 
Salem,  51  ;  Homer  Lodge,  76,  Schaghticoke  ;  Newton,  16, 
Arlington.  The  procession  was  formed,  with  Lieutenant 
Skinner  and  his  cavalry  in  front,  citizens  next,  followed  by 
the  Masons,  with  their  badges  trimmed  in  mourning ;  the 
secretary,  with  the  Bible,  square,  and  compass  on  a  black 
cushion  ;  the  treasurer,  with  the  tools  covered  with  black. 
The  procession  moved  from  the  lodge-room  to  the  sound  of 
martial  music. 

At  the  White  meeting-house.  Rev.  Gershom  Williams 
delivered  a  pertinent,  pathetic  discourse  to  a  very  crowded 
audience,  after  which  Brother  John  Lee  entered  the  pulpit 
and  pronounced  a  very  masterly  oration.  After  which  re- 
turned in  due  order  back  to  the  lodge-room.  Every  per- 
son,— the  military,  the  citizens,  as  well  as  the  Masonic 
brethren, — conducted  themselves  in  a  decent,  solemn,  and 
becoming  manner,  expressive  of  the  public  sorrow  at  the 
melancholy  event. 

The  lodge  was  in  working  order  down  to  the  time  of  the 
59 


Morgan  excitement,  when  it  became  extinct.  The  house  of 
Adonijah  Skinner,  where  the  lodge  met  for  many  years,  was 
at  North  White  Creek.  It  met  for  a  time  at  the  house  of 
Paul  Cornell,  at  White  Creek  village,  who  fitted  up  a  room 
for  its  use.  Before  tliis  the  lodge  met  at  the  tavern,  which 
is  now  the  private  residence  of  James  Allen. 

The  notices  of  other  societies  are  embodied  in  the  history 
of  Cambridge  village. 


PL.\CKS   OF    HISTORIC    INTEREST. 

The  route  by  which  Baum's  force  moved  against  the 
American  troops  at  Bennington  was  directly  through  this 
town.  Entering  from  the  northwest  by  the  present  road, 
which  forms  a  part  of  the  boundary  between  Jackson  and 
Cambridge,  Baum  marched  southward  down  the  valley  of 
the  Owl  Kill,  probably  passing  through  North  White  Creek 
village  and  along  the  east  side  of  the  stream. 

On  the  night  of  Aug.  13,  1777,  he  encamped  till  the 
next  day  near  Waite's  Corners,  The  exact  place  is  pointed 
out  by  tradition  as  half  a  mile  below  the  Corners,  on  a  farm 
now  owned  by  Patrick  Tierney.  The  site  of  the  encamp- 
ment was  south  of  a  small  rivulet  that  empties  into  the  Owl 
Kill  at  that  place,  on  the  point  of  land  between  the  streams. 
The  stay  was  only  temporary,  and  a  single  bridle-bit,  plowed 
up  when  the  country  was  new,  is  about  the  onl}-  relic  ever 
found  there.  From  this  place  he  marched  southward  into 
the  valley  of  the  Hoosick,  and  passed  beyond  the  present 
boundary  of  White  Creek. 

The  actual  place  of  the  fight  known  to  history  as  the 
Bennington  battle  was  but  just  beyond  the  line  of  this 
town.  Hon.  George  W.  Jermain  describes  it  in  his  Cen- 
tennial address  at  Cambridge  as  being  at  the  junction  of 
the  three  towns,  Bennington,  Hoosick,  and  Cambridge.  This 
language  must  not  probably  be  explained  to  mean  that  any 
part  of  the  battle-ground  was  in  this  town.  It  was  not  far 
from  the  southeast  corner,  but  was  beyond  the  limits  of 
White  Creek.  Yet  some  stray  shot  are  said  to  have  fallen 
upon  the  soil  of  this  town.  An  old  Quaker  who  had  a  farm 
in  the  southeast  corner  was  engaged  in  haying  the  day  of 
the  battle.  His  sons  proposed  to  quit  work,  as  things  were 
somewhat  lively  in  the  neighborhood.  The  old  gentleman 
objected ;  said  they  wouldn't  be  molested ;  they  were 
Friends,  men  of  peace,  neutral.  Soon  after  a  cannon-ball, 
without  any  regard  to  theological  preferences,  fell  near  them. 
This  was  an  argument  which  was  not  to  be  resisted,  and  the 
boys  secured  a  holiday.  It  is  said,  too,  that  William  Gil- 
more,  working  in  the  field  that  day,  on  the  present  farm  of 
B.  B.  Kenyon,  unyoked  his  cattle,  leaving  his  plow  in  the 
furrow,  took  his  gun,  and  started  for  Hoosick,  Fighting 
on  his  own  hook,  he,  with  a  few  others,  learning  of  Bray- 
man's  approaching  reinforcement,  tore  up  the  bridge  over 
Little  White  creek,  just  barely  succeeding  in  removing  the 
last  plank  when  the  British  detachment  came  in  sight.  No 
doubt  this  patriotic  act  caused  just  enough  delay  in  Bray- 
man's  movements  to  enable  the  Americans  under  Colonel 
Warren  to  reach  the  battle-ground  in  time  for  the  second 
struggle.  It  should  be  added  that  Giluiore  and  his  com- 
rades barely  escaped  with  their  lives  from  the  bullet,<<  of  the 
enemy. 


466 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


AGRICULTURE    AND    INDUSTRIAL   PURSUITS. 

The  soil  in  this  town,  in  the  tillable  portions,  is  a  fine 
gravelly  loam,  fertile  and  productive.  Notwithstanding  the 
spurs  of  the  mountain  range  that  extend  into  the  town, 
the  valleys  are  extensive,  and  along  the  streams  there  are 
some  valuable  alluvial  flats.  The  hilly  districts  aflFord  ex- 
tensive and  excellent  pasturage.  The  town  on  the  whole  is 
adapted  to  husbandry  of  a  varied  character,  and  the  well- 
cultivated  farms  indicate  profitable  and  remunerative  in- 
dustry. 

Sheep  husbandry  has  been  carried  on  largely  in  past  years, 
being  at  its  height  from  18-15  to  1850,  when  reported  in  the 
Fitch  survey  of  Washington  county.  There  were  then  sev- 
eral very  large  and  noted  flocks.  At  that  time  Stephen 
Barker  had  a  flock  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  ;  Mrs. 
Sarah  Hanna,  three  thousand  ;  Simeon  Sweet,  two  thousand  ; 
James  McKie,  one  thousand ;  and  John  McKie,  George 
Barber,  James  Lake,  and  Ovando  Perry,  about  seven  hun- 
dred each.  The  broken  and  mountainous  districts  in  the 
north  part  of  the  town  are  less  adapted  for  tillage  than  the 
lands  in  most  of  the  other  towns  of  the  county.  Extensive 
tracts  were  possessed  by  single  individuals,  and  stocked 
mostly  with  sheep.  Hence  the  flocks  were  larger  in  num- 
bers than  in  any  other  town  of  the  county.  There  were  9407 
sheep  in  town  in  1825,  24,488  in  1835,  30,786  in  1845. 
In  later  years  sheep  husbandry  has  given  place  to  the  dairy 
interest,  while  flax  and  potatoes  are  extensively  grown. 

A  creamery  was  established  in  1877  in  White  Creek  vil- 
lage ;  proprietor,  J.  B.  Jermain,  Albany,  who  owns  thirteen 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  that  vicinity.  The  creamery,  from 
July  16  that  year,  received  the  milk  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  cows,  or  212,500  pounds  ;  butter  made,  two  thousand 
pounds,  sold  at  an  average  of  thirty  cents  ;  21,250  pounds 
of  cheese,  sold  at  an  average  of  twelve  cents.  The  net 
price  received  by  patrons  for  milk  was  one  dollar  and  five 
cents  per  one  hundred  pounds. 

The  first  orchards  were  planted  before  the  Revolutionary 
war  by  the  Gilmores,  Youngloves,  and  others.  Taking 
two  yoke  of  oxen  to  each  of  two  wagons  they  brought  the 
trees  from  Barker's  Grove,  in  the  town  of  Easton. 

MILIT.\Rr. 

This  town  having  been  settled  ten  or  twelve  years  before 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  had  quite  a 
population  when  that  struggle  opened.  Very  many  of  the 
citizens  of  White  Creek  went  into  the  army,  either  in  the 
regular  service  for  a  stated  period  of  enlistment,  or  tempo- 
rarily in  militia  regiments,  or  as  volunteers  in  times  of 
special  danger,  like  that  of  the  battle  of  Bennington.  It 
is  a  matter  of  regret  that  so  few  records  remain  from  which 
the  names  of  these  soldiers  can  be  obtained.  A  few  names 
have  been  secured  by  considerable  inquiry  among  descend- 
ants of  the  old  families. 

Besides  Wm.  Gilmore,  ah-eady  mentioned,  the  following 
are  known  to  have  been  in  the  Revolutionary  war :  Isaac 
Fowler,  Hiram  Hathaway,  Captain  Jonathan  Gardner,  and 
Aaron  Perry. 

The  latter  was  engaged  in  driving  cattle  to  Green's  army 
in  Virginia  from  Dutchess  county. 

Colonel  Tiffany  lived  in  town  during  the  Revolution,  and 


commanded  the  militia  of  this  vicinity  at  the  battle  of 
Stillwater.  He  is  buried  upon  his  farm.  It  is  said  that 
he  had  a  neighbor  who  was  an  undoubted  Tory,  and  was  sus- 
pected of  carrying  provisions  to  the  enemy.  Colonel  Tif- 
fany, seeing  him  coming  from  the  British  camp  one  morning, 
fired  at  him,  the  ball  striking  the  rails  just  as  he  was  climb- 
ing a  fence.  The  Tory  ran,  not  stopping,  it  is  supposed, 
until  he  reached  Dutchess  county. 

The  difficult  straits  in  which  some  men  were  placed 
during  the  fearful  year  ( 1777  )  is  very  well  shown  by  the 
following  petition,  with  its  quaint  spelling,  capitals,  and  all : 

"ToTiiK  lIiiN.  Geiihce  Clinton-,  Esg.,  C(imm.v.n-|ikk-i\-('eiikf  asii 
OVER  THE  State  iir  Xew  Yohk.  ok  tub  <iNRiitKi.  CotNsKt.  or 
Safete. 


.li.-trict. 


"  The  Petition   of  Abniham   Lake,  of  Cam 
bauy  county.  Humbly  Sbeweth  : 

"  That  whereas,  the  Lot  of  your  jietitioner  being  unlia|ipily  east 
near  where  the  late  action  was  commenced  at  Wallom^cot,  in  .August 
last  past,  where  the  Enemy  in  their  march  was  so  much  more  hasty 
than  was  E.vpecteJ.  From  Brittains  Great  number  of  honest  People 
had  not  the  opportunity  to  Remove  their  Familys  out  of  their  way, 
and  so  fell  into  their  hands,  contrary  to  their  minds,  to  the  Grief  and 
damage  of  many  thus  captivated.  Among  whome  your  Petitioner 
was  one  who  thus  fell  a  Prey  to  British  Tyranny.  Being  by  gome  of 
their  enemies  ordered  immediately  to  Repair  to  camp  or  to  expeot 
no  mercy  from  them,  nor  yet  to  escape  the  fury  of  Savages,  your 
Petitioner  Being  in  amaze,  complied  to  their  avoracious  command 
on  entering  their  camp,  yet  never  assisted  the  Enemy  in  any  shape 
whatever :  yet  being  informed  by  the  commissioners  of  the  county, 
aforesaid,  that  by  so  doing  I  had  incurred  forfeiture  of  my  whole  In- 
terest, which  threatens  utter  destruction  to  myself  .and  family.  Yet 
Recollecting  that  all  just  Laws  are  built  on  true  Reason,  and  your 
Petitioner  being  wholly  inclined  to  lend  all  the  assistance  he  possibly 
can  to  supp<»rt  the  Cause  of  Liberty,  Can  but  conclude,  upon  the 
whole,  that  it  was  not  the  meaning  of  the  convention  that  such  per- 
sons should  suffer  as  aforesaid,  but  that  the  Act  against  Disafected 
persons  making  their  escape  to  the  enemy  only  wanted  some  explana- 
tion. Hopeing,  therefore,  that  your  excellency,  together  with  the 
Honorable  Council,  will  take  some  speedy  measures  for  the  Redress 
of  your  petitioner,  and  otherwise  in  like  circumstances  that  shall 
seem  most  agreeable  to  Justice,  and  for  the  propagating  the  system 
of  Liberty.    And  your  petitioner,  as  in  duty  bound,  will  ever  priiy,  &c. 

'*  Abuasi   Lake. 
**  December  2nil.  1777." 

WAR    OF    1.S12. 

Little  can  be  found  of  written  records  to  show  what 
part  the  citizeiis  of  White  Creek  took  in  the  last  war  with 
England.  The  following  names  have  been  obtained  :  Col. 
Hercules  Rice,  who  commanded  a  regiment  of  militia 
which  was  called  into  active  service  ;  Jonathan  B.  Fowler, 
a  musician,  who  is  still  living  in  White  Creek  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven  ;  Samuel  Hodge,  David  Robertson,  John 
Conaut,  John  Hamlin,  James  Wells,  Abram  Van  Tuyl, 
Isaac  Van  Tuyl,  Samuel  Day,  Asa  Day,  James  Peters, 
David  Wright,  Isaac  Culver,  John  Caldwell,  Brownell 
Fowler,  Wm.  Ashton. 

WAR  OF  1861-65. 

At  a  special  town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Edward 
Long,  Oct.  30,  1862,  Loomis  W.  Gunn  presiding,  and 
D.  M.  Westfall  clerk,  the  supervisor  was  authorized  to 
borrow  money  enough  on  the  credit  of  the  town  to  pay 
two  hundred  dollars  bounty  to  each  recruit  necessary  to  fill 
the  quota  of  the  town  under  the  late  calls  of  the  President, 


HlSTORi'   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTS,  NEW    YORK. 


407 


the  supeivis(jr  to   pay  out  the   same  moiicj  so  borrowed 
under  tlie  direction  of  the  war  committee  of  the  town. 

At  the  annual  town-meeting-,  March  1,  1864,  the  town 
disapproved  the  action  of  the  supervisor  in  providing  for  a 
county  bounty,  and  proceeded  to  offer  a  town  bounty  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  twenty  recruits  to  fill 
the  pending  calls. 

Ata  special  town-meeting,  June  25,  18G4,held  at  Wrii:ht's 
Hotel,  Loomis  W.  Gunn  presiding,  and  C.  J.  JIaynard 
clerk,  S.  W.  Crosby,  John  Larman,  Josiah  Merchant,  and 
the  supervisor  were  appointed  a  committee  to  procure  men 
for  the  town  under  the  coming  call  of  the  President. 

Full  authority  was  given  to  raise  all  the  money  neces.sary 
to  secure  the  men,  bonds  to  be  issued  for  the  money,  payable 
March  1,  1867. 

Further  unlimited  authority  was  conferred  by  a  special 
meeting,  Dec.  28,  1864. 

The  following  roll  of  soldiers  from  White  Cieek  in  the 
War  of  1861-65  has  been  prepared  from  that  furnished 
by  the  town  clerk  in  1865,  and  from  the  printed  muster-in 
rolls  of  the  State.  It  has  also  been  submitted  to  the 
present  town  clerk  for  revision  and  correction,  and  citizens 
invited  by  advertisement  to  call  and  see  it. 


John  W.  Arnold,  Corp. ;  enl.  May  6,1861,  22ii  Regt.,  Co.  D;  died  of  disease, 

Juno  19,  1863. 
Charles  H.  Akin,  enl.  April  22,  1861,  22d  Begt.,  Co.  D;  pro.  to  2d  lieut.,  Oct.  23, 
1862 ;  disch.  June  19, 1803  ;  rc-enl.  Dec.  28, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  H  ;  ilisch. 

Aug.  31,  1865. 
Wm.  U.  Askej-,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Eegt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June,  1863. 
John  A.  Austin,  enl.  Nov.  5, 1861,  93d  Begt.,  Co.  G ;  pro.  to  sergt.,  March,  1862 ; 

disch.  for  disability,  March  30, 1863. 
Henry  L.  Arnold,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  Aug.  3, 1865. 
Charles  W.  Arnold,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  Aug.  3, 1865. 
Charles  Archer,  2d  lieut. ;  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  3 ;  disch.  Teh.  15 

1863. 
James  M.  Austin,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  176th  Eegt,  Co.  E;  pro.  to  Corp.;  died  in 

Louisiana,  Aug.  1862. 
Erskine  Arnold,  enl.  Nov.  5, 1861, 176th  Kegt.,  Co.  B ;  pro.  to  seigt ;  disch.  Nov. 

16,  1863. 
James  Allen,  enl.  12.5th  Eegt. 
Daniel  B.  Aldrich,  enl.  21st  Cav. 

Hallett  C.  Burdick,  enl.  Nov.  1863,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Gardner  C.  Bentley,  enl.  Nov.  1863,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  Aug.  1865. 
Sylvester  Butterfield,  enl.  Dec.  31, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  disch.  Aug.  10, 1865. 
Chauncey    Baker,   enl.  Nov.  0,  1861,    176th    Eegt.,  Co.  E;   taken    prisoner; 

paroled;  disch.  Nov.  16, 1863. 
Benjamin  Baker,  enl.  Sept.  12,  1862, 1st  M.  Eiflcs,  Co.  M;  disch.  for  disahility, 

Sept.  1,  1863. 
John  \V.  Bennett,  enl.  July  29, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  July  22, 1865. 
John  W.  Bailey,  hospital  steward;  enl.  July  20, 1864,  123d  Eegt. 
Wm.  Bailey,  enl.  Aug.  26, 1864,  2l8t  Cav. 
Alonzo  Bentley,  enl.  Aug.  16,  1864,  169th  Kegt. 
James  Bann,  enl.  July  27, 1864,  169tli  Eegt. 

Wales  M.  Barton,  enl.  Sept.  1861,  7tli  Cav.,  Co.  A;  disch.  March  31,  1862. 
Caleb  G.  Barnhart,  enl.  Aug.  1803, 2Ist  Cav.,  Co.  D  ;  wouuded  in  Indian  service. 
Edward  Bennett,  enl.  Jan.  7,  1864. 
John   G.  Birmingham,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;    disch.  June,  1803; 

re-enl.  21st  Cav.,  Aug.  1863;  discharged. 
Andrew  H.  Blancliard,  enl.  April  22,  1861,  22d  Eegt.,  Co.  D:   disch.  Jnne, 

1863. 
Francis  S.  Bailey,  lat  lieut;  enl.  Oct  1861,  93d  Kegt,  Co.  G;  pro.  to  capt; 

wounded  in  Wilderness;  disch.  Aug.  26, 1864. 
Henry  0.  Barton,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  93d  Kegt,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  for  disability,  Jan. 

3,  1863. 
Abel  Brimmer,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G ;  disch.  for  disability,  April 

15,  1862. 
John  A.  Brimmer,  enl.  Nov.  G,  ISGl,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  rlisch.  for  disability, 

April  29,  1862. 
Solomon  Baker,  enl.  Nov.  6,  1861,  93d  Eegt.,  Co.  G. 
John  H.  Bentley,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  pro.  to  Corp.;  disch. 

June  8, 1865. 
Hiram  F.  Bentley,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Regt,  f:o.  I ;  wounded  at   Dalliui; 

disch.  July,  1865. 
Fanner  Bennett,  enl.  Aug.  23, 1862,  123d  Begt,  Co.  G;  disch.  Juno  8, 1865. 
Romaine  Bennett,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June  8,  186,5. 


battle 


^  Wilde 


James  M.  Beagle,  enl.  Dec.  21, 1863, 10th  Art,  Co.  I;  disch.  May  10, 1865. 
Robert  Baker,  enl.  Nov.. S,  1801, 176th  Eegt,  Co.  E;  pro.  to  Corp.:  taken  pris- 
oner; paroled;  disch.  Nov.  16,  1863. 
George  S.  Burdi.k.  enl.  Nov.  1863, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  di«h.  Ang.  1865. 
James  Bevis,  enl.  Nov.  15,  1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G;  discharged. 
Elijah  Beadle,  enl.  Nov.  15,  1861,  USd  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  discharged. 
Andrew  J.  Boatie,  enl.  Nov.  15, 1801,  ftld  Begt,  Co.  G;  killed  i 

the  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5, 1864. 
Horace  Bartlctt,  enl.  l-23d  Regt,  Co.  I. 
Simeon  H.  Corbett,  enl.  Nov.  6,1861,  93d  Uegt,  Co.  G;  wounde.1  in  th< 

ne«s;  disch.  Nov.  16, 1864. 
tayton  Coon,  enl.  Ang.  7, 1862,  123.1  Regt,  Co.  G;  wounded;  disch.  Jan.  23, 

1865. 
Flavins  J.  Cornell,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  G;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Andrew  J.  Coon,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 12:!d  Regt,  Co.  G;  died  of  disease  at  Staff- 
ord, March  16,  1863. 
Benjamin  Church,  enl.  Nov.  5, 1862, 176th  Regt.,  Co.  E  ;  absent;  returned;  re- 
ported killed  in  battle. 
Henry  B.  Cook,  sergt;  enl.  May  6,  1861,  22d  Regt.,  Co.  D;  pro.  to  Ist  lieut.  ; 

disch.  June  19, 1863  ;  rc-enl.  10th  Art, Co.  K,  sergt;  pr...  to  1st  lieut;' 

killed  in  battle  near  Petersburg,  Oct  7, 1864. 
Warren  Chase,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1863,  20th  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  Co.  B :  disch. 
Lewis  P.  Chase,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1863,  20th  U.  S.  Colored  Troops,  Co.  B  ;    died  at 

Hart's  Island.  Nov.  7, 1865. 
James  W.  Coulter,  enl.  April  19,  1861,  22d  Regt,  Co.  G;  discharged;  rceiil. 

July  27, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  A ;  disch.  April  2S,  1864. 
Alanson  B.  Cone,  enl.  Dec.  31,  1863, 123d  Regt,  to.  G;  disch.  July  31,  1805. 
James  Connelly,  enl.  Sept.  19, 1864. 
John  E.  Church,  enl.  Nov.  25, 1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Neddy  Coila,  enl.  Sept.  1862,  Uth  Vet  Regt,  Co.  A;  wounded  at  Petersburg 

batlle,  June  22, 1864  ;  died  in  Stanton  Hospital,  July  30, 1864. 
Peter  Cromby,  enl.  Aug.  3,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G ;  wounded  at  Dallas,  Ga., 

May  25, 1864;  died  soon  after. 
Ezra  Dibble,  enl.  Aug.  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  June,  1805. 
Gardner  R.  Dyer,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  123d  Regt,  Co.  I;  pro.  to  corp.;  disch. 

June  8,  1865. 
Henry  Dyer,  enl.  Sept.  5, 1863,  15tli  H.  Art,  Co.  K  ;  iliscli.  Sept.  7,  1805. 
Ezekiel  Downing. 

.\mos  Downing,  enl.  Black  Horse  Cav. 
John  W.  Darby,  enl.  22d  Mass.  Regt,  Co.  K    mustered  out  in  Washington, 

D.  C,  after  Lee's  surrender;  in  battle  of  Raccoon  Ford. 
Charles  S.  Eaton,  sergt. ;  enl.  April  22,  1801,  22d  Regt,  Co.  D;  died  in  Wash- 
ton,  May  18, 1802. 
Wm.  B.  Ellis,  enl.  May,  1801,  22d  Eegt,  Co.  D ;  di-ch.  for  disability. 
Berlhidd  Emiscli,  enl.  Nov.  1,  1861.  9.3d  Begt,  Co.  G;  pro.  to  2d  lieut;  disch. 

July,  1865. 
Le  Eoy  W.  Eldridge,  enl.  Ang.  6, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  I ;  disch.  June,  1805. 
DeWitt  F.  Eldridge,  enl.  Ang.  8, 1862, 12:jd  Regt,  Co.  G  ;  pro.  to  sergt. ;  disch. 

June,  1865. 
Alexander  Ellis,  enl.  .\ug.  14, 1862,  12:id  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  wounded  May  1,  1863 ; 

disch.  for  disability,  Nov.  2, 1863:  rc-enl.  Feb.  27, 1805,  123d  Regt,  Co. 

G  ;  disch.  June  26,  1865. 
Ebenozer  S.  Edgerton,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862,  7th  V.  S.  Odored  Troops,  Co.  H  :  pro. 

to  1st  lieut. :  disch.  for  disability,  Oct.  14, 1864. 
George  C.  Fairbrother,  enl.  Sept  1861,  2d  Md.  Rifles,  Co.  L ;  prisoner  at  Ander- 

sonville ;  died  there. 
Lewis  N.  Ford,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  93d  Eegt,  Co.  G  ;  died  of  fever  at  Newjwrt,  fall 

of  1802. 
Stephen  R.  Fisher,  enl.  Dec.  24, 1863, 16th  Art.,  Co.  K ;  disch.  June  5, 1865. 
Irwin  Fairbrother, enl.  Dec.  18,  1863,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  H  ;  died  atDavids  Island, 

July  19,  1S64. 
John  Fowler,  enl.  Aug.  1862, 123d  Eegt,  Co.  G. 

George  E.  Kenton,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Kegt,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June,  186.5. 
Henry  P.  Fowler,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1864,  123d  Regt,  Co.  G;  disch.  June,  1865. 
John  N.  Fuller,  enl.  12.3d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Cyrus  Eraser,  enl.  Cav. 
Charies  W.  Gilbert,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1861,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E;  pro.  to  Ist  lieut;  disch. 

Oct.  28, 1863 ;  re-enl.  Dec.  9, 1863,  2d  Cav.,  Co.  E ;  Ist  lient ;  pro.  to  q.-m. ; 

disch.  June  20, 1865. 
Perry  A.  Goodell,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  93d  Eegt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  for  disability,  Aug.  1, 

1862. 
Nathaniel  P.  Gray,  enl.  Nov.  0, 1801,  93d  Regt,  Co.  O ;  died  Jan.  27, 1863. 
Norman  Granger,  enl.  Nov.  18, 1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  G. 
Joseph  Gilbert,  enl.  July  29, 1862, 123d  Regt..  Co.  G;  pro.  to  corp. ;  disch.  June 

27,  1865. 
Hiram  T.  Gay,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1862, 123d  Regt,  Co.  G;  disch.  June  27, 1865. 
Kufus  P.  Galway,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1802, 12.3d  Regt.,  Co.  I ;  wounded;  disch.  Aug. 

1865. 
Walter  S.  Gray,  capt ;  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  93d  Regt,  Co.  O :  disch.  for  disabilily, 

Aug.  8,  1862. 
Norman  W.  Gray,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  G  :  pro.  to  1st  sergt. ;  disch. ; 

re-enl.  93d  Regt.,  Co.  E;  pro.  to  2d  lieut.;  killed  in  front  of  Petersburg, 
June  16, 1864. 
Marshall  Gardner,  enl.  Nov.  4, 1862,  176th  Regt.,  Co.  E. 
Robert  L.  Gray.  enl.  Nov.  1861, 93d  Regt,  Co.  G  ;  pro.  to  1st  lieut. ;  wounded  in 

the  Wilderness ;  carried  to  the  rear;  reported  himself  only  slightly  in* 
jnred  ;  returned,  and  wa."  killed  .-ionn  after. 


468 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Henry  Gray,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;   pro.  to  capt.;    to  major; 

wounded  twice  ;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Charles  A.  Gray,  enl.  July,  1863,  2d  Vet.  CaT.,  Co.  B;  discharged. 
Geo.  W.  Gray,  eul.  Aug.  9, 1862,  on  ship  New  Ironsides;  disch.  Sept.  IS,  1S63  ; 

reeul.  Sept.  7, 1864, 14th  Art.,  Co.  L;  prisoner;  paroled;  disch.  June  3, 

1865. 
Alvin  Edson  Gage,  30tli  N.  Y.  Cav.;  killed  at  second  battle  of  Bull  Kun,  1862. 
Walter  Uover,  enl.  Dec.  1862,  16th  Art.,  Co.  K  ;  served  through. 
Montrevillo  Hart,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  G;  wounded;  dinih.  June, 

1866. 
Charles  Hoffman,  enl.  Aug,  13, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;  wounded  ;  disch.  June, 

1865. 
Lucien  Howe,  eul.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  for  disability,  Feb. 

23,  1863. 
.Vrtemus  Harrington,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  June,  1S65. 
Harvey  Hodge,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  I;  disch.  for  disability,  June, 

1863, 
Henry  Hodge,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  7th  Mounted  Rifles;  disch.  Aug.  1862. 
George  Hodge,  enl.  Jan.  13,  1862,  95th  Eegt.,  Co.  I ;  wounded  at  Gettysburg ; 

disch.  Jan.  13,  1805. 
George  W.  Higby,  enl.  Aug.  1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  for  disability. 
David  Howe,  enl.  Nov.  1862, 17flth  Kegt.,  Co.  E ;  prisoner ;  paroled ;  disch.  Nov. 

1863. 
Charles  H.  Hodge,  enl.  Nov.  29, 1863, 123d  Kegt,,  Co.  I;  diech.  Aug.  1865. 
Wm.  J.  Harrell,  enl.  April  16, 1861,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  disch.  for  disability;  re- 

enl.  July  3(1,  1863,  2d  Vet,  Cav,,  Co.  A  ;  disch.  Aug.  5,  1865. 
Frank  Hamilton. 
Z.Taylor  Hunt. 
Samuel  D.  Jeffords. 

Le  Boy  Larrabee,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  June,  18B5. 
Clark  Lawton,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co.  O  ;  wounded  ;  disch.  June  22, 

1865. 
George  Lambert,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 12;)d  Kegt.,  Co,  G ;  wounded  ;  prisoner  ;  pa- 
roled ;  disch.  Sept.  25, 1863. 
Albert  M.  Lawton,  enl.  Nov.  1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co,  G  ;  killed  at  Petersburg,  June 

18,  1864. 

Willard  Lawton,  enl.  April  27, 1861, 22d  Eegt.,  Co.  D ;  pro.  to  sergt, ;  disch.  June 

19,  1863. 

Thomas  Lynch,  eul.  April  20,  1861,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  for  disability,  Jan. 

23, 1863. 
Byron  Lee,  Whitney  Bangers  (Washington  Ijight  Cav.),  1st  Cav.;  prisoner; 

excliauged  ;  re-eul.  12th  Cav. ;  wounded  at  Brandy  Station,  Va. ;  disch. 

July  27, 1865. 
Charles  B.  Loomis,  enl.  Nov,  14,  1861,  93d  Eegt,,  Co,  G;  disch,  for  disability. 

May  29,  1862. 
John  F.  Loomis,  enl.  176th  Begt. 
David  C.  Lambert,  priv. ;  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862,  123d  Kegt,,  Co,  O ;  taken  prisoner 

near  Kenesaw  Mountain,  June  22,  1864;  paroled  Dec,  13,  1864;  disch, 

July  7, 1865, 
Isaiah  Mattison,  enl,  Aug,  18, 1862, 123d  Begt,,  Co,  G ;  disch.  June  8,  1865. 
John  McUmber,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1862,  123d  Kegt,,  Co,  G;  wounded  and  died  at 

Chancellorsville,  May  3, 1863. 
Wm.  Moore,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  23d  Eegt.,  Co.  G;  disch.  June,  1865. 
Wm.  H.  M;irlin,  enl.  Aug.  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  G ;  reported  killed  in  battle, 

May  5,  1864. 
Neil  McKinty,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Eegt.,  Co.  D  ;  wounded;  disch.  June,  1861. 
Isaac  J.  MiUiman,  eul.  Nov.  1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  G;  discharged. 
George  Metcalf,  enl,  Nov,  15, 1861,  93d  Kegt,,  Co,  G ;  disch,  Dec,  16,  1864, 
Darius  Millington,  enl.  Nov.  6, 1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co,  G;  killed  in  action,  June, 

1864, 
Henrys,  MiUiman,  licut.;  enl.  May,  1861,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D  ;  pro.  capt,;  wouiulud 

at  second  Bull  Run  ;  died  at  Washington,  Sept,  11, 1862, 
Joseph  B.  Mattison,  enl,  April  20, 1861,  22d  Kegt,  Co.  D  ;  prisoner  ;  exchanged ; 

disch.  June  19, 1863. 
Charles  J.  Monro,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1864,  146th  Kegt.,  Co.  I;  prisoner;  paroled; 

discli.  May  30,  1865, 
George  McKinty,  enl,  April,  1861,  22d  Kegt,,  Go,  D  ;  disch,  June,  1864  ;  re-enl. 

in  cavalry ;  discharged. 
John  McKie,  Jr.,  enl.  April  12,  1861,  22d  Kegt,  Co,  D;  pro.  capt.;  wounded  ; 

maj.;  lient-col. ;  disch.  for  disability,  Feb,  13,1863;  accidentally  killed 

at  home.  Sept  1,  1864, 
AlbertJ,  Muzzy,  enl,  Nov,  1S61, 93d  Kegt,  Co,  G;  pro,  1st  lieut,;  disch,  Dec,  1864, 
David  Mawhinney,  enl,  4th  Kegt, 
Wm,  Miller, 

Wm,  E,  NeU,  eul.  Aug,  14, 1862, 123d  Eegt,  Co.  I;  disch.  June  8,  1866, 
Willard  Nelson,  Jr,,  enl.  March  2,  1865:  disch.  July,  1866. 
Sylvester  Pratt,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Kegt.,  Co,  G ;  disch,  June  8, 1866. 
Dennis  Pratt,  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Eegt,  Co.  G ;  disch.  June  8, 1865. 
George  Parker,  enl,  JVug,  8,  1862, 123d  Kegt,,  Co,  G  ;  pro,  corp  ;  disch,  June  23, 

1865, 
Ohauncey  Parker,  enl.  Aug,  6,  1S62,  123d  Kegt.,  C..,  G  ;  died  at  Stafford  Court- 

House,  Feb,  7,  1863, 
Samuel  W,  Parker,  enl,  Aug,  7, 1862,  123d  Eegt,,  (^o,  G, 
John  Peters,  enl,  Aug,  18, 1862, 123d  Kegt,,  Co.  G  ;  trans,  to  Inv.  Corps  ;  disch. 

Feb.  28,  1864. 
Wm.  H.  Pierce,  enl.  Oct.  29,  1861,  93d  Kegt,  Co.  G  ;  pro.  corp  ;  died  at  Fortress 

Monroe,  July  10,  1862. 


Newton  Peters,  enl.  Jan.  5, 1864,  93d  Eegt,  Co.  G. 

Samuel  M.  Peters,  enl.  Jan.  5, 1864,  93d  Kegt,,  Co,  G, 

John  B,  Peckham,  enl,  I23d  Eegt,  Co,  I, 

Wm,  C,  Qua,  enl,  Aug,  19, 1862,  123d  Eegt,,  Co.  G ;  disch,  for  disability,  Feb, 

28,  1863, 
Ebenezer  Boss,  enl,  Aug,  15,  1862,  123d  Kegt,,  Co,  G;  disch,  for  disability,  April 

21,  1863, 
George  H,  Kussell,  enl,  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  I ;  disch.  July  4,  1865. 
John  Eobinscm,  enl.  Nov.  4, 1862,  176th  Begt,  Co.  E;  disch.  Nov,  10,  1863, 
L.  C.  Rice,  enl,  Nov.  18,  1861,  93d  Kegt.,  Co.  G ;  ro-enl.  in  regular  army. 
Charles  H.  Bice,  enl.  Dec.  21, 1861,  93d  Eegt,  Co.  G ;  disch.  for  disability,  Oct. 

19. 1862. 

Alexander  Eainey,  eul.  Doc,  22, 1863, 16th  Art,,  Co,  K ;  disch,  June  17,  1865. 
Wm.  T.  Eainey,  enl.  May,  1861,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D ;  pro.  sergt. ;  disch.  June  19, 

1863 ;  re-enl.  Sept.  8, 1863,  2d  Vet  Cav. ;  pro,  sergt, ;  discharged, 
Robert  A,  Rice,  enl,  April  22,  1861,  22d  Kegt,,  Co,  D ;  pro,  2d  lieut, ;  disch. 

Dec.  1862. 
Forest  L,  Roberts,  enl.  May,  1861,  22d  Regt,,  Co,  D;  disch,  for  disability.  May 

28,  1862, 
3Iarcu8  D,  Kice,  enl.  Black  Horse  Cav. 
•Joseph  D.  Stewart,  asst,  surg, ;  enl,  Aug.  18,1862,31st  Kegt;  resigried  Dec,  31, 

1862;  re-enl.  May  18,  1863,  7l8t  Regt;  asst,  surg.;  wounded  three  times 

at  Gettysburg;  disch,  Aug,  2, 1864, 
John  Scrimger,  enl,  Aug,  1864, 123d  Regt,  Co.  G  ;  disch.  July,  1865. 
Charles  Starbuck,  enl,  Aug,  14,  1862,  123d  Regt,,  Co,  G;  pro.  Corp.;  lieut,  V.  S, 

C,  T, ;  discharged, 
James  Scrimger,  enl.  Aug,  1862, 123d  Eegt,,  Co,  G, 
James  Smith,  enl,  Nov,  1861,  93d  Eegt,,  Co,  O;  re-enl.  July,  1863,  2d  Vet,  Cav., 

Co,  A ;  died  near  New  Orleans,  Sept,  26,  1864, 
John  Slylield,  enl,  April  22, 1861,  22d  Kegt,,  Co.  D;  prisoner;  paruled ;  disch. 

June  19,  1863  ;  re-enl.  March  20, 1864,  93d  Kegt,  Co.  D  ;  wounded  ;  pro. 

sergt, ;  disch.  July,  1865, 
Orrin  W,  Stevenson,  drummer;  eul,  Nov,  6,  1861,93d  Eegt,  Co,  G;  discharged; 

re-enl.  Vet.  Res,  Corps;  wounded;  disch,  Aug.  1,1865, 
Christopher  Shaw,  enl  Nov.  4,  1862,  176th  Kegt,,  Co.  K;  prisoner;  paroled; 

disch,  Nov.  16, 1863. 
Sidney  W.  Seeley,  enl.  April,  1861,  22d  Kegt,  Co.  D. 
W.  C.  Spencer,  surg,;  enl.  44th  Regt;  discharged. 
Thomas  W.  Taylor,  enl.  Sept  1861,  5th  Vermont  Regt.,  Co.  G;  dieil  of  wounds 

at  Savage  Station,  July  12, 1862. 
Norman  Tucker,  enl.  Nov.  5,  1861,  176th  Eegt,  Co.  E ;  died  in  Louisiana,  Oct 

10,  1862. 
John  L.  Tucker,  enl.  Nov.  5, 1861,  n6th  Kegt,  Co.  E ;  prisoner ;  paroled ;  disch. 

Nov.  16,  1863. 
Dennis  Tracy,  enl.  Nov.  22, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  G  ;  discli,  for  disability,  Feb, 

10. 1863, 

George  E,  Towne,  enl.  April  19, 1861,  22d  Kegt.,  Co.  D;  disch.  June  19,  1861. 
Smith  Winne,  enl.  Jan.  1, 1864,  20th  U.  S.  C.  T,,  Co,  I ;  disch,  for  disability,  Ang, 

.16,  1865, 
George  H,  Wells,  enl,  Ang,  2,  1862, 123d  Eegt,,  Co,  G;  pro.  sergt,;  prisoner  at 

Libby  ;  paroled ;  disch,  Jan.  19, 1865. 
Henry  C.  Wood,  corp.;  enl.  Aug,  3,  1862,  123d  Regt,  Co,  G;  disch.  June  8, 

1805. 
Robert  Wilcox,  enl,  July  28, 1862,  123d  Regt,,  Co,  H  ;  pro,  .«ergt,  ;  disch,  July, 

1866, 
Wm,S,  Warner,  sergt;  enl.  Aug,  6,  1862,  123d  Regt,  Co,  G;  pro,  1st  lieut; 

disch.  July,  1865. 
Charles  D.  Warner,  enl.  July  28,  1862;  123d  Kegt,  Co,  G;  pro.  quar.-maat 

sergt ;  disch,  June  8, 1866. 
Wm.  E.  Walkley,  com.  dept;  enl.  Feb.  1862,  93d  Regt;  disch.  July,  1863, 
Theodore  C,  Wallace,  asst,  surg,;  enl,  Dec,  14,  1861,  93d  Eegt,;  pro,  surg,,  Olst 

Regt ;  disch.  March  18, 1864, 
Lewis  Westfall,  asst  surg,,  navy;  enl,  Aug,  16,  1864, 
Henry  Wallace. 

We  add  the  following  special  notice : 

Gen.  John  S.  Crocker  entered  the  volunteer  service  from 
the  town  of  White  Creek,  in  June,  1861,  as  colonel  of  the 
Thirtieth  Regiment  New  York  State  Uniformed  Militia. 
He  was  appointed  inspecting  and  mustering  officer  of  vol- 
unteers. During  June  and  July  he  inspected  upwards  of 
one  hundred  men.  In  August  of  the  same  year  he  com- 
menced making  the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  organi- 
zation of  a  regiment  of  volunteers.  The  work  progressed 
favorably,  and  on  the  16th  of  October,  1861,  he  was  as- 
signed to  duty  as  colonel  of  the  Ninety-third  Regiment 
Volunteers,  and  clothed  with  full  authority  to  recruit,  per- 
fect, and  complete  the  organization  of  a  regiment.  He  im- 
mediately entered  on  duty  at  Albany,  and  pushed  vigor- 
ously the  work,  recruiting  until  December,  1861,  when  the 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


469 


organization  was  completed  and  the  regiment  filled  to  the 
maximum  number.  His  regiment,  in  the  mean  time,  as  fast 
as  recruited,  was  assigned  to  general  duty  at  the  barracks 
until  January,  1862.  The  regimental  officers  were  then 
commissioned  and  mustered  into  the  United  States  service, 
and  the  regiment,  numbering  ten  hundred  and  forty-two 
men,  went  to  Virginia  and  were  joined  to  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  In  March,  1862,  the  regiment  went  to  Fortress 
Monroe  and  entered  upon  the  Peninsula  campaign,  under 
Gen.  McClellan.  On  the  22d  of  April,  1S62,  at  the  siege 
of  Yorktown,  Col.  Crocker  was  taken  prisoner  by  a  com- 
pany of  Missis.sippi  Riflemen  who  lay  in  ambush  near  our 
lines  and  within  five  hundred  yards  of  his  own  command. 
He  received  a  slight  bayonet  wound  at  the  time.  He  was 
taken  before  Gens.  Magruder  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  and 
the  next  day  sent  a  prisoner  of  war  to  the  Libby  prison  at 
Richmond,  Va.  He  remained  in  that  wretched  charnel- 
house  two  months,  subject  to  the  inhuman  treatment, 
wretched  diet,  foul  air,  and  vermin  incident  to  that  filthy 
and  loathsome  place.  He  was  then  transferred  with  others 
to  the  rebel  prison  at  Salisbury,  where  were  over  fourteen 
thousand  Union  prisoners  in  the  most  deplorable  condition. 
Hunger,  wretchedness,  cruel  treatment,  sickness,  privation, 
and  death  were  the  distinguishing  features  of  that  disgust- 
ing and  loathsome  pen. 

His  release,  bj'  special  exchange,  for  Col.  Chancellor,  of 
the  16th  Virginia  Cavalry,  wa.s  effected  on  the  17th  of 
August,  1862.  He  was  five  days  traveling  through  the 
Confederacy.  He  went  directly  to  Washington,  and  gave 
to  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  President  very  important 
information  of  the  situation,  position,  strength,  and  move- 
ments of  the  Confederate  armies,  which  he  had  obtained 
on  the  other  side  of  the  lines,  and  for  which  he  received 
the  thanks  of  Secretary  Stanton  and  President  Lincoln  in 
person,  with  the  assurance  of  their  high  appreciation  of  his 
services  in  that  regard.  In  September  following  he  was 
tendered  the  command  of  a  brigade  in  the  army  of  the 
northwest ;  but  his  health  having  been  very  much  impaired 
by  his  confinement  in  rebel  prisons,  he  was  obliged  to  forego 
the  honor  and  remain  in  the  milder  climate  of  the  south 
with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  His  regiment  was  now 
constituted  the  headquarters'  guard,  and  he  entered  on  duty 
with  it  at  Gen.  McClellan 's  headquarters,  and  continued  on 
duty  in  command  of  the  headquarters'  guard,  and  as  aid 
under  Generals  McClellan,  Burnside,  Hooker,  and  Meade, 
successively.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fredericks- 
burg and  Chancellorsville,  in  1863.  In  July  of  that  y(^ar 
he  was  detailed  on  special  duty  in  New  York  harbor,  at  the 
time  of  the  New  York  riots,  and  during  the  ensuing  fall 
was  sent  in  charge  of  transports  loaded  with  recruits,  de- 
serters, and  bounty-jumpers,  to  Charleston  harbor,  Hilton 
Head  Island,  and  Beaufort,  S.  C,  Port  Pula.ski,  and  New 
Orleans.  On  the  last  of  November  he  returned  to  his  com- 
mand at  the  headquarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  in 
Virginia,  under  Gen.  Meade.  In  December  he  superin- 
tended the  re-enlistment  of  his  regiment  as  veterans  for  the 
war.  The  93d  was  the  first  regiment  in  that  army  that 
completed  its  veteran  organization.  In  February,  1864, 
his  regiment  having  returned  to  the  army  from  a  furlough 
of  thirty  days,  with  full  ranks,  was  joined  to  the  2d  Brigade, 


3d  Division  (Birney's),  2d  Corps  (Hancock's).  Soon  after 
Gen.  Hays,  the  brigade  commander,  was  detailed  on  special 
duty,  and  Gen.  Crocker  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
brigade,  and  continued  the  preparations  and  outfit  of  the 
brigade  for  the  great  campaign  of  1864,  under  Gen.  Grant. 
On  the  day  previous  to  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
Gen.  Hays  returned  to  the  command,  but  the  next  morning, 
while  rcconnoitering  the  enemy's  position,  and  before  his 
brigade  had  been  placed  in  line  of  battle,  was  instantly 
killed,  and  Gen.  Crocker  again  a.ssunied  c<mimand,  and  led 
the  brigade  into  action.  He  remained  in  command  of  the 
brigade  through  the  battles  of  the  Wildeiriess,  Spottsyl- 
vania,  River  Nye,  South  Anna,  Cold  Harbor,  etc.,  during 
which  time  his  brigade  was  under  fire,  more  or  less,  on  thirty- 
one  different  days  before  the  army  crossed  the  James.  His 
brigade  consisted  of  eight  veteran  regiments,  and  made  a 
gallant  record,  losing  in  those  battles  upwards  of  three 
thousand  five  hundred  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  The 
brigade  frequently  won  the  commendation  of  the  corps  and 
division  commanders.  At  the  brilliant  charge  made  by  the 
2d  Corps  on  the  enemy's  works  at  Spottsylvania,  on  the 
12th  of  May,  1864,  Gen.  Crocker's  brigade,  after  capturing 
the  forts  and  redoubts  in  their  front,  penetrated  farther  into 
the  enemy's  lines  than  any  other  troops.  Gen.  Crocker  was 
twice  complimented  in  orders  during  these  battles  by  his 
commanding  general  for  distinguished  services,  and  was 
recommended  for  promotion.  He  had  four  horses  shot 
under  him  during  the  campaign,  received  a  shell  wound  in 
his  left  foot,  and  was  seriously  injured  at  Spottsylvania  by 
his  horse  being  killed  and  falling  down  an  embankment 
while  charging  the  enemy's  works.  He  was  designated  by 
the  Secretary  of  War  for  promotion  to  brigadier-general  on 
the  recommendation  of  Gens.  Birney  and  Hancock  ;  but 
being  disabled  by  physical  disabilities  contracted  during  the 
campaign,  which  his  examining  surgeon  pronounced  per- 
manent, he  was  obliged  to  (juit  the  service.  He  therefore 
tendered  his  resignation  in  September,  1864,  which  was 
accepted,  and  he  was  honorably  discharged  on  surgeon's  cer- 
tificate of  disability  contracted  in  the  service.  He  was 
mustered  out  on  the  4th  of  November,  1864.  On  the  13th 
of  March,  1865,  he  was  commissioned  brigadier-general  of 
volunteers  by  brevet,  "  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services 
during  the  war,"  as  stated  in  his  commission. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


HUGH  TABER. 

The  Taber  family  is  of  English  extraction.  Sylvanus 
Taber,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  to 
the  town  of  White  Creek,  N.  Y.,  from  New  Bedford,  Mass., 
in  1803.  He  married  Elizabeth  Hart,  of  Dartmouth, 
Mass.,  and  had  three  children,  William  Hart,  Stephen,  and 
Phtebe.  He  followed  the  business  of  shoemaking  most  of 
his  life,  and  that  of  tanning  in  his  later  years.  He  died  in 
August,  1848,  over  seventy  years  of  age,  and  his  wife 
Elizabeth  in  1832,  at  an  advanced  age. 


470 


HISTORY  OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTV,  NKW   YORK. 


Stephen,  father  of  Hugh,  was  bom  at  New  Bedford, 
Mass.,  in  December,  18l)l,  and  was  brought  by  his  parents 
to  White  Creek  at  an  early  age.  In  1834  lie  married  Sarah 
Alien,  daughter  of  John  and  Content  Allen,  of  White  Creek, 
by  whom  he  had  six  children,  of  whom  four  only  are  living, 
Elizabeth,  Hugh,  Margaret,  and  Sarah.  Mr.  Taber  was 
raised  a  shoemaker,  and  followed  that  business  for  a  number 
of  years.  Ho  then  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  gloves, 
a  business  which  he  is  still  following,  at  White  Creek,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.     His  wife  is  still  living. 

Hugh  Taber  was  born  at  White  Creek,  r>ear  his  present 
place  of  residence,  on  Sept.  7,  1838.  During  his  minority 
he  resided  with  his  father,  engaging  in  farming  and  the 
growing  of  flax,  and  enjoying  such  educational  advantages 
as  the  common  schools  of  the  day  afforded.  After  arriving 
at  his  majority,  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  on  his  own 
account. 

On  August  23,  1865,  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
George  and  Sophia  Briggs,  of  White  Creek,  and  has  had 
four  children,  namely:  Ada  Sophia,  born  May  4,  1867; 
Susan  Josephine,  born  July  6,  1869  :  Stephen,  born  July 
6,  1871  ;  and  William,  born  July  8.  1873.  Ilis  wife  died 
August  12,  1875. 

Mr.  Taber  is  at  present  pursuing  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing and  flax-raising  at  White  Creek.  He  also  acts  as 
agent  for  James  B.  Jermain,  of  Albany,  who  owns  a  large 
tract  of  land  at  White  Creek.  Since  Mr.  Taber  has  had 
charge  of  Mr.  Jermain's  estate  he  has  largely  developed  it 
and  enhanced  its  value  ;  has  built  a  large  cheese-factory 
and  creamery  upon  the  same,  which  is  now  in  successful 
operation, — using  the  milk  from  four  hundred  cows, — and 
has  improved  it  in  other  substantial  respects,  gathering 
around  him  meantime  a  class  of  thrifty  and  enterprising 
farmers,  and  greatly  increasing  the  importance  and  influence 
of  his  town. 

In  politics,  Hugh  Taber  is  a  Republican,  and  has  always 
been  such,  without  other  deviation  than  that  he  sympa- 
thized with  the  late  Reform  movement  of  Mr.  Greeley.  In 
1865  he  was  elected  assessor  of  the  town  of  White  Creek, 
and  filled  that  ofiice  for  the  full  term  of  three  years.  In 
1867  he  Wiis  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace,  an  oflBce  which 
he  has  continued  to  fill  ever  since  to  the  satisfaction  of  all. 
In  March,  1876,  he  was  elected  to  the  important  town  office 
of  supervisor,  and  still  holds  that  office,  having  been  re- 
elected twice.  Mr.  Taber  is  prominent  in  the  religious  and 
charitable  movements  of  his  town,  actively  identified  with 
its  material  development,  and  strictly  upright  in  all  his 
business  transactions.  He  owns  and  tills  a  beautiful  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  A  view  of  his  residence 
and  its  surroundings  may  be  seen  on  another  page  of  this 
work. 

ISRAEL    BRATON    PERRY. 

Aaron  Perry  came  from  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  his 
brother  William,  and  settled  on  the  farm  formerly  known 
as  the  Perry  farm,  in  White  Creek,  now  owned  by  John 
James.  Aaron  built  a  log  house  on  the  north  part  of  the 
farm,  on  the  south  side  of  the  eminence  known  as  Bald 
hill,  William  located  a  little  north  of  where  the  James 
residence  now  stands.      Aaron   Perry  married  Anna   Hoag, 


whose  parents  weie  from  Dutchess  county,  and  were  among 
the  early  settlers  in  the  town  of  White  Creek.  They  had 
twelve  children,  two  of  whom  still  survive,  viz.,  Lucinda 
Perry,  residing  at  Post's  Corners,  in  this  towp,  and  Israel 
Braton  Perry,  whose  name  heads  this  article.  The  latter 
is  unmarried,  and  resides  on  the  family  homestead,  where 
he  was  boru  on  the  31st  of  December,  1812. 

After  settling  on  the  place  above  referred  to,  Aaron  and 
William  I'erry  purcha.sed  the  Searles  farm,  and  occupied  it 
in  partnership  till  they  bought  the  present  homestead,  on 
which  resides  Israel  Braton  Perry.  The  deed  of  the  place 
bears  date  Oct.  14,  1802.  It  was  deeded  to  Aaron  and 
William  Perry  by  Sanford  and  Priscilla  Smith,  and  con- 
tains one  hundred  and  three  acres.  Aaron  Perry  also  pur- 
chased of  Heniaii  and  Elizabeth  Swift  the  Swift  farm,  ad- 
joining this  on  the  north,  containing  a  little  over  fifty-one 
acres,  on  the  5th  of  January,  1814.  This  farm  is  still 
owned  by  Israel  Braton  Perry,  and  also  a  portion  of  the 
Searles  farm.  Aaron  Perry  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  After  the  purchase  of  the  present  homestead, 
in  1802,  he  and  his  brother  William  divided  the  property 
they  had  purchased  and  improved  together,  Aaron  taking 
the  present  homestead,  on  which  he  resided  till  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  August,  1818.  He  died  very 
.suddenly,  after  having  worked  all  day  in  the  Searles  meadow, 
apparently  as  well  as  usual,  being  found  dead  in  his  bed  in 
the  morning.  Mr.s.  Perry  died  in  1841,  aged  seventy-five 
years. 

Israel  Braton  Perry  tore  down  the  old-fashioned  Dutch 
house  built  here  about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and 
erected  the  present  commodious  farm-house  in  1862.  Dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  the  Revolution  a  house  stood  on  this 
place,  which  was  burnt  during  the  war.  It  was  occupied 
by  a  Mr.  Younglove,  who  was  shot  in  the  house  by  a  Brit- 
ish officer,  but  afterwards  recovered. 

Mr.  I.  B.  Perry  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  having 
received  his  early  education  in  the  neighborhood  where  he 
was  born,  and  where  his  honest,  industrious,  and  upright 
life  has  merited  the  esteem  and  confidence  justly  reposed  in 
him  by  his  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens. 


DR.  WILLIAM   RICHARDS 

was  a  native  of  Waterbury,  Conn.,  the  son  of  Colonel  Rich- 
ards, a  distinguished  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
his  early  feelings  and  sympathies  were  strongly' enlisted  on 
the  side  of  the  colonies  in  their  struggle  for  freedom. 

Dr.  Richards  removed  to  White  Creek,  in  this  State, 
about  fifty  years  since,  where  he  resided  the  greater  portion 
of  that  time,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He 
was  a  physician  of  great  skill  and  prudence,  and  possessed 
to  an  uncommon  degree  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his 
fellow-citizens. 

He  was  frequently  elected  to  offices  of  trust  and  respon- 
sibility in  the  county  of  Washington,  and  represented  that 
county  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State  in  1820. 

Tn  all  the  domestic  relations  of  life  his  character  was  a 
model ;  and  in  public  life  his  judgment  was  sound  and  dis- 
criminating and  his  integrity  unquestioned.  He  died  in 
White  Creek,  in  1844,  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age. 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NKW    YORK. 


471 


JONATHAN    B.    FOWLER. 


JONATHAN  B.  FOWLER. 

Jonathan  Blacknian  Fowler  was  born  in  that  part  of  the 
old  town  of  Cambridge  now  included  in  White  Creek,  near 
the  centre  of  the  latter,  on  the  5th  of  February,  1793. 
He  is,  consequently,  at  the  date  of  this  writing  (.June, 
1878),  in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  His  father  and 
grandfather,  Abel  and  Simeon  Fowler,  were  from  Rhode 
Island,  and  settled  on  the  original  Fowler  lot,  in  this  vi- 
cinity, among  the  early  pioneers  of  the  county.  Abel 
Fowler  married  Molly  Brownell,  of  Pownal,  Vt.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children, — six  sons  and  one 
daughter, — of  whom  Jonathan  B.  Fowler  was  the  youngest. 
He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  to  which  occupation  he  has 
devoted  himself  through  life. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  married  to  Miss  Piiilena  M.  Perry,  Dec. 
30, 1819.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William  Perry,  of  White 
Creek,  and  was  born  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  John 
James,  Feb.  19,  1793.  They  had  children  as  follows : 
Minerva  E.,  born  Sept.  19,  1820  ;  William  Perry,  born 
June  20,  1825;  Cornelia  Amanda,  born  Sept.  20,  1826, 
died  Sept.  1,  1851  ;  De  Witt  Clinton,  born  Feb.  8,  1828, 
died  Sept.  6,  1855  ;  Fayette  Franklin,  a  twin  brother,  born 
Feb.  8,  1828.  The  three  surviving  children  reside  in  the 
town  of  White  Creek. 

Mr.  Fowler  has  been  a  Democrat  since  the  days  of  An- 
drew Jackson,  and  has  served  his  town  in  various  offices, 
such  as  assessor,  overseer  of  the  poor,  etc.  He  has  been  a 
man  of  strong  mind  and  vigorous  constitution,  which  have 
been  well  preserved  by  the  strictly  temperate  habits  which 
he  has  practiced  through  life.  Perhaps  few  men  of  his 
years  are  more  active  than  Mr.  Fowler.  He  was  called  out 
with  his  regiment  of  militia  in  the  War  of  1S12,  and  went 
to  Burlington,  Vt.,  but  was  discharged  .soon  after  McDon- 
ough's  victory  on  Lake  Champlain.  Colonel  Hercules  Rice, 
of  Cambridge,  was  the  colonel  of  the  regiment. 

Mr.  Fowler  has  resided  in  the  house  he  now  occupies 
fifty-eight  years.  He  has  been  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
cemetery  association,  and  treasurer  since  its  organization. 


MRS.    .JONATHAN    B.    FOWLKR. 


Few  men  have  lived  so  long  in  a  community  and  maintained 
so  unblemished  a  reputation. 


JOHN    JAMES. 

Mr.  James  is  a  native  of  Hoosick,  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y., 
in  which  town  he  was  born  Aug.  23,  1827.  His  grand- 
father, Randall  James,  came  from  Rhode  Island,  and  set- 
tled in  Hoosick  about  1788.  His  marriage-certificate,  which 
has  been  preserved  by  his  grandson,  bears  witness  to  the 
fact  that  he  was  married  at  Kingston,  R.  I.,  to  Elizabeth 
Kenyon,  June  5,  1785,  three  years  before  he  settled  in 
Hoosick.  The  wedding-coat  worn  on  the  occasion  has  also 
been  preserved  with  the  certificate  by  Mr.  James  as  a 
souvenir  of  his  grandfather,  who  gave  a  month's  work  in 
winter  for  each  yard  of  cloth  contained  in  the  gannent. 
This  ancestor  died  in  Hoosick  in  1831.  His  son,  whose 
name  was  also  Randall  James,  the  father  of  John  James, 
was  born  in  Hoosick,  and  was  by  occupation  a  farmer.  He 
held  a  colonel's  commission  in  the  militia,  and  was  known 
as  Colonel  Randall  James,  and  also  held  several  civil  offices 
in  his  town.  He  married  Sally  Eddy  in  April,  1820,  and 
had  nine  children, — four  sons  and  five  daughters, — of  whom 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest.  Receiving  his 
early  education  at  the  common  schools,  and  being  reared  a 
farmer,  he  resided  at  the  old  homestead  in  Hoosick  till  the 
spring  of  1875,  when  he  purcha.sed  the  place  where  he  now 
resides.  It  has  been  known  as  the  Perry  and  also  a.s  the 
Starbuck  place.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  loca- 
tions in  this  section  of  the  State,  and,  with  the'  improve- 
ments contemplated  and  partly  carried  out  by  Mr.  James, 
will  be  as  desirable  a  country  residence  as  can  be  found  in 
Washington  county. 

Mr.  .James  was  married  on  the  12th  of  February,  1851, 
to  Catharine  J.  Buwen,  daughter  of  Sylvester  Bowen, 
of  Cambridge.  Mr.  Bowen  (her  father)  was  born  in  Shafts- 
bury,  Vt.,  and  came  with  his  father  to  the  town  of  White 
Creek  when  three  years  of  age.  Catharine  J.,  now  Mrs. 
James,  was  born   in  White  Creek   in  June,  1828.      Her 


472 


HISTOKY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


mother  waa  Julia  Cross,  daughter  of  Greneral  Samuel  Cross, 
of  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  and  sister  of  Nathan  L.  Cross.  She 
was  born  Oct.  2i»,  1799,  and  died  March  5,  1874. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  have  iiad  children,  as  follows: 
Sylvester  Boweii  James,  born  May  17,  1842.  Julia  Cross 
James,  born  Nov.  6,  185(j ;  married  Hiram  C.  Houghton, 
of  North  Bennington,  Vt.,  June  11,  1874;  died  May  22, 
1875,  leaving  one  daughter,  little  Julia  J.,  aged  three  years. 

Mr.  James  is  a  Republican  in  jiolitics.  He  is  a  man  of 
decided  opinions,  but  averse  to  taking  any  office,  although 
frequently  proposed  and  solicited  to  do  so.  'Few  men  have 
attained  in  a  higher  degree  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
their  fellow-citizens,  and  fevr  have  been  more  prosperous  by 
steady  application  to  the  pursuit  of  farming. 


ISAAC   ASHTON 

was  born  April  2,  1797,  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Willard  and  William  Lawton,  about  a  half-mile  west  of  the 
Ashton  place  of  a  later  day.  He  was  a  son  of  Deacon  John 
Ashton,  and  grandson  of  Major  James  Ashton,  who  were 


the  first  settlers  in  Ashgrove,  from  whom  the  place  derived 
its  name.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  Dec.  1,  1825,  to 
Anna  Maria  Beveridge,  daughter  of  Rev.  Thomiis  Bever- 
idge,  who  was  sent  from  Scotland  to  this  country  as  a  mis- 
sionary, and  was  the  first  minister  settled  in  Cambridge, 
and  sister  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Beveridge,  of  Xenia,  Ohio,  and 
of  Mrs.  Jennett  Lourie,  of  Jackson.  She  was  born  Sept. 
12,  1798,  and  was  baptized  by  Rev.  William  Marshall, 
then  of  Philadelphia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashton  early  in  life 
became  members  of  the  Associate  Presbyterian  church  of 
Cambridge.  They  had  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are 
living,  viz. ;  Dr.  John  Ashton,  a  physician  at  Centre  Cam- 
bridge ;  Thomas  Beveridge  Ashton,  noted  as  an  entomolo- 
gist, residing  in  Leavenworth,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Jennett  Ash- 
ton Darby,  and  her  sister,  Mary  Ashton,  residing  at  the 
A.shton  homestead. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashton  moved  here  in  1826,  and  lived 
here  till  their  death.  Mrs.  Ashton  died  Sept.  11,  1858. 
Mr.  Ashton  departed  this  life  Feb.  3,  1871.  His  last 
words  were,  "  There  are  rivers  of  pleasure  at  Thy  right 
hand  forevermore." 


NATHANIEL   COTTREI.L. 


W  I L  I  T  E  H  A  L  L. 


Tins  town  is  noar  the  liortlieastoin  corner  of  tlic  county. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Hampton,  on  tlic  west  by  Fort 
Ann,  and  on  tlie  south  by  Fort  Ann  and  Granville.  Upon 
tlic  north  and  northwest  its  boundary  is  very  irrejrular, 
being  defined  by  the  waters  of  South  bay,  Lake  Ciiamplain, 
and  the  Poultney  river,  wliieh  divide  it  from  Dresden  and 
the  State  of  Vermont. 

In  the  central  and  eastern  parts  of  the  town  its  surface 
is  roHinj^,  but  in  the  west  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  head 
of  the  hike  it  becomes  rusged  and  even  mountainous. 
.  Its  principal  Waters,  besides  those  upon  its  northern  bor^ 
der  already  mentioned,  are  Wood  creek  and  the  Mettawce  or 
Pawlet  river,  both  of  which  enter  from  the  south,  and  after 
a  general  northerly  course  of  a  few  miles  unite  in  a  single 
stream,  which  takes  the  name  of  the  former,  and  falls  into 
the  harbor  of  Whitehall.  And  all  these  waters,  with  the 
valleys  and  hills  and  crags  which  surround  them,  are  his- 
toric. 

In  the  interminable  warfare  which  for  years,  perhaps  fur 
ages,  before  the  coming  of  the  white  man  was  wogcd  bc' 
tween  the  Iroquois  and  the  Indian  tribes  of  Canada,  the 
Waters  of  the  Hudson  river  and  of  Lake  Champlain  formed 
their  military  thoroughfare,  broken  only  by  a  comparatively 
short  portage,  over  which  the  red  men  had  three  distinct 
routes, — one  being  from  Glen's  Falls  to  Lake  George  and 
Ticondcroga,  another  from  the  point  now  Fort  Ann  to 
South  bay,  and  the  third  from  Fort  Fjdward,  acrass  the 
summit,  to  Wood  creek,  and  thence  down  that  stream  to 
Kah-sliah-(|uah-iia,*  now  Whitehall  harbor.  And  when, 
in  the  years  preceding  our  Revolution,  France  and  England 
fought  again  and  again  for  North  American  dominion,  their 
expeditions  traversed  the  same  highway;  and  the  same  red 
warriors,  or  their  descendants,  continued  the  old  strife  as 
guides  and  allies  of  the  civilized  combatants.  And  so  it 
comes  that  Whitehall  is  historic  ground.  Hostile  cannon 
have  boomed  in  the  harbor,  and  the  whir  of  arrows  and  the 
whistle  of  bullets  have  been  heard  along  the  rocky  hill- 
sides. Scouts,  watching  their  foes  from  the  mountain-top, 
have  looked  down  on  the  movements  of  stealthy  savage 
bands,  and  on  the  defiant  advance  of  a  royal  army.  These 
numerous  expeditions,  with  their  accompanying  conflicts 
and  other  exciting  incidents,  covered  so  large  a  territory 
that  they  are  necessarily  treated  of  in  the  general  history 
of  the  county,  where  they  will  be  found  detailed  at  full 
length. 

MAJOR    .SKENE    AND    HIS    COLONY. 

The  first  settlement  in  Whitehall  was  made  by  a  half- 
pay  English  officer,  Major  Philip  Skencf     He   brought 


*  "  The  plaoo  where  wo  dip  flsh,"  or  the  great  fishing-phice. 
t  From   the  letters  "  P.  K.  P.,"  in  the  stone  over  the  door  of  his 
dwelling,  ithas  been  iufcnea  Unit  he  hiul  ii  nrKldlc  iiaiiie  bcgiiiuiiig 

60 


with  him  aljout  thirly  families  of  settloi-s,  and  entered  on 
this  domain  fand  to  which  he  afterwards  obtained  a  title) 
in  17(il.  Everything  here  he  found  in  a  state  of  nature, 
bciiring  no  mark  of  man's  occupancy  except  an  intrench- 
inent  and  stockade,  constructed  during  tlic  then  recent  wor, 
occupying  a  commanding  position  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Villagc.|:  After  establishing  his  colony,  he  joined  an 
English  expedition  to  the  West  Indies,  from  where  he 
brought  a  number  of  negro  slaves,  Otk  his  return  ho 
found  that  one-half  his  settlers  had  deserted  the  place,  and 
that  the  remainder  were  in  a  state  of  great  discontent. 
But  the  major  was  an  energetic  man,  the  owner  of  consid- 
erable private  means,  and  a  crown  magistrate ;  and  he  was 
not  to  be  easily  discouraged  or  diverted  from  his  original 
purpose  of  securing  for  the  settlement  such  advantages  as 
would  render  it  a  tit  place  of  residence  for  a  man  of  hi.s' 
importance.  He  obtained  a  royal  patent  for  twenty-five 
thousand  acres§  on  the  13th  of  March,  1765.  Tlie  im- 
provements which  he  made  were  extensive  for  tliat  early 
time.  With  the  labor  of  his  negroc?,  his  .settlers,  and  some 
discharged  soldiei-s  whom  he  employed,  he  built  a  sloop,  as 
a  means  of  necessary  transportation  on  the  lake,  opened  a 
passable  road  hence  to  Salem,  thirty  miles,  built  a  saw-mill 
and  a  grist-mill  at  the  falls  on  Wood  creek, ||  and  erected 
for  himself  a  stone  mansion  about  thirty  by  forty  feet  in 
size,  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  and  of  great  solidity, 
where  he  lived  in  a  baronial  sort  of  way,  surrounded  by  his 
black  servants,  and  very  popular  with  his  colonists.  This 
mansion  stood  fronting  the  creek,  on  a  site  now  partially  or' 


with  E;  but  he  signed  himself  "Philip  Skene,"  and  was  so  desig- 
nated in  all  records, 

i  The  high  ground  in  the  southeast  nngle  of  lligh  and  -Church 
streets. 

^  Associated  with  him  were  twenty-four  others,  whose  interests  in 
it,  however,  were  but  nominal.  Tlie  names  were  as  follows;  .lohn 
Maunsel,  Thomas  Monoricf,  John  and  Nathaniel  Marston,  Hugh 
Wallace,  Alexander  Wallace,  Lawrence  Readc,  Thomas  White,  John 
Gill,  Robert  Alexander,  Robert  Stevens,  John  Mooro,  Joseph  Alli- 
cook,  Gerard  Bancker,  Evert  Banckcr,  Richard  Curson,  John  Lamb, 
James  Deas,  Boyle  Roche,  Alchcson  Thompson,  Peter  Kettletas,  John 
R.  Meyer,  Levinus  Clarkson,  and  Abraham  Bra«icr.  A  second  patent 
was  issued  to  him  July  6,  1771,  known  as  "Skene's  Little  PntcnI." 
This  contained  nine  thousand  acres,  adjoining  the  first  grant  on  (ho 
northeast.  These  together  covered  all  of  the  town  of  Whitehall  ex- 
cept the  Mcintosh  grant  of  about  four  thousand  acres  on  the  cast 
side,  and  also  embraced  the  northern  extremity  of  the  present  town 
of  Hampton.  The  fust  patent  chartered  the  township  as  Skcnosbor- 
ough,  and  Skene  himself,  by  virtue  of  his  commission  as  magistrate, 
exercised  the  only  authority  within  it  at  that  time.  By  courtesy  ho 
was  sometimes  designated  as  "  Governor  Skene,"  probably  on  ac- 
count of  a  project  which  ho  was  known  to  have  entertained  of  the 
erection  of  northern  Jfew  York  and  Vermont  into  a  sep.aralc  royal 
province,  under  himself  as  its  chief  magistrate. 

11  He  also  erected  aflerwanl.s,  on  the  west  side  of  Wood  creek,  a 
rudu  furnace  for  smelting  the  ores  of  the  riciuily. 

473 


474 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


entirely  occupied  by  the  roailw;iy  of  Williams  street,  anj 
near  the  residence  of  the  late  Joseph  Jillson. 

Skene  also  built  a  massive  stone  building,  which  was  still 
standing  within  the  memory  of  some  yet  living,  and  was 
generally  known  as  "  Skene's  Barn,"  though  from  its  size 
and  construction  it  seems  hardly  probable  that  it  was  built 
as  such.  It  stood  on  a  spot  al'terwards  embraced  in  the 
property  of  Judge  Wheeler,  on  Skene  street  above  Wheeler 
avenue.  It  was  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  length,  and 
the  walls  were  pierced,  evidently  for  musketry,  suggesting 
the  idea  of  a  j)laco  of  refuge  and  dcfen.se  in  case  of  attack, 
though  it  may  also  have  been  u.sed  as  a  barn  or  stable.  In 
the  wall  was  a  gateway-arch,  the  keystone  of  which  was 
laid  in  the  wall  of  the  Episcopal  church  at  its  erection  in 

18.37,  and  may  now  be  scon  at  the  Fiist  National    ^ 

bank  in  Whitehall.    Upon  it  is  cut  the  inscription  \-g  V 


To  show  the  importance  which  had  been  at-  V  W 
tained  by  Skene';*  settlement,  it  is  appropriate  to  vJJ-J 
mention  the  fiict  that  in  1772,  during  the  strife  among  the 
townshijis  to  secure  the  location  of  the  court-house,  a  peti- 
tion asking  that  Skencsborough  bo  made  the  shire  town 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty -one  signatures,  of  which 
seventy-one  were  those  of  Skene  s  colonists. 

On  the  opening  of  the  Revolution  Skene  was  in  England, 
suppo.sed  to  be  seeking  tlie  establishment  of  a  new  province 
called  Ticonderoga,  with  Skencsborough  as  the  capital,  and 
himself  as  governor.  He  was  understood  to  be  friendly  to 
the  king's  side  in  the  great  controversy,  and  the  Americans 
resolved  to  break  up  liis  settlement  at  once.  Accordingly, 
on  the  13th  of  May,  1775,  a  party  of  volunteers,  under 
command  of  Captain  Ilerrick,  marched  into  Skencsborough, 
which  they  captured  without  opposition.*  Skene's  son,  fifty 
settlers,  and  twelve  negroes  were  taken  prisoners.  Skene's 
sloop  was  also  captured  and  sent  down  the  lake  to  Arnold, 
who  made  it  the  flag-ship  of  the  fleet  he  iinpiovised  on 
Lake  Champlain. 

Skencsborough  being  considered  a  point  of  importance, 
as  commanding  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain,  General 
Schuyler  was  ordered  to  occupy  it  with  a  garrison  and  put 
it  in  a  condition  for  defense,  by  repairing  and  adding  to  the 
old  intrenchments.  The  place  was  held  by  the  patriots  for 
more  than  two  years,  during  whicli  time  the  harbor  was  the 
rendezvous  of  the  American  naval  force  in  the  upper  lake. 

In  July,  1777,  came  the  army  of  Burgoyne.  The  mili- 
tary movements  attending  that  great  invasion  are  given  in 
the  general  history,  but  some  of  the  local  items  find  their 
more  proper  place  here. 

Burgoyne's  right  wing  encamped  on  ground  now  the 
west  part  of  Whitehall  village,  extending  west  from  Canal 
street  to  the  foot  of  the  hill ;  the  Brunswickers,  forming 
the  left,  lay  away  to  the  east,  and  the  Indian  allies  were 
very  properly  placed    on    the  lower  ground  along  Wood 


'^■'  Tn  some  accounts  of  this  occurrence  it  hns  been  said  that  the  Tol- 
unlcers,  in  pillaging  the  house,  found  there  the  de.id  body  of  Slicne's 
wife  scaled  in  a  lead  coffin,  which  he  had  licpt  iu  this  way  for  j'cars, 
to  secure  the  continuance  of  an  annuity  which  was  made  payable 
"  so  long  as  she  remained  above  ground,"  and  that  the  soldiers  buried 
it  in  the  y.ard  .idjoining  the  house.  This,  however,  does  not  appear 
authentic,  though  crcdoncc  is  given  to  it  by  Kev.  Lewis  Kellogg,  in 
his  historical  discourse  delivered  June  27,  1S17. 


creek,  with  civilized  troops  upon  their  either  hand.f  The 
headquarters  of  Burgoyne  were  at  the  stone  mansion  of 
Skene,  and  the  colonel  himself,  as  he  was  then  called, 
though  he  held  no  rank  in  the  British  regular  army,  who 
had  returned  from  exile  with  his  countrymen,  played  the 
part  of  host  to  the  British  commander,  and  we  may  well 
imagine  that  the  old  house  never  contained  so  proud  or  so 
gay  a  company  as  during  the  three  weeks  which  the  gen- 
eral and  his  staif  spent  there,  awaiting  the  removal  of 
obstructions  on  the  route  to  Fort  Edward. 

In  the  movement  on  Bennington,  Skene,  being  well  ac- 
quainted with  that  section  of  country,  joined  Baum's  forces, 
and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Aug.  16,  in  which  he  is  said 
to  have  had  four  horses  shot  dead  under  liim,  and  a  fifth  so 
badly  wounded  that  it  died  alter  carrying  the  rider  safely 
out  of  the  fight.  This  was  said  to  have  been  the  work  of 
Stark's  sharpshooters,  who  recognized  the  major,  and  par- 
ticularly desired  that  he  should  be  taken  alive.  If  this 
was  their  object  they  were  soon  gratified,  for  Skene  was 
surrendered  with  Burgoyne's  army  on  the  17th  of  October. 
He  was  afterwards  exchanged  and  returned  to  England, 
where  he  died  at  an  advanced  age.  His  stone  mansion  at 
Skenesborongh  was  destroyed  by  fire,  kindled,  as  many  said, 
by  his  own  direction,  to  prevent  it  from  falling  into  the 
hands  of  his  foes,  but  of  this  there  is  no  satisfactory  proof. 

His  lands  were  confiscated  and  sold,  the  purchasers 
being  Joseph  Stringham,  John  Murray,  and  General  John 
Williams,  of  Salem.J  The  price  paid  by  these  gentlemen 
for  all  the  lands  was  fourteen  pounds  ten  shillings,  their  first 
bid,  there  being  no  competition  at  the  sale,  jirobably  on 
account  of  the  evil  repute  which  had  fallen  on  Skencs- 
borough, as  being  a  location  of  extreme  unhealthfulncss,§ 
which  at  that  time,  and  for  years  afterwards,  was  undoubt- 
edly true ;  for  it  is  known  the  mortality  here  was  very 
great  among  the  soldiers  of  the  garrison  from  1775  to 
1777,  and  was  scarcely  less  in  proportion,  among  the  few 
inl'abitants  of  the  place,  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

TOWN    OUCANIZATION    AND    OFFICERS. 

Although  Skene.'^borough  was  erected  into  a  township  by 
the  same  patent  of  March  13,  17G5,  which  gave  title  to 
the  land,  there  is  no  record  to  be  found  of  any  municipal 

+  Israel  Warner,  a 'son  of  Colonel  Sclh  Warner,  of  Bennington 
fame,  for  many  years  a  resident  in  the  town  of  Whitehall,  was  fond 
of  r(  lating  how  at  that  time  he  was  sent  by  his  father  as  a  scout,  to 
watch  the  movements  and  position  of  the  enemy,  from  the  top  of 
Slieue's  mountain. 

I  General  Williams  afterwards  became  sole  owner,  purchasing 
Stringham's  entire  interest  in  1802,  and  Murray's  in  1803. 

^  Fearful  and  often  ridiculous  tales  were  also  told  concerning  other 
alledgcd  disadvantages  of  the  place,  particularly  of  the  prevalence 
of  mosquitoes.  Mr.  Isaac  Weld,  Jr.,  who  in  1795  made  a  tour 
iu  the  United  States  for  the  purpose  **  of  ascertaining  whether,  in 
case  of  future  emergency,  any  part  of  America  might  be  looked  for- 
ward to  as  an  eligible  place  of  abode,"  wrote  as  follows;  "Skenes- 
borongh is  most  dreadfully  infested  with  mosquitoes.  .  .  .  These 
insects  were  of  a  much  larger  size  than  any  I  ever  saw  elsewhere, 
and  their  bite  was  uncommonly  venomous.  General  Washington 
told  me  that  he  never  was  so  much  annoyed  by  mosquitoes  in  any 
part  of  America  as  at  Skencsborough,  for  they  used  to  bite  through 
the  thickest  boot !"  Amazing  as  this  may  seem,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  if  General  Washington  made  this  statement  it  was  strictly  true. 
What  wonder  thai  lands  here  were  uusalable? 


X 


y^--^<^  Jl^. 


k  '7^/'-7~e  <V^         H-C(^-n. 


WILLIAM    HANNAS. 


Deacon  William  Ilannas  was  born  in  New  York 
city,  June  22,  1799.  Ho  was  second  son  of  Thomas 
and  Jane  Hannas.  He  spent  his  early  life  at  home,  and 
a  part  of  his  minority  in  boating  on  North  river,  where 
he  first  became  impressed  with  the  idea  of  boat-building. 
His  parents  removed  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he  served  his 
time  in  the  ship-yard  as  an  apprentice.  In  the  year  1822 
he  came  to  Whitehall,  and  at  once  engaged  in  boat-build- 
ing, which  has  been  the  main  business  of  his  life,  and 
which  he  has  continued  until  within  the  past  year ;  and 
during  over  a  half-century,  as  a  business  man  of  that 
village,  he  has  exemplified  to  all  men  that  integrity  of 
purpose  and  resolution  to  accomplish  whatever  he  con- 
ceived to  be  right,  characteristic  of  him  in  all  his  busi- 
ness transactions. 

Deacon  Hannas  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  old 
Whig  party,  but  is  now  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles.  As 
early  as  1825  he  united  with  the  Presbyterian  church 
of    Whitehall,   and    has    been    active   in    that    body    and 


prominent  in  it.s  councils  since,  and  for  a  period  of  some 
forty-six  years  has  held  the  office  of  deacon. 

In  the  year  182.3,  Dec.  7,  he  married  Miss  Charretty, 
eldest  daughter  of  Joseph  Drake  Benjamin  and  Sarah 
Washburn,  of  Whitehall.  Her  great-grandfather  Drake 
was  a  descendant  of  Sir  Francis  Drake,  the  navigator, 
and  came  to  America  as  a  captain  in  the  English  army 
during  the  Franco-English  war  of  1759.  The  family 
were  early  settlers  of  Whitehall. 

Mrs.  Hannas  was  born  May  27,  1802;  is  connected 
with  the  Presbyterian  church  a-s  a  member,  and  has 
always  lent  her  influence  to  the  support  of  every  good 
work. 

To  Deacon  and  Mrs.  Hannas  have  been  born  two 
children, — Joseph  died  at  the  age  of  two  years,  and  the 
youngest  died  in  infancy.  Deacon  Ilannas  is  a  plain, 
unostentatious  man,  contributing  to  society  his  moral  and 
religious  support.  In  his  dealings  with  men  in  his  cm- 
ploy,  his  kindness  of  heart  and  true  sympathy  for  the 
deserving  were  worthy  of  notice. 


IIISTOUY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NHW    Y015K. 


475 


organiz:ition  until  about  thirteen  years  later.  In  1778  the 
first  known  town-meeting  was  held,  at  which  Daniel  Brund- 
age  and  Levi  Stuckwell  were  elected  supervisors;  James 
Burroughs,  town  clerk  ;  Thomas  Wilson,  Joseph  Earle,  and 
Zebuion  Stubbs,  assessors;  and  Wni.  Higley,  constable. 
Daniel  Brundage  was  again  elected  supervisor  in  1771), 
Levi  Stockwell  in  1780,  Silas  Obiids  in  17S2-8:j,  James 
Burroughs  and  Silas  Cbilds  in  1781. 

In  1786  the  namj  of  Skenesborough  was  abandoned, 
and  the  town  reorganized  as  Whitehall. 

During  the  succeeding  thirty  years  the  following-named 
persons  were  elected  to  the  office  of  supervisor:  Daniel 
Earll  and  Joel  Adams,  178(5 ;  Jeremiah  Burroughs,  1787  ; 
Cornelius  Jones,  1788-91;  Thomas  Lyon,  1792;  Daniel 
Earll,  1793;  Jeremiah  Buiroughs,  1794-97;  Nathaniel 
E.irle,  1798-99;   Daniel  Earll,  1890-14. 

Those  elected  to  the  offic3  of  town  clerk  during  the  same 
period  were  as  follows :  Isaac  Danks,  1780  ;  B.  Richard- 
son, 1787-91;  Asa  Noyes,  1792-9:-5;  George  Aekley, 
1791-97,  and  again  in  1803;  Gideon  Taft,  1798-1802 
and  1804-7,  all  inclusive;  Nathaniel  Hall,  1808-14. 

From  the  record  of  1815*  (which  is  the  earliest  now 
known  to  e.xist  relating  to  this  town  aflcr  it  assumed  the 
name  of  Whitehall)  we  find  that  the  annual  meeting  in 
that  year  was  held  at  the  house  of  Horace  Carpenter,  on 
the  first  Monday  in  March,  and  that  the  following  officers 
were  elected  for  the  ensuing  year;  Daniel  Earll,  supervisor; 
Nathaniel  Hall,  town  clerk;  Solomon  T.  Vine,  collector; 
William  Johnson,  E.  Manville,  Thomas  Griffith,  assessors; 
John  McClintick,  Benjamin  Delamater,  overseers  of  poor; 
Philip  Hatch,  Squire  Bartholomew,  Anthony  Kinner,  com- 
missioners of  highways ;  Justin  Smith,  Milo  Daley,  S.  T. 
Vine,  Philip  Hatch,  James  Manville,  constables. 

Following  are  the  names  of  town  officers  who  have  been 
elected  in  Whitehall  since  1815,  with  the  date  of  such 
election  : 

Siijicrvisofs.  —  Melancthon  Wheeler,  1810-20;  Daniel 
Earll,  1821-33;  George  Barney,  1834-40  ;  Elisha  A.  Mar- 
tin, 1841-42;  Dennis  Jones,  1843-44;  John  H.  Boyd, 
1845,  1848-49  ;  Philander  C.  Hitchcock,  184G-t7;  Daniel 
S.  Wright,  1850;  Oliver  Ba.scom,  1851-52,  1804-05; 
Olif  Abell.  1853-54;  Alwyn  Martin,  1855-56;  Randolph 
C.  Johnson.  1857 ;  Julio  T.  Buel,  1858-59 ;  Taylor  Man- 
ville, lSCO-61 ;  Samuel  Benjamin,  1862-63  ;  A.  II.  Tan- 
ner, 1866;  Elisha  A.  Martin,  1867-69;  George  Brett, 
1870-71,  1873-74;  S.T.Cook,  1872;  Warren  F.  Bas- 
com,  1875-77. 

Town  67f/A;s.— Nathan  Hall,  1816-21  and  1823-25, 
all  inclusive;  Justin  Smith,  1822;  Gideon  Taft,  1826-30, 
1832,  and  1836-40;  Julian  G.  Buel,  1831;  James  G. 
Caldwell,  1833  ;  Edward  W.  Parker,  1834-35 ;  Andrew 
Anderson,  1841-44;  Robert  Doig,  Jr.,  1845-47  ;  Henry 
Gibson,  1848-49;  Horatio  N.  Parke,  1850-54;  Franklin 
Bascom,  1855-56;  D.  Lafayette  Falkenbury,  1857-59; 
Albert  G.  Bristol,  1858  ;  George  Hall,  1860  ;  Charles  C. 

»  Tlio  first  book  of  town  records,  cmbrncing  the  time  from  the  or- 
giviii/.aliun  to  the  year  1S15,  hius  bi'en  lost  or  ilestroycd.  The  names 
which  we  give  of  officers  elected  jivior  to  that  time  have  been  talicn 
fiom  "Corey's  Gazetteer,"  luiblisheil  in  ISjd. 


Rich,  1861-67  ;  Heman  0.  Allen,  1868-71 ;  J.  F.  Clark, 
1872;  James  M.  Wood,  1873  ;  Lewis  K.  Pierce,  1874-77. 
Jdslices  of  the  I'r.nce. —  WwAmn  Harlow,  1830-31; 
William  H.  Parker,  1831;  John  H.  B,)yd,  1832,  1836, 
1840;  Jacob  Searl,  1833,  1837;  Job  11.  Smith,  1834; 
Henry  Gayl.nd,  1835,  1838,  1845,  1849;  Dennis  Jones, 
1837;  Salmon  Noble,  1838;  Ira  Wilson,  1840;  Robert 
Doig,  Jr.,  1841-42,  1846,  1850,  1854;  George  Dougla.ss, 
1841;  Rcns.selaer  Wright,  1841,  1843-44;  Jame-s  Mcln- 
tyre,  1843;  Horace  Stowell,  1847,  1857;  Serve  1  Fish, 
1848,  1853,  1856;  Isaac  Wood,*  1849,  1852;  Athorton 
Hall,  M.D.,  1851;  F.  D.  Meacham,  1853;  David  Wil.son, 
1855;  Hiram  Dickinson,  1858,  1867;  Alfred  J.  Long, 
1858,  1859;  0.  Watkins,  1860;  Jacob  C.  Dewey,  1860; 
Cassius  D.  Ltuidon,  1801;  Jolin  F.  Clarke,  1862;  A.saph 
Withcrell,  1803,  1873,  1877;  Asa  Hawley,  1864,  1868; 
John  Neville,  1865  ;  W.  C.  Corbett,  1866  ;  George  Gris- 
wold,  1866  ;  J.  A.  Smith,  1867,  187«,  1875  ;  Elisha  Scott, 
1868;  J.  A.  Watkin.s,  1870;  L-^mon  Barns,  1871;  Na- 
than Smith,  1872;  Frederick  L.  Beldon,  1872;  Ciiarles  G. 
Davis,  1874;  William  G.  Merriam,  1876. 

ColhcUirs. — Solomon  T.  Vine,  181(5  to  1832,  inclusive; 
Cyrus  Boardinan,  1833;  Warren  Smith,  1834;  Gideon 
Searl,  1835;  Horace  Stowell,  1836-37;  Bartlctt  L.  Dibble, 
1838  to  1841,  inclusive,  1849;  Samuel  T.  Jillson,  1843- 
44;  Job  B.  Hicks,  1845-47;  Daniel  Clark,  1818;  Lyman 
Carpenter,  1850-51 ;  Edward  Lusher,  1852;  Charles  Pardo, 
1853;  Murray  Manville,  1854-55,  1859;  Dulhan  Benja- 
min, 1857,  1871 ;  Josiah  Bascom,  1853;  A.sa  Abell,  1861- 
62,  1875;  P.  P.  Gaylord,  1863;  John  Carrington,  1864; 
John  Brett,  1805;  Amos  Morris,  IStJO;  Hugh  McCotter, 
1867;  C.  C.  Rich,  1868;  A.  0.  Kane,  1870;  Daniel 
Pratt,  1872;  B.  Wilson,  1873;  Basil  W.  Peacor,  1874; 
James  H.  Bustecd,  1876;  Alonzo  Bailey,  1877. 

Other  officers  for  1877  are  Harvey  Bartholomew,  high- 
way commissioner;  Anson  Parks,  over.secr  of  the  poor; 
Sereno  Ilollister,  assessor;  George  H.  Buel,  exci.se  commis- 
sioner; W.  M.  Kcitii,  H.  T.  Gaylord,  Wm.  H.  Cooke, 
auditors. 

E.VRLY    SETTLERS — Wil  ITEII.M.L    HEKOIIE    1825. 

It  is  said  that  in  1790  the  number  of  dwellings  in  the 
village  did  not  exceed  eight  or  ten,  though  this  seems  hardly 
consistent  with  the  fact  that  a  post-office  wxs  cst;iblished 
here  about  1796.  Certain  it  is,  however,  that  the  settle- 
ment increased  very  slowly;  a  fact  largely  due  to  the 
reputed  sickliness  of  the  place.  Among  the  earliest  settlers 
in  the  town  were  Zebulon  Fuller,  Daniel  Brundage,  ElLsha 
Martin,  Levi  Stockwell,  Zebulon  Tubbs,  Robert  Wilson, 
Josiah  Farr,  John  Connor,  James  Burroughs,  Joseph, 
Daniel,  and  Nathaniel  Earle,  Jeremiah  Burroughs,  Silas 
Childs,  Samuel  Wilson,  William  Graham,  John  Gault, 
Gideon  Taft,  Cornelius  Jones,  Thomas  Wilson,  William 
Higley,  Levi  Falkenbury,  Joel  Adams,  Thomas  Lyon, 
George  Douglass,  Samuel  Hatch,  Rufus  Whitford,  Simeon 

Hotchki.ss,  John  Cogswell, Panghorn,  Stephen  Knowles, 

Joseph  Bishop,  Thomas  McFarren,  Ejihraim  Thomas,  An- 
drew Law,  Enoch  Wright,  Lemuel  Bartholomew,  Stephen 
Parks,  Silas  Baker,  Israel  Warner. 

Upon  the  opening  of  the  War  of  1812,  Whitehall  again 


476 


HISTOr.Y   OF   AVASIIIXGTON    COUiNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


became  a  strategic  point,  and  a  base  of  supplies.  Govern- 
uient  store-houses  weie  luilt,  the  old  loitificaticnson  tlie  hil 
were  mounted  with  artillery,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of 
Church  street  barracks  were  constructed  for  the  troops  with 
which  the  place  was  garrisoned.  It  was  the  rendezvous  of 
the  forces  raised  to  resist  Provost's  advance  on  Plaflsburg 
in  1814,*  and  after  McDonough's  brilliant  victory  on  Sep- 
tember 14,  in  that  year,  the  vessels  captured  by  hiui,  as 
well  as  several  of  those  of  his  own  squadron,  were  collected 
in  East  bay,  a  short  distance  below  the  village ;  and  here 
they  lay  quietly,  side  by  side,  until  they  decayed  and  sunk, 
one  by  one,  at  their  moorings.  There  are  yet  many  among 
the  older  citizens  who  recollect  Captain  Budd  and  his 
brother  oiEeers  in  charge,  who  lived  for  a  long  time,  and 
perhaps  rather  pleasantly,  on  board  the  "  Confiance,"  which 
had  been  the  flag-ship  of  the  Britishf  in  the  fight  at  Cum- 
berland Head. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war  the  vilLige  made 
considerable  increase  in  population,  but  probably  very  little 
advance  in  character,  for  it  is  represented  as  being  then  a 
very  immoral  place.  In  1817  it  contained  between  forty 
and  fifty  buildings,  among  which  were  Anthony  Kock's 
hotel,  near  present  site  of  Yule  House;  Henry  Wi.swell's, 
where  the  opera-house  now  is ;  the  Bellamy  House,  near 
the  site  of  the  gas-works ;  James  H.  Hooker's  store,  whore 
0.  F.  Davis'  block  now  stands;  Captain  Archibald  Smith's 
storc,J  on  the  site  of  Grand  Union  Hotel  ;  the  store  of 
Ezra  Smith  ;  and  another  store  by  Rock  &  Fonda,  near  the 
west  end  of  the  log  bridge  (the  only  one  across  the  creek, 
and  about  where  the  foot-bridge  now  is) ;  a  small  store  by 
James  Perry,  east  of  the  creek  ;  the  saw-mill  and  grist-mill 
of  J.  H.  Hooker,  above  his  store,  on  the  bank  of  the  creek  ; 
and  near  these,  a  fulling-mill  and  Langdon's  stave-mill. 
The  government  store-houses  stood  on  the  margin  of  the 
basin,  and  a  school-house  on  the  corner  of  Central  and  Di- 
vision streets. 

In  1820,  Whitehall  became  an  incorporated  village,  but 
the  records  covering  the  first  forty  years  of  its  existence  as 
such  have  been  destroyed.  In  1822§  the  Champlain  canal 
was  opened  between  here  and  Fort  Edward,  and  the  first 
newspaper,  The  Whitehall  Emporium,  was  established,  con- 
tinuing for  six  years.  In  the  fall  of  1824  the  canal  was 
completed  through  to  Troy,  and  during  the  same  year 
Whitehall,  then  a  village  of  some  seventy  dwellings,  re- 
ceived the  honor  of  a  visit  from  the  Marquis  Lafayette. 
He  had  embarked  at  Burlington,  on  the  steamer  "  Phoenix," 
which  had  been  specially  placed  at  his  service  for  the  trip 
hither.  On  his  arrival  he  was  received  with  all  the  display 
which  the  village  could  command,  and  was  most  hospitably 


^'  It  was  at  that  time  that  the  intrenchments  and  magazine  were 
erected  on  Taft's  isliiuj  below  the  village;  of  which  some  traces  arc 
still  visible. 

t  One  of  the  British  ships  (known  to  be  such  by  the  copper  fasten- 
ings) has  been  recently  blown  up  with  nitro-glyceriue,  from  motives 
of  curiosity,  and  to  procure  fragments  as  relics. 

X  The  front  of  this  store  and  the  store  of  Hooker  were  the  first  brick 
structures  in  the  village;  the  former  erected  in  1S16,  and  the  latter 
in  1817. 

g  Rev.  Mr.  Kellogg  gives  the  date  as  1S20,  but  sevcrnl  of  the  oldest 
and  most  reliable  citizens  whom  we  have  consulted  unite  in  placing 
it  at  1S22. 


entertained  at  Wiswell's  Hotel,  after  which  he  departed  by 
land  lor  Troy  and  Albany. 

STEAM liOAT    NAVIGATION. 

Nearly  the  entire  history  of  the  town  of  Whitehall  is 
comprehended  in  tliat  of  its  village,  in  which  a  prominent 
place  should  properly  be  given  to  the  steamboat  navigation 
upon  Lake  Champlain,  which  for  more  than  sixty  years 
centered  here  as  a  teiminal  point.  The  first  steamer  upon 
the  lake  was  the  "Vermont,"  built  at  Vergennes  about 
1810.  She  ran  for  a  time  between  Whitehall  and  St.  John, 
under  command  of  Captain  Wynass,  but  her  trade  was  of 
course  interrupted  by  the  War  of  1812—15.  She  was  sunk 
by  accident,  at  Ash  island,  before  1817.  Next  came  the 
"  Phoenix,"  about  ISlC,  built  and  run  for  the  Champlain 
Transportation  Company,]]  by  Captain  Jehazel  Sherman, 
previously  a  sloop-master  on  the  North  river.  His  son. 
Captain  Richard  W.  Sherman,  afterwards  became  her  com- 
mander, and  under  him  she  was  destroyed  by  fire,  between 
Burlington  and  I'lattsburg,  in  1819.  The  "  Champlain" 
was  also  put  on  by  the  company  in  1816  ;  was  commanded 
by  Captain  Wm.  Brush,  and  was  accidentally  burned  in 
Whitehall  harbor  in  1817.  Her  engine  was  raised,  repaired, 
and  placed  on  a  new  boat  called  the  "  Congress,"  built  by 
Captain  J.  Sherman  for  the  company,  and  put  on  in  1819, 
a  short  time  before  the  burning  of  the  •'  Phoenix  ;"  after 
which  she  was  the  only  remaining  boat,  and  was  taken  by 
Captain  R.  W.  Sherman.  She  remained  on  the  line  till 
worn  out. 

A  second  "  Phoenix"  was  put  on  about  1822,  under  Cap- 
tain J.  Sherman.  She  received  the  engine  of  the  old 
"  Phoenix,"  but  this  being  found  too  weak  to  give  the 
speed  which  was  desired  in  view  of  the  opposition  then 
threatening,  a  new  engine  was  procured,  which,  proving  as 
much  too  strong,  soon  wrenched  and  destroyed  the  boat. 

The  opposition  was  brought  about  by  Captain  J.  Sher- 
man, who  had  been  discharged  from  the  employ  of  the 
company.  A  ferry-boat,  which  had  been  running  at  St. 
Alban's,  was  purchased,  lengthened,  and  remodeled,  and  in 
1826  was  placed"  on  the  route  as  the  opposition  boat 
"  Franklin."  Captain  R.  W.  Sherman  (who  had  also  been 
discharged  by  the  company)  took  command,  and  being  very 
popular  on  the  lake,  the  company  not  long  after  came  to 
terms,  reinstated  Captain  Sherman,  and  purchased  the  boat, 
which  was  worn  out  in  their  service. 

The  success  of  the  "  Franklin"  encouraged  others.  The 
"  Washington"  was  built  by  Ross  &  McNeil,  and  put  on  in 
1827,  as  an  opposition,  under  Captain  James  Snow.  She 
continued  as  such  for  about  two  years,  aud  was  then  bought 
off  by  the  company  and  used  till  worn  out. 

About  1832  a  Burlington  ferry-boat,  the  "  Winooski," 
was  purchased  and  remodeled,  to  be  placed  on  the  route, 
under  Captain  Daniel  Lyon,  as  an  opposition,  but  was  at 
once  bought  off  by  the  company,  aud  afterwards  used  by 
them  as  a  tow-boat. 

The  "  Burlington,"  a  much  larger  and  more  .splendid 
boat  than  any  of  her  predecessors,  was  built  under  super- 
vision of  Captain  R.  W.  Sherman,  and  placed  on  the  line 

II  The  "  Phccnix"  was  also  built  at  Vergennes. 


/^^  ''W 


o3  0^j7<  t~/6H^^  ^ 


a^'i/pt  cf^ 


DWIGHT  HOLLISTER. 


Dwight  Hollister  was  bora  at  Glastenbury,  Hartford 
Co.,  Conn.,  April  18,  1800,  and  was  the  fourth  child  in 
a  family  of  three  sons  and  five  daughters.  His  parents, 
Roger  and  Hannah  Hollister,  were  natives  of  the  same 
place,  being  of  Welsh  descent. 

When  only  six  years  of  age  he  came  to  the  town  of 
Whitehall  with  his  parents,  and  settled  on  the  farm  north 
and  adjoining  the  one  he  now  owns.  His  minority  was 
spent  in  the  routine  of  farm  labor,  and  attending  school 
first  at  the  common  school,  but  subsequently  at  the  Gran- 
ville Academy.  Soon  after  becoming  of  age  he  learned 
the  carpenter  and  joiner  trade  with  Hiram  Shaw ;  and, 
after  three  years,  gave  his  attention  to  milling  and  boat- 
building, which  business  he  followed  for  over  twenty 
years,  when  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Warren  county,  town 
of  Chester.  In  the  year  1834  he  returned  to  this  county, 
purchased  a  farm  near  where  he  now  resides,  and  subse- 
quently the  one  he  now  owns,  comprising  some  two 
hundred  and  twelve  acres.  Mr.  Hollister  has  spent  a 
life  of  activity,  and  is  known  as  a  man  of  strict  integrity 
in  all  his  business  transactions. 

January  30,  1830,  he  manied  Miss  Happielona  Coggs- 
well,  daughter  of  Captain  John  Coggswell,  by  whom  he 
had  eight  children,  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom 


three  daughters  and  two  sons  are  living:  Hannah,  wife 
of  David  Armstrong ;  John  C. ;  Eunice,  wife  of  Nicholas 
F.  Hilliard  ;  Sereno ;  Happielona,  wife  of  Aaron  V.  Depew. 
Of  the  children  deceased,  all,  save  Frances  Ann,  died 
in  infancy. 

His  wife  died  Dec.  30,  1846.  For  his  second  wife 
he  married  Miss  Hannah  Coggswell,  sister  of  his  first 
wife,  Oct.  24,  1847,  with  whom  he  is  living  at  present; 
and,  although  past  seventy  years  of  age,  is  in  quite 
robust  health  of  both  body  and  mind. 

In  politics  Mr.  Hollister  was  originally  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party,  but  upon  the  formation 
of  the  Republican  party  became  identified  with  its  prin- 
ciples. Under  the  old  law  he  was  inspector  of  the  common 
schools  of  the  town  of  Hampton  for  a  t«rm  of  three 
years.  He  has  done  his  part  in  supporting  all  interests 
tending  to  elevate  and  educate  the  rising  generation. 

Mrs.  Hollister  is  now  in  her  eighty-first  year,  having 
been  born  in  1798,  on  the  farm  where  she  now  resides. 
Her  father.  Captain  Coggswell,  settled  on  this  farm  about 
the  year  1788,  and  hence  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  town  ;  was  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  received 
the  title  of  captain  in  the  State  militia.  Captain  Coggs- 
well died  about  the  year  1837,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


477 


in  1829  or  1830.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Sher- 
man for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  then  considered  (to 
use  the  words  of  a  veteran  Chaniplain  captain)  "  the  pride 
of  the  world." 

The  '•  Whitehall"  was  built  at  "  the  elbow,"  at  White- 
hall, about  1S33,  by  Peter  Comstock,  from  wiioiii  .she  was 
purchased  liy  the  company,  and  was  run  on  their  line  under 
Captain  Lyon,  Captain  Lothrop,  and  other,'^. 

The  "  Saranac"  was  put  on  by  the  company  about  the 
same  time.  Slie  was  commanded  by  Captain  Phillips,  and 
ran  until  worn  out. 

One  of  the  best-remembered  boats  on  the  lake  was  the 
"  Francis  Saltus,"  built  at  Whitehall  by  Peter  Coni.stock, 
and  put  on  in  1845,  as  an  opposition  boat,  under  Captain 
Henry  G.  Tisdale.  At  fir.st  the  "  Whitebair'  ran  apiiiist 
her,  and  afterwards  the  "  Saranac,"  but  neither  being  able  to 
equal  her  speed,  the  company  built  a  new  boat,  the  "  United 
States,"  for  that  especial  purpose.  She  was  put  on  in  1847, 
and  in  one  sea.son  brought  the  opposition  to  terms,  and  the 
"  Saltus"  was  sold  to  the  company  in  1848.  During  the 
period  of  her  opposition  the  price  of  passage  from  White- 
hall to  St.  John  was  brought  as  low  as  one  shilling.  The 
"  United  States"  was  a  favorite  boat,  and  ran  on  the  line  for 
many  years.  Her  first  captain  was  P.  T.  Davis,  and  after- 
wards Captain  William  Anderson,  who  commanded  her  for 
a  long  time,  and  was  one  of  the  most  faithful,  widely-known, 
and  universally-respected  captains  who  ever  sailed  Lake 
Champlain.  He  still  lives,  but  in  exceedingly  feeble  health, 
at  Burlington. 

The  Saratoga  and  W^ashington  railroad,  which  was  opened 
to  Whiteliall  in  December,  1848,  brought  a  great  increase 
of  traffic,  and  marked  the  commencement  of  the  period  of 
greatest  prosperity,  both  for  the  village  and  the  steamboat 
line.  In  the  following  year  was  commenced  the  tunnel, 
seven  hundred  feet  in  length,  under  Church  street,  by  means 
of  which  the  trains  received  and  delivered  their  passengers 
directly  at  the  steamer's  wharf,  below  "  the  elbow." 

The  "  Canada"  was  built  at  Whitehall,  in  1852-53  ;  was 
purchased  by  the  company,  put  on  the  line,  under  Captain 
Seth  Foster,  and  run  until  worn  out. 

The  "  11.  W.  Sherman,"  built  at  Whitehall  about  the 
same  time,  was  put  on  as  an  opposition,  under  Captain 
Thomas  Chapman,  but  about  a  year  afterwards  was  pur- 
cha.sed  by  the  company. 

The  '•  IMontreal,"  partially  built  at  Whitehall  in  1847-48, 
was  intended  as  an  opposition  boat  to  run  with  the  "  Saltus," 
but  was  purcliased  in  an  unfinished  state  by  the  company, 
who  laid  her  up  at  Shelburne  for  several  years.  She  was 
then  finished  and  put  on  the  route  in  1857,  under  Captain 
Henry  Mayo.  She  ran  as  a  passenger  boat  for  several 
years ;  was  then  sold  to  the  Northern  Transportation  line, 
and  used  as  a  towboat  until  the  summer  of  1877,  when 
she  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  "  Adirondack"  was  built  by  the  company  and  put  on 
about  18G5,  under  Captain  William  II.  Flagg.  She  was 
afterwards  commanded  by  Captain  Anderson. 

The  hust  of  the  through  passenger  boats  was  named  for 
the  pioneer  steamer  of  sixty  years  before, — "  Vermont." 
She  was  put  on  by  the  company  about  1871,  under  Caj)tain 
Flagg,  and,  with  the  ''  Adirondack,"  continued  to  ply  from 


Whitehall  until  the  opening  of  the  New  York  and  Canada 
railroad,  in  1875,  wlien  they  were  transferred  to  Ticonderoga, 
and  the  lake  above  that  point  was  closed  as  a  throu"h  pas- 
senger route  forever. 

The  Northern  Transportation  lino  have  three  steamers 
engaged  in  the  towing  of  boats  and  barges  between  White- 
hall and  St.  John's.  This  company  Wiis  established  in 
1857,  having  originated  in  a  private  transporution  busi- 
ness started  by  Colonel  James  H.  Hooker,  of  Troy,  and 
afterwards  purchased  by  Baseom,  Vauglian  &  Co.  Tho 
present  president  of  the  line  is  W.  F.  Baseom. 

The  Whitehall  Transportation  Company  was  incorporated 
in  18G5,  with  E.  E.  Davis  president.  The  present  direc- 
tors are  A.  H.  Griswold,  president  ;  W.  H.  Cook,  II.  G. 
Tisdale,  John  L.  Blanchard,  D.  G.  Percival,  Wui.  H.  Keith, 
Wm.  Allen,  H.  C.  Griswold.  They  have  five  propellers 
engaged  in  towing  hence  to  Montreal  via  the  Chambly 
canal.  Three  of  these  vessels,  viz.,  the  "  John  II.  Heed," 
the  "  H.  G.  Tisdale"  (iron),  and  the  "  Quaker  City,"  were 
built  in  Philadelphia,  under  the  supervision  of  Captain  H. 
G.  Tisdale,  and  brought  to  the  lake  by  .sea,  and  up  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

The  private  transportation  line  of  II.  G.  Burleigh  is  also 
engaged  in  the  business  as  extensively  as  either  of  the  com- 
panies. A  short  line  of  steamers  ran  between  Whitehall 
and  Ticonderoga  until  the  clo.se  of  navigation  in  1X77, 
but  it  is  understood  they  are  now  finally  withdrawn. 

THE  PORT  OF  WUITEUALL. 
The  district  of  Champlain,  in  which  Whitehall  is  in- 
cluded, was  created  by  act  of  Congress,  approved  March  2, 
1799.  The  first  recognition,  however,  which  we  find  of 
Whitehall  as  a  port,  is  in  the  act  of  Congress  passed  Jan. 
10,  1849,  and  in  the  proclamation  of  President  Polk,  March 
2,  18-19,  extending  certain  privileges  to  "the  port  of 
Whitehall."  And  section  2535,  "  Revised  Statutes,"  de- 
clares Whitehall  a  port  of  delivery.  Following  is  a  li.st  of 
deputy  collectors  in  charge  at  Whitehall  during  the  past 
twenty  years,  which  is  as  far  back  as  we  have  been  able  to 
trace;  Matthew  D.  Sherrill,  appointed  Aug.  23,  1858,  re- 
moved 18{il  ;  Julio  T.  Buel,  appointed  July  13,  18G1,  re- 
signed April  2,  1873  ;  Nathan  Hall,  appointed  April  2, 
1873,  died  September,  1875;  Wm.  II.  Tefft,  appointed 
September  11,  1S75,  still  in  office,  January,  1878. 

THE   WHITEHALL   POST-OFFICE 

was  established  in  1796,  but  the  name  of  the  first  postmaster 
cannot  be  given  with  certainty.  Gideon  Taft  was  postmasster 
in  1809,  and  tho  list  of  the  incumbents  of  the  office  from 
that  time  until  the  present  is  as  follows,  viz.  :  I'iZra  Smith, 
James  G.  Caldwell,  Henry  Kirtland,  Atherton  Hall,  W.  G. 
Wolcott,  R.  II.  Winters,  Olif  Abel,  Tracy  Cowcn,  and  II. 
N.  Parke,  the  present  postmaster.  Mr.  Parke,  when  a  lad 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  carried  the  mails  on  the  route 
between  Whitehall  and  Vcrgennes,  Vt.,  seventy-one  miles; 
the  round  trip  occupying  two  days,  and  the  service  being 
weekly  between  these  two  points. 

VILL.-VC.E   CHARTER,  ISSO-^SKCKEDI.VO    OFFICERS. 
The  act  revising  and  consolidating  previous  laws  in  rela- 
tion to  the  village  of  Whitehall,  and  incorporating  it  as  at 


478 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON    COUNTS,  NEW   YORK. 


present,  was  passed  March  16,  1850,  and  has  since  been 
amended  in  the  years  1853,  1859,  1869,  and  1876.  The 
records  of  the  village  extend  no  farther  back  than  1861, 
all  the  earlier  ones  having  been  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  April 
13,  1860.  Since  that  time  the  sucee.ssive  presidents  of  the 
village  have  been  A.  Hall,  1861  to  1867,  inclusive;  W. 
J.  Smith,  1868;  A.  Martin,  1869;  D.  G.  Percival,  1870- 
72;  James  Doren,  1873;  W.  F.  Bascom,  1874;  N.  Z. 
Baker,  1875;  E.  A.  Martin,  1876-77.  And  during  the 
same  period  the  following  gentlemen  have  been  elected  to 
the  office  of  village  clerk  in  the  years  indicated  :  A.  J.  Long, 
1861  to  1863,  inclusive;  Walter  Warner,  1864;  W.  A. 
AVilkins,  1865  to  1867,  inclu.sive;  T.  S.  McLachlin,  1868- 
69;  T.  A.  Patterson,  1870;  Charles  Farmer,  Jr.,  1871  ; 
William  P.  Lamb,  1872;  D.  C.  Smith,  1S73  to  1877,  in- 
clusive. 

MILLS   AND    MANUFACTORIES. 

The  falls  of  Wood  creek  furnish  a  natural  water-power 
very  large  in  capacity,  and  possessing  an  unusually  favor- 
able location,  being  in  the  very  heart  of  the  village,  and  im- 
mediately on  the  navigable  waters  of  the  lake.  A  more 
eligible  site  for  manufacturing  industry  is  seldom  found, 
and  it  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  such  an  opportunity  for 
the  advancement  of  both  private  and  public  interests  in 
Whitehall  should  have  remained  so  long  almost  entirely 
neglected. 

After  the  mills  of  Hooker  and  others  had  been  displaced 
by  the  canal,  a  grist-mill,  saw-mill,  by  Bradley  Wright,  and 
a  few  other  establishments  were  built  on  the  east  side  of  the 
creek,  among  which  was  the  clothing-mill,  a  building  four 

stories  in  height,  built  by  Millard.     In  1848  this 

was  purchased  by  AVilliam  Wait,  who  adapted  it  for  the 
manufacture  of  ingrain  carpets,  and  continued  to  use  it  for 
this  purpose  until  May,  1864,  when  it  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  This  was  the  most  important  establishment  ever  oper- 
ated by  the  power  of  the  creek.  It  employed  between  forty 
and  fifty  hands,  and  its  destruction  was  a  very  material  loss 
to  Whitehall.  The  other  establishments  in  operation  there 
and  destroyed  at  the  same  time  were  Cozzens'  grist-  and 
saw-mills,  the  sash-  and  door-factory  of  Crampton  &  Abell, 
and  the  foundry  and  machine-shop  of  M.  V.  B.  Bull. 
Mitchell's  axe-helve  factory  was  not  destroyed. 

Since  that  time  the  water-power  has  been  still  less  u.sed 
than  before,  and  at  the  present  time  its  only  utilization  is 
by  moans  of  a  single  turbine  wheel  on  the  west  side  of  the 
creek,  from  which  a  wire  belt  communicates  the  power  to 
the  mills  on  the  opposite  bank,  which  are  the  grist-mill  of 
Baldwin  &  Perry,  and  the  machine-shop  of  James  D.  Han- 
cock. 

The  steam  saw-mill  and  planing-mill  of  W.  W.  Cooke  & 
Son  are  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  a  short  distance 
below  the  village.  The  first  mills  at  this  place  were  erected 
by  W.  W.  Cooke  &  Co.  in  1837,  were  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1842,  and  rebuilt  in  1843  and  1844.  They  were  after- 
wards again  destroyed,  and  the  present  mills  erected.  The 
business  of  these  mills  is  large.  The  firm  here  owns  a 
frontage  of  about  two  thousand  six  hundred  feet  (about 
half  a  mile)  on  the  navigable  water  of  the  lake. 

A  steam  planing-mill  and  .sash-  and  door-factory 'was  also 
built  some  years  ago  by  Mr.  Cooke,  on  Canal  street,  in  the 


upper  portion  of  the  village,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  while 
leased  and  occupied  by  N.  H.  Ames. 

The  planing-mill  of  D.  G.  Percival,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  basin,  was  built  and  put  in  operation  by  0.  F.  Blouut, 
in  1852.  The  succeeding  proprietors  have  been  E.  E.  Da- 
vis, Manville,  Seribner  &  Co.,  Manville,  Hall  &  Co.,  and 
Mr.  Percival.  The  business  in  all  emplo3s  about  twenty- 
five  men.  This  is  said  to  bo  the  oldest  planing-mill  now 
existing  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  Amos  door-,  sash-,  and  blind-factory,  located  near  the 
railroad  station,  was  built  by  Alexander  Williamson,  some 
ten  years  since.  It  afterwards  pixssed  to  the  proprietorship 
of  N.  H.  Ames  &  Co.,  and  so  remained  until  the  death  of 
Mr.  Ames.  It  is  now  run  by  Mr.  Williamson,  who  first 
put  it  in  operation.     The  motive  power  is  steam. 

The  steam  saw-mill  of  Policy,  Osgood  &  Co.,  near  the 
depot,  was  put  in  operation  here  about  1873,  the  mill  ma- 
chinery having  been  removed  here  from  a  previous  location 
on  the  canal  about  three  miles  south  of  the  village. 

The  steam  flour-  and  feed-mill  and  foundry  of  D.  P. 
Nye  &  Co.  are  on  Williams  street,  east  of  the  creek.  The 
flour-mill  was  started  by  Nye  in  1867,  and  the  foundry 
soon  afterwards.  Neither  part  of  the  works  is  now  in 
operation.  Besides  the  above-mentioned  establishments, 
there  are  the  machine-shop  of  the  Northern  Transportation 
line,  near  their  landing;  the  boiler-shop  of  Thomas  Suth- 
erland, in  the  same  vicinity,  established  in  1867  ;  the  tan- 
nery of  N.  T.  Jillsou ;  and  the  (steam)  wood-working  factory 
of  Irwin  &  Wilson, — all  on  the  east  side. 

BANKS. 

The  old  National  Bank  of  Whitehall  was  chartered  as 
the  Bauk  of  Whitehall  in  1829,  and  went  into  operation  in 
1831.  It  became  a  national  bank,  under  its  present  name, 
May  4,  1865.  Capital,  $100,000.  II.  G.  Burleigh,  presi- 
dent ;  A.  C.  Sawyer,  cashier. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Whitehall  was  established 
Feb.  22,  1864.  Capital,  §100,000.  A.  IJ.  Griswold, 
president;  I.  C.  Griswold,  viee-iiresideiit ;  William  Keith, 
cashier. 

The  Merchants'  National  Bank  of  Whitehall  was  char- 
tered as  the  Bank  of  Whitehall  in  1873.  First  officers:  L. 
J.  N.  Stark,  president;  I.  M.  Guy,  cashier.  Changed  to 
national  bauk,  under  present  name,  March  12,  1875.  Capi- 
tal, ?150,000.  E.  A.  Martin,  president;  I.  M.  Guy, 
cashier. 

The  Commercial  Bank  of  Whitehall  went  into  operation 
Aug.  15,  1849,  with  a  capital  of  §108,200,  and  with  the 
following  board  of  directors :  A.  H.  Griswold,  0.  F.  Blount, 
W.  W.  Cooke,  ]\I.  O.  Blin,  G.  A.  Austin,  M.  T.  Clough, 
H.  G.  Tisdale,  H.  N.  Graves,  H.  G.  Hewitt,  S.  Corning,  C. 
Boardman,  R.  C.  Johnson,  T.  T.  Vaughan.  President, 
A.  II.  Griswold;  cashier,  C.  M.  Davison.  This  bank  went 
out  of  business  on  the  imposition  of  the  United  States  tax 
on  State  bank  circulation. 

FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

The  commencement  of  the  fire  department  of  Whitehall 
properly  dates  from  the  purchase  of  its  fire-engine,  the  Tor- 
rait,  No.  1,  about  the  year  1835,  though  a  small   rotary 


;>^  ^^l 


Randolph  C.  Johnson  was  born  iu  Wallingford,  Vt., 
May  18,  1811.  He  was  only  son  in  a  family  of  four 
children  of  Jedediali  Johnson  and  Elizabeth  Cooley. 
The  former  was  a  son  of  Eliakim  Johnson,  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Wallingford,  who  came  there  through  the 
forest,  being  guided  only  by  marked  trees,  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  from  Wallingford,  Conn.,  and  bouglit  the 
township,  and  named  it  after  their  home  in  Connecticut. 
The  latter  was  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Wm.  Cooley,  of 
Rupert,  Vt.,  a  lady  of  rare  intelligence. 

Randolph  C.  came  to  Whitehall  with  his  parents  in 
the  year  1828,  and  at  once  set  up  business  for  himself, 
engaging  in  the  transportation  and  boating  business,  and, 
although  unaided  pecuniarily,  through  the  mi.sfortunc  of 
his  father,  he  began  with  that  self-reliance  and  resolution 
that  succeeds,  and  by  industry  and  economy,  with  his 
shrewd  and  sagacious  forethought,  won  his  way  from 
poverty  to  a  fair  competence.  For  many  years  be  was 
also  a  merchant  in  general  trade,  and  it  is  a  fact  worthy 
of  note  that  his  integrity  of  character,  acknowledged  by 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  all  business  matters, 
was  the  great  lever  to  give  him  his  first  start  among 
strangers;  and  this  princi])lo  he  adhered  to  through  life. 


His  main  business  during  his  life  in  Whitehall  was 
that  which  he  first  engaged  in  on  coming  to  that  place. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  actively  interested  in  the  political 
issues  of  the  day,  and  was  formerly  identified  with  the 
Whig  party.  Held  in  high  esteem,  he  was  elected  to  fill 
some  of  the  most  important  places  of  trust  and  respon- 
sibility in  his  town  and  village.  Was  supervisor  for  one 
term,  and  several  terms  trustee  of  the  village  of  White- 
hall; he  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  church  and  scliool 
interests,  and  assisted  largely  in  erecting  the  first  Epis- 
copal church  at  Whitehall.     He  died  March  9,   1870. 

In  the  year  1835,  Jan.  22,  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Ann,  daughter  of  Henry  F.  Wilson  and  Mary  Fenlon, 
of  Montezuma,  N.  Y.,  by  whom  he  had  seven  children, — 
Mary  Elizabetli  (deceased),  John  Randolph  (deceased), 
George  Frederick  (dece;ised),  Henry  Francis  (deceased), 
Emma  Jane,  wife  of  Mr.  Uri  H.  Coffin,  of  Jersey  City, 
Louis  Edward  (deceased),  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  James 
Spencer,  attorney  and  counselor-at-law,  of  Whitehall,  N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Johnson  still  survives  her  husband,  and  although 
suifering  from  a  quite  severe  paralytic  stroke,  retains 
her  faculties  of  rtiind  to  a  remarkable  degree.  She  was 
born  June  17,  1817. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


479 


liaiul-cnp;ine  Imd,  sonic  years  befdic,  been  presented  to  the 
villajic  by  0  .loiicl  John  Williams,  but  had  proved  to  be  of 
little  practical  use.  The  Tmrcut  was  manufactured  by  But- 
ton, of  Waterford,  and  cost  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars, including  hose.  Now,  after  more  than  forty  years  of 
service,  it  is  still  in  use  by  W.  F.  Bascom  Compatit/,  Ao. 
1,  as  good  as  ever,  and  an  object  of  pride  among  the  fire- 
men. Other  engines  and  fire  C(|uipnients  have  been  added 
and  new  companies  formed  froiu  time  to  time,  until  the 
pi-esent  strength  and  efficiency  has  been  attained. 

The  chief  engineer's  report,  made  Jan.  14.  187S,  shows 
the  department  to  be  composed  as  follows,  viz. :  chief  en- 
gineer, Charles  Chapin  ;  assistant  engineer,  T.  A.  Patterson. 

Umpire  IIi>i)lc-and- Ladder  Compitiiy. — P.  P.  Gaylord, 
foreman  ;  D.  6.  Percival,  secretary ;  number  of  active 
uicmbers,  twenty-eight. 

Whi/chiiU  Steamer  Oimpniiy. — W.  F.  Rascoiu,  foreman  ; 
E.  C.  Pratt,  secretary  ;  number  of  active  members,  thirty- 
four. 

If.  F.  BuRcom  Eiiijiue  Ciimptiii)/. — Jaiues  Lindsey,  fore- 
man ;  Samuel  Lampro,  secretary  ;  number  of  active  mem- 
bers, tliirty-one. 

W.  II.  Cooke  Eiiffiiie  Compntii/. — William  Sinnot,  fore- 
man; John  Lusk,  secretary ;  has  thirty-four  active  mem- 
bers. This  engine  is  the  property  of  a  stock  company,  but 
is  used  by  the  company  under  the  direction  of  the  chief 
engineer. 

James  Daren  Iluxe  Comjiaiii/. — J.  II.  Townscnd,  fore- 
man ;  J.  P.  Farmer,  secretary  ;  number  of  active  mcuibers, 
twenty-six. 

Georr/e  Brett,  Jr.,  Ilane  Cnmptnii/. — William  Kana, 
foreniaii  ;  A.  McNeeley,  secretary  ;  has  fifteen  active  mem- 
bers. 

B.  F.  Lacca  Hose  Company. — Thomas  Bartholomew, 
foreman ;  Thomas  Dorcal.  secretary ;  number  of  active 
members,  tliirty-six. 

A.  C.  Hopsoii  Hose  Compaiii/. — JI.  Biilgard,  foreman ; 
J.  Belgard,  secretar}' ;  number  of  active  members,  twenty. 

Lidependent  Steamer  (formerly  No.  1),  having  now  no 
company,  is  in  charge  of  Whitehall  Steamer  Company. 

Nlaijani  Engine,  is  located  at  W.  W.  Cooke  &  Son's 
steam-mill.     The  village  also  owns  six  firc-cxtingni.sbers. 

In  the  numerous  fires  which  have  occurred  in  Whitehall 
the  members  of  the  department  have  always  been  prompt 
to  render  aid,  and  large  amounts  of  property  in  the  village 
liave  been  saved  from  the  flames  by  tlieir  timely  exertions. 
Among  the  most  memorable  of  these  occasions  were  the 
conflagrations  of  April  13,  1860,  May  — ,  1864,  and  Nov. 
8,  1875.  In  the  first  mentioned,  the  fire  commenced  in 
the  drug-store  of  E.  W.  Hall,  and  thence  swept  the  whole 
line  of  brick  buildings  on  Canal  street  from  the  present  site 
of  Manville's  drug-store  south  i;o  Division  street,  consuming 
also  several  houses  on  Centre  street,  and  even  comumnicat- 
ing  to  the  buildings  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek.  The 
next  mentioned  (1864)  destroyed  Wail's  carpet-factory,  a 
grist-mill  and  saw-mill,  a  sash-  and  door-factory.  Bull's 
foundry  and  machine-shop,  and  some  smaller  buildings,  all 
on  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  tlie  lo.ss  amounting  to  nearly 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  fire  of  1875  destroyed 
the  liardware-.-:toie  of  GeoiLie  A.  Hall  and   the  entire  Day- 


ton block  on  the  west  side  of  Canal  street ;  also  the  Lake 

House  and  stables  on  the  opposite  .side.  The  Icsses  paid  by 
the  insurance  companies  for  this  fire  amounted  to  nearly 
fifty  thousand  dollare. 

Another  disastrous  fire  occurred  .March  10,  187G,  which 
consumed  Hall's  hotel  and  stables  on  Canal  street,  and  <m 
which  the  companies  paid  losses  amounting  to  about  twenty- 
two  thou.sand  dollars. 

The  amount  of  water  furnished  Viy  the  water-works  alone 
would  be  wholly  iiiade(|uate  tor  the  extinguishment  of  fire.s. 
There  are  tirc-wclls  on  Smith  and  Gilniore  streets,  but  the 
main  dependence  of  the  village  in  such  emergency  is  the 
canal,  along  the  line  of  which,  fortunately,  a  large  portion 
of  the  business  of  the  place  is  located.  It  is  for  this  pur- 
pose that  the  canal  at  Whitehall  is  kept  filled  during  the 
winter  season. 

THE    WATER    Sfl'I'I.V. 

The  introduction  of  pure  water  into  Whitehall  by  the 
construction  of  the  public  aqueduct  in  1828  was,  at  that 
early  day,  justly  regarded  as  most  creditable  to  the  village, 
though  it  is  said  that  from  the  first  the  supply  was  insuffi- 
cient. The  scarcity  became  more  and  more  felt  as  the 
village  grew  in  population,  and,  from  time  to  time,  the 
storage  capacity  and  tributary  area  have  been  increased, 
but  without  obviating  the  difficulty. 

The  present  sources  of  sujiply  are  Smith's  and  Adams' 
ponds,  lying  to  the  southwest  of  the  village.  The  upper 
reservoir  has  an  area  of  one  hundred  by  two  hundred  feet, 
with  a  water-shed  of  about  twenty-five  acres,  and  an  eleva- 
tion of  three  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet  above  the  canal 
at  the  village.  The  middle  reservoir  has  two  hundred  by 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  water-surface,  a  water-shed 
of  about  one  hundred  acres,  and  an  elevation  of  three  hun- 
dred and  ten  feet  above  the  canal.  The  lower  reservoir  has 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  elevation,  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  of  water-shed,  one  hundred  by  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  of  surface,  and  a  much  greater  depth 
than  the  other  two. 

It  has  become  evident  that  a  greater  supply  must  soon 
be  had,  and  engineers  have  been  employed  by  the  village 
to  make  surveys  preliminary  to  the  prosecution  of  such  a 
work.  One  of  the  projects  contemplates  the  utilization  of 
Long  pond,  a  body  of  water  more  than  one  mile  in  length 
and  one  quarter  mile  in  width,  with  an  average  depth  of 
twenty  feet,  lying  wostwardly  from  the  village,  at  a  distance 
of  six  and  one-cjuartcr  miles  from  its  outlet  to  the  centre 
of  distribution,  and  elevated  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  canal.  A  company  is  now  engaged  in  sinking 
an  artesian  well  near  the  centre  of  the  village,  and  a  depth 
of  over  two  hundred  feet  has  been  reached. 

The  Adirondack  spring,  said  to  possess  medicinal  prop- 
erties similar  to  the  waters  of  Saratoga,  is  located  in  the 
village,  on  Canal  street.  It  is  the  property  of  a  conipaiiy, 
who  have  erected  a  building,  and  do  also  a  considerable 
business  in  bottling  for  shipment. 

On  the  east  side  of  Wood  creek  a  small  aqueduct  with 
wooden  pipes  was  constructed  sonic  years  ago  by  Dr.  Har- 
rin<'ton  ;  but  this  has  decayed  and  been  abandoned,  and 
that  part  of  the  village  has  now  no  supply  of  pure  water. 


480 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEM'   YORK. 


except  from  wells,  cisterns,  and  an  cxoellent  spring,  known 
as  Mosher's  spring. 

0.\S- WORKS — OPERA-HOnSE. 

The  Whitehall  Gas-Light  company  was  incorporated  in 
1860.  The  stockholders  were  T.  T.  Vaughan,  0.  Bascom, 
H.  T.  Gaylord,  G.  A.  Hall,  E.  W.  Hall,  who  also  consti- 
tuted the  board  of  directors.  The  works,  located  at  the 
corner  of  Church  and  Bellamy  streets,  were  built  by  H.  Q. 
Ilawley,  of  Albany.  Gas  was  first  made  from  rosin,  but 
Pennsylvania  coal  is  now  used.  The  company  has  laid 
about  three  and  a  half  miles  of  pipe.  H.  G.  Ti-sdale, 
president;   W.  F.  Bascom,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Hall's  Opera-House,  a  substantial  brick  building,  on 
Williams  street,  was  opened  Sept.  28,  1875.  The  audience- 
room  is  on  the  ground-floor,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  of 
one  thousand.  Stage,  thirty-six  by  sixty  feet,  with  four 
large  dressing-rooms  on  its  level.  This  is  one  of  the  best 
buildings  of  its  kind  north  of  Albany. 

SECRET   ORGANIZATIONS — MILITARY. 

riuvnix  L'idje,  No.  96,  F.  and  A.  M.,  was  chartered 
June  10,  lS4-t.  The  first  officers  of  this  lodge  were 
David  13.  Phippeny,  W.  iM. ;  Cyrus  T.  Boardman,  S.  W.; 
Joseph  Jillson,  J.  W.;  D.  S.  Wright,  Sec. 

The  officers  for  1878  are  Martin  Sawyer,  W.  M. ;  J.  A. 
Conery,  S.  W. ;  C.  B.  Bates,  J.  W. ;  W.  F.  Ba.scora,  Trea.s. ; 
E.  Pittinger,  Sec;  N.  Z.  Baker,  S.  D.;  B.  F.  Douglas, 
J.  D.;  C.  H.  JIcNall,  S.  M.  C. ;  W.  T.  Barthol.miew, 
J.  JI.  C. ;  T.  A.  Patterson,  Marshal ;  George  Osborn,  Tyler. 

Ch<imida!n  C'h'ipler,  iV'<.  25,  Ji.  A.  M. — Officers  for 
1878:  D.  C.  Smith,  II.  P.;  M.  Sawyer,  K. ;  S.  B.  Wat- 
kins,  S. ;  George  Brett,  Treas. ;  H.  C.  Jillson,  Sec. ;  T.  A. 
Paterson,  C.  of  H. ;  L.  K.  Pierce,  P.  S.  ;  J.  A.  Conery, 
R.  A.  C. ;  0.  F.  Burroughs,  M.  of  od  V. ;  E.  Pittinger, 
M.  of  2d  V. ;  L.  Hyatt,  M.  of  1st  V. ;  George  O.sborn,  Tyler. 

WhitahiM  L'idi/e,  No.  5,  /.  O.  0.  F.,  was  originally 
numbered  54,  and  was  so  chartered  July  19,  1841  ;  the 
first  officers  being  Horace  Stowcll,  N.  G. ;  Lemon  Barns, 
V.  G. ;  L.  J.  N.  Stark,  Sec. ;  Henry  Smith,  Treas. ;  Geo. 
S.  Griswold,  Warden.  On  the  l.st  of  December,  1850,  the 
lodge  was  rechartered  as  No.  4,  and  subsequently  the 
number  was  again  changed  to  5,  as  at  present.  The  officers 
for  1878  are  A.  M.  Beckwith,  N.  G. ;  James  Adams,  Jr., 
V.  G. ;  James  H.  Burdett,  Sec. ;  J.  P.  Blakeslec,  Treas. ; 
E.  C.  Pratt,  Permanent  Sec. 

Kahshahqiiahna  Lodge,  No.  383,  /.  0.  0.  F.,  was  in- 
stituted in  1847,  but  is  not  now  in  existence,  having  been 
consolidated  with  Whitehall  Lodge. 

Wldteludl  Encampment,  No.  69,  /.  0.  0.  F.,  was  insti- 
tuted April  29,  1872.  The  first  officers  were  J.  W. 
Scribner,  C.  P. ;  0.  C.  Burroughs,  H.  P. ;  H.  N.  Parke, 
S.  W. ;  J.  L.  Hagav,  J.  W. ;  J.  P.  Blakeslee,  Scribe ;  M. 
S.  Smith,  Treas.  The  officers  for  1878  are  Wm.  Steven.5on, 
C.  P. ;  James  Adams,  Jr.,  II.  P. ;  W.  II.  Murray,  S.  \V. ; 
Louis  Hyatt,  J.  W. ;  W.  B.  Eddy,  Scribe;  M.  Sawyer, 
Treas.  Place  of  meeting,  Odd-Fellows'  hall,  Canal  street, 
Whitehall. 

Jloricon  Enciimpninit,  No.  29,  7.  0.  0.  F.,  which  was 
organized  in  Whitehall  aliout  1846,  is  now  extinct. 


North  Star  Lodge,  No.  68,  K.  of  P.,  was  instituted  in 
Whitehall,  Dec.  27,  1871.  The  first  officers  were  Horace 
Stowcll,  C.  C. ;  Benjamin  C.  Senton,  V.  C. ;  Silas  P. 
Whitney,  P.  C. ;  James  Adams,  K.  of  R.  and  S. ;  Henry 
Adams,  M.  of  E. ;  A.  Morris,  M.  of  F. ;  John  H.  Collins, 
M.  of  A.  The  officers  for  1878  are  Warren  E.  Lyman, 
C.  C;  Peter  Hollenbeck,  V.  C. ;  Wm.  Waters,  P.  C. ; 
Allen  M.  Burdett,  K.  of  R.  and  S. ;  Henry  Waters,  M.  of 
E. ;  Horace  Stowell,  M.  of  F. ;  Frank  Rogers,  M.  of  A. 

Clinmphilii  Division,  No.  2G7,  Sons  of  Temperance, 
which  was  instituted  in  1847,  and  a  Tent  of  Rechabites 
organized  about  the  same  time,  are  both  extinct. 

The  Burleigh  Corps,  a  military  body,  being  Ninth  Cuni- 
pany.  Third  Division,  N.  Y.  S.  M.,  was  organized  April 
27,  1876,  numbering  fifty  rank  and  file,  and  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers,  viz. :  G.  Thomas  Hall,  captain ;  R.  E. 
Ba.sconi,  first  lieutenant;  O.  A.  Manvillo,  second  lieuten- 
ant. This  company  was  on  duty  at  Troy,  with  fifty-five 
men,  during  the  riots  of  1877.  Armory  and  drill-room. 
Hall's  block.  Canal  street.    Officers,  same  as  at  organization. 

PUBLIC    SCHOOLS    OF    THE   TOWN ACADEMY. 

The  earliest  school  of  which  we  have  any  authentic 
account  was  taught  about  1814,  in  a  clothier's  shop,  which 
stood  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  at  a  spot  now  occupied  by 
one  of  the  canal-locks  in  the  village.  The  best  remembered 
teacher  of  that  school  was  Hull  Blakeslee,  who,  with  Alex- 
ander P.  Fonda,  was  also  among  the  earliest  teachers  in  the 
old  school-house  which  was  built  soon  after  at  the  corner 
of  Centre  and  Division  streets,  where  is  now  the  residence 
of  N.  T.  Jillson.  In  the  east  part  of  the  town  probably 
the  earliest  school-house  was  in  the  Bartholomew  neighbor- 
hood, a  short  distance  north  of  the  present  school-house 
No.  5.  Among  the  early  teachers  here  were  Deacon  Wil- 
liam Wright  and  Major  Nathaniel  Wood. 

The  town  was  first  divided  into  school  districts  April  12, 
1815,  by  school  commissioners  Melancthon  Wheeler, 
Reuben  Jones,  and  Samuel  Hatch.  The  school  inspectors 
for  that  year  were  Nathaniel  Hall,  William  H.  Parker, 
Thomas  M.  Bowen,  Micah  G.  Bigclow,  Philip  Hatch,  and 
James  Manville.  In  1833  it  was  voted  to  raise  an  amount 
of  money  equal  to  the  sum  received  from  the  State  fl)r 
support  of  schools,  and  to  pay  the  inspectors  and  connnis- 
sioners  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  day  for  services. 
In  1836  it  was  voted  to  raise  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
for  schools,  and  in  1838  the  pay  of  commissioners  and  in- 
spectors was  reduced  to  one  dollar  per  day.  The  town  now 
contains  fourteen  school  districts,  each  (with  the  exception 
of  No.  11,  Whitehall  village)  supporting  a  single  school  of 
about  twenty-eight  weeks'  duration  in  the  year.  The  num- 
ber of  children  of  school  age  is  two  thousand  and  ninety- 
eight,  and  the  total  average  daily  attendance  six  hundred 
and  ninety-four. 

The  amount  of  public-school  money  apportioned  lo  the 
town  in  the  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1877,  was  three  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  eighteen  dollars  and  forty-five  cents,  and 
nearly  an  equal  amount  was  raised  in  the  districts  by  tax. 
In  the  districts  outside  the  village  the  pay  of  male  teachers 
averages  about  seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  week,  and 
that  of  females  about  five  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 


(^<^A 


p:lisha  a.  martin. 


Elisha  A.  Martin  was  born  in  the  town  of  White- 
hall, Dec.  29,  1806.  The  grandfather,  Elisha  A. 
Martin,  came  from  Connecticut,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Whitehall  about  the  close  of  the  war  for 
independence;  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-six  years,  in 
the  year  1808,  February  29. 

His  father,  Reuben  H.  Martin,  married  Clarissa 
Martin,  of  Whitehall,  by  whom  he  had  four  children, 
Alwin,  Malina,  Reuben  H.,  and  Elisha  A.,  all 
deceased  except  the  last,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-four,  in  the  year  1814.  His 
wife,  surviving  him,  was  married  again  to  Henry 
Graylord,  there  being  born  by  this  second  marriage 
five  children.  She  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine, 
in  the  year  1836. 

Until  sixteen  years  of  age,  Elisha  A.  Martin 
spent  his  time  on  the  farm  at  home,  receiving  the 
limited  opportunity  of  the  log  school-house  educa- 
tion of  that  day.  For. the  following  eight  years 
he  was  a  clerk   in  a  general   store   carried    on    by 


Captain  Ezi-a  Smith,  where  he  first  became  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  of  leading  a  business  life, 
and  then  laid  the  foundation,  by  business  capacity, 
which  has  characterized  his  subsequent  career.  In 
the  year  1831  he  married  Miss  Mary  C,  eldest 
daughter  of  Captain  Elijah  Boynton,  of  Whitehall, 
and  who  spent  his  life  on  Lake  Champlain  as 
captain  either  of  a  sloop  or  schooner.  Captain 
Boynton  was  engaged  during  the  War  of  1812-14 
in  the  commissary  depai'tment,  carrying  provisions 
and  troops  for  the  American  army. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Martin  engaged  largely 
in  the  transportation  business  with  the  Northern 
Transportation  line,  between  New  York  and  Mon- 
treal, for  the  following  eleven  years,  under  the  firm- 
name  of  Comstock,  Barney  &  Martin. 

In  1842  he  engaged  in  business  with  John  H. 
Boyd,  carrying  on  the  various  branches  of  iron- 
foundry,  grist-mill,  saw-mill,  and  machine-shop,  and 
raerchandLsing,  a  part  of  which  was  continued  until 
1851,  when  he  again  engaged  in  the  transportation 
business;  and,  after  five  years,  was  connected  with 


h'    ' 


W .  W.  Cook  in  the  lumber  business.  From  1867  to 
1871  he  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  White- 
hall Transportation  Company.  Mr.  Martin  was 
also  interested  in  the  grocery,  feed,  and  flour  busi- 
ness from  1863  to  the  present  time,  in  the  firm  of 
E.  M.  Douglass  &  Co.,  now  J.  H.  Sullivan  &  Co. 

In  the  year  1877  he  was  elected  president  of 
the  Merchants'  National  Bank  of  Whitehall,  which 
position  he  still  retains.  His  shrewdness  and  sagac- 
ity in  all  his  business  transactions,  and  his  ripe  judg- 
ment 35  a  financier  has  given  him  rank  among  the 
foremost  in  the  financial  circle  and  business  men  of 
his  town  and  county. 

Mr.  Martin  cast  his  first  vote  for  President  of 
the  United  States  for  John  Quincy  Adams;  was 
formerly  identified  with  the  old  Whig  party,  after- 
wards with  the  American  party,  and  upon  its  dis- 
solution supported  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
since  stood  unswervingly  a  standard-bearer  in  its 
ranks.  During  the  days  of  the  Whig  party,  in 
1848,  he  represented  his  Assembly  district  in  the 
Legislature  of  New  York  State.  He  has  represented 
his  town  as  supervisor  for  some  ten  years,  aiid  been 


president  of  the  board  of  trastees  of  Whitehall, 
and  trustee  at  various  times  for  some  twenty  years. 
He  was  also  deputy  collector  of  customs  at  White- 
iiall,  under  appointment  by  Thomas  Corwin,  secretary 
of  the  treasury,  for  three  years.  Upon  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Union  graded  school  at  Whitehall, 
changed  from  the  academy  and  common  school, 
Mr.  Martin  spared  no  effort  within  his  reach  to 
put  forth  and  bring  to  a  successful  completion  the 
scheme  which  resulted  in  the  fully  developed  oppor- 
tunities now  afforded  in  the  village  for  educating 
the  rising  generation. 

He  holds  a  commission,  signed  by  Governor  Wm. 
L.  Marcy,  as  captain  of  the  Whitehall  Light  Guards, 
in  operation  from  1830  to  1837. 

While  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  have  no  children 
of  their  own,  they  have  remembered  the  neoly,  and 
have  connected  themselves  with  such  enterprises  as 
tended  to  elevate  and  educate  those  around  them. 
They  are  both  identified  with  the  Presbyterian 
church  as  members,  and  Mr.  Martin  has  officiated 
as  elder  of  tiiat  church  at  Whiteiiall  for  the  past 
fifteen  vears. 


HISTORY    OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


481 


The  Whitehall  Academy  was  established  by  the  regents 
of  the  university  in  the  fell  of  1848,  the  board  of  trustees 
consisting  of  Hiram  Eddy,  president ;  Atherton  Hall,  sec- 
retary and  treasurer ;  Rev.  Lewis  Kcllog|i;,  John  H.  Boyd, 
W.  W.  Cooke,  Joseph  Potter,  Robert  Doig,  Jr.,  L.  Root, 
W.  E.  Caldwell,  A.  H.  Griswold,  George  S.  Griswold, 
Oliver  Baseom,  Anson  Parks,  Mason  0.  Blin,  Justin  A. 
Smith,  and  G.  Dayton.  The  whole  number  of  students  for 
the  first  term  was  seventy-six.  The  academy  property, 
located  on  Williams  street,  was  valued  at  about  three  thou- 
sand four  hundred  dollars.  Library  and  philosophical 
apparatus  at  about  three  hundred  and  thirty-five  dollars. 
The  school  existed  until  18f)5,  when  it  was  discontinued, 
the  last  principal  being  Rev.  Horace  W.  Finch.  The  real 
property  was  purchased  by  A.  P.  Cooke,  and  the  library 
and  apparatus  was  transferred  to  the  Union  Free  School. 

WHITEHALL    UNION    FREE    SCHOOL. 

The  project  of  establishing  a  graded  union  school  in 
Whitehall  village  was  commenced  in  186G  by  the  requisite 
number  of  voters  in  each  of  the  three  adjoining  school 
districts,  Nos.  11,  15,  and  17,  who  united  in  a  call  for  a 
meeting  to  be  held  under  the  law  of  May  2,  1864,  to  de- 
termine the  question  of  such  establishment.  Upon  this 
call  a  meeting  was  held  at  Anderson  hall,  in  the  village,  on 
the  27th  of  August,  at  which  the  question  was  decided 
by  vote  affirmatively,  and  the  consolidated  district  thus 
created  was  soon  after  officially  designated  by  the  school 
commissioners  as  "  Union  Free  School  District  No.  11, 
of  Whitehall."  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  on  the 
ensuing  3d  day  of  September,  Alfred  J.  Long,  Frederick 
H.  Luson,  James  F.  Billet,  James  R.  Broughton,  James 
Doren,  E.  A.  Martin,  George  A.  Hall,  William  H.  Cooke, 
and  Henry  Gibson  were  elected  trustees,  who  in  their  organ- 
ization elected  E.  A.  Martin  president,  and  Henry  Gibson 
clerk  of  the  board. 

The  number  of  schools  as  first  established  in  the  dis- 
trict was  four,  viz.  :  School  No.  1,  taught  in  the  Episcopal 
church  (now  the  French  Catholic)  ;  No.  2,  in  school-house 
of  old  district  No.  11 ;  No.  3,  in  house  formerly  of  district 
No.  15  ;  and  No.  4,  in  the  house  of  No.  17.  The.se  ac- 
commodations were  soon  found  insufficient,  and  the  present 
large  and  costly  central  building  was  erected  in  1868  upon 
a  site  known  as  Pierce  knoll,  for  which  seventeen  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  were  paid.  The  lot  extends  from  Lafayette 
to  West  street,  above  South  Bay  street.  The  amount  paid 
to  Messrs.  Willson  &  Smith,  contractors  for  the  building, 
was  nineteen  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It 
was  first  occupied  in  January,  1869,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  winter  terra.  In  August,  1874,  an  excellent  bell 
for  this  building  was  donated  by  Hon.  E.  A.  Martin. 

Still  more  accommodation  being  required  for  scholars,  a 
house  was  built  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  village,  on 
a  lot  purchased  from  Mr.  Rich  for  five  hundred  dollars,  in 
September,  1874.  This  building,  known  as  the  Adams 
school-house,  was  erected  in  1875  by  0.  C.  Burroughs,  Esq., 
on  contract  at  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy-nine 
dollars  and  fifty-four  cents,  with  an  addition  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  for  extra  work  and  material.  It  was 
first  occupied  in  January,  1876. 
61 


The  system  of  teaching,  which  was  at  first  to  some  ex- 
tent experimental,  has  been  modified  from  time  to  tiin(!, 
and  is  now  a  marked  success.  General  supervision  is  ex- 
ercised by  a  superintendent,  who  is  also  principal  of  the 
high  school.  This  position  is  now  (January,  1878)  held 
by  Prof  E.  Butler,  who  came  here  from  the  charge  of  the 
Seymour  high  school  in  Syracu,se  in  the  fall  of  1873.  The 
different  departments  and  the  names  of  teachers  now  hav- 
ing them  in  charge  are  as  follows : 

Central  building,  high  school.  Miss  T.  M.  Knight,  assist- 
ant principal ;  George  H.  Reed,  tutor.  Grammar  depart- 
ment. Miss  H.  E.  Hamblin,  principal ;  Mi.ss  M.  A.  Willson. 
assistant.  Higher  intermediate.  Miss  F.  A.  Dunham,  prin- 
cipal ;  Miss  Minnie  Jillson,  assistant.  Lower  intermediate. 
Miss  Ella  McClurkin,  principal;  Miss  Alice  E.  Steere, 
assistant.  Primary,  Miss  S.  L.  Dennis,  principal;  Miss 
Mary  McNeeley,  assistant. 

Wheeler  avenue  school-house  (formerly  No.  15),  higher 
primary,  Miss  J.  E.  Gilbert;  lower  primary,  Mi.ss  M. 
McAllister. 

Bell*  school-house  (old  No.  11),  higher  primary.  Miss 
M.  Martin ;  lower  primary.  Miss  C.  E.  llendrick. 

Adams  school-house,  one  teacher.  Miss  Ida  L.  Hopson. 

The  salary  of  the  superintendent  is  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  ;  of  the  two  teachers  in  high  school  each  six  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  of  the  principal  of  grammar  department 
five  hundred  dollars,  per  year.  The  other  teachers  receive 
remuneration  varying  from  eleven  dollars  to  five  dollars  per 
week.  The  school-year  commences  on  the  first  Monday  in 
September  and  embraces  forty-two  weeks  of  teaching,  in- 
cluding the  Christmas  holidays.  The  present  attendance 
is  about  as  follows :  Central  building,  three  hundred  and 
eighty-five ;  Adams  street,  sixty-seven  ;  Wheeler  avenue, 
one  hundred  and  ten  ;   Bell  school,  one  hundred  and  twenty. 

The  board  of  education  for  1878  is  composed  of  0.  F. 
Davis,  president ;  Robert  Doig,  H.  R.  Snyder,  J.  R.  Brough- 
ton, H.  T.  Gaylord,  M.  Manville.  W.  TI.  Cooke,  D.  G. 
Percival,  A.  C.  Sawyer. 

RELIGIOUS. 

EAST    V?HITEHALL    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL   CHURCH. 

This  is  the  oldest  religious  organization  in  Whitehall, 
and  among  the  oldest  of  the  Methodist  churches  in  the 
county.  In  1788,  Samuel  Wigdon  and  Lenmel  Smith  were 
appointed  respectively  to  the  Lake  Champlain  and  Cam- 
bridge circuits,  the  latter  of  which  embraced  Whitehall. 
The  records  of  this  circuit  mention  contributions  from  dif- 
ferent societies,  commencing  !is  early  as  1791,  about  which 
time  meetings  for  worship  began  to  be  held  at  dwelling- 
houses;  and  in  1796  a  church  organization,  consisting  of 
ten  original  members,  was  formed  under  the  celebrated 
Lorenzo  Dow,  who  was  their  first  preacher.  In  1801  this 
church  was  included  in  the  Brandon  circuit,  and  in  1822 
the  Whitehall  circuit  was  formed.  Among  the  preachers 
who  served  here  from  1820  were  Revs.  Samuel  Dra].er, 
Moses  Amadon,  Jacob  Beaman,  Orrin  Pier,  Philo  Ferris, 
George   Smith,   Elijah    Crane,   Seymour   Landon,    Dillon 


«  So  called  because,  under  the  old  organisation,  it  was  the  only 
house  which  mounted  a  bell. 


482 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Stephens,  William  Todd,  John  C.  Green,  Lorin  Clark, 
Hiram  Meeker,  James  Quinlan,  Elijah  Crawford,  Samuel 
Covel,  E.  Andrews,  J.  M.  Weaver,  C.  R.  Wilkins,  P.  P. 
narrower,  M.  M.  Ludlam,  G.  W.  S.  Porter.  Rev.  David 
B.  McKenzie,  of  Hampton,  is  now  in  charge.  The  house 
of  worship  is  a  good  brick  structure,  erected  in  1826,  at  a 
cost  of  sixteen  hundred  dollars,  and  has  since  been  repaired 
and  enlariicd.  The  membership  of  this  church  is  nciw 
small. 

FIRST    COXlillEGATIONAL    CHURCH,  EAST    WHITEHALL. 

This  church  was  organized  in  1805  with  twelve  mem- 
bers, and  with  Rev.  James  Davis  as  their  first  pastor. 
Their  meetings  were  first  held  in  dwellings,  but  they  in- 
creased in  numbers,  and  about  the  year  1813  a  church  of 
good  size  was  built  on  a  site  near  the  residence  of  Almon 
Bartholomew,  and  now  a  part  of  his  fiirni.  This  edifice 
was  destroyed  by  fire  on  a  Sabbath  morning  in  December, 
183-1,  but  the  work  of  rebuilding  was  soon  commenced, 
and  a  new  church  (the  present  one)  was  completed  in 
1836,  mainly  by  the  assistance  of  Deacon  William  Wright. 
The  builder  was  Solomon  Ferry,  and  the  cost  of  the  build- 
ing about  two  thousand  dollars.  A  parsonage  was  built 
near  the  church  soon  after.  These  stand,  on  ground 
selected  by  Deacon  Wright,  about  one  mile  northwesterly 
from  the  first  church  lot,  which  after  the  burning  was  sold 
to  Almon  Bartholomew.  The  church  was  repaired  in 
1860.  Among  the  early  preachers  were  Revs.  Hibbard 
and  Kitchell.  Rev.  Hiram  Slauson  was  pastor  from  1840 
to  1843,  and  afterwards  supplied  the  pulpit  from  1859  to 
1863.  The  last  preaching  in  the  church  was  by  Rev.  H. 
Lancashire,  who  closed  his  labors  here  about  1872. 

FIRST   PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 

The  first  step  towards  the  permanent  establishment  of 
Presbyterian  worship  in  Whitehall  was  taken  by  General 
John  Williams,  who,  having  resolved  to  erect  here  a  church 
edifice,  collected,  in  1805-6,  the  timber  and  other  mate- 
rials for  the  purpose,  and  depo.sited  them  on  a  site  which  he 
had  selected  as  the  most  eligible  in  the  vicinity, — this  being 
a  spot  of  elevated  ground  owned  by  himself,  and  lying 
nearly  two  miles  east  of  the  village. 

Man  proposes  but  God  disposes  !  The  general  did  not 
live  to  complete,  or  even  to  commence  his  church,  and  a 
year  or  two  after  his  death  his  son.  Colonel  John  Williams, 
of  Salem,  removed  the  materials  from  the  spot  selected  by 
his  father  to  the  lot  which  now  embraces  the  old  burial- 
ground  on  Williams  street  in  the  village.  Here  he  erected 
the  church,  in  the  wall  of  which  was  placed  a  memorial 
tablet  to  the  real  founder.  General  Williams. 

The  first  Presbyterian  body  existing  in  Whitehall  was  a 
Scotch  (Associate  Reformed)  church,  organized  in  1810  by 
Rev.  Alexander  Proudfit,  D.D.,  of  Salem.  It  originally 
numbered  six  male  and  ten  female  members.  Their  house 
of  worship  was  the  Williams  church,  and  their  pastor  was 
Rev. Whyte,  settled  over  them  soon  after  their  or- 
ganization. His  pastorate  ended  in  1812,  and  no  successor 
was  ever  installed  over  the  church,  which,  as  was  to  be  ex- 
pected under  such  circum.stances,  languished,  and  finally 
disbanded. 


From  1812  to  1819  there  was  no  stated  worship  in 
Whitehall.  On  Saturday,  the  18th  of  September,  in  the 
last-named  year,  the  present  church  was  organized  by  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Blatchford,  D.D.,  "  under  the  care  of  the 
presbytery  of  Columbia,  to  be  known  as  the  First  Presbyte- 
rian church  in  W^hitehall."  The  original  members  were 
Alexander  Cruikshank,  John  Adams,  James  Morton,  An- 
drew Anderson,  Asa  Goodrich,  Clarissa  Goodrich,  Lucy 
Downs,  Tabitha  Cleveland,  Eliza  Wheeler,  Hannah  Smith, 
Mary  Ann  Adams,  Amanda  Smith,  Anna  Goodrich,  and 
Eunice  Lockwood,  from  the  earlier  organization,  and  Dr. 
Ira  Bascom  and  Patience  Bascom,  his  wife,  from  the 
church  in  West  Granville.  On  the  same  day  their  number 
was  increased  by  the  reception  of  James  Cos  and  Lucy 
Smith,  wife  of  Archibald  Smith,  on  profession  of  faith. 
The  first  elders  elected  were  Dr.  Ira  Bascijm,  Alexander 
Crookshank,  John  Adams,  and  James  Morton,  the  four  last 
named  having  filled  the  same  oflfice  in  the  Scotch  church. 
On  the  19th  (Sabbath)  Dr.  Bascom  was  ordained  a  ruling 
elder,  and  the  first  Lord's  supper  was  administered  to  the 
eighteen  communicants. 

For  nearly  three  years  they  were  without  a  pastor,  but 
during  this  period  they  were  at  difli^erent  times  supplied  by 
Rev.  Absalom  Peters,  afterwards  of  Williamstown,  Mass. ; 
Rev.  Mr.  Knox,  afterwards  of  Newburg.  N.  Y. ;  and  by 
Rev.  Ralph  Robinson,  who  in  February,  1821,  "agreed  to 
preach  with  this  people,  for  the  term  of  one  year."  on  each 
alternate  Sabbath.  "  During  the  latter  part  of  1821,"  said 
Mr.  Robinson,  "  Mr.  Peter  J.  H.  Myers  came  among  them, 
and  I  have  reason  to  think  that  was  an  important  event  in 
their  history.  His  effortii  probably  conduced  much  to  their 
growth  and  prosperity." 

The  first  settled  pastor  of  this  church  was  Rev.  John  R. 
Coe,  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Jonas  Coe,  of  Troy.  He  was  ordained 
and  installed  July  17,  1822  ;  but  his  course  was  short,  for 
he  died  September  30  in  the  following  year,  and  was  buried 
in  the  ground  adjoining  the  church,  whence,  more  than 
forty  years  later,  his  remains  were  removed  to  the  new 
cemetery  between  Troy  and  Lansingburg.  His  successor 
was  the  Rev.  John  Kennedy,  an  Irishman,  "  a  man  of  fine 
talents  and  an  attractive  preacher,"  who  was  installed  in 
September,  1824,  and  remained  until  February,  1832,  when 
he  resigned  his  charge  on  account  of  failing  health.  The 
duration  of  his  most  successful  pastorate  was  seven  years 
and  five  months. 

It  had  been  the  good  fortune  of  this  congregation  to  re- 
ceive as  a  gift  from  Colonel  Williams  the  house  of  worship 
which  he  had  built,  with  the  lot  of  land  on  which  it  stood. 
"  From  this  lot  of  land,"  says  Rev.  Lewis  Kellogg,  in  a 
historical  discourse  delivered  June  27,  1847,  "  was  ulti- 
mately realized  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars."  In 
1826,  during  Mr.  Kennedy's  pastorate,  the  church  building 
was  taken  down  and  re-erected  on  the  site  of  the  present 
house  of  worship  in  Church  street. 

The  third  pastor  was  Rev.  Archibald  Fleming,  a  native 
of  Paisley,  Scotland.  He  was  installed  over  this  congrega- 
tion in  September,  1832,  and  remained  with  them  until 
May,  1837,  when  he  left  to  assume  a  charge  in  Vermont. 
He  died  June  3,  1875,  aged  seventy-five  years.  The 
successor  of  Mr.  Fleming  was  Rev.  Lewis  Kellogg,  who 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    VORK. 


48:i 


coiiimeiicc^J  labor  here  on  the  last  Sabbath  of  June,  1837, 
was  ordained  and  installed  in  the  following  November,  and 
continued  in  charge  until  June  28,  1854.  Durin"  the 
second  year  of  his  pastorate  the  church  buildinj:  was  en- 
larged and  improved,  and  in  1842  a  lecture-room  was  added. 
Si.x  years  later  the  old  church  was  demolished  and  the  pres- 
ent one  erected  on  its  site,  and  dedicated  Dec.  28,  1848.  the 
sermon  upon  that  occasion  being  preached  by  Rev.  N.  S. 
S.  Bemau,  D.D.,  of  Troy. 

Mr.  Kellogg's  successor  was  Rev.  Louis  Gano,  who  was 
ordained  and  installed  March  7,  1855,  and  remained  as 
pastor  until  Aug.  13,  1856,  during  which  time  the  church 
received  an  accession  of  two  persons  on  profession.  He 
was  afterwards  engaged  in  a  banking  bu.siness  in  Chicago. 
The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  W.  H.  Corning,  who  came  from 
the  charge  of  a  church  in  Owego,  N.  Y.,  and  was  installed 
Feb.  9,  1858.  He  remained  until  May,  1862,  when  the 
relation  was  dissolved  at  his  own  request.  He  died  in  the 
following  October,  at  Saratoga.  After  the  departure  of  Mr. 
Corning  the  Rev.  Lewis  Kellogg  was  recalled,  and  was  re- 
installed Oct.  13,  1862.  After  a  second  pastorate  of  six 
years  he  resigned  in  June,  1868,  on  account  of  ill  health. 
He  is  now  pastor  at  North  Granville,  N.  Y. 

His  successor  was  Rev.  Charles  J.  Hill,  who  began  his 
work  here  Nov.  8,  1868,  and  remained  until  Sept.  16, 1872, 
when  he  assumed  charge  of  the  Congregational  church  at 
Ansonia,  Conn.  He  is  now  pastor  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional church  at  Middletown,  Conn.  The  successor  of  Jlr. 
Hill,  the  Rev.  John  Lowrey,  a  graduate  of  Princeton,  came 
here  from  the  pastorate  of  the  Throop  Avenue  Presbyterian 
church  of  Brooklyn,  commenced  his  work  with  this  church 
June  29,  1873,  and  was  installed  July  1  in  the  same  year. 
He  is  their  ninth  and  present  pastor. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  elders  of  this  church  from  its 
organization  :  Ira  Bascom,  Alexander  Cruikshank,  John 
Adams,  James  Morton,  James  Cox,  Andrew  Anderson, 
Elias  Depew,  Nathan  Pierce,  Asa  Eddy,  Albert  Blakeslee, 
Peter  J.  H.  Myers,  George  H.  Fish,  Washington  A. 
Travis,  Wm.  H.  Parker,  William  Hauuis,  Joseph  Bunce, 
Hiram  Eddy,  Alfred  A.  John.son,  Michael  J.  Myers,  Henry 
Gaylord,  James  H.  H.  Parke,  Elisha  A.  Martin,  John  F. 
Clarke,  Rollin  E.  Bascom. 

A  Sabbath-school,  auxiliary  to  this  church,  has  existed 
since  1819.  A  list  of  the  earlier  superintendents  cannot 
be  obtained,  but  the  following  are,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascer- 
tained, the  names  of  those  who  have  filled  that  honorable 
ofiSce  during  the  past  thirty  years :  Michael  J.  Myers,  E. 
A.  Martin,  J.  H.  H.  Parke,  Benjamin  Dyer,  Horace  S. 
Allen,  C.  M.  Davison,  J.  H.  Bronson,  J.  P.  Blakeslee, 
Tracy  Cowen,  J.  F.  Clarke,  T.  S.  McLachlin.  Rollin  E. 
Bascom. 

METHODIST     EPISCOPAL    OHHRCH,    ■WHITEHALL    VILLAGE. 

This  organization,  originally  consisting  of  one  male  and 
four  female  members,  was  formed  in  1822,  by  Rev.  Philo 
Ferris.  This  congregation,  though  so  small,  was  regularly 
visited  by  circuit  preachers,  of  whom  the  first  who  followed 
Mr.  Ferris  was  Rev.  George  Smith,  in  1823;  then  came 
Rev.  Orrin  Pier,  1824-25;  Rev.  Elijah  Craue,  1826; 
Rev.  Wesley  P.  Lake,  1827  ;  Rev.  Hiram  Meeker,  1828  ; 


Rev.  James  Quinlan,  1829;  Rev.  Elijah  Crawford,  1830; 
Rev.  Samuel  Covel,  1831  ;  and  Rev.  K.  Aiidrcws,  1832- 
33.  Up  to  the  time  of  Mr.  Andrews'  charge  the  meetings 
had  been  held  in  the  dwellings  of  the  different  members,  or 
in  the  school  hou.se,  but  in  1832  they  built  their  fir.st  (and 
present )  house  of  woi-ship,  a  good  brick  edifice,  on  the  west 
side  of  Church  street,  above  Saunders.  To  the  erection  of 
this  house  the  energy  and  iis.sistancc  of  Mr.  Edmund  Pratt 
contributed  largely.  Sixteen  years  later  it  was  repaired 
and  improved  at  an  expense  of  about  two  thousand  dollars, 
and  was  again  remodeled  in  1802-63.  The  present  valua- 
tion of  church  and  parsonage  (on  same  lot)  is  about  fifteen 
thousand  dollars. 

Since  the  close  of  Mr.  Andrew.s"  pastorate,  in  1833,  this 
church  has  been  served  by  the  following  preachers :  Revs. 
J.  M.  Weaver,  C.  R.  Wilkins,  P.  P.  Harrower,  W.  B. 
Wood,  James  Caughey,  Daniel  F.  Page,  John  Haslam, 
Thomas  F.  Kirby,  Ru.ssel  Z.  Mason,  R.  H.  Robertson,  B. 
Isbell,  Daniel  F.  Page  (a  second  pastorate,  during  which 
he  died  in   this  village),  M.  M.  Ludlam,  William   Amer, 

John  D.  Thompson,  Wescott,  J.  D.  White,  William 

Ford, Styles,  John  D.  Lytle, Bigelow,  Myron 

White,  Jonas  Phillips,  Isaac  Parks,  John  Kernan,  G.  W. 

S.  Porter, Harwood, Lewis,  and  Dennis  Brougli, 

the  present  pastor.  A  Sabbath-school  connected  with  this 
church  enrolls  an  attendance  of  about  seventy-five,  under 
superinteiidency  of  W'illiam  Combs. 

FIRST    BAPTIST    L'UURCII     IN    WHITEHALL. 

Forty  years  ago  there  were  but  eight  pronounced  Bap- 
tists in  Whitehall.  For  some  time  these  have  held  worship- 
meetings  at  their  several  dwellings,  and,  on  a  day  in  the 
summer  of  1838,  having  met  at  the  house  of  one  of  their 
number  (W.  W.  Cooke,  at  the  corner  of  Canal  and  South 
Bay  streets),  they  effected  an  informal  organization  which 
was  the  germ  of  the  present  church.  Their  meetings  were 
continued,  and  during  the  following  year  their  number  was 
increased  by  the  accession  of  Stephen  N.  Bush  and  wife, 
who  removed  hither  from  East  Whitehall.  Having  been 
visited,  and  their  plan  and  condition  approved,  by  a  com- 
mittee from  several  churches,  they  were  formally  organized 
on  the  15th  of  July,  1840,  and  were  duly  recognized  as  the 
First  Baptist  church  of  Whitehall.  The  sermon  on  that 
occasion  was  preached  by  Rev.  William  Arthur,  of  the  Botts- 
kill  church.  The  original  members  were  W.  W.  Cooke  and 
Hearty  C.  Cooke,  his  wife,  from  the  church  in  Fort  Ann  ; 
Stephen  N.  Bush,  Salome,  his  wife,  and  Henry  J.  Day, 
from  the  Granville  church  ;  Lester  Leach,  and  Mindwell, 
his  wife,  from  the  church  in  Middleton,  Vt. ;  Mre.  Phiebe 
Blin,  from  the  Hampton  church  ;  Laura  Chalk,  from  Botts- 
kill ;  and  Mrs.  Jane  Stephens,  from  the  church  in  Hartford, 
— ten  in  all.  Meetings  were  maintained  at  their  several 
dwellings,  with  occasional  preaching  by  ministers  of  the 
vicinity,  among  whom  were  Rev.  Mr.  Hotchkiss,  of  Poult- 
ney,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Dilloway,  of  Granville.  They  also  often 
met  in  the  old  school-house  on  Division  street.  John 
Alden  and  Thomas  Chalk  had  joined  by  baptism,  and  eight 
othere  by  letter,  increasing  their  number  to  twenty,  when, 
in  June,  1841,  the  church  was  admitted  into  the  union 
association.    In  that  year  a  temporary  supply  was  obtained 


484 


HISTORY    OF    VVA8HINGT0-\    COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


in  the  person  of  Rov.  Daniel  Haskell,  a  professor  at  Ham- 
ilton College. 

In  1846  the  church  building,  which  had  been  erected 
b}'  the  Episcopalians  nine  years  before,  on  Division  street, 
was  offered  for  sale,  and  was  purchased  by  W.  W.  Cooke, 
Esq.,  for  this  society.  In  1848  it  was  by  him  conveyed  to 
H.  Reynolds,  S.  N.  Bush,  and  Henry  J.  Day,  trustees,  as 
a  house  of  worship,  in  which  no  doctrines  should  be  preached 
but  those  embodied  in  the  articles  of  faith  which  had  been 
adopted  by  this  church. 

In  the  spring  of  1847,  Rev.  William  Grant  was  engaged 
to  preach,  and  he  remained  until  the  summer  of  1848, 
when  Rev.  Josiah  Cannon  was  settled.  His  successor  was 
Rev.  Thomas  Brandt,  who  served  the  church  from  1851  to 
1855,  during  which  time  the  membership  increased  to  one 
hundred  and  thirteen.  The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  Leonard 
Tiacy,  from  Burlington,  Vt.,  who  after  about  two  years  was 
compelled  to  resign  by  reason  of  a  loss  of  voice.     Then  for 

about  one  year  the  desk  was  supplied  by  Rev.  Grant. 

Rev.  Malachi  Taylor,  a  professor  in  Washington  College, 
Pennsylvania,  next  assumed  the  pastorate,  and,  in  1860, 
resigned  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of  his  wife.  His 
successor  was  Rev.  Norman  Fox,  Jr.,  from  Rochester  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  who  was  ordained  and  installed  Jan.  12, 
1860  ;  the  ceremonies  being  conducted  by  Revs.  Brown, 
Bogart,  Cheshire,  J.  Earl,  W.  Groom,  N.  Fox,  Sr.,  and 
Drs.  Robinson,  Mason,  and  Beecher,  of  Saratoga.  Mr.  Fox 
resigned  in  1862,  to  take  the  chaplaincy  of  the  Seventy- 
seventh  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  and  continued 
in  the  position  until  the  mustering  out  of  the  regiment. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Baptist  Record,  of 
St.  Louis.  Rev.  Isaac  E.  Howard  became  pastor  in  the 
autumn  of  1862,  and  resigned  in  January,  1866.  He  was 
succeeded  in  the  following  August  by  Rev.  D.  T.  James, 
of  Newport,  N.  H.,  who  remained  until  his  death,  Jan.  8, 
1870.  During  his  pastorate  (in  1868)  the  church  building 
was  remodeled,  and  an  organ  donated  by  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  church. 

The  successor  of  Mr.  James  was  Rev.  C.  A.  Johnson, 
whose  pastorate  commenced  Jan.  8,  1871,  and  ended,  by 
resignation,  Nov.  1,  1873.  The  present  pastor,  Rev.  E. 
M.  Haynes,  was  called  Feb.  1,  1874,  and  commenced  his 
labor  March  1  in  the  same  year. 

On  Feb.  13,  1874,  their  meeting-house  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  Six  days  later  it  was  voted  to  proceed  immediately 
to  erect  a  new  church  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  and 
during  the  following  July  work  was  commenced.  In  June, 
1876,  the  house  was  completed,  and  was  dedicated  on  the 
14th  of  that  month,  Rev.  Dr.  Armitage,  of  New  York, 
preaching  the  sermon,  and  Rev.  J.  0.  Mason,  D.D.,  of 
Greenwich,  offering  the  dedicatory  prayer.  The  church  is 
a  large  and  costly  mixed-Gothic  structure  of  brick,  with 
trimmings  of  Glen's  Falls  limestone.  The  interior  is  ex- 
pensively finished  and  beautifully  decorated.  The  main 
audience-room  has  a  seating  capacity  of  five  hundred,  and 
the  lecture-room  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five.  The  total 
cost  of  the  building  was  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars. 
Its  location  is  at  the  corner  of  Williams  and  McCotter 
streets.  The  present  trustees  of  the  church  are  W.  W. 
Cooke,  J.  R.  Broughton,  S.  C.  Bull,  W.  H.  Cooke,  H.  R. 


Wait,  S.  T.  Cook,  W.  M.  Keith,  George  Belden,  and  Ste- 
phen Osgood.  The  deacons  are  W.  W.  Cooke,  J.  R. 
Broughton,  W.  H.  Cooke,  and  John  H.  Sullivan.  The 
superintendent  of  Sabbath-school  is  Horace  H.  Wait. 

TRINITY    CHURCH    (EPISCOPAL). 

An  Epi-scopal  church  was  organized  in  Whitehall  about 
1834,  the  first  rector  being  Rev.  Palmer  Dyer,  who  as- 
sumed charge  in  that  year.  Their  first  house  of  worship 
was  erected  in  1837,  on  the  south  side  of  Division  street. 
This  was  afterwards  sold  to  the  Baptists,  and  in  1843  their 
second  house  was  built  on  the  west  side  of  Church  street, 
above  Division,  this  being  the  same  which  is  now  owned 
and  occupied  by  the  Catholic  church  of  Nutre  Dame  de  la 
Victoire. 

In  the  thirty  years  which  followed  the  coming  of  Mr. 
Dyer,  the  succeeding  rectors  were  Rev.  Munsel  Van  Rens- 
selaer, Rev.  Edward  F.  Edwards,  Rev.  S.  N.  Sleight,  Rev. 
Jubal  Hodges,  Rev.  Charles  E.  Phelps,  and  Rev.  Henry 
Adams,  who  came  in  1864. 

In  1866  their  present  fine  and  commodious  church  edi- 
fice, standing  on  the  west  side  of  Church  street,  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  tliirteen  thousand  dollars,  and  in  the  same  year 
a  new  parish,  designated  as  Trinity  church,  was  organized, 
with  Rev.  Frederick  N.  Luson  as  rector,  with  whom  the 
Revs.  Francis  Stubbs  and  Nelson  R.  Boss  were  associated 
as  deacon.s.  The  successors  of  Mr.  Luson  have  been  the 
Rev.  William  Townsend  Early,  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Mcllvvaine, 
Rev.  Henry  C.  Hutchings,  and  Rev.  James  E.  Hall,  the 
present  rector. 

The  present  officers  of  the  church  are  James  A.  Conery 
and  G.  T.  Hall,  wardens  ;  J.  H.  Greenough,  H.  W.  Dick- 
enson, James  Adams,  Jeremiah  Adams,  A.  H.  Tanner,  W. 
F.  Bascom,  H.  G.  Burleigh,  vestrymen.  The  parish  in- 
cludes about  three  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  and  the  Sab- 
bath-school attendance  is  about  one  hundred. 

CHURCH  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  ANGELS  (CATHOLIC). 

The  first  Catholic  services  in  Whitehall  were  held  in  the 
dwelling  of  Antoine  Renois,  by  Rev.  Father  Mailloux,  of 
Chambly,  C.  E.,  the  number  of  worshipers  being  four- 
teen. Occasional  services  continued  to  be  held  at  the  same 
place  by  Fathers  Daly  and  F.  Coyle,  until  1841,  in  which 
year  their  first  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand 
two  hundred  dollars,  including  the  lot,  which  was  located 
on  the  west  side  of  Church  street,  at  the  present  intersec- 
tion of  Saunders  street.  This  was  named  St.  Anthony's 
church.  The  earliest  record  is  dated  May,  1843,  at  which 
time  Father  Coyle  was  appointed  by  Bishop  Hughes  to  the 
charge  of  Whitehall,  and  the  neighboring  missions  within 
a  circuit  of  forty  miles.  He  was  succeeded  in  October, 
1843,  by  Rev.  Joseph  Guerdet,  who  was  followed  by  Rev. 
Andrew  Doyle  in  December,  1844.  The  next  two  priests 
in  charge  were  Rev.  M.  Olivetti, — August,  1846,  to  De- 
cember, 1858, — -and  Rev.  L.  Deroches,  who  remained  till 
December,  1867,  in  which  year  the  church  property  was 
taken  by  the  village  for  the  opening  of  a  highway  (Saun- 
ders street),  and  the  congregation,  which  had  now  grown 
very  large,  was  divided  into  two,  a  French-  and  an  English- 
speaking  church,  the  latter  receiving  the  name  which  heads 


'=>ii^t^  ?  I^X-  '^Ci^-'''/^   f   '^^r-^c 


O/,  4^</ 


LAMBERT  H.  LAW. 


Lambert  H.  Law  was  born  in  the  towD  of  Whitehall, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  January  22,  1820.  He  was  the 
eldest  in  a  family  of  three  children  (there  being  two  daugh- 
ters, Ann  and  Mary,  now  living  in  New  Haven,  Conn.) 
of  Andrew  Law  and  Clara  Thompson,  and  of  English  de- 
scent. His  maternal  grandfather,  Jesse  Thompson,  served 
five  years  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

His  father,  Andrew  Law,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  was  greatly  interested  in  the  spread  of  the 
gospel,  and  a  very  enthusiastic  Christian  man,  devoting 
much  of  his  time  to  bringing  about  a  unity  of  feeling  be- 
tween the  different  religious  denominations.  Was  formerly 
au  ardent  supporter  of  the  old  Whig  party,  and  upon  the 


formation  of  the  Republican  party  stood  firm  to  its  prin- 
ciples, and  was  especially  interested  in  all  enterprises  look- 
ing towards  the  elevation  and  education  of  the  masses  in 
school  and  secular  instruction. 

He  died  in  1866,  leaving  a  wife  who  only  survived  him 
two  years.  The  old  homestead  is  now  in  possession  of  his 
only  son,  Lambert  H.  Law,  who  has  given  his  whole  atten- 
tion thus  far  to  agriculture.  He  is  connected  with  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  of  Whitehall,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  same  for  about  twenty-five  years.  In  politics 
he  is  a  strong  advocate  of  the  Republican  party  ;  he  is  a 
plain,  unassuming  man,  known  by  all  for  his  integrity  of 
purpose  and  uprightness  of  character. 


/^'(r^^>-^^^  oO-T^-^^, 


ROBERT  DOIG. 


Robert  Doig  was  born  in  the  town  of  Greenwicb  (eastern 
part), Washington  County,  March  13, 1810.  His  grandfather, 
Thomas  Doig,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  died  at  Thorn- 
hUl,  Scotland,  about  1798,  leaving  two  sons,  Robert  and  John, 
and  three  daughters,  Jean,  Elizabeth,  and  Marian,  of  whom 
Robert  emigrated  to  America  (John  and  Jean  emigrating 
afterwards)  in  the  year  1798,  first  settling  at  East  Green- 
wich, this  county.  He  was  born  1769,  and  about  the 
year  1802  married  Miss  Hannah,  daughter  of  John  Beattie, 
of  Salem,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children, — Grace,  John 
B.,  Janet,  Thomas,  Robert,  James  R.,  David,  Elizabeth, 
Hannah,  and  Sarah.  Robert  Doig  gave  his  attention 
largely  to  farming.  Moved  to  Salem  in  the  year  1810, 
where  he  remained  until  about  the  year  1830,  when  he 
removed  to  Cambridge,  where  he  lived  until  his  demise, 
1850.  His  wife  survived  him  some  ten  years,  dying  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  Robert  spent  his  boy- 
hood on  a  farm  at  home,  receiving  the  limited  opportunities 
of  the  district  school ;  was  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  John 
Beattie,  of  Salem,  for  some  two  years,  and  during  the 
latter  years  of  his  minority  availed  him.self  of  the  facilities 
of  Washington  Academy,  at  Salem,  and  the  Cambridge 
Academy.  In  these  schools  he  took  high  rank,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  entered  Union  College,  at  Schenectady, 
and  graduated  from  that  institution  in  the  year  1 836  with 
the  usual  honors.  Unassisted,  pecuniarily,  Mr.  Doig  was 
obliged  to  defray  his  own  expenses,  and  after  leaving  college, 
impressed  with  the  idea  of  a  professional  life  he  began  teach- 
ing in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  at  the  same  time  to  read  law  with 
Judge  Hunt,  a  man  of  high  standing  as  a  lawyer.  He 
finished  his  studies  there  in  1838,  and  came  to  Whitehidl 
and  entered  the  ofiice  of  Boyd  &  Billings,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  law  study,  and  was  admitted  as  an  attorney  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  and  about  the  same  time 


received  the  honorary  degree  of  A.M.  from  Union  College. 
He  at  once  opened  an  office  for  himself  in  Whitehall,  where 
he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  as  with  most  new 
practitioners  in  any  profession  (it  was  no  exception  in  his 
case),  he  met  the  obstacles  incident  to  young  men  brought 
in  contact  with  more  experienced  men.  His  indefatigable 
perseverance  and  resolution  to  succeed  soon  gave  him  a 
prominent  place  among  the  legal  fraternity  of  the  county. 

In  the  year  1841  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace, 
which  office  he  retained  for  some  nineteen  successive  years, 
and  at  the  same  time  kept  up  the  practice  of  the  law.   . 

During  and  since  his  time  of  office  as  justice  of  the  peace 
he  served  as  clerk  of  the  board  of  supervisors  for  three 
years,  and  was  attorney  for  the  Commercial  Bank  of  White- 
hall for  some  eighteen  years,  and  for  several  yeare  attorney 
at  various  times  for  the  several  railroads  of  Saratoga  and 
Washington,  Saratoga  and  Whitehall,  and  the  Rensselaer 
and  Saratoga.  Since  the  close  of  his  justiceship  he  has 
given  his  full  attention  to  the  practice  of  the  law. 

In  the  year  1841,  September,  he  married  Miss  Martha, 
second  daughter  of  Joseph  Goodale,  of  'Wliitehall.  Her 
ancestors  were  earl}'  settlers  of  Salem,  near  Shushan. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doig  have  been  born  four  children,— 
Robert ;  Mary  (deceased),  wife  of  Henry  Smith  ;  Martha, 
twin  sister  of  Mary,  died  in  infancy ;  Martha  G.,  wife  of 
Edward  Pittinger,  of  Whitehall.  In  politics  Mr.  Doig  has 
remained  firm  and  unswervingly  a  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  since  the  breaking  up  of  the  old  Whig  party, 
and  although  never  solicitous  of  any  political  preferment, 
yet  regarded  the  right  of  suffrage  of  paramount  interest  to 
every  American  citizen,  and  was  among  the  foremost  in 
supporting  the  Union  cause  during  the  late  rcbelliou  and 
promoting  the  welfare  of  those  who  fought  in  defense  of 
an  undivided  republic. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


485 


this  sketch,  and  the  former  that  of  Notre  Dame  de  la 
Victoire.* 

In  January,  1868,  the  Rev.  J.  J.  McDonnell  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  pastorate  of  the  English-speaking  congrega- 
tion, and  has  remained  in  charge  until  the  present  time. 
Under  him,  their  service  was  hold  in  Anderson  hall,  until 
the  completion  of  their  new  church  edifice,  of  which  the 
corner-stone  was  laid,  Sept.  27,  18(38,  by  the  Very  Rev.  E. 
P.  Wadhams,  vicar-general  of  the  diocese  of  Albany,  and 
which  was  dedicated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  Conroy,  bishop 
of  Albany,  Nov.  24,  1870. 

The  total  cost  of  this  church  was  about  thirty  thousand 
dollars.  The  lot  on  which  it  stand,s — lying  on  Canal,  Board- 
man,  and  West  streets — was  formerly  the  homestead  lot  of 
Hon.  Justin  A.  Smith,  and  purchased  from  him  for  the 
sum  of  five  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  A  fine  par- 
souage  was  erected  on  the  same  lot,  adjoining  the  church, 
in  1872-73. 

The  congregation  now  numbers  about  one  hundred  fam- 
ilies. 

CATHOLIC   CHURCH    OF    NOTRE     DAME    DE    LA    VICTOIRE. 

At  the  time  of  the  division  of  St.  Mary's  congregation, 
the  French  portion,  which  received  the  above  designation, 
were  placed  under  charge  of  Rev.  A.  Payette,  as  pastor, 
and  the  old  Episcojial  church  was  purchased  as  their  house 
of  worship,  at  a  cost  (including  the  enlargement  and  repairs 
which  were  made  before  occupation)  of  about  four  thousand 
dollars.  It  was  dedicated  by  Vicar-General  Wadhams,  Sept. 
27,  1868  ;  the  same  day  on  which  was  laid  the  corner-stone 
of  the  English  Catholic  edifice.  The  pastorate  of  Father 
Payette  continued  until  July,  1877,  after  which  the  church 
was  without  a  priest  until  about  the  1st  of  December  fol- 
lowing, when  the  charge  was  assumed  by  Rev. Adam, 

the  present  pastor.  The  congregation  now  embraces  about 
three  hundred  families,  for  which  number  their  house  is 
entirely  insufiicient ;  and  ou  this  account  they  have  pur- 
chased from  the  estate  of  the  late  Judge  Wheeler  a  lot  of 
ground  at  the  corner  of  Skeene  street  and  Wheeler  avenue, 
on  which  the  erection  of  a  new  and  commodious  church  is 
contemplated.  The  cost  of  this  lot,  including  a  dwelling- 
house  to  be  used  as  a  parsonage,  was  about  six  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  most  ancient  burial-place  in  the  village  of  Whitehall 
is  the  old  Presbyterian  cemetery  on  the  east  side  of  Wil- 
liams street,  between  Poultney  and  Elizabeth  streets,  being 
a  part  of  the  land  donated  to  that  society  with  their  church, 
by  Colonel  John  Williams.  It  is  not  known  whose  was 
the  first  interment,  but  it  must  have  been  made  nearly  three- 
fourths  of  a  century  ago.  The  ground  has  become  very 
populous,  and  new  burials  within  it  have  been  discontinued. 

Another,  probably  of  equal  antiquity,  is  the  Methodist 
burial-ground,  at  their  church  in  East  Whitehall,  originally 
taken  from  the  farm  of  Simeon  Hotchkiss.  The  number 
of  interments  has  become  very  large,  and  an  extension  of 
about  half  an  acre  was  added  to  its  eastern  side  in  1875. 

*  Before  the  division,  at  a  date  which  we  arc  unable  to  aseertaiu, 
the   name  had  been  changeil,  by  authority,  from   St.  Anthony's  to 

,-it.  iMarv's  church. 


The  old  Bartholomew  grave-yard,  in  East  Whitehall,  is 
a  ground  given  for  burial  purposses  by  Lemuel  Bartholomew, 
one  of  the  first  settlers,  whose  remains,  with  those  of  two 
generations  of  his  descendants,  as  well  as  those  of  many 
other  of  the  early  residents  of  this  part  of  the  town,  lie 
within  its  inclosure.  It  has  become  crowded,  and  no  in- 
terments are  now  made  there. 

The  Hatch  Hill  burial-ground  is  a  small  but  well-filled 
cemetery,  located  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  same  name, 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  town.  Another  is  located 
in  the  southwest  part,  on  the  Fort  Ann  road,  near  the  resi- 
dence of  J.  Osgood ;  and  near  the  Hampton  town  line  is 
an  old  ground  originally  taken  from  the  farm  of  Levi 
Falkeubury,  a  .soldier  of  the  Revolution.  Near  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  the  town  is  a  burial-place  in  the  Whit« 
and  Pratt  neighborhood,  and  also  one  on  the  farm  of  Wil- 
liam Clarke.  About  one  mile  from  the  village,  on  the  Gran- 
ville road,  adjoining  the  farm  of  George  H.  Buel,  is  a 
ground  recently  laid  out  for  the  interment  of  indigent  per- 
sons. This  is  owned  by  the  town  of  Whitehall,  and  was 
purchased  from  Ebenezer  Ingalls. 

Some  years  ago  a  cemetery  plat  was  laid  out  on  Queeu 
street,  and  some  lots  were  sold  by  the  proprietor,  Justin  A. 
Smith,  Esq.  It  chanced  that  among  the  earliest  interments 
were  those  of  one  or  more  members  of  the  Odd-Fellows' 
fraternity,  from  which  circumstance  the  ground  became  to 
some  extent  known  as  Odd-Fellows'  cemetery ;  but  this 
designation  was  never  an  authorized  or  a  correct  one.  No 
burials  are  made  there  now,  and  many  of  the  remains  have 
been  removed  from  it. 

The  Boardman  cemetery  is  located  on  Smith  street,  op- 
posite the  head  of  Boardman  street,  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  village.  The  first  interment  here  was  that  of  Nancy 
Boardman,  who  died  Feb.  15,  1853,  and  the  ground  was 
surveyed  and  laid  ofl"  as  a  cemetery  June  15  in  the  same 
year,  by  Cyrus  Boardman,  whose  heirs  are  still  proprietors 
of  the  unsold  portion.  The  first  survey  embraced  two  hun- 
dred and  eight  lots,  and  a  second  survey  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  lots  was  afterwards  added.  Lying  together 
with  these  is  a  large  private  plat,  owned  by  Hon.  E.  A. 
Martin,  and  also  a  tract  laid  out  for  burial  purposes  by 
Justin  A.  Smith,  Esq.  These  grounds  form,  in  fact,  a 
single  cemetery,  which  is  now  the  principal  place  of  inter- 
ment in  use  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  and  vicinity. 

AGRICULTURE — SLATE  PRODUCTION— POPULATION. 

The  area  of  Whitehall  is  31,509  acres,  of  which  about 
three-fifths  is  improved  land.  The  crops  most  raised  arc 
oats,  corn,  wheat,  rye,  and  potatoes,  which  last  named  are 
quite  extensively  produced  for  the  market  in  the  slate 
region  of  the  east  part  of  the  town.  In  general,  however, 
the  soil  is  a  stiff,  intractable  clay,  and  best  adapted  to 
grazing,  to  which  branch  the  attention  of  farmers  is  in  a 
great  measure  directed.  There  are  in  the  town  two  cheese- 
factories,  viz.,  the  Rogers  factory,  on  the  farm  of  J.  S. 
Rogers,  in  the  north  part,  and  the  Hollister  factory,  in 
East  Whitehall,  near  the  Hampton  line.  Both  these  are 
owned  by  stock  companies,  and  together  they  manufacture 
the  product  of  about  six  hundred  cows.  In  the  south 
part,  on  the  old  Granville  road,  is  a  creamery,  established 


486 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


by  George  Rathbun  in  1876,  with  a  patrninige  of  about 
ninety  cows.  A  considerable  amount  of  milk  is  also 
shipped  by  rail,  the  quantity  sent  from  this  town  in  1877 
having  been  nine  thousand  four  hundred  and  eighty-two 
gallons. 

Very  littlu  attention  is  given  to  the  production  of  fruit,  ex- 
cept the  grape,  to  wliich  the  soil  of  the  limestone  portion  of  the 
town  seems  peculiarly  adapted.  There  are  several  vineyards, 
principally  of  the  Delaware  grape,  in  the  vicinity  of  White- 
hall village,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Wood  week,  among 
which  are  those  of  0.  F.  Davis,  Esq.,  Judge  Joseph  Pot- 
ter, the  Gibson  estate,  George  S.  Griswold,  and  Colonel 
Lemon  Barns.  All  these  have  proved  successful  and  de- 
cidedly remunerative. 

Tobacco  culture  has  been  carried  on  to  some  extent  by 
J.  S.  Rogers,  Allen  E.  Kelley,  and  W.  W.  Cooke,  Esq., 
but  is  now  nearly  discontinued.  The  farm  of  Mr.  Cooke 
in  this  town,  containing  five  hundred  acres,  ranks  among 
the  best  and  most  valuable  farms  in  Washington  county. 

The  east  portion  of  the  town  is  in  many  places  underlaid 
by  a  slate  formation,  which  has  been  developed  to  some  ex- 
tent. In  the  southeast  corner  is  the  Eureka  slate  quarry 
of  I.  S.  Herbert  &  Co.,  now  in  operation.  It  produces 
slate  of  a  red  tint,  uniform  in  shade,  and  of  very  superior 
quality.  Another,  upon  the  farm  of  Isaac  Spink,  near  the 
Hampton  line,  has  been  considerably  developed,  producing 
excellent  slate,  but  at  present  is  not  worked.  There  are 
opportunities  for  the  opening  of  quarries  at  many  other 
points  within  the  town. 

The  population  of  the  town  in  1840  was  3813;  in  1845, 
3954  ;  in  1850,  4726  ;  in  1855,  4438  ;  in  1860,  4862  ;  in 
1865,  4422;  in  1870,  5564;  in  1875,  5039.  In  1875 
the  population  of  Whitehall  village  was  near  4900,  but  is 
thought  to  have  decreased  since  that  time. 

MILITARY. 

Joseph  W.  Alkn,  enl.  Aug,  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Wni.  H.  Allen,  enl.  Aug,  6, 1862,  12:3(i  Hegt.,  Co.  C. 

Cyrus  W.  Allen,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Eegt.,  Co.  I. 

Julio  IS.  Benjamin,  sergt. ;  enl.  Sept.  14, 1862, 169tli  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

RumBey  D.  Brown,  Corp.;  enl.  Sept.  4, 1862,  ICDtli  Kegf..  Co.  P. 

L.  M.  D.  Brown,  enl.  Sept.  1,  1862, 169tli  Begt.,  Co.  F. 

Ebenezer  Blinn,  enl.  Sept.  8,  1862,  lonth  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Dennis  Barrett,  enl.  Sept.  C,  1862,  169lh  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

J.  A.  Butler,  enl.  Sept.  6, 1862, 169tli  Regt. 

Winfield  Butler,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co  C. 

Mark  Bourdon,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

George  Brannock,  enl.  .\ug.  7,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Thomas  Bryan,  enl.  Aug.  1,  1802,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

George  S.  Black,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

George  H.  Beattio,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Hiram  T.  Blanchard,  enl,  Aug.  21, 1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  C. 

Joseph  Bogart,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Andiew  Buoll,  enl.  Xng.  29,  1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

John  Bacon,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

.lames  Bruley,  enl.  Sept.  20,  1861,  o3d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Dana  Briggs,  enl.  Aug.  10, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

George  Brand,  enl.  Aug.  13, 1863,  2a  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Joseph  Bolton,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Joseph  Barrett,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Robert  H.  Brett,  enl.  Aug.'  16, 1863,  2d  Vet,  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

James  T.  Boyle,  enl.  July  311, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Michael  Boyle,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

John  H.  Blinn,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1801,  93d  Begt.,  Co.  I. 

Frank  Bylan,  enl.  Jan.  2, 1S62,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Wm.  T.  Boyil,  corp. ;  enl.  Oct.  14,  1861,  S7th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Stephen  R.  Cooper,  enl.  Aug.  23,  1862, 169th  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 

Daniel  Curnmings,  enl.  Sept.  0, 1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

John  C.  Corbett,  2d  lieut. ;  eul.  July,  1862, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  C. 

Luke  H.  Carrington,  sergt. ;  enl.  July  28,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  (.'o.  C. 

Francis  E.  Cull,  enl.  July  28,  1802,  123a  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 


Michael  Crowley,  enl.  Aug.  14, 18G2, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

Jed  A.  Cull,  enl.  July  28, 1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

James  Crowley,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1802, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

Paschal  L.  Cook.  enl.  July  31,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

James  Carroll,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  123il  Regt.,Co.C. 

Henry  Clemens,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

John  Carle,  enl.  Aug.  .5, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  (;o.  C. 

Charles  Carpenter,  eul.  .\ug.  11,  1863,  2d  Vet  Cav.,  Co.  D;  bad  served  in  78th 
Regt. 

Wm.  Cain,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  (Jo.  D. 

Franklin  T.  Centre,  eul.  Aug.  20,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Augustus  P.  Chase,  enl.  Aug.  31,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Wm.  I.  Coombs,  enl.  Aug.  19, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Charles  Conkey,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1863, 2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

John  Carpenter,  enl.  July  31, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

John  W.  Clark,  enl.  July  31, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Joseph  Case,  enl.  July  30, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  F. 

Frank  A.  Churchill,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

John  Carpenter,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

George  Carr,  enl.  Nov.  16,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Wm.  C.  Corbit,  corp.;  enl.  Oct.  14,  1861,  87tli  Regt., Co.  G. 

Henry  H.  Carver,  enl.  Dec.  28, 1861,  78th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

.\mabel  Chessier,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Walter  Doyle,  enl.  Sept.  16,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Joseph  H.  Dilts,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

Charles  Donahue,  enl.  July  31,  1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

John  Douglass,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1802,123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

Edward  B.  Day,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  C. 

Daniel  Donahue,  enl.  Nov.  20,  1861,  96th  Begt.,  Co.  E. 

Seymour  Daly,  enl.  Jan.  3, 1802,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Wm.  Deacon,  Corp.;  enl.  Oct.  14,  1801,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Morris Dalton,  enl.Oct.  14,  1861,  87th  Eegt.,  Co.  G. 

Caleb  M.  Earl,  enl.  Sept.  14, 1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

James  W.  Earl,  Jr.,  enl.  Aug.  8,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

John  B.  Foole,  Corp. ;  enl.  Sept.  15,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Richard  W.  Farrell,  sergt. ;  enl.  July  28, 18B2, 123d  Begt.,  Co.  C. 

Wm.  Foster,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

George  Forget,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

Thomas  Forbes,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Dcwitt  C.Falkenberry,  enl.  Oct.  14, 1801,  87th  Eegt.,  Co.  G. 

George  Greene,  enl.  Aug.  29, 1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Wm.  Glover,  enl.  Sept.  1,  1802, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

L.  S.  Gillott,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
James  H.  Green,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Wm.  Golden,  enl.  Aug.  22, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Charles  Graham,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Daniel  Geary,  enl.  Aug.  15, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Robert  Gero,  enl.  Aug.  3, 1863.  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
George  R.  Goodall,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  f. 
Nicholas  Uillard,  sergt. ;  eul.  Aug.  4,  1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
John  C.  Hollister,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
George  Horton,  enl.  July  28,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Wm.  Button,  Jr.,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
W.  P.  Huntington,  enl.  Aug.  11,  1862,  123d  Begt.,  Co.  C. 
James  Hurlburt,  eul.  Aug.  2, 1802,  l'23d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Wm.  Holt,  enl.  Aug.  12,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Enos  Hall,  enl.  Oct.  8, 1801,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  F. 
Evan  Hughes,  enl.  Aug.  28,  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
George  W.  Hudson,  enl.  Aug.  16,  186.3,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Michael  Hogan,  enl.  Aug.  17, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Wm.  Holliday,  enl.  Aug.  18,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  U. 
Christopher  Heeny,  enl.  Sept.  7,  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Michael  Hofferman,  Sept.  7,  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Antonio  Hule,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 
Anson  Hall,  enl.  Jau.  3, 1862,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 
Philip  Hart,  enl.  Dec.  3,  1861,  78th  Begt.,  Co.  C. 
Gardner  W.  Harvey,  enl.  Bee.  2, 1801,  78th  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
John  Johnson,  enl.  Sept.  0,  1302, 109th  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 
Michael  Johnson,  sergt. ;  enl.  July  30, 1862,  123rt  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Henry  F.  Johnson,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1802, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
John  King,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1802,  169th  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 
James  Killyallon,  eul.  Aug.  13, 1802, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
George  N.  Knowles,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Thomas  Kelly,  enl.  Aug.  5, 1862, 123J  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Patrick  Kinney,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862,  I23d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
Lewis  King,  enl.  July  29,  1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
James  Kelley,  enl.  Sept.  9, 1801,  53d  Begt.,  Co.  G. 
Morris  Kane,  enl.  Nov.  26,  1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 
Erastus  Lowell,  enl.  Sept.  4,  1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 
Wm.  P.  Lamb,  enl.  July  28, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
George  W.  Lamb,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
Nathan  Leonard,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862,  123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 
George  H.  Leonard,  enl.  .Vug  9,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 
Leou  Lacaille,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1861,  63d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Wm.  Lindsay,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1861,  53d  Eegt.,  Co.  A. 
Theodore  Lyon,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1861,  63d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 
Joselib  Lapointo,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 


HISTORY    OF    WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


487 


.Iiisoph  Laburge,  eiil.  Aug.  8,  1863,  2(J  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Kiiwland  Luomis,  eiil.  Aug.  6, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

.\llred  Laporte,  enl.  July  30,  1RC3,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  F. 

Henry  Liiggan,  enl.  Dec.  26, 1861,  93d  Bcgt,  Co.  I. 

Siymour  F.  Loomis,  enl.  (Jet.  2,  1861,  87th  Uegt.,  Co.  \. 

John  McLanghliu,  enl.  Aug.  23, 1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Michael  McBreon,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1802,  109th  Uegt.,  Co.  F. 

Tliomivs  Mi-Kanna,  enl.  Sept.  5, 181.2,  loilth  Kegt ,  Co.  F. 

H.  C.  Morehouse,  sergt. ;  enl.  July  28, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Aliram  Mosher,  Corp.;  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  C. 

Orville  Mannville,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  9.  1862, 123d  Begl.,  Co.  C. 

Franklin  Moore,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862,  123d  Rogt.,  Co.  C. 

Charles  W.  Morris,  enl.  July  28, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Thomas  McCarty,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

John  \V.  Manning,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1862, 123d  Regl.,  Co.  C. 

Napoleon  Meatt,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  V. 

Wm.  Murray,  enl.  Sept.  24,  lSOI,.53d  Regt,,  Co.  A. 

Orrin  G.  Miller,  enl.  Sept.  2ll,  1861.  6  id  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Adolphus  Miller,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1S61,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Joseph  Moon,  enl.  Aug.  1",  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Alfred  Manore,  enl.  Aug.  5, 1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

John  McUermott,  eril.  Sept.  9,  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Nathan  Maxlield,  enl.  Aug.  26,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Wm.  McCnmskey,  enl.  Aug.  3, 1863,  2il  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Wm.  H.  Montena,  enl.  Aug.  11, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I). 

John  H.  McGee,  enl.  Aug.  6,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I). 

Patrick  Matthews,  enl.  Aug.  IS,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I). 

Wm.  W.  Miller,  drummer;  enl.  Oct.  5, 1861,  87th  Regt., Co.  C. 

Henry  May,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1S61,  87th  Regl.,  Co.  ti. 

John  Moore,  enl.  Oct.  14,  1861,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Daniel  Murphy,  enl.  Dec.  7, 1861,  78th  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Joseph  Neddo,  enl.  Sept.  16, 1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Charles  H.  Norton,  enl.  Aug.  21,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Joseph  Naddo,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  o.3d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

James  O'Reilly,  enl.  July  28,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Daniel  O'Conner,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

David  O'Hare,  enl.  Oct.  14, 1801, 87th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

.lames  Perry,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  27, 1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Augustus  Palmer,  enl.  Sept.  18, 1862,  169th  Regt.,  Co.  F 

Charles  B.  Pardo,  enl.  Sept.  4, 1862,  169tb  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Edward  S.  Penfleld,  Corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  9,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  0. 

Horace  Pardee,  enl.  Aug.  13,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Joseph  Price,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Joseph  Perrot,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1801,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Leon  Pairsie,  enl.  Aug.  4, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Ely  Pocket,  enl.  Aug.  8, 1863, 2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Alexander  Paro,  enl.  Aug.  25, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

John  Parke,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Horace  Pardoe,  enl.  Nov.  16,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

James  Pardoe,  enl.  Nov.  10,  1801,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

James  C.  Parke,  enl.  Nov.  10,  1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  1. 

Henry  Pardoe,  enl.  Jan.  3, 1862,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Edward  Pettinger,  enl.  Oct.  14, 1801,  S7th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

James  B.  Randall,  sergt.;  enl.  Sept.  2, 1802,  109th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Charles  Rose,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Lewis  Rohitail,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Alexander  Rodd,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  63d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

James  Beno,  enl.  Aug.  10,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Elihu  Rickert,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1803,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Philo  Rickert,  enl.  Aug.  22,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I). 

James  Riley,  enl.  Aug.  25, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

S.  Robertson,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

Robert  Bowe,  enl.  Oct.  14, 1861,  87th  Eegt.,  Co.  G. 

Myron  Bickert,  enl.  Sept.  2, 1801,  87th  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Edward  Bod,  Sept.  14, 1861,  87tU  Regt.,  Co.  G. 

Alonzo  Searls,  corp.;  enl.  Sept.  9, 1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

John  Slaveu,  enl.  Sept.  16, 1862, 169th  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 

Richard  Scott,  enl.  July  28, 1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Dauiel  Shields,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

John  Sears,  Jr.,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

John  C.  Smith,  enl.  July  31, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

David  H.  Sager,  enl.  Aug.  9, 1862, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

.lames  J.  Sherman,  enl.  Aug  7, 1862,  123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Francis  Saddobar,  drummer;  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  53d  Itegt.,  Co.  A. 

Antoine  Sliuott,  enl.  Sept.  24,  1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

David  Sawyer,  enl.  Sept.  20,  1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Joseph  Slinott,  enl.  Sept.  24, 1861,  53d  Regt.,  Co.  A. 

Samuel  Swift,  enl.  Aug.  21, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Israel  Sweeney,  enl.  Aug.  3, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Joseph  Selvy,  enl.  Aug.  6, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Winfteld  S.  Stowell,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1863,  2d  Vel.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Duane  Smith,  enl.  Oct.  14, 1801,  87th  Eegt.,  Co.  G. 

Robert  Taggart,  enl.  Sept.  3,  1862, 169th  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

Adolphus  H.  Tanner,  capt. ;  enl.  July,  1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Michael  Tighe,  enl.  July  25, 1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  C. 

Hiram  A.  Tafft,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1S6J,  12:id  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Henry  A.  Tafft,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1802,  l-23d  Kegt.,  Co.  C. 


Hiram  Tafft.  Jr.,  onl.  Aug.  13, 1862,  I23d  Begl.,  Co.  C. 

Andrew  Taffl,  enl.  Aug.  7, 1862, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Richard  Terrill,  enl.  Aug.  14,  1802, 123d  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

Nathan  Thompson,  enl.  Aug.  li,  1862,12:id  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Samuel  U.  Thurber,  enl.  Nov.  16, 1861,  93d  Regt.,  Co.  I. 

John  Van  Anden,  onl.  Aug.  9.  1862, 12.)il  Regt.,  Co.  C. 

Oliver  Vigor,  enl.  Aug.  14, 1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 

Foster  Winchell,  enl.  Sept.  .'>,  1802, 109th  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 

Charles  Williams,  enl.  Sept.  8,  1862, 169tli  Regt.,  Co.  F. 

James  Waters,  enl.  Sept.  10,  1862,  109tli  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 

Robert  J.  Woodward,  enl.  Aug.  .11),  1862  1691b  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 

John  D.  Warren,  enl.  Sept.  S,  1862, 160tli  Eegt.,  Co.  F. 

Walter  G.  Warner,  Ist  lieut. ;  enl.  July,  1862,  I2:td  Eegt.,  Co.  C. 

George  Wright,  Corp. ;  enl.  July  31,  1862,  123d  Kegt.,  Co.  C. 

Thomas  J.  Wrangham,  corp  ;  enl.  July  29,  1802, 12.1d  Rogt.,  Co.  V. 

George  W.  Wells,  corp. ;  enl.  Aug.  7,  1862,  12:ld  Regl.,  Co.  C. 

Edson  Whitney,  musii.ian  ;  enl.  Aug.  14, 1862,  litd  R*gt.,  (>i.  C. 

George  R.  Winn,  enl.  Aug.  7,  1S02, 123d  Regl.,  Co.  C. 

Joseph  Whiltcn,  enl.  Aug.  4,  1802, 123d  Regt.,  Co.  0. 

Andrew  Wilson,  enl.  Aug.  B,  1802, 12:!d  Kegt.,  Co.  C. 

Charles  E  Wood,  ei.I.  Dec.  31, 1803,  lOlh  Art.,  Co.  I. 

Michael  Whigley,  enl.  Aug.  15,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  I). 

Curtis  D.  Wells,  enl.  Aug.  14, 186:i,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Vo.  li. 

Edward  Wells,  enl.  Aug.  5,  1863,  2d  Vet.  Cav.,  Co.  D. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


JUDOE  ASA  HAWLEY 

was  born  in  Pawlet,  Vt.,  Jan.  12,  ISOG.  He  was  a  linoal 
descendant  in  the  fifth  generatiun  From  Samuel  Hawlcy, 
who  came  from   Eiiirland  and  settled  in  Staflord,  Conn.,  in 


the  year  16(56.  His  grandfather,  Ager  Hawley,  built  the 
first  mill  in  Fair  Haven,  Vt.,  in  the  year  1782,  and  was 
killed  in  the  mill  December,  178-1. 

His  father,  Asa  Hawley,  was  a  miller  of  the  same  place, 
but  soon  aft«r  1806  came  to  Whitehall  with  his  family, 
consisting  of  wife  and  three  children,— Sally,  Beusey,  and 
Asa.     There  were  born   alter  coming  to  Whitehall,  Silas, 


488 


HISTORY   OP   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Charlotte,  and  Harvey.  The  father  died  December,  1853, 
his  wife  having  died  March,  1852. 

Judge  Hawlcy  spent  his  early  life  as  a  farmer's  son  at 
home  in  Whitehall,  receiving  only  the  opportunities  of  the 
common  schools  of  that  day,  but  his  subsequent  life  was 
marked  with  a  desire  to  be  conversant  with  not  only  the 
current  topics  of  the  day,  but  with  the  Bible  and  history. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  married  Miss  Frelove, 
second  daughter  in  a  family  of  four  children  of  Robert 
Spink  and  Sarah  Matthew,  the  former  a  native  of  Shafts- 
bury,  Vt.,  but  of  Whitehall  at  the  time  of  the  marriage. 
She  was  born  January,  1802,  and  is  now  living  (in  1878), 
residing  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  John  W.  Esty,  upon  the 
old  homestead  taken  up  by  her  grandfather,  Isaac  Mattliew, 
who  came  to  the  county  when  it  was  a  wilderness  and  about 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  bought  a  farm  of 
some  five  hundred  acres. 

By  this  union  there  were  three  children, — -Rev.  C.  R. 
Hawley,  a  Methodist  clergyman  now  at  Fair  Haven,  Vt.  ; 
Sarah,  wife  of  John  W.  Esty,  of  Whitehall ;  and  Mary,  wife 
of  James  H.  Aiken,  of  Benson,  Vt.  Judge  Hawley  spent  the 
most  of  his  life,  after  his  marriage,  as  a  farmer  on  the  old 
homestead  of  his  father-in-law.  In  politics  he  was  an  un- 
swerving member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  for  man^' 
years  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  town  of  Whitehall,  and 
for  four  years  an  associate  judge  of  Washington  county. 
It  is  said  of  him  "  that  while  he  acted  as  judge  his  counsel 
was  given  with  that  deliberation  and  sagacity  that  gave  evi- 
dence of  a  clear  judgment  and  sense  of  justice  to  all  men." 

Particularly  characteristic  of  the  judge  were  his  genial 
and  social  qualities,  especially  admired  and  appreciated  by 
his  intimate  friends.  He  was  the  centre  of  attraction  in  his 
family,  a  man  of  great  kindness  of  heart,  plain  and  unas- 
suming in  his  ways.  At  an  early  age  he  became  an  earnest 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church;  and  with  his 
wife  had  been  connected  with  that  church  for  over  a  half- 
century  at  the  time  of  his  death,  September,  1871.  Judge 
Hawley  was  ever  ready  to  devote  his  time  and  strength  to 
every  good  work,  and  support  any  enterprise  tending  to 
educate  and  elevate  the  rising  generation. 


ALFRED   JEROME    LONG,  M.D., 

of  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  was  born  at  Rutland,  Vt.,  Aug.  5, 
1824.  He  was  the  son  of  Jared  Long  and  Martha  Barr. 
The  former,  a  native  of  Rutland,  born  Oct.  13,  1791,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature 
(Vermont),  and  is  now  living,  in  1878,  where  he  was  born. 

His  grandfather,  Levi  Long,  was  born  in  Coventry,  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-one, 
in  the  year  1850.  Martha  Barr  was  born  in  Highgate,  Vt., 
June  11,  1792  ;  was  a  daughter  of  Conrad  Barr,  an  emi- 
grant from  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  about  the  year  1790  ; 
born  about  1745,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 
Until  the  age  of  nineteen  the  subject  of  this  notice  remained 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  then  was  sent  to  Castleton  Semi- 
nary during  the  summer  and  taught  school  in  winter. 

In  1847  he  entered  the  Middlebury  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1851.  While  .still  attending  college,  in 
1849,  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Henry 


R.  Jones,  of  New  Haven,  Vt.  During  the  fall  and  winter 
of  1851  he  taught  at  the  high  school  in  Bridport,  and  in 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1852  was  principal  of  the  Geor- 
gia Academy,  Vt.  In  1852  he  attended  the  fall  course  of 
medical  lectures  at  the  Castleton  Medical  College.  He 
attended  his  second  course  at  the  University  of  New  York, 
where  he  graduated  M.D.  in  the  spring  of  1853.  July  28 
of  this  year  he  opened  an  office  at  Whitehall,  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  gradually  acquired  a  good  practice, 
which  he  still  enjoys. 

In  all  the  years  of  his  professional  labors  he  has  never 
taken  rest  save  that  gained  in  attending  the  meetings  of  the 
local.  State,  and  National  Medical  Societies.  He  was  elected 
.superintendent  of  the  public  schools  in  1856,  justice  of  the 
peace  from  1857  to  1863,  a  member  of  the  board  of  edu- 
cation from  1866  to  1875,  town  physician  in  1862  and 
1863,  and  health  officer  of  the  port  of  Whitehall  in  1866 
and  1867.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Washington  County 
Medical  Society,  and  was  its  president  in  1869-70,  and  its 
delegate  to  the  New  York  State  Medical  Society  from  1867 
to  1871.  He  was  president  of  the  Union  Medical  Asso- 
ciation of  Washington,  Warren,  and  Saratoga  counties  in 
1876.  He  was  a  delegate  from  the  State  Medical  Society 
to  the  American  Medical  Association  in  1871,  and  attended 
the  meeting  at  San  Francisco.  He  is  also  an  honorary 
member  of  the  California  State  Medical  Society.  In  1878 
he  was  elected  permanent  member  of  the  New  York  State 
Medical  Society. 

The  doctor  is  a  man  possessing  rare  powere  for  original 
observations,  with  native  wit  and  an  inexhaustible  fund  of 
anecdote,  and  therefore  a  most  agreeable  and  entertaining 
companion.  His  notes  of  observations  and  incidents  of  his 
trip  to  the  Pacific  are  deserving  of  publication.  In  1869, 
Dr.  Long  made  an  address  before  the  Washington  County 
Medical  Society,  on  the  necessity  and  advantage  of  more 
frequent  meetings  of  the  body,  which  he  was  requested  to 
furnish  for  publication.  In  1870,  before  the  same  body, 
he  read  a  paper  on  the  "  Claims  jModern  Life  imposes  upon 
the  Profession."  His  time  is  so  fully  occupied  that  he  has 
never  found  time  to  prepare  for  the  press  some  admirable 
addresses,  notwithstanding  he  has  been  requested  to  do  so 
by  a  vote  of  the  society.  In  December,  1855,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Susan  Eleanor,  third  daughter  of  Thomas 
Coulson,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Jane  Watson,  the  former  a  native 
of  St.  John's,  N.  B.,  and  a  resident  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage.  Her  father  was  a  glue-manufac- 
turer by  occupation,  and  died  in  1871,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight.  Her  mother  was  a  native  of  Sussex,  England,  and 
came  to  America  at  the  age  of  twelve,  was  married  at  the 
age  of  eighteen,  raised  a  family  of  twelve  children,  and  died 
in  1862,  in  her  fifty-second  year.  Mrs.  Dr.  Long  was  born 
in  the  year  1833,  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  is  a  lady  of  re- 
finement and  culture.  To  the  doctor  and  Mrs.  Long  have 
been  born  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  Dr.  B.  C.  Sen  ton,  Nov.  17, 
1857;'Charles  Jared,  July  17,  1860;  Freddie  Coulson, 
born  Aug.  15,  1862,  died  Nov.  17,  1864;  Benj.  Alfred, 
born  Sept.  12,  1867;  Clymer  Barr,  born  Dec.  21,  1873. 
The  doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Whitehall,  and  always  interested  in  the  propaga- 
tion of  every  good  work. 


^J.^. 


Whitehall. N.Y. 


IIISTOKY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


489 


COLONEL  LEMON  BAKNS. 
An  account  of  the  parcnta-jo,  ancestr}',  place  of  nativity, 
life,  and  career  of  Colonel  Lemon  Barns,  for  more  than 
tliree-quarters  of  a  century,  we  desire  to  here  place  on 
record.  His  ancestry  were  of  New  England  stock,  de- 
scended from  the  emigrants  from  the  "  Mayflower."  His 
grandfather  on  his  father's  side  was  Abel  Barns,  who  resided 
in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  and  who  was  one  of  the  committee  of 


^^'^f^  (T^t  /  y^^s^^^-^-t^ 


// 


safety  in  the  Revolution.  His  father,  John  Barns,  was 
born  in  17G7,  at  Litchfield,  Conn.  He  also  had  an  uncle, 
Enos  Barns,  who  was  killed  in  the  patriot  army. 

His  father  was  just  preparing  to  join  the  array  when 
peace  was  declared  and  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  acknowledged.  He  received  a  good  New  England 
education,  particularly  in  mathematics.  He  went  from 
there  to  West  Haven,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.  He  had  pre- 
viously married  Thcdora  Ingraham,  the  mother  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  Lemon  Barns  was  born  at  West 
Haven,  Vt.,  Oct.  1,  1800.  He  was  of  feeble  health  for  the 
first  ten  years  of  his  life,  after  which  he  became  a  strong 
boy  with  a  stout  physical  frame.  In  1811  he  was  a  cabin 
boy  on  the  second  steamboat  in  the  world,— the  "  Vermont," 
of  Vergennes,  built  in  1809,  by  John  and  James  Wynes, 
on  Lake  Cliamplain,  at  Basin  Harbor,  Vt.  She  was  one 
hundred  and  nine  feet  long  and  twenty-two  feet  beam, 
geared  engine  ;  could  make  four  miles  an  hour  in  a  calm. 
Pursuing  his  studies  at  a  district  school,  and  mathematics 
at  home,  under  the  in.struction  of  his  father,  he  became 
proficient  in  mensuration  and  surveying,  and  had  a  partial 
knowledge  of  navigation  at  seventeen  years  of  age.  When 
eighteen  yeare  of  age,  while  in  a  saw-mil!,  he  accidentally 
62 


with  an  adze  severed  the  cords  directly  under  the  knee-pan 

of  the  left  leg,  which  compelled  him  to  curry  his  foot  in  a 
stirrup  for  three  years,  during  which  time  he  placed  him- 
self under  the  tuition  of  Prof.  Howe,  at  Castlcton  Acad- 
emy, Castlcton,  Vt.,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  with 
vigor,  particularly  in  mathematics.  At  the  completion  of 
his  studies  he  had  developed  a  strong  physical  frame,  stand- 
ing five  feet  ten  and  a  half  inches  in  his  stocking  feet, 
weighing  over  two  hundred  pounds,  with  symmetrical  pro- 
portion, powerful  muscles,  and  with  a  great  deal  of  elasticity 
and  endurance. 

The  1st  day  of  January,  182:^,  he  united  himself  in  mar- 
riage with  Fanny,  the  daughter  of  Th.mias  and  Rhoda 
Dibble,  who  long  resided  in  Fair  Haven,  Vt.  She  was  born 
at  that  place,  Dec.  4,  1804.  They  came  immediately  lo 
Whitehall,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  have  made  that 
their  residence  ever  since,  excepting  four  years  when  they 
resided  at  his  mills;  two  years  of  which  was  at  Moriah, 
E.ssex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  manufacturing  lumber,  and 
two  years  in  Chemung,  where  he  was  manufacturing  flour. 
The  first  business  he  engaged  in  on  coming  to  Whitehall  was 
clearing  the  west  mountain  in  that  town  of  pine  timber, 
where  he  cut,  and  delivered  at  Fort  Edward,  New  York, 
fifteen  thousand  saw  logs  for  the  firm  of  the  Hon.  Mclanc- 
thon  Wheeler  and  Jarvis  Martin. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  1823,  was  born  to  them,  as  a 
pledge  of  their  union,  a  daughter,  whom  they  named  Mary. 
At  a  proper  age  she  commenced  and  pursued  her  studies  in 
a  select  school  in  Whitehall,  until  the  age  of  thirteen,  when 
she  was  sent  to  Burlington,  Vt..  to  a  school  whose  principal 
was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Crane,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Right 
Rev.  Bishop  Hopkins;  she  made  music  a  specialty  under 
the  teaching  of  an  eminent  (lerman  jirofessor  and  con)poser, 
and  she  became  an  accomplished  pianist  both  in  science 
and  execution. 

In  1824-27  he  was  engaged  in  the  transportation  of  lum- 
ber and  other  property  from  Whitehall  to  Troy  and  Albany, 
and  bringing  back  merchandise.  In  the  year  1828  he  wa.s 
appointed  lumber  inspector  at  this  port,  which  position  he 
held  for  five  years,  at  the  same  time  engaging  in  civil  engi- 
neering and  surveying. 

The  same  year  he  was  appointed  by  Colonel  Eddy  adju- 
tant of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth  Ilcgimeiit,  Sev- 
enteenth Brigade,  Tenth  Division,  New  York  State  militia, 
which  position  he  held  for  four  years.  During  the  same 
period  he  was  engaged  in  buying  lumber  in  northern  New 
York  and  Vermont,  which  he  sent  to  Troy,  Albany,  and 
New  York,  to  different  houses,  to  be  sold  on  commission. 
In  1832  he  was  elected  colonel  commandant  of  the  above- 
named  regiment,  which  position  he  held  until  1841.  The 
regiment  was  composed  of  ten  companii\s, — six  of  infantry, 
two  of  light  guards,  one  of  artillery,  and  one  of  cavalry, — 
in  all  a  thousand  strong.  In  1832  he  purchased  a  tract  of 
timber  land,  about  two  thousand  acres,  upon  which  he  erected 
mills  and  manufactured  lumber  for  three  years.  In  1835 
he  sold  the  mills,  and  in  1835-3G  invested  a  large  amount 
of  money  in  farming  and  timber  lands,  and  city  property 
in  Michigan  and  Indiana. 

In  1830  he  was  one  of  the  grand  in(|uc.st  of  Washington 
county.     In  1837  occurred  the  great  revolution  iu  business. 


490 


HISTORY   OF    WASHINGTON   COUxNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


In  that  year  and  in  1838-41  he  pursued  his  former  occu- 
pation of  civil  engineerin";;  and  surveying. 

In  1839  he  purchased  the  place  wiiere  lie  now  resides, 
No.  72  William  street,  Whitehall,  of  about  two  acres  and 
one-half. 

In  1842  he  purchased  back  his  former  Essex  county 
lumber  property,  with  an  addition  of  about  one  thousand 
acres,  erected  two  additional  mills,  and  manufactured  a  large 
quantity  of  sawed  lumber.  In  1845,  when  the  fires  were 
raging  in  the  woods  and  destroying  vast  amounts  of  prop- 
erty in  this  and  other  States,  the  .subject  of  this  sketch  lost 
by  that  element  a  large  quantity  of  lumber  and  two  mills, 
houses  and  barns,  and  the  timber  was  killed  on  one  thousand 
acres  of  splendid  pine-tiinber  lands.  Estimated  lo.ss,  forty 
thousand  dollars,  atid  no  insurance.  He  rebuilt  the  mills, 
stocked  a  large  quantity  of  logs  the  next  winter,  sawed 
them  out  in  the  spring,  and  commenced  the  sale  of  the 
property  the  next  fall  in  parcels.  The  same  fall  he  went 
into  Steuben  county  and  purchased  five  hundred  acres  of 
land,  with  mills,  and  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  in  com- 
pany with  two  others ;  sold  out  the  same  fall.  He  then 
purchased  in  the  spring  of  1847  four  thou.sand  acres  in 
Tioga,  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  where  he  erected  a  gang-mill  and  two 
English  mills;  he  there  manufactured  several  million  feet 
of  lumber,  which  was  transported  to  Albany  and  sold  on 
commission. 

In  1850  he  suffered  a  loss,  from  a  July  freshet,  of  four 
thousand  logs  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  salt, 
the  waters  nearly  undermining  his  store. 

In  the  fall  he  sold  out  the  property, — lands,  mills,  and 
stores.  In  1851  he  purchased  a  mill-site  and  old  mills  in 
Chemung,  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  improved  tlie 
saw-mills  and  flouring-mill,  and  invested  in  a  bridge  across 
the  Chemung  river  at  that  place,  expending  in  all  twenty- 
five  tliou.sai)d  dollars.  The  mills  went  by  the  name  of  the 
Chemung  Valley  mills.  The  grist-mill  was  used  for  flour- 
ing nights,  and  for  gristing  for  the  neighboring  country  in 
the  day-time.  It  contained  a  merchant's  bolt  and  cooler, 
and  all  the  appliances  for  manufacturing  flour.  In  1853 
he  purchased  six  hundred  acres  of  timber-land  in  Charles- 
ton, Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  and  erected  a  steam-mill  for  the  sawing  of 
lumber,  and  two  shingle-mills  for  the  manufacturing  of  shin- 
gles, destroyed  by  fire  in  1857.  Insurance,  two  thou.sand 
dollars ;  loss  over  insurance,  three  thousand  dollars.  He 
immediately  erected  another  mill  on  this  property,  which 
he  disposed  of  in  18C0.  The  year  1853  he  also  purchased 
a  lumbering  establishment  in  Canada,  north  of  Port  Hope. 
In  1856  he  sold  it,  and  also  the  same  year  disposed  of 
the  Chemung  valley  mill-property.  In  1861  he  was  en- 
gaged in  driving  piles  for  the  State  of  New  York,  near 
Geneva,  N.  Y.,  which  he  finished  the  same  year. 

In  18G2  he  was  collector  of  village  taxes  for  the  village  of 
Whitehall. 

On  July  27,  1863,  by  special  order  from  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral J.  T.  Sprague,  on  the  recommendation  of  Inspector-Gen- 
eral Miller  and  the  commander-in-chief,  he  was  appointed 
to  raise  a  regiment  of  infantry  of  national  guards  in  Wash- 
ington county,  with  full  power  to  name  his  field-,  line-,  and 
staff-offioers.  Said  regiment  was  raised  and  organized,  and 
officers  commissioned  by  Governor  Horatio  Seymour,  but 


never  called  into  service,  and  after  the  war  was  disbanded. 
Subsequently  he  was  two  years  road-  and  water-commis- 
sioner of  the  village  of  Whitehall,  and  was  appointed  to 
till  a  vacancy  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  also  police  justice. 
In  1871  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  of  the  town  of 
Whitehall  for  four  years,  and  also  police  justice,  which 
offices  he  held  for  four  years, — the  term  of  town  justice 
expiring  on  the  1st  of  January,  1876,  and  that  of  police 
on  the  July  following,  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
retired  fiom  active  business  to  domestic  life.  At  his  resi- 
dence, No.  72  Will/am  street,  he  takes  the  oversight  of  his 
garden,  called  the  Glen  Cove  garden,  whore  is  cultivated  a 
small  vineyard,  consisting  of  five  hundred  grape-vines  of 
the  choicest  varieties,  together  with  other  small  fruits  and 
vegetables.  Thus  is  brought  down  an  active,  varied  busi- 
ness life  for  near  threescore  years,  with  its  successes  and 
reverses,  its  anxieties  and  fears, — a  checkered  life. 

At  one  time  he  had  four  establishments  of  business,  di- 
vergent in  some  instances  four  hundred  miles,  and  his  close 
attention  to  business  called  him  to  ride  nights  from  one 
establishment  to  the  other,  doing  business  in  the  day-time, 
and  then  resuming  his  journey  to  the  next  place ;  givhig 
himself  little  or  no  rest  for  months,  and  even  years,  except 
what  he  might  get  in  the  cars  or  stage,  and  bringing  a  strain 
upon  him  which  none  but  a  powerful  physical  frame  and 
an  active  and  hojieful  mind  could  have  endured. 

As  a  military  man,  when  off  duty  he  was  approachable, 
social,  and  familiar  with  all ;  but  when  on  duty  was  stern 
and  exacting,  requiring  every  man  to  be  in  his  place,  and 
the  evolutions  of  the  regiment  to  be  performed  with  exact- 
ness and  celerity.  As  a  tactician  and  a  drill-otticer  few  were 
his  peers. 

In  1842  he  was  one  of  five  who  organized  the  fir.st  Odd- 
Fellows'  lodge  in  this  place,  and  the  same  yjar  held  the 
position  of  first  ofiicer. 

He  has  been  fifty-five  years  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  ;  is  now  a  member  of  the  Blue  lodge,  chaiitei'. 
council,  and  conimandery,  and  has  attained  to  the  degree  uf 
Knight  of  Malta;  has  held  the  oflice  of  High-Priest  of 
Ch:uui)lain  Cha|)tor,  No.  25,  K.  A.  M.,  for  four  consecutive 
years,  ending  1870. 

In  his  social  capacity,  he  has  always  been  a  kind,  familiar, 
and  obliging  friend, — would  go  any  length  to  help  a  friend  ; 
but,  as  an  enemy,  he  was  uncompromising  with  those  who 
persisted  in  wrong-doing.  He  maintained  a  good  moral 
character,  strictly  observing  the  Sabbath.  Was  also  a  tem- 
perance man.  While  officiating  as  magistrate  he  induced 
many,  who  were  brought  before  him  (or  drunkenness,  to  sign 
an  affidavit  of  abstinence,  in  most  cases  with  happy  effect. 
In  1875  he  was  confirmed  a  member  of  the  Protestant 
Epi.scopal  church  by  the  Right  llev.  William  Croswell 
Doane,  of  the  diocese  of  Albany. 

As  a  judicial  officer  during  a  term  of  seven  years,  with 
a  multiplicity  of  cases  brought  before  him,  both  civil  and 
criminal,  no  case  was  ever  reversed  by  the  higher  courts, 
although  several  were  carried  up. 

As  the  subject  of  this  sketch  kept  no  diary,  and  the  (ask 
would  be  too  elaborate  to  go  through  his  books  and  papers 
to  get  the  precise  dates,  some  of  the  dates  may  not  bo  cor- 
rect, but  bear  a  close  approximation. 


\-    \ 


^  ^^^ 


%^:F 


Oliver  Bascom 


O^^-^WlIkc^   C^ct^fL. 


•sj-i,  ,5g»i5-^.j-^j?^^J<»-*^ 


DtN^L     OF     MRS  AiMX^A   BASCOM     -       lhall  J 


HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


401 


So  ends  this  narrative. 

The  poet  savs  our  life  is  iv  history  written  through 

With  ill  or  gooil,  wilh  false  or  true. 

Goil  grant,  ivhcn  blesseil  angels  turn  the  |i!\ges  of  our  years 

They  will  reail  the  good  with  smiles,  auj  lilot  the  had  wilh  tears  ! 


HON.  OLIVER  BASCOM 

w;is  born  in  West  Haven,  Vt.,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1815. 
He  was  son  of  Josiah  Bascom  and  Betsey  Bottom,  the 
former  a  lineal  descendant,  in  the  seventh  generation,  from 
Thomas  Bascom,  who  came  to  America  about  the  year 
1 634.  The  family  of  Basconis  is  large  in  this  country, 
scattered  through  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  most 
of  whom  are  descendants  of  the  ancestor  Thomas.  Josiah 
Bascom  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  ;  was  born  at  Newport, 
N.  H.,  Jlaich  7,  178G,  and  died  at  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  Jan. 
24,  1863. 

The  grandfather,  Elias  Bascom,  was  in  the  battle  of 
Saratogi  as  a  volunteer  from  North  field,  Mass.  Was  a 
man  greatly  interested  in  the  spread  of  the  gospel  and  in 
the  homo  and  foreign  missions.  He  lived  to  see  the  fifth 
generation  in  his  own  family,  and  when  his  youngest 
daughter  was  married  had  ninety-nine  living  descendants. 
When  past  ninety  years  of  age  he  objected  to  the  second 
pint  of  gin  prescribed  by  the  physician,  saying  "  he  feared 
he  should  learn  to  like  it." 

Oliver  Bascom  came  to  Whitehall,  in  1823,  to  seek  em- 
ployment and  lay  the  foundation  of  his  future  fame  and 
fortune.  At  first  a  clerk,  winning  the  full  confidence  of 
his  employer,  he  gradually  and  surely  reached  the  position 
of  merchant,  and  for  many  years  was  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Bascom  &  Gaylord.  In  1851  he  was  instrumental  in 
forming  a  company  for  the  purchase  of  the  transportation 
property,  then  belonging  to  the  estate  of  James  II.  Hooker. 
The  firm-name  was  Bascom,  Vaughan  &  Co.,  and  here 
was  the  formation  of  the  "  Northern  Transportation  Line," 
which  was  organized  in  1857,  under  the  general  act,  as  a 
stock  company,  with  Mr.  Bascom  as  secretary  and  treasurer, 
which  position  he  held  for  six  years,  at  the  same  time 
being  a  director  of  the  company  ;  and  to  his  ripe  judgment 
and  active  business  habits  this  company  owes  a  large  share 
of  its  prosperity. 

Recently  he  was  a  member  of  the  prosperous  lumber 
firm  of  Brett,  Spooner  &  Co. 

His  political  career  was  moulded  after  the  firm  .and  fixed 
principles  that  characterized  his  business  transactions.  He 
was  one  of  the  original  thirteen  Democrats  that  at  one 
time  constituted  that  party  in  the  town  of  Whitehall.  He 
ever  unswej'vingly  stood  as  a  standard-bearer  of  that  party, 
and  for  several  terms  held  the  office  of  supervisor  of  his 
town.     During  the  late  Rebellion  he  was  made   chairman 


of  the  AVashington  county  war  committee,  and  by  his  per- 
sonal efforts  raised  a  large  share  of  the  money  paid  for 
bounties.  He  was  also  a  director  of  the  Bank  of  White- 
hall. 

In  the  fall  of  1868  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic 
State  convention  as  a  candidate  for  canal  commissioner,  and 
triumphantly  elected  to  that  ofiice. 

His  honest,  faithful,  and  active  performance  of  the  duties 
of  that  difficult  position  are  known  to  all  who  have  an  in- 
terest in  the  business  of  transportation,  fulfilling  as  ho  did 
all  and  more  of  the  great  expectations  of  his  friends,  and 
like  a  wall  of  iron  will  his  unflinching  and  constant  per- 
formance of  duty  stand  between  his  honored  memory  and 
partisan  hatred.  Mr.  Bascom,  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
was  a  self-made  man,  and  fought  the  battle  of  life  with 
every  odds  against  him,  and  won  a  substantial  victory.  As 
an  example  of  his  purity  of  motive  and  integrity  of  pur- 
pose, pending  his  election  as  canal  commissioner  his 
friends  told  him  he  could  secure  the  votes  of  several  des- 
perate characters  by  going  on  their  bail,  to  which  he  re- 
plied :  "  Gentlemen,  I  appreciate  your  motives  of  friend- 
ship ;  but  if  I  am  elected  it  must  not  be  by  compromising 
my  honor  by  assisting  criminals  to  go  unpunished."  In 
all  his  life  not  one  dishonorable  spot  or  blemish  attaches  to 
his  character  as  a  business  man.  He  was  loved  and  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him.  For  many  years  previous 
to  his  decease  he  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church  at  Whitehall,  and  in  honor  of  the  man,  at  the  time 
of  his  funeral,  flags  at  half-mast,  on  housetop  and  pole, 
many  of  them  draped  in  mourning,  betokened  the  public 
sorrow.  He  was  a  friend  to  the  poor,  generous  to  a  fault, 
and  of  that  sympathetic  nature  which  could  not  resist  the 
pleadings  of  a  suffering  fellow-creature.  He  died  Nov.  7, 
1869. 

In  the  year  1842  (Jan.  4)  he  married  Jliss  Almira, 
eldest  daughter  of  Sanmel  T.  Tanner  and  I'rudentia  Hitch- 
cock,— the  former  descended  from  one  of  the  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  Kingsbury,  Washington  Co.  He  was  a  lawyer  by 
profession,  and  died  at  Whitehall,  1838.  The  latter  was 
also  descended  from  one  of  the  earliest  families  of  Kings- 
bury, who  had  settled  there  in  about  1780,  and  is  still 
living.  Mrs.  Bascom  wa.s  born  at  Granville,  N.  Y.,  April 
30,  1822,  and  still  survives. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bascom  were  born  seven  children, — 
Warren  F.,  largely  engaged  in  the  transportation  business, 
and  a  lumber  merchant  of  Whitehall,  has  been  supervisor 
for  three  years,  and  president  of  the  Northern  transporta- 
tion line  one  year  ;  George  Herbert,  who  had  just  entered 
his  senior  year  in  class  '70,  in  Yale  College,  died  at  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  of  typhoid  fever,  Oct.  24,  186!l,  aged 
twenty-three  ycai-s;  Jlary  Emma  (deceased) ;  Edward  Oliver 
(died  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  while  attending  school)  ;  Mary 
Eliza  ;  Julia ;  and  Jessie  Almira. 


NAMES    OF    CITIZENS 

WHO  ASSISTED  AND  CONTRIBUTED  TOWARDS  THE  PUBLICATION  OF  THE  HISTORY  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY; 

WITH  PERSONAL  STATISTICS. 


SALEM. 

C.  L.  Allen,  son  of  Dnvid  and  Elizabetli  (Lansing)  Allpii,  b.  Ucnssi'Iaer  Co  ,  N. 

Y.,  s.  Oct.,  1«18  (retired);  P.  O.,  Siilt-ni. 
Cornelius  L.  Allen,  Jr.,  son  of  C.  L.  and  Sanili  H.  (Rnssell)  Allen,  b.  Wasbing- 

lon  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  G,  1847,  Attorney-at-Law  and  Special  County  Jmigo  ; 

P.  0.,  Salem. 
Win.  H.  Arcbibald,  son  of  David  T.  and   Margaret  B.  (Wrigbt)  ArL-hibald,  b. 

Keb.  28,  184(1,  Carpenter;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
David  W.  Ackley,  son  of  Solomon  and  Elizabeth  (Wrigbt)  Ackley,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  8, 1805,  resident ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Elijah  Gregory  Atwood,  son  of  Zuccheus  and  Hannah  (Gregory)  Atwood,  h. 

Worcester  Co.,  Mass.,  s.  .Tune,  1804,  Ins.  Agent  and  Florist;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Bernard  Blair,  son  of  William  and  Sarah  M.  (Train)  Blair,  b.  Berkshire  Co., 

IH.1SS.,  s.  Aug.,  18-25,  Attoriicy-at-Law  ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
B.  K.  Bmcroft,  son  of  J.  B.  and  Betsy  (Clark)  Bancroft,  li.  Hampton  Co.,  Mass., 

18M,  Cash.  Nat.  Bk.  Salem,  and  Vice-Pres't  Nat,  Tru.st  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  P.  0., 

Salem. 
Mrs.  Anthony  Blanchard,  danghter  of  Bradley  and  Harriot  Hull  Martin,  b. 

Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1855,  resident;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
John  J.  Beattie,  son  of  John  W.  and  Sarah  (Getty)  Beattie,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Nov.  15,  184:),  General  Merchant;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
0.  E.  Breese,  son  of  \Vm.  and  Deborah  (Bump)  Breesc,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

Sept.  3, 1842,  Meat  Market ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
James  Bla<hfield,  »on  of  Flavel  and  Anna  (Braly)  Blashfleld,  b.  Windham  Co., 

Vt.,  8. 1840,  Furniture  Dealer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 

A.  K.  Broughton,  son  of  Ira,  Jr.,  and  Lavina (Sweet)  Bronghton,  b.  Rutland  Co., 

Vt.,  8.  1852,  Locomotive  Engineer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
James  M.  Biitlie,  eon  of  Tliomas  and  Rebecca  (Farley)  Battie,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  30, 1825,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
John  Burnett,  son  of  James  and  Janet  (Edgar)  Burnett,  b.  Bennington  Co., 

Vt.,  s.  April,  1803,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
A.G.  Conant,  son  of  Ahm/,o  and  Elizabeth  (Gwyer)  Conant,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Oct.  8,  1850,  Attorney-at-Law ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Wlllard  H.  Cotton,  son  of  Thonins  and  Clarissa  (Pearce)  Cotton,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  18,  1836,  Dentist ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Robert  Cruiksbank,  soJi  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (McKnight)  Cruikshank,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  1, 1816,  Postmaster;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Mrs.  A.  E.  Cruikshank,  daughter  of  Russell  and  Anna  (Murdock)  Bassett,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  8,  1811,  resident ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
W.  J.  Cruikshank,  son  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (McKnight)  Cruikshank,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  8, 1839,  Caipenter;  P.  0.,  Salem. 

B.  Cleveland,  son  of  Job  W.  and  Ilanjiah  (Clark)  Cleveland,  b.  Washington  Co. 

N.  Y.,  March  20, 1808  (retired) ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Alonzo  L.  Copeland,  son  of  David  and  Susan  (Combs)  Copelaiid,  b,  Rensselaer 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  a.  1839,  Carpenter;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
John  Cleveland,  son  of  Aaron  and  Doraphy  (Stone)  Cleveland,  b.  Washington 

l,'o.,  N.  Y.,  June  12, 1824,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 

C.  F.  Clark,  son  of  Orin  and  Phel.e  (Buck)  Clark,  b.  Bennington  Co.,  Vt.,  s.  May 

7, 1807  (retired) ;  P.  C,  Shushan. 
Marion  B.  Congdon,  daijghter  of  E.  D.  and  Cornelia  L.  (Church)  Bartlett,  b. 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  29,  1845  ;  Postmistress,  Shushan. 

D.  F.  Coon,  son  of  Tbomiis  P.  and  Jane  (Mack)  Coon,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

Oct.  7, 1845,  Faimor;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Marinus  Fairchild,  son  of  G.  H.  and  Louisa  (Crary)  Faircbild,  b.  Jefferson  Co., 

N.  T.,  8.  1830,  Attorney-at-Law;  P.  0.,  S.alem. 
Lonson  Fraser,  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Mansfield)  Frasor,  b.  W.ashington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Jan.  12,  1825,  Attorney-at-Law;  P.  C,  Salem. 
Asa  Fitch,  son  of  Asa  and  Abigail  (Martin)  Fitch,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

Feb.  24,  1809,  Naturalist;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
W.  J.  Fitch,  son  of  Josephus  and  Jane  (Beatty)  Fitch,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

May  17, 1846,  General  Merchant ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
James  Gibson,  son  of  James  B.  and  Sarah  Margaret  (Townsend)  Gibson,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  10, 1810,  Attorney-at-Law  (ex-State  Senator 

and  County  Judge);  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Jamea  Gibson,  Jr.,  son  of  James  and  Jane  (Woodworlh)  Gibson,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1842,  Attorney-at-l.aw  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Frank  II.  Graham,  son  of  Austin   P.  and  Francis  (Chandler)  Graham,  b.  Sara- 
toga Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  Aug.,  1S74,  Attoriiiy-at-l.aw;  P.  (I.,  Salem. 

4ft2 


Andrew  Getty,  aon  of  James  McW.  and  Lydia  (Miirtin)  Getty,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  19, 1854,  General  Merchant ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Mary  Gray,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sally  (Gray)  Hawley,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  May  9, 1807,  res-dent ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
D.  S.  Gray,  son  of  Stephen  R.  and  Lydia  (Harris)  Gray,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  Aug.  9, 1848,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Sliuslmn. 
Rev.  T.  W.  Harwood,  son  of  John  and  Fanny  (Levis)  Harwood,  b.  England,  a. 

April,  1845,  Pastor  M.  E.  Church  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Rev.  John  H.  Houghton,  son  of  Alfred  and  Julia  Ann  (Fenton)  Houghton, 

h.  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  a.  Jan.,  1850,  Rector  St.  Paul's  Church ;   P.  O , 

Salem. 
Mrs.  David  Hawley,  danghter  of  Bethel  and  Huldah  (Smith  |  Hawley,  b.  Rens- 
selaer Co.,  N.  T.,  a.  Oct.,  1848,  resident ;  P.  O  ,  Salem. 
Jamea  Hickey,  aon  of  Michael  and   Margaret  (Meaney)  Hickey,  b.  Ireland,  s. 

June,  1856,  Grocer;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Johnston  Harrison,  son  of  John  and  Priscilla  (Johnston)  Harrison,  b.  Ireland, 

H.  Oct.,  1857,  Grocer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
F.  J.  Hinds,  M.  D.,  aon  of  Wm.  ami  Lydia  (Somers)  Hinds,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Sept.  311, 1854,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Joseph  Hofert,  son  of  J.  J.  and  Christina  (Pahl)  Holert,  b.  Baden,  Germany,  s. 

1871,  Shoemaker;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
A.  J.  Haggart,  son  of  Andrew  and  Eliza  (McEachran)  Haggart,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  15,  1814,  General  Merchant;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
George  W.  Hopkins,  son  of  George  and  Eliza  Jane  (McAllaatcr)  Hopkins,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  27,  1850,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Silem. 
Moses  Johnson,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  A.  (Juy)  Johnson,  h.  Rensselaer  Co., 

N.  Y.,  8.  April  1, 1869,  Druggist ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Emannal  Jonas,  aon  of  Abraham  and  Berta  ^Stark)  Jonas,  b.  Prussia,  s.  May  8, 

1875,  Dealer  in  Ready-made  Clothing;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
John  King,  aon  of  Henry  and  Hnldah  (Cook)  King,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N,  Y., 

Jan.  18, 1823  (retired);  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Leonard  M.  Liddle,  son  of  John  and  Catherine  (Merritt)  Liddle,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  15, 1841,  General  Merchant;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
John  Lambert,  M.D.,  son  of  Porter  and  Mary  R.  (Downs)  Lambert,  h.  Y'ork  Co., 

Me.,  8.  1855,  Physician  and  Surgeon;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Edgar  Ladd,  eon  of  Hiram  and  Mary  (Coon)  Ladd,  b.  KensBelaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  a. 

1865,  House  Painter;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
William  Law,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Law,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May 

7,  1807  (retired);  P.  0.,  Shushan. 
A.  B.  Law,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Law,  h.  Wa-sbington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.,  1809, 

Farmer;  P.O.,  Shushan. 
R.  T.  Law,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Law,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  19, 

1792  (retired);  P.  0.,  Shushan. 
Wm.  II.  Lakin,  aon  of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Grey)  Lakin,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Nov.  22,  1825,  Carpenter;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
W.  A.  Mackenzie  aon  of  James  and  Rebecca  (Patterson)  Mackenzie,  b.  Colitm- 

liiana,  Ohio,  s.  Oct.,  1871,  Past.r  U.  P.  Church  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
H.  D.  Morris,  son  of  W.  K.  and  Claiijsa  (Higley)  Morris,  b.  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  8. 

March  17,  1857,  Editor  /^e<«  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
J  A.  More,  aon  of  Andrew  and  Sabrina  (Bigalow)  More,  b.  Schenectady  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  Jan.  15,  1842,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Wm.  B.  Maynard,  M.D.,  son  of  Elisha  A.  and  Annie  (Trim)  Maynard,  b.  Wind- 
ham Co.,  Vt.,  a.  April  15, 1872,  Physician  and  Snrgcon;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
George  Betbune  McCartee,  son  of  Rev.  Ridiert  and  Jessie  G.  (Bcthune)  McfDar- 

tee,  b.  New  York  city,  s.  Apiil,  1868  (retired);  P.  0.,  Salem. 
John  A.  McFailand,  son  of  Daniel  and  Jane  (Sliiland)  MeFarland,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  y.,  June  23, 1824,  Principal  of  Academy;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
William  MeFarland,  aon  of  .Tames  A.  and  Jlary  E.  (Proudfit)  MeFarland,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  4,  1833,  General  Mercliant;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Edwin  McNanghton,  son  of  Gen.  John  and  Esther  A.  (Crary)  McNaughton,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  20,  1840,  General  Merchant;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
E.  S.  MeFarland,  son  of  J.  A.  and  Amanda  (Hawley)  MeFarland,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  19,  1852,  Hardware ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Daniel  MeFarland,  son  of  James  J.  and  Martha  (Saffurd)  MeFarland,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  10,  1840,  Carpenter;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
W.  M.  McMorris,  son  of  James  and  Isabella  (Law)  IMcMorris,  b.  Washingt.in 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  15,  1811,  Carriage  Maker;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Robert  McFnrlaml,  son  of  James  J.  and  Martha  (Saflord)  MeFarland,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  8,  1828,  Farmer  (Street  Com.) ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 


HISTORY  OF   WASniNGTON  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


493 


CImrles  M.  Mc Laurie,  M.D.,  son  ofThom-ia  A.  anil  Eliza  D.  (Savage)  McLanrie, 

h.  Niw  York  city,  9.  Aug..  1870,  I'liyaician  anil  SurKuon  ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Jolin  H.  McFailanii,  son  of  Wni.  and  Sarah  (M  SaiiRliton)  McF.irlanil,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Not.  17,  182II,  Altoni.-.v-at-l,aw;  P.  0.,  Saloin. 
.lames  McClangliry,  son  of  Tlioniiis  and  Sarali  (McXitt)  MoClangliiy,  h.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  9, 1818,  KainuT;  P.  O.,  West  Ilebroii. 
Mortimer  D.  Oatman,  son  of  Elisha  and  Lucie  (linns)'0.itman,  b.  Chautauqua 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  18.i6,  Marble  Dealer ;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
Isaac  H.  Oatrnan,  son  of  Elisha  and  Lncio  (Iiiiui)  Oatman,  b.  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8. 1844,  Marble  Dealer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Joseph  Oliver,  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Kelly)  Oliver,  b.  Canada,  a.  May  8, 

1808,  Supt.  Salem  Steam  Mills;  P.  O  ,  Salem. 
Paul  Pincna,  son  of  Michael  and  Ricka  (Wilder)  Pincus,  b.  Prussia,  s.  May  8, 

1875,  Dealer  in  Ready-made  Clothing;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
T.  T.  Potter,  son  of  Joseph  and  Sally  (Uudleslon)  Potter,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  March  7, 1837,  Livory  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
David  V.  T.  Qua,  son  of  Daviil  and  Abigail  (Scott)  Qua,  l>.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  July  23, 1820,  Teacher;  P.  0..  Shnslian. 
Solomon  W.  Russell,  son  of  Solomon  W.  and  Zada  (Tutman)  Russell,  b.  Warren 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  .\ltorney-al-Law;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
D.  S.  Rich,  son  of  Ehenezor  and  Myra  (Smith)  Rich,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

March  14, 182.5,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Shnshan. 
A.  A.  Rich, son  of  Ebenezer  and  Myra  (■^mith)  Rich,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

May  22,  1823,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Shnshan. 
Bov.  Edward  P.  Sprague,  son  of  Rev.  Daniel  G.  and  Caroline  (Wood)  Spraguo, 

b.  Now  London,  Conn.,  8.  April  29,  1808,  Pastor  Presbyterian  Church; 

P.  O.,  Salem. 
Robert  M.  Stevenson,  son  of  .Tamos  B.  and  Martha  (McFarland)  Stevenson,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  10, 1833,  General  Merchandise  ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Joliu  Shaw,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Betsy  (Vance;  Shaw,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

y.,  Aug.  1,  1830,  Meat  Market ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Franklin  Stevens,  son  of  Thomas  and  Martha  (Howe)  Stevens,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  24, 18119,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
A.  M.  Sherman,  son  of  Isaac  and  Charlotte  L.  (Rising)  Sliermtin,  b.  Bennington 

Co.,  Vt.,  s.  1837.  Farmer ;  P.  O.,  Rupert,  Vt. 
D.  T.  Steele,  son  of  Joshua,  Jr.,  and  Mary  A.  (lieatty)  Steele,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  20, 1848,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Shnshan. 
Elisha  P.  Thurston,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  A.  M,  (Wadhams)  Thurston,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y'.,  Oct.  19,  184.i,  Local  Ed.  Sainn  Prean;  P  O.,  Salem. 
John  M.  Williams,  son  of  John  and  Harriet  B.  (Martin)  Williams,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  y.,  Oct.  8,  1830,  Manufacturer;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Mrs.  N.  W.  Wilson,  daughter  of  Sanil.  De  Merritt  and  Alice  (Locke)  Do  Merritt, 

b.  Stafford,  Conn.,  s.  June  2, 1810,  resident;  P.  O.,  S.ilem. 
Daniel  Ward,  son  of  Wm.  and  Bridget  (Boyle)  Ward,  h.  Ireland,  s.  18,50,  Supt. 

Evergreen  (Cemetery;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Charles  Whitcomb,  son  of  Joseph  M.  and  D  E.  Wliitoomb,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Sept.  1,  1841,  Watchmaker  and  Jeweler;  P.  0.,  Salem. 
Clinton  F.  Wilson,  son  of  Fayette  and  Juliette  (Bccbe)  Wilson,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  25, 1844,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Salem. 
A.  JI.  Young,  M.  D.,  son  of  Clayton  and  Rhoda  (Mallory)  Young,  l>.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  24,  ISSf,  Pijysician  and  Surgeon;  P.  0.,  Salem. 


GRANVILLE. 

Will.  II.  Allen,  son  of  Gilbert  and  Sarah  (Bryan)  Allen,  b.  North  Granville,  N. 
v..  1827,  Merchant,  "  Bates,  Allen  &  Co. ;"  P.  O.,  Middle  Granville. 

Koyul  C.  Belts,  son  of  John  and  Lydia  Betls,  b.  Pawlct,  Vt.,  s.  1857,  Lawyer, 
(ex-District-.4ttorney),  Quaker  St.;  P.  0.,  Granville,  N.  Y. 

Chester  A.  Bulkley,  son  of  Alfred  and  Mary  11.  Biilkloy,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y., 
1839,  General  Insurance  Agent;  P.  0.,  Gmnvillc,  N.  Y. 

E.  J.  Brown,  son  of  James  G.  and  Eunice  (Brayton)  Brown,  b.  Fort  Ann,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  y.,  1840,  Proprietor  Central  House;  P.  0.,  Granville,  N.  Y. 

Geo.  N.  Bates,  son  of  Natli.  and  Nancy  (Burbank)  Bates,  b.  Granville,  Mass.,  s. 
1820,  Merchant,  "Bates,  Allen  &  Co.;"  P.  0.,  Middle  Granville. 

Gen.  Edward  Bulkley,  son  of  Chas.  II.  Bulkley,  b.  Colchester,  Conn.,  8. 1789, 
(retired);  residence,  North  Granville. 

Geo.  L.  Bulkley,  son  of  Edward  and  Mary  (Brown)  Bulkley,  b.  North  Granville, 
1832  (retired) ;  residence,  Main  St.,  North  Granville. 

Abram  Barker,  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Boweii)  Barker,  b.  White  Creek,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  ISl.'i,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Middle  Granville. 

C.  K.  Baker,  son  of  I.  V.  and  Laura  D.  (Comstoek)  Baker,  b.  Conistock,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1849,  Farmer;  residence.  Main  St.,  North  Granville. 

John  S.  Burbank,  son  of  Isaac  and  Judith  (Allen)  Burbank,  b.  Bethel,  Vt.,  6. 
1809,  Farmer  and  Merchant;  P.  O.,  North  Grauville. 

Lorenzo  Barnard,  son  of  Philander  and  Fanny  C.  (Stroeter)  Barnard,  b.  Gran- 
ville, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  18.18,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Ira  H.  llartlett,  son  of  Jos.  anil  Phebe  (Colviu)  Barllelt,  b.  Danby,  Vt.,  1816,  s. 
1847,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

Henry  BarnanI,  sou  of  Philander  and  Kanny  C.  (Stroeter)  Barnard,  b,  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  1839,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Leonard  Brown,  son  of  Chas.  and  Sanih  (Newton)  Brown,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y,, 
1820,  Farmer,  Granville  ;  P.  O.,  Ilartfolil. 

Stephen  B.  Can"iiter,  son  of  Amos  and  Deborah  (Dillinghnin)  Carpenter,  b, 
Granville,  N.  V  ,  1SI19,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Granville. 


Asa  B.  Cook,  son  of  Isaiah  and  Anna  (Cnlilwoll)  Cook,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1827, 

Physician  ami  Surgeon  ;  P.  O.,  Granville.  N.  Y. 
Samuel  Chapin,  son  of  Ziba  and  Lucy  (lli-own)  I'hnpin,  b.  Janinlcn,  Windham 

Co.,  Vt.,B.  1822,  Fanner;  P.  O.,  South  Granville. 
Geo.  B.  Culver,  son  of  James  and  Kezla  (Lee)  Culver,  b.  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y.,  18:15, 

Cashier  North  Granville  National  Bank,  North  Grauville. 
John  Carpenter,  son  of  Hudson  and  Lucy  (Taylor)  Carpenter,  b.  South  Gran- 
ville, N.  Y.,  1829,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Granville. 
Chas.  J.  CSiallield,  son  of  Chas.  J.  and  Sanili  D.  (Foster)  Chatfleld,  b.  Painted 

Post,  N.  Y.,  8.  Sept.  S,  1877,  Teacher;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 
Nath.  II.  Crippen,  son  of  Nalh.  R.  and  Khoda  (Griffis)  Crip|>en.  b.  Hillsdale,  (>>- 

lumbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  8.  180:i,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 
CInett  &  Sons,  Wholesale  and  Retiil  Dealers  In  Pianos,  Organs,  and  Musical 

Instruments,  205  River  St.,  Troy,  N.  Y. 
M.  T.  C.  Day,  Bon  of  Noah  and  Susan  (Wilson)  Day,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1821, 

(retired);  residence, Granville. 
Otis  Dillingham,  son  of  SU'phcn  nud  Amy  (Tnckor)  Dillingham,  b.  Granville' 

N.  Y.,  1811,  Retired  Farmer;  residence,  Quaker  St.,  Granville. 
Stephen  Dillingham,  son  of  Stephen  and  Amy  (Tucker)  Dillingham,  b.  Gmn- 
villc, N.  Y.,  1800,  Retired  Farmer;  residence,  Granville. 
Morvin  Duel,  son  of  llinim  and  Alice  (Whitney)  Duel,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1820, 

Retired  Farmer ;  residence,  Quaker  St.,  Granville. 
Noah  Day.  son  of  Noah  and  Ellis  (Whitney)  Day,  b.  Windham  Co.,  Vt.,  ■.  1789, 

Fanner;  P.  0.,  South  Granville. 
Susan  Wilson  Day,  daughter  of  Wm.  and  Susan  (Botliel)  Wilson,  b.  Hebron, 

N,  Y.,  1787  (deceased). 
Abram  Dillingham,  son  of  Stephen  and  Amy  (Tucker)  Dillingham,  b.  Easton, 

N.  Y.,  1800,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Middle  Grauville. 
R.  G.  Diiyton,  son  of  Jiliiel  and  Jlary  (Parks)  Dayton,  I).  North  Granville,  N. 

Y.,  1815,  Merchant;  P.  O.,  North  Gmnvillc. 
Daniel  I.  Day,  son  of  Jacob  and  Abigail  (Bulkley)  l)ay,l>.  Willinmstnwn,  Miiss., 

s.  1827,  Retired  Farmer;  residence,  Giiinvillo. 
H.D.Deuel,  son  of  Morgan  and  Lydia  M.  (Day)  Deuel,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1843, 

Butcher;  P.  0.,  Granville. 
Almera  J.  Deuel,  daughter  of  E.  B.  and  Ophelia  (Smith)  Hicks,  b.  Granville, 

N.  Y.,  1849;  residence,  Granville. 
Wm.  De  Kalli,  son  of  Wni.  and  Martha  (Macomber)  Do  Kalb,  b.  Granville,  N. 

y.,  1827,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 
Jonathan  A.  De  Kalb,  sou  of  Wm.  and  9Iarlha  (Macomber)  De  Kulh,  b.  Gran- 
ville, N.  Y.,  1812,  Fariper,  North  Granville;  P.  O.,  Middle  Gmnvillc. 
Augustus  De  Kalb,  son  of  Win.  and  Martha  (Macomber)  De  Kalb,  b.  Granville, 

N.  Y.,  1813,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Middle  Granville. 
B.  F.  Farwell,  son  of  John  G.  and  Lucy  (Lar»    -./)  Farwell,  b.  Poultiiey  Vt., 

1810,  8. 18-')0,  Farmer,  Jamcsville  Dislrict;  P.  0.,  Poultuey,  Vi. 
Jolin  Fyfe,  son  of  Thomas  and  EiiMibeth  (Clark)  Fyfo,  b.  Forrnrahin-,  Scotland, 
8.  1804,  President  Middle  Granville  Slate  Company;  P.  O.,  Middle  Gran- 
ville. 
Shcrod  Farwell,  son  of  P.  B.  and  Betsey  (Burr)  Farwell,  b.  Dorset,  Bennington 

Co.,  Vt.,  1830,  Proprietor  Livery.  Granville,  N.  Y. 
J.  W.  Gray,  son  of  John  and  Dilla  (Caswell)  Gray,  b.  Middletown,  Vt.,  •.  18«8, 

Farmer;  P.  O.,  Granville, 
n.  W.  Hughes,  son  of  Hugh  and  Mary  (Roberts)  Hughes,  b.  Carnanunsliiro, 

North  Wales,  s.  1860,  Manufactnier  RooHug  Slates;  P.  O.,  Granville. 
F.  D.  Hamiuond,  son  of  Daniel  and  Deborah  (Hall)  Hammond,  b.  South  Gran- 
ville, N.  y.,  1838,  Farmer,  Middle  Oranvillo;  P.  O.,  Granville. 
Hicl  Holiister,  sou  of  Aslibel  and  Mary  (Pepper)  Hollister,  b.  Pawlet,  Vt.,  1806, 
Farmer,  Pawlet,  Vt. ;  P.  O.,  North  Pawlet. 

D.  W.  Hcrron,  son  of  Jas.  and  Hannah  (Whitney)  Herron,  b.  Hebron,  Washing- 

ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1824,  Faimer;  P.  0.,  South  Granville. 
Franklin  Hicks,  son  of  Edwin  B.  and  Ophelia  (Smith)  Hicks,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y., 

1848,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  North  Granvilb'. 
Pliilo  F.  Hatch, son  of  Asa  N.  and  El  mbelh  (Brown)  Hatch,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y., 

1831,  Farmer  ami  Teacher;  P.  0.,  Granville. 
Orlando  Hicks,  son  of  Jos.  and  Jcrnslia  (Roblco)  Hicks,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1829, 

Farmer;  P.  O.,  Middle  Granville. 

E.  B.  Hicks,  son  of  Jos.  and  Jernslia  (llobloe)  Hicks,  b.  Granville,  N.  T.,  182(1, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Sarah  O.  Smith,  nte  Ilicks,  daughter  of  Abi.iuh  E.  and  Sarah  (Brown)  Smith,  b. 
Fort  Kdwanl,  N.  Y.,  1820;  P.  O.,  North  Granville. 

Horace  H.  liigalls,  son  of  John  and  Olive  (Hicks)  Ingalls,  b.  Ilartfonl,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1807,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Loami  Lee,  son  of  David  and  Polly  (Whitcomb)  Lee,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1820_ 
Farmer;  P.  0.,  Poultuey,  Vt. 

A.  M.  Locke,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Winrhell)  Locke,  b.  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y., 
1805,  Manufacturer  Booting  Slate;  P.O.,  Poultuey,  Vt. 

Wm.  Lyon,  son  of  James  and  Catharine  (Sullivan)  Lyon,  b.  Ojrk,  Ireland,  ■. 
1864*,  Merchant, "  Bates,  Allen  *  Co. ; "  P.  O.,  Middle  Granville. 

Geo.  W.  Lowell,  son  of  Jas.  and  droline  (I'atchin)  Lowell,  b.  Granville,  S.  Y., 
18.37,  Farmer ;  P.  O.,  North  Granville. 

Jas.  N.  Monroe,  son  of  Imuic,  Jr.,  and  Mary  (Thomsim)  Monw,  b.  Smith  Gran- 
ville, N.  Y.,  1849,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

Geo.  H.  Monroe,  son  of  Erastus  and  Harriet  (llamdenl  Monroe,  b.  Gmuvillo, 
N.  Y.,  1846,  Dealer  in  Fnrnitnro  and  Collins;  P.  o.,  i;ranville. 

Chas.  Monroe,  son  of  Erastus  and  Harriet  (llarnden)  Monroe,  b.  Granville,  N. 
Y.,  18511;  Dealer  in  Furniture  and  l^fllns;  P.O.,  Granville. 

I.  T.  Monroe,  «m  of  Isiuic  and  Mary  (Thonwon)  Monroe,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y., 
1841,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  O.,  OraiiTillo. 


494 


HISTORY   OF  WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


S.  N.  MarDing.  son  of  J.  0.  nnd  Sylvia  (Tiowlriilge)  MnrllinE.  b.  Whitclmll, 
N.  Y.,  1S48,  Dniggist ;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

Michael  Malion,  son  of  Patriclt  and  Margaret  (Calalian)  Mahon,  b.  Kings  Co., 
Ireland,  8. 18C4,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  llarlford. 

Jas.  MiiMleton,  son  of  Kobert  and  Mary  (Burnctl)  Middleton,b.  Kincairn^hi^e, 
Scotland,  s.  1841,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Norlli  Granville. 

David  K.  Martin,  s(rn  of  AVni.  and  Mary  (Koblee)  Martin,  b  Gr;invill.',  N.  Y., 
1827,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 

Jas.  L.  McArlhur,  son  of  Wm.  and  Elsie  (Lillic)  McArtliur,  b.  Pntnam,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  185.1,  Editor  Granville  Smlinrl;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

Jas.  McBreen,  son  of  Jas.  and  Nancy  (Kaviinngli)  McBreen,b.  North  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  1852;  residence,  Wells,  Rutland  Co.,  Yt. 

Zillah  H.  McColter,  daughter  of  Arnold  and  Esther  (Hiclss)  Brown,  b.  Chester- 
field, Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1852,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Middle  Grarivlll.-. 

Wni.  MeCotter,  son  of  Dennis  and  Ann  (Workman)  McCotter,  b.  Ireland,  s. 
1852  (deceased). 

Cynthia  S.  Norton,  daughter  of  Amos  and  Dcboiali  (Dillingham)  Carpenter,  h. 
Granville,  N.  Y.,  1811  ;  residence,  Quaker  St.,  Gninville. 

Jas.  Norton,  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Lamb)  Noitoji,  b.  Pitlstoivn,  Kens- 
selaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  18:i5  (dece:.sed). 

Slocuni  B.  Norton,  son  of  James  and  Susan  (Harker)  Norton,  b.  Granville,  N. 
Y.,  18:i0,  Merchant;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

Geo.  Norlhnp,  Jr.,  son  of  Geo.  and  Mary  (Mead)  Norlhup,  b.  Hebron,  N.  Y., 
1810,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 

Ephrnini  Nortliup,  son  of  Clark  and  Mary  (Knowles)  Morthnp,  b.  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  1S15,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartfuid. 

Geo.  Norlhup,  son  of  Gardner  and  Siirah  (Larkhani)  Northup,  b.  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  1828,  Produce  Dealer;  P.  0.,  West  Granville  Corners. 

Patrick  Organ,  eon  of  Bliehael  and  Britlget  (Lowrey)  Organ,  b.  Ireland,  s.  187:{, 
Manuraclnrer  Knit  GooiIb,  Shirts,  Drawirs,  etc. ;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

George  Parker,  son  of  Asa  and  Laura  (Wliitne.v)  Parker,  h.  South  Granville,  N. 
Y..  18:i2, Farmer;  P.  O.,  Middle  Granv.lle. 

Jonathan  W.Potter,  son  of  Wm.  and  Eliza  (Wood)  Potter,  h.  Granville,  N.  Y., 
lS:ill,  Lumber  Dealer:  P.  0.,  Granville 

Natli.  I'arker,son  of  Asa  and  Laura  (Whitney)  Parker,  b.  South  Granville,  1825, 
Farmer;  P.  O.,  Middle  Granville. 

Slacy  K.  Potter,  son  of  Jirennah  and  Rebecca  (Cook)  Potter,  b.  Il.nmitnn, 
W  ashington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1840,  Merchant ;  P.  O.,  Gninville. 

James  E.  Pratt,  son  of  Erwin  and  Caroline  (Elwell)  Pratt,  b.  Pawlet,  Vt.,  18.'..'i, 
Meichant;  Main  St.,  Granville. 

Seymour  L.  Potter,  son  of  Stacy  and  Cynthia  (Hitchcock)  Potter,  b.  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  182;,  Farmer  •  I'.  O.,  Granville. 

Channcey  H.  Pepper,  son  of '(■'Vauncey  P.  and  Scba  (Derby)  Pepper,  b.  Pawlet, 
Vt.,  8.1831,  Mannfactnrcrof  ij,;.ck8;  P.  0.,  Middle  Granville. 

Dr.  II.  P.  Prouty,  son  of  Linus  E.  and  Betsey  (Tooloy)  Pronly,  b.  Mniray, 
Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y.,  b.  1846,  Pliysiciau  and  Surgeon;  P.  0.  Middle  Gran- 
ville. 
Jos.  Pember.son  of  Orlin  and  Fidilla  (Hyde)  Peniber,  b.  Wells,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt., 

s.  1874,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Granville. 
J  ohn  D.  Potter,  mn  of  Gideon  and  Orry  (Cook)  Potter,  h.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1820, 
Farni.randDairjman,  (iuaker  St.,  Granville. 

Asa  Parker,  son  of  Nath.  and  Tamson  (Baker)  Parker,  b.  Miiblle  Granville,  N.  Y., 
17'jn,  Farmer;  P.  O  ,  South  Granville. 

Laura  Paiker,  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Sarah  C.  (Cacij)  Whitney,  b.  Gran- 
ville, N.  Y.,  1797 ;  P.  0.,  South  Gianville. 

Wm.  J.  Potter,  son  of  Wm.  and  Eliza  (Wood)  Potter,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1827, 
Fanner;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

Jas.  Peets,  son  of  Freeman  and  Hannah  (Rice)  Peeta,  b.  Canibriilge,  Washington 
Co..  N.  Y.,  1826,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Granville. 

Benj.  F.  Potter,  son  of  Wm.  and  Eliza  (Wood)  Potter,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y.,  1825, 
Farmer  and  Teacher;  P.  0.,  Middle  Granville. 

Deliverance  Rogers,  son  of  David  and  Hannah  (Dillingham)  Rogers,  h.  Gran- 
ville, N.  Y.,  1841  (relired) ;  residence,  Granville 

Geo.  W.  Race,  son  of  Andrew  and  Lydia  (Dayley)  Race,  b.  Hampton,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1812,  Farmer,  Raceville;  P.  0.,  Middle  Gninville. 

A.  N.  Rogers,  son  of  Lemuel  and  Cynthia  (Rider)  Rogers,  b.  St.  Lawrence  Co., 

N.  Y.,  8. 18G1,  Hardware  Merchant ;  P.  O.,  Middle  Granville. 

B.  C.  Richard.son,  son  of  Jesse  and  Ruth  (Jones)  Ricliardsr-n,  b.  Clarendon,  Rut- 

land Co.,  Vt.,  8. 1834,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Nortli  Granville. 
Horace  M.  Rhodes,  son  of  Wm.  and  Byer  (Derby)  Rhode.s,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y., 

1S35,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  North  Granville. 
Joel  Stevens,  son  of  Peter  and  Mercy  (House)  Stevens,  b.  Pawlet,  Vt.,  s.  1S52, 

Farmer  and  Cheese-Maker;  P.  O.,  Granville. 
John  R.  Staples,  son  of  Jon.athan  and  Sylvia  (Rogers)  Staples,  b.  Danby,  Vt.  s. 

1852,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Jliddle  Granville. 
Mifflin  H.  Streeter,  son  of  Joab  and  Savire  (Wheal)  Strecter,  b.  Wales,  Erie  Co., 

N.  Y.,  8. 1856,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  0.,  Pawlet,  Vt. 
Asahel  Stearns,  son  of  Ashley  and  Mary  A.  (Newton)  Stearns,  b.  Granville,  N. 

Y.,  1842,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 
Sharon  Spencer,  son  of  Fayette  L.  and  Caroline  E.  (Rahn)  Spencer,  b.  Granville, 

N.  Y.,  1848,  Miller;  P.  O.,  North  Granville. 
Milo  L.  Stearns,  son  of  Stephanos  and  Olive  (Perry)  Stearns,  b.  Pawlet,  Vt.,  s. 

1841,  Manufacturer  (lirriage  Hubs;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 
Lewis  Smith,  son  of  Eli  and  Jerusha  (Simonds)  Smith,  b.  Granville,  N  Y.,1628, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  Middle  Granville. 
Stephen  Staples,  son  of  Willard  and  Elizabeth  (Rogers)  Staples,  b.  Danby,  Vt., 


Truman  Temple,  son  of  Rosivell  and  Elizabeth  (Case)  Temple,  b.  Hebron,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1834,  Fanner;  1>.  O.,  Granville. 

Oria  Temple,  son  of  Edwin  and  Mary  (Woodard)  Temple,  b.  Hebron,  N.  Y., 
18.-).5,  Dealer  in  Groceries  and  l•^ovi^ion8;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

Edwin  B.  Temple,  son  of  Roswell  and  Elizabeth  (Case)  Temple,  b.  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  1825,  Farmer  and  Speculator;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

L,  R.  Temple,  son  of  Roswell  and  Elizabeth  (Case)  Temple,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y^ 
1829,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  South  Granville. 

Samuel  Thomas,  sim  of  Peleg  and  Ascnath  (Nichols)  Tliomas,  b.  Easlon,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1828,  Lawyer,  District  Attorney;  P.  0.,  North  Gran- 
ville. 

Is.a:ic  W.  Thompson,  son  of  Jag.  and  Betsey  (Downs)  Thompson,  b.  Gouverneur, 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,N.  Y.,  8.1830,  Attorney  and  Counselor;  P.  0.,Granvillc. 

JefTerson  Thomson,  son  of  Aplias  and  Elizabeth  (Campbell)  Thomson,  b.  South 
Granville,  N.  Y.,  1828,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Gninville. 

Asa  W.  Tapper,  son  of  Josiah  and  Mercy  (Wilbur)  Tupi)er,  h.  Venice,  Cayuga 
Oi.,  N.  Y.,  8. 1864,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  O.,  North  Granville. 

Geo.  Tol  ey,  son  of  JoMah  and  Lorctle  (I'pham)  Tobey,  b.  Pawlet,  Vt.,  a.  1873, 
General  Agent  Cliiett  &  Sons,  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Pianos,  Organs,  and  Musical 
Instruments  ;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

Oscar  F.  Thompson,  son  of  James  and  Befeiey  (Downs)  Thompson,  b.  Gouverneur, 
St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1835,  Lawyer  and  Banker;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

Leonard  C.  Thome,  son  of  Samuel  C.  and  Maria  H.  Tlionie,  b.Glen  Cove,  L.  I., 
8.  1872  (retired);  residenci'.  Church  Hill,  Gninville. 

John  Usher,  son  of  John  and  Anna  M.  (All|iangli)  Usher,  b.  Montgomery  Co., 
N.  Y.,  s.  18711,  Miller ;  P.  O.,  Granville. 

David  Whilnty,  8on  of  Isaac  and  Pbebe  (Gould)  Whitney,  b.  Granville,  N.  Y., 
1812.  Fanner  and  Cheese-Maker,  South  Granville;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

John  Willc-tt,  son  of  Cornelius  and  Nancy  (Whalen)  Willetl,  b.  Cambridge, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1790,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Walter  Waril,  son.  of  Moses  and  Betsey  (Harrington)  Ward,  b.  Danby,  Vt.,  s. 
1817,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Middle  Granville. 

Henry  Warner,  son  of  Roswell  and  Perthena  Warner,  b.  Wells,  Rutland  Co., 
N.  Y.,  s.  1847,  Farmer ;  P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Daniel  Woodard,  Jr.,  son  of  Daniel  and  Anna  (Case)  Woodard,  b.  Hebron, 
Wa.«hin5ton  Co.,  N.  Y'.,  1822,  Banker ;  P.  0.,  Granville. 

Jonathan  S.  Warren,  son  of  Snnniel  and  Cornelia  (Clark)  Warren,  b.  Weathera- 
field,  Vt.,  8. 1850,  Merchant,  Main  St.,  Granville. 

Addison  Willett,  son  of  John  and  Selenda  (Allen)  Willett,  b.  Tinmouth,  Rut- 
land Co.,  Vt.,  8. 1828,  Taller  North  Granville  National  Bank ;  P.  0.,  North 
Granville. 

John  J.  Wing,  son  of  Stephen  and  Elizabeth  <H»dwur)  Wing,  b.  Mount  Holly, 
Vt.,  s.  ISilC,  Farmer  and  Teacher;  P.O.,  North  Granville. 

W.  C.  Wilcox,  son  of  Alvan  and  Patience  (Cornwell)  Wilcox,  b.  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  s.  April  7,  1870,  Teacher;    P.  0.,  North  Granville. 

Willard  Whitney,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Woodell)  Whitney,  b.  South  Gran- 
ville, N.  Y.,  1846,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Granville. 

Mansir  K.  Waite,  sou  of -Clark  G.  an.l  Abigail  (Pbillips)  Waile,  b.  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  1819,  Farmer,  Slyborongh  ;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 


ARGYLE. 


,  b.  Hebron,  W.-ish- 


8.  1840, 


.  O.,  Middle  Gr! 


John  Armitage,  son  of  William  and  .Sarah  (McKie)  Ar 
ington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1812,  Merchant;  P.  O.,  Argyle. 

Alexander  Barkley,  son  of  James  and  Margaret  (SIcDougall)  Biirkley.b.  Wash- 
ington Co  ,  1817,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 

James  H.  Bardiii,  son  of  Hinira  W.  and  Honor  (Austin)  Hardin,  b.  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1844,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Argyle. 

Eliza  Bardin,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Annie  (Burke)  Nelson,  b.  Adams,  Mass., 
s.  1841. 

Wm.  J.  Black,  son  of  Wm.  and  Elizabeth  (Huggins)  Black,  b.  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1839,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Norlli  Argyle. 

Joliii  D.  Barkley,  son  of  James  and  Margaret  (McDougall)  Barkley,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1824,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 

Alexander  Bain,  son  of  James  and  Catharine  iMcQuarie)  Bain,  b.  Wathingtou 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1825,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Argyle. 

Daniel  Bain,  son  of  James  and  Catharine  (Mc(Juarie)Bain,  b.  Wiishington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1806,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Argyle. 

John  McBain,  son  of  James  and  Catharine  (McQuarie)  Bain,  b.  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1820,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Argyle. 

Robert  G.  Clark,  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Graham)  Clark,  b.  New  Brunswick, 
N.  J.,  s.  1823,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 

Alexander  Cuthbert,  Bon  of  Robert  and  Ellen  (Gilchrist)  Cntbbei  t,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1852,  Merchant;  P.  0.,  North  Argyle. 

Wm,  Clapp,  son  of  Benj.  and  Asenath  (Grover)  Clapp,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
1813,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Argyle. 

Wm.  Congdon,  son  of  Wm.  and  Pliebo  (Sherman)  Congdon,  b.  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y.,18()4,  Wagon  Maker;  P.  0.,  South  Argyle. 

Edward  Dodd,  son  of  Henry  atid  Anne(Moutgouiery)Dodd,  b.  Salem,  Wiuihing- 
ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1805;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 

Geo.  C.  Dennis,  son  of  Arehibald  and  Hannah  (Marshall)  Dennis,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817,  Custom-nouse  Ollicial. 

Mary  Dennis,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Falkendor)  Stewart,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1818  ;  P.  O.,  Argjle. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW    YORK. 


495 


Robert  Dinning,  son  of  Jara33  anl  El -anor  (Morelied)  Dinning,  b.  It-eland,  a. 

18C(),  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Nortli  Argylo. 
Phineaa  F.  Dixon,  «on  of  Osnior  and  H»rriot  (Luigli)  Dixon,  b.  Waslliugton  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1S14,  Filrmer;  I'.  O.,  Argylo. 
James  Foster,  son  of  Andrew  and  M;iry  (Utlcy)  Foster,  b.  Wiuliiuglon  Co.,  N. 

y.,  1S20,  Farmer:  P.  0.,  Bolclior. 
Pliilip  B.  Frencli,  son  of  John  and  Magdalen  (Bain)  French,  b.  Wiishinglon  Co., 

N.  Y.,  18:il.  Blacksniith;  P.  0.,  S.nitli  Argyle. 
Samuel  Graliam,  sun  of  John  and  Jane  (Ujbertion)  Graham,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1S27,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Argylo. 
John  L.  Gilchrist,  son  c.f  Archibald  ami  Mary  (McCoy) Gilchrist,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1808,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argylo. 
James  Henry,  son  of  James  and  Margiiret  (Kerr)  Henry,  b.   Ilockshire  C.)., 

Scotland,  s.  18-21,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 
James  K.  Henry,  s  -n  of  James  and  Mary  Henry,  b.  Washington  Ce.,  N.Y.,  t8-t6. 

Farmer;  P.O.,  Argylo. 
Wm.  B.  Ilenning,  sonof  John  and  Margiret  (Loclihart)  Henning,  b.  Ireland, 

8.  18j3,  Minister;  P.  O.,  North  Argyle. 
John  W.  Unggins,  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (Williamsun)  Ilnggins,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  I84:i,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Norlli  Argyle. 
John  U.  Ilarsha,  son  of  David  and  Nancy  Hai-sha,  b.  Wjishington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1819, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  Nurth  Argyle. 
Robert  G.  Hall,  son  of  JoIiti  and  81  .ry  (McClellon)  Hall,  h.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1799,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 
Robert  Hale,  son  of  Samnol  and  Elinalicth  (Thurston)  Halo,  b.  Gloncestcr  Co., 

Kng.,  in  1821,  s.  183:i,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Argylo. 
George  Henry,  son  of  Thos.  and  Isabel  (Telfer)  Henry,  b.  Scotland,  s.  18:17, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Greenwich. 
Wm.  Henry,  son  of  Thomas  and  Isabel  (Telfer)  Henry,  b.  Scotland,  s.  18:17, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  Nortli  Greenwich. 
Wm.  H.  King,  son  of  Jolin  and  M  irgar.-t  (Tilfjrd)  King,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  18U,  Lawyer. 
Catherine  J.  King,  daughter  of  Daniel  F.  and  Elizabeth  (Van  Olinda)  King,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 
Morris  Kinno,  son  of  Ebene/.ei-  and  Anna  (KeynolJs)  Kiane,  b.  Duti-bess  Co., 

N.  Y.,  8.  18l:i,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 
John  Knickerbocker,  son  of  John  anil  Mary  (Couse)  Knickerbocker,  b.  Columbia 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1798,  s.  1803,  Fanner ;  P.  0.,  Soutli  Argyle. 
Jesse  S.  Leigh,  son  of  Jos.-ph  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Leigh,  b.  Rensselaer  Co., 

N.  Y.,  s.  1785,  Lawyer. 
Mary  J.  Leigh,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Jlills)  McFaddon,  b.  Troy,  N.  Y., 

s.  1810;  P.O.,  Argyle. 
George  Lasher,  son  of  Herman  and  Maria  (Kilinrr)  Lasher,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1808,  Farmer. 
Esther  Lasher,  daughter  ofJohn  and  Eli/.abolh  (McElroy)  Boyil,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1808;  P.  O.,  North  Avgyle. 
George  Lester,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Nelson)  liestei-,b.  Washington  Co.,  N.Y,, 

1809,  Farmer;  P.  0„  North  Algyle. 
Catharine  Lester,  daughter  of  Jamos  R,  and  Hannah  (Crawford)  Nel.son,  b,  Del- 
aware Co.,  N.  Y„  s,  1840. 
Alexander  D.Lester,  sou  of  David  and  Jane  (Brown)  Lest -r,  b,  W,ishington  Co,, 

N,  Y,,  1817,  Carpenter;  P,  0.,  North  Argyle, 
Hannah  Lester,  daughter  of  John  A,  and  Anna  McDongall  Gillis,  b,  Washing- 
ton Co,,  N,  Y,,  1820, 
Wm,  Lendrum,  son  of  George  and  Mar,v  (Robertson)  Lendrum,  b,  Washington 

Co,,  N.  Y.,  1810,  Carpenter  and  Farmer;  P.  O.,  South  Argyle. 
G.  S.  Lake,  sou  of  Jamos  and  Lydia  (Cio.ss)  Lake,  b,  Washington  Co.,  N,  Y,, 

181,'i,  Keeper  Co,  House;  P.  O.,  Argyle. 
John  S.  Lundy,  son  of  Wm.  and  Margaret  (Beatie)  Lundy,  b,  Washington  Co., 

N,  Y,,  18:i:i,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  North  Argyle, 
James  Livingston,  son  of  John  and  Ann  (Cummings)  Livingston,  b,  Wasliing- 

ton  Co,,  N.  Y,,  1807,  Farmer;  P.  0 ,  Argyle, 
G,  Maira,  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (McFaddin;  Mairs,  b.  Washington  Co,,  N.  Y,, 

17'.I9,  Minister;  P.  O.,  Argyle. 
Moses  B.  Milliman,  sou  of  Isaiic  and  Achra  (Baniett)  Milliman,  b.  Rensse- 
laer Co  ,  N.  Y,,  182.5,  Farmer  and  Carpenter ;  P,  0,,  Argylo, 
A,  W.  Mori-is,  son  of  Uriah  and  Enuiline  (Marshal)  Morris,  b,  Beaver  Oo,,  Pa,, 

8,  July  1, 1875,  Minister;  P.  0,,  South  Aigyle, 
Daniel  S,  McDougnll,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Ann  (Harsha)  McDougall,  b. 

Washington  Co,,  N.  Y„  1820,  Farmer;  P,  0,,  .-Idamsvillo, 
Daniel  McUua[ie,  Jr,,  son  of  Daniel  and  Jane  (Harper)  McQuarie,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co,,  N.  Y,,  1840,  Farmer;  P,  0,,  Argyle. 
Wm.  McEachron,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N,  Y,,  1810,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  Argylo. 
Wm.  J,  McEachron,  son  of  Wm,  and  Mary  (Haggart)  McEachron,  b,  Washing- 
ton Co,,  N,  y,,  1837,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  Argyle. 
Jane  McCoy,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Eleanor  (Taylor)  McCoy,  b,  Washington 

Co,,  N.  Y,,  1808;  P,  0,,  Argyle. 
James  McEachron,  son  of  Philip  and  Catharine  (McKolIor)  McEachi-oii,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1S16,  Farmer;  P,  0„  Argylo, 
.Tames  A,  McCollum,  son  of  John  aTid  Catharine  (McNeil)  McCollum,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co,,  N.  Y,,  1837,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  South  Argyle, 
Malcom  G,  McNaugliton,  son  of  Duncan  and  Sarah  (dotty)  MoNanghton,  b: 

Washington  Co,,  N,  Y',,  1800,  Fanner;  P.  0,,  South  Argylo, 
David  T.  Pierce,  son  of  Hugh  and  Jtary  (Rogers)  Pierce,  b.  WaaluTigton  Co,,  N. 

Y.,  1850,  Physician  ;  P,  O.,  Argyle. 
John  Ross,  son  of  David  and  Margaret  (JIcKillip)  Itoss,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1791,  Cabinetmaker;  P.  0.,  Aigylo. 


Archibald  M.  R>wan,  son  of  Stephen  and  Blinaboth  (McAllister)  Rowan,  li. 
Salcra.  Washington  Co,,  N.  Y,,  1800,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  Argyle, 

Alexander  P.  Robinson,  son  of  John  and  Eli/jibeth  (Qua)  Itobinson,  b,  Wash- 
ington C.I.,  N,  Y„  18o:l,  Farmer;  P,  0,,  North  Ai-gyle. 

Nicholas  lt<ibort«.)n, son  of  Hobertand  Isabel  (Slillsl  RoWrlson,  b,  Washington 
Co,,  N,  Y,,  180:l,  aibinot-maker;1',  O.,  Nortli  Argyle. 

Harvey  Reynolds,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  (McKacliron)  Reynolds,  b,  Wa»h- 
ingtnn  Co,,  N,  Y,,  1842,  Karraer;  P,  O,,  Beleher, 

Wm.  J.  Robinson,  son  of  Geo.  M.  and  Susannah  ( McOiy)  lUibinsoii,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1S«),  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Argyle. 

John  Reid,  son  of  John  and  Ma'-garet  (McAnhur)  Held,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  1798,  Farmer;  P.  0  ,  Lake. 

DuuKin  Roberlaon.  son  of  Archibald  and  Ann  rilobinson)  Robertson,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N,  Y„  1824,  Farmer;  P,  O.,  Soutli  Argyle. 

Myron  Rogers,  son  of  Jamos  and  IsaUd  (Kolchuni)  Rogers,  b.  W.isliington  Co., 
N.  y,,  IB.'W,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Argylo. 

J.  G.  Salfoi-d,  am  of  Gideon  O.  and  Jane  (McOoy)  Saffool,  b,  Argylo,  Washington 
C.I,,  N,  Y,,  1841,  Lawyer;  P.  O.,  Argyle, 

Geo,  D.  Stewart,  son  of  Ceo,  and  Anna  (Darrow)  Stewart,  b,  Washington  Cu.,  N. 
Y„  1X21,  Teacher;  P,  0,,  Argyle, 

Wm,  D,  Slevensoii,  son  of  Win,  and  Susan  (Terry)  Stevenson,  b,  WuahlngUin 
Co,,  N,  Y„  1847  ;  P,  0.,  North  Argylo. 

Daniel  Sicvonsou,  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (White)  Stevenson,  b.  Washington 
Co,,  N,  Y,,  18I;l,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  North  Argyle, 

Lovella  L,  Scutt,  daughter  of  John  and  &irah  (Nelson)  Lester,  b.  Washington 
Co.,  N,  y„  1820;  I'.  0.,  North  Argyle. 

John  Scott,  son  of  John  Scott,  b.  Ireland,  s.  1821,  Farmer;  P.  O,,  North  Argyle, 

Alexander  Shields,  son  of  John  and  Martha  (MahulTy)  Shields,  b,  Ireland,  s, 
1844,  Fanner;  P,  0,,  North  Argyle. 

Harvey  B.  Sybrandt,  son  of  Rip  and  Katharino(Tiniicrman)Sybr.iiidt,  b.  Wasll- 
iugton Co.,  N,  Y,,  18-20,  Farmer ;  P,  0,,  North  Greenwich, 

Albert  Stewart,  son  of  George  F.  and  Mary  (McAuleyi  Stewart,  b.  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1844,  Merchant;  P.  0.,  South  Argyle. 

James  Slovenson,  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (White) Stevenson,  b.  Waaliinglon 
C^o.,  N.  Y.,  ISlo,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Argylo. 

James  Stolt,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Hall)  Stolt,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
18l:l,  Farmer;  P,  0.,  Argyle, 

Wm,  Stewart,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Falkendor)  Stewart,  b,  Washing- 
ton Co,,  N.  Y,,  181-2,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  Argyle, 

John  Stewart,  son  of  Samuel  and  Kli»Uietli  (Fiilkender)  Stewart,  b,  W^asbing- 
ton  Co,,  N,  y,,  1809,  Farmer;  P,  (>.,  North  Greenwich, 

Henry  Smith,  son  of  John  and  Slai-garet  (Tinkoy)  Smith,  b,  Washington  Co,, 
N.  y.,  1792,  Fanner;  P,  0.,  Fort  Edward. 

Chas.  W.  Taylor,  sun  of  George  and  Jane  S.  (Curswell)  Taylor,  b.  Arg.vle,  N.  Y., 
18*);  P.O.,  Argyle. 

Geo.  M.  Tod.l,  Son  of  John  and  Isabel  (Mosier)  Todd,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y ., 
18:14,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Nortli  Aigye. 

Thomas  M.  Toild,  son  of  John  and  Isabel  (Mosier)  Todd,  b.  WiuliingVm  Co., 
N,  Y,,  1818,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  North  Argyle. 

Win.  W.  Tilford,  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Welch)  Tilford,  b.  WasliingUm  Co,,  N, 
Y.,  18-24,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  North  Argylo, 

Daniel  Tinkoy,  son  of  Stephen  and  Catherine  (Bain)  Tinkey,  b,  W.ishingloii 
Co.,  N,  Y,,  181-2,  Farmer;  P,  U,,  South  Argylo, 

David  H,  Williams,  s.m  of  David  W,  and  Margaret  (I-osey)  Williams,  b,  Wash- 
ington Co,,  N,  Y,,  18:54,  Fanner;  V.  O.,  North  Argylo. 

James  Williaiiison,  son  of  John  and  lCliy.al«-th  (White;  Williamson,  I..  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  y.,  1820,  Karnior;  P.  O.,  Art:)le. 


CAMBRIDGE. 


lelaer  Co,,  N,  Y,, 


I  James  II,  Austi 
^         Y.,  1808, 


Wm,  H,  Akin,  son  of  Win,  and  Abigail  (Jolinson)  Akin,  U,  Ken 

,  1809,  Farmer ;  P.  0,,  South  Cambridge,  ^ 

,  Austin,  son  of  John  and  Waty  (West)  Austin,  b,  Washington  Co,,  N.    ) 
P.  0,,  Cambridge  Centre,  ''^ 

John  Barker,  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Slocum)  Barker,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

1797,  Fanner  and  Dealer  in  Wood;  P.  O.,  Cambridge, 
Parismna  Burch,  son  of  Ir.i  and  Eli/iiliolb  (Do  Grolf)  Burcli,  b.  Rensselaer  Co., 

N,  Y,,  s.  1808,  Farmer;  P,  O,,  South  Cambridge, 
Columbus  Bowon,  son  of  Sylvester  and  Julia  (Cross)  llowcn,  b.  Wiishinglon  Co,, 

N,  y„  1820,  Farmer;  P.  0,,  Cambridge, 
Jane  Webster  llockos,  daughter  of  S,  Do  Wilt  and  Nancy  (McClellon)  Dockos, 

b,  Wa.i|iington  Co,,  N.  Y,,  1822;  P.  0,,  Cambridge, 
Robert  Blair,  son  of  Philip  and  Katharine  (Lannouth)  Blalr,  b,  Washington 

Co,,  N,  Y,,  181-2,  Farmer;  P,  0,,  Cambridge. 
Andrew  A.  nevoriilge,son  of  David  and  Klizabeth  (Shaw)  Bovoridgo,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  18:12,  Dealer  in  Lumber  and  Feed  ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
Samuel  and  Ephraiin  J,  Burroughs,  sons  of  Kphraim  and  Elizabeth  (Green) 

Bnrmiighs,  b,  Washington  Co,,  N,  Y,,  1821  and  18:19,  Farmers;  P,  O,, 

Greenwich, 
Sheldon  Corliss,  son  of  Albert  H,  and  Susan  (Lawson)  Coriiss,  b,  Oneida  Co,, 

N,y.,  8, 1870,  Lawyer;  P.  0,,  Cambridge. 
Margaret  L.  Campbell,  daughter  of  John  and  Kliziibelh  Law,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N,  Y.,  1801 ;  widow  of  late  Itev.  P.  Campliell ;  P.  O.,  C«inliridgo. 
Mary  E,  Carpeiitir,  daughter  of  Wm,  and  Elizab.dh  A,  (Patterson)  Livingston, 

b,  Merrinia.  k  I'.i  .  N.  M  ,  ",  1820;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 


496 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Clioa.  W.  Darrow,  fon  of  Josiali  and  Fanny  (Hnll)  Dairow,  h.  Vusliington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  18:n,  Farmer ;  P.  0.,  Sontli  Cambridge. 
Eiirl  Durfec,  son  of  Gideon  iiiul  Baiinah  (Cornell^  Durfee,  b.  Wasliington  Co.. 

N.  Y.,  1SII4;  P.  O.,  Biiskirk's  Bridge. 
Iloiace  Dodds,  son  of  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Vnndecar)  Dodds,  b.  WaHbiiigton 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1838,  Carlienter  and  Builder;  V.  O.,  Caniliriilge  Centio. 
Martin  C.  Ejcleshimer,  son  of  Peter  and  Maliala  (Lee)  Evclesbynier,  b.  RenB- 

Belaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1872,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Buskirk's  Bridge. 
Ahira  Eldridge,  son  of  Zoetli  and  Klizabcth  (Hinkley)  Eldiidgc,  b.  Tolland  Co., 

Ct.,  1794,  8. 1815,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambridae. 
Leonard  Fletcher,  son  of  Joshua  and  Mary  fParmeley)  Fletcher,  b.  Saratoga 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  8.  ISOfi,  Attoruey-at-Law;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Russell  S.  Fii'h,  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Allen)  Fish,  b.  Bensseluer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  b. 

1S57,  Farmer  (retired);  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Blacknian  B.  Fowler,  son  of  Browning  and  Jane  (Galaspie,  Fowler,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1811,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
John  F.  Flinn,  son  of  Thomas  and  Jlargarct  (Fitzgerald)  Flinn,  b.  Washioglon 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1855,  Clerk  ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
Chas.  W.  Grover,  son  of  Eilmund  and  Hai  riet  (Moore)  Grover,  b.  RnllanJ  Co., 

Vt.,  s.  1827,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Eagle  Bridge. 
Nathan  GifTold,  son  of  Elihu  and  Deborah  (Allen)  Gifford,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1700,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  JcdinTOnvillo. 
Swilzer  Green,  son  of  Sidomon  and  Mary  (Galloway)  Green,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1821,  Farmer  and  Mechanic;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Byal  C.  Gilford,  son  of  Ira  and  Susan  (Cornell)  Gifford,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1821  (retired);  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Thos.  C.  Gilford,  sou  of  Ira  and  Su^an  (Cornell)  Gifford,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1815,  Dealer  in  Wiwl ;  I'.  0.,  Cambridge. 
James  Green,  son  of  James  and  Eliz;ibclli  (Coulter)  Green,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1820,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Coila. 
Henry  Gordon,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (McAuley)  Gordon,  b.  Ireland,  s. 

1S57,  Minister  ;  P.  0.,  Coila. 
Alexander  Green,  son  of  James  S.  and  Bannah  (Skellie)  Green,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  18:il ;  P.  0.,  Uoila. 
Onin  S.  Hall,  son  of  Wm.  and  Mary  tThonias)  Hall,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

I.SIB,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Coila. 
Henry  H.  Hall,  son  of  Wm.  and  Mary  (Th-mas)  Hall,  b.  Wasliiuglon  Co.,N.  Y., 

1812,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Cambridge. 
John  L.  Hunt,  sonof  Johnand  Elizabeth  (Skellie)  Hunt,  b.  Washington  Co  ,N. 

Y.,  1S18,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
Elansing  Kenyon,  son  of  Martin  B.  and  Caroline  (Van  Woert)  Kenyon,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1831,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Cambridge. 
Wm.  M.  and  Chas.  Kenyon,  sons  of  Wm.  arid  Mary  Ann  (Hillman)  Kenyon, 

b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1842  and  1844,  Farmers;  P.O.,  Valley  Sum- 
mit. 

D.  A.  Kenyon,  son  of  Martin  B.  and  Caroline  (Van  Woert)  Kenyon,  b.  Wash- 

ington Co.,  N.  y.,  1843,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Cambridge. 
B.  F.  Ketchum,  son  of  Benj.  and  Mary  Ketchuin,  b.  Kensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,  8. 

1872,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
Hiram  H.  Lovejoy,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Sniith)  Lovejoy,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  18U7,  Mechanic;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
J.  B.  Fisher,  son  of  G.  W.  and  Eunice  (Shernnin)  Fisher,  b.  Cambridge,  N.  Y., 

1839,  Clei'gyman  ;  residence,  242  Third  street,  Jersey  City 
Hiram  S.  Lee,  sou  of  Elislia  E.  and  Esllier  ,MeCreely)  Lee,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1841,  Prop'r  Centnil  House,  Cambridge  Village. 
James  Maxwell,  son  of  Geo.  and  Margaret  (McDoud)  Sla.twell,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1823,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Wm.  Marshall,  son  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Anderson)  Marshall,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1797,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 

E.  I.  McKie,  son  of  George  and  Calherine  (Whiteside)  McKie,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  181S;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Mrs.  Geo.  SlcKie,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Ann  (Robertson)  Whiteside,  b.  Wash- 
ington (^.,  N.  Y.,  1795;  P.  O.,  South  Oambriilge. 
James  McKie,  son  of  John  and  Catherine  K.  (Whites  ile)  McKie,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1831,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Cambridge. 
B.  F.  McNilt,  son  of  James  C.  and  Judith  (Crocker)  McNitt,  b.  Champion,  Jef- 
ferson Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1833,  Merchant ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
John  S.  Piiitt,  son  of  Amasaand  Fannie  (King)  Pratt, b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

1824,  Farmer;  P.O.,  Briskirk's  Bridge. 
Adam  C.Pratt,  sonof  .\masa  and  F.lunie (King)  Piatt,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

1833,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Bnskirk's  Bridge. 
Benjamin  Potter,  son  of  Gideon  S.  and  Polly  (Ilillinan)  Potter,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1824 ;  P.O.,  Coila. 
Charles  Porter,  son  of  Ralph  and  Abigail  (Town)  Porter-,  b.  Kichfleld,  Otsego 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  185(1,  Merchant;  P.  0  ,  Cambridge. 
Ephraim  Petleys,  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Burdick)  Petteys,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1787,  Farmer  ( deceased). 
Lewis  Petteys,  son  of  Kphiaim  and  Elizabeth  (Ferris)  Petteys,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1851,  Firrmer;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
A.  I.  Porter,  son  of  Ralph  and  Abigail  (Town)  Porter,  b.  Richfield,  Otsego  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1843,  Merchant ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
Jci-ome  B.  Rico,  son  of  Roswc-ll  N.  ami  Botey  Arm  (Hodges)  Rice.b.  W;Lihington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1841,  Seedsman  ;  P.  0.,  Canrbridge. 
Cyrus  S.  Robinson,  son  of  Ira  and  Bot-ey  (Cushing)  Robinson,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1829,  Tailor;  P.  O.,  Cnmbridgi-. 
David  Robertson,  son  of  John  arrd  Christia  iPortiss)  Robertson,  b.  Washiirgton 

Co.,  N.  y.,  17UU,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Canibr  idge. 


Alvan  Robertson,  son  of  Zenas  and  Helen  (Marshall)  Robertson,  b.  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1851,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambri.lge. 

Nathan  E.  Rice,  son  of  Daniel  and  Zena  (Kid.lcr)  Rice,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  1825,  Dealer  in  Stock  ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 

Daniel  Bice,  son  of  Daniel  and  Zena  (Kidder)  Rice,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
ISUG,  Farmer  and  Merchant;  P.  0.,  <3ambr  dge. 

James  S.  Smart,  son  of  John  G  and  Anna  Blaiia  (Stovenson)  Smart,  b.  Balti- 
more, Md.,  8. 1850,  Editor ;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 

Zerah  Rirlcr-,  son  of  Zerah  and  Sai-ah  (Cogswell)  Rider,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
1825,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 

Thomas  Shiland,  Sim  of  Jidin  and  Margaret  lEdie)  Shiland,  b.  Wiushington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1814,-  Fanner;  P.  0.,  (Jimbriilge. 

Seraph  H.  Stevenson,  dangliter  of  Rev.  E.  H.  and  Huldah  Cbipman  Newton,  b. 
Mariboro',  Vt.,  8.  1836;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 

John  M.  Stevenson,  son  of  Wm.  and  Frances  (McAllister)  Stevenson,  b.  Wa.^b- 
inglon  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1818,  Altornej-at-Lnw  (deci-a-ed). 

Cortland  Skinner,  son  of  Nathan  and  Hannah  (Lawlon)  Skinner,  b.  Benrdng- 
ton,  Vt.,  s.  1817,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 

Chas.  Tingne,  son  of  John  and  Delia  (House)  Tingne,  b.  Montgomery  Co.,N.  Y., 
8. 182C,  Liveryman  ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 

S.mon  A.  Thompson,  son  of  Andrew  and  Eliza  (Stevens)  Thompson,  b.  Washing- 
top  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1841,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Buskirk's  Bi  idge. 

Pardon  Tripp,  son  of  Har\-ey  and  Eunice  (Sherman)  Ti-ipp,  b,  Washingtorr  Co., 
N.  Y..  1825,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Cambridge. 

Horace  Valentine,  son  of  Daniel  and  Nancy  (Hrll)  Valentine,  b.  Wa.sliirrgton 
Co.,  N.  Y  ,  1810,  Far-mer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 

Theodore  C.  Wallace,  snrr  of  James  and  Patience  S.  Anthony,  b.  Easton,  Wash- 
ington Co  ,  N.  Y.,  1«57,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 

Peter  Walsh,  son  of  Joseph  and  Anna  i  Frederick)  Walsh,  b.  Washington  Co., 
N.  Y  ,  179S,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 

Marlirr  B.  Waite,  son  of  Ezra  arrd  Mary  (Bentley)  Waitc,  b.  Waihington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1818,  Carpenter  irnd  Joiner;  P.  0.,  Cambridge  Centre. 

Herrry  M.  Wells,  s<m  of  Sidney  and  Silvia  (Fairchild)  Wells,  b.  Washiugloir  Co., 
N.  y.,  1824,  Photographer ;  P.  0.,  Canrbridge. 

Elishn  Weir,  son  of  Robert  I.  and  Sarah  (Whipple)  Weir,  b.  Washirrgtoir  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1818,  Farmer  and  Mechanic. 


DRESDEN. 

Burr  Benjamin,  son  of  Walter  and  Jane  (Barrett)  Beirjamin,b.  Dresden,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  y.,  Feb.  29, 1820,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Dresderr  Stivtion. 

David  lianett,  son  of  Roger  and  Arrnie  ( H'illson)  Barrett,  b.  Whitehall,  Wash- 
iirgton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  18, 1798,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Dresden  Station. 

Myron  L.  Bclderr,  son  of  Calvin  C.  and  Solrrrda  (Abell)  Bolden,  h.  Dresden, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jlrly  30,  1837,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Dresden  Statii.ir. 

James  K.  Benjamin,  son  of  Burr  aird  Lucy  (Joues^  Berrjaurirr,  b.  Dresden,  Wrish- 
ington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  3, 1844,  Station  Mister;  P.  O.,  Dresden  Centre. 

Boswell  Beehe,son  ofRoswell  C.and  Eliza  (Hale)  Beebe,b.  Dresden,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  y.,  Sept.  15,  1829,  Farmer  and  Lumberman ;  P.  0.,  Ditedeu 
Centre. 

Joseph  Barrett,  son  of  Joseph  and  Annis  (Chapman)  Barrett,  b.  Dresden, 
Washington  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  15, 1821,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Dresden  Centre. 

Ralph  Barber,  son  of  Ralph  and  Panielia  (Collins)  Barber,  b.  Dresden,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  19, 1830,  Farnrer;  P.O.,  Whiteball. 

George  L.  Clcmoirs,  son  of  John  D.  and  Polly  (Hale)  Clenrons,  b.  Dresden, 
Wiislrinjiton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  10, 1841,  Merchant;  P.  O.,  Dresden  Cetrtre. 

Daniel  A.  Flandreau,  son  of  Dairiel  A.  and  Githerirre  (Reeve)  Flnrrdreau,  b. 
Long  Island,  s.  Sept.,  1860,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Drefdeir  Centre. 

A.  D.  Gillette,  son  of  Dr-.  F.  B.  and  Tabiiha  (Dunham)  Gillette,  b.  Cambridge, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  V.,  Sept.  8, 1807,  Clergyman  ;  P.  0.,  Dresden,  and  149 
Wist  Twenty-third  St.,  New  York. 

John  W.  Hall,  son  of  Dr.  Athertolr  and  Mehetabel  (Clark)  Hall,  b.  Whitehall, 
N.  Y.,  July  2, 1841,  Hotel-Keeper,  Bosom,  on  Lake  GecJrge;  P.  0.,  Hulett'a 
Landing. 

Timotby  M.  Sleight,  son  of  Alexander  and  Jane  (Martin)  Sleiglrt,  b.  Saratoga 
Co..  N.  y.,  s.  18:i2,  Jlerchant ;  P.  O.,  Dresden  Station. 

David  Sleight,  son  of  David  arrd  Catherilre  A.  (Woodcock)  Slcit'ht,  b.  Errglarrd, 
s.  Jnrre,  1865,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Dresden  Station. 

Oliver  L.  Steere,  son  of  Caleb  and  Topsey  (Hulett)  Sleere,  b.  Rhode  Island,  s. 
Sept.,  1821,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Dresden  Centre. 

Jonas  II.  Sniith,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Neil)  Smith,  b.  Ireland,  s.  Oct.  1.5, 
1874,  Farnrer  ;  P.  O.,  Dresden  Centre. 

William  Snody,  son  of  James  and  Hannah  (Wilsey)  Snody,  b.  Drc.-deii,  Wa.~li- 
irrgtoir  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  29, 1806,  Farmer ;  P.  0.,  Dresden  Centre. 

Arrros  Waters,  sorr  of  John  H.  and  Anna  (Blanchard)  Waters,  b.  Whitehall,  N. 
Y.,  Sept.  5,  ISU'J,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Whitehall. 


EASTON. 

Stephen  Allen,  son  of  Thomas  and  Susaumrh  (Barker)  Allen,  b.  Massachusetts, 
1780,  8.  17'.l9,  Farmer  and  Blacksmith  ;  P.  O.,  Easton. 

WilLaiii  F.  Adams,  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Bailey)  Adams,  b.  Washington  Co., 
N.  y.,  1814,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Middle  Falls. 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW    YOllK. 


497 


iit«,  1..  Allaiiy.X.  Y^ 


1  Co., 


Kichohui  Bratt,  son  of  Daniel  and  Cliristinadivekni 

178(1,  s.  1823,  Farm.T;  P.  0.,  Ciaiirtalrs  Corm- 
Benajiili  B:irker,  s..n  of  lienK.iali  anil  SaniU  (Cliase)  Barker,  b.  Washington  Ci> 

N.  Y.,  1808,  Karnior;  P.  {).,  EiiBton. 
Horace  Duaiile,  son  of  John  F.  and  Mary  (Wait)  Beadio,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  18:i0,  Fainier;  P.  0.,  West  Cambridge. 
Z  ria  W.  Beadle,  son  of  John  K.  ami  Mary  fWait)  Beailje,  b.  Wio.liingt,.n  Co.,  X. 

Y.,  s.  18;i2,  Farnier;  P.  O.,  West  Cambridge. 
C.  J.  Button,  son  of  Jolin  and  Maria  (Growbargar)  Bntt0l^  b.  Kenasclaer  Co,  N. 

Y.,  8.  1,S16,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Schagliticokc. 
Franklin  B.  Buckley,  son  of  Spenor  A.  and  Frances  C.  (Bosworlli)  Bnikley,  U 

Witshiugton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  IS.i.'i,  Faruiir;  P.  0,  Hart's  Falls. 
Adam  Cottrell,son  of  Nathan  and  .Mary  ;Tim)  Cottrcll,  b.  Wa«liington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1T98,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Grocnwieh. 
llorton  Cotlrell,  son  of  John  and  B.tsy  (Divelle)  Coltroll,  b.  Wiisbinglon  (Al, 

N.  Y.,  182!,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Greenwiirh. 
David  Conklin,  son  of  Carpenter  and  Lncretia  (Nelson)  Conklin,  b.  Iten-sclaer 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1827,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Uresnwicli. 
A.  G.  Cocliran,  son  of  Kdward  and  Esther  (Gibson)  Cochran,  b.  Veraiotit    s. 

1860,  Clergyman  Presbyterian  aiurcli;  P.  0.,  Middle  Kails. 
Nathan  Corliss,  son  of  John  and  Isabella  (Tefft)  Corliss,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1808,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Sehnylerville,  Saratoga  Co,  N.  Y. 
Lewis  H.  Crandall,  son  of  Warren  and  Pliebc  (Buckley)  Cmndull,  b.  Wiisliing- 

ton   Co.,  N.  Y.,  1839,  Manufacturer;  P.  0.,  Crandall's  Cornei-s. 
A.  G.  L.  De  Kidder,  son  of  Simon  and   Maria  (Van   Scbaick)  I)e  Ei.lder,  b. 

Wa-iliington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1812,  Farmer;  P.  0,,  SchuyWrviUe,  Saratoga  Co., 

N.  Y. 
John  B.  Eldridge,  son  of  Job  and  Sarah  (Beadle)  Eldridge,  h.  Wa 

N.  Y'.,  1823,  Farnier;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
J.  Warren  Fort,  son  of  Lewis  and  Julia  Fort,  b.  Wasliiugtou  Co.,  N.  Y.,  is:i7, 

Farnier  (Supervisor);  P.  O.,  Kaston. 
Sarah  B.  Fort,  daughter  of  Peleg  and  Asenatli  (Nichols)  Thomas  •>•  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  ISaO ;  P.  O.,  South  Ea-^ton. 
Elihu  GifTorJ,  son  of  Elihu  and  Deborah  (Allen)  Gifford,  b.  Washington  Co,  N. 

Y.,  1803,  Farmer;  1".  ().,  South  Easton. 
Allen  Gifford,  son  of  Eliliu  and  Deborah  (Allen)  Gilford,  b.  W'asliington  Co.,  N. 

Y  ,  1792,  Fainior;  P.  O.  Crandall's  Comers. 
I.-a.nc  lloag,  sun  of  Ira  and  Sylvia  (KeLsey)  Hoag,  b.  Wasllington  Col,  N.  Y., 

1824,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Easton. 
Edmund  W.  Hollister,  son  of  Sylvester  and  Phobe  (JIartin)  Hollister,  b.  Colum- 
bia Co.,  N.  y.,  s.  18.32,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Middle  Falh. 
James  ilill,  son  of  Enoch  ami  Ann  (Monroe)  Uill,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

1830,  Blacksmith  ;  P.  0,  South  ElUiton. 
Frederick  0.  Ives,  son  of  Oscar  F.  D.  and  Mary  D.  ( Hoag)  Ives,  b.  Wasllington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1838,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  SoiiUi  Easton. 
Hezekiah  W.  Martin,  son  of  Charles  and  Miirinda  (White)  Martin,  b.  Monroe 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  8. 18G5,  Farmer  and  Seed-Growor;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Edgar  M.  Petteys,  son  of  John  D.  and  Slary  (Rogers)  Petteys,  b.  Wasllington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1844,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Middle  Falls. 
I,e»is  Potter,  son  of  Gifford  and  Heplizibah  (Pease)  Potter,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1831,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Easton. 
Wm.  V.  K.  Reynolds,  son  of  Hiram  and  Margaret  A.  (Van  Kirk)  Iteyn<dds,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1847,  Farmer  and  Seed-Grower;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
Bussell  W.  Robinson,  son  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  B.  (Batlie)  Itobiusou,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Farmer;  P.  0,  South  Easton. 
Uirain  C.  Kathbun,  son  of  Kenyon  and  Perlina  (Freeman)  Ralhbnn,  b.  Wash- 

ington  Co.,  N.  Y,,  1823,  Farmer:  P.  0.,  Vly  Summit. 
Jenks  Remington,  son  of  Gardner  and  Mary  (Haws)  Remington,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  180U,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Middle  Falls. 
Royal  Slocum,  son  of  Royal  and  J.  (Moslier)  Slocum,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

1847,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  0.,  Easton. 
F.  Franklin  Silvey,  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Slaria  (Loomis)  Silvey,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1827,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Middle  Falls. 
Lewis  Slocum,  son  of  Matthew  and  Elizabeth  (Taber)  Slocum,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  North  Easton. 
John  Stewart,  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Kenyon)  Stewart,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817,  Produce  Dealer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
John  Smith,  sou  of  Aaron  and  Slary  P.  ( Brown)  Smith,  b.  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8. 18:19,  Farmer  and  Fruit-Growcr;  P.  0.,  Easton  Centre. 
Hoi-ace  Taber,  sou  of  Henry  and  Slargaret  (Haynor;  Taber,  b.  Washington  Co, 

N.  Y.,  1822,  Farmer;  P.  0  ,  Grecuwicli. 
Andrew  Thompson,  son  of  Andrew  and  Hannah  (Stevens)  Thompson,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1808,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Greenwich. 
John  H.  Tefft,  sou  of  Caleb  and  Hannah  (Green)  Tefft,  b.  Washington  Co.,  X. 

Y.,  1822,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Jonathan  Wood,  son  of  Jacob  and  Anrelia  (Wilbur)  Wood,  b.  Washington  Co, 

N.  Y.,  1832,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Easton. 
David  Wait,  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Milk8)*Wait,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y, 

1814,  Fanner;  P.  O.,  Easton. 
John  M.  Welling,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  .Jano  Maria  Welling,  b.  Rensselaer  Co. 

N.  Y,  8. 1847,  Merc.iant  and  Poslmaster:  P.  0,  North  Easton. 
Mrs.  A.  M.  Wickes,  daughter  of  Simon  and  Phebe  (Beiulel)  Burton,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y,  1829;  P.  O,  Greenwich. 
Mrs.  Lydia  Wilbur,  daughter  of  Philander  and  Sarah  (Marshall)  Toby,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1806 ;  P.  O.,  North  Ea-lon. 
Julius  Williams,  son  of  Stephen  B.  and  Bet-y  (Lucas)  Williiuus,  b.  Washii:gton 

Co  ,  N.  Y.,  1827,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 

63 


Francis  J.  WheMen,  son  of  Francis  B.  and  Eli/jjlwth  (Skinner)  Whelden,  b. 

Washingloii  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1829,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
Darins  B.  Wheldt-n.  son  .,r  Jal«-z  and  Eunice  i  Woodard)  Whelden,  b.  Wiuhing- 

ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  180.1,  Fann.r;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
John  Wilbur,  Jr.,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  ( Bragg)  Wilbur,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  v.,  ISW,  Farmer  ;  P.  O,  North  Easton. 
Alonzo  Young,  son  of  Clayton  and  Rhoda  (Slallery)  Young,  b.  Washington 

Co,  N.  Y.,  1833,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Gi-eonwich. 


FORT  ANN. 

George  Ashley,  son  of  Jamcn  aii.l  Nancy  (Xiius)  Ashley,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  18:12,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Fort  Ann. 
I.  v.  Baker,  son  of  Reuben  and  Luis  C.  (Baxter)  Baker,  b.  Wimhlngton  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1813 ;  Farmer,  Banker,  and  Prcst.  N.  Y.  and  Ciinada  U.  B. ;  residence, 

CoUKIocIt;  r.  0...  Comstock. 
J.  0.  Brown,  sun  of  Daniel  and  Aminia  (Lines)  Broirn,  b.  Dutchess  d.,  N.  Y., 

8. 1850,  Retired  Farmer,  Kane's  Fa-ll.-^;  P.  <>.,  Fort  Ann. 
J.  II.  Benton,  son  of  AIra  and  Lucinda  (Earle)  Benton,  b.  Washington  Co,  N. 

Y,  1830,  Lnuifcertnan;  P.  O,  Fort  Ann. 
Howard  Bailey,  son  of  F:ben  and  Silra  (H.iward)  Biuley,  b.  Wa-hinglun  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1802,  Blillwiight;  P.  O,  Fort  Ann. 
Cyrus  Boyce,  son  of  Wni.  and  .Sar.ih  (Sargaut)  Boyce,  b.  Washington  Co.,  VI, 

183C,  Faimer;  P.  O..  Fort  Ann. 
Alexander  Baker,  eon  of  Awa  and  Maliel  ( Y^onng)  Baker,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y,,  1829,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Fort  Ann. 

B.  W.  Breirster,  son  of  Natliaui.-I  O.  and  Delight  (Winchester)  Brewster,  b. 

Wiishingtcm  Co,  N.  Y,  1821,  Farmer  and  I.nrabenuan  ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Ann. 
,Iohn   Bubcock.sou  of  Denj.  and  Delight  (Buck)  Balic.ck,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y,  1797,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Foit  Ann. 
John  M.  Barnctt,sun  of  Benj.  and  Hary  (Nicktdson)  Ibirnett,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1820,  Farmer  and  Manufacturer;  P.  0,  Fort  Ann. 
Benj.  Broun,  son  of  BenJ.  and  Elizabeth  (Dolly)  Brown,  b.  Rhode  Island,  s. 

1809,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Fort  Ann. 

A.  T.  Brown,  sim  of  Elislia  and  Eliza  (Row)  Brown,  h.  Washington  Co.,  X.  Y., 

1822,  Cai-penter  anil  Joiner;  P.  U.,  West  Granville. 
Orlando  Cluipin,  son  of  Solomon  and  Lydia  (Bice)  Cliapin,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y,  184-2,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Granville. 
Harlan  P.  Cone,  son  of  Geo.  B.  and  Ann  Eliza  (Burrington)  Cone,  k.  Washing- 
ton Co,  N.  Y.,  1850,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Granville. 
T.  N.  Deuey,  son  of  Chester  and  Mary  T.  (Bush)  Dewey,  b.  Washington  Co.,  X. 

Y.,  1820,  Farmer;  P.  0,  Fort  Ann. 
J.  D.  Earle,  .ion  of  John  and  Jula  (Mosher)  Earle,  b.  Wa.shington  Co,  N.  Y, 

1837.  Merchant;  P.  0,  Fort  Ann. 
R.  G.  Fairbanks,  son  of  Silas  and  Ele  innr  (Goodale)  Fairlanka,  b.  Herkimer 

Co.,  N.  Y,  R.  1871,  Maufr.  Silex,  Kane's  Falls ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Ann. 
M.  J.  Farr,  daughter  of  Jaims  and  Hannah  (Winegar)  Farr,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y,  1829;  P.  O.,  Fort  Ann. 

C.  C.  Farr,  sou  of  James  and  Han  nab  ( Winegar)  Farr,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

18:i8,  Farmer;  P.  0,  Fort  Ann. 

Benjamin  Gillett,  son  of  Abrani  andjerusba  (Allen)  Gillett,  b.  Washington  Co, 
N.  Y,  1830,  Farnier;  P.  0.,  West  Granville. 

J.  D.  Goorlman,  son  of  O.  W.  and  Mary  J.  (Farr)  Goodman,  b.  M'ashington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1854,  Farmer;  P.  0,  Fort  Auil 

Josejili  Haynea,  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (King)  Hayne.i,  b.  Gloucester- 
shire, Eng.,  s.  1849,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Griswold  .Mills. 

Orson  Kingsley,  sou  of  Supply  and  Avis  (Mason)  Kingsley,  h.  Wasllington  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1807,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  0,  Comstock. 

B.  A.  KUburu,  son  of  Simon  an.l  Lucy  (Aldlich)  Kilburn,  b.  Rutland  Co.,  Vt., 

6. 1804,  Fanner;  P.  0,  West  Granville. 
B.  J.  Lawrence,  son  of  Hiram  and  Mary  B.  (Griffin)  Lawrence,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  182:1,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Granville. 
Stepijen  J.  Lewis,  son  of  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Antis)  Lewis,  b.  Montgomery 

Co.,  N.  Y,  8. 1870,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Ann. 
Frank  M.  Lamb,  son  of  P.  H.  and  Jane  E.  (Dean)  Lamb,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1853,  Farmer;  P.  0,  Fort  Ann. 
George  L.  Stevens,  son  of  Wm.  and  Sibye  (Roberts)  Stevens,  b.  Wa-ibjiigton  Co., 

N.  Y,  1827,  Farmer;  P.  0,  Fort  Ann. 
Nathan    Smith,  son  of  Hemen  and  Lucy  (Beckwith)  Sroitli,  b.  Plattsbnrg, 

Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  184.1,  Farmer,  Merchant,  aud  (3oal  Dealer,  Smith's 

Landing;  P.  0,  Comstock. 
Sidney  S.  Spencer,  aon  of  Phiueas  and  Elcy  (Farnsworth)  Spencer,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co,  N.  Y.,  1819,  Farmer;  P.  O,  West  Giunville. 
Henry  Stevens,  son  of  Mathew  U.  and  Caroline  (Church)  Stevens,  b.  Salem, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y,  18.50,  Farmer;  P.  0,  North  Granville. 
Sylvester  Skinner,  aon  of  Ell  and  Sally  (Griggs)  Skinner,  b.  Washington  Co,  N. 

Y,  1828,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Fort  Ann. 
Gardner  Stevens,  son  of  Wm.  anil  Sd.ye  (IloberU)  Stoveiu,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y,  1828,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Ann. 
Otis  Sheldon,  son  of  Nathan  and  Eleanor  (Van  Loner)  Sheldon,  b.  Wsshlngton 

Co.,  N.  Y,  1801,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Fort  Ann. 
Israel  Thompson,  son  of  Jndah  and  Mary  (Harris)  riiompson,  b.  Wa.hinglon 

Co,  N.  Y,  1803,  Fanner;  P.  !>.,  Fort  Ann. 
John  H.  Thonip<ion,8on  of  Judah  and  Mary  (Harris)  Thompson,  b.  Washington 

Co,  N.  y,  1799,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fori  Ann. 


408 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NKW   YORK. 


I,eonaid  Vniiglin,K(in  of  Wliitniaii  nrnl  B(>t80.v  (Drnptr)  Vniiglin.b.  Wiishington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  1814,  Karmer;  1'.  0.,  Fort  Ann. 

Madison  Vaughn,  sun  <if  Ualel)  and  Ruth  (llogers)  Vaughn,  b.  VVasliiiiglon  Co., 
N.  Y.,  1H22,  Farmer;  1>.  O.,  Fort  Ann. 

Fri'dcrick  F.  Wray.son  of  Garrtt  and  Sarah  J.  (Smith)  VVray,  b.  Wa.'-liinglon 
Co.,  N.  v.,  18:!:!,  Farmer  and  Surveyor;  1'.  0.,  West  Granville. 

Francis  I).  Wni.v,  eon  of  Garret  and  Sanih  J.  (Smith)  Wray,  b.  \Va>hinglon  Co., 
N.  v.,  ISil,  Farmej-;  P.  0.,  West  Granville. 

Joshua  Wells,  son  of  I'erry  G.  and  Maria(Biim)  Wells,  b.  Kulland  Co.,  Vt.,noc, 
8.  1810,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Granville. 

Lllthor  Washburn,  mn  of  Kphraini  and  Sally  (Martin)  Waslibuni,  l>.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  y.,  I82i,  Farmer;  I*.  0.,  Fort  Ann. 

Mathias  Whitney,  son  of  Mathias  and  Olive  (D..ty)  Whitney,  b.  Berkshire  Co., 
Mass.,  8.  18112,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Granville. 

Walter  WoodrnlT,  son  of  Simmons  and  Anna  iSkinner)  Woodniff,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  18(J8,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Ann. 

Aaron  White,  son  of  Aaron  and  Polly  (Fosdiek)  White,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  1.S21,  Farmer  and  Contiactor;  P.  O.,  Comstiiek. 

Edwani  Wall,  son  of  .James  and  Mary  Wall,  b.  Mass  ,  s.  1859,  Snpt.  of  Foit  Ann 
Woolen  (;o.;  P.  0.,  Fort  Anil. 

Sylvester  Woodruft;  son  of  Simmons  and  Anna  (Skinner)  Woo.lrntr,  b.  Wa^ljirg- 
ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1S28,  Farmer  and  Tciclier ;  P.  O.,  Fort  A  nii. 


FORT  EDWARD. 

Robert  Armstrong,  Jr.,  son  of  Robert  and  Alice  (Allen)  Armstiong,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  20,  184.5,  Lawyer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
II.  T.  Blanchard,  son  of  Ailonyah  and  Jane  (Cox)  Uhuichard,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  la.  181:i,  Editor  of  G<i;e(fe  ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
Polcr  Bennett,  son  of  Jaraes  and  M.iry  lEagan)  Bennett,  b.  Ireland,  s,  April  12, 

18(i(l,  Clothing  and  Merchant  Tailor;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
F.  E.  Barton,  son  of  Ira  and  Abigail  (Weston)  Barton,  b.  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  s. 

April,  1SC8,  Watchnuiker  and  Jeweler ;  P.  0.,  Foi  t  Edwaid. 
D.  C.  Brisbin,  son  of  Oliver  and  Anzolett;l  (Ball)  Bri^bin,  b.  Saratoga  Co.,  }J.  Y., 

B.  Nov.,  1850,  General  Mdse.  and  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Moses  Kill. 
Erastus  Bristol,  son  of  Silas  and  Joanna  (Payne)  Bristol,  b.  Washington  Co..  N. 

Y.,  Sejrt.  20,  ISCS,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Miller. 
11.  W.  Brannock,  son  of  George  S.  and  ,Iaue  (Wadsworth)  Biannock,  b.  Warren 

Co.,  N.  y.,  s.  April,  1875,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
A.  M.  Clements,  son  of  George  and  Theodosia  (Underbill)  Clements,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.Y.,  Oct.  21, 1839,  Dealer  in  Diy  Goods  and  Gen.  Md.te.;  P. 

0.,  Fort  Edward. 
George  Clements,  son  of  Wm.  and  Betsy  (Oakley)  Clements,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  March  19,  1809,  Cashier  State  Bank  of  Fort  Edward. 
A.  W.  Cary,  son  of  Wm.  and  Mariah  (Flack)  Cary,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

Sept.  20,  1825,  Dealer  in  Dry  Goods,  Groceries,  Boots,  Shoes,  and  Crockery  ; 

P.  0.,  Fort  Eilward. 
Alexander  Carswell,  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Safford)  Carswell,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  24, 1802,  Farmer  ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Millei-. 
Win.  II.  Collier,  son  of  Beiij.  J.  and  Sallio  (Daniels)  Collier,  b.  Rensselaer  Co., 

N.  y.,  s.  Aug.  1802,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Moses  Kill. 
Alfred  W.  Chapman,  son  of  Spencer  and  Sally  (Ward)  Chapman,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  July  20, 1820,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
S.  R.  Dnrkce,  son  of  Solomon  and  Sarah  Dnrkee,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  V.,  July 

5, 1822,  Grist-Mill  and  Brewery;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
Francis  B.Davis,  son  of  Henry   L.  and  Mary  (Breese)  Davis,  b.  Saratoga  Co., 

N.  Y.,  8. 1808,  Drriggist ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
J.  U.  Durkce,  son  of  Ellas  and  Chariotle  (R.gens)  Dnrkee,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  y.,  April  17, 1S48,  Teacher;  P.  O.,  Sandy  Hdl. 
John  S.  Dnrkee,  son  of  Solomon  and  Criste]ni(Sannder8)Duikei',  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  Feb.  18, 18111,  Farming;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edwaid. 
Norman  Dnrkee,  son  of  Renbeii  ami  Mary  (Powell )  Durk(  c,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Jrrn.  27, 182:!,  Farming;  P.  0.,  Kort  E.hvard. 
Archibald  Dnrkee,  son  of  Solomon,  Jr.,  and  Sally  (Cliiff)  Dnrkee,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co  ,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  8,  18  5  (retired) ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
S.  Dnrkee,  son  of  Charles  and  Ann  Dnrkee,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28, 

18:17,  Farming;  P.  O.,  Fort  E.lwaril. 
Neil  E.  Dnrkee,  son  of  Itenben  and  .Mary  (Powell)  Dnrkee,  b.  Wa..ihirrgton  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Jan.  4,  1829,  Farming ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Kilwai-d. 
Wm.  U.  Durkoe,  son  of  Charles  and  Ann  Dnrkee,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

April  10, 1S43,  Farming  ;  P.  O,,  Fort  Edwarrl. 
C.  A.  Ellmore,  son  of  Austin  and  Eleanor  (Ilogeboom)  Ellmore,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  2,  1828,  Dentist;  P.  0.,  Fort  Eilward. 
Thomas  Ellis,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Robinson)  Ellis,  b.  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  V,, 

s.  1810,  Fanning;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
Thomas  W.  Ellis,  son  of  Thomas  and  Abigail  (Dnrkee)  Ellis,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  y.,  Oct.  4,  18:i2,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
George  Ford,  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (\Villianis)Tord,  b.  Columbia  Co., 

N.  Y.,  8.  April,  1810,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Eilward. 
Levi  Galiisha,  son  of  Itenben  and  Marriba  (Pike)  Galusha,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Jan.  10,  1829,'Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Miller. 
P.  C.  Hitchcock,  son  of  Collins  and  Eunice  Hitchcock,  b.  Washington  Co.,N.  Y., 

Nov.  30,  1805,  Cashier  Nat.  Bank  of  Fort  Eilward. 
Edgar  Ilrill,  son  of  Eraslns  and  Louisa  (Race)  Hull,  b.  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  8. 

March,  ISOO,  Lawyer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 


J.  H.  Harris,  son  of  Pelaliali  and  Mary  (Mcllmoyles)  Harris,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  10,18411;  Postma-ster,  Fort  Edward. 
A.  Hewitt,  M.D.,  son  of  Clark  and  Nancy  Ann  (Burnham)  Hewitt,  b.  Saratoga 

Co.,  N.  v.,  8.  Jan.,  1870,  Physician  and  Surgeon  ;  P.  O..  Fort  Edward. 
Mrs.  F.  D.  Hodgeman,  daughter  of  Lucius  A.  and  Emily  P.  (Suiilli)  Foot,  b. 

Essex  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  8. 1854;  residence,  cor.  Broadway  and  Ch.  street ;  P.  O  , 

Fort  Edward.       , 
J.  S.  Iliibbell,  son  of  Erastns  and  Racliael  (Smith)  Hiibbcll,  b.  Boikshire  Co., 

Mass.,  8.  Oct ,  18:!!),  Livery  ;  P.  O.,  For  t  Mw  ird. 
A.  K.  Ilaxslnn.soii  of  King  A.  and  Mary  D.  (Donahue)  Haxstun,  b.  Wiuihiiigtiin 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  10, 182.5,  Pottery;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
Merchant  Hall,  son  of  Henry  M.  and  Elizabeth  (Wilber)  H.tll,  b.  Bennington 

Co.,  Vt.,  s.  1832,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Argyle. 
Joseph  II.  Hopkins,  son  of  Martin,  Jr..  and  Sabrina  (Green)  Hopkins,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  7, 18:!.">,  Fanner;  P.  0.,Fort  Edward. 
Archibald  G.  Howdeii,  son  of  Rev.  Wm.  and  Christiana  (Goodall)  Ilowdin, 

b.  Sci.lland.  s.  1847,  Faimer;  P.  C,  Fort  Eilward. 
Joseph  E.  King,  D.D.,  son  of  Elijah  and  Catlnrino  (Olmstead)  King,  b.  Otsego 

Co.,  N.  Y..  s.  Nov.  30, 1854,  Prin.  Fort  Edward  Col.  Institute  ;  P.  O.,  Fort 

Edward. 
Horace  Kingsley,  son  of  Warren  and  Leonora  (Otis)  Kingsley,  b.  AVasliington 

Co  ,  N.  Y  ,  Oct.  28,  18:!0,  Dealer  in  Boots,  Shoes,  Leather  and  Findings; 

P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
Daniel  H.  Lane,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Havibind)  Lane,  b.  Pntnani  Co.,  N.  ¥., 

8.  April,  1856,  Farmer;  P.  {).,  Fort  Edward. 
Walter  M.  Lane,  sou  of  Stephen  M.  and  Delilah  (Foster)  Lane,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  2, 1832,  Insurance  and  Grocer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
G.  W.  Lewthwuite,  s*»n  of  Alexander  and  Margaret  Lewthwaile,  b.  Isle  of  Man, 

England,  8.  Sept.  19, 1800,  Piiper-Maker ;  P.  0,  Fort  M.ller.      . 
J.  A.  Morris,  son  of  W.  K.  and  Clarissa  (Higley)  Morri.s  b.  Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8.  Nov.  1,  1S7C,  Editor  and  Publisher  /iifl-7>cii*.i( ,■  P.  O.,  Fort  Eilward. 
N.  B.  Milliman,  son  of  Thomas  and  Esther  (liarnett)  Milliman,  b.  Ren^iselaer 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  B.  1820,  Lawyer  and  .Manufacturer ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
J.  W.  Mooi  e,  son  of  Joseph  and  Priscilla  (Franklin)  Moore,  b.  Windsor  Co.,  Vt., 

8.  Jan.  15,  1873,  Prop.  St.  James  Hotel ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Eilward. 
J.  D.  Mott,  son  of  Samuel  and  Maria  (Barker)  Mott,  b.  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y., 

E.  May,  1849,  Farming,  Boat-Iiuilding, and  Repairing;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
Samuel  SlcKean,  son  of  Kev.  Andrew  and  Cathei  ine  (Bedell)  McKean,  b.  Sara- 
toga Co.,  N.  y.,  s.  April,  1874,  Clergyman  ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
James  McDonald,  son  of  James  and  Bachael  (Wells)  McDonald,  b.  Warren  Co., 

N.  Y,,  s.  April  1, 1805,  Farming;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
W.  C.  McDongall,  son  of  Alexander  and  Martha  J.  (Nebsoir)  McDongall,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1855,  Farmer;  V.  O.,  Fort  Edwnnl. 
Wm.  R.  Ottman,  son  of  Jtvob  and  Mary  E.  (Burns)  ("ttinan,  b.  JIadison  Co., 

N.  Y.,  s.  May  19,  1857,  Pottery;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edwaivl. 
Gilbert  O.  01 1  man,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  E.  (Burns)  Oilman,  b.  Madison  Co., 

N.  v.,  s.  Oct.  22,  1S72,  Pottery  ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
John  Osgood,  son  of  David  L,  and  Mary  (Gould)  Osgood,  b.  Canada,  s.  about  185:1, 

Foundry  and  Machine-Shnp  ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
Daniel  T.  Priyne,8iin  of  Daniel  and  Margaret  (Biisbin)  Payne,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  13,  1804,  Farmer:  P.  O  ,  Fort  M.ller. 
George  II.  Peursall,  son  of  A.  II.  and  .Mary  (Re-d)  Pearsall,  b.  Saratoga  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  s.  Jan.  12. 1805,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Miller. 
Seneca  Pike,  son  of  Levi  and  Bachael  (Wilbur)  Pike,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

June  17,  1820,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edwaid. 
T.  W.  Quackenbush,  M.D.,  son  of  Sybriint  and  Mary  (McCarthy)  (Juackenbush, 

b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  12, 1817,  Physician;  P.  O.,  Port  Edward. 
James  h.  Reyiiolils,  son  of  George  and  Luthena  (Potter)  Reynolds,  b.  Saratoga 

Co.,  N.  v.,  s.  Nov.  i:),  18&1,  Lawyer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
M.  L.  Koberls,  son  of  Esek  and  Mary  (Ward)  Uoberts,   b.  Otseno  Co,  N.  Y., 
8.  1S70;  Dealer  in  Watches,  Jewelry,  Silver- and  Plaled-Ware  ;  P.O., Fort 


Eilw 


George  Satleilee,  Bon  of  Wm.  H.  and  Lucie  (Cady)  Satlerlee,  h.  Saratoga  Co., 

N.  y.,  s.  1S50,  Manufacturer  of  Pottery  (Pres.  of  Village) ;  P.  O.,  Fort 

Edward. 
R.  Scott,  son  of  .lames  and  Margaret  (Waters)  Scott,  b.  Canada,  s.  May  29, 1870, 

Paper-Milker  ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Miller. 
A.  L.  Sargent,  son  of  Amos  and  Rebecca  (Andrews)  Sargent,  b.  Windsor  Co., 

Vt..  s.  Oct.  12,  1806,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
John  Stevens,  son  of  Lewis  and  Catherine  (Fort)  Stevens,  b.  .Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y., 

s.  April  1,  1800,  Fanner:  P.  O.,  Fort  Edward. 
A.  C.  Tefft,  si.n  of  Nathan  S.  and  Sarah  (Remington)  Tefft,  b.  W.ishington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Oct.  29,  1800  (retired);  P.  0.,  Foit  Miller. 
John  Thorpe,  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Hadfield)  Thorpe,  b.  England,  s.  1803, 

Manufacturer  of  Paper;  P.  O.,  Fort  Miller. 
L.  B.  Uiulerwoiid,  son  of  Oliver  and   Maria  (Nichols)  Ilnderwooil,  b.  Windsor 

Co.,  Vt.,  8.  1862,  Fanner;  P.  O.,  Fort  Miller. 
A.  D.  Wait,  son  of  Luther  and  ijiuily  B.  (llanoroft)  Wait,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Sept.  1,  1S22,  Lawyerand  Co.  Judge;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
Dr.  E.  Went  worth,  son  of  Erastus  and  Esther  Wentworlh,b.  Connecticut,  s.  May, 

1877,  Pastor  M.  E.  Clmrcli ;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 
John  Wagman,  son  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  (Close)  Wagman,  b.  Saratoga  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  s.  Aug.  10,  lS7il,  Manufacturer  of  Paper;  P.  0.,  Fort  Miller. 
Merritt  Williams,  son  of  J. dm  and  Hannah  B.  (Hopkins)  Williams,  b.Wasbiiig- 

tou  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  III,  1820,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Miller. 
Albert  Williams,  son  of  Bi-njamin  and  Ann  (Hopkins)  Williams,  b.  Washinglon 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  l::,  1815,  Fiii  m.r;  P.  0.,  Fort  Edward. 


IIISTOUY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  iNEW    YORK. 


499 


Beiij.  Willinnis,  son  of  Piiiicn  and  Jcnislm  (niivoiis)  Willinms,  h.  Wiisliiiigto 
Cu.,  N.  v.,  Mmch  2U,  18W  (letiicd);  P.  0,  Fort  EJwar.l. 


GREENWICH  VILLAGE   AND  TOWN- 
SHIP. 

E.hvin    .\ii(li-,-w8,  6„n  of  Asii  ami   I.i.ura   An.lr.'ws,  b.  &ui.lgat^  Vt.,  a.  W2T, 

Banker;  P  0^  Groenwicli. 
Egbsrl  C.  Aliny,  win  of  lii-nj.  and  IlciwibctU  Almy,  1..  DuIoIkss  Co.,  N.  V., 

8.  April,  18J2,  Farm.'r;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
John  Alexiinrler,  son  of  .lainos  ami  Jonnotte  Alexander,  li.  Greenwich,  Wnsli- 

ington  Co,  N.  Y.,  F.-b.  2-2,  ISIH,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Ka'it  Greenwich. 
Wni.  Alexander,  son  of  John  and  Oatlinrine  Alexander,  b.  Greenwich,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  y.,  JIa.v  II,  18  iO,  Lnml.er  and  Flax  Dealer;  P.  0.,  Lake. 
David  A.  Boies,  son  of  Joseph  anil  Anna  E.  Boies,  li.  Greenwich,  Washington 

Co.,N.  Y.,  1819,  Lawyer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Joseph  M.  Battle,  sun  of  Stephen  and  Uehecca  liatfie,  b.  Gaston,  Washington 

Co.,N.  Y.,  June  1:1, 1841,  Fnvnilure  Dealer  and  Undertaker;  P.O., Green- 
wich. 
Btissel  C.  Barbnr,  son  of  Adelbei-t  IF.  and  Louisa  Barbnr,  li.  Greenwich,  Wash- 
ington Co  ,N.  Y.,  Jan.  IG,  is:.i;.  Farmer;  P.  0  ,  North  Greenwich.' 
Piatt  W.  llakcr,son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Baker,  b.  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y.,s.  1«M, 

Farmer;  P.  O.,  Fort  Miller. 
James  Beveridge,  Jr ,  son  of  James  and  Jennette  Bevc  idge,  b.  Greenwich, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  2,  18  12,  Farmer;  l>.  0.,  Ijike. 
Wm.  L.  Cozzens,  son  of  Wm.  F.  and  Betsey  raiy./.ens,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y.,  An-. 

9, 1S24,  Hardware  Merch  int ;  P.  0,  Greenwich. 
Nathan  ll.Cranilall,  son  of  Daniel  and  Sarali  Cinn  Inll,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.Y. 

Oct.  19, 18O0  (retired) ;  residence,  Salem  Street;  P.  0  ,  Greenwich. ' 
Iliram  Corliss,  son  of  John  and  Abigiil  Cjiliss,  b.  Easton,  Wasiiiiigton  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Oct.  21,  179  i,  Physician  ;  P.  0.,  Gieenw  cli. 
Hiram  K.  Cornell,  son  of  Abram  and  Mary  E.  Cornell,  b.  Easton,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  14, 182!,  Liveryman  ;  P.  0.,  Gieeriw  ch. 
David  Crandall,  son  of  Nathan  R.  and  Silvia  C  andall,  b.  Jackson,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1842,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Monroe  C'onlee,  son  of  James  and  Alcy  Coulee,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y  ,  Jaii.4. 1820, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Fdward  A.  Clark,  son  of  Enos  C.  and  Harriot  Clark,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 

2:i,  1841),  Farmer  and  Teacher;  P.  O.JIidlle  Falls. 
John  C.  Carswell,  son  of  Nathaniel  iiiul  Betsey  Carswell,  h.  Argyle,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  April :),  183:i,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Bitten  Kill. 
Ilii-am  Clark,  son  of  Thos.  and  Hannah  Clark,  b.  Greenwich,  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Dec.  2.-1,  1811,  Faimer,  Grain  Dealer,  and   Lumberm.iri,  Clark's 

Mills;  P.  0.,  Schuylerville. 
Elijah  Clongh,  son  of  Ardcn  H.  and  Kezah  Cbingli,  b.  Hartford,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  2,  181:i,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Lake. 
Bcnj.  Delavergue,  son  of  Seneca  and  Phui'.o  Delavorgne,  b.  Troy,  N.  Y.,  s.  April, 

18fi6,  Meat-Market ;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Alphonso  Dwellc,  son  of  Abner  and  Mariam  Dwelle,  b.  Greenwich,  Washington 

Co,  N.  Y.,  May  :i,  18IM,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwicli. 
David  T..Ensign,  son  of  Stephen  and  Patty  Ens  gn,  b.  Hebron,  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  March  22,  I8.i:!,  Merchant;  P.  0.,  Gre.inwich. 
Edmund  H.  Gibson,  son  of  Jonas  and  Susan  Gibson,  b.  Ponltney,  Vt.,  Oct.  5, 

184cl,s.  18G4,  Lawyer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Horace  Garette,  son  of  John  and  Mabel  Garettc,  b.  Argyle,  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Jnne  15,  181j,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Greenwich. 
F.  A.  Gale,  son  of  John  and  R.  M.  Gale,  b.  Eastra,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov. 

10,  181",  Miller;  P.  C,  Greenwich. 
-\lvir.  0.  Gorhain,  son  of  Josiah  D.  atid  Caroline  Gorham,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Aug.  10,  18.^1,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Greenwich. 
Wm.  M.  Holmes,  son  of  Henry  and  Ann  Caroline  Holmes,  b.  GrecJiwicli,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  19,  1828,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Mra.  J.  M.  Haskell,  daughter  of  Win.  H.  and  Angelina  Mowry,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  5,  1834  ;  residence.  Park  St.;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
Wm.  M.  Haskell,  son  of  DeoJatus  D.  and  Jennie  E.  Haskell,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  in,  18.iG;  residenco.  Park  St. ;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Geo.  W.  Uillman,  son  of  Matthew  and  Mary  Uillraan,  h.  Cambridge,  N.  Y.,  Dec. 

18,  1812,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwicli. 
Edward  Hunt,  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  Hunt,  b.  White  Creek,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  9,  1812,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Wm.  Hutton,  son  of  John  and  Margaret  Hutton,  b.  Greenwich,  N,  Y.,  April  21, 

1821,  farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Wm.  K.  HobbiH,  son  of  Wm.  Henry  and  Sarah  C.  Hobbie,  b.  Unity,  Jle.,  s.  Nov., 

187(1,  Paper  Mannficturer,  Battenville;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Wra.  aartshorne,  son  of  Ji'ilndiah  and  .lane  Hartshorno,  b.  Greenwich,  Wash- 

ington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  3, 1823.  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Greenwich. 
Robert  Hamilton,  son  of  Joseph  and  Jane  Hamilton,  b.  Schaghticoke,  Rensse- 
laer Co.,  N.  Y.,  8.  April  1,  ISOC,  Pi  oprietor  of  Greenwich  Hotel ;  P.  O., 

Greenwich. 
Harvey  Hanks,  son  of  Amos  and  Polly  Hanks,  b.  Greenwich,  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Aug.  16,  181G,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  liiike. 
Allen  E.Johnson,  son  of  Mat  bias  and  Elizabeth  B.  .lohnsnn,  b.  While  Creek, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  12,  184G,  Dealer  in   Dry  Goods,  Clothing, 

Boots,  Shoes,  Carpets,  etc.;  i*.  O.,  tireenwich. 


James  I.  Lniirio,  son  of  Go  irge  anil  Mary  ( Wlille.ide>  Lourle,  li.  Jackson,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  29,  ISlll.  Lawyer;  P.  O.,  Gri-enwirh. 
Nathan  S.  Lungdon,  son  of  Samuel  and  Plieb,.  A.  L  I'ngdon,  b.  Glen's  Fall-,  S. 

Y,  July  28,  18.i2,  8.  187.1,  Mannfr.  Agl.  Implements  .and   Klal  Ueai'er; 

P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Archibald  Lendrnni,  son  of  George  and  Mary  L"n.lrnra,b.  Argyle,  Washington 

Co  ,  N.  Y.,  May  Hi,  1829.  Farmer;  P.  O.,  ijist  Greenwich. 
John  T.  Slasturs,  son  of  Nicholas  Merrill  and  Anna  T.  Miuters,  b.  Troy.  N.  V., 

March  2.^,,  1819,  s.  1841,  Culleclor  U.  S.  Int.  B«v,  loth  Dist.,  N.  Y.  •  P  O 

Gicenwich. 
Hill  Miller,  s  Ml  of  Perry  and  Sally  Miller,  b.  Washington  Co,  N  Y.,  S<pt.  2a, 

1798(retiredK  resblence,  .Salem  St.;  P.  O.,  (Jreonwich. 
Henry  L.  Mowry.  sou  of  Win.  H.  and  Ang.dina  O.  Moivry,  b.  Oreenwieh,  Wash- 

ington  Co,  N.  Y,  Dec.  1:1,  1837,  Manfr.  Paper;  P.  O,  Greenwich. 
L.  H.  Mealier,  son  of  R  diert  and  Kliza  Mea.ler,  b.  E  iston,  Washlnglun  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  Jan.  14,  18 15,  Sleat  Marki  I ;  P.  O  ,  Greenw  ich. 
Horace  Morse,  son  of  Sanford  and  Lncinda  Mono,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 

11,  1838,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
Henry  C.  Morhous,  son  of  Win',  ai aimelia  Sf.irhons,  b.  Kceseville,  Essex  Co., 

N.  Y.,  s.  July  28,  1870,  Editor  and  Propr.  P^opk't  Journal;  P.  O,  Green- 
wich. 
William  Dewilt  McL-an,  sou  of  Thos.  King  and  Mary  McTa-an,  b.  Jackson, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  l.".,  1817,  Lniubeiman;  P.  O.,  GrcBiiwlch. 
Fitch  McLean,  son  of  John  C.  and  Abigail  McLean,  h.  Groenwicli,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  22,  18  18,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Battenville. 
Ezra  McClanghry,  -on  of  Thos.  and  Sanih  MeClanghry,  b.  Salem,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  2,  181.%  Parmer;  P.  0.,  East  Greenwich. 
Henry  C.  Newbury,  son  of  James  R.  and  Amy  Newbury,  b.  Greenwich,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  11,  I83J,  Commission  Merchant,  New  York  city ; 

P.  0  ,  Middle  Falls. 
F.  0.  Parker,  son  of  James  and  Sarah  Parker,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  1(1, 

1812.  Faimer;  P.  0,  Middle  Falls. 
Nelson  Pratt,  son  of  .S  mon  and  Debomli  Pratt,  b.  Greenwich,  Washington  Co, 

N.  Y.,  Sept.  23, 1832,  Fanner;  P.  O,  Lake. 
Abram  Reynolds,  son  of  Abram  and  Maria  Reynolds,  b.  .\rgyle,  Wasliiiiglun 

Co,  N.  Y.,  July  U,182S,  Manfr.  Agricultural  Implements  and  Flax  Dealer, 

P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
Harvey  J.  Rogers,  son  of  James  and  Experience  Rogers,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y, 

Jan.  12,  1809,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Middle  F.ills. 
A.  S.  Rogers,  son  of  Thos.  and  Betsey  Rogers,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y,  Dec.  1.1, 

1829,  Farmer;  P.  0,  Schuylorvillo,  N.  Y. 
Harvey  L.  Beid,  son  of  Wm.  and  Ann   Held,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2",  1829, 

Merchant  and  Pastiinister,  North  Greenwich. 
Cliiw.  Rogera,  son  of  Thos.  and  Betsey  Rogeis,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y,  July,  1827, 

Farmer;  P.  0.,  Bald  Mouiitaiii,  N.  Y. 
Ira  C.  Stevens,  son  of  Simon  and  Anna  Stevens,  b.  Wa-shingfon  Co.,  N.  Y,  May 

W,  1800  (retired);  residence.  Academy  Si. ;  P.  0,  Creonwich. 
John  Safford,  Jr.,  son  of  John  and  Deborah  SalTonl,  b.  Easton,  Washington  Col, 

■  N.  Y.,  Sept.  9, 184  !,  Paper  Manufactiircr;  P.  O,  Greenwich. 
Edwin  R.  Stevens,  son  of  Ira  C.  and  Julia  A.  Stevens,  b.  Jackson,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  10,  1840,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
C.  B.  Saffoid,  son  of  .1.  B.  and  E.  C.  Sjilford,  b.  Erie  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  s.  18.17,  Farmer; 

P.  C  North  Greenwich. 
John  G.  Smart,  son  of  John  G.  and  Anna  Maria  Smart,  b.  Baltimore,  Md.,  s. 

Feb.  1,  1871,  Clergyman  ;  P.  O.,  Greenwich. 
Walter  G.  Stewart,  sou  of  Geo.  and  Anna  Stewart,  b.  Greenwich,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  3,  1813,  Merchant;  P.  0..-  Lake. 
Lemon  Thomson,  son  of  Chas.  C.  and  Susannah  Thomson,  b.  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8. 1872,  Lumber  Manufacturer;  P.  0.,  Nurthnniberland. 
Amos  M.  Tefft,  son  of  William  S.  and  Nancy  Tefft,  b.  Greenwich,  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  March  12,  1816,  Insnr.ince,  Galesrille;  P.  O.,  Middle  Falls. 
Willard  Tefft,  sou  of  Nathan  S.  and  S  ir.ih  Teffl,  b.  Greenwich,  Washinglun  Co, 

N.  Y.,  Feb.  9,  18a'i.  Farmer;  P.  0,  Greenwicli. 
Nathan  Tucker,  Bon  of  Nat  ban  and  Mary  Tucker,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  T, 

Jan.  It,  1811,  Famicr;  P.  0.,  North  Greenwich. 
Simeon  B.  Tucker,  sin  of  Simeon  and  Lita  Tucker,  h.  Cheshire  Co,  Vt.,  s.  Feb. 

14, 1859,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  North  Greenwich. 
Tbos.  TlioiiKon,  sun  of  Edward  and  JIaria  Thomson,  h.  Warren  Co.,  N.  V,  «. 

1873,  Agent  ThoiiLson  Mills;  P.O.,  Nortlinmberland. 
J.  0.  Whclden,  son  of  Fmiicis  B.  and  Deborah  Wlielden.  b.  Easton,  Wiisliingtun 

Co,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  14, 1846,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Greenwich. 
Mi-s.  Joanna  Wright,  daughter  of  BoiiJ.  ami  Elizabeth  R-raington,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  Nov.  19,  1832;  P.  O.,  North  Greenwich. 
Wm.  Walker,  son  of  Horatio  and  Rhodn  Walker,  b.  Manchester,  Vt.,  s  isr.l. 

Lumber  Mannfr.  (Supervisor  Greenwich) ;  P.  O,  East  (ireenwich. 
Horace  Wright,  son  of  John  P.  and  Joanna  Wright,  b.  Greenwich,  N.  Y,  June 

.30, 1812,  Farmer;  P.  O,  Greenwich. 
Henry  H.  Wanier,  son  of  Daniel  L.  and  Betsey  Warner,  b.  Leicester,  Living- 
ston Co.,  N.  Y,,  s.  Aug.  20,  1870,  Supt.  G.  and  J.  B.  B.;  P.  (».,  Greenwich. 


HAMPTON. 

n  C.  Broughton,  son  of  Ira  and  Elizabeth  (Calkins)  Bronghton,  b.  Ponlt- 
ney, Vt.,  a.  1824,  lllucksmllh  ;  P.  U.,  Hamplon. 

ell  Clark,  son  of  Roswell  and  TliankfuKll.slgkin-) 'lilt  '■  «,.|K  Itoi- 
land  Co.,  Vt.,  s.  1821,  Fanner  ;  P.  O.,  llainpt.ui. 


oOO 


HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW   YORK. 


Kathanicl  Dniley,  eon  of  Nnlli.  and  Jane  (Scribnoi)  Dailpy,  li.  Ilanipt.n,  N.  Y., 

181:!,  Farmer  (c^x-Mi-niber  Assenil.ly  anil  JusticB  Sessions  22  years) ;  P. 

O.,  IlHin|»tnii  Corners. 
Lura  A.  Dailey,  daiigliter  of  Joab  and  Liini  (Andrews)  Stone,  b.  Mount  Holly, 

Vt.,  8.  1840;  P.  O.,  Hampton  Corjiers. 
Martin  P.  Hooker,  son  of  S.iniiicl  and  Elizabeth  (Martin)  Hooker,  b.  Hampton, 

N.  Y.,  1811,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hampton. 
C.  J.  Innian,  son  of  .lolin  and  Bebec-ca  (Phillips)  Inrnaii,  1..  IWlloii,  Warren  Co., 

N.  Y.,s.  1824,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Hampton. 
Jane  Ijiman,  dangliter  of  Calvin  and  Eliza  (Scott)  Mallary,  b.  Ponllncy,  Yl.,  9. 

leSo;  P.O.,  Hampton. 
Uowai-d  Leonard,  son  of  Ira  and  Hannah  (Haskell;  Leonard,  b.  BlaliforJ,  Slass., 

B.  IB.™,  Farmci- ;  P.  O,  Fair  Haven. 
S.  P.  Jliller,  son  of  Wni.  and  I'anlina  (Phelps)  Miller,  h.  Hampton,  N.  Y.,  18o:i, 

Fanner;  P.  0.,  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 
Paulinus  Millard,  son  of  Abither  and  Eleanor  (Ashley)  Millard,  b.  Hampton, 

N.  Y.,  1792,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 
John  H.  Miller,  son  of  Win.  and  Lucy  P.  (Smith)  Miller,  b.  Hampton,  N.  Y., 

1822.  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 
Gilbert  Peck,  son  of  Seth  and  •  (Northrop)  Peek,  b.  Hampton,  N.  Y.,  1814  ; 

died  Jnne  111,  18G5. 
Caroline  Peck,  daughter  of  Theodoras  and  Eunice  (Fuller)  Moure,  b.  Hampton, 

N.  Y.,  1814,  Farming;  P.  O,  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 
Eli  T.  IVck,  son  of  Gilbert  and  Caroline  (Moore)  Peck,  b.  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,1S4:!, 

Farmei  ;  P.  O.,  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 
Maria  Perk,  daugliter  of  Gilbert  and  Caroline  (Moore)  Peck,  b.  II.impton,N.  Y., 

1848,  Farming  ;  P.  0.,  Fair  Haven,  Vt. 
Kiilph  Richards,  son  of  Eli   and  Amanda  (Filiey)  Kichards,  b.  W.alheisfield, 

Vt.,  s.  1813,  Farmer  (ex-Senator  and  Mem.  Assembly) ;  P.  O.,  Hampton. 
R.  T.  Kiiy,  son  of  Lowden  and  Electa  (Gillelt)  ISay,  b.  Tinnionth,  Vl.,  s.  ISGU, 

Farmer;  P.O.,  Hampton. 
Lydia  1'.  Itay,  daughter  of  Joab  and  Lura  (Andrew-)  Stowe,  b.  Mount  llully, 

Vt.,  8.  1841);  P.  0.,  Hampton. 
Eli  Ray,  son  of  Lowden  anil  Elcctra  (Gillett)  Ray,  b.  Tinmooth,  Vt.,  s.  l.SCO, 

FarnuT  ;  P.  O.,  Hampton. 
M.  O.  Stoddard,  son  of  Jos.   M.  and  Dcbonill   A.  (Vredenbnrgli)  Stoddaid,  b. 

Hampton,  N.  Y.,  1840,  Merchant,  Ponltney,  Vt. 
Squire  A.  Warren,  son  of  Ethan  and  Sallie  (Willis)  Warren,  b.  Hampton,  N.  Y., 

1827,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Hampton  Cornera. 
Gideon  Warren,  son  of  Ellian  and  Eunice  (Owen)  Warren,  b.  Hampton,  N.  Y., 

1812,  Farmer  ;  P.  0  ,  Hampton. 


HARTFORD. 


Levi  Arnold,  son  of  David  and  Nancy  (Gates)  Arnold,  b.  Wasliington  Co..  N.  Y*., 

1811!,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartford. 
Thos.  A,  Bniyton,  son  of  David  Biayton,  2d,  and  Nancy  (Arnold)  Brayton,  b. 

Washington  Co.,  1S21,  Farmer,  and  Breeder  ol  Full  Blooded  Span  sh  51  e- 

rino  Sheep  and  Hambleton  Hore  8,  and  Prop.  East  Poultney  Mills,  Vt  ; 

residence  and  P.  O.,  Hartford. 
Wm.  Bowen,  son  of  S.aiiiuel  and  Susannah  (Mason)  Bowen,  b.  Washington  Co., 

181(1,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 
Geo.  M.  Bull,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  A.  (Cook)  Bull,  b.  Washington  Co., 

182C,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hai  tford. 
Harvey  Brown,  son  of  Caleb  and  Abi;.'a  1  (Whimey)  Brown,  b.  W.isliington  Co., 

18U4,  Farmer ;  P.  O.,  South  Hartford. 
G.  D.  Bull,  son  of  Nath.miel  and  Mary  A.  (Cook)  Bull,  b.  Washington  Co.,  1828, 

Farmer;  P.  O.,  West  Granville  Corners. 
John  Brayton,  son  of  Wm.  and  Maria  (Hoyt)  Brayton,  b.  Wahington  Co.,  1840, 

Jeweler  and  Prop.  Empire  House;  P.  0.,  Hartlbrii. 
Leonard  Cotton,  son  of  Sani'l  and  Lydia  D.  (West)  Co.ton,  b.  Washington  Co., 

1810,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartford. 
Wm.  E.  Congdon,  s,.n  of  John  and  Thankful  (Eddy)  Congdon,  b.  Wasliiugtoii 

Co.,  1708,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Hartfoul. 
Jolin  W.  Chaimian,  son  of  Spencer  and  Sally  (Ward)  Cliaimi  in,  b.  Waslington 

Co.,  181'J,  Farmer  and  Fi  nt  Grower  ;  P.  0.,  Hartfoi  d. 
Koah  Z.  Gibbs,  son  of  Zadoc  and  Lydia  (Landnis)  Gibbs,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1802,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 
Thos.  Gilchrist,  son  of  llobt.  and  Elizabeth  (Dorson)  Gilchrist,  b.  Wasliington 

Co.,  182!),  Produce  Dealer  and  Fanner;  P.  0.,  South  Hartford. 
B.  P.  Harden,  son  ol  Sim'l  and  Lvdia  (Parks)  Harden,  b.  Wasliington  Co.,  ISKl, 

Fariiic  ,    Loan   Coinnir.,   ami    Breeder  Spanish    Merino  Slieeji ;    P.   O., 

Uarlfoi.l. 
Samuel   Hal),s..n   of  Alex,  and  Pbobe  (Utter)   llall,  b.  Washington  Co.,  1820, 

Farmer;  P.  O..  Hartford. 
Levi  Hatch,  son  of  Waitand  Martha  (Spencer)  Hatch,  b.  Wiishington  Co.,  1809, 

Tanner  and  Currier  and  Farmer;  P.  O.,  South  Hartf.ird. 
K.  S.  Holley,  son  of  Benj.  and  Eunice  (Weatherby)  Holley,  h.  Washington  Co., 

1824,  Farm.r  ;  P.  0.,  Adamsville. 
Royal  Ingalabo,  son  of  James  and  Fannie  (Harris)  Ingalsbe,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  v.,  1820,  F.irmer;  P.  O.,  South  Haitf  nd. 
LeoiianI  Ingills,  son  of  Simeon  and  Lydia  (liaker)  Ingalls,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1S21,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 
Milton  11.  Kinney,  son  of  .fohn  S.  and  Mary  Ann  (Morgan)  Kinney,  b.  tlijiton 

Co.,  N.  v., 8. 18oS,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartford. 


John  H.  Martin,  son  of  Job  and  Martha  (Goodwin)  Martin,  h.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  18H9,  Apiarian  and  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartford. 
.John  Norton,  son  of  Richard  and  Hannah  (Barlow)  Norton,  h  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1801,  Jnslice  of  the  Peace  and  Postmaster,  Harirord. 
H.  Davis  Northnp,  son  of  James  M.  and  Julia  A.  (Davis)  Northup,  h.  Washing- 

tou  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1842,  Produce  De.iler  and  Manufacturer  Shirts  and  Col- 

las;  firm,  Davis  A  Co.;  P.  O  ,  Haltf..rd. 
James  M.  Northnp,  son  of  John  S.  and  Laura  (Baker)  Northup,  h.  Clinton  Co  , 

N.  Y.,  3. 1828,  Produce  Dealer  (flrni  J.  M.  Norlhiip  A  Co.),  Farmer,  Treas. 

Washington  Co.  (ex-Menihcr  of  Assem  ly) ;  P.  0.,  Hartford. 
Wm.  B.  Northup,  son  of  John  S.  and  Laura  (Uakei)  Northnp,  h.  Washington 

Co.,  18i8,  Produce  Dealer  (flrin  J.  M,  Northnp  &  Co.) :  P.  O  ,  Hartlonl. 
John  B.  Norton,  son  of  Jabez  and  Abigail  (Buck)  Norton,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,1807,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O..  Hartford. 
John  I  Seeby,  son  of  John  R.  and  Philiiida  (Oatnian)  Seeley,  b.  Washington 

Co  ,  N.  Y.,  1824,  Farmer  and  Jnslice  of  the  Peace  ;  P.  O.,  Hartlord. 
E.  W.  Tuwnsi.nd,  son  of  David  and  Pliebe  (Spring)  Townsend,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  18^2,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartford. 
C.  J.  Townson,  son  of  Calvin  and  Maiy  (Covell)  Townson,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1812,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  South  Hartford. 
George  Wooddell.  son  of  Joseph  and  Sallie  (Wood)  Wooddell,  h.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  ISoa,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartford. 
Ira  W.  Warren,  son  of  Barton  and  Sarali  (Clark)  Warren,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  isal.  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hartfoi d. 
John  F.  Whittemore,  son  of  Josiali  and  Betsy  (Foster)  Whittemore,  b.  W'ash- 

ington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  18U,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Adamsville. 
Harvey  S.  Wing,  son  of  Benj.  and  Orilla  (Smith)  Wing,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  V., 

1820,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Granville  Corners. 


HEBRON. 

Jacob  Eraymer,  son  of  Daniel  and  Lucina  (Woodward)  Braymcr,  b.  North  Hidi- 

ron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y'.,  Feb.  G,  ISiO,  Farmer;   P.  0.,  Norlli  H.diron. 
Daniel  Braymer,  son  of  Jacob  and  Anna  (Ulakeslce)  Braymcr,  b.  North  Ilibron, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  2G,  1800,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Nortli  Hebron. 
John  Brown,  son  of  Jolin  and  Mary  Jane  (McCrea)  Brown,  b.  Ireland,  s.  Aug., 

1817,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  North  Hebron. 
Edward  L.  Coy,  son  of  Asaph  and  Eunice  (Kennoy)  Coy,  h.  Bernard>town, 

Mass.,  s.  Dec.  1, 1847,  Seed-Grower  and  Breeder  of  Ayrshire  Cattle  ;  P.O., 

West  Hebron. 
Mrs.  E.  L.  Coy,  daughter  of  John  and  Catliarine  (Cooley)  Carey,  b.  West  Hebron, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  14, 18:16. 
Lewis  Chamberlin,  son  of  Andrew  and  Elizabeth  (Ilagaman)  Chamberlin,  b. 

New  Jersey,  s.  Jan.  18,  1801,  Fanner;  P.  O.,  Hebron. 
James  Craig,  son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Eggleston)  Craig,  b.  North  Hebron, 

Wiushington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  20, 182:i,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  North  Hebron. 
Jbiry  .lane  Gilchrist,  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Laura  (Baker)  Northup,  b.  West 

Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  IG,  1815,  Farming ;  P.  0.,  West 

Hebron. 
Josep.  H.  Hays,  son  of  Josep.  H.  and  Sybil  (Hastings)  Hays,  b.  Rupert,  Ben- 
nington Co.,  Vt.,  s.  Oct.  10,  1806,  Merchant;  P.  O.,  West  Hebron. 
Nathan  R.  Hills,  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Reynolds)  H  lis,  b.  North  Hebron, 

Washington  Co  ,  June  28, 1819,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  North  Hebron. 
Stephen  M.  Ingersoll,  son  of  Dr.  Ebenezer  and  Huldah  S.  (Marlindale)  Inger- 

soll,  b.  Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  8,  1810,  Farmer;  P.O., 

Hebron. 
Abraham  Johnson,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Graham)  Johnson,  b.  Ireland, s.  May, 

1819,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  HeliMn. 
John  II.  Madison,  son  of  Job  and  Mabel  (Andrews)  Madison,  b.  Hebron,  Wasli- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  2,  1812,  Physician  ;  P.  0.,  West  Hebron. 
Wm.  J.  McCIollan,  son  of  John  and  Isabel  (Cummings)  McClellan,  h.  West 

Hebron,  Washington  Co.,   N.  Y.,  June  27,  1828,  Farmer;   P.  0.,  West 

Hebron. 
James  McCloy,  son  of  Moore  and  Martha  (McClarty)  McCloy,  h.  Ireland,  a. 

June,  1860,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Hebron. 
,Iohn  A.  McKnight,  son  of  George  and  Jane  (Macauley)  McKnight,  h.  West 

Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  13,  1830,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West 

Hebron. 
John  JlcConnell,  son  of  James  and  Jane  (Dawson)  McConnell,  h.  West  Hebron, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Ang.  15, 1828,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Hebron. 
Jennet  McConnell,  daughter  of  John  and  Isabel  (Cummings)  McClellan,  b.  West 

Hebron,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  1:!,  1825. 
Wm.  Reid,  son  of  James  and  Jane  (Cnmmings)  Reid.b.  West  Hebron,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Ang.  3, 1827,  Manufacturer;  P.  O.,  West  Hebron. 
Geo.  Rca,  son  of  John  and  Isabel  (Dick)  Ilea,  h.  West  Hebron,  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  Sept.  22, 1827,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  West  Hebron. 
Joshua  J.  Rogei-s,  son  of  Benj.  and  Sarah  Ann  Rogers,  b.  West  Hebron,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  13,  1835,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  West  Hebron. 
Benjamin  Rigers,  son  of  Samuel  and  Ruth  (Gardner)  Rogers,  b.  West  Hebron, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  19,  1805,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  West  Hebron. 
Sylvester  E.  Spoor,  son  of  Elijah  and  Eunice  (Soutllwick)  Spoor,  b.  Hebron, 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  2. 1814,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Hebron. 
Arlhiir  L.  Smith,  son  of  Whedoii  and  Dolly  A.  (Dibble)  Smith,  b.  North  Hebron, 

Washington  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  22,  1884,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  North  Hebron. 


l^ 


HISTORY   OF  WASrUNGTOX  COUNTY,  NEW  YORK. 


/iiighii,  son  of  Wni.  A.  iiiul  S  imh  (V^.nslow)  V^iiighn,  b.  V^.iahiiigtoii  Co., 
,":  v..  18:i8,  Fiirmer;  1'.  ().,  Kiiigsl.^ry. 

[Vunglm,  son  of  John  iinil  HKrinair.(5Inrlhi)  Vaughn,  b.  Wusliington  Co., 
I\   Y.,  ISail,  Fiirnier;  I'  0  ,  King-Sbury. 
■£,  Vanghn.  son  of  Caleb  an.l  .\nnH  (Bscon)  Vanghn,  b.  Wiinhlngton  Co., 

\^Y.,  1814,  FarniiT;  I>.  0.,  Kingsbury. 
J   v'mij;hn,  son  of  Joscphns  ami  .Ii'niiina  (Crilllii)  Vauxlin,   h.  Warren 
,-  Co.,  N.  v.,  8.  18G4,  Farmer;  I".  0.,  Sanily  Hill. 

^^  Vanghn,  si-n  of  Wliitnmn  nnrt  lietsoy  (Draper)  Vanghn,  li.  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  18U6,  Farmer;  P.O.,  Kingsbnry. 
T.  WiiKbt,  son  of  Abner  and  I'anielia  (Trninbnll)  Wriglil,  I.  Washington 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  ISil,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  SniithV  Basin. 
/miJlia  Wiltse,  danghter  of  Wni.  and  Lncy  (Nelson)  ftise,  b.  Washington  C.)., 

N.  Y.,  1813;  P.  0,  Adamsville. 
Jliram  Willie,  son  of  Ncliemiali  and  Jernsha  (Webster)  Wilt<e,  b.  Washington 
'  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1804. 

|S.  H.  Wilsey,  son  of  Alanson  and  Sophia  Wilspy,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

]8:in,  Sowing-Machine  Agent  and  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Adamsville. 
.ilanson  Wilspy,  son  of  Henry  and  P::ii/.!iliL'tb  (I*iutt)  VVil^ey,  b.  Wasliington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1806,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Adamsville. 
Chester  Wiltse,  son  of  Nehemiah  ami  .lernslia  (Webster)  Wiltse,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  181(1,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Adamsville. 
Wm.  II.  Yonng,  son  of  Thos.  anil  K-tlier  (Hamilton)  Young,  b.  Quebec,  Canada, 
».  1S:J1,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Sanily  Hill. 


SANDY    HILL. 

Loven  Allen,  son  of  Elihn  and  Lanra  (Cornell)  Allen,  b.  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y., 

B.  1850,  Paper  Manufactmer,  Sandy  Hill, 
Hiram  Allen,  son  of  Elihn  and  Laura  (Cornell)  Allen,  b.  S.iratoga  Co.,  N.  Y., 
/  B,  1850,  Paper  Mannf  icturer,  Sandy  Hill, 

^iias  B.  Anibler,  son  of  Stephen  and  Lovic  ( Laraway)  Ambler,  b.  Saratoga  (\)., 

N.  Y.,  8. 1807,  Book-Keeper  and  Lnmbenmm. 
Cbas.  II.  Beach,  son  of  Titus  and  Polly  (Hitclieoek)  Beach,  b.  Washiiigton  Co., 
;  N.  Y.,  1810,  Civil  Engineer  and  Coal  Merchant. 

•Tames  P.  Buck,  son  of  Justus  and  Lovimi  (Paiks)  Buck,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  18U,  Farmer. 
Tlunnas  Brice,  son  of  Tlios.  and  Anna  (Fonracre)  Bi  ice,  b.  Brist.d,  England,  s. 

1803,  Plauing-Mill,  Sash  and  Do..r  Mannfaetnrer. 
(ieorge  Barney,  son  of  John  and  Eliwibctli  Barney,  b.  Canada,  s.  185.5,  Manu- 
facturer Carriages  and  Wagcms. 
1..  W.  Cronkhite,  son  of  Woolseyand  Ann  (Freeman)  Cronkhite,  b.  Sandy  Hill, 

1820,  Banker. 
■R.  Howard  Crocker,  son  of  James  and  Susanna  Neiswanger,  b.  Soutli  Carolina, 

s  1855,  Civil  Engineer. 
^.  T.  Colman,  son  of  Wm.  and  Mineiva  (Bell)  Colinan,  b.  Wasliington  Co.,  N. 

Y'.,  1850,  Lumberman. 
W.  N.  Collin,  son  of  James  and  Valonia  S.  (Hill)  Collin,  b.  Lenox,  Mass.,  s.  1SC7, 

Cashier  First  National  Bank. 
Chaa.  M.  Clements,  sou  of  George  and  Theoilosia  H.  (Underbill)  Clements,  b. 

Washington  Co..  N.  Y.,  1841,  Merchant. 
John  Dwyer,  son  of  Peter  and   Kllen  Dwyer,  b.  Inland,  s.  1805,  Ed.tor  and 

Publisher. 
A.  B.  Davis,  son  of  Henry  L.  and  Mary  H.  Davis,  b.  Waterford,  N.  Y.,  .s.  1831, 

Merchant. 
K.  A.  Ouy,  son  of  Ambrose  and  Polly  (Smith)  Guy,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
18:10,  Deputy  Sheriff  ami  Jailer. 

"I.  Howe,  son  of  John  F.  and  Lydia  (Ilichards)  Howe,  b.  Washington  Co., 
I.  Y.,  1852,  Jlerchant. 

■ovvland,  son  of  Stephen  and  Susan  (McOmber)  Howland,  b.  S  iraloga, 
.,  3,  1844,  Paper  Klanufacturer,  Saluly  Hill,  residence.  Fort  Edwanl; 
,  Sandy  Mill. 

M.SDMof  J.ihn  and  Chuley  (Bartlett)  Hall,  b.  Warren  Co.,  X.  Y.,  s. 
,  lilacksmitb, 

les,  son  of  Walter  and  Esther  (Hamilton)  Hughes  b.  New  Orleans, 
138,  Atlorney-at-Law. 

M.  Ingalsbe,  sou  of  Milo  and  Laura  (Cbapin)  Ingalsbe,  b.  Wiislrnglon 
/  /.,  N.  Y.,  1840,  Atlorney-at-Law. 
..  'iVIcCarty,  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary  (Donavan)  MeCarty,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1840,  Machinist. 
Morris,  son  of  Andrew  and  Bulall  (.Siiuiief)  Jlorris,  b,  F..rt  Edward,  1S42, 


Merchant, 
yman  S.  Ma.sim,  son  of. Isaac  and  Julia  (Kingsley)  Mason,  !■.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1827,  Piiper-Maker  and  Millwriglit. 
II,  B.  Nash,  son  of  Pelatiah  B.  and  Polly  (Towner)  Nash,  b.  Dorset,  VI,,  s,  1824, 

Deuler  in  Furniture  and  Undertak.r. 
K.  G.  Paris,  son  of  Milihell  and  Catherine  (Dagerl)  Paris,  b.  Herkimer  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  8. 1847,  Altorni-y-at-Law. 
Ebsr  Itichards,  son  of  Or=,on  and  Julian  (Fisk)  Richards,  b.  Essex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s. 

1S37,  Lumberman. 
Clias.  Sto.ne,  son  of  Cluus,  and  Amy  L.  (Northnipi  Stone,  b.  Wa-liingbm  Co.,  N. 

Y,,  1828,  Lnnil.ernlan. 
Goo.  B.  Shcrill,  son  of  David  and  Mary  Sherill,  b.  Washington  a..,  N.  Y.,  1822, 

Ci>ntractor. 
l;e.;-I'.  Terry,  son  of  Thom.as  and  Sarah  (Adams)  Terry,  b.  Saratoja  Co.,  X.  Y., 

s.  lljlO,  Attoruey-al-Law. 


M,  S.  Teller,  Kou  of  D.  F.  nud  Ell/ab<'lli  (Dubois)  Toller,  b.  Greene  Co.,  X.  Y.,  ». 

18III,  Driiggisl. 
F.  M.  V.iii  Woiiuer,  sou  of  Henry  F.  ami  Jane  M.  (Fuller)  Van  Wormer,  b. 

Wiishinglon  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1845,  M.icliinisl. 
RossWilaiui,  M.D.,  son  of  David  and  Sl.iry  E.  (l!o9<)  Wilson,  b.  Wuahinglou 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1847,  Pliyaiciau. 
George  Weston,  son  of  Koswell  and  Ly.lia  (W.llongliby)  Wclon,  b.  Sandy  Hill, 

18IW,  Kelired  Farmer. 
N.  W.  Wait,  son  of  Wm.  T.  and  Pamclln  (Barker)  Walt,  b.  S.iralopi  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8. 1S5U,  Paper  Manufacturer  and  President  Kir-t  Naliiuial  lliuk. 
Chas.  Wilpeu,  son  of  John  and  Kll/ji  Witpen.  b.  New  York  ciiy, ».  1870,  5Ian- 

nfacturer  of  Wagons,  Carrlag  «,  Sleighs,  ele. 
J.  B.Wilson,  son  of  H.  W.  and  Eli/ji  (Van  Valkenbnrgli)  M'ilsou,  b.iVan.-n 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  ».  ISOi,  Dealer  in  Groceries  and  (•..nfeclioMCry. 


■It,  li.  Pi 


,  Wash 


PUTNAM. 

J.  Dallas  Burnett,  ».m  of  Geo.  and  Ann  (W' rigid 

ington  Co.,  N.  Y,  July  0,  1840,  Fan •;  P.  tl,.  Piiliiani. 

George  G.  Burnett,  son  of  Geo.  anil  Ann  (Wiiglil)  Burnett,  b.  Putnam,  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  27,  1819.  Farmer;  P.O.,  Pntnani. 

David  Cummiugs,  sou  ol  Thomas  and  Christie  (Scott)  Cummiugs,  b.  Pnliiam, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov,  11, 1834,  Farmer;  P,  O.,  Pulmnn, 

Wm.  M.  Cummings,  son  of  Wm.  and  Margaret  (Scott)  Cumniings,  b.  Pntmiln, 
Wa-hington  Co.,  N.  Y,,  May  7,  1827,  Farm-r;  P.  0.,  Putnam, 

Wm,  A,  Cummings,  son  of  Thomas  and  Cliristic  (Scott)  Cnuiniiugs,  b.  Putnam, 
Washington  Co  ,  N.  Y.,  Fell.  28,  1831,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Putnam. 

Henry  D.  Eastou,  son  of  Robert  and  Cliristiami  (Doilrok)  Ewton,  b,  Putnam, 
Wash  ngt.ui  Co  ,  N,  Y,,  April  10,  1810,  Farmer;  P.  0  ,  Putnam. 

Robert  P.  Graliam,  son  of  Thompson  T.  and  Agues  (Sinip<un)  Gralnm,  b.  IVit- 
nam,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  14, 1845,  Merchant,  Putnam. 

Wm.  Hnttcm,  son  of  Peter  and  Jenrt  (Sliiel)  Hultun,  b.  Putnam,  Washington 
Co.,  N.  v.,  Dec.  21,  1810,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Putnam. 

R.  R.  Hiitlon,  s.ni  of  Wm.  and  Nancy  (Ka-ton)  llnlton,  b.  Putnam,  W.isnin-,;- 
ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  14,  18i:i,  Farim-r;  P.  0.,  Putmim. 

P.  W.  Ilutlon,  8.>n  of  Wm.  and  Nancy  (Eiaton)  Hiltt.ui,  b.  Putnam,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  Julyil,  1812,  Farmer;  P,  O.,  Pntnani. 

Wm.  Lillie,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Scjtl)  Lillic,  b.  Scotland,  s.  1814,  Farmer; 
P.  O.,  Putnam. 

Thomas  Lillii',  son  of  Thomas  and  Ma'-y  (Scott)  Lillie,  b.  Putnam,  Washington 
C.I.,  N.  Y.,  May  25,  1S2.!,  Farmer;  I'.  O.,  Putnam. 

James  1),  Leigh,  s.n  of  R  chard  and  Jenelt  (SIcArlhur)  Leigh,  b,  Putnam, 
Washiiiglon  Co,.  N.  Y.,  Fell.  22,  1840,  Farm-r;  P.  I),,  Putnam. 

A,G.  Meiklejolin,s.iuorAndrewnndEli7.dietli  (Kialiui)  Meiklejolin.b.  Piitnim, 
Washington  Co,,  N.  Y,,  Aug,  22.  1828,  Farm-r;  P.  O.,  Pull 

James  McLanglilili,soii  of  Alexander  and  .loanna  (C.rbel)  McLaughlin,  b,  Put- 
nam, W.iRliiiigt..n  Co,  N.  Y.,  Aug  2S,  1814,  Fauier;  P,  0„  Putnam. 

James  A.   McLaughlin,  son  of  James  and  Isabel  (Anderson)  Mcljinglilin,  b. 
Pnliiam,  Wa-hinglon  Co.,  N.  Y,,  Feb,  12, 18.-in,  Merchant ;  P.  O.,  Pufn  on. 

D.  Bay  Williamson,  son  of  Andrew  and  Sarah  A.  (Hice)  Willinmsou.b.  Pntnani, 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  July  -23,  18.J3,  Furnior;  P.  0.,  Putnam. 


WHITE  CREEK. 

Stephen  Barker,  son  of  Jolin  and  Sus.innali  (Slociim)  B.iker.  b.  Wasliinglmi 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  I79i>,  Farmer  and  Wool  Dealer;  P.  O,,  While  Civek. 
George  Haiker,son  of  Slocuin  and  Hannah  (ll.irrett)  Barker,  b.  Wasliington  ('..., 

N.  Y.,  1820,  Farmer  and  Wool  Dealer;  P.  O.,  While  Cioc'k. 
Charles  C.  Cottrell,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Emma  (B.>oth)  Cotti  oil,  b.  Ueuaselaer 

Co..  N.  Y.,  8. 1835,  FariniT ;  P.  0.,  Centre  White  Creek. 
Asa  L.  Darby,  son  of  Leonard  and  Eli/,abelh  (Weir)  Darby,  b.  Waahiugbm  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1821,  Machinist  and  Engineer;  P.  O  , Cambridge. 
Alviii  Fi-h,  son  of  Kphniim  and  Lucy  Ann  (Wood)  Fish,  b.  Washington  C,,  i. 

Y,,  1S20,  Miller;  P.  0.,  Eagle  Bridge,  Rensselaer  Co.,  N.  Y. 
John  11.  llanna,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Sarah  (ll.ikcr)  llalina,  b.  Washington  Co., 

X.  Y,,  1824,  Fanner;  P,  O,,  Cambriilge, 
John  P,  Hunt,  sou  of  John  I",  and  Anna  (Porter)  Hunt,  b,  Washington  Co..  N. 

Y,,  1831,  Farmer  and  Pioduco  Dealer;  P.  O,,  Eagle   Bridge,  Reu-selaer 

Co.,  N.  Y. 
John  James,  son  of  Randall  and  Sally  (Kddy)  Jnme«,  b.  Uensselaer  Co,,  N.  V.. 

8. 1S75,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Centre  While  Creek. 
Clarence  D.  Konyou,  Bon  of  Ben|.  B.  and  Ihinniili  (Br.i\vnell)  Kenyon,!..  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  18  a,  Farm.'r ;  P.  O.,  Centre  While  Creek. 
Lafayette  laiko.eon  of  James  and  Lydia  (Cross)  Uke,  b.  Wiuihinglon  C.,  N. 

Y.,  1824,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  White  Creek. 
Wm.  McKie,  son  of  John  and  Catharine  (Wliiteslde)  JIcKie,  b.  Washiiiglon  Co., 

N.  Y.,1828,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambriilge, 
Uriah  N.  Pratt,  son  of  Jesse  and  K.Uli  (Sli.iw)  Pratt,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

1805,  Fanner  ;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Jonatll  in  H.  Palmer,  son  of  John  nud  Cliarlolte  (Hill)  Palmer,  h.  Rensselaer 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1814,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Eagle  Bridge,  Rensselaer  IVi,,  N.  V. 
John  II.  Pitney,s.m  of  B.  11.  and  Mary  Ann(ltowen)  Pilm-y.  b.  WasliiiiKt.'U  Co., 

N.  Y.,  18  U,  Mail  Araail ;  P.  <>.,  Ea;:!.-  Bridge,  Rens3.1.ier  Co.,  N.  Y. 


H117    80 


/     I 


; 

HISTORY   OF   WASHINGTON   COUNTY,  NEW    YORK. 


Goo.  M.  Wilpy.  son  of  .Mexnlider  and  Mnrgar<-«  (Ciimminaii)  Wili-y,  li.  riitni 
Wii<liinglon  Co.,  K.  Y.,  Dec.  1!,  ISOT,  Clptgyniiin  ;  P.  0.,  WfSt  Heliroi 

Georgo  Wilson,  sou  ol'  Jiinii'S  and  Sll-nnnnh  (Mntliuvs)  Wilson,  h.  Hfbi 
Wiishington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Juue  2, 183U,  Fanner;  I'.  O.,  West  UeUron. 


JACKSON. 

George  Amott,  son  of-Min  and  Mary  Ann  (Brown)  Ainolt.  b.  W:isliinjr(..nCo., 

N.  Y.,  18:«,  Farnier;  P.  0.,  Shuslian. 
John  Alexandor.  soi.  of  Maxwell  and  Ann  (Smill)  Alexander,  b.  Wusliington 

Oo.,  N.  Y>,  18.-.  1,  Karnior;  P.  O.,  Coila. 
CHias.  A.  Bilnip,  son  of  Alford  and   Aila  (Lnnon)  Bnnip,  b.  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8.  ISill,  Karniir;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
-  Henry  Billings,  sou  of  Elinlia  and  Catharine  (Perine)  Billings,  h.  Waal.ington 
J  Co.,  N.  Y.,  ls:!n,  Fanner;  P.  O.,  East  S.ilern. 

Herbert  R.  Cleveland,  son  of  F.  S.  and  Francis  K.  (Sliepard) Cleveland,  b.  Wasli- 
(  ington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1805,  Fanner ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 

r.  S.  Clev.lanil,  s..n  of  James  and  Fannie  (Sliepard)  Cleveland,  b.  Washington 
(  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1818,  Fanner ;  P.  0.,  Salem. 

Geo.  W.  CB.nplioll,  son  of  David  and  Isabella  (McLean)  Caniiibell,  I..  Wa-liing- 

ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1815,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fast  Salem. 
James  Colter,  son  ..f  Geo.  and  Cath.irine  (Switzer)  Colter,  b.  Wa.shington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1700,  Faiiner ;  P.  O.,  Coila. 
Lewis  C.le,  sun  ..f  Curtis  and  Ann  (Ford)  Cole,  1).  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1812, 

Firmer;  P.  O.,  Battenville. 
Benj.  Curtis,  son  of  Joel  and  Hannah  (Sharp)  Curtis,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.Y., 

182.1,  Manfi.  Wagons,  Carriages,  Sleiglis,  eir. ;  P.  IP.,  East  Greenwich. 
John  H.  Olarli,  son  of  Thomas  and  Rebecca  (Harwood)  Clark,  b.  llillsborough 

Co.,  N.  H.,  8.  1S:!2,  Retired  Fanner;  P.  O.,  Shilshan. 
John  Cowan,  Bon  of  James  and  Margaret  (Green)  Cowan,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1821,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Battenville. 
Peter  Cowan,  son  of  James  and  Margaret  (Green)  Cowan,  b.  Wa.shington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  18.15,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  East  Greenwich. 
Henry  111  Cuiihaui.  sou  of  Samuel  D.  and  Mary  (Norton)  Dunham,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1842,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Sliiislian. 
Wm.  J.  Doig,  son  of  Paul  and  Abbin  Maria  (Tii  I)  Doig,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  Iftio,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Siileni. 
Geo.  H.  Edie,  son  of  Wm.  and  Jcnuelt  (Maxwelll  EJie,  b.  Sandgale,  Vt.,  s. 

184:1,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Shushan. 
James  C.  Ferguson,  son  of  Duncan  and  Mary  H.  (Tilfor.1)  Ferguson,  b.  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  18.11,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  East  Greenwi.  Ii. 
Morris  Green,  son  of  Samuel  and  Sanih  (Water.-)  Green,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1801,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Caniliridge. 
II.  T.  Hedges,  son  of  Samnel  B.  and  Mary  (Baker)  Hedges,  b.  Wa-shingtoti  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1839,  Farmer  and  Miller;  P.  0.,  Shushan. 
Wm.  Hedges,  son  of  Samuel  B.  and  Mary  (Bake:)  Hedges,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  18.11,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Shushan. 
Will.  HoldeP,  eon  of  John  and  Abigail  (Chipmaii)  Ilolden,  b.  Arlington,  Vt.,  s. 

1822,  Leather  Manufacturer;  P.  O.,  East  Salem. 
Wm.  H.  Holden,  son  of  Wm.  and  Eveline  M.  (K.-lly)  Holdcn,  b.  Wa-^hiiigton 

Co..  N.  Y.,  18:17,  Leather  Manufacturer  (Supi'rvisoi) ;  P.  0.,  East  Salem. 
Peter  Henry,  son  of  Adam  and  Dora  Ueury,  b.  Geniiany,s.  1854,  Faimor  ;  P.O., 

Camtiridgo. 
Betsey  Hastings,  daughter  of  Riifiis  and  Catharine  (Boice)  Wilder,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1840;  P.  O.,  East  Salem. 
John  Hastings,  son  of  Theodore  and  Rachael  (For.l)  Ilastir  gs,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.Y.,  1824. 
James  Hill,  son  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Macauley)  Hill,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 

18:18,  Farmer;  P.  O  ,  Coila. 
Isaac  Merilt  llillnian,  son  of  Mathew  and  Delinda  (Ballon)  llillman,  b.  Wiish- 
ington Co.,  N.  Y.,  1824,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Gieenwiih. 
John  Jordan,  son  of  .loseph  and   Lucy  (Wood)  Joiilin,  b.  Kssex  Co.,  N.  Y.,  8. 

1854,  Black-mith  ;  P.  0.,  East  Greenwich. 
Warren  Kenyon,  son  of  Zobulon  and  Anna  (Woodard)  Kenyon,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1814,  Farmer;  P.  0  ,  Sliu.ilian. 
Phebe  Esther  V.  Kenyon,  daughter  of  Levi  H.  a 

Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817;  P.  0.,  Shilsha 
T.  B.  Lourie,  son  of  Georgo  and  Jennett  (Beveridgt 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1827,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Coila. 
Wm.  McMillan,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Livingsto 

ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  ISlfi,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Geo.  McGeoch,  son  of  Wm.  and  Jennettc  (Small)  McGe 

N.  y.,  1815,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
John  A.  McClellan,sonof  Wm.  and  Margaret  (Randies)  McClellau,  b.  Wasbiiig- 

toii  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1828,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Caiiibi  idge. 
Henry  C.  Mayn.ard,  son  of  Xurry  and  Polly  (Thompson)  M.iynaid,  b.  Washing. 

ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1827,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
Andrew  W.  McLean,  son  of  Louis  and  Either  (Coll.ns)  McLean,  b.  Washingtm 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1824,  Farmer  ;  P.  O.,  Shushan. 
Geo.  L.  Marshall,  son  of  Bobt.  and  Margaret  (Law)  Marshall,  h.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1841,  Fai-mer,  Town  Clerk  ;  P.  0.,  Cambridge. 
James  McArthur,  son  of  John  and  Jane  (McMorris)  McArthur,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y,,  1842,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Coila. 
Geo.  Maxwell,  sou  of  Walter  and  Jeniiette  (Livingston)  Maxwell,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1791,  Retired  Farmer;  V.  0.,  Battenville. 


nd  Lois  (Clougli)  Kenyon,  b. 

■idgo)  Lourie,  b.  Washington 

n)  McMillan,  b.  Washing- 

ich,  b.  Washington  Co., 


; -j^ \ 

Alex.  Maxneii,  km  of  Walter  and  Jlixabetli  (Skellie)  Maxwell,  b.  Was* 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1809,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Battenville.  """  ^-t 

Robert  Miller,  son  of  James  and  Mary  Ann  (Johnston)  Miller,  b.  Was!  ; 

Co.,  N.  Y'.,  1809,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Coila.  I"  '^°> 

Wm.  McClellan,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Thomiison)  McClellan,  b.  Wnsii'. 

Co.,  N.  Y  ,  1812,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Coila.  /ashing. 

Wm.  Rich,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Maria  (Smith)  Rich,  b.  Washington  Cf  T*'  '■"'' 

18211,  Farmer  ;  P.  0.,  Shnshan.' 
James  W.  R'lhertson,  Ron  of  Geo.  and  Nancy  (Woods)  Robertson,  b.  Washingt"  » 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1841,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  East  Salem.  »• 

Charles  Stevens,  son  ofliaC.  and  Julia  A.  (Brown)  Stevens,  b.  W.ishiogton  Ci 

N.  Y.,  1828,  Farm  r;  P.  O.,  Greenwich.  " 

Allen  Stewart,  son  of  Wm.  and  Sarah  (Green)  Stewart,  b.  Wa-hiiigton  Co.,  N 

Y.,  18.18,  Farmer ;  P.  0..  Greenwich. 
James  Small,  son  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Maxw.ll)  Small,  1..  Washingloi 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1845,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  East  Greenwich. 
James  K.  Shaler,  son  of  Timotliy  and  Mary  (Duel)  Shaler,  h.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1811.  Fanner;  P.  O.,  Sabni. 
Henry  Thompson,  son  of  Wm.  and  Orra  (Buck)  Thompson,  b.  Washington  Co., 

N.  Y.,  1840,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  East  Salem. 
Chas.  Thc.mps'.n,  son  of  Chas.  and  Cynthia  (Packard)  Thompson,  h.  Hadlcy. 

Mass.,  s.  18:12,  Prop.  Planiiig-Mill,  Manufacturer  of  Sash,  Doore,  Blind.s, 

etc.;  P.O.,  East  Greenwich. 
Chas.  0.  Valentine,  son  of  Harvey  and  Elizi  (Broiighton)  Valentine,  I..  Wash- 
ington Co.,  N.  y.,  18:12,  Fanner  ;  P.  0.,  Calnl.ri.lge. 
Jonathan  Warner,  son  of  S>domon  and  Elizabelh  (WoodinlT)  Warner,  b.  Wah- 

ington  Co..  N.  Y.,  1802.  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Cambridge. 
James  II.  Weir,  son  of  Thos.  I.  and  Matilda  (Howland)  Weir,  b.  Wasbiiig!oii 

Co.,  N.  v.,  1816,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Greenwicll. 
Earl  P.  Wright,  son  of  George  and  La  Vendee  (Woodard)  Wright,  b.  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817  (ex-Teicher;,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Salem. 


KINGSBURY.  j 

M.  L.  Andrews,  son  of  Jer.  and  Esther  (Beach)  Andrews,  b.  Wiwhinglon 

N.  Y.,  18:l.',  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Patten's  Mills. 
James  Bnnihiim,  son  of  Ashbel  ami  Lydia  (Agrin)  Bornham,  b.  Washi. 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  180:i,  Ret.red  Fanner;  P.  0:,  Sandy  Hill. 
J.  H.  ftildwin.  son  of  Thomas  and   Polly  (Lamphere)  Baldwin,  b.  MantI 

Conn.,  B.  1841,  Fanner  and  Cooper;  P.  0.,  Fort  Ann. 
James  H.  Blown,  son  of  James  S.  and  Sarah  (llerron)  Brown,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1811,  Facmnr  (retired)  and  Boalnmn  :  P.  O.,  Sandy  Hill. 
Ainasa  Burt.iii,  son  of  Davi.l  and  Lydia  (Buck)  Burton,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N. 

Y.,  1800,  Retired  Farmer;  P.  0.,  S.iiidy  Hill. 
S.  0.  Cross,  son  of  Theodore  and  Pamelia  (Kidder)  Cross,  b.  Wa-hington  Co.,  N. 

v.,  1820,  Farmer  and  Insurance  Agent;  P.  O,  Sandy  Creek. 
Ilol-ace  Dibble,  son  of  Huttoii  and  P.dly  (Buck)  Dibble,  b.  Washington  Co.,  K. 

Y.,  180:t,  Farmer ;  P.  O.,  Sandy  Hill. 
J.diii  Duers,  son  of  John  and  Naomi  (Beadle)  Doers,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  V., 

ISIC,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Sandy  Hill. 
Seth  Divine,  son  of  Abel  and  Hannah  (Losee)  Devine,  b.  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y., 

8. 1849,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Kingsbury. 
Chas.  C.  Dunham,  son  of  Samuel  and  Laura  (Dibble)  Dunham,  b.  Washington 

Co.,  N.  y.,  1824,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Sandy  Hill. 
T.  M.  Groosheck,  son  of  David  and  Phebe  (Barnelt)  Groesbcck,  b.  Reiissi  laer 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  B.  18:17,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Fort  Ann. 
Daniel  Holley,  sim  of  Benj.  and  Eunice  (Weatherby)  Uolley,  b.  Washingli] 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1807,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Sandy  Hill. 
A.  F.  Hitihcock,  son  of  Collins  and  Eunice  (Porter)  Hitchcock,  h.  Washingt.. 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1803,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Kingsbury. 
J.  H.  Harris,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary  S.  (Stearns)  Harris,  b.  Washington  Co 

N.  y.,  1820,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Smiths  Basin. 
W.  S.  Hoskin,  son  of  Samuel  and  Freelove  (Tucker)  Hoskin,  b.  Washingto 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  18:19,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Smith's  Basin. 
Elzada  Hoskin,  daughter  of  John  and  Deborah  (Bantley)  Miller,  b.  Washins 

ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1840.  ; 

Lewis  Johnson,  son  of  Lewis  and  Elizabeth  (High)  Johnson,  b.  Washingtoi  , 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1817,  Farmer;  P.  0.,  Dunham's  Basin. 
Jesse  King,  son  of  Solomon  and  Susan  (ItaUpli)  King,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  v^ 

Y.,  1805,  Retired  Fanner;  P.  0., Sandy  Hill. 
0.  B.  Meid,  son  of  M.ithew  and  Cynthia  Mead,  b.  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.,  s.  1872 

Fanner;  P.  0.,  Patten's  Mills. 
Isaiah  Miller,  son  of  John  and  Minerva  (Paddeu)  Jliller,  b.  Washington  Co.,         ' 

N.  Y.,  1840,  Farmer ;  P.  0.,  Sandy  Hill.  ' 

Ilonry  Stewart,  son  of  Wm.  and  Rebecca  (Vaughn)  Stewart,  b.  Washington  Co,,    ' 

N.  Y.,  1808,  Fanner ;  P.  O.,  Fort  Ann.  \ 

Harvey  Smith,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Nancy  (Campbell)  Smith,  b.  Washingtoi. 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  181.5,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Kingshury. 
John  Tefft,  son  of  Joseph  and  Chl.e  (Heath)  Tefft,  b.  Washington  Co.,  N.  \'.,       I 

1812,  Farmer;  P.  O.,  Sandy  Hill.  I 

E.  D.  Vaughn,  son  of  Do  Wilt  C.  and  Maria  (WaUace)  Vaughn,  b.  Washington      I 

Co.,  N.  Y.,  1848,  Fanner;  P.  0.,  Sandy  Hill.  ^  _  I 

Wm.  D.  Vaughn,  son  of  James  B.  and  Smyrna  (Stewart)  Vaughn,  b.  Wa-A»lig.     ^ 


"•\ 


ton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  18:14,  Far 


I'.  0.,  Kil.gsbniy. 


\