USA > New York > Forts and firesides of the Mohawk country, New York : the stories and pictures of landmarks of the pre-Revolutionary War period throughout the Mohawk valley and the surrounding country side, including some historic and genealogical mention during the post-war period > Part 1
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Gc 974.7 V96fo 1753256
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Gc
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01147 7707
FORTS AND FIRESIDES
OF THE
MOHAWK COUNTRY
22.2. NEW YORK
The stories and pictures of landmarks of the pre-Revolutionary War period throughout the Mohawk Valley and the surrounding country side including some historic and genealogical mention during the post-War period
Written by John J. Vrooman
Compiled and Published by ELIJAH ELLSWORTH BROWNELL, B.E.E. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1943
563
Dag Ton.
-
1753256
To LOUISE 1 - -
Foreword
The Mohawk Valley appeals to the artist because of scenery, to the farmer because of fertility, to the industrialist because of superior transport by rail and water. But the lover of history sees the Valley as a warpath toward destiny and a gateway to the West. No part of America is of more historical significance to more people than this water level route from the Hudson to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi basin.
Nearly every old house in the Valley belongs to history. The past lives there vividly side by side with the present. It is nearly 280 years since Schenectady was founded, nearly 200 years since the French and Indian wars began there, and 120 years since the opening of the Erie Canal. Local historians have lovingly preserved both landmarks and legends through these centuries. The author, long known for both his photographic skill and his deep affection for his native region, joins a notable company of seers, interpreters and recorders whose works have made the Mohawk a name and a land beyond forgetting. I rejoice in the compilation of this heartfelt, imperishable record.
ARTHUR POUND,
State Historian.
I
Preface
This book owes its origin to one sponsored by the Holland Society of New York, describing old homes of the Hudson Valley. My interest awakened, I sought in vain for a similar book which covered the Mohawk Valley, the territory in which as a life-long resident, I am naturally more deeply interested.
Here then are the results of an effort to learn something of the buildings that remain to us of the pre-Revolutionary period throughout the Valley. It was necessary to accumulate information from many sources and by piecing it together, bit by bit, make it into a fairly satisfactory whole.
There are other buildings in the Valley, which by virtue of their age might well be recognized here, but I believe those have been included which possess the greatest interest or remain more nearly in their original state. And because of their importance to the history of the section the early forts which stood near the present city of Rome have been included, though little or nothing remains of them.
The territory encompassed extends westward beyond the confines of the Valley from Rome to Oswego and on across what then was a stretch of wilderness to Niagara. This was the continuous trail and waterway which served in time of peace or war and is therefore a part of the story. It has been thought necessary to include the Albany area as well, for its development was concurrent with that of Schenectady, these two settlements
II
being at opposite ends of the long "carry" over which all commerce to and from the Valley passed.
The old buildings described are in various stages of repair or perhaps completely demolished and it is certain that as time passes all will become but a legend. No matter how well built they must all succumb to time. I sincerely wish this were not true for there is an indescribable sensation, a mingled feeling of veneration and awe and an appreciation of a privilege still ours, to step into the very homes of the men whose names and fame are written into every book of the Valley. To our children or our children's children, this privilege will be lost as the houses pass away. It is hoped these pictures may help them to an understanding of what "used to be" long after the buildings are gone.
Much more might well be written of these and other houses and still other pictures might be included. But this book is not intended as a complete index of early structures, nor has it been prepared as a reference work. It is simply an offering, a contribution and certainly a "labor of love."
THE AUTHOR
Schenectady, 1943
-
II - TV
In Commemoration
The compiler of this book dedicates gratuitously his services and his financial support in conjunction with the author for the sole purpose of making this publication an evidence of everlasting love and admiration for his ancestors who were early settlers in the famous Mohawk Valley.
The purpose of this contribution is the desire to perpetuate the local history and to keep alive the patriotic reverence and gratitude that we owe to those who have made such noble sacrifices as pioneers in the Mohawk Valley.
These pioneers played a very important part in making these United States of America the great nation that it is today.
To the Present Inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley
Love thy God and Country with all of your heart and soul and especially hold most sacred the memory of our ancestors.
Make any sacrifice that is necessary to protect the principles of our national constitution, so that those who follow us may enjoy in peace and in happiness the same blessings which God and our forefathers have bestowed upon us.
Never forsake those principles upon which this great nation was founded.
Respectfully presented, Elijah Ellsworth Prowall
Compiler.
Dayton, Ohio and Philadelphia, Penna. 1943
V - VI
4
*
John J. Vrooman-1938
Falls of the Mohawk Cohoes
-
TO THE FALLS OF THE MOHAWK
*
"From rise of morn to set of sun, I have seen the mighty Mohawk run; And as I marked the woods of pine Along his mirror darkly shine, Like tall and gloomy forms that pass Before the wizard's midnight glass;
And as I viewed the hurrying pace With which he ran his turbid race, Rushing, alike untired and wild, Through shades that frowned and flowers that smiled, Flying by every green recess That woo'd him to its calm caress,
Yet, sometimes turning with the wind,
As if to leave one look behind!
Oh! I have thought, and thinking, sigh'd-
How like to thee, thou restless tide! May be the lot, the life of him,
Who roams along thy water's brim! Through what alternate shades of woe
And flowers of joy my path may go! How many an humble, still retreat May rise to court my weary feet, While still pursuing, still unblest, I wander on, nor dare to rest! But, urgent as the doom that calls Thy waters to its destined falls, I see the world's bewildering force Hurry my heart's devoted course From lapse to lapse, till life be done, And the last current cease to run! Oh! may my falls be bright as thine! May Heaven's forgiving rainbow shine Upon the mist that circles me, As soft as now it hangs o'er thee!"
Thomas Moore at Cohoes - 1804
VII
CONTENTS
Page FOREWORD, By Arthur Pound, State Historian. I PREFACE, By John J. Vrooman II
IN COMMEMORATION, By Elijah Ellsworth Brownell V POEM-TO THE FALLS OF THE MOHAWK, by Thomas Moore
VII
THE MOHAWK VALLEY 1
THE BRONCK HOUSES 9
TAWASENTHA 11
CRAILO 13
THE MEADOWS 19
de VLACKTE-"THE FLATTS" 23
LANSING HOUSE
27
THE VAN SCHAICK MANSION 31
FONDA - LANSING HOUSE 35
THE TYMERSON HOUSE 39
STEVENS HOMESTEAD 41
BROUWER - ROSA HOUSE 45
FULLER HOUSE 51
CAMPBELL HOUSE 59
ST. GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 65
THE GOVERNOR YATES HOUSE 69
GLEN - SANDERS HOUSE 71
BRADT HOUSE 77
THE VAN SLYCK HOUSE 79
THE MABIE HOUSE 83
SWART HOME 85
GUY PARK 89
SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON 93
FORT JOHNSON
99
--- --
LAd 1
CONTENTS - Continued
Page
QUEEN ANNE'S CHAPEL PARSONAGE
101
AURIESVILLE 105
DADANASCARA
111
BUTLERSBURY
115
JELLES FONDA RESIDENCE
119
JOHNSON HALL
121
TRYON COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND JAIL
125
DIEVENDORF HOUSE 129
VAN ALSTYNE HOUSE
131
FORT FREY 133
THE EHLE HOUSE AND MISSION 1-37
THE PARIS - BLEEKER HOUSE 141
FORT WAGNER 145
149
GENERAL COCHRAN HOUSE 153
THE PALATINE CHURCH 155
FORT KLOCK 159
INDIAN CASTLE CHURCH 163
GENERAL NICHOLAS HERKIMER HOME 165
FORT HERKIMER AND FORT HERKIMER CHURCH 167
THE SHOEMAKER TAVERN 171
KIRKLAND HOME 173
FORT STANWIX - FORT SCHUYLER
177
FORT BULL, FORT WILLIAMS AND THE ROYAL BLOCKHOUSE 179
THE SCRIBA MANSION
181
FORT BREWERTON
183
FORTS OSWEGO AND ONTARIO
185
FORT NIAGARA 195
BIBLIOGRAPHY 202
AN APPRECIATION 205
INDEX
207
THE STONE ARABIA REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH
ILLUSTRATIONS
FALLS OF THE MOHAWK
Opposite
Page VII 9
BRONCK HOUSES
TAWASENTHA (THE NORMANSKILL)
11
FORT CRAILO.
13
FRONT ENTRANCE, FORT CRAILO
15
"THE MEADOWS" (SCHUYLER MANSION) "THE FLATTS" (PHILIP PIETERSEN SCHUYLER RESIDENCE) LANSING HOUSE.
.6
23
VAN SCHAICK HOUSE.
31
FONDA - LANSING HOUSE
35
TYMERSON HOUSE
39
STEVENS HOMESTEAD
66
41 45-
BROUWER - ROSA HOME
"
51
DANIEL CAMPBELL HOME
59
ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH
65
GOVERNOR YATES HOME. . Following
68
ENTRANCE, GOVERNOR YATES HOME
. Opposite
69
GLEN - SANDERS HOUSE. 66
71
ABRAHAM GLEN HOUSE
73
ARENT BRADT HOUSE
77
VAN' SLYCK HOUSE
79
MABIE HOME.
83
NICHOLAS SWART HOUSE
85
THE TAP ROOM, NICHOLAS SWART HOUSE
87
GUY PARK ..
89
FORT JOHNSON.
93
DRAWING ROOM, FORT JOHNSON
97
FRONT ENTRANCE, FORT JOHNSON
99
QUEEN ANNE PARSONAGE
101
MARTYR'S RAVINE
105
THE DADANASCARA
111
BUTLER HOMESTEAD
66
115
DOORWAYS, BUTLER HOMESTEAD
117
JELLES FONDA HOME
119
JOHNSON HALL.
121
.
FULLER HOMESTEAD
19
27
ILLUSTRATIONS - Continued
Page
THE STAIRWAY, JOHNSON HALL Following 122
THE BLOCKHOUSE, JOHNSON HALL.
Opposite 123
TRYON COUNTY COURT HOUSE
.
125
TRYON COUNTY JAIL
"
127
DIEVENDORF HOUSE
129
VAN ALSTYNE HOUSE
131
FORT FREY
06
133
EHLE HOMESTEAD.
66
137
PARIS - BLEEKER HOUSE
141
FORT WAGNER.
יר
145
REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH
66
153
PALATINE CHURCH
155
FORT KLOCK
159
INDIAN CASTLE CHURCH
..
163
GENERAL HERKIMER HOUSE
165
FORT HERKIMER CHURCH.
167
THE PULPIT, FORT HERKIMER CHURCH
169
SHOEMAKER TAVERN
171
REV. KIRKLAND HOME
173
CARVED POWDER HORN SHOWING FORT STANWIX (SCHUYLER)
177
SITE OF FORT BULL.
Following 178
ROYAL BLOCK HOUSE
Opposite 179
SCRIBA MANSIÓN
66
181
FORT BREWERTON
66
183
THE SALLY PORTE, FORT ONTARIO
THE CASTLE, FORT NIAGARA
66
195
THE COUNCIL ROOM IN THE CASTLE
Following 196
THE WELL IN THE CASTLE
Opposite 197
THE GUARD ROOM IN THE CASTLE
Following 198
THE CHAPEL IN THE CASTLE
Opposite 199
THE KITCHEN IN THE CASTLE.
Following 200
ST. MARKS.
Opposite 201
149
GENERAL COCHRAN HOUSE
185
--
Page 1
THE MOHAWK VALLEY
The Mohawk Valley
HE story of the Mohawk Valley would be without end if one were to tell it all; if, indeed, any individual were capable of telling it in all its ramifications. It is a story covering literally millions of years, as a great deal is known of the River and its tributaries from a time when its banks were covered with "tree ferns" some forty feet tall. These fossil remains are perhaps the oldest fossils in the world. Here too have been found the skeleton remains of mastodons, those prehistoric quadrupeds twice the size of an elephant. Examples of these are in the State Museum in Albany. Our interest in the Valley begins a few million years later when the Dutch began their settlements.
The very earliest dwellings built at Albany in 1614 have disappeared, for they were frail structures, hastily and poorly built. However there are several standing whose dates carry us well back into the early Dutch period. And naturally enough, as we progress through the years, we find an increasing number of buildings extant, as representatives of their particular period.
To appreciate these old structures, one should know the circumstances under which they were built, the building material locally available, and the difficulties met with in importing material from abroad, not merely to our seacoast. but directly to the ute of the home. Another interesting subject concerns the mechanics who did the building: also their tools and accessories. As conditions were constantly changing, rtds being built, labor and supplies moving in more rapidly, it seems necessary to have a progressive history of the Valley before us as a measuring stick of development on which to "set" the buildings. So it might be well to skim over the story briefly.
When the Dutch arrived the occupants of the Valley were Mohawk Indians, who were one of a confederation of five tribes called the League of the Iroquois. Each tribe had its own defined territory. The Iroquois' effect on subsequent develop- ment was profound, for they presented a united front against the Canadian Indians (Hurons) and their allies, the French, who were bending every effort to colonize the entire region, from their established settlements along the St. Lawrence watershed. The French had been avowed enemies of the Iroquois ever since Champlain killed some of their tribesmen at Ticonderoga in 1609.
Page 2
FORTS AND FIRESIDES OF THE MOHAWK COUNTRY
The driving force behind this desire to colonize, was not an unselfish desire on the part of the European nations to "Christianize" the savages, not a desire to gain territory, to seek gold and silver, and to produce crops. These things might come later; to begin with it was a desire to trade cheap trinkets, cloth, guns, ammunition and rum for beautiful furs at tremendous profits.
The ability to carry on this trade briskly, and in volume, was predicated upon a friendly relationship which must be maintained with the Indians as the source of supply. The traders themselves were too busily engaged "digging in" and estab- lishing themselves to attempt the actual work of trapping. And so we find the Dutch making firm allies of the Iroquois Indians adjacent to them, just as the French were doing with their Indian neighbors, farther north.
In considering the Mohawk Valley settlements, one is almost forced to include that part of the Hudson Valley from the point where the Mohawk enters it (at Cohoes) southward to what is now Albany, the location of the original settlement on the upper river. The early history of each section is closely correlated with the history of the other; as early as 1614 the Dutch made trips up the Mohawk from Albany in the interest of trade, urging Indians to bring in their pelts. The Albany area, largely because of its shipping facilities, became the headquarters of this fur trade. To the
westward the limits were naturally more elastic, stretching farther and farther into the interior, ending, perhaps, at Niagara, for this was an important French trading post before 1726. The Dutch and English were forced to subdue this post to assure an uninterrupted, uncontested flow of these rich furs through eager hands down the Mohawk to Schenectady and across the sixteen-mile "carry" to Albany. As time passed, the entire area of the Great Lakes basin, even beyond Niagara, fed this trade.
In 1617, after floods had swept the first Dutch settlements from Castle Island, located just below what is now Albany, a new settlement was begun at Fort Nassau a little farther down the Hudson at the mouth of a stream called "Tawasentha," made famous by Longfellow in his poem "Hiawatha." Of these early settlements no buildings remain.
By 1652 New York had become a city with a population of 800; an addi- tional 500 were in the Albany district, and another 600 to 700 scattered along the River settlements between these limits. There were no settlements along the Mohawk at this time.
One of the earliest and most important of the Dutch Manor estates was Rensselaerwyck, owned by the patroon, Killiaen Van Rensselaer of Amsterdam, Holland. It consisted of some 700,000 acres and comprised what are roughly the present counties
--
Page 3
THE MOHAWK VALLEY
of Rensselaer and Albany. Here remains one of the very oldest houses in the State, known as "Fort Crailo," built about 1642, rehabilitated and maintained by the State of New York as a museum.
The first home in the Mohawk Valley of which there is definite record was that built by Alexander Glen opposite Schenectady in 1658. Three years later, in !001, the settlement of Schenectady was begun. Glen's first home was too close to the river bank, where erosion of the stream constantly threatened it, so the house was taken down and reconstructed in 1713 at the top of the grade close by, where it stands today.
In 1664 the English took New Amsterdam from the Dutch and the Colony came under English rule. The English did little to colonize the land and the up country continued substantially Dutch in character for another hundred years, by which- time English, Irish, and Scotch settlers had begun to drift in. Some of them secured immense Crown grants of land and encouraged colonization by their own kind. These large tracts of land were first bought from the Indians at a ridiculously low figure and later recognized by a Crown patent.
King William's War (1688 - 1697) quite effectively halted further settlement of the Mohawk Valley following several attacks. First came the burning of Schenectady in 1690 by a force of French and Indians from Canada. Two other :::... ks were made in 1693, the last one directed against the Mohawk Indian "Castles" ur fortified villages. This latter raid was so destructive that three of the Mohawk dans, cach heretofore having its own village, combined to form one castle at Tribes il# just west of Amsterdam. Here they lived for a time, gaining strength and numbers and later, moved again to separate "Castles." Of these castles or towns, :. thing remains although the sites have been definitely established through the finding «: Indian artifacts. Of Schenectady as it stood prior to the massacre of 1690, no buildings remain in original form. One house built by Jeremiah Fuller in 1702 and still standing was framed from one of the four or five original houses spared out of a total of about "80 good houses." This framing timber (together with the material salvaged from the original Glen house of 1658) is the oldest building material in the Valley for it came from homes built soon after the first settlement had been made.
By 1670 a wagon road connected Albany and Schenectady; however, to the westward, travel was largely by water. A stone house built by a Dutch trader named Van Antwerp about 1670, some eight miles to the west of Schenectady (at Rotterdam) still remains in its original form in excellent repair and is accorded the title of "oldest
Page 4
FORTS AND FIRESIDES OF THE MOHAWK COUNTRY
house" in the Valley. It is commonly known as the "Mabie House" after its second owner and occupant.
Queen Anne ascended the English throne and again there was war between France and England. The latter prepared to defend the frontier by a chain of forts extending froin Waterford (mouth of the Mohawk) westerly to Niskayuna, Schenectady (Queen's Fort - 1704) and Fort Hunter (1711) just west of Amsterdam. The log house of Heinrich Frey, at Palatine Bridge (opposite Canajoharie) was fortified, stockaded and garrisoned. None of these buildings remain, but the manse built in 1734 for the minister in charge of Queen Anne's Chapel at Fort Hunter is still in use as a residence.
The dates assigned to several of the early settlements along the River are about as follows:
Scotia
1658
Schenectady
1661
Palatine (Bridge)
1689
Fort Hunter
1711
Schoharie
1711
German Flatts ,
1722
Caughnawaga (Fonda)
. 1725
Canajoharie
1734
Veddersburg (Amsterdam)
1738
Johnstown 1
1755
An interesting bit of information is the "census" of Schenectady Township, County of Albany, 1714,
Number of males over 60 years .
12
from 16-60
. 110
under 16
,
154
66 66 females over 60
13
66
66 from 16-60 .
. 107
66 66 under 16
151
66
" male slaves over 16 .
7
10
66 under 16 . " female " over 16 .
19
66 " under 16 .
8
.
591
Page 5
THE MOHAWK VALLEY
This gives a white population of 547 all told and a colored population of 44 approximately 25 years after the Massacre, at which time the Village alone was credited with a population of 400. Memories of the lurid decade, 1690 - 1700 were too bright to permit of growth.
In 1712 the Palatines, migrating from their Hudson Valley camps, attempted : Attlement in the Schoharie Valley but because of previously granted patents there, tky were forced to leave. In 1723 and 1725, they were granted extensive tracts at Stone Arabia and on both sides of the Mohawk at what came to be called the "German Flats," in the neighborhood of the present Herkimer. By this time there was a fair road cut through from Schenectady to the mouth of the Schoharie at Fort Hunter and this was gradually extended westward to reach the new settlements. In 1725 the population of the Valley was 2000, exclusive of Indians whose numbers waned as the whites increased.
King George's War broke out in 1744, bringing French and Indian raids through the years 1746 - 7 - 8, when a so- called peace was agreed upon. This lasted only until 1754, the date of the great French and Indian War which was inevitable. The stake was so great as to compel a showdown between France and England. It brought an end to colonization by the French in North America. By now the man power of the colonies had increased remarkably. Colonial troops fought beside the Lachish against the French and Indians, demonstrating time and again their bravery, and among their leaders an ability to cope with situations which, had it not been for their knowledge of local conditions and modes of warfare, might easily have been disastrous to the English arms. To one man more than any other, is due the English victory. The man was William Johnson, later Sir William. This was largely the result of his powerful leadership over the Mohawk Indians who, throughout the war, remained steadfastly loyal. In 1755 he won the Battle of Lake George, when he turned back the powerful army of invasion under Baron Dieskau. His home at Fort Johnson (1749) Amsterdam is now a museum. Part of old Fort George (Lake Gerrge) may still be seen as well as the earthworks of Fort Bull at Rome, and Fort Brewerton at the west end of Oneida Lake at Brewerton. The two last named were built in 1755. Nothing remains of the Royal Blockhouse at the east end of the Oneida Lake, another of this same chain of forts built along the old war trail to prevent an invasion of the Mohawk Valley. Another contemporary fort must be mentioned. This was the one built by the English in 1727 at Oswego to protect the fur traders. It fell into the hands of the French in 1756, being very lightly garrisoned. The French promptly destroyed the Fort and the little settlement surrounding it. Fort Ontario, a later structure than Fort Oswego, and located on the opposite bank of the
Page 6
FORTS AND FIRESIDES OF THE MOHAWK COUNTRY
river was also destroyed. Fort Ontario was later rebuilt, not at all along original lines, and remains an interesting though comparatively recent fortification. It is still in use as an army post. While Oswego was, of course, lost to the English, the French seem to have gained little by its capture, for it was never occupied by them. Bradstreet's army debarked from here to capture the French Fort Frontenac (Kingston) in August, 1758. Fort Niagara still remained in the hands of the French until Johnson captured it in 1759. This citadel remains today, one of the oldest, most historic and most interesting of all early American fortifications.
The principal engagements of the French and Indian War did not take place in the Mohawk Valley, but the Valley did furnish a generous quota to the English army. In 1747, Schenectady was again to have been a target but escaped with minor losses in an outpost engagement at Beukendale. Fort Bull, already mentioned, was com. pletely destroyed by the French and Indians in 1756 and the occupants "put .to the sword." In the upper reaches of the Valley, the "German Flats" were raided in 1757 and again in 1758. Forts Dayton and Kouri (the latter on the south shore) were the outposts here, and to them the settlers flocked when invasion threatened. These two raids pretty well demolished all buildings in that vicinity. Of Forts Kouri and Herkimer, nothing remains but the Fort Herkimer Church which stood adjoining the fort at the time. It is still in use as a church.
Except for the loss of Fort Frontenac and Fort Niagara, both of which were lightly garrisoned, the French had suffered little, but by 1760 there were 10,000 men encamped at Scotia (Schenectady) under General Amherst, ready for the march against the French stronghold of Montreal, via the old war trail up the Valley, down Wood Creek, across Oneida Lake and down the Oneida and Oswego rivers to Lake Ontario. What a task it must have been to move such a body of men across virgin country aided only by streams in which were rifts and rapids as well as waterfalls, such as the one at Little Falls and another on the Oswego River. Then too, Wood Creek was little more than a meadow brook, shallow and winding in its course across almost level country. And between these streams were difficult "carries" where the boats must be hauled out, carried around the obstruction and re-launched beyond. But it was accomplished! Just as Bradstreet had accomplished it in 1758 in the expedition against Fort Frontenac and just as Prideaux and Johnson accomplished it in 1759 in the expedition against Niagara. Can a more historic trail be found? Even then it had been used by white men for nearly a century as a trade route. And so it was used again while there was a peaceful breathing spell of fourteen years.
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