USA > New York > Columbia County > Lebanon Springs > A Sketch of Lebanon Springs : its attractions as a summer resort : a visit to the Shakers : history of the town : Columbia Hall : railroad guide, &c > Part 2
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New Lebanon.
NEW LEBANON!
A BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH,
S there anything in a name ! New Lebanon can boast of having an an- cient Hebrew name, which has been always celebrated in the annals of sacred his- tory. Among the states having townships called Lebanon, are Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Vir- ginia ; while New York has two such town- ships. Of the names of early settlers of the Lebanon to which this notice refers, are those of Abbot, Adgate, Bailey, Bradley, Cole, Cornwell, Dean, Doubleday, Everest, Gay, Gilbert, Gillet, Grant, Hatch, Hitchcock,
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Horton, Jones, King, Murdock, Owen, Pat- terson,-the not unromantic Peter Plum,- Spencer, Tilden, Van Deusen, Wadhams, Warner and Younglove. To this alphabeti- cal list may be added,-though out of its place,-that of Douglass, borne here by a family of Scotch descent, and boasting a long line of noble ancestors. The name of War- ner will always be honorably associated with the fame of the accomplished author of " Queechy." With the name of Gillet is hap- pily associated one who, at " Wyomanock" and " Sunnyside," is known by a pet house- hold name, which he has nobly gained by be- ing the "good friend" to all with whom he has there met, and by kindly assisting those little favored by fortune, to gain a knowledge of books which otherwise they would have been unable to procure. Abner Doubleday was the grandfather of Gen. Abner Double- day, of Fort Sumter fame. He and Jonathan Murdock were of those who constituted the " forlorn hope" at the storming of Stoney Point. Moses Younglove was a member of the convention to form a constitution of the State of New York. Many of the descend- ants of the afore-named persons still live among us as respected citizens.
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The first white man permanently settled in the old town of Canaan, was doubtless named Warner. He came from New England thro' the gap in the mountains at West Stock- bridge. Probably the first white man who ever visited New Lebanon, was Capt. Hitch- cock of the British army, which was stationed at Hartford, Conn., about the time of the close of the French war. Capt. H. being afflicted with some severe and dangerous malady. was recommended to visit the valley and use the waters of the thermal spring in this town. He came with one servant and a company of Indian guides, and was carried from Stock- bridge to the Springs on a litter by an Indian trail, there being no roads in the locality at that time. He found a large basin filled with water, and from appearances around it judged it to be a place of resort for the Indians for bathing purposes.
This was, perhaps, the first watering place in the United States visited by the "pale faces" over a hundred years ago. It is often called " Monte Poole." The mercury in the thermometer always standing at 72º, a tem- perature suitable for bathing at all times. It is said that one of the early settlers once ri- ding by a spring stopped to water his horse,
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and sticking his rude whip into the soft earth, rode off forgetting it, from which impromptu planting, sprang the gigantic button-wood tree which stands near the spring. Captain Hitchcock camped several days at the spring, and received great relief from the use of its waters. A few years after, he sold his com- mission and returned as a resident to New Lebanon, where he died, leaving a daughter, from whom descended one of our old and highly esteemed citizens, Nathaniel Nichols. Among later settlers was a Rev. Mr. Ken- dall, who first came here from Canada on the trail of the Indians, to whom he had gone as missionary. He afterwards dwelt in the valley, where his descendants still abide, and carry on extensive business in the manu- facture of barometers and thermometers.
In this beautiful valley is the great medicine manufactory of Messrs. Tilden, unsurpassed by any in the country. Farther information may be obtained by visiting the establish- ment, where the kindest attention is bestowed upon the visitor.
A short distance from Messrs. Tilden & Co. is the celebrated Barometer and Thermometer manufactory of Mr. John Kendall, established many years ago. His Barometers and Ther-
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mometers are known in every quarter of the globe. A very pleasant hour can be spent here examining the process of manufacturing.
About 1760 a house was erected near the Springs, and was doubtless the first one built in what is now called New Lebanon. This part of the town up to 1780 was considered a part of Massachusetts. Much difficulty ex- isted at an early day between New York and the New England States, in regard to their common boundary line. New York, indeed, originally claimed the Connecticut river as its eastern boundary. The General Court of Massachusetts made grants of land after the settlement of Pittsfield, extending nearly to the road which passes the dwelling of Dr. Bates ; and still farther northward, an old road formerly existed and can still be traced through an orchard now owned by the heirs of Naomi Clark, which was once considered to be on the line between the two states. The line was established in 1786, though not with- out a great deal of trouble and a disagreeable law suit. An anecdote was current in early times that a man named Wadhams, (one of the early settlers, ) after the Commissioners had fixed the state line, found his dwelling to be about four rods within the State of Massa-
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chusetts. Accordingly a day or two after, he called his neighbors together with their teams and hitching the latter to the building, he moved it over the line into the State of New York. This building stood on the ground now occupied by the house of Elijah Bagg.
The first frame house in the town of Cana- an (of which Lebanon was formerly a part, and was then called King's district, ) was erected by William Gay on the hill near the Shaker grist mill. The second was built by Selah Abbot, near the Presbyterian Church.
The first church in the town of New Leba- non was erected nearly opposite Mott Cem- etery, on land now owned by the Gillets. It was constructed of logs, and its worshippers were of the Presbyterian order.
New Lebanon claims the honor of having been first in instructing its Delegates in Con- gress to adopt a Declaration of Independence. Mechlenburg, N. C., had previously declared itself absolved from its allegiance to Great Britain.
A company was raised in the town of Ca- naan which was in service during the revolu- tionary war. The descendants of some who served still reside among us as our best citi- zens. Chancellor R. Livingston was appointed
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delegate from this section to the Provincial Congress, and he was one of the committee appointed to prepare the Declaration of Inde- pendence. It was he who supplied Robert Fulton with means for developing the steam- boat. At the time of the battle of Bennington, Vt., April 10, 1776, two brothers, (ances- tors of Hon. R. F. Gillett, ) who happened to be, at the time, working near the top of the "west hill," distinctly heard the booming of the cannon, although they were a hundred miles distant from the scene of action.
The valley of New Lebanon is surrounded on all sides by mountains, which seem to shut out all the world beyond. From some of the summits may be obtained enchanting views of the valley and of the region beyond it. From "west hill" Mount Lebanon Is distinctly visi- ble. Its pleasant village clustered among the hills, forms a sort of city by itself. Here are the head-quarters of Shakerism in the United States. " Gilbert hill " is most frequently visited, where the finest views of the sur- rounding country are sought. From its sum- mit the whole village is distinctly seen, and seems so diminutive that it has been compared to "fairy land teeming with life." From one of its southern points, in clear weather, boats
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have been seen on the Hudson river, and, still beyond, the Catskill mountains, lifting their blue crests against the sky, which any but a close observer would mistake perhaps for clouds hovering about the horizon. Of such a scene the beautiful words of William Morris may be quoted as fitly descriptive :
"As down into the vale he gazed And held his breath as if amazed By all its loveliness ; For as the sun its depths did bless, It lighted up from side to side,
A close shut valley, nothing wide But ever full of all things fair."
The historian Bancroft once said with more force than elegance, perhaps : “ New Leba- non is the most beautiful valley on the top of the earth."
The state of the country one hundred and fifty years ago, was strikingly different from its present aspect. Then it was a vast swamp completely covered with large pine trees, rendering it well nigh impassable. The Indi- ans travelled across the mountain tops, but seldom venturing far into the wilderness of pines. The population fifty years ago was estimated to exceed greatly the present num- ber of inhabitants. At that time the people had begun to remove some of the pine trees from the edge of the forests, and to build
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nearer the foot of the mountains. After a time they left the heights altogether and set- tled in the valley.
" Wyomanock Seminary," the individual enterprise of Miss E. C. Hatch, was estab- lished about 1858, and incorporated in 1865 by the legislature of New York. The first small building was greatly enlarged in 1867, and the whole destroyed by fire January 6, 1869, since which time the school has found pleasant quarters in the old Tilden mansion, near the church. The beneficial effect of this Institution is seen far and near upon those preparing for, or entering upon, the busy scenes of life. The influence of Miss Hatch has extended over the whole country, and she is highly esteemed for the increasing efforts which she has put forth to promote the well being of those placed under her care. Thro' her kindness and that of our good " Saint Wyomanock,"many acknowledge with grate- ful hearts, advantages received from those whose motto is, " Do unto others as you would that others should do unto you." Many also remember the care with which they have been watched over by Miss Hatch when compelled, by sickness, to relinquish school duties for a time.
COLUMBIA HALL- LEBANON SPRINGS, N. Y.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 014 109 338 1
E 711
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