USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > A history of the town of Queensbury, in the state of New York : with biographical sketches of many of its distinguished men, and some account of the aborigines of northern New York > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
GLEN'S Falls Opera House. An elegant, costly and spacious structure, erected in the summer of 1871, by the Messrs. Coffins and Lasher of this place, on the old Daniel Peck estate, adjoining the grounds of the Presbyterian church on the west, and fronting on Warren street. Its front on the street is occupied by the village post office and stores; the second story is devoted to offices, while the third contains two large halls elegantly furnished, and occupied by a large division of the Sons of Temperance, and a flourishing lodge of Good Templars. The Opera House proper extends back in the rear, and has besides the usual stage, scenery, etc., conveniences for parties and festivals. It has a seating capacity of sixteen hundred.
GLENVILLE. The earlier books of travel occasionally refer to the village of Glen's Falls under this name. I have also met with it in manu- scripts connected with the early history of the town.
GREAT bay, the, 1812. The Big bay. Elsewhere described.
GREEN island, 1798. An island in Lake George.
GRIFFIN and Austin's mill, 1826. A saw-mill on the outlet of the Big pond.
GUARD lock, the. The lock at the head of the Glen's Falls feeder.
HALF-WAY brook. A stream famous in border annals, deriving its name from the fact that it was about midway between the two great military posts at Fort Edward and Lake George. It rises in the Luzerne mountains, west of Glen's Falls, and running a tortuous but generally easterly course, receiving the waters of many small tributaries on the way, it empties into Wood creek in the town of
23
178
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
Fort Ann, Washington county, N. Y. It was the scene of many sanguinary skirmishes, and engagements, during the French war, in consequence of which it was called Bloody brook by some of the provincial soldiers .- Life of John Stark, and Robert Rogers. It is designated as Scoune creek on a map of a grant and survey made to Robert Harpur, on file in the secretary of state's office. It is mentioned in Knox's Military Journal as Seven mile creek, it being about seven miles distant from the head of the lake. On a map published in Wilson's Orderly Book of Amherst's Expedition in 1759, it is laid down as Shone creek.
HALF-WAY House. A famous hotel situated near the upper toll gate, noted for its hospitality and fare. Its proprietor is George Brown, a lineal descendant of Benedick Brown, one of the pioneers who settled in the town prior to the Revolutionary war.
HAMMON's, Thomas, store, 1808. At the Oneida, which see.
HARRISENA, 1818. All that portion of the town of Queensbury north and east of the bounds of the original patent; deriving this appellation from the numerous families bearing the name of Harris who settled in that neighborhood.
HARRIS's bay, 1808. South eastern extremity of Lake George. Here, as tradition hath it, Old Bill Harris meted out border justice to eight Indians who had been dispatched by their tribe to waylay and kill him in revenge for some of his many ruthless acts, for if half that is told of him be true, he had as little compunction in killing an Indian, as in shooting a wolf. These Indians had been lurking in the swamps and woods of the neighborhood for some days, patiently waiting their opportunity for his capture. Finally he learned, either by observation or through the kind offices of a neighbor, that they were all out on the lake fishing. He im- mediately hurried around the neighborhood and borrowed of his friends their muskets or rifles to the number of eight, which, having loaded, he secreted them behind a log on the lake shore. He then exhibited himself to them with derisive and contemptuous gestures, when they all made for the shore to take him. As they came within range he deliberately shot one after the other till they were all killed. He was naturally taciturn and stern. When afterwards asked what he had done with the bodies, he took a fish and plunging a sharp pointed knife through its air-bladder flung it into the lake, into whose clear depths it settled like a stone. It was the popular, belief that he had served the Indians the same way. After this, he was not molested, the Indians reaching the conclusion that he bore a charmed life.
HAVILAND'S, Abraham, blacksmith-shop, 1795. On the site now covered by George Ferguson's store, opposite the soldiers' monument.
NAMES OF LOCALITIES. 179
HAVILAND's, Roger, house, 1795. An old fashioned story and a half farm house originally built by John Eddy, who afterwards removed to Fort Edward. It stood, facing South street, at the turn of the road leading to the big dam. It was burned about the year 1858. It was old Roger referred to in the above extract from the town records. He afterwards removed to the Ridge.
HENDRICK's rock. A large boulder on the hill south-east from Williams' monument, and a short distance north from the upper toll gate. Determined by the late Judge Hay from actual measurement and survey as being the spot where King Hendrick fell in the action known as the Bloody Morning Scout.
HoG's back. A spur of the Palmertown range of mountains, at the south- western angle of the town. Around its base, the Hudson river emerges on its eastern course to Sandy Hill.
HOTEL, Samuel G. Skinner's, 1816. The Union Hotel elsewhere spoken of, and afterwards burned. It stood near the side walk, on what is now Mr. James C. Finch's door yard.
HULL's, Joseph, saw mill, 1826. On the trout brook at the West moun- tain.
HUNTING hill. A once famous run way for deer, and resort for other game. It is the hill immediately back of the Gurney and Robison place. It is now cultivated nearly, if not quite to its summit.
ISLAND, by the river bridge, 1795. This entry in the town records es- tablishes the fact of the existence of a bridge across the river at that early date. The island was once known as Wing's island. A few years after a toll bridge was constructed here, and a toll house stood at the upper or west side of the road, which within the author's recollection was used as a tenant house. It was torn down at the time of the erection of the present bridge in 1842.
1
ISLAND, Wing's. On the south side of the river about half a mile above the mills. It is only separated from the main land by a small frith, easily spanned by a plank. Near it is Wing's eddy, both names being retained from the olden times.
JOHN's farm, 1777. This term occurs in both the Baron and Madame de Riedesel's Memoirs ; applying, as appears from the text, to the clearing about the military post at the Half-way brook. Why the name was given is wholly a matter of conjecture.
JOINTA Lime Kilns. Situated on the berm side of the Glen's Falls feeder about a mile east from the village centre. The term jointa origin- ated in Rhode Island, being a name without any especial significa- tion adopted at random to designate an especially excellent quality of lime. It was introduced here by Mr. Harris from Rhode Island about the year 1842, and has gradually came to be in general use.
-
180
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
JONES'S John, mill place, 1786. Understood to have been applied origin- ally to the site of Patten's mills. The John Jones' farmhouse, which stood in the edge of Kingsbury was used as a military hos- pital in the Revolution, at the time of Burgoyne's advance.
KETTLES, Indian. Pot holes worn by the action of water in the flat rock, at the head of Glen's Falls, where the cataract divides. They have been shown to tourists by boys of a speculative turn of mind as kettles where the Indians used to grind their corn.
KIMBALL's tannery at the Ridge. It was located at the foot of the hill east of the present school house. It was in operation in the early part of the present century.
JESSUP's falls. The Big fall, on the Hudson river about ten miles above Glen's Falls, where the entire volume of water pour over a sheer descent of about seventy feet. Above the fall is what is called " the race" where for a distance of about three hundred yards, the river rushes down a sharp decline, gathering strength and impetus for the final leap. Still higher up is a gorge in the rocks where the river finds passage in a cleft about fourteen feet space. Here le- gend says that one of the Jessups jumped across the river and made his escape at the outbreak of the Revolution from the sheriff of Albany county. Mr. Zina Cowles of our village informs me that he has jumped across the same place.
LONG pond. Otherwise known as the Big pond. A fine sheet of water visible from the plank road about four miles north of Glen's Falls. It receives the waters of the Meadow run, Rocky brook and Brown's pond. At its western extremity is a large peat bed, which has been partially worked, and which is elsewhere referred to.
MCDONALD'S, William, store, 1821. An old fashioned country store standing on the east side and angle of the Ridge road opposite the Gould Sanford place, at the Ridge.
MALLORY's, John, inn, 1802. The old building still standing on the east side of the plank road just outside of the corporation limits, at the corner of what in the old surveys is called the new road.
MEADOW run brook, the, 1808. So called because of a large beaver meadow upon it, whence the first settlers obtained their sup- plies of hay. Elsewhere described as Four mile creek, and Five mile run.
MOON's mills, 1808. A saw mill and grist mill on the outlet of the Long pond. Some of the timbers and sub-structure of the grist- mill are still to be seen near the bridge at the road crossing, a little below John P. Coffin's establishment. The saw mill is understood to have been situated immediately at the embouchure of the pond.
181
NAMES OF LOCALITIES.
MOUNT Defiance. At the outlet of Lake George. Taken possession of by Burgoyne's Engineer Corps at the time of his advance, thus com- pelling an evacuation by the American forces under General St. Clair, of the important military post of Ticonderoga. On a map dated 1762, published in the American Military Pocket Atlas, it is laid down as Sugar bush mountain.
NORTH-west bay on Lake George, In a collection of military maps rela- ting to North America, and bearing the date of 1762, it is laid down as the North arm, and in another place as Cankusker bay.
NICHOL'S saw mill, 1824-'35. On a wing-dam on the Hudson river below Little bay.
NICHOL's grist mill, 1826. Supposed to have been situated at the same place as the above.
NORMAN'S bay, 1837. One of the southern extremities of Lake George, projecting into the town of Queensbury.
OAK hollow, the, 1812. At the great bay on the river about four miles above the village.
ODELL's mill, 1808. A saw mill situated on the outlet of the Big pond north of the Oneida.
OGDEN'S mill, 1823. A saw mill at the mouth of the Ogden brook near the Big bay.
ONEIDA village, The, 1818. 2 A settlement on the Ridge road about
ยท ONEIDA, The, 1825.
five miles north of Glen's Falls. Elsewhere
fully described. It derived its name from Tom Hammond, a half- breed Oneida Indian, who kept a store here, prior to, and during the last war with Great Britian.
OSBORNE's store, 1797. A country store at Sanford's ridge. It stood on the west side of the road, a little north of Joseph Haviland's corner. PATTEN'S, Edward, mill. A saw mill still bearing that name on the Half-way brook just beyond the Queensbury town line.
PEARL village 1813. ? A persistent attempt, for the space of about PEARLVILLE, 1808. ) twenty years and dating back to the beginning of the century, was made to fasten the name of Pearlville upon this thriving settlement. The name occurs frequently in the manu- script records on file in the town clerk's office.
PEASE's distillery. An establishment which stood about the year 1808-10, on a small stream at the rear of Mr. Duncan McGregor's house, and on his premises, and which, if tradition be true, had plenty of business and patronage. Pease came here from Poultney, Vt., and also carried on a tavern, subsequently burned, which stood on the site where Henry Spencer's Glen House was afterwards erected, just above Peter La Point's grocery and saloon.
182
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
PEER's tavern, 1826. A wayside inn, which stood on the site now occu- pied by Wm. Miller's residence on the plank road, two miles north of the village.
PETTIT'S, Micajah, mill, 1802. A saw mill, occupying the site of the Glen's Falls Company's stone saw mill, near the river bridge, on the west of the road.
PETTIT'S store, 1793. A small wooden structure still standing directly in the rear of the old stone store under the hill. His house where he lived, certainly in comfort, and as tradition states in considerable style, and elegance, was the old double roomed tenant house ad- joining. Both of these buildings have just been torn down.
PHELPS's bay. Middle bay at the south-eastern extremity of Lake George. On its shores near Phelps's landing is situated the Phelps house, one of the many attractive and homelike resorts of tourists and travelers, which help to give a charm to that most delightful of all places of summer flitting, namely, Lake George.
PITCHER tavern, the, 1847. Several places have borne this name, par- ticularly the old log tavern at the Half-way brook, where Jonathan Pitcher kept a place of entertainment. The place referred to in the above quotation, is the old tavern stand at the Oneida, then kept by Dewitt C. Pitcher.
PITCHER's, Alfred, new dwelling house, 1811. The residence now occu- pied by Philemon Murray about five milles from the village, on the road leading to Jessup's falls.
PLAINS, Pine, the. A term generally applied to all that portion of Queens- bury west of the plank road.
PLUMB's landing, 1808. On the south-eastern extremity of Lake George. POND, the Big. Elsewhere explained. The name is interchangeable with Long pond, both being applicable to the same sheet.
POND, the Little, 1799. 1 Referring to a pond previously spoken of, POND, the Round, 1831. S emptying into the Big pond, and lying near the cross road, leading from the Bay road to the plank.
POND, Brown's, on map of Warren county. The same as above.
PRICE road, the old, 1826. What is now known as the Clendon road, or the new road to Luzerne.
QUAKER meeting house, 1787. A log structure just south of the Half- way brook on the Bay road.
QUARRIES, the. A term applied in general to the ledges of limestone on the north bank of the river, which are being worked for building, paving and ornamental purposes.
REED's meadow creek, 1798, 1808. The outlet of the Big Cedar swamp, on the eastern borders of the town.
183
NAMES OF LOCALITIES.
REEFS, the. A reach in the Hudson river above Little bay a mile or more in extent, filled with rocks, and rapids. Near the old town line on the west.
RICHARDS, Edmund B., the house of, 1835. The American hotel now owned by George Pardo, corner of South and Glen streets. The house since Richards's time has been greatly enlarged and im- proved.
RICHARDS'S steam mill. A large steam saw mill situated on the Glen's Falls feeder about two miles east from Glen's Falls.
ROAD, the, " by the meeting house and Daniel Hull's, 1788." This refers to the Bay road then but recently opened.
ROAD, the, "that is laid up and down the river by Ferrisses mills, thence on to the bridge, and to the island," 1795. This quotation from the town records, shows the existence of a bridge over the river at the date mentioned, and that the road, instead of leading directly down the hill, turned at the foot of the long hill and struck the river near the bulk head.
Rock, the Great, 1798. A huge boulder lying near the south line of what was then known as Abraham Tucker's farm.
M BRADLEYECC. SPING
THE ROCKWELL HOUSE.
ROCKWELL House. The site on which this attractive, and elegant struc- ture stands, has been occupied for hotel purposes since the com- mencement of the present century.
184
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
The first building on this spot was erected by John A. Ferriss, in 1802, the first purchase towards which, was "a cent's worth of chalk." Various landlords have tried their fortunes here, but none of them have been more eminent in this way than Peter D. Threehouse, who built up for the house a deservedly famous repu- tation among the traveling public. Among his successors were Rogers & Brown, Richard W. Higby, A. B. Tubbs and Wait S. Carpenter. The latter finally purchased the establishment, tore down the old building and erected a large, plain brick building, in the fall and winter of 1852-3. This was burned down in the great conflagration of 1864, and Mr. Carpenter removing from the place the ground for several years laid idle. At length, in the year 1869, under the apprehension that a row of stores was to be erected on this eligible place, a number of gentlemen associated together for its purchase, contributing the sum of fifteen thousand four hundred dollars thereto. It was then offered to any person or firm, who would undertake the responsibility of erecting a hotel which would be a credit to the place. This was undertaken by Messrs. H. J. & Geo. H. Rockwell, in the early spring of 1871, and all agree that the pledge has been nobly redeemed.
The building, a view of which is given herewith, was commenced on the 26th of March, 1871, and completed on the 31st of January, 1872. Opened for business on the 12th, a general opening or in- fair being held on the 22d of February, following. The building in front is four stories in height, with a mansard roof and Swiss towers. It is one hundred feet in length and forty-five feet deep. An L, projecting in the rear, is one hundred and forty feet long, forty feet wide and three stories high. There are several parlors. seventy-two sleeping rooms, and a capacity for one hundred and fifty guests. The number of employees, when the house is filled, is thirty-seven. The cost of the house in round numbers is stated at sixty thousand dollars, and of the furniture, which was purchased in Boston, twenty thousand dollars. The crockery and silver ware was purchased in Albany and the carpets in the city of New York. The iron work used in the construction of the building was fur- nished by the American Corrugated Iron Company of Springfield, Mass. There are spacious pleasure grounds in the rear and all the modern conveniences, which help to make a public house homelike and comfortable. The architect was M. F. Cummings of Troy. Messrs. Krum & Adams were the carpenters. Messrs. Holman & Pike the masons who laid the brick work, Mr. James Camp, the stone work ; painter and glazier S. P. Jackman. The proprietors are Messrs. H. J. & C. L. Rockwell, and the universal testimony is that there is not a better kept house in the country. Many city
185
NAMES OF LOCALITIES.
people prefer its orderly system, quiet and elegant comfort, to the whirl and confusion of the fashionable watering places.
ROLL way, the. A point on the canal, near the west bounds of the cor- poration. In the olden time, logs were floated down the canal, and at this point, by simple machinery were taken out, and rolled into the river, to supply the mills on the north side.
SAND beach, the. A place in the river just below the Glen's Falls Com- pany's quarries, where, in the olden time there was a rough fording place across the river. The southern terminus of the ford was near the upper corner of the paper mill.
SANFORD'S ashery, 1810. A little east of the Ridge road, and nearly opposite the old Benny Wells homestead. It was established in the early days of the settlement by David Sanford, who afterwards sold out his interest both in the store at the Ridge and the ashery to John H. Hitchcock.
SANFORD's ridge, 1799, 1844. Name derived from David Sanford, an early settler, and man of wide influence and general esteem.
SCOUNE creek, 1772. One of the names of the Half-way brook, which see.
SCRIBNER's, Thomas, mill, 1786. Conjectured to have been on the outlet of the Big pond.
SHELDEN'S bay. At the south-eastern extremity of Lake George.
SHERMANTOWN. A hamlet which has sprung up around Sherman's lime kilns, at Geer's basin on the feeder, about a mile east of the village. Dependent chiefly for its existence upon the lime business, named from the proprietor of the lime kilns, Mr. Darwin E. Sherman.
STEVENSON'S, Marmaduke, tavern, 1815. Opposite the William Miller place, on the plank road, two miles north of Glen's Falls village. STOWER's mill, 1824. A saw mill situated on the Meadow run, and owned by Dr. Asa Stower.
SUGAR loaf mountain, 1798. A bold acclivity some 800 feet in height, situated on the east line of the town at Harrisena.
SWAMP, the Big Cedar, 1817. A swamp about three miles long and nearly one mile in width, extending from the eastern boundaries of the corporation to the eastern limits of the town.
THE Clendon brook. A sparkling trout stream, having its sources in the West mountain, and after passing through the Clendon farm, running southerly across the plains, and emptying into the Hudson at Little bay.
THREEHOUSE and Thurston's inn, 1826. The old Glen's Falls Hotel which stood on the site of the Rockwell house.
24
186
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
THE Corners. A common term applied to the settlement at Glen's Falls, the latter part of last century.
TILLFORD place. The homestead of the Tillford family, opposite the Wil- liam Miller place on the plank road, two miles north of the village. TILLOTSON's ferry, 1823. A ferry formerly established by David Tillot- son, across the Hudson river at Big bay. This was at a period of considerable business activity at that place, where large quantities of lumber which had been manufactured at various points above, was floated down in cribs, taken out here, transported across to Fort Edward, and thence rafted to market.
TROUT brook, " now commonly so called," 1816. The Clendon brook. TUBBS, A. B. The house of, 1839. The old Glen's Falls Hotel.
TURNPIKE, the, leading to Luzerne, 1847. It is now known as West street and its extension, crossing the mountain at the West church.
UNION Hotel, site of, " recently destroyed by fire," 1846. It stood well up to the side walk, in front of Mrs. James C. Finch's residence. It was a spacious, two story building, well conducted, and was in its day, a formidable competitor for the patronage of the traveling public. VAN DUZEN'S mills, 1853. A large and extensive lumber manufacturing establishment, at the north end of the big dam, founded and still carried on by Col. Zenas Van Duzen, one of the heaviest operators in this section.
VAN KLEECK's store, 1802. A small mercantile concern conducted by Lawrence I. Van Kleeck, a lawyer, and man of considerable ability. The store stood on the site now occupied by William Cronkhite & Son.
VAN WORMER'S bay, 1799. A projection of the head of Lake George at its south-eastern extremity. On a map in the State library at Albany, bearing the title of " a particular plan of Lake George, surveyed in 1756, by Capt. Jackson," the bay is represented as opening into the east side of the lake opposite Long Island. It is here mentioned as " the South arm, or Takundawide bay."
VAUGHN'S, David, tavern, 1841. Opposite George Brown's Half-way house, on the south-west corner of the cross road leading to the Oneida. It was previously known as the widow Buck's.
WESTFIELD, to the line of, 1808. The name of Westfield was, about the date above named, changed to Fort Ann.
WILD Cat swamp, the, 1821. A tract of low swampy land stretching from the western boundaries of the village, a distance of a mile, nearly, each way, to the pine plains. It was, as its name indicates, the covert and resort of wild beasts of prey. Traditions are still rehearsed of the troops of wolves that once issued from its tangled recesses, making merciless havoc among the farmers' stock, of our thinly settled western borders.
187
NAMES OF LOCALITIES.
WILLBUR's, Job, mill, 1785. Supposed to have been located at the mouth of the Cold brook, near the town line, and about half a mile above Sandy Hill.
WING's basin, 1838. A natural bayou on the feeder, at the foot of Basin street, created by the emptying in of the waters of a small brook rising on the Haviland farm, and running through the Cheney woods.
WING'S, Benjamin, store, 1798. It stood adjoining the side walk, at the north end of Mr. Henry Crandell's lot, near the soldiers' monu- ment.
WING's, D. W., house of entertainment, 1803, 4, 5. At Wing's Corners. It stood on the site of Cowles & Co.'s store.
WING's Falls. The original name of Glen's Falls. How and why the name came to be changed is elsewhere explained. This was the common name up to the commencement of the present century.
WILLIAMS's rock. A huge boulder lying in a field west of the plank road, a few rods north of the Queensbury town line, and a little below the old stage route leading to Lake George. The place is commemorated by popular tradition, as the scene of Col. Ephraim Williams's death. Elsewhere fully described.
CHURCHES OF QUEENSBURY.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
APTISTS were among the earlier inhabitants of this town and have always formed a considerable element of its population. It has been impossible to obtain all the facts requisite to a complete record of their several organizations. In some instances the minutes have been destroyed by fire; in others, they have been removed beyond reach, or lost through carelessness and indifference; while, with one or two exceptions, those who could have fur- nished reliable information concerning the annals of this de- nomination, are now numbered with the dead.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.