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 38
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At another meeting of the proprietors, held at the shop of Nehemiah and Daniel Merritt, on the Oblong, 1 in Dutchess county, on the 10th of July following, a vote was passed that the town lots in said township be drawn by lot on the 24th inst., at the same place, that Daniel Case and Thomas Aiken
1 The following spirited description of the Oblong by the Marquis de Chastellux at the close of the Revolutionary war, will hardly fail to be of interest to the descendants of those who first came from that place to settle this town.
" At the distance of a mile we again pass the same river (the Housatonic) on a wooden bridge; we soon meet with another, called Ten mile river, which falls into this, and which we follow for two or three miles, and then came in sight of several handsome houses, forming a part of the district called The Oblong. It is a long, narrow slip of land, ceded by Connecticut to the state of New York, in exchange for some other territory. The inn I was going to, is in the Oblong, but two miles further on. It is kept by Colonel Moorhouse ; for nothing is more common in America than to see an innkeeper a colonel. They are in general militia colonels, chosen by the militia themselves, who seldom fail to entrust the command to the most esteemed, and most creditable citizens."- Trans. Chas- tellux's Travels in America, vol. I, p. 57.
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QUEENSBURY PATENT.
should perform the drawing, and that John Gurney should make the proper record of such distributions.
The survey for the division into lots, was commenced on 29th of August, 1762, by Zaccheus Towner, of "New Fairfield, Connecticut, surveyor for the proprietors," and the survey was completed before the following November.
In this survey of the township, the village was located at the Half-way brook, at the crossing of the military road, probably because of the few buildings, and clearing already made at that point. The town plot at this point was run out into forty-four ten acre lots, six lots deep from north to south and eight lots deep from east to west, forming an oblong square, intersected through the centre in each direction with a highway eight rods wide, and two four rod roads between the tiers of lots to the east, and west of the main road, the whole plot to be surrounded by a four rod road. The centre lots were reserved for public buildings. The balance of the township was run out into one hundred and one two hundred and fifty acre lots as nearly as possible. At the drawing, above mentioned, Abraham Wing was so fortunate as to draw three of what would now be con- sidered the most valuable lots in town, namely, lots Nos. 29, 36 and 37, on which the greater part of the more densely settled portion of the village of Glen's Falls now stands.
On the 8th of November, of the same year, another meeting of the proprietors (at that time increased to thirty), was held at the place before mentioned, when deeds of partition, agreeably to the drawing spoken of, were duly executed each to the other. At this meeting it was also voted that Daniel Chase and William Haight be appointed to draw lots for the balance of the survey not appropriated in the first division. In this second partition, several of the great lots were subdivided by lines drawn from east to west, and renumbered. On the 23d of February the ensuing year the proprietors met at the building before men- tioned, in Beekman precinct, Dutchess co., and appointed Wm. Smith, Nehemiah Merritt and Abraham Wing, trustees, to par- tition out the hitherto undivided lands.
The following document, copied verbatim from the original patent, was written upon two large sheets of parchment in the old English character, and engrossed with great precision and elegance. It is the property now of the family of Richard Wing, deceased, to whom it has descended as an heir-loom, it having
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
been confided to the keeping of his grandfather, Abraham Wing, by the original grantees, and remained in the possession of the family ever since.
Copy of the original patent of the town of Queensbury.
Compared and corrected with the copy on file in the secretary of state's office at Albany.1
GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King, defender of the faith and so forth. To all to whom these presents shall come GREETING. WHEREAS our loving subjects Daniel Prindle, Elihu Marsh, Thomas Hungerford, Samuel Hungerford, John Buck, Daniel Tryon, Amos Leach, Benjamin Seeley, Anthony Wan- ser, Jonathan Weeks, John Page, Elihu Marsh, Junior, Abraham Wanzer, Benjamin Elliot, John Seeley, Aaron Prindle, Thomas Northorp, Ezekiel Pain, Jedediah Graves, David Preston, and Joshua Agard, did by their humble petition presented unto our trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden Esquire, our Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-chief of our Province of New York and the territories thereon depending, in America in council on the thirty-first day of March now last past humbly pray our Letters Patent granting to each of the said Petitioners respectively and to their respective heirs, the quantity of One Thousand Acres of a certain Tract of Land in the said Province vested in the Crown that had been ' surveyed and laid out for the said Daniel Prindle and his associates above named of the contents of six miles square adjoining to the lands intended to be granted to James Bradshaw and others between Fort Edward and Lake George under the Quit Rent provisoes, Limitations and restrictions directed and prescribed by Our Royal instructions together with the like privileges of a Township (as were lately granted to Isaac Sawyer and others) by the name of Queensbury Township. WHICH PETITION having been then and there read and considered of our said council did afterwards on the fifteenth day of April now last past humbly advise our said Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief to grant the prayer thereof. WHERE- FORE in obedience to our said Royal Instructions our commissioners appointed for the setting out all lands to be granted within our said province have set out for the petitioners above named, ALL that certain Tract or Parcel of Land situate lying and being in the county of Albany on the north side of Hudson's river between Ft. Edward and Lake George BEGINNING at the north-west corner of a certain Tract of land surveyed for James Bradshaw and his associates and runs from the said north-west corner, north twenty-seven chains, then west five hundred and thirty five
1 For this and other courtesies the author begs to make his acknowledgements to the Hon. Diedrich Willers, secretary of state.
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QUEENSBURY PATENT.
chains, then south five hundred and thirty-six chains to Hudson's river, then down the stream of said River as it runs to the west Bounds of the said Tract surveyed for James Bradshaw and his associates, then along the said West Bounds North to the place where this tract first began con- taining after deducting for sundry ponds of water lying within the above mentioned Bounds Twenty-three thousand acres of land and the usual al- lowances for Highways. AND in setting out the said Tract of Land the said commissioners have had regard to the profitable and unprofitable acres, and have taken care that the length thereof doth not extend along the Banks of any River otherwise than is conformable to our said Royal In- structions for that purpose as by a certificate thereof under their hand bearing Date the Twenty-first Day of April now last past and entered on Record in our Secretary's Office in our City of New York may more fully appear. Which said Tract of Land set out as aforesaid, according to our said Royal Instructions. We being willing to grant to the said petitioners their heirs and assigns forever, with the several privileges and powers hereinafter mentioned. Know Ye that of our especial grace certain know- ledge and meer motion We have given granted ratified and confirmed and DO by these presents for us our Heirs and successors give grant retify and confirm unto them the said Daniel Prindle, Elihu Marsh, Thomas Hun- gerford, Samuel Hungerford, John Buck, Daniel Tryon, Amos Leach, Benjamin Seeley, Anthony Wanser, Jonathan Weeks, John Page, Elihu Marsh junior, Abraham Wanser, Benjamin Elliot, John Seeley, Aaron Prindle, Thomas Northorp, Ezekiel Pain, Jedediah Graves, David Cum- mins, Ebenezer Preston, Daniel Preston and Joshua Agard their Heirs and Assignees for ever ALL THAT the aforesaid Tract or parcel of Land sct out abutted bounded and described in Manner and Form as above mentioned together with all and singular the Tenements, Hereditaments Emoluments and Appurtenances thereunto belonging or appertaining, and also all our Estate, Right, Title, Interest, Possession, Claim and Demand Whatsoever of in and to the same Lands and Premises and every part and parcel thereof and the Reversion and Reversions Remainder and Re- mainders, Rents, Issues and profits thereof and of every part and parcel thereof, EXCEPT and always reserved out of this our present GRANT unto us our Heirs and Successors for ever all mines of Gold and Silver and also all White and other sorts of Pine Trees fit for masts of the Growth of Twenty-four Inches Diameter and upwards at twelve Inches from the Earth, for Masts for the Royal Navy of us our Heirs and Successors TO HAVE AND TO HOLD one full and equal Three and Twentieth part (the whole into Twenty-three equal parts to be devided) of the said Tract or parcel of Land, Tenements, Hereditaments and Premises by these Pre- sents granted, ratified and confirmed, and every part and parcel thereof. with their and every of their appurtenances, (except as is herein before excepted) unto each of them our Grantees above mentioned their Heirs and Assignees respectively. TO their only proper and separate use and
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
Behoof respectively for ever as Tenants in common and not as joint Tenants. TO BE HOLDEN of us, and Heirs and Successors in fee and common socage as of our Manor of East Greenwich in our County of Kent within our Kingdom of Great Britain, YIELDING, rendering, and paying there- fore yearly and every year forever unto us our Heirs and Successors at our Custom House in our City of New York, unto our or their Collector or Receiver General therefore the time being on the Feast of the Annun- ciation of the blessed Virgin Mary commonly called Lady day the yearly rent of two shillings and six pence Sterling for each and every Hundred Acres of the above granted lands and so in proportion for any less in quantity thereof saving and except for such part of the said Lands allowed for Highways as above mentioned in Lieu and stead of all other Rents, Services, Dues, Duties, and Demands whatsoever for the hereby granted Land and Premises, or any part thereof AND WE DO of our especial Grace certain knowledge and meer motion, create, erect and constitute the said Tract or parcel of Land hereby granted and every part and parcel thereof a Township for ever hereafter to be, continue, and remain and by the name of QUEENSBURY Townships for ever hereafter to be called and known AND for the better and more easily carrying on and managing the public affairs and Business of the said Township our Royal will and plea- sure is and we do hereby for us our Heirs and Successors give and grant to the inhabitants of the said Township all the Powers, Authority, Privi- leges and Advantages heretofore given and granted to or legally enjoyed by all, any or either our other Township within our said Province AND we also ordain and establish that there shall be forever hereafter in the said Township One Supervisor, Two Assessors, One Treasurer, Two Over- seers of the Highways, Two Overseers of the Poor, One Collector and four Constables elected and chosen out of the Inhabitants of the said Town- ship yearly and every year on the first Tuesday in May at the most pub- lick place in the said Township, by the majority of Freeholders thereof. [End of contents of first piece of parchment.]
"THEN and there met and assembled for that purpose, hereby de- claring that wheresoever the first Election in the said Township shall be held the future Elections shall forever thereafter be held in the same place as near as may be, and giving and Granting unto the said officers so chosen, power and authority to exercise their said several and respective offices, during one whole year from such election, and until others are legally chosen and elected in their room and stead, as fully and amply as any the like officers have or legally may use or exercise their offices in our said Province. AND in case any or either of the said officers of the said Township should die or remove from the said Township before the Time · of their Annual service shall be expired or refuse to act in the Offices for which they shall respectively be chosen, then our Royal Will and pleasure further is and we do hereby direct ordain and require the Freeholders of the said Township to meet at the place where the annual election shall be
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held for the said Township and chuse other or others of the said Inhabi- tants of the said Township in the place or stead of him or them so dying removing or refusing to act within Forty days next after such contingency. AND to prevent any undue election in this case, We do hereby ordain and require, That upon every vacancy in the office of Supervisor, the Assessors, and in either of the other offices, the Supervisor of the said Township shall within ten days next after any such vacancy first happens appoint the Day for such Election and give public Notice thereof in Wri- ting under his . or their Hands by affixing such Notice on the Church Door, or other most public place in the said Township, at the least Ten days before the Day appointed for such Election, and in Default thereof we do hereby require the Officer or Officers of the said Township or the Survivor of them, who in the order they are hereinbefore mentioned shall next succeed him or them so making Default, within ten days next after such default to appoint the day for such election, and give notice thereof as aforesaid, HEREBY Giving and Granting that such person or persons as shall be so chosen by the majority of such of the Freeholders of the said Township as shall meet in manner hereby directed, shall have, hold, ex- ercise and enjoy the Office or Offices, to which he or they shall be so elected and chosen from the Time of such Election, until the first Tuesday in May then next following, and until other or others be legally chosen in his or their place and stead as fully as the person or persons in whose place he or they shall be chosen might or could have done by virtue of these presents. AND WE do hereby will and direct that this method shall for ever hereafter, be used for the filling up all vacancies that shall happen in any or either of the said Offices between the annual Elections above directed, PROVIDED always and upon condition nevertheless that · if our said Grantees, their heirs or assigns or some or one of them shall not within three years next after the conclusion of our present war with France settle on the said Tract of Land hereby granted so many families as shall amount to one Family for every thousand acres thereof OR if they our said Grantees, or one of them, their or one of their heirs, or assigns shall not also within three years to be computed as aforesaid plant and effectually cultivate at the least three acres for every fifty acres of such of the hereby granted Lands as are capable of cultivation, OR if they our said Grantees or any of them or any of their heirs or assigns, or any other person or persons by their or any of their previty consent or procurement, shall fell, cut down or otherwise destroy any of the Pine Trees by these Presents reserved to us our heirs and successors or hereby intended so to be, without the Royal license of us, our heirs or successors for so doing first had and obtained, that then and in any of these cases this our present Grant and every Thing therein contained shall cease and be absolutely void, and the Lands and Premises hereby granted shall revert to and vest in us, our heirs and successors, as if this our present Grant had not been made, anything hereinbefore contained to the contrary thereof in any wise
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
notwithstanding PROVIDED further and upon condition also nevertheless, and we do hereby for us, our heirs and successors direct and appoint that this our present Grant shall be registered and entered on Record within six months from the date thereof in our Secretary's Office in our City of New York in our said Province in one of the Books of Patents there re- maining and that a Docquet thereof shall be also entered in our Auditor's Office there for our said Province and that in default thereof this our present Grant shall be void and of none effect any Thing before in these Presents contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. AND WE DO moreover of our Grace certain knowledge and meer motion consent and agree that this our present Grant being registered, recorded and a Docquet thereof made as before directed and appointed shall be good and effectual in the Law to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes what- soever against us, our heirs and Successors notwithstanding any Misreci- ting, Misbounding, Misnaming or other Imperfection or Omission of, in, or in any wise concerning the above granted or hereby mentioned or in- tended to be granted Lands, Tenements, hereditaments and premises or any part thereof. IN TESTIMONY whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patent and the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. WITNESS our said trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden, Esquire, our Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of our Province of New-York and the Territories depending thereon in Ame- rica. At our Fort in our City of New-York the Twentieth day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty-two and of our Reign the second. (First Skin Line 31 the word of interlined line 47 the words any or wrote on an erazure and Line 49 the word the inter- lined.)" " CLARKE." 1
Endorsements on the back of the Parchment Skin No. 1 :
" Secretary's Office 25th May, 1762, The Within Letters Patent are Re- corded in Lib Patents No. 13, Pages 478 to 483."
" Geo. Banyar D Sec'y"
" New York Auditor Generals Office 1st June, 1762. The within Letters Patent to Daniel Prindle and others are Docqueted in this office."
" Geo Banyar Dept Auditor "
Endorsement on the back of parchment skin No. 2.
Letters Patent.
" 20th May, 1762.
" To Daniel Prindle, and others for 23000 acres of land in the county of Albany."
Attached to these parchments, was the great seal of the pro- vince, a fac-simile of which may be found in the fourth vol. of the Doc'y Hist. of N. Y.
1 One of the members of the council.
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PIONEER PROGRESS.
CHAPTER VII.
PICKET POSTS AND BLOCK HOUSES OF QUEENSBURY AND FORT ED- WARD-PROCLAMATION OF GOV. DELANCEY-JEFFREY COWPER SET- TLED AT THE HALF-WAY BROOK-VISIT OF ABRAHAM WING AND SURVEY OF THE QUEENSBURY PATENT-FIRST SETTLEMENT IN. QUEENSBURY AND ERECTION OF MILLS-FIRST CHILD IN QUEENSBURY BORN-LOCATION OF THE FIRST DWELLINGS-FIRST TOWN MEETING.
HE shouts and turmoil of sanguinary strife had scarcely ceased, before the busy axe of the pioneer was heard resounding through these storied plains, and in less than ten years from the close of the war, the entire forest border was alive with the industries of the hardy Saxon race, hewing a pathway to freedom for the oppressed nationali- ties of the old world.
In 1760, the year following the events just narrated in the preceding chapter, John Goffe in charge of 800 New Hamp- shire levies, cut a road direct through the wilderness from Charlestown, No. 4, in New Hampshire, to Crown Point, at which place he joined Col. Haviland, in the expedition against Montreal.1 The eastern borders of the state, and the debatable ground known as the Hampshire grants, were already echoing to the strokes of the woodman's axe, and resounding with the hum of toil, and the restless energy of Saxon and Celtic adven- turers.' And in advance of patentee, or land owner, the woods and trails of Queensbury were scoured by huntsmen and trap- pers, and disbanded soldiers prospecting among the often trod battle fields, for eligible sites whereon to locate military claims and soldiers' rights.
Reference has been made to the three picket forts erected within the limits of the township, during the progress of the French war. These were surrounded by considerable clear- ings, thus affording more than ordinary inducements to the hardy borderers and pioneers to begin settlements in what was then a nearly unbroken forest, where the savages and the wild
1 Wilson's Orderly book, Munsell's Hist. series, p. 58, note.
47
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
beast held paramount and undivided sway. North of Albany, the only settlements existing at this time, were the small ham- let at Fort Edward, and the still smaller outpost at Stillwater.
In a letter to the author in 1851, the late Mr. Timothy Eddy of Fort Edward, then one of the oldest residents there, made the following statement :
" There were originally six or eight block houses built in a circular direction on the heights around the fort, perhaps at nearly the same period of its erection. One of the most im- portant of these, was on the hill directly above the lock. One was situated about twenty rods east of the Methodist church, one on the south side of the creek half a mile from the fort, and one on the west side of the river on the point of the hill above where the (old) bridge was built,1 and one on each side of the river at the ferry."
These, with the homes of the few early settlers there, must then have formed the most considerable settlement between Albany and Montreal.
The old fort at Saratoga, which had been destroyed by the French and Indians in 1747, had never been rebuilt. The tide of immigration which, a couple of years later, commenced filling the wilderness borders of Albany county, with the bustle and thrift of Anglo-Saxon life, had not, as yet, commenced its flow.
The following proclamation by Lieut. Gov. DeLancey was made, in view of the need, long felt, of having a hardy popula- tion on the northern frontier, as a protection and bulwark 'against the incursions of the savages, which had hitherto been not only fearfully frequent, but had held in check, for nearly half a century, the march and progress of civilization.
From the Doc'y History of New York, vol. IV, p. 556.
By the Honorable James DeLancey Esq., His Majesty's Lieutenant Gov- ernor and Commander-in-chief in and over the province of New [L.s.] York and the territories depending thereon in America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas from the Success of His Majesty's Arms, in the Reduction of the important Fortresses at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and the very Strong Works erecting at the latter, the whole Country along Hudson's
1 This is called the Royal block house, in a collection of plans elsewhere referred to in this work, and to be found in the military pocket book in the state library at Albany, in which a full detail and sketch is given of this fortification.
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A PROCLAMATION.
River down to Albany, will for the future be so effectually covered and secured from the Ravages of the Enemy, that the Inhabitants may return to their Settlements and abide there with safety to their Persons Families and Estates ; in confidence of which, many have already returned to their Habitations. And whereas the Fortress now erecting at Crown Point is in great forwardness, and His Excellency Major General Amherst hath assured me, that he is determined it shall be so far finished before the Troops go into Winter Quarters, as to answer the Purpose of covering and protecting the Country and as an encouragement to Settlers, he has de- sired I would make known, that those who with the leave of this Govern- ment shall now choose to go and settle between Lake George and Fort Edward, will there find, three Several Spots of cleared Ground, two of them capable of containing half a dozen Families each, and the other not less than twelve; on which shall be left standing for their Convenience the Wooden Hutts and Coverings of the Troops that have been posted there since the Beginning of the Campaign, which from the footing we have now at Crown Point, will be no longer necessary, and will be evacuated and left for the use of those who shall become Settlers. The first of the said Spotts is situated four miles above Fort Edward; The Second at the Half way Brook ; and the other three miles from Lake George. The Soil good and capable of Improvement, and all three well watered. The Half- way Brook being the Spott sufficient for a dozen Families. I have there- fore thought fit by and with the Advice of His Majesty's Council to issue this Proclamation, Hereby inviting the Inhabitants who formerly aban- doned their Dwellings to return to their Settlements, and improve the ad- vantages offered to them under the Protection and Cover of the important Posts and Strong Fortresses above mentioned. And as an inducement to such as shall be inclined to settle on any or either of the three Spotts of Ground above described : I do hereby promise his Majesty's Grant there- of to any Persons who shall apply for the same, on condition of immediate settlement thereof in the form of a Township with a sufficient quantity of Woodland adjoining for that purpose ; and that I will use my Endeavors to obtain for the Grantees an Exemption from the Payment of Quit Rent for such a number of years as his Majesty shall be pleased to indulge therein.
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