Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 198

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 198

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4. Potter's Hollow is also a small village, lying in the extreme west part of the town, of about 100 inhabitants. It has a post-office, hotel, Quaker church, two stores, one a hardware and the other for general merchandise. It was first settled about 1806. It is the home of ex-Senator Valentine Treadwell, who has been Supervisor, Assembly- man and Senator, and is now a Justice of the Peace. His father, Stephen Treadwell, was an able Friends preacher here. Its early settlers were the Potters, Samuel and Timothy, from whom it derived its name. Potter Palmer, the Chicago millionaire, was born and grew to manhood here. He is the proprietor of the well-known Palmer House of that city. His father, Benjamin Palmer, was an extensive farmer and landowner, and re- puted wealthy. He was Justice of the Peace and a leading citizen. His eldest son, Akins, is a wealthy and highly respected citizen of this village.

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A daughter, Ann, wife of Rev. Philip Couchman, resides here. Benjamin's two other sons, Milton J. and William, reside in Chicago, Ill.

5. Rensselaerville is the largest village in the east part of the town, and after its settlement be- came the chief place of business and financial center, which it maintained till about twenty- five years ago. When its wealthy citizens died and the wealth disappeard, at least its enterprise lan- guished. Yet with its three or four stores, a good hotel and its mills and manufactories, it has of late recovered a portion of its former importance. Its post-office is a money order and postal order office, in charge of Postmaster George L. Bouten. Its population is about 600. It has an academy, a flourishing district school, four churches-Presbyte- rian, Baptist, Methodist and Episcopal, all fine edifices. Messrs. Geo. L. Boughton and F. Huyck have erected a large custom flouring mill, which is run under the supervision of Mr. Boughton. It once had a large woolen and felt manufactory, owned by F. C. Huyck and Waterbury. These men moved away, and on their departure the machinery of the mill was also taken down.

What may be termed its first settlement was started upon the hill west of its present site, near the Rufus Bouten farm-house, where the first Presbyterian church was built, and in the vicinity of the Fuller place. Afterward Samuel Jenkins, who came here February 22, 1788, settled in the valley, and in the following April erected the first dwelling in the village, and afterward built the first grist-mill, subsequently called the lower mill, and soon the present site began to be the village proper. Samuel Jenkins was really the founder of the vil- lage, and the place should have been named after him. He was the father of Jonathan Jenkins and the grandfather of Charles M. Jenkins, Esq., of Albany.

Daniel and Josiah Conklin, from Long Island, were among the early settlers. Daniel engaged in tanning and shoe manufacturing and became wealthy. They located for a time with Reuben King, about two and a half miles west of this vil- lage, but finally removed to this place. The tan- nery was then in the southern part of the village. His son, Gurdon Conklin, became a successful tan- ner. Judson Conklin one of the substantial citizens, is a farmer a little northeast of the village. Asa and Philo Culver were early business men, the former being at one time Supervisor of the town. Wheeler Watson was an early settler and man of business affairs. Malbon Watson, who became a successful lawyer and afterward a Judge of the Supreme Court, was a son of Wheeler Wat- son. Rufus Watson, a brother of Wheeler, was a blacksmith, and afterward managed a hotel in the village, in the house still later owned and occupied by Caleb Tompkins. At that time Caleb Tomp- kins had the lower hotel. Josiah, another brother of Wheeler Watson, was a farmer living on the farm called of late the Philip Teeter farm, next west above the Fuller place. Arnold B. Watson, a son of Josiah, afterward became the president and main stockholder of the Unadilla Bank. Rev. Samuel

Fuller, the first pastor of the Presbyterian church, lived on the farm where Wm. Aley died. Henry Stone, an able lawyer, then lived in the village. Abram and Louis Dayton were early merchants and business men. They each amassed good for- tunes. Dr. Hyde, an eminent physician, lived and died in this village. Dr. Platt Wickes, who has been Dr. Hyde's successor in the practice of medi- cine, has spent his life here, and reared a large and respectable family. He still lives, at the age of 89, in the full possession of all his faculties. Then came Robert L. Mulford, a successful merchant and business man, and John Huyck, successor to the Daytons. Each became well-to-do merchants and retired with a competence. Earlier yet, Ely Hutch- inson was a successful merchant, retiring wealthy. Among the second generation was John Niles, who practiced law, and served the people as a Justice of the Peace and as Judge in the County Court, and was respected for his integrity.

Franklin Frisby lately died in this village, leav- ing an ample fortune. O. H. Chittenden was a leading lawyer at the bar of this county, and while a resident of Rensselaerville was elected Surrogate of Albany City and County, dying soon after his term of office closed.

In the beautiful cemetery of the village, where lie the remains of the most of those persons who are named as dead, there stands a large and costly monument to the memory of the brave soldiers who went out from the town to fight for their country. At the dedication of this monument, a few years ago, the late Hon. Lyman Tremain, of Albany, delivered the oration in presence of a large concourse of people there assembled. In the second generation was also Dr. Gilbert H. Titns, who for many years was Town Clerk, and later Justice of the Peace.

INDIANS.

About the year 1711 there were five paths or trails through this part of the country, used by the Indians. The main one began at Catskill and followed the stream by that name through the southwest corner of the town of Rensselaerville, and on through the present site of Preston Hollow. This, being the most attractive valley leading from the Hudson River to the Schoharie Valley, was universally used and traversed by the different tribes of Indians, and consequently this portion of the town was the first section settled, which from traditions was not later than 1712.

The Stockbridge and Schoharie tribes frequented this trail, and afterward the Stockbridge tribe lo- cated near the Schoharie tribe. The first settlers were Derrick Van Dyke, who, before the Revolu- tion settled upon lot No. 103, on the flats, near the present site of Preston Hollow, and Andries Huyck, who settled on Lot No. 84, in the same village. Derrick Van Dyke often told his son Abram about this Stockbridge tribe of Indians, who in his time visited this section for the purpose of hunting and fishing in and along the Catskill Creek; that their camping ground was on what is now known as Coon's Meadow, on the outskirts

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THE TOWNSHIP OF RENSSELAERVILLE.

of Preston Hollow. He also said that these In- dians were careful observers of .the Sabbath, re- fraining from hunting and fishing on that day, and in all respects keeping it holy. This was attrib- uted to the preaching of the renowned Eliot. Ap- ple trees are still standing and bearing fruit upon the lands of John Hess, which tradition says were planted by these Indians. Many readers will re- member reading a sketch of the massacre of the Deitz family, in Berne, in this county, during the Revolution, by a party of Brant's Indians, who, after committing their terrible crime, hastened to- ward the head waters of the Catskill Creek. In their course they passed the house of Michael Brant, a white man, who was the first settler on lot No. 225, in this town. Brant's house then stood in the hollow near the present residence of William Chapman. And so on they went with their prisoners, John and Captain Deitz, and trophies of their plunder, and the scalps of their victims upon poles. At the time of this Indian incursion into Berne Mr. Brant had gone to Catskill, leaving his family alone, and returned just in time to see these Indians pass his house. But they offered no violence to those within, but passed on down the Fox Creek, through the present site of Preston Hollow, camping that night at the junction of West and Catskill creeks, the present site of Cooks- burgh.

CHAPTER II.

The first settler in or near the present site of Preston Hollow was Derrick Van Dyke, who, with his family, left Rhinebeck, coming on foot to this place, and settled here on lot No. 103, in the year 1770. He erected a house on the flats near the bank of the Catskill Creek, on the farm where John Hess now lives. Upon the site thereof are still standing a number of apple trees of his plant- ing, which, down till within a few years back, have borne fruit. Van Dyke was of Low Dutch extrac- tion. Tradition has it that he was a recognized friend of the British during the Revolution, dur- ing which he was seized by the Indians and car- ried captive to the headquarters of Sir William Johnson, who led a force of British soldiers, in conjunction with his Indian allies under the noted Indian chief Brant, in the Valley of the Mohawk. Van Dyke soon returned home without injury, and his house was ever after that a hospitable and wel- come home to the Indians when journeying be- tween Kingston and Schoharie, and in return, al- though they were under command of their Chief Brant, they never offered him or his house any molestation; hence tradition classed Van Dyke a Tory.

Van Dyke's family, consisting of his wife and four sons, trudged their way on foot, carrying their burdens, with no road to follow other than the Indian trail we have mentioned. And, gentle readers, who ride, perhaps, in an easy carriage and think elliptic springs and a good road scarcely en- durable, must not be offended when informed that your great-great-grandmothers (I am now talking to the fair sex, descendants of the sturdy pilgrims

to this happy valley, not Rasselas, but of the Catskill), clad in linsey-woolsey of limited length, bearing each on her back a sack of provisions or clothing, set out upon this long journey on foot, upon this intricate Indian trail or foot-path. Would you ask why their husbands did not carry the bur- dens thus imposed upon their amiable consorts? They had not a vehicle of any kind, nor indeed had they a single horse; consequently the husband, and all the children able to bear burdens, were heavily laden, sleeping nights in the open air, after having built fires to keep off the wolves, which thickly infested the forests through which they jour- neyed.

Derrick Van Dyke had four sons, viz., Abram, Henry, John and Jacob. Of these we give the career of Abram, the eldest, as of the others we learn nothing of importance to this narrative. Abram became a leading citizen of Preston Hollow, hav- ing settled and lived in that village from its earliest date, and was afterward familiarly known by the name of " Brommie." The want of grist-mills was a source of great inconvenience to the early set- tlers. At first there was no mill nearer to Preston Hollow than that at Leeds, 20 miles distant; after- ward there was one in the Schoharie Valley, near Middleburgh, the early settlers being compelled to follow the foot-path or Indian trail, at first carrying their grain on their backs to Leeds, to have it ground. Afterward they procured ox teams, and carried their grain on sleds to the Schoharie mill. "Uncle Brommie " (Abram) in after years would relate how, when a young man, his father sent him to this Schoharie Valley mill with an ox team and sled, over a tortuous and tedious route, about 16 miles, through a dense wilderness, upon what scarcely might be termed a road; and on his re- turn how he was set upon by a pack of howling wolves, that threatened instantly to devour him and his oxen, but that, by his hallooing and the use of his ox-goad alternately on sleigh and oxen, he finally escaped and reached home in safety. Early in the settlement of Preston Hollow Abram Van Dyke built and owned the first grist-mill in that village and section, the same afterward owned and run by miller Adams, as he was called. This mill was subsequently rebuilt upon a large scale by R. R. Post, and is now owned and operated by Lawrence Faulk & Co.

Abram lived many years in the house still stand- ing at the north end of the village, opposite the fine residence of Warren S. Purington. While Van Dyke occupied it there was a stoop or veranda in front of it, from which the writer, when a boy, has often heard the sweet notes of Uncle Brommie's hand-organ. He was at one time a justice of the peace, which office he held by appointment of the Governor. He died in the same house described above, September 19, 1842, aged 76 years. He had five sons and five daughters, viz., Richard, William, Abram, Harry, Reuben, Sibyl, Kate, Lydia, Millie and Nellie, all of whom we have not space to follow; but of two of his children who made their mark in the world, Richard and Wil- liam, we will briefly make mention.

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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

Richard was educated for the practice of law, and for many years lived and practiced his profes- sion near Cairo, Greene County. In later years he went West, where he engaged in his law practice until his death. He was a good lawyer, and stood high in his profession.

William Van Dyke married Sally Ann Dare, a daughter of Captain Abijah Dare, a revolutionary soldier and pensioner, who was an early settler, and at this time lived upon and owned the farm or a portion of that now owned and occupied by Benjamin White, in Preston Hollow. William's wife, Sally Ann, died in that village, July 3, 1837, aged 31 years. By this marriage there was born to him a number of children, only one of whom, Earl Van Dyke, survives. He is a contractor, now living in Catskill. After living in Preston Hollow many years he purchased a large farm in Cones- ville, Schoharie County, upon which he moved and continued to reside until his death. He was an extensive and successful drover and dealer in cat- tle and other live stock. He again married a sec- ond wife, by whom he had many children, one of whom, George, is also a large land-owner and drover, residing in Conesville, Schoharie County, where he is held in high esteem, and has held the office of Supervisor of the town. He is a man of sound judgment, possessing all the business quali- ties of his father.

Lawrence Faulk was also an early settler ; came in here about 1790 ; he owned and lived upon the farm now owned by Hiram Kelsey, where he reared many children. The subject of this sketch became also an extensive business man in his day, owning two or three different turnpike roads, among them, one time, the Schoharie turnpike, running through Preston Hollow. His house was the central place for town meetings ; the famous town whipping post being located at his place. He died Novem- ber 15, 1838, aged 72 years, and is buried beside his wife, Esther, who died October 22, 1849, aged 82 years, in the Creek Side Cemetery, in Preston Hollow. He had seven children, viz., William, John, Lawrence, David, Peter, Hiram and Mary.

William died January 16, 1859, aged 72 years; his wife Elizabeth died October 31, 1865, aged 79.

John became a lawyer ; he was educated at the Greenville Academy, and among his classmates were Judge Amasa J. Parker and the late Michael Sandford ; he died in Illinois a few years ago.

Lawrence Faulk, the next son, has been a suc- cessful lawyer, but on account of his extreme age is about retiring from practice ; he has held many offices of trust in the town of Rensselaerville, and for many years was Justice of the Peace ; he lives in Preston Hollow, where he has resided from an early period ; his son, Norman Wheaton Faulk, became his successor in the practice of law. Lawrence Faulk, Jr., married Mrs. Lucinda Hub- bard, a daughter of Col. Darius Phelps ; she was the widow of Giles Hubbard, who died at Scho- harie while Sheriff of Schoharie County. Sheriff Hubbard was a classmate of Gov. De Witt Clinton and Cadwallader Colden, in Union College, from which he was a graduate.

Peter, another son, is still living as a farmer in Michigan.

Hiram, the youngest son, had a checkered ca- reer for many years ; is now living in Ohio.

Mary married Jacob White, both of whom are now dead.

David Faulk is a highly respected citizen of the village of Durham, where he owns and manages a hotel.

Alvin Devereux was among the early business men in the town ; he lived at Preston Hollow ; he died November 7, 1825, aged 34 years ; he was the father of Alvin Devereux, Esq., of Deposite, N. Y., and of Horace T. Devereux, Esq., of Preston Hollow ; each has been honored with the office of supervisor a number of times in their respective towns. Mr. Alvin Devereux was in nom- ination on the Democratic ticket for one of the Presidential Electors on the Grover Cleveland ticket; he is a leading citizen of his county. The widow of Alvin Devereux, Sr., Mrs. Olivia Devereux, was an excellent and estimable lady ; she was born October 22, 1794; died February 8, 1872; she was an exemplary woman, a Christian lady, a member of the Presbyterian church ; her deeds of goodness and charity were widely known, and, when she died, the utterance was universal that a mother to the village had gone. Her death was lamented by all citizens.

CHAPTER III.

Commencing in the year 1787, to which year this chapter will be confined, we shall give the name and residence in that year of each settler in the southwest portion of Rensselaerville, for in that year neither of the villages of Preston Hollow or Potter's Hollow existed, and Cooksburgh sprang up at a comparatively late date. Beginning at the west line of the town, on lot No. 145, upon the Catskill Creek and Valley, the first residence was that of Peter Nouck, on lot No. 102 (being the farm afterward known as the Tignor and Goff farms). Mr. Nouck's house was then the western terminus of the road leading to Dewitt's grist-mill. In 1787 there were but three main roads, with branches, in this town ; one leading from Nouck's along the Catskill Creek to Dewitt's mill (now Oak Hill), and thence to Leeds ; another, then called the "new road," from Freehold to Schoharie, which from Oak Hill ran north through this town by the "Big Lake." The other was called the "old road," running farther east of the "new road," and intersecting the latter on lot No. 186, where, in 1787, stood the residences of Thomas Brown, Adam Coons and Niel McFalls ; and at lot 207 stood the dwelling of John Nicholls, where a branch road started running northeast to Beaver Dam (now known as Berne). At lot No. 267, upon which then stood the two dwellings of Joseph Lincoln and John Rausier, from the Beaver Dam road commenced a road running southeast through lots Nos. 249, 250, 230, 231 and 212, all then occupied. This was called Basick Path. Having given all the roads in the town in 1787, we return

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THE TOWNSHIP OF RENSSELAERVILLE.

again to the southwest portion of the town. We left off at Peter Nouck's. The next dwelling was that of Derrick Van Dyke, lot No. 103, heretofore described. We next come to lot No. 84, where, in 1787, lived Andries Huyck, now owned by Peter and Edgar Mattice. Huyck's residence stood on the rise of ground up back of the present buildings on that farm, which are now in the vil- lage of Preston Hollow. Andries Huyck's house, and that of Bastian Smith, on lot 66 (upon which two lots now is situated the present village of Pres- ton Hollow), must be said to be the only house on the site of that village in 1787. Smith's house was on the farm now owned by P. Murphy. Follow- ing the road as it winds along the Catskill Creek through lot 46, then unoccupied, we reach lot 45, upon which stood the residence of Peter Bas- sor ; here the road left the creek and ran directly to Dewitt's mill. Passing through lot 7, upon which lived Peter Plank, the next and last lot on the south line of the town was lot No. 8, where stood the residence of Peter West. Having arrived at the south town line in this direction, we are at the residence of Peter Basser, and follow the Cats- kill Creek southerly (although in 1787 there was no road as now leading from Preston Hollow to Cooksburgh or Potter's Hollow), and come to lot 27, near the junction of Catskill and West Creeks. Here lived Peter Becker, while lot 26 is the present site of Cooksburgh. We proceed up the West Creek toward where now stands Potter's Hollow. The next lot is No. 25, then occupied by Peter Shoemaker. This is the lot afterward owned and occupied by Benjamin Palmer, Esq., known in his day as an extensive land-owner and very wealthy. It was here he reared a large family of children, four sons and three daughters. Benjamin Palmer was an honest, frugal and upright man, having filled the office of Justice of the Peace with honor and ability. He died many years ago. Of his children it may truly be said that they all ever walked in the paths of rectitude, and grew to be men and women, loved and respected by their neighbors and acquaintances. We now proceed up the West Creek. The next dwelling was that of Hendrick Young, standing on south side of the creek, on lot 24. The next lot was 44, where stood the residence of Peter Emerick. At this time not a building stood upon the present site of Potter's Hollow.

CHAPTER IV.

Doctor Samuel Preston, from whom the village of Preston Hollow took its name, came there soon after the Revolution ; he having emigrated from Connecticut, and settled here in 1789, was the first settler and founder of the village, although Houck had erected a cabin about a quarter of a mile on the northeast of the village previous to this. Doctor Preston lived in a large wooden frame build- ing (the first erected in the village), which was still standing a few years ago upon the site where now stands the new dwelling of Hon. W. Coon. Dr. Preston erected the first saw-mill and mill-

dam in the village, being upon the same site as that now maintained by H. T. Devereux. During the time Preston ran this saw-mill this valley was a dense wilderness of huge pine timber, and lumber- ing was the chief business of him and the other early settlers. Of Preston's family we learn of his having three sons, Eben, Jeremiah and Roswell. He had two daughters, one of whom became the wife of Nathaniel Rider (afterward a wealthy and leading citizen) ; the other became the wife of Samuel Hill. The latter were the parents of Mrs. Matilda Brant, who is still living with her children in the village.

Henry Couchman, another very early settler in this town, emigrated from Dutchess County soon after his marriage and settled one and a half miles from the present village of Preston Hollow, while this, the southwest portion of the town, was a dense wilderness. He, too, suffered the privations of a pioneer life. The nearest mill being at Leeds, twenty-four miles distant, and the nearest apple tree at Schoharie, from whence in after years he procured a bushel of apples, saved the seeds, which he planted and raised an orchard, which is still stand- ing on the farm, about a mile and a half west of the village, now owned by his grandson, Edward Couchman. His wife, a beautiful High Dutch woman, full of fortitude and perseverance, in after life often related their early adventures in connec- tion with the Indians, also of her using the gun to drive off the invading wolf and bear from their flocks and domestic animals. He accumulated a good property and reared a family of seven chil- dren upon this farm, viz., Philip, David, John, Margaret, Betsey, Polly and Sirena. Philip, the oldest, married a daughter of Rev. John Winans, the latter for many years pastor of the Preston Hollow Baptist Church. Soon after his marriage Philip moved to Black Rock (now the lower part of Buffalo), about the time of the war of 1812. He subsequently returned to Broome, where he reared a family of ten children. He was honored by his town with the offices of Supervisor and Justice of the Peace. He died in 1857, aged 72 years. David, after his father's death, purchased the old homestead farm, where he lived until not many years ago, when he died, highly respected by his townsmen, who had honored him with many town offices, all of which he filled with honor to himself and his constituents. John died a short time ago at Cooksburg, having retired from business. For many years he had carried on a blacksmith shop in Preston Hollow. Margaret, the eldest daughter, married Holly Winans. Their son, Philo Winans, with his family, resides now in the village. Betsey married Henry Horer, who became a man of wealth, made chiefly by the tanning business, carried on at Haurerville. He moved to Middleburgh, and lived a retired life, and he and his wife died at that place a few years ago, the latter at the age of 82 years. Polly married William Burnett. She died in Ontario County. Sirena married John Haga- dorn. She died in Michigan.

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 198

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452