Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 23

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 23

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Rev. John Crawford, about 1789, organized the first Methodist class here, and a stone edifice for their worship was erected in 1793, said to have been the first Methodist church west of the Hud- son. The celebrated Freeborn Garretson was pre- siding elder of an extensive district up and down the river. March 5, 1793, the Reformed Church, Rev. Jacob Sickles, pastor, was organized ; in 1797 it built a large brick church.

The Coeymans Academy was established by Fletcher Blaisdell, Theophilus Civill and Peter

OUTLINE SKETCHES OF THE TOWNS OF THE COUNTY.

Seabridge, in 1858. The fine buildings for a new literary institution, recently erected by Anton Civil, of this town, are not yet opened. Sawmills were erected on the creek just north of Beeren Island as early as 1651.

The Coeymans Gazette was started in 1863, edited by Prof. Thomas McKee, who afterward took it to Greenbush and published it until his death as the Rensselaer County Gazette. The Coeymans Herald is published weekly by S. H. and E. J. Sherman.

For several years after the Revolution a few Oneida Indians called the Aquetucks resided in this town.

Among the prominent citizens of this town during the past century may be named John and James Colvin, John and David McCarty, Hugh Jolly, Archibald Stephens, Andrew and Anthony Ten Eyck, Abraham and Isaac Verplanck, Moses Stanton, Dr. Jesse Smith, Nathaniel Niles, John P. Beeckman, and many others. Hon. Andrew J. Colvin was born in Coeymans, April 30, 1808 ; was educated at Albany Academy under Dr. Beck ; read law with Van Buren & Butler ; began practice in Albany in 1830; has been Corporation Counsel, District Attorney and State Senator. He was in the Senate in 1861 when the Rebellion broke out, and has been spoken of as "the very first Demo- cratic official who threw up a rocket in favor of equal constitutional freedom for all." He is now, at the age of seventy-seven, actively engaged in professional practice.

COHOES was formed from Watervliet and incor- porated as a city, May 9, 1869. It previously, from April 12, 1855, had been an incorporated village of Watervliet. It has an area of 1,575 acres.

The history of this city is recent, and is, chiefly, a history of its manufactures. These are well written up by Rev. Wm. H. Johnson, and will appear in this work. The antiquities of this local- ity and its natural wonders are presented in an ex- cellent manner, in connection with other points of interest relating to its growth and present condition, in "Masten's History of Cohoes," a volume reflect- ing great credit upon its painstaking author.

COLONIE, once an incorporated town and village, is entitled to a place in our history, although its existence as such was brief, and is now obsolete. Its name is still preserved in one of the streets of Albany.

The term "the Colonie " was undoubtedly ap- plied originally to all the colonized territory of Rensselaerwyck. But it came to be limited, it

appears, to that portion lying outside of the City of Albany, especially north of it, in which were situated the mansion of the Patroon, with his mills and offices, the residences of his officers, and the homes of his immediate farmers, gardeners and other dependents. We find it frequently used in the time of Stuyvesant and other Dutch governors. "The limits of the Colonie were fixed above and below the fort," say the Directors of the West India Company in 1652. "The limits be- tween Fort Orange and the Colonie were, in 1654, still undetermined." Some confusion as to jurisdiction between Gov. Stuyvesant and the Patroon's agents necessarily followed. The Gov- ernor was willing to allow the Colonie four miles on one side or two on each bank of the river, with- out the limits of Fort Orange. The question as to jurisdiction remained unsettled until 1664, when England assumed jurisdiction over the whole Prov- ince of New York, no longer New Netherlands.

During the years that followed the English con- quest, "the Colonie" continued as a local designa- tion of the district lying without the city, and north of it. Its southern limits were defined by Quacken- bush street, and Patroon street, now called Clinton avenue. It was outside the stockade, which lat- terly had its palisades a little north of Orange and Van Tromp streets. When Watervliet was formed, in 1788, coextensive with the western district of Rensselaerwyck, " the Colonie" was, of course, a part of its territory. The Hudson marked its eastern limits; but its western and northern were not defined. It was understood to include the "Upper Hollow " and the settlements and business places therein, the Mansion House and its office, and the lands near them. Kenwood was the " Lower Hollow."

It was set apart as a district, March 31, 1791, and again, by an additional act, March 30, 1801. April 9, 1804, it was incorporated as a village in the town of Watervliet, and organized as a separate town, April 11, 1808, as described by the Legisla- tive act following :

" Be it enacted, &c., That from and after the first day of April next all that part of the town of Watervliet, beginning at the west bank of Hudson's River and in the northeast corner of the bounds of the City of Albany, and extending northerly along the said river, about three-quarters of a mile, to what is called the Mill-creek : thence running westerly, one mile, up along the said creek : thence southerly with a line parallel to the said river, till it intersects the north bounds of the said city : thence easterly, along the said north bounds to the place

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

of beginning, shall be and is hereby erected into a separate town, by the name of the Colonie."

It was divided, February 25, 1815, and its legal existence as a town terminated by giving its terri- tory to Albany and Watervliet. The Albany por- tion was made the "Fifth Ward " for many years.

It was a small town, less in area than any other town in the State. Its population in 1810 was only 1,406, and in 1815, 1,657, having 245 houses and stores, and thirty slaves. The houses and stores were principally on one street, except near Albany.

In 1818 an effort was made to restore it to town privileges, but did not succeed.

In Colonic, in 1813, were "the Public Garden of Mr. Buckmaster," two breweries, a distillery, two large tanneries, a tallow chandlery, rope walks, a grain mill and several other manufactories, in- cluding a part of the "tobacco works" of Mr. James Caldwell, which were on Mill Creek, mostly on the north or Watervliet side. There was also "a Seceders' Church," whatever that might be, and "a large brick edifice filled with military stores belonging to the State of New York and the United States," called "The Arsenal," standing "on the east side of the principal street," "connected with which is a large yard."

Says Spafford in 1813, in his "Gazetteer of New York:" "The compact village of Colonic is con- tinuous with Albany, of which it forms a large and populous suburb, though legally organized under a separate municipality." "That part necessarily belongs to Albany in a general view of its popula- tion, resources, wealth, trade and general char- acter."

In Fry's Albany Directory for 1813, the first published in the city, we find no name of a citizen of Colonie except "Spafford, Horatio G., author of Geography and Gazetteer, Colonie, two doors south of Arsenal." Mr. Fry makes this explana- tion in his prefatory "Notice :" "Should this pub- lication meet its hoped-for encouragement, in the sale of the books, the next may be accompanied with a list of inhabitants in the Colonie and a map of the city."

GUILDERLAND was named from Guilderlandt in the Netherlands. It was formed from Watervliet, February 26, 1803. The northwest portion of the city of Albany was annexed to this town, February 26, 1871. It is bounded, north by Schenectady County, east by Watervliet and Albany, south by Bethlehem and New Scotland, west by Knox, and has an area of 38,784 acres, the largest number of any town in the county. Its outline is very singu-

lar, suggesting a rhombus in general form, the apexes of the two acute angles of which are fifteen miles apart northwest and southeast.

The surface is quite varied, from the sandy ridges and the marshes of the eastern part of the town to the higher hills of the Helderbergs on the west. The soil is a barren sand in the northeast; but there are many fertile farms of sandy loam well improved by cultivation in other parts of the town, producing excellent grass, grain and fruits, which find a ready market in Albany.

The Indian Ladder Gap, supposed to mark an ancient Indian trail, is in this town, and remark- able for picturesque scenery.

Formerly the town was distinguished for certain manufactures. In 1792 glass works were com- menced in this town, eight miles from Albany. Among the proprietors were Jeremiah Van Rens- selaer, John Sanders, Abraham Ten Eyck, Elkanah Watson, Frederick A. De Zeng, K. K. Van Rens- selaer, Douw Fonda, Walter Cochran, Thomas Mather and Samuel Mather.

In 1796 the ground was laid out in streets and house lots, and plans for a church and school house were made. The project of a manufactur- ing town, to be called Hamilton, in honor of Alexander Hamilton, was considered. The Legis- lature, as an encouragement, exempted the com- pany and the workmen from taxation for five years. The corporation was called the Albany Glass Com- pany. At the first, it was owned by McClallen, McGregor & Co., the Co. being James Caldwell and Christopher Batterman; and a loan was granted to the proprietors by the State to the amount of £3,000 for eight years-three years without interest and five years at five per cent. In 1795 Robert McGregor left the firm, and a new company, under the name of Thomas Mather & Co., was formed. At one period 500,000 feet of window glass was manufactured annually. The works were discontinued in 1815, as it is said, for want of a suitable supply of sand and fuel.

Abel French, of Albany, established a factory near the center of the town in 1800, and the place was named French's Mills. In 1795 clothing mills were erected here by Peter K. Broeck. In 1800 Knowersville had a cotton factory, and later a hat factory. The first tavern in town was kept here by Jacob Acker during the Revolution.

Whigs and Tories dwelt here in constant feud during the trying days of 1775-83. The feelings then engendered between discordant families long remained. The exultant Whigs, on getting news of the surrender of Burgoyne, it is said, illuminated

OUTLINE SKETCHES OF THE TOWNS OF THE COUNTY.

the surrounding country by burning a hollow chestnut tree filled with tar, standing upon a high hill.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized October 13, 1787, Heinrich Moeller, first pastor.

Among the natives of this town are Judges James A. Mckown and Jacob H. Clute, Edward Robinson, Wm. Dey Ermand, John M. Batterman, Stephen R. Gray, Peter Walker, Hiram Griggs, Wm. D. Strevell, Dr. Thomas Helm, and many others well known in the county.

KNOX was named from John Knox, the emi- nent divine and bold reformer of Scotland. It was formed from Berne, February 28, 1822. It has the smallest area of any town in the county, containing 26,402 acres. It is situated in the northwest corner of the county, and is bounded, north by Schenec- tady County, east by Guilderland, south by Berne, and west by Schoharie County.

Its surface is an elevated plateau, inclining slightly toward the northwest from the Helderbergs, which lie on its eastern border. Small hills diversify the surface. The soil is generally of good quality, and arable, composed of a gravelly, calcareous loam mixed with clay, overtopping hardpan. Several small caves are found in this town.

It is a farming town, with a few grist, saw and woolen mills for local manufacture.

The first settlers were Dutch, who took leases from Van Rensselaer before the Revolution. After this war, from 1788 to 1790, several families from Connecticut came to settle. Among them were Samuel Abbott and Andrew Brown. Tories were there during the Revolution until the surrender of Burgoyne, when they went to a more congenial home in the Canadas. Capt. Jacob Van Aerden was the leading man among the Whigs of that day.

The first church is said to have been the Dutch Reformed.

There long existed a public library in this town. In 1824 it numbered about 400 volumes. It was modeled after the New England town libraries, and was helpful in forming the character of the people to habits of intellectual culture and good morals.

The anti-rent feeling in this town was general and intense. Most of the farmers held manorial leases, and resisted the collection of rents with in- flexible determination. Collectors, sheriffs, and the posse comitatus were often unsuccessful. Resort was had more than once to the military, who, with- out bloodshed, caused arrests and trials in courts.

Strifes of this sort began soon after the death of "the old Patroon," in 1839, who had been very indulgent to his tenants. It pervaded all the towns of the county, and all the people who occupied leased lands. It entered into local and State poli- tics. No towns, perhaps, showed more active re- sistance than Berne and Knox. It lasted several years, and was terminated only by the decisions of the courts and the enforcement of law. Even as late as July, 1866, a detachment of 100 men under Capt. James McFarland, of the 10th regiment, went from Albany to Knox and secured the arrest of nine respectable citizens, who, no doubt, hon- estly felt that they were resisting unjust claims.

NEW SCOTLAND .- Among its early settlers are to be found these Scotch names: Reid, Wands, Watt, Swan, Kirkland, Patterson, Ramsay, McMullin, McCulloch, and others. Through the influence of these natives of Scotland, no doubt, came the name of the town. About 1758, Teunis Slingerland, a Hollander, purchased 9,874 acres of this territory from the Indians, located on the Oneskethau Flats, and erected the first mills. He is considered the first settler. The town was erected from Bethlehem, April 25, 1832 ; has an area of 34, 324 acres, and is the central town of the county, and the young- est, if we do not reckon the city of Cohoes as a town. It is inclosed by other towns, as follows : Guilderland, north ; Bethlehem, east; Coeymans and Westerlo, south ; Westerlo, Berne, and Knox, west. Rensselaerville and Watervliet and the cities of Albany and Cohoes alone do not touch it.

The surface is elevated, consisting, in the eastern and central portion, of rolling lands varied by hills of moderate height. The Helderbergs border the western limits, their highest peak being situated at the Helderberg Station of the Coast Survey, 1, 823 feet above the sea, and near the southwest corner of the town. Gravelly loam with clay inter- mixed makes a productive soil under proper cul- ture.

The town has striking geological features which have attracted the interest of many geologists in the State ; limestone caves, sink hills and subter- ranean streams, are among the natural curiosities. Sulphur springs are found, stones for flagging and building are quarried, and plaster is ground in this town. Mr. James Hendrick has a farm of 165 acres under the highest culture, on which are the "Font Grove Nurseries," and where are carefully cultivated outdoor and greenhouse plants; also flowers and fruits in the greatest variety. He has twelve large greenhouses. The farm and green- houses will repay a special visit.

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

The inhabitants are chiefly descendants of the Dutch, the Walloons and the Scotch. Many are from New England.

Isaac Perry, an emigrant from France, was one of the earliest settlers. The hewn stone house, built by his son Nicholas before the Revolution, is still standing near Wolf Hill on the Helderbergs. George Reid and other Scotch immigrants came at an early day,

A Dutch Reformed Church was organized at Jerusalem about 1780. The house of worship was erected in 1790. Harmanus Van Huysen was the first pastor, who subsequently organized the church at New Salem and became its pastor. The New Scotland Presbyterian Church was organized about 1787, and had, as its first pastor, Rev. Benjamin Judd.

RENSSELAERVILLE was named in honor of Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, the "Old Patroon," and is the first town formed from old Watervliet. It was erected, March 8, 1790, and included Berne, taken off, March 17, 1795, and the westerly part of Westerlo, taken off March 16, 1815. It contains 37,354 acres ; is in the southwesterly corner of the country, and is bounded, north by Berne, east by Westerlo, south by Green County and west by Schoharie County. The terminal ville is appro- priate to the village, but inappropriate as a part of the name of the town.

The surface is mostly upland broken by spurs or ridges from the Catskill Mountains, with deep and narrow fertile valleys that are watered by the rapid streams that run on their way to the Hudson by way of Catskill Creek. The upland soil is a gravel loam lying upon hardpan. It is productive of ex- cellent grass for dairy products, and of oats, buck- wheat, rye and potatoes.

There is a fall of 100 feet on the Ten Mile Creek, and of 40 feet on Willow Brook.

The town once abounded in varied useful industries. Its rural villages were formerly well filled with skilled artisans, and its creeks supplied water power to numerous mills. It was a model of an intelligent and orderly town, 25 miles from the city. Its early settlers came mostly from New England soon after the Revolution. Among.them were Apollos Moore, a soldier of the Revolution, and first Judge of the County; Major John Edward, a revolutionary officer ; Samuel Jenkins, who built the first mill; Silas Sweet, Joseph Lincoln, the Hatch brothers, and Rev. Samuel Fuller, the first minister of the gospel, a graduate of Dartmouth, and many others, some of whom came later by way of Long Island and Dutchess and Ulster

Counties. They were mostly young men of steady, industrious, frugal habits. Its timber has been used, and it has no near railroad.

The first church was the Presbyterian, of which Samuel Fuller was, for 16 years, the first pastor. It was organized in 1792. A Baptist Church was formed about the same time, with Timothy Green, pastor ; a Friend's meeting, Reuben Palmer, preacher, was organized in 1795, and a little later, a Methodist Church. Rev. Samuel Fuller left the Presbyterian Church in 1810, and organized an Episcopal Church, of which he was for 31 years rector.

The town has been remarked for good roads and good district schools. Select schools were sustained when needed. In the Academy at Rens- selaerville, Judge Bradley, now of the United States Supreme Court, received his early academic edu- cation. Among natives of the town who have attained to public distinction, we have found the names of the late Judges Rufus W. Peckham, Sr., and Malbone Watson, of the Supreme Court of this State ; Judge Addison Niles, of the Supreme Court of California ; and Judge Mortimer M. Jackson, of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Moses Patten, born in New Hampshire, was an early school teacher, and afterward a Surrogate of the County and a leading citizen. Valentine Treadwell was some years an Assemblyman and a prominent man. John Watson, a wealthy manu- facturer of New York City, was born here, and so were Robert H. Moore and Edward P. Durant, of Albany. The town used to have much of the New England characteristics. It has made a good

record. Among its sons is Charles M. Jenkins, son of Jonathan Jenkins, of Connecticut stock, who graduated at Union College, under Dr. Nott, in 1829, and at the old Litchfield Law School, and has been in the practice of law in this city for 50 years.

It is worthy of note that Samuel Boughton had 21 children born to him in this town. Daniel Shay, of the "Shay Rebellion" notoriety, resided here a few years about 1795 to 1800.

Two weekly newspapers have been published in this town, each having a brief existence-the Rural Folio and the Rensselaerville Press.

WATERVLIET, signifying water flood, and so called, probably, on account of its peninsular situation, partially surrounded by the Hudson and the Mohawk, was the first incorporated town in the county. It was formed March 7, 1788, and then included all of West Rensselaerwyck, and all of the present county, except the City of Albany, as

OUTLINE SKETCHES OF THE TOWNS OF THE COUNTY.

it was at the date of its charter in 1686. After parting with its territory to form the nine other towns of the county, it took back a part of Colonie in 1815, and gave up the same, with considerable more, to the City of Albany in 1870. In the same year Albany offered to give Watervliet its sparsely settled and sterile lands in the northwest part of the city, which, the town having declined to receive the gift, was the next year transferred to Guilder- land. By the session laws of 1830 and 1833, a portion of its lands were conditionally ceded to the United States, "for the purpose of erecting and maintaining thereon arsenals, magazines, dockyards and other necessary buildings." Niska- yuna, in Schenectady County, was formed in 1809, largely from Watervliet. Cohoes was incorporated as a city May 19, 1869.

The census of 1875 gives the town an area of 30,697 acres. Its boundaries are : north, by Schenectady County and Mohawk River ; east, by Cohoes, the Mohawk and the Hudson Rivers, taking in the islands west of the middle of said rivers ; south, by Albany ; and west by Albany and Guil- derland.

The surface of the town is considerably varied. Along the Hudson extend wide alluvial lands, rising above which are moderate hill slopes, fur- nishing fine suburban building sites, and a soil well adapted for gardens and small farms. Most of the surface is an upland of light sandy loam, 100 to 300 feet higher than the river, intersected by ravines formed by numerous small streams. With its river confines, its steam and horse railroads, and its canals, it has rare facilities for transportation and travel. To say nothing of its flourishing villages of Green Island and West Troy, its location near Albany, Troy, Cohoes and Schenectady gives ex- traordinary facilities for marketing its products and for trade. Milk, culinary vegetables and fruit find a ready market near home.

These inducements have led to the settlement and cultivation of a territory, most of which is not very fertile or attractive by nature.

The first settlers were, undoubtedly, Dutch farmers holding manorial leases. They were poor and their progress was slow.

The first organized Church was the Dutch Re- formed at the Boght, a bow made by the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk. It was established by Rev. Eilardus Westerlo, of Albany, April 17, 1784.

The Shakers, a peculiar religious sect, came to Watervliet and established a community in 1776. They were under the leadership of "Mother Ann

Lee," their founder, a native of Manchester, England. Here she died, September 8, 1784, at the age of 48 years, and here was buried. They now number about 300. They occupy 3,500 acres of well-improved land, watered by four ponds of about 10 acres each. Their dwellings and other buildings are neat and convenient ; their farms are well stocked. As a people they are remarkable for habits of industry, frugality, order, neatness and integrity in their dealings. They eschew war and politics. Of course they are prosperous. They have their religious meeting house and their schools, and publish The Shaker, a monthly edited by G. A. Lomas.

Besides the towns before named, out of the ter- ritory of Watervliet have been formed six incor- porated villages and one city since this century began, viz : Watervliet, March 30, 1801, changed to Colonie, April 9, 1804, now obsolete and an- nexed to the City of Albany ; Gibbonsville, April 23, 1823, changed to West Troy, April 30, 1836 ; Cohoes, April 12, 1855, changed to City of Cohoes, May 19, 1869; Green Island, October 14, 1855, and May 12, 1869.

Loudonville, on the old Loudon road, three miles from Albany ; Newtonville, named for John M. Newton, four miles from Albany ; and Menands, two miles from Albany, are very pleasant hamlets in which many of the business men of Albany reside.

West Albany is situated two miles north west from the city, about the center of the south line of Watervliet. It contains the extensive repair shops of the New York Central Railroad, and has, for many years, been widely known as one of the largest cattle markets in the United States. It is connected with the city by street cars, as well as by the Central Railroad.

The United States Arsenal, situated on 105 acres, lying on the Hudson, near West Troy village, be- longing to the United States Government, was lo- cated in 1813. The building was commenced under Col. George Burnford in 1814.

The Albany Rural Cemetery, the St. Agnes Cemetery, the Anshe Emeth, lying contiguous to each other, unsurpassed in this country for natural and artistic fitness to their purpose, are situated in Watervliet, about two miles north from Albany.

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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 23

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