USA > New York > Greene County > Dear old Greene County; embracing facts and figures. Portraits and sketches of leading men who will live in her history, those at the front to-day and others who made good in the past > Part 2
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building was enlarged in 1862, and in the 80's. The old cells were on numerous occasions given another sheathing of heavy iron until at the time they were put in the hands of the junk man in 1909 they had six coverings and the old iron alone brought Mrs. Beardsley $800. We present a view of the old structure, and also a view of the new Heidelburgh. From the research of Justice Chase we glean the following facts in regard to the jail and the court house, all of which are of great interest:
First, that the lands were purchased in 1801, of Ira Day, Stephen Day, George Hale, John V. D. S. Scott and Thomas Hale, and a later purchase in the same year of Abram Salisbury, Wessell Salisbury, and William Elting, being the lot and build- ing whereon the academy was then standing. This academy be- came the court house. In 1812 it was decided to build a new court house, Ira Gay, Isaac DuBois, Orrin Day, Joseph Klein, Ezra Hawley and Lyman Hall gave bonds in the penal sum of $16,000 to procure a lot, and they secured the land on which the Masonic Temple is standing, and Orrin Day and Isaac DuBois were appointed a commission to erect a court house and a fire proof vault .. There has been an idea that this building was des- troyed by fire, but Justice Chase says that he can find no authori- ty for this statement.
The history of the jail shows that there were four executions taking place within its walls, the last one being that of Joe Waltz, the murderer of one Hoelcher, a scissors grinder; Warren Wood, John Kelley and Robert James being the others. These men were all hanged, and the old ropes are stored away in the attic of the court house. Balls and chains worn by them are in possession of Mrs. Charles Beardsley, who bought the old jail.
Robert James murdered Patrick Flynn, a drover at East Durham. Judge Edmunds presided at the trial, in 1846.
John Kelley murdered Lucretia Lewis at Prattsville, in 1847. He was tried before Judge Willard.
Warren Wood murdered Hiram Williams of Greenville, in 1853, and he was tried before Judge Ira Harris.
Lyman Tremaine, Rufus W. Watson, Mitchell Sanford and
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Sidney Crowell were the district attorneys who prosecuted these cases.
There have been a great many other important murder trials since that time, but all resulted in lesser degree convictions.
The new jail is located on Bridge street and in the rear of the court house. It is a modern two story structure, of Ohio sand- stone, with the apartments of the sheriff and his family facing the street and the jail proper in the rear, the entrance to the jail being from the alley. and into the office of the sheriff. There are 30 steel cages, or cells, two hospital rooms, a padded cell, in all 8 departments on 3 floors All the conditions are modern, with bath, toilet, steam heat and electric light. The basement is sup- plied with bunks and is used for tramps. The present sheriff is Elmore Mackey of Athens, and Mrs. Mackey is matron. It is re- garded as one of the best and finest jails in the state.
THE HEIDELBURGH
No history of Greene county would be complete without a description of the Heidelburgh, one of the most charming homes or hostelries that is to be found in all Greene county, which Phoe- nix like has risen from the dust of the famous old Greene county jail. For while the original walls of 18 and 20 inches thickness of solid masonry remain, there has been added a sightly mansard roof and dormer windows, bringing into existence a large hall and 11 commodious rooms, where once was only a boxed enclosure that led to the cupoloa. And it was underneath this cupoloa that Joseph Waltz, the scissors grinder murderer was executed. From the beautiful rooms of the third floor is the grandest view of the mountains to be found in Catskill, and more than 60 miles of the mountains are to be seen. On the second floor there remains the large hallway, and the extra wide doorways, but the cells that were devoted to prisoners, who had been guilty of lesser crimes, and to women if such there happened to be committed, have giv- en place to a grand suite of connecting rooms, and all of the rooms are large, and have 12 foot ceilings. The staircase and much of the finishings throughout the house are from lumber that was sawed out of the oak planks that for 112 years had formed part of the jail. These were sawed and fitted by Mr. Beardsley, who
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is a skilled architect and builder. Perhaps the greatest change is on the first floor where the large hall still remains; and the front door is the same. The two steel plated cells, dark and repulsive, with their single window of about two feet square, studded with steel bars, have given place to a lovely dining room that is 20x50 feet. At the spot where hung the massive bunch of keys to pad- locks that weighed about ten pounds now stands a handsome grandfather's clock. There are parlors, the bridal suite, kitchen with the old jail range still doing service, and a refrigerator room. Underneath is the laundry, heating apparatus, etc. The veranda has been extended and on the east side a handsome porch spans the driveway, and lends a colonial air to the structure. The en- tire structure is furnished throughout in a simple but luxuriant manner.
In it all there is never a dream of the scissors grinder or the pitiful creatures that were for 112 years incarcerated in the mouldy smelling and vermin infested dark and repulsive cells. Preserved in the attic are chains, foot clamps and iron balls that were attached to leg chains, branding irons that tradit- ion says were used on the very bad prisoners, padlocks, handcuffs, with chains all for desperate characters
When in 1909, Mrs. Beardsley bid in the property for $3000, Catskill people thought that she had the ghost of Banco on her hands, and even Mr. Beardsley couldn't just understand how she had come to get him that rummage sale stuff. Possibly he fumed a little and wondered how he was going to get rid of the double tier of steel cells, and how after all there could be anything worth saving in the structure. Leave that to the genius and ar- tistic Mrs. Beardsley and we have arrived at the solution of it all. She got the grandest view in all Catskill, and she got a home that would be a palace for the Caesars. Out of the ruins of the cells, she chased $10 gold pieces, that had been hidden away in the crevices of years, and out of the SO tons of the finest Norway iron she found other treasure, and no sooner had it gone out that she had purchased the jail than Troy, Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Utica iron dealers began to offer her 30, 35, 40 and finally 50 cents per hundred pounds for the iron, and she closed with a
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du
View of the Heidelburgh. Old Jail Reincarnated by Mrs. Beardsley.
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Kingston dealer, who sent six men to cut off the bolts and get the iron in pieces so that it could be moved. $800 for old iron and all she had to do was listen to the din and crash of the getting it ont. The old museum to which we refer, she has has not yet dis- posed of, though it is of considerable value. Besides she has the commitment papers of a hundred years. The old cells had no less than six coatings of iron on them. Some of them bore the saw marks of John Kelley, the desperate criminal who escaped during the term of Sheriff Decker.
In it all Mrs. Beardsley showed a pluek and determination that is remarkable. For two weeks she worked with bar and hammers to tear down a portion of that old 20 inch wall on the second floor in order to make a change that she wanted, and all the while Mr. Beardsley wondering at the increasing pile of brick in the rear of the jail did not know what she was up to. She pried them loose and let them down in a pail attached to a rope. When he found it out there were some men on the job very soon.
It is a remarkable fact that within a stone's throw of the Heidelburgh there are six other splendid dwellings which Mr. Beardsley has erected and which have successively been occupied by himself and his family. All built upon honor and splendid homes. There is the Edgar Root place, the Philip Van Orden mansion, the Abram Joseph house, Clarence Sage's house, the Newcomb cottage, and the Michael Edwards place This is in addition to many handsome homes and structures that Mr. Beard- sley has built for others, during the long term of over 40 years as head architect for Edwin Lampman.
ALMS HOUSE
The Greene County Alms House is located at Cairo, and is a two story brick structure erected in 1883, which is credit to the county in every way. It accommodates about ninety persons. In addition to the main building which we show elsewhere, there is a two story frame building, which houses about 35 or 40 per- sons. In addition to the buildings referred to. there are barns, sheds, etc., and a farm of about 198 acres, of which 100 is under cultivation. The county house is heated by steam, has electric
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light, and all the conditions are excellent. Ira T. Tolley is super- intendent and Mrs. Tolley matron. The first structure cost about $5000. The present structure could not be replaced for $30,000. The farm was originally 10 acres, and about $500 worth of produce was raised. Very largely the farm now supplies the needs of the inmates in the matter of produce. (See town of Cairo for further description of county house.)
SPIRIT OF THE COURT HOUSE
We are indebted to Justice Emory A. Chase for further facts in regard to the lands occupied now by the court house, jail, and county barn :
The lot was a part of the Gysbert Uyt de Bogart lands, pur- chased from the Esopus Indians, in 1684, and at that time was a forest. In 1738 it was a part of the Lindsay Patent, and passed to George Clark, who owned pretty much all of Catskill. The county property comprised lots 12 and 13 owned by Egbert Bogardus and James Barker, also owner of a large patent. On the map of prop- erty destroyed it 1851, we show a number of buildings, of which one of the most important outside of the three churches burned was the old Greene County Hotel, formerly known as Donnelly's. This hotel is mentioned many times in the early reminiscence of Catskill. It was probably built close to the year 1800.
Its a little bit remarkable that this site should have been the scene of so many interesting bits of history. It had many fires, subsequent to the fire of 1851, which was the most disastrous in the history of Catskill.
The fire of 1851 started on the west side of Main street and swept through to what is now Broad street. Only buckets of water were available and a north west wind carried the fire beyond con- trol. The court house, now the Masonic Temple had one side burned. The residence of Rufus King, still standing, was partially burned. The small office of Powers & Day did not burn, being fire proof.
So much for the fires.
The Rev. Anson DuBois stated that in 1784, according to the statement of his grandmother, the court house lot comprised
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an orchard and that one day she was surprised to see a stranger enter the orchard, engage in prayer, at the foot of a tree. Then on rising take from his pocket a hymn book and begin to sing. Then he read a chapter, and delivered a sermon, being it appeared the first Methodist preacher to visit Greene county. He had a good congregation and at the close announced that in four weeks he would return and preach in the same place.
The beautiful court house, and the grand memorial fountain now mark the spot of this first gospel sermon. A curious and re- markable incident. Was it not the Spirit of the court house?
Not for many years after the organization of the county was any provision made by the Board of Supervisors for a surrogate's office. John H. Cuyler, surrogate from March 29, 1800, to June 18, 1808; Dorrance Kirkland, surrogate from June 18, 1808, to March 15, 1810; and again from February 5, 1811, to April 18, 1838, maintained the surrogate's office at Coxsackie John Adams surrogate from March 15, 1810, to February 5, 1811, and Lyman Tremaine, surrogate from June 7, 1847, to January 1, 1852, main- tained the surrogate's office at Durham. The office was first opened in the court house by John Sanderson, surrogate, May 1, 1889.
On the King's Road, Today as in 1800.
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Henry Hudson
The discoverer of the state of New York, and the first white man to look upon the great river that bears his name, was born in obscurity and his life bark passed to the great be- yond following a mutiny of the sailors on his ship who set him afloat with his son and seven sailors on the dark waters of the bay that also bears his name. Christopher Columbus sailed from Genoa, his native town, and discover- ed America. John and Sebas- tian Cabot set out, in 1497, from England, discovering Newfoundland in 1497, and then explored the Atlantic coast as far as Florida. Hudson also was an English navigator and was in the service of the Dutch, but no one knows the place of his birth. He sailed from Holland in the service of the Dutch East India Company in a small ship known as the Half Moon, leaving Amsterdam April 4th, 1609, and anchored off the Highlands in September of the same year. He passed a month in exploring the waters of the river and went as far as Albany. He was attacked by bands of Indians who came out in their canoes, but had no trouble in preventing their doing any damage. At Catskill, where anchorage appears to have been made, he was met by friendly Indians who brought corn and vegetables to him. Old writers tell us of an Indian tradition that refers to the coming of the Half Moon, which they regarded as the Manittou or Great Spirit, and that they regarded with awe and reverence the arrival of the great boat. Compared with the birch bark canoes of the natives the Half Moon was 75 feet in length and her sails appeared as the wings of a great white bird
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which seemed to float without energy. The river they called the Mahicannittuck. On a subsequent voyage his tragic death occurred. The murderers went unpunished, so far as law and justice were concerned.
The Half Moon at Anchor Off Catskill Point
Robert Fulton
Inseparably connected with the history of the Hudson should be woven the invention of the steamboat, which was distined to render the Hudson River the most important in the world. Robert Fulton was born in Little Brittain, Pa., in 1765, and his energies ap- pear to have been along the line of mechanics. As early as 1801 he invented a plunging boat which was calculated to do exactly what the to-day submarines have accomplished in war- fare. He successfully demonstrated the possibility of blowing up a boat, but the British government discouraged the project. The first steamboat on the Hudson River was built by him and made he trip from New York to Albany in the spring of 1807. In 1814
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he invented another submarine, to carry 100 men and the govern- ment approved the plans. He died in 1815, however, before the boat had been completed, and nothing came of it.
"CLERMONT". 1807
Catskill and the Hudson River
As Greene County has been indebted to her beautiful mountains for her fame, so has she from the beginning been indebted to the Hudson for her wonderful transportation facilities. Of this transportation the Hudson River Day Line has for over sixty years been a great factor, and the enterprise of this company and its extensive advertising of the Catskill district has had much to do with the growth and prosperity of Catskill and the entire county.
In the earlier days such day boats as the "Armenia." 212 feet long, the "Alida," 276 feet long and the "Francis Skiddy," 322 feet long, made a history in passenger steamboat transporta -- tion. Then the "Daniel Drew," the "Chauncey Vibbard" and the "Mary Powell" made better history and became more famous, and these were followed in turn by the "Albany," Hendrick Hudson," Robert Fulton" and "Washington Irving" of the present time, which steamers make without doubt the greatest quartette of river carriers in the world.
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ALBANY 150 Miles from N Y.
P Rensselaer
L
HUDSON RIVER
Selkirk O
Castleton
SHOWING ROUTE OF
Schodack
Ravena J
New Baltimore O
INE
Coxsackie O
Coxsackie Station
Stockport
1
Athens
HUDSON 120 Miles from N.Y.
CATSKILL O
115 Miles from N. Y.
West Camp
6 Germantown
Malden q
Saugerties O
Tivoli
Glasco C
1
Barrytown
Kingston
KINGSTON POINTO
Rhinecliff
Rondont
ULSTER
PARK
Staatsburg
Esopus
Hyde Park
Highland
O POUGHKEEPSIE 75 Miles from N.Y.
Milton C
Camelot
Marlboro
New Hamburg
Cedar Cliff
JÓ Low Point
Roseton Q
Fishkill
NEWBURGHO
P Dutchess Jc.
60 Miles from N.Y.
Storm King
Cornwall
Q Cold Spring
WEST POINT O
lo Garrison
Highland Falls 9
b Highlands
Fort Montgomery C
Iona Island
Peekskill
Jones Point
Tomkins Cove O
Verplanck
Stony Point
Oscawana
Haverstraw
Croton Landing
Rockland Lake
Scarboro
Nyack O
Tarrytown
Piermont
Irvington
Ardsley Casino
5 Dobbs Ferry
Hastings
Glen wood
Alpine
D 17 Miles from
Mt.St. Vidgent
5'Riverdnk Spuy ten
Linwood Fort Lee
Edgewater
STR
Shady Sido
Bulls F'erry
L
Weehawken
NEW YORKGAUDINFREET Hoboken C Jersey City Pall
-
DESBROSSES STREET
The great silver highway that led cap- tive Hendrick Hudson and the million navi- gators of sloops, and schooners, brigs, and ships of the early times, may have lost some of the primeval forest whose reflections were shimmered in an ever spreading, ever opening picture of beauty, but the added charm of civilization remains, and in ever growing beauty and color has a greater charm as the years go on. We saw in the pageant of the Hudson Fulton Celebration, the canoe of the Red Man, the hardy sailors in the Half Moon, the sprightlier navigators in the Clermont, and like Lilliputs they crept in the shadows of the great steamers and floating palaces of the Day Line, and the ancient Hendrick lost in the comparsion- though all his great- ness and glory remain. These old boats that took days to get up and down the river were classics of their time.
But imagine Hen- drick Hudson, naviga- tor, on a velvet settee
Z
o Ossining
NEW
YONKERS
JERS
EY
K
HUDSON RIVER IDAY
Stuyvesant
90 Miles from N. Y.
West Park q
W
E
50 Miles from N.Y.
o Crugers
DEAR OLD GREENE COUNTY.
on the Hendrick Hudson, of 1915, listening to the daily concert of the Metropolitan Orchestra, under the direction of Martin Van Praag.
Imagine him, if you will, in the midst of such scenes as today press the entire shore of the Hudson. After having aero- planed to New York and then taken the boat at Debrosses street, passing the several towns and cities shown in map on the preced- ing page, dining sumptuously, and at 3 p. m. stepping off the boat at Catskill Point, where the Indians in canoes once met him. Hustling into a Mountain Railroad train or waiting auto, and in an hour's time standing at the summit of the distant blue line that threw its charm across the picture-the Catskill Mountains, sentinels of creation, and crowning glory still of the great region discovered by himself, Sept. 2d, 1609.
In Eastman's History of New York, 1829, we find that on one of the trips of Henry Hudson up the river, in which he spent ten weeks getting as far as what probably was the mouth of the Catskill creek they were met by a party of Indians, and that after the usual exchange of corn and skins, Hudson left the Indians with axes, hoes and stockings. The following year when Hudson again sailed up the river they found the same Indians wearing the axes and hoes attached to their necks as ornaments, and the stockings being in use as pouches for tobacco. Hudson then put helves in the axes and showed them how to chop down trees. This was around 1610.
From documentary works we have obtained a number of views that are appropriate in connection with the early history of the Hudson, and the subsequent development of steamboating. For the views of the Hudson River Day Line steamboats, and of some of the first boats, we are indebted to the management of this line.
The Clermont was 133 feet long and 18 feet beam, 8 feet hold. Speed 4 miles an hour. Those who saw the replica of this old boat as she appeared with the Half Moon in the great celebra- tion at Catskill will remember with what slowness she traveled up
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the river, holding the great fleet to a speed of 4 miles as she for the first and last time traversed the Hudson under her own steam.
The Clermont made two trips a week, and it took from 30 to 36 hours to cover the distance. This was an improvement on the stage trip however, which took from three to four days, never less than 3 days. The stage fare was $10 to Albany, 821 to Buffalo. The steamboat fare to Albany was about $8.
The following is a reproduction of the very brief announce- ment that appeared in the columns of the American Citizen on on Monday, Aug. 17, 1807:
Mr. Fulton's ingenious steamboat, invented with a view to the navigation of the Mississippi river from New Orleans upwards, sails today from the North river near the state prison, to Albany. The velocity of the steamboat is calculated at 4 miles an hour; it is said that it will make a progress of two miles against the current of the Mississippi; and if so will certainly be a very valuable acquisition to the commerce of the western states.
The fare from Albany to New York is now $1.50 by day line, and competition has brought the night trip to $1 excursion.
The Catskill Evening Line steamers for a number of sea- sons made round trips to New York the same day, leaving Cats- kill at 6 A. M., and returning to Catskill at S P. M. And all for $1.25
1
The Mary Powell, an Early Giant of the Day Line,
-
Scsdrick Sudson
The Grand Floating Palaces of To-Day
The Magnificent Steel Steamer, Hendrick Hudson, of the Day Line, licensed to carry 5500 passengers. Compare it with the Half Moon.
ROBERT FULTON
The Robert Fulton, Another Giant Steamer of the Day Line. Compare this boat with the Clermont.
-
-
Greatest of the Day Line Boats. The "Washington Irving, " Finest Inland Steamer in the World.
License, 6,000 passengers, and equipped with all modern improvements
DEAR OLD GREENE COUNTY.
The early Catskill steamboating shows Bogardus & Cooke, and probably menibers of the Day family were in business around 1800. Following came Donnelly, Cook & Co., F. N. Wilson after whom Wilson Fire Company is named, and William Wilson form- ing the Company. Then came the freighting firm of Penfield, Day and Co., Sherwood Day, Orrin Day and Samuel Penfield previous to 1812. Later the Penfield firm sold to Charles Beach, Isaac Pruyn and William Wilson, and about this time the steam- boats, Frank and Washington were put on the line. The Wave, the Star, the Pratt and the Rip Van Winkle were the barges. The Frank was the first Catskill steamboat, the date of which is not certain. C. L. Beach & Co. owned the U'tica, and afterwards the Thomas Powell and the Sunnyside, these boats were used by the government as transports during the 60's in the war period. Then came the firm of Cornell, Horton & Co., and Black & Donahue who changed the name of the company to The Catskill and New York Steamboat Co. They built the Catskill which was burned at Kingston. The Charlotte Vanderbilt another boat of the line was sunk by Belden's steam vacht the Yosemite.
· ŁAATERSKI L
The Stately Kanterskill.
The stately Kaaterskill, and Onteora known as the River Queen and the commodious and beautiful Clermont have brought the line into favor and note.
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The McManus another well known boat of the company was burned as also was the Steamer Redfield, rated fine boats in their day. The Walter Brett went the route and was finally broken up by the wreckers. The Kaaterskill a grand boat with double decks of state rooms was a floating palace. After serving on the Catskill route she was taken to Albany and ran on the Capitol City Line until the fall of 1914 when she was taken to the wreckers at New London.
Another of the earlier boats was the General Sedgwick and the Escort, both being used in war times as transports.
While the company has been prosperous it has been unfort- unate in the loss of so many fine boats worth a large some of money and has suffered a number of fires at their storehouses, the last one of three wiping out the large and completely filled storehouse on the dock at Catskill. They had also very severe fire losses at Hudson .
INTEORA ...
PEC
Onteora,'Queen of the River, Fastest of Them All.
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Other boats familiar to Catskillians are the Eloise, former- ly on the line between Catskill and Hudson, sold to New York parties and ran on the East river, and The Steamer Isabella still running on the Catskill Hudson route This boat has been remodel- ed a number of times and is in fine shape.
In 1911 there was placed on the Catskill Evening line the freighter known as the Storm King, a commodious boat that is doing well.
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