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 11
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Of the later clothing men there were F. A. Stahl, and James Wallace an eccentric character who had a penchant for running for nominations, which occasionally he landed. Clothier Abram Joseph has also been here for many years, succeeding Samuel Marks in the SO's. J. L. Goldberg built the foundations for a fortune in the little store at the end of the town bridge, now oc- cupied as a candy store by Mr. Cunningham.
The first large boarding house in this section was the Pros- pect Park Hotel, situated at Catskill overlooking the Hudson. It was built in 1809, and the men who were its projectors were: Edwin Croswell, John Breasted, Marcus and George Beach, Robert Seaman and William Scutt all characters of note in early history of the county. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1914.
Among the hotels of the earlier period that are not remem- bered by the present generation are the old Catskill House and the Franklin House, the former on the site of the present opera house owned by Terrence Donnelly, and the other where the Irving House stood and the Court house now is. These buildings were destroyed in the great fire of 1851, when the Baptist church, Re- formed church and many other buildings were destroyed. The
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West Catskill Hotel was built over 100 years ago by John Plank. He was succeeded by a man named Feeney, Peter Martin, John Bascom, Andrew Overbaugh, Rockerfeller, Ryan and Connerty and now Frank Ryan.
The Windsor hotel was built in the 60s by Enos Gunn, and he was succeeded by William Hahn, and Albert Saulpaugh who built the present stately edifice, now conducted by his sons Albert Saulpaugh and Samuel Saulpaugh.
The Irving house was built by the Persons and was destroy- ed to make room for the new Court house in 1908.
The Commercial Hotel was built by Enos Gunn who sold to Philip Gay, who was succeeded by his sons, Ira and William Gay, who sold to William Bell who enlarged the property. The present proprietor is C. Clement.
We do not know when the Smith House was built, but it is very old, and was enlarged and improved by Martim Smith, and later by his son William Smith a very popular hotel man, and is now conducted by his son Ed. Smith. John Smith another son is also in the hotel business conducting the Jefferson Hotel and the Irving Cafe.
In the early 30's there was the Brossenham hotel near the West Shore Bridge on Upper Main street, conducted by Foote and Grant, two conspicuous men of their day. This was a drover's hotel. The building is still standing.
Bull's Head Sign, by Artist Cole.
Just beyond this was the Bull's Head, kept by Wm. Salis- bury. The sign was painted by Thomas Cole the great painter and poet, father of Theodore Cole of Catskill.
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The Old Arcade, Early Landmark in Catskill (1798.)
The illustration above will be familiar to some of our read_ ers. It was torn down in 1902 and gave place to the Young Mens Christian Association building, which certainly is a very great improvement. The Old Arcade as it was called, had four tene- ments on the second floor, and the street floor was used as a market and cigar store. Henry Fredenburgh the owner occupied it as a fish market, and before that time John Hulbert around the 80s. The building had never received a coat of paint and was in a weather beaten condition. It was built as near as we are able to find out around 1×12. Its appearance would indicate that it was among the first frame buildings in Catskill.
August 15. 1901 F. N. Du Bois placed in the hands of W. I. Jennings a check for 825,000 which was given for the purpose
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of building a Young Mens Christian Association building. Shortly after the Fredenburgh Arcade was purchased and the grand build- ing that stands as a monument to Mr. Du Bois, generosity and philanthropy was erected.
1690-
Saddle and Stage Coach
The first pleasure party to Pine Orchard, the point where the Catskill Mountain House is located was made in 1823, and comprised a number of ladies and gentlemen of note on horse back, and they spent the night under some shelving rocks. At this time work had been commenced on the mountain house. Mr. Beach who afterwards became owner of the Mountain house, conducted the party over the bridle paths all the way to Utica. It took three weeks.
During 1831, the Mannings conducted a stage line from New York to Ithaca, and Catskill was the principal stop on the way. From Catskill there was a stage line that went as far as Delhi, and we believe that Charles L. Beach was connected with that line, and had later on in 1837 the contract for carrying the govern- ment mails, between New York City and Albany during the winter season when there was no steamboat travel. In this con- nection the reader will be interested in the old poster which we have reproduced and which refers to the establishment of the first stage line between Catskill and Albany. This poster was found among the curios preserved by Judge Chase, and the engraver has. given us a copy that is very excellent. This line was started in 1833. Trips were made daily. Through horse relays we are told that the distance between New York and Albany was covered daily.
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There appears to be much uncertainty in regard to the location of the first school house in Catskill. One building it is certain was converted into the old county jail. There was another school later on William street, near what is Mrs. Avery's place. There was still another on Thompson street, which in the 50's was occupied by the Methodists as a place of worship. There was also the academy on William street, now the Fiero residence. There was a colored school on Bridge street, which shows in the picture of Catskill in 1839, and still another on the West side which is now the hose house. It was in this building that F. N. Du Bois went to school in the 30's, and he tells of riding down hill on an old door and that the door was usually loaded with pupils, who when the bottom was reached always got a spill. The academy was incorporated in 1804. This was a stock corporation and there
Broom Stick School, Now Hose House.
were 520 shares of 4 pounds sterling each. James Du Bois, Cornel- ius Du Bois, Caty Du Bois, Sally Du Bois, Priscilly Adams and Sally Spicer and many others. Elisha Bishop was at the head of this school. This building was sold to the Fieros around 1870 and raised up one story for a dwelling.
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A strange coincidence in the construction of the several school buildings in Catskill in the past 50 years: Contractor Geo. W. Holdridge who is one of the oldest of the old time business men, Charles Beardsley for over 40 years with Lampman firm, and Architect George Warner were all employed by L. S. and William Smith who had the contract to build the brick school- building. They were apprentices at that time. On the next building which was the Grandview school, Mr. Holdridge had the contract, and Charles Beardsley was foreman for the Lampmans who did the carpenter work. When the Irving school building was erected, Mr. Holdridge had the contract for the mason, Charles Beardsley was employed as foreman by Wm. Lampman who had the carpenter work and George H. Warner was architect.
Early Manufacturing
Among the early industries of Greene county which have passed there was a glue factory at Durham, a mill at Oak Hill for grinding land plaster, a printing press manufactory at Windham, by Newbury & Morse, and a number of paper mills, at Woodstock and Windham, a carpet bag and satchel factory at Windham, and at the same place a factory for making wooden combs and tin and wooden buttons, conducted by Hunt and Matthews. Hay rakes and chairs were made at Windham. Paper at Big Hollow. There was a distillery at Red Falls and another at Windham, and still another at Durham. There was a potash factory at Lexington, also a distillery. Oak Hill had two foundries making hardware supplies, and Palenville had a big wooden mill. Several old grist mills are still in operation.
Near High Falls was located a powder mill owned by Mr. Laflin, and this latter developed into the great firm of Laflin and Rand as it now is. The powder mill employed a considerable number of men, and on a number of occasions it blew up. Once 7 persons were killed and at another time three. The men made from $80 to $100 per month.
This mill was at one time Laflin, Smith and Boice. This mill_blew up a number of times. The last time was in 1875, John
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Merritt being the only man killed. After this the mill was moved to New Jersey.
Rufus T. Smith, one of the old residents of High Falls, in- forms us that one of the industries at High Falls (or Great Falls as the name is on one of the old maps drawn by George Smith, who removed to Ohio before Mr. Smith's recollection, has it) was the saw mill erected by the late Comfort K. Smith below the Falls, doing custom work and also for working up the timber on his own place.
Christopher Teetsel of Quarryville was boss carpenter, John Shultis, Peter Van Hoesen, Alex. C. Whitney and R T. Smith did the carpenter work on this mill. Reuben Towner of Hunter, was the millright. He put in the saws and the Ferguson water wheel to run the sash or gatesaw.
This mill was built in 1867-8. The mill was enlarged later and circular saws for slitting up slabs, and blocks for shingles added. Smith's Greene Mountain shingle machine was put in and considered a great invention. Reuben Towner installed this ma- chine and it was driven by a wooden center discharged water wheel. Two years later a turning lathe, planer and matcher for dressed lumber was added.
Then the building was further enlarged, William Shoemaker of Vineland N. J. doing the stone work. After several years the old wooden water wheel was discarded, a Rich wheel being put in, and then later on an Alcott turbine, by R. T. Smith, son of C.K. Smith, assisted by Alex. Whitney and John B. Smith. He moyed to Brooklyn, but inherited the mill property and not wishing to operate it he sold to Levi Richtmyer of Kaatsban. Richtmyer sold to Dederick and Sterritt, and they disposed of the business to T. P. Cowhey of New York.
The dam is gone and the mill a heap of ruins.
Around 1818 Marvin and Co. built a large factory above the falls for the manufacture of chisels, augers, and other tools,
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and even at this date there may be found chisels marked Marvin & Co., Catskill.
There was also an old factory standing above the Falls bridge, which during the 50's in the heavy fall of snow was crush- ed in and never repaired.
Right at the edge of the falls was an old grist mill. This was in disuse as long ago as Mr. Smith can remember.
A short distance up the stream was another saw mill.
The old grist mill was burned in the 60's and at that time was being used as a spoke and handle factory by Willis Davis.
Mr. Smith says that he has heard his grandfather tell how they used to attend worship at the Caatsban church when they took their guns along and left them out side, while one person was left to watch. They had no stoves in the churches and the women carried foot stoves and warming pans.
Zachariah Trumpbour who built the old stone house near Smith's Mills, 1768, was great grandfather of R.T. Smith of High Falls.
The old barn east of the Kaatsban church, standing today was erected just after the close of the revolution, the lumber being gathered before the war was decided. The owner, a man named Celie, was a Tory and he did not dare to go ahead until he knew whether the Colonies or King George would win out.
The covered bridge at Cauterskill, and the covered bridge at Great Falls, were built previous to the period of 1860. We have not been able to find any record, however.
Several of the old wooden covered bridges were built in 1857, after the great freshet which carried off the older structures.
Project of a railroad from Catskill to Athens was boomed, and application made to the legislature to have same incorpor- ated.
The Du Bois mill at Wolcotts was destroyed by a freshet in 1809.
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Values Increasing
From the assessment roll of the town of Catskill for 1850 we discover that the entire town tax amounted to $7,076, and so far as we can discover there is not a single individual tax payer of that date down on the tax roll except Peter Timmerman $3.55, and of the three incorporated companies, one the Catskill Bridge Company paid a tax on $5000 which amounted to 839.30. The rate was .0071 The Tanners National and Catskill National Banks were assessed at $93,700 and $110,500 the tax being 8661 and $780. Senator Jones was assessed for $1300 at that time. Of the list of town officers there is not a man living:
This land today is valued at about $2,500,000 and the town taxes are $100,000. The state, school, village and water tax amount to more than $100,000 per year in addition.
Rufus H. King was Supervisor, George Peck, town clerk, William Dodd, Lindsey Beach, Robert Dorlon and John Van- Vechten were justices.
Charles Austin, town superintendent.
Peter Saxe, Peter Van Vechten and Joel Comfort, assessors. Phineas Chidester, commissioner of highways.
Francis Dunham and John Wardle, overseers of the poor. Egbert Bogardus, collector.
Samuel A. Baker, John France, Isaac Laraway and James C'ash, constables.
In 1807 there were 24 licenses issued to Catskill dealers to sell liquors, and the fee was $5. Among the dealers were Hiland Hill, Philo Day, Orrin Day, Thaddeus Luddington, and some to- day may remember Luddington's Oyster Bay at the corner of Bridge and Main street, torn down with other buildings to make room for the court house and jail.
Today there are in the liquor business in Catskill about 15 persons. The license fee is $200 for hotels and there are no saloons, these haying been voted out several years ago. Most of these are modern up to date hostelries, well conducted, and the traveler finds a pleasant host and good food.
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The Smith House, The Saulpaugh, Clement's Commercial and Loud's Hotel at the Point are the leaders. On the west side are Ryan's West Catskill Hotel, Deidlings, Oberts, and Wadonolos.
The first supervisor of Catskill was Hezekiah Van Orden, who represented the Imbogt. Then followed Henry Oathout, Samuel Van Vechten, Garret Abeel, Martin Schuneman, Samuel Haight, Johnathan Keyes, Thomas Hale, William Seaman, Aaron IIall, Jacob Haight, Robert Dorlan, Ira Du Bois, Malbon Watson, Rufus H. King, Wilson Paige, Atwater Cook, Henry Johnson, Addison P. Jones, Alexander Wiltse, John H. Bagley, Hiram Van Steenburgh, Sherwood Day, Samuel Dewey, Robert Austin, John A. Griswold, William Smith, John Breasted, William Donahue, H. C. Bulkley, James B. Olney, George S. Stevens, A. P. Jones, W. S. C. Wiley, P. G. Coffin, Charles A. Post, Henry Van Orden, and J. Henry Deane complete the list of Supervisors.
Bounty on Wolves
Jewett and Lexington appear to have been overrun with wolves, long since extinct, and there was a bounty of $40 on every wolf killed. Jacob Van Valkenburgh of Lexington had the fences near his place ornamented with hundreds of wolve's noses, to show that the bounty had been paid on them. There were also many panthers and wild cats in that section. There were many great bears, and plenty of deer. There are still some bears, and a few mighty bear hunters. Barney Butts at East Windham was a great bear hunter and always had bears on exhibition. Another great hunter was a man named Holdridge at Lexington. Ernest Chad- derdon of Cairo captured 3 bears in February of 1915. The bounty is now on hedgehogs, and the bear has no terrors at all for the hunter.
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Destructive Fires in County
The old mill in Austin's Glen was built in 1800, burned in 1807, rebuilt by the Austin family in 1815.
Great fire in ('atskill 1851, loss over $50,000.
The Samuel Harris woolen mill at Leeds was burned with three dwellings in 1862, the loss being $80,000.
In 1883 Leeds had a most destructive fire, and 13 buildings were destroyed with a loss of $30,000, and several smaller fires since that time, the fire in 1914 being the most destructive.
Bell's Facing Mill and ice house 1882, Foote and Cumming Lumber yard.
SUMMIT HILL HOUSE FIN
Summit Hill House, Catskill, 1908, loss $20,000, the barn burned in 1899.
Block of buildings and storehouse at Athens in 1871.
Knickerbocker Ice house fire at New Baltimore, loss 825,000 1900.
Ship Yard fire A.J. Vanderpoel, at New Baltimore in 1894, damage $25,000.
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The Ice house and coal depot of Raymond Smith, Catskilll was burned 1913.
The Little Falls House at South Cairo was destroyed in 1914 the loss being $7,000.
Among the very destructive fires that have visited the county we note: Haines Falls House, 1911, loss $75,000.
Squirrel Inn at Haines Falls, 1910, loss $10,000.
Prospect Park Hotel, Catskill, 1914, loss $50,000.
Jenning's Hotel, Cairo, 1913, loss $15,000.
The Hart House at the Point, 1908. West Shore Depot, Catskill, 1909.
M. P. Mc Cabe's West Shore Hotel, 1909.
Steamboat storehouse, Catskill, burned twice, 1899, 1912.
Machine shop of the Catskill Mountain Ry. at Point.
Twilight Inn at Haines Falls $4,500 damage, 1914.
Hotel of Matutinoich at Alsen.
Ice house at Cementon.
Coxsackie like Leeds has been fire swept. The most des- tructive were the West Shore freight house, Wm. Perry's hotel and barns, Jansen's dock property and coal sheds at the Lower Land- ing in 1913.
J. HI. Goodwin & Sons Coal yard West Coxsackie, 1914.
Joseph Holdridge, an Ashland man, had a rather unusual experience. Over the door of his barn was a hornet's nest and these pests were in the habit of stinging his horses and men. One day he thought it would be a brilliant idea to burn the nest out, and so he got a torch and set fire to it. Some of the hornets got away and some of them were burned to death, and the nest was as might have been expected destroyed, but so also was the barn. The surprising part of it all was that knowing the facts the insur . ance company paid him $250, the amount of their risk.
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Horton Brother's barns, Smith Hay buildings, I. W. Brandow barn, J. Person's shop. S. Fontanella building, A. Yan- none's shop and M. E. Church sheds, loss 8200,000, 1913.
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Lennon's Mill at the Forge, Cairo, destroyed in 1911, loss $7000.
Store of C. E. Whitcomb at Purling, 1913, loss $10,000.
Shady Glen House, Durham, loss $20,000, 1900 and again in 1913.
Twin Pine House in 1914.
Athens has had a number of destructive fires, the White Elephant railroad property, 1874.
Osborn House and other buildings, 1878.
Destructive fire of 1913.
Apke's Hotel at Palenville, 1899.
Examiner office fire, 1900.
Store of Nicholas D'Onifro at Athens, destroyed by fire in 1907.
Residence of Peter Fitchett at Coxsackie destroyed by fire 1908.
Residence of George Cleveland, at Norton Hill, loss $1200, in 1903.
Residence on Ingalls place at East Jewett, loss $3000, 1903.
Apartment house of B. K. Van Valkenburgh, Catskill, loss $3000, 1903.
Hotel of Henry Smith, South Cairo, loss 84000, 1903.
Jacob's Bottling Work, Cairo, loss $10,000, 1899.
The fire at the Smith House, Catskill was one of the latest fires in Catskill doing any considerable amount of damage. Great work by the local fire department kept the building from being destroyed.
The First Baptist Church, Catskill burned in 1871.
St. Luke's Church, Catskill was destroyed by fire in 1839.
Simmons house in Jefferson, erected around 1800 was burn- ed in 1913.
Boarding house A. Amman burned near Catskill, 1891, loss about $7000.
The record of fires up to March 1, 1915. 6 239
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1
SMITH'S 5 AND 10° STORE.
309
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The Boston Store Fire, Post's Building and Church's store. Also Smith's store and Daily Mail, the loss approximating $100,000 in 1913.
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1
Catskill Academy, 1869.
Addition Built, 1882.
Catskill Schools
One of the earliest events in the history of the schools of Catskill village, is recorded in a subscription paper, dated August 23, 1793 "for the purpose of raising the sum of four hundred pounds for the erection of an academy at Catskill Landing. It would appear that this sum was not sufficient for at a meeting May 10, 1795, it was resolved that 120 shares should be added to the number already subscribed for the purpose of erecting and maintaining an academy. The trustees at this time were: Stephen Day, George Hale and Caleb Street.
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The first teacher of this school was Elisha Bishop, whose register contained the following names of pupils attending for the term beginning August 17, 1797, and ending March 17, 1798.
Arastus Stephns
James Bogardus
George Brosnahan
James Du Bois
John Brosnaham
Lina Bogardus
John Rimph
Wessel Van Orden
Edward Hayns
Henry Van Orden
Jesse Pratt
Jacob Stephens
Betsy Stodard
Henry Stephns
Elisha Bishop
Benjamin Van Orden
Sally Bishop
Harriette Day
Polly Bishop
Elizer Root
Caty DuBois
Betsy Drake
Sally DuBois
Anna Drake
Cornelius Du Bois
Charles Cammel
Peter Schoot
Sally Cammel
Jacob Schoot
Joel Persons
Ginna Van Gorden
John DuBois
Precilla Addoms Sally Spicer
It is not known at what time other schools were established, however in 1803, there were three schools in the village. The village school was located a few yards southeasterly from the Old Court House. It is described as an unpainted, square building, with its windows placed directly opposite each other
The teachers in the village school were, usually persons who were pursuing their theological studies under the direction of Dr. Porter.
On March 12, 1804, the Catskill Academy was incorporated by the Board of Regents.
It was about 1814 that another school, often referred to as the Academy, was located on the north side of Thomson Street. This edifice was built partly of wood and partly of brick, and en- joyed the distinction of having the only bell in town, except that on the Old Court House. It was this bell which was rung on Sundays to call the congregation of St. Luke's together. The bell
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on the Old Court House performed a similar service for those who were accustomed to worship at the Presbyterian Meeting House.
Other schools contemporaneous of these times were the Catskill Lancasterian School Society, incorporated by the Legisla- ture of 1817; and the Catskill Female Seminary, incorporated in 1820. The charter of the former was revoked by the Legislature of 1830. Of the latter it is claimed that it was never organized.
After a time the Village School came to be looked upon as "too sectarian and the Academy as too promiscuous" and the con- servative part of the community resolved to establish another in- stitution. A building for this purpose was erected near Franklin Street. Of this school, the first teacher was Robert K. Moulton of whom it is said, "that aside from his penmanship he possessed very few qualifications as a teacher and that he did not long re- main."
Mr. Moulton was succeeded by one Leguire, who is des- cribed as, "a half crazy individual, with a red wig. He too was a splendid penman, but instead of imparting a knowledge of the art to his pupils, he made use of his talent in that line by writing love letters to his female scholars."
From the best authority it appears that District Number One was organized in March 1823 and that Joseph Simmons was the first teacher. His salary was $25.00 per month and thirty pupils were in attendance.
The Union Free School was organized in 1856 and in 1861 the school was advanced to the grade of Academy, of whom Prof. H. B. Howe was the first principal.
The front part of the present high school building was built in 1869 by Amos Story and S. W. Smith at the cost of $25,000.
In 1882 an appropriation of $6000 was voted for an addit- ion to the academy. The work was done by Mull and Fromer. It is in this addition that the eighth grades are now located.
It was in 1893, at the suggestion of Prof. E. S. Harris, Principal of the Academy, that an enumeration of the inhabitants
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of the district was taken and it being ascertained that the district had the required population, the Office of Superintendent of Schools was created and Prof. Harris became the first Superinten- dent of Schools.
The next important step in the progress of the elementary schools was erection of the Grandview School in 1896, at a cost of $20,000. This is a beautiful two story brick building of eight grade rooms.
The Grandview School
The Irving School
High School
By 1907 the village had grown to such an extent that the school facilities, for grade pupils, were inadequate. To meet the demands the Irving School was erected at a cost of $45,000. This
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is one of the finest school buildings on the Hudson River. It has nine grade rooms and the offices of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools. The building is provided with a mod- ern heating plant and a mechanical system of ventilation.
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