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 23
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C. A. MARTIN
C. A. Martin of Haines Falls is one of the most successful boarding house keepers in the mountain section and his place is favorably known from one end of the country to the other. He purchased the Lox-Hurst in 1899, of Samuel E. Rusk, who built
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C. A. Martin
Within easy walk of Mr. Martin's place are the fam- ous Kaaterskill Falls, and Haines Falls, two of the great cataracts of the moun- tain section, Fawn's Leap, Santa Cruz Falls, Profile Rock, Sunset Rock, a view of which is shown on this page, Twilight and Sunset Parks, Catskill Mt. House, Hotel Kanterskill, and the wonderful North and South Lakes. Also the Otis Elev- ating Ry., which operates to the summit of the moun- tains.
the hotel, and has since built the Claremont adjoining. Upon this property he has spent $25,000 in improvements, so that he has a summer hotel that is modern in every way and accommodates over 100 guests. His place is us- ually well filled. Mr. Martin was born at Hunter and has taken an active interest in the affairs of the town as an individual and as an office holder elected by the people.
For 5 years he was postmaster at Haines Falls.
The Lox-Hurst is located near the great. Clove Slide.
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Frank Layman was burned to death near the Laurel House in 1900, while attempting to put out a fire that threatened to burn the hotel property, and a monument has been erected to his memory.
The station of the Catskill Mt. Ry. was burned in 1915 and is now in process of being rebuilt.
R. W. RENNER
R. W. Renner, familiarly known throughout Greene county as"Wally Renner," proprietor of Renner's Mountain Inn, located at the corners, Haines Falls, and formerly Hotel Hallenbeck, has been very largely influential in bringing this well known summer resort into prominence. He has made his hotel property very attractive, and has the reputation of catering to the tastes of the traveling public with a menu that is unexcelled. Travelers from every section aim to put up at Renner's.
Some idea of the beauty of Mr. Renner's hostelry may be had from the view which we present on this page showing the hotel property and the bridge and mountain stream that courses near the hotel affording fine fishing.
MOUNT SYLVAN HOUSE
Mrs. M. L. Tracey, Proprietress Haines Falls, N. Y.
Terms 88 to $15 per week. Transient Rates $2 per day.
Accommodations for 40 guests.
Electric Lights, Bath and Modern Conveniences. Central to all points of interest. Pure spring water. Ample shade.
THE KENWOOD
HAINES FALLS, N. Y.
ELMER E. PELHAM, Propr. Open from June 1 to October 20.
Delightfully Located at Elevation of 2,000 feet at the head of the famous Kaaterskill Clove. House Lighted by Gas. Up-to-date Sanitary Arrangements. In the midst of the most important points of interest in the Catskill Mountains.
'Bus meets all trains.
Lox-Hurst and Cottage
Haines Falls, N. Y. C. A. MARTIN, - Proprietor
On a Commanding Elevation at the head of Kaaterskill Clove Hot and cold water baths and modern conveniences. Central to all points. House bus meets all trains.
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New Baltimore
New Baltimore was originally a part of the district of Coxsackie, and it was not until 1911 that it was set apart as a township. The original occupants of the town were Indians. The town comprises 24,- 189 acres and the valuation is about an even million dollars. The rec- ords of the town previous to 1854 have been lost.
The first settlers were the Van Slykes, Van Derzees, Hotalings, Garrets, Millers, Greenes, Powells, Wheelers, Smiths, Bedells, Searles, Hotalings, Vandepoels and Van Or- dens. Many of these were Quakers Dale S. Baldwin and they set up a standard of wor- ship that still remains, and the gen- srations of the early family are among the first citizens of New Baltimore. Most of these early families settled in the district in the period just preceding 1800, about 1790. The old Van Bergen mill of which we present a picture elsewhere was probably the first grist mill in the county, and was erected by Peter Van Ber- gen, 1780.
The writer landed at New Baltimore Station and in com- pany with mail being delivered by Uncle Sam, a big box of mill- inery and a very mysterious package weighing 100 pounds the contents of which were not indicated passed, slowly in the one horse rig to the heart of New Baltimore's great business center. We have to thank a number of people here for the information that we received. People of New Baltimore live long and well and die happy unless the records are misleading, From 1903 to 1914 according to the records 55 persons died in that town, and 42 of the deaths were people over 80 years of age. 9 were over 90 and
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one person 105 years of age. That was Mary Van Derzee. She died in 1907, and was born in 1802, being without doubt the old- est person in the county. This entire list of deaths will be found a little further on. We are indebted to Stephen A. Burlingham for much of the information we received.
Charles Titus, a Hicksite and Quaker preacher, built a mill near Medway in 1818 and many other mills followed for sawing lumber. Men named Dodge, Coney, Delamater and Van Bergen built mills.
Formerly a large amount of shipping was done from New Baltimore village and it was not an unusual sight to see lines of teams and loads of straw reaching from the landing to the top of the hill and for half a mile. With the burning of the big store house of Andrew Vanderpoel this business was lost.
New Baltimore in 1915 from River
In 1815 Paul Sherman started the building of boats for river traffic and that resulted in the great ship yard that has since been supplying substantial sailboats, tugboats, and larger steam- boats. Around 1850 John Burlingham, an uncle of the inform- ant, and William Wheat took the business and they built a num- ber of annex ferry boats that were used in New York harbor, as well as the first double deck barges. Then Goldsmith and Teneyck
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got the business and they let it run down. Then J. R. and H. S. Baldwin purchased the business and commenced to make yessels that were staunch in every way. William H. Baldwin, the present proprietor went to work for them and grew up in the business. He purchased it in 1879 and has spent a fortune in adding every improvement known to the shop builder's art. Great ways, heavy hoisting and lifting apparatus, steaming apparatus, saw and tram . ways and material and tools of every sort, has made the yard per- fect. Forty three years this faithful builder of barges, steamboats and pleasure yachts has turned the lock of his office door.
His son, Dale S. Baldwin, now supervisor of the town, is associated with him in the business.
From the river New Baltimore well displays its well kept residences, its splendid brick school building, a hose hose that is a credit to the donor, Mr. Cornell, after whom the company is named, and to the village as well; a number of large hotels of which two are in operation, and three prosperous churches.
The oldest of these churches is the Reformed. This organ- ization dates to 1823, but the name of the first pastor does not appear to be known. The Rev. Staats Van Santvoord held ser- vices at New Baltimore and Coeymans in 1833. The Rev. W. R. Torrens is the present pastor.
The Baptist church was organized in 1868, by the Rev. Foster Hartwell and Rev. A. B. Palmatier. First worship was in the school house and in 1780 a church costing $4000 was built. The Rev. G. D. Merry is the present pastor.
The Methodist church was built in 1856 and later on re- modeled at a cost of $8000, and among the contributers was the Rev. James A. H. Cornell, pastor of the Reformed church who later on built the fine hose house of Cornell fire company. The early records of the church were lost. In 1876 John Crawford was pastor and the present minister is Rev. J. E. Parker.
The Quakers as early as 1803 built a church at Stanton Hill and the Bedells and Halsteds were the chief backers of this organization.
The Rev. Ebenezer Wicks started the Baptist church at Grapeville, and the Palmers of that section were among its many communicants.
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The Methodist Church at Medway was built in 1832. How- ever there were no early records kept. We are informed that the Smiths, Garrets, and Van Derzees were early and later supporters.
The old Methodist church and school house annex have been altered and John Wagner owns and occupies the church prop- erty and Bertha Parsons the school house.
New Baltimore has a number of prosperous social organi- zations:
Social Friendship Masonic Lodge 741, was organized in 1874. Barney Gardenier is at the head of this organization as worship master.
The Odd Fellows organization has discontinued.
The graded school to which we referred has at its head as principal H. B. Ostrander, Miss Alice Biglake, intermediate, Miss Alida Mulder primary.
Cornell Hose Company occupies a fine large building on the site of its old house destroyed by fire. William Henry Bald- win is president of the organization, Richard Chapman foreman, William Mortimer secretary and William R. Gay, sec.
The school trustees are Dr. G. Waller, Martinus Mulder, and Byron Mansfield.
Dale S. Baldwin is supervisor of the town and L. G.Nelson clerk.
Social Friendship Lodge No. 741, Free and Accepted Mas- ons, New Baltimore, was constituted July 9, 1874, under a char- ter issued June 5 previous, with the following charter members: Robert H. Bronk, Isaac Burns, James H. Case, John Colvin, Ed- win S. Colburn, John A. Davis, Dewitt A. Fuller, Anthony H. Holmes, Benjamin Hotaling, John Hotaling, Jacob B Holmes, George H. Jackson, L. A. Marshall, James Miller, Stephen Mead, Horace Rennie, George Smith, Stephen Springstead. A. V.S. Van Derpoel, A. J. Van Derpoel, Ira Willson. Its past masters have been the following: Anthony Holmes, John Colvin, Augustus Sherman, Sam. Colvin, Jacob Carthart, Warren Wolf, L.Colvin, William Gay, William Fuller, Howard Lomax, Wessel Van Or- den, Byron Mansfield, Martienus Mulder, Jacob Van Fleet, Eu- gene Wolfe, Barney Gardenier. The present worshipful master is Dale S. Baldwin. The membership is 64, and regular commun- ications are held on the first and third Fridays of each month.
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Prattsville
Prattsville was named after Col. Zadock Pratt, and the territory, something over 1300 acres valued at $250,000 was taken from the town of Windham in 1833, and it is one of the most picturesque in the county, with a splendid stream, the Bataviakill splitting the town in half. Just below the beautiful vil- lage of Prattsville is located the great Devasego Falls, one of the most notable waterfalls in the coun- ty, and which has made the town famous as a boarding section.
Prattsville village will be seen from the picture taken in 1843 is Elmer Krieger located in a fertile valley with mod- el surroundings. The home of the greatest man that the country ever produced, and who gave to the county the great tanning industry, and whose lasting monuments are to be seen in the world-wide pictured rocks bearing the names of many of the Pratt family. [See sketch on page 146.] Like many of the other towns Prattsville had a greater population in 1800 than it has in 1915, and unless all sign fail the building of the great water plant which is to supply New York City will in the course of the next few years cause the inundation of a consid- erable portion of the town, and lose to it practically all of the population now remaining. Prattsville had 1115 residents in 1800 and 713 according to the last census.
Prattsville was settled by early comers from the Schoharie valley, and on the valley flats at Prattsville was fought an en- gagement of some importance between the settlers and the Tories and Indians, headed by a British officer, named Captain Smith, who was shot and killed and whose remains buried near the creek were washed away in later years during a freshet. These early settlers came from Germany in 1710, and it took them two years
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View of Prattsville in 1851, from an Old Print Preserved by Supervisor Elmer Krieger.
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to reach the Hudson river, after a great many had died on the way. They proceeded up the Hudson to Albany and thence found their way by Indian trail to the valley of the Schoharie.
The Laraways, Van Alstyns, Van Loans, Deckers, Shoe- makers, Derricks, Austins, Distins, Atwaters, Tompkins, Bran- dows, Mores and others were among the early comers, and these families many of them are still in that section.
The first supervisor of the town was Hezekiah Dickerman in 1833, and the present supervisor, honored year after year, is Elmer Krieger. Zadock Pratt was supervisor in 1863, and Omar V. Sage, now of Catskill, was supervisor in 1861.
Prattsville has produced many men who have stood well in the history of the county, and among them were Daniel C. Scud- der, F. James Fitch, Henry Chatfield, Burton G. Morss, Hiram Cronk. Iliram Boughton, and others whose names we may have omitted.
Col. Pratt contributed very largely the money that was used to build the academy at Prattsville.
The first school was in log house near the Pratt rocks.
The Reformed Dutch was the first church, and that was organized in 1802, with the Rev. Lapaugh as preacher. The pres- ent church was erected in 1834.
The Methodist church was organized in 1823 and the first church built in 1834, with Thomas S. Barrett as preacher. Dur- ham was in the preaching circuit. Col. Pratt gave most of the money to build these churches.
The Protestant Episcopal church was organized in 1833, Prattsville, Windham and Hobart being the preaching circuit. Zadock Pratt was a warden of this church.
This church cost about $2000 and Mary E. Pratt gave 8500. The first president of Prattsville village was Dr. Thomas Fitch. The Prattsville bank was organized in 1843, with a capi- tal stock of $272,266. It went out of business in 1852.
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Prattsville was the home of the great tanneries and Zadock Pratt their promoter, the town being at that time Windham.
The first tannery however and a grist mill and saw mill was operated at Devasego falls by Thomas Bell, who disappeared from Prattsville and was captured and hanged as a pirate. The mill property was destroyed by fire in 1825.
The view which we present of Prattsville shows the great Pratt tannery which discontinued operations in 1845.
Further reference to this industry will be found in the sketch of the life of Col. Pratt on pages 146-149.
The first physician at Prattsville was Dr. Smith, 1790, followed in 1800 by Dr. Curtis, and in 1825 by Dr. Benham, the later being largely responsible for the arrest and conviction of John Kelly who murdered Lucretia Lewis at Prattsville, and who was hanged at Catskill in 1847.
Burton G. Morse, next in line of Prattsville's great men, was born at Windham in 1810. His grandfather Asa Morse had a family of 14 children, and the oldest son, Foster, was the father of Burton G. He had tanneries at Red Falls, Windhand, Ashland, Carbondale and a grist miii on White Brook, a foundry at Red Falls, and also a cotton factory. These buildings cost $20,000 and the machinery $50,000. The dam which had a head of 32 feet cost $6000. He had 11 grist mills, one at Hobart being twice burned, his plow factory was burned, and in the great freshet of 1869 he lost all his milling property at Red Falls, Hobart, Gilboa, and Schenevus, valued at $100,000. Two tanneries, foundry and one grist mill were burned at a loss of $53,000.
He was supervisor of Prattsville, 1869 to 1878 and assem- blyman 1876.
Elmer Krieger stands third among the important men of Prattsville, and has represented that town in the board of super- visors since 1883. See sketch on page 2 7
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Work is now proceeding at Prattsville on the great dam, which will be 150 feet high and wipe out 40 large farms in addi- tion to the entire village of Prattsville. The famous Pratt farm and its pictured rocks, the Platner farm, with its $20,000 barns, Sheriff Churchill's farm, Sheriff Conine's farm, Higgin's farm, the Hull farm, the Devasego Falls House and other big boarding houses, 3 schools, 2 creameries, 7 stores, 4 churches, 3 hotels, 3 cemeteries, foundry, and 100 residences will go to make room for the great reservoir. The mountain will be tunneled to get the water to the Ulster county water shed. The work is estimated to take 8 years.
Aurora Lodge F. & A M. was organized in 1827 with Thomas Benham, W.M .; Sidney Lovejoy, S. W .; C. K. Benham, J.W. But its existence was very brief, public feeling at that time being too anti-masonic, so that it did not outlast the year.
Oasis Lodge No. 119, F. & A. M. was instituted June 5, 1847, with Cornelius K. Benham, W. M .; Matthew C. Boughton, S. W .; Robert Scanling, J. W. There is no record of other officers or charter members. This lodge has prospered. It occupies its own building, where communications are held on the 2d and 4th Tuesday of each month. Its membership December 31, 1914, was 73.
The officers for 1914 were: Austin Hummell, W. M .; Ed- win A. Alberti, S. W .; Willis Lutz, J.W .; Dwight Conine, treas- urer, Albert Newcomb, secretary; Orville Hummel, S. D .; Edwin Moore, J. D .; Claude White, chaplain; Fred. Will, S. M. C .; Franklin Marquit, J. M.C. ; James C. McWilliams; marshall; De- witt Chase, tyler.
Its succeeding worshipful masters have been: C. K. Ben- ham, James Gregory, G. S. Cotton, E. P. More, A. P. Myers, Theodore Rudolph, Cornelius Platner, W'm. F. Fenn, Sidney Cro- well, James McWilliams, Albert Clark, Albert Newcomb, J. H. Chatfield, M. G. Marsh, A. S. Cammer, James Richtmyer, Dewitt Chase, Charles Rose, E. A. Alberti, Claud V. White, Gould Grif- fin, Austin Hummel.
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Windham
Windham was formerly a part of Woodstock, Ulster county, and is one of the most prosperous of the mountain towns. It has many splendid and well tilled farms, and a great many prosperous boarding houses. While there are few of the early industries that remain there are evidences of thrift everywhere. In manufacturing there is nothing left. Farming and the entainment of summer guests who desert the city for the pure air are the chief occupations.
Windham has always stood at the front in furnishing strong men Dr. Sidney L. Ford who have occupied high positions in state and county affairs. Wash- ington Hunt and Lucius Robinson of Windham were both gover- nor of the state. Rufus King and Zadock Pratt were members of congress, Lyons Tuttle, William Steele and Hon. C.E. Blood- good were state senators, and Edward M. Cole was member of assembly.
A great many of the prominent men of Catskill, New York City and other places have gone out of Windham. Josiah Tall- madge to be county judge for a long term of years, Cyrus E. Blood- good to be county clerk, and a great many lawyers, among whom are Frank H. Osborn, Judge Chase, Leonard B. Cornell and others.
For many years Windham has been the temperance strong- hold of Greene county. Strange to say the early industries of Windham included a distillery operated by Bennett Osborn and another the property of William Tuttle, 1822 to 1830. Windham whiskey was regarded as better than the Blue Grass kind. The most important industry industry was tanning, and Zadock Pratt,
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Samuel Reynolds, Clark Twist, Friend Holcomb, Tertius Graham, Bennett Osborn, Abijah Stone, Col. George Robinson operated tanneries.
Jared Matthews conducted a button factory.
Jared Matthews in 1822 manufactured shaving boxes and later a carding mill and saw mill.
Hunt and Matthews operated a collar factory.
Matthews and Hunt made harness to supply the New York city trade. William Tuttle ran an ashery and distillery.
Morse and Newbury manufactured printing presses.
Bennett Osborn and Abijah Stone operated a grist mill.
Bennett Osborn was the first postmaster at Windham, be- ing commissioned by Andrew Jackson.
The first settlement was at Osbornville, now Windham, but the Osborns are still there in force, and George Osborn at Brook Lynne, better known now as Brooklyn, has one of the largest and most successful boarding house interests in the Cats- kills.
Back in 1822 Asa Osborn represented the town as its sup- ervisor, and Merritt Osborn, 1847, Barnard Osborn 1864, M. C. Osborn 1879 and George Osborn 1905, represented the town in the Board of Supervisors.
Noble P. Cowles, John Olney, Erastus Peck, Cyrus E. Bloodgood, are among the Windham men who have become not- able characters in the county's history.
There was Captain Robinson who in 1812 volunteered and his personality was so great that he took his company almost to a with him.
David Lamoreau settled at Windham in 1817, and raised a family of 11 children in a log house.
Solomon Munson came to Windham in 1802, and he was killed building a frame building to take the place of a log house.
Silas Lewis was the first of that family and he erected a grist mill.
George Stimson settled in the Batavia valley in 1785.
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Eleazer Miller, Elias Clark, and Cornelius Fuller were early settlers, and the latter kept an inn, 1812. He had & sons and 8 daughters, all of whom lived to raise families. At Fuller's tav- ern religious services were held every Sunday, and there was a pulpit erected in one of the rooms for religious purposes. Mr. Fuller is said to have been very kind and benevolent.
Lemuel Hitchcock settled near Big Hollow in 1785 and raised a family of 10 children, all in a little log house.
Abel Holcom from Granby, Ct., located at Jewett, 1820 and built a saw mill, a brick yard, a tannery and established a store. Col. Pratt started the tannery business.
Eli Robinson, father of Governor Robinson built a log house around 1800.
Sanford Hunt, father of Governor Hunt, manufactured potash.
Ambrose Chapman, 1820, started a chair factory and made hand hay rakes.
Isaac Payne built a saw mill, 1810, Lemuel Anson started a paper mill, 1850, Jared Clark built a saw mill, Roswell Bump, 1810 raised a family of 9 boys and 4 girls in a log house at Wind- ham. Decon Elam Finch organized the West Durham Presby- terian church and brought up a family of 11 children.
These sturdy pioneers of the stirring early town lived long and were happy and full of religious zeal. They died at 80 and 90 and raised families of from 8 to 14 persons. There were no child's welfare clubs, no eugenics, no great health boards and rules of hygiene, no fly swatters, and no tabooing of water cups, but they lived, all of them and the inference that health comes unsought under the proper surroundings may be had. Men work- ed, and women also. Their food was simple and their hardships many, and the secret of most of the healthy children is that there were no nursing bottles and the mother raised her offspring.
Bennett Osborn had a grist mill at Windham in 1810, a
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tannery in 1823. Henry Osborn later erected the building that became the Methodist church, and for a time ran a newspaper called the Centennial 1867. Bennett Osborn was postmaster.
The Big Hollow Presbyterian church was started in 1822. The Windham Presbyterian church was established in 1834. The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1843. The Episcopal Mission in 1850.
The Free Methodist church at Big Hollow in 1871.
The Hensonville Methodist church in 1874.
The Windham Journal was started in 1857 by William R. Steele. Edward M. Cole, published the paper up to the time of his death in 1915.
Windham was visited by a most destructive freshet in 1870.
Colonel George Robertson was one of the most prominent men that Windham has produced. He was born in 1805, and was one of a family of ten children. His father was also a Col- onel. He was born at Troy and moving to Windham opened a temperance hotel, the first in the country. Col. George Robertson operated a tannery, and a saw mill. When his tannery was burn- ed in 1853, in the space of six days he performed the greatest building feat that has been known. Timber was cut from the woods, and a building 40x210 and 3 stories in height, main part, with addition 21x120 feet, was erected and ready for use. There is nothing to equal this even today with greater facilities at hand.
Free Masonry gained an early foothold in Windham, where Revival Lodge No. 117, F. & A. M. was instituted in 1804 by these eminent grand lodge officers present: R. W. Jacob Morton, G. M .; Martin Hoffman, D, G. M .; C. Colden, S. G. W .; Dan- iel D. Tompkins, grand secretary; Philip S. Van Rensselaer, J.G. W. The lodge was organized at the house of John Tuttle, at Batavia, and its first officers were: Samuel Gunn W, M., Thos. Benham S. W., George Robertson J. W. There were 87 members, all early settlers of Windham and vicinity. A prize possession of the lodge, still in the custody of Mountain Lodge, its successor,
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