USA > New York > Delaware County > Delaware County, New York, history of the century, 1797-1897, centennial celebration, June 9 and 10, 1897 > Part 27
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Captain John Knight, from near Philadelphia, settled below Stockport about 1785. Numerous descendants of his still reside in the town and have always been considered people of fine tastes and habits. About 1790 Aaron Thomas and Moses his brother settled above Doyle along the river. Many of the Thomas family still reside in the town and are considered good substantial citizens. Along the East branch of the Delaware, settlement began about the same time.
Henry B. Baseom, D. D., one of the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, was born in Hancock May 27, 1796. He was licensed to preach in 1813, and in 1823 was elected Chaplain to Congress. In 1827 he was called to the presidency of Madison College, Pennsylvania, and in 1842 became president of Transyl- vania University. He was editor of Quarterly Review of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1846-1850, and was elected a Bishop May, 1859. He died September 8th, 1850.
The first settlement made in the upper end of the town, was by Abraham Sprague at Long Flats, in 1788. His grand-son, A. Sprague, is still living in the town. in his eighty-sixth year. Abraham Sprague came direct to this place from Newburgh, upon his discharge from the Continental army. The tract of land upon which he settled, consisting of 2613 acres, was granted to one John Burch, Esq., of London, by Queen Anne, and was excepted out of the Hardenberg Patent. Burch conveyed the same to William Cockburn in 1772, and Christopher Tappan as agent for Cockburn sold the same to Mr. Sprague in 1777, while he, Sprague, was in the army. Mr. Sprague soon after his settlement there sold
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Village f East Branch.
Village of Fish Eddy
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
portions of the Long Flat to Titus Williams (grandfather of Colonel Williams now residing at East Branch ) and Charles and James Sutton who settled thereon about 1795. In 1800 Titus Williams and one Stephenson built the first grist mill near there, and Stephenson run the same until his death, which occurred some Years later by drowning at Early's ford. He attempted to cross upon the ice, but it gave way and he fell in. His hat being found later upon the remaining ice at this point told the tale of his unfortunate death. His body was found the next spring at the head of Cochecton Falls. It was upon discovery buried at a point between high and low water mark, that being supposed to be the requirements of the law at that time. Silas Bouker, Major Landfield and Jesse Baxter settled at Harvard in 1790. About two years thereafter Ichabod Benton, Solomon Miller and Elijah Thomas settled what is known as the Martin Flat near Harvard. In the same year James Miller, great-grandfather of S. Gordon Miller, and his two brothers settled at the juncture of the East branch and Beaverkill on the site of an ancient Indian village called " Pacatacan," and on the exact spot where now stands the thriving village of East Branch.
About the same year, 1792, Jonathan Bolton settled ou Bolton Flat, and one Gilbert Early on the Early Flat, about midmay between East Branch and Fish Eddy. This flat contained several hundred acres of productive land, and was considered one of the finest along the East Branch for many miles. But a little over one-half of it now remains. Little by little, slowly but surely, each year during the past century, the Delaware river has been collecting the interest on the mortgage which she holds upon what was once the best farm in the whole town, and whose fertile acres once "filled heaping full the old cherry chest of Uncle (ill" with bright and shiny silver dollars.
The first settler at Fish Eddy was Jonas Lakin, better known as Squire Lakin, who cleared a small place near the month of the brook, and erected a store, thought by some to have been
408
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
the first store in town. About the year 1792 Ebenezer Wheeler, emigrating from Massachusetts, settled in the town and built a saw mill at Partridge Island. The Wheeler house now standing upon the banks of the river there being the oldest house in town.
At Pease Eddy, a little farther down the river, Aaron Pierce was the first settler, after whom came Mr. Pease, Asa Appley and Ezra Maine.
About this time there came to Cadosia and Hancock the Leonards, Hawks and Sands, all of whom have numerous descen- dants in the town.
Prior to the beginning of the present century the settlements have all been along the river and its principal branches, but little being known of the immense traet lying along the section known at the present time as the French Woods and Goulds. That vast territory being well watered, and mostly covered with hardwood timber, is much the best part of the town for agricul- tural purposes. Numerous streams starting along this elevation flow northwesterly into the East Branch, and sontherly into the Delaware. At the heads of many of these streams are fine lakes and good farming lands, but in following the same as they near the river the valleys become narrow, and the mountains upon each side steep and high so that the land is practically untillable, and this is so with each of the score or more of streams rising in the highlands and flowing into the river, as already stated. This vast section of several thousand aeres was deemed of little value by the early settlers. There being no roads, nor means of getting the timber to the river, it remained comparatively an unbroken wilderness for many years after the settlements along the river. In the early part of the present century David, Asher and Loring Leonard settled the westerly part of this section, known as the French Woods. Shortly thereafter colonies of French and Germans, principally from New York city, settled there, many clearing their lands and making permanent homes. In this place the first Catholic church in the town was erected,
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
and recently a Methodist Episcopal church has been erected there.
In the fall of 1842 John Gould, having exchanged two brick houses in the city of Newburgh for a large tract of wild land, in the central part of the highlands between the rivers, now known as Goulds, removed his family there. In the early part of October, having arrived at Westfield Flats, and the end of the roads and civilization, he together with his family consisting of a wife, one daughter and seven sons, started with a caravan of six ox teams and sleds. Cutting their way through the forests, they arrived at their destination October 13th, having been three days and two nights on the journey through the wilderness from Westfield Flats. The smoke curling from the nearest cabin was at least three miles distant, and there were but two or three neighbors within four or five miles. With the pioneer spirit and lofty puritanism he left the culture and civilization of the beautiful Hudson valley, thinking that he might better rear his large family of boys
" Far from the mad'ning crowd's ignoble strife."
About ten years thereafter he was suddenly killed by logs rolling on him at a saw mill near Peakville. Seven of his sons served in the Union army, in the civil war. One afterward became a doctor and one a lawyer.
Within a few years after Mr. Gould moved into this section quite a number of families, mostly from Schoharie county, settled there, generally engaging in farming, and at the present time this is the best agricultural and most beautiful part of the town. Up to this time and for some years after this part of the town abounded in game, especially deer. The writer when a boy well remembers seeing six fine deer all in one drove in his father's fields, grazing as contentedly as if the land had been cleared and seeded for their special benefit. This settlement closed the period of pioneering, as the town had no more large isolated traets lying will and unoccu- pied. Those coming later knew little of the privations and hard- ships endured by the early settlers.
410
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Agriculture has not attained to very great importance in the town, having generally been made secondary to himbering and other employments. Much of the land along the river is not adapted to farming, the flats being not very extensive and the mountains being steep and rough. The lands adapted to farming were settled very much later, and while promising to be very valuable in future, are in many instances still uncleared, or if cleared not fully subdued and cultivated. One of the great draw- backs is the poor roads. The country being sparsely settled and the roads new and rough, will require much labor to make traveling very desirable or pleasant for years to come.
The chief industries in the town during the first three-quarters of the present century, were tanning and rafting lumber down the Delaware. For many years millions of feet of hemlock, pine and hardwood were annually run to the down river markets, the hemlock bark being used principally at home in the tanneries. As the tanning business and the rafting of lumber declined, the manu- facture of hardwood, by chemical processes, into acetate of lime, wood alcohol and charcoal developed into an extensive business. There is at this time nine large factories in the town, costing, with equipments, several hundred thousand dollars, and giving employ- ment to hundreds of men. If the destructive forest fires could be entirely suppressed, this industry might continue for countless ages, as the natural reproduction of wood, from lands out over, would be sufficient to furnish the wood for an equal number of factories indefinitely.
Another industry of much importance, and of great benefit, has lately been developed into substantial magnitude, viz .: quarrying of blue stone. While this business already has attained to import- ance, and gives employment to many men, it may no doubt be considered still in its infancy. The hills and mountains of the town are seemingly full of fine stone quarries, hundreds and probably thousands of them yet unopened, and many of those opened are but partially developed or exhausted.
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TOWN OF HANCOCK.
There are still a number of saw mills in town; also a few wood working establishments. Of the latter the town has far too few. With unlimited water power, good facilities for ship- ping and plenty of timber, this industry should be encouraged, as it could give steady employment to numerous persons, without such a great waste of timber as was occasioned by the rafting of the lumber down the river, or by shipping it, only partially manufactured, from the mills,
The growth of Hancock has been steady and sure. The two principal villages, Hancock and East Branch, are putting up a few new buildings each year and making material growth and development. Each Federal census has shown an increase in population and wealth in the town. The census of 1890 shows. the population to have been 4,745, two hundred more than the next largest town in the county.
Since the Declaration of Independence the growth of the United States has been about twenty fold, while that of Hancock has been one thousand fold. Judging from the past and the present outlook, it is safe to predict that in the near future the town of Hancock will be the banner town of the county, both in population and wealth.
The history of Hancock presents, it is true, but little that is startling or grand. Her early settlers were men of robust strength and rugged honesty. They possessed few of the comforts of life and none of its luxuries; still we are not sure but they got as much real enjoyment out of life as those apparently more favored who are surfeited with the luxury of civilization and refinement.
The town of Hancock is not resting satisfied with her past. Like a young giant she is tirmly planting her feet, squaring her shoulders and preparing for the onward march of civilization and prosperity. She has no old castles, no lofty monuments, speaking of mighty events already achieved, no traditions or old wives' tables. Forward! is the word of command along the lines of business. education, religion and home life.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Half a century ago there was no railroad within her borders. To-day the Erie railway, traversing the town from east to west, has upwards of twenty miles of double track therein. The Ontario and Western and the Scranton branch have about twenty miles of single track in town, making with the Erie forty miles of railroad in town with nine stations. At that time the only means of crossing the river were by canoe, by boat or by fording. Now there is one suspension bridge across the West branch and one across the main river. These were erected by private capital. There are also three iron bridges across the East branch and one across the mouth of the Beaverkill, erected by the town. The total expense of these bridges was about $100,000.
A century ago there were only two schools in town. Now there is a fine Union Free School at Hancock village and twenty-one comnon schools in the town. At that time there was not a church in the entire town, now there are thirteen churches, and religious services are also held at a number of places in the public school houses. Then there were but a score of voters, now some 1,500. Then the entire property in town was valued at a few thousand dollars, now the assessed valuation exceeds one million dollars.
The future of Hancock ought to be, and is bright. With her large territory, her great natural resources, her diversified in- dustries, her numerous streams, furnishing unlimited power, her fine railroad facilities, her exhaustless stores of the finest blue stone, and her boundless forests, she ought not for ages to come close her pages of history, and sit down content with achieve- ments gained or laurels won.
Nations, states, cities, towns and villages, yea, man himself, inst either advance or recede. All things animate or inanimate are at this moment either growing, developing, perfecting, or receding, decaying, disintegrating. Happy indeed the condition of that people, or individual, who looks to the achievements and successes of the future instead of dwelling among the dead things of the past.
Vilage f Harpersfieil.
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Villa je f North Har, ersfie 1.
Harpersfield. By Allen S. Gibbs.
T HE history of Harpersfield begins at a meeting between the Harpers and the Onoughquage Indians, presumably in 1766, at which an agreement was made for the purchase of the lands named in their petition to the Governor and Council of the province, which was granted. The following consent and deed has been copied from the originals owned by Mr. D. N. Gaylord, a great grandson of Col. Harper, such consent being necessary to enable them to obtain a valid title from the gov- ermnent :
1 L. S. , arms.
By his excellency, Sir Henry Moore, Baronet, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America, Chancellor and Vice- Admiral of the same: To all to whom these presents may come or may concern, Greeting.
Whereas, John Harper, Son., William Harper, John Harper, Jr., Joseph Harper, and Alexander Harper, by their humble petition, presented unto me and read in Conneil on this day, have set forth that there are yet certain lands unpurchased of the native Indians of Onoughquage, of which they are the proprietors, situate, lying and being in the county of Albany, upon the head of the Delaware river: and the said Indians being disposed to sell the same, the petitioners, with their partners, are desirons to purchase one hundred thousand acres, or a smaller quantity, as it may be found, in order to enable them to obtain his Majesty's letters patent for the said lands, that they may settle, cultivate and improve the same; or any other umpurchased lands belonging to the said Indians where they may be disposed to give them, not exceeding the said quantity ; and therefore humbly prayed my license for the purpose aforesaid.
I have therefore thought fit, by and with the advice of his Majesty's Commeil, to grant, and I do by these presents give and grant unto the said John Harper, Sen., William Harper, John Harper, Jr .. Joseph Harper, and Alexander Harper, full power, leave and license to purchase in his Majesty's name from the native Indian proprietors these of the lands aforesaid ; pro- vided the said purchase to he made within one year from the date hereof, and conformaldy to the regulations contained in his Majesty's proclamation of
415
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
the 7th of October, 1763; or that the parties do produce a certificate signed by Sir William Johnson, Baronet, his Majesty's sole Agent or Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Department, that the Indians to be brought before me for the sale of the said lands are chiefs of or belong to the tribe or nation who are the owners and proprietors of the said lands, and that they have authority from such tribe or nation to dispose thereof, and for so doing this shall be to them a sufficient license.
Given under my hand and seal at arms, at Fort George in the city of New York. the ninth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven.
(Signed) H. MOORE.
By his Excellency's command G. BANYAR, D. Soc'try.
The time given in the foregoing was probably extended, as the purchase was completed in presence of the Governor, at the house of Sir William Johnson on the 14th day of June, 1768, for the purchase of 250,000 acres extending from the east line of Harpers- field, down the Charlotte and Susquehanna, one mile from each,- Sir William Johnson had the mile,-to the mouth of the Ouleout: thence direct to and down a creek called Canaskully, -Trout Creek (? )-to the Delaware river; thence up to Lake Utsayantha. The Harpers' land was run out the same year and Governor Moore having died, a deed reciting the before named facts and setting out their land was granted by Cadwalader Colden, Lieutenant Gov- ernor, Andrew Elliott, Receiver General, and Alexander Colden, Surveyor General, as commissioners, which concludes as follows:
" In pursuance whereof, and in obedience to his Majesty's said instructions we. the said Commissioners, do hereby certify that we have set ont for them, the said John Harper, Sep., William Harper. John Harper, Jr., Joseph Harper, Alexander Harper, Andreas Rebar, William Golt, Thomas Hendry, John Wells, Robert Campbell, James Scott, John Wells, Jr., Joseph Harper, Jr., John Thompson, Robert Thompson, John Thompson, Jr .. James Moore, Robert Wells, James Harper, Timothy Mellvain. John Rebar and Johannes Walrad. all that certain tract or parcel of land within the Province of New York situate, lying and being in the county of Albany, between the Cookquago branch of Delaware river and the branch of the Susquehanna river called Adiquitange, beginning at a rock maple tree marked on four sides with a blaze and three notches and with the letters and figures A. C. 1768, standing on a high point of land at the south side of a small pond of water called by the Indians Utsay- antha, from whence the said branch of the Delaware called by the Indians Cookquago issues, and runs thence North thirty degrees West, five hundred and forty-nine chains; thence South eighty-six degrees West, two hundred.
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TOWN OF HARPERSFIELD.
and fifty chains; thence South sixty-three degrees West, one hundred and eleven chains; thener South thirty degrees East, seven hundred chains, to a tract of six thousand acres of land granted in the year one thousand seven hundred and forty to Arent Bradt, Volkert Van Vechten and others; thener along the Northern and Eastern bounds of the last mentioned tract, North- easterly and Westerly as they run, to the said branch of Delaware river called Cookquago ; thence up the Northern bank of the said branch as it winds and turns to the rock maple tree where this tract first began. containing twenty- two thousand acres of land and the usual allowance for highways. And in setting out the said tract or parcel of land, we, the said Commissioners, have had regard to the profitable and unprofitable acres, and have taken care that the length thereof doth not extend along the banks of any river otherwise than is conformable to his Majesty's instructions.
Given under our hands at the City of New York the twenty-ninth day of November, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, in the tenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain. France, and Ireland. King, Defender of the faith, and so forth. ( Signed )
CADWALLADER COLDEN, ANDREW ELLIOT. ALEXANDER COLDEN."
A patent was soon after granted giving each of the patentees 1,000 acres, though most of them afterward deeded their rights to the Harpers. The patent reserved to the King all mines of gold and silver and all pine trees fit for masts, of twenty-four inches diameter and upwards twelve inches from the earth, for masts for the royal navy. The grant is also subject to a quit rent of two shillings and sixpence sterling, yearly for cach 100 acres, and is erected into a township forever.
This township is to elect annually two assessors, two overseers of highways, two overseers of the poor, one collector, one treasurer, and four constables, to be chosen at the most public place in the township. Vacancies are to be filled by election within forty days after they occur.
Digging the gold or silver, cutting the pine fit for masts, or default in quit rent renders the patent void.
In 1771 Colonel Harper removed his family from Cherry Valley for the purpose of making a permanent settlement, and having the patent divided into lots and highways; Adonijah Stanburrough acting as surveyor assisted by several mon, one of whom was David Hendry.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Rev. Harper Boies, who married a grand-daughter of Colonel Harper and who took a deep interes: in the early history of the town and church, says: "The Colonel first erected a shelter for his family in the form of a wigwam, and there lived till a house could be built; but not long after their arrival the Colonel was called away on business. His wife then superintended the erection of a dwelling, directing the men whom the Colonel had brought with him to assist the surveyor, and before her husband's return the walls were fully raised. The house was soon roofed and fitted for the residence of the first white family that ever made a home in Harpersfield. This house stood at the southeast corner of Lot No. 133, near a small stream which erosses the turnpike below the Center, west of and near the cemetery. Part of the foundation is still visible crossed by a wall about ten rods north of the turnpike. The place is now owned by Gideon E. Wickham, who says that lately he plowed up some bricks near the wall. A part of the house now occupied by him was built by Colonel Harper."
From this time forward settlers came in rapidly and lands were «leared till the Revolution. Nearly the whole tract was heavily timbered, and till crops could be raised, all the flour had to be brought from Schoharie on the backs of horses or men.
The following was related to Jay Gould by Mr. Boies:
"The first winter succeeding the removal of the Harpers was very severe. The arrangements they had been able to make proved hardly sufficient for the privations they were compelled to endure. *
* * * Winter set in earlier than expected, and the snow fell to such depth as to render it almost impossible to reach any settlement, of which there was none nearer than Schoharie, nearly thirty miles away.
In the midst of this dilemma their stock of provisions became reduced to a little corn, which was powdered in a mortar and made into johnny cake. * * At last, but one small loaf of johnny cake was left, and the wife * who had borne up well to now, began to yield. She had concealed the state of their provisions from her husband till it was useless to conceal longer, and she told him this small loaf was all; and the children were erying for that, but she dared not give them that for fear they might need it more hereafter. The father now resolved to travel to Schoharie on snow shoes on the morrow,
and divided the loaf among the family but keeping none himself.
* *
*
In the meantime the Schoharie settlers being aware that their neighbors in
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TOWN OF HARPERSFIELD.
the ' Bush,' as Harpersfield was usually called, must be short of ; rovisions. had determined to go to their relief the same day that the last of the johnny ako was eaten. Accordingly, early on the day in question, a company set out from Schoharie on snow shoes, arriving at Harpersfield at midnight, to the joyful surprise of the starving inhabitants."
The story as told by "Sinns" is that the relief party traveled with sleighs; and is much less reasonable.
It is related that on another occasion the Colonel's stock of hay became.exhausted, and he was forced to go over to the Dela- ware river, to a natural meadow on lands since owned by the late Elijah Churchill, and carry hay on his shoulders to keep huis cow from starving. The distance is at least four miles, and the journey was made on snow shoes; and these are only two out of many examples of hardships endured, and assistance ex- tended. Notwithstanding all this, more and more settlers were attracted by the liberal terms offered by the patentees, and as in all new settlements new comers were warmly welcomed, and when necessary the ready assistance of the settled erected houses for the new comers at the shortest notice.
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