USA > New York > Herkimer County > Gazetteer and business directory of Herkimer County, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 9
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Burnetsfield Patent,
1725
9400 Johan Joost Petrie, and ninety-three others,
Colden's (C.) Patent,
1738
3000 Cadwallader Colden the younger, and Coenradt Ryghtmeyer,
Cosby's Manor,*
1734
22000
Joseph Worrell, William Cosby and nine others,
Colden's (A.) Patent,
1761
4000 Alexander Colden, and three others,
Frank (Conrad) & Co's Patent,.
Fall-Hill Patent,
1739
Hommedieu's (L.) Patent,
1786
Henderson's Patent, *. Hassenclever's Patent,
1739 1769
18000 Peter Hasenclever, and seventeen others,
Johnson's (Guy) Patent, ..
1765
2000 Guy Johnson. Forfeited by attainder G. J.
Jerseyfield Patent,*
1770
94000 Henry Glen, Alexander Ellis, and ninety-two others,
Kass's Patent,
1724
1100 Johan Jurgh Kass, and his child- ren,
Lindsay's Patent,
1730
3000 John Lindsay, and Philip Living- ston,
Livingston's Patent,*
1762
20000 Philip' Livingston, and nineteen others,
Lispenard's Patent,*
1770
Lansing's Patent,*
1753
9200 Leonard' Lispenard, and thirteen others, 6000 Jacob and Abraham Lansing, and Jacob Glen, Alexander Macomb,
McComb's Purchase,*
1792
McNeil's Patent,.
1761 4000 John McNeil, and three othere,
Matchin's Patent, *
1786 1600 Thomas Matchin,
Nobleborough Tract,*
1787
40960 Arthur Noble,
Moose River Tract,*
Owned by the state, except 13,080 granted in 1847 to Anson Blake,
Petrie's Purchase,
1740
6000 John Jost Petrie, and two others, Sir William Johnson,
Remsenburgh Patent, *
1787 48000 Henry Remsen, and three others,
Snell and Timmerman's Patent,
1755
3600 Jacob Timberman, and Johan Joost Schnell;
Staley's Ist and 2d Tract,
1755
34000 Rudolph Staley, Johan Jost Herch- keimer, Jr., Nicholas Herchkeimer, and fifteen others,
Schuyler's Patent,
1755
43000 Abraham Lynsen, and twenty-one [others, 9760 Isaac Vrooman,
Vrooman's Patent,* do
1790 1786
4000 do
do
1790
433 do
Van Driesen, Peter,
1737
1000 Petrus Van Driessen,
Van Driesen, John,
1786
428 Johan Van Driessen,
Van Horn's Patent, *
1731
8000 Abraham Van Horne, and three others,
Vaughn's Patent,
1770
8000 John Vaughn and seven others,
Watson's James Tract,*
Winne's Patent,
1792 1741 A part of Macomb's purchase, 2000 Peter Winne,
Walton's Patent, 1768
Young's Patent,*
1752
12000 William Walton, Jr., and eleven others, 14000 Theobald Young, and ten others,
Glen's Purchase,
1765 5000 Coenradt, Frank, and five others, 1752 2324 Johan, Joost, and Hendrik Herch- 25076 keimer, 4000 Ezra L'Hommedieu and Nathaniel Platt,
6000 James Henderson, and two others,
Royal Grant, ..
Totten & Crossfield's Patent,*
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HERKIMER COUNTY.
The Indian title to Glen's purchase was extinguished in 1734. The whole tract was subdivided into thirty-nine large lots, of un- equal quantities. In 1738 five of these lots were granted to Patrick McClaughry and Andrew McDowell, and eight to James De- Lancey, John Lindsay and Abraham Glen. In 1739 three were granted to Lendert Helmer, two to Jacob Glen, three to Archibald Kennedy, three to John Schuyler, Jr., three to Arent Brant and three to Philip Schuyler. In 1761 three were granted to Samuel Auchmuty, three to William Mitchell and three to William Ogilvie.
The patent for the Royal Grant was never recorded in this State. The grant was made by the King in Council, and not by the Col- onial authorities, consequently the date and number of acres can- not be given from any entries in the Secretary's office at Albany.
The Guy Johnson Tract was conveyed by Jeremiah Van Rens- selaer, Jacob G. Klock and Henry Oothoudt, Commissioners of Forfeitures of the Western District of New York, to Benjamin Tallmadge, Major in the army of the United States, June 7th, 1784, and by Tallmadge to Caleb Brewster, July 9th, 1794.
The County Poor House is located upon a farm about six miles north of the village of Herkimer. From the report of the Inspec- tor we learn that, "The inmates are well cared for, the farm has been well cultivated, the stock is in splendid condition, the build- ings and fences are in good repair, and your worthy Superintend- ent has performed his duties with fidelity to the interests of this County."
The number of inmates at the Poor House, Oct. 31, 1867, was ... 126
Received during the year, 96
Born in the House,
1
Died, .
?
Discharged, 78
Remaining at the House, Oct. 31, 1868, 138
The average number present during the year was 118
The cost per week of supporting each one,
$2.02
The estimated value of the products of the farm during the year is. $1,676.20
The value of the real and personal property of the farm is ... .. $10,000.00
The first settlements of the County were made along the river flats above Little Falls, by Palatinates, from Germany, about 1822. Some of them had previously settled upon the Hudson. Acces- sions were made from time to time, and up to the close of the Revolution they constituted the chief part of the inhabitants. Dur- ing the French War of 1756 the settlements were twice invaded by French and Indians, many of the inhabitants were killed, a large
68
HERKIMER COUNTY.
amount of property was destroyed and numbers of the inhabitants were carried away prisoners. The first attack was made on the 12th of November, 1757, upon the settlement on the north side of the river. Most of the inhabitants took refuge in the Fort on the south side. A grist mill and saw mill were burned, and about thirty houses abandoned for a time. In the spring of 1758 another attack was made upon the settlements on the south side of the river, near the Fort. The inhabitants as far as possible were col- lected into the Fort and made a spirited resistance. Several team- sters who were engaged in hauling baggage to the Fort were at- tacked in one of the houses and defended themselves until the enemy were driven away by the rangers. Most of those who failed to reach the Fort were killed and scalped. The next morning a woman came into the Fort, scalped, her nose nearly cut off, and severely wounded in other ways. From the close of the French War to the stirring events that preceded the breaking out of the Revolution, nothing of special importance has been handed down to us.
The state of affairs in Tryon County was such as to induce the Committee of Safety to organize the militia into four battalions, one in each district. The return was made through the chairman, Nicholas Herkimer, Aug. 26th, 1775, to the General Committee of Safety in session in New York City. Fort Herkimer was a stock- aded work on the south side of the river, erected during the French War. Fort Dayton was erected on the north side of the river, where the village of Herkimer now stands, in 1775. There were several block houses in other parts of the County used as places of refuge in case of attacks by Indians and Tories, whose weapons were never more formidable than the musket and rifle. The first liberty pole erected in the Mohawk Valley was at Fort Herkimer, in 1775, and was cut down by White, the Sheriff of Tryon County, who came with a body of militia for that purpose. Accounts state that at this time there were about seventy dwelling houses on both sides of the river in the neighborhood of the Forts, besides barns, mills and other out-buildings. The population was large for the number of dwellings. The earth had yielded an abundant harvest to reward the labor of the husbandman, and prosperity seemed smiling upon the whole region, when Brant, at the head of 300 Tories and about half that number of Indians made an attack upon the settlement, setting the whole valley in a blaze with burning buildings, stacks of hay and grain, and everything combustible. The people had a little warning of the approach of this band and escaped to the Forts, only two persons being killed. A large amount of stock was driven off, leaving the inhabitants to witness the destruction of all the fruits of their season's labor. Early ac- counts state that 63 dwellings, 57 barns, three grist mills, two saw
69
HERKIMER COUNTY. .
mills, with most of the grain and furniture therein; 235 horses, 229 head of horned cattle, 269 sheep and 93 oxen were carried away. This occurred in September, 1778. A party of militia pursued the invaders but to no purpose. Attacks were made upon various settlements during the war and not a hamlet escaped the tomahawk and torch of the Indian or the more savage Tory.
The County suffered severely in the battle at Oriskany ; scarcely a family that did not contribute some member to that fatal conflict. Among the most distinguished of these was General Herkimer. Though the Oriskany battle was not fought within the limits of Herkimer County, so many of those who fought and fell there were from this County it seems appropriate to give some account of the conflict.
Congress had ordered Gen. Schuyler, who was in command of the Northern Department, to repair and strengthen Fort Stanwix, at Rome, which was done and the name changed to Fort Schuyler. This fort was garrisoned by about 750 when it was besieged by a party of British and Indians under command of St. Leger, who had invaded the State via Oswego, with the intention of passing down the Mohawk and uniting with Burgoyne, who was coming in via Lake Champlain. The force of St. Leger was estimated at 2,000, and the garrison of Fort Schuyler not being prepared to sustain a long siege, Gen. Herkimer, then in command of the Tryon County Militia, ordered his brigade to assemble at Fort Dayton, located in the western part of Herkimer village, for the purpose of marching to the relief of the fort besieged by St. Leger. In a short time Gen. Herkimer found himself at the head of about 900 men, com- posed of the militia regiments commanded by Cols. Klock, Cox and Vischer, with other volunteer ,officers and men from other parts. Gen. Herkimer left Fort Dayton on the 4th of August, 1777, and encamped near Oriskany on the 5th, having crossed the Mohawk near the present site of Utica. At this point the General expressed doubts as to the expediency of advancing further until reinforce- ments should arrive or the signal should be given from the Fort. Adam Helmer and two other men had been despatched to the Fort to inforin the Commandant, Col. Gansevoort, of his approach, and to arrange measures of co-operation. Three successive discharges of heavy ordinance was to be the signal announcing their arrival. It was nearly 11 o'clock, A. M., of the 6th, before the express ar- rived. In the meantime the hesitation to advance, on the part of Gen. Herkimer, caused great dissatisfaction among his subordinates, some of whom denounced him as a coward and Tory. Smarting under the unjust accusation he gave the order to march, at the same time telling some of his subordinates who were so anxious for an advance that they would be the first to run in case of attack. About 10 o'clock on the 6th the main body of troops passed over a cause-
E
70
HERKIMER COUNTY.
way in a marshy ravine, and the advance were ascending the west- ern slope, when they were attacked in front and on both flanks by a well directed fire from the enemy. Retreat was impossible, and the suddenness of the attack and the severity of the enemy's fire threw the troops into confusion, and for some time threatened their utter destruction. At length the Americans formed themselves into circular squads and thus more effectually repelled the attacks of the enemy who were approaching on all sides. The battle raged for several hours ; at length firing was heard in the direction of the Fort, and the enemy soon after retreated, leaving their dead and wounded on the battle-field. Col. Willett had made a sortie from the Fort for the purpose of drawing the attention of St. Leger to the preservation of his camp. This proved successful and ended the battle, leaving the Provincial troops upon the field. In the early part of the action Gen. Herkimer's horse was killed and he was severely wounded in the leg. In this condition he directed his saddle to be placed upon a little hillock, and here he issued his orders to his troops during the remainder of the engagement, with a coolness that utterly annihilated the charges of cowardice pre- viously made. After the battle he was carried home where his leg was amputated. It was so unskillfully performed that he soon af- ter died from its effects. The siege of Fort Schuyler was continued, and about the 20th of August General Arnold arrived at Fort Dayton with troops for the relief of Fort Schuyler. On the 23d he commenced his march from this point, but had proceeded only half a day's march when he was met by a messenger from Col. Gansevoort informing him that the siege had been raised and St. Leger and his force of British, Indians and Tories were on their way to Canada.
The subsequent attacks by Tories and Indians, and the massacres and conflagrations attending them, have been already mentioned. The Legislature passed an act October 22d, 1779, confiscating the estates, real and personal, of the Johnsons, Butler and a few others, and declaring the title to the same vested in the people of the State. The Royal Grant, so called from the fact that it was granted to Sir William Johnson by the King, was included in the land forfeited. That tract comprises the part of the County lying between the East and West Canada Creeks, and extending from the Mohawk River on the south, to the south line of Jerseyfield on the north, which runs from the village of Devereaux, at the north- east corner of the Grant, on East Canada Creek, in a north-westerly direction, intersecting, West Canada Creek a short distance north of Prospect in Oneida County, except a few lots in Burnetsfield and a few patents in Manheim. The tract of 2,000 acres granted to Guy Johnson in 1765 and situated in the present towns of German Flats and Little Falls, was forfeited under the same law. In May, 1784,
71
HERKIMER COUNTY.
the Legislature passed an act directing the speedy sale of confis- cated estates, requiring the proceeds to be applied to the discharge of certain public securities created for the purpose of carrying on the war. These securities were greatly depreciated and a large amount of public indebtedness was discharged with a very small sum of money, most of the purchasers buying these securities at their market value and investing them in some of the best lands in the State.
During the Revolutionary War and previous to that, the Mo- hawk River was navigated by bateaux of light draught. The main traveled road between East and West Canada Creeks was on the south side of the river until 1793, when the Legislature appointed Commissioners to construct "a bridge across East Canada Creek, nearly opposite Canajoharie Castle, on the public road leading from Tribes Hill to the Little Falls; the building and erecting a bridge over the West Canada Creek, on the public road or highway lead- ing from the Little Falls aforesaid, to Fort Stanwix."
The Little Falls presented a formidable obstacle to the naviga- tion of the Mohawk, and in March, 1792, the "Western Inland Lock Navigation Company " was incorporated. The object of the Company was to open and improve the navigation of the Mohawk and other streams from the Hudson to Seneca Lake and Lake On- tario. The improvements in this County consisted in opening a short canal on the river flats and the construction of a lock to avoid a rapid in the river near old Fort Herkimer, in the town of Ger- man Flats, and the construction of the canal and locks at Little Falls. The locks were at first constructed of wood and the work was completed in 1795. In 1804 the locks were rebuilt of stone and were in good repair in 1825, when the Erie Canal was opened. After the completion of these works the river was navigable for Durham boats from Schenectady to Rome, and by means of the canal at that place, extending to Wood Creek, there was water communication to Lake Ontario. A light passenger boat was upon the river in 1817, and the trip from Utica to Schenectady was rapid and pleasant, but the return trip was so slow and tedious that travelers did not seem inclined to patronize it. The cost of the Company's improvements was about $450,000. A charter for a turnpike was granted in 1800, to extend from Schenectady to Utica, on the north side of the river. Although it was not con- structed in the most substantial manner, it was the great thorough- fare for travel for many years. The Erie Canal was completed in 1825, and the Utica and Schenectady Railroad in 1836, each add- ing increased facilities for travel and the transportation of freight. The original capital of the Railroad Company was 2,000,000 of dollars. The road was completed and put in running order for something less than that sum, and in 1851, when it was consoli-
72
1 HERKIMER COUNTY.
dated with the New York Central, the stock capital of the Com- pany was $4,500,000. In 1847-8 the mania for plank roads at- tacked the people of this County and several lines were constructed.
The Herkimer County Agricultural Society was organized in 1841 and has held Fairs annually since that time. The Fair Ground embraces sixteen acres, upon which are suitable buildings for the officers and for the general purposes of the Society. From the reports published we infer that the Fairs of the Society have generally been successful and that the Society is in a prosperous condition.
The Herkimer County Medical Society was organized August 5th, 1806, at a general meeting of the physicians of the County. Dr. Westel Willoughby, Jr., was chosen President ; George Rogers, Vice President ; Andrew Farrell, Secretary ; and Amos Haile, Treasurer. The following are the names of the physicians present at this meeting in addition to the officers already named : Abijah Tombling, David Perry, Jonathan Sherwood, John Eastman and Samuel Redfield. Dr. Willoughby was re-elected President an- nually until 1816, when Rufus Crain was elected to that office. which he held for one year and was succeeded by James Hadley, Dr. Willoughby was again elected to the office of President in 1818 and continued to hold it until 1837. For many years the Society held its meetings, accumulated quite a library and had a successful career.
During the recent Rebellion the loyal sons of Herkimer County acted a part not unworthy of their illustrious sires of the Revolu- tion. At the outbreak of the war there was only one military or- ganization in the County, that was the Thirty-eighth Regiment New York State Militia. The officers of this regiment immediately commenced filling up their companies, and by the first of May a number of companies were on their way to Albany to be mustered into service. On the 15th of June the Thirty-fourth Regiment of Volunteers was mustered into service, several of the officers of the Thirty-eighth Militia taking corresponding places in the Thirty- fourth. Five of the companies were recruited in this County. A large number of Herkimer County men enlisted in the Fourteenth and Twenty-sixth regiments, making in all about 1,000 men who went into the army before the first Bull Run battle. The Herki- mer County companies of the Thirty-fourth Regiment were Co. B, recruited at Little Falls, Captain Wells Sponable; Co. C, Captain Thomas Corcoran; Co. F, Captain Byron Laflin ; Co. G, Captain Charles L. Brown. The officers of the regiment were William La- Due, Colonel; James A. Suitor, Lieutenant Colonel, and Byron Laflin, Major. The regiment left Albany for Washington, July 3d, and arrived on the 5th. It remained in the service two years, par-
73
HERKIMER COUNTY.
ticipating in the seven days' battles on the peninsula and in most of the campaigns of Virginia during the first two years of the war. We have no data at hand from which we can determine the num- ber of soldiers who enlisted from Herkimer, but it is safe to say that no county responded more promptly to the several calls or made a record more honorable. The quotas under the various calls were promptly filled, and those who remained at home con- tributed liberally to the various enterprises inaugurated to mitigate in some measure the hardships incident to a soldier's life.
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74
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
COLUMBIA was formed from Warren, June 8, 1812. It lies on the south border of the County, west of the center. Its sur- face is rolling and moderately hilly, with an average elevation of 500 to 600 feet above the Mohawk. The town is drained by small brooks, some of which flow north into the Mohawk, and others south into the Unadilla. The soil is a clayey loam and generally fertile, producing all the fruits and grains common to the County.
Columbia Center, (Columbia p. o.) in the central part of the town, contains a hotel, a store, a cheese factory, a shoe shop, a wagon shop, a carriage shop, two blacksmith shops and about 80 inhabitants.
Miller's Mills, in the south-west part, contains a church, a cheese box factory, a grist mill, a saw mill, a blacksmith shop and ten dwellings.
South Columbia, in the south-west part, is a post office.
The first settlement of this town was commenced before the Rev- olution by several German families, among whom were Conrad Orendorff, Conrad Frank, Conrad Fulmer, Frederick Christman, Timothy Frank, Nicholas Lighthall, Joseph Moyer and Henry Frink. The place where these families settled was called "Coon -. radstown," previous to the organization of Columbia in 1812. The improvements made previous to the war were abandoned during the struggle for Independence.
In 1791 Asahel Alfred settled in the town. He was a native of Connecticut and a soldier of the Revolution, having entered the. service in his fifteenth year. He remained in the service more than three years, participating in the battle of Monmouth, the cap- ture of Burgoyne and other engagements. He was taken prisoner
75
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
at the Cedars, in Canada, by a party of the enemy, composed of whites and Indians, stripped of all his clothing except his shirt and pants, and marched off. He died in 1853 on the farm upon which he first located.
Philip Ausman taught the first school in the town, in 1795. It was in the German language. The next year Joel Phelps taught the first English school. The first store was kept by David W. Golden and Benjamin Mix, in 1796. The first grist mill was built in 1791-2, by Andrew Miller and George Bell, at Miller's Mills. The first religious services were held at an early period by the Re- formed Protestant Dutch. Abram Rosegrantz was the first preacher.
The population of the town in 1865 was 1,732; its area is 21,- 375 acres.
DANUBE, named from the river Danube, in Europe, was formed from Minden, Montgomery County, April 7, 1817. Stark was taken off in 1828. It lies on the east border of the County, south of the center. The surface in the center is hilly, rising from 400 to 800 feet above the Mohawk, and is broken by ravines on each side of the valley of Nowadaga Creek. Along the Mohawk, on the north border, are fine fertile flats. The principal stream is Nowadaga Creek, flowing north-east through the town near the center. The soil is gravelly in the north and a sandy loam in the south. There are two sulphur springs in the north part.
Newville, (p. v.) situated in the south-west part of the town, con- tains a union church, which is occupied by the Lutherans, Baptists and Universalists, and about twenty dwellings. The cheese factory of the Newville Association is 40 by 100 feet, and three stories high; the annual product is about 27,500 pounds.
Danube (p. o.) is a hamlet in the north part, containing one church.
This town embraces small portions of the Fall Hill, Vaughn's and L'Hommedieu Patents, most of Lindsey's and parts of J. Vrooman's, C. Colden's, Van Horne's and Lansing's Patents. Set- tlements commenced about 1730, but no records of them have been preserved. They were all broken up during the Revolution and were not commenced again until 1780.
A mission church was established here in 1768, by Sir William Johnson. During the war the Indians attempted to carry off the bell upon this church and succeeded in concealing it for a time, so that the search for it by the settlers was fruitless. After a time the Indians returned for it and were bearing it away upon a pole, but that unruly member, the tongue, which has betrayed so many, betrayed them, and the well known tones of the bell which the In-
76
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
dians had neglected to muffle, aroused the settlers, and with guns, pitchforks, axes and other weapons, they pursued the thieves and recovered the bell. Long afterwards this church was known as the " Indian Castle Church."
This town was the residence of "King Hendrick," a Mohawk Chief, and the home of the notorious Joseph Brant and the patriot General Herkimer. The residence of King Hendrick stood upon the high ground near the Indian Castle Church.
The following anecdote with slight variations has been handed down to us: King Hendrick, on one occasion, while visiting Sir William Johnson, related a dream to the effect that Sir William gave him a suit of clothes. Of course the dream must be fulfilled, and Hendrick received his clothes. A while after this Sir William visited Hendrick and had a dream which he related to his host. He dreamed that King Hendrick gave him a tract of land lying be- tween the East and West Canada Creeks and embracing about twelve miles square. Hendrick gave him the land, but requested that there be no more dreaming. This tract was afterwards known as the Royal Grant. King Hendrick sustained a high character for sagacity and integrity, and was ardently attached to the English, and especially to Sir Wm. Johnson, whom he accompanied to Lake George in the summer of 1755, where he was killed. He was recognized as a chief as early as 1697.
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