Gazetteer and business directory of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. for 1869-70, Part 12

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1870
Publisher: Syracuse : Printed at the Journal office
Number of Pages: 644


USA > New York > Fulton County > Gazetteer and business directory of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 12
USA > New York > Montgomery County > Gazetteer and business directory of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 12


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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The first settlements were made previous to the Revolution. Among the carly settlers were Robert Winchell, Nathan Tracy, Aden Brownley, Abia Beaman, Henry Mapes, Abner Throop, David and Nathan Kimball, Thomas Machin, Captain John Stanton, John Eddy and Ezekiel Tracy.


The population of the town in 1865 was 1,687, and its area 26,326 acres.


FLORIDA was formed from Mohawk, March 12, 1493. It lies in the east part of the County, south of the Mohawk. The surface is chiefly a rolling upland, 600 feet above the val- ley. Bean Hill, in the south-west part of the town. is the high- est land in the County. Most of the declivities bordering on the streams are steep. The principal streams are Chuetenunda and Cowillaga Creeks. The soil is a clayey loam and well adapted to dairying. Several sulphur springs are found in the town, the most noted of which is at Scotch Bush. The Erie Canal croses the Schoharie Creek between this town and Glen on a costly aqueduct. Broom-corn is one of the principal pro- ducts, and brooms are extensively manufactured.


Port Jackson (p. v.) is situated on the Mohawk and the Erie Canal, opposite Amsterdam, and contains a church, a hotel. a foundry and machine shop, a saw mill, a broom factory, a dry dock, a tannery, several stores and mechanic shops and about 400 inhabitants.


Minaville, (p. v.) on Chuctenunda Creek, near the center of the town, contains two churches, viz : Methodist and Reformed ; a hotel. two stores, a grist mill with two runs of stones, a saw mill. a fanning mill manufactory, two wagon shops and about 200 inhabitants.


The Reformed Church of Minaville was reorganized by a con- solidation of the old Reformed Dutch Church and the Romson's Bush Society, and the new church edifice erected on the pre- ent site in 1808. The number of members at the reorganization was 20; the present number is 140. The old Reformed Durch Society was organized about the year 1784.


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The Methodist Church edifice was erected in 1836. The society was organized several years previous to that, and now numbers about 60 members.


Fort Hunter, (p. v.) at the mouth of Schoharie Creek, and con- taining a church, is a hamlet.


Wellsville Mills are located on Schoharie Creek, about six miles south of Fort Hunter. The mill contains one run of stones and one upright saw.


Stewart's Paper Mill is about a a mile above the preceding. This is a new enterprise and is not yet in operation.


The Empire Cheese Factory of Alfred Peck is at Miller's Cor- ners. near the south line of the town, and makes about 150,000 pounds of cheese annually.


Florida Cheese Factory, near Minaville, is leused by Mr. Peck and makes about 170,000 pounds annually.


Devendorf's Cheese Factory, about three miles south of Fort Hunter, makes about 113,000 pounds of cheese annually.


Mickle's Saw Mill, about one mile south of Scotch Bush, runs one upright saw.


Scotch Church is a hamlet situated chiefly in Schenectady- County. The Church from which the hamlet was named is in Florida. The Associate Church was organized about the close of the last century, and a house of worship was erected about the same time. It was rebuilt in 1846, and in 1858 it became known as the United Presbyterian Church. The number of members is about 125.


Scotch Bush, (p. v.) situated on the Chuctenunda Creek, about six miles south of Port Jackson, contains a hotel. a store, a shoe shop, a wagon shop, a blacksmith shop, a cider and vinegar fac- tory and about 100 inhabitants. About 600 barrels of cider and 100 of vinegar are made annually. Near the village is a sulphur spring, known as the " Powder Spring," which has obtained some notoriety for its medicinal qualities. Considering the ac- commodations afforded to visitors, it has been quite a resort in former years. The prospect now is that it will pass into the hands of those who will provide first-class accommodation and make it a delightful summer resort. The place received its name from the fact that it was originally settled by the Scotch.


The first white settlement in the County is supposed to have been made in this town. Fort Hunter was built in 1211. The contracts for this and one at Oswego were taken by Garret Sym- once. Barent and Hendrick Vroman, John Wemp and Arent Van Petten, of Schenectady. The walls at first were twelve feet


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high and inclosed a space 150 feet square. It was afterwards enlarged and strengthened. Within the inclosure was an edifice called Queen Anne's Chapel, to which was attached a parsonage built of stone. This chapel was for a long time under the charge of the "Society for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts." and a missionary and Indian school were supported here. The chapel was demolished in 1820 to make room for the canal. The parsonage was sold several years ago for $1,500 and the pro- ceeds were divided between the Episcopal churches of Port Jack- son and Johnstown. Soon after the erection of the chapel it was furnished with a valuable set of communion plate by Queen Anne. The Fort was garrisoned until after the French War, when it was abandoned. During the Revolution the chapel was inclosed by palisades and converted into a fort, defended by can- non.


One of the Mohawk castles was located at this place. During the raid of Sir John Johnson, in October, 1780, all the buildings in this vicinity were burned and all the stacks of hay and grain except a few known to belong to Tories. The Whigs, exasper- ated at the destruction of their own property, set fire to that of the Tories, and the whole region was one of complete desolation.


Several newly arrived German immigrants settled in the town before the close of the war, and they were soon followed by Scotch and Irish families. The first store at Port Jackson was kept by William Bent. The first bridge of any importance over Schoharie Creek was built in 1796, by Major Isaiah DePuy. The route south of the Mohawk was the principal thorough- fare through this County for a good many years. An Indian school was taught at Fort Hunter as early as 1769. The first preacher after the war was Rev. Thomas Romeyn, of the Re- formed Dutch Church, in 1784.


The Reformed Church of Port Jackson was organized Septem- ber 8. 1850. Its first officers were John Fremvre, Don C. Bent and Cornelius Phillips, elders; William McClumpha and Fred- erick Vedder, deacons. The Consistory of the Church comprised all its members at the first communion. At the second the number had increased to 25. The first pastor was Rev. G. L. Roof, who was succeeded in 1855 by Rev. C. Gates. After serv- ing the Church one year he was succeeded by Rev. I. G. Durvea. who labored successfully until the outbreak of the Rebellion. when he resigned to accept the position of chaplain in the army. In July, 18GB. Rev. H. M. Voorhees accepted a call to this Church, and labored as its pastor eighteen months. lu May, 1865, Rev. A. M. Quick, the present pastor, was ordained and installed as its pastor. The present membership is 102.


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The population of the town in 1865 was 2,835, and its area 31,167 acres.


GLEN, named in honor of Jacob S. Glen, a prominent citi- zen of the town, was formed from Charleston, April 10, 1823. It lies on the south bank of the Mohawk and west of Schoharie Creek. Its surface is chiefly uplands about 600 feet high, de- scending by abrupt declivities to the narrow intervales along the streams. The principal streams are Anries Creek, which flows into the Mohawk, and Irish Creek, flowing into the Scho- harie. The first named is the Dutch for Aaron's Creek, and re- ceived its name from an Indian in the vicinity. The Indian name was Ogh-ruck-ie. The soil is a clayey loam, for the most part, and very productive. One mile east of Voorheesville is a chalybeate spring. Attempts have been made to obtain iron but without success. Upon Schoharie Creek, about two miles above its mouth, is a high bank formed by a land slide and call- ed by the Indians, Co-daugh-ri-ty, signifying "Steep Bank," or "Perpendicular Wall."


Fultonville, (p. v.) named in honor of Robert Fulton, is located on the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal, adjoining the cor- porate limits of Florida. It was incorporated in 1846 and con- tains two churches, viz., Methodist and Reformed; two hotels, a union school, a steam flouring, planing and plaster mill, two steam saw mills, a steam sash and blind factory, a grain elevator, a furnace and machine shop, several other manufactories of va- rions kinds and about 1,300 inhabitants. John W. Wilson is the president of the village.


The Methodist Church at Fultonville was organized in 1855 with twelve members. N. G. Spaulding was the first pastor. The church edifice was erected the same year, at a cost of $6,- 000. The number of members at present is 40. E. Baker is the pastor.


Glen, (p. v.) located near the center of the town, contains two churches, a hotel, a store, a tannery, a wagon shop, a chcese fac- tory, making 144.000 pounds annually; two blacksmith shops aud about 125 inhabitants.


The Reformed Church of Glen was organized at an carly day and the church edifice erected in 1795. A new editice is about to be erected at a cost of $12,000. The present membership is 99: the pastor is Rev. F. V. Van Vranken.


Auricsville, (p. v.) near the mouth of Auries Creek, is a canal village and contains about 200 inhabitants.


Van Epp's Cheese Factory, located about three-fourths of a mile west of Fultonville, makes about 50,000 pounds of cheese annually.


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Mill Point is a hamlet on Schoharie Creek, in the south-east part of the town, and contains a hotel, a store, a grist mill, a saw mill and a broom factory.


The Union Star Grist Mill of James J. Faulkner is a framed building, nearly new, has three runs of stones and a capacity for grinding 800 bushels per day.


The land bordering upon the river was granted in ten patents to different persons from 1722 to 1726, and most of the re- mainder was granted to James De Lancey in 1737. Peter Quackenboss settled on Scott's Patent, near Auries Creek, soon after it was secured, and was probably the first white inhabitan! of the town. About 1740 sixteen Irish families, under the pat- ronage of Sir William Johnson, settled on Corry's Patent, a few miles south-west of Fort Hunter. After making improvements to some extent, they finally returned to Ireland in consequence of threatened disturbances by the Indians. A son of the first settler married Annie, daughter of Captain John Scott, the patentee, and settled about a mile east of Fultonville, on what was formerly the County poor farm. Their son John, born about 1:25, was the first white child born on the south side of the Mohawk, between Fort Hunter and German Flats. Corne- lius Putnam settled at Codaughrity, Richard Hoff one mile west of. Glen, Nicholas Gardiner and John Van Epps on the Mo- hawk, and Charles Van Epps at Fultonville. A small block house was erected here near the close of the Revolution.


The first school was taught at the house of J. S. Quackenboss by a man by the name of Hazard. William Quackenboss kept the first inn at Auriesville, in 1797, and Myndert Starin kept one at Fultonville at an earlier date. The first store at Glen was kept by John Smith, in 1797, and one was kept on the Mo- hawk, east of Fultonville. by Isaac Quackenboss. Peter and Si- mon Mabie built a saw mill and carding machine in 1797, and Peter Quackenboss a grist mill, on Auries Creek, soon after.


This town was the scene of many interesting incidents during the Revolutionary war. It furnished its full proportion of vie- tims for the Oriskany battle and for the Indian incursions dur- ing that long and bloody struggle for Independence. In the fall of 1179 a noted Tory by the name of George Cuck, who had frequently led parties of Indians in their incursions upon the homes of his old neighbors, was seen lurking about and bor fired upon at one time and narrowly escaped death. It was sup- posed that he had returned to Canada, but towards spring it b- came known that he was concealed at the house of John Van Zuyler, a relative and brother Tory. A party surrounded the house, dragged Cuck from his hiding place and shot him, and


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arrested Van Zuyler and sent him to Albany a prisoner. In the fall of 1780 the whole settlement was ravaged and many of the people were murdered. On one occasion Isaac Quackenboss was out hunting and discovered three Indians sitting on a log. He fired, killing two and mortally wounding the third. The last council between the Indians and Americans held in this County previous to the Revolution, was in October, 1765, about two miles east of Fultonville.


The first church ( Ref. Prot. Dutch) was formed at Glen; Rev. Henry V. Wyckoff was the first pastor.


The population of the town in 1865 was 2,737, and its area 21,273 acres.


MINDEN was formed from Canajoharie, March 2, 1798. Danube, Herkimer Co., was taken off in 1817. It lies upon the south bank of the Mohawk and is the most western town in the County. Its surface is principally an undulating upland, with steep declivities bordering upon the streams, the chief of which are the Otsquaga, and its tributary the Otsquene. Prospect Hill, called by the Indians, Tu-ra-jo-rhies which is said to signify " Hill of Health," or "Fort on a Hill," lies upon the Otsquaga, opposite Fort Plain. The soil is a fine quality of gravelly and clayey loam and is especially adapted to grazing. The dairy products of this town are very large, surpassing those of any other town in the County.


Fort Plain, (p. v.) incorporated April 5, 1832, is situated on the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, about sixty miles from Al- banv. A bridge across the Mohawk connects it with the N. Y. C. R. R. It contains many wealthy citizens and more fine resi- dences than any other place of the same size in this vicinity .. It has four churches, viz., Methodist. Universalist, Dutch and Dutch Reformed; a commercial college, a very extensive steel spring and axle manufactory, a printing office, various mills and manufactories, and about 2,500 inhabitants. It received its name from " Fort Plain," a block house formerly situated on the hill a little west of the village. .


Mindenville, (p. v.) on the canal in the west part of the town, contains a hotel, a store, a shoe shop, a blacksmith shop and about 25 dwellings.


Ford's Bush (Minden p. o.) is in the extreme west part of the. town, about eight miles from Fort Plain, and contains two churches, viz : Universalist and Lutheran, a store, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop. a school and about twenty dwellings. There is a fine cemetery belonging to the village.


Frey's Bush, (p. o.) about two miles south of Fort Plain, con- tains a cheese factory, two blacksmith shops, a shoe shop and


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about a dozen houses. It received its name from John Frey. a lawyer and leading patriot, who resided here during the Revolu- tion.


Hallsville, (p. o.) about four and a half miles west from Fort Plain, on Otsquaga Creek and the Cooperstown gravel road. con- tains a sawmill, a gristmill, a blacksmith shop and about a dozen dwellings.


Hessville is a hamlet about five miles south of Fort Plain.


In this town are found the remains of one of those ancient fortifications which are so common in Central and Western New York, and throughout the Western States, indicating that it was inhabited long prior to the advent of the Indians. These mounds are the most easterly of any of the kind yet discovered. They are about four miles south of Fort Plain, on a tongue of land formed by the valleys of Otsquaga Creek and one of its tributaries. This tongue is one hundred feet above the stream.s. and the declivities are very steep. Across the tongue, at its nar- rowest part, is a curved line of breastworks, 240 feet in length, inclosing an area of about seven acres. A gigantic pine, six feet in diameter, stood upon one end of the embankment, show- ing that the work must have been of great antiquity. During the Revolutionary war a fort was erected upon the high plain. near the site of the present village. Though a sort of defense was erected in the early part of the war, the Fort proper was not erected until 1778. Its form was that of an irregular quad- rangle, with earth and log bastions, embrasures at each corner, and barracks and a strong block-house within, The block- house was erected in 1780 under the supervision of a French engineer, employed by Col. Gansevoort. It was octagonal in form, three stories high and constructed of hewn timbers fifteen inches square. The first story was thirty feet in diameter, the second forty, and the third fifty, each story projecting five feet over the next lower. In the first story three or four cannon Were placed and all were provided with port-holes for musketry. In the floor of each projection were port-holes for firing upon an enemy below. There was a stockade about two miles south- west of Fort Plain, called Fort Clyde, in honor of Col. Clyde of the Tryon County Militia ; it was on land now owned by HI. G. Nollis & Sons. Another was situated about the same distance north-west. called Port Plank. or Blank. as it stood upon lui owned by Frederick Blank. The latter and Fort Plain har been confounded.


In August, 1680, Brant with about 500 Tories and Inditas made an attack upon the settlement while most of the trump- under Col. Gansevoort were absent guarding provisions which


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were on their way to supply Fort Schuyler. Taking advantage of this. Brant made a circuit through the woods, reached their rear and fell upon the Fort. On their approach a cannon was fired from the Fort by a woman, women and children being the principal occupants. In their approach they burned every barn and dwelling, destroyed the crops and carried off everything valuable. The house of Johannes Lipe was saved from plunder and fire by the coolness and courage of his wife. She had been busy carrying her most valuable articles from her house. to a place of concealment and had made several deposits there. The last time she returned, she met at the gate two Indians. Being familiar with their language, she inquired if they knew anything of her two brothers who were among the Tories that fled to Canada. Fortunately the Indians had seen them, and suppos- ing her to be a Tory they walked off and the house was saved. The church was burned, and a brass ball upon the spire attract- ed the eager gaze of the savages, who supposed that it was gold. When it fell they rushed for the prize, scattered the burning timbers and seized the glittering ball, but soon learned at the cost of blistered hands that " all is not gold that glitters." In a letter to Gov. Clinton, dated August 6th, 1770, Col. Clyde gives the following account of the devastation. "On the second day of this inst. Joseph Brant, at the head of about four or five hun- dred Indians and Tories, broke in upon the settlements, and laid the best part of the district in ashes, and killed sixteen of the inhabitants, that we have found. took between fifty and six- ty prisoners, mostly women and children, twelve of whom have been sent back. They have killed and driven away with them upwards of three hundred head of cattle and horses; have burnt fifty-three dwelling houses. besides some out-houses and as many barns; one very elegant church, and gristmill and two small forts that the women fled out of. They have burned all the inhabitants' weapons and implements of husbandry, so that they are left in a miserable condition. They have nothing left to support themselves but what grain they have growing, and that they cannot save for want of tools to work with, and very few to be got here."


Among the incidents of this incursion, the following is related by Mrs. Dunekel, mother of John P. Dunckel, who now resides at Frev's Bush, near the site of Fort Clyde. Peter Dunckel. the grandfather of Mrs. D .. came from Germany in 1766 and setthd where his descendants now reside. Two uneles of Mrs. D .. Pe- ter and Franz, were splitting timber for a wagon, about half a mile from the block house, when suddenly the Indians fired upon them and rushed forward with uplifted tomahawks to complete the massacre. Peter was wounded and captured, but


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Franz, unharmed, started for the Fort, which he reached in safety, but fell exhausted at the entrance and was dragged in by the inmates. The women of the Fort, by their energetic de- fense, deceived the attacking party and they withdrew. Peter D. was taken to Canada, where, after a year's captivity, he was exchanged. A Mrs. Pletts was taken at the same time. Her house was near the Fort, and while seated under a tree near by, she was surprised by the approach of the Indians and ran. pir- sued by a single savage. Being closely pursued she endeavored to escape by running around a tree, but the Indian stopped and she ran into his open arms. She was taken to Canada and trea :- ed quite well; was assigned to the duty of cook for her captors. She returned at the close of the war, and after the death of her husband, married Peter Dunckel, her fellow captive. When taken prisoner she left a baby six months old, which was over- looked by the Indians. In one of Brant's incursions into the Mohawk Valley, he came down through what is known as. Dutch Town, in Minden, and with torch and tomahawk lai! waste the country. After an attack upon Fort Nellis, a block house near St. Johnsville, they crossed over to Fort Willett. a block house built by the Lipes, Countrymans and Windeckers, on land now owned by William Timerman. An old tree near the residence of D. T. Timerman is pointed out as the spot where the wife of Dr. Frame was killed." Their house was back of Timerman's and would probably have been passed by use a. but Mrs. F. hearing the yells of the savages, started for the Fort ; she was discovered, tomahawked and scalped. At the stone house of Henry Seeber, on Sand Hill, above Fort Plain, a bor. John A. Lipe, was doing picket duty. When the alarm wax given, the women fled to the Fort, followed by the men. who were at work in the field. Dinner was already prepared and! upon the table ready for the laborers; this the enemy dienst of and then set fire to the house. The wood work was burned out and the walls remained until purchased by Mr. Lipe, who rebuilt it. In 1848 it was taken down to make way for the house now occupied by Mr. Adam Lipe.


The early settlers of this town were Germans, among whom were the Devendorf, Wagoner and Gros families, Andrew Ke! r and Henry H. Smith. John Abeel, an Indian trader, A !! ! hore in 1748. In his previous intercourse with the Indians. Abeel had married the daughter of a Seneca chief, after :1. dian fashion, and the offspring of this marriage was the for chief, Cornplanter. Abeel afterwards married a white won. .... and at the commencement of the war was living on his form. During the incursion of 1480 he was taken prisoner, and !!! expecting death at the hands of the Indians, Cormplanter .o .!-


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dressed him as father and assured him of his safety. He was given his choice to accompany the Indians under the protection of his son or return to his white family. He chose the latter. After the war, Cornplanter visited him and was received by his Fort Plain relatives with all the civilities due to his rank and his manly bearing.


Henry Hayes, a German, kept the first school in the town ; Isaac Countryman built the first grist mill after the war, and Isaac Paris kept the first store about the same time.


The population of the town in 1865 was 4,637, and its area 29,458 acres.


MOHAWK was formed from Johnstown, April 4, 1837. It lies upon the north bank of the Mohawk River and near the center of the north border of the County. The surface is un- even and gradually rises from the river to the north line of the town, where it attains an elevation of about 400 feet above the valley. The principal streams are Cavadutta and Dadenoscara Creeks. The soil generally is a good quality of gravelly loam.


Fonda, (p. v.) named in honor of Douw Fonda, who settled here in 1751, is pleasantly situated on the Mohawk River and N. Y. C. R. R. It is the County Seat and contains besides the County buildings, three churches, viz., Reformed, Methodist and Episcopal; four hotels, two flouring mills, a bank, a news- paper printing office, several other manufactories of various kinds and about 1,800 inhabitants. The principal business street was paved during the last season.


The Cayadutta Mill has a capacity for grinding 150 barrels of flour daily, and the Empire State Mill 700 bushels of corn daily. A plaster mill and saw mill are owned by the same parties, G. F. Mills & Co.


Zion Episcopal Church of Fonda is a stone structure in the gothic style of architecture. It was consecrated by Rt. Rev. Wmn. C. Doane, D. D., May 29, 1869. It will seat about 200 persons and cost between $5,000 and $6,000. Rev. R. T. Howard is the present pastor.




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