USA > New York > Fulton County > Gazetteer and business directory of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 13
USA > New York > Montgomery County > Gazetteer and business directory of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 13
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The MMethodist Church was organized in 1842 with seven mem- bers, under the pastoral charge of T. W. Pearson. The church edifice was erected in 1814 at a cost of $4,000. The present membership is J16, and the present pastor, P. P. Harrower.
Tribes Hill, (p. v.) on the border of Amsterdam, is partly in this town and contains about 400 inhabitants.
A Fair Ground of fifteen acres is located a short distance east of Fonda.
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The Saw Mill and Cheese Box Factory of Thomas S. Sammons are located on the north border of the town, on Cayadutta Creek.
Mohawk Cheese Factory is located about five miles west of Fonda, and makes about 100,000 pounds annually.
Mohawk Valley Cheese Factory, about two miles west of Fonda, makes about 80,000 pounds annually ; and Sweetzer Hill Factory about 100,000 pounds.
. The site of the present village of Fonda was called Caughna- waga, by the Indians, a name signifying "Stone in the Water." or " At the Rapids." It was one of the favorite resorts of the Mo- hawks. It was the scene of some of the earliest labors of the French Jesuits among the Five Nations, two of whom lost their lives here in 1646. The names of the first white settlers are not known. Patents of one thousand acres each, on the Mohawk. were granted to Nicholas Hausen and his brother Hendrick. July 12, 1713. Nicholas Hansen settled at Tribes Hill previous to 1425, and others by the name of Fonda, Vanderworker, Dox- tader and Fisher, settled at an early day. Among other resi- dents of the town before the Revolution were Col. John Butler and his son, Walter N. Butler, who gained an infamous notoriety by their inhuman atrocities inflicted upon their old whig neigh- bors. The " Butler Place," where these infamous Tories resided, was about a mile north-east of Fonda, on an open eminence overlooking the Mohawk, and now owned by Mr. Wilson. Ali- ander White, Colonial Sheriff of Tryon County, resided on the present site of the Court House. He was a zealous Tory and was obliged to flee to Canada. He was succeeded by John Frey, appointed by the Provincial Congress.
The incursion of Sir John Johnson, in May, 1780, fell chiefly on the settlements of Tribes Hill and Canghnawaga. The de- tachment against Tribes Hill was led by Henry and Win. Bow- en. who had lived in the vicinity. . The principal object of the incursion was to obtain the silver plate and other valuables which Sir John was obliged to leave on his hasty retreat from Johnson Hall in 1726. The enemy proceeded to the house of Garret Putnam, a stanch Whig. Unknown to the invader :. he had rented his house to two Tories, named Gort and Platto. The assailants broke into the house in the night, scalped the two men and did not learn of their mistake until daylight. - "} - posing that they had killed Putnam and his son instead of ' of their own friends. From this point they proceeded up the river, plundering and burning the buildings and murderin their old friends and neighbors. Several slaves and white me ... prisoners were taken to Canada. The women were not get rails molested on this occasion.
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The enemy met a warm reception at the house of Col. Fred. Fisher. The Colonel's wife and children had been sent to Schen- ectady for safety, and his two sisters and an old negro fled to the woods and escaped on the first alarm, leaving the Colonel, his mother and two brothers, John and Harmon. The Indians made a desperate attack upon the house and the inmates respond- ed by a constant fire, until their ammunition gave out. They then all retreated to the chamber except John, who stationed himself in the stairway and defended it with a hatchet until he had killed seven Indians. He then retreated above and, slip- ping upon some peas which lay upon the floor, he fell and was dispatched with a tomahawk. Harmon leaped from the win- dow to put out the fire that had been applied to the roof, and while standing on the fence was shot dead. The mother was knocked down with the breech of a gun and left for dead. The Colonel was also knocked down by a tomahawk, dragged down stairs by his hair and thrown upon the ground, when an Indian leaped upon him and drew a knife across his throat, cutting it from ear to ear, as was supposed, then cutting around the scalp, seized it with his teeth and tore it from the head, then giving him a blow upon the shoulder with a hatchet, he fled. The Colonel had retained his senses through all this mangling, and his throat, protected by a leather belt worn inside of his cravat, was only slightly wounded. As soon as the Indians disappeared, he arose, went up stairs and brought down his mother, placed her in a chair and leaned her against the fence, then brought down the body of his brother John and laid it on the grass. By this time he became so much exhausted from the loss of blood and the wounds that he had received, that he lay down to die, as he supposed. The old negro and the girls returned in a short time and found the house burned and the dead and wounded as described. By signs, the Colonel made known his desire for water, which was brought, and his head bathed, and after drink- ing a little, his speech was restored. A Tory named Clement passeing by, the negro asked him what he should do. The re- ply in German was, "Let the rebel die." The negro, following the directions of the Colonel, caught some colts which had nov- er been broken, harnessed them to the wagon and took him to the house of Putnam. at Tribe's Hill. From this place the whole family, including the bodies of his brothers, were conveved to Schenectady in a canoc. arriving about sunset. Here for the first time he had his wounds dressed. After five years of suffering he nearly recovered from the effects of his wounds. He erected a new house on the site of the old one, and lived twenty-nine years after receiving his wounds, holding the office of First Judge of the County for several years. His mother also recoy-
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ered from ber wounds and lived with him. After the close of the war, the Indian who scalped him returned to the settlement and stopped at a tavern kept by a Tory at Tribes Hill. The wife of the landlord sent word to the house of Col. Fisher that the Indian was there and would soon call at his house. The family, knowing that the Colonel had sworn revenge on the In- dian, and not wishing further bloodshed, kept the news from him. As they were all in the front room about the time the In- dian was expected, they upset a pot of lye and requested the Colonel to go into the back room until it should be cleaned up. The Indian came to the door soon after and was met by the old lady who addressed him in the Indian language, told him her son's intentions and pointed to a gun which was always loaded in readiness for him. The Indian listened, gave a grunt and ran away with all possible speed.
In the fall of 1780, Sir John made another incursion and de- stroved what was left at the previous one and all that had been rebuilt.
The first birth north of the river, of which there is any record, was that of Henry Hausen. A man by the name of Collins taught the first school, in 1774. Jellis Fonda is said to have been the first merchant west of Schenectady. He carried on an extensive trade with the whites at Forts Schuyler and Stanwix, and the forts at Oswego, Niagara and Schlosser. His sales con- sisted chiefly of blankets, trinkets, ammunition and rum, and his purchases consisted of peltries, ginseng and potash. At one time, previous to the Revolution, his ledger showed an indebted- ness of $10,000 in the Indian country.
John Chaley was an early settler at Tribes Hill. Douw Fon- da was living at the time of the Revolution on the flat between the turnpike and river, a short distance east of the road leading to the bridge. Here on the 22d of May, 1780, he was murdered by the Indians under Sir John Johnson. He was eighty-four years old and had been on the most friendly terms with Sir William Johnson and had greatly aided him at the time of his settlement. His three sons, John, JJellis and Adam, were stanch Whigs and resided in the neighborhood.
In the spring of 1775, after the Tories of Johnstown had made a demonstration against the authority of the Continental Congress, and had obtained signatures to a declaration disup- proving of its acts, the Whigs, who composed a majority of the white population, became groetly aroused and held public meet- ings in every district in the County. The first was held at the house of John Verder, in Caughnawaga, where patriotic speeches were made and a liberty pole was erected, which was a most of- fensive object in the eyes of loyalists. Before the whole was ap-
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complished, Sir John Johnson, Col. Claus, Guy Johnson, Col. Butler and a large number of their adherents, arrived upon the ground, armed with swords and pistols, and interrupted the pro- ceedings. Guy Johnson mounted a high stoop, near the old church, and harangued the people, expatiating upon the strength of the King and Government, and the folly of opposing the au- thority of the Crown. He denounced the proceedings of the people in the most virulent and irritating language, becoming so offensive that Jacob Sammons, a stanch Whig and a leader among them, boldly denounced him as a liar and a villain. This was too much for the irate Tory, and leaping from the bigh stoop upon which he stood, he seized Sammons by the throat, while another of the party felled the patriot to the ground by a blow from a loaded whip, and immediately bestrode him. Sam- mons recovered in a moment and, hurling the fellow from him, sprang to his feet, stripped off his coat and prepared for a fight, but was again knocked down. Most of his Whig friends had fled and he was carried to his father's house, " bearing upon his body the first scars of the Revolutionary contest in the County of 'Trvon."
At the commencement of the war there were four brothers of the Visschers, or Fishers, as they were afterwards called. A very bitter hostility existed against the family among the loyal- ists, caused by an unpleasant altercation between Sir John and Col. Frederick Fisher, which took place in the fall of 1:75. Col. Fisher hell his commission from the Colonial Congress and had ordered his regiment to parade for review on a plain near the ancient inn of Peggy Wemples, in Caughnawaga. While the parade was going on, Sir John Johnson and his lady drove along the river road. Seeing the regiment, he ordered his coach- man to drive up to the parade ground, and on arriving asked the first person whom he met, who had called the assemblage together and for what purpose. The reply was that Col. Fisher had ordered his regiment to parade for review. Sir John then stepped up to the Colonel and repeated his question. On re- ceiving an answer he ordered the regiment to disperse, but the Colonel ordered them to keep their ranks. Enraged at such presumption the Baronet raised a sword cane, with which he was armed, to strike the Colonel. The latter seized the weapon and in the seuille the sword was drawn, the scabbard being in .he bands of IT.her. Sir John the at ned to run him through, and was coolly told to act his pleasure. The scabbard was given up at his request and he proceeded to his carriage and requested Lady JJohnson to rise that he might take his pistols from the box. She remonstrated with him but to no purpose. Taking his pistols he again ordered the regiment to disperse for they
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were rebels, and at the same time threatening to shoot the Col- onel if it was not done. "Use your pleasure," was again the cool reply of the Colonel. At this moment a young Irishman, a servant of the Colonel, stepped up and declared with an oath. " If ye offer to lift a hand or finger against my master I will blow you through." Not relishing such decided opposition Sir John returned to his carriage and drove away.
A church was erected at Caughnawaga in 1763. It was of stone and built by voluntary subscription, Sir William Johnson contributing liberally towards the enterprise. It had no bell until the confiscation of the property of Sir John Johnson, when his father's dinner bell, weighing over one hundred pounds, was purchased and placed in the steeple. It contained the following inscription, " S. R. William Johnson, bart, 1774. Made by Mil- ler and Ross, Eliz. Town." In 1845 the edifice was fitted up as an academy, under the management of Rev. Douw Van Olinda, but the school was discontinued after a few years. The church was erected for the Reformed Protestant Dutch denomination, and its first pastor was Rev. Thomas Romeyn, who died in 1794 and was buried beneath the pulpit. He was succeeded by Rev. Abraham Van Horn, one of the earliest graduates of Kings [now Columbia] College, in New York city. He continued pastor for thirty-eight years. He died in 1840, having during his ministry united in matrimony 1500 couples. The present pastor is Rev. J. C. Bord. The present house of worship was erected in 1843. During the last year it was removed to a new location. raised, so as to afford a basement for Sunday school and other purposes, and extensively repaired, at an expense of about $10,000. The present membership is about 115.
The population of the town in 1865 was 2,948, and its area 19.112 acres.
PALATINE was formed as a district, by the name of "Stone Arabia," March 24, 1772, and its name was changed March 8. 17:3. It was formed as a town March 2. 1188, and embraced all the territory between Little Falls and " The Noses." and extending from the Mohawk to Canada. Salisbury, ( Herki- mer Co.) was taken off in 1197. Stratford, (Fulton Co.) in 1805. Oppenheim, (Fulton Co.) in 1808. and Ephratah. (Fulton Ce.) in 1827. It lies along the north bank of the Mohawk. west of the center of the County. The surface is chiefly an upland from 200 to 500 feet above the valley, broken by deep, narrow ravine . and descending irregularly towards the river. The principal streams are the Kanadarank, in the east part of the town, and the Garoga, in the west. The soil is fertile and well adapted to
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grazing. This is one of the greatest dairying towns in the County.
Stone Arabia, (p. o.) near the center of the town, contains two churches, a hotel and about a dozen dwellings.
Palatine Bridge, (p. v.) on the Mohawk and N. Y. C. R. R., con- tains about 300 inhabitants.
Nelliston, in the west part of the town, contains two stores, a- hotel, a cheese factory and several mechanic shops.
Palatine Church, (p. o.) in the north-west part of the town, on Garoga Creek, near its month, is a hamlet.
The first settler in this town was the grandfather of Major John Frey, of Revolutionary fame. . He came from Zurich, in Switzerland, in 1688, and the following year settled at Palatine Bridge, at what is now known as the "Frey Farm," and still . owned by one of his decendants, Mr. S. L. Frey. The old stone house upon the farm was built in 1739. The German Palatin- ates who came over in 1:10, and settled on the Hudson River, removed to the Mohawk Valley in 1713, and settled in this vi- cinity. The greater part of the Stone Arabia Patent was within the limits of this town. William Fox settled near Palatine Church, and Peter Waggoner a little below, on the Mohawk. in 1715. Mr. Waggoner settled on the farm now owned by J. H. Smith. He was a Colonel in the Revolutionary war, was in the battle at Oriskany, and afterwards drew a pension. George Waggoner was also in the Oriskany battle. George Fox settled where Abraham Fox now lives. Henry Shults, settled just after the Revolution, where his son Daniel now lives. He was taken prisoner at Oriskany, and carried to Canada, where he remained three years. After the war he drew a pension and died at the age of 99. Conradt Kilts was born and raised where Albert Kilts now lives ; he was in the war, as was also George Salts- man, who settled where Henry Saltsman now lives. Sophrenus Wicks settled where James Bauder now lives. Leonard and Nellie Bauder were taken prisoners and kept a year. John Dil- lenback settled before the war, where Nancy Smith now lives : he was a captain in the army and afterwards drew a pension. John Sitterly was also a soldier and settled at the close of the war where Benjamin Sitterly now lives. Andrew Dillonback settled where J. . A. Dillenback now lives; he was killed at Oriskany. Andrew Nellis settled in 1726, where M. L. Nellis now lives; he was wounded at Oriskany. George Kelly settled in 1984. where his son John now lives. Martin Nestle settled where Christo- pher now lives.
Most of the early settlers were in the service of their country during some portion of the struggle for Independence. Many
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of them gave their lives to the cause. During the raid of Sir John Johnson and his party, one of the severest battles was fought between Stone Abrabia, in this town, and the river. A stockade called Fort Paris was erected at Stone Arabia, and an- other called Fort Keyzer, about a mile north. Major Jellis Fonda, a stanch Whig, had his residence in this town. He was absent at the time of Johnson's raid, attending the Legislature, then in session at Poughkeepsie. His buildings were burned and property to the amount of $60,000 destroyed. His wife es- caped under cover of a thick fog, and went on foot to Schenec- tady.
Col. Brown, who was killed in the battle just noticed, was a native of Berkshire County, Mass., born Oct. 19, 1744, and grad- uated at Yale College in 1771. He was a lawyer by profession. but early in the war volunteered to serve his country. He was in several of the campaigns in Canada and along the eastern border of New York and Lake Champlain, and finally retired on account of his detestation of Arnold, under whom he served. Three years before the latter consummated his treason, Brown published a handbill in which he denounced him as an avari- cious and unprincipled man, and closed by saying, " Money is this man's God and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country." Col. Brown was serving in the militia at the time of his death. In 1836 a monument was erected to his memory by his son, Henry Brown, Esq., of Berkshire, Mass., near the place where he fell. The following is the inscription upon it: " In memory of Col. John Brown, who was killed in battle on the 19th day of October, 1780, at Palatine in the County of Mont- gomery. ZE. 36."
The following is a copy of a deed showing that slavery, that relic of barbarism, once existed in this State :
"Know all men that Jacob Fox of Palatine ( Yeoman) in con- sideration of two hundred and seventy-five dollars has sold and delivered unto George G. Eaker one certain negro man slave, named Harry, aged twenty-five years, to have and to hold the said Harry during his natural life. I Jacob Fox for myself heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, against any other person claiming said negro man, unto the said George G. Eaker and I shall and will forever warrant and defend by these pres- ents. In witness whereof I have herennto set my hand and scal. this twentieth day of December one thousand eight hundred and three. JACOB FOX. [Scal]."
In presence of her
Boggy Bars John Steinburgh. hand
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"I Jacob Fox certify that the said negro man is sound. Witness my hand. JACOB FOX."
George G. Eaker, named in the foregoing deed, was formerly a Judge of Montgomery County.
The population of the town in 1865 was 2,561, and its area 22,893 acres.
ROOT, named in honor of Erastus Root, of Delaware Co .. was formed from Canajoharie and Charleston, January 27, 1823. It lies on the south bank of the Mohawk, near the center of the County. The hills that border on the river rise abruptly to a hight of 630 feet, and from their summits the country spreads out into an undulating upland. The high hills just below Spraker's, on opposite sides of the river, are called " The Noses," The high ridge near the east border is known as " Stone Ridge." The principal streams are Yatesville, Fly, East and Flat Creeks. Mitchell's Cave, so called from the owner of the farm on which it is situated, is in the vicinity of The Noses, and consists of several apartments, with the roof hung with stalactites. The soil is a fine quality of gravelly loam.
Leatherville, or Rural Grove, (Root p. o.) is located in the cen- tral part of the town and contains two churches, viz., Methodist and Christian; a hotel, a store, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, a tin shop, three shoe shops, a saw mill, a feed mill, a cheese factory, a school house and about 100 inhabitants. The cheese factory is a fine wood building, has a capacity for using the milk of 800 cows and turns out 180,000 pounds of cheese annually. It is one of the best conducted factories in the County.
The following sketch of the village of Rural Grove has been furnished by a citizen of the town :
" Rural Grove, (Root p. o.) sometimes called Leatherville, is situated on the main thoroughfare from Canajoharie. Mont- gomery County, to Schoharie Court House, Schoharie County. It is five miles from Spraker's, on the Central Road. and eleven miles from Central Bridge, on the Albany and Susquehanna Road. It takes the name of Rural Grore. from a beautiful group of elms, just in the outskirts of the village, and was formerly. and is sometimes now called, Leatherrille, from its former large manufactory of leather. It is one of the most important places in town. The surrounding country is very beautiful, having some of the finest and most fertile farms in this part of the County, The village is noted for the beauty and taste of its public buildings and private residences. The first building was erected in 1823, by Messrs. Stowitts and Vandemear. It was used as an extensive manufactory of leather. It was so used for
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over twenty years, when the business was closed and the build- ing taken down. The site is where the new private residence of John Bowdish now stands.
"In 1824 a small store was erected, and Hon. John Bowdish, in company with Hon. Isaac S. Frost, established a small coun- try store. They had a capital of $500, all told. In three years Mr. Frost went out with $3000 for his share of the profits. From this small beginning came the large country store ocen- pied by Mr. Bowdish. The building rebuilt is a model of ele- gance and architectural taste, while the interior is filled with an assortment of goods seldom surpassed by a city establishment. Its proprietor, still in the prime of a vigorous manhood, and in possession of a generous competency, honored and respected by his friends and neighbors, still sells goods to the surrounding country. Mr. Bowdish was appointed post master in 1832, un- der the administration of Andrew Jackson, the post office hav- ing been removed from Corrystown, and has held the office un- der all administrations without interruption.
" The snug little cottage hotel, rebuilt and now kept by II. Van Buren, was originally built and kept by Isaac HI. Walker. William Perrine, with a capital of 8200, in 1836, established a carriage and wagon shop, to which he added plough making on a large scale, which he continued till within a few years, he retired from business, built him a very beautiful house and has a large and competent fortune. A Lodge of Good Templars, having one of the finest halls in the County, was organized a few years ago. It has sixty members and constantly increasing. There are two beautiful churches, the Methodist, built in 1845, the then pastor, Rev. A. Mosher, and the Christian Church, built in 1854, Rev. John Ross, pastor. The present pastors are Revs. Messrs. Tator and Hammond."
The Methodist Church was organized in 1843 and their house of worship erected in I845. The number of members at the or- ganization was abont thirty ; the present number is about sixty,
The Christian Church was erected about 1854, in connection with the society at Charleston Four Corners. In 1865 a society was organized at this place with 38 members. The present membership is 113.
Sprakers Basin. (p. v.) in the north-west part of the town. on the Mohawk. is comnoeted with the N. Y. C. R. R. by a ferry. and contains a B. formed church, four stores, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two shoemakers shops, a harness shop and about 300 inhabitants. Flat Creek passes through the vil- Lipo, affording a fine mill privilege which has not yet been im- proved. . This is one of the oldest settlements in this part of the
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State and takes its name from the descendants of Major Jost Spraker, of Revolutionary memory, who settled here. The Church was organized in 1857 and has about fifteen members.
Fatesville, (Randall p. o.) in the north-east part of the town, on the canal, contains a store, a storage and forwarding house, a blacksmith shop, a cider mill and about a dozen houses. The cider mill of George Van Valkenburgh turns out about 800 bar- rels annually.
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