USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rensselaer County, N. Y., for 1870-71 > Part 12
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The eccentric Lorenzo Dow was the first Methodist preacher in this town; and Nathaniel Lewis (Baptist,) was the first set- tled minister.
The Baptist Church at Grafton Center was organized in 1807 with about twelve members. A new church edifice was erected in 1852 and is now undergoing repairs. The present member- ship is 117. H. J. S. Lewis is the present pastor.
The Free Methodist Church was organized by A. B. Burdick with five members, viz., Stephen and Lucinda Rivenburgh, Henry Simmons, Jeremiah Martin and Marinda Hayner. The present membership is twenty. The society occupy the Union church. A. B. Burdick is the present pastor.
The population of the town in 1865 was 1,673, and its area 27,269 acres.
GREENBUSH, called by the Dutch Greene Bosch, from the pine woods which originally covered the flats, and by the F
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Indians "Pe-tu-qua-poem " and " Tus-cum-ca-tick," was formed from Rensselaerwyck, April 10, 1792. Another act of incorpo- ration is dated March 17, 1795. A part of Sand Lake was set off in 1812, and Clinton (now East Greenbush,) and North Greenbush in 1855, leaving in the present town only the corpo- rate limits of the village as defined by the act of April 9, 1852. The surface consists of the flat intervale on the river and a por- tion of the adjacent hillsides. The soil is clay, mixed with sand and alluvial deposits.
Greenbush (p. v.) was incorporated April 14, 1815. The up- per part of the village is locally known as East Albany, and con- tains the depots, freight houses and machine shops of the railroads terminating there. It is a place of considerable busi- ness.
The first settlement was made previous to 1631. In that year Gerrit Teunissen de Reue is mentioned as occupying a well stocked farm. Cornelius Maessen Van Buren, an early settler on the river below, died in 1648. Evert Pels Van Steltyn lived on Mill Creek at an early day. On Bleeker's map of Rensse- laerwyck, made in 1767, we find the names of John Witbeck, Peter Douw and Henry Cuyler, located about where the village. of Greenbush now is.
A ferry was established at the mouth of Beaver Creek in 1642 and was first kept by Hendrick Albertson.
The country around Beverwyck was thrown into alarm by the news of the Indian massacre at Esopus in June 1663 ; the settlers took refuge in Fort Cralo, on the Patroon's farm, and a night watch was established. The following names of those consti- tuting this watch have been preserved, viz .: Cornelius Van .Ness, chief officer ; Cornelius Stephenson Mullen, Adam Din- germans, Gerret Van Ness, Jan Juriaessen, Jan Van Ness, Ja- cobus Jansen, Tyman Hendricksen, Wm. Bout, Jan Outhout, Hendrick Van Ness, Hendrick Maessen, Gerrit Teunisson, Hans Jacobson, Hendrick Williamson and Claes Claessen.
The village plat was purchased and laid out in 1806, and for several years thereafter the growth was quite rapid. During the War of 1812 it contained from fifty to seventy dwellings.
The population of the town in 1864 was 4,779 and its area acres.
The number of school districts is two, employing four teach- ers. The number of children of school age is 1,938; the num- ber attending school, 908; the average attendance, 412; and the amount expended for school purposes for the year ending Sept. 30, 1869, was $14,080.59.
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HOOSICK was formed as a district, March 24, 1772, and as a town, March 1, 1778. It lies in the north-east corner of the County. The surface consists of the narrow valley of Hoo- sick River and the wild rocky. regions of the Taghkanick and Petersburgh Mountains, rising respectively on the east and west. Fondas Hill, in the south-east, and Potter's Hill, in the south-west, each about 900 feet above tide, are the two highest peaks. The valleys are very narrow and are bor- dered by steep hillsides. A belt of dark slate, which is quarried for roofing, extends along the east bank of the river. The rocks upon the east side of the river consist of a slaty shale and limestone, the latter furnishing lime. The principal streams are Hoosick and Walloomsac Rivers, Punch Kil, White Creek and Shaw Brook. The soil among the mountains is hard and sterile, and in the valleys it is principally clay, mixed with dis- integrated slate. In the south-east corner are several springs from which issues nitrogen gas. The gas appears to come up from the gravel beds and is not combined with the water. By pressing upon a surface a few inches square a large amount of the gas can be collected in a short time. Flax is extensively cultivated and considerable attention is also paid to manufac- tures.
Hoosick Falls, (p. v.) situated on the Troy & Boston R. R., was incorporated in 1827. It is 27 miles from Troy and contains five churches, viz., Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Roman Catholic; a manufactory of mowing and reaping machines, shearing machines, a union school and about 3,500 inhabitants.
The Union School occupies the building formerly occupied by Ball Seminary, which has been enlarged to about twice its for- mer size. It contains an academic department and, by special act of the Legislature, is made free to all pupils of school age in the district. James K. Hull is the principal, assisted by six associates.
The Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Manufac- tory, located in this village, is worthy of more than a passing notice, being the largest of the kind in the world. Mr. Walter A. Wood, the founder of these extensive works, was born in Mason, N. H., Oct. 23, 1815, came to Hoosick Falls in 1836, and worked at blacksmithing for Seth Parsons, who was engaged in manufacturing. He married a daughter of his employer, a sister of Z. Russell and David B. Parsons, who are now interested in the manufacture of these machines. A few years later Mr. Wood engaged in the manufacture of the Manny Reaper and Mower, to which he added some improvements of his own.
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During all this time he was at work perfecting his ideal of a machine superior to any other in use. In 1853 his labor was crowned with success, and a patent was granted for his in- vention. In 1854 he commenced, in a small way, the manu- facture of his machines, continuing to increase his works as the demand for the machines increased, until 1866, when a stock company was formed with W. A. Wood, President ; J. Russell Parsons, Vice President ; Willard Gay, Treasurer ; A. C. Gear, Secretary. The demand for the machines increased to such an extent that in 1867 the Company were compelled to enlarge their buildings and did so, giving the working floors of the manufactory an area of over 250,000 feet, or upwards of six
acres. The number of men employed is 775, aided by the best machinery in every department. The daily consumption of raw material in this manufactory is twenty tons of cast iron, ten tons of wrought iron, two and a half tons of malleable iron, three-fourths of a ton of steel, and fifteen thousand feet of lum- ber. The works are capable of turning out over one hundred machines a day. The sales during the year 1869 amounted to 23,000, and the whole number made at this establishment, and now in use, will not fall short of 150,000. The sale of this ma- chine is not confined to the United States, but Canada, England, France, Russia, Germany, Spain and other countries, show their appreciation of its merits by lending their patronage, the de- mand for these countries being nearly as great as in the United States. The machine received the award of the first prize of the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 1861 and 1865, the only prizes offered by that Society since this machine has been before the public. The medal of honor of the great Interna- tional Exhibition at London in 1862, and the first prize at the great National Exhibition of Russia, and field trials in Moscow in 1864, were awarded to this machine. The number of awards at State and County Fairs are too numerous to mention.
The visitor to Hoosick Falls should not fail to visit the rare and beautiful collection of minerals belonging to L. Wilder, Esq., of this village. Mr. Wilder is a great lover of Nature, and has at great expense and labor collected a cabinet of miner- als, which is seldom equaled. It embraces some of the finest specimens of stalactites, agates and other minerals, to be found in the country. The taste displayed in the arrangement calls forth the admiration of all visitors.
Eagle Bridge, (p. v.) situated at the junction of the Troy & Boston and the Rutland & Washington Railroads, contains one store, two hotels, a school house, a saw mill, a grist mill, a planing and flax mill, a rope and cordage factory and about 150 inhabitants.
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Buskirk's Bridge, (p. v.) on the Hoosick River, is a station on the Troy & Boston R. R. and contains three churches, viz., Methodist, Reformed and Universalist; three stores, a school- house, two flax mills, a saw mill, a cider mill, a carriage factory and about 200 inhabitants.
Hoosick (p. v.) is a station on the Troy & Boston R. R. and contains two churches, viz., Episcopal and Baptist; two stores, two hotels, two blacksmith and wagon shops and about 400 in- habitants.
North Hoosick (p. v.) is a station on the Troy & Bennington R. R. and contains a Methodist church, a paper mill, a woolen factory, three stores, a hotel, a flouring mill, a saw mill, a wagon shop, a blacksmith shop and about 400 inhabitants.
Walloomsac is a station on the Troy & Bennington R. R. and contains two stores, a paper mill and about 140 inhabitants. The village was named from the Walloomsac River, and that received its name from a German named Wallam, who took up a large tract of land in this vicinity. The name is variously spelled on the early maps and in public documents, viz., Wal- lomsock, Wallamsock, Wallomschock, Walmscock, Walloomschoick, Wallamsac and Walmsook.
West Hoosick (p. o.) and
Potter Hill (p. o.) are hamlets.
This town included part of the Hoosick Patent, granted June 3, 1688, to Maria Van Rensselaer, Hendrick Van Ness, Jacobus Van Cortlandt and Gerrit Finnise. The Patent extended from the Schaghticoke Tract, a distance of two miles each side of the river, up to a " certain fall called Quequick, and from said falls, up the creek to a place called Nach-a-quick-quack." It included also a part of the Walloomsac Patent, granted June 15, 1739. This Patent contained 12,000 acres, on both sides of the Wal- loomsac River and lying partly in Washington Co. and partly in Vermont. It was granted to Edward Collins, James DeLancy, Gerardus Stuyvesant, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Charles Williams and Frederick Morris. The first settlements were made upon the Hoosick Patent by several Dutch families. Among them were Adam Vrooman, an Indian trader, Henry Van Ness, Abraham Fort, Lewis and Peter Viele, John Van Buskirk, Wal- ter Van Vechten, George B. Nichols, Jacob Odekirk, Daniel Bradt and Reykert Borie. A Dutch church was founded and known as the " Tyoshoke Church," at San Coick, near the north border of the town. This settlement was entirely broken up by a party of French and Indians on the 28th of August 1754. Two persons were killed and the houses, barns and crops de-
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stroyed. The next day the settlement at San Coick, south of Hoosick, was also destroyed. The invaders were supposed to be Schaghticoke Indians who, a short time before, had abandoned their settlements and gone to Canada. The loss of the two set- tlements was. estimated at 4,000 pounds.
The conflict called the Battle of Bennington was fought in this town. It was a part of the operations of Burgoyne's inva- sion from Canada in the summer and fall of 1777. His stores and provisions had become so much reduced that he found it necessary to replenish them. Being informed that the Ameri- cans had a large supply of these, and of cattle and horses, at Bennington and in the vicinity, he resolved to send a detach- ment of his army thither to capture them. In accordance with this resolution he dispatched Lieutenant Col. Baume thither with five hundred Hessians, Canadians and Tories, and one hun- dred Indians. Burgoyne's instructions to the commander of the expedition were dated August 9, 1777, and declared the ob- jects to be, to try the affections of the people, to disconcert the councils of the enemy, to mount Riedesel's dragoons, to com- plete Peters's corps and to obtain large supplies of horses, cattle and carriages. He ordered that all officers, civil and military, acting under the authority of Congress, should be made prison- ers. Baume was further instructed to tax the towns where they halted, with such articles as they wanted, and bring all horses fit to mount the dragoons or to serve as battalion horses for the troops, with as many saddles and bridles as they could find. Burgoyne fixed the number of horses to be procured at thirteen hundred at least, and more if they could be obtained. He directed that they should be "tied in strings of ten each, in order that one man might lead ten horses." Comparing this with the result we see the uncertainty of all human calcula- tions .. Baume left his encampment at Fort Edward on the 13th of August, and the next day arrived at Sancoik's, now North Hoosick. Here he wrote the following letter to his commander :
"Sancoik, 14th August, 1777, 9 o'clock.
" Sir-I have the honor to inform your excellency that I ar- rived here at eight in the morning, having had intelligence of a party of the enemy being in possession of a mill, which they abandoned at our approach, but, in their usual way, fired from the bushes and took their road to Bennington. A savage was slightly wounded; they broke down the bridge, which has re- tarded our march above an hour; they left in the mill about seventy-eight barrels of very fine flour, one thousand bushels of wheat, twenty barrels of salt and about £1,000 worth of pearlash and potash. I have ordered thirty provincials and an officer to
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guard the provisions and the pass of the bridge. By five pris- oners taken here, they agree that from fifteen to eighteen hun- dred are at Bennington, but are supposed to leave it on our ap- proach. I will proceed so far to-day as to fall on the enemy early to-morrow, and make such disposition as I may think necessary, from the intelligence I may receive. People are flock- ing in hourly, but want to be armed. The savages cannot be controlled, they ruin and take everything they please.
"I am your excellency's most humble servant,
F. BAUME."
Such was the situation on the 14th as viewed from the Brit- ish stand-point. The Indians and Tories had on the previous day made an attack upon a small party of Americans who were guarding some cattle. It was here that the five prisoners men- tioned in Baume's letter were taken.
Let us now look at the field of operations from the American stand-point. On the 9th of August, the day of the date of Bur- goyne's instructions to Baume, General Stark arrived at Ben- nington with a portion of the New Hampshire militia. Here he encamped, sent out scouts to obtain information as to the movements of the enemy, and collected as many of the militia from the surrounding country as possible. Having learned that a small body of Indians were at Cambridge, he sent out Lieu- tenant Colonel Gregg, Aug. 13, with two hundred men to op- pose their march. Towards night he received information that a large body of the enemy with a train of artillery was in the rear of the Indians and in full march for Bennington. Rally- ing all the force at his command and sending an order to the commander of Col. Warner's regiment, at Manchester, to march immediately to Bennington, General Stark moved with his whole force on the 14th to the support of Col. Gregg. He was accompanied by Cols. Warner, Williams and Brush, though the regiment of Col. Warner remained at Bennington, having ar- rived on the previous night in the rain. After marching about five miles they met Col. Gregg retreating and the enemy within a mile of him. Stark immediately disposed his army for battle, and Baume, hesitating to attack the increased force, took a po- sition upon the high ground near a bend in the Walloomsac, and began to intrench. Perceiving this, Stark fell back about a mile to await re-enforcements, while Baume sent an express to Burgoyne for aid. The next day was rainy and both parties were engaged in preparing for battle. The Hessians and a corps of rangers were strongly intrenched upon the high ground north of the Walloomsac, and a party of rangers and German grenadiers were posted at a ford near what is known as the Bar- net place, at the second railroad bridge as you pass from North
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Bennington to Hoosick. Some Canadians and Peters's corps of Tories were posted on the south side of the river, near the ford. At the foot of a declivity, near the mouth of a creek, on the east, some chasseurs were posted, and about a mile distant from the main intrenchments on the hight, on the south side of the stream, Peters's American volunteers or Tories threw up a breast work. Tradition says that this was commanded by Col. Pfister, a retired British officer of the French War, who resided on what is now known as the Tibbitt's place, about half a mile west of Hoosick Four Corners .. On the same side, upon the Bennington road, Stark and his army were encamped. Not- withstanding the rain of the 15th, there was some skirmishing. During the night, Col. Symonds arrived with a body of Berk- shire militia. Among them was a minister named Allen, from Pittsfield, Mass., who was eager for a fight. Before daylight, and while it was yet raining, he called on Gen. Stark and in- formed him that the Berkshire people had come to fight, and if they did not have a chance they would never turn out again. The General replied: "If the Lord shall once more give us sunshine, and I do not give you fighting enough, I'll never ask you to come out again." Sunshine came and with it fighting enough even for the " fighting parson." The battle commenced at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. "It lasted two hoursand was the hottest I ever saw. It was like one continued clap of thunder," says the commander in his official report. The enemy were driven from the field, abandoning their baggage to the Ameri- cans. While they were dispersed, appropriating the plunder, Col. Breyman arrived with re-enforcements for Baume. They had approached within two miles before Stark was apprised of the fact. The rain had impeded their progress so that they were not in time to take part in the battle, but meeting the re- treating forces of Baume, they rallied and turned their course again to their abandoned intrenchments. The forces of Stark were too much scattered to offer a successful resistance, and for a short time the fortunes of the day were in suspense. At this critical moment Colonel Warner's regiment arrived from Ben- nington, fresh and well armed, and pushed forward to the con- flict. The battle was continued until sunset, the enemy being driven from the field. Seven hundred of the enemy were made prisoners, among whom was the commander, who died soon af- ter, of a wound received in the conflict. Two hundred and seven of the enemy were killed. The Americans took four pieces of brass cannon, 250 dragoon swords, several hundred stands of arms, eight brass drums and four ammunition wagons. The American loss was about one hundred killed and as many wounded. General Stark had a horse killed under him but was
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not himself injured. The total loss of the enemy in killed, wounded and prisoners was 934, including 157 Tories. This was an important victory and did much to encourage the Amer- icans and hasten the final surrender of Burgoyne. It was at the commencement of this battle that Gen. Stark made the la- conic speech which tradition has preserved: "See there men ! there are the red-coats. Before night they are ours, or Molly Stark will be a widow!" The grist mill at North Hoosick was owned by a man named Van Schaick, who joined the forces of Stark at Bennington. It is now owned by John G. Burke and is probably the oldest building in the town. As this mill was in possession of the British for a few days preceding the Battle of Bennington it is quite probable that they ground some part of the one thousand bushels of wheat which Col. Baume has in- formed us he found there.
The house now owned and occupied by Simeon S. Percey was built in 1794 by David Matthews. It is situated on the east line of the town, one-half being in the State of New York and the other in Vermont. It is a brick structure, very sub- stantially built, and was at the time of its erection probably one of the finest residences in this part of the country. Time had made but little impression upon it and it appears as firm as when built. Among the incidents of the battle, it is related that William Gilmore, a volunteer upon the American side, left his oxen in the yoke and took up arms to repel the invaders. He was engaged with others in taking up the plank upon a bridge across the stream, to prevent the British from crossing, and was the last to leave, when the enemy were so close as to fire upon him.
Sheriff Schuyler, of Albany Co., reported, on the 17th of Au- gust, 1764, that an express arrived from "Hoseck" informing him that the "New Hampshire people had turned Hans Jerry Crei- ger, an inhabitant under the proprietors of Hoseck Patent, out of possession of his lands and tenements, drove off his cattle and took with them a parcel of Indian corn, and for the redemption of the cattle compelled him to pay forty-five dollars ; and the said express further informed that the said New Hampshire people were the next day to be at the houses of Peter Voss and Bastiane Deale in order in like manner to dispossess them of their possessions which they had peaceably enjoyed under the proprietors of said Hoseck Patent for upwards of three years, except only when driven off by the enemy Indians during the two last wars." In consequence of this information, the Sheriff proceeded to Hoosick, taking with him "two justices and a few other good people of this province." He arrived on Saturday and was told that the New Hampshire people would not come until
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Monday. Having received notice that they were at the house of Voss and Deale, he proceeded thither immediately ; but be- fore he arrived they had accomplished their design and departed. The Sheriff followed and overtook them, arresting Samuel Ash- ley, who called himself a Deputy Sheriff, Samuel Robinson, a Justice of the Peace, John Horsfoot and Isaac Charles, and lodged them in jail at Albany. In 1772 it was reported that the rioters had brought to Bennington two pieces of cannon and a mortar from the small fort at East Hoosick, together with pow- der and ball. The difficulties between New York and the New Hampshire Grants continued until the close of the Revolution, when Vermont became an independent State.
Among the early residents of the town after the close of the Revolution, was Mr. John Haynes, the father of Edmund Haynes. He came to this town in 1787. There were only four or five buildings where the village of Hoosick Falls now stands. These buildings were the grist mill, the dwelling house now oc- cupied by Col. Dorr, a house where now stands David Gray's store, the mill-house and a log house occupied by Hank Barn- hart. Mr. Haynes Foster settled a little west of the village and took a lease of 160 acres of the Bradt title. Seneca .Dorr was born in the town June 10, 1788, and is the oldest resident of the town who was born there. Mrs. Delia Van Hoosen is one of the oldest residents now living in the town who was born there. She was born in the south-east part of the town in 1789, and still lives near the place of her birth. Dr. Salmon Moses, still a practicing physician in the town, was born in Norfolk, Connecticut, in December 1792. He moved to this town in 1818, when the village was only a hamlet containing two stores. The population of the town in 1865 was 4,783, and its area 38,906 acres.
LANSINGBURGH, named in honor of Abraham Jacob Lansing, one of the early settlers and the founder of the village, was formed from Troy and Petersburgh, March 20, 1807. A part of Schaghticoke was annexed in 1819. A part of Troy was taken off in 1836, and a part of Brunswick in 1839. It em- braces a narrow strip of land extending along the Hudson. In the south part the river flat is about one-fourth of a mile wide, but in the north the bluffs rise directly from the river. In the north-east is a high rocky hill, from 400 to 500 feet above the river. The high bluff east of the village is called Diamond Rock. The streams are Deepi Kil and Koola Kil. The soil is a gravelly and clayey loam. Considerable manufacturing is car- ried on at the village. A lock at Troy admits the passage of sloops up to this place.
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