Gazetteer and business directory of Schoharie County, N.Y. for 1872-3, Part 12

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1872
Publisher: Syracuse : Printed at the Journal office
Number of Pages: 252


USA > New York > Schoharie County > Gazetteer and business directory of Schoharie County, N.Y. for 1872-3 > Part 12


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The first church organization in town was Zion's Lutheran Church, in the village of Cobleskill, in Sept. 1794, by Rev. F. H. Quitman, D. D)., the first pastor, and consisted of 35 members. A house of worship was erected the same year, and still stands as a monument of the liberality and christian zeal of the found- ers. Itis said to have been built by thirteen families from Germany. The present house of worship was erected in 1868.


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It is a fine brick edifice and cost $31,000. It will seat 800. The present value of the church property is $37,000. The pres- ent membership is 175, and the present pastor is Rev. A. P. Ludden.


St. Paul's R. C. Church was organized in 1870 by Rev. T. W. Reilly, with 75 members. A house of worship was erected the same year seating 275 and costing $8,000. The present mem- bership is 125, and the present pastor is Rev. P. Phillips.


The Reformed Church of Lawyersville has a membership of 65. The house of worship, erected in 1850, will seat 300. The present value of church property is $5,000, and the present pastor is Rev. J. H. Van Woert.


The Reformed Church of East Cobleskill was organized in 1847. Rev. - Wells was the first pastor. Their house of worship was erected in 1847; Rev. Mr. Van Woert is the pastor.


The Union Church of Barnerville was organized in 1843 and a house of worship erected the same year. The membership is 30, the value of the church property is $1,500 and the pastor is Rev. Mr. Robinson.


The population of the town in 1870 was 2,845; and its area 17,938 acres.


The number of school districts is 9, employing 9 male and 12 female teachers. The number of children of school age is 957; the number attending school, 691; the average attendance, 351; the value of school houses and sites, $20,700; the amount ex- pended for school purposes during the year ending September 30, 1871, $7,129.02.


CONESVILLE, named in honor of Rev. Jonathan Cone, of Greene Co., was formed from Broome and Durham, (Greene Co.,) March 3, 1836, It is the south-east corner town of the County. The surface is generally a hilly upland, mountainous along the east border. The highest summits are from 1,600 to 2,000 feet above the valleys. Schoharie Creek forms a small portion of the west boundary, and Manorkill flows west through the town a little south of the center. Near the mouth of Manorkill is a cascade of sixty feet. The valleys of these streams are bordered by high and often precipitous hills.


Conesville, (p. v.) known as Stone Bridge, contains a church, a store, a hotel, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop, a saw mill, and about a dozen dwellings.


West Conesville, (p. v.) known as Strykersville, contains a Methodist church, a store, a boot and shoe shop, a milliner shop, two cooper shops and about a dozen dwellings. G


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Manorkill (p. v.) contains a Methodist church, a store, a blacksmith shop and half a dozen houses.


The town was named in honor of Rev. Jonathan Cone, of Durham, Greene Co. It was included in a tract granted to Ury Richtmeyer and others, May 6, 1754, and known as Dise's Ma- nor. Tracts granted to Daniel Crane, Samuel Stringer, Walter McFarlane, John Richtmeyer, Christian Patrie and others, were partly in this town.


The first settlement was made by Ury Richtmeyer in 1764. Mr. R. was joint owner of several patents with John Dise and others. During the Revolution the settlers fled for safety to the Upper Fort. Peter Richtmeyer was twice taken prisoner by the Indians under the Tory, Jones. An old lady named Richtmeyer, who had been confined to bed for a long time, was in an upper room of the house at the Fort when Johnson made an attack upon it. A shell exploded and fragments fell upon the roof of the house, so frightening Mrs. R. that she sprang from her bed and went below, but survived only a short time. After the war, Philip Krinple, Conrad Patrie, John Shew, Barent Stryker, Stephen Scovill, James Allerton, and Hubbard and Judah Luring, came into town. The last two were from Con- necticut. The first death was that of Ury Richtmeyer, August 14, 1769. Thomas Canfield taught a school in 1794. Peter Richtmeyer kept the first inn, in 1784. Barent Stryker built the first mill above the Falls of Manorkill.


The population in 1870 was 1,314, and the area 21,459 acres. There are 12 school districts in the town, employing 24 teachers. The number of children of school age is 446; the average attendance, 167; the amount expended for teachers' wages during the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, was $2,101.96 ; other expenses, $204.91.


ESPERANCE, named from its principal village, was formed from Schoharie, April 4, 1846. A small part was re- annexed to Schoharie in 1850. It is the east town on the north border of the County. The surface consists of two ridges, ex- tending east and west across the town, separated by the valley of Schoharie Creek. The highest parts are 600 to 800 feet above the valley. The soil is chiefly a clayey loam.


Esperance, (p. v.) incorporated April 21, 1832, is situated on Schoharie Creek, on the east border of the town, and contains two churches, viz., Methodist and Presbyterian; two hotels, four dry goods and grocery stores, a drug store, a hardware store, a jewelry store, a flour and feed store, a grist mill, a saw mill, a planing mill, a foundry, a plow manufactory, a machine


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shop, a harness shop, a wagon and sleigh shop, two tailor shops, two shoe shops, a paint shop, a school house and about 350 inhabitants. It is about a mile and a half from the nearest station on the Albany & Susquehanna R. R.


Sloansville, (p. v.) in the west part of the town, contains two churches, a school, three stores, two hotels, a grist mill, two saw mills, a wagon shop, a tin shop, a tailor shop, a hardware store, two blacksmith shops, a harness shop, two milliner and dressmaker shops, 43 dwellings, and about 200 inhabitants. The place was named in honor of John R. Sloan, an early set- tler.


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The first settlement was made by Palatinates in 1711. Kneiskerns Dorf was located opposite the mouth of the Cobles- kill, and was one of the first settlements in the County. Among the settlers were John Peter Kneiskern, and families named Stubrach, Enders, Sidney, Bergh, Houck and others. The town comprises the whole of Jacob Henry Ten Eyck's Patent, surveyed in August 1761 ; a part of the Schoharie Pat- ent and a part of Sawyer & Zimmer's Second Allotment, with a part of the Stone Heap Patent. The last was granted to John Bowen and others, Sept. 15, 1770, and took its name from a large stone heap near Sloansville, and by the side of the Indian path leading from Fort Hunter to Schoharie. The Indians never failed to add a stone to the heap as they passed, and it had become very large at the time of the first settlement by the whites. Tradition says that two Mohawk hunters had a quar- rel at this place, resulting in the death of one of them, and that the heap was erected to perpetuate the memory of the event. A custom of the nation required every warrior, in passing, to add a stone. It was four rods long, between one and two wide, and ten to fifteen feet high. It was removed and laid into a wall some years ago. The route of Sir John Johnson from Scho- harie to the Mohawk in October 1780 was along this path. John Brown, J. R. Sloan and a man named Larkin, from Rhode Island, were early settlers at and near Sloansville. The site of the village of Esperance was purchased in 1800 by Gen. William North, laid out into lots and named from a French word signi- fying Hope. John Burt kept the first hotel at this place, where the Phoenix House now stands. Haynes & Isham built the first grist mill in Esperance village, in 1868. The first town meet- ing was held May 19, 1846.


The First Presbyterian Church of Esperance was organized in 1823 by Rev. Luke Lyons, the first pastor. Their house of worship was erected in 1824. It will seat 340, and the value


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of the church property is $5,000. The present membership is 37; the pastor is Rev. A. H. Seeley.


The Baptist Church of Sloansville was organized by Rev. E. Herrick, the first pastor, with 57 members. The first house of worship was erected in 1812; the present house in 1842; it cost $1,200 and will seat 250. The present value of the church property is $2,000; the membership is 128, and the pastor is Rev. D. B. Collins.


The Methodist Church of Esperance was organized in 1828 by Rev. Joseph Ames, the first pastor, with five members. In 1836 the first house of worship was erected, and the present house in 1868. It will seat 450 and cost $7,000. The present membership is 150; the value of church property is $10,000, and the pastor is Rev. William Ryan.


The population of the town in 1870 was 1,277, and its area, 9,395 acres.


The number of school districts is 7, employing 14 teachers. The number of children of school age is 504; the average at- tendance, 191; the amount expended for teachers' wages dur- ing the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, was $2,133.06 ; other expen- ses, $349.49.


FULTON was formed from Middleburgh, April 15, 1828. It is the central town in the County. The surface is a hilly upland, broken by the ravines of the streams. Schoharie Creek flows north through the east part, receiving Panther Creek from the west. The highest summits are 1000 feet above the valleys. The hills above the creek are conical and often precipitous, but further west they assume a rounded form and are bounded by more gradual slopes. The soil is a gravelly and clayey loam.


Breakabeen, (p. v.) on Schoharie Creek, contains two churches, a school house, two hotels, two stores, a grist mill, two saw mills, a tannery, two carriage shops, three blacksmith shops, a foundry and about twenty-five dwellings.


Fultonham, (p. v.) near the east line, contains a church, a store, a grist mill, a saw mill, a blacksmith shop, a glove manu- factory giving employment to about ten hands, and about a dozen dwellings.


West Fulton (p. v.) contains a church, a saw mill, a grist mill and about a dozen dwellings.


Watsonville and Petersburgh are hamlets.


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This town embraces the whole of several patents, and parts of others, the principal of which are Michael Byrne's of 18,000


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acres, granted Dec. 14, 1767; John Butler's of about 8,000 acres ; Wm. Bouck's of 1,250 acres, east of the creek, granted May 8, 1755, and another west of the creek of about the same size ; Edward Clark's of 100 acres; Vrooman's Land, granted to Adam Vrooman, August 26th, 1714; Wm. Wood's patent of 2000 acres, granted July 13, 1770; Hendrick Hager's of 900 acres, Dec. 1, 1768 ; part of John Butler's of 100 acres, and of Isaac Levy's tract of 4,333 acres, surveyed in July 1770.


The first settlements were made by Dutch and Palatinates about 1711. Among the early settlers were Peter Vrooman, son of the patentee, Cornelius and Bartholomew Vrooman, Nicho- las Feeck, Adam Brown, Teunis Vrooman, Michael Brown, -- Krissler, Frere Becker and Stephen Young, in the west part ; and Wm. Bouck and his sons Johannes F., Christian and Wil- liam, Nicholas York and Henry Hager, in the east part.


The Upper Fort, so called during the Revolution, stood in this town, at Fultonham. It was on the west side of the river near the village. "One side of this enclosure was picketed in, while on its other sides a breastwork was thrown up of timbers and earth, some eight or ten feet high, and sufficiently thick to admit of drawing a wagon upon its top, with short pickets set in the out- side timbers of the breastwork. A ditch surrounded the part thus constructed. Military barracks and small log huts were erected within the inclosure, to accommodate the soldiers and citizens, Block-houses and sentry-boxes were built in the north- west and south-east corners, each mounting a small cannon to guard its sides."


Like other settlements in the Schoharie valley, this town suf- fered from the incursions of Tories and Indians. Many citizens were killed or taken captive, and buildings and other property were plundered and destroyed. Desolation followed in the path of the savages or more savage Tories.


In July 1870, Mr. William Bouck left the Upper Fort to go to his residence, some two miles distant, to secure his crops, tak- ing with him a female slave named Nancy Lattimore, and her three children. In the evening while making preparations for retiring, four Indians, one of whom was known as Seth's Henry, entered the house and made them prisoners. Dick, the young- est of the slaves, about eight years old, concealed himself be- hind the door, but when he saw all the others about to leave, he made a noise to attract the attention of the Indians, as he was afraid to be left alone, and was consequently taken along. His captor carried him on his back several miles to the place after- wards occupied by Gen. Patchin, where they encamped for the night. Expecting to be pursued, the Indians resumed their march before daylight, and encamped the following night at


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Harpersfield. Here a Tory named Rose furnished them with corn bread and other provisions for their journey. Soon after leaving the house of Rose, they were discovered by a scout of four men, who were fired upon by the Indians, and one of them was seriously wounded. Not knowing the number of the foe, the scout left their wounded comrade with Rose and started for the Fort. On their way, they met a party of about twenty, under command of Lieutenant Ephraim Vrooman and Joseph Harper, who had been sent by Capt. Hager in pursuit of the captors of Mr. Bouck. Joining these, the whole party renewed the pursuit and soon had the satisfaction of recapturing the prisoners, though the Indians escaped.


In August 1780, Captain Hager sent out a scout from the Upper Fort, to reconnoiter in the west part of this town, with instructions not to fire if they saw any of the enemy and were not themselves discovered. While seated upon a fallen tree, eating their breakfast, they saw a white man painted as an In- dian, within some fifty yards of them. He was so good a mark that one of the party shot him dead. A small stream of water near was called, from this circumstance, Dead Man's Creek. The enemy immediately appeared in hot pursuit. Leek, who had shot the man, started for the Fort, while Hoever and Winne, his companions, were driven into the woods in an opposite direction. Leek reached the Fort, but not enough in advance of his pursuers to have a seasonable alarm given to warn the citizens of the impending danger. The enemy con- sisted of seventy-three Indians and five Tories, commanded by Brant. Captain Hager had gone to his farm to draw in hay. Captain Tunis Vrooman had gone to his farm to secure wheat, taking with him his family. Lieut. Ephraim Vrooman had gone to his farm also, leaving the Fort under the command of Lieut. William Harper, with less than a dozen men. Captain Vrooman's family consisted of a wife, four sons and two slaves. He felt a presentiment that some terrible event was to happen, and was on a constant lookout for the enemy. While unload- ing the second load of wheat, he discovered the enemy approaching. He was tomahawked, scalped, and had his throat cut by a Schoharie Indian named John. His wife was washing near the house and was tomahawked. The buildings were plundered and set on fire, and the three old- est boys, with the slaves, made prisoners. Peter,. the youngest boy, concealed himself in the bushes, but his place of conceal- ment was pointed out by one of the blacks, and he too was taken, had his throat cut, was scalped, and his body hung across the fence, by the infamous Tory, Beacraft. From this place Seth's Henry led several of the enemy to the house of Lieut.


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Vrooman. On hearing the alarm, he ran to the house, caught his infant and fled to the cornfield, followed by his wife and one daughter. They were concealed a short distance from each other and might have escaped had not Mrs. V. called to her hus- band, thus directing the attention of the savages to their place of retreat. She was immediately shot and scalped by Seth's Henry, while Beacraft killed her daughter with a stone and scalped her. Another Indian attacked the Lieutenant with a spear, which was several times warded off, the infant in his arms smiling at the encounter, causing the savage to relent and make him a prisoner. Several others were taken prisoners. Adam A. Vrooman fled to the Fort, pursued by the Indians until he arrived within its protection. When asked how he escaped, he replied, "I pulled foot." He was afterwards called Pull Foot Vrooman. Thirty persons in all were taken prisoners and five were killed. Abraham Vrooman was in "Vrooman's Land " with a large wagon, and when the alarm was given, drove down through the valley, picking up several of the citizens. Arriving at the residence of Judge Swart, he called to Mrs. Swart, who seized her infant, jumped into the wagon and started, just as the Indians with tomahawk in hand arrived at her dwelling. Vrooman had a powerful team and did not stop to open the gates that obstructed the highway, but forced them open by driving against them. The enemy burnt nine dwellings with the barns and barracks of grain, and took away ninety good horses. Large pieces of meat were cut from the cattle and hogs killed, and carried away to supply them on their journey. Among the plunder was a fine stallion belong- ing to Judge Swart. The Indians being afraid of him, young Tunis Vrooman took him in charge and rode him to Canada. This saved him from the gauntlet and much other ill treatment. The enemy proceeded up the river to a grist mill owned by the Tory, Adam Crysler, took what flour it contained and set the mill on fire that it might not serve the rebels any longer. The burial of the dead took place the next day, on the farm of John Feeck, near the Upper Fort. Before reaching Harpers- field. Brant allowed all of the women, except Mrs. Simon Vroo- man and several of the children, to return to their homes. The other prisoners suffered the usual hardships from hunger, fatigue and the gauntlet, after arriving at the Indian settlements. Most of them were afterwards exchanged and returned to Scho- harie.


The Lutheran Church of Breakabeen was organized in 1843, by Rev. James Sefler, the first pastor, with 40 members. Their house of worship was erected in 1844 and will seat 300. The


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present membership is 75 ; the pastor is Rev. I. S. Porter, and the value of church property is about $6,000.


The following account of the first tea party in the County, given by one of the Vrooman families in Vrooman's Land, is taken from Simm's History :


" When the enlivener was announced as ready the party gathered about a round table, upon which stood not a morsel of anything to eat, except a liberal lump of maple sugar, placed beside each cup. As the India beverage entered the cups from a kettle in which it had been boiled as one would boil potatoes, great was the curiosity to know how it might taste; but it was soon satisfied in most of the guests who sipped and did nothing but sip, at a beverage that would have borne an egg. No milk was used in the tea at Vrooman's. Miss Loucks, who did not like sugar, ashamed to have the rest of the party think she had not used hers, slipped it into a side pocket and carried it home. The ancient Dutch custom always placed a lump 'of sugar beside each cup, and did not allow it to dissolve until it entered the mouth, when a frequent nibble sufficed. In doing the honors of a table twenty-five years ago, the question- Will you bite or stir ?- was asked each guest."


The population of the town in 1870 was 2,700, and the area 34,313.


There are 17 school districts, employing 19 male and 14 female teachers. The number of children of school age is 1,010; the number attending school, 809; the average attend- ance, 349 ; the value of school houses and sites, $6,905; the amount expended for school purposes during the year ending September 30, 1871, was $4,665.47.


GILBOA was formed from Blenheim and Broome, March 16, 1848. It is the central town upon the south border of the County. The surface is a mountainous upland, broken by deep ravines. Schoharie Creek flows north through the center, re- ceiving Plattenkill from the east, and Minekill from the west. The streams are bordered by steep hillsides rising from 2000 to 3000 feet above tide. The soil is a gravelly and clayey loam.


Gilboa, (p. o.) on the Schoharie Creek, contains two churches, viz., Methodist and Presbyterian, a hotel, a store, a school house, a milliner shop, two blacksmith shops, two harness shops, a wagon shop, a paint shop, a cabinet shop, a tailor shop, two watchmakers, a boot and shoe shop and 24 dwellings. A daily line of stages connects this place with the Rondout & Oswego Railroad and with the Middleburgh & Schoharie Railroad.


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Broome Center (p. o.) contains a store, a hotel, a blacksmith and carriage shop, and about half a dozen houses.


Minekill Falls is a post office.


West Gilboa is a hamlet.


South Gilboa (p. v.) contains about twenty dwellings.


Mackies Corners is a hamlet of half a dozen houses.


The settlement of this town was commenced in 1764, by Matthew and Jacob Dise. They joined the British during the Revolution and fled to Canada. Among the early settlers after the war were Richard Stanley, Joseph Desilva, Benoni Frazer, Cornelius Lane, John Breaster, Isaac Van Fort, Daniel Con- over and Jacob Homer, all from New England. Ruloff Voor- hees kept the first inn, in 1785 ; John Dise built the first mills, in 1764, and Jonah Soper, the first tannery, in 1800. The town embraces a part of the Blenheim Patent, with parts of grants to Ury Rightmeyer, David Buffington and -- Scott, and a part of the "State Lands." The last named tracts com- prised the lands escheated to the State by failure of titles and the confiscated estates of Tories.


The Reformed Church of Gilboa was organized about 1800. During its early history it had several different names, but was known especially as the "The Manor Church." The early records of the Church not being accessible, we are unable to give particulars of its early history. Rev. Cornelius D. Scher- merhorn was the first pastor, his ministry beginning about 1802. The first house of worship was erected soon after 1800, and stood in the town of Conesville, about three miles east of the present site. About the year 1836, the church edifice was removed from its original site and rebuilt where it now stands, at which time the Church received its present name. The present number of members is 120 ; the pastor is Rev. Wm. S. Moore, and the value of church property is $4,000.


The Flat Creek Baptist Church, in North Gilboa, was organized January 2, 1831, by Rev. John Ormsbee with thirteen members. Mr. Ormsbee was the first pastor, and the first house of worship was erected in 1843. The present house was erected in 1865, at a cost of $3,300, with a seating capacity of 300. The present membership is 135; the pastor is Rev. J. B. Vanhoesen, and the value of church property is $3,500.


A violent freshet occurred in this town and all along the Schoharie Valley a few years since, doing a great deal of damage.


The population of the town in 1870 was 2,222, and its area, 36,538 acres.


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The number of school districts is 19, employing 33 teachers. The number of children of school age is 750; the average at- tendance, 297 ; the amount expended for teachers' wages during the year ending September 30, 1871, was $4,255.60; other ex- penses, $360.45.


JEFFERSON was formed from Blenheim, February 12, 1803. A part of Summit was taken off in 1819. It is on the south line of the County, near the south-west corner. The sur- face is a hilly upland, the principal summits being about 1,000 feet above the valleys and 2,000 above tide. Mine Hill, in the south part, is estimated to be 3,200 feet above tide. A high ridge extending through the town near the center, forms the water- shed between Delaware and Mohawk Rivers. Utsyantha Lake is a small sheet of water on the south line. It is 1,800 feet above tide ; it is often mentioned in old documents and was an angle in the bounds of Albany County in Colonial times. It is the source of the west branch of the Delaware.


Jefferson, (p. o.) situated near the center, contains two churches, viz., Methodist and Presbyterian, a hotel, six stores, a printing office, two dental offices, two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, two shoe shops, a cabinet shop and undertaker, a harness shop, a tailor shop, two milliner shops and 43 dwell- ings.


Morseville is a hamlet in the north part.


South Jefferson (p. o.) is a hamlet in the south part.


Westkill, in the nort-east part, contains about a dozen dwel- lings.


The first settlements were made in different parts of the town in 1794. Amos and Caleb Northrop settled in the east part; Samuel and Noah Judson settled near Utsyantha Lake; Henry Shelmerdine and James Mckenzie, in the north-east part, on Westkill ; Stephen Marvin, Erastus Judd and Aaron Jones settled near the village. Most of these settlers were from New England. The first marriage was that of Marvin Judd and Lois Gibbs, in August 1800, and the first death was that of Elsie Judd, in June 1799. Heman Hickok taught the first school, in 1799. Canfield Coe kept the first inn, in 1794, and Rodman Lewis the first store, in 1800. Stephen Judd built the first saw mill, in 1796, and Heman Hickok the first grist mill, in 1799. The first tannery was built by Eli Jones, in 1810.




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