USA > New York > Washington County > Gazetteer and business directory of Washington County, N.Y. for 1871 > Part 12
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The Freeman's Church of Dresden was erected in 1851, by con- tributions from members of different religious denominations and from those who made no profession of religion, as there was no denominational organization able to bear the expense. Enos Pleu was the first pastor. At present there is no settled pastor connected with it. The house is of sufficient di- mensions to comfortably seat 100 persons. It is free to all re- ligious denominations and for political and town meetings, at the discretion of a majority of the committee having it in charge. Its original cost was 8800.
The population of the town in 1870 was 684 and its area 31,- 236 acres.
EASTON was formed from Stillwater and Saratoga, March 3, 1:89, while they constituted a part of Albany County. It received its name from its being the east town in the Saratoga Patent, and was annexed to Washington Co., Feb. 2, 1:91.
T.Tusteni Goody of all kinds, Wholesale and Retail, at B. II. HID- LEY'S, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy, N. Y.
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It lies upon the east bank of the Hudson and embraces a broad flat extending along the river. This is succeeded by a plateau region which includes the central and south portions of the town. The east part is broken by several lofty hills, the princi- pal of which are Willard's Mountain and Harrington Hill. Willards Mountain is said to have received its name from a Mr. Willard, who, from its summit, with a spy glass, reconnoi- tered the position of Burgoyne's army at Saratoga. The streams are Hudson River and Batten Kil, forming the west and north boundaries of the town ; and Kidney and Vly Creeks,
and a few other small streams. Batten Kil is said to have re- ceived its name from Bartholomew Van Hogeboom, the first settler above Stillwater. Bart. is the abbreviation for Barthol- omew ; it was at first called Bart's Kil, then Batten Kil. Upon the east border of the town is an extensive swamp known as "The Vly." The Dionondahowa Falls, upon the Batten Kil, below Galesville, are sixty feet high and worthy of note. The soil is an excellent quality of sandy and gravelly loam. Limestone of an excellent quality abounds in parts of the Petersburgh ridge of mountains, which enters this town and Greenwich ; and large quantities of lime and cement of a superior quality are annually manufactured. The town is well watered and its farms are admirably cultivated. The farmers are consequently in good circumstances. There is but little waste land and nearly every acre is made productive.
Easton Corners, (North Easton p. o.) is situated near the center of the town. It contains two churches, viz., Presbyterian and M. E .; one hotel, one carriage factory for the manufacture of all kinds of heavy and light wagons and carriages, established in 1842 and conducted by David Herrington; one store, one blacksmith shop, one harness shop and about 225 inhabitants.
Barker's Grove, (Easton p. o.) situated one and one-fourth miles south of Easton Corners, contains one church, (Friends',) one hotel, a Friends' seminary, a school house, two stores, a carriage factory, a wagon shop, a blacksmith shop and about 200 in- habitants. 'T'he seminary is pleasantly located amid beautiful mountain scenery, two miles east of the Hudson River, and twenty miles north of Troy. It has a daily stage line from Schaghticoke station, on the Troy & Boston R. R., Instruction is given in the different branches of a good English education, to- gether with the higher Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Draw- ing, and the Latin and French Languages.
South Easton, (p. v.) in the south-east part of the town, two miles east of Barker's Grove, contains one store, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, a school house and about 20 houses.
Id Instruments of all kinds taken in exchange for New. at B. H. Hid- ley's Music Store, 12 Mausion Mouse Block, Broadway, Troy, N. Y.
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Crandall's Corners, (p. o.) named from Holder Crandall, is lo- cated in the southern part of the town and contains one church (Union,) and a school house. It formerly contained two stores and two hotels.
Union Village and Galesville are partly in this town and partly in Greenwich, where they will be more fully noticed.
This town was settled at a very early date, probably several years after the Saratoga Patent was issued. This Patent was granted Nov. 4, 1684, and renewed Oct. 9, 1708. The part east of the Hudson was twelve miles long and six broad. In 1709 a fort was built on the top of the hill, one mile south of Galesville, and a few families settled under its shelter, but the fear of Indian hostilities prevented the settlement from spread- ing. This Fort was described by Kalm in his travels, as built of thick posts, driven into the ground close to each other, in the manner of palisades, forming a square "the length of whose sides was within the reach of a musket shot." At each corner were houses for officers, and within the palisades were barracks of timbers. On the 30th of November, 1745, the enemy made a descent upon the place and killed thirty persons and took sixty prisoners, including a portion of the garrison who were decoyed from the Fort by the Indians feigning to be wounded. The remaining part of the garrison burned the Fort and unfinished blockhouses and withdrew, leaving the frontier unprotected. Settlers did not return until 1760. Among the first settlers at this time were Pet. Becker, Elijah Freeman, Thomas and Mishal Beadle, Wm. Thompson, Nathan Potter, John Swain and William Coffin. A school was taught near Union Village as early as 1787.
Gerrit Lansing kept the first store, in 1794, and John Gale built the first mill, at Galesville, in 1810. The first woolen factory was built in the summer of 1846 by Gale, Rodgers and Reynolds. A force under General Reynolds was encamped in this town opposite Schuylerville during the Burgoyne cam- paign of 1777. There is a bridge across the Hudson connect- ing this town with Schuylerville.
A Reformed Dutch Church was organized in 1805; Rev. Philip Duryea was the first preacher.
The population in 1870 was 3,074 and the area 38,834 acres.
FORT ANN was formed as Westfield, March 23, 1786. Hartford was taken off in 1793 and Putman in 1806. It re- ceived its present name April 6, 1808, from the old Fort erect- ed here in 1709. It lies south of the southern extremity of Lake Champlain and south-east of Lake George. Its, central
The acknowledged unequaled Steck Plano Fortes, to be found at B. 14. Hildley's, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy, N. Y.
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and west parts are occupied by the high and rocky peaks of the Palmertown Mountains which are here divided into three distinct ranges, Palmertown Mountain in the west part, Mount Putman in the center and Fort Ann Mountains in the east. The extreme east edge of the town is occupied by uplands be- longing to the Cossayuna Range. The highest peaks are Di- ameter Rock and Buck Mountain, being respectively 1,300 and 2,500 feet above tide. The valleys separating the ranges of the Palmertown Mountains are known as Furnace and Welch's Hollow. The principal streams are Wood Creek, Halfway Creek, Furnace Hollow Creek and Podunk Brook. There are several ponds in the town, among which are Orebed, Sly, Cope- land, Hadlock and Trout Ponds. The soil in the mountain regions is hard and sterile, but in the valleys it is a gravelly loam alternating with a stiff clay. Near Wood Creek, fifty feet above the present surface of the stream, are found pot holes worn by water, evidently by an ancient current running south- ward. Iron and woolen goods are manufactured.
Fort Ann, (p. v.) incorporated March 7, 1820, and located in the south part on the Rensselaer & Saratoga R. R. and Cham- plain Canal, is the principal place in the town. It is distant ten and a half miles from Whitehall on the north, and eleven and three-fourths miles from Fort Edward on the south, and contains two churches, (Baptist and Methodist,) a graded school, six groceries and six other stores, two wagon shops and several other mechanics' shops. The principal manufactory is that of Messrs. Howe, Evans & Gaylord, which gives employment to forty persons and runs three sets of machinery in the manufac- ture of sash, doors and blinds.
Griswold's Mills, (p. o.) located in the south-west part of the town, six miles from Fort Ann village, contains a grist mill, saw mill, wagon shop, blacksmith shop and about fifteen dwel- lings.
West Fort Ann, (p. o.) located in the west part of the town, about four miles west of Fort Ann village, and one mile north of Griswold's Mills, contains a church, store, tannery, wagon shop, blacksmith shop, two saw mills, a cider mill and about thirty dwellings.
South Bay, in the north part of the town, near South Bay of Lake Champlain, about eight miles north of Fort Ann village, contains a church, (Baptist,) store, saw mill, cider mill, two blacksmith shops and about twenty dwellings.
Comstock's Landing, (p. o.) located in the north-east part of the town, is a station on the Rensselaer & Saratoga R. R. and on the line of the Champlain Canal, four miles north-east of
eforo purchasing a Piano, Organ or other Musical Instrument, call ou B. N. Alldiey, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy, N. Y.
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Fort Ann village, and six and a half miles south-west of White- hall, and contains a church, (Baptist,) store, blacksmith shop and about fifteen dwellings, among which is the residence of I. V. Baker, superintendent of the Rensselaer and Saratoga R. R., and which is one of the finest in the country.
Dewey's Bridge is a hamlet containing the lime works of E. R. Norris, which produce 1,300 barrels of lime annually, and about eight dwellings.
Cane's Falls, a hamlet about one mile north-west of Fort Ann village, contains besides a blacksmith shop, cooper shop and about fifteen dwellings, the woolen mill of Messrs. Samuel and James Lamb, which runs 1,300 spindles and 12 looms, and gives employment to 45 persons in the manufacture of fancy cash- meres; consuming annually 125,000 pounds of wool and pro- ducing 50,000 yards of cloth ; also the manufactory of the Silex Lead Co.
Battle Hill, a rough, rocky eminence located about a mile north of the village of Fort Ann, is noted for the severe engage- ment which took place here July 8, 1777, between a detachment of Burgoyne's army under Col. Hill, and the garrison at Fort Ann under Col. Long. At the foot of the hill and beside the highway leading from Fort Ann to Whitehall is a large marsh or ravine in which the bodies of those who fell in the battle were buried. Traces of the road constructed by Burgoyne of logs, &c., in 1777, may still be seen about two miles south of Fort Ann village.
On the Empy farm, also a short distance south of the village of Fort Ann, which is now owned by Mr. Dewey, there is still remaining, in a fair state of preservation, nearly half a mile of causeway built by Burgoyne's army in its march from Skenes- borough (now Whitehall) to Fort Edward.
The north-western portion of the town is very rough and is, to some extent, covered with woods; this section is very gener- ally known throughout the County as " Hog-town," which name it derived from the following reported incident: In the year 1816, quite extensively known as the cold season, very little corn or grain of any kind was raised. This locality was then covered by a dense forest of beech, oak and chestnut, which yielded an immense quantity of nuts. The farmers of Fort Ann, Kingsbury and Queensbury, being short of grain, drove their hogs in large unmbers to this place to winter.
Fort Ann* was one of a chain of military works erected in 1709, to facilitate the extensive operations then in progress
* The store now owned by Geo. P. Moore stands on the spot formerly occupied by the Fort.
unleal Goods of all kinds, Wholesale and Retail, at B. H. MID- HEY'S, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy, N. K.
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against Canada. It stood upon the west side of Wood Creek, about half a mile from the present village of Fort Ann, the Champlain Canal now passing partly across the space which it inclosed. It was built at the joint expense of England and the Colonies. While this Fort was in process of erection, a force of 1,500 French and Indians were sent to destroy it, but learning that Col. Nicholson was posted here with a superior force, they returned. While the English were awaiting at this place the opening of a road and the construction of bateaux on Lake Champlain, a fatal sickness broke out in the camp and a great number died as if poisoned. In October Col. Nicholson returned to Albany with his crippled forces. Charlevoix states that this sickness was produced by the treachery of the In- dians who threw the skins of their game into the swamp above the camp. It is more probable that it was a malignant dysen- tery caused by the malaria of the swamp and the extreme heat.
Artillery Patent, embracing the east part of the town, was granted Oct. 24, 1764, to Joseph Walton and twenty-three other Provincial officers, in equal shares without regard to grade.
Very little was done by the way of settlement previous to the Revolution. An engagement occurred here July 8, 1777, between the rear guard of the retreating American army under Col. Long, and the advanced guard of the British under Col. Hill. The Americans were obliged to retreat on account of the failure of their ammunition. They destroyed their works and felled trees across the road and creek, and obstructed the passage to Fort Edward as much as possible. Burgoyne was delayed several weeks in consequence of these obstructions and was finally compelled to surrender with his whole army. In October 1780 a blockhouse in this town was burned by the enemy.
About a mile north-west of Fort Ann a severe battle was fought in 1:58 between 500 Rangers under Putnam and Rogers and about the same number of French and Indians under Mo- lang. Putnam and Rogers had been sent by General Abercrom- bie to watch the enemy in the neighborhood of Ticonderoga. When they arrived at South Bay they separated into two divis- ions, but being discovered by Molang, they thought it expedient to unite their forces and return to Fort Edward. Their troops were marched in three divisions, the right commanded by Rog- ers, the left by Putnam and the center by Captain Dolyell. They halted at evening on the border of Clear Creek, a tributary of Wood Creek, and the next morning while forming, Major Rogers amused himself by firing at a target with a British officer.
C Id Jastruments ofall kinds taken in exchange for New, at B. H. Hid- ley's Music Store, 12 Muusion House Block, Broadway, Troy, &. ..
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The sound reached the ears of Molang and his party, who, un- known to the Rangers, were encamped within a mile of them. Molang immediately placed his men in ambush along the paths which he knew the Rangers must take, and just as they emerg- ed from a thicket into the open woods, Molang and his party fell upon them with great fury. Rogers fell back but Putnam and Dolyell returned the fire. A hand to hand contest ensued. At length Putnam's gun missed fire when its muzzle was within a few inches of the breast of a giant savage, who thrust it aside and fell upon him with the fury of a tiger, made him prisoner, bound him fast to a tree * and returned to the fight. The fight continued with great vigor. The tree to which Put- nam was bound stood about midway between the combatants, and he stood in the center of the hottest fire. His clothing was completely riddled by bullets but his person was uninjured. The enemy were finally obliged to retreat and Putnam was car- ried off a captive. At one time, while tied to the tree, a young savage amused himself by throwing his tomahawk as near Putnam's head as possible without hitting it. A Frenchman, more savage than the Indian, gave him a severe blow upon the cheek with the but end of his musket and left him insensible. Wounded and exhausted as he was, he was forced to make a weary march over a rough country with cords so tightly tied around his wrists as to cause extreme torture. At length the cords were unbound and moccasins were given him, his captor expressing great indignation at his harsh treatment. The pris- oner was reserved for the stake and all those exquisite tortures which savages know so well how to inflict. He was stripped and bound fast with green withes to a sapling. The fagots were piled around him and the death-songs of the savages were chanted in his presence. . The torch was applied and the crack- ling flames were curling around the fagots when a black cloud that had been rising in the west poured forth such a volume of water that the flames were nearly extinguished. But they soon burst forth in fiercer intensity and Putnam lost all hope of escape, when a French officer came dashing through the crowd of savages, scattered the burning wood, cut the cords and released the victim. It was Molang himself. On learning of the horrid orgies in the forest, he hastened to the rescue of Putnam and arrived just in time to save him. He was taken to Ticonderoga, delivered to Montcalm and afterwards sent to Montreal, where he remained until exchanged.
* The tree was allowed to stand as a mark of respect for the brave veteran, until it fell from natural decay, and many pieces of it are still cherished as relics sacred to his memory ; Mr. F. N. Empy, who resides in the village of Fort Ann, has in bis posses- w!un a krot which was taken therefrom.
un acknowledged unequaled Steck Plano Fortes, to be found at B. At. Slidley's, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy, N. Y.
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The Second Fort Ann Church was organized in 1810 with twelve members, and Sylvanus Holly as its first pastor ; the first house of worship was erected in 1828, and the present one, which will seat 200 persons, in 1868, at a cost of $2,500; its present membership is 99 and L. S. Smith is the present pastor.
The First M. E. Church of Fort Ann was organized in 1825 by Rev. Samuel Draper, its first pastor, with twelve members, and incorporated in 1838, when James B. Houghtaling was pastor ; the first and present house of worship, which will seat 400 persons, was erected in 1837 at a cost of $3,000; its present estimated value is $6,000, owing to the extensive repairs it has recently undergone. Rev. Metcalf is the present pastor, and the present membership is sixty-eight.
The West Fort Ann Union Church erected its first and present house of worship in 1833 at a cost of $2,100; it will seat 500 persons. Alfred J. Day is the present pastor and the present membship is forty. Comfort Wood, who is 86 years old, is the only member present at the organization of the society now living.
The First Fort Ann Church, (Baptist) located at Comstock's Landing, was organized in 1789 and built its first house of worship, says L. D. Barker, our informant, in 1807, but French's State Gazetteer states that it was erected in 1810; the present one, which will comfortably seat 250 persons, was erected in 1858 and, together with organ, melodeon and furni- ture, its estimated value is $4,000. Rev. Sherman Babcock, was the first pastor and the present one is Rev. Levi Smith ; its present number of members is 53. This church was, as its name implies, the first one erected in the town.
The population of the town in 1870 was 3,330 and the area 56,386 acres.
FORT EDWARD was formed from Argyle, April 10, 1818. It lies upon the east bank of the Hudson, near the cen- ter of the west border of the County. A wide flat extends along the river, but towards the east the surface rises to a hight of from 200 to 300 feet and spreads out into a beautiful undulat- ing upland. The principal streams are Hudson River, Moses Kil and Dead Creek. The soil along the river is a mixture of heavy clay and alluvium, but further east it is a sandy or gravel- ly loam. A dam across the Hudson at this place affords power for considerable manufacturing.
Fort Edward (p. v.) is situated on the Hudson River and Champlain Canal, in the north-west part of the town. It con-
Before purchastug a Piano, Organ or other Musical Instrument, call on B. RE. Midjey, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy. N. I.
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tains four churches, two printing offices, an academy, two banks, three saw mills, two sash and blind factories, a machine shop, pottery works, a blast furnace, a brewery, together with a good supply of hotels, stores and mechanic shops, and about 3,000 inhabitants.
The Fort Edward Collegiate Institute is a fine boarding school for both sexes under the charge of Rev. J. E. King, D. D. The building is 300 feet long and 40 wide, and has accommodations for 500 pupils. The course of instruction is thorough and ex- tensive, and the professors and teachers, fourteen in number, are among the most able and competent in the State. It was founded in 1854, the building and furniture costing about $75,000.
The Gang Saw Mill of Bradley & Underwood runs 147 saws, gives employment to about 76 men and cuts about 120,000 feet of lumber daily while running, which is usually about six months in the year.
The Gang Mill of Tefft & Russell contains 156 saws, gives employment to seventy men and cuts about 100,000 feet of lumber daily. It usually runs about seven months in the year.
The Paper Mill of Hodgman & Palser employs sixty hands and manufactures 800 tons of printing paper annually. The capital invested, including building and machinery, is'about $150,000.
The Hub and Spoke Factory of A. L. McOmber gives employ- ment to eighteen men and turns out about $25,000 worth of work annually.
Fort Miller (p. v.) is situated on the Hudson River and Cham- plain Canal, seven miles below Fort Edward, in the south-west part of the town. It contains two churches, (Dutch Reformed and Baptist,) one hotel, three stores, a grocery, a grist mill, a paper mill, a saw mill, a plaster mill, two blacksmith shops and about 200 inhabitants. This village derives its name from the Fort or military station of the same name erected some time previous to " the old French War," at the head of the Falls, on the opposite side of the river, "although," says Corey in his "Gazetteer of the County of Washington," "history is silent in regard to this station, many of the older inhabitants remember that a garrison was continued there until, or near to, the com- mencement of the Revolution."
The following incident we extract from the work just quoted : "Tradition makes this the scene of one of Gen. Putnam's acts of courageous, or rather, terrific daring. It seems he had left the Fort, and proceeded alone to the other side of the river
ATypical Goody of all kinds, Wholesale and Retail, at B. B. BID- LL.V'S, 12 Mansion House Block, Broadway, Troy, N. Y.
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some distance below. * * He had just seated himself in his canoe to return to the Fort, when he suddenly discovered a number of Indians who had silently crept to the bank of the river a few rods above him, having, as they supposed, complete- ly cut off his return by placing themselves at the spot they knew he must pass to avoid being swept over the Falls, which was considered certain destruction. Quick as thought Putnam rose to his feet, gave the savages an attentive look, as if count- ing their numbers, and then, with a powerful stroke of the pad- dle, wheeled his canoe, and with another, such as few men could give, sent it like a 'thing of life' into the foaming current. The Indians, astonished at this unexpected display of daring intrepidity, with true magnanimity refused to fire upon him, and stood immovable, watching the frail bark until it emerged from the cataract below in safety ; when, giving a tremendous whoop, they slowly retired to the forest."
The first family that located in this town was that of Col. Lydius, son of Rev. John Lydius, who, having acquired the title to Delius's discarded patent, built a house and engaged in trade with the Indians at what is now Fort Edward village. His house was burned by the Indians in 1749 and his son taken prisoner. His daughter Catharine was born here and was the first white child born in the County. Fort Nicholson was built in 1709 and abandoned soon after.
In June 1755, General Lyman with about 600 men erected a fort at this place. It was at first named Fort Lyman but soon after the name was changed to Fort Edward in honor of Ed- ward, Duke of York. It stood on the bank of the river, north of the creek and within the present limits of the village. It was four sided with bastions on three sides, the fourth being pro- tected by the river. It was built of earth and timber, sixteen feet high and twenty-two thick. It inclosed several large build- ings and mounted six cannon. Storehouses and barracks were built on Monroe's Island opposite. In August 1759 a band of savages attempted to surprise it, but were repulsed by Major Is- rael Putnam with his rangers. During the following winter the Fort was saved from destruction by the daring coolness and in- trepidity of Putnam. The Fort took fire and the flames spread with great rapidity in the immediate vicinity of the powder magazine. Putnam placed himself in the path of the flames and fought the fire desperately until it was subdued, and when he retired from his post, his arms, face and hands were entirely skinned and the covering of the magazine completely charred. Fort Edward was a very important depot for arms and supplies, and a place of rendezvous for the armies in the expeditions against Canada, and served as a hospital for the sick and wound-
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