USA > New York > Geography of the state of New York. Embracing its physical features, climate, geology, mineralogy, botany, zoology, history, pursuits of the people, government, education, internal improvements &c. With statistical tables, and a separate description and map of each county > Part 17
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The Albany Library, founded in 1792, and now numbering about 9,000 volumes, occupies. apartments in the Albany fe- male academy. The Albany Institute is a scientific institution, designed to encourage attention to history, and general science, in the city and state. It has a valuable library, of nearly 2000 volumes, in the building of the Albany academy.
The Young Men's Association occupies a fine suite of rooms in the exchange. It has a well conducted reading room, a library of 3200 volumes, and sustains a course of lectures each winter. The number of its members is over 1500. It was the first institution of the kind in the state.
The Alms House has connected with it, a fine farm of 150 acres, cultivated by the inmates. There are in the city, two Orphan Asylums, supported by private charity, which provide for the support and education of about 150 children ; and a num- ber of other benevolent societies.
The Albany Academy, founded in 1813, has eight teachers, and about 200 pupils. The Albany Female Academy, founded in 1814, has twelve teachers, and about 275 pupils. The Albany Female Seminary has six teachers, There are nu- merous other schools, of considerable reputation. The public schools have nine school houses, costing between $30,000 and $40,000.
The Albany Medical College is a flourishing medical school, having an able faculty, and one of the best anatomical museums in the United States. It has seven professors.
The State Geological Rooms, in the old state hall, contain the splendid collection of the state geologists, arranged, in the lower rooms, in the order of the successive strata, and in the upper, in the order of the counties. Here, too, are specimens of the mineral and vegetable treasures of the state, appropri- ately arranged, and a large collection of the quadrupeda, birds, fishes and reptiles of the state. They are open, free of expense, to all.
At the junction of the Erie canal with the Hudson, the citi- zens have constructed an extensive basin, to protect the boats from the winds, and give them greater facilities for discharging their cargoes.
The city is largely engaged in manufactures. Its iron found- ries are among the largest in the country. More stoves are manufactured here, than in any other city, or town, in the union.
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Coaches, sleighs, hats, caps, and bonnets, are also largely man- ufactured ; the three latter articles, to the amount of nearly one million of dollars, annually. It has extensive manufactories of pianofortes. Leather is produced to the amount of more than $400,000 per annum. Population in 1845, 41,139.
West Troy, in-the town of Watervliet, is a thriving village, possessing excellent hydraulic privileges, which it derives from the surplus waters of the Erie canal. It is a convenient depot for merchandise, from its facilities for transportation, and is largely engaged in manufactures, having twenty-five or thirty manufacturing establishments. The United States arsenal, es- tablished here in 1813, is the largest arsenal of construction, in the United States.
Attached to the establishment, are about 100 acres of land, containing thirty- eight buildings, for workshops and storehouses. It constantly employs about 200 officers, soldiers, and workmen, and manufactures annually, munitions of war, to the amount of about $100,000. The grounds are enclosed by an iron fence in front, and a wall of stone on the sides and rear.
The Erie and Champlain canals form a junction, a short dis- . tance above the village, and a bridge and two ferries connect it with Troy. Population in 1845, about 6000.
At Neskayuna in the same township, is a community of Shaking Quakers, established in 1776, by Ann Lee, the founder of the sect. This was the first Shaker establishment in the United States.
Cohoes village, also in this town, possesses one of the finest water privileges in the state, and its advantages for manufac- turing, are hardly surpassed. It is estimated, that at the lowest stage of the water, there is sufficient to run 1,000,000 spindles. Population in 1845, over 2000.
Rensselaerville, in the town of the same name, is situated on Foxes creek. It has some manufactures, and about 1000 in- habitants .**
Coeymans is a small manufacturing village, having a good landing, and some trade with New York. It has also some manufactures. Population 1000.
* From this town, in 1779, Captain Deitz, and two lads named John and Robert Brice, were taken as captives by the Indians, and suffered all the barbarities which the malice of the savages could inflict. Captain Deitz died at Montreal, from the effect of their cruelties; but the boys were exchanged at the close of the war, and returned home. This is believed to have been the nearest ap- proach made to Albany, by the Indians during the Revolution.
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II. NEW YORK COUNTY.
Square Miles, 22. Organized, 1683. Population, 391,223. Valuation, 1845, $239,995,517.
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The city and county are of equal extent .* Rivers. B. East River. C. Hudson River. a. Harlaem River. q. Spuyten Duy- vel Creek. n. Hellgate.
Bays. A. New York Bay.
Islands. d. Randall's. p. Barn. s. Blackwell's. v. Governor's. e. Bed- low's. j. Ellis'.
Forts. Castle Garden, or Castle Clin- ton. Fort Columbus, on Governor's island. Fort Wood, on Bedlow's island.
Battle Fields. Kip's and Turtle Bay. .Harlaem Heights. Fort Washington. Universities. Columbia College. Uni- versity of New York.
Cities. New York City.
BOUNDARIES. North by Westches- ter county ; East by Westchester county and Long Island; South by Long Island and the waters of New York bay ; and West by New Jersey.
Its territory extends to low water mark on the Jersey side of the Hudson, as well as to the same point on the Long Island side of the East river, and the Westchester side of the Harlaem.
SURFACE. The lower part of the county, though originally rough and broken, has been graded and levelled, and now rises gradually, from the shores of the Hudson and East riv- ers, towards the centre of the city. The upper part is still hilly, and has extensive marshes.
RIVERS. The East river, or strait, and the Hudson, or North river, wash its eastern and western shores, af- fording fine anchorage, and sufficient depth of water, to permit the largest
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ships to come up to the wharves. The Harlaem river is a nar- row strait, connecting by means of Spuyten Duyvel creek, East river with the Hudson. Several small streams water the up- per portions of the county, but none of them are of sufficient size to be worthy of notice. The original name of the island was · Manhattan, a word of doubtful etymology, but of late years, it has been known by the name of New York Island.
BAYS. The upper, or New York bay, proper, is one of the finest harbors in the world, affording anchorage ground suffi. cient for the navies of the world. The lower bay, or harbor, is also spacious, but not so completely land locked as the upper.
It furnishes, however, convenient and secure anchorage ground.
Kip's and Turtle bays, on the east, and Striker's bay, on the west side of the island, are small inlets, only worthy ofnotice, for their historic interest.
ISLANDS. Randall's, Barn, and Blackwell's islands, in the East river, and Governor's, Bedlow's, and Ellis', in the harbor, with some smaller islands, belong to the county.
On Governor's island are Fort Columbus, and Castle William ; on Bedlow's, Fort Wood. There are also other fortifications, on Long Island and Staten Island, Intended, like these, for the defence of the harbor.
CLIMATE. The climate of New York county is, from its situ- ation, more equable than that of the inland counties, generally. The sea breezes waft a refreshing coolness, over the heated streets in summer, and temper the intense cold of the wintry blasts. In healthfulness, it occupies a very high rank, among the great cities of the world. Its ratio of deaths, to the popula- tion, is less than that of any of the large cities of Europe.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The rocks of this county, with the exception of a small section at the extreme north, are primitive. Granite characterizes the river banks, and huge boulders of it lie scattered over the surface. Dolomite, (a species of marble), bog iron ore, and oxide of manganese, are the principal mine- rals, applicable to use in the arts.
Among those interesting to the mineralogist, may be enumerated fine specimens of tremolite, pyroxene, mica, tourmaline, serpentine and amianthus. Some speci- mens of pyrites, epidote, lamellar feldspar, stilbite, garnet, staurotide, graphite, &c., have also been met with. Marble is abundant, and extensively quarried, in the northern part of the island.
SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally fer- tile, but too costly to be devoted to agricultural purposes. Gar- dens, of considerable extent, are cultivated, in the upper part of the island.
The island was originally well wooded, but most of the timber is now cut off. Oak, pine, hemlock and chestnut, were the principal forest trees.
PURSUITS. Manufacturing is the pursuit of a majority of the inhabitants of the county. The articles manufactured are nu-
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merous, and amounted, in 1845, as nearly as can be ascertained, to between eighteen and twenty millions of dollars, giving employment to more than sixty thousand persons.
Commerce. In commerce, this county surpasses every other city or county on the continent, and is the second city in the world, in commercial importance.
In 1845, the registered, licensed and enrolled shipping of the county, amounted to 550,859 tons. The shipping, entered the came year, amounted to over one million tons, and the clearan- ces, to about the same amount.
This commerce is extended to every part of the globe. Not only de the ships of this port visit the various ports of our own country, and Europe, but their mails flutter in the breezes of China, and Japan; their flag is known on the coasts of Arabia, Persia and India, and their trade sought by the swarthy sons of Africa and New Holland, and by the natives of the unnumbered islea, that gem the wide expanse of the Pacific. Wherever there is an opportunity for traffic, there the American flag is the first unfurled.
Directly, or indirectly, this commerce furnisbes the means of support, to many thousands of her own citizens, and also to millions in other counties and states.
The great system of internal navigation, so nobly begun and carried on by the state, has also brought immense wealth into the city.
The amount of produce brought to the Hudson, from all the canals, in 1845, the greater part of which came to New York, was over forty-five millions of dollars, and the amount, which was cleared from the Hudson river, the same year, (most of which was from New York), was over fifty-five millions, making a total inter- nal trade, of about one hundred millions of dollars per annum.
Agriculture is not an object of great attention. Horticulture furnishes employment to a considerable number of persons, in the upper part of the island.
EDUCATION. The common school system of the city of New York has been already described. (See page 124.)
It only remains to say, that more liberal and ample provision, for furnishing a thorough education, even to the most indigent, is nowhere made. The child of the poorest emigrant may obtain, free of expense, if he chooses, as full instruction in the sciences, as the son of the wealthiest citizen in the city.
In addition to the common schools, there are twenty-eight incorporated schools and academies in the county, seventeen of which are female seminaries. These are well conducted, and attended by large numbers. There are also several hun- dred private and select schools, attended, it is estimated, by more than 20,000 pupils.
There are two colleges in the city ; viz: 1. Columbia College, founded in 1754, and amply endowed. It has a president and ten professors, 104 students, and a library of 14,000 volumes. The grammar school, connected with it, has between 200 and 300 pupils. The college edifices are located at the foot of Park place.
2. The University of the city of New York, located on Wash- ington square. The university edifice is of white marble, in the collegiate Gothic style, and is one of the finest buildings in the
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city. Its cost was nearly 8300,000. It has a president, and eleven professors, 143 students, and a valuable library. Con- nected with it, is a large and flourishing grammar school.
A medical department is connected with the university. It is in a prosperous condition, and occupies a fine granite building, formerly known as the Stuyvesant Institute. This department has seven professors, 407 students, and a valuable museum.
Besides these, there are several professional schools in the city. The College of Physicians and Surgeons, in Crosby street, was founded in . 1897, and bas at- ways maintained a high rank, among the medical schools of our country. It has seven professors, 279 students, and an extensive and valuable museum and library. The College of Pharmacy is a recent institution, designed for the education of apothecaries.
The General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, occupies two elegant gothic buildings, of stone, in the upper part of the city, has five professors, seventy students, and a library of 7300 volumes. It was founded in 1819. The Union Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, situated in University Place, was founded in 1836, has six professors, 119 studenta, and a library of over 16,000 volumes.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Bap- tists, Methodist Episcopal, Dutch Reformed, Roman Catholics, Methodists not Episcopal, Jews, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Universalists, Friends, Unitarians, New Jerusalem Church, Christians and Moravians. Number of churches 217, of cler- gymen 282.
HISTORY. The leading facts, connected with the settlement of New York, or New Amsterdam, as the city was called by the Dutch, have been already stated, in the general historical sketch. From the time of its discovery, in 1609, by Henry Hud- son, up to the year 1625, no permanent settlement of emigrants seems to have been made.
Companies of adventurers had visited Manhattan Island, erected trading houses, for carrying on the traffic in furs with the natives, and when their objects were accomplished, had returned to Holland. A few, perhaps, fond of this roving life, had remained, and acquired that knowledge of the Indian character, which ena- bled them, more successfully, to secure his peltries. None, however, settled as colonists, or procured, from its native proprietors, a title to the soil, except for the erection of their trading houses.
In 1614, the Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale, in order to keep the restless spirits of his colony employed, fitted out an expedition under Captain Argall, against the French settle- ment at Acadia, (now Nova Scotia.) Returning from his cruise, Argall entered the bay of New York, and compelled the few. Dutch traders, whom he found there, to swear fealty to the English crown.
After the formation of the Dutch West India Company, they took immediate measures for establishing a permanent colony, at this important post.
Under their fostering care, bouweries, or farms, were soon taken up, and a sub- stantial fort being erected, the rude dwellings of the settlers began to cluster around it.
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Under the administration of Minuit, it prospered and increas- ed in population and importance. The intemperance and quar- relsome tempers of the next two Governors, Van Twiller and Kieft, brought serious evils upon the infant settlement. The injustice of the latter to the Indians, having roused their enmi- ty, had well nigh exterminated it, in 1643 and 44.
Wretchedness and want stared the colonists in the face, and but for the vigor and energy of Governor Stuyvesant's adminis- tration, they would perhaps have abandoned the settlement.
In 1642, the Stadt Huys, or city Hall, was erected. It was built of stone, and was taken down in 1700. The same year, the first church, (Dutch Reformed,) was erected in the fort. In 1653, the city of New Amsterdam was incorporated, by the States General of the Netherlands, and its officers were elected by the people.
In 1653, it was rumored that the New England colonists in- tended to attack New Amsterdam : measures were consequent- ly taken to put the city in a state of defence; and during that, and the succeeding year, a palisade of boards about twelve feet in height was erected, and an embankment of earth thrown up against it.
Fond of their ease, however, the good citizens did not maintain their fortifica- tions, in such perfection, as to make them of any great avail, against an invading foe.
In 1655, Governor Stuyvesant, with the greater part of the inhabitants of the city, capable of bearing arms, engaged in the expedition against the Swedes, on the south, or Delaware river. While they were absent on this expedition, the city was invaded by the Indians, several of the bouweries plundered, and a few killed. The Indians, however, did not venture within the city walls. In 1656, it was laid out into streets, and then contained 120 houses, and 1000 inhabitants.
In 1664, hearing of the approach of the English fleet, Governor Stuyvesant summoned the citizens of New Amsterdam, to aid him in repelling the threatened invasion, but his arbitrary sway had produced so much disaffection, that they were not averse to any change, which promised to increase their civil and religious privileges.
They consequently made but little preparation for the defence of the city, and when Col. Nicolls demanded its surrender, offer- ing favorable terms of capitulation, they insisted upon a compli- ance with them.
In vain Governor Stuyvesant remonstrated, threatened and refused to sign the treaty of capitulation ; the sturdy burghers were bent on submission to English rule, and he was, at length, compelled, though with the utmost reluctance, to affix his sig- nature to the instrument. As has been already stated, (see
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page 61,) the name of the city and county was changed, imme- diately after the capitulation, to New York, in honor of the Duke of York.
Under the mild and beneficent administration of Colonel Nicolls, and his successor, Governor Lovelace, the city prosper- ed, and increased in population and wealth.
It was again captured by the Dutch, in July, 1673, and during the administration of Governor Colve, martial law was main- tained. The name of the city was changed to New Orange, and of the fort to William Hendrick.
In Oct. 1674, it was again surrendered to the English, and the old name of New York resumed. The assessors' valuation of property in the city, in 1688, was £78.231. (about $320,000.) In 1690, a Congress, of the commissioners of the several colonies, was held at New York. In 1694, there were sixty ships, twenty- five sloops, and forty boats, belonging to the city.
In 1696, Trinity church was built. This building was burned in 1776. The first Lutheran church was built in 1710, on the site lately occupied by Grace church. It was erected by some Palatines, who had fled from persecution in Germany.
In 1711, a slave market was established in Wall street, near East river. The next year, an insurrection occurred among the negroes, and nineteen were executed. In 1725, the first newspaper was published in the state. It was called the New York Gazette .. In 1732, the first stage commenced running, between New York and Boston once a month, occupying four- teen days in the journey. The same distance is now traversed, by steamboat and railroad, in nine hours.
In 1740, the New York Society Library was founded. Du- ring the two succeeding years, the yellow fever prevailed in the city, to an alarming extent. In 1741, the Negro plot, which has been described, in the general history of the state, occurred. It occasioned great alarm in the city, as, of the 12,000 inhabitants it then contained, one-sixth were slaves. For the succeeding thirty years, the growth of the city was rapid, both in wealth and population. The New York Hospital was founded, by sub- scription, in 1769.
In August, 1776, the city fell into the hands of the British. It had, at this time, a population of 30,000. In September of this year, occurred a disastrous fire, which consumed one-eighth of the houses of the city. During their stay in the city, the British troops destroyed all the churches, except the Episcopal, or used them for hospitals, prisoner's barracks, or riding schools. They evacuated the city, and General Washington entered it, in No- vember, 1783. A large number of the cory inhabitants, left with the British army, and their estates were confiscated.
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In 1788, the adoption of the new Constitution of the United States, was celebrated by a grand procession, and in 1789, Washington was inaugurated, as the first President, in the open gallery of the old City Hall, facing Broad street.
In December, 1790, the population of the city was about 30,000. Free schools were established in the city, in 1797, though not incorporated, till 1805. In 1801, the total valuation of real estate in the city was a little short of $22,000,000.
The erection of the present City Hall was determined on, during the next year, 1802, and the corner stone laid in Septem- ber, 1803. The population of the city in 1800, was 60,000, hav- ing doubled in ten years. In 1807, the first successful attempt at. steamboat navigation, was made on the Hudson, by Fulton and Livingston.
In 1810, the population of the city was 96,000, being an in- crease of 36,000 in ten years. In 1815, the news of peace with Great Britain, was celebrated, with great rejoicings. In 1822, the yellow fever made its appearance. Great consternation was felt by the inhabitants, and large numbers left the city.
In 1826, the completion of the Erie canal called forth an ex- traordinary triumphal procession. The population, in- 1830, was 202,000. In 1832, the cholera raged fearfully in the city. More than 10,000 persons fell, as its victims. In December, 1835, occurred the great fire, which destroyed property, to the amount of nearly $18,000,000. Severe as was this loss, the failures in consequence, were comparatively few.
The same year, (1835,) the citizens voted to construct an aqueduct, from the Croton river to their city, for the purpose of supplying themselves with pure water. This magnificent en- terprise was so far completed, in 1842, that water was introdu- - ced into the city, on the 14th of October, of that year, amid the rejoicings of the inhabitants. In July, 1845, another disastrous fire occurred, which destroyed property to the amount of about six millions of dollars.
The only important battle, on New York island, was that of Harlaem Heights, on the 16th of September, 1776. After the disastrous battle of Long Island, on the 27th of August, it be- came evident that the American army must evacuate New York. Accordingly, Washington ordered the troops to retreat, toward the north part of the island.
On Sunday, the 15th of September, the British, after station- ing their ships in the East and North rivers, so as to cannonade our lines, commenced landing in force, at Turtle bay : the American troops in the vicinity fled, without making any attempt at resistance. Meantime, several brigades of General Put- nam's division were in the city: by his exertions, they suc-
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ceeded in passing the enemy, with very trifling loss. The in- tense heat, however, proved fatal to a number.
Washington then ordered the troops to occupy the heights of Harlaem,-a strong position. On the morning of the 16th, sev- eral parties of the enemy appeared, on the plains, in front of the American camp. Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton's rangers, who had been skirmishing with an advanced party, came in and re- ported, that a body of the enemy were under cover of a small eminence, at a little distance.
Willing to raise the spirits of our men, Washington detached Colonel Knowlton with his rangers, (selected, mainly, from the Connecticut regiments,) and Major Leitch, with three compa- nies of choice Virginian troops, to attack them in the rear, while a feigned attack should be made in front.
The action was successful, and greatly inspirited our troops, but the two brave leaders, Knowlton and Leitch, fell early in the conflict. Our loss was four or five killed, and forty wound- ed; that of the British more than twenty killed, and seventy- eight wounded.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY. Streets, squares, &c. The city covers the whole island. The portion which is densely built, lies south of Twenty-third street, being about three miles in length, and varying in breadth, from half a mile, to two and a quarter miles. In this territory, there are over 350 streets, and on the island more than 480.
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