USA > New York > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 36
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1,146
1,203
1,166
1,131
1,130
1,058
968
942
1,02]
937
Copake ...
1,639
1.675
1,616
1,607
1.652
1,620
1,839
1,738
1,847
1,884
Gallatin
1,588
1,655
1,676
1,586
1,517
1,533
1,392
1,416
1,36]
Germantown
920
967
979
99]
1,023
1,131
1,353
1,278
1,393
1,445
Ghent
2,290
2,790
2,375
2,417
2,293
2,537
2,893
2,661
2,886
2,963
Greenport.
1,182
1,300
1,383
1,431
1,130
1,325
1,354
Hillsdale
2,374
2,123
2,194
2,552
2,142
2,083
1,879
Hudson, Ist ward
2,640
2,939
1,460
1,542
1,609
1,679
1,800
4th
"
1,821
2,110
2.316
2,671
2,805 -
Total city ...
5,004
5,392
5,531
5.657
6,286
6,720
'7,187
7,831
8,615
8,828
Kinderhook.
2,471
2.706
2.831
3,679
3.970
3,864
4,331
4,008
4,055
4,060
Livingston
1,988
2,087
2,206
2,083
2,020
2,064
2,014:
1,904
1,938
1,960
New Lebanon ...
2,628
2,695
2,713
2,282
2,300
2,329
2,187
2,086
2,124
2,459
Stockport ..
2,023
1,661
1,655
1,621
1,445
1,355
1,438
1,648
Stuyvesant
1,889
2,33]
1,736
1,718
1,766
1,937
2,366
2,234'
2,263
2,393
Taghkanic
1,693
1,654
1,589
1,524
1,539
1,665
1,717
1,472
1,485
1,401
53
In penal institution
2,389
2,446
2,266
3,017
3,350
1,675
1,841
2,078
2,409
2,283
1,764
1,694
1,828
1,856
1,894
2d
3d
...
136
HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
In 1875, the native-born population of the county num- bered 41,845, and the foreign-born 5776. Of these people, 46,370 were white and 1251 colored, of whom 23,289 were males, and 24,332 were females, 1435 being aliens. Of the males 13,128 were of the voting age,-over twenty- one years,-of whom 10,486 were native-born, and 1960 naturalized, and 682 were aliens; 9104 males were of the military age,-between 18 and 45; 6254 males and 6224 females were of the school age,-between 5 and 18; 5538 were freeholders ; and 785 of the voting age were unable to read and write.
There were 8592 dwellings in the county, of which 8037 were frame, 493 were brick, 53 stone, and 9 were the primi- tive log cabins of the pioneer, the value of which was returned at $13,610,592,-the frames being $10,990,347, the brick $2,476,000, the stone $143,815, and the cabins at $430 ; 52 were returned at less than $50, 121 between $50 and $100, 752 between $100 and $250, 2704 between $250 and $1000, 2004 between $1000 and $2000, 1948 between $2000 and $5000, 392 between $5000 and $10,000, and 129 over $10,000. Of the latter, Canaan had 1, Chatham 5, Claverack 4, Clermont 6, Copake 1, Ghent 1, Greenport 5, Hudson 76, Kinderhook 12, Livingston 1, New Leba- non 13, Stockport and Stuyvesant 2 each. The population was divided into 10,121 families, inhabiting 8478 dwellings, averaging 47706 persons to each family, and 515% persons to cach inhabited house. The area of the county is 688 square miles, and there were 69.22 persons, 14.71 families, and 12.49 dwellings to a square mile, and 9.25 acres to each person. The average value of house accommodation to each family was $1333.03.
On the 11th of June, 1757, Governor Tryon reported to the Lords of Trade, " There are few mines discovered in the Province. One, of Iron Ore, in the Manor of Living- ston, belonging to Robert Livingston, Esquire ; another, of Iron also, in Orange county, the property of Vincent Mat- thews, Esquire; and one in the Manor of Philipsburgh. The works belonging to the First [Livingston] are carried out to great advantage." Such was the condition of iron mines and manufactures in the province in 1757; there were but three mines discovered, and but one of these was worked, which was that of Mr. Livingston. And in all the province there was but one manufactory of iron, which was also that of Mr. Livingston ; both the mine and the works being in the present county of Columbia.
The iron-works of Mr. Livingston were erected in 1748, " at a place called Sober," but,which was more frequently termed "Anchoram," being in the present town of Ancram. A return, made to the Lords of Trade in 1857, of the pro- duct of those works during the years 1750 to 1756, in- clusive, shows as follows :
IRON (presumably pig).
T.
Cwt. Qrs.
Lbs.
1750
43
3
3
13
1751
606
6
3
17
1752
354
7
0
1753
22
9 2
0
1751
0
0
0
0
1755
722
2
3
0
1756
267
14
0
14
2010
4
3
16
BAR-IRON.
CASTINGS.
T.
Cwt.
T.
Cwt. Qrs. Lbs.
1750
195
15
5
2
3
1751
164
12
6
1
2
0
1752
183
14
3
2
1
1753
215
6
2
3
0
2
1754
211
5
4
2
1755
149
16
36
2
3
1756
182
0
10
0
=
1302
8
66
15
21
On the 23d of June, 1755, Mr. Livingston, in a letter which he wrote in reference to a raid of anti-renters who had despoiled his works and carried away some of the workmen, said, " It has put it out of my power to furnish Messrs. Banker & Dire hitherto with the Carriage-wheels, and Mr. William Alexander with the quantity of Shot I engaged to deliver him for the Expedition to Onjagera [Ni- agara] and Crown Point; and yet, notwithstanding this ill- treatment I have received, as I had the expedition very much at heart, I ordered my Furnace, as soon as I came from New York, to be Immediately repaired at a great Expence of upwards of £400, that I might still be able to furnish the Shott, etc., as soon as my workmen returned, that the Expe- dition might not be retarded ; and I have now had her in good order since Monday last, but no workmen yett ;"- which in itself explains that the much larger weight of castings returned for 1755 was for the reason that the works were then furnishing cannon-balls for the army.
During the Revolutionary war another member of that patriotic family of Livingston (Judge Robert R.,* the father of the chancellor) furnished the American government with munitions of war from a powder-mill which he put in oper- ation near his residence in Clermont, but of whose amount of production we have no definite account.
On Sauthier's map (January, 1778) the following-named mills are noted within the manor of Livingston, viz. :
Grist and saw-mills near the manor-house, on north bank of Rocloff Jansen's Kill.
The " Mill Good Hope," on the same stream, near the present village of Bingham's Mills.
Grist and saw-mills on same kill, in present town of Gal- latin, about three miles below Copake forge and furnace.
The forge, furnace, grist and saw-mills at Ancram.
" Unity Mills," on same stream, at outlet of Robinson's pond, in Copake.
Grist-mill on same stream, two and one-half miles above last mentioned.
" Grist-mill Defiance," in Ancram, on " Punch Brook," a tributary of Roeloff Jansen's Kill, and about three miles above their confluence.
" Mill Success," on Copake creek, west of Copake lake.
" Maryburgh Forge" (marked as " in ruins"), on Copake creek, site of the new forge.
" Mill Support," in the northeast part of Livingston, on Copake creek.
" Mill Revenge," on " Doove Kill," outlet of Lake Char- lotte.
Grist-mill in southwest corner of Germantown, on small stream entering Hudson river.
* Judge Livingston died about the commencement of the war, but the powder-mill was continued in operation by his son John R. Livingston.
-
-
137
HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
The first paper-mill erected in the county was one built at Stuyvesant falls, on the Kinderhook creek, in 1802, by Messrs. Pitkins and Edmonds,* an old grist-mill at the upper falls being transformed into one. In 1802, George Chittenden bought this mill, from which has probably arisen the statement that Mr. Chittenden was the builder of it.
The first cotton-factory was built, in 1813, by Nathaniel Wilde and his brother, " two enterprising Yorkshiremen," who gave out their cotton to be carded by the farmers' wives and daughters.
The first cotton print (calico) works were built, in 1828, by Benjamin and Joseph Marshall, at Stockport village.
An oil-mill was established by Judah Paddock one mile east of Columbiaville, about 1805.
The census of 1840 gives the following exhibit of the industries of the county, other than agriculture, at that date : Manufactures-iron-5 furnaces made 915 tons cast- iron ; 2 forges made 150 tons bars; 1372 tous coal used ; 98 men and $51,500 capital employed. Stone-17 men ; $1000 capital; value of product, $10,900. Machinery manufactured-58 employees; $72,500, value of product. Small arms-5 men. Marble-$500, value of product ; 1 man. Brick and lime-27 men ; $8100, value of product. Wool-28 fulling-mills, 19 factories, 181 men, and $93,450 capital; value of manufactured goods, $139,000. Cotton- 11 factories, 18,256 spindles, 1 calico-printing factory, 760 persons, and $893,300 capital employed ; value of manu- factured goods, 8475,440. Silk-3 male and 2 female operatives ; $500 capital ; 9 pounds made; value, $35. Mixed manufactures - 19 operatives; $6300 capital ; $17,800 product. Tobacco-2 operatives; $1000 capital ; $3500, value of manufactured goods. Hats and caps-36 operatives ; $16,450 capital ; product, $50,546. Ten tan- neries-89 operatives; $24,550 capital; 1200 sides sole, 5790 sides upper, manufactured. Nineteen other leather- manufactories, saddlerics, etc .- $33,500 capital ; $49,700, value of product. Soap and candles-12 operatives ; $12,000 capital; 164,000 pounds, 46,000 pounds tallow candles, 60,000 sperm and wax candles manufactured. Two distilleries-15,800 gallons ; 1 brewery, 15,000 gal- lons ; 10 operatives; $35,300 capital. $8800 value drugs and medicines manufactured ; 8 operatives ; $1000 capital. Four paper-mills-$9500, value of product ; 16 operatives ; $18,000 capital. Four printing-offices, 1 bindery, 3 weekly newspapers, 2 periodicals-18 operatives; $7000 capital. Wagons and carriages-182 operatives ; $52,650 capital ; $76,450, value of manufactured articles. Twelve flouring- mills-18,250 barrels flour ; 39 grist-mills ; 41 saw-mills ; $170,275, value of product ; 62 operatives ; $196,200 cap- ital. Furniture-$42,800, value of manufactured goods ; 80 operatives; $16,400 capital. Sixteen brick or stone, and 76 wooden houses built; 216 men employed; $138,340, value of construction ; $38,680, value of all other manu- factured articles ; capital invested, $18,500. Total capital invested in manufactures, $1,457,050. Fisheries-37,075 gallons spermaceti oil ; whale and other fish-oils, 277,200 gallons ; value of whalebone and other product of fisheries, $147,800 ; 304 men and $330,000 capital employed. Men
employed in commerce, 400, and in internal transportation, 184; capital, $156,500. One commission house in foreign trade-814,000 capital. Retail stores of various classes of goods, 228 ; capital $679,200. Seven lumber-yards-$36,000 capital. Product of forests-lumber, $3400. In 1860 there were 15 paper-mills and 8 cotton-factories in the county.
The census of 1875 makes no returns whatever of man- ufactures or commerce. The census of 1870 makes the following exhibit of manufactures : There were 483 estab- lishments of all kinds, -28 steam (1523 horse-power), 131 water (3493 horse-power); 3551 operatives,-2437 males over 16, 742 females over 15, and 372 youth ; $5,033,505 capital employed ; $3,960,371 value of materials used ; $6,737,568 value of products. These were classed as follows :
No. Capital Estab- |No. of | lish- Hands Invested.
Wages.
Mate- riais Used.
Value of
m'uts.
Agricultural implements
9
28
$27,700
$6,600
822,354
$37,860
Boots and shoes.
1
32
30,000
5,000
9,000
14,850
Boxes, paper ..
1
3
2,500
1.600
6,000
10,000
Bread and other bakery
G
48
46,000
16,450
56,588
78,420
Brick
3
93
101,000
21,900
9,725
38,100
Broonis
44
112
55.100
29,866
31,802
92,422
Clothing, men's ..
11
102
47,450
26,2×8
68,870
116,100
44
women's
12
55
20,980
2,400
28,350
24,850
Cotton goods.
13
874
1,180,500
244,065
677,688
1,157 9 38
Drugs and chemicals
83
312,900
16,150
672,620
792,720
Gas
2 2227
280
384,500
100,022
307,721
398,245
Instruments, profession- al, etc.
1
14
3,500
3,663
3,580
15,600
Iron, pigs.
3
156
500,000
96,(1)
: 632,500
952,510
Iron castings (not speci- fied)
5
61
130,500
36,750
34,980
134,480
Iron, stoves, heaters, etc.
2
105
195,000
38,125
35,900
126,000
Liquors. malt ...
3
45
196,000
23,700
154,855
355,260
Lumber, sawed.
18
14,400
3.350
35,300
53,625
Machinery ( not specified) cotton and
8
50
74,000
9,800
18,700
34,150
woolen ..
3
13
8,000
7,000
10,000
25,500
Paper (not specified)
13
193
349,000
76,640
195,145
379,400
wrapping
1
7
8,000
3,000
2,800
11,300
19
48
30,500
11,588
24.000
52,940
Sash, doors, and blinds ...
1
13
15,000
5,750
13,899
20,000
Tin, copper, and sheet- iron ware ..
17
50
48,800
14,418
41,190
73,570
Tobacco and cigars ...
8
55
5,450
4.748
7,653
78,914
Woolen goods.
2
269
450,000
60,400
301,900
440,000
Mining-iron ore ...
1+
221
75,000
12,000
12,625
229,700
stone quarry.
1
51
15,000
26,000
2,000
30,000
AGRICULTURAL.
The census returns of Columbia county for the year 1840 show that there were 28,149 bushels wheat produced in previ- ous year, 1971 bushels barley, 1,107,702 bushels oats, 323,- 299 bushels rye, 97,733 bushels buckwheat, 412,032 bushels corn, 242,777 pounds wool, 50 pounds hops, 377 pounds wax, 560,819 bushels potatoes, 56,213 tons hay, 2 pounds silk cocoons, 839 pounds sugar, 11,273 cords of wood sold, $201,566 dairy products, $30,506 orchard products, 34 gallons wine, 831,282 value of home-made or family goods, $9900 value of market garden products, $100 florists' pro- ducts, $29,606 value of poultry ; there were in the county 9064 horses, 32,699 neat cattle, 123,063 sheep, 54,911 hogs.
In 1855, 3242 persons in the county made returns of farms, with 304,277 acres improved, and 69,255 acres unimproved. Value of farms, $19,130,749; live-stock, $1,858,418; tools and implements, $620,449.
+ Steam, 7 horse-power; water, 4 horse-power.
į Above ground, 7 men ; under ground, 15 men.
§ 7000 tons.
5
7,400
1.800
8,600
12,180
Furniture ...
5
99
2.3,000
8,100
9.130
21,000
6
51,000
2,568
4,907
23,336
Grease and tallow
3
2,500
9,800
12,185
Hosiery
7
106
275,000
25,000
147,140
360,000
Flour-mill products
32
3
20
4,000
6,635
10,605
Carriages and wagons ..
Hats and caps.
58
42,000
21,000
24,000
60,000
Marble-work, tombstones
7
74
171,000
37,300
89,691
178,850
Pumps ..
Saddlery and harness ...
* Father of Hon. John W. Edmonds.
18
Pro- ducts.
products ..
138
HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
The census of 1875 shows the following agricultural exhibit :
EXHIBIT OF INDUSTRY AND WEALTH OF THE COUNTY.
Improved acres, 315,112, unimproved, 50,319 woodland, 11,786 other lands; value of farms, $23,453,394; farm buildings other than dwellings, $3,546,295 ; stock, $2,217,- 390; tools and implements, $965,384; cost of fertilizers bought in 1874, $18,753; amount of gross sales from farms in 1874, 82,444,012; area plowed in 1874, 92,457 acres ; 1875, 77,412 ; grasslands, pasturage, 1874, 87,048 acres ; 1875, 90,464 acres; 104,220 acres mown 1874; 105,082 aeres 1875; hay produced 1874, 122,609 tons ; grass-seed, 1874, 535 bushels ; barley, aeres sown, 36 in 1874, 40 in 1875; bushels produced in 1874, 699; buck- wheat, 7042 aeres, 86,083 bushels ; 4038 acres, 1875 ; eorn, 1874, 17,493 acres, 315,430 bushels ; 1875, 17,835 aeres ; oats, 1874, 27,624 acres, 627,614 bushels ; 1875, 30,418 aeres; rye, 1874, 44,813 acres, 521,155 bushels ; 1875, 39,952 acres ; spring wheat, 1874, 3 acres, 14 bushels ; 1875, 2 aeres; winter wheat, 1873, 21 acres; 1874, 54 acres, 363 bushels ; corn sown for fodder, 1874, 245 acres ; 1875, 153 acres ; beans, 1874, 66 acres, 706 bushels ; 1875, 75 acres ; peas, 1874, 6 aeres, 103 bushels ; 1875, 6 aeres ; hops, 1874, 28 aeres, 6920 pounds ; 1875, 27 aeres ; pota- toes, 1874, 9579 aeres, 664,591 bushels; 1875, 11,510 aeres ; tobareo, 1874, 280 acres; 1875, 200 aeres ; apple- or chards, 1874, 258,075 trees, fruit, 342,338 bushels, cider, 10,441 barrels; grapes, 1874, 403,292 pounds, 1 367 gallons wine made ; maple-sugar, 1875, 485 pounds, and 210 gallons syrup made ; honey collected 1874, 14,459 pounds ; horses on farms, colts of 1875, 371 ; do. of 1874, 362 ; 2 years old and over, 9295 ; mules on farms, 1875, 103; poultry, value owned 1875, 873,856; value sold 1874, 834,226 ; value eggs sold 1874, 842,467 ; neat cattle on farms, 1875, heifers, 977 2 years old, 1384 yearlings, 1749 calves, 854 bulls of all ages, 1935 working oxen and steers ; milch-cows, 1874, 12,084; 1875, 12,414; cattle slaughtered in 1874, 949 ; dairy products, cows whose milk was sent to factory 1874, 12; 1875, 4; butter made in families 1874, 1,157,267 pounds ; milk sold in market 1874, 482,482 gallons ; cheese made in families 1874, 9386 pounds ; sheep, number shorn 1874, 29,271 ; 1875, 32,303; weight of elip 1874, 134,054 pounds; 1875, 149,452 pounds ; lambs raised 1874, 19,211 ; 1875, 22,119; slaughtered 1874, 1576 ; killed by dogs, 266 ; swine, pigs of 1875, 15,446 ; of 1874 and older, 15,051 ; slaughtered on farms 1874, 13,438; pork made on farms 1874, 2,633,138 pounds.
Of farms of all sizes there were 3534, the area of whieli was as follows : 424 under 3 aeres, 311 between 3 and 10 acres, 171 between 10 and 20, 304 between 20 and 50, 544 between 50 and 100, 1768 between 100 and 500, 10 between 500 and 1000, and 2 over 1000 aeres. There was an in- crease of farms of all sizes over the returns of 1870 of 562; 422 of the increase being on farms under 3 acres, 109 between 3 and 10 acres, 17 between 10 and 20, 11 between 20 and 50, 132 between 100 and 500, and 2 over 1000 acres. The farms between 50 and 100 aeres decreased 137.
The number of sheep shorn, weight of elip, and average
weight of fleeces for the years 1855, 1864, 1865, 1874, and 1875, were as follows :
Number.
Weight,
Pounds.
Average, Pounds.
1855.
81,064
267,368
3.30
1864
.80,262
311,847
3.89
1865
.42,209
196,610
4.00
1874 ..
.29,271
134,054
4.58
1875
.32,302
144,452
4.63
The average yield per aere of the principal crops in 1874 was as follows: Tons hay, 1.18 ; bushels barley, 19.42 ; buckwheat, 12.22; corn, 18.03; oats, 22.72; rye, 16.63 ; spring wheat, 4.67 ; winter wheat, 17.29; hops, 247.14 (pounds); potatoes, 69.38.
Although the soil of the county has to some extent be- come exhausted by a peculiar system of agriculture, it is unquestionable that, originally, it was unsurpassed in pro- ductive qualities by that of any section of the fertile State of New York.
When Hudson came, he found that the Indians, even by their slovenly methods, produced not only maize, of which he saw at one place " enough to load three ships," but they had also beans, pumpkins, flax, and a variety of other prod- uets, and all in abundance. He also found apple, plum, and mulberry-trees ; and Indian orchards of the former still ex- isted as late as the commencement of the present century in Ghent, and at other points in the county.
The Dutch settlers found the soil exceedingly productive, as we have before mentioned; and that they raised and shipped wheat in large quantities is evidenced by the journal of the Labadist brethren who came here in the seventeenth century. Now, wheat is almost unknown, but, instead, waving fields of rye may everywhere be seen throughout the county ; and this, by those whose opinions should be entitled to weight, is said to be a more profitable erop than the wheat, which it has superseded.
It is found that the soil and climate of the county are excellently adapted to the production of fruit, and its cultiva- tion is on the increase, with the best results. It is believed that the first Newtown pippins ever seen in England (and it is the apple which to-day takes precedenee of all others in the English market) were raised in what is now Colum- bia county ; for it is known that, as early as 1767, Robert Livingston (the third lord) sent a barrel of that variety to England, where their beauty and delicious flavor elieited notices of the highest approbation.
Several members of the Livingston family have at va- rious times taken great interest in matters of agriculture. It is said that the famous Merino sheep were first intro- duced into America by Chancellor Livingston, who, it is known, imported some exceedingly fine ones about the year 1801. They were procured by him from the celebrated flock of Rambouillet in France, and it was estimated that, in the year 1812, 60,000 of the descendants of his importa- tion were in the United States,-the flock at Clermont alone at that time numbering about one thousand. Horatio Gates Spafford, in his Gazetteer of Columbia County, pub- lished about 1823, says, " Unfortunately for themselves and the country, the farmers have overvalued and undervalued in quick succession the Merino sheep, the subject of so much speculation, profit, loss, and twofold regrets ;" but after diligent inquiry we have been unable to learn that these
139
HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
sheep were ever raised to any great extent in this county, with the exception of the Livingston flock, and that of Beriah Pease, at his " Fonda farm," upon what is now called Mount Merino from the fact that he kept there a fine flock of those sheep. The raising of the ordinary breeds of sheep, however, has in past times been entered into extensively, but has now greatly fallen off, though the average weight of wool produced, per sheep, has steadily increased, and was greater in 1875 than in any year pre- viously reported.
The earliest reference which we find to the introduction of labor-saving agricultural machinery in Columbia county was in the year 1806, being an advertisement in the Colum- bia Balance of January 28 in that year. Following is a copy :
"The subscriber, finding the principle of his Patent Threshiog Machine highly approved of in many parts where they have been well built; but being sensible they have not gone so generally into use as might be expected, owing to inexperienced workmen being em- ployed, and want of proper materials in erecting them; lle there- fore has proposed, and now informs those Farmers who may think it an object to make application, that he will have them built in ITud- son, under his own inspection, and will warrant them to extract at the rate of 50 to 60 bushels per day ; that they shall answer every reason- able expectation, or the purchaser may return them at any time within one year. Having provided proper materials for that purpose, he flatters himself' that some patriotio Farmers will embrace the favor- able opportunity. The machines may be easily conveyed on a wagon or sled. Price, $100.
" HUDSON, January, 1806."
" C. HOXIE.
It is claimed that the first mowing-machine was invented and constructed by a Mr. Beal, of Spencertown, in the town of Austerlitz, between 1830 and 1840. It is mentioned that " it had a straight scythe, and was at least a good ex- periment in the right direction."
The first agricultural society of which we find mention was the " Agricultural Association of Dutchess and Colum- bia Counties," of which General Jacob Rutsen Van Rens- selaer was the secretary in 1817. In that year the associa- tion held a fair and cattle show " at Loop's, in Red Hook," at which the premiums offered amounted to $200, being in part as follows :
For the best five acres Winter Wheat, to be harvested in 1818. $25
aere of Potatoes, 1817 15
25
"
five acres Barley .
20
pair of Pigs, four to nine months old
15
We have made considerable research in order to discover the names of the fortunate ones to whom were awarded the premiums, but without success. Neither are we able to trace the subsequent history of the association.
THE COLUMBIA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Owing to the loss or misplacement of the old records of the society, the exact date of the organization of the County Agricultural Society has not been determined. It held its meetings for many years in Hudson, and about 1855 was removed to Chatham. The fair of 1877 was the thirty- seventh annual one. In 1856 the society purchased fifteen acres of ground at that village, paying $2400 therefor, and in 1858 a horse fair was held. In 1859 the following officers were elected : Peter F. Mesick, president ; Peter E. Van Alstyne, vice-president ; Hiram D. Ford, secretary ; Henry K. Coburn, treasurer ; John T. Hogeboom, William
D. Steward, Waterman Lippett, Elisha W. Bushnell, Bart- lett S. Marshall, William R. Mesick, executive committee. A fair was held September 28-30, 1859, at which the re- ceipts were $2057.39, and the expenses $1930.15. In 1865 additional lands were bought, and in 1866 a new floral hall was built. In 1868 more land was bought, the price paid being $3000. Besides the annual fairs, several spring exhibitions of horses, sheep shearings, etc., have been held. The receipts and disbursements since and including 1859 have been as follows :
Receipts.
Disbursements.
1859
$2,057.39
$1,930.15
1860
1,086.36
1,284.89
1861.
1,437.60
1,427.70
1862
1,059.18
799.36
1863
2,348.40
1,747.11
1864
2,125.91
2,444.61
1865
2,927.19
3,437.97
1866
3,822.48
3,790.80
1867
4,909.45
6.587.39
1870
1,701.26
1,501.00
1871
2,841.46
3,018.53
1872
1,362.63
889.71
1873
1,420,50
(prems.) 582.75
1874
1,686.38
66
1,516.36
1875
1,733.60
1,046.00
1876
1,399.43
46 1,051.00
1877
1,727.93
1,177.50
Total.
$35,643.15
$33,632.83
In 1868 the gate fees were $2732.25 ; premiums paid, $2970.42; $1000 being paid for horse premiums. The State appropriations have been about $325 annually for several years past.
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