History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 109

Author: Smith, James H. (James Hadden); Cale, Hume H; Roscoe, William E
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 868

USA > New York > Dutchess County > History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 109

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The first tradition regarding the Baptist Cause in Pawling, is of the preaching of the Rev. Henry Cary, some time previous to 1766. He preached in a log meeting house, which was situated about a mile north of this village, near what was after- wards known as the Camp Meeting Woods.

Elder John Lawrence began to preach in this town in 1770, and was the first pastor of the church that was organized before the war of the Revohi tion, in 1775. He is reported to have preached thirteen or fourteen years, and under his ministra tion the church flourished. He moved away in June, 1785, and his successor was Eller Phineas Clark, who ministered to the congregation about three years, or until 1788. He was succeeded by Elder Nehernialı Johnson. He commenced preach- ing when Elder Clark left, and continued his ser vices until July, 1841, a period of fifty three years. The meeting house where he preached most, known

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

as the Johnson meeting house, was situated on the summit of the west mountain, near the dugway, and near the north line of the town.

In 1853, a new and comfortable church edifice was built near the south end of Whaley Pond. The First Baptist Church is still prosperous, and is performing a good mission in that part of the town. The pulpit is supplied now by Rev. William B. Harris, of the Ludingtonville * church. The Clerk of the society is Van Ness Denton.

J. LyC

(THE CENTRAL PAWLING BAPTIST CHURCH.)

The Central Pawling Baptist Church was or- ganized in 1852. Their first church edifice was erected in 1853 and dedicated that fall. The ded- icatory services were conducted by Rev. Thomas Armitage and Elder Clapp.

In 1853, Elder Jas. W. Jones resigned his pas- torate. He was succeeded by Rev. A. W. Valen- tine. Rev. A. W. Valentine resigned the pastorate in April, 1860, and was succeeded by Rev. S. L. Holman, who preached here and in the Beekman church.

In the fall of 1864, Elder Holman resigned and

the church for a season was without regular preaching.

In January, 1865, D. Van Fradenburg was en- gaged as a supply, remaining until the first of April. On the second Sabbath of that month the church secured the services of Rev. George W. Barnes, of Rosendale. In September of this year Elder Barnes resigned, and Rev. William Parsons was engaged as supply, remaining one year. In September, Rev. D. T. Hill began his labors as pastor.

In October, 1874, E. D. Stearns, a licentiate of the First Dover Church, began his labors, preached through the winter, and was ordained on the 14th of April following.

In May, 1876, was begun the work of removing the church edifice to the present site. It was en- larged, remodeled, and refurnished during this sea- son, and was re-dedicated on the 21st of Decem- ber, by Rev. J. D. Fulton, D. D. Sabbath school and other meetings were held in the parsonage during the re-construction of the church.

About $16,000 had been expended in the pur- chase of the new site, and in removing and repair- ing the church building, which, on the evening of June 8, 1879, was destroyed by fire. Most of the furniture was saved, and $4,000 of insurance was obtained. To this the liberal community added so much that the house and lot in the rear was purchased for $1,100, and the present beautiful church edifice was erected, furnished, and paid for within a year. The cost was nearly $8,000. It was dedicated June 16, 1880. The new bell was given by John B. Dutcher. The present membership of the church is ninety, still presided over by Rev. Ches- ter L. VanAllen.

The Catholic Society, (St. John's Church, ) was organized here in 1868, by Father P. W. Tandy. Among the early members were John Hopper, James Collier, Martin Gilroy, David Scully.

Previous to that time the Catholics of Pawling were obliged for a number of years to worship in private houses.

About 1860, Rev. Father Slevin was sent by Archbishop Hughes to minister to the Catholics from Croton Falls to Boston Four Corners, and, like his predecessors, held services in the houses of his parishioners, for their means were yet too slen- der to erect a church. In 1865, Father Slevin was followed by an Italian, Rev. John Orsinego. The labors of his extensive mission soon proved too much for his constitution, and in 1868 he was compelled to yield the northern portion of his par-

* Putnam County.

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TOWN OF PAWLING.

ish to Rev. P. W. Tandy. The old Methodist Church edifice was bought from Alexander Ar- nold, repaired and furnished, and in 1869 was opened for services to the delight of the poor peo- ple who, after many years and at great sacrifices, had at last secured for themselves and for their children a house for divine worship. In 1872 this edifice was destroyed by fire. Sorely tried, but yet not discouraged, the people went to work again and under the able lead of their pastor a new and beautiful edifice was soon erected at a cost of

Dover Plains. Through the co-operation of the people he has been enabled to reduce the debt so much that all the financial difficulties of the church are settled. In addition to this the people of St. John's Church by united effort have made from an inaccessable waste a beautiful cemetery, which is a credit to themselves and a beauty to the vil- lage. The church edifice has been beautified inside and out, and the ground has been adorned with trees.

The Catholics in attendance here have increased

(ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, PAWLING, N. Y., REV. M. J. McSWIGGAN, PASTOR.)

nearly $6,000. This, together with the money due on the old church, increased their indebted- ness to nearly $7,500. Father Tandy having on his charge three other churches, gave the church in this place and the one at Dover Plains to Rev. P. I. Healy, who became the first pastor of the new parish of Pawling and Dover. Owing to the hard times of 1873 and subsequent years, and the large indebtedness for so small a place, Father Healy resigned the pastorate, and Father Tandy again assumed the charge. Rev. M. J. Mc Swig- gan, of Poughkeepsie, assistant to Rev. Dr. Mc- Sweeny, was sent to aid Father Tandy, and at the expiration of six months he succeeded to the pas- torate of the churches of Pawling, Beekman and

from a comparatively few in 1860 to about five hundred.

The Methodist Episcopal Society at Reynoldsville was formed about seventy years ago. There is a lack of authentic records concerning this church.

The church edifice was built twenty-nine years ago and was dedicated by the Rev. J. B. Wakely, of New Jersey. Previous to this the meetings were held in private houses and in the school house. The present class leaders are Henry Turner, George S. Turner and Silas Abbott.

There can be given no connected or dated list of pastors. The following, however, have been among the ministers who have presided over the society :-

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

Revs. John Reynolds, Sellick, Ira Ferriss, Ban- croft, Lent, Dickerson, Culver, Davis, G. Hearn, B. Stebbins, Aaron Hunt, J. Croft, Asa P. Lyon, George Knapp, J. A. Edmonds, Daniels, M. M. Curtis, Ives, V. N. Traver, Scrives, and Robert Hunt.

QUAKER HILL.

Quaker Hill, the home of the first settlers who located in the town, is an elevated and fertile plateau three miles east of Pawling village. This is one of the most romantic and picturesque regions in the County, whose attractions rival those of the Highlands and the Catskills. From the summit of this plateau, nearly sixteen hundred feet above tide water, and reached by steep and winding roads, a view of unsurpassed beauty is ob- tained, embracing in its scope the rugged peaks of the Catskills, the fertile plains of the valleys below in which nestle prosperous villages, and mile upon mile of rich farming land in the states of New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. This is the emi- nence heretofore mentioned, whose history in- cludes important reminiscences connected with the Revolution. In this vicinity, where dwelt the pioneers whose labors made possible the present prosperity of the town, encamped Washington and the Revolutionary troops whose valor gave per- manence to existing institutions and homes. Here, in the church,now old and gray, of a denomination whose mission it was to preach "peace on earth good will to men," were laid the wounded and dying heroes who shed their blood for the supremacy of the idea that all men were created free and equal. The grim old rafters of that ancient tabernacle resounded to their lamentations and groans, and the oaken floor still bears the crutch marks of the crippled and maimed who sought the shelter of its friendly roof. The encampment with its pomp and circumstance of war has disappeared ; the patriots slumber near by in unremembered graves ; the generation that knew the hopes and fears, the reverses and triumphs of those days has passed away, but the old church still remains, a monument to the patriotism of that trying time.

This meeting house of the Friends was built in 1764, eleven years before the breaking out of the Revolutionary war. It cost in those times, as would appear from the records, the sum of £236. The structure is plain and unpretending, but large, roomy and decidedly substantial; with oaken timbers whose massiveness attests its ability to stand the storms of another century. This is the

second meeting house of the Friends in this vicinity. The first stood nearly opposite the present edifice, and was a smaller framed building. When the present house was built it was sold and converted into a barn which has long since passed from existence. It stood on the farm since occupied by Stephen Osborne.

This hill so rich in historical lore has become a fashionable and popular summer resort. Up these steep and tortuous roads, over which rumbled the artillery of Revolutionary times, now sweeps the pleasure ladened "Tally-Ho," whose musical horn awakes the echoes which once resounded to the bugle-call, the rattling drum, and the stern chal- lenge of the vigilant sentry.

Mizzen-Top, one of the most healthy and popu- lar hotels in the State, was built through the energy and perseverance of Albert J. Akin, who is the principal stock-holder, and who furnished the greater share of the money for the enterprise. The capital stock was originally $25,000, which has since been increased to $65,000. The building was begun in September, 1880, under the supervision of J. H. Wood, of New York, architect, and was completed in June, 1881. It has a frontage of 342 feet, com- manding an extensive view of mountain and valley scenery, and contains in all 145 rooms, 128 being used as sleeping apartments. The servants de- partments are in a separate building containing sixteen rooms. The interior of the hotel is finished in the most modern style, and has all the conven- iences of bath rooms, gas, steam heating appa- ratus, billiard room, bowling alleys, and tele- graphic communication with New York. The pure spring water with which the house is supplied, is derived from the adjacent hills, while that which is used for the fountain and for fire purposes, is forced from a glen some quarter of a mile distant. The officers of the Mizzen-Top Hotel Company are John B. Dutcher, President ; Cyrus Swan, Vice- President ; George W. Chase, Secretary and Treas- urer. The house is now conducted by James L. Jones, of New York, a man of much experience in this business.

A short distance from this resort is a beautiful structure known as Akin Hall, a model of archi- tectural neatness and taste without and within,

This building in its name memorizes one of the oldest families in the town. It was erected in 1880, by Hon. Albert J. Akin, by whom it was en- dowed and donated to trustees who are limited to no age, sect or sex. The Hall was opened to the public on the 13th of July, 1881.

MIZZEN-TOP. SUMMER HOTEI

TEL PAWLING, DUCHESS CO., N. Y.

559

TOWN OF PAWLING.

PAWLING IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

Pawling's patriotism in the War of the Rebellion was as prompt and generous as that manifested in the Revolution. A record of the various enlist- ments was kept by the town clerk, as required by the law of 1865, from which, although somewhat imperfect in its details, is gleaned the names of those who went to the country's defense in that perilous hour. The enlistments for 1861 were as follows :-

44th Regiment, Co. E .- Geo. Washington Ar- nold; William M. Banks, born in Pawling, Aug. 5, 1842, was afterward in the 4th Heavy Artillery, in which he served twenty-two months, now dead; Hiram Banks, born in Pawling, Oct. 23, 1840, served about one year, was then discharged on ac- count of disability, and died at home August 28, 1864 ; George Banks, born in Pawling, Aug. I, 1843, was wounded in the arm May 27, 1862, and had the limb amputated at Gaines Hill, was dis- charged in September 1862; Cyrus Ingersoll ; Martin Ingersoll; James S. Pearce, served three years, now town clerk of Pawling, and a druggist in Pawling Village.

128th Regiment, Co. B .- Philip Allen, born in Pawling, February 14, 1829, was wounded at Port Hudson, May 27, 1863, died on the 28th of May, and was buried on the field; George Brownell, born in Pawling, April 19, 1844; Milton Brownell; Isaac Brownell, dead ; William H. Beach, born in Pawling, February 26, 1837; Charles S. Dodge, born in Pawling, January 19, 1843, was wounded at the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864 ; William Owen Dennamy, born in Pawling in 1845, served three years ; George H. Dascum ; W. H. Nichols, born in Washington, N. Y., February 20, 1834, served one year and one month and died in hospital at Baton Rouge ; Jeremialı S. Pearce, born in Pawling, August 28, 1837, was promoted after one year's service to First Lieutenant, and in July, 1864, was promoted to Captain ; Archibald Penney, born in Pawling, January 27, 1846 ; David Sprague, born in Pawling, June 9, 1831, died May 5, 1863, at Baton Rouge, La., where he was buried ; Solomon Woodin, born in Pawling, June 29, 1843, was discharged on account of disability Feb- ruary 20, 1863 ; Charles Wesley Wilcox, born in Dover, N. Y., February 13, 1835 ; William H. Millard, after serving about eight months was pro- moted to First Sergeant, which office he held until mustered out.

Co. F .- Randolph Meade Brownell ; Egbert Brill, born in Pawling, June 8, 1832, was dis-

charged for disability after serving nearly a year ; John J. Evans ; Alexander Jones, born in Dover, N. Y., October 17, 1832, was promoted Corporal in September, 1862; Isaac W. Olivitt, born in Pawling, April 5, 1847; was killed by a shell at Port Hudson, in July, 1863 ; James H. Penney, born in Pawling, September 25, 1843 ; James L. Stephens ; Gilbert A. Stephens; Samuel Wilcox, born in Pawling, in October, 1845, died at Baton Rouge, La., in 1863; Jacob Paulis, after serving nearly two and one-half years was taken sick, and after a furlough he was taken prisoner October 9, 1864, and died July 8, 1865, in Richmond, Va., --- starved to death,-and was there buried.

Co. I .- Albert M. Barker ; Wheeler G. Cronk, born in Beekman, N. Y., February 26, 1831, was promoted Corporal, and died in Baton Rouge La., October 24, 1863 ; William Gulliver, born in Paw- ling, August 11, 1843 ; Benjamin P. Worden, was discharged for disability near Fairfax Court House, Va., in February, 1863.

Companies Unknown .- Benjamin S. Hoag, born in Pawling, December 2, 1834 ; Lorenzo D. Olivitt ; Elihu S. Wing, born in Pawling, November 3, 1843, was discharged for disability in November, 1862 ; William Bingall, deserted ; Thomas Fur- long, deserted ; Spoffard Millard ; John Richmond, deserted ; Martin Basely ; Robert J. Michael ; W. J. Worden ; William Henry Mulkin.

150th Regiment, Co. E .- Perry W. Chapman, born in Dover, N. Y., March 27, 1841, pro- moted to Second Lieutenant, September 23, 1862, again in 1864, to First Lieutenant, and again in March, 1865, to Captain by brevet, by order of the Secretary of War, and is now living in Pawling ; Caleb Davis, Jr., born in Pawling, December 3, 1841, was transferred to 2d U. S. Cavalry; Merritt Davis, born in Pawling, in 1845, was transferred to 2d U. S. Cavalry, January 21, 1863, in which he served the remainder of his time ; Henry Pearce, M. D., was born in Pawling, March 1, 1833, re- signed in consequence of injuries received by the fall of his horse, and afterwards served as A. A. Surgeon in the Eastern Department, now a physi- cian in Pawling, N. Y .; Philip Davis, born in Pawling, in 1839, died in Baltimore, in June 1863 ; Caleb Davis, Sr., born in Pawling, Octo- ber 10, 1811; William Miller, born in Paw- ling, May 15, 1832; George Miller, born in 1833 ; John Slocum, deserted in Baltimore ; Dan- iel Washburne, died at Point Lookout Hospital, September 20, 1863 ; Denmore Whaley, born in Sherman, Conn., April 29, 1803, still living in Paw-

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

ling ; William Prout, was discharged for disability June 27, 1863 ; George Burhans.

4th Heavy Artillery .- James Banks, born in Pawling March 27, 1847, dead; John Banks, born in Pawling, July 10, 1849; John Ingersoll, was taken prisoner at Brandy Station and died in Libby Prison ; Charles Mosher, born in Pawling January 12, 1839, served two years and re-enlisted for three years more ; James Morey, born in Fish- kill, N. Y., in 1840, died August 16, 1862 ; Nathan Penney, born in Dover, N. Y., July 7, 1836, served two years and re-enlisted, and remained in service one year and ten months ; Charles Harris, born in Fishkill, N. Y., November 12, 1821; George S. Vanderburgh, born in Pawling, September 10, 1842, promoted to Corporal April 1, 1864 ; Myron Jones, born in Dover, N. Y., February 25, 1827 ; Charles Davis, born in Pawling, July 20, 1825, served two years, re-enlisted and served one year and ten months; Norman Davis, born in Pawling April 1, 1839, served two years, re-enlisted for three years more and died October I, 1864; Ephraim Davis, born in Pawling in 1826, died of typhoid fever August 15, 1864, on Davis' Island, where he was buried; Henry Swords, born in Pawling February 22, 1831; Henry Lawrence, served one year and six months, was wounded in the foot at the battle of the Wilderness, and was discharged July 28, 1865; W. H. Wilcox ; William Worden ; Alonzo Town- send ; Daniel Townsend; Daniel Callahan ; Silas J. Haviland; Augustus Thomas ; George W. Michael.

Scattering .- Patrick Curry, died in Suffolk, Va., in 1862 ; Patrick Fannell; Henry Moore, promot- ed to Second Lieutenant in January 1864, pro- moted to First Lieutenant in 1865 ; John V. Moore ; Hirarn I. Sherman, born in Pawling April 21, 1834; Jerome Worden, born in Pawling, October 15, 1846; Stephen Worden; George Kirby, went out as Second Lieutenant, promoted to First Lieuten- ant in September, 1862, promoted to Captain in March 1863; Charles Dutcher, born in Dover, N. Y., October 24, 1842, A. A. Paynıaster in Navy, entered the service September 26, 1863 ; John M. Olivitt, born in Pawling, June 27, 1843, served two years and a half and re-enlisted in same regiment ; John Ett, born in Dover, N. Y., May 2, 1845, served two years seven months and seventeen days, and died of heart disease at Donaldsonville, July 17, 1864, and was there buried ; Amos Woodin ; George P. Reed; George W. Mulkin.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HON. ALBERT J. AKIN.

The Akin family of which Hon. Albert J. is now (1882) the oldest representative member, has always been one of the most important in Duchess County. Of Scotch origin and Quaker lineage, the second American representative, left New England for its persecutions and settled upon Quaker Hill in the town of Pawling, and there his descendants have made a continued stand for several genera- tions. Sectarian persecutions from which the New England Quakers were sufferers, added largely to the independent and intelligent population of Duchess County, but it received no more conspicu- ous advantage from any source than from the arrival of this Akin refugee.

John Akin, from whom the American branch of the family descended, originally came from Aber- deen, Scotland, in the year 1680, and settled at Dart- mouth, Bristol county, Mass. He remained there until June 1746, when he died at the age of eighty- three years. His first wife was Hannah Briggs. After her death he married again and by the two wives became the father of fifteen children.

David, the oldest of these children, was born September 9, 1689, and married Sarah Allen, by whom he had ten children. He was the first of the family to settle at Quaker Hill. David Akin's eld- est son, John, married in 1742, Margaret Hicks and had four children. One of these, John Jr., was born Nov. 11, 1753, and in 1775 was united in marriage with Mollie Ferriss. Six children were the fruits of this marriage, of whom the oldest was Albro, born March 6, 1778. On the 18th of November 1801, Albro was married to Pauline Vanderburgh, daughter of Col. James Vander- burgh, of Beekman, and one of a family of eight- een children. By this and subsequent marriages, Albro became the father of ten children, the eldest of whom by his first wife was Albert John, born August 14, 1803, and the subject of this sketch and the original of the accompanying engraving.

Hon. Albro Akin, the father of Albert J., was a leading merchant, farmer and Democrat of the County all his life ; representing the County in the General Assembly, and was for a considerable pe- riod one of the County Judges. When he re- signed the latter office his brother, Hon. Daniel D. Akin, succeeded him. Albro died in 1854, at the ripe age of seventy-six.

At an early age Albert J. attended school in New York City, Southeast Centre, Putnam county, and Red Hook Academy in the successive winters, and assisted in his father's business summers. After leaving school he was wholly occupied by his father's pursuits until 1823, when the mercantile part of the business passed into the hands of his uncle Daniel, and he left for a clerkship in a lead- ing dry goods house in New York City, being then unwilling to confine himself solely to a farming

"HOMESTEAD"-RESIDENCE OF WM. H. TABER, ESQ., QUAKER HILL, PAWLING, N. Y.

56 1

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

life. This clerkship continued until the firm he was with dissolved, and he embarked for himself in a mercantile career in that city. This occupation continued for a few years, until by his application his health entirely failed and obliged him to give up and return to open air life upon his native hills. For several years he remained incapacitated for active pursuits of any kind, but later, about 1834, he was barely able to take up farming once more, which he did upon an extensive scale, and contin- ued it with broken health but great success down to the date of this sketch, (1882.)

In 1836, he was married to Jane Will- iams, of the city of New York.

Mr. Akin became interested in the extension of the Harlem Railroad from Croton Falls, northerly through his native town to Dover Plains. He was at that time one of two gentlemen who raised $100,000, which was the condition of that extension, and was so successful that be- fore the close of 1848 that portion of the railroad was complete. The next year he was elected a director of this railroad, holding the office for fifteen years.

In 1849, he organized the Pawling Bank which immediately elected him its president, and has continued him in that office ever since. The Bank has been one of the most successful institutions in the State.

In 1880, he resolved to erect a hall upon Quaker Hill, for the religious and literary use of the neighborhood. This was completed and endowed by him the following year and was opened as " Akin Hall" in July, 1881. This uncommonly tasteful structure and its accompaniments must have involved an expense of not less than $25,000. About the same period he originated the project of a large and elegant summer hotel in the same locality. This has since been completed at a cost of about $100,000, most of which was contributed by Mr. Akin. In this year (1880) he was chosen as one of the presidential electors to his native State on the Republican ticket and was thus entitled to a vote for the martyred President. To these important duties have been super-added directorship in several prominent incorporated companies in the City of New York, to the success of which his rare judgment has largely contributed.

If it be considered that Mr. Akin has been dur- ing all these years a confirmed invalid, his activi- ties, as well as his later conspicuous philanthropy combine to make him a marked inan. His clear uprightness of character, his wealth, his success, his enterprise and generosity, will leave him an un- usually honored memory.

During his entire life his summers have been spent in the attractive high land country where he was born and his winters at his residence in the City of New York. Being without children his home has never been without the attraction of

nieces who have brightened hearth and heart and made a marriage which was happy in itself almost independent of the vicissitudes of health and cir- cumstance. If such men are not rare then man- hood is in itself more creditable. If they are rare, the more credit to him who has given his fellow- men the attractive force of such an example.

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History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 109

Author: Smith, James H. (James Hadden); Cale, Hume H; Roscoe, William E Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 868

Author: Smith, James H. (James Hadden); Cale, Hume H; Roscoe, William E
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 868