History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 47

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 47

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Co. F .- William J. Allen, ; John H. Hosier, Everett Knickerbacker,¿ Byron Stacey, John C. Thorne, James H. Washburne.

47th Regiment .- George Loucks, Jr., Nelson Killmer, Hiram Pulver, Niles J. Engelke, Michael O'Mara, Pulver Cline, Frederick Davis, William Hiserodt.

Scattering .- Sanford Near, Reuben Clume, 3d N. Y. Battery ; Wm. Clume, 3d N. Y. Battery ; Perry Knickerbacker, Richard Knickerbacker, William Johnston, Richard Smith, D. Johnston, Grosvenor Smith, Charles Davis, Edward Ham, Henry Hammond, Walter Stocking.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

WILLIAM S. ENO.

William S. Eno is descended from a line of legal and prominent men. His grandfather, Stephen Eno, who is mentioned more fully in the general history of the town, became a resident of Pine Plains at an early day, and ranked high as a citizen and a jurist. His family consisted of four sons all

* Those marked with an asterisk had been transferred to other regi- ments and to the Veteran Reserve Corps. t Died April 14, 1863.

# Sentenced for ten years to Dry Tortugas for desertion.

1851.

Aaron E. Winchell.

do do

1848-'49. do do

Wm. Angevine.

1853-'54. Anthony Pulver,

1860. do do

Phoenix N. Deuel, Niles J. Engelke. Jay Jackson.

1875. William Toms,

Clerks. Reuben W. Bostwick.

1839. do do

H. R. Hammond, Benj. Streever.

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

of whom attained their majority. William Eno, the father of the subject of this sketch, became a lawyer and succeeded to his father's practice. William S., studied law with his father and on the 2d of January, 1849, was admitted to the bar, since which time he has followed his profession in con- nection with the numerous business enterprises in which he has been engaged. In 1850 he married Jennie, daughter of Rev. Thomas Ellis, a minister of the M. E. Church, by whom he had three chil- dren : Belle, Minnie and Nellie. The first daugh- ter married William Bostwick, of Pine Plains. Minnie married C. W. Frost, of Amenia, and Nellie became the wife of E. R. Underwood, of Pough- keepsie.

In the year 1858, the Stissing Bank was organ- ized in the village of Pine Plains, and in 1864, William S. Eno became its president. In 1865, the bank was incorporated as a National Bank,* with Mr. Eno as its president, which position he stills retains. In 1878, he built the fine and capa- cious residence which he now occupies, a view of which appears in connection with thissketch. The building contains all the modern improvements, possesses all the comforts and conveniences of a city residence of the first class, and is an orna- ment to the beautiful and thriving village in which it is situated.

CHAPTER XXI.

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NORTH EAST.

T HE town of North East lies on the extreme northeast border of the County. It is bounded northerly by Ancram (Columbia county;) on the east by Connecticut ; on the south by Amenia ; and on the west by Pine Plains and Stanford. Its name was derived from its geo- graphical position in the County. The surface is hilly and broken, while along the eastern border extend the Taconic Mountains.

In old documents this name is written Tachhan- ick, Taghhanick, Tahkanick, Tachkanick, and some other ways. "It is probably impossible now," says Isaac Huntling, "to get the true Indian word and its signification, as in this case, like many others, the true Indian word has been cor- rupted and abbreviated for the convenience of writing and ease of pronunciation by the early settlers." The stream running through the gorge at Bash Bish, having its origin on the mountain elevations in the town of Washington, was the In- dian Tankhanne or Takhanne, " the Small Stream," as it united with a greater near what is now Copake village, the site, or near it, of the " Toghkanick " of Colonial times. It is presum-

able that the mountain as well as the old village derived its name from this stream. Probably the oldest document containing this word is "Frag- ment of an Indian deed, 17th Feb., 1687," (Doc. Hist. N. Y., Vol. 3, p. 628), where it is written, " Toghhanick," "Tachhanick," and " Tachhanik," which evidently are corruptions of the old Indian name of this stream, Tankhanne or Takhanne. Confirming this view it is significant that in this old document the second syllable commences in every instance with the "h" instead of the "k," which is an additional recent corruption and now used in the word " Toghkanick." This view leads to the conclusion that the mountain, the old village and the surrounding country, repeatedly referred to in the Livingston papers, derived their names from this stream. It was a stream probably as greatly celebrated among the Indians before the appearance of the white man as well as after. That the surrounding lands were thus named is proven by the records. It was applied to the " Flats " west of the mountains, and to other lands embraced in the Livingston patents for some con- siderable distance northwest and south, and was applicable and appropriate, so far as the papers show, to them as to the mountain. The name as applied to this range, according to the earliest records, had reference only to the mountain locality adjoining the stream mentioned. The prominent points north and south had other Indian names. The Moravians who established missions in New York and Connecticut in 1740, put the name " K'takanahschan," and give the signification simply as " Big Mountain," which is really no sig- nification. Others give it from the Indian signify- ing " Mountain of trees," but the opinion is inclin- ed to, that the name is derived from the stream which has its origin on its highest plateau and summits, and is applied to the mountain as local and not generic. The deviation being so in- definite there has appeared among intelligent writers a tendency to transpose the spelling to the plain English Taconic and not mutilate with a mongrel "Taghkanick," our own language, and also that of the race which now lives in the dreams of romance.

North East was formed as a town, March 7, 1788; Milan was taken off in 1818, and Pine Plains in 1823. North East Precinct was formed from the North Precinct, Dec. 16, 1746, and em- braced the Little or Upper Nine Partner's Tract. In the earlier or Precinct records is found the fol- lowing :-

* See History of Stissing Bank, page 231.

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TOWN OF PINE PLAINS.

"On the 10th day of April, 1769, Then the Overseers of the Poor of the North East Precinct for the year 1768 meet at the Dwelling House of Caleb Atwater in said Precinct and Rendered their accounts for the said year 1768, being examined and allowed by Elisha Colver, one of his Majesty's Justices of the peace in said precinct, and for Duchess County, viz : Hantice Couse, James At- water, John Truesdell, and John Collins, Overseers. First agreed Between the overseers of the Poor, Esq. Colver and John Collins, that the said Collins shall pay unto the Overseers for the poor of the Precinct two pounds, Money of New York, for the service of the wife of Jacob Carpender for the year ensuing.

"Second, agreed that John Truesdell shall take old Ellis' wife and keep her at the rate of £15 qr. year.

" Hendrick Hoffman's am't examined & allowed for the maintainance of John Ellis & wife £30 : 17 : 6."

The earliest settlers in that portion of the Ob- long now contained within the boundaries of North East, from 1730 to 1737, when the first civil divisions of the county were made, were simply inhabitants of the State of New York, freeholders perhaps, but it is doubtful if they were tax-payers, for they were not included even in North precinct until December 17, 1743, at which time Beekman's, Crom Elbow, South and North Precincts were extended across the Oblong to the Connecticut line. North East Precinct first ap- pears with definite boundaries December 16, 1746, being bounded on the south by the northern line of the Great Nine Partners Tract, granted to Caleb Heathcote and others, May 7, 1697, and by an east line from the northeast corner thereof to Connecti- cut, and on the west by the westerly line of the Little Nine Partners Tract, the patent of which was granted to Sampson Boughton and others, April IC, 1706. Hence adjoining North East Precinct on the south, from its formation until March 10, 1762, when Amenia Precinct was formed, was Crom Elbow Precinct. By an act of March 7, 1788, the north lines of Amenia and Washington are described as the north line of Lower or Great Nine Partners Tract, and the easterly line of Rhinebeck as the westerly line of the Little or Upper Nine Partners, and "all that part of the said County of Duchess bounded westerly by Rynbeck, northerly by the County of Columbia, easterly by the Connecticut and southerly by the towns of Washington and Amenia shall be and hereby is erected into a town by the name of North East Town." Notwithstanding that act, the then town clerk persisted in keeping the old

name, for his records say "town meeting was held at the house of Cornelius Elmendorph, on Clinton Plains, for the North East Precinct, on the first day of April, 1788." These, then, were the boundaries of North East for about thirty years, until Milan was set off in 1818, and 1823 when 18,176 acres were taken off for the erection of the town of Pine Plains.

Among the earliest settlers was Samuel Eggles- ton, who located in the vicinity of what is now known as Spencer's Corners, and who was the an- cestor of all the families in North East who bear that name. The emigrant ancestor of that name was Bigot Eggleston,. who was born in Exeter, England, in 1585, and who in 1630 came to Dor- chester, Mass., bringing his twin sons, James and Samuel, aged ten years. In 1635 he removed to Windsor, Conn. In 1661 Samuel married Sarah, daughter of Nicholas Disbro, of Weathersfield, Conn., and settled in Middletown, in that State, where he died in February, 1691, leaving his real estate to his eldest child, Samuel, born March 6, 1662-'63, who on the 8th of July, 1703, married Patience Payne, and by her had eight children- Samuel, John, Joseph, Susannah, Abigail, Sarah, Patience and Mary. Samuel died in Middle- town, Dec. 24, 1736. Some time prior to his death (Feb. 9, 1727-'28) he had executed a deed of certain premises situated in Middletown, to his said son, Samuel, with this proviso-that the prem- ises should not be sold except upon the recom- mendation of two judicious persons. This restric- tion so displeased young Samuel that he refused to have anything to do with the land thus conveyed, although he had in part paid for the same. Very soon thereafter he married Abigail Ribbins and removed to Salisbury, (now North East, as the boundary line was changed,) and there reared John, Martha, Abigail, Joseph, Prudence, Nicholas, Benjamin, Amos, Ruth, and Samuel, born June 8, 1738, [O. S.,] who married Hester Buck, daughter of Israel Buck, of Amenia, March 18, 1761, and who is the ancestor of all the families of that name in this section of the country. He died January 24, 1822, and Hester, his wife, died January 10, 1828. They were buried in the cemetery near Spencer's Corners.

The Dakin family * came here from what is now known as Putnam County. Elder Simon Dakin

* The major portion of the facts relating to early settlers was taken from MS. of Alanson Colver written in 1874, and furnished through the kindness of James Winchell, whose influence had induced Mr. Colver to put on paper his knowledge of the early history of North East. Alanson Colver died Oct. 24, 1874, aged $4 years.

240

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

came to North East about 1776, and formed the first Baptist church at Spencer's Corners. He had three sons, Joshua, Caleb and Simon; Joshua mar- ried and had two sons, Jacob and Benjamin, and three daughters. Caleb had one son, also named Caleb, and a number of daughters. Simon had six sons, Ebenezer, Harvey, James, Homer, David, Talma, and three daughters, Ruth, Hannah and Phebe.

Three brothers of the name of Colver came from France and settled in this country. By some of them the name was spelled Culver. It is supposed that all the families of that name in this section of country descended from these brothers. Some of them settled in the western part of Massachusetts, and the historical accounts of the early settlers of that State speak of a family who spelled the name Colver. Elisha Colver was a descendent of one of these three brothers. He lived at one time near the old Baptist Church near Spencer's Corners, and at one time on a farm afterward owned by Noah Gridley, called the Eggleston farm. He and his wife were members of the Episcopal Church. He was a Justice of the Peace under King George the Third, and used to do a great deal of the legal writing for the inhabitants of the town. In the family of Alanson Colver is a deed drawn up by him 117 years ago. He had three sons, Elisha, Jr., Joseph and John, and four daughters, Hannah, Sarah, Martha and Polly. His son, Elisha, mar- ried Betsy Ketcham, and had three sons, Henry, Elisha and Hiram. The first went south, the sec- ond went to Brooklyn, and Hiram became a sea captain and died on his passage from Batavia to Philadelphia. His son, Joseph, married Miss Reed, a relative of James Reed, of Salisbury, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. John Colver became a Methodist minister. He was received into the Methodist Church July 8, 1788, and was licensed as an exhorter by the Rev. John Blood- good, July 31, 1790. He was accepted as a local preacher by Rev. Freeborn Garretson, August 7, 1791. He was ordained Deacon by Bishop Asbury, July 14, 1793, and as Elder, May 17, 1829. He was an ordained minister for 44 years, and was 72 years, 5 months and 20 days old when he died, July 23, 1835. When he began to preach there were but few Methodists in this part of the coun- try. He used to hold his meetings in private houses, school houses and barns, as the Methodists had no church in the town. Besides preaching here he held services in the surrounding towns.

From his journal it is learned that he married over two hundred couples, and it is supposed he

preached over eight hundred funeral sermons. He was preacher at the time of the epidemic in Ancram when the death rate averaged three per week.

Thomas Haywood came to this town about the year 1802. He had five sons and nine daughters, the most of whom, together with himself and wife, were members of the Methodist church. At his house were held once a fortnight the services of the itinerant Methodist preachers. About this time a man named Williams died and gave his property to School District No. 3, for the erection of a school house. Toward this project Thomas Haywood agreed to give $50.00, provided the district would build a house large enough for re- ligious services. The offer was accepted and in 1807 the school house was built. Mr. Haywood was a resident of this town twelve or fourteen years, when he moved to Pleasant Valley, where he died.

Josiah Halstead lived on what was known as the Wilcox Place. He was a blacksmith and worked at his trade. Before the year 1800 he moved to the town of Ancram, near the line, where he en- gaged in farming. He had six sons, Benjamin, John, Samuel, Joel, Joseph and James, and three daughters, Nancy, Betsey and Lavina. John was a man of considerable ability. He studied medi- cine under Dr. Dodge, and died of consumption when young.

Elisha Driggs came from Middletown, Conn. He was a tanner and currier, and lived on the James Halstead place. He married Charity Dakin, a daughter of Joshua Dakin, and moved to near Cooperstown about the year 1800.

Among the prominent families of North East was that of the Winchell's, descendants of Robert Winchell, who came to Dorchester, Mass., as early as 1634, and removed to Windsor, Conn., about 1635. He died January 21, 1669, and his wife died July 10, 1655. The first to settle in this town was James Winchell who located on what is known as Winchell Mountain, in 1760. He came from Turkey Hills to North East a little before at- taining his majority. His father, Martin, is said to have aided him in effecting a location. Wheth- er from a love of mountain slopes and mountain summits, imbibed from a residence upon the flanks of the "Turkey Hill Mountain, " or "Copper Mountain, " or from a shrewd intuition of the ex- traordinary attraction of the soil and the situation, James and his father seem to have alighted upon a mountain farm which certainly must have appeared in their day infinitely less inviting than the industry of three generations has made it. "Winchell Moun-

241

TOWN OF PINE PLAINS.

tain," so called from the family which has contin- ued to possess and cultivate its surface, is one of the ridges of the Taconic range. The summit is a fertile plateau, about half a mile in width. In the middle of this, on the highway from Salisbury to Rhinebeck, James erected his dwelling, the traces of which are now extinct. He took an active part in the measures which resulted in the independency of the States, and was one of the principal supporters of the cause of Liberty in the town and county of his residence. His death was caused at the early age of thirty-nine, by camp fever taken from a suf- fering soldier whom he quartered one night in his house. He was buried in the public cemetery "on the mountain," within a few rods of his home. He was born at Turkey Hill, Conn., in 1741, and died February 13, 1778.

From him descended Martin Ezer, Philo Mills, John, Aaron Ely. Martin Ezer had five sons, James Manning, Abraham, Horace, Lewis, Rensselaer, George R., and six daughters, Mary, Sylvia, Thirza, Elmira, Louisa, and Sally Emmeline.

Of these children James Manning was a Baptist minister in Boston. He was graduated from Brown University in 1812, and was licensed to preach by the Baptist church in North East, October 4th of that year. In June, 1813, he was ordained at Bristol, R. I. On the 14th of March, 1814, he was installed pastor over the First Baptist Church in Boston, "where he accepted the difficult position of successor to the great Dr. Skellman." He died Feb. 22, 1820.

Abraham was a lawyer of some prominence. He was educated at Yale, studying there in 1815- 17, and at Harvard College. He studied law for three years under General James Talmadge, of Poughkeepsie, and settled in his native town, but seems not to have made any great efforts to secure a large practice. He was remarkably well read in law, and would have made an excellent judge. He possessed a calm judicial mind, regulated at all times by the keenest sense of justice and the purest principles of morality. He died in Dryden, N. Y., April 4, 1843.

Horace Winchell, father to Alexander Winchell, the celebrated geologist and scientist, was born in North East August 12, 1796. He inherited a competency from his father, but manifested throughout his life a contempt of secular posses- sions, and devoted himself to labor in the cause of humanity and ecclesiastical reform. Destined by his father for a collegiate education, he completed the preparatory course at a somewhat famous clas-

sical school, conducted by the Rev. Daniel Parker, at Ellsworth, in Sharon, Conn., but becoming dis- satisfied with certain tenets and practices of the Baptist church, of which he had been a member from the age of twelve, he became absorbed in the effort to correct reforms within his church, and finding this impracticable, he set himself to his life-long endeavor to reform the ecclesiastical world at large. He labored by personal appeals, by pub- lic addresses, and by printed works. He died June 26, 1873.

James Winchell was born March 5, 1763. He settled, originally as a carpenter, in the valley east of Winchell Mountain. On Ten Mile River which flowed past his residence-at first a simple-framed dwelling, afterward enlarged to an elegant man- sion-he built a large flouring mill, which he con- tinued to run for many years in connection with his farming operations .* By industry and good management, he accumulated a large estate which he expended liberally in the cause of education and of the church. His parents and all his ances- try had belonged to the Presbyterian or Congrega- tional church. In 1773, however, the influence of the revival spirit inaugurated by Whitefield, result- ed in the establishment of a Baptist society in North East, and in 1775 a chapel had been opened on a site which is now embraced in the south part of the burial ground, half a mile west of Spencer's Corners. In the enlargement of his residence in 1826-7, he fitted up a large room in the second sto- ry, where the society were in the habit of holding their meetings, during the winter months. In 1829 a new brick meeting house was built at Spencer's Corners, costing about $4,700. "Toward this sum there was received from the society about $750.00, and from Deacon James Winchell $1,700." During the same year through his influence and liberality a scholarship was raised, and a room fur- nished for the Theological Seminary at Hamilton, N. Y. He lived a pure and useful life, and died in North East, April 8, 1834, and was buried near Spencer's Corners. His real estate was be- queathed to the church for the support of her min- istry.

Philo Mills Winchell, born in North East, Octo- ber 14, 1767, was another prominent citizen of the town. He united with the Baptist church in North East in 1786, and soon took rank among the most promising members. In 1829 he was elected to the Legislature of the State, and proved himself a

* Subsequently, for 18 years, he rented the mill to Alexander McAll- ister.

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

competent and useful member. He died April II, 1833.

John Winchell, born in North East July 31, 1794, was a farmer of some importance. His children were Harriet, James Marcus, Philo Mills, Caroline, Homer. He died March 4, 1876.

James Marcus, one of the sons, now living in Millerton, was born in this town June 11, 1818, and has passed his life mainly in farming pursuits. The farm of his family at one time embraced part of the present site of Millerton. He was a con- tractor in the construction of the Harlem and other railroads through this vicinity.

A prominent member of this family, and one of the most eminent natives of North East, is Alexan- der Winchell,* the celebrated geologist, whose writings are widely known both in this country and in Europe.

Alexander Winchell, son of Horace, was born December 31, 1824. He was at first destined for the profession of medicine, and after acquiring a primary education, went in November, 1838, to South Lee, Mass., where he remained two years, attending the Stockbridge Academy in the summer, and the village school during the winter. In 1840 he returned to North East and began teaching in the common schools of the town. In 1842 he en- tered Amenia Seminary, graduated in the teachers' course, and received the diploma in July, 1844. In September of that year he entered the Sophomore class, Wesleyan University, from whence he was graduated in August, 1847, and accepted a posi- tion as teacher of Natural Sciences in Pennington Male Seminary, N. J. In 1848 the chair of Natural Sciences at Amenia Seminary was proffered him, which he accepted in August of that year. De- cember 5, 1849, he was married to Miss Julia Fran- ces Lines, of Utica, N. Y. From Amenia he went to Newbern, Hale county, Ala., in October, 1850, to take charge of an Academy at that place. In 1851 he assumed charge of the " Mesopotamia Female Seminary, at Eutaw, Ala., where he entered at once upon that course of scientific investigation which had always been the unrealized vision float- ing before his mind. Here he remained until 1853, when, having been elected President of the " Ma- sonic University " at Selma, Ala., he sold out his affairs at Eutaw, and in July entered a new field, which proved to be an important step forward. This institution suddenly suspended operations on account of the ravages of the yellow fever in the

vicinity, and he then accepted the position of Pro- fessor of Physics and Civil Engineering in the Uni- versity of Michigan, November 16, 1853, and entered upon his duties January 24, 1854. In 1855 the University created the chair of Geology, Zoology and Botany, to which Prof. Winchell was transferred in July of that year. In 1859 he was State Geolo- gist of Michigan, and editor and publisher of the Michigan Journal of Education. In August, 1872, he was elected to the Chancellorship of Syracuse University, and entered upon his duties January 17, 1873.

Professor Winchell was, perhaps, the very first scientist in America who descended before popular audiences from that high-caste and stately, but dry and unpopular, style in which the older scien- tists had thought it fit to cloak the dignity of science. Prof. Winchell has been also a popular and volum- inous author. Among the numerous works which have emanated from his able pen are "Leaves from the Book of Nature," (1858), "Voices from Na- ture" (1863), "Geological Surveys" (1867), "The Geology of the Stars" (1873), "Sketches of Crea- tion " (1870), and "Sparks from a Geological Hammer," published in 1881. The "Sketches of Creation " had, perhaps, the largest sale of any scientific work ever published in America. His work on "Preadamites," published in April, 1880, was received with universal favor, both as a literary production and for its scientific importance.

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History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 47

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