History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 73

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 73

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

the steeples and taller buildings protrude; and when the autumn has tinted them with its rich and varied tracery, it presents a scene of indescriba- ble beauty. Many of the streets are neatly paved, and most of them are lighted by gas. Its eligible situation, the salubrity of its climate, and the ad. vantages afforded by its excellent institutions of learning and religion, have led many people of wealth and culture to take up their abode here. Of its peculiar institutions and varied industries we shall speak in subsequent chapters.

The settlement of the city dates, according to the best authorities consulted, from the last decade in the seventeenth century, but in precisely what year and by whom the first settlement was made is not known. The first settlers were Dutch, and among the first, if not the first, was Baltus Van Kleeck, * who, it is generally conceded, built the first sub- stantial house on the site of the city in 1702. It was constructed of rough stone, and stood on the south side of Mill street, a little east of Vassar street. In its gables and just beneath its eaves its walls were pierced with loop-holes for musketry, as a means of defense against the Indians, who were then numerous in the county, though, such were the pacific relations which subsisted between the natives and the early Dutch settlers, its defensive properties were never called into requisition ; for, happily, this locality was free from the frightful massacres and devastating agencies which, at an early period, harassed the settlers in the Hudson Valley, and later those in the Mohawk Valley and what was then the western frontier.

This old house, around which clustered so many of Poughkeepsie's most hallowed associations " was strong enough to resist the busy fingers of decay for centuries ; but, like many another building in our changeful land, hallowed by events that touch the sympathies of our higher nature, it was com- pelled to give place to more modern structures." It stood for nearly a century and a half a venerable old relic of the long ago past ; but, having come, by inheritance, into possession of the Vassar family, it was torn down in 1835, in response to the de- mand of a progressive impulse. The rough hewn stone lintel of the main door, on which is cut the date of its erection and the initials in duplicate of the name of its original owner, is preserved in the basement wall, close to and partially below the

pavement on the Vassar street side of the resi- dence (on the corner of Mill and Vassar streets,) of the late Matthew Vassar, Jr., who was a lineal descendant of Van Kleeck, his father, John Guy Vassar, the elder brother of Matthew Vassar, the founder of Vassar College, having married Mar- garet, daughter of Baltus Van Kleeck, and great- grand-danghter of the pioneer of that name.

Little is known of the antecedents or personal history of Baltus Van Kleeck ; and of his many descendants not many are left in the county. Hc was a brother of Moriahakin, wife of John Har- berdrink or Harberling, of New York. He repre- sented this county in the Colonial Assembly from 1715 till his death in 1717, being the second rep- resentative in that body from this county. His children were: Barent, who married Antinetha Talmater ; Johannes, who married, first Alida Ter Boss, and, second, Catharine Van Der Bogart ; Lawrence, who married Jacoba Lewis, and died in 1769; Peter, who married Gertrude Lewis; Sarah, who married Peter Palmatier; and Elizabeth, who married John Kip. Descendants of his to the eight generation are now living in this county, and are numbered among its most thrifty and respecta- ble inhabitants. Mr. George M. Van Kleeck, of Poughkeepsie, father of John, Henry, Robert, Richard and Hester, wife of Jacob V. Overocker, of that city, and a great-great-grandson of the pioneer Baltus, has a diagram in his possession showing many of the descendants to the seventh generation.

Other carly settlers were Dutch families named Van De Bogart, Van Benschoten, Van De Bergh, Van Wagenen, De Graaff, Le Roy, Parmentier, Messier, Ostrom, Hogeboom, Filkins, Swartwout, Freer, Hegeman, and Livingston, and others who have been named in connection with the early land transfers in the town of Poughkeepsie. The names of most of these, though having undergone slight orthographic changes, are perpetuated to the pres- ent generation, and are borne by some of the most worthy and honored residents of the county.

The growth of the little settlement was slow. A view of Poughkeepsie in 1736 shows only eleven houses on two streets, and the Reformed Dutch Church, which was a conspicuous object in the sparse settlement now so populous and beautiful. In 1756, Smith the historian of New York, said it then scarce deserved the name of a village. But in 1715, when the construction of a court house and jail was authorized, it was made the county seat, and in 1734, when the first courts were estab-

* The true name of Baltus Van Kleeck was Balthazar Barntz. The name by which he is known to the present generation was acquired by the elimination of the surname Barntz, a common practice among the early Dutch, and the addition of the words won (from) and Klecck, (the name of the place in Holland from whence he came, )

375

CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE.

lished in the county, it was continued such because as the ordinance said, it was near the centre of the county, which was doubtless true of the settled portion of the county, which was then confined to a narrow selvedge along the west border.

In 1758, says Henry D. B. Bailey, " Poughkeep- sie made but a sorry appearance. On the south side of Main street, east of the Dutch Church and burying ground, was the residence of Paul Schanck ; his store stood adjacent the burying ground. East of his residence was the school-house, a small building painted red. West of the Dutch Church * was the court house. *

* The next building west of the court house was the Dutch parsonage, and along the sloping hillsides to the river there were some twenty houses. The Van Kleek house * was the most prom- inent hotel. * *

* On the north side of Main street, east of where the Poughkeepsie Hotel is now located, there were a few houses and stores, and west of the hotel were a few lawyers' offices, and you have all there was of Poughkeepsie in 1758." *

From a map of the village made from a survey of Henry Livingston, May 10, 1799, (in which year it was incorporated,) and now on file at the cle-k's office in Poughkeepsie, we gather much interesting and authentic information respecting the village at that early day.

The north corporation line then extended from the river a little above the mouth of Kidney's Creek, due east 37 chains, 30 links, to the point where that stream is crossed by the post-road, and thence due east 92 chains, 70 links, (in all 130 chains from the river ;) thence south 1º 30' west 135 chains, 90 links to the south-east corner of the corner of the corporation ; thence due west 130 chains to the river, at the mouth of a small stream emptying into it a little below "Ship-yard Point," nearly midway between the "Ship-yard Point " and the old Livingston House to both of which refer- ence has been made in the history of the county during the Revolutionary period.

On this old map, Main street is not laid out west of the post-road, which corresponded with Wash- ington street north of Main, and with Market street south of it. The river was reached mainly by the "Upper Landing Road," which corresponds with the lower part of Mill street, which was not opened at that time east of Washington ; the "Union Store Road," corresponding with Union street, and "Davis's road," corresponding with

Pine street, and named from Davis' store at its ter- minus on the river. At the terminus of "Union Store Road," at the Lower Landing, was a union store, which gave name to the road. At the foot of the " Upper Landing Road," was the store and mills of R. L. Livingston.

The residents of the post-road, beginning on the north, were, on the east side, T. Nelson, H. A. Liv- ingston, (the only two named till we reach Main street,) V. Barber, at the north-east corner of the post-road and Main street, Roye V. Kleeck, Bailey, - - Noxon, A. Smith, Smith, (between Main street and the "Road to John V. D. Burgh's,") - Romine, -

Myer, P. Freer, - Vielie, N. Freer, I. Freer, E. Freer, S. Freer and S. S. Freer to the south corporation line; on the west side, I. Nelson, near the north line, N. Meyer, Oferom,

Doffie, and Ellison (to Main street) Baker, Hendrickson, Allen, Cooke, Hofman, Deyo, Harris, Kip, Davis, Mott and Tappen, (to Pine street,) and I. Reade, a little back from the road, and the only one living on the west side below Pine street. On the west side of the road, nearly midway between Kidney's creek and the Fallkill, on the old Thomas Nelson property, now the estate of Mr. Orrin Williams, stood the "Gallows Tree," which Mr. William S. Morgan, of Poughkeepsie, who was born in 1807, recollects as having been standing in his early manhood. Near the junction of Main street was a tannery. An Episcopal Church stood on the site of Christ Church on the north-east corner of Church and Market streets. A little below this, on the same side, was the clerk's office. The court house stood on the pres- ent site.

The residents on Main street, then known as the "Filkin Town Road," beginning at Washington St., were, on the north, Radclift, Hofman, Davis, Van Kleek, Duykinck, Thompson, Livingston, Tappen, Clouse, Nash and Yelverton, to H. A. Livingston's Mills, at the junction of Main and Mill streets, and Everit, De Reimer, Beckwith, Seabury and M. V. Brommel to the east line, while just over the line was F. Harris, and a little north of him, E. Free ; on the south side were Bosworth, Billings, Bramble, Curry, Hobson, Caldwell and Emott to Livingston's Mills, and the last within the limits. Near the east line and back from the road was L. B. Lewis. The Dutch Reformed Church then stood opposite Market street, on the north side of Main street, on the site of the Poughkeepsie Hotel.

* Historical Sketches, 23 -- 24.

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

On the " Upper Landing Road," on the north side, resided DeGraff and Bayeux, the only ones named, and on the south, Bowman and B. Van Kleeck. On the west side of a road correspond- ing with Bridge street north of Mill, lived two families named Lansing, the southerly one being P. Lansing. No other residents are named north of the Upper Landing Road and west of the Post Road within the corporation.

On the north side of the Union Store Road, near Market street, (or on the south side of what is now Main street, west of Washington,) lived a man named Brower. On the same side of the road, and near the river lived M. Tappen, North and Everson, with a pottery between the former two. On the south side were Arden, McKeen and Johnson in the central part, and Carpenter, near the river.

On the north side of " Davis's Road," near Market street, lived families named Myer and Oak, but none on the south side. I. Stevens lived a little north east of "Shipyard Point," and was the only one named south of " Davis's Road" and west of the Post road.

On the south side of Cannon street were families named Smith, Nott, Cooke, Thomas and Weaver(?) while in the angle formed by Academy and Cannon streets stood the old academy. On the east side of Academy street, which was then opened only to Montgomery street, lived families named Smith and Grahain ; and south of Montgomery street, (which then together with Southeast Avenue formed the "Road to John V. D. Borgh's,") near what was then the south terminus of Academy street, lived a family named Whitehouse. These, with a family named Boyce, living on the west side of Southeast Avenue, near the south corporation line, were the only others living (or named,) in the territory com- prising the sixth ward and half of the fourth ward. N. Freer lived just south of the corporation line, a little east of the Post Road. West of Smith street, (then called the "Road from Crom Elbow Creek,") nearly midway between Main street and the cor- poration line, lived a family named Norris ; and on the east side, near the corporation line, one named S. Freer. These, with the exception of those named on the east side of the Post Road, (Washington St.,) and on the north side of the "Filkin Town Road," were the only ones living in the corporation in the angle formed by those roads, comprising the pres- ent fifth ward and the third, except that part lying between Bridge and Washington streets.

The Post Road, south from the corporation line,

extended through the lands of Henry Livingston, and on this, near the head of "Rust Plaets Kill," lived William Freer, while near the river, at the mouth of that stream, lived T. Mitchel. Further south on the Post Road was the H. Livingston place, and still further south, the residence of E. Paine.

The tax list of the village of Poughkeepsie for J805 contains 368 names. The entire assessment of real and personal property was $399,650, and the rate of tax four mills on each dollar, making the entire amount of tax collected, $159.86. At that time the population may be supposed to have been about 2,500, as in 1810 it was 2,981. In 1849, at which time the population had increased to 11,080, the corporation expenses amounted to $16,096.80, which was a fair average as they appeared from year to year .* Thus while the popu- lation had increased only about four-fold, the cor- poration expenses had increased more than a hun- dred-fold. In 1880, when the village had more than a quarter of a century before become a city, and the population had increased to 20,207 inhabi- tants, while the equalized valuation of its real and personal estate had increased to $ 11,833.167, more than a fourth of the entire valuation of the county, the municipal tax had increased to $245,339.01, and the State, County and City tax combined, to $317,203.20.

In the same book in which appears the tax list for 1805, is the following somewhat remarkable document, which, we may venture to say, was among the first temperance efforts put forth in this County. Coercion however was substituted for moral suasion, which is now the prevalent aggres- sive weapon. We quote :-

" To MR. JOHN N. CARMAN :--

Pursuant to an Act of the Legislature of New York entitled An Act concerning the estates of habitual drunkards, passed March 10, 1821, we do hereby des- ignate and describe [here follow thirty names of per- sons] of the town of Poughkeepsie, Duchess County, in said State, to be habitual drunkards, and we here- by require you not to give or sell under any pretence, in any way or manner, spirituous liquors to said drunkards, except by direction or on the certificate of a regularly licensed physician, that the same is necessary for the preservation or recovery of the health of said drunkard, under the penalty for every offence of the sum of ten dollars.

JOHN NELSON, Overseers of ROBT. C. NOXON, S the Poor."

" N. B .- The names of those that give suffi- cience of a thorough reformation will be blotted out of this list."

* The Sunday Courier, of Poughkeepsie, Feb. 2, 1873.

377

CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE.

In 1812, the village which was then growing rapidly, had a population of about 3,000, five churches, (a gain of three since its incorporation in 1799,) four hundred and twenty-two inhabited dwellings, (many of the older ones of stone but the later ones of wood or brick,) forty-nine stores, shops, &c., an academy, two well-sustained week- ly newspapers, (the Poughkeepsie Journal and Republican Herald,) Paraclete Potter's (now Ar- chibald Wilson's,) book-store, an "elegant and spacious " hotel, (the Poughkeepsie Hotel,) then recently built, and "five serpentine roads" con- nected the village on the plain "nearly a mile east " with the river. Its commerce employed "eight large sloops or packets," which sailed weekly to New York .*

The war of this period was a disturbing element, and here, as elsewhere, where the opinions touch- ing the questions at issue were sharply defined, tended to retard the development of its industries, thougli in some respects, perhaps, it stimulated for a time an abnormal development. This was es- pecially true of domestic manufactures, which were fostered by the heavy duties imposed on im- ports for purposes of revenue. On the restoration of peace and the removal of these import duties the country was flooded with foreign goods; man- ufacturing industries consequently became stag- nant. The large imports which followed depleted the country of specie. The currency greatly de- preciated, values were affected, and trade and commerce were generally disturbed.

In 1824, however, the village had made some progress. The number of its houses, stores and shops had increased to six hundred. It had the same number of churches, (one each for the Methodists, Baptists, Friends, Episcopalians and Presbyterians, t) a bank, a Lancasterian school, in addition to the academy, three cotton factories, "two extensive breweries and a distillery," and two or three printing establishments. It had the same number of "serpentine roads" leading to the landings, but its commerce required "ten large sloops or packets.";

The population was then about 5,000. None of the streets were paved, except Main, from Aca- demy to Washington, and Cannon, from Academy to Market. Its commerce was carried on by

sloops of about one hundred tons burden, and four of these left for New York each week. Steamboats landed at the foot of Main street every night, to take passengers for New York or Albany, but many people still traveled by sloops. The thoroughfares which were regarded as streets were few, only Main, Market, Cannon, Academy, Wash- ington, Mill and Union being considered any- thing more than roads. Two-thirds of the streets which were in use forty years later were not opened, but occupied what was then an agricultural coun- try .*

One decidedly marked event occurred this year (1824.) Gen. LaFayette,the distinguished French- American patriot, who visited this country that year as the nation's guest, to review the scenes and services of his younger days and renew the pleasing acquaintances then formed here, honored the little village with his presence, on his trip up the Hudson from New York to Albany. He ar- rived in New York, in company with his son and secretary, on the 15th of August, in the packet ship Cadmus, preferring, with his customary sim- plicity, the accommodations of an ordinary pas- senger in a packet ship to those of a United States frigate, which the Government had tendered him.

After a most brilliant reception in New York, he embarked on the steamboat James Kent, which was chartered by that city for the occasion, and after a brief detention at West Point and Newburgh, arrived at Poughkeepsie at half-past two o'clock in the morning. His approach was announced by the discharge of cannon from the bluff just below the landing ; upon which also, a fire from large piles of seasoned wood, saturated with tar and turpentine, which was kindled and fed by hundreds of boys who were entrusted with the duty, blazed high and filled the air with lurid smoke till daylight.

The expected arrival of the distinguished noble- man had filled the streets with people. There was a constant stream of wagons and carriages coming in from all parts of the country, and whole regi- ments, as it were, of young men galloping in on horse-back. Before the dawn of day all the mili- tary, consisting of one company of artillery, one of cavalry, two of infantry and one of riflemen, were in line in full uniform. Gen. Brush and staff, Gen. Davies and staff, Gen. VanWyck and staff, and Col. Cunningham with the regimental staff of the 84th, were also out in full uniform and mounted. All were on Kaal Rock at the first

. Spafford's Gazetteer of 1815. 276 : Vassar College and its Founder, 28.

t No mention is made of the Reformed Dutch Church, and singularly enough, for it had then had a continued existence of a century. Hence it would appear that there were six instead of five churches.

+ Spafford's Gazetteer, of 1824, 425, 426.

* Isaac Platt, in the Poughkeepsie Eagle of May 5. 1944

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

gleam of day, and the General was saluted by a battery of artillery while still on board the steamboat, which displayed the flags of various nations.

On landing, LaFayette accompanied by Gens. Van Courtland, Fish and Lewis and Col. Huger, of South Carolina, (the latter of whom was noted for his attempt to rescue the Marquis from the prison of Olmutz,) was conducted to a splendid barouche drawn by four white horses, and escorted through Main, Academy, Cannon and Market streets to the Forbus House, where he addressed and inspected the military, and listened and feel- ingly replied to an address of welcome tendered him by Col. H. A. Livingstone. As he passed down the lines of military he recognized an old soldier, and regardless of the signs of poverty his appearance displayed, cordially shook his hand. After receiving the respects of the ladies in the central hall of the hotel, where they impatiently awaited an opportunity to greet him, he was es- corted to the Poughkeepsie Hotel, where an ex- cellent breakfast was served. Opposite LaFayette, who sat at the head of the table, sat Major Swart- wout, a soldier of the Revolution, then ninety-five years of age. The intermediate seats were occu- pied by some of the most prominent residents of the village, among whom were James Tallmadge, Thomas J. Oakley, James Emott, Henry A. Liv- ingston, Smith Thompson, Matthew Vassar, Gen. Brush, Paraclete Potter, Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, Alexander J. Coffin, John Armstrong, Jr., Dr. Thomas, and that " Nature's nobleman," Walter Cunningham, who acted as marshal of the day.

LaFayette and his party re-embarked at ten amid salutations of artillery and musketry and other demonstrations of joy and proceeded to the beau- tiful residence of Gov. Morgan Lewis, at his county seat at Staatsburgh, where they partook of a sump- tuous collation; and thence, after touching at Kingston, proceeded to Clermont, the residence of Chancellor Livingston .*

In 1829, the population of Poughkeepsie was about 7,000. There were three weekly newspapers, all issued on Wednesday. " By such an arrange- ment," says S. P. Heermance, " the people of the village and county received news but once a week. The reason assigned for issuing all the papers the same day was to accommodate the mail carriers and to have them all carried around the village at one time by the same carrier. John Cornish was

the carrier. It was a long time before the astute publishers discovered that each office might circu- late more papers, and at the same time accomo- date the public, by choosing different days of the week for publication."

Gordon, in his Gazetteer, published in 1836, gives us a most minute description of the village, which was, he says, " one of the handsomest and most thriving of the State." The village plot con- tained about 1,768 acres, upon which some forty streets were laid out, several of thein well paved and compactly built upon. Many of the stores in Main street " might be admired in Broadway," whilst many dwellings in more private parts of the town showed "wealth and taste." On the Ist of January, 1835, there were seven hundred and eight dwellings, seven churches, (Baptist, Episco- pal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed and two Quaker,) an academy, a Lancasterian school, a powder house, two markets, four banks, with an aggregate capital of $850,000, (the Bank of Pough- keepsie, Duchess County Bank, Farmers' and Manufacturers' Bank and the Poughkeepsie Sav- ings Bank,) the Poughkeepsie Whaling Co. and Duchess Whaling Co., each with a capital of $200,- ooo and two ships at sea. April 10, 1835, a com- pany was incorporated for the manufacture of silk, with a capital of $200,000, and were "pursuing their object with great spirit." There were ten licensed physicians, twenty-one practising attor- neys, eighteen dry goods stores, thirty-five grocer- ies, two china and crockery stores, four jewelry stores, three book, two drug, three hardware, six hat and cap, three chair, eight boot and shoe, nine millinery and four merchant tailor stores, twelve tailor shops, seven saddle and harness-making es- tablishments, three establishments for wagon and carriage making, three printing offices, each issuing a weekly paper, two tanneries, two leather stores, two tallow chandleries, two furnaces, two marble and stone yards, two ship yards, two brick yards, three machine shops, three tobacco and cigar manufactories, five stove and tin-ware establish- ments, two furniture ware-rooms, one brewery, two malt-houses, one pump and block factory, one Ve- netian blind factory, five cooper shops, nine black- smith shops, eight public houses, fifteen victualing shops, three plow factories, four freighting estab- lishments, two potteries. There were on the Fall- kill, in addition to the industries already mentioned, four flouring mills, one dye-wood mill, one saw mill, one cotton factory, one pail factory, two build- ings used as machine shops, in which were four

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History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 73

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