History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 79

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 79

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May 1, 1829, the office was removed to Main street, to the site of the old Carman building, which occupied the site of the building now owned by M. Schwartz, erected about a year ago. Mr. Parsons, being thoroughly discouraged, now pro- posed a dissolution, as he could not live on the profits of the office, but he was prevailed on to stay as an employé, at $7 per week. This disso- lution was effected April 22, 1829. In the spring of 1832 the office was removed to the second story of the store on Main street, then occupied by Frost & Gridley.

In 1830, the paper gained a good foothold in the county and made its influence felt in local pol- itics. In the early part of 1831, several proposi- tions were made to join the press with the anti- Masonic party, but all were declined. In conse- quence, in the spring of that year, the "Dutchess Inquirer," which was started in August, 1829, by Peter K. Allen, in the building in Market street, now occupied by William McLean, was changed to "The Anti-Mason," which was published a few months by John M. Vethake and Stephen Butler and discontinued. It was soon after revived by Eliphaz Fay, and was issued a short time as "The Independence." In August, 1831, in consequence of a like refusal to join the "anti-Regency " or Jackson party, a fifth paper, "The Dutchess Re- publican," was started by Thomas S. Ranney, in conjunction with Dr. William Thomas and Richard D. Davis, the latter of whom were called "The Twins," because they furnished the capital .* In

April, 1833, Mr. Ranney united the " Republican" with the "Intelligencer," forming a co-partnership with Isaac Platt, and the first number of the united papers was issued by Platt & Ranney the last Wednesday in April, 1833, as the "Intelligencer and Republican." In the spring of 1834, the name was changed to " The Poughkeepsie Eagle." In the spring of 1837, the " Eagle" broke through the old fogy customs of the day and changed the day of publication from Wednesday to Saturday. All papers in this county had previously been issued on Wednesday. In the spring of 1839, as expanding business demanded increased accommo- dation, the office was removed to 310 Main street. In the spring of 1843, the firm of Platt & Ranney was dissolved, Mr. Platt continuing the paper. In January, 1844, the " Eagle " was united with " The Poughkeepsie Journal," as previously stated. The new paper was much enlarged and improved, and in 1850 its name was changed by the elimination of the word " Journal."

At the close of the campaign of 1860, it was thought advisable to print a daily, owing to the increased business of the city and the great de- mand for news consequent on the exciting events of that period. The first number of the "Daily Eagle " was issued Dec. 4, 1860. The venture was a success from the first.

On the night of Nov. 23, 1862, the office was destroyed by fire, which commenced in the mil- liner shop under it. Most of the material of the office was lost, except the presses. One of those was destroyed and the others considerably damaged. But by an arrangement with the "Telegraph " office the daily and weekly issues were continued. Arrangements were speedily made with the city authorities whereby the city hall was occupied for the publication of the paper until April 1, 1863, when the former quarters having been repaired and improved were reoccupied.

After a successful and harmonious partnership of twenty-one years and three months, Mr. Platt purchased the interest of his partner, Mr. Schram, and in 1865, associated with himself as partner his son, John I. Platt, under the name of Isaac Platt & Son, who issued their first paper April I, I865.

Becoming cramped .in their new quarters the firm resolved to select a site and erect a building suited to the needs of the office. In 1867, the building now occupied, No's. 10 and 12 Liberty street, was erected, and was occupied in March, I 868.

* S. P. Heermance's Reminiscences.

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Isaac Platt continued his connection with the paper till his death, June 5, 1872, at the age of sixty-nine years. His son J. F. Platt had been admitted to the firm a few years previously under the name of Isaac Platt & Sons. On the death of Mr. Platt, his sons succeeded to the sole manage- ment of the paper, and have since conducted it, publishing both daily and weekly editions, under the name of Platt & Platt. The circulation of the daily is about 1,900, and of the weekly, 1, 800. The size of the daily is twenty-six by forty-one inches, and of the weekly, thirty-one by forty-six. The paper has been conducted in the interest of the Republican party since its organization.

Several ephemeral papers were published prior to the commencement of the "Dutchess Intelli- gencer," and one which is continued through vari- ous changes to the present time. "The American Farmer and Dutchess County Advertiser" was commenced in August, 1798, by John Woods, and was continued a short time. "The Barometer " was commenced in May, 1802, by Isaac Mitchell, who subsequently changed the name to "The Po- litical Barometer," and published it as late as July, 1806, " every Tuesday morning, five doors south of the court house." In 1806, it became the property of Thomas Nelson. Its name was changed in 1809 to " The Northern Politician," and soon after it was discontinued. "The Farmer" was published here in 1806-'7. In November, 1811, Derick B. Stockholm and Thomas Brownjohn started " The Republican Herald," which was a strong supporter of Daniel D. Tompkins, who was then Governor of the State. It was continued until 1823 under the charge of Johnston Verplank and William Orr.

" The Dutchess Observer " was started May 10, 1815, by Charles P. Barnum and Richard Nelson. Nicholas Jaycocks, Nathan Myers, Jr., and Orrin Osborne were successively interested in its publica- tion until 1826, when it was united with " The Re- publican Telegraph, which was established May 5, 1824, in charge of William Sands and Isaac Platt.

The "Telegraph " was a Democratic paper. "Its issue produced a marked sensation throughout the village and county, as it was in some respects, espec- ially in appearance, far in advance of the country papers of the day, the material of the office being entirely new. The office was not owned by the publishers, as both were entirely destitute of means, but belonged to the Democratic party of the county, the funds being raised by subscription, and placed in charge of the party central committee, who es- tablished the office and were to control the politi-

cal character of the paper." This committee con- sisted of James Hooker, Leonard Maison, Abraham G. Storm, John S. Myers, Jacob Van Ness, Ebene- zer Nye and Obediah Titus, all of whom are long since dead, Mr. Storm having outlived his asso- ciates. The great political revulsion of 1824, which snatched from the Democrats a power they had wielded for twenty-four consecutive years, put an end to their control of the "Telegraph" as a party, for in the spring of 1825 they sold the estab- lishment to Charles P. Barnum.

The united papers were published under the name of "The Poughkeepsie Telegraph and Ob- server," and was successively under the charge of Charles P. Barnum, Egbert B. Killey, Aaron Low and Benson J. Lossing. It was printed in the frame building on the site of the Myers Block, just east of the drug store occupied by Brown & Doty, till their dissolution, May 15, 1881. In 1841, it was changed to "The Telegraph," and was pub- lished by Killey & Lossing. Albert S. Pease and E. K. Olmsted were afterward interested in its pub- lication. In 1856 it was united with the "Dutchess Democrat."

The " Dutchess Democrat" was the successor of " The American," which was started in November, 1845, by Augustus T. Cowman, in the interest of the American party, and was published weekly by him till 1849, on the corner of Main and Market streets, its name having, soon after its establish- ment, been changed to "The Poughkeepsie Amer- ican." In 1849, it passed into the hands of Elias Pitts,* who sold it in 1853 to Edward B. Osborne, by whom it was published under the name of the "Dutchess Democrat," in the interest of the "hard shell" branch of the Democratic party until August, 1856, when it was merged with "The Tel- egraph," which was then published in the interest of the "soft shell" branch of that party by Killey & Pease, (the widow of Egbert B. Killey, its former publisher, who died March 17, 1852, aged forty- eight, and Albert S. Pease, the present publisher of the " Saratoga Sun.")

The united papers were published under the name of "The Poughkeepsie Telegraph and Dutchess Democrat," by Osborne & Killey, (Ed- ward B. Osborne and Egbert B. Killey, a son of

* Statement of Mr. Edward B. Osborne, the present publisher. French in his Gazetteer of New York and Mr. S. P. Heermance, in his Remin- iscences, published in The Sunday Courier, both state that Isaac Tomp- kins was interested in the publication of The Poughkeepsie American ; but while the former makes him precede Elias Pitts, the latter makes him succeed him. Mr. Heermance has been a journeyman job printer in Poughkeepsie for more than half a century, and is, perhaps, as conver- sant with the general history of the Press as any man now living.

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

the former publisher of " The Telegraph,") till 1859, when Mr. Killey withdrew, and Mr. Osborne asso- ciated with himself as partner Charles J. Gaylord, under the name of Osborne & Gaylord. In 1862, Mr. Gaylord accepted a Lieutenant's commission in the 150th Regiment, and his interest in the pa- per was purchased by John H. Otis. Otis & Os- borne published it about six months, when it passed wholly into the hands of Mr. Osborne, who still publishes it weekly under the name of " The Pough- keepsie Telegraph."

In 1863, Mr. Osborne also became the proprie- tor of the "The Poughkeepsie Daily Press," which was established as "The Daily City Press," May I, 1852, by Nichols, Bush & Co., who soon after changed the name to "The Daily Press," and in 1858 sold it to Spaight, Holden & Pease, (John W. Spaight, John P. H. Holden and Albert S. Pease,) who published it but a short time. It soon passed into the hands of Mr. Pease, who published it until 1863, when Edward B. Osborne, the present proprietor, acquired possession. This was the first daily paper published in Poughkeepsie. It was published as a morning paper until it passed into the hands of Mr. Pease, in 1858. He changed it to an evening paper about a year later, and it is still published as such. There was a brief hiatus in its publication, from July 29, 1863, to August 22, 1863. May 1, 1881, the office was removed from its old location over the corner of Main and Mechanic streets to Nos. 11 and 13 Garden street.

Mr. Osborne publishes the leading, and with the exception of the "News," of Poughkeepsie, the only Democratic paper in the county. The circu- lation of the "Press" is about 500, and its size, twenty-six by thirty-seven inches. The circulation of the "Telegraph," which is published on Satur- day, is 1,850, and its size, thirty by forty-six and one-half inches.

" The Dutchess True American " was published in 1828, by Peter K. Allen. "The Poughkeepsie Casket " was published by Killey & Lossing in 1836. " The Branch" was issued a short time the same year, by Joseph H. Jackson. " The Youth's Guide," a semi-monthly, was issued in 1837 by Isaac Harrington, Jr. "The Thom- sonian," a semi-monthly, eight-page quarto, was commenced in 1839, and published in the in- terest of the Thomsonian school of medicine. It was edited for four years by Thomas Lapham, and for three years by Abial Gardner. It was printed by S. P. Heermance, who commenced the printing business in Kingston in 1828, and in 1829 removed

to Poughkeepsie, where, with the exception of a year or two, he has since resided and been en- gaged in the printing business as journeyman and job-printer. "The Temperance Lifeguard" was started in 1843 by G. R. Lyman, and was contin- ued for two or three years. "The Safeguard," also a temperance sheet, was published in 1845, by William Patton. "The Independent Examiner " was started in February, 1855, by Henry A. Gill, and was discontinued in 1858. "The American Banner " was started in 1856, by Charles J. Ackert. In 1857 it was removed to Fishkill, and there pub- lished by J. Carpenter Mills as "The Dutchess County Times." " The American Mechanic" was started in 1849 by George W. Clark. In 1850 it was removed to Rhinebeck and united with the " Gazette" of that village. "The Poughkeepsie Gazette " was published in 1859, and was edited by B. L. Hannah. "The Daily Poughkeepsian " was started as an evening paper July 1, 1863, by Hager & Holden, (Jacob Henry Hager and J. G. P. Holden, the former of whom afterward pub- lished the " Tobacco Leaf" in New York, and the latter of whom is the present publisher of the "Yonkers Gazette.") It was published in the old Morris building, (recently burned,) just west of the city hall.

The "Daily News" was established May 4, 1868, by T. G. Nichols, as a morning paper, and was conducted by him as such until July, 1871, when it was sold to Hegeman & Wilbur, (Wallace W. Hegeman and Edmund J. Wilbur,) who changed it from an independent to a Republican paper, and published it until the fall of 1872, when it passed into the hands of Hon. John O. Whitehouse, who conducted it as a Democratic paper, with Cyrus Macy as editor, until April 18, 1881, when its man- agement was assumed by "The News Publishing Company," composed of James A. Rooney, Cor- nelius F. Sweeny, Samuel P. Flagler, William T. Leary and William A. Nyce, four of whom are practical printers, and the former of whom is editor. It is published at 291 Main street, as the "Pough- keepsie Daily and Weekly News." It "will advo- cate the grand principles of Democracy," but will "be independent enough to refuse to 'speak or write according to the dictates of any master.'"

"The Dutchess Farmer" was established April 6, 1869, by Egbert B. Killey, Jr., who published it till his death, February 11, 1873, since which time it has been continued by his widow, Mrs. N. S. Killey, who is assisted in the editorial management by J. H. Swertfazer. The paper was enlarged with

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RESIDENCE OF THE LATE HON. J. O. WHITEHOUSE, POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y.

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the beginning of the second volume. It is, and has been since it was started, devoted to agriculture and to family reading. It is the only paper of its char- acter in the county. It is published every Tuesday at 283 Main street. Its circulation is 1,000; its size twenty-eight by forty-two inches-eight pages of five columns each.

" The Sunday Courier" was established Decem- ber 15, 1872, by T. G. Nichols, who still publishes it. Mr. A. G. Tobey is assistant editor and busi- ness manager. It is the only Sunday paper on the Hudson between New York and Albany. It is is- sued from Nos. 5, 7 and 9 Market street. Its cir- culation is 5,000 ; its size twenty-eight by forty-two inches.

The "Wöchentliche (Weekly) Post" was started June 26, 1878, by William Wolff, who still pub- lishes it every Saturday, in the interest of the Dem- cratic party. It is printed in German, and is the only German paper printed on the Hudson be- tween New York and Albany. It is dated Pough- keepsie and Newburgh, but printed at the former place. Its circulation is 1,500; its size, thirty- eight by forty-two.

Two other German papers were published here for very brief periods a few years since ; one by a man named Konitzko, and the other by one named Möhring.

CHAPTER XXXV.

EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND INSTITUTIONS IN POUGHKEEPSIE - THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF POUGHKEEPSIE -- PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF POUGH- KEEPSIE -- DUCHESS COUNTY ACADEMY-POUGH- KEEPSIE FEMALE ACADEMY - POUGHKEEPSIE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL-RIVERVIEW ACADEMY- COTTAGE HILL SEMINARY-THE COLLEGE PRE- PARATORY SCHOOL-COOK'S COLLEGIATE INSTI- TUTE FOR YOUNG LADIES-EASTMAN BUSINESS COLLEGE-VASSAR COLLEGE-BISHOP'S SELECT SCHOOL FOR BOYS-DR. WARRING'S BOARD- ING SCHOOL -PELHAM INSTITUTE - BOCKÉ'S SCHOOL FOR YOUNG LADIES -- THE HOME INSTI- TUTE-LITERARY SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS OF POUGHKEEPSIE -- THE POUGHKEEPSIE LYCEUM OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND MECHANIC ARTS -THE POUGHKEEPSIE LITERARY CLUB-THE POUGHKEEPSIE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE- VASSAR BROTHERS' INSTITUTE.

W E shall not deem it important to detail the history of the public schools in Poughkeepsie prior to 1843, in which year the present system, substantially, was adopted.

The act authorizing the establishment of free schools provided for the election of twelve com- missioners, who should " constitute the Board of Education for the village of Poughkeepsie," and have "the entire control and management of all the common schools of the village and the proper- ty connected therewith." Three of these were required to "visit each school once a week and render such assistance to the teachers and advice to the pupils as [might] be expedient ;" but this requirement was afterwards repealed. June 13, 1843, the following commissioners were elected : George C. Marshall, Benjamin Gile, William P. Gibbon, Ira Armstrong, Thomas Austin, Egbert B. Killey, Christopher Appleton, James Reynolds, Jr., Barnet Hawkins, Isaac Platt, David L. Stare and Henry Angevine. The latter, it is believed, is the only one who survives. On the 20th of that month the commissioners met in the room of the village trustees, and organized the first Board of Education, by chosing Wm. P. Gibbon, President, and Thomas Austin, Clerk.

The act of 1843 continued until the incorpora- tion of the city, in 1854, when its main provisions were embodied, and with some modifications have since continued in the city charter.

In 1843 the village corporation did not own a school building. The Board supplied the want by the rental of " the building formerly occupied as a theatre, situated in Market near Jay street, for the term of three years and nine months, at eighty dollars per annum ;" also "a room in the building situated on the corner of Clinton and Thompson streets," for the like rent and same term. About the Ist of August, 1843, a primary school was established in each of these places; and on the Ist of December, 1843, a third primary school was established in "a room in a coach factory at the junction of Mill and Dutchess avenue."*

The necessity for a higher grade school seems to have been felt, and in July, 1843, the Board purchased the lot on the corner of Mill and Bridge streets, and erected upon it the brick build- ing now standing there. Jan. 29, 1844, " the first grammar school for boys under the free school act in the village of Poughkeepsie" was opened in that building, with 119 "qualified scholars" in attendance, under the superintendance of Josiah I.

*Board of Education Report, 1979. Mr. Reynolds' diary. before quoted. says under date of August 21, 1843 ; "The first primary school under the Free School act was commenced in the room on the corner of Smith and Thompson streets in this village It is denominated No. 1, and one hundred children were admitted the first day. No. 2 was opened in Market street, No. 3 in Mill street, junction of Duchess Avenue, each holding 150 children."

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

Underhill, who was assisted by his son. The property has ever since been in use for school pur- poses, and is known as school No. I.

May 1, 1844, the board "rented the Primitive Methodist Church room, in Church street," and in it established a school for colored children, with thirty-five pupils in attendance. This school was continued in various rented buildings until 1875, when it was discontinued, and the pupils of that class "permitted" to enter the other schools. There has since been no distinction made on ac- count of color. In November, 1844, the Board rented a basement room in the Universalist church and there organized a fourth primary school. With the exception of the removal of some of the schools into other rented buildings, no material change seems to have been made until 1856-'7, when school No. 2, in church street, between Acade- my and Market streets, was erected, upon the site of the "old Lancaster school building." In 1858, the lot in Church street, west of Clover, was purchased, and the building now designated as School No. 3, erected. In 1861, School No. 4, in Bayeux street, was erected on a lot purchased by the city. No. 5, in North Clinton street, was erected in 1862, and the school in the rented building, on the corner of Clinton and Thompson streets, transferred to it, the Board then ceasing to occupy any of the originally rented school rooms. School No. 6, located in the Hoffman street chapel, is now rented by the Board from the Bap- tist Society, for school purposes during school hours, being reserved for church and Sunday school purposes at other times. For some years prior to 1876, Faith chapel in Union street, was rented and used for a public school, known as No. 7, but it was discontinued in that year, and the pupils transferred to other schools. No. 8 was organized in 1874, in the rented building on the corner of Main and Cherry streets, and continued there un- til the building in Cannon street was purchased and completed in 1878, when the school was trans- ferred from the rented premises. The colored school, before referred to, was designated as No. 9. No. 10 is organized and conducted at the Home for the Friendless, in South Hamilton street. No. II is located in North Clover street, and No. 12, in lower Mill street. Both the latter were organ- ized in 1873, and are in buildings owned by St. Peter's church, rented in 1873, at the noininal rent of one dollar per annum, the Board keeping the buildings insured and in ordinary repair. With the proceeds of the sale of the Duchess

County Academy property, and funds raised by the city, the High School building was commenced in 1871, and completed in 1873. It has since been used for High School and library purposes. In 1880, one of the new stores in the Whitehouse block, 523 Main street was rented and an introduc- tory school, designated No. 7, established there.

Nearly all the buildings erected for the use of the schools were originally constructed upon the plan of having on each floor one large room, in which all pupils were to be seated, with two small class rooms adjoining, into which the pupils were to pass from time to time for recitations. Ex- perience demonstrated that the best results were not obtained in the lower grades by this system, and gradually changes have been made in the buildings, until at present no class rooms exist other than in the High School. At present all pupils of the grammar or lower grades are seated with and under the exclusive control of the teacher to whom they recite, the teacher being held responsible for their conduct and advancement.

Before 1877, the only supervision had of the Schools was such as the Commissioners personally gave them. Under an act passed in that year the Board was enabled to appoint a Superintendent, who went into office Nov. 15, 1877, and has since remained in charge. His earnest efforts have ac- complished much in increasing the efficiency of the schools, and their present favorable condition is largely due to his action.

The schools are graded aud designated in pro- gressive order as-Introductory, Primary, Gram- mar and High School. The enrollment in 1845, the first year in which it is indicated, was 1, 124 ; the average monthly enrollment in 1880 was 2,406. The average attendance at the schools in 1843, was 471; in 1845, 912; and in 1880, (average monthly,) 2,020; the percentage of attendance in 1880 being 83.9. The entire seating capacity of the schools, exclusive of the Home of the Friend- less, is 2,930. The expenditures for school pur- poses in 1880 were $36,461.22.

The following are the members of the Board of Education : President, A. B. Smith ; Commission- ers, A. L. Allen, O. D. M. Baker, Henry Bartlett, G. C. Bayley, Henry Booth, B. S. Broas, C. Du- Bois, Jr., Edward Elsworth, J. I. Jackson, E. B. Parker and J. S. VanCleef ; Clerk, Russell Osborne ; Superintendent, Edward Burgess. The office of the Board is in the Library building. on the corner of LaFayette and Washington streets.

The Public Library of Poughkeepsie was estab-

MOSS ENGGO.N.Y.

VIEW OF THE HUDSON RIVE FROM RESIDENCE OF CAPTAIN

AND CATSKILL MOUNTAINS,

TING, POUGHKEEPSIE

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lished in 1840 in a building on Union street. The act of 1843, which established the free school sys- tem in Poughkeepsie, gave the Board of Educa- tion control over this library, with authority to em- ploy a librarian, and under that law it passed to the Board Sept. 12, 1843. For several years the library was located in what is now known as the " Library Building," opposite the Western Union telegraph office, though now occupied as law offices. Early in 1862, the Board leased the two south rooms on the first floor of the court house, now occupied by Judge Barnard, and into these they commenced to remove the library, April 16th of that year. There it remained until the completion of the High School building in 1873, in April of which year it was removed to the lower floor of that building, which it still occupies. The building is a hand- some brick structure, with Ohio stone trimmings, three stories high, and was erected at a cost of $40,000, including site, which cost $12,000, some $13,000 of which was realized from the sale of the old Duchess County Academy property which was transferred to the Board of Education in 1870. The two upper floors are occupied by the High School.

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History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 79

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