History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 99

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 99

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In 1847-'48, the postoffice was established here. The inhabitants had previously obtained their mail at Middlebush, where the first postoffice in this locality was established about 1824-'25, and was kept by Fancher, father of Judge Fancher, of New York. Benjamin T. Smith has been engaged in mercantile business here a year, and was appointed postmaster in the fall of 1880.

Dr. Nathaniel M. VanDuser, now in practice at Wappingers Falls, practiced medicine here from 1854 until about 1873. No other physician has located here since. Dr. Pinckney was an early practitioner near the mill between this village and Wappingers Falls.

The Presbyterian Church of Hughsonville was formed by persons who had previously attended the church at New Hamburgh. The church edifice was erected in 1840. The membership is small, and there has been no regular pastor for some years, though the pulpit is regularly supplied by Rev. Jesse E. Shafer, of Newburgh. The records of the church prior to 1874 were burned with the house of the clerk of the session, so that we are unable to trace its history.

503

TOWN OF WAPPINGER.

Low POINT.

Low Point (Carthage Landing p. o.) is a sta- tion on the Hudson River Railroad in the south- west corner of the town, 3.53 miles above Fish- kill Landing and 2.57 miles below New Hamburgh. Its name was given to designate its low lands in contradistinction from the high lands at New Ham- burgh. It contains two churches, (Episcopal and M. E.,) a district school-a brick structure twen- ty-seven by fifty-four feet, erected in 1875, and employing one teacher, one hotel, kept by Capt. Jacob Hart, one store, kept by Nathaniel Smith, the works of the Wallkill Portland Cement Co., J. Sanderson & Co., proprietors, a blacksmith shop, kept by Richard Morris, two shoe shops, kept by Samuel M. Cook and Basil Hopkins, a brick-yard, and about two hundred and fifty in- habitants.

In 1854, the second store here was built by Jacob A. Rogers. In 1855, Mr. Rogers was suc- ceeded by John H. Sturges, who continued until his death in 1870, when his wife carried on the business until the spring of 1872. Nathaniel Smith then leased the store, which still belongs to the Rogers' estate, and still carries on the business.

The postoffice at Low Point was established about 1840, and Gilbert Budd, who was an old resident of the place, was the postmaster, an office he held for a number of years. John H. Sturges, who was then engaged in mercantile business, succeeded him and held the office till his death in 1870. He was succeeded by Nathaniel Smith, the present incumbent.

James V. Mead has quite an extensive brick- yard a half mile below the village. It was first established by Gilbert D. Collins over thirty years ago and was carried on by him for several years. It was afterwards rented to different parties. In the spring of 1871, it was purchased of the Collins estate by Thos. Aldrich, who ownes three or four yards at Duchess Junction. He immediately rented it to Mr. Mead, who purchased it in Decem- ber, 1881. He employs some thirty men and makes about 1,000,000 bricks per annum. It is Mr. Mead's intention to greatly increase the capacity of the works.

There has never been a resident physician or lawyer at Low Point ; but Dr. John Pinckney ex- tended his practice here from the inception of its business career. He owned a farm about three- fourths of a mile east of the village, which is now occupied by the widow of his son John, though it was sold by the doctor to Isaac Lounsbury.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Carthage Landing, was organized in 1823, and erected their church edifice-the first in the village-in 1833. Feb. 6, 1833, it is recorded, the inhabitants of Low Point and vicinity met at the school house and de- cided " that the church to be built should be a M. E. church." The following were elected trustees : Elijah Budd, Jno. H. Brinckerhoff, Felix Shurter, Henry I. Brinckerhoff and Garret B. Brinckerhoff, the latter of whom was chosen treasurer and sec- retary of the society.

The church has preserved no records by which its history can be traced. The present pastor, Rev. Abram Davis, was appointed to this charge in April, 1881. The present membership is about fifty. The attendance at Sabbath school is about thirty. The superintendent is Abram Reynolds. It is on the charge with New Hamburgh. The first resident pastor was Rev. Merwin Lent, who was stationed here in the spring of 1879.

St. Mark's Church of Carthage Landing .- In 1865, a few ladies assembled in the shop of Mr. Taplin and formed a Sunday school, which was or- ganized by Rev. John Scarborough, the rector of the church of the Holy Comforter, in Poughkeepsie, but now Bishop of New Jersey. Mr. Scarborough also held services in Mr. Taplin's shop, but visited the place only once. The instruction then inau- gurated has been continued to the present time. Rev. Henry E. Duncan, the rector at Matteawan, next officiated here a few times, and was followed by Rev. Chandler Hare, of Lebanon, Penn., who remained about a year. Rev. George D. Johnson of Newburyport, Mass., next held services here some months.

In the meantime a church had been organized, and a house of worship was erected in 1866. The constituent members of the church at its organiza- tion numbered fourteen families, viz: Mrs. C. Ackerman, Samuel Townsend, Jno. Shurter, J. A. Taplin, Charles Adriance, Mrs. Charlotte Constan- tine, Mrs. Eleanor Sturgess, Mrs. Nicholas Rouse, Mrs. Harriet Rouse, William H. Merritt, Mrs. Alex. Bush, Samuel Robinson, Richard P. Hart and Mary A. Verplanck. The church is a neat frame structure twenty-five by sixty feet, very invit- ing in its surroundings.

On the completion of the church, the services which had occasionally been held in the district school, but generally in Mr. Taplin's shop, were transferred to it. Rev. Jno. B. Pitman, of Malone, N. Y., conducted services for a few months, and Rev. William Walsh, of Newburgh, occasionally,

504

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

when the pulpit was not otherwise supplied. Rev. Jno. Morgan, of New York, officiated a few months, and Rev. Jno. R. Livingston, then rector of St. John the Baptist church, Glenham, occa- sionally. Rev. Frederick Wm. Shelton, LL. D., received a call from the church and entered upon his duties as first rector of the parish August 20, 1867. The vestry was then composed of Gulian C. Verplanck and Jno. H. Shurter, wardens; and William S. Verplanck, Robert N. Verplanck, S. B. Knox, William H. Merritt, Charles Adriance and Charles H. Duryea, vestrymen. Mr. Shelton re- signed the rectorship May 22, 1880. Rev. Samuel M. Ackerly, of Newburgh, officiated as Mr. Shel- ton's assistant for fourteen months before the lat- ter's resignation, and continued his services until October, 188 1.

NEW HACKENSACK.

New Hackensack is a village of some two hundred inhabitants, situated in the north-west part of the town, and derives its name from Hackensack, N. J., whence came the first settlers, among whom were the Van Benschotens, the Snadikers and the Van- derbilts. The Van Benschotens, who were large land-holders in this vicinity, apparently preceded the Snadikers and Vanderbilts by many years. The name of "Elias Van Benschoten " appears in the list of inhabitants in the County in 1714, while two of that name, Elias and Teunis, appear in the list of freeholders in 1740 ; but neither the Snadi- kers nor the Vanderbilts are represented there. In 1714, Elias had a family of five, three of whom were under sixteen.

The village contains one church, (Dutch Re- formed,) a district school, one store, (F. E. Hop- son,) a grist mill and saw mill, one hotel, a black- smith shop, kept by Joseph Martin, a wagon shop, kept by Isaac Mickle, a shoe shop, kept by F. E. Hopson. The postoffice is kept in the store and Mr. Hopson was appointed postmaster about the time he took charge of the latter.

The Reformed (Dutch) Church of New Hacken- sack was organized in 1756. The services were held in private houses until 1766, when the first houses of worship was erected. No record of the original members has been preserved ; but at the time of the building of the church there were thirty-three in full communion, Capt. Cornelius Luyster and Tunis Wiltsie, as elders, and John the Baptist Kip and Adolph Swartwood, as deacons. At this time the first regular pastor was settled, Rev. Isaac Rysdyk, who also ministered to the congregations at Pough-

keepsie, Hopewell and Fishkill. He continued in the service of the churches of New Hackensack, Hopewell and Fishkill till his death, Nov. 20, 1790, and was buried in front of the pulpit at New Hack- ensack .* He was succeeded by Rev. Nicholas Van Vranken. He continued his ministrations till his death, May 20, 1804, and was succeeded by Rev. George Barculo, who remained from 1805 to 1810. Rev. Thomas De Witt then became the pastor, and remained in charge of the churches of New Hack- ensack and Hopewell until 1826, when he became the pastor of the latter church alone. After this separation of the two churches, Rev. Maurice Dwight was settled here and remained until 1833. Rev. C. Van Cleef was settled the latter year and remained until 1866. The next year Rev. Henry Ward was ordained and installed the pastor, and continues his labors with the church to the present time, (1882.) In 1834, the first church was taken down and the present one was erected. The pres- ent number of members is 160.

MYERS CORNERS.

Myers Corners, situated one and one-half miles south of New Hackensack, was once the seat of a store and tavern, but has degenerated to a mere four corners and a farming community. It derives its name from John Myers, who came here from Hol- land when a young man and took up a farm of 150 acres at these corners, about the middle of the eighteenth century.

Dr. Anthony Underhill, the only physician who has located at the Corners, came here from New York nearly forty years ago, and is still living and practicing here. He boarded during the first eleven years in the house last referred to. He married Charlotte, daughter of William Marvin, who owned a farm of some 200 acres in the vicinity, on which the doctor built the house in which he now resides. His practice extends over a wide range of country.

SWARTWOUTVILLE.

Swartwoutville, situated in the southeast corner of the town, is a hamlet of four houses and a dis- trict school, but for many years boasted a flourish- ing store. Though at present devoid of commer- cial importance, it was once the center from which radiated the most pregnant activities of Fishkill patriots during the Revolutionary period. It is intimately connected with some of the dearest and

* When the church was taken down in 1834, his remains were removed to a plot in the adjoining graveyard.

5º5

TOWN OF FISHKILL.

most sacred of Fishkill's Revolutionary associations. Here was located the ever memorable Griffin Tavern, where many of the early meetings of the patriots were held to concert measures for the public weal ; and here, too, stands the residence of Col. John Brinckerhoff, which was at different times for short periods the headquarters of Gen. Washington, and at one time of Baron Steuben and other Revolutionary officers. It is a stone building and was erected in 1738 by the gentleman named. On one of its gables, formed of brick im- ported from Holland, is the date of its erection.

" Whenever Washington was at Fishkill," says Benson J. Lossing,* "he made Colonel Brincker- hoff's his headquarters. He occupied the bedroom back of the parlor, which remains the same, ex- cepting a door that opens into the hall, which has been cut through. The Colonel's wife appears to have been one of those kind-hearted, motherly women, who are never at ease unless every one around them is comfortable ; and there is a tradi- tion in the family that she always went to Wash- ington's room after he had retired and tucked the bed-clothes around him to keep him warm. The Colonel was a religious man, and a devout member of the old Dutch Church at Fishkill Village. He was rigid in his observances of Christian duties." Colonel Brinckerhoff was born in 1702, and died March 26, 1785. He married in 1725, Jannetie, daughter of Johannes Coerte Van Voorhees, who died Nov. 11, 1792, aged 88 years.

MIDDLEBUSH.

Middlebush, situated about a mile south-east of Wappingers Falls, was an early business center, affording postal facilities for a large extent of coun- try, and an early center of religious enterprise, but now has only a cluster of houses and a hotel kept by James Keely. The first Baptist church in the town, and the second, we believe, in the original town of Fishkill, was organized here Nov. 13, 1782, by Elders John Lawrence, of Pawling, and Nathan Cole, of Carmel, with eighteen mem- bers. The services were held at the house of Abm. Van Wyck, who deeded the Society a piece of land for a site for a church and burying ground. The building of a church edifice was commenced at once. Elder Lewis was pastor of the church for several years, preaching here and at the Union meeting house at Green Haven. This church was essentially a perpetuation of the first Baptist church

in the town, which was organized prior to the Rev- olution, and had a house of worship at Gayhead, in East Fishkill, which was abandoned when the Society was formed here. But it did not prosper, and in 1826 sold the " meeting house lot " to Wm. B. Phillips, whose farm bounded it on the south. In 1830 that meeting house became the property of the Methodist church, organized that year, and was used by them as a house of worship until the present Methodist church in Wappingers Falls was erected in 1869, when it was taken down and the material used in the construction of the barn and sheds connected with that church.

The Eagle Foundry of which Disbrow & Halli- well are proprietors, is situated near the mouth of Wappingers Creek, opposite the village of New Hamburgh. Mr. Disbrow commenced to learn the trade in 1849, with Lee, Arnold & Son., who were then proprietors of the Poughkeepsie Iron Foundry. In 1852, he purchased an interest in those works which were then located in Wappin- gers Falls. Mr. Halliwell, who was master me- chanic in the Dutchess Company's print works, ac- quired an interest in 1861. In 1873, the foundry buildings were burned, and the establishment was removed to its present location, the grounds hav- ing been purchased and the buildings erected at that time.

CHAPTER XLIV.

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF FISHKILL.

F ISHKILL is intimately connected with the earliest and most sacred historic associations of the County. Its name, which is a modification of the Dutch word Vis-Kill, meaning Fish- Creek, and is derived from the creek which flows cen- trally through it, suggests a train of reflections which carry us back to the period when the white man first exchanged fraternities with the red man whom he supplanted, and within the fair domain of Duchess County, planted the first seeds of an advancing civilization, destined in the increasing generations to still further circumscribe the limits of his domain, if not eventually to completely absorb it. Later, after years of toil and privation had sanctified the principles of liberty and equality in the minds of the hardy pioneers, we see it the theater of stirring events in the drama which pre- pared the country for their perpetuation and en- joyment, and established that peace which, with unimportant exceptions, prevailed for nearly a cen-

* Historical Sketches No. 61, by Benson J. Lossing, in Poughkeepsie Eagle of Feb. 14, 1874.

506

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

tury-a period during which, mainly, the resources of the town were developed and its wealth accu- mulated.

The town was formed March 7, 1788, a cen- tury after its settlement began, and embraced a much greater extent of territory than at present. Its proportions have been curtailed at different times ; first Feb. 9, 1821, when a part of Freedom, now LaGrange, was set off. Nov. 29, 1849, the eastern portion was set off to form the town of East Fishkill ; and May 20, 1875, the town of Wappinger was formed from the northern portion. A part of Philipstown, Putnam county, was annexed March 14, 1806.

It lies in the southwest corner of the County, mainly within the angle formed by the Hudson River and the Fishkill or Matteawan Mountains, which are high, rocky and precipitous, the highest summits, Old Beacon and Grand Sachem, in the southeast corner of the town, being respectively 1,47 I and 1,685 feet above tide. North of the mountains the surface is pleasantly diversified. Broken ridges terminate abruptly on the river and form a series of bluffs from 150 to 200 feet high. Honers Hill, a rounded eminence in the north- east part, derives its name from the first settler who located upon its summit. A break in the mountains in the southeast part, opening toward the south, is known as the Wiccopee Pass, a name of varied orthography, and applied to a principal village of the Highland Indians. This pass was carefully guarded during the Revolution, to pre- vent the British from turning the American works at West Point, and to protect the military stores at Fishkill. A considerable American force was sta- tioned at its upper extremity during the campaign of 1777. The works erected for its defence during this period, occupying commanding positions, are still discernable. From the crests of the eminen- ces referred to, beacon fires flashed intelligence to the patriots of the surrounding country and warned them of impending danger.

The only important stream is the Fishkill, which enters the town in the northeast part and flows diagonally through it. It is a valuable mill stream, with numerous cascades, and gives power to many important industries. There are no less than nine dams upon it within the limits of this town, one each at Brinckerhoffville, Glenham, Growville and Tioronda, three at Matteawan, and two at Wic- copee.

The town is underlaid by the rocks of the Hud- son River group, except in the Highland region,

where the rocks of the primary system obtain. Graphite is found in the mountains south of Fish- kill Landing. A large bed of talc has been opened near the line of Putnam county and quarried as soapstone. It is both gray and white, very soft and compact, but its uneven structure and the im- bedded minerals render it of little value. Large beds of sand and clay exist adjacent to the river and are very extensively manufactured into brick below Fishkill Landing. This, indeed, is a most important industry, employing a large capital and many men, and producing nearly 50,000,000 brick per annum. The firms engaged in the brick manu- facture in this town and the capacity of each yard in 1881 is thus stated in the Poughkeepsie Daily News of April 22, 1881 :-

McLean & Co 10,000,000

Wm. D. Budd, 5,000,000

Gedney, Dow & Polhemus. 4,000,000

Aldridge Brothers

10,000,000

N. Covert .. 3,500,000

James E. Member. . 5,000,000

Theodore Brinkerhoff. 7,000,000

Fishkill is the wealthiest and by far the most populous town in the county ; while its area, 18,257 acres, is exceeded by sixteen of the twenty towns in the county. The total equalized value of its real and personal property is $3,505,241 ; while Poughkeepsie, Red Hook and Rhinebeck are the only other towns which exceed two millions. Its population in 1880 was 10,734; while no other town in the county had half that number of inhab- itants. Its soil is a clay and gravelly loam, highly productive, and adapted to a wide range of crops. The Hudson River Railroad extends through the west border of the town, and the Newburgh, Duchess & Connecticut, and the New York & New England Railroads cross it diagonally, along the valley of the Fishkill. The latter road uses the track of the Newburgh, Duchess & Connecticut road to a point a little below Wiccopee, where it deflects to the west, and connects with the Hudson River road by a curve to the north at Fishkill Landing, while the Newburgh, Duchess & Con- necticut road connects with the same road at Duchess Junction, 1.69 miles below. Monday, Dec. 12, 1881, the first regular passenger train from Fishkill Landing to Boston, over the New York & New England Railroad, left the former place, and the first car-load of freight was trans- ported across the Hudson from Newburgh to Fish- kill Landing without breaking bulk.

There are three common and five union school districts in the town. The number of children of

A.LITTLE

JOHN V. STORM.

To any one who has ever known Mr. Storm this very expres- sive and life-like engraving will readily recall him to memory. Notwithstanding his apparent freshness and life he is believed to be, to-day, the oldest male representative of the Storm family in Duchess County.

His early and mnatured manhood were spent upon lands be- longing to one of the old homesteads of the Storm family in East Fishkill, where his younger son, William J. Storm, now re- sides. The site of this old homestead still remains surrounded with trees that lift themselves toward the sunlight and hide in their branches the beautiful outlines of Wiccopee, and the Beacon heights of the Fishkill mountains, or Highlands, as their soft tracings of shadow and outline are spread out in near and distant view until lost in the valley of the Hudson.

Here Abraham Storm was born October 1, 1772, and here his son, John V. Storm, was born November 24,1800. and was married to Jeannette E. Woolley December 4, 1839. His life has been mainly spent upon a part of these ancestral acres, which he afterward inherited. Under the touch of his hand they assum- ed new forms of life, beauty and fertility, until even the pass- ing stranger would be attracted by the neatness and precision of all their surroundings.

His stahles were filled with the finest horses in the country and his fields waved with the finest wheat that grew in the rich and beautiful valley of the Fishkill.

He held, too, positions of trust and responsibility. He was a Civil Magistrate for many years, and also Supervisor of his native town, and at the organization of the Fishkill Savings Bank was director and the first president of that institution.

Mr. Storm is descended from an old and now numerous family. He stands six generations removed from Derick Storm who came to this country in 1662, from the Mayory of Borch, in Holland, and is the federal head and representative of all who hear the Storm name in America. His wife's name was Maria Picters. He was at times schoolmaster and in 1670 was Secretary of Brooklyn. Ile was town clerk of Flatbush, and was clerk of sessions in Orange county from 1691 to 1703. He owned land and paid taxes when Peter Stuyvesant was the Dutch Governor at New Amsterdam. He had sons Goris, Peter and David, and a daughter whose name was Maria. Goris married Engletie VanLyck, daughter of Thomas VanLyck, of New Utrecht, and had sons Dirok, born in 1695, and Thomas born in 1697.

Thomas Storm, grandson of the elder Dirck, and son of Goris, purchased lands of Col. Phillips, of the Manor of Phillipshurgh, in Westchester county and resided at Tarrytown, where many of his descendants still live and where he was buried. He had

seven sons and two daughters. Two of these sons died in early manhood, leaving children. By his will he gave to his grand- son Abraham, son of Jacob, one hundred pounds. And he gave also to his grand-daughters, Christina and Anna, forty pounds. Besides Thomas and Jacoh he had sons Garret, Goris, Abraham, John and Isaac. His two daughters' names were Catherine and Engletie and his wife's name was Annie. To Garret and Goris he gave by will the lands which he purchased from Madam Brett, in Rombouts Precinct, being the first pur- chase, and lying on the north side of the Fishkill, containing four hundred and six acres. To Garret he gave two hundred and four acres of these lands, and to Goris he gavetwo hundred and two acres. To bis son Abraham he gave the lands of the second purchase, excepting ten acres, lying on the south side of the Fishkill. And by his will he gave to his son Isaac his im- provements in Phillips Manor. The two brothers afterwards exchanged possessions and Isaac came to Fishkill.

This will, now on record in the Surrogate's office, in New York City, was made and executed in Duchess County, being made no doubt, at a time when he was visiting his children. It was made on the 17th day of June, 1763, and probated hefore Bartholemew Crannett, in Duchess County, on the 15th day of January, 1770. One thing can here be said of these lands, that now, after a period of more than one hundred and forty years, scarce one acre of these lands has passed out of the family name.

In so brief a paper as this only the shadow of an outline can be given of the Storm family.

Mr. John V. Storm of the sixth generation now resides in Fish- kill village, still healthy and strong and in possession of his wonted vigorous faculties.

He has three sons and four daughters. Ilis elder son, Abram J. Storm, who is a large land holder and civil engineer in Texas, was married to Miss Kate Fowler, October 29. 1878. Ilis second son, Joseph H. Storm, owning a large farm in Green Haven, Duchess County, was married to Miss Sophia Sheldon, Septeinher 4, 1867. William J. Stoim was married to Miss Isa- bell Harpell, October 11, 1872, he having two children, a soul named Harpell, and a daughter, Marguerite, Joseph Storm has two children, a son named Wilson and a daughter named Jean- nette. His daughter Elizabeth, was married January 24, 1873, to Charles A. Storm, of Hopewell. Ilis elder daughter Sarah Frances, was married June 7, 1876, to Sylvester Southard, who have one child named Jane Woolley Southard. They reside In Fishkill. His youngest daughters, Ifelen and Cornelia Storni reside with their parents.

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History of Duchess county, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 99

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