USA > New York > Herkimer County > History of Herkimer county, New York > Part 32
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The manufacture of piano cases is assuming large proportions, and in 1893 there will be an output of over 2,000.
Negotiations are now in progress by which a large silk mill, a ma- chine shop, a woolen factory, a foundry, and a brickyard will all be started here in 1893.
The Dolgeville Coal Company was started in 1892 with a cash capital of $20,000. It has built large coal sheds, with all the latest appliances, near the terminus of the Dolgeville Railroad.
The Dolgeville Electric Light and Power Company was organized in 1891 with a cash capital of $25,000. At its first annual meeting it declared a dividend of six per cent.
Wheeler Knapp carries on a steam saw and planing- mill, which he built in 1885; it was burned in 1886, and rebuilt. There is also a cheese factory located here.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Brockett's Bridge was organized in 1811, and a church edifice was built in the same year on grounds donated by John D. Spofford. It was a frame structure and for many years was used as a Masonic Temple and Good Templars' Hall ; it is now in use as a barn. In 1841 a brick church was erected here by the Christian denomination and used by them about twenty years, when the Methodist society purchased it. The present pastor is Rev. Will- iam Watson. A Free church was erected in 1856, through the efforts of abolitionists; it is now in use as a skating rink. An Episcopal chapel was organized in 1891, and recently a handsome church was built on Dolge avenue. A Universalist society was organized in 1892 and is in flourishing condition. Roman Catholic services are held here at intervals, and the members of that church purpose the erection of a chapel in the near future. There are now located at Dolgeville ten
340
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
general merchandise and grocery stores, a bank, four butcher shops, one firm of contractors, two hardware stores, one dry goods store, two boot and shoe stores, one grist-mill, one feed store, two watchmakers, three insurance agents, two civil engineers, three physicians, two den- tists, one lawyer, two blacksmith shops, four hotels, seven saloons and liquor stores and two bottling establishments.
The opening of the railroad between Little Falls and Dolgeville in the winter of 1892 has given a new impetus to the rapid development of the little village, and with the new enterprises which have recently been started will undoubtedly largely increase its population. The road has been in course of construction for the last three years and cost nearly a half million of dollars. By it Dolgeville has direct communi- cation with New York, Boston and Chicago.
Perhaps the feature of life at Dolgeville which has most attracted general public attention to it is the " Earning Sharing " system, which Mr. Dolge has had in operation with his employees for the last sixteen years. This system comprises an insurance plan and endowment fund, a pension fund and is supplemented by a sick fund and mutual aid so- ciety. By the insurance plan employees after each five, ten and fifteen years of consecutive service, get a policy of insurance for $1,000. The firm pays the premiums. The amount of insurance carried by the firm for its employees was in December, 1892, over $200,000.
By the pension plan employees after various terms of service can re- tire on from forty to one hundred per cent. of the wages earned the last year of their service.
By the endowment fund employees are annually credited with their share of all money earned by them over and above their wages by superior skill, acuracy or the invention of new machinery or improve- ments. This sum draws six per cent. interest and is paid them when sixty years of age, or to their families at their death.
In his various plans for the welfare of his employees Mr. Dolge has already expended over a quarter of a million dollars.
The story of Dolgeville is a romance. That out of a forlorn little settlement of scarcely 300 souls on the verge of the great Adirondack wilderness a prosperous, intelligent and law abiding community of over 2,000 persons, with leading industries, excellent schools, a widely read
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TOWN OF MANHEIM.
newspaper, a railroad, have all been built up within a few years in the face of the most tremendous obstacles, by a young German who landed in this country without a dollar and ignorant of our language, is surely something of which Herkimer county, and indeed the State of New York, can be proud. Dolgeville has been the life work of one broad minded, public spirited man of ceaseless energy, vast enterprise and most indomitable industry. That he was aided by many others firm of purpose, strong in character and distinguished in ability, is undoubt- ed, but it was the conspicuous qualities that made Alfred Dolge a born leader of men, that attracted such men to him, enlisted their sympathy, aroused their enthusiasm and bound them to him withi something more than the ordinary bond of self- interest and personal advancement.
Ingham's Mills .- This small village is situated on East Canada Creek, near the southwestern part of the town. The first improvements made at this point were by Colonel William Feeter, who built a saw and grist- mill about the year 1802 The grist- mill is still standing and in oper- ation, and is one of the oldest mills in the county. Adam Feeter, son of William, settled here also, and took the mills after his father. Alonzo Ingham settled here in 1808, and built a carding and cloth-dressing mill adjoining the grist-mill. Harvey Ingham came here in 1820, and from him the place takes its name. The first store was kept by Thomp- son & McAllister in 1818. In 1842 Samuel Sadler came to the place and bought the mills of H. H. Ingham, and from him the grist mill passed into possession of his son, J. D. Sadler, who now runs it, and also a store. The carding-mill was changed to a cider-mill. An oil- mill for the manufacture of linseed oil was conducted by Ezra and Howard Sampson, and later by D. S. Ingham. The saw-mill was changed to a cheese-box factory and is now operated by J. B. Sadler, who also keeps a hotel. The wood bridge here was built by Calvin Ransom in 1829, and the iron bridge in 1889. The post office was es- tablished in 1862, with Erastus Ingham as postmaster ; the present postmaster is Merril Guile.
A Baptist society was organized here in 1818, and Rev. Augustus Beach was the first pastor. Meetings were held in the school-house near by, and over in Oppenheim, until 1841, when the present stone
342
HISTORY OF HIERKIMER COUNTY.
church was erected. On the roth of January, 1842, a society was reg- ularly incorporated, with the following trustees : Nathan Brown, Joseph Hewett, John P. Claus, George S. Allen, Leonard L. Bauder, Harvey Ingham, David Snell, Henry Shaul, and Stephen Bowen. The church has always maintained services with reasonable regularity. Rev. J. G. Guller is the present pastor.
In 1856 a Methodist society built a church in district No. 5, and irregular preaching has been kept up.
Several years previous to the Revolution Suffrenus, Peter, Joseph and Jacob Snell, of Snell's Bush, made a donation of seven acres of land for a church lot and twelve acres for school purposes. A church was built there and burned in the Revolution, but was afterwards rebuilt. It stood until 1850, when it was taken down and the present edifice erected ; it is known as the Reformed Dutch church. The school- house in that district occupies the school lot, but cleven and one half acres of the lat- ter were transferred by the Legislature to the church. Rev. Caleb Alex- ander made a missionary tour through the county in 1801, and wrote : " Between Fairfield and Little Falls is a Dutch settlement called Man- heim ; rich farms, a meeting-house and a minister."
On September 1, 1821, a religious society was incorporated at Rem- ensneider's Bush, under the name of the German Evangelical Society of the County of Herkimer. In 1822 a frame church was built on six acres of land donated by persons of the Lutheran and Reformed denon- inations. Rev. John P. Spinner was pastor of this society at the time of its organization. The name of the society was changed in 1847 to the Dutch Reformed and Lutheran Union Church. The building was remodeled and improved in 1853.
343
TOWN OF DANUBE.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE TOWN OF DANUBE.
T HE town of Danube was not formed until April 17, 1817, previous to which time it was a part of the town of Minden, Montgomery county ; but it was settled almost as early as any part of Herkimer county. Previous to March 18, 1828, it embraced what is now the town of Stark. It is bounded on the north by the Mohawk River ; on the east by the town of Minden, Montgomery county ; on the south by Stark, and on the west by Little Falls. Along its northern border are the river flats, but the central and southern parts are hilly, rising from 400 to 800 feet above the Mohawk, and broken by ravines on both sides of Nowa- daga Creek. The soil in the northern part is a gravelly loam, inclining to sandy loam in the southern parts. It is well adapted to grazing. Nowadaga Creek is the principal stream, and flows across the town in a northeasterly direction, with a rapid fall. Loyal Creek and other small streams are tributary to it. There are several springs in the town that are impregnated with sulphur. The town embraces nearly the whole of Lindsay's patent and parts of Vrooman's, Colden's, Van Horne's, and Lansing's patents, with small portions of Fall Hill, Vaughn's, and L'Hommedieu's patents.
The town will always be memorable in history as containing the site of the upper Mohawk Indian Castle, the home of the celebrated Mo- hawk chief, King Hendrick, and the home and tomb of General Nich- olas Herkimer. The site of the Castle was just east of the Nowadaga Creek, a little distance from the river, and near where the old Castle church now stands.1 Hendrick's residence stood upon elevated ground immediately in the rear of the site of the residence now occupied by Willis L. Greene, opposite the Castle church.
1 The following description of the fort was written in 1758: "It is a square of four bastions, of upright pickets, joined together with lintels. They are fifteen feet high, about one foot square, with port holes inserted from distance to distance, with a stage all round to fire from. The fort is one hundred paces on each side. It is surrounded with a ditch. There are some small pieces of cannon at each of its bastions, and a house at each curtain to serve as a store and barrack. Five or six families of Mohawk Indians reside at the fort."
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
The Indian Castle church is one of three mission churches built sev- eral years previous to the Revolution under the auspices of Sir William Johnson. It was built in 1769. In 1772 Sir William speaks of having erected a church at his own expense at "the Canajoharies " (alluding to this church), and laments that it is in great measure useless, in con- sequence of his not being able to secure a missionary for it. The build- ing is still standing and used for a church, with the original bell in the steeple, and is one of the most interesting historical structures in the county. When first built it stood sidewise to the road ; but about 1830 the old boards were torn off and replaced with new; a new roof was put on, the steeple slightly changed, and some interior alterations made, and in 1856 it was turned round to its present position, and altered and improved at a cost of about $1,600.
General Herkimer's residence is situated about two and and a half miles east of Little Falls, south of the river, near the canal, and within a few feet of the West Shore railroad. Built of brick imported from Hol- land about the year 1764, it is a large substantial edifice for its time and cost about $8,000 There is a secret underground passage con - necting with a stone powder- house near by, which is used R at the present time for storing vegetables. Its original ex- ternal appearance remains as at first, but the interior has been considerably changed. After the death of General Herkimer it came into pos- THE GENERAL HERKIMER HOMESTEAD. session of George Herkimer, who occupied it until his death in 1786. IFe left seven children, who inherited the estate, the mansion falling to John Herkimer, who resided there until about 1814, when he transferred it to other hands. It is now in the possession of Mrs. Gertrude Bidleman Garlock, and occupied by a tenant. General
345
TOWN OF DANUBE.
Herkimer was buried on a knoll a short distance southeast of his resi- dence. Steps were taken in 1777 by Congress to have a monument erected over the grave, but it is a melancholy fact that until 1847, no stone marked the brave soldier's resting place. A plain marble slab was then put up by the late Warren Herkimer, bearing the following inscription :
General Nicholas Herkimer, died Ang. 17, 1777, Ten days after the battle of Oriskany, in which engagement he received wounds which caused his death.
At the time of the division of this town, March 18, 1828, Daniel Van Horne was supervisor. The records of the town previous to that date are not accessible The first (special) town meeting for the reorganiza- tion of Danube was held on the 22d of April, 1828, at the house of Charles Pomeroy, and the following officers were elected :
Supervisor, Dr. John Helmer ; town clerk, Benjamin Klock ; assessors, Louis Reed, Henry C. Cronkhite ; overseer of poor. George Dominick; commissioner of highways, William Bush; school commissioner, Daniel Bellinger; inspectors of schools, Ralph Simms, Henry Perry ; constables. Henry Hardendorf, Nathan P. Wilcox, Joseph MI. Thompson ; collector, George N. Schuyler.
Following is a list of supervisors of this town, with date of their in- cumbency :
John Holmes, 1828, 1838; Henry Moyer. 1829,1834; John Harder, 1830; Asa Wil- co .. 1831, 1844 ; Daniel Bellinger, 1832, 1852 ; John Richtmeyer, 1833 ; Ralph Simms, 1835; Nicholas Schuyler. 1836; Thomas I. Mesick, 1837; Abram Snyder, 1839; Philip Jones, 1840. 1853, 1854 ; Elias Fink, 1841; Caleb Kosboth, 1842; John Harder, jr., 1843; John Shull, 1845; Peter P. Smith, 1846; Abraham Owen, 1847; Henry Houpt. 1848, 1860-61; John A. Holmes, 1849; David Johnson, 1850-51; William Davy, 1855 ; John Smith, 1856, 1863, 1864; P. Henry Miller, 1857; Henry Miller, 1858-59: Jacob Walter, 1862: John J. Ostrander, 1865; Levenus Devendorf, 1866-67 ; Calvin Harder, 1868-69; Alexander Fox, 1870; Luther Dillenback, 1871 ; Stephen G. Spoor, 1872, 1873; Alvin Decker, 1874-75; Daniel Cronkhite, 1876-77; Edwin Decker. 1878, 1979: John M. Gardinier, 1530; Sanford Johnson, 1881-84 ; I. H. Seeber. 1885, 1886: E V. Decker, 1887, 1888; Felix Schuyler, 1889, 1890; William Tıbbitts, 1891, 1892.
The men above mentioned were chiefly early settlers, and the accom- panying list of supervisors contains the names of many others who in
44
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
the past were more or less conpicuous in the affairs of the town. Peter l'. Smith is still living at the age of ninety-two years. John A. Holmes, supervisor in 1849, was a farmer at the Castle, as was his father in earlier years.
The first settlers in the town were German Palatines, who located on the flats along the river. These settlements were considerably broken up during the Revolution, and very little is known in detail of the prisoners. Cornelius Van Alstine came in very early and kept the first tavern in 1795, and Peter Smith opened a store at about the same time. The first grist-mill was near the mouth of Nowadaga Creek on the east side, and was erected by Andrew Nellis in 1800. The first settlers in the vicinity of Newville were Nathan Wilcox and his brother Isaiah, who came from Connecticut about 1793 and located where the hamlet is now situated. The next settler in the southern part was a German named Martin Siver, who located about two miles south of Wilcox, near the place now occupied by R. M. Pickard. John Harder came from Columbia county to this town about 1797, and settled on the farm now owned by S. G. Spoor, south of Newville; he died in 1866 and has descendants in the town. William Ostrander was an early settler in the southeastern part ; he came in 1801 and located on the farm now occupied by his grandson, William. He kept a public house on that farm for several years previous to 1828, and continued his residence there until his death in 1847. Cornelius Delong settled early on the farm now occupied by his great-grandson, C E. Delong. Thomas I. Mesick came from Columbia county in 1818 and settled on the farm now occupied by his son Henry, where he resided until his death in March, 1868. He was a captain in the war of 1812.
Edward Simms, son of Ralph Simms, who was clerk of the county at one time, was born in this town, where he resided many years. He removed a few years since to the town of Manheim. Anson Ilarder, now a practicing lawyer in Jefferson county, was also born in this town.
The town of Danube is now largely a dairy community, there being five factories in operation at the present time. Many of the farms will compare favorably in production, buildings, etc., with any in the county. There is very little manufacturing or mercantile business now carried on. The only village is Newville, which is situated about four
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TOWN OF DANI BE,
miles from the Mohawk River, on the Nowadaga Creek, at the foot of Ostrander Hill. The post-office was established about 1827, with Ben- jamin Klock as postmaster. The present postmaster is Silas W. Wright. The settlement of the two Wilcox brothers at this point has already been noticed. Samuel Houpt came from Pennsylvania in 1804 and in the same year erected a grist-mill on the west side of the creek. He soon afterward built and operated a fulling and carding-mill here. Andrew Carpenter built about the year 1805 a small tannery, which stood on the site of the hotel, now the dwelling of F. F. Lewis. The first blacksmith was John McMullin, who began business about 1806. The first store was built and kept by Andrew Oothout, and it stood near the present residence of David Harrad. Other early merchants were Henry Lieber and Henry Gross. The latter also carried on a small distillery here and a tannery. All of these have disappeared. Mr. Lewis now operates the saw and grist mill at Newville. There is a station on the West Shore Railroad called Indian Castle, and a post- office (Danube) which is in charge of Mrs. Abbie Smith.
The first school-house was of logs and was built about 1798 on the farm recently occupied by Alvin Decker. It was burned in 1806 and a frame house built soon afterwards. There are now nine school dis- tricts in the town and two parts of districts, with nine school-houses.
A Methodist society formerly existed at the Castle and held meet- ings in the Castle church, but it became extinct about 1840. A Dutch Reformed society was organized there in 1860 and for about fifteen years kept up its services with commendable regularity, but it has nearly died out. The Union church at Newville was erected in 1835 by the Lutheran, Baptist and Universalist societies. In 1867 it under- went thorough repair and received a new bell and an organ. The Bap- tist and Lutheran societies are extinct. The Evangelical Lutheran church of Newville was organized in the school-house by Rev. Lam- bert Swackhamer, of Manheim, in July, 1834, with eight male mem- bers. Among the pastors who have served the church are Mr. Swack- hamer, J. D. Lambert, Suffrenus Oltman, Nicholas Van Alstine, M. WV. Empie, Conrad Ochampaugh, and James H. Weaver. The society is small. A Dutch Reformed church once existed in the southern part of the town, which was probably organized as early as 1816. There are no records of its life in existence.
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE TOWN OF STARK.
T HIS is the southeastern town of Ilerkimer county and, with one exception, the latest one organized, the date being March 18, 1828, when it was taken from Danube. It contains parts of Hender- son's, L'Hommedieu's, Vaughn's, McNeil's, J. Vrooman's, Colden's, Liv- ingston's and Lansing's patents. The town derived its name from General Stark, of Revolutionary fame. In 1868 there were taken from Little Falls and added to this town 1,600 acres, and in 1869 300 acres were taken from Warren and added to it. The soil is a clay loam, fertile and well adapted to dairying and the raising of grain.
The town of Stark is somewhat noted tor its unusual natural features. Its surface is hilly and broken and the Otsquago Creek flows between high banks across the town in a northeasterly direction. It has its headwaters in the vicinity of Van Hornesville, 940 feet above the Mo- hawk at Fort Plain, where it empties into that river. This great fall has in past years furnished excellent water-power for many mills of various kinds. Marble of fair quality has been quarried near Smith's Corners, in the northern part. There are several important springs in the town, among them the burning spring in the upper part of the val- ley of Otsquago Creek, near Van Hornesville. The water of this spring is not clear, has an offensive odor, and emits a gas which will ignite and burn with an unsteady, bluish flame. There are springs near the ham- let of Bethel, in the northwestern part, that are impregnated with iron and are efficacious in some diseases. A sulphur spring is situated near Starkville, and others in various parts of the town, the waters of which have the reputation of curing diseases.
The Oheisa Creek rises on the farm of M. Walts in the southwest part of the town and flows in a general northerly direction into the town of Danube. Along this creek is a deep and picturesque gorge. Near the mills formerly owned by Daniel Tilyou, about a mile below Van Hornesville, is a cave of quite remarkable characteristics, although Centrarmelt has never been explored in its remete depths.
Ernst cy Martin
1
1
0000- 00000
349
TOWN OF STARK.
One of the old Indian trails passed through the town from the Mo- hawk, following nearly the line of the Utica and Minden turnpike, un- til it reached Van Hornesville, when it bore southward until it reached the " Chyle," where it intersected another trail.
The first settlement of this town was made near the headwaters of the Otsquago Creek prior to the Revolution. Another settlement was made on or near the line of this town and Springfield at about the same time ; but it was probably just outside of Herkimer county. The settlers on the creek were the Shaul, the Bronner (or Broner), Jacob and Frederick, Jolin Feterly (or Fetherly) and George Feterly, and the Johannes Smith families. Richard Shaul owned the farm settled by Jacob Bronner and married one of Bronner's descendants. Hiram Ward married a descendant of Frederick Bronner and lived on the farm lo- cated by Mr. Bronner. George and John Fetherly settled near Van Hornesville, and Matthew, Sebastian, and John Shaul settled on the farm recently owned by D. H. Springer in the western part of the town. John was a Revolutionary soldier, and late in the fall of 1778 the three brothers were captured by a party of sixteen Indians under Brant. Reaching the foot of Schuyler Lake the party divided and five of the Indians took the Shaul boys to Newton (now Elmira), where they remained until the arrival of the Sullivan expedition, when they were taken to Canada. They were recaptured after an attempted escape and were about to be killed, when a British officer secured their release by paying $25 each for them, and they returned to Stark. David Shaul, great-grandson of John, now owns the old homestead, and Minard Shaul owns the homestead of Matthew. In the fall of 1781 the little settlement in Stark was destroyed by Brant and his Indians and tories. Jacob Bronner, his son Christian and daughter Sophronia, were among the prisoners taken. The father and son were soon liberated, but the daughter was kept twelve years. Her whereabouts was made known by Jacob Eckler after his release, and she was finally returned to her relatives.
The Elwood family are of English descent and settled here early. Richard, with his wife and two children, came to the Mohawk valley near St. Johnsville in 1748, where he built a stone dwelling which is still standing. A few years later he died, leaving four sons, Richard,
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
Isaac, Benjamin, and Peter, all of whom were conspicuous in the early history of the valley. Senator A R. Elwood, late of Richfield Springs, was a descendant of Richard Elwood. Col. Henry Elwood, who lived for many years in the town of Danube, was a son of Peter Elwood. Peter Elwood, the youngest son, died on his farm in 1831, at the age of seventy seven years. David Elwood, son of Peter, settled in Danube about the year 1813, and remained until his death in 1859 He was a prominent citizen and left four sons, Daniel, Henry, Moses, and David B.
Richard Van Horne, from whom the village of Van Hornesville is named, was a native of New Jersey, and came to the site of the village in 1791. There he, with his brother Daniel, began mercantile trade, and soon built mills and engaged in the flouring business on what was then a large scale ; their flour was taken to Fort Plain, whence the West- ern Inland Lock and Navigation Company took it down the Mohawk to market. This business increased and for many years the Van Horne brothers were the largest wheat and produce buyers in this section. Richard Van Horne was a member of the Legislature in 1809-10 and in 1812, and his political influence was great. He died at Van Hornes- ville in March, 1823.
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