USA > New York > Dutchess County > Pine Plains > History of Little Nine Partners of North East precinct, and Pine Plains, New York, Duchess county, Vol. I > Part 10
USA > New York > Dutchess County > North East > History of Little Nine Partners of North East precinct, and Pine Plains, New York, Duchess county, Vol. I > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
This completes the list of road districts made in 1790 for Northeast Town, including the districts Nos. 38 and 39, which were made in March, 1792. Changes and additional roads were made subsequently, as conven- ience demanded, which at various periods required new subdivisions in
JOHN RIGHTER HOUSE. Taken June. 1896. [See Lineage. ]
96
HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
their embodiment into districts. These, however, add but little to the road topography of the town. In the locality of Pine Plains, besides the roads already noticed a road from Nicholas Stickle, who lived north of Mr. John Righter's, was laid March 29, 1791, "on the line between William Snyder and William Righter nearly south" to the Salisbury road at the house of Mr. Righter, and from thence "to the mill of John Harris, * * * and to come in the road as it now leads a few rods east of William Snyder's barn (now A. H. Barton) and from thence as the road goes to the mill, from thence along the creek to the line between John Harris and Hendrick Sny- der. and along said line a few rods to the rise of a hill and so along said hill south to pass through between the house of John Harris and his shop, from thence nearly west along the north side of Harris' orchard, and on a southwest course to where it intercepts the Sharon road opposite a large low rock, with a marked tree, thus H .. in front "
In March, 1793, the town wes redistricted, making, by subdivisions of the districts of 1790, forty-one districts,
March 21, 1797, the legislature passed "an act to regulate highways" which was published in a pamphlet of twenty-one pages, and a copy sent to the towns in each county. Its title on the fly leaf reads: "The Road Act passed into a law at Albany, March 21, 1797, at the second meeting of the twentieth session of the Legislature of the State of New York." Among other things it required the commissioners to file with the town clerk a list of the highway districts. In response to this the commissioners say "this town is already divided into districts to our satisfaction," and the commissioners, Philip Knickerbacker, Philo Winchell and James Stewart, March 27, 1798, placed the list made in 1793-whch is nearly the same as that of 1790-in the hands of Cornelius Van Ranst, the town clerk, "re- questing him to make record in the office of the districts as is already on minutes with him."
Seven days after the passage of this highway act, Jacob Bockee, father of Abraham Bockee, was appointed Superintendent of Highways by the state officials in this dignified manner.
"The People of the State of New York, by the Grace of God, Free and Independent. To all to whom these Presents shall come. Greeting :
"Know ye, that we reposing especial Trust and Confidence in the Frudence, Integrity and Ability of Jacob Bockee, Esquire, Have (in pursu- ance of an Act entitled 'An Act to regulate Highways,' passed 21st of March, 1797) nominated, constituted and appointed, and by these Presents Do nominate, constitute and Appoint him, the said Jacob Bockee, all and singular, the Powers, Jurisdiction and Authorities to the said office of Superintendent, as aforesaid, by the said Act belonging or in any wise appertaining : To have and to hold, exercise and enjoy the same unto him, the said Jacob Bockee, together with all and singular the advantages thereunto belonging, for and during our good pleasure. to be signified by our Council of Appointment.
97
THE HIGHWAYS.
"In Testimony whereof, We have caused these our Letters to be made Patent, and the Great Seal of our said State to be hereunto affixed. Witness our trusty and well-beloved John Jay, Esquire, Governor of our said State, General and Commander in Chief of all the Militia, and Admiral of the Navy of the same, by and with the Advice and Consent of our said Council of Appointment, at our City of Albany, the twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, and in the twenty-first year of our Independence.
JOHN JAY."
The seal attached is circular, three and a-half inches in diameter, about a quarter of an inch thick, and attached to the commission by a ribbon in the official manner of such State papers. This was the dignity of office in those days.
Very little change has been made in the road law since this act. As population and settlements increased the districts have been shortened or made less, which changes have been principally made since the new town- ship organizations.
In 1788, the year North East Precinct became Northeast Town, there were thirty-two highway districts ; in 1791, 39; 1798, 42; in 1800, 39; in 1801, 40 ; in 1806, 42 ; in 1810, 45 ; in 1817, 49. In 1818 Milan was taken from North East, and became a town. North East (still including Pine Plains) this year had 26 highway districts, in 1820, 27, and in 1822 the same number. In 1823 Pine Plains became a town, and by its boundaries under this organization the highway districts from one to six inclusive, fell to the present town of North East. Pine Plains commenced number- ing the highway districts with "No. 7," and continued this method until 1827, when Asa Knapp, Andrus Hiserodt and Frederick T. Ham, the com- missioners, met at the public house of Andrus N. Pulver, March 20, 1827, and by resolution changed No. 7 to No. 1. In 1823, the first year of Pine Plains, the districts were from No. 7 to No. 27, making 21 districts. In 1827 the same, in 1835, 25 ; and in 1856 there were 30.
Robert Livingston and his successors had an eye to the improvement of their Manor lands, and availed themselves of every opportunity that chance or design presented. The site now called Ancram was selected in an early day for a central inland village of their domain. Its location was on the Roloef Jansen, and far enough from Takhannick to escape the marauds and invasions of the Massachusetts vandals, as Livingston deemed them, in the Westenhook patents of Sheffield and the "Ausatanog" Valley. At Ancram was a furnace, which in its train of necessities involved a variety of business enterprises, and it thereby became a place of much repute. The ore to supply the furnace was hauled principally from the ore beds near "Spencer's Corners" in North East, and for the improvement of the road for this purpose April 1, 1800, an act was passed by the legislature of New York, entitled, " An act to establish a Turnpike
98
HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
corporation for improving and making a road from the Town of Salisbury, in the State of Connecticut, to Wattles' Ferry on the Susquehannah River."
One object for including that portion of this road west of the Hudson, was to secure and make available a former appropriation. In March 1797, the legislature passed "An act for opening and improving certain great roads within this state, " and by its provision forty-five thousand dollars were to be raised "by three successive lotteries of equal value" for this purpose. John Taylor, Leonard Ganesvort and Daniel Hale were made managers, and in 1798 it was amended, making Isaac Stoutenburgh, Abraham Her- ring and Philip TenEyck, all of New York, additional managers. The amendments further provided for a more perfect system for the sale of tickets, and the disbursement of the funds. The amount was raised pro- portionately in one, two and three years, and payments made in the same manner by the managers to the roads specified in the act. In March, 1801 -the next year after the act creating the Susquehannah-Ancram Turnpike -the legislature passed "an act for improving the road from Wattles' Ferry on the Susquehannah to the town of Kingston in the county of Ulster,"and directed the managers of this lottery fund to apply two thous- sand dollars upon this road. March 30, 1802, John Taylor, Leonard Ganes- voort and Daniel Hale, the three managers created in the original lottery act, report their expenditure of the $45,000 fund, and among the payments "from the proceeds of the third lottery" is one mentioned as being made "to the treasurer of this state, the sum appropriated to the commissioners for improving the roads from Wattles' Ferry on the Susquehannah to King- ston in the county of Ulster-$2,000." This much about the lottery fund.
It may seem a little queer that the Livingstons should have merged the turnpike interest west of the Hudson with theirs on the east side. At that time the travel from the adjoining New England to northern Pennsyl- vania and New Jersey and even on to Washington, passed over or near this route, crossing the Hudson at either Esopus or Kingston and Catskill, and thence southerly in the valleys west of the Highlands, to the head waters of the Deleware and Susquehannah. This enlarged their plan and brought additional power to bear upon the legislature in their behalf, which enabled them to be successful in passing the act. The main object, however, so far as the Livingstons were concerned, was the development of Ancram village and its surrounding territory, and the greatest aid to this end was a good road from the Salisbury ore beds to the Ancram fur- nace. Hence work was commenced and prosecuted with vigor on the route between these points by way of "Hot Ground" and an east and west thoroughfare established, passing through Ancram northerly to "Fite Mil- ler's," thence westerly to the warehouse of John Livingston on the Hud- son, and thence to the Susquehannah. The pike commenced near "Alex- ander Spencer's," in North East, thence northwesterly over the mountain.
99
THE HIGHWAYS.
This part of the road is now but little traveled. The pike was built in 1804 and 1805, and for several years it was a busy thoroughfare. In 1803 Henry Hoffman and Aaron E. Winchell started a store on the line of this pike at the "George Barton farm," a short distance south of the "Hot Ground"- now Ancram Lead Mines-and continued the business at that stand a few years. Henry Hoffman was a stockholder in the pike according to the fol- lowing certificate: "I certify that Henry Hoffman or his assigns is entitled to thirty shares at twenty dollars each in the Ancram Turnpike Roade as appears from the transfer book of the said company. Living- ston, March 7, 1805. Jno. VanDusen, treasurer." Another certificate of the same date gives him five shares. August 8, 1804, he signed a contract with Isaac Williams, "agent for the president and directors of the Susque- hannah Turnpike Company," for the right of way through his farm, (the George Barton farm.)
Meanwhile the little settlement on "the pine plains," was developing a business center of merchants, mechanics and hotels, sustained by settlers between Winchell Mountain on the east and Stissing Mountain on the west, the Manor on the north and the Federal Square on the south. To this growing village, and to these settlers, the Ancram turnpike was detrimental now, and deemed to be more so in the future. It turned the trade and travel between Salisbury and the Hudson River around it by way of An- cram. Hence arose rivalry, resulting in a more direct route from the Hudson to Salisbury, and making Rhinebeck the terminal point on the Hudson.
The legislative origin of the Rhinebeck and Salisbury Turnpike is in an act passed April2, 1802, entitled, "An act to establish a Turnpike corporation for improving and making a road from the west line of the town of Salisbury in the state of Connecticut to the Susquehannah River, at or near the town of Jerico." This is called and known as the "Ulster and Deleware Turn- pike." The members of Assembly from Dutchess County at this session were Theodore Bailey, Johh M. Thurston, John Thompson, Alexander Spencer, Elisha Barlow, Harry Garrison, Nicholas H. Emigh, Benjamin Akin, John Patterson and Abraham Adriance. The members of the Sen- ate from this county were Isaac Bloom and David VanNess.
[NOTE-Alexander Spencer died in March during this session. It was the twenty-fifth session, and commenced January 26, 1802. Thursday, March 18, the assembly paid this tribute to Mr. Spencer: "It having been announced that Alexander Spencer, Esquire, late a member of this house from the county of Dutchess, hath departed this life and that his funeral will be on Saturday next at four o'clock p. m. ; Therefore as a testimonial of the esteem in which his character and worth were held, and as a mani- festation of the deep sensibility felt on this melancholy occasion,
Resolved unanimously, That this house with their speaker and attend- ant officers will attend the funeral of the said Alexander Spencer, Esq., (leceased, and that it be recommended to the members of this house to wear erape on the left arm during the remainder of the present session." The
-
100
HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS
:
speaker. Mr. Thomas Storm, of New York city, in his address at the close of the session, said: "We have to lament, gentlemen, that since we came together, one of our fellow members has been removed from us by death, but we hope has been removed to a better assembly." In the Po'keepsie Journal of January 14, 1818, is the following notice of the death of his widow: "Died, at Colebrook, Conn., on Monday, the 5th inst., Mrs. Olive See, wife of the Rev. Chauncey See, and widow of the late Alexander Spen- cer, Esq., of this county."]
The first action in reference to this turnpike at that session was Mon- day, February 1, 1802. The Journal under that date says: "A petition of John Tappen and others inhabitants of the county of Ulster, a petition of William Townsend and others inhabitants of the county of Deleware, a petition of Robert Cooper and others inhabitants of the county of Dutchess, a petition of Abraham Hoffman and others, and a petition of Ezra Bene- dict and others inhabitants of Walton and Delhi, severally praying for a law establishing a turnpike Company for improving the road from the town of Salisbury in the state of Connecticut, through the towns of Rhinebeck, Kingston and Walton to the Susquehannah river, and a remonstrance of Andries De Witt and others against the granting the prayer of such peti- tions, were severally read and referred to Mr. Adriance, Mr. Hasbrouck and Mr. North." The chairman of this committee, Mr. Adriance, was from Dutchess. Mr. Hasbrouck was from Ulster, and Mr. North was from Deleware. The other member from Deleware-only two this year- was Erastus Root.
The next day, Feb. 2, 1802, other petitions were presented. "A peti- tion of Luther Holly and others praying that the legislature will pass a law incorporating a turnpike company for improving the road from Salis- bury in Connecticut, through Rhinebeck in the county of Dutchess, to the ferry of John Radcliff and Moses Cantine, through Kingston to Dele- ware, were severally read and referred to Mr. Adriance, Mr. Hasbrouck and Mr. North." Monday, February 8, "several remonstrances against the granting the petitions of the inhabitants of Dutchess and Ulster praying for the establishment of a turnpike corporation" as above, were read and referred to the same committee. Thursday, Feb. 11, Mr. Adriance report- ed, "that the committee had directed him to report that the advantages arising by opening a turnpike road from the house of Alexander Spencer in the town of Northeast in the County of Dutchess through the town of Rhinebeck to the ferry of John Radcliff and Moses Cantine, through Kingston to the town of Jerico on the Susquehannah river, will accommo- date the traveler with a shorter and more direct road than any now in use, and in the opinion of the committee worthy of the consideration of the legislature. The committee are therefore of opinion that the prayer of the petitioners ought to be granted, and that leave should be given them to bring in a bill for that purpose.
"Ordered, That leave be given accordingly.
101
THE HIGHWAYS.
"Mr. North pursuant to leave brought in the said bill entitled: "An act to establish a turnpike corporation for improving and making a road from the west line of the town of Salisbury, in the state of Connecticut, to the Susquehannah river, at or near the town of Jerico, which was read the first time and ordered a second reading."
There was a lively contest in the legislature in regard to the Ancram turnpike, and its rival, the Rhinebeck and Salisbury turnpike, for two or three sessions, and resulted in the establishment of a charter for each road.
David VanNess and William Cockburn were the commissioners to lay out the road from Rhinebeck to Salisbury, and Martin Winchell and Philo Winchell built sixteen miles of the road, commencing at the Connecticut line and going west. For this work it is said that they never received any compensation.
The pike, after all the outlay, was not self-sustaining east of the Hud son, and in 1816 that portion in Rhinebeck was districted by the town authorities and in 1817 it was voted at the annual town meeting in North East Town that the turnpike be districted and worked. North East then bounded Rhinebeck on the line of the pike, and thus all this turnpike east of the Hudson became a districted highway.
PINE PLAINS AND GALLATIN TURNPIKE.
In the legislature of 1807-8 a petition was read in the Assembly March 7, 1808, for a turnpike from Pine Plains to the house of Anthony Drum on the Susquehannah or Ancram turnpike. The act for this purpose was passed April 11th at this session. Fyler Dibblee, Stephen Eno, Henry Hoff- man and Isaac B Smith and others were associated in this enterprise. The pike was to commence at the now Stissing House, to run to the house of Jonathan Dings Junior. (Silvernails) and thence to Anthony Drum's. The pike was never made or worked as such north of Hoffman's Mill, about one mile north of Pine Plains, and thus makes a greater show in the session laws on paper than on land between the objective points, Pine Plains and Gallatin. It gave Pine Plains, however, one mile of good road, a matter of convenience as well as pleasure which is now appreciated.
LAW OFFICE OF MR. FRANK ENO. Taken January. 1894. [See Lineage. |
CHAPTER VIII.
MILAN ORGANIZED.
At a meeting of the voters of the west part of North East held in De- cember, 1817, Peter Snyder, Jacob Shook, John F. Bartlett and Henry W. Stewart were appointed a committee to give public notice that a petition for a division of the town of North East would be sent to the legislature at its next sitting at Albany. This was the first move for creating the town of Milan. The notice specified the bounds commencing at the north east corner of Lot 46, adjoining the county of Columbia, thence along the said division line between Henry Beekman and George Clark to lot No. 28 of James Alexander, thence across "Teesink Mountain" through lots No. 28 and No. 10 to the town of Stanford, and thence on the line of North East west, north and east to the place of beginning. They were successful in their petition for a division, but the boundaries were changed. March 6, 1818, the act was passed. Smith's and Mason's history of Dutchess County each say March 10, but a copy of the session laws before me says "Passed March 6, 1818." The bounds commencing on the line between Dutchess and Columbia counties where the eastern bounds of the farm of Josiah Hedges intersects the same, thence in a straight line to the north east cor- ner of the dwelling house of Jacob Best, Jun.,-the house to be in Milan- thence due south to the Stanford line, and then around to the place of be- ginning. By the act, the first town meeting was to be held on the first Tuesday in April at the house of Stephen Thorne, and the next town meet- ing for North East was to be held at the house of Israel Reynolds. Atthese town meetings Milan elected Stephen Thorne, Supervisor; John F. Bart lett, Clerk ; and North East elected Fyler Dibblee. Supervisor, and Aaron E. Winchell. clerk.
The act made provision for the division of the poor fund, which was to be done by the supervisor and overseers of the poor of each town after the spring election in 1818. according to the last tax list of North East. At the spring election of North East in 1817 it was voted to raise $850, for the overseer of the poor. Stephen Thorne, supervisor, and Jeptha Wilbur, overseer in Milan, and Isaac Sherwood and Asa Knapp, overseers in North East, met April 16, 1818, and divided the poor. North East took ten persons, Milan twelve, and three were left to be supported by both towns jointly in proportion to the last tax list, North East to pay at the ratio of seven to five. Each town then provided for its own poor for that year and nothing was done with the poor fund until March 27, the next year-the officers of
104
HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS
both towns for 1818 still in office- when a general settlement was made. The statement was prepared and recorded by Aaron E. Winchell, town clerk, a few days before his term expired. The half cent is reckoned. This is the way he states the condition of the poor fund: "The present debts of the original town of North East exceeds the funds of s'd town $177.41}, leaving that balance to be provided for. Of the s'd sum $103.49} remains to be raised for the now town of North East, and $72.92} by the town of Milan." This was a full settlement, except a few legal claims of small amounts by North East against persons and towns, which were arranged verbally. The full board were present, to wit: Fyler Dibblee and Stephen Thorne, respective supervisors of North East and Milan, Isaac Sherwood and Asa Knapp, overseers of North East, Jeptha Wilbur and Jacob Shook, overseers of Milan.
The poor was the principal matter in common to the two towns to be settled. North East this spring raised $550 poor fund, $300 less than the old town last year. In the matter of roads a good deal was called for and done. The division of the town seems to have been anticipated for two years or more, and highway work meanwhile came to a comparative standstill. June 27, 1818, a contract was made between the commissioners of North East and Eseck Wilbur to "Build a New, Good, Strong and Substantial Bridge across the stream of water at or near his mills known by the name of the Mount Ross Bridge." The posts were tobe "let down six inches in the sohd rock," the roadway to be covered with fourteen feet plank two and a quarter inches thick, the sides to be boarded up tight and all finished by the first of December. Price $180, to be paid Feb. 15, 1819. May 1st fol- lowing, Mr. Wilbur gave his receipt for $195, in full for the bridge. The com- missioners were Isaac Sherwood, Joshua Culver and Martin E. Winchell. (Samuel Church was elected commissioner, but Isaac Sherwood served in his place.) June 15-same year-the same commissioners made a contract with Henry Hoffman to build a new bridge at Hoffman's mill of the same width, and in other respects similar to the Mount Ross Bridge, Price$185, payable March 1, 1819.
At the spring election of Old North East in 1817 it was voted to dis trict the Ulster and Salisbury Turnpike. This brought a new arrangement of the roa l districts in number and corresponding territory. Accordingly North East (Milan out) in the spring of 1818 had twenty-six road districts, the overseers being elected at the spring election. The number of districts in the old town was 49
In school districts the changes are too frequent and too indefinite to follow out. In 1819 there were in New North East eleven full districts and four fractional districts, imparting instruction to 456 children between the ages of five and fifteen. The amount of the school fund for this year
105
MILAN ORGANIZED.
was $244.25, half of which was received from the county treasurer. The principal school books were Webster's spelling book, Dayboll's arithmetic, Murray's grammar and Murray's English reader and Flint's surveying as a special.
Justices of the peace were appointed, not elected as now. To this of- tice for new North East in July, 1818, the appointments were Enos Hop- kins, Israel Harris, Henry I. Traver and Martin E. Winchell. Fyler Dibblee was appointed Judge, hence "Judge Dibblee," as he was called. The military appointments for the town at the same time were Israel Har- ris, Colonel, and John H. Conklin, Captain, in the 20th regiment of in- fantry, and William Van Alstyne, Captain in the 4th regiment of artillery.
And now, having given Milan a historical body, I leave her with her hills west of Stissing, where she has already numbered over three score years and ten, and her sturdy "back bone"-given her in a geological quarrel-will keep her in a good state of preservation for a thousand years to come without show of decay. She served to equalize the civil power of the Precinct-according to its geographical territory-as against the east- ern and more populous part. In this way Stissing valley became the central fulcrum for the see-saw at the ends of the precinct. Neither could get advantage. Pine Plains was the umpire practically, yet without choice by either side, and in this way her power and influence increased. Her time had not yet come, but it was near.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.