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 9
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 9
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August 1st, 1855, this property was again leased-Ward W. Bryan being the proprietor-for mining purposes, by William Cotheal of New York, represented by F. H. Warner, his attorney. This lease. was to run twelve years and six months "from the date hereof " with privilege of renewal, and suspension of mining operations for one year worked forfeiture. About a year was spent under this lease in prospecting. An attempt to tunnel was made at the north end of the hill and about thirty feet were cut into the rock. Some of the shafts were cleaned out and the labor ended without much success. This lease was forfeited by discon- tinuance.
About 1860 the farm containing the mines passed into the ownership of Calvin Bryan and brothers, sons of Ward W. Bryan, and November 14th, 1862, the mines were again leased to Gust. A. Sacchi, who represen- ted a mining company in New York, having a capital of five hundred thousand dollars. This company worked the mines, using an engine for pumping and hoisting, the first work done here by steam. The company bought a small farm near by, furnishing wood for ftel and a boarding house. At one place a shaft was sunk seventy feet, with a draft north- ward at the bottom of twenty-five feet. This company worked about a a year-and-a-half, and meanwhile about three hundred thousand dollars in stock was sold. Then they abandoned the mines and forfeited their lease under a provision similar to the former lease.
Mr. Calvin Bryan, the present sole proprietor of the mines, says the indications at the close of the work in the shaft sunk by this company, were better than any opened by all former work or companies. Geologists and minerologists agree that a rich vein or pocket of ore lies at the bottom of the croppings in this range of mountains. As yet this hidden treasure has not been found.
These mines were in the original boundaries of Amenia Precinct, in the Great Nine Partners. The subdivision of old precincts and towns to form new towns as now arranged, has placed these mines in the now town of North East.
CHAPTER VII.
THE HIGHWAYS.
In the spring of 1703 the General Assembly of the Province of New York passed "an act for laying out highways throughout this province." This was the first legislative action within the limits of New York in refer- ence to roads. There were twelve acts passed by the "General Assembly" at that time, of which the highway act was the eleventh. The next spring (1704) it was amended, which amendment was in effect "an explanatory act (so far as relates to Richmond County) of a former act passed for lay- ing out highways in this province of which there is great need for till now (except a very few places) there are no roads passable."
At the second session of the legislature of the State of New York, held at Po'keepsie in 1779 where the first was held, an act was passed "for the better laying out, regulating and keeping in repair all common and public highways and private roads in the counties of Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, Charlotte and Westchester." Previous to the action of the state legisla- tures in regard to highways the commissioners of highways were appoint- ed by the courts. Thus in the court record in this county in 1761 we read "ordered that Caleb Smith be a commissioner for laying out highways in North East Precinct in room of Adam Beam, deceased." New York be- came a state in 1777, and this was the first act of its legislature in regard to highways. The act passed March 11th, 1779, and at the third session, held first at Kingston and by adjournment at Albany, the act was amended and made to include the counties of Albany and Tryon. This amendment passed March 13,1780. At the fourth session March 20, 1781, it was again amended and remained in force until April, 1784, when it expired by limitation.
May 4, 1784, the legislature passed an act "for the better laying out, regulating and keeping in repair, all common and public highways and private roads in the counties of Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, Washington, Westchester, Albany and Montgomery " At this session (1784) Tryon county was changed in name to "Montgomery," and Charlotte to "Wash- ington." The preamble to this act is very significant and as true and appropriate now as then. It is a model for brevity and reads: "Whereas the keeping in good repair public roads and highways contributes greatly to the ease and advantage of the inhabitants of a country."
This act was a general revision of all former acts so far as they were practically applicable, and an addition of what was necessary to meet the
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THE STISSING HOUSE. Taken January, 1894. [See Hotels. |
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THE HIGHWAYS.
public demand. It contained thirty three sections, which embody substan- tially the system on which our highways are governed now. The subse- quent amendments have been principally local. The frame work has not been materially changed.
Peace had been declared, war had ceased, substantial permanence was seen and felt in real estate and home, and good roads were as vital to com- mercial and financial prosperity, both public and private, as life itself. The time had come and the first public business after the war throughout the settled rural domain, was road-making.
Section four of this act provides that all public roads "shall be of breadth not more than four rods nor less than two rods." April 20, 1787, this was amended "that all public roads or highways hereafter to be laid ont by virtue of the act hereby amended shall be four rods wide at least." Another section (1784) provides that "all persons traveling eastward in any of the said roads or highways on the east side of Hudson's River shall give way to those traveling westward under penalty of twenty shillings for each offense," and section thirty-two provides "that all laws heretofore governing highways are hereby repealed."
Previous to the passage of this act no record had been made of high- ways in many instances, and many roads so called, were simply paths or "trails, " having no legal status, having become "roads" by common usage. To remedy this defect the legislature March 16, 1785, passed the "the twenty year" act embraced in section four of the amendment to the above road act. It reads "and whereas there has been an omission of recording in the county records, the laying out of many of the public highways in Dutchess county by reason whereof several of the roads which have been used as public highways have been stopped up, and it is expected that the same will be done to others to the great damage of the public. For pre- venting whereof, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all public highways which have been used as such for the space of twenty years last past, shall be deemed and adjudged in the law to be public highways by the laws, and be subject to be altered and amended in the same manner as other public highways by the laws of this state may be altered and amended."
The first mentioned division of the North East Precinct into highway districts, to my knowledge, is on a very much mutilated paper entitled "The division of the districts of roads in the North East Precinct in Dutchess County into districts for the year 1776.
"No. 1 .- Beginning at the Oblong line and running as far south a, Joshua Hamlin's.
"No. 2 .- Beginning at the house of Charles Dolph, south to the Precinct Line, the cross road by Simon Dakin to the Oblong line.
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
"No. 3 .- Beginning at the Manor line running south to Ancram road, to work up Ancram Road to the Manor east on the same road to Uriah Law- rence, including the cross road by Joshua Dakin's to Joshua Hamlin's.
"No. 4 .- Beginning at the Oblong line of Connecticut Salisbury road, running west as far as the Nine Partner's line, including cross roads.
"No. 5 .- Beginning north of Gilbert Clapp's house at the cross road running south to the meeting house, then on the main road east to the Ob- long line." [The meeting house was near the cemetery on Winchell Moun- tain. The site was called "Mount Pleasant."-I. H.]
"No. 6 .- To continue west on the main road from the meeting house to the foot of the hill by the house of Alexander Bryan (near Pulver's Cor- ner .- I. H.) ineluding cross roads.
"No. 7 .- Beginning at the house of Alexander Bryan and continuing west on the main road to the house of the widow Knickerbacker, (Henry Knickerbacker's .- I. H.) including the houses on the eastern districts and the cross roads.
"No 8 .- Beginning at the house of the widow Knickerbacker and run as far west as ths house of Jonathan Lewis, including the cross roads south as far as Isaae VanLnvan's. and the other as far south as the corner of Snyder s farm by the brook." [NOTE -This district runs west from the present Henry Knickerbacker's to the "Booth House" west of Pine Plains village, where Jonathan Lewis then lived. But the road then was north of the village by the Thomas settlement, circling through North Avenue and from thence to the Booth House, then on near the present road to the "Stewart House" where James Young lived. The road through the vli- lage, called "Church Street" was laid out at a later date. The other, "the corner of Snyder's farm by the brook," I am not certain whether it is the Anthony H. Barton place or Mr. Duxbury .- 1. II. ]
"No. 9 .- Beginning at the Great Nine Partner line Sharon road run- ning by the house of Gideon Salisbury (Gideon Salisbury was successor to James Atwater at or near the Andrus Rowe corners .- I. H.) west to the house of Adam Snyder's including cross roads south to the Great Nine Part- ners and the north road to Isaac Van Louven's and the north road by Sny- der's to the brook at the corner of Snyder's fence by the brook.
"No. 10 .- Beginning at Adam Snyder's house and running westwardly to the Salisbury road with the road south and west to the Great Nine Part- ners including all the inhabitants upon the road except Philip Smith, Gab- riel Dusenberry and Samuel Crandle, and persons exercising business and their families."
"No. 11 .- Beginning at Jonathan Lewis' house and continues west to the Manor line on the other side of David Bostwick's including the inhabi- tants on the road with Philip Smith, Gabriel Dasenberry and Samuel Crandle and the persons excepted in No. 10.
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THE HIGHWAYS.
"No. 12 .- Begins at the manor line by the house of Tice Crissler and runs to the south, to the house of Hons. Felter Shaver. Tice Crissler and Hons. Felter Shaver belong to this district.
"No. 13 .- Continues from the house of Hons. Felter Shaver to the Rhinebeck line as the road runs.
"No. 14 .- Beginning at the house of Peter Knickerbacker and contin- ues south to Rhinebeck road.
"No. 15 .- Begins near Daniel Wilson's and so cross to the meeting house east of Capt. Collins. John Wilson and James Wilson to belong to this district.
"No. 16 .- Begins at the house of William Smyley and extends west. ward to a small (torn off) on the east side of the bridge near the school house. Jacob Cous, Peter Cous, Hugh Orr belong to this district.
"No. 17 .-- (Torn off).
"No. 18 .- Beginning at the west end of No. 17 running westwardly to the Rhinebeck line, including the inhabitants on the road.
"No. 19 .- Begins at Rhinebeck road and so from Salisbury road to Cold Spring, including the inhabitants on the road except William Finkle.
"No. 20 .- Begins at Cold Spring road near Evan Deanes and runs west to the house of John Simmons, from thence along the mud bridge half across the same including a cross road beginning at the Great Nine Part- ners line and running into the same road they were to work.
"No. 21 .- Begins half across the mud bridge and goes westward by George Martin's and from thence westward to the house of Richard Wilde, and so along the Rhinebeck line including a cross road from the house of the said Richard Wilde north, and ends near the main road leading from the Cold Spring.
"No. 22 .- Begins at David Bostwick's and runs southerly across the Rhinebeck road to the house of Hontice Cous, from thence to the house of Joseph Palmer, and from thence to the Great Nine Partner line. Except- ing the following persons: James Hedding, Oliver Evans and Jas .- (torn off).
"Nos. 23, 24 and 25 (torn off)
"No. 26 .- Begins at Jacob VanBremer's house, continues to Winchells Mills and from thence to Cornelius Delamater's with the road to Rhine- beck, to be worked by Jacob VanBremer, Lemuel Winchell, George Head, Aaron Darling, Asa Bishop, James O'Brien. Robert North and John Smith.
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
"The above is a division of the North East Precinct into districts as made by us the subscribers, Justices of the Peace and Commissioners for the purpose according to the act of assembly. Dated this 29th day of March, 1776.
LEWIS BRYAN, ! Commissioners. JOHN COLLIN, S JAMES ATWATER, ELISHA COLVER. - Justices of the Peace.'
It is difficult, perhaps impossible, now to designate the precise locality of these districts on account of the changes since made in the roads and the death or removal of families. No perfect lists of pathmasters or high way assessments at this early date have been preserved. Some mutilated fragments of papers indicate re-divisions in the highway districts between 1776 and 1790, but having no date are of little value except as giving the names of residents. In 1790 we have a quite complete re-division of dis- triets which will appear further on.
"Between 1784 and 1790 eleven changes, by alterations and new roads, were made in different parts of the Precinct by the Commissioners "on due application." One of these changes was the laying out of the east and west road through Pine Plains village, now called "Church Street." The following is a full and complete copy :
"Be it remembered that on Due application made to us Commissioners of High ways for North East Precinct in Dutchess County, we did on the 31st day of March in the year of our Lord 1785 agreeable to a law in that case made and provided lay out a Certain road four Rods wide beginning at the house of James Young, proceeding from thence Easterly as the road goes to the house of Ebenezer Dibblee and from thence with nearly a straight line along the North Side of the Mountain to a Bridge across the creek near the house of Philip Snyder's which road we ordered to be recorded, given under our hands.
Signed, JOHN WHITE. WILLIAM STEWART, PHILIP SPENCER,
Commissioners.
"Entered and recorded the 6th. 1785."
Ebenezer Dibblee lived at this time in the "Booth House" and Philip Snyder at Hammertown. In passing Inotice the record of a change sub- sequently of the portion of this road between Pine Plains and Hammertown in 1815. "Beginning at a black oak sapling marked on the south and east sides with a blaze and three hacks standing on the north side of the road running easterly from the Pine Plains and about one chain eastward of the gate where the path leads to the house of the late Jonathan Landon, de- ceased." This was where the present road starts that leads to the house of Robert Thomas. The survey from here to Hammertown was made by Jesse Thompson, October 1. 1815, "so as to avoid the steepness of the hill
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THE HIGHWAYS.
on the road running easterly from Pine Plains to Joshua Culver's and Cor- nelius Husted's tan house." The survey was endorsed by the commission- ers Silas Germond, Jun., Henry W. Stewart and Martin E. Winchell.
An appeal from the decision of the commissioners was taken by "Cor- nelius Husted on the part of himself and others" and the matter was sub- mitted to Anthony Wheeler, Leonard Barton and Fyler Dibblee, "judges of the court of common pleas,"who Nov. 27, 1815, reversed "the determination of the said commissioners."
February 21, 1816, John I. Hiserout, Theodore Hooker, Israel Reynolds, Joseph Mott, Jun., William Woodm, Stephen Eno, William Stevenson, Matthias Hoffman, Peter A. Pulver, Anthony Tripp, Henry I. Hiseront, and Joseph C. Hicks, twelve inhabitants and freeholders of the town of North East, made oath before Justice Henry I. Traver that they "believed It proper and necessary to lay out a public road around the eminence or the steepest part of the hill." Upon this application the commisioners above named employed Jesse Thompson to make another survey for the change or alteration "beginning at a white oak bush marked on two sides with a blaze and three notches standing on the north side of said turnpike road. on the easterly side of the hill above mentioned, thence north 50 de- grees west 4 chains and 93 links, thence north 69 degrees west 3 chains and 4 links, thence north 82 degrees west € chains and 43 links to a stake on the nomab side of the said turnpike road where the said road hereby laid joins the said turnpike road." This line was for the north sids of the road which was to be three rods wide. This appears to have settled the matter as to the road over the hill.
March 7, 1788, the legislature passed "an act for dividing the counties of this state into towns," in which "Northeast Toun" is described as fol- lows: "And all that part of the said county of Dutchess bounded westerly by Rhynbeck, northerly by the county of Columbia, easterly by Connecti- icut, and southerly by the towns of Washington and Amenia shall be and hereby is erected into a Town by the name of North East Town." Wash- ington at this date included the town of Stanford. The boundaries of North East Town, are nearly the same as North East Precinct, the change being only in name.
All the towns in this county under this organization were Fred- ericks Town, South East Town, Fishkill, Beekman, Pawling, Poughkeep- sie, Clinton, Rhynbeck, Washington, Amenia and North East Town.
A re-division of the highway districts in Northeast town was made March 17, 1790. The record of it is quite complete and of interest in its names of persons and places.
"No. 1 .- Beginning at the north line of the Oblong, thence southerly to the house of Nicholas Hoffman in which James Winchell now lives, includ- ing a cross road to the Manor line.
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS.
"No. 2 .- Beginning at the house of said Hoffman, thence southerly to the house of Joshua Hamlin, thence westerly to the house of Ebenezer Burtch.
"No. 3 .- Beginning at the house of the said Hamblin, thence southerly to the line of Amenia Town, including the Cross road to Salisbury line.
"No. 4 .- Beginning at the Manor line near the house of Jeremiah Brownell, thence southerly to the house of Uriah Lawrence, Esq., includ- ing Ancram Road to the Manor line and the road to the house of Ebenezer Burtch.
"No. 5 .- Beginning at Salisbury line, thence westerly to the line of the Little Nine Partners, including the cross road from the house of Martin Lawrence to Amenia Line and the cross road from the house of Capt. Hart- well to the road near the house of Mr. Simon Dakin.
"No. 6 .- Beginning at the east line of the Little Nine Partners, thence westerly to the meeting house on the mountain, thence northerly to the Manor of Livingston.
"No. 7 .- Beginning at the meeting house on the mountain, thence westerly to the small brook near the place where Darby Lindsey formerly lived, including the cross road by David Lawrence to Amenia Line.
"No. 8 .- Beginning at the said small brook, thence -westerly to the house of Jonas Meyers including the cross road by Nathaniel Tibbels to Amenia Line.
"No. 9 .- Beginning at Amenia Line south of Richard Gray's thence northerly to the house of Jonas Meyers, thence westerly to the house of John Knickerbacker including the cross road to the Manor line.
"No 10 .- Beginning at the house of John Knickerbacker, thence west- erly to the house of William Rector, thence sontherly to Sharon road to near George Sheldon's including the road by Isaac VanLuvan's (late Lewis Keefer farm) to the line of Amenia.
"No. 11 .- Beginning at the manor line near the house of Nicholas N. Stickle, thence southerly to the Salisbury road that goes to the plains, thence westerly to the house of Cornelius C. Elmendorph, (now "Stissing House."-I. H.) thence northerly to the Manor line.
"No. 12 .- Beginning at the line of Amenia near the house of Edmund Reynolds, thence westerly to the road Augustine Graham, including near the road by Hontice Smith, to the road near Stephen Cumming. [NOTE .- Edmund Reynolds lived on the present Isaac Carman farm, late George Smith. Augustine Graham lived on the late Benjamin Strever farm. At or near the present "Bethel," one road went southerly by Hontice Smith-now Phenix Deuell-to Dibble Hill same as now, and another road started near Bethel and ran westerly and southwesterly through the south part of the Charles Hoag farm, the north part of the Edward Hunt-
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THE HIGHWAYS.
ting farm, intersecting the Pokeepsie road at the forks north of the Nancy Smith-now Streever-dwelling, where then lived Stephen Cumming. The road over the hill by the late Edward Huntting's was laid out March 25, 1805 .- I. H.]
"No. 13 .- Beginning at the line of Washington south of Stephen Cuni- ming, thence northerly to the house of Capt. Cornelius C. Elmendorph. (Elmendorph then kept tavern at the present Stissing House site. Wash- ington at this time included the town of Stanford. Stanford was taken from Washington in 1793.)
"No. 14 .- Beginning at the house of said Elmendorph, thence westerly to where the roads part to Red Hook and Rhinebeck.
"No. 15,-Beginning at where the said roads part, westerly to the Manor line west of Martin Hoffman (Mountross).
"No. 16 .- Beginning at the Manor line east of the widow Knicker- backer's, thence westerly to the main road to the house of Frederick Pesster.
"No. 17 .- Beginning at the main road near the house of Godfrey Gray, thence southerly to the main road near the house of widow Stewart.
"No, 18 .- Beginning at the main road near the house of the widow Knickerbacker, thence southerly to the main road near the house of John Lemming.
"No. 19 .- Beginning at the house of Frederick Pesster, thence westerly to the main road to the line of Rhinebeck.
"No. 20 .- Beginning where the road parts to Red Hook and Rhinebeck east of John Ham's, thence westerly on the main road to the west side of the bridge near the house of Josiah F. Dean.
"No. 21 .- Beginning at the west side of said bridge, thence westerly on the main road to the meeting house near the widow Lake's.
"No. 22 .- Beginning at said meeting house, westerly on the main road to the house of Capt. James Stewart.
"No. 23 .- Beginning at the house of said Stewart, westerly on the main road to the line of Rhinebeck.
"No. 24 .- Beginning at the road near the house of John Traver, thence northerly on the cross road to the main road near the house of Abel Pat- ridge.
"No. 25 .- Beginning at the main road near the house of John Philip. thence northerly to the Manor line and the road west by the house of Ryer Lawrence to Rhinebeck line.
"No. 26 .- Beginning at the main road west of James Stewart, thence southerly to the house where Richard Wilde (Ephraim Herriek) formerly lived, from thence westerly about half a mile from the house of Peter Ter Bush to the new road.
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HISTORY OF PINE PLAINS
"No. 21 .- Beginning at the house of said Herrick, thence easterly to the cross road that goes by the house of Isaac Sherwood.
"No. 28 .- Beginning at the said cross road, easterly to the house of Benjamin Conger.
"No. 29 .- Beginning at the main road near the house of John McDoal, thence southerly to the road near the house of Isaac Sherwood.
"No. 30 .- Beginning at the road near the house where Richard Wilde formerly lived, thence westerly to the line of Rhinebeck.
"No. 31 .- Beginning at the main road at the house of Simon T. Myers, thence easterly to the house of Joseph Mott.
"No. 32 .- Beginning at the house of the said Mott, thence easterly to Washington line near the house of Mr. Wallbridge.
"No. 33 .- Beginning at the main road near James Turner's, thence southerly to the main road from Cold Spring to Rhinebeck.
"No. 34 .- Beginning where the roads part near Jacob Cous', thence sontherly to where the roads part near Edward Wheeler's.
"No. 35 .- Beginning at the main road near the widow Bostwick's, thence southerty to the orchard of John Wirehouse, near the house of the said Wirehouse.
"No. 36 .- Beginning at the said orchard, thence southerly to the line of Washington.
"No. 37 .- Beginning at the main road near to John Ham, thence southerly to the road that goes from the Widow Bostwick's to Washington near where Isaac Winans now lives.
"Witness our hands,
JOSIAH HOLLY, JACOB COUS, Commissioners." JOSIAH DEAN,
March 20, 1792, Cornelius C. Elmendorph and James Stewart, then commissioners, added :
"No. 38 .- Beginning at the house of John White on the Cold Spring road and along south by Samuel Wightman's to the line of the town of Washington," and March 24, of the same year,
"No. 39 .- Beginning about a quarter of a mile from Dr. Bartlett's house west and so north by G. Martin's mill, and so through the neighbor- hood of Story, Green's, Bullock's, Hicks', &c., till where it intercepts the north and south road { mile north of Caleb Norton's."
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