USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 31
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The superstructure was made of hewn cherry timber, each slab or bent, about twelve inches thick and eleven feet high, framed into the sills, each one raised closely against the other, side by side, and dove-tailed into each other by strong slats. This impenetrable wall of solid timber surrounding the whole building was well covered with clapboards, lathed and plastered inside, and most carefully finished after a style best fancied by the strange builder. The walls present a nice finish, and time has proved their durability. The building is of the European style of architecture of that time. There were originally seven fire places, which were trimmed with black marble. It is said that in the cellar an appartment undiscoverable by a stranger, whose secret purposes were never told, was provided. The rooms were all spacious, and adorned with rich mirrors, mahogany and other costly furniture. Superb ornaments adorned the halls, and a fine library*
* The great cupboard which contained his library, remained in the hall many years after Muller's final departure from the country, its mammoth size preventing its being removed. It was finally taken apart, and piece by piece the relic has been carried away by curiosity seekers.
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ministered to the taste of the cultivated proprietor. Al the style, surroundings and appointments of a French nobleman's residence, were arranged here in elaborate detail and with studious care.
Upon the completion of his dwelling he removed his family, consisting of a wife and child, from Hamilton, and commenced life in their adopted home. The work of improving and beautifying this wild, secluded hill, still rapidly progressed. Money was lavished and labor applied without stint. From the brook which traversed his grounds an artificial pond was excavated, which was well stocked with fish. Avenues of fine shade trees, maples, poplars, &c., were set out, some of which are standing to this day. A fine park was enclosed with a strong high fence or stock- ade, in which were kept deer, rabbits and other game. Large and convenient outbuildings were erected, whose style was in keeping with the taste which planned the house.
At the east of this palatial homestead, which is located on Lots No. 75, 76, 87, 88 and 89, Muller opened a road running in nearly a northerly and southerly direction, and along the stream which rises upon his estate. Upon this stream, about one mile in a south-easterly direction from his residence, in School District No. 12, he estab- lished his village. On a portion of Lot 126, purchased by Muller of James McElwain, were the falls where he erected his grist mill, which many years ago fell into ruin, while at the present day, scarcely a vestige of its remains can be found.
This village consisted of many dwellings, a store-house and two stores. Muller invited artisans and mechanics, and gave them advantages to induce them to establish here, and thus he built up a considerable trade in many branches. John Passon Bronder and Modeste Del Campo, in company, kept the first store. A short time after, James C. Winter opened another store in competition. These men came with
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Muller from France. From Mr. Passon Bronder this place was called " Bronder Hollow," which name it still retains. One of the stores and the storehouse were standing near together. The latter is still in existence, having been con- verted into a horse barn, belonging to Mr. Samuel Stone, who owns a farm here.
More than two miles east of his residence, on the stream which enters Georgetown village from the northwest, on the north-east corner of Lot 78, Muller built a saw mill, which has now nothing of it remaining.
When all these were completed, Muller set himself to the work of assiduously cultivating and bringing forth the ca- pacities of this rather sterile region. He endeavored to ex- tend every branch of horticulture, and planted many varieties of rich fruits, but for want of knowledge in the qualities of the soil, he allowed the gravel and hard-pan re- moved in the excavation of the fish pond, to be leveled over the grounds, which rendered it unproductive, and horticul- ture did not thrive.
In his family arrangements, peace and contentment seemed constant companions, and enlarged benevolence marked his conduct ; the sick and the needy found their fevered pulses soothed by personal attentions, and the means for supplying all reasonable wants. In business mat- ters he was prompt and decided, and all persons employed by him were early taught to feel his unflinching, unwaver- ing spirit ; any indication of laziness, or inattention to du- ties required, was followed by prompt dismissal, and never could any dismissed person obtain employment from him again. He required obedience like a man accustomed to military command. He often brought the latest newspapers into the field among the workmen, and, gathering them all about him, read to them the news of the day ; but the mo- ment he observed his audience, or any part of it, inattentive, or indulging in any by-play, he immediately folded his · paper, and commanded them all to their posts of labor. He ·
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was deeply interested in the struggle of the Americans with the British in 1812, and warmly commended the valor of the Americans in that contest.
However, among his workmen, he rarely found one to whom he freely expressed his opinions on the prominent political movements of that day, and to such he studiously avoided any mention of his personal knowledge of affairs in France, thus concealing the prominent part he had un- doubtedly taken in the great movements of his time. He most frequently sought the society of one whom he could safely trust, when laboring under any excitement which he could ill suppress, and which might possibly betray him.
Chancellor Bierce, who worked for Muller three years, was one of the few between whom and his employer there grew a strong sympathy, and before whom this retired man was less careful. One instance of this nature Mr. Bierce relates.
Agreeably to the laws of the State of New York, Louis Anathe Muller, in common with other citizens, had been warned out to general training. This order was looked upon by Mr. Muller as an insult, and in his excitement he made the following noteworthy remarks to Mr. Bierce :-
" Mr. Bierce, it is too bad ! too bad ! Captain Hurd sends his corporal to warn me out to train! He ought to be ashamed ! I have been General of a Division five years-I have signed three treaties "-here, checking himself, he simply added, as though striving to suppress feeling : " Bierce, it is too bad !"
Prompted as these words were by the sting of in- jured dignity, we have no doubt of their being the truth, forced from the secret he so assiduously covered, through the unguarded medium of his wounded pride. Conscious- ness of this weakness in himself, is the probable cause why he sought the presence of Bierce, a man in whom he might safely confide.
Mr. Bierce explained to him, in a satisfactory manner, the
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situation of our military laws, and Muller recognized the justness of the proceeding. However, he did not train, on that or any subsequent occasion.
Muller labored under great disadvantages in his building and farming enterprises, through the want of proper knowl- edge. This rendered his work doubly expensive. His grist mill, had a most peculiar and unhandy arrangement. He was often cruelly imposed upon by individuals who en- joyed perpetrating jokes. A story is told of his desiring to sow an acre of turnips. Not knowing how much seed he should want for that amount of ground, he asked a neigh- bor, and was informed that it required a bushel. By scour- ing the country far and near and purchasing small quanti- ties, he succeeded in obtaining three pecks. Soon after he was asked by an old farmer what he was going to do with so much turnip seed. Muller, in reply, said he wished to sow an acre of turnips, when the old man explained to him that he had been sadly hoaxed.
In conversation with him, Mr. Bierce gathered that Mul- ler married his wife since coming to America, in New York ; that he came in possession of the Georgetown estate in a manner not agreeable to his ideas of justice or honor; that Ludlow had made friends with him when he first came to New York, to whom he lent some $30,000, by which, in the change of circumstances, he was induced to accept this tract of land rather than suffer a total loss.
In his personal appearance, L. A. Muller was a fine-look- ing man, about five feet five inches high, well proportioned, possessing a distinguished military bearing. His complex- ion was of a swarthy color, eyes black and penetrating, features sharply defined, with the forehead of a keen prac- tical intellect, perfectly in keeping with the fine face. He was apparently about fifty years of age.
He was not an enthusiast, but a plain practical reasoner ; he abhorred mean lying and deception, and considered his honor as sacred. He enjoyed the sports of the green and
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the chase, and in these amusements his character was con- spicuous. On no account would he attack game while at rest ; every living thing had a chance for escape, but that chance was feeble if his fowling piece or rifle was in his hand.
He was very affectionate toward his young wife, Eugenie Adaline. She was a fair-haired, beautiful blonde, of only medium hight-a graceful and finely-formed, girlish crea- ture. Gay and affectionate with her maids, she and her two pretty children, Charley and Carlos, (one of whom was born in Georgetown, we understand,) were very much beloved by all, and were the center of the deepest solicitude on the part of the husband and father.
A strange, yet powerful apprehension weighed upon his mind and tinctured his prominent movements. In com- mon with the views of the French nation, he believed the powers of Europe would fall before the eagles of Bonaparte ; that the haughty lion of Britain would crouch and yield, and even the American eagle would fly before the gigantic power of the Corsican. These apprehensions pressing upon him, seemed to find some relief in the hope that the secluded hills of Georgetown would afford him a residence unknown and unobserved, and a safe retreat from present danger. He avoided mingling in public assemblies, and when visiting any more conspicuous town he was attended by his most trusty servants. Indeed, this peculiar watch- fulness, the construction of his fortress-like dwelling, the se- cret room-if such be a fact-all confirm the opinion that he feared molestation from the authorities of his native country. Two servants, in livery and armed, usually rode on either side of him as a body guard. At each saddle front, his own and his guards, was a case of pistols and am- munition.
But when Bonaparte made his line of march for Russia, Muller one day reading the news, was jubilant. " He shall be whipped !" he exclaimed ; " Bonaparte shall be driven
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back !" And so it proved. From this time he made his arrangements to return to France. When Bonaparte ab- dicated, and was sent a prisoner to Elba, Muller, leaving his property in the hands of an agent, took his wife and children to New York, where he left them and went to France. In 1816, he came again to New York to dispose of his property here. In his absence strange doings had been performed. The person in whom he had placed un- limited confidence in the care of his estate, one of the head men in the retinue brought here by him, had stripped his house of its furniture, sold his stock and every convertible object, and left, carrying off the avails. Weeds covered his garden walks and roads ; desolation marked every object of his former care and pride ; his village was forsaken and the mill deserted. In dismay, Mr. Muller viewed the wreck of his exile home, and tears at last gave relief to his oppressed mind.
He returned to New York and promptly offered the land for any sum. He sold to Mr. Abijah Weston, merchant of New York City, for the sum of $10,500, fifteen lots and parts of lots, which include those lots of the present Muller estate, with house, barn, out-houses, grist mill and saw mill. The deed was executed April 9, 1816, Cornelius Bogart and Jacob Radcliffe, attest.
(Signed)
JACOB RADCLIFFE, Mayor of the City of New York.
Mr. Muller then returned to France, it is said, leaving his family in New York City.
One would scarcely suspect so much had been lavished in the building up of this lonely place, from what can be seen this day. The Muller house, from the durable manner in which it is constructed, has withstood the rough treat- ment it has received from careless tenants, sent on by its subsequent owners. But little is left to suggest where stood the park, or where played the waters of the pretty fish pond. Long ago the park was demolished, and the
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dam of the pond leveled by some of the numerous occupants of the house. The saw mill was demolished or removed before 1825, and also the grist mill, while there is nothing left of the village to mark the spot, except some of the buildings, still standing, occupied for other purposes.
" However, an air of romance has ever since clung around that stern and stately mansion, with its lofty poplars and spacious green in front, and until recently reports were rife and frequently believed that this house was haunted, and its occupants have been frightened pale, and some have been known to leave, actually believing in the mysterious tales of haunted houses, and that this was one."
That Louis Anathe Muller was a French nobleman, bearing an assumed name, fleeing from the vengeance of Na- poleon Bonaparte, cannot be doubted. His family physi- cian, a man named Pietrow, who came to Georgetown with him, once said that Muller was " cousin the second to the Duke of Angouleme ;" but no evidence was given this by the men who heard the assertion made, as Pietrow usually carefully avoided disclosing Muller's station or name. Dates demolish the idea that Muller was Louis Phillippe.
There are many evidences that he was a man of superior military attainments, and consequently many believe him to have been one of the celebrated French Generals loyal to the Bourbons, who escaped to America to avoid the impend- ing doom of the guillotine. More generally, however, the belief prevails in this country that he was a member of the Bourbon family, and who, on the abdication of Bonaparte, was restored to his royal privileges.
It is said that Muller's wife, after his departure, assumed her maiden name of Stuyvesant, by which her children are called. We cannot vouch for the truth of this statement, but Madison County records show the following: The Muller property in Georgetown was sold by Abijah Weston to Israel Foote in the year 1820, for the sum of $13,000. There was a heavy mortgage upon it. In 1821, it was sold
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by Thomas Bolton, Master in Chancery, to the Mechanics Bank in the City of New York, and by the directors of this Bank to Francis U. Johnson, the deed bearing date the 13th day of September, 1834, and the same day by him granted to Peter Stuyvesant and Robert Van Rensselaer. June 15, 1837, Peter Stuyvesant and Julia R, his wife, made a gift of those premises, "for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar, lawful United States currency," to Nicholas William Stuyvesant, Caroline Augusta Stuyvesant and Robert Stuyvesant, children of Nicholas William Stuy- vesant. If Muller's wife was a Stuyvesant (as report said and as is here indicated,) these three children were doubt- less Muller's children, adopted by their relative, Nicholas William Stuyvesant.
The three joint owners last named (Caroline Augusta having become the wife of Benjamin Onderdonk, of New York City,) deeded the estate to Dr. James O. Van Hoven- burg, of Kingston, Ulster County, by whom it is now owned. The homestead now includes some 600 acres, and is occupied by Mr. Van Hovenburg, a relative of the pro- prietor.
We return to the early settlers and incidents connected with their pioneer life, as given by the few survivors :-
There was a kindness and sympathy among the inhabi- tants in those sparse settlements, which was engendered by their common necessities. Generosity was encouraged everywhere, and exhibitions of meanness were despised and rebuked in some manner. Each one seemed ready to help the other, in any emergency, to the extent of his ability. It is told, however, of a certain man, who came in very early and settled in the south part of the town, who did not an- swer to the qualities we have named as ruling among the people. He had more than the average share of riches, and felt his consequence. Some time after his arrival, a woman died in the neighborhood on the east side of the Otselic,
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and on her burial was taken to the grave-yard at Slab City. This man had, a short time before, purchased a wagon-a large two-horse lumber wagon, the first that came into town -and he was requested to lend it to bear the remains of the deceased to the grave. This he decidedly refused to do, adding that if " he lent his wagon to one he would have to to another, and he might keep on lending it till it was all wore out !" This seemed all the more inhuman from the fact that the Otselic then had no bridge across it, and the men bearing the bier were obliged to wade through the stream with their burden. This man also possessed the first grindstone in the neighborhood, and used to take off the handle and hide it, lest some neighbor should ask the use of the stone, or obtain its use otherwise. These are only two of the many instances of his meanness, which caused him to be so heartily despised by his neighbors, that he was at last glad to leave them and the country.
Before much grain was raised, game and fish formed part of the staple food. There was no fruit, except berries and wild plums, both of which were gathered and used freely. Sometimes bread, pies, and other edibles, were exchanged for apples, which were brought along by the Indians when they journeyed through here on their autumnal hunting tours south. Fish were plenty in the Otselic, and it was fine amusement catching fish at Hatch's saw mill, at the outlet of the lake, where they were abundant at certain sea- sons. A journey to Leland's grist mill in the spring time often resulted in a generous mess of shad caught from the Chenango. At the period when there were no obstructions on this river, from the ocean to its head waters in Leland's Ponds, shad and other ocean fish came up annually, and were caught in abundance. After the construction of dams, the supply of these soon failed.
Georgetown forests made fine hunting grounds in the early days. Deer were quite common. One circumstance is noteworthy :- Two young men, Isaac Purdy and William
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Drake, went out one morning with their fowling-pieces, and before breakfast killed four large bucks, not far from their homes south of the village. This is well authenticated, though it may seem to us a pretty large " breakfast spell." Panthers and bears sometimes made their appearance, while wolves frequently prowled about the quarters of the farmers' flocks. Small game was abundant. It is said that Muller paid high prices for game ; for rabbits as high as one dollar each, and in the same ratio-size and quality considered -for other animals. He also employed all the spare time of men and boys to catch trout for his fish-pond, paying enormous prices for them. Years after, when the dam of his pond was washed away, the school of large speckled trout which came down the stream, were a sight to see. For a long time after, this creek, which had never harbored a trout before Muller's sojourn, was one of the most prolific trout brooks in the country.
The ridge west of the Otselic, which was covered with a dense wilderness later than other sections of the town, har- bored an occasional panther and wolf to a late day. The prolonged unearthly scream of a panther was heard by many along the course of the creek one dark October night in 1843. It was also seen by different individuals, and was hunted, but escaped to the south.
As late as 1847, Mr. Sisson, then living on the Muller farm, had some of his sheep devoured. Evidences con- vinced him that the destroyer was some species of wild beast. His suspicions were confirmed by the statements of others who had seen, at different times, an animal resem- bling a wolf. Hunters scoured the Muller woods and oc- casionally obtained glimpses of the prowler, whose move- ments to avoid observation were very cunning, and its actions very shy. At length his wolfship's quarters were ascertained to be within a certain radius on the side of the hill, in the woods west of the tannery. A force of an hun- dred armed men, from the village and adjacent country,
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volunteered to effect the capture of the aggressor ; which force, on coming to the Muller woods, formed an extended circle around the brute's stronghold. Gradually this circle narrowed its bounds, scouring every copse, inspecting every hollow tree or log, and overturning every pile of brush. Step by step the circle reduced its circumference, until the men had drawn quite near to each other. Presently a dark ob- ject moved the foliage of the thick undergrowth ; every hunter's eye grew keen, every arm grew strong of nerve; for here was rare game, to bring down which, would be an honor. Soon the dark object darted from the cover of its hiding-place, and made straight to a point where he appar- ently expected to pass the line of men. "The wolf! the wolf !" shouted several, while others coolly raised their rifles and fired. With balls in his body, and stunned with blows from gun-stocks, the last wolf in Georgetown yielded his life. He was found to be one of the largest as well as the last of his race in this section. The trophy was borne in triumph to the village, and there put on exhibition to sat- isfy the incredulous and gratify the curious. The lucky marksman, whose ball first hit the wolf, was a man named Soules, from the adjoining town of Otselic.
For a time the enterprises of Georgetown were scattered. There was the store at Bethel Hurd's, which, after Trues- dale, was kept by Daniel Hurd. Religious meetings here, made this a place of attraction and of some note. The Muller village, with its many peculiarities, brought people from far and near, and trade was lively in consequence. The mills of Hunt & Bishop, on the Otselic, were, however, situated in the most feasible locality for business, and peo- ple were not long in finding it to be a pleasant and advan- tageous village site. There was the tavern of Payne, on the southeast corner ; on the opposite corner, southwest, (the present site of the post office,) stood a large, old fash- ioned, low, framed house, which was not lathed and plas- tered, and had a huge Dutch chimney in the center, with
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fire-places in every room around it. Burnet Galloway had a cabinet shop in the north part of this house, and Alexan- der McElwain kept tavern in the other part. A store was kept by a Mr. Dudley. There was, also, a blacksmith and several other mechanics at this point.
After 1813, the Muller village went down, and Slab City began to rise. In 1815, by an act of Legislature, Township No. 6 was set apart from DeRuyter. The inhabitants were unanimous in their desire to have the town named " Wash- ington," in honor of our first President ; but the Legislature objected, as there were several other towns of Washington in the State ; so, on the recommendation of that body, the people accepted the illustrious General's christian name, thus giving us " Georgetown."
The first town officers were :- Capt. William Payne, Su- pervisor ; Dr. E. Whitmore, Town Clerk ; Ebenezer Hall and Elijah Brown, Assessors. 'Squire Seth Smith of the village, and 'Squire Alvord, were two of the first Justices appointed. This town had been previously honored by appointments to office of its citizens, when it was a part of DeRuyter. Eleazer Hunt was Justice of the Peace for that town, appointed in 1806; Daniel Alvord and Josiah Purdy were Justices in 1808, and Ezra Sexton in 1810.
John F. Fairchild moved into town in 1817, and kept a store on the northwest corner in Georgetown village. He afterwards kept tavern on the southeast corner. The first store of importance was built on the site now occupied by the residence of Mr. Hannibal Priest, on the northeast cor- ner, and was kept by Mr. Ira B. Howard. Chester Rose was one of the early store keepers.
Dr. E. Whitmore had been the established physician since 1810, and continued to be the favorite among a wide circle of patrons to the close of a long life, which gave to Georgetown many years service. He also kept the first winter school in the village, in the winter of 1810-II. The school was held in 'Squire Smith's house, near the mill.
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