USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 24
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 24
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It was under this act that The Montgomery County Agricultural So- ciety was organized. Pursuant to a notice by the county clerk, a meeting was held September 20, 1844, at the court house in Fonda. A committee on nominations reported the following, which were adopted : President, Tunis 1. Van Deveer ; vice-presidents, Joshua Reed and Peter H. Fonda ; secretary, John Frey ; treasurer, John Nellis. The board of directors consisted of a representative from each town in the county, as follows : Amsterdam, Benedict Arnold ; Charleston, Robert Baird ; Canajoharie, Jeremiah W. Gardner ; Florida, Lawrence Servoss ; Glen, Richard Hud- son ; Minden, Barney Becker ; Mohawk, Lyndes Jones ; Palatine, Wm. Snell ; Root, George Spraker ; St. Johnsville, John Y. Edwards. A com- mittee was appointed to draft a constitution and report it at a subsequent meeting, which all desirous to promote the interests of agriculture, manu- factures and rural arts, were earnestly requested to attend.
On the 13th of October, the organization was completed and arrange- ments made for the first fair, which was held at the court house, on the 11th and 12th of November following. The receipts amounted to $471.50 ; the expenses were but nine dollars less. The fair was held at the same place for the next three years, the annual receipts averaging about $250. The fifth year the fair was held at Canajoharie, October 7 and 8, 1845. The next four were held at the court house in Fonda ; the tenth, at Fort Plain, and the next three at the court house. The fair of 1854 was held at St. Johnsville, and that of 1855 at Conajoharie. Since then it has been held annually at Fonda, that place having been fixed upon as the permanent locality, by a convention of the society, at "the Reformed Dutch Church " in that village, September 24, 1863. At the same time it was ordered that the society be kept distinct from and independent of any other in its organization and atfairs.
On the ioth of October, 1860, the constitution and by-laws were adopted.
€
67
FAIRS AT FONDA-THAT PLACE MADE THE COUNTY SEAT.
by which the society has since been governed. Under the constitution, the officers comprise a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary, and a treasurer. There is an executive committee of three, and the board of directors consists of three from each town in the county. The term of all the officials is one year. Membership for a year costs fifty cents, and life membership, Sro. The annual meeting of the society is held in the even- ing of the first day of the fair. The officers are then elected and enter upon their duties on the first of January following.
1
.
!
In 1861, a new feature of attraction was added to the fair by a very suc- cessful balloon ascension. The number of entries of live stock and in some other departments that year outnumbered those of previous years by one-half. An address was delivered by Mr. James Arkell, and an original poem by Hon. John Bowdish. In 1863, the society decided to purchase grounds on which to hold their annual fairs. A field of about thirteen acres, part of the Van Horne estate, on the bank of the Mohawk, beginning at the lower side of the bridge, was selected. The fair of 1864 was the first held on the new ground, and the most successful up to that . date, the receipts being over $2,000-double those of any previous year. When the ground was purchased there was about $400 in the treasury. This sum was, of course, soon exhausted in paying for the land, fence and first buildings, and a debt of between five and six thousand dollars was ereated, which was steadily reduced from year to year by the receipts at fairs. In his report for 1872, the secretary announced that the society would be enabled to make further necessary investments-such as per- manent buildings for live stock, improvements of Floral Hall, etc. The receipts from the fair of 1873-some $2,000-hardly met the unusually large expenses for that year. The address on this occasion was delivered by Hon. John Bowdish.
Special efforts were put forth to make the fair of the centennial year, 1876, one of unusual attractiveness, in the hope of increased receipts that would cancel the remaining indebtedness of the society. The exhibition in the various departments far surpassed those of previous years, and many special attractions were introduced. including foot races, a rope- walking performance and superior musical entertainment-three bands being in attendance. The receipts were, as hoped, much greater than on any previous occasion, amounting to $3,803. It was in this year that the grand stand was built. The amount taken in the next year, though several hundred dollars less, put the finances of the society in a very gratifying condition, there being at the commencement of the year 1878 $987 in the treasury.
.
-
CHAPTER XXII.
THE REMOVAL OF THE COURT HOUSE-MONTGOMERY'S REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS AND LEGISLATURE-COUNTY INSTITUTIONS.
The projectors of the village of Fonda conceived that the prospects of their enterprise would be brightened by making the embryo city the capi- tal of Montgomery county. A petition for the removal of the county buildings from Johnstown was accordingly presented to the Legislature in 1836. The immediate vicinity of the Mohawk was hy this time so thickly inhabited that the old county seat was not central to the popula- tion of the county, and it was left comparatively out of the world by the construction of the Utica and Schenectady Railroad. The petition made a persuasive showing, on a statistical basis, of what proportion of the inhabitants would be accommodated by the proposed change; and an act authorizing the erection of a court house and jail at Fonda was passed during the session in which it was presented. The commissioners appointed to locate the buildings and superintend their construction were Aaron C. Wheelock, Henry Adams and Howland Fish. The act required them to raise and pay into the treasury of the county $4,500 as a preliminary step, and procure a site of at least three acres for the new county buildings. The comptroller was authorized on receiving a bond from the county treasurer to loan the county the sum required from the common school fund, to he repaid at any time, or times, within five years, that the super- visors might decide upon. Under these arrangements the court house and jul were built in 1836. The removal of the county seat from Johnstown was naturally very unsatisfactory to the northern part of the county, and resulted in the division of Montgomery two years later. An interesting view of the state of things in the county at the period now considered is
-
afforded by the following extract from The Amsterdam Democrat :
"In t836, Joseph Smith was postmaster at Amsterdam, David Crane at Cranesville, Jay Cady at Minaville, Henry Randall at Port Jackson, John C. Van Alstyne at Auriesville, Peter Enders at Fort Hunter, Thos. Bunn at Tribes Hill, Wm. M. Gardinier at Fultonville, Henry Veeder at Caughna- waga, John Hanchet at Glen, and T. A. Stoutenburgh at Johnstown 'which was then in the county).
"The following papers were published in this county: The Intelligencer and Mohawk Advertisen, at Amsterdam, by John J. Davis and L. H. Nicholas, with the last named as editor; the Johnstown Herald, at Johns- town, by Philip Reynolds, Jr .; the Montgomery Republican, at Johnstown, by Peter Mix; the Montgomery Argus, at Canajoharie, by Abraham V. Putnam; the Northern Banner, at Broadalbin, by William Clark; the Gar- land semi-monthly , at Union Mills, by W'm. Clark, and the Christian Palladium .semi-monthly , at Union Mills, by Joseph Badger.
" The Mohawk and Hudson railroad commenced in 1830, extended from Albany to Schenectady, and covered fifteen miles of the one hundred miles of railroad then in operation in this State. The Utica and Sche- nectady railroad was nearly completed. A writer says of it: 'This road, the importance of which entitles it to a conspicuous station among the many improvements of the age, is designed to form no inconsiderate link in the extensive chain of communication between the western world and the tide waters of the Hudson. Passing through a country famed for its fertility of soil and its exuberance of agricultural productions, the route can scarcely fail of presenting some interesting features to the contempla- tion of the most fastidious traveller. With the Mohawk river almost con- stantly in view, as it majestically sweeps onward in its course, confined on either side by a succession of lofty and precipitous hills, the eye of the amateur may frequently discern landscapes comprising almost every variety of picturesque and scenic beauty.' Erastus Corning was president of the Utica and Schenectady R. R. Co., and vice-president of the Mohawk and Hudson Co. The county contained 1,227,712 acres of land; the value of the real estate was $3,753,506, and the personal estate $674.899. The county taxes amounted to $19,289.66, and the town taxes $13,023.00.
"There were four academies in the county, located at Amsterdam, Can- ajoharie, Kingsborough and Johnstown. Horace Sprague and W. A. Tweed Dale were principals of the first named. The county also contained eight woolen factories, thirteen iron works, five paper mills, sixty-two tan- · neries, two breweries, two hundred and seventy-four saw mills, seventy-four grist mills, thirty-one fulling mills, twenty-nine carding machines and four oil mills, Elijah Wilcox was collector of canal tolls at Fultonville, and Jubal Livermore was one of the superintendents of canal repairs. David Spraker, of Canajoharie, was one of the four senators from this, the fourth, district, which included the counties of Saratoga, Washington, St. Law- rence and Montgomery. Henry V. Berry of Caughnawaga, Joseph Blair of Mills' Corners, and Jacob Johnson of Minaville, were Members of Assem- bly. Abraham Morrell and David Spraker were masters and examiners in chancery. In the Courts of Common Pleas, Abraham Morrell was first judge, and Samuel A. Gilbert, John Hand, Henry J. Dievendorff and David F. Sacia, judges. Malachi Kettle was Sheriff ; Tobias A. Stoutenburgh, surrogate; Charles McVean, district attorney; and Joseph Farmer, county treasurer. All four resided at Johnstown. There were forty lawyers in the county, among whom were Howland Fish of Glen, David P. Corey and Deodatus Wright of Amsterdam, and Daniel Cady, R. H. Cushney and John Frothingham of Johnstown. Forty-four physicians looked after the physical welfare of the people. Benedict Arnold, of Amsterdam, was Major General of the second division of cavalry. Aaron C. Whitlock of Ephratah, was Brigadier General in the same division. Twenty-three clergymen were located in the county, not including the Methodist. Rev. James Wood was in charge of the Presbyterian church in this village. In the Troy conference the Troy district contained twenty-two Methodist clergymen, and the Albany district twenty-eight. Matthias J. Bovee, of Amsterdam, was Member of Congress."
MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CONGRESS.
By the courteous care of Hon. John H. Starin, now representing this district in Congress, we are enabled to present the following summary of Montgomery county's representation in the national legislature, from the time of the adoption of the United States constitution :
- 68
THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
CONGRESS.
NAME.
DISTRICT.
YEAR.
1777.
1787.
James Cannon, John Frey, William Harper, James Livingston.
1788.
VII ..
BENJAMIN WALKER,
1X.,
1801-3-
VILL
THOMAS SAMMONS,
XIII.,
1803-5-
IX ..
THOMAS SAMMONS,
XIII.,
1805-7.
Michael Edie,
X.
PETER SWART,
XIII.,
1807-9.
Jacob Snell,
John Livingston,
X1.,
THOMAS SAMMONS,
I.X.,
1809-11.
Peter Waggoner, Jr.
XIIL,
JACOB MARKALL,
XIV.,
1815-17
XV ..
JOHN HERKIMER,
XIV.,
1817-19.
George Henry Bell,
XVI.,
JOHN FAY,
XIV.,
1819-21.
Abraham Copeman,
XVIL.
ALFRED CONKLING,
XIV.,
1821-23.
Peter S. Dygert,
XVIII.,
JOHN W. CADS,
XVI,
1823-25-
XIX.,
HENRY MARKELL,
XVI.,
1825-27.
Jacob Gardineer,
XXL,
BENEDICT ARNOLD,
XVL,
1829-31.
Peter Waggoner, Jr.
XXIL,
NATHAN SOULE,
XVI.,
1831-33-
1780.
.
James Livingston,
XXV_
JOHN EDWARD,
XV.,
1837-39-
XXVL.
PETER J. WAGNER,
XV.,
1839-41.
XXVII.,
JOHN SANDFORD,
XV.,
1841-43.
Volkert Veeder,
XXVIII.,
CHARLES BENTON,
XVII.,
1843-45.
XXIX.,
CHARLES BENTON,
XVII.,
1845-47.
XXX_
GEORGE PETRIE,
XVII ..
1847-49.
XXXL,
HENRY P. ALEXANDER,
XVII.,
1849-51.
XXXII.,
ALEXANDER H. BUELL, PETER ROWE,
XVIII.,
1853-55.
XXXIV.,
THOMAS R. HORTON,
XVIII.,
1855-57.
XXXV.,
CLARKE B. COCHRANE,
XVIII.,
1857-59.
XXXVI.,
CLARKE B. COCHRANE,
1
XVIII ..
1859-61.
XXXVII,
CHAUNCEY VIRBARD,
XVIII,
1861-63.
XXXVIII.,
JAMES M. MARVIN,
XVIII.
1863-65
XXXIX.,
JAMES M MARVIS,
XVIII ..
1867-69.
XLI.,
STEPHEN SANDFORD,
XVIII., 1869-71.
XLII,
JOHN M. CARROLL,
XVIII ..
1871-73-
XLIII.,
HENRY W. HAIHORN,
XIX.,
1873-75.
XLIV.,
HENRY W. HATHORN,
XX.,
1875-77. -
XLV.,
JOHN H. STARIN,
XX.,
-
1877-79.
IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
Under the first State constitution New York was divided into four sen- atorial districts, Montgomery county being part of the IVth. Under the constitution of 1821, there were eight districts, each represented by four senators; one elected each wear. Under the constitution of 1846, the thirty-two senators represent as many separate districts, and the whole nuniler are elected on alternate year -. Since the adoption of this consti- tution, the district including Montgomery county, which is now the XVth, and is composed of Montgomery, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga and Sche- nectady counties, has been represented as shown by the subjoined table:
1848-9. Joseph Blair. 1860-1. Isaiah Blood.
1850-1. Geo. H. Fox and John 1862. John Willard.
Sanford; the first nf whom re- 1863. William Clark.
signed soon after his election. 1864-5. James H Cook.
1852-3. Simeon Snow. 1866-7. Adam W. Kline.
1854-5. George Yost.
1868-9. Charles Stanford.
1856-7. Frederick P. Bellinger. 1870-1. Isaiah Blood.
1858-9. George G. Scott. 1872-3. Isaiah Fuller.
1874-9. Webster Wagner.
Until 1846 each county, except Hamilton, elected one or more members of Assembly annually, the number being designated from time to time by law. The number alloted to Tryon, afterward Montgomery county, under the several apportionments, together with the names of the members and dates of their election, so far as can be ascertained, will appear from the following tabular statement:
Samuel Clyde, Zephaniah Batcheler,
1789-91.
JAMES GORDON,
1791-93.
SILAS TALBOT,
1793-95-
V.,
JAMES COCHRAN,
IX ..
1797-99
VI ..
JONAS PLATT,
1799-1801.
George Henry Bell,
Abraham Arndt,
Samuel Clyde,
John Frey, William Harper,
XII ..
THOMAS SAMMONS,
IX ..
1811-13.
Isaac Paris, Henry Staring,
Volkert Veeder,
John Winn, Christopher P. Yates.
1789.
Abraham Arndt, John Frey,
William Harper,
XXIII.,
CHARLES MCVEAN,
XV.,
1833-35-
XXIV.,
MATTHIAS J. BOVEE,
XV.,
1835-37-
Zephaniah Batcheler,
Abraham Copeman,
Henry Staring,
John Winn,
Christopher P. Yates.
1790.
Abraham Arndt, James Livingston, David McMasters,
Volkert Veeder.
1791.
Abraham Arndt. John Frey, James Livingston, John T. Visscher.
1792.
Jacob Eacker, Douw Fonda, John Frey, David McMasters,
Silas Talbot, Simon Veeder.
1793.
Jacob Kacker, David Mc Masters, Silas Talbot, Simon Veeder.
1794.
Jacob Eacker, Frederick Getman, John McArthur, David McMasters, Simon Veeder. 1795.
Douw Fonda, Frederick Getman, David McMasters, Simon Veeder.
James Livingston, Isaac Paris, Volkert Veeder, Christopher P. Yates. 1786. 1796.
Abraham Arndt, John Frey, . William Harper, James livingston, Abraham Van Horne, Volkert Veeder.
1782.
Zephaniah Batcheler,
Frederick Visscher, John Frey, Andrew Finck, Jr., Abraham Garrison,
William Harper.
1783.
Zephaniah Batcheler, Frederick Visscher, John F'rey, Andrew Finck, Jr.
1784.
Abraham Copeman, Frederick C. Fox, William Harper, James Livingston, Volkert Veeder, Christopher P'. Yates, Isaac Paris.
1785.
Frederick C. Fox, William Harper,
t
XX ..
HENRY MARKELL,
XVI ..
1827-29.
Frederick Fox, Jacob Gardineer,
Peter Waggoner, Jr.
1781.
Jacob Gardineer,
Abraham Garrison,
William Harper,
Peter Waggoner, Jr., Zephaniah Batcheler.
1865-67.
XL.,
JAMES M. MARVIN,
XVII.,
1851-53-
XXXIII,,
-
WILLIAM COOPER,
1795-97.
Michael Edie, . Jacob Snell.
1778.
1779.
XIV.,
DANIEL. CADS,
1813-15.
Frederick Fox,
David McMasters,
Peter S. Dygert,
David Cady. Jacob Eacker, Frederick Getman, John C. Van Eps, Peter Veeder, Simon Veeder.
-
JEREMIAH VAN RENSSELAER,
69
MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES.
1797. Jacob Eacker, Frederick Getman, John C. Van Eps, Peter Veeder, Simon Veeder.
1798. Frederick Getman, James Hildreth, Robert McFarlan, Archibald Mcintyre, Henry Pawling, Stephen Reynolds, Jacob Snell, Philip Van Alstine, Simon Veeder, Peter Voorhis.
1799. Cornelius Humphrey, Archibald Mclntyre, Jacob Snell, Simon Veeder, Frederick Sammons, John Herkimer.
1800. Cornelius Humphrey, Archibald McIntyre, Jacob Snell, Simon Veeder, Christopher P. Yates, Alexander Sheldon. 1801. Archibald McIntyre, Frederick Sammons, Jacob Snell, Charles Ward, Christopher P. Yates, Alexander Sheldon. 1802. Alexander Sheldon, Daniel Walker, Charles Ward, Henry Kennedy, John Roof.
1803. Alexander Sheldon, John Herkimer, David I. Zieley. Henry Kennedy, Archibald Melntyre.
1804.
John Seeber, Alexander Sheldon, David 1. Zieley, James McIntyre, Jonathan Hallet.
1805. Joseph Wagoner, Alexander Sheldon, John Herkimer, James McIntyre, Samuel Jackson.
1806. Alexander Sheldon. James Lansing. Harmanus A. Vedder, Lawrence Gross, William Van O'Landa.
L807.
Alexander Sheldon, Lawrence Gross, Henry Fonda, Peter C. Fox, Harmanus A. Vedder.
1808.
John Fay, Daniel Cady, John Green, Richard Van Horne, David 1. Zieley.
1 809.
Daniel Cady, Richard Van Horne, John Green, James Allen, David I. Zieley.
1810.
Nathan Christy, Richard Van Horne, William Woodward, Nathan Kimball, Edmund G. Rawson.
1811.
Daniel Cady, Jacob Eacker, Daniel Hurlbut, James McIntyre, Nathan Christy.
1812.
Josiah Bartlett, Daniel Cady, John Fay. Daniel Hurlbut, Archibald Mcintyre, Daniel McVean, Alexander Sheldon, Richard Van Horne.
18:3.
Josiah Bartlett, Daniel Cady, Daniel McVean, Richard Van Horne. 1814.
Solomon Dievendorff John Eisenlord, Samuel A. Gilbert, Alexander St. John, John Shuler, Sylvanus Wilcox, Andrew Zabriskie, Alvah Southwick. 1815.
Solomon Dievendorff John Eisenlord, Alexander St. John, John Shuler, Alvah Southwick.
1816.
Henry Gross, Henry Fonda, Samuel Jackson, Benedict Arnold, Isaac Sears.
1817.
Barent K. Vrooman, Samuel Jackson, Ezekiel Belding, Henry Lyker, Jacob Shaw.
1818.
Jacob Hees, Aaron Haring, Duncan McMartin, Jr., Robert Hall, Samuel Jackson.
1819.
Lawrence Gross, Henry J. Dievendorff. Jacob Hees, Henry Fonda, John L. Francisco.
1820.
Howland Fish, Lawrence Gross, Henry Failing, Jr., David W. Candee, Archibald Mcintyre.
1821.
John W. Cady, James Mclntyre. Joshua Webster, Henry Valentine, Nicholas Gross.
1822.
George D. Ferguson, Christian Klock, Alvin Harris, Joseph Spier.
1823.
Henry Cunningham, Francis H. Van Buren, Peter Smith, Peter C. Fox.
1824
Peter Smith, Henry Cunningham, Alexander St. John, Samuel Jackson.
1825. Abraham A. Van Horne. Augustus Dievendorff, John French, Alexander Sheldon,
1826.
Lawrence Gross, Nathaniel Westcott, Howland Fish.
1827.
David F. Sacia, Nathaniel Westcott, John Veeder.
1828.
Phineas Randall. Joseph Spinnard. Peter Young.
1829.
Henry J. Dievendorff, Daniel Stewart, Thomas R. Benedict.
1830.
William Rob, Platt Potter, Josiah C. Brown.
1831.
Peter Wood, Silas Phillips, Jacob Van Arnam.
1832.
Douw A. Fonda, William Carlisle, Cornelius Mabee.
1833.
David Mortill, Clark S. Grinnell. Asel Hough.
1834
Henry Adams, Ashbel Loomis, Collins Odell.'
1835.
Joseph Blair,
Henry V. Berry,
Joseph Johnson.
1836.
Joseph Blair, Jacob Hees, Richard Peck.
.
1837.
Marcellus Weston, Abraham V. Putman, Jeremiah Nellis.
. 1838. Isaac Jackson, Isaac S. Frost.
1839.
Peter Wood, John S Veeder. 1840.
Reuben Howe, Daniel F. Nellis.
1841. Lawrence Marcellus. James Dievendorff. 1842. John Bowdish. John I. Zoller.
1843 Clark B. Cochrane, Morgan I .. Harris, 1844 Peter H. Fonda, John 1 .. Bevins. 1845. Theodonc R. Liddle, Benjamin Baird.
70
THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
.
1846.
1860.
Gamaliel Bowdish, Andrew S. Gray.
1847.
ist Dist. Asa Bowman, ad. " W'm. A. Haslett.
1848.
ud Dist. Frothingham Fish, Lewis Averill.
1849.
ist Dist. Samuel H. Green,
Simeon Sammons.
24. 4 Charles Hubbs.
1865.
1850.
Isaac S. Frost.
is Dist. S. P. Heath,
:866.
1851.
ust Dist. John I. Davis,
1867.
Angell Matthewson.
1852.
1868.
ust Dist. William McClellan, Abraham N. Van Alstine
1853-4.
ust Dist. Aaron W. Hull, 22 4
Hezekiah Baker.
1870.
1855.
Webster Wagner.
ist Dist. John Van Derveer, ad. " Joseph Spraker.
1871-2.
Wm. J. Van Dusen.
1856.
1873.
ust Dist. Matthew O. Davis, ad. " Hezekiah Baker. 1857.
1874.
Martin Schenck.
Hezekiah Baker. 1858.
1875.
Jeremiah SnelL
Geo. M. Voorhees.
1859.
1876-7.
Jay D. Bowman.
Edward Wemple.
A Democratic majority of from 350 to 400 is claimed for the county, but the sheriff and member of assembly have been elected by the other party about as often for the last twenty years.
THE CARE OF THE POOR.
Near the south bank of the Mohawk, about two miles below Fultonville, stands the Montgomery county poor house. Prior to 1866 the buildings and farm of one hundred and forty acres belonged to the county, but in that year the supervisors sold this property, under authority of a special act of the Legislature. Hiram Sammons was the purchaser, and also con- tracted for the support of the indigent. Each town arranges for the main- tenance of its panpers through an overseer at a stipulated price per week, which varies from two dollars to three and a half, according to the mental and physical condition of the pauper. Mr. Sammons, the purchaser of the poor house and farm, died in 1868, and Robert Wemple bought the property, also contracting for the support of the inmates of the house, of which he is still in charge. A part of them are chargeable to the county at large, and the affairs of the poor in general are attended to by a county superintendent.
THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
This association was organized on the first Tuesday of July, 1806, in conformity with an act of the Legislature, entitled " An Act to incorporate
Medical Societies and to regulate the practice of Physic and Surgery," passed on the 4th of April in that year. The first meeting was held at the court house in Johnstown, and the following is a full list of the physicians present : Alexander Sheldon, Oliver Lathrop, Stephen Reynolds, Wm. H. Devoo, Wm. Reed, Benjamin Tucker, Horace Barnum, Abraham Stern- bergh.
The following named persons were chosen officers of the society : Alexander Sheldon, President ; William Reed, Vice-president ; Stephen Reynolds, Secretary ; Oliver Lathrop, Treasurer.
Alexander Sheldon, Stephen Reynolds and Benjamin Tucker were ap- pointed a committee to draft a code of by-laws by which the society should be governed, and also to "procure a Seal with such device as they may think proper," and report at an adjourned meeting, which occurred on the 15th of October, 1806. At this meeting the membership of the society was increased by the addition of the following persons : Jonathan Eights, Benjamin Lyon, Joshua Webster, Daniel Cuck, Jonas Far, of Minden, Elijah Cheadle, Thomas Conklin, Christian Tissure.
The regular meetings of the society were held but once a year, on which occasions one or more addresses were usually delivered by members chosen by the society for the purpose. Censors were appointed, whose duty it was to receive and examine into impeachments, the penalty for which, when sustained, was expulsion from the society, or a fine not to exceed $10. They were also required " to make diligent enquiry into the legal qualifications of all persons practising physic or surgery within this county," and if any were found who, " in their opinion, had not the qualifi- cations required," they were to be published in the public journals throughout the State. Candidates for the medical profession were ques- tioned by the Censors, and after passing a satisfactory examination they were required to sign the following declaration : "I do solemnly declare that I will honestly, virtuously and chastely conduct myself in the practice of Physic and Surgery, with the privileges of practsiing which profession I am now to be invested, and that I will with fidelity and honor do every- thing in my power for the benefit of the sick committed to my charge ;" upon which the society gave them a diploma, granting them "the privilege of practising physic and surgery in this State." Members were required to "keep an accurate history of all important and singular cases " that occurred in their practice, and of "all useful discoveries " made by them, and report the same to the society.
The division of Montgomery county, in 1838, necessitated a division of this society and its property, and it was re-organized by electing Daniel Ayres, Pres .; Zadock Barney, Vice-Pres .; A. T. E. Hilton, Secy., and Morgan Snyder, Treas. The following is a complete list of the members of the society at that time : Abram J. Arndt, John Atwater, Daniel Ayers, Zadock Barney, Henry K. Belding, Thompson Burton, - Burbeck, Richard Davis, Lebbeus Doty, Jas. Defendorf, - Glaves, A. T. E. Hilton, Erastus Holmes, Aaron W. Hull, W. H. Johnson, - Marcey, E. A. Mumford, -- Patterson, Uriah Potter, Ahm. Pulling, John W. Riggs, Daniel Smith, Jacob G. Snell, Simeon Snow, Morgan Snyder, J. D. Stewart, Samuel Voorhees, Joshua Webster, Joseph White, David E. Houghtaling.
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