History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 40

Author: Beers, F.W., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: New York : F.W. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 664

USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 40
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 40

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).

The first settlers here had to take their grain to Albany for milling, and at one time it took thirty skipples 22 1-2 bushels of wheat to buy a bushel of salt, as that was a commodity the settlers must have. Getting it at this extortionate rate, they naturally made the most of it; when they salted their butter the brine was saved for seasoning other victuals.

There was no physician in those days, and Mrs. Matthew Van Horne officiated as nurse and good Samaritan in general to the neighborhood. Mounting a horse behind the messenger who came to ask her services, she rode away through the wilderness to the relief of the distressed; or if a wagon was used, it was a heavy affair with no tongue, so that on reaching the brow of any considerable hill it was necessary to take a large pole in tow to prevent the vehicle running away with the team. A quantity of poles were kept at such spots, the team which drew one down a hill for its protection having to snake it back on the return. This precaution was only taken on the higher hills, as it was counted a poor horse that could not keep out of the way of the wagon on a low one.

One Sabbath during the war, the Van Horne family went to Fort Ilun- ter to meeting, leaving the house in possession of a negro girl named Gin, whom Cornelius had bought. She took the opportunity to reach for the sugar-bowl, which the prudent Eve, knowing the servant's prochvities, kept on the top of a high cupboard. Gin not only brought down the sugar, but everything else about the cupboard, smashing all the dishes, which she disposed of by sinking them in the creek. On the return of the family she created a great excitement by reporting that the Indians had been there, carried off the dishes, and upset the cupboard. The cause of the misfortune, however, soon came out. The Van Hornes kept sheep, and Eve must always wash them; which she did sitting in a canoe and manipulating the wool, the "men folks" wading in with the sheep, and holding them as often as the washerwoman was ready for one.

Abram Rulifson came from New Jersey after the Revolution, and bought the McCready farm at Mill Point, on which he built a mill, which he after- ward sold to Simon and Peter Mabee. They enlarged the mill, and dug a new ditch through the "blue bank." at the place where the ditch still run- About the year 1800, a bridge was built over Schoharie at Mill l'ont. In- low the blue bank and opposite Voorhees' lane; it had log abutment. (ribbed together. It was swept away after standing four years, and in 1805 another was built farther up stream. This was so low that at high water driftwood lodged against it, and carried it off six years after its tun- struction. In 1812, one was built on better principles, still higher on the stream. About the opening of this century, Samuel, Henry and Jacot Van Dorn kept a store at Mill Point. They sold out to Cornelius Hott and John Hand, who traded here until 1820, when the bridge was part torn away by high water and ice. The Mabee brothers added to their grist mill a saw mill, a fulling mill and a woolen factory, all of which loch Faulkner subsequently bought for $10,000 In 1822, Peter Martin estab- lished a ferry opposite the John Voorhees residence, and David Vishi and Frederick Ruhfson kept a store here; but the ferry boat was wwelt away by a fond and ice, and the store was given up. One was then kept for a time near the mills.

The Faulkner mills and outbuildings were burned down in iss; Ilu saw-mill and grist-mill were rebuilt, but were destroyed by fire in the pain. of 1861, together with some adjoining buildings. They were once matt to built, in improved style, only to be burned down again, two years later In 1864 a store was established by J. S. Faulkner, who has kept it to the present time. A cider-mill started by David Faulkner in 1870 created an extensive market for apples, but it escaped the flames only three years 1 bridge has been built over Irish creek, at its mouth, giving the farmers ut the south-eastern part of Glen and the eastern part of Charleston, a more direct road to Auriesville, where 40,000 tons of hay, besides the enrplus grain of this region, were shipped in the autumn of 1877 Garret Putman

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THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

once built a grist and saw-mill on Irish creek, back of the Faulkner farm, but it lacked water power most of the year, and was abandoned. Simon Veeley built a tannery and shoe shop on land leased of Putman, but gave it up, and Jacob Hoff obtained possession of the concern.

ACCIDENTS AND DISASTERS ON SCHOHARIE CREEK.

At an early day a bridge was built across the creek at the falls, the tim- bers supporting it being let into the slate rock. A few years after, at a time of high water, a large tree come rushing top-foremost down the stream, and part of its branches passing above the floor of the bridge, the structure was torn from its fastenings and swept away.

About 1834. John J. Wells established a terry at Buchanan's mills. One year, during the spring floods, four men went out in the scow that served as a ferry boat to catch drift wood that was floating down. The rope across the stream, with which the boat was connected by a pulley, gave way at its eastern end, and being hastily made fast to the scow, the latter drifted across to within three rods of the Glen shore. Before it could be drawn to the bank, a floating tree struck it, and breaking the rope, set the craft adrift in the furious current. The crew took to the water, two swim- ming ashore, and the others reaching land by the aid of planks, though one of them had a narrow escape. Two years later the rope br. : one dark night when Peter Williams was on board with a loaded sleigh. He detach- ed the team and drove them overboard, and then struck out for land, which he succeeded in reaching. A search with lanterns was made for the team, and the horses were found on the Florida side, one dead, but drawn to shore by the other, the harness having held them together.

Wells owned some mills and other buildings, among them a large barn, with a foundation wall twelve fect high, on the bank of the creek. The spring freshet one year undermined the wall ; the great barn rolled over into the creek and went sailing away, convoyed by a company of hogs and hens on cakes of ice. Mr. Wells' distillery and plaster-mill were also ruined.

In the spring of 1822, when the ice was very thick and frozen tightly around the supports of the Mill Point bridge, there came a sudden thaw and rain, and the neighbors, hearing that the ice had started up at the falls, gathered at the bridge to witness its fate. While they were watching anxiously from the western bank, a stranger in a sleigh drove on to the bridge at the Florida end. The crowd shouted to warn him of his danger, but, misunderstanding their cries, he only drove slowly and carefully. Seeing that he persisted in crossing, a young man named Alexander Voor- hees ran over the bridge, and, leaping into the sleigh, plied the whip. This brave and energetic action barely saved the traveler, for the bridge was in motion as the sleigh left it, and it soon went to pieces.

Oct. 4, 1868, a flood broke over the bank at Mill Point, and swept across the flats to the mills, carrying away fences and saw-logs, and doing con- siderable other damage. The same thing occurred April 19, 1869, when the old ferry-house was left surrounded by water, and Charles Strever and family, who occupied it, were confined to the second story all day. Strever, however, consoled himself with the contents of a cider barrel which had floated out of the cellar of Nelson Overbaugh, a mile above the falls, and drifted within his reach ; and is said to have been rather tipsy when taken off with his family at night in a large broom-wagon, which was with great difficulty got to the house. The flood left a number of fish in the cellar from which it took the cider.

On the 7th of June, 1874, a terrific whirlwind laid most of Mill Point in ruins. It started on the flats east of Henry Mabee's house, and took a southeasterly direction through Martin Van Buren's woods, twisting the tops off the trees ; then, crossing the creek and a field, it cut a swath about ten rods wide through Henry C. Pettengill's heavy pine woods. From this point it recrossed the creek exactly over Mill Point, unroofing the mill, and completely wrecking an adjoining shed and horse bira filled with broom-corn. Five horses in the barn strangely escaped uninjured. The saw-mill, and a large dry-house filled with broom-corn, were also en- tirely ruined, the latter being twisted flit to the earth ; a broom shop, James Faulkner's dwelling and three others, his store and blacksmith shop, every building of David Faulkner, and two houses of Henry Soady, were unroofed, and every tree was twisted off where the full force of the tornado was felt. Pieces of slate from the roof of the mill flew so swiftly as to cut through the siding of buildings, and stick fast in trees. As the

whirlwind for a third time crossed the creek, it took clothing and hats well over into Florida, and mowed down trees on the bank of the creek. Cross- ing the creek between William Voorhees' and Daniel Blood's, it came to the woods of Daniel McClumpha. Here it seemed to rise, taking only the tops of the trees, and so passed away. In a few minutes it had traversed a path a mile in length, with Mill Point for its centre. A torrent of rain accompanied it, seriously damaging the unroofed buildings and their contents.

Strange as it may seem, not a creature was hurt. The catastrophe occurred on a Sunday afternoon, when the inhabitants of Mill Point had repaired to the school house, half a mile distant, to hear a sermon by the Rev. Mr. Mitchell. He was a guest at one of the wrecked houses, and climbing from the ruins went to the schcol-l:cuse to fill his appointment. The services proceeded as far as the sermon, but the minister having hegun that with an announcement of what had happened, found it impossible to hold his audience, the people being too anxious to learn the shape of their property. The meeting was dismissed, and those who had attended betook themselves to the scene of ruin. Mill Point was completely covered with trees and lumber. The people were busy for a week in securing their exposed property. By their enterprise and perseverance, however, they restored the waste places so rapidly that the next year found Mill Poiot as prosperous as ever.

In olden times a dangerous dugway skirted the so-called "blue bank," near Mill Point. It was a narrow track, and having for a time no railing was the scene of several perilous accidents in which, however, no loss of life occurred. One of them, at least, had a humorous phase. Jacob Van Horne undertook to drive by this point with Mrs. Cornelius Van Horne and another lady in his wagon. One of the horses took to kicking, and both of them, with the vehicle, went off the bank. The driver and the younger lady managed to jump out, but Mrs. Van Horne, as well as the horses, brought up in a bed of soft blue clay at the foot of the declivity. Her eyes and mouth were filled with the mad, and she was motionless and silent. One of the men who came to the rescue remarked that she was dead, and they had better leave her and attend to the living woman, who was hurt and screaming with pain and fright. The old lady's cars were still open, it seems, and hearing this obituary remark, she spit out a mouth- ful of clay and shouted. "1 aint dead yet!" She was not, indeed, but lived to startle a worthy laborer, named Snyder, who was employed at setting posts for a railing to protect this very spot. He had just fi .ished a toilsome job on a large white oak post as Mrs. Van Horne came up the hill, unobserved by him ; and leaning his spade on it, stepped back a little, took off his hat, wiped his sweaty furchead, and said aloud, " There ! that's good enough for the devil, and what's good enough for him, is good enough for any one !" "Why. Mr. Snyder?" inquired the old lady. " llello !" said the workman, as he jumped round ; "1 didn't see you. How you scairt me !" The solidity of Snyder's work was shown in connection with a breakdown which happened at this point some time after. The team getting loose from the wagon, backed over the verge, one each side of the big white oak post, and the neck-yoke catching on that, the horses were sus- pended until the men, despairing of getting them back, cut them loose and let them slide to the bottom, where they landed without serious injury.

About seventy years ago a wiurlwind started near the loft farm, west ot Mill Point, and swept down the east side of the valley, opposite the build- ings now owned by Abram Van Horne, felling a swath ot timber ten rods wide on his farm, rising above the w>>l;, however, before it reached the Schoharie. The fallen timber belonged to Peter Putman, and he allowed the pour people of the neighborhood to carry it off tor firewood, with which it furnished them for years. The land thus cleared lay waste until 1877, when the first crop was raised on it by Mr. Van Horne.

In January, 1828, Wuham Newkirk, with his daughter, her cousins Namy New kirk and Maria Marlet, and a sle. Chise, attempted to drive across the Schoharie on the ice opposite the Putmin homestead, on the way from I'mtonville to the Newkirk place, on the east bank of the creek. The Me br ke and the whole party was drowned. The bodies of the three girls were found the next day, an I were banned in one grave. The corpse of Mr. Chase was recovered a week tater, but it was two months before that of Mr. Newkirk was found near Van Dorn's mills.

THE EARLIER AND LATER HOTELS.

The full history of the hotels which have atisen, declined and fallen in the town of Glen, would of itself fill a volume.

OGRes. of JACOB H. STARIN, Fultonville, Montgomery CO, No Yo

300

- Res. of, RICHARD WINNE, Town of: Glen, Montgomery- Co., N. Y. V . -

-14:50 Restof, DAVID FRANK, Franks Cormers, Towni of Mayfield, Fulton Co., N., Y ... ..

DRUGS

Res, Store: etc. of J. V.S. EDWARDS & SONS, Glen, N.Y ..

Res. of HIRAM LIGHT HALL. Town of Ephratah Fulton Co., N.Y.

الجا

Res. of PETER VAN EVERA, Town of Glen, Montgomery Co. N. Y.

Peter Van Evera RANDALL.NY.

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HOTELS, SCHOOLS AND POST OFFICES OF GLEN.

One of the first taverns was kept by Wm. Quackenboss, at Auriesville. about the year 1797, but John Starin established one at Fultonville shortly after the Revolution. About 1795, the post road from Albany terminated hete, and Starin's son Myndert carried the mail weekly from his father's tavern to Johnstown, horse-back or on foot. The public house kept by Starin was destroyed abont ten years ago. It was situated upon the south bank of the river, a short distance east of the present location of the bralge. Another of the early landlord, was Van Name Van Epps, who rented the building owned by Peter (. Vates, and kept a tavern for several years. This building is still standing on the south side of the Mohawk, Almost directly north from the steam saw-mill. John Starin was succeeded by his son Myndert Starin. When the Erie Canal was in process of con- struction, almost every house near the line of the work was a "tavern." Most of these extemporized hotels only existed while the canal was build- ing, although some of them were kept up thereafter, and did quite a thris - ing trade with travelers on the canal. Among others which came into being about this time, was one of which Richard Hughesen was the pro- prietor. The building, a small frame structure painted red, is still stand- ing.

Peter Fonda kept a tavern about a quarter of a mile below that uf John Stann, and John Gardinier one as much further down the river, while Rynier Gardinier kept one at the same distance still further east. Several other small places of entertainment for man and beast were established along the south bank of the canal from 1825 to 1828, but those mentioned above were among the principal ones.

From this time on until the year 1868 the only hotels at Fultonville were those established along the bank of the canal for the accommodation of the boatmen. In that year John A. Perkins came from Charleston, and established a public house in a frame building on the site of the hotel now occupied by him. He remained here until the spring of 1875, when he sold out to William Lowry, who kept the place until the fall of 1876, when the hotel was destroyed by fire. After the old building had heen burned. Mr. Perkins built the present brick edifice.

The Starin House was erected by the present owner, H. J. Donaldson. In 1575. The hotel formis part of the Donaldson Block, the most showy building in the village. The landlord is J. E. Marsden, and the hotel i- handsomely fitted up in every part.

The Cottage Hotel at Glen, conducted by John E. Hubbs, has been established for a long time, and always has a full complement of guests.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in the town was kept in the house of Abraham D). Quackenboss. It was opened immediately after the close of the Revolu- tionary war, and was taught by John Hazard. This, at that time, was the only school for many miles around. About the commencement of the prevent century, however, school districts were established, and school- houses built about six miles apart. One of the first school-houses built in the town was the "Sand Hill " school-house; it was situated on the hill, a short distance northeast of the residence of Mr. B. Gardinier. The next one above on the line of the canal was at Stone Ridge. The citizens of the town of Glen may congratulate themselves on having the neatest look- ing school-houses to be seen in the county.

The High School at Fultonville is under the able charge of Mr. J. K. Anderson, assisted by Miss Kate Jones and Miss Helen Brown.

One of the school-houses of old stood on the border of Garret Putman's farin on the " river road," near Mill Point. Here old Master Mc Cready feigned supreme for many years with a toughened becch whip. About 1820. a new school-house was built at this point, over which Ransel B. Young presided for several year -. He kept order by the whip, and was very severe when he had been drinking: this characteristic finally caused his removal. Master Hudson then got the school. He was a more judi- Tous manager; seldom using the whip. He would, however, make the Tetractory pupil stand on one foot, or hold out an armful of books; and tor severe punishment he had a way of standing a long beach up at an angle, with one end in the scuttle-hole overhead, and making the unhappy unc hin climb it. If the youngster slipped hack, he came in violent contact with the vibrating palm of the pedagogne. It was vain for the luckless mjol to try to escape at the upper end of the bench, for it too nearly filled the wattle to leave any evit there. The performance must have been hage fun for all the school but one; but for that one it was a "cruel and unusual punishment," which probably ceased with the retirement of its

inventor. That educator having a sore toe one winter, moved a bunk bed into the school-room, and had the children bring his meals by turns. After Master Hudson came Master Bentley, an excellent teacher and highly esteemed. Then Emily Loomis taught three years acceptably, and of late nearly every year has found a new teacher. In 1858, a new school-house was built, being made large enough to accommodate religious meeting. and Sabbath-school.

POST OFFICES.

l'he first post office in the town of Glen was established at Glen village. and Cornelius H. Putman appointed postmaster, May 19th, 1823. His successors, and the dates of their appointment, are as follows: Jacob Bur- ton, May 30th, 1828; Harmon P. Maybee, April 6th, 1833; William .A. Kelley. April 15th, 1834: John Hanchet, January toth, 1835; Adam Smith. September 17th, 1849 ; Alonzo Putman, March 4th, 1856 ; William II Steinberg, May 16th, 1857; Phillip Pruyn, August 24th, 1857; John Visher. April 18th, 1862; John V. S. Edwards, January 8th, 1863; Joseph Novon, November 12th, 1873 : Tunis Van Derveer, December 4th, 1873; and Edward Edwards, March 31st, 1874.

The post office at Auriesville was established, and Allen H. Jackson appointed postmaster, January 26th, 1824. Since that time postmasters have been appointed as follows: John Hand, May 31st, 1827: John Van Alstine, March 22d, 1831; William Irving, November zoth, 1852; David Wood, August 12th, 1856; William Irving, March 26th, 1862; and John N. Putman, May 5th, 1873.

The first postmaster at Fultonville was William M. Gardinier, and the office was established December 12th, 1832. The office has since then been filled as follows : Cornelius Gardinier, August 2d, 1841 ; William Shuler, August 15th, 1843; John H. Starin, June 15th, 1849 ; William Shuler, July 14th, 1853; and Giles H Mount, May 16th, 1861.

The post office at Mill Point was established, and James J. Faulkner appointed postmaster, February 13th, 1874, and he has held the office ever since.

THE OLD STOCKBRIDGE CHIEF.

The sad fate of the aboriginal race on American soil is typified by that of the aged Indian, Elijah Pie, who, after being in his time one of the lord- of the land, died about 1840 at the county poor-house. He was once chief of the formidable Stockbridge tribe, but was too favorably inclined toward the whites to please his warriors, and a younger and more ambitious and warlike aspirant supplanted him. He thereupon removed to the Mohawk valley, where his mother was brought up and was buried. " Me want be near mother's grave," said he, and leaving his Massachusetts home and his tribe about 1825, he erected his wigwam on the farm owned by Abram V. Putman, about a mile southeast of Auriesville. There, for some fourteen years, he spent a solitary life, supporting himself by making baskets, broont .. and other Indian wares, which he exchanged with the neighbors for the necessaries of life ; for he was an honest man and would not be beholden to any man, while he could care for himself. At length, however, he was disabled by rheumatism, and taken to the county-house for proper care. "Me die soon," he said. "Indian no live long with white man." His words were prophetic ; he did not long survive his humiliation, and he had spoken as truly of the fate of his race as of his own.

PERSONAL, SKETCH.

PETER VAN EVERA, a son of John B. Van Evera, was born in the town of Canajoharie, at Mapletown, March 23d, 1803. He was educated in a common school, and at the age of twelve, became a clerk in John Taylor and Co.'s store at Mapletown, where the trading in the town was then about all done. The town meetings were also held there. At seventeen, Mr Van Evera began teaching school, and after teaching three years, returned to his paternal homestead, and helped his father on the farm. February 17th, 1825, he married Nancy Leonardson. March 15th, 1826, he rented a farm in the town of Glen, on which he remained as tenant twelve years. He subsequently purchased it, and has resided on the farm ever since. the made farming his sole business until the year 1867, since which time he has lived retired on the old homestead. He is now the owner of 1.400 acres of land, over 800 acres being in the towns of Rout and (len, the Te- mainder lying out of the county. He was elected supervisor for the years 1849, 1850, 1851 and 1853. This aged couple have had five sons and five daughters. Mr. Van Evera possesses a large amount of native shrewd- ness and ac lear perception of human nature, which has contributed toward, his success in life.

122

;

THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

FULTONVILLE.

The village of Fultonville, situated upon the Mohawk river and the Erie Canal, and separated by the former from the county seat, Fonda, on the iine of the New York Central Railroad, was so named in honor of Robert Fulton. Its site was known as Van Epps' Swamp during the Revolution. It is the youngest village in the town, but already, because of the facilities for shipping and receiving goods afforded by the canal and its proximity to Fonda, has far outstripped its older rivals.

The business history of Fultonville begins with the establishment, by John Starin, about 1810, of a store just west of his tavern, on the river bank. The building was burned in 1834. Three years after the opening of Stario's store, the first river bridge at this point was built, its southern end being at the terininus of Washington street. Joseph, a son of John Starin, was treasurer of the bridge company. He, in partnership with Abram Hall, for a number of years kept the store built by John Starin, and then sold out to Thomas Robinson, a son-in-law of the latter. The Starin homestead, at the corner of Washington and River streets, was built by Joseph Starin about the year 1815. John Starin's property south of the river included the part of what is now Fultonville, bounded on the west by Washington street, on the south by Montgomery street, on the east by the property of A. J. Vates, and on the north by the river.

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History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 40

Author: Beers, F.W., & co., New York, pub Publication date: 1878 Publisher: New York : F.W. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 664

Author: Beers, F.W., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: New York : F.W. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 664