History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 47

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 47
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 47

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Hon. Francis Granger, Gen. Harrison's appointee for Postmaster-Gen- eral, it is said, used to speak pleasantly of attending service at the old Caughnawaga church. One Sunday found him at Caughnawaga, on a journey to the West, with his private conveyance. It was at a time when people did not usually travel on the Sabbath, and, having the day before him, Mr. Granger started for the church as the hour of meeting drew nigh. He was in time to take observations of the sacred edifice, and the Sabbath- day enstons of the Mohawk valley Christians, about all of which there was to the traveler an agrecable novelty. While he was considering the phe- nomenon of a church with its rear gable as seemed, from the steeple being at the farther end , but no door, toward the road, and speculating on the

purport of the little eyelet-like windows near the roof, loads of the wor- shipers were coming in from the country. As fast as the women alighted from the sheepskin-bottomed chairs which formed their seats in the wagons, the men, after providing for their teams, repaired to a neighboring bar-room, whither, not to miss any part of the exercises, Mr. Granger 16 !- lowed them. Gravely, as befitting the day, each ordered a drink Having drained his glass, the thirsty Christian thrust his hand deep in his jun ket. and drew forth a long, narrow, leathern wallet, with a string woven in ut the neck, rolled up around the coin which it contained. l'aking the [Ter by the bottom, and emptying the cash into his left hand, he selected a w- pence, and, laying it before the landlord, poured back the remainder in :.. the depths of the wallet, folded it carefully up. restored it to his pocket. and returned to the church. Thither Mr. Granger also betook himse !! An officions usher took him in charge, and, shutting him up in one of the high-partitioned box-pews which occupied most of the floor, left him t. pursue his observations. The most noticeable feature of the odd interior of the building was the pulpit, which was a little, five-sided coop, perchel aloft on a slender support, reached by the narrowest of stairways, and canopied by a sounding-board that completely roofed it over. On the wall, on either side of the pulpit, hung a pole several feet in length, sil -- pended by an iron hoop or ring, from which also depended a little bag with a bell at the bottom. In due time the clergyman entered, and, mount. ing the slender stairway. seated himself in his little domain, which barch contained him. From his fresh and rubicund face, it would almost seem that his parishioners were countenanced by him in the matter of their Sunday morning dram. Here, thought the visitor, observant of his glow - ing features, was a light of the church, set in a Dutch candlestick, and covered with an umbrella, to prevent any untimely extinguishment. The congregation entered heartily into the singing, and Mr. Granger thought a might be good worship, though sad music. At the proper stage, the usher -. taking down the scoop-nets from beside the pulpit, went fishing experth among the worshipers for a collection, tinkling the little bells appended. .. if to warn them to be ready with their change. There was need of notu c. for getting at the coin was the same deliberate operation as at the tavern There were the diving for the purse, the unrolling and the emptying of the contents ; but the observer noted that the burgher's eye scanned his palm for a penny instead of a sixpence. When they had gone the round ot the house, the collectors took their turn at the performance, seeming to hear the Head of the Church saying, as of old, " Bring me a penny." l'he dominie had got well into his sermon, in a commonplace way, before he saw Mr. Granger. Then, at the sight of a well-dressed and intelligent stranger in the house, he perceptibly roused himself, and became really eloquent. At the close of the service he had an interview with the visitor, who assured him, in all sincerity, that he was never more interested in a sermon in his life. Learning that the latter was the son of Hon. Gideon Granger, who was Postmaster-General under Jefferson, the clergyman felt the more hun. ored by his presence and compliments, and invited him to the parsonage Mr. Granger declined, returned to his lodging, and next morning proveedet to Johnstown, where he wished to see Daniel Cady.

When he was in the Cabinet, Mr. Stephen Sammons, who was personalh acquainted with him, made application for the establishment of a post office at an unnamed hamlet, three or four miles northwest of Caughnawaga. The Postmaster-General immediately recognized it as a place where he had sad experience of a corduroy road, on his way to Johnstown, one Mon- day morning, and where he saw a distillery and a store on the corner, which the applicant assured him were there. "We'll call it Sammonsville." san he, and Sammonsville it is.

The historian Simms was a regular attendant at the old church shout 1838, and played a flute in the choir. of which Dr. Stewart (who played the bass viol) was the leader, and Mrs. Stewart also a member.

ANECDOTES OF CAUGHNAWAGA.

The following anecdote, illustrative of " the good old times" of the Johnsons and earlier Fondas, is given by Mr. Simms as authentic :

"In the employ of Sir William Johnson, a few years before his death, was a . Irishman named M Carthy, by reputation the most noted pngilest in western New York. The Baronet offered to pit his fellow -countryman against any man who could be produced for a fist fight, Major JJelk -I Fonda, tired of hearing the challenge, and learning that a very must ul. r

THOMPSONS & RICHARDS PAPER MILL, FONDA, Montgomery Co. N. Y.

Res. of L.R. P. THOMPSON, Prospect St. Fonda, N. Y. Residence of MR. DAVID CADY, Amsterdam, N.Y.

140

THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Dutchman, named John Van Loan, was living near Brakabeen, in the Schoharie valley, made a journey of some forty or fifty miles to secure his professional services, for he, too, was reputed a bully. Van Loan readily agreed to fing the son of Erin for a ten pound note. At the time appointed numbers were assembled at Caughnawaga to witness the contest be- tween the pugilists. After MeCarthy had been swaggering about in the crowd for a while , and greatly excited public expectation by his boasting. inducing numbers to bet on his head, his competitor appeared, ready for the contest, clad for the occasion in a shirt and breeches of dressed deer- skin, fitted tight to the person. A ring was formed and the battle com- menced. The bully did his best, but it was soon evident that he was not a match for his Dutch adversary, who slipped through his fingers like an eel, and parried his blows with the greatest ease. Completely exhausted, and almost bruised to a jelly, Sir William's gamester was removed, looking. if not expressing. 'Peccavi.'"

We ought not to omit the once widely popular story of " the Yankee pass." The following is Lossing's version of it .

" A peddler (who was of course a Yankee) was arrested for the offense of traveling on the Sabbath, contrary to law, and taken before a Dutch justice near Caughnawaga. The peddler pleaded the urgency of his busi- ness. At first the Dutchman was inexorable, but at length, on the payment to him of a small sum, agreed to furnish the Yankee with a written permit to travel on. The justice, not beingexpert with the pen, requested the peddler to write the "pass." He wrote a draft upon the Kanes (the well known Canajoharie merchants for fifty dollars, which the unsuspecting

Dutchman signed. The draft was presented and duly honored, and the Yankee went on his way rejoicing. A few days afterward the justice w .. called upon to pay the amount of the draft. The thing was a mystery, and it was a long time before he could comprehend it. All at once light brok .. in upon the matter, and the victim exclaimed, vehemently, in broken En lish, 'Eh, yah ! I understhands it now. Tish mine writin, and dat ish de tain Vankee pass ! ' "

THE SMALLER VILLAGES OF THE TOWN, ETC.

BERRYVILLE is a hamlet on the Cayadutta, about two miles north o! west from Fonda. Here is situated the Berryville Paper-mill. The bust ness was begun in 1860 by the firm of 1 .. B. Thompson & Co. Ten year, later the present firm of Thompson & Richards was formed. The mill, which is run by both steam and water power, has a capacity of three thousand pounds per day, and manufactures drug, printing and tobacco paper to the value of about $75,000 annually.

TRIBES Hit.i. is a village of much historie interest on the line between the towns of Mohawk and Amsterdam. It has been treated of in the his- tory of the latter, and need not be further mentioned here.

Near the western border of the town stands the Mohawk cheese factory, incorporated in 1867; capital, $3,500; capacity, 70,000 lbs per year. The first board of directors consisted of John A. Dockstader, Peter Coolman and M. Van Densen. Jacob J. Dockstader has succeeded Mr. Coolman. otherwise the board remains as at first.

. . . . ..

141

THE FONDA LAND ASSOCIATION-CHURCHES OF FONDA.

FONDA.

The prospect of rapid increase of population and demand for real estate in the Mohawk valley, as a consequence of the construction of the Utica and Schenectady Railroad, led to much speculation in lands and building site> along the line. The village of Fonda dates its principal growth from this time. In 1835, a number of capitalists, including John B. Borst, John L. Graham, James Lorimer Graham, Judge S. W. Jones, Charles McVean at his death surrogate of the county of New York! and James Porter organized the Fonda Land Association. They bought the ground on which the newer and larger part of the village stands, and had it surveyed, laid out and mapped. William C. Young, chief engineer of the new rail- road in its construction, and its first superintendent, also interested him- self largely in the project, John L. Graham, who was counsel for the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company of New York, obtained from that insti- tution, in behalf of the association, a loan of $25,000 with which to make purchases and improvements. Among the latter was the building of the Fonda Hotel in 1836. John B. Borst was the man most heavily interested in the whole enterprise, and the titles to the real estate acquired were taken by him for himself and associates. Most of the parties to the in- vestment suffered in the financial distress of 1837, and their embarrass- ments enabled Mr. Borst to buy out their interests under a foreclosure of the mortgage held by the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company. Among other things he thus became sole proprietor of the hotel.

On the petition of Chester S. Brumley, John S. Haggart and Richard H Cushney, the Court of Sessions which sat at the Montgomery county « ourt-house, September 30, 1850, consisting of County Judge Beld- ing and Justices F. P. Moulton and Obadiah Davis, granted an order for the incorporation of the village under the name of Fonda, subject to a vote of its citizens, for which provision was made. The vote resulted almost unanimously in favor of the measure. In the spring of 1851, the Legislature passed an act authorizing the village of Fonda to elect officers. Pursuant to this act an election was held May 13, and the following were . hosen: Trustees-R. IL Cushney. K. Van Housen. P. H. Fonda, Charles l'immerman and Douw Van O'Linda; assessors-John Everson, William [; Housen and Gilbert S Van Deusen; collector, Henry W. Staats; . Jerk, Henry Van O'Linda. The population of the territory incorporated w.I. 875-

Thus the ancient name of Caughnawaga was formally superseded hy that of the family which had been so prominent in the annals of the neigh- borhood for a hundred years, and the old village of the Indians and the Dutch was overshadowed by the flourishing new town growing up on its western border. The present village has been steadily progressing since It> incorporation. its population having increased to about thirteen hundred. and all its interests correspondingly developed. Its position on a well equipped trunk railroad gives it ready communication with the world at large, of which it can the better avan itself, since it is the stopping-place for most of Fulton county, and thus a very important station, which hardly any trains pass without stopping. Its main street was paved in 1868. Communication with its neighbor across the river is facihtated by the Fonda and Fultonville street railroad. built in 1875, by Nicholas H. Decker, of New York and Johnstown, and of whose $10,000 capital he is the principal owner. The growth and development of the village, in its various departments, are shown under the appropriate heads below.

THE CHURCHES

ST. CECILIA'S ROMAN CATHOLIC.

The Roman Catholics, as represented by the Jesuit missionaries, whos

privations and sufferings have already been recounted, were, of course, the first christian denomination by whose servants religious exercises were held at this point. The last Jesuit missionary left Caughnawaga two hun- dred years ago, and from his departure no services of the church which he represented were held here until quite a recent date. Up to December, 1874. the Roman Catholics of Fonda had no house of worship, but as- sembled, to hear mass, at private houses. The present neat chapel was begun in 1875, and finished, free from debt, in December of the next year. It has a seating capacity of two hundred and fifty, and is built of brick, with cut-stone trimmings. Rev. John F. Lowery, the pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Johnstown, was the builder of this edifice. The altar is of marble, and surrounded by ten pieces of white statuary.

The Sunday-school is attended by forty-five children, and is superin- tended by Patrick Fitzimmons.

THE REFORMED CHURCH.

This venerable society, originally the Reformed Dutch Church uf Caughnawaga, is believed to have been organized from five to ten years before the building of its historic house of worship in 1763. For nine years after that event there was no pastor here, services being held. it is supposed, by the minister at Schenectady, which place was the out-post of the denomination in this direction, until the building of the Caughnawaga church. In 1772, Rev. Thomas Romeyn became pastor of this frontier congregation, whose members were scattered among all the settlement- west of what is now Amsterdam. He was a college graduate, of nineteen years' ministerial experience. At his accession the roll of the consistory comprised the following well known names : Elders-Peter Coyne, Jo. hannes Kilts, Johannes Veeder, and Frederick Dockstader. Deacons- Adam Fonda, Louis Clement, Sampson Sammons, and Charles Van Epps Mr. Romeyn held the pastorate of the church for twenty-two most event ful years, dying at his post in 1794, aged sixty-five. The territory over which he originally had charge was reduced very early in his administrt- tion by the organization of the church at Minaville, in the town at Florida. and further, toward the close of his term of service, by the formation of the Stone Arabia church.

Mr. Romeyn was succeeded, in 1795, by Rev. Abraham Van Horne. The consistory, at that date, was composed of Elders John Fonda, Garret Van Vrakelin, Joseph Prentup, and Frederick Starin, and Deacons Laine- Lansing, Abram Vosburgh, Johannes Van Antwerp, and Peter Quacken- bush. Domine Van Horne was, like his predecessor, a New Jersey man. and a college graduate, and is spoken of as "a man of great ability and extensive knowledge." During his pastorate occurred the transition from the Dutch to the English, as the language of the church services. Mr Van Horne officiating in both tongues, He served this church in a pastor al relation thirty-eight years, during which many events, important to the denomination, occurred within his jurisdiction.

The growth of population in the valley is indicated by the formatom of four new churches from parts of the district over which his congregation was at first scattered. The fact (which appears trom the church records that the pastor performed here fifteen hundred marriages, and over two thousand three hundred baptisms, has a similar bearing During part of his ministry at Caughnawaga he owned and managed a farm, which is now owned by Robert Wemple. After retiring from the pastorate in 1833. he continued to live at Caughnawaga until his death, in 1840, at the ripe age of seventy-five. Ile was buried in the old grave-yard on the flats, which was disturbed by the laying out of the fair ground. During the last two

142

THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

years of Domine Van Horne's pastorate, Rev. J. S. Ketchum, of the Stone Arabia Church, assisted him by conducting the Sunday afternoon services.

The third pastor was Rev. Robert Quinn, a man of thirty, who had just finished his theological studies, and who began his pastorate by his ordi- nation in the church where he was called to minister. He remained but two years, and on his resignation. Rev. Jacob D. Fonda took pastoral charge of the society in 1835. He held the position seven years, during which two more churches were formed from the original parish. Several revivals occurred in his pastorate, in one of which thirty-one members were added to the church. No pastor was immediately called to succeed Mr. Fonda on his retirement in 1842, but services were held for about two years by Prof. Andrew Yates, D). D., of U'nion College.

During this time a new church was built, at an expense of about $3.500, at the southwest corner of Railroad avenue and Centre street, which was dedicated in October, 1843. Rev. Douw Van ('Linda, the first pastor to officiate in the new church, began a fourteen-years pastorate in 1844, his ministry here being ended by his death. During his pastorate the bounds of this charge became about what they are now. "Few surpassed him in those qualities which go to make the acceptable preacher and pastor."

His successor, Rev. Philip Furbeck, settled here in 1859, this being his first charge and the place of his ordination. He resigned in 1862, and the church had no settled pastor for the next three years. During most of this interval, Rev. Washington Frothingham occupied the pulpit. In the spring of 1863, the organization of the church was so far modified as to place the management of its temporal affairs in the hands of nine trustees. The first board, elected March 3, of that year, consisted of John Campbell, jr., Bar- ney J. Martin, Hamilton Schuyler. Geo. F. Mills, Donw A. Fonda, Samuel H. Conklin, John f Davis, Henry Veeder and Charles Young. In 1865 the church once more had a pastor, in the person of Rev. John C. Boyd, who remained until 1870, when ill health compelled him to resign.

In 1868 the church was removed from its original to its present site, and to a considerable extent rebuilt, at an expense of about $10,600, $947 of which was raised by the Ladies' Aid Society. On the completion of the improvements, the building was re-dedicated in August, 1869. In 1872, the word "Caughnawaga " in the title of the church was changed to Fonda. The word " Dutch " had been dropped five years before from the name of the denomination by order of the General Synod.

The present pastor, Rev. Thos. Walker Jones, was installed in November, 1870. Within the first three years of his pastorate, the society secured a parsonage at an expense of $4.000, and over $6,500 was expended in the improvement of the church and the purchase of an organ. When these investments had been made, the value of the church property was esti- mated to be $30,000. The membership was then about two hundred and fifty. It has now risen to four hundred : over three hundred members have been received into the church by the present pastor. The member- ship of the Sabbath-school is about the same as that of the church. Jacob Hees is the superintendent. Members of this church assist in carrying on half a dozen union schools in the town, including those at Berryville and Sanımonsville.

METRODISI EPISCOPAL ..

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1842 with a very small membership, which has had an encouraging growth. Belonging to the Fonda rather than the Caughnawaga period, it has not the historic associations of the older churches in the village, but like them is in its present operation a power for good. The society, shortly after its organ- ization-in 1844 -- provided it-elf with a house of worship at a cost of $4.000.

ZION PROTESTANT AIRCOPAL.

This congregation was organized November 19, 1864, by Rev. Robert G. Howard. There were then but ten or twelve communicants ; there are now about forty. The clergymen who have successively had charge of the station since Mr. Howard, have been Revs James H. Brown, Hobart Cook, Chas. F. A. Bielby, - Poole, Win fusk, Lewis Schuyler and Chas. II. Van Dync.

Ground was broken for the construction of a church in 1866, but the building was not consecrated until May 29. 1869 It is a neat stone struc- lure, costing some $6,ooo and seating two hundred.

THE NEWSPAPERS.

Caughnawaga was represented in journalism by The Mohawk Farmer, not a long-lived publication. Fonda's first newspaper was The Fonda Herald. which was issued by J. K. Reynolds, jr., in 1837.

Next came The Fonda Sentinel, which was started in 1845. During part of its existence under that name it was published by Clark & Thayer. In 1864, the Sentinel was purchased by Mr. C. B. Freeman, who united with it the Mohatek Valley American, which he had been publishing at Fulton- ville, and formed the Mohaick Valley Democrat, which was issued from the former office of the Sentinel. The Democrat continued under the control of Mr. Freeman until two years since, when it passed into the hands of the present proprietor, Mr. John E. Ashe.

The American Star, which had been published six weeks at Canajoharic. was removed to Fonda in May, 1855, and in the next year to Fultonville. where it took the name of the Mohawk Valley American, coming into the possession of Mr. C. B. Freeman, whose disposition of it has been noted above.

THE COURSE OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

The water-power afforded by Cayadutta creek led, at a very early dav. to the establishment of grist-mills at this point. One or two have been already mentioned. Another is said to have stood, previous to the Revo- lution, half a mile above the site of the Cayadutta, or " Upper," mill.

A cotton-mill was carried on for about five years by a company organ- ized in 1811, consisting of John and Simon Veeder, G. Van Deusen. Henry Fonda and Myndert Wemple. The capital was $5.000. A woolen-mill and carding-machine for custom-work were attached. Simon I. Veeder rented the building, and started a satinet factory in 1825, which he con- tinued till 1830, when he sold to John Booth. The latter operated the establishment until about 1843, when he died, and the property passed into the hands of J. V. A. and J. V. Wemple, by whom the building was used as a threshing-machine manufactory for a short time, the last-named gen- tleman becoming at length the sole proprietor. In 1860 the property passed into the hands of Geo. F. Mills & Bro.

This firm began business at Fonda in 1849, purchasing what is now known as the Upper Mil, which now has four run of stone, with a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels per day, and is devoted exclusively to supplying the wholesale trade of the firm. In 1860, being desirons of en- larging their business, the proprietors bought the lower mill, a building 45 by 60 feet, which is now furnished with three run of stone, has a capacity of six hundred bushels per day, and is used for custom-work. The firm also produces and deals largely in plaster and lumber.

The Mohawk River Bank commenced its business career October 13th. 1856, with a capital of $100,000. Its officers were, Daniel Spraker, presi- dent: John Bowdish, vice-president; Earl S. Gillett, cashier; and Horace Van Evera, teller. It became the National Mohawk River Bank June 5th, 1865, with its capital and official management unchanged; and they still remain the same as when it commenced business in 1856. There have been very few changes in the board of directors. The banking house is nice brick edifice, a few rods from the railroad depot, built in 1856 for the purposes of the bank This bank has the reputation of being one of the most carefully managed institutions of the kind in this part of the State.

.One of the first merchant- was Gen. Dodge, who was in business here abont 1790. The first drug store was kept by N. Webster about 184 :. Melntyre & Briggs now carry on the business on Main street.

The mercantile business of i M. Davis is one of long standing. He began in 1844 as a clerk. In the next year he formed a partnership with his father, under the firm name of M. O. Davis & Son. The father retir- ing in 1849. the son carried on the business alone for a year, when he took a Mr. Teller as jumor partner, who remained with him until 1855. Mr Davis then went into the hardware business, and continued it alone until 1861, from which time he had a partner until 1867. Since then he ha- carried on a general mercantile business, and is one of the most success?of business men of the county. H. I .. & J. G. Sizer, Main street, and two of three other establishments are also in the dry goods trade, and there are two clothing stores.

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History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 47

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