USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 61
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 61
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
189
SIR WM. JOHNSON'S DEATH-OWNERSHIP OF THE HALL-GROWTH OF JOHNSTOWN.
The Baronet's death occurred on the 11th of July, 1774, in his sixtieth year. He had long been liable to attacks of dysentery. In combating his disease he had, in 1767, visited and drunk of the spring now famous as the High Rock of Saratoga. He is believed to have been the first white man to visit this spring, whose medicinal virtues had been reported to him by the Mohawks, a band of whom accompanied him to the spot, bearing him part of the way through the wilderness on a litter. His cure was only partial, but even that becoming known was the foundation of the popularity of the Saratoga springs. At the time of Sir William's death, the Indians were exasperated over the outrages committed upon them by the Ohio frontiersmen, including the butchery of the famous Logan's kindred. The Iroquois had come with an indignant complaint to Johnson Hall. On the day that the Baronet died, he addressed them for over two hours under a burning sun. Immediately after, he was taken with an acute attack of his malady and shortly died. The suddenness of his death, to- gether with his prophecies that he should not live to see the anticipated war between the colonies and the home government, in which he must have been arrayed against his adopted countrymen and lost his property, or against the power that had bestowed on him wealth and position, led to the suspicion of suicide. Sir William's biographer, Mr. Stone, however, gives strong reasons for believing the suspicion groundless.
The Baronet's funeral took place on the Wednesday following his death. The pall bearers included Gov. Franklin of New Je y and the judges of the New York Supreme Court. Among the cortege of about two thousand persons that followed the remains to their burial, under the chancel of the stone church which Sir William had erected in the village, were the six hundred Indians who had gathered at the Hall. These, on the next day, performed their own ceremony of condolence before the friends of the deceased, presenting symbolic belts of wampum with an ap- propriate address. On the rebuilding of the church in which the Baronet was buried, after its destruction by fire in 1836, its location was slightly changed so as to leave the tomb without the walls, and its precise location was lost. It was discovered, however, in 1862, by Mr. Kellogg, then rector, and found in good condition, except that a few bricks of the roof had fallen in. A plain gold ring bearing the date "June 1739. 16," and supposed to have been Lady Johnson's wedding ring, worn by the baronet after her death, was found in the vault ; also the bullet which he received in the battle of Lake George. Portions of the skeleton remaining were sealed in a granite sarcophagus, and restored to the tomb June 7. 1862, with appropriate services, conducted by the Right Rev. Bishop Potter, of the State of New York. One authority says that Sir William's mahogany coffin was enclosed in one of lead, which was made into bullets by the patriots during the Revolution, and that the lid of the coffin proper, marked with the Baronet's name in silver nails, was removed and sus- pended in the church.
Sir William's title and most of his estate passed to his son, Sir John Johnson, whose connection with the history of the county is elsewhere traced. The property having been confiscated by the Revolutionary author- ities, under the act of attainder passed by the Legislature in 1779. cover- ing Sir John and about sixty others, the Hall and seven hundred acres of land were sold by the commissioners, Henry Oothout and Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, to James Caldwell of Albany, in 1778 or 1779, for £6,600, in worthless colomal securities. He subsequently sold the property for £1,400. Shortly before being carried captive into Canada by Sir John Johnson in 1780, Jacob Sammons was working the farm, which he had leased from the committee of sequestrations for £300 per annum most of the time since the Baronet's flight in 1776. Benjamin De line and Joseph Scott, who were living in the Hall, were captured and taken to Canada at the same time with the Sammonses. This was their second ex- perience of the kind during the war. Sammons, while at the Hall, made considerable money by furnishing hotel accommodations and selling refresh- ments to the throngs that attended various gatherings, at this, the usual place of public assembling. This is stated in his memorial to Congress, asking that he be reimbursed for repairing army muskets at his own ex- pense, which the Johnstown gunsmith, being " a rank tory," would not do for the colonial government. In 1796 the Hall, with 740 acres of land, rame into the possession of Edward Niken, grandfather of the present proprietor, Mr. J. E. Wells. One of the stone towers was destroyed lo, fire in 1866, and the addition of a cupola, bay windows and a wing has modified the simple outlines of the Hall, but the interior is substantially unchanged. The visitor is shown a series of notches on the balustrade of the wide
stairway, and told they were made by the hatchet of Brant, as a sign, that would be respected by the savages, not to destroy the building during the absence of Sir John. It is more probably, as suggested by Mr. Stone, the vandal work of a colonial soldier disappointed at not being allowed by his superior to destroy the whole structure.
GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE VILLAGE.
Sir William deserved the title of founder of Johnstown, not only by at- tracting to the new settlement its first inhabitants, but also by the care which he continued to bestow upon the growing village. During the winter and spring of 1760 he was busily engaged in establishing the settlement. Soon after locating at the Hall he built six houses near where the court-house now stands. They were about thirty feet in front by eighteen or twenty deep, and one and a half stories high, with two square rooms on the floor. and were painted yellow. During 1770 the village was reinforced by eighty families, and received its present name in honor of the Baronet. In the spring of 1771 several new streets were laid out and the signs of numerous business places swung conspicuously over their doors. The inhabitants ob- tained lumber from the Baronet's saw-mills, and pearl ashes from a factory on his estate, built to furnish them. In this year also Sir William built the first Episcopal church, on the lot where the present building stands.
The Revolutionary period wrought a revolution, indeed, in Johnstown. The numerous tenants of Sir John and many of their neighbors, adhering to his fortunes and the royal cause, left the country, and but few ever re- turned. Little inducement to return was left, to be sure, for the lands of Sir John and other tory proprietors had been divided into small lots, and sold by the commissioners of forfeitures, and were occupied by a new population from abroad. Among those residing in the village at the com- meneement of the war were Daniel Claus, John Butler, Gilbert Tice, Robert Adams, Hugh Fraser, Bryan Lefferty, Hugh McMonts and William Crowley, the last two of whom were killed at the battle near the Hail, and the first two were attainted with Sir John. After the close of the war the population of the village included Zephaniah Bachelor, Amaziah Rust, John Little, Thomas Read, John B. Wemple, John McCarthy, Garret Stadts and John Egan. The scanty narrative of those times is adorned In a romantic episode, whose hero and heroine were residents of Johnstown. A paper published in London in 1785 thus relates it ;
" Died at Hammersmith, Mrs. Ross, celebrated for her beauty and her constancy. Having met with opposition in her engagement with Captain Charles Ross, she followed him in men's clothes to America, where after such a research and fatigue as scarce any of her sex could have under- gone, she found him in the woods, lying for dead after a skirmish with the Indians, and with a poisoned wound. Having previously studied surgery in England, she, with an ardor and vigilance which only such a passion could inspire, saved his life by sucking his wound. During this time she remained unsuspected by him until his recovery, when, as soon as she found a clergyman to join hun to her forever, she appeared as herself, the priest accompanying her. They lived for a space of four years in a fond- ness almost ideal to the present age of corruption, and that could only fre interrupted by her declining health in consequence of the poison not be- ing expelled which she had imbibed from his wound. The knowledge he had of it, and piercing regret at having heen the occasion, affecting him still more sensibly, he died of a broken heart at Johnstown, in New York. She lived to return and obtain forgiveness of her family, and died in con- sequence of her grief and affliction at the age of twenty-six "
In March 1778, Johnstown was honored by no less a presence than that of the Marquis de Lafayette, who wrote from here to Colonel Ganse voort. urging him to take every possible measure for the capture of Colonel C'ark - ton, who was supposed to be in this part of the country as a spy.
Among the replies to invitations sent out by the committee in charge of the centennial celebration of the building of the court-house, which was held in 1872, was a letter from the venerable Ex-Gov. Enos T. Fhroop, who was once a student in the Johnstown Academy, and whose boyhood was passed in the neighborhood of Kingsboro. In that letter the follow - ing interesting statement is made in regard to the condition of Johnstown in 1790:
"The year 1772 was but twelve years before my birth. At sio years of age I had a perfect knowledge of the town and the people, and my mem-
190
THE HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.
ory retains it, with the incidents of that day. Johnstown at that day, be- sides what was then considered the palatial edifice erected by Sir William Johnson as his residence, consisted of the Adams house, the Read house, the Rawlins [ Rollins?] house (the tavern , the court-house, the jail, the stone church, and a few small dwellings which it was understood were erected by Sir William Johnson, and a few additions to them to accom- modate the business and domestic comforts of the residents who had pitched their tents there."
The brick building on the southeast corner of Main and William streets was put up during the war of 1812 by Dr. " Billy " Reid, who was then a prominent physician in the village. "Hemlock Jim " Stewart, father of Judge Stewart, was the boss mason, and his work is still sound and firm. The erection of so costly and large a structure (36 feet by 36, and two stories high) at that time was generally regarded as rash and foolish.
The Rev. John Taylor, who made a missionary tour through the Mo- hawk and Black river country in July, 1802, kept a journal in which he made the following entry, illustrative of the condition of the village at that time:
"JOHNSTOWN, west of Amsterdam on the Mohawk-extent 11 by 8 miles. It contains one Scotch Presbyterian congregation, who have an elegant meeting house. Simon Hosack Pastor of the Chh, a gent. of learn- ing and piety, educated at Edinburgh. This is a very respectable con- gregation. The town contains an Episcopal congregation, who have an elegant stone church with organs. John Urquahart curate. Congrega- tion not numerous. There is also in this town one reformed Dutch chh. M' Van Horn, an excellent character, pastor. A respectable congrega- tion. Further, there is one large Presbyterian congregation-vacant-the people principally from New England."
Under the head of "General Remarks," Mr. Taylor elaborates some parts of his diary, making further reference to Johnstown as follows;
"27th-Left Amsterdam and traveled 5 miles to Johnstown-a very pleasant village-containing one Dutch presbyterian chh and an Episco- palian. The village is tolerably well built. It is a county town-lies about 4 miles from the River and contains about 600 inhabitants. In this town there is a jail, court house and an academy. About 3-4ths of a mile from the center of the town we find the buildings erected by Sir William Johnson."
Interesting evidence of the growth of the village in population and wealth is afforded by its first tax lists. The earliest, dated December 19, 1808, included 95 persons, whose taxable property was assessed at $80,000. The tax and collection fees aggregated $157.50. In 1810, $85.26 was col- lected on $103,740 from 116 proprietors. In the next list the valuation was $112,720 ; the tax, $150. In 1814, valuation $134,550 ; tax, $256.60; payers, 139. The tax list of 1877 named 1, 110 persons, 530 of them pay- ing only the poll tax of St. The taxable property was assessed at $586,797, including $40,500 personal property, and $21,512 owned by three corpor- ations-the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad ; the Johnstown and Kingsboro Horse Railroad, and the Cayadutta Plank Road. The amount of taxes was $7, 129 98, as follows : General fund, $2,932.49 ; streets, $3.º33-49 ; poll tax, $1,033 ; dogs, $131.
William street, at the point opposite the Episcopal church, was paved in 1815. The street now known as Church street was laid out and the. ad- jacent land divided into building lots in 1826.
The Rural Repository of April 20, 1844, described the village as con- taining "a bank, an academy, 4 churches-1 Presbyterian, I Episcopalian, : Dutch Reformed, and i Methodist-and about 250 dwellings," and said that it was " regularly laid out by Henry Outhoudt, Jeremiah Van Rens- selaer and Christopher P. Yates, State Commissioners, in 1784."
The rectangular plan of streets which would seem to have been adopted near a century ago, when the village had but a few hundred in- habitants, has been generally adhered to during its growth to a town of nearly five thousand people. Along its broad highways, as they have been laid out from time to time, trees have been planted, which have grown to the noble ranks of elms and maples that now line the streets, casting their shadows upon the picture que houses of former generations, as well as on the stylish mansion- of more recent comers.
In 1810, the legislature passed an act incorporating a company to sup- ply the village with water. l'ump Ings were laid in the streets for that purpose, but the attempt was a failure. In October, 1877, a similar en- terprise, but on a far more liberal scale and with more flattering prospects, was authorized by a vote of the taxpayers of the corporation, including
six ladies, of whom Mrs. John R. Stewart was the first woman who ever voted at an authorized election in Johnstown.
INTERESTING OLD HOUSES.
The village of Johnstown, as might be expected of so old a place, contains many houses interesting from their age and associations. Com- mon among these old fashioned dwellings, are the long double houses standing side to the street and close to the walk, with the doors of the respective ends adjoining each other in the center. These buildings seem to have been deprived of front yards hy the choice of the builders, as those in crowded vities are by sad necessity ; the effect is injurious to the appearance of the village. Some of the oldest and most interesting houses in this ancient town are about the intersection of William and Clinton streets. No. 46 William street is pointed out as having been built pretty well toward a century ago, by Richard Dodge, a surveyor and merchant, a Brigadier-General in the war of 1812, and also remem- bered as the husband of Anna, a sister of Washington Irving. The il- lustrious author visited here in the years 1800 (when he was seventeen), 1802, 1803 and 1808, the last time on the occasion of his sister's death. On his way from New York to Johnstown, he sailed up the Hudson, whose impressions on his youthful mind he has described with characteristic grace. The northern rooms on the second floor are said to have been oc- cupied by Irving. The northeast room on the ground floor was Dr. Miller's office during his occupancy of the place. The next house to the south we are informed was once a part of this one.
It has often been asserted that Mrs. James MeIntyre brought from Scot- land the first piano seen in this town. It is believed, however, that one which Mr. Amaziah Rust bought for his daughter, afterwards Mrs. Dr. James Miller, preceded it. There was a spinet, a very old instrument, in the Sadler family, and it is believed to be still extant. It was nearly tri- angular in form, with key board across the end, and was altogether a curi- osity, being a half-sister or so of the harpsichord.
EARLY VILLAGE ORDINANCES.
The village was incorporated April 1, 1808. December 6, of that year, was held the first meeting of freeholders and inhabitants to choose trustees. The five elected were, Daniel Cady, Daniel Paris, Daniel Holden, Caleb Johnson and Caleb Grinnel. One hundred and fifty dol- lars was voted for purposes contemplated by the act of incorporation Joseph Cuyler was appointed clerk. A resolution was adopted to meet next day to appoint firemen, and at that time twenty-four were ap- pointed. The villagers were resolutely determined not to be burned out if it could be prevented by the faithful use of even the most prim- itive means ; as witness the following "rules, orders and regulations," "ordained, constituted and established," " at a meeting of the free- holders and inhabitants of Johnstown, on the 15th day of December, 1808."
" First, That every house keeper, shop keeper, and store keeper in said village shall once in two months hereafter clean each chimney and stove. pipe in his or her house, shop or store, either by having them sweeped of burned, and each offender against this rule shall forfeit fifty cents for each offense ; provided that this rule shall extend only to such stoves and chim- neys in which fire is usually kept.
" Second, That any house keeper, shop keeper or store keeper, who shall permit any one of his or her chimneys or stove pipes to be so foul that they shall take fire in the night time, so as to blaze out of the top of the chim- ney, shall forfeit and pay five dollars,
" Third, That the owner of every dwelling house in said village sha? within twenty days after passing this rule, provide and keep as many pails or leathern buckets as there are fireplaces or stoves in said house ; on which pails and buckets the initial letters of the name of the owner shi.als be marked, and every such owner who shall neglect to procure and keep such pails or buckets shall forfeit and pay twenty-five cents for each weci which he or she shall be guilty of such neglect, provided no owner shall le compelled to provide and keep more than six pails or buckets for each dwelling house.
" Fourth, That every owner of a dwelling house in the village of Johns town shall within six months furnish their respective dwelling houses with
PIONEER GROUP.
FROST P.HOWLAND FATHER OF H HOWLAND MAYFIELD NY
C. B. FREEMAN FULTONVILLE, KY
JOHN MAXWELL AMSTERDAM, N Y.
BENJAMIN SCHENCK. PALATINE BRIDGE, N. Y
ADAM FREDERICK RECK'S CENTRE FULTON CO. N Y
MRS . DORN JOHNSTOWN, N Y AGED IOD YEARS
NICHOLAS DORN JOHNSTOWN, NY.
E. MC VEAN JOHNSTOWN, NY
CORNEILUS PHILLIPS FLORIDA H. Y
ISAAC M. DAVIS FONDA NY
JOHN I. DAVIS FONDA N. Y.
JOHN SMITH HALLSVILLE MONTGOMERY CO.N Y
HON. H.J. DIEVENDORFF FATHER OF C DIEVENDORFF RODT N. Y
ANDREW DUNN FORT PLAIN N.Y.
CASPER I COOK FATHER OF J C. CODK PALATINE N Y
JOSIAH SITTERLY PALATINE BRIDGE N Y
191
EARLY ORDINANCES OF JOHNSTOWN VILLAGE-THE COURT HOUSE.
good and sufficient leathern fire buckets, containing ten quarts each, in the following proportion, to wit : each house having not to exceed three fire- places shall be provided with two buckets ; for houses having four or five fireplaces, three buckets ; for those having six fireplaces, four buckets, and one additional bucket for every two fireplaces which such house may contain over the number six. And that every owner of such dwelling house shall forfeit and pay five dollars for every neglect to procure and keep such buckets as aforesaid, on which said buckets shall be marked the initial let- ters of the name of such owner, they hanging up in a convenient place near the front door of such house. That each owner of such dwelling house shall forfeit and pay after the recovery of such penalty, the further penalty of twenty-five cents for each week's neglect to furnish and keep such buckets."
At a meeting of the trustees, March 21, 1809, Caleb Johnson was author- ized to make a seal for the village, with the device JVCS. Two hundred dollars was voted for the purposes of the incorporation. Caleb Grinnel. and Daniel Holden were appointed a committee to contract for building an engine-house. Amaziah Rust and John Yost were elected trustees in place of the first two of the former board.
May 28 the trustees ordered a suit against Daniel Bedford "for his chimney blazing out in the night time," and fined each of their number who did not attend the meeting 12 1-2 cents.
At the next meeting, which was at the house of Phineas Leach, Daniel Holden was authorized "to put up hooks or pins in the avenue of P. A. Vosburgh, under the second loft of his store, sufficient to hang up the hooks, spuds and three ladders." "Also Uziah Crosby, Michael R. Mor- gan, Rufus Mason and Henry F. Yates, and any four (4) others to asso- ciate with them to form a fire-hook company, and they be ready at cry of fire to attend at the place with hooks, spuds and ladders." The treas- urer was ordered to proceed against the collector if he did not settle his account.
August 5, two wells were ordered to be sunk; one on the southeast cor- ner of the court-house lot, the other on the southeast corner of John Yost's, 10 feet deep and wide.
At a meeting of freeholders, September 9, it was resolved that a fine of 50 cents be imposed upon all housekeepers who failed to place lights in their windows in the night-time when a fire occurred. Also, that people should form themselves in ranks to carry water to the engine in case of fire.
May 15, 1810, H. F. Yates, William A. Reid, H. B. Henry, U. Crosby and William Middleton were appointed trustees.
Clement Sadleir is the first justice mentioned, May 21, 1810.
August 27, the office of superintendent of streets and walks was created; Daniel Holden was the first incumbent.
September 24, 1814, a market-house was ordered to be built on Johnson street. It was also voted that 2, 3, 6, 12 1-2 and 25 cent bills be emitted to the amount of $300; said bills to be signed by William A. Reid, and countersigned by the treasurer, at whose office they were payable. It was ordered that St. John's church bell be rung at such times as directed by the board.
May 15, 1815, the stalls in the market-house were ordered sold; the house itself was ordered sold in 1818, and in 1820 removed and made into an ordnance house.
May 22, the size of a loaf of bread was regulated as follows : Weight of a barrel of flour, 4,032 ounces ; price, 72 shillings ; making up, 28 shillings ; total, 100 shillings, or $12.50. "Divide 4,032 by too, the quotient will be 40 ounces and Noz., being the ounces the shilling loaf must weigh when a barrel of flour costs 72 shillings or 9 dollars ; and when the fractional parts are less than half an ounce in the above calculation, such parts shall be rejected ; and when half an ounce or more, then one ounce shall be added to the loaf on account of such fractional part : and the above cal- culation, and the same proportion, should be observed in all cases, as well for the sixpenny as for the shilling loaf, aiways allowing 28 shillings for baking one barrel of flour into bread."
The village was divided into three wards.
June 8, 1816, the treasurer reported that the amount of bills issued by the corporation was $3,365.
In February, 1818, a shilling loaf from superior flour was made to weigh 2 lbs. 2 oz .; from common flour, 2 lbs. 6 oz.
March 25, 18zz, the Legislature was petitioned to license grocers and vietuallers, the proceeds to support the fire department. The first charge for a grocer's license was Sto ; afterward $5, and still later $12.50, A new engine was ordered in 1824 at a cost of $500.
THE COUNTY BUILDINGS.
The court-house and jail, which have served the purposes of justice for three counties and more than a century of time, have an interesting his- tory of their own. On the formation of Tryon county from Albany, in 1772, a measure which Sir William Johnson was very prominent in pro- moting, Gov. Tryon naturally named Johnstown as the county seat. The act creating the new county authorized its justices and supervisors "to raise a sum not exceeding £1,000, for the purpose of erecting a jail and court-house." They were begun toward the end of May, 1772, which was a season of great activity in building and road-making in the village and neighborhood. The bricks for the court-house were brought from Eng- land, reaching Albany by boat, and being carried the rest of the way in wagons. The neat building which was made from them, although the oldest court-house in the State, is still perfectly sound and well preserved, showing hardly a sign of its venerable age except in its quaint outlines, especially its low walls and steep roof. In the tower surmounting the latter a great iron bar, bent into a triangle, has for more than a hundred years served the purpose of a bell.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.