History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 70

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 70
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 70

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BROADALBIN'S PIONEERS.

The first white man who located in the territory now known as Broadal bin was Henry Stoner, a German, who emigrated to America as car's J. 1760, and after several years' residence in New York city and Maryland. came west with his family, and located just west of the present vill .. . . ' Broadalbin about 1770. Here, in the wilderness, many miles trom an xt' tlement, he erected a log cabin, the site ot which may yet be identified " a farm formerly owned by Judge Weston, deceased. While in Mays. 1.1. married Catharine Barnes, by whom he had two sons, Nicholas and J J;). the former being well known to the people of the past generation asa ich brated hunter, trapper and Inchan hater. In the summer of 177 ;. Mr Stoner removed his family to John-town, and he and his two sons the .in the American army, the sons going as drummers. After three year. . : vire Mr. Stoner received his discharge, but soon re-enlisted for ' months, at the end of which time he returned home. In the summer.' 1782 he was living on a farm near F'ribes Hill in Amsterdam. Oneh : ing, while hoeing corn in a field, he was surprised by a small party o: 1- dians, killed and scalped and his dwelling plundered and hurned

Nearly three years after Stoner located in Broadalbin Philip Helmnet ... and fixed his residence about two miles farther cast. Just previous to . . Revolution a small settlement was begun on the present site of Bro.alaloitt village, by Andrew Bowman, John Putnam, Herman Salisbury, Chark . Cady and one or two others. Early in the summer of 1977, fearing the scalping knife of the hostile Indian, in this exposed locality, all but one is two families abandoned their new houses and removed to Johnstown Among the first to take up their abode in this vicinity, after the dan,& #1 border warfare had passed, was Samuel Demarest a native of Holland, who.

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THE FIRST SETTLERS OF BROADALBIN.

after a few years residence in Newark, N. J., came up the Hudson on a sloop and settled in Broadalbin about 1783 on lot No. 14 of sub-division No. 3 of the zIst allotment of the Kayaderosseras patent. He was a Revo- lutionary soldier, and is said to have kept the first hotel in the town. He was soon followed by Alexander Murray from Scotland, who located at Broadalbin village. He was a prominent and influential man in his time and held many town offices. William Chalmers was the first settler on what is known as the Dyer Thompson farm, locating there as early as 1789. Ezra Wilson secured a perpetual lease of too acres of land from Daniel Campbell of Schenectady Sept. 7th, 1792, and located on " Lot No. 5 in the Sub-division of lot No. 4, in the 21st allotment of the Kayaderosseros, allias Queensboro Patent." Abraham Manchester, from Rhode Island, set- tied soon after on the farm now occupied by his son Abraham, about two miles east of Broadalbin village. John Blair, Benjamin Earl, Ezekiel Olmstead, Nathaniel and Niel Pearse, Walter C. Rathbone, J. Campbell, W. Demarest and Wm. Stewart obtained leases and settled on portions . of Daniel Campbell's purchase of the Kayaderosseras and Glen patents as early as 1795. Nathan Brockway, a native of Rhode Island, where he was born in 1764, removed with his family from Bridgeport, Conn., to Broadal- bin in 1796, his wife performing the entire journey on horseback and carry- ing an infant daughter in her arms. He took up his residence on "the Ridge," about a mile and a half west of Hawleys' Corners, where he re- mained until his death, in 1844. The place is now known as the "old Babcock farm." Richard Van Vranken, from Schenectady, located in 1798, three-fourths of a mile east of Broadalbin village, where his son now re- sides. John Roberts came from Connecticut in 1799 and settled in the same neighborhood, on the farm now occupied by James Norkett.

Reuben Burr emigrated fram Litchfield to this town in the fall of 1799, using as a team an ox and a cow yoked together, with which he moved his family and household effects, the principal part of the latter being a loom and a chest filled with crockery and bedding. Upon his arrival here he moved into a roofless log cabin, which had previously been erected near the line between Broadalbin and Mayfield, supplying with his own hands a roof of poles, bark and brush. The following year he made the first im- provement, and located on the farm now owned by Isaac Mariam, about one mile east of Broadalbin village. He remained a resident of the town until his death, in August, 1859. His son, the present Allen Burr, was born June 29th, 1801. At the age of 16 he came to Broadalbin village, where he has since resided, and where, for 16 years, he held the office of justice of the peace, and was for 8 years postmaster, under Jackson's ad- ministration.

James Sumner, from Vermont, settled previous to 1800 on the farm known as the Deacon Teller place. He was a tanner and currier by trade, and as early as 1805 built the first tannery in the town, on his farm, about two miles northeast of the village of Broadalbin. Nicholas Van Vranken built and kept a store, about 1800, one mile east of the village.

Duncan MeMartin, Esq., located as early as 1810 on what is commonly known as the Spencer farm, near North Broadalbin, where he erected a grist-mill and a saw-mill soon after. He was a surveyor of good repute, and laid out many of the roads in this and adjoining towns. He was a man of wealth and respectability, a master in chancery, and in 1818 was appointed a judge of the Common Pleas. He was also at one time a State senator. Through his influence a stock company was formed and a : woolen factory erected on his place in 1813. The directors of the company were Duncan McMartin, Tiffany Brockway, James Sumner, John Fay and John E. Hawley. The manufacture of woolen goods were successfully prosecuted until the sudden close of the war of 1812 caused a wonderful reduction in the price of woolen goods, which so embarrassed the company that the shareholders abandoned their stock, and left the mill property, with all the encumbrances, on the hands of the directors, who had become individually responsible for the company debts. They, however, succeeded in clearing the indebtedness, retained the factory, and resumed business. After a few years the property was sold to John Culbert and Thomas Reddish, who continued to operate it with great success for a series of years. Since the death of Mr. Reddish, who outlived his partner, the business has been conducted by his two sons, John and Daniel M. Reddish.

Paul Earl, a native of Rhode Island, emigrated to Broadalbin about 1800, and took up his residence near Mills's Corners, on the farm uow ot - cupied by Harvey Perry. Ilis son, Stephen Earl, was born here in 1812, remaining a resident and respected citizen of the town until his death, in ,

September, 1869. Melvin Earl, the fourth son of Stephen, was born in this town September 19th, 1839. He has been for many years engaged in the hotel business, and is at present the owner and manager of "Earl's Hotel," in Broadalbin village, where his pleasing ways must win for him the esteem of the traveling public.

SUMMER HOUSE POINT.

On the Sacondaga vlaie, or marsh, toward its upper or western end, is a little knoll or table of hard land, elevated some ten or twelve feet. It is oblong in shape; its summit, which is perfectly level, being about six hun- dred feet long, by one hundred and fifty feet wide, and gently sloping all around. It is connected with the main land by a narrow strip of arable ground, which, in very high water, is covered, making an island of the point. Precisely in the centre of this knoll Sir William Johnson, as early as 1761, erected an elegant one-story summer villa, conferring upon it the name of "Castle Cumberland," in honor of the vanquisher of the l're- tender. To this spot he afterward opened a carriage road from Johns- town. Here he placed a pair of his slaves, who cultivated a garden, dug a well, set out fruit trees, and made many other improvements; and here Sir William spent much of his time in summer, until his death. In the early part of the Revolution Castle Cumberland was fortified, under the impres- sion that the enemy from the north might possibly attack that point by water. Part of a regimen't of troops, under Colonel Nicholson, was sta- tioned here most of the summer of 1776. An intrenchment, six feet wide and-several feet deep, was cut across the eastern end of the point. At the end of the summer it was abandoned as a military post. In 1781 the sum- mer house was burned, probably by some of the emissaries of Sir John Johnson, who, abandoning all hope of ever repossessing it, resolved upon its destruction. This spot has ever since been called Summer House Point. No traces of the castle remain.

On the 15th of June, 1876, a grand centennial celebration was held on this point, at which a large multitude of people participated. . An oration was delivered by Hon. R. H. Rosa, of Broadalbin. Dinner was served; an address was delivered by Rev. Mr. Moody, of Troy, followed by an alle- gorical representation of the last council of Sir William with the chiefs of the Six Nations. A large collection of ancient and Revolutionary relics was also displayed.

VILLAGES OF THE TOWN.

BROADALBIN, situated near the west line, on Kennyetto creek, is the principal business place of the town. It contains a grist-mill, a saw-mill, a planing-mill, a skin-mill and kid-dressing establishment; three glove and mitten factories, three general stores, two drug and two hardware stores, two hotels, three churches, a printing-office, and a fine two-story brick school-house, where three teachers are employed, with 261 scholars in the school district. The population of the village is about 800 It is said th.it the few families who located near each other previous to the Revolution gave to their little settlement the name of Kennyetto, after the creek upon whose banks it was situated; but this settlement having been entirely broken up during the war, and none of the original inhabitants returning, the name was lost. "Fonda's Bush," the name by which it was subsequently known. originally applied to all the country in this immediate locality, so called after Major Jelles Fonda, who, some years previous to the Revolution, oh- tained a title to several hundred acres of land, embracing this site, which was then covered with a dense forest bush meaning the same as wood- To all the inhabitants in this vicinity the village is still known as, and by many called, Fonda's Bush; and Vail's Mills, a little village a mile west. I. often called the West Fonda's Bush. When a post office was established at Fonda's Bush, about 1804, the Scotch clement succeeded is securing tor it the name of Broadalbin. In 1815, through the influence of the Dutch. who had located here quite plentifully, the village was incorporated by an act of the Legislature, under the name of Rawsonville, in honor of Dr. i. G. Rawson, but no action was ever taken under this charter, and the name never obtained a permanency.

Dr. Rawson was the first physician to locate in Broadalbin. He canie from Connecticut about 1805, and contracted with Nicholas Van Vran. ken, a carpenter, to furnish all the material and erect for him a dwelling. the entire cost of which when completed was to be $5. It was con- structed of slabs, and was located nearly opposite Earl's Hotel. The

216

THE HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

doctor was a very popular man and a successful practitioner. The first merchants at this place were Joshna Green and Thomas Bicknal. The first tavern keepers were Samuel Demarest and Alexander Murray, both of whom were engaged in the business in 1793. A Mr. Herring erected a grist-mill here as early as 1808, the first in the town. It was located on the site of Benjamin Chase's present mill, near which he also built a saw- mill. A plank road from this point to the Fish House and another to Amsterdam went into operation in 1849, over which a vast amount of teaming and travel was done, but upon the construction of the Gloversville and Northville railroad, this plank road was abandoned. A daily stage, of which Melvin Earl is the very accommodating proprietor, connects this place with Amsterdam and the New York Central railroad, ten miles dis- tant. There are also daily stage communications between here and May- field, and a tri-weekly stage from Green's Corners in Saratoga county, through this place to Gloversville.

The Broadalbin Herald is a new eight-page paper, started by Rev. R. G. Adams, November 29th, 1877. The office material is entirely new, com- prising a Gordon piler and a Phoenix job press, and a job department of sufficient capacity to supply the wants of the town.

UNION MILLS, on Frenchman's creek, near the east line of the town, contains a general store, kept by J. W. Bogart, a peg factory, a rake factory and about twenty dwellings, and one hundred inhabitants. " e first man to locate here was Seymour Carpenter, who erected a saw-mill at this point as early as 1827. In 1828 John Carpenter, John Schoonmaker, John Clark and Richardson P. Clark built a paper mill, and commenced the manufacture of print and book paper, which they continued until 1840. when the mill was burned down. In 1841 it was rebuilt by John Clark, and again destroyed by fire in 1867. The same year N. W. Bacon erected the third mill, which in 1874 was purchased by W. H. Whitlock, who oper- ated it successfully until December 22d, 1877, when this, too, suffered the fate of its predecessors.

John Schoonmaker built and kept the first store in 1828 or 1829. The first printing office in the town was established here about 1833 by the Christian General Book Association. Rev. Joseph Badger was the man- ager, and in addition to compiling and publishing several books for the use of the "Christian " denomination, published The Christian Palladium, a weekly paper, devoted to the interests of that church. After a few years The Palladium was discontinued, and the office passed into the hands of John and William Clark, who commenced the publication of a political paper called The Banner, which was at length changed to a religious journal under the title of The Visitor. This, for the want of proper support. was finally abandoned, and a new family newspaper, called The Garland, issued in its stead. The publication of the latter was suspended about the year 1845, and the office sold and removed to Jolinstown.

NORTH BROADALBIN, or BENEDICT'S CORNERS, contains a hotel, grist- mill, saw-mill and store, with a union church, woolen factory, and post office, about a mile southwest of the Corners.

VAN VRANKEN'S CORNERS, so called after G. Van Vranken, who at one time carried on the hotel and mercantile business at this place, is situated in the extreme southeast corner of the town, and contains a grist-mill, store and hotel, and about seventy-five inhabitants.

CHURCH HISTORY.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF BROADALBIN AND MAYFIELD.

Undoubtedly the first religious society formed in the present town of Broadalbin was in connection with the Baptist denomination. The meet- ings were held in dwellings and barns, as occasion required. But little, however, is known of this society previous to October 18, 1792, on which date a church organization was effected, under the name of the Baptist Church of Mayfield and Broadalbin. The following is a copy of the record made at that time :

"Oct. 18th, 1792.

"A Number of Members as Delligates from Northgalloway Baptist Church, being convened at the house of Caleb Woodworths in Mayfield together with Elder Butler and Br. french in a single capacity, form into a council to hear the Request of a Number of Members in Jesus Christ which is to Be feloshipt as a church in gospil order. Members of Council Elder Butler Br. french Elder finch Samuel Halsted Lemuel Cavil Stutson

Ben-0 1. after gaining an acquaintance of the adoption Gifts and qualifi- cation of the above said Members we Do feloship you as a church in Gos- pil order. Joel Butler Md. Stutson Benson, Clerk."

The records do not disclose the names or number of the original mem- bers, but a large proportion of them were residents of Broadalbin. ()n Dec. 15, 1792, Robert Ryan and Seth Pettit were chosen the first deacons. The first additions to this church were made on Jan. 5th, 1793, when Mrs. Rebecca Marsh and Mrs. Daniel Mory united. The next addition was on Ang. 3, 1793, when Alex. McQueen and Isaac Gurner and his wife Susan- nah were received. Rev. Jonathan Finch, who was then pastor of the First Baptist Church of Providence, Saratoga county, was the first to minister to this society, which he did as circumstances permitted. On the 15th of December, the church voted " to give Elder Finch five pounds in grain, meat, flax, wool and cloth, and forty shillings in work." He had been a Revolu- tionary soldier, and had a crippled hand, the effect of a gunshot wound received in that service. Hezekiah Gorton also supplied the pulpit in those early days. He was one of the first members of this church, and was con- stituted a licentiate at early as 1795, for on Jan. 2d, 1796, the church agreed to raise "eight pounds by the first day of June next " for his services. He was ordained Jan. 31st, 1798, by a council consisting of delegates from the Baptist churches of Galway, Providence and Stephentown, and Alex. McQueen, David Gorton, and Caleb Woodworth from this church. In June, 1796, this church united with the Shaftsbury Association, the first delegates to which were Hezekiah Gorton and Consider Fox. The num- ber of members at that time was 33. In September, 1797, a meeting of the church and society was held at Fonda's Bush, at which it was decided to "build a meeting-house." Alex. McQueen and Nathan Brockway were appointed a building committee, and the erection of a frame church edifice was soon after commenced in the village of Fonda's Bush (now Broadalbin . on the site now occupied by R. H. Rosa's law office. A report from Na- thaniel Perkins, Alex. McQueen and Caleb Woodruff; who had been "ap- pointed trustees by the first church and society of Baptists in Mayfield and Broadalbin, for the purpose of holding in trust the meeting-house and other temporalities belonging to the said society," shows that up to May 17th, 1798, the sum of £261 135. 3d. had been expended on the structure. Prominent among those who first contributed toward the erection of the building, as shown by a statement made Dec. 30th, 1797, were Nathaniel Perkins, Jacob Parcels, Isaac Brown, Caleb Woodworth, Nathaniel Horse- well, Nathan and Tiffany Brockway, James Tyler, Joshua Green, and Alex McQueen. It was inclosed, furnished with rude seats and temporary pulpit, and occupied as a place of worship in the summer of 1798, but it was not until the latter part of 1806 that the building was fully completed. The Saratoga Baptist Association was formed from a part of the Shaft -- bury Association, Aug. 8th, 1804, by a convention of churches held at Milton.

Its first regular meeting occurred at Battenkill, Saratoga county, August 2Ist, 1805, at which time the Broadalbin church united with it, sending a. delegates Rev. Hezekiah Gorton, Nathaniel Perkins and James Sumner

Although Elder Gorton, after his ordination, remained with and mint -- tered regularly to this congregation, he did not assume the pastoral charge of the church-notwithstanding repeated and unanimous solicitations-unui January 3d, 1807, when he became the first regular pastor, which relation he maintained until 1813. He then removed to the western part of the State, where he remained until his death; caused, it is said, by a cancer on his tongue. In August, 1813, the church employed Rev. Jonathan Nichols as preacher, retaining him for about three years. He was an Ar- minian in faith, and succeeded through his influence in causing the church to withdraw from the Saratoga Association June Ist, 1816; but upon the installation of his successor, Rev. William Groom, in 1818. the sovietv re- united with that body.

On the 24th of January, 1833, the erection of a new frame church edifice. 43\60 feet in size, was begun, about 20 rods to the eastward of the first one, on land purchased by the society from Dr. E. G. Rawson. Ehyah Roberts was the contractor and builder. On the 6th of August following the trustees, Gideon Tabor, Chauncey G. Alvord and Ephraim Wetherber. obtained leave from a court of chancery, held at Saratoga Springs, to "" the old church and apply the proceeds towards the completion of the fir- building, which was finished and dedicated in 1835.

Elder Groom's pastorate continued until July 9th, 1836, when he ter- dered his resignation, which was accepted; but, by request, he remained as a supply until January ist, 1837. After being released from this charge

217

BROADALBIN'S CHURCH HISTORY.

he never again assumed a like responsibility, but retired to private life, re- siding for several years in the vicinity of Broadalbin, from whence he removed to Balston Spa, and afterward to Amsterdam, where he lived with his son. In 1873 he returned to his old home in Broadalbin, where he died in the summer of 1876. On February ist, 1837, James Delany, a licentiate from the church at Hamilton, came as a supply. He was or- dained and installed as pastor of this church January 10th, 1838. His labors here, however, were of short duration, he being succeeded in June following by Rev. William B. Curtis, of Norway, who remained until April, 1842. During his pastorate of less than four years 120 united with the church by baptism. On February 15, 1841, this church adopted the re- vised constitution of the Saratoga Association. Rev. Mr. Curtis was fol- lowed by Rev. Lodowick Salisbury, of West Winfield, who came June 20th, 1842, and left in September of the same year, after which the con- gregation was supplied for about fifteen months by Rev. G. C. Baldwin, of Hamilton, at the rate of $5 per Sabbath. On the 23d of December, 1843, Rev. Charles A. Chandler, of Elba, Genesee county, N. Y., accepted a call from this church at a salary of $400 per annum, but did not com- menee his pastoral labors until the first of April following. In the mean- time, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. H. H. Rouse. Rev. Mr. Chandler remained until April, 1849, when he was succeeded by Rev. William W. Smith, from Jersey City, who continued three years, resigning in April, 1852. During his stay here the additions to the church by baptism were 90. In May following, the Rev. William Garnett, from Providence, Sara- toga county, became the pastor and continued his very satisfactory labors until August 18th, 1855, when on account of impaired health he was ob- liged to resign, after which the church was supplied for a short time by Rev. E. Wescott. The next regular pastor was Rev. G. W. Abrams, from the Oppenheim church, who came in March, 1856, and remained about six months. He was followed in the early part of 1857 by Rev. Frederick S. Park, who remained over five years, preaching his farewell sermon Feb- ruary roth, 1863. His successor was Rev. Joseph L. Barlow, a native of New England, who began his labors in the following April and continued until October, 1868.

In the fall of 1868 and the spring of 1869 the church edifice was re- modeled internally and repaired, at a cost of nearly $2,400. In April, 1869, Rev. W. F. Benedict assumed the pastoral charge of the church, and continued in the position until the latter part of July, 1872. He was fol- lowed January Ist, 1873, by Rev. Hardin Wheat, who remained for one year only. The next pastor was Rev. J. K. Wilson, from Philadelphia, who came in June, 1874, and resigned March 20th, 1875, returning to his former place. On April 13th, 1875, a unanimous call of both church and society was extended to Rev. A. K. Batcheldor, of Schenevus, Otsego county, N. Y., which he at once accepted, commeneing his labors in May following and continuing until May 29th, 1877, when he removed to Burnt Hills, Saratoga county.

On November 18th, 1877, nearly six months after the resignation of the last pastor, the church building was accidentally destroyed by fire, which caught from the burning of adjacent dwellings. The building was insured for $5,000, but the loss was adjusted for about $4,300. The church and society have already taken the initiatory steps toward the erection of a new edifice on the site of the old one. On January 22d, 1878, a building com- mittee was appointed, consisting of Reuben Halsted, Lewis Phillips and Denton Smith on the part of the church, and James L. Hagidorn and William Vail on the part of the society. The size of the new structure will be about 45 by 70 feet.

The present active membership of the church is 270.

FIRST PRESRYTERIAN CHURCH OF BROADALBIN.

As early as 1798 a religious organization was effected by the Rev. Coan- rod Ten Eick, under the name of " The Dutch Keformed Church of Fonda's Bush or New Ifarlam," now Vail's Mills, where a building was erected for its accommodation, in the early part of the present century. Among the original members were Ashbal Cornwell, Isaac and Abrahain Cole, Jacobus and l'eter Demarest, Thomas Vickory, David, Peter, Abraham and Garnet Westervelt, Dirk Banta, l'eter Van Nest, John Bant, and Samuel Demarest. The first consistory was composed of Rev. Coanrod T'en Eick, moderator ; Dirk Banta and Samuel Demarest, elders ; and Abraham Westervelt and Peter Demarest, deacons. This church was under the fostering care of

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History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 70

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