USA > New York > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 16
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"Oct. 12th, 1773. Agreed with Samuel Peters, Esq., that he is to build a log house twenty five feet long, and 18 feet wide, with a stone chimney at each end, and the sd house is to be
The bottlement made of the foregoing acest and Darsion of the floor and the other foregoing agreements This Day made are agreed to and aproud of by Is the Subscribers, May the 7th 17/2
Bwv. Robinson Gamos Dickenson
The menzus
The Baldwin Malcom Morison finner Risses-
Sabes Elwell Jehiel Beanjeg
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GENERAL HISTORY.
finished the 16th, day of May next & sd Peters is to have Thirty Pounds for building said house."
The following account shows the prices of things in 1775:
"Samuel Peters, Esq. for supplying the poor House with grain a year ending this day viz. May 6th, 1775: 14} bushels Corn at 3s. 6d., £2,10,9; 11 bushels Rye at 4s., 2,04,0; 2} bushels wheat at 6s., 0,15,0; 21} lbs. veal at 3d., 0,05,4}; a bed- stead, 0,04,4; 1 cwt. Pork, 1,10,0. Total, £7,09,5}."
In 1778, the following prices were current: Pork per lb., 4d .; Bacon per lb .. 8d .; Mutton, 3d .; Beef, 3d .; Salt per bushel, 16s .; Tow cloth per yard, 1s. 5d .; Candles per lb, 4d.
The issue of Continental money caused an inflation of prices, as in more modern times. 1778, Dec. 22d. Allowed to : " Elihu Secord for one barrel Sope, £12; to 6 lbs. candles, 2,08; two bushel of corn, 2,08; 25 lbs. salt pork, 5; to four bushels of Turnips, 1,12; To four bushels of Tators (potatoes), 2,08; mak- ing up clothing, 7,12; one pair of shoes, 1,4; to keeping Sarah Adkins one week, finding her victuals, 1,04."
A yoke of oxen sold to Elihu Secor were valued at £80. The rapid changes in prices were arranged for as in the following, and thus marks the depreciation of Continental money:
"Dec. 24th, 1778. To Esq. Peters for 105 lbs. Pork, £1,17,8. The price of the above Article is to be paid what is current for said article when said Peters receives his money."
"April 27th, 1779, 1 bushel of wheat, £3,04."
" Allowed to Joseph Teed April 3, 1779 for the use of one cow, 16. To 16g bushels of wheat, 12 bushels of Rye and 2 bushels of corn, 155,08. Price of said grain to be paid what is current when said Teed receives his money."
"May 7 1779 To a cow, £100."
"May 13 1779 The Precinct Dr. to Elijah Townsend, £100. The above account was settled when money was eight to one, which is to be paid at that rate."
OFFICERS OF THE PRECINCTS.
The following officers were elected (after the formation of the Precincts in 1772) for Philipse Precinct and Fredericksburg. The officers elected for the South East Precinct do not appear for that year on the Records in Poughkeepsie.
Philipse Precinct : Supervisor, Beverly Robinson; assessors, Caleb Nelson, Joseph Lane; collector, William Dusenbury;
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
constables, Israel Taylor, Isaac Davenport; poor masters, Justus Nelson. Cornelius Tompkins. Fredericksburg: Super- visor, Tertullus Dickenson; assessors, Henry Luddington, James Dickenson; collector, Edward Rice; constables, Wm. Underhill, Wm. Nelson, Elijah Townsend, Edward Rice; poor masters, Jehiel Bazely, James Dickenson.
The first election of commissioners of highways was in 1773, when the following were chosen: Philipse Precinct: Justus Nelson, Moses Dusenbury, Isaac Rhodes; Fredericksburg: James Dickenson, Jehiel Beardsley, James Dickenson, Jr .; South East: Thomas Baldwin, Owen Hull, Seth Nickerson.
Pound masters first appeared in 1774, when we find the fol- lowing occupants of that important office: Cornelius Tompkins, John Oakley, Joseph Haight, Caleb Nelson.
Supervisors of Philipse Precinct: Moses Dusenbury, 1773; Beverly Robinson, 1774; Joshua Nelson, 1775; George Lane, 1786; John Hyatt, 1787. Of Fredericksburg, Tertullus Dick- enson, 1773-76; Henry Luddington, 1777, 1778; Reuben Ferris, 1779-84; John Drake, 1786; Reuben Ferris, 1787. Of South East: Joseph Crane, jr., 1773; John Field, 1774-76; Joseph Crane, 1778; William Mott, 1779, 1780; Isaac Crosby, 1782-84; Joseph Crane, 1787.
Assessors of Philipse Precinct: Joseph Lane, 1772; William Dusenbury, Caleb Nelson, 1773; Joshna Nelson, William Dusen . bury, 1774; Cornelius Tompkins, Joshua Nelson, 1775; John Armstrong, Morris Smith, Titus Travis, Joshua Horton, Isaac Davenport, 1786. Of Fredericksburg: Henry Luddington, James Dickenson, 1772; Jabez Berry, William Penney, 1773; Jabez Berry, David Crosby, 1774-76; Roswell Wilcox, Reuben Crosby, 1778; Alexander Kidd, Jonathan Paddock, Heman King, Elijah Townsend, Elisha Cole, James Wilson, Jabez Berry, 1779; David Hecock, Nehemiah Jones, Moody Howes, Ebenezer Robinson, Elijah Townsend, Solomon Hopkins, Jabez Berry, 1780; David Hecock, Stephen Field, Jabez Berry, 1782; Roswell Wilcox, William Penney, Timothy Delavan, David Cole, Elijah Townsend, John Berry, 1783; Roswell Wilcox, William Penney, Moody Howes, Solomon Hopkins, Elijah Townsend, John Berry, 1784; Jabez Berry, David Crosby, jr., Roswell Wilcox, 1786. Of South East: John Field, Samuel Berry, 1773; Robert Hall, James Birdsall, 1774; Peter Hall, Daniel Haviland, 1775; William Mott, Nathan Birdsall, 1776,
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William Mott, Thomas Baldwin, Nathan Birdsall, 1778; Thomas Baldwin, Simeon Ryder, 1779; Thomas Baldwin, Thomas Hig- gins, Nathan Birdsall, 1782; Thomas Baldwin, Thomas Higgins, John Elwell, 1783; Thomas Baldwin, Joseph Crane, jr., John Elwell, 1784; Joseph Crosby, jr., Thomas Higgins, Nathan Pad- dock, 1785; Thomas Baldwin, John Hopkins, Thomas Higgins, 1786.
FORMATION OF TOWNS.
After the Revolution and upon the adoption of the State Con- stitution, an act was passed for dividing the State into counties. This act established Dutchess county according to its ancient boundaries except as to its northern limits, which extended only to the south bounds of the Manor of Livingston. March 7th, 1780, an act was also passed for dividing the counties of the State into towns, in which are the following provisions:
"And all that part of the County of Dutchess, bounded Southerly by the County of Westchester, Westerly by Hud- son's river, Northerly by the north Bounds of the lands granted to Adolph Philipse Esq., and Easterly by the East bounds of the Long Lot No. 4, formerly belonging to Beverly Robinson: shall be, and hereby is erected into a Town by the name of Philips- town."
"And all that part of the said County of Dutchess, bounded Southerly by the County of Westchester, Westerly by Philips- town, Northerly by the north bounds of the lands granted to Adolph Philipse Esq., and Easterly by the East bounds of the same Patent: shall be, and hereby is erected into a Town by the name of Fredericks Town."
" And all that part of the said County of Dutchess, bounded Southerly by the County of Westchester, Westerly by Fred- ericks Town, Northerly by the northern line of Fredericks Town continued to Connecticut, and Easterly by Connecticut: shall be, and hereby is erected into a Town by the name of Southeast Town."
The history of these towns and their subsequent changes, will be given in separate chapters, but as the town of Fredericks was a few years later divided, the list of town officers up to the time of its division is here given. At the first election in 1788, the fol- lowing officers were elected: Supervisor, Reuben Ferris; town clerk, John Sickly; assessors, Samuel Towner, David Crosby,
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
jr., Benjamin Crosby, David Cole; collector, Timothy Carver; constables, Archibald Luddington, Matthew Beale, Jesse Smith, Timothy Carver; overseers of poor, Samuel Towner, Theodorus Crosby, Benjamin Crosby.
The last change that was made in the towns previous to the establishment of Putnam county was the following act, passed March 14th, 1806:
"An Act to annex a part of the town of Philips to the town of Fishkill in Dutchess County."
" Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly. That from, and after, the passing of this act, all such part of the town of Philips as lies north and west of a line beginning by the north river at the South westermost end of Break neck hill, running from thence North fifty two degrees east to the division line between the same towns is hereby annexed to the town of Fishkill, any law to the contrary notwithstanding."
It is this change that caused the northwest corner of Putnam county to appear to be cut off, as it really is.
Reuben Ferris was re-elected to the office of supervisor of Frederickstown till 1795, the year of the division.
The assessors in 1789 were Samuel Towner, David Crosby jr., Jabez Berry, Solomon Hopkins; in 1790, Jacob Nelson, David Crosby jr., Jabez Berry, Solomon Hopkins; in 1791, David Cole, Thatcher Hopkins, Samuel Towner.
The disproportion, in the geographical extent of Fredericks- town and Southeast, was so apparent and the inconveniences arising from it were so manifest, that the proposal to divide these towns met with great favor, and in accordance with this general desire the Legislature, in 1795, passed the following Act :
" An Act to divide Frederickstown and Southeast town in Dutchess county, into four towns.
Passed 17th of March, 1795.
"BE IT ENACTED by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That all that part of Frederickstown, lying west of the east line of Philips's long lot, and south of a line to begin at a point in the west bounds of Frederickstown, six miles from the north bounds of the county of Westchester, and running north eighty-seven degrees, and thirty minutes east to the State of Connecticut, shall be erected
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GENERAL HISTORY.
into a separate town, by the name of Carmel, and the first town meeting in the said town of Carmel, shall be held at the dwelling house of John Crane, Esquire, in said town. That all those parts of Frederickstown and Southeast town, lying east of the said east line, of Philips's long lot, and south of the above mentioned line, beginning at a point in the west bounds of said Frederickstown, six miles from the north bounds of the county of Westchester, and running north eighty seven degrees and thirty minutes east, and continued to the State of Con- necticut, shall be erected into a separate town, by the name of Southeast, and the first town meeting in the said town of South . east shall be held at the dwelling house of Zalman Sanford in the said town, that all those parts of Fredericks Town and South-East town, lying east of the said east line of Philips's long lot, and north of the above mentioned line, beginning at a point in the west bounds of said Fredericks-town, six miles from the north bounds of the county of West-Chester, and run- ning north eighty-seven degrees, and thirty minutes east, and continued to the State of Connecticut, shall be erected into a separate town, by the name of Franklin, and the first town meeting in the said town of Franklin, shall be held at the dwelling house of James Philips, in the said town, and that all the remaining part of Fredericks-town, shall remain and con- tinue a separate town, by the name of Frederick, and the first town meeting in the said town of Frederic, shall be held at the dwelling house of the widow Boyd, in the said town.
" And be it further enacted, That the towns herein before mentioned to be divided, shall be considered as divided from and after the first Monday in April next, and that the free- holders and inhabitants of the said towns, respectively shall be, and liereby are empowered to hold town meetings and elect such town officers as the freeholders and inhabitants of the other towns of this State, elect by a law entitled, 'An act for dividing the counties of this State into towns, passed 7th March 1788,' and that the town officers to be by them elected, shall have the like powers and privileges, as the freeholders and in- habitants, and town officers of any other town in this State, may exercise by the law aforesaid.
" And be it further enacted, That as soon as may be after the first Tuesday in April next, the supervisors and overseers of the poor of the towns aforesaid, shall by notice to be given for
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
that purpose by the supervisors of the towns aforesaid, meet together and apportion the poor maintained by the said towns previous to the division thereof, between the said former towns and the towns erected by this act into separate towns in an equitable manner; and if the supervisors and overseers of the poor cannot agree upon such division of the poor as afore- said, then and in such case the supervisors of the county, shall at their next meeting, apportion and divide the poor maintained as aforesaid, in such manner as shall appear to them most just and equitable, and the said towns shall thereafter respectively maintain their own poor."
CHAPTER XII.
ESTABLISHMENT OF PUTNAM COUNTY; COUNTY INSTITU- TIONS AND COUNTY OFFICERS.
REVISED BY HON. EDWARD WRIGHT.
I
N March, 1807, a bill was introduced into the Legislature to divide Dutchess county. This bill passed the Senate by a vote of 16 to 13, but was lost in the Assembly by a vote of 48 to 47. In a motion to reconsider, the vote stood 49 to 49, and the speaker voting in the negative, the motion was lost.
In the Journals of the Legislature, of 1812, is the following: "Monday, March 9th. The petition of sundry inhabitants of the Southern part of Dutchess County comprised in the towns of Philipstown, Carmel, Frederick, Southeast and Patterson, praying for a division of the County, and the erection of the southern part thereof into a new county: was read and referred to a select committee, consisting of Mr. Comstock, Mr. Crosby, Mr. Trowbridge, Mr. Darrow and Mr. Stanly."
"March 15th, Mr. Taylor then made a motion that pursuant to the order of the day, the house should resolve itself into a committee of the whole on the bill entitled, 'An Act to divide the County of Dutchess.'
" Mr. Radcliff then made a motion that the house should agree to a resolution with a recital which was read in the words following, to wit, Whereas it is reported to this house by a member thereof from the County of Dutchess, that the names of several persons appearing upon the petition heretofore pre- sented, for the division of the County of Dutchess, have been subscribed thereto without their knowledge or consent, which fact is also verified by affidavit. Resolved that the further con- sideration of the bill for dividing the County of Dutchess, be postponed till next Session to the end that in the mean time
11
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due inquiry be made into the truth of said allegation and meas- ures be taken respecting the same." "The Yeas and Nays being called for by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Bryan, were as follows: Nays 56, Aff. 42." "Thereupon the house resolved itself into a committee of the whole, and after some time spent thereon, Progress was reported, and leave asked for, and granted, to sit again."
" May 25th, The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole on the bill to divide Dutchess County. That all that part of the County of Dutchess included in the towns of Philipstown, Carmel, Frederick, Patterson and Southeast, bounded on the east by Connecticut, on the south by West- chester County, on the west by Hudson river, and on the north by the towns of Fishkill and Pawling, shall be, one separate and distinct County, and shall be called and known by the name of " "Passed, Yeas 58, Nays 38." " Ordered that the committee of the whole be discharged from the con- sideration of the last mentioned bill, and that it be referred to a select committee consisting of Mr. Taylor, Mr. Van Rensalaer and Mr. Weeks, to report the same complete."
"May 29th, the engrossed bill, an 'Act to divide the County of Dutchess' read the third time. Mr. Speaker put the ques- tion, carried, Yeas 62, Nays 34."
" An ACT to divide the County of Dutchess.
"Passed June 12, 1812.
"I. Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That all that part of the county of Dutchess included in the towns of Philipstown, Car- mel, Frederick, Patterson and Southeast, bounded on the east by Connecticut, on the south by Westchester county, on the west by Hudson's river, and on the north by the towns of Fish- kill and Pawling, shall be one separate and distinct county, and shall be called and known by the name of Putnam.
"II. And be it further enacted, That there shall be held in and for the said county of Putnam a Court of Common Pleas, and a Court of General Sessions of the Peace, and that there shall be two terms of the same courts in the same county in every year, to commence as follows, to wit: The first term of the said court shall begin on the third Tuesday in October, and the second term shall begin on the second Tuesday in April, and
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GENERAL HISTORY.
may continue to be held until the Saturday following, inclusive; and the said Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace shall have the same jurisdiction, powers and authority, in the said county, as the Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace in the other counties of this State have in their respective counties: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to affect any suit or action, in any court whatever, already commenced before the last Monday in June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve, so as to work a wrong or prejudice to any of the parties therein, or to affect any criminal or other proceedings on the part of the people of this state, but all such civil and criminal proceedings shall and may be prosecuted to trial, judgment and execution, as if this act had not been passed.
"III. And be it further enacted, That the said Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace, in the said county of Putnam, shall be holden at the Baptist meeting house, in the town of Carmel, until a court house shall have been built as herein after directed and provided, after which time it shall and may be lawful for the said courts to adjourn to the said court house, and thereafter continue to hold the terms of the said courts at the said court house, and no action or prosecution depending in the said courts shall be abated, dis- continued or in any wise prejudiced in law by such adjourn- ment.
"IV. And be it further enacted, that the freeholders and in- habitants of the said county hereby erected, shall have and en- joy all and every the same rights, powers and privileges, as the freeholders and inhabitants of any other county in this state are by law entitled to have and enjoy.
"V. And be it further enacted, That the said county of Put- nam shall be entitled to elect one member of Assembly, and the county of Dutchess shall be entitled to elect five members of Assembly, in the same manner as other counties in this state are by law entitled.
"VI. And be it further enacted; That it shall be the duty of the supervisors of the said counties of Dutchess and Putnam to meet together on the first Tuesday in October in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve, at the village of Pough- keepsie, and adjust all accounts, and apportion all the monies in the hands of the treasurer of the said county of Dutchess, as
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
to them, or a majority of them, shall appear just and equit- able.
"VII. And be it further enacted, That the supervisors in the several towns in the county of Putnam, for the time being, or a majority of them, shall be and they are hereby authorized and required to direct to be raised and levied on the freeholders and inhabitants of the said county, a sum not exceeding six thousand dollars for building a court house and gaol in said county, with the additional sum of three cents on each dollar for collecting the same which sums shall be raised at such times levied and collected, in the same manner as the other necessary and contingent charges of the county are levied and collected.
"VIII. And be it further enacted, That Joseph Crane, Stephen Barnum, Joel Frost, Jonathan Ferris and John Jewitt, are hereby appointed commissioners to fix on the site of a court house and gaol in said county of Putnam, and to superintend the building thereof; and the said commissioners, or a majority of them, may contract with workmen, and purchase materials for erecting said court house and gaol, and shall, from time to time, draw upon the treasurer of the said county for such sums of money, for the purpose aforesaid, as shall come into the treasury by virtue of this act; and the treasurer is hereby re- quired, out of the monies aforesaid, to pay to the order of the said commissioners the several sums of money to be by them drawn for, and it is hereby made the duty of the said commis- sioners to account with the supervisors of the said county. for the monies which they shall have received from the treasury, when thereunto required.
"IX. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for all courts, and officers of the said county of Putnam, in all cases criminal and civil, to confine their prisoners in the gaol of the county of Dutchess, until a gaol shall be erected and finished, in the manner hereafter mentioned, in the said county of Putnam.
"X. Aud be it further enacted, That the building to be erected for a gaol at the place which shall be designated as aforesaid, shall be the gaol of the said county of Putnam; and as soon as the same shall be completed in such manner as, in the opinion of the sheriff of the county, is sufficient to confine his prisoners, it shall and may be lawful for such sheriff to remove his prisoners, either upon civil or criminal process, to
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GENERAL HISTORY.
such a gaol, and confine them therein, and such removal shall not be deemed an escape in such sheriff.
"XI. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the treasurer of said county of Putnam to retain in his hands one cent on each dollar for his trouble in receiving and paying out the monies directed to be raised in the said county by this act."
On the 7th of September, 1812, Dr. Robert Weeks, who was a member of the Legislature when the act was passed, sold to the supervisors of the county of Putnam, "all that certain lot of land situated in the town of Carmel, bounded as follows: Beginning at a poplar tree marked P. standing on the east side of the highway, thence south five degrees east, two chains; thence north eighty five degrees east, two chains, fifty links; thence north, five degrees west two chains, thence to the place of beginning, containing one half acre, for the purpose of erect . ing thereon a Court House and Gaol for the county of Putnam, and such other buildings as shall be necessary for the con- venience and accommodation of said county and no others."
The Court House was built in 1814, the first court being held in it February 15th, 1815. Previous to that they were held in the Baptist meeting house. In 1842, an act was passed by the Legislature, authorizing the county officers to sell the Court House and grounds, as a change of site was strongly urged, one party being in favor of moving the county seat to Cold Spring, while another favored a new site near the south end of the village of Carmel. When it was found that the deed did not permit the erection of any other than county buildings, the subject was dropped and never afterward agitated. The Court House was repaired and improved about 1840, at which time the present portico and pillars and the belfry were added. The jail was a very small stone building standing at the north- east corner of the Court House. The Court House was again repaired and enlarged in 1855, and the present jail was then built. The first county clerk's office was a small one story building, nearly square, built of brick, with a slate roof and a marble floor. This was built in pursuance of an Act passed April 17th, 1822, "authorizing the building of a fire-proof Clerk's office in the County of Putnam," by which the super- visors were to appoint three commissioners to build the office, and the sum of $750 was to be raised by tax to pay for the same.
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HISTORY OF FUTNAM COUNTY.
Before that time the office of the county clerk was wher- ever he resided. The present county clerk's office was built in 1871, in pursuance of a resolution of the Board of Supervisors, by which Saxton Smith, Charles W. Budd. and Sylvester Mabie were appointed " a building committee to cause to be erected a fire-proof building on or near the site of the present Clerk's office, with sufficient accommodations for the county clerk's and surrogate's offices," and they were authorized to borrow $10,000 for that purpose. The committee reported on December 20th, 1871, that they had contracted with
COURT HOUSE AND COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.
Thaddeus R. Ganung for the erection of the building and that the contract had been fulfilled and that they had given him ten bonds of the county for $1,000 each in payment. The stone was taken from a quarry north of Lake Gilead. Some of the stone which was originally cut for the proposed Drew Seminary was used in the building.
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