USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 25
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BANKS.
The Ballston Spa bank was organized in 1838. The First National bank of Ballston Spa was established April 1, 1865. Before
1838 banking was done at Schenectady, Troy, and Waterford.
V. - SOCIETIES. MASONIC LODGES.
On the 16th day of May, 1794, Franklin Lodge, No. 37, was chartered and located in the town of Ballston. Meetings were held at the residence of different members until 1834, when the charter was forfeited. About the year 1804 Friendship Lodge, No. 118, was or- ganized in the town of Milton. Meetings were held in the town of Milton until January 2, 1821, when the lodge was removed to Balls- ton Spa, where regular communications were held until 1835, when the charter was sur- rendered and never afterward revived.
There was no masonic organization in the village until 1842, when Franklin Lodge, No. 90, received its charter, under which it now works.
Nearly all the members of Franklin Lodge, No. 37, and of Friendship Lodge, No. 118, became members of the new Franklin Lodge, No. 90.
The first master of Franklin Lodge, No. 90, was William Saunders.
Warren Chapter, No. 23, was organized in 1809. From 1829 to 1846 work was suspended, but the chapter maintained its rights by pay- ing its dues and retaining its name and num- ber. In the latter year it began work, which it has continued to the present.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
Kay-ad-er-ros-se-ra Lodge, No. 17, was or- ganized January 9, 1844. It continued to work until about 1865, when it was dissolved. Its place was taken by Kay-ad-er-ros-se-ra Lodge, No. 270, which was organized about the year 1870.
Ballston Encampment, No. 72, I. O. O. F., was organized November 9, 1854, and was continued but a few years.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
Herman Lodge, No. 40, K. of P., was formed in December, 1873.
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TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS.
Delaware Tent of the Order of Rechabites was organized in Ballston in the early years of that order in the United States. Another Tent was formed under the same name, which was No. 66, N. O. R., in the spring of 1876.
Ballston Division of the Sons of Temper- ance had a vigorous existence for several years, but has long since ceased to work. A new Division was attempted a few years since, but after two or three years gave way to a lodge of Good Templars, which was instituted about 1874, and ceased to exist in 1876. The last presiding officer was John Coons.
UNITED WORKMEN.
A branch of this order was organized in Ballston Spa about 1877.
VI .- MINERAL WATERS.
We close this account of the village of Ballston Spa with a list of the several min- eral springs which have restored to the vil- lage the source of its former prosperity, and which bid fair now to prove valuable and permanent. The various streams rising from a great depth with immense force are free from surface impurities.
Among the most permanent are the follow- ing: Artesian Lithia Springs, drilled to a depth of 652 feet; Franklin Spring, drilled 715 feet; Washington Spring, drilled to 612 feet; Sans Souci Spouting Spring, drilled 695 feet; The Public Spring, drilled 647 feet.
VII. - THE TOWN OF BALLSTON.
This town was formed from Saratoga as a district, April 1, 1775, and was organized as a town of Albany county, March 7, 1788, and became one of the four towns of Saratoga county upon its organization in 1791. It lies upon the border of the county, southwest of the center. Its surface is gently rolling. Mourning Kill and the Outlet creek are the principal streams. Ballston lake, formerly called Long lake, lies in the southeast part. It is named in honor of the Rev. Eliphalet Ball, one of the early settlers.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Michael McDonald and his brother, Nich- olas, were the first settlers of the town. They came to the west shore of Ballston lake in 1763, at the close of the last French and In- dian war.
Sir William Johnson, on his trip to the springs in 1767, found them here, and staid over night with them. The McDonalds were from Ireland. When boys they had been en- ticed on board a vessel and brought to Amer- ica, and then sold to pay for their involuntary passage. Michael McDonald died June 29, 1823, in the ninety-fourth year of his age. On his tombstone it is recorded that " He was the first settler of Ballston." There were no other settlers in this town until 1770, when Eliph- alet Ball made his purchase of four hundred acres. His deed was dated October 12, 1771. The price was only nominal -ten shillings for the whole, and one year's service in helping to settle the country.
Mr. Ball had removed to the town in 1770. His pioneer home was near the residence of Abram Post, on Academy hill. His children were three sons: Stephen, John, and Flay- man-and one daughter, Mary.
John was a colonel in the Revolutionary army, and was in active service. The daugh- ter became the wife of General James Gordon. Rev. Eliphalet Ball was a third cousin of Gen- eral Washington.
George Scott, from the north of Ireland, settled, in 1774, on what has since been known as the Scott homestead. His wife was the sister of Gen. James Gordon.
Gen. James Gordon was a pioneer whose name is associated with the most stirring events of early times, and with the most im- portant civil positions of town, county, State and Nation.
The three McCrea brothers were : William, who married General Gordon's sister, James, and Samuel.
Joseph Morehouse, with his brother-in-law, Nathan Raymond, came from Connecticut
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
before or during the Revolution, and settled on the east side of the lake. Other settlers on the east side of the lake were Samuel Wood, Epenetus White, Dr. Elisha Miller, and Capt. Titus Watson.
Ezekiel Horton settled in Ballston about the year 1802. His son, James Watson Horton, was county clerk of Saratoga county for more than forty years, beginning in 1845.
Zaccheus Schribner came to this town in 1770. Stephen White, Hezekiah Middlebrook, John Taylor, John Samuel Asor, Eliakim Nash, David Clark and Ebenezer Sprague were among the early settlers.
Beriah Palmer, a noted man in early times; Sunderland Sears, Isaac How, Isaac Stowe, Jabez Hubbell, Robert Speir, John Young, John Cable, Uriah Benedict, Nathaniel Weed, Miles Beech, Asa Waterman, Seth C. Bald- win, John Davis, Edward A. Watrous, Paul Pierson, John Higby and Thomas Kennedy . were also among the early settlers.
CHURCHES.
Calvary Episcopal church was established in the village of Burnt Hills in 1848. The church edifice was completed during the year 1849, at an expense of two thousand five hun- dred dollars, a large proportion of which was the gift of Rev. Edward Davis, the first pas- tor. The edifice was first built with open nave and recess chancel, but was enlarged in 1858 by the addition of two transepts, mak- ing sittings for two hundred and fifty.
The Christian church of East Line. This society was established in about 1858. They erected a meeting house about that time at an expense of about one thousand dollars, and services were maintained quite regularly for ten or fifteen years, but now rarely.
The Episcopalians of East Line erected a chapel in the spring of 1877. It was an un- usual case of rapid church work. The corner stone was laid and the church completed within a month.
The Christian church of Burnt Hills. This organization was established about forty years
ago, and services have since been maintained most of the time.
The Baptist church of Burnt Hills. About the year 1791 the following named members of the old First church of Stillwater were set off and were the founders of the Baptist church at Burnt Hills, namely : Lazarus Hollister, Clement Young, Smith Hollister, William Bettys, Nehemiah Seeley, Daniel Thomas, Thomas Proctor, John Cloidenwiser, Benjamin Ide, John Luther and Gideon Luther.
With these notes we close our account of the town of Ballston. In the general history will be found a detailed account of the stirring and tragic incidents which occurred in the town of Ballston during the war of the Revo- lution.
CHAPTER IV.
HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE TOWNS ( Concluded ) - CHARLTON - CLIFTON PARK - CORINTH.
I. - TOWN OF CHARLTON.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
The town of Charlton was formed from the town of Ballston in the year 1792. It is the southwest corner town of the county. Its sur- face is undulating with gentle inclination to- ward the south. Its streams are the Aalplaats and a branch of the Mourning Kill. It con- tains twenty thousand two hundred and thirty- seven acres.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
We learn from William L. Stone's " Remi- niscences of Saratoga and Ballston," as early as the year 1770 Joseph Gonzales settled in the southwestern part of this town. He occu- pied the farm on which John L. Forte now lives, and on which Wyndert Wimple settled after the Revolution. This family was after- ward and is now known by the name of Con- salus.
A son of Joseph, John Consalus, was cap- tured by the Indians during the Revolutionary
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
war and taken to Canada. In 1773 a number of Scotch-Irish families came from New Jer- sey and began a settlement in this town, near the Ballston line. Among them were John Cavert, Thomas Sweetman, and David Max- well. Thomas Sweetman and David Maxwell married sisters, Sarah and Ursula Kerr, who were descendants of Walter Kerr, a celebrated Scotch Covenanter who was perpetually ban- ished from England in 1685, during the reign of Charles II.
David Maxwell remained with his brother- in-law till fall, when he returned to New Jer- sey after his family. He returned in the spring of 1775, accompanied by John Taylor, Joseph Larew, James Valentine, William Chambers, and John McKnight. Maxwell settled upon a farm adjoining Sweetman's. John Taylor took a farm just west of Maxwell. John Tay- lor's son, John W. Taylor, went into politics. He was elected member of assembly from the town of Hadley, at the age of twenty-eight. He served for years in that body, when he was elected to congress, in which he served twenty years-from 1813 to 1833. He was speaker of the house in the Nineteenth congress. Thomas Brown owned a farm of four hundred acres next west of John Taylor's. From next west of Thomas Brown, William Clark settled. John McKnight settled on the next farm north of Sweetman.
The commissioners who surveyed the lands included in the Kay-ad-er-ros-se-ra patent took land in this town for their services and ex- penses, amounting to five thousand acres. It was sold at public vendue, and was bought by Durk Lefferts, Cornelius Clopper, Isaac Low and Benjamin Kissane. Low returned to Eng- land, Kissane died, and the title became vested in Lefferts and Clopper, from whom the early settlers secured the title to their lands. The tract lay to the south of the highway which runs east and west through Charlton Village. The first settlers on this tract were Joseph Vankirk, Joseph Larew, James Bradshaw, Jesse Conde, John Rogers and John Holmes.
Holmes settled in 1775 and built the first grist mill in the town. Nathaniel Cook and Margaret, his wife, came from New Jersey in 1778.
The Scotch street settlement was com- menced about the year 1774. A number of Scotch families from the parish of White Horse in the shire of Galloway, Scotland, came in that year in a ship bound for America. These settlers came to America and immediately started for the new country then opening up along the Mohawk river. They located mostly in the town of Galway, but they were followed by others the next year, who settled in the town of Charlton. Among those were James Bell, Mr. McWil- liams, Andrew Bell, William Gilchrist and Robert Mckinley.
After the Revolution these families were joined by John Van Patten, Tunis Swort, Aaron Schermerhorn, Abram Van Epps, John Anderson, who was a soldier in Burgoyne's army, Hezekiah Watkins, who was in the American army, and Abram Northrup.
Other early settlers were Phoenix Cox, Zopher Wicks, and Isaac Smith. Gideon Hawley, from Connecticut, settled in Charlton several years before the close of the century. His son, Gideon, was appointed as the first superintendent of common schools of the State of New York, in 1813. He was the founder of the common school system of the State of New York. Other early settlers were : Rob- ert and Allison Bunyan, Robert and Allison Hume, James Low, Chauncey and Samuel Bellding. They came in 1794. They succeeded Davis & Bostwick, who started the first store in Charlton in about 1787.
Other early settlers in the town were John Angle, Nicholas Angle, Amos Sherwood, Mr. Stephens, Mr. Chapman, James Valentine, Samuel Parent, Ahasuerus Wendell, Mr. Ar- rowsmith, Jeremiah Smith, James Deremer, John Hays, Dr. Wm. Mead, the first physi- cian in town, Henry Corl, Eli Northrup, James Taylor, and Nathan Hinman.
.
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
The Kirby homestead is one of the oldest and most noted in town. It was settled and cleared up by Seth Kirby, in 1785. The Kir- by's are descended from two brothers, who were obliged to flee from England on the down- fall of Oliver Cromwell. They were a part of the council which condemned Charles the First to death. The place is now the pro- perty of Col. Frank D. Curtis. The Dows homestead is situated on the same street, and was settled by Eleazer Dows at the same time as the Kirby homestead.
CHURCHES.
Saint Paul's Episcopal church was organ- ized on the 10th day of December, 1803. On the 17th of March, 1804, a church lot, con- taining thirty square rods, was purchased, on which a church was erected that year. In the year 1836 this church was repaired and altera- tions made.
On the 14th of November, 1804, a glebe lot of about one hundred acres was purchased for the use of the church. This lot was rented to various persons, and finally sold about the year 1840. The first rector was Rev. Frede- rick Van Horn. Since 1857 the church has been connected with the society of Calvary church at Burnt Hills, one rector having charge of both churches.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF FREEHOLD IN CHARLTON.
The early settlers of the eastern part of the town came from Freehold, New Jersey, and they intended to give that name to their settlement. This church was organ- ized in 1786, and as the town of Charlton was not erected until 1792, they gave the name of Freehold to their church, and it has never yet been dropped. A small frame church, seated with benches, was built in the summer of 1786, on a church lot purchased for the purpose. That lot contained one acre, and afterward a half acre more was purchased, on which sheds were erected.
This church was used until 1802, when a larger one was built. This latter one served
the congregation until the summer of 1853, when a still larger one was erected. In about 1854 the society purchased a parsonage ad- joining the church.
The first minister who officiated in the church was the Rev. William Schenck, pastor of the church at Ballston, who preached here one-third of the time.
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF WEST CHARLTON.
This church, more generally known as the "Old Scotch church," was organized in the year 1794, in which year the society built a house of worship and gave a call to Rev. James Mairs. He was educated for the min- istry in Ireland and Scotland, and emigrated with his brother in May, 1793, and reached Salem, Washington county, in August of that year. Having accepted the call, he was in- stalled as the first pastor, February 20, 1794. The relation thus assumed was maintained unbroken until May 20, 1835, a period of forty-one years and three months. A glebe lot of one hundred acres was purchased in 1794, and was sold in 1820.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This church was organized about fifty-five years ago, and has had a Sabbath school for the last forty years.
SCHOOLS.
Charlton academy was started as a private school by Rev. James N. Crocker, about the year 1858. It was then kept in the session room of the Freehold church, and was placed under the care of the Presbytery at Albany. Rev. Mr. Crocker remained as principal until 1867, when he was succeeded by Mr. L. S. Packard.
II .- TOWN OF CLIFTON PARK.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
The town of Clifton Park was formed from the town of Half Moon, March 3, 1828, as " Clifton." Its name was changed March 31, 1829. The surface is level or undulating, ex- cept in the northeast, where it is broken by
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
sand hills and ravines. A line of rugged clay bluffs borders upon the Mohawk valley. The town includes twenty-seven thousand one hun- dred and fifty-nine acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
As early as the 4th of March, 1669, Jan Verbeck, Philip Peter Schuyler and Peter Van Olinda bought an island in the Mohawk, at Niska Yuna. But the first settler seems to have gone there nearly eight years later, for we learn that on the 31st of October, 1677, Claes Janse Van Boeckhoven bought land over the river at Niska Yuna. Van Boeckhoven's first wife was Volkertie Janse ; his second wife was Catlynde De Vos. He died there about 1712, and his property passed to his wife's children. He was the first settler of what is now Clifton Park.
It appears, from the census of Albany county, taken in 1723, that the following named heads of families resided at Canastigo- nie, which was the old name for Niska Yuna : John Quacumbus, John F. Forth, Jacob Pearse, Derrick Brat, Maes Rickson, Nicho- las Van Vraken, Lapion Canfort, Cornelius Christian, sr., Eldert Limonze, Peter Ouder- kirk, Jacob Cluit, and Derrick Lakelsen.
Derrick Brat lived on the flats about a mile below Amity. His house was burned in an Indian raid. Jacob Pearse settled at Fort's ferry. The name Quakumbus was known in the vicinity of Crescent. Nicholas Fort set- tled at the ferry that has ever since before the Revolution borne his name. The pioneer of the Vicher family at the ferry of that name is engraved as Eldert Vicher. Among those who came after the Revolution was Edward Rex- ford, who bought a tract of three hundred acres of land, near what is known as Rexford Flats. Others came in about the time of the Revolution: Nathan Gurnsey, Adrian Hege- man, John Rouse, Samuel Sweatland, Israel Brooks, James Groom, Robert Eldridge, John Tarpenny, John Knolton, Israel Brooks, Jerry Cramer, Simeon Van Camp, Solomon Waite, and Abraham Moe.
Among the early settlers of Clifton Park was Thomas Young, from Berkshire, Massachu- setts. He came in 1785, and settled on the Apple patent. He was the father of Colonel Samuel Young, afterward so prominent in public affairs.
CHURCHES.
DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH OF AMITY.
This church was organized in 1802. In 1805 the church of Amity and the one at Niska Yuna united in the choice of Rev. Thomas Romeyn as first pastor, and he was installed in 1806, and a joint parsonage was built at Amity by the two societies. In 1871 the present new and commodious house of worship was erected.
BAPTIST CHURCH OF CLIFTON PARK.
This society was constituted February 12, 1795, and was included in the old Shaftsbury association in 1796. In 1834 its relations were changed to the Saratoga association. The first minister was the Rev. Abijah Peck, and he served in that capacity for nearly fifty years. He was a soldier of the Revolution.
. METHODIST CHURCH AT GROOM'S CORNERS.
This church was among the first Methodist societies in this section of the State north of Albany, but the records of its early organi- zation are lost.
METHODIST CHURCH AT REXFORD FLATS.
This church was organized October 8, 1839. The house of worship was erected in 1840. Among the ministers who have preached here are Revs Phillips, Walker and Lamb.
METHODIST CHURCH AT JONESVILLE.
The first house of worship was built in 1825. This was succeeded, in 1855, by a better edi- fice. Among the list of official members of earlier and later date are the names of Roscius R. Kennedy, S. B. Raymond, N. D. Garnsey, H. A. Wilson, Joseph Kingsley, D. N. North- rup, and others. Upon its separate organiza- tion, in 1842, Rev. Charles Sherman was its first minister in charge.
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
METHODIST CHURCH AT CLIFTON PARK VILLAGE.
Methodist meetings were first held in the school house by Rev. S. Covell, of Jonesville. There was considerable opposition, and the school house was locked against them. In 1842 preaching was re-established in the same school house by Rev. Henry Williams. A church was organized and house built.
SCHOOLS.
The first school house at Amity (the village at Vicher's Ferry) was on the site of the pres- ent one. Old people recall the names of Mr. Kelley, John Lindebeck, Sallie Fraley and Nellie Morrell as teachers.
JONESVILLE ACADEMY.
This institution was located in the pleasant post village of Jonesville. It originated in a small family school, commenced in 1836, and kept by Mrs. Roger King in an ordinary farm house near by.
About the year 1840 the school was removed to the premises where the academy was finally located, and opened for the accommo- dation of a few boarding pupils by Mr. John Oatley, of New York city. In the same year (1840) a permanent brick academy was erected, with a capacity for accommodating fifty board- ers. The school was formally opened in 1841, at which time Prof. H. A. Wilson, A. M., be- came its principal, in which position he re- mained until 1860. During this period of the administration of Prof. Wilson the school as- sumed and maintained a rank among the best and most popular institutions of the State.
Hon. Roscius R. Kennedy, the original founder, was incorporated sole trustee, and his generosity placed it beyond financial em- barrassment.
11. - TOWN OF CORINTH. GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
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The town of Corinth was formed from the town of Hadley, April 20, 1818. A part of Moreau was annexed January 28, 1848. It lies upon the Hudson, in the northeast part
of the county. The Kayaderrossera mountain range occupies the central and north parts, and the Palmertown mountains the south- east corner. The declivities of these moun- tains are steep, and their summits are rocky and mostly covered with forest. A valley four miles wide separates the two ranges. The principal streams are : the Hudson, forming the northeast border, and Cold brook. Among the mountains in the north part are several fine lakes, the principal of which are Efnor, Hunt, Jenny, and Black lakes. The town contains twenty-one thousand and thirty-six acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settlements were made near Mt. MacGregor and Jessup's Landing.
Ambrose Clothier came into town in 1775, and settled near Mt. MacGregor. Samuel Eg- gleston came before the Revolution and set- tled near the Clothiers. Benjamin Eggleston of Cincinnati, who has served several terms in Congress, and General Eggleston, Briga- dier General of the Union army and a promi- nent politician of Illinois, are grandsons of Samuel Eggleston. Benjamin Ide came from Jonesville, Clifton Park, about 1777, and set- tled in the Clothier neighborhood. Williams Crippin came to Corinth in 1778. Lawrence Barber and Hathaway Randall were early set- tlers in the Clothier neighborhood. Benjamin Cowles and Daniel Boardman settled at Jes- sup's Landing; also Stephen Ashley. Adam Comstock was born in Warwick, Rhode Is- land, in the year 1740. In 1763 he moved to Mt. MacGregor. They had a family of seven- teen children. He entered the army of the Revolution and became a colonel under Wash- ington. He came to this town in 1776. In 1778 he erected the first frame building in the town. It was for many years used as a dwel- ling, but in later years has been used as a corn crib.
Nathaniel Edwards, a soldier of the French and Indian war, and captain during the war of the Revolution, came to Corinth about
12
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
1796, through Greenfield Center, by a foot path or Indian trail, and located about one mile south of Corinth village.
Frederick Parkman settled on the site of the Big Tree hotel in about 1796. He kept the first hotel in the town and built the first grist mill north of Ballston.
Jeremiah Eddy kept the first blacksmith shop in 1796 and 1797. John Purqua was a Hessian soldier in the Revolutionary war. He deserted and entered the American army and served throughout the war, and in 1793 came and settled in Corinth. Other early settlers were : Jeptha Clark, Jonathan Duel, Zebidee Mosher, Washington Chapman, James Cooper and Timothy Brown, near South Corinth ; Stephen and William Brayton at Jessup's Landing, and Elias Lindsey at Palmer Falls.
CHURCHES.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF CORINTH
Was constituted as the Third Baptist church of Greenfield, August 20, 1775. In 1801 the name was changed from Greenfield to Hadley, and in 1819 to Corinth. The first minister was the Rev. Thomas Purrington. The church edifice was built about the year 1808 or 1812. In 1858 the church underwent ex- tensive repairs.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CORINTH.
On the 29th of August, 1814, a meeting of the citizens was held, at which was organized the Congregational church of Hadley and Luzerne. The society connected itself with the Presbyterians at Albany in 1814, and remained in this dual relation until 1822, when it was changed to a Presbyterian society, and in 1831 assumed the name of the Presbyterian church of Corinth.
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