USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 27
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Among the early settlers who came in be- fore 1791 are the following: Peter Groom, Matthew Neally, Joseph Peck and Peter Baker.
Having become a railroad center, so to speak, since the intersection of the Fitchburg railroad with the Delaware & Hudson, secured by the energy and enterprise of its citizens, Mechanicville has, during late years, devel- oped large and varied business interests. A dam has been constructed across the Hudson, streets have been laid out, and many fine buildings have been erected, and several large manufacturing establishments have grown up within its limits, its population having grown to nearly five thousand. It was incorporated in 1867, and is now one of the most impor- tant and flourishing villages of the county.
CHURCHES. ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This church was organized in Mechanicville August 2, 1830. The church building, erected between 1829 and 1830, was consecrated Aug- ust 24, 1830. Services were first conducted by Rev. Orange Clark.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.
The first class was organized in 1828, its house of worship being in Stillwater, but its
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parsonage in Half Moon. The first chapel was built in 1832; afterward a convenient church was built about on the site of the old chapel. The first ministers who served on the circuit of which this church formed a part, were the Revs. Ensign and Dayton.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This society originally consisted of a few members, worshiping in union with the Con- gregational church of Stillwater, located at the "Yellow Meeting House." A convenient church edifice was erected in 1854. United organization continued down to 1871. At the time of the separation in 1871, Mr. Berdan was pastor.
ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The church edifice was erected about 1852. Before any organized society existed here ser- vices were held by the Rev. Father Coyle, who made missionary journeys up and down the valley. The first pastor of the church was Rev. Lewis M. Edge.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
This society was organized about 1835 at Middletown. The first pastor was Elisha D. Hubbell. The house of worship was built in. 1834, and dedicated in 1835.
CRESCENT METHODIST CHURCH.
The house of worship of this society was built in 1852. From 1852 to 1859 Crescent stood alone as a pastoral charge, the first min- ister being Tobias Spicer. In 1859 Crescent was united to Half Moon circuit, and Rev. S. W. Brown became the pastor. In the spring of 1865 the Crescent was disconnected and once more became a distinct pastoral charge.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT SMITHTOWN.
This society is one of modern growth, oc- cupying somewhat the ground formerly held by the ancient Baptist church. About fifteen years ago they had a neat chapel, standing some distance south of the Corners formerly known as Newtown.
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF HALF MOON.
This society, located at Clifton village, and the one at Middletown, are successors of the old Newtown church that was dissolved some years ago.
A Friends' meeting was established very early, about three miles southwest of Mechan- icville. This society probably reached back toward the Revolution. Meetings were dis- continued about 1850.
A Methodist Episcopal church was located at Coon's Crossing, in the northwest part of the town. Their house of worship was built there about thirty-five years ago. Earlier than that it was further west, near Usher's Mills, and was known as the McKean's church.
SCHOOLS.
Middletown has a Union school, organized November 20, 1877. The district procured the building belonging to the old Half Moon academy, now extinct for some years.
Mechanicville academy has a pleasant situa- tion near the river, on Main street, surrounded by a beautiful grove. It was founded in 1860. The first officers were: Lewis Smith, president; Rev. Edward Noble, secretary; J. Wesley En- sign, treasurer, with other trustees, as follows: Isaac Clements, B. B. Hutchins, Isaac M. Smith, Joseph Baker, John C. Holmes, Samuel B. Howland, E. A. Lindley, Bloom Baker and Robert Moon. Among the first principals were: C. C. Wetzel, Rev. B. D. Ames and Mrs. S. E. (King) Ames.
SOCIETIES.
A lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, known as the Mechanicville North Star Lodge, No. 174, was organized Septem- ber 4, 1845. The lodge continued to work about ten years, and a new lodge has lately been organized.
A Division of the Sons of Temperance ex- isted about thirty years ago. It lasted for some years. In 1866 a new division was or-
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ganized. It was discontinued in 1869, when Union Lodge, No. 836, Good Templars, was organized, but which continued only about a year.
III. - MALTA.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
The town of Malta was formed from Still- water, March 3, 1802, and a part of Saratoga was annexed in 1805. It lies upon the west bank of Saratoga Lake, southeast of the cen- ter of the county. Its surface is chiefly an undulating upland, sixty to eighty feet above Saratoga Lake, and broken by the deep gul- leys of small streams. The town contains seventeen thousand and nine acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The earliest settlers of this town seem to have been two men - Drummond and McKel- pin. They were here before the Revolution. They were loyalists, and were obliged to leave before the war. The name of Drummond Creek is no doubt derived from the settler of that name. It is not certain that they were here before John Hunter and Asthbel An- drews. Hunter came in 1764, and settled near Round Lake.
Michael Dunning, with six sons and three daughters, came from Connecticut in 1771, and settled on what is now the site of Dun- ning Street Corners. Among other early set- tlers were John Rhodes, Timothy Shipman, Jehial Parks, Samuel Clark (a presidential elector in 1792, voting for George Washing- ton), Luther Landon, Dean Chase, Ebenezer Valentine, Ebenezer Dibble, Ebenezer Mil- lard, Obadiah Tompkins, Reuben Doolittle, Cornelius Abeel, Stephen Ireland, and Robert Hample.
Other early settlers were Samuel Smith, Noah Umstead and Mr. Benedict. William Marvin was an early settler in Malta. His deed, dated in 1761, would indicate him to be the first settler, provided he came at the time of the purchase. James M. Marvin, of Sara- toga Springs, is a grandson.
CHURCHES.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The first organization here was in 1843, and a church was soon after built.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
A church was organized at East Line in 1800, and.discontinued in 1870.
Another Methodist society was organized at Malta Ridge about sixty-four years ago, and religious services have usually been continued there since.
METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH.
This church was formed at Malta Ridge in 1829. A church edifice was erected in 1832.
The town of Malta is associated with Meth- odism as early as 1788. It was then a part of Albany county. It was grouped with Dutchess, Columbia, New Britain, Cambridge, Albany, and Otsego into a district, over which Free- born Garretson was presiding elder. "Lee's History of Methodism" says : "This district embraces all the circuits north of New York city to Lake Champlain." It belonged to va- rious districts until 1821, when the Saratoga district was constructed. Its first conference relations were with Philadelphia.
Methodism in the town of Malta yet has a vigorous existence at Round Lake, which was first organized as a methodist camp meeting, and has since become a summer resort of con- siderable celebrity. It is a station on the Delaware & Hudson railroad, between Me- chanicville and Ballston. It was organized in 1868.
IV. - MILTON. GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. -
The town of Milton was formed from Balls- ton, March 7, 1792, and a part of Greenfield was taken off in 1793. It lies south of the center of the county, and its surface is mod- erately hilly. The town contains twenty thous- and nine hundred and thirty-five acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settler of this town was David Wood, who came in the year 1770. Other
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early settlers were Justus Jennings, who was a soldier in the Revolution; Sanford Ford, John Lee, Abel Whalen, Joel Mann, Simon P. Ved- der and John Bentley. The Wescott family came very early and settled on what has since been called the Wescott place. Jonathan Morey, Benjamin Peck, Samuel Reed, Simon, Thomas and Reuben Weed were settlers about 1780. Uriah Benedict and Isaac Webb were also early settlers. Jacob Ambler kept a store at Howard's Corners as early as 1800. How- ard was an early settler and a pioneer in the tanning business of the town. John White- head ran a saw mill in the town before 1800. Joel Keller and Benjamin Grenelle were early settlers. Among the early physicians were Dr. Wood, Dr. Henderson and Dr. Gregory. Other early settlers were William Johnson, David Roberts and Walter Patchin.
CHURCHES.
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This church was organized in Milton in the year 1790, under the auspices of Rev. Ami Rogers. About the year 1845 the ser- vices of the parish were discontinued, and the members united with those of Christ church at Ballston Spa.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF MILTON.
This society was incorporated in 1791. It was dissolved about the year 1840, some of the members uniting with the church at West Milton and others at Ballston Spa.
BAPTIST CHURCH (KNOWN AS THE STONE CHURCH),
Was organized in the Bentley neighborhood, east of Rock City, before the year 1800. The first meeting house was built in 1801. It stood until 1826, when the present stone edi- fice was built. The first pastor was Jonathan Nichols.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF WEST MILTON.
This church was organized during or soon after the Revolution, as the Covenanters or Reformed Presbyterians. It was the religi- ous society of the solid Scotch immigrants.
The first pastor was James McKinney, who came from Ireland just after the united Irish rebellion of 1798. The first house of worship was built about one and a half miles west of Spier's Corners. It was abandoned in 1840, and a new edifice erected the same year at Spier's Corners.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This church was organized at Rock City Falls, about the Ist of March, 1844. This Methodist house was a successor of an older one built at Wan's Corners in 18II.
ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
This church was organized in October, 1872. The church was dedicated in 1877. The first pastor of the church was Rev. Father Smith, appointed in 1875.
For further historical notes, see Ballston Spa.
CHAPTER VII.
HISTORIC NOTES ON THE TOWNS (Con- tinued ) - MOREAU - NORTHUMBER- LAND -PROVIDENCE-SARATOGA.
I .- MOREAU.
The town of Moreau was formed from North- umberland March 28, 1805; a part was an- nexed to Corinth in 1848. It lies on the great bend of the Hudson, in the northeast corner of the county. The west part of the town is occupied by the rocky and precipitous peaks of the Palmertown mountains. The central east portions are undulating and broken by the narrow ravines of small streams. The town contains twenty-three thousand six hun- dred and fifty-six acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Among the earliest and most prominent settlers in this town, as early as 1766, was Elijah Parks, from Saulsbury, Connecticut. He purchased eight hundred acres of land at
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
South Glens Falls, and built a dwelling house, afterward known as the "Old Castle." In the time of the Revolution the Parks family were attacked by the Tories and Indians, and were obliged to seek the protection of the garrison at Fort Edward.
At South Glens Falls is a tract of land, con- taining about two thousand acres, known as the Glen Patent. This patent was granted to John Glen, of Schenectady, in 1770. After the revolution, Glen occupied the place for several years. To this tract Glen cut a road from Schenectady, through Saratoga Springs.
The place was first called Wing's Falls, but about the year 1788 Mr. Glen purchased of Mr. Wing, who had settled on the other side of the river, in what is now Warren county, the right to give the Falls his own name.
Among others who settled before the Revo- lution were John and Henry Bekley, Nathan and Lydius Durkee, and Ephraim Creeham, who, with members of the Parks family, during the war, were carried by the Tories and In- dians to Canada.
A short time before the revolution the Widow Jones, with six sons, came to Moreau from New Jersey, and settled on what is now known as the Rogers place, nearly opposite Fort Ed- ward. Two of her sons, David and Solomon, remained with the widow; the others settled at Moss street, above Sandy Hill. One of the sons, who remained with the widow, was David, who was engaged to Jeannie McCrea, whose tragic death is mentioned in the gen- eral history.
The Joneses entered the British army, and in 1783 General Thomas Rogers won possession of the Jones homestead, and the place, now beautified and adorned, still goes by his name.
Among other early settlers before the Revo- lution were the Hiltons, the Reynolds, the Shepherds, the Tuttles, the Harringtons, and the Hamlins. These were about all the fami- lies that settled in Moreau before the war. After the war among the settlers were Paulinus Potter and Moses Lewis. Billy J. Clark, the
founder of the first temperance society in the State in Moreau, settled there in the year 1799, and Amos Hawley in 1802. The Thomp- son family of six brothers were also early set- tlers. Among others may be mentioned Giles Sill, Dexter Whipple, Elisha Danford, Oliver Hubbard, Ichabod Hawley, Mr. Andrews, John Albro, Lewis Brown, Benjamin Barrett, Josiah J. Griswold and James Mott.
CHURCHES.
The Congregational church was organized in 1802. The early records are lost.
The Society of Friends had a branch organ- ization at Queensbury as far back as 1767, which continued until 1851, two years after which a meeting house was built in this town, and a society organized. The first minister was Jonathan Duval.
In 1869 a Methodist chapel was built in this town. Previous to this date Methodist ser- vices had been held under the care of the soci- ety in Glens Falls, over the river. This place was made a separate charge in 1876.
The First Baptist church was constituted in 1795. The first minister was Calvin Hul- burt. It has a house of worship pleasantly located.
A Methodist church was also organized at Fortsville at an early day.
Prominent in the history of the town of Moreau was the formation of a temperance society in 1808. It is probably justly claimed that this was the first temperance society formed in this country, if not in the world. Its founder was Dr. Billy J. Clark, who is mentioned among the early settlers.
II. - NORTHUMBERLAND.
The town of Northumberland was formed from Saratoga, March 16, 1798. A part of Hadley was taken off in 1801. The town of Moreau was taken off in 1805, and Wilton in 1818. It lies upon the Hudson, north of the center of the county. Its surface is level or undulating, and broken by deep ravines. This
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BIOGRAPHIY AND HISTORY
town contains nineteen thousand four hundred and forty-one acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
As early as the year 1765 James Brisbin, a native of Scotland, settled in this town, about one and a half miles westerly of Fort Miller, toward Bacon Hill. Hugh Monro also set- tled in this town in 1765, but adhering to the royal cause, left for Canada during the war of the Revolution. Among others who were in the town before the Revolution were a Mr. Graham and Archibald McNeil. The Van- dewerker family and the Payne family, con- sisting of five brothers, Isaac B., Noah, Sam- uel, John and Benjamin, also settled before the war. In 1772 three brothers, Wynant,
John and Cornelius Vandenburg, and Peter Winney, their brother-in-law, settled on a farm of one thousand six hundred acres. The Mc- Crea family, in which John and Jeannie are the ones principally mentioned, settled on the river, in the Payne neighborhood, before the war.
After the war James McCreedy, John Ter- hune, Philip G. Viele, Richard Burt, Lothrop Pope, Joseph Palmer ; and Samuel Lewis, the father of Prof. Taylor Lewis, of Schentadacey, settled in the town. At about the close of the war General Peter Gansevoort bought the old Monro property, sold by the State under the act of confiscation, and thenceforward his name and family became identified with all that section of country. Among other settlers after the war were: James Gamble, James Cramer, Ebenezer Bacon, founder of "Bacon Hill," Reed Lewis, Everett Waldron and Mr. Bradt.
Among others from New Jersey were : Syd- ney Berry, who became prominent in the county ; William Copeland, John Hammond, John De Morts and Mr. Vantage.
In early days this town was a business cen- ter of the region roundabout. The law firm of Cowan & Gansevoort was established at Ganse- voort in 1807. In 1803 John and William Metcalf, lawyers, settled at Northumberland.
CHURCHES.
The Reformed Church of Northumberland was organized about 1820 at Bacon Hill.
The Reformed Church at Gansevoort was established in 1839, and the house was built the next year. The first minister was Rev. Dubois.
In early times Methodist Episcopal meet- ings were held at various private houses at Gansevoort. The house of worship was erected in 1839.
SOCIETIES.
A Bible society was organized in 1821.
Home Lodge, No. 398, of Free and Ac- cepted Masons, was organized in 1856.
A lodge of Odd Fellows formerly existed in the town for a few years.
III. - PROVIDENCE.
The town of Providence was formed from Galway, Feb. 5, 1796, and Edinburgh was taken off in 1801. It lies near the center of the west border of the county. Its surface is mountainous in the northeast, and broken and hilly in the southwest. The town contains twenty-seven thousand one hundred and sixty- one acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settlers after the Revolution are said to have been Nathaniel Wells and Seth Kellogg. Of these men and their families nothing more is known. Thomas Shankland settled at Hagedorn Mills in 1786, and built the first saw-mill in the town. Shankland sold his property to Peter Morey in 1792, who held it till 1806, when he in turn sold it to- Jonathan Hagedorn. Other early settlers were Martin Steever, Jonathan Finch, David and Samuel S. Barker (the village of Barkers- ville was called after these men), Stephen Rockwell, Trustram Duel, Nathaniel Sowl, Henry Treveete and William Clark.
Among the early settlers in the southeast- ern part of the town were: Othniel Allen, Ichabod Ely, Zalmon Putting, Henry R.
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
Hagedorn, James and Jacob Conkling, David and Ephraim Root, William Beardsley, Gid- eon Allen and Uriah Cornell. In different parts of the town among early settlers were : Jonathan Ferris, William Richardson, Peleg Hart, Shadrach and Stephen Wait, Robert Ryan, Samuel Mosher, Judah Chase, Edwin Wait, Joshua Boreman, Jonathan Westgate, Jabez Manchester, Will G. Chase, James Haviland and John Rosevelt.
The first mill at Fayville was built about 1800, by a man named Van Hoesen.
CHURCHES.
The Baptist church of Province was organ- ized about 1790. The first house of worship was a log building, erected about 1793. This gave place to a frame church in 1807. In 1847 a new church was built at Hegadorn's Mill, and the society moved there.
The Christian church at Barbersville was an offshoot of the Galway church, and was organized May 3, 1845. The church edifice was built in 1845, and dedicated in the spring of 1846.
At an early day the Friends, several of whom had settled at Providence, built a log meeting house near the center of the town. In 1815 this house was abandoned and a frame meet- ing house was built, which has since been taken down and moved away.
The Protestant Methodists organized a church at West Providence in 1841 or '42. The church edifice was built about one and a half miles northeast of Hagedorn mills. The society died out in the fall of 1871, when the Methodist Episcopal society was formed, and the church property passed into their hands.
The first minister of the Protestant Metho- dists was Rev. Peter Esmond. The first min- ister of the Episcopal Methodists was Julius Stewart.
IV .- SARATOGA.
Saratoga was formed as a district March 24, 1772, and as a town March 7, 1788. Easton (Washington county), was taken off in 1789,
a part of Greenfield in 1793, Northumberland in 1798, a part of Malta in 1802, and Saratoga Springs in 1819. It lies upon the Hudson, near the center of the east border of the county. A range of high wooded hills extend north and west through the central and west parts.
Saratoga Lake forms a part of the west boundary. The town of Saratoga contains fourteen thousand three hundred and ninety- nine acres of land.
EARLY SETTLEMENT
A full account of the early settlement of Saratoga is given in the general history. To this we may add the names of other early set- tlers, as follows: Abraham Marshall, Thomas Jordan, John Strover, Hezekiah Dunham, James I. Brisbin, George Davis, Gabriel and Isaac Leggett, Thomas and Foens Wilbur, David Shepherd, John Walker, Tibbett Goule, Mr. Cross, Mr. Webster, Daniel Guiles, Sher- man Patterson, Conrad Cramer, and Henry Wayman. These were the principal settlers before the war of the Revolution.
Among those who came after the war were: Jesse Mott, Samuel Busbee, Elihue Billings, Silas Duel, Ephraim Anable, Johannes and Stephen Viele, Henry Wayman and Jesse Fall.
Other early settlers in the town were Walter and Herman Van Veghten, Walter Knicker- backer, Refine Geer, Killian De Ridder, John, Henry and Samuel Grenn, Jonas and Robert Milligan, Albert Clements and John Latimer.
There were many other early settlers in this town, but the above are all we can glean from the records.
CHURCHES.
The Reformed Church of Saratoga was or- ganized before the Revolution, but no records of the society of that carly day remain. Its church edifice has become historic in conse- quence of its occupancy by the British at the time of the surrender of Burgoyne in 1777. During that war the society was virtually dis- solved. A reorganization took place in the
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
year 1789, at which it was resolved that the services thereafter should be conducted in the English language, and extended a call to Rev. Samuel Smith. In 1792 fifty acres of land were purchased by the society north of the present village of Schuylerville, and a parson- age was erected thereon. In 1821 the society resolved to build two churches, one at Schuy- lerville, the other at Bacon Hill. In the year 1822 the old meeting house of historic mem- ory at Schuylerville was taken down, and the material used in the erection of a new house, which was destroyed by fire in 1831, and was replaced by a stone edifice. This last house was demolished, and a large and commodious brick structure erected.
The Baptist church of Schuylerville, known until 1836 as the First Baptist church of Sara- toga, was constituted in 1790, and the first pastor was Rev. Samuel Rogers. There are no records earlier than 1832. The first meet- ing house was probably built in 1807. The next house was built in Schuylerville about the year 1833.
The first meeting house of the Methodist church was built in 1827.
The first services of the Episcopal church in the village of Schuylerville were held in the . old academy, February 25, 1844, by the Rev. Reuben Hubbard. The first society was formed March 2, 1846, under the name of St. Stephen's church. A lot was given by the Victory Manufacturing Company, and a church was built and presented to the society by Dr. Payne. The corner stone of the church was laid June 2, 1868, and the edifice was finished the same year.
Friends' meetings were established in this town very early -from 1765 to 1770. A log meeting house was built before the Revolu- tion, near what is now the hamlet of Quaker Springs. The founders of this society were Gabriel Leggett, Isaac Leggett, Tibbett Soule, Thomas Wilbur, Foens Wilbur, George Davis, David Shepherd, John Walker, and a num- ber of others, A deed for the site of the
meeting house bears date of October 16, 1793. Isaac Leggett was the first preacher.
The Roman Catholic church of the Visita- tion was organized in 1847. The church was consecrated in 1847, and burned to the ground June 22, 1878. Another took its place Octo- ber 21, 1873.
BANKS.
The first bank in Schuylerville was a private institution, by William Wilcox, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars. It was begun in 1853. In 1856 it was merged into an organ- ized bank, under the name of the Bank of Old Saratoga, which had a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and was managed by a board of sixteen directors. William Wilcox was president and Giles S. Brisbin cashier. This bank was regularly closed in 1865, and was succeeded by the National bank of Schuyler- ville, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars.
CHAPTER VIII.
HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE TOWNS (Con- cluded) -STILLWATER -WATERFORD- WILTON.
I. - STILLWATER.
This town was formed March 7, 1788. A part of Easton, Washington county, was taken off in 1789, and Malta in 1802. It lies upon the Hudson, southeast of the center of the county. It is uneven in the south and mod- erately hilly in the north. The town contains twenty-four thousand four hundred acres of land.
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