USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. > Part 36
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Thirty-five years before this, he had come over from Ireland a poor young man, and settled in the Mohawk valley, then a wilderness, to take care of a large traet of land that was located there and owned by his uncle, Sir Peter Warren. Sir Peter Warren was an admiral of the British navy, who, while a commodore, distinguished him- self by the capture of Louisburgh from the French in 1745. Sir Peter married a daughter of Etienne De Lancey, of New York, and with her received as a dowry this large traet of land in the Mohawk valley. It was situated in the eastern angle between the Mohawk river and the Schoharie ereek.
Sir William Johnson upon his first taking up his resi-
148
CONGLIIT
DEER LODGE.
CONGRESS SPRING PAVILION .
INTERIOR CONGRESS SPRING PAVILION.
COLUMBIAN SPRING.
CONGRESS
RESERVOIR AND
UPPRING
MUSIC
FARK
GOIST, DEL
COLLIMRIAN GODINA
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
dence in the Mohawk valley became a fur-trader with the Indians, and kept for many years a country store for the accommodation of the scattered settlers of the region. Rising by degrees, through dint of industry and fair dealing, and by the faithful performance of the public trusts im- posed upon him, he had become the proprietor of immense landed estates, the acknowledged lord of a princely manor, and high in the confidence of his sovereign. Ilis victory over the French and Indians, under Baron Dieskau, at Lake George, in 1755, had won for him his title of nobility. His wonderful influence, the most remarkable on record, over the Indian tribes, had given him an importance in the affairs of state second to no American then living. He was surrounded by a numerous tenantry and by followers that were loyal to him and his family even unto death.
Sir William married in the muore humble days of his early life a poor, modest, gentle-hearted German girl, whom he found living with her parents in the Mohawk valley, whose maiden name was Catherine Weisenberg. She died young, leaving three children,-a son, Sir John Johnson, and two daughters, who married respectively Colonel Claus and Colonel Guy Johnson.
Sir William's Indian wife was Molly Brandt, a sister of the celebrated Mohawk war-chief Ta-en-da ne-ga, or Joseph Brandt, who was afterwards so long the terror of the border. After the death of his first wife he became enamored of Molly at a general muster of the Mohawk Valley militia held at or near Johnstown. Among the spectators at the training was a beautiful Indian maiden. One of the mounted officers, in sport, dared the maiden to ride on the bare back of his horse behind his saddle, three times around the parade-ground, little thinking she would accept the challenge. Bounding from the ground, like a deer, upon bis horse behind him, she encircled his waist with her arms, aud over the ground they flew like the wind, her red mantle and luxuriant raven tresses streaming behind her, her beau- tiful face lighted up with the pleasurable excitement of the novel adventure.
Sir William was an admiring witness of the scene, and was smitten with the charms of the dusky forest maiden. He inquired her name, and was told that she was the In- dian princess, Molly Brandt. He sought her at onee, and made her his Indian bride. IIe married her after the true Indian style, by them considered binding, but never ae- knowledged her as his lawful wife. In his will he remem- bered her, calling her his " housekeeper, Molly Brandt," and left a large tract of land to his children by her, which lay in Herkimer county, between the East and West Canada creeks, and was long known to the early settlers as the Royal Grants.
In the height of his power Sir William Johnson, at his seat near the Mohawk, on the border of a howling wilder- ness that stretched away to the Pacific, dispensed a right royal hospitality. Many a seion of the English nobility sat at his generous board, or, like the Lady Susan O'Brien, wandered through the woods with Sir William's accomp- lished Indian wife, in search of the strange wild flowers of the New World. The Lady Susan passed considerable time at Johnson Hall. She was a nieee of the first Lord Hol- land, and the sister of Lady Harriet Aekland, who, as well as
the Baroness Riedesel, the wife of the Hessian general, ac- companied her husband, under General Burgoyne, to the battle-field of Saratoga.
In the summer Sir William spent much of his time at the Fish house, his hunting lodge, on the Sacondaga river, and at the cottage on Summer-House Point, on the great Vlaie, which is one of the mountain meadows of the wil- derness.
Once every year the sachems of the Six Nations renewed their council-fire at the Manor house, to talk with Sir Wil- liam, the agent of their white father who lived across the big water. On such occasions Sir William was himself painted and plumed and dressed like an Indian chief.
Such was Sir William Johnson at the time of his first visit to the High Rock spring in the month of August, 1767, such was he at the formation of Tryon county, in 1772, and such was he two years later at the time of his death, in 1774. He seems to have been mercifully taken away just before the slumbering fires of the Revolution were to burst forth, which were so soon destined to stain the fair valley of his home with blood,-to send his family and fol- lowers fugitives across the Canadian border.
At the time of his visit to the springs, Sir William was escorted by his Mohawk braves. His old wound received at the battle of Lake George had never quite healed, and besides this he was afflicted with the gout, so he could scarcely walk. The Indians told him of their famous " medicine spring" in the depths of their old hunting- ground, Kay-ad-ros-se-ra, and he determined to go. Em- barking at his manor house at Mount Johnson, on the bank of the Mohawk, he proceeded down the river in eauoes to Schenectady, and landing, took a new road lately cut to the McDonalds, who had settled near what is now kuown as Ballston lake, but then called by the Indians Sha-nen-da- ho-wa, in 1763. At the McDonalds, Sir William tarried through the night, and the next day was carried over a rough road cut for the purpose to the lligh Rock spring. There in the deepest solitude of nature bubbled up the won- derful " medicine waters," then almost if not quite un- known to all, save the wild beasts and the red men of the forest.
Sir William remained at the spring several days, and during his stay was so much benefited by the waters that he was quite able to walk over the rugged trail that led to his home on his return. The fame of this eure performed upon so distinguished a person as Sir William Johnson, at once brought these springs into notice.
GENERAL SCHUYLER AT THE SPRINGS.
The next man of distinction of whose early visit to the Iligh Rock spring we have any account was General Philip Schuyler. In the year 1783 General Schuyler cut a road from his country-seat, at the mouth of Fish creek, in old Saratoga, now Schuylerville, to the High Rock spring. This old road ran much of the way to the north of the present one, thereby avoiding the low ground of Bear swamp. The first summer General Schuyler brought his tent and encamped near the High Rock spring for sev- eral weeks. The next year he came with his family, and put up a small frame house of rough boards on the bluff,
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
a little to the south of the Iligh Rock, on what is now Front street. This house consisted of two rooms, and was occupied by the general, his family and friends, as a sum- mer-house at the springs every season up to the time of the general's death.
GENERAL WASHINGTON AT THE SPRINGS.
In the year 1783, while General Washington was wait- ing at Newburgh for the definitive treaty of peace, he con- cluded to while away a part of the time by a trip to the northern part of the State. Accordingly, accompanied by Governor Clinton, General Hamilton, and others, he pro- ceeded by water to Albany. From thenee the party on horseback went up the river, and visited the seene of the late battle at Bemus Heights, and the spot of Burgoyne's surrender, on the heights of old Saratoga. They continued on to Lake George, passed down the lake in boats, which had been provided for them, and examined the fortifications of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. On their return they eame by the way of the High Rock spring, escorted by General Schuyler, who had eut his road to the High Rock and pitched his tent there the same season.
General Washington returned by way of the trail which led to the springs at Ballston Spa. At the springs of Balls- ton Spa, when General Washington was there in 1783, there was no human habitation, although Ballston township had been settled thirteen years before, a mile or two away. It was not till the year 1787 that Benajah Douglas, the pioneer of Ballston Spa, built the first rude log tavern there, and opened it for guests, just sixteen years after Dirck Schonten built the first log cabin near the High Roek in Saratoga. Yet, by the year 1794, Douglas and Low had built their large frame hotels at Ballston Spa, six years in ad- vanee of Gideon Putnam's enterprise of founding the Grand Union, at Saratoga. Those six years the start came near costing Saratoga its now proud position as the world's greatest watering-place.
General Washington was so struck with the value of the mineral springs of Saratoga, that soon after peace was de- clared he made the attempt to purchase the land near them. In his published correspondence there is a letter relating to this subject.
But the Waltons and the Livingstons had already per- fected their title to the land at Saratoga, and Washington's seheme failed.
A similar scheme was entered into by Joseph Bonaparte, brother of the great Napoleon, and ex-king of Naples and of Spain, about the year 1824. Joseph was then an exile, and was desirous of founding a country-seat in America. He first ehose for its site Saratoga Springs, but being unable to purchase such lands as he wanted there, he went to Point Breeze, near Bordentown, New Jersey. Joseph, however, often visited Saratoga Springs, accompanied by a numerous retinue of the friends of his better days. On such occasions he always traveled in great state, and his journeyings in his coach and six from Bordentown to Sara- toga were not unlike the journeys from Fontainebleau to Blois by the French kings of the old régime.
THE PIONEERS OF SARATOGA SPRINGS.
The first white man who built a habitation at Saratoga
Springs and attempted a settlement there was Direk Schou- ten. He had been living on the bank of the Hudson a little above Waterford, and his object in becoming a tem- porary resident at the wilderness was to open a trade with the Indians who congregated there every summer in great numbers. So in the year 1771 this pioneer settler, Dirck Schouten, came to the springs to chop his small clearing, to plant a few potatoes, and build his humble cabin on the bluff a little west of the High Roek spring.
Schouten's route to the springs was from the IIudson to the east side of Saratoga lake, thenee across the lake in a bark canoe to the mouth of the Kay-ad-ros-se-ra river ; thence up the river two miles to an Indian trail that led to the Springs. The way to the springs is mueh plainer now- adays than it was a hundred and seven years ago.
The only white person whose name we know who visited the High Rock spring while Schouten was there was Wil- liam Bousman. Bousman was then a boy twelve years old, whose father the same year had settled near the south end of Saratoga lake. This lad came with Schouten to help him build his cabin, to make a little clearing, and to plant a small patch of potatoes.
Schouten remained there a part of the time, till the summer of 1773, when he quarreled with the Indians, and they drove him away .*
In the next summer, that of 1774, John Arnold, from Rhode Island, with his young family, tried his fortunes at Saratoga Springs .; He provided himself with a few articles suitable for the Indian trade, mostly spirituous liquors, and with these and a few household goods, took the route fol- lowed by Schouten three years before to High Roek spring.
Upon his arrival Arnold took possession of Schouten's deserted cabin, and, making some improvements, opened a kind of rude tavern for the visitors of the springs.
This pioneer hotel had but a single room or two on the ground floor, with a chamber overhead. In sight of it were sixteen Indian cabins filled with their savage occupants. In the rocky ledges near by were numerous dens of rattlesnakes. There were so many of these reptiles then at the springs, that the early visitors often had to hang their beds from the limbs of the trees to avoid them. Nightly, the wolves howled, and the panther sereamed ; daily, the black bears picked berries in the little elearings, and the wild deer and the moose drank from the brook, while the eagle yearly built her nest on the tops of the towering pines. Such was the style and such were the surroundings of the first rough hotels of the wilderness springs of a hundred years ago, that led the way in the long line of magnificent structures that have since graeed the modern village.
FIRST PERMANENT SETTLER.
Arnold kept his little forest tavern for two summers, and was succeeded by Samuel Norton. Both Schouten and Arnold had remained only during the summers at the springs. Upon the approach of winter they had shut up their house and gone over to the settlement on the east side of the lake. But Samuel Norton came to stay through the
# See " Mineral Waters," by Reuben Sears, page 89.
t See "Steele's Analysis," 2d edition, p. 28.
SIX
5
RESIDENCE OF DR T. B. REYNOLDS, SARATOGA SPRINGS , N.Y.
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
year, and he therefore was the first permanent settler of Saratoga Springs. Norton, before he came, had permission in writing from Isaac Low to occupy and improve a farm in the vicinity of the " salt spring" at Saratoga. Norton took possession of the Schouten House in the fall of 1776, the same season Arnold left it, and continued to make im- provements during the next season of 1777. But at the approach of Burgoyne's army from the north Arnold became alarmned for the safety of his family, and he removed them to a place of less danger from the aggressions of the con- teuding parties, and for six years the springs were left without a single white inhabitant.
Before the close of the war Samuel Norton died, and in the spring of 1783 one of his sous resumed the occupancy of his father's former possessions at the springs.
Samuel Norton and his brother Asa came originally from Wales, where they belonged to a good family, some mem- bers of which had held high official positions. They first settled at New Bedford, where Samuel married Sarah Deems. Their children were Samuel, Asa, Isaiah, Rhoda, Sarah, Polly, Louise, and Cora. One of Samuel Norton's granddaughters, Mrs. Howland, is still living on the east side of Saratoga lake. She says her grandfather at one time was cleven months in succession without seeing a white visitor at the springs.
In the fall of 1787, Gideon Morgan bought the Norton place, and the same year sold it to Alexander Bryan.
Bryan became a permanent settler and remained many years.
Bryan in 1787 took possession of the Schouten House, which was situate on the northwest corner of Front and Rock streets, near the site of what is now called the Em- pire House. On the opposite corner, on the ground now occupied by the stone house still known as the Bryan ITouse, Bryan built another log house, which he opened for the accommodation of summer visitors.
These two rude log houses, thus situate on opposite sides of Rock street at its junction with Front street, near the Iligh Rock spring, were the only " hotels" at Saratoga Springs, with the exception of the " Yellow" house built by Benjamin Risley just before the year 1800, until Gideon Putnam laid the foundations of the Grand Union in the year 1801.
As has been seen above, Alexander Bryan came to the springs in 1787. Ilis parents were fugitives from Acadia, in Nova Scotia, at the time of the dispersion of its inhab- itauts by the English, celebrated in Longfellow's poetic story of " Evangeline."
After being driven from Acadia, Bryan's parents settled in Dutchess Co., N. Y. Bryan there married a sister of Senator Talmadge, and before the War of the Revo- lution removed to a place two miles above Waterford, where he opened a tavern, which he kept for many years.
" Bryan," says Dr. John H. Steele in his " Analysis," " was a shrewd and somewhat eccentric character, and the events of his life, if generally known, would undoubtedly place his name among the patriots of his time, and furnish a deserved monument to his memory.
" He was, I believe, a native of the State of Connecticut, but emigrated to that of New York carly in life, and fixed
his residence in the county of Dutchess. Here he connected himself by marriage with a highly-respectable family, and some years after removed to the town of Half-Moon, in the county of Saratoga, where he commenced the business of tavern-keeping, at a place situated about two miles above Waterford, ou what was then the great road, which fur- nished the principal means of communication between the northern and southern frontiers. On this spot he con- tinued to reside during the War of the Revolution, and his house, of course, became frequently the resort of the par- tisans of the contending parties ; and such was the adroit- ness of his management, that he became the unreserved confidant of both parties, without even being once suspected of treachery by either. Of his patriotism, however, and his sincere attachment to the interests of his country, there cannot exist a doubt.
" The important secrets which he frequently obtained from his confiding friends, the Tories, were soon disclosed to the committee of safety, with whom he managed to keep con- stant although a secret communication. The numerous and essential services which he thus rendered to his country continued for a long time to excite the admiration and gratitude of his few surviving associates, to whom alone they were known, and by whom their importance could only be properly estimated ; and it is to be regretted that to the day of his death they remained unacknowledged and unrewarded by any token or profession of gratitude from his country.
" When General Gates took the command of the northern army, he applied to the committee of safety of Stillwater, to provide a suitable person to go into Burgoyne's camp, with a view to obtain a knowledge of the movements of the enemy. Bryan was immediately selected as a person well qualified to undertake the hazardous enterprise, and he readily agreed to accomplish it. About the same time he was applied to by a friend of the enemy to convey some intelligence which he deemed of importance to Burgoyne ; this he likewise undertook, having secretly obtained the consent of General Gates for that purpose.
" By pursuing a circuitous ronte, he arrived unmolested at the camp of the enemy, which was then situated in the vicinity of Fort Edward. Having had several interviews with General Burgoyne, by whom he was closely examined, he was finally employed by that officer to superintend some concerns in the ordnance department. He tarried suf- ficiently long to obtain the required information, when he privately left the camp in the gray of the morning of the 15th of September ; but he had not proceeded many miles before he discovered that he was pursued by two horsemen ; these, however, he contrived to avoid, and arrived safely at Gates' headquarters late on the following night, and com- municated the first intelligence of the enemy's having crossed the Hudson and being on the advance to Stillwater. This intelligence was of great importance, as it led to the immediate preparation for the sanguinary engagement which ensued on the 19th of the same month.
" Bryan continued to reside at the springs for more than thirty years, and until age had rendered him incompetent for active life.
"Ile then retired to the county of Scoharie, where he
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
died at an advanced age. He possessed a strong constitu- tion, a sound and vigorous mind, and a benevolent and kind disposition. The poor, the miserable, and the unfor- tunate were always the objects of his care, his kindness, and his charity. But his cecentricities often involved him in difficulties with his more opulent neighbors, and, at times, disturbed the tranquillity of his most intimate friends."
BENJAMIN RISLEY-GIDEON PUTNAM.
In the year 1790 a new era dawned upon Saratoga Springs. In that year, about the time Benajah Douglas, from Lebanon, and Nicholas Low, from New York, were making their first purchases at Ballston Spa, Benjamin Risley and his two sous-in-law, Gideon Putnam and Dr. C'le- ment Blakesley, came to settle at Saratoga Springs. Risley's first above-named son-in-law, Gideon Putnam, was destined to become the founder of modern Saratoga, which rises to-day (1878) in all its fairy-like magnificence and beauty above the more humble scene of Putnam's early labors.
Benjamin Risley was a prominent citizen of Ilartford, Conn., and a man of considerable wealth for those days. When he came to Saratoga in 1790, the capital he brought with him was the foundation of the wealth of Saratoga Springs, aside from the landed interests of the Waltons and the Livingstons.
Upon coming to the springs, Mr. Risley bought of Catha- rine Van Dam and others several lots of land situate on the north side of Rock street, between Catharine and Front streets, upon which he built a tavern, afterwards kept by Thaddeus Smith Risley's descendants in the village still hold some of the land.
The children of Benjamin Risley were six daughters,- Theodosia, who married Dr Clement Blakesley, the first physician at the springs, who after he came lived for some time in the Schouten House. Phila, who married Matthew Lyon, who established the first newspaper at the Springs upon capital furnished by Mr. Risley. Even the name of this pioneer paper is forgotten. Lyon afterwards removed to Washington. Doanda, who married Gidcon Putnam. Mary, who married Asher Taylor. Laura, who married Judge Pease, of Ohio. Nancy, who married a Mr. Law- rence, who was a member of Congress from Louisiana.
The daughter of Nancy was the Mrs. Donnelson who presided at the White House during General Jackson's administration.
Gideon Putnam belongs to the same family-tree on a branch of which hangs the name of Israel Putnam, of Rev- olutionary memory. Ile was undoubtedly a man of indom- itable energy and perseverance above his fellows.
In the year 1800 there were two rival competitors for the proud position of the " world's greatest watering-place,"- Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa. But Ballston Spa had then already nearly ten years the start. Large hotels or boarding-houses had been erected there by Messrs. Douglas and Low shortly after 1790, while the only accommodations at Saratoga up to and before 1800 were the two log huts near High Rock spring.
Gideon Putnam was the man at Saratoga to comprehend the situation. In the year 1800 Congress spring was still
surrounded by the primeval wilderness. In the year 1800 Gideon Putnam bought a lot of land contiguous to Con- gress spring, upon which now stand the Grand Union and Congress Hall, and, cutting down and clearing off the heavy pine timber, began the erection of Union IIall.
Union Hall was the first large and commodious hotel erected for visitors at Saratoga Springs. The timber for this building was hewn from the tall pines that grew on its site. It was the first large frame building erected at Sara- toga Springs, and the day it was raised people from all the towns near by gathered there to see what they ealled " Put- nam's folly." The idea of building a three-story house near Saratoga Springs for boarders was then deemed pre- posterous in the highest degree. But, in spite of their sneers, Putnam pushed his enterprise to its completion, and the brilliant result has more than answered his fondest an- ticipations.
After building the Grand Union, Gideon Putnam laid out the new village which sprang up around Congress spring. In laying out this village he displayed great lib- erality. The streets, especially, were laid out very wide, and everything else was projected upon a seale eommen- surate with the importance of the future watering-place, which Gideon Putnam seemed to see with almost prophetic vision rising in grandeur and beauty unsurpassed around what was then but little removed from being but the springs of the wilderness.
On his map, which is now extant, Broad street is laid out in front of Union IFall, one hundred and twenty feet in width. This is the origin of the beautiful street, called Broadway, of the modern village. At the time he made his map there were three springs discovered near Union Hall. The Congress, Columbian, and the Hamilton. Put- nam so laid out his village that each of these springs was left in a public street, and must therefore forever remain open and free to the people. Broadway extended south far enough to bring within it the Columbian spring. Congress street he laid out sixty-six feet wide, and this left the Con- gress spring near the centre of the street, and therefore public property. The Hamilton spring was also left by Gideon Putnam far in the street. After Putnam's death all the streets but Broadway, north of Congress street, were narrowed down to their present limits, thus bringing the springs outside the street limits, and making them private property. Gideon Putnam also contemplated laying out a large publie park, to be forever free to the publie. The map named above is now in possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Shackelford, at Saratoga Springs.
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