History of Saratoga County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers., Part 67

Author: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Ensign
Number of Pages: 780

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 67

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" Road No. 11 .- Begins where road No. 11 intersects the south line of Stephen Benedict's farm; thence due west to road No. S.

" Rond No. 12 .- Begins on road No. 9, where the same interseets a line through the middle of lot No. Il, between the farm of Michael Dunning, Jr., and William Dunning; thenec easterly along the said line to a piteh-pine tree marked II, continuing much the same direction to a pitch-pine on the top of the hill marked Il ; thence down the hill to a pitch-pine tree marked HI : continuing much the same direction to a pitch-pine tree marked Il ; thence northeasterly to a dry pitch-pine marked II : thence easterly across the swamp to a red- oak tree marked H; thence to a white-oak tree marked II ; thence up the hill to a pitch-pine tree marked II ; thence continuing much the same direction to a pitch-pine tree marked H on the edge of the hill; thence down the hill in the most convenient directico to a pitch- pine tree marked II ; thence ascending the hill to a pitch-pine tree marked Il ; thence northeasterly to a pitch-pine tree near the edge of the hill marked II; thence obliquely down the hill in the most convenient direction to a tree marked II ; thence easterly across the swamp to a red-oak tree marked II ; thence along the foot of the hill, between the wet land and the dry, in the most convenient place, through the field of Randall llewitt, to a little swamp that comes in between the hills; thenee across said swamp to the foot of the oppo- site hill ; theoce up the hill as the path now goes to a white-pine tree marked Il; thence southerly to a pitch-pine tree marked Il ; thenee to a pitch-pine tree marked H at the head of a little hollow ; thence straight as the ground will admit to a chestnut-tree marked II : thenee to a pitch-pine marked H, near the foot of the hill ; thence easterly as near the foot of the bill as the nature of the ground will admit to a piteh-pine marked HI, near the old path ; then as the path now goes till it joins roa.l No. 2 at Alexan ler MeCrea's old place.

" Road No. 13 .- Begins on road No. S. opposite the house of Sam-

uel Wood ; thence easterly where the path now goes straight to the cast line of Samuel Evans' farm ; thence northerly along the line be- tween said Evans' and Samuel Finch's farm to the northwest corner of said Finch's farm ; thence to the southwest corner of Stephen Hooper's farm ; thence along the west line of said llooper's farm to the northwest corner thereof; thence casterly in the most convenient place near the north line of Stephen Hooper's farm down the hill, and continuing the most eouvenient direction to the southeast corner of Stephen Benedict's farm; thence east to the line of Saratoga Patent.

" Roads Nos. 14, 15, and 16 were east of the river, now in Wash - ingtoo county.

" Road No. 17 .- Begins on what is called the Lake road, opposite to Captain Woodworth's; thenee northerly as the road now goes within two feet of the southwest corner of John Neilson's house ; thenee northeasterly to a stump marked II ; thence northerly straight to a white-oak tree marked 11, the road to be the width of it westerly of the aforesaid boundaries; thence northerly and westerly as the old path now goes to a tree marked H, about ten rods northerly of the lane that turns to Joshua Barber's : thenee northeasterly through the field on the most convenient ground, passing the house where Timothy Shipman now lives, about ten rods south thereof. continuing much the same direction until it comes into the old path at a tree marked Il ; thence continuing touch the same direction on or near as the old path goes to a tree marked Il, near to Captain Mead's field ; thence northerly to a tree marked H, near the line between the farms of Captain Mead and that which Timothy Shipman now ceenpies ; thenee northeasterly in the most convenient place to a tree marked Il, on the old road that goes from John Carthy's westward.

" Road No. 18 .- Begins at a white-oak tree marked II, on the Lake road a little west of Captain Taylor's ; thence obliquely up the hill into the old path; thence as straight as the ground will admit be- tween the house and harn of Samuel Stevens; thenee along the west side of Joseph Stevens' house; thence southwesterly to a white-oak tree on the northeast corner of Samuel Bushee's farm; thence along the east side of said Bushee's house to the northeast corner of Joseph Williams' farin ; thence along the east line of said farm to the south- cast corner thereof: thence straight to the northeast corner of the farmn that Stephen Toms has taken up ; thence along the east line of said farm to the southeast corner thereof; thence as near straight as the ground will admit a little west of the house where Jacob Patriek now lives : thence straight to the road that leads from Stillwater to Ballston, a few rods west of the house where Daniel Campbell now lives.

" Rund No. 19 .- East side of the river. now Washington county.

" Road No. 20 .- Begins at the river west side of lot No. 10, at the south line of Charles Mone's farm (perhaps Mann, perhaps not) ; thence westerly in the most convenient place on the south half of said lot until it comes out to the main road."

Under date of Monday, March 28, 1785, the commis- sioners divided the territory of Saratoga into twenty-two road districts. They met at Mr. Ensign's and first made an imaginary division for the purpose of more easily de- scribing the districts, -this was as follows: " A supposed division-line shall be drawn from Anthony's Kill, at the place where the brook that David Bidwell's mill stands upon falls into said kill ; thence northerly along said brook, upon the easterly side thereof, to the public road leading from Stillwater to Ballston ; thence northerly to the south- west corner of the farm that Samuel Stevens now ocenpies, still northerly to the beginning of road No. 18; thenee easterly to the beginning of road No. 6; thenee northerly upon said road, along the east side thereof, as far as said road eontinnes ; thence northerly by a straight line to the place where road No. 4 begins, on the Lake road, near James Ackerman's ; thence northerly along said road No. 4, upon the east side thereof, as far as said road extends ; then by a straight line to James Milligan's on Fish creek. Also another imaginary line, beginning at the west six-mile

( PHOTOS. BY BAKER A RECORD, SARATOGA SPRINGS.)

WM H MARSHALL

MRS WM H. MARSHALL.

AGATHE OLD RESIDENCE OPPOSITE

RESIDENCE OF WM. H . MARSHALL, SARATOGA, N. Y.

271

HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

line of Saratoga patent, where the same strikes Fish ereck ; thenee northerly by a straight line to the North river, at a place called Wing's Falls." Then beginning at the south, they took the districts off in seetiens each side of the said di- vision-lines, fifteen in number. The document is signed by the road commissioners,-Joseph Row, Stanton Tefft, Philip Rogers, and John Mahawney,-and it was received for record by Samuel Bacon, elerk.

Two years later-1787-some additional districts were made, and the commissioners were Joseph Row, Wm. Coffin, Thomas Smith, George Hunter, Jonathan Lawrence.

These deseriptions we have copied at considerable length, because of the light they throw upon the early settlement in 1784,-the year next after the close of the Revolutionary war,-the year when General Schuyler cut the road from Sehuylerville to Saratoga Springs. It brings out clearly so many family names and their exact location in 1784, that the old document is worthy of a place in history.

V .- VILLAGES.

The various villages and hamlets in the town of Saratoga have received their names as follows :

Grangerville is named from Harvey Granger, who, though not the founder of the first mills, yet owned them for a long time, until his name became common to the place.

Dean's Corners is named from Dr. Dean, who lived at that point and practiced for many years. He was not the first settler, however.

Quaker Springs derives its name from the fact that valu- able springs exist there, and it is near the meeting-house where the Friends have met for more than a hundred years. It is elaimed that the mineral spring was known to the early French and English voyageurs many years before those at Saratoga Springs. The water is of excellent qual- ity, and the property is now owned by Isaae W. Mcader. There is also near it a valuable white sulphur spring.

Schuylerville, of course, receives its name as the carly and long-continued residence of the Sehuyler family. It was incorporated April 16, 1831, under a special act of the Legislature. The first election of officers, June 7, 1831, resulted as follows : Trustees, Gilbert Purdy, Richard W. Livingston, James Strang, Cornelius Letcher, John Fonda ; Treasurer, Ira Lawrence; Collector, David Williams. The board elected Gilbert Purdy president and James Strang clerk. The village is noted for its public spirit, shown in its streets, better graded and paved than perhaps any other in this part of the State of equal population. Much of this was done under the management of D. A. Bullard, president, in 1873. The village had a rapid growth under the impulse given to it by the opening of the Champlain canal. It became at once a place of considerable trade, as well as a pleasant village fer a permanent home. It is somewhat noted for the number of business men born in or near the village and still living there. Saratoga men are wont to eling to their own town and grow up with it. The energy and public spirit of its citizens are recently shown in the splendid school building, second to none of its grade in the State, erected at an expense of $15,000. The village now contains five churches, an excellent union school, under the charge of Prof. Doty, lodges of Good Templars, Odd-Fel-

lows, and Masons, and a Hygeian Home or Rest Cure, under the charge of Jolin Bullard and a resident lady physician, Mrs. Brisbin.

VICTORY.

The enterprise of the Victory Manufacturing Company has built up this thriving village. It derives its name wholly from the fancy of the company, who inserted it in the title of their organization in allusion to the victory of General Gates, won in their immediate vicinity. A neat chapel for religious worship has been erected upon ground donated by the company, and built largely by their contribu- tion. Preaching is usually maintained, as well as a Sunday- school, throughout the year. The village was incorporated under the general law in 1849. The first meeting of the board of trustees was held April 16 of that year. The first officers were William E. Miner, Patrick Cooney, George McCreedy, Russell Carr, Benjamin Kelsey. Willian E. Miner was president, and James Cavanaugh clerk. The latter removed to the west, and has sinee been a member of Congress.

The present trustees are William E. Ingerson, Michael E. Barrett, Charles W. Law, Peter Flanegan, James O'Reilly. William E. Ingerson is president ; John M. Connors, collector ; John Carlin, clerk ; Sheldon B. Gates, treasurer.

VI .- SCHOOLS.

Early schools and school-houses are already mentioned among the items of early settlement, and in the several reminiseences given. The first action of the town re- eorded was in 1796, simply the appointment of school commissioners under the then existing law,-Sidney Berry, Herman Van Veghten, Joseph Palmer, Thomas Jeffords, Benjamin Phillips. In 1797 the commissioners were Sid- ney Berry, Daniel Bull, Joseph Palmer, Thomas Jeffords, Solomon Wheeler. In 1798, Thomas Jeffords, William Force, George Cramer. None appointed in 1799. In 1800, Thomas Jeffords, Elihu Billings, Daniel Bull, and William Wait. The law was changed at that time, and no further action was taken by the town until 1813, when they evidently accepted the conditions of the new school

act, providing that the towns by raising an equal amount of money could receive from the publie funds for the support of schools. That year commissioners were elected,-Wal- lace Crawford, Harvey Granger, John R. Mott, and Inspec- tors Philip Duryea, Martiu L. Bryau, Reuben Perry, Esek Cowen, David Evarts, Zeno Remington. The town was then divided into eighteen school districts.

In the following years other persons served as commis- sioners, one or more years each, down to 1844,-James Green, Jr., Jonas Olmstead, James Mott, Harvey Granger, Esek Cowen, William Davis, Eli Granger, James W. Smith, Edward Fiteh, Henry D. Chapman, Francis R. Winney, James Annibal, Oliver Cleveland, Henry Wagman, James Place, Ira Lawrence, William Wilcox, Elnathan Patterson, Wm. B. Caldwell, Ilenry F. Sherman (2d), Richard M. Liv- ingston, Joseph Soule, Orville B. Dibble, Stephen H. Dil- lingham, Henry T. Sherman, Abram B. Barker, James I'. Cramer, Thomas Smith, Alfred Scofield, John R. Mott, Ephraim Ilill, John G. Mulford, John B. Wright, Chaun-

272

HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

cey D. Bull, Benajah Barker, Thomas J. Marshall, Cornelius Letcher, Gabriel Robbins, James C. Milligan, Dr. John R. Preston, Eliakim H. Mosher, Wm. C. Brisbin, Wm. Barnes, Gilbert Wright, Jr., Fones Wilbur, Isaac Freeman, Zina Clements.

The following also served as inspectors, one or more years each, in the period from 1814 to 1844: John U. Steel, John R. Mott, Richard M. Livingston, William L. F. Warren, Dudley Farlin, James Green, Henry D. Chap- man, Elnathan Spinner, James W. Smith, Aaron Blake, Wm. B. Caldwell, Abram Van Duzen, Rockwell Putnam, Harmon J. Betts, Philip Schuyler, Daniel Morgan, Jr., Oliver Brisbin, Joseph Welch, James C. Milligan, Wm. Bennett (2d), Asher Smith, John P. Winney, Conrad Cra- mer, James Randall, Oliver Cleveland, Edward Fitch, Robert Y. Milligan, David Brisbin, Henry Holmes, Walter Van Veghten, Reuben Perry, Ephraim Hill, John G. Mulford, Nicholas J. Green, Thomas Smith, James Strang, Ephraim Hill, Reuben Perry, Alfred Scofield, Henry M. Dennis, Josiah Dean, James C. Milligan, Franklin Ruy, Paul P. Atwell, Daniel W. Belding, Wm. C. Brisbin, Wm. Barns, Fones Wilbur, Dr. John R. Preston, Henry Holmes, Richard S. Sheldon, Samuel W. Belding, Clark Perkins, James McNeil, Amos Reynolds, and Samuel Randall.

Town Superintendents of Common Schools .- 18-44-45, Daniel W. Belding; 1846, John R. Preston ; 1847-18, Amos Reynolds; 1850-51, John R. Preston ; 1852-53, Chauncey W. Allen ; 1854, Nathaniel M. Wright ; 1855- 56, Chauncey W. Allen.

COMMISSIONERS' APPORTIONMENT, SARATOGA, MARCHI, 1878.

District.

between the ages of

five and twenty-one.

Equal Quota of the

Public Money accord-

ing to the number

Public Money accord-

ing to average at-

tendance.

Library Money.

Total Public Money.

No.

430

$364.98

$295,74

$338.69

$14.34

$1013.75

52.14

26.14

28.24

1.27

107.79

52.14

8.94

17.35

78.86

433

156.11

297.81

341.07

14.44

810.34

52.14

55.02

40.14

2.67

149.97

6 ..

52.14

46.77

40,30

9.27

141.18

105

52.14

72.22

73,91

3.50

201.77

52.14

37.83

31,39

1.83

123.19

52.14

39.89

28.65

1.9.1

122.62

52.14

46.77

31.98

2.27

133.16

52.14

30.26

32.83

1.47

116.70

52.14

55.02

57.94

2.67

167.77

1472

$1042.80

$1012.41 $1063.09

$49.10

$3167.40

VII .- CHURCHES.

THE REFORMED (DUTCHI) CHURCH OF SARATOGA,

This church was organized before the Revolutionary war, certainly as early as 1772, and, no doubt, many years previous to that date. No record remains of the society in those earliest years. Even the name of the pastor is not recorded, and it is supposed that the services of the church were maintained only at intervals by minutes from Albany

and Schenectady. That the society had strength, deter- mination, and some financial ability is shown from the fact that they erected a house of worship, a building that became historic from its occupancy by the British troops, and its location near the very spot where the great surren- der of 1777 took place. It was used as a hospital, and George Strover relates the incident that a young lady seated by a north window and eating an apple was in- stantly killed by a rifle-shot from the American camp on the hill, the ball cutting her throat. She was buried within the church under the spot where she was killed. Mr. Strover himself saw the blood-stains on the window, and the bones when they were removed at the taking down of the building. During the war the society itself was vir- tually dissolved, and a reorganization took place in 1789. July 10 of that year a meeting was held, in which twenty male members took part, and elected Cornelius Van Veghten and Peter Becker elders, Jesse Tall and James Abel deacons. They also resolved that the services of the church be conducted in the English language, and extended a call to Rev. Samuel Smith, who accepted it, came to this place the 9th of December, and was ordained in the month of January, 1790. Mr. Smith remained as pastor of the church until the year 1800, when he accepted a call from Connecticut Farms, New Jersey, and soon after removed to that place. Ile married one hundred and fifty couples in the ten years.

In 1792 fifty acres of land were purchased by the so- ciety north of the present village of Schuylerville, and a parsonage erected. This building is still standing, and belongs to the farm of Mrs. William Marshall. In later years, the property having been sold by the society many years since, a neat and pleasant home for the minister has been secured by the society on the corner of Ferry and Pearl streets. After the resignation of Mr. Smith, the pulpit was vacant for two years, when a call was voted to the Rev. Philip Duryec. He accepted it December, 1802, and on the 13th of April, 1803, was ordained and in- stalled. Fle was pastor of the church for twenty-five years, and is referred to by the older residents of the town as the first minister they remember, and the old building as the first meeting-house they entered in the days of their child- hood. Feb. 7, 1821, the following record is made : " The consistory of the Reformed Protestant Dutch church of Saratoga, fully aware of their present situation, are per- suaded that the congregation have seen that the house which their fathers built must soun fall to pieces, and they and their children must be left destitute. It must have also occurred to the congregation that, situated as they are, one temple will not answer their wants, the people being so seattered." The society then resolved to build two churches,-the one to be located at Schuylerville; the other west, wherever that portion of the congregation may direet. This Jed to the founding of the church at Bacon Ilill, Northumberland. At last, in 1822, the old meeting- house of historic memory was taken down, and considerable of the material used in the erection of a new house on the present site in Schuylerville. This house was destroyed by fire in 1831, and was replaced by a stone edifice that stood until 1856, when it was demolished, and the present

...

4 .

Number of Children

Public Money.

of Children.

DISINE,

TH 1876

UNION FREE SCHOOL, SCHUYLERVILLE, NEW YORK.

273

IHISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

briek structure was erected. The house stands upon a large and convenient lot, a broad and handsome site. The church has had ten pastors since its reorganization in 1789, and its present membership is one hundred and ninety. It has a eonsistory of ten members ; one of whom, Mr. Nathan Corliss, has been an officer for twenty-eight years. The present pastor is Rev. D. K. Van Doren.

A few additional items are taken from the venerable book in possession of the church. At the meeting of 1789 the following members took part in the election of officers : Peter Beeker, Abram Low, John Mahawney, Simon De- ridder, Corruth Brisbin, Jesse Toll, Julian Winne, Hen- drick Van Beuren, Jacobus Abeel, John Smith, John B. Schuyler, Nicholas V. D. Barch, Cornelius Mclain, Jacob Dannals, Abram Marshall, Solomon Wheeler, George Me- Ilutchin, James Brisbin, Stephen Viele, James Milligan. The officers chosen were ordained July 26, 1789, by Rev. E. Westerlo, of Albany. The same day James Brisbin was also elected an elder, and Corruth Brisbin a deacon. The ordination services of Pastor Smith were conducted by Rev. Mr. Westerlo, of Albany, with the pastors of Lansingburg and Waterford. Rev. Mr. Duryea, the next pastor, was ordained by Revs. Winslow, Paige, and John I. Zabriskie, May 1, 1803. He was dismissed to take charge of a church in New Jersey, October, 1828. Hle died there in 1850. The pastors since then have been as follows: Rev. Hugh M. Boyd, 1829 to 1834; Rev. Ed- ward May, 1836 to 1839; Rev. David Jones, 1839 to 1844; Rev. C. II. Chester, Oct. 30, 1844, to Feb. 19, 1850; Rev. F. S. Searle, 1850 to 1857; Rev. Franklin Merrill, 1850 to 1861. Ile died of consumption. Rev. A. G. Lansing followed ; he was succeeded by Rev. Isaac H. Collier. The present pastor, Rev. D. K. Van Doren, began his labors here, Aug. 1, 1874. The present Elders are, Nathan Corliss, George T. Watson, Samuel Sheldon, L. B. Viele, Samuel Wells ; Deacons, J. II. De Ridder, Z. French, D. Sample, J. Ingersoll, R. Sutfin ; Clerk, S. Wells; Superintendent of Sunday-school, J. IL. De Ridder. Schol- ars, two hundred; four hundred volumes in the library. The first marriage recorded was Feb. 7, 1790,-Nehemiah Billings to Elizabeth Franeis. The first baptisms, George and Anne, children of Jacob Dannals, Jan. 24, 1790.

BAPTIST CHURCH.

The Baptist church of Schuylerville, known until 1836 as the First Baptist church of Saratoga, was constituted in 1790, and was received as a member of the old Shaftsbury Association in 1791. It united with the Saratoga Asso- ciation in 1805. The following remark from " Benedict's History of the Baptist Churches," written in 1812, taken lite- rally, would apply to this church, and carry the date of its organization back to 1772. He says, " There was a church founded near where Burgoyne surrendered more than forty years ago, which was broken up and scattered by the devas- tations of war." This claim is not sustained by the records of the Shaftsbury Association, and though the tradition among the people of Schuylerville assigns a very early period to the efforts of Baptist ministers, yet in the absence of all written records at home the books of the Shaftsbury Association must be regarded as correct. Besides, the re-

mark in Benediet's history is applied by the compiler of the Shaftsbury records, in 1852, to the church in Stillwater, and, if true at all, perhaps properly belongs there.

The Schuylerville church was represented in the associa- tion of 1791 by Rev. S. Rogers, pastor, and S. Munger, messenger. They reported forty-seven members. In 1800 no delegates were present, and the membership is stated at. twenty-eight. The successive Baptist ministers preaching for this church have been Samuel Rogers, Joseph Craw, Azariah Hanks, John Colby, J. Finch, S. S. Parr, Charles B. Keyes, Joseph W. Sawyer, P. D. Gillette, J. Murphy, B. F. Garfield, William Hutchinson, T. S. Rogers, William Bowen, Elder Coburn, Elder Dubois, William J. Loomis, J. H. Bullard, William Garnet.

The loss of the written records earlier than 1832 pre- vents giving the name of the first officers, with facts of general interest which may usually be selected from such records. The earlier preaching, as in the case of other so- eieties, was in school-houses, barns, and private houses.

Mrs. St. John, still living in Schuylerville. states that Jordan's bridge was an old place of baptism. She herself was baptized there in 1825. At that time, and for several years after, the old meeting-house was in use. This was prob- ably built in 1807 or 1808. It stood near the present resi- dence of Morgan Moe, about three miles from Schuylerville. It is still standing, moved back from the road, and used as a hay-barn. Stafford's bridge was another place of bap- tism. The new house in Sehuylerville was built about the year 1833. Prominent members and deacons in early years were Reubeu Perry, James Lewis, Elihu Billings, and William T. Smith.

Rev. Samuel Rogers, the first minister of this church, had been in the military service during the Revolutionary war. He was a teamster attached to the army of Gates at the time of the battles of Saratoga. One night he was carrying a load of specie northward, and was so closely fol- lowed by the British, and the muddy roads so delayed his progress, he was obliged to cut his team loose,-allow them to go, -- while he carried the kegs of specie into the woods and kept guard over them all night. The next day he succeeded in getting them safely to their destination. Ile died in Stillwater, Feb. 6, 1823. At the time of build- ing the house in Schuylerville Joshua Finch was clerk, and Richard M. Livingston was a very active leader in seeuring the erection of the new house. The church cost about $1600. Since Joshua Finch there have been only two clerks,-R. S. Sheldon and Jacob Osborne, the latter serving for more than twenty years.

Deacons at the present time are O. J. Bates, Benjamin Tabor, and Charles Devoe. Trustees are James Dilling- ham, Jacob Osborne, and Nathaniel M. Bennett.

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History of Saratoga County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers., Part 67

Author: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894 Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Ensign Number of Pages: 780

Author: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Ensign
Number of Pages: 780