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 73
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Combs and Cornelius Baldwin, both corporals ; Peter B. Tierce, the adjutant of the regiment; and remembers, besides the officers above named, Captains Fish and Martin and Ensign Brown. Remembers Colonel Ten Eyck was at the fort doing duty. Deponent says that he remained at Fort George doing duty in his said regiment till late in the fall of the year 1776, when his company was marched to Sara- toga barracks and discharged, Deponent verily believes he served his full term of nine months. Ile received his commission from Ma- jor Gansevoort at Fort George, but hy whom it was signed does not remember. It was burnod in his father's house in 1777. And depo- nent further says, that when the news of Burgoyne's invasion, in 1777, had reached the inhabitants in this section of country, it was thoughit advisable to remove to Connecticut, a place of greater safety. fle assisted not only his father's family, but the neighbors generally, in their removal, and returned to Stillwater. That deponent fought in each of the battles between the American and British armies in 1777, besides being in several intermediate skirmishes, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne. This service was performed as a volunteer, and deponent was attached to no particular com- pany.'
An interesting event in the early history of this town is the fact that in Angust, 1764, the Scotch-Irish colony, under Dr. Thomas Clark, that afterwards became so promi- nent in the settlement of Salem, Washington county, came from New York to Stillwater, and actually remained here (some two hundred of them) for two and a half years; for this colony did not actually move to Salem until May, 1767, although the men were perhaps over there largely in the summer of 1766, making preparations for the removal. What this colony did during this long period in Stillwater, just where they lived,-whether in temporary cabins or otherwise,-would doubtless form a matter of interesting inquiry. It is the opinion of Dr. Fiteh, of Salem, that they were seattered around among the inhabitants of Stillwater during their stay, and also through Schaghticoke, the men, women, and larger children working wherever they could find employment, taking for pay whatever clothing, cooking utensils, furniture, or other articles they were going to need in their new home,-many of them thus obtaining a cow and a pig. And for years after they were settled in Sudlem, many of the men were accustomed to go back there to work during haying and harvesting, to obtain things they needed.
The following are the names of some of the inhabitants of Stillwater, with their occupations added, written out from the recollections and searches of Ashbel Palmer :
From 1764 to 1800: Dirck Swart, county clerk ; George Palmer, Sr., purchaser of mills and land; Colonel Daniel Dickinson, tanner and farmer; Isaac Mann, original owner of property sold George Palmer; Joseph Leavens, black- smith ; W. Gill; Ashbel Palmer, now living at the age of eighty-six, merchant ; Elias Palmer, merchant and farmer; Elias Willard, doctor; Christian Sackrider, lawyer; Cor- nelius Vandenburg, lawyer; Ebenezer Patrick , innkeeper ; Daniel Hale, Jr., merchant and surveyor ; Inerease Child, surveyor, laid out the village lots; Amos Hodgman, far- mer, also had a scythe-factory ; William Mead, innkeeper ; Joseph Rowe, farmer ; William T. Gleason, innkeeper, first at that stand ; Ashbel Meacham, carpenter ; Seth Turpen, shoemaker ; Morton Carrington, saddler and harness-shop; Gilbert Hooker, Alpheus Eaton, Warren Smith, merchant and druggist ; Reuben Smith, merchant ; William Parsons, carpenter ; Abin Parsons, carpenter ; Frederick Stewart, shoe-store ; James Willson, shoemaker; Perez Ripley,
293
HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
briek-maker ; Heman Whitney, carpenter; Eli Stone, inn- keeper; Hezekiah Lord, farmer; James Biggles, Jonathan Reed, Hugh Harsha, farmer ; Peter Olds ; William Patrick, Jr., doctor ; Isaac Dickinson; Jesse Patrick, merchant ; Dr. Jesse Seymour, druggist ; Henry Davis, town elerk, 1796; Henry Metcalf, lawyer ; Terrence O'Donnell, merchant.
Since 1800, but many of them pretty early : Peter Shoe- maker, a cabinet-maker; Nathan D. Sherwood, hatter ; John Albro, merchant; Cornelius Bloomingdale, Sr., tav- ern-keeper and farmer ; Cornelius Bloomingdale, Jr., mer- chant ; Tappan March, bridge-tender; John C. Force, shoemaker and store; Daniel Bradt, the same; Alfred Benedict, tailor; Anson Benedict, the same; Samuel F. Pruyn, merchant ; Henry Ensign, watch- and clock-shop; Erastus Seymour, hatter; John E. Darby, blacksmith ; Jared P. Brocket, merchant ; Minor Montgomery, carpen- ter and store-house ; James Langworthy, doetor ; Jeremiah Colles, wagon-maker ; Captain Daniel Dickinson, black- smith ; G. V. Lansing, real-estate dealer ; William Williams, manufacturer; William Caldecott, rope-walk; Almon Clark, cloth-dresser ; John Sullivan, clothing-works; Dr. Schuy- ler, not practicing; Erastus Benton, blacksmith, then a merchant ; John Wright, canal-grocery ; Alfred White, tavern ; Nicholas Depew, tavern ; Garret Bell, tavern ; Walter Boughton, tavern, stone-cutter, and teacher ; Newell Miller and Jesse Warren, blacksmiths ; Peter Houghton, shoemaker ; Medad Cande, shoe-store, formerly tanner ; Samuel Low, shoemaker ; Samuel B. Malcolm, gentleman, and his wife, a daughter and secretary of General Schuy- ler ; Seth Eddy, merchant.
IV .- ORGANIZATION.
The significance of the name has been already given. As the first inhabitants probably located at the water-power . where the still water ended and the rapids began, the peo- ple below would speak of going up to still water, and this, no doubt, developed into a name for the primeval settle- ment, afterwards applied to the country at large, and finally to the organized town. The settlement at the falls also had another name attached to it in a similar way for a time.
The settlers lower down spoke of this new place as Up- town, and that was shortened into Upton. Early deeds are still in existence describing lands at Upton, and a petition drawn as late as 1808, to the council of appointment, in favor of Cyrus Goodrich as a candidate for the office of justice of the peace, is dated at " Upton, in the town of Stillwater."
TOWN RECORDS.
It is a publie calamity for any town to lose its records. One great feature of American civil life differing from the nations of the old world is the local government by towns. Indeed, this is regarded by many writers as not only the foundation, but the defense of free government. The early New England town-meeting system is believed to have not only trained their own people to habits of independent thought and independent action, but to have manifestly led the whole people of the colonies onward to firmly demand, and bravely win, their independence. In view of this fundamental principle, and in view of the intrinsic value of town records themselves, affecting so many matters of
home administration, it might be expected the people would be willing to pay for having a town clerk's office centrally and permanently located, well supplied with cases, desks, and safes, for the proper filing and preservation of their records. Unfortunately, this condition of town papers is nowhere to be found. Documents venerable with age, and growing more valuable with the lapse of time, are mixed up with last year's pathmasters' reports ; stowed into some dry-goods box, subject to all the chances of fire ; no committee ever looking to see whether or not one town clerk delivers all the papers to the next. It is only a ques- tion of chance whether the papers are full and complete. They may happen to be, but there is more than an even chance that they are not. It is difficult to write history unless one can find it.
This may be an unhistorical way of arriving at the state- ment that the old book of town records is not to be found in Stillwater; that such names of town-officers as we have obtained, earlier than 1842, have only been secured at the county clerk's office, and from various loose papers in the town-office. The account of the first town-meeting, in 1788, cannot be given. The names of the first town officers probably are not obtainable in any way.
The place of that first meeting, when the people assem- bled to organize their home government, cannot be stated accurately, and the many other items found in a well-kept town book must be omitted. Dropping these negative state- ments, we proceed as far as possible with the affirmative.
The town of Stillwater is one of the four original towns of the county organized at the same time,-1788. Before this there were three districts, so called,-Saratoga, Balls- ton, and Half-Moon. The first town-meeting was probably heid in the spring of 1788, as the legal formation of the town bears date March 7,-early enough for a town-meeting that year. From the fragment of an assessment-roll given elsewhere, and from other information, it is inferred that a full set of town officers was elected ; that the usual by-laws were adopted, and the full town machinery was set in oper- tion. Among the names of early town officers incidentally aseertained will be noticed many whose descendants are still prominent in town matters.
In early times these town-meetings were quite often held in the western part of the town, known as Stillwater Cen- tre, and considerable strife existed as to what place should secure the adjournment. For many years past, however, they have been held without opposition at Stillwater vil- lage. Many of the early town officers afterwards became prominent in public affairs.
There seem to have been seventeen road districts in the town in 1796. The following is a partial list of overseers of the highways for that year : Jesse Gage, No. 1; Amos Milliken, No. 2; Thomas Peterson, No. 3; John Neilson, No. 4; Timothy Shipman, No. 7; Robert Hunter, No. 8; Abraham Valentine, No. 9; Joseph Stephens, No. 10; William Strong, No. 11; William Cooper, No. 12; Ben- jamin Cole, No. 14; John Wiggins, No. 17.
Still earlier, in 1790, we find a few names of overseers, --- Foster Whitford, Isaae Leggett, Joseph Rockwell, Wil- liam Dunning, and Robert Hunter.
The town book of estrays opens, in 1790, with Timothy
294
HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Kellogg's advertisement, " that a yoke of two-year old steers had broken into his inelosure,-one of them black, with white on his back, the other a brindle one, with white on his face."
Isaac Fonda's road-list of 1789-No. 10-has upon it thirty-two names.
In 1815 the town bought a farm to keep the poor upon, paying therefor the sum of $425. Benjamin Denton and Rial Moore seem to have been the parties who sold, and the representatives of the town who bought were Benjamin Denton and Daniel Carthy.
The following list is given as showing the names of many property-holders in 1789. If complete for what was then the territory of Stillwater, it would indeed be a valuable record ; but it is evidently the work of a single assessor, pre- liminary to the formation of a complete assessment-roll. It probably applies to the northern and western portions of the town, and does not include the territory along the river be- low Bemus Heights. It will be seen that the tax was at the rate of twopence per pound, and the highest three tax- payers upon the roll are James Verner, Evert Vandenburg, and Ezekiel Ensign. The number of names is one hundred and twelve,-for, it is supposed, one-third of the town. This list, if the above explanation is correct, furnishes the names of some who were early settlers of Malta.
A list of the inhabitants of Stillwater, together with the valuation of the real and personal estate of each person, taken the 20th of May, 1789.
Property. Tax. R. P.
R. P.
£ £ £ 8. d.
£ ££ s. d.
John Bleecker ..
30 20
8
9 Robert Ellis.
15
6
3
9
Win. Patrick, Jr.
10
3
2
3
Jonas Titus
10
1
1 11
Jehoida Millard, Jr.
20
4
4
Win. Robbins.
25
G
5
C
Josiah Millard ..
Nicholas Cole.
8
1
7
Isaac Miers & Sons.
15
4
3
4
W'm. Strang.
25 9
6
George Taylor.
6
2
1
4
Jacobus Swartout.
3
6
John Tuttle
4
9
Daniel Thompson
5 2
1
3 1815.
Thaddeus Histed
15
5
7
Killian Deridder
20
3
6
John Rrubottom
50 20
12
Killian Vandenburg ...
5
10
Ephraim Woodworth.
40 10
8 10
Hubbard Pemberton ... Elw.nezer Bacon
2
Siumrou Poler.
25 10
6
Ephraim Cook
9
Jethro Bennet.
3 4 Arthur Caldwell
8
Richard Davis.
8 10
3
1
1820. 6. ..
Charles Nelson.
Isaac Wing.
Andrew Sprague.
2
4
Isaac Leggett.
35 18
9
4
1822.
David Auble
20 12
5
Edwards & Benson
25 6
5
Janes
Dickinson &
G
3
4 John Verner ...
10
1824. Daniel Rogers.
44
Isaiah Keeler.
16
4
3
G
Evert Vandenburg.
70 20
15 1
1825. George Palmer.
Reeord lost.
66
John Carty
25
4
5
1 Francis Wilcox
8
2
1
9
1827.
Record lost.
Ephraim Woodworth, Jr ..
10
G
4 Philip Munger.
15
3
9
1828,
"
Samnel Bacon.
אן
6
4
3 Abraham Wilcox
11
i Archibald Walker
2
1
1
1829.
Thomis Hunt. 17
S
4
5 Rowland Emery.
6
3
1
7
1830.
5
4
6
-4
1
9
1831.
Gibriel Leggett
30 12
5
Jolin McBride, Je
G
1
7
1832.
Thomas Leggett, York John Bemns.
15
2
Daniel McBride.
25
4
9
1833.
Daniel Brouks ..
6
1
3
Nathaniel Clapp.
20
6
4 7
Cornelius Van Tassel ..
5
7
Joshua Berber.
10
1
1 11
William Cooper ..
20
6
4
7
Joseph Newland,
5
1
1
1835.
Julın McBride.
15
5
3
6
John Rowley
5
1
3
John Carpenter.
16
2
3
16
3
9
Royal Newland
25 12
6
7
1838. Abraham Leggett.
Ashbel Palmer.
$6
William Anderson.
10
1
1 11
Reuben Woodwortlı 18
4
-1
5
A hab Sayles
10
2
2
1840.
66
€6
4
2
6 Enoch Higgins
James Crowell
3
2
S
G
1
1
3
Thomas Iliggins
6
1
1842.
Morgan Munger.
W'mus. West ..
6
1
1
3
Nathaniel Cooper.
G
1
5
1843.
66
..
46
Win. Morris.
8
W'm. Bell
6
1
1
3
Timothy Munger 10
3
2
4
1845.
5
Jacob Ragers.
16
6
3 11
Jonathan Morey. IS
5
3 10
Mordecai Sayles
30 10 7
1
We add the following list of town officers, complete in later years, but defective in the earlier dates for the reasons already given. It will be seen that some officers were re- eleeted for a long series of years. It is said of George Palmer that he held every town office from pathmaster to supervisor. Thomas Morey was supervisor for fourteen years, and Isaac Wing must have been regarded as a care- ful and an honest man, for he was intrusted with the col- lection of the taxes for nearly or quite twenty-five years :
LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS .*
Supervisors.
Town Clerks.
Collectors.
1788.
Record lost.
Record lost.
1789.
1790.
16
4€
1791. Elias Palmer.
1792. Samuel Bacon.
=
1793. John Bleecker.
66
=
1791.
..
1795. Reuben Wright.
Heory Davis. Record lost.
Record lost.
1797. "
1798.
1799. John Hunter.
6.
Elijah Watson.
1800.
1801.
66
1802.
66
1803.
1804.
66 16
Record lost.
1805. Thomas Morey.
1806.
William Seymonr.
Peleg Spencer.
1807.
"
Daniel Cole.
1808.
66
=
Record lost.
Record lost.
1809.
George Palmer.
Daniel Cole.
Record lost. 66
1812.
46
George Palmer.
1813. 66
2
1814.
46
46
Daniel Ashley.
3
4
=
Benjamin Rogers.
25 10
6
4
Zebulon Mott
16
5
3
5
3
8
Israel Newland
Peter Clemens.
20
5
4 5
Nathaniel Higgins.
2 3
10
1821. George Palmer.
William Seymour.
1500
Ezekiel Ensign.
50 23
13 6
Holton Dunham ...
10 3
2
4
Lewis Williams.
40 14
9
7
John Neilson
30 15
7 11
1826.
John Wilcox
8
1
9
4
2
1
James Green.
7
6
2
Wulow McBride
18
Widow Green
13
9.
3
James McBride.
3
G
1
Nicholas Gordinier.
3
1834. Richard Ketcham. Henry E. Barrett.
1836.
1837.
.6
Samuel F. Pruyn.
Joel Ketcham.
8 10
Abraham Webster.
20
4
7
3 11
Lemuel Powers 18
4
3
11
1839. Ilenry E. Barrett.
66
Samuel Cooper.
20 12
Solomon Scidmore.
1841.
66
16
John Scidmore.
10
1
Frances West.
8
2
1
1
1
1
IS14.
+6
Fones West
6
9
1
5
Beth Burgess.
4
4
Philip Rogers
16
2
3 2
Kendrick Brewer
1
# The town formed by law March 7, 178S.
=
Ezra Buell.
18
4
3
5
2
4
1817.
2
1818.
6.
3
6
1819. Daniel Rogers.
..
Reuben Moore.
18
6
Gabriel Strang.
1G
4
Sons
13
James Verner.
100 25 1 2
1816.
66
Reuben Wright ....
20 25
7
Sumuel Ragers ..
10
4
2
Thomas and William Black ..
6
1
40 10 16 6
Noah Chapman
10
5
10
Thom is West.
2
G
Simeon Marshal
to
1
9 Jonathan Bassett
5
Stephen Sayles.
12
4
2 10
Sylvauns Sayles
1810.
1811.
Record lost.
=
12
66
=
Record lost.
William Seymour.
Jehial Parker.
1796. C. Vandenburg.
=
46
1823. Richard Keteham.
William Seymonr.
G
=
66
2
1 11
*2
Property. Tax.
Record lost.
1
=
295
IIISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Supervisors.
Town Clerks. Collectors. John Van Woert.
1846. William Baker.
Morgan Munger. John Patrick.
1848.
Archibald C. Tearse. Henry C. Moore.
1849. Abr'm Y. Lansing. 1850. Abraham Leggett.
Morgan Munger.
Lyman Smith. Alex. II. Badgley.
1851. Tyler Dunham. 1852. George W. Neilson.
$6
1853. Charles Moore.
Ilenry C. Moore.
1854. William Baker.
Ashbel Palmer.
1855. William Denison.
Lyman Smith. =
1856. Philip J. Powell.
1857. Edward Moore.
1858. Andrew Hunter.
Jared W. Ilaight. Joseph Wood.
Dorman K. Haight. llenry C. Moore.
1860. Jno. W. Buffiogton. Sylvenis Arnold. 1861. Henry W. Arnold. 1862. =
George W. Flagler. Ashbel Palmer.
66
1863.
$6
Samnel Tompkins.
¥
1864.
66
Charles C. Neilson.
1866. John T. Baker.
=
Samuel llewitt.
1868. Henry A. Van Wie.
Charles C. Neilson.
1869.
= Charles C. Neilson. George II. Flagler.
1870.
1871. John T. Baker.
1872.
David Tangburn.
1873. George A. Ensign.
66
Gabriel Strang.
1874.
41
Joseph Wood.
Charles C. Neilson.
1875.
Morey G. Hewitt. Tyler D. Badgley.
1876. George W. Neilson.
Ilenry C. Moore.
1877. Lyman Smith. ¥
Albert S. Baker.
1878. Peter A. Van Wie.
George Lockwood.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
1832. Ashhel Palmer.
1855. Reuben H. Barber.
1834. Cramer Vernam.
1856. Charles Moore.
1835. David Benedict.
James Lee.
1836. Ashbel Palmer.
1857. Alexander W. Davis.
1837. Richard Ketcham.
1858. John Elmer.
1838. Cramer Vernam. .
1859. Reuben II. Barber.
1839. David Benediet.
1860. Daniel Bradt.
1840. Ashbel Palmer.
1861. Theophilus Cook.
1841. Charles Ensign.
1862. John Elmer.
1842. James Bradshaw.
1863. Reuben H. Barber.
1843. Hiram A. Ferguson.
1864. Joseph Wood.
George S. Finch.
1865. Theophilus Cook.
1844. Ashbel Palmer. Alfred Elms.
1867. Reuben 11. Barber.
1845. Samuel Cheever.
1868. Theodore Baker.
1847. George W. Neilson.
1848. Daniel Bradt.
1871. Reuben II. Barber.
Thomas S. Gleason.
1872. Theodore Baker.
1849. William Denison.
1873. Duncan Van Wie.
1850. John Elmer.
1874. E. Corning Chase.
1851. Samuel B. Ilicks.
1875. Reuben 11. Barber.
1852. Daniel Bradt.
1876. David A. Van Wie. Charles Hunt.
1853. Alexander Flanney.
1877. Wm. Snyder Miller.
1854. Nathan Taber.
1878. Eugene E. Curtis.
The election canvass of May 2, 1799, shows that for the office of assemblyman Adam Comstock received 102 votes; Samuel Clark, 68; Daniel Bull, 98; James Warren, 50; Edward A. Watrous, 31; Hugh Robles, 129; Elias Palmer, 148; John Taylor, 79; James Taylor, 3; Epenetus White, 48 ; Sidney Berry, 13; Elisha Powell, 55; Stephen Wait, 25; Seth C. Baldwin, 2; Epenetus Warren, 1 ; Eb- enezer Russell, 1; Robert Campbell, 1; John Bull, 1; George Hunter, 2; Zina Hitchcock, 1; Moses Vail, 1; Robert Yates, 1; Beriah Palmer, 1. This document pos-
sesses its chief interest in the large number of candidates voted for to fill the office of assemblyman from this county.
May 2, 1800, there is recorded the following canvass for representative to Congress : John Williams, 123 votes ; David Thomas, 79; Stephen Lush, 1; James Gordon, 1 ; John Thompson, 1; Robert Yates, 1.
V .- VILLAGES.
Stillwater village, named for the same reason as the town ; Mechanicville, so named by those who first estab- lished manufactories there and employed many mechanics ; Bemus Heights, from John Bemus; Wilbur's Basin, from the Wilburs, who settled there soon after the Revolution- ary war; Jobville, from Job, not of the land of Uz, but the land of Stillwater; " Yellow Meeting-House" neighborhood, from the venerable building of that color ; Stillwater Centre, from its geographical position ; Keteham's Corner, from the pioneer Ketcham family ; " White Sulphur Spring," whoever tastes will need no further explanation.
With reference to Stillwater village, the following mem- orandum is furnished by Ashbel Palmer, who has also ren- dered other valuable assistance in the preparation of this work. The memorandum includes some items with refer- ence to other parts of the town.
MEMORANDUM BY ASHBEL PALMER.
The settlement at this village is of early date. It grew up near the falls of' the Hudson river, around the Palmer grist- and saw-mills. The village was called Upton, short- ened from Up-town, as it was then the first and only set- tlement north of Ilalf-Moon, or Waterford. There were only a few dwellings at first between Stillwater and Water- ford. The country was most all woods. Before 1791 this was in Albany county, which extended to Canada, after which it was in "Saraghtoga,"-the old name. The earliest date of a conveyance now to be found was a deed of land, grist- and saw-mill, from Isaac Mann to George Palmer, dated 1764. Still there must have been older conveyances than this.
Many years before 1800, perhaps before the Revolution, there was an asbery and brewery a few rods north of where Stillwater brook joins the Hudson. The settlement in- ereased slowly, both in population and dwellings.
A Presbyterian meeting-house and an Episcopal church were erected on the hill before 1800. About 1791, and a few years later, several substantial buildings were erected, which gave the hill a fine appearance over the lower part of the village; and very carly, too, about 1800, a school- house and a Masonie lodge were also established on the hill,-the latter then said to be the best in the State. The lodge probably first met in the tavern of Mr. Patrick.
Business became more active after Rensselaer Schuyler purchased a traet of land, as he came in with capital. This was in the year 1812.
After Ephraim Newland purchased, improvements went on more rapidly. An academy, a Baptist churchi, and other buildings went up; but previous to his day business was advancing, owing in part to the opening of the Champlain canal in 1825.
Soon after the Newland purchase, mills were established
1859.
Jared W. Haight.
1865.
Duncan Van Wie.
1867.
Samuel Overocker. Lewis Barber.
1866. John Ehner.
1846. John Elmer.
1869. Duncan Van Wie.
1870. John Elmer.
Alfred Elms.
1847. 66 =
Jehu Hatfield.
29G
HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
.
for the manufacture of flannel,-also for knitting goods. A second knitting-mill and a mill for making wall-paper ; also a straw-board mill. The purchase by Mr. Schuyler was the cause of the future prosperity of the place, or contributed materially to it.
Long prior to these improvements, and before the meet- ing-houses were built, there was the old barn on the Palmer farm remembered by some now living, and the path leading to Mr. Osgood's, and to a spring across the meadow from the barn. In this barn meetings were held by ministers that could be obtained. It was taken down by Ashbel Palmer about 1812, and the timber is now in a wagon-house on the Patrick place. Among the additions to the place was the erection of a bridge in 1832. It was burned in 1875, and with it the hotel and stores. The bridge was replaced the year after by an iron structure, and the hotel by the present large brick building. The first bridge-tender was Daniel Bradt, remaining about three years. Ile was followed by Tappan March, who stayed about the same time. Mr. John C. Force then took the place, and has now been at his post thirty-eight years. The new bridge above the piers cost about $9000, and the property is estimated at $15,000.
Some may like to hear that there was in the days of General Schuyler a canal commenced, intended for a com- munieation for boats from Waterford to the lludson river just above the Pahuer falls, from thence in the river to the Saratoga falls. But the canal was never finished,-was dug only in parts, and abandoned. Some may remember hav- ing seen the remains of a lock where the canal-boats were to pass in and out, situated on the margin of the lot known in late years as the Hathaway lot. The eanal was a State affair, and the management of it was under General Philip Schuyler. This was as early as 1794, as deeds of that date are in existence describing land bounded on this canal.
Stillwater was incorporated as a village in 1816, and the bounds were from the Stillwater brook half a mile up, and on the north included the Bartlett farm. Afterwards the bounds were extended south. In 1875 the census of the village showed 797 inhabitants, and 123 voters.
Surveys, and a map of " Upton in the town of Stillwater," were made before 1800. It was on land belonging to Elias Palmer. The lots were disposed of by durable leases. The lots on the hill were not included. Those were pur- chased of Campbell & Montgomery, twelve in number.
Colonel Daniel Dickinson, son-in-law of George Palmer, erected a tannery by the river, probably as early as 1770. llis house was near the river. The house now owned by G. V. Lansing, just south of the ereek, was the residence of Rensselaer Schuyler. Before that, it was Dickinson's, and had been that of Amos Hodgman.
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