USA > New York > Schoharie County > History of Schoharie County, New York : with illusustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 45
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CHURCHES.
There are five churches in the town, which consist of three Methodist, one Baptist, and one Lutheran, and are so situated that the in- habitants can conveniently attend divine ser- vice.
The Baptist Church of Seward Valley .- The records of this church prove it to be the oldest organization in the town, excepting the New Rhinebeck, which has long ceased to wield its influence. We find upon the fly-leaf of the church-book that upon the 18th of October, 1820, " Agreeable to request of a number of Baptist Brethren belonging to the towns of Sharon and Decatur, a number of delegates from the following churches met in council :- Front the church of Charlestown-Elder Elisha Herrick, brothers Ebenezer Norris and Moses Persons; from the church of Summit- Julian Beeman, brothers Elisha Bruce and David D. Rider; from the church in Schoharie --- Elder Burton Carpenter ; from the church in Worcester-Deacon David Holmes, brothers David Goat, Allen Sheldon and Edward Pinder. After singing and prayer, Elder Herrick was chosen moderator, and Elder Burton Carpenter, clerk. Articles of faith and practice were then presented."
The church was thus formed under the Rensselaerville Association, and Mathew Nealy, a self-made preacher, officiated as such, holding their meetings alternately at this place and the school-house in Decatur. Sometime between 1820 and 1824, Elder Leonard Marsh settled as pastor, but for some transgression of conduct, perphaps did work of some kind upon the Sab- bath, which was not unusual, for nearly all of the inhabitants after church service -- especially the German element. A committee was ap- pointed by the Rensselaerville Association, and met in November, 1824, "to inquire into the situation of the church." The result was " As to Elder L. G. Marsh, we are of the opinion that the repeated shifting of his principles and the
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manner of dealing with the church renders him unworthy of the confidence of his bretliren." At a meeting held a few days after at Decatur, the same committee decided to "withdraw the hand of fellowship from Leonard Marsh and Deacon Matthew Nealy, for disregarding the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath in principle, and for advocating the cause of a transgressor."
Their first house of worship was built upon the south side of the creek, in 1834. Being small for the congregation we find, February 20, 1856, " the building of the Seward Baptist church and shed is let this day to Josephus Simmons by the job at $1,350," and on the 31st of December, the new church was dedi- cated. This church was not incorporated until the 31st day of December, 1857.
The following have officiated as preachers :-
Elders Herrick and Matthew Nealy to 1824. Leonard G. Marsh, from 1824 to 1825. Herrick, Nealy and Marsh, to 1834.
Henry Toping, 1834.
Elijah Spafford, 1851.
H. H. Chase, 1853.
C. Brown, 1854.
Elijah Spafford, 1855. Russel H. Spafford, 1859. G. W. Abrams, 1863 to 1865. I. Powell, 1871.
G. W. Wentworth, 1873. Levi Rury, 1874. P. C. Bently, 1875.
The pulpit was supplied by Elder Collins, of Richmondville, to April, 1880, when Homer Denton was called and accepted, and still remains.
Seward Centre Methodist Episcopal Church. -The first records of this society reach back to September 17, 1831, when Isaac Grant was preacher in charge, andWilliam Diefendorf and Frederick Ramsey were local preachers in the " Sharon Circuit." At a meeting, William Cal- kins and William M. Wilcox were chosen cir- cuit stewards. The first election of trustees was held on the 18th of March, 1833, when Alfred Williams, William Boyce, William Cal- kins, Dermon Rowley, and Hiram Sexton, were chosen, and at the same time it was
" Resolved, That this religious society shall be known and distinguished as the Zion Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the town of Sharon."
Articles of incorporation were adopted and the society became an established and legal body. Rev. Isaac Grant and David H. France presided at the meeting. The year following, 1834, the present edifice was erected, and the society was one of the largest in the County.
Upon the building of the railroad through Hyndsville, the people of that section antici- pated a progressive village, and built a fine edifice as a branch of this church, also the por- tion of the society living at and near Seward Valley built a neat and substantial church at their place, also as a branch. All three are as one parish, and the pastors of the mother church and the two branches are as follows, with years in which they served :-
1831-Isaac Grant.
1832-Isaac Grant.
1833-Isaac Grant and William Allen. 1834-Edward Dennison and Abram Fish. 1835-Isaac Grant.
1836-George Harmon.
1837-Jared C. Ransom.
1838-Isaac D. Warren. 1839-Alexander C. Daniels and John T. Wright. 1840-Alexander C. Daniels and John T. Wright.
1841-Eben L. North.
1842-Eben L. North and Abram Die- fendorf.
1843-Frederick Brazee.
1844-R. M. Van Schaick.
1845-C. Pomeroy.
18.16-Amos Osborn.
1847-Amos Osborn.
1848-Amos Osborn.
1849-Joel Squires. 1850-Joel Squires.
1851-C. E. Giddings.
1852-C. E. Giddings.
1853-E. Watson.
1854-E. Watson. 1855-A. Lyon.
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A break here seems to be made, and perhaps re-united with the Richmondville circuit.
1864-M. B. Mead.
1867-S. S. Ford.
1869-A. J. Day.
1870-W. J. Sand.
1873-G. E. Metcalf.
1874-E. E. Taylor.
1876-A. W. Smith.
1877-W. J. Chapman.
1880-J. H. Clark, at present officiating.
Gardnersville Lutheran Church .- The early history of this society is so intimately con- nected with the life and labors of the late Philip Weiting, that we have referred to it in a notice of that veteran's life. Since he resigned the pastorate of this church, the pulpit has been supplied by the following : Chauncy Diefen- dorf, N. Daniels, H. L. Dox, the present pastor.
Mr. Dox wrote the life of Philip Weiting, from which we glean the facts in our notice of the veteran preacher.
The Dairy Interest of the town has become of marked proportions. The pure spring water of the hills, and succulent grasses, unite to make dairying a special feature of the farmer's pur- suits. There are at present three large cheese factories with a united capacity for the milk of fifteen hundred cows, while many dairymen man- ufacture both cheese and butter themselves, the amount of which we are unable to learn, but of such amount as to rank the town among the first of the County in the dairy products.
The cheese associations are the "Seward Val- ley Cheese Factory," "Seward Centre Cheese Factory," and "Gardnersville Cheese Factory."
PHYSICIANS.
Doctors White, of Cherry Valley, Pinneo, of Sharon, and Shepherd, of Lawyersville, were the early practitioners of this town, and the first resident one was Andrew Hines, about the year 1835. He was followed by Doctors Mosher and Charles Abrams. The latter was a superior scholar, and usually taught a class in the lan- guages and mathematics. Doctors Sutphun and Eldredge, preceded the present, excepting E. O. Bruce, who graduated at the Castleton Medical College, in 1858, and was contemporary with the latter. Doctor Henry A. Myer is a gradu-
ate of the Syracuse Medical School, of the class of 1853, and licensed in 1874, by the Eclectic Medical Society.
Doctor Charles Dickerson, of Seward Station, graduated in 1860, at the Albany Medical Col- lege.
The town gave bonds to aid in the construc- tion of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, to the amount of $30,000, although the road did not reach the bounds of the town. At the time the " Erie railroad war " was waging, the stock of the Susquehanna, and town bonds given to it were at par. The town wisely sold the bonds and was released from paying them. Upon the building of the Sharon and Cherry Valley branch the people once more put forth a helping hand, and issued bonds to the amount of $25,000 to assist in the construction, a greater part of which is unpaid. The road passes through the central part of the town, by following the West Kill, and proves a great con- venience to the inhabitants, by making a ready market for their products, at their doors, or cheap transportation to distant marts. We do not know of a township that is more conveni- ently located, more picturesque in appearance, or is more productive than the town of Seward. It has 20,106 acres of land whose corrected valuation in 1880 was $499,272. The population by census of 1875 was 1772, of which number 416 is found upon the tax list of 1880 with an assessed valuation of $15,475, personal. The total amount of tax for that year was $8,559.27. Interest and five per cent of railroad bonds was $2,834; rate per cent of tax on each dollar assessed $.0275.
THE CLOVE.
That section of the town called " The Clove," is a romantic spot, and first settled by the Coss family, who are still its occupants. The valley was originally called "Clauver Kloof," meaning Clover Valley, from the wild clover being found there. In after years Clauver was dropped and it was known as "The Kloof," a name given to such dish-like valleys by the Dutch, and which in English is "The Clove." Undoubtedly Isaac Vroman, (Low Dutch) who did the sur- veying of the Dorlach Patent, and was here in 1730, together with other Low Dutchmen, who were interested in these lands, gave the valley
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the Low Dutch name, as those that first settled here were Germans, and in their language would have called it " Klauftche." The hills surround- ing were called by the Indians Onnondada.
SUPERVISORS.
The following is a list of Supervisors elected in the town with the date of their election : -
1840-Peter Hynds.
1841-Peter Hynds.
1842-Andrew Hynds.
1843-Austin Sexton.
1844-Austin Sexton.
1845-John C. Shutts. 1846-Abraham Sternbergh.
1847-Abraham Sternbergh.
1848-Robert M. Van Schaick.
1849-Tobias Warner.
1850-Abraham Sternbergh.
1851-Peter Hynds.
1852-Alfred W. Rowley.
1853-Joseph Zeh.
1854-Kirtland Handy.
1855-Nathaniel Southworth.
1856-John C. Shutts.
1857-John C. Shutts.
1858-John C. Shutts.
1859-Jacob H. Diefendorf. 1860-Isaac Bellinger.
1861-Henry A. Stall.
1862-Isaac Bellinger.
1863-Isaac Bellinger.
1864-Isaac Bellinger. 1865-Abraham Sternbergh.
1866-Abraham Sternbergh.
1867-Abraham Sternbergh.
1868-E. O. Bruce. 1869-E. O. Bruce.
1870-Sylvester Diefendorf.
1871-H. A. Warner.
1872-H. A. Warner. 1873-H. A. Warner.
1874-John G. Empie.
1875-H. A. Warner. 1876-John G. Empie. 1877-John Patry.
1878-Elias Pierce.
1879-Elias Pierce, (deceased.)
1879-John Patry, elected to fill vacancy. 1880-David H. Osterhout.
1881-Menzo Young. 1882-Menzo Young.
LEGISLATURE.
The town was represented in the Legislature in 1841, by Nicholas Beekman, and in 1849, by Austin Sexton.
CHAPTER XVIII. .
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF RICHMONDVILLE.
FORMATION OF TOWN-FIRST SETTLEMENT- GEORGE WARNER-HIS HOUSE-JOHN ZEA AND FAMILY-APPEARANCE OF AN ENEMY- BORST BROTHERS' CONFLICT-ASSISTANCE CALLED-MARCH TO WARNER'S HOUSE- AMBUSHED BY INDIANS-FLIGHT-STAND AT WARNER'S-PATRIOTISM OF SOLDIERS-BAT- TLE GROUND-INCIDENTS OF THE DAY- TORY BROTHERS - BUILDINGS BURNED - GEORGE WARNER, JR., TAKEN PRISONER- NICHOLAS WARNER'S FAMILY RELICS-CAP- TAIN SNYDER-HIS LIFE-SNYDER FAMILY- WARNERVILLE - GEORGE MANN-WARNER- VILLE METHODIST CHURCH - CHRISTIAN CHURCH-SEMINARY-RICHMONDVILLE SASH AND BLIND FACTORV-BRADLEY'S FULLING MILL -FOUNDRY -FIRST TAVERN - JOHN WARNER-FIRST JUSTICE OF THE PEACE- HON. JOHN WESTOVER-FIRST MAIL CARRIER - PHYSICIANS -CHURCHES - METHODIST- LUTHERAN - CHRISTIAN-SEMINARY-RICH- MONDVILLE BANK - NEWSPAPERS - SCHOOL AT WEST RICHMONDVILLE-THE JUMEL LITI- GATION - THE TOWN RAILROAD BONDS- SUPERVISORS-PRESENT BUSINESS OF TOWN.
TATE find that the " Schoharie County Direc-
W tory " and "French's Gazetteer," two works often referred to, are in error in regard to the date of this town's formation. They both give the date, April 11, 1845. Isaac Mann, a
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
practical surveyor, now living in the town, sur- veyed the line in February, 1849 and on the IIth of April following, an act was passed by the Legislature, making it a town, taking the whole from the town of Cobleskill, and giving it the name of the postoffice-Richmondville.
On the 21st of October, 1851, a portion of Seward was annexed, making the town's pres- ent territory.
First Settlement .- Warner Family .- The first settlers were George Warner and John Zea, who came from Germany and settled near the hamlet now known as Warnerville. There were three of the Warner brothers that immigrated to this country, who were the pro- genitors of the family bearing that name throughout the country, especially in Albany and Schoharie counties. They were George, Stuffle and HonYost, or Joseph. Stuffle, or Christopher, settled in Berne, Albany county, of whom Dr. Philip I. Werner, of Barnerville, is a descendant. While those of the name living at Warner Hill east of Schoharieville are descend- ants of Hon Yost.
The original name is Werner and some branches of the family write it so, while others give the German e the sound of English a and write it Warner. Those living in this locality use the latter orthography. George Warner was born in 1720, and settled here in the spring of 1764, in a log house that stood near where James Warner now resides, and reared two sons, whose connection with him in the Revolutiona- ry struggles, made the family name memorable upon Schoharie County history. Nicholas and George Jr., were staunch patriots, although young-and the only children that were old enough to take a part in the conflict.
Both have long since been laid by the ashes of their father, upon a knoll back of the present residence of James Warner, a grandson of George, Jr. Even the children have grown old and died, the last, Marcus, son of George Jr., passed away within the past year at the ripe old age of eighty-eight. We had the pleasure of meeting him a few months before he died and listened to his trembling voice as he recited many in- cidents connected with his father's life, and which often animated his feeble form, as if new
life and vigor were given it, and enkindled a sparkle in his eye of a patriotic and courageous - glow, which spoke plainly that the true and tried spirit of '76 yet lived. He was born, lived and died upon the same building site, which seems a remarkable case, since the modern Americans have become "ramblers" but it is only one of many, to be found in our staid Schoharie. The first house built by Warner, as we have men- tioned, was a log hut, but some time previous to 1778, a frame one was built near the family burial ground, and a trace of its cellar may still be seen. This house, Author Simms says, was the first building burned in the Schoharie settlements by the enemy in the Revolution. It was in the burning of that house, that two, more than Spartans fell, whose valor gives lustre to the annals of history, and which we will shortly consider. The family built another frame building after peace was proclaimed, in which Marcus was born and which stood where James Warner's residence now stands.
John Zea and Family .- As before stated, John Zea settled here at the same time-in 1764-and occupied the farm now owned by Alexander Larkin. The old house stood near the creek, upon the south side of the road, and was the only one west of Warner's until after the Revolution.
Some time previous to 1778, Zea and his wife passed away, leaving his sons, John and Nicholas, and four daughters, in possession of the farm, that comprised a large tract at that time, but which has since been cut up into several farms. The family has become extinct, there not being one left bearing the name. John was killed in the battle of Cobleskill, and was unmarried, and his brother Nicholas proved to be a Tory, and fled to Canada, from whence he did not return, and leaving only a daughter as his issue.
Appearance of an Enemy .- As nothing oc- curred in this part of Cobleskill settlement, (with the exception of the addition of the Frimire family as settlers east of the Warner place soon after 1764), until the day before the battle of Cobleskill, we will now consider the facts relating to that event, which proved the
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most disastrous to the settlement, and which also proved the true political sentiments of the few citizens of the valley.
All border settlements had been in a constant state of alarm, as the Tories had threatened an invasion, which gave rise to the organization of the militia company in the valley for protection. Lieutenant Jacob Borst and brother Joseph, accompanied by John Frimire, started early on the morning of May 30, 1778, upon a scout- ing expedition down the Schenevus creek. After traveling nearly to the head-waters of that stream and the Cobleskill, Frimire expressed his fears of a safe return home, as he believed he had a presentiment of misfortune. His com- rades allowed him to return, which led many, that perhaps had less patriotism, to cast the epithet of "Tory" upon him. The Borst brothers continued on, and returned the next day, and overtook two Indians a short distance east of the present village. They accused the brothers of being in quest of Indians, and showed a dis- position for an encounter by throwing the prim- ing from one of the brothers' guns, after a pre- tended salutation.
" Joseph," says Judge Brown in his brief his- tory, " with ready presence of mind and good resolution, dropped his own gun and clinched the Indian's piece-took hold and twisted the flint out of the cock, and then replied in Mo- hawk, 'To zenery it sagat ;' that is to say, ‘It is good that this is just so.' At this, the Indian clinched Borst with lion-like fury. Borst, not in the least daunted, but with good resolution, also took a rash hold, gave a hearty Indian whoop, which took away half of the Indian's strength, and soon brought him down on his knees. At this time a shot fell behind his back. The In- dian, almost naked, strove to extricate himself from Borst's hands, now slipped loose and ran off leaving his gun in the lodge. Lieutenant Borst, who by this time had finished the best part of his business with the other Indian, ran up to his brother and picked up his gun, but Hanyerry escaped. * * *
"Lieutenant Borst now stood in every way exposed. The other Indian, Oness Taap, came up and demanded him to surrender prisoner ; he made one step back, and replied, ' Taghte,'
which is to say ' no!' then shot him through the body, and broke his backbone, so let him lay, and made off."
The Borst brothers returned to the militia rendezvous at Christian Brown's, and reported the facts, which no doubt led the small com- pany to believe that the two Indians were not alone but were sent forward by a large force to reconnoitre. A messenger was sent to Scho- harie for assistance, and Captain Patrick of the regular service, and forty continental soldiers were sent over and arrived early in the morning of June Ist, at Captain Brown's, where sixteen of the valley militia had assembled. Leaving the patriots to become better acquainted with each other, we will examine into the movements of the enemy. Captain Brant the dreaded Mo- hawk chief, had raised a force of Aquago In- dians and a few loyalists, and marched to Cherry Valley for the purpose of destroying the place, but believing a force of Tryon county militia was stationed there and not wishing to hazard an attack, he turned his steps towards Cobles- kill to devastate the valley.
The force arrived at the Zea house early in the morning of June Ist,* and Brant had a friendly consultation with Nicholas, which his four sisters witnessed, and which gave them to un- derstand for the first time that he was a loyalist or as more plainly expressed by them "a Tory." The girls fled from the house, and, undoubtedly, apprised the Warner family or some others, of the enemy's proximity, who communicated the fact to the force at Captain Brown's.
Ambuscade and Battle .- The enemy lay quiet above Zea's, and the troops marched up to the Warner house and while being regaled by the host's good-cheer and joined by four more militia, a few redskins presented them- selves to the westward of the house to intimi- date the patriots. Captain Brown and his men, who were well acquainted with Indian strategy, divined their object, but Captain Patrick would not listen to their cautious warnings, and, being superior in rank, ordered the troops to follow the Indians. Obeying the command, the force,
* The date of the battle we accept of J. R. Simms' " Border Wars "
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numbering but sixty, pursued them, and were led in an ambush upon the broad flat west of the Snyder brothers' present residence, which proved disastrous to the Patriots, and showed the truth of Brown's warnings. Captain Patrick, with many others, fell upon the first fire, and the command was given by Brown to retreat, as he saw the enemy were strong in numbers, and were closing upon them. They fought desperately from tree to tree on their retreat towards the Warner house, but they were so pressed they were obliged to make a precipitate flight. Upon nearing the house, they saw that strategy must be used or all would be either killed or taken prisoners, and their families in the lower part of the valley also become objects of torture and death, as the barbarous clan would pour down upon them before they knew of their presence.
The house being reached, four noble braves entered to give battle to their pursuers and en- able the remainder to effect their escape and apprise their families of their danger. Soon the building was surrounded by the whole force, numbering in the neighborhood of three hun- dred, whose savage propensities were excited to unmerciful ends. Bravely, heroically they fought, but
" Alas ! 'twas but to die."
The torch was applied, and the eager, mad- dening flames, as if jubilant to finish the fiend- ish work, soon reduced the dwelling to ashes. During the burning, a Continental soldier tried to make his escape but was caught, and an act of cruelty practiced upon his helpless body that should make the prince of demons blush. His abdomen was opened and his entrails fastened to a tree, and he compelled to walk around it until he sank in untold agony. In derision of the government's financial distress, a roll of Continental bills were placed in his mouth and left. Another one tried to escape but was shot, and two, Martines Ferster and John Frimire, were burned with the building. Those men knew if they loitered here their doom would be sealed, yet they threw themselves as barricades before the foe to save others. They fell as the three hundred at the pass of Thermopyla, whose valor has brightened history's page for centuries. Poets have tuned their lyres to praise in song
those heroic Spartans, and for ages, granite spires reared by a grateful and admiring nation have marked the spot as sacred ground upon which they so fearlessly fell. But here lie Fer- ster and Frimire, and their unknown comrades, at the gates of new born civilization, as it were, without a tablet to mark their resting place ! Almost unknown, forgotten ! Yet here they lie, true martyrs in a holy cause.
A small detachment a few days after the con- flict, from Schoharie, laid them here in rude pits, without display-without a chant, except such as emanates from the very depths of loving hearts, by trembling sighs and flowing tears .*
Beyond the stream, upon a distant bank, a marble shaft marks the spot where lies a martyr of a later date, after defending the gates of our country's harbor from a brother's reckless hatred. George W. Snyder, of Sumter memory, was a worthy son to lie beside the ashes of Ferster, Frimire and others that fell here in 1778.
The contemplation of such spirits can but animate lesser ones to deeper love of humanity, and firmer, stronger love of country.
After the enemy left the house they passed down the valley, laying houses and barns in ashes; but the women and children having timely notice, secreted themselves in the forest and escaped unharmed. The murderous clan retraced their steps to the battle-ground and buried about sixty of their comrades, that the patriots killed, in a morass to the west, a trace of which may still be seen. They encamped for several days on the flat below the village, to care for their wounded, and then passed over to the Charlotte trail to their wigwams.
The patriots were scattered throughout the woods, and several days elapsed before they all reached the fort and a knowledge of their loss was ascertained. From the little band of sixty, twenty-two were killed, and two made prisoners, (Continentals) and several wounded. It will be seen that every shot made by the little force, was to kill.
As we have mentioned, the engagement was upon the broad flat west of the Snyder brothers'
* Simms.
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residence. The Indians formed a half circle, their right lying against the rise of ground to the south of the road, and the left near the creek. The Patriots marched in the center of the opening, and gained nearly the center of the circle, before they were apprised of their critical situation, and upon learning it, fell back a short distance, which debarred the enemy from closing upon them and cutting off a retreat. Finding their numbers were great, it was useless to undertake to cope with them, and a retreat was made, although stubbornly.
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