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 5
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" To the Justices of the Peace of the Co. of Albany, or any of them. To the Justices of the Peace of the Co. of Dutchess, or any of them."
Vroman thought Weiser had " gone for Eng- land," but, expecting that his arrest would be niade, he kept secreted, no doubt, and did not go there until the year 1718. As soon as he arrived and made himself known, they found he was just the man they wanted, "the ring-leader of all Rebellious and illegal practices," and of course locked him up in the town. We have no proof that he was caught and required to pay a fine, or imprisoned for trespasses, before that
time. We think he had escaped all. But what a long list of "Crimes" was brought against hin, all at once ! Weiser had time enough, now, to ponder, and be Wiser, still.
Sitting within those massive walls that had once held the great and mighty, his case was a lone one and perhaps it was well that he was uneducated, and ignorant of the fate of his predecessors, as headless ghosts of Kings, Queens and other higli officials, would certainly have made his confinement hideous.
While Weiser was perhaps cogitating upon the ills of human life, and sighing for the "re- union of friends" around the Schollarie hearth- stone, though humble-the petition we have copied was laid before the council. Hunter was removed, and William Burnet appointed in his place as governor. Hunter, to prove that he had subsisted the Palatines, pursuant to the Queen's orders, sent a certificate to Secretary Clarke, requesting him to get then to sign it. Clarke put it in the hands of the governor and others, who told them, that unless they signed it, they should not have the lands promised them. The majority of them refused, and as Secretary Clarke wrote to Mr. Walpole, Nov. 27, 1722, " purchased land in Pennsylvania, and are de- termined to go thither, thus the Brigadier (Hun- ter) is baulked, and this province deprived of a good frontier of a hardy and Laborious people."
The petition was before " His Majesty's Com- missioners for Trade and Plantations" on the 6th of September, 1720, and "Jeremy Long appeared in behalf of the Palatines" and exam- ined General Nicholson in regard to the prom- ises made the Germans. He stated. that he only knew "that he had three hundred of them on the Expedition to Montreal " and were sub- sisted while there, and as to the arms then used " he knew of no direction " in regard to them. Mr. Long being unable to make proof of any of the particulars set forth in the Petition, he was made acquainted that copies of the several papers relating to them would be transmitted to Mr. Burnet, Governor of New York Province, and it was observed to Mr. Long that it seemed "that several of the Palatins had behaved themselves very undutifully to his Majesty and his late Governor of that province."
Weiser was released, and as soon as he re-
28
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
turned, sometime in 1722 or '23, with several of his followers he immigrated to Pennsylvania upon the lands referred to by Secretary Clarke.
We have herein laid .before the reader the circumstances connected with the first settle- ment of Schoharie, and given such facts as are of interest, relating to the difficulties the Ger- mans experienced from their landing in Amer- ica, to Weiser's grand retirement from the "promised land." Their troubles have been accorded to their ignorance, but we think too well of them and believe they knew too much for the scheming officials that were placed over them, to be trapped by their snares. The lands were purchased for a nominal sum in 1719 and '20, and a "spreading out" was made, and by the year 1730 they were settled in seven differ- ent hamlets, called "dorfs;" an appellation given in Germany to farm villages. Upon lo- cating in the valley in the winter of 1713, it cannot fairly be supposed that they settled each of the seven dorfs during the same season, as tradition has intimated, as they were too desti- tute and uncertain of their lands. The first settlement was made where the beautiful village of Middleburgh now stands, and was named after the "ringleader of Rebellious practices," and known as " Weiser's Dorf."
The time from their arrival to the opening of spring undoubtedly, was occupied in building huts, and while they were being constructed they and their families were the "guests " of their Indian friends. If they had been located by Governmental agents or had been acquainted with the country we should not consider it strange if all of the seven dorfs had been estab- lished in one season, but being fugitives, un- acquainted with the valley and destitute of the necessaries of life, each depending on the other for protection from the Savages and assistance to build etc., we cannot think that they did oth- erwise than to begin at Weiser's, clear up build- ing spots, erect huts, and all turn in to make a surety of raising eatables the season following and guard against another winter of “ root diet." The fear of French Indian invasions, which had been an argument brought up by the Governor and his friends after peace had been proclaimed between France and England, to influence them not to think of settling here,
would naturally have caused them to keep to- gether for mutual protection. Possibly those that came over in March were the followers of Hartman Windecker, and there being too many to live comfortably together established " Hart- man's dorf" in the spring and obliged them to "solicit more lands of the Indian Kings." An- other settlement was made about the year 1717 or '18 where Schoharie village now stands and was called " Brunnen dorf" also "Fountain- town." All records of this dorf with the ex- ception of a bond and a few deeds are lost, or are in the dusty tills of distant families yet to be discovered.
They were more of a business class taken as a whole, especially the Lawyer and Schaeffer families, and to judge by their qualification as business men in after years, we do not believe they would have settled upon the disputed ter- ritory upon uncertainties. There were seven settlers at this dorf within a distance of three- fourths of a mile whose enterprise made the " dorf" the business centre of all others and laid the foundation of the county seat. A short distance below seven other German families formed a settlement which was distinguished as "Smith's Dorf," but at what time the settlement was made we are unable to tell. Undoubtedly as the Germans came from time to time from the Camps, New York City and the Mohawk they established " dorfs" or settlements and this, with the three below, Fox's and Gerlach or Garlock and Kneiskern were made or formed in that way. The papers relating to both Smith's and Fox's dorf are not to be found. We only know when Fox sold his possessions and moved away, but at what time he purchased or settled we cannot tell.
Fox's dorf was pleasantly situated upon the low ground east and north of the Stone fort and was in existence in 1728, as then the " High dutch Reformed church" was here formed. It was the first church organization in the County, whose history is interesting in the extreme, and may be found in Chapter XVIII. The Germans were a very religious people, and it cannot be supposed that they lived very long at this place without religious ceremonies. We may place Fox's and Gar- lock's settlements in the year 1718, and have
29
LOCATION OF THE VARIOUS "DORFS."
them full early enough, to correspond with their individual members' presence at other places.
" Kneiskern's dorf" was the most northerly settlement, and was at the confluence of the Cobleskill creek with the Schoharie river.
While the three last settlements' history is wrapped somewhat in darkness, the papers relating to this, are in a good state of preserva- tion. John Peter Kneiskern, a list-master at The Camps and Captain in the Canadian Ex- pedition of 1711, was the head man, and after whom the "dorf" was named.
In 1728, an article of agreement was executed by Myndert Schuyler, attorney for George Clarke, Secretary of the Province of New York, Philip Livingston and others for the lands, and in the year following (1729) a deed was given to, and received by the seven settlers ; namely, John Peter Kneiskern, Godfrit Kneis- kern, Philip Berg, Hendrick Houck, Hendrick Strubrach, Johannes Merkle, and Lambert Sternberger, (at present Sternbergh).
A map and description of the lots was drawn in 1728, and signed by "Ed. Collins, Dept. Sup."
The deed describes seven homestead or building lots ranging from forty to fifty acres each ; seven wood lots and an equal number of " low land or meadow lots." Thus, each homestead had a wood and meadow lot. The whole extended from the original Sternbergh farm (William Hallenbeck's) on the south, down to and taking in a portion of the island below the old Ferry, including the rich flats and some of the high land upon each side of the river. If this land had been settled by those purchasers at a previous date and a final settle- ment had just been made, instead of the liome- stead lots being marked with numbers and " Homestead" written, the names of those living upon each lot would have been put upon the map, as we have found it invariably to be in other localities.
In 1753 an article was executed by each of the seven settlers agreeing to " divide with and release each other of their possessions."
Up to that date the whole was owned in common, and as they made the division, each one received a deed from the rest of that which
they occupied and designated the same by the number upon the map and occupant, and as " one-seventh of the Kneiskern dorf."
In 1759, in the presence of Johannes Lawyer and John Newberger, an agreement was made " to stand together and make satisfaction in land, or otherwise, to him or her, that shall lose any part of their land by law,"-which gives us the idea of their anticipating troubles in regard to titles.
A farther history of this dorf and the de- scendants of the first settlers, with incidents connected, may be seen in Chapter XII.
The seven " dorfs" of which we have made mention, were the first German settlements in the present territory of the County. Addi- tions were made from time to time by immi- gration from Germany and other German settlements in America.
In 1722, the third immigration of Palatines was made to our shores, and from it were some of the settlers of Stone Arabia, German Flats, and Schoharie. Owing to some unknown cause, for several years, they were not allowed to land at New York City, and were obliged to sail to Philadelphia, from whence many traveled to the Camps, Schoharie and Mohawk valleys, on foot, to seek friends and relatives who had preceded them to the new world, and found a land of plenty but much "droubble." Thus, in a few years, various other settlements were made, and from each an increase by births, as is very common among the Dutch, both high and low, and they "spread out" to rear homes for them- selves, and ere many years we find that the " woodman's axe" had made several inroads upon the wilderness, principally along the valleys. The southeastern part of the County along the Schoharie river, was settled about 1750, while the valley of the Cobleskill and its branch the Westkill, was first settled in 1752 and 1754. The higher lands each side of the valleys were taken soon after ; but those in the central part of the County not until after the close of the Revolution.
During the land troubles from 1713 to 1722 but little was done to improve their possessions, and after they were settled the Germans must have labored hard, as at the commencement of the Revolution the whole valley from above
30
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
Breakabeen down to and below " Kneiskern's dorf," beside a goodly portion along Fox's creek and Cobleskill was cleared and dotted here and there with large barns and com- modious houses. Even the hills of Sharon, Carlisle, and Blenheim teemed with luxuriant growths of grain and grasses. A vast amount of labor it required to make all of those im- provements, and when we consider the difficul- ties under which they labored for the want of utensils and many common necessaries of life, we must give them praise for possessing the most indomitable wills and energies, such as had but few equals.
When the poor Germans first came to Scho- harie their milling was done at Schenectady, and the grain carried upon their backs. It being a wearisome task, they devised the Indian mode of pounding the grain. A large stump was con- caved to hold a peck or one-half bushel, into which the corn was placed, and a large stone or heavy wooden pestle fastened to the top of a bent sapling, was churned up and down to crack the kernels. The grain thus treated was mostly Indian corn, for the production of which the Schoharie valley cannot be excelled. It was the Germans' chief article of food, and by drying it thoroughly, this mode would pulverize it nearly as fine as the grinding process of more modern times. It is not to be supposed that they de- sired to make it the fineness of our bolted meal, for sugared Johnny-cakes and spiced puddings, but simply to crack the kernel in three or four pieces and boil until soft, as we do "samp."
Many of the "children" that commenced house-keeping in Cobleskill, Sharon and Car- lisle, did so with very limited means. One fam- ily that we have in mind, built a log house, leav- ing a large maple stump in the center for a table. The top was made as smooth as possible with an axe, and the sides hewn down so the base would allow a near approach, and a large round dish was cut out, similar to a butter- bowl, in the center of it. There was but the man and wife, and it was only necessary to make a similar dish for each, only smaller, from which they ate their food which consisted of Indian pudding in the morning, potatoes at noon, and pudding and potatoes for supper. In that case the individ- ual dishes or cavities, in the course of time
and high Dutch dexterity numbered thirteen forming a circle around the center dish, before the rude table was dispensed with for a movable one and a new house built. The improved tables were usually round tops, having hinges near the center upon the under side, attached to a square box serving for a base. When not in use, this piece of furniture was moved to the side of the room and turned up upon the hinges against the wall, thereby taking but lit- tle room. The box base was used for table lin- en, needle work, or odds and ends usually found in a careful housekeeper's work-basket at the present day. All cooking was done by a fire- place, the dimensions of which were, in most cases, large enough to use wood four feet in length and deep enough to receive a large log and one quarter of a cord of wood. The first bread was baked in a "bake kettle" having a cover, which was placed in the fire and covered with ashes and coals. The bread thus baked far ex- celled any of the modern baking, as all the virtue of the material of which such food was composed, was retaincd.
The "improvement " upon the mode of bak- ing, was in building stone and mud ovcns, in which a fire was kept until a bed of coals was made, upon which the " baking" was placed in stone or iron dishes.
While the house-wife's ingenuity was taxed to clevise modes and means to do her work, and add to the comfort of her laboring family, for the want of proper culinary and other domestic utensils, the husband also was embarrassed to perform his work for the want of proper imple- ments. Ease was a stranger to him, as every- thing must be done by hard manual labor.
The writer has a plow that was used nearly seventy years ago, and made as all were at and before that time. A wooden block hewn smooth, two feet in length and five inches in width, was taken as a base, to form the point of mould- board, attach a share and handle. One end of the block was brought to a point and sharp edge by cutting from the upper right hand edge, di- agonally, and somewhat concaved. A hard wood stick was flattened and fitted to the con- cave, to form the mouldboard, and ran in line with the diagonal cut, with a spread of ten inches from the handle. A wrought-iron share with a
31
NEGRO SLAVERY IN SCHOHARIE.
steel point was fitted to the point of the block with bolts. An "improvement " was made by covering the arm or mouldboard also, with slieet iron. Ten inches from the point, a standard, fifteen inches in length, was placed to support the beam, and six inches back of the standard, a single handle was mortised into the block, and run up four feet, to which the end of the beam was attached, fifteen inches from the block. The implement cannot do much better work than a single cultivator tooth of the present day.
Many young married couples started in life upon a heavy timbered farm, with nothing but an axe, bake-kettle and bed, and whatever was added to the stock in furniture or utensils, for many years following, was such only as they rudely manufactured themselves.
It may seem incredulous, but nevertheless it is true, the Indian corn was planted by making a hole in the ground that had been previously burnt over, with an axe or sharp stick, in which the kernels were dropped, or the wheat was sown broadcast, and in the place of a harrow, brush was drawn over the ground to bury the grain. When the grains were to be harvested, a sickle was used to cut them, a flail to thresh, and winnowing was the only mode to separate the grain from the chaff. Soon horses and cattle were used to thresh, and fanning-mills manu- factured to clean the grain. We saw one that was used a short time after the Revolution, which was in itself a curiosity, and was capable of cleaning twenty bushels per day. The grain cradle soon took the place of the sickle, and in a few years, that will be laid aside to give place to our life-like reapers, as the flail and horse threshing have, to our modern threshers and cleaners.
At an early day negro slavery was introduced into the Schoharie settlements by the Vroman family, and slaves were kept by the Low Dutch for sometime before the Germans were able to purchase them. While we are loth to admit that the curse of slavery ever polluted our honored soil, yet we rejoice that its stain was not deep- ened by acts of brutality towards the enslaved, as is usually represented, but quite to the contrary. The negroes of both sexes were admitted into the family to which they belonged, upon equal footing with the white members. They were
chiefly the true African blood,-" black and shiny," and appreciated the kindness shown to them by their masters.
It was the custom of the farmers to send them to market with grain, and away upon other bus- iness, regardless of the amount of money en- trusted to them.
When the act for the abolition of slavery was passed by the legislature of New York in 1818, many of the slaves refused to be freed, and were kept by their masters, as long as they lived, receiving the same treatment as the rest of the " boys and girls." The act liberated only the children of slaves as they became of age, but in 1828, a final abolition act was passed, which released all from bondage, and threw them upon their own exertions for support, which proved very meagre in most cases as they possessed a natural dislike to labor. Many of the former owners of the negroes, purchased lots and built small houses for the aged, especially at and near Schoharie, upon which their children may be found to-day. We are unable to give the num- ber of slaves in the County when the "institu- tion" was in full "blast," but by the census of 1820, there were three hundred and two slaves, and two hundred and sixty-four free blacks. At present a greater number we believe of negroes may be found in the towns of Schoharie and Middleburgh than those figures show. To give an idea of the value of a slave in early times, we will copy a "bill of sale" now in the posses- sion of Henry Cady :-
"Huntersfield, July the fifteent Day, one Thou- sent, Seven hundred and Tharty sex. Then Bouth of Storm Becker a negor man, and the said Storm Becker Grant the Said negor unto Peter Vroman for his one lawful saruant fore forty two pount Corrant Lawful money of the provance of new York. Wetness my hand and the pres- ent of
STORM BECKER.
CORNELIUS VROMAN,
MARTINES VROMAN.
July 15, 1736.
then Received of Peter Vroman the Just and ful sum of twenty pounds one shilling, Corrant Lawful money was received by me.
STORM BECKER."
32
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
Each member of the family was allowed one pair of shoes in a year, the leather of which was usually tanned by the people themselves in a large trough filled with pounded oak and hem- lock bark with a sufficient quantity of water to cover the hides. During the boy and girlhood of many now living the process was practiced and a clear recollection is had of being com- pelled to soak their bruised and chapped feet each night before retiring in the liquid thus made, to heal and harden them. Upon attend- ing church, old and young, male and female, usually carried their shoes to within a short dis- tance of the church or place of holding meet- ings and then stop to put them on, regardless we presume of the ankle showing a variety of colors that the different kinds of dirt upon them would give ; the daily wearing of stockings, to use the word of an old patriot, being of "mod- ern invention" among the Dutch and German settlers, particularly the male portion. Cider, butter and loppered milk were unsparingly used, especially at logging and stone bees. A large quantity of maple sugar was manufactured by the farmers, and by grating or shaving it fine and sprinkling it over the surface of loppercd milk, a desirable dish was produced which was greedily devoured by three or four that would surround the pan or wooden bowl with pewter and wooden spoons and skim the sugar off with such a quantity of thick milk as the taste de- sired. When all of the sugar had disappeared more was sprinkled on until the contents of the dish were annihilated. Much sport was enjoyed by the hardy settlers through the deprivations which they were forced to endure, and it is questionable whether we of to-day with all our modern conveniences enjoy life any better than did they. Many ludicrous incidents might be repeated that actually occurred which shows their simplicity and ignorance and which caused a vast amount of amusement.
As we before stated the number of Indians that werc in the valley of Schoharie when the Germans came is not known, but they were con- sidered by the white settlers as being the true owners of the soil and a brisk trade was kept up between them and traders from Schenectady and Albany. Blankets, trinkets and rum were the chief articles of trade on the part of the
whites, and land, fur and roots on that of the Indians.
The rum trade became very annoying to the Provincial officials as well as to the head sachems of the different tribes. Sir William Johnson's attention was drawn to the subject at various times by the Indians themselves and he referrcd the matter to Lieutenant Governor Delancey in June of 1755. Hc says :-
"Sir Seth the head sachem of the Indians living near Shohary, and the leading sachems of the upper and lower Mohock Castles have made heavy complaints to me of the white people in those parts selling Rum to the Indians, repre- scnted the ill consequences thereof, and prayed that it may be prevented. Your honor I per- suade myself is sensible, this Selling of Rum to the Indians has been ever attended with fatal consequences to the publick Interest with them, and at this Juncture, must be more than com- monly detrimental. If an act of the Legislature cannot be obtained to prohibit this Salc of Rum to the Indians without any Limitation of Time, I do in the most earnest manner request your Honor, that you will apply to the assembly to form an act, with such Pains & penalties, against this Sale of Rum to the Indians, during the present situation of publick affairs, as may be (so far as possible) effectual to prevent it. Un- less such a law is made, and the observance of it secured in the strongest manner, the General Interest in my humble opinion, will infallibly suffer, and those measures now in agitation for the Honor of his Majesty's Crown, and the Security & Welfare of his Subjects in these parts, be greatly embarrassed.
"P. S. There should be a clause in the act to prevent Peoples buying their Arms Amunition Cloathing &c or Exchanging." *
" Those measures now in agitation " referred to, were in gaining the Indians' consent to assist in opposing the invasion of a French army that was threatened upon the Mohawk. Ever since the white man set his foot upon the American soil, every advantage has been taken of the Indians by them in trafficing worthless trash for such com- modities as were peculiar to the race, and which sold readily at high prices in the civilized world.
* Documentary History.
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