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 50
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It is only a woman's love to husband and family that will dictate such sacrifices of com- fort and happiness, and which is too often overlooked. Such self-denials show the true nobleness of the heart and character.
After they had passed a few lonely months in their rude house, one quiet morning their at- tention was drawn to the barking of a dog to the southward, which denoted a settlement.
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
They set out at once guided by the barking, and emerged from the thicket at Myndert's, upon the present Sharp farm. No doubt they were pleased to find an old settler, and more so to learn of the settlement farther south. Twenty-five years before, this family wandered off liere alone, and within that time had endured the horrors of the Revolutionary strug- gle as captives to the barbarous Tories and Indians, and lost the few personal effects which they had by industry and economy procured. But once more they were in peaceful possession of their home, and though humble " open wide" was the door to "lonely wanderers." There is a doubt whether a more hospitable people was ever known than the old stock of Germans that first settled Schoharie. A more free-hearted, sympathetic people never lived, and when the Malick's received a welcome to their fireside, we know it was a hearty one, such perhaps as Mrs. Malick in her homesickness had longed to enjoy.
Mr. Malick brought a span of horses with him, and there not being any clearing for past- ure, he took them daily to the Rhinebeck set- tlement for grazing. Late in the fall of 1785 he was upon the hill west of his house and heard some one chopping in a south-western course. He went to his hut and obtained his compass, and taking the "bearing" directed his steps by it, and found the Hiller family cutting logs for a house upon the present "Hiller farm," at Sharon Centre. The families im- mediately formed an acquaintance which ever after proved most agreeable.
During the year 1785 and up to 1800, the greatest influx of settlers occurred in this part of Schoharie and Montgomery Counties.
In 1788 Malick built a grist-mill upon the creek near his residence and for many years it was the only one between the Mohawk and West Kill, except a small " corn cracker," of which we will hereafter mention.
Here we can discern the genius that led this man to this isolated place. We perhaps thought it strange that any but an exile should make such a selection, as at that time large tracts of land were unoccupied nearer settlements, but in looking at the attractive mill site, and the
constant flow of immigration, we do not wonder that Malick, with a mechanical brain wandered and located here.
Mr. Michael S. Vanderveer, long a near neighbor and particular friend of Mr. Malick, informs us that he was a practical surveyor, and land being cheap throughout these parts, he con- ceived the idea of settling here to follow that avocation, but was led to build a mill, which employed the most of his time. After a very few years' residence, he built a better house upon the ground on which Arnold's public house now stands.
The town line between Carlisle 'and Sharon, made by Captain Thomas Machin, of Revolu- tionary fame, and his son, Thomas, Jr., in 1806, passed between the mill and the house in an oblique manner, leaving the former in Sharon and the latter in Carlisle. A frame house was built in the log hut's stead, and as the family became larger and the country more thickly settled, the building was enlarged, and Malick kept an old-fashioned inn.
In 1828 Mr. Malick built another grist-mill, of late torn down, and gave the property to his sons, Peter and Aaron. The former bought the latter's interest, and the father gave him fifty acres of land, which are still owned by his heirs.
Mrs. Orville Hodge, Mrs. Robert Ramsey, and Mrs. Henry Lyker, are grand-daughters of the first settler, and we believe, the only descendants living near the pioneer's home. Mr. Malick died October 7, 1834 ; Mrs. Malick died June 7, 1814.
John Hyney moved from Stone Arabia with his father, and settled at Gilbert's Corners in 1796. In 1817 he purchased the farm upon which he lived so many years. There was a saw-mill upon the opposite side of the stream from where the present one stands, and the road ran across below the mill. As the "Malick mill" began to fail to meet the requirements of the increasing grain-growing community, Hyney built the present "Carlisle mill" in 1838. Mr. Hyney was a soldier in 1812, in Captain Kel- logg's company with Aaron and Elias Malick, Charles Gordon, Abraham Wessel, and several others living near at that time.
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TOWN OF CARLISLE.
When the Erie canal was first put in opera- tion, Mr. Hyney built boats at Yatesville, taking the timber and lumber from his farm and mill, which in any other shape would find a poor market. It was but an example of his sagacity as a business man, which gained for him a large property. Mrs. Hyney is still living, and is over eighty years of age. She retains her faculties remarkably well after a long, indus- trious life.
We were pleased to meet with others here who have passed beyond the fourscore years, with minds strong, and forms erect and active. Luther Taylor, whose age is eighty-three, has the appearance of most men at sixty-five or seventy. He gave free scope to his retentive memory, at our visit, and would abaslı many younger men in recalling scenes and incidents with which he was acquainted in days long since gone by.
It is pleasant to meet such aged ones, when we find them free from the feebleness of mind and body that usually attends them. We are told that this little hamlet gained its appella- tion from the fact that so many copies of the Albany Argus were taken by the citizens. The post-office was established in 1840 and John Simmons Junfor received the appointment as Deputy. Previous to that, the mail matter for this place was obtained at Carlisle and Sharon. Argusville for many years past, has been as busy a little hamlet as could be found in the country, but at present it is rather dormant.
Dr. Samuel Pettingill was the first physician and was a very successful practitioner. He re- mained many years and finally removed to Amsterdam where he died in 1874. Dr. J. S. Herrick, of Duanesburgh followed in a very suc- cessful practice for the period of seventeen years but was stricken down with disease in the prime of life and died in the year 1872 much to the regret of a large circle of admirers. Upon Dr. Herrick's death, Dr. I. S. Lowell, a grad- uate of the Albany Medical school, and student of Doctors J. & S. VanAlstine settled here and is the present physician and is, as were his pre- decessors-of the allopathic school, and is meeting with that success due a careful, atten- tive and studious professional.
Several mercantile firms have been successful here. John Simmons we believe to be the first who was followed by Webster & Scott, Loucks & Co. and James Snyder. The latter amassed a fortune and removed to Illinois about the year 1855 and became an extensive farmer.
Orville Hodge came next in order, whose business qualifications and gentlemanly bearing, gained an unprecedented trade which enabled him to retire and hand over the business to Bellinger & Maloney in 1875. The latter firm was changed to Bellinger & Hyney, under whose management the only mercantile estab- lishment of the place was carried on for a while when Mr. Harvey Bellinger, as now, became the proprietor.
Theodore Nevills commenced the same busi- ness here and after a successful trade of six years, a conflagration swept his property away together with adjoining buildings which have not been replaced.
Hon. John H. Salsbury practiced law at this place for several years, after acquitting himself as a successful school teacher. He was town superintendent of schools several terms, beside County Superintendent from 1843 to 1845 and ever exhibited a lively interest in the cause of education. He represented the County in the Assembly in 1858, and removed to Sharon Springs where he increased his business and became a popular lawyer. He was a self-made man-studious in his profession, an energetic worker and a fluent speaker. After a lingering sickness he passed away and his remains lie here in the Lutheran cemetery beneath a plain marble upon which we read :
DIED AUG. 21, 1870, AGED 63 YEARS.
James Swarthout was for a long time a resi- dent and held the office of Justice for twenty- five years in succession and much to his credit as a jurist, not a single decision was reversed by higher courts and his labors, relating to his office were unequalled by any other in the County for the same number of years. They closed in the year 1876 as he became a resident of an adjoining county. He died January 20, 1881 aged seventy-two.
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
For several years Nelson Burnap was en- gaged very extensively in the tin and hardware business near the bridge, and was the most energetic man that the County produced, but by the lack of discretion his energy overbal- anced his business and the latter "collapsed," giving the village a shock which its business characteristics have not overcome. He was after a few years succeeded by M. Hoag whose business was purchased by Ezra Yates, now in trade.
Passing on from this quiet spot towards Carlisle village, we pass by the " Bear swamp," that was, to within a few years back a large miry level covered with black ash chiefly, and inaccessible only in winter time. From it emanates Flat creek that passes through Mont- gomery county, whose rapid flow has ever been partial to " contract bridges " and tax-payers' grumblings.
Many fine mill-sites are found along its course, a few of which have long been occupied. From whence, or how the swamp received the name we are unable to tell.
Nearing Little York we pass by the late resi- dence of Henry I. Moak, who served through the War of 1812 upon Long Island and in New Jersey, and removed from Albany county to this town in 1815. Mr. Moak was a genial gentleman of strict business qualifications, and held the office of "Justice of the Peace " nearly forty years, and represented the town in the Board of Supervisors in 1856. He was practical in his business relations and an able jurist, and served the people faithfully. He died in 1874, at the advanced age of eighty- four.
Carlisle Seminary .- In the fall of 1852 a joint stock company was formed to build a boarding-school, at the village of Carlisle, in which enterprise many of the prospering farm- ers and mechanics of the community engaged. The season following, the building was erected and furnished, at a total cost of thirty-two thousand dollars, to accommodate three hun- dred boarders. It contained a large chapel, several commodious recitation rooms, and all the conveniences of a first-class and successful institution.
Speculative excitement ran so high that the immense structure was conceived, erected, furnished and started with " bright prospects " in a few months' time. But ere the season of 1854 closed, the institution began to totter and soon proved a financial failure. It nearly ruined many of the stockholders. Several at- tempts were made to revive it, but each proved unsuccessful.
A long litigation followed between the trust- ees and stockholders, which proved a very ex- pensive affair and only crippled those engaged, the more.
The stockholders refused to pay certain debts which they contended the trustees con- tracted without power from and consent of them. The result was as in all other litigations that the attorneys engaged made the money. Several old and established mechanics and tradesmen were forced to part with their homes and seek new ones in the West, through the losses sustained in the building and failure of the Seminary. Among them was George Brown, who with his brother John W., for many years were engaged in wagon making and blacksmithing, and had become permanent and substantial business men.
The death of John W. Brown at an earlier date, removed one of those active, deep-minded men to whom communities are wont to look up to as superiors, without a display of pomposity, but reserved and unpretending. He was super- visor of the town in 1847, and had he lived, his abilities would have ensured a bright and use- ful official career.
The firm of S. P. & G. R. Shibley was seri- ously crippled, and while the former member sought a home in Missouri to regain his fortune, " Uncle George" delved early and late in the foundry for many years in his old age, to pay his honest indebtedness, which he did. He died at his native home, near Glen, Montgomery county, in 1872, assured by all to be "an honest man."
The Seminary building was taken down and a portion rebuilt as "Feathers' Hotel," at Rockville, and the remainder was drawn to East Worcester, Otsego county, to erect the "Thurber House."
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TOWN OF CARLISLE.
CARLISLE VILLAGE.
Carlisle village was, previous to the Seminary mania, a busy, self-sustaining place, but her citizens believing that there were "millions in it" with the sincerity of Colonel Sellers, depended entirely upon the school to make the place, and dividends large enough to support them, and let their less pretentious enterprises drop, and when the institution failed, the place be- came dormant and remained so for many years. At present its business is on the increase, and will cope well with many larger villages with which it is surrounded.
The Carlisle Foundry was established in 1846, by Paige & Woolson, and is at present owned and managed by George Dwelly, who makes a specialty in the manufacture of plows of various patterns, that are sent to all sections of the country. Having all necessary facilities, the enterprise bids fair to extend to greater pro- portions.
The steam, saw and grist-mill, erected upon the site of the "Cromwell stand," by Nicholas Hanson, in 1875, adds greatly to the business of the place. In 1875 the old "tavern" building was burned-it having been remodeled to a mill-and the present buildings took its place, which are furnished with a "run of stone," turn- ing lathe, planing machine, and buzz-saw, which work up from eight to ten thousand logs per annum.
The tin and hardware establishment of C. D. Becker, is fast giving evidence of extended prosperity. Several "peddlers" are started from' this shop who furnish tin and wooden- ware to a large section of country, while the home trade continues to increase through the proprietor's careful and determined manage- ment.
In 1802, Peter Becker, of Fox's creek, and his son, George, settled upon the farm now occupied by Andrew Relyea, and had made quite an inroad in the giant timber, when they were induced to rent, and purchase a farm upon the turnpike, which they did in 1819, and which is now owned by George Adams.
About that time a vast amount of spurious bank-notes flooded the country, of which
Becker, in his innocence, received and was obliged to lose, and which, coupled with losses in Continental money in his father's family, destroyed his confidence in paper promises to pay, and every dollar his industry and economy obtained was in gold and silver, which were carefully put away, and which through a long series of years, amounted to several thousand dollars. It being known that he was the pos- sessor of such treasures, a family named Sulli- van, Irish renegades, conceived the idea of relieving the old man of his precious care, and in the fall of 1849, upon a certain night, his house was entered by bursting an outside door open with a huge stone, and the accumulation of years was swept into the robbers' bags and carried away. In the morning the neighbor- hood was aroused and a posse tracked them to their very door.
The family suspected, consisted of Michael and his wife, a brother John and one son Dan- iel, at home; the remainder, several in number, worked at different places. Michael, John and Daniel were arrested and tried before Justices Moak and Osterhout but not finding Daniel guilty he was released. John escaped the constable under whose care he was placed and Michael was the only one sent to jail to be tried at the circuit court. Upon searching the house in which they lived a belt of silver was found in a bed, amounting to one hundred and sev- enty-five dollars, and in the spring following Phœbe and Lany Bassett found beneath a stone in a pasture lot the sum of eight hundred dollars which they delivered up to the Becker family and received one hundred and fifty dollars as a reward. The whole amount re- claimed would not exceed over one thousand dollars, while that taken was supposed to be about eight thousand dollars. Michael was convicted in March 1850 and sent to the States prison for ten years. There were tracks of three persons found along the route taken by the robbers but after Daniel's release no one was arrested upon suspicion. Never- theless a strong opinion prevailed that Mrs. Sullivan was the third party. While Michael was in jail she was admitted to his cell several times in the presence of the Sheriff, without any thoughts of mischief brewing; but one night the
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HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
jailor was aroused by the cries of a prisoner, and repairing to the jail it was found that Sullivan and others confined, were effecting an escape, and that a inore "sensitive" jail-bird was giving the alarm. Upon investigating, it was found that Mrs. Sullivan had stolen a saw- mill bar from a mill in Carlisle and had smug- gled it into the jail beneath an old style "mantle" or cloak. It was suspended by a cord to her neck and escaped the jailor's scrutiny.
The belt of money spoken of was found the next day, which was in readiness for Sullivan to take with him when his anticipated escape was effected.
George Becker was seized by the ruffians the night of the robbery, by the throat and held in a strangling grasp until the money was obtained and securely placed in the sacks. His life was nearly despaired of and months elapsed before he fully recovered. The father was blind and deaf with age and knew not of his loss un- til the robbers had left, and upon learning the fact he slowly sank away as if with a broken heart and died soon after.
Another daring robbery was committed in the village that was attended with boldness and strategy that deserves mention. On the night of January 1, 1873, the residence of J. H. Angle was entered by a burglar, while the fami- ly was absent a few minutes and took money to the amount of seven hundred dollars from the bed-room without molesting anything else, and not leaving a trace that would lead to detection. All efforts to obtain a clue to the guilty ones proved fruitless.
First Mill .- It has been thought the first mill in town was upon the farm now occupied by William and Walter Larkin, and known as the "Samp mill," but years previous to the erec- tion of it one stood in the north-east part of the town and was known as " Bryant's mill." It stood near the "Hilts Burton Bridge," and must have been built about the year 1790. Bryant, Stephen Crocker, (grandfather to Lewis and George Crocker,) David Lawton, Pierce Dwelly and - Montayne, came from Rhode Island, in 1788, and settled in this neighbor- hood upon lands still retained by their families.
Prior to the building of the latter mill, one Beauman (Bowman) built a grist-mill between Hamilton and Sosthenes Lawyer's homes, over a "rock hole," in which the water flowing from a swamp near, entered the ground. The water wheel was placed quite deep in the cavern and re- ceived the water from a shelving rock. This also was a "samp mill" i. e. without a bolting cloth and was used chiefly to grind corn.
At what time this mill was built we are un- able to say, but it must have been immediately after the Revolution and was unoccupied many years before it was taken down. The swamp from which the water flowed furnished a full supply, during and for some years after the war, but of late years as the lands surrounding have become cleared of timber, but little water accumulates excepting in the spring, when the outlet becomes clogged with snow and ice. Thus it will be seen that the first mill was the " Beauman," the second the " Malick," and third the " Bryant," and the fourth the "Samp mill," built by John Brown, and after owned by Blodgett, father of James F. Blodgett, of Cobleskill.
Mr. Malick's mill was the only one having a bolting cloth when first built. His mill also was furnished with a first-class "Sopus Stone," and was more like a mill of to-day than any other in this section of the country. As a proof of the fact, he made forty pounds of fine flour from a bushel of wheat, which we have been told other mills could not do.
The milling in early days was done on foot, with a small quantity at a time, and as the people became better able, on horseback. Here we may relate a little incident that hap- pened not far distant from our own neighbor- hood, to show a characteristic peculiar to the ancient Dutch, that of doing as their fathers did before them regardless of its impractica- bility.
A farmer's son was ordered to carry a bushel of corn to the mill on horseback, and the method was to put the grain in one end of the bag and a stone in the other, that would give nearly an even weight on both sides of the horse, thereby ensuring the rider of its safety in not slipping off. The young man objected to
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the stones and in their stead put in another half-bushel of corn, and after tying the bag caused an equal quantity to be placed in each end, and upon throwing it on the horse, proved or tried to prove, in a practical way that it would carry just as safely as if stones were used, and so much more grain taken. The father looked on with contempt, as a "new fangled notion," and ordered the boy to put the stones in the bag, asking him if he was not ashamed to think he knew "more ash your fadder or grandfadder did before you."
Caverns-Selleck's Cave .- There are several caverns in the town, the chief of which is upon the farm of Ira Young, and was discovered and explored by Prof. John C. Selleck, and bears his name. Its entrance is effected by a per- pendicular descent of nearly fifty feet; coming upon a level it bears off to the west of south, and from its ceiling the most beautiful transpar- ent stalactites are formed by the dripping waters of ages. Beneath are rare and curious shaped stalagmites upon the rock floor, rough and uneven. Many fine geological specimens are to be found within this ever dark aisle. Prof. McFail, of Carlisle Seminary, an accom- plished gentleman, met an untimely death at its entrance after exploring the cave with others, in 1853. The Professor was on the rope used to draw persons up from the pit, and coming in contact with the outer air he fainted and fell back stricking upon his head, which badly fractured the skull, and from which he survived only a short time. Since that time, few if any, visits have been made to the cave. Logs have been rolled in, and a small stream running to it has nearly closed the entrance, which will in a few more years shut from knowledge, except by tradition, its existence. Several streams in the town emerge from the fissures in the lime rock, and after running upon the surface a short dis- tance hide themselves, to appear again, perhaps miles away.
There are no doubt, many very attractive caverns within the town which are now, and forever will be unknown, wrapped in darkness and silence, save the gentle rippling of the pearly drops of water, that have been for ages and ages forming transparent pendants. In
these hidden caskets of nature, beautifully ar- ranged are earth's choicest gems, upon which, if the sun could but throw its light, the eye of man would be too feeble to behold.
CHURCHES.
Baptist Church of Argusville .- In the fall of 1837 a great revival meeting was held at this place by different denominations and not having any house of worship, steps were taken for the organization of a society and the building of a church. The Baptists being in the ascendancy, organized in September of that year under the pastorate of Henry Topping then pastor of the Leesville Baptist church. Nathan Seeley, of Carlisle and George Button, of Anns were chosen Deacons. An edifice was erected in 1838 and built by incurring a debt and by sub- scription from the citizens. The Baptists were to have the first privilege of the pulpit and when not occupied by them, other evangelical de - nominations had the right of use. In 1841 the first resident pastor was settled, being Merrett House of Sandlake, but who succeeded him we are unable to learn, as the records were not to be found, upon our visit. The tide of em- igration to the Western states from this local- ity began in 1847 and it told upon the Baptist membership to such a degree as to make it impossible to free the society of the building debt. Judgment was acknowledged and the building sold, the purchasers being Nathan Seeley in behalf of the Baptists and the Luth- eran society. Preaching by the two churches was enjoyed-alternately at first, but that of the Baptists soon ceased and the Lutherans alone occupied the house. Upon the building of the Lutheran church the old building was sold and removed-the seats and desk being now in use in the "Root Centre church."
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