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 61
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82
" The mark of John Jost Werner is as fol- lows to his neat cattle, sheep and swine to- wit-A hole through the right ear & the left ear cropt
JOHN JOST WERNER.
Recordid the 28th day of March 1799 HENRY BECKER, Town Clark."
380
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
" SCHOHARIE, Nov. 9th, 1799.
" This is to certify that there is a child born on the Twenty-fourth day of September Last of A Negroe woman, a slave, her name is Felora & the child is a Male Child & named Jack or John, the woman now belonging to the sub- scriber MARCUS BELLINGER or his
wife CHRISTINA."
SCHOHARIE, March 12, 1796.
"The following is the mark of Tobias Swart of his horn cattle .- The ends of both ears Cut off and then slits cut in both ears allso.
"Recorded the 12th day of March as above written, TOBIAS SWART."
Following the above is :-
"Broke into my inclosure the first day of June 1800 a large Read ox with a white face and a white spot on his left fore sholder and also his left ear cut of and a slit in the left ear. JACOB BECKER, JR."
In another book we find the following in re -. gard to the school money :-
" We the subscribers forming a board of Su- pervisors for the city and county of Albany held by adjournment at the City hall of the said city Do hereby certify, pursuant to an act of the legislature of the State of New York, en- titled an act for the encouragement of Schools passed the 9th day of April 1795- that there is alloted by the said board the sum of one hundred and thirty pounds-eleven shil- lings and eight pence-farthing to the town of Schohary For the uses and purposes expressed in said act.
Given under our hands and Seals this Seventh Day of July in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and ninety-five. JAMES V. RANSELAER,
JACOB WACHSTRASON, GARET ABEEL, MARCUS BELLINGER, JACOB WINNE,
NATH OGDEN,
LEONARD BROUKS,
PETER WEST, ARIE LAGRANGE, T. DUANE, HYAL CORY."
The above sum was the last drawn from Albany county for the support of Schoharie schools.
Much to the discredit of the several towns, the records of this town have been kept in much better taste and care than any other, and enable us to present the officials to date.
SUPERVISORS.
1767-Marcus Bellinger.
1768-Marcus Bellinger.
1769-Marcus Bellinger. 1770-Marcus Bellinger. 1771-Marcus Bellinger. 1772-Marcus Bellinger. 1773-Marcus Bellinger. 1774-Marcus Bellinger. 1775-Marcus Bellinger. 1776-Marcus Bellinger. 1777-Marcus Bellinger. 1778-Marcus Bellinger. 1779 -- Marcus Bellinger. 1780-Marcus Bellinger. 1781-Marcus Bellinger. 1782-Marcus Bellinger. 1783-Marcus Bellinger. 1784-Marcus Bellinger. 1785-Marcus Bellinger. 1786-Marcus Bellinger. 1787-Marcus Bellinger. 1788-Marcus Bellinger. 1789-Marcus Bellinger. 1790-Marcus Bellinger. 1791-Marcus Bellinger. 1792-Marcus Bellinger. 1793-Marcus Bellinger. 1794-Marcus Bellinger. 1795-Marcus Bellinger. 1796-Marcus Bellinger. 1797-John Ingold, Jr.
1798-John Ingold, Jr.
1799-John Ingold, Jr. 1800-John Ingold, Jr. 1801-Peter Swart. 1802-Henry Becker. 1803-John Ingold.
1804-Henry Becker. 1805-Henry Becker. 1806-Silas Tompson. 1807-John Ingold.
381
TOWN OF SCHOHARIE.
1808-Peter Swart.
1809-Peter Swart. 1810-Peter Swart. 1811-Peter Swart. 1812-William Dietz.
1813-Peter Swart.
1814-Henry Becker. 1815-Gideon Wilber. 1816-Peter W. Mann.
1817-Peter W. Mann.
1818-Peter W. Mann.
1819-Peter W. Mann.
1820-Henry W. Starin. 1821-Joseph Hunting. 1822-Joseph Hunting.
1823 -- Jacob W. Mann. 1824-Jacob W. Mann.
1825-Jacob W. Mann.
1826-John Swart.
1827-John Swart. 1828-John Swart. 1829-John Swart.
1830-Henry Hamilton.
1831-Henry Hamilton. 1832-Henry Hamilton. 1833-Henry Hamilton. 1834-Charles Goodyear. 1835-Charles Goodyear. 1836-Charles Goodyear.
1837-John C. Wright. 1838-Henry Hamilton. 1839-John S. Brown. 1840-John S. Brown. 1841-John S. Brown. 1842-Hiram Walden.
1843-Hiram Walden. 1844-Daniel Larkin. 1845-Charles Knox. 1846-John Griggs. 1847-David Dietz.
1848-Jacob Vroman. 1849-Jacob Vroman. 1850-Jacob Vroman. 1851-Albiness Hess. 1852-Albiness Hess. 1853-Albiness Hess. 1854 -· Albiness Hess. 1855-Jonas Kilmer. 1856-David Dietz. 1857-Gideon Schaeffer.
1858-Treat Durand.
1859-Ralph Brewster.
1860-Elijah Lawyer.
1861-Elijah Lawyer.
1862-William Winter.
1863-William Winter. 1864-William Winter. 1865-Peter S. Swart. 1866-William Winter.
1867-Elijah Lawyer.
1868-James O. Williams.
1869-James O. Williams.
1870-Francisco Wood.
1871-John W. Larkin. 1872-John G. Caryl. 1873-John G. Caryl. 1874-John W. Larkin. 1875-John W. Larkin. 1876-William B. Murphy.
1877-Ralph Brewster. 1878-Ralph Brewster. 1879-John W. Larkin. 1880-Hiram Schoolcraft.
1881-Jacob Rickard.
1882-Hiram Schoolcraft.
TOWN CLERKS.
1789-Johannes Dietz. 1790-Johannes Dietz.
1791-Johannes Dietz.
1792-Abram A. Becker.
1793-Storm A. Becker.
1794-Josias Swart. 1795-Josias Swart. 1796-Peter Borst.
1797-Henry Becker.
1798-Henry Becker.
1799-Henry Becker. 1800-Henry Lawyer. 1801-Henry Lawyer. 1802-Peter Vroman. 1803-Peter Vroman. 1804-William Dietz. 1805-William Dietz. 1806 -- Peter W. Mann. 1807-Peter W. Mann. 1808-Peter W. Mann. 1809-Peter W. Mann. 1810-Peter Vroman. 1811-Philip Sternbergh.
382
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
1812-W. W. Enders. 1813-Philip Dietz. 1814-Peter W. Mann. 1815-Peter W. Mann. 1816-John Lawyer. 1817-John Lawyer. 1818-John Lawyer. 1819-William Mann.
1820-John Budd. 1821-John W. Mann.
1822-John W. Mann.
1823-John Budd. 1824-John Budd.
1825-John Budd.
1826-Peter S. Swart.
1827-Peter S. Swart.
1828-Peter S. Swart. 1829-Peter S. Swart.
1830-David Dietz.
1831-David Dietz.
1832-David Dietz.
1833-David Dietz. 1834-David Dietz.
1835-Jeptha R. Simms.
1836-Jeptha R. Simms.
1837-Jeptha R. Sinıms.
1838-Jacob G. Mann. 1839-Jacob H. Smith.
1840-Gideon W. Eaton. 1841-Moses Young.
1842-Moses Young.
1843-James France. 1844-Albiness Hess. 1845-Amasa Gibbs.
1846-Cornelius VanDyck.
1847-S. P. Swart.
1848-S. P. Swart.
1849-S. P. Swart.
1850-S. P. Swart.
1851-S. P. Swart.
1852-S. P. Swart.
1853-S. P. Swart.
1854-S. P. Swart. 1855-Philip Deyo. 1856-Sylvanus Sweet. 1857-Loring Andrew. 1858-S. P. Sweet. 1859-S. P. Sweet. 1860-James A. Bouck. 1861-James A. Bouck.
1862-Julius Rowley.
1863-Julius Rowley. 1864-Julius Rowley. 1865-Cornelius Bailey. 1866-Cornelius Bailey. 1867-William O. Root. 1868-Willianı O. Root.
1869-John Sweet. 1870-Philip Deyo. 1871-John Sweet.
1872-John Sweet. 1873-Philip Deyo.
1874-John Sweet. 1875-Philip Deyo. 1876-Philip Deyo.
1877-Jacob E. Mann.
1878-Jacob E. Mann. 1879-Jacob E. Mann. 1880-Jacob E. Mann. 1881-Jacob E. Mann.
1882-H. R. Brown.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Marcus Bellinger, 1794.
Lawrence Schoolcraft, 1797.
William Monger, 1797.
Cornelius Seabury, 1797.
Peter Swart, 1797. Ralph R. Phelps, 1799.
Jacob Schoolcraft, 1800.
Henry Becker, 1802.
Silas Tompson, 1803.
Abraham Sternbergh, 1804.
David Ball, 1805.
Harmonus Bouck, 1809.
John G. Watson, 1809. Jabez W. Throop, 1811.
Isaac Barber, 1815. Olney Briggs, 1817. Daniel Larkins, 1817 to 1828.
Jeremiah D. Tompson, 1821.
John I. Dominick, 1821 to 1825.
John Lawyer, 1822 to 1827. Alexander Crookshanks, 1822.
W .. L. Candee, 1824.
John Swart, 1828.
Ezra Gallup,* 1828 to 1831. James Burnet, 1828 to 1831.
* The first elected on regular ticket.
383
TOWN OF SCHOHARIE.
Daniel Larkin, 1833.
Olaff H. Williams, 1837. David Miles, 1838.
John I. Dominick, 1839. Asahel Billings, 1840.
Ezra Gallup, 1841. John Gebhard, Jr., 1842. Charles R. Gorden, 1843. James B. McMasters, 1846. Ralph Brewster, 1847.
Ezra Nethaway, 1847.
George Westonhouse, 1848.
Elijah Dickinson, 1849.
Jacob A. Crounse, 1850.
Peter Mann, 1850.
A. B. F. Pond, 1851. Peter Mix, (to fill vacancy) 1852 to 1853. Christopher Wetsel, 1852.
Henry Wilsey, 1854.
Joseph Williams, 1855.
Ralph Brewster, (to fill vacancy) 1855. Daniel Larkin, (to fill vacancy) 1856. John Gebhard, 1857.
Ralph Brewster, 1858.
J. O. Williams, 1859 to 1863. Peter Nethaway, 1860 to 1864. John F. Shafer, 1861 to 1865. Ralph Brewster, 1862 to 1866. William B. Murphy, 1865 to 1869. Smith W. Haskins, (to fill vacancy) 1865. John D. Wilsey, 1866.
Peter A. Loucks, (short term) 1866.
Smith W. Haskins, 1867. G. G. Mann, 1868. John F. Shafer, 1870.
Jacob Enders, 1871 to 1874.
William H. Barton, 1872 to 1880. M. L. F. Bachman, 1876 to 1880. Otis Guffin, 1879.
· Jesse W. Smith, 1880.
BOUNDARIES.
The original bounds only, are on file, and from them Esperance and Wright have been taken.
A final act passed April 12, 1813, for the division "of the counties of this State into towns," thus defines the town then formed :-
" And all that part of the County of Schoharie, beginning at a point in the west bounds of the county of Albany, two miles southerly of the place where Fox's creek intersects said west bounds, thence westerly to the place where Weaver's Stony creek originally emptied itself into the Schoharie creek, and thence westerly to the place where the Cobleskill road crosses the Punch Kill, thence with a straight line to a point in the north bounds of the county five miles westerly of Schoharie creek, thence along the bounds of the county easterly and southerly to the place of beginning, shall be and continue a town by the name of Schoharie."
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
HON. STEPHEN L. MAYHAM.
Stephen L. Mayham was born in the town of Blenheim on the 8th day of October, 1828. His father, John Mayham, was of Irish origin, his parents having emigrated to this country from Ireland and settled in Troy about 1790. His mother, whose maiden name was Betsey Fergu- son, was of Scotch descent.
The subject of this sketch is the third son of
a family of thirteen children, and was reared upon a farm, where he was taught those lessons of industry which have made their impress upon his life and laid the foundation of the success that he has since achieved. His early education consisted of a term of two or three months in a district school, during the winter sessions, the balance of the year being devoted to farm
384
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
labor, together with one or two years of evening instruction by a competent person employed by his father as a family teacher in the home upon the farm.
When about eighteen years of age, he com- menced teaching in a district school in the winter, and continued his labors upon the farm, in the summer, besides attending a select
ALTALF
S. L. May han
school a short time in the autumn months. In that way he acquired a fair English education.
At the age of twenty years, he entered the law office of Samuel W. Jackson, since a Justice of the Supreme Court, but then practicing law at Gilboa. After reading law one year in Mr. Jackson's office, he went to Ithaca, Tompkins county, and there entered the office of Love & Freer, where he remained until 1847, when he
was admitted to practice in all the courts of New York State.
After remaining another year in the office of his preceptors at Ithaca, he returned to his native County and located in the practice of his profession. Although remote from the county- seat, and in a community affording but a small amount of litigation, he soon succeeded in establishing a good country practice, and ac-
385
TOWN OF SCHOHARIE.
quired a favorable rank among the members of the Bar in the County.
Mr. Mayham was elected superintendent of schools two years, and supervisor of his town for three successive years, the last time without opposition. In 1859 he was elected District Attorney of Schoharie County for a term of three years, and so satisfactorily discharged the cluties of that office, that without effort or solicitation on his part, he was elected as Member of the Assembly from his County, and entered upon the duties of that office January 1, 1863, his official term as District Attorney having expired December 31, 1862.
In 1866, he was nominated by the Demo- cratic party for the Senate in the 15th Senato- rial district, against Charles Stanford of Schen- ectady, by whom he was ·defeated. In 1868, he was elected in the 14th Congressional Dis- trict, consisting of Albany and Schoharie coun- ties, to the 41st United States Congress, during which session he served as one of the Commit- tee of private land claims and the expenditures of the State and Postoffice department.
In 1878 Mr. Mayham was elected to the 45th Congress from the counties of Schoharie, Greene and Ulster, comprising the 13th district and served on the Committee for the District of Columbia, as Chairman sub-committee of Ways and Means, and on the Committee of Expendi- tures of the State department, etc.
He was also, at one time, President of the Schoharie Valley Railroad, and for the last eight years has been president of the board of educa- tion of the village of Schoharie, where he is now residing, and devoting his time to the practice of law, in partnership with his son.
Mr. Mayham was united in marriage with Julia Martin, a grand-daughter of General Free- gift Patchin of Revolutionary fame, who was largely identified with incidents of that war in Schoharie County. To them were born seven children, four of whom are now living.
PETER · S. SWART, M. D.
The subject of this brief memoir was a son of General Bartholomew Swart, of Schoharie, and was born July 15, 1801. His early life was spent upon his father's farm near the village of Schoharie, and lie was educated at the village school.
About the year 1820 or 1822, he began read- ing medicine with Doctor Cornelius VanDyck, and subsequently read with Doctor March, of Albany. In 1824, he was graduated from the medical college of that city, and soon there- after commenced the practice of medicine in Schoharie.
Dr. Swart was twice married ; his first wife was Maria Snyder, of Schoharie, to whom he was married in 1824; and his second wife was Eva Eliza Michaels, with whom he was united in marriage in 1869. The latter was a daughter of the late William G. and Maria Lawyer Mi- chaels. She is an intelligent and estimable lady, and is still residing in the village of Schoharie. Both of the Doctor's wives were great-great- grand-daughters of Johannes Lawyer, the first of
386
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
the family bearing that name, who came to America, from Durlech near the Rhine, in 1717.
Dr. Swart was also a descendant of Johannes Lawyer, his mother being a daughter of the great landholder of that name. The Doctor was County treasurer of Schoharie County for two succes- sive terms, and also treasurer of the village of Schoharie, several times. In politics he was a Democrat. He was a member of the Reformed Church.
CHAPTER XXIII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF COBLESKILL.
GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS-HISTORICAL INTER- EST-ORIGIN OF COBLESKILL-TRADITIONS- FIRST SETTLEMENT - BROWN'S . MILL AND STREAM-OMEN OF DANGER-DEVASTATION OF THE VALLEY AFTER THE BATTLE-FLIGHT OF THE SHAFER AND BROWN FAMILIES- COBLESKILL MILITIA --- WHIPPING TORIES- BUILDING A FORT-INYASION BY INDIANS AND TORIES - TAKING PRISONERS - ESCAPE OF LAWRENCE LAWYER-FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE- LAMBERT LAWYER - JACOB L. LAWYER - MRS. J. L. LAWYER-COURTER MANSION- CHARLES COURTER - DEATH OF LAMBERT LAWYER-SALE OF THE HOUSE AND FARM - AUGUSTUS C. SMITH - HOTELS AND INNS - COMMERCIAL HOTEL - EARLY MERCHANTS - LUTHERAN CHURCH
REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH - METHO- DIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - OLD FAMILIES-MRS. BORST-THE SCHAEFFER OR SHAFER FAMILY -VAN DRESSER FARM-RICHTMYER FAMI- LY - CAPTAIN BROWN - HENRY SHAFER- BERNER SETTLEMENT-DOCTOR WERNER- BERNERYILLE - ITS BUSINESS INTEREST --
CARY'S MILL-KILMER SETTLEMENT-WET- SEL FAMILY-BRAYMAN'S MILL-HOWE'S CAVE -PUNCHKILL-SCENERY ON THE ROAD WEST -MINERAL SPRINGS-PAUL SHANK ---- METH- ODIST CHURCH OF MINERAL SPRINGS-LAW- YERSYILLE-FIRST SETTLERS-ANGLE FAMILY -YOUNG FAMILY - GENERAL DANA - HIS LIFE-JOHN REDINGTON-WILLIAM ELMAN- DORF-JARED GOODYEAR-ISAAC H. TIFFANY -THOMAS LAWYER - JEDEDIAH MILLER- DOCTOR SHEPHERD - SHUTTS FAMILY - THOMAS SMITH-HENRY SMITH-J. H. RAM- SEY - WILLIAM H. YOUNG - CEMETERY- WAKEMAN FAMILY-REFORMED CHURCH- LUTHERAN CHURCH-EARLY MERCHANTS- PHYSICIANS-LEGAL FRATERNITY-PAST AND PRESENT-MANUFACTURING INTEREST-MA- SONIC SOCIETY-GOOD TEMPLARS-G. A. R. POST NATIONAL BANK - FORMATION OF THE TOWN -- FIRST OFFICERS-SUPER- VISORS-EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE COURT HOUSE-BOUNDARIES.
THE town of Cobleskill possesses peculiar attractions, particularly to the Geologist and Historian. The greater part is underlaid with limestone, in which is detected the various changes that nature has made through countless ages, and presents fossiliferous strata that are well worthy the researches of the enquiring student.
The mighty changes nature has wrought through the far back centuries have left im- mense fissures in these rocks that are the won- der and admiration of the world.
Within their dark recesses are found the most beautiful stalactitical formations which the drip- ping waters of ages have slowly and tastefully arranged by percolation through the rock above, as well as other mineral deposits pecu- liar to such caverns, all of which are worthy the attention of the student, and have attracted such from all parts of the educated world.
The historical interest that clusters along the Cobleskill is deep and of such a nature as to ex- cite one's sympathy and patriotism. Here was
387
TOWN OF COBLESKILL.
a border settlement, during the struggle for liberty-of staunch patriots, whose valor and stability, under the most withering circum- stances, have but few equals and no superiors. Along the valley, devastation and death, by the hand of ruthless Tories and Indians-rudely swept, and blighted the hopes and aspirations of many happy firesides-saturated the soil with patriots' blood, and laid the beautiful and pros- pering vale in waste !
Here, too, many scenes and incidents of other times occurred that are of interest, which we will from time to time notice as we unroll the scroll upon which the past has written with a truthful pen.
The name of the stream, town and village, at present is written Cobleskill. From what orig- inated the word and its meaning is not definitely known.
Many traditionary tales are told by the oldest families and documents as to its origin, but the one that has been given credence, is from the late Judge Brown, as stated in his pamphlet his- tory of Schoharie published in 1823.
He says :-
"So called after the name of a man who cleared a spot at the outlet under the pretence of building a mill thereon, but was never brought about, but by the Indians was called Ots-ga- vaw-ge."
Author Simms visited the Judge a short time before he died and was told by him "he had been there to mill." It is very doubtful to us that a mill was built where conjectured.
There was a small mill built by John Peter Kneiskern upon a rivulet, as we mentioned in the Esperance chapter, near William Shout's work kitchen about the year 1740, and it was in use up to the time of the Revolution, and was no doubt burned by Colonel Johnson and Brant, October 17, 1780. We think as memory carried the Judge back upon Mr. Simms' visit, he being very aged and somewhat in his dotage, the Kneiskern mill was the one he visited and that he was correct when he wrote his pamphlet history. . The man that received the credit of building that mill, and others in the Schoharie district, was Jacob Kobell.
The Schaeffer tradition is to the effect that
the cows of the first settlers were pastured along · the creek and one or more of each herd having a bell attached to the neck, for the purpose of finding them, led the settlers to give the stream the name of Cow-bell Kill-kill meaning creek.
Another family states that owing to the bed of the creek in many places being covered with round stone, it was called Cobble Kill. While the late John G. Young. whose ancestors came at an early day said "I was informed by my grandfather and other old settlers, that there lived an old Indian near the West Kill junc- tion, whom the people called Cobus, and they gave his name to the stream." Turning now from tradition, we will glance over old docu- ments that speak plainly and bear strongly towards Mr. Young's idea, and then leave our readers to draw their conclusions.
The oldest writing that we have had the pleasure of examining that alludes to the stream bears the date of 1728 and uses the creek as a boundary and calls it Cobus. A royal land grant now in the possession of Tiffany Lawyer, bearing date of 1753, also speaks of the stream as Cobus "or as the Indians call it Ots-ha-le-ga" and still at a later date when the boundaries of the town were described in 18or by act of the Legislature, we read Cobuskill and the town re- ceiving the name of Cobelskill. Thus we see the original name of the stream was Cobus kill while the town and village has borne the name of Cobels and Cobleskill. It was formerly thought that the West Kill was the main stream instead of being a tributary.
Johannes Schæffer of Ulster county, pur- chased six hundred acres east of the present village, in 1749, and in the year following, his son John, and Peter his nephew, settled upon it. At the same time Jacob Borst settled upon the south side of the creek, opposite the Schæffer brothers. John built a log house where Mrs. Peter Lawyer's fine residence now stands, and Peter built to the west, across the brook, near where Charles Hamilton now resides. Johannes Schæffer was a large land holder as will be seen by many of the old titles, and whether he was a relative of the Schoharie Schæffers or not we are unable to tell. In after years, they became connected by the daughter of Peter marrying
388
HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY.
Christian H. Schæffer, the father of the present Gideon, Martin L. Jacob H. and Mrs. Russell.
John was long known as Hans Schaeffer, and built the Mrs. Lawyer mansion for an inn, about the year 1815, and for many years was a respected "host."
The orthoepy of the family name is Schaeffer but that branch of the family found in and around Cobleskill have changed it to Shafer and Shaver.
In 1752 Jacob Borst and Johannes Lawyer, 2d, of Schoharie purchased the lands to the west of Schaeffer's and Borst's, upon which the village now stands and an addition was made to the settlement from Schoharie and Middle- burgh -- They were Lawrence Lawyer, son of Jacob Frederick Lawyer, ist, John Bouck, George Ferster and John Frimire.
About the year 1765 Christian Brown, brother of the late Judge Brown, settled upon the farm now occupied by James Becker, and built a saw and grist-mill, which was the only one west of Schoharie creek.
It was a small affair as most of the mills were of that day in the border settlements, merely cracking the grain, leaving the flour and bran to be separated by the ingenious matron. A bolt was placed in the mill after the Revolution but being ignorant of conveyers to carry the grinding from the stone to the bolt, it was car- ried in a basket and fed from a hopper. Indian corn and wheat were the chief products of the soil, the former being used chiefly for subsistence from the fact that it was easily prepared.
Brown's Mill was placed nearly opposite Mr. Becker's residence upon the south side of the stream that issues from a fissure in the rock after following a hidden path for several miles.
Several streams in the town of Carlisle flow in the fissures, so abundantly found in the lime rock strata, and it is believed that all of them, with but one exception, unite in emerging at this place. The prominent feeder is a swampy pond lying to the west of Carlisle village, known as " Shank's Pond." The water enters a crevice in the rock upon the east bank, over which is placed a saw-mill, and runs beneath hills and valleys the distance of nearly two miles and ap- pears above ground, upon the lands of William
Brown. Being utilized here again by another mill, it passes on one-fourth of a mile, and again seeks its underground course, to emerge as before stated at Becker's.
This may be called the main stream and is fed during the fall and spring months, by another swamp lying south of Carlisle village upon the farms of Henry I. Ottman and Jabob H. Kneis- kern, known as the "Cranberry swamp." This underground tributary joins the one before men- tioned, before it emerges at Brown's mill, as a succession of indentures may be traced upon the surface beneath which the water flows. Still another swamp upon the north side of "Owelus Sowlus" or Karker's mountain upon the lands of Adam Lawyer, during high water seasons is drained of its surplus by a similar fissure, and helps swell the volume that here bubbles up from the rock-bound cavern.
During the Revolution, the people of the val- ley were continually on the alert for Indian in- vasions, and kept scouts out along the border to watch for their appearance and the move- ments of the Tories, and when they were de- tected lurking around, the women and children were sent to the lower fort at Schoharie or the middle at Middleburgh, much depending upon the location of relatives, with whom they could visit. Household valuables were also removed there for safe keeping, if not buried beneath leaves or brush in the forest or secreted in hollow trees.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.