USA > New York > Ulster County > History of Ulster County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Vol. I > Part 43
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ANOTHER INDIAN TREATY.
The following notice of an Indian treaty is found on the Kingston records:
" Kingston, the 27th of April, 1677. Present, the Lord Governor, Cupt. Salsberry, Capt. Chambers, Mr. Hall, and the honorable justices. George Davis, interpreter.
"The honorable Governor has asked the Esopus Sachems, by name Senerakan, Pannerewack, Kaelkop, Ankerop, aul alnost all the Esopus Indians, men and women, young and old, if they had any pretense to the land we occupy, pursuant to the treaty made with Governor Nicolls. Having gone ort and held a short consultation, they returned, and Kaelkop said they did not understandl they had sold so far north, but were content we should have it, requesting the Governor to give him a blanket, shirt, and a loaf of bread. Here- upon the Governor asked Lim it he would be satisfied with that, and was answered yes, but if he wonll give him a patch it would be well. Then he and the other sachem . with all the savages, were told to describe the bounils just as they are and are now meant to be, and they spoke as follows: Beginning on the Roaduyt Kill, thenve to a kill nesued Kananhasinck, thenee sontherly abag the mountains to a kill named Magowasinek, from there to the second falls, thence east to Tendeyackamieck on the great river, thence south along the river to the Rowluyt Kill, with all what is thereon, good and bad. hill and dinle, waters, etc.
" There was also granted by the Governor to the interpreter. George Davis, the laud on this side of the Ron luyt Kill namel Ragawa-inck, from the limits of Frederick Hussey to a kill that runs in the Ron luyt Kill, or where a large rock lies in the kill.
" Kaelkop further states he has given the oldl sawyer his right to a kill namel Saeger's Kill, and the land along the river to the limits of the Catskill Indians and to the mountains above. The Governor asked the chiefs and all the other Indians if they were satisfied and it was true, and they an-werel yes; no one had any pretens . to it. Again, they, being asked if they would be satisfied with the afore- nawied payment answered yes, in full. When the Governor, in presence of all, paid haelkop the price stipulated-to wit : one blanket, one shirt, one loat of bread, o. e pitch, and yarn for a pair of stock- ings. All bring well contented, the Governor said further to them, he intendel to have the bounts followed for his satisfaction, and Kaclkop, with ether Indians, should go with him to give particular directions and have pay for the trouble; which they accepted with thanks, saying they wonbl be ready to do it at any time."
This treaty was signed by Kaelkop for the Magoasinch family or tribe; Ankerop, for the Kelsapray ; Wingawaes. for the tribe of Mahenic ; Panuerewack, for Kukatawis ; Seuerakan and Mamarok, all sacheus of the Esopus tribes.
RONDOUT.
We take the following extract from an article published in the Rondout Courier, Dec. 13, 1870, entitled " Ron- dout Forty Years Ago."
"The residence of Hon. Abraham Hasbrouck stood in what is now Gardeu Street, between the site of the post-office building and a row
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of sycamore tree- along the front of Mr. Jansen Hasbrouck's premi-es.
"Not far from the Hasbrouck house, on the site of the Masonic Hall building, was a large white house, afterwards destroyed by fire, a part of which only was occupied by a man named Brink (better known in those days as . Brinkte'), who was pilot of the sloop Martin Wynkoop,' which vessel, with the sloop . Albert Gallatin,' formed the freight and passenger line to and from New York.
"Across Division Street, from where Brink livet, somewhat in the rear of the present Mansion House, stood the residence of Major Swart, who had been a member of the State Legislature. This house was, on the Ist of May, 1>52, opened by James Me Entee aan hotel and called the Mansion House, being the first publie-honse opened in Rondout, and for many years the only one. Abont where the Thomas Cornell store- house now stands was a stone building, in which John D. Mollah kept store. The building was erected by Maj. Swart, who was something of an original. Mr. Middah afterwards occupied the okl stone store at the foot of Division Street, and in which II. Roosa, John Stratton, R. Ackley, M. C. More, and R. Devo were young elerks. In the block where Sherer's ant Sampson's buildings now stand were two old stwar buildings, one of which was occupied as a store by Alex- ander Snyder, and the other by Matthew Ten Eyck.
" These two buil lings were burnel in 1850, and were supposed to have been set on fire purposely by Snyder. Where Romer & Tremper's storehouses now are were the oll red and yellow store- houses of Mr. A. Hasbrouck, and from which the freighting was done. The yellow store still stands, with some additions and a coat of lea 1- colored paint. On the corner of Ferry and Division Streets, where House's store now is, was a little brick office which Maj. Swart oseu- pied, and afterwards Capt. Edward Snydam used for a tailor-shop an I post-otlice. Not far from the Mansion House, on what is now Lackawanna Street, was an old stone building, which the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company usel for an office until they built the stone office, which was toin down some years since.
" The original office building after the company vacatel it was oc- cupiel as a dwelling by James Murray, the father of the Murray boys, who was that 'noblest of God's works,' an honest man, arel set the good example which have made the suns such estimalde ertizens. On the site of the buildings, directly back of Mr. Jansen Hasbrouck's honse and grounds, stood the great, comfortable. roomy old bain- of his father, an I below the rock-eut of the Rondout and Oswego Rail- ruail, on which is now Hasbrouck Avenue, stond the obl red grist-mill, and opposite to it, in a corner of Mr. Hasbrouck's present gaiden, was the long, low oll stone farm-house in which lived his father's farmer and miller, and in which was hell the first religious service performiel in the village, and where met the first Sunday-school. On the bank offost. P. M.Givney's, between Division and Adams Streets, was a sinall frame house, known then as the Van Ginasbeck louise, but in more recent days as the George Adams house It has since been removed. These buildings composed the Strand or Kings- tun Landing, as the settlement was called from 1828 to 1829. In 18:2 tur first school-house was created at the foot of Warts Street, on a leder of rocks. Only three hundred dollars could be raised by dis- triet tix, Int; two hundred dollars more were subscribel anl the Leibling made large enough to hold divine service in.
". The first church & letice erected in the village was the Presbyterian, which was completel in 1835, but has since been enlarged. There was no road along the ereck from Ron lout to Eddyville until 1825 or 1836. Previous to that time to drive to Eddyville a person was con- pelled to go to Kingston, thence nearly to the Green Kill, where the mountain was erossel, and to Eddyville on the tow-path."
Another passage, from the work of David P. Mapes, already mentioned, adds a few incidents relating to Ron- dout :
" I took part in building up the town of Rondout, for after baviteg bren in the steamboat business for seven years, I concluded that I was well able to stay on shore, so I built me a fine residence over- looking the town and the river. It has been said that when the Quaker desires a eurse to befall an enemy he wishes that the spirit of building would possess huis, for he who possesses this spirit is suit to come to ruin. I have always been followed by the Quaker's eurse, for I was fond of seeing and making improvements. Ilave built too ruuch in every town in which I have lived,-too much for my
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CITY AND TOWN OF KINGSTON.
owu profit, but it helped make the town. Once, at Rondaut, after I lad laid up the stemmer for the winter, and my clerk had made out his bills and wus at leisure, he said to ine, 'I want to go al il and build a church.' 'What!' said 1, . build a Baptist church ?' he being of that denomination. 'Yes,' was his answer ; 'and what will yon give?' I toll bin that I would give a lot to build it on and $100; so at it he went with a subscriplion, and in a few days he had suffi- cient to build a small church. Hle then got a revival preacher Io visit us, and before the opening of navigation he not only had the church built, but had members enough to fill it. They had to cut the ico in the river to perform the rite of baptism. This clerk's name was Asa Eaton, and he is one of the young men to whom I have beretofore alluded as having started in life with me. Ile became one of the best business men in the country.
" While the Baptists were building their church, I spoke to the agent of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company of the success with which they had met, and he said, ' You have done so much for them ; why do you nost do something for us Presbyterians?' . You have already built a church,' I replied. 'Yes,' sal ! he : ' but it needs painting' ' Well,' replied I, 'start a subscription and head it your- self with a liberal sum, and it shall be done.' He did so, and at it I went, and it. thirty days the church was handsomely painted both inside and oul."
In illustration of the early settlement of Kingston, and as furnishing a variety of interesting material upon several topies, the following papers have been prepared.
OLD HOMESTEADS OF KINGSTON.
It is not possible to make a more complete and yet concise statement with reference to this most fruitful theme than by introducing the following address, delivered by Gen. George H. Sharpe, Dec. 20, 1875, omitting some of the introductory and explanatory portions :
I have recently read a description of the province of New York, written in the year 1695 by the Rev. John Miller, who, after " having been nearly three years resident. in the Province of New York, in America, as chaplain to his Majesty's forces there, and constantly attending the Governor, had the opportunity of observing many things of considerable consequence in relation to the Christians and Indians, and had also taken the drafts of all the cities, towns, forts, and churches of any note within the same." '. The places of strength are chiefly three,-the city of New York, the city of Albany, and the town of Kingstone, in Ulster." In regard to Albany, he states that "it is in circumference about six furlongs, and bath therein about two hundred houses." His full description of this village is as follows: " Kingston is the chief town of Ulster County ; lies on the west side of Hudson's River, but two miles dis- tant from it ; from New York eighty-six and from Albany sixty-four miles ; it is quadrangular and stockaded round, having small horn-works at convenient distances one from the other, and in proper places. It is in circumference near as big as Albany, but as to number of houses not above half so big; on the south side is a partienlar part, separated from the rest by a stockade, and strengthened by a block- house and a horn-work, wherein are about six guns."
It will thus be perceived that about the beginning of the eighteenth century Kingston had less than a hundred houses, and we may perhaps be able to trace the situation of most of theut. Among the maps accompanying the book is one of Kingston. The wortherly bounds of the stockade are of course North Front Street, the northeast horn-work or salient being at the junetion of North Front and East
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Front, where Mr. Frederick L., Westbrook's house stands. The northwest horn-work or salient I take to be about the corner of Frog Alley. The westerly line of the stockade runs along the elevated part of Green Street, and makes a junction with the southerly line at a salient near the man- sion of the late Jonathan D. Ostrander. The southerly line runs along what is now Main Street, and makes a salient with the easterly line near the site of the old las- brouck homestead, known of late years as the Schryver house, and the casterly line runs thence to North Front Street. The particular part separated by a stockadle from the rest, includes the church and adjacent burying-ground where the First Reformed church now stands.
There are upon the map six town gates : one on the cast, near the present site of Mr. Frederick L. Westbrook's, for access to the lowlands ; one on the north, about opposite to the head of Wall Street, for like access to the lowlands in that direction; two on the westerly side, to reach the meadows there; and two on the southerly side, leading to the commons in the direction of St. James Street. All this is extremely interesting, as we shall find by the enu- meration of the old stone houses standing about the begin- ning of this century that the general appearance of the vil- lage remained for a long period the same.
About the beginning of this century the lower part of North Front Street was a narrow causeway, barely afford- ing space for two wagons to pass each other. At the foot of the hill, and on the south side of the street, was the dam and pond, extending to where the Lucas turnpike now runs, affording water for the grist miill of Benjamin Bogor- dus. The inili stood about half-way between Frog Alley and the tannery, and was the means of supply for the whole country until about 180-4, when the dam was presented as a nuisance and drained.«
The first old house in this direction was the stone man- sion of Nicholas Bogardas, afterwards occupied by Peter E. Hasbrouck. and now owned by Mr. Sleight. The rocks back of the house were surrounded by luxuriant plum-trees, and the old gentleman was largely ocenpied in sallying forth, cane in hand and stunning Dutch oaths in his mouth, to drive away the boys, who then watched behind some neighboring haystack for his disappearance, when the play was recommenced as before. Beyond the residence of Nicholas Bogardus there was nothing to remark except the Steenbakery, or brick-yard, near the bridge, which fur- nished the first brick used in Kingston. Frog Alley, of which I have spoken, is the site of the old wagon-road to the rif or ford anciently used to cross to Brabant, by which all the country on the other side of the ercek was long known.
Coming casterly on the south side of the street stood the old beer-house, whose production was famous all over the State, -- a frame building not burned by the British because, it is said, a negro servant of the owner remained at his post, and, rolling out barrels of beer for the English troops, de- feated their purpose to fire the building.
Next and easterly is the house, on the corner of North
# The Dewitt mill, in what is now Rosendale, was much older. See chapter upon that town.
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HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Front and Green, of Solomon Sleght, known among the nick- names of the village as Suleiman the Magnificent. Next is the family mansion of the Hoffinans, a sturdy pile, which was said to have been fortified I do not believe that it was a fort or occupied the site of one. but, thus standing as it still does upon an eminence then commanding the palisades beyond the upper part, was probably prepared with embra- sures for the use of musketry, and frout these the citizens could easily reach the Indians assaulting the walls.
On the opposite side, the house now of Charles O'Neil was the residence of Joseph Gasheric, first surrogate of the county under the first constitution, holding the office for seven years, and, after two successors, holding it again from 1787 to 1806.
Next, and on the sante sile, is the house of Abraban B. Bancker, a most useful gentleman in the early political history of the State. He was clerk of the State Senate in 1784, and continued to be reappointed at every spececding session down to and including that of 1802, making a con- tinuous service during seventeen sessions.
Next is the little stone house, fronting Crown Street, where resided John Van Steenbergh, Jr., silversmith, whose father was called in the village nomenclature Alex- ander the Coppersmith.
From here there was nothing until you came to the old Wynkoop House, belonging to the father of Martin Wyn- koop, the stout sloop captain, which was afterwards rebuilt by Judge John Tremper early in this century in its present form, to which allusion has already been made as occupying the northeastern angle or salient of the ancient fortification. This was always considered a very fine house. John Trem- per was made first judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1810. He kept a phaeton, one of the four carriages then maintained in the village. Conrad Edmundus El- muendorph kept a carriage ; Col. Jacobus S. Bruyn, one of a Jersey pattern, having its entrance in the rear ; and James Hasbrouck, son of the colonel and brother of Judge Jonathan Hasbrouck, maintained a coach.
Returning to the Hoffman house, on the south side next easterly was De Wall's, still standing, the famous place of entertainment of old Kingston.
It was not a hotel, but took boarders from time to time, more especially during the sessions of the court. It, how- ever, containel a' capital ball-room greatly used in those old days. This house was the scene of assemblies or balls, which were given by the young people, the expenses being divided among them, and were very frequent in the winter- time. The music consisted of a single fiddle, and dress was always expected. At a later date still no gentleman was admitted except in dress-coat, white stockings, and pumps, unless he maintained the knee-breeches and silk stockings of an earlier day. A salver, with refreshments, was handed round after each dance, and these consisted of two kinds of cake and two kinds of wine,-Malaga, For the ladies, and Teneriffe, a species of Madeira now rarely found in the markets. Added to these was the popular drink of yin-sling, which our ancestors very much affected, and which, forsouth, ofttimes very much affected our ancestors.
De Wali was a native Hollander, who brought himself into good-humor with his guests in the evening by firing
off a volley of Dutch oaths at a colored boy in his service during the afternoon preparations for the ball.
Early in the present century, and certainly before 1804, a great fire originated in the Bancker barn. Driven by a high wind, it soon swept away the barn, then Hoffman's, and then De Wall's house. The burning embers were car- ried far and wide by the wind, and the church roof caught fire. Young Henry Hamilton, whose father's residence is mentioned below, reached the burning roof, tore off the burning shingles, and extinguished the fire. It is further related, as showing the intensity of the fire, that many trees in the Arm Bouwery showed scorched branches for some years.
The next house, on the corner of Crown Street, is one of the family landmarks of Kingston, and indeed, of the county,-the noble old mansion which was the scat of a widely-known hospitality, and in front of which little boys stood to gaze upon the soldierly figure of Lieut .- Col. Jaco- bus S. Bruyn. After the war Col. Bruyn was a member of Assembly in 1793 and 1799, and then a State senator for the next five years succeeding.
Passing castwardły on North Front Street, there is a small frame house, occupied carly in the century by one Ellsworth, and afterwards purebased by Abraham Meyer, of Sangerties, who received the appointment of surrogate in 1813. Then came the family mansion of Christopher Tappen. lately removed from the corner of North Front and Wall, one of the best houses in Kingston, and often occupied by Governor Clinton, Christopher Tappen's brother- in-law, in his frequent visits to a county in which he held the office of county elerk for many years from Dec. 12, 1700, and was five tintes Governor of the State.
There was no house between Christopher Tappen's and that now occupied by Dr. Van Santvoord, then the resi- denee of Gen. Armstrong, United States senator from this State, and who, while residing here for the better cducation of his children at Kingston Academy, was appointed min- ister to France. Gen. Armstrong occupied his leisure moments in writing for the Plebeian, and was a bitter opponent of Barent Gardenier, the leading Federalist of the day. This house enjoyed, also, the distinction of being ocenpied by the Sinte Senate during the first sessions of the Legislature at this place.
Next southerly, on East Front Street, is the large, fine house of Abraham Masten, now held by his descendants. Ilis house faces the precious lowlands, and it is interesting . to learn that near the beginning of this century Abraham Masten bought lowlands of the church, and paid for them £80 in gold, or $200 an aere.
Next, at the corner of East Front and John Streets, was the house and store of Capt. Thomas Van Gaasbeck. The house, of stone, stood with its gable-end to the street, the store, of frame, presenting its broad front and standing directly on the corner. Van Gaasbeck commanded a sloop that sailed every alternate week to New York, carrying freight and passengers, and by reason of his frequent ab- sences his wife, a very pretty woman, had charge of the store. lere was said to have lived old Louis Du Bois, -- Louis the Walloon. Capt. Tommy had the bad habit of getting aground at the mouth of the creek on each return
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CITY AND TOWN OF KINGSTON.
trip from New York, either due to the shifting channel or the shiftless navigators of those days, not certain which. The announcement of his arrival, as well as that of other sloops, was an event in the village. The news was com- municated from month to mouth, and was of more import- anee than the arrival to day of a steamer at Sandy Hook. Friends were expected to arrive as passengers, and per- haps relatives and other visitors with them. Accounts were looked for of the produce shipped to New York, and the returning cargoes were sure to enrich the cellars of the Dutch burghers with rum, molasses, and sugar, and to gladden the hearts of the young damsels with the latest novelties in petticoats. Then everybody bus- tled about the village, and citizens as well as merchants prepared their teams and hastened to the Strand to welcome the vessel and the cargo.
Between what are now John and Main Streets there was a small stone house, belonging to one Terek, which was re- moved not many years since, aud was occupied to a late day by the Rev. Mr. Barnes.
Next, and on the corner of Main Street, stands the old Beekman House, much changed in appearance. Opposite this, and known for many years past as the Sehryver honse, was the second town residence of Col. Abraham Ilasbrouck, the accomplished descendant of the Paltz Huguenot who some years before had removed from his Guilford home to Esopus. It was long the seat of a generous hospitality and must have been one of the best residences in the place, for as early as 1695, when owned by another family, it is par- ticularly set down upon the Rev. John Miller's map as the house where the Governor is entertained.
The iliary of Col. Hasbrouck, begun by himself in 1717 and going back in the history of his family to the two brothers Abraham and Jean, the first of the name to arrive in America, and continued to this day by himself and his descendants, is perhaps to be found with few parallels in the family records of this country.
There was nothing else on East Front Street. and from the Hasbrouck house going out on the Saugerties road ( then the Vauxhall) there was no house until you came to the stone residence of the ancestor of Peter Dumonel, facing the rear of the Academy Plains.
Beyond this, and on the other side of Albany Avenue, the house late of Jonathan D. Wilson was beautifully situ- ated in front of the second plains, and was the homestead of Cornelius Burhans, the father of Jacob Burhans and four sisters.
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A little farther ont is the handsome house of Jacob Ten Broeck, afterwards occupied for long years by Peter G. Sharpe. It is not strictly one of the old houses of Kings- ton, but was built in 1803 or 1804. During its crection, and while its scaffolding afforded means of amusement to the boys, they were then crowded one day upon a notable occasion. It was a holiday in the academy, and the ancient and dignified body of the trustees of the corporation went forth beyond the bounds of the village, on the Vauxhall road, to receive his Excellency Chancellor Livingston, lately returned from his mission to France. He came from his residence at Clermont, crossing the river at Saugerties, and was accompanied thence by a large number of citizens.
The chancellor had donated a large tract of land, mentioned elsewhere, to the village of Kingston, in sympathy for the disasters during the Revolution. His mission to France had been a successful one, and the gratitude of the citizens of Kingston stimulated them to offer him a public recep- tion. The trustees received him becomingly ; the proces- sion of the people in wagons and on horseback was imposing, and a profound impression was made by the appearance of the chancellor's own carriage, with its crimson trimmings. There was a great reception at Bogardus' tavern, a great speech by the chairman, a great reply by the chancellor, and then a great dinner, at which it is said there was " a big pig at the head of the table and little pigs all the way down.'
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