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 71
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Other societies of the same order exist at Rosendale, Stony Hollow, and Jockey Hill. The Rosendale society has a membership of 200.
KINGSTON COUNCIL, No 63, ROYAL TEMPLARS OF TEMPERANCE.
This society was instituted Sept. 6, 1878, by J. II. Gil- bert, Grand Lecturer. The first officers were, Select Coun- cilor, Oliver C. Webster ; Vice-Councilor, Jacob D. Ter- williger: Recording See. and Financial See., George P. Davison ; Treas., Apollos H. Decker; Past Select C., Charles B. Safford; Chap., Julins A. Curtis; Herald, Millard F. Van Voris ; Deputy Herald, Abram Elmendorf; Guard, Henry A. Stone; Sentinel, Jame, HI. Dumont ; Med. Ex., J. D. Terwilliger; Trustees, Simon S. Westbrook, Jacob D. Terwilliger, Charl , P. Safford. The presiding officers since, Select C., Jacob D. Terwilliger and Nicholas
E. Brodhead. The present officers (May, 1880) are, Seleet Councilor, Nicholas E. Brodhead; Vice-Councilor, Abraui Elmendorf ; Sec. and Financial Sec., Millard F. Van Voris; Treas., Apollos H. Decker; Chap., Alfred Hendler; Past Select C .. Jacob D. Terwilliger; Herald, Frederick Schreiber ; Deputy Herald, William HI. Sleight; Guard, William Mc- Kinlay; Sentinel, Oliver C. Webster.
Dec. 17, 1879, at two P.M., council-rooms were destroyed by fire, and lost all books and charter, etc. The council numbers at present 66 active members.
KINGSTON CHORAL UNION.
This was an organization intended to promote musical culture in this city. . There was not, however, enough interest taken to secure for it any great degree of success, and the attempt to sustain it was abandoned. Its recent officers were Rev. C. W. Camp, President; Charles W. MeKowu. Sec .; M. S. Dowus, Musical Director.
PRATT POST, No. 127, G. A. R.
This organization was made Nov. 12, 1879, and the post numbers TO members. It was named in honor of Col. George Pratt, who lost his life in the war for the suppres- sion of the Rebellion. The officers of this new institution are James II. Everett, Commander ; Martin Snyder, Senior Vice-Commander ; Henry D. Baldwin, Junior Vice; Com- mander ; A. T. Douglass, Surgeon ; G. L. McEntee, Ad- jntant ; P. J. Flynn, Quartermaster; Hector Sears, Chaplain.
THE FREE READING-ROOM,
on John Street, opposite the Winters bookstore, is an en- tery rise kept up by the ladies of Kingston, who annually raise by subscription the money necessary for its support. The leadership and management is nearly impersonal, there being little or no formal organization.
THE REFORM CLUBS,
or Red Ribbon clubs, grew out of the new temperance movements a few years since, and have been quite success- ful in their appropriate work.
WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNIONS, in Rondout and Kingston, are also engaged in similar tem- perauce efforts.
THE LAW-AND-ORDER LEAGUE.
This is an organization of considerable note at the present time. It aims simply at the enforcement of the laws with reference to the sale of intoxicating drinks. Its temper- ance platform presents only moderate views, requiring no pledge of total abstinence, making no opposition to the licensing of actual necessary hotels in accordance with the requirements of the statutes, but insisting on restricting the right to sell within the narrow limits allowed by those statutes. Its present officers (May, ISSU) are the follow- ing : President, Augustus HI. Reynolds; First Vice-Presi- dent, James G. Lind ley ; Second Vice President, Simon S. Westbrook ; Treasurer, Edward B. Newkirk ; Record- ing Secretary, G. R. Adams; Corresponding Secretary, Francis A. Waters. Ward Committees : First Ward, J. B. Roe, L. L. Crounse ; Second Ward, Benj. L. Walker, Charles Van Aken; Third Ward, D. B. Abbey, Charles -
Char Forhendo
Ilis grandfather, Charles Brodhead, came to America about the middle of the eighteenth century and settled in Shawangunk, Ulster Co. Of his eight brothers who came with him, some of them settled in Milford, Pa., and others in New York State. Ile lived in that town the remainder of his life; was quite a large owner of slaves, who worked on his farm.
Of his five sons and three daughters, Oliver was third son and father of our subject, born in the town of Shawan- gunk, and married Doreas Hallock, of Marlborough, whose parents belonged to the society of Quakers. After his marriage he settled in Plattekill, where he carried on his trale as a millwright, but devoted most of his life to agri- cultural pursuits. He purchased and raised slaves, but prior to the abolition of slavery by the State government he gave his slaves their freedom, found them employment and supported them during their lives. He died at the age of seventy-three, and his wife at the age of sixty-six. His children were Charles, Edward H., of Milwaukee, Rich- ard (deecased), Daniel (deceased), Oliver (deceased), and Susan, widow of the late Samuel Church, of New P'altz.
Charles Brodhead, born in the town of Plattekill, Aug. 1, 1S06, spent his boyhood on the farm and attending school, and for two years was a student in Jacob Willett's private school, at Nine Partners, N. Y. At the age of eighteen he went to New York, where he was a clerk in a grocery house for two years. In 1821 he came to Kings-
tou, and for two years was a student in the Kingston Academy, then conducted by Amasa Parker, father of Judge Amasa J. Parker, of the Supreme Court.
For several years following Mr. Brodhead was a clerk for Middagh & Couch, of Roudout, engaging a part of the time as captain of a sloop running from Roudout to New York. In 1832 he started business for himself at Port Benjamin, in the town of Wawarsing, where he remained until 1847; when, having been elected sheriff of Ulster County in the fall of 1846, he removed to Kingston, where he has since resided. Since his residence in Kingston he has served as under-sheriff for three terms, and in 1880 is serving his second term as deputy-sheriff.
For one year Mr. Brodhead was captain of a steam pro- peller on the river, and for several years was captain of a steamboat for Major Cornell plying between Rondout and New York. Mr. Brodhead is well known to the people of Ulster County as a man of strict integrity in all the offi- cial duties of the office he has so long had the honor to en- joy, in the discharge of which his fitting ability and cour- teous ways have ever won the confidence of both political parties whom he has represented either as sheriff or deputy.
He married, in 1834, Anna Eliza, daughter of John M. Van Keuren, of Kingston, N. Y., who was born Nov. 14, 1804, and is a member of the First Reformed Church in Kingston. Their children are John C. and Frances E., wife of William HI. Turner, of Kingston.
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CITY AND TOWN OF KINGSTON.
Staples; Fourth Ward, II. Fowks, Joshua Demby ; Fitih Ward, P. Weaver, Lorenzo Short; Sixth Ward, A. A. Crosby, P. B. Warner ; Seventh Ward, James S. M-Entee, A. Mauterstock; Eighth Ward, James Herdman, Thomas Beekman ; Ninth Ward, John R. Freer, P. Measter.
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
A preliminary meeting to effect an organization of this society in Kingston was held Sept. 9, 1876. Rev. A. E. Schepaioes was called to the chair, and James Scott elected secretary. A constitution was adopted, providing that the active and voting membership should consist of persons who are members in good standing of some evangelical church, and persons of good moral character might be elected to associate membership. The object of the society was declared to be " to seek out of the young men of Kings- ton and its neighborhood, and to bring them to a saving faith in Christ, and to enlist them in active work for Him." The charter members were 30, including several pastors of churches ; and Dr. Myers, James A. Talmage, J. T. Oster- houdt, Walter C. Myers, Evander Youngs, James II. Du- mont, Grenville Finger. Charles V. Du Bois, Frank S. Thompson, Edward P. Snyder, James .Scott. Marion T. Conkling, A. S. Bash, Nelson Longyear, Heury B. In- gram, Charles Lewis, Theodore D. Lewis, MI. Westbrook Snyder, Beekman Jansen, James O. Merritt, George B. Merritt, Charles B. Safford, A. Beekraan. Decker Brock- holst, L. Brodhead, James Brink, Richard Dewitt, Charles Burgevine, Jr.
The first officers were Andrew E. Schopmoes, President ; James HT. Dumond, First Vice- President ; Charles B. Safford, Second Vice-President ; George B. Merritt, Third Vice-President ; Ilenry B. Ingram, Sec. ; Edward T. Otis, Assistant Sec. The various standing committees common to similar associations were appointed, viz. : 1st, con- Inittee on devotional exercises ; 2d, committee to visit the sick, and also to seek out strangers and introduce them to the privileges of the association : and third, a com- mittee ou general missionary work. During the few years of its existence the society has made considerable progress in carrying forward the work thus planned, though for lack of funds has not been able to do all that might be desired. The society has had free reading rooms on Wall Street, with a library of some 300 vobanes, together with news- papers and magazines. The present rooms are over the office of John E. Van Etten, on John Street.
The presidents of the society have been A. E. Schep- mos, 1876-77; James HI. Dumont, 1877-78; Barney McBride, 1878-79; James F. Oosterhoudt, 1879-SO. The first secretary, Henry B. Ingrant, served one year, 1876-77, when Albert Carr was chosen, who is now the secretary (May, 1880). The present assistant secretary is Edward Griffith, the vice-presidents Augustus Il. Rey- IAls, B. MeBridle, H. W. Tibballs, and the treasurer William H. Sleght.
XII .- PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST.
These are so fully mentioned in the general story of carly settlement, in the account of the Indian massacre, in the history of the formation of the State government and the
burning of Kingston, that little more need be said than to group thein together for convenient reference.
Ist. The Site of the Fort at Roudout, built by the Dutch in 1614, only five years after the " discovery" of this State by Hudson in the south and Champlain in the north. Around this spot must cluster much of geographical in- terest, through the more dangerous and the more exciting events of border wars ; the exigencies of dissolving govern- wients and the creation of a new State took place elsewhere, and at a much later date. Imagination may picture the few Dutch pioneers landing near Kingston Point, erecting the hasty fort, and running up the Dutch flag, emblem of the sovereignty of the Netherlands over this distant prov- ince. Perhaps it was located on the high ground at Ponekhockie, near the Baldwin residence, known as the old Tremper house.
2d. The Stockaded Portion of Kingston, as shown by the map of 1695, given in this volume. No one who re- fiects upon the past can walk through the streets of that scetion of the city without feeling that at every step he is treading upon historie ground. Here was the location of the infant settlement and the pioneer homes of the emi- grants who had left the Fatherland and cutered the wilder- ness of a new continent. Here was the place of the Indian attack of June 7, 1663,-here the sudden surprise, the brave defense, the slaughter, the burning, the repulse, and the reluctant retreat of the savage foe. Here Dominie Blom lifted up his voice in prayer for his people " beneath the blue vault of heaven," at the four angles of the stocknde.
Many authors have written of this ancient Wiltwyck, but the story has never lost its pathetie and undying in- terest.
Anson Du Bois, in an address delivered at the family gathering of 1875, speaking of the departure of the settlers for New Paltz from Kingston in 1677, said,-
"Would you know the form of that ancient Kingston they are about to leave, you have but to study the present map from the june- tion of Green and North Front to Main Streets, and you have the streets precisely as they were laid down two hundred years ago, except that Fair has been openedI frour Main to John. The stockade rau along the bhf at the north side of the town and followed the outer line of streets, including Main A separate fortified place of angular forin rested on Main Street, having a block-house at the right angle corner of Main and Fair Streets, a bastion at the second angle, near the corner of Fair and John Streets" with the hypotenuse extending so as to inclose the church lot aud the log church itself at the corner of Wall and Main Streets."
3d. The Court House, where Governor Clinton was in- augurated. This was substantially on the site of the present court house, and here occurred the scene graphic- ally described by various writers, and particularly in the addresses and papers of the centennial celebration. Ou the 30th of July, 1777, at six o'clock P.M., George Clinton was proclaimed Governor with due ceremony from the steps of the court-house. Here were drawn up the two com- panies of militia under Capt. Evert Bogardus and Capt. John Ehnendorph. In the midst of the military and in the presence of the assembled citizens the Governor elect stood, surrounded by the council, -the whole forming a
# This locates the second angle too far north. (See map.)
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HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
group worthy the pencil of an artist,-and the proclama- tion was made by the sheriff of Ulster County, ending with " God save the people !"
4th. The Senate House .- This is the Wessel Ten Broeck house, near the junction of East Front and North Front
SENATE HOUSE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, ITT .. 1.
Col. Wawel Tem Brouck, bort at Westphalia, 1935, erected this stone house about 1676, wherein the senate of the state of New York was held in the year of the adoption of its first constitution, 1777, contiuned hep. until the burning of Kingston, Oct. 16, 1577.
Streets. This is a venerable building. It was already one hundred years old when the first Senate met there in 1777 .*
$ We add the following letter relating to the Senate House :
" NEW York, May 3, 1878.
"HON. FRED. DE PRYSTER, L.L.D., President of the New York Hix. topical Seinby :
" RESEUTED AND DEAR SI:, --- At the State Centennial held at Kingston, N. Y., July 30, 1575, the old house owned by myself and known as 'the Senate House' in the year of adoption of the first Constitution of this State, April, 1577, wherein great interest was manifested by the large numbers who throngel its spacious rooms on that meme rib'e occasion, the small marble fireplace creetei by Gen. Armstrong (father-in-law of the late William B. Astor, Esr., and ex-Secretary of War, who occupied this house as his place of residence in 1804 and until his departure as Minister to the French Court as successor to his brother-in-law Chancellor Livingston) was particularly notice.l. Your records and proceedings of the Ulster Historical Society recognize this house as the place where the Senate of 1777 held its sessions.
" Col. Wessel Ten lirook, born in Westphalia, in 1025, erected this house about the year 1656; was the head of all that bear his bonvred name in this State, intermarried with the Van Gaasbeck family, whore joint desech lants are proti hent and numerous. Hev. Lauren- ties Van Gaasbeck, second minister of the Reformed Dutch Church of Wiltwych, now city of Kingston, from 1667 to 1680 ; on his death, Col. Thomas Chambers, then owner of the manor of Foxhall, and first prominent settler of Wiltwyck, or Exopus, now Kingston, war- riel his wilow ; and on the death of Chambers, in 1699, Col. Wessel Tent Broeck (afure-aid) married the widow of Chambers, all prominent in the records of Kingston. Rev. Blom, the first minister, settled here in 1660. Chambers, Ten Broeck, Swartwout, the scout, were prominent in driving out the savages during the Indian inssacre of 1663, and the wars which succeeded, in which the illustrious Petrus Stuyvesant himself took a prominent part.
" With these brief reasons, together with the interest so recently man fested in hear'ng the paper read tat last meeting, before a learned, polished, and large and rucey repeating ol I houses in Kinderhook. inley me to offer the society, of which you are the benored head, a photograph, frame.l, of this . oid Senate- House, 1777.' I gave a copy thereof to the authorities of the city of Kingston, and the other I respectfully offer for your acceptance.
" I remain, dear sir, your friend andl obedient servant, " FRED'K E. WESTBROOK."
5th. The " Constitution House," so called. This was the old Bogardus Inu, which stood at the corner of Maiden Lane and Fair Street, on the site of the Ballwin home- stead of the present time. The meetings of the Council of Safety and of the convention that framed the first State
LITTLE.
THE BUILDING IN WHICH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WAS FORMED, APRIL. 20, 1777.
constitution may have varied from the court-house to the. Bogardus Inn, and sometimes to the Elmendorf Inn, at the opposite diagonal corner (now the Van Buren residence), but the weight of authority favors the Bogardus Inn as the place where the paper was adopted and signed,-the birth- place of the State of New York. Here, too, met the first "Assembly" subsequent to the inauguration of the new State government.
6th. The Kingsion Hotel, in Crown Street, where may be seen beams charred in the fires kindled by the British invaders of 1777.
7th. The old Kingston Academy, now standing at the corner of John and Crown Streets, where statesmen of the past were educated. and from whose old walls many weut. forth to become distinguished in all the walks of life.
Sth. The Site of the First Reformed Church .- From this consecrated ground prayer has ascended to heaven for two and a quarter centuries. The solid Christian faith taught by the fathers has come down to the present through snoeestive generations "still flourishing in all of its original vigor."
9th .-- At Ponckhockie there is a house of considerable historic interest. It is one of the stone buildings of early times, though subsequently remodeled, and now kept in such a state of repair as to be a very neat, pleasant residence. It was formerly owned by Moses Yeomans, a citizen of much note, who represented this county in various public capacities. The ownership passed from Mr. Yeomans to Mr. Wilhelmus Hasbrouck, and the heirs of Mr. Hasbrouck in later years sold it to the present owners, the Newark Linee and Cement Company. Mr. D. B. Abbey, book- keeper in the office of the company, resides in this house. It is : tradition, to which Lossing, the historian, gives credit, that when the British burnt Kingston they landed at " Kingston Point," and from this Ycomaus homestead impressed a negro into their service, and compelled him to pilot them to Kingston.
On the bank of the river at Ponckhockie there is the
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CITY AND TOWN OF KINGSTON.
well-known Tremper House, -a large stone mansion of the olden time, but not dating back, like the others, to the Rey- olution. It is now the residence of James R. Stebbins.
XIII .- INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL PURSUITS.
These are somewhat varied. The city, including quite a territory not compactly built up, and even entirely a farming section, has some agricultural interests, not of great magnitude, but in the aggregate reaching an amount of considerable value. The statistics of this department are about to be collected under the new ceusns, rendering obso- lete such facts as might be obtained from the census of 1875.
Other industrial interests are described under separate heads, as given below.
NEWARK LIME AND CEMENT COMPANY, RONDOUT.
The largest manufacturing establishment in the city of Kingston is the one for making hydraulic cement, being part of the works of the Newark Lime and Cement Mann- facturing Company, the principal office of which is at New- ark, N. J. The extensive business now under control of this company originated and was established at Newark, in the year 1830, by Calvin Tomkins, Esq., theu of that city, now a resident of Tomkins' Cove, Rockland Co., N. Y. Ilis efforts were so successful that in 1835 he associated several other gentlemen with him, forming a copartnership, knowu as Tomkins, Hedden & Co.
On the 20th of February, 1810, the Legislature of New Jersey incorporated these gentlemen, their associates, and successors under their pres. nt title .-- The Newark Lime and Cement Manufacturing Company. Their business then as now was the manufacture of masons' and farmers' lime, ground and caleined plaster, and hydraulic cement.
Their ouly manufactory was then at Newark, but they were wholly dependent upon other localities for their mate- rials,-the large local trade being the inducement for a business of this nature. The stone from which the cement was made was obtained at or near Rondout. Their first quarry was on the south side of the crock, opposite Wilbur, which they held under an article from Abijah Stuith. This not proving as satisfactory as was desirable in furnish- ing cement for the Croton aqueduct, they made a purchase at the Steep Rocks, and leased a quarry of the Hon. Abra- ham Hasbrouck, on the Vleightbergh, at Roadout.
On the Ist day of July, 1844, the company purchased from the trustees of that gentleman nearly 40 acres of land, including the quarry and a water front on the Rondout Creek. The company subsequently purchased another tract from the same estate, one from the estate of the Hon. Jonathan Hasbrouck, and the adjoining fam of the heirs of Wilhelmus Hasbrouck. They now own about 250 acres situated in the casterly part of the city of Kingston. The maunfacture of cement was confined to their works at New- ark until 1849, when the demand for their product became so extensive that the directors decided to erect a mannfac- tory at Rondout. In the spring of 1850 the foundation of their works was laid. and during the season of that year the process of building was carried on mainly under the supervision of Calvin Tompkins, according to plans he had
--
previously matured. Manufacturing was begun in the spring of 1851, although the works were still in a very incomplete condition, and many additions and improvements have been made since.
They now consist of 23 kilus for burning the stone, 2 mill buildings, with 14 runs of 3-foot stones, storage ()- pacity for 30,000 barrels of cement, and an additional caz- pacity for the same number of empty barrels, a cooperage establishment capable of turning out 900 barrels per day, millwright-, wheelwright-, blacksmith-, and carpenter-shops, commodious barns for hay and other crops of the large and well-tilled farm, with stable room attached for 30 horses or mules, and several other buildings and sheds for storing barrel and other material used in carrying on the manufac- ture of cement. The capacity of the works at present is equal to between 1100 and 1200 barrels per day, but since 1873 they have not exceeded about 1000 barrels per day, owing to a somewhat limited demaud during that season of depression.
During part of cach winter the manufacture of cement is suspended, but the men are kept at work in the quarries and the store-houses are filled with barrels to supply the deficiency in summer required by the amount of cement male over the capacity of the cooperage.
The stone from which the cement is made is quarried from the hill immediately in the rear of the manufactory.
The stratum of cement rock generally inelines to the northwest, but varies from an almost vertical to a nearly horizontal position, and at one point forms an amichinal arch. The first workings were upon the outerop of the nearly upright ledge high up on the hillside; subsequently, by tunneling the hill in many points and running galleries, the company have honeycombed it to the level of ride- water, and one level is ninety feet below the tide. An ex- tensive system of tramways passing through the tunnels and up inclined planes enables them to deliver the stone at the kilns at a minimum expense. The stone is burned by being mixed with fine coal, after which it is thrown into a large hopper to secure uniformity. Descending from this, it passes to the crackers, from the crackers to the mills. and from the mills by a conveyor to the packers, where the barrels are in readiness to receive it. After being headed and coopered, the barrels pass to the storehouses, or through them to the wharves for shipment. The motive- power is supplied by three steam-engines. That for the mills and other machinery attached is of nearly 300 horse- power, that for the cooperage and mechanical shops of 100 horse-power, and that for the quarry, to do the pumping and hoisting, of 50 horse-power.
The works are constructed in the most permanent man- ner, and their adaptation to the business carried on is su- perior to any of the kind in the country, as their produc- tion is also in excess of any other cement-works
The quality of this cement has a standard equal or supe- rior to any of the American brands, except the Portland. It is in detsand throughout the country for works requiring strength and sohdity. It has been largely used by the Government in the construction of fortifications and other heavy works. This cement was especially sought for in the building of the Croton, Cochituate, Albany, Washington,
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