USA > New York > Warren County > History of Warren County [N.Y.] with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 39
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Lodges have been instituted within the past two years in Warrensburgh and Chester which are in a flourishing condition.
CHAPTER XXV.
HISTORY OF THE PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
W ITH the stirring events of a military character which were enacted within and near to the boundaries of the present town of Queensbury down to the close of the Revolutionary War, we have endeavored to make the reader familiar in preceding chapters of this work. Previous to that memorable. struggle for liberty, settlement had progressed on the original Queensbury patent to the proportions of a considerable community ; but its peaceful thrift
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
and progress were disturbed and interrupted by the Revolution, and most of the settlers were prompted by prudence to desert the homes they had reared, or were driven forth by war's stern necessities. When they, or their successors, returned at the end of the conflict, they found little but general desolation and the partial re-establishment of Nature's supremacy over the soil; but the arts of peace were resumed and prosecuted with vigor by the pioneers, and ere many years had passed the foundations of the present prosperous and intelli- gent communities were broadly and deeply laid. It remains for us to note the progress of those early settlements, the public civil acts of the inhabitants, and the later growth of the town and its institutions.
Immediately following the granting of the Queensbury patent, its survey and partition among the proprietors early in the year 1763 (as detailed in pre- vious pages), the infant settlement was begun.1 Abraham Wing and Ichabod Merritt came in from Duchess county in the summer of the year named and made an opening in the wilderness. The first building erected was a log dwelling, which stood on the Sandy Hill road near the site of the residence occupied in late years by Charles Parsons. Here Abraham Wing and his family lived for a time. Mr. Merritt and his family, it is believed, temporarily occupied the block-house in the neighborhood of Charles Green's steam saw- mill. The second house was built in 1764 by Abraham Wing, who gave up the first dwelling to his son ; this was also a log structure and stood a few rods in rear of the site of the old McDonald mansion, now owned by Gurdon Conkling. The third building was a log house erected by Abraham Wing, jr., and stood on the site of Kenworthy's crockery and variety store.
The valuable water power in this vicinity very naturally attracted the early attention of the pioneers and steps were taken in 1764 to improve it. On the 9th day of July in that year an agreement was entered into between Moses Clement and Moses Phillips, by which the latter agreed to build a mill for Clement, working for "7s. per day, Jos. Taylor, his journeyman at 5s. and John his prentice at 2s. per Day." In the final account rendered Mr. Clement was credited by Phillips with "£9. 12. o. for Boarding, Drinking, Washing and Lodging," with other items. A dispute arose over the contract and suit was brought (probably in Albany) to recover payment for building the mill ; this occurred in March or April, 1765. The result of the action is not re- corded, and it is of importance only that it was probably the first law-suit aris- ing in the community.
The location of the mill can only be conjectured, but is supposed to have been near the mouth of Cold Brook, at the eastern boundary of the town, the
1 It is stated on tradition, that at the time of the division and drawing of the town lots, one John Buck drew a lot now partly embraced within the limits of the corporation of Glens Falls, and when the surveyor's bill was presented, being unable to meet his assessment, he sold or offered his interest for a peck of beans. - HOLDEN'S History of Queensbury.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
power being supplied by a wing dam extending across the island near the left bank of the river.
There must have been a saw-mill in operation here previous to the erection of the one just described. Whether it was built by Mr. Wing alone, or in con- nection with his son-in-law, Nehemiah Merritt, or by the John Bracket alluded to, is not known. The fact is amply substantiated, however, by the following document found by Dr. Holden among the Wing manuscripts : - "CITY AND COUNTY
OF ALBANY, } SS.
"The deposition of Simeon Chandler taken upon oath before me Patt Smyth Esq., one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, for the county afore- said etc. That in the year 1763, James Bradshaw did in my hearing, agree with Mr. Abraham Wing, and Mr. Nehemiah Merritt, for as many planks and boards as should be wanted for the work necessary to be done for the said mill in Kingsbury, in said year 1763, and on said Wing, and said Merritt de- parture from Queensbury, said Bradshaw did desire the above said Wing and Merritt would give orders that said Chandler should have what was then wanted for said work and said Wing and said Merritt did send a token to John Bracket to saw what planks were wanted for the work aforesaid.
"The above is a true copy of what was wrote by the hands of Simeon Chandler the 18th day of Dec., 1763.
"PATT SMYTH, Justice."
In the year 1765 the interest of Nehemiah Merritt in a mill here was trans- ferred by the document quoted below to Abraham Wing ; this mill, it appears, was built by those two men and may be identical with the one above described. Following is the assignment by Merritt : -
"Know all men by these presents that I Nehemiah Merritt, of Beekman's precinct in Dutchess county, and province of New York, gentlemen, for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings current money of New York, to me in hand paid by Abraham Wing, of Beekman's precinct in Dutchess county and province of New York aforesaid, have and by these presents do for me and my heirs, remise, release, and forever quit claim unto him, the said Abraham Wing, his heirs and assigns in his peaceable and quiet possession, now being all that one full and equal half of all that saw-mill on the great fall in Queensbury township in Albany county and province of New York afore- said which we the said Merritt and Wing in joint partnership built together, as likewise furnished said mill with utensils necessary, likewise the dwelling house standing a little northward about ten rods from said mill.
"Now therefore, what is herein contained and intended is that I the said Nehemiah Merritt for me, my heirs and assigns will and hereby do release and forever quit claim unto him the said Abraham Wing his heirs and assigns, the one full and equal half of all that mill, dwelling house and utensils belonging
1
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
to said mill, and furthermore the one equal half of the water, and water course to said mill, as likewise the equal half of said mill-dam, raceway, logway, and all other privileges advantages and profits thereunto belonging, unto him the. said Abraham Wing his heirs and assigns forever.
" In witness whereof, I the said Nehemiah Merritt to this my release have set my hand and seal this seventh day of the tenth month in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-five.
"NEHEMIAH MERRITT. [Seal.]
" Sealed and delivered in the presence of
" Benjn. Ferris junr. " Reed Ferris."
This mill stood, according to Dr. Holden, near "the site of the old Spencer tavern, or Glen House, under the hill."
Early log dwellings other than those mentioned were built at various points, among them being one at the Butler Brook on the plank road; another on the brow of the hill near the present residence of Duncan McGregor, and still an- other near the residence of Henry Crandell.
It was about this period that the proprietors of Queensbury deeded to Abraham Wing a section of thirty acres of unappropriated land immediately at the falls, in consideration of his having been to the trouble and expense of building a saw-mill and grist-mill for the accommodation of the inhabitants. The instrument by which this act was effected is as follows :
"To the honorable proprietors and owners of Queensbury township in Al- bany county, your humble petitioner showeth :-
" That Abraham Wing, late of Dutchess county, now resident of the above said township have at a great cost and charge built mills in and on a small tract of undivided land in the above said township to the great encouragement for settling ye above lands which is and must be an advantage to the owners.
" Wherefore in consideration for such cost and encouragement, I desire ye owners of said lands on which the mills stand will convey the same to me as is underwritten, etc.
" This indenture made this seventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six by and between we the subscribers of the one part, and Abraham Wing late of Dutchess county, now resident in Queensbury township, Albany county and province of New York of the other part witnesseth, that we the subscribers for divers good causes and considera- tions us hereunto moving, the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge, have granted, bargained, quitclaimed and confirmed, and by these presents do grant, bargain, quitclaim, alien, and confirm unto the said Abraham Wing his heirs and assigns forever, all the right, title, interest, claim and demand that we now have, ever had, or ought to have in that certain tracl or parcel of undivided land in the township of Queensbury in Albany county and province above said situ-
336
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
ate lying on the Great falls by Hudson's river in the above township, bounded to the east by lands of Nathaniel Stevenson and William Haviland, to the . north and west by lands of Abraham Wing, and to the south on Hudson's river, containing about thirty acres of land, be the same more or less; and also all trees, wood, underwood, water, water courses, profits, commodities, advan- tages, hereditaments whatsoever to the said messuage and undivided land above mentioned belonging or in anywise appertaining, and also the reversion and reversions of every part thereof, and also all our estate, right, title, interest, claim, and demand whatsoever to him the said Abraham Wing, his heirs and assigns forever, to have and to hold the above granted, bargained and quit- claimed premises above mentioned and every part thereof to the only proper use and behoof of the said Abraham Wing, his heirs and assigns forever. And we the subscribers for ourselves, our heirs and assigns will warrant and forever defend from any claiming from or under us by these presents. In witness whereof to these presents we have hereunto subscribed our names and affixed our seals the day and year above written.
.
" BENJAMIN SEELYE, [L. s.]
" JOHN AKIN, [L. s.]
" REED FERRISS, [L. s.]
" NATHANIEL STEVENSON, [L. S.]
" JACOB HAVILAND, [L. s.]
" WILLIAM HAVILAND, [L. s.]
" Sealed and delivered in the presence of
" Reed Ferriss,
" Matthew Franklin,
" Gaius Talcott,
" Judah Handy,
" Jacob Hicks,
" Eliezer Herrick."
These early mills were of the greatest importance to the settlers; they are the first necessity in all new communities. They were far different from the mammoth establishments that now occupy the vicinity ; but they sufficed to supply rough lumber from the magnificent pines which abounded in the imme- diate locality, and were the beginning of the subsequent great lumber interest in which the early inhabitants engaged and which added largely to the thrift of the town ; while the grist-mills were a still greater accommodation in giving the families facilities for grinding their grains, which they otherwise would have had to transport long distances.
The need of transportation across the river was felt at an early day and a ferry was established about the period under consideration, which, according to Dr. Holden, extended " from the upper rollway across to the head of Water street descending to the river from the old Folsom house, on the south side of
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
the falls. The old road followed the course of the ravine leading from the ca- nal basin to Park street. This ferry was continued with little interruption up to the close of the century. The first ferry house was a log building on the south side of the river, and on its bank a few rods above the dam, and was occupied by one of the Parks family. The cellar is even now visible. The house was burnt during the Revolution. The second, which was in use subsequent to the Revolution, was built on this side the river near the rollway."
These various early improvements aroused the apprehensions of the Indi- ans, particularly the Mohawks, who complained and protested to Sir William Johnson, then superintendent of Indian affairs for the northern department. The Indians witnessed the encroachments and improvements of the whites with jealous eyes; but the wise jurisdiction of the superintendent and their confidence in him prevented any outbreak, and their claims were subsequently amicably adjusted.
The first white child born in the town was a son of Ichabod Merritt ; this child became the grandfather of Isaac Mott, now living at Glens Falls and a prominent attorney of the county.
On Tuesday, the 6th day of May, 1766, the first town meeting was held in the town of Queensbury, when the following officers were chosen :-
Abraham Wing, moderator; Asaph Putnam, town clerk; Abraham Wing, supervisor ; Jeffrey Cowper, assessor; Ichabod Merritt assessor ; Asaph Put- nam, constable; Ichabod Merritt, collector ; Benajah Putnam, pathmaster ; Truelove Butler, pound-keeper ; Abraham Wing, overseer of the poor; Caleb Powell, overseer of the poor.
Here were eleven officers and only seven men to fill them; those seven without doubt, constituted the entire population eligible to office, and of the seven, only two were proprietors of land. The modern scramble for political station was then unknown, and it was not much of a man who could not have two or three offices if he was ambitious in that direction.
It now becomes incumbent to mention with more or less detail some of the earliest settlers in the town, besides Abraham Wing, sen., and Jeffrey Cow- per, who have been alluded to. While the latter was, probably, the first man to locate permanently on the patent, it does not appear that he was a person of any considerable prominence in the community. The three Merritt brothers, Nehemiah, Daniel and Ichabod, married the three eldest daughters of Abraham Wing, the pionecr. The first two never removed to Queensbury, but Ichabod and his wife Sarah did, and his name appears above in the list of town officers for 1766. The oldest son of Ichabod and the first white child born in the town, was named Joseph, who was born December 17th, 1766. From Ichabod Merritt are descended the numerous families of Motts and Carys in this and the adjoining town of Moreau. He held other offices in the town and is said to have erected the first frame-house in Queensbury; it was 22
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
situated on one of the town plot sections near the Half-way Brook and was burned during Burgoyne's advance, together with the mills at the Falls and several other dwellings. In the early part of the Revolutionary War the fam- ily returned to Duchess county, whence Joseph removed to the town of Moreau where he died in 1826.
Daniel Jones was one of the earliest settlers of Queensbury and was a brother of David Jones, whose fame rests upon his having been the betrothed of the hapless Jane McCrea. The family, consisting of the widow and six sons, settled in Kingsbury, having removed from Leamington, N. J. After Daniel came to Queensbury he became one of the foremost in developing its water power and was interested in the first saw-mill and grist-mill built at Glens Falls ; they were located just above the bridge. He married Deborah Wing, sixth child of Abraham and Anstis (Wood) Wing. He also bought the islands in the river of the Jessups of Luzerne, which he afterwards con- veyed to Abraham Wing; one of them still bears the name of Wing's Island. At the outbreak of the Revolution he adhered to the king and fled to Canada. His lands here that had not been previously disposed of were confiscated and sold after the war. At the time of Carleton's invasion in 1780, his house was burned by the invaders. His wife died in Montreal March 28th, 1782, in child- bed, which fact he communicated to her father in a feeling letter. After the war he settled in Brockville, Upper Canada, where he received a large grant of land in consideration of his losses here. In latter years the heirs endeavored to recover the value of the lands from the State, but were unsuccessful.
Zachariah Butler was in Queensbury previous to the Revolution, and also adhered to the cause of the king. He secreted his effects, burying some of them in the cellar, and fled to Canada. His dwelling, on the Bay road, was burned by the invaders under Carleton, and Butler never returned. It is be- lieved that Butler Brook, a small affluent of Half-way Brook, and consisting of three small streams rising in the swamps west of the village, received its name from him. It was at the northernmost of the three branches that Washington and his staff stopped to drink while on their way to Crown Point in 1783.
Jacob Hicks was a son-in-law of Abraham Wing, having married Content, the seventh child of Mr. Wing, when she was but fourteen years of age. She was born the IIth of April, 1755. His name frequently occurs among the Wing manuscripts of an early date. In a statement of account dated Albany 22d May, 1773, rendered by James Dole, merchant, of that city, for £68, 16s. 84 d., as quoted by Dr. Holden, the latter is credited by boards, plank, etc., and Daniel Jones's bond, together with cash nearly sufficient to cancel the same. The conclusion reached by this is, that Hicks probably had the man- agement of Jones and Wing's saw-mill at the falls. Among the Wing papers is a receipt, dated 7th July, 1774, given by David Dickinson at Stillwater, for thirty-one shillings in full of all demands in favor of " John Hix, Deseest." In
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
another receipt given for payment of a bill of goods sold Jacob Hicks, 5th Aug., 1772, the paper bearing date 7th May, 1774, Benjn. Wing is named as executor. These data leave the inference quite probable that Hicks died in the latter part of 1773, or the early part of 1774. Two daughters, Sarah and Anstis, were the fruit of this marriage. Both survived and both married and raised large families.
The family and descendants of Abraham Wing, the pioneer, demand much more extended reference than we have accorded them in an earlier chapter, in referring merely to the first settlement of the Queensbury patent in its chrono- logical order with contemporaneous events. It is believed that Mr. Wing's circumstances in the latter years of his life were considerably straitened, owing largely to his losses from the war. The following extract from his last will, furnished Dr. Holden by Judge Gibson, of Salem, N. Y., throws some light upon the extent of his estate : -
"Wing, Abraham, of Queensbury, Wash. Co., last will and testament dated ' 20 day of 9 month' 1794. Give to my wife Anstis the sole use of my house and farm containing about 342 acres and all my stock, farming utensils and household furniture during her natural life. To my son Benjamin and to his heirs, etc., the above homestead with stock, etc., on farm at death of my wife, to my grandson Russell Lewis at my and his G. mother's decease, if he shall live with us till that time or when he shall be of age one yoke of oxen and two good cows, to the remainder of my children and G. children, viz .: Abra- ham Winge, Phebe Merritt, Patience Babcock, Content Hixon, Mary Lewis, Grd. children, Joseph, Mary and Deborah Merritt, Richard and Mary Jones, Russell Lewis and Willett Wing all the rest of my estate, viz .: 50 acres of land at the meadow, rear of first Division lots No. 87, 86, 85, 37, 19, 17, and half of 10 and 4, to divide among Abraham, Phebe, Patience, Content, Mary, Joseph, Mary, Deborah, Richard, Mary, Russell and Willett, and if any or either of Grd. children should die without a lawful heir, then their shares among the survivors. Appoints his wife Anstis exx. and his son Abraham, and friend Elisha Folger exrs. Witnesses : Warren Ferriss, John A. Ferriss, Reed Ferriss. Proved before the surrogate of Wash. Co., 27 May, 1795, and the same by Abraham Wing, qualified as exr."
Among the children of Abraham Wing, sen., was Abraham, jr., who was the youngest son. He was born on the " 29th of 6th month, 1757, and mar- ried Mary McKie." They had seven children, the youngest of whom was born in Glens Falls on the 17th of August, 1791, and was also named Abraham. The little settlement was then known as Wing's Falls. Mr. Wing secured the elements of a sound business education and joined the late Josiah L. Arms in mercantile business in the town of Wilton, Saratoga county. He was subse- quently associated with several of the leading business men of Glens Falls in various enterprises. Upon the opening of the northern canal Mr. Wing saw
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
his opportunity and engaged heavily in the lumber business. The extensive pine region in the Brant Lake Tract passed to the possession of parties in Troy, who sought out Mr. Wing to manage their extensive business. "To his sagac- ity and clear-sighted judgment," wrote Dr. Holden, " do we owe the present system of river-driving and booming which annually replenishes our mills, furnishes employment to a vast array of labor and which has substantially helped in building up our village to its present urban proportions." When he assumed this responsibility the lumber business in this vicinity was looked upon as nearly exhausted, and the water power here as nearly worthless ; no one thought the extensive forests to the far northward would ever become tributary to this immediate vicinity. But Mr. Wing instituted a new order of things and gave a vigorous impulse to the entire lumbering business on the Hudson River and its tributaries. He soon became a partner in the business and ultimately sole proprietor of this and other large lumber interests, and accumulated a great fortune. He was thrice married ; first, to Abigail Barnard, of Townsend, Vt. ; second to Angeline B. (Vail), widow of Alexander Robertson, of New York; third, to Mrs. Frances A. Glass (nee Bowman). He had children only by his first wife, and two daughters only reached adult age. He died in the entire respect of the community on the 13th of June, 1873.
Daniel Wood Wing was the second child of Abraham, jr, and Polly Mc- Kie Wing, and was born on the 25th of July, 1780, at the paternal homestead, the log dwelling before mentioned, that stood in rear of the old McDonald mansion. In October, 1780," the year of the burning," as it was afterwards called in fireside story, while he was still a tender babe in his mother's arms, she fled at the approach of Carleton's marauding expedition and took refuge in the friendly recesses of the big Cedar swamp, that still borders, with its dense undergrowth and tangle of luxuriant vegetation, the eastern boundaries of the village. The night following she lay concealed near the spring at the foot of Sandy Hill. It is said of her that she emigrated to this country when she was but seventeen years of age. She was a woman, if all accounts be true, of fine presence and rare personal attractions; of undoubted courage and hero- ism, well adapted to the rude times and rough border scenes of danger and peril in which she lived. It is stated that in the early days of the settlement, while living in the old log tavern on the site of Kenworthy's hardware and va- riety store, she killed a large rattlesnake which she found coiled by a spring of water, still in existence under Vermillia's market, whither she had gone for her daily supply. The rocks and ledges by the river banks, and the numerous swamps and swales of the neighborhood, afforded shelter and refuge in those days to vast numbers of rattlesnakes, and their extermination is believed to be due chiefly to the active agency of swine running at large, rather than any other cause.1
1 HOLDEN'S History of Queensbury, p. 82.
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
The records show that in 1802 Mr. Wing was keeping a tavern in the vil- lage of Glens Falls on the corner of Ridge and Warren streets, where he prob- ably remained for a number of years as a landlord and merchant. In 1809 he was in Sandy Hill keeping a tavern and in 1814 was again in Queensbury. Not long after this date he removed to Fort Edward where he carried on mer- cantile and lumbering business and amassed a fortune. He married first, July 25th, 1803, Rhoda Stewart, of Kingsbury, and second, August 18th, 1825, Al- mira Higby. He died May 25th, 1856.
Other descendants of Abraham Wing and the prominent part taken by them in the building up of the town will be mentioned in the proper place a little further on.
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