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 49
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
tirely familiar with the business in all its details, and having made his specifica- tion and propositions, he was at length commissioned to erect the monument. He at once embarked in the enterprise con amore, traveled far and wide to se- cure durable and suitable stone for the work, and employed special first-class workmen, part of whom were hired from the cities at great expense, to execute its finer details. The work was commenced in the spring of 1867.
" The foundation or substructure is fourteen feet square, and eight feet deep, built of massive blocks of marble from our own quarries, embedded in cement, and whose interstices are filled with grout and cement. Upon this is laid a base of Sprucehead granite from Maine. This is ten feet square, cornered, and eighteen inches thick.
" Upon this rests a plinth sixteen inches in thickness, eight feet square and cornered. This in turn supports a moulded plinth whose height is eighteeen inches and whose diameter each way is six feet and six inches, and also cor- nered, as is the entire shaft in all its pieces and additions to the capstone. The second plinth is surmounted by a die five feet and six inches square, with four raised tablets, one upon each face. Upon three of these are inscribed the roll of honored dead. The remaining face, together with a raised wreath of oak and laurel on the die above, contains the dedicatory inscription.
" On the corners of the lower die are wrought out in relief four cannon. The material of the entire monument, above the granite base, is Dorchester freestone, fine in grain, dark brown in color, obtained at great cost from New Brunswick. Upon the lower die rests a moulded cap eighteen inches in thick- ness, and six feet six inches square, which supports the upper die or shaft proper, one of whose faces has already been described.
" On the north and south aspects of this die are niches, containing statues life size, cut from the same material that composes the monument, representing the one an officer, the other a soldier in the attitude of reversed arms. Next follows four sections of the shaft, all gradually tapering toward the top which is twenty-two inches in diameter. The three lower of these contain raised bands with the names of battle fields, chiseled in relief.
" On the corners of each section also appears a star cut in relief. The whole is surmounted by a capstone, cut from a block five feet square and three feet thick, representing the American flag drooping in graceful folds, upon which rests an eagle, in the art of springing into flight. The spread of the eagle's wings is about five feet.
"The entire monument is estimated to weigh about one hundred tons. It was completed at a cost of about twelve thousand dollars, of which amount its unfortunate, though public-spirited architect, was left to meet and make up an unprovided deficit of about four thousand dollars."
The monument was dedicated with suitable and impressive services, at- tended by a large concourse of citizens, on Decoration day, May 30th, 1872.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
TOWN OFFICERS.
Following is the list of moderators, supervisors, justices and town clerks of the town of Queensbury from the first settlement to the present time :-
Moderators .- Warren Ferris, 1793, '97, '98, 1803 ; Augustine Odell, 1789; William Robards, 1796, '99, 1800; Peter B. Tearse, 1795; John Vernor, 1801, '02 ; Job Wright, 1770, '01 ; Abraham Wing, 1766-'69, '72-80 '83-'88, '90-'94.
Supervisors .- Phineas Babcock, 1779, '80, '83, '84, '86; Daniel V. Brown, 1859; Keyes P. Cool, 1855 ; Benjamin Cornell, 1802, '04; J. M. Coolidge, 1876-78; H. Crandell, 1879; Quartus Curtis, 1850-52 ; David M. Dean, 1833, '39-41 ; Z. I. Delong, 1874, '75; George Ferguson, 1861-'63; John A. Ferriss, 1813, '27-29; David Ferriss, 1785; Warreni Ferriss, 1795-97 ; James C. Finch, 1854; Dilwin Gardner, 1823-25; Charles M. Gilchrist, 1869-73 ; S. L. Goodman, 1882, '83 ; Bartholomew Griffin, 1843- 44 ; John J. Harris, 1842 ; Jerome Lapham, 1857, '58, '64, '65 ; John Mal- lory, 1810-12; Alonzo W. Morgan, 1834, '36, '46, '47, '66, '67 ; John Mur- ray, 1791 ; Augustine Odell, 1788, '89; William Peck, 1848 ; Micajah Pettit, 1803; Walter Phelps, 1860; Alfred Pitcher, 1817 ; William Robards, 1786, '90-94; William Roberts, 1805-07, '09; Alexander Robertson, 1853, '68 ; George Sanford, 1837, '38; Nehemiah Seelye,1 1783, '84 ; James Sisson, 1849; Asa Stower, 1798-1801, '08, '15, '16, '18-22, '26, '30-'32, '35; Charles B. Thompson, 1880; Nelson Van Dusen, 1881-84; James Vaughn, 1814; Abra- ham Wing, 1766-78, '85, '87.
Justices of the Peace. - Morville Baker, 1856; Hiram Barber, 1827-31; Stephen Beadlestone, 1821, '22; Horatio Buell, 1815, '16; George W. Cheney, 1852-55, '58-73 ; Benjamin Cornell, 1801-04; George Curtis, 1865; David F. Dickinson, 1817, '18 ; Isaac E. Dutton, 1855; Enoch Ellis, 1822-26; Ju- diah Ellsworth, 1856, '57; Adonijah Emmons, 1816, '17; Calhoun S. Enches, 1877-80; Orange Ferriss, 1838-41, '45-48; Warren Ferriss, 1795-1804; Horace Forbes, 1817, '18 ; Alanson Fox, 1812, '13; Dilwin Gardner, 1813- 16, '20-23 ; Amos Green, 1819, '20; Walter Geer, jr., 1821-26; Bartholomew Griffin, 1827-34, '37-53 ; Joseph N. Gurney, 1852 ; William B. Gurney, 1880- 82, and at present; Michael Harris, 1806-09; Elias Hawley, 1818, '19; Will- iam Hay, 1821-24; James Henderson, 1815-17 ; Hermon Hoffman, 1804-07; William Hotchkiss, 1859-76 ; De Witt C. Jenkins, 1874-78; Gamaliel Jenkins, 1857-62; Lyman Jenkins, 1864-73, '79-82, and at present; Palmer B. Jen- kins, 1842-45 ; Ransom Jenkins, 1834-39, '70; Royal Leavens, 1813-15;
1 No lists of town officers are contained in the town records for the years 1781 and '82. It is there- fore inferred that, in consequence of the unsettled state of the country, and the continuance of the war, the inhabitants had fled back to old Duchess county for safety and that no town meetings were held in these years.
In the years 1783 to 1786 two supervisors had been elected, who appeared to act jointly in dis- charging the duties of that office.
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
William McDonald, 1821 ; John Mallory, 1817, '18; Carlos Morgan, 1861-68 ; Ira A. Paddock, 1825-28, '48-51 ; Elnathan Parsons, 1815, '16; Daniel Peck, 1807-13; Eli C. Peirsons, 1835, '36; Joseph S. Perine, 1848-56; Micajah Pettit, 1802-05 ; Nathan A. Philo, 1829-32 ; Alfred Pitcher, 1823-25 ; Fred. E. Ranger, 1874-76, '78 to present time; Asa Ripley, 1820; James Ripley, 1817-20; William Roberts, 1795-1809; William Robinson, 1851-59; Daniel D. Scott, 1812-15 ; James Sisson, 1848; Samuel G. Skinner, 1823, '24; Henry Spencer, 1807-10, '18-21, '32-39; Edward L. Stearns, 1881, '82, and at present ; Robert Stewart, 1860-79; Asa Stower, 1817, '18 ; Samuel S. Tall- madge, 1827-31, '36-43 ; Herman Vantassel, 1839-50; James Vaughn, 1811- 14, '17-26; John Vernor, 1796-1803 ; Halsey R. Wing, 1844-47; Nehemiah Wing, 1863.
Town Clerks. - Phineas Babcock, 1786; Israel P. Baldwin, 1813; Hiram Barber, 1826; Louis Brown, 1885 ; Keyes P. Cool, 1831 ; Daniel H. Cowles, 1847; John Derby, 1816; George Ferguson, 1854-60; John A. Ferriss, 1796- 1804; Warren Ferriss, 1795; Dilwin Gardner, 1815; Daniel B. Ketchum, 1861-72 ; Orlin Mead, 1834-35 ; Lemuel C. Paine, 1812; Elnathan Parsons, 1823-25 ; Charles Peck, 1848-53; Daniel Peck, 1805-1I ; Hermon Peck, 1830; William Peck, 1836-38 ; Micajah Pettit, 1814; Lewis L. Pixley, 1827 ; John E. Potter, 2d, 1873-84; Asaph Putnam, 1766-77; Ezra Ranger, 1832 ; David Sanford, 1802-03 ; Allen T. Seaman, 1833; James Sisson, 1841-46; Henry Spencer, 1817-22 ; Samuel S. Tallmadge, 1828-29; James Wells, 1839- 40; Benjamin Wing, 1778-80 and '83-94.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Glens Falls. - This village is beautifully situated on the north bank of the Hudson River near the extreme southeast corner of the county. With the early settlement of this historic locality the reader has already been made familiar. The place was known in the first years of its settlement as the " Four Corners," which title, so familiar to hamlets in different parts of the State, it received from the corners now fronting the Rockwell House. It was given the name of " Glenville," also, as appears from early books of travel in this region. A little later and for a number of years in the early part of the century, a per- sistent attempt was made to fasten the name of "Pearlville," or " Pearl Vil- lage," upon the place; for what reason does not appear. Fortunately, the effeminate and inappropriate title was diplaced by the present name.
It has already been discovered that this point was adapted by nature for the site of a ponderous business and manufacturing center, and its selection by the early pioneers as the site of a hamlet is proof of their sagacity. The region immediately surrounding the falls cannot be excelled for building purposes, while the unlimited water power gave promise of great value to those who might avail themselves of its use. The manufacture of lumber was the first in-
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
dustry to engage the energies of the inhabitants, and it has always been an in- dustry of great importance. Before the War of 1812 put a temporary check upon the growth of the village, there were between twenty and thirty saw- mills in operation in the town, many of which were near Glens Falls, and there were thirty buildings constituting the village; they were all wood. Of these the principal ones were "The Tontine," before alluded to, the Glens Falls Hotel, a wooden structure erected by John A. Ferriss, in 1808-10, and kept by John Derby in 1813; the New Union Church, and a large, unfinished two- story house built by General Warren Ferriss on Park street (burned in 1818). The mercantile interests of the village when the first number of the Warren Republican was issued, in 1813, comprised the drug store of Daniel Peck, on the site occupied in later years by his son Charles; the general store of John A. Ferriss ; and that of Micajah Pettit in the same line, which was in a small wooden structure in rear of the old stone store under the hill, where he had traded since 1793 ; Roberts & Goodman's store, " under the hill;" L. I. Van Kleeck's store, of which his announcement says he "kept an assortment of dry goods, groceries, hardware, and crockery in the building near the meet- ing house " (this was on the site now occupied by William Cronkhite & Son); and a store kept by the firm of Fox & Little. This shows that at that early date Glens Falls, or " Pearl Village, " as it was called, was already the center of considerable trade. And there were other mercantile establishments in the town then and for many years previously. David Sanford kept a store at Sanford's Ridge before 1810, which he subsequently sold out to John H. Hitchcock; Thomas Hammon had a store at the Oneida in 1808, and a few years later William McDonald established his prosperous mercantile business at the Ridge, on the site now occupied by Harris Haviland, and what was known as Osborne's store (1797) .was also at the Ridge. Robert Wilkinson, William Hay, L. I. Van Kleeck and Abraham L. Vandenburgh, attended to the legal business of the place, and Dr. Levi Rugg was the leading physician, with Dr. Asa Stower in the north part of the town.
As we have already said, the early manufacturing interests, both at the village and throughout the town, was comprised largely of saw-mills. Some of the first ones were that of Thomas Scribner, which was probably located on the Big Pond Outlet, and as early as 1786; on the same stream Phineas Aus- tin had a mill in 1808, and the Moon brothers, elsewhere mentioned, had both a saw-mill and a grist-mill there at about the same period ; the remains of their grist-mill were visible down to a few years ago; one Odell, also, had a saw-mill before 1810, on the Outlet; Micajah Pettit had a saw-mill near his store on the west side of the road near the river bridge, in 1802; these mills rapidly in- creased in number until at the opening of the War of 1812 there were nearly thirty in the town, and at least six on the Outlet of Long Pond. Other manu- factures of the first decade in the century embraced a tannery at the bridge,
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
which was conducted by a Mr. Kimball; it stood near the site of the present school-house ; a distillery, operated by one Pease, who came here from Poult- ney, Vt., which, it is said, did a good business; he also kept a tavern where the Glen House afterward stood; an ashery worked by David Sanford, at the Ridge, and perhaps other minor industries. Abraham Haviland carried on blacksmithing on the site of the George Ferguson store as early as 1795.
For the lumber business and what other carrying trade was connected therewith, Glens Falls was the outlet; this fact was the cause of the establish- ment of numerous taverns of all grades of importance; these old county inns have nearly all disappeared before the oncoming railroads, which enable the traveler who leaves the great hotel of one city or village in the morning to take his next meal in a similar house at his next stop; taverns where travelers could obtain rest and refreshment, with the unfailing accompaniment of ardent spirits, followed close upon the heels of settlement in all new communities, not only in the young villages and hamlets, but at intervals on the country roads ; and these were sufficiently patronized to make them not an unprofitable investment. We find that John Mallory kept a tavern in 1802 on the site of the present Glen Park Hotel at the corner of what was called in the early surveys, "The New Road." Peer's Tavern was a wayside inn about two miles north of the village at an early day. Jonathan Pitcher kept a tavern in a log building at Half- way Brook, which was known as the Pitcher Tavern; and others were soon opened in various parts of the town. In 1812 the old Union Hotel was built by Dr. D. McNeill ; it originally consisted of a story and a half lean-to and ad- joined the Henry Crandell premises. For a long time a swing sign bearing the legend, "Coffee House - 1812," commemorated the date of its erection. This original structure was enlarged to a commodious hotel, in 1814, by Sam- uel G. Skinner, who kept it for many years as a popular house. John A. Ferriss then kept the Glens Falls Hotel (built in 1802), on the site of the Rock- well House, and considerable rivalry existed between the two houses. At the time Skinner opened his reconstructed house, a sort of an "infair " was held, and in order to surpass any and all efforts of a similar nature that ever had been or were likely to be made in the future by the rival house, Mr. Skinner sent to Albany for a professional cook. The entertainment is said to have been a sumptuous one and was remembered by old inhabitants for many years. This house was kept soon after 1834 by Porter S. Chapman, and burned about the year 1842. The Glen House was also a popular hostelry of a somewhat later period which stood just north of the La Point saloon, under the hill; it was burned in 1867, while being conducted by Russell Barber. In 1815 Marma- duke Stevenson kept a tavern on the plank road two miles north of Glens Falls.
The little hamlet grew apace and during the ten years succeeding the close of the War of 1812 took on the aspects of a thriving village. The lumber in-
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
terest was greatly developed, and minor manufacturing establishments were founded as the needs of the inhabitants demanded. The first bridge across the river at this point was built before 1795. In 1804 Warren Ferriss was award- ed a grant by the Legislature to build a toll bridge, which was done. That bridge stood until 1832-33 when it was displaced by a free bridge; the latter was erected by C. P. and H. J. Cool, and James Palmeter, under the supervis- ion of the commissioner of highways of the town. The Warren Messenger of January 25th, 1833, says : "The new free bridge across the Hudson at this place is already in a considerable state of forwardness. We understand that the con- tractors will commence raising it in the course of the week."
By the year 1823 the town was divided into twenty school districts, num- ber twenty including the village of Glens Falls. In that year a resolution of the town authorities provided for the raising of money to build a school-house in Glens Falls. A resolution was passed as follows: "Resolved, That the site be near the burying ground at the crotch of the road leading from S. G. Skinner's to Luzerne, on the east side of said burying-ground." Here the old school-house was erected and used until 1863.
From numbers of the Glens Falls Observer, published by E. Galloway Lindsey in 1827-28, a glimpse of those business interests whose proprietors had sufficient faith in printer's ink to advertise, is obtained. Wing & Geer had a general store and announced " seasonable goods which will be sold cheap for cash, lumber or country produce."
Philo & Ferguson also advertised a general store, "on the corner nearly opposite Samuel G. Skinner's coffee-house."
Miron Beach informed the public that he had started the manufacture of " fancy, Windsor and common chairs," a few doors east of the Glens Falls hotel; "all kinds of country produce taken in exchange." A. T. Prouty also carried on cabinet-making, and G. G. Dickinson was the village tailor. Hyman {J. Cool advertised cabinet-making "near the bridge " and Charles Spencer's card announces him as a shoemaker. Estabrook & Adams's adver- tisement reads, "To farmers .- Ground Plaster for sale at our mills at Glens Falls at $7.50 per ton. Cash or grain taken in payment." J. Sisson carried on a druggist store, and Roswell Bacon erected tombstones over the departed. John A. Ferriss was prominent among the advertisers, with a general stock, and S. Burt did watchmaking. Such were the chief business interests of the village at that period.
The opening of the canal in 1823 gave a mighty impetus to the village and caused a development of the lumber business that was almost marvelous ; while the same effects were produced upon the villages of Sandy Hill and Fort Ed- ward, causing them for a period to even outstrip in rapidity of growth the village of Glens Falls ; but a few years later (1830) the Feeder was opened to the latter village and inaugurated an era of growth and improvement which
. .
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
has continued to the present time. With the beginning of navigation in the following year (1831) the Messenger gave the following exhibit of the condition of the village :-
" Our village at this time contains a population of about one thousand in- habitants. We have four lawyers, three physicians and one minister. Among our mechanics are to be found the shops of two cabinet-makers, five black- smiths, two hatters, three wagon-makers, one chair-maker, four shoemakers , one book-binder, three tailors, one stone cutter, one cooper, three saddle and harness- makers, one painter, five carpenters, three masons and one baker ; and also four milliners. (In the issue of the paper for the following week the addi- tion was made of one watch-maker and two tinners.) We have nine mercan- tile stores, two druggists do., a post-office, surrogate's office, three inns,1 one cotton factory, one clothier's shop, one printing-office and book-store, two grist-mills, three saw-mills, one marble factory, one plaster-mill, three lime- kilns, a medical school,2 an academy, a Methodist and a Presbyterian church.
This statement gives a clear idea of the growth of the village down to that date; it also indicates that the young village was in a thriving condition and possessed all the establishments common to such communities.
The decade following the opening of the Glens Falls Feeder was one of continued and increasing prosperity and growth in the village, and many im- provements were made, chiefly in the direction of extending and perfecting the streets and supplying facilities for the extinguishment of fires.
The following glimpse of the village industries is given in an article pub- lished in the Messenger by Dr. Holden, as they appeared to him in 1836, in which year he made his acquaintance with the place: There were " the Glens Falls Hotel, kept by P. D. Threehouse; L. L. Pixley's store, on the corner of Ridge and Warren streets; D. H. Cowles & Co.'s store; K. P. & H. J. Cool's store ; J. A. Deforest's store, in the stone building under the hill; H. B. Ten Eyck's store, books and stationery; James Sisson, Daniel Peck and Clark & Peck (Drs. Billy J. Clark and Bethuel Peck, who had bought out Dr. Ransom), in the drug business ; E. H. Rosekrans, Wm. Hay, J. L. Curtenius, counselors and attorneys at law and solicitors in chancery ; A. T. Prouty, cab- inet-maker ; D. & J. H. Hitchcock, tin and hardware and general merchan- dise ; A. T. Seaman, tailor ; Dilwin Gardner, boots and shoes ; A. W. Flack, grocery ; and Philo & Ferguson, store." Besides these there were then ap-
1 These were the Glens Falls Hotel, then kept and owned by P. D. Threehouse ; the Union Hotel (or Skinner's tavern), then conducted by Edmund B. Richards, and the Glen House, under the hill, kept by the Widow Ray.
2 Of this school Dr. Holden wrote about twenty years ago as follows : "The medical school re- ferred to was kept by Dr. Fletcher Ransom, whose office and drug store was in the building since burnt, on the site now occupied by Fonda and Numan's ' Masonic Block.' He had several stu- dents and legends of the dissecting room and stolen bodies are yet preserved in the memories of the older inhabitants. Dr. Ransom came from Brattleboro, Vt., and removed to Kalamazoo, Mich. He abandoned the practice of medicine on removing to the west."
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
pearing on the signs in various parts of the village the names of Berry, Arms, Lapham, Ranger, Gillespy, Leavens, Tallmadge, Blakesly, Coffin, Geer, Havi- land, etc. At that time the principal business of the place, and indeed the larger part of the entire village, was situated on the principal streets leading away to neighboring towns. Glen and Warren streets, Ridge (then called Quaker street), Bay, Park, Jay, Lime, Canal, Water, South and West streets ; so much of Elm street as is embraced between Park and South streets, Ex- change street and so much of Church street as extends from Warren to Canal streets, comprised the entire catalogue of streets at that time. In the ensuing summer John A. Ferriss opened that part of Maple street between Ridge and Bay streets ; and Sidney Berry constructed the culvert, filled up the ravine and laid out and filled up Berry street. He also erected the Female Seminary, which was subsequently sold to district number 19, and used as a school-house.
The village evidently suffered to some extent from the epidemic of small- pox, which swept over the country in the year 1832, as well as on several later occasions. In the year named vigilant measures were adopted for the protec- tion of the community and the ravages of the disease reduced to the minimum. In 1844, again, a small-pox panic attacked the people of the town, and resolu- tions were passed ordering vaccination and the removal of all infected persons outside of the corporation limits. Such removals were placed in the hands of King Allen.
Five years later (1849) another scare is remembered, which called forth the appointment in January of Drs. B. Peck and J. L. Stodard to see that every person in the corporation was vaccinated, to report cases of small-pox and varioloid, etc. The cholera appeared in the country during the summer, and in June resolutions were passed to have the streets thoroughly cleaned and make all necessary preparations to combat the disease. A Board of Health was appointed, consisting of Henry Spencer, Isaac Knapp and David M. Dean.
. In 1861 (to dispose of the small-pox question) another panic occurred. Some cases of a disease appeared which entirely mystified some of the local medical faculty, and considerable discussion and antagonism ensued. To settle the matter Dr. Swinburne, of Albany, was called to decide upon the character of the disease. In his report he said: "That the disease which is now depop- ulating the fairest portion of West and Canal streets and causing the farmers to go to Sandy Hill with their 'apple sass' and potatoes, and the good deni- zens of the village to fight like cats on a rainy night, is pure and unadulterated small-pox, without the slightest doubt; that vaccination is the best and only preventive." Prompt and sufficient action saved the community from a general spread of the loathsome disease. The village was again visited by the pestilence in 1881, and nearly twenty deaths followed; but better sanitary arrangements, more efficient action and thorough knowledge of requirements confined the disease to restricted limits.
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PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
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