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 61
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Lumber. - The only lumber business extensively carried on here at pres- ent is controlled by P. H. Pulver, L. E. Wait and George H. Rockwell, under the firm style of Pulver, Wait & Rockwell. They own tracts of timbered land on both sides of the river towards Lake George, aggregating about four thousand acres. Logs are floated down the Hudson to Glens Falls. They
1 S. R. STODDARD'S Adirondacks, p. 178.
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TOWN OF LUZERNE.
have peeled as many as four thousand cords of hemlock bark in a year. The firm of Pulver, Wait & Rockwell is of recent formation, though Pulver & Wait have been together for years.
Leather Business. - The business now carried on under the title of The Garnar Leather Works was established in 1867, by Raymond & Ely. Thomas Garnar bought from them in 1869 and conducted the business without a part- ner until 1879, when he associated with himself J. V. Walsh and E. M. Gar- nar, and changed the firm name to Thomas Garnar & Co: In 1869 the con- cern employed six hands and turned out about six hundred dozen sheepskins per month. The business has been so enlarged that at present forty hands are constantly employed and three thousand dozen sheepskins are prepared per month. The goods are used for book binding.
Attorney. - The only practicing attorney at law in Luzerne is H. P. Gwinup, who was admitted in January, 1876, at Albany, after passing a clerkship with Judiah Ellsworth, late of Luzerne. He has practiced here ever since his ad- mission.
Physicians. - Dr. J. B. Burneson was graduated at the medical college of Castleton, Vt., in June, 1852, and came at once to Luzerne. Dr. James Seth Cooley obtained his medical education in the medical department of the Uni- versity of New York, and received his diploma in February, 1877. He prac- ticed in Sandy Hill until 1880, when he came to Luzerne. Before entering upon his medical career he had unusual experience as an instructor. Gradu- ated from Williams College in 1869, he became professor of ancient languages at Fort Edward Institute, which position he held for three years. He was vice-principal and professor of the natural sciences there for the scholastic years 1872 and 1873. He was also principal of the Glens Falls Academy from 1873 to 1876 inclusive.
Churches. - The first church organization in the town of Luzerne was of the Methodist denomination, who were largely predominant at the time of the building of the first church edifice in town. This edifice is the old Union or Methodist Church still standing, on the River road about three miles north of the village. It was raised on the 10th of June, 1807. The services for many years were conducted by various denominations working together. The Methodists, however, maintained their ascendency in numbers, and, consequently, in influ- ence. The Rev. Tobias Spicer and the Rev. Henry Coleman were about the first preachers in town. In 1837 the several denominations, still united, removed to the village of Luzerne and erected the house of worship on the site of the pres- ent Presbyterian Church. In 1852 the Methodists became a distinct and sep- arate body, and erected their present edifice. It was built by James Hege- man, now of Glens Falls, and Silas Dayton, now in the West. Owing to the destruction of the old records by fire, the figures showing the cost of erection, etc., cannot be obtained. At the time of the building of this edifice, the Rev.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Henry Williams was in the pastorate; the Rev. Stephen Stiles came in before the edifice was completed. Since 1841 the pastors, so far as their names could be learned, have been as follows : Revs. Adam Jones and Solomon H. Foster ; Albert Champlin and Abel Ford; Alanson Richards and John L. Robertson ; Ezra Sayre, Joseph Connor, L. D. Sherwood, Henry Williams, Stephen Stiles (1852), Chester Chamberlain, C. C. Bedell, P. M. Hitchcock, G. W. S. Porter, Bennett Eaton (1861), E. Morgan, W. H. Tiffany, E. A. Blanchard, Joseph Cope, F. K. Potter, Edwin Genge, R. J. Davies (about 1879), J. B. Wood, 1881. In 1882 came the Rev. J. B. Searles, the present pastor. About 1864, during the pastorate of Rev. E. Morgan, the parsonage was burned and the church records lost. The church property is now valued at $3,000 including the parsonage. The present membership is one hundred and eighty-five, with twenty-seven probationers. The present officers are : Orrin Moore, H. Burn- ham, M. L. Willard, R. N. Ramsay, Charles Thomas and William Wagar, trustees ; Orrin Moore, H. Burnham, George Crannell, William Wagar, Linus Wendell, Edwin Kerr, James Taylor, Orson Ball, Myron Selleck, George An- derson, and M. L. Willard, stewards.
The old church on the River road (Call street) is supplied from the pulpit of the Methodist Church at Luzerne, and has a membership of about forty.
The first Sunday-school held in Luzerne was started in 1817 by Mrs. Ann C. Dunham at the old Ira St. John house that stood near the present residence of P. C. Scovil. There was then no resident minister nor church edifice here. In 1818 Nathan A. Wells and Josiah Fassett led the Sunday-school in the old school-house. Mrs. McUmber and a Miss Jones had charge of it. In about the year 1822 Mrs. Henry Coleman, wife of the Methodist clergyman, super- intended one in the old Shearer house, where Mr. Garnar now lives. From that time until 1837 no record can be found throwing any light on the history of this school. The first Sunday-school superintendent in the Union Church in the village was Zina Cowles. He was followed by Ira St. John, William H. Wells, Reuben Wells, D. B. Ketchum, James Taylor, Sylvanus Scovil, Newton Aldrich, C. R. McEwan, W. H. St. John, W. S. Taylor, Orrin Moore, M. L. Willard, W. S. Taylor, and R. N. Ramsey, the present superintendent. The average attendance at present is about 125.
The Rockwells Falls Presbyterian Church was organized on the 17th day of January, 1856, by a committee of the Albany Presbytery composed of Dr. Woodbridge, of Saratoga, Rev. Tully, of Ballston, and Rev. Lyon, of Fish House. The first elders were William Scofield and Charles Rockwell. The first members were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rockwell, Mrs. Anna Younglove, Miss Susan Benedict, Mr. and Mrs. William Scofield, Mrs. Catharine Wells, and Miss Jane Ann Barnes. A few days afterward the following were added to the church : Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. William Ramsey, Mr. and Mrs. John Dougherty, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gayley. Before the
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TOWN OF LUZERNE.
formal organization of the church the Rev. - Benedict, who came in 1852, and was the first Presbyterian clergyman resident at Luzerne ; Rev. - Myers, who came in 1854; and Rev. Charles H. Skillman, who came in 1855, and remained five years, preached to the Presbyterian congregation of this place. In the summer of 1860 Rev. J. H. McLean, of Washington county, began a stay here of four months. Rev. C. A. Patterson came in 1861 and remained about a year as minister. In February, 1862, F. B. Hall was or- dained and installed as pastor. In November, 1862, he entered the army, and . did not return to active labor here. The church was then for three years with- out regular supply. During the summer of 1864, however, Rev. Dr. Duryea, then of Brooklyn, occupied the pulpit. During this period of the church's his- tory it became greatly reduced in numbers and efficiency, but began to recover in 1866. On August first of that year Rev. Elihu T. Sanford came to act as stated supply. He remained one year, and was succeeded by Rev. Walter Nichols. He in turn was followed in May, 1868, by Rev. George Craig, who remained three years. In the summer of 1871 Rev. William Durant filled the pulpit. Rev. -- Whittlesey favored the church with frequent pulpit minis- trations during the following fall and winter. Rev. Alexander Rankin has been the minister here since 1872, and is at present.
The building first used by this church as a house of worship was the old Union Church erected in 1837. In about 1855 the ground and edifice became the sole property of the Presbyterians, who reclaimed it from its dilapidated condition, refitted and almost remodeled it at an expense of about $500, and on the 17th of January, 1856, solemnly dedicated it to the worship of God. In 1881 the question as to the feasibility of building a new edifice was agi- tated. The present edifice was begun March 20th, 1882, and by December first following was so far completed as to be fit for occupancy. It was not dedicated, however, until July 28th, 1883. The cost of the building, in round numbers, was $10,000. The present value of the church property, including the parsonage, is about $13,000 - a low estimate. The membership of the church is now eighty-four. The present officers are: Elders, Charles Rock- well, who has been elder from the beginning, Clark Hall and J. S. Cooley, M. D .; trustees, Clark Hall, J. S. Cooley, M. D., George H. Rockwell, Will- iam Snell and Alexander Fisher.
There has been a Sunday-school connected with the church since the or- ganization of the latter. The first superintendent was Charles Rockwell. The present superintendent is Dr. J. S. Cooley. The average attendance of pupils is about 110.1
The Roman Catholic Mission at Luzerne was formerly attended from Sara- toga. It was attached to Warrensburgh in 1874, and under the suspervision of the new pastor, Rev. James A. Kelley, a handsome little edifice was erected
1 The old church, built in 1837, is now used as a store by Walter P. Wilcox.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
in July, 1876. The lot was donated to the society by the late Colonel B. C. Butler. The building cost, when completed, about $2,500. The society was liberally aided in the work by summer visitors and non-Catholic residents.1 The number of adult communicants is now about one hundred and thirty. Since the erection of the edifice a Sunday-school has been organized, and is superintended by the pastor.
The first pastor of the Church of the Infant Jesus, as it is titled, was Rev. James A. Kelley, who resigned in 1881, and after the interval of a year was regularly succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. William O'Mahoney, of Warrensburgh.2
CHAPTER XXVII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF THURMAN.
T HURMAN lies south of Johnsburgh on the west side of the Hudson, and north of Stony Creek. The western part is a high, broken, upland almost unknown except to hunters. The eastern part is a hilly plateau containing peaks which rise in some instances 1,000 feet above the level of the sea. The surface of the whole town is dotted with numerous small lakes. The soil is sandy with numerous intermixtures of loam.
The old town of Thurman was formed on the 10th of April, 1792. Bolton and Chester were taken off in 1799, Johnsburgh in 1805, and a part of Cald- well in 1810. The earliest records have been lost, and none are accessible un- til 1812, the last year before the old town was divided into Athol and Warrens- burgh.3 The officers of Thurman for that year were as follows : -
Supervisor, Duncan Cameron ; town clerk, Thomas Pattison ; justices of the peace, John Cameron, James L. Thurman ; overseers of the poor, Duncan McEwan, Stephen Griffing and Isaac Woodward. The same officers served in 1813. In 1814 Duncan Cameron was supervisor from Athol, Holden Kenyon was town clerk, and John Cameron, justice-elect.
One of the oldest living inhabitants of the town is D. Aldrich, who has rendered us valuable assistance in our researches, and whose recollection
1 Rev. William O'Mahoney, of Warrensburgh, is authority for this statement, and, indeed, through his kindness the whole matter concerning this church was obtained.
2 We regret our inability to insert a sketch of the Episcopal Church parish here, but we visited the rector several times, and received each time a promise of answer to the questions which we left with him, and were each time disappointed. We finally left our address with him, and came away with his promise to mail us the sketch. We wrote to him for it, but could get no answer.
3 The town of Thurman derived its name from John Thurman, the original patentee. See Johns- burgh History.
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TOWN OF THURMAN.
reaches back unmistakably to 1820. Speaking of the condition of the town of Athol at that time, he says that there was only one road in the town then, which stretched along the west bank of the Hudson, and was so primitive in construction that only foot and horseback travel was attempted upon it. In many places it was positively dangerous. People used to take their grain down the river in canoes to the grist-mill at Luzerne, or the Patent. West of this road the few inhabitants had erected their rude log huts, on the highest and dryest land, and cut out footpaths and saddle-roads to the Hudson. Wagons, and consequently wagon-roads, were as yet undreamed of. It was deemed an encouraging innovation indicative of bold and radical genius, when, a few months later, Amos Bowen and Stephen Griffing bought each a two-wheeled ox-cart, and John McEwan, regardless of his youthful training, purchased a one-horse wood-spring buggy !
The town then possessed but one framed school-house, which stood near the center of the town, about a mile west of the present depot. There were two or three log school-houses in the western part of the town. The inhabi- tants were very poor, and had not the money to keep the school in operation more than two or three months in a year. One small church edifice was built about this time by the Presbyterians, near the present depot. A large propor- tion of the inhabitants were Scotch and Presbyterians. Indeed, Athol derived its name from the circumstance that the town of Athol, Scotland, was the birth-place of many of the early settlers here.
Between 1835 and 1860 there was no regular church in town, all religious meetings being held in the school-house.
There never were any distilleries in town, and only two potash factories. These were built about 1820 by David Cameron and John McEwan. They were kept running eight or ten years, and then allowed to run down. The market was at Waterford, N. Y., to which place the proprietors of these ash- eries had their potash hauled and bartered for household necessaries. It was in the neighborhood of 1820 that the first lumbering was done in Athol. Nor- man and Alanson Fox, of Chester, began the business in Athol and Johns- burgh, by running pine logs - for pine grew hereabouts in great abundance - down the Hudson to Glens Falls. More or less lumbering has been carried on in town from that time down to the present day, the most prominent lumber- men being Abraham Wing, Walter Geer, Halsey R. Wing, Zenus Van Duzen, James and Jeremiah Finch, James Morgan & Co., and Henry Crandell, all of Glens Falls. It has been said that these men have made more money going over the ground a second time and utilizing the spruce and hemlock which followed the " forest primeval," than they did in felling and selling the aboriginal pines. The old town of Athol had a frontage on the Hudson of about fifteen miles, as it comprised the territory now included in Thurman and Stony Creek. The first permanent settlements were made from 1825 to 1830, although of
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
course the town had been thinly inhabited for years. Commencing at the south end of the town, Mr. Aldrich gives the following names of those who came here in this period : Alexander Murray, John Murray, James McDon- ald, Peter McDonald, Peter Woolley, James Cameron, Daniel McMillan, Oliver Ryley, William Cameron, Benoni Aldrich, Simeon Warren, Daniel Bowen, David Cameron, Stephen Griffing, (Ist), William Griffing, Nathaniel Griffing, John McMillan, Benjamin A. Potter, Stokes Potter, Gideon Lanfear, Calvin Baldwin. Of these Gideon Lanfear and Nathaniel Griffing are still alive, and many of the others have descendants residing in either Thurman or Stony Creek. .
The first post-office in Athol was established not far from 1820 by the ap- pointment of Duncan McEwan, postmaster, and James Dow to carry the mail once a week to Glens Falls and back by the way of Luzerne. Mr. Aldrich says : " I remember well the old hero Dow, mounted on horse and saddle-bags, with a long tin horn in his hand, to sound the glad tidings to the inhabitants along the river that we were connected with the far off village of Glens Falls by a mail route. Now we have a daily mail, and any day we can get aboard a public conveyance at our own door and ride around the world by the same conveyance, if we desire. When I commenced keeping store in 1836, we had not one; now we have half a dozen. For two years I hauled my goods on a wagon from Albany, making the trip in four days. Now we have only a mile to draw our goods. In 1840 the house I now live in was the only one in town which was painted white ; now you can count them by scores. In 1830 the old town of Athol used to have three days of election and polled. fewer than 200 votes ; now, either division, Thurman or Stony Creek, can poll 350."
Athol was divided into Stony Creek and the present Thurman on the third day of November, 1852.
The first officers of the town of Thurman ware as follows : Supervisor, Hi- ram P. Williams ; town clerk, David A. Green; assessors, William Johnson, Daniel Bowen ; commissioners of highways, Lorenzo Pasco, Charles S. Drull ; justices of the peace, Ichabod Aldrich, John Loveland; inspectors of elections, A. Burdick, Aaron Hall, George Russell ; collector, John V. Kenyon ; over- seers of the poor, John Wilsey, James Coyle ; constables, Alanson S. Orritt, Jacob L. Daggett, Daniel Wilcox, John V. Kenyon, John K. Thistle.
The Rebellion .- The first enrollment of men for the army in 1861 was made by George P. Wait, of Johnsburgh. About 150 men enlisted and very few were drafted. (See chapter on military history of the county.)
Churches .- The oldest church organization in town is the Baptist which, was formed in 1833. Preaching had been done here for a number of years. The first sermon ever preached in town was at the house of a Mr. Parker, by Rev. - Green. Down to 1822 occasional sermons were heard from El- ders Fox, Grant, Faxon, and Mott. In 1822 the professed Baptists in town
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TOWN OF THURMAN.
numbered but twenty-nine. At that time they were associated with the Johns- burgh church with Elder Blakeman as pastor. In 1829 there was a great re- vival throughout the neighborhood, and twenty-six were converted to the true faith. Elder Cobb preached in 1830. In October, 1833, the Thurman society organized a distinct church and separated from the Johnsburgh church. The first officers were : Eben Johnson, clerk, Daniel Pasco and Samuel Barber, dea- cons. In 1838, under the ministry of Elder Ward, the church attained a mem- bership of ninety-one. Since then the following pastors have resided here : 1840, Sherman Farnham was ordained and made pastor; 1846, after a brief interregnum, Rev. W. S. Bush was pastor ; there was no pastor in 1850; 1851, Elder Caleb Smith ; 1853, Elder G. Harrington ; 1858, Elder Joseph Brown ; 1863, after an interregnum of two years, Elder William Dickens; 1865, E. W. Burdick; 1872 built house of worship ; 1873, Elder Burdick, the present pas- tor, again. The Methodist church was erected here soon after the Baptist ed- ifice, and immediately after the organization of the church, Rev. M. Wynan, pastor. Almyron Cameron is class leader, and Hiram Truesdell, Thomas Need- ham and Asahel Albro, deacons.
About 1860, too, a Baptist Church was built in the west part of the town called Kenyontown.
Athol Hotel .- There is but one hotel in the town of Thurman, now kept by John Loveland, at Athol. There was formerly a tavern on the farm now owned by Loveland, which was built soon after 1820, and first kept by Guy Brooks. He was followed by Elisha Pendell ; then Luman Pendell, and finally, for about one year, Alanson Kenyon kept it, when Loveland tore it down.
The present hotel was erected by a stock company, in 1851, and first oc- cupied by Duncan Cameron, who leased it for five years at a total rental of $200. In 1856 his brother, William J. Cameron, succeeded him, and was soon in turn succeeded by Myron Griffin. In 1863 Calvin Frost became proprie- tor. In 1864 William J. Cameron again came into possession, and with the exception of the year 1869-70, when Marvin Parker kept it, remained until 1875. In that year the present proprietor, John Loveland, came, and re- mained two years. From 1877 to 1880 he was in Caldwell, but he returned in 1880. The store which he runs in connection with the hotel, he started in the summer of 1884.
Mercantile Interests .- The oldest store now open in Athol is that of David Aldrich, who first dealt in merchandise here in 1836. With the exception of two years - 1853 and 1854 - when he was at Luzerne, and three - 1870 and 1873 - at Riverside, he has kept the store ever since. Mr. Aldrich was born about one and a half miles south of his present home, September 9th, 1814. John N. Elwell has kept store most of the time since 1859. His present store between the upper and lower villages has been in operation since 1880. C. Y. Kenyon opened his general store May Ist, 1881, a little way below his
.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
present place of business. He moved in July, 1884. Asahel Albro's store was first opened in 1882. Albert Covey started his store opposite the hotel in the fall of 1884.
Post-office .- The establishment of the first post-office in town, about 1820, with Duncan McEwan as postmaster, has been mentioned. The present in- cumbent at Thurman post-office is Delilah Parker, successor to John Parker, who was appointed more than thirty years ago. The postmasters at Athol since 1856 have been Michael Byrnes, James Gilpin 1862, Abiel Pendell 1864, Morgan Kenyon 1867, John L. Gilpin 1870, and the present official, John L. Frest.
Following is as complete a list as can be obtained of supervisors from this town or Athol : Athol- 1813-16, Duncan Cameron ; 1817, David Cameron ; 1818-23, Elisha Pendell ; 1824, Henry Allen ; 1825, Elisha Pendell ; 1826, Duncan Cameron ; 1827-29, Elisha Pendell; 1830-33, James Cameron; 1834, '35, Richardson Cameron ; 1836, '37, Luman Pendell ; 1838, '39, Elisha Pen- dell ; 1840, John Parker ; 1841, '42, Luman Pendell; 1843, Peter McDonald ; 1844, James Cameron ; 1845, Elisha Pendell ; 1846, Ebenezer Johnson ; 1847, Elisha Pendell ; 1848, David Aldrich ; 1849, Simeon Warren ; 1850, '51, Clayton L. Kenyon ; 1852, John McMillen. Thurman - 1853, '54, Hiram P. Willianis; 1855, William J. Cameron ; 1856, Elisha Pendell ; 1857, '58, Marvin Parker ; 1859, William J. Cameron ; 1860, '61, David Aldrich ; 1862, Elisha Pendell ; 1863, Sandford Johnson ; 1864, '65, David Aldrich ; 1866, James Warren ; 1867, '68, John Loveland ; 1869, John T. Parker ; 1870, Marvin Parker ; 1871, John L. Loveland ; 1872, '73, M. W. Bowen ; 1874, '75, David A. Green; 1876, Miles Frost ; 1877, '78, William H. Kenyon ; 1879, Fred E. Aldrich ; 1880, James Warren ; 1881, '82, Luman Pendell ; 1883, '84, Andrew McGee ; 1885, Charles H. Baker.
The present town officers, elected on April 7th, 1885, are as follows : Su- pervisor, Charles H. Baker ; town clerk, Frederick Kenyon; commissioner of highways, Warren Harris; assessor, Judson Williams; justice of the peace, H. J. Truesdell ; overseers of the poor, Henry Smith, Stokes R. Pot- ter ; inspectors of election, James D. Smith, Seward Archer; collector, William Needham ; constables, George Taylor, Levi S. Trumbell, John Covey, Judson Farnham, William Needham.
The population of the town in 1855 was 1,259; in 1860, 1,084; in 1865, 1,007; in 1870, 1,084; in 1875, 1,095 ; in 1880, 1,174.
529
TOWN OF BOLTON.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BOLTON.
T `HIS town lies on the eastern boundary of the county, between Hague on the north and Caldwell on the south. A part of Lake George forms its eastern boundary and the Schroon River separates it from Warrensburgh on the west. The surface is occupied principally by the lofty mountain ridges - a part of the Kayaderosseras range - which rest between Lake George and the Schroon River. The three prominent peaks of this range are: Tongue Mountain, on the peninsula between the lake and Norwthest Bay, rises to an elevation of about 2,000 feet above tide; Pole Hill, in the northern part of the town, 2,500 feet high ; and Cat Head, in the center, from 1,500 to 1,800 feet above tide water. The mountains generally rise abruptly from the lake, but toward the west the surface assumes the character of a high, rolling upland. High up among the hills are a variety of lovely lakes, embosomed in the very summits of the mountains. The principal among these are Trout Lake, Marsh Pond, and Edgecomb Pond. Trout Lake is 1,000 feet above the surface of Lake George. The soil, which is a light, sandy loam, is not wholly unpro- ductive, especially along the lake, where fruits are successfully cultivated. The general surface of the town, however, is so stony and broken, that not more than one-half of it is susceptible of cultivation.
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