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 68
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1 It will be remembered that for a number of years after the death of James Warren, his widow, Me- linda Warren, and his son Wilson, carried on the business. The house of Mrs. Melinda Warren is undoubtedly, therefore, the present Warren; House, kept by John Heffron.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
viewers, Myron Beach and Dr. Thomas Pattison ; poundmaster, William Hough; pathmasters : District No. 1, Myron Beach ; No. 2, Joseph Harring- ton ; No. 3, Silas Mills; No. 4, Dr. Thomas Pattison ; No. 5, James L. Thur- man ; No. 6, James Lucas; No. 7, Sylvester Saturley ; No. 8, Thomas New- bury (lived near Bolton); No. 9, Joseph Smith ; No. 10, Nathan Sheerman ; No. 11, Abel Matoon ; No. 12, David McCansey ; No. 13, Albro Tripp ; No. 14, Solomon Thurston ; No. 15, Nathaniel Norton ; No. 16, Solomon Mun- sil ; No. 17, Duncan McDonald ; No. 18, David Millington ; No. 19, Alexan- der Robertson ; No. 20, Daniel Geer; No. 21, Samuel Bennett ; No. 22, Shad- rach Newton.
At this meeting the sum of fifty dollars was voted for the support of the poor ; ten dollars was offered as a bounty for each wolf killed within the town limits ; and the meeting was adjourned with a resolution that the next annual meeting be held at the same place. At the next meeting, 1814, the wolf bounty was increased to fifteen dollars, and a resolution was passed that a fine of five dollars be levied upon every man who should neglect to destroy the Tory weed on his own farm and in the highway opposite his farm. Among the new names that appear are Peleg Tripp, Isaac Woodward, James Griffing, Royal P. Wheeler, Aaron Priest, Jonathan Vowers, Henry Lewis, and Philip Baker. The third annual meeting was also held at Mrs. Melinda Warren's, and for the first time the offices of inspectors, and commissioners of schools were created. Seventy-five dollars raised for the support of the poor, indi- cates that the increasing population did not necessarily bring to the town a pro- portionate increase of wealth. The wolf bounty was voted at ten dollars and a coon bounty of twelve and a half cents offered. The sum of ten dollars was voted to purchase a standard of weights and measures, and the town clerk was directed to copy all the resolutions and post them up in conspicuous places. In 1816 it was resolved that twenty-five cents be paid for every crow killed in the town, conditioned upon the presentation of the proper " certiffi- cut " from a justice of the peace.
In 1817 the sum of $200 was voted for the support of the poor. By this time the care of the poor of the town had become something of a problem, for in addition to the increased sum raised for their support, James Pattison and Lucius Green, overseers of the poor, and Seth C. Baldwin were appointed, pur- suant to resolution, a committee to procure a " sufficient and proper establish- ment " for the employment of the paupers of the town. Furthermore, a special meeting was held on the 15th of April, 1817, at which the sum of two hun- dred dollars was raised for the relief of the poor, and the poormasters were au- thorized to borrow that amount on the credit of the town, and with it to pur- chase provisions for the poor. No action of any importance was recorded after this until the year 1822, when the extremely significant and peculiar resolu- tion was passed that " a fine of ten dollars be inflicted on any ram running at
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TOWN OF WARRENSBURGH.
large from the 12th of September until the 20th of November." Another res- olution passed in 1825, reads to the effect that "hogs, horses and sheep shant be free commoners." In 1826 a bounty of five dollars was offered for every wild cat killed. During all these years we find indications of improvement in all things; roads were in constant process of construction, alteration and repair. Bridges were built and rebuilt. School-houses were erected, and there was going on a perpetual readjustment of the existing conditions to the changes wrought by growing population and the increasing importance of business ac- tivities. But the face of the country did not lose its original grim wildness for years. During winters the farmers turned their attention to lumbering and the pine forests that mantled the earth were gradually felled and converted into lumber or floated down the river to the lumber market at Glens Falls. Wolves, panthers, lynxes and wild cats infested the neighborhood down to a compara- tively recent date, for until 1846 bounties were annually offered for the death of one or all of the kinds of beasts named. Nevertheless, improvements were continually going on. As we have seen, the roads to Chester, Thurman, Cald- well, and Bolton were all here in a rude state at the beginning of the century. They were scarcely traversable, however, except by persons on foot or horse- back, being full of stumps and insurmountable rocks. The road to The Glen was built about the year 1825. A plank road was built from Warrensburgh to Chester in 1850, and one from Warrensburgh to Caldwell in 1849. The leading men in the company which constructed the former of the plank roads were Pelatiah Richards and Joseph Woodward, who, in connection with B. P. Burhans and Thomas S. Gray, were also chiefly instrumental in the construc- tion of the plank road to Caldwell. Both these roads have been since con- verted into turnpikes.
The bridge across the Hudson between the towns of Warrensburgh and Thurman has also something of a history. On the 20th of April, 1836, the Legislature appropriated $4,000 for the construction of a bridge at this place, or "between Warrensburgh and Athol." George Pattison and Stephen Grif- fing, of Warrensburgh, and Richard Cameron, of Athol were appointed com- missioners. This was the occasion of the building of the old wooden bridge. On the 4th of April, 1871, $2,500 was appropriated by the Legislature " for the relief of Warrensburgh and Thurman towards the building of a bridge be- tween the towns near the mouth of the Schroon River." The construction of the present bridge followed hard upon this action.
Warrensburgh, in common with the other towns of the county, did well for the country during the late "misunderstanding" between the two sections. As the general military history of the county is given in a former chapter, it is unnecessary to do more here than point out a little the action of the town in relation to volunteer service. According to the records, a special meeting was called April 4th, 1864, at the house of Duncan Griffin, at which it was voted
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
unanimously that the sum of $1,700 be raised immediately for each volunteer. This was an encouragement to the male inhabitants to fill the quota under the call of the president for men. At another special meeting held on August 9th, 1864, it was decided by a vote of sixty-three to twelve to raise $8,000 to fill the quota under the president's call for 500,000 men. At the same meeting the town auditors were authorized to borrow money (exclusive of the $8,000 before mentioned) on an issue of bonds for the purpose of paying volunteers, and Thomas Cunningham, F. C. Burhans, Hiram McNutt, Samuel T. Rich- ards and Henry Herrick were appointed a committee to raise the money on these bonds. On the 29th of the same month, at another special meeting, it was resolved [by a vote of 149 against nine to raise $12,000 additional to fill the quota under the call for 500,000 men, and the sum of $800 was voted as a bounty for each volunteer. This was not of course all that the town did dur- ing the last war. It answered promptly the call for men and money, and a goodly number of those who form the bulk of the population to-day can remember with gratification the part they took in defense of the menaced Union.1
Following is a list of the supervisors of the town from the date of its for- mation to the present : 1813, James L. Thurman ; 1814 and 1815, Harmon Hoffman ; 1816 and 1817, James L. Thurman ; 1818-20, Dudley Farlin ; 1821-23, Duucan McDonald ; 1824, Richardson Thurman ; 1825 and 1826, James L. Thurman; 1827 and 1828, Dudley Farlin ; 1829, Joseph Russell ; 1830, Pelatiah Richards ; 1831-34, Joseph Russell; 1835, John Thurman ; 1836 and 1837, Stephen Griffing ; 1838, Pelatiah Richards ; 1839, Joseph Rus- sell ; 1840, Alton Nelson ; 1841, Thomas S. Gray ; 1842,Asa Crandall ; 1843, Abial Burdick ; 1844, Nelson J. Warren; 1845, Joseph Woodward; 1846, Nelson J. Warren ; 1847, James R. Berry ; 1848, Abial Burdick; 1849, John Moon ; 1850, Nelson J. Warren ; 1851 and 1852, James R. Berry ; 1853, Abial Burdick ; 1854, Myron H. Shaw; 1855, John S. Berry ; 1856, Nelson J. War- ren ; 1857 and 1858, Stephen Griffin, 2d; 1859 and 1860, Stephen Griffing ; 1861 and 1862, Thomas Cunningham ; 1863, Duncan Griffing; 1864 and 1865, Thomas Cunningham ; 1866 and 1867, Abial Burdick ; 1868, Charles H. Ho-
1 The town history should not be closed withont a mention of the old block house of tradition, which Dr. A. W. Holden, of Glens Falls, described in a recent number of the Warrensburgh News. He says in effect that the traveler approaching the " lower borough," as the residents of Warrensburgh in former days called the lower village, after crossing the iron bridge which spans the Schroon River, will discover at about forty rods distance a huge boulder whose front overtops the highway. There is a tradition connected with it. In 1790-91, during the troubles between the government and the Indians along the frontier, the old Indian trail leading from the'Mohawk River past the base of Crane Mountain to the lake being yet open, and the memory of former raids being yet fresh in the minds of the inhabi- tants, they gathered from the surrounding wilderness homes to the hill at the rear of ths big rock, speedily cleared away the forest which hid its summit, and erected from the logs a two-storied block- honse, with port-holes and fastenings sufficient for the purposes of protection against an ordinary In- dian attack. It is not recorded that they were called upon to employ it for the purpose of its construc- tion, and even the vestiges of its ruins have been obliterated for years.
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TOWN OF WARRENSBURGH.
gan ; 1869, Stephen Griffin, 2d ; 1870, John Mixter; 1871, Charles M. Os- born ; 1872-1877, Thomas Cunningham ; 1878, Lewis C. Eldridge; 1879, Stephen Griffin, 2d ; 1880, Joel J. White ; 1881, Thomas Cunningham ; 1882, Joel J. White ; 1883, Thomas Cunningham; 1884, Henry Griffing; 1885, Henry Griffing.
The present officers of the town (1885,) are as follows : Supervisor, Henry Griffing ; town clerk, L. C. Aldrich; justices of the peace, James Herrick, elected in 1882 ; F. R. Osborne, 1883 ; Daniel Aldrich, 1884, and B. W. Sher- wood, 1885 ; assessors, Sylvanus Smith, Jamon H. Harrington and John H. Stone ; commissioners of highways, Charles H. Colvin, Albert H. Alden and John W. Wills; collector, Sheridan E. Prosser ; overseer of the poor, Nathan- iel F. Mathews ; constables, Eugene F. Prosser, Charles W. Taber, Moses R. Herrington, Edgar T. Hayes; game constable, Fred O. Hammond; inspec- tors of election, George W. Matthews, John McElroy, Elmer E. Whitman ; excise commissioners, George Woodward, Daniel Varnum, Elijah Pratt.
According to the various census reports, the population of the town of Warrensburgh in 1850 was 1,874; in 1855, 1,946; in 1860. 1,704; in 1865, 1,585 ; in 1870, 1,579; in 1875, 1,660; in 1880, 1,725.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
In the preceding pages of this chapter, much that has been deemed of broad enough application to be placed in the general history, has yet a deci- ded reference to the early condition of the village. Although since the arrival in this vicinity of the earliest settlers, the population has centered, by a natural law, about the site of this village, yet the community could hardly claim title to the name village during the first ten or fifteen years of this century. Gordon's Gazetteer I describes the place in 1836, as containing one Methodist and one Presbyterian church, two taverns, five stores, a large tannery, a grist-mill, two saw-mills, carding and cloth-dressing works, and " about fifty dwellings, mostly new." Considerable business had been done here, however, every year after about 1815,and many of the important industries which now go to make up the thrift and prosperity of the village, date their origin back to a period not long posterior to this time.
The first post-office here was kept about where the Warren House now stands. It was established about the year 1806, with Kitchell Bishop as the first postmaster. He was succeeded in a short time by James Warren. After Mr. Warren's death, his son, Nelson J. Warren, succeeded to the position, and kept the office for a number of years. After he gave up the office, various postmasters succeeded. In 1856, we find Frederick A. Farlin in the office. In 1862, Captain M. N. Dickinson received the appointment, but went at once to take a prominent part in the Rebellion, and Miles Thomas performed the duties
1 In possession of Dr. Holden.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
incident to the position until 1866, when Captain Dickinson returned, and from that time until July, 1885, he served in that office. On the last named date, C. E. Cole received the appointment.
Various causes have co-operated to make Warrensburgh a thriving village. The excellent water power of the Schroon and of some of the smaller streams in the vicinity afforded the more energetic inhabitants the opportunity of erect- ing mills with a fair chance of realizing a comfortable profit from the outlay. In earlier days the great quantities of hemlock in the surrounding country at- tracted hither persons desirous of establishing a prosperous tanning business. When the railroad was opened nearly twenty years ago an additional impetus was given to business by reason of the increase it created in the shipping facil- ities of the place. Before the road was built all the exports had to be drawn with teams a distance of fifteen miles to Glens Falls, and thence shipped via the feeder to their destination. As Mr. A. C. Emerson expressively says : " Many think that the road takes travelers by, but probably no resident of Warrensburgh would like to see it torn up."
In addition to the advantages of railroad communication, a telephone line connects Warrensburgh with Thurman station, Saratoga and Glens Falls, and stage routes have long been established between this village and Thurman sta- tion, Glens Falls and Chestertown. These are at once results and evidences of a continual growth from an infinitesimal beginning. This growth can best be described by giving a brief historical sketch of each of the prominent business establishments and educational and religious institutions at present existing.
Hotels. - The Warren House was built and first used as a tavern by James Pitts in 1789. In a few years it passed into the hands of Jasper Duel. In 1804 James Warren purchased it of Duel, and kept it until his death. Al- though the property was leased to various persons, it remained in the hands of the Warren family until 1866, when it was sold to Russell and Chapman. In three or four years Henry Chapman bought out Joseph Russell and in the spring of 1878 he sold to the present proprietor, John Heffron. He has thor- oughly renovated, remodeled and repaired the house, and has made it a most commodious and comfortable resting place for tourists and travelers of every name and nature. He sets an excellent table. The house can conveniently accommodate forty guests.
The construction of the Adirondack House, the only other hotel in the vil- lage, was commenced by Alton Nelson and John McLaren, but finished in 1825 by Edmund Richards, brother to Pelatiah Richards. He ran the house for a number of years and was followed by Alton Nelson and the latter by Jo- seph Woodward who bought the property. John McLaren rented it of Mr. Woodward a few months, and was succeeded by Bradford Tubbs, who kept the house nearly two years. Stephen Griffin, 2d, acquired title and posses- sion of the hotel in 1838, and kept it until about 1847, when he sold out to
Mesdickinson
1
585
TOWN OF WARRENSBURGH.
Lewis Persons. R. C. Smith, the present proprietor, came into the house in 1867 as successor to Lewis Persons. He can accommodate about forty guests, and has the reputation of keeping a good house.
Mercantile Interests .- The oldest mercantile establishment in town is that of A. T. Pasko & Son (E. D. Pasko), who are engaged in making and selling harnesses and the appurtenances thereto. The senior member of the firm be- gan the business here in 1851, in the same building which he at present occu- pies. It is well to state, however, that for two or three years before that he had carried on the business in a small way at his residence. About the year 1860 he removed his business to the building which he now occupies as a dwelling, and in 1876 came back to his present quarters. At that time his son, E. D. Pasko, became his partner, and since then the firm name and personnel has remained the same, A. T. Pasko & Son. In January, 1863, O. F. Ham- mond started a general store in the building which he still occupies as a drug store. In 1864 he changed the business from the sale of general merchandise to the preparation and sale of drugs and chemicals. It was the first drug store in town. Robert Jarvis first kept store in Warrensburgh in 1865, after acting two and a half years as clerk for Henry Herrick, whom he bought out. In 1866 he sold again to James and Halsey Herrick. This store was where Mr. Dickinson's drug store now is. In 1867 Mr. Jarvis bought out the old James Warren stand, of James Fuller, and for six months had with him a partner, Dennis Stone. He then bought out Stone's interest and transferred it to his brother, Walter Jarvis. This relation subsisted for about two years, since the termination of which Robert Jarvis has remained alone. In 1871 he sold out to the present owner of that store, James Herrick. After a partial suspension of business for five years, Mr. Jarvis, in 1876, erected his present store, and has since then continued there in the mercantile business. Captain M. N. Dickin- son, for so many years postmaster here, began the hardware business in the building now used as the printing office, in 1865, being the pioneer dealer in this description of goods in Warrensburgh. In 1871 he sold out to John G. Hunt. . In the fall of 1881 he went into partnership with A. H. Thomas, in the store they now occupy, and from the commencement of this relation they did business under the firm name of A. H. Thomas & Co. They deal in general merchandise, clothing, however, being a specialty. Captain Dickinson has also had the agency for the sale of the Royal St. John sewing machine since 1884. A. H. Thomas began his mercantile career here in 1868, going in with his father, Miles Thomas, who had been a Warrensburgh merchant since 1854. The firm name in 1868 became, therefore, Miles Thomas & Son. In May, 1872, Miles Thomas retired, and his son, Charles A. Thomas, entered into partnership with his brother. He left, however, in December, 1878, and A. H. Thomas remained alone until Captain Dickinson went in with him, as above stated. When Charles A. Thomas left his brother in 1878, he immediately started an-
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
other store in the stone building which he still occupies. Until January roth, 1884, he conducted the business in company with M. N. Noxon, but since then has been the sole proprietor of the business. In 1866 James Herrick first be- gan to keep a general store in the building now occupied by G. W. Dickinson as a drug store. In about two years he removed to the building now occupied by E. Osborn. In 1871 he went into his present store, at which time he bought the stock of Robert Jarvis, who, as before stated, had been a general merchant here a number of years before. James Fuller, also named before as the prede- cessor of Robert Jarvis in this building, himself succeeded Nelson J. Warren, the son of James Warren, so that this house can probably lay claim to the dis- tinction of being the oldest store building in the village. E. S. Crandall and his father, J. Crandall, entered into co-partnership relations in 1867, under the firm name of Crandall & Son. They occupied the present drug store of G. W. Dickinson until about 1876, when they moved into the building still occupied by E. S. Crandall. The partnership was dissolved in 1878. John G. Hunt bought out the hardware store of Captain M. N. Dickinson in 1871. In 1882 he added the general mercantile department. The business now conducted by E. Osborn was founded by his father, C. W. Osborn in 1872. He died in March, 1885, since which time the present proprietor has continued the business. The building, though unoccupied for some years before 1872, is an old store, being formerly used as such by James Herrick (see above). Warren Potter estab- lished a dry goods business in the building which he still uses, in January, 1877. In October, 1883, Alphonso Young purchased a half interest in the store, and the business is now conducted under the style of Potter & Young. S. E. Prosser opened a miniature general store at his residence in 1879. In 1883 he increased his stock and removed to his present location. H. Herrick opened his store in Louisville in 1879. He originated the business which he now con- ducts. G. W. Dickinson opened a drug store in the " upper village " in 1879, taking a one-half interest with L. C. Charette. In 1880 he purchased Charette's interest. He came to his present location in May, 1883. J. W. Wills com- menced dealing in general merchandise in August, 1881. He has also been wagonmaker and blacksmith in the building which he still uses for the same purpose, since 1860. D. W. Bean, jeweler, came here in the spring of 1881, from Chestertown, where he had been engaged in the same business for ten years previously. In 1881 James H. Mixter began the hardware business in the same building now used for a like purpose by his brother, F. R. Mixter. The transfer of the business was effected in 1882. F. W. Herrick buys and sells furniture now in the same building in which he began, on January Ist, 1883, when he bought out the stock of Bullard & Hunt.
Manufacturing Interests. - The first grist-mill in town was built by Joseph Hutchinson on the Stow place, at the point which is now known as the south end of the Judd bridge. At low water the remains of the old dam are yet
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TOWN OF WARRENSBURGH.
visible. The first grist-mill erected on the site of that now known as the Bur- hans mill was built by Dr. Michael Hoffman,1 about the year 1806, and sold by him to Dudley Farlin in 1816. In 1824 Farlin erected the present mill, and soon after sold it to Nelson J. Warren, who ran it for a term of years and sold it to William B. Farlin on the 4th of August, 1845. In the following Decem- ber Burhans and Gray bought it. They extensively repaired the mill in the following summer. On the Ist of May, 1860, Colonel Burhans purchased the interest of General Gray. In August, 1862, Colonel Burhans placed in a run of stone - making four in all. Since his death the business has been con- ducted by his heirs. The mill will grind fifteen tons of produce in twelve hours.
The mills now operated by A. C. Emerson & Co. were built about 1818 or 1820 by Dudley Farlin, who remained sole proprietor of the business until about 1834. He then sold out to Nelson J. Warren, who, after conducting it for a time, sold his entire interest to Joseph Russell. The latter transferred a one-fourth interest to Stephen Griffin, 2d, and soon after another one-fourth interest to Joseph Woodward. Then Mr. Griffin purchased a third part of Russell. In 1855 Joseph Woodward bought of Russell the remaining fourth. In the same year A. C. Emerson, who is now the senior member of the com- pany, became grantee of one-half of Joseph Woodward's interest. They ran a store in connection with the mill. In 1858 James McDonald secured an in- terest in the concern, which he retained until 1865. In the mean time - 1859 -I. S. Woodward purchased the entire interest of his uncle, Joseph Wood- ward, and in 1865 he and A. C. Emerson secured title to McDonald's share. It should be stated that Griffin's interest was distinct and separate from that possessed by the others. He ran the mill a part of the time alone, and the rest conducting the business jointly the remainder of the time. Griffin carried on, also, a separate store. In 1866 I. Starbuck & Brothers (George E. and Edward S.) bought out Griffin's interest in the mill alone. The next change in the complex relations between the members of this quasi-company consisted in the formation of a partnership between A. C. Emerson and I. S. Woodward of the one part, and I. Starbuck & Brothers of the other part, under the firm name of Starbucks, Emerson & Co. On the first of December, 1866, the Starbucks, who had acquired of Thomas S. Gray title to the Horicon tannery, put it in the stock, as they did also the Pharaoh property, which consisted of nearly 7,000 acres of land and included the lake of that name. Another change was effected in 1868 when George Harvey and Lewis M. Baker bought out the Starbucks, and the firm name assumed the form of Harvey, Emerson & Co. Harvey purchased Baker's right in 1869, and on the 13th of February, 1872, Hawley, who by that time owned one-half of the entire property, dis-
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