USA > New York > Ulster County > Marlborough > History of the town of Marlborough, Ulster County, New York, from its earliest discovery > Part 18
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They afforded the only means of travel. A person going to New York or Albany or on trips of shorter distances must either go on his horse or take the sloop. It was rather a slow trip, taking about a week to go and return and transact his business, but no one was in a hurry in those days. The sloops were fitted up with cabins, that is to say the vessels on which people traveled, and they generally had a good cook, so it was a pleasant trip and answered for an outing. The trip cost little, and it was a great thing to get to the city then. Certain vessels made trips as regularly as wind and tide allowed, and carried . passengers principally together with freight. The entire travel and forwarding of the river was done in this manner. The river was white with sails, and I have heard old people say they could go up on the hills almost any time and count fifty sails in sight. After a while fast sailing packets handsomely fitted up sailed from Albany to New York, stopping at intermediate places, making good time and thereby
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VESSELS AND TRANSPORTATION.
affording great improvement on the former means of travel.
Smith's sloop "Sally " was in the service of the government in the Revolution. It was used afterward and later tied at the south of Smith's dock and sunk there; the body of the vessel could be seen at low water-mark up to the time the West Shore railroad was built.
There were many lime-kilns and good limestone at Barnegat. Sloops brought it across the river, and it was burned at the Lewis and Powell kilns. Lime was also burned in the southeastern part of the town at what is now the Kerr property. This made con- siderable trade, and sloops transported it up and down the river.
The sloop " Stranger " was run from DuBois' dock about 1820 and some years thereafter. The "Hoyt " was run about the same time by Mobary Carpenter. As trade increased Carpenter and Josiah Lockwood, about 1825, sailed two sloops from Marlborough to New York. The sloops were the "Victory " and " Robert Menturn." They carried all kinds of pro- duce and did an extensive business. The captain sold the cargoes at the boat, for there were no commission merchants then. These vessels ran several years.
All' transportation was by sailing vessels up to 1825, and some even after that date. Steamboats had then come into use, and they took about all the travel. A number of the landings did not afford proper dock- ing facilities for these vessels, so the passengers were rowed out in small boats to them. It made a lively time for passengers getting on and off, with packages and freight being tossed right and left.
There was a good steamboat landing at Milton as early as 1830. I believe before that time steamboats landed here. In 1830 Peter Quimby advertised :
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
STEAM BOAT NOTICE.
The Hudson River Steam Boat Line is now plving between New-York and Albany, leaving New-York at 5 o'clock, P. M. every day, (except Sunday) when they leave Albany at 10 o'clock A. M.
The Steam Boats arrive at Milton from New-York every night between eleven and twelve o'clock. From Albany, they arrive at Milton between three and four o'clock every after- noon. The boats will land and receive passengers at the Steam Boat Landing, Milton.
Milton, May 3rd, 1830.
PETER QUIMBY
After the advent of steamboats barges came in use. The steamers would bring them alongside of the dock, and after they were loaded up, towed them to the city. They took the place of sloops to some extent, and were quicker and more convenient. I cannot tell how early they were used in this town, but some time prior to 1830. In that year I find the following advertise- ment :
TOW-BOAT ATLANTA. CAPTAIN CORNWELL S. ROE.
Urged by a sense of duty by his numerous friends announces the uninterrupted prosecution of his Towing Business, and assures the public that there is no difficulty now, even remote in appearance; he makes this notice for the express purpose to settle the agitation of the public in relation to the steam boat accident, some time since, by running against a sloop. * * * Wanted Rye, Oats and Corn- at fair prices - Cash on delivery. C. S. ROE.
Milton, May 19, 1830.
This barge or the " Lexington," Capt. Roe, stopped regularly at Marlborough. Also the barge " Wall- kill " ran from Milton in 1848, and the barge "Milan" in 1857 and 1858, and other barges. I cannot find how long any of these barges were on the route. There were barges almost continously from that time until about 1860. After which time the steamboats did the work of these.
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FERRIES AND DOCKS.
In 1836 a stock company placed the steamboat " Fannie " on the Marlborough route, and ran to New York twice a week. Jacob H. Tremper com- manded this early steam craft, which was run two years, and then sold because the business did not pay. Afterward the steamboat "Splendid," owned by Millard & Mills, was put on the route in 1844 and 1845, and remained some time. In 1857 the pro- peller " Wyoming " was run by Millard & Holden.
The town has been well supplied with steamboats since 1830 for passenger travel. Since about 1850 most of the freight and produce have been carried by steamboats, which make a specialty of such business. For several years the line ran from Hudson and for the past fifty or sixty years it has been chiefly from Rondout, and now it is the Central Hudson Trans- portation Company. The transportation business has been all that could be desired. It is an interesting matter to follow transportation from the crude service at its commencement down to the excellent service we now have.
FERRIES AND DOCKS.
This town was originally settled almost entirely by people from Long Island, and Westchester county. The people coming up brought their horses, cattle and goods with them. The constant traveling between them and the friends they left behind made it neces- sary to early establish a ferry here that could carry teams, ete. The first ferry was a barge or scow with sails and oars and ran on signals. There was a ferry at Milton called Lattimer's ferry, running from the old stone house south of the depot to a point across the river. This was in operation during the Revo- lutionary War and for many years afterward. It was
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
said that during the war regular communication was kept up between the patriots of Boston and the forces in the Highlands of New Jersey. Money to pay the troops and other valuables were carried on this ferry. The old stone house was a short distance south of where the railroad depot now is, and it was torn down when the railroad was built. It is presumed that Samuel Hallock ran this ferry at one time. He certainly had a ferry there at the time Vaughin went up the river, and his boat was spared because he was a Quaker. His ferry may have run a part of the time from Brusch's landing, sometimes called Nicoll's landing, which Hallock purchased in 1776.
The following, taken from Platt's History of Poughkeepsie, is an advertisement of a ferry (1798) in the Poughkeepsie Journal :
N. B. The Ferryes is now established upon a regular plan, and travelers to the Westward will find it much to their con- venience to cross the river at the above place as it shortens their journey, and they may be sure they will meet with no detention.
This doubtless indicates the beginning of regular ferry service at Poughkeepsie. There is no record of franchise from the State. Previously horses and wagons, cattle. etc., had crossed at Theophilus Antho- ney's (Milton) ferry four miles below Poughkeepsie. This ferry ran from Anthony's Point above where the stone crushers are now, across the river to where the old stone house stood. It appears to be the same as Lattimer's ferry. This ferry was called by both names, and was one and the same ferry. I find it spoken of on this side of the river as Lattimer's ferry, and on the other side as Anthony's ferry. It may have been owned by these different parties at differ- ent times. It afforded the principal or only crossing for teams, etc., for several miles up and down the river.
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FERRIES AND DOCKS.
I have had hard work to trace the ferry of Samuel Hallock; it must have run at some time from what is now Sand's dock, which he owned, to some point on the other side of the river. It would appear that his ferry was cotemporary with, at least a part of the time, Lattimer's ferry. There was considerable travel across the river in early times, as people from miles back in the country on either side, in fact from the Connecticut line through to the Delaware river on this side, crossed here. It would not be unreasonable to suppose that two ferries were running here at the same time for several years.
The first local ferry is said to have been a barge or scow rowed by slaves; it carried teams, but sometimes the horses were tied and swam behind the boat. In March, 1849, the Milton ferry was established by Capt. Sears; he ran it a couple of years and then sold out to Capt. Handley, who conducted it about ten years. It was a boat with four mules that turned a tread wheel for the power; it ran regularly and was a great convenience to all the neighborhood about here; it was also used by people from Plattekill, Gardiner and Shawangunk. It was a great service to the community and Capt. Handley was entitled to much credit. It was attended with much expense and finally did not pay and was therefore discontinued.
By an act of the Legislature in 1851, a charter for a ferry was granted to Walter Millard and Uriah Mills, called the New Hamburgh and Hampton ferry, from Millard's dock to the dock of Alexander and William Young, to keep and maintain a ferry boat capable and sufficient for conveyance of carriages, horses, cattle and passengers. This ferry was run for a couple of years, and then discontinued. Just to think of it, that we had a ferry here long before there was one at Poughkeepsie, and people from there,
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
wishing to go back in the country on this side of the river, for years came here to cross. In all that time, people from this town could regularly cross the river with teams, etc., when the water was not too rough, and now with all our population and wealth, we must go to Newburgh or Poughkeepsie to get anything larger than a rowboat to carry us over. After the Handley ferry was discontinued, the people here ob- tained a charter to run a steam ferry across, and most prominent men here were the directors, but nothing ever came of it.
About 1755 Abner Brush became the owner of the south part of the Barbarie Patent containing about 1,000 acres. He built a dock or landing called Brush's landing; it was before that called Nicoll's landing, and was situated at what is now Sand's dock. About this time there was a landing at what is now Hampton.
Jacob Wood and Philip Caverly, about 1780, had a dock at the foot of what is now Dog's street, and built sloops and vessels there.
Lewis DuBois built a dock at Marlborough almost as soon as he settled there; he also had a saw-mill, the road to which was on the south side of the creek. Lewis, Quimby and Townsend had docks along the river which were reached by the road from North- rip's corner, south of the present depot at Milton. Elijah Lewis kept a store and had a lime-kiln. Jacob and Thomas Powell had the Townsend dock. In 1791 they ran sloops from there to New York; they kept a store and were licensed to keep tavern; they also had lime-kilns. They remained here several years and then went to Newburgh.
About 1786 Benjamin Sands built what is now the Mary Powell landing at Milton; in 1799 he sold to Isaac Hill; in 1809 Hill sold to Wm. Soper; in 1836 Soper sold to Absalom Barrett.
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THE HUDSON RIVER.
Some time previous to 1799 Charles Millard had a dock at what is now the Millard docks at Marl- borough. The dock was there previous to his time and was purchased by him and enlarged, and has been enlarged from time to time since, so that now it is among the best docks along the river. It has been in the family for more than a hundred years. I find the following in an ancient paper :
Six thousand boards and planks for sale by the subscribers at his mill on Jew's Creek for cash, or any kind of country produce. All those who are indebted to the subscribers for boards are requested to call and settle their accounts by the 15th day of March next or they will be prosecuted without discrimination.
Marlborough Feb. 20, 1799.
CHARLES MILLARD.
N. B. A store to let with four rooms on the floor and the privilege of a dock. Enquire as above.
THE HUDSON RIVER.
The Mohegans, or as sometimes called Hahakondas Indians, who resided on its eastern banks, called the river Mahakeneghtue, supposed to mean "continu- ally flowing water." The Mohawks and Algonquins each had a separate name for it. Henry Hudson, its first white explorer, called it the river of the moun- tains, but it was not called Hudson until the English became the owners of the country, when they so named it in honor of their countryman, its first explorer. Henry Hudson, on September 3, 1609, anchored his vessel, the "Halfmoon " in what is now New York bay, and on the morning of the 12th sailed up the river. On the 15th and 16th, the time he was passing from the upper highlands past what is now Newburgh and this town, he says in his journal :
The fifteenth, in the morning, was misty until the sunne arose; then it cleered. So we weighed with the wind at South,
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
and ran up the river twentie leagues, passing by high moun- tains. Wee had a very good depth, as six, seuen, eight, nine, twelve, and thirteen fathoms, and great store of salmons in the river. This morning our two sauages got out of a port and swam away. After we were under sayle they called to us in seorne. At night we came to other mountains which lie from the river's side. There wee fovnd very louing people and very old men : where we were well vsed. Our boat went to fish, and caught great store of very good fish.
The sixteenth faire, and very hot weather. In the morning ovr boat went againe to fishing, but could catch but few by reason their canoes had beene there all night. This morning the people came aboord, and brought vs ears of Indian corne and pompions and tobacco, which wee bought for trifles. Wee rode still all day and filled fresh water; at night we weighted and went two leagues higher and had shoaled water, so we anchored till day.
Hudson on his return trip down the river on the twenty-ninth and thirtieth wrote as follows:
The nine-and-twentieth was drie, close weather ; the wind at south and south by west: wee weighed early in the morning, and turned down three leagues by a lowe water, and anchored at the lower end of the long reach, for it is six leagues long. Then there came certain Indians in a canoe to vs, but would not come aboord. After dinner there came the canoe with other men, whereof three came aboord us. They brought Indian wheat, which we bought for trifles. At three of the elocke in the afternoon we weighed, as soon as the ebbe came, and turned downe to the edge of the mountaines, or the norther- most of the Mountaines, and anchored. because the high land hath many points, and a narrow channel, and hath many eddie winds. So we rode quietly all night in seuen fathoms water.
The thirtieth was faire weather, and the wind at south-east a stiffe gale between the Mountavnes. We rode still the after- noone. The people of the Countrey came aboord vs, and brought some small skinnes with them, which we bought for kniues and trifles. This a very pleasant place to build a towne on. The road is every neere, and very good for all winds, saue on east-north-east wind. The Mountaynes look as if some metal or mineral were in them. For the trees that grew on them were all blasted, and some of them barren, with few or no trees on them. The people brought a stone aboord like to
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JEFFROW'S HOOK.
emery (a stone used by glasiers to cut glasse) ; it would cut iron or steele. Yet being bruised small, and water put to it, it made a colour like blacke lead glistening ; it is also good for painters' colours. At three of the clocke they departed, and we rode still all night.
The u appears in place of v, and v in place of u. The spelling, etc., is left as in the original.
It is plainly seen by this journal that in those early times there were many Indians about here and lots of fish, notably the valuable salmon. Tradition has it that fish, especially shad, were very plentiful, and in the springtime large numbers of settlers congre- gated here to fish, many coming from long distances in the country. Several men would drag a net across any cove along shore and draw it to the land and take large numbers of fish. Only as far back as sixty or seventy years shad could be purchased for five and six dollars a hundred, and every farmer expected to and did salt and lay down from one to three barrels of shad, which generally furnished the material for supper for the rest of the season. Salmon were very numerous up to one hundred years ago, but they have all now disappeared. It was said of the Indians who planted their crops for years in the same hill, that they fertilized their land by putting a fish in each hill.
JEFFROW's HOOK.
Jeffrow's Hook, now known as Blue Point, was first so named by the early Dutch navigators; it being a liigh bluff extending into the river was an objective point and seen by the navigators for miles up and down the river. I first find the name recorded in the patent of land granted by Governor Edmond Andros to " Lewis DuBois and partners " in 1677, known as the Paltz Patent. The patent says :
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
Whereas, There is a certain piece of land at Esopus which, by my appropriation and consent, has been acquired from the Indian proprietors by Louis Du Bois and his associates; the said land being situated on the south side of the redoubt called creek or kill, being from (i. e., beginning at) the high moun- tain called Maggonek; thence extending from the Southwest side, near the great river, to a certain point or hook called the Jauffroue hook, situated along the tract called by the Indians Magaatramis,
It will be observed that the patent begins at the high mountain called Mogunk, and in order to pre- serve this point from future dispute about the loca- tion, they had a certificate made as follows :
These are to certify that the Inhabitants of the towne of New Paltz, being desirous that the first station of their patent, named Moggonck, might be kept in remembrance, did desire us, Joseph Horsbrook, John Hardenburgh. Roleft Eltinge, Esqs., Justices of the peace for the County of Ulster, to accom- pany them their, and their being Ancrop, the Indian, their brought us to the High Mountain, which he named Maggen- apogh, at or near the foot of which hill is a small run of water, and a swamp which he called Maggonck, and the said Indian, Ancrop afirms itt to be the right Indian names of the said places, as witness our hands this nineteenth day of December, 1722.
[Signed] JOSEPH HASBROUCK. HARDENBERGH. ROELOFF ELTING.
These were two prominent points of the Paltz Patent, the first being the southeast corner, and the second the southwest corner. In ancient surveys a line in one course is run between these points. About 1760 Charles Clinton ran this line and laid it down on a map. Dr. Benjamin Ely of Marlborough in his map, made in 1797, shows this line, and also another line in one course from Mogunk (now Paltz Point) to a beech stump at the river; this is our north town line. The course is given on the map. By a previous survey and map this point at the river is given as a
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JEFFROW'S HOOK.
beech tree. Both lines ran to Paltz Point, but at the river these lines were about a half a mile apart. Our north line was the north line of the John Barbarie patent, and the same line as from the point to the beech stump.
There soon arose controversies and disputes about the title to the land between these lines. Hugh Went- worth in early times claimed the lands under his patent, and the Paltz patentees also claimed the land, and to hold this claim they put Denis or Denie Relyea on it. He built a small log house south of Jeffrow's Hook at a small run of water, and he commenced to clear up the land for the Paltz people. There was much litigation about the land; I believe the last suit was between LeFevre and Ketcham in 1794, and was against the Paltz people, though many were never satisfied that this decision was correct. Dr. Ely gives both of these lines, and recognizes the north line and Jeffrow's Hook as the correct line and point. He had lived within a few miles of it all his life, had surveyed the surrounding lands for years, and ran all the lines given on his map. No one was better able to deter- mine the locations and there is very little donbt but that he was right. Dr. Ely is thought to have been a soldier of the Revolution; he practiced medicine from the close of the war, all through this town and Lloyd, then the east part of New Paltz, up to the time of his deatlı, about 1820. He was, I believe, the largest slave holder in the town. He served for years as Commis- sioner of Highways, Justice of the Peace, Town Clerk, and as Supervisor, longer than any other person in the town. He was the principal man about the town in his day.
The Denie Relyea spoken of, according to tradition, was the son of Denis Relje (Relyea) whom Capt. John Evans, in 1694 or 1695 located on his patent at the Old Man's Kill at Marlborough.
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
In 1750 George Harrison obtained a patent for 2,000 acres. It was in three lots: The first lot was entirely in the town of Marlborough, and the second also in the town except that it passed beyond what is now the town line to the other line, and is described as follows:
Beginning at the southwest corner of the lands granted to John Barbarie and runs thence along his west bounds and to a straight line which runs from the point in the High Hills on the west side of the Paltz River now commonly called and known by the name of the Paltz point to a point on the west side of Hudson River commonly called and known by the name of Jeffrow's hook or point, North 22 degrees, East 176 chains and 30 links, then along the aforesaid line from the said Paltz point to the said Jeffrow's point or hook,
Paltz point is here named, which is the first place I find it. This matter is here spoken of more par- ticularly as it has been a matter of so much contro- versy and uncertainty. It is now being written about in the public press, and it is well to give what informa- tion we have about it.
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* _ VERY
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THE C. M. WOOLSEY BUILDING,
CHAPTER X.
FACTS AND INCIDENTS.
Nathaniel Adams built a brickyard at Marlborough at the Young place, about 1825. It was carried on for several years, when the clay becoming poor or scarce it was discontinued. The lands were after- ward sold to William C. Young, and he later leveled the sand bank on the property to the north of Landing street. It used to run steep all the way to the dock. He built Young's dock and certainly made great improvements about there. About the same time or soon after the yard spoken of above was in existence, Young & Moore established a yard at the river at the Ackerly place. There were quite a number of men employed here, and it was said the vote of the town was very much increased thereby, but like the first, in a few years it ceased to exist. These and the Hal- lock yard were the only brickyards of which I can find any record.
One hundred years ago wolves were quite plentiful. They had a run or crossing place from across the river in the winter east of the Mansion House, now Wilmot place, to the mountains. They were often seen cross- ing the post road, where they sometimes attacked people, but always avoided the clearings.
To be sure the black bear was not then extinet, and was frequently caught; and such places used to be pointed out.
Pigeons were then in great abundance, but they only came at stated times - did not nest here. Flocks of thousands would come together, and when they alighted or roosted they would get in such numbers on the trees as to break great limbs with their weight. They were caught by thousands in nets, and also were
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
shot in great numbers. In fact at such times so many were taken that all could not be used for food, and were fed to the hogs in large quantities. They are about extinct here now -very seldom one is to be seen.
Lewis DuBois, son of the major, advertised his full- ing mill, August 6, 1810, in the Newburgh Political Index as follows :
A Clothier wanted at the mill of the subscribers; one who can come well recommended, either on shares or otherwise; The stand is one of the best in the country, it being ten miles distant from any other fulling mill.
The mill is now calculated for carding also.
LEWIS DUBOIS.
The clothier secured could not have been satis- factory, for on February 4, 1811, appears the follow- ing notice :
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