USA > New York > Ulster County > Marlborough > History of the town of Marlborough, Ulster County, New York, from its earliest discovery > Part 20
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LAWYERS.
it was provided by law that one be elected each year on the regular town ticket the same as all the other officers were.
I also find the following names of Justices of the Peace who were appointed prior to 1800: Benjamin Carpenter, Wolvert Ecker, Anning Smith, Nathaniel DuBois, Rheuben Drake, David Ostrander, Stephen Nottingham, Samuel Morey, Cornelius Drake, Jolin DuBois, Uriah Drake, Jonathan Brown, Joseph Morey, David Staples, Benjamin Sands, Jr., Dr. Ben- jamin Ely, Benjamin Townsend.
Between 1800 and 1830: Richard I. Woolsey, David Staples, Nehemiah L. Smith, Benjamin Harcourt, William Soper, Samuel Drake, Allen Lester, Charles Millard, Andrew Ely, John Rhoads, John Hait, Valentine Lewis, John Noys, Benjamin Townsend. Abram D. Soper, Ely T. Lockwood.
LAWYERS.
The first lawyer, that I can find, who resided here, was William W. Borgordus. He came here about 1817 and practiced a few years. John Cole was next; he practiced law and carried on other business about 1820, afterward removing to Modena, where he be- came an extensive land owner. He was a man of much ability. There was a tradition that he was related to Aaron Burr. He left quite a large fortune,- some- thing unusual for lawyers. A lawyer by the name of Pierce practiced here for some time. Abram D. Soper commenced practice about 1825; he was the first postmaster at Milton in 1822, Supervisor in 1832 and 1833, and later Member of Assembly and County Judge. He practiced here until about 1845, when he removed to Brooklyn, and from there to West Virginia, where he died a few years since,- over 90 years ago. He
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
did an extensive business, including conveyancing for the southern part of the county. The old papers which we find executed by him are models of practice, and the penmanship is excellent. His brother William was also a lawyer here. He was Supervisor in 1839 and afterward a Member of Assembly. He practiced several years and then moved to Wisconsin. Isaac L. Craft commenced practice about 1835 and prac- ticed until his death in 1855. Hewitt and Walter Far- rington came here about that time and remained a few years. C. M. Woolsey commenced practice in 1867, and he with E. Dayton, John B. Ball and John Rusk are practicing here now. John Rusk, Sr. commenced his practice at Marlborough about 1870; he died in 1905. Morgan A. Dayton and Judson C. Dayton prac- ticed here a short time. Morgan Dayton was after- ward clerk of the Surrogate's Court in New York city; both were talented but died young.
DOCTORS.
The first physician I find who practiced in this town was Dr. Abijah Perkins. He was here several years before the Revolutionary War, and was a prominent member of the Committee of Safety at the commence- ment of the war. He died in November, 1776, at the age of 60. He was a man of much prominence. I find his name in many ancient papers. Dr. Seth Perkins was also practicing here in 1774. The next is Dr. Benjamin Ely. He commenced practice before Perkins died and continued until about 1820. Dr. Ely was a surveyor and surveyed much of the land through this part of the county. He was Town Clerk from 1784 to 1791, Supervisor from 1800 to 1812; also Commis- sioner of Highways, and for several years Justice of the Peace. Dr. Ely was the most prominent man in
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DOCTORS.
the town in his time. Dr. Cornelius Roosa practiced here previous to 1814, when he died. Dr. David Lynch died here in 1822. I cannot find how long they were here - perhaps but for a few years, as I very seldom find their names. Dr. Fowler practiced sometime after this. Dr. Marcus Dougherty and Dr. Nathan- iel Deyo practiced here between 1830 and 1840. Dr. James S. Knapp, a native of Orange county, was born May 17, 1824. He pursued the study of medicine under Dr. Houghton of St. Andrews, afterward grad- uating and receiving his diploma from the medical college of Castleton, Vermont, one of the oldest insti- tutions of the kind in this country. He commenced the practice of the profession in 1846, in the village of Milton, and some six years thereafter removed to the village of Marlborough, where he soon attained a high position as a physician. He died September 23, 1879, after a continuous practice in this town of more than thirty-three years. He was dignified in deportment and of a hospitable and sociable disposition. He had many friends, and he will long be remembered by the people of the community in which he lived. Dr. Fen- ton practiced several years before Dr. Knapp. Dr. William Gedney commenced practice here in 1817 and continued until his death in 1849; he was Supervisor in 1825. He was of a genial and happy disposition, very friendly with all and very fond of visiting among his neighbors. When called to visit a patient, he would drive up in front of the house, throw down his reins and the horse would pasture up and down the road at his leisure; he generally remained with the patient or at the house visiting until he was called to go somewhere else. If night overtook him, his horse would be put in the barn and he would put up for the night. He never appeared to trouble himself much about his pay ; seldom sent in a bill; he lived economi- cally and his wants were few. When he died all his
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
patients and neighbors felt as if they had lost a good friend. It was said of him, that he joined the Free Masons, but he appeared to consider it more of a joke than anything, and he had so much to say about them, and laughed so much over them, that finally one morn- ing lie found a note under his door, and its contents must have been quite startling, for he was never heard to say another word about the Free Masons. He was succeeded in practice by his son, Dr. William H. Ged- ney, and it is hardly necessary for me to say anything about him, as his memory is fresh with all the people of this and adjoining towns. He represented the town in the board of supervisors many years, took an active part in church work, and was considered a practi- tioner of much ability. He died in 1896, leaving no family.
Many of the older people will remember Dr. William B. Pierson; genial, whole-souled and clever man, his presence did his patients more good than his medi- cine. He made friends readily; the people all ap- peared to like him. He was a Democrat in politics, and was Supervisor from 1859 to 1862. Soon after he came here he opened a drug store at Milton. There was quite a contest always between him and Dr. Ged- ney in practice and in politics. He removed to Goshen in 1862 or 1863 and went from there to Brooklyn, where I think he is still living at an advanced age.
Dr. Theodore Quick came to Milton about the same time that Dr. Pierson did. Milton was well blessed with doctors then, as it had three in full practice, and they traveled for miles in every direction, and all ap- peared to do good and enjoy prosperous business. Dr. Quick was of a very social disposition and had many friends. He afterward removed to New York city, where he died a few years since.
After these Dr. Solomon Hasbrouck practiced here several years and to the time of his death. C. V.
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THE ONCE FAMOUS ANTWERP RASPBERRY.
Hasbrouck followed, but after a few years he removed to Rosendale, where he now lives.
Dr. Edward W. Carhart came after Hasbrouck. He was postmaster here for a while, also one of the coroners of the county, and took quite an active part in politics. He removed to Brooklyn, where he has a large and lucrative practice. He not only was a phy- sician to his patients, but he also nursed them, and people all over this town speak of his kindness to them in sickness, and there were many regrets expressed when he went away.
Drs. A. H. Palmer and David Mosher at Marlbor- ough and Dr. J. Frestou at Milton are practicing at present. They are all physicians of many years' ex- perience, eminent in their profession, with a large and increasing practice.
THE ONCE FAMOUS ANTWERP RASPBERRY.
The older people will well remember this berry, its productiveness and the large price the fruit com- manded. It started or was the commencement of fruit raising in the town, and its introduction was most peculiar. The first Antwerp plants were obtained in a singular way. A friend of Edward Young, who kept a shop in Poughkeepsie about 1834, one day ob- served a package on his counter, which he was satis- fied had been left by a stranger who had visited the shop a short time previously. He laid the package aside for several days when, it not being called for, he opened it, found some young raspberry plants and set them out. They yielded such splendid fruit that he sent for his friend Edward Young, and invited him to take some and raise them. This was in the fall of 1835. The plants were taken home by Young and propagated, much attention being devoted to their
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
culture. He raised them first near Lattintown. They proved very prolific, and far ahead in quality of any other variety. He was laughed at for trying to sell them in New York city, but time afterward showed his foresight and wisdom. Mr. Young was born in 1775 and died in 1854.
Others claimed to have propagated this berry be- fore Edward Young, but this is not proven, and to him belongs the credit of being the first to market this remarkable berry, and pave the way for the ship- ment of fruit of all kinds to New York city.
In the spring of 1837 plants of this berry were brought here from New Rochelle, Westchester county, by Thomas H. Burling, and planted in the garden of his son-in-law, Nathaniel Hallock, and grown for family use for several years. But to the Youngs the growers were largely indebted for demonstrating the profit to be derived from the sale of this berry and other small fruits. The plants at first were strong and hardy, and grew in great abundance, producing large crops of the richest fruit. It required to be covered in the winter, and well fertilized and culti- vated; though most everyone cultivated small patches, there were a few who had large acreage. It was the best and most prosperous berry ever raised here.
CHAPTER XI.
ANCIENT CUSTOMS AND HABITS.
A hundred years ago or more there were at least a dozen blacksmith shops in the town-more than double what is there now. They were not only at the villages, but also at the principal crossroads. The blacksmith was also a wagonmaker or had an assist- ant to do that work. They made all the wagons for the people and ironed them at the same shop. All kinds of iron work was done by the blacksmith then; he not only did what work is done now, but he made horseshoes, the nails to put them on, and other kinds of nails, the crowbars and hammers, and all such; also edge tools, as knives and carpenter's tools. All old files and choice bits of steel were saved up for that purpose. Old horseshoes and nails were saved up and sent to the gun shop. Their class of work re- quired great skill and they could do many things that are not generally taught in the trade now. All the old pieces of iron and steel saved up by the farmers were taken to the shop and made over into new articles for use. The blacksmith made everything in the line of hardware that entered into the construction of a house ; he made the hinges and lock and fastenings for doors, etc. In fact, almost every conceivable piece of iron work required about the farm was made by the blacksmith. He was a great man in his way, and a skilled mechanic. The shop in those days was quite a resort for the neighbors, and quite a place to dis- cuss politics and news of the day.
The people raised flax and from it spun and made their own clothes in the families. This was mostly done by the women folks; they all wore linen dresses which they made themselves, and the men's clothing
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
was also made from the flax. It was considered a luxury for the girls to have one calico dress, which then cost more than silk does now. At that time silk was almost unknown. For the woolen clothes, the sheep were raised on the farms; their wool taken to the mill and generally made into cloth on shares, the cloth taken home and there made into clothes for all the family. There were women who made a specialty of this class of work, who would go from house to house and remain weeks at a time, and make up clothes for the men as well as the women of the family. People did not buy $100 suits then.
When cattle were killed the hides were taken to the tanner and tanned on shares, or he would make it up into boots or shoes on shares. Some shoemakers would bring their tools to the house and make the leather goods up in the family.
The butter and cheese which the farmers made, and the grain, etc., which they raised were traded with the storekeeper for his goods, and he in turn shipped the same by sloop to New York city. In fact almost everything was raised, produced and made at home. Very little money went abroad, and very few things were purchased out of the place. If a person wanted to go to New York city to trade, he went down on a sloop which made but one trip a week, mostly but one trip in two weeks.
The people lived mostly within themselves; they raised lots of things and had abundance, and lived well on what they raised; and things which they could not raise, they generally went without. Very little was brought from across the seas to tempt their appetite. Apple orchards were plenty; all laid in lots of apples and cider, and often something stronger, and the " stronger " was also made up from apples on shares. The neighbors visited together evenings and enjoyed the apples and the rest, smoked their pipes and were
THE ANNING SMITH HOUSE.
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ANCIENT CUSTOMS AND HABITS.
very sociable. The farmers had plenty of such as they raised, and everyone was welcome to a meal or lodg- ing. . No one thought of charging for such matters, with cider, etc. thrown in.
The houses had big fireplaces from which the rooms were warmed, and over which the food was cooked. A big black log was always in place. The houses be- came cold in the long winter nights and the people hungry ; and it was the custom for the family to get up in the middle of the night, throw more wood on the fire, and sit around it and have a lunch, and then after a while go back to bed.
The churches had no fire in them in the winter; the people carried small foot stoves, which were iron pans or boxes filled with hot coals, with them to church. The meetings lasted all day; lunch was taken along to eat at noon, and during the intermission the people visited together and had a good time.
The school teachers boarded around among the people of the district who sent children to school. They boarded for a length of time in proportion to the number of children which the respective families sent to school. In some families the teacher would stay but a few days, in others much longer. In some houses it was quite an event to have the teacher come and he or she was treated much as a guest; but, in others, the teacher suffered privations, owing mostly to the poverty of the families. Certainly the teacher had great opportunities to study human nature and see how the people lived. They came in close contact with all classes of people under all conditions. A great number of the teachers were from Massachu- setts, and they were a bright and enterprising class, and generally married the young farmers here; they settled down and became good wives and mothers. The principal help in the families were slave girls, who were sold, as a rule, at between $50 and $100. Fami-
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
lies who did not own slaves often hired them of the owners. They afforded good and cheap help and sel- dom ran away. It was a custom when the father of a family died, for the appraisers to set off the slave girl to the widow as a part of her dower. I find in ancient inventories that the slaves appraised at so much a head, scheduled the same as the horses and cattle. Ancient deeds often conveyed with the land some of the slaves.
People traveled about on horseback - pleasure wagons being scarce. Many young ladies had a horse of their own and went about much on horseback. My grandmother used to tell how when a girl she thought nothing of saddling her horse of a Sunday morning and riding either to Newburgh or Esopus to church. People carried their grain on horseback to the mill to be ground, and then carried home their purchases.
Communication by mail was slow and uncertain. Years before regular mails were established, and be- fore stages ran, the mail was carried up one side of the river and down the other from New York to Albany. It took several days to make the trip, so that letters and papers were only received two or three times a month. The mail matter was left at the vil- lages and crossroads and houses along the route, and when the neighbors heard that the mail carrier had been around, they called at certain stated places and got their mail. After the stage coaches began travel- ing here, they carried the regular mail, but left it only at the established post-office, the nearest on this side of the river being at Newburgh and Kingston. I find in some of the old papers letters for residents of this toivn being advertised at these offices. All this was attended with much delay and inconvenience, but our ancestors were used to it and thought nothing of it. After 1822 Milton, and after 1824 Marlborough, had regular mail service.
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ANCIENT CUSTOMS AND HABITS.
The butchers in those times had no ice, in fact no one had ice. The butcher who killed beef in summer would drive around until all was sold. The people would put the meat in tight vessels and place it in the spring or the well until they could use it. There was no hard coal used then. Certain kinds of wood were burned in charcoal pits, and thus soft coal was made for the blacksmiths and also to be used in the foot stoves and for other purposes. There are many places to be seen in the town now where the charcoal was burned, and fragments of the coal are plenty as the elements have no effect on charcoal.
It was not thought improper to have lotteries for church purposes, and records of such are still to be found.
There were numerous church trials for drunken- ness. Many young women were cited and tried for attending balls and dancing, which was considered a serious offense. I cannot find that young men were so tried. In ancient times it was a custom, and ex- pected and required, that women should be and do better than the men; a higher standard was fixed for them; any dereliction of duty or conduct would not be countenanced. I cannot find that any woman was ever brought before the church for drunkenness, and- I find that they were seldom or never brought before the courts of law for any cause. The church kept good watch and ward over their people. It appears from what can be found in old records, papers, etc., and from tradition and other sources, that the mothers of the town were a good, religious, industrious, frugal and worthy people. It can be safely said that no truer or better class of women ever lived, and the people have reason to be proud that they are de- scended from so worthy women kind.
Frolies and husking bees were frequent. After the corn became ready for husking, it was taken into the
10
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
barn or other building, the people, especially the young men and women, turned out to husk it in the evenings, the buildings being lighted with lanterns, it was quite a social event, and when a young man found a red ear of corn he was entitled to kiss the girl who was husking with him. This sort of pastime was enjoyed then as much as the present social times are enjoyed now. The farmers assembled and helped each other, and at the conclusion of the task they had a great country dinner of lamb potpie or chicken fricasse with lots of dumplings and vegetables; the women vied with each other to provide the best enter- tainment.
The barn and house raisings always brought out a crowd; the timbers, oak and chestnut logs were hewn, and required much labor to get them in place. It was thought necessary to use enormons beams, and timber was put in buildings that would have sup- ported a dozen times the weight required of them.
The women raised the poultry, attended to all the dairy work, prepared the flax and cloth, made their own dresses and assisted in much of the light work on the farm. Many of the women had horses of their own, went to church, made calls, etc. They rode on their horse with side saddles- to have ridden with divided skirts, or as men do, would not then have been countenanced. They were a strong, healthy people and very self-reliant. They could take care of themselves quite as well as the men could. They had not the advantages of the seminaries and polite education, but their mothers had brought them up well, and they had good common sense, and in their turn made good wives and mothers.
It was the custom with many families to bury their dead upon their farms. The Quimby and Quick families and others had a burial place on a knoll in the corner field at the northeast corner of the crossroads
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ANCIENT CUSTOMS AND HABITS.
near the Michael Kaley place. This was used for years by the different owners of the place. The Quimby family buried on the east side of its farm in old times, on the lands now owned by Alice Fowler, at where the wild cherry trees stand; some of the old stones still remain. The William Bond family and its slaves were buried on the patent at the southeast cor- ner, where the road from Robert Hallock's mill meets the Milton dock road above Bell's factory. The Isaac Hill family were buried on the land back of the Had- ley place above Milton dock; and at various other places about the town, families were often buried in olden times on their farms.
A short distance over the Marlborough line in the town of Lloyd, is a family graveyard on what was the old Potter farm. Here in a neglected spot, sur- rounded by a tumbled stone wall, is buried the old Revolutionary patriot, Lieutenant Nathaniel Potter, who took an active part in the cause, and was one of the Committee of Safety of the precinct of New Marl- borough. There are twenty graves or more in this small enclosure, mostly of the Potter family. The stones are in good state of preservation.
The fences were very poor and people were care- less with their cattle, and they either broke out of the enclosures or were allowed to run in the highways, and so it was necessary that they should be taken into custody to prevent trespassing and to hold them for the owner, so pounds were instituted. At the town meeting in 1773, it was voted that there be two pounds, - one at Silas Purdy's (the Gaede place), and one at Robert Everett's (the Valley). Purdy and Everett were chosen pounders. The persons taking the animals to the pound received a fee and the pounders also received a fee for holding them and taking care of them. The owners could appear and prove property, pay the fees and take his cattle or
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HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
horses. This way of taking up strays continued until about 1850. It was customary to choose a pounder upon the regular town ticket.
By an old colonial law, minor offences were pun- ished by confinement in the public stocks, or by pub- lic whipping. In 1695, a law was passed forbidding " travelling, servile laboring and working, shooting, fishing, sporting, playing, horse-racing, hunting, or frequenting tipling houses," by any of the "inhabi- tants or sojourners within the province of New York, or by any of their slaves or servants, on the Lord's day," under penalty, if a free white person, of a fine of six shillings or confinement in the public stocks for three hours, or if a slave or Indian, thirteen lashes upon the naked back. Each town and precinct had its whipping-post and stocks. The use of these stocks and whipping-posts made speedy and cheap punish- ment for all petty offences. Those erected in this town were put up first at Silas Purdy's. At the town meeting in 1773 it was voted "that one pound be raised for a pair of stocks to be kept at Silas Pur- dy's, who is to become responsible to the precinct for the same if damaged or destroyed." The punish- ment consisted in putting the culprits in the stocks in such a way that their feet and hands were secured, where they had to remain a certain length of time; or if the whipping-post was used, a certain number of lashes were given. While this was used principally in punishing slaves there are many cases in which white people were so punished. A justice of the peace rendered sentence as to the numbr of hours a prisoner was to be confined in the stocks, or the number of lashes to be administered, and a constable executed the sentence. The whipping-post was generally a part of the stocks and erected with it. This kind of punishment was public and attended with much humiliation and shame, and very few allowed them-
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