Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 42

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374

USA > New York > Albany County > Landmarks of Albany County, New York > Part 42

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Daniel Van Olinda was another early resident of the town and ob- tained a tract of land from John De Puyster, which is described in a deed given to Isaac Fonda.

The government lands alluded to on a preceding page, came into

400

possession of Peter P. and Gerret Van Denbergh, sons of Peter Van Denbergh. In 1805 Peter P. gave a partition deed to his sons, Douw, Peter G., Isaac G., and Cornelius G. Portions of this property have remained in possession of descendants of these families to the present time.

Jacob Cluet and his sons, Johannes J. and Jacob, were early settlers and owned a farm north of Town-House Corners. This property passed by deed from Stephen Van Rensselaer to Luykes Witbeck February 27. 1769. The latter had three sons, Abram L., Gerrit, and John; from these have descended the families of that name. The homestead has been occupied in recent years by John L. Witbeck, grandson of John. The land deed before alluded to was witnessed by Lucas Van Vechten. Nicholas Cluet, and Cornelus Wendell. The names of many others of the early and later settlers in this town will appear as we proceed.

A conspicuous element in the development of this town are the Shakers, who began their settlement in 1775, northwest of the center of the town, where they leased lands of the Patroon. The settlement was founded by Ann Lee, a native of Manchester, England, where she was born in 1726; she came to America with a few followers when she was thirty-eight years old, claiming to be directed hither by a special revelation. Her companions in immigration were her husband, Abra- ham Stanley, her brother William Lee, James Whittaker, John Hock- nell, Richard Hocknell, James Shepherd, Mary Partington, and Nancy Lee. Arriving in this country, they sought temporary employment wherever they could find it, at the same time planning to establish a permanent home. For the latter purpose John Hocknell and William Lee came into this county and arranged for their land, while the others remained temporarily in Albany. Soon after their arrival Mother Ann Lee separated from her husband, Abraham Stanley, on account of his misdoings. John Hocknell returned from England with his family. December 25, 1775, and was met in New York by Mother Ann. They remained there until the following February and then came to their lands in Watervliet and spent the summer in clearing portions of it and establishing their home. They labored zealously and held their meetings there three and a half years, when they were ready to give their testi- mony to the world in the spring of 1780. In this year their member-

401

ship was increased and many came to their meetings from a distance, particularly from New Lebanon. Remaining non-combatants in the then existing war, they were accused of being traitors and Mother Ann and a number of her followers were placed in prison in Albany. The result of this action was not what was anticipated, for it served to create sympathy for the unoffending Shakers. Regarded as fanatics and en- emies of the country, it was next sought to put an end to the sect by separating Mother Ann from her followers. About the middle of August, 1780, she was sent down the river, landed at Poughkeepsie and imprisoned. In the following December those who had been imprisoned at Albany were released without trial, and immediately visited Mother Ann. Through their prompt and persistent intercession she was re- leased about the last of December of that year, thus ending Shaker per- secution in this State.

It was to be renewed, however, in another locality. In May, 1781, Mother Ann and part of her followers visited Harvard, in Massachu- setts. There the old charges were reiterated and new ones of living in debauchery and practicing witchcraft were brought against them. The consequences were not unlike those experienced in Albany; much sympathy was awakened for the Shakers, their testimony was extended and numbers joined the faith. In July, 1783, they returned westward, visiting the other societies. In 1784 the society suffered a great loss, first in the death of Elder William Lee, in July, and later, on Septem- ber 8, in the death of Mother Ann Lee. Elder James Whittaker suc- ceeded her in the ministry and the society continued to prosper. In the fall of 1785 the first house of worship was erected, which is still standing. Father James (as he was called) died July 20, 1787, and was succeeded in the ministry by Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright, the latter being the first appointed leader in the female line. Under their ministration the people were gathered into a united body and gradually assumed church relations with the New Lebanon Shakers, finally uniting all their interests, spiritual and temporal.

The society now comprises four so-called families, known as the Church family, the North family, the West family, and the South family, numbering in all about 300 persons. The society owns about 3,000 acres of land, which is under excellent cultivation and well stocked. The dwell-

402

ings, offices, stores, shops and farm buildings are plain, substantial structures and well kept. Water power and steam are used for manu- facturing purposes, and all Shaker products bear a high reputation in markets.

Their belief may be substantially epitomized as follows ; They believe in the second coming of Christ; that all will become heirs of Christ when fitted by self denial ; that Jesus became the Christ at his baptism ; in a life of consecrated celibacy ; in non-interference in politics, non- resistance and non-combativeness in war. Their moral training is strict in every direction ; this with industry and sobriety has brought to them a high degree of prosperity. A post-office with the name, "Shakers," was established many years ago, and the settlement is a place of considerable resort in summer, over the Shaker road from Albany.

With the close of the Revolutionary war the New England element came into the population of this town, as it did to some extent in other parts of the county, bringing the characteristics of enterprise, activity and thrift which have distinguished them wherever they have settled. Public improvements were rapidly inaugurated, schools and churches multiplied, manufactures were established and the never ceasing march of progress began.

Although the territory of this town was not directly invaded by the British during the war of the Revolution, it will be correctly inferred that the inhabitants felt the most lively interest in the struggle, and many took an active part therein. The gallant career of General Schuyler is well known and has already been touched upon in these pages. Among others who participated in the war were Henry Ostrom, who was a captain of militia ; and Jacob and Gerret Lansing. So too in the war of 1812, Watervliet furnished the required quota of men, either by volunteer or draft. The names of the following men who took part in that war are recorded : Andrew Chadwick, Henry Runkle, Frederick Roff, John G. Lansing, John Van Aernum, Lansing Fonda, John Cory, David Turner, John Steenburgh and his brother, Timothy Hodgeman, Stephen Culver, Jeremiah and Gerret Clute, and Wynant Van Denbergh. In the late war of the Rebellion. also, the patriotism of the town was

403

clearly demonstrated in the promptness with which response was made to each of the calls of the government for volunteers, the conspicuous features of which period have been treated in an earlier chapter.

The close of the war of the Revolution found the people of the country ready and willing to enter upon public improvements, as well as to labor with renewed energy for the founding of peaceful and happy homes. One of the earliest of the large undertakings which had a marked influence upon this immediate locality was the construction of the canal and locks of the Northern Inland Lock and Navigation Company, chartered in 1792, which has already been described in these pages. It was a fore- runner of the Erie Canal. What was known as the old Cherry Valley Turnpike was placed in the control of a corporation through legislation in 1798, though the road extending from Albany to Cherry Valley, Utiça and Rome, had been in use many years previous to that date. The first act was soon repealed and in 1799 a second one was passed chartering a corporation to improve the State road, as it was called, from the house of John Weaver in Watervliet to Cherry Valley. The incorporators were William North, John Taylor, Abram Ten Eyck, Charles R. Webster, Calvin Cheeseman, Zenas Penio, Ephraim Hudson, Joseph White, Elihu Phinney, and Thomas Machin.

in the spring of 1802 a bill passed the Legislature constituting John Lansing, jr., Stephen Van Rensselaer, Stephen Lush, Dudley Walsh, Garret W. Van Schaick, Daniel Hall, John Taylor, Abraham Oadthout (Oothout) and Joseph C. Yeates, a corporation to construct a turnpike between the cities of Albany and Schenectady; the capital stock was $200,000. This road was not to interfere with the old State road be- tween these cities. It was a costly turnpike and then the best highway in the country. For many years it was a source of profit, in face of the fact that it cost in all about $180,000; but the building of the Erie Canal lessened its importance and greatly curtailed the freighting by wagon. It is stated that in 1803 there were on the line of this road twenty-eight taverns of various kinds, to the open doors of which the old stages and the hundreds of wagons which traveled westward and return, drew up for refreshment.

The Troy and Schenectady Turnpike Company was incorporated

404

April 2, 1802, by George Tibbits, Ephraim Morgan, Abraham Oothout, and their associates. This turnpike was constructed and was largely used for travel and freight, until the canal and the railroads robbed it of much of its usefulness.

An act incorporating the Watervliet Turnpike Company was passed March 31, 1828. Thomas Hillhouse, Jeremiah Schuyler, Robert Dun- lap and their associates were authorized to construct a road "from the north boundary line of the city line of Albany to the upper ferry oppo- site the city of Troy." This turnpike was constructed in first class manner and became a very popular drive.

Among the plank roads of this town was that of the Watervliet Plank Road Company, which was incorporated and the road built in 1850; it extended from Buffalo street north through Broad street (now Broadway) to Auburn street, where it crossed the canal and thence on to Cohoes. The road never paid dividends and was abandoned after ten years of use.

The Albany and Mohawk Plank Road Company extended across a part of the town of Watervliet and was built previous to 1850. It was one of the last of those highways in the State to be abandoned, which took place April, 1896.

What is now Broadway in West Troy was originally a turnpike road and was called the Whitehall Turnpike, and also the Northern Turn- pike. It was an important thoroughfare and one of the early post routes.

Manufacturing operations in this town, outside of those described in the history of West Troy (now Watervliet city), Green Island and Cohoes, have not been very important. In the early years of settle- ment saw mills were numerous and several small grist mills were erect- ed. Many of these have passed away. The Shakers had a grist mill and a saw mill very early in the century. Caldwell, Frazier & Co. had a factory and a Mr. Muir a cloth works on Mill Creek as early as 1803. The Lansings had a saw mill on Lisha's Kill. Other grist and saw mills were built at an early period on Town Creek near its junction with the Mohawk. On the same stream, near Watervliet Center, a woolen factory was established and operated by the Waterburys. Truman G. Younglove built in 1866 a large brick straw board mill just below the

405

Cohoes Company's dam and near the city line. There were situated also lime and cement kilns and the Lansing grist mill. The lime and cement works were started in 1869 by the Capitol Lime and Cement Company, composed of Truman G. Younglove, George Stew- art, and David T. Lamb, of Waterford, and Henry Dunsback, of Crescent. The grist mill was originally owned by Gerrit Lansing and later by I. D. F. Lansing.

The oldest settled hamlet in this town is Boght (or Groesbeck's Cor- ners) in the northeastern corner in the bend of the Mohawk, from which it takes its Dutch name. This locality and the vicinity of the Aqueduct were settled by Van Den Bergh, Van De Mark, Fonda, Clute, Van Vranken and Lansing families in the early years, and later by William Groesbeck, the Simons, Godfrey, Roff, Dunsback and Runkel families. North of the Boght is the aqueduct, where a post office of that name is located, and farther north is the Dunsback Ferry across the Mohawk. John Van De Mark kept an early tavern here. There is little business at these points.

Town House Corners (known in later years as Van Vranken's and still later and down to the present time as Latham's Corners) is a hamlet at the crossing of the Loudonville road and the Troy and Schenectady turnpike, six miles north of Albany. This neighborhood was early settled by Van Den Bergh, Witbeck, Van Olinda, Van Vranken, Oothout, and Markle families. Early taverns were kept by Joseph Yearsley and Myndert Van Denbergh. Dr. Jonas Wade settled here in 1806 and was a successful physician and useful citizen many years.

Watervliet Center is a small hamlet, with post-office by that name, in the north central part of the town, on the Troy and Schenectady turnpike, two miles north of the Shaker settlement. There has for many years been a small mercantile business here and a few shops. The vicinity was early settled by the Witbeck, Orlop, Van Vranken, Groat, Fero, Fraley, Sickles, and Fort families, the latter at Fort's Ferry. Later comers were the Chamberlains, Gallagers, Weatherwax, Cragiers, and Lewis Morris; the latter came about 1835, built a hotel, a store and several shops of which he was proprietor. The woolen factory of Henry Waterbury, before mentioned, was near here on the Town Creek, and on the same stream near Fort's Ferry were the Shaker mills.

406

Lisha's Kill is a post - office and hamlet in the northwestern corner of the town, on the Albany and Schenectady turnpike, nine miles from Albany. The first settler here was Jacob Lansing, from whom are descended many families of that name. Another settler here was John V. A. Lansing, who came in 1792, and has many descendants in this vicinity. Others were the Van Benthuysen, Ostrom, Van Zandt, Groat, Bulson, Campbell, and Stanford families. Charles Stanford kept a tavern on the turnpike as early as 1803, and was an enterprising and useful citizen, and father of Ex-Senator Stanford of California. The post - office was established about 1830, with Lewis Morris postmaster ; he also kept a store. Jacob Morris succeeded him and was followed in 1848 by Peter Lansing, who held the office nearly forty years. Mr. Lansing was long a successful merchant.

Newtonville is a post-office and hamlet on the Loudon road four miles north of Albany. The post-office was established here in 1850 and the place called Newton's Corners, in honor of John M. Newton, who settled here about 1840, built a dwelling and afterwards a store in which he conducted a successful business. John Holmes was the first postmaster and held the office for more than thirty years. John H. Kemp was a later merchant, and here was established the wagon manufactory of James Brewster ; he settled first at Ireland's Corners. farther south, and removed to Newtonville in 1876, when the firm was James Brewster & Son. Later it was James Brewster's Sons (James C. and William H.)

Passing south on the plank road one reaches the hamlet that was form- erly called Ireland's Corners, from Elias H. Ireland, who obtained lands in 1832 from Mr. Van Rensselaer. The name of this pretty village was changed to Loudonville in 1871, with post office of the same name, in honor of Lord Loudon. It is believed that this road was used prior to the Revolution. Jonathan Seeley Ireland, father of Elias H., had settled in this vicinity prior to 1832 ; he was a Methodist preacher. Charles T. Ireland and John Ruby were also early settlers. Dr. Peter B. Noxen located here soon after Elias H. Ireland and practiced during the re- mainder of his life. Mr. Ireland conducted a hotel and carried on a mercantile business in which he was successful. He died in 1870. The post office was established about 1850, with Elias H. Ireland, postmaster.

407

Loudonville is now one of the most attractive suburbs of Albany and many fine residences have been built by persons whose business is in the city.

What is now known as West Albany was formerly called Spencer- ville. It is a point of considerable manufacturing importance lying north of Patroon's Creek and just west of the city line. It has long been the site of extensive shops of the New York Central Railroad, and also of extensive stock yards. The stock business was commenced here about 1847 by William Wolford and a Mr. Gallup, on Washington avenue, who transferred their business to the Troy road at the old Bull's Head. Later it was removed to what is now the end of Central avenue and carried on by Hunter & Gallup. About 1860 the business was removed to West Albany where extensive buildings and sheds were erected. Allerton, Dutcher & Moore were for some years proprietors of the yards, but in November, 1868, they transferred their business to East- man Brothers. The post-office here was established in September, 1862, with Joseph Mather, postmaster The business transacted here has decreased in recent years.

Between Albany and Troy is the railroad station called Menand's, from Louis Menand, who established his present large horticultural gar- dens and green-houses here in 1842. The Schuyler, Ten Eyck, Gor- way, Glen, Jermain and Hillhouse families were among the early settlers in this vicinity. The grounds originally intended for the State fair are situated at this point. It is now a thickly settled district, many fine residences having been erected.

Churches in the Town of Watervliet (now Colonie.)-For many years in the early settlement in this town the Reformed Dutch church was the only organized religious body. In 1642 Rev. Johannes Megapolensis came to Albany and labored in this region. For seventy-five years this faith was the ruling one in this colony, and for 140 years services were conducted in the language of Holland. In 1716 the first Epis- copal church west of the Hudson River was established, which was fol- lowed by the first Presbyterian church in 1761 or 1762. The New York Charter of Liberties contained the following: " No person pro- fessing faith in God by Jesus Christ shall at any time be in any ways disquieted or questioned for any difference of opinion." There is the

408

very foundation stone of freedom of religious thought and belief. The Dutch company was bound to give churches local government ; officer were to be appointed by the directors and council and were invested with religious privileges, as shown by the following: "No other relig. ion was to be publicly tolerated, save that taught and exercised by the authority of the Reformed church in the United Provinces." Member- ship in the churches was largely controlled by ministers, and civil and religious obedience was exacted from all. The Dutch and the English colonists contended for religious liberty. Churches were slow t organize in districts at all remote from Albany, for reasons that are ap parent in the slow progress of settlement, and the poverty and ever present necessities of the pioneers, and the disturbed condition of the country through many long years. They met for worship, but gen- erally in private dwellings, and the interchange of religious experience and thought at such meetings had to suffice.

The organization of the Reformed churches in Watervliet took place before it was constituted a town, and those of other denominations soor followed. The Boght Reformed Dutch church in the northeastern part of the town was organized at a very early period. A petition signed by forty-two persons was presented to the Classis of Albany Feb- ruary 22, 1784, and the organization was effected April 14 of that year. It is probable that the Niskayuna church was organized about 1760 but soon after the organization of the congregation at the Boght the two congregations were under one pastorate. The first Consistory of the Boght church were David Fero and Isaac Fonda, elders ; Abram A. Fonda and Gerrit I. Lansing, deacons. Rev. E. Westerlo, of Al- bany, was in charge of this church for some time, and in 1790 Rev. John Demarest assumed the pastorate of the two churches. The rec- ords during his ministry are written in Dutch. He closed his labors ir 1803 at which time the connection between the two churches ceased. Changes in the pastorate were somewhat frequent after that. In 1806 measures were adopted for the erection of a new church building, which was completed in the following year. It stood on the road which now forms the western boundary of Cohoes. This was used until 1847; when the present church was erected. The land on which the parson- age was built had been given to the church a hundred years earlier.

409

Eight acres were donated to the society and the Patroon afterwards gave twenty-five acres on the south side of the manor line; this land was sold in later years. The building of the new church at the Boght caused disagreement over the site and as a consequence twenty-two members were dismissed ; they organized the Church of Rensselaer in the same year and built a house of worship at Van Vranken's Cor- ners. Anniversary exercises were held commemorating the centennial of the Boght church on April 12, 1884. The following list of the per- sons constituting the original church is appended for its value in show- ing who were residents of this locality at that early date :

Francis Lansing, Gerrit, Evart, Mans, Wynant, Peter, Petras, Cornelius C., Cor- nelius 3d and Nicholas C. Van Denbergh, Gerrit Wendell, Luycas Witbeck, Jacob Van Olinda, Johannes Lansing, Rutgers Lansing, Johannes Clute, Isaac Fonda, Isaac H. Fonda, Timothy Hutton, Henry Fero, Christian Fero, David Fero, Jacob I. Lansing, Dirck Heemstraat, Charles Heemstraat, Isaac Onderkerk, Andrew On- derkerk, Johannes Fonda, Gerrit Ciute, Isaac J. Fonda, Francis Cramer, Hendrick Wendell, Abram A. Fonda, Noah Gillet, Gerrit I. Lansing, Abraham H. Lansing, Jacob Lansing, Dirck Clute, Hendrick Fonda, Jacob D. Fonda, Abraham L. Wit- beck, Abraham Onderkerk.

The first officers of the Rensselaer church, before named, were Mar- tin Van Olinda, E. J. Lansing and A. W. Van Denbergh, elders ; Obadiah Van Denbergh, Nicholas V. V. Van Denbergh, and Henry Van Alstine, deacons.

The people in the Lisha's Kill neighborhood in the northwestern part of the town attended the old Niskayuna church for many years and until about 1850. At that time the old church was sadly out of repair, and when the question arose of expending a considerable sum of money to place it again in good condition the inhabitants at Lisha's Kill disap- proved, and on November 16, 1852, application was made to the Classis of Schenectady by forty-eight members of the old church for the priv- ilege of forming the Reformed Dutch Church of Lisha's Kill. The organization was effected December 5 of that year at the school house in district No. 8, and Abraham V. P. Lansing and Jeremiah Ketchum were chosen elders ; and Joseph Consaul and Cornelius Lansing, deacons. In the next year (1853) a brick church was erected, and in 1859 a parsonage was built. In 1868 an addition of fifteen feet was made to the length of the building. 52

410

The Baptist church at Newtonville resulted from missionary work performed by R. M. Pease just before 1860. In that year John M. Newton, a generous citizen of Newtonville, donated a piece of land for the church and on it a brick edifice was built. The society went out of existence in 1869 and the property was sold.

Records of the beginning of the Congregational Society and Church of Watervliet bear date of May, 1859. The first trustees were Van Buren Lockrow, John Frost, Peter Steers, James Cramer, Daniel P. Sigourney, and Henry Woolley ; Rev. James G. Cordell was the first pastor. A church was erected which was burned May 25, 1865, but immediately rebuilt. On December 20 of that year a resolution was adopted " that the society assume the name of the Presbyterian Society of Pine Grove." On February 5, 1867, the church was accepted by the Presbytery of Albany and named " The Pine Grove Presbyterian Church of Watervliet," and on March 29 it was thus organized by Rev. William H. Carr, who was its pastor for a time. The elders were Van Buren Lockrow and Daniel P. Sigourney. The church has at intervals been without a regular pastor.

Intimately associated with the religious institutions of this town is the Home for Aged Men, situated just north of the city line on the Van Rensselaer boulevard. The founding of this benevolent institution was due largely to early efforts by Mrs. Elizabeth McClure, Mrs. William B. Gourley, and Mrs. Cornelius Ten Broeck, with William Sawyer's co-opera- tion. After interest in the matter was thoroughly awakened a meeting was held in November, 1875, at which a sermon appropriate to the subject was preached by Rev. Ebenezer Halley, D. D., and the announcement was made that at a previous meeting an organization had been effected and

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 42

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374