Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 43

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

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officers elected. Subscriptions were persistently sought and by the autumn of 1876 the sum of $18,000 had been accumulated. On Octo- ber 6, 1876, the Home for Aged Men was incorporated, with the fol- lowing trustees : John Taylor Cooper, Maurice E. Viele, William Saw- yer, S. Visscher Talcott, Dudley Olcott, Ebenezer Halley, William Van Antwerp, Benjamin W. Arnold, James H. McClure, James B. Jermain, Jeremiah Waterman, and David A. Thompson. Of these John Taylor Cooper was elected president ; James B. Jermain and Jeremiah Water- man, vice-presidents ; Dudley Olcott, treasurer ; David A. Thompson,

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secretary. On the 16th of November, 1876, the trustees purchased the present site of Mrs. Harriet Day Perry, paying $11,000 for the dwelling and about four acres of land ; this amount was increased to $20,000 by needed changes and improvements. The Home was dedicated March 28, 1878, and has accommodations for about thirty inmates.

At the time of the erection of the town of Watervliet there was no school system in existence. Facilities for acquiring education were lim- ited to scattering transient schools, usually miserably taught, with here and there a so-called private school, where some young man, oftentimes a preacher, who had received a little better education than his immediate associates, endeavored to eke out a slender income by teaching.

In 1795, Albany county received from the State £1,590 for school purposes, which was properly divided among the several towns. This was the first effective step towards founding the free school system and has has been described in Chapter XVI. In September, 1813, this town was subdivided into twelve school districts. This number has been repeatedly changed, gradually increasing, except as it may have been decreased by reduction of the town area. In 1860, for, example, there were twenty-nine districts, while at the present time there are only twenty- six having school houses. The towns of Watervliet, Knox, and Guilder- land now constitute the third school commissioner district of the county. The last report of the commissioner for the district states that many of the school buildings of the district had undergone repairs in the pre- ceding year, and he believed they compared favorably with those of any district in the State.

WEST TROY-CITY OF WATERVLIET.

What has been for many years known as the village of West Troy, but which has very recently been made the new city of Watervliet, is situated opposite Troy city, on the west bank of the Hudson River and extending northward to the southern " sprout " of the Mohawk, which there empties into the Hudson forming Green Island. West Troy was incorporated April 30, 1836, taking within its boundaries what had previously been known as the villages of Gibbonsville, Port Schuyler, and West Troy. Of these three only Gibbonsville was incorporated.

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Port Schuyler was that part of the present village (or city) lying south of the arsenal property, the land being a part of the farm of John Schuyler and Peter Schuyler, which was purchased in 1827 of them by Willard Earl, Jabez Burrows, Abijah Wheeler, David Wheeler, Enoch Burrows, Gilbert C. Bedell and Jonathan Hart. These purchasers formed the Port Schuyler Company, who, after the purchase, laid out the land in village lots. This settlement was known still earlier as the village of Washington, the settlement of which began at an early period, as the Reformed Dutch church was organized at a meeting held in the village of Washington in 1814.

Gibbonsville was that part of West Troy lying between Port Schuyler on the south and Buffalo street on the north, the land having been originally owned by James Gibbons, an Albany merchant, who laid it out in lots and gave it his name. The settlement grew and in 1824 was incorporated. It was governed by the usual village officers until 1836, when the act incorporating it was repealed by the act creating the village of West Troy.

The trustees of Gibbonsville, elected each succeeding year, were as follows, the first named in each instance being chosen as president at the first meeting of the board:

1827, Elijah Ranny, Edward Learned, Isaac Chapman, James T. Morrison, Mose- Tyler; 1828, Amos Larcom, Moses Tyler, William G. Groesbeck, David Morrison. Isaac H. Williams; 1829, Daniel T. Wandell, Isaac Chapman, David Wheeler, Moses Tyler, Charles Learned; 1830, Jonathan H. Dyer, Hiram M. Hopkins, Levi Lincoln. Moses Tyler, James T. Morrison ; 1831, Isaac Chapman, Ephraim Baldwin, Hiram M. Hopkins, William P. Hall, David Wheeler; 1832, William G. Groesbeck, Moses Tyler, Smith Ballou, Jonathan H. Dyer, Zachariah Craver; 1833, Isaac Chapman. Henry Thalhimer, Zachariah Craver, John Tisdall, Leonard Hannum; 1834. Isaac Chapman, Charles Learned, John B. Chollar, Eben Jones, Benjamin Brown; 1835, Edward Learned, Martin Witbeck, John C. Green, Jonathan H. Dyer.

Previous to its incorporation West Troy was that part of the present village lying north of Buffalo street and south of the northern boundary line established by the act of incorporation. This was the old line dividing the farms of John Bleeker 1 and Volkert Oothout. The West Troy site was originally the farm of John Bleeker and was purchased of him in 1823 by a number of capitalists associated as the West Troy Company. The deed transferred about 400 acres of land, with some

1 In the old records this name is spelled as here; in later times it has been spelled " Bleecker."

MERLIN J. ZEH, M. D.

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small reservations, to George Tibbetts, Nathan Warren and Richard Hart, of Troy, and Philip Schuyler, of Saratoga, as trustees; their associates were Esaias Warren, Stephen Warren, Jacob Merritt, George Vail, Samuel Gale, Ebenezer Wiswall, Elias Pattison, Philip Hart, jr., John D. Dickinson, John P. Cushman, John Paine, Theodore F. French, and William Hart. The consideration was $45,000. That part of the tract lying east of West street was laid out in village lots and streets, while the remainder was laid out in so-called farm lots of ten to twenty- five acres each ; most of the latter lots have since been subdivided and built upon. At the date of the purchase there was no building on the tract of any account excepting a small two-story tavern ; this stood on the site of the Rath block of recent times, and may have been erected before the Revolution. The act incorporating West Troy di- vided the village into four wards and the first village election was or- dered to be held on the first Tuesday in May, 1836. It was so held and the following persons were elected president and trustees: Presi- dent, Edward Learned ; trustees, Thomas Evans, Jonathan Hart, First ward ; Isaac Chapman, Hiram M. Hopkins, Second ward; Samuel E. Ford, Henry Kimberly, Third ward; Abram Van Arnam, jr., Joseph Twist, Fourth ward. The number of votes polled at this election was 476. The inspectors of election were Alva W. Rockwell, David D. Abrams, and Albert S. Blackman, First ward ; Isaac Chapman, Martin Witbeck and John C. Green, Second ward ; Samuel E. Ford, John T. Van Alstyne and Andrew Meneely, Third ward ; Abel W. Richardson, Abraham Van Arnam, jr., and Alexander S. Lobdell, Fourth ward. All of these early officials were then leading men in the community.

For some years after its incorporation the village grew quite rapidly. The establishment in Gibbonsville of the United States Arsenal in 1813, the opening of the Erie Canal through the place and its enlargement, which was in progress in 1836, contributed to the prosperity of the new village. The first purchase of the United States from Mr. Gibbons comprised twelve acres; to this was added thirty acres more in 1828; the price of the first tract was $2,585, and of the second, $9,622. The deed of 1813 mentions Beaver street and Albany street, showing that some part of that village was laid out prior to that year ; but most of the survey of lots and streets was made in 1828. In what was the vil-

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lage of Washington (afterwards Port Schuyler) a canal, known as the lower side cut, was constructed from the river to the Erie Canal. Later the proprietors of West Troy construeted a canal, beginning at the south side of the side-cut at Union street between Broadway and the Erie Canal, and extending south to the north side of Genesee street. where it turned and ran into the Erie ; there a dry dock was built. This canal was ultimately filled up. The West Troy people also contem- plated another canal to begin at the west side of the Erie at Union street, extending through that street to West street, through West to the South side of Genesee, where it was to turn east and extend into Burlington street, thence through Burlington to Canal street (now Central avenue). and thence east through Canal street to the Erie. It was never built, but the intention is commemorated in the extra width of Union, Bur- lington and Canal streets. The first weigh lock for the Erie Canal was built in 1825 on the south side of Union street a little west of Broad- way, and the weighing was done by the measurement of water drawn from one reservoir to another, in one of which the boat was stationed. It did not prove reliable and was soon superseded by scales of a crude pattern ; these were followed in 1853 by the present improved weigh- lock. The canal was so far completed in October, 1823, as to allow boats to run from Gibbonsville to Rochester. This is shown by the following from the Troy Sentinel of October 10, 1823 :

The opening of the Erie Canal on Wednesday, October 8, 1823, was celebrated by the people of Troy in the following practical manner. When the procession of boats from the junction of the northern and western canals had passed on to Albany. according to the order of arrangements previously made, the Trojan Trader, a west- ern freight boat, came down to the bridge near the Gibbonsville basin, opposite this city, and took on board the first load of merchandise sent from the Hudson west of the Erie Canal. As the side cut into the river opposite to Troy was not yet done, and as the junction canal, though completed and filled with water, could not yet be opened, so as to permit the Trojan Trader to come around by Waterford. down the Hudson, to be loaded at the wharf, it became necessary to transport the goods on wheels across the river to the place of embarkation on the main trunk of the canal. Accordingly, in the morning, this necessity being intimated to the car- men of Troy, with an alacrity highly honorable to their public spirit, they volun- teered their services with one accord, to take the goods over. After loading their teams, they proceeded in two divisions to the two ferries, and being, through the liberality of Mr. Vanderheyden, the proprietor of the two ferries, taken across in his horse boats, toll free, they had the good's all on the bank of the canal by five o'clock. Several of our citizens lent their assistance to load the boat, and at two o'clock the

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Trader, having on board upwards of twenty-five tons of merchandise, with her flag flying, and amid the cheers of assembled Trojans, started for the west. The Trojan Trader is commanded by Captain Brace; she is bound for Rochester, and on her flag are painted the following words: "From Troy; the first western boat loaded at Hudson River."

These three villages which formed West Troy in 1836 would have doubtless been more active through the influence of the canal, had it not been for the fact that as a rule all first- class passengers going to or from Albany did not pass through the village; they took or left the boats, as the case might be, at Schenectady, between which place and Albany ran a regular line of coaches, which shortened the time required to make the trip on the canal.

The side cut opposite to Troy, mentioned in the foregoing extract, was finished on Saturday, November 15, 1823. In the afternoon the locks were ready, the water was let in, and the packet Superior, with a large party of citizens on board, passed through and crossed the river to Troy ; two freight boats followed, one loaded with staves and the other with wheat.

It has been incidentally stated that there were two ferries across the river when the canal was opened. One of these was at the foot of Ferry street, and was called the Gibbonsville ferry ; the other was at the foot of Canal street (now Central avenue), which was called the West Troy ferry. Both of these were undoubtedly owned at one period by Derrick Y. Van Derheyden. The West Troy Ferry was sub- sequently purchased by the West Troy Company. The date at which it was established is unknown, but Van Derheyden purchased the land on which the city of Troy stands in 1707, and the ferry may have been established soon afterward. In 1794 it was being operated by his son, Jacob D. Van Derheyden. It was over this ferry that the American troops crossed in 1777 to take part in the battle at Stillwater.

In 1807 Daniel T. Wandell, of Troy, established what is known as the Middle Ferry, from a point near Buffalo street, to a point on the Troy side a little south of Division street. This ferry was sold in 1810 to Derrick Y. Van Derheyden, who thereupon discontinued it. For some time prior to 1834 Mr. Wandell was superintendent of the Gib- bonsville and the West Troy ferries. Some of the early ferry boats were operated by horse power, the horse being stationed on the boat

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and supplying the power that turned the paddles. This kind of boat was the invention of a Mr. Langdon and was first used in 1819. The first steam ferry boat was run over the West Troy ferry by Mr Wandell about 1833 ; but it did not prove successful and was abandoned. Soon after the purchase of the Van Derheyden ferry by the West Troy Com- pany, they purchased also the Gibbonsville ferry and discontinued it, their intention being to force the line of travel farther up town.

The three ferries now running are, the oldest at the foot of Cen- tral avenue, commonly known as the Mark Ferry; another from the southerly point of Green Island near the foot of Union street, owned by Thomas Rath, John Reiley and Joseph McLean ; and the third from a point a little north of North street, near the Arsenal; this one is owned and operated by Clark W. Delano and Frederick T. Hathaway.

The iron highway bridge at the foot of Genesee street to the foot of Congress street in Troy was built by the Troy and West Troy Bridge Company, incorporated April 23, 1872 ; the bridge was completed Oc- tober 1, 1874, the entire cost being $350,000.

West Troy was in early years a center of a large river business in both passenger and freight traffic on sailing vessels called either sloops, schooners or scows, according to their style of construction. Passenger traffic by sailing vessel was abandoned before the village incorporation in 1836; but from about 1830 to 1845 an immense trade was carried on in lumber, which came down the canal, was unloaded here and re- loaded on the sailing vessels for points further down the river. About 130 of these vessels were engaged in this business at one time at this village. The docks were situated north of Genesee street and south of Buffalo street. Between those streets at that time the river front was not filled in. The following is a list of vessels of West Troy, with the names of their masters :

Sloops .- American Banner, Capt. Thomas Rafferty ; Active, Capt. Butler Hubbard . Burlington, Capt. Silas Betts; Samuel Brewster, Capt. Andrew Hitchcock; Belve- dere, Capt. Peter Hicks; Commodore Rogers, Capt. James Warford; Clarissa, Capt. George Collins; Clinton, Capt. Robert Robinson; Currier, Capt. Thomas Anderson ; Conveyance, Capt. Stephen Washburn, sr .; David D. Crane, Capt. Asahel W. Gil- bert; Don Ramone, Capt. Harlow Rhodes; Fox, Capt. Stephen Washburn, sr. : Henry Gage, Capt. William Lobdell; Highlander, Capt. William Crawford; James North, Capt. William Foot; Juno. Capt. John Silliman; Kinderhook, Capt. James Warford; Leader, Capt. William Wood; Jane McCoy, Capt. Andrew Foster; Martha

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Ann, Capt. James Hardy ; Minerva, Capt. John King; William Mayo, Capt. Meneely Hitchcock; Mechanic, Capt. Isaac Hubbard; North America, Capt. Daniel Curtis; Miriam, Capt. Isaac R. Getty; Pilot, Capt. John King; Ranger, Capt. David King; Peter Ritter, Capt. Charles Mead; Superior, Capt. Isaac R. Getty ; Shepherdess, Capt. Patrick Lamb; Senator, Capt. Isaac Hitchcock; Pierre Van Cortlandt, Capt. Jacob Young; Robert Wiltsey, Capt. William Harvey; John Ward, Capt. Alfred Mosher.

Schooners .- Thomas H. Benton, Capt. John Garrahan; Ballston, Capt. William Wood; Cadmus, Capt. Andrew Hitchcock; Eleanor, Capt. John Evertsen; Isaac Merritt, Capt. James Wood; Mary Anna, Capt. Asahel W. Gilbert; Meridan, Capt. Henry Evertsen; Miller, Capt. Medad Wood; Commodore Porter, Capt. Richard MeLaughlin; Regulator, Capt. Henry Finch; Andrew Stewart, Capt. Asahel W. Gilbert; David Smith, Capt. James Farrell; Stranger, Capt. Edward Lane; Ann S. Salter, Capt. Asahel W. Gilbert; Caleb Wright, Capt. Jonathan Patridge.

Scows .- Grampus, Capt. Washington Mowry; Hercules, Capt. James Hitchcock ; Ohio, Capt. Hiram Tinslar; United States, Capt. Stephen Washburn, jr .; Globe, Capt. James Hillis.

Of the captains above mentioned only a few now remain residents of this village, the greater number having died, while a few have removed. Among those now living and residing here may be mentioned Isaac R. Getty and Asahel W. Gilbert.

Captain Getty was born at Lansingburgh, Rensselaer county, N. Y., November 24, 1807, and began his life upon the river when seventeen years of age, and came to West Troy to reside in 1838. He followed the river for fifty-five years, and is now the oldest river captain residing in this village. At different times during the period of fifty-five years during which he was upon the river he was master of seven different sailing vessels and of eleven different steam vessels

Captain Gilbert was born in Troy in 1819, and followed the river from 1829 to 1870, coming to West Troy to reside in 1845. During the time he followed the river he was at different periods captain of ten different sailing vessels and five steam vessels. He also built and sold a number of sailing crafts.

The village of West Troy was divided into four school districts, each ward constituting a district, the First ward being district No 1 ; the Sec- ond ward district No. 2; the Third ward district No. 20, and the Fourth ward district No. 9. This system was established in 1813. The first school house in district No. I was in what became Port Schuyler ; that for district No. 2 in Gibbonsville ; that for district No. 9 was out in the country. No. 20 was created some years later from No. 2. With the growth of 53

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the village additional school buildings were erected and the West Troy Union School district was formed. There are now two school building. at Port Schuyler ; two in the Second ward ; one cach in the Third and Fourth wards, and one leased at Port Schuyler and one in the First ward.

The first fire department in West Troy consisted some thirty year: ago of three hand engines and two hook and ladder companies, with names as follows : Rip Van Winkle Engine Company No. 1, Protection Engine Company No. 2, and Conqueror Engine Company No. 3 Hercules Hook and Ladder Company No. I, and Spartan Hook am Ladder Company No. 2. The old hand engines long ago went out o service. From the date of the incorporation of the village down to 1881 the fire department was under control of the trustees of the village. Ir that year a board of fire commissioners was created by act of the Leg. islature. There are at present in existence the Oswold Hose Company No. I, organized in 1859; the Michael Kelly Hose Company No 2 organized in 1870; Thomas McIntyre Hose Company No. 3, organized in 1873; Protection Hose Company No. 4, organized in 1878 ; S J. Gleason Hook and Ladder Company No. I, organized in 1872. The first steam fire engine was purchased by the village in 1864 and the company organized to take charge of it was called James Roy No. I. In 1867 a second steamer was purchased and James Duffy Company No. 2 organized to take charge of it. In 1873 the third and last steamer was purchased and Martin Tierney Company No. 3 organized.

The West Troy Water Works Company was incorporated in 1876, the supply being taken from the Mohawk in the extreme northeast part of the town, whence it is pumped into a reservoir on the hill about a mile west of the Arsenal; from that it flows by gravity through the vil- lage mains. The cost of the system was about $275,000, and the water is largely used. The first board of directors of the company were George R. Meneely, Alfred Mosher, George M. Wiswall, Jesse C. Day- ton, Lorenzo D. Collins, John Reiley, George Tweddle, William B. Williams, Richard S. Lobdell, and George B. Mosher. The company has recently been reorganized, with new officers, and is planning for large extension of the system. With the introduction of this water

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supply the steam fire engines of the village were largely disused, though two of them are at the present time kept in commission on account of the weak pressure of the water in the mains.

West Troy was without a regular organized police force until 1865, when the Capitol Police District was organized under legislative act, embracing Albany, Troy, Schenectady, West Troy, Green Island, Lans- ingburgh, Cohoes and Greenbush with certain parts of the towns of Watervliet and North Greenbush, This district was divided into the Troy Division and the Albany Division; West Troy was included in the Troy Division, over which John M. Landon was the first deputy superintendent. The first officers and patrolmen were as follows : Captain, Lansing Clute ; sergeant, Abram E. Lansing ; patrolmen, C. Spencer Loomis, Richard Crooks, Martin V. B. Jones, James Smith, Charles H. Cary, John W. Decker, and Patrick Rogers. By a legisla- tive act of 1870 the Capitol Police District act was repealed as far it applied to this village and the West Troy police force was established. The village electors were authorized to elect four police commissioners, the first board being Ebenezer Scoville, John I. Winne, William C. Durant, and Isaac R. Getty. This board organized the force with James O. Wood, captain, and Sylvanus K. Jefferson, sergeant. The force now comprises twelve men.

The building known as Corporation Hall was erected in 1864 at a cost of $20,000. It contains apartments for the fire department, the meeting room of the trustees, etc.

The West Troy Gas Light Company was incorporated in January, 1853, by Richard S. Lobdell, A. V. Barringer, Morgan L. Taylor, Al- bert Richards, and E. H. St. John, the capital stock being $100,000. In the previous year John Lockwood and A. V. Barringer, under the firm name of John Lockwod & Co, obtained from the village an exclusive franchise to lay gas mains in the streets and build gas works. In No- vember, 1853, this company assigned its rights to the West Troy Gas Light Company. In the same year the company obtained a franchise to lay gas mains in the streets of Green Island. In February, 1853, Albert Richards was elected president of the company ; Morgan L. Taylor, secretary, and Richard S. Lobdell, treasurer. On April 1, 1854, William L. Oswald was appointed superintendent of the company. The

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company manufactured gas until 1876, when it discontinued and began buying its gas of the People's Gas Light Company of Albany. In De. cember, 1887, the Municipal Gas Company of Albany purchased the property of the West Troy Company, the People's Gas Light Com- pany having meanwhile become merged in the Municipal Company.

The first newspaper printed in the village of which there is any rec- ord was the West Troy Advocate, founded in September, 1837, by William Hollands. He died in 1853, when his son, William Hollands, jr., continued the paper until July, 1864, when it was discontinued. In January, 1860, Allen Corey began the publication of the Albany County Democrat, and continued it until July, 1884 In May, 1880, James Treanor started the Watervliet Journal. In July, 1884, he purchased the Albany County Democrat, consolidated the two papers under the name of the Journal and Democrat, and continued connected with the publication until his death in 1896. At this time the firm of Treanor & Hardin carry on the business. The paper is a well edited and pros- perous journal.

A newspaper called the Palladium was published for a time about 1832 by the Warren Brothers, who also conducted a book and sta- tionery store.

The first bank in the village was incorporated in 1836, with the name of the Watervliet Bank, and the following officers: John C. Schuyler, jr., president ; Edward Learned, vice-president; Egbert Olcott, cashier: Gerrit T. Witbeck, teller; George M. Wheeler, clerk; the capital stock was $100,000. This institution failed in 1841. The National Bank of West Troy was incorporated under the State laws in February, 1852, and began business on May I, of that year, with the name, Bank of West Troy. The capital stock was $200,000. The incorporators were John Knickerbacker, James Van Schoonhoven, James Roy, E. Thomp- son Gale, John Cramer, Joseph M. Haswell, William Sands, George Il. Cramer, and Ferdinand J. Suydam ; these men constituted the first board of directors and the following officers were chosen : Ferdi- nand J. Suydam, president ; George H. Cramer, vice-president; Albert C. Gunnison, cashier. In 1853 Mr. Suydam was made cashier and held the position until 1858, when he resigned and was succeeded by G. B. Wilson, who held the place about nineteen years. He was suc-

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 43

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