Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 47

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 47

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Cohoes was without banking facilities until 1859, when what is now the National Bank of Cohoes was organized with capital stock of $100, - 000. The first officers were Egbert Egberts, president ; James M. Sill, cashier ; Egbert Egberts, Daniel Simmons, T. G. Younglove, William Orelup, jr., William G. Caw, W. F. Carter, J. G. Root, John Sill and C. H. Adams, directors. The institution was made a national bank May 31, 1865. Its capital was increased from $100,000 to $250,000 in August, 1872. In March, 1862, Murray Hubbard was chosen cashier

JOHN C. SANFORD.

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in place of Mr. Sill. In March, 1869, Mr. Adams was made president, Mr. Egberts having died. In 1893 Mr. Adams was succeeded by D. J. Johnston, and the latter was followed January 12, 1895, by John L. Newman. Murray Hubbard was succeeded as cashier December, 1895, by George R. Wilsdon. This bank now has a surplus of about $100,000 and profits of over $60,000.

The Cohoes Savings Institution was incorporated in April, 1851, by Charles A. Olmstead, Truman G. Younglove, Egbert Egberts, Hugh White, Daniel Simmons, I. D. F. Lansing, H. D. Fuller, W. F. Carter, Abram Lansing, Joshua Bailey, William N. Chadwick, Teunis Van Vechten, Andrew D. Lansing, Harmon Pumpelly, Edward E. Kendrick, William Burton, Joshua R. Clark, Jeremiah Clute, and Miles White. The institution began business August 15. 1853. Egbert Egberts was chosen president; T. G. Younglove, treasurer, and Edward W. Fuller, assistant treasurer. The bank has now on deposit about $1,740,000. The president is William T. Dodge, who succeeded William Burton ; and Charles R. Ford, treasurer.

The Manufacturers' Bank of Cohoes was organized March 21, 1872, with a capital of $100,000, and the following officers : President, Will- iam E. Thorn ; vice-president, J. V. S. Lansing ; cashier, N. W. Frost ; directors, William E. Thorn, J. V. S. Lansing, D. H Van Auken, George Campbell, J. W. Himes, Jacob Travis, D. J. Johnston, N. J. Clute, Will- iam Moore, Alfred Le Roy, P. R. Chadwick. Business began July 8, 1872 Mr. Thorn was succeeded in the office of president by J. V. S. Lansing, and the latter was followed by George Campbell, the present incumbent. William Moore is vice-president, and Le Roy Vermilyea, cashier. This bank has undivided profits of nearly $100,000.

The Mechanics' Savings Bank was incorporated in March, 1873, and . opened for business soon after in the rooms of the Manufacturers' Bank. The first officers were as follows : President, Robert Johnston ; first vice- president, John Clute ; second vice-president, William Stanton ; secre- tary, William S. Smith ; treasurer, Abner J. Griffin ; assistant treasu- rer, Leonard J. Groesbeck. The institution has had a career of pros- perity. John Clute succeeded Mr. Johnston as president, and William Stanton succeeded Mr. Clute as first vice president ; Rodney Miller succeeded Mr. Stanton as second vice-president. Le Roy Vermilyea

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succeeded William S. Smith as secretary, and James S. Clute succeeded Mr. Goesbeck as assistant treasurer. Mr. Griffin still holds the office of treasurer.

The first newspaper in Cohoes was the Cohoes Advertiser, a Whig organ, which was started February 9, 1847, by Alexis Ayres and Will- iam H. S. Winans ; Mr. Ayres was the editor. One year later the lat- ter retired and Isaac D. Ayres took his place. The Cohoes Journal and Advertiser succeeded the Advertiser in February, 1848, with Ayres & Winans, publishers, Mr. Winans, editor. On January 1, 1849, this paper was succeeded by The Cohoes Cataract, a Republican paper, pub- lished by Stow, Silliman & Miller (Chauncey Stow, Horace B. Silliman, Stephen C. Miller) ; the two latter acting as editors. In March, 1849, Mr. Stow retired and Silliman & Miller continued until September, 1851, when they sold out to J. H. Masten, who continued the publication until July 15, 1871, with the exception of two years and five months when it was under control of A. F. Onderdonk and A. S. Baker. On the date last named Mr. Masten sold out to William Bean, who with A. E. Stone, were the proprietors until the paper suspended publica- tion December 31, 1881. Its publication was resumed October 20, 1883, by William Seaport, who continued until August, 1884, when it finally suspended. The Daily Dispatch was started by Mr. Seaport in 1884, as an independent paper, and continued it until September, 1885, when J. & M. Wallace, the present proprietors, purchased the estab- lishment.

The Cohoes Daily News was started September 22, 1873, by Edward Monk. On June 1, 1874, he took as partner Samuel Sault, but July 22, 1879, J. H. Masten purchased Mr. Sault's interest. Mr. Monk retired April 2, 1881, and Mr. Masten continued the publication until October, 1884, when he sold out to W. K. Mansfield. On June 1, 1896, a stock company was formed with a capital of $5,000, and J. D. Leversee, president ; W. K. Mansfield, secretary ; W. S. Clark, treasurer. The News supports the Republican party, is ably conducted and has a large circulation.

The Cohoes Republican was started July 15, 1892, by the Republican Publishing Company. This is a daily Republican organ and is ably edited by John Spence.

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The Sunday Regulator was established March 2, 1879, with Williams & Webb, proprietors, and John Spence, editor. On August 14, follow- ing, Samuel Sault purchased Mr. Williams's interest and Mr. Spence gave up the editorship. Samuel Sault left the office in November, 1880, and William Webb continued the publication until his death in the fall of 1881. Alexis Wager then took his place as publisher and on January 1, 1882, purchased the establishment. He continued until December, 1894, when he sold out to the present publisher, Mitchell Rosenthall. The Regulator is Republican in its politics.

There is a large French element in the population of Cohoes and there have been several newspapers printed in their native tongue. Among these have been the Journaldes Dames, a literary paper edited by Virginie Authier, which existed for about six months in 1875-6; the L'Avenir National, a Democratic organ, started in Troy and removed to Cohoes October 15, 1875, under management of Louis G. Le Boeuf, and discontinued August 11, 1876; the La Patrie Nouvelle, a Repub- lican paper, started February 16 1876, by the Authier Brothers, and and the Journal de Cohoes, started January 3, 1877, by Pierre Lucas with Arthur E. Valois, editor, which was suspended a few months later. The existing French paper is the L'Independent, which was started December 22, 1894, by L. H. Bourgengnon. It is a Republican organ and is successful.

Cohoes has had the usual number of more or less ephemeral publica- tions to which only a brief reference is necessary. The Cohoes Weekly Democrat was published for four months from January 27, 1866, by Michael Monahan. A second paper with this name was started Sep- tember 17, 1870, by D. Cady and John H. Atkinson ; James F. Kelly bought Cady's interest in the following November, and in August, 1873, Mr. Atkinson retired, Mr. Kelly continuing until February 21, 1879, when the establishinent was burned and the paper suspended. The Cohoes Independent was published for six months from July 4, 1872, by Robert Johnston and Charles S. Pease. The Cohoes Daily Bulletin, the second daily in the city, began June 1, 1875; it was Democratic and was conducted by J. H. Atkinson and J. Barlow Luddy ; the paper suspended December 13, 1875. The Cohoes Daily Eagle succeeded the Daily Bulletin on January 22, 1876, with David

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Williams, proprietor, and J. Barlow Luddy, editor; it was discontinued May 26, 1876. The Northern Herald, a Sunday paper, was first issued by Williams & Egan, September 3, 1876, and suspended April 30, 1877. The first number of the Cohoes Daily Courier, a Democratic organ, appeared July 10, 1877, under the management of William Keeden, who was succeeded by James F. Kelly in the following Oc- tober, who published it in connection with the Weekly Democrat, be- fore mentioned. He sold the paper to William Webb and John Spence April 1, 1878, but it passed back again into his hands February 15, 1879 On the 21st of that month the plant was partially burned and a removal was made to what became the Tubbs machine shop and there the paper was published until May 17, 1879. The Cohoes Daily Times, Democratic, was first issued from the Democrat office, August 4, 1879, with James F. Kelly, Dr. O. H. Clark, and John Scott, pro- prietors. Dr. Clark and Lucius Maynard were editors ; the paper sus . pended the following November. The Daily Eagle, independent, was started by Lucius Maynard September 12, 1879, and sold at a penny ; it lived only a few months. The Cohoes Leader (Sunday) commenced publication September 14, 1879, with Spence & Aitkin, proprietors, John Spence, editor; it suspended in June, 1880. The first issue of the Weekly Register, Democratic, was published November 29, 1879, by Clark & McNiven, Dr. Clark, editor. It suspended in March, 1880. The Weekly News made its first appearance April 10, 1880, and was published for one year by Monk & Masten. The Daily Regulator was published for six months in connection with the Sunday Regulator, be- ginning April 19, 1880, by Webb & Sault. The Cohoes Sunday Re- publican, A. Craig and A. K. Miller, proprietors, Mr. Miller being editor, was published from June 27, 1880, to November of the same year. The Cohoes Sunday Globe, independent, Patrick White, pub- lisher, was issued for six weeks from August 21, 1881. The Cohoes Daily Herald, independent, appeared May 20, 1882, with Monk & Duffy, proprietors and editors, but suspended January 27, 1883.

St. John's Episcopal Church .- This parish was organized May 2, 1831. David Wilkinson and Hugh White were chosen wardens, and Hezekiah Howe, Otis Sprague, Albert S. Wilkinson, James Faulkner, John Van-

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derwerken, Matthias Williams, Samuel H. Baldwin, and Luther M. Tracy, vestrymen. The first church edifice (it was also the first one in Cohoes), was consecrated on May 12, of the same year. It stood on the south side of Oneida street, between Mohawk and Remsen streets, the land being donated by the Cohoes Company. During the first ten years the pulpit was filled by clergymen from Waterford, after which time Rev. David I. Burger became its first rector. In April, 1863, steps were taken toward the erection of a new church, the corner stone of which was laid June 9, 1870, on a site at the intersection of Can- vass and Mohawk streets. The building was of gray stone, the entire cost being $60,000. This beautiful structure was burned September 6, 1894, and on June 3, 1895, the corner stone was laid for a new stone edifice on the same site, which building is now in process of erection.

Reformed Church .- The Reformed Dutch church of Cohoes was or- ganized on the first Wednesday of November, 1837, with twelve mem- bers. On the 19th of that month the Consistory was constituted by the ordination of John Vanderwerken, Abram Weidman, and Daniel Simmons, elders, and William Renwick and James Safely, deacons. In May, 1838, Rev. William Lockhead was called as pastor of this church and the Waterford church. The first church edifice was completed in 1839, and in January, 1840, Rev. John Van Buren was called to the pulpit. In April, 1859, the first house of worship was demolished and a new structure was erected on the site and dedicated April 11, 1860, the cost of which was $30,000. Rev. Charles N. Waldron, who began his pastorate in 1849, served the church for thirty years. This society is now strong and has a large membership.

First M. E. Church .- This society was organized in May, 1839, un- der Rev. Elias Crawford, pastor, and Rev. Charles Sherman, presiding elder of the district. Meetings were held for a year in a school house and in dwelling houses, and in 1840 the first house of worship was built where the Clifton mill was afterwards located. This was a small wooden building and sufficed for the congregation until 1848, when a new brick church on Remsen street was erected at a cost of $12,000, the site having been donated by the Cohoes Company. This church was used for about ten years, when the growth of the society demanded a more com-

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modious building. In May, 1859, it was voted to tear down the church and erect a new one on the site. This was completed and dedicated February 22, 1860.

First Baptist Church .- Baptist meetings were held in Cohoes as early as 1838, and in January, 1839, John Duncan, a licentiate of the Still- water church, was secured as regular preacher. His labors were suc- cessful and on April 29th of that year a call for a church organization was issued. At a council held May 25, 1839, such an organization was approved, including the ordination of John Duncan as pastor. For the greater part of the year services were held in the dining room of the Harmony boarding house, after which a meeting place was found in a building on Mohawk street. In January, 1840, land was obtained of the Company and a small church erected. This was used for ten years, when a second church was built on land of the Company on Mohawk street facing White street, for which a perpetual lease was granted ; this church was of brick, and determined effort was necessary to pay for it. It was finally completed and dedicated April 28, 1852. In 1846 a brick parsonage was erected. The society now began to grow rapidly and by 1872 a larger church became a necessity. About $10,000 was accordingly expended in rebuilding to meet the requirements. The church is now in a prosperous condition.

The Presbyterian Church .- The First Presbyterian church of Cohoes was organized August 10, 1839, by a committee from the Presbytery of Troy. Fourteen persons assented to the faith, and Levi Silliman and Timothy Bailey were chosen elders, and Maltby Howell, deacon. Services were held in Mr. Silliman's dwelling and afterwards in their church edifice on the corner of Remsen and Factory streets. The ed- ifice which formerly stood on the site of the new church was built in 1849, and enlarged in 1869. A lecture room was erected in 1865 and enlarged by a two story addition in front in 1877; this was a gift by H. B. Silliman. The parsonage adjoining the church was erected in 1865. A splendid new stone edifice is now in course of erection, to which Mr. Silliman has contributed about $60,000, and the society has raised $25,000 for a chapel and church house for social purposes. The corner stone was laid in June, 1896, and the edifice will be completed in 1897. The congregation is large and the society active.

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St. James M. E. Church .- What was known as the Park Avenue M. E. church was organized in 1876 with twenty-nine members. Dur- ing the pastorate of Rev. A. C. Rose, on March 29, 1881, the society disbanded and on April 6 of that year a new church was organized with the name of St. James. A new edifice was built on the corner of McElwaine avenue and Walnut street.

St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church .- The first pastor of this church came to Cohoes in 1847, and under him the Catholics began public worship in a dilapidated dwelling. On November 18, 1847, the corner stone of a church was laid on land given by the Harmony Com- pany. The church was completed under the ministration of Rev. Ber- nard Van Reath, who remained here six years. He was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Daily, and he in 1855 by Rev. Thomas Keveny, who continued until the time of his death in 1882. Soon after his arrival the lots west of the church were purchased for $1,200 and a pastoral residence erected. Three other lots were soon afterward added to the property. The land for the Catholic Cemetery was purchased in 1857 and improve- ments begun. In 1859 Sisters from the Mother House of St. Joseph, in Carondelet, Mo., came here and established schools in connection with the parish. A residence was purchased for them on Mohawk street. When the time came that a larger church was needed, land was purchased opposite the old edifice and there on August 15, 1863, the corner stone of the present church was laid. The old church was remodeled into a school building, with a hall above for the Young Men's Literary Association. To better accommodate the schools and the Sisters, the house occupied by the pastor was improved and the Sisters transferred thither, while in the rear of the Sisters' house an academy was built for young ladies of the congregation, and in rear of the new church a fine house was erected for the clergy. On Febru- ary 2, 1876, a fierce gale of wind struck the city and among other dam - age done by it was the destruction of the steeple of this church and eight of the nine bells in the chime. By vigorous effort a new steeple higher and more beautiful than the first was completed in the following year. This church cost about $100,000.

St. Joseph's French Church .- On August 23, 1868, Rev. L. H. San- gon was sent to Cohoes by Bishop Conroy to establish a French church.

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He was successful and on October 9 the corner stone of a house of worship was laid. The building was dedicated December 12, 1869, with the above name. A pastoral dwelling was built in 1871. The church was not substantially built and in June, 1874, it was demolished and on August 23 of the same year the corner stone of a new edifice was laid. The building is of stone and brick. When Rev. L. M. Dugast assumed the pastorate in 1879 he found about sixty children of French parentage attending a school with a single lay teacher. At his request the Sisters of St. Ann's, of Lachine, near Montreal, established them- selves in this parish, and in November a fine brick convent was opened for them, which cost $17,000. The attendance is very large. Soon afterward a school for boys was opened in a brick edifice erected for the purpose. Several other societies have been established in connec- tion with the church, all of which contribute to the general welfare of the French population.

Church of St. Agnes, Roman Catholic .- A temporary house of wor- ship was erected for this church and opened in November, 1878, and Rev. John F. Lowrey was sent to take charge of the congregation in September of that year. A parochial residence was built soon after- ward, and the lots opposite were purchased as a site for the permanent church. The old church was subsequently burned and the present edifice erected. A farm was purchased for a cemetery and dedicated September 26, 1883.

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CHAPTER XIX.

THE TOWN OF RENSSELAERVILLE. 1

This town derived its name from the first Patroon, Stephen Van Rensselaer, to whom a charter or grant of land, known as Rensselaer- wyck, embracing, with other lands, the county of Albany, was made in the year 1630.

The first settler in Rensselaerville was Apollos Moore, a veteran of the Revolutionary war, who immigrated from Pittsfield, Mass., and settled upon a piece of land about two miles east of the site of the present village of Rensselaerville. He came on foot, while his wife rode a horse (which cost five dollars) and carried all their goods. Mr. Moore became a leading citizen, was a justice of the peace, supervisor, and finally a judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Albany county, which last office he held until he was seventy years old. He was a man of marked character, of much learning, and made an able judge.

In 1787 Joseph Lincoln, John Rensier and several brothers named Hatch settled in the northern part of the town, and soon afterwards one of the Hatch brothers built there the house which was known for many years thereafter as the " Hatch house," while a little way south of where the village of Rensselaerville now stands was erected the store-dwelling house and small tannery of Peckham and Griggs. This was at that time known as " Peckham's Hollow," and was on the farm afterwards owned by a Mr. Lester (now Joseph Pullman's). It was here the Hon. Rufus W. Peckham, the elder, the noted lawyer and judge, was reared and spent his boyhood days while teaching school.

The first settler in what grew to be the village of Rensselaerville was Samuel Jenkins, who came there February 22, 1788, and in the following April erected the first dwelling house and a little later the first grist mill.

1 By Norman W. Faulk, esq.

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Another pioneer, who came to the southwestern portion of the town in 1790, settling near the village of Preston Hollow, was Capt. Daniel Shay, at that time a well known personage, being no other than the leader of the famous "Shay's Rebellion " in Massachusetts. His son, Daniel Shay, was later a merchant and justice of the peace at that village.

Major John Edwards, a Revolutionary soldier, at the close of the war settled at Preston Hollow, where he spent the remainder of his days.

In the southwestern part of the town, near Potter Hollow, Gerardus Drake, a prominent member of the Society of Friends, settled in 1803. This society increased in number and soon a church was founded at Potter Hollow. John Drake, himself an influential Quaker, came to the same place in 1808, and lived near Gerardus, while Abram and Jeremiah Young and Aaron Winne settled in the same vicinity in 1790.

Michael Brand, a German, came during the Revolution from Scho- harie county and settled in this town on land in lot No. 225, which is now the farm of William Chapman. About 1783, at which time there was but one dwelling in the village of Rensselaerville, John Coons, from Columbia county, squatted on lot No. 118, and Silas Sweet came from West Stockbridge, Mass., and settled about one mile from Rensselaer- ville village.

In 1770 Derrick Vandyke settled upon a piece of land upon the flats just above the village of Preston Hollow, now occupied by John Hess, and was the first settler in the southwestern part of the town. Tradi- tion has it that during the Revolution he was a Tory. At this time there were five footpaths or trails used by the Schoharie Indians, the main path beginning at Catskill and following the creek of that name up to its source at the vlaie, and running thence to Middleburg, pass- ing through the site of Preston Hollow. Over this route now runs the Schoharie turnpike. This path was traversed by the Indians of the Stockbridge and Schoharie tribes, the former tribe being in the habit of camping for weeks on what is now Coon's meadow in Preston Hol- low, during their fishing season in the Catskill Creek.

The most prominent stream of Rensselaerville is Catskill Creek, which rises in Schoharie county and runs southerly through the southwestern

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portion of the town, emptying into the Hudson at Catskill. The re- maining streams are Eight and Ten Mile Creeks, both in the eastern part of the town and which join just south of Medusa.

There are four villages in the town, and two hamlets.

Preston Hollow, the largest village, is situated in the Catskill valley near the mountains of that name, in the southwestern part of the town, on Catskill Creek, its population being about 600. The first settlers here were Andries Huyck, on lot No. 84, and Sebastian Smith, on lot No. 66. The founder of the village was Dr. Samuel Preston, who in 1798 erected the first frame dwelling in the village. Of the many prominent early citizens and business men in the village were Micah Humphrey, the Shays-Daniel and Daniel, jr., Alvin Devereux, father of Hon. Horace T. Devereux, James G. Clock, David Davenport, Eben and Benjamin White, Phineas Holmes, Robert W. Murphy, the Ricker- sons, Dr. Bela Brewster. Lawrence Faulk, Nathaniel Rider, Melancthon Smith, David Faulk and Samuel Coon, who are long since deceased. Lawrence Faulk was a learned and successful attorney and counselor at the Albany bar. His successor was his son, Norman W. Faulk, who is still engaged in practice in this village. Preston Hollow contains two fine churches-a Baptist and a Methodist Episcopal-and a large hotel, the Park Hotel, of which Mr. Murphy is proprietor, a flourishing school and a classical institute.

Medusa is a village in the southeastern corner of the town on Ten Mile Creek, and was settled by Uriah Hall and his son Joshua about 1783, whence the name it bore for many years of Hall's Mills. Uriah Hall and his son took a lease from the Patroon of many lots cov- ering the site of the village and vicinity, and erected the first grist mill and dwelling here. Joshua Hall continued in business here until 1806, when he was accidentally killed by a tree falling upon him, while he was chopping wood on one of his farms.

In 1785 Joseph Hall settled upon the farm afterwards owned by Willett Mackey and now occupied by his son, Alex. W. Mackey, at the east end of the village. Job Tanner was an early settler, as were Will- iam R. Tanner, who was far many years a leading citizen, a justice of the peace and supervisor, and Daniel Doolittle.

The village numbers about 150 inhabitants, has two churches- Methodist and Christian, a hotel and store.

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Rensselaerville is a village in the northeastern part of the town, and was founded February 22, 1788, by Samuel Jenkins, who erected at that time the first grist mill and soon thereafter the first frame dwelling house. He was the father of Jonathan Jenkins, who became a practic- ing lawyer there, and grandfather of Hon. Charles M. Jenkins, a wealthy and retired lawyer of Albany. Daniel and Josiah Conkling were early settlers, Daniel carrying on tanning and a boot and shoe manufactory. Asa and Philo Culver, Wheeler Watson, whose son, Malbone Watson, became an eminent lawyer at Catskill and rose to be county judge and Supreme Court justice, and Rufus Watson also settled here at an early period. Other residents of the village who were prom- inent in this locality were Arnold B. Watson, a son of Josiah Watson, was president and main stockholder of the Unadilla Bank, Rev. Samuel Fuller, the first pastor of the Presbyterian church here, who lived on the farm where the late Hon. William Aley lived and died and Henry Stone, an able lawyer and poet, was the successor to Jenkins. Still others were Dr. Platt Wickes who studied medicine with Dr. Hyde and became his successor dying a few years ago at a ripe old age, a man of sterling character ; Charles L. Mulford, successor to the Daytons, and John S. Huyck, men who became wealthy and were honored by their fellow citizens ; Eli Hutchinson, the merchant, and Franklin Frisbie, who died a number of years ago. Judge John Niles, who moved from Coey- mans, and O. H. Chittenden both lawyers here, the former becoming a county judge and the latter surrogate of Albany county, and later Dr. Gilbert Titus, who for many years was justice of the peace. The Episcopal church here was organized February 20, 1811, by Rev. Sam- uel Fuller ; the Baptist in 1797 and the Presbyterian in 1793.

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 47

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