USA > New York > Albany County > Landmarks of Albany County, New York > Part 48
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In the cemetery of the village stands a monument to the memory of the many brave soldiers from this town who lost their lives in fighting for their country, at the dedication ceremonies of which Hon. Lyman Tremain, of Albany. delivered a masterly oration.
Potter Hollow, which was settled in 1806, is a small village of about one hundred residents, lying in the extreme southwestern part of the town. It has a post-office, store, union church, and a hotel. The founders and earliest business men were the Potters-Timothy R. and Samuel. Potter Palmer, the well-known Chicagoan, was born and
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grew to manhood here, his father, Benjamin Palmer, being a farmer and a highly respected citizen, who served many years as justice of the peace.
Cooksburg is a hamlet having a grist mill, hotel and two drug stores, and lies south of Preston Hollow and north of Potter Hollow, being one mile from each.
The town organization of Reusselaerville dates back to 1791. Berne was taken from it in 1795, and a part of Westerlo in 1815, leaving Rensselaerville to occupy the southwest corner of what was known as the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. The town was surveyed in 1786 and divided into square lots of 160 acres each. It is eight and a half miles on the south and east lines, and six on the north. The west line is irregular and about nine miles in length. The general slope of the land, though broken by high rid es, is south and east, the northwest corner of the town being about the highest land between the Hudson on the east, the Mohawk on the north and the Schoharie on the west.
A military road from Athens (then Lunenburg), Greene county, passed through the southern part of the town, and was crossed by a road from Beaverdam, now . Berne, a little east of Andrew Asher's house on lot 225. Another road, originally an Indian trail but used for transporting military stores, crossed the town farther north, being now known as the " Basic Path." These roads were, in the early days, so covered by underbrush as to be passable only for ox teams.
The first settlers found on Ten Mile Creek what had been a Tory camp, built of logs in wigwam style, and another on the ground now covered by the Rensselaerville Pond. These settlers appear to have built their houses on the highest point of their land, and to have traced their paths from cabin to cabin by means of blazed trees, which tree- marked paths were the beginning of our present roads from hilltop to hilltop With the country now cleared of its forests these roads, with an elevation of 1,400 or 1,500 feet above the Hudson River, give fine views of the surrounding country.
A map of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, made for the proprietor by J. R. Bleecker in 1767, shows no inhabitants, dwellings nor roads with- in the limits of the present town. Bleecker says that the south line of the manor was located by a line of marked trees, according to a survey
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made by Edward Collins in 1735. From the map and field notes of William Cockburn, who divided the southwestern part of the manor into lots in 1786-7, it appears that at that time about sixty- seven emi- grants had commenced improvements, and about fifty nine dwellings had been erected, all probably in the prevailing styles of log architec- ture, within the limits of the present town. These were located chiefly along and near the roads designated as the Old and New roads from Freehold to Schoharie. The Old road entered the town on lot 17, the southeast corner of the town, and passed northwesterly through the town. The New road entered on lot II and by a northerly course joined the Old road on lot 224, then partly improved by Andrew Asher. Over these roads the settlers seem to have come in from the south and progressed mainly to the north and west.
We give below the number of lots upon which some improvements had been made, from the map made hy Cockburn in 1786, with the names of the men, then called squatters, who led the attack upon the dense forests of this wild region :
Lots 5 and 6, Jeremiah Young ; 7, Peter Plank ; 8, Peter West ; 9, Charles Edwards; 11, Gershom Stevens; 24, Hendrick Young; 25, Peter Shoemaker; 26, Peter Becker ; 37, William Showerman; 43, Peter Emerick; 45, Peter Basson ; 47 and 67, John Ellis ; 56, Peter Miller; 66, Bastian Smith; 70, Samuel Howe; 84 and 85, Andrus Houck ; 88 and 89, Curtis Cleveland and Jesse Pierce ; 90, Abel Mudge ; 92 and 102, Smith and Johannes Hagadorn and Peter Houck; 103 and 104, Derrick Vandyke; 108, John Pierce; 109, Sylvester Pierce; 125, Abner Tremaine; 127, Caleb Prince ; 128 and 148, Daniel Mudge; 131, Daniel Cooper; 145, Thomas Farrington; 147, Samuel Martin and Josiah Skinner; 149, George Van Beuren; 167, Levi Green; 168 and 187, John Coon; 169 and 170, Jonathan Skinner; 185 and 186, Neal McFalls; 186, Thomas Brown; 186, Adam Coon; 188 and 189, 208 and 209, Reuben Bumpis, Philemon Lee and Hezekiah Dibble; 204, Kendrick Rhoda and Samuel Nichols; 206, Gamaliel Palmer; 207, John Nichols; 209, Cook; 210, Bela Cook; 223, Jonathan Edmonds: 224, Alanson Saxton and log meeting house ; 225, Andrus Asher and Michael Bryant ; 225, 245 and 246, Ashbel Culver ; 226, 245 and 246, John Resegue ; 227, Nathan Hatch ; 227, Jonathan Crocker; 243 and 244, Widow Becker; 247, Daniel Cooper; 263, James Borthwick; 267, Joseph Lincoln; 267, John Rancear; 261 and 281, James Broyce ; 282, John Herren; 283, 303 and 304, John Hunter; 302 and 303, Samuel Ramsey; 350, George Ramsey ; 351, John Connell.
The improvemants indicated on this map are small clearings, trees enough being cut down to put up a log house.
There was some dread of Indians among the early settlers and events showed that the fear was not unfounded. Two lads, sons of Mr. Prie,
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who lived in the northern part of the town, were taken prisoners by the Indians about the time of the massacre of the Deitz family in Berne. They had set out to go to Berne, when they were seized, marched back by the Basic path in sight of their father's house, and carried away and kept prisoners by the Indians for many years. These Indians, under Brant at this time, came down past the site of Preston Hollow and camped on the site of Cooksburg, and thence passed on over the hills to Blenheim and thence to Schoharie. They were followed by armed men, who, however, were unable to overtake them.
The first town meeting of which we have any record was held in 1795 ; Peter West was chosen supervisor, David Crocker town clerk, Benja- min Frisbie and Peter West overseers of the poor, Ariel Murdock, Mel- etiah Hatch and Ansel Ford commissioners of highways, L. Nathan Spaulding, Elijah Murdock, Josiah Skinner and Apollos Moore asses- sors, David Brown, Alexander Mackey, Noah Ellis and Joshua Doane, constables, Alexander Mackey, David Brown, Noah Ellis and Joshua Doane, collectors, Asa Hudson and Meletiah Hatch fence viewers, Da- vid Crocker pound-master. In the following year there were nineteen licenses recognized in town.
The first religious organization in Rensselaerville was that of the Baptists in Preston Hollow, whose organization dated 1790. Elder Winans was the first pastor.
The first Presbyterian organization in the town was in 1793, formed by Benjamin Frisbie, Alanson Saxton and Nehemiah Lord, their place of worship being a log house on what is known as Mount Pisgah, near the village of Rensselaerville. The Rev. Samuel Fuller was their first pastor, a Connecticut man of high education and a graduate of Dart- mouth College. A meeting house was built about 1795 by a Dutch Re- formed society in the southern part of the town on a ridge of land known as Oak Hill ; among the early pastors of which were the Rev. Mr. Van Zandt and Rev. Mr. Ostrander. This church stood near the present residence of Mrs. Julia Hall, being on lot 9. The Baptist society com - posed of those living about Rensselaerville village built their meeting house in that part of the original town which was set off to Berne, so that, although most of the early settlers around this village were Bap- tists, they had no meeting house in the village until 1830. The Revs. Beman and Crocker were among their first pastors.
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The present meeting house of the Methodists was built in Rensselaer- ville in 1839 They also have a church in Preston Hollow and one in Medusa. The Quakers, who were very numerous in early times, have nearly disappeared from the town; they formerly had three meeting houses in or near the town, of which the one located at Potter Hollow has been reconstructed as a union church.
In 1802 the Schoharie Turnpike Company was incorporated, whose road passed through the village of Preston Hollow in the southern part of the town, while in 1805 the Albany and Delaware Turnpike Com- pany was incorporated to build a road from Albany to Brink's Mills which runs through Rensselaerville village.
Supervisors of the town of Rensselaerville have been: 1795, Peter West; 1818, Asa Calvard; 1819-21, Eli Hutchinson; 1822-23, 1832-33, Nathaniel Rider; 1824, Isaac Gardner; 1825, Joshua Gardner ; 1826-27, Wheeler Watson ; 1828-29, 1840, Joseph Connor; 1830-31, John Niles; 1833-35, Charles L. Mulford; 1836, James Reid ; 1837, Samuel Niles; 1838-39, Lewis M. Dayton; 1841-42, Benjamin E. Mackey; 1843, James G. Clark; 1844, Shadrach R. Potter; 1845-46, Valentine Treadwell; 1847-48, Stephen M. Hallenbeck; 1849-50, 1852, 1854, William Aley; 1851, Daniel A. Mackey ; 1853, Benjamin F. Sayre; 1855-57, Norman A. Ford; 1858-59, Andrew Felter ; 1860-61, James E. Mackey; 1862-67, George H. Laraway; 1868-70, William Mc- Givney; 1871-72, William R. Tanner; 1873-75, Horace T. Devereux; 1876-80, Albert T. Moore; 1881-83, H. Sayre; 1884-87, 1893, Jacob B. Norwood; 1888-92, Lewis Kenyon; 1894-95, G. M. Hallenbeck; 1896, Abram S. Coon, term two years.
Of the many who have or are now worthily representing their native town, we may record the names of Mortimer M. Jackson, judge of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin; Addison C. Niles, judge of the Su- preme Court of California ; Rufus W. Peckham, judge of the Court of Appeals, New York ; Malbone Watson, judge of the Supreme Court ; James Lamoreux, Robert W. Murphy, judges of Albany county ; Mar- cellus Weston, judge of Montgomery county ; Hiram Gardner, judge of Niagara county ; Horace T. Devereux, Valentine Treadwell, Stephen M. Hallenbeck, Almeron S. Cornell, William Aley, Robert B. Watson, Henry Jenkins, J. W. and L. H. Babcock, members of the New York Assembly. In addition to the above we should add Judge Joseph J. Bradley of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was born in that part of the original town which was set off as Berne ; Judge A. Melvin Osborne of the Supreme Court of New York; and Judge Lyman Tremain, attorney-general of New York, who was born just over
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the town line in Durham. Mr. Potter Palmer, of Chicago, and Arnold B. Watson, of Unadilla, now deceased, were natives of this town. Norman W. Faulk, of Preston Hollow, a lawyer, who read law in the office of Daniel S Dickinson and with Peckham & Co. at Albany, was admitted to practice in 1852, and went to Hastings, Mich., where he practiced his profession and became a leader at the bar, and being for a number of years judge of the Recorder's Court. He was born at Preston Hollow, where he now resides, enjoying a practice in this and adjoining counties.
The following list of occupants and actual first tenants in the town under Van Rensselaer, the Patroon, with lots and leases, are of interest. The names in italics indicates those who were occupants before the manorial survey and allotments were made. It will be noticed that the oldest leases were of lots 54, 94 and 134, made September 10, 1787, but the date of the lease does not in every case indicate when the oc- cupancy commenced, as this, in most cases, was many years before the lease was taken.
Lot No. 1, which is the southwest corner of Albany county, was occupied by Elisha Bates; no lease found; 3, Josiah Morris, July 12, 1796; 3, Nathan Smith, June, 1788; 4, Stephen Bolles, July 6, 1791; 5, Jeremiah Young and John Wafen, July 18, 1803; 6, Jeremiah Young and Peter Plank, July 14, 1788; 7, Peter Plank (grist mill), March, 1793; 8, Peter West. August 29, 1794; 9, Charles Edwards (meeting house), June 23, 1795: 10, Charles Edwards, July 18, 1803; 11, Gershom Stevens (saw mill), October 2, 1787; 12, Joseph Dickson, October 2, 1787; 13, Jonathan Pratt, October 2, 1787; 14, Peabody Pratt, May 29 1789; 15, Samuel Rider and Elihu Gifford, Feb- ruary 15, 1799; 16, John Lautman, March 10, 1788; 17, Henry Spickerman, Decem- ber 26, 1794; 21, Benjamin Brand, July 12, 1796; 23, Henry Young and Aaron Winne, June 6, 1796; 24, Henry Young and John Walker, July 2, 1796; 25, Peter Schoonmaker, March 13, 1788; 26, Peter Becker, January 26, 1796; 27, Joseph Andrews and Hendrick Plank, jr., November 4, 1797; 28, Johannis Row, July 9, 1788: 29, Martinias Hommel, October 30, 1801; 30, Edward Taylor and Joshua Thomas, June 21, 1791 ; 31, Levi Tracey and Thomas Shadbolt, May 19, 1806 ; 32, Elonzo Jennings and Reuben Treadwell, July 13, 1796; 33, William A. Tanner, February 26, 1805; 34, Joseph Hall, July 4, 1807; 35, Jonathan Bedford, January 30, 1808; 36, George Ben, March 10, 1788; 37, John Gardner, April 12, 1795; 41, Abraham Young (east part), July 12, 1796, (west part), Reuben Hill, September 29 1795; 42, Wilhelmus Wolf and Peter Emerick, December 8, 1795, 43, Peter Emerick, January 27. 1796; 44, Michael Schoonmaker, January 17, 1789: 45. Peter Basson (saw mill), April 20, 1793; 46, Philip Scholder, February 14, 1792; 47, John Ellis, July 22, 1788 (new lease to Daniel Tuttle December 5, 1835); 48, Barent Burhans, November 9, 1801; 49, Ezekiel Hull March 2, 1789; 50, Amos Mosher and Benjamin Worth,
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August 23. 1805; 51, Sanford Tracey, August 24, 1805; 52, James Mackey, February 21. 1805; 53, (grist mill and saw mill), Fitch Lamphere, September 30, 1797; 54, John HI. Garrison, September 10, 1787; 55, Jacob and Wessels Strope, June 7, 1803; 56, Alexander Campbell, August 13, 1806; 61. Hendrick Moore, July 12, 1796; 62, Hen- drick Bewe, January 30, 1796; 63, Joseph Row, June 16, 1788; 64, John Wolf, jr., June 17, 1795; 65, Sebastian Schmit, November 7, 1792; 66, Martinus Shuldis, June 30, 1792; 67, Charles Morat, October 24, 1789; 68, Charles Morat, December 13, 1789; 69, Henry Person, October 2, 1787; 70, Samuel How and Samuel Cleveland, October 2, 1787; 71, William and Solomon Mackey, August 8, 1791; 72, Jeremiah Parce, July 13, 1796; 73, John Cox, April 25, 1788; 74, Samuel Combe, jr., February 23, 1797; 75, Andrew Spickerman, February 10, 1803; 76, William Campbell, March 3, 1813; 81, Abram Hallenbeck, jr. (west part), November 21, 1788: 81, (east part), Michael I. Hallenbeck, February 24, 1789; 82, Samuel Potter, July 9, 1792; 83, Wilhemus Wolf, August 13, 1791; 84, Samuel Preston and Micah Humphrey (saw mill), May 8, 1804; 85, Samuel Burgess and Samuel Preston, April 10, 1794; 86, Timothy and John Boardman, jr., January 20, 1801; 87, Jonas Kelsey, July 13, 1796 ; 88, Alexander Mackey and Jonas Kelsey, February 9, 1796; 89, Johannes, Conradt and Benjamin Briggs, April 25, 1795; 90, Enoch and Silas Sayre, April 5, 1793; 91, Barent and Abraham Dubois, September 1, 1792; 92, Johannes Hagadorn, July 14, 1788; 93, Samuel Combe, jr., February 23, 1797; 94, Conradt Showerman, Sep- tember 10, 1787; 95, John Dunham, July 13, 1796; 101, John Hallenbake, February 3, 1796; 102, Noah Russell and Samuel Potter, January 7, 1804; 103, Henry L'an Dyke and Thiel Rockefeller, January 25, 1797; 104, Henry and John Van Dyke, January 25, 1797; 106, John G. Spencer and Thomas Farrington, January 11, 1793; 106, Jesse Nichols, July 23 1800; 107, John Winans and Muritie Eamon, January 23, 1795; 108, Lawrence Faulk (west part), September 6, 1793; 108, Jonas Kelsey, s. one-half, March 3, 1789; 109, Josiah F. Dean, April 25, 1795; 110, Titus Palmer and Lawrence Dubois, June 18, 1804; 111, William Connolly and George Wright, Decem- ber 18, 1795; 112, Nathan and Sylvanus Lounsbury, July 13, 1796; 113, Peter Rivenberg, May 12, 1804; 114 and 115, Jeremiah Snyder, May 12, 1817: 121, Russell Humphrey (west part), August 26, 1794; 121, Henry Kontshman (east part), December 16, 1793; 122, Christian Brand and John Badgers, January 9, 1794; 123, Peter Bradt and James Gleason, July 9, 1793; 124, Page Harri- man, December 23, 1788; 125, Robert Goff and Saunders Haynes, January 3, 1805; 126, Joshua Gardner and John Hand, February 21, 1805; 127, Elijah Hicks, March 4, 1795; 128, Jacob Copland, June 15, 1799; 129, Aaron and Jared Mudge, October 2, 1787; 130, John P. Knickerbocker, June 16, 1795; 131, Allen Durant, Feb- ruary 26, 1799; 139, George Dipple (saw mill), September 18, 1787; 133, Benjamin B. Durkie, December 18, 1794; 134, Hendrick H. Garrison, September 10, 1787; 141, Joseph Birchard, February 28, 1800; 142, David Alger, February 19, 1793; 143, David Alger and Josiah Marshall, October 20, 1796; 144, Lora Lomis and John F. Emta, April 13, 1793; 145, Thomas Farrington, April 28, 1789; 146, John Lennon and Obadiah Wilde, February 20, 1796; 147, Elisha and William Sheldon, January 26, 1795; 53, lease for grist mill and saw mill to Fitch Lamphere in 1797, who sold January 2, 1798, to Uriah Hall; 148, Jesse Sammus, September 2, 1795; 149, Hezekiah Jopping, May 15, 1795; 150, David Crocker, jr. (west half). December 17, 1789; 150
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(east half), Uriah St. John, September 24, 1793; 151, Joseph Lee, November 13, 1787; 152, Peleg Peckham, February 17, 1799; 153, Henry Campbell, part, Decem- ber 31, 1811; 154, Timothy and John Boardman, jr., February 13, 1807; 161, Apollos Moore, west part, May 29, 1798; 161, east part, Warner Barnes; 162, Hezekiah Beach and Amos Alger, January 27, 1801; 163, Henry Hopping, July 7, 1788; 164, David Reddington and Jeremiah Hand, October 14, 1794; 165, Johannis Felter, Jan- uary 21, 1799; 166, William Murdock, April 24, 1795; 167, Daniel Tanner, April 19. 1797: 168, 169, 170, Johannes Coons, July 15, 1788: 171, Apollos Moore, March 5, 1805; 172, Uriah Chapman and Dyck Marcraback (a colored fiddler), July 15, 1796; 173, Sunderland Pattison and Jonathan Pearce, April 17, 1795; 181, Bela Phelps, and Thomas Pears, east part, November 19, 1787; 121, Peter H. Smith and Michael Harder, west part, November 10, 1794; 182, Asa Phelps, October 2, 1787; 183, David Allworth and Cornelius Van Aken, January 9, 1831; 184, Samuel Greenleaf, and Abraham Bernett, May 23, 1803; 185, S. Callender and B. Hall, February 11, 1795; 186, Adam Coons, Elisha Murdock and Thomas Brown, February 11, 1795; 187, Adam Coons, July 15, 1788; 188, Philemon Lee, November 10, 1787; 189, Reuben Bumpus, October 2, 1788; 190, Aaron Hunt, September 28, 1803; 191, Henry Spann, February 9, 1797; 191, Charles Mead and Wheeler Watson, December 26, 1795: 201, George Rivenbergh and J. Hallenbeck, February 22, 1803; 202, Abel Ford, Septem- ber 30, 1793; 203, Jacob Charlier, September 8, 1797; 204, Elias Ames and Gad Hall, March 20, 1794; 205, John Owen and Philo Camp, August 18, 1788; 206, Thomas Brown and Alanson Saxton, July 15, 1788; 207, Gamaliel Palmer and Henry Lewis, October 10, 1800: 208, Joseph Woodford and William Hatch, January 28, 1795; 209, James White and Daniel Lindley, January 13, 1799; 210, David Bailey, 211. William Wightman and Thomas Lee, December 3, 1788; 212, Jonathan Fish, March 5, 1801; 221, David Hess, June 28, 1806; Joseph Woodworth, January 30, 1806. and David Newcomb, September 16, 1796; 222, Ariel Murdock, Novem- ber 15, 1787; 223, Amos Beecher, July 20, 1803; 224, Congregational church; 225, east part, John Frisbie, July 22, 1801, and west part, Michael Brant, May 2, 1797; 226. Ashbel Culver, February 1, 1798; 227, Samuel Fuller, Melatiah Hatch and Josiah Watson, May 11, 1797; 228, Asa Woodford and Melatiah Hatch, March 4, 1795; 229, Samuel Jenkins, William King and Wheeler and Thomas Watson, February 20, 1799; 230, Elijah and Eber Sweet, June 6, 1788; 231, Apollos Moore, January 1798; 241, Enoch and Sylvanus Cooper, May 6, 1794; 242, Samuel Nichols and John Owens, February 7, 1798; 243, Christian Becker, January 21, 1794; 244, Joseph Lincoln ; 245, Daniel Conklin, jr., west half, March 29, 1812, Amaziah Palmer and Samuel Nichols, March 4, 1796; 247, John Couse, February 23, 1797; 248, sold to Jonathan Jenkins, west part, and to Charles Pierson cast part, and others, pond, etc. ; 249, Hans Winegar, April 25, 1788, and second lease March 12, 1803; 250, Henry and Josiah Conkling, May 28, 1798; 251, Josiah Haverman, January 24, 1796; 261, Heze- kiah Watson and Job Sisson, west part, January 15, 1800, east part, to Jabez Sisson and Christopher Shreve, May 7, 1795; 262, Lating Day and William Borthwick, December 22, 1806; 263, James Borthwick, January 28, 1796: 264, Daniel Lamoree, January 9. 1795; 265, Reuben King, May 19, 1795; 266, Nicholas Cornell, June 9. 1785; 267, Rufus Watson, August 28, 1822; 268, Jonathan Crocker, jr., March 10, 1795; 269, Daniel Conkling, jr., May 28, 1798; 270, Daniel Conkling, May 28, 1798;
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281, George Bell and George Cogshall, January 22, 1800; 282, Isaac Cowles, May 9, 1788; 283, William and Charles West, March 22, 1792; 284, Benjamin Frisbie and Elisha West, October 31, 1794; 285, Thomas and Benjamin Frisbie, jr., February 25, 1796; 286, Thomas Watson, February 22, 1792; 287. Joseph Sisson, February 13, 1795; 288, Salmon Sandford and Weston, April 25, 1795; 289, Asa and Barnabas Rice, March 8, 1796; 290, Michael Boomhover and Valentine Casman, December 23, 1799; 301; Joseph Rollo, April 11, 1791; 302, John H. Bushnell, March 29, 1798; 303, Daniel Sears, January 20, 1806; 304, John Sisson, June 6, 1796; 305, Alfred Hislop, April 18, 1788; 306, John Raymond and George Sisson, December 14, 1796; 307, Shubel Bouton and Shubel Bouton, jr., July 25, 1803; 308, Martin Campbell, June 6, 1788; 309, John Abel and Caleb Sanford, February 24, 1796; 310, Samuel Frink and ane Solomon Sanford, December 4, 1804; 311, Steadman Fox, February 5, 1810; 349, Edmund Watkins and Solomon Seaman, May 29, 1793; 350, Peter Frisbie, November 11, 1824; 351, George Sanford, September 27, 1797; 352, Christopher Almy, January 30, 1809; 353, Joseph Hopkins, May 7, 1802; 354, Reuben Crosby, May 13, 1789; 355, Salter Pullman, February 19, 1788; 356, Nathan and Seth Young, March 14, 1805; 357, Pardon Kelsey, June 4, 1790; 358, Elisha and Philander Goodrich and Caleb Sanford, September 2, 1796; 359, Jonathan Crocker, January 14, 1796; 360, Ephraim and Samuel Lindsley, February 25, 1795, in the northeast corner of the present limits of the town.
CHAPTER XX.
THE TOWN OF COEYMANS. 1
The town of Coeymans is situated in the southeast corner of Albany county, and includes within its boundaries Baeren (Barren) Island and about one-half of Shad Island. It was erected from the mother town of Watervliet March 18, 1791, and was the second town formed in the county. When the town of Westerlo was erected in 1815, a small sec- tion of Coeymans was set off to it. Coeymans has an area of 32,570 acres, and received its name from Barent Pieterse Coeymans, the pat- entee. The surface of the town consists of an upland rising 200 to 400 feet above the river, which is broken by hills and ridges rising 100 to 400 feet higher. The soil on the levels is alluvial in character, mixed with sand and clay and very productive. In the western part of the town its consists of gravel and clay. As a whole the town is well
1 This name is found spelled in various ways-Koeymans, Koymans, Koeyemans, and the cus- tomary way; in Holland it was probably Kojiemans.
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adapted to the growing of the usual farm products and the common fruits. Geologically there is little of importance in this town. A stra- tum of marble or limestone extends across it from north to south three to four miles from the river, and this has been quarried for building purposes. Some blue stone is found and a quarry was formerly worked at Mossy Hill. The principal streams are Coeymans Creek, which en- ters the town from Bethlehem in the eastern part and empties into the Hudson at Coeymans Landing. The Hannakrois flows in from West- erlo and crosses this town in a southeasterly direction, passing through Indian Fields, Stephensville, and Coeymans Hollow, and supplying excellent water power. It enters Greene county near Achquetuck ; and then making a long bend again enters Coeymans near the south- east corner of the town and empties into the Hudson a little below Coey- mans Landing. These streams flow through narrow valleys which are bordered by steep hills through which they have cut gorges in some places. These two streams have numerous small tributaries, and Coey- mans Creek makes two falls at Coeymans village aggregating seventy- five feet in height, which supply a water power that has been utilized for years past. Some of the small streams in the northern part of the town disappear into sink holes and again come to the surface after flow- ing some distance through subterranean channels. Moulding sand has been found in some parts of Coeymans and was formerly shipped in large quantities.
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