Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 50

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

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when they had established their homes, and long before any church organization could be perfected, at least nearer than Albany. This condition continued probably until after the close of the Revolutionary war. With the advent of peace and its blessings, new elements were added to the population from New England, whose religious beliefs and habits, while perhaps not less ardent and active than those of their Dutch predecessors, were widely different in other respects. Methodists, with their intense religious zeal came in and stirred to their depths the more lethargic temperaments of the Dutch and organized some of the earliest churches of which records remain in this town.

The first Methodist Society, organized by Rev. John Crawford, be- gan its existence in 1788 or 1789, there being twelve members in the class with Freeborn Garretson as presiding elder. The first house of worship, a stone structure, was built in 1791-92, two and a half miles west of Coeymans village, and is believed by many to have been the first Methodist church on the west side of the Hudson River. The congregation during many years included members from Bethlehem, Coeymans, New Baltimore, and adjoining towns. The first trustees were James Waldron, Lewis Civil, Wilhollamas Row, Jacob Spring- sted, Isaac C. Huyck, Ephraim Holbrook, Peter Hogan, Nathan Will- iams and James Selkirk. Levi Blaisdell was the first clerk and Lewis Civil the first sexton. Among the earliest members were Hugh Jolly, Samuel Jolly, John Ten Eyck and his wife, Levi Blaisdell and his wife, Hugh Crumb, James Selkirk, Dr. Clement, and Jacob Springsted. These were among the pioneers of Revolutionary times and the men and women who labored to lay the foundation of the community in morality and good citizenship. From this early church others branched off as more central situations were needed.

The Methodist Episcopal church at Coeymans Landing was founded by the same society that worshipped in the old stone church. The edifice in use at the present time was built in 1835-36, but has been improved since its erection. The property is valued at more than $15,000

The Methodist Episcopal church at Coeymans Hollow was founded as early as 1794, when Bishop Asbury preached in a barn and formed a society with John Blodgett and his wife, William Green and his wife, Elizabeth Wickham, Charlotte Garritt, and a Mr. Gedney as members.

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These devoted people met in dwellings or barns, and later in the school houses until 1832, when they erected the present church. The society has always been active and progressive.

A Methodist Episcopal church was early organized at Keefer's Cor- ners, an offshoot of the Manhattan Hook Society at Copeland Hill. James Laird and Ebenezer Osborn were early preachers on this circuit. A house of worship was erected which continued in use until 1845, when it was taken down and the material used in erecting the present edifice for which land was donated by Francis Osterhout.

The Reformed Protestant Dutch church of Coeymans was organized March 5, 1793, giving the believers in that faith in this town a religious home of their own. The first church was erected in 1797, about a mile west of Coeymans Landing proper, of which Rev. Jacob Sickles was the first pastor, serving from 1797 to 1801, when he was succeeded by Peter Overbagh. Other pastors have been Revs. Ralph Westervelt, Samuel Kissam, Staats Van Santvoord, Abram Fort, Thomas A. Amer- man, Thomas Edwards, James Murphy, James A. H. Cornell, Philip Peltz, William P. Davies, Hugh B. Gardiner, Isaac Collier, Louis H. Bahler, Elias Mead and others of recent years. The first church was demolished some twenty years ago and the present one erected on Church street in Coeymans village.

The First Baptist Church of Indian Fields was organized in 1872 with the following trustees: Marcus R. Griffin, Albert Powell, Joslin Nodine, Franklin Tompkins, Jared Griffin, Judson Lamoreaux, and Jas- per Witbeck, jr., who were prominent citizens of that vicinity. The church has languished in recent years and has had no regular pastor.

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic church is situated on Church street, Coeymans Landing, the congregation having been organized in 1852 by Francis Hurley. The church property consists of the substantial church, a parsonage, and cemetery of about five acres. The congrega- tion has been connected with the churches at Coxsackie and Athens.

The Christian church of Ravena was organized and held services for about a year previous to 1890-91, when they erected their present neat church edifice. The Methodist Episcopal church of Ravena was or- ganized in 1894, and erected its frame church building in the same year. The German Lutheran church of Ravena was organized in 1895

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and erected a house of worship at the same time. These three recently formed societies are actively engaged in good and effective work in this enterprising village.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

The reader has been made familiar with the history of the voyage of Henry Hudson up the river that forms the eastern boundary of Albany county in 1609. The history of this town begins with that event, for the English navigator halted on the bank of the river within the borders of the present Bethlehem. On an island off the bluffs of the stream now called Normanskill (by the IndiansTawasentha) some of Hudson's crew camped through a night, and were there visited by a number of the natives on the following morning, whose friendly demeanor both sur- prised and pleased the Europeans. After interchanging some articles of trade, and a little friendly intercourse, Hudson and his crew sailed away homeward. The account of the early operations of the United Netherlands Company, the building of Fort Nassau on Castle (now Van Rensselaer) island ir 1614, its partial destruction by high water and the erection of another on the mainland near the Normanskill, need not be repeated here. Nearly or quite all of the temporary settlements made by the Dutch traders prior to 1623, in which year Fort Orange was built on the site of Albany, were made on Bethlehem territory. Per- manent settlement began here in 1630, the year following the issue of the charter to the Patroon, Kilian Van Rensselaer, when Albert Andri- essen Bradt located at the mouth of Tawasentha. He was father of eight children. Soon after his arrival he leased the mill privileges on the Normanskill and built mills. His son, Albertsen, succeeded him in possession of this lease, for which he paid an equivalent of about $150 a year. Later, in 1673, he was succeeded as lessee of the farm which the father had occupied by his brother, Slingerlandt. To this family must be accorded the honor of being the first settlers west of Albany.

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Members of the family and their descendants soon penetrated the neigh- boring wilderness, took up and improved farms, built houses, and have ever since been well known among the residents of Albany county.

A few other permanent settlers located in what is now Bethlehem prior to 1700. Among them were the families of Garret and Jan Van Wie, William Van Allen, Adam Winne. the Ten Eycks, Slingerlands, Francis Winne, Philip Schuyler, the Vroomans, and Van Derzees. These and a few others settled along the Hudson River and the Normanskill.

On the map made for the Patroon appear the following names, most or all of whom probably became settlers between 1700 and 1750; Rensselaer Nicoll, Betty Van Ostrand, Janes Taylor, Gerret Van Der Berg, Cooper, William Van Bergen, Abram Slingerland, Philip Schuy- ler, Wouter Slingerland, Koenrad Louck, John Van Dusen, Adrian Bradt, Staats Seger, Jacob Louck, John Rosebooms, Gerret Van Allen, Hans Slingerland, Tunis Slingerland, Lawrence Wormer, Gerret Seger, jr., Jacob Coper, Jan, Storm, and David Bradt, Dirk Vanderwilliger, Konradt Koen, Isaac, Omie, and Christian La Grange, Tunis Hough- taling.1

From 1750 to 1800 conditions of trade, agriculture and social sur- roundings underwent great changes, gave a great impetus to settlement, and brought in a more mixed class of immigrants. The accession to power of the English, and later the tremendous changes wrought by the Revolution all tended to bring into Albany county people ofother and very different nationalities. The names of settlers alone are sufficient indication of this fact. Irish, Scotch and English elements became con- spicuous in the populating of the region. Thus during the period just mentioned came Hugh Waters, Archibald and William McCormick, Andrew Cunning, Nicholas See, Christian Bender, I. Bussing, Jacob Kimmey, Peter McHarg, John Soop, Patrick Callanan aud Solomon Luke, with the families named Patterson, Ramsay, Becker, Haswell, Babcock, Wiltsie, Mosher and Aarnout. It is possible a few of these settled outside of the present boundaries of this town, and in what is now New Scotland, but nearly all of them were resident in Bethlehem after the close of the Revolutionary war.

Meanwhile, on March 12, 1763, the town of Bethlehem was erected

' The spelling of these names is according to the map.

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from the original town of Watervliet, and included all of what is now New Scotland, and a part of Albany, the latter having been set off in 1870, leaving this town with an area of 31,583 acres. The surface of the town comprises a narrow flat along the Hudson River, backed in the main with steep bluffs rising from fifty to 150 feet, with here and there an elevation rising from 200 to 400 feet. The declivities are broken by deep and rugged channels, the most conspicuous of which is that of the Normanskill, along which in places the series of under- lying rocks are laid bare and nearly upright. In these rocks are seen the sandstones, limestones and graywackes that are familiar in that lo- cality. Back of the bluffs stretches a rolling upland, with sandy ridges and rounded knolls. Near the mouth of the Normanskill was the Indian burial place of Tawasentha. This curious natural mound is connected with the diluvial formation by a narrow rock or peninsula, and, accord- ing to excellent authority, was a spot sacred to sepulture from the earliest time, and gave the natives their name of the stream.

Other principal streams besides the Normanskill are Coeyman's creek, and the Vlamanskill, both of which have afforded considerable water power, which in early years was utilized for mills and a few other in- dustries.

The soil of Bethlehem is a sandy and clayey loam, mixed with gravel. Along the river lowlands and on the islands it is a rich alluvium. The mixed farming of earlier times has been superseded to a large extent in parts of the town by gardening to supply the wants of residents of the city. Fruit culture has also received attention, small fruits having been made quite profitable on account of the nearness to a good market. A large number of farmers have also become milk producers for the city market. A few have given particular attention to improvement of stock in recent years, some of whom have had fine herds. Erastus Corning was a large breeder of Hereford and Jersey cattle, in which he is succeeded by his son ; the late John S. Perry bred Guernseys; Abraham Fitch, C. C. La Grange, George H. Treadwell and others engaged successfully in this business.

Castle Island took its name from the fact that the stockade fort was built upon it in 1614, as a protection to the Dutch traders. The island was leased to Martin Gerritsen in 1668. In more recent years it was

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given the appropriate name of Van Rensselaer, and upon it were located the extensive plants of the Albany City Iron Works and the Jagger Iron Works, both of which are now idle. Other parts of the island have been cultivated in gardens.

Some of the roads that pass into or through the town of Bethlehem bear a close relation to the early history of the region surrounding Al- bany city. What has always been known as the Albany and Bethle- hem Turnpike Road, was incorporated April 9, 1804, under that title, with a capital of $34,800, which was a large sum for such an under- taking at that time. The road is a continuation of Pearl street, Albany, passes through Kenwood and across the Normanskill; thence south to just below the Abbey hotel, and by a fork to Bethlehem Center, a dis- tance in all of about five miles. It has one toll gate, and the modern road bed is of broken stone. It constitutes a pleasant and picturesque drive.

This old turnpike connects at Bethlehem Center with the South Beth- lehem Plank Road, which extends through Becker's Corners and thence southwest to South Bethlehem, six miles. The road was incorporated in July, 1851, with a capital of $12,000, with John B. Vanderzee, Barent S. Winne, Phillip Kimmey, James Schoonmaker, and John A. Sickles, directors : John Soop, secretary and treasurer. On February 28, 1881, the board of supervisors renewed the charter of the company for thirty years. The plank of which this road was constructed during the plank road era that prevailed throughout the State have been superseded by broken stone.

The Albany and Delaware Turnpike Company was chartered March 2, 1805, to construct a road from Albany to Otego, in Otsego county. The road crossed the town of Bethlehem, passing through the Upper Hollow, and thence to Adamsville (now Delmar), and on across the town of New Scotland, the southeast corner of Berne and the northwest corner of Westerlo. The first directors were Samuel Lansing, Abraham Hun, Isaac Needer, Hollis More, Asa Starkweather, Hugh Orr, and Stephen Judd. This road was extensively traveled many years, but was abandoned as a turnpike in 1863.

The Albany, Rensselaerville and Schoharie Plank Road Company was granted a charter March 25, 1859, with a capital of $100,000. The 62

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original directors were Franklin Frisbee, Lansing Pruyn, David II. Casey, Bradford R. Wood, Jacob Settle, John I. Slingerland, Joseph Hilton, Reuben Wyngar, Charles B. Gordon. The use of plank on a large part of this road was abandoned some years ago. The road passed from Albany northwest to Hurstville, thence southwest to Sling- erlands, and on across this town and New Scotland.

The Albany and Susquehanna railroad extends across the northern part of this town, commencing at the Kenwood bridge, with stations at Adams Station (now Delmar), and Slingerlands, and thence into the town of New Scotland. It was opened for travel in 1863. The West Shore railroad passes across the western part of Bethlehem by two tracks. The Athens and Saratoga road, which passed across the south- west corner and was opened in 1865, now constitutes in part the main line of the West shore road, a branch track of which extends from Coeymans Junction (Ravena) along the river to Albany.

The proximity of the territory of this town to Albany and its lack of water power, prevented the development of extensive manufacturing interests ; but a few industries of importance were established some years ago on Van Rensselaer Island. Of these the Corning Iron Com- pany was incorporated May 12, 1870, with the following officers: Ira Jagger, president; Albion Ransom, vice-president and treasurer ; Charles E. Sackett, superintendent ; Erastus Corning, jr., A. P. Palmer, Charles B. Lansing, Charles Van Benthuysen. A very extensive and costly plant was erected and the first iron produced in 1871. In July, 1873, the name of the organization was changed to the Jagger Iron Company. Ore was brought mostly from Essex and Oneida counties, and Connecticut, and about 40,000 tons were used annually.

Near the above described works and on the northern end of the island were established the works of the Albany City Iron Company, which was organized in 1878. Two blast furnaces were erected with a capacity of 30,000 tons of pig iron annually. This plant was operated only a few years.

Some minor manufactures have existed in the past at Kenwood, which are noticed further on.

At about the time of the closing of the late war, and on November 3, 1865. the Bethlehem Cemetery Association was organized with the

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following officers: John Van Allen. M. D., president; Jacob Hotaling, vice- president ; Rev. J. Lansing Pearse, secretary ; John H. Booth, treasurer ; George C Adams, superintendent ; Robert Frasier, A. Crocker, George M. Bender, John M. Hotaling, directors. The grounds of this cemetery comprise about thirty acres situated four miles west from Albany, and have been tastefully laid out and improved for its purpose.

Elmwood Cemetery is controlled by an association which was organ - ized in September, 1861 ; the grounds contain ten acres and are situat- ed on the Bethlehem plank road near the First Reformed church. Mount Pleasant Cemetery is situated at South Bethlehem, and was es- tablished in connection with the Methodist church in 1863. The land was a gift from John Callanan and comprises nine acres. The first offi- cers were Jehoichim Spaun, president ; L. C. Tuttle, treasurer ; Fred- erick Schaupp, secretary. Besides these cemeteries, the cemetery of the congregation Bethel is situated a mile south of the city on the river and has been in existence since 1838 ; Calvary Cemetery of St. John's Catholic church of Albany is situated at Bethlehem Center, containing seventeen acres ; the German Catholic Cemetery of the Church of the Holy Cross of Albany is near Bethlehem Center, and the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery of the church of that name at Albany, is at Hurstville, and was incorporated in 1853.

There are no large villages in this town, although there are ten post- offices, as follows : Bethlehem Center, South Bethlehem, Slingerland's, Selkirk, Cedar Hill, Decker's Corners, Delmar (formerly Adam's Sta- tion). Normansville, Glenmont, and Hurstville. Most of these are mere hamlets which have gathered about the post-office, or an early mill, or a store and a few shops. Besides these post-offices there is a small village of Kenwood (formerly known as Lower Hollow), which is practically a suburb of Albany and is connected with it by trolley cars. So thickly placed throughout the town are these numerous hamlets that their description substantially constitutes the modern history of the locality.

Bethlehem Center is situated four miles south of Albany on the old Albany and Bethlehem Turnpike. Some of the first settlers here were Joshua Babcock, from whom the locality was early known as Babcock's

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Corners, James Gibbons, Job Gardner, and the Davis family. Minor business interests and institutions have existed here many years and at the present time consist of a hotel kept by Charles Seeley ; the post- office, school house, blacksmith shop, and a Bellingerite church now seldom used.

South Bethlehem (formerly Janes's Corners) is ten miles from Albany on the Bethlehem turnpike before mentioned, and now a station on the West Shore Railroad. Early settlers here were William Janes, John and Henry Callanan, Ambrose Wiltsie, and the Kimmey, Mosher and Coffin families. A tavern was opened here in early years by Elishama Janes. The well known Callanan, saw, grist and cider mills were sit- uated here, but just over the town line in Coeymans; they originally belonged to Philip Kimmey and were an important industry, but are no longer operated. In early times a tannery was in operation here which was built about 1825 on the farm of John and Isaac Coffin ; it was operated many years by Robert Carhart, afterwards by Cornelius Waggoner, and still later by Frederick Schaupp; it was burned in 1883. The post-office was opened in 1874, and William McGee is the present postmaster. The late Henry and Peter Callanan owned here, just over the Coeymans line, a large quarry and stone-crushing plant, from which a large product is now taken out by the Callanan Road Im- provement Company. Two stores here are kept by E. C. Palmer and Peter Ginder respectively. A few shops complete the industries of the place. The old Methodist church, one of the oldest in the county, was recently remodeled into a more modern structure.

Slingerlands is a pretty village, which in recent years has been chosen as a place of residence in the summer seasons by a considerable num- ber of families from the city, from which it is distant seven miles on the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad. The Albany and New Scotland road passes through the village. The name of the post-office here was formerly Normanskill, was established in 1852 by W. H. Slingerland, who was postmaster many years, and the name changed in 1870 in honor of the Slingerland family, which was the most prominent in this section of the town. John I. Slingerland was long a leading citizen ; he was actively engaged in business and held several local offices. He had a son John, who was also prominently identified with the interests

JOHN I. SLINGERLAND.

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of this section, and was father of C. H. Slingerland, who now carries on a large printing business in the place. W. II. Slingerland, ex-mem- ber of assembly and a prominent civil engineer, is also a resident. The name applied to the railroad station was in recognition of his valuable services for the company. Albert I. Slingerland, another member of the family, who died in the summer of 1896, owned a large amount of real estate, built the Methodist church and a large part of the dwellings in the village. There is a pleasant hotel in the village, with the name Home Lawn Hotel, which was formerly the resi- dence of J. W. Mattice ; it is now kept by Rufus Zeeley A store is kept by S. Dickson, who began business here in 1885. B. F. Allen & Co. were merchants and succeeded in 1895 by Archer La Grange, who has been postmaster twelve years. Jacob Brate formerly kept a store in the village. Charles F. Dietz operates a saw mill and cider mill three-fourths of a mile from the village, towards Delmar. There are the usual small shops here, and a Methodist church.

Four miles from Albany, on the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, is Delmar, formerly Adamsville, or Adams Station. The nucleus of the village was a large hotel built in 1836 by Nathaniel Adams, from whom the place received its early name. He also made other perma- nent improvements. The Flagler, Waters, Erwin and Bussing families were early settlers here. A post-office was opened in 1840, and Mr. Adams was appointed the first postmaster. A small mercantile inter- est has existed since that time and is now represented by two stores, one kept by M. J. Blanchard, and the other by Paddock & Patterson. There are two churches in the place. Within a few recent years this pretty suburban village has become the place of residence of numerous families from Albany and elsewhere. This feature of its growth prom- ises further advancement. Through the influence of these new- comers the name of the place was changed a few years ago to Delmar.

Normansville is a hamlet where a post-office of that name has been established in recent years, which was formerly called Upper Hollow, in distinction from Lower Hollow, or Kenwood. The hamlet is situ- ated on both sides of the Normanskill, and through the water power supplied by that stream considerable manufacturing came into existence here in early years, some of which survived to later times. The Nor-

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manskill at this point has cut a deep ravine through the soil and down to the rock, over which it flows with a gradual descent. At the time of the construction of the Albany and Delaware turnpike it passed across this ravine on a wooden bridge; this was carried away by a freshet in 1868, and the town erected an iron one in the next year, the turnpike company having given up the toll road. The construction of that road and the opening of a toll house at the west end of the bridge led Isaac Stiles to open a tavern for the accommodation of travelers on the turnpike. Soon afterward and about 1820 he erected a saw mill, into a portion of which was placed machinery for carding wool and dressing cloth, and for cutting dye-woods. S. Congdon and A. B. Sweet were later owners of these mills, which were nearly destroyed by a freshet while in possession of the latter. He rebuilt and engaged in manufacturing straw paper. At a later date the property passed to F. Hinckle, who began manufacturing potato starch. This business was finally abandoned.

On the west side of the creek, below the bridge, James McCormick built a grist mill about 1820. Nathaniel Sawyer was a later owner, and put in carding and dye-wood machinery. The property subse- quently passed to Henry Arnold, and was ultimately burned. Mr. Arnold rebuilt and sold to other persons, the mill finally becoming the property of Heman Hardy, who put in wrapping paper machinery and has since carried on that business, excepting at intervals. A hotel is conducted at Normansville by Charles Smith.

Kenwood, or Lower Hollow, is a suburban village built up below the falls of the Normanskill and near where it enters the Hudson. Settle- ment at this point was coincident with that of Albany, beginning with that of Andriesen Bradt, who built a mill here in 1630 which remained in possession of members of the family until 1678. After the close of the Revolution the Van Rensselaers built mills here for grinding, saw- ing lumber, wool carding, cloth dressing, etc. These mills passed under ownership of many persons and eventually were abandoned or burned. A large knitting mill was operated for a time in more recent years, which was burned and a factory for the manufacture of felt cloth and blankets established, which was also destroyed by fire a few years ago. The fac- tory has not been rebuilt. A large flouring mill was erected about 1884

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 50

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