Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1, Part 40

Author: Anderson, George Baker
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1324


USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 40


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


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" Did not commence to discharge the duties of office until December 5, 1885, up to which time Mr. Hall acted as chamberlain. In the suit of the people ex rel. Bridgeman vs. Hall, the court de- cided that Bridgeman was de jure chamberlain from June 1, 185


372


LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.


Date of Appointmhnt


Date of Appointment


Samuel Stover. March 13, 1855


A. A. Lee March 14, 1865


George T. Blair March 9, 1858


Harvey S. Flagg March 8, 1859


George Day March 13, 1860


Roswell A. Parmenter March 22, 1871


Giles B. Kellogg March 12, 1861


Richard C. Jennyss March 10, 1863


John M. Landon


March 10, 1864


CORPORATION COUNSEL. 1


Roswell A, Parmenter May 19, 1887 William J. Roche October, 1890


CITY SURVEYORS AND ENGINEERS.


Date of Appointment.


Date of Appointment.


William McManus May 21, 1816


Charles L. Fuller March 8, 1859


Jolın Klein May 25, 1819


Luther D. Eddy March 8, 1870


William Roberts, jr. May 3, 1821


Charles L. Fuller May 24. 1870


Sidney A. Beers April 3, 1834


Robert M. Hasbrouck March 9, 1875


William A. Barton March 12, 1839


Charles L. Fuller November 13, 1883


William Roberts, jr March 18, 18:19


Palmer H. Baermann June, 1892


Benjamin Turner March 8, 1853


Morris R. Sherrerd May, 1893


Luther D. Eddy August 18, 1853


Martin Schenck .. May, 1595


William Barton March 11, 1856


CITY CLERKS OF TROY.


Appointed.


Appointed.


William M. Bliss 1816


John HI. Neary 1860


Ebenezer Wilson, jr.


1825


George W. Demers 1861


George 'T. Blair


1815


Franklin B. Hubbell 1863


John T. Lamport


1847


James S. Thorn 1865


William Hagan


18.19


Franklin B. Hubbell 1866


John M. Francis


1851


Richard V. O'Brien 1850


Charles D. Brigham 1851


Lewis E. Griffith 1871


John M. Francis 1855


Henry McMillen 1877


Franklin D. Hlubbell


1856


Charles R. DeFreest 1875


Benjamin Il. Ilall


1858


Edwin A. King 1882


Abraham Fonda


1859


John J. McCormick


1886


Francis L. Hagadorn 1860


CITY SUPERINTENDENTS,


Michael Cavanaugh, from 1861 to March, Lawrence Sheary, March, 1875, to March, 1883.


1875.


1 The office of city attorney was abolished and that of corporation counsel created by Chapter 336 of the laws of isst.


: -


William A. Beach 1866


John H1. Colby May 24, 1870


William J. Roche October 10, 1883


Roswell A. Parmenter Feb. 4, 1886


CIVIL LIST OF TROY. 373


James Hanley, March, 1883, to October, 1886.


Johu Quigley, October, 1886, to Decem- ber, 1890.


Cornelius Toomey. December, 1890, to April, 1896.


Jeremiah Mahoney, April, 1896, to --.


JUSTICES OF THE JUSTICES' COURT.


David Gleason 1831-1839


John L. Flagy 1862-1865


Henry V. W. Masten 1834-1848


Thomas J. Cornelius 1868-1866


Cyrus D. Sheldon 1831-1813


Thomas Neary


1865-1871


Job S. Olin


1810-1844


Richard C. Jennyss 1866-1875


Hiram Taylor


1813 - 1846


William Donohue 1867-1896


Abraham Van Tuyl


184-1-1848


John Conway, jr. 1871-1877


Moses Warren


1816-1860


Thomas J. Guy, 2d


1875-1886


Gilbert Robertson, jr. 1848-1858


Edmund L. Cole 1877-1880


Seth I. Terry. 1818-1850


John P. Curley 1880-1889


J. Fairchild Wells


1818 -1853


Thomas S. Fagan


1886-1889


Charles E. Brintnall


1850 1857


William J. Ludden


1889-1895


George R. Davis, jr.


1853-1857


John J. Kennedy


1889-1895


Uriel Dexter


1859 - 1867


James T. Murray


1895-


John M. Landon


1857-1862


Warren MeConihe


1895-


Franklin J. Parmenter


1860-1861


POLICE MAGISTRATES.


William Donohue


1876-1881


William Donohue


1887-


Richard C. Jennyss


1881-1887


ASSISTANT POLICE MAGISTRATES.


Lewis E. Griffith


1876-1882


James W. Coffey


1889-1890


John j. Hassett ..


1882-1883


Cornelius Hannan 1890-


Michael II. Myers.


1883-1889


The following statistical table, taken from the census of 1890, shows the population by ses, general nativity and color, in the city of Troy :


Male.


Female.


Nalive.


Foreign. 17 265


60,441


518


2


Ward


1,626


2,067


2,611


1,082


3,560


13:


Ward


. 2,186


2,558


3,598


1,171


1,590


15.1


Ward 3 ._ 1,206


1,458


1,976


688


2,613


51


. -


Ward 1 .. 1,815


2.659


3,696


808


4,453


51


. -


Ward 5 .. 2,591


3,232


4,662


1,361


6,013


10


.-


Ward


6 .. 2,639


2,186


2,781


2,044


4,823


- -


Ward 7- 2,515


3,270


.1,17-1


1,611


5,705


80


Ward 8 .. 1,774


2,091


2,578


1,287


3,8-15


20


Ward 9 .. 2,232


2,143


2,999


1,376


1,373


--


Ward 10 .. 2,886


3,290


4,603


1,573


6,166


10


Ward 11 .. 1,922


2.131


2,769


1,29-1


1,056


Ward 12 . 2 548


2,176


3,100


1,92-1


5,021


Ward 13 . 2.421


2,801


-1,176


1,016


5,220


Troy


28,591


32,365


43,691


White.


Civilized Negro. Indians.


-


-


: :


374


LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.


The foreign born population of Troy, distributed according to coun- try of birth, was as follows:


Total foreign born, 17,265; Canada and Newfoundland, 1,471; Mexico, 2; Central America, 2; South America, 15; Cuba and West Indies, 12; England, 2,128; Scot- land, 516; Wales, 96; Ireland, 9,412; Great Britain (not specified), 1; Germany, 2,107; Austria, 112; Holland, 21; Belgium, 29; Switzerland, 63; Norway, 134; Sweden, 199; Denmark, 37.


In 1890 there were in the city of Troy, 19,065 persons of school age, five to twenty years, including 9, 117 males and 9,918 females. Of these 8,319 males and 8, 953 females were native born ; 668 males and 995 females were foreign born. The males of militia age in the city numbered 13,046, of which 8, 871 were native born and 1,175 were foreign born. The total number of males of voting age was 16,781, of which 9,596 were native born and 7, 188 were foreign born.


The total number of dwellings in Troy in 1890 was 2, 805; the total number of families 12,895, the persons to a dwelling 7.81, and the per- sons to a family 4.23.


CHAPTER XVIII.


TOWN OF LANSINGBURGH.


The town of Lansingburgh was originally intended as the site for the principal city north of Albany on the east bank of the Hudson river; but the inhabitants of the settlement a mile of two south of New City, as the village of Lansingburgh was first known, took advantage of the opportunities which presented themselves in rapid succession, and the prestige which in the natural order of things should have gone to Lansingburgh went to Troy, which rapidly outran its rival in the race for commercial supremacy in Rensselaer county,


The town of Lansingburgh is located on the western border of the county, north of the city of Troy and south of the town of Schaghti- coke. On the east lie the towns of Pittstown and Brunswick and on the west the Hudson river, separating Lansingburgh from the northern part of Albany county and the southern part of Saratoga county. The site of the county was originally included in parts of two separate pat- ents. The northern part of the town as at present constituted was set


Geo Michels


375


TOWN OF LANSINGBURGII.


off from Schaghticoke in 1819 and forms a part of the Schaghticoke tract, occupied by the Schaghticoke Indians and set off to them in 1670. This territory afterward became the property of the city of Albany and was sold in 1707 to the Knickerbocker colony. The southern part of the town formed a part of the Stone Arabia patent.


Soon after the Dutch began to make settlements in the vicinity of what is now Troy, Robert Saunders, a resident of Albany, was attracted to the level and fertile tract now in the town of Lansingburgh, and called by the Indians Tascamcatick, and the woodland to the south called Passquassick. September 1, 1670, Francis Lovelace, governor of the province of New York, granted the former tract to Saunders. March 22, 1679, Sir Edmund Andros, another governor, granted to Saunders the woodland, together with the small island in the Hudson called Whale isl- and, since submerged by the construction of the State dam south of it. September 19, 1681, Saunders sold part of the woodland south of Piscawen kill to Peter Van Woggelum. May 26, 1683, Saunders sold the remaining portion of his patent, Tascamcatick, to Joannes Wendeil, and the latter afterward purchased another piece of woodland which extended north- ward along the river to a creek called by the Indians Paensick kill. Wendell's land was confirmed to him July 22, 1686, by a patent granted by Governor Thomas Dongan and called Steene (Stony) Arabia patent, and for over a century the territory was known as Stone Arabia. June 21, 1763, Robert Wendell, a descendant and heir of Joannes Wendell, sold to Abraham Jacob Lansingh, for 300 pounds, that portion of his prop- erty beginning opposite the middle branch of the Mohawk river and running thence eastward as far as the limits of the Stone Arabia pat- ent, excepting that portion which had been sold to Simon Van Antwerpe but then owned by William Rogers. A deed given by Stephen Van Rensselaer (one of the patroons) to Abraham Jacob Lansingh, dated July 13, 1269, deseribed the north bounds of the manor of Rensselaer- wyck and the south bounds of the Stone Arabia patent as follows:


Beginning on the east bank of Hudson river, by a stump about east from the south end of Whale-fishing island, and over against the second spruyt, and runs from the said stump south sixty-nine degrees east along a line of marked trees one hundred and seventy eight chains to a white oak tree on the land of Adam Shufellt, where there is a small heap of stones laid together; the said tree is marked on the west and north sides with the letters A. J. L. 1769, and on the south and east sides S. V. R. 1169, and then north nineteen degrees and forty-five minutes east, one hun- dred and twenty-eight chains and seventy-five links to a marked black oak tree, standing one hundred and seventy-eight chains distant from-the east bank of the


376


LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.


Hudson river, opposite to the third spruyt, -on a course south sixty-nine degrees east, where a black oak tree is marked on the east side thereof with the letters S. V. R. 1769, and on the west side with the letters A. J. L. 1769, and then from the last mentioned black oak, the said course of north nineteen degrees, forty-five min- utes east, one hundred and five chains and sixty links to a marked chestnut tree standing on a line of old marked trees running from the Cohoes or Great Fall of Waters, north eighty-eight degrees for the north bounds of the manor of Rens- selaerwyck, and thence from the said chestnut tree south eighty-eight degrees west, along the said old marked trees to Hudson river, and thence southerly along said river to place of beginning.


The number of settlers increased rapidly and Lansingh, believing that his property would soon form the site of a thriving village, in 1771 had a portion of it surveyed and laid out into lots, with streets and alleys, by Joseph Blanchard, which he called Lansinghburgh. The map, now on file in the Albany county clerk's office, bears the follow- ing description :


This map deseribeth a tract of land lying on the east side of Hudson's river, about eight miles above the City of Albany, and is layed out in a regular square for the erecting a eity by the name of Lansingburgh; the lots are one hundred and twenty feet long and fifty wide. The streets are seventy feet wide, and the alleys are twenty feet wide; the oblong square (the Green or Park) in the centre is reserved for publick uses. Laid down by a scale of ninety feet to an inch. June 7, 1771, Joseph Blanchard, Surveyor. May 11, 1771, A. Jacob Lansingh.


The map showed 288 lots, and the ground it covered included that bounded by North, East and South streets and the Hudson river.1


January 1, 1771, the inhabitants of the settlement agreed upon a com-


I Among those who purchased lots in 170 and Ifrt, who already owned property there, were the following: William Adams, Evert Bucker, Flores Banker, Jutt Barber, Abram Blan, Wal- den Ham, Jonathan Brewer, Abratu Brinkerhoff, Peter Untimas, John Dunbar, Benjamin French, Aldade Funda, John D. Fonda, Samuel Halstead, Anne Hamersles, Moses Holt, Isaac Lansingh, Isaac H. Hansingh, Jacob .V. Lansing, Mevander Mclean, Mayckie McCoy, Charles Meal, Anthony Rutgers, Eleanor Taylor, Jonathan Wiekwire and Robert Vares. Other purchasers from that time up to 1290 were: James Abeel, James Boggs, jr., Joshua Burnham, James Caldwell, Caleb Carr, Joy Chantbers, Jeremiah Comstock, William Conklin, Ebenezer Cooley, Cornelius Cooper, Volkert Dawson, Barnet De Clyn, Peter Goewey, Antos Graves, Thomas Hiall, Ezta Hitchcock, Lyman Hitchcock, Peter Hogel, Jeremiah Hoogland, Horace Seymour, Nathaniel Jacobs, Ignis Kipp, Thomas Knight, Francis Lansingh, Francisens Lansingh, Hendrick Lansingh, Levinus Lansingh, Ungh MeCarty, William MeGill, Patrick MeNin, James MeMurray, James Moran, Agnes Murray, William Nichols, Abram Nelson, Aaron. Noble, Joseph Norris, Abran J. Ouderkirk, Platt & Will- iams, Charles Reed, Maria Rosa, William Scott, Cornelius S. Sebring, Jonathan Sewers, John Skiffington, Patrick Smith, Smith & Whitney, Benjamin Snyder, Barent Ten Eyek, John Tibbi, John Tillnian, Margaret Tillman, James Thomson, Robert Thompson, Henry Van Arnum, John Van Cortland, Cornelins Vandenburgh, John Van Rensselaer, James Van Varick, Abram K. Van Vleck, Gerrit Van Wie, Catharine Van Wie, Aaron Ward, Ralph Watson, Frederick Weaver, Peter Weaver, John De Witt, Jonathan Wood, Wynkoop & Ten Eyck, Peter W. Yates, and Joseph Young.


377


TOWN OF LANSINGBURGH.


pact ealled the "Proposals," for the government of the community, and chose civil officers. It was provided that there be annually elected a committee of five persons, a "town clerk, a path-master, and three fence-viewers," and that Abraham Jacob Lansingh, or his heirs forever, should be one of the committee. At the first town meeting Ebenezer Marvin was elected moderator and Thomas S. Diamond clerk. The first committee comprised Abraham Jacob Lansingh, Isaac Bogart, John Barber, Ebenezer Marvin and Benjamin French. Abraham Wendell was chosen pathmaster, and Robert Wendell, Levinus Lans- ingh and Isaac Van Arnum fenceviewers.


The advantageous location of the new "City of Lansinghburgh" attracted many persons from other localities, particularly from New England, and the embryo village grew rapidly. Small manufacturing establishments were started and mercantile and commercial houses were founded at a rate that gave great promise. In 1764 a school was founded by Maus R. Van Vranka, who also agreed to read one English and one Dutch sermon on every Sunday in the year, excepting four Sundays reserved for himself.


When the inhabitants of Lansinghburgh became aware of the fact that the relations between the American colonists and Great Britain had become strained almost to the point of rupture, they showed their patriotism by subscribing to a paper which read as follows, dated June 15, 1775:


A General Association agreed to and subscribed by the Freemen Frecholders and Inhabitants of Lansingburgh and Patent of Stone Arabia:


Persuaded that the salvation of the rights and liberties of America depends, under God, on the firm union of its mhabitants in a vigorous prosecution of the measures necessary for its safety, -- convinced of the necessity of preventing the an- archy and confusion which attend a dissolution of the power of government, We, the Freemen, Freeholders and Inhabitants of the town of Lansingburgh and Patent of Stone Arabia, being greatly alarmed at the avowed design of the British ministry to raise a revenue in America, and shocked by the bloody scenes now acting in Massachusetts Bay Government, in a most solemn manner,


Resolved, never to become slaves, and do associate ourselves under all the ties of religion, honor and love to our country, to adopt and endeavor to carry into execu- tion whatever measures may be recommended by the Continental Congress, or re- solved by our Provincial Convention, for the purpose of preserving our Constitu- tion, and opposing the execution of the several arbitrary and oppressive acts of the British Parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Britain and America, on Constitutional principles can be obtained, than which we wish for nothing more ardently, and we do hereby coven ant, promise and agree that we will in all things


48


378


LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.


follow the advice of our General Committee respecting the purpose aforesaid, the preservation of peace, good order and safety of the individuals aud private property.


The paper bore the signatures of Abraham Jacob Lansingh, Christo pher Tillman, John D. Wynkoop, Abraham Ten Eyck, Benjamin French, John Barber, James Selkirk, Daniel Toneray, Jonathan Severs, Henry Pollock, Michael Houseworth, John Fine, Stephen Marvin, James Boggs, Abraham Ouderkirk, Ephraim Griswold, Samuel Hig- gins, James Willson, Justus Brown, John Clark, David Layten, Francis Hogle, John Sloan, Gerry Lane, Samuel Burns, Isaac Van Arnum, Robert Wendell, Pennell Brown, Frederic Weaver, Levinus Lansingh, William Thomkins, Joseph Bacon, John Dunbar, Peletiah Winchell, John Young, Levinus Leverse, Gershom French, Joseph Jones, John Sniffington, Thomas Cook, William Nichols, Alexander Boyd, John Winn, Josiah Rose, Daniel Shaw, Aaron Ward, William Conklin, Ed- ward Bruster, Samuel Bruster and Jacob A. Lansingh.


That these men meant all that they said and promised is evidenced in the fact that, with very few exceptions, their names are found en- rolled upon the following lists of militia maintained during the War of the Revolution. Some of the names are those of persons then residing outside the bounds of the town, but there is no record distinguishing them from residents of Lansingburgh :


The Lansingburgh company of Colonel Stephen J. Schuyler's militia, February 17, 1977;


Captain, Christopher Tillman; lieutenants, Abraham Ten Eyck, Jonathan Sever; ensign, John Clarke; sergeants, Daniel Toneray, Aaron Ward, Wilham Conklin, Jonathan Douglass; corporals, William Willoughby, James Barber, James Sloan, Stephen Marvin, jr. Privates, George Lane, Abraham J. Ouderkirk, Henry Van Arnum, Robert Thompson, Samuel Burns, Levinus Lansingh, William Tompkins, Sammuel Beutet, Michael Houswirt, Comfort Shaw, George Masten, Robert Armstrong, Conrad Hentlebecker, John Dunbar, Robert Dunbar, John Hogg, Peletiah Winchell, Henry Campbell, Benjamin Bruster, Samuel Bruster, John Young, Levins Leverse, Solomon Goewey, Francis Hogel, Isaac Van Arnum, Thomas Martin, Ephraim Griswold, Jabez Griswold, William Carr, John Wood, Christopher Pamser, John Barber, Job Paddock, William Spotten, Nicholas Fisher, Justus Brown, James Perkins, john Walker, George Van Vleck, George Boyd, Leonard Miller, William Boyd, John Follet, Phineas Bacon, William Douglass.


Payroll of Captain Cornelius Noble's company in Colonel Stephen J. Schuyler's regiment of Albany militia to August 11, 1777:


Captain, Cornelius Noble; lieutenants, Samuel Shaw, John Clarke; ensign, John Byly ; sergeants, Hugh MeManus, William Greenfield, Samuel Lope, Hezekiah Hull, William Norton; corporals, James Barber, Stephen Marvin, Samuel Frazer, John S. Fine; drammer, Emanuel Hennicke; privates, Hercules Kronekhite, Abraham


1


--


T 1


-


HERBERT E. DE FREEST, M. D.


379


TOWN OF LANSINGBURGH.


Kronckhite, William Crannell, Hendrick Strunck, Jacob Fellow, William Cooper, John Van Ostrander, Hendrick Ploss, jr., Jacob Smith, William Morris, John Han- nah, Isaac Cranmell, Samuel Evans, Job Paddock, William Willoughby, John Paget, Matthew Marvin, Andrew Colehammer, Daniel Grawbocker, John Vanderwerken, Ephraim Griswold, David Randall, Joseph Doty, Bethuel Greenfield, Solomon Grif- fiths, Stephen Millard, Joshua Randall, Stephen Randall, Reuben Bompis, Ephraim Jackson, Israel Brooks, Jacob Van Every, Philip Haner, Joseph Benson, Eleazer Ilill, Andreas Barott, Ebenezer Baker, Francis Hogel, John Frazer, John Carner, Volkert Miller, Peter Minigh, Andries Parker, Casparis Valentine, Jost Harwick, John Walter, Frederick Conrad, John Craver, Gerrit Peck, Renlf Ostrom, John Lansingh, Thomas Martin, John Kelly, Solomon Battler, Hendrick Ploss, Peter Coons, Isaiah Durham.


The first Masonie lodge in Lansingburgh was Hiram lodge No. 35, F. & A. M., which was instituted upon a warrant granted August 16, 1787.


The growth of New City, as Lansingburgh was commonly called in contradistinction to the Old City (Albany), and the development of its varions industries were so great that May 21, 1787, " Claxton & Bab- cock in King street between Hoosick and South Streets," in answer to what they believed to be a demand for a local newspaper, brought out the first issue of the first newspaper published in Lansingburgh-the Northern Centinel and Lansingborough Advertiser. It was a weekly publication and the first newspaper printed within the limits of the terri- tory now known as Rensselaer county. Strange as may seem, it did not contain a line of local news except the publishers' announcement to the publie. Its contents consisted of several columns of European "news " three months old, a few brief items regarding events which had occurred nearly a month before in New York, Boston and Phila- delphia, some miscellany and five advertisements. The publication at once became popular and cirenlated through a large territory north and east of Lansing burgh. The name " Lansingborough," which ap- peared in the caption of the paper, was an error of the printers, but was not changed to Lansingburgh for several months.


At the time of the establishment of the Centinel every inhabitant of Lansingburgh expected that the village was destined to become a large and prosperous city. New buildings were erected on all sides and the demand for residences and stores could not be supplied at times. Not infrequently persons who came here to locate were compelled to go elsewhere temporarily. The transportation business between this and other points had grown to large proportions, and sailing craft of all descriptions came up to the southern part of the village, where they


380


LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.


deposited their burdens and departed with new cargoes. An idea of the business transacted may be gleaned from the following list of mer- chants and others doing business in Lansingburgh between 1787 and 1789:1


1787: Merchants -- Aaron and Derick Lane, Ezra Hickok, Janes & Dole, Platt & Williams, Nathaniel Jacobs, jr., Thomas Bassel, William Bell & Co., William Chaise, Cogswell & Selden, Selden & Jones, Iloog- land & Seymour, John Van Rensselaer, James Hickok, James Magee & Co., Flores Bancker, W. & S. Brayton, George Tibbits, William Davis, Robert White & Co., William Spotten, Stephen & Shuball Gor- ham. William Willis, gunsmith and brass founder; John Stillwell, hotel keeper; Matthew Lyne, land office; Samuel Jones, joiner and tool maker; Smith & Whitney, Yates & Rockwell, watchmakers; Caleb Smith, Enos Westover, coopers; Gideon Hinman, druggist. 1788: Merchants -- Of the firm of Ephraim Morgan & Co., Ephraim Morgan, Jonas Morgan and John Bordman; Samuel Chace, John Tibbits, God- dard Spencer, John T. Arden, Joshua Burnham, Collins & Sherlock, Caleb and T. Street. Annanias Platt, proprietor of the Bull's Head Tavern; Thomas Dilks, boots and shoes; Aaron Noble, hatter; William Guest, leather; Stephen Jackson, manufacturer of cut nails; William Carter, land office. 1789: Merchants -- George & Benjamin Tibbits, Christopher Tillman, Nathaniel Williams, Benjamin Winthrop, Red- field & Bradley, Jonathan Burr, John Harback; William Disturnell, clock and watchmaker; Andrew Glass, furniture.


The expectations of the founder of Lansingburgh were more than met in its rapid development. In 1790, so mimerous had become the population and so varied the business interests of the community, that it was deemed advisable to establish a more substantial form of gov- ernment than the " Proposals" first agreed to. Consequently, April 5, 1790, the State Legislature passed the following act, the first charter of the village of Lansingburgh :


An act to appoint trustees to take and hold certain lands therein mentioned, and for other purposes.


Passed the 5th of April, 1790.


Whereas in that part of the town of Rensselaerwyck in the county of Albany here- in after described, a considerable number of houses are already erected, and occu- pied by merchants mechanies and others to the advancement of commerce and manufactures in this State; and in order to enable them to regulate their internal


1 History of Lansingburgh, by A J. Weise, IST.


381


TOWN OF LANSINGBURGH.


police, and to secure the benefits of certain commonable lands lying within the same, have prayed that they might be enabled to appoint trustees. Therefore


Be it enacted . That John Van Rensselaer Christopher Tillman, Elijah Janes Aaron Ward, Stephen Goreham, Ezra Hickock and Levinus Lansing shall be and they are hereby declared to be, the first trustees for the freeholders and inhab- itants of that part of the town of Rensselaerwyek, commonly called Lansingburgh, and shall continue to be trustees until the third Tuesday in May next, and that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said freeholders and inhabitants, qualified by law to vote at town meetings, to assemble on the third Tuesday of May next, and annually on the third Tuesday of May in every year thereafter, at such place and at such time of the day, as the trustees for the time being, or the major part of them, shall by public advertisement appoint, and under the direction of the said trustees, or such of them as shall be present, who are hereby made inspectors of such election, then and there by a majority of voices, to eleet seven discreet inhabitants, being freeholders, to be trustees as aforesaid, who shall continue in office until the third Tuesday in the month of May in the next ensuing year




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