USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 49
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Chosen at the annual town meetings: 1830, Levi Nelson ; 1831, Alexander Bryan ; 1832, Iliram Slocum; 1833, John D. Brown; 1834, Benjamin Perry; 1835, Levi Nel- son ; 1836, William Van Veghten; 1837, John D. Brown; 1838, Benjamin Perry; 1839, Cyrus A. Lockwood; 1840, William Van Veghten; 1841, Henry N. Wales; 1842, Henry N. Miller; 1813, Hawley Ransom, Daniel F. Wetsell, Osborn Evans, 184-1, Ilerman Knickerbocker; 18-15, Henry W. Miller; 1846, Daniel F. Wetsell; 1847, Charles Joy Wilbur; 1848, John Bancker, Henry Burch; 18-19, Ephraim Congdon ; 1850, Matthew Webster; 1851, Charles J. Wilbur; 1852, Samuel Herrick ; 1853, Channey B. Slocum; 1854, George Baucus; 1855, Charles J. Wilbur; 1856, Elihu Butts; 1857, Thomas Esmond; 1858, Ephraim Congdon; 1859, Chauney B. Slocum; 1860, Elihu Butts; 1861, Charles J. Miller; 1862, John Bancker, Daniel II. Viall ; 1863, Chauney B. Slocum; 1864, David Myers; 1865, Alphonzo Merrill; 1866, Elilm Butts; 1867, Samuel Harwood; 1868, Sylvester Veits; 1869, Channey B. Slocum; 1870, J. S. Welling; 1871, D. F. Groesbeck; 1872, Samuel Harwood, Alphonzo Mer- rill; 1873, Charles A. Pickett; 1874, John R. Hinds, same for vacancy; 1875, Darius Gifford, Elihu Butts; 1876, E. F. Frost; 1877, Elihu Butts; 1878, James Evans; 1879, William V. V. Reynolds; 1881, J. P. Leavens; 1882, William V Reynolds; 1883, John Kenyon; 1884, Elihu Butts; 1885, S. S. Congdon; 1886, E. Burlingame; 1887, Wilham H. Hawkins; 1958, James Evans; 1889, N. M. Hayner; 1890, Frederick Wiley; 1891, John Kenyon; 1892, W. V. V. Reynolds; 1893, E. Burlingame; 1891, -; 1895, Chauncey Kinney ; 1896, Franklin Harwood.
PRESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE OF SCHAGHTICOKE.
1867-1869, Oliver A. Arnold; 1870-1873, Charles A. Pickett; 1874-1875, James Nutt; 1876-1877, Michael McGrath; 1878, John Downs; 1879, Sidney S. Congdon ; 1880, Elihu Butts; 1881-1883, A. Sipperly ; 1884-1885, Frederick Wiley ; 1886, Frank E. Phillips; 1887, J. Bryan Baueus; 1888-1889, James Beecroft; 1890, John W. Rieh- ards; 1891-1892, George F. Allen; 1893, John W. Richards; 1894, W. E. Wiley; 1895, Thomas L. Doremus; 1896, Dr. D. H. Tarbell.
CLERKS OF THE VILLAGE OF SCHAGHTICOKE.
1867-1870, Alphonzo Merrill; 1871, Charles H. Harrison; 1872-1882, R. J. Horn-
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brook; 1883-1885, E. Burlingame; 1886, A. H. Doty; 1887-1889, E. Burlingame; 1890, A. H. Doty; 1891-1892, E. Burlingame; 1893, C. H. Button ; 1894- -- , Fred- erick M. Askins,
TREASURERS OF THE VILLAGE OF SCHAGHTICOKE.
1867-1870, Julius E. Butts; 1871-1872, Charles Baker ; 1873-1874, Andrew Sipperly ; 1875, E. M. Congdon; 1876-1877, Alphonzo Merrill; 1878, Sidney S. Congdon; 1879, E. Morgan Congdon; 1880-1885, John Downs; 1886, James Beecroft; 1887, D. Myers; 1888-1889, E. E. Pinkham; 1890, H. S. Fowler; 1891-1892, E. E. Pinkham; 1893-1994, James Beecroft; 1895 --- , E. E. Pinkham.
CHAPTER XXII.
TOWN OF SCHODACK.
The town of Schodack was organized March 12, 1795, when Rensse- laerwyck was divided.1 By the general law dividing all the counties of the State into towns, passed April 7, 1801, the bounds of the town of Schodack were defined as follows:
Bounded southerly by the county of Columbia, westerly by the county of Albany, including such of the islands in Hudson's river as are nearest the east side thereof, northerly by Greenbush and easterly by a line continued from the north bounds of the manor of Rensselaerwyck at a place nine miles distant from Hudson's river, southerly to a place in the north hne of the county of Columbia ten miles distant from Hudson's river.
In 1806 parts of the towns of Nassan and Berlin were taken off. The town is situated in the southwestern corner of the county. It is bounded on the north by the towns of East Greenbush and Sand Lake, on the east by the town of Nassau, on the south by the towns of Kin- derhook and Stuyvesant in Columbia county, and on the west by the Hudson river, or Albany county. It is one of the most populous and fertile towns in the county, as well as one of the most picturesque. Beeren island, containing about ten acres, is located south of Coey- man's Landing.
The chief village of the Mohican Indians was for many generations located in Schodack, and near by were other Indian villages of less im-
I See history of Greenbush.
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TOWN OF SCHODACK.
portance. The name Schodack is a corruption of the Indian name Esquatak, meaning "the fireplace of the nation," so called because the council-seat of the famed Mohican Indians was located in this town. Beside Esqnatak the Indians had villages called Potkoke, Wyomenock and others.
It appears to be a settled fact that the first white man to set foot upon the soil of the town of Schodack and of Rensselaer county was Henry Hudson, in 1609, whose voyage and exploration in this vicinity have been described in a previous chapter. His landing probably was at or very near the present site of the village of Castleton.
The exact date of the first white settlement of the town is not defi - nitely known, though the records show that the first civilized inhabit- ants were tenants under the first patroon, Killiaen Van Rensselaer. As near as can be determined the date of settlement was about 1630, though it may have been a year earlier. No reliable records of the earliest Dutch settlers are in existence, though there are on file in the office of the Albany county clerk a number of papers relating to trans- fers of real estate and other affairs occurring a few years later. Other documents on file in the office of the secretary of state in Albany give a hint at some of the early transactions. One of the latter shows that September 2, 1675, about forty five years after the first settlements had been made, Barendt Myndertse, a master shoemaker, received a deed to about seventy-four acres of land from the Mahikander Indians. From the description of this grant it probably embraced a part of the present site of Schodack island. Myndertse settled in Beverwyck as early as 1659. llis two brothers, Myndert and Carster Frederickse, were among the earliest settlers. October 4, 1668, Volckert Janssen | Douw | and Jan Tomassen bought of two Indians-Wattawit and Pe- pewitsie, his mother-"their certain land lying on the goojer's kil on Apjen's island, or by the Indians called Schotack, their portion of said Apjen's island is the north end. ." January 17, 1664, the same men bought of two other Indians, Panasit and Wapto, brothers, the land on the east side of the island. December 29, 1670, Jan Laurense [Van Alen] purchased of Volckert Janse [ Douw] and Jan Thomase land in Schodack formerly occupied by Adriaen Dirruxse De Vries, so the latter also must have been an early settler.
Among the first permanent settlers of the town was Hendrick Maase Van Beuren or Van Buren, son of Maas Hendrickse Van Buren, who preceded him in the settlement of the town, The latter's father came
58
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
from Holland and had a farm at Papsknee island. Descendants of this family settled in various parts of the town. Other pioneers were Wouter Barhuydt [ Barheit], Jeronimus Van Valkenburgh, Casparus Springsteen and Jacob Cornelius Schermerhorn. Another Schermer- horn family settled in the town early in its history. Jacob Schermer- horn lived in the northern part of the town and his children were Jacob, Barney, Cornelius, Catalina and Geralty. Hanse Van Valkenburgh and Nicholas Ketel [ Kittle| resided near the river in the northern part of the town in 1767, and not far from them about the same time lived Isaae Muller, Hendrick Sehevers, Peter Lodewiek, Anthony Poel, Hendrick Beekman and Jonathan Witbeck. On the island since called Staats island lived Joachim Staats and Gerrit Staats. In the northern part of the town lived Casper Ham and Henry Shans. John E. Lan- sing and Obadiah Lansing also settled in the northern part of the town in the early part of the eighteenth century. Jacob John made one of the carly settlements in the middle of the town, about three miles east of Castleton.
The western part of the town, near the Hudson river, was undoubt- edly settled some time before the country further to the east. The rich alluvial soil in the western portion was more tempting to farmers, and nearly all the first settlers were farmers. Some confined them- selves to trading with the Indians and trapping fur-bearing animals, but farming was the principal industry.
Many of the early settlers of Schodack took a prominent part in public affairs. Among these was Anthony Ten Eyck, who was the first county judge of Rensselaer county, to which position he was appointed February 18, 1291.
The old post road between Troy and New York was doubtless the first improved turnpike running through the town of Schodack, and is said to be one of the oldest public highways in the State. It was origi- nally called Kingsbrut and is believed to have been constructed by the English during the first French and Indian war. The road known as the Farmers' turnpike along the river was constructed soon after the war of the Revolution. The Boston and Albany turnpike was laid in the year 1800. These and the other roads were the courses used by the numerous early stage lines which passed through every part of the town.
'The first town meeting in Schodack was held April 7, 1795, Thomas Frost acting as moderator. At this meeting these officers were chosen :
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TOWN OF SCHODACK.
Supervisor, Aaron Ostrander; assessors, Cornelius Schermerhorn, Nicholas Staats, Thomas Frost, Jonathan Hoag, Nathaniel Brockway; overseers of the poor, James MeKown, Isaac Phillips; collector, Henry Sheffer; commissioners of highways, Elijah Kelsey, Hosca Hamilton, Walter Carpenter; constables, Henry Sheffer, Charles Mason, Reuben Burton, Joseph Burch, Thomas Bremijahm ; poundmasters, John Van Ness, Jonathan lloag; fence viewers, Jacobus Vanderpoel, Jacob Barhite, Barent Vandenbergh, David Arnold, Jesse De Freest, Peter Althuyser, George Milleas Nathaniel Brockway, Samuel Brown, Germond Filkin, Richard Yates; pathmasters, John E. Lansing, St. Leger Cowles, Darius Sherman, Jacobus Van Ness, Jacob Van Valkenburgh, David Bell, Joseph Bell, Joseph Vickery, Cornelius Schermerhorn, Jacobus Volmsbee, John Van Ness, jr., and Harmon Coun.
One of the first physicians locating in Schodack was Dr. Samuel M. Leonard, who early in the nineteenth century lived in the eastern part of the town. Soon after he settled there Dr. Ebenezer Balentine located at Schodack Landing, subsequently removing to Ohio. Dr. Joseph Shirts came after Dr. Balentine, but he died two years later, in the midst of a highly successful practice, of typhus fever. Other early physicians were John Squires at Schodack Landing, Henry P. Van Dyke at Muitzes Kill, Cornelius Van Dyke at the same place, and John Van Buren and James Hogeboom at Castleton. Among the early lawyers were George W. Bulkley, who located at Schodack Landing about 1848 or 1849, and G. P. Jenks, who settled in Castleton in 1861.
Many of the inhabitants of Schodack served in the Revolutionary War with the American army, among whom were Colonel Jacob Schermerhorn, William Van Benthusen, - - Green and -- Poel. Among those who served in the War of 1812 were Captain Abram C. Huyek, who commanded a company; John I. Ketel [ Kittle], Jeremiah Miller, David Simmons, Braddard Yale, Jacob Milham, Vandenberg and Schermerhorn. Schodack also sent its full quota to the front in the War of the Rebellion, most of those serving enlisting in companies in the 30th, 169th and 125th Regiments. The names of those who died in the service of the United States are:
Andrew W. Van Buren, Adam H. See, Franklin Comstock, Rensselaer Knapp, Seth F. Johnson, Abraham Cornelius, William H. Southwick, David Rose, Jacob Slummer, Alexander Springsteen, William Acker, Charles S. Hogeboom, John Rourke, Abiel Smith, Franklin G. Wright, Philetus Brown, Caleb Higgins, Casper Herbert, George II. Race, Philo Wilkinson, Selden E. Boughton, Chester C. Fohnsby, Augustin Reger, Jolin Moser, James Gleason and Edward Gleason.
The principal village in Schodack is Castleton, located on the banks of the Hudson river eight miles below Greenbush and in about the centre of the extreme western portion of the town. Castleton was
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
named after Castle Hill, east of the village, on which was once located the chief Indian castle of that locality. The earliest settlers in this vicinity have already been referred to. Among later settlers were Captain Eslik, James L. Hogeboom, Joseph Proseus, Jabez Robinson, George Noyes and Nathan Noyes. .
The village was incorporated in 1827 at a time when it contained not more than twenty-five houses and a hundred inhabitants. One of the earliest stores there was located on the dock extending into the Hudson river, and was kept by Livingston, Hurd & Co. Another was owned by Daniel Wilcox. Still others were kept by Mr. Gregory and Mr. McCloskey, Sybil & Hogeboom, and later J. W. Van Hoesen. One of the earliest taverns was kept by Joseph Proseus. It was located in the northern part of the village. Later tavern-keepers were Jeremiah Gage, Jabez Robinson and Manasseh Knowlton.
The first village meeting was held May 7, 1828, and was presided over by William Fitch, justice of the peace. The village voted to be- eome a new corporation in 1870 under the general laws relating to vil- lages.
For some time the project of a system of water works was agitated and in the spring of 1896 the village trustees appointed a commission consisting of Barent W. Stryker, C. P. Willis, Seth Wheeler, William A. Phibbs, August Hounghstine and Henry Steinberger. This com- mission is now considering the feasibility of the project. It is proposed to have constructed in connection with the water works system a sys- tem of sewerage.
There is but one bank in the village, the National Bank of Castleton. This bank was organized January 25, 1865, by seven of the most promi- nent residents, who, under the charter, comprised the original board of directors. This board consisted of Joel D. Smith, Frank II. Hast- ings, Castle W. Herrick, J. V. D. Witbeck, Russell Downer, Andrew Harder and Edwin H. Griffith. The first officers were Joel D. Smith, president; Andrew Harder, vice-president; Edwin HI. Griffith, cash- ier. In 1885 the charter of the bank expired and it was extended twenty years. On the morning of April 13, 1889, the bank building, which was then situated on the west side of River street near the rail- road station, was totally destroyed by fire. The books of the corpora- tion were in the safe and these, together with a number of notes and cheeks, were also destroyed. The directors purchased the property almost opposite the burned structure and converted it into a banking
7
BARENT W. STRYKER.
FRANK P. HARDER.
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TOWN OF SCHODACK.
house. It is on this site that the bank now stands. Of the original board of directors all are dead with the exception of J. V. D. Witbeck. The present board of directors consists of Franklin P. Harder, James R. Downer, Barent W. Stryker, James Kingman, Frank HI. Downer, L. S. Kellogg, James H. Kingman, N. A. Schermerhorn and George E. Barringer. The present officers are Franklin P. Harder, president; James Kingman, vice-president ; James R. Downer, cashier.
Castleton has an excellent graded school system under the supervis- ion of Principal Frank Clapper. About 300 pupils attend. The course of study extends from the primary branches to academic subjeets, some of the graduates having been prepared for admission to college. When the village was first organized the necessity of a school was appreciated by the residents and one was built The records of this school were lost and excepting what can be recalled by early residents nothing can be learned. About eighty years ago Catherine Van Buren, who was subse . quently Mrs. Hannibal Finck of Valley Falls, donated to the village a lot upon which was to be erected a building for school purposes. A frame structure was built in 1820 on the rear of the ground. Eighteen years afterwards this building was demolished and a brick one substi- tnted. The sehool house at present in use was built in 1866 and its dimensions are fifty-six feet by thirty-four feet, two stories in height.
The village has a very efficient fire department, consisting of the Frank P. Harder engine company and the J. W. MeKnight hose com- pany. The Frank P. Harder engine company was organized in 1871, it having been found necessary on account of the frequency with which fires occurred. On a plat of ground which had been given the village by William Custis in 1861 for the location of a school house, a structure was erected for an engine house and a new fourth class engine pur- chased. Abont 1, 600 feet of hose was also bought and this, with other necessary paraphernalia, comprised the department apparatus. A meeting of residents of the village who composed the fire workers was called and a company organized with the following officers: President, F. P. Harder; chief engineer, W. P. Smith; foreman, William P. Smith; first assistant, James M. Dawson; seeond assistant, P. H. Finkle; third assistant, George Hudson, jr. The present officers are E. J. Earing, chief; George Knower, foreman; Louis Cook, first as- sistant; Martin Hoffman, second assistant; Silas Cargon, treasurer; O. D. Woodford, secretary. At present there are thirty members on the active roll.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
The J. W. McKnight hose company was organized in 1891 and has twenty active members. The original officers were Stephen Com- stock, foreman; Abraham Shortsleeves, first assistant; John Van Buren, secretary; J. W. McKnight, treasurer.
The principal manufacturing establishments of Castleton are the mills of Ingalls & Co., the Riverside paper mill and the postal card works.
The Oak Grove mills, which are conducted by Ingalls & Co. for the manufacture of binders' board, trunk board, wagon board and album board, came to Castleton in 1888 from South Manchester, Conn., where the business was established in 1873. The mills furnish employment to twenty-seven persons and have a daily capacity of 13,000 pounds.
The Riverside mills are the property of the Castleton Paper company, but at present are being operated by Horton Harder, agt. The mills were built in 1863 and for a number of years manufactured straw wrapping paper, having a capacity of five tons a day. For the past few years the product of the mills has consisted of tissue paper, the daily capacity being two and one half tons. The mills give employ- ment to about twenty hands.
In 1856 Charles Van Benthuysen construeted the mills now used for the manufacture of paper and postal cards. The mills were sold to Woolworth & Graham, who now operate them, in 1881. Since the plant has been under the present management the product has increased from one to sixteen tons per day. The manufacture of postal cards for the U. S. government has been conducted, with the exception of one contraet term of four years, since Woolworth & Graham assumed proprietorship. The product in the postal card works is 2,000, 000 cards per day. The product of the paper mill consists of writing and blank books, white and colored paper, envelopes, pads and tablets. The entire plant requires 200 hands in its operation.
Castleton has one lodge of Odd Fellows, Shadyside lodge No. 721. It was organized December 18, 1894, with five charter members. They were Andrew Hanck, Lewis II. Pardee, Herman Signer, Thomas J. Lape and William S. Castle. At the first meeting eleven new mem- bers were initiated. The lodge is now in a flourishing condition.
There are several other villages in the town, but none have ever at- tained the important position occupied by Castleton. Sehodack Land- ing in the southwestern part of the town on the lludson river, was set- tled soon after Castleton. Early settlers were John C. Schermerhorn,
JOHN W. MCKNIGHT.
RANSEN GARDENIER.
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TOWN OF SCHODACK.
who is believed to liave been the first postmaster; Dr. John Squires, Philip Schermerhorn, Smith Peters and others. The old Kittle tavern was one of the earliest, perhaps the first, of the public houses.
Schodack Depot is a small hamlet located on the Boston & Albany railroad near the centre of the town.
Sehodack Centre is located near by. The old brick tavern, the first in the place, was built by John Witbeck in 1816. The post-office was established in 1830 and the first postmaster was James Richardson. Schodaek Centre occupies more territory than any other hamlet in the town, its extent being about two miles from north to south. Masonic hall, one of the old taverns, was conducted in the carly part of the cen- tury by Manasseh Knowlton, who afterward had charge of the Brad- bury house at Castleton. In those days the militia and independent uniformed military companies were required by law to meet occasion- ally for drill and inspection, and Masonic hall was one of the principal places designated for the purpose. The tavern subsequently passed into the hands of Jacob W. Lewis. The hotel received its name from the fact that Schodack Union lodge, F. & A. M., had rooms in it. J. W. Boyce, a well known local historical writer, in a recent newspaper article said :
For years the Schodack Centre post-office has been located at Masonic hall. When the Hon. Martin I. Townsend of Troy was representative in Congress from the Rensselaer-Washington district, an effort was made to remove the post-office to the Brick hotel, situated about one mile nearer Albany, and the effort was temporarily successful, but such a breeze was raised by the inhabitants living around Masonic hall, that the office was moved back in twelve days.
The blacksmith shop occupied in 1896 by Thomas Early, opposite the brick hotel, has been in use nearly a century. In it the stage horses of the olden time were shod. The Brick hotel, located on the Boston and Albany turnpike about a mile north of Masonic hall, was built soon after the latter. One of its earliest proprietors was John HI. Vanden- burgh. It was a famous stopping place for the fashionable people of Albany in the early days of the century. Colonel N. S. Miller, who lived for many years on the road to Castleton, was prominently identi- fied with the best interests of the town for many years.
His tastes led him early to engage in the military operations of the State, having arisen from the ranks to be a colonel of a regiment under the old military regula- tions of the State, and, when the national guards were organized, he became colonel of the Seventy-second Regiment, N. G. S. N. Y. He was captain of the old " Bun-
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ker Ilill Barefoots"-but whether he was in command when the Barefoots were in ambush, watching the old Silver Greys of Nassau, history sayeth not. Ile was an efficient commander and had the respect of his command, as well as of those high in authority.1
South Schodack is located on the Boston & Albany railroad in the southern part of the town.
East Schodack, formerly called Scott's Corners, is located in the northeastern part of the town. Among its early settlers were Nathan Frost and a family named Lewis. A tavern was built there about 1810 by a man named Scott, after whom the place was called Scott's Cor- ners. The first store, established in 1826 or 1827, was kept by Cornel- ius Burdwell. Nicholas Lester was probably the first postmaster, about 1854. Scott's hotel was situated on the corner, and the store was so located that it faced the three roads that met there. The name of the hamlet was changed to East Schodack about 1845. In the early days of the hamlet there were two wagon shops there, one run by James Hawkins and the other by William Taber.
Muitzes Kill is situated in the southern part of the town on a creek bearing the same name. One of the earliest storekeepers was John S. Clapp. The postoffice was not established until 1876, when Mr. Folms- bee was made postmaster.
Masten's Corners is a small hamlet located two miles south of Castle- ton, and Clark's Corners is in the northeastern part of the town.
The exact date of the establishment of the Reformed Protestant Dutch church of Schodack is not known. The earliest record in exist- ence begins with 1770, but as early as 1754 preaching services had been conducted at Schodack. Whether a church edifice was erected before that time is not known. Until 1810 the church and parsonage were located near Schodack Landing. In the latter year the site was changed to Muitzes Kill, the building being used until February 7, 1876, when it was burned. A new church was at onee erected at a cost of $6,000 and was dedicated December 6, 1876. The first regular pastor was Johannes Casparus Fryenmoet, who also served the congre- gation at Kinderhook, Columbia county Hle continued for about eight years, when he died, and for twelve years the society was with- out a regular pastor. Rev. James Romeyn, the second pastor, began his labors in 1788, serving also a church in Greenbush. In 1820 the connection between the Schodack and Nassau churches, which had
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