USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 50
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1 J. W. Boyce,
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TOWN OF SCHODACK.
existed since the organization of the latter in 1803, was dissolved, and in May, 1821, the Rev. Isaiah Y. Johnson was called to the Schodack church, becoming the first pastor who devoted his services exclusively to the Schodack church.
The Reformed church at Schodack Landing was founded by mem- bers of the Reformed Protestant Dutch church November 2, 1858, and for a time was under the direction of the parent church. In 1866 it became independent, its first pastor, the Rev. Isaac L. Kip, serving from 1867 to 1875.
The Schodack Baptist church was founded in 1780, its first pastor being the Rev. Mr. Tubbs. The first house of worship was a log meeting house, which was succeeded in 1800 by a more pretentious edifice. After the death of Mr. Tubbs the church was without a pas- tor until 1797, when the Rev. Stephen Olmstead accepted a call, serv- ing the church for thirty-five years.
The Castleton Methodist Episcopal church began in 1836 as a mission station in the Chatham circuit. The church edifice was built in 1838 and the Rev. Philetus Green became the first pastor. In 1852 a par- sonage was purchased, but in 1870 a new one was built at a cost of $3,000. In 1861 the church was remodeled at a cost of about $2, 200.
The corner stone of the Reformed church at Castleton was laid July 19, 1852. The architecture of the building was pure Gothic and con- sistently maintained throughout. In response to an application from forty-two persons to the classis of Rensselaer, a church organization was effected December 27, 1852. The dedication services were held February 22, 1853. Divine worship was regularly held in this church until 1886, when the building was torn down and the present attractive, commodious edifice was erected in its place. Until 1887 the church owned a parsonage, but this was sold to reduce the mortgage indebt - edness upon the church property. Regular preaching services are held in the summer season at what is called the White school house, and also at the Brick school house. The church has had six pastors and one stated supply. Rev. Edward P. Stimson served from 1853 to 1861, Rev. Edgar L. Hermance from 1861 to 1869, Rev. George II. Mills from 1870 to 1882, Rev. Alan D. Campbell from 1882 to 1889, Rev. John Dunlap served as a supply from 1889 to 1890, Rev. Cornelius E. Wyckoff was pastor from 1891 to 1893, Rev. Eugene E. Thomas began his pastorate in April, 1894, and still continues to enjoy the esteem and co-operation of his parishioners.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
The East Schodack Evangelical Lutheran church was organized May 15, 1842, and the Rev. H. L. Dox was the first pastor. The first house of worship was crected in 1844. The Second Lutheran church at West Sand Lake and the church at East Schodack were under one pastorate for many years, but the congregation at the East Schodack church became so large that it was found necessary either to enlarge the church or build a new one. The latter course was taken and in 1872 a new church was erected at an expense of about $10,000. This church was subse- quently struck by lightning, which damaged it very much, but it was thoroughly repaired and the inside walls ceiled, and it is now regarded as one of the finest church buildings in this part of the State.
About the year 1888 a few Dutch speaking families who had emigrated from Holland at different times during the past quarter of a century, began to hold religious services in the Reformed church at Castleton. These meetings were at first conducted by Domine Dykstra, then pas- tor of the Holland church in Albany. Some of these families are reg . ular communicants in the Castleton Reformed church, but a large number still retain their church membership in Holland. These ser- vices are conducted mainly for the benefit of those who cannot speak English, but at the same time a Sunday school has been established for the religions training of children. Many of these children also receive instruction in the Reformed Church Sunday school. While these fam- ilies do not now receive the ministrations of a regularly ordained clergy- man, yet for the past two years they have profited by the preaching of Mr. Voosje van Bruggen, an elder in the Holland church at Albany.
SUPERVISORS OF SCHODACK.1
1795 1799, A. O. Ostrander; 1800-1809, C. Schermerhorn; 1810-1813, William Lewis; 1814-1816, C. 1. Schermerhorn; 1817-1819, W. Brockway; 1820-1822, S. R. Cambell; 1823, J. Witbeek ; 1824, S. R. Cambell; 1825-1833, A. Buckman ; 1834-1839, J. Shibley; 1840-1813, A. Buckman; 1844, P G. Ten Eyck; 1815, S. MeClellan ; 1846-1847, J. N. Vedder; 1848, William N. Budd; 1849, E. Conklin; 1850-1852, G. Lansing; 1854-1856, S. W. Tallmadge; 1857-1859, M. Knickerbocker; 1860, B. L. Van Hoesen; 1861 -1862, Il. B. Howard; 1863, J. Schermerhorn; 1864, II. B. Ilow- ard; 1865, M. J. Miller; 1866-1867, John Green ; 1868-1869, Il. P. Van Hoesen ; 1870- 1871, N. S. Miller; 1872-1868, J. V. D. Witbeck; 1874, G. Van Voorhis; 1875, Isaac Carpenter; 1876-1877, W. R. De Freest; 1878-1879, Frank P. Harder; 1880-1881, George R. Miller; 1882, John W. MeKnight; 1883, Isaac Carpenter; 1884-1885,
' Much of the information regarding the officers of the town of Schodack was courteously furnished by Town Clerk Oscar J. Lewis.
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TOWN OF SCHODACK.
Frederick Hill; 1886-1887, Jacob P. Lansing; 1888-1889, John Moore; 1890-1891, Charles Ilyde Smith ; 1892-1895, George Anderson ; 1896 -- , Frank M. Boyce.
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TOWN CLERKS OF SCHODACK.
1795-1797, Theodosius Drake; 1798-1800, James Vandenburgh; 1806, Jolm Smith, 1808, John D. Smith ; 1811, Henry Livingston; 1813, Jesse Brockway; 1817, Matthias Hulst; 1821, Jeremiah Shibley; 1827, Abraham Hogeboom; 1828, Milo Cragin; 1829, Sammel R. Cambell; 1832, Barent Hoes; 1833, Henry C. Lodewick; 1839, Garret Lansing; 1843, Peter Ilogeboom; 1844, William Spring; 1845, Marens W. Lasher; 1846, Nicholas S. Miller; 1818, George Van Voorhis; 1849, Nicholas 1. Miller; 1856, J. V. D. Witbeck ; 1856, George D. Shibley ; 1860, George Van Voorhis; 1861, Henry Van Denburgh; 1863, Samuel S. Warner; 1865, Frank P. Canedy ; 1867, Richard Packman; 1870, Garret G. Lansing; 1871-1872, David Becker; 18GB, Oscar J. Lewis; 1874, David Becker; 1878 1879, John Moore; 1880 1881, David Becker; 1882-1887, John Moore; 1888-1893, Frederick Hill; 1894 -1895, Charles 1. Miller; 1896- ----- , Oscar J. Lewis.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE OF SCHODACK.
1832, Jacob W. Lewis; 1833, William Van Dusen, Abraham V. Schermerhorn; 1834, Lawrence C. Hogeboom, Samuel Stevenson ; 1835, John Garrison ; 1836, Abial Buckman, William Harris; 1837, Abial Buckman, John Garrison; 1838, Abial Buck- man, John Alberton; 1839, Elisha C. Conklin, John Carpenter; 1810, Nathaniel Griffith ; 1841, John Carpenter; 1842, Abial Buckman; 1813, Elisha C. Conklin ; 1844, Henry M. Smith; 1845, John Carpenter; 1846, Abial Buekman; 1847, David Booth; 18-18, Henry M. Smith; 1819, James M. Debons, Milton Knickerbocker; 1850, Abial Buckman; 1851, David Booth; 1852, Milton Knickerbocker; 1853, Isaac Carpenter; 1851, Lawrence C. Hogeboom; 1855, Abel N. Garrison; 1856, Milton Knickerbocker; 1857, Nathan N. Seaman; 1859, Abel II. Garrison; 1860, Josiah W. Boyd; 1861, Joel Carpenter; 1862, Nathan N. Seaman; 1863, Abel Il. Garrison; 1864, Seneca S. Smith. 1865, Joel Carpenter; 1866, Silas Cargon; 1867, Abel II. Garrison; 1868, George Rekes, 1509, Joel Carpenter; 1870, Silas Cargon ; 1871, Eli Shafer; 1879, P. S. Miller; 1873, Isaac Carpenter; 1871, N. N. Seaman; 1875, Eli Shafer; 1876, P. S. Miller; 1877, Isaac Carpenter; 1878, Nathan N. Seaman; 1879, Eli Shafer, William R. De Freest (appointed to fill vacancy); 1880, Lewis N. S. Miller; 1881, Isaac Car- penter; 1882, Silas Cargon; 1883, Wesley B. Smith; 1884, Justin Burwell; 1885, Isaac Carpenter; 1886, Silas Cargon; 1887, Nicholas S. Miller; 1888, Clark Water- bury; 1889, Isaac Carpenter; 1590, Silas Cargon ; 1891, Sylvan's Finch; 1892, Charles C. Warner; 1893, John K. Holmes; 1894, Silas Cargon; 1895, Sylvanus Finch; 1896, Peter A. Miller.
PRESIDENTS OF CASTLETON 1.
1827, John Stearns; 1828-1829, Lawrence C. Ilogeboom; 1830-1831, Jeremiah
' Mr. Charles E. Buckman, village clerk of Castleton, has rendered material assistance in fur- nishing information regarding the village officers of Castleton and the local Masonic lodge.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
Gage; 1832, James Hogeboom; 1833, William Civill; 1834, Henry Gage; 1835, Law- rence C. Hogeboom; 1836, Ralph Buss; 1837-1838, Lawrence C. Hogeboom; 1839, John Stearns; 1810, Jacob Brucher; 1841-1842, John P. Ostrander; 1843, Philip II. Smith; 1844-1845, Abial Buckman; 1816-1851, Henry Gage; 1852-1853, Samuel B. Campbell; 1854, Joel D. Smith; 1855, Samuel B. Campbell; 1856, Andrew Harder; 1857-1859, Isaac V. Schermerhorn; 1860, Jeremiah W. Van Hoesen ; 1861-1862, Isaac V. Schermerhorn; 1963, John V. D. Witbeck; 1864-1865, Isaac V. Schermerhorn; 1866, Jacob Seaman; 1867, John V. D. Witbeck; 1868, Isaac V. Schermerhorn, 1869, Philip Lansing; 1870-1871. Franklin P. Harder; 1872, James R. Downer; 1873, Silas Cargon; 1874, James R. Downer; 1875-1877, George Anderson; 1878, Abram Van Buren; 1879-1882, Samnel B. Campbell; 1883, James A. Sloan; 1884, J. V. D. Witbeek; 1885, James R. Downer; 1886-1887, James A. Sloan; 1888, C. G. Rich- ards; 1889-1890, Clarence Seaman ; 1891, George Anderson ; 1893-1893, Barent W. Stryker: 1891, C. P. Woolworth; 1895- - , John Flynn.
VILLAGE. CLERKS OF CASTLETON.
1828-1829, Robert Hitchcock: 1830-1831, J. E. Stearns; 1832, Henry Gage; 1833, Horace Bell; 1831, Humphrey Witbeek ; 1835-1838, N. N. Seaman; 1839, James B. Witbeek; 1840, Peter Hogeboom; 1841-1843, John C. Davis; 1841, Harrison II. 11all; 1845, James B. Witbeck; 1846-1851, Joel D. Smith; 1852-1853, Philip H. Smith; 1854, C. G. Richards; 1855, James L. Hogeboom; 1856-1858, Horace Bell: 1860, James L. Hogeboom; 1861-1865, Rufus Rose; 1866, Jacob Boucher ; 1867-1868, Franklin P. Harder; 1869, Silas Cargon and Garret G. Lansing; 1870, Silas Cargon, Garret G. Lansing and William P. Smith; 1871-1875, William P. Smith; 1876, Silas Cargon; 1877-1881, William P. Smith; 1882 -1891, Osborne Earing; 1599, C. W. Knowlton ; 1893- , Charles E. Buckman.
CHAPTER XXIII.
TOWN OF PITTSTOWN.
Pittstown is the central of the three towns of the northern tier in the county. It is bounded on the north by portions of Schaghticoke and 'Hoosick, one corner being exactly on the boundary line between Rens- selaer and Washington counties; on the east by Hoosick, on the south by Grafton and Brunswick and on the west by Lansingburgh and Schaghticoke. The land in the northern part of the town, within two miles of the Hoosick river, was originally embraced in the Hoosick patent. The southern part of its territory, that lying between the
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MARTIN BAUCUS.
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TOWN OF PITTSTOWN.
patent of Hoosick and the manor of Rensselaerwyck, became the property of several individuals; being sold to them in comparatively small tracts. The surface of the town generally is moderately hilly and in the south and east are some rugged elevations a thousand feet or more above the level of the sea. Numerous small streams flow westwardly and northwardly into the Hoosick river, the Tomhannock being the principal of these streams.
Neither history nor tradition relates who the first settler or settlers of the town were, nor when the homes of the first white inhabitants were erected. The only thing left to guide posterity in this matter is the early history of communities near at hand, on either side of the town, from which it may be inferred that the immediate territory was settled about the same time. In 1909 the first settlements were made at Old Schaghticoke, to the westward; and between 1235 and 1740 Dutch farmers began locating in Hoosick and Petersburgh. It there- fore is reasonable to expect that the first settlements in Pittstown were made not much later than 1240, if not before that date.
The first inhabitants of whom any clear record exists were those located in various parts of the town just prior to the beginning of the War of the Revolution. Michael Vandercook, from whom the local name of Cooksborough was derived, located there as early as 1163. He is the first white settler of whom any positive record is left. Wil- liam Shepard came from New England in 1270 and purchased a farm of 500 acres near by. Two years later Ludovicus Viele settled at Valley Falls and Christian Fischer at Cooksborough, though they found others there before them. Among others who located in the town during of soon after the Revolutionary War were Benjamin Aiken, who came from Dutchess county in 198 or 1209; and Edmund Aiken, who located in the same vicinity a year or two later. This locality after- ward became known as the Aiken neighborhood. William Pendergast settled near Johnsonville before 1280 and Caspar Rouse came about the same time. Stephen Hunt, Israel Thompson, Abner Van Name, Al- exander Thompson, Benjamin Milks, Evans Humphrey, William Mc- Cleaver, Stephen Clapp, Isaac Carpenter, Cornelius Wiltsey (or Wiltse), Joseph Gifford, Gilbert Eddy and Hazael Shepard located in town between 1280 and 1785. Among those who came, probably a little later but all during the eighteenth century, were the following :1
1 History of Rensselaer County, Nathaniel B. Sylvester.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
John Francisco, near Raymertown; James Newcomb, near Pitts- town Corners; Simon Newcomb, an early and long-time physician, settled at Tomhannock village nearly opposite the grist mill; Isaac Stoughton, half a mile above Tomhannoek village, a place known as Stoughtontown in early times; David Norton, near the Quaker meeting house; William Jackson, in the same neighborhood; Daniel Newcomb, a mile east of Tomhannock village; Peter D). Goes, near East Pitts- town church; John Davenport, at North Pittstown, formerly known as Millertown; Samuel Douglass; Thomas Prendergast, at Millertown; Gilbert Williams, at Raymertown; Lovett Head, near Pittstown Cor- ners; Abijah Ketchum, near Cooksborough; Jonas Halsted, beyond Pittstown Corners; Simon Vandercook, at Cooksborough; Abraham Van Arnam, near the Quaker meeting house; Robert Bostwick; Nathaniel Wallis, two or three miles east of Tomhannoek; Eliphalet llyde, at Pittstown Corners; Noah Miller, at North Pittstown; John Lee, on the turnpike near the "shilling-gate;" Joseph Wadsworth, on the farm owned by his descendants; Charles Chase, near Raymertown, not far from Gilbert Eddy's; Lodewick Stanton, near the south line of the town.
One of the earliest taverns in Pittstown was located on the Albany Northern turnpike in the brick house afterward the property of Peter Doty. The Finney hotel was another well known public house. It was at the latter hotel that the draft ot 1812 was made. Another tavern was at the Daniel Carpenter place, and later ones were the Union house and Reed's hotel at Pittstown. The old Follett honse was at North Pittstown. The Aiken tavern was also an old landmark on the Aiken property. The hotel kept by Mordecai Lothridge was probably the first at Valley Falls. At Boyntonville the earliest was the Wadsworth tavern.
The two leading physicians of the town for many years, and the earliest, as far as is known, were Dr. Simon Newcomb, who located at Tomhannock about 1490; and Dr. Theodore E. May. At Raymer- town Dr. Van Name settled very early.
At the time of the division of the ancient county of Albany and the erection therefrom of the counties of Tryon and Charlotte, March 24, 1772, the territory now constituting Rensselaer county, then still a part of Albany county, was divided by the Provincial Legislature into four districts-Rensselaerwyck, Hoosick, Pittstown and Schagh- ticoke. The district of Pittstown was erected as a township by
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471
TOWN OF PITTSTOWN.
patent July 23, 1761, and thus remained until after the War of the Revolution. The first eivil organization of which there is any record was effected in 1772, being that of the "Schaghticoke distriet." March 7, 1788, the towns of Schaghtieoke and Pittstown were created out of the "Schaghticoke distriet," and the two towns began their separate existence at the town meetings held in April, 1289 The Pittstown town meetings probably were held in a house near the Quaker meeting house, then the tavern of James Stitt, for a dozen years. The officers elected at the first town meeting were as follows:
Supervisor, Israel Thompson; town clerk, Evans Humphrey; assessors, John Francisco, Harmon Vanvarter, Hazael Shepard, Benjamin Milks, John Rowan; collectors, Gilbert Eddy, Hazael Shepard; poormasters, Simon Vandercook, George Gage, Stephen Hunt; constables, Gilbert Eddy, Hazael Shepard, Aaron Van Namee, John Rowan, jr., and Stephen Hunt.
A change in the western boundary of Pittstown was effected by act of the Legislature passed February 14, 1793, as follows:
Whereas the division line between the towns of Schactekoke and Pitts Town, in the county of Rensselaer, has been found inconvenient to the inhabitants of both towns. For remedy whereof,
Be it enacted . . That from and after the first Monday in April next, the divis- ion line of the said towns, shall be continued from Veile's or Toll's bridge on the Iloosick river, in a direct course to the westernmost corner of Michael Vander Cooks grist mill. in Cooksburgh, and from thence in the same direction to the manor of Rensselaerwyck.
By the general law dividing all the counties of the State into towns, passed April 2, 1801, the bounds of the town of Pittstown were de- scribed as follows :
Southerly by Troy and Petersburgh, westerly by Schactikoke, northerly by Schacti- koke, and the north bounds of the county of Rensselaer, and easterly by a line be- ginning at the distance of ten miles east from Hudson's river on the north line of Schactikoke continued east, and running from thence to a place in the north bounds of Petersburgh, at the distance of thirteen miles from Hudson's river.
The military history of Pittstown does not differ greatly from that of the other towns in the county. But few names of those inhabitants of the town who served in the War of the Revolution have been preserved. Among these were General Gilbert Eddy, Lieutenant John Van Woert, William Ray and Isaac Van Woert. The names of others doubtless will be found in the rolls of Revolutionary soldiers from Schaghticoke, Lansingburgh and perhaps Iloosick. In the War of 1812 General Gil- bert Eddy's expedition to Plattsburgh was accompanied by a consider-
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
able number of Pittstown soldiers. Among them were Nathaniel Bos- worth, Winslow Eddy, William Chapman, William Pennie, Samuel Hyde, Benjamin Reed, Abel Harwood, Evans Ray, James Van Name and James Stitt.
The people of Pittstown took an early active interest in the War of the Rebellion, and when the 2nd Regiment, New York Vols., was organized the town was represented therein by twenty- six brave men. At every succeeding eall men left their homes and their business to go to the front. Beside the twenty-six who went out with the 2nd Regiment of Infantry, Pittstown was represented by twenty-five men in the Black Horse Cavalry, which was never mounted and consequently never saw service; four in the 104th New York Regiment, five in the New York Harris Cavalry, sixty-six in the 125th New York Regiment, twenty-five in the 169th New York Regiment, and eleven in the Gris- wold Cavalry. During the war meetings were held in the town at various times and the patriotic sentiments of the inhabitants were kept constantly excited. Thousands of dollars were raised, a tax of $35,000 being voted at one meeting alone-a special town meeting held Sep- tember 7, 1864. The names of the Pittstown soldiers who died in the service of the United States during the Rebellion follow :
William Slocum, John Lyons, Theodore May, Adam Lohnes, James Donahue, John McMurray, Rufus Kipp, Charles H. Brownell, Onesimus Philardo, Lewis Smith, Jordan G. Hall, Alonzo Jones, Albert Wager, John Wager, Marshal Ihiscox, Theo- dore P. Pyser, Levi B. Brundage.
"There is little ont of the usual line to be related regarding the schools of Pittstown. The first school is supposed to have been established about 1285 by William Hammonds at North Pittstown. Four or five years later a second school was established at Sherman's Mills by Rebecca Thompson. At the town meeting in the spring of 1796 Israel Thompson, Hazael Shepard, Jonathan Rouse, Simeon Button and Samuel Douglass were elected commissioners. In pursuance of the law of 1813 Jesse Finne, Michael S. Vandereook and Stephen L. Viele were elected school commissioners. Under the system of supervision by school superintendents, inaugurated in 1844, the first to hold office was Peter P. Abbott. Johnsonville and Valley Falls both maintain excellent graded schools.
From an industrial and commercial standpoint Johnsonville is the leading village of Pittstown. It is located on the Iloosick river, the Fitchburg railroad and the Greenwich & Johnsonville railway. The
IRA R. TRAVELL.
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TOWN OF PITTSTOWN.
principal industry supporting the place is the big axe factory now eon- trolled by the American Edge Tool company. Johnsonville was named in honor of William Johnson, who settled there early in the nineteenth century and established a brick grist mill and saw mill. Entirely through his energy and enterprise the village grew rapidly. The place originally had been known as " the Liek;" but he disliked the name and arbitrarily changed it to Johnsonville. It was not until after his death, however, that that name was generally adopted. In 1852 the Troy & Boston (Fitchburg) Railroad company painted the name of Johnsonville aeross its station there, and from that time all opposition to the change was at an end.
The bridge across the Iloosick river at Johnsonville was established as a toll bridge about 1825, and the first gate-keeper was a man named Miller.
The axe factory owned by the American Edge Tool company is a large institution, employing many hands when in operation. It was established about half a century ago, and for many years it was the property of Lane, Gale & Co. It turns out hundreds of thousands of axes annually, which are sent to all parts of the world. The factory was badly damaged by fire September 13, 1896. There are also several other less important manufacturing concerns, and the village is liber- ally supplied with stores.
Within recent years the village of Valley Falls has grown to be one of the principal ones in the town.1 It lies partly in Pittstown and partly in Schaghticoke. Less than a score of years ago the industries of the village were enumerated as follows :?
The old Eagle mower factory, now E. F. Herrington's general machine works; the grist mull by 11. J. Herrington ; the linen mill of James Thompson, a large establish- ment making linen cords, mosquito-netting and many similar varieties of work; the station and other buildings on the Troy & Boston railroad ; a new store, by James Thompson, the proprietor of the linen mill; a store by James Doran; a carpenter shop by William Miller, and a hotel by L. S. Reed; Herrington's foundry, Joseph Parker's hardware store and tin shop; Valley Falls hotel, Walter A. Groesbeck ; store of David C. Newcomb; E. D. Merrick, builder; carriage shop; Lohnas & Cunning- ham, dealers in coal and lumber, and general produce buyers; Silas J. Herrington, selling agricultural implements, and general produce dealer; Albert J. Stover, simi- lar business; George W. Finch, civil engineer; H. D. Stover, hay and straw press,
1 The author is indebted to Harry A. Askins, Esq., of Schaghticoke for much of the inform. tion contained in this chapter.
2 Sylvester's History of Rensselaer County, 1879.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
dealing in country produce; tin shop and hardware, by Joseph Parker; Patrick Cas sidy, blacksmith; Sheldon & Merrick, builders; Elwell & Miller, builders; William and James Miller, wagon-making, woodwork; Martin Hoyt, blacksmith, wagon- making, iron-work; Benjamin Street, shoemaker.
The principal manufacturing concern of this village to-day is the firm of James Thompson & Co., who are engaged in the manufacture of flax and hemp twines, mosquito netting, tarlatans and buckram, occupying a mill site on the south bank of the Hoosiek river. These mills were originally operated by James Thompson, who has been a practical manufacturer since 1852, and who acquired the property on which the present building stands in 1870. Mr. Thompson demolished, with one exception, all the old buildings which were on the premises, and which had been operated as a twine mill by Lape & Sproat, and commenced the erection of a large brick mill in 1871. Several years later he built a large cotton mill in which to conduct the manufacture of mosquito netting and buckram, which had been previously carried on in New York city. In 1878 the firm of James Thompson & Co. was formed, Mr. Thompson taking as a partner R. A. Schoneman of New York. Four additional buildings were erected in 1880 and still an- other in 1881.
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