USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 59
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A Frec Union Methodist church was established a short distance . east of Dunham's Hollow many years ago.
The Baptist church at East Nassau was founded in 1879, in which year the house of worship was erected.1
In 1807 a Presbyterian church was established at East Nassau, with the Rev. John Younglove as the first pastor. The house of worship was erected by this and the Baptist societies, and was known as the Union church. It was destroyed by fire in 1853. The following year the Presbyterian congregation built its own house of worship, the dedi- cation occurring in January, 1855. The Rev. Mr. Barker is said to have been the first pastor.
The Methodist church at East Nassau was erected in 1834, the eon- gregation having originated in a class organized four years before.
In 1839 the Methodists of Brainard organized a church society and at once erected a house of worship, the site being donated to the society by Seth Hastings. In 1875 a new church was erected. The society for many years was connected as a charge with the church at Nassau.
The Catholic church at Nassau was started about thirty years ago, the congregation being under the care of the priest in charge of the church at Sand Lake.
The Free Communion Baptist church at Alps was incorporated July 29, 1878, having been organized January 23, 1877, by members of the societies at Stephentown and Nassau. The Rev. William H. Fonerden was the first pastor.
' In the case of this church and several others it has been impracticable to obtain all the in- formation desired. R is believed the essential facts in all the older and most important churches have been secured.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
SUPERVISORS OF NASSAU.
1806-1810 Jonathan lloag; 1811, Fenner Palmer; 1812-1813, Barent Van Vleck ; 1814-1816, Fenner Palmer; 1817-1818, Bernard Hicks; 1819-1820, Chauncey Porter; 1821-1822, William P. Hermance; 1823-1824, Fenner Palmer; 1825, C. Porter; 1826- 1829, Bernard Hicks; 1830-1833, llenry Lord; 1834, Ryer Hermance; 1835, Stephen Phillips; 1836-1834, Henry Lord; 1838-1840, S. W. Hoag; 1841, R. Hermance; 1842. Chester Griswold; 1843, Seth Hastings; 1844. A. Bingham; 1845, E. B. Tifft; 1846, S. Waterbury; 1847. Joseph Tifft; 1848, E. B. Tifft; 1849, G. W. Norton; 1850-1851, O. C. Thompson; 1852-1853, A. Bingham; 1854-1855. R. W. MeClellan; 1856, S. Waterbury ; 1857-1858, F. 11. Hastings; 1859, C. W. Herrick; 1860. S. Waterbury; 1861-1862, D. Hermance; 1863, B. II. Lord; 1864-1865, J. C Enos; 1866, S. W. Ambler; 1867, Daniel Lewis; 1868, J. M. Witbeck ; 1869-1870, S. Waterbury; 1871- 1873, J. T. Germond; 1874-1876, Gardner Morey; 1877-1878, Giles Kirby; 1879-1880, Barnis C. Strait; 1881, John Van Valkenburgh; 1882-1883, P. F. Palmateer; 1884, Jedediah Chapman; 1885, Giles Kirby; 1886, Calvin Van Salisbury: 1887, Gardner P. Morey; 1888, George II. Yadeau; 1889, Alphonso Waterbury; 1890-1893, George H. Yadeau; 1894- - , M. R. Millius.
TOWN CLERKS OF NASSAU.
1806-1816, William C. Elmore; 1817-1818, Isaae B. Fox; 1819-1821, Asa Savage; 1822-1825, William Finek ; 1826-1830, Aaron V. Waterbury; 1831-1832, Jonathan G. Tifft; 1833-1834, Wilson H. Crandall; 1835, Samuel B. Ludlow; 1836, Edwin R. Ball; 1837-1838, Charles Waterbury ; 1839-1841 Edwin R. Ball; 1842, Schuyler Waterbury ; 1843, Anson Bingham; 1844, Joseph Fursman; 1945, Schuyler Waterbury ; 1846, James C. Enos; 1847-1848, George W. Norton; 1849, Samuel Stover; 1850, Anson Bingham; 1851-1853, Wm. W. Hemenway; 1854, James II. Ball; 1855, Leander O. Daboll; 1856, David E. Waterbury; 1857-1858, Daniel Hermance; 1859, Sylvester Waterbury; 1860, Herman L. Lester; 1861, Edwin II. Crossett; 1862, Melville B. Lord: 1863, Gardner Morey; 1864-1865, Nelson Webster: 1866, James A Cotton : 186 1870, Augustus Jolls; 1871 1838, George O, Daboll ; 1871 1876, 11. Jerome Hayes; 1877 1878, James C. Hitchcock ; 1879 1880, George W. Witbeck ; 1881, Charles M. Fellows; 1889-1883, George Raeder; 1884-1885, M. R Millius; 1886-1887, S. P. Waterbury; 1888-1889, W. Il. Sweet; 1890-1891, F. Wring; 1892-1893, D. Aaron Ilogeboom; 1894 ---- , Charles II. Hnested. 1
JUSTICES OF THE PRACE OF NASSAU.
1827, William P. Hermance, James Hoag, Samuel Waterbury; 1828, Samuel Waterbury; 1829, John Van Dusen; 1830, James Hoag; 1831, Spencer Whiting; 1832, none reported elected this year; 1833, John G. Dusenbury; 1834, James Hoag; 1835, Spencer Whiting; 1836, Lewis Waterbury; 1837. John G. Dusenbury, Lyman Valdenburgh; 1838, John G. Dusenbury (v.); Joshua Coleman (f. t.); 1839, Lyman Valdenburgh; 1840, Epaphroditus Devereux; 1811, Sylvester Van Valkenburgh;
1 Credit is due Mr. Huested for material assistance received in the compilation of this chapter.
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TOWN OF POESTENKILL.
1842, George W. Norton (v.); Oliver C. Thompson (f. L.); 1813, Henry Kirby ; 1841, Lewis J. Waterbury; 1815, George W. Strait; 1846, Thomas Ten Eyck; 1817, Henry Kirby; 1848, Oliver C. Thompson : 1849, George W. Norton; 1850, William Hemen- way, Thomas Ten Eyck ; 1851, Henry Kirby (f. t.); Daniel Hermance (v.); 1852, Oliver C. Thompson; 1853, Dennis Lewis; 1851, James C. Enos; 1855, Henry Kirby; 1856, Oliver C. Thompson; 1857, Dennis Lewis; 1858, James C. Enos; 1859, Henry Kirby ; 1860, Alexander Il. Tucker; 1861, Dennis Lewis; 1862, James C. Enos; 1863. Henry Kirby; 1861, Henry Il. Tucker; 1865, Dennis Lewis; 1866, James G. Enos; 1867, James Van Valkenburgh; 1868, Alexander II. Tucker; 1869, Carlos Ambler; 1870, James C. Enos, J. F. N. Davis; 1871, James Van Valkenburgh, Nelson Webster; 1872, James G. Brown; 1873, Lorenzo Strait; 1874, James C. Enos; 1815, John Van Valkenburgh; 1826, Henry W. Vickery; 1877, Nathaniel C. Varden, Frank E Boughton; 1878, James C. Enos, Lorenzo Strait; 1869, F. E. Boughton; 1880, Henry W. Vickery ; 1881, David Kilmer; 1882, Jantes C. Enos; 1883, 11. S. Van Valkenburgh ; 1881, Thomas Powell; 1845, David Kilmer; 1886, Frank Hall; 1887, George W. Wit- beck ; 1888, Thomas Powell; 1889, James Thomson ; 1890, Frank Hall; 1891, George W. Witbeck; 1892, Thomas Powell; 1893, James Thomson; 1894, James C. Enos; 1895, George W. Witbeck ; 1896, Henry W. Vickery.
CHAPTER XXXIL.
TOWN OF POESTENKILL.
The town of Poestenkill takes its name from the Poesten kill, one of the most important streams in Rensselaer county, from an industrial standpoint. It is located just south of a line running from east to west through the centre of the county, and is bounded on the north by Brunswick and Grafton, on the east by Berlin, on the south by Sand Lake and on the west by North Greenbush. It is one of the smallest towns in Rensselaer county, as well as the youngest. Poestenkill was formed from Sand Lake March 2, 1818, since which time there has been no change in its boundaries.
The western part of the town is hilly and the soil fairly well adapted to agriculture and grazing. The central and eastern portions are rocky and mountainous and not productive, except in a few localities where the husbandman, by years of toil, has succeeded in bringing the natur- ally sterile land up to a fairly productive state. The most prominent elevation is Snake hill, near the centre of the town. The principal stream is the Poesten kill, which rises in the eastern portion of the
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
town and flows northwesterly through Brunswick, emptying into the Hudson at Troy. There are several ponds in Poestenkill, the most important being Hieks's pond, south of East Poestenkill; Hosford pond, in the northeastern section, and Cooper and Vosburgh ponds, in the western section. These drain nearly all the creeks in the town.
About five years before the War of the Revolution the first settlers moved into Poestenkill from Troy, Lansingburgh, Greenbush and other portions of the valley of the Hudson. Among the first persons to found homes within the limits of the town were the Whyland, Ives and Lynd families, but it is not known positively that they were the earliest inhabit- ants. Archelaus Lynd located near Poestenkill village about 1770 on land leased of the patroon. He had four sons, three of whom, Archelaus, John and Leonard, remained in Poestenkill. About the same time Jacob Why- land located a short distance east of Poestenkill village Four of his sons, John, Leonard, Jacob and Barnard, settled in the town. Lazarus Ives, who came from Connecticut, settled about a mile north of Poestenkill vil- lage as early as 1770. He leased several hundred acres of the patroon and at once engaged in agriculture and stock raising. Christopher and Lazarus, two of his sons, remained in town and became prosperous farmers. The settlements were made in the western part of the town first, but as soon as the wilderness had been opened up others pushed their way rapidly into the country to the east. David J. De Freest, S. Barringer, Frederick Barringer, John Barringer, Jacob Fosmire, Gideon Reed, Jacob Moul, Peter Moul, Jolin Polock, John Clint, Vincent Castle, William Plass, Bernard Weatherwax, Jacob Muller, Stephen Muller, Henry W. Koon, Stephen R. Himes, William Cooper, Philip Simmons and Samuel Delamater were early settlers in the northwest part of the town, at or near Poestenkill village. South of them, in the southwestern portion of the town, were Peter Minnick, Philip Strunk, Peter Link, John N. Liphite, Stephen Liphite, Coonradt Snyder and Thomas Blewer.
John Cottrell, whose descendants, like himself, became influential citizens, eame from Roxbury, Mass., and located about 1807 three miles east of Poestenkill village. He was the father of nine children. One of his sons, George Cottrell, remained on the homestead. James Cottrell and William L. Cottrell also located in the town. Elder Alderman Baker was another prominent pioneer of the eastern section of the town. He was a farmer and a local Baptist preacher for many years, the old church at East Poestenkill being known for many years
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TOWN OF POESTENKILL.
as Elder Baker's church. Other early settlers in the eastern portion of the town were Joseph Amidon, a pioneer tavern keeper at East Poestenkill; Simon Dingman, who came from East Greenbush about 1819; Henry Searles, Solomon Cady, Josiah Hull, John Stevens, David Horton, Samuel Cottrell, Reuben Babcock, Levi Trumbull, Royal Cady, Frederick Cramer, Edmund Wheeler and Coonradt Colehamer.
Poestenkill is not a large town and on account of its location it was not a very important throughfare for stage traffic in its early days, consequently the number of taverns was limited. The earliest tavern in town of which there is any record was located at Poestenkill village and was owned by Samuel Delamater. It afterward became known as the Blewer tavern, or Union hall, having passed into the hands of Stephen V. R. Blewer. Among the proprietors before the latter were Jacob Clark, Henry Ensign, Leonard Lynd and Darius Allen. Wil- liam Barber built an early tavern, and Ebenezer Barringer followed him with the third or fourth in town. Later tavern keepers in town were Eri Streeter, Ilenry Lance, George Kilmer, Isaac Allen, Wait Winchell, Benjamin Barber, Reuben Babcock and David Horton, jr. Reuben Babcock's tavern was located near Barberville as early as 1810. 'Twenty years later Reuben Babeock also had a tavern at Ives's Cor- ners.
Abram Newman is reported to have been the proprietor of the first store at Poestenkill village, which was doubtless the first in the town. About 1852 Jeremiah L. Beeker started a store at Poestenkill. In con- nection with his tavern Samuel R. Delamater ran a store, which for many years afterward was run by his successors in the tavern. Near East Poestenkill Cyrus Amidon was one of the earliest storekeepers. Eliphalet Himes engaged in trade there as early as 1847. Other early tradesmen in the town included John Rockenstyre, Gregory & Fonda, Coonradt C. Cooper, George Barber, Dennis Amidon, John King, George Henderson, Miles Clark and others.
Dr. Matthew Moody, who was in practice at Poestenkill village for many years, was probably the earliest physician in the town. At Bar- berville Dr. Elmer was an early practitioner. Dr. Peter F. Westervelt and Luther H. Barber were other early practitioners who enjoyed an extensive ride. Early lawyers who had a large practice were George Davitt, Eleazer Wooster and his son, Albert E. Wooster, who removed to Troy and was elected district attorney of Rensselaer county, serving from 1876 to 1879.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
The first school in the town was established in 1788 or soon after, in Poestenkill village, the land devoted to the purpose being donated by General Stephen Van Rensselaer March 12, 1788. Later it became the site of the school house in District No. 3. Another early school house was located near the old Poestenkill hotel. About 1840 a more pretentious building was built in the village, and from 1855 to 1865 the Poestenkill academy was maintained by Prof. Martin and others in the building afterward used as the Disciples' church. The common schools in the town at this time have a high standing, and some of the best known educators in the county have been teachers therein.
It was about a month after the incorporation of Poestenkill before the first town meeting was held. It took place at the house of Jeremiah L. Beeker April 4, 1848. John Amidon was selected as moderator and David Luce as elerk, and these officers were chosen :
Supervisor, James Henderson, jr .; town clerk, David Luce; superintendent of schools, Eleazer Flint; assessors, John I. Vosburgh, Benjamin B. Randall and Harmon Vanderzee; commissioners of highways, Barney Weatherwax and Stephen Austin ; justices of the peace, George Cottrell, George Barker and Benjamin Wilkin- son; overseers of the poor, Christian C. Cooper, Samuel Comick; constables, John Barker, Alonzo Whyland, William Cooper, John F. Whyland; collector, John Barker; sealer of weights and measures, James D. Simmons.
The number of inhabitants in Poestenkill at the time of the War of the Revolution was small, nevertheless a fair proportion of the men served their country by carrying muskets during those trying eight years. Among them were Archelaus Lynd, Daniel Peck, William Sluyter, Barent Polock and a man named Windsor. Benjamin Cottrell who subsequently removed to Poestenkill, is said to have carried the first wheelbarrow load of earth for the intrenchments at Bunker Hill.
The towns records of the War of 181? have not been preserved, but it is known that William C. Cooper, Bugbee Feathers, George Horton, Joel Peek and Thomas Morrison served in that war and joined the Eddy expedition.
The town came promptly to the front with its full quotas of men during the War of the Rebellion. Those who died in the service in this memorable struggle for the preservation of the Union were:
Daniel M. Horton, Philip Amidon, Daniel Morrison, John Wagoner, George Bradt, Dexter Randall, William H. HI. Wood, Martin Larabee, Willard Bailey, W. L. Robbins, George Simmons, and William H. Mason.
None of the hamlets in the town of Poestenkill are very populous.
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TOWN OF POESTENKILL.
The principal one is Poestenkill, which is located on the Poesten kill in the western part of the town. Its settlement has already been de- seribed. At the close of the first quarter of the nineteenth century the business of the hamlet consisted of a saw mill, a store and a hotel. Earlier in its history several small industries were located there, in- cluding a tannery operated by John Beals. There were also several large bath houses for the convenience of those desiring to avail them- selves of the mineral springs near the hamlet, which many years ago made the place a popular resort by reason of their supposed curative properties. In 1813 or 1814 a flood, following two days' heavy rainfall, destroyed the tannery, bath-houses and several other buildings. About 1835 the post-office was established, with Dr. Luther H. Barber as postmaster.
For several years a cotton batting factory was operated in the rear of the Blewer tavern by William L. Hoag and Nicholas Taylor. The latter also was proprietor of a tannery and flax mill Later on John HI. Dater had a small shirt factory there and William L. Hoag made wagons there about 1875. The village now contains a population vary- ing from 300 to 400, but the industries are not so important as they once were.
The other hamlets are East Poestenkill, in the eastern portion of the town, formerly known as Columbia; Barberville, about a mile easterly from Poestenkill, and Ives's Corners, a small hamlet near the centre of the town. The principal industry in the vicinity of East Poestenkill for many years was the shirt and collar factory of Joel B. Dingman.
The first regular church organization in Poestenkill was that of the First Baptist church, which was organized in 1814. Elder Alderman Baker was the first pastor, and the church edifice, which was originally a wagon shop standing about a mile west of East Poestenkill, was locally known as "Elder Baker's church." Elder Baker worked his farm six days of the week and conducted the religious services here the seventh. In 1858 or 1859 a new house of worship was erected.
As early as 1820, perhaps a few years prior to that time, a Dutch Reformed society existed at Poestenkill village, the meeting house be- ing the one subsequently occupied by the Disciples' church. The Rev. Henry Bellinger was its pastor for many years. The society subse- quently became consolidated with that at Wynantskill.
The Franckean Evangelical Lutheran church of Poestenkill was organ- ized August 11, 1833, and was connected with Raymertown and West
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
Sand Lake as a pastoral charge. The first house of worship was dedi- cated November 13, 1832, and the second on Christmas eve, 1865. The first pastor of the society was the Rev. J. D. Lawyer. A parsonage was built in 1860, and numerous improvements to the church property have been made since that date.
The First Free Baptist church of Poestenkill was organized in 1834 with Elder Miller as pastor, and a house of worship was built soon afterward on the elevation known as Oak Hill. Several years later another was erected about a mile west of East Poestenkill.
The Church of the Disciples of Christ in Poestenkill village was or- ganized about 1870 and soon after occupied its own house of worship. Its early membership was small, but its development in later years has been marked.
The Methodist Episcopal church at East Poestenkill dates from 1872. In the fall of 1871, through the influence of Reuben Peckham of Troy, George Hudson, a local preacher residing at Castleton, went to Dyking Pond (West Berlin) and preached in a school house. Several of those attending these services, mostly Germans, were converted. Soon after the Troy Praying band began holding services, and during the winter a charge now known as the Columbia charge was formed. March 27, 18:2, the Troy Conference accepted the territory as a mission and the Rev. E. A. Blanchard was appointed pastor. A house of worship was built at once, and October 11, 1872, Rev Merritt Hulburd of the Hudson Street M. E. church of Albany preached the dedicatory sermon. The edifice cost $6,500, and the parsonage $1,000. A bell costing $350 was placed in the tower of the church at the expense of Mrs. Seth B. Foster and Mrs. Waterman.
SUPERVISORS OF POPSTENKILL.
1848-1849, J. Ilenderson; 1850, E. Wooster; 1851, C. Sliter; 1852-1853, J. I. Vos- burgh; 1854-1855, L. Lynd; 1856, J. I. Vosburgh; 1857, L. Lynd; 1858-1859, D. Amidon; 1860-1861, L. Lynd; 1862-1863, G. W. Davitt; 1861, L. J. Barnes; 1865- 1866, G. W. Davitt; 1867, L. Lynd; 1868-1869, George H. Cooper; 1870, L. Lynd ; 1871-1872, J. J. Sliter; 1873, L. B. Whyland; 1874-1875, H. Herrington; 1876, George II. Cooper; 1877, Wm. L. Cottrell; 1878, George H. Cooper; 1879-1880. Albert W. Davitt; 1881-1882, L. Lynd; 1883, George II. Cooper: 1884-1885, J. H. Whyland; 1886-1888, Hammond Herrington; 1889-1890, Albert W. Davitt; 1891-1892, George N. Cottrell; 1893- - , Frank R. Dustin.
TOWN CLERKS OF PORSTENKILL ..
1848, David Luce; 1850, John J. Place; 1851, Jeremiah L. Becker; 1855, Charles
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TOWN OF GRAFTON.
N. Quitterfield; 1856, David B. Clark; 1857, Nicholas Taylor; 1858, Coonradt C. Cooper; 1859, Ives Lynd; 1860, George W. Taylor; 1861, Jacob II. Whyland; 1863, Daniel N. Place; 1864, William O. Ives: 1865, Charles II. Reed; 1867, Casper Paw- ley; 1868, Jacob II. Whyland; 1871-1884, Thomas Nelson ; 1885-1886, Arthur Nel- son; 1887, Edgar Prediger; 1888-1890, Arthur Nelson; 1891-1895, J. II. Dater; 1896- ---- , Nicholas Pawley. 1
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE OF POESTENKILL.
18.18, George Cottrell, George Barber, Benjamin Wilkerson ; 1849, Eleazer Wooster, Samuel Carmik; 1850, William II. Snyder, George Cottrell; 1851, George Barber; 1852, Abner Garrison; 1853, William H. Snyder; 1854, George Cottrell; 1855, Solon Bingham, jr., William Slaughter; 1856, Ezra W. Haskins; 1857, Edmund Cole ; 1858, James Ives, William Cooper; 1859, William Cooper, David Fonda; 1860, David Fonda; 1861, Wilham II. Snyder; 1862, James Ives; 1863, William Cooper; 1864, George Barber; 1865, William II. Snyder; 1866, James Ives; 1867, Leonard M. Ilorton; 1868, William Cooper; 1869, William II. Snyder, George Barber; 1870, James Ives; 1871, William A. Snook; 1872, George Barber; 1873, William II. Snyder; 1874, James Ives; 1875, William A. Snook; 1876, George Barber; 1877, William H. Snyder; 1878, William Cooper; 1879, William A. Snook; 1880, George Barber; 1881, William II. Snyder; 1882, James Ives; 1883, William A. Snook; 1884, William Cooper; 1885, Charles II. Read; 1886, James Ives; 1887, Wilham A. Snook ; 1888, George Barber; 1889, Charles II. Read; 1890, James Ives; 1891, William A. Snook: 1892, George Barber; 1893, J. II. Bonesteel;# 1894, Albertus Austin ; 1895, William A. Snook; 1896, George Barber, jr.
CHAPTER XXXIII. TOWN OF GRAFTON.
The town of Grafton is located north of the centre of Rensselaer county. It is bounded on the north by Pittstown and Hoosick, on the east by Petersburgh, on the south by Berlin and Poestenkill and on the west by Brunswick. Like Stephentown it is rectangular in shape. Its surface contains more small lakes and ponds than any other town in the county, and these are the headwaters of many streams flowing in every direction. The town may be said to be the centre of the water-
Credit is due Mr. Pawley for compiling late statistics pertaining to the officers of the town of Poestenkill.
2 Did not qualify. 71
1
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
shed of Rensselaer county. The town is described as follows in the Revised Statutes of New York State:
The town of Grafton shall contain all that part of said county bounded westerly by Brunswick, southerly by Sand Lake and Berlin, northerly by the north bounds of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, easterly by a line to commence on the said north bounds, seven miles east of the northeast corner of Brunswick, and running from thence southerly, parallel to the east line of Brunswick, to the north line of Berlin.
Grafton possesses the most uneven surface of any town in the county. It is located within the limits of the Petersburgh range of mountains and the principal peaks in the town reach an altitude of from a thou- sand to twelve hundred feet above the level of the sea. A small por- tion of the land only is cultivable, but the hillsides afford excellent grazing. Nevertheless many of the inhabitants of Grafton have farms which, by years of constant care and cultivation, have been rendered almost as prodnetive as any within the county. As already stated, ponds and small streams are very abundant. Cranberry lake, in the southern part, is the source of the Quacken kill, which flows by a devious route to the western limits of the town, affording numerous excellent mill sites. In the northern part of the town are several ereeks flowing towards the Hoosick valley. The ponds of Grafton are noted for the purity and high quality of their water, and some of them on this ac- count have frequently been considered as available sources of supply for Troy's drinking water. Among the principal ponds, some of which are exceedingly picturesque, are White Lily pond, so named for the water lilies which abound therein; Babcock's pond, named in honor of an early inhabitant long known as " Honest John " Babcock; Long pond, so maaned on account of its shape; South Long pond, Peckham pond, Hayner pond, Gravel pond, Mud ponds, Mill pond and Red pond, all of which names are of obvious sources.
The question of the first settlement of Grafton has never been set- tled. The names of the first white men who built new homes in the wilderness and the date of their coming probably never will be known. In all probability, however, the town was the last in Rensselaer county to become settled. Grafton was formed from the towns of Troy and Petersburgh March 20, 180G, and even at this comparatively late day it had few inhabitants. Abel Owen is generally believed to have been the first man to enter the rather unattractive mountain wilderness and build himself a home. He wasasturdy farmer, an indefatigable laborer, and to encourage further settlement the patroon gave him a grant of
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