USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 60
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TOWN OF GRAFTON.
two hundred acres or more of what was then thought to be the best land in that section adapted to farming. Mr Owen was not long with- out neighbors, if indeed there were not one or more families located in that vicinity when he built his log house.
There is nothing to show when Mr. Owen moved to Grafton, but from subsequent settlements and other occurrences it is thought that it could not have been very long before the War of the Revolution. Possibly it was several years later, during that war or at its close. Immediately after the period when the colonists were fighting for in- dependence, or beginning with 1784 or 1285, several families leased land in Grafton of General Van Rensselaer and began the cultivation of the land there. Abel Owen is recorded as a Revolutionary soldier, so that the preponderance of opinion is that no settlements were made in the town until the closing years of the war or later. Perhaps those who located there in the years mentioned accompanied Owen. About 1786 the latter had at least two or three neighbors, families named Coon and Demmon being early lessees of the patroon's lands. About 1796 Abel Owen sold his farm to Lemuel Steward and removed with his family to Onondaga county.
Among the other early inhabitants, during the eighteenth century, were John Babcock, who came from Rhode Island abont the close of the Revolution; Elkanah Smith, who came from New Jersey; William Scriven, from Rhode Island, who located in the eastern part of the town; Joshua Banker, John Phillips, Thomas Phillips; Abel Ford, who came from Massachusetts; David Mills, John Mills; Francis Broek, who came from Vermont; John Monroe, one of the first settlers in the north- ern part of the town; Rufus Rix, Solomon Smith, John P. Havner, Daniel Littlefield, Solomon Root, Francis West, Captain Charles Perry, Nathaniel Dumbleton, who came from Grafton, Vt., in 1996; Henry Coonradt, Daniel Saunders, Godfrey Howard, Henry Hydorn, John Ilydorn, Marcus Simmons and Lodewick Bonesteel. Others who re- moved to the town some time prior to 1813, as shown by the jury lists and assessment rolls, included Marins (probably Marcus) Simmons, Stephen Chandler, Nathan West, Ezra Davidson, Daniel Smith, Ziba Hewitt, Patrick Agan, Thomas West, Rev. Carey Rogers, William Potter, Matthew Maxon, Joseph Burdick, Nathan Hakes, jr., Joshua Seriven, Jedediah Wellman, Abraham File, Jacob File, Reuben Gallup, Zebulon Scriven, Walter Durkee, John Worthington, John T. Hanor, Clark Rogers, Benjamin Rogers, John Twogood, Luke Clark, Ben- jamin Phillips, Christopher Mitchell.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
Nathaniel Dumbleton, who was first elected to the office of supervisor, removed to the town from Grafton, Vt., and tradition says that through his influenee the town received the name which it has since borne. The first town meeting was held soon after the organization, on the first Tuesday of April, 1807, at the house of Nathan Ilakes. Joseph Berwick was chosen moderator and these town officers were elected :
Supervisor, Nathaniel Dumbleton; town clerk, David S. Crandall; assessors, Pat- rick Agan, Ziba Hewitt, John Babcock; overseers of the poor, Joseph Burdick, Ben- jamin West; commissioners of highways, Samuel Prindall, James West 2nd, Jede- diah Wellman; collector, Joseph Burdick, jr. ; constables, Ethan Maxon, Simeon Smith, Joseph Burdick, jr. ; overseers of highways and fence viewers, Thomas West, Jonathan Brooks, James West, John Worthington, Nathan West, Joseph Burdick, John Phillips, Mareus Simmons, William Snyder, Henry Coonradt, John Reed, Syl- vester Chase, Peter Wager, Stephen Chandler, Walter Durkee, William Scriven, Francis Brook, Zebulon Scriven 2nd, Jonathan M. Seriven, Michael Brenanstuhl, Charles Hall, John Babcock ; poundmasters, Thomas Smith, Joseph Scriven, John Babcock.
Two taverns are mentioned by various authorities as the earliest in town. One was located at East Grafton and was built and maintained by Thomas Seriven; the other was located in the western part of the town and was kept by Elijah Terry. The tavern of S. McChesney was opened about the year 1800. The Grafton house was built abont 1838 by General Van Rensselaer. It was the most pretentious affair in the town and for many years one of the most prominent taverns in the een- tral part of the county.
About the year 1800 Josiah Litchfield opened a general store at Quackenkill, erecting a saw mill about the same time. S. McChesney, in addition to his tavern, also kept an early store at Quackenkill. Gen. eral Van Rensselaer built a grist mill in 1836 or 1836. These were for many years the principal business enterprises in Grafton.
The first physician to practice in town of whom there is any knowl- edge was Dr. Rufus S. Waite, a native of Petersburgh, who came to Grafton Centre from Brownsville, N. Y., in 1819. He practiced for about forty years and became widely known throughout Rensselaer county. Dr. Amos Allen, also a native of Petersburgh, settled in Grafton in 1846, immediately after his graduation from the Berkshire Medical School. For many years Dr. Allen was the only physician in the town.
When, in pursuance of the school law of 1812-1813, the town voted its first appropriation for the maintenance of the schools at public ex-
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565
TOWN OF GRAFTON.
pense, Jedediah Wellman, Daniel Mills and Thomas West were chosen school commissioners. In the fall of 1813 the town was divided into ten districts, and soon after a common school was maintained in each distriet. In common with all other towns of the State the school sys- tem was changed from time to time in accordance with legislative en- actment. Under the system of supervision by town superintendents, Thomas W. Potter served in 1844 and 1845, John C. Potter in 1846, Paul K. Davison in 1847 and 1848, Dr. Amos Allen from 1850 to 1853 and Daniel H. Davison from 1854 to 1856. The schools to day have an excellent standing and are well attended.
December 19, 1845, occurred a tragedy in Grafton, one of many taking place in Rensselaer eounty during the famous Anti-Rent War. It was the shooting of Elijah Smith by an unknown person during one of the numerous struggles which took place between the anti renters and the authorities of the county. Several of the older inhabitants of the town remember the crime.
The early industries of Grafton have been briefly referred to in pre- ceding pages in this chapter. Saw mills were among the earliest en- terprises, as they were rendered necessary by the presence of an almost unbroken forest over mountain and valley. These mills also sent out large quanties of tan bark, and vast quantities of the wood were re- duced to charcoal and sent to nearby markets. As the timber was cleared away the inhabitants began to pay more attention to agricul- ture, stock raising and dairying, which to day form the leading indus- trial pursuits of the town. Grist mills followed the raising of grain and the rearing of stock. The manufacture of shirts was begun about 1855 by Caleb W Scriven, who introduced the first sewing machine in the town. The work was done by his employes at their homes and the product of their toil was sent to New York city. Others who engaged in the business at an early day were the firm of J. II. & A. II. Scriven, Ford & Bennett and their successors. Many families in town have found the industry a profitable one.
Among the early proprietors of saw mills, grist mills, etc., may be mentioned the following: Saw mills-John Steward, at Cranberry pond; Joseph Burdick, on the Rensselaer pond; Ebenezer Stevens, John Armsbury, John Baxter, Dennis Baxter, Simeon Smith, George Avery, --- Shaver, - Worthington, Philip Bonesteel, James Hill, John P. Hayner, William Hydorn, Josiah Littlefield and others. Some authorities say that the latter built the first saw mill, and that it was
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located on the Quaeken kill about 1800. Two years later General Van Rensselaer built a grist mill near the Centre, the first in town. The McChesney saw mill at Quackenkill was one of the first, and was built about 1803.
Daniel B. Biddle of New York began the manufacture of paint in the town about 1857 or 1858, using the red argillite, which abounds in that vicinity, for the base of the product. Before 1830 a mill for the manu- facture of Prussian blue was established south of Quackenkill. In 1864 a chair factory was established a short distance below Mill pond in a building ereeted for a woolen factory but never operated as such. Near by Albertus Stevens had a small carding mill. Further down was an early paint mill established many years ago by Potter Maxon, who is reputed to have been the originator of the mineral paint busi- ness in this country. Dennis Baxter was associated with him at one time. After being used as a paint factory for more than a score of years the building came into possession of Smith & Randall, who established a cloth-dressing mill at that point. In the same vicinity, on the Shaver pond stream, the Martin mill and the Littlefield saw mill were early enterprises. In the northwestern part of the town was the Rifenburgh saw mill, near which were the Douglass mill and that of Coonradt Ham. Jonathan Broek, Aaron Eldridge, Samuel Stowell, Joseph McChesney, Tompkins Hull and others were among mill owners doing business in the first half of the nineteenth century. From time to time industries of a different character have been established in town, but most of these were abandoned after a few years. Among these may be mentioned John Babcock's distillery, the Parks tannery, Caleb Scriven's wood-turning factory, and other less important estab- lishments.
Grafton has no Revolutionary history, as the town was not settled at the beginning of that war. But many of the pioneers fought in that war and afterwards made their homes in Grafton. Abel Owen, John Barnhart, Abel Ford, James Scriven, Zebulon Seriven and John Seriven were among these. Among those who, in the War of 1812, joined the Eddy expedition to Plattsburgh, were Henry Simmons, Mat- thew Burdick, Alpheus Ford, Daniel Birdsall, Alpheus Dumbleton, John Howard and Varnum Jones. Benjamin Burdick served under General Custer in the famous Indian wars in the West. Alonzo War- ren, David Coons, Niles Beals, Melvin Wood and others have also served in the regular army of the United States.
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567
TOWN OF GRAFTON.
When the call to arms was sounded in 1861, Grafton sent all the men demanded of the town, abont seventy-five all told, and raised nearly $20,000 for war expenses. Those who died in the service of the United States in the War of the Rebellion were:
Samuel C. Burdick, Wesley Howard, Alonzo Green, David W. Crandall, jr., Levi Hayner, Charles G. Bruce, Charles Dumbleton, Stephen V. R. McChesney. Albert S. Hall, Amos B. Sweet, jr., and Levi Wagar. Adam Feathers and Calvin W. Feathers died in 1865 at their homes from diseases contracted in the army.
None of the three villages of Grafton is very large. The principal one is Grafton Centre, but like the others it is a hamlet rather than a village. It has always been the principal business centre of the town, but none of its industries have ever been of much magnitude. Saw mills, grist mills, wagon shops, blacksmith shops, shoe shops, general stores and several hotels at various periods have been the principal en- terprises.
East Grafton and Quackenkill are the other hamlets. A paint mill was established at the latter point many years ago by 11. S. S. Clark, the paint base being rock found in that vicinity. The Grafton mineral paint produced there became celebrated a quarter of a century ago.
A Baptist organization existed in Grafton at a very early day, soon after the settlement of the town, probably as early as 1800. The early Baptist families worshipped with the church in Berlin. Several small congregations existed in various parts of the town. In 1815 the Rev. Nathan Lewis, son of Elder John Lewis, was ordained to the charge of a congregation in Grafton, and four years later the Rev. Joseph D Rogers, son of Elder Corey Rogers, was ordained to look after the spiritual interests of another Baptist congregation. Both of these bodies were disbanded in 1827 and a new organization formed, services being held in the meeting house at Grafton Centre. This church, the first in the town, was built by General Stephen Van Rens- selaer, the patroon, not for any particular denomination but for the Christians of the town in general; but as the Baptist society happened to be the only one in the town at that time they were invited to occupy it, which they did. The Rev. Nathan Lewis and the Rev. Joseph D. Rogers became the first pastors of the society. About 1830 Elder David Gifford removed. to Grafton and frequently preached in the church. Work upon a new church edifice was began in 1852, being dedicated soon after under the pastorate of the Rev. Joseph D. Rogers. In 1879 the house of worship was remodeled, under the pastorate of
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
the Rev. H. J. S. Lewis. The church was connected with the Stephen- town Baptist association in 1832, and was legally incorporated August 14, 1841.
The Methodist families in Grafton held religious services at an early day, though the society was not incorporated until April 2, 1828. As early as 1800 the famous Lorenzo Dow had preached to the families of this denomination. The first church was known as the Hemlock church, and was located about a mile east of Quackenkill. Seven years after the incorporation of the society meetings were instituted at Graf- ton Centre in the old meeting house built by General Van Rensselaer. In 1877 the Hemlock church was torn down and used in the construc- tion of a parsonage at Grafton Centre, in connection with the new church edifice built there in that year.
The Free Methodist church at Grafton was incorporated June 18, 1872, though the society had been organized since January 5, 1863. The Rev. A. B. Burdick was the first pastor. The house of worship, a short distance east of Quackenkill, was erected in 1873.
The Free Will Baptist church of Grafton was incorporated July 20, 1873, soon after the organization of the society. The first pastor was the Rev. T. Choate Pratt.
SUPERVISORS OF GRAFTON.
1807-1808, Nathaniel Dumbleton; 1809-1817, Ziba Hewitt; 1818, John Babcock ; 1819-1823, Ziba Hewitt; 1824. John Babcock; 1825-1828, John Worthington; 1829- 1832, Ziba Ilewitt; 1833-1835, Nathan West; 1836, Ebenezer Stevens; 1837, Zebulon P. Burdick; 1838, Ebenezer Stevens; 1839, Ziba Hewitt; 18-10-1841, James McChes- nev: 1812 1843, David See, jr. ; 1841 1545, John M. Davison; 1816, Ira Allen; 186- 1818, Joseph 1. Wells, 1819 1850, Abjah D. Littlefield; 1851, Caleb W. Scriven ; 1852-1853, Paul D. Davison; 1554-1855, John Tilley; 1856 1557, Ebenezer Stevens; 1858, Amos Allen; 1859-1860, Daniel E. Saunders, a tie vote, but Daniel E. Saunders held over; 1861, John HI. Bonesteel; 1862, Peter F. Hydorn; 1863-1866, 1ra B. Ford ; 1867-1868, Caleb W. Scriven ; 1869-1872, Ira B. Ford; 1873-1876, Alva Il. Seriven; 1877-1879, Levi T. Dunham; 1880, none elected: 1881-1884, Harvey W. Ford; 1885- 1888, Joseph S. Saunders; 1889-1893, Calvin B. Dunham; 1894- -- , Charles Z. Bennett.
TOWN CLERKS OF GRAFTON.
1807, David S. Crandall; 1808, Elisha Wells; 1809-1811, David S. Crandall; 1812- 1813, Thomas West ; 1814, Lemuel Stewart; 1815-1822, William Potter; 1823, Elijah Smith; 1824-1828, Joseph A. Potter; 1829-1835, Joseph Burdick; 1836-1837, David See, jr. ; 1838, Potter Maxon; 1839, Joseph Burdick: 1810-1811, John M. Davison;
TOWN OF GRAFTON. 569
1842, Paul K. Davison ; 1813, Nathan T. Burdick; 1844-1815, Rufus S. Waite; 1816- 1847, Hiram B. Littlefield; 1848-1819, Joel T. Burdick; 1850-1851, Rufus S. Waite, jr. ; 1852-1853, Allen Maxon; 1854, Morgan Stevens; 1855, Joshua W. Hakes; 1856- 1858, Daniel E. Saunders; 1859-1860, Reuben S. F. Waite; 1861, George W. Maxon ; 1862-1868, Reuben S. F. Waite; 1869 1871, Amos B Sweet; 1872, George W. Maxon ; 1873-1874, Warren Steward; 1875-1876, Ilenry Whitney; 1877-1878, Braddock II. Peckham; 1879-1880, Harvey W. Ford; 1881-1884, Chester F. Waite; 1885-1887, William C. Waite; 1888-1892, Adelbert Maxon; 1893, Merritt E. Tilley; 1894, Fer- nando Babcock; 1896, Arthur M. Crandall. 1
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE OF GRAFTON.
Ezra Davison, sworn in February 24, 1823; Joseph Burdick, February 28, 1823; Nathan West, February 28, 1823; John Steward, December 31, 1827; Alpheus Dum- bleton, December 31, 1827; Nathan West, December 31, 1827; Francis West, De- cember 31, 1827; Alpheus Dumbleton, January 1, 1829; William Heydorn, December 31, 1829; John Steward, January 12, 1831.
The election of justices at town meetings commenced in 1831, and the list is as follows:
1831, Nathan West; 1832, Alpheus Dumbleton (full term), Daniel Mills (vacancy); 1833, Zebulon P. Burdick; 1831, (name omitted in records); 1835, Nathan West ; 1836, Israel Smith; 1837, Alpheus Dumbleton; 1838, John P. Davison; 1839, Andrew Hayner; 1840, Isaac Smith (full term), Andrus Brown (vacancy), Patrick Hill (va- cancy); 1841, Asa Partridge; 1842, Joseph D. Wells (full term), Ira Allen (vacancy); 1843, Leonard C. Burdick ; 1844, Eliphalet Steward ; 1845, Potter Maxon ; 1846, Andrew P. Ilayner; 1817, Leonard C. Burdick; 1848, Eliphalet Steward; 1849, William Hey- dorn; 1850, Nathan T. Burdick : 1851, Linus P. Worthington; 1852, Eliphalet Stew- ard; 1853, William lleydorn; 1854, Caleb Slade; 1855, Aaron F. Dumbleton ; 1856, Nathan T. Burdick; 1857, William Heydorn; 1858, Caleb Slade; 1859, Aaron F. Dumbleton; 1860, Rufus F. Waite; 1861, Varnum B. Jones; 1862, Nathan T. Bur- dick ; 1863, John II. Bonesteel; 1861, Joel T. Burdick : 1865, Varnum B. Jones; 1866, Elijah B. Howard; 1867, John 11. Bonesteel; 1868, Reuben S. F. Waite; 1869, Var- num B. Jones; 1870, Elijah B. Howard (full term), William Heydorn (vacancy); 1871, Nathan E. Burdick (full term); 1872, Reuben S. F. Waite; 1873, Ralph Westervelt ; 1874, Zebulon Tilley (full term), Benjamin F. Hayner (vacancy); 1875, Nathan T. Burdick (full term), Daniel J. Peckham (vacancy); 1876, Daniel J. Peckham (full term), William II. Simmons (vacancy); 1877, William 11. Simmons (full term), Will- iam F. Brown (vacancy); 1878, William B. Odell (full term), Iliram B. Phillips (va- cancy); 1879, Hiram B. Phillips (full term), Calvin B. Dunham (vacancy); 1880, Jo- seph S. Saunders; 1881, William II. Simmons; 1882, Calvin B. Dunham; 1883, Hiram Phillips; 1884, Joseph S. Saunders; 1885, William P. Brenenstuhl; 1886, Harvey W. Ford; 1887, Wesley O. Howard; 1888, Parley R. Seriven; 1889, M. V. B. Jones; 1890, Harper V. Brown; 1891, Parley R. Seriven; 1892, George E. Bonesteel; 1893, Reu-
1 Credit is due Mr. Crandall for material assistance rendered in the compilation of this chap- ter.
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
ben S. F. Waite; 1894, Clinton W. Scriven; 1895, Parley R. Seriven; 1896, George E. Bonesteel.
ADDENDA.
The National bank of Troy suffered from a heavy and unanticipated run of the depositors early in September, 1896, and on Saturday, Sep- tember 19, closed its doors and placed its accounts in the hands of a national bank examiner.
ERRATA.
On page 134, sixth line, read: "In a subsequent chapter," etc. (See pages 258, 259, 263, 264, 265, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274 and 279.)
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N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA
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