USA > New York > Montgomery County > St Johnsville > Mohawk Valley genealogy and history : [a compilation of clippings, 1945-1946] > Part 16
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A. copy will also be offered to the St. - Johnsville Enterprise and News, St. Johnsville, N. Y. in the hope that they will print"at least marts of it
Montgomery County How the Ambitions of Alfred Dolge in 1811 Created an Industrial Dolgeville on Lone Site of a Covered Bridge
(Continued from last week) Mills Go Up in Brockett's Bridge (So rapidiy did his business in- crease that Alfred Dolge was obliged to locate a larger site with better housing for his employees. The sev- enties were still the days of water power, so Alfred and Bruno went on a long trek in search of power. All things considered, Brockett's Bridge semed to be the most desira- ble locatio. So 1874 saw them clear- ing up the old tannery site and ad- justing business to new environ- ment. The only makers of first-class felt in America, they had a' monopo- ly in the trade.
Within five years Alfred Doige erected two large buildings, besides an immense lumber and carpenter. shop, machine shop, grist mill, etc. The three story feit mili was 180 by 45 feet; the four story sounding board and mouiding mill 180 by 45 feet.
Celebrates Epochal Achievement Thirteen years after landing at Castle Garden a poor boy, we find Alfred Dolge at only 30 years of age giving a celebration which was at- tended by many of the leading men of central New York. This festival was held July 15, 1879.
Does history record any other pen- niless 17 year old boy, who crossed the ocean to a new land, mastered a strange langnage,, adjusted himself to a new social and political order, invested $200,000 in buildings, iaid the foundation of a million dollar. business, and made plans to lay out and build one of the beautiful vil- lages of America, all in the short space of seven years ?
Beat a Path to Brockett's Bridge
Alfred Dolge in America, each piano manufacturer made his own sound- ing boards, and each hada different pattern. These were first made of pine, but someone found that spruce was far better. So we find our youth- ful hustier in a tiny village at the edge of New
York's vast white spruce forests, with the only piano sounding board miil in America.
With spruce of solid grain, the lat- est and best machinery, and the most skilied workmen, the Alfred Dolge sounding boards took the piano trade
by storm. Many of the leading firms aent their patterns to Brockett's Bridge, from which went carloads of piano sounding boards, not only to leading piano makers of America, but to London, Paris, Leipsic and other large cities across the ocean.
Doige Turned Piano World Around The European trade had reversed itseif, or rather one young man had turned the tide of piano parts from Europe to America back upon itself. In other words we find a flood of superior felt, sounding boards, piano wire and other piano parts, pouring from America to Europe. We find staid old manufacturers jarred out of their age-oid rut, condescending to a transplanted young German-Amer- ican genius.
In order to secure a steady sup- ply of spruce for sounding boards, and lumber for buildings, Mr. Dolge purchased thousands of acres of for- est lands, erected large sawmills at Otter Lake and Port Leyden. I was one of a small army of men sent m- to the primeval forests of northern Salisbury, locally known as High Bridge Creek, to feil timber and erect a steam sawmill. We cut the timber into four foot wood, dried it and stripped it by teams to feed the mills at Brockett's Bridge.
Lumberjack Taught First School House were built and soon there was a thriving village way back in the primeval forest. The steam whis- tie regulated the time of the lum- berjacks. A. gravity railroad with flanged wheels and poles instead of iron rails, drew out from the Burnt Hili region hundreds of thousands of logs. Millions of feet of lumber was stacked up to season and later be
A. school district was formed, & school house was built, and the writ- er became the first teacher, with & school of 39 pupils. In 1883 a post- office was established and John Mang, grandfather of the Dolgeville Mangs, carried the mail and confi- dential correspondence from the home office. Later an old-style tele- phone was installed, .. to the great. astonishment and delight of the na- tives.
(To be continued)
Genealogical Sources in the Mohawk Valley
AND NEARBY
BIRTH, DEATH AND MARRIAGE RECORDS (From WPA Guide to Public Vital Statistics. Records in New York -
State, Vol. 1, 1942) Onelda County
Marcy
1887. Register, 3 vols. Arr. chron. 1887-1910, no index 1911, indexed alph. by children. Includes marriag- es and deaths. Custodian George V. R. Dougherty, ' Canajoharie; J. S. Spink, town cierk, Marcy, . Y.
Marshall \
1848. Register, 4 vois. Arr. chron. 1848-1914, no index; 1915, indexed alph. hy children Includes marriageo
of vital statistics, Vernon, N. Y .; 1914, Lyle Jones, town clerk, Ver- non, N. Y . Verona
1848-49, 1882, Register, ' 9 vols. Arr chron. 1848-49, 1882-1907, no in- dex; 1908, indexed alph, by children. Includes marriages and deaths. Cus- todian Irving I. Everhart, town clerk, Durhamville, N. Y.
Vienna
18887. Register, 6 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by children. Includes deaths. Custodian, James Haut, town clerk, North Bay, N. Y. Western
1881. Register, 3 vols. 1881-1913, arr. chron .; 1914, arr. alph .. No in- dex. Includes marriages 1881-1907, and deaths, 18881. Custodian, Minnie G. Plerce, town clerk, Westernville, N. Y.
Westmoreland :. 1847-49, 1887.
Register, 7 vals.
Wheiting, Minden. . Rev. .... Smith, Bowman's Creek; Elder .... Eiliot, Ames; Rev. John C. Toll, Mapletown; Rev. Wykoff and Elder Her- rick, Charlestown. . Rev. .... Paige, Florida; Rev. A. Van Horne, Caugh- nawaga; Rev. P. Domier, . Stone Arabia.
Rev. Simon Hoosack and Rev. Judd, Johnstown; 'and Rev. Eiisha Yale, Kingsboro. The writer is confi- dent there was not then an ordained Methodist Minister in the county --- and but one or two small Societies. The now iarge and. respectable so- ciety in Freys Bush, was not yet "of- ganized, but was the next year. The Bar was then constituted as follows: Matthias B. Hildreth, At- torney General of the State; Daniel Paris and Daniel Cady, were then eminent at the bar. The other mem- bers then resident in Johnstown were Aaron Harring, William, I. Dodge, John W. Cady, Peter Brooks,' Jr., B. Chamberlain and A, Morreil. The rest of the bar were scattered over the county, as follows: Joseph Her- kimer, Minden; Jas. Cochrane, Op- penheim; 'Henry I. Frey, Paiatine;
Driggs, Ames; Benjamin /Van Vech- ten, Charlestown Marcus Ty Rey- noids. Amsterdam and Peter II Bost- wick, Northampton.
(A clipping from an 1861 copy of the Mohawk Valley Register gives an interesting birdseye view of Mont- gomery County as It existed in 1811, fifty years before. The name of the writer Is unknown.)
This county, in 1811, embraced the entire territory of the present counties of Montgomery, Fulton and Hamilton, and the present towns of Stark, Danube, Manheim and Salis- bury in the county of Herkimer. The first curtailment of its limits was in 1814 or 1815, when a large and. re- spectabie. number of inhabitants, in the western part of the county, pe- titioned the Legislature to half shire Palatine with · Johnstown- so as to have the courts held half the time at Palatine; but in making a map of the county, to exhibit to the mem- bers, it was found to be more than twice as long north and south, as east and west. The county was then bounded on north by the county of St. Lawrence. To render the half shiring of the county more appar, ently necessary, the friends of the measure, mainly through Hon, Jas, Cochrane, then State Senator, got Hamilton set off.
The next loss of territory, was in 1817 when Salisbury, Manheim and that part of Minden now embracing the towns of Danube and Stark, were annexed to Herkimer. In 1838, Ful- ton county was erected from Mont- gomery, as a finale , of the troubles growing out of the removal of the Court House from Johnstown to Fon- da. In 1811, John McCarthy, was First Judge; Henry F. Yates, Clerk; John Eisenlord, 'Sheriff; James Lan- sing, Surrogate; and John Edwards; Jailor; Alexander Sheldon, Jacob Eacker, John Herkimer, .... Cady, of Fiorida, and one or two others, were County Judges. The Clergy of the County, were then, Rev. Johan Daniel Gros, D. D., Freys Bush; Rev. John I. Wack, Fort Plain; Rev, . .
Up to the time of the arrival of [drawn to the sounding board mill or to- market by teams.
ruvic urywere County Judges. The Clergy of manufacturersownsound-
brary, but I made a trip there in September, 1945 and they did not
the County, were then, Rev. Johan Daniel Gros, D. D., Freys Bush; Rev. have it; however, the librarian said John I. Wack, Fort Plain; Rev, .... it might be in the church library in the Appleton Collection. I called upon the minister of the church, a very busy - man, who said the library was not catalogued and it would require some time to find the book, but he would make a search for it. . .
.If a copy of this could be found it should give some information on John Billington who married Lurena Horton there in 1784.
Beniah Pratt preached in Maine in the' new settlements. What were the names of the settlements ? Were the Settlements formed by people from- Middleborough? ' Wayne, Maine, for; merly " called New Sandwich, had some settlers named Billington.
No. 813, Caroline Washburn mar- ried Rev. Francis Horton and was dis. in 1833, to Brookfield, Mass.
?"Some members were dismissed to Hartford, Maine; and Sumner, Me .; Dixmont, Me .; some Eddys and Woods were dismissed to N. Y.State .. A copy of these notes is being sent to teach, Mrs. Chas. R. Busch, 629 St. Louis avenue, 'Zanesville, O .; C. O'Neil, 1127 West Columbia 'ave., Chicago, Ill .; and Cecil | Billington, 21060 Thirteen "Mile Road, Birming- ham, Mich.
A copy will also be offered to the St. Johnsville Enterprise and News, St. Johnsville, N. Y. in the hope that they' will print at least parts of it in their periodical. Our Billingtons and Whelans lived for a few years not far from St. Johnsville and some one there may ihave some records that will tie. in with ours.
These' notes prepared by Florence S. Whelan.
THE END
GAZETTEER, BUSINESS DIRECTORY . OF MONTGOMERY . AND FULTON COUNTIES
(Copled by Leslie A. Frye, Glovers ville, N. Y.)
Explanations to Directory.
1. Name of individual or firm. 2. Post office address.
3. Business or occupation.
Figures placed after the occupa- tion of farmers, indicate the number of acres of land owned or leased by the person named.
Fulton County (Continued from last week.)
Yauney, Phillp, Johnstown, far- mer 100.
' Yost, Abram, Johnstown (with Henry S. and Peter,) dairyman and | J. D. Young.)
farmer leases of John B. Yost, 325. . Yost, David, Gloversville, farmer 3.
Yost, Edward, Johnstown (Lord and. Yost.)
Yost, Henry S., Johnstown (with Peter and Abram,) dairyman and farmer leases of John B. Yost 325. Yost, John B., Johnstown, retired farmer 325.
Yost, John J., Johnstown, manuf. of gloves and mittens, Market. Yost, Michael, Johnstown, farmer 180.
Yost, Peter, Johnstown (with Hen- ty. S. "and Abram,) dairyman and
Wheiting, Minden. . Rev. .... Smith, Bowman's Creek; Elder .... Elliot, Ames; Rev. John C. Toll, Mapletown; Rev. .. Wykoff and Elder Her- rick, Charlestown. . Rev. .... Paige, Florida; Rev. A. Van Horne, Caugh- nawaga; Rev. P. Domier, . Stone Arabia. -
Rev. Simon Hoosack and Rev. Judd, Johnstown; 'and Rev. Elisha Yale, Kingsboro. The writer is confi- dent there was not then an ordained Methodist Minister in the county- and but one or two small Societies. The now large and respectable so- ciety in Freys Bush, was not yet of- ganized, but was the next year.
The Bar was then constituted as follows: Matthias B. Hildreth, At- torney General of the State; Daniel Paris and Daniel Cady, were then eminent at the bar. The other mem -. bérs then resident in Johnstown were Aaron Harring, William, I. Dodge, John W. Cady, Peter Brooks, Jr., B. Chamberlain and A. Morrell. The rest of the bar were scattered over, the county, as follows: Joseph Her- kimer, Minden; Jas. . Cochrane, .. Op- penheim; 'Henry I. Frey, Palatine; R. Dougherty,' Canajoharie; J. S. Driggs, Ames; Benjamin Van Vech- ten, Charlestown Marcus T. Rey- nolds. Amsterdam and Peter IE Bost- wick, Northampton.
(To be continued)
The busy bee lived up to its re- putation in 1945, for production of honey ran over 11 million pounds in the state. This put ;New York in' sixth place among honey producing' states.
14 pounds to the acre.
farmer leases of John B. Yost 325. Yost, Peter, Johnstown, farmer 50. Yost, Wm. J., Johnstown, farmer 200.
Young, F. M., · Gloversville, dealer in groceries, provisions, etc., 121 Main.
Young, Jeremiah D., Johnstown (W. and J. D. Young.)
Young, John J., Gloversville, leath- er cutter, wagon maker and carpen- ter.
Young, Peter, Rockwood, farmer 200.
Young, Wml, Johnstown (W. and
Young, William S., Johnstown, physician and surgeon, Perry. Young, W. and J., Johnstown, fruits, vegetables, oysters, etc., Wil- liam.
Young, W. and J. D., Johnstown, (William and Jeremiah D.,) fruit, Yankee notions, fancy articles, etc., north side Main.
Younglove, James, Johnstown, (Voorhecs and Younglove.)
Youngs, James, Keck Center, far- mer/ 1.
Zens, Chrisjohn, Johnstown, far- mer 12.
(To be continued)
ing boards, and each hada different pattern. These were first made of pine, but someone found that spruce was far better. So we find our youth- ful hustler in a tiny village .at the edge of New York's vast white spruce forests, with the only piano sounding board mill in America. er ibecame the first teacher, with a school of 39 pupils. In 1883 a post- office was established and John Mang, grandfather of the Dolgeville- Mangs, carried the mail and confi- dential correspondence from the home office. Later an old-style tele- phone was installed, . to the great. astonishment and delight of the na- tives.
(To be continued)
Genealogical Sources in the Mohawk Valley
AND NEARBY
BIRTH, DEATH AND MARRIAGE RECORDS (From WPA Guide to Public Vital Statistics. Records in New York 1
State, Vol. 1, 1942) Oneida County
Marcy
1887. Register, 3 vols. Arr. chron. 1887-1910, no index 1911, indexed alph. by children. Includes marriag- les and deaths. Custodian George V. Spink, town clerk, Marcy, . Y. Marshall.
1848. Register,' 4 vols. Arr. chron. 1848-1914, no index; 1915, indexed alph. by. children. Includes marriages and deaths. Custodian O F. Gruman, town clerk, Deansboro, N. Y.
New . Hartford
1847. Register, 11 vols. Arr. chron. 1847-1913, -no index; 1914, indexed alph. by ... children. Includes marriag- es and deaths. Custodian, John Sea- ton, town .clerk, New Hartford, N. Y. Paris , 1W/:1 ٠٢٦٠ ٠٠ ١
:1886. Register, 9 .vols. Arr. . chron.
Indexed alph. by. children. Includes marriages and deaths. Custodian, D. Walter, town clerk, Remsen, N. Y. Sangerfield
1847. Register, 4 vols. Adr. chron. 1847-1908, no index; 1909, indexed alph. by | children .; Includes marriag- es and deaths; , Custodian George Bissel, registrar of vital statistics, Waterville, N. Y.
Steuben
Entered at the St. Johnsville Post- 1890. Register, 3 vols. Arr. chron. 1890-1914, no index; 1915 indexed alph. by children. Includes mar- riages and deaths, 1890-1914. 'Custo- . . dian, A. J. Davien, town clerk, RD office, St. Johnsville, N. Y. as second 2, Remsen, N. Y.
cass matter. Published every Thurs- day
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Montgomery, Fulton and Herkimer Counties-One Year $2.50. A'l others. $3 except Canada $4. Six Months $2.00
NEW! NEW! COLORED DESK blotters, 19 inches by 24 inches. Pink, light green, moss · green, robin egg, canary, cardinal, dark blue, orange, brown, violet .- 10 cents each. Z.b. prise and News
[of vital statistics, Vernon, N. Y .; 1914, Lyle Jones, town clerk, Ver- non, N. Y . . Verona
1848-49, 1882, Register, 9 vols. Arr chron. 1848-49, 1882-1907, no in- dex; 1908, indexed alph, by children. Includes marriages and deaths. Cus- todian Irving I. Everhart, town clerk, Durhamville, N. Y. Vlenna
18887. Register, 6 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by children. Includes Haut, deaths. Custodian, James town clerk, North Bay, N. Y. Western
1881. Register, 3 vols. 1881-1913, arr. chron .; 1914, arr. alph .. No in- dex. Includes marriages 1881-1907, and deaths, 18881. Custodian, Minnie G. Pierce, town clerk, Westernville, N. Y.
Westmoreland
1847-49, 1887. Register, 7 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by child- ren. Includes marriages and deaths. Custodian, Howard S. Jenkins, town clerk, Westmoreland, N. Y .
Whitestown
1885. Register, 16 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by children Includes deaths, 1885-1914, 1930. Custodian, H. B Cary, town clerk, Whitesboro, N. Y. (To be continued)
YOU'VE BEEN MISSING SOMETHING
Pilsner Lager and XXX Cream Ale. Get a case today .- Adv.
Enterprise & News
An ABC Newspaper ST. JOHNSVILLE, N. Y. -
Telephone 3741
S. K. IVERSON PUBLISHER
Trenton
1847. Register, 7 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph, by children. Includes marriages, 1848-1890 and deaths, 1847. Records for villages of Holland Patent, Prospect and Trenton also: included. Custodian, David Jones, registrar of vital statistics, Barne- veld, N. Y.
Vernon ..
1847. Register, 8 vols. Arr. chron. 1847-1913, no index; . 1914, indexed alph, by children. Includes marriag- es and deaths 1847-1915. Custodians: 1847-1913, F2' Pepper, registra-
With spruce of solid grain, the lat- est and best machinery, and the most skilled workmen, the Alfred Dolge sounding boards took the piano trade
A school district was formed, & school house was built, and the writ-
If you haven't tried the ale and 1887. Register, 3 vols. Arr. chron. beer millions prefer-dry Utica Club
The Cornell "poultry pasture mix- ture" will remain the same in 1946. It consists of two pounds of Ladino 1886-1910, -no . index, 1911, indexed clover and 12 pounds . of. Kentucky alph. by children. Includes marriages bluegrass, making a total seeding of | and deaths. . Custodian, Edward M. Quinn, town clerk, Clayville, N. Y. Remsen
17
HISTORY THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1946
Montgomery County in 1811
(A clipping from an 1861 copy of the Mohawk Valley Register gives an interesting birdseye view of Mont- gomery County as It existed in 1811, fifty years before. The name of the writer is unknown.)
(Continued from vast week)
In 1811, the Medical Society of the county was organized, thus: Stephen Reynolds, of Florida, President; Joshua Webster, Fort Pialn, Vice President; William A. Ried, Johns- town, Secretary; Elijah Cheadle, Kingsboro, Treasurer; W. A. Reid, Delegate to State Soclety; Samuel Voorhees ,then of Charleston, deliv- ered the Annual Oration. The mem- bers of the society were Jonas Farr and John Holmes, Minden .. Simeon Mardy, Canajoharie; Daniel Cuck, Alexander Sheldon, Oliver Iathrope and Richard Davis, Charlestown; Daniel Ayres, Oppenheim; Abraham Sternberg, Palatine; Oren Johnson, Johnstown; .. . Devoe, Caughne- waga; Samuel Maxwell, Northamp- ton; Edmond G. Rawson, Broadal- bin; John B. Day, Mayfield; and Lyons, of Manheim.
Fifty years ago the Post-Masters of Montgomery were Joseps Herki- mer, Fall Hill; Luther Pardee, East Canada Creek; Jonathan Wheeler, Palatine Church; John D. Burns, Palatine Bridge; Martin Roof, Can- ajoharie; Nathan Brewster, Johns- town; Thomas Edwards, Caughne- waga; .... , Amsterdam; eight in all.
The Board of Supervisors of that year, were David Cady, John Fay, Thomas Bennett, Andrew Zobriskee, Nathan Kimball ,Joseph Davis, John E. Hawley, Richard Van Horne, Abraham B. Vosbburgh, Peter C. Fox, Nathan Christy, Abraham Welis, James Knox, Alva South- worth and Thomas Tullock. David Cady, Chairman. Joseph Cuyler, Clerk. No District Attorney then re- sided in the county; the duties of that office were then performed by Montgomery Livingston, of Sarato- ga. Fifty years ago, Hon. James Cochrane and . Hon: Alexander Shel- don, were Regents of the Universi- ty.
Johnstown Academy was then the only Literary Institption in the county above the grade of a com- mon school; and not a dollar of public money had yet been appor- tioned to any of the schools. Johns- town was then the principal village of the county. It contained a Court House, Jail, two Churches, twelve Taverns and sixteen Stores.
Amsterdam contained one Church, some 15 or 20 Houses, a Scythe Fac- tory, two Taverns and a few Stores. Caughnewaga had one old Stone Church, one Store, and three Tav- erns.
Canajoharie village contained one Store, Col. John Roof's Tavern, and
Genealogical Sources in the Mohawk Valley
AND NEARBY ONEIDA COUNTY
Boonville (1855)
1882-1905. Register, 7 vols. Arr. chron.' No index. Includes deaths. Custodian, Herschel J. Hess, town elerk. (of Boonville,) Boonville, N. Y.
1905. Record, 7 vols. Arr. chron. No index. Includes deaths. Custodian, J. Arch Bateman, village clerk, Boonville, N. Y.
Bridgewater (1825)
1883. Record,, 3 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by children. Includes deaths, 1883-1907. Custodian, H. C. Pritchard, town clerk (of Bridgewa- ter), Bridgewater, N. Y.
Camden (1834)
1882. Register, 9 vols. Arr. chron. No index. Includes marriages, 1882- 1907, and deaths, 1882. Records 1882-1922, included with records of town of Camden. Custodian, Theo- dore F. Mellon, town clerk, Camden, N. Y.
Clayville (1887)
1882. Register, 4 vols. Arr. num. 1882-1913, no Index; 1914, indexed alph. by children. Includes deaths. Custodian R. H. Alderding, village clerk, Clayvllie, N. Y.
Cilnton (1843)
1847-49, 1884. Register, 8 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by child- ren. Includes deaths. Custodian, Frank Ciark, town clerk (of Kirk- land), Clinton, N. Y.
Forestport (1903)
1882. Register, 3 vols. Arr. alph. No index. Custodian, Laura Kill- burn, town cierk, Forestport, N. Y. Holland Patent (1885)
1847. Register, 7 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed aiph. by children. Includes marriages 1848-1890 and deaths, 1847. Records included with those for town of Trenton. Custodian, Da- vid Jones, registrar of vital statis- tics, Barneveld, N. Y. Records, 1926, custodian, Paul W. Barker, cierk (of Trenton), Barneveld, N. Y. town New Hartford (1870)
1885. Register, 12 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph, by children. Records Included with those for town of New Hartford. Custodian, John Seaton, town clerk, New Hartford, N. Y. New York Mills (1922)
1922. Register, 4 vols. Arr. chron. Indexed alph. by children. Includes deaths. Custodian, James B. Norton, registrar vital statistics, New York Mills, N. Y. .
Onelda Castle (1841)
1887. Register; 2 vols. Arr. alph. No index. Includes deaths. Custodian Ray A. Bump, registrar of vital sta- tistics, Oneida Castle, N. Y.
Oriskany (1914)
1915. Record, 2 vols. Arr. num. Indexed alph. by children. Custodian, Dr. B. P. Allen, registrar of vital statistics, Oriskany, N. Y.
Oriskany Falls (1890)
1887. Register, 5 vols. Arr. num. Indexed alph. by children. Includes deaths. Records included with those for town of Augusta. Custodlan, Or- lo Gaylord, registrar of vital statis- tics, Oriskany Falls, N. Y.
Prospect (1890)
"LOCAL HISTORY"
1
BY DONALD D. PARKER Brookings, South Dakota
"LOCAL HISTORY"-HOW TO GATHER IT, WRITE IT, AND PUBLISH IT
(Continued from last week)
This activity stirred the Metho- dists to bulld a church and the Baptists to organize themselves In- to a' congregation. The year 1851 saw two denominations in Parkville, each without a building. The year 1852 saw three, two with new church structures. All this, be it noted, oc- curred before the newspaper began publication or the town was organ- ized as a gevornmental unlt. It will be seen, therefore, that If the pro- per church records can be found, they, rather than the town minutes or the first newspaper, may provide the first written account of your community Ilfe.
"If the proper church records can be found"-ah, there's the rub. The early rellgious . documents of any community are almost always hard to find. Everyone you Inquire of re- members having seen them or heard of them, but nobody seems to know where they are. Their rightful place is in the hands of the minister or the clerk, but sometimes these indi- viduals have moved away and taken the records with them, intentionally or unwittingly. The clerkship in many churches changes fast, and the ministers seem to change even fast- er. Houses and churches burn, and the records are lost by fire, by flood, or in other ways. Sometimes the papers of a church temporarily inactive have been placed in the keeping of 'one nearby and some- how have never been returned to their rightful owners. At other times a clerk, appreciating their historical value, has placed the records in a safe place for preservation, but un- less there Is some definite records at the church, no one knows where they are.
There is, however, a brighter side to the picture. Often you can locate materiais which even church mem- bers in your community, have believ- ed lost? or destroyed. If you think that some former pastor may have the records, you may trace his whereabouts by asking the present incumbent where the former pastor Is now living. Usualy each denomi- nation publishes a year book which contains Information about all churches and the location of all min- isters. If the records you are seeking are those of a strongly centralized group, such as the Roman . Catholic, the Episcopal, or the Methodist, it is possible that they have been sent to the immediate headquarters of the particular church. A number of church organizations maintain ar- chives either in their national or state headquarters where they de- posit old records of active and aban- doned churches. Historical' societies and state libraries * sometimes make specialists of such records. A not- able collection is the Samuel Colgate Baptist Historical Collection at Col- gate University, Hamilton, New York. The larger sects have their', church historical society libraries and these, together with their the- ological seminaries, often become de- positories of official records.
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