USA > New York > Saratoga County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Saratoga County, New York > Part 11
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This church from Connecticut, the members of which doubtless came in a body from Canaan, Litchfield county, was the pioneer church, not only in Saratoga county, but in all probability, in all the country north of Albany. It was a Congregational church, and was founded in Canaan June 26, 1752. Rev. John Palmer preached the first sermon June 28, 1752, and the following day a number of persons1 subscribed to the covenant and elected a clerk. In April, 1762, the members of the society resolved unanimously to move to Stillwater, whither many of them had already gone.2
1 See Chapter IV for a list of these members.
2 Undoubtedly the church, or at least a section thereof, with a regular organization, had set- tled in Stillwater by 1762, for a paragraph in its records reads as follows: "Sept. 5, 1762, Then
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HALFMOON, 1783-1800.
The Masonic lodge at Stillwater, chartered October 27, 1791, was for many years one of the most prosperous lodges in the State. It was known as Montgomery lodge. Montgomery Chapter existed before 1798, for March 14 of that year it was one of the five chapters which organized the Grand Chapter of the State of New York, at Albany. The representatives of the Stillwater chapter at this organization were Daniel Hale, jr., high priest, and Ashbel Meacham, king. It was at this meeting that De Witt Clinton was chosen as the first presiding officer of the State body. The Mark Master Mason's lodge at Still- water was held under warrant granted January 30, 1799. These Ma- sonic bodies ceased to exist when the anti-Masonic agitation of 1827 began.
HALFMOON.
Halfmoon was another town in which the development was very rapid and satisfactory as soon as the Revolution ended. Even during that conflict many families removed to the town, believing that their safety lay in their nearness to the city of Albany. Among those who came
Brother Lemuel Taylor, and Barshaba, his wife, had their son Lemuel baptized by Brother Camp- bell, pastor of Christ church in Canaan, but it was donc in Stillwater." This church has never disbanded nor changed its doctrines nor form of church government. Some time before the Revolution the members built a house of worship near the bank of the Hudson, opposite the mouth of the Hoosick; but this was subsequently removed to a site about two miles west of the river, where a cemetery was established. In this burial-ground Rev. Robert Campbell, the first pastor, and many of the early members of the congregation, wasinterred. The church was early known as " the yellow meeting-house " In 1818 the Presbyterian church at Stillwater was organ- ized, and many of the members joined the new society, its house of worship being located at a point more convenient for them. In 1850 the old church was repaired and rededicated, the sermon being preached by Rev. Mark Tucker of Wethersfield, Conn., who had been a pastor of the Still- water church. In 1852 the church changed its form of government to Presbyterian and thus effected a union with the Presbyterian families residing at Mechanicville, the name of the organi - zation being changed to "Presbyterian church of Stillwater and Mechanicville." In 1871 the Mechanicville church became a separate body and the original church again became a distinct society, as which it has since existed.
From the old records it appears that the First Baptist church of Stillwater is less than a year younger than the old Congregational church. Benedict's "History of the Baptists" contains this paragraph: "At Stillwater, near the place where Burgoyne was taken in the American war, a church arose in 1762, which became unusually large and prosperous and branched out in many directions, but, on account of certain difficulties, it suffered a great calamity and became nearly extinct." The carly organization of the church is proven by the fact that in 1779 it had eighty-six members. Rev. Beriah Kelly began preaching in 1781. During the fourth year of his pastorate dissension arosc in the society, which divided, one faction worshiping in the Baptist meeting- house and the other under the guidance of Rev. Lemuel Powers. The two parties were reunited in 1790 under the united pastorate of Mr. Powers and Rev. David Irish. In 1793 the latter retired and left Mr. Powers as sole pastor. In 1791 thirty-eight members were dismissed to form the church at Schuylerville, and others were dismissed to organize the church at Ballston. Two years later forty-eight members left the parent church to organize the society at Milton, and nineteen members to organize the First Baptist church of Saratoga Springs. Other churches undoubtedly sprang from the Stillwater society, which may appropriately be called the "mother
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
to Halfmoon during the period of the war the following were men of more or less prominence :
Benjamin Rosekrans was an inhabitant of Halfmoon during the Revo- lutionary period. His family was once compelled to flee from home by reason of an attack made by a band of Canadian Indians. The Rose- krans homestead stood near Crescent. On the river road the Ten Broecks resided during the war. William Clark was the first to build at Middletown, or Halfmoon village. Dr. German also resided there as early as the war. Dr. Sabin and Dr. Shaw lived near by in later years. Peter Davis owned a large farm in town, and purchased land at differ- ent times in 1800 of Jacob Teachout, Cornelius Teachout, -- Law- rence and - Connery. Richard Davis, Peter Davis's nephew, was also an early inhabitant. Peter Ferguson and Jacob Miller came about 1780. Among their neighbors were John and Jeremiah Vincent and Dr. Carey. Abraham Traverse located here about 1785 or 1790. Andrew Evans, the families of Snedeker, Weaver and Zebulon Mott lived southerly from Mechanicville. Abraham Deuel resided west of Mechanicville. Jonathan Lossing lived at Usher's Mills as early as
of Baptist churches," not only in Saratoga county, but in Washington county as well, the West Hoosick church springing from the Stillwater society. In 1839 a large number of members organ - ized the Second Baptist church in Stillwater village. The meeting-house of the parent church was rebuilt in 1850, and the first successful Sunday school was organized in 1859.
The Presbyterian church of Stillwater was also organized during the eighteenth century. The old book of records begins with this paragraph: " The Presbyterian inhabitants of Stillwater incorporated themselves into a religious society, in the name and style of the First Presbyterian congregation of Stillwater, on the 12th day of September, 1791. In this capacity they put them- selves under the care of the Albany presbytery, and presented a call to Mr. Aaron Condit, a can- didate under the care of that presbytery, to settle among them in the gospel ministry. This call was accepted, and Mr. Condit installed January 15, 1793. Mr. Condit labored only two years after his installation, his services closing in 1795." There is no evidence that the church existed after 1795.
St. John's Church was incorporated October 27, 1795, but a church organization had existed, with occasional services, several years prior to that year. These officers were elected October 7, 1795 : Wardens, Ezekiel Ensign, Ezra St. John ; vestrymen, Thomas W. Ford, Henry Brewster, Warren Smith and Cornelius Vandenburgh. The first rector of the parish was Rev. Ammi Rogers. The first church was erected in 1798, but was subsequently sold to the Catholic con- gregation there, an attractive chapel being built with the proceeds of the sale. The rectors suc- ceeding Mr. Rogers have been: Rev. Mr. Thacher, 1805-1806; Rev. Mr. Van Dorn, 1806-1810 ; from 1810 to 1820 there was no regular rector ; Rev. James W. Tappan, 1832-1837; Rev. Mr. Allison, 1837; Rev. Reuben Hubbard, 1837-1843; Rev. William A. Curtis, 1844-1845; Rev. M. A. Nickerson, 1845-1849 ; Rev. R. B. Fairbairn, 1849-1852 ; Rev. John D. Downing, 1852-1858 ; Rev. Robert C. Rog- ers, 1858-1859 ; Rev. E. S. Widdemer, 1859-1866; Rev. Albert Denker, 1866-1869; Rev. Wm. Bogart Walker, 1869-1871 ; Rev. Alfred H. Stubbs, 1871-1880; Rev. M. A. Dean, 1880-1881 ; Rev. P. C. Cre- veton, 1881-1884 ; Rev. Richmond Shreve; Rev. W. G. Lewis, 1889-1890; Rev. Mr. Haskins, 1890- 1891 ; Rev. Marvin H. Dana, 1891-1892; Rev. Joseph Jowett, 1894 to the present time. From 1837 to to 1891 St. John's of Stillwater and St. Luke's of Mechanicville were served by the same rectors. During the pastorate of Rev. A. H. Stubbs, August 22, 1873, the present church was erected, and dedicated January 3, 1876.
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HALFMOON, 1783-1800.
1780. The male members of the Newton church, most of whom doubtless lived in Halfmoon, were as follows in 1791: Peter Groom, William Groom, Daniel Derbyshire, James Essex, Matthew Neally, Joshua Miller, Ephraim Dunham, William Gorsline, Richard Clute, Timothy Woodin, George Alford, Joseph Peck, Nathaniel Upham, Shubael Waldo, Peter Baker, John Bell, Moses Lent, Andrew Evans, Abraham Weldon, Thomas Mosher, George Ellsworth, William King and Philip King. Some of these already have been noted as pioneers.
Others known to have resided in the town as early as 1778 are: Ja- cob Fort, Adrian Hegeman, Jacob I. Lansing, Christopher Miller, Adam I. Van Vranken, Jeremiah Vincent, Israel Van Alstyne, William Reeves, Gerrit Lansing, James Jones, James Dugan, Joseph Mosier, Henry Brevoort, Daniel Van Alstyne, Cornelius Groat, Jacob Ostrander, John Slosson, John Clark, Johannes Fulmer, Aarie Banta, Noah Tay- lor, Jesse Bronson, Calvin Fuller, John Quince, Jacobus Pearce, Gerardus Clute, Jacob Hall, Jacob Steenburgh, Charles Hoffman, Jesse Groat, Michael Bassett, John C. Connell, James Shaw, Gideon Close, Peter Faulkner, John Van Vranken, James Grooms, Joseph Fowler, Stephen Wiley, Valentine Brown, Edward Rexford, Ezekiel Free, Matthew Gregory, Nathan Garnsey, Andrew Scouten, Moses Scott, James Murray, Jedediah Rogers, Josiah Taylor, Robert El- dridge, James Scott, Benjamin Mix, John Way, Samuel Hicks, John Knowlton, William Tripp, Solomon Burlingame, Hendrick Vander- werker, William Ashe, John R. Van Vranken, John Hamilton, Anthony Leversie, John Barnes, Timothy Smith, Israel Brooks, Clemens Young, James Youngs and Ebenezer Landers.
Taverns were plenty in Halfmoon in those early days. In 1788 the official list contained the names of the following keepers of public houses: William Fuller, Elizabeth Peebles, Henry Bailey, Daniel Van Alstyne, Joshua Taylor, Benjamin Mix, Nicholas Fords, Christian Smith, Elias Van Steenburgh, Peter Faulkner, John Donald, John Cuerdon, Nicholas Teachout, John Flynn, Jacob Miller, Aaron Com- stock, James Stein, Anthony Leversie, Coonrad Wesley, Moses Scott, Ira Scott, Garrett Hannion, Samuel Connery, Matthew Gregory, Jo. seph Potter, Adam Edson, William Ward, Joseph Sibley, Jacobus Van Schoonhoven, Richard Davis, Joseph Mosher, Simeon Groat, William Waldron, Hezekiah Ketchum, Jacobus Ostrander, John C. Connell, Dirck Flansburgh, Jedediah Rogers, John Burhans and James Scott. But there were earlier tavernkeepers than these. A man named
.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Gates had a public house south of the creek in Mechanicville during the Revolution. Henry Bailey, and afterward - Mills, kept one a mile farther south, on the river road. Shubael Cross had a tavern at Mid- dletown during, and probably before, the Revolution.
Saw mills and grist mills were numerous in these days. There was a saw mill on the Steena Kill as early as 1762. At the close of the war Bradshaw built a grist mill on the Devas Kill. Data regarding construction and ownership of the other mills is lacking.
Religious services were held in Halfmoon in Revolutionary times if not before the war. But there is in existence no record of the organ- ization of any church society before the war. A Friends' meeting was established during the period of that struggle about three miles south- west of Mechanicville, but the meetings were discontinued about 1850. The Reformed Protestant church of Middletown was incorporated November 14, 1791, by John C. Connell, William Ashe, Abraham I. Ouderkirk and Francis Sill, but it ceased to exist many years ago. The only existing church which was established during the early period of which we are writing is St. John's Episcopal church of Stillwater, which had many members residing in the town of Halfmoon.
SARATOGA.
In the town of Saratoga Jesse Mott was an early settler, coming from Dutchess county to Dean's Corners in the spring of 1783. In 1785 John Thorn, also from Dutchess county, came and settled on the farm which since has remained in possession of his family. He had served as a soldier in the Revolution. Samuel Bushee, who also was in the Amer- ican army, came from Connecticut about the same time. He married the daughter of Abram Marshall, and purchased of the Lansings the farm north of Schuylerville. The Lansings owned this place at the time it was occupied by Burgoyne's officers. Elihu Billings settled on the Cramer hill in the same year. A short time after Daniel Morgan located near him. Obadiah Knapp and Mr. Jeffords were early settlers south of the present village of Victory Mills.
It appears that farm lands in the western part of Saratoga were im- proved at the same time and at about as great a rate of progress as in the eastern section, after the war. Settlements were made near Sara- toga lake as early as 1784 or 1785. In connection with these settle- ments is an interesting bit of history :
On the 7th day of August, 1781, seven men, sent from Canada, came to Albany
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SARATOGA, 1783-1800.
and in the evening made an attack upon the house of General Schuyler, where he had been residing after the destruction of his buildings at Schuylerville. Their object was to kill or capture the general, either through deadly hate at his past ser- vices against the English government, or perhaps with the design of holding the person of the general as a hostage to secure terms in the future exchange of prison- ers. There were in the house with the general at the time John Ward and John Cokely, two of his life guards, and also John Tubbs, an army-courier in his service. These three men made a gallant fight with the seven assassins, who had effected an entrance into the hall. John Tubbs, as his children now relate it, had a personal struggle with one, and having pressed him down behind an old oaken chest, with his hand on his throat, tried to draw a knife to finish him, but the knife was gone, and Tubbs was obliged to let him up. Meanwhile General Schuyler had, from the win- dows above, aroused the town, and the seven men suddenly left, carrying off Tubbs and Cokely with them as prisoners, and as proof that they had actually penetrated to Schuyler's house and made an attempt to execute their appointed work. The prisoners were kept nineteen months on an island in the St. Lawrence. Returning home about the time peace was declared, General Schuyler presented the three men with a deed of two hundred and seventy acres of land. The deed is now [1878] in the possession of Simon Tubbs, son of John Tubbs, and recites that " In consideration of five shillings, and that John Cokely, John Ward and John Tubbs, did gallantly defend the said Philip Schuyler when attacked in his own house, near the city of Albany, on the 7th day of August, 1781, by a party of the enemy in the late war, sent expressly to kill or make prisoner of the said Philip Schuyler," the party of the · first part hath granted and sold to the said Ward, Cokely and Tubbs, all that tract and parcel of land "In the Saratoga patent, known and distinguished as the west- ernmost farm of the south half of lot No. 20 in the grand division of Saratoga patent, made by John B. Bleecker, surveyor, in 1750, containing about two hundred and seventy acres of land."
The land was first divided into three parts, and the men drew for their respective portions, and soon after made their homes in this section. John Tubbs's portion was a part of the present place of Simon Tubbs, his son; John Ward's, the farm occupied until recently by his son; and John Cokely's share is also now owned by Simon Tubbs. 1
Killiaen De Ridder was an inhabitant during, possibly before, the Revolution. In 1783 he sold a farm to John Vroman for £150. Vro- man in turn, sold it in 1797 to John, Henry and Samuel Green. Stephen Olney was in town during the war, and there is some evidence that he operated his farm even as early as 1770. Joseph Rogers set- tled here during the war. On the farm he owned is a burial ground containing an inscription dated 1787. Daniel Wood removed in 1784 from the farm deeded to John Tubbs and others by General Philip Schuyler. When he came is not known. Martin Irish, Ashbel Irish, Oliver Perkins, Silas Deuel, Ephraim Anable, Stephen Viele, Johannes
1 Sylvester's History of Saratoga County, 1878.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Viele, Ludovicus Viele and Jesse Toll are known to have been located in town prior to 1790. The latter at one time owned an entire grand division of the Saratoga patent-six square miles of land. Walter Van Veghten, Herman Van Veghten, Walter Knickerbocker and Refine Geer were early inhabitants at what is now Coveville. James and Robert Milligan were in town as early as 1785.
Among others who lived within the limits of the town of Saratoga during the latter years of the century were Sidney Berry, William Scott, Asaph Putnam, William Thomas, Nelson Winner, Hezekiah Willis, Benjamin Jenkins, Jonathan Pettit, James McCreedy, Amos Hawley, William Dudley, Gamaliel Vail, Jacob Toll, Thomas Bennett, John Dillingham, John Brisbin, David Reynolds, William Wait, Elisha Miles, Elihu Billings, Jacob Hicks, Ebenezer Bacon.
There were several mills in the town. The old mills at Grangerville were erected about 1791 or 1792 by Jesse Toll. There was also a saw mill at Victory Mills. The first mills in town, those at Schuylerville, already have been described.
The town was well supplied with taverns. In the letters of Madam Riedesel, written in 1777, she refers to a tavern kept by "a man named Smith, on the way down the river," evidently but a short dis- tance below Schuylerville. Samuel Bushee probably kept a tavern at the same spot a few years afterwards. A tavern was kept by a widow, Mrs. Taylor, in Schuylerville very early in the present century, but there is no mention in the early records of its having been maintained prior to 1800. Other public houses probably were kept by Archibald McNiel and -- Scribner.
Stores were located at convenient points in the rapidly growing town. The earliest merchant appears to have been located at Schuy- lerville, but there is no mention of his name, and, in fact, nothing very definite on this point. The first merchant whose name has been preserved in this connection was John Douglass, whose store was located south of Schuylerville. Herman Van Veghten also had a store at Coveville about the same time.
The professions were well represented. Among the physicians were Doctors Bull, Bryant, Pierce, Billings, Dimmick, Copp, Dean, Smith and Brisbin. All were prominently identified with the progress of the community. Richard M. Livingston was an early lawyer, his office being located first at Coveville and afterward, as Schuylerville devel- oped and increased in population, at that village.
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SARATOGA, 1783-1800.
The pioneers of Saratoga were not unmindful of the education of their offspring, as is shown in the number of schools establislied at an early day in various parts of the town. One of the very earliest was a log school house located on the farm of Daniel Morgan. An early teacher was a Mr. Tucker. Two other schools were located within three miles of this one. Another log school house stood in the Fitch neighborhood. At Grangerville a school was kept about 1800 by Mr. Stephens. School text books were scarce and valuable in those days, and frequently one book had to answer for the use of the children in three or four different families.
The first public action regarding schools occurred in 1796, when these school commissioners were appointed under the existing law: Sidney Berry, Herman Van Veghten, Joseph Palmer, Thomas Jeffords and Benjamin Phillips. In 1797 the commissioners were Sidney Berry, Daniel Bull, Joseph Palmer, Thomas Jeffords and Solomon Wheeler; in 1798, Thomas Jeffords, William Force and George Cramer; in 1800, Thomas Jeffords, Elihu Billings, Daniel Bull and William Wait.
The earliest religious society mentioned is that of the Friends, who met in a log meeting-house south of Quaker Springs, which place was named after them. These meetings were held as early as 1765 or 1770 by Quakers who had removed from Stillwater. Among the founders of the local society were Gabriel and Isaac Leggett, Tibbett Soule, Thomas and Fones Wilbur, George Davis, David Shepherd and John Walker. October 16, 1793, John A. Bleecker sold to Isaac Leggett and Willianı Barker, as trustees, a site for a meeting· house.1
The Reformed Dutch church of Saratoga was in existence as early as 1772, but little is known of the early career of this society. Its first house of worship stood near the spot where General Burgoyne handed his sword to General Gates, and the building for several weeks prior thereto had been occupied by the British troops as a hospital. During the war the society was dissolved, but it was reorganized July 10, 1789, by the election of Cornelius Van Veghten and Peter Becker as elders and Jesse Toll and James Abel as deacons. Rev. Samuel Smith ac- cepted a call to the pastorate, began preaching in December following and was ordained in January, 1790. Ten years later he removed to New Jersey. A parsonage was erected in 1792 on a tract of fifty acres
1 The first minister of this society was Isaac Leggett, who served many years. About 1820 Andrew Dorland began to serve in that capacity, leading the flock for more than half a century.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
of land north of Schuylerville.1 In 1790 the First Baptist church of Saratoga was constituted, being received the following year as a mem. ber of the old Shaftsbury association. Though the records of the Shaftsbury association do not show it, the claim has been made that the organization was effected as early as 1772. This is merely tradition, however, and 1790 must be accepted as the date of organization in the absence of other records. In 1791 the church had forty-seven mem- bers, and the pastor was Rev. Samuel Rogers.2
SARATOGA SPRINGS, TOWN AND VILLAGE.
The development of the town of Saratoga Springs during the last two decades of the eighteenth century was hastened, no doubt, by the prospect of increasing popularity of and travel to the mineral springs situated within the limits of that town. Coincident with the settle- ment of the land about the springs was the settlement of the adjacent farming lands in the town.
Upon the death of Samuel Norton, the first and only permanent set- tler at the springs before the Revolution, which occurred during the latter days of the war, one of his sons occupied his father's possessions. Which son succeeded his father is not known. The senior Norton mar- ried Sarah Deems at New Bedford, Mass., and their children were Samuel, Asa, Isaiah, Rhoda, Sarah, Polly, Louise and Cora. In the fall of 1787 the Norton place was purchased by Gideon Morgan, who sold it a few weeks later to Alexander Bryan.3 The latter located there
1 After the retirement of Rev. Samuel Smith in 1800 the pulpit was vacant two years. In De- cember, 1802, Rev. Philip Duryea became pastor, remaining as such for a quarter of a century. In 1822 several members founded the church at Bacon Hill. About the same time the old meet- ing-house was taken down and most of the material used in the erection of a new edifice in Schuy- lerville. In 1831 this building was burned. It was replaced by a stone structure which stood until 1856, when it was demolished and a new brick church erected.
2 This church, now the Baptist church of Schuylerville, united with the Saratoga association in 1805. Jordan's Bridge was an early place of baptism. A meeting-house, perhaps not the first, however, was erected about 1807, and stood about three miles from Schuylerville. About 1833 a new church was erected in Schuylerville. The church at Fish Creek was organized prior to 1800 by members of this church. Rev. Samuel Rogers, the first pastor of the original church, served as a teamster attached to the army of General Gates at the time of the battle of Saratoga. It is related that one night, while he was carrying a load of specie northward, over very muddy roads, he was so closely pursued by the British that he was obliged to cut his team loose and carry the kegs of treasure into the woods. All night he guarded them, and the following day he delivered . them at their destination. His death occurred in Stillwater in 1823.
3 Bryan's parents were fugitives from Acadia when its inhabitants were driven out by the British. They first settled in Dutchess county, N. Y., where Bryan married a sister of Senator Talmadge. Before the Revolution he removed to a point about two miles north of Waterford, where he kept a tavern for many years. He was an eccentric character. At his tavern above Waterford he used to entertain partisans of both contending parties, patriots and tories, and so
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