USA > New York > Saratoga County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Saratoga County, New York > Part 14
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115
CLIFTON PARK, 1783-1800.
Among others who settled in town, a few years later than did Mr. Rexford, probably about 1776 or 1777, was Nathan Garnsey, whose de- scendants became numerous and influential. His brother had preceded him; but being a Tory felt constrained to remove to a more congenial location, after having transferred his property to Nathan Garnsey, who was a patriot. One of his daughters married a young man named Kennedy, who became the father of Garnsey and Roscius R. Kennedy of Jonesville. Others who lived in town as early as 1790, and perhaps several years before that date, included the following:
James Jones, who kept an inn near Jonesville, which place was named in his honor; Simeon Van Camp, who had a tavern on the site of Clif- ton Park village; - Hicks, who also had a tavern about a mile from that of Van Camp; Adrian Hegeman, whose home was on "Sugar Hill; " Samuel Sweatland, Israel Brooks, Robert Eldridge and Solo- mon Waite, who lived near Jonesville; Richard Peters, north of Visch- er's Ferry; James Groom, who lived near the corners which still bear his name; John Terpenny, who lived in the Groom neighborhood; John Knowlton, Jeremiah Cramer, Jacob Fort and Abraham Moe, who lived at Moe's Corners. The latter was a man of wide influence, and served as town clerk from 1791 to 1828. Thomas Young, father of Hon. Sam- uel Young, settled between Burnt Hills and Groom's Corners in 1785. He came from Berkshire, Mass. His son Samuel' became a man of great prominence. Isaac Southard located in town in 1800. Two of his sons, John and Jonas, remained in Clifton Park, and another son, Samuel L., settled in Ballston.
There is in existence no record of any schools in this town prior to 1800, though schools undoubtedly were maintained, owing to the large population.
The only church which was established in Clifton Park during the century of which we are writing was the Baptist church, which was constituted February 12, 1795, by Mathew Palmer, Philip King, James Groom, John Warren, Rufus Morse, Rebecca Palmer and Eunice Cross- man. Rev. Abijah Peck, the first pastor, was a soldier of the Revolu- tion. In 1784 he settled in Galway, became actively interested in church work and February 9, 1793, was licensed to preach. He was the founder of the Baptist church of Clifton Park.2
1 See chapter on the Bench and Bar.
2 This church had a membership of thirty-six in 1800. Rev. Abijah Peck, the first preacher, was not regularly ordained until March 12, 1801. The church had (in 1796) joined the old Shafts- bury association, not joining the Saratoga association until 1834.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
HADLEY.
There were no permanent settlements in Hadley, as far as can be . learned, before the Revolution, and very few prior to the nineteenth century. Practically nothing is known of Richard Hilton, who is sup- posed to have been the first inhabitant. The first pioneer of whom anything definite can be learned was Alexander Stewart, who settled in the southeastern part of the town, on the banks of the Hudson river, in the spring of 1790. He had a farm of one hundred and fifty acres of rich flatlands, which he cleared and cultivated. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were the parents of nine children-Nancy, John, Neal, David, Charles, Daniel, Betsey, James and William. Henry Walker came about the same time and settled on the north bank of the Sacan- daga river, at its junction with the Hudson. He was the first to locate on the site of the village of Hadley. As early as 1791 a saw mill was erected in the same neighborhood by Delane & Hazzard.
Six years after the settlement of Alexander Stewart and Henry Walker, David Dayton bought the adjoining farm and founded a home. His family consisted of five sons-Joel, Henry, Telam, Orange and Erastus. Elijah Ellis came from Shaftsbury, Vt., in 1800 south of the Sacandaga, at its junction with the Hudson. A short distance up the former river he built a saw mill, and finally removed about two miles to the southwest of his first home. He had a family of eleven children, Joseph Gilbert, who had fought with the American army in the Rev- olution, was an early settler at Hadley Hill, but may not have come until 1801 or 1802.
As early as 1791 a school was taught in the Stewart neighborhood by a man named Wilson. Another was started soon afterward by a man named Pitcher. Both school houses were built of logs, with slabs for seats. There were no desks. No churches were established in town until well along in the present century.
GREENFIELD.
There is no knowledge of any settlements in Greenfield prior to the Revolutionary period. Tradition says that Thomas Root and Anthony Haggerty were located in town in 1778, but nothing about their lives or place of residence is known. The first permanent settlements probably were made in the spring of 1786 by'William, John, Benjamin and Charles Deake, the latter's son, Charles Deake, jr., and Gershom
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117
GREENFIELD, 1783-1800.
Morehouse, who located near Middle Grove. About the same time William Scott located at North Greenfield, originally known as Scott's Corners; Isaac Reynolds, near Greenfield Centre, and the Fitch family at St. John's Corners. The St. John family were pioneers, but very little is known of them. St. John's Corners was named after this family. In the same year Isaac Reynolds bought a farm north of Greenfield Centre. He had five sons-Isaac, Darius, Stephen, Jere- miah and David. Isaac, Stephen and Jeremiah remained in town. Gershom Morehouse, mentioned above, who came from Greenfield, Conn., built the first saw mill in town, at Middle Grove. In 1788 he returned to his native home, married Hannah Smith; brought his bride to his new home and continued to operate his farm and mill. In 1792 he built the first grist mill in town, on the banks of the Kayaderosseras creek. The same year he sold both his mills to Dr. Isaac Youngs and removed to a farm a short distance away. He built, for various per- sons, nearly all the early mills in Greenfield, and amassed quite a for- tune for those days.
The Deake' family, who came from Rhode Island, were prominent in the affairs of the town in the early days. Their home was located about a mile and a half north of Middle Grove. Charles Deake was the head of the family. The others whose names have been mentioned were his sons. Several of his descendants became men of prominence. William Scott, the pioneer of Scott's Corners (North Greenfield), emi- grated from Ireland a few years before the Revolution. He joined the American army at the beginning of the war, fought at Bunker Hill and remained in the service until peace had been declared. He rose from a private through the various grades until he became a colonel. He was the first supervisor of Greenfield, served many years as a justice of the peace, and was a prominent Mason.
The year 1787 witnessed many additions to the population of Green- field. In that year John Benedict settled in the southern part of the town, where he remained for twelve years. Nathaniel Seymour, Alex- ander H. Scott and Benjamin Ingham located near him about the same time. The latter's son, Rufus, settled in the northern part of the town. Benjamin Clinch started the first store in town, at Porter's Cor- ners, in that year. James Vail, also an early merchant at Porter's Cor- ners, located there in 1787. Isaac Demmon settled at Locust Grove; and Caleb Sherman a short distance north of Middle Grove. The lat-
1 The name is now written Dake. It appears as Deake in the early records of the town.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ter was a native of Rhode Island, but had resided in Washington county, N. Y., previous to his removal to Greenfield.
In 1789 Joel Reynolds opened the first tavern in town, at the place now owned and occupied by Dr. Ianthus G. Johnson, at Greenfield Centre. In the same year Rev. Elias Gilbert settled near the southern boundary of the town. At the beginning of the Revolution he was living at Newport, R. I. After various changes of residence in New England he came to Pittstown, Rensselaer county, N. Y. While working at his trade, that of cabinet making, in the latter town, he be- gan to preach. Soon after coming to Greenfield he was chiefly instru- mental in organizing the Congregational church, of which he became the first pastor. He died in 1814.
Jonathan Hoyt and Jonathan Wood also came about 1789. The latter lived about a mile east of the Congregational church founded by Rev. Elias Gilbert. His two sons, James and Jeremiah Wood, were graduated from Union College and became ministers. Walter Hewitt located in town in 1790. For many years he served as deacon in the Congregational church, and was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Greenfield Total Abstinence society. Daniel Cronkhite, who came from Hillsdale, Columbia county, N. Y., settled in the town in 1791. John Pettit, a native of Berkshire county, Mass., who had served in the patriot army, purchased a farm a little north of Greenfield Centre in 1793 and removed upon it with his wife, Mary Barnes. He became one of the most influential men in the town.1 Peter Robinson came from Washington county, N. Y., about 1792 and located near Greenfield Centre. His four brothers-Peleg, Sanford, Giles and Benjamin-came soon after- ward and settled in the Haggerty Hill neighborhood. Benjamin S. Robinson, a representative citizen of Greenfield, is a grandson of Ben- jamin Robinson. Esek Tourtelot located about two miles north of Porter's Corners in 1795. Nathaniel Daniels built the first cloth-dress- ing and fulling mill in town in 1794. This mill stood on the north branch of the Kayaderosseras creek, about two miles north of Saratoga Springs village. Dr. Isaac Youngs, who, as described in the foregoing, bought the first mill built by Gershom Morehouse, was one of the first-per-
1 Upon the erection of the town Mr. Pettit was appointed a justice of the peace, and served in that capacity forty-one consecutive years. He was supervisor from 1812-1815 inclusive, and was a member of assembly in 1817 and 1823. Three of his sons-John, James and Paris-served in the war of 1812. John was carried to Quebec as a prisoner and Paris was killed in battle at Sackett's Harbor. Another son, William R., removed to Gorham, Ontario county, N. Y., where he was elected to the Assembly in 1852. John Pettit died January 1, 1840.
119
GREENFIELD, 1783-1800.
haps the first-physician of Greenfield, but he practiced very little, confining his time to his mill property. Elihu Anthony, who located in the north part of the town in 1792, was for many years pastor of the Friends' Society in North Greenfield. He was an orthodox Quaker, and lived in Greenfield until his death, in 1863.
One of the most prominent men in Greenfield for many years was Asahel Porter.1 He first located at St. John's Corners about 1793, ยท where he started a store and a tavern. Before 1800 he removed to the corners which bore his name, where he remained in the mercantile business until his death, which occurred in 1821. He was the richest man in town.
Noah Weed bought three hundred acres of land in South Greenfield, in 1793, from Walter Hewitt, James Dunning and Daniel Crawford. He came from Cambridge, Washington county. Salmon Child, a na- tive of Connecticut, son of a captain in the American army in the Rev- olution and himself a soldier in that war, came to Greenfield with his father soon after the close of the war and settled in the southern part of the town. He was a man of the highest character, and held many offices of trust and responsibility.2 Esek Cowen2 was another distin - guished resident of Greenfield, whither he came with his father, Jo- seph Cowen, in 1793. The Fitch family referred to in the foregoing came from Connecticut and settled at St. John's Corners, east of Green- field Centre, in 1786. They comprised Ebenezer Fitch, Giles Fitch, Capt. John St. John, who married Hannah Fitch, and a relative named Smith. The two first named, brothers, were grandsons of Thomas Fitch, governor of Connecticut. Shortly after their arrival Maj. Jabez Fitch, another brother, came from Fairfield, Conn., and bought five hundred acres of land near Locust Grove, where he built a grist mill and saw mill. The first frame dwelling house in Greenfield was built by Ebenezer Fitch. In 1798 the latter moved to Stafford's Bridge, hav- ing sold his farm to Ephraim Bullock, grandfather of Judge Augustus Bockes. Maj. Jabez Fitch, Giles Fitch and Captain St. John all served in the Revolution. Hannah, daughter of Ebenezer Fitch, became the wife of Alpheus Bullard of Schuylerville and the mother of David A.
1 From 1791 to 1801 inclusive Mr. Porter represented his town on the board of supervisors, and was at one time chairman of that body. He served in the Assembly in 1805 and 1806, and was sheriff two terms, from 1807 to 1812. He was also a prominent Mason, and when he died in April, 1821, prominent men from many parts of the State attended his funeral. One of his daughters became the wife of the Hon. William A. Beach, the eminent jurist.
2 See chapter on the Benchi and Bar.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Bullard of Schuylerville and Gen. E. F. Bullard of Saratoga Springs. Howell Gardiner, who located in the southern part of the town in 1799, on a farm purchased of John Benedict, became a man of influence in the community, and was frequently called to public office. 1
Among other residents of Greenfield prior to 1800 were Dr. Asa C. Barney, one of the first physicians in the town; Captain Allen Hale, an officer in the Revolution; Nathan Medbery, Zenas Winsor, Israel Will- iams, Stephen Comstock, John Smith, Elijah Smith, John Weed, Abra- ham Weed, Joseph Wood, Daniel Crawford, Jeremiah Westcott, Prince Wing, Lewis Graves, Ambrose Cole, Abner Williams, Paul Anthony, Samuel Bailey, Jonathan Deuel, Job Whipple, Esek Whipple, Peter Hendricks, Robert Early, John Harris, Benjamin Grinnell, Olney La- tham, William Belden, Jared Weed, John King, Ezekiel Harris, Joseph Mitchell, Gideon Hoyt and Israel Rose.
The first school of which a record has been preserved was opened about 1795 in a log house two miles east of Greenfield Centre. Rich- ard Fish and Slaughter Close were early teachers. Twenty years after the former, in connection with Jeremiah Goodrich, had a private school in that vicinity. It became very successful and finally was removed to Albany.
The first church in town was the First Congregational church of Greenfield, which, as stated in preceding pages, was established through the efforts of Rev. Elias Gilbert. The organization was effected in July, 1790. Among those who signed the covenant were Elnathan Scofield, William Belden, Benjamin Ingham, Jonathan Wood, Joseph Wood, Nathaniel Seymour, Isaac Weed, John Benedict, Jonathan Hoyt, James Dunning, Stephen Crawford, Elisha Scofield, Enoch Kellogg, Nathan Fitch, Daniel Calkins, David Calkins, Eli Weed, Elias Gilbert, Mary Scofield, Priscilla Belden, Mary Westcott, Martha Wood, Mary Sey- mour, Hannah Weed, Lucy Benedict, Elizabeth Hoyt and Abigail Hoyt. The first officers chosen were: Deacons, Elnathan Scofield, Benjamin Ingham; clerk, Gilbert Weed .? The year following the First Baptist
1 Howell Gardiner was descended in the fifth generation, from Lyon Gardiner, who purchased Gardiner's Island, L. I, from the Indians in 1639. His father was Jeremiah Gardiner of East- hampton, L. I. He was born January 6, 1776, at Easthampton, and died in Greenfield February 26, 1826. Hc was a pillar in the Congregational church and one of the principal organizers of the Greenfield Total Abstinence society in 1809. For twenty consecutive years he served as justice of the peace, was a member of assembly in 1815, 1827 and 1831, and a presidential elector in 1820, voting for James Monroc.
2 In September, 1790, this church joined the convention of churches at Bennington, Vt., but in 1797 it united with the Albany presbytery. The first church was erected in 1793, and stood in the
121
PROVIDENCE, 1783-1800.
church of Greenfield Centre was organized by Samuel Bailey, Benja- min Close, Daniel W. Bailey, Mrs. Fanny Bailey, Daniel Wood, Ezra Weld and several others. Rev. Joseph Craw was the first minister. No house of worship was built until several years after the founding of the society.' A society of Friends was established in town prior to 1800. Their meeting house was located a short distance north of Scott's Corners. Elihu Anthony and Benjamin Angell were early preachers. 2
PROVIDENCE.
While tradition says that two men named Seth Kellogg and Nathan- iel Wells became the first settlers of Providence after the Revolution, unfortunately nothing is now known of them. The first permanent settler as nearly as can be learned, was Jonathan Finch. He was one of the minutemen, residing in Dutchess county prior to and during the Revolution. At its close, either in 1783 or 1784, he removed to the western part of Providence, where he purchased a farm and spent the remainder of his life. He was a deeply religious man. Upon the or- ganization of the Baptist church he received a license to preach, was soon afterward ordained to the ministry, and for several years served as pastor of the young church. In the war of 1812 he served as a chap- lain. Dr. Henry C. Finch of Broadalbin, son of S. Rogers Finch and Matilda Shew Finch, is a great-grandson of Jonathan Finch.
southern part of the town. In 1832 it was rebuilt on the opposite side of the road, near its orig- inal site. In 1855 it was newly roofed and painted and a new parsonage replaced that built in 1831. In 1860 the church was repaired and somewhat enlarged.
1 The first church edifice was erected in 1816 and 1817. The society joined the Shaftsbury as- sociation in 1792, and united with the Saratoga association in 1805. The pastors have been : Jo- seph Craw, Israel Craw, Isaac Brewster, Elisha Blackman, James N. Seaman, Benjamin St. John, Samuel M. Plumb, Timothy Day, Henry C. Skinner, H. H. Haff, T. T. St. John, O. H. Capron, R. Hastings, G. Farr, Edwin Westcott, William Bowen, J. L. Barlow, C. C. Hart, F. S. Park, Jacob Timberman, E. Jewett, C. F. Blackman, Levi Wheelock and Rodney D. Andrews.
The Second Baptist church of Greenfield, known for many years as " the Daketown church," was constituted in 1794. It was located about a mile and a half northwest from Middle Grove, in the Dake neighborhood. Its pastors were: Abel Brown, John Lewis and Timothy Day. The church became extinct in 1822.
The Third Baptist church of Greenfield was constituted in 1795, became a member of the Shaftsbury association in 1796 and of the Saratoga association in 1805. Among its pastors were -- Hadley, Jonathan Nichols, Timothy Day, Jacob St. John, T. T. St. John and S. Carr. The church assumed the title of the Second church upon the dissolution of the latter in 1822, gave up its distinct organization and united with the church at Greenfield Centre.
2 About 1827 there was a division among this society, and those calling themselves the Hicks- ites separated from the Orthodox society and built a mecting-house a short distance east of Scott's Corners. The Orthodox society became extinct in 1863, and the Hicksites were dissolved soon after.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Thomas Shankland was the next permanent settler of whom anything definite is known. He located in 1785 or 1786 at Hagedorn's Mills, where he built the first saw mill in town. Soon afterward he erected a grist mill. He also kept a tavern, the first in Providence, as far as is known. About 1792 he sold his property to Peter Morey, who, about 1806, sold it to Jonathan Hagedorn, from whom the place was named. Martin Sleezer located west of the centre of the town about 1784. David Barker and Samuel S. Barker removed to Providence from Dart- mouth, Mass., in 1796. The former opened a tavern near what has since has been known as Barkerville. He and his brother, Samuel S., built at that point a saw mill and grist mill, then a tannery and a shoe shop, and for several years conducted an extensive business. They were men of prominence in the community, and left numerous descend- ants. Jonah Rockwell, who settled in town about 1790, possibly earlier, was a son of Stephen Rockwell, who came to Milton from Dutchess county in 1784. He married Anna Temple, and had four sons and two daughters. Trustram Duel came from Dutchess county also in 1797 and built the first blacksmith shop in town, near Hagedorn's Mills. He had seven children. Nathaniel Sowl, who for many years had followed the sea as a whaler, living at Dartmouth, Mass., came to Providence in 1787. William Clark, also from Dutchess county, settled near An- tioch Hill, a mile and a half north of York's Corners, in 1790. The late William V. Clark, for many years supervisor of the town, and Mrs. Martha A. Fuller of Saratoga Springs were his grandchildren, and Hon. Isaiah Fuller of Saratoga Springs, for many years warden of Clinton State prison at Dannemora, is a great-grandson.
A grist mill was built at Fayville, in the northwestern corner of the town, in 1800, by -- Van Hoesen.
The earliest churches in Providence were the Baptist church and the Society of Friends. The exact date of the organization of either is un- known. As nearly as can be gleaned from the records, however, the Baptist church was organized about 1790. The first roll of members in existence was that made in 1796. Jonathan Finch heads the list as elder, and he served the society as its first pastor.1 The Friends built a log meeting-house near the centre of the town, where James Havi- land preached for many years.
1 The first house of worship was a log building erected about 1793. It was rebuilt in 1807 Again, in 1847, a new edifice was erected at Hagedorn's Mills.
123
DAY, 1783-1800.
DAY.
It was not until the year 1797 that the first permanent settlements in the town of Day occurred. This doubtless was due to the remote- ness of this locality from the centres of population. David Johnson, a native of New Hampshire, who saw seven years' service in the Ameri- can army during the Revolution, was the first inhabitant of whom any- thing definite can be learned. At the close of the war he went to Salisbury, Vt., where he married Mary Joiner. In 1797 he started with his wife and seven children, intending to settle in the Genesee valley; but when he reached the central part of Day, in the valley of the Sacandaga, he could go no further with his covered sleigh, by rea- son of the rapidly melting snows. Consequently he bought a farm there and remained there one year. But his property was claimed by another man, and as he could not establish his title, he removed further east and bought three hundred acres just west of Conklingville, on the eastern boundary of the town. Here, in 1798, he built a log house, on the site of Kathan's old hotel, and remained until his death in 1839. Mr. Johnson had a family of two sons and six daughters. Of these his son John was the only one who remained in town. He became the owner of the old homestead, and served in the war of 1812. His wife was Fally, daughter of David Allen, who bore him thirteen children.
Coincident with Johnson's settlement, or nearly so, was that of Jonas Bond and Phineas Austin, brothers-in-law, who founded homes on the north side of the river, about a mile east of Day Centre. Nicholas Flansburgh came from Schenectady county in the spring of 1799 and located nearly opposite Day Centre, on the south bank of the river. The Grove family are also said to have settled here before 1800, but there is no knowledge of their movements. George Bradford came
from Galway, Scotland, in the spring of 1800. Samuel Rogers located at Day Centre about the same time. One of his daughters married David Hines, a young man who had been captured by the Indians when a boy, and who adopted their style of dress and living. The latter for many years was quite a character in town.
There were no schools or churches in the town of Day until several years after the beginning of the nineteenth century.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Division of the Districts Comprised Within the Limits of the County and the Organization of the Early Towns-Erection of the County of Saratoga-The First Courts-First County, State and Federal Officials-Erection of the First Court House -- The Northern Canal, Known as "Schuyler's Ditch"-The First Newspaper, One Hundred Years Ago, and the First Books Printed in the County-Other Events Transpiring Prior to the Year 1800.
As the population of Saratoga increased after the declaration of peace in 1783, a number of territorial changes were found necessary to accommodate the steadily growing community. Already, before the Revolution, nearly the entire territory now embraced within the limits of the county had been divided by the colonial government into dis- tricts. The first of these districts erected were Half Moon and Saragh- toga. Both were formed by the same law, March 24, 1772.
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