USA > New York > Saratoga County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Saratoga County, New York > Part 39
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A part of Greenfield was taken off in 1793, all of Northumberland (which then included Moreau and Wilton) in 1798, a part of Malta in 1805, and Saratoga Springsin 1819. The records of the first and many other town meetings have been lost. The following is a list of the supervisors of Saratoga since 1789:
1789-91, John B. Schuyler; 1792-94, Alexander Bryan; 1795, John B. Schuyler; 1796-1800, Daniel Bull; 1801-04, Jesse Mott; 1805, James Brisbin, jr .; 1806, Thomas Ostrander; 1807-09, George Cramer; 1810-13, William Wait; 1814, George Cramer ; 1815, Jonas Olmstead; 1816-17, William Wait; 1818-19, Jesse Mott; 1820, Harvey Granger; 1821, George Cramer ; 1822, Philip Schuyler ; 1823, Daniel Morgan, jr. ; 1824, George Cramer; 1825-30, Daniel Morgan, jr .; 1831-32, Walter Van Veghten; 1833, James Mott; 1834, Henry D. Chapman; 1835-36, Daniel Morgan, jr .; 1837, William Wilcox; 1838, John B. Wright; 1839, Daniel Morgan; 1840, Samuel J. Mott; 1841, Henry D. Chapman; 1842-43, William Wilcox; 1844, Mayo Pond; 1845, Daniel Morgan ; 1846, Phineas Richardson ; 1847, George W. Lester ; 1848-49, Henry Holmes; 1850-51, S. H. Dillingham; 1852, Henry Holmes; 1853, Samuel J. Mott; 1854, Phin- eas Richardson ; 1855, John Lewis; 1856, Peter J. Cook; 1857, Ralph Brisbin ; 1858- 59, Peter J. Cook; 1860, George W. Wilcox; 1861, Samuel J. Mott; 1862-66, William P. Ostrander; 1867, Thomas Sweet; 1868-69, Edmond Raymond; 1870, George F. Watson; 1871-72, Henry C. Holmes; 1873-75, Douw F. Winney; 1876, John H. De Ridder; 1877, William H. Smith; 1878, Daniel A. Bullard; 1879-81, Charles H. At- well; 1882, James B. Bailey; 1883, John H. De Ridder; 1884-86, Charles H. Sarle ; 1887-88, Hector A. McRae; 1889, Edward C. Bullard; 1890, James Mealey, 1891, Hector A. McRae; 1892, Charles M. Doolittle; 1893-95, George R. Salisbury; 1896- 97, Elmer E. Baker; 1898, Jaquith.
TOWN OF STILLWATER.
Stillwater is one of the eastern tier of towns. It is bounded on the north by Saratoga, on the east by the county line, on the south by Half- moon and on the west by Malta. The Revised Statutes define the town as follows:
The town of Stillwater shall contain all that part of said county bounded southerly by Halfmoon, easterly by the east bounds of the county, westerly by Malta, and northerly by the north bounds of lot number seventeen in Saratoga Patent, contin- ued in the same direction west to the town of Malta.
The surface of the town is moderately hilly. The hills known as Bemus Heights lie partly in the northern part of the town. The flats along the Hudson are bordered by a range of bluffs from sixty to a hundred feet high. None of the streams are of importance. Saratoga lake occupies a small part of the northwestern corner of the town. Extending into the lake is a promontory known as Snake-head hill or Snake hill. At the south end of the lake is a famed mineral spring,
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GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-STILLWATER.
known as the White Sulphur spring. In the southwestern part of the town is a sandy tract interspersed with swamps.
The first settlements north of Half-Moon Point, on the west side of the river, aside from those at Schuylerville, were made at Stillwater between 1730 and 1740. Forts had been erected in the town many years before. In 1709 Col. Peter Philip Schuyler built Fort Ingoldsby near the present site of Stillwater village. Isaac Mann, who located in town about 1750, was the first settler of whom anything definite is known. William Mead was an early innkeeper. Harmanus Schuyler, in 1770, built mills a short distance below the present village of Still- water.
The industries of the town were greatly benefited by the opening of the Champlain canal, which traverses the eastern part of the town, running north and south. The Fitchburg railroad enters the town across the bridge at Stillwater, whence its branches extend southward to Mechanicville, and northwest to the shore of Saratoga lake. An electric railroad connects Stillwater and Mechanicville.
Stillwater is the principal village. It is located near the centre of the eastern border of the town on the bank of the Hudson river. It was originally called Up-town, then Upton, as it was the first and for a long time the only settlement north of Waterford, excepting Schuylerville. A Presbyterian church and an Episcopal church were organized before 1800, as was also a Masonic lodge, chartered in 1791, and a well patron- ized school. The village was incorporated in 1816. For many years, while Dirck Swart was county clerk, the county clerk's office was in the village. The first meeting of the board of supervisors of the county was held at his house in 1791. A fire company was organized and a hand engine purchased in 1875. Stillwater academy, founded in 1847, was succeeded by the present union school system in 1873. The Congregational church, organized at Canaan, Conn., in 1752, removed to Stillwater in 1762; the First Baptist church was organized in 1762; the Presbyterian church in 1791; the Second Baptist church in 1836; the M. E. church in 1857, and the Catholic church in 1874.
The dam in the river at Stillwater furnishes power for a number of enterprises. Newland & Denison established a knitting mill in 1873; William Mosher and Elihu Allen a paper mill in 1847; Ephraim New- land a hosiery mill in 1873; D. & W. Pemble a straw-board mill in 1866, and Gardner Howland & Sons a paper mill in 1863. The village now contains a new pulp and paper mill, two knitting mills, a flouring
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
mill, two card board mills, two saw mills, a leather-board mill, a shank and counter mill, a dry dock and boat yard.
Mechanicville lies partly in the town. The village is referred to more in detail in the gazetteer of Halfmoon. Ketchum's Corners is located in the northwest corner of the town. The Presbyterian church there was organized in 1866, and the M. E. church very early in the century. Wayville is a hamlet near by. Bemus Heights, Wilbur's Basin and Stillwater Centre are other hamlets in the town.
The clerks of the town of Stillwater for many years have not kept the town records as the law provides, so it is impossible to give an authentic list of all the officers of the town. The list of supervisors was obtained from the county clerk's office. The names of the other town officers, as far as the records show, are also given. The super- visors have been :
I791, Elias Palmer; 1792, Samuel Bacon; 1793-94, John Bleecker; 1795, Reuben Wright; 1796-98, Cornelius Vandenburgh; 1799-1804. John Hunter ; 1805-18, Thomas Morey ; 1819-20, Daniel Rogers; 1821-22, George Palmer; 1823, Richard Ketchum; 1824, Daniel Rogers; 1825-33, George Palmer; 1834-37, Richard Ketchum; 1838, Abraham Leggett; 1839-45, Henry E. Barrett; 1846-48, William Baker; 1849, Abra- ham Y. Lansing; 1850, Abraham Leggett; 1851, Tyler Dunham; 1852, George W. Neilson ; 1853, Charles Moore; 1854, William Baker; 1855, William Denison; 1856, Philip J. Powell; 1857, Edward Moore; 1858-59, Andrew Hunter: 1860, John W. Buffington ; 1861-65, Henry W. Arnold; 1866-67, John T. Baker; 1868-70, Henry A. Van Wie; 1871-72, John T. Baker; 1873-75, George A. Ensign; 1876, George W. Neilson; 1877, Lyman Smith; 1878, Peter A. Van Wie; 1879-80, William L. Deni- son ; 1881, Edgar Holmes; 1883-83, Elias Hewitt; 1884-85, Clarence M. Curtis ; 1886- 87, Alfred P. Williams; 1888-89, William B. Neilson; 1890, Hiram Williams; 1891, Herbert O. Bailey; 1892, Alfred P. Williams; 1893, G. P. H. Taylor; 1894-95, Frank W. Neilson; 1896-97, John C. Baker; 1898, William S. Donnelly.
The records show the names of the following town clerks:
1795, Henry Davis; 1803, 1806 and 1807, William Seymour; 1809 and 1812, George Palmer; 1820, Charles Nelson; 1821 to 1824, and 1826, William Seymour; 1834-36, Henry E. Barrett; 1837, Samuel F. Pruyn; 1838-1841, Ashbel Palmer; 1842-46, Morgan Munger; 1847, John Patrick; 1848, Archibald C. Tearse; 1849, John Hat- field; 1850-53, Morgan Munger; 1854, Ashbel Palmer; 1855-56, Lyman Smith; 1857, Jared W. Haight; 1858, Joseph Wood; 1859, J. W. Haight; 1860, Sylvenus Arnold; 1861, George W. Flagler; 1862-68, Ashbel Palmer; 1869-73, Charles C. Neilson ; 1874, Joseph Wood; 1875-78, Morey G. Hewitt; 1886-93, Morey G. Hewitt; 1894-97, Frank Stumpf; 1898, Wesley E. Stufflebean. Records missing, 1788 to 1794, 1796 to 1802, 1804 to 1805, 1808, 1810 to 1811, 1813 to 1819, 1825, 1827 to 1833, and from 1879 to 1886.
The justices of the peace elected by the people, excepting those elected from 1879 to 1886, whose names are not obtainable, were as follows :
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GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-HALFMOON.
1832, Ashbel Palmer; 1834, Cramer Vernam; 1835, David Benedict; 1836, Ashbel Palmer; 1837, Richard Ketchum; 1838, Cramer Vernam ; 1839, David Benedict; 1840, Ashbel Palmer; 1841, Charles Ensign; 1842, James Bradshaw; 1843, Hiram A. Fer- guson, George S. Finch; 1844, Ashbel Palmer, Alfred Elms; 1845, Samuel Cheever ; 1846, John Elmer; 1847, John W. Neilson; 1848, Daniel Bradt, Thomas S. Gleason ; 1849, William Denison; 1850 John Elmer; 1851, Samuel B. Hicks; 1852, Daniel Bradt, Alfred Elms; 1853, Alexander Flanney; 1854. Nathan Taber; 1855, Reuben H. Barber; 1856, Charles Moore, James Lee; 1857, Alexander W. Davis; 1858, John Elmer; 1859, R. H. Barber; 1860, Daniel Bradt; 1861, Theophilus Cook; 1862, John Elmer; 1863, R. H. Barber; 1864, Joseph Wood; 1865, Theophilus Cook; 1866, John Elmer; 1867, R. H. Barber; 1868, Theodore Baker; 1869, Duncan Van Wie; 1870, John Elmer: 1871, R. H. Barber; 1872, Theodore Baker; 1873, Duncan Van Wie; 1874, E. Corning Chase ; 1875, R. H. Barber; 1876, David A. Van Wie, Charles Hunt; 1877, William S. Miller; 1878, Eugene E. Curtis; 1886, Eugene E. Curtis; 1887, Charles Hunt; 1888, David A. Van Wie; 1889 J. H. Massey; 1890, Eugene E. Cur- tis: 1891, Charles Hunt; 1892, George Perkins (short term), B. E. Tabor (long term); 1893, Robert C. Baxter ; 1894, George Perkins; 1895, Charles Hunt; 1896, B. E. Tabor ; 1897, Robert C. Baxter; 1898, Eugene E. Curtis.
TOWN OF HALFMOON.
Halfmoon occupies a part of the southeastern corner of the county. It is bounded on the north by Malta and Stillwater, on the east by the east bounds of the county, on the south by Waterford and the south line of the county, and on the west by Clifton Park. The Revised Statutes define the town as follows:
The town of Halfmoon shall contain all that part of said county bounded north- erly by Anthony's Kill, easterly by the east bounds of the county, southerly by Waterford and the south bounds of the county, and westerly by a line beginning at the outlet of Round Lake; then running south to the east side of William Gates' grist mill; then southerly through the centre of the mill pond across the bridge over said pond; then southerly to the west side of Joseph Merrill's dwelling house; then south to the Van Schaick line, then along said line to the Mohawk river, varying the same at the dwelling house of Ephraim Stevens so as to leave the same on the west side of the line.
The surface is undulating and contains several small streams running in places through narrow ravines. The eastern section, extending along the river bank, is flat and fertile, as is most of the land. An- thony's creek and Dwaas' kill flow into the Hudson, and Steera kill into the Mohawk. The Erie canal passes through the western half of the southern part of the town, running nearly parallel to the Mohawk river. The Champlain canal traverses the eastern part of the town from north to south. The Delaware & Hudson Canal company's rail- road runs nearly parallel with this canal, and east of it, from Water-
23
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ford to Mechanicville, running thence in a westerly direction about parallel with the north line of the town. The Fitchburg railroad also extends westerly from Mechanicville nearly parallel with the northern line of the town.
The earliest settlements in Halfmoon located on the banks of the Mo- hawk about 1680. Killiaen Vandenburgh built a home near Duns- bach's Ferry in 1718. The earliest building in Mechanicville doubtless was Gates's tavern. Henry Bailey had a tavern about a mile below, near the river, soon after the Revolution, perhaps earlier. Shubael Cross had another at Middletown before the Revolution.
Mechanicville is the principal village in Halfmoon. It lies partly in the northeast corner of the town and partly in Stillwater. It is a man- ufacturing and railroad centre of considerable importance. Here are located large shops of the Delaware & Hudson and the Fitchburg rail- roads, the immense plant of the Duncan company, manufacturers of fine paper; two large sash and blind factories, two large brick kilns, four knitting mills, a shirt factory, important lumber yards, a factory for manufacturing electrical goods, and other manufactures. The Dun- can company is supplied with power principally from a dam across the Hudson river. In 1897 and 1898 a second large dam was erected in the Hudson for the development of power for transmission to the works of the General Electric company at Schenectady, about fifteen miles away. The electric current will be transmitted from Mechanicville to Schenec- tady by heavy insulated wires. The village has excellent railroad fa- cilities, including, beside the steam roads mentioned, an electric line between Mechanicville and Stillwater. A line extending southward and connecting with Troy and Albany is in course of construction, and plans are being made for an extension to Saratoga Springs. The school system has undergone great improvements in recent years, and two new school buildings are soon to be constructed. There are five churches in the village-Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal and Roman Catholic. There are also a Masonic lodge, and Odd Fellows lodge, three social clubs and several other fra- ternal organizations. It also has a well organized and equipped fire department. Mechanicville was not incorporated by law as a village until 1870. It was chartered by the County Court in July, 1859, and at the first election, September 10, following, ninety five votes were cast. These trustees were elected: Cyrus Gilbert, Stephen Burtis, Lewis Smith, Job G. Viall, A. A. Buckhout. The board of trustees
EDWARD H. STRANG.
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GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-HALFMOON.
elected Lewis Smith chairman and William P. Harris clerk. Until 1870 the chief executive officer of the village was the chairman or president of the board of trustees. These officers were:
1859, Lewis Smith; 1862, William Clements; 1863, Lyman Dwight; 1864, Isaac M. Smith; 1865, John W. Ensign; 1866, John Elmer; 1867, John C. Greene; 1868, John C. Greene (removed from village and succeeded by Alonzo Howland); 1869, Lewis E. Smith; 1870, William W. Smith.
In 1870 the State Legislature granted a new charter for the village, when these officers were elected by the people direct :
President, William W. Smith; trustees, William Johnson, Newton H. Ballou, William M. Warren, Charles Wheeler; clerk, J. Frank Terry; treasurer, Richard Richards; collector, Michael Short.
The following is a complete list of the village presidents since the in - corporation of Mechanicville:
1871, William W. Smith; 1872-78, Lewis E. Smith; 1879, Newton H. Ballou; 1880, John C. Greene; 1881, Charles Wheeler; 1882, J. Frank Terry; 1883, Daniel E. La Dow; 1884, George R. Moore; 1885-86, George E. Lockwood; 1887, Obadiah Tompkins; 1888-89, William W. Smith; 1890, Edward H. Strang; 1891, John C. Greene; 1892, William C. Tallmadge; 1893, Herbert O. Bailey; 1894, John H. Massey ; 1895, Albert H. Barnes; 1896, Hiram B. Mace; 1897, Emmons A. Starks; 1898, William H. Allen.
There are five hamlets in Halfmoon. Newton is located about two miles southwest of Mechanicville; Smithtown about two miles south of Newton; Clifton Park west of the centre of the town near the Clifton Park town line; Crescent just north of the great bend in the Mohawk ; and Middletown about a mile easterly from Crescent. The First Bap- tist church of Halfmoon, located at Middletown, organized in 1835, succeeded the Baptist church at Newtown, long since extinct. The Second Baptist church of Halfmoon, at Clifton Park, was founded in 1841, the M. E. church at Smithtown about 1870, the M. E. church at Crescent in 1852, the Reformed Protestant Dutch church of Middle- town (now extinct) in 1791, and the M. E. church at Coon's Crossing about 1858.
Halfmoon was one of the original districts of Saratoga county, the other being Saratoga. In 1816 Waterford was set off, the name of Halfmoon then becoming Orange. The old name was restored in 1820. Clifton Park was taken off in 1828. The district of Halfmoon was or- ganized as a part of Albany county in 1772, as a town of Albany county in 1788, and as a town as at present constituted in 1828. In the follow-
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ing list of supervisors, those serving from 1788 to 1828 came from various parts of the old town :
1788-90, Jacobus Van Schoonhoven; 1791, Benjamin Rosekrans; 1792-94, Richard Davis, jr .; 1795-1800, Benjamin Rosekrans; 1801-17, Zebulon Mott; 1818-20, Na- than Garnsey; 1821-27, David Garnsey ; 1828-37, Asahel Philo; 1838-39. Isaac Smith ; 1840, Platt Smith; 1841, Chauncey Boughton; 1842-43, Abraham Travis; 1844-45, William Chute; 1846, Benjamin S. Cowles; 1847, David W. Wait; 1848, Lucius M. Smith; 1849-50, James Noxon; 1851-52, Stephen Emigh; 1853-54, Benjamin Wait; 1855, Shubael Taylor; 1856-57. Thomas Noxon; 1858, Nehemiah Philo; 1859, Will- iam Cary; 1860-61, Thomas Noxon; 1862-63, C. J. Warrington; 1864-66, Thomas Noxon; 1867, John C. Greene; 1868, Charles H. Clute; 1869, Henry L. Haight; 1870-71, M. O. Caldwell; 1872-73, Daniel R. White; 1874, Jacob C. Defreest;1 1875- 76, Charles H. Clute; 1877-78, Henry L. Haight; 1879-82, George Rogers; 1883, Peter Smith; 1884-85, Cornelius R. Sheffer; 1886-87, Edward L. Haight; 1888-89, Melbourn H. Van Voorhees; 1890, Silas Hayner; 1891-97, Henry D. Safford; 1898, George H. Whitney.
The town clerks have been :
1788-90, Jacob Fort; 1791-1818, Abraham Moe; 1819-21, Asahel Philo; 1822, Ephraim Stevens; 1823-31, Benjamin I. Hall; 1832, Nicholas Emigh, jr .; 1833-35, John P. Steenburgh; 1836-37, Robert Forbes; 1838-39, Chauncey Boughton; 1840- 43, Nicholas E. Philo; 1844-45, Nehemiah Philo; 1846, Henry L. Landon; 1847, Aaron A. Knight; 1848, Isaac Clements; 1849, James T. Wiley; 1850, Lyman W. Clements; 1851-53, L. B. Schermerhorn; 1854-55, Selah Knight; 1856, Warren Ruli- son ; 1857-59, C. J. Warrington; 1860, Henry Lape; 1861-62, Daniel R. White; 1863, Martin Sherman; 1864-67, Warren Rulison; 1868, M. O. Caldwell; 1869, James H. Clark; 1870, Jacob A. West; 1871, Warren Rulison; 1872-73, Jacob C. Defreest; 1874-75, S. S. Teachout; 1876-77, Henry Clark; 1878-82, J. Frank Terry; 1883-85, Edward L. Haight; 1886-90, William G. Davry; 1891-93, Norman W. Kelso; 1894- 98, William T. Moore.
The justices of the peace elected by the people have been :
1831, William Fowler; 1832, William Clute; 1833, Stephen Varnum (or Vernam); 1834, Asahel Philo; 1835, William Fowler; 1836, Nathan A. Philo; 1837, Stephen Vernam; 1838, Benjamin S. Curtis; 1839, James Noxie; 1840, Nathan A. Philo; 1841, James V. Bradshaw; 1842, Stephen H. Sherman; 1843, Lewis E. Smith; 1844, Nathan A. Philo; 1845, David W. Wait; 1846, B. S. Cowles; 1847, Moses Clements; 1848, Eldert I. Van Woert; 1849, D. W. Wait; 1850, Samuel A. House; 1851, John R. McGregor; 1852, Abram Sickles; 1853, D. W. Wait; 1854, Charles H. Fowler; 1855, William Ostrander, John O. Mott; 1856, Selah Knight; 1857, William Hicks, Henry I. Dunsbach, Deodatus W. Hurd; 1858, Harmon J. Quackenbush; 1859, Nathan Ta- bor; 1860, Abram Sickles; 1861, Samuel R. Mott; 1862, Melvin Van Voorhees; 1863, H. J. Quackenbush; 1864, Nathan F. Philo; 1865, Charles E. Dillingham, Smith L. Mitchell; 1866, James Clark ; 1867, Charles E. Gorsline, William Hicks; 1868, Selah
¿ Died in office ; Charles H. Clute appointed to fill out his term.
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GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-BALLSTON.
Knight; 1869, Charles E. Dillingham; 1870, Melvin Van Voorhees; 1871, Charles E. Gorsline, Charles E. Dillingham; 1872, Selah Knight; 1873, William A. T. Cassidy; 1874, Melvin Van Voorhees; 1875, William L. Potter; 1876, Selah Knight; 1877, Will- iam A. T. Cassidy; 1878, Henry Clark; 1879, William C. Tallmadge; 1880, Selah Knight; 1881, William A. T. Cassidy; 1882, Henry Clark (long term), William A. Mansfield (short term); 1883, William C. Tallmadge: 1884, James A. Knight; 1885, William A. T. Cassidy (long term), George W. Porter (short term); 1886, Fred I. Steenberg; 1887, Charles E. Hicks; 1888, George W. Porter; 1889, William A. T. Cassidy (long term), David F. Smith (short term); 1890, Fred I. Steenberg; 1891, Nicholas Steenberg; 1892, John E. Thomson; 1893, John Baker; 1894, F. I. Steen- berg; 1895, David F. Smith; 1896, John E. Thomson; 1897, William A. T. Cassidy ; 1898, F. I. Steenberg.
Under a law passed in 1894 a police justice has been elected every two years. In that year William G. Davey was elected to the office, and was re elected in 1896 and 1898.
TOWN OF BALLSTON.
The town of Ballston comprises the so-called " five-mile square," with a small addition to the south. It is bounded on the north by Milton, on the east by Malta, on the south by Clifton Park and Schen- ectady county, and on the west by Schenectady county and Charlton. The Revised Statutes define the town as follows:
The town of Ballston shall contain all that part of said county comprehending the tract of land commonly called the five mile square, and the west line of the same ex- tended south to the bounds of the county; then along the bounds of the county to a line run from the south end of Long lake' south fifty-three degrees west; then along that line and the east shore of said lake to the south bounds of the said five-mile square.
The surface of Ballston is gently undulating. The Mourning kill? rises in the western part of the town and flows northeasterly through Ballston and Malta into the Kayaderosseras. The outlet of Ballston lake flows northeasterly, finally emptying into Round lake. Gordon creek is a small tributary of the Kayaderosseras rising in the north- western part of the town and flowing in a northeasterly direction. The Schenectady branch of the Delaware & Hudson Canal company's rail- road extends through the town from Ballston Lake station to Ballston Spa. The first settlement was made in 1763 by two brothers named Michael and Nicholas McDonald, who located near the west bank of
' Now Ballston lake.
2 So named because of the tragedies which occurred during the early times in the section through which it runs.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Ballston lake. In 1770 Rev. Eliphalet Ball, with his three sons-John, Stephen and Flamen-and several members of his congregation, re- moved from Bedford, N. Y., and settled in the vicinity of Academy. Hill. Mr. Ball was induced to settle here by a donation of 500 acres of land from the proprietors of the five-mile square. He was the pas- tor of the first religious society formed in town. His father and Wash- ington's mother, Mary Ball, were first cousins. Soon after the arrival of the Ball family a large number of settlers came from New England, New Jersey, Scotland and the north of Ireland. Among these were General James Gordon, George Scott, Judge Beriah Palmer, Judge Epenetus White, Edward A. Watrous, Captain Kenneth Gordon and others. The Scotch families settled in Scotch Bush and Paisley Street. The first church in town (Presbyterian) was organized October 6, 1792. Ezekiel Horton was an early tavern keeper at Academy Hill.
Ballston Spa is the principal village in the town. The larger portion of it lies within the limits of Milton. Christ Protestant Episcopal church stands just south of the Milton town line, in Ballston. V cor- ners is a hamlet half a mile further south. Ballston Lake is a hamlet at the west side of the south end of Ballston lake. Burnt Hills lies a mile west of Ballston Lake. East Line is a small hamlet about two and a half miles south of Ballston Spa, on the Malta town line. Balls- ton Centre is in the centre of the town.
The Presbyterian church at Ballston Centre, the first church in town, was established September 22, 1775; Calvary Protestant Episcopal church at Burnt Hills May 7, 1849; the Baptist church of Burnt Hills about 1791; the Christian church of Burnt Hills about 1848; the Epis- copal church at East Line (now extinct) in 1876, and the Christian church of East Line (also extinct) in 185$.
October 16, 1780, a party of four hundred regulars and Indians from Canada, under the Tory Major Munroe, attacked the Ballston settle- ment, killed one man and took twenty-four prisoners, including General James Gordon. The prisoners were taken to Canada, whence they subsequently escaped. In May, 1781, the notorious Joe Bettys, with about thirty refugees, captured several prisoners and carried them to Canada. They also afterward escaped. Bettys was subsequently cap- tured and hanged as a spy at Albany.
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