USA > New York > Essex County > Elizabethtown > Pleasant Valley : a history of Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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Sir John Burgoyne's Operations Near the Mouth of the Boquet River and His Surrender at Saratoga.
June 21, 1777, Sir John Burgoyne and his proud English army landed at the mouth of the Boquet River and for a week a portion of what is now Willsboro was overspread with the tents of his soldiery. Here Burgoyne held a great council of war with the Indian allies of Great Britain and here he issued the proclamation which was called "the Boquet order," ad-
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
dressed to the rebellious colonists, offering "peace and pardon to all who would return to their allegiance to the King and threatening all others with every terror of Indian warfare."
Sir John Burgoyne's performance upon the banks of the Boquet, when it became known in England, was denounced in the thunders of Chatham's eloquence and the religious and moral sentiment of the Christian world revolted at the act. It was indeed a fatal blunder, as no measure in the policy of England tended so effectually to harmonize the popular pas- sions of America and it directly precipitated the armed and infuriated yeomanry of New England upon the entrenchments at Saratoga, where Burgoyne surrendered October 17, 1777, (5,790 men) to General Gates, at which time General Clinton and his army were at Esopus, within 50 miles of Burgoyne's camp. The news of this surrender was followed, in February, 1778, by France acknowledging the Independent United States of America.
Settlement at Barber's Point.
The Peace of 1783 was followed by further settlement and development of the Champlain Valley and contiguous territory. Many men left their New England homes and plunged into the wilderness as their fathers had done before them. In the spring or summer of 1785 Major Hezekiah Barber, from Har- rington, Litchfield County, Conn., came across Lake Champlain from the Vermont shore and began to clear land at what is now known as Barber's Point' in the town of Westport until winter came on, when he went back to Connecticut. The next year he returned with his wife's brother, Levi Frisbie, and they worked together, cutting wood all winter, living in a bark
I Inasmuch as the territory now comprising the town of Westport was not set off from Elizabethtown until the spring of 1815, events connected with Barber's Point and North West Bay will be treated in this volume up to the time of the division,
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
shanty, &c. In the spring of 1787 the young wife of Major Hezekiah Barber, whose maiden name had been Huldah Frisbie, came all that long journey from Connecticut on horseback,car- rying her first baby in her arms, settling in a rude log house which had been prepared for her coming. The household goods were drawn to Barber's Point by oxen. This family ground their own corn in an "Indian mortar" found near by.
William Gilliland's Pecuniary Embarrassment.
At the time Major Hezekiah Barber settled upon the west- ern shore of Lake Champlain William Gilliland was deeply embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs. The acquisition of an estate of 30,000 acres upon the borders of Lake Champlain, with the disbursements incident to its improvement, had used up his means. Abandoning his long cherished purpose of erecting his property into a manorial estate, he decided to sell his lands in fee. The first purchasers of land from Gilliland in what is now the town of Willsboro were Joseph Sheldon and Abraham Aiken from Dutchess County, N. Y., who went into occupation of their lots just before Major Hezekiah Bar- ber brought into being Barber's Point. Fourteen other fami- lies soon came into Willsboro after Sheldon and Aiken.
Meanwhile other embarrassments gathered around to darken and hasten the decay of the fortunes of Mr. Gilliland. There was more or less confusion as to land titles. Litigation ensued. Antagonistic titles were sustained. Costs and heavy expenses followed, which absorbed the remnant of his property and led to his imprisonment upon the jail limits of New York, under the very shadow of the scenes of his former business triumphs. What a galling experience it must have been for the proud, impetuous pioneer settler of the Champlain Valley-the irony of fate indeed.
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Tappan's Line.
At the time when William Gilliland's troubles were bearing him down so heavily a man named Charles Tappan struck in at Pike Creek, which flows through the present village of Westport, and ran a line westerly into the Adirondacks. He began "at a Red cedar stake and stones in the N. West Bay standing on the N. side of the Pike Creek, 66 links on a course of N. 8 degrees, 15 minutes E. of a white ash tree marked on the south side Z. P. 1786. S. 89 degrees, 15 minutes west 111 chains Platt's line to a stake and stones 8 links South of a small iron wood tree marked Z. P. north of 1786. Beech tree marked C. T. run thence, 1787, South 89 degrees, 15 minutes W. At 800 ch. timber is birch & maple & on the mountain to a beech tree marked mile 10 on the E. side & on the north side C. T. 1787.
Several other small trees blazed around it. This course ends here and runs north.
S. W. cor. of Tp. 12, O. M. T. is spruce tree marked 7, then N. 89 degrees E. 880 chs. to a fir stake."
At 594 chs. from Westport by this westerly line is the Boquet River. Tappan's Line,1 so-called by old surveyors, passed by Little Pond and down the long sloping hillside to the Boquet River at a point near the mouth of the Little Pond Brook and so on past where the Post school house now stands and thence up over the mountains just north of Giant of the Valley where a vista, in fact two of them, may be seen to-day.
1Tappan's Line, so-called, was "re-run" by Wm. H. Case, then of Port Henry, when the writer was a bov. Many readers of this note will recall that a large white "sinal" stood a few rods east of the Past school house a quarter of a century ago, the "signal" having been erected by Verplanck Colvin, Superintendent of the Adirondack Survey. The surveyor's vistas in the timber north of Giant of the Valley, which are still visible from the old State Road at a point near the Post school house in the Boquet Valley, were cut there by Mr. Colvin's direction, D. Dunning of New Russia having helped do the work. The notes quoted above regarding the starting and the course of Tappan's Line were taken from "Field Notes of Tappan's Line" as copied by James W. Steele.
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Formation of Clinton County.
Clinton County was formed from Washington, (known as Charlotte County from March 12, 1772, to April 2, 1784, at which latter time the name was changed) March 7, 1788, being named in honor of George Clinton, then Governor of the State of New York. When organized Clinton County em- braced all the land on both sides of Lake Champlain, as then claimed by the State of New York. The claim east of Lake Champlain was abandoned upon the recognition of Vermont as an independent State,1 in 1791.
Captain Platt Rogers Surveying Experiences as Recorded in His Original Book of Field Notes.
Following are extracts from the original book of field notes taken by Captain Platt Rogers' surveying party during the summer of 1789. These are the first extracts from Platt Rogers' original book of field notes ever given in any historical work and the writer thanks James W. Steele for the loan of the unique little volume, the pages of which are really yellow with age. The first page is dated Plattsburgh, June 18, 1789.
"June 19, began at a stake marked on the E.& S. sides stand- ing by a butnut stump in the south line of Charles Platt's land." Busy surveying till July 4, 1789. Writing July 4, 1789, said "Rained the night past and the forenoon. Afternoon sat out and began" surveying again-Rainy, "put up and built a hut." "5 rained till 10 o'clock and then sat out and continued our course."
July 6 after doing some surveying speaks as follows : "Took our things and returned to the Lake at Esq. McCauley's, where we tarried till the 13, then set out for Lake George. log'd at betsburgh.
1Gazetteer of the State of New York by J. H. French, page 232.
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14; Proceeded to Tyconderogue.
15, Had our Battoo hall'd acrosst and went up Lake George about 8 miles.
16, Sat out in order to mark a road to the Screwn (Schroon) Lake, to which Lake we arrived the 20 morning. The Ma- jority of the land (on the way) is mountainous, hilly, rocky and rough, altho some good valleys and small intervale.
A large quantity of very fine Maple, also all kinds of timber that's common in this Country.
The day we arrived at said Lake we Divided in two Partys to explore and see where a road may be made on the E. side of sd Lake. The north party reports rough & mountainous and difficult making a road ; to the south we saw Considerable middling good land, though some mountains & some poor rocky land.
21. Sat out in order to search the west side, went round the north end -then west 3 or 4 miles-on a high mountain we espied a large quantity of water west, to which we went, which appears to be much larger than the other and this we suppose truly to be the Screwn Lake, then north till night and encamped.
22. Parted in order to search the land North & South. I and one more went North, mostly rough land-but some mid- dling good-to the North end of the Lake in which comes a large river, which has inlets of two small river a little up; about the mouth of said river is much sunken, mashy Land. We proceeded up s'd river N. northwest on which we found a quantity of level intervail, from thence Northwest to a s'all lake extending Northeast 3 or 4 miles in Sight.
Thence Southeast, South & Southwest crosst several small rivers. Some good land, some stony and mountains on the way back to the place from whence we sat out where we ar- rived safe.
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
25. Sat out to search & begin to mark road where it can best be made-Went East till we supposed the best Place, began at mill crick marked Northerly 3 or 4 miles, found tol- lerable going-returned to our shanty.
26. Began to survey a tract of Land Lying on the east Side of Scroon Lake neer the middle at the mouth of a small river which is called mill Crick-began at an elm tree standing on the South Bank of sd Crick about 20 links W. of Smal brook which Empties into the crick and 9 chs below the falls in sd crick. Which tree Is mt No. 1 on S. E. Thence runing Serly along the Lake as follows first course
chs links
Is S 56 ₩ 12-50
S 53 ₩ 5-74
S 79 W 5-45
S 73-30 W
8-55
S 60 W 2-75
S 34-30 W 4-08
S 40 W 5-75
S 34 W 8-00
Then follows more description, ending "Intervail and river, runs S W to the river, runing N W down neer the river to the place of begining, Containing 200 Acres.
The 27th the party began the survey of Lot No. 2, containing 200 Acres.
The 28th "Sat out to go down the Lake to explore and search for Land (Where I understood was good Land) And spent most of the day, run some immaginary lines but found none worthy of notis-in a situation to Inclose-returned back and run one of the lines of lot no. 2 which was not before run.
29. Went to the east of No. 1 & 2 to make Inspection.
July 30th. We are now at the Scroon Lake, our Captain being gone to Lake George Landing on business and after pro-
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visions ; he returned to us this morning and has brought pro- vision to N. W. bay-and we are now all to return after sd provision. We Sat out after breakfast in order to obtain the place before we took any refreshment of vituals, But by reason of the Lands being Mountaineous, rough and swampy we got some out of our way but traveled till 9 o'clock at night where we found a hut in which we lodged Which proved a rainy night-next morning we proceeded on about a mile to the provision (the whole distance is 20 miles or more) where we built a hut, dried ourselves and took breakfast and was then Confined by rain till August 5 in which time of detainment we Caught 2 rattle Snakes, middling large, which is the only ones we saw this season.
August 5. Capt Rogers returns to the Landing by water, being much unwell while here. We the rest now Set out for Scroon Lake where we arived at Evening much wearied and some left their packs behind- the majority of the Land on this rout (which is a little S of where we went out) is midling with different kinds of timber, some white oak and chesnut.
6th. Went back and fetched on their packs.
Then went out and began at a beach at the S W corner of Lot No. 3, thence runing S along the East line of Lot No. 1 to the S E Corner of sd Lot Continuing S-from the place of beginning.
chs links
S 44-73 Land much alike, midling good and high-beach and maple timber to a beach stake mt No 4 N E.
E 25 Midling good Land. Decends E -beach and maple 11 timber, black ash and some sedar-
8 -- 73 Swampy land, midling land -- stony, beech & hem- lock timber to the corner mt a hemlock tree No. 4 on N W side under the W side of a mountain.
DR. ALEXANDER MORSE, First Physician to Locate in Elizabethtown Village.
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ThenN40 chs. Generally rocky and rough-hemlock and some beach being on the W side of a high Mountain neer the bottom.
4.73 Good Land, maple & beach to the S line of No. 3 mt a hemlock tree No. 4 on S W side.
Then W along the S line of No 3 to the place of beginning, Containing 200 Acres.
August 7-Proceeded up to the N end of the Lake, went up the main river about 2 miles and Encampt. Left Some to build a hut while we went out to explore and Search up the Small rivers N E (which is mashy) for the road to Cross(which is tol- lerable) and also to see where to begin a line to survey a tract of Land hereway S) Went out and Sought again and began at a Spruce tree mt 1789 and ran W which tree stands 20 chs east of the small mashy river where it empties into the great river. * Crosst the great river & mouth of the little mashy river. *
10. being very wet and no wind to dry, thought best for the hands to go up the river (as we are about to move our things to be convenient) by a small river but finding the Distance so much farther by water than expected and with some difficulty they returned not till near night. We lodged at the same place.
11. A thunder Shower in the morning. Cleared off toward noon, then went and began on the line we left and run W 31 chs (Land midl, timber) to a brook, some part Alder, white maple, some black ash & seder, Seder Swamp, to the corner Mt a beach saplin 1789.
12. Thence N to a small brook, upon E side Mountain and down to a small brook, mostly rough, mt a burch tree 1789, thence N, the land bad and began to rain, we returned to our camp.
13. Went to the S E & began at the place of begining and run N 11 chs to a small brook to the E branch, run S W.
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
Some swampy land. Generally good Entervail to the corner Mt a hemlock 1789, crosst the pond or upper Lake river, 1 ch cross & 5 S of the corner tree, river runs S W.
Entervail to the great river runing S 2 ch wide to sd river runing N E just crosst on the N Side and to the same side again which above comes from N W crosst sd bend to a small brook to the corner mt a beach tree 1789 & No 12 to a small river runs S E & lodged.
14. Continued S to a corner mt a burch tree 1789 & E on S W-g SE & 12 NE.
Thence west, stony uphill to the west line to a stake and stones mt 1789 N. E. returned back to the burch tree & run E. to the river runing S 70 W.
entervail to sd river runing N. 30 w which we crost & run E.
entervail to sd river gain runing S 15 E to the river runing N to W crost a point 2 chs, then crost the river runing S W. began to rain, went to the camp. Continued E to the E line Generally good, some swamps and pond holes. Mt a beach tree 1789 & N 10 S W & 11 N W.
Thence to the S E corner of Lot No 10 and run w. Good, some mashy places, to the river, crost a bend where we struc it. run S where we left it.
N 54 E to the river runing S 80 W. Then swampy, 6 or 8. Then rising to the W line, good Land, beach, maple and hem- lock Mt a beech tree 7 on S. E. & 8 N. E.
Then to the N. E. corne of Lot No. 8 & run S-first lot good-upland beach, hemlock & maple mt a beech tree. Lots No 6 on S E. 7 S W, 8 N W & 9 NE. Continued S midling good neer to the S line, then Sedar and ash swamp to the line Mt a stake 6 & 7-at dark, then returned to the camp.
16 Next morning went up the river in order to run the other division line but before we got to the place it began to rain and proved a severe rainy day.
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
17 Being very wet we took the Canoo and went down to the Lake to try for some fish, where we caught above 2 hundred, mostly s'allish parch but the Largest measured in length 2 foot, 2 inches & ¿ and 1 foot 2 inches } round. We returned and went to the N W corner of Lot No 11 and run S middling Land, crost a small river toward the S side of the first lot, first S E. Soon crost it again, runing S W. not far from the river runing N 10 W in which we crost the Line, the corner being in the river 30 lin E of the W bank where we mt a balsam.
* * * * * * * *
September 14, 1789, one finds by a careful perusal of the original book of field notes, is the date that the Captain Platt Rogers party "Sat out to explore and see what quantity of land may be laid out between this (Lot 35) and boquete falls. Also search for the best route for the road and fetch on provisions from sd falls sufficient to serve the surveying and road par- ties-returned the 15 at night, one hand with me and the rest goes back to help the road party.
We found not mutch land to survey and by reason Mount- ains, rocks and swamps the road will be attended with diffi- culty."
It is probable that no work was done September 15, 1789, as no notes appear in the original book of field notes for that day.
However, "September 16 began at the N. W. corner of lot No. 35 mt sd beach 36 on N E and run North N 44-73-Con- tinued on the Mountain and rocks to the end 1, 2 & 3 chs from the foot where is good land. At the end mt a hemlock tree 36 on S E stands 1 up the mountain, then E.
E. 44-73 11 good low land, maple, heml., beach, then up the W. side of a hill, some rocky ridges & some good Land, maple, beach and hemlock to the end mt a burch tree No. 36 on S. W.
S 44-73 At 8 a brook 20 wide S E. Then South 25 over
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and down the hill h s b m high and some rocks. 19-73 middling good-maple, beach & heml to the N. E. corner of No. 35 to the sd maple saplin which is now mt 36 on N W.
At 42 crost a bend in Scroon river 35 wide where it comes from N E and runs to S E.
The 17 took all our bagage (except provision for the road party) and Sat out to move to boquete falls and to search and make a sightly mark in the best place we can find for the road, which we Acomplished the 18 in the afternoon-and went down the river to search for Land to survey which we soon found.
19th Began at a white ash tree standing on a small island at the river boquete 30 chs below the upper point of the inter- vail and a hill comes down to the river with rocks at the bank, where there is a maple tree mt P R 1789 & 30 chs and a burch tree mt W K 1789 & 30 chs.
From the ash tree run North
N 44-73 to a maple saplin mt No 1 on S E S. intervail
Then mostly hills and hollers. Some clifts of rocks-the N W corner tree is 3 links N. of a high clift, rock at 2, cross part of the river, 25 wide, runs N W. 4 cross the river boquete 40 wide, runs N E.
£ 44-73 35 Generally hilly and some rocks on the south side of a mountain, then levil, good intervail, beach & maple mt a maple saplin No 1 on S. W.
S 44-73 15- levil, good intervail, maple, beach, &c, then on the W side of a rocky hill. Maple, hemlock, beach, spruce, to the corner mt a hemlock tree at No 1 on N W. Then West 6-50. the river runs N E. W 44-73 to the sd ash tree mt No 1 on N E place of begin- 35 on the N side of a mountain, some rocks.
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
Then intervail to the corner at 43-a part of the river running N.
20-
Sat out for another Lot. Went and began but met Capt Rogers with several hands and wanting some change of hands returned back to the falls. After regulation we took our things and moved down the river about 23 miles and built a hut.1
21 of September.
E 41 -- 00
Then proceeded back and began on the E line, the N E corner of lot No 1 at a maple tree mt No 2 on N E. Then East to a spruce saplin mt No 2 on N W 11-levil, good land, maple & beach, then hilly and rocky to the spruce on the W side of a a rocky mountain.
N. 41 -- 00
Then north to a maple tree mt No 2 on S. W. 25 hilly and rocky, hemlock, maple, beach, then levil and good to the sd maple and beach tree.
Then W.
W. 51
to a hemlock saplin mt 2 on S. E. 12 levil upland- beach and maple 12 intervail good-maple, but- nut, ashpin, then upland, hilly and some rocky to the sd saplin.
At 21 crossed the river 50 wide, runs N. E. Then south
S 32-30 hilly and some rocky, map. heml. pop, then inter- vail good to the N. line of No 1 mt a beach stake No 2 on N E. at 28 a brook 10 wide, runs E.
From the field notes quoted it is understood that the Cap- tain Platt Rogers surveying party had on the 21st of Septem- ber, 1789, reached a point in the Boquet Valley just above where the famous Hunter's Home now stands. It is regret- able that the book of field notes ends at this point, as the ob-
l This was probably the first building ever erected by civilized man in the Boquet Valley.
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
servations of the party taken as progress was made down the Boquet Valley would be highly interesting to the present gen- eration. This year, (1789) it will be recalled, the Federal Constitution went into effect and thus the Rogers State Road and our U. S. Government are the same age. For his work for the State of New York Captain Rogers and his associates re- ceived a patent of 3700 acres of land along the route of the newly cut road. Fortunately for the readers of Pleasant Val- ley a record of the early Boquet Valley settlers was furnished by the late Dr. Asa Post which is given on the following pages.
Notes of the Settlement of the Boquet Valley in Elizabethtown, N. Y., Written by Asa Post in 1854.
MR. HENRY R. NOBLE :
Some time since, you asked me if I could give a brief history of the first settlement of the Boquet Valley ; if I could, you wished I would do it. I told you I thought I could ; but did not think at that time, that I should ever undertake it. But lately I have thought that a brief narrative of the first settle- ment of this valley, would be interesting to many of the pres- ent inhabitants, and especially to the rising generation.
I have concluded to make a simple statement of facts, so far as I am able ; perhaps I may err as to dates, for I have no written data ; but rely wholly on memory ; I was then living at Panton, but was acquainted with all the first settlers ; they depended on me as a physician for seven or eight years ; until Dr. A. Morse came to the valley.
To commence my narrative; I must premise, as an intro- duction, some things that took place some years prior to the settlement of the Boquet Valley. A company of gentlemen to the number of eight or ten, made a contract with the State Government to cut a road from Schroon Lake through to
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HISTORY OF ELIZABETHTOWN
Plattsburgh; and to receive in payment land on the route of said road, where they saw fit to lav it out ; at a low price, pro- vided they get on a certain number of settlers in a limited time.
Capt. Platt Rogers, being one of the company, was appointed agent or rather Superintendent to look out and cut the road. (The above was the common report.)
The road was cut through, and lots of land surveyed, for the company, some in Schroon, some in the valley, and some in the town of Lewis.1 I think the job was completed in the year 1789. After the completion of the above job, Capt. Rogers purchased a farm at Basin Harbor, where he afterward resided.
At this time, there were but three towns within the present bounds of Essex County ; Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and Willsboro2 (then including Essex) and here and there, a few scattering settlers on the Lake-shore; there was not a house or settlement between Young's bay and Grog-harbor.
A short distance from the Lake-shore commenced a vast wilderness, extending west to Lake Ontario, and the extent north and south, I cannot tell ; inhabited only by wild beasts, and occupied as hunting ground by the Indians ; and that this valley was anciently their hunting ground is evident from the many stone spikes made to point their arrows, which have been found on our plains.
In the summer of the year 1791, Eliphalet Lamb and a Mr. Goszard, two small traders living in Panton, heard that the French in Canada, would exchange French horses for young
1 One of the lots in Lewis was purchased from Platt Rogers by Gen. Philip Schuyler who sold it to Morgan Lewis, afterwards Governor of the State of New York, the man after whom the town of Lewis was named. Tke old Livingston farm, including the above men. tioned lot, is now owned by John E. Milholland.
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