USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. III > Part 16
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
202
THE GRAND CONGRESS AT ALBANY IN 1754.
The British Government, in the year 1754, wisely con- cluded that the only effectual method of resisting the san- guinary assaults of the French and Indians upon their North American possessions, was a union of the several colonies. Accordingly, in pursuance of the orders of George IId, the 14th of June was appointed for a grand congress of com- missioners from the several provinces, to be held in this city, as well to treat with the Six Nations, as to determine upon a plan for a general union of the colonies. Messen- gers had been previously despatched to the Indians to request their attendance, but they did not arrive till the latter part of the month; and the Mohawks, who lived but forty miles distant, came in last. This delay on the part of the Indians was attributed by some to the artifices of Col. William Johnson ; by others to fear on their part lest the French should fall upon their settlements during their absence. The Indians, when arrived, apologized for their delay through Hendriek, a noted Mohawk sachem.
The congress was opened on the 18th of June, and on the 29th, after settling disputes between the commissioners concerning rank and precedence, Lieut. Governor De Laneey of New York addressed himself in a speech to the Indians. There were commissioners present from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Penn- sylvania and Maryland. Among them were Theodore Atkinson of New Hampshire, Thomas Hutchinson of Mass. Benj. Franklin of Pa., and Col. Tasker of Md. The lat- ter gentleman wrote a very interesting account of the congress, which we remember to have seen some years since in the library of the late Gov. Lloyd at Wye House, Talbot Co., Maryland. Gov. Wm. Livingston of New Jersey is also the reputed author of an account of the same congress, contained in a Review of the Military Operations in North America, from 1753 to 1756.
The treaty with the Indians was conducted with great solemnity. Presents of great value were made to them
203
Grand Congress at Albany.
by the several governments, with which they appeared to be well pleased.
The Indians being dismissed, the congress remained in session till the 11th of July. The commissioners were, both for abilities and fortune, among the first men in North America. The speakers, however, as we are told, were few in number; but among them were those who spoke with singular energy and eloquence. All were inflamed with a patriotic spirit, and the debates were moving and heart-stirring. Gov. Livingston compared the congress with one of the " ancient Greek conventions, for support- ing their expiring liberty against the power of the Persian empire, or that LOUIS of Greece, Philip of Macedon." Before adjournment, a plan was adopted for a general union of the British colonies in North America, and for creating a common fund to defray all military expenses.
At the time the congress of 1754 was held, Albany contained only 300 or 400 houses, and a population of from 1500 to 2000. Still it was then, and continued to be for years afterwards the centre of the military opera- tions of the British government against the French and Indians. The great army of General Abercrombie was encamped for several weeks in Bethlehem, a short distance below Albany, and halted on its march to Ticonderoga, the first night, in Watervliet, near what is now Port Schuy- ler. The gallant Lord Howe, who was an officer of that army, spent that night, as Mrs. Grant informs us, under the hospitable roof of good " Aunt Schuyler," with whom he conversed long and late on the proper conduct of the war. For Madame Schuyler, after the death of her hus- band, was regarded by the British officers as one of the soundest and most reliable counsellors on Indian affairs in the colony. The great army resumed its march next day-the tide of war rolled onward toward the frontier. No intelligence reached this section of the colony of the movements of the troops till a fortnight afterwards : when Pedrom, as he was familiarly called, a relative of Col. Schuyler, discovers one summer afternoon, a horseman riding furiously down the road from the North, bareheaded and in great haste. Pedrom, apprehensive of bad news,
204
Epidemic in Albany.
runs out to meet him. Without checking his horse the rider cries out to him that Lord Howe is killed and the British army defeated. Madame Schuyler was so affected by this disastrous news that she fainted. She loved the noble Howe as a son, and dreaded moreover the conse- quences of the defeat of the British army to the interests of the colony. (See vol. ii, p. 60.)
The express dashes on toward Albany-he passes the city barrier at the Colonie gate and delivers his dispatches at head quarters. The disastrous intelligence is quickly communicated to the citizens. Grief and lamentation pervade every quarter of the town. The officers of that army had lived on terms of intimacy with the worthy burgers of Albany. They had partaken of their hospi- tality, and enlivened by their brilliancy the dull monotony of provincial life.
Such were the scenes enacted here in this ancient city of the Hollanders, nearly a century ago; when Schenec- tady was the frontier town, and when Indian castles grim and black frowned over the whole valley of the Mohawk -when the wily Frenchman held the Canadas, the great lakes and the valley of the Mississippi, and in his thirst for conquest, advanced his banners to the southern ex- tremity of Lake Champlain .- Statesman.
EPIDEMIC IN ALBANY, 1746.
In 1746, Albany was visited by a malignant disease called by Colden, a nervous fever, and by Douglass the yellow fever. The bodies of some of the patients were yellow-the crisis of the disease was the ninth day; if the patient survived that day he had a good chance of recovery. The disease left many in a state of imbecility of mind, approaching to childishness or idiocy ; others were after- wards troubled with swelled legs. The disease began in August, ended with frost, carried off forty-five inhabitants, mostly men of robust bodies. It was said to be imported. -Webster.
18
PEASE. SC.
ORPHAN ASYLUM. Erected 1833.
€
207
ORPHAN ASYLUM.
From the Albany Daily Express.
If there be any class that should particularly excite our warmest sympathetic feelings, and for whose care and im- provement the purse strings of the humblest should relax, it is those who, bereft of father and mother in childhood's innocent hours, are cast upon the world with no kind hand to assist them through the changing and ever changeable journey of life. The very term orphan, at all times awakens within the breast of the humane, those noble and generous impulses, that denote the high minded, gene- rous and good. What charity then can be more praise- worthy than an asylum-a home for those little wanderers ? Your hearts respond in audible tones that no institution presents such claims for its support and maintenance. It is heaven-born, and should never call in vain.
The Albany Orphan Asylum first went into operation in November, 1829. Mrs. HEELY, the present excellent superintendent, may be styled its mother. At a social gathering held at the residence of our esteemed fellow citizen, JAMES D. WASSON, Esq., a number of ladies being present, the project was discussed. The utterly helpless and destitute condition of many young children whose parents had died, awakened an interest in the cause and it was decided that an effort at least should be made to improve their condition by the organization of an Orphan Asylum. Mr. and Mrs. WASSON became deeply interested in the good work, and with Mrs. HEELY their labors were untiring, and as will be seen, were crowned with success.
Let us interrupt the thread of our narrative at this time, to mention that from that period up to the present time, Mr. Wasson and his kind hearted lady have been among the most devoted and attached friends of this glorious institu- tion. Their reward has been the gradual extension of its benefits, and its present prosperous condition. While there are many others who are deserving of especial praise ;
208
The Orphan Asylum.
still we are well assured that every friend of the Asylum, possessing a knowledge of its affairs, will readily bear us out in our allusions to Mr. and Mrs. Wasson.
But to resume; receiving encouragement from a number of benevolent ladies and gentlemen, to whom the plan was submitted, a frame building was hired at the upper end of Washington street-which, by the way, is still standing- and on the Ist of December, 1829, the institution was opened with eight children, which by the 30th of the month had increased to twenty, and before the 1st of May 1830, over seventy orphans were receiving benefits from this generous charity. We should like to follow with minuteness its progress from its first opening to the date of a meeting held at the Asylum on the 19th of May, 1830. But our limited space forbids any such extended history. Suffice it to say, that during the period alluded to, it was visited by the humane and generous of our city, meeting their approval and best wishes, and receiving donations in money and useful articles from nearly all. The large number of recipients of the advantages of the institution, and the nature of its charity, in May, 1830, caused more active exertions to be set on foot for its permanent esta- blishment. Accordingly, on the 19th of that month a number of gentlemen assembled at the Asylum-among whom we notice the following: Hon. John Townsend, mayor, Reuben H. Walworth, Samuel M. Hopkins, Jabez D. Hammond, Edward C. Delavan, John Willard, Amos Fassett, William H. Seymour, Joshua A. Burke, J. D. Wasson, and B. T. Welch.
Chancellor Walworth was called to the chair, and J. D. Wasson, Esq., acted as secretary. Resolutions were adopt- ed, declaring the Asylum for destitute children an import- ant and interesting charity, worthy the efforts of the benevolent for its support; and also appointing a com- mittee to draft a constitution, which should more effectu- ally secure a permanent organization, which should carry out the important object which called them together. The same committee were empowered to report the amount of funds necessary to be raised for the support of the institu- tion, and to make application for aid to the common council of the city.
1
209
The Orphan Asylum.
The next meeting was held on the 3d day of June, Chief Justice Savage acting as chairman. A constitution was reported and accepted. At the next meeting, July 10th, Edward C. Delavan was elected president; Dyer Lathrop treasurer; John G. Wasson, secretary; and Erastus Cor- ning, Jabez D, Hammond, Samuel M. Hopkins, James Gourlay, Joshua A. Burke, John Willard, George Young, James D. Wasson, Dyer Lathrop and Oliver Steele, managers.
Meetings for business purposes were held at various times, and on the 1st of September, the treasurer reported the amount of receipts from May Ist to date, to be $876.08; expenditures $900.77, and the number of children in the Asylum, 117.
This was the result of the primary organization of this noble charity, and the good it dispensed was and is incal- culable. We should like to follow the meetings more closely than our limits will permit, as we have become deeply interested in our researches as to this institution.
On the 6th of December, 1830, the first anniversary meeting was settled to take place on the second Thursday of Jan., 1831. An invitation was extended to the Rev. E. N. Kirk to deliver the address, and a committee appointed to make the necessary arrangements. Pursuant to arrange- ment, the anniversary exercises were held, and addresses were delivered by Rev. E. N. Kirk and B. F. Butler. Esq.
On the 10th of Jan. 1831, a committee was appointed to prepare a plan for rendering the institution permanent, and to enquire and ascertain where and how a suitable site might be obtained for the erection of a suitable build- ing to accommodate the rapidly increasing demands of the institution.
On the 30th of March, 1831, the legislature passed " an act to incorporate the society for the relief of orphan and destitute children in the city of Albany," thus recognizing it as an object worthy the care and consideration of our citizens.
On the 14th of April a resolution was adopted, declining from various sufficient reasons, to accept a small portion of the Washington Square, as a site for building; the
210
The Orphan Asylum.
common council having previously passed a resolution donating it for that purpose.
During the month of April, a number of ladies held a fair in the " long room of the Albany Academy," the pro- ceeds of which-amounting to $744.62-were generously given to the Asylum, and a public acknowledgment of the same appeared in the daily papers.
On the 18th January, 1832, a committee was appointed to transact business for the board, relative to preparations for a building, procuring a plan, and locating or designat- ing a place for the same.
A meeting of subscribers, donors for the establishment and endowment of the Asylum, was held on the 18th of January, William James, Esq., acting as chairman, and Gideon Hawley, Esq., as secretary. The committee ap- pointed at a previous meeting held on the 10th of January, to solicit subscriptions, reported that the sum of $16,502 had been raised for the purpose stated, and that sum was ordered to be paid over to the treasurer of the Asylum, for the uses and purposes mentioned in their act of incorpo- ration.
The exact date of the erection of the Asylum building we have not ascertained, but believe it to have been in 1832 or 1833.
On the 17th day of December, 1832, William James, Esq., president of the institution, died. He had been a very warm and devoted friend to the Asylum, and his liberal donations were of material benefit to it. The board of managers passed suitable resolutions of sympathy and condolence, and attended the funeral in a body. In the last will and testament of Mr. James was a bequest of $2500 to the Asylum.
On the 29th of May, 1834, Hon. Stephen Van Rensse- laer was elected president of the institution, and served in that capacity up to the time of his death, Jan. 26, 1839. Resolutions were passed by the board of managers, sympa- thizing with the family of the deceased, and expressing deep sorrow at his loss, and directing the officers and each of the orphans to wear the usual mourning badge for thirty days.
211
The Orphan Asylum.
Archibald McIntyre, Esq., was, on the 5th of March, 1839, elected president, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Van Rensselaer, and served for upwards of ten years, when James D. Wasson was elected president to fill the vacancy occasioned by his resignation.
The Asylum during the first eighteen years of its exist- ence provided a home for seven hundred and thirty child- ren, and it is by no means too much to assert, that it has to the present time, afforded shelter to over 1000 orphans. Of the condition and prospects of the Asylum, it is now our intention to speak, and we hope we shall be excused if we turn plagiarist so far as to adopt portions of the 20th annual report of the directors, in January last :
On the first of January, 1848, the permanent funds of the institution consisted of the four following sums, viz :
1. The James legacy,. $2,500
2. State Bank stock,. 1,000
3. Legacy of the late Henry Webb,. 1,200
4. do do Mr. Richardson 1,000
Total permanent fund, Jan. 1848. $5,700
It should be observed here, that the two last legacies, though bequeathed some time in 1847, did not come into our hands till a much later period, and have never been productive until the last year.
In the months of January and February, 1848,
we received in bonds paying interest, from different individuals, .. $16,450.00
In bonds from two other individuals, payable in annual instalments without interest, . 1,100.00
In cash subscriptions, .. 2,400.00
In life memberships at $2 each, 774.00
Total receipts in those months towards a per- manent endowment,. 20,724.00 To which add the permanent fund before held 5,700.00
And the legacy of the late Mr. Gregory, just re- ceived, . 2,000.00
And the sum total of all moneys which have been received at any time for the creation of a permanent fund, amount to 28,424.00
212
The Orphan Asylum.
The present state of this fund, and how much of it is now available for the current expenses of the institution shall be explained hereafter.
We proceed, secondly, to state the receipts and expenses of the last three years.
Average No. of children. Receipts.
Current Expenses.
Balances.
1848 90 $4,110.56
$2.979.82
$1,130.00
1849. 102 3.711 74 4,266.35 554.61
1850. . 106
3,426.05
4,002.06 577.00
The sources from which the receipts of the last three years have been derived are as follows, viz :
From bonds of individuals bear- 1848. 1849. 1850.
ing interest, $1,151.50 $924.00 $731.50 From annual installments on
bonds of individuals not pay- ing interest,
120.00 120.00 120.00
From interest on James legacy held in bond and mortgage, .. From dividends on State Bank stock, .
175.00
176.20 176.58
117.37
126.40
72.30
From dividends on Utica and Schenectady Rail road Co., t. Receipts from parents for board- ing children,
. ... .. 500.00
168.00
136.00
208.00
Receipts from corporation, for boarding Alms house children From appropriations by state to common schools,.
517.81 763.37
610.29
208.64 232.28
From appropriations by state to Orphan Asylum,
985.52 956.38
From exhibition of children. . . From casual donations,#
154.76
202.85
450.50
45.12 §50.00
From collections byapplication to individuals, as in former years .
· 1,046 98
*Amounting in 1848 to $16,450. Reduced in 1849, by payment of principal, to $13,200 In 1850, by payment of principal, to $10,450. 1 In which we have an investment of $5,000.
# Including a donation of $66 from Gov. Fish, and one of $304.56 from Married Sociables, etc. § Donation of Gov. Fish.
213
The Orphan Asylum.
Having made this statement of the receipts and expenses of the last three years, and also of all the moneys which have ever been received for the creation of a permanent fund; we shall now show how much of this fund is avail- able for future purposes.
We have now, January, 1851, the following investments : In bonds of individuals bearing interest, .. . $10,450 do do not bearing interest, but
payable in annual installments, . 740
In Utica and Schenectady Railroad stock, (including the Webb and Richardson legacies) . 5,000
Loaned on bond and mortgage including the James legacy, . 3,500
The Gregory legacy in a note well secured. 2,000
State Bank stock. 1,000
Cash invested, 1,163
Total of all funds now held by the Asylum. $23,853
In purchasing our U. & S. R. R. Stock, we paid a pre- mium of $980. As this stock yield an interest of 10 per cent, thus redeeming half the premium money in one year, it will be seen at once that this was a judicious and economi- cal investment. This explains $980 of the difference be- tween our funds in 1848 and 1851. The excess of expenses over the income amounting, in three years, as we have seen, to $1,071.91, explains so much more. The remain- der, amounting to $2,400, within a few cents, was expended upon improvements within and about the Asylum; im- provements so necessary to the health and comfort of its inmates, that the directors felt themselves justified in borrowing that sum from the permanent fund for so import- ant a purpose. This improvement was made in 1848, just after we had so heavily taxed the liberality of the public, when, of course, we could not think of making an addi- tional draught upon them for any purpose, however import- ant. It was stimulated moreover, by a very generous donation made on condition of its being thus appropriated, undoubtedly, with great effort on the part of the ladies composing the Orphan's Fund Society ; a donation of $500, for which, and for the deep interest which they have ever
214
The Orphan Asylum.
shown in our concerns, we take this opportunity of express- ing our most grateful acknowledgments.
During the past year 56 children have been received into the Ayslum, and 45 dismissed; of those dismissed 28 have returned to their parents or friends, 13 have been put out to places, 2 have died, and 2 have run away.
Of the 55 received 25 did not know their letters, 8 were in the alphabet, 9 could spell, and 12 could barely read.
Of the 100 and over now in the Asylum, 4 are studying grammar, 9 history, 14 geography, 14 arithmetic, 63 are spelling, 55 are reading, 11 are writing in books, and 24 on the black board.
The last announcement which we have to make is cer- tainly a startling one. It is that from 100 to 150 children have been refused admittance into the Asylum during the past year for want of room. The physician further reports that more room is necessary even for the proper accom- modation of those who are there. Moved by these facts, one of our directors having secured the sum of $1,000 from two individuals, is about making an effort to raise $4,000 more for the purpose of enlargement. Our warm- est prayers attend him: we trust that the orphan's God will animate his heart in the enterprise, and crown it with perfect success. And we can not believe that our fellow citizens will permit it to be reported again that more 100 children have been refused admittance into its Asylum, in the course of one year, for the want of room.
Thanks to the generous liberality of our citizens, they have by their actions and deeds given the directors to understand that if they can prevent it, no orphan making an application for admission shall be denied the same. The limited capacities of the building, and its utter inad- equacy to accommodate the inmates having become so ap- parent to the directors, John F. Rathbone and Daniel Campbell,* Esqs.,-two of our most enterprising young citizens-undertook, themselves, to raise by subscription a fund sufficient to make such improvements in the build- ing as were actually necessary. They began the good work with a zeal which augured well for their success.
* Died October, 1851.
215
The Orphan Asylum.
Their untiring efforts and self-sacrificing labors, we rejoice to say, were crowned with the most complete success, and when they sat down to review their work, they had the un- speakable gratification of knowing that they had been re- warded, by raising ten thousand dollars! an evidence of their own liberality and of our citizens which needs no com- ment. Here then was the much needed means to proceed with the enlargement of the Asylum, and the directors with- out delay ordered plans to be procured. William L. Wool- lett, architect, was applied to, and prepared the necessary plans. A few days since we addressed a note to that gentleman, soliciting a concise statement of the improve- ments making; to which the following answer was re- turned:
Dear sir : The edifiec occupied as the Orphan Asylum was formerly a building 40 by 80 feet; an addition of 10 feet was built upon the rear a few years ago, forming a sort of corridor. The improvements of this year are an entire new story on the 40 by 80 feet part; together with an addition of 30 by 50 feet, four stories high on the south end of the main building. The additional space thus ac- quired will be appropriated for dormitories for the children school-room, play-room; together with water closets and bathing rooms, new inside blinds to windows, hot air fur- nace; and painting, with sundry other improvements, seeur- ing to the inmates much comfort. Some attention has been paid to outside effect. The facade is much im- proved, extending in a right line 110 feet, surmounted by a neat medallion cornice, with ornamental ballustrade. The old, leaky, ill-constructed hip roof has been removed and a new flat roof covered with tin put on. The addition on the end of the building has been constructed with "hollow walls," which are to be used for purposes of ven- tilation. The cost of the improvements now contemplat- ed will not be less than seven thousand dollars !
The above is all that occurs to me at present, in refer- ence to the improvements of the building in question. The master mechanies engaged on the work are John Bridgford, mason; Edwin Luce, carpenter; Peter Coburn,
216
The Orphan Asylum.
painter; James Dixon, tinman; who deserve much praise for the celerity with which they have executed their con- tracts.
Yours truly,
WM. L. WOOLLETT, Jr.
The edifice, both internally and externally, will be one of the finest institutions in the city, and will now be fully competent to accommodate from one hundred and fifty to two hundred children. Of the balance of the $10,000, the sum of $2,400 will be set apart to refund that amount to the permanent fund, it having been found indispensably necessary, some time since, to encroach upon that fund to meet the wants of the institution.
With the increased accommodations above described, and the consequent increase of yearly expenditures, our citizens will see the imperative duty of acting liberally towards the Asylum. Their income from vested funds of all kinds amounts to just $1,740. Allowing that the Di- rectors receive from the corporation for board of alms house children, as per last year, $610; from parents for board of children (half orphans) $200; from exhibition of children $200, and from the annual installments on the two bonds, which for a few years will continue to yield $120, and the entire resources will amount to but $2.845, when the annual expenses, governed by the strictest econ- omy, are never less than $4,000 with one hundred children. With the large additional number they expect to receive, the outlay must be proportionably augmented. To you, then, citizens of Albany, the directors look for that encou- ragement and generous assistance which will enable them to smooth the pathway of life to the poor orphan, and open to them prospects for future usefulness and fame. Shall their appeal be made in vain? We already fancy that we hear the responses of your hearts, and that they are full of sympathy for those who have been deprived of father and mother, even in their earliest hours of existence. Oh! turn not a deaf ear to the entreaties of those who may present the case to you. Be liberal, be generous, and you will be rewarded with the thought that you have done a noble action which shall ever redound to your credit. And, in the words of the report, "Those who are passing
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.