The annals of Albany, Vol. V, Part 22

Author: Munsell, Joel, 1808-1880
Publication date: 1850-1859
Publisher: Albany : J. Munsell
Number of Pages: 374


USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. V > Part 22


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Towns.


Population.


Imp. Land.


Albany,


12,630


1,515


Berne,


3,031


33,559


Bethlehem,


5,114


31,706


Coeymans,


2,812


15,829


Guilderlandt,


2,270


14,736


Knox, -


2,500


Rensselaerville,


3,435


22,465


Watervliet,


2,800


17,530


Westerlo,


3,458


25,167


38,116


159,907


The county of Albany embraces a very broad diversity of natural aspect. Its geological character may be taken, in few words, from Prof. Eaton's survey. "The whole county belongs to the transition and secondary forma- tions. The argillite (or common slate) evidently under- lays the whole. The graywacke overlays the argil- lite and conceals it in most of the middle and western parts of the county. Fragments of breccia were found in the south part of the county, attached to large blocks of gray- wacke slate. The graywacke is often covered with shell limestone, which last is frequently overlaid by secondary -


[ Annals, v.]


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298


Description of Albany County.


sandstone, or rather, calcareous sandstone."-Geology of Albany County, p. 11, 1820. Large blocks of primitive rocks were found reposing on the soil, but none in place, as the phrase is, or where they are supposed to have been formed. The minerals noticed in the above survey are snowy gypsum, in the Helderbergs; compact lime- stone, in Bethlehem and Coeymans; calcareous sinter, in Bethlehem cavern; brown spar, Bethlehem cavern ; marle (earthy), in Bethlehem and Coeymans; sulphate of mag- nesia; striated quartz; ferruginous quartz; hornstone; sili- cious slate, in Watervliet and Bethlehem; green jaspery slate ; argillite ; sulphuret of iron ; argillaceous oxide of iron (bog ore), in Bethlehem, Watervliet, and Guilder- landt : and perhaps water limestone, with some mineral springs, as in Coeymans, Guilderlandt, and at Caldwell's Factory, weak chalybeates, and several sulphureted hydro- gene springs, such as that called Harrowgate, at Green- bush. To save time, and conclude my labor (for with this article I end a task of two years), I give below my former description of this county. Argillite, is what I called fragile schistus.


The soil and surface of Albany county, are very much diversified. Along the Hudson, which forms its eastern boundary, are some pretty extensive alluvial flats, as there are also on the Norman's kill; but along the Mohawk, which washes its northern extremity, the land is rugged, broken, and rather sterile. The western part is broken by the Helderberg hills, where the soil is princi- pally a calcareous loam. The interior is principally occu- pied by elevated sandy plains, wooded with pine, with many small marshes and tracts of cold and wet sand or clay, producing little else than dwarf shrubbery and coarse wild, or sedge-grass. From the Helderberg hills to the Hudson, a soft blue fetid clay forms the general substra- tum, at various depths, and surmounted by sand, loam, or an indifferent species of marle. Some little blocks of calcareous, and one or two samples of silicious granite appear, but the rocks are principally argillite, or gray- wacke and graywacke-slate, as at the Cahoos, and at Norman's kill. Although this county contains the politi-


299


Description of Albany County.


cal capital of the state, the general centre of immense commerce, trade, and intercourse, a large share of the lands are yet uncultivated. Between Albany and Sche- nectady, are extensive pine-plains, covered with wood, and the soil offers little encouragement to agriculturists at the present day. There are some small mineral springs, either weak chalybeates, or sulphureted hydrogene, of some use in scorbutic affections. There are several small creeks, the largest of which is Norman's kill, which receives Bouza kill or creek from Schenectady county; and Coey- man's creek, and Bethlehem creek, are also small mill- streams. The Kaatskill, or Catskill, rises in the south- west part of this county, and runs through Greene county ; Schoharie creek receives also some small waters from the western part. Ten Mile creek, of Rensselaerville, is a superior little stream for mills, besides which there are, Mill creek, Hockatock, Vlaman's kill, Basic, Foxes, or Fox creek, and some others, too inconsiderable for notice in this place. It may, perhaps, by some, be supposed that I have rather undervalued the character of the lands of this county, since it has been proved that good gardens and small farms may be made on the cold and wet sandy lands, some choice spots of which have been tried, and successfully, but at what expense, has not been stated. Money enough, and a passion for overcoming obstacles, may do much, but no poor man can make money by making the soil that he is to cultivate. The hilly lands of the west part of this county, with good agriculture, may be made quite productive as farms, and Albany county has a pretty good proportion of very tolerable farm-lands, much that is very handsome and rich, and yet a large portion of it, at the present day, must be considered waste-land, or of very little value. But, agriculture, and horticulture, are making rapid strides, and they can and will perform great things, aided by liberality, public spirit, a generous competition, and the great wealth and power of capitalists, rich enough and some to spare. The county of Albany has an agricultural society, which re- ceives $350 a year from the state, and of course expends double that sum in premiums, for the encouragement and


300


Description of Albany County.


improvement of farming, gardening, domestic manufac- tures. &c. This county is one of the oldest in the state. The Erie canal, and the Champlain canal, form their junction in this county, and here descend to the Hudson, in the city of Albany, through a Basin of great magni- tude. These gigantic projects, as they were lately called, are now so nearly executed, that another year, say 1824, may see them finished, in full activity, the wonder and the admiration of the age in which we live! Four hund- red and twenty-four miles of canal navigation, is truly a great work for a young republic, one, only, of the old thirteen members of the same family, so rapidly multiply- ing that New York is now but one of the twenty-four states of the federal union. What will the old world say to this? Why, that youth is vigorous, full of new enterprizes, and old age decrepid, querulous, embroiled, jealous, and full of contention and strife: "who ever heard of an old republic ? " The key stone of the federal arch-for such New York is-casts forward her mental vision through the vista of ages yet remote, and forms one grand link in that chain of intercourse and in- terests, by which the several members of this family are to be held together. This noble example has electrified all the members, save the heads of the family, and every true patriot must ardently desire that they, also, may soon feel its influence. From the dome of our Capitol- Rome had its capitol, and was a republic-from this dome, let us look at the Hudson; see its commerce em- bracing that of lake Erie, and the world of inland seas that lie beyond it, lake Champlain, and the St. Lawrence : and then let us look back, retrace the history of our coun- try, and of those who peopled it, and see with what deeds the genius of liberty inspires her sons. But, above all, see thou that these prospects do not turn thy brain, in- flate thee with pride, gentle reader-for communities are made up of individuals-and lead thee, in the contem- plation and enjoyment of the gift, to forget the giver.


It may not be amiss to notice that the United States' Arsenal, the principal depot of arms, munitions of war, &c., for the northern states, is in this county, on the canal,


301


Description of Albany County.


six miles north of the Capitol. There is a degree of ele- gant simplicity in the architecture, and of economy and order, in the arrangement of this establishment, that makes me the more regret its design and object. A manufactory, connected with the arts of peace, so ad- mirably formed and regulated, would be a model of beauty and perfection in its line, well worth the ambition of moneyed enterprise and the highest order of mechanical genius.


Statistics .- Albany elects 3 members of assembly; and l representative to congress, forming the 10th congress district; towns, 9, and wards, 5; post-offices, 10; popu- lation, 38,116; ratio of increase per annum, 2 per cent; persons employed in agriculture, 4985; in commerce and trade, 555; in manufactures and trades, 1820; whole number of whites, 36,845; free blacks, 858; slaves, 413; foreigners not naturalized, 321; school districts, 121; schools kept, on an average, 10 months in 12; public moneys received for support of common schools and the Lancaster school in the city of Albany, in 1821 $4862.64; No. of children, between 5 and 15 years of age (exclusive of the city), 7600; No. taught that year (including the city), 6758 : taxable property, $7,484,647 ; electors, under the new constitution, 7497; acres of improved land, 159,- 907; No. of cattle, 27,995; horses, 8893; sheep, 52,613; yards of cloth made in families in 1821, 190,795: grist- mills, 33; saw-mills, 90; oil-mills, 6; fulling-mills, 18; carding machines, 17; cotton and woolen factories, 2; distilleries, 4; asheries, 10; to which may be added, 2 mills for grinding dye-stuffs. The manufactory of the Messrs. Wilsons supplies globes of various sizes, in no respect inferior to the best imported.


BERNE, or BERN, a post township of Albany county, 20 miles west of Albany, bounded north by Knox, east by Guilderlandt and Bethlehem, south by Westerlo and Rensselaervile, west by Middleburgh of Schoharie county. The situation is elevated, on the height of land between Albany and Schoharie counties, and the surface much broken by the Helderberg hills. The rocks are calcareous,


302


Description of Albany County.


and present many precipices of 70, 100, and some of near 200 feet perpendicular elevation. The streams are but small, the sources of those that run into Schoharie and Catskill creeks; and there are two small natural ponds of about 100 acres each: but it is well supplied with small springs and brooks. The valleys are of considerable extent, and present a fine soil of light, calcareous loam ; while there are also tracts of clay, of marsh, bog-turf, and marl. These hills have many natural caverns, and exhibit to the superficial observer many indications of metallic treasures. There is a marsh of some extent which yields a fine white sand that promises to be of use in the arts, and a cranberry bog within this deserves notice as a singular curiosity. A lofty ledge of rocks, of great extent, being the main spine of the Helderbergs, on the eastern borders of Bern, is well worthy the attention of the curious. Its eastern front has the perpendicularity of an artificial wall or a basaltic column, presenting a lofty rampart of 200 to 500 feet elevation, with an up- right or shelving precipice, in many places 200 feet high, and perfectly inaccessible but by climbing on ropes or ladders. The rocks abound much with those impressions resembling muscle-shells, attributed to petrifaction. The lands are held by durable lease from Stephen Van Rens- selaer, Esq., subject to an annual rent of about 10 to 14 bushels of wheat for 100 acres. The inhabitants are principaly farmers, of domestic habits, and who manufac- ture the most of their clothing in their own families. In the limestone rocks of this country (as in all others), there are natural caverns, some of considerable extent. Professor Eaton found, in the secondary sandstone of this town, petrifactions of a culmiferous plant. The town of Knox was erected from the north end of this town, in 1822, since the two late censuses, so that I can only guess at the population of each town, aided by the guessing and computation of others. A correspondent in Knox, estimates its population at 2500, which would leave to Berne 3031. Thompson's, and Warner's ponds, or lakes, noticed above, may be named here, in compli- ment to an attentive correspondent. The Berne post


303


Description of Albany County.


office is on the Albany and Delaware turnpike, 16 miles from Albany. Population of Berne, in 1820, 553]: 1254 farmers, 11 traders, 186 mechanics; 9 foreigners ; 16 free blacks, 30 slaves; taxable property, in 1821, $5537.74; school districts in 1821, 27 ; schools kept 8 months in 12; 1033 electors in 1821; 33,559 acres improved land, 5238 cattle, 1701 horses, 11,518 sheep; 40,202 yards cloth; 3 grist mills, 21 saw mills, 2 oil mills, 3 fulling mills, 3 car- ding machines, 1 distillery, 1 ashery.


BETHLEHEM, a post township of Albany county, a half to 15 miles south and west of Albany, bounded north by Guilderland, northeast by Albany, east by the Hudson river or the county of Rensselaer, south by Westerlo and Coeymans, west by Berne. The area may be 96 square miles, or 61,440 acres; its centre about 8 miles south- west from Albany. For the general character of the soil, the county may be consulted, and the surface is con- siderably diversified. Much of the whole is yet covered with wood; though it sustains a very considerable popu- lation. Bethlehem creek, or Vlaman's kill, waters the central part ; and Norman's creek, a fine mill-stream, re- ceiving Vly kill from the northwestern part, crosses the northeast corner to the Hudson, which it enters 2} miles below Albany, and supplies abundance of water for valu- able mills erected near its mouth. Coeymans creek rises in the southern part, and though a small stream, affords some advantages. The Helderberg hills that traverse the county of Albany, occupy a small part of this town, the west line of which just skirts the main ridge. There are some extensive and valuble alluvial lands along the Hud- son, which were early settled by the Dutch, and are still occupied by their descendants. Along these flats, or on the slope of the river hill, is Cherry hill, the seat of a Van Rensselaer family, 1 mile below the city ; the hamlet of Rensselaer's mills, at the mouth of Norman's kill, 2} miles : Schuyler hall, the seat of the late Maj. General Schuyler, now a gray, venerable ruin, though occupied and in repair, stands between the city and Cherry hill : White hall, subject to the same remark, late the seat of


304


Description of Albany County.


Judge Gansevoort, is also in this town, though on the bor ders of the city. New-Scotland village, is about 8 miles, and the Bethlehem post office 6 miles from the city, at each of which places there are a few houses, hamlets rather than villages. Rensselaer's mills, noticed above, belong to the late Mayor of Albany, P. S. Van Rensse- laer, and consist of a very excellent grain mill, saw mill, plaster mill, a carding and clothier's works, and a suuff mill. They are on a good stream, near the city, and of great use to the inhabitants, mills in this quarter being rather scarce. The ride to this spot, and to the hospitable mansion of the late venerable Col. Francis Nichols, on the Bethlehem flats, used to be one of the pleasantest in the vicinity of Albany. In the limestone of this town, there have been discovered some extensive caverns, one of which has been explored for a quarter of a mile in length, and the other about 40 rods. The principal one is at Bogardus's, or Mrs. Ludlow's, 12 miles southwest from Albany, where people, fond of such excursions, may go a great distance underground, and see a long, dark, crooked, dirty, great hole, where the water once ran, perhaps see some toads, and bats, spiders, and so forth, get comfortably tired, dirty enough, and make a good escape in getting out of it. I have explored some of those wonderful caverns, and, excepting now and then a stalactite, have found nothing worth the trouble. A gen- tleman tells me he can perfectly recollect seeing a smart stream issue from one of these caves, some years since, and well remembers the time, though not the year, when it ceased to flow out of it, having probably found some other passage, underground. Professor Eaton, in his Geology, page 231, suggests the idea that these caverns have been formed by the action of water, in the mere fissures of lime-rock: there are caverns, however, which seem not to have had an origin of this sort, such as that in Anthony's nose, Canajoharie, and many others. The Overslagh, and Winne's bar, are 3 and 8 miles below the the city. Mills' island, immediately below Albany, in the Hudson, is principally in this town, partly in Albany. It is a rich body of alluvion, very productive, of great


305


Description of Albany County.


value, belonging to the manor of Rensselaerwyck. Popu- lation, 5114: 943 farmers, 4 traders, 97 mechanics; 23 foreigners; 65 free blacks, 73 slaves : taxable property, $893,175 ; 22 schools, 9 months in 12; 982 electors; 31,706 acres improved land; 5367 cattle, 2155 horses, 10,834 sheep; 34,275 yards cloth; 8 grist mills, 23 saw mills, two mills for grinding dye-stuffs, three fulling mills, five carding machines, 1 cotton and woolen factory, 1 dis- tillery.


COEYMANS, a post township in the southeast corner of Albany county, on the west bank of the Hudson, 11 miles south of Albany ; bounded north by Bethlehem, east by the Hudson, south by Greene co., west by Westerlo. It is near 4 miles wide on the river, 6} on the west line, and about 9 miles long east and west. The surface is considerably broken, and some ridges of the Helderberg hills occupy the western part. The soil partakes of a liberal diversity, but has a good proportion of arable land. Along the Hudson, the surface is much broken, and the soil of little value, but assumes a better appearance and character as we go westward. Coeymans creek waters the northern part, and enters the Hudson in a small mill- stream near the southwest corner, where are falls and mills; the Haane krai, another small millstream courses the central part, and passes into Greene county, and the Kaatskill. This town has plenty of limestone, and some shell-marl that succeeds well on the sea-coast as a ma- nure. This town was settled at an early period by the Dutch, and received its name fron one of its early inhabit- ants, himself a proprietor. The land is principally held in fee, and tolerably well cultivated. There are 2 Dutch Reformed meeting houses, 1 for Methodists, and 1 built by general subscription of all denominations, and 10 school- houses. There is a landing, with wharves and several sloops, at the mouth of Coeymans creek, where is Coeymans village, of about 30 houses, the post office, 2 grain-mills of 5 running stones, and a saw mill. It is 14 miles south of Albany. About 1 mile west of this, is a little village of 12 houses, called the square, with a Dutch


306


Description of Albany County.


Reformed church. The old name of Hockatock, still occasionally heard, is of Indian, or Dutch origin, applied to a creek, and neighborhood along its borders, partly in this town and Westerlo, and perhaps in Greene county, the stream entering the Kaatskill, at the village of Madi- son, town of Catskill, Greene county. The Coeymans Friends' Meeting, is in New-Baltimore. The Indian Fields, another local designation, lie west of Hockatock, where there were Indian settlements, within the last 70 or 80 years. Monattan hook, north of Hockatock and Indian Fields, is perhaps the last of the local names that I need notice in this town. Population, 2872; 516 farmers, 15 traders, &c., 123 mechanics; 14 foreigners ; 40 free blacks, 36 slaves; taxable property, $358.620; 15 schools, 10 months in 12; 495 electors; 15,829 acres im- proved land; 2921 cattle, 805 horses, 4721 sheep; 22,313 yards cloth; 4 grist mills, 12 saw mills, 3 fulling mills, 2 carding machines, 2 asheries.


GUILDERLANDT, a post township of Albany county, 12 miles a little north of west from Albany. Its form is strangely distorted, being 15 miles greatest length, and about 6 greatest breadth : terminating in the east in an acute angle, and also in the west. Bounded north by Schenectady county, northeast by the charter bounds of Albany, an extent of 10} miles; south by Bethlehem, west by Knox; and its area may be 53 square miles. It is well watered by the Norman's kill and several branches, which supply mill seats. The general character of the land is but indifferent, and there is much of poor and barren sand, with tracts of marsh of little apparent value. There are also fine tracts of sandy loam, and many pretty good farms. In 1810, the whole population was 2466, including 66 slaves. The Cherry-valley turn- pike leads through Guilderlandt, and the other roads are too numerous to be good. The village of Hamilton, formerly the seat of an extensive manufactory of glass, is on the western turnpike, 8 miles west of Albany, and yet has some inns, stores, and a small number of houses, though it can hardly be called a village. The land is a


307


Description of Albany County.


light and very dry sand, but along the creek, below, there are some pretty good tracts of alluvion, and some handsome farms. Stop a little, reader, on this sandy plain, and let us look back at the ups and downs, and the changes we have witnessed, on this little spot. Dost thou remember the late Gen. Hamilton,-and the Albany aristocracy, of which he used to be, in the days of his glory and our renown, the chief star,-the sun of a little world? It was he who planned our village, and the glass works, and gave them being, while yet we imported all our ideas of manufactures, as we did our glass. He was a great man,-great among the greatest: and while I think how he used to appear among us, an host in himself; and how that sun was torn from the firmament, with the train of events that have followed, I wonder at the rapidity of events, and of the march of time, and I must and will be sad! The greatest aggregates, are made up of small things; and this, to be sure, is a very small epitome of the ways of the world, in all its mutations and changes, a miniature of a portrait, yet well known and well remem- bered. Population, 2270; 310 farmers, 11 traders, 47 mechanics; 1 foreigner; 24 free blacks, 47 slaves; taxable property, $358,525; 9 schools, 11 months in 12; 475 elec- tors, 14,736 acres improved land, 2633 cattle, 875 horses, 5711 sheep; 13,532 yards of cloth; 1 grist mill, 8 saw mills.


KNOX, a post township in the northwest corner of Al- bany county, 20 miles west of Albany ; bounded north by Duanesburgh of Schenectady county, east by Guilderlandt, west by Schoharie county, south by Berne, being about 7 miles in length north and south, 6 medial width. It was erected from the north part of Berne, Feb. 28, 1822, subsequent to the 2 late censuses, so that all I know of its population, is from the estimate of a well informed resi- dent correspondent, who computes it at 2500. This town occupies "the height of land between Albany and Schoharie, has no mountains, or high hills, the land all arable;" and my correspondent says, excepting this, that the former description of Berne will apply also to Knox.


308


.Description of Albany County.


Union Village or Union-street, or Knox Village, on the road from Albany to Schoharie, 21 miles west of the former, and 14 from the Schoharie court-house, has 20 houses, a Methodist and Presbyterian church, school house, the post-office, and some stores, shops, &c. The inhabitants are a mixture of Dutch and Anglo-American origin, and they have a library of about 400 volumes. There is one small mill-stream, which rises from 2 springs, and runs across this town and Berne, to Schoharie kill, large enough for mills a half mile below the springs. My correspondents say there are 8 saw mills in this town, and 1 grist mill. This town is in the manor of Rensselaer- wyck, owned by Stephen Van Rensselaer, and farms pay an annual rent of 10 to 14 bushels of wheat per 100 acres.


RENSSELAERVILLE, a post township in the southwest of Albany county, 25 miles southwest of Albany ; bounded north by Berne, east by Westerlo, south by Greene county, west by Schoharie county. Its extent north and south is about 8} miles, 8 east and west ; giving an area of 68 square miles. Its surface is considerably uneven, and in some parts broken by rugged hills that belong to the range of the Kaatsbergs. The valleys, however, are nu- merous and fertile, and the diversity of surface supplies a due admixture of arable, with meadow and pasture lands. The Kaatskill, or Catskill creek which enters the Hudson in Greene county, rises in the southeast corner of Schoharie county, and runs across the southwest cor- ner of this town, which is watered by numerous branches of that stream, and which supply abundance of mill seats. The turnpike roads are very numerous: The Albany and Delaware turnpike, Athens and Schoharie, and several branches, 5 or 6 in all, traverse some part of this town. Lands are principally held by leases from the proprietor of the manor of Rensselaerwyck. Graywacke, abounds in the hills and ridges. There is a small village, of the name of the town, though frequently called "the city," and there are one or two others also, but very inconsi- derable in population. The domestic economy of the in- habitants is rapidly improving, and this is seen in their




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