The annals of Albany, Vol. V, Part 23

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 23


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Description of Albany County.


agriculture, and in the vast increase of household manu- factures, which supply the most of the clothing.


The village of Rensselaerville has rapidly increased in population and business, and demands a more ample notice. It is situated on Ten Mile creek, near its source, at the junction of the Albany and Delaware and Green- ville turnpike roads, 23 miles westsouthwest of Albany, in the northeast part of this town. It has about 50 houses, 3 stores, 2 asheries, 3 grist and 2 saw mills, 4 carding and clothiers' works, 5 tanneries, 3 of which are very extensive, 11 mechanics' shops, different trades, 2 lawyers, and 1 physician; 3 churches, and a school house. The little stream on which it stands, is very durable, and unites with the Kaatskill, 10 miles below, driving the machinery of many mills, factories, &c., situated in its · rich and beautiful valley. The post village of Preston hollow, is on the Athens and Cherry valley turnpike, two and a half miles west of the centre of this town, in the southwest corner, seven southwest of Rensselaerville village, 30 from Albany, four from Durtham, 26 from Catskill. It has the Preston Hollow post office, 24 houses, a school house, stores, inns, several mills (on the Kaats- kill, 8 miles from its head), and 12 or 15 mechanics' shops. Pottersville, two miles west has a Friends' meeting house, 10 or 12 houses, and a school house, some shops, and a saw mill. There are three or four houses for worship in this town, for Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists and Friends, in the latter a monthly meeting: and there are 18 school houses. Population, 3435: 727 farmers, 17 traders, 145 mechanics; 5 foreigners; 10 free blacks, 14 slaves; taxable property, $331,243; 18 schools, 9 months in 12; 627 electors, 22,465 acres improved land, 4000 cattle, 1069 horses, 7089 sheep; 26,662 yards cloth; 6 grist mills, 11 saw mills, 3 oil mills, 6 fulling mills, 6 carding machines, 4 asheries.


WATERVLIET, a very large post township in the north- east corner of Albany county, six miles north of Albany, (that is, to its centre), bounded north by Schenectady and Saratoga counties, or by the north line of the manor [ Annals v.] 27


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Description of Albany County.


of Rensselaerwyck, and the Mohawk river, east by Water- ford, Lansingburgh, Troy, and a part of Greenbush, or by the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, southerly by the city of Albany, and includes also the islands in the Hudson. It extends 10 miles along the Mohawk and lower sprout of that river, and six and a half along the Hudson, and has an area of about 53 square miles, exclusive of seve- ral islands in the Hudson. Much of the land is poor and barren, and the population is very unequally distri- buted. Along the Hudson are some fine flats, and in many places the river hills are of a moderate steepness, and present good farming lands. The interior has much of sandy ridges, and some marshes and wet land, wooded with pine, and a variety of dwarf shrubbery of little value. The road to Troy, and the north country, lies along the valley of the Hudson, on which there are two small vil- lages, in this town; Washington, five miles north of Al- bany, and Gibbonsville, opposite Troy, six miles. About three miles north of Gibbonsville, there is a bridge across the Mohawk, a short distance below the Cahoos Falls. The roads are numerous in the interior, but they are rather paths than highways. A turnpike has lately been opened, from Gibbonsville to Schenectady; which extends west through this town, and promises to be of considerable importance. The Cahoos, being the principal falls of the Mohawk, are between Watervliet and Waterford, of Sara- toga county. The whole waters of the Mohawk descend in one sheet, at high water, about 70 feet; and present a view as grand and majestic as it is wild and picturesque, when connected with the surrounding scenery. The islands, formed by the spreading branches below the falls, are also attached to this town. The Mohawk enters the Hudson in four branches or sprouts, as they are commonly called, the upper at Waterford, and the lower one opposite Troy, three and a quarter miles, in a right line, below. Haver island is about a half mile broad, and a little more than that in length east and west, lying between the first and second branches, immediately below Waterford. Van Schaick's island, next below, is between the second and third branches, opposite Lansingburgh, and extends


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Description of Albany County.


one and three quarter miles in length, being a half mile broad. This is also called Cahoos island. The American army was stationed on this island, immediately before it advanced under General Gates, in 1777, to meet Burgoyne. And Haver island had a number of breast-works, thrown up at that time, which are still to be seen. It was intend- ed to attempt a stand here, as a last resort, against the British army, in the event of its getting by Gates and the northern army of Republicans. at Saratoga and Stillwater. These two islands are owned by a branch of the ancient family of Van Schaick. Green island, or Tibbits's island, lies between the third and fourth branches, opposite Troy, and is near two miles long, and a half mile wide. In the vicinity of the Cahoos, is a Dutch church and farming neighborhood, commonly called the Boght, from a little cove, or bay, boght in Dutch. Watervliet, is flood land, made or flowed by the water. The lands are principally held by lease from the proprietor of the manor of Rensse- laer. Considerable efforts have been made to discover coal, where supposed indications of that mineral are found, on the flats, back of the village of Washington. But unfortunately these efforts are not yet attended with better success than those at Greenbush. The settlement of the people called Shakers, is in the northwest part of this town, eight miles northwest of Albany, six west of Troy, and eiglit and a half southeast of Schenectady. Their little community is gradually increasing in numbers and wealth, and they are, in truth, a very interesting and singular people. Moralists, philosophers and philan- thropists, might here study human nature, and observe the influence of social and religious institutions, to great advantage. Statesmen might learn something, and even religious fanatics, by a visit to this brotherhood and sister- hood of "Believers." who have all things in common. They have just published a sort of expose of their faith and doctrines, 12mo., 320 pages, to which the curious in such matters may turn for information. Their numbers at this place are about 200: and at New Lebanon, 500 to 600, their only establishments in this state. The publi- cation above alluded to, makes their whole number about


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Description of Albany County.


4000, in the states of New York. Massachusetts, Connec- ticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio, Kentucky and Indi- ana, collected in 16 societies. They are ingenious me- chanics and artizans, good farmers and gardeners, very industrious, sober, moral, honest, peaceable members of society, and for aught I can discover, pious and sincere Christians. In alms giving, they are distinguished for libe- rality.


Such, with some trifling alterations, and the addition of this rather long article about the United Society of Believers, or the Shakers, before inaccurate, was my des- cription of Watervliet, in 1813, in the first edition of this work. Since that time, there have been great changes in this town, now to be noticed. The little town of Colonie, has been abolished by act of the Legislature, of Feb. 25, 1815, the south and principal part annexed to Albany, forming the fifth ward of that city and the remain- der to Watervliet. The Erie canal enters this town, from Saratoga county, on crossing the Mohawk at the lower aqueduct, winds along the margin of that river, by the Cahoos falls, thence turns southerly, and receives the Champlain canal at Juncta, two and a quarter miles above Gibbonsville, whence their commingled waters flow in one canal, across this town, to Albany. Its course is along the river flats, through Gibbonsville, Washington, and by the mansion of Gen. Van Rensselaer, 13 miles in this town, having 19 locks, 165 feet descent; the side cut, opposite Troy, has two locks, and 22 feet descent; and the Champlain canal is also in this town, from its crossing the Mohawk to its junction, about three quarters of a mile, making in all a greater aggregate of works than in any other town in the state. The Aqueduct over the Mohawk is 1188 feet in length, resting on 26 piers. There are several basins, as at Juncta, and two at Gibbonsville. The village of Gibbonsville, is situated on the west bank of the Hudson, opposite Troy, six miles north of Albany, and has the Watervliet post office. It is incorporated as a village, has 52 houses, shops and stores, Hanks's bell and cannon foundry, and manufactory of town clocks and surveyors' instruments, a manufactory of paper moulds,


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Description of Albany County.


the United States' Arsenal and depot, at Watervliet, and two basins on the canal. It is a busy little place, and having the canal, good docking ground on the Hudson, the side cut and locks to Troy, with important advan- tages for a large basin on the margin of the river, bids fair to grow pretty rapidly. It has a Dutch Reformed church, and a school house, and a turnpike to Schenec- tady, little used, a heavy road across the sand plains. Gibbonsville is connected with Troy by two horse ferry boats, on Langdon's improved construction, which ought to be every where known to the public. Washington village, a half mile below Gibbonsville, has about 40 houses, the Albany road and canal.


The United States' Arsenal, at Watervliet, is in this town, on the Hudson, the canal, and the road to Troy, five and a half miles above Albany, in the south part of Gibbonsville, a half mile below, opposite Troy. It is de- signed to be the principal depot for military stores, arms and equipments, in the northern states, and is now one of the largest in the United States. The buildings pre- sent a long front on the river, and consist of a brick Arsenal, 35 by 120 feet, three and a half stories in height; two brick houses for officers' quarters; one brick build- ing 25 by 98 feet, three stories, for quarters for me- chanics and soldiers ; two brick buildings, each 22 by 136 feet, for mechanics' shops; two brick buildings each one and a half story, 45 by 183 feet, for military carriages and equipments ; a brick magazine for powder and ammu- nition, 60 by 19 feet, surrounded by a brick wall 14 feet high, 264 feet perimeter ; a stone magazine, 87 by 21 feet surrounded by a wall 330 feet perimeter, 14 feet high; a wooden building, 40 by 22 feet, two stories, for a labo- ratory; and a stable and forage house. It has, also, a dock in front, on the Hudson, and sundry small offices and out houses, the whole in a handsome style of architec- ture, neatly painted, and in very fine order. The depot has some handsome gravel walks, shaded by rows of the American elm tree, and extensive gardens. The shops are all well supplied with every necessary article in their line, and the stores of every kind appear to be in the very


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Description of Albany County.


best state of preservation and order. The public property is probably little short of a million of dollars in value. This depot enjoys such commanding advantages of geo- graphical position, that it will probably be one of the principal ones in this line, and be extended to a scale of magnitude proportioned to the national resources, and the supposed wants of warlike preparation. The Erie canal, runs through the depot, between the front and rear buildings, over which is a bridge. This establishment was located in 1813, and commenced in 1814, under the direction of Col. Bomford, of the ordnance department ; but it has been, for some years, under the direction of Maj. Daliba, an officer of the same department, who has matured its details into an excellent system of economy and police. The United States Arsenal at Rome, is con- sidered a branch of the ordnance department, subordinate to this. There is a small stream in the southeast cor- ner of this town, Mill creek, which puts into the Hudson just above the present north bounds of Albany, on which are Caldwell's factory, and the Patroon's mills; and there are a few other very small mill streams. There are some very excellent farms, on the flats, to which belong some very rich islands in the Hudson, below Gibbonsville, as Schuyler's and Hillhouse's; and this road has its half- way house, a noted inn, four miles from Albany, and two miles from Troy, where every body stops, in passing, if but to stop.


The mansion of Major-General Stephen Van Rensse- laer, proprietor of Rensselaerwyck, is in the southeast part of this town, on the Albany and Troy road and the Erie canal, one mile from the Capitol. It stands on the alluvial flats of the Hudson, here very broad, near the foot of the river hill, on the north side of the Mill creek, at the head of the broad avenue from the city, North Mar- ket or Colonie street, a quarter of a mile north of the place where the Erie canal unites with the Hudson. The situation is rather low, to be elegant or command- ing, the land having but a very gentle slope toward the river, but the mansion is showy enough for the taste of its proprietor, a good substantial brick edifice, two stories


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Description of Albany County.


and a basement, amply shaded by trees and shrubbery in its capacious court yard, bordered on the east by a very extensive and excellent garden, replete with every con- venience and every luxury. Attached to it, on the south is a good old fashioned brick office, where his thousands of tenants transact their buisness, pay their annual rents and fealties, and meet with as much favor and kindness as the weak ever experience from the strong, the poor from the rich, the tenant from the landlord. He is a man of most ample resources-rich enough-of singular beneficence and kindness, humane and charitable to the poor, liberal in liberal schemes for the public-good, a patron indeed, whom in compliment to his merits, and- according to the Dutch idiom, every body calls The Patroon. In this passing note it may not be amiss to say, that the successful progress of the canal policy of this state,-the grand system of internal, artificial navi- gation, so triumphantly honorable to the councils and the people of New York, is, in no small degree, ascribable to the foresight, the personal influence and application, of Stephen Van Rensselaer, who, from the first, has been one of the canal commissioners.


The dam, across the Hudson, from the upper end of Troy, a part of the works and the plan connected with the Champlain canal, has its west end resting on Green Island, which is, of course, in this town, as is the south end of the dam, across the Mohawk from Waterford, through the pond raised by which, the Champlain canal crosses that stream. When the whole of these works shall be completed, and the navigation of both canals shall be in activity, more of their importance may be conceived, and a more enlarged idea of their stupendous magnitude and grandeur of conception and design, may be gained in this town and its immediate vicinity, than any where else on the whole line. Strangers, visiting our canals, wishing to see the most in the shortest space of time and distance, may well direct their attention to Watervliet. I have, perhaps rather whimsically, named the new town, which the proprietors mean to have, at . the place where the Erie canal receives the Champlain


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Description of Albany County.


canal, Juncta: but if they make a town, or village there, I may at least make a name for it, until they give it one. It is a pretty spot; and, if they give it water power and hydraulic works, there will soon collect about it people enough to make a handsome little village. Covell rock, on the west shore of the Hudson, at Gibbonsville, once an island, is a mass of silieious slate stone, such as the bluff, at Hudson.


Population, 2806: 453 farmers, 22 traders, &c., 188 me- chanics; 29 foreigners; 49 free blacks, 96 slaves; taxable property, $711,900; eleven schools, eight months in 12; 666 electors; 17,530 acres improved land, 2649 cat- tle, 813 horses, 3846 sheep, 15,272 yards cloth; 7 grist mills, 8 saw mills, 1 oil mill, 2 fulling mills, 5 carding ma- chines, and 1 cotton factory, the latter on the Mohawk, near the Cahoos bridge ; to which may be added, 1 tobacco factory, formerly owned by James Caldwell, of Albany, 2 plaster mills, and a paper mill. The cotton factory is in a stone building, near the Cahoos bridge and the ruins of the screw factory, noticed in the first edition of this work. It is owned principally in Lansingburgh, and stands on the east bank of the lower sprout of the Mohawk, between that and the Champlain canal, Prescott's factory.


NESTIGIONE PATENT, is now in the southeast corner of Halfmoon, at Clifton park, and was granted in 1708, to seven Dutchmen, of whom one was Johannes Fort. This name, and Connestigione, another old patent, grant- ed in 1697, to Peter Hendrix De Haas, are the origin of Niskayuna, the name of a township, and of an extensive tract on both sides of the Mohawk, still in use among the old fashioned Dutch and their descendants. The latter was south of the Cahoos falls, and probably with- in the present township of Watervliet.


WESTERLO, a post township of Albany county, twenty- one miles southwest of Albany, bounded north by Berne and Bethlehem, east by Coeymans, south by Greene county, west by Rensselaerville. It is nearly eight miles square, and was erected March 16, 1815, from the east


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Description of Albany County.


part of Rensselaerville, and the west of Coeymans. The west part of this town, taken from Rensselaerville, is in the manor of Rensselaerwyck, the lands held by durable leases, paying an annual rent, the east part is in the Coeymans patent. It is a tolerably good farming town- ship, in part traversed by moderate ridges, north and south, a half to three quarters of a mile asunder, having vales of good arable, meadow, and pasture lands, inter- vening, with tracts of flat, low lands, very natural to grass; timber, beech, maple, hemlock, with a mixture of basswood, white ash, and elm, the latter on the flats, and the sides and slopes of the hills. The settlements on these lands commenced about 1759, around the low lands, named by the Indians Basic, low wet lands, but did not increase very rapidly until the Yankees poured in about 1794. The present inhabitants are of a mixed origin, Yankees, Dutch, German, &c., an industrious, hard work- ing people. The soil of the valleys is rather mucky, a dark mold, resting on hard pan, but the country is well suppled with springs and brooks pretty well elevated, and is considered very healthy. There are plenty of stone, for field wall, the use of which is every where a good criterion by which to appreciate the state of husban- dry and agriculture. There are four turnpikes, and several other roads. Its streams are small, the heads of Hockatock, Basic, and Lamoureux creeks, branches of the Kaatskill, yet such as to supply mills. There are 4 houses for public worship, I for Friends, 1 for Baptists, and two for Presbyterians; and 16 schoolhouses. Popu- lation, 3458: 708 farmers, 7 traders, 125 mechanics; 3 foreigners ; 9 free blacks, 8 slaves ; tax ble property. $307, 334; 19 schools, 10 months in 12; 662 electors, 25,167 acres improved land, 4633 cattle, 812 horses, 8622 sheep; 37.523 yards cloth; 4 grist mills, 7 saw mills, 1 fulling mill, 2 carding machines, 1 distillery, 2 asheries.


( 318 )


ANNALS OF THE YEAR 1853.


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JANUARY.


· 1. . Mild and rainy ; the river still open, and merchants busy shipping goods, the New York boats continuing to make their accustomed trips ...... Horatio Seymour in- augurated governor of the state of New York at the Capitol, by the secretary of state; the ex-governor, Hunt, being present on the occasion; also the state officers, the judges of the court of appeals, the military, and the governor of Connecticut. A national salute was fired on the occasion ...... John J. Voorhees, formerly of Albany, died at Newport, Herk. co., aged 83.


3. Charles L. Ryno died, aged 24.


4. The state legislature met at the Capitol; William II. Ludlow, democrat, of Suffolk county, elected speaker by 85 votes of the 128 cast ...... The river became choked with ice near Castleton, so that further attempts to keep open the channel for boats was abandoned; it being no longer profitable for the owners of the river boats to keep the navigation open at great expense, as they were accustomed to do before the Hudson River Rail Road was completed. .. Mrs. Francis B. Noble died, aged 17.


6. A clerk in the employ of Jeremiah Waterman in Washington street, robbed the store and mutilated him- self to make it appear that he had been maltreated ...... John J. Cole, Esq., accidentally shot in the arm by the discharge of a pistol ...... J. H. Lyman, formerly of Albany, died at Missouri bar, South fork of American river, of apoplexy.


7. The ferry boats had some difficulty in opening a communication with the opposite shore of the river in the morning, owing to the strength of the ice that had


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Annals of 1853.


formed during the night. A man who attempted to cross on the ice broke through, but escaped by the help of a board which he carried with him for safety ...... Mrs. Margaret, wife of Henry L. Jewell, died, aged 43.


8. Hudson river free of ice to Albany ...... David Holt, formerly of Albany, died at Janesville, Wis., aged 74.


9. John E. Thomas died, aged 46.


10. Two fires in the evening, neither of which were


very destructive ... Ann, wife of Henry McKnight, died, aged 30 ...... Mary Ann Chapman died, aged 39.


11. A row at the Green Street Theatre. One of the police stabbed with a bayonet, by a person who had ob- tained an entrance, with a dozen others, for the purpose of taking possession of the premises in the name of Mr. Preston ...... An excursion to West Troy was made over the Albany and Northern Rail Road, by a party of stock- holders and invited guests .. ... Three alarms of fire in the afternoon and evening. In neither case was much damage done.


13. First of winter, snow enough having fallen to make the sleighing good. In every direction the rail roads were obstructed by drifts of snow, and the mails were detained twenty-four hours beyond their time ...... Hiram Bender died, aged 27 ...... Mrs. Hannah, widow of the late Thomas Garrison, died, aged 68 ...... Caroline, wife of Basil Watson, died at Buffalo, formerly of Albany.


14. Mrs. Mary Ann Ferry died.


15. The Maiden lane ferry was closed, but the boat at the south ferry continued to make regular trips. .... Lemuel Eaton died, aged 74.


17. Mr. Taber presented a petition to the senate of citizens of Albany county, for a division of the county. . The printers celebrated the Birthday of Franklin by a ball at Van Vechten Hall. .. . Timothy Sullivan died, aged 53.


18. The ice had now become strong enough to bear teams again at the ferries ...... Convention of the New York State Temperance Society ; grand demonstration of delegations ...... Mrs. Delehanty died, aged 34. . . William McCornell died, aged 19. .Eliza Brown died,


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Annals of 1853.


aged 20. .... Richard J. Johnson died, aged 35. Jeanette McDougall died, aged 23.


19. A fire damaged the old Dutch building, corner of South Pearl and Division streets, known as the Dundee Warehouse since Alexander Sampson, a Scotchman, opened a dry goods store in it a few years ago. For a long time this was the southernmost house in that street. . Temperance meetings at the churches in the evening drew great crowds ...... Mary A., wife of H. S. Allen, formerly of Albany, died at Whitehall.


21. A delegation of the Women's State Temperance Convention was permitted to enter the Assembly chamber for the purpose of presenting memorials signed by 28,000 persons, for the abolition of the sale of liquors ...... A penny-post sentenced to ten years and four months im- prisonment upon conviction of purloining letters.


22. Mrs. Jane Chadderdon died, aged 24. ... Jane E., wife of John Morrison, died.


23. Elizabeth, wife of H. G. Carpenter, died, aged 31. Anthony Bradwill died, aged 46 ... .. Maria, wife of D. V. N. Radcliffe, died, aged 41 ...... Jacob Shew, a revo- lutionary pensioner, died, aged 90.


24. Fire in the Dutch building of J. L. Staats, corner State and Pearl streets, which destroyed the contents of two dry goods stores, without damaging the building very materially ... ... Mrs. Roxana Wright died, aged 60. . ... Mary, widow of the late Charles McDole, died, aged 58. ...... Ellen Jane Johnston died, aged 18.


25. Ellen, wife of Wm. Brooksby, died, aged 37.


26. There was a meeting of citizens and strangers at the Capitol to discuss the project of a National Univer- sity. Dr. Beck was called to preside, and the Rev. Dr. Kennedy. officiated as secretary.




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