USA > New York > Albany County > Cohoes > The history of Cohoes, New York, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 10
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A prominent addition to the manufacturing establish- ments of the place was the new knitting mill (now occupied by Parsons & Co.), erected by Egbert Egberts on the corner of Factory and Remsen streets. The building was of brick, fifty by one hundred and fifty feet and five stories high. The work was done mainly by Cohoes mechanics, as follows : Joshua R. Clarke, architect and builder ; Wolford & Stephenson, masons ; Jacob I. Lansing, wheelwright ; Isaac F. Fletcher, marble cutter; and W. T. Palmer, painter.
The block of stores on the southeast corner of Remsen and Oneida streets, built by Dr. Carter, was completed about the same time.
An event destined to be of great importance to the inte- rests of Cohoes was the change during this year in the proprietorship of the Harmony Mills. The career of the old corporation had been anything but successful. No dividends had ever been paid to the stockholders, and when the company sold out they had floating debts to the amount of their capital. The stock had changed owners from time to time, until in the last years of its existence the management of the company was in almost entirely different hands. For some time the company had no resi- dent agent, but on the election of Mr Wm. N. Chadwick as president in 1841, an effort was made to induce him to make his residence here and supervise the business, which he afterward decided to do. Under his administration in 1844 additional machinery was put into the mill, which had previously been but partly occupied. In that and the fol- lowing year some $64,000 were cleared - all the money
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the company ever made - and it was of course needed to meet the deficiency of preceding years. In 1846 Mr. Chadwick resigned, and his successor as president was Wm. C. Haggerty, who continued to be the active man of the concern until it was sold.
With the advent of Mr. Robert Johnston, however, the present superintendent, a new condition of affairs began, and the career of the company since that time has been one of steady and growing prosperity. Mr. Johnston was born in Carlisle, England, in 1807, and in that country had his first training in cotton manufacture. He came to the United States in 1833, and was for a time connected with the Providence Steam Mills at Providence, R. I., where he suc- ceeded in accomplishing what had previously been thought impossible, the spinning of warps on mules. Soon after he removed to Valatie, N. Y., where he took charge of the cotton mill of Nathan Wild, and it was at his suggestion that Alfred Wild, the son of his employer, and Mr. Thomas Garner of New York, purchased the Harmony Mill. With the inauguration of the new management the mill was greatly improved, and its capacity increased to 8,000 spindles.
An amendment to the village charter passed early in 1851, provided for the election of a police justice, whose term of office was to be four years, and increased the powers of the trustees in several particulars. The amendment seems to have given general satisfaction, and was thus commented upon by the Cataract : "It will be seen that provision is made for the establishment of a municipal government which can effect everything desired in the way of law and order." The first justice under this act was Alfred Phelps, elected July 29. At the regular village election in March, the first school trustees were chosen, according to the act passed in 1850. On the organization of the board, Wm. G. Caw was elected president, and John Van Santvoord, clerk. The
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following committees were appointed : Finance : Burton and Parkhurst ; Library: Foster and Caw ; School houses: Travis and McGill; Text books: Caw and Travis; Teachers: Foster, Burton and Caw ; Tuition of non residents: McGill and Parkhurst; Select committee for organizing and grading schools : Caw, Foster and McGill. At a meeting held April 4th, arrangements were made to procure further accommodations. The basement of the Reformed church was hired at a rental of 840 per annum, and negotiations were commenced with the Messrs. Fuller for the erection of a two story school house in Remsen street, the yearly rent to be $85. The teachers were assigned as follows : District No. 9 (Harmony Hill), Henry Dubois ; District No. 5 (depot school house), E. H. Johnston and C. Allen, Miss Van Schaick, assistant ; District No. 13 (state yard school house), Mr. Landon. J. M. Brown's store on Remsen street was selected as a proper place for keeping the libraries of the district and it was engaged for $50 per annum, Mr. Brown to act as librarian.
In April, an act was passed incorporating the Cohoes Savings Institution, of which the corporators were: Chas. A. Olmsted, Truman G. Younglove, Egbert Egberts, Hugh White, Daniel Simmons, Isaac D. F. Lansing, Henry D. Fuller, Wm. F. Carter, Abraham Lansing, Joshua Bailey,x Wm. N. Chadwick, Teunis Van Vechten, Andrew D. Lan- sing, Harmon Pumpelly, Edward E. Kendrick, Wm. Burton, Joshua R. Clarke, Jeremiah Clute, Miles White.
With the rapid growth of the place since its incorporation, the fire department was soon found to be inadequate, and it was accordingly voted at the annual meeting of this year to purchase a new engine at a cost of $600.
At the trustees' meeting held Sept. 23, a petition was presented from "Jacob J. Lansing and others, mainly per- sons who were members of the Engine Company, known as the Parmelee Company, asking to be organized into a fire
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company under the authority of the board." The prayer was granted, and the following persons were enrolled a- the first members of Engine Company No. 2, afterwards known as the Mohawk :
Jacob Lansing, foreman ; John Fulton, Ist assistant ; Michael Larkins, 2d assistant ; John Doyle, treasurer; Win. Shannon, Lewis Wells, J. Eastwood, Benjamin Hutchin-, Malachi Ball, John Henry, John Larkins, Peter Moran, Robert B. Moore, Edward Hitchcock, Louis Savoid, Isane Van Vliet, Isaac F. Runkle, Elihu M. Stevenson, Jacob, HI. Hallenbeck, Patrick Hines, Henry C. Rider, Joseph Gould. Henry Shepard, Franklin Waring, Timothy MeGray, Henry Brown. In December the contract for building the new engine house was let to Aaron Ferguson. This was a low wooden structure, situated on Mohawk street south of the present Miller House, and stood directly over the Cohoes Company's canal.
Since 1847, there had been a number of changes in the proprietorship of the public conveyances. The Accommo- dation Stage to Troy was run in 1848 by J. A. Simons. in 1849 by S. C. Moore and in 1850 by J. A. Simons until September when the partnership of Simons & Ives was formed. The Cohoes and Troy Rail Road was con- ducted by C. O. Perham in 1849, and by John Dearborn in the following year, which was the last of its existence as a separate institution. After Nov. 1, 1850, the stages and cars were combined, under proprietorship of Dearborn and Ives, and made hourly trips to Troy. The Albany Mail Stage was conducted by II. N. Pettis. It made in 1>19 three trips, and in 1850 two trips, daily each way. In the spring of 1851, both the Albany and Troy lines changed hands, and were run by Dearborn, Simons & Co., who con- tinued in business until the stage lines were abandoned, Mr. Simons being in later years sole proprietor.
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Several manufacturing establishments were started in this year. In March Thomas Fowler rented the building formerly occupied by Timothy Bailey, repaired the damage done by the fire, and put in knitting machinery. In the building in rear of the Van Rensselaer block which was afterwards known as the Mohawk Mill, Messrs. F. W. Farnam & Co. established a factory for making linen thread from American flax, G. K. White being manager. The Cataract of Aug. 16th said : "The establishment will when in full operation be the largest flax manufactory in the United States and the only one where the finer branches of the work are executed. It will employ 300 hands and consume 600 tons of flax per annum."
Another new enterprise was the wheel factory of Messrs. Wightman & Youmans, established in a building erected for them on Basin A, just south of where Brockway's mill now stands. They manufactured omnibus wheels for the New York and Philadelphia markets. The works of D. Simmons & Co., (which had been enlarged in 1845), were still further improved by the crection of new buildings. Additions were also made to Miles White's axe factory. In January, 1852, the partnership between Egberts & Bailey was dissolved, Mr. Egberts taking the new or Watervliet Mill, and Mr. Bailey the mill on Ontario street. The latter gentleman organized the Bailey Manufacturing Company, with a capital of $100,000, and Mr. Egberts transferred his mill to Chas. H. Adams.' These establish- ments and Fowler's were until some years later the only knitting mills in the place.
The Baptist church, which had stood on the site of the Watervliet mill, was demolished when that structure was built in 1850. The society at once commenced the erection
IThe Bailey Manufacturing Company, of which the capital was reduced in 1856 to $50.000, continued in business till 1863, when the mill and machinery were sold to the Troy Manufacturing Company. Mr. Adams remained proprietor of the Water- vliet mill until 1802.
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of their present edifice on Mohawk street, foot of White, which was finished in 1851, at a cost of about $6,000. It was dedicated April 28th, 1852, the sermon being preached by Rev. Dr. Warren, of Troy. Addresses were also de- livered in the afternoon and evening by Revs. G. C. Bald- win, of Troy, and H. G. Day, of Schenectady. The music was under direction of Lester Allen.
A number of public improvements had been made of late in the village, and newspaper complaints about sidewalks and railings became less frequent. New grades were estab- lished for Remsen, Oneida and other important streets, and Canal (now Main), Canvass White (now Canvass), and Howard streets, were opened as public highways. Street lamps, which had long been needed, were placed by several citizens in front of their dwellings, the example having been set by Miles White. Sidewalks were laid in many parts of the village and the Cohoes Company's water course on Ontario street, which had previously been crossed by a wooden bridge at Remsen street, was covered at that point by a substantial stone arch.
In October, the block known as the Van Rensselaer House was torn down by its owners, the Cohoes Company. The existence of quicksands under the foundation of the struc- ture rendered it unsafe, and as tenants were with difficulty induced to occupy it, the investment had never been pro- fitable. The first proprietor was J. H. Crane, of Schenec- tady, who sold in 1849 to John Parker, who continued in business little more than a year, and was then sold out by the sheriff. The arrangement of the ground floor of the building was similar to that of the present Johnston block ; the bar-room was in the corner corresponding to that now occupied by A. M. Harmon's store ; next to that was the main entrance, north of which were three stores. A brick block three stories high was built on the site. Cohoes during this year was rather quiet, if we may judge
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by the local columns of the paper. In December con- siderable excitement was caused by the failure of Miles White, with liabilities of nearly $200,000, which threw one hundred and fifty men out of employment. This was the first failure which had seriously affected the place, and afforded material for discussion for some time.
During 1853, however, there was no lack of subjects for local comment. Early in the year the rail road from Albany, work on which had been for some time in progress, was com- pleted. As before mentioned, several companies which had been organized were unable to make any progress with the enterprise, and the people began to believe it was never to be carried out, but when, under the auspices of the Albany Northern Rail Road Company, the contracts were actually let, the prospect was more reassuring, and the satisfaction was general. The last rail was laid March 24th, and busi- ness could have been then commenced but the bridge was not completed. The Cataract commented as follows : "The rails having fairly been laid as far as the station house it may be safely affirmed that this old-new road is completed from Albany to Cohoes. Having struggled on under a hundred unfortunate accidents and been a laughing stock for years, it seems almost incredible that it has at last accomplished the original task."
The station-house, which was described as "one of the finest in the state," had been completed in the previous De- cember. A trial trip was made as far as Cohoes, April 9. Two days afterward the road was formally opened. The afternoon train from Albany brought the president and di- rectors of the road, and several prominent citizens, and was received here with ringing of bells and firing of cannon. The party was met by the board of trustees and a large number of citizens. . T. G. Younglove, on behalf of the trustees, made the following address:
" Gentlemen : In behalf of the citizens of Cohoes, we
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welcome you and congratulate you, that by patience, per- severance and energy a long desired object has been ar- complished. The snorting and putting of the iron horse in our streets, mingling as it does with the roar of our cataract, the sound of our hammers, the ring of our anvils, and the hum of our spindles, is an era in our history which we too, gladly receive congratulation for, and we say to you that we not only congratulate you, but we congratulate ourselves, and rejoice in the increased facilities you have given us for sending to market more than one and a half millions of dol- lars - the annual product of our labor and our capital. We rejoice, then, in the establishment of this new connecting link between our embryo, and your venerable city. I think I may say without exaggeration that our water power when its locality and extent are taken into account is the most valuable in the United States. We have the power to drive all your manufacturing establishments, even to your print- ing presses, and we will do it provided you give us the chance. Who can say that in the progress of the arts and manufactures, Cohoes may not be a great center of in- dustrial pursuits, annually sending forth her products, to enrich and comfort thousands nay, even millions of the in- habitants of the earth ? But I have digressed. Do not mis- take the roar and din you hear around you for any other than that of friendly and cordial greeting. Even the waters of the Mohawk join in our greetings to you. Again I say, we welcome you."
Robert H. Pruyn, one of the directors, replied on behalf of the company. Speeches were also made by Judge Cheever, Mr. Wasson, and Col. J. W. Miller. After the excursionists had visited the Falls, the factories and other objects of interest, they assembled at the Cohoes Hotel, where, said the Cataract, " an ample and handsome colla- tion was prepared which was thoroughly taken care of, and which prompted a pleasant interchange of sentiment on the part of those present."
The regular trains commenced running at once, eight daily between here and Albany, and were well patronized. An Albany paper of the 16 inst. said : " The Cohoes fac- tories were to-day closed, in order to afford the female
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operatives an opportunity to visit Albany by the new rail road, which they availed themselves of in great numbers." The first ticket agent at this station was Chas. T. Carter.
The Cohoes Gas Light Company was organized in January under the general law, and had its buildings ready to com- mence operations in July.' The capital of the company was $50,000 and the first officers were T. G. Younglove, president, R. Merrifield, secretary. The other trustees were Egbert Egberts, H. D. Fuller, W. F. Carter, J. Bailey, HI. Pumpelly and J. Battin.
On August 15th, the Cohoes Savings Institution, which had been incorporated some time before, commenced to re- ceive deposits at the office, which was on Remsen street near Oneida, in the store at present occupied by Wmn. Bell, dry goods dealer. The officers were, Egbert Egberts, presi- dent ; W. F. Carter, vice president ; Truman G. Younglove, treasurer ; Edward W. Fuller, assistant treasurer.
Several articles were published in the local paper during the year on the manufacturing interests of the place, which indicated a fair degree of prosperity.
There were three knitting mills, run respectively by the Bailey Manufacturing Company, C. H. Adams, and G. Steer, agent for Thomas Fowler. They employed 750 hands, and produced 45,000 dozen goods annually. The production of the cotton mills was as follows:
Harmony Mills, 2,652,000 yards per annum. Ogden Mills, 4,090,000 " 66 66
Strong 800,000 66 “
The total number of hands employed was about 800.
In October a new mill was completed by the Harmony Company, adjoining their first building. It was 274 by 75
1 These works, which were ou Sargent street, continued in use until 1869, when the company needed more room, and erected the buildings occupied by them at present on the east side of the Champlain Canal, the producing capacity of which is 250,000 cubic feet per day, ilve times that of the old works.
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feet and five stories high, with an L, 50 by 75 feet, which made the dimensions of the whole building 493 by 75 feet.
Other establishments described were Simmons's axe fac- tory, Hurst's worsted mill, the Cohoes Iron Foundery (then superintended by Joshua R. Clarke), the bedstead factory of Parkhursts & Fullers (formerly O. & D. Parkhurst), Wightman & Youman's wheel factory, Burton's veneering mill, Peck's sash and blind factory, and John Baker's bob- bin factory, situated in the same building. There were also several new firms. The Mohawk Mill, Samuel Bilbrough proprietor, and Wm. Baxter superintendent, which had been established the previous year, was located in the building formerly used as Farnam's thread factory,' and employed one hundred hands, producing 500,000 pounds of carpet warp and fine yarns per year. The Novelty Works, Joseph Haskins proprietor, were in the same building and employed twenty-five hands in the manufacture of twine. This concern soon afterward failed and Mr. Bilbrough took possession of the entire building. On Courtland street, east of Mohawk, a tobacco and cigar factory employing fifty hands was established by D. Cady Hollister & Co., and in the Miles White axe factory building on Mohawk street, a woolen mill commenced operations, - Hartness proprietor, and Jonathan Hiller superintendent.
A cotton flax mill on Ontario street, near the site of Brockway's Mill had been erected in the Spring by Bailey, Payson and Younglove. It was burned in October, however, at a loss of 86000, before operations had been fairly com- menced.
The flourishing state of business was commented upon as follows by the Cataract :
"In proportion to its size, there is probably no place in the state of greater enterprise or business capacity than the
1 After remaining in operation a short time this establishment had been removed to Mechanicsville.
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village of Cohoes. To strangers, the statistics, if they could be obtained, would seem incredible, and would undoubtedly be thought exaggerated even by citizens. When we con- sider that it is scarcely more than ten years since this place was little better than a wilderness, the wonder becomes still greater, and forces upon the mind the conviction that in half, perhaps a quarter of a century, Cork Hill and Codfish Flats will be near the centre of a large and wealthy city."
The changes of time were thus spoken of in the issue of Oct. 1:
" Our village is not old enough to have an extended history but we must confess our surprise in looking over a copy of the Advertiser, published in 1847, to note the changes which time has wrought in this village even in so short time. Of all the persons and firms advertising their business in the place there are but six who are now restring here and con- tinuing the same business. Many have moved away, some have changed their avocations, and many have gone to that bourne whence no traveler returns. And this is only six years, but yesterday !"
The Young Men's Association, before referred to, was in flourishing condition this year. The lecture committee, consisting of Wm. Manning, T. C. Carter, and Wm. G. Caw, provided an excellent course, which was well supported. Among the speakers of the season were Profs. John Foster, Lowell Mason, and L. N. Fowler, Hon. Ira Harris, Isaac Edwards Esq., and Mrs. E. Oakes Smith.
Among the chief topics of public interest was the Free Bridge question, which occupied a large share of the local columns of the Cataract for some months. The Waterford bridge, together with the residence of the gate keeper, Mr. Bonce, was entirely destroyed by fire March 13th. A meet- ing was soon afterward called, of which T. G. Younglove was president and John Fulton secretary, to take measures for the construction of a free bridge, and a committee was appointed to confer with the legislature on the subject. Considerable difficulty was experienced in procuring the passage of a suitable bill, as it was held by some parties
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that the state should construct nothing but a towing path bridge. Arrangements were finally concluded, however, by which the state was to build the main body of the bridge, and be entitled to the right of a towing path, while the pier- and abutments were to be paid for by subscriptions from the citizens of Cohoes and vicinity. The contract was let in January, 1854, to Messrs. Smith and Bogue.
In the Cataract of May 20, at which time the bridge was nearly completed it was stated that "a large meeting of the friends of a free bridge across the Mohawk at this place was held this week, pursuant to a call of the citizens of Cohoes and Waterford, at the house of David Lamb of the latter place. Moses Bedell was appointed to solicit sub- scriptions in Saratoga County, and Adam Van Der Werken to perform the same duties in the county of Albany. John Fulton, Esq., of Waterford was appointed treasurer." The bridge was completed so that wagons passed over on the 4th of July. It cost originally about $25,000 and $15,000 more were afterward expended in repairs.
Another matter frequently discussed in the newspaper at that time (and in fact at intervals ever since) was the bad con- dition of the cemetery. This first received public attention at the annual meeting in 1852, when on motion of Mr. Il. D. Fuller $400 were voted for purchasing and improving the grounds. No action was taken until the following year, when at the citizen's meeting held March 3d, it was re- solved, "that a committee be appointed for the purpose of making a selection of grounds suitable for a village ceme- tery, said committee to consist of one person from each of the religious congregations of the village, and two from the village at large." The report of this committee was published in the Cataract, from which the following extract is taken : "They report that the wooded land south of Mr. Gage's, and belonging to Douw A. Fonda, can be purchased with right of way included for $200 per acre and is a very
ahok
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desirable location ; that the present grounds can be ob- tained of the Cohoes Company for $100, and about eight acres north of and adjoining them can be purchased for $150 per acre. The committee recommend the purchase of the former in case the village wishes to expend five or six thousand dollars in clearing and beautifying the grounds, but if not, then they recommend the latter and say that the judicious expenditure of 8400, in improving the old ceme- tery, will make it a very good place." Nothing was done after this report until 1854, when the condition of the cemetery became so bad as to call forth the severest com- ments. At the annual meeting a further appropriation of $300 was voted, and the following resolutions passed :
" Resolved, That the village accept the offer of T. G. Younglove in behalf of the Cohoes Company, of the ceme- tery grounds as a gift to the village by said Cohoes Com- pany for a merely nominal sum.
" Resolved, That the thanks of this village be tendered to the Cohoes Company for their liberality in bestowing the cemetery grounds to the village of Cohoes."
A committee was appointed to superintend the improve- ments, consisting of Egbert Egberts, H. D. Fuller, H. B. Silliman, Jacob Travis and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
During the winter of 1853-54 the foundation was laid for the establishment of the Harmony Hill Union Sabbath School, an institution which has since been the means of doing great good in the place. It was organized originally as a branch of the Baptist Sunday School with Jas. Lansing as superintendent. The first regular election was held May 7, 1854, and resulted in the choice of Stephen Slocum as superin- tendent. At this meeting the total attendance was eighteen, as follows - four officers, three teachers, eleven scholars.
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