USA > New York > Dutchess County > The history of Dutchess County, New York > Part 24
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 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76
Poughquag, which derives its name from "A-po-qua-gue," the Indian name for Sylvan Lake, is a pretty little village with a population of about two hundred. It contains a Methodist church, a district school, and the stores of Charles Brill and Griffin Miller. Mr. Miller is the present postmaster, succeeding, in 1908, John H. Draper, who was appointed in 1894. Other merchants of this village in times past, were Hamilton Colwell, F. S. Merwin, Charles F. Rassell and Charles H. Slocum, the present County Treasurer. Nearby is the grist mill of William A. Murphy, town clerk, who bought the property in 1898, effecting many improvements.
The edifice of the Methodist Society here was erected in 1839, and dedicated January 15, 1840, the Rev. Mr. Cochran officiating. The present pastor is Rev. Charles Sager.
A short distance northeast of Poughquag was the home of Col. Vanderburgh, an officer of some prominence in the Revolution. He. enjoyed the friendship and confidence of Washington, who in his diary mentions stopping with him to take dinner, when on a hasty visit to. Hartford.
The village of Green Haven, near the southwestern border, con- tains the store of Irving Dutcher, who is also postmaster and Super- visor. In Revolutionary times there was a grist mill here conducted by one Vincent. The Bogarts from Holland were among the early settlers in this neighborhood, and in precinct records is found the name of Richmore Bogart, Justice of the Peace.
At Clove Valley is the store and creamery of David V. Moore, who has held the office of postmaster since 1895. In 1831 the firm of Elisha Sterling & Co. built here a charcoal furnace, and the locality is familiarly known as "Beekman Furnace." The charcoal furnace had a capacity of about twelve tons per day, and the iron made was of superior quality. The Clove Spring Iron Works was organized in 1873. This company, in addition to operating the charcoal fur- nace, erected an anthracite furnace, with a capacity of some twenty- five tons per day. The industry gave employment to many men, and for several years Clove Valley had a population exceeding two hun-
270
THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS.
dred; but the enterprise did not prove a financial success and in 1883 was discontinued.
At the hamlet of Beekmanville is located the Baptist church, which was built in 1839, and dedicated December 25th of that year, by Rev. Daniel T. Hill, who remained as its pastor three years. The edifice cost $3,000 and was paid for largely through the efforts of Nicholas German and Abner Osborn. The pulpit is now supplied from Pawling.
May 11th, 1861, Beekmanville was the scene of a large gathering of patriotic citizens who assembled to formulate plans for the enlist- ment of volunteers in defense of the Union cause. The meeting was addressed by District Attorney Allard Anthony of Poughkeepsie, Rev. Mr. King of Yonkers, and Mr. Benson J. Lossing, who was a native of the town, and whose speech on this occasion was prophetic of the ultimate triumph of the Union arms. During the Rebellion the town of Beekman raised and expended nearly $35,000 for volun- teers and substitutes.
The Beekman Iron Mine in this neighborhood was discovered in 1846 by William E. Haxtun. It was opened in 1869 by Albert Tower, who owned and operated it for many years, giving employment to thirty hands.
Another ore mine nearby, owned by the Sylvan Lake Ore and Iron Company, was also extensively worked, but these mines, like the fur- naces at Clove Valley, have long been abandoned.
Dr. Clark A. Nicholson, for several decades the only resident phy- sician of the town, located in Beekmanville in 1847, and became largely interested in the development and sale of the adjoining iron mines. He died in 1885, and was succeeded by Dr. D. C. Tripp.
Roman Catholic churches are situated at Sylvan Lake and Clove Valley, an account of which appears in another chapter.
The Supervisors from the organization of the town in 1788, have been as follows :
1788-'91 Jonathan Dennis
1820
John Wilkinson
1792-'96 Jesse Oakley
1821-'22
Egbert Cary
1797-'04 Ebenezer Cary
1823-'24
Thomas Lee
1805-'13 Samuel A. Barker
1825-'26
Egbert Cary
1814
Thomas Flagler
1827-'28
John Cooper
1815
Samuel A. Barker
1829-'31
Egbert Cary
1816-'19
Egbert Cary
1832-'33
James De Long
271
TOWN OF BEEKMAN.
1834
Egbert Cary
1869
William W. Haxtun
1835-'39 Elnathan Haxtun 1840 Egbert Cary
1870-'72
George T. Doughty
1841-'42 James H. Denton
1875
James E. Dutcher David Ludington John H. Draper Edwin L. Williams
1845
Joseph C. Doughty
1879-'80
Joseph H. Storm Isaac Vail
1847 Joseph C. Doughty
1882
1848 '49
Wilson B. Sheldon
1883-'84
Daniel Luddington John Jones
1850-'51
William A. Holmes
1885
Charles H. Slocum John Van Wyck
1854-'55
Elnathan Haxtun
1887-'88
Daniel Luddington James H. Russell
1856-757
Wilson B. Sheldon
1889
1858-'59
Smith Cronk
1890-'91
Kromline Andrews
1860-'61 De Witt C. Cary
1892-'93
David V. Moore
1862-'65
Jeremiah Sheldon
1894-'95
Wilson B. Storm
1866-'67
William W. Haxtun
1896-'05
David V. Moore
1868
George Tabor
1906-'09
Irving Dutcher
1843 1844 Gilbert B. Noxon
Egbert Cary
1876-'77
1878
1846
Gilbert B. Noxon
1881
1852-'53
James F. Dakin
1886
1873-'74
272
THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE TOWN OF CLINTON.
T HIS town, which was named for Governor George Clinton, originally extended westward to the Hudson, and as far south as the northern boundaries of the present towns of Pough- keepsie and La Grange, comprising over 66,000 acres, with a popu- lation according to the Federal Census of 1790, of 4,607.
The division of the county into precincts in 1737, created Crom Elbow, which passed into Charlotte in 1762. Clinton was formed from the precincts of Charlotte and Rhinebeck, on the 13th day of March, 1786, two years prior to the civil reorganization of the county, whereby precincts became towns. Cornelius Humphrey, who had served as Supervisor of Charlotte in 1773 and "75, was elected Supervisor of the new town, and in 1787 was succeeded by Richard de Cantillon.
The territory of Clinton was reduced January 26, 1821, by the cre- ation of the towns of Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley, to its present area of 23,487 acres, bounded as follows: On the north by Milan; east by Stanford and Washington; south by Pleasant Valley, and west by Rhinebeck and Hyde Park.
There are four small lakes within its borders, of which Long Pond is the largest. Little Wappinger creek flows southerly through the center of the town. Schultz Mountain, the principal elevation, rises 780 feet above the tide. The town contains no village of commercial importance. Clinton Corners, Clinton Hollow, Schultzville and Pleas- ant Plains are hamlets.
The precinct records shed some light upon the names of the first dwellers in the original town. Among those recorded from 1748 to 1756 are Nathan Bull, Moses Harris, Isaac Germond, Dirck Van Vliet, Jacob Spricor, John Earll, Lieut. Lewis, Jonathan Lyon, Isaiah Sherman. The earliest settlers within the present town limits were the families of Van Vliet, Schultz, Sleight, Garrison, Cookingham and
273
TOWN OF CLINTON.
Traver, some of whose descendants reside upon the ancestral acres. Further reference to these families will be found in Part II of this work. Inscribed on field stones in the old cemetery near the Presbyterian Church at Pleasant Plains have been deciphered the names of Geritje Masten Van Vliet, wife of Aurie Van Vliet, and Capt. Joost Garrison and Magdalena his wife, buried in the year 1779.
Henry Sleight, a native of Long Island, is credited with being the first innkeeper. He built his tavern, which is still standing, about the year 1768, on the A. C. Briggs farm.
Another early innkeeper and merchant was Abel Peters of Clinton Corners. His tavern and store were erected during the Revolution, and in 1792 he built a brick residence; the brick was manufactured on the premises, the materials being thrown together in a mass, and mixed by means of oxen treading in it.
The grist mill at Pleasant Plains, which has been operated by water power over one hundred and thirty years, is an interesting landmark. It was built in 1775 by John De Witt, son of Captain Petrus and Rachel (Radcliff) De Witt. It later became the property of John LeRoy, who with his son Abraham, ran it for upwards of forty years. It was afterwards owned by George Cookingham, Harris & LeRoy, Frost & Cookinghom, and since 1877 by J. Z. Frost. It is a frame building 35 by 55 feet, three stories high, and cost about $8,000.
John De Witt was a prominent man in the official affairs of Dutchess County. He was a member of the State Convention which adopted the Federal Constitution in 1788; and Sheriff of the county from 1785 to '89 and from 1794 to '97. He also represented the county in the Assembly in 1786 '88 and '89, and again in 1793 and '94.
Clinton has sent many of her townsmen to the Assembly, including Isaac Bloom, Morgan Lewis, Ebenezer Mott, John M. Thurston, Wil- liam D. Williams, Tobias L. Stoutenburgh, John Beadle, Samuel Mott, Israel Shadboldt, Gilbert Bentley and Wesley Butts. Their years of service will be found in Chapter VII, devoted to the Civil List.
Hon. John H. Otis of Clinton Corners was also a resident of the town during his term of office in the State Senate, 1852 and '53.
The earliest physician in the town was Dr. Nathaniel Marvin, who located at Pleasant Plains in 1794. He was succeeded by Dr. John Dodge about 1820. A sketch of Dr. Edwin Barnes, who began prac-
274
THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS.
tice here in 1866, and was active in the councils of the Medical Society, will be found elsewhere in this work.
A landmark of pioneer times is the Quaker Meeting House at Clin- ton Corners, built in 1777, in which year the Society was organized. Among the first members are found the names of George Harris, Isaac Hallock and Paul Upton. A separation in the Society occurred in 1828, owing to the dissension of Elias Hicks. Those who. did not adhere to him were termed Orthodox Quakers. They formed a new Society, and in 1829 built a church nearby the original stone meeting house.
In the "Book of Records of the Trustees for Providence Society, in Charlotte Precinct," is found the earliest recorded effort for the establishment and maintenance of religious worship within the origi- nal town. A deed bearing date of September 15, 1784, reads in part: "In consideration of the good will and affection he bears unto the inhabitants in this neighborhood of Lot No. 4 of the small division of the Great Nine Partners, in Dutchess County, for the encouragement of religion and vital piety, and for the encouragement of education, Richard Alsop, of Newtown, Queens County, New York, gave, granted, conveyed and confirmed unto Timothy Doughty, Henry Humphrey, and John De Witt, Trustees for a Society of the Reformed Church of Holland, as now constituted in America, or, agreeably, to the constitution of the Kirk of Scotland, to them and their successors forever, trustees of said Society, in this neighborhood of said Lot No. 4, for the express purpose of having a house erected for the worship of Almighty God, and a school house for the education of youth on the premises-a certain parcel of land, being part of said Lot No. 4, to contain two acres."
Over a year elapsed before any definite action was taken by the above mentioned trustees to avail themselves of the provision of Mr. Alsop. At a meeting held December 5, 1785, an organization was formed to be known as "The Trustees of the Presbyterian Society," of which the following persons were elected trustees: John Lawrence, Cornelius Van Vliet, David Knapp, John De Witt, Jesse Bell and Timothy Doughty.
Some difficulty was encountered in securing from the County Pres- bytery a stated supply for one quarter of his time. It was not until 1787 that an arrangement was made whereby the Rev. Wheeler Case
275
TOWN OF CLINTON.
was to devote one-third of his time to this Society, beginning July Ist of that year, in consideration of the annual payment of £23, 7s. The Society evidently did not prosper and was terminated, according to the records, in October, 1789.
Divine services were continued, however, at the residence of John LeRoy and' in the school house, then on the site of the present Pres- byterian Church, as often as a supply could be obtained.
The records in connection with the present church state that the Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Plains was organized on the 28th day of March, 1837, by Rev. Alonzo Welton of Poughkeepsie, and consisted of the following thirteen persons, viz .: John LeRoy, Isaiah Van Keuren, John Platt, William Odell, Stephen LeRoy, Thomas De- Witt LeRoy, Hannah LeRoy, Gertrude Van Keuren, Malinda LeRoy, Welthy LeRoy, Jane M. Odell and Phebe Ann McAvery. These per- sons were formerly members of the Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Valley.
The church began its organization with twenty-one members, and secured Rev. William N. Sayre for its first stated supply. The present building was erected in 1837 and enlarged in 1859. The parsonage was built in 1866. The Rev. Sherman Hoyt was the first settled pas- tor. He was called in 1843, and remained eighteen years. His min- istry is represented as having been one of great power, and the mem- bership of the church rapidly increased.
At Schultzville is located the First Christian Church of Clinton, organized in the spring of 1863. Christian services were held in the hamlet as early as 1846, at which the Rev. Philetus Roberts officiated. David H. Schultz, Benjamin Conger, Dr. Peter Denny, Edward Pultz and Smith J. Gildersleeve were active members of the congregation. In 1866 the present church building was erected on land donated by Theodore A. Schultz, who also contributed $3,000 towards the cost of the edifice. In 1869, during the pastorate of Rev. J. Q. Evans, the parsonage was built.
Theodore A. Schultz also donated funds for the purpose of pur- chasing a site and erecting a hall at Schultzville for Warren Lodge, F. & A. M. This is one of the oldest lodges in the State, an interest- ing account of which appears in the chapter devoted to the Masonic fraternity.
Extensive slate deposits in Schultz Mountain, a short distance west
276
THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS.
of Schultzville, have at different times afforded considerable industrial activity. In 1798 slate was quarried here for roofing the house of Mrs. Richard Montgomery of Rhinebeck. Operations were continued successfully for about twenty-five years, when it was discovered that the grade of slate was too heavy for durable roofing purposes, and the quarries were abandoned. Slate from this mountain which had been" placed on the roof of the cotton mill at Pleasant Valley in 1815, had to be removed in 1845, and the building recovered with Vermont slate. In 1866 the industry was revived by a Mr. Smith from Vermont. Sev- eral buildings were erected, and about thirty men given employment. Efforts were made to utilize the product both for roofing and mantel purposes, but in neither instance was the result satisfactory, and since 1874 these quarries have been in idleness.
The official records of the town have been carefully preserved, and are in the possession of the town clerk, together with some of the pre- cinct records, beginning with the year 1771, at which time William Doughty was clerk. Subsequent clerks were Peter Germond, 1772; John Allen, 1792; David Traver, 1796; Jonathan Owen, 1799 to 1805; Koert Dubois, 1808 and '09, and Henry Vanderburgh, 1811 to '1'5. John De Witt was Supervisor from 1800 to 1802.
The succession of Supervisors since the organization of the town in 1821 has been as follows:1
1821-'22 John F. Schultz
1850
Stephen H. Smith
1823-'25 John Dodge
1851
Fred C. Filkins
1826 '27 Jobn Wooley
1852
Gilbert Bentley
1828 '29 John Dodge
1853-'54
Robert D. Cornell
1830 John Wooley
1855-'56
Jonathan P. Sheldon
1836-'38
Alfred Duell
1861
Wilson Hicks
1843
David Curtis
1865
J. F. S. Stoutenburgh
1844-'45
Isaac I. Platt
1866
Philip Cookingham
1846
Tilley Crouse
1867-'69 David B. Haight
1847
Elnathan Gazley
1870-'71 Jacob Z. Frost
1848
Wesley Butts
1872-'73
Henry R. Van Vliet
1849
Daniel H. Schultz
1874-'76
John H. Otis ¿
1831-'33
Welcome Arnold
1857-'58 John G. Halstead
1859-'60 Fred B. Schultz
1839-'40
Daniel H. Schultz
1862-'63 John S. Wing
1841-'42
Daniel Sands
1864
Egbert C. Butler
1834-'35
Alanson Wildey
1. Ohtained through Mr. George S. Van Vliet of Pleasant Plains, together with many other interesting facts concerning the town's history.
TOWN OF CLINTON.
27.7
1877
Mandeville Burger
1888
John J. Rymph
1878 Timothy G. Palmer
1889-'90
Edward Herrick
1879 Duane Story
1891-'92
Llewellyn Lent
1880 Smith Sherman
1893
Jacob Z. Frost
1881 Duane Story
1894-'97
Pedro Sweet
1882 Henry R. Van Vliet
1898-'99
Duane Story
1883 Charles B. Doughty
1900-'01
George B. Welch
1884
Hiram Stoutenburgh
1902-'07
Charles W. Carpenter
1885-'87 Rowland W. Hicks
1908-'09
Charles W. Wright
278
THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS.
CHAPTER XIX. THE TOWN OF DOVER.
BY RICHARD FRANCIS MAHER.
T' HE Town of Dover lies on the southeastern border of the county. It is bounded on the north by Amenia and Wash- ington ; on the south by Pawling; on the east by Connecticut, and on the west by Union Vale and Beekman. The town abounds in wild and beautiful scenery. On the eastern and western borders are ranges of hills almost mountainous in their dimensions, while the center forms a valley, some four hundred feet above tidewater, containing thrifty farms and pleasant villages. The principle streams are Ten Mile River and Swamp River.
Dover was formed as a town from Pawling, February 20, 1807. It is not definitely known by whom the town was first settled, but it is supposed that the first settlements were made by the Dutch who came here from the vicinity of Hudson's River. Among the early home makers in this region we find the old Dutch names of Onster- hout, Van Dusen, Dutcher and Knickerbocker. It is said that the first named-the Ousterhouts-and the Wilcoxes, Dutchers and Ben- sons were the first settlers, and that they located under the East Mountain ; but there are no dates accessible to define the time of their incoming.
In the cemetery at Dover Plains are a considerable number of moss covered tombstones, fast hastening to decay, on which are inscribed the names of those who were undoubtedly among the earliest to seek a home in this pleasant valley. The inscriptions, nearly obliterated, read:
"In memory of Mr. John Ousterhout, who died Jan'y 29, 1759. -. 55 years." "In memory of Denton Woolsey, who died May 20, 1777, in the 36th year of his age."
"In memory of Deborah, wife to Nathaniel Gray, died June 13, 1770, -. 31." "In memory of Ephriam Wheeler, who departed this life May 10, 1808, in the 100th year of his age."
RICHARD F. MAHER.
279
TOWN OF DOVER.
"Capt. Valentine Wheeler, died Ang. 11, 1782. - 42 years."
"Matthew Van Dusen, died Sept. 5, 1806 .- 65."
"Jemima Burlinggame, wife of Benjamin Burlinggame, died June 8, 1790, in the 41st year of her age."
"Hannah, wife of William Taber, died June 9th, 1792. 81,"
"Hannah, wife of Job Tabor, died May 1, 1800. - - 57."
"Silas Belding, died April 6, 1786. - 69."
"Elizabeth, wife of Gabriel Dutcher, died April 23, 1793, - 73."
"In memory of Mrs. Hannah French, wife of Mr. Jeremiah French, who de- parted this life Oct. 29, 1776. - - 61."
Other early settlers were: Hans Hufcut and Martin Preston, who settled on what is known as Preston Mountain, and the latter is said to have been the first settler on the "Equivalent Land," or the Ob- long. Thomas and Alice Casey, from Rhode Island, emigrated here about 1750, and located on what is now known as Chestnut Ridge. Derrick Dutcher and Jacob VanCamp came here previous to 1731, and located near Plymouth Hill.
One of the first mills in this section of the country was that known as the Preston Mill, which in early days had an extensive reputation. The original structure has long since passed away, and the building which now occupies its site was built about a hundred years ago. Ebenezer Preston built three grist mills on Ten Mile River. The present one is now owned by William A. Sheldon, at South Dover. Previous to the erection of the town the annual meetings were held in the tavern of Jackson Wing, grandfather to Sheldon Wing. The name of Dover was given to the town at the Wing Tavern in 1807.
DOVER PLAINS: This village is the most important settlement of the town and contains a population of 721. It is situated in the midst of charming scenery and has in its immediate vicinity natural curiosities which have attracted thousands of visitors. One of these, a rocky ravine, worn deep in the mountain west of the village, whose arched opening resembles the entrance to some cathedral of mediaeval times, is known as the "Dover Stone Church." Within this entrance is a somewhat spacious cavern, roofed and walled by massive rocks, while beyond, pierced deep in the mountain, stretches a mile or two of picturesque ravine. The vicinity looks as though there had been at some time a great convulsion of nature which had lifted the rocks and hurled them into their present fantastic and suggestive shapes. It is claimed, however, that the conformation is due wholly to the
280
THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS.
action of water, which, even now, in a goodly stream courses down the gully. History tells us that Sassacus, sachem of the Pequod tribe, with many of his followers, found refuge in this watery cavern when he encountered a band of Mohegan hunters upon the site of the village of Dover Plains. He had fled from Connecticut, following the defeat of his army by English troops under command of Captain Mason.
In 1802 the village contained less than a dozen buildings, and among the few residents at that time were Cornelius Dutcher, Jona- than Mabbett and James Ketcham. Among the first merchants in this vicinity-if not the pioneers in business-were Stephen, Justus and Uriah Gregory. They rented from Lawrence Belding a piece of ground some eight rods square, at the foot of Plymouth Hill, upon which they erected a store and blacksmith shop. For this ground they paid a yearly rental of forty shillings, their lease-which was dated April 1, 1790-to continue five years. From this place they removed and commenced business in Pawlingstown, now Dover Plains. Not long after the removal, Stephen Gregory withdrew, and Justus and Uriah M. conducted the business some time and failed, and with their brothers, Ebenezer and Elias, moved to Sand Lake, Rensselaer County.
Luther Holley succeeded the Gregorys in the business, and for some years was a successful merchant. He removed to Salisbury, Conn. James Ketcham, Lawrence and Joseph Belding were the next merchants, beginning as partners, first in the store of the Gregorys, and then in Holley's store, where for eight years they did a prosperous business.
James Ketcham was for many years a prominent man of the town. He was born July 31, 1777, at Little Rest, in the town of Washing- ton, this county. In his infancy his parents removed to Hunting, L. I., where his father kept a small country store. In 1789, the family returned to the town of Washington, locating near the farm of the late Judge Isaac Smith, where the elder Ketcham opened a small store. In 1790, the father died, and James was placed in the store. He had some advantages of a common school education, and after his father's death worked for a time on the farms of William Cornwall and a Mr. Pugsley, for the sum of one shilling per day. His father, however, had expressed a wish to have him engage in mercantile pur- suits. His uncles, Titus and Jonathan Mabbett, were merchants,
281
TOWN OF DOVER.
and built the house now owned by Walter Haight, in which they had a store. Justus and Uriah Gregory had a store near Lawrence Bel- ding's, and, failing about this time, the Mabbetts hired the store of Lawrence Belding and installed James Ketcham as their clerk. In 1797 Lawrence and Joseph Belding purchased the stock of Jonathan Mabbett,-who had previously purchased the interest of Titus Mab- bett,-and James Ketcham became one of the firm of Lawrence Bel- ding & Co. In 1797 he married Lois Belding, and on May 6, 1799, Lawrence Belding bought from Luther Holley the house and store at Dover Plains, to which they removed their stock, and where a pros- perous business was done up to 1806. Afterwards Jonathan Mab- bett purchased with James Ketcham the interest of the Beldings, and the firm became Mabbett & Ketcham, remaining as such to 1810. In that year John Mabbett retired from business, and James Ketcham became sole proprietor. When the town of Dover was formed from Pawling he was chosen first town clerk. George Casey became the first postmaster. The mail was carried on horseback once a week. After Mr. Casey left the town, James Ketcham was appointed post- master, and held the office for thirty successive years. Under the administration of Polk he was removed, and Joshua Rodgers was ap- pointed in his stead, holding the office four years. Mr. Ketcham afterward held the office four years. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, supervisor of the town five years, and a member of the State Legislature in 1814. He was a merchant up to 1827. He died Sat- urday, November 11, 1871.
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.