USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol. I > Part 36
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upset over some act of the judges, abruptly entered the room and ordered these legal experts to leave, giving as his reason his desire to set the tables for dinner. The judges were some of the county's most prominent citizens, and their dignity was much injured by this peremptory summons. They obeyed him but at the next session of court they sentenced him to jail for fifteen days for contempt of court. This evidently failed to satisfy their desire for revenge, however, for they prevailed upon the Legislature to change the place of holding court to a hotel in Hudson Falls. As a result, this town, and not Fort Edward, has been a county seat ever since.
The first of Washington County's towns, alphabetically, is Argyle, named for a Scotch Duke. In addition to its present area it included the present town of Greenwich until 1803, and Fort Edward until 1818. Its soil as a rule is very fertile. Located in the center of the county, its surface is extremely hilly. Within its borders are two beautiful lakes, Cossayuna and Argyle, the former being about three and a half miles long. It was here that Campbell planned to settle with his Scotch Highlanders. As we have seen, his efforts were neu- tralized by selfish politicians and he died a sadly disillusioned man. In 1764, however, when the township was actually settled, the col- onists were mainly Campbell's followers and their descendants. The first town meeting was held in 1771, but the settlers did not receive State recognition until 1786. In 1790, when it included Greenwich and Easton, its population was 2,341, as compared with 1,452 in 1930. In 1806 the county clerk's office was fixed at Argyle, where it could serve both county seats of Hudson Falls and Salem. The early settlers of the township were very strict in their religion, stringent laws being passed to regulate activity on Sundays-although they countenanced slavery. At the time of Burgoyne's advance, Argyle was the scene of a bloody tragedy. Le Loup, that fierce half-breed leader of the red men, decided to give his personal attention to this township. With a group of his choicest murderers he spread terror to the right and to the left, finally reaching the home of John Allen, a staunch Tory. When his rebel neighbors had deserted their fields, Allen had remained at home confident of Burgoyne's protection. Now, when Le Loup approached, the trusting Tory was spending the day working in the field with some slaves. The morning passed without any warning of approaching catastrophe and at noon Allen sat peace- fully at the dinner table with his three children, the three slaves, his
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wife, and her sister who had come on an errand. They never finished their meal. While thus seated at the table, Le Loup struck suddenly, rapidly completed his butchery and departed as stealthily as he had come. The tragedy was not discovered until a colored boy was sent there to find out why Mrs. Allen's sister did not return home. Need- less to say it did not take this lad long to spread the news, once he beheld the nine bloody corpses stretched out in various positions minus scalps and with blood-stained eyeballs half protruding from their sockets. This incident never acquired the importance attached to the killing of Jane McCrea ; but it was sufficient to cause widespread fear among the settlers who remained in Washington County.
The township of Cambridge is located on the southern border of the county. It was once a district of Albany County and at that time it included the present towns of Jackson and White Creek as well as Cambridge, and a part of Vermont in addition. From 1788 to 1791 it had the status of a town in Albany County. In the latter year it was transferred to . Washington County. Cambridge was circumscribed to its present boundaries at a later time, the present townships of Jackson and White Creek being included in its boundaries for a quarter of a century. Along its southern borders runs the Hoosic River, while within, it is a land of hills and valleys. The soil is very fertile, and particularly so in the beautiful valley of the Owl Kill along the eastern border. The holders of the Hoosick Patent which extended up this valley offered one hundred acres of land to each of the first thirty families who would become actual settlers. The first town meeting was held as early as 1774. In 1790 it contained 4,996 inhabitants, and in 1810, 6,730. Those who did not migrate from New England originally came from Scotland. The first settlement in the locality of the village of Cambridge was in 1770, but it did not develop very much until 1852, when the Troy and Rutland Railroad was completed. It was incorporated by the State Legislature in 1866. The present population of Cambridge Township is 1,677, whereas Cambridge village reports 1,762 inhabitants, two-thirds of whom live within the town of White Creek. Chief among the cultural achieve- ments of that section was the opening of the Cambridge Washington Academy in 1815. It had a classical as well as an English depart- ment, and enjoyed a fine reputation, closing in 1873 after fifty-six years of service. Timothy Dwight, Yale's great president, has left us an interesting account of a visit he made to Cambridge in 1810:
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"On Sunday morning, October 13th, having been informed that there would be no public worship in Saratoga, none, I mean, in which we wished to participate, and that there was a respectable Scotch clergyman at Cambridge we . rode through the township of Argyle and a small part of Greenwich to the place of our destination, where we arrived just after the congregation had begun their morn- ing worship. On our way, a decent Scotchman came up to us on horseback and very civilly enquired why we travelled on the Sabbath ; observing to us at the same time, that such travelling was forbidden by the law of the state, and that the people of that vicinity had deter- mined to carry the law into execution. We easily satisfied him, and were not a little pleased to find that there were people in this vicinity who regarded the law of the land and the law of God with so much respect. When we entered the church our companion obligingly con- ducted us to a good seat. We found in the desk a respectable clergy- man from Scotland, who gave us two edifying sermons, delivered, however, in the peculiar manner of the Seceders."
The next town of Dresden is located in the extremely mountainous northwestern section of Washington County. It is bounded on the east by South Bay and Lake Champlain, while its western border is washed by the waters of Lake George. It lies between the town of Fort Ann on the south and the town of Putnam on the north. Its scenery is extraordinary, Paradise Bay being generally considered one of the outstanding attractions on Lake George, while the mountain peaks are in a class by themselves. Chief among these is Black Moun- tain, the highest peak around the lake, and the one from whose sum- mit so many nature lovers have gazed in delight upon the wide pan- orama beneath and around them. In addition to this rugged giant there are other well-known peaks such as Elephant Mountain, Erebus Mountain, Spruce Mountain, Sugar-Loaf, and also Hog's Back, where Rogers and his rangers once fought a bloody battle with Indians. As was to be expected, settlement was slow and scant in this rocky town- ship. Joseph Phippeny, who located at the mouth of South Bay in 1784, was the first settler. Lumbering and boating, as well as agricul- ture, have been important occupations of the inhabitants. At first Dresden was a part of the township of Fort Ann, but in 1806 it was separated to help establish the town of Putnam. In 1822 it was finally set off from Putnam and comprised a township known as South Bay.
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In less than a month, however, it was renamed Dresden. In 1930, with but 470 residents, it was the least populous township in the county.
Turning to the east bank of the Hudson in the extreme south- western corner of Washington County, we find the township of Eas- ton. It received its name from the fact that it was the most eastern town of the Saratoga Patent. At first it was included in Albany County as a part of the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater, but in 1789 was made into a separate town. In 1791 it became a part of Wash- ington County. Its scenery is very diversified, including the level land along the Hudson, interesting hills of assorted sizes, a large swamp, and picturesque sections of the Battenkill. The date of the first settlement is unknown, although people probably lived here as early as 1740. We do know that after 1760 several settlers rapidly settled along the Hudson in Easton Township. In this group were many with Dutch names. By 1800 there were 3,069 residents in the town, while in 1810 this was increased to 3,253. As was the case with other communities, located on the banks of the Hudson, many military expeditions passed through the township of Easton, and many warlike scenes took place within its boundaries. Easton is the sec- ond largest town in Washington County, in area surpassed only by Fort Ann. Its present population is 1,726.
Fort Ann is situated in the western part of the county, and forms a part of the eastern boundary of Lake George. The southern part of the township is rolling land, but the remainder is mountainous. On the eastern side is a range of hills known as the Fort Ann Mountains, in the center is a second range called the Putnam Mountains, while in the western section are the high peaks of the Palmerton Range. Some of these are decided favorites among Lake George enthusiasts. In the extreme north, practically on the Dresden line is the summit known appropriately as Sleeping Beauty. Farther south are the greenclad slopes of Buck Mountain and the peak called Pilot Knob. One of the most picturesque summits, however, is a smaller eminence known as Shelving Rock, rising close to the lake. Below its rugged cliffs is the most beautiful section of Lake George-the group of lovely little islands collectively comprising the Narrows. The town was named from a fortification erected here in 1757 at the juncture of Wood Creek and Halfway Creek during the reign of Queen Anne of England. The first settlers, comprising two families, arrived
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within the limits of Fort Ann in 1773. They probably were the only inhabitants here before Burgoyne's raid. In all probability other settlers used excellent judgment in not erecting homes here at that time, because from the nature of its geography it was the natural avenue for military conquest as illustrated in past wars. When Eng- lish power in the Champlain Valley was plainly waning, however, it did not take settlers long to appear, many of them coming in 1781. As originally formed in 1786, Fort Ann was known as the town of Westfield, and included Dresden, Hartford and Putnam, as well as its present territory. Hartford was set off in 1793, and the territory which comprises the present towns of Putnam and Dresden was taken away in 1806. In 1808 the town changed its name from Westfield to Fort Ann. The village of Fort Ann was incorporated in 1820. In 1930 the population of the township was 2,977, while the village reported 389. Various sections of the town were given quaint names in early times. Stone, the able historian of Washington County, explains their meaning. "The western part of the town is called 'Hogtown' because the farmers turned their hogs into the woods to feed on acorns and nuts. 'Johnnycake Corners' is said to have received its name from the fact that the first mill ground little, if any, grain but corn. The southern part of Furnace Hollow was called 'Podunk' from a tribe of Indians who came from the east and settled beside the ponds."
Soon after the opening of the eighteenth century, Fort Ann was the scene of a terrible catastrophe. While Nicholson was stationed here waiting to resume his attempt to conquer Canada, over two-thirds of his small army of fifteen hundred men were buried after having died from the effects of dysentery. According to one source, the disease was acquired by drinking stagnant water which flowed into Wood Creek from surrounding swamps, but according to another it resulted from the treachery of Nicholson's Indian allies who threw skins of animals into the creek to deliberately destroy the projected English invasion. Of the many military episodes connected with Fort Ann, the most important was the battle fought here in 1777 on the occa- sion of Burgoyne's invasion. According to a British general, the American fire during this engagement was heavier than anywhere else in the campaign, except at Freeman's Farm on September nineteenth. The fort was never very strong, it having been built primarily to pro- tect its defenders against musket fire. No provision was made for
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protection against cannon, because their use was undreamed of at that place. Carleton paused long enough in his plundering expedition of 1780 to burn the defenses. In addition to the main fort there was also another position consisting only of earthworks and called Mud Fort, but this was not of much importance, and was abandoned soon after it was constructed in 1769.
Also situated on the western side of Washington County is the historically important township of Fort Edward, named in honor of Edward, Duke of York, brother of the tyrannical George III. The earliest actual settler of Washington County, Colonel Lydius, chose this township for the purpose of strengthening his family's claim to the land and to carry on trade with the Indians. After the French wars, beginning in 1762, other settlers began to come into the town. The first court in Charlotte County was held at Fort Edward in 1773 at the house of Patrick Smith, which was destined during the Revolution to be the headquarters of both Schuyler and Burgoyne. Until 1818 the township was a part of Argyle. Its population grew very rapidly, reaching a total of 4,424 in 1890, and 5,216 in 1900. In 1849 the prosperous village of Fort Edward was incorporated, and in the same year a union school building was completed, the village having the honor of being one of the first in the State to organize a union free school. Fort Edward has been, truly, the gateway to the north. Whether military expeditions advanced by way of Lake George or by way of Fort Ann and Whitehall they paused at the "Great Carrying Place" and used Fort Edward as a base. In 1709, the English erected fortifications here which were called Fort Nich- olson in honor of its builder, but after the failure of his Canadian ven- ture they were abandoned. In 1755 General Phineas Lyman built a fort there with sixteen-foot ramparts, fortified with six cannon. At Fort Edward, during the Revolution, occurred the murder of Jane McCrea, which had such an important bearing on the outcome of Burgoyne's campaign. In Union Cemetery, located between Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, her body rests today. Of the many inter- esting events happening in the township during the war, the story of her death ranks first. There have been many variations as to detail, and no one knows beyond all doubt exactly what took place. The account that I favor was reproduced in my chapter dealing with Bur- goyne's slow advance through the wilderness. Of the 5,841 inhabitants of Fort Edward Township in 1930, 3,850 resided in the village.
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In the northeastern section of Washington County we find those slate-ribbed hills comprising the township of Granville. There are no authentic dates relative to the first settlements, but some were cer- tainly made before the Revolution. The war naturally discouraged settlers, while the fierce land dispute between New York and Vermont made titles insecure and life unpleasant. After the settlement of the boundary question, however, migration from New England became rapid, the town having a population of 2,240 inhabitants in 1790, and 3,175 in 1800. The town was formed by the Legislature in 1786, while the first town meeting of which there is any record was held the following year. In early days, the settlers spun considerable wool
(Courtesy of Hudson Falls Chamber of Commerce)
PUBLIC LIBRARY AND MUNICIPAL BUILDING, HUDSON FALLS
and even flax. The industry of Granville, however, that dwarfs and has dwarfed all others is of course that of slate. Since 1850 this industry has been of paramount importance. This same date also marks the beginning of a strong Welsh migration to the township. The village was incorporated in 1885. Today it contributes 3,483 residents to the township's 5,806.
Returning southward, beyond the towns of Argyle and Fort Edward is the attractive village and township of Greenwich. The
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first permanent settler was probably that eccentric individual named Rogers, whose quarrels with his neighbors and eventual arrest we have already discussed. When the Argyle Patent was granted to Campbell and his rellow-Scotchmen, it included part of the present township of Greenwich. In spite of the fact that Campbell was not allowed to proceed with the proposed settlement, many of the early inhabitants were Scotch-Irish. 1803 is the date of the political creation of the township of Greenwich and also of the first town meeting. Up to that date it constituted a part of the town of Argyle. It was named for Greenwich, Rhode Island. By 1810, the entire township of Green- wich had a population of 2,752. Until 1867, the attractive village of Greenwich was known as Union Village after its incorporation in 1809. This name arose from the fact that the corporation was partly in Greenwich and partly in Easton. Before 1809 it was called Whipple City in honor of Job Whipple, an early resident. In 1810 Timothy Dwight visited Washington County and has left an inter- esting picture of the infant settlement. According to him it "is built around a collection of mills on the Battenkill. . . . In this village there is a decent Baptist church and about thirty houses of an indifferent appearance." Whipple entered into the spinning business about 1800 and soon developed an extensive enterprise. He had an assistant named William Mowry who went to England to study meth- ods used there. Upon his return in 1817, he put into operation at Greenwith the first double spinner used in America. It was the first attempt to manufacture cotton goods in New York State. Other manu- facturing such as production of plows and shoes followed. In 1930 the town's population was 3,872, while the village reported 2,290.
Since the Battenkill has been of importance in the history of Greenwich and joins the Hudson River in that township, this seems to be a satisfactory point at which to explain its unique name and describe some of its features. The first settler at the mouth of the creek was Bartholomew Van Hogeboom, and it was originally called Bartholo- mew's Kill. Later it was called Bart's Kill or Bat's Kill for short. After being known by these names for several years it is not surpris- ing that their meaning became vague in the minds of the settlers, and the stream happened to be spelled Battenkill on the first maps. The river rises in the Vermont town of Dorset, in the Green Mountains.
C & G-25
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In some sections its scenery is decidedly picturesque, and in early times abounded with large trout.
In the extreme northeastern corner of Washington County, bounded on the east and north by the State of Vermont, is the small town of Hampton, originally known as Greenfield. Because of its location it was not settled as early as some of the other communities in the county, the first settlers coming in 1781 from Connecticut and Massachusetts. When it became organized in 1786 it acquired its present name. Among the early economic activities were both agricul- ture and industry. Iron forges were started in the northern section of the town rather early, while after 1850 powder mills were erected. Its present population is 673.
The township of Hartford lies in the north central section of Washington County, directly north of Argyle. The surface is rolling and hilly, and the soil is fertile. In 1764 it was granted to twenty-six officers of the New York Infantry. In all probability, however, no actual settlement took place until after the beginning of the Revolu- tion. The first settler was a soldier from Connecticut. Some of the original grantees never claimed their land, their lots being appropri- ated by squatters. Prior to 1793, Hartford was part of Fort Ann. In 1794 was held the first town meeting. The present population is 1,102.
Hebron is located in the eastern section of the county on the Ver- mont border between Granville and Salem. Among the early grantees were several officers of the 77th Scotch Highland Regiment, composed of infantry that had served seven years in North America. The first of these settled along the Indian River in 1774. A few other settlers had preceded them by four or five years, however. The territory com- prising the township was originally known as the Black River district before it was named Hebron, in 1786, in honor of Hebron, Connecti- cut. Since the town did not lie along the military trails, it was spared some of the bloody warfare and Indian atrocities associated with some of its western neighbors, but it had the misfortune of feeling the full force of the boundary dispute between Vermont and New York. A Highlander named Charles Hutchinson lived a short distance south of East Hebron. One day as he was working peacefully in his fields, a party of Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen and Remember Baker, suddenly appeared and began to demolish his house. Natu-
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rally, he protested vigorously, but to no avail, being told that his house was to be burned as an offering to the gods. The Vermonters soon proceeded to carry out their threats by setting fire to the logs they had torn down, and their leaders admonished the unfortunate Hutchinson with the forceful language so characteristic of them to get out of that vicinity as speedily as possible. Knowing that any further remonstrance on his part would only result in still greater punishment for himself, the unlucky Scotchman fled to Salem as fast as his legs could carry him. At present the town claims 1, 191 residents.
North of Cambridge, and south of Salem, is an irregular shaped town, rugged but fertile, known as Jackson. When it was separated from Cambridge, Andrew Jackson was the toast of the entire Nation because of his great victory at New Orleans and this township was named in his honor. The first settlers were Scotch-Irish and New Englanders between 1761 and 1765, while the first town meeting in Jackson was held in 1816. No villages have ever been established entirely within its borders. Historically, it was connected in a minor way with Baum's advance on Bennington and, at an earlier time, with Rigaud's destruction of Fort Massachusetts. Today its population is 822.
The town of Kingsbury is situated in the western part of Wash- ington County. Because of its geographic position on the bank of the Hudson, yet on the main route to both Lake George and Lake Champlain, this community was constantly a witness of military move- ments of contending armies, while in times of peace it found itself sit- uated along important commercial arteries. The town's metropolis is Hudson Falls, which up to comparatively modern times was known as Sandy Hill. The park in the center of this village was the scene of the famous massacre of teamsters and soldiers, already related else- where, from which John Quackenboss was the only survivor, thanks to a whim of a squaw. It was also in the town of Kingsbury that Putnam so narrowly missed burning at the stake. David Jones, Jane McCrea's sweetheart, lived here before he joined Burgoyne's army. To narrate all the episodes connected with the history of this town would be a lengthy task by itself. Many of the early settlers of Kings- bury were Scotch-Irish, but the first man to actually settle here, in 1763, was from New Milford, Connecticut. The township at once began to grow steadily, but the raids led by Burgoyne and Carleton
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were so devastating that by 1780 it was entirely depopulated and only two buildings remained standing. In the following year, however, most of the fugitives returned to their former homes and settled once more. In 1786 it received State recognition. In 1790 the township had a population of 1,120, while by 1800 this was increased to 1,651. It is interesting to consider Dwight's description of Kingsbury in 1806: "Kingsbury is a large township, containing besides other set- tlements, Kingsbury and Sandy Hill. The village of Kingsbury is built on high ground, sloping handsomely towards the southeast. From twenty to thirty houses are assembled here, if I do not disre- member, around a small, decent church. Their appearance indicates that the inhabitants are in comfortable circumstances. An extensive and in some respects interesting prospect is presented on this spot to the eye of the traveler.
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