USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol II > Part 5
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The early land patents were originally purchased from the Indian occupants, the red men selling off little by little their hunting grounds.
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One of the most famous of these was the Saratoga Patent, purchased from the Mohawks in 1684 and not confirmed by the Colonial govern- ment until 1708. The largest and most important Indian grant, how- ever, was the Kayaderosseras Patent, which included territory now in the counties of Warren, Montgomery and Fulton as well as the greater part of Saratoga. The deed was granted in 1703 and the patent in 1708, but the purchase was not ratified by the Indians until
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1768. It happened that the early patentees slumbered on their rights and made no effort to settle their land until 1764, when they began to issue permits to colonize in that area. Several families moved in, but were expelled by the Mohawks. When the whites claimed that the land was theirs, the red men were surprised and greatly alarmed. The Indians apparently had never heard of the transfer of property. Neither could the oldest chiefs of any of the Iroquois villages recall any such sale of their hunting grounds. Finally the chiefs presented their case to Sir William Johnson and demanded that the patent should be returned to them. As a result, Johnson introduced a bill in the Assembly to vacate the grant on grounds of fraud. After this move failed, he petitioned to have the patent vacated by Parliament. In the meantime, settlement of the area was unsafe because of the opposition of the Mohawks, and the proprietors began attempts to compromise. Finally, in 1768, an agreement was reached. The whites accepted reduced boundaries and paid the sum of five thousand dollars, and in return for these concessions the Mohawks relinquished all claim on their hunting grounds. In addition to the Saratoga and Kayaderosseras patents there were several others, but they were not so famous as the two discussed.
The first settlers were confined to the vicinity of the Mohawk, and not until after the Revolution did colonization begin in earnest. By 1790, the county had a population of 17,077. At that time there were only four towns: those of Ballston, Halfmoon, Saratoga and Stillwater. Ten years later, in 1800, there were ten towns with an aggregate total of 24,483 men, women and children. By 1810 this had increased to 33,147. For the next forty years, growth was grad- ual, but in the 1850s there occurred a jump which carried the county past the 50,000 mark (51,729) in 1860. In 1930, seventy years later, there was a total of 63,314, which is within twelve thousand of the former figure. At first court sessions were held in the homes of prominent settlers and the meeting place shifted from town to town. In 1794, however, a legislative committee was appointed to choose the county seat and to build a courthouse and jail. Naturally a con- test developed for the honor of being the county seat. The principal claimants were Ballston Center and Milton, both of which were busy villages at that time. Finally the dispute was settled by naming Ball- ston the shire town, when a citizen of that township offered to give
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the county part of his farm for the proposed buildings. In 1816 the courthouse burned, however, and once more some of the towns engaged in campaigns to be designated the county seat. In this case, Ballston Spa was finally chosen for the site of the buildings, and the town of Milton, in which that village was located, was made the shire town.
Because of the contrasting geographical features of Saratoga County, the economic activity of its people was bound to be diversi- fied. Long before man ever set foot on North America, the presence of the mineral springs around Saratoga and Ballston dictated the development of those areas as summer resort centers, and fountains of health and happiness. In other sections, where the soil was fer- tile and productive, agricultural activity and development were rapid. In still other parts of the county, the rivers provided mill sites which were eagerly taken up by the pioneers. The Hudson was a great artery, threading the rich timber reservoirs of the Adiron- dacks and making it possible for the residents of Saratoga County to enjoy prosperity brought by sawmills, paper-mills, tanneries and allied industries. Everything considered, the economic development of this county was both very interesting and quite important, and will be traced in later chapters in addition to the paragraphs on the various towns.
First among these towns, alphabetically, is Ballston, in the south- ern part of Saratoga County, bordered on the west by Charlton, on the north by Milton, on the east by Malta, and on the south by Clif- ton Park and Schenectady County. It was one of the original four towns of Saratoga County as created in 1791, and of these it was the largest, embracing practically all the western half of the county. It included all the territory found today in the townships of Ballston, Charlton, Milton, Galway, Providence, Edinburg, Day and parts of Hadley, Corinth and Greenfield. Later, in 1792, the town was reduced to its present boundaries by the creation of Charlton, Mil- ton and Galway, the last two of which were subdivided, in their turn, at a still later date. It was originally called Balltown in honor of Rev. Eliphalet Ball, from New Haven, Connecticut, who was prominent among the early settlers and who, in 1771, purchased four hundred acres of land here. As time went on it gradually changed to the present name. The first actual settlers, however.
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were the McDonald brothers, Michael and Nicholas, who came to the western side of Ballston Lake in 1763. Born in Ireland, they had been enticed on board a ship and brought to America, where they had been sold to pay for their unexpected trip. For about seven years they were the only settlers in Ballston, Sir William Johnson stopping to spend one night here with them in 1767.
When Saratoga County was created, Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs each consisted of but one or two log houses, and Ballston Center was a thriving village, the foremost settlement in Ballston Township, while it was also one of the leading communities of the county. When Ballston won the honor of being the shire town, and a courthouse was built on Ballston Hill, a prosperous settlement grew up around the county building. Several stores and two hotels were erected and when court was in session they did a large amount of business. This rapidly growing village, however, suddenly found its development stopped when, in 1816, the courthouse and jail burned to the ground. The disaster was complete so far as this community was concerned, for Milton was now made the shire town, with Ball- ston Spa the site of the new buildings. Another village of Ballston Township is Burnt Hills, so named because some of this territory was found to be burned over about the time the first settlers arrived. Ballston Spa is partly in the town of Ballston, but the larger portion of it is inside the borders of Milton. Its interests have been largely in the development of mineral springs and manufacturing, while the fertile soil found in most of Ballston Township made agriculture the principal occupation there. Because of this situation, the develop- ment of Ballston Spa will be considered separately, following the evolution of Ballston Township.
During the Revolution the settlers lived in constant expectation of enemy raids. At times they abandoned their houses at night and, with their most valued possessions, fled to the comparative safety of the woods. For a long period nothing happened, and they were lulled into a false sense of security. In 1780, however, all the fury gener- ally associated with border warfare was let loose on Ballston. This was the year of Carleton's raid up the Champlain Valley. At Bul- wagga Bay, two hundred of his men, under the Tory Captain Munro, separated from the main force and set out on the old Indian trail toward Saratoga County. These fighters were mainly Indians and
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Tories, and it is not difficult to imagine their intentions. They succeeded in surprising the Ballston patriots, and soon plundering and barbarism were evident everywhere. Finally, when savage thirst was more or less satiated, Munro had the prisoners rounded up and gave orders for the return march to Canada. The Tory captain also directed that in case his party was pursued all prisoners were to be promptly killed. A rescue party did actually set out, but when word arrived of the fate awaiting the captives if it attacked the Brit- ish force, all efforts to release the prisoners were abandoned. Fore- most among those carried to Canada by Munro was General James Gordon, of the Revolutionary Army. He had migrated from Ire- land as a youth and had finally settled in Ballston. At the time of the raid he was sleeping and was rudely awakened by the breaking of windows in his room by enemy bayonets. He had several narrow escapes from death before he arrived at Quebec, particularly as his guard was an Indian who was quite anxious to find a good excuse to kill him. Finally, he managed to escape from prison and, with some of his neighbors, succeeded in making his way back to friendly territory.
Ballston also was the home of Joe Bettys, who fought with reck- less courage under Arnold at Valcour Island, yet who, because of the failure of the American authorities to give him proper recognition, subsequently became a very dangerous British spy. On one occasion he was sentenced to be hanged at West Point, but Washington par- doned him. He then continued his hostile operations. In 1781 he led a raid on Saratoga County, and at various times was engaged in more spying activities. Finally, in 1782, in the town of Clifton Park, a girl who was helping her father make maple sugar saw a shadowy figure advancing through a heavy fog. When she told her father about this, he suspected it might be the famous spy. With the aid of some neighbors, he captured Bettys and discovered incriminating evi- dence. This time the hated Tory did not escape the noose.
There is a practical joke that has, through the decades, become definitely a part of Ballston's heritage. The villain was none other than Stephen Ball, the son of Rev. Eliphalet Ball. On one occasion his father was getting ready to perform a marriage ceremony. Find- ing that the bridegroom had never witnessed a wedding, Stephen told the nervous youth that he should kiss the bride several times during
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the ceremony, and in a big-hearted manner offered to indicate to him when a kiss was expected. Needless to say, Stephen's signals were not long in coming. At first the minister merely frowned, but finally decided that it was becoming a matter not to be overlooked after sev- eral hearty smacks, and threatened to stop the wedding unless the amorous bridegroom should desist. This unfortunate youth could only whimper: "Stephen told me to."
By 1790, Ballston had a population of 7,333, which was more than double that of any of the other three towns. This huge township was reduced to roughly its present boundaries in 1792, however, by the creation of Charlton, Galway and Milton, with the result that in 1800 there were only 2,099 residents. Since that time there has not been much variation in size, and the population in 1930 was reported as 2,578. The township remains a fertile agricultural section, and one of the most characteristic sights consists of the fine fruit orchards which have always been a valued source of income to its inhabitants.
Although Ballston Spa was named for one of the leading settlers of Ballston Township, most of the village is situated in the town of Milton, as is indicated by census figures. Of the 4,591 inhabitants of Ballston Spa in 1930, 3,948 were within the boundaries of Milton. It was incorporated as a village by the Legislature in 1807. Its early history was primarily associated with its famous mineral springs. For some reason or other the Indians paid but little attention to these medicinal waters, although they constantly flocked to the springs at Saratoga. The Ballston Spa waters were discovered by white men about 1770. They were not permanently improved, however, until 1787. During that time a rude trough dug out of a log represented the best bathing facilities, while a gourd shell which hung on a tree was the sole means of getting a drink. A bark shanty was the only building. In 1787, however, Benajah Douglas, father of Stephen A. Douglas, came to settle at Ballston Spa and built a log tavern. From that time on the infant community proceeded to develop, becoming a truly famous watering place. Not satisfied with their early pros- perity, however, it appears that greed led some of the inhabitants to tamper with the springs in the hope of further profits. Their efforts proved to be a boomerang, however, and resulted in the loss of some of the waters. Later, some were recovered by boring deep. In 1865 one company stumbled upon a stream of mineral water while drilling for oil.
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It will be recalled that when the original county buildings burned in 1816, Milton won out in the fight to be selected as the shire town, and the new buildings were erected at Ballston Spa. The village has been the county seat ever since, a fact that has been partially respon- sible for its growth. The other permanent cause of prosperity was the excellent water power furnished by the river. A variety of mills were constructed here at one time or another, including cotton, woolen and oilcloth works, but the most important in the development of Ballston Spa were paper-mills, dominated by the genius of George West.
Charlton is a township in the southwestern corner of Saratoga County west of Ballston, facing Schenectady County on the south and on most of the west. Originally it was known as Freehold or New Freehold because of the fact that many of the early settlers came from Freehold, New Jersey. Later, however, it was named Charlton in honor of a prominent New York physician. The township was formed in 1792 from territory belonging to Ballston. Several of the first settlers were Scotch-Irish families who had been forced to leave the British Isles for religious reasons. Coming by way of New Jersey, they began to arrive in Charlton in 1774. The soil of the township was very fertile with the result that it became primarily an agricul- tural community, which it continues to be at the present day. It was spared the horrors of war which were so characteristic of most of our communities, although during the Revolution it was not unusual for families to flee to the woods upon the slightest rumor. In 1800, Charlton had a population of 1,746, but grew very little after that, finally passing the 2,000 mark in 1830. Today there are but 978 inhabitants.
The next township, in alphabetical order, is Clifton Park, south- east of Ballston, and facing the Mohawk River on the south. It is the youngest township in the county, having been until 1828 a part of Halfmoon. Its original name was Clifton, so named after a land patent; but there were so many towns of the same title that it was changed to Clifton Park. Because of its location on the Mohawk it is not surprising to learn that here we find one of the three places in Saratoga County occupied by white men previous to 1700. The exact date is unknown, but was probably about 1670. Since Clifton Park was not a separate town until 1828, much of its history cannot be
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divided from the story of the parent town of Halfmoon. Naturally, the early inhabitants were predominantly Dutch. Although there were a few mills, the important occupation was farming because of the fertility of the soil. Indians seem to have been unusually com- mon here, and some of the early pioneer homes were overrun with friendly red men who came to make calls. A noted Indian burial ground was located here. At the time of the first census in 1830, Clifton Park had a total of 2,494 inhabitants. Since that time the population has fluctuated little, and in 1930, exactly a century after the first census, there were 2,222 inhabitants.
Corinth is located in the northern part of the county, bounded on the south by Greenfield and Wilton, on the west by Edinburg, on the north by Day and Hadley, and on the east by Moreau, while along the northeast corner runs the Hudson River with Warren County on the other side. The township was created in 1818 from territory belonging to Hadley. The privilege of naming the town was given to a Mrs. Chapman, who opened up her Bible for assistance. It happened that the pages she turned to consisted of part of the epistle to the Corinthians, hence the name Corinth. As a rule the township is rough and mountainous, with diversified scenery. In the extreme southeast corner is Mount McGregor, part of which is in Wilton and part in Moreau. The most important geographic feature of the township, however, is the presence of the Hudson in the northeast. The rapids and falls are quite picturesque and have had an over- whelming effect on the development of Corinth. The first settle- ments were made near Mount McGregor and at Jessup's Landing on the Hudson, but their exact dates are unknown. There is little doubt but that there were settlers at the former place before the Revolu- tion. At Jessup's Landing, so named for two brothers who were engaged in the lumber industry, there is more uncertainty. It was a Tory hangout, a fact that would strengthen the suspicion that there were no patriot settlers around. On the other hand, whatever Tories that might have been living here would have been out of place after 1781. It was at this landing that the Jessup brothers took the lum- ber from their rafts and placed it on wagons to be carried to a point on the river below. Sawmills and gristmills were soon built on the side of the Hudson. A woolen factory was erected about 1820, while another began operations in 1866; but in neither case was this indus-
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try of long duration. 1869 was the beginning of the wood-pulp and paper industry. This business was the backbone of Corinth's devel- opment. The village was given incorporation in 1886; while today its population is 2,613 in a township with a total of 3,760 inhabi- tants. This represents a considerable change since the first census of 1820, when there were only 1,490 people within Corinth Township.
The township of Day is located northwest of Corinth in the extreme northwestern corner of Saratoga County, facing Hamilton County on the west and Warren County on the north. Day was erected in 1819 from the townships of Edinburg and Hadley. At first it was named Concord, but since another town within the State had the same name, it was called Day in honor of its most prom- inent citizen, Eliphaz Day. The earliest settlers of whom we know came from New England, probably in 1797. The soil being poor and the timber valuable, lumbering and allied industries flourished. Tanneries were established here, while logs were floated down the river to Conklingville, Jessup's Landing and Glens Falls. It is said that Eliphaz Day floated his logs down the rivers until past the lower falls of the Hudson, where he built them into rafts and then floated them again in the direction of New York City. During flood tide, the rafts were tied to the shore; during ebb tide they were allowed to drift southward. On one occasion, while in New York Harbor, a huge raft broke loose from its moorings and started to move rapidly out to sea, but after considerable excitement among the powerless humans stranded on the raft, a steam tug saved the day (and possibly Eliphaz Day!) by towing the valuable timber back to the wharf. At the first census ( 1820) there were only 571 people liv- ing in the township. From that time on there was a gradual growth until 1860, when there was a population of 1,209. In recent times, however, there has been rapid decline, the census showing 628 resi- dents in 1910, 473 in 1920, and only 328 in 1930.
Edinburg is another township in the northwestern section of Sara- toga County. On the north it is bounded by Day, on the east by Cor- inth and Greenfield, on the south by Providence, and on the west by Hamilton and Fulton counties. This township was organized in 1801, being carved out of the parent town of Providence. Until 1808 it was known as Northfield, but since there was already another town- ship by the same name it was then called Edinburg, in honor of the
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Scotch city. The fine timber that covered the Sacandaga Valley was very attractive to early pioneers, and settlement was rapid after the close of the Revolution. One of the first settlers (and perhaps he was the first) was a nephew of John Stark, the hero of Bennington. The most important occupations of the men of Edinburg have, of course, been based on lumbering and tanneries. The manufacture of wash- boards, lard tubs, flour buckets and other wooden products has at times been conducted on a rather large scale here. In 1810 there were 1,319 people living within the township and for several decades there was very little change. Recently, however, there has been a considerable decline in population. By 1910 there were only 793 inhabitants, while in 1930 there were but 512. The town records of Edinburg indicate that the problems confronting the early settlers were far different from those of today. As in most other early communities, bounties were offered for the killing of wolves. In 1802, the Edinburg fathers decided that hogs might run at large, provided they wore a "good and sufficient yoke." In 1817 it was voted to hold the next town meeting in a barn, but five years later a fundamental change had occurred in the political sensibilities of the inhabitants, apparently, for it was then voted to discard the barn as a meeting place in favor of a woodhouse.
Galway is located on the western boundary of Saratoga County, between Providence and Charlton, with the town of Milton on the east and Fulton and Montgomery counties on the west. Its economic interests have been mainly agricultural. Settlement began here before the Revolution, in 1774, and all of the first settlers were Scotch. They named the township Galloway in memory of their former home across the Atlantic, but because of an error it became Galway. It was created from Ballston in 1792. For the next four years it included territory extending to the northern end of the county, but when the township of Providence was created, in 1796, Galway was reduced to its present limits. At the time of the first census in 1800, the town supported 2,310 inhabitants, while in 1810 there were 2,705. With that date, however, Galway's numerical growth ended. The census figures of 1930 gave the town a population of 1,137. The most important village possessed the same name as the town. It was incorporated in 1838, but today has but 119 residents. While the
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town meetings of Edinburg were held in barns and woodhouses, as we have seen, those of Galway were held in churches. Whether the decisions arrived at here were more upright and just I do not know, but the main problems were more or less the same, with wolves and hogs receiving special consideration. Town records contain several references to Negro slaves. We also read about "A Brindle-Cullered Bull-Calf, and a pale-Red Heffier Calf," "A black heifer, with a white face two years old, and a black heifer, with a white tail one year old," "A Pail-Red cow, with a white stripe over her back, and on her belly a brown face," and "A heifer with a loin back." Although poor spell- ing was usual in those days, only a professional humorist in these modern times could provide such punctuation. Galway was at one time the scene of an extremely bloody Indian battle. So many red men were killed that survivors and relatives of the slain returned to lament in large numbers from time to time. As a result, the creek near which the engagement took place was named Mourning Kill. It is related that on one occasion a party of friendly Indians decided to pay a call on one of the early settlers. He saw them approach, and being timid, hid under his barn. This tempted the red men to have some fun with him. They procured a butcher knife from the house and invited the cowering white man to come forth. This he did as fast as his shaky legs would permit. The Indians then started a war dance and made him join in. When they had finally enjoyed his ter- ror to the utmost they explained their friendly intentions, after which they departed, highly pleased with the success of their crude joke.
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