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O N O O,'
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HISTORY OF
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H
COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YOEK,
^' X
— A —
MEMORABILIA OF PERSONS AND THINGS
or INTEKEST, PASSED AND PASSING, —BY— /
i
THE HON. JOHN FEANCIS COLLIN, EX-M. C,
AND EDITED BY
PROF. H. S. JOHNSON, A. M.,
EDITOR OF THE HILLSDALE HERALD, WITH
.jLisr j^:p:PEisrnDi2§:.
PHILMONT, N. Y. :
PRINTED BY E. J. BEARDSLEY, SENTINEL OFFICE, 1883.
PREFACE.
The turbulence in Hillsdale for three-fourths of a cen- tury after its first settlement by civilized people and the different nationalities of those people has prevented any historic record being kept of them, and their scores of cemeteries, not being under legal protection, have be- come to a great extent obliterated. For want of historic records a majority of the most prominent inhal^itants living in the town a half century ago are now nearly for- gotten. Without such records, a half century hence, a majority of the present population of the town will be forgotten or oidy preserved by our better organized cem- eteries. Availing myself of my social intercourse with the old inhabitants of the town in the long-ago, I have attempted, in a crude way, to give the past history of the people of the town. To that end I am now supplied with much additional and interesting matter, and am promised much more that may appear in a future volume. How- ever imperfect these volumes may be they will enable future historians to keep a record that will be vastly in- teresting to the people of the town for all time, and will produce a strong moral and religious influence. Many minute histories of individuals and families in the town would be very interesting and instructive — and I am prom- ised such — which will appear in a future volume. Many New England towns are taking histories from the epi-
VI PREFACE.
taplis in tlieir cemeteries, and I have just received a vol- ume of that character from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, which has given me important information in respect to my maternal ancestry. If encouraged by expressions from the people, I may be induced to give such history from the cemeteries in Hillsdale.
JOHN F. COLLIN.
Hillsdale, N. Y., Janiuiry 8t,li, 1883.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTEE I.
PKELIMINARY HISTOEY OF HILLSDALE — THE FIRST WHITE SETTLER — ROBERT NOBLE.
The Author's Fears — Washington Irving — Discovery of the Hudson — The Grant of 1620— The Dutch Grant— Matthew and llobert Noble— The Old Fort — Land title conflicts. . . ' Page 1
CHAPTEK II.
CONFLICTS TO SETTLE MANOR TITLES — PRISON DOORS THROWN OPEN — FORMER HIGHWAY ACTS.
Indian Grant of Hillsdale to Massachusetts in 1724 — Civil War in Copake in 1812 — Pardons of Governor Tompkins — Barn Burners and Hunkers — John Collin, Paciflcator in 1793- -John F. Collin, Pacificator in 1845 — "Go Home in Peace and Safety" — Highway Act of 1832 and 1836. . 3
CHAPTEE III.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NOBLE KINDRED — FIRST WHITE WOMAN SETTLER — THE RACE BROTHERS.
The Author's Uncle Deprecating Nobletown— The Nobles — Robert Noble Emigrates in 1724 from Westtield, Mass., to Hillsdale — Is a Captain by Commission from the Governor of Massachusetts — Lays Out Nobletown Five Miles Square— Erects a Fort — Hillsdale Ceded to New York — Robert Noble Pietiirns to Massachusetts — William and Nicholas Race and Seneca TuUar. ...... . . 6
Vm CONTENTS.
CHAPTEE IV.
CONFLICTING CLAIMS OF JURISDICTION — WHISKEY FLASK AND CIDER PITCHER — SWEEPING TEMPERANCE WAVE.
Massachusetts Claims Columbia County and Now York Claims Berkshire County— Juristliction Corapromiserl in 1773 and Perfected in 1787 — Population Left in Hillsdale— The Temperance Society of 1808 ex- tended to Every State in the Union -1.500,000 Members in the United States — 220 in. Hillsdale — Liquor Rations Suspended in the Army and Navy 8
CHAPTEK V.
HISTORICAL DIVISIONS— OLD ROADS AND WHO LIVED ALONG THEM— ASSESSMENT LAWS.
Four Divisions of the History— First, forty-eight years, 1725-1773 — Second, twenty years, 1773-1793 -Third, thirty years, 1788-1818 — Fourth, sixty-four years, 1818-1882 -Old Bye-roads -Levi Williams —Captain John Collin —James Bryan, Esq. — Tibbits— Loucks' Spring —Present Law of Assessment for Road Tax. .... 11
CHAPTER VI.
ANCESTRY OF MRS. RUTH HOLMAN JOHNSON — ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST OF THE COLONISTS.
Mrs. Ruth Holraan Johnson —Isaac Johnson, "One of the Founders of Massachusetts"- Arabella, His Wife. Daughter of Thomas. Fourth Earl of Lincoln —His Grandson, Isaac Johnson, Born 1668 —His Son, Benja- min Johnson, Born 1711— His Son William, Born 1753, Died in Hills- dale 1818— His Daughter, Ruth Holman, Born 1780, Married John Collin 1798— Their Children 14
CHAPTER VII
THE HUGENOTS — IMMIGRATE TO AVOID PERSECUTION — A COM- MISSIONED OFFICER — PROFESSOR MORSE.
Captain John Collin — History of Hugenot Immigration — John Collin, from the Province of Poitou, in France— His Grandson, .John. Sailed
CONTENTS. rX
from Milford Haven 174:6 and was Never Heard From After— His Son John, Great-grandson of John Collin, of France, born 1732 — Commis- fiioned a Captain by the British Royal Governor (Ti-yon) in 1773— Again Commissioned by George Clinton, Governor of New York — His Cotem- poraries— His Second Wife the Grandmother of the Distinguished Poetess, Lucretia Maria Davidson, and a Relative ol Professor Morse — He died 1809 -His Children. ....... 16
CHAPTER VIII.
MORE ~COLLIN ANCESTRY — THE FRENCH WAR — ATTACK ON FORT TICONDEROGA — FAMILIES OF MEANS.
David Collin -A Lieutenant in the British Army During the French War — His House Plundered by Robbers During the Revolutionary War — Died in 1824, Aged 90 Years -His Children— Hannah Collin— Settled in Hillsdale on the Farm Now Occupied by Levi Coon — David Collin, Jr. — Resided on the Farm Now Occupied by Rutsen Hunt— Lucy Col- lin, Settled in Hillsdale Near the Turnpike, Two Miles East of the Village— Sally Collin- James Collin 20
CHAPTEH IX.
GENERAL FREMONT — NOTED TAVERN-KEEPERS— PUGILISTIC EXHIBITIONS — THE MASONIC FRATERNITY.
Bogardus — Dr. Caleb Benton Squire Sherwood — James Bryan's Tavern House — Colonel Chase McKinstry — Samuel Mallory — Ebenezer Soule — Bartholomew Williams — William Tanner -Jonathan C. Olmstead — Edward Bagely — John Nooney — Aaron Reed — Isaac Foster — Amos Knapp — Artemus Johnson. ........ 23
(JHAPTEK X.
DIVISIONS OF THE TOWN — STATE REPRESENTATIVES — A GREAT LAWYER — THE FEDERALISTS.
The Town Divided into Six Localities : Hillsdale Village, East Hillsdale, Hillsdale Centre, West Hillsdale, Green River, Harlemville — The Birdsalls — John Higgins — Benjamin Birdsall - George Birdsall —
X CONTENTS.
Hagemans — Pixleys— Amighs — Jordans— William Jordan, Jr. —Ambrose L. Jordan — Joseph Morehouse — Clintonian Republicans — Quincy Johnson— Samuel Judson— Col. Anson Dakin—Christoplier W. Miller — Josiah Knapp — Andrew Higgins — Elisha W. Bushnell— John Collin — Henry P. Mesick— Gen. Provost's Army— Ebenezer Youngs. . 27
CHAPTER XI.
HILLSDALE RURAL CEMETERY — RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND THEIR FOUNDERS — PEOPLE OF ENTERPRISE.
Robert Noble — Bogardus — Caleb Benton— Squire Sherwood — Mrs. Sher- wood; her Daughters — Mr. Dumond— Mr. Shorts— David Wheeler — Sornborger— Osborn — Brainard — Levi Coon — .Walter B. Ten Broeck — Hillsdale Rural Cemetery; its Boundaries —Cemetery on Leonard John- sou's Premises -Monument to Jeremiah Potter —Parla Foster — Asher Adams— John Pixley — Mrs. Joseph P. Dorr -Ephraim Pixley — Refine Latting — Rev. Stephen Gano — Stephen Bristol - Amos K. Knapp — Captaiu Turner — Dr. Henry Cornell — George M. Bullock — Rutsen Hunt — John Q. Johnson — The Village. 31
CHAPTER XII.
EAST HILLSDALE — ITS EARLY SETTLERS — SOME OF THEIR DE- SCENDANTS —LOCALITY OF THEIR RESIDENCES.
Gaius Stebbins— Dakin — Elijah Burton — Lucy Collin —Edward Bagley — Oliver Bagley -James Bryan 2d — George Amigh — Captain John Collin — Sarah Arnold — Deidoma Morse — John Collin and Ruth Holman — Their Children — Rodney Hill -Rev. Hiram H. White- Lewis Wright — Quincy Johnson — John Hunt — James Taylor — Walter McAlpine — Adanyah Bidwell — Mr. June— Levi Williams. . . . .35
CHAPTER XIII.
GREEN RIVER — HARLEMVILLE — HUDSON ORPHAN ASYLUM — COUNTY POOR HOUSE.
William Tanner — Jared Winslow — Jonathan Hill — Sarah Amanda Collin — Albert Winslow Garfield — James Collin — Chastine E. Wilcox — Sam- uel B. and Charles A. Sumner — Lewis B. Adsit— Henry J. Rowe — Hiram
CONTENTS, XI
Winslow — Isaac Hatch — Albert Shepard— Joel Curtis— Gaul McKown — Frederick Pultz — John H. Overhiser —Willis Disbrow — W. H. Gard- ner—Andrew H. Spickerman — ^Ralph Judson — Charles H. Downing —Alfred Curtis — Joel G. Curtis 40
CHAPTER XIV.
A HISTOBICAL FOUNDATION — BIRDSALL FAMILY — HILLSDALE
CENTRE.
Benjamin Birdsall — James Bryan 2d — Pelatiah Hunt — John Wager — Barnet Burtis — Judge Loop — Stephen Hoyt — Ethan Boyes — Dr. Eich- ard Bartlett— Nathaniel Hnsen— Abraham Overhiser —William White — Barnet Wager — Gustavus A. Dibble — Stephen Hedges — Joseph lloss- man —George Knox and David West — Gilbert Sherwood — Walter Mc Alpine — Samuel Truesdell — David Collin — Silas Keed— Lewis Adsit — Mr. Evans— Peter B. Hollenbeck— President Tyler — Austin Morey — Lorenzo Gilbert— Nicholas C. Tyler — Captain Henry P. Mesick — Rev. Abel Brown — Thos. Benedict — Nicholas Sharts — Daniel Darien — Dea- con John Tyler 45
CHAPTER XV.
A FAMILY HISTORY DESIRABLE — HILLSDALE ROADS — COMMIS- SIONERS FROM 1852 TO 1883.
Family Histories interesting — An Appeal to the Community lor such — Charles Crow — William Coon — Crooked Roads— Columbia Turnpike —Soil for Roads —Road Laws — Assessments — Sums Expended on Roads since 1849— Reform 50
CHAPTER XVI.
children's aid SOCIETY — ROELIFF JANSEN VALLEY — BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 1824 — EQUALIZATION.
Children's Aid Society — Astors — Vanderbilts — Sixty Thousand Orphans — Officers — A Residuary Bequest — William T. Palmer — George N. Loop — Isaac White — George Mitchol — Andrew and John Brusie — Roe- lifif Jansen Valley Farms — Titles of 1790— Heirs of Nicholas Hollenbeck — Hillsdale Lauds w orth $1 per Acre — Board ot Supervisors of 1824 — William Murray's Equalization — Board of 1840 — Hillsdale's Supervisor
XII CONTENTS.
Objects to Prerogatives of the District Attorney —Stockport's Manufac- turing Interests and Valuation— State Assessor's Report. . . 54
CHAPTER XVII
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR — JUS- TICES ELECTED — THADDEUS REED — PHILIP BECKER.
The Justices of the Peace given in order as appointed by the Governor from 1786 to 1827 — Justices elected by the people since 1827 — Thad- deus Reed — Catharine Garner— James W. White — Philip Becker — John P. Becker— East Hillsdale Furnace 58
CHAPTER XVIII.
SETTLERS FROM MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT — WAR OF 1812 — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE.
Purchasers of Manor titles — George Bushnell — Jeremiah Hoffman -Dr. Jones — Elisba W. Bushnell — Parla Foster— His children— Cap t. John Collin— Robert Orr — His children —Elijah Cleveland — His children — His ancestor Guy de Cleveland, of England— Moses Cleveland — Ann Winn — Intelligence and integrity of supervisors and magistrates — Early conflicts— Aid in the war of 1812— Thousands of dollars for com- mutation in the late civil war, and $74,000 war taxes paid — Liberality to sufferers in America and Ireland — Contributions to the Five Points Mission, and Children's Aid Society 61
CHAPTER XIX.
ROAD AND BRIDGE EXPENSES ONLY $9,000 FOR FIFTY YEARS — IN SEVEN RECENT YEARS $4,500.
Fifty years road, bridge and Commissioner's expenses, only $9,000— Seven years expenses $4,500— Commissioners and Auditors should comply with strict letter ot the law— What a commissioner's account should specify— Should report reasons for assessing over 990 days- Law defining amount of extra moneys, and purposes— Acts of 1875 and 1874— First Monday in October 65
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
CHAPTEK I.
PEELIMINAEY HISTORY OF HILLSDALE — THE FIRST WHITE SETTLER — ROBERT NOBLE.
The Author's Fears— Washington Irving— Discovery of the Hudson — The Grant of 1620 -The Dutch Grant— Matthew an.l Robert Noble— The Old Fort— Land title conflicts.
" What constitutes man's chief enjoyment, here; What forms his greatest antidote to sorrow; Is't wealth? Wealth can at last but gild his bier. Or buy the pall that poverty must borrow."
One poet has sung "that a competence is all that man can enjoy," while another has sung, that " be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Hillsdale posses- ses the means for many a happy home, and in writing its history, if the vanity is not gratified of
" Miss Mevia Manish, Who desired greatly to bf* sung in Spanish."
the author may get himself sung in not very complimen- tary Scotch. And availing himself of the observation of a long life in rescuing some of that history from oblivion, he may get some newspaper notoriety for his imbecility, and should he allude to pending subjects, upon which are involved a bright or a very black leaf in that history, he may get himself charged with impertinence.
'2 HILLSDALE HISTOEY.
The sources of information from which I have obtained materials for a History of Hillsdale, I have derived from different gazetteers and the documentary History of New York, and from Taylorls History of Great Barrington, and from papers which a half century ago fell into my hands in the settlement of the estates of old men and from my social intercourse with such old men.
Washington Irving has said that if the world had not been created. New York would never have had an exist- ence. The same may be said of Hillsdale. It is a town in Columbia County, which county is bounded on the west by the Hudson River, which was discovered by the Dutch in 1609. In attempting to settle upon this river, the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon Plymouth Rock. In 1620 the King of England granted to a New England com- pany' all th<i territory in America between the 40th and the iSth degrees of north latitude, with an unlimited boundai-y on th(» west. It of course embraced what is now the town of Hillsdale. Subsecpiently the govern- ment of Holland conveyed to a Dutch company the terri- tory in America between the Chesapeake Bay and the Connecticut River, which, of course, also embraced what is now the toAvn of Hillsdale. In pursuance of the English grant, Matthew Noble emigrated from Westiield. in Con- necticut, to Shetiield in 1725, and was the first white set- tler in that town. Subsequently Robert Noble emigrated from Westfield to Hillsdale, and was the first white set- tler in that town. He, with his associates, procured the Indian title to land five miles square, and it was called Nobletown. They built a fort on what is now the land of Leonard Johnson, at which one life was lost in the con- flict under land titles, and many arrests were made under both the authorities of New York and Massachusetts, and men were long imprisoned, both at Albany and Spring- field. Such is the preliminary history of Hillsdale.
CHAPTEK 11.
CONFLICTS TO SETTLE MANOR TITLES — PRISON DOORS THROWN OPEN — FORMER HIGHWAY ACTS.
Indian Grant of Hillsdale to Massachnsetts in 17'24— Civil War in Copake in 1812 — Pardons of Governor Tompkins I^arn Burners and Hunkers —John Collin, Pacificator in 1793- John F. Collin, Pacificator in ia45— "Go Home in Peace and Safety" — Highway Act of 1832 and 1836.
The grant to Massachusetts in 1724 of the Indian title to the territoiy, which includes Hillsdale, was bounded on the east b}^ the Westfield River, which rises in the mountains, then called New Hampshire but now Vermont, and falls into the Connecticut River at Sprin'ffield. From my sources of information I can correct some misappre- hensions in respect to the origin of the party name of Barn Burner.
In 1812 civil war was prevailing in what is now known as the town of Copake. It was on account of the manor titles, and, as usual, there were faults and merits on both sides. In the conflict the barn of Capt. Ephraim Pixley was burned, and in 1814 the authors of the fire were sen- tenced to the State Prison. Upon the petition of some of the worthiest men in the county. Governor Tompkins granted immediate pardons, which are now in my posses- sion. For this act the partisans of Governor Tompkins at the election of 1824 were taunted as barn burners, and, for the sordid sympathy of Governor Clinton with the Federal party in the war of 1812, his partisans were called
4 HILLSDALE HISTOEY.
Hunkers. The conflict of tlie people in Hillsdale against the manor title was settled in 1793 through the instru- mentality of John Collin. It however continued in the southern towns till 1845 ; then as pacificator I addressed a meeting in Copake, at which I convinced the people that they had everything to lose and nothing to gain in that conflict, and I was unanimously authorized to make a set- tlement, which I did, and the prison doors were thrown open, and it is among the happ/iest of my memories when I was ena.bled to say to the fugitive populati(m, "Go home in peace and safety ;" and upon my recommendation the policy of changing leasehold titles to land, to titles in fee, was adopted. Towns were but partially settled in the State of Xew York when the early laws were made in res- pect to highways, and very judicious provisions were made in respect to the laying out and working roads in unsettled jiortions of the towns. Discretionary powers were given to the commissioners of highways to use two hundred and fifty dollars, or its equivalent, two hundred and fifty days, to aid districts in towns of limited popula- tion and means. That sum enabled those commissioners to give twenty-five clays' labor in all the districts in any town. By an act of 1832 the commissioners, by obtaining a vote (^f tlie people of the town in the way provided, could use two hundred and fifty dollars more to aid dis- tricts of limited means and population. By an act of 1836, the commissioners had two hundred and fifty dollars more added to tlieir prerogative of assisting districts of limited means and population, and by a subsequent act they have had two hundred and fifty dollars more added to their prerogatives in the aid of districts needing lielp. The law has very judiciously provided, however, that be- fore getting an appropriation for any of those sums of money, the commissioners must specify the objects for which the money is sought to be obtained, and at each auditing day must account for the appropriation of that
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 5
money. To aid the commissioner in the exercise of these prerogatives, the hist Board of Supervisors assessed upon the town of Hillsdale five hundred dollars. The town records should show its object and at the next auditing day its expenditure.
CHAPTEE III.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NOBLE KINDRED — FIRST WHITE WOMAN SETTLER — THE RACE BROTHERS.
The Author's Uncle Deprecating Nobletown- The Nobles— Robert Noble Emigrates in 1724 iiom Westfield, Mass., to Hillsdale — Is a Cajitain bj- Commission from the Governor of Massachusetts —Lays Ont Nobletown Five Miles Square — Erects a Fort^Hillsdale Ceded to New York — Robert Noble Returns to Massachusetts — William and Nicholas Race and Seneca TiiUar.
In my boyhood I made tlie acquaintance of an aged great-uncle, living in Palmyra, in Wayne Count}^ New York. I found it difficult to make liim comprehend where my native town of Hillsdale was located, and when in- formed that it was formerly called Nobletown, he ex- claimed with emphasis, " Misery ! I knew it when it was not safe for a man to ride through it." To show that it was the fault of conflicting jurisdiction and not of Robert Noble that it acquired that unhappy reputation, I will give a brief history of that Noble kindred. In 1725 Mat- thew Noble moved from Westfield, in Connecticut, to Shef- field, and was the first white settler in that town. In the next year, his son Obadiah, and daughter Hannah, emi- grated there ; she riding on horseback carrying a bed with her, and spending one night in the wilderness. Slie was the first white woman resident in that town. Soon after Joseph, Hezekiah, Matthew, Solomon and Elisha Noble, the sons and daughters of Matthew Noble, emi-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 7
grated to that town, which then included Great Barring- ton. In 1734 Joseph Noble was a principal in the erec- tion of a bridge over the Green River. Elisha Noble erected a Fort at the north end of Sheffield plain, which was the place of resort when danger was apprehended from the Indians. Captain Enoch Noble served in the army of the Revolution, and Joseph Noble, a son of Eli Noble, was killed in l)attle in 1780. Joseph Noble was one of a committee appointed to select a site and to erect a meeting-h(^use, and Joseph and Luke Noble were ap- pointed by the General Court, parish assessors. In 1724 Robert Noble emigrated from Westfield to Hillsdale and was the first white settler then acting under the authority of the Govei'uor of Massachusetts; he, with his associates, made a pitch upon a tract of land live miles square, which they called Nobletown, and they erected a Fort on what is now the land of Leonard Johnson, and at which subse- quently several lives Avere lost. Robert Noble had the commission of Captain under the Governor of Massachu- setts, and it was in the discharge of duties under that commission that lives were lost. When Hillsdale was ceded to New York in the establishment of the line be- tween the States, Robert Noble moved to Great Barring- ton. He liad ever belonged to the Episcopal Church there, and was one of the seventeen first members. Wil- liam Race, by associating his interests with those of Robert Noble, lost his life in one of the conflicts, and his brother Nicholas pitched upon and became the owner of a large portion of what now comprises North Egremont. Seneca Tullar pitched upon and became the owner of what now comprises a large portion of South Egremont, and they were the paternal and maternal grand parents of her who was the mother of my children, and to whose intelligence, industry, prudence and amiable disposition, I must impute much of my success in life.
CHAPTER IV.
CONFLICTING CLAIMS OF JURISDICTION— WHISKEY FLASK AND CIDEE PITCHEll — SWEEPING TEMPERANCE WAVE.
MasRrtchnsetts Claims Coiumbia Countj' and Nnw York Claims Berkshire Conuty— Jurisdiction Comi)rotniserl in 1773 and Perfected in 1787 — Population Left in Hillsdale— The Temperance Society of 1808 ex- tended to Every State in tlie Union— 1.500,000 Members in the United States -220 in Hillsdale— Liquor Kations Suspended in the Army and Navy.
In 1724 Massachusetts, under a grant from the crown of England, chiimed jurisdiction over Cohimbia county, while New York, Avith equal plausibility, claimed jurisdic- ti(m over much of Berkshire county. These conflicting claims of jurisdiction were settled by compromise about the year 1773, but not perfected until 1787. In the mean- time, the Van Deusens, Berghardts, Races, and others from New York, had pitched upon lands in Berkshire, under which they had obtained titles, while the Nobles, Ingersolls, and others from Massachusetts, who had pitched upon lands in Columbia county, were left as squatters with no law to protect them from the claims under the manor titles. They had no alternative but either to withdraw to Berkshire county or be included in the compromise made with the landlords in 1793. That compromise left a very good and respectable population in the town of Hillsdale, among whom were the Winslows, Tanners, and other very worth}^ people in Green River ; Downings, Beckers, and others in Harlemville ; More-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 9
houses, Birdsalls, and otliers in West Hillsdale ; Fosters, Pixleys, and others in South Hillsdale ; Stebbins, Bryans, Collins, and others in East Hillsdale ; and Wagers, Mc- Kinstrjs, and others in Hillsdale centre. All were char- acterized for their industry, economy and thrift. But in their social relations the whiskey flask and the cider pitcher was an indispensable accompaniment, as it was universally over the whole country. In 1808 the Rev. Libbius Armstrong, and forty-one others, established a temperance society "upon principles of moral suasion, in the town of Moreau, in the county of Saratoga. They asked no aid from the civil power ; they did not desire to wield either sword or sceptre ; they looked to the aid of the patriot, the Christian and pliilantliropist, upon which to base their everlasting foundation. That organization was extended to every State in the Union, under such leaders as Mr. Delavan and Chancellor Walsworth, in New York, and Mr. Frelinghuysen, in New Jersey-, and Chief Justice Marshall, in Virginia, and Mr. Everett and Justin Ed- wards, in Massachusetts. By its Quarterly Review, pub- lished in May, 1833, it had 1,500,000 members in the Uni- ted States ; 229,617 in the State of New York— 4,607 in Columbia county, and 220 in the town of Hillsdale — deter- mined men, with Dr. B. House and Dr. S. J. Aylesworth for President and Secretary, under whose influence there were only three licensed taverns in the toAvn, and those were very respectable, and intoxicated men were very rarely seen. The daily liquor rations to sailors in the Navy and soldiers in the Army were discontinued by offi- cial authority, and of 1,107 men in the Mediterranean Squadron, 800 became voluntary members of that tem- perance society. Subsequently, under Boston rum influ- ence, the temperance cause was made a political side issue, and its decline and fall in the whole country — and in Hills- dale in particular — is before the world, and I shall aAoid the pain of recording it.
10 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
In writing a history of Hillsdale I desire to disclose the merits of the people, and not to draw frailties from their dread abode. If the people will assist me, I will make it a matter of special interest to them. If they will be so good throughout the town as to send me their names and date of their births and marriages, and the names and dates of birth of their wives and children, and be- tween what points on the roads they reside, and such other matter as they may be pleased to include I will add all ni}- sources of information, and will let Mr. H. S. John- son, or some other equally worthy man, compile and pub- lish the whole in a volume, excluding every thing person- ally offensive ; and for such purpose I am Avilling to incur a liberal expense. Perhaps it would be well to have some of our prominent citizens meet in council upon this subject and form a town historical and genealogical society.
CHAPTER V.
HISTORICAL DIVISIONS — OLD ROADS AND WHO LIVED ALONG THEM — ASSESSMENT LAWS.
Four Divisions of the History — First, forty-eight years, 1725-1773 — Second, twenty years, 1773-1793— Third, thirty years, 1788-1818 — Fourth, sixty-four years, 1818-1882 -Old Bye-roads— Levi Williams — Captain John Collin — James Bryan, Esq. — Tibbits — Loucks' Spring — Present Law of Assessment for Road Tax.
The History of Hillsdale should be divided into several different periods: first, forty-eight years, between 1725 and 1773, when Massachusetts and New York were dis- puting jurisdiction; second, twenty years, between 1773 and 1793, while the occupants of land under Massachu- setts jurisdiction were contesting the manor title ; third, thirty years, from 1788 to 1818. while Hillsdale was composed of live miles square, called Nobletown, and five miles square, called SpencertoAvn ; fourth, sixty- four years, from 1818 to 1882, when its dimensions have been as now, with the exception that our august Board of Supervisors, having come to the conclusion that Van Rensselaer and Livingston did not know where the boundary lines were which constituted the southern limits of the town, have set a small portion over to the town of Copake. The occupation of early roads in the town, while providing a fund of amusement for the social cir- cle, is hardly worth more than a general notice, many of them have entirely disappeared, while others have been
12 HILLSDALE HISTOEY.
much improved by alterations. The east and west road, in the southern part of the town, passed the late residence of Levi Williams, where a tavern was kept by a man of the name of June. On a branch from that road, passing near the present Huggins grist mill, was a resident hold- ing under the Massachusetts title, who, about 1788, sold his possession to Captain John Collin, who built a dam across the stream for churning purposes. Captain Collin sold the possession to James Bryan, Esq., who long used the water power for wool-caruing and cloth-dressing. About a half mile further, in a northeasterly direction, on the same road, was an occupant under the Massachusetts jurisdiction, of the name of Tibbitts, who had a son pos- sessing a surprising natural mathematical talent. A branch on the same road extended about one-fourth of a mile in an easterly direction to the residence of a man by the name of Loucks, near a spring of remarkably cool, pure water, which now supplies eight fields, two ar- tificial fish ponds, one residence and one barn yard with water. The main road passing Mr. Tibbitts', ran about one-fourth of a mile in a northerly direction to the resi- dence of a man holding under Massachusetts jurisdic- tion, who sold his possession to Captain John Collin, who, after having obtained the manor title, erected mills and a spacious dwelling house upon it, which was the place of my birth, and is my present residence, with an entirely different road passing it.
The laws under which the present roads in the town are now established appear to be but imperfectly under- stood, and it may be well to make a brief reference to them. Commissioners of Highway's are required to lay out the roads in the town into convenient road districts, the laying out or altering of which is to be done at least ten days before the annual town meeting. They are to assign to those districts the inhabitants liable to work, having regard to proximity of residence, and are annually
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 13
to accoiint to the Board of Town Auditors for all moneys received by tliem. The commissioners are to assess upon the inhabitants of the town three times as many days' Libor upon tlie roads as there ai'e taxable inhabitants in the town, to whicli the Overseers of Highways are author- ized in their discretion to add one-third on any or all their districts. Each male citizen in a town, without re- gard to circuinstauces, is presumed to be interested in the roads to the value of one day's work, and is, there- fore, to be assessed one day. The residue of the work on the road, accruing under either the jurisdiction of the commissioner or overseer, to be assessed upon property in proportion as it shall appear in the assessment roll. Should any property be left out of the assessment roll the commissioner is authorised to tax it. Should any resident of a road district be left out of the road warrant, the overseer is authorized to tax him. Should any num- ber of the road districts, for want of numbers, or wealth, or for any other cause, require extra help, the commis- sioner is authorized to extend such help to the value of two hundred and fifty days, to be assessed upon the prop- erty of the town, and to be accounted for to the Board of Town Auditors. Should more help be requii'ed by cer- tain road districts, the commissioner can be authorized by a special vote of the people of the town to extend such help to a further sum not exceeding seven hundred and fifty dollars, to be expended and accounted for as above provided. A more judicious system of road improve- ments can scarcely be conceived.
CHAPTEK VI.
ANCESTKY OF MRS. RUTH HOLMAN JOHNSON — ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST OF THE COLONISTS.
Mrs. Rnth Holman Johnson — Isaac Johnson, "One of the Fonmlers ot Massachusetts"— Arabella, His Wife, Daughter of Thomas, Fourth Earl of Lincoln —His Grandson, Isaac Johnson. Born 1668— His Son, Benja- min Johnson, Born 1711 His Son, William, Born 1753, Diet! in Hills- dale 1818- His Daughter, Kuth Holman, Born 1780, Married John Collin 1798 - Thfir Children.
In writing the History of Hillsdale I shall, of course, write the history of the churches in the town. Mrs. Ruth Holman Johnson, having been one of the earliest members of the Methodist Church, and having continued to be such over seventy years, till the day of her death, a brief allusion to her history and that of her ancestry, may not be out of place.
The first of that ancestry in this countiy was Isaac JohnsoD, who is described in "Drakes History of Amer-. ican Biography," as follows : " He was one of the found- ers of Massachusetts ; born in Clipham, Rutlandshire, England; died in Boston, September 30, 1630. He came over with Governor Winthrop, arriving at Salem June 12th, 1630." He was one of the four who founded the first church at Charlestown, July 30th, and on Se]itember 7th he conducted the first settlement of Boston. He was a good and wise man, and was the wealthiest of the colo- nists. Arabella, his wife, was the daughter of Thomas, the fourth Earl of Lincoln. She accompanied her hus-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 15
baud to New England and died in Salem, August 30tli, 1630. In lionoi- of her, the name of the Eagle (Win- throp's shi})) was clianged to the Arabella. His grand- son, Isaac Johnson, born in Hingham, Mass., in 16G8, married Abigael, widow of Isaac Lazell, and daughter of John Leavitt; died 1730. He was a captain, a magis- trate, and four years a representative in the Massachu- setts Legislature. His children were David, Solomon, Daniel, James, Deborah, Sarah, John, Joseph, Benjamin and Mary. His son, Benjamin, born 1711, married Ruth, daughter of John and Ann Quincy Holman, in 1732, and died 1764. His children were Ruth, Benjamin, Rhoda and William. His son, AVilliam, born 1753, married Jane Robinson 1779, and died in Hillsdale 1818. His children were Ruth Holman, Sophia, Clynthia, Quincy and Me- linda. His daughter, Ruth Holman, born September 16th, 1780, married John Collin, of Hillsdale, October 23d, 1798. Her children were James, born January 16th, 1800 ; John Francis, born April 30th, 1802 ; Sar.ih Amanda, born April 21st, 1801 ; Jane Miranda, born Feb- ruary 14th, 1807; Hannah, born December 19th, 1809; Ruth Maria, born March 1st, 1813 ; Henry Augustus, born January 6th, 1817 ; William Quincy, born Novem- ber 22d, 1819; Clynthia, born December 30th, 1822 ; she died December 2d, 1858, and now sleeps beside many of . her kindred in the Hillsdale Rural Cemetery.
CHAPTEE YII
THE HUGENOTS — IMMIGRATE TO AVOID PERSECUTION — A COM- MISSIONED OFFICER — PROFESSOR MORSE.
Captain John Collin — Hintory of Hngenot Iramif:!ration— John Collin, from the Province of Poitoa, in France^His Grandson, John, Sailed from Milford Haven 1746 and was Never Heard From Aftur — His Son John, Great-grandson of John Collin, of France, born 1732— Commis- sioned a Captain by the British Royal Governor i,Tryon) in 1773- Again Commissioned by George Clinton, Governor of New York --His Cotem- poraries —His Second Wife the Grandmother of the Distinguished Poetess, Lncretia Maria Davidson, and a Relative ol Professor Morse — He du-d 1809 -His Children.
'" By tradition it has ever been understood that the pa- ternal ancestrv of Captain Jolm Collin, of Hillsdale, Avere Hugenots from France. The Rev. Charles W. Baird, of Rye, in Westchester county, New York, in his History o± the Hugeuot Immigration, has given a history of that ancestrv. By the history it appears that John Collin resided in tlie province of Poitou, in France, and that he married Judith ValHen, of the Isle de Re, an import- ant French naval island. Being ..Hugenots, their two sons, Paul and Peter, about the year 1695, found it pru- dent to immigrate to avoid deadly persecution. Peter went to South Carolina and Paul to Narragansett, Rhode Island, where, in 1706, his son John was born. In 1730 John was employed by John Merwin, of Milford, Conn.,
* In this portion of the history of the town of Hillsdale and its inhab- itants and pioneer settlers, we give the genealogy of a family the most an- cient and influential that has made its impress on oiir history. -£(2t^or.
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 17
to command his vessel (the Swan), which was employed in trading with the West Indies. While thus employed he married Hannah, the danojliter of John Merwin. In 1746 he sailed from Milford Haven and was never heard from after, which gave rise to the following poetic effusion:
The moon had twelve times changed its form
From glowing orb to cresent wan, 'Midst skies of calm and scowl ot storm
Since from the port that ship had gone; But ocean keeps its secrets well,
Ai»d now we know that all is o'er — No eye hath seen, no tongue can tell
His fate- he ne'er was heard of more.
Oh! were his tale of sorrow known,
'Twerc something to the broken heart. The pangs of doubt would then be gone,
And fancies endless dreams depart. It may not be there is no ray
By which his fate we may explore; We only know he sailed away
And ne'er was seen or heard of more.
He left two sons, John and David, and their grand- father, John Merwin, under that business proclivity which has ever characterized tlie Merwin and Collin kindred, bound theiu oiit as apprentices to learn trades. The in- dentures, ncnv preserved among the family papers, were drawn with gieat minuteness and care. John Avas bound to a cabinetmaker, and a curl maple table of his make is now nightly surrounded by a social circle of his kindred in the town of Hillsdale. He was born on the 15th of July, 1732. He married Sarah Arnold, of Dutchess coun- ty, N. Y., September 16th, 1754, by whom he had three children, viz.: Anthony, born February 24th, 1760; Han- nali, born June 7tli, 1763, and John, born September 19th, 1772. In 1773 he received a captain's commission from the British Royal Governor (Tryon), and in 1777 he re- ceived a captain s commission from the Governor of New
18 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
York (Georp;e Clinton). He was a prominent acfc(n' in all of the public enterprises of tlie day. He was a prom- inent actor in settling the controversy between the inhab- itants of Hillsdale holding under the Massachusetts au- thority and the manor title. He Avas a prominent actor in tlie estaV>lishment of turnpike roads, of which the Columbia turnpike was one and the Susquehanna was another. Much of the stock of the latter is still held by his kindred. He was a prominent actor in a lessee land company, some of which land is now occupied by his kindred. His house for a time was the residence of Elisha AVilliams while aiding AVilliams in the settlement of important Inisiness. He was the cotemporary of Alex- ander Hamilton, William W. Van ^ess and Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer, rendering to and receiving from the in reciprocal favors. His wife, Sarah, died December 29th,
1791, and he married Deidama Morse Davidson, May 12th,
1792. She was the grandmother of the distinguished poetess, Lucretia Maria Davidson, and relative of Pro- fessor Morse, the immortal inventor of the electric tele- graph. Though a mechanic by education, he adopted farming as an occupation for a time in Dutchess county. He afterwards bought, and lived for a time, on what was called the Birdsall farm, in Hillsdale, upon which John Higgins lived and died. He then bought and occupied the farm for eighteen years upon which his grandson, John F. Collin, now resides. He died August 21st, 1809. His son Anthony was a soldier in the war of the Revolu- tion, and was made a prisoner by the army of Sir Henry Clinton in 1777, and died in captivity. His daughter Hannah married Thomas Truesdell, October 8th, 1781, and died in Hillsdale June 26th, 1817. His son John married Ruth Holman Johnson, October 23d, 1798, and died in Hillsdale December 28th, 1833. His children were : James, born January 16th, 1800, and died Decem- ber 16th, 1861 ; Sarah Amanda, born April 21st, 1804,
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 19
and died 1867 ; Jane Miranda, born February 14tli, 1807, and died February Itli, 1879 ; Ruth Maria, born March 1st, 1813, and died June, 1838 ; William Quincy, born November 22d, 1819, and died July 30th, 182-2 ; Clynthia A., born December 30tli, 1822, and died August oth, 1828; Hannah, born Det^ember 19th, 1809, and Henry Augustus, born January 6th, 1817, both of whom are residing in Mt. Vernon, in the county of Lynn, Iowa; and John Francis, born April 30th, 1802, and, as heretofore stated, is now residing cm the old family homestead in Hillsdale. Ruth Hohnan Collin, their mother, was born September Kith, 1780, died December 2d, 1868.
CHAPTEK VIII.
MOEE COLLIN ANCESTRY — THE FRENCH WAR — ATTACK ON FORT TICONDEROGA — FAMILIES OF MEANS.
David Collin- -A Lieutenant in the Bi-itish Army During the French War — His House Plundered by Robbers During the Revolutionary Wtir — Di(jd in 1824, Aged 90 Years --His Children -Hannah Collin— Settled in Hillsdale on the Farm Now Occupied by Levi Coon — David Collin, Jr. — Resided on the Farm Now Occupied by Rutsen Hunt —Lucy Col- lin, Settled in Hillsdale Near the Turnpike, Two Miles East of the Village— Sally Collin- James Collin.
David Collin, son of John and Hannah Morwin Collin, born in Milford, Conn., February 19th, 1734:, and baptized with his older brother in the Congregational Church, May 16th, 1737, was married to Lucy Smith, of Dutchess county, February 19th, 1764, by whom he had two chil- dren— Hannah, born February, 1765, and David, born February 22d, 1767. Mrs. Lucy having- died March 15th, 1767, he married Esther Gillett, January 19th, 1772, by whom he had three children— Lucy, born Februar}' 28th, 1773 ; Sally, born 1775, and James, born April 5th, 1777. He had been a lieutenant in the British army during the French war and was present at an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Ticonderoga. During the war of the Amer- ican Revolution his house was plundered by a band of robbers, who treated his family with great cruelty, tor- turing him and them in order to find property. By his industry and prudence he acquired great wealth, and lived to a great age, and died May 8th, 1824.
HILI.SDAI.E HISTORY. 21
Hannah Collin, daughter of David and Lucy Smith Collin, born in Dutchess county in 1765, married Squire Sherwood, aul settled in Hillsdale on the farm near Hillsdale village, now occupied by Levi Coon, where she died at an advanced age, leaving five children— Esther, Hannah, Sally, Lucy and Susan, all of whom have since married and died, and have left very interesting families.
David Collin, son of David and Lucy Smith Collin, born at Atnenia, in Dutchess countv, Februarv 2'2d, 1767, mar- ried Lucy Bingham, March 27th, 1791, and died in ¥fij- etteville, N. Y., June '2d, 1844. He had settled and re- sided in Hillsdale, about two milps north of the village, on the farm now occupied by Rutsen Hunt. By his industry and prudence he acquired great wealth. His children were Har)y, Lucy, David, Harriet, Lee, Hannah, Solo- mon B., Amanda and Norton, all of whom by their in- dustry and prudence have added to the wealth they in- herited, and their families have been among the most respectable in the community. Lucy Collin, daughter of David and Esther (lillett Collin, married Elijah Burton, Janunry 8vl, 1796, and settled in Hillsdale, near the turn- pike road, about two miles east of the village. She died June 80tli, 1847. She has had eleven children — Collin, Ely, Belinda, Lucinda, Harriet, Henry, Miranda, Benson, David, George T. and Julia A., all of whom have main- tained respectable positions in society.
Sally Collin, daughter of David and Esther Gillett Collin, born in Dutchess county, 1755, and married Doiiglass Clark, a much respected and wealthy citizen of that county. They have had six children — Perry, Henry, Olive, Sally, Caroline and Emeline, who are fill- ing interesting positions in society.
James Collin, son of David and Esther Gillett Collin, bfum April 15th, 1777, and married Lydia Hamlin, April 12th, 1804, and died July 15th, 1856. He, too, by his industry and prudence, had acquired a large property.
22 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
His cliildren were : Eli, James H., Lydia L., Julia, Aim, Caroline, Cordelia, Aulia and David N., all of whom have been highly respected and all whom are still among the living and enjoying the wealth they inherited.
CHAPTER IX.
GENERAL FREMONT — NOTED TAVERN-KEEPERS — PUGILISTIC EXHIBITIONS — THE MASONIC FRATERNITY.
Bogardiis — Dr. Caleb Benton —Squire Sherwood — James Bryan's Tavern House— Colonel Chase McKinstry— Samuel Mallovy — Ebenezer Soule — Bartholomew Williams —William Tanner- Jonathan C. Olmstead — Edward Bagely — John Nooney — Aaron Reed — Isaac Foster — Amos Knapp — Artemus Johnson.
When Massachusetts had yielded its claim to Hills- dale, and Robert Noble had removed to Great Barrin*];- ton, his sceptre descended to a Mr. Boojardus, occupying the premises upon which Levi Coon now resides, from whom it descended to Dr. Caleb Benton, who, possessing talents and wealth, and being a physician such as of whom Homer sung:
•
A good physician skilled our wounds to hoal Is more than armies in the jjublic weal,
he exercised a large influence in the town. He twice represented the county in the State Legislature. He sub- sequently moved to Catskill, where he died. His son Lewis became District Attorney in Green county, and was an applicant for a military commission in the Mexi- can War, but failed tf) convince the War Department that he possessed the requisite qualifications, though the Rev. John McCarty as chaplain, and a Mr. McKinstry as lieu- tenant, from Columbia county, did obtain appointments
24 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
and distinguislied themselves in the service, the one re- maining: in such service till his recent death, and the other on the staff of General Fremont, passed from ser- vice when that General lost his presti<^e in the late civil war. From Caleb Benton the premises in Hillsdale passed to Squire Sherwood, who had married Hannah Collin, the daupjhter of David and Lucy Smith Collin. The premises adjoining on the east, now occupied bv Dr. Henry Cornell, became the property of James Bryan, who kept a noted tavern house. He was the first super- visor in the town, and was elected five successive years ; he was also for many years a magistrate in the town of Hillsdale. His son Samuel became a distinguished tavern keeper in the city of Hudson : his son John was a mem- ber of the State Legislature in 1821 ; his son James was also, for some years, a magistrate in the town of Hillsdale ; his daughter married John Cronkhyte, and lived for many years on the farm now owned by Leonard John- son. As a magistrate, he had often occasion to try cases of assault and battery that had occurred on his premises ; and cases occurred there in which men with obscured sight and blackened faces found it desirable to spend a few days at the residence of a kind neighbor before pre- senting themselves to their amazonian wives. On the rise of land some thirty rods west of that tavern house was the district school-house, two stories high, in which, in consequence of the extent of district and prolific popu- lation, forty scholars were usually in daily attendance. The frequent pugilistic exhibitions at the tavern house induced the scholars to learn the art scientifically, which they sometimes carried to such excess as to introduce them to a birchen acquaintance. The upper part of that school-house was occupied as a masonic lodge, and a large number of the most respectable men of the town were among its members ; but they usually became so vivacious at their meetings that their wives rose in re-
HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 25
bellion, and the institution, in consequence, lano;uished for many years.
After James Br3'an, for nine successive years. Colonel Charles McKinstry r(>presented the town of Hillsdale in the Board of Supervisors, and then for two years repre- sented the county in the State Legislature. Residing at the easterly foot of the Cakeout Hills, his home was near the centre of the town, while it was composed of the Nobletown and Spencertown sections. Of course all the prominent public business of the town, civil and military, was done there, to accommodate which, he kept a noted tavern, and, while occupying prominent civil offices, was the colonel of the town regiment One of his daughters married Judge Jjoen Whiting, of Geneva, Ontario county, N. Y., and one married Judge Augustus Tremain, of Hills- dale, and one married Judge Henry Loop, of Great Bar- rington, Mass., and his son Justus was successively the 1)artner of throe of the most prominent lawyers in Colum- bia county. After Charles McKinstry, the town of Hills- dale, for thirteen years, was represented in the Board of Supervisors by its Spencertown branch ; for nine of those years it was represented by Samuel Mallery and for three years by Ebenezer Soule, and one year by Bartholomew Williams. For the two next years the town was repre- sented by William Tanner, of Green River Hollow. His son was an officer in the infantry comj^any that marched to the relief of Plattsburgh in the war of 1812. For the next two years the town was represented by Jonathan C. Olmstead, of Gre(>n River, and the next year by Edward Bagley, who lived in East Hillsdale at the present resi- dence of Rufus White, at which place his son Oliver was long a merchant, and Avas succeeded by John Nooney, one of the most active business men of the town, who had previously as a merchant l)een in partnership with Aaron Reed, Isaac Foster, Amos M. Knapp, and with Artemus Johnson in the cloth-dressing and wool-carding business.
4
26 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
His family was among the most interesting in the town. His chiklren were among the most interesting of forty- odd students of the writer some sixty years ago, who had then just emerged from boyhood, and now stands on the verge of a second chiklhood, which has doubtless in- creased the interest of a letter just received from one of those who was then in childhood his student.
CHAPTEK X.
DIVISIONS OF THE TOWN — STATE REPRESENTATIVES — A GREAT LAWYER — THE FEDERALISTS.
The Town Divided into Six Localities : Hillsdale Village, East Hillsdale, Hillsdale Centre, West Hillsdale, Green River, Hurlemville — The Birdsalls — John Higgins — Benjamin Birdsall — George Birdsall — • Hagemans — Pixleys— Amiglis — Joidans — William Jordan, Jr. — Ambrose L. Jordan — Joseph Morehovise — Clintonian Republicans — Qaincy Johnson— Samuel Judson -Col. Anson Dakin— Christopher W. Miller — Josiah Knapp — Andrew Higgins— Elisha W. Buslinell-John Collin — Henrj' P. Mesick — Gen. Provost's Army — Ebenezer Youngs.
When Speucertowii had been separated from Hillsdale in 1818, the hills or other circumstances had left the town divided into six distinct localities, in each of which have been inhabitants who have made interesting histories. Those localities are designated as Hillsdale Village, East Hillsdale, Hillsdale Centre, West Hillsdale, Green Eiver and Harlemville. I will first call attention to the inhab- itants who have resided or originated in the West Hills- dale locality. The Birdsalls were among the earliest of these families, and tliev resided on the farm where John Higgins lived and died. Benjamin Birdsall was four times a representative in the State Legislature, and John Birdsall was a representative in the State Senate. George Birdsall was a distinguished physician and re- sided for a time in what is now the town of Copake. One of the kindred was a military officer and was assas- sinated at Greenbush. The daughters of Benjamin Bird-
28 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
sail married into some of the most respectable families in Hillsdale, among whom were the Ha<;emans, the Pixleys and the Amighs. Near the l^irdsalls was the residence of the Jordans. William Jordan, Jr., twice represented the town in the Board of Supervisors, and was the col- onel in the town militia, and his brother Abraham repre- sented the town of Claverack in the Board of Supervisors. Ambrose L. Jordan was a representative in the State Leg- islature, and for four years a representative in the State Senate. He was a Surrogate and District Attorney in Otsego county and for several years Recorder in the city of Hiidson. He was a member of the State Constitu- tional Convention in 1846, and was the first Attorney- General of the State under* the new constitution. It is history that he was second to none among the legal gen- tlemen of that day, who for talents have not been ex- ceeded since. Near the Birdsall residence was that of Joseph Morehouse, who for ten years represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. At his last election an in<'ident occurred that is eminently worthy a place in history. For giving aid and comfort to the enemy in the war of 181'2, the Federal party had become disgraced and had abandoned its name and had adopted that of Clin- tonian Republicans, or American System Men. That sys- tem consisted of the river and harbor policy, to create debts and expenditures as an excuse for levying high duties upon imports — the very polic}' that has since del- uged our country in blood and tears. Of course, that party was opposed to Joseph Morehouse, and they nom- inated a ticket in opposition, putting the name of Quincy Johnson at its head. On the njorning of the election Quincy Johnson made publicly "the declaration that he had been nominated without liis knowledge, consent or approbation, and that he did not approve of the ante- cedents and j^olicy of the party who had nominated him, and that if elected by that })arty he would not qualify and
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 29
serve. This anno u nee nieiit left Joseph Morehoiist: to walk over the course without opposition. At the next election Quincy Johnson occupied a position upon the ticket of his choice, and was opposed with the bitterest malignitv, but was elected by a most triumphant ma- jority.
Near the Birdsall residence was that of Samuel Jud- son, and he for two years was a member of the Board of Supervisors, and for many years after a most respectable ma<>;istrate in thtJ town. Witli him resided his cousin, Colonel Anson Dakin, who commanded tlie town militia, who were ever ready to march, for the defense of their country, as they did to Long Island aiid Plattsburgh in the war of 1812, and they would ever have blushed at the idea of having the county expend its thousands of dollars for a place to stack their arms in, or to expend six hun- dred dollars a year to provide them with a dancing saloon. In the same section resided Christopher W. Miller, who was an officer in the uniform com[)any that marched for the relief of Plattsburgh in the war of 1812. In the same neighborhood resided Josiah Knapp, who was a Judge of the County Court aud for many years a respectable mag- istrate. Also, in the same neighboi'hood, resided Andrew Higgins, who was a colonel in the militia and for many years a much respected magistrate. In the same section resided Elisha W. Bushn<dl, who was once a representa- tive in the State Legislature and a President of the County Agricultural Society. For a time John Collin re- sided on the Birdsall farm. Before the Revolution he was a captain appointed hy the Royal Governcn-, and dur- ing the Revolution he was a captain appointed by the Governor of the State of New York. He subsequently settled the controversy between the tenants under Massa- chusetts grants and the cnvner of the manor title in the town of Hillsdale, and he was among the actors in all the great public ('nt(U"prises of the day. Nearly all the resi-
30 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
due of tlie inhabitants in that part of the town had cred- itably held different otHeered positions. In 1814 Henry P. Mesiek lived on Pumpkin Hill, on the farm now occu- pied by John McAlpine — it was on the line between Hills- dale Centre and West Hillsdale. General Provost's army was then invading the State of New York by way of Plattsburgh, and a uniform company in Hillsdale was called to aid in repelling that invasion. Ebenezer Youngs was the captain of tliat company ; he resided in what is now the old house east of .the present resi- dence of Levi Coon ;*he was a zealous Federalist, a party characterized for giving aid and comfort to the enemy. He threw up his commission, and Henry P. Mesiek took the command and marched with all possible speed upon the expediti(^»n. The enemy, after sustaining great loss, was compelled to retreat. In 1839 the county, by law, was charged with the expenses of the police constables of the city of Hudson, and tiiose constables were in the halnt of almost daily delivering persons at the jail who, at the volition of the jailor, were supplied with boots, hats, coats, shirts and pantaloons, at the e^xpense of the county. A committee of the Board of Supervisors re- fused to allow the account unless ordered by the County Superintendent of the Poor. Henry P. Mesiek, who for ten years was such Superintendent, refused to order its payment, and was sustained by the Board. And thus was an annual expense of hundreds of dollars saved to the county, to the great grief of tramps from the city of New York to that of Albany.
The foregoing is a truthful representation of the char- acteristics of the people in Western Hillsdale for all past time.
CHAPTER XL
HnXSDALE KUEAL CEMETEKY — RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND THEIR FOUNDERS — PEOPLE OF ENTERPRISE.
Robert Noble^Bogarclus — Caleb Benton — Squire Sherwood — Mrs. Sher- wood; her Danghtprs — Mr. Dnmond— Mr. Shorts — David Wheeler — Sornborger— Osborn — Brainard — Levi Coon— vWalter B. Ten Broeck — Hillsdale Rural Cemetery; its Boundaries —Cemetery on Leonard John- sou's Premises - Monument to Jeremiah Potter— Parla Foster — Asher Adams— John Pixley — Mrs. Jose|)h P. Dorr — Ephraim Pixley -Refine Latting — Rev. Stephen Gano— Stephen Bristol - Amos K. Kuapp— Captain Turner Dr. Henry Cornell — George M. Bullock -Rutseu Hunt— John Q. Jolmsou — The Village.
The tirst settlement of Hillsdale was in what is now the village, department. A brief history of Robert Noble, its first settler, has been oiven. He was suecei-'ded l)y a Mr. Bogardus, of whom we have only a traditional his- tory. By that we learn that he was a man of wealth and talents, and in religion an Episcopalian, to wliose usages he adhered with great tenacity. He was succeeded by Caleb Benton, wlio not only possessed wealth and talents, but was a distinguished physician. He was succeeded by Squire Sherwood, whose wife possessed all tliose pru- dent and industrious ipialities that have characterized her Merwin and Collin kindred in all their generations. Her daughters, in addition to the characteristics of their mother, were specially distinguished for vivacity and beauty. Esther married Moses Foster, Lucy married Isaac Foster, Susan married Artemus Johnson, Sally married Spencer Esmond, and another married a Mr. Lord, of Brattleborough, in Vermont. Mr. Sherwood was succeeded upon the same premises by a Mr, Du-
32 HILLSDALE HISTORY,
mond, one of whose sons marched to the front when his countrj^ called him in the war of 1812. Mr. Dumond was succeeded for a time by a Mr. Sharts, a wealthy and gen- erous gentleman from Chatham, and he was succeeded by David Wheeler, who subsequently, at his own expense, built a pleasant church at South Egremont. He was suc- ceeded by a Mr. Sornborger, who was a prominent mem- ber of the Methodist Church of which his father was a patriarch, and his son was one of the efficient authors of the Hillsdale Rural Cemetery. Mr. Sornborger was suc- ceeded by a Mr. Osborn, who, being an industrious, per- s>vering man, with a most amiable wife and beautiful daughters, all fell victims to pulmonary consumption. Mr. Osborn was succeeded by Mr. Brainard, whose in- genuity and mechanical genius conceived and constructed the plan and surroundings of the Hillsdale Rural Ceme- tery, of which association for years he was the President. The premises are now occupied by Mr. Levi Coon, who, with Walter B. TenBroeck, are the present .prominent officers in the Presbyterian Church, which has done much to promote the moral and religious character of the peo- ple of Hillsdale; and Mr. TenBroeck has for all time baen th^ efficient Secretary of the Hillsdale Rural Ceme- tery Association, and is now one of the magistrates in the town.* The said premises are bounded on the north and south by the lands of John Quincy and William Leonard Johnson, who are the descendants of that Isaac Johnson whose history has been already given. They are bound- ed on the east by the lands of Dr. Henry Cornell, orig- inally occupied by James Bryant, whose history has been briefly given, and which for a time was occupied by Dr. Benjamin House, who was the President of that nol)le temperance society founded upon principles of m'n\il suasion, which, judging by its antecedents, if it had not
* Mr. Ten Broeck though choseu by the people to fill the office df- cljned to accept, its responsibilities !uid refused to qualify. — fJi/.
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 33
been destroyed by a side issue, political temperance or- ganizations would have made the people of our country a worthy model of temperance for all other j)eople.
The cemetery on the Johnson premises was founded by the first settlers of the town. The monument erected in it to the memory of Jeremiah Potter was the fruit of filial affection. It may be said of him in the language of the poet :
That knowledge to his eyes her ample pdge, Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er enroll,
Chill penviry represented his noble rage And froze the geaial current of the sonl.
A worthy aged son and daughter yet survive him, the one living in Alford, Mass., and the other in Monmouth county. New Jersey. His grand-children are making noble histories, one filling a high judicial position in a Western State. Pavla Foster was one of the early set- tlers of the town, and resided on the premises now occu- pied by Asher Adams. Hp was a patriarch and liberal patron of the Methodist Church, which has also done much to promote the moral and religious character of the people of Hillsdale. John Pixley resided on the prem- ises now occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Joseph P. Dorr. He was a man of talents, princely appearance, and was long a merchant in the town and was once the High Sherifi^ of the county. His father, Ephraim Pixley, suf- fered a loss of property in the early feuds about the Manor title, and the pardon of the authors of that loss gave rise to the name of Barn Burners at the election of 1824, while on the other hand the aid given the enemy in the war of 1812 gave rise to the name of Hunker at that election. Refine Latting 'resided on the premises now occupied by his grandson, Mr. Lawrence. He and Parla Foster were at one time the owners of what is now the village of Hillsdale, and his father was one of the earliest settlers of the town. His mother, by her second mar-
34 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
riage, was the wife of tlie Rev. Stephen Gauo, who was the founder of the two Baptist Churches in the town, which have done their share in promoting the moral and religious character of the people of the town. Stephen Bristol was an early settler of the town, and resided on the premises now occupied by his daughter, who by her liberality has done much to promote the interest of the churches and to relieve the sufferings of the poor, and to aid in all the village improvements. Amos M. Knapp was an early settler of the town, and was long a merchant in the village of Hillsdale and once represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. He married Miss Nancy, the accomplished daughter of Captain Turner, who occu- pied what is now the Hillsdale tavern house.
Dr. Henry Cornell, George M. Bullock, Butsen Hunt and John Q. Johnson, residents of the Hillsdale village section of the town, have each represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. Each have made laudible ef- forts to protect the town from the burdens so long un- justly imposed upon it. They had the address to pre- vent the Board from stultifying itself upon the subject of the Copake line. And George M. Bullock introduced into the Board a very sensible set of resolutions upon the sub- ject of the publication of the Acts of the Legislature. If the publication of local acts was confined to the localities interested, and the publication of general acts Avas con- fined to such as specially interested the public, it would make such publication very useful and save a very great expense to the State. Favored by the depot on the Har- lem Railroad, the people in Hillsdale village are begin- ning to exhibit a very enterprising spirit in the way of village improvements. It will be well, therefore, to de- lay the -history that they are thus making, to a future edition, when the people may become so interested uj)on the subject as to give the facilities for a more minute history.
CHAPTER XII.
EAST HILLSDALE — ITS EARLY SETTLERS — SOME OF THEIR DE- SCENDANTS -LOCALITY OF THEIR RESIDENCES.
Gaius Stebbins—Dakin— Elijah Burton — Lucy Colliu —Edward Bagley — Oliver Bagley — James Bryan 2d — George Amigb — Captain John Collin — Sarah Arnold— Deidoma Morse — John Collin and Ruth Holman — Their Children— Rodney Hill- Rev. Hiram H. White— Lewis Wright — Quincy Johnson— John Hunt — James Taylor -Walter McAlpine — Adanyah Bidwell— Mr. June— Levi Williams.
Gaius Stebbiiis Avas one of the earliest settlers of East Hillsdale. He was a man of intelligence, integrity and princely appearance, and was long- a merchant, his store being where is now the grocery of Walter Shafer, and his residence wher.^ is now that of Geo. T. Burton. In 1807 and in 1809 he was a representative in the State Legisla- ture. A family of Dakins owned the premises now be- longing to George Sornborger, and they kept a noted tavern there. They were relatives of Colonel Anson Dakin, a distinguished resident of Western Hillsdale. Elijah Burton lived on an adjoining farm, now owned by his son, George T. Burton. His wife was Lucy Collin, the niece of Captain John Collin. On the farm adjoining resided Edward Bagley, a deacon in the Baptist Church, and in 1817 was a member of the Board of Supervisors. His son Oliver was long a merchant on his premises. In the same neighborhood resided James Bryan second, who for many years was a respectable magistrate, and whose wife was Nellie Pixley, the sister of John and Joseph Pixley. In the same neighborhood resided
86 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
George Amigli, distinguished for amiable disposition and gigantic size and strength, and whose wife was also a daughter of Benjamin Birdsall. Adjoining the Amigh premises on the north for near twenty years was the residence of Captain John Collin, and has continued to be that of some of his descendents to the present time. He held a militar}^ commission under the Crown, and afterwards under the States. He was a pacificator among the people, and did much to settle the contro- versy between the occupants of lands in Hillsdale under Massachusetts titles and the Manor claims. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and in his social relations was on terms of intimacy with the Van Kensselaers, the Livingstons, the Van Nesses and Alex- ander Hamilton. Elislia Williams spent some weeks in his family. In his childhood he was baptized in the Con- gregational Church, and the Eev. David Tullar, for forty years a clergyman in Melford, Conn., was in the habit of visiting him during his life. He believed the attribute of the Almighty to be that of infinite love, which would not admit of one particle of those worst attributes of the Devil which many zealousl}' professing Christians are pleased to impute to him. His first wife was Sarah Ar- nold, a Quakeress. The maiden name of his second wife was Deidoma Morse, a near relative of Professor Morse, the distinguished inventor of the magnetic telegra})li, and she was the widow of Oliver Davidson, of Canterbury, Conn., and was the grandmother of Miss Lucre tia Maria Davidson, wh(,)se poetic w)itings attracted the favorable attention of Professor Morse, Washington Hving and Catharine Sedgwick, who procured their publication in a volume. Captain John Collin's oldest son died while a solder in the American army in the war of the revolution. His remaining son, John Collin, married Ruth Holman Johnson, a descendant of that Isaac Johnson Avho was instrumental in the first settlement of Boston, and whose
HILLSDALE HISTOBY. 37
history I have already briefly given. Their oldest son was a member of a firm of iron manufacturers in Lenox, Mass., who also established the first plate glass manufac- tory in this country. Two of their sons were at different times for many years members of the Board of Supervis- ors. One once represented the county in the State Leg- islature, and was once a representative in Congress, and was the chairman upon the Committee of Naval Expendi- tures during the two years, and took a most active part in the conception of and advocacy of the tariff' of 1846. Like his grandfather, he was prominent as a pacificator, and was the principal actor in the settlement of a bloody controversy between certain tenants and their landlords in Columbia count}-. The other son of John and Ruth Holman Collin for several years represented the town of Hillsdale in the Board of Supervisors, and has since been a magistrate in Mount Vernon, Linn county, Iowa, and holds an ofiicial position in the college there, of which his son has hmg been a jirofessor. The oldest daughter of John and Buth Holman Collin married Rodney Hill, for a time a magistrate and merchant in Great Barrintr- ton, Mass. Another daughter married the Rev. Hiram H. White, k)ng a member of the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Another daughter married Lewis Wright, a merchant in Xenia, Ohio. Quincy Johnson, the father of John Quincy and William Leonard JoJmson, and long the owner and occupant of the farm now occupied by his son William Leonard, was the son of William and Jane Robinson Johnson, and the lineal descendent of Isaac Johnson, of Bostoji fame. After refusing to be a candidate for Supervisor by a party whose principles and antecedents he did not approbate, he was tor some 3-ears a Town Clerk or Supervisor elect- ed 1 )y the party of his choice, and was for many years a magistrate in the town, and during much of his life was employed as a pacificator among men and as an executor
38 HILLSDALE HISTORY,
in the settlement of important estates. His maternal an- cestors had been important actors in much of their coun- try's history. Two of his maternal uncles were the im- porters of the arms and military stores, to obtain which, by the British, brought on the first battle of the Kevolu- tion at Lexington. Those uncles were subsequently in the battle of Bunker Hill, and died in the army near the close of the war. A third uncle fell in the battle with the army of General Burgoyne. Quini^y Johnson was the brother of Ruth Holman Jolmstm, the wife of John Col- lin, and also of Sophia Johnson, the wife of Elias Ford, of Hawley, Mass., and Clynthia Johnson, the wife of the Rev. Harry Truesdell, and Melinda Johnson, the wife of Bishop Leouidas L. Hamline.
John Hunt was one of the earliest settlers ia the town of Hillsdale, and lived to be near a century old, and re- sided on the farm adjoining that of Captain John Collin. His oldest son married Sallie Bagley, the daughter of Edward Bagley, and their oldest son, Edward, married Eliza Esmond, the grand-daughter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood. James Taylor was one of the original settlers of Hillsdale and he lived on tlie farm adjoining that of John Hunt. He lived to a very great age, and his mother lived to be some years over a hundred. One of his sons was a soldier in the war of 1812. Walter Mc- Alpiue lived to great age on a farm adjoining that of James Taylor and was among the first settlers of the town. His daughter Nancy married Harry Collin, the son of David and Lucy Bingham Collin. Their son, Henry Clark, married Maria Louisa Park, of Burlington, Otsego county, N. Y., and is now a wealthy farmer in Benton, Yates county, N. Y. Harriet Ann Collin, the daughter of Harry and Nancy McAl]une Collin, married Alfred G. Bidwell, and now resides in Bergen Hill, N. J. Emeline Collin, the daughter of Harry and Nancy Mc- Alpine Collin, married Dr. William Wickham W^elch, of
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 39
Norfolk, Conn. Adan^'ah Bidwell, father of Alfred G. Bidwell, lived on the farm now owned by Jacol) Reed, near the premises of Walter B. Ten Broeck. He was a very useful and influential member of the Methodist Church. One of his daughters married a Mr. Noxon, of Hillsdale, and one married Dr. Millen Sabin, of Lenox, Mass. Daniel Winchel was one of the early settlers of Hillsdale and was the owner of a large tract of land, upon which is situated what is now called the Summit of Echoes. He subsequently became the owner of what is now called Prospect Lake and the mills at its outlet in Egremont. His sons were James, Milo, Calvin, Harry and Ezra. One of his daughters married a Mr. Tickner, of Alford, Mass., and another married Seymour Phelps, of Sheffield, Mass. One of the daughters of Seymour Phelps married Martin Haywood, a resident of East Hillsdale.
The premises lately (K^cupied by Levi Williams, and now by Mr. Mitchell, and adjoining the lands of George Sornborger, was originally, owned by a Mr. June, who kept a tavern there in the early settlement of the town. Levi Williams married a Miss Hannah Smith, of Tagh- kanic. They bad two sons and one daughter. Adam, one of the sons, lives in New Jersey, and Levi, the other son, owns the premises adjoining those formerly occupied by his father. The daughter, Gertrude, married John Mitchel, and after his death she married Ezra D. Loomis, and now resides a mile north of Hillsdale village.
A fuller and more complete history of the residents in East Hillsdale will be given in another edition, if the in- habitants wnll supply the records.
CHAPTER XIII.
GREEN RIVER — HARLEMVILLE — HUDSON ORPHAN ASYLUM — COUNTY POOR HOUSE.
William Tanner — Jared Winslow— Jonathan Hill — Sarah Amanda Collin — Albert Winslow Garfield — James Collin—Chastine E. Wilcox — Sam- uel B. and Charles A. Sumner -Lewis B. Adsit— Henry J. Rowe — Hiram Winslow — Isaac Hatch— Albert Shepard Joel Curtis— Gaul McKown — Frederick Pnltz — John H. Overhiser— Willis Disbrow — W. H. Gard- ner— Andrew H. Spickerman — Ralph Judson — -Charles H. Downing — Alfred Curtis — Joel G. Curtis.
The "district of Green River contains less than one- tenth of the population of Hillsdale, and yet its people have made very respectable histories. William Tanner was one of the earlier settlers of the town, and kept a tavern at the tavern-honse now owned by Mr. Van Hoseu. He was a major in the town militia and twice re])re- sented the town in the Board of Supervisors. His son Ralph was a lieutenant in the com])any that marched to the defense of Plattsburt^h in the war of 1812. Jared Winslow was an early settler of the town, and was lon<< a ver}' respectable ma<fistrate in the town, and once rep- resented the county in the State Legislature. His ujraiid- son was for some years a respectable county school commissioner. Jonathan Hill was an early resident of the town and once represented the county in the State Legislature. His oldest son married Sarah Amanda, the oldest daughter of John and Ruth Holman Collin, who for some years was a magistrate and merchant in Great Barrington, Mass. One of his daughters married
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 41
Albert Winslow, a son of Jared Winslow. One of his daughters married a Mr. Garliekl, of Monterey, Mass., a relative of the late President Gai-field. One of his daugh- ters married James Collin, a son of John and Ruth Hol- man Collin. One daughter married Collins Hunt, of Lenox, Mass. One daughter married Henry Williams, of Alford, Mass. Jonathan Hill married Chastine E. Wil- cox, an aunt of the distinguished poets, Samuel B. and Charles A. Sumner, the one having done efficient service as an officer in the late civil war, and the other having just been elected as Congressman-at-large in California. Lewis B. Adsit was for many years a respectable magis- trate in Green Eiver, as was also Henry J. Howe and Hiram Winslow.
Isaac Hatch was an early settler of the town and for many years ke])t a tavern-house one mile south of that of William Tanner. Albert Shepard has held many im- portant offices in the town and his father was arte of its early settlers. The father of James M. McDonald was an early settler of the town and lived at the present resi- dence of his son. The father of Timothy, George and David G. Woodin was an early settler of the town, and his son David G. was long a county school commissioner. Joel Curtis for years lived on the hill separating Green Kiver and Hillsdale Centre, and his son has been, and his grandson now is, a re})resentative of the town in the county Board of- Su})ervisors. Harlem ville con- tains something more than one-tenth of the population of the town. As a generality the })eople of Hillsdale have not been importunate for official ])atronage, and Harlemville, particularly, has not convulsed the town with such importunities, and yet that section of the town has supplied some of its most efficient officers, particu- larly distinguished for intelligence, integrity and pru- dence. Their magistrates, commencing with Mr, Gaul and Mr. McKown, have been Frederick Pultz, John H.
42 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Overhiser, Willis Disbrow and W. H. Gardner. Their Supervisors have been Andrew A. Spickerman, John H. Overhiser, Kalph Judson, Chas. H. Downing, Alfred Cur- tis and Joel G. Curtis. John H. Overhiser once repre- sented the county in the State Legislature, and was dur- ing a term the Higli Sheriff of the county. Forty odd years ago he was instrumental m dividing the town of Hillsdale into election districts, which has ever since met the approbation of the whole people. His action in the Legislature met the approbation of all of hi« con- stituents. As a Supervisor he exerted a salutary influ- ence in the Board. Under his influence as Sherifl" the affairs of the jail were conducted with a degree of system and efliciency not exceeded at any other time in this county or elsewhere. And in tlie painful necessity of exe- cuting a ci^iminal, it was done in a way to deprive it of much of its horrid characteristics, and excited expressions of admiration universally. The early settlers of that section of the town were largely conj posed of Downiugs and Beckers, a large jjortion of whom liaA e held difl'erent official positions, in which they have exercised the strict- est integrity and economv. As an exam])le of that integ- rity and economy, I will cite one of several cases which occurred under my observation : An ofllcer jjresented to tlie Board of Town Auditors an account including one day's services, for which, under some peculiar circum- stances, he had not been able to be in attendance, and though a personal and political friend of John P. Becker, upon his motion the chai'ge was stiicken out, as was all others of a like character. As further illustrating the characteristics of the officers from that section of the town, I will cite an occurrence when Ralph Judson was a Supervisor : A bill was presented to the Board of Su- pervisors requiring an appropriation of a thousand dol- lars for the benefit of the Hudson Orphan Asylum, and Mr. Judson moved that before its allowance the mana<rers
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 43
of tlie Asylum be required to make the same report through the County Superhitendents that was required for the inmates of the County Poor House. For this motion of Mr. Judson, a very hitter attack was made upon him by one of the [)aid editors of the Board. In explana- tion, Mr. Judson stated that however well the Asylum was now conducted, it might degenerate into other hands who might make it a nursery of vice. A majority of its inmates were from other counties, and in other hands the inmates might not be jjaupers, and corrupt men might use it to conceal their debaucheries. At any rate, with- out some better knowledge of its operations than was then possessed liy the Board, it was a bad precedent. To this the editor replied in rude language that the associa- tions at the county house were corru})ting and contami- nating, and the reputation of having been its inmate would be disgraceful to the individual during life, and the editor denied that he was the author of what ap- peared editorially in his paper, but was written or dictated by the lady managers of the institution. To the repre- sentation of the editor tlie folJ owing was a closing reply. "1 must i)e ])ardoned if I do not recognize as the produc- tion of ladies all that may be represented as such in the columns of that paper, or all that may be pulled as such by the editor of it. It is not characteristic of ladies to seok to effect their purposes by the joint influence of l)lackguardism and flattery, nor seek to associate with such as do. It is not characteristic of ladies to putf as noble hearted, men who with pockets closed themselves are liush in giving away the money of others. It is not cliaracteristic of ladies to boast their own qualities of head and heart, while denying that of others. It is not charactteristic of ladies to boast immunity of that law w]ii(;]i allows taxpayers to know the objects for which they are taxed, and allows the world to know the causes which has produced destitution. It is not characteristic
44 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
of ladies to affect to weep over the poverty of infants, and , yet to impute such poverty as crime to persons in second childhood. It is not characteristic of ladies to confound misfortune with vice, and poverty with crime. The law sends the vicious and criminal to the county jail, and the poor and unfortunate to the countv poor house. It is not characteristic of ladies to charge the thousands annually discharged from our ])oor houses with having beeu nur- tured amidst crime and vice, merely because they had spent their infantile years amidst the poor and unfortunate. No, no ! Such are not the characteristics of lovely and intelligent ladies. They are more properly the character- istics of an impudent and silly editor, who, after having indulged in blackguardisms, cowardh' sneaks behind the crinoline to escape from the consequences." That insti- tution has adopted much of the policy suggested by the resolution of Mr. Judson, and has no doubt grown to be a noble institution, and certainly a portion of the credit of it is due to Mr. Judson and that section of the town he represented. As the inmates of that asylum are from other counties, it may be questionable with its merits whether it should not beconie a State institution. And there is no doubt that the mandatory provision of the law in resj^ect to it should be changed so as to allow the Board of Supervisors to act upon their discretion. Some of the most ridiculous and extravagant expenses of the county of Columbia have grown out of the mandator}^ laws of the State, and the attention of the New York Leg- islature was called to the impropriety of such laws forty- eight years ago by a representative from Columbia county, and the evil consequence of not regarding that sugges- tion has been a subject of complaint ever since.
CHAPTER XIV.
A HISTORICAL FOUNDATION — BIRDSALL FAMILY — HILLSDALE
CENTRE.
Benjamin Birdsall— James Bryan 2d— Pelatiah Hunt— John Wa^er — Baruet Burtis — Judge Loop — Stephen Hoyt -Ethan Boyes— Dr. Kich- ard Bartlett — Nathaniel Husen — Abraham Overhiser -William White — Baruet Wayer— Gustavus A. Dibble— Stephen Hedges— Joseph Ross- man -George Knox and David West — Gilbert Sherwood — Walter Mc Alpine — Samuel Truesdell— David Collin — Silas Reed— Lewis Adsit — Mr. Evans— Peter B. Hollen beck— President Tyler — Austin Morey — Lorenzo Gilbert— Nicholas C. Tyler — Captain Henry P. Mesicii — Rev. Abel Brown- Thos. Benedict— Nicholas Sharts- -Daniel Darien — Dea- con John Tyler.
The brief outlines of the History of Hillsdale will not be left to the ephemeral existence of the newspaper, but is intended to be corrected and enlarged and published in book form, and it is a matter of congratulation that so many are manifesting their affection for their deceased kindred and their regard for the past history of their town, by supplying kindred records. However humble this history may be, it will lay the foundation for immi- nent historians to perpetuate the history of the town for all future time. The records received enables me to make some important corrections.
In respect to the Birdsall family, of which I have given a brief history, records since received enable me to make corrections. Benjamin Birdsall married a Miss Acker, Their children were : Morris, George, Lewis, Benjamin,
46 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
•James, Sarah, Lizzie and Judith. Sarah married George Amigh; Judith married Joseph Hageman ; Lizzie married Joseph Pixley, the brother of John and sou of Ephraim Pixley, aud Morris married Anna Pixley, the sister of Johu and Joseph Pixley. James Br3^an second, married Nellie Pixley, the sister of John and Joseph Pixley. James Bryan had three sons and one daughter (Eveline), a girl distinguished for intelligence, vivacitA' aud beauty. A monument is erected to her memory near the graves of the Pixleys in the grounds of the Hillsdale Rural Ceme- tery Association.
In respect to Hillsdale Centre, I have already given a brief liistor}' of Colonel Charles McKinstry, one of the earliest and most respectable citizens of the town. Also of his son-in-law. Judge Augustus Tremain, whose son Porter married Amanda Collin, daughter of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, and after her decease he married Lucy B. Collin, daughter of David and Anne Smith Collin.
I have also briefly noticed Judge Henry Loop, who married a daughter of Colonel Charles McKinstry. Al- mira, the daughter of Judge Henry Loop, married Lee Collin, the son of David and Lucy Bingham Collin.
Pelatiah Hunt lived about a mile distant from the resi- dence of Colonel Charles McKinstry. He was a wealthy farmer, and one of his descendants by blood and another by afhnity have been members of the County Board of Supervisors. John Wager lived about a mile from the residence of Colonel McKinstry. His wife was the daughter of David Arnold, who was the brother of the first wife of Captain John Collin. Jolin Wager was one of the early residents of the town. His kindred have all acquired wealth by their industr}^ and economy. His son was an officer in the company that marched to the de- fence of Plattsburgh in the war of 1812, and his grandson has been the chairman to the judicial committee in tlie
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 47
State Legislature. My first meetiiify with the Democracy of the town was in March, 1824, when I first made the acquaintance of Isaac and Silas Downing, Gilbert Palmer and Justices Gaul and McKown, and other sterling Dem- ocrats from the Harlemville section of the town. At that meeting John Wager presided, and in it his well spoken advice had a controlling influence. Then, having been ab- sent from the town some years, my next meeting with the Democracy, was in March, 1830, at which John Wager again presided, and where I first made the acc^uaintance of Colonel Ambrose Lockwood, Colonel Andrew Higgins, Colonel Anson Dakin, Deacon John Tylei' and Barnet and Thomas Burtis, Colonel Jared Winslow and many other long-life Democrats. Barnet Burtis then owned and occupied the farm now owned by Peter B. Hollen- beck ; Judge Loop owned the farm now owned by Allen B. Downing; Stephen Hoyt ow-ned tlie farm adjoining the State line, sul)sequently owned by Thomas Burtis, and now owned hj a Mr. Johnson. Ethan Boyes owned the farm now owned by John White. Dr. Richard Bart- lett owned the farm now owned by his son Richard. Nathaniel Husen owned the farm now owned b}' David A. Nichols. Abraham Overhiser owned the farm which has been bequeathed by Alanson Morehouse to his wife. William White owned the farm now owned by Eandoll Dean. John Wager's farm is now owned by Benson A. Hunt. Barnet Wager owned the farm now owned by George Gilbert. Gustavus A. Dibble owned the farm now owned by Austin Morey. Ste}>hen Hedges owned the farm now owned by Datus Hanor. Joseph Bossman owned the farm now owned b}- the widow and heirs of Nicholas C. Tyler. George Knox and David West owned the farms now owned by llodney Gilbert. Gilbert Sher- wood owned the farm of Norman Crandall. Walter Mc- Alpine owned the farm of William Ward. Samuel Trues- dell oAvnecl the farm of LeKov Hunt. David Collin owned
48 nnj^sDALE history.
the farm of Eutsen Hunt. Silas Keed owned the farm of Edward B. Hunt. Lewis Adsit owned the farm of Jack- son Bartlett. Mr. Evans owned the farm of Elisha Os- born. The farm formerly owned by Barnet Burtis is now owned and occupied l)y Peter B. Hollenbeck. For two years he has represented the town in the Board of Super- visors, and has been a trustee in the Hillsdale Rural Cemetery Association durinsj its whole histor3\ His wife was a daughter of Jacob I. Van Deusen, one of the most prominent farmers of Copake. The few other changes will be noticed upon further information, and interesting histories will be given of some of the occupants.
The wife of Stephen Hedges was a Miss Gardanier, aunt of the wife of President Tyler. William White was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was in the reserve during the last battle with the army of General Burgoyne. Austin Morey was born January 20th, 1819, and married Catharine Smith March 29th, 1845. She was born April 5th, 1822. Their children are : Smith, born June 29th, 1846; Eugene A., born June 29th, 1848; Delia E., born February 13tb, 1856. Eugene A. married Mary Gorsline November 17th, 1869, and Delia E. mar- ried J. T. McKown October 28th, 1880. In 1863 and 1864 Mr. Morey represented the town of Hillsdale in the Board of Supervisors.
Lorenzo Gilbert owns the farm adjoining that of his brother Rodney. His wife was a daughter of Esquire James Reyn(^lds, of Copake, and for two years he has represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. Nicho- las C. Tyler was for some years a Justice of the Peace, and his wife was the daughter of Esquire Joel Pierce, whose farm adjoined that of Austin Morey and was very near the farm of Colonel Mclvinstry.
Captain Hem-y P. Mesick once owned one of the farms now owned b}' John McAlpine, and the Rev. Abel Brown owned the other farm belonging to McAlpine. The Rev.
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 49
Abel Brown was a wortliy member of the Baptist Church, aud his wife was the sister of Judge John Martin, of Claveraek. Thomas Benedict owned the farm adjoining the land of John McAlpine on the north, which now be- longs to John Q. Johnson, and Nicholas Sharts was the original owner of the land adjoining that of John Mc- Alpine on the south, which now also belongs to John Q. Johnson.
Daniel Darien was the original owner of the farm of Lorenzo Gilbert, and Deacon John Tyler owned the farm adjoining on the north of Lorenzo Gilbert, who for two years represented the town in the Board of Supervisors.
CHAPTEE XV.
A FAMILY HISTORY DESIRABLE — HILLSDALE ROADS — COMMIS- SIONERS FROM 1852 TO 1883.
Fiunily Histories interesting — An Appeal to the Cominnnity tor such — Charles Crow — William Coon — Crooked Roads— Columbia Turnpike — Soil for Roads —Road Laws — Assessments —Sums Expended on Roads since 1849 -Reform.
A family history of the people of Hillsdale who lived a half century ago would now he considered a treasure. A famil}' history of the present population would be con- sidered a treasure to the people of Hillsdale in the half- century to come. These are facts that our people should appreciate, and each and all should give their family his- tory. To publish a part who have generously supplied those family histories, while the large portion of (jur peo- ple were omitted, would be very uninteresting. A brief history upon the subject fi-om memory would be subject to errors, and might be considered by some impertinent. I have therefore suspended that brief history in the hope that the ]3eople generally would take the subject into seri- ous consideration and give assistance in its accomplish- ment. Should they fail to do so, I may think best to adopt the History of Hillsdale as it appears in our lately published county liistor}^, with such additions as my memory and other authorities will enable me to supply.
In attending to the officers of the town I should not omit the names of Charles Crow and William Coon, who have long been useful magistrates in Hillsdale villao-e.
HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 51
Mr. Crow's fatlier was long a worthy farmer in Western Hillsdale, and his wife's fatlier was a merchant and farm- er in Eastern Hillsdale,
A history of the roads in Hillsdale is a subject worthy of attention. The hills and valleys made crooked roads a necessity, and the confusion among the earlier settlers made them much more so. But the establishment of the Columbia Turnpike some eighty-odd years ago made a fine road through the southern section of the town. And some fifty-odd 3'ears ago an association of citizens made an improved road through the centre of the town. The soil is of a character to make the best of roads, and be- ing near the fountain head of the streams the bridges were cheap, consisting chiefly of single spans. Under these circumstances and our efiicient laws, the making and keeping our roads in repftir has comparatively been attended with but small expense to the people. Those laws, however, required the people to be assessed not less than about one thousand days' work annually upon the roads, or about twenty-five days to the mile, to which the overseers of higliAvays had authority to add one-third, if necessary. In addition to this, the Commissioners of Highways, in order to aid weak districts, were authorized to assess upon the property of the town two hundred and fifty dollars annfially, and with the consent of the people of the town through their suffrages, they could be author- ized to assess upon the property of the town the addi- tional sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars. But each of those sums had to be accompanied Avith a particular specification of their objects, and the commissioners are required to report to the Town Auditors that the money had been expended in pursuance of those objects, which report was required to be entered upon the town records. If expended for l)ridges, the report should so state. If expended for road districts, the report should state the districts. To aid towns having expensive bridges, a law
52 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
exists authorizing the Town Clerk, Justices and Commis- sioner of Highways on any day previous to the first Tues- day in October in any year, to authorize the making of a loan of one-half of one per cent, upon the assessed property of the town for the purpose of some particular specified object in relation to roads and bridges. Under the provisions of these judicious laws, the people of Hillsdale, previous to 1850, never required much expense upon the roads beyond the per diem specified by law. To repair some bridges or to aid some weak road district there was sometimes expended during a year from one to two hundred dollars. Since 1850 the following are some of the sums expended over and above the per diem as- sessments :
COMMISSIONERS.
- James Gorsline, Daniel D. Goodsall,
- David BushQell, David Bnshnell,
- Alfred Curtis, Robert Mc Alpine,
- Robert McAlpine, George M. Bullock,
- George M. Bullock, Philip C. Shaver,
- Peter B. HoUenbeck, Peter B. HoUenbeck,
- Isaac Coon, Martin J. Sweet,
- Adam D. Van DeBoe, Adam D. Van DeBoe,
- Rodney Gilbert, Rodney Gilbert,
- Rodney Gilbert, Judson Wiley,
- Rodney Gilbert. William D. Washburn,
- Ambrose L. Overhiser.
In addition to the extraordinary and apparently illegal road tax upon the people of the town, there has been an-
|
YEAB. |
AMOUNl |
|
1852 - |
- $ 50 |
|
1855 |
100 |
|
1856 - |
• 100 |
|
1857 |
250 |
|
1858 - |
. 200 |
|
1860 |
150 |
|
1861 - |
- 175 |
|
1862 |
430 |
|
1863 - |
. 700 |
|
1864 |
200 |
|
1865 - |
• 200 |
|
1866 |
150 |
|
1868 - |
200 |
|
187U |
250 |
|
1871 - |
350 |
|
1873 |
— |
|
1874 - |
500 |
|
1875 |
800 |
|
1876 - |
500 |
|
1878 |
1355 |
|
1880 - |
• 500 |
|
1881 |
500 |
|
1882 - |
- 500 |
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 53
nuall}^ paid for the use of tlie roads fi-om eifrhty to one hundred dollars commutation money, and during the last year the per diem road tax has been doubled.
After the next auditing day I shall be curious to look and see if the town books will show that the money has all been expended according to law. I trust that it will not turn out that we have had " star route " performers among us. On the contrary, I trust that the examination will disclose extraordinary merit on the part of our road commissioners. Civil service reform is the order of the day. I trust that we shall never need such reform in old Hillsdale.
CHAPTEE XVI.
children's aid SOCIETY^ — KOELIFF JANSEN VALLEY — BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 1824 — EQUALIZATION.
Children's Aid Society — Astors— Vanderbilts — Sixty Thousand Orphans — Officers — A Kesiduary Bequest — William T. Palmer — George N. Loop — Isaac White — George Mitchel — Andrew and John Brusie — Roe- liflf Jansen Valley Farms — Titles of 1790— Heirs of Nicholas Hollenbeck — Hillsdale Lauds worth $18 per Acre — Board of Supervisors of 1824 — William Miirray's Equalization — Board of 1840 -Hillsdale's Supervisor Objects to Prerogatives of the District Attorney —Stockport's Manufac- turing Interests and Valuation — State Assessor's Report.
There are associations witli the Children's Aid Society of the city of New York that give that society a title to a notice in the History of Hillsdale. That society is one of the worthiest charities of the world. It was incorpor- ated about thirty years ago, and has about sixty thou- sand orphans under its care. It has about fifteen hun- dred regular contributors, who give ti"om one dollar to three thousand dollars annually for its support. Among those contributors are the Astors and the Vanderbilts. Kich bequests are made for its benefit. Mrs. Mary E. Flagg has recently bequeathed $9,000 for its benefit. William A. Booth is the President of that society; Geo. S. Coe is Treasurer ; Charles L. Brace is Secretary, and J. W. Skinner is the Superintendent of its schools. It has fifteen trustees, the terms of five of whom expire annually. To that society a citizen of Hillsdale, after rich bequests to all of his kindred, made a residuary be-
HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 55
quest which at his death contained over $8,000 in cash and about $6,000 of investments. A further history of that Society and that bequest will be' given in the future.
Among the early residents of Eastern Hillsdale. Wm. T. Palmer formerly owned the farm of Sylvester Wolcott ; George H. Loop formerly owned the farm of George Douglass ; Isaac White was an original owner of the farm of Michael Ward ; George Mitchel, owned the farm of Samuel Mitchel; John Moon formerly owned the farm of Martin Haywood, and Andrew and John Brusie were the original owners of the farm of George Brusie. Isaac White was aided by Caleb Benton and John Pixley in procuring his title to the Ward farm.
The best lands in Hillsdale are in the Roeliflf Jansen valley. The Manor titles to the best of those lands were obtained in 1790 at ten dollars per acre. Two of the very best of these farms were apj^raised in 1833 in the distribution of personal and real estate at twenty-five dollars per acre. The very best farm in that valley was sold at negotiated sale by the heirs of Nicholas Hollen- beck, in 1850, at thirty-five dollars per acre. The annual agricultural productions of the town by the census have never much exceeded $175,000, and at times not much more than $150,000, so that taking into account that much of the town consists of rugged hills and some waste land, eighteen dollars per acre is the highest legal value of the whole town.
A more talented Board of Supervisors never assembled in Columbia county than that of 1824. To that Board, William Murray, the Supervisor from Copake, submitted an equalization table of the agricultural lands in the county, which was adopted by the Board. That valua- tion put the lands in Hillsdale at thirteen dollars per acre, and those of Stockport at twenty-nine dollars per acre. For eleven successive years Mr. Murray continued to represent that town. In 1837 Greenport having been
56 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
admitted as a town, there was a revision of the equaliza- tion table, and that of Mr. Murray was adopted. Up to 1839 the county had been taxed for the support of ex- pensive bridges in certain towns. In that year the Su- pervisor from Hillsdale raised an objection to that coun- ty tax, as the bottom lands along the streams greatly enhanced the value of the lands in those towns, and the mill sites were of still greater value, and the bridges were principally valuable to the people of those towns. The objection was sustained, and the county was no longer taxed for that purpose. In 1840 the Board of Su- pervisors was convulsed about a disputed seat, which on the second week was satisfactorily settled by a committee composed of the Supervisors of Livingston and Hillsdale. The Supervisor from Hillsdale raised objections to pre- rogatives exercised by the District Attorney and jailer, which were ultimately sustained. The Supervisor from Stockport moved that the people of Austerlitz should be taxed for the support of an expensive bridge in Stock- port, as the people of Austerlitz used it on their way to the Hudson market. The Supervisor of Hillsdale op- posed the motion and was sustained. In 1811 it was discovered by the census that in addition to the agricul- tural lands there was $814,000 of manufacturing real es- tate in the town of Stockport, and the Supervisor fi-om Hillsdale moved that in the equalization that manufac- turing real estate should be added to the agricultural in that town. After an exciting debate the motion of the Supervisor from Hillsdale was voted down. By the as- sessor's valuation, the Agricultural lauds in Stockport were valued at $367,000, to which, if the manufacturing real estate had been added, it would have amounted to $1,181,000. But the Supervisors in their valuation re- duced Stockport to $199,433. The effect of this was not only to leave the large amount of the real estate of the manufacturers untaxed, but by reducing the Supervisors'
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 57
Vfilnatiou of farm lands below that of the assessors', re- duced the tax upon personal property in Stockport three- tenths of a mill below that of many other of the towns in the county. That policy has been pursued ever since, a little modified at the present session of the Board. While the net income of the real estate in Stockport has been seven-fold greater than that of Hillsdale, Hillsdale has at all times been taxed twice as high as Stockport, including the enormous expense of the civil war. That great wrong might have been averted had the Supervisor from Hillsdale appealed from the equalization of the Board in 1841. His excuse for not doing so for that and the two succeeding years that he was in the Board was the limit- ed amount of county tax imposed upon the people ; that upon Hillsdale for those years but a little exceeded $1,000 annually, being probably less than the woodchuck bounty of the present year. And the whole county tax upon the town was less than half the annual grievance of succeed- ing years. With all its modifications a late State Assess- ors' report will show that at least $10,000,000 worth of real estate, not agricultural, has escaped taxation in the equalization of the present Board of Supervisors. Laws should immediately be passed simplifying and preventing the great expense in procuring redress for these great wrongs. Such expenses and technical provisions of law are used by designing men to prevent redress from being sought for these great wrongs.
CHAPTEE XVII
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPOINTED BY THE GOVEENOR — JUS- TICES ELECTED — THADDEUS KEED — PHILIP BECKER.
The Justices of the Peace given in order as appointed by the Governor from 1786 to 1827— Justices elected by the people since 1827 — Tbad- deus Eeed— Catharine Garner— James W. White — Philip Becker— John P. Becker -East Hillsdale Furnace.
The justices of the peace in the town of Hillsdale, from 1786 to 1827, were appointed by the Governor of the State, and were in order as follows : Jacob Ford, James Bryan, Benjamin Birdsall, D. Pratt, Charles McKinstry, Ebenezer Soule, Edward Bagley, Judah Lawrence, Bar- tholomew Williams, Joseph Morehouse, Aaron Reed, B. Richmond, Oliver Teal, Sauford Tracy, Cyrus Alger, Jesse Ford, Maurice Birdsall, John Pixley, Joel Pierce, Isaac Ford, Story Gott, William Niles, Henry Loop, Jared Winslow, David Leonard, Timothy Reed, Joseph Rodman, Jonathan Olmsted, George Squires, Erastus Pratt, Salmon Way, Richard Gaul, Stephen Hadley, Cor- nelius Van Kuren, James McKown.
Stephen Hadley was the brother-in-law of Chester Goodale, of South Egremont, and the uncle by affinity of the distinguished youthful writers of poetry, Dora and Elaine Goodale, and the father of Sterling Hadley, who for years was one of the State Assessors in New York, and once a representative in the State Legislature.
The justices of the peace elected by the people are as
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 59
follows : Josiali Knapp, Jr., for three terms ; Thaddeus Reed for five terms : Jared Winslow, John Richmond, Richard Gaul, for three terms each ; Frederick Pultz for three terms ; Samuel Judson for three terms ; John H. Overhiser for two terms : Rodney Hill, Nicholas C. Tyler, Andrew Higgins, for three terms each ; Quincy Johnson, Lewis B. Adsit for five terms ; Eli Richmond for two terms ; Philip Becker for two terms ; Ira Palmer, William Coon for three terms ; Willis Disbrow for three terms ; Charles Crow for four terms ; John Q. Johnson for three terms ; Hiram Winslow for three terms ; Wm. T. Holsapple, Henry J. Rowe and Wm. H. Gardner.
Thaddeus Reed for many years kept the tavern at what is now called the Hillsdale House, in Hillsdale village. He was the brother of Rufus Reed, of Hudson, and of Dr. Ebenezer Reed, of Austerlitz, and the uncle by affin- ity of Addison Alger, of Western Hillsdale. His adopted daughter, Catharine Garner, married James W. White, a merchant in Hillsdale village, and now j-esides at Tarry- town, in the State of New York.
Philip Becker was the son of John P. Becker, of Har- lemville, and the brother of Stephen C. and David L. Becker, and of Margaret Caroline Becker, who married Orrin M. Sawyer, of Austerlitz, and of Lovina Becker, who married Orville McAlpin, of Hillsdale Centre, and of Elizabeth Becker, who married Sylvanus Smith, of Pen Yan, and of Julianne Becker, who married Samuel Voak, of Waukegan, Illinois, and Catharine Becker, who mar- ried Peter J. Becker, of Hillsdale village, and Polly Becker, who married Gains Truesdell, of Benton, Yates county, N. Y., and Almira Becker, who married Isaac Coon, of Harlemville. Philip Becker was born June 22d, 1805. He married Elizabeth DeGroff July 22d, 1827. His son Henry L. was born July 15th, 1828 ; James M. was born June 29th, 1831 ; Luman P. was born December 20tli, 1833 ; Jane was born April 16th, 1836 ; Julia was
60 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
born October 12th, 1837; Emma H. was born September 28tli, 1840 ; Philip was born December 10th, 1813 ; Char- lie was born April 28th, 1846 ; Hiram H. was born May 10th, 1848 ; Mary was born December 20th, 1850. Philip Becker was ever distinguished for intelligence and integ- rity. He was long a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he held an official position. He Avas for a time the Master in a Masonic Lodge. As a carpen- ter and joiner he had many apprentices, who all have made good workmen and respectable men. He estab- lished the furnace in Eastern Hillsdale, and cultivated a farm, and employed in his business a sawing and planing mill. In the discharge of his duties as a magistrate he gave universal satisfaction.
CHAPTEK XVIII.
SETTLERS FROM MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT — WAR OF 1812 — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE.
Purchasers of Manor titles — George Bushnell — Jeremiah Hoffman —Dr. Jones— Elisha W. Bushnell — Parla Foster — His children— Capt. John Collin— Robert Orr — His children -Elijah Cleveland^His children — His ancestor Giiy de Cleveland, of England— Moses Cleveland — Ann Winn — Intelligence and integrity of supervisors and magistrates — Early conflicts — Aid in the war of 1812 — Thousands of dollars for com- mutation in the late civil war, and $74,000 war taxes paid — Liberality to sufferers in America and Ireland — Contributions to the Five Points Mission, and Children's .\id Society.
When Massachusetts had yielded to New York her claim to sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hillsdale, Robert Noble and others holding titles under Massachu- setts returned to New England. But some remained and purchased manor titles to the lands they occupied. Among them was George Bushnell, avIio was born in Say- brook, Conn. His son John married Loxey Lay, of Say- brook. One daughter married Jeremiah Hoffman, of Claverack, and one daughter married Dr. Jones, of Hills- dale. His grandson, Elisha W. Bushnell, still occupies the old homestead. Parlia Foster, born in Connecticut, remained in Hillsdale and purchased the manor title. He married Phebe Wills, of Connecticut, and their children were : Anna, who married Dr. John Esmond, and after him in succession Mr. Northrop and Benjamin Snyder; Moses married Esther Sherwood ; Isaac married Lucy
8*
62 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Sherwood, and after her in succession Polly Pixley and Nancy Johnson Gerry and Eveline Johnson ; Simeon married Emily Nichols ; Ely married Polly Bushnell ; Seymour married Sarah Madeline Truesdell; Judson mar- ried Sabrina Messenger ; Deidamie married Dr. John Stevens ; Sally married Richard Latting ; Katy married Stephen Bosworth and Phebe married George Wooden. Capt. John Collin, born in Milford, Conn., remained in Hillsdale and purchased the manor title. He married Sarah Arnold, and after her demise he married Deidamie Morse Davidson. His children were : Anthony, who died a soldier in the war of the revolution ; John, who married Ruth Holman Johnson ; Hannah, wdio married Thomas Truesdell. Robert Orr, born in Bridgewater, Mass., re- mained in Hillsdale and purchased the manor title. He married Hannah Kingman. Their children were Susanna, Jane, Hector, Robert B., Montgomery, and Noble. Elijah Cleveland, born in Ceuterbury, Conn., remained in Hills- dale. He married Alice Lawrence, of Centerbury. He died Sept. 28th, 1794, in tlie 74th year of his age, and she died June 12th, 1799, in the 69th year of her age. They were buried near the site of the old Baptist church on the land of Robert Orr, subsequently the land of Solomon B. Collin, in a graveyard now obliterated. Chas. Crow, Esq., is his kindred by affinity. His mother, Lucy Serign Crow, being a sister to Elizabeth Serign, who was a sister- in-law of Elijah Cleveland. The children of Elijah and Alice Cleveland were as follows : Joseph, who married Elizabeth Fenton ; Lucinda, who married Henry Dibble ; Asa who married Mary Dibble ; John, who married Eliz- abeth Serign ; Abigail, who married Thomas Bathrick. and after him she married Peter Smith ; Daniel, who mar- ried Amy Dibble ; Sarah, who married Andrew Reynolds; Waitstell, who married Martha Tabor ; Anna, who mar- ried Henry Salisbury. All born in Hillsdale except Jos- eph, who was born in Middletown, Conn., and died in
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 6B
1802. The Clevelands were the descendants of Guy de Cleveland, of York county, in England. He was present at the siege of Bologne in France, and commanded the spearmen in the battle of Poictiers. His descendant, Moses Cleveland, came to America about 1635 and set- tled atWoburn, Mass., and married Ann Winn, Jan. 26th, 1648, and died Jan. 9tli, 1701. Their children were Moses, Hannah, Aaron, Samuel, Miriam, Joanna, Edward, Josiah, Isaac and Enoch. A. much more extended and minute history of the Cleveland kindred may be given when this publication shall be in book form.
'Tis education forms the connnon mind, JiiKt piH the twi^ is bent the tree's inclined.
The children in the families here noticed, without a single exception, have all filled respectable positions in society, which has been the fruit of the teachings by their noble mothers. The efforts of those mothers, too, have been most conspicuous in the establishment of the relig- ious churches in the town, wliicli has done so much to improve the moral and religious characteristics of the people. History will sliow that the residue of the popu- lation of Hillsdale, though composed of a conglomeration of all the existing nationalities, compare favorably with those from New England. The thirty-five supervisors that have represented the town, and the fifty magistrates, have all been characterized for intelligence and integrity. For three-fourths of a century the people of Hillsdale were convulsed by the conflicts between Massachusetts and New York, and the occupants under Massachusetts and the manor titles. The settlement of those controver- sies found the people to be such as I have described. In the war of 1812 they individually and collectively gave aid to their country, while others gave aid and comfort to the enemy. In pursuance of law, in the late civil war they quietly gave thousands of dollars by way of commutations,
64 HILLSDALE HISTOEY.
and paid over $77,000 in war taxes,altliough they doubted the necessity and expediency of the war, and with Horace Greeley they believed that a Union was not worth sus- taining that had to be pinned together with bayonets, and with the makers of the federal constitution they believed that our Union should be one of mutual affection and ben- efits, and not of force. By their liberality they have ever manifested a kindly regard for those who have suffered by fire or flood or famine, such as has occurred in Chicago, or in the Mississippi valley, or in Ireland. They have long contributed annually to the Five Points Mission in New York city, and one of its citizens has recently made a liberal bequest to the Children's Aid Society, one of the noblest charities of the world. As its merits become developed it will receive further aid from the citizens of Hillsdale. It has 60,000 orphans under its care. It has 32 schools with 86 teachers, in New York city for the ed- ucation of orphans. It has agents all over the country to see that the thousands for whom they have found homes are properly cared for. Alreadj' some of the most active business men of our country are among those whom the society have befriended, atid whose numerously published letters are filled with thanks for those benefits. The char- itable contributions to that society during the past year have amounted to $234,892, and have been annually in- creasing during the past thirty years.
CHAPTEE XIX.
ROAD AND BRIDGE EXPENSES ONLY $9,000 FOR FIFTY YEARS — IN SEVEN RECENT YEARS $4,500.
Fifty years road, bridge and Commissioner's expenses, only $9,000 — Seven years expenses $4,500 — Commissioners and Amlitors siiould c-onii)lj' with strict letter ol the law — What a commissioner's account should specify — Should report reasons lor assessing over 990 days- Law defining amount of extra moneys, and purposes— Acts of 1875 and 1874— First Monday in October.
There are fifty years iu the history of Hillsdale in Avhicli the expenses for roads and bridges, including the compen- sation of the Road Commissioners, have not exceeded $9,000. There are seven recent years in which these ex- penses have exceeded $4,500. To guard against such ex- penses in the future, and avoid suspicion in respect to the integrity of the Commissioners, or the discretion of the Board of Town Auditors, the strict letter of the law should be complied with in the discharge of the duties of both Commissioners and Auditors. The account of the Commissioners should always specify the object for which the services were rendered. It should specify the days in filling road warrants and their distribution, and in meet- ing with Auditors, tfcc. He should specify particularly the money he had received from his predecessor or the Sup- ervisor by way of fines or commutations, and particularly where and for what it had been expended. If he should assess over 990 days labor upon the roads in the town of
9
66 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Hillsdale, he sliould report bis reasons for doing so, as that provided 25 days to the mile, to which the Overseers were empowered to add one-third. Upon his own voli- tion he should not be allowed over $250 in any one year for roads and bridges, as the law expressly forbids it, and $100 of that sum would supply ten weak road districts with ten days each of labor on the road, and $150 would supply plank, string pieces and spikes for a half dozen of the average bridges in the town. He should not be allowed for any labor of men and teams that could be rendered by those assessed upon the roads. The officers of the town are not authorized to allow money to be ex- pended upon roads and bridges in the town, except for a single bridge, under an act of 1875, and also an act of 1874, in which they are authorized to expend one half of one-per cent of the assessed value of the town for specific roads and bridges. But no action upon that subject can be taken after the first Monday in October in each year, so as to give time for an appeal to the Board of Super- visors by any one aggrieved by their action. Had all the foregoing laws , been complied with, it would have saved thousands of dollars to the people of Hillsdale in the past, and might save thousands of dollars to them in the future.
CHAPTER XX.
AN EABLY ACCOUNT OF HILLSDALE, FROM A GAZETTEER OP NEW YORK — CHURCHES AND PASTORS.
Hillsdale Village —Harlfiiuville- Green River— ^North Hillsdale Baptist Church— First M. E. Church, Hillsdale Villaj^e -First Presbyterian Church— West Hillsdale M. E. Church -North Hillsdale M. E. Church — Harlemville M. E. Chl^rch -Christian Church at Green River.
Hillsdale was formed from Claverack, as a district, March 26, 1782, recognized as a town, March 7, 1788, and a part of Austerlitz was taken off in 1818. The surface is broken by ranges of Jiills which extend in a north and south direction, and are separated by narrow valleys. Its waters are small, but they afford a good supply of mill sites ; they consist of Green River, which crosses the northeast corner, and several small streams which form the headwaters of Roeliff Jansen's and Claverack creeks. The soil consists of a gravelly loam and clay. The popu- lation of the town in 1880 was 1,939.
Hillsdale Village on the south line, near the east cor- ner, is a station on the Harlem R. R. It is a smart little village of about 500 inhabitants and contains three hotels, two churches (Methodist and Presbyterian), about half a dozen stores of various kinds, several wagon shops and blacksmith shops, a grist mill, saw mill, two tin shops, harness shop, foundry of plows, where large numbers of Hillsdale iron beam plows are annually manufactured
68 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
and sliij^ped to various parts of tlie country. This sta- tion is tlie most important one on the Harlem Kaih'oad, in the county south of Chatham.
Harlemville, in the northwest corner, contains one hotel, three stores, a shoe shop, two wagon shops, three or four blacksmith shops, and one church (Methodist).
Green River, in the northeast corner derives its name from the' river of the same name, on which it is located, and wliich rises in the town of Austerlitz, flows southeast and empties into the Housatonic River, in Connecticut. The stream, when the water is high, has a greenish ap- pearance, and from this fact and the green trees along its banks its name is derived. The stream is noted for th e abundance of trout it contains. The village contains one hotel, ono church (Christian), a shoe shop, blacksmith shop and saw mill.
The town was settled at a very early day, the south part by immigrants from Massachusetts, and the north by Dutch settlers. Among the latter were fam- ilies by the name of Showerman, Blackman, Kinyon, Fregers, Evarts and Sliarts. A Mr. Foster was one of the first settlers near Hillsdale village ; and Cols. Wm. Tanner and Jared Winslow near Green River. The state surrendered its claims to the lands actually occupied, March 12, 1793. Unhappy disputes relative to titles to land in this town, long agitated the inhabitants, and sev- eral lives were lost in the controversy before it was final- ly settled by arbitration.
The North Hillsdale Baptist Church was organized with 14 members. May 28, 1787, and with Rev. Stephen Gano, D. D., as its first pastor. The first house of wor- ship was erected in 1787 ; and the present one, which will seat 250 persons, in 1839, at a cost of about $6,000. The present number of members is 22. The last pastor was Rev. Mr. Bennett, of England, who served this church jointly with the Baptist church at North Egremont, but
HILLSDALE HISTORY. G9
discontinued service here in 1881. This is the oldest church in the town, and the following are the names of the 14 constituent members at the date of its organiza- tion : James Martin, Caleb Woodward, Jr., Wm. West, Jr., Ambrose Latting, Griffin Wilde, Joanna Latting, Ruth Jordan, Phebe Martin, Esther Terry, Rosannah West, Lucy Loop, Anna Woodward, Sarah Martin and Anna Wilde.
The First M. E. Church, of Hillsdale, was organized in 1808, with 30 members, by Rev. Wm. Swayze, and its first pastor was Rev. D. Ostrander. The first lunise of wor- ship was erected 1811, and the present one which will seat 400 persons, in 1874, which with an elegant parson- age cost $9,000. The present pastor is Rev. E. J. Belcher, and tLe membership one hundred and twenty.
The First Presbyterian Church, located at Hillsdale village was organized August 16, 1831, by Rev. L. B. Van Dyck, who was its first pastor with 14 memljers. The first edifice was "accepted" by the Society, July 4, 1833 ; it was repaired in 1851, and will seat 250 persons. Its value with parsonage is $6,000. The present membership is 22, and Rev. L. M. Berger is its pastor. During the pastorate of Rev. L. B. Van Dj'ck, from its organization to July 25, 1834, 100 persons joined the church.
The West Hillsdale M. E. Church was organized some 50 years since. The first and present edifice, which will seat 300 persons, was erected in 1853, at a cost of $2,500. The first pastor was Rev. Elbert Osburn ; the present one is Rev. N. H. Bangs. Its present member- ship is twenty-eight.
The North Hillsdale M. E. Church erected their pres- ent house of worship, which will seat 225 persons, in 1837, at a cost of $5,000. Its present pastor is Rev. N. H. Bangs.
The Harlemville M. E. Church erected their first house in 1820 ; and the present one, which will seat 250
9*
70 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
persons, and the value of which is estimated at $3,000, in 1854. The present pastor is Eev. Adee Vail.
The Christian Church, located at Green Eiver, was or- ganized in 1851, with 30 members, and Rev. Allen Hay- ward, as its first pastor. The house of worship was erec- ted the following year. It will seat 400 persons, and its estimated value is $2,000. The present pastor is Eev. Joel Gallup, and the membership about 20.
CHAPTER XXI.
HILLSDALE HISTORY AS PUBLISHED IN THE HISTORY OF COLUM- BIA COUNTY, 1878.
Area of Hillsdale— Its Population — Surface — Principal Streams — Soil — Early Settlers— Town Officers — Hillsdale Village — Harlemville -Green River -Murray's Corner — North Hillsdale — Cemeteries— Churches and Pastors — Masonic Lodge — Biographical Sketches.
This town, whicli is the sixth in size and the tenth in population, lies on the eastern border of the county ad- joining the State of Massachusetts, and is the central town of the east line. Its southern line is also the northern line of the old Livingston manor, as it was finally agreed upon between the patroons, Livingston and Van Rensselaer. Its area is 26,699 acres, of which 21,058 acres are returned as improved. Its pupulation in 1860 was 2552 ; in 1865, 2142 ; in 1870, 2083, and in 1875, 1879. Its greatest length is, from east to west, about seven and three-quar- ter miles and its width, from north to south, is six and one-third miles. It is centrally distant east from Hudson about twelve and one-half miles.
The surface is generally hilly in its character. Along the eastern border of the town lies the Taghkanic range of mountains, its projecting spurs on the east extending to and beyond the Massachusetts line. At the foot of this range, a fertile valley, some two miles in width, runs nearly across the town. The northern part is made up of broken, irregular hills and narrow valleys. In the west a
72 HILLSDALE HISTOEY.
pleasant little valley extends nearly lialf-way across the town, and along tlie southern line a vale of vary- ing width runs till it joins the lai'ger valley at Hillsdale village. The hills are generally rounded in form, and arable to their summits, though a few of them are rocky and of a precipitous character. The highest points of these hills afford many fine and some extensive views.
The principal streams of the town are : Green river (a small stream that flows across the northeast corner of the town, derives its name from the peculiar transparent green tinge of its waters, and is noted for the number of trout that frequent it) ; the small brooks that flow across the east j^art of the town, and unite to form Roeloff Jansen's Kill ; the head-waters of Copake creek, flowing south in the western part of the town, and the rills that form the head-waters of Claverack creek that rise in the northwest part of the town. There are no natural lakes or ponds. The reservoir of the Mellenville manufactories, near the line of Claverack, covers several acres of ground, with a depth of some twenty feet of water.
The town was originally a part of the Van Rensselaer patent, except the eastern part, which formed a portion of the lands claimed by both Massachusetts and New York. March 12, 1793, the State surrendered its claim to all lands actually occupied by settlers. This enabled some of the inhabitants to obtain titles to their farms, but others less fortunate were obliged to take leased lands, with all the odious features of ancient feudalism attached.
The soil is composed of a variety of combinations of slate, gravel, clay, limestone, and loam, and is generally quite productive. The prevailing rocks are slate, shale, and quartz. Iron ore of excellent quality is found in the eastern part of the town, and in some parts the quartz- rock is found to contain gold, silver, and lead. A mineral paint of excellent quality is also found in the vicinity of one of the ore-beds.
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 73
This town was settled at a very early day, probably before 1750 ; the south by immigrants from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and the northern part by Dutch settlers. Among them were families named Showerman, Blackman, Kinyon, Fregers, Everts, and Sliarts. Prominent among the early inhabitants we also mention Martin Krum, Elisha Hatch, James ShejDard, Jeremiah Shaw, William Orr, Isaac Spalding, Josliua Whitney, Archibald and Kobert Lamont, William White, Joseph Morehouse, Jared Winslow, Isaac Hatch, William Tanner, Nathaniel House, M. D., James Bryan, Gains Stebbins, Abel Brown, John Pixley, John and David Collin, Parla Foster, Refine Lat- ting, Quincy Johnson, Caleb Benton, M. D., Azariah Jud- son, John Higgins, William Higgins, Benjamin Birdsall, Ambrose L. Jordan, Abraham Overhiser, Henry Loop, Augustus Tremain, Isaac and Silas Downing, John P. Becker, Christopher W. Miller, HaiTy Truesdell,' Samuel Mallory, Oliver Teall, John Tremaine, Elisha Hatch, John Tyler, Charles McKinstry, John Wager, and families named Hill and Bartlett.
It is almost if not quite impossible to learn anything definite about these early settlers. Some of the families have become extinct; some have removed ; some have re])- resentatives still in town ; and a few maintain the line of descent unbroken.
Prominent among the early settlers were John and David Collin, brothers, and the children of John Collin, of Milford, Conn. Their grandfather, Paul Collin, married Judith Vallean, and was driven from France by the relig- ious persecutions of the early years of the eighteenth cen- tury. Their son John (1st) married Hannah Merwin. He was a sea captain, and was finally lost at sea in the year 1746. John ('2) settled in the western part of Hillsdale, on what is now known as the Higgins farm, where he lived for a few years, and then removed to the eastern part of the toAvn, on the farm now occupied by his grand-
74 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
son, Hon. John F. Collin. David Collin occupied the place now owned by Rutsen Hunt. John was commis- sioned as gaptain by Governor Tryon, and afterwards held a similar commission from Governor George Clinton. He lost one son, Anthony, in the Revolution. He was taken prisoner by Sir Henry Clinton's troops, and died in cap- tivity in December, 1777, aged but seventeen years. David was a lieutenant in the Colonial army during the French war, and participated in an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Ticonderoga. While residing in Amenia, Dutchess coun- ty, during the Revolution, his house was attacked and plundered by a band of robbers, who treated his family with great rudeness and tortured him nearly to death. He died in Hillsdale in 1818, aged eighty-four years. John Collin (2d) was succeeded on the farm by his son John (3d), and he in turn by his son John Francis, who is the present proprietor. He has been a very sucessful busi- ness man, a man prominent in public life, and a man of great influence among his fellows. In 1833 he was elect- ed to the State Legislature, and in 1844 was elected mem- ber of Congress. In both of these positions as well as in all the many minor offices to which he has been called, he acquitted himself with honor and credit. To his kind- ness we are indebted for invaluable aid in gathering the materials for this work. His brother, Henry A. Collin, was prominent in town aftairs, and was five times elected supervisor of Hillsdale. In 1856 he removed to Mount Vernon, Iowa. Hon. John F. Collin has two sons living : John F. lives on the homestead, and Quincy J. is a Meth- odist Episcopal minister, now engaged in teaching in Cal- ifornia, and is also pastor of a Union church there.
Quincy Johnson, a prominent early settles, was a son of William and Jane Johnson, of Bridgewater, Mass., grand- son of Benjamin and Ruth Johnson, of Hingham, Mass., and a great-grandson of Isaac and Abigail Johnson, of the same place. He was descended from either Isaac or Ed-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 75
ward Johnson, both of whom came to Massachusetts with Governor Winthrop in 1630, and were prominent men in the Massachusetts colony. He came to Hillsdale with his parents about the close of the last century, and be- came a prominent citizen of the town. He died in Hills- dale in April, 1878, aged nearly eighty-eight years. His eldest son, Wesley Johnson, spent several years in Africa, assisting in the work of establishing the Liberia colony. He went out as physician to the governor's family, and was subsequently called upon by unforeseen circumstances to himself discharge the duties of the gubernatorial office. He was once wounded while assisting in repelling an attack of the natives upon the colony. He devoted his time and money to the work of establishing a college there for the intellectual and moral elevation of the peo- ple, and by his strenuous exertions so weakened his sys- tem that he fell a victim to the malaria of the climate, and had a severe attack of fever. Recovering jjartially from it, he returned to his American home, hoping to re- cuperate and be enabled to complete his work in estab- lishing the college ; but he failed to realize the expected benefit and rapidly failed, and died in Hillsdale July 1, 1844, aged thirty-one years. He was universally respect- ed for his talents, scholarly attainments, enterprise, and amiability of character. Quincy Johnson still has two sons living in Hillsdale. They are William Leonard and John Quincy Johnson.
Perhaps the most numerous family in the town are the Beckers. The first of the name in Hillsdale was Peter Becker, who married Mary Southard about 1780. Their son, John P. Becker, married Elizabeth Olum. Philip Becker, who now lives in Hillsdale, was one of the chil- dren of that union.
Martin Krum, from Germany, settled in Hillsdale about 1745 ; the place was then called Nobletown. He bought eight hundred acres of the Rensselaer manor. The old
76 HILLSDAiE HISTORY.
homestead was the place now occupied by Moses Becker, His sons were John, Martin, Jacob, Henry, Peter, Daniel, and David. David died in early life ; John settled in Co- lumbia county, but in after years moved to Schoharie ; Peter went to Ohio. The others remained in Columbia. His daughters were Mrs. Henry Blunt, of Chatham, Mrs. Fite Mesick, of Claverack, and Mrs. Peter Mull, of Chat- ham. The second husband of the last named was John Mesick.
Judge Krum, of St. Louis, is a grandson of Martin, Sr., and son of Peter. The old homestead became several different farms. The house, built before the Revolution, remained in the family until 1835, the last owner being Martin H. Krum, a grandson, now of Fairville, Wayne Co. A son of the latter is Dr. Josephus Krum, of Seneca Falls, for a long time pastor of the Presbyterian church of that place.
William Jordan was born in North Castle, Westchester Co., in 1751. He was a soldier in tlie Revolution and served through the war, participating in the battles of White Plains and Stillwater. He married Ruth Ferris, of Horse Neck (now Greenwich, Conn.), and came to Hills- dale soon after the close of the war, settling in the west part, on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Abram I. Jordan. He died in 1833. He was a farmer, and be- ing something of a military man, was familiarly known as "Major" Jordon.
Of his children, John settled in Claverack, and in his old age removed to Palmyra, Wayne Co. N. Y., where he died. William settled near his fatlier in Hillsdale, and died there. Daniel and Benjamin removed to Palmyra, N. Y., and died there a few years since at an advanced age. Abram was educated as a physician, located in Claverack about 1815, and was a few years later married to Catharine Mesick, of that town. He was a skillful and successful physician, and enjoyed an extensive practice in
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 77
1852. He was a man of irreproachable character and greatly beloved by the people, who eagerly sought his counsel and assistance even in his old age. He died in 1855, having nearly reached the threescore-and-ten years allotted to man. Of Ambrose L. a full biographical sketch will be found elsewhere. Allen was educated as a lawyer, and entered upon the practice of his profession at Hudson, where he at once took rank among the first and most promising of his colleagues. He was, however, driv- en by ill health to abandon the practice of the law, and removed to Plaiufiekl, 111., in 1848, where he still resides. Kebecca married x^dam Van Dusen, of Clifton Springs, N. Y., and removed to that place. She had a large family and one of her sons, Hon. Ambrose L. Van Dusen, has represented the first Assembly district of Ontario county in the Legislature. She died in September, 1877, aged ninety-six years. Lucy married James Phillips, of Clav- erack, and died 3^oung.
William White, William Schutt, Parla Foster, Eli Rood, James Shepard, John Jones, and Henry Speed were sol- diers in the Revolutionary war. All except the first named were living in 1840, and were pensioners of the government. The earliest ministers were Abel Brown, Parla Foster, and Harry Truesdell.
The first merchants were Gains Stebbins, at Murray's Corners, where he also kej^t an inn, and Elisha Hatch, at Green River.
The first inns Avere kept by Gains Stebbins, at Murray's Corners, by Parla Foster, at Hillsdale, and by James Bryan, where Dr. H. Cornell now lives.
The first saw-mills and grist-mills were built at a very early date, and their history is lost in oblivion. Among the earliest now known of were a grist-mill where Wheel- er's saw-mill now stands ; a saw and grist-mill where Philip Becker's saw and planing-mill now stands ; a saw and grist-mill about one and a half miles above the Becker
78 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
mill, on the Roeloff Jansen's Kill ; and a mill near Har- lem ville, where the Richmond Mills now stand. "Spaf- ford's Gazetteer," published in 1813, says that there were then in the town (which included part of the present town of Austerlitz) "eleven grist-mills, ten saw-mills, four full- ing-mills, and four carding-machines."
Among the first fulling-mills were three on the Roeloff Jansen's Kill, in the Collin neighborhood. One of the first carding-machines was near the site of the Baily mill, and another near the present Wheeler mill.
Refine Latting was the first tanner and currier in towu. He lived a little west of the village, and also kept an inn. Jared Winslow, probably the first blacksmith, resided, and had a shop, at Green River.
The first and only furnace in town was built by Philip Becker, about 1835. It is a small one, devoted to the making of plow castings and custom work. 'It is now owned by a Mr. Yosburgh.
The first lawyer to settle in Hillsdale was Thomas K. Baker, who came about 1820. He remained a few years, and then removed to Western New York. Soon after him came Russell G. Dorr, who remained in the town till his death. Martin H. and Harriet Dorr, of this town, are two of his children.
The first post-office was kept by Refine Latting, and was about a half-mile west of Hillsdale village. It was sup- plied with mail by means of the Hudson and Hartford stages.
The earliest physicians were Nathaniel House and Caleb Benton.
Another early and widely-known physician was Dr. Abraham Jordan, afterwards of Claverack. He was com- missioned a surgeon in Ten Broeck's brigade during the war of 1812—15.
Previous to the settlement by the whites this section was much frequented by the Indians. One family lived
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 79
here for many years after the whites came in. About 1810 the last remnants of the aborigines, in the persons of two of that race who were named Paul and Plioebe, re- moved to the western part of this state. There was an old trading-post near what is now called Murray's Cor- ners, and an old fort once stood near the old burying- ground near Levi Coon's residence. Three brothers named Overhiser emigrated from Germany to America about 1750. One of them, named Barnett, settled near Stam- ford, in Dutcliess county. His son Abraliam married Elizabeth Eighmey, and in 1810 removed with his family to Hillsdale. His children were named Eve, Phranaca, Caspar, George, Conrad, Elizabeth, Abram, Mary, and Barnett. Barnett succeeded his father on the homestead, which is now occupied by his son, Ambrose L. Overhiser. John H. Overhiser, of Hudson, is a son of George Over- hiser.
This town was formed as a district March 26, 1782. It had previously been a j^art of Claverack. It was recog- nized as a town March 7, 1788. In 1818 a part of Auster- litz was taken off.
Its name is supposed to have been derived from the peculiar conformation of the surface, which is a varied succession of hills and dales. From the orthography given the name in early times, "Hill's Dale," it seems quite possible that it might have been named in honor of some one named Hill, but the other is the generally ac- cepted origin of the title.
From the fact that no records previous to 1847 can be found it is impossible to give any prominence to the early civil history, and the lists of officers are also very imper- fect because of it. The following is the most perfect list we have been able to get :
TOWN OFFICERS.
SITPEKVISOES. TOWN CLERKS. COLLECTORS.
178G-90. James Bryan. Kecords lost. Records lost.
80
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
SUPERVISORS.
1791-99. C. McKinstry.
1800-8. Samuel Mallery.
1809-11. Ebenezer Soule.
1812. B. Williams.
1813-14. William Tanner.
1815-16. J. C. Olmstead.
1817. Edward Bagley,
1818-22. Jos. Morehouse.
1823-24. Wm. Jordan, Jr.
1825-27. Jos. Morehouse.
1828. Amos M Knapp.
1829-30. Jos. Morehouse.
1831-32. Henry Loop.
1833-34. Quiucy Johnson.
1835-36. Samuel Jndson.
1837-43. John F. Collin.
1844-45. A. A. Spickerman
1846. Joseph P. Dorr.
1847.
1848.
1849.
1850.
1851.
1852.
1853.
1854.
1855.
1856.
1857.
1858.
1859.
18G0.
1861.
1862.
1863.
1864.
1865.
1866.
18G7.
1868.
1869.
1870.
1871.
1872.
TOWN OFFICERS,
Records lost.
COLLECTORS.
Records lost.
Henry A. Collin,
John H. Overhiser.
Henry A. Collin. William P. Stickle. Henry A. Collin. Ralph Judson. Jo.se ph P. Dorr.
Thomas K. Baker.
John T. Snyder,
Edgar M. Knox.
Charles Crow.
George L. Palmer. Nicholas C. Tyler.
Wm. P. Mattison. '• " Henry Cornell.
Steijhen B. Barteau. William H. Jenks. " " George M. Foster.
" William Foster.
Austin Morey. A. Frank B. Chace.
" " Theoph. Dimmick.
John H. Overhiser. Henry Cornell. " " Martin H. Garner.
P. B. Hollenbeck,
Henry Cornell.
Chas. H. Downing. Geo. M. Bullock.
Dcwitt N. Rowe.
Grosvenor A. Knox.
Grosvenor A. Knox.
Benson Simpson. Peter O. Becker, George W. Bushnell. Benson Simpson. Peter M. Becker. David Bushnell. Peter O. Becker. Lewis Haywood, Jr. Walter Dorchester. Albert G. Stillman. William Foster. Lorenzo Gilbert. Moses Jones. Cornelius G. Becker. Peter Humphrey. Stephen Sharts. Chas. W. Hageman. Alexander Snyder. Hiram Winslow. William Albert. Henry L. Becker, Porter A. Becker. Benj. Ostrander. Henry Duncan. William H. Woodin. Peter V. Snyder.
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
81
|
SITPERVI.SOKS. |
TOWN CLERKS. |
COLLECTORS. |
|
|
1873. 1874. |
Alfrod Curtis. |
John C. Hubbard. |
Pett^r M. Becker. James K. Gorsline. |
|
1875. |
liiitsen Hunt. |
Freeland Pulver. |
John L. Duntz. |
|
1876. |
John Q. Johnson. |
M. D. Van Tassel. |
Charles Clarson. |
|
1877. 1878. |
Allen Sheldon. |
Levi Zeh. |
George W. Becker. Napoleon Benedict. |
The justices of the peace appointed in Hillsdale from the ort^anization of the town till the law authorizing their election by the people went into effect, in the fall of 1827, were as follows, the dates being the beginning of their first and last terms of continuous service :
|
1786-1801. Jacob Ford. |
1813, Joel Pierce. |
|
1786-98 and 1810-13. J. Bryan. |
Isaac Ford. |
|
1786-1808. Benjamin Birdsall. |
Story Gott. |
|
1792-1801 and 1808, D. Pratt. |
William Niles. |
|
1795, Charles McKmstry. |
1815-18, Henry Loo]). |
|
1795-1808, Ebenezer Soule. |
1815-24, Jared Winslow. |
|
1801-8, Edward Bagley. |
1815, David Leonard. |
|
Judah Lawrence, |
Timothy Reed. |
|
Bartholomew Williams. |
Joseph Ro<lman. |
|
1808 and 1815, Joseph Morehouse, |
.Jonathan C. Olmsted, |
|
Aaron Reid. |
1817-24, George Squier. |
|
1809 and 1818, S. Richmond. |
1817, Erastus Pratt. |
|
1810, Oliver T eall. |
1821, Salmon Wey. |
|
1810-13, Sandford Tracy, |
1821-24, Richard Gaul. |
|
Cyrus Alger. |
1824, Stephen Hadley. |
|
1810 and 1815. Jesse Ford. |
1825, Cornelius Van Keuren, |
|
1812-15, Maurice Bird.sall. |
1826, James McKeou. |
|
1813, John PiXley. |
The justices of the peace elected by the people since 1827, have been as follows, viz :
|
1827. |
Josiah Knapp, Jr. |
1851. |
Lewis B. Adsit. |
|
Thaddnus lieod. |
1852. |
Eli Richmond. |
|
|
Jared Winslow. |
1853. |
Andrew Higgins. |
|
|
John Richmond. |
1854. |
Philip Becker. |
|
|
1828. |
Richard Gaul. |
1855. |
Lewis B. Adsit. |
|
1829. |
Jared Winslow. |
1856. |
Eh Richmond. |
|
1830, |
ThaddeuH Reed. |
1857. |
Andrew Higgins. |
|
1831. |
Josiah Knapp, Jr, n |
1858. |
Philip Becker. |
82
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
|
1832. |
Richard Gaul. |
1859. |
Lewis B. Adsit. |
|
1833. |
Jared Winslow. |
1860. |
Ira Palmer. |
|
1834. |
Tbaddeus Reed. |
1861. |
Samuel Judson. |
|
1835. |
Josiali Koapp, Jr. |
1862. |
William Coon, |
|
1836. |
Richard Gaul. |
1863. |
Lewis B. Adsit. |
|
1837. |
Jared Winslow. |
1864. |
Willis Disbrow. |
|
Frederick Pultz. |
1865. |
Charles Crow. |
|
|
1838. |
TJiaddeus Reed. |
1866. |
John Q. Johnson. |
|
1839. |
Samuel Judson. |
1867. |
Hinim Winslow. |
|
1840. |
Frederick Pultz. |
1868. |
Willis Disbrow. |
|
1841. |
Jared Winslow. |
1869. |
Charles Crow. |
|
1842. |
Thaddeus Reed. |
1870. |
John Q. Johnson. |
|
1843. |
Samuel Judson. |
1871. |
Hiram Winslow. |
|
1844. |
Frederick Pultz. |
1872. |
William T. Holsapple. |
|
1845. |
Jared Winslow. |
1873. |
-Charles Crow, f. t. |
|
1846. |
John H. Overhiser. |
Willis Disbrow, v. |
|
|
1847. |
Rodney Hill. |
1874. |
John Q. Johnson. |
|
1848. |
John H. Overhiser f. t. |
1875. |
Hiram Winslow. |
|
Nicholas Tyler, v. |
1876. |
Willis Disbrow. |
|
|
1849. |
Andrew Higgins. |
1877. |
William Coon. |
|
1850. |
Quincy Johnson, f. t. Lewis L. Adsit, v. |
1878. |
Charles Crow. |
The towii meetings are held at Hillsdale, but the gene- ral elections are held by districts ; the polls being located at Hillsdale, Harlem ville, and Green River.
HILLSD.VLE VILLAGE
is situated on the south line of the town, three miles from the State line ; it is a station on the New York and Har- lem railroad, and the most important in the county south of Chatham. It is pleasantly located, and possesses a very good class of buildings. There are about sixty dwellings, three stores, two hotels, a marble yard, two churches (Presbyterian and Methodist), a tin-shop, black- smith and wagon shop, cabinet-shop, and job-printing es- tablishment ; and a population of about three hundred.
HARLEMVILLE
is a little village in the extreme northwest corner of the town, and contains about twenty dwellings, with a popu-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 83
latioii of about one hundred. It lias a hotel, two stores, wagon-shop, shoe-shop, two blacksmith shops, and a Methodist Episcopal church.
GREEN RIVER
is a hamlet in the valley of the Green river, in the north- east corner of the town. It was formerly known as Green River Hollow. It contains a Christian church, a hotel, a school-house, a shoe-shop, a blacksmith-shop, and about a dozen houses, with a population of about fifty.
Murray's corners is a small collection of houses, a mile and a quarter east of Hillsdale, and contains, among other buildings, a foundry, wagon-shop, blacksmith-shop, and a store.
NORTH HILLSDALE, OR HILLSDALE CENTRE
is a straggling settlement in the east centre of the town, and has a store and two churches, Bajjtist and Methodist. Here is also located the North Hillsdale iron mine, which is the only one now being worked in Hillsdale. This bed of hematite ore was first discovered in the spring of 1864. While drawing stone across the field at the foot of the high hill back of the peseiit shaft, the wheels cut deeply into the soft ground, and turned up a curious, brownish- colored earth, which, upon examination, proved to be an excellent quality of iron ore. The owner, Rutsen Hunt, sold a mineral lease of the premises to some parties in New York, who worked it to some extent. In 1867 the lease was transferred to the present proprietor, Edward T. Haiglit, of New York. At first the mine was worked from the surface by the mode known as "open-cut min- ing," but this was soon changed for the method of shaft and gallery mining. The mine is apparently inexhausti- ble, and, though not worked to its full capacity, has al- ready furnished many thousand tons of ore that have been shipped to Albany and other points.
84 PIILLSDALE HISTORY.
Recently a very fine and various-colored kind of mine- ral paint has been discovered in close contact witli the veins of iron ore, and promises to be a valuable discovery. At present the mine furnishes employment to a force of eijjjht miners.
Iron ore has also been mined at two other points in the southeastern part of the town. These deposits of ore were discovered b}^ Calvin Prescott about forty-five years ago. The northernmost bed is on the farm of George Brazee. It was worked for a time by the Hillsdale Iron Mining Company. Since 1874 it has lain idle. It is now owned by J. B. Ireland, of New York.
The second and southernmost bed is on the lands of Samuel an 4 Stephen Mitchell. It was first opened about 1800, but has not been worked for several years.
CEMETERIES.
In early times the dead were buried in private or fami- ly burying-grounds, of which there were over forty in this town. Some of these, being conveniently located, grew to considerable size, but most of them have been neg- lected, obliterated, and forgotten as the years rolled on.
Amcmg the older cemeteries now in existence are the ones at North Hillsdale and at Green Eiver. The latter is situated on the south bank of the brook that empties into the Green river at that place. It is called the Hatch burying-ground, and has been somewhat encroached upon by a change in the course of the stream. The oldest stones containing any inscription are slabs of slate rudely carved, find many of them much broken and defaced. The oldest inscriptions now to be found read as follows, viz :
"Mrs. Isabel, wife of Mr. Elisha Hatch, <^iecl July 23a. 1767, in her 43a year."
"Mr. Elisha Hatch, aiea April 15th, 1770."
"Mary, wife of Mr. James Stevenson, aiea Jan. 1st 1783."
"Lieut. Willara Shepara, aiea March 2a, 1784."
The North Hillsdale cemetery was originally one acre
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 85
of ground, set apart by the patroon Van Rensselaer for a burying-ground for liis tenants. It has been enlarged by three successive purchases until it now contains about four acres of ground, ])leasantly situated on a sloping, rolling side-hill, with a southeastern exposure. It is well fenced and shaded. Among the oldest stones bearing in- scriptions we find the following, viz. : Robert, Archibald, and Phoebe Lamont, buried respectively in 1789, 1795, and 1799 ; three Tealls, the Christian names undecipherable, one dated 1769 and another 1795.
"Lient. Kobert, son to Mr. William and Mrs. Hope Orr, died Feb.
1780."
" Spalding, died June — , 1782, in ye 56 year of his asje."
'• g, son to Jeremiah and Abigail Shaw, • June 20th, 1779."
"Thomas, son of Ensign Joshua and Mrs. Hannah Whitney, died
March 20th, 1771."
The oldest and most ornate of all is still in a good state of preservation, and was evidently in its day considered a very pretentious piece of workmanship. It reads, — -
"In memory of Lieutenant Thomas Whitney, who died Juno 26th, 1767, in his 38th year."
This cemetery was incorporated Nov. 27, 1865, with the following officers : President, Nathaniel House ; Vice- President, Orville McAlpine ; Secretary, Major M. Bul- lock ; Treasurer, Cyreuus F. Tyler ; Superintendent, Eg- bert House ; Trustees, Jackson Palmer, Nathaniel House, George M. Bullock, Orville McAlpine, Cyrenus F. Tyler, Richard Bartlett, Ambrose L. Overhiser, Grosvenor A. Knox, Egbert House.
The present officers are Major M. Bullock, president ;
Thomas S. Hayes, vice-president ; Ambrose L. Overhiser,
secretary ; Austin Morey, treasurer and superintendent ;
Allen B, Downing, Egbert House, Grosvenor F. Stickles,
John White, Orville McAlpine, Austin Morey, George M.
Bullock. A. L. Overhiser, Grosvenor A. Knox, trustees. 11*
86 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Near Hillsdale there were two small burial-grounds, commenced a little before 1800, which became so full that it necessitated the providing of another cemetery, and on Nov. 28, 1865, a meeting was held at the Metho- dist Episcopal church in Hillsdale, and the "Hillsdale Rural Cemetery Association" was organized, and incorpo- rated with the following board of trustees : Quincy John- son, John F. Collin, Morris M. Brainard, Quincy Collin, John Q. Johnson, Henry Burton, Horace G. Westlake, A. Frank B. Chase, Edward L. Snyder.
The first officers were Morris M. Brainard, president ; Henry Burton, vice-president ; Walter B. Ten Broeck, secretary ; George Sornborger, treasurer. The cemetery lot consists of about five and one-fourth acres, and was purchased of Dr. Henry Cornell for $1200. It lies in a pleasant location about one-half mile northeast of Hills- dale village, and is well fenced and graded, and a good supply of shade-trees have been set out. The ground is divided into four hundred and forty-four plots, and num- erous fine monuments and headstones have been placed in them. The association owns a fine hearse, which was the gift of Mis. Eveline Johnson. There is a hearse-house and a receiving vault in the cemetery grounds.
The . present officers are John Q. Johnson, president ; Peter J. Becker, vice-president ; Walter B. Ten Broeck, secretary ; Owen Bixby, treasurer ; John Q. Johnson, Peter J. Becker, Walter B. Ten Broeck, Henry Cornell, Cortez Shutts, Philip Becker, George Sornborger, P. B. Hollenbeck, Quincy Johnson,* trustees.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HILLSDALE.
This church was organized August 16, 1831, by Rev. Timothy Woodbridge, of Green River, assisted by Rev. Gardner Hayden, of Egremont, and Rev. Leonard B. Van-
*Deceiise(l.
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 87
Dyke, missionary. It was then composed of fourteen members, whose names were Jehiel Anable, Laban J. Aylesworth, Bethia Nooney, Lydia Bristol, Cornelia Ken- neda, Nancy Knapp, Sylvia Vosburgh, Eliza Van Deusen, Mary Aylesworth, Nancy M. Knapp, Nanc}^ M. Nooney, Cynthia Van Deusen, Susannah M. Van Deusen, Char- lotte Williams. The eight first named joined on profes- sion of faith, while the others presented letters from the churches of which they were formerly members.
Jehiel Anable and L. J. Aylesworth were chosen as the first elders, and also to perform the duties of deacons.
The first house of worship was erected on the present site in 1832. It was a frame building, whose dimensions were thirty-six by forty-eight feet, and cost $2,000. In 1850 it was repaired and remodeled, at a cost of $1,800, and in 1877 it was thoroughly repaired and refitted, at an expense of nearly $1,700. The parsonage was built in 1857, on lands purchased of Theodore Nash. It was built under contract by Philip Becker, and cost $1,600. This was exclusive of the site and some work done on the foun- dations before the lot was purchased. The present valu- ation of the church and parsonage is respectively estima- ted at $3000 for the church and $2000 for the parsonage ; total, $5000.
The i^astors in the order of their ministrations have been Bevs. Amos W. Seeley, George R. Entler, Winthrop H. Phelps, Joseph N. McGifert. The pulj^it has also been supplied for longer or shorter periods by Bevs. Mr. Os- born, John S. Himrod, Robert W. Landis,' J. W. Lari-
more, L. M. Gates, Joshua Collins, Millard, J. H.
MicJiell, J. F. Grimes, and James A. Clark, who has been connected with the church since June 1877.
The church has had much to contend against, afid has maintained its existence throughout in the face of many discouraging and unfavorable circumstances. It has, however, steadily increased in numbers, and (what few of
88 HILLSDALE HISTOEY.
our modern churches can boast) is practically free from debt. The membership at present is seven males and forty-one females ; total, forty-eight.
The present officers are as follows, viz : Trustees, Wal- ter B. Ten Broeck, Elisha W. Bushnell, John E. McAl- pine, Edward Best, Henry L. Coon ; Elders (who also act as deacons), Walter B. Ten Broeck, Levi Coon.
There has lieen a Sabbath-school at times during the entire existence of the church. For the last three years it has been continuous. The membership is now about seventy-five. Levi Coon is the present superintendent ; Walter B. Ten Broeck, assistant superintendent ; Thomas S. Hayes, secretary ; Arthur Wagoner, librarian ; Claudius Lambert, assistant librarian. The library contains two hundred and twenty-f(^ur volumes.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF HILLSDALE.
This church, known more generally at the present time as the "East Baptist Church," was organized May 28, 1787, by Revs. John and Stephen Gano. There were fourteen persons who entered into covenant and consti- tuted the society. They Avere James and Phoebe Martin; Caleb, Jr., and Anna Woodward ; William, Jr. and Rosan- nah West ; Ambrose and Joanna Latting ; Griffin and Anna Wilde ; Ruth Jordan, Esther Terr}-, Lucy Loop, Sarah Martin.
The first church-meeting was held June 23, 1787, and James Martin was elected deacon and Ambrose Latting church clerk. The first church was built on the three corners, near the present residence of G. F. Stickle, by Ambrose Latting, who agreed to finish it on the outside and wait on the church till they were able to pay for it. This was done, and the church was finally finished off in 1798. Its entire cost is supj)Osed to have been about $800. The work of finishing was done by Albert Foster, for £65. A church was also built in the west part of the
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 89
town, on the site of tlie present West church, and this be- came the property of the second church in 1803, when a division occurred, and the West church was formed. This building was erected some time between 1792 and 1802, but the date and cost are not now known. At a later date the church united with the Methodists in the erec- tion of a house of worship, in the northwest part of the town, near the Downing place, which was sold about 1841 -42. The second house of worship in the central part of the town was a Union church, owned in connection with the Methodists. This was torn down, and the present edifice erected in the summer and fall of 1839. The ded- ication occurred on the 27th of November of that year. This building cost $5000. A parsonage was built in 1835, and this having been disposed of, in 1844 another one was procured. The present valuation of the entire church property is $4000.
The church became incorporated in 1838. The first trustees were elected previously, in 1835, and were Thomas Palmer, John Tyler, Amos Knox, William Knox. Commencing with fourteen members, the church grew in numbers until, in 1817, there were one hundred and nine- ty-two members, which is the highest number yet attain- ed. The largest increase in any one year was sixty-six, in 1817. In the fall of 1837 there was an extensive work of grace, by which forty-three were added to the church ; and again, in November, 1842, over thirty Avere baptized and received into fellowship.
At different times the church has licensed some of its members to preach the gospel. Among them were Chas. Truesdell, Lyman Palmer, Rodney Gilbert, and Albert Knox. One of these, Lyman Palmer, was ordained to the work of the ministry on the 20th of February, 1845. The ordination was an interesting occassion, and- the meeting lasted two days; The ordination sermon was preached by Rev. John E. La Grange, from 2d Corinthians iv. 7 :
12
90 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Eevs. H. L. Gros, M. L. Fuller, Stephen Jones, H. Corn- well, B. C. Crandall, S. Hatch, L. Selick, J. W. Stark- weather also participated in the ceremonies of the occa- sion.
The deacons have been James Martin, Ambrose Lat- ting, Squire Sherwood, William West, Samuel West, Oli- ver Teall, Martin Spencer, John Tyler, Thomas Palmer, Matthew Palmer, Major M. Bullock, Hiram S. Brown, Warren G. Wiley, Nathaniel House, Orville McAlpine. Major M. Bullock and Orville McAlpine are the present deacons.
The ministers who have sustained pastoral relations with the church are Revs. Stephen Gano, Abel Brown, Samuel S. Mallory, John D. Hart, Enos Marshall, Samuel Wood, Philip Roberts, Horace Spencer, Peter Prink, John E. La Grange, Stephen Jones, O. H. Capron, Eli W. Brownell, Samuel Pomeroy, Ethan Palmer, Henry F.
Cochrane, Edwin Beardsley, C. F. Dugailne. Revs.
Bates, Ferris, and Lyman Palmer also preached for
the church at different times. At present the church is not supplied with a pastor. The present trustees are George M. Bullock, Grosvenor A. Knox, and D. C. Pal- mer. Ezra J. Beardsley is the church clerk.
In the ninety years of its existence the church has in- scribed upon its rolls the names of seven hundred and two individuals, of whom one hundred and forty-three have been removed by death, and three hundred and fifty-six have been dismissed by letter. The present membership is about forty-five.
In June, 1803, a division occurred, growing out of a difference of opinion in a case of discipline, and thirty- five members withdrew and formed the "West Church." In 1806 the society in the northwest part of the town, known as the Second Baptist Church of Hillsdale, aban-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 91
doned their separate organization, and in a body — twenty six in number — united Avitli this church.
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF HILLSDALE.
In the year 1803 the Baptist church of Hillsdale sepa- rated, and thirty-live of its members formed tlie "West Church'" Their names were Samuel, Elizabeth, and Hannah West, Squire and Olive Sherwood, Nathaniel and Esther Terry, William West, Sr., James B. Roe, Richard, Abigail, and Mary Kiuyon, Jacob and Lucretia Van De Boe, John and Sarah Talmadge, James, John, Catharine, Jemima, and Christina Van Deusen, John Hatch, Benjamin Twiss, Ezra Brockway, Ruth and Sally Jordan, Ruth Fer- ris, Sr., Elizabeth Orr, Hannah Sering, Elizabeth Beebe, Jemima Curtis, Prudence Bullis, Si'illy Tliorne, Catharine Simpson, and Barsliel)a Clement. They were constituted a church on the first Friday in June, by a council com- posed of Revs. Jeduthan Gray, Samuel Wood,
Barnes, Pettit, Smith, Ferris, Lee,
Leland, and Hull, associated with lay brethren from
their respective churches.
The first house of worship was erected before the begin- ning of the present century, by the church as it existed before the division. The deed of the site on which it stands was dated 1792. The present church building — dimensions thirty-six by thirty-six feet — is said to have been erected by Refine Latting, and is yet in good condi- tion, though it needs repairing. The society was incor- porated June 1, 1833.
The ministry of this church has been composed of the following, viz : Revs. John Gano, Calvin Philo, John D.
Hart, Orchard, Samuel Pomeroy, Milo Tremaine,
Samuel S. Mallory, Peter Prink, John W. Van Horn, J. W. Starkweather, Martin L. Fuller, Daniel Robinson, William Garnett, John E. La Grange, John H. Kent, Sol- omon Gale, William I. Loomis, James A. Metz, James W.
92 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Grant, and Daniel W. Sherwood, the present pastor.
In 1854 a new church was built at Martindale Depot, and the services of the pastor are now divided between the two places.
A notable revival occurred in the winter of 1841-42, by which seventy-one persons were added to the church.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN (ST. IMMANUEL's) CHURCH.
In the 3'ear 1870 the con<>regatiou of the church of St. John, in the town of Ghent, was divided, and the part of it located in the vicinity of Harlemville formed a new societ}', under the name of "St. Immanuel's," and built a frame church, thirty by forty feet, costing $1852. This church was completed in 1873, and dedicated in the sum- mer, by Rev. Mr. Haeger, of Pittsfield, Mass. It stands near the fourth three corners, east from Harlemville, on the road to Green River. The society was incorporated June 10, 1871, at a meeting presided over by Jacob Gear- ing and Philip Steitz. The first trustees were Valentine Steitz, Carl Steurwald, and Jacob Christman. The pres- ent offir.ers are Philip Steitz, John Krick, Carl Steurwald, Conrad Usner, Valentine Steitz, and Werner Spengler.
The ministers who have preached at this point are Revs. P. Seuel, Carl J. Renz, Fr. Leddin, U. Berne, and C. A. Stoepel, the present pastor, who has ministered to this people since 1876, The present membership is about twent3'-two, and the Sunday-school has a membership of about forty.
HILLSDALE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Owing to the fact that this church was one of the earl- iest of this denomination in the county its history pos- sesses an added interest, and indicates some of the trials, hardships, and stubborn opposition which marked the infancy of Methodism in America. Other denominations either were coldly indifferent or in open opposition, and the way seemed hedged about with impassible barriers
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 93
and obstructions that could not be removed or overcome. But through all the church has passed successfully, and achieved a prominent rank among other denominations.
The first meeting in this vicinity was held by Rev. William Swayze, in the house of Mr. Isaiah Esmond, a short distance south of Hillsdale village, in the present "\ town of Copake. This was in the year 1807. This first ^ meeting was followed by two others, at which Rev. D. Ostrander and Rev. W. Fradenburg preached, but seemed to produce no efiect upon the people, but a few of whom came to attend the service.
From the published "Narrative" of William Swayze, which he prepared and published in 1839, we make the following extract, which gives his account of the subse- quent meetings which resulted in the formation of a church. He says :"I made a second trial, when the enemy arrayed in formidable phalanx around the house. We were suddenly attacked by a volley of stones dashing against the house. One of the company stood at the win- dow near me hallooing, repeating, 'You are a liar!' How- ever unpleasant at the time, I considered it as a favora- ble symptom. I therefore gave out another appointment, which was attended by a large, respectable congregation from the neighborhood of the Hudson turnpike. I named as a text, 'And the door was shut'. Matt, xxv, 10. All was deep attention. I closed, dismissed, and took my seat. Having no directions to leave an appointment for my colleague, and being rathsr at a loss to know my own duty, ha^'ing abundant work elsewhere, I sat a few min- utes thinking this matter over, when I discovered the congregation remained on their seats. I named to them my hesitancies, and concluded by saying I would come again if there was a prospect of doing good ; and I knew of no better way to test this matter than for such as felt desirous to seek religion to come forward and give me their names, and I would pray for them. A Colonel Peak-
12*
94 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
sly's lady then came through the crowd, and said, 'Sir, will yoii take my name ?' She then addressed the con- gregation, and said, 'Come, my neighbors, it is high time we changed our manner of living ; not a professor among us, raising families without the fear of God. Let us set an example. You are only waiting one for another. Let us now set out together.' These statements were in a style of native eloquence which would seem self-sufficient to wake up the sympathy of angels, when her daughter and sister, with some eight or ten of her most respecta- ble neighbors, came forward and gave me their names. In conclusion I gave out another ajopointment. On my ar- rival I found six of the number happily converted. I re- mained with them, preaching every night, about ten days, and organized a class of thirty members."
The lady here mentioned was Anna, wife of Colonel John Pixlcij, not Peaksley.
From this extract we learn some of the circumstances surrounding the introduction of Methodism among the rough and somewhat lawless people who then inhabited this region. After the class was formed it continued to worship in private houses till the summer of 1811, when the first church was built, on lands donated by Parla Fos- ter. It was a frame building, unfinished on the inside, and siipplied with seats formed of slabs laid with their ends resting upon logs laid upon the floor. This church stood upon the hill back of and a little northwest of the present school-house. In this rude structure the voices of the pioneer itinerants resounded among the uncovered rafters, and woke the slumbering echoes, as well as the con- science of many a hardened sinner into activity and life. This continued until 1845, when the present church was built, under contract, at a cost of $3000, exclusive of the site and foundations. The site was donated by Seymour Foster. It has been repaired once at a moderate expense. In 1836, Parla Foster gave a lot on the corner of South
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 95
and Cold Water streets as a site for a parsonage, and a commodious lionse was erected thereon, by the gift of the members of the church. In 1842 this house was burned, and another erected in its stead. This buikling remained in use until a year or two since, when the new one, ad- joining the church lot on the south, was built and pre- sented to the society by Miss Flavia Bristol, she taking in exchange the old parsonage. The cost of the new one Avas about $4000, and included the furnishing of the entire house. The })resent valuation of the entire church property is placed at $10,000.
Among the prominent members in the first years of the church's existence may be mentioned Parla Foster, Phoebe Foster, Ruth Collin, Quincy Johnson, John Jones, Mrs. John Jones, Duncan Thompson, Mrs. Duncan Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Eighmy.
The great revival connected with the history of the chvirch occurred in 1882. It was sweeping in its nature, and reached every class of the community. About fifty were converted.
The pastors of the church, as near as can now be as- certained, in the order of their service, were, commencing with the year 1832, Revs. Elbert Osborne, Richard Hay- ter, Edward S. Stout, S. L. Stillman, D. B. Ostrander, J. Carley, W. Lull, Richard Wyinond, Oliver V. Amerman, Thomas Edwards, Charles C. Keyes, Thomas Bainbridge, W. W. Brewer, John A. Sillick, David L. Marks, Lucius H. King, William Ostrander, Alexander H. Ferguson, Henry Cox, Marvin R. Lent, H. B. Mead, James N. Shaf- fer, Charles S. Brown, L. W. Wals worth, Oliver V. Amer- man, Henry H. Birkins, William S. Bouton, Abraham Davis, Alfred Coons, and W. E. Clark, the present pastor, who is now commencing the third year of his pastoral labors in connection with this church. Previous to 1832, the pulpit was supplied by the preachers on the Salisbury circuit, except the years 1830—31, when it was an apoint-
96 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
ment on tlie Ghent circuit. The preachers from 1821 to 1831, inclusive, were Revs. Coles Carpenter, Lucius Bal- dwin, Timothy Benedict, Parmelee Chamberlain, David Miller, John Lovejoy, Samuel Eighmey, Phineus Cook, Billy Hibbard, Noah Bigelow, Q. Stewart, Arnold Schole- field, Elbert Osborn, and John Alley.
The present membership is about one hundred and twenty.
The officers are as follows, viz : Trustees, H. G. West- lake, Leonard Johnson, Owen Bixby, William Coon, Geo. Burton ; Stewards, H. G. Westlake, William Coon, Alan- son D. Apley, Winthrop Tipple, John Williams, Henry Loring, Frank Johnson, A. F. Park ; Exhorter, Philip Becker.
There was a Sabbath-school established in 1828-29, with the following officers : Rev. Noah Bigelow, presi- dent ; Adonijali Bidwell, vice-president ; Harry Truesdell, secretary ; Parla Foster, treasurer ; and three managers. It is now in a flourishing condition, having a membership of one hundred scholars, and twenty-two officers and teachers. It has a fine library of choice and well-selected books, numbering about three hundred volumes. The present officers are Noyes Bristol, superintendent ; Wil- liam Coon, assistant superintendent ; Flavia Bristol, tem- porary superintendent; Frank Johnson, secretary ; George Johnson, treasurer : Alden Williams, librarian ; Thomas Miller, assistant librarian.
NORTH HILLSDALE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This class is supposed to have been formed about 1810 -11, though it is possible it may not have been earlier than 1815. It consisted of about ten members, among whom were Richard Bartlett, M. D., Abraham Overhiser, Aaron Shaw, Mr. Burtis, and Peggy Pierce.
The firgt cJiurch building was erected in company with the Baptist society, and stood on the site of the Baptist church. In 1837 it was decided to erect a separate house
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 97
of worship. The site was chosen near the North Hills- dale cemetery, and the present church building er'ected. It was dedicated late in the fall of 1838, Rev. Benjamin Griffin, presiding elder, preaching the discourse. The Avork was done by Philip Becker, and the cost was about $3500. In 1859 it was re|Daired and enlarged by the ad- dition of a porch and tower, at a cost of about $1500. The present valuation is $4000. The society was incor- porated under the general statute, Jan. 22, 1838, as the "Wesleyan Chapel of North Hillsdale." The first trus- tees were Nicholas C. Tyler, Barnett Overhiser, Allen Gildersleeve. Barnett Burtiss, and Levi Pierce. In 1859 the church passed through a wonderful period of refresh- ing, in the course of which upwards of eighty persons professed conversion, and the membership of the church was largely increased. The present membership is about fifty or sixty.
The pastors since 1839 are known, but previous to that time cannot be ascertained. The following is as perfect a list as we have been able to obtain, viz : Bevs. Albert Nash, George Brown, William McK. Bangs, Charles C. Keys, Thomas Bainbridge, W. W. Brewer, John A. Sil- lick, David L. Marks, Lucius H. King, William Ostran- der, Alexander H. Ferguson, Henry Cox, John W. Jones, Marvin B. Lent, Josiah L. Dickerson, W. L. Winans, E. B. Shurter, Henry H. Birkins, W. J. Ives, David B. Tur- ner, Edward Ashton, Nathan Hubbell, J. H. Champion, William Hall, E. H. Boys, J. H. Lane, O. P. CrandalL
The present officers of the church are Peter B. Hollen- l)eck, Jackson Palmer, John S. White, Henry W. Down- ing, David A. Nichols, Austin Morey, John S. Shutts, Allen B. Downing, Homer Traiford, trustees ; David A. Nichols, Austin Morey, Jackson Palmer, John S. White, Homer Trafford, stewards ; Homer Trafibrd, class-leader and clerk.
For a number of years a Sabbath-school has been main-
98 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
tained, with an averapje attendance of about twenty-five. The present officers are Homer Trafford, s^^perintendent ; John S. Shutts, assistant superintendent ; Frank Down- ing, secretary : Dorr Mitchell, librarian and treasurer.
WEST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF HILLSDALE.
Previous to the organization of a class there was occa- sional preaching in the west part of the town by preachers from Hudson, Hillsdale, and other places.
These early meetings were held at different places, among others at Knapp school-house and the residences of Augustus Reed and Thomas Haywood.
The class was a small one, and was formed about 1835. It was an outgrowth of the church at Hillsdale village. Among the prominent members were Joseph Morehouse, Benjamin Snyder, William Higgins, John Higgins, Josiah Knapp, Titus Simpson, D. Higgins, Joseph D. Goodsell, and Andrew Higgins, who was the first class-leader, and held that office from 1835 till his death, in 1875.
The church building was erected in the summer of 1854, and was finished in 1855. It is forty-two feet long by thirty feet wide, and the posts are twenty feet high. It was built by Robert L. Burdick, who received as his remuneration the sum of $1495. The bell cost about $260, and the furniture about $50. The total cost of the structure was nearly $2100. The site, consisting of one acre of land, was given by Milo and Amanda Bissell, and the lot was surveyed by Hezekiah Van Deusen, May 7, 1853. The deed bears date May 31, 1853.
The society became incorporated April 3, 1855, and elected Jos. D, Goodsell, Moses Becker, Milo Bissell, trustees. Alauson D. Apley and Joseph D. Goodsell presided at the meeting, and Andrew Higgins acted as secretary. Rev. Daniel Wager, of Ghent, a local preacher, was one of the earliest preaciiers ; also Rev. Timothy Ben- edict. Since 1850 it has been supplied in connection with
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 99
the Methodist Episcopal church in Hillsdale village until 1875, since which time it has been connected with the North Hillsdale church. The pastors since 1850 have been Revs. Lucius H. King, William Ostrander, Alexan- der H. Ferguson, Henry Cox, Marvin K. Lent, H. B. Mead, James N. Shaffer, Charles S. Brown, L. W. Wals- worth, Oliver V. Amerman, Henry H. Birkins, William S. Bouton, Abram Davis, Alfred Coons, E. H. Boys, J. H. Lane, O. P. Crandall.
HAKLEMVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Previous to the year 1822 stated religious meetings were held in the vicinity of Harlemville in barns, school- houses, and private dwellings. About 1822 a class was formed, among whom we find were Zedick Knapp, Eben Mallery, Eben Soule, William Sawyer, Abraham Winn, Daniel Downing, David Downing, Elias Downing, John Richmond, Peleg Richmond, Perez Richmond, George Richmond, Harry Richmond, Martin Spencer, Martin Terr}^, and Thomas Palmer.
The funeral of Presiding Elder Moriatty, who died very suddenly on Friday morning previous to an apjDointed quarterly meeting, was held in the barn of Daniel Down- ing, one of the oldest Methodists of this vicinity.
In the year 1822 the first church was- built, on lands donated for the purpose by Stephen Richmond. It was built by Alexander Rowley, and stood about two miles east of Harlemville. It was a Union church, owned in part by the Baptists, and was called the "Downing Church." It was a frame building, thirty-six by forty feet, and cost about $1000. The dedication was held in the fall of 1822, the ceremonies being conducted by Rev. George Coles.
The society became incorporated Jan. 4, 1854, at a meeting presided over by Aaron Hunt, Jr., and Josejoh Richards. The first board of trustees elected at that
100 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
meeting consisted of Messrs. Ebenezer Goodseil, George W. Richmond, Philip Wiltsie, Joseph P. Downing, Riley S. Palmer, Ira Palmer, and William D. Mercer.
Dnring the following summer a Methodist Episcopal church was built in Harlemville. It was thirty-two by forty-six feet, cost about $2500, and was dedicated in the fall of 1854, by Rev. Lucius H. King. The building com- mittee was Messrs. Fayette M. Blunt, Riley S. Palmer, William D. Mercer. Richard Simmons was the builder. This church is still in use by the society.
From a diligent search of the records, and from the recollection of members of the society, we are able to give the following list of ministers who have acted as pastors of this church. They were Revs. Lewis McK. Pease, D.
Starks, Arnold Scholefield, Phineas Rice, Griffin,
Edward S. Stout, Adee Yail, George C. Bancroft, John Campbell, Deuton Keeler, John Davies, David Hervy, Jr., Aaron Hunt, Jr., David Lyman, James Y. Bates, De Loss. Lull, Amos N. Mulnix, Oscar Haviland, Edward Asliton, D. Gibson, J. O. Kern, J. H. Lane, and E. B. Pierce.
At the old "Downing church" Elders Abel Brown and Leland, ministers of the Baptist denomination, fre- quently preached. The latter was quite eccentric in his ways. It is told of him that he once, when over eighty years of age, prefaced his sermon by quoting the familiar lines, —
"You'll scarce expect one of my age To speak in public on the stage," etc.
David Wager, of Ghent, and three men of the name of Soules, were local preachers, and often officiated at the meetings.
A very extensive revival occurred under the preaching of Rev. Elbert Osborn in 1831 or 1832, and another in 1845, under the ministry of Rev. Adee Vail. The present number of communicants is eighty, and the following are the present officers, viz : George W. Downing, Davis Dis-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 101
brow, Jacob Hess, Norman Becker, Isaac Coons, Wesley Hogeboom, Madison Downing, trustees ; Joseph P. Dow- ning, Isaac Coons, William Washburn, stewards ; Joseph P. Downing, class-leader. The Sabbath-school was or- ganized in 1823 or 1824, with Abraham Winn as super- intendent.
The present officers are James R. New, superintendent; Mrs. F. A. Mercer, assistant superintendent : T. Dean, secretary ; Norman Becker, treasurer ; Wesley Hogeboom, librarian ; William Gardiner, chorister ; Samuel Downing, Mrs. F. A. Mercer, Sunday-school committee ; J. P. Down- ing, D. Vincent, C. Vincent, Sarah Krum, Mrs. Norman Becker, Mrs. William Washburn, Mrs. Davis Disbrow, Mrs. I. Downing, teachers. The present membership of scholars is one hundred.
HILLSDALE LODGE, NO. 612 F. AND A. M.
The first Masonic society in Hillsdale antedates the century, though the exact date of its organization is not now known. It was called Mount Vernon Lodge, and flourished until the anti-Mason excitement swept over the country, when it was wrecked by that storm. Prominent among its members were John B. Sharts, Samuel Judson, Artemus Johnson, John Collin, Joel Blackman, David Persons, Thaddeus Eeed, John Pixley, and James Bryan. Several years afterward another lodge was instituted, known as Friendship Lodge, No. 125. It was chartered with seven members, and the first officers were David G. Woodin, Master; Samuel Judson, S. W.; Jefferson B. Bingham, J. W. ; James W. White, Sec. ; Alfred G. Bid- well, Treas. ; Philijj Becker, S. D. ; John P. Sharts, J. D.
Henry A. Collin was the first initiate, and among the other prominent members were Richard H. Bartlett, Allen Sweet, John Miller, and Frelin Van Deusen. The Mas- ters were Philip Becker, Henry A. Collin, William Elton.
The lodge met in Hillsdale for some time, and flour-
13*
102 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
islied to a marked degree ; tlien the place of meeting was changed to Copake for two or three years, and returning again to Hillsdale, it flourished for a time, and in 1858 surrendered its charter.
The present lodge was instituted in 1867, but had been working under a dispensation for some months previous. The first officers were Philip Becker, M. ; David C. Baird, S. W. ; Martin J. Wagner, J; W. ; Eliphalet Dimmick, Sec. ; John B. Sharts, Treas. ; Samuel Judson, S. D. ; Wal- ter Shaver, J. D.
The Masters who have passed the chair are Philip Becker, Philip Becker, Jr., George M. Bullock, and Char- les M. Bell. The present officers are Piatt Rogers, M. ; Theodore P. Melius, S. W. ; Gilbert A. Deane, J. W. ; Grosveuor A. Knox, Tres. ; Jacob L. Spade, Sec. ; George M. Bullock, 8. D. ; Latting Bixby, J. D. ; David Brusie, S. M. C; William Atkinson, J. M. C. ; William Coons, Chap. ; Ezra J. Beardsley, Tyler ; H. G. Westlake, P. Van Deusen, Charles M. Bell, Trustees.
The lodge has fitted up the hall at an expense of sev- eral hundred dollars, meets regularly twice each month, and is in a pros[)erous condition, with a membership of ninty-six.
The places of historic interest in Hillsdale are not nu- merous. The southwestern part of the town was in early times called "Nobletown," and apparently received its name from one Robert Noble, who was a leader of the anti-renters during the troubles in the middle of the last century. Where he lived cannot now be ascertained. There was a gore of land in the south part of the town which was in dispute between Van Rensselaer and Liv- ingston, but a line was finely agreed upon between them. In 1791, Sheriff Hogeboom, while on his return from serving some processes in this section, was assailed by a band of disguised men, and was killed by a musket ball. The scene of this tradedy was near the town line of Clav-
HILLSDALE HISTORY. 103
erack, in the Jordan neighborhood. The snrrounding hills here hnddlo together and open out into a broad vale looking to the westward and extending for some miles into the town of Claverack. No one was convicted of the crime, but one Jonathan Arnold suspected, fled, was ar- rested, tried, and acquitted. On the trial it was proven that he had loaded his gun with a ball, while the others were loaded with blank cartridges.
During the War of 1812 a large number of men were drafted or enlisted from this town, but no record of their names has been preserved.
BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES.
HON. JOHN F. COLLIN,
the subject of this biographical notice, was born in Hills- dale, Columbia Co., in a house which stood on the site of his present residence, on the 30th of April, 1802. Paul Collin, a French Huguenot, married Judith Vallean, and emigrated from France, settling at Narraganset, Rhode Island, in 1686. He was the original ancestor of the Col- lin family in this countr}'. He had a son, John, born in Rhode Island, who, about 1730, was employed by John Merwin of Milford Conn., to command a vessel called the "Swan," engaged in the West India trade. Subseqently, while in command of that vessel, he married Hannah, daughter of John Merwin, the proprietor. He was lost, with his vessel, at sea in 1746, leaving two sons, John and David Collin, the former the grandfather of the subject of this biography. He married Sarah Arnold, and settled in Dutchess Co., N. Y., whence he subsequently removed to Hillsdale, Columbia Co. His oldest son, Antony Col- lin, was made a prisoner in the War of the Revolution, and died on board the prison-ship at !New York, in 1777. John Collin died in 1809, leaving a sou, John, and daugh-
104 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
ter, Hannah, the former being the father of John Francis Collin. He (John Collin) was born in Amenia, Dutchess Co., Sept. 16, 1772, and died in Hillsdale, in December, 1833. He married Ruth Holm an Johnson, Oct. 23, 1798, was by occupation a farmer, and reared a a family of seven children, who survived him.
John Francis, the second son, was reared on the home- stead, and bred to the occupation of his father. Being of a studious turn of mind, he pursued his education chiefly at home, adding to the advantages of the common schools a thorough course of self-culture, embracing the branches usually taught in academies. He has followed the habits of study thus early begun all his life, and has a firm con- viction of the truth of the adage that a man is never too old to learn something useful. He is well informed in classical and general literature, and has an accurate knowledge of history, especially that relating to his own country.
In politics he has always been a Democrat, and has been called to fill several important positions of responsi- bility and trust in his town and county. Besides holding many of the minor town offices, he was a member of the board of supervisors for many years, a member of the Legislature in 1834, and a representative in the Twenty- ninth Congress, from 1845 to 1847.
In local affairs his life has been an active one, being employed in many cases as an arbitrator and in the set- tlement of many estates, his sound judgment and practi- cal knowledge eminently qualifying him for such duties. He is a man of more than ordinary intellectual capacity, strict integrity and uprightness of character, and is liberal in the distribution of his means for the promotion of all worthy objects.
In 1827 he was married to Miss Pamelia Jane Tullar, of Egremont, Mass., by whom he had four children, all of whom are living. She died in 1870. In 1871 he married
HILLSDALE HISTOBY. 105
for liis second wife Miss Jane Becker, of Hillsdale, and by this marriage lias one child, Frank B. Collin. His eldest son, John F. Collin, is a farmer, residing with his father. Quincy J. Collin is a clergyman, residing at Santa Clara, Cal. The elder daughter, Pamelia Lorania, married Rev. John Bradin, who resides in Nashville, Tenn. Frances Amelia married Sylvester Barbour, Esq., an attorney-at- law, residing in Hartford, Conn.
ELISHA W. BUSHNELL
was born in the town of Hillsdale, Columbia Co., N. Y., Dec. 27, 1818. His grandfather, George Buslmell, was born in Saybrook, Conn., Avhence he emigrated to Hills- dale at the age of eighteen, and settled on the adjoining farm west of the present Buslmell homestead. He had six children, among whom was John Buslmell, the second son, who was the father of Elisha W. Buslmell, whose name stands at the head of this article.
John Buslmell was born on the farm where his father first settled, Sept. 26, 1789 ; married Sept. 1810, to Loxea Lay, of Westbrook, Conn. ; was a farmer by occupation, a man of energy and enterprise, and highly esteemed for his excellent character. He had ten children, all of whom reached maturity, and six of whom are now living.
Elish W. is the fifth child of John Buslmell. He was brought up on the farm, and educated in his boyhood at the common schools. In the fall of 1839 he settled on the place he now occupies, afterwards purchasing the in- terest of his brother George. On the 18th of September, 1840, he was married to Emma, daughter of Dr. Benjamin House, of Hillsdale.
Originally a Whig in politics, he became a Republican on the formation of the latter party. In 1854 he was elected to the Legislature, and served the succeeding term with credit.
106 HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Mr. Biislinell has been a tliorougligoing and enterpris- ing farmer. He lias not only surrounded himself and family with the conveniences and comforts of a most de- sirable home, but has acquired a competence of this world's goods, and has been liberal in the use of his means for the higher aims and objects of life.
Mr. and Mrs. Bushnell have had five children, only two of whom are living, viz. : Sarah E., wife of Mr. A. F. Park, of Otsego county, farmer, now residing in Hillsdale ; and George V. Bushnell, a graduate of Yale College in 1874, and since then engaged chiefly in teaching as an occupa- tion,
Mr. Bushnell has been an active member of the Colum- bia County Agricultural Society since 1842, and held the office of president of the same from 1850 to 1855.
CHAPTER XXII.
RESIDENTS OF HILLSDALE, FROM LAWRENCE & CO.'s COUNTY DIRECTORY, 1880-81.
List of Residents of Hillsdale, as published in the Colnmbin, County Directory of 1880-81, giving their occupation and Post Office Address.
Hillsdale was formed from Claverack as a district March 26, 1782 ; recognized as a town March 7, 1788, and a part of Austerlitz was taken off in 1818. The surface is broken by ranges of high hills extending in a northerly and southerly direction and separated by narrow valleys. Green River crosses the north-east (;orner, and several small streams, which form the headwaters of Roeliff Jan- sen's and Claverack Creeks, take their rise in the town. The soil is a gravelly loam and clay. The town was set- tled at a very early day, the southerly part by immigrants from Massachusetts and the northerly by Dutch settlers. The first church (Baptist) was organized June 23, 1787, and Rev. Stephen Gano, D. D., was the first pastor. There are three Post Offices in the town, viz. : Hillsdale, Harlemville, and Green River.
Names. Occupation. Post Office Address,
Acker Gertrude, Hillsdale.
Adams Asher J. farmer, "
Adams Wm. J. " "
Albert John M. mason, "
Albert Michael, carpenter, "
108
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Namea.
Albert Philip, Albert William, Allen Jolin W. Allen Lyman Allen Peter, Ames Louis M. Andrews Alouzo D. Andrews Francis E. Andrews William, Asliley Mrs. Elizabeth, Atkins William, Babcock Richard, Bagley Erastus, Bailey Samuel, Bain Isaac F. Bain Smith, Barrett Richard, Barrow Thomas. Bartlett Charles, Bartlett Mrs. E. C. wid. Bartlett Jackson, Bartlett John M. Bartlett Richard, Beard William, Becker Aaron S. Becker Albert M. Becker Allen J. Becker Augustus C. Becker Byron, Becker Charles, Becker Charles, Becker Charles F. Becker Geo, L Becker George W. Becker Henry L.
Occupation.
farmer
Post OiBce Address.
Hillsdale
wid. moulder, carpenter,
|
Green River |
|
|
farmer, |
Hillsdale |
|
(( |
« |
|
« |
« |
|
baggage-master, |
(( |
|
laborer, |
(( |
|
farmer. |
« |
|
« |
|
|
(( |
it |
|
engineer. |
(( |
|
R. R. agent, |
(( |
|
engineer, |
(( |
|
farmer, (1 |
|
|
t( |
(( |
|
laborer. |
(t |
|
farmer |
« |
|
<( |
« |
|
carpenter. |
(( |
|
(( |
(( |
|
farmer, |
« |
|
laborer. |
« |
|
farmer, |
(( |
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
109
|
Names. |
Occupation. |
Post Office Address, |
|
Becker John A. |
farmer, |
Hillsdale. |
|
Becker Merviu, |
(( |
(( |
|
Becker Moses, |
(( |
(( |
|
Becker Norman, |
« |
<( |
|
Becker Norton R. |
« |
(( |
|
Becker Peter J. |
laborer, |
(( |
|
Becker Peter M. |
farmer. |
(( |
|
Becker Peter 0. |
(< |
(( |
|
Becker Philip, Becker Philip, Jr. Becker Richard H. |
painter, carpenter. |
|
|
Becker Silas, |
farmer. |
(< |
|
Becker Stephen 0. Becker William H. |
||
|
Bell Charles M. |
att'y at law. |
(( |
|
Benedict Napoleon T. |
farmer, |
(( |
|
Best Andrew J. |
(( |
<< |
|
Best Edgar, |
(( |
(( |
|
Best Henry, Best Henry B. Best Henry J. Best Ruggles, |
(4 <( |
|
|
Best Samuel, |
(( |
(( |
|
Best Sylvester, Bevins James, |
laborer |
« |
|
Bille Alexander, |
(( |
(( |
|
Bille Amos, |
(1 |
|
|
Birdsall James, |
« |
(< |
|
Bixby Latting, Bixby Owen. |
farmer, « |
(( (< |
|
Blackman Charles, |
(( |
(( |
|
Blackman Joel, |
(( |
« |
|
Blinn Mrs. Malinda, wid, |
« |
|
|
Boice Herman, |
<l |
|
|
Boice Jonathan, 14* |
farmer, |
« |
110
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Boice Jonathan Jr. Boice Mervin, Bonet Josepli, Boriglit John, Boswortli Foster, Bosworth John P. Boyes Elias, Brayne William, Brayne William A. Bristol N. Broughton Geo. W. Broughtou Jesse C. Brusie Ambrose, Brusie Andrew, Brusie Charles F. Brusie Ford, Brusie, Frank, Brusie, George, Brusie Henry, Brusie John, Brusie John D. Brusie Linens, Brusie Wm. Buckbee Gilford, Bull Charles, Bulkeley Henry, Bulkeley Joshua H. Bullock George M. Bullock Major M. Bullock William C. Bunt Andrew, Burgher Charles, Burton George F. Bushnell Elisha, Bushnell George V.
Occupation.
farmer, ((
laborer,
butcher,
farmer,
((
carpenter, farmer.
hotel.
laborer,
farmer,
carpenter,
painter,
carpenter,
farmer,
carpenter,
farmer,
laborer,
farmer,
att'y at law,
post master,
coal and lumber,
clerk, farmer.
Post Office Address.
Hillsdale.
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
Ill
Names. Occupation.
Buslinell Walter, farmer,
Butler EclAvard, harness-maker,
Butler Mrs. Elizabeth, widow,
Poet Office Address.
Hillsdale.
Byrue Ezra, Cameron Isaac V. Consadine Michael, Cannon Bichard, Chase Isaac N. Chase John M. Christina Mrs. B. widow. Church Mrs. Sarah, widow.
real estate agt, farmer, laborer, station agent, farmer,
|
Church, Charles M. |
teacher. |
|
|
Clark Rev. James E. |
Presby'n clergyman, |
|
|
Classon Charles, |
farmer, |
|
|
Classen Charles, Jr., |
li |
|
|
Classon John, |
11 |
|
|
Classon Lewis, |
(( |
|
|
Cole John W. |
(( |
|
|
Cole Michael, |
laborer. |
|
|
Cole Phineas, |
(( |
|
|
Collin John F. |
farmer, |
|
|
Collin John Jr., |
<. |
|
|
Collins Lovell D. |
« |
|
|
Conkle John, |
laborer. |
|
|
Contona Charles, |
(( |
|
|
Contona Joseph, |
« |
|
|
Converse William, |
(( |
|
|
Cook Leman, |
farmer. |
|
|
Coons Rev. Alfred, |
M. E. clergyman, |
|
|
Coons Edwin A. |
farmer. |
|
|
Coons Frank, |
laborer, |
|
|
Coons Isaac, |
farmer. |
|
|
Coons Jacob, |
laborer. |
|
|
Coons John, |
(( |
(( |
|
Coons Levi, |
farmer. |
(( |
112
HILLSDALE HISTOKY.
Coons Lewis, Coons Millard, Coons William, Coons William, Corbett Daniel, Corbett Lawrence, Cornell Charles, Cornell Dr. Henry, Cornell Howard N. Cornell Orville, Craig Esau, Crandell Norman, Crandell Orrin P. Crow Charles, Crow Charles, Crow Emmett, Culver Charles, Cunningham James, Curtis Joel G. Curtis Thomas J. Dakin Ambrose, Dean Addison, Dean Albert, Dean Randall, Dean Gilbert, Dean Henry, Dean James, Dean Mortimer, Dean Talmadge, Dean William, Debell Weedon, Decker Anson, Decker Henry, Decker John, Decker Russell,
Occupation.
laborer,
farmer, stone cutter, farmer,
physician, laborer,
Post Office Address.
Hillsdale.
farmer,
laborer,
justice of the peace, printer,
farmer.
deputy sheriff.
miller.
iron manufacturer,
farmer,
book-keeper, farmer.
engineer, farmer,
Harlemville. Hillsdale.
Harlemville.
Hillsdale.
((
Harlemville. Hillsdale.
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
113
Names.
Decker Seymour, Decker William, DeGroff James, Delamater George, Delear John, Dennis Albert, Dennis Edward, Dimmick Tlieo|)liilus, Disbrow Davis, Disbrow Willis, Dorr Mrs. Julia A. wid. Dorr Martin H. Dorr Seneca, Doty George, Dougherty James, Douglass George, Downing Allen B. Downing Charles, Downing Frank, Downing Henry, Downing Isaac, Downing Peter N. Downing William, Duff Henry, Dunn Christian, Dunn James, Dunn Martin, Dunn Patrick, Dunn Timothy, Duntz John L. Duplain Joseph, Dutcher Ambrose, Dutcher Charles, Dutcher David, Elliott Sarah,
|
Occupation. |
Post Office Address. |
|
farmer |
Hillsdale. |
|
(( |
Harlemville. |
|
farmer & speculator. |
, Hillsdale. |
|
farmer. |
(( |
|
laborer. |
(( |
|
<( |
« |
|
farmer. |
(( |
|
general store. |
(( |
|
farmer, |
Harlemville. |
|
justice of the peace, |
(( |
|
Hillsdale. |
|
|
lawyer. |
|
|
farmer, |
« |
|
harnessmaker. |
(( |
|
farmer, |
(( |
|
(( |
(( |
|
(( |
Harlemville. |
|
<< |
Hillsdale, |
|
laborer, |
<( |
|
(( |
Harlemville. |
|
« |
(< |
|
(( |
Hillsdale. |
|
laborer, |
(. |
|
(< |
<« |
|
(( |
« |
|
farmer. |
(( |
laborer, farmer,
114
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
|
Names. |
Occupation. |
Post OfiBce Address. |
|
Evans Richard, |
laborer |
Hillsdale. |
|
Evans Thomas, |
farmer |
« |
|
Everts David M. |
(( |
(( |
|
Everts Richard, |
(( |
« |
|
Everts Thomas, |
(( |
(( |
|
Everts William, |
« |
|
|
Everts William P. |
a |
ii |
|
Farrell John, |
laborer. |
(( |
|
Fellows Aaron, |
(( |
(( |
|
Ferguson Francis, |
farmer, |
(( |
|
Ferguson Thomas, |
(( |
(( |
|
Finkle Ebenezer, |
n |
(( |
|
Finkle Joseph, |
laborer. |
(( |
|
Fitzpatrick John, |
(( |
(( |
|
Flanigan Hugh, |
a |
(< |
|
Flanigan John, |
farmer, |
(( |
|
Folandt Albertus, |
laborer. |
(( |
|
Folandt Philip, |
(C |
ii |
|
Folandt William, |
(( |
" , |
|
Foster Allen, |
farmer. |
It |
|
Foster Mrs. S. M. wid. |
(( |
|
|
Foster Theodore, |
(( |
(( |
|
Foster William, |
(( |
(( |
|
Fowler Charles, |
C( |
(( |
|
Frajer Philip, |
laborer, |
(( |
|
Frehan Charles W. |
u |
« |
|
Fuller Orson, |
general store, |
<( |
|
Gardner William H. |
farmer, |
(( |
|
Garner A. |
(C |
|
|
Garrison Edward, |
laborer. |
(( |
|
Garrison John, |
C( |
(( |
|
Garrison Stephen, |
(( |
u |
|
Garrison William, |
(( |
(( |
|
Gaylord John H. |
farmer, |
(( |
|
Gilbert Amos, |
(( |
C( |
HILLSDALE HI8T0EY.
115
|
Names. |
Occupation. |
Post Office Adflress. |
|
|
Gilbert George, |
farmer. |
Hillsdale, |
|
|
Gilbert James W. |
« |
||
|
Gilbert John M. |
C( |
||
|
Gilbert Lorenzo. |
supervisor, |
||
|
Gilbert Rodney H. |
farmer. |
||
|
Gildersleeve Allen H. |
|||
|
Glover Norman, |
laborer. |
||
|
Goodsell Joseph, |
farmer. |
||
|
Gorsline, Frederick, |
(( |
||
|
Gorsline James K. |
a |
||
|
Groat Alfred, |
stone cutter. |
||
|
Groshen Edgar, |
laborer, |
||
|
Grubb Henry, |
(( |
||
|
Ham John, |
(t |
||
|
Ham Homer, |
C( |
||
|
Hammond Mrs. S. wid. |
|||
|
Hann George, |
farmer. |
||
|
Hann Joseph, |
(( |
||
|
Handy Edward, |
laborer, |
||
|
Hanor Charles, |
farmer. |
||
|
Hanor Datus E. |
(( |
||
|
Hanor Rutson, |
C( |
||
|
Hardick Abram J. |
(( |
||
|
Hardick John F. |
<( |
||
|
Harvey Henry D. |
jeweler. |
||
|
Hay Paul, |
laborer, |
||
|
Haywood Albertson, |
farmer, |
||
|
Haywood Josephus, |
(t |
||
|
Haywood Martin, |
(< |
||
|
Haywood Orrin, |
wagon-maker, |
||
|
Haywood Wellington, |
farmer, |
||
|
Hinkle John, |
(( |
||
|
Hitchcock John, |
(( |
||
|
Hoffman George, |
(< |
||
|
Hoffman Thomas, |
laborer, ' |
Harlem |
ville. |
116
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
|
Names. |
Occupation. |
Post Office Address, |
|
Hollenbeck Hartin, |
farmer, |
Hillsdale. |
|
Hollenbeck Peter B. |
(( |
(( |
|
Hollenbeck Thomas, |
it |
« |
|
Hollenbeck William, |
(( |
(( |
|
Holmes John E. |
laborer, |
Harlem ville. |
|
Holsapple Hoffman, |
farmer, |
Hillsdale. |
|
Holsapple Martin H. |
li |
(< |
|
House Miss Elizabeth |
(( |
|
|
Huggins Henry, |
miller, |
t( |
|
Higgins John W. |
agent. |
« |
|
Hunt Aaron, |
farmer, |
(( |
|
Hunt Benson A. |
u |
« |
|
Hunt Edward B. |
(( |
« |
|
Hunt George, |
(( |
« |
|
Hunt Gilbert L. |
(( |
(< |
|
Hunt Leon, |
(< |
u |
|
Hunt Eutsen, |
u |
it |
|
Her Michael, |
laborer, |
(( |
|
Johns David M. |
(< |
(( • |
|
Johns Martin, |
S( |
« |
|
Johns Ward, |
(( |
(( |
|
Johnson Billings, |
farmer. |
{( |
|
Johnson Franklin, |
(( |
(t |
|
Johnson George L. |
<( |
<( |
|
Johnson Herman S. |
publisher, |
« |
|
Johnson Hiram W. |
farmer, |
(( |
Johnson John Q. Johnson Parley, Johnson Theophilus, Johnson William, Jones Morris, Jones Moses, Jones Silas W. Jordan Abram, Jordan William,
laborer,
farmer,
laborer.
HILLSDALE HISTORY.
117
|
Names. |
Occupation. |
Post Office Address, |
|
|
Joyce John, |
laborer. |
Hillsdale. |
|
|
Joyce Martin, |
(( |
||
|
Joyce Patrick, |
(( . |
||
|
Judson John E. |
farmer. |
||
|
Keller John H. |
undertaker, |
||
|
King William, |
|||
|
Knox G. A. |
|||
|
Kosina Frank, |
laborer. |
||
|
Krick John, |
farmer. |
||
|
Lambert Claudius, |
tailor. |
||
|
Lasher Eli, |
laborer, |
||
|
Lawrence Chas. H. |
farmer. |
||
|
|