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17 - Mohawk Valley by W. Max Reid · Mohawk Valley

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  Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen of the Mohawk Valley. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Recording by Roger Moline. The Mohawk Valley,
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  Speaker 1: Its Legends and its History by W. Max Reid, Chapter
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  Speaker 1: sixteen incidents relating to the early history of Amsterdam and
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  Speaker 1: the Mohawk Valley. In sixteen o nine, Henry Hudson, an Englishman,
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  Speaker 1: discovered the East and North Rivers, the latter of which
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  Speaker 1: he ascended in his boat to Aurania now Albany, and
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  Speaker 1: soon after sold his right privately to the Dutch West
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  Speaker 1: India Company. In sixteen fourteen, the States General of Holland
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  Speaker 1: erected a fort at Albany and called it Fort Orange.
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  Speaker 1: In sixteen sixty three and sixty four, the colony was
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  Speaker 1: subdued by the English and became known as the Colony
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  Speaker 1: of New York. Albany was incorporated as a city in
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  Speaker 1: sixteen eighty six. Albany County at that time comprised all
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  Speaker 1: of the land north as far as Canada, and all
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  Speaker 1: of the lands west. At this time, the present state
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  Speaker 1: of New York was possessed by the Iroquois, and Canada
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  Speaker 1: by the Algonquins. The rivals of the six nations. Up
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  Speaker 1: to the burning of Schenectady in sixteen ninety, that village
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  Speaker 1: was the frontier settlement in the west, its neighbours being
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  Speaker 1: Fort Orange on the east fifteen miles away and tayanan Daroga,
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  Speaker 1: a Mohawk Indian village on the west, now Fort Hunter.
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  Speaker 1: About seventeen ten, the German Pealatines and some Holland Dutch
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  Speaker 1: from Schenectady settled along the Mohawk River, but located in
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  Speaker 1: every instance except one on the south side. This except
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  Speaker 1: was one Giraldus Kamphort, who secured a small grant of
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  Speaker 1: twenty acres in what is now the town of Amsterdam
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  Speaker 1: on April twenty second, seventeen oh three. On November two,
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  Speaker 1: seventeen oh eight, the notorious Caidosceris patent was given to
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  Speaker 1: Nanning Hermans and twelve others, conveying about seven hundred thousand acres,
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  Speaker 1: which included all of the land in the present town
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  Speaker 1: of Amsterdam, east of Guy Park through Perth, Broadalban and
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  Speaker 1: part of what is now Saratoga County. This grant was
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  Speaker 1: evidently fraudulent, as the Mohawks were told that they were
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  Speaker 1: only granting enough land for one or two farms, whereas
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  Speaker 1: it embraced land five times greater than that of Manhattan Island.
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  Speaker 2: As soon as this great fraud was discovered.
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  Speaker 1: By the Indians, they protested against it and resisted every
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  Speaker 1: attempt to settle on it.
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  Speaker 2: The patentees, as soon as.
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  Speaker 1: They discovered how furious the Indians were at the deceit
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  Speaker 1: that would deprive them of such a great tract of
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  Speaker 1: their hunting grounds, desisted from all attempts to settle or
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  Speaker 1: sell any of this tract for a great number of years,
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  Speaker 1: hoping that in time the Indians would be driven from
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  Speaker 1: the valley and leave them in possession of their ill
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  Speaker 1: gotten wealth. During Sir William Johnson's residence at Fort Johnson,
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  Speaker 1: he espoused the cause of the Indians and their desire
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  Speaker 1: to have this patent annulled. After a number of years
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  Speaker 1: he succeeded in having this grant reduced to about twenty
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  Speaker 1: three thousand acres, which embraced the land in what is
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  Speaker 1: now known as the town of Amsterdam, east of Guy
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  Speaker 1: Park and the town of Perth. Undoubtedly, the contest over
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  Speaker 1: this patent and the attendant hostility of the Moa Hawks
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  Speaker 1: retarded settlements in Amsterdam for more than half a century,
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  Speaker 1: and the fact that Sir William could not procure lands
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  Speaker 1: near his estate at Fort Johnson on account of the
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  Speaker 1: Caiderosserus grant was probably the reason that he concluded to
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  Speaker 1: build the town of Johnstown on lands he owned in
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  Speaker 1: that vicinity instead of in the valley. In seventeen eighty eight,
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  Speaker 1: all of the land in Montgomery County north of the
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  Speaker 1: Mohawk River was called Conwaga. Previous to that time this
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  Speaker 1: district and the land on the south side was called Mohawk.
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  Speaker 1: In seventeen ninety three, this town was divided into the
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  Speaker 1: towns of Conwaga or Fonda, Amsterdam, broadalban Mayfield, and Johnstown.
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  Speaker 1: In eighteen ten, Old Montgomery County was the largest county
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  Speaker 1: in the state, its area being at that time one million,
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  Speaker 1: seven hundred sixty seven and six hundred eighty acres. Up
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  Speaker 1: to seventeen seventy two, what is now Montgomery County was
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  Speaker 1: part of Albany County. In sixteen ninety one, there were
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  Speaker 1: but nine counties in the state, and Albany included all
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  Speaker 1: north of Ulster and Duchess. An attempt was made to
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  Speaker 1: divide this county in seventeen sixty nine, but failed. A
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  Speaker 1: second petition was sent to the Assembly by Sir William
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  Speaker 1: Johnson in seventeen seventy two, and a new county was
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  Speaker 1: formed called Tryon County, which embraced all of the state
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  Speaker 1: west of a line running due north of the Delaware River,
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  Speaker 1: through and along the eastern limits of the present counties
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  Speaker 1: of Montgomery, Fulton, and Hamilton to the Canadian Line. It
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  Speaker 1: was named Tryan from the governor of the colony, and
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  Speaker 1: Johnstown was designated as the county seat on May tenth,
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  Speaker 1: seventeen seventy two. Governor Tryon was so devoted to the
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  Speaker 1: British interests that his name became obnoxious to the patriots
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  Speaker 1: of the valley, and in seventeen eighty four the name
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  Speaker 1: of the colony was changed from Tryon to Montgomery County
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  Speaker 1: and comprised lands of the present counties of Fulton and Montgomery.
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  Speaker 1: In eighteen thirty eight, this county was again subdivided into
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  Speaker 1: two counties and named Montgomery and Fulton, Montgomery County being
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  Speaker 1: named from the Patriot General Richard Montgomery, who was killed
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  Speaker 1: in the attack on Quebec December thirty first, seventeen seventy five,
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  Speaker 1: he had acquired possession of Chambly, Saint John's and Montreal,
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  Speaker 1: thereby becoming master of the greater part of Canada. On
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  Speaker 1: August twenty ninth, seventeen thirty five, Charles Williams and others
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  Speaker 1: were granted a patent for a tract of land in
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  Speaker 1: the town of Florida, containing about fourteen thousand acres, which
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  Speaker 1: was soon after sold to Sir Peter Warren of New York,
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  Speaker 1: the uncle of Sir William Johnson. This tract of land
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  Speaker 1: extended from the maybe patent at the mouth of the
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  Speaker 1: Skoheri or Tyononderoga Creek, about six or seven miles along
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  Speaker 1: the bank of said creek to a point about midway
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  Speaker 1: between Mill Point and Burtonsville, thence from that point in
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  Speaker 1: a straight line about eight miles long to a point
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  Speaker 1: on the Mohawk River below Phillip's Lock, about opposite Cranesville,
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  Speaker 1: and was triangular in shape.
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  Speaker 2: It was on this tract.
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  Speaker 1: Of land that William Johnson was located when he came
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  Speaker 1: to this country in seventeen thirty eight at the age
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  Speaker 1: of twenty three years. William Johnson was born in Warrentown,
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  Speaker 1: County of downs, Ireland in the year seventeen fifteen. It
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  Speaker 1: is said that he fell in love with a young
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  Speaker 1: lady in Ireland, but was prevented from marrying her by
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  Speaker 1: her friends. About this time, his uncle, Sir Peter Warren
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  Speaker 1: made him a proposition to come to America and look
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  Speaker 1: after his landed estate, an offer he gladly accepted. He
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  Speaker 1: located at what was called Warrens Bush, on the easterly
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  Speaker 1: border of the estate and the Mohawk River. He erected
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  Speaker 1: a small dwelling and store at a point on the
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  Speaker 1: Morris or John Blood Farm, about midway between the Brick
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  Speaker 1: Mansion and the house of Walter m Major, and about
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  Speaker 1: one mile from Alexander and Hamilton Phillips brothers, who had
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  Speaker 1: located at what is now called Phillips Lock. Somewhat earlier,
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  Speaker 1: as early as said seventeen sixteen, one Philip Grot, a
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  Speaker 1: member of one of the Dutch families that had settled
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  Speaker 1: at Rotterdam, made a purchase of land near Cranesville, and
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  Speaker 1: was probably the first white man that settled on the
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  Speaker 1: north side of the Mohawk in the town of Amsterdam.
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  Speaker 1: From that date until after the Revolution, we do not
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  Speaker 1: find the names of any others who settled in this vicinity,
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  Speaker 1: except the Sir William Johnson settlements at or near Fort Johnson,
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  Speaker 1: probably on account of the troubles over the Cayararassarus grant.
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  Speaker 1: The grant to Philip Grot conveyed all of the lands
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  Speaker 1: between the creeks about one mile and as far north
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  Speaker 1: from the Mohawk as he might desire. This embraced the
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  Speaker 1: present site of Cranesville. The settler saw perilous times from
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  Speaker 1: the very beginning. It is recorded that Philip Grot, when
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  Speaker 1: removing hither, was drowned in the Mohawk near Schenectady, by
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  Speaker 1: breaking through the ice. He was in a sleigh, accompanied
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  Speaker 1: by a woman who was also drowned. His widow and
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  Speaker 1: three sons, Simon, Jacob and Lewis, the latter being only
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  Speaker 1: four years old, with several domestics, made the intended settlement.
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  Speaker 1: They were the pioneers of Amsterdam and were sturdy, courageous people,
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  Speaker 1: as evinced by the stories that are told of those
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  Speaker 1: early days that tried men's souls and bodies. In seventeen thirty,
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  Speaker 1: the Groat Brothers erected a gristmill at what is now Cranesville,
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  Speaker 1: said to have been the first mill of the kind,
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  Speaker 1: erected on the north side of the Mohawk, and for
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  Speaker 1: a time served the settlement at German Flats, fifty miles away.
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  Speaker 1: The first bolting cloth was put in by John Burns,
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  Speaker 1: a German, in seventeen seventy two. J. R. Simms says
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  Speaker 1: in the summer of seventeen fifty five, two hundred troops
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  Speaker 1: clad in rich Highland Tartans passed on their way to
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  Speaker 1: Fort Johnson, six miles above Groat. Observing a gate across
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  Speaker 1: the road had been left open by the troops, went
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  Speaker 1: after sundown to shut it. When returning it began to rain,
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  Speaker 1: and for temporary shelter, he stepped under a large oak tree.
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  Speaker 1: While there, three Indians, a father and sons, approached him.
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  Speaker 1: He took them to be Mohawks, and, extending a hand
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  Speaker 1: to the oldest, greeted him in a friendly manner. The
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  Speaker 1: hand was received and firmly held by the Indian, who
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  Speaker 1: claimed Groat as a prisoner. Finding them in earnest and
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  Speaker 1: seeing them all armed with rifles, he surrendered. The Indians
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  Speaker 1: belonged to the Oanagunga tribe. They took him to their
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  Speaker 1: settlement in Canada, where he was forced to run the gauntlet.
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  Speaker 1: He was soon after sold to a French Canadian named
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  Speaker 1: Louis de Snaux, with whom he remained as a servant
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  Speaker 1: until the declaration of war between Great Britain and France,
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  Speaker 1: when he was claimed as a British prisoner and for
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  Speaker 1: six months imprisoned in Saint Francis's Way near Montreal. He
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  Speaker 1: was finally liberated and returned home after an absence of
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  Speaker 1: four years and four months. The manner in which the
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  Speaker 1: town and city of Amsterdam was named is not generally understood,
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  Speaker 1: or rather, in speaking of the occurrence, we are apt
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  Speaker 1: to get dates mixed. We will have to rely upon
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  Speaker 1: tradition for the naming of the town, as there are
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  Speaker 1: no records of that event. Tradition says that shortly after
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  Speaker 1: Joseph Hageman settled at the place now called Hageman in
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  Speaker 1: seventeen eighty seven, having made some improvements on his homestead,
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  Speaker 1: he began the erection of a saw mill. At that
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  Speaker 1: time seventeen eighty eight, all of the country north of
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  Speaker 1: the Mohawk was called the district of Codnawaga. The scattered
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  Speaker 1: settlers had assembled for the purpose of raising the frame
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  Speaker 1: of mister Hageman saw mill. This must have been a
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  Speaker 1: great event to the settlers of this district, and undoubtedly
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  Speaker 1: the occasion called forth all the able bodied men for
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  Speaker 1: miles around. Those who may have attended the raising of
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  Speaker 1: a frame for a large building forty or fifty years
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  Speaker 1: ago will remember the immense beams and posts and girders
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  Speaker 1: which were first pinned together with wooden pins and then
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  Speaker 1: placed in position for raising. They will also remember that
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  Speaker 1: it was expected that the owner or contractor should furnish refreshments,
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  Speaker 1: sometimes sandwiches, often crackers and cheese, but always whisky or rum.
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  Speaker 1: This was undoubtedly a notable gathering brought there for a
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  Speaker 1: notable purpose, the erection of a sawmill, which was almost
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  Speaker 1: as necessary to the early settler as a gristmill, the
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  Speaker 1: one to furnish bread, and the other the material for
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  Speaker 1: constructing the dwellings of those hardy pioneers. Undoubtedly, the neighbors
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  Speaker 1: came from all points of the compass, either on foot
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  Speaker 1: or horseback, or in the primitive vehicles.
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  Speaker 2: Of those early days.
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  Speaker 1: No coach, landau, cabriolet, coupe or handsome in the procession. However,
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  Speaker 1: I can imagine that Captain Emmanuel de Graf was there,
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  Speaker 1: and perhaps Lieutenant Peter Groot, proud of the wound he
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  Speaker 1: received at the Battle of Voriskini. Also George Schuler, Peter
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  Speaker 1: van Warmer, and some of the Putnams and Hansens from
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  Speaker 1: tribes Hill, Fred Lepper, William Kleine, and some of the
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  Speaker 1: Swartz Adam Sixsbury, Nicholas, Isaac Jeremiah and Frederic de Graff,
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  Speaker 1: and a number of scotchmen from Perth and Galway. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: some of the lads and lassies accompanied their elders to
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  Speaker 1: see the fun no doubt, the question of the division
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  Speaker 1: of the large district of Canawaga had been under discussion
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  Speaker 1: for some time, and the division lines practically decided upon. Naturally,
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  Speaker 1: the question of a name for the new town that
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  Speaker 1: was to be would be a proper subject for discussion,
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  Speaker 1: and when the name of Amsterdam was suggested and an
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  Speaker 1: informal vote taken, it was unanimously agreed upon. Upon the
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  Speaker 1: organization of the town at the final division of Canawaga
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  Speaker 1: in seventeen ninety three, the wishes of the residents were
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  Speaker 1: respected and the new town was named Amsterdam. The village
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  Speaker 1: at the mouth of the Chuckanunda was called Vettersburg until
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  Speaker 1: April fifth, eighteen o eight, when at a town meeting
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  Speaker 1: said to have been held in the house of James Allen,
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  Speaker 1: now a farmhouse owned by Stephen Sandford, being part of
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  Speaker 1: the Hurricana Farm, the question of changing the name of
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  Speaker 1: the village from Veddersburg to Amsterdam was submitted to a vote,
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  Speaker 1: which resulted in a tie. James Allen, being president of
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  Speaker 1: the meeting, had a casting vote, and out of modest
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  Speaker 1: courtesy to the Dutch element, decided upon the name Amsterdam.
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  Speaker 1: Most of the histories of Amsterdam placed the date of
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  Speaker 1: this town meeting in eighteen.
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  Speaker 2: O four, but from.
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  Speaker 1: The records of the town Clerk of the Town of Amsterdam,
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  Speaker 1: it would seem that the correct date is that given above.
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  Speaker 1: There is no record of the vote spoken of above
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  Speaker 1: having been taken. However, the first town meeting of the
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  Speaker 1: Town of Amsterdam after the division of the old town
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  Speaker 1: of Canawaga, was held at the house of Isaac Vedder
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  Speaker 1: on the first Tuesday in April seventeen ninety four, at
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  Speaker 1: which time the following town officers were elected. Daniel Miles Supervisor,
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  Speaker 1: John p Allen Clerk James Allen, Joseph Hageman, Emmanuel de Graf,
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  Speaker 1: Assessors James Allen, Emmanuel de Graf, Overseers of the poor
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  Speaker 1: James Allen, Henry Kennedy, Emmanuel de Graf, Commissioners of highways
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  Speaker 1: Nicholas Hageman, Adam Nave, probably constables Albert h Veder, Mindert Wimble,
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  Speaker 1: James Allen, fence viewers John Grote, pound master James Allen.
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  Speaker 1: Place of meeting for seventeen ninety five, and a long
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  Speaker 1: list of overseers of highways. Building road seems to have
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  Speaker 1: been their principal work, as it is the only business
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  Speaker 1: that is recorded in the books of.
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  Speaker 2: The town clerk.
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  Speaker 1: Among the list of taxpayers in seventeen ninety four were
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  Speaker 1: Jeremiah de Graf, Frederick de Graf, Isaac de Graff, John DeGraf,
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  Speaker 1: John Degraft Junior, Emmanuel DeGraf. On the tax roll for
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  Speaker 1: seventeen ninety four, we find that the assessment of Jacob
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  Speaker 1: Schuyler was four hundred and twelve pounds, Daniel Miles four
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  Speaker 1: hundred and twenty nine pounds, Albert Ais each Vedder three
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  Speaker 1: hundred and twenty pounds, William Klein three hundred and eighty
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  Speaker 1: three pounds, James Allen two hundred and sixty six pounds,
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  Speaker 1: Frederick de Graf two hundred and sixty pounds, John L.
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  Speaker 1: Grote two hundred and twenty pounds. A. Hasserius Marcellus two
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  Speaker 1: hundred and eleven pounds, George Schuler two hundred and seventeen pounds,
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  Speaker 1: Chris Peak two hundred and fifty two pounds, Nicholas Bratt
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  Speaker 1: two hundred and seven pounds, Ezra Thayer two hundred and
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  Speaker 1: eleven pounds. At the town meeting held at the house
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  Speaker 1: of Captain John p Allen on March first, eighteen oh three,
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  Speaker 1: it was resolved that the town meeting for eighteen oh
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  Speaker 1: four should be held at the house of Gabriel Manny
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  Speaker 1: at Manny's Corners. At that time, the place of meeting
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  Speaker 1: for eighteen oh five was changed back to the house
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  Speaker 1: of James Allen, where it had been held since the
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  Speaker 1: organization of the town in seventeen ninety four. At the
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  Speaker 1: annual meeting in eighteen oh eight, it was resolved that
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  Speaker 1: the next town meeting be held at the meetinghouse in Vettersburg,
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  Speaker 1: and it is probable that the vote changing the name
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  Speaker 1: to Amsterdam was also taken at that time eighteen oh eight,
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  Speaker 1: as the record of eighteen oh nine says, the annual
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  Speaker 1: town meeting was held in the Meetinghouse in the village
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  Speaker 1: of Amsterdam. After that date up to eighteen twelve, which
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  Speaker 1: is as far as the record extends, the annual election
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  Speaker 1: was held at the house of Joseph Usterhout on Main Street,
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  Speaker 1: where the store occupied by Isaac Adler now stands. I
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  Speaker 1: have not been able to locate the house of Isaac Vedder,
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  Speaker 1: spoken of as being the place of the first election
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  Speaker 1: of officers for the town of Amsterdam. The only vetdter
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  Speaker 1: houses that I have been able to find is one
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  Speaker 1: that was occupied by Vulkert Vedder, as laid down in
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: the old map of eighteen o seven and stood where
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: the residence of Missus W. K. Green now stands, and
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  Speaker 1: the old Harmonius Vedder house that formerly stood on the
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  Speaker 1: side of the present residence of mister Lauren Kellogg. The
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  Speaker 1: latter Vedder house was known as the Cornelius Miller House,
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  Speaker 1: which now stands on the west side of William Street,
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  Speaker 1: where it was moved about twenty years ago. On a
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  Speaker 1: map made in eighteen o seven, we find two vetdter houses,
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  Speaker 1: one occupied by Harmon Vedder, standing where the dwelling house
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  Speaker 1: of Lauren Kellogg now stands, which I have mentioned before.
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: Residents of Amsterdam will remember this house as the old
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: Cornelius Miller House, which was within a few years removed
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  Speaker 1: to the west side of William Street and is now
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  Speaker 1: known as Number twelve. The other house was in eighteen
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  Speaker 1: o seven owned and occupied by Volkert Vedder and stood
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  Speaker 1: where the residence of Missus W. K. Green now stands.
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  Speaker 1: This house now stands on the north side of Green
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  Speaker 1: Street and is known as numbers seven and nine and
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  Speaker 1: belongs to the heirs of the late Missus James Bell.
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  Speaker 1: In one of these houses, probably the Cormiller House, the
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  Speaker 1: first election in the town of Amsterdam was held. The
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  Speaker 1: election for seventeen ninety five was held at the house
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  Speaker 1: of James Allen. At what time previous to the above
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  Speaker 1: date the Allen House was built, we are unable to state.
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  Speaker 1: Probably not many years it was in existence. However, in
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  Speaker 1: seventeen ninety three it was evidently buil built for a
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  Speaker 1: public house, and kept as such for a good many years.
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  Speaker 1: James Allen conveyed it to his son in law William Davis.
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  Speaker 1: Davis conveyed to Alfred Birch, who occupied it until eighteen
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  Speaker 1: fifty one, when he conveded to Alec Scott, who conveyed
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  Speaker 1: to John Chalmers, who convaded to Stephen Sandford, who now
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  Speaker 1: owns it. Another old house is the Gabriel Manny Junior
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: House on East Main Street, about one quarter of a
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  Speaker 1: mile from Elk Street. For a number of years this
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: house was occupied by a Missus Ellsworth and subsequently by
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  Speaker 1: George Ross. It was formerly one of the numerous stage
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  Speaker 1: houses that were so frequently seen along the Mohawk Turnpike.
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  Speaker 1: From seventeen ninety five to eighteen forty there were two
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: Gabriel Mannies, the senior living at Manny's Corners and the
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: junior on the Mohawk Turnpike. Mister Stephen Sandford is fortunate
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: in being the owner of two of the oldest houses
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: in Amsterdam, the old James Allen House on the Hurricana
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: Farm and the Thomas House on the round View Farm.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: The Thomas House was probably erected by Henry Thomas in
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: seventeen ninety seven. As mister Sandford is in the possession
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: of a brick taken from one of the chimneys bearing
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: that date, this house and the Allen House are in
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: excellent condition, and, considering their run of a century and over,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: present a very sturdy appearance owing to the heavy timbers
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: used in their construction. The Thomas, or as it is
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: sometimes called, the Red House at Roundview often attracts the
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: attention of passers by because it does not seem to
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: be on a line with anything, unless it might be
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: with the north and South pole. This is accounted for
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: by the fact that the old public road ran along
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: what is now the rear of the house, which was
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: formerly the front, as can plainly be seen by examining
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: the rear door to the main hall. This door and
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: casing is quite ornamental, and with its quaint side lights,
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: reveals the antiquity of the building. In those days, there
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: was no roadway on the south bank of the creek
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: by Green Hill Cemetery. Persons who are in the habit
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: of passing Roundview have noticed a triangular piece of land
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: leading from near the barn and coming to a point
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: at a stone wall on lands of Samuel Clisby the
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: north fence of this lot was the north side of
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: the old road which ran between the barn and the house.
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: Through the meadow and across the present road, and with
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: a sharp turn back into the field and through the
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: center of the half Moon Woods and across the flats
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: now covered by the waters of Kellogg Dam, passed the
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: old Stone oil Mill and entered the grounds of the
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: present Greenhill Cemetery by what is now the upper entrance
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: opposite the old Yellow House on the bank of the creek.
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Thence following an easy grade up over the hill, the
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: road came out at the present main carriage entrance to
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: the cemetery, and so on down Church Street. This road
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: was ordered straightened as it is at present, and the
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: width ordered four rods wide December fourteenth, eighteen o nine,
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: the Highway commissioners being David Shephard, Samuel Jones and Duncan Stewart.
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: It is thought that the dugway between Sandford's Dam and
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: the Green Hill Cemetery was constructed a little later. The
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: house at Roundview Farm was built in seventeen ninety seven
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: by Henry Thomas and known as Henry Thomas's Store, who
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: probably conveyed the same in seventeen ninety eight to William Thomas,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: who conveyed it to William Helling January fourteenth, eighteen o six,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Helling conveyed to William Reid. February third, eighteen twenty four,
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: William Reid conveyed to Edward Reed. In eighteen forty one,
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Edward Reid conveyed to Jane Dingman, who conveyed to William K.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: Green Green to Richard Pierce Pierce, to R. H. Johnson
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Johnson to Stephen Sandford, the present owner. While it was
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: in possession of Missus Dingman, it was remodeled by changing
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: the stairs in the main hall and by changing the
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: front of the house to the south. Below this house,
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: on the south side of the road, next below the J.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: Reid Farmhouse is a building which I am inclined to
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: believe was erected before seventeen ninety four and was the
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: residence of elishah Arne, the father of Benedict Arnold and
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: father in law of William Reid, both well known businessmen
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: between eighteen o six and eighteen fifty. William Reid was
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: born at Spedick, in the Parish of Hollywood and County
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: of Dumfries, Scotland, November twelfth, seventeen seventy nine. Sailed from
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: Greenock June first, eighteen o two and arrived in the
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: port of New York August eighth of the same year,
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: and came immediately to Amsterdam by sloop to Albany, on
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: foot to Schenectady, and by Boteaux up the Mohawk River.
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: He soon opened a school on the rocks at Rockton,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: where he taught for four years. In eighteen o six
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: he married the daughter of Elisha Arnold, and a little later,
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: in connection with his brother in law Benedict Arnold, kept
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: a general store on Main Street contemporary with the above
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: news persons. At eighteen oh six, we find the names
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: of Osias Bronson, the grandfather of James Bronson, who moved
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: here in eighteen oh two, Timothy Downs, Daniel Miles, Tullock,
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: E E. De Graf, Barnes, Vedder DeForest, Blade, Roseboom, Waters,
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: Thomas and Esmond, Matthew Bovey, and others. The house now
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: known as the Vorhees Mansion, was built by Garrett Roseboom
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: the latter part of the last century, and was one
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: of the numerous stage or roadhouses scattered along the Mohawk
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: Turnpike in the early part of the last century.
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: This quaint old building.
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: Both in its exterior and interior bears the impress of antiquity.
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: I lately called upon the two surviving members of the family,
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: Messrs Stephen and George Vie, and was most cordially received
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: by those hail and hearty good fellows. At first I
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: felt like sympathizing with Steve and his nearly lifelong affliction.
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: But when I noticed how ready the younger brother was
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: to use his eyes for the comfort and pleasure of
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: the other, I was conscious that at home, at least
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: he did not feel the loss of his sight as
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: when abroad. This old building, with its exterior of severe simplicity,
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: is a landmark that cannot fail to attract the attention
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: of passers by. Architecturally, it cannot be called beautiful, but
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: there are very few of our old residents who would
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: care to have it marred by an attempt to modernize
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: the structure. I think it was James G. Blaine who
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: said that he did not like those changes that make
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: an old building. Queen Anne in front and Mary Anne behind.
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: Approaching the place from marketste we first see the substantial
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: stone wall and iron gate that is so familiar to
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: all the young boys and the old boys of the
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: last century. How many of the old boys that have
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: grown up in our city can say that they have
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: never played on top of this wall and under the
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: shade of those venerable maples. Many of both sexes have
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: pleasant memories of it as a trysting place in the
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: moonlight and days gone by. I think it is remembered
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: equally with the old pine tree at the end of
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: the walk on East Main Street, which stood with a
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: parsonage of Saint Mary's now stands.
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: The front of the.
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: Mansion is practically the same as when built. The only
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: change noticeable is in the wing at the east end,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: where the tall pillars which formerly reached to the roof
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: and formed a high, narrow portico, have been replaced by
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: a two story piazza. The house, as seen from the street,
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: with its plain white walls and antique doors and windows,
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: would never be mistaken for a modern structure. The severely
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: plain front door with its old fashioned iron door knocker
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: representing the hooded head of an Egyptian princess, the latticed
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: storm door of the wing, the stone flagging branching from the.
• 32:23
  Speaker 2: Gate to the reach. The two doors are.
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: The same as when I first saw them in my childhood,
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: but I missed the four plain white pillars in front
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: of the wing that succumbed to the hand of time
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: and were replaced by the structure spoken of above. As
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: we passed the front door, we enter at once into
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: a wide, long hall with broad stairs at the end
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: with the usual slim ballusters and hand rail of polished
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: mahogany grown dark with age. The room on the west
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: side was formally used as a parlor, and the woodwork
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: of the doors and casing and the mantle over the
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: deep fireplace show the ornamental molding and carving that we
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: so often find in houses built a century ago. On
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: the east side of the hall is a large square
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: room lighted by two windows in front. This room was
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: the hotel office and bar room when the house was
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: used as a road house in the early part of
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: the last century, and called the Roseboom House. Scattered among
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: the modern pieces of furniture in this room are several
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: pieces of dark mahogany or rosewood that are unique in
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: their well preserved antiquity. On the walls are two well
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: executed oil paintings of interest, one of which represents a
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: very pretty woman of perhaps twenty five years in the
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: short waist and scant skirt in vogue in those early days.
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: This is Missus Betsy vo Vorhees, the wife of doctor
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: Samuel Vorhees. The other painting is a portrait of an
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: older woman and is a very well executed likeness of
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: Missus Reynolds, whose maiden name was Bartlett and the mother
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: of Missus Samuel Vorhees and Marcus T.
• 34:18
  Speaker 2: Reynolds.
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: The little cap that adorns the head is beautiful in
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: its quaint simplicity. The Vorhees family, which includes the Amsterdam
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: and the Florida branches, are descendants of Stephen Querte van
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: Vorhees born in sixteen hundred at Hayes, Holland, and came
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: to this country from before the village in April sixteen
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: sixty and settled at Flatlands, Long Island. The meaning in
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: English of the Holland name Van Vorhees is from before
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: the heyes van meaning from vor meaning before or in
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: front of, and he ease. Being a small village about
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: five miles from Ruinen, Holland, which contained in sixteen hundred
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: nine houses and about fifty inhabitants. Doctor Samuel Vorhes was
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: a man of great individuality, and is remembered as a
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: man of ability in his profession. His appearance in his
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: later years was such as to attract attention. A spare
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: man of medium height and a slight bend forward when walking,
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: snow white hair and whiskers which he wore in long
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: fringe around the edge of the jaw, his short quick
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: steps and the ever present cane was a familiar sight
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: on Main Street for a great many years. He died
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: November first, eighteen seventy. This brief account of the Vorhees
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: family would not be complete if I failed to mention
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: another member of the family, Missus Betsy Vorhees. She was
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: a sister of the well known lawyer Marcus T. Reynolds,
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: and was a woman of great intelligence and marked force
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: of character, who kept in advance of all the projects
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: of reform advocated by her co workers Missus Elizabeth Kady,
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: Stanton Lucy Stone and Missus Bloomer. She died February eighth,
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty eight. Mister Stephen R. Vorhees informs me that
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: John V. Henry, at one time a prominent man in
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: the village of Amsterdam and also owner of Guy Park
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: in eighteen o five, was brother in law of Commodore
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: Charles Wilkes of the American Navy.
• 36:44
  Speaker 2: John V.
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: Henry had a son who was named for the Commodore
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: and called Wilkes Henry. He was a schoolmate of Stephen
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: Vorhees in the old red schoolhouse that formerly stood with
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: the East Main Street brick schoolhouse now stands, and which
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: was burned in the Great Fire of the summer of
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty six. Wilkes Henry, when a young man, went
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: on a voyage with his uncle, the Commodore, in the
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: Exploring Expedition of eighteen thirty eight to forty two, at
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: which time they visited the Fiji Islands. Young Henry asked
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: leave to go ashore with the boat crew. Permission being granted.
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: They rowed for the shore, disappeared, and were never heard
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: from again. It was always supposed that they were captured
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: by the savages and roasted and eaten. It is said, however,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: that in later years the Fijis preferred the flesh of
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: a nice, plump female savage to a white man, as
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: they found the flesh of a white man insipid and
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: having the flavor of tobacco. This reminds me of the
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: questions of a young irrepressible who had been told a
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: story of a missionary having been eaten by a cannibal. Papa,
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: he says, will the missionary go to heaven? Yes, said
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: the father. After a pause, the boy says, Pa, will
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: the cannibal go to heaven? No, of course not, says
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: the father. PA says the boy. How can the missionary
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: go to heaven if the cannibal don't.
• 38:29
  Speaker 2: In the year eighteen.
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: Twenty six, General Lafayette passed through Port Jackson on the
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: Erie Canal on his way to the western portions of
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: the state. It was not known that he was on
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: the packet until it was near at hand. Consequently, no
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: organized reception was made in his honor. However, about fifty
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: of the residents hurried over in time to see him,
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: but were so overawed at his presence that no one
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: made an effort to speak to him. Among those who
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: were present was Missus Samuel Vorhees, who transmitted to him
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: a pair of fine worsted stockings knitted by herself, of
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: one hundred stitches to the needle. Afterwards, Missus Vorhees received
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: a letter from Lafayette acknowledging their receipt and expressing thanks.
• 39:21
  Speaker 2: For the gift.
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: Today this letter is one of the most valued possessions
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: of the Vorhees family. They are also in possession of
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: six mahogany chairs, formerly the property of Sir William Johnson.
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: Ozias Brownson or Bronson, came to Amsterdam in eighteen o
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: two and later became a tenant on a farm belonging
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: to doctor Samuel Vorhees, who at that time lived in Amsterdam.
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: Somewhat later, George W. J. Bronson, the son of Ozias,
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: married a daughter of Garrett Roe Roseboom, the builder of
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: the Vorhees mansion. Anthony Roseboom, a brother of Missus George Bronson,
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: was born in this house and is still living in Fultonville.
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: At the age of.
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: Ninety five years, mister George Bronson and his bride went
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: to housekeeping in the old yellow Vorhees house, which formerly
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: stood on the north side of Main Street, near the
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: site of the Young Block. Ozias Bronson subsequently bought a
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: farm west of the village and built a farmhouse, which
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: was afterwards burned to the ground. Our people have known
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: this place as the Forbes Farm, which is now owned
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: by Saint Mary's Church and used as a cemetery. In
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: seventeen ninety six, a bridge having been built across the Scohari,
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: a turnpike was opened from Canaja Harry to Albany, on
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: the south side of the Mohawk River, and with its
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: extensions called the Great Western Turnpike. In order to accommodate
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: the tide of emigration up the Mohawk Valley the gate
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: to the West, efforts were made to improve the thoroughfares,
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: especially from Schenectady to Utica, and on April fourth, eighteen hundred,
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: a charter for the construction of the Mohawk Turnpike was granted.
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: In eighteen oh two or eighteen oh three, Seth Wetmore
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: and Levi Norton came from Litchfield, Connecticut, and interested themselves
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: in the turnpike enterprise.
• 41:37
  Speaker 2: They, with Osias.
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: Brownson, Hewitt Hill, and three others, formed the first board
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: of directors. The turnpike was not constructed so much for
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: stages as for transporting the immense quantities of merchandise and
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: produce to and fro from Albany to Utica and Oswego,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: and subsequently to Buffalo the Great West. The wagons used
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: were ponderous vehicles, drawn by four and sometimes six and
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: eight horses, and must have resembled the prairie schooners of
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: the west with their canvas covers. To accommodate this great
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: traffic houses were built along the turnpike, and those already
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: built were utilized for road houses, as they were called
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: for the accommodation of man and beast. These were equipped
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: with a bar, a few beds, and large sheds. The
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: farmers in those days would drive their own teams and
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: take along provisions for themselves and their horses, and by
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: paying a sixpence for a bed and buying a court
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: of whiskey, would find a place under the shed for
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: their teams. The stages were large, conquered coaches swung on
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: leather thoroughbraces, with room for six passengers inside and as
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: many more outside, with six or eight horses, and a
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: change of teams at every important stage house, and as
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: the road improved in later years, it is said to
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: have been a stirring sight to see the experienced driver
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: arrive at a hotel with horses on a gallop, his
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: long whip cracking over their heads, while his helper blew
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: his horn with a toot, which was a signal for
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: all the idle men and boys to gather to see
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: the stage come in, which was the supreme event of
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: the day. The following extract from mister thurlow Weed's autobiography
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: gives an interesting account of a stage journey on the
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: Mohawk Turnpike in eighteen twenty four. After speaking of his
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: journey from Rochester, he says, nothing of special interest until
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: we reach Spraker's, a well known town that neither stages
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: nor vehicles of any description were ever known to pass.
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: Of mister Spraker Senior, innumerable anecdotes were told. He was
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: a man without education, but possessed strong good sense, considerable
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: conversational powers, and much natural humor. Most of the stories
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: told about him are so Joe millerish that I will
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: repeat but one of them. On one occasion, he had
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: a misunderstanding with a neighbor, which provoked both to say
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: hard things of one another. Mister Spraker, having received a
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: verbal hotshot from his antagonist, reflected a few moments and
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: replied ferguson, they're reversed men, and held anew, adding after
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: a pause with a growl. But Dave was chained at
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: Canna to Harry, a tall, handsome man with graceful mans
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: is added to our list of passengers. This is honorable
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: Alfred Conklin, who in eighteen twenty was elected to Congress
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: from this district. In passing Conyer's Hotel, the fate of
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: a young lady who loved not wisely but too well,
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: with an exciting trial for breach of promise, et cetera.
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: Would be related.
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: Still farther east, we stop at Failing's Tavern to water.
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: Going some miles further east, we came in sight of
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: a building on the west side of the Mohawk River
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: and near its brink, the peculiar architecture of which attracts attention.
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: This was formerly Charles Cane Store, or rather the store
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: of the Caine brothers, five of whom were distinguished merchants
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: of the forepart of the present century. Here Commodore Charles Morris,
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: who in eighteen twelve distinguished himself on board the United
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: States Frigate Constitution. He was Lieutenant Morris at that time
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: and was wounded in the engagement. In her engagement with
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: the British Frigate Guerriere passed his boyhood. The next points
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: of attraction were of much historic interest. Sir William and
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: Guy Johnson built spacious and showy mansions a few miles
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: west of the village of Amsterdam long before the Revolution,
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: in passing which interesting anecdotes relating to the English baronet's
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: connection with the Indians were remembered. A few miles west
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: of Sir William Johnson's old stagers would look for an
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: addition to our number of passengers in the person of
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: Daniel Cady, a very eminent lawyer who resided at Johnstown
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: and for more than fifty years was constantly passing to
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: and from Albany at Amsterdam.
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: Marcus T.
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: Reynolds, then a rising young lawyer of that village, often
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: took seat in the stage and was a most companionable traveler.
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: Simms speaks of the following tavern keepers along the Mohawk
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: River on tribes Hill, Kleine Putnam, Wilson, Guy Park, James
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: mc gork, Amsterdam, Colonel William Schuler, Cranesville, Crane Below, Lewis Groat, Swart,
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: and others. End of Chapter sixteen, recording by Roger Molin