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- 1713 -
HISTORY
OF
Schoharie County,
NEW YORK,
WITH
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches
OF
SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.
By WILLIAM E. ROSCOE
Published by D. MASON & CO.,
SYRACUSE, N.Y.
- 1882. -
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. -
The Germans - Cause of their Leaving Germany - Palatine Tenants - Kocherthal's Petition -
First Immigration Agents sent to Germany - Hunter's Petition - Report of Board of Trade
Favorable to Immigration - Robert Hunter Appointed Superintendent of Immigration - His
Letter of Arrival at New York - Appointed Governor - Action of the City Council - German
Children Apprenticed - Settlement at the "Camps" - Number of Settlers - Trouble
Experienced - Discontent of Germans - Meetings Held - Lord Clarendon's Letter - Expedition
to Canada - Germans Petition to the King . . . . . 9
CHAPTER II. -
The Foregoing Chapter Reviewed - Expense of the Germans - Located at Schorie - Their
Hardships - Judge Brown's Account - Fight - Indians of what Tribe - Hunting Grounds -
Ka-rig-hon-don-tee the Chief - Sale of Lands by Gov. Hunter - Schuyler and Coeymans'
Purchase - Gov. Hunter's Defense to the Board of Trade - Bayard's Visit to Schoharie -
Resumed Lands - Sherriff Adams - Adam Vroman - The Germans Trespass upon Him - His Letter
to Gov. Hunter - Weiser in England - Confined in the Tower - Clark's Letter - Jeremy
Long's Council for the Germans - Purchase of Lands in 1719 - Location of Weiser's Dorf -
Other Dorfs - Spread of Settlements - Mode of Living - Implements - Negro Slaves and
Customs - Indians - Their Petition - Number of them in Schoharie - Military Affairs -
Division of Albany County - Early Officials . . . . . 21
CHAPTER III. -
Loyalty of Germans to Britain - Sacredness of their Oath - Mohawks and Tomahawks - First
Committee of Safety - Military District and Officers - Events of 1777 - Division of
Schoharie - McDonald's Invasion - The Harpers - Adam Crysler - Skirmish at Oriskany -
Bemis Heights - Building of Forts - Battle of Cobleskill - Morgan's Corps - Johnson and
Brant's Invasion at Middle Fort - Lower Fort - Incidents - Brave Women - colonel Vroman's
March to Mohawk - Seths Henry at "Turloch" - Dockstader at Currytown and Sharon
- Willett - Seths Henry at Fox's Creek - Crysler at Vromansland in 1781 - Captain Hager's
Fight at the Lake - Campbell's and Simms' Labors - Returned tories and Indians - Muster
Roll of 1777 - Schoharie Supplies - Division of Albany County - Inundation of the
Schoharie River . . . . . 35
CHAPTER IV. -
Formation of County - The Name of Schoharie - Population - Boundaries - Surface - The
Schoharie and Tributaries - Inundations - Lakes - Formation of Towns - First County
Officers - First Court House - Poor-house - Paupers - County's Progress - War of 1812 -
Delegates to State Convention - Governor Bouck's Message - Sourkrout Message - Anti-Rent
War - Railroads - Plank Roads - Seminary Mania - Susquehanna Railroad - Schoharie Valley -
Sharon and Cherry Valley - Howe's Cave Enterprise - Mineral Springs - Education - Religion
- Temperance - Sabbath School Societies - Bible Society - Masconic Lodges - Agricultural
and Medical Societies - Telephone Lines - Newspapers - Criminal List - Summary of Facts -
Population by Census of 1880 . . . . . 56
CHAPTER V. -
Civil War - The Year 1861 - Captain Snyder - Volunteers first Recruiting - Colonel Mix and
Comrades - The 76th Regiment - Members - 134th - Members of Companies - The 44th - Members
- Members of other Regiments - Colored Volunteers - Hero Martyrs . . . . . 86
CHAPTER VI. -
Schoharie County Civil List - Judges of Common Pleas - Assistant Judges - Session Justices
- Surrogates - District Attorneys - County Clerks - Sheriffs - Treasurers -
Superintendents of Poor - School Commissioners - Loan Commissioners - Excise - Inspectors
- Governor - Treasurers - Adjutant General - Canal Commissioners - Canal Appraisers
-Curator of State Library - Legisature - Senators - Congress - Presidential Electors -
Consuls . . . . . . 102
CHAPTER VII. -
History of the Town of Gilboa - Town Formed - First Town Officers - Board of Inspectors -
Division into Districts - Town Meeting of 1849 - Anti-Rent Difficulties - Sheriff's Posse
of Soldiers - First Settlers and Mills - John Dise - Archibald Croswell - Tannery - Tuttle
& Osorne Tannery - Grist Mill Purchased by Platt, Potter & Co. - Cotton Factory -
Luman Reed - First Tavern - Gilboa Bridge - Furnace - Churches - Merchants - Broome Centre
- Henry Tibbetts - McKeys Corners - David Ellerson - His Narrative - Official List -
supervisors - District Attorney - County Clerk - Assemly - State Senator - Boundaries . .
. . . 119
CHAPTER VIII. -
History of the Town of Conesville - Scenery - Manorkill Falls - Stryker Brothers' Tannery
- Stevens' Mill - Colby Reed - The First Store - Hunting Grounds - Indian Relics - Dise
Purchase of Land - Ury Richtmyer - The Dise Sons - Litigation - Peter Richtmyer - His
Capture by Indians - Escape - Rebuilding of His House - He Opens an Inn - Humphrey's -
Additional Settlers - Dairying - Prominent Settlers - Town Formed - Boundaries - Jonathan
Cone - Town Records . . . . . 129
CHAPTER IX. -
History of the Town of Broome - When Formed - Name Changed - Catskill Creek - Indian Trail
- General Aspect - First Settlers - Daniel Shays - His Life - Rebellion and Death - David
Williams - His Life - Incidents Relating to Capture of Andre - Livingstonville - Asa
Starkweather - His Argument in Convention - Death - Adam Mattice - Presbyterian Church -
Methodist Church - Draft of 1813 - Smithton - Hubbard's - The Vly - Supervisors - Bounds .
. . . . 133
CHAPTER X. -
History of the Town of Jefferson - When Settled - By Whom - Interest in Education - First
Town Meeting - Effort to Change the Name of Town - Herman Hickok - Jefferson Academy -
Donators - Stephen Judd's Donation of Farm - Teachers in Academy - Present School -
Tanneries - Presbyterian Church - Merchants - Physicians - Judd Family - Societies -
Masonic - Grand Army Repblic - Methodist Church - West Kill Methodist Church - Galt's
History of the Methodist Society of the Town - Revolutionary Incidents - Smith Street -
Tory Clawson - Taken Prisoner - Smith Family - Battle at Lake - Official - Supervisors -
General Appearance of Town - The Lake - Tryon County Line - Rebellion - Amount of town
Bonds Issued - Boundaries . . . . . 142
CHAPTER XI. -
History of the Town of Summit - Hon. Seymour Boughton - The Lake - Johnson and Brant's
Halt - Early Settlers - Brown and Other Business Men - Charlotte Valley - Service Tragedy
- Murphy's Own Statement - Murphy's Purchase - Act of 1777 - Abraham Becker - Suit Gained
- Service's Affair Contemplated - Settlement of the Western Part of the Town - Seminary -
Its History - Faculty, etc. - Dairy Interest - Elisha Brown - Assemblymen - Sherriffs -
John Lawyer - S. J. Lake - Isaac W. Beard - John H. Coons - Churches - First Baptist
Church - Second Baptist Church - Reformed Church of Eminence - Methodist - Free Methodist
- Lutheran of Lutheranville - Lutheran of Beard's Hollow - Town Volunteers - Medical
Fraternity - First Town Meeting - Resolutions - Report of 1880 - Officials - Eminence . .
. . . 153
The original book contains no Chapter XII
CHAPTER XIII. -
History of the Town of Fulton - First Purchase of Land by Adam Vroman - adam Vroman and
Family - Indian Deeds - Captain Vroman - Indian Castle - Colonel Peter Vroman - Swart
Family - Peter Swart - His Manuscript - Death - Crysler Family - Mrs. John Bouck - Henry
Hager - In McDonald's Camp - Captain Hager at Bemis Heights - Upper Fort - Exempt
Volunteers - Invasion by Crysler - Murder by Beacraft - Prisoners - Crysler's Invasion -
Murder near the Fort - Engagement with Captain Hager - Richard Hagadorn Wounded - Conflict
at the Lake - Johnson's and Brant's Invasion - Mary Hagadorn - Bouck Family and Island -
Wm. C. Bouck - His Life - Inhabitants of 1788 - Timothy Murphy - His Life and Historical
Incidents - Town Formed - Patriotism of 1812 - Petersburgh - Breakabeen - First Lands
Settled - Fultonham - Charles Watson - West Fulton - Churches - Polly Hollow - Reformed
Church - Physician - Supervisors - Boundaries . . . . . 166
CHAPTER XIV. -
History of the Town of Middleburgh - Weiser's Dorf - Conrad Weiser - His Daughter - John
Peter G. Muhlenberg - Conrad Weiser, Jr. - Settlers of the Dorf - Relics of the Past -
Reformed Church - Its Early History - Ed..ice Reuilt in 1785 - Petition to Assembly -
Pastors' Reformed Church - Lutheran Church - Methodist - Episcopal - The True Reformed
Church - Middle Fort - Description - Zielie Family - Colonel Zielie - His Children -
jPeter Swart - Low Dutch Beckers - Borst Family - Grist Mills - Louck's Family -
Eckerson's - First Merchant - Grist Mill - Bellinger Family - Hartman's Dorf - Richtmyer
Family - Alexander Boyd - J.M. Scribner - John Hinman - Nathan Hinman - Jonathan Danforth
- Atchinson House - Freemire House - Merchants - Freeman Stanter - John P. Bellinger - D.
D. Dodge - General Danforth - Physicians - Legal Fraternity - Hon. Lyman Sanford -
National Bank - masonic Lodge - I.O.G.T. - G.A.R. Post - Incorporation - Hunter's Land -
Supervisors - Boundaries . . . . . 196
CHAPTER XV. -
History of the Town of Sharon - Formation of New Dorlach - Sharon - Dorlach Grant - First
Settlers - Later Settlers - Peter Sommers - Mereness Brothers - William Beekman - Battle
of Sharon - Colonel Marinus Willett - Leem and Hopper Families - Maria Leem - Capture of
Myndert and Others - William kneiskern - Rev. Peter N. Sommers - St. John's Church -
Reformed Church - Turnpikes - Taverns - Beekman's Corners - Peter A. Hilton - Robdrt
Eldredge - Eldredge Family - Dr. Palmer - Engle's Mill - Leesville - Dormant Villages -
Leesville Lutheran Church - Leesville Baptist Church - Cemetery - Rockville - Sharon
Springs - Public Houses - Analysis of Water - Merchants - Roman Catholic Church - Sharon
Centre - John Beakley - Sharon Hill and Hollow - E.S. Wales - Zachariah Keyes - Killing of
Van Schaik - Johannes Loucks - William Davenport - Lemuel Cross - Kling Settlement - Slate
Hill cemetery - Bellenger Family - Van Valkenburghs - Gilbert's Corners - Reformed Church
of Sharon - Masonic Lodge - Officials - Boundaries . . . . . 226
CHAPTER XVI. -
History of the Town of Blenheim . . . . . 249
CHAPTER XVII. -
History of the Town of Seward - Town Formed - Peter Hynds - Henry Haines - First Grist
Mill - Capture of the Hynds Family - The Crysler Brothers - Invasion of Seths Henry -
Murder of Michael Merckley - Murder of Catharine and Sebastian France - Frederick
Merckley's Family - France Family - John Rice - First Meeting House - Murder of Mr. and
Mrs. Hoffman - Rhinebeck Church - Henry Moeller and Other Pastors - First Settlers of
Rhinebeck - Strobeck - Hyndsville - Seward Valley - Seward Station - Gardnersville - Rev.
Philip Wieting - Colonel Willett's Raids - Mills - Business Interests - Churches - Dairy
Interests - Physicians - Town Bonds - Supervisors - Boundaries . . . . . 268
CHAPTER XVIII. -
History of the Town of Richmondville - Formation of Town - First Settlement - George
Warner - John Zea and Family - Captain Snyder - His Life - Snyder Family - Warnerville -
George Mann - Warnerville Methodist Church - Christian Church - Seminary - First Tavern -
John Warner - First Justice of the Peace - Hon. John Westover - Physicians - Churches -
Methodist, Lutheran and Christian - Seminary - Richmondville Bank - Newspapers - School at
West Richmondville - Supervisors - Present Business of Town . . . . . 283
CHAPTER XIX. -
History of the Town of Carlisle - First Settlers - Dorlach Grant - New Rhinebeck - Mrs.
Philip Karker - Judge Brown - George William Brown - Young Family - John C. McNeill -
Settlement of Grovenor's Corners - Joseph Taylor - Benjamin Young - Squire John's Place -
Carlisle Centre - First School House - Merchants of Grovenor's Corners - Settlement upon
the Turnpike - Carlisle Formed - First Officers - P.I. Cromwell - D.W. Seeley - Sloan's
Tavern - Huntington Tavern - Carlisle Church - Henry M. Brown - Killing of Keller - First
Store - Merchants of Carlisle Village - Argusville - Physicians - Mercantile Firms - The
Bear Swamp - Carlisle Seminary - Robbery of Peter Becker - J. H. Angle - First Mills -
Selleck's Cave - Churches - Valuation of Town - Supervisors - Boundaries of Town . . . . .
301
CHAPTER XX. - -
History of the Town of Esperance - Location of Esperance Village - Purchase of the Lands
by TenEyck - By General North - Turnpike - Bridge - Daniel Hare - His Inn - Other Inns -
Calvin Wright - J.C. Wright - Isaac H. Tiffany - Other Lawyers - Presbyterian Church -
Methodist Church - Physicians - Storrs Messenger - Judge Briggs - Merchants - Village
Corporation - Stage House and Route - Academy - Feathers House - Judge Fletcher - Peck's
Inn - First Gate Keeper - Sloansville - Van Valkenburgh Settlement - Brown Brothers'
Settlement - Sloan Family - Other settlers - Stores - Stone Heap - Rev. Hawley's narrative
- Foster Mill - Kneiskern's Dorf - Kneiskern Family - Enders Family - First Grist Mill -
Johnson's Invasion - Encampment - Town Formed - First Officers - General Brown - Anti-Rent
Troubles - Assemblymen - Supervisors - Baptist - First Newspaper - Quotations from it -
Land Patents . . . . . 320
CHAPTER XXI. -
History of the Town of Wright - Town Formed - First Settlement - Becker Family - Becker
Land Grant - First Saw Mill - Hon Yost Becker - John Dominick and Family - Events of 1782
- Burning of Zimmer's Buildings - Becker Murdered - Advance Upon Major Becker's House -
Snyder and Mann Captured - Traditionary Tale of Seths Henry's Death - Major Becker's Death
- Stone Store at Shutter's Corners - Henry Becker - Founding of School - Hunting Family -
Gallupville - Churches - Reformed Church, Methodist and Lutheran - New Village - Wagon
Making - Dutch Settlement - Weidman's - Hiram Walden - Supervisors - Valuation - Merchants
and Physicians - Boundaries . . . . . 341
CHAPTER XXII. -
History of the Town of Schoharie - First Settlers of Brunnendorf - Schaeffer Family and
Name - Lutheran Church and Parsonage - Dominie Sommers, and other Pastors - Doctor Lintner
- Reformed Dutch Church - Church Converted into a Fort - Doctor Budd - "Post
Mix" - Peter Mix - Doctor Brigham - Physicians of Schoharie - Captain Mann - Captain
Snyder - Taverns - Present Hotels - Fox's Dorf - Dietz Family - Colonel William Dietz -
William Fox and Settlers of Fox's Dorf - Smith's Dorf - Court House - George Tiffany -
Lawyer Family - Garlock's Dorf - Jacob Vroman - Samuel Smith - O.H. Williams - J. G. Caryl
- Strubach Mill - Village at Depot - First Grist Mill - Carding Mill - Distillery -
Business of 1810 - Engagement at Fort - John Ingold - Bouck House, and other Buildings -
Burning of Court House - Great Fires - Fountain Town School House - Schoharie Academy -
Methodist Church - African Church - Gebbard's Cave - Schoharie Bridge - Formation of Town
- First Officers - Supervisors - Lutheran Cemetery - Commodore Harding . . . . . 354
CHAPTER XXIII. -
History of the Town of Cobleskill - First Settlement - Brown's Mill and Stream -
Cobleskill Militia - Building a Fort - Invasion by Indians and Tories - First Schoolhouse
- Lambert Lawyer - Jacob L. Lawyer - Chas. Courter - Augustus C. Smith - Hotels - and Inns
- Early Merchants - Churches - Mrs. Borst - The Schaeffer of Shafer Family - Van Dresser
Farm - Richtmyer Family - Captain Brown - Henry Shafer - Berner Settlement - Doctor Werner
- Kilmer Settlement - Wetsel Family - Brayman's Mill - Howe's Cave - Mineral Springs -
Paul Shank - Methodist Church of Mineral Springs - Lawyersville - First Settlers - Angle
Family - Young Family - General Dana - John Redington - William Elmandorf - Jared Goodyear
- Isaac H. Tiffany - Thomas Lawyer - Jedediah Miller - Doctor Shepherd - Shutts Family -
Thomas Smith - Henry Smith - J. H. Ramsey - William H. Young - Cemetery - Wakeman Family -
reformed Church - Lutheran Church - Early Merchants - Physicians - Legal Fraternity -
Manufacturing Interest - Masonic Society - Good Templars - F.A.R. Post - National Bank -
Formation of the Town - First Officers - Supervisors - Efforts to Remove the Court House -
Boundaries . . . . . . 386
APPENDIX . . . . . 449
ILLUSTRATIONS. | |
---|---|
Bouck, Governor William C., Fulton, portrait | facing 176 |
Bouck, Hon. Charles, Fulton, portrait | facing 176 |
Bergh, Philip, Fulton, portrait | facing 190 |
Becker, Sarah E., Sharon, view of residence | facing 239 |
Best, Benjamin, Fulton, portrait | facing 177 |
Couchman, Hon. Peter, Conesville, portrait | facing 132 |
Clark, Hon. William S., Esperance, portrait | facing 337 |
Colby, Thomas, Gilboa, view of residence | facing 128 |
Courter, Charles, Cobleskill, portrait, (steel) | facing 444 |
Court House | frontis |
Freemire, John, Jr., Fulton, portrait | 193 |
Holmes, Judge Charles, Cobleskill, portrait (steel) | facing 431 |
Howe's Cave, Cobleskill, view of Cave House | 407 |
Howe's Cave, Cobleskill, view of Crystal Lake | 409 |
Keyser Barent and wife, Blenheim, portraits | 266 |
Kilts, Wesley H., Sharon, view of residence | facing 228 |
Lawyer, General Thomas, Cobleskill, portrait, (steel) | facing 441 |
Mattice, Adam L., Fulton, portrait | 194 |
Murphy, Peter, Fulton, portrait | 191 |
Mayham, Hon. Stephen L., Schoharie, portrait | 354 |
Miller, Jedediah, Cobleskill, portrait | 434 |
Norwood, Dr. J. E., Schoharie, portrait | facing 363 |
Old Brick Lutheran Church, Cobleskill | 398 |
Ramsey, Hon. Joseph H., Cobleskill, portrail (steel) | facing 435 |
Shafer, Jacob L., Blenheim, portrait | 267 |
Swart, Dr. Peter S., Schoharie, portrait | 385 |
Sanford, Hon. Lyman, Middleburgh, portrait (steel) | between 222-223 |
Stone Fort, Schoharie | 360 |
Tanner, James, Cobleskill, portrail (steel) | facing 445 |
Vroman, Ephraim B., Fulton, portrait | 195 |
Wieting, Rev. Philip, Cobleskill, portrait | 448 |
Westover, Hon. John, Richmondville, portrait (steel) | facing 299 |
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES | |
---|---|
Bergh, Philip, Fulton | 190 |
Best Benjamin, Fulton | facing 177 |
Bouck, Governor William C., Fulton | 176 |
Bouck, Hon. Charles, Fulton | facing 176 |
Clark, Hon. William S., Esperance | 337 |
Colby, Thomas, Gilboa | between 128-129 |
Couchman, Hon. Peter, Conesville | 132 |
Courter, Charles, Cobleskill | 444 |
Freemire, John, Jr., Fulton | 193 |
Holmes, Judge Charles, Cobleskill | 431 |
Keyser, Barent, Blenheim | 265 |
Lawyer, General Thomas, Cobleskill | 441 |
Mattice, Adam L., Fulton | 194 |
Mayham, Hon. Stephen L., Schoharie | 383 |
Miller, Jedediah, Cobleskill | 433 |
Murphy, Peter, Fulton | 191 |
Ramsey, Hon. Joseph H., Cobleskill | 435 |
Sanford, Hon. Lyman, Middleburgh | between 222-223 |
Shafer, Jacob L. Blenheim | 267 |
Swart, Peter S., M.D. Schoharie | 385 |
Tanner, James, Cobleskill | 445 |
Vroman, Ephraim B., Fulton | 195 |
Westover, Hon. John, Richmondville | 299 |
Wieting, Rev. Philip, Cobleskill | 447 |
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