Gazetteer of the State of New York (1860)

Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comprehensive View of the Geography, Geology and General History of the State and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality with Full Tables of Statistics by J. H. French. Syracuse, NY: R. Peasall Smith, 1860

Cambridge, NY

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Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the Cambridge, NY section from Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comphrehensive View of the Geography, Geoloy and General History of the State and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality, with Full Tables of Statistics by J. H. French, Syracuse, N.Y: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860.

CAMBRIDGE–was incorp. by patent,1 July 21, 1761. It was formed as a town2 in Albany co. March 7, 1788, and annexed to Washington co. Feb. 7, 1791.  White Creek and Jackson were taken off in 1815. The surface of the town is hilly in the N. and rolling in the S. The summits of the hills are 200 to 300 ft. above the valleys. The E. part embraces a portion of the valley of Owl Kil, which is celebrated for the beauty of its scenery. Upon the w. of this alley are high undulating hills, the broad sweeps of which show alternate patches of green woodland and cultivated farms; and upon the E. rise the Taghkanick Mts., rough and broken, while the valley itself is very smooth and level. The other streams are Wampecack Creek, Whiteside Brook, and several other small brooks. The soil is generally a gravelly and sandy loam. Flax is extensively cultivated. Cambridge (p. v.) contains 100 houses and the Cambridge Washington Academy; Center Cambridge (p. v.) 13 houses; North Cambridge (p. o.) 10; and Buskirks Bridge3 (p.v.) 15. The first settlers consisted of 30 families, who located in 1761, ’62, and ’63 and who each received 100 acres of land as a gift from the proprietors.4 Phineas Whiteside,5from Penn., settled 8 mi. w. of the Colerain Colony, in 1766. The expedition against Bennington, under Baum, passed through the town Aug. 13, 1777; and the remnant of the fugitives returned on the night of the 16th. The first church (Asso. Presb.) was organized in 1789; Rev. Thos. Beverly was the first pastor.6

Footnotes

1 This patent embraced 31,500 acres, and was nominally conveyed to 60 persons, most of whom resided in Hebron, Conn. The real owners were but 6 in number, and of these 3 only were mentioned inthe charter, viz.: Isaac Sawyer and Edward Wells, of Conn., and Jacob Lansing, founder of Lansingburgh. The other three owners–Alex. Colden, Wm. Smith and Geo. Banyar–were connected with the Colonial Government.

2 The town included a portion of the Hoosick Patent.

3 Named from Martin Van Buskirk, who built the first bridge.

4 The patent was conditional to the settlement of 30 families within 3 years; and to meet this requirement the most inviting portion was surveyed, and 100 acres offered as a gift to each family that would remove thither. These lots lay in a double row, on both sides of Owl Kil, from below the “Checkered House” into the present town of Jackson. They embrace several village precincts from Davis Corners to near Stephensons Corners. Among the settlers were Jas. and Robt., sons of Ephraim Cowan, Jas. and John Cowden, John McClung, Samuel Bell, Col. Blair, Geo. Gilmore, Geo. Duncan, David Harrow, Wm. Clark, John Scott, and Thos. Morrison. A son of the last was the first child born of civilized parents in town. Hugh Kelso, a son of Col. Blair, was the first person who died in town. It is recorded that of these 30 families (who were for a time the most thrifty in town) all but two lost their property and died in poverty, mainly from intemperance. They were mostly from Colerain, Conn.

5 William Whiteside acquired the title to 3 lots, of 400 acres each, of the finest land, and settled his sons (John, Peter, Thomas, William, and James) upon large farms near him. These estates are all owned by his descendants at the present day. The remaining lands were mostly leased by the six proprietors at an annual rent of one shilling per acre; but, they being generally willing to sell at a sum equal to the present worth of the perpetual rent, most of the settlers have gradually acquired the fee simple of their farms. The first inn was of logs, on the site of the “Checkered House,” and kept by Jas. Cowden. Philip Van Ness built the first sawmill and gristmill on Gordons Brook, near Buskirks Bridge. This neighborhood was called by the Indians “Ty-o-shoke,” and by them a field of 12 acres had been cleared there for corn. Other early settlers on the Hoosick Petent were Col. Lewis Van Wort and John Quackenbush.

6 The census reports 4 churches; 3 M. E., 1 Asso. Presb.

 

Jackson, NY

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Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the Jackson, NY section from Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comphrehensive View of the Geography, Geoloy and General History of the State and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality, with Full Tables of Statistics by J. H. French, Syracuse, N.Y: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860.

JACKSON–was formed from Cambridge, April 17, 1815. It lies on the E. border of the co., s. of the center. The N. branch of the Taghkanick Range occupies the E. portion of the town, and several parallel ranges extend through the central and w. portions, rendering the entire surface very hilly. The summits of the hills are 300 to 800 ft. above the valleys and are generally crowned with forests. The declivities are often steep and rocky. The principal streams are Batten Kil and a branch of Owl Creek. In the valley between the hills that border immediately upon Batten Kil and those farther w. are several small lakes, known as Long, Big, Dead, and Little Ponds. These lakes are beautiful sheets of water, surrounded by hills, forests, and fine cultivated farms. The soil is a slaty loam and very productive. Jackson Center (Jackson p. o.)contains 16 houses; Colia (p. v.,) on the line of Cambridge, about 30 houses; and Anaquassacook. 12. Portions of this town and White Creek were embraced in the Anaquassacook Patent of 10,000 acres, granted May 11, 1762.8 The first settlers were James Irvine, Peter Magill, and John Miller, all of whom located in the s. part of the town.9 The only church (Ref. Prot. D.) in town was organized Dec. 31, 1833; Rev. Jas. W. Stewart was the first pastor. Geo. Law, one of the projectors and proprietors of the California line of steamships, was a native of this town.

 

 

Footnotes

8 This patent was granted to Ryer, Jacob, Freeman, and W. M. Schermerhorn, Johannes, Nicholas, and Peter Quackenboss, Thos. and John Smith, and Joseph Jansen, all of Schenectady.

9 Among the settlers on the Anaquassacook were Hugh Thompson and Ebenezer Billings, and near the ponds John McLean and Jonathan Conger. A schoolhouse was built in 1780, a little w. of Peter Hill’s residence. An inn was kept by Isaac Murray about 1790. John McGill built a store of logs in 1781, on the site of the present residence of Peter Hill.

White Creek, NY

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Aug 202006
 

This is a transcription of the White Creek, NY section from Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comphrehensive View of the Geography, Geoloy and General History of the State and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality, with Full Tables of Statistics by J. H. French, Syracuse, N.Y: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860.

WHITE CREEK3–was formed from Cambridge, April 17, 1815. It is the S. E. corner town of the co. The surface of the s. portion is gently rolling, and the central and N. portions are occupied by the Taghkanick Mts. The summits of these mountains are rocky and broken and covered with forests, and their sides are bounded by abrupt declivities and perpendicular ledges. The principal streams are Hoosick River, Owl Kil, Pumpkin Hook,4Center, White, and Little White Creeks. The upper course of Owl Kil is through a deep and narrow valley abounding with picturesque views. A small vein of lead has been discovered three-fourths of a mi. E. of Posts Corners. The soil is a fine quality of gravelly loam. More sheep are raised in this town than in any other in the co. Garden seeds and flax are largely cultivated. North White Creek (p.v.) adjoins Cambridge. White Creek, (p. o.,) Posts Corners, Center White Creek, (p. o.,) Ash Grove, Dorrs Corners, Pumpkin Hook, and Martindale Corners are hamlets. The Walloomsac Patent, lying partly in this town, on the s., was settled by the Dutch. Among the other grants were the Bain, Embury, Grant and Campbell, and Lake and Van Cuyler, Patents. A colony of Irish Methodists settled near Ash Grove about 1770; and here was organized the second M. E. church in America,5by Thos. Ashton (from whom the locality was named) and Rev. Philip Embury. James and Thos. Morrison made the first settlement, near White Creek.6


Footnotes

 

3 The creek from which the town was named received its name from the white quartz pebbles that form its bed.

4 Said to be a corruption of the Indian Pom-pa-nuck, the name of a tribe of Indians, who removed hither from Conn.

5 Embury preached the first Meth. sermon in N. Y, 3 or 4 years before. The census reports 8 churches in town; 2 Bap, 2 M. E., Friends, Presb, R. C, and Asso. Ref. Presb.

6 Among the other early settlers were Buel Beebe, Maj. John Porter, Ephraim, James, and Robt. Cowan, David Slarrow, Sam’l Clark, John McClung, Geo. Duncan, Robt. and George Gilmore, Wm. Eager, Wm. Selfrage, Sam’l Ball, and John Scott. The early settlers in the E. part of the town were Thomas Ashton, Edmund Wells, John and Ebenezer Allen, David Sprague, Seth Chase, John Harroun, Thos. McCool, John Woods, Simeon Fowler, John Young, Josiah Dewey and John Corey. John Rhodes built the first clothing works, at Pumpkin Hook.