67. Collingwood Opera House

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 235 small brass piece, the heaviest they had, loaded it with grape, and placed it in position to rake the precise spot the enemy were to plant their cannon, covering their movements with bodies of soldiers stationed irregularly about. When the British arrived at their destination, and had unlimbered their gun, preparatory to loading, the Americans separated from before their own gun, the fuse was lighted, and the deadly grape was poured directly into the British squad. The survivors gathered up their dead and wounded, and with their field piece made off as quickly as possible.

James Sleight was once with a party sent out to capture a deserter, who was known to be secreted in a house in the town of La Grange. They waited until nightfall, and then surrounded the house; leaving a guard at the front door, one or two passed around to the back of the house; they were too late however, as the deserter was then making the best of his way across a field a short distance off. He was commanded to stop, but refused to obey; a shot sent after him, striking near him served only to quicken his pace. He succeeded into escaping into the adjoining woods, where he could successfully elude his pursuers.

In 1821, a terrible hail-storm passed over this immediate section of Manchester. The storm took a southeast course, covering a tract of country about half a mile in width, carrying destruction in its course. It occurred on Sunday afternoon. The stones were so large that they broke the window sash in several dwellings, and it is said they even went through the roof of Mr. Cornell's house.

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MILAN.

POPULATION, 1,453.-SQUARE ACRES, 23,420.

ILAN was formed from Northeast, March loth, 1818. It comprises the western portion of that tract of land originally owned by the Little or Upper Nine Partners. Why it bears the name of an ancient city we cannot tell. Its surface is a hilly upland, broken by the deep valleys of the streams, Roeliff Jansens Kill crosses the northeast corner. Jacksons Corners is a post village situated on this stream. Rock City—so named from the rocks which crop out in the adjacent hills and along the streams—lies near the Rhinebeck line. Here are two saw mills, and a grist mill. Milanville and Lafayetteville are post villages near the center of the town. There are two small bodies of water in the southwest part of the town, each of which is called Mud Pond.

In 1760, Johannes Rowe bought of Robert Livingston, nine hundred acres north of Lafayetteville, and located upon it. Much of it is still in possession of the Rowe family. Maltiah and Macey Bowman settled at Lafayetteville. One of the first substantial houses put up here is still standing, and was occupied by the firm of Bullock and Bowman as a store. 236

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 237

When the Bowmans came, the country was all woods in which wild beasts and wild Indians roamed. John White and Jeptha Wilbur located near by; the latter built a grist-mill about a mile northeast of Lafayetteville. Timothy Briggs entered upon a section north of Wilbur. John Pells settled a short distance below Jackson's Corners. Near the east line of the town were John Hicks, Robert Martin and Joe Mott, old settlers, who braved the dangers of the wilderness in their efforts to provide themselves a home. John Link, Garrett Holsopple, Jacob Rhyfenburgh, Jacob Killman, John Fulton, John Stalls, John Feller, John Hopeman, Zachariah Phillips, Alexander Teats and Andrew Frazier were old settlers in the north part of the town. They were mostly Germans. The last two named lived to be one hundred years old.

Near Jacksons Corners was once a cluster of log huts, known as "Straw Hudson." The huts were thatched with ==-ice: -_-' = --= ry4 ~, straw, which gave rise to the name. The interstices

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between the logs composing the houses were plastered with clay. Apertures were left to let in the light, and for want of glass, a Old WLbur icm. little oiled cloth was substituted. The fire—places were large enough to hold a load of wood of moderate size. The lower part of the chimneys were built of stone, laid in clay; the upper portions were generally made of wood. The coals were drawn out upon the hearth, in which their potatoes were roasted, and before which their johnny-cake—that staple of the early culinary department— was baked, on a board. At that time it was no uncommon thing to see the children at play barefoot on the ice.

The old couple from whom the writer obtained these particulars were firm believers in witches and ghosts. Near this place, in former times, was a haunted house. In one of the chambers a couple of lads went to bed one cold Decem-

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238 HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

ber night, and just as they had comfortably settled themselves for a good nap, they were disturbed by the presence of something hovering over them in the darkness. Pretty soon the apparition grasped the blankets covering them, hauling them upon the floor. The act was accompanied by a noise resembling that of a brass kettle rolling upon a hard surface. As soon as the boys could muster courage they recovered their blankets, and again betook themselves to sleep. But again the appari— tion returned, with the same result as before. This was repeated at intervals during the whole night, which so bothered the boys that not a wink of sleep did they get before morning.

They also mentioned a witch, who flourished in the "good old times of yore." A friend went on a visit to her house one evening, taking with her a little child. The witch asked leave to take the child in her lap, to which the mother consented. Presently the babe began to cry. Nothing would avail to induce it to stop, and the mother was forced to return home. The child continued to cry during the whole night, at times violently; but the next morning it fell into a- gentle slumber. It was thought that the witch had wrought. a spell over the child which caused its fit of crying. This witch afterward fell into a quarrel at the dinner table with her spouse; his ire was aroused to such a pitch that he threw a knife which,. entering a vital part, put a period to her existence.. He then threw her upon the fire, where she was burned to a crisp. Her end was a source of much rejoicing to the good people of the vicinity.

But if the old settlers were troubled with witches, a means was provided whereby their evil machinations might be effectually avoided. This was by employing what were then denominated "witch doctors," who were reputed tc have great skill in such matters. Their remedies did not consist of useless drugs, or in prescribing unwholesome courses of diet. which constitute the practice of other classes of physicians, but in the more reasonable and efficacious observance of certain rules, which the witch doctor would prescribe. Sometimes under his direction the witch's designs might be circumvented

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 239

by strictly refusing to lend anything out of the house for a certain number of days. Sometimes the salve desirable results could be brought about by repeating certain talismanic words} or by nailing a horseshoe to a specified part of the house. Some of these doctors are said to have acquired great wealth and notoriety in the practice of their profession.

A society of Methodists was farmed in this town about the year 1799. Their house of' worship was situated near the present M. E. Church, not far from Milanville. It was a large square building, two stories high, and was never painted. A Quaker meeting house, built about the same time or previous, stood near it. This was said to have had high posts and a short roof in front, with a long roof in, the rear, extending nearly to the ground. It is asserted that Robert Thorn, a staunch old Quaker, used to go to this old church, with no corn_— panion but his dog, and sit during the stated hours of worship. This. was after the congregation had been almost depleted by deaths and removals. A second church "Lafayette louse." was built near the site df this, but both structures have been removed. There are two M. E. Churches and a Christian Church in the town, in addition to those already mentioned.

Robert Thorn built a mill about two miles west of Lafayetteville, which is perhaps the oldest in town. Buck's mill, in the southeast part, is an old established concern. -

The Lafayette House, situated in Lafayetteville, was built about the time of the visit of the Marquis Lafayette to this country, after whom it was named. This was an important place of business before the railroads' were constructed in this vicinity, it being on the thoroughfare leading from Millerton, _Ancram, and other points to the river.

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240 HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

Jacob Stall was at one time an extensive real estate owner in the vicinity of Jacksons Corners, to whom the place owes much of its growth and prosperity. A considerable portion of this and the adjoining town of Pine Plains is held by leasehold tenure, which has exerted an influence detrimental to the growth and prosperity of the towns.

Previous to the Revolution, Lieutenant-Governor Clark acquired title to large tracts of land in this vicinity. At the breaking out of the war he espoused the cause of the Crown, and soon afterward embarked for England. His son came over and assumed control of the property, and professed to be a Whig. At the close of that struggle, the Colonists having been victorious, this son claimed the land, and was allowed to retain possession On making his will he saw fit to dispose of much of the land in such a way that his heirs have not yet_ been able to give a clear title. It has therefore been mainly occupied by persons holding leases, sometimes for life, but more generally for periods of but one year. Of course a tenant has not the same incentive to improve the land as he would. have if owner of the soil; as a result the farms are greatly impoverished, and many places are nearly worthless. Many of the houses are badly out of repair, and hardly tenable, and the vicinity wears an aspect of neglect and desolation. The barns and outbuildings are not unfrequently thatched with straw, with doors broken from their hinges, all bearing the impress of age. In a few cases the"tenant makes a good livelihood; but in the majority of instances he can barely provide subsistence for his family, to say nothing of rent. Sometimes, rather than leave the place, the tenant will mortgage his stock, in the hope that something will turn up in his favor; but he not unfrequently finds himself at the end of the year stripped of his goods and turned into the street. On the other hand, some unprincipled tenants will not scruple to raise something on the farm, turn it into cash, and move into other parts before the landlord comes around after the rent. This system is greatly prejudicial to all parties concerned.

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POPULATION, 3,172.=-SQUARE ACRES, 24,250.

ORTHEAST ` was formed as a town, March 7, 1783. It derives its name from its geographical position in the county. Milan was taken off in 1818, and Pine Plains in 1$23. A tongue of land nearly two miles wide extends nearly four miles north of the remaining part of the town. The surface is a hilly and broken upland. The Taghkanick Mountains, extending along the eastern border, are rocky and broken, and are from i 000 to 1200 feet above tide. The highest point in the valley west of the mountains, forming the summit level of the New York and Harlem Railroad, is 771 feet above tide. Ten Mile River, the principal stream flows south, nearly through the town. Shekomeko Creek flows north through the west part. Indian Pond, on the east line, Round Pond near the south part, and Rudds Pond, are the principal bodies of water. The valleys have generally a gravelly and clayey soil; the hills in many places are rocky and fit only for pasturage. Extensive beds of iron ore have been opened in the town. Northeast Centre, Millerton, Spencers Corners, Coleman Sta-

* See page 49.

24.1—p

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tion, Mount Riga, Shekoineko, Federal Store, and Oblong, are hamlets. The pioneer settlers were mostly from Connecticut, and located here from 1725 to 1730. The first religious services were held by Moravian Missionaries, at an Indian mission house near the north borders of Indian Pond. The site of this mission house is yet shown on lands of Hiram Clark.

The Dakin ore bed was opened in 1846, by the proprietor, who erected a furnace in the vicinity, and ran it until 1856. The mine is at the foot of the Taghkanick Mountain, where it makes a bend into Connecticut, about one-and-a-half miles above the Salisbury mines. An extensive furnace is located about one mile northwest of Millerton. A cupola furnace was erected here for the manufacture of car-wheels. A slate company was formed in this town in 1812. In 1851, there was no house where the thriving village of Millerton now stands. Baltus Lott and Adam Showerman first settled in the south part of the town.

The following are extracts from the early town records of Northeast

Pursuant to an Act of the Legislature of the State of New York, passed March 26, 1823, for dividing the towns of Amenia and Northeast, in the County of Duchess, and erecting a new town therefrom by the name of Northeast, and directing the first Town Meeting to be held at the house of Alex. Neely in said town; a Town Meeting was held at the house of the aforesaid Alexander Neely, in the town of Northeast, on the 1st day of April, 1823, Reuben B. Rudd, one of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Duchess, residing in said town, presiding: The above mentioned act was read; Enos Hopkins was chosen Moderator, and Charles Culver and Alanson Culver, Clerks for the day. The following are the by-laws and regulations passed by the town of Northeast at the aforementioned town meeting:

That $500 be raised for the support of the poor during the ensuing year.

See chapter on Pine Plains.

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 243

That the town elect three Assessors, four Constables, and two Pound Masters for the ensuing year.

That a fence to be considered lawful shall be four and onehalf feet in height, and the materials shall be laid no more than five inches apart for two feet above the ground.

That no hogs shall be suffered to run in the highway after three months old, without a ring in the nose.

That proper persons shall be employed to run the line between the towns of Amenia and Northeast, with proper attendants, at the expense of the town.

That the Collector shall be, allowed but three cents on the dollar for collecting fees.

The following officers were duly elected officers of the town of Northeast for the ensuing year, the 1st day of April, 1823 Philo M. Winchell, Supervisor; Platt Smith, Town Clerk; David Sheldon, Noah Brown, and Amos Bryan, Assessors; Jacob Dakin, Douglass Clark, and Hiram Hamblin, Commis— sioners of Highways; Enos Hopkins and Eben Wheeler, Overseers of the Poor; Wm. Park, Stephen B. Trumbridge, and John S. Perlee, Commissioners of Schools; John Buttolph, Jun., Chas. Perry, and Peter Mills, Inspectors of Schools,

Voted, April 5th, 1825, that the Commissioners of Common Schools, and the Inspectors of the same, shall be allowed a compensation for their services for 1824.

Voted, April 7th, 1829, that the town disapproves of uniting with the county in the erection of a County Poor House.

The Dakin family came from Putnam County. Elder Simon Dakin moved into this town about 1766, and formed the first Baptist Church at Spencers Corners. He had three sons—Joshua, Caleb, and Simon; also four daughters. Another prominent family were the Winchells. Jas. Winchell was a man of considerable property. He owned a farm and mill, and was one of the principal men of the Baptist Church. At his death, a portion of his estate was devised by will to the church. His brother, Martin E. Winchell, was likewise a member. Martin had represented his county in the Legislature, and was

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a man of considerable note. Philo M. Winchell, another brother, was a farmer, and had also occupied a seat in the Legislature of the State. Major Abraham Hartwell lived on the farm occupied by Orville Dakin. Philip Spencer, ancestor of the Spencers in this town, had three sons—Ambrose, Philip, and Alexander. Ambrose became a Judge; Philip was a lawyer of some repute, and was at one time Clerk for the County; Alexander was a farmer, and once elected to a seat in the Legislature.

Stephen Brown was a member of the Baptist Church. He had three sons—Joseph, Abner, and Ransom. Abner married a daughter of Philo M. Winchell. The Lawrence family descended from Uriah, who had one son named Martin. The old gentleman was Justice of the Peace. A man was brought before him and fined for swearing. He paid his fine, but. continued to swear, and the penalty was again imposed, and as promptly paid. This was repeated until his friends took him away from before the magistrate.

The ancestor of the Rudd family was Major B. Rudd, who had four sons. One of them was a Justice in the town of Northeast. Josiah Halstead lived in this town on the farm known as the Wilcox place. PIe was a prominent member of the M. E. Church. He was a blacksmith, and worked, at his, trade. Before the year i 800 he removed to Ancram, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He had six sons and three daughters, Benjamin, John, Samuel, Joel, Joseph and James; Betsey, Lavinia, and Nancy. John was a man of good abilities, and studied for a physician under Dr. Dodge. He, once delivered a Fourth of July oration at the Mountain Meeting House, near Col. Winchell's.

Samuel Eggleston was a farmer who lived about one and a half miles north of Millerton on the farm now owned by Noah Gridley. He had three sons, viz: Nicholas, David, Samuel, and seven daughters. Nicholas married Polly Stewart, by whom he had seven sons: Truman, Ambrose, John, Albert, Stewart, Hamilton, and Benjamin; also one daughter, Martha,

Dutchess County Historical Society

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 245 who married Philip Jenks, a deacon of the Presbyterian Church. Ambrose became a Presbyterian minister. John was a physician, and the rema ning sons were farmers. David married Olive Cartwright. He took an active part in religious. meetings. Notwithstanding his earnest piety, he would sometimes allow his temper to get the mastery, as in the following instance:

He with several of his neighbors were on their way to Poughkeepsie, each with a load of pork. They fell in with a man of giant proportions, who felt his importance, and was disposed to abuse the whole party. They soon met a wagon in which were two little boys. The big man locked wheels with the boys, and then swung his whip, and uttered such profane epithets as frightened them. David Eggleston, being the nearest, came to their relief; and then, turning to the man° upbraided him for his ungentlemanly conduct. Thereupon the fellow jumped out of his wagon for the purpose of giving David a sound beating for thus presuming to meddle in his affairs; but he soon found, to his sorrow, that he had got the: wrong David, at whose hands he received a severe thrashing.

This was their first meeting. Their second occurred about twelve years afterward, at an auction at Pain°e's Mill, a short distance below Millerton, when the man said to David, "They. tell me you are the man that abused me so on the road toPoughkeepsie." David, who was a little deaf, replied— "Abused you, did you say, or bruised you; I remember of bruising a man." "Well, both," wi.s the reply; you struck me with a stone." "Oh, yes," said David; and' raising his fist continued, " that's the stone I struck you with, it was an Eggle-stone." Two of David's grandsons are now Methodist: ministers.

Elder John Leland was a Baptist preacher, and came fronr the western part of Massachusetts. While living in Massachusetts, the people of his town made an immense cheeser weighing some five hundred pounds, and commissioned Leland to present it to Thomas Jefferson, then President of the United

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States. ITe received it graciously, and in turn sent a piece of it to the Governor of each State.

Joshua and Ephraim Hamblin owned the farm on which is situated the Mount Riga ore-beds. Wm. Tonkey came from France, and bought a large tract east of the center line of the Oblong, extending northward to Boston Corners. He had three sons, Daniel, Anthony, and Nicholas, and one $aughter. Nicholas was a singular character. He was a firm believer in witches. They appeared to him in the shape of cats, woodchucks, and fleas. He believed all women having black eyes and black hair were witches. One Mrs. Hamblin, who joined farms with him, was the worst of the whole lot. This aged lady, then seventy-five years old, wished to go to the house of a neighbor, and took a back road to avoid going by a house in which some people were sick with the smallpox. Tonkey met her, and cut her on the forehead so as to cause the blood to flow, for the purpose, as he said, of breaking the enchantment. It is supposed that he hid the money in the rocks that Byron Bishop found a few years ago. His affair with the old lady cost him several hundred dollars.

Jahn and David Buttolph were brothers. The former was an influential member in the M. E. Church. He had six sons, viz: Asa; Warren; John, who was a Baptist minister, and preached several years in this town; Milton, a Methodist preacher in the early part of his life, but who afterwards joined the Presbyterians; Morris, dud David. a

Elder Truman Hopkins for many years preached in the Baptist Church of this town. He had three sons and two daughters. The sons were named Enos, Truman, and Joseph. The ancestors of the Ketcham family bought a tract of five hundred acres in this town for five hundred pounds, a part of which is now owned by the Egglestons and Sheldons. Ketcham erected a mill on a small stream, the head of the Oblong River. He also kept tavern. He had twelve children. His son Noah became crazy, and cut his throat with a razor, at Pine Plains. The razor was afterward in possession

Dutchess County Historical Society