Ppgiitfe^:!::! i'C^- (lass Book COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT THE EAGLE'S HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE From the Earliest Settlements 1683 TO 1905 BY EDMUND PLATT Pl'DLISHEIl HV PLATT & pi.Arr POt'GHKFEl'SIK , 1905 CM^- THE LtBRARY OF t CONGRESS Two CoDies Kocelvw) • ^L'G 14 1905 i -7 Cepyniflt Efltjv i' OLASS^O. AXtNwJ CO»»V A. * COI'VRICHT, ,9„5, nv I'l.ATT \ Pi.ATT. PREFACE. Ever since the publication of the Souvenir Eagle at the time of the completion of the Poughkeepsie Bridtje in i88 74 Beginnings of City Government 153-154 The Dutch Church and Other I'ircs 154-156 New Churches and Charitahle Institutions 156-15" Business and Other Development 157-162 Schools, the Law School and Eastman College 162-166 Founding of Vassar College 166-168 Sports— Base Ball. Ice Yachting 168-171 Politics Before the War I7i-i"4 CllAI'TEK IX. TiiK Civil, War i7.=;-i')5 Early Meetings and Enlistments 175-181 The 128th Regiment 182 The 150th Regiment 182-183 The 159th Regiment and the First Drafts 183-185 Echoes of the Draft Riots— Home Events 185-188 Politics— The Campaign of 1864 188-191 Eastman College — Business Conditions I9'-I93 The Sanitary Fair I93 The Close of the War I93-I95 CH.\PTER X. From Tin: Closk ok tui-: War to tiii-; Panic of 1873 l()7-222 Return of the Soldiers 197 Wonderful Success of Eastman College 198-202 Opening and Organization of Vassar College 202-204 Changes Among City Schools 204-205 Politics .' 205-206 Churches and Religious Institutions 206-208 The Hudson River State Ho.spital 208 Manufacturing and Other Industries 209-210 Growth and Municipal Improvement, the Water and Sewer Systems 210-214 The Poughkeepsie and Eastern and City Rail- ways 214-216 The Real Estate Boom 216-219 The Poughkeepsie Bridge 219-221 Social Life, Sports and Cluhs 221 CHAPTER XL From Till-; Panic ok 1873 'i" ''■'"• Pkksknt ( 1905) 223-267 Reducing Expenses, The Charter of 1874 and Po- litical Changes 223-225 Reorganization and Readjustment 225-227 Building the Poughkeepsie Bridge : 227-230 The Old and the New— The River Front 230-235 The Old and the New — Up-Town Industries 235-2.V,j The Charter of 1883— Recent Politics 239-247 The New Vassar College 247-248 Tlic Benefactions of Matthew Vassar, Jr., and John Guy Vassar 248-250 Other Benefactions and Organizations 250-251 New Churches 251-252 Recent Puhlic Improvements. Schools 252-2fK) The l''ire Department and the Military 26o-2()3 Social Life, Clnh. Fraternities, etc 263-266 Conclusion 266-267 APPEXDIX. P)ioGRAruiCAi. .\i"i'i:.\i)i.\ 270-299 Biographical and historical sketches of William Samuel .Ackert. M. D.. Charles N. .\rnold. Seward Barculo. Joseph F. Barnard. H. W. Barnum. M. D.. Oliver H. Booth. Capt. John H. Brinckerhoflf. Samuel H. Brown, Edward M. Burns. M. D.. .■\llison Butts. Col. Henry F. Clark. Martin W. Collins, George Corlies, Jacoh Corlies. John H. Cotter. M. D., The DeLaval Separator Company, John DePeyster Douw. The Dutchess Insurance Company. The Eagle, Ed- ward Elsworth. James Emott. Evertson .Ancestry. Clement Carrington Gaines, Stephen G. Guernsey, Martin Heer- mance, James Hoyt, M. D.. George Innis, John H. Ketcham, Francis G, Landon. Charles Edward Lane. Frank B. Lown, Luckey, Piatt & Co.. George W. Lumb, John E. Mack, J. Marill. M. D.. Thomas McWhinnie. Joseph Morschanser, George Xagengast. William Nelson. Stephen Palmer. D. D. S., E. H. Parker, M. D., .A. H. Peckham. M, D.. J. Wilson Poucher, M. D., Poughkeepsie Glass Works, Poughkeepsie Savings Bank, Poughkeepsie Trust Company, Poughkeepsie Underwear Company, William Thacher Reynolds, River- view Military Academy. James E. Sadlier, M. D.. Robert Sanford. Jacob Schrauth and Sons. Oscar Nelson Seaman, John Sutcliffe. Albert. Tower. Robert K. Tuthill. M. D., David B. Ward. M. D.. Charles Wheaton. James L. Wil- liams. Ge.nkral Appexdix 300-313 Inscriptions on Stones in Old Dutch Burial Ground — .300. Signers of the Revolutionary Pledge of .\ssocia- tion, 1775. Poughkeepsie Precinct — 300-301. Those Who Refused to Sign — 301. Names of Persons in the Precinct of Poughkeepsie Whose Personal Property was Confiscated and Sold in 1777 — 301. Persons Who Manumitted their Slaves in the Town of Poughkeepsie — 301-302. Persons Who Registered Slave Births under .\ci of March 29. 1799 — 302. One of the Forms for Registering the Birth of a Slave under Act of 1799 — 302. Militia Officers 1786- 1799 — 302-303. Trustees of the Village of Poughkeepsie 1799-1854 — 304-305. First Ordinances N.iming Streets — 305-306. Population Statistics for County of Dutchess. Town, Village and City of Poughkeepsie — 306. Sale of Poughkeepsie Hotel in 1804 for Political Headquarters, with List of Subscribers to the Stock — 306-307. Names of Signers of the First Paving Petitions on Main Street (1812). Cannon Street (1814), Garden Street (1833), Mill Street (1833). Market Street (1831). Lower Main Street (1831) — 307-308. Clinton Catechism (1811') — 308-309. .\ppeal of the Conservatives of 1821 against Revision of the Stale Constitution, with list of Signer.s — 310. Buildings in Poughkeepsie in 1841 — 310-311. Postmasters of Pough- keepsie — 311. Subscribers to Hudson River Railroad Stock, January. 1847 — 311. Names of Original Plot Hold- ers in Reformed Dutch Cemetery on Hyde Park Road, just north of City Limits (1810) — 311. Names of Original Plot Holders in Baptist Burial Ground on Garden Street (1812)— 312. The First Lamp District (1850—312. List of Poughkeepsians Who Served on the Steamboats Reliance (.Vidctte) and Dutchess (Lancer) in the Civil War — 312. List of City Officers, Mayors, Recorders. City Chamberlains. City Treasurers, City Attorneys, and Chief Engineers of the Fire Department — 312-313. y\l)l)K.\liA AND ICrRAIA 3I4 L\iiK.\ 315-328 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Map nf roughkci'psii- and Xiciiiitx' in 179S The Waterfall at the Month of the Fall Kill Scene on the Mahwenawasig or Wappinycrs Kill The Van Kleeck Ilonse (Lossing. iiS.vS) I'jiglish Church "C'llchc 1 lonse" The 1 lolTnian or Sherman 1 louse lli-nr\ Livingston House in 1870 Map of I'onghkeepsie in 1770 Rear View of Noxon House I-'ac-simile of Commission Signed hy Governor Clinton.. The lueritt or "Clinton House," hefore alteration I"ac-simile of State Currency Printed hy John Holt Seal Used on State Connnissions Fac-siniile of "Extra" printed during the Constitutional Convention in 1788 Map of Poughkeepsie in I7()0 House Purchased by Governor Clinlon in 1799 h'piscopal "Parsonage House" Map nf Poughkeepsie in 1799 Coint 1 louse and "Lawyers' Row," in 1870 Court 1 louse and Hotel, from Turnpike Map Tlic W'inans, or Southwick House riic George Booth House The .Arnold Cotton I'^actory Cannon Street from Liberty west in 1875 Fac-siniilc Middle District I'.ank Xote Reynolds 1 louse b"ac-siniilc Lottery Circular I'uilding of Poughkeepsie Trust Company ( formerly the Poughkeepsie Bank) The Vassar Street Brewery l'"ac-simile Stock of Poughkeepsie Whaling Company.... Maj) of Poughkeepsie in 1S37 I'ac-^iniile Note of Dutchess Whaling Company Poughkeepsie Glass Works l"ac-Simile Stock of Poughkeepsie Silk Company Xortbern 1 lotcl City Hall, formerly the Village Hall Old Christ Church Presbyterian, afterwards L'niversalist. Cluircb College Hill School Building h'ac-similc Stock of College Hill Scliool Poughkeepsie in 1836 from College Hill The N. P. Tallmadge House l-'ac-simile liill of Journal ami h'.aglc The \'.'is>ar Brewery at the River Poughkeepsie in 1840 Old Picture of Vassar Brewery The Lower Furnace ( t88o) The Cannon St. Methodist Church Presbyterian Church "Goose Neck" Fire Engine Old Phoenix Hose House Poughkeepsie in 1852 (.'hurcli of the I loly Comforter Red Mills Buildings Main Street in i860 Dutchess Insurance Co.'s Building Corner Main and Market Streets in 1861 I"ac-simile of Poughkeepsie War Shinplaster ( lirst series) l'",ic-simile of Poughkeepsie War Shinplasters (second 96 Market Street in 1865 198 I'.astman Park in 1875 joo The Soldiers' Fountain . . 200 Vassar College in 1870 J03 The Filter Beds in 1875 212 Poughkeepsie & Eastern Station ji 5 Eastman Terrace in 1875 Ji8 Corner of Main and Garden Streets after the hire of Dec. 26, 1870 219 Old Buildings on the Site of Kirchner Hall 219 Walter Adriance's Cartoon of 11. G. ICastman 221 1875 Snow Scene, Main Street 227 Bridge Caisson ( 1877) 228 The Poughkeepsie Bridge 229 Looking South from the Bridge ( 18S9 ) 232 The Poughkeepsie Iron Works 233 De Laval Separator Comiiany's Buildings 234 N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. Station ( 1880) 235 Factory of Poughkeepsie L'nderwear Company 236 Main Street in 1880 237 Old Telegraph (Enterprise) Building 242 The Frederick F. Thompson Memorial Library at Vas- sar College 247 The First Dutchess County Academy 253 The Building of Luckcy, Piatt & Co 256 Residence of the late Capt. John H. Brinckerhoff 273 The Eagle Building 279 Interior view Jacob Schr.iuth's Sons' Ice Cre;un Parlors and Salesroom 2:^ I'OkTK.MT.S. Gov. George Clinton.... 45 George B. Ivvertson 80 Tunis Van Kleeck 87 Hon. William Nelson.... 93 George P. Oakley 99 Matthew \'assar 108 George Corlies 109 Hon. Seward Barculo... 132 Isaac Piatt 134 James Emotl 1.^2 George Wilkinson 154 Charles W. Swift 155 .Albert Tower 159 Robert Sanford 163 Rev. D. G. Wright 165 Matthew Vassar 1(19 Oliver H. Booth 170 Charles Wheaton 177 Dr. Robert K. T\ithill.. 180 James Bowne 183 Hon. Homer .\. Nelson.. 1S4 George Innis 187 Judge Joseph F. Barnard i8ij Hon. John H. Ketcham.. 195 .Albert Van Kleeck 199 Harvey G. Eastman 2or Dr. lulward H. Parker.. 207 Thomas McWhimne .... 209 William T. ReynobU.... 211 John Sutcliffe 213 Jacob Corlies 217 Frank B. Lown 226 John H. Brinckcrhoflf 231 John I. Piatt 238 .Allison Butts 239 Hon. Martin Heermance 240 J.iuKs W. Hinklcy 241 Hon. Charles N. Arnold 243 Samuel H. Brown 245 Joseph Morschauser .... 246 Hon. Edward Elsworth. 249 William W. Smith 2^2 Martin W. Collins 254 Clement C. Gaines 255 Joseph B. Bisbec 256 Dr. Charles E. Lane.... 257 George W. Lumb 258 George Nagengast 261 Dr. H. F. Clark 262 I'rancis G. Landon 2(15 Dr. H. W. Barnuni 272 John E. Mack 288 Dr. Stephen Palmer.... 290 William IT. Schrantb.... 296 Jacob Schrantb 20(1 I'.dward L. Scbranlb.... 296 ■wAMsumiin CHAPTER I. The Name "PoughkkiU'Sii:," W'hkre It Was First Given and W'ii Derivation Not Sustained. It Mkans — The "AroKEErsiNC 1 'ouj^hkeepsie is oiu' of the old towns of Xew York State, dating; well back into Colonial times, but it was not one of the first settled, and from its earliest beginnings, near the close of the seventeenth century down to the Revolution, which made the United States an independent nation, its growth was very slow. The name goes back of the origin of the town itself to the time when the Indians held undisputed control. The first Dutch farmers and woodsmen found the name here when they came, and much fun has been made of their many and various attempts to spell it as they heard it ])ronounced by the Indians around tlu-m. Phonetic s])elling was the rule in those early (lays, which should liave delighted the spelling re- former. l'",ven the coninionest names were frequently spelled in two or three different ways in the same docu- ment. An extreme instance of phonetic spelling is found on page ^j of Liber .\ of Deeds, recorded in the County Clerk's Office of Dutchess County, where "hutchens river" is mentioned in the bounding of a piece of land. All historians who have had any occasion to men- tion I'oughkeepsie have gravely informed us that the name has been spelled in more than forty different wa\s. which is after all not belter than the record of Schenectady or of many other towns the Indian names of which are long enough to admit some variety in the arrangement of letters. Not all the various spellings were the work of the early settlers, and some have been added by the antiquarians and etymologists in their efforts to explain the derivation and meaning of the name. The word . I f'okccpsiiii^. from which the name l'oughkee])sie is generally believed to have been de- rived, is, I think I shall be able to show, a pure inven- tion. No such form is tn hf found in any recorded deeds or documents, and there is no evidence that it was ever used by the Indians here or anywhere else. Its origin is ascribed to Schoolcraft,' who was fol- 'I have not been able after considerable searching to find this in Schoolcraft's works, bnt see Rnttcnbcr's "Indian Tribes of TIndson's River," page 371. The word, with the popniar definition "safe harbor," is given in a pamphlet on lowed by lienson J. Lossing and later writers. Mr. William Wallace Tooker, author of the .\lgonc|ui;!n Series of monographs on Indian names, and probabl\ the leading authority on eastern Indian nomenclature, says of .If'okcc/^siiii^, in a contribution to the Ameri- can Anthropologist (1899, page i/o), "no warrant can be found for that form nor for such a translation" (safe harbor). There has been some variety in trans- lation introduced, however, mostly by recent writers. The word has been defined as meaning " safe harbor," " place of refuge," " safe harbor for small boats." "pleasant harbor," "deep water,"' and "at the rock pool,"- certainly a pleasing variety.* Mr. Lossing and others seem to have been much impressed with the harbor idea, possibly from some such legend as that related in Lossing's Hudson (p. 188) about the In- dian maiden who is said to have fled w'ith her lover across the river in a canoe, finding a "safe harbor" at the mouth of the Fall Kill. Having satisfied them- selves as to the proper translation the next thing was to provide a word to translate, not so very difficult if you can combine scraps of the dialects of several dif- ferent Indian nations. "Apokeepsing," or "Apokeep- sinck." was the result. Now, unless we accept the legend, which did not originate, so far as we can find out. until long after the Revolution — if indeed it was not invented by Mr. Lossing himself — there was no reason for construct- ing a word to mean " safe harbor." Indian names were generally given to some conspicuous feature of the land or water, and there was no " safe harbor" at the mouth of the Fall Kill as a conspicuous feature. It must be evident to any one who will examine the locality that the falls were almost at the river's edge. Two hundred years of erosion, as well as the filling in of the bay or " cove" between Reynolds' Hill and the Kaal (or Call) Rock, are to be considered. If the Indian names published by the U. S. government and compiled chiefly from Schoolcraft's works. JW. M. Beauchamp — ''Indian Name in New York." p. 19. -W. R. Gerard — American Anihrnpologist. i.So<) vol., p 5,S6. ■"•"Dnchess'' County History, p. 357 and note. 10 HISTORY OF P U G II K E HP S I E. inlet was small ansie" in a form very much like the present was u.seil by the Indians to designate the one conspicuous feature of the iicighhborhood — the water- fall, which during much of the year, and certainly at all times of high water, must have attracted attention from all passing canoes or other vessels on the river. This waterfall is very naturally named in the first known deed to property within the present city lim- its, as will appear. .\ somewhat similar word was Iwrrowcd from the Indians and used by the first settlers as the name of the Casper Kill, which flows through the \'assar College grounds and empties into the river at Clinton Point. .•\t length, long before there was any town of I'oughkeepsie. or village of Poughkee])sic, the name was used to describe a considerable section of land, as many early deeds on record in the County Clerk's Office clearly show. It certainly belongs to the town of Poughkecpsie, as well as to the section included in the city. .\ curious print' which purports to be "A \'iew in Hudson's River of I'akepsey & the Catts- Kill Mountains from Sopus Island in Hudson's River," is evidence of the wide application of the name. The I)rint declares itself to be the rcjjroduction of a sketch made "on the Spot by his Excellency Governor Pownal," and is a view looking northward from Fsopus Island, (lovernor Pownal published a series of prints of scenes in America, and was in this country between October, 1753, and June, 1760. Long before that time there was a court house and a church, a tav- ern or two. and the nucleus of a village well started on the hill where is now Poughkecpsie. but they do not seem to have had exclusive title to the name, tlmugli Governor Pownal stretched his license as an artist a poorl deal when he turned his back on them and car- ried the name above Esopus Island. 'In the .\i>\\i\. or ponds, modified by locality or character." ^Ir. William Wallace Tooker, in a pajier publishcil in the .American Anthropologist in 1899, taking the evidence of the Veile deed, concluded that " Pough- keepsie" was one of a long series of names derived from the Algonquian term "Poquosin," which indi- cated, according to Mr. Tooker, a place where a stream overflowed in time of freshet, or where it opened out into a shallow pond. The term was ap])lied by the early settlers in many places throughout the east to swamps and streams, and with a wide variety of spellings. The deed above ([noted is in Dutch, and is recorded in the Fort Orange Records. Book 3. Deeds, p. 72, and dated June 15, 1680, or three years before there was any Dutchess County. It is the earliest deed I have found to land within the ]iresent limits of the county. There are two partial translations or abstracts of it which differ somewhat. One is published in the Docu- ments of Colonial History XIII, 345, as follows: "Indian deed for Land given by the Indian owners Kashejian alias Calkocn. Was])acheck alias Spek,' and Phillipuwas, having power of attorney from .\wannis. one of the owners, to Arnout Cornelissen \ icie as ;i present, 'Vhv land consists of three flats through which a kil c;ilkd Myitacliki\- runs, nue being about 25 morgens and lying on tiu' Xorthside of the Kil. the other twn on the Siuuliside containing together alxml 1 _' morgens. The grant includes the above kil t'rnni the river to the second fall called Matapan. a (Us- ance of about three English miles, also the wood- land adjoining it and stretching about two English miles to the Xorth and one mile to the South of the above described land along the river and liack from the river as far as the aforesaid second fall. 'It will be noticed that an Indian of the same name is nieiitioiK'd in the Pooghkopcsingli waterfall deed. including two small kils. one in the woods to the Xorth, which emjjties into the river and is called i'akakeing. the other emptying into the large Kil from the SmUh. The other translated abstract is in the State library in manuscript, and contains the important addition that the kill, here spelled IVynachkcc, on which the land lies is "' opposite Danskammer." The kill in the W(iods to the north is here spelled Pakakcincg. which is the spelling of the Dutch deed, still a perfectly legible document as recorded. These early deeds, and also many of the land patents from the crown, were without punctuation, and the boundaries are very indefinite, sometimes doubtless ])urposely left so in order that the land might be taken \\\) where it seemed most valuable. In this deed the words as to the location " opposite Danskammer" arc in the margin. Now Danskammer* was a point well fi.xcd at that time. Capt. Couwenhoven lay there in his sloop negotiating with the Indians after the mas- sacre at Wiltwyck (Kingston) in 1663. and it is frequently mentioned in the old records. The only kill that can be called " opposite Danskammer" is the \\'a])pingers, and fortunately by a succession of docu- ments we can trace this land far enough to show defi- nitely that this is the stream called "IVynachkcc;' and not the Fall Kill. In the notarial papers at Albany there was recorded only two years after the Arnout Cornelissen \'iele deed, a " bond and mtirtgage given by a Highand Indian, Tapieas, for a debt to Lawrence van .\le and Gerrit Lansing, secured by his land situate upon PIndson's River, on the Eastsidc. nearly opposite Danskammer. it being a flat on the West side of a Kil called JVyiiacItkcc beginning at the second fall, where Aernout Cornelissen 's land ends."- Ily 1685 crown grants or " patents" were begin- ning to be given for large tracts of land in Dutchess County and the settlers on the Arnout \'iele land, presently found themselves in danger of being dis- possessed despite their Indian deeds: hence in 1704 we tlnd \'iile. who was a well-known man, joining witli I'ieter Lansing (either the same man mentioned with Jan Smecdcs in the deed granting the Poogli- kcpcsiiigh waterfall, or his son"), in an ap])lication for a jiatent to make his title good. This document is in I'jiglish. and is in excellent preservation (page 183. \'ol. III. Land Papers) in the Secretary of State's Office. In it the boundaries become more easilv fol- iSce Rnttcnber. "Indian Tribes of Hudson's River," pp. 383 and 29. ^Docs. Col. Hist, XIH. 572 (VCallighan is certainly wrong in placing this land in I'ntnam County, 12 HISTORY OF P U GHKEEPSIE. lowed and the name Wynachkcc is not mentioned, but Piicaksing comes to the front. It reads as fol- lows : To his Excellency Edward \'icount Cornbury, Captain General and Governor in Chief, etc. The humble petition of Pieter Lansing and .\rnout Cornelisson \'iele Sheweth That whereas ye above named Pieter Lansing by liis petition formerly prayed a Patent for a certain piece of land in Dutchess County lying on Hudson's River beginning at a Creek called Pacaksing b\- ye river side running in a straight line three English miles Eastward into the woods thence to Matapan fall, thence westward along ye great kill, to Wappingis creek thence along Hudson's river Northward to Pacaksing creek aforesaid which is the .same land which certain Indian Proprietors thereof, the 15th day of [une 1680 gave as a free gift and granted and conveyed ye same to ye above namcl Arnout Corneliesson Viele as more fully appears by a certain writing under ye seal of ye tovvne of .\lbany taken out of ye records there by ye said .\rnnut: having had leave from Gr. Edmond .\ndros then at .Albany to accept of ye same from ye Indians in consideration of his long ami faithful .service to ye Government as Indian Interpreter. All which ye said .\rnout by his joyning in ye signing of this Petition does testi- fy and aver to be truth, and hereby acknowldge to have granted and conveyed ye said Pietor Lansing for a valuable consideration ye 26th day of June iTxp. Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray your Ex'cy will be graciously pleased to grant a jiatent under his seal of this province to ye said Lansing for ye sd lands as above mentioned to his only use and behoof having a great charge of children under a moderate Quit Rent. And in duty boimd shall ever pray Pieter Lansing .\rnout Viele This interesting document is endorsed on the back: " Read in council 13 .\])ril 1704 ordered to 1\- on the table 4th May 1704 granted." It is perfectly clear tliat the Pacaksing or Pakak- cincg Kill mentioned in these pai)ers was the Casjier Kill, and the grant to \'eile, instead of covering the tract wiiere Poughkeepsic now is, as Ruttenber thought, was to land between the Casper Kill and the \\'api>ingers, the line rumiing from the mouth of tlu Casi)er Kill to the second fall (Matajian) just above \Vai)])ingers Lake, and including the flats where the lake now is. The name Wynachkcc pro])erly ap- plied to these flats which arc known to have been cultivated by the Indians.' The Schuyler patent,* dated 1688, which included much of the present town of Poughkeepsie, was "Bounded on the South & East by a Certaine Creek that runs into Hudson's River on the North side of a Certain House now in the Posses- sion and occupacon of one Peter the Brewer, the said creek being Called by the Indians where it runs into the River Thanackkonek & where it Runs further up into the Woods Pietawicktquasseick." In a transfer from Schuyler to Sanders and Harmense (Lib. A, p. 276, Dutchess Co. Deeds) the same long Indian name is given with the statement. "Known by the Christians for Jan Casperses Creek." I believe it the same name' as Pacaksiiii^ or Pakakciiicg. spelled with more let- ters. The name may easily have come from the .Vlgonquin term Poqiiosin, which w'ould have been a])propriate enough for much of the u])per part of the Casper Kill along which are a number of flood plains of considerable size for a hilly country. The level plain, partly swamp, near the brick yard just beyond Arlington, will be recalled as one, and also the tlat lands along the tributary stream, the Fountain Kill, that crosses College .\ venue and flows tlnough \ as- sar College Lake. Indians ap]ilied such terms as Poijiiosiii and U'yiuiclikcc. as descriptive terms to localities, and they were borrowed by the early settlers, who did not clearly umlerstand their significance or limitations, and extended as names of streams throughout their courses. The same terms may have been a])])lied by the Indians to some small flats along the Fall Kill and Pacaksing may have been appropriated by some of the settlers as the name of a pond within or near the pres- ent limits of the city of Poughkee])sie. The word may thus have had an influence upon the extension of some of the forms of "Poughkeeiisie" to a considerable stretch of territory, and may have contributed to the wide variations of s])elling, but it disappears as a name of the Casper Kill, even in its long form, soon after the first transfers of land are luatle. and the Cas])er Kill is too far from the scene of the first set- tlements, too far from the mill-site and waterfall granted to Jan Smeedes to have been a determining influence in naming the growing hamlet. With this in mind I wrote Mr. William Wallace Tooker. and asked him if the form Poo>^likcf'csiiii:,li. 'My authority for this st.itoment is Mr. Wilh.iin K. Roy of Wappingcrs Falls, who has studied the subject tlioroughly and contributed many historical articles to the Chronicle and .Vews-Prcss. The name Mawenawasigh was given to the Wappingcrs creek in tlic Ronibout patent which covered tliis same territory 1683. Book of Patents for 16S0-1686, p. 72, also D. C. History, p. 49. 2Rook of Patents for 1686-1696, p. 325. sSec Mr. Tookcr's letter at end of chapter. HISTORY OP p u G H K n n p s I n . 13 as t^ivcn in tho Jan Smeedes deed of 1683, could not haw l)ci'n rightly apjilii-d nccordins; to the principles of . M, Wiilcrfall in iy04. Indian nomenclature as descriptive of the waterfall conveyed for a mill, lie replied: As far as my own etymology of the name is concerned, as given in my paper on the name Poqiiassou, the main stem of Pooghkcpcsingh, is the same as I give there; but this fuller form of the name, as is evident, warrants a different in- terpretation and application, for we know it was applied to a waterfall. The prefix Pooghkc — Mohegan Pawkc — denotes the act of breaking, opening, beating out, etc. The same base enters into many words having the idea of division or separation. In comjiosition pc is the radical for "water," s is the diminutive, ingh, locative, de- noting a place where the action is performed. Thus we have from this analysis Pooghkc-pc-s- ingli, "where the water breaks," "runs over," "falls down," or "opens out." The name will bear these translations and still be correct. This etymology, as you will notice, and as you have believed, gives the name to the falls where it was originally bestowed according to the " High- land Indian Massany." I am glad to be able from your suggestions to modify my former in- terpretation and api)lication of the name. To tell the truth I have always had some doubts about the name being the exact equivalent of Poquasson or its varieties owing to the insistance of the early notations of its modern form, i. e.. Pogh- keepke. 1702. Pokeepsinck, 1703. Poghkeepsie, 1760. Poughkipsingh. i7<'>~. The present render- ing, which is now undoubtedly correct, makes the name decidedly more interesting and nuich more satisfactory in every way. In a postscript' Mr. Tooker added: "It is quite possible that the name Pacaksing is entirely distinct from Pooghkcpcsingli and applied to some other portion of the stream." I have found no document- ary evidence that it was applied to any stream in this neighborhood except the Casper Kill. The \'an Kleeck deed,- 1697, one of the earliest transfers from the patentees, seems to show the influence of the In- dian deed of 1683 to Pieter Lansing and Jan Smeedes, for it refers to the patent as conveying " that Tract of Land called by the native Indians Mt'iniisiiih and Poglikcepsing.'"-^ This patent, to Robert Sanders and .Mcynardt llarmans, dated Oct. 24, 1686, was the earliest grant of land from the crown, or the provincial government, within the limits of Poughkcepsie. It is a jjuzzling document, of very uncertain boundaries. There is no mention of Poughkcepsie, but the land is called Minni- siiik, as in the waterfall deed of 1683 to Lansing and Smeedes. It conveys " a certain Tract or Parcell of Land Called Alinnisink Lying on the East side of Iludsons River to the North of the Land of Savere\n alias Called the Baker with the arable and Wood Land Marshes with the Creeke Called Wynachkee with Trees Stones (or Tones) and further Range or out Drift for Cattle and the fall of Watters Called Pond- anickrien and another marsh to the north of the fall of Watters Called Wareskeechen."* Reference is then made to a preceding deed, dated July 30th, 1685, by which the Indian title was ex- tinguished. This patent is quoted here because of its mention of "the fall of Watters Called Pondanick- rien."° A deed recorded in Book A of Deeds (page 251) in the Dutchess County Clerk's Office, conveying part of this land in 1710 to Leonard Lewis, quotes the patent as being " .\ certain tract of land containing II had also a.sked Mr. Tooker for the meaning of Pough- i/uag. He replied tliat it is a very common name, and occurs frequently in many forms all over New England and upon Long Island. It means "open land" — land naturally clear. Tlie word may be found in Documents of Colonial History in several forms. 2Robert Sanders to Balthazer Van Cleake, p. 533, Vol. 17, Deeds, Secretary of State's Office, also Van Kleeck Family History, p. 55. sin a considerable number of deeds the spelling is Poch- kecpsing, or Pocghkccpsiitg — See " Duchess" County History, p. 362. ■•Wareskeechen, on Livingston's map, 1798, is the name given the stream at the foot of Teller Hill, flowing through the Webendorfer place. •"'For the probable meaning of these words see letter quoted at end of chapter. 14 HISTORY OF POUCH KEEPSIE twelve thousand acres' in one entire piece * * * in Dutchess County aforesaid called Minnisinck," etc. The quotation continues through the men tion of the two waterfalls, the first of which here becomes 'Pendanick Reen." The reference to the "creek called Wynogkee" is quoted from the patent, but when this deed describes more particularly the land conveyed to Lewis there is no mention of this name, but instead references to " the creek having Water Falls," and also '" the Great Creek." The land conve)ed was evidently along the " Creek having Water Falls," but there is nothing to prove that the " creek called Wynoghkee" in the patent was the same stream, nor is there anything to show definitely what fall is called " Pendanick Reen." To add to the puzzle we find that in deeds made two and three years earlier the " Fall Kill" is named unmistakably, first in a con- veyance from "Myndert Harmcen" to "Jan Oosterom of Pogkeepsinck." June 17, 1707, and again in a deed to Peter U. Zelie, June 8, 1708. I have quoted all this because in a map of lands about Poughkeepsie made by Henry Livingston in 1798, "Poudanickrien" is placed as the name of the fall at the mouth of the Fall Kill, where Livingston's Mills then were, and persons in ignorance of the existence of the much earlier grant of this fall to Jan Smeedes with the name Poogh- kcpcsiiigli. have supposed "Pondanickrien" or "reen" to have been its Indian name, thus lending color to the assumption that Apokeepsing was applied to the hypothetical " safe harbor." Mr. Tooker thinks that Pondanickrien is the same as a word sometimes spelled Ponganitchctvan, meaning " the shallow over- flow." In seasons of low water such a word would have been applicable to these falls, as well as to several other streams, not far away, but its use does not in the least destroy the force of the direct evidence for the much earHer use of the word Pooghkepesingh, wliicii had already begun to be employed as a name of the neighboring lands. It only remains to mention the latest defender of Apokeepsing, Mr. W. R. Gerard, a former well-known resident of Poughkeepsie. Writing in answer to Mr. Tooker's paper on " Pocjuosin," in the American Anthropologist (p. 586, vol. for 1899), Mr. Gerard says : " As Mr. Tooker attempts to connect the name Pouglikeepsie with the word ' poquosin and con- 'Thc Van Klccck deed already quoted refers to this pat- ent as conveying twelve hundred acres. A dispute arose over this question later, as shown by some of the Christ Churcli glebe papers. fidently asserts tliat ' there appears to be absolutely no question as to its identity' with the latter, it may not be out of place to explain the meaning of the appellation of the city of the alleged 'safe harbor.' Having resided in Poughkeepsie many years, 1 am perfectly familiar with its topogra- phy and with the exact locality to which the name originally applied. This was a rocky cove t)r basin worn away at the foot of the fall near the river just north of the present railroad station. On May 5, 1683, a Highland (west side of Hud- son) Indian gave as a present to one Jan Smeedes a farm and also 'a fall on the shore to set a mill upon." Smeedes erected a mill upon the site of a pool or basin near the foot of tlie fall whence he obtained his water power. In the deed of gift the Dutch scribe wrote the name of the mill-site ' Pooghkepesingh' for ■ Apoeghkipsing,' a word which in German or- thography would have been Apuchkipisink. The word means 'at the rock pool,' or 'at the rock basin of water,' and accurately describes the ideality to which tlie name was applied by the Indian owner." ( )f this Mr. Tooker says (p. "iji same volume) : ■ If there were nothing else that would show the worthlessness of Mr. Gerard's derivation, the taking of the Lenape inseparable apuchk, 'a standing rock' (Mass ompsk). and employing it as a possible prefix to an impossible name, would be enough to condemn it. It is well known that this generic cannot be so used, and the fact bears witness that Mr. Gerard's criticisms are not based on the strict rules of Algon- ([uian nomenclature." It is perhaps unnecessary to add anxthing td this but I cannot refrain from pointing out that Mr. Gerard, knowing the locality and knowing of the Smeedes deed, threw over the "safe harl)or" theory, but clinging to jlpokecpsing as a wt>rd, looked around for a new construction and translation of it. In very much the same way Mr. Lossing, supposing the word Wynoghkee to refer only to the Fall Kill reconstructed it into Winnikee and gave its meaning as " Leap Stream" in his Hudson. In Conclusion, I think it may be said that the evi- dence of the Indian and other early deeds, and Mr. Tooker's definition of Pooghkepesingh as a name properly given to the waterfall at the mouth of the Fall Kill, settle the derivation of our city's name. HISTORY Oh' P f C H K /• E P S I E 15 NEiCHiiOKiNc. Indian Namks Explained. Sag Harbor. N. Y., Dec. 3, KJ03. Dear Mr. Piatt: — I have read your letter with much inter- est, and your researches show that you are on the right track. The deed quoted by Ruttenber which you found at Albany I also find in the Colonial History, Vol. XIII, pp. 545-6. VVynachkee is there, however, Mynachkee, an evident error. From the evidence so conclusively given I agree with you that the Pakaksiiig is the Casper Kill, and that Pickaicick- qiiassick is a variation of the same name. Wynachkee be- longed originally to land thereabouts and not to the kill. There is absolutely nothing in the name that would justify " leaping brook." It probabh' described one of the flats through which the "kill runs," "li'iii-askclit," "fine or pleas- ant green place, plain or flat." If you will turn to page 545 (Col. Hist.) you will notice another deed where a "great flat" is called Machachkeck — Mach-askcht, i. e. ''the great green place or flat." We have on Long Island a locality called "Comae" originally IViniiccomac, varied as IVyncomic. "the pleasant or good field." Chelsea, Mass., was called W'iniscmet — IViii-ashim-ut, "at the pleasant springs." "Mata- pan fall" in the above record denotes a " sitting down place," a "portage," a name occurring in various parts of the country. "Matapony Creek," in Virginia, is the only one I now recall. I am inclined to believe that Minnissingh. as applied to the east side of the river, is a transfer from the Indian tribe bearing the name. They moved about con- siderably (see vol. XIII, p. 559, under Minnisings). They took the name from the "small island," perhaps the "Min- nissing Island" in the Delaware, where more than likely they had a fort for refuge (sec Ruttenber. p. 96). Sauthier's map. quoted by Ruttenber, locates this island about where Van Der Donck locates the tribe on his map. Their name gave title to a large tract known as the "Minnisinck Patent (Cal. of land Papers in the office of Sec. of State, p. 47, et seq.) Pondanickrien is probably the Massachusetts Pong-anilche- wau. "the shadow overflow," i. e. "shallow to ford or wade Yours suicerclv, Wm. Wallace Tooker. Siciw on UyiiOi;/ii-if. J/ci/i:itna' or Wappiiigers Kill, eiigraird by Lossiiig. CHAPTER II. The First Settlers and The First Land Titles — Beginnings of Development — The Post Road — County Organization and the F'irst Court House — The First Tax List — Some Interesting F)ntries in the First Book, ok Records ok Supervisors and Assessors — The F'irst Dutch Church — The First English Church — The Precinct or Town of Poughkeepsie — Interesting Colonial INVENTS — Signs ok Growth — Some Colonial Families. It is evident from the documents quoted in the preceding chapter that there were some persons be- sides Indians Hving in the neighborhood that was described as Poughkeepsie, before the first provincial land grants or patents were issued. There seems to be no conclusive evidence that Jan Smeedes built his mill at the Pooghkepesingh waterfall, but Peter Lan- sing, mentioned in the same deed, was certainly living within tile limits of the town of Poughkeepsie not long after 1683, as will presently appear. The Indians of the Long Reach — that straight stretch of river from the Highlands to Krom Elbow — were generally peace- able, and there is little doubt that a few white people were living among them even before the first efforts t) obtain titles to the land. Certainly a long enough time had ela]>sed since 1609, when that famous old Arctic explorer, Henry Hudson, sailed up the river that bears his name, to say nothing of the French trading expeditions of the preceding century, for somebody to have observed the advantages of the location. The first land i)atent, that to Messrs. Sanders and I larmans, as we have seen, locates the tract " to the north of the land of Sovryn alias called the Baker." This grant made in 1686, refers to an Indian deed of 1683, so that it appears that Sovryn was here by that time somewhere, though no such man is recorded as having received any grant or deed. In later jears a dis|)ute arose as to the size and boundaries of the Sanders-Hamians tract, and when maps' came to be made a " Sovrcyn Labout the I'aker" was marked as living on the Casper Kill north of the brick-yard swamp, but it seems more likely that he lived at first nearer the river, and it is certain that Sanders and i larmans made settlements south of that point. The second patent to lands hereabout, that to 'Map of Sanders-Harmans lands, apparently made by Henry Livingston but not dated, on file in Albany. The patent is recorded in Book of Patents 1680-1686, page 575, Secretary of State's Office. Colonel Peter Schuyler in 1688, does not mention liie baker, but describes the tract as " Bounded on the North by the Lands of Robert Sanders and Myndert Harmense," and " on the South by a Certain Creek that runs into Hudson's River on the North side of a Certain House now in the Possession & occupacon of one Peter the Brewer. " Tliis was at the luouth of the Cas])er Kill, as shown in the preceding chapter, and Peter the Brewer" was none other than Pieter Lan- sing (Lansing or Lassing) who was therefore al- ready on the ground, with a house built two jears before the land had been formally transferred to him by .\rnout Corneilson \'iele, according to the state- ment in tlie application for a patent in 1704. It is proliahle. in fact, that he settled on this same land under the Indian deed of 1683. in which he is men- tionetl as having been given a "bouwerie" (farm) at tiie time the Pooglikcpcsiiii^Ii waterfall was granted to Jan Smeedes. Finding himself on land already deeded to .\rnout \ iele, title from him was also ob- tained in 1690. Whether this Pieter' was himself the well known .Mbany brewer, or his son, there is some doubt, but unquestionably, with his " great charge of children," he was the ancestor of the Lansing. Lossing and Law- son families, members of which are still living at New 1 lamburgh, as well as in Poughkeepsie and other parts of Dutchess. .\ Peter Lassing continued to live near the nimuli of tjie Casper Kill for many years, and is fre(|uently mentioned in the early road and other records of the county and of the precinct or town of '.According to Munsell's or Pierson's Genealogical records, Peter Lansing, tlie .Mbany brewer, was born in Amsterdam in iCijo. lie sold his interest in the brewery somewhere about 16S3, and may have come to Dutchess liimself. Benson J. Lossing claimed him as liis ancestor, but his son lias always been given as the first of the family to settle here in 1699. — See Smith's Hist, of Dutchess Co., page 179. A deed on record in the County Clerk's Office refers to "Isaac Lawson otherwise called Isaac Lassing." II I S r O R y OP POUCHKEEPSIE. 17 Poughkeepsie. Gerrct Lansing (a name persisting to the present time among local members of the Lansing family) and Lawrence van Ale seem also to have been in the neighborhood by 1683, as shown by the mort- gage given by "a Highland Indian, Tapias," for land on the Wynachkee or Wappingers Kill " where Ar- nout Cornelisson's land ends." Arnont Cornelis- son \'iele himself probably did not settle on his land for any considerable time, if at all, for as an Indian interpreter, he was constantly traveling, and in 1690 was stationed among the Onondagas ; but members of the Viele family were very early settlers, as shown by deeds already quoted. Nearly every early deed, in fact, mentions some- one on the ground still earlier, or indicates that the grantee was here before he obtained his title. The Van Kleeck family was certainly in the neighborhood before 1697, the date of the deed to the first lialtus or Balthazar, who is referred to as "of Long Rock in the County of Dutchess," (probably a misprint fur Luni; Reach) and may have been here as early as 1692.^ It seems probable that the first settlements in the county were near Rhinebeck o])])osite W'iltwyck (Kso- pus or Kingston) which received its charter in 1661, while there had been a fort at Rondout since 1614; but the applications for Indian deeds in that section do not antedate the deeds for portions of the town of Poughkeepsie, nnr do the Fishkill deeds, though the first patent to lands in the county of Dutchess (the Rombout patent, Oct. 17, 1685) included the Fish Kill and Wappingers valleys. The Dutch and the French Huguenots- were evidently here almost at the same time, and perhaps some of the first of the latter came from Wiltwyck or wandered through the woods from New Paltz, which was settled in 1677. It is not improbable that the influential persons seeking large land grants or patents first studied the Indian deeds on file to see where the land was likely to prove valuable, and then in some cases, after they had obtained their patents, ousted^ the poor fellows who were on the ground first. Indian deeds, as we have seen, did not give a good title unless authorized by the governor, and even when they were authorized, the same land was often granted to other persons. This was the case with the land near the mouth of the Wap- pingers. Disputes over titles there, due partly to this and partly to the fact that sales in that neighborhood, iSee Van Kleeck Family History, p. 24. 2"Sovryn the Baker" was doubtless a Frenchman and Snieedes is a New Paltz name. 3See Smith's History of Dutchess County for an account of the settlement of Nicholas Eighmie at Fishkill under an In- dian deed to land extending from Fishkill to Poughkeepsie. imder the division of the Rombout patent, were sus- pended during the life of the minor V'erplanck heirs, doubtless retarded settlement. In the upbuilding of a city at Poughkeepsie, slowly as it was accomplished, most precedents were violated. The neighborhood at the- mouth of the Wappingers, the largest stream in the county, was the natural jjlace for such development. The stream furnished a high- way to the interior, and was to some extent navigated by the Indians in their canoes, as the Indian name of the second fall, "Matapan" (a portage), indicates. It is probal)le, however, that the falls prevented much nav- igation, and the course of the stream, bringing it not more than four miles from the mouth of the l'"all Kill, doubtless led to the divergence of foot travel from the Wappingers v> the I''all Kill valleys, as a shorter route in tiie river. Indian ti'aiis were very nften the precursors of roads and even of railroads. The Wappingers valley was certainly well enough known long before the first mention of Poughkeepsie, for William Hawthorne, Capt. John Pyncheon and other Englishmen from Hartford cau.sed old Governor Stuyvesant a good deal of uneasiness by proposing to " settle a town fifteen miles from the North river east of the Wappings Kill" in 1659.' Permission was refused, and when settlers began to come, about twenty years after the end of Dutch control, they pre- ferred the Poughkeepsie neighborhood. There was at one time an Indian village here, and a considerable nmnber of arrow heads and other relics have been ftnind in the neighborhood of Ship- Yard or Fo.x's Point,- but this village was not important enough to be mentioned on any of the Dutch ma])s or records and trade with the Indians was apparently not one of the inducements to white settlers. The only obvious advantages of the neighborhood were the mill site at the river, a better site for such mills as were erected at that time than the Wappingers falls afl^orded, and the existence of considerable coni]>aratively level land up- on the hill, rather nearer the ri\er than at oilior points. Probably sonie of this land was natural meadow land. Since "the Dutchesses County"-' bounds were defined before the first land grants " to be from the bounds of the County of Westchester on the South Side of the Highlands along the Eastside of Hudsons River as farr as Roelof Jansens Creeke and Eastward into the wood twenty miles." it is not impossible to con- iCalendar of Dutch Colonial Manuscripts, p. 321 ; also Dutchess County History, p. 56. 2By Messrs. Henry Booth and Clarence Lown. sDongan's Laws, Nov. i, 1683, Docs. Col. Hist. XHI, 575 IS HISTORY OF P U G H KEEP S J E. ceive that the Sanders, Heermance, Schuyler, Ten Eyck' and other early patentees were shrewd enough to foresee the probable location of the county seat at such a central point. That Sanders and Heermance started to settle their tract as a village community seems a fair inference from the fact that the earliest deeds nearly all contain stipulations for rights in "com- mon lands." The \'an Kleeck deed of 1697 grants the land " with privilege of Commons belonging to said patent (that is to say) the dividend thereof pro- portionate to the Quantity of land hereby granted." Pasturage and wood cutting were the usual privileges of Commons, and Mr. Irving Elting in his "Dutch \illage Comnumities of the Hudson River" shows that the Dutch brought this custom by inheritance from remote Germanic ancestors. Colonial deeds are of course all datcil from the year of the reign of the King or Queen of the time, and Dutchess deeds begin with William of Orange. The land was at first held "acording to the Tenure of Hast Greenwich in the County of Kent within his Majesties Realm of England" upon a quit rent of so many bushels of wheat, and quit rents were collected from time to time, though often much in arrears, until a statute was passed for their commutation in cash and final abolition. Beginnings of Develop.ment — The Ai.r.Axv Road. The first development of the tract of land called "Mennisink and Pogkeepsing" began when the part- ners in the first patent, " Robert Sanders and Mjenardt 1 lermans by their joijnt consent did make Division and particon of part of the said Land adjoijning to Hud- son's River aforesaid called Pogkeepsing," as we learn from the V'an Kleeck deed, which, however, does not give the year of the contract of partition. Baltus Van Kleeck, called Balthazar \'an Cleake in the deed, but whose name before coming here is given as Baltus Barents, was a brother-in-law of Robert Sanders, which accounts for his early arrival. Sanders is always described in the deeds as " of the City of New York," and Hermans, who.se name is spelled in three different ways in this one deed, was the resident partner. We find that by the time of this deed, June 3, 1697, the property was already in part divided into "Lotts, sixty-eight Rood" "in breadth ffront and rear" and that the Van Kleeck purchase was bounded on the south by "four parcells or Lotts the which is now or 'The Ten Eyck or Potighkcepsic patent is referred to in a deed (Lib. A, p. 25) conveying property to John Rodman and William lliiddleston, 1698. It included the same property granted in earlier patents, and was declared fraudulent. lately hath been in the Tenure possession and occu- pation of Mynardt Harmens, Balthazar P.arnse, Hen- clrick Ostrom and Symon Scoute," evidcntl}- the begin- nings of a little comnnmity containing the genns of a village. There was doubtless a saw mill at the Poogh- kcpesingh waterfall before this time because we find it referred to in a deed from Col. Peter Schuyler, the second patentee to lands hereabouts, to Sanders and Harmense in 1699, as follows: "All that Certain Tract or Parcell of Land Scituate Lying ami being on ye East side of the Hudson's River in Dutchess County at a Certain Place caled ye Long Reach Slenting over Against Jufl'rows Hook At a Place Called the Rust Plaest, Runs from Thence East Ward into the Wood to a Creek Caled by the Indians Pictawick, 10 00 ij I 04 00 04 10 53 03 04 >2 04 GO 04 10 06 GO 07 3 10 ai IJ I 11 00 13 y/2 20 Gl 04 y/2 01 00 01 2}4 13 00 01 23/2 35 02 02 3>4 24 01 09 o 05 00 06 oyi 05 00 06 73/2 De Weden \'an Baltus \'an Kleck, 58 03 lo i De Weden \'an Myndert harmese 52 03 02 10 Jan De Graef. 11 00 13 3 Bartholomeus Hoogeboom 05 00 00 o Leonard Lewis, 55 03 06 5 De Weden \'an Jan keep, 05 go 06 o Pieter X'ielcc. 22 oi 06 7 Hendrick Pels, 13 00 15 8 William Titsor. 13 00 15 Syi Magiel Palmctier Jnii, 03 go 03 7J/2 Magicl Palnietier Siniurc 45 02 14 4J/2 Pieter Palmctier, 14 00 16 11 Hendrick Buys, 03 00 01 73^ John Egerton. 01 00 01 23^ Thomas Lewis. OI 00 01 23/ Thomas Chadwick. 02 00 02 5 Jonas Scoot. 02 00 02 5 Richard Sackett, 10 00 12 1 The first column of figures is of coiu'sc the assess- ment and the next three the tax in pounds, shillings and pence, colonial money. A curious outcropping of Dutch will be noticed in "De Weden \'an." for "the widow of." A few years later Zacharias Flegelar's name drops out and "De \\'eden \^an Zaacharias Flegelar" appears on the roll. Notice also the method of dating "the day of 171 ^s" which means Jan. i. 1718. Dates between January and March were often written both "old and new style" like this %. This first as- .sessment roll, when the other two wards are included, contains 120 Dutch. 2 French and 8 English names, and the last assessment in the book, 1722. contains 171 Dutch names. 2 French and 14 English. The scarcity of French names seems to show that the Du Bois, Freer and other TTuirucnot families from New Paltz had not yet arrived. The increase of the English is also noteworthy. Some Interesting Records. The little supervisors' book from which this assess- ment is taken contains a number of entries that throw light upon the life of the people. There are records of several payments to the Indians, but without clear indication of their purpose. Probably some of them were bounty payments for killing wolves, as .several Colonial acts were passed to authorize such bounties in Dutchess County. Here is an entry which .shows that bad s])elling was not the onI\ vice of our ancestors: Dutches County frebniary the n^ .\nnoq I7ij,s .\t a Specal Sesiones heald at Pockepsink Present Leonard Lewis Judge Capt Barendt Van Klecck Machill Palmater. Esqurs Justices Have Tacken Information of Barthoolomeus Hoog- enhoom and Franseys \'an Den Bogard Raclial Buck- Icy That John De Grafe has Retald Stong Licquors by Smal Measure as apereth by tharc Several .\fedafides. Dutches County febrary 28 .\nni)<| 171 7,s l^pon Re(|uest of .Mr. John De Grafe The Gusteses of Sd County Meet Present Leonard Lewis Esq. Judge Caj)t Barendt ^'an Klecck Machil Parmentier Justices The Said John De Grave Being Sincebell of his Erore bcged the Justiss to be Exqused of his fine and promisith for the time to come not to fall in the lick Erorss Wareupon the Justices have taken it into con- sideration to be of mean Capasity and a Great famely to meantain they have ackquittcd the said John De Grave of five Pound which de said John De Grafe is ffalen under. .\ study of the assessment rolls makes it a little doubtful whether John was of "mean Capasity." In the first assessment he is down at £11. while only four years later. 1722, his wealth had risen to £30. show- ing that there must have been .some profit in the sale of "Strong Licquors by Smal Measure." Once again in July, 1 7 19, he got into trouble, but the record does not show clearly whether he escaped his fine or not. Another interesting entry is the following under date of January 20th, 1721 : To Mr. Jacob Plough for Sarviss Done for the County for Tow Viges from Kips berge to pockepsink upon the Business of a Negro of Johanns Dickman that was Burnt and forgot to bring it to the County Charge afore and is allowed 12s. 22 HISTORY OP POUGHKEEPSIE. This is obscure eiioutjli. but it may refer to the burning of a negro at the stake. Two such horrible incidents have been related in historical sketches of Poughkeepsie. usually with a later but not very definite date. Isaac Piatt in a historical sketch published in the Weekly Eagle in May, 1858. spoke of the burning of a white man and negro "on the eve of the Revolu- tion," and stated that it took place on the ground next south of John Thompson's place on Market Street. Punishments were often harsh and brutal in Colonial days, and there are several references in the early books of the supervisors to a whipping post, and to chains and stocks for securing prisoners. The records also show that prisoners were in need of better security than the jail afforded, for its locks and bars were a source of much expense and wrre not infre- quently broken. Tiiic First Ciuucii. 'I'he first deed' in l,il)er A of Deeds is thai which conveys the lot on which the first cjinrch was l)uilt. from Jacobus \'an Den Bogert to "Ci])!. I'.arendt \ an Klceck, Mr. Myndert \'an Den Bogert. Mr. I'iiter fielce and Mr. Johannes van Kleeck All ^^lnu■n." It is dated December 26th, 1716, and was recorded \\\- gust 20th, 1718. by Henry Van Derburgh. the second County Clerk. The congregation had been organized Oct. loth, 1716. when Rev. Petrus \ as, pastor of the church at Kingston, installed .Michael Parmenter ami Pieter du Bois as elders, and i'",lias \'an Benschoten and Pieter Parmenter as deacons, and also baj^tised Marytjen, daughter of Frans De Lange and Marytjen \'an Schaak. Rev. A. P. \'an Gieson has translated many of the early Dutch records for his history of the church and he tells us that the first Church Master's book contains copies of subscription lists that were circulated in 1717 to rai.se money for the building of the church. 1.427 guilders- were sub- scribed in money and 6i days work estimated at six guilders per day. Evidently community life was taking form at this time and the fulmv of tin- little hamlet at Poughkeeiisie was assured, with the onurt house on one side of the King's Road and the church on the other. The church was finished in 1723 and is said to have been of stone. Its location is clearix shown by the description of the property in the deed : "Scituated Lying and being in pochkeiJseng in the 'Printed in full in the "History of the First Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie," by Rev. A. P. Van Gieson, D. D. (p. 122). i^Thc guiUler was commonly reckoned at one shilling (l2 1-2 cts. ) New York currency. The term disappears from the Pouglikeepsie Church records in 1740. — Dr. Van Gieson's History, p. 85. afore said County, butted and Pioundett Vz on the Xort Sid to the Rood that Runs to the Eastward to the fore said Cap't Barendt Van Kleecks and on the west along the Rood that Runs to the Sout." This was of course on the southeast corner of Market and .Main street, and the church still owns the property, as will appear in subsequent chapters. That the early Dutch settlers who built the church and the court house were not devoid of enterprise is apparent. They were so few in nuinbers that the church was united with that organized about the same time at Fishkill. and it was not until 1731 that the first minister, Rev. Cornelius \'an Schie arrived from Holland to take charge of the two backwoods congregations. If Dominie Van Schie received what the twn churches agreed to pay him in the call (which Dr. \ an Gieson prints in full) he got the princely salary of £70 ($175) Xew York money, the time of his salary "to begin with the lifting of the anchor of tlie shi]) on which he shall sail from .Amsterdam." He was also I'urnished with firewood for summer and winter "to l)e ])iled by his house" and was presented with a l)rowii horse which cost "four pounds & Teen shillings." A house, "three morgens of pasture, also a garden in suitable fence," and several minor in- ducements \vere included in the call, but as he re- mained less than two years he may not have received all these good things. The parsonage, pasture, etc. were to be located either at Poughkeepsie or Fishkill, and Dominie \'an Schie w^as to be perfectly free to decide which place he preferred for his residence. He preferred Poughkeepsie, and here the two congrega- tions jointly purchased the land on a part of which the present church stands and built the first parsonage, ])robably in 1732. In a call sent to Holland in 1734, it is described as "A new and suitable residence, forty- five feet long and tw'enty-seven broad, having three rooms, and a studx upstairs, a large cellar under the house, and a well with good w'ater. a garden, and an orchard planted with 100 trees." Dominie \'an Schie went to .Mhanx' in 1733 and it was twelve years before another minister could be iu- diued to come out from Holland. The salary had tluii lurii raise. Meynema. arrived and had looked over the ground he asked, among other things, "that he might be reimbursed for any expense in riding to the church, or from the church to his home, on account of storms, high water, and necessity of being heli)ed through the creek," and the request was grant- tr I s r k y or p o u g h k n n p s i n. 23 ed. This of course, referred to the long ride to and from Fishkill. What happened to destroy the tirst church is not known. Rev. Samuel Seabur_\-,' the English Church missionary, writing about 1756, says, "The Dutch Church at Poughkeepsie was not enclosed or under- l)inned hut standing on blocks, nor floored or preached in though raised for several years." If the date of this letter is correct it seems as if it must refer to a second church building, thongli aceinding to the einncli veeords the second l)uiIdinL; was imt determin- ed upon by the Consistor\- until l''eb. 15th, 1760. at which time tile minutes state that the walls of the old eiuucii iiad fallen. Ilnudewyu Lacounte. Klias \ an ISenschoten, Leonard \'an Kleeck and James Liv- ingston were the building committee, and this church was erectetl on the North side of ICast Lane, as Main Street is called in the deed from Gale 'S'elvertou con- \i'\ing the iirojierty. ( tctober J^th. xjC^u. It stood until iSjj. on the lot just to the east of the present Xelson House .\nnex opposite the end of Mar- ket Street, and there are still a few interesting grave stones- remaining in the rt-ar of the buildings there. .\fter this church was iniilt the old church lot. on the Corner across the road, continued to be used as a burial groimd until well into the nineteenth century. I'efore the second building was determined upon the dissension between the Coetus and Conferentie ])arties had lieguti and the harmony of the Dutch church was not restored until the ReNnlution. The Coetus party held that minsters could lie ordained in America, while the Conferentie |)arty maintained ih.it the only authority was in Holland. When the fourth pastor of the Poughkeepsie and Fishkill churches. Dominie Henricus Schoonmaker arrived in Poughkee])sie in 1764 for ordination he found the church in the possession of the opposing (Conferentie or Holland) party and the service took ]>lace under a tree not far from where the pri'si-nt church is located, the officiating ntinister. Re\'. John II. Coetschius. standing in a wagon, h'lder I'eter \ an i\leeek and Deacon John Conklin of the Conferentie party or- ganized a bolting consistory and called Re\-. Isaac Rysdyck from Holland. He accepted, and from I7'')5 to 1772 the Poughkeepsie and Fishkill churches had two pastors. Dr. Rysdyck left the Poughkeepsie church to take charge of the Fishkill, Hopewell and Xew Hackensack churches in 1773. which marks the separation of the Poughkeei)sie church from Fishkill. It is interesting to note that Mr. Schoonmaker, wdio was in his time said to be the most eloquent preacher iRev. H. O. Ladd's "Founding of the Episcopal Clmrch in Dutchess County," p. 22, note. -See appendix for names. in the Dutch language, left Poughkeepsie in 1774, largely because he could not iireach well in English. The Dutch language was steadily losing ground and disappears entirely from the church records in 1783, though occasionally used in preaching until 1794. The first record of preaching in English was in 1740 and in Dominie Schoonniaker's time it had become customary to hold services alternately in Dutch and in luiglish. The church was evidently then much in the position of the Lutheran church of to-day. Till-: FiKST E.vGi.isM Church. The increase of the F.nglish population and of the l-'nglish language, as well as the dis.sentions in the Dtitch church made a jilace for the Church f)f England (b'piscopal) and for the Presbyterians. The latter,* it appears, were first in the field with an organization as early as 1749. but failed to maintain themselves on a permanent basis or to erect a btiilding until .some time after the beginning of the 19th century. They held frequent services, however, first in connection with Fishkill and afterwarrls in connection with "Charlotte I'lvcinct," which included Washington Hollow and Pleasant \alley, until 1772, and then the records show only an occasiou;d sermon for a K)ng period. .At Pleasant \'alley. on the other hand, the denomination increased in strength, and the first church was built there about 1770, when Rev. Wheeler Case left the Poughkeei)sie congregation to become its pastor. The Pleasant \'alley congregation was built up by immigration from the north of Ireland and soon became stronger even than the "Pittsbury Church," organized at what was afterwards called Washington Hollow, in 1746. The Church of England started in Poughkeepsie with a vigorous organization in 1766. as a result of meetings held during a number of visits from 1755 by Rev. Samuel Seabury of Hempstead. Long Island, wdio was in the service of the "Society for the Pro- pagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." It con- tinued to flourish until the Revolution was well start- ed, when prejudice against it became so strong on account of the loyalty of many of the members to the King, that .services had to be susi>ended. Christ Church- in connection with Rombout (Fishkill). P>eek- mans and Charlotte, in the year of its organization called Rev. John P>cardslev of Groton, Ct., to be its iThe History of the Presbyterian Church in Dutchess County has never been f\illy written, but see Daily Eagle, June 8th. 1895. 2Daily Eagle. May 25. 1805. The records of this church arc in good preservation and a complete history is in course of preparation by Miss Helen Wilkinson Reynolds of Pough- keepsie. 24 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE first rector, and the next year purchased a farm or "glebe" of 87 acres from Gideon Ostrander on the Filkintovvn Road (Main St.) The "glebe house," or rectory, built of brick in 1767, is still standing nearly in its original form on the north side of Main Street opposite the end of Church Street. At the meeting which extended the call to Mr. Beardsley, Barthole- mew Cranncll. Peter Harris, Johannes Ferdon, Johan- nes Midlaer and Charles Moss were present from Poughkeepsie. .\ ro\al charter was granted to Christ Church. March 9th. 1773. by King George III. under the corporate title of "The Rector and Inhabi- tants of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County in Com- munion of tlie Church of England, as li}- law cs- talilished," and by it a grant of two hundred acres of land previously regarded as "common land" was added to the glebe. This land in after years caused the church many law suits, as squatters settled on it and claimed title by right of occupation. iiiijilish Chiircli Glebe House — 'iukcii 1904. Kev. 11. ( ). Ladd in his "I'ounding of the ICpi.sco- pal Chunli in Dutchess County" makes Trinity Church, Fishkill. antedate Christ Church by virtue of a subscri])tion jiaper circulated for the building of a church in 175''), but no organization was formed at Fishkill until ten years later in connection with Pough- kee])sie, and it does not ap])ear that the church was built until \'/(^). The first Christ Church building was erected in 1774 on land given by Lewis DuP>ois, facing the Post Road, where the State .\rmory now is. There was some opposition to the establishment of the Church of England from the .staunch old dissenters who had come into tlie county bringing with them the memory of the Stuarts of luigland, but tlie Dutch in- habitants do not seem to have been greatly disturbed. In fact Dutch names began to ajjpear on the records very soon after it was fairly settled. 'Origin.il parchment in Savings Bank, in tlie care of Major J. K. Sagiie, one of the wardens. O.vTiis Signed by Office Holders. Something of the religious prejudices of Colonial days, as well as the English fear of a return of the Stuarts to the throne and of Roman Catholic influence, are shown in the oaths of abjuration and fealty re- quired to be taken by ofifice holders in Dutchess County. These oaths were long, and abounded in every sort of legal repetition and prolixity. The shortest of them, as used in 1729, was as follows: 1, .\. B., do swear that I do from my heart abhor Detest and abjure as Impious and Heretical, that Damnable Doctrine and position that Princes Excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, or any .\utliority of the see of Rome may be deposed or Murdered by their subjects or any other what- soever, and I do declare that no Person Prelate State or Potentate has or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superi- ority Preeminence of authority ; Ecclesiastical or Spiritual uilliin this Realm So help me God Tlu' oath of fealty declared "that our Soveraigiie Lord George the Second is Lawful and Rightful King of this Realm * * * ^y^^ j ^1^^^ Solemnly and Sincerely declare * * * that the per.son pre- tended to be Prince of Wales during the Life of the Late King James and since his Decease pretending to he * King of England by the name of James tin- third hath not any Rights or Title whatso- ever." etc. A tliinl (lath declared that "in the Sacrament of the i.iirds Siii>i>er: there is not any Transuhstantiation," etc.. and that various practices of the Church of Rome are "Superstitious and Idolatrous." A copy of one nf these oaths found in the attic of the old Court llcmse contains the following sig- tiatures for the dates given: 1729. lleiUhuseu. Jan — cai)tain. Du I)ois. Piter — justice. Du Lang, Frans — captain. Hermans, I lendricks — captain. Hussey, James — cajitain. Ki|i, Jacob. Jr. — captain. Ki]), R'd — justice. Ktiickerhacker. Lowerens — eajitain. La Roy. I'rans — captain. Mimtross. John — captain. ( )i)sterhntit, Lowerens — captain. Sanders. Thomas — Sclieefer, Henrie — Scott, William — coroner. .Swart wont. Jacobus — Swartwout, Rudtilf — sherifT. u I ST o Rv OP p o r G H K n n p s I n . 2t. Ter Bos, Jacobus — Ter T'os. Johannis — \'an 1 it'll sliottii, Elias — captain. \ an Cleec, Louereiis — captain. \'an(lerlnirg, I lenry — dark. \'an Kttcn, Jacobus — \ an Klceck, I'arent — major. \'an Clcck, Picter — justice. \ an Clock, Joliannis — \ an W'agcnen. Kvert — captain. Wistfalk-, Wouter — Kip, jacdh, Jr. — ca])tain. \'an W'aLjcnen (icrrit — captain. '734- Brett, Francis — ensign. BrinkerliolT. Abraham — Bumshoten. Elias — captain. De Witt. Jacol) — leftenent. Du Bois, Metthis — justice. Filkins Frans — judge. Hussey, James — captain. Kip, R'd — justice of the i|U(iruni. Livingston, Gil. — major. Osterhout, Jan — ensign. Scott, William — coroner and justice. Squire, W'illiam — sheriti'. Swartwout, Bernardus — Swartvvout. Jacobus — justice. Tebos, Jacobus — -justice. Terbos, Johanni.s — judge. \'an Campen. Jacob — ca])tain. Wan Cleec, L(nveren.s — leftemni ;niil justice. \'anderl)urg, Henry — \'an Kleeck. I'.arent — leftenent and colonel. \'an Kleeck, Macliiel — leftenent. \'an\v\ck. Cornelius — I'eekmaii. Henry — justice. *Cra\vler. Peter. *Crandler, Peter. Haber, I'ragbarys — Knickerbacker, Lourens— justice. Spater, Johainiis — minister. Wil.son, James — sheriff. It is a little difficult to tell from the old i)aper just what the offices held were in all cases. The list does not exactly agree with the colonial civil Hst as pub- isheil In the State, which dsiF.. The County of Dutchess, as has already been shown by the first rect)rded tax roll, was divided into three wards as soon as it had enough population to w-arrant a division, "The South Division to begin at the Soutli side of the Highlands & Northward to Wapaingers Creek, the Middle Division to begin at the aforesaid Wajjaingers Creek, & so Northward to Cline sopas Island. & the North Division to be- gin on the Northside of the .Midle Division, ami end ing on the Northernmost bounds & extent of tjic County."' No eastern boundaries were assigned, "Cline sopas Island" is the present Esopus Island, not far from Hyde Park. The Middle Division was therefore very much the smallest of the three, indicat- ing that the population was mostly concentrated there. In 1737 the county was further divided into seven i)re- cincts. in general corresponding to the great land grants, excc])! the "Poghkeei)sie Precinct." which in- cliuled "all the Lands to the Northwest of Wapi)ingers Kill or Creek from the mouth thereof And up along the .said Kill or Cwik \- Hudson's River until it meets the Patent ('.ranted to Heathcole & Conii)any called the Lower .Nine Partners." Thus the precinct or town of Poughkeepsie came into existence with practi- cally its present boundaries. This act provided for the election of supervisors, assessors, etc. the first Tues- day in April, but there was no ])rovision for a Town or Precinct Clerk until 1741. In 1749 the "Precinct of Poghkeepsie" — this was the official spelling until after the Revolution — bought a book and copied in it the records from 1742. and from that time the records of the tow-n elections are complete. Town meetings were of course held in Poughkeepsie and the town clerk's office remained here for many years. The first ]>age of the town hook is as follows: At a meeting of the Inhabitants of Poghkeepsie Precinct in Dutchess County on Tuesday the Sixth Day of .April 1742 when I)\ a Plurality of N'otes were chosen for the \ear l'",nsuing viz: John \ an Kleeck Supervisor Lewis Du ISois I , n 1 ■ T /^ i . .Assessors liowflewme l.,a Count \ Parent Lewis, Overseer of ye Road to ye Northward lienjamin \'an Keuren Do To ye Southward Tohn Tappen Do To ve Eastward John MaxtieUl Do To ye North East 1 lenry Livingston Town Clerk lohn Ten Brook Collector 1 Colonial L.iws, Vol. I. p. 1033. This act is dated June 24. 1719. hut it appears from the ta.x roll quoted that the di- vision had been made as early as 1717. 26 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. Abraham Freer Pound Master Peter Viele ( ,, ,,• Frans La Roy ) ^'^"'^'^ ^'^"""^ Bartho^new Noxon [ • Overseers of the Poor Henry \ an Den Burgh j r- . i i Johannes Swartwout } Constables In tlie next year John Conklin, Jacobus Van Bomell, Moses De Graff and Augustus Turick come on the Hst of precinct officers and Abraham Freer is designated "Pounder." The overseers of the roads in 1743 were Henry Livingston — Overseer of ye Road to ye Northward. Isaac Lassing — Do To ye Southward. Myndert Van Den Bogert — Do to Du Bois. John Rynders — Do To ye nine partners. Nearly all these inen lived in or near the present city limits of Poughkeepsie. The references to the roads are clear except that "To Du Bois." In the record of the next year's election, 1744, the road "To ye nine partners" becomes the road "To filkintown." Henry Filkins was sheriff from 1743 to 1748 and the settlement named from him was in the neighborhood of Mabbettsville. In the 1744 records five roads are mentioned and among the overseers are : Matewis Kip — from Lewis Du Bois to Callrugh. Gerret Davis — from Lassing's to Du Bois Mill. In 1745' the roads are designated simply "North," "South," "filkintown, "Simeon La Roy" and "Lewis Du Bois." In 1751 Gulian Ackerman is mentioned as overseer to "Du Bois Bridge" and Peter Du Bois to "La Roy's Bridge," while a sixth road "from Perdon's to P. Lassings" comes in. In 1754 Clear Everitt was overseer "To Larroys Bridge" and Francis Littamore "From Gedion Duboys to P. Road." Clear Everitt became sheriff in 1754 and he lived, I believe, at the mouth of the Fall Kill and owned the milF there. This leads one to conjecture tliat the road in his charge might have been Mill Street and that there was a bridge across the Fall Kill somewhere near him call- ed La Roy's Bridge. In 1755 the road masters were: Post Road South Roelif Westerfelt Post Road North James G. Livingston From Gidioii Duboys to Post Road James Lucky Filkintown Road Gabriel U. Ludlow From Call Rugh to Simeon Larroy's Bridge John DcGraff From Ferdon's to Hock Landing Abraham Lassen "Call Rugh" must be our Kaal or Call Rock and early maps show a road leading aroimd from it to Mill Street about at the junction of Mill and Clover 'Tunis Van Vlict comes on the records as road overseer in this year and Casparus Westerfelt in 1746. 2A deed from Henry Baycaux to Anne F.vcrct, dated 1761, refers to him as owner of this mill. Streets. It has all sorts of spellings and in the 1759 records becomes Call Bergh and is once or twice spelled Colburgh. There was evidently a landing place there with an authorized town road leading to it as early as 1744. It comes all the way down in the records to 1790 with occasional omissions. Mr. Loss- ing Jiays that the rock receiveil its name because it was the place from which passing sloops were signalled, and the fact that the landing place there was used as early as 1744 and appears to have been the principal Poughkeepsie landing place for a time, makes it seem possible that he was right, though a derivation from the Dutch word Kalil (bald; has been sug- gested as more probable. The road mentioned in 1744 "from Lewis Dubois to Callrugh" is puzzling. If Dubois lived where road surveys of the same date seem to place him, on what we now call the New Hackensack Road, and where he certainly was living a few years later — DuBois's IMill was in 1770 at the out- let of what is now Vassar College Lake — then there must have been a road regarded as continuous all the way from his neighborhood to the Call Rock landing, certainly evidence of the importance of the landing. .\o map shows such a road, unless it may be taken to include the New Hackensack Road to Main Street, and the winding way on about the lines of Washington, Mil! and Clover Streets. The old road books contain many such puzzles and modern surveyors who have gone through them searching for the early lines have marked a considerable number of the roads "un- known." Doubtless the location of some has been so entirely changed as to be unrecognizable, but the puzzles presented by most of them could be worked out by a careful comparison of old maps, deeds and traditiiMis as to where the people mentioned lived. Some Colonial Events. There were a number of events of sufficient excite- ment to lend variety to the life of tlie little hamlet of Poughkeepsie in Colonial days, but they were gen- erally county matters brought to the county seat for legal action. The examinations in 1744 at "Pikipsi" of the Moravians, Buttner, Ranch and Mack, who had established a successful mission among the Indians at Shekomcko, reflected the bitter religious prejudices of the tiiues and the fear of the French. The driving of these noble, unselfish Christians from the county was an episode of which no one can be proud. The history of the Moravian mission iias been pretty fully written, and is well covered in the Dutchess County History published in 1882. There is little evidence that the persecuted missionaries found much sympathy among the inhabitants of Poughkeepsie. who doubt- less shared the insane suspicion of the day that the HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 27 Moravians were in some way acting in the interest of the French. That fear of the French was not al- together absurd at this time the following letter to Henry Livingston, the County Clerk, fiom his brother- in-law, shows : Rinebeek Novem. 23 — 1745 Loving Brother, We are att presnt in good health, hope by god's Blessing this may find you & family the same 1 Recieved this Morning at 5 oclock a letter from Uncle P. Livingston to witt — that there was 600 french & Indians near hosick Drawing Down to the English Settlements which news came Post Down to him & he sent it Likewise to me, his Letter was Dated Last night 12 oclock I Kmiediately sent it over pr post as your father was the nearest Colonell 1 Dount Doudt but you have heard of the murder committed att scharightoga were they kild all they could gitt both man & beast, as for the particulars we have not yet heard, it is supposed that Mr. Philip Schy- ler is first shot & then burnt in his own house my wife son & self ]o\\\ in Love to you sister & Gille & am your to command, jAtOI! RuTSEiV. On the side of the sheet are written the words "In great haste." News carried by direct messengers on horseback was not so slow as we are inclined to imagine, but additional particulars were hard to ob- tain and alarm was proportionally greater. Here is another letter which shows something of the feelings of one Dutchess County boy pursuing the French far away from home. Launciston June ye ist, 1745 Loving Brother this is to let you know that I am in good health and I hope this will find you in the same dear brother I am very sorry that I did not stay at home with you for I do repent very much my coming in a man of war for here is nothing else but Cursing and swaring every day Now we are Cruising of Capertuny i8th of last may we took a french man of war of 64 Guns Brother I wish I was now with you at home out of this miserable place I ho])e you and sister and Cousin (lilbert are in good health, no more at ])resent but mw your Loving brother Samuici. Tj maps, — see frontis])iece, also Chapter \' — 1 Liber 14, p. 254. and the last of them has only recently been put into the sewer. One* of them flowed through Eastman Park, coming down between Montgomery and Xoxon Streets, but the ground has been so completely chang- ed by filling that its course is difficult to trace. The cove at the mouth of the Killetje was as much of a "safe harbor" as that at the mouth of the Pall Kill. John De Graff, (either the same man mentioned in the first supervisors and justices" records or his sonj, owned the ne.xt farm north of William \'an Derburgh, and had also built a store house at the river front by 1766. In 1767 a road was laid out by the town com- missioners (Book C, Roads, p. 74) on petition of John De Graff and his son-in-law James Winans "petition- ers having both a Dwelling and a store House near Hudson's river * * and being desirous to have a public Landing place there and not having an open road from the Kings Road to the premises." The road is described as beginning "at said Store House thence along the Bank to the Dug way thence up the !!ank as the road now goes to the Top of the Hill thence along the east side of the Hill to the west of the Brook till it comes to the Creek thence over the same as the road is now opened To the Kings road at the south side of the Court House." Who could recognize all this for LInion Street, except l\v the ter- minus at the south side of the Court House? .\ little consideration of old maps and the situation of the ground will show ]jretty plainly that the "Dug Way" and the "to]) of the Hill" must refer to the lower part of I iiion Streit (the road up from the old Lower I'mnace). This landing place during or soon after the Revolution became known as the "Union Landing" and the road to it was called "The Union Store Road." James Winans in the meantime had built himself a store house and a landing further south, near Richard Davis's store house, but on the north side of the Killetje. The fact that a branch road from the Union Store Road led to it (a road which became the end of South Water Street) appears to indicate that the Killetje was not bridged so that Davis's road could l)e reached from that side. When the first store house was erected at the mouth of the Fall Kill we do not know, but it i)rob- al)l\ antedatetl all the others, and a deed from Clear l''veritt to .Xathaniel Seaman in 1764 refers to "Houses, .Mill, Mill House, Store Houses," etc. Down to this time this property, the site f>f the first mill in Pough- keepsie, can be clearly traced through deeds on record. It passed from Myndert Hcermance to Leonard Lewis in 1710, from Lewis to his wife by will, dated 1723, Mt fiirnislu'd the w.iter for flondinK the old Eastman skat- iiiK park. HISTORY OP P O U G II K E a P S I H . 2i) and then to Anthony Yclvcrton in 1740. He sold in 1755 to Martin HofYnian of Rhinebeck, which seems t(3 mark the coming of the Hoffman family, who lived in that neighborhood many years. Hoffman sold ( ])crhaps not all the property) to Clear Everitt in 1760 and Everitt sold to Nathaniel Seaman, as noted, in 1764. There the record stops. Robert L. Livingston of Clermont came into the possession of the mill after this in some way, but perhai)s not until after the Revolution. He is said to have built the substantial stone house, afterwards the home of the Hoffman and Sherman families and recently the home of Mr. Charles N. Arnold. This house of course originally had a peaked roof. Till- Iliiffiiiaii eardsley, first rector of the English Church, of which Mr. Crannell was per- haps the most prominent member, the Livingstons and Tappens being members of the Dutch Church. In 1764 P.artholomew Crannell^ gave to Gilbert Living- ston and Catherine his wife, "Daughter of the said P.artholomew Crannell," property on the north side of the Filkintown Road, and they lived in a pleasant house which stood for many j'ears where the First National Bank is. Catherine Street thus obtained its name. To Peter Tappen and Elizabeth, his wife, Mr. Crannell presented adjoining property to the eastward, and Crannell Street marks about the location, as will appear in another chapter. Bartholomew Crannell himself lived in a house which stood on the south side of the road, near what is now the corner of South Clinton Street, and he owned the mill on the Fall Kill near li\ . When the first mill in this neighborhod was built I have no evidence, but Crannell owned it as early as 1767. There was also a road at that time leading from the Filkintown Road, from about opposite Cran- nell's house, across the Fall Kill below the dam and taking about the direction of Smith Street. It first appears on the town records in 1760 as the "New Laid out Road threw the Commons." Crannell's house was built in 1744. as appears from the following entry in the account book of Francis Fil- kin, who was probably the pro])rietor of the first shop or store in Poughkeepsie : Bartholomewus Creiuiel 1744 I Carted all what I'.elangs to lii> building <>f his house and vidling he and wife 5 monts and vidling all his workmen of liis house and my people workt sev- ' Liber 19, p. 395. eral weeks at said house which Came to thirty pounds which I never had one farding for it. Filkin was apparently keeping shop in Poughkeep- sie as early as 1730, and he left an account book which is partly also a diary and full of interesting entries. This book is partly in Dutch and has curiously enough been preserved in the County Clerk's Office among the records, possibly because no one has known just what it was. He married Cathrena Lewis, daughter of Leonard Lewis and widow of Pieter Van Kleeck, Sept. 8th, 1733, and his account contains his whole family record, and a good deal about other people in the neighborhood. Among other things "June 25, 1744, don is trintie van Kleck Gclrout met Bartholoincwis Crennel by domini Wise." Not everybody in Poughkeepsie was married by a dominie in those days. Filkin was a justice and per- formed a considerable number of ceremonies himself, of which he leaves the following interesting record : beer onder Stan dc personcn Ghe schn.ven dien ick Ghe trout hcb als Justics (k-sm 1735 Baltus van Kleck jnr met anna van drburgh Janr 17 1736-7 Lowerens Gebrants met mery do Graf wedo niey 1738 Rollef dc dniser met trintie Rinders niey 1737 Arry de Langh jnr met margrita vlegelar A])!- 173S Ened Mccgricry met Gctrui vleglar .\'ov 173!"' Louwerens de Laugh met neltic par- montir Mav 4 1731) Simon Laroy wer: met bkuulina v Kleck wedo Actiir I 17 ^; necklas van wagene met hcster de Graef desm 21 I73<) Getrout de ouste son van Tsack Lass- ing met sclitie Coke her hict piter Aprl 26 1740 Glie Irout piter van kleck met trintie van Kleck docter van Lmnvtrens v Kleck Supni 1740 Ghe trout Isack ITcgeman iiu't nola d Graef ilcsni 1740 Ghe trout mindert vilen met Rebacka palmetier A]>ril iS 1741 Ghe trout .\braliani dc Graef nut marrilie van wagene mey 13 dagli Ghe trout Isack wiU- met Helena Rinders by ecu Justies (lesmr 1742 dan Getrout Hendrick pels nut Jan- natie osterom Augt () 1744 flan Ge trout William alien nut Sara I Tegeman Janvi 1744-5 dan ge trut Clear Isveret met magh- dalena van dr burgh nu'v 6 1743 dan Getrout daved Roomin wer; met marya Freer in de Cerck T bleve 1 m.irried John Jarmon with F.lesabeth Fil- kin 1 vergat to sat it down. HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIB. 31 fOUGHKKEPStK IN IT TO. Pari of map of lands held under the Sanders-Haniians Patent, made by Will Cockburn. 32 HISTORY 01- FOUGHKHBPSIE Indeed the order of some of the dates above seems to indicate that he "vergat to sat" any of them down until some time after the \vedding5 took place. Most of these dates indicate times when there was no Domi- nic in Poughkeepsie. and Kingston Church records show that some Pt)ughkeepse couples went there to be married. Will Cockburn's map, a part of which is shown on the opposite page, gives the names of the principal landholders in the present limits of Poughkeepsie. Crannell. it will be noticed, was one of the largest, with 1023/2 acres mostly on the north side of the Fil- kintown Road, but with a considerable tract about his house on the south side. Lewis Du Bois was a lead- ing landholder on the south side of the road, his land lying mostly east of Academy Street, which is indi- cated as a lane. James Livingston, the sheriff, owned a large tract, from Richard Davis's (Pine Street) South and to the Henry Livingston place, which we have not included. Myndert \'an Kleeck, John De Graff, Leonard Van Kleeck, Richard Snedeker, Bode- wein La Count, Barent I^cwis, and other names will be noted on the map. We shall meet these names in subsequent chapters. This map, which is on file at Albany, ajipcars to have been made as a result of a "petition of the inhabi- tants of the town of Poughkeepsie praying a warrant to lay out the lands purchased by them under the grant to Robert Sanders and Myndert Marnianse, and that they may obtain letters patent fnr the same."' There was evidently much litigation and questioning of titles at this tinu-, as shown by numer- ous documents preserved in the land papers in .Albany, from ijChj. the date of the petition, to 1772. The land holders apjiarently all had to sue for sep- arate grants from the Colonial government. Many of these grants may have been to lands previously re- garfled as commons and undivided. The map does not indicate all the roads laid out. and does not men- tion all the land holders of the neighborhood. Clear Rveritt, for instance, is not on it, nor his .son, Richard Everitt, but a deed on record from the former to the latter dated 17^7, conveys "All that certain lott piece and parcel of land lying in poghkeejisie pre- cinct bounded easterly on lands belonging to ilugli X'^an Kleeck, Northerly on the fallkill or Mr. Cran- nell's mill pond westerly on a lott f)f land helnng- ing to Leonard V^an Bummel and .southerly on the road leading from the Court House to Kilkintown." This was unmistakably the lot on which the stone house, now called the Clinton House or Museum, stands. The lot forming the eastern boundary will be noticed on the map with the initials II. \'. K. This map was a land map, made to show boundaries, and may not give all the houses then built, but as it does show many houses it seems a fair inference that it would at least have indicated the ownership of this lot, had so fine a house as this was been standing at the time, though the deed to Richard Everitt was not filed until 1796. The house was probably built soon after 1770, but there is no evidence as to whether Clear Everitt or Richard Everitt built it. The questions as to its use during the Revolution will be discussed in the next chapter. Leonard \ an Bummel. who owned the next lot west, is said to have changed his name in af- ter years to Maison. .Surveys were made in 1770 of four tracts of land belonging to Leonard \'an Kleeck in Poughkeepsie Precinct, and May 4th, 1771, Richard Snedeker and Lewis Duboys requested the Colonial governor that "the lots laifl out for them in the ma]) returned by Mr. Wni. Cockburn and surveyed at the request of the in- habitants of Poughkeepsie may be returned in the name of Leonard Van Kleeck." In the same year various inhabitants of Poughkeepsie asked for grants from a tract of 687^^2 acres of undivided land con- tiguous to their farms. In 1772 Richard Davis pe- titioned for a grant of 500 feet of land under water op- posite his lands, "for the i)urpose of erecting docks." and there were several other grants of land under water. iMunluT information as to tlie ini]iort;uit Colonial families of this time is to be obtained from town and county records aready f|uoted, particularly from the assessment rolls. The total assessment of the "Pogh- keepsie precinct" in 1771 was £808 and there were 235 persons on the roll. The largest taxpayers were Leonard Van Kleeck. assessed at £32, Henry Living- ston £30, Robert I lofTman £22. Richard Snedeker £22. James Livingston. Zei)haniah i'latt. Lsaac Balding,' Henry and George Sands, each £16. Peter Harris £14. John Bailey, Jun. £13, Peter \'an Kleeck £12. John Frost £12, John Freer £11. Joshua Owen £11. John Conklin. Jacobus Palmatier, Arie \'an A'liet and Rich- ard Davis £10 each. Clear Everitt is assessed at only £3 and Richard Everitt at £1. IJartholomew Xoxon at £2. and William F.mott at £r. Bartholomew Xoxon's bouse on the Post Road was certainly built at this time and is .said to have been built in 1741. It is still stand- ing, though the front has been so modernized that it ' F..nnd Papers. Vol. 25. p. 58. •This is. 1 think, the same man recorded as Isaac Baldwin diiriiit; the Revolution, .ts refusing to f.\gi\ the PIcdBe of .'\sf the Supervisors of said Precinct, on tlio loth of .August, 1774 Zci)haniah Piatt, Chairman The question was put. "Whether we will choose a Committee agreeable to a re(|uest contained in a Letter from Mr. Isaac Low. Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence in New 'S'ork" Whicli was carried in the Negative. The following Resolves were then unanimously entered into : 1st Resolved. That although the members of this meeting (and they are jiersuaded the inhabitants of .\merica in general) are firm and unshaken in their allegiance to his Majesty King George, antl are en- tirely averse to breaking their connection with the mother country, yet they think it necessary to de- clare, that they agree fully in o])inion with the many respectable bodies who have already publislicd their sentiments, in declaring that the unlimited right claim- ed by the British Parliament, in which we neither are. or can be represented, of making laws of every kind to be binding on the Colonies, particularly of imposing taxes, wdiatever may be the name or form under which they are attempted to be introduced, is contrary to the si)irit of the liritish Constitution, and consequently inconsistent with the liberty which we, as British sulijects. have a right to claim, and. therefore, 2(\ Resolved. That it is the o])inion of this meeting that letters of Instruction be directed to the Members of the General .\sscmbly for the Comity of Dutchess, desiring that at the next meeting of the General .As- sembly for the l"'rovince of New York, they will lay before that honourable House the dangerous con.se- quences flowing from several late Acts of the British Parliament imi)osing duties and taxes on the Briti.sh Colonies in .\merica. for the sole purpose of raising a revenue, and that they use their influence in the said House, and with the several branches of the Legislature, to lay before his Majesty an humble Peti- tion and Remonstrance, setting forth the state of our several grievances, and praying his Royal interposi- tion for a repeal of the said .Acts. ,Vl Resolved. That in the opinion of this meeting, that they ought, and are willing to bear and i)ay such part and proportion of the national ex])enses as their circumstances will admit of, in such manner and form as the General .Assembly of this Province shall think proper; and that like .sentiments, adopted by the Legis- latures of other Colonies, will have a tendency to con- ciliate the affections of the mother country and the colonies, upon which their nnitual hai)piness, we con- ceive, principally depends. Ordered, That the Chairman of this meeting for- ward a copy of these our proceedings to the Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence in New A ork, as also a cop>' to one of the Printers of the iniblic papers in New "S'ork, to be forthwith j>ublished. liy order of the Meeting, John Davis, Clerk. HISTORY OP POUGHKEEPSIE 35 There is no evidence of any hysterical demands for "liberty or death" in these well-written resolu- tions. Not only is complete loyalty to the King ex- pressed, but there is a spirit of fairness in the sugges- tion that "they ought, and arc willing to bear and pa>- such proportion of the national expenses as their cir- cumstances will admit." though "in such manner and form as the General Assembly of this province shall think proper." There is distinct denial of the right of Parliament to impose taxes directly. On the whole the resolutions were those of a conservative, order- loving community, desirous of peace but not unmind- ful of the princi]-)les at stake. The conservatism of the people of the Poughkeepsic Precinct is also shown in their refusal at this meeting to appoint a committee, but it appears from the minutes of the Provincial Convention' that in the same month a county meet- ing called to nominate delegates to the first Continent- al Congress elected as a "Standing Committee of Correspondence" Anthony TToffman, John ^^^n Ness and Egbert IJenson. prnb,il)ly wilhout the su])])ort of Poughkeepsic. The opponents of tlic early plans for resisting British authority at this time called tiiemselvcs "Friends of Constitutional Liberty" and included several of the large landholders of the Poughkeepsic Precinct. They had the law and the General Asscm- l)ly on their side and saw no good reason for so nnich bluster over petty matters of taxation. They did not propose to bind themselves not to buy tea and other articles taxed or brought over in British ships. In fact a number of thetn entered into an association at a meeting held on Jan. 15th, 1775," de- claring "That we will upon all occasions mutually support each other in the free exercise and enjoyment of our undoubted right to liberty in eating, drinking, buying, selling, communing and acting what, with whom and as we please, consistent with the laws of God, and the laws of the land, notwithstanding the Association entered into by the Continental Congress to the contrary." They declared that "our Sovereign Lord King George the Third, is the only Sovereign to whom British Americans can or ought to owe and bear true and faithful allegiance" and that "our Representatives, in General Assembly convened, are the only guardians of our Rights and Liberties ; that without them no laws here can be made to bind us, and that they only are the channel through which our grievances can properly be represented for redress," etc. iRefcrence to the year before in the minutes of April 21st, "5. — American Archives, Vol. II, p. 356. 2 American Archives, Vol. I, 1164. In this we see an indication of the state of affairs in the colony of New York. While in Massachusetts and Virginia the provincial legislatures had taken a leading part in the struggle, in New York the major- ity of the Assembly, which did not hold its last ses- sion until April 3d, was at first loyal to the King and refused to send delegates to the Continental Congress. The election of delegates in this colony, first by coun- ties and afterwards by provincial conventions, was therefore more distinctly extra-legal and revolution- ary than in some other colonies, and there was more force here in the plea that the Acts of the Continental Congress were not binding. It will be remembered that the first Continental Congress in the fall of '74 adopted articles of association against trading with Great Britain, and this meeting of protest in Dutchess was doubtless called soon after the news reached here. We have not the names of the signers but may be certain that they were good citizens. Party feeling between the Whigs and the Tories was running pretty high in the spring of 1775 and "On the 21 st of March a few friends to liberty met at the house of Mr. John Bailey, about two or three miles from Poughkeepsic and erected a pole on his land with a flag on it, bearing on one side the A,'i;i_ij. and on the other the Coiif^rcss and Liberty; but the Sheriff of Dutches County the next day. attended by a Judge of the Inferior Court, two of His Majesties Justices of the Peace, and a Constable, with some others, friends to constitutional liberty and good order, cut the same down as a publick nuisance."' The "friends of constitutional liberty" even when accom- panied by Sheriff Livingston, two justices and a con- stable, evidently felt it necessary to be out in .some force, and the story is doubtless true that there was an altercation- and threats of arrest, whether or not "Zephanaiah Piatt seized a club and threatened to brain the sheriff." Early in April of the same year when meet- ings'' were held to select delegates for the provin- cial convention which was to send representa- tives to the second Continental Congress, Poughkeep- sie Precinct again showed its conservatism, voting no to // against sending delegates, and Charlotte I 'recinct, the next east, was of the same opinion by 140 to 35. The county was nevertheless represented through the action of other precincts by Robert R. Livingston, Jr., Egbert Benson and Morris Graham. 'N. Y. newspaper account in American Archives, Vol. II, p. 176. 2 Benson J. Lossing in "Sketches in Local History," Dutchess Farmer, Dec. 12, 1876, and "Duchess" County His- tory, p. 130. ^American Archives, Vol. II, p. 304. 36 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. but it looked a little tloubtful whether these men real- ly represented the sentiment of the county. All this was before the first fighting at Concord and Lexington, news of which reached Xew York on the 23d of April, the day after the provincial conven- tion adjourn.ed. Xow the people were really stirred and the Revolutionary committees went to work ener- getically and systematically. A call was sent out by the committee of New York City for a new provincial convention or congress and we find that "At a county meeting in consequence of notifications for that pur- ]X)se on the i6th of May Dirck Brinckerhoff. .Xnthony Hoflfman, Zephaniah Piatt, Richard Montgomery, Ephraim Paine, Gilbert Livingston and Jonathan Landon Esqurs., and Messrs Gysbert Schenck, Melancthon Smith and Nathaniel Sackett were by a majority of voices Elected Deputies for the term of Si.\ months to represent the county of Dutchess in the Provincial convention to be held at the city of New York on the 22nd instant."' This appear.^ tn be tin- first record of Poughkeepsie representation in the Revolutionary conventions, at least two of these men. Gilbert Livingston and Zephaniah Piatt, being from this precinct. The Poughkecjisie Livingstons were early supporters of the cause of .\merican freedom, thought some of their relatives up the river were Tories. Piatt lived out at what is now the Frank l)c Garmo place on the Wappingers Creek and the house still standing is said to have been built by him. Dirck lirinckerhoflf of Fishkill was a member of the Colonial Assembly, never to meet again but still offi- cially in existence, and was evidently not of the Tory majority. Richard Montgomery of Red Hook was soon to become a famous general and one of the early martyrs to the cause. Most of the others we shall also hear from again. Of almost equal interest are the names of some of the signers of the certificate of election. Beverly Robinson, County Judge, heads the list, a man who afterwards became the leader of a noted Tory Regiment, which is evidence that some of the most conservative men were at this time supi><)rters of the cause of the colonists, though they could not approve actual separation from England. The other signers were James Smith, .Abraham iiockee. Cornelius Humphrey, Roswell Hopkins. .\u- anias Cf«pcr, Jacob Swartwout, Jonathan Lewis and Egbert Benson. Till-; Pl.KliC.K ol' .\SS()C1.\TI()N .\NI) TIIK ToKIKS. .■\mong the acts of the Provincial Convention or Congress to which the meeting of May i6th elected delegates was the endorsement of the "Pledge of Asso- 'Caleiul.-ir of Rfvulutioii.Try I',npers, Sec. of Sl.ite's Office, Vol. 1. ciation," which had been formulated by "the freemen, freeholders and inhabitants of the city and county of New York" for the purpo.se of binding all who signed "to adopt and carry into execution whatever measures may be recommended by the Continental Congress or resolved upon by our Provincial Convention." Com- mittees were immediately appointed to circulate this ])ledge, and the districts covered were small enough so that every man could be seen. The names of tho.se who refused to sign as well as the signers were put on record, and very soon the former began to find their ])osition uncomfortable. It is recorded that even while the pledge was circulating here in Dutchess County in June and July many men changed from the "no" to the "yes" ranks. There were 1820 signers' in the county and 964 were returned as refusing. The Poughkeepsie precinct was apparently divided into six districts. The return of one of the sub-committee- men shows 32 signers and none refusing, of another 32 refusers and 21 signers. iM the leading land owners .shown on the 1770 map Lewis Du Bois, Myn- ilert \'an Kleeck. Jamcs^Winaiis, Leonard Van Kleeck. Richard Snedcker, James Livingston. William Forman and Richard Davis are recorded as signing and Bar- tholomew Cranncll and John De Graflf as refusing. Some arc not mentioned at all and a few of these had probably died between 1770 and 1775. In place of Jacob Conklin appear the names of John, Matthew and Nathaniel Conklin as signers, also James Lewis instead of Barent Lewis, and several Swartwouts, Van Kleecks, and Van de Bogerts, in place of those given on the map. The \'an Kleeck family was divided, two members refusing to sign. Of other prominent resi- dents William Emott, Bartholomew Noxon. Ebenezer P)adger, five \'an Deburghs and several Ferdons were returned as refusing. The Everitts are not mention- ed, and there is evidence from the assessment rolls tiiat Richard Everitt was a Tor\ and was absent during a part of the Revolution at least. Clear Ever- itt. tlie former sheriff, may not have been an open supporter of the King. The minutes of the Super- visors for June 1st. 1784, contain the following: "To Clear Everitt for the use of his room for the use of the t'oiiit of ( )\er and Terminer to set in in jinie 1778 £2." Compensation for the use of Tory ]ir()|)erty was not usual at that time. Some of the |)apers returned by the sub-com- mitteemen show tlu' strong feeling of the Revolution- ;irv organizers against those who refused to sign. Silas Marsh, who made the canvass for one district of .North East Precinct encloses the names of three men 'Sec Appendi.x for Poughkeepsie Precinct list: also Ameri- can .Archives, Vol. Ill, and Calendar of Revolutionary Papers. Vol. I, pp. 77, 78 and 79- HISTORY U /•" 1' O U (J n K T. H P S J E in a black burdL-r, inscribes tlic-iii "The black Role of Tories," and adds, "Thu out of my limits I am com- pelled to remind you Gentlemen of James Smith, Esqr. who is notoriously wicked." The lists of "As- sociators" are not conclusive evidence as to opinions throughout the Revolution, for some of the signers like Richard Snedeker were afterwards known as Tories, while a few who were on the "black list" after- wards supportetl the cause of American liberty warm- ly, and others after they saw themselves- powerless to stem the popular current ceased outspoken opposition. Something like forty or fifty residents of the town of I'oughkeepsie incurred the suspicion of the local com- mittees so strongly that their personal property was sold under forfeiture, possibly because they had aban- doned it, in 1777, but 1 think very few of them en- tered the British service. Bartholomew Crannell was one of the few, and was the only person in the neigh- borhood of the village whose real estate was confis- cated, so far as I have been able to find. The account of the sales of personal property has been preserved in a book now in the care of the Custodian of Records in the State Library at Albany. Each article sold is enumerated with the price, and the faithful certainly oiitained some fine bargains in horses, cattle and even in mahogany furniture. It is rather difficult to tell to what precinct or town the persons' whose property was sold belonged in all cases, for the arrangement is somewhat confused, but only a small proportion of the names of those who seem to have belonged to the Pre- cinct of Poughkeepsie are to be found in the list of men who refused to sign the Pledge of Association. They included, however. Plenry \'an DerBurgh, Rich- ard \'an Der I'urgh. Jacob Ferdon, several of the Las- sings, John I'.eardslex. the rector of the English Church, and Bartholomew Crannell. Ik-re again there is nn mention of the Everitts. In s])ite of Crannell's unswerving loyalty to the King, his two daughters, Mrs. Livingston and Mrs. Tappen, became equally strong adherents of the popu- lar side, and are said to have offended their father very early in the dispute by wearing aprons em- broidered "l.il)en\" and "Xo Tea" in his ])resence. The Tories were disarmed and closely watched, and if they refused to take the oath of allegiance, after the Declaration of Independence had been proclaimed, were arrested and kept in confinement or assigned to certain limits. Many of them also were sent within the British lines in exchange for Whigs. They were al- ways suspected of furnishing information to the enemy, of harboring British recruiting agents, or of 'For list of persons who appear to have lived in the Town of Poughkeepsie, see Appendix. encouraging the bands of marauders that later in the war made me name of Tory so thoroughly detested. They were rounded up, not all at once but at various times, according to the exigencies of the occasion, as will be shown. Some of the arrests were unjustifiable; it i^ stated lliat a sixteen-year-old boy was arrested near Fishkill, brought to Poughkeepsie and hung, an inci- dent which nearly caused a riot. (Jf one youth, Wil- liam Haft, who got into trouble during the Revolution, a romantic story is told, lie lived a short distance east of Poughkeepsie and was doubtless a somewhat wild, roystering }outh, but withal a great favorite among the people, and especially among the young women in his neighborhood. He had incurred the animosity of a justice of the peace before whom he was brought for some prank, and who made use of his authority by sentencing Haff to be publicly whipped. This was entirely too much for the proud spirit of the young man, and he forthwith pitched into the justice, gave him, so the story goes, a sound licking and then ran away to the southward, where he ultimately joined the British army. After a while, becoming homesick for the sight of some of his old friends, and especially tor a certain joung woman with whom he was ac- quainted, he ventured up into the vicinity of his old home, was captured, tried and convicted as a deserter, and sentenced to be hung. While awaiting execution he was confined in the jail in Poughkeepsie, which was guarded by soldiers. At certain times the prisoners were allowed the freedom of a hall, or corridor, which extended from the front of the Court House on Mar- ket Street, to the rear of the building, facing west- ward, for air and exercise. Haf? did not lose his s])irits because of his perilous situation, but, as among his other accomplishments, he was a fine singer, oc- casionally would stand at the front w-indow and sing, his fine strong voice often attracting a crowd of people who stood in the street below to listen. Whether he had planned his subsequent action from the beginning, or whether it was suggested by the fact that he noticed the sokiiers sto])ping their patrol to stand beneath the window with the crowd while he sang, is not know-n, but one day at noon Haff appeared at the front win- dow and sang with unusual vigor and expression. There was a little pause, during which the sentries made the circuit of the building to see that all was safe, and HafT began singing again before they got back. .\ few minutes later there was another pause, and the soldiers remained on the Market Street front, waiting for him to resume, but this time he failed to reai)i)ear. and after waiting a few minutes they marched round the Court House, to find when they reached the west side that the window opening from 38 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE the hall was open. Haff had jumped out and was already out of sight in tlie woods which then lay between the Court House and the river. An alarm was at once sounded and parties started to capture the daring prisoner, but they never saw him again till the war was over. Then among the conditions of peace there had been established a full amnesty for all military offences, whereupon Mr. Haff returned to Poughkeepsie, sporting his red coat and full P.ritish uniform as he marched up and down the streets, to the chagrin of his former persecutors, but to the great admiration of some of the young people, including the young woman for whom he had risked his life, and whom tradition apjiropriately says he afterwards married. The Declaration of Independence was the turning point which many good citizens felt that they could not approve, and it put the Church of Kngland at t>nce in a serious position, dependent as it w'as upon the authority of the liishops of the mother country. In the Christ Church records is the following minute : "At a vestry meeting held at the house of the Rev. Mr. John lieardsley on Saturday, July 13th, 1776, to Consider of the Rector stoping divine service in the church (In consequence of the Independency being declared by Continental Congress) until the vestry can hear from New York. Present the Rev'd John lieardsley Rector; Isaac lialdwin church Warden; llartholomew Crannell, William Hnituott, Isaac Bald- win, Jr. ; Robert Noxon, Kli Emans, John Davis, vestrymen. Taking the above affair in consideration Resolved that the Rector do from this time stop all Divine Ser- vice in the church until word can be had from the Rector of New ^'nrk dt from a convention nf tjic clergy." Whether this was a purely voluntary act or whether public clamor against the well-known o\nn- ions of the rector and several of the vestry had its influence does not appear. Mr. Crannell was jirob- ably arrested and sent to New York not long after this time, if the statement that he reached there before the liritish took pos.session is true, but the permission to go to New York for "The Reverend Mr. John lieardsley, his Wife and five Children His Negro Wench & three Negro Female Children with the Wearing Apparel, necessary Bedding for the Family & provision for their Passage,"' is dated January I". 177^. Mr. Beardsley's removal had been ordered in December, 1777, according to the church records. He became chaplain of lieverly Robinson's reginu-nt of Loval Americans and after the war settled at 'Clinton Papers, Vol II, p. 574. This permission included Henry Vandenburgli and family, Mrs. Catherine Clopper and several others. .Maugerville,^ New Brunswick. Some of his des- cendants, particularly his youngest son Bartholomew Crannell Beardsley, attained considerable distinction in Canada. Military Organization. .As the war progressed every man was forced to de- clare himself, and pretty nearly every able-bodied man was forced to serve in the army at some time, or sub- ject himself to arrest. Under the Colonial system all able-bodied men were required to enroll in the militia, and wdien the Revolution was organized the system w as continued. A special "black list" of those who re- fused to sign the "Pledge of Association" was kept for each company. Dutchess County had seven regiments during the war, according to the rolls published by the State, though probably not all were in existence at the same time. They included two regiments of "Minute Men," one commanded by Col. Jacobus Swartwout, which appears to have been numbered the First Regi- ment. The 2nd Dutchess Regiment was commanded by Col. Abraham Brinckerhoff, the 3d by Col. John Field and Andrew Morehouse, the 4th by Col. John Frear, the 5tli by Cols. William Humphrey and John \anderburgh, the 6th by Cols. Morris Graham and Roswell Hopkins and the 7th by by Col Henry Luden- ton. The organization of the militia regiments was de- cidedly loose, there was little discipline, and they often failed when most wanted, but weak as they were, they always formed a reserve for emergencies and rendered some important service. Despite their unwillingness to turn out and leave their Imnus. there were times when the American cause would have fared much worse had it not been for the militia of Dutchess Comity, which during part of the war was the largest and strongest cinint\ in the Stale. Imtli in ]K)pulation and in taxable weallh. Besides the militia, though formed from it, there were independent companies specially organized to drill and prepare for service. ( )ne such was formed in Plaiii. was sent down from Ticonderoga. Theo])hilus Anthony and other blacksmiths in the neighborhood were set to work forging additional links to ])iece it out so that il would be king enough to reach across the Hudson at Fort Montgomery, which had been constructed near the lower entrance to the Highlands. f)f course when the British began to threaten New \<>vk many of the Tories seized the opportunity to show their colors, and anticiirating trouble the Pro- vincial Congress liad, on June 20th. passed a resolution providing for the raising of three companies of 50 men cadi in Dutdiess and Westchester counties to keep tliem in check. Melancthon Smith and John IDurlin were apjiointed cajitains of the Dutchess com- panies, but it ap|)ears that most of the serious dis- aflfcction was in the lower part of the county, now Putnam County. When at length the British army 'I'or his report see Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay. Vol. I. p. 75- was strong enough to move to attack General Wash- ington, there was great alarm throughout the Hud- son river counties. Un the 27th of August, 1776, two days after Washington's defeat at the Battle of Long Island, the State Convention resolved to call out the militia of Westchester, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties, but on Sept. 4th there was a report against such action on the ground that the militia of the four counties did not exceed 3,100, while the "dis- armed and disaffected" numbered 2,'300 and the slaves 2,300. From Dutchess County Col. Swartwout's and Col. Morris Graham's regiments were nevertheless in the field and took part in the battles at White Plains and Harlem. Man}- Tories were arrested during this summer and fall and the jail at Poughkeepsie was full. Between the hurrying of the defenses of the High- lands, the mustering of the troops in response to the numerous alarms and the surveillance of the Tories, the local committees led a strenuous existence. The general expectation was that the British would seek to push past the defenses in the Highlands for the purpose of destroying the two big frigates building at Poughkeepsie, and messengers were constantly dash- ing up the Post Road with news that the British ships were about to advance or had advanced towards Fort Montgomery. Most urgent letters were sent by Gen- eral Washington, General Israel Putnam, General George Clinton, and the Convention, to induce all possible haste in the construction of the war ships and the big chain. At the same time the members of the Poughkeepsie committee were often without money, and at their wit's ends to keep things moving. The following letter from their secretary to the Conven- tion will serve as an illustration of some of the prob- lems at haiul : 111 (.'oniiiiillee, roughkeepsie .\ug 9, 1776 Sirs: I'roni tlie [jresenl situation of i)ublick aft'airs, the Committee of Poughkeei)sie labor under many difficulties for want of cash, as well to answer publick accounts already due, which they have become bound for. as to answer emergencies of which the following are instances : Colonel Clinton wrote us to send him a number of boards down to Fort Constitution, to make shelter for the troops then ordered there, whidi the barracks would not contain. ( )n his request we purchased a ([uantity of .\Ir. Child and sent them down. ( )n return of the sloop Mr. Child received an order on us for the money, which we could not ])ay ; in conseijuence of which he returned the order to Colonel Clinton, which we are informed remains yet unpaid. Colonel Clinton also drew on us to ]);i\- the freight of the above boards. Major-Gencral Schuyler sent down a party of men for stores from the shijjyards. Tlie.se men called on us to ])rovide them jirovisions. We have to request the honorable the Convention of the State of New HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE 41 York would intrust the Committee of Poufjhkeepsie with a sum of ukuk'v * * *. John Sciik.nck, Secretary. The ship carpenters more than once went on strike with good reason, for they received scarcely enough to buy the barest necessities of life, and worst of all were often without rum. In November the ship- wrights, who were then getting eight shillings per day, declared in a petition' signed by George Peek and Robert Hatton that the lowest they would work for was "14s per Day & a half Pint Rum" for the foreman and "i is per Day & half pint Rum" for each of the journey men. The Revolutionary correspond- ence shows that rum was quite as necessary in carry- ing on war as powder and pork, and gave the com- missary officers almost as much concern. In spite of all difficulties the work went forward. .\ letter- written by John McKesson at Fishkill, Nov. ,^. 1776, says, "part of the chain went down to the forts yesterday," and adds "One of the Frigates at Pough- keepsie is to be Launched to-morrow at Eight o'clock in the morning." It may be worth while to state here that nearly all local historians have confused this ebain with the one stretched across the river two years later at West Point. The chain which was part- ly forged here in 'j6 went to Fort Montgomery (there was no fort at West Point at this time), and though great things were expected of it there was trouble from the first to make it so much as bear its own weight. As to the frigates, they were duly launched and sent to Rondout Creek for the winter, but were not rigged until the summer of 'yy, were never fully armed or manned, and never got to sea. as will pres- ently a]ipear. TiiH Criticm. Yi:.\r. It is well to remember that there were two distinct periods in the defense of the Hudson, as in the Revolu- tion itself — the first ending with the cajiture of the lower forts by Sir Henry Clinton, \'aughn's raid to Kingston and Hurgoyne's surrender at Saratoga. The best writers agree that the Revolution was really won on the Hudson River b\- the events of the autumn of 1777 — later events were in the nature of holding on. though often serious enough, and dei^ending much on keeping the British from a .second dash through the 1 lighlands. The critical jieriod began in the s])ring of '~j. and from that time until lUirgoyne's surrender the alarms, first from the Highlands and afterwards from both lA later petition was signed by Piatt Titns and Stephen Seaman. — Calendar of Revolutionary Documents, Vol. I. ^Clinton Papers, Vol. I, p. 412. north and south, were almost continuous. The militia of Dutchess County was ordered out so often that it became very difficult to get the men to respond at all when the danger seemed most urgent. They were generally sent down to help garrison Fort Mont- gomery, Fort Independence or Fort Constitution, or to replace some of Putnam's Continentals whom Wash- ington needed elsewhere. .As garrison troops the militia was almost worthless, especially when farm work at home w^as pressing. .April 24th, 1777, the Con- vention passed resolutions and appointed a committee to enquire why "a great Part of the militia of Dutch- ess County have neglected to obey the orders of Gen- eral Clinton * * * jq Garrison the forts and guard the passes in the Highlands." In May, Egbert I'enson and Peter Cantine, Jr.. w-ere in Poughkeepsie as a commission to detect conspiracies and were hav- ing great difficulty to obtain enough soldiers to guard the jail. Richard Snedeker was one of the Tories arrested at this time. No enemies at home were to be tolerated, for afTairs were becoming very threaten- ing. ,\t first it was believed that I'.urgovne's advance by way of Lake Chamjjlain would be checked at Ticon- deroga, and when the news of the fall of that strong- hold reached Poughkeepsie early in July, the time which really tried men's souls had arrived. Had General Howe known enough to send an expedition up the Hudson then, probably nothing could have stopped him. and the colonies would have been eflfect- ually divided. How strenuous the efforts of Wash- ington were to prevent such a disaster his letters, as well as those of George Clinton, Israel Putnam and others well .show. There was great relief when it was found that the T'ritish general had sailed off to attack Philadelphia, .ind Washingtun resolved to keep him there, feeling that Putnam and Clinton could now look after the lower Hudson and that the militia could be depended upon to defeat Bur- goync. for they could fight when their homes were threatened. Gen. Schnxler at once began making most urgent demands for reinforcements and Putnam sent Nixon's brigade from the Highlands up the river in sloops, ordering out militia to take their places, while at the same time a draft of 500 men was made ujion the militia of Dutchess and L'lster to march to Alban\ under Cols. Graham and Humphrey. "Every man that can bear arms must on this occasion be brought to the field," wrote Clinton on .August 22nd, then just elected the first governor of the state. In the meantime, as no attack from below seemed as imminent as the danger in the north. Putnam, on Aug. I4tli. had .sent two more regiments from the Highlands to Gates, who had superseded Schuyler. 42 HISTORY OP P O U G H K a n F S I E . How nobly the militia of Dutchess responded to the draft to go to Albany in this crisis, the most serious of the war, may be judged from the following report made by Col. Iliiniphrcy to Governor Clinton, Aug. 28, 1777: Hond. Sir — Agreeably to order, I met Colo Graham on the fifth instant, and agreed to raise 74 men, on the eighth I had the batallion together and drafted the number, and or- dered them to appear at Poughkcepsie on the 12th instant, and appointed one captain and one lieutenant. Accordingly the officers met at Poughkcepsie, and finding a small num- ber of men appear, the captain was dissatisfied and resigned his commission. I then appointed another captain and sent to the several captains of the battalion to muster their drafted men ; they sent me word that the chief part of their men were gone away or concealed ; I then wrote warrants to each captain to send out guards and search for them, and ap- pointed them and the caplain to meet and march with as many as we could find, and all that would refuse to go, send them to the county jail. * * * We raised a bounty of nine pounds per man, and have paid twenty-seven the bounty ; and several farmers have given thirty pound to men to go in their place. On the 26th instant I met them, when forty men appeared with the officers, at the house of Capt. Rey- nold. The men seemed willing to march, when the captain told me he would not march unless he had fifty men ; I went out in order to tell the men I would get another captain, and order them to be ready to march on the shortest notice ; but when they found the officers declined, they dispersed im- mediately, and I could not get them together again any more. Several of the men have enlisted in the standing fnict-s to avoid going to Albany. I do not know what farther to do. and shall wait your orders. W'lLI.I.XM HUMI-RKV. Colo. Tiiis looks like cullit.siuii lictween ofificers and nu'n to find every excuse against obeying ordirs, luil it appears from Col. Grahnin's letters that |)ait nf his regiment was in camj) at \'aii Scliaick's Islaiul near .Albany, by the 21st. This was about the dark- est period. The news of the liritish defeat at Ilcmiing- ton came a few days later anrl then. the reports from the north were steadily better, ilurgoyne was lulil in check, antl Howe, instead of going to join him, was fighting Washington aroimd Philadelphia. However, after the 1)attlc of Rrandywine, in Septemlier, Wash- inton again drew on Putnam for reinforcements, and on the 15th "the whole of the Militia as far north on both Sides of tlic River as I'oughkeepsie" was order- ed to march immediately to join rutiiam at Pcekskill and to strengthen the garrison at I'lut .Montgomery. FaI.I. OI' FoKT MoXTC.OMKKV .\.\I) DlCSTKl'CTION oi" TTIK FrIC.ATKS. It a|)iii;irs that rmly 300 men out of six regiments had resi>ondcd' to this urgent call by the 29th. 'George Clinton papers. Vol. II, p. 340. A postscript to orders to Col. Field, Ludinlon, HrinckerhofT. Iliunphrey. Sutherland, Freer and Swartwoul. The tension had relaxed in the north somewhat but alarm was greater in the Highlands. This time it was no cry of "Wolf, wolf, when there was no wolf." Oct. 4th Gen. James Clinton reported from Fort Mont- gomery that the enemy was moving up the river, "that the inhabitants at Peekskill are moving away, and are in the Utmost Confusion," but still "there is very few Militia yet come Down." George Clinton hastened to the assistance of his brother. The British under Sir Henry Clinton had outwitted Putnam and crossed to the west side. On the 6th they broke the famous chain, took Fort Montgomery and the river was oi)en. George Clinton reported' his defeat on the will to Washington and says: "I have to add that by some fatality the two Con- tinental frigates were lost, the\- having been nrdored down by Ck-ncral Putnam to the defense of the chain ; but being badly manned, they coidd not be got off in time, though I ordered the ship Congress to proceed to Fort Constitution [opposite West Point] the dav before the attack, lest she should meet with a disaster ; and the ship Montgotnery. which lay near the chain, having neither anchor nor cables to secure her, it lieing the ebb of tide and the wind failing, fell down so near the chain, that Cajitain Hodge was constrain- ed to set her on fire to prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy. The Congress, unfortunate- 1\- getting aground on the fiat near Fort Constitution, shared the same fate." So much for the Iwn fine slii])s hiiilt lu-re. Governor Clinton had taken the cables from the Mont- gomery and stretched them across the river in front of the great chain, a jiiece of utter foolishness which matm'ed the forts and opened tiie way to .Albany lost him all the advantage gained. Xews of iUirgoyne's defeat at P)emis Heights reachecl Pough- keepsie only a day or two after the fall of Fort Mont- gomery and it was of course suiijiosed that Sir Henry would iinme".neniy is to go up to Albany and if they can do that, will not jwnetrate into the Country as far as this. I sent the sloo]) with the Governors affects to Rusopus I'.xcepting a little Close and Some of her P)edding. I have given Directions they might be Caried into the Country there as it was Impossible for me through tlic hurry to git them up from Poughkeepsie. T will leave the sending of Weagons holel\ to you; if you think it necessary you will Send them to this Place. If you see the Governor be kind F.nough to let him know Mrs. Clinton is as well as Common I Remain you humble Ser't Pktkr Tappkn. The governor himself was on the west side of the river ready io march to Kingston via the Wallkill. ( )n the I2th "An armed Schooner, two Row Gallies & a small P>rigg passed the Cheveaux Defrize & are ought of Sight up the River," wrote Governor Clinton from Little Britain, near New Windsor. The chevaux-defrise was a timber crib with sharpened points sunk in the river opposite New Windsor to Pollipel's Island. It was not entirely finished and the I'.ritish had little trouble in passing it. One wonders why this little reconnoitering fleet was not badly pep- jiered as it went u]) the river but the Governor ex- plains. "If we had Round Shott for our 24 IbV we might make this small fleet very uneasy in the River but this we have not, nor do I know any nearer than .Albany to which place I begg you would send for 100 of that size and 200 for 4 Ib'rs." Hard indeed to do much fighting without shot ! Sir James \\'allace was in command of this little fleet, which proceeded with little opposition as far as Theophilus .Xnthony's (the Gill place about three miles below Poughkeepsie). where tliey burned the little shop which had helped forge the great chain and also burned the mill.= but iGeorge Clinton Papers, Vol. 11, p. 4og. 2This expedition is reported in tlie 1S82 Dutchess County History to have hurncd "Van Buren's Mills" evidently a mis- print for Van Keuren's. Theophilus .\nthony had purchased tlie mill from Mattlicw Van Keuren only a year or two be- fore. .\ccordinK to tradition in the Gill family the British after burning the mill went to the house and asked for bread. No one had remained at home but a slave woman, who had iust finished baking and had the kitchen tables covered with loaves. These the red coats took and departed satisfied. spared the house, which is still standing. They then turned back and reported the river clear. Already Burgoyne was in a desperate position, about to surrender, but it was not until the 15th that Sir Henry Clinton started General Vaughn and Sir James Wallace up the river with a formidable force. There were thirty or forty vessels in this expedition, some of them large full rigged ships, doubtless the largest fleet that ever navigated this section of the Hudson. They passed Poughkeepsie on the after- noon of the 15th and anchored for the night just above Hyde Park. General Putnam followed on this side of the river with a part of his army from Fish- kill and Gov. Clinton on the other side. Putnam ap- ])ears to have been half a day behind the ships, for he did not reach Red Hook until after the P.riti.sh had landed and burned a number of buildings. He wrote on the 1 6th, "Yesterday about forty sail passed up the river, crowded with troops, and are at anchor above Poughkeepsie — the wind not favoring. We were on our march after them when I met the agreeable news of Burgoyne's surrender."' This was the day of the burning of Kingston, which Clinton w-as unable to prevent, though he was there in time and wrote General Gates that morning (Oct. l6th), "the En- emy's Fleet consisting of upward of thirty Sail an- chored last night about six miles below the Landing Place at this Town, which they now lie directly op- posite and appear to be making dispositions for Land- ing."2 Oct. i8th Putnam wrote to Clinton from "Leroys Statsford"3 above Poughkeepsie, at 5 o'clock in the morning: "Yours of the 17th Recei'd last night, and am sorry to hear of the Enemy Destroying the Several Houses &c. Last night I arrived here & all the Troojis excepting General Sillimans llrigade which I expect will join me in the morning; Colonel Samuel Willis with his regiment are about 6 mile a Head, I am just setting off and this morning expect to reach the Shiping." In a postscript he adds: "General Parsons Remains at Peekskill with about jooo. Colonels Humphrey's & Brinckerhoff Regi- ments of Militia are Left at Fishkill. Colonel Piatt with ab't 130 at Poughkeepsie." .\t noon the .same day Clinton replied, advising that more troops be left at Poughkeepsie and Fishkill. "The Enemy." he says, "is 8 or 10 Miles above this burning awav * * * j ,-nean at present to continue where I am now in front of the most vahi- able settlements & were the Stores & Efifects from iCutler's Life of Putnam, p. 317- sClinton Papers. Vol. IT. p. 444- ^'Clinton Papers, Vol. II, pp. 469 and 470. Is this Staats- bu rgh ? 44 HISTORY OF POUGHKUHPSIB Kingston are removed. I imagine the Enemy will not proceed much higher up the River & that on their Return they will attempt to lay waste the Places they have passed going up after our Troops are drawn from them." In this connection the following letter' is of special interest : Sir: Poughkeepsie, Oct'r 22d, 1777 I received your E.xcellency's favor of the iSth In- stant on yesterday. I have heard nothing of any re- inforcements coming from Gen. Putnam. My Corps at present consists of about 120 Men. And Col Fraer's Regiment by the last returns consisted of 108 Arms and 63 without arms. I am using my best en- deavors to collect all the well affected people who have arms, and are not already out, but have no rea- son to expect any considerable addition to my pres- ent Force. You may rest assured I shall exert myself to protect the inhabitants & oppose the Enemy's land- ing at this place, as far as the Force I have with me will enable me. Your Excellency however must be sensible, that with the force here at present, no o])- ]iosition can be made to purpose should the Enemy Land with their whole Force, I submit it therefore to your Excellency, whether it would be proper to make any further application to Gen. Putnam on the subject. I have the honor to remain Sir, Your very humble servant ZlvPH.V Pl.ATT. To His Excellency George Clinton. Esqr. at Hurley. On the day that Col. Piatt wrote (Oct. 22) Putnam was at Red Hook and the enemy had retired at his approach to their ships. Putnam feared they might attempt to march over to Salisbury, Ct., to destroy the iron furnace, which was a great source of supply for cannon, but Burgoyne had surrendered, the peojile were thoroughly aroused, and militia from Xew Jersey were beginning to arrive in considerable numbers at Newburgh and New Windsor. X'aughn's return might easily be cut off and Putnam had a fair chance to defeat him if he should attempt a lung march. He turned back and sailed down the river on the 24th, to the immense relief of the people of Pough- keepsie, who doubtless fired a few shots at the ships, and received a few in return, both harmless. Col. Jacobus Freer is said to have been stationed under cover of a thick grove of cedars on the hill just south of Kaal Rock, with his regiment or company of Dutchess Invincibles,'' According to the County his- 'Clinton P.ipers, Vol. II, p. 470. ^Philip H. Smith's History of Dutchess Couuly. The story that Richard D.ivis stood on liis wharf and shouted "Ilurrnh for King George," and then pointed to James Winans, his rival in hnsincss. as a rehel, I hchove may he true. The sliips, it is said, fired at Winans or his htiihling and Mrs. William S. tories this was on the 15th, when the ships passed up the river, but it is not improbable that the firing from Freer's men and from Reynolds Hill, of which stories' have come down to us, was mostly on the return and retreat of the fleet. One shot from the ships struck near the old \'assar Brewery on \'assar Street and another struck the Livingston Mansion, south of the city, where its mark is still visible. It was an iron ball siMne four inches in diameter, and is preserved in the Washington's Headquarters museum at Newburgh. The presence of Putnam's anny in the near neigh- borhood undoubtedly prevented any attempt to do ex- tensive damage in Poughkeepsie. The wind was so light that he was able to keep almost even with the ships on their retreat, and the rapidity of his march is shown hy the following letter written on the 26th by Governor Clinton from Poughkeepsie to Gen. Gates ; "The next evening after the fleet left the River at Kingston I crossed over on this Side in hopes to have mett Genl. Putnam to advise with him of the proper Measures to be pursued but unfor- tunately found he had inoved down the Da}' before with his Army. I rode till midnight in hopes to have come up with him at this Place but was again disappointed. He had left this about Noon for Fish- kill. I then concluded it best to move my small Force down to New Windsor & accordingly sent them Or- ders yesterday." There is one interesting little local record of \'aughn's raid, to be found in Book G of Writs and Processes in the County Clerk's Office. Both the Court of General Sessions and the Court of Common Pleas had been suspended for a time after the Decla- ration of Independence. The ]May court in 1776 was held as usual, then come the following entries : "Oc- tober Court 1776 No Court Opened the Judges did nut attend." "January Court 1777 the like." "May Cimrl 1777 tlie like." Following this is a page of writs and jirocesses issued under authority of a resolu- tion of the Council of Safety "passed June the 5th 1777 at Kingston," and tlien on the next page (25<)) this record : "October 1777 no Court held here |>rincipally Oc- casioned by the Enemy Coming up the River with an army and fleet and on the sixth of October Took Fort Morgan, his granddaughter, tells me that she had often seen the marks of the hnllets when a girl. She remeinliers hearing that the British sent a boat ashore and liad a conference with Davis, hut this seems hardly likely inilcss the shore therc- ahonts was left entirely unguarded. Davis appears to have remained in business, for in Nov., 1779, he is recorded as receipting for goods brought up on a sloop under flag of truce. — Clinton Papers, Vol. V, p. 376. 1 History of Dutchess County (1882), p. 136. GOVERNOR OKORCVK CLINTON. From portrait in U'asliiiigtoii's Headquarters. XtH'hiirg/i. {By lourti-sy ojW't-u'biirg/i Journal.) iG HISTORY OF POUGHKEBPSIB. Montgomery in tlic High Lands and proceeding up the River as far as red hook and Burned Kingston in Ulster county and diverse Houses Mills Barns &c in this County and by reason of the unsettled Condition of this state and no Officers of the Court Properly ap- pointed there was no Court in January 1778 — l!ut this Winter the a*';>'"'>lv ;it Dr. 1 '.-<.■'- 'I'oMrn. ^C^ '^}/yde Orrr^rV '( /r/,>/;: /,,/„/,.'■ //,f, »,/'.• i^„ I r^"^. 1,1/. ■/ (/fii^mi i)iit/(^otiii»ttriitft I /I trifiy <>»iiiuiiit/,^- /.'.•/•fi/ t/OH /bUifil^ :_y: ^ t/i'rrro/: • t/tri/i/iiir i^ rhi 1. ///A 7 fuii/itriiiM in I \y^f'ff/ //ttil/t)//./i'raii,' i/iirnuj I'la ytitt' /.>/,uijiirf /i-'A- 1 //,//i///i-y A/'iv/-/ O'c/iur/Ay /'f/'rVyi/f^a^ Syy^.^z^4.^^A-^^^ out C/^'>n„, Miy.'/t ,i////n/' )///i/,.i. .f/ic f /,/»i,/,l/ i^/Zk- ■ ^ \ji>i/ ,>y •V" ( '.•mm,/,,,;,., fi'/n- /i.MtnAu yA>r.- /h///t^J/^/- r,-/'/ '// , rihir Clinton in /: by the governor Senate and .Assembly that all Courts in future Should Sit on Such day as formerly were apjHjinted by Ordinance." This is not dated but imnu(li,-itil\ prtccdes the records of the May Court. POUGIIKF.KI'SIK THE St.\TK C.MMT.M, — GoVEUNOK Cl,I.\- ton's Residence. From the retreat of Vaughn and Wallace begins a new period in the Revolutionary history of the Hudson River and of Poughkeepsie. The British abandoned all they had gained, but destroyed the cap- tured forts in the lower Highlands. New defenses had to be planned and constructed, and Poughkeepsie liis liiiithiT ill-law. iir to look after the work of con- strueliiig the frigates and the various aiipliances for iihstructing the river. His first published letter from Poughkeepsie is dated January 24th, 1776. .\fter his arduous campaigning at the time of \'aughn's raid, he spent some time here resting and was joined by the Council iif Safety, to which tlie legislative functions of government had been hastily intrusted when Kings- ton was threatened. Thus Poughkeepsie became the seat of government, and after a visit to his home at New Windsor the Governor returned here in Decem- ber and issued his proclamation to call together the scattered legislators as follows : HISTORY or POUCH K n n p s i n . 47 A Proclamation : The Honorable tlie Congress having by sundry Resolutions, recommended several im]K)rtant Matters to the Consideration of the different States : The Sen- ate and Assembly of this State are therefore hereby required to meet at Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, • m .Miinda\' the fifth Dav of January next, to proceed on IJusiiu'ss; of which all the good I'eople of this State are to take Notice, and govern themselves ac- cordingly. Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at Pough- keepsie aforesaid, the fifteenth Day of December, in the Year of our Ivord. ( )ne thousand seven hundred • ind sevent)-seven. Geo. Clinton. God save the People. direct reference to the ICveritt house. Tradition,' however, points so strongly to its use for important purposes during the Revolution that the State has been induced to purchase it and it is now in the custody of the D. A. R. and known as the Clinton Museum. It is the only house in Poughkee])sie that has survived the years with any tradition of association with Revo- lutionary leaders, and it is not improbable that Clinton did occupy it at some time during his residence here, Init that it was the first gubernatorial mansion or the principal one in Poughkeepsie is extremely doubtful. The little map dated 1790 (see page 65), has the Crannell house marked, "Occupied by G. Clinton dur- ing the Revolution," and in support of this is the fol- lowing docinnent indorsed : -*•■ •"*«» /A CIS " ///(■ h'lsiilt'iiit' ill /'oiii^hkfi'psif of Governor (iivri;r Clinli I"rnm this time ('lovcrnor Clinton's letters show him to have Iieen living in Poughkeepsie, and there has been nnich discussion as to wdiat house or houses he occupied. In connection with this subject it is to be remembered that a number of prominent Tories had already left Poughkeepsie and their property had been taken temporarily for the use of patriots. There is evidence, either in the Clinton pajiers published by the State or in other records, that the State paid for re])airs of two difTerent houses in Poughkeepsie on (jovernor Clinton's orders. ( )ne of these was the Snedeker house and the other the Crannell house, but the searches instituted by members of the Daughters of the .\merican Revolution have failed to find any CiiMain Morlli's Rccfipl for Boards, etc.. for the Rcl^air of thr House I'onncrly Belonging to Crannel- 1780 State of New York to Robt. North Dr. Oct 10 for the freight of 600 bricks from Albany to Pokeepsie (fi 2 pr Ilhd £ o: 12: o for 100 inch bord Co 2 10: 00: o Xov'br for 32 floor bords (r? 2 6d 4 : 00 : O for 5 plank (if 3 o: 15: o ii5: 7: o Received of George Clinton, Esqr. Gov'r of the State, sixty four Pounds twelve Shillings for the above articles in the new iSee article by Tristram Coflin. Esq., in Daily Eagle, Feb. -'. 1904- -Clinton Papers. Vol. VI, p. 50. 48 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE Emission computed at four for one in Specie being supposed the present passing Value, this 23rd July, 1781. Robert North. Besides this direct evidence for the Crannell house it seems entirely natural and probable that Gilbert Livingston and Peter Tappen, whose influence was locally all powerful, would desire to protect their father-in-law's property by assigning it to the govern- or as his residence. The Crannell property, further- more, was not sold uniler confiscation until 1788, and then Livingston ant! Tapi)eu purchased it.' How long the house stood after the Revolution I have not been able to determine, imr li;i\i- I seen any evidence to indicate whether it was built of stone, brick or wood, but as Crannell was one of the rich men of the day, it is a fair assumption that his house was one of the best in town, and for that reason alone likely to have been assigned to the governor. The following statement of the Tory New York Gazette, July 4th, 1781, has been held to point to the Everitt house: "There is a set of mob legislators met at Pough- keepsie ; a little time will show whether they mean to expose themselves to all the vengeance of which the majority of the late Assembly and Senate live in con- stant dread, many of them changing their lodgings to elude the search of the avengers of the innocent blood they have shed. Mr. Clinton, the titular Gov- ernor, has fortified his hut against a sudden surprise, and the rebel slaves of I'oughkeepsie guard it every night." Philip 11. Smith's History of Dutchess County interpolates after the word "hut" "the fine stone man- sion of Clear Everitt," but on what authority no one has been able to determine. Smith's history was pub- lished in 1877, and he is said to have had the assist- ance of Benson J. Lossing, but I know of no state- ment in Lossing's early writings in support of this assertion concerning the Everitt house. Assum- ing on the evidence of the assessment rolls and of traditions, that Everitt was a Tory and was absent, there is no doubt that his house was used^ by the Revolutionary leaders in some way, for they had need of all the buildings they could obtain, as the little town was often crowded with distinguished visitors during the sessions of the legislature. That Washington and Lafayette were entertained there is not improbable. The house has been called "The old fort," the "Head- quarters house," and the "prison house," with prob- ably some reason for all three. The Poughkeepsie jail could not have held all the Tory prisoners that were sent here at various times, and it was not usual 'Liber 27 Deeds, p. 129. -.\n .let creating a Board of Sequestration to take charge of and lease the property of Tories who had left their homes was passed in May, 1777. to confine well-known and respectable persons in jail if it could be avoided. .Ann Lee, the Shaker leader, we are told, was confined in the old Van Kleeck house, and it is certain that prisoners of similar standing were confined in other stone houses in the neighbor- hood, though I doubt the statement that the cellar of the Everitt house was used as a dungeon. Governor Clinton, according to the records, paid taxes on property somewhere in the town of Pough- keepsie as early as 1778, and is known to have pur- chased property here at various times, though most of his deeds were not recorded. The i)ropert\' at the mouth (jf the Casper Kill in the neighbtjrhoocl still known as Clinton Point, was not purchased by him until 1804, as papers in Volume 42 of the Clinton Mss. in .Albany show. GoVIiKNOK Ci.INTON'S LETTERS. Several luuidreds of the letters of George Clinton were written in Poughkeepsie, but I have found in them nothing to indicate w'hat house he occupied. They contain much of local interest, however, and from them could be constructed a history of the Revo- lution, nearly complete, and containing much new material. They show, among other things, that I'oughkeepsie and Dutchess County were of para- mount importance during the second period of the war. Dutchess was the only county not at some time invaded by the enemy, it paid more taxes than any other county, furnished a very large proportion of the provisions necessary for the army, and also a large number of soldiers. In emergencies Dutchess was the main stay of the State. Without its aid, without the aid of the sturdy hand of ])atriots in Poughkeepsie, it is hard to see how tile Highlands coidd have been held, perhaps it is not too nuich to say, how the Revo- lution itself could have been won. The difficulties of buikling the new fortifications, of finding provisions, of raising money, of keeping the army together during the years of holding on, were serious enough, as will a]>])ear. .\s to the importance of Dutchess County the following statement' of taxes paid by the counties of the State from the Declaration of Independence to Oct. 1st, 1781, is significant: Albany Dutchess IHster Orange West Chester Tryon Charlotte L 875.720 1,116,141 620,008 280,741 79.450 3^450 3.821 £3.008,479 •Clinton Papers, Vol, VII, p. 366. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 49 It must be remembered that New York, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Richmond and a part of Westchester Counties were in the possession of the enemy. Char- lotte County is now in Vermont and Tryon became Montgomery after the war. Writing from Poughkecpsie to General Washing- ton, December 20th, 1777, Governor Clinton advised against attempting to rebuild the forts destroyed by the British at the lower entrance to the Highlands, and suggested the fortiticatioii of West Point as a better location. This suggestion met with approval and was acted upon during the next year, Clinton doing his utmost to help forward the work. Among other things he negotiated for cannon to be cast at Salisi)ury, Ct., for West Point. Some of them were iiauled in wagons to Poughkeepsie and here fitted with carriages. Others were shipped via Rhinebeck. The governor was constantly called upon to forward ma- terials and provisions, but the great iron chain stretch- ed across the river at West I'oint was made by the Sterling Iron Works of Orange County under con- tract, and Poughkeepsie did no work upon it. Dur- ing the winter of '78 he collected provisions also, to be sent to Washington's army at Valley Forge. From a letter dated March 26th, it appears that Kosciuszko, who had been ajipointed to take charge of the work at West Point, came first to Poughkeep- sie to consult Clinton, who gave him a letter of intro- duction to General Parsons stating, "I believe you will find him an Ingenous Young Man & disposed to do every Thing he can in the most agreeable Manner." Lafayette had been here in February on his way to take command of the projected "Northern E.xpedition," one of Gates's schemes that served only to hamper t!ie West Point work and was happily not carried out. The legislature, which nul in jan\iary. after the us- ual delay in obtaining a i[uoruni, jiassed a number of important measures which belong rather to State than to local history. Among them may be mentioned the resolutions of February 25th, giving the New York delegates in Congress authority to ratify the Articles of Confederation. Clinton remained in Poughkeepsie, as his letters show, after the adjournment, .\pril 4th. busy with many matters of importance. It has been stated that the legislative sessions were held at the old Van Kleeck house on Mill Street, but there is every reason to believe that they could not have been held else- where than at the Court House, or possibly in one of the churches. The legislative journals afford no cer- tain evidence on this point, but there are a number of references to an "Assembly Chamber" and a "Senate Chamber." which seem to shut out the churches. The Van Kleeck house was too small for anything but committee meetings, and the Court House was the natural place. It is significant that after it was burn- ed in 1785, the legislature did not return here until a new building had been finished in 1788, and the rec- ords appear to show also that important sessions of the courts were not held while the legislature was meet- ing here. For instance on the 13th, I4lh, 15th, i6th, 17th and i8th of April, shortly after the first adjourn- ment,' "John Jay Chief Justice of the Supream Court of Judicature of the State of New York, John Sloss llobart one of the Puisne Judges of the said Court and l'*,phraim Paine first Judge of the inferior Court of common Pleas for the County of Dutchess" held "a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Goal Delivery" at Poughkeepsie. Much of the governor's correspondence was about the granting of passes to visit New York or about the exchange of Tories for adherents of the American cause. Sloops frequently plied up and down the river under flags of truce, and privileges were occasionally abused. A pass to visit in New York was granted to William Hmott in November, 1777, which excited the suspicion of the local Revolutionary leaders. Hmott was pretty well known to be of English sym- pathies, though he had taken the oath of allegiance and had not followed Bartholomew Crannell and other leading members of the English Church into open sup- port of the British. November 23d, Peter Tappen and Gilbert Livingston wrote to the governor, then at New Windsor, stating that he was believed to be "a Sly, Crafty, Designing Tory," advising against the pass and forwarding a protest signed by Augustiss Lawrence, George Peek, And'w Billings, Elihu Mar- shall, Stephen Seaman, Robert Hatton, James Prich- ard, Stephen Ilendrickson, Sam'l Tuder, Daniel Law- rence, Daniel Shaw, Alexd'r Litch Miller, Richard Warner, Piatt Titus, Malcom McEuen, Lancaster Burling and George Smeart. The pass was revoked. Some of the signers of this protest were shipbuilders, and they were several times in distress after the com- pletion of the frigates. Clinton appealed to the Coun- cil of Safety on their behalf and in 1778 they were given some work constructing gunboats for the defense of the River. From several letters it appears that there was a strong suspicion that some persons in Dutchess Coun- ty were carrying on a contraband business in flour, which was much wanted for the army. Clinton and Putnam said, in a joint letter to Governor Trumbull of Connecticut, "The most exhorbitant Prices given iClinton Papers, Vol. Ill, p, 181. 50 HISTORY OF P O U G H K E E P S I n . for that Article by the People concerned in this Trade is alone Presumptive Evidence ajjainst them : their sending it from Poughkeepsie by the Way of Norwalk for Boston Strengthens the Presumption especially from Mills & Stores, as high up the River as Pough- keepsie & North of that."* It was believed that much of this flour found its way to Long Island and to the British in New York. In the latter part of April Clinton heard of the French alliance, and later in the year 1778 the British again concentrated their forces at New York and there was another succession of alarms, with mustering of militia to the defense of the Highlands. Washing- stated that he once spent several weeks here with heailquarters in Valentine Baker's house,' afterwards known as the Brush house, corner Union and Market Streets. This seems improbable, but is not impossible. Proof could be found that nearly all the prominent Revolutionary leaders visited Poughkeepsie at some time during the years of Governor's Clinton's resi- dence. John .\dams mentions in his diary a brief visit, when he had to ride to Poughkeepsie from Fish- kill in order to find ice strong enough for crossing the river. Chancellor Kent in his memoirs speaks of the benefits he received while in Poughkeepsie from "the great )iKii that visiteil there, such as Georare Clinton, '•^7 I T I* J . L>Jt j-iloi iftlikc Morc'y, U rtitf'itJte'Of i>}t\ - . .. %^ to be oqi^jp }fi^Ji'->;' '^t/'Mr^ t^'. I'uute of the. mi.iuSjj;'^ L^y, Mi) L-; .1..1.U 17.: ,^ ^,. ^, ,(J.-^ ;g ■ ' ! Ifticrvo av 6, N. HJiiA-MAN. 4^> >'HOTO HV O. re. KKAMAX. t Hn^/fr^ _.>r>^t ,frt^ ,fr)'^ .r'T^ t< ii^JGsie^ v" ■lit ^LLri'ii-Kj. iittv: IFac ■^■0 /•'tif-siiiii/i- 0/ stale Ciirniuy, priiiltd hyjo/ni //oil in /'oiin^/ikicpsic. l'iii;i'iiii in /•iiMiaiiDi 0/ J/ian. (•lilml and (,iv)i;i Juii/r. ton moved his headquarters to Peckskill and his army formed its long line from there across New Jersey, a ])osition maintained with little change until the final departure in 1781 for Yorktown. Probably during this period he sometimes visited Poughkeepsie, the State capital, though the first definitely recorded visit was on December 27, 1782, according to the minutes of the Solomon's Lodge, No. i, of FVee Masons. There is also proof that he visited Poughkeepsie in May, 1783,2 liis headquarters having then been estab- lished for some time at Ncwburgli, and it has been •Clinton Papers, Vol. II, p. 501. -.Address by Miss Myra L. Avery, Daily Eagle, March 23, l8g6. Washington, Hainiltnn, l,;i\\ reiice, ScJiuyler, Diier, Duche," etc. The Tory and Indian raids of 1778 occupy much of Governor Clinton's correspondence and show how small the State of New York was at that time, with its frontiers no further west than the Catskill and Slia- waiigunk Mountains, through which the treacherous enemy roamed at will, striking the settlements most unprotected. The luas.sacre of Wyoming, in July, greatly stirred the peo])le of Poughkeepsie, for it iiap- peued that a considerable number of those who escaped the Indian tomahawk fled eastward and found their way here. The story of their sufferings was jirintod in 'Local newspaper article. April 16, 18R4. HISTORY OF POUGHKEBPSIB. Joint Holt's Journal^ luul was copied in nearly every newspaper in the country. Holt had fled from New York to Kingston with his printing press in the sum- mer of 1776, and set up his establishment in Pough- keepsie after Kingston was burned in the fall of 1777. lie remained here until the British evacuated New York in 1783 and was the official State Printer. Dur- ing part of his residence he appears to have lived in the neighborhood we now call Arlington. There was naturally another round-up of Tories in the fall of '78 and also a series of Courts Martial to bring the militia to a keener sense of duty. Spe- cial arrangements had to be made to provide a suf- ficient guard for the Poughkecpsie jail. Writing to Sheriff Isaac Nicholl of (>oshen, Orange County in November, Governor Clinton says: "We have Claudius Smith, Austin Smith and several other Capi- tal Oflfenders in Prison here. They are well secured with Irons and added to this the Principal people of the Place to the Number of thirty have voluntarily divided themselves into Parties of six each Night. They sit in the Court Room and visit the Prisoners every Hour, and mean to continue this Duty until the Goal is discharged. Let me therefore recommend similar Aleasures to be pursued by the Inhabitants of Goshen who I trust have at I,east ecjual Zeal fur the public Security." A little later than this, according to a reference in a Court Alartial report, the neighboring militia were divided into classes by lot to furnish a guard for the Governor as well as for the jail. Stories of a P)ritish attempt to kidnap the Governor are mentioned in his correspondence, and had probably already begun to occasion api>reliension. CONTIXKNTALS IN PoUGIIKEErSIK. In the winter of 1778-1779 a regiment of Conti- nental troops was quartered in Poughkeepsie by order of General Alexander McDougall, commanding in the Highlands. The Governor at first vigorously pro- tested against this, writing to McDougall, December 15, 1778, "This little town (now almost the only one left us) is already so full of Refugees as to afford but very Indifferent Accommodation for the Mem- bers of Legislature. * * * The public Offices of the State are now fixed at this Place. They cannot easily be removed to another & they must be near the Legislature." Furthermore he added, "The Forrage Masters assisted by the Civil Magistrate, have already impressed for the use of the Army, all the Forrage ipor statement of some of Holt's troubles as a Publisher, and for some of his financial views, see Clinton Papers, Vol. V, p. 622. the Inhabitants have, leaving them only a very small Supplv tu bring through the Winter their own stock." McDougall in reply drew a harrowing picture of the condition of the troops in the Highlands, two regi- ments being still in tents at Fishkill, about four hun- dred men in the hospitals and all much pressed for subsistence. "The severe weather is fast approach- ing. In this state of the Troops and of the Post, I was reduced, and still am, to the utmost Difficulty to cover them, and to provide them for winter ; when I was informed there were Public Pjuildings sufficient to cover two hundred men at Poughkeepsie ; Boards near it to aid in covering the rest and public Wood Cut on the other side. * * * As to billeting or quarter- ing the Troops in Houses, I meant no more than bare House Room for them a few Days. And if such of the inhabitants as can spare it, according to Law, will not chearfully give it, when officers and Soldiers are ex- posed to most violent Storms of Rain & Snow, they aired their Barracks & laid in an ample Supply of Firewood their Quarters is become verv comfortable & therefore extrcamly loath to leave them."' One wonders what the public buildings were that would cover two hundred men. F.vidently there were rough barracks here of some sort, but in all prob- ability Christ Church, then unoccupied, was used by the troops. Their huts were somewhere on the south side of the town. The Legislature- held three sessions in Poughkeep- sie in 1778 and the winter session of 1779. August nth to October 25th. I77<). it met in Kingston; Jan- uary 27th to Alarch 14th in .\lbany (for the first time) ; April 22nd to July 2nd in Kingston : Sejitember 7th to October loth. 1780. in Poughkee])sie : January 17th to March 31st. 1781. in Albany, and after that always in Poughkeepsie until the end of the war. The State officers evidently remained here and the Governor's family remained here generally, even when the Legis- lature was in session elsewhere, as shown by incidental mention in several letters. October 5th, 1779. for in- 1 Clinton Papers, Vol. IV., p. 542. From this letter it appears that four months' pay was due the regiment. 2See New York State Civil List. 52 HISrORY OF PO U G H K E E PS I E. stance, Clinton says in a letter to John Jay : "I received your favor of the 29th Ultimo on my way from Kings- ton to this Place whither I was called by the Indis- position of my little Boy, who is so extremely low as to leave us but little hope of his Recovery." T.AST Ykaks of TiiE Wak — Tin-; Fisiikii.i< Beacons. When the British advanced up the river in the summer of 1779 and fortified \'erplanck's and Stony Points, most of the militia of Dutchess County was in the field and the rest was ordered to be ready to march to the defense of the Highlantls at a moment's notice. The Governor, as Commander-in-Chief of State forces, went to the front himself for a time, and on his return wrote to John Jay, June 23rd : "(Jii this occasion I have the Pleasure to inform you, that the Militia, particularly of this County, behave with an alacrity and Spirit that does them great honor." He nevertheless preserved for posterity a long list of the delinquents of some of the regiments. It was during this summer that beacons were con- structed on the hills south of Fishkill and on Butter Hill (Storm King) in order to arouse the country, without making it necessary to take the farmers from their work until the last minute. The first suggestion for this method of signalling to the country north of the Highlands w-as contained in letters written by General Washingon in March, 1779, to General McDougall and to Governor Clinton,' but it appears that the plan was not carried out before the middle of June. I have seen no evidence in support of the statements of Lossing and Smith that beacon fires were lighted, or even suggested, in 1777, when Fort Montgomery fell and \'aughn started his raid to Kingston. •A.fter the gallant storming of Stony Point by Wayne in July the danger was over for a time, but the beacons were manned in the fall, when there was a renewal of alarms. TIuit aiii)cars no record that they were ever intcntidnaliy lighted, hut the brush pile on the hill near Fishkill (presumably Xfjrth lieacon) caught fire accidentally on May 7th, 1780. and Captain .\braham Williams sent an express rider to Poughkeepsie to notify the governor that it was not intended for an alarm. Any extraordinary gathering of troops and ships at New York was sure to produce uneasiness up the Hudson and cause steps to be taken for increasing the garrisons at West Point and elsewhere in the Highlands. Init early in the win- ter of 1779-1780 the British, after making some feints up the river to attract attention, sailed away to Charleston, and fighting from tliat time was mostly in the South. ■Clinton Papers, Vol IV, p. 636. This winter was one of the most severe on record. New York Harbor was frozen over for weeks so that cavalry and cannon were taken across the ice.' There had been a prolonged drought in the fall of '79 and it was only with the utmost difficulty that the Conti- nental army was supplied with flour. Wheat was scarce, prices enonnous, the Continental currency al- most worthless, and the mills had no water to grind with. Governor Clinton, at Poughkeepsie, was exert- ing every effort to collect and forvvard supplies, and his services were of inestimable value at this time, when it was necessary to enforce the recently passed act for impressing wheat from the farmers. He convened the purchasing commissaries in Poughkeepsie late in De- cember and stirred up the officials and the people, but it was scarcely possible to feed the army from day to day, to say nothing of accumulating stores to enable the garrison at West Point to stand a siege. ( )n Jan. 6th, Clinton wrote : "( )ur present situation is more distressing than any Thing we have experienced since the commence- ment of the War. It has been w'ith the utmost Difficulty notwithstanding the great Exertions of the State tliat we have been hitherto able to Feed the Troops Stationed at the different Posts in the High- lands by a ])recarious Suppl_\- brought in daily. We have now near three I'eel Snow on the Ground & most of the Mills in the Country either Froze uji or without water." Certainly the situation was desperate, and the soldiers at West Point and elsewhere went frequently several days without bread and w-ith scanty rations generally, but they pulled through. .\\\ attack upon the Highlands was feared again in the summer of 1780. when some of the militia were ordered out, ami in September came the treason of Benedict .Arnold. The spring and early summer of this year was an exceedingly busy one for (lovcrnor Clinton. The Legislature was in session during all of .May ami June at Kingston.'- At the same time Sir John |i>hn- son's Tories and Indians were so troublesome th.it in the latter part of .May the Governor personally took the field against llnin in an expedition to Lake George. There were at the .same time reasons why he would have liked to spend a little more time at home, as we learn from the following paragraph in a letter written July I3tli to .Abraham Yates: "Mrs. 'See letter of General James Pattison to Sir Henry Clin- ton. — Clinton P.ipers, Vol. V, p. 448. 2TI1C session began .\pril 22nd, and was possil)ly called to meet in Kingston because of tbe trial in Pongbkeepsie of Huddleston, the spy, captured near Yonkcrs. .\ccording to Lossing's l'"icld Rook (pp. .183-384'), be was tried, con- demned and executed in April, 1780, tbe scaffold being erected on Forbus Hill. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 53 Clinton, after waiting till the alarm below and the great hurry of Business was over very decently pre- sented me with a fine Girl. She joins me in our best Respects, your lady and family." The Legislature was in session at Poughkeepsie when the news of the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown was received, and both houses with the Governor," we are told, ])rocec(led to the Dutch Church, and there offered thanksgiving to God for the great deliverance. Rev. John II. Livingston, then pastor of the Church, afterwards President of Rutgers' College, conducted the service. Cannon were fired, bon-fires lighted in the streets and there was general rejoicing. At that time there were only iDutehess County History (1882), p. 142. These state- ments are doubtless sul)stantially correct, though I have not found their original source. two Stores in Poughkeepsie, one kept by Beekman Livingston, on the site of the News-Press Building, corner of Market and Cannon Streets, and the other by Archibald Stewart, adjoining the Dutch Church. Stewart, it is said, was a Tory and would not illuminate his store. We should like to have a contemporary descrip- tion of the busy little town at this time, but none has been found. De Chastellux, the French traveler, passed through Poughkeepsie in the winter of 1780, but finding the Legislature in session and "all the taverns full" he ])assed on to Pride's Tavern, three iriiles north, and had little to say of the town. Farm- ing must have been still the chief occupation of the people, with tavern keeping, milling and ship building engaging the services of a munhcr of men. State officials and lawyers added variety. Sea/ used oil .Stale Cuiiimisiion, page 45. CHAPTER IV. From thk Revolution to the Incorporation of the X'ii.i.age, 1783-1799 — James Kent — The First Local Newspaper, the " Poughkeepsie Journal" — Ratification ok the Constitution of the United States — Early Politics in Town and County — Rival Newspapers — Slavery in Pough- keepsie — Town Development and the 1790 Map — Incorporation as a Village. When the British troops finally left New York City, November 25th, 1783, some of the families that had fled to the country returned and the Legis- lature began to hold its sessions there in 1784, though the State offices apparently remained in Poughkeep- sie for a number of years. The resumption of river traffic doubtless more than made up for any losses to local business. Dutchess was at this time one of the largest counties in the State, and its growth was continuous and rapid. From 22.404 in 1771 it had increased in population to 32.636 in 1786, and in 1790 became the second county in the State, (with Albany first and New York tliird). a ])osition main- tained until Putnam' was set oflF in 1812. A con- siderable section of central Dutchess, including most of the rich Wappingers A^alley. naturally shipped its produce to New York by sloops from Poughkeepsie. and the three or four crooked roads to the river were doubtless often filled with teams waiting their turn at the landings during this period. The local inn-keepers and shop-keepers profited. Between 1770 and 1790 the number of hou.ses in the central section of Poughkeepsie about doul)lcd (see map jxige 65) and there is evidence that this growth was in large part after 1783. At the same time much of the prestige as a social and legal center, gained during the war. remained. A number of the most eminent lawyers in the State continued to live here, and many others, like Hamilton and Jay, were frequent visitors during Court sessions. James Kent i.v Pouch kickpsie. Here in November, 1781, came James Kent to study law in the office of the State .Attorney Gen- eral. F.gbcrt Benson, then "the acknowledged leader of the New York Bar," and afterwards distinguished in several high judicial ]X)sitions. though now chiefly iPiitnain'.s population was only about 9,000 at that time. For statistics of Dutchess County and the town and city of Poughkeepsie, see Appendix. remembered because of the greatness of his pupil. Kent was admitted to the bar in 1785 and for a few months tried unsuccessfully to obtain a foothold in Catron.' a hamlet on the outskirts of Dutche.^s Count\. where we are told, a committee of citizens one day made him a visit, informed him that the peo- ple regarded lawyers as destructive of the peace and good order of the town, and requested him to leave. He soon returned to Poughkeepsie, entered into part- nership with Gilbert Livingston, then surrogate, and the same year married Elizabeth Bailey, daughter of Col. John Bailey, and a sister of Theodorus Bailey, who afterwards became a United States Senator and was one of the most prominent citizens of the State. "I was twenty-one and my wife sixteen when we were married," wrote the Chancellor many years later, "and that lovely girl has been the idol and solace of mv life, and is now with me in my office, unconscious that I am writing this al>out her. * * * After board- ing a year and a half at my father-in-law's. I had purcha.sed and prei>are(l and fitted a snug dwelling house in town." His father-in-law lived a little way out and was probably the same John Bailey near whose house the first Liberty Pole was erected early in the Revolution. There is much in the Chancellor's Memoirs about his early life in Poughkeepsie: "I owned one acre of ground and fitted up. in neat style for that day," he wrote, "a snug and endearing little cottage, and I cultivated an excellent garden, and my income by practice did not reach an average above $500 a year. * * * I studied in my little cottage mornings and devoted an hour to Greek and another to Latin. I soon increased it to two for each tongue in the twenty- four hours." Indeed the amount of reading he tells us he did would fairly stagger the average young man of to-day. The snug little cottage and excellent garden, to which the great Jurist's inind so often re- verted in later years, was located where the Morgan 'Historv of the nench and B.ir of New York, p 370 HISTORY OF P O U G H K n E P S I E. 55 House now stands, on tlic north side of the Filkin- town Road, and a goodly mortgage was necessary in its purchase (Liber 4 Mortgages, page 335). He retained the property until 1799, when he sold to Abraham P.rinckcrhoff. Neither Kent nor his brother-in-law, Theodorus Bailey, who lived next cast of him, was well enough known in 1790 to be named on the niaji of the town made in that year, though the two liouses are shown, with Gilbert Livingston, Kint's jiartner, marked as living next to them. The fact tliat Livingston's office is also marked on the map throws some doubt upon the local tradi- ticm that Kent's office was in the little building on Cannon Street, torn down in iSoi*^. to make room for the Hinklcy building. Tlic map furnishes evidence, however, that the Caimon Street building was there at the time, and it is not at all improbable that Kent may have made it his office at a later date. Dr. Peter Tappen, of Revolutionary fame, lived not far east of the Livingston place — both Livingston and Tappen, it will be remembered, on projjcrty given them by their father-in-law, Bartholomew Crannell. Opposite Gil- bert Livingston lived Major .\ndre\v Billings, also of Revolutionary fame and a noted silversmith and jeweler. Letters preserved in various collections slmw thai Hillings made silver cups or did other work for (".nuTal Washington, Tslc Advertiser and it was printed "a few doors east of the court house." By ijcji' it had become simply The Poughkccf'sic Jour- nal and in all probability the long title had been drop- ped before this time. Kent calls it the Poughheepsic Journal in his memoirs and tells us that he started to ])ublish in it an abstract of The Federalist when the constitution was under discussion in 1787 and 1788. He states that it was the only newspaper published in New York State, outside of New York and Albany, at tlie time of the Constitutional Convention. In 1792, its editor. Nicholas Power, became the first Poughkeepsie postmaster, according to the ofiicial records in Wash- inton, and later issues of the ])aper bear the line "Publisheniiiii, Zephaniah Piatt and Cjilbert Livingston, in its favor. These w'ere able men who had served in many positions during the Revolution, as we have seen in the last cha])ter. and continued to serve in high positions after the Constitution had been adojited. All three had been members of the Provincial Congress. .Melancthon Snn'th and Zephaniah Plait had been members of the Continental Congress. Smith was the first sheriff of the county after the formation of the State government, Piatt was at the time of the convention the county judge and Livingston the surrogate. Smith had been a resident of Poughkeeiisie most of the time since 1777, but is said to have been living in Xew York when cho.sen a delegate to the convention. This is not singular when we remember that Governor Clinton himself sat as a delegate from Ulster. The elections of delegates for the convention throughout the State turned out "beyond expectation favorable to the .Anti-Federal party. They have a ma- jority of two thirds in the Convention, and according to the best estimate I can form of about four sevenths in the comnnmitv." wrote Hamilton to Araion" in debate, adding "the subtclty of Locke to the candour of Sydney." in the words of one who described the con- vention in a letter published in the New York Journal, }u\\ 4th, 1788. The doors of the convention were o])en and the people of Pouglikee|isie availed them- selves of the opportunity tn luar the great s]ieakers. Hamilton was described as the "the political porcu- pine, armed at all points." and jjouring a "stre.im of eloc|iience deep as the Ganges and irresistible as the Gadara(|ui. ' Mr. Jay's reasoning was said to be as "weighty as gold, polished as silver, and strong as steel." Chancellor Livingston was also a strong in- fluence for the Constitution. The weight of eloquetice and logic was certainly with the Federalists, and the debates as published- are good reading to-day. The very extravagance of the .\ntis, who described the Con- stitution as a "triijal-headed monsti-r" and said that "'i"lu- (laggiT iif ainhition is unw pninU'd at the fair bo- som of lil)erty," with much else of the same .si>rl, was l)robably beginning to react. Jtine 27th Hamilton wrote to Madi.son that "there are some slight ho])es of relax- ation in soiue of the leaders, which authorizes a gleam of hope, if you do well, but certainl\ I think not dther- wise." At this very moment a Utter was mt its w.iy from Richmond, coming as fast as horses Cdiild, bringing the news that X'irginia had done well. I'.en 'Great grandfatlier of Mr. John A. Roosevelt (who has the letter quoted), and a brother of the great grandfather of President Roosevelt. 2Fac-simile, 1905, by Vassar Brothers' Institute. // / s r o R y OF p o u c ii k n n r s i n . 59 son j. I.iissinLif has puhlislu'il tlir follnwiiii; interview' willi line will I wa?- iin-sint wlu'n tlu' news arrived: "It was ahont noon, on a very Imt ila\ ," said the old man, "when I saw an express rider, on a power- ful bay horse tlecked with foam, dismount at the Court House door and placiiiij- his bridle reins in the liands of a negro boy standing by. hasten to the dour of the Convention chamber, and deliver a scaled pack- age to Mr. liarclay. the door-keeper. The courier was Colonel William Smith l,i\'ingston, who had ridden exi)ress (changing horses several times) from New York City to I'oughkeepsie. a distance of eighty-one miles, in less than ten hours. The package he brought contained a despatch from the {'resident of the \ ir- ginia Convention at Richmond and a letter from Mad- ison to 1 lamilton, announcing that \ irginia had. on the 25th day of June, unconditionally ratified the constitu- tion. The reading of that despatch gave great joy to the Federalists in the Convention, and they cheered loudly. .Many pi-ople out of curiosity had gathered in front of the Court lluuse after the arrival of the ct)urier, and when his errand was made known, a i)art of them formed a little procession, and led by llie music of a fife and drum, marched around the Court House .several times, in the evening they lighted a small bonfire. I'efore sunset Power had printed an 'Extra' on a sheet of jiaper se\eu b\ ten inches in size which contained tlu' form of the ratiticatiun by \ irginia." 'i'he go\'ernor's friemls seem now to have begun to see that the Constitution must he ratified, and turneil their cfTorts towards its amendment. The celebration of the I'ourth of July was a plea.sant relief from (lie tension of daily parliamentary battle and served to pro- mote good feeling. Joiin jay wrote to his wife on the 5th. "^'esterday was ;i d.iy of festivity and both parties united in celelirating it. Two tables, but in different houses, were spread for the convention, and the tun parties mingled at each table and the toasts (of which each had coi)ies) were communicated by the sound of drum and accomjianied by the discharge of artillery." In the novel entitletl "Tlic Conqueror" is present- eel an imaginary picture of the scenes of the conven- tion with the statetnent that there were charming wmnen aued Irom (be People of ihe Uniied Siatci, nuy be rcfumed by tbcm whrnloercr ihe fame Ihall be peiTcrtcd lo iheit In- jury or OppielTion, ^nd ihal every Pow- er noi granicd thereby remaint with them and at ibcir Will : That thcttfore no Right, uf any Deootnination, can be cancelled, abridjied, reftrtincd or modi- fied by iheCoogieri, by ihc ISeiiaie, 01 Hcufe of Repicfeniatiret, aAig in any Capacity, by the PtcfideDi, or any Pcpk« UoitsU Stitci i With ih' fc Impiefliont, with a folema Appeal 10 ihi: Scarchei ol fl ails lor the Purity of uui riteniioni, and under the Conddioa, (hal tvhj'r>-''ef IiiiprilcAi* on) may exilf in the Crnllituiion, ought rather to be ejiamixttc: lu die Mod^pte* niTGed therein, than lobiD^iihe Uni- on into Dinger by U'Ky, with a H 'pe ol obtaining Amendmenii picrtuut lo ■be KaiiBcaiion : We the faid Dclee^iei, in the Name ■ nd in Bchalt ot ihe People ot Virginia, do by ihefe preftoti alfcni lo and latily ihe CoDlltiution, lecommenlcd on ihe I7ih day a( Scptembci, 17I7. by ih* Fvdcial ConTeniion lor ih< O «<.hiiiond «d>i(c^ that a Motion for picviuut Amendmenii Wit rrjeOed by 4 Majoiity ol Etghl ; tut ihaljcmc dayi would be paflcd io ^onCdeoMg (uUtqucnt Ann-jjAJTCBtV and itiefe, it ap|)c.rcd, Itim ihc lempci ol the CcaTcntias, wouid b* rccom^ EXTRA PPJKTED BY I'OV/EP. AT THE PO'J: JOlJPNA'j OFFICE. OrU-ir.al jr. ,;.c sse-JSi ov. o' Tdr, ■Jo^n A ?;oo-:evslt. liitrro nx O. W. BICA.MAN. HISTORY OP P OU G H K li EP S I H . 61 draw from the Union if the Constitution is not re- vised by General Convention.' * * On this de- bates Ensued, which took up the day and it was not known how the 'Brittle Blades' would vote, the tak- ing of the question was waved till to-morrow." Gilbert Livingston had announced that he should vote for ratification and it was stated that Hamilton closed the debate in a speech of three hours duration. There was a majority of three against Lansing's last amendment and the final vote on Saturday, the j()tli. was liy the same narrow margin, 30 to 27 for un- condiliunal ratification, but Kent says that several other members would have voted for ratification "but could not be brought to desert Governor Clinton who remained inflexible. Had he consented to vote for the Constitution, the final ratification of it would pro- bably have been unanimous." It is perhaps not too much to add that Dutchess County .saved the day. Kent pays a high tribute to the "men who made this memorable and unbought sacrifice of prejudice, error and ])ride on the altar of patriotism. * * * It was quiie an heroic effort to (|uit such a leader as Governor Clinton, and such men as Yates and Lansing, who had been mem- bers of the General Convention." Dutchess had seven delegates, and besides the three mentioned, John De- Witt voted for the Constitution. Ezra Thompson was absent and Jacobus Swartwout. the doughty colonel o| tile Revolutionary Minute Men. with Jonathan Akins voted no. There seems to be no evidence that those w iio l)roke away from Clinton's boss-shij) on this occasion incurred his enmity. Smith stumped the State for him in \J')2 when he ran for the sixth time, and we have already noted the feelings of Gilbert I^ivingston and Judge Piatt when Kent declared that Clinton's counting in on that occasion was fraudulent. Eari.v Politics of Town a.nh Cor.vrv. .\ year after the convention a wave of symjjathy for the French Revolution, in which I,afa\elte was an carK leader, swept tiver the new Anu-rican Republic, and then, as the excesses of the French began to ex- cite a reaction among the more conservative, party feeling in .\merica was greatly intensified. The friends of JeflFerson, embracing most of the Anti- Federalists, continued to esjiouse the cau.sc of the French, even at the risk of involving the United States in another war with England, while the Federalists, under Hamilton's lea, came more and more into a position of hostility to the French. Governor Clin- ton, though he jirevented the fitting out of a French ))rivateer in New York harbor, was in sympathy with their plans and one of his daughters, in 1703, became the wife of the notorious French minister, "Citizen Genet," who remained in America. It is altogether probable that Kent's defeat for Congress in 1793 was partly at least due to the French iiartisanship of the governor's friends in Poughkeepsie, though the town was certainly not entirely carried away by the French craze. Men of strong English sympathies, suspected of being Tories in the Revolution, were restored to favor sufficiently to hold town offices soon after the war, and their names continue on the town books. Richard Everitt and William Emott, for example, were almost continuousl_\- office holders from 178X until well into the 19th century. Everitt became town clerk in 1795 and Emott a justice of the peace in 1798, both offices of much importance at that time. In 1800 Squire Emott, as he was called, was elected to the Assembly. He was the father of the elder James Emott, a very prominent Federalist in the early part of the 19th century. It is difficult to tell much about the politics of Poughkeepsie before 1800, except from the few hints given by Kent's Memoirs and from items in the few copies of the early newspapers. By comparison of the.se with the civil list of the State it is evident that the county was debatable ground and was drifting away from the control of Governor Clinton and his friends. The Federalists were likely to win in off years and not infrequently elected their Assemblymen even when' -Anti-Federalists were sent to Congress. Thus the .Assembly delegations of 1794. 1795. I79'i and 1797, appear to have been Federal. .All four in- clude Jesse Oakley, who is known to have been a strong Federalist, and the first three include David Pirooks of Poughkeepsie. Theodorus Bailey, however, was reelected to Congress in 1795, but David Brooks succeeded him in 1797. In 1798 John Jay. Federalist candidate for governor, carried the county by a small majority, receiving 998 votes to t)C)i for Robert R. Livingston. The town of Poughkeepsie voted Living- ston 00 and Jay Sj. To comjiletc the see-saw. Theo- dorus Bailey was again elected to Congress in 1799. It was during this period of ])olitical change and probably partly because of it that Zephaniah Piatt.' who was succeeded as Judge of the Court of Common iThere were three or four f.nmilies of Pl.itls in Dutchess County hefore this time. Israel Piatt, who lived in Eastern Dutchess, was a captain of one of the militia regiments in the Revolution ami was the ancestor of the late Mrs. John P. .\clriance. Eliphalct Piatt, who lived near Pleasant Valley, was a militia lieutenant in the Revolution, and was the grandfather of Isaac Piatt, founder of the Poughkeep- sie Eagle, and also of Dr. Eliphalct Pl.itt. first president of the village of Rhiueheck. .A John Piatt is also mentioned ill tlic records. Israel, l-'liphalet and John were prolialily brothers and cousins of /^ephainah. .Ml came from the neiglihorliood of Huntington. Long Island, at apparcn>ly about the same time. 62 // 1 s r o R y OF p o u a n k is n p s i a. I'k-as in 1795, by David LJrooks, left Poughkeepsie and with his brothers, Dr. Charles Piatt and Nathaniel Piatt, went to Lake Chaniplain, whither another brother, Daniel Piatt, had preceded them as early as 171)2, and founded Plattsburgh. John Bailey, father of Theodoras, and probably some other Pough- keepsie people, also went tf) Plattsljurgh. Rival Newspapers. The first rival of the Poughkeepsie Journal seems to have been the Republican Journal, started in •795 by Nathan Douglas of Danbury, Ct. It doubtless represented the party of Jeflferson and George Clinton, and indicates that the older Journal. though admitting communications of all shades of opinion, was already regarded as a Federalist organ. I know of only one number of this paper, "X'ol. I, No. 41," dated Wednesday, July 6, iJCfG.^ It bore the motto : "Pliant as Reeds, where streams of Freedom Glide — Kirm as the Hills, to stem Oppression's tide." and was '"(jrinted and published by Richard \ ander- burgh & Co., near the Court House." It contains the statement, dated June 2(jth, that Nathan Dmiglas had sold the paper to Mr. X'anderburgh "and will shortly return to Danbury, Ct.. to cc induct the imli- lication of the Farmer's Chronicle." I'niulh of July, says this pa])er, "was ushered in liy the firing of cannon and the ringing of bells." 'riuri- was a i)aradc of the officers of Col. Van Piunschoten's regiment of militia. Captain Wmont's light horse and Cai)tain Mott's rinemen. Then one company of nun cim- veiied at Colonel \'an P.unschoten's for a l)ani|iict and another at Captain ITcndrickson's. There is a suggestion of partisanshi]) in the separation and in the lists of toasts. In this paper Nathan M\ers advertised for sale a st(jne house "containing two large rooms >in the lower floor, on the Post Road leading to .\lbany and on the road leading to the upper landing." This must have been a near neighbor of the old Van Kleeck house. .\n early gazetteer states that iTKJSt of the houses in Poughkee))sic were of stone at this time. \'anderburgh evidently formed a iiartnership with .Nicholas Power and the Republican Journal was ab- sorbed by the Pou};hkeepsie Journal, but this partner- ship was soon dissolved, as we learn from a notice in the issue of Nov. iCk ij'/f. which also contains an advertisement (jf a small printing office "with every necessity to begin a country newspaper — to l)e sold chea]i." Were it not for this adverli.sement 1 should think it possible that there had been only one jiaper 'In the piisscssiun of Mr, I'Vank Van Kleeck. all the while, and that Power had sold the Pough- keepsie Journal in 1795 and taken it back in 1796, the temporary proprietors making a slight change in the name and numbering' the issues as if it were a new i>aper. On January 8, 1798, another newspa])er. The Aiuerican Farmer and Dutchess County Advertiser, made its appearance, printed by John Woods. It did not openly supi)ort Jefferson, and its editor announced that he should "endeavor to conduct the paper by the line of im])artiality." The French Revoltition seems to have been still the leading issue, and the following excellent example of early editorial eloquence implies that the doings of the French had not hitherto been iin]jartiall_\- reported : While the Genius of Liberty is yet struggling with the Demon of Tyranny and oppression; while the blood-stained ste]>s of Slaughter are still smoking in the desolated fields of luu'ope ; while fell Discortl with her brazen trump is sotinding the alarm of Tciir through om- hapjiy land where Party Spirit seems assuming the garb of General Good ; while Political Frenzy ai)i)ears to predominate over each quarter of the globe and while the party mind is raised to the siniiniit of ex])cctation no one surely can stand an indifferent observer of these awful scenes, or not wish to be regularly informed of the im- portant events which are abotit to clo.se the eighteenth and usher in the nineteenth century. Isaac Mitchell was the eilitor of this paper for a time, and he stateil a few years later- that it failed soon after he left it. ( )nly the first copy is known to lie in existence. Si..\\i;in i.\ Pori',11 Ki:i:i'sii;. I'.xery issue of the early newspa])ers contains at K'ast one ad\ertisen;ent olTering a reward f>)r the reliun of a runaway slavi'. and this one is rather surprising : 1-llli DOLL.IR.S' RFir.lRP. Rf.X.WVAY — From the snhscriher, his Xegro man. Gill, .iImmU twenty-five years of age, a short stocky felldw; he wears a watch, a claret colnnred coal, and brown cloth walcli-coat lined with green baize. The aliovc will he paid fur confining him in any Goal, and notice given that he may lie had with all rcasonahle charges. In Rich \Ri' Davis. rmighkeepsie. l'\l). 5. 171)8. Watches were very much of a luNur> at that time, hut there is no intimation in the .idverti.sement that this watch was stolen, or was not the rightful 'The vrilnme and niimher never afford conclusive evidence ;i>. to (In- origin of a newspaper, and I know of no copies of the Poughkeepsie Journal for the early months of 1796. -( )peMiiig edilori.il Polilicil liarometer. June S. hSoj. H I s r o K y OF p o u G H K n E p s I a. 6?. proi)cTty of tlie slave. A few letters of the period before the Revolution indicate that some of the brutal features of tiic institution of slavery were to be found in this nei^diborhood, but very soon after the Rcvo- lutiiiii >la\ery itself bei^'an to fall into disfavor. ( )ne or twii (if John Jay's letters as President of the .Manu- mission Society were written al)out the time of the Constitutional Convention and probably from Pough- keepsie. He says that slaves in this section of the country were "treated as well as other servants," and many stories and traditions are handed down, show- ing their frequent devotion to their masters and the easy position they held in many families. The convic- tion was growing that slavery, no matter what its con- ditions, was inconsistent with the expressions in the eoiisiiiulion of the riglits of human liberty, and manumissions were becoming more common. The first recorded manumissions of slaves in New York State were made under an act i)asscd February jjd, 17S8, at I'oughkcepsie, and the Legislature was careful to provide that the persons set free should not become town charges. This act. Chapter XL, Laws of the l'',leventli Session, declares that: "When the owner or owners of any slave under fifty years of age, and of sufficient ability to i)rovide for himself or herself, shall be disposed to mamuuit such slave, he or they shall, previous thereto, pro- cure a certificate, signed by the overseers of the poor, or the major part of them, of the city, town or place, and of two justices of the peace of the county where such person or persons shall dwell or reside * * * certifying that such slave ajipears to be inider fifty vears of age, and of sufficient ability to provide for iiimsclf or herself, and shall cause such certificate of maiuuuission to be registered ; * * * then it shall be lawful * * * to manumit such slave without giv- ing or jiroviding any security '' * * and the clerk for registering such certificate shall be entitled to two shillings and no more." In accordance with these provisions former .At- torney C.eneral. Isghert I'.enson, registered the first Hianuniission in the town of i'oughkeepsie, as follows; I'.iiuriil tlii> ninclcciuli day of November 1790 tlie following Cniipx nt ilu' ni.imimission of a negro slave i. e. We I'cler Tappen & Tunis Tappen two of the trustees of the peace for the County of Dutchess and William Emott and Willi.ini Terry overseer of the Poor for the town of l'ciui;Idlacc. It is described in an advertisement which ran for some time in the I'oii'^hkccpsic Journal in 1785, as "situated on a very ])lcasant eminence, within ji quarter of a mile of the town of Poughkecpsie, commanding the full view of the same. The house being two and a half stories high with foiir genteel rooms on a floor, and a com- <> rf - r " it t i f t fr i; i n »&aM a' aklkim. 0- * ? -^-.x «./.-. I'K tn)in Dr. (.'harlcs (."moke, wlm had nwned the Int. C"rni>kc h;ul rcci'iitly diid anil tlu- pro])erty was sold to pa\ his debts. I lis widow very jjroniptly niar- ricil W iliiani Ketellas. and the t\r-\ deed, dated .May Stli, eoiui'vs lur dower riuiiit to the lot "on which an Academy is now erected." 'i"he hiiildiiig could not liave liern tiiiislied niucli hel'oiT tiii.^ time, for the Acaileniy \\;is ineoi|)oralr(l by the regents in IJiji It soon gave the final name to the street. inodious cellar under the whole, with good well of water, and about si.xtv-two acres of good land, with a good meadow and orchard belonging to the same." ( )ne cannot but suspect that some of the important l\e\(ilntionary meetings said to have been held at "Mr. \ "an Kleeck's house" nia\- have been held here, especially if its Kevolntionary owner was the same llaltiis. who refused to sign the pledge of .As.socia- tiuii in I77t. .\i an\ rate the number of houses 0)6 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. occupied or owned by Van Klcecks in 1790 suggests doubt as to the reliability of the traditons which have assigned so much Revolutionary importance to the oldest, and ])robably the smallest of them all. This "white house" property was in part at least situated on what had been "The Little Commons' (see map p. 31) and was also in part at least the property which afterwards came into the possession of Hronson French, and then into the possession of Christ Church antl other parties as mentioned in Chapter \'I. It used to be said that French obtained title to nuicli of it simply as a squatter and by pushing his fences more anfl more out into the "Common." The following advertisement dated July 12. 1802. will show that the s<|uatting was done before French's time: ' The subscriber has returned to town for a few days, and offers for sale a number of lots on the Com- mon or White House lot. N. I?. It has been maliciously asserted that my title to this land is not good and sufficient — I invite any ])er.son, capable of paying the costs of suit, to come forward and publicly declare it. Law Ty. \'an Ki.i:i:ck. There are many interesting things about the 1790 map. It will be noticed that what is now called the Swift house is among the buildings built between 1770 / nor C/iiilcii in //gg. .Xmc l/ir /MMihuiii'! A(';. mill A/is. ,1. /'. I f (and for Want of Goods and Chatties of said Smith to satisfy said Judgment) seized the said Messuages and Lots of Land and li.iving advertised the same acconling to Law exposed the same to sale at public Auction and the said Oeorge Clinton l>eing the highest Bidder they were struck off to him ac- cordingly and — • William RadditT the Sheriff aforesaid by Indenture bear- ing dale the 16th day of October 179Q under his Hand and seal duly made and executed as Sheriff aforesaid conveyed llie s.ime and all the F.state Right Title and Interest of the -aid James Scott Smith therein or thereto to the said Ccorge Clinton in Fee Simple for the consi)re the street was opened. The interior contains evidence that the western section of the house was an addition, but made at a very early period, and it is probable that the rich men who owned it during the first half of the Nineteenth Century changed it considerablv . The eastern wing is of course a com])aratively recent addi- tion. Returning to the 1700 maii. it should be noted that Myndert \'an Kleeek lived on the corner of Market and Cannon Streets, lie sold in 171/; to Theodorus Pailey. whose name appears there on the village map made in that year. The William P>ailcy mortgage, and George Clinton's field book, describe the Clin- ton property as beginning at Thomas Warner's north- east corner. Warner had jnirchased, in 1785 (Liber 10, 319), a lot beginning at the northeast corner of Myndert \'an Kleeck's garden fence along ■■the new street," and this is the first deed to a lot on the street I have seen. As already noted, it was called ■■the new lane or Cannon Street," in a deed oi tin- next \ear, 1786. ( \'an Kleeck to Melancthon L. Woolsey to ■■the second lot from the east end thereof".) The names Market, Main and Pine Streets are jjerhaps later additions to the 171)0 map. Thev ma\ have been used at that timi'. but were certainly nut fixetl, for Market Street is ealle/ii'il igi>/. in 17"»7 Trinity C"hmeli nf .\ew \'<\k ;is>isled it with a gift of £5(^0 for a ")iarsnnage house." .\ building, ti])(Mi which the church had taken a mortgage in 1796. opposite the Academy, was ])urchaseil in 1799 and is still standing, now u.setl as a blacksmith shop. It was at one time the home of the Street family, and Mrs. Levi P. Morton is said to have been born in it. The Dutch Church, by dissensions over the lan- guage question, seems again to have made an opjxir- tunity for the Episcopalians or for some one else. After having had the very able services of Rev. John H. Livingston during the last years of the war it remained for seven years without a settled pastor. The Dtitch langttage was finally given uji during this period and the chtirch was incorporated in 1789. with 1 lenry liegeman. Peter Tap])en. Isaac Roinine. Juhn Frear. Mynderl \'an Kleeck. Henry Livingston. Jr.. Abraham Fort and P.enjamin W'estervelt as elders and deacons. The Presbyterians were not yet strong enough to organize permanently, and Methodist circuit riders wife ()iil\ just beginning to come into the neighbor- he icul. The first recorded Methodist sermon' in Poughkee])sie was in 1796. when Rev. Freeborn Gar- rettson preached in the Dutch Church. Till': First Statk Sciiooi. Monkv. in January. 171)5. ''"■' Legislature returned for a filial and very short session in Potighkee])sie, January '•th to 14th. then adjourned to New York, where the session was resumed on the 20th. In his message, read at the organization in Poughkeciisie, Governor Clinton recommended "an act for the encouragement of schools," and in accordance with his recommenda- tion the legislation which became the foundation of the system of State aid to the schools was ])assed near the close of the session in New York, l^ider this act the following apportionment of school moneys was niaile in Dutchess County, as recorded in the tnwn book: "Whereas, I'.y an .\ct of the Legislature nf this st.'ite F.ntitled an .\ct for the F.nconragement nf sclinols. Passed the ninth day of .\pril 170.^ among ntlur tilings Therein coutaiiied the sum of £2.ifxi is distributed to the count\- of Dutchess, to be .\|)por- tinned to the purposes therein mentioued among the Sevi'ral T.iwns of said County. In pursuance then of the act aforesaid the Pioard of Su))ervisors for .said enunly certifv that to the Town of Khiiu-beck is alloted IIk' sUlll nf i2\Ct 5s, ,^1.." etc. Ill the recnrd bnnk nf the town i<\ I'niighkei-p.sii- the allotments are written out as above, but will be innre easily read if tabulated as subsequent allotments were. 'Rev. L. M. Vincent's "Methodism in Poughkccpiie," l> 13. HISTORY Of I'OUGHKEEPSIE. tjy £ s. d. Town of Rliind)c'ck 216 5 3 '■ North luist 154 I o ■■ Anu'iiia r 17 ro 3 " Clinton iSi 14 o " Frankliiig- Si 19 3 " Pawliiii;- \\)2 II 3 '■ Pliillii)s 116 10 6 Xortli I'"ast 115 10 () ■■ Stanford y)j 15 3 " " I'oughkcfpsio 132 I (1 " Wasl)in<;ton 120 9 6 '■ Fishkill 267 12 3 ■■ Cannell la; 12 3 " ■' Frederick So 19 6 " P.ecknians 167 17 6 "After the treasnrer's fees are deducted Given under our hands and seals the 30th Day of May 1795." Taiixa Mokton, RiCIFARH D. CoXKI.TN. Aaron Stock i i or. :m, Jkssk Oakmcv, Josici'ii Crank, Jr.. Ezra Thompson. S.XMURr, TOWNKR. E. \MU!nscuoti:n. Ep.rnkzkr Mott. Edmi). Vvm 1,1:1:. JOSKI-II Xol.IA'. W'll.l.IAM Takkr. Attests. Ru'liAKl) I'AKIvl'IT. Town Clerk. The first commissioners of schools for the town of Pouphkeepsie were Jacoh Railcliff. Archibald Stuart and Samuel T^uckey, elected in 1796. Ixi'OKI'OKATIdX AS A \' 1 1. LACK. Advertisements of ])ro|)erty for sale durincf this period usually refer to the "town of Poug-hkeepsie," as if the name "town" were popularly applied only to the central section shown on the map made in 1700. where most of the stores were located, as well as tlu' two chm-ches, the Court House, the lawyers offices and the homes of leadinef citizens. By 1798, six stores were advcrtisinsf in the Pous^hkccpsie Jniiriial. and also Knower & Hobson's hat manu- factory. It is probable, of course, that there were several others not advertising^. One (^r two o{ the stores were at the river, the rest on the hill in Mar- ket or Main Streets. John P. \'emont advertised, at his store, a few doors north of the Court 1 fonse. "dry goods. West India _s^oods. ironmon<:;ery. car- penters' tools. Crockery, &c." : \'an Kleeck & Thorn advertised a similar assortment : John Cooke, "a few doors east of .\nthony Hoffman's." advertised wines, rum, sugar, teas and a general stock of groceries, with tobacco, glass and stone ware, nails, &c. ; Dr. James L. \'an Kleeck advertised a "Cheap Medical Store," and stated that "Dr. \"an Kleeck will give his advice to farmers, who shall call at his store for medicines without exi)ense." Anihon\ Ernest ad- vertised "a wholesale and retail ironmongery and hardware store," with a lon;^ and tempting list of articles, from anvils and vises to tooth brushes, tinder boxes and ink powder. 1 k' llattered himself that country storekeepers would "save the time and ex- jiense of sending or going to New York for such goods." Boards and planks were offered at "the Col- rock landing" by William Rider, Innkeeper, and a variety of articles at the general store at the upjier landing, where also Robert L. Livingston's mill ad- vertised boards and planks, plaster, etc. No name is signed to the first upper landing advertisement,' but it contains this interesting note at the end: "N. B. The FERRY is now established upon a regular plan, and Travellers to the Westward will find it much to their convenience to cross the River at the above place, as it shortens their journey, and they may be assured they will meet with no detention." This doubtless indicates the beginning of regular ferry service at Poughkeepsic, though the ferry had probably been established for several years. Rich- ard Davis, Gilbert Livingston, Valentine Baker, Wal- ter Livingston, Peter Tappen and Noah Elting ap- l)lied for grants of water lots "op]iosite Poughkeep- sic and New Paltz" in 1791, which seems to imply an intention to start a ferry. Gilbert Livingston and Peter Tappen then owned the Union Landing and land was granted to them in 1792. Noah Elting lived on the west side of the river and is there said to have established the first ferry, but local tradition has usually assigned the beginning of the enterprise to the Iloffmans on this side. There seems to be no record of a franchise from the State. Doubtless travellers before 1798 usually had crossed at the older Yan Keuren Ferry, later Theo])hilus .Anthony's (Mil- ton Ferry), four miles below Poughkeepsic. The first local ferry is said to have been a barge or scow rowed by slaves. .\11 this shows that the little town near the Court Mouse hatl begun to specialize in storekee])ing, re- (|uired better facilities of travel and would naturally soon be looking for incorporation as a village. Just what ;igitation. if any, preceded incorporation, is not known. The first charter, ])assed .March 27th. 179'), says in its preamble, "it has been re])resented to the Legis- l.itnre by the inhabitants of the \'illage of Pough- kee])sie. that the existing laws are inadequate to an- '.Ml these arc from the Poughkeepsic Journa! of May 22. I7y8. HISTORY OF POUGUKEEPSIE swer the end of enabling them to regulate their in- terior police." The word "police" must not be taken in its ])resent meaning ; there was no police force be- sides a watchman or two and the towii constables for many years. The charter created a board of trustees to be composed of "five discreet freeholders" elected annually on the third Tuesday in May. by the "free- holders and inhabitants of the said village, qualified to vote at town meetings." At the same time the voters were authorized to choose "not less than three nor more than five judicious inhabitants, being free- holders, as assessors ; one treasurer, being also a free- holder ; one collector, and as many fire wardens as the trustees * * * may direct." Any one who should refuse to serve as trustee, assessor or fire warden was liable to a fine of $25.00. The trustees were given power to make "such prudential by-laws, rules and regulations, as they from time to time shall deem meet and proper, and such in particular as are relative to public markets * * * streets * •' and draining, filling up, paving, keeping in order, and improving the same : relative to slaughter houses and nuicances generally ; rela- tive to a town watch and lighting the streets ; relative to the number of taverns or inns to be licensed ; * '' ''' relative to restraining geese, swine, or cattle of any kind : relative to the better improving their common lands : relative to the inspection of weights and measures ; relative to erecting and regulating hay- scales, and relative to anything whatsoever that may concern the public and good government of the said village : but no such by-laws shall extend to the regu- lating or ascertaining the prices of any commodi- ties or articles of i)rovision, e.xcept the article of bread,' that mav be offered for sale," 'A special section is devoted to bre.iil. This niaucr i> covered in the next chapter. Firemen were to be exempted "from serving as jurymen, or in the militia * * * except in cases of actual invasion of this State, or insurrection there- in : I'rovided that the number of firemen do not exceed twenty." The boundaries of Poughkeepsie as given in this first village charter remain the boundaries of the City of I'oughkeepsie to-day, as follows: Beginning at the mouth of a small brook fall- ing into Hudson's river, at a small distance south ')f a point of land commonly called ship yard point, which mouth of said brook is on the laiivl of the late I lenry Livingston, deceased; thence east, as the mag- netic needle now points, one hundred and thirty chains to a stone set in the ground, on which is rngraven the word "Corporation ;" again, from the mouth of the brook aforesaid, northerly along 1 hul- son's river, including the flats or shoals between high waters' mark and the channel of the said river, to the mouth of another small brook, or where the same joins the waters of Hudson's river aforesaid, which last mentioned brook is commonly known by the name of Kidney's creek or kill, and divides the land of Robert L. Livingston from the land of .\bra- ham I 'ells; then from the mouth of the said brook last mentioned u]) the middle of the same, however it runs, to the i)ost road ; thence due east as the magnetic needle now points so far as that on a straight line due west it will be one hundred and thirty chains from Hudson's river, to a stone set in the ground, on which is engraven the word "Cor- poration ;" and thence in a direct line to the stone set in the ground first above mentioned. Henry Livingston's map. made ;it the time of in- corporation, shows just what the village of I'ough- keepsie was tlu-n. 'I'here is no record of a census ajiart from tlie town tor a mimher of years but the village must ]ia\'e liail more than i.ooo inhabitant^ in \X(Mi. for the \>'\\n Ii.-mI .v-'4''- CHAPTER V. From the Incorporation of the Village to the Close of the War of 1812 — Village Organi- zation—The Dutch Church and the Market — The P^ire Department — The Village Streets — River Industries — Fall Kill Industries — Other Manufactories — The Vassar Brewery — Developing a Business Centre — Banks, Schools, Etc. — Churches- Newspapers and Politics. For some rea.son, of which I have fDiiiid no record, the village of Poughkeepsie seem.s to have made two .starts before it fairly got going. The "freeholders and inhabitants"' were directed to meet annually on the first Tuesday of May and choose "five discreet free- holders" as trustees. They did so meet in 1799 and elected James S. Smith, \'alentine Baker, Andrew I'illings. Ebenezer Badger and Thomas Nelson, the first of whom became president of the board. Dmil)t- less at the same meeting assessors, a treasurer, a col- lector and fire wardens were also elected. Several iirdinances' passed by the trustees in 1799 have come down to us, among them that establishing the "bee hive" as the device on the corporation seal, an ordi- nance for the collection of taxes and "a law to prevent horses running loose in the streets and highways, to ])revent racing and violent riding and driving from yards &c into and upon the streets," etc. There is therefore nn diiubt that the corporation was organized and that the officials elected exercised the authority conferred u])on tliem by tlie charter. Possiblv there was a drawn battle over the second election — it was a time of strong political feeling — ])ossil)ly nierelv some technical failure to comply with the law. At any rate the charter was reenacled in exactly the same lan- guage by the legislature on .Vpril 8th, 1801. No village ordinances for the \ear of 1800, and no list ni ti-ustees fur th;Lt \ear have \)vvu h;inileil dnwn. It wmild seem. liii\\H'vi-r, that the C(ir|)i)i-ate life uf the \-illage was re- garded as Cdntinnnus. because ordinances passed in I7<)() continued in fcirce ai)i)arentl\- without reenact- ment. Regular minutt-s of tlu' ])rocei'dings of the trustees were not kept until i8o_^ and we ha\'e the names of only the ])residents n\ the board fur tlu' years 1801 and 1802. That of (). \'>. \'an Ness, 1802, 'Much of thi.s information i.s from a pamphlet printed in iS^'j 1)y Piatt &• Ranncy, entitled "Charter and Laws of the Corporation of Ihc Village of Poiishkeepsie," and also from an earlier pamphlet not dated but apparently printed about T820. was but recently found in a newspaper for that year, but not a single complete copy of a Poughkeepsie newspa]ier for J 800 is known to exist. The first book of minutes covers the period from the election of May, 1803, to Oct. 8th, 1817, and the first page is as follows: RliCORDS OF Till': Ct>Kl'OKATIO.\. .\t a meeting of the trustees of the \'illage of Piiughkeepsie held at the Court House in said village on the third Tuesday in May 1803 the following per- sons were duty elected by the freeholders and inhabi- tants of said village, ofiicers for the ensuing year, viz : .\ndrew Billings ] Ebenezer Badger Robert No.xon [- Trustees Jesse Oakley & I Robert H. Livingston | Richard Everitt | Robert Noxon ]- Assessors John Manney I Peter B. Morgan Matthew Caldwell ; Eire Wardens John N. P.ailev J Leonard 11. Lewis, Collector. William I'.mott. Treastu'er. \'nTKI.. That the sum ni two hundred and fifty [).ill;u-> he raised in this village fur the piu'pose of digging wells: or otherwise' supplying the fire engine with water, for repairing or jirocuring fire-hooks and liozen to the engine, and for other contingent jmriioses for the en- suing year.- - ( )n the next page is the record of a meeting "lield at l'.;d(lwin's Ib.tel on the twenty-sixth day of .May. 1803." at which meeting Anchx'w liillings was elected President and was dii-eeti-cl to procure "a large folio book wi'll botnid in which are to be transcribed the Charter iK: l,;iws of the N'illage — and also a sni;dli'r book in which are to he kept the minutes of the ])ro- ceedings (Jt accounts of the corporation." .\mong other thintrs it was resolved: HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB 73 That thai part uf the Law passed March 2nd 1803 entitled "An act to prevent damage being done byiwine in the N'illage of Poughkeepsie," which refers to the I'ound Masters advertizing be and hereby is re- Ijcaled — and that instead thereof the following is or- dained viz : That the Pound Master shall affix one advertisement at the door of the I'ound, one at the Market and one at the Court House door. There was therefore, already a fire engine, a jjound atid a \illage market, perhaps all three inherited from the town organization. In fact there was also a fire coni]i;ni\. as apjjears from the minutes of a meeting held July iStli, when the firemen ]K'titioned for "the privilege of nominating persons to fill all vacancies which may happen in the said company." The market stood on the southeast corner of Market and Main Streets, adjoining the Dutch burying ground. The stalls or stands in it were sold each year at public auction and in 1803 went to John Arden, $7.00; James Slater, $3.00: Mr. Jefferies, $3.00 and George Markle $3.00. Michael \'erien also rented a stall for a part of the year. The market, the firemen and the corporation wells and i)umps fill up a good dead of space in the early records. The first especially gave trouble. In Novemlier, 1805, the Consistory of the Dutch Church gave a lease of the old grave-yard for 21 years to Teunis Van Kleeck, John Everitt and Randall S. Street, and at a s])ecial meeting of the trustees, on the 13th, these gentlemen appeared with the demand that the "Market House now standing opposite the Dutch burial ground be moved." The trustees showed fight at once and required the "applicants to produce the title Deed under which the Trustees of the Dutch Church claim the land in question." A public meeting was called for Dec. 5th at the Court House and there was a large attendance. William Emott, George P. Oakley and John Sayers, the trustees present, made a long statement (covering more than three pages of the minutes), of their position and reafl a copy of the (k-vd of 171S. which they said. "con\eys the land in question to se\eral persons in trust frir the neighbor- hood in order that they might build a churcli and inter their deceased friends there." The ((uestion was at once raised as to the right of the church to use or allow the use of the land for any other purposes, and the i)eople voted by a large majority not to move the market, but to raise $100 to defend their position. Suit was begun in chancery by the village to determine the issue, and the lessees of the prop^'rly ;ilso brought ejectment suits against the lessees of the market stalls. The matter dragged along for a >'ear. the Chanci'Uor nieanwhik' having graiUe(j,t: Men" whose dnt\ it is in case of fire to take charge of all property which may be endangered iS: deliver it over to the owner on ;i])])lication being made." On Jan. 3d. 1805. it was resolve.] "that there >hall be proper persons appointed and denominated as Hook and ladder men," and soon afterwards a new fire house was built on the southwest corner of the Court House lot " adjoining the house of Peter B. Morgan." This was evidently on Union Street. James Emott's barn on Market Street was used as an engine house in 1806 and he was paid for its use "by balancing the fine laid * '■'■'■ of 3 dollars for unlawfully burn- ing his chimney." Well Xo. 3 was dug 1805, in the neighborhood of Hamilton and Main Streets opposite William Eiuott's. In Sept, 181 1, a second engine coiu- ]iany was organized and a house was built for it "near Mrs. Livingston's office," (north side of Main Street east of Catherine), and Well No. 4 was dug close by. April 5, 1814, a third fire engine w'as purchased of George Booth, and a third company w'as organized. Along with the minutes of a special meeting held Sept. 23, 1805, the following in\-entory of village prop- erty is recorded : I Market House I Common Seal I Statute Book I Record Book 3 Wells — pumps I Fire Engine House I Fire Engine & Apjiaratus 4 Fire Hooks 1 I'ire Pole 4 Ladders — X<_>. i. _'. 3 iS; 4. J Takle blocks — with a fall i*t a spare piece of rope A Tri-Shares for the pur])ose of assisting in cleaning out wells. 2 Tubs for do do I Pail I Iron ]nimp I look I Iron spare Pump Handle .\ ])iece of Iron part of immp aparatus — lost A i)arcel of Plank & Timber which wa.- taken from the old fixtures of Well \"o. 1 iK: _' .\ Map of the X'illage with Wm. I'.mott. .\ Screw for HoeS' — with do The exeini)lification & other pai)eis n'lati\e to the \'illage now 1 June 24. 1806) with Win. F.moti President. I Pair of Scales & Beams iS: Setl copiier or br;i-~>- weights from l-lC) oz uj) to jjb inclusixe for the use of the Bread Iiis]iector. It will be noted that tire buckets are not inehideli- nu'iit or jirosecution threatened for f.ailure in this matter, and all n;ale citizens "front the ages of 1^2 ti) fio" were expected to turn out at fires and assist the llremeii b\ foniiing lines and passing buckets. In an ipnliiiance dali-d Jan. 2~. iSoH. the firemen nrv iliiect- ed "to collect all the buckets and leave them at the HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. court house." after a fire. The onliuance .seems to Iiave heen passed for the purpose of orgauiziug a new company or of reorganizing the old one. It pro- vides that among the officers shall be "three fire en- gineers and four managers of hooks and ladders and eight ])ersnns to l)e denominated the committee of trust to take charge of the propertx' endangered by fire." The llread Inspector above mentioned was an im- pnvtaut (ifficer in early village days. Tile first one named was jnhn h'orbus. Otli Jidy. iSo,^. The charter ( Art. 5) ]irii\i(led that the trustees slmuld have power 111 rnacl an (irdiiiance prdhibiting any baker or other ]>ersiiii "from selling an\ bread at any higher price nr rate than bread of the like quality at the time of such sale shall be assized in and for the City of New York." Such an ordinance was evidently enforced from an early date, as the following notice from the Political Barometer in 1802 shows: .'\SS1ZE OF BUliAD. .At a meeting of the trustees of the Village of I'oughkeepsie, on the 4th da\' of August instant. Ord- ered That the Assize of Tlread after the iith inst. shall be as folk)ws : lb. oz. t Loaf of superfine flour shall weigh 1 re for 6 cts I Loaf do d(i _^ fi f(ir 12 I " com. tldur I 13 fur Ti I " do do ,^ 10 for 12 I " Rye 2 12 for 6 I " do do 3 iS for 12 (".. P.. \a.\ .\'i;ss. President. Similar notices appear in the village minutes and in the newspapers for many \ears. I'\ery time the ])rice of flour rose the bakers petitinued f(ir a change, and when the jirice fell the citizens ke]il the trustees to their dut\. of increasing the loaf (H- decreasing tin- price. From time to time lists of bakers were given in the village niinuteis. Tiiiv Court Plousii Fiuk. 1806. The most important fire of this period was that of Sept. 25th. 1806. which consumed the Court House, the historic Iniilding in which the great men of 1788 had met to ratify the constitution. It is .seldom that one gets nuich local news from the early newspa])ers. Inil the Journal departed from the rule this time, and in its issue of Tuesday, Sept. 30th. published this report: FIRE.— On Thursday night last. Ix-tween the hours of ten and eleven, the inhabitants of this village were alarmed by the cry of fire which proved to be in the Court House. It originated in one of the lower apart- ments of the jail, from which, notwithstanding the great exertions that were made to stop its progress, it e.xtencled betwei'u ihe ct-iling and the floor in the sec- ond story, to the court room and in a little time the whole building was enveloped in flames. Several of the adjacent buildings were much exposed to the fire, particularly Mr. Morgan's two houses which were the buildings nearest to the Court House. But owing to the perfect calnniess of the evening, and the dampness of the houses, in consequence of the rain which fell during the preceding afternoon Mr. Morgan's build- ings, by the exertions of the citizens, were preserved, and the fire extinguished without doing farther dam- age than destroving the Court House. Much credit is due to the citizens in general fur their activity on this calamitous occason. It is not positivelx' ascertained how the fire orig- inated, but it is generally supposed that it was design- ed!}' communicated by some jierson confined in the jail. The difficulty which was experienced on Thursday evening in procuring water we think ought to suggest to our corporation the necessity of making such fur- ther arrangements in tliis respect as will prevent a future recurrence of the evil. On the next i)age of the same ])aper is the follow- ing notice : TO THE PUBLIC. The sheritT (if the County of l)iitclK>s ti-nders In. most sincere thanks to the F'iremen and Citizens of this village and county, for their exertions, in his absence, in assisting Mr. Forbus to secure the crim- inals ; and their exertions to extinguish the fire at the late destruction of the jail and Court-House in this village. He informs the |)ublic that the criminals are imw temporarily confined, and safel\ guartled. in the house occupied by Amaziah Blakeslw nearly opposite the Academy, in Cannon Street, where if occasion should demand prisoners will be received and secured. He further gives notice, that his office is now ke])t by Mr. Forbus, as usual, in the house lately occu]iied by George B. Everson, Esq., a few doors west of the .\cademy in Cannon .Street : where all public business relative to his nflice will be attended to as heretofore. Josr-.i'ii Thorx. Sheriff. Poughkeeiisie. September 20th. 1806. John Forbus. the de|)uty sheriff, and his assistants, succeeded in sav'ing the public documents I'utiri'. as he tells us in a notice appended to that of the sheriff, but doubtless some things that would have been of historical interest were burned in this fire as well as in that of 1785. No description of this historic Court House has been found. References to it in survexs etc.. show, however, that it was built of stone or bi-ick. had a stec])le and was probably not much smaller in size than the building which succeeded it. Majis made durins:;- its existence seem to show that it covered the whole sj^ace from Main to I'nion Streets. fSee pp. 65 and 71. and also cut. p. 78.) Yery soon after the fire communications began to appear in the Poiii^hkeepsie Journal in favor of rebuild- HISTORY OF P O r C H K E E P S I E iiiii' in a new locatidii. Levi ?\icl\ci.'n, wlio mviu'il a large farm north of Main v^trrt-t. nft'ered groiincl for the l)uil(liiig free of charge, and it was stated that the old site on Market Street could be sold for $5,000, saving that anmuiit to the countv. Possiblv some one >riginall\ c(i\ereil with stiiccn, but have seen no record showing when the change was made. Tin The Lev N'tLLACIi STRKETS. .MeKeen mentioned above, lived in a unearthed the cM \'an den liogart lease, providing that house a part of which, at least, stood until a few years the pro])erty shuuld revert to that family if used for ago incorporated in the Cottage Tlill School buildings, any other purjiose than that for which it was granted, It was jierhap- Driginally the I'.ndewein Lacount place but more probabl> |iublic eimvenicnce determined the shown on the 1770 ma|). and the lane leading to it be- decisinn Id vebnilil 1 ui the nid .ite. At an\ rate the came Oanlcni Street, and was so named apjiarcntly bc- ///,■ ( ;-//// l/oiis,- jiid Old ••l.ai.'vcrs Rov." su])ervisors did so decide and the C'mut 1 louse which stood for almost one hundred years (until 11)03 I was built in iSo(). The little building for the surrogate on the corner of I'nion Street, was erected much later, apparemly in 1S47. and the .separate jail not until i860. Dungeons of the grim old type, characteristic of the days when the comfort and health of criminals were not considered worthy of thought, were iirovided in the cellar I'or the worst offenders. I have been I>ld that the stone walls of the Court House were not cause it led to Le\i McKc north of .Mill Street. ( )ccasionall\ oni- gets trustees a little ]iicture of 01 der date of .\'ov. , "Th.-it lames .\l(jore be allow l;irs to \v\v\ .-md gravel so C'emeter\ as lies lietween the .■n ate not far s from the recori one of the old str( iSoJ, the trustees ed llu much fence sum ( ■ f tlu >f till Is of the .x'ts. I'n- resolved. lour l)o|- .1(1 Dutch >aid ceme- tery- and the ditch of hail receiilK lieen w orK the turnpike." .Main Slrei I'd li\ the Dutchess Tin-ni)il' HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. Company froiii the Court House east, and there were deep ditches on each side. The same conditions pre- vailed in all the other streets and very little grading had been done except to make the water run through the ditches. The resolution quoted seems to indicate also the first sidewalk improvement on the south side of Main Street. Poughkeepsie was undoubtedly a verv muddy little village in wet weather, Init im- provements were coming. For the jiresent — the early part of the period before the War of 1812 — the chief business was laying otit new streets, esi)eciall\ in the region west of the Post Road where they were demand- ed by the development of the river trade. The town (not the village) road commissioners had charge of this matter, and were particularly active in the year 1800. On the 6th of ^Ia\- in that year they extended ]\Iain Street to the river, "at or near the jilace Com- monly called the Caul rock landing," which had be- come too important to tolerate longer the winding ap- proach from Mill Street, The old road was straighten- ed out and extended south to the "road leading from the court house to Everson's store" (ITnion Street) and became Clover Street. Montgomery Street was ex- tended westward "to the Road of Richard Davis" (Pine Street) as a part of another road to the river, following the lines somewhat of Lincoln Avenue, Columbia and Prospect Streets, to John Reed's land- ing near Ship- Yard Point (Fox's), Prospect, Living- ston, Favette. Commerce and Navigation Streets had been mapped in the same year in a partition of the "Shipyard Property"' among the heirs of Henry Liv- ingston who died in iJfK). These streets were all soon afterwards accepted by the commissioners though some with changed names. Navigation Street is several times mentioned in later surveys and was intended to run along the water front. Washington Street became Jeflferson, and Commerce Street was mapped about where the present Columbia is. There was of course an old road leading to the ship-yard and Reade's landing, but the rest remained "paper streets" for a considerable number of years. The first village ordinance^ naming the streets was passed Nov. 6th, 1801, giving Market, Main, Washington, Academy, 1 Papers in County Clerk's Office. The commissioners for this divi.sion were Thomas Mitchell, .\rchihaltl Stewart and John Mott, appointed on petition of Gilliert Livingston, John H. Livingston, Henry Livingston, Rohert H. Livingston, C.e- rardus Dyckink, Melancthon L. Wolsey, Jonas Piatt, Paul Schenck, Smith Thompson and Cornelius Van Kleeck, (the last two assigns of Beekman Livingston, deceased). 2For this ordinance in full see Appendix. It will he noticed that Columbia Street extended from Reade's landing northeasterly to Jefferson. It included the road to the Pough- keepsie Yacht Club and a part of Prospect which was not named in the ordinance. Cannon. Church, Mill, I'nion, I'inc, Livingston, Jef- ferson, Columliia. Clnver, Lridge, and Montgomer\' their present names. On Marcli iith, iSo_:;, the commissioners laid out Water Street, frnm I'nion "to the Creek opposite the Siiuth west cnrner (if Martin Hoffman & Co. Lower Cirist .Mill." and in May it was extended south- ward to "the Road leading to Winans shipyard," and Jefferson Street was extended across Fayette to Liv- ingston. Augu.st 23d, 1806, Mill Street was extended east of Washington "to the publick road that leads from the turnpike by the Mill of the said Gerardus Smith" (Smith Street), and Hamilton was extended north to meet it. Ily an ordinance passed Sept. l6th, 1806, I^aurel. Tulii), Hamilton, Smith, Water, John, Cherry, Mechanic and Garden Streets were named. Before this the im])rovement of the roads leading into Poughkeepsie as turnpikes had begun. The Dutchess turnpike was surveyed in 1802 by John Beadle, father of the late Dr. Beadle, who formerly owned the Tower place on the north road, and in May of that }ear advertisements appeared in the I'ough- keepsie papers, the Journal and Political Ba- rometer, asking for subscriptions to the stock, the commissioners namecl being William Emott, Poughkeepsie ; Robert Abbott, Pleasant \'alley ; Zach- eus Newcomb and Timothy Beadle, Clinton ; Rufus Peck. Amenia ; William Thorn, Washington ; Isaac Smith, Amenia, and Joseph Balding, Pawlings. The road was surveyed from "the North East corner of the Court House" and the courses show much of interest about the old village. FROM THE SUKVKV OP Dt'TCIIKSS TURXPIKK. l\fap 20 A. Filed Ait^i:;. 31, 1804. "Said road is in every place laid out four rods wide To wit; Beginning on the southern side of sd road, at the North luisl corner of the Court House, thence : D. C. L. n8ie o 35 to the Ea.st Side of the Court House yard Main Street S63E 3 70 to the Northwest Corner of M. Bos- worth the liaker. S53E 1 1 GO to the West Side of Acadamia Streft. S30W o 20 along the W'est Side of Said Academy Street. S63E 9 25 to a fast stone marked near the house of William Emott. Esq, From thence re- turned to the place of Beginning. N34E I 25 to the South west post of Hotel. S64E 081 to the South east post of the hotel. S60E 6 06 to spot in Col. Talmadge's door yard found nearly west of the South west cor- ner. S52E I 63 To the south east part of Stephen Dorinda's Sitting post. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE 4 -5 ('])piisite the South East Corner of Smith Thompson esq. 9 hnks from said house. 20 to the South side of a locust tree op- posite said house. 00 opposite the East end of Francis Le- Roy's house seven Hnks from said house. 25 to the South west Corner of the House of John Sayr. 2 47 opposite the East end of the House of Moses Yelverton. 5 25 to a stone marked with X near the House occupied bv Jared Sloan. 12 90 to a notch in the west fence nf Stephen Harris Garden. I 65 to a Hub in the Ground near the east end of a House of Francis Pells. 13 75 Over the Old Road on the Land of Richard Everet to a black ash tree on the north loze ( ?) of the Road. 16 16 Over the Old Road on the land of Temperance Cook to a stake in peter Deremer's Land East of his house and north of the Old Road. 80 Over the Land of William .\rnold Leonard Lewis and John Copeman to a stake near his oven south west of his house. The hotel referred to in the beginning of this sur- vey is said to have been built in 1797, on the site of S70E S3o\\- S62E S66E S73E X82E S63E S67E S57E vS.s8E S72E 34 JMa^/cet Stfeet Court House and Hold, as drax^'u on the Maf of the Dutchess T urn f ike, iSo.). the later Poughkeepsic Hotel. This final survey of the road with its branches to Dover and Sharon, was filed in 1804, after the work of improvement had be- ,!.;un. The road seems to have been completed in 1805, \\ hen the company advertised for persons to keep it in repair. Not long afterwards stages were run from Poughkeepsie to Litchfield, Conn., and provided a great stimulus to travel and trade. A year or two later the Post Road was resurveyed, relocated in sev- eral places, and became the Highland Turnpike. Its charter w^as repealed in 1833 but the Dutchess Turn- pike continued to collect tolls until 1888, when the last toll-gate, at what is now called Arlington, was abandoned. The "Beekmans and Pawling Turnpike" is first mentioned in 181 1, and probably the Manchester Road from Poughkeepsie was built as a part of it. Cannon Street was extended east to Hamilton in 1S07, from the "Dwelling House of Andrew Billings" ( the Thomas House still standing) across the lands of Rev. Cornelius Brower and William Emott, Esq. The survey of the south side of the street passed "along the north side of the parsonage house so-called belonging to the Episcopal Church" (see page 68) which is also mentioned as "now occupied bv the Reverend Benjamin Bulkley." Major Andrew Bill- ings in 1790 and 1799 lived on the corner of Main Street, so the Billings (Thomas) house on the corner of Cannon Street must have been built between 1799 and 1807. Tradition says it was built for Cornelia Billings soon after her marriage to Randall S. Street, formerly of Catskill, in 1802. There is still a window pane in the house on which "Cornelia Street" has been scratched with a diamond. This was probably the work of one of Randall S. Street's children, of whom there were ten. They included William L Street, Mrs. Levi P. Morton's father, who afterwards lived in the Episcopal parsonage house, and Alfred Billings Street, well known as a historical writer and as State librarian. Major Billings is said t fnnii "the east side of the present post road." In October, 1806, a street was surveyed from Mill to Main on the division line "between the heirs of lialtus \'an Kleeck and John E. Pells." This was first called Division Street, but was afterwards (1814) relocated as an extension of Bridge Street on petition of James Slater, George Booth, George P. Oakley, James Rey- Gb;C)RGK H. HVKKTSON. /•';( III fym/niil in possession of his grandilang/iier, Mrs. !•'.. (i. I'lilnui. HISTORY OF POUGHKBBPSIE 81 iiolds, (Jliver Holden, James Wilson. Juhn Arnistruns^, Richard Booth, E. W. A. Ilailcv. Martin Hoffman. Robert Hoffman and David i'liillips. It sci-nis not to have been opened until 1819 and IJridge Street north of Mill was altered in 1822 to make the ends of the two streets come together. The petitioners mentioned above asked also for a straightening of Mill Street and the survey for this reads, "Beginning at a point six feet north of the northeast corner of the ( )ld Stone House on the south side of Mill Street for- merly belonging to Baltus \'an Kleeck, deceased, now belonging to * * * Margaret Vassar * * * through the lands of said Margaret X'assar and James \assar (after crossing Vassar Street), John E. Pells (after crossing Division Street) and Thomas Bayeaux," to a point near the northeast corner of Thomas Ba)- eaux's old cooper shop. This survey shows the loca- tion of the old \'an Kleeck house, the Margaret Vassar mentioned being the mother of the late Matthew Vassar, Jr. (1809). and John Guy Vassar (1811). who were born in the house. Her husband, then recently deceased, was John Guy \'assar, a brother of the founder of \'assar College. At a subsequent widenmg and straightening of Mill Street, during the boom times of 1836, the line was run through the famous old house, which was then sacrificed to the demon of improvement. Perry Street was put through from Main to Union in 1814. and Front Street, called at first Navigation Street, and i)art of the plan before mentioned and already partly mapped for a street along the whole water front, was surveyed from opposite the house of James Reynolds (a frame house, probably not the one still standing) on Mill Street to Union Street. From Mill to Main Street it ran through the lands of George P. Oakley, James Slater, William Davis and Stephen Pardee. The survey south from Main Street began "at the northwest corner of Cornelius Simpson's house, exclusive of the piazza." This house is still standing. From all this it is evident that the development of the town was at this period mostly in the territory between the Post road and the river. The division of several farms facilitated this growth. Divisions of the Van Kleeck and Livingston properties in 1800 have already been noted. In 1804 the property of James Winans' at the lower landing, was divided among his heirs and mapped into lots and streets. iTlie property was left by James VVinans, the elder, to his grandchildren (children of James and Joanna Winans). who were "John Winans, James J. Winans, David Winans. Stephen Winans, Catalina Winans, Sarah Spragnc. Atary Darrow. F.lizabetli ReynoUls, and Joanna Winans, the younger." Some of these streets, owing to the nature of the ground ( in the neighborhood of Adriance, Piatt & C'o.'s lactipi-y) have ne\er been opened. Tulip Street was laid out from Union Street south, apparently as a result of the Winans division. ;in(l in 1812 Prospect Street was extended to meet it. .\t the close of the V\'ar of 1 81 2 the frame work of Poughkeepsie was constructed, and after a charter amendment, passed May 26th, 1812, paving and grading were begun. The first paving notice imblished in the Journal is dated August iith, 1S12, and calls for "a meeting of the owners of lots fronting on that part of Main Street extending from the east line of the parsonage lot now in the occupation of the Rev. Cornelius C. Cu\ ler, to the east line of the lot occupied by John 15rush. I\sq." At the meeting which was held Septem- ber 10th there were not enough votes to carry the whole section, but there was a majority (for names of voters see Appendix) in favor of paving from Mar- ket to Academy Streets, and the tru.stees accordingly entered into contract with Lewis Relay on October 1st for the work. It was not until 1814 that a majority could be obtained for extending the pavement to Washington Street, and in the same year Cannon Street was paved to Academy. Market Street, on the other hand, fought shy of paving assessments through meeting after meeting until the business de- pression which followed the war ])ut a stop to what may be called the early cobblestone era. RiVI'.K IxnUSTRIKS AND FRf.ICTlTING. During this period the freighting industry in sailing vessels reached the to]) of its climax and the steamboat maile a beginning. Spafford's Gazetteer, published in 1813, luentions the "five serpentine roads" leading to the landings in Poughkeepsie. and says the trade is very extensive, requiring eight large sloops sailing weekly to New York. That vessels sometimes sailed to much more distant ports is shown by such an the iji/j map at the northwest corner of Alain and Washington Streets. His name has been several times mentioned in preced- ing pages. He was a prominent citizen, and lived in a pleasant house, surrounded by a garden famous for its lilacs and other flowers, where the City Mall now stands. The tannery passed into the ban Is of John Gary of Troy, and a few years later David lioyd came there as a lioy from Amenia, to learn the trade. Mr. Pioyd afterwards purchased the tannery and lived in a house which stood on what is now the corner of 'Washington Street and Lafayette Place. This house, in which his son. the late John G. Bo\t1 was born, is still standing, but has been tin"ned half around to face the newer street. The \'.\ss.\k I'>rewi:kv. The reference in the tannery advertisement to a s])ring and site for a brewery indicates the source of water sujiply for the \'assar Brewery. James Vassar came to the neighborhood of Poughkeepsie before i/yS from England, and on January 4th. 1803, inserted an advertisment in the Political Barometer s'tating that he had completed his brewery and was ready to supply the people of Poughkeepsie with ale. etc. The location of this lirewery is n(.)t definitely known. It may have been in the rear of tiie old \'an Kleeck house, or it nia\ have been on the site of the later N'assar Street Brewery. Mr. \'assar seems to have lieen doing con- siderable business in 1807 when he published the fol- lowing Notice. The subscriber wants to make a contract with some ];erson who will agree to supply him with three thou- sand bushels of coals annually for a luuiiber of years. .Vll kinds of hard wood burned into coals will answer his jnirpose. Ja.mes Vassar. PougIdrobable, however, from an ad- vertisement dated Dec. 4th, 1810, of the dissolution of the jiartnership of James Vassar & Co.. that James \'assar may have retired from the lirewing business before this fire, for persons having open accounts were "requested to settle them with John G. and M. N'assar." James \'assar spent his last years on a farm a little north of the village and his second son. Mat- thew, made a new start. According to the accounts given by Lossing and others he sought the help of his hrother-in-law. George Booth, who loaned him money and gave him the use of his dye house as a temporary brewer}. Three barrels of ale were made at a brew- ing and Mr. N'assar carried it around to his customers. He then rented a basement room in the new Court House for a saloon and is said to have been the first to introduce oysters to Poughkeepsie. In January, 1812, the business was advertised under the firm name of "M. Vassar & Co.." but with no indication of the name of Mr. N'assar's partner. July 14th. 1813. Thomas Purser and Nl. N'assar informed the public that the\- had entered into ])artnership "and that they are now rebuilding tile Brewery in this village, * * wiiich tlu'\- intend to jiave in operation the ensuing tall." .Nlr. Purser was an Englishman of considerable 86 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. fortune and doubtlcs.- furnished the capital, hut (hd not remain loni;- in the l)usiness. f(ir im June lolh. iSi5.tlie Poufrlikceiisie papers contained a notice that lie had sold his interest to J. M. and N. Conklin. jun. The X'assar brewers was not \ et making any fortunes but it was on the road to prosperitx. Dkvki.oi'inc-. a BusiNiiss Ckxtki:. Althonj^h new streets were laid out in the territory between the Post Road an. Tallmadge (dissolved i)art- iiershi]) Oct. 20. i8i_^l: P. Fveritt and /ei)haniah Pells ( dissolved partnershi]) .\])ril. 1814). b'.lias Triv- cti was in the drug business on the west corner of Main ,ind Mecbaiiie Street and Petiiiuiiin llerrick. on the opposite corner in dry goods, etc. A few sm;dl maut'actnring concerns besides tilo.se meiitione Be.nrs delivered to him in Pough- Joiix .\i. Willi s;i\s thai our ancestors were so good that the\ did not not k'uow how to enjov themselves?' .\ few \cars Liter. Pongbla'epsie bad what w;is called a theatre. Se|)leniber 1. iSu. an ;idvertisement a])- pe;ired in The I'niii^hLwpsir Joiiniiil as follows: "The imiilic ;ire resjiecl fully informed that the Theatre HISTORY OP POUGHKEEPSIE 89 wliich is huildiiiij in Cliurcli Street will be ready by I''ri(la_\- next, Sept. 5th. when will be presented Kotze- Inie's Celebrated play of The Strantjer or Misanthropy iS: I\e])enlence with the ]\Iusieal farce of the Sprites (if Laurel. r>f)x $1. Pitt 'J'^ cts." A few days later. Sept. r4ih, the play Guerre Uuverte was announced, "after which an entire new piece in one act written for the occasion by a gentleman of this town called The Naval Column or the Glory of Columbia's Tars, interspersed with singing. Dancing &c in honor of iiur great naval victories." George I'larnwell was the proprietor. IS.VNKS, Schools and Incorpiikati-;!! Com i'axiics. Soon after the incorporation of the village there was enough business in Poughkeepsie to create a de- mand for banking facilities, and accordingly a branch of the Manhattan Bank ..f Ww York was established William Talier. Peter R. Maison, Henry A. Livingston, Levi McKeen. Thomas Nelson, Abram G. Storm, and Ezra Thompson, Jr., were named as the commissioners to effect the organization in Poughkeepsie. Guy Hyde was the tirst cashier and Levi IMcKeen was probably the first president. Peter Everitt, son of Richard Everitt, became a heavy stockholder at an early period, and George B. Evertson was one of the early presi- dents. Levi McKeen was the postmaster of Poughkeep- sie from 1802 to i8ig. and the post office was then on the south side of ALain ."street, just east of Liberty Street. He is said also to have been a private banker at one time and a good stury is told of how he stopped a run on the bank. Tie annoimeed that a wagon load of s]X'cie wmilil arrive tnmi Xew ^'^)rk on a certain steamer, and sure emmgh in due time a wagon filled with small kegs droxe up f n mi the steamboat landing Sl^ I'HOTO BY O. N. SKAMAN. ^7 . 1,.- If. -■ . ux,.. @&:^^^v^ '/ /t^ mM /•\ii-siiiii/r Mii/.l/r /)is/ri,i Hank Xo/f in the brick building which had lieen the residence of Theiiiliinis Bailey, (in the corner of Market and Can- non Streets. As this was not a purely local institution the records do not appear to show just when it was started, but it was here before 181 1 as a newspaper reference shows (see Appendix). At that time its president was James Tallmadge, Jr. George 1>. Evert- son is said to have been its first president and Daniel F. Coolidge and Guy Hyde were among its cashiers. It was assessed on various properties as late as 1831. There was a demand for a Dutchess County Bank as early as January, 1811, but when the application for a charter came before the Legislatin-e the ]>lan was changed to make it a Middle District liank, with a branch at Kingston. The charter was passed March 22(1. t8ii .providing for twenty-one directors. of whom foinieen were re(|uire(l to be residents of Ihltcliess Countx and seven of LUster. Theron Rudd. to the hank. Two men struggled into the building through the crowd of an.xious depositors and note holders carrying one of the kegs, which at the proper moment slipped from their fingers and burst open, scattering coins in every direction. This demonstra- tion of wealth satisfied the peojile, but it was after- wards reported that all the other kegs were filled with nails. Poughkeepsie was already at this time Ia\ing the foundation for its reputation as an educational center. The Academy was an excellent school for its time, and a number of private scIkxiIs were advertised in the newspapers from time to time. "The Poughkeep- sie Boarding School for Young Toadies" was advertised as early as 1801 by AL 1',. and A. Sketchley. and at- tained considerable reputation. I am not sure of its location. 1>iit have been told that it was in a frame building which stood on Market Street near the cor- 90 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. ner of Church, where the Hon. John Thomi^soii after- wards built liis residence. There was at any rate a building there which was used as a school for many years, and some people are now living who obtained their early education in it. .V Dutchess Seminary on Market Street, taught by Rev. John Phillips, was ad- vertised in 1806. That the residents of the little village were progressive and desirous of keeping themselves well informed at an early period is also shown by the following notice in the Journal of July 15th, 1806. POUGHKEEPSIK LiBK.ARY. The Proprietors of the Poughkeepsie Library are ref[uested to attend their annual meeting on Thursday the 17th inst. at 4 o'clock in the after- noon at the Court House, for the purpose of elect- ing their Trustees for the ensuing year — and adopting such measures as may be necessary for the benefit of the institution. Petkr R. M.mso.v, Librarian. Long lists of new books were advertised in the newspapers and a considerable number of books were ])ublished by the Poughkeepsie printers. March nth, 1 814, the Lancaster School Society was incorporated, with John Reed (rector of the Episcopal Church), Cornelius C. Cuyler (pastor of the Dutch Church), Leonard Lewis, William Emott, James Wilson, George Bloom and Paraclete Potter as trustees. This school was in line with the latest educational fad of the day, the plan being to have the older pupils instruct the younger. Its building was on Church Street, on the same lot mentioned in the 171M deed.-; as the "school-house lot" and now occupied by School No. 2. The following notice published Tuesday, Septem- ber 23d, 1806, shows something of the beginnings of an important institution. DLiTClIl'.SS MEDICAL SOCIETY. .\t a large ;uiril. 1806. This was not the actual beginning of the society, but was not many years from it. .\t this meeting Samuel Piard was elected president, P)cnjamin De Lavergne. vice i)resident. Rol)ert Noxon. treasurer, and J. Livingston Van Kleeck, secretary. Dr. John Thomas was one of the censors for Poughkeepsie. .\ Dutchess Countv Insurance Cnmpanx- was in- corporated in 1814 with Jesse Oakley, George B. Evertson, James Emott, James Tallmadge, Jr., Wil- liam Davis, Nathan Myers, Henry A. Livingston. Henry Davis, John Brush, Randall S. Street, Para- clete Potter, John Forbus and John Radclifife, as its first directors. There appears to be no evidence to connect this with the later Dutchess County Mutual Insurance Company. Churches. The population of the village of Poughkeepsie was 2,(;8i in 1810. and according to Spafford's Gazetteer there were in 181 2 seven or eight public buildings, five churches and 471 houses and stores. Two of the churches, as we have seen, were founded before the Revolution, two more, the Methodist and Baptist, soon after 1800, and the fifth must have been an early Friends' Meeting House on Clover Street, said to have been built by Zadock Southwick. There appear to be no records of this Meeting House^ but it certainly existed at this time. The Quakers had long been numerous in Dutchess County and were represented in Poughkeepsie by several prominent families before 1812, among whom may be mentioned Zadock Southwick, Valentine Baker, Levi McKeen, David and Benjamin .\rnold. The Methodists built their first church about 1805. on the east side of Jefferson Street at a point still marked by a little abandoned grave-yard. Before this time meetings had been held for a year or two in the garret of Charles H. Duncomb's house on Main Street, (on the site of Luckey, Piatt & Co.'s store"). The first church was a building 50 by 40 feet with galleries, but. according to \'incent"s "Methotlisni in I'migh- keepsie," (]). 15). was left unplastered ab(_)ve the gal- leries, until 1814, when Poughkeepsie was for the first time made a Methodist station with a settled minister. Rev. J. M. Smith. The llaptists- cirganized in July. 1807. ;il a meeting held at tin- house (if George I'arker on Washington Street, at which (u'oi-ge I'arker, William Goss, John I'orbus. John llarbottle. William Young, Isaac Wad- dell. ^.^•nianlin Honker, lienjamin Fuller. Jonathan Xew house, Ann \'assar. Abigail C.M-nish. ivly Bull- more, Ruth Honker, Eleanor Waddell. Sarah Goss and Naomi Burton were enrolled. Rev. h'rancis Way- 'Mrs, \\'illi;iin S. Morgan and otliers renionilit-r seeing or lieariuf,' of this liuilding. See also Dntchess County History, ]). 4Jj; als(5. (as to a1)scn«' nf reconls"), D.-iily fviglo. July 13, 189.- SRaplisl records arc complete and well preserved, owing to the care of Rev. Rnfiis Babcock, tlirec times pastor of the church. .\ history of tlie church prepared by him was pnb- lislied liy Piatt it Ranney in 1S41. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 91 land was called as pastor and during his four years of work a church was built on the site of the present Bap- tist Church in Mill Street, the lot having been donated by Col. James Tallmadge. Newspapers and Politics. From November loth, 1801. there have always been at least two newspapers in Poughkeepsie. At that date, and probably using the press of the earlier American Fanner, Jesse Buel and Nathaniel Joyner started a paper called The Guardian, which wa.; a pronoiniced supporter of Jefferson, then president. Apparently the patronage of this paper was not very strong for it went through many changes of hands and several changes of name, as will appear. June Sth. 1X02, Joyner's interest was purchased by Isaac .Mitchell and the paper came out as The Political Barometer. . Mitchell had been connected with the American Farmer and was evidently a man of ability, though apparently unfortunate. Little is known about him personally, except that he went to Albany after he had sold the Barometer and became editor of The Republican Crisis. Early in 1811 he seems to have re- turned to Poughkeepsie. He was the authoi of ".\i.ONZO AND Melissa," which has recently been de- scribed as "one of the most jjopular novels ever pub- lished in America."' but it is doubtful if he ever re- ceived any profit from it himself. The book was originally ])ublishe(l in Poughkeepsie by Joseph Nel- son, with the title "The Asylum, or Alonzo and Melissa, an .\merican tale founded on fact by Isaac Mitchell." It came out in October, 181 1, and was advertised for a tew week.^ in the Barometer, and for a year or more in the .foiinial. but I have not been alile to tind an\ otlur local rcferenc to it. In 1824 it was re[niblished wilhoul tlir title "-\sylum" and without the introduction, with Uaniel Jackson, Jr., nameil as the author. Then its popularit}' began and it ran through many editions. Jackson receiving- all the credit. Jes.se Buel, too, was a man of ability and rolong a war brought on by Jefferson and Aladison for the sole i)urpi>.-.e nf increasing the power of their i);irty. James luiiott in Congress was equally outspoken in his op]iosition to the war, as his speeches printed in the Jtiiirual show, but this seems to have caused little iiitei"r\iption to his carei'r. for after ser\ing two lernis in C'lmgre'-s lie went into tile Assembly fur two terms, .•md llun IxTanie county judge. That the Federalist (■(lutrol was not shaken as in sn m,-my olliei' jil.-iees. is shown by the establishment of auollur Kepublie;m ])aper, the Obseri'er. a])parently a sjieeial organ nf the Tammany faction, sown after the anm uineenunt of the treaty of peace in 1815, lis opening editorial. M;ireh lotli, contains this h;irrowing i)ieture: Ti)iie was, when this i'nb,i]iii\ . dilmled. ;inil Img abused County, presented a Ki-[)ul)liean phalan.x to the front of its enemies, in an overwhelming majority of votes — at once the pride of the friends of the Repub- lic, and the terror of its foes. * * * No redeeming arm appears stretched forth to snatch this wandering prodigal from the error of her ways. * * * It is only to the well conducted public journal like the bow on the clouds which announces the storm is past, that the friends to Republicanism can look for as a pre- cursor to the assurement and triumph of their cause. Charles 1^. Barnum and Richard Nelson were the publishers of this paper. The Republican Herald passed into the hands of Stockholm and Brownjohn and continued to represent one of the numerous fac- tions of the day. It became bitterly opposed to James Tallmadge. Jr.. and w-as sued by him for libel in 1818. It was finalh- discontinued after the election of 1823. Prominent local politicians during this period, be- sides those already mentioned, were Thomas J. Oak- ley, Surrogate in 1810, elected to Congress in 1813; Randall S. Street, district attorney 1810 and again 1813; David Brooks, three times County Clerk and sev- eral times Member of Assembly ; George Bloom, law |)artner of James Tallmadge, and Surrogate in 1811 ; .\braham Adriance, several times Member of As- sembly and State Senator. Theodorus Bailey was per- h.qis the most prominent man of the early part of this period. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1803, but soon afterwards resigned from the Senate to become postmaster of New York City, DeWitt Clinton resigning the .san:e office at the same time to become Mayor. His residence after that, I think, was in New York. Thomas J. ( )akley purchased and for a l(.ing time lived in the house on the corner of Cannon and Market Streets, where I'.ailev had lived. Philo Ritggles. whii bt'came .Surrog.'iti.- in 1S13. was another prominent man of this time. lie built .about 1800 the fine house still standing on the west side of Mar- ket v'street. which afterwards became the home of James Hooker, and is now used ;is an ot'fice building, (.eorge I'loom lived on Cannon Street, in a house where there is now a \acant lot, next east of the George \;m KUnTk hduse I I )r. J. P. \Vilson"s resi- ^ TEMPLE OF FORTUNE. Aeu>Yor/i, Januury 19, 182G. The drawing of the Literature Lotttiv, No^ 3 lor 1S23- 'L 17,21, 7, 35. 6, 81." The next Lottery is the I iiiou Canal, No. 19. and draws in Philadelphia, on Wednesday, February Isl. FRIZES. 50,000 Dollars, 5,000 Dollars, 20.000 Dollars, 5,000 Dollars. 10*000 Dollars. 3,970 Dollars, 10,000 DoUars, 3,970 Dollais, \ 5,000 Dollars, '' And 189 from 100 to 1,000 Dollars, &c. 'I'iiket!. SU.OU Qiiurti-i-6 S.Sj U44v«ui iiU Uij^lills 1.11 Prizes in all the current Lotteries, paid by GEO. P. OAKLEY, PQUghkecpsU;, \ ' Willi ;;iatitu(lc uud pleusun: lgi>ii tu iii,\ fricDila aud tile jiublic tho lulwVing '() iinvBriiiShid history. Auil 1 am iiidiucJ to du it not bucausu I wish tu publish^V own good fui-luiic.but because it would be very difficult uiid Uuublcsonic to comcBJi it, because 1 »isl' to gratifr public cuiionlty, and bccuusu it »ill jiicrcut luaiiy cr^y ] roneoui repoils wliicli would olbir»i!i- uutuiJly piucicd from juib miuMcuircnec. ; i Atnong tbc tiuLcl» wliich 1 pui-cliased ut tbo Uiunagcrs in Literature Lolter.v, /;, No. 3, tbc drawing of « liiib appcar.t above, was a balf ticket having fur its coiiibi- .yi nation 7, «7, SI- I"'''' ''"'f ' ofl'cirJ for aijo for sonic time to my cnstomers, vvhcii S 1 npucelieiided 1 sbould have o sur|ilu(i of ticUets left on hand, and iherrruie «CIJ(: | it, iitU some otters, to u Moitby friend iu No»-YorL to be sold, lie indrinoured^^ without sucnis to effert a sale, and ntuined the whole to me, when they weiv oBijb'i^ cd KKoiii and again, and when the cveningof the lOth of January •rrived, 1 had^_ ^ uniall surplus of lirkets remaining, iucludiug the unacsaid liuU' and thl'ce olhoiS. t Tlicsc Iburhahcs were ivpeatedly, but unsucccsMuUy, olTcivd on the Jay of the " .^ , drawing, and during the eveuing a company of gentlemen were pre!.slugl| invited 10 purchase them at a ivduced prie.-, which they declined ; tUe conseqUcnce vias J lbc\ with olher tickels, were nut >old, and after the uales wci-c oloicd and the «ur- lilu's'liacked up, Mr. IJilbert V ilkinson, who asilistod meiii doing it, iimposeil pui- chHsinjr liie lialf of the said surplus j soiiio convei-sation ensued, when I told hiui ""'' he mi"hl have,al schcnio price, the whole or any part of it. 'J he If suit wus that lie to(H oard of Trade The Fire Companies The lienevolent Cordwainers Society ( Ifficers and Students of tlie Academy Citizens Generally Black crape to be worn on the left arm. The P>ells I if the \'illage will be tolled during the procession. The Trustees request masters of vessels and projirie- tors of public houses to have their colors hoisted half mast during the day." Till-: LOTTKKV IX POUC.UKKKI'SIF.. Lafaxette's visit was at the height of the lottery craze, which seems to have begun about 1820. In TJic Poughkccfsic Journal for May 3rd, 1824, there are more than a column and a half of lottery advertise- ments, from G. P. Oakley, W. Cunningham, A. G. Storm & Co., and Conklin & Bowne. Before 1820 lot- tery advertisements were not conspicuous, though there was generally one in each of the local papers. Here is one of Storm & Wilson's announcements pub- lished in March. 181 1 : $25,000. UNION COLLEGE LOTTERY No. 2. Will commence its drawing in tilt- city nf New York on the fdurtli Tnesday in April next and will continue to draw Six Hundred Tickets per day till finished — The scheme of which contains 3 prizes of $25,000 one of $10,000 and one of $5,000, and many other valuahle prizes. Tickets, Halves, Quarters and Eighths, for sale in a variety of Nos by Stiikm ami Wilson. Lotteries were conducteil fur all sorts of causes. Churches and colleges were Iniill from their proceeds, and the largest prizes at the time of the Lafayette visit, or a little later, were in the Literature Lotteries for the benefits of the State schools and guaranteed by the State of New York. The early drawings seem to ha\e been mostly on the '"Six hundred tickets a day" i)lan. but later there were all sorts of plans and the big lotteries were often advertised to be "finished in a fe\-. minutes." Thus the "Washington Lodge Lotteries." under the "authority of the State of Rhode Island." advertised the "150 numbers hinarx' combination and pennutation — 28 ballots drawn." There were 22.350 tickets at $2.20 each. The mimbers drawn were com- bined 1st and 2nd. 2nd and 1st, etc. In annther Rhode Island lottery, with 19,600 tickets, only 6 ballots were drawn. George P. Oakley was the leading lottery agent in Poughkeepsie from 1823 to 1826, and when he sold out the business he had won the largest lottery jirize ever taken in this neighborhood. He was earlier, as we have seen, in the milling and freighting business with his father, Jesse Oakley, at the Upper Landing. In 1819 he failed and the mills went to the Middle Dis- trict Bank and were deeded' in 1821 to James Rey- nolds and Aaron Innis, who had previously been in the freighting business. The deed included a plaster mill and a grist mill on the north side of the stream, and mentions also a nail factory and a saw mill on the south side. Oakley was a man of too nnich ability to be kept down and was soon engaged in keeping a gen- eral store. His "Bulletin No. i," announcing the open- ing of his "Temple of Fortune" "opposite Potter's r.ook Store," is dated Aug. i, 1823, and the location was about on the corner of Liberty Street, which had probably not long been opened. In this bulletin he states that two $20,000 prizes had recently been won in Poughkeepsie and that two similar ones had pre- ceded them. In his bulletin No. 10, dated Dec. 17th, 1823, he gives the following list of "Some of the many prizes which have enriched our citizens, in the course of a few years," as follows : I Prize ilrawn by Valentine Baker of $10,000 I " " " James Sands of 3,000 I " " " the Fire Company & Messrs Angevine Elmore & Ja-y- cocks each one quarter of r,ooo I " " " -A company of Gentlemen in Poughkeepsie of which 1 was one 500 I " " " A Gentleman of 500 I " '■ " Cornelius Wiltsie and George Brinckerhoff of 5,000 '4 " " " The Messrs EUmore of 100,000 I " " " Mr. Flagler of 1,000 1 " " " George P. Oakley of 1,000 I " " " Gilbert Wilkinson 1,000 I " " " .\bm P. KnapiJ and others of 500 I " " " Peter Everitt of 1,000 '4 " " " A. C. Warner of 20,000 T " '■ " .\ number of Gentlemen in a package of 2nd class, of 20,000 I " " " .Martin Hoffman Jr. of 1.500 .\nd last though not least Isaac Germond and (^■o. I'. ( )akley (selected by the latter) 10,000 hAiilently fortime came Oakley's way with some rapidity and a good share of it went to other Pough- iThis deed (Lib. 63, p. 162) contains an interesting agree- ment as to water rights on the Fallkill. 102 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. kfcpsians. Oakley does not omit to mention the prizes sold or won by his competitors, who in addition to those already given included Isaac T. Doughty, Hayes & Adriance and Peter Everitt. Thus he tells us that W. Cunningham, whom he sometimes refers to as "Sir Walter," won half of a $10,000 prize, the rest of which he had sold to persons in the county. Decem- ber 28th, 1824. Oakley says: "One day last week I enjoyed the pleasure of paying to Miss Elizabeth Ward $8,500 and also $8,500 to Mr. Seneca Rowland," both of the town of ^^'ashingto^. "These worthy persons are both single," he adds, "and had the good luck to purchase of me jointly." In readable qualities and cleverness Oakley's advertisements are models: "Who would pinch through life without being able to do one generous action, when with money enough and to spare he might give liberally to the oppressed Greeks, at the grand military ball which will be cele- brated in the city for their benefit on the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans." Again in January, 1825, he begins a l)ulletin, ".\ny man who is fool enough to burn Lehigh Coal at the Commencement of the New Year instead of buying a ticket in this lot- tery." This is the first local reference tcj coal I have seen, and indicates that it was a decided luxury. In fact, it was rather an interesting experiment than a luxury at this time, for many people found much difficulty in making it burn. The first Lehigh coal is said to have lietn nnich harder than most of the anthracite now in use and it could rarely be made to burn in a grate without keeping the blower up almost continuously. Coal was served to customers for a numlier of years in big lumps which had to be broken up with a ham- mer. Dr. Thomas was one of the first men in Pough- kecpsie to use it. and it was not generally of much service until after the Delaware and Hud.son Canal had been ojjened and after stoves had been specially con- structed for burning it. David C. Foster was the first local dealer to make its sale a leading feature. The decline of the lottery craze, which reached such a ])oint tliat it demoralized business and people, came about i)artly from the growth of public sentiment against it. but more from the opening of newer an.l larger fields of speculation with the organization of stock companies. Oakley's crowning acliievement was the winning of a i)rize of $50,000 in partnership with Gilbert Wilkinson, his brother-in-law, who, however, had br.t a one-fourth interest in it. I le thought it nec- essary to explain their good luck in an elaborate circu- lar, a fac-simile of which is given on page i(X). Me was not only a good advertiser, ])ut was evidently a man of careful business methods, for all his lottery cir- culars were pasted in scrap books which have been saved. He seems to have continued in the lottery busi- ness until about 1826. and probably sold to Richard Pudney, who advertised "The Temple of Fortune" after that time. Oakley became County Treasurer and then cashier of the Poughkeepsie Bank at its organiza- tion in 1830. Party Changes — The Telegraph and the Dutch- ess Intelligencer. After the adoption of the constitution, which abol- ished most of the voting qualifications, as well as the Council of Revision^ and Council of Appointment, we find the Journal in 1824 favoring the ne.xt great step towards democracy, the projjosition to allow the people to vote directly for presidential electors, which was not, however, carried in time to be available before the election of 1828. Parties were then much broken up and in a state of transition. As a result of the turmoil the Poughkeepsie members of the Re- publican party became dissatisfied with the Observer as an organ, bought an entirely new newspaper outfit ;ind established the Republican Telegraph, placing W illiam Sands and Isaac Piatt in charge, the latter be- ing but 21 years of age and having recently completed his apprenticeship in the office of the Journal. In one of his reminiscences, published many years later, .Mr. Piatt said that most of his early education V as olitained in the printing office and in Paraclete I 'otter's book store. He had the privilege of reading many of the books in stock and was assisted in select- in,; them by Horatio Potter, a ne]5hew of the pro- prietor and clerk in the store, afterwards Bishop of New ^'(lrk. Potter's book store was a great village instiiilion, a sort of club where all those who were fond of literature and of discussion were wont to gather. Tin- political committee which controlled the new p.iper was James Hooker. Leonard Maison. Abraham (1. Storm. John S. Myers. Jacob Van Ness, Ebenezer .\ye and Obadiah Titus. The first number was print- ed May 5th, 1824. "a few doors south of the Court House." From the oiiening announcement we hear ag;iin the story, "For a considerable i)eriod and until within ;i few years i>asl the old Federal party have bad a majority in this county, which at every succes- si\e election enabled them to return to the Legislature their members of Assembly," and alas, after two years of Re])ublican success the county in 1823 had gone back to the Federalists or Clintonians again. Xor was the Repnbliean Telegraph able to hold it. The Ut is worthy of note that in the Council of Revision wliich (Iccitled the f.itc of the act passed in 1816 for building the Eric Canal were three former Poughkeepsians ; Chancello'f Kent, Judge Smith Thompson and Judge Jonas Piatt. HISTORY OF POUGHKBBPSIB. 103 ])aper started with opposition to De Witt Clinton just when his removal from the canal commission aroused public indignation to such an extent that he was again elected governor, while in the same year the party lost the support of the national administration through the election of John Quincy Adams to the presidency. General James Tallmadge was nominated and elected Lieutenant Governor at this time, and might have had the nomination for governor, according to Thurlow Weed,! jf j^g },ad consented to denounce the removal of Clinton from the Canal Commission. That he con- sented to run on the ticket with Clinton shows the generally mixed-up comlition of political afifairs. Tallmadge then was a leader of the Tammany faction, and had strenuously opposed the Erie Canal and its chief advocate. The Poughkccpsie Telegraph sur- vived the succession of party disasters, but ceased to be a party organ the next year and was sold to Charles P. Barnum, one of the proprietors of the Observer. The two papers were then combined and published as The Telegraph and Observer until 1828, when the name of the older paper was dropped. In the wreck of old parties the Journal, still published by Paraclete Potter, lost its moorings and drifted with the popular tide into support of Jackson for the Presidency in 1827, several months ahead of the Telegraph. Then early in 1828 another new pa- per, The Diifehess True Ainerieau.- was started by Peter K. Allen, who also shouted for the Hero of Xew Orleans. Apparently everybody was for Jack- son, but there were a few Adams men left in old Dutchess and presently they got together a nondes- cript, second-hand outfit and established The Duteh- ess Intelligencer, which published its first number .\l)ril ,30th, 1828. Charles F. Ames, a ynung man fniiii Hudson, was hired as editor, with Frederick T. 1 'arsons to look after the type setting. The opening editorial stated that "a great and absorl)ing question agitates the minds of the citizens of this vast Repub- lic ■'■ * * Who shall be our next president? Jnhn Ouinc\- Adams or Andrew Jackson? the ac- complished civilian, the unrivalled statesman, the up- right man, and the unassuming Republican, or the \ ictorious, but sanguinary and remorseless soldier?" In another column of the same issue we read : "At the next annual election the citizens of this State will fur the first time since the organization of the govern- ment, exercise the important privilege of choosing at lAutobiography of Thurlow Weed, p. 108. 21 know of 110 copies of this paper in e.xistence, but it was discontinued after one year and moved to Ulster County, according to a historical sketch of the Press of Poughkeepsie, written by Isaac Piatt for tlic 25111 anniversary of the found- ing of llie Eagle and pubhslied April 30th, 1853. the Polls the Electors of President and Vice President of the United States." Ames soon retired from the editorial management of the Intelligencer and Parsons ran a few issues alone. Then the owners gave the plant to Isaac Piatt, Parsons remaining as a partner. Their announcement is in the issue of Aug. 20th. The paper now began to bristle with vigorous editorials, but Jackson's "hurrah campaign" carried the county in November by a large majority. The Intelligencer ascribed his victory locally "to the political depravit)' and want of principle in a few leaders of both the old parties * * * who formed an alliance for the sole and only purpose of bartering away the vote of this county to Gen. Jackson," and adds, "The demo- cratic party split in two nearly equal parts, leaving a small majority in favor of Mr. Adams. But the move- ments of Messrs Potter & Co. [the Journal] carried a great majority of the federal party and federal in- fluence in favor of Jackson." Judge Smith Thompson of Poughkeepsie was the nominee of the /Vdministration or Adams ]iarty for governor in 1828, but was overwhelmed in the land- slide. He received 4,558 votes in Dutchess, and Mar- tin Van Buren, the "wizard of the Albany Regency." received 3,257. This was the first election at which the Anti-Masonic party became an influence. Thur- low Weed in his Autobiography devotes several pages ( 303-307) to an effort to show that had Francis Gran- ger been nominated by the Adams men, instead of Tudge Thompson, Van Buren might have been defeat- ed. Granger, however, ran for Lieut.-Govemor along with Thompson. The feeling against the Free Masons was not yet a force in Dutchess County, or in this part of the State, but was strong in some of the western counties. Mr. Weed states that after the nomination of Thompson he spent a day or two tr_\ing to recon- cile the Anti-Masons of the western section, and finding his efforts in vain came to Poughkeepsie to endeav- or to persuade Judge Thompson to withdraw in favor of Granger, so as to prevent the nomination of an Anti- Masonic ticket. He reached here by steamboat just as the committee that had notified Judge Thompson of his nomination was leaving. They had obtained the Judge's acceptance of the nomination with con- siderable difficulty, and when Mr. Weed wanted them to go back with him to the Judge's residence and ask him to withdraw his acceptance they were naturally very reluctant, but at length consented, some of them for the express purpose of combatting Mr. Weed's ar- guments. The mission proved very embarrassing for all, and the Judge, having once made up his mind to run. decided to stand by his decision. His vote in the State was 106,415, while Van Buren had I36,78r) 104 HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIB and Solomon Sonthwick. the Anti-.\[asonic candidate, 33,335. The combined Adams and Anti-Masonic votes would have elected the .\dams candidate, but it is by no means certain that Granger or anyone else could have held them all. Southwick got only 113 votes in Dutchess. So discouraging was the outlook for the Intelli- gencer at the close of its first year that Mr. Parsons declared he could not live on his share of the profits, and withdrew from the partnership, but was i)revail- cd upon to remain as an employee at a salary of $7 a week.' liy 1830 the jiaper had nevertheless obtained a good patronage, and maintained it in spite of the fact tliat the factional differences of the times gave rise to two more j^apers, the Inquirer in 1829 — a suc- cessor to tlu- True American — and the Dutchess Re- publican in Jul_\-, 1831, started by Thomas S. Ranney as an "".Vnti-Regency" paper, opposed to Martin A'an Huren's control of the party in the State. The .Anti- Masonic movement was sweeping over the State then. and as the Intelligencer refused to become its organ, after the election of 1830, the Inquirer was purchased and its naiue changed to The Anti-Mason. The feel- ing locally was strong enough to close up the old King .Solomon's T.odge which Washington had visit- ed and Masonry was not revived in Poughkeepsie until 1852. In 1833 Mes.^rs. I'latt and Rannev imited their pa- l)ers, beginning on the last Wednesday of .\pril the publication of the Intelligencer and Republican, a title so awkward that the ne.xt year it was changed to The Poughkeepsie Bagle. Meanwhile Jackson had carried the county in 1832 by a considerabh reduced inajorit\ . and \'an lluren carrieil it again in 183'i b\- a still smaller majority, .\tter that Dutchess County be- came doubtful territory, and so remained until after the formation of the l\ei>iiblican party, a few years be- fore the Civil War. In 1832 tlie Intelligencer called itself the organ of the .\';itioiial l\ei)ul)licans, but before 1S36, in common with other sujiporters (if 1 lenr\ Claw it had taken the name of Whig and was referring to its opponents as Tories. The Telegraph continued for several years to call itself Republican and to refer to Clay's party as I'ederalists. Egbert I'.. Killey and Aaron T,ow had been publishing this ])a]n-r for a number of \ears, but in 1835 '^f''- f'"w so!alding's Hotel and signed an application. Presumably the financial depression stopped this enter- prise, but there was at least one private bank in Pough- keepsie then or soon afterwards, known as the E.x- change liank". .\ note pa\able "at my Exchange Bank." signed by Henry Da\is and by Walter Cunningham cashier, Sept. 15, 1811;, is still in existence. This bank was probably conducte .'.;, 18J5. /')/ii;///:iipsir Haul; Hni/i/iin; . iioii' llic I'oui^likcrpiic Tiusl ioiiif>a Tin- addition to the right was irniitly I'liitl. ly, ys.r . Ipp.iidiA HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 107 Tlic careers of Cunningham and Oakley were not the onl)' ones tliat connect the lottery business with local banking. A. G. Storm, president of the Middle District Bank, Peter Everitt, chief stockholder of the same, James Grant, Jr., who became cashier of the Farmers and Manufacturers on its organization, and several other prominent bank officials had conducted "lottery and exchange" offices. They occupied appar- ently much the same position in the community that the leading brokers do to-day. and the transition from the lottery business to banking was not unnatural, for the lottery men nearly all advertised to deal in uncur- rent bank notes and became experts in discounts and in detecting covmterfeits. A notable example was John Thompson, who first taught a private school in Mill Street, and then in 1S28 advertised as a dealer in lottery tickets. He at length removed to New York, established "Thompson's Bank Note Re- porter," a most important publication for many years, and became a leading organizer of several prominent banking institutions in the metropolis, in- cluding the First Xational Bank. He lived for a num- ber of years in the house still standing back of the West Shore station opposite Poughkeepsie, and was the father of the late Frederick Thompson, who has been so prominent a recent benefactor of Vassar and other colleges. The Middle District and Dutchess County banks were in business on the tiorth side of Main Street, the former on the site of the Taylor Building, and the latter on the site of the present Merchants' National Hank. r>etween them, in i82ai;iicnrolypi\ p/io/ot;riifi/i(if /ly Mr. Ilnirv liiXtth. pruvements, new streeLs, ])avcinenls, etc., but wap afterwards applied to the iironiniors of the many enterprises of the day. .\l llie charter election of 1835 what was described as the "Moderate Improve- ment Party," whose candidates for village trustees were Isaac I. Balding, Nehemiah Sweet and David Boyd, ran against J. \'an I'.entlnivscn. Gideon P. Hewitt and Samuel B. Dutton of the "L'ltra Improve- ment Party," with Matthew Vassar and Edward C. Southwick on both tickets. The "Moderates" elected Raiding and the "LHtras" Van Benthuysen and Hewitt. Matthew \'assar was chosen president of the board. Much had been done to improve the streets before this time, the second cobblestone era beginning about 1830. Isaac H. Ver \'alin, who then lived on the soutliea,-;t corner of ]\Iain and .\cadem\' Streets. \\'il- 1 -t^^ii^. .A The I 'assar S//ii/ /hriLiiy. liridge Street Fyo)d,J'ioiii a i/ra-aal street.-; had been cobbled, and excluding macadam, the area of pave- ment li;is IK it been greatly increased since. The old brick sidewalks, mostly discarded within the past twenty years, date also from this ])eriiid. .M;iy i8th, 1S3:. the f(illi>\\ing paper was presented to the trustees: We tile undersigned owners of lots fronting on .Main street in 1 'ouglikcepsie between the court house and the ri\er dn hereby engage to jiave or tl;ig tlie sidewalks hefure nur said lots in such manner as tlie trustees of the village shall direct ;is witness our hands this thii-d day of .\'ov.. 1830. H. CoNKi.ix, Wm. D.wies, \Vm. TuRNiCK. Sii:riiEN .Armstrong, P. Potter. .M. \'.\ss.\r, M.\RINUS PlEUCE, A. Bl..\KESLEE. J. M. Net.sox. This was evidently before the vilK'ige had liegun to require paved sidewalks, while they were still a 'For list of signers on Market, Garden and Mill Streets M-e .Appendix. HISTORY OF p u G H K n n p s I n loy matter of individual cntcrprisi-, and ddiihtless with many intervals of gravel and mud in front of the premises of the less enterprising. The tirst sidewalk order I have found is dated September 8th, 1831, and requires that "the Sidewalks in Main Street from Washington to Academy Street be pitched and Flaged with Brick in good and substantial manner — under the direction of the trustees — and that they cause a tax to be assessed, Levied and collected on the owners of the Lots for that purpose." Sidewalks were ordered on "Academy Street from Washington Street to Can- non,"i at the same time. The word "flag" evidently did not imply blue stone, but the records show that stone was occasionally used. The village was lifting itself out of the mud and preparing for the great pe- riod of expansion that wais to come. The following petition presents a glimpse of the old life when Main Street, at least above Academy, was a residence street, at the beginning of the improvement period. TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE VIEE-VGE OF POUGHKEEPSIE. The undersigned respectfully represents that the inhabitants of that section of Main Street which lies between the corner of Isaac IL \ er Valin and the corner of Hamilton and Main Streets have been sub- jected to greater expense in paving that section by reason of the increased width of the street than the inhabitants of any other section will be subjected to. That in the section named there are no crossings ex- cept at \'er \'alin's corner. The undersigned respect- fully suggests that in said section there should be at least two crossings, one nearl)' opposite the pump at the easterly end of said section and one opposite the brick house occupied by Doctor Tapping. The reasons therefore are as follows : My family, the families living in the two houses West of me are obliged to get their water at the pump mentioned, their yards being too rocky to admit of wells being dug therein. The families living in the houses on the corner of Hamilton and Cannon streets get all their water at the pump mentioned. The children of almost every family living on the south side of Main Street are sent to Dr. Tapping's school. These with other con- siderations of general convenience render it desirable that there should be crossways at the places mention- ed," etc. Leon'd Maison. Poughkeepsie. 20th July. 1831. The "Doctor Tapping" Iktc mentioned was a son of Dr. Peter Tappen, the Revolutionary leader, whose widow was still living in August, 1824, when the town commissioners laid out Crannell Street, "by and with the consent and approbation of Elizabeth Tappen. the proprietor of the land." The survey began from the corner of her house and the street was of course named for her father, Bartholomew Crannell, who had iSo in original. Probably means Main Street to Cannon. given the land tn her husband so many years before. Catherine Street was surveyed from Theodoras Greg- ory's house (on the site of the Morgan House) in 1831, and was extended through to Cottage in 1834, when Mansion Street and many of the other streets north of Mill were laid out. It was named from Catherine Livingston, Gilbert Livingston's widow, who died in 1830. Dr. Tappen built some of the first houses on Mill Street above Catherine, including what is now called the Wimpleberg house. One of his daughters married James Bowne. Leonard Maison, signer of the petition, was a famous character, a very able lawyer and politician. The real estate projects with which the leading members of the Improvement Party were most closely associated were generally on the north side of Main Street, but during the boom farms were cut up into lots oicorCtI-; corliks. and sold at auction in all sections. Dr. John Barnes, Richard \. Varick. George Corlies and Caleb Barker put through one of the largest deals, when they pur- chased the Bronson French farm, extending from Montgomerv Street to Holmes and from Hamilton to Market, with the exception of the section purchased by Christ Church in 1828, the greater portion of which was used as a burying ground, where now the church itself stands. On this farm they niapix-d' and slaked out the extensions of Academy and Hamilton Streets, south of Montgomery, and laid out Carr oll, South iMaps 74 and 84 Connty Clerk's Office. Barclay and Holmes are mapped throngh to Market. The Chnrch proper- ly originally extended to Hamilton, and tlie former rectory, corner Hamilton and Barclay, was bnilt in 1853. 110 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. Liberty. LSarclay, Franklin and Holmes. According to the late Henry D. Myers\ who did part of the sur- veying, the first day's sales at the auction of lots on this tract amounted to $80,000, and lots on South Lib- erty Street (now Garfield Place) brought $25 a foot. George Corlies- was tJie leading spirit in the develop- ment of this property, now one of the principal resi- dence sections of the city, and he is said to have been the first to plant shade trees along the streets. The farm next south of this was mapped not long after- wards and was advertised for sale in June, 1836, by Solomon V. Frost and George P. Oakley, as "the Eden Hills." "These hills," says the advertisement, "are raised on sixty acres of land, situate in tlir ^'uuh part opened and are to this day mostly pasliu-e land or meadow. .Many of the maps of the period are on file and some others are to be found in collections. On a map made to advertise a sale at auction, Sept. 14th. 1836, of land bounded by Cherry, Mansion, Main Streets and the Fall Kill, the line of White Street is run through a part of the kitchen wing of the old Everitt stone house, which was doubtless lopped off when the street was opened. Jas Bleecker & Sons were the leading auctioneers of the day. Until this period nearly all of the successful up- town business and professional men lived over their stores on Main Street, or not far away in Mill, Can- non iir Market Streets, while persons engaged in BM'Xn» I" \ Tlic Dulcliess County Bank /i; Coinpany. Jacob \'an Bentluiyscn, Walter Cunningham, Aaron Innis, John Adriance, Peter P. Hayes, Caleb Barker, .'\braham G. Storm, Paraclete Potter, George P. Oak- ley and John Green. Most of the numerous news- paper sketches of the old whaling business confuse these two companies hopelessly, and some do not nu-ntion the second and most successful ciini]«ny at all. The Poughkeepsie Whaling C(ini])any began busi- ness- betwi'cn the fool of Main Street and the Vassar P>rewer_\ . which was not built, hnwcvxT. until three or four years later. This company, of which Captain Frederick Barnard, father of the late Justice Joseph F. Barnard was the first agent, sent the barque Ver- 'Chaptcr 208, Laws of 1S32. -'"Our First Shipyards." — Courier, 1886. Company, of which David S. Sherman was the local agent. The house built by Captain Sherman on Xorth Water Street, near Whinfield, is still standing. Captain Barnard lived on the North Road until about 1845, when he purchased the large house built by Walter Cunningham in Cannon Street, still known as the liarnard house. The Eagle of May 20th, 1835, says of the Dutch- ess Whale Dock :" "On Friday last the company's new store was raised. It is 50 x 100 feet. * * * Upon this dock are also a cooper shop, thirty feet by fifty, two stories high and a large shed, with a rigging loft, attached to the ship yard of Messrs. Tooker & Hait. Other buildings, among which are a large candle factory and a shop for boat building will iSmivcnir Eagle, p. 19. i'(ifc,iiKi;i',rsiK CLASS works, ()>/ the- silr of llu- Whiil,' IhHh. rciDit 11/ or thr n. 'i;aiu-:ation of ( 'o)iif>(niy srr ( '///>, //■// 1 . '/'//r Utile loiihliuii ill 'Jil ill l/ir fyidiin- 7oas l/ir bhul;\milh shop of llir II '/niliin; ( oiiipnitv. H f s r o R y OF p n u a ii k h e p s i b II;. 1)0 put up as soon as possible. I'.oih whaling com- panies are determined to have all the work of buildini;, rigging and fitting out their ships done here, so that the town may have all the benefit of their patronage." The local papers by this time had certainly learned to print local news, and the same article states that the Dutchess Company was planning to build a new ship as soon as the "Newark" was ready for sea, and men- tions a large building on the corner of Mill and Dela- field Streets, "intended to be occupied as an extensive coach factory." The new ship planned was doubtless the "N. P. Tallmadge," launched in 1836. The "New England," one of the Dutchess Com- pany's ships, was given some notoriety by mention in R. H. Dana's Tzvo Years Before the Mast, pub- lished in 1840 as a true record of a voyage in the brig "Pilgrim" from Boston, and still a popular boys' book. L'nder date of Friday, Nov. 14, soon after the Pil- grim had rounded Cape Horn going westward, Dana writes: "At two p. m. we saw a sail on our larboard beam and at four we made it out to be a large ship steering our course, under single-reefed top-sails * * * He ran down for us, and answered our hail as the whale-ship New England of Poughkeepsie, one hundred and twenty days from New York * * '''■ .\bout half-past ten (the next day) their whale boat came alongside, and Captain Job Terry sprung on board, a man known in every port and by every vessel in the Pacific Ocean. * * * :;= j^js boat's crew were a pretty raw set, just out of the bush, and as the sailor's phrase is. "hadn't got the hayseed out of their hair.' * * * * * One of the lads who came in this boat, a thoroughly countryfied looking fellow, seemed to care very little about the vessel rigging or anything else, but went round looking at the live stock and leaned over the pigsty, and said he wished he was back again tending liis father's pigs." As this narrative indicates, a considerable num- ber of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County boys ship- ped for a voyage or two on the old whalers, and some of them went round the world. .\ very few survivors may still be found who can spin the old-time \arns about their cruises. The Dutchess Whaling Com- pany at one time had a fleet of six or seven ships, and the "Whale Dock" with its shi])-yard. cooperages, re- pair shops, etc.. was a \ery busy, and a very odorift'r- ous neighborhood. ( )f all the buildings onh the old blacksmith sho]). now a dwelling, remains. This is On the south side of 1 )ntcliess .\\'enne just east of the location of the old ship-yard. The glass works oc- cupy the site of most of the Whale Dock buildings. The end of tile industrv will lie noted in the next chap- ter, hut here are some statistics from U. S. govern- ment |inl)licatiiins : WI1AI.I.\(", I.\l)i;STin' OK TOUCH KlCEPSIiC. 'ear Number of Bbls. of Hl)ls. of L1.S. of \"e.ssels Sperm Oil Whale Oil Bone 1835 I 500 1 836 I 800 1837 2 1300 1839 6 '?(2045)? 1840 6 1841 7 500 200 1842 4 1843 3 1770 5700 57000 1844 I 700 1600 13000 (Jthicr Industriks. The Other leading industrial establishment of the Improvement Party, the Poughkeepsie Silk Com])an\'. might have become a great establishment, if it had been launched at a more auspicious time. Incor- piiraled in 1S35, its chief building, erected in that \e;ir. was long a centre of important manufacturing, and. as rebuilt after the fire of 1854, is still in use. The company constructed an elaborate plant for the day and ev^en went into the culture of silk worms. growing mulberry trees on a tract of land near the junction of Delafield Street and the Post Road. It had not succeeded in obtaining nuich of a foothold in the industrial world when overtaken by the panic. Charles M. Pelton in 1837 rented the third floor of the building temporarily for the manufacture of car- pets. l)ut it did not become the Pelton factory until 1 850. Other projects of the Improvement Party were the "Dutchess Rail Road Company." the origin of the plan so long in abeyance for a railroad eastward, incorporated March 28th. 1832. with William Davies, Henry Conklin, Paraclete Potter, and Morgan Car- ]5enter as organizing commissioners: the Poughkeep- sie Locomotive Engine Company, startt'd after the panic of '37. and described in the next chapter : the "Poughkeepsie Manufacturing Company," chartered April 25th, 1832, "for the purpose of manufacturing- cotton and woolen goods and machinery," and the Poughkeepsie Screw Manufacturing Company, also described briefly in the next chapter. The Dutchess -Mutual Insurance Company was chartered April 12th. 1836. and its first board of directors was Janus I'.niott. James Mabbett. Alexander Forbus, Thomas Tabor, .\braham Bockee, Daniel D. Akin. Homer Wheaton. William H. P.ostwick, J. T. Schryver. Steph- en Thorn. Silas Germond. John N. Ketcham. and James \'incent. It was ]ierhaps not distinctly an Improvement Party enterprise, and has survived all 116 HISTORY Of r o u G H K n n P S I E . vicissitudes and grown into a strong and important institution. Among other industries of this period were two iron foundries, one of which survives as the "Poughkeepsie Foundry and Machine Company" with a new plant on the north side of the city. It was estahlished about 1831 on the site of the recently abandoned Main Street plant of the company, by Solomon Y. Frost and Benjamin \^nil. The Dutch- 360 Main Street. By 1835 t'lis was becoming a rather populous neighborhood for a tannery, and Mr. Boyd about that time purchased some property in the Red Mills neighborhood and establisheil a large tannery there. He also for a time conducted a tannery on the the north-east corner of Hamilton and Main Streets. Soon after this the Southwicks established a store and df]int for the purchase of hides at 370 Main Street, i ^W"'"/-^./r/,/„ yf^^A/,./.,. .5^;^/vw....v ' 7 '/yA ■y--/ II W Oy,„Y^,v,//, ,y,//, /j,,/:, ,A/, r;„,/„y„.,y /,. //^ .,,,,,/{ ff'fl .- -r ." y)^^ ^ / / I III! / r/^/'^ '^^ / J- E, .-Si:^¥i^ ^/.^^^^...JJ^: M StocI; of the ro)c^hl;,;f>sic Silk Coiiipaiiy. ess Foundry, ea.-^t of Hamilton Street, was started still earlier, and continued in business until after 1880. As this was the period of cattle raising in Dutch- ess County the tanning business reached considerable importance. David Boyd opened a leather store in Main Street above Market (about 262) in 1821, and a few years later abandoned tlte old tannery on the corner of Washington Street and established one at , w here the leather l)usiness is still carried on by the sank- family. .Mr. Txiyd then, to meet this competition, built a small wooden building on the corner of South Clinton Street and jjlaced his son. John G. I'.oyd, tliere to intercejit the farmers as they came into town. This was soon abandoned, but the little building is still standing, having been moved to front Clinton Street. The Red Mills Tannery was conducted by John G. HISTORY OF P O U G H K E E P S I E . 117 Boyd and Abraham Wiltsie, then by Thomas Long- king, until the purchase of the property by Robert Sanford. One or two of the buildings, including the engine room and chimney are still there. The wool business also attained much importance during this period, and David Boyd dealt considerably in this staple as an adjunct of the tanning business. Conklin & Bowne were also large dealers in wool and built the brick warehouse which still bears the letters "wool" in the rear of 311 Main Street. Under the heading of "Poughkeepsie Wool ]\Iarket" the Eagle of June 24th, 1835, says : "The speculations in wool dur- ing the last week have been large and at good prices. We understand that at least 100,000 pounds have been sold at prices varying according to quality from 40 to 85 cents a pound cash." It was during this period that Xathan Gifford started the cutting of dye woods in Poughkeepsie, af- terwards and for many years one of the most impor- tant industries of the place. Mr. Gifford had worked for Beria Swift at Alechanic (now Millbrook), who is said to have invented the first machinery for cutting dye woods used in America, and came to Poughkeep- sie in 1816. to work as a machinist in the Reynolds & Innis mills. Reynolds & Innis dissolved partnership, probably before the dye wood business began, James Reynolds and his sons taking the jfreighting and grocery business, the last of which has now become one of the leading wholesale establishments on the river, while Aaron Innis retained the mills. At l\Ir. Innis's death in 1838 Rowland R. Sherman, who had been bookkeeper at the storehouse on the dock, enter- ed into partnership with Nathan Gifford and the grinding of dye-woods was made a specialt}". The firm became Gifford, Sherman & Iimis in 1847, when Mr. Innis"s eldest son, George Innis, entered it. The Era of the Ste.xmboat. During this period, 1815-1837, the river steamboat reached the highest point of its commercial usefulness, a fact which had much to do with the growth of Poughkeepsie. In 1825, with competition for the Fulton and Livingston Company, passenger fares had begun to come down, and by 1834 a fare of $1.00 to Xew York was advertised. March 30th, 1827, a Poughkee])sie Steamboat Company was incorporated by James Tallmadge. Thomas J. Oakley, Peter Everitt, James Hooker, X. P. Tallmadge, William Davis, Samuel Pine, Henry Conklin. .A.aron Innis, Matthew \'assar, James Reynolds, John C. A'an \'alkenburgh, Xathan Conklin, Jr., and John Green, but apparently they did not carry out their plans, for in 1835 ^^he ]>apers were advocating the establishment of a local company, and at a village meeting held December 2nd Matthew Vassar, Peter P. Hayes, Henry Conklin, John Brush, Isaac Piatt, Gideon P. Hewitt and Elias Trivett were appointed a committee to see if they could not secure a line to the village. This must have been an effort for a fast passenger day line, for there were already at least four boats each week to X^ew York towing barges and according to Gordon's Gazetteer two steamboats were principally owned in Dutchess County. Advertisements show that the steamboat Congress was towing the "tow-boat" (this was the old name for barge) Clinton from the Upper Landing, J. R. Gary & Co., every Wednesday after- ternoon ; the Union was towing the Hudson from the Union Landing, \'incent, Hayt & Co., every Friday. U. Gregory & Co., who conducted the Lower Land- ing, were not advertising in 1835, '" either the Eagle or the Telegraph, but in 1836 they announced a change of firm to Gregory, Hunt & Co., and also the sailings of the new and substantial barge "Poughkeep- sie." In 1836 G. I. Vincent & Co.* advertised the "tow- boat" Imion from Main Street Landing. The first mention I have seen of "Tow Boats" was in the Tele- graph. June 29th, 1825, when they were brought into use for passengers, who were thus carried "at such a safe distance as to be out of all danger should any accident happen to the boilers and free from the noise of the machinery." They were soon popular and were in use at most of the Poughkeepsie landings before 1830. Back in 183 1 Ver Valin, Adriance & Co..- at the Union Landing advertised that they had bought the Steamboat Richmond, which would run to Xew \'ork every Wednesday for passengers and freight, and in 1837 G. Wilkinson & Co.^ at the Upper Land- ing announced the jnichase of the steamboat Emerald, which would run to New York. The Newburgh and Albany Line was started in 1835, and there was also a line from Hyde Park to New York, stopping at Poughkeepsie. Gordon men- tions a steamboat plxing "twice a day from Pough- keepsie to Newburgh." Regular lines of sloops were still holding a share of the business, and in 1835 the sloop iNIarian, Capt. Joseph Tice, of the "Troy and Poughkeepsie Line," ran from "Marinus Pierce's Lum- ber Yard, foot of Main Street, north side of Steam- boat House," and the "Poughkeepsie and Albany iG. I. Vincent, Thomas M. Vail, H. Conklin and Robert Marshall. 2I.saac H. Ver Valin, John .\driance, Hiram H. Van Vliet, and David Ver Valin. — Dutchess Republican, .\ug. 24, 1831. 3Geo. Wilkinson, .\aron Innis, James R. Gary and How- land R. Sherman. — Telegraph 1837. The personnel of these freighting firms changed almost from year to year. lis HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB Line," packet sloop Index. Ca])!. .\l)iahani ITndcr- uood. from the L'liper Landing. Tile strong; rivalry between the various up-river steamboats that landed at Main Street is well shown by an article in the Eni^lc of April 22. 1835 under di'j head of: STEAMBOAT DEWITT CI.IXTOX A MEAN THICK. It is universally admitted, we believe, that the steamboat DeWitt Clinton is one of the best night boats in the United States * * * We therefore deeply regret to find ourselves under the necessity of recording a very mean and unwarrantable trick, per- foriucd by the officers of this boat on the 12th inst. * * ''' There were on that evening three boats coming down the river: the North America between two and three miles ahead of the others, and the Westchester just far enough ahead of the De \\'itt Clinton to reach the landing first. The two first boats made their regular landings, but about twenty pas- sengers waited to take the DeWitt Clinton, not doubt- ing that she would sto]i. To the surprise of every- body she sent her passengers ashore at the Upper dock with a small boat, and then dashed gallantly past giving the passengers who had waited for her an opportunity of witnessing her energetic moveiuents. and reflecting at leisure on the pleasure of being left behind till the next night. As to the freighting business the steamboats and "tow boats" did in 1835, tlie following from the B(i_^lc of Dec. i^th is interesting: "The amomit of pork and other freight taken to New York by our tow boats for the past ihree weeks has been almost in- creditable. The\ have left four times each week and ha\e carried u]>on an average nearly or quite three hundred tons of freight each. * * * Our streets have been constantl\- crowded wilh teams from all ]iar(s of this county, with many from different i)arts of Columbia and Ulster Counties, and also some from Connecticut." There was a .special cause for this rush, as a cold snap had closed the river above Pongh- kee])sie. and that very day. according to the next week's Eai^lc. the thermometer began to go dnwu uulii it reached 22 degrees below zero at the .\cadem\ on the 17th. "being the coldest weathir ever known at this jilace since thermometers have been used except the famous cold Monday of last year, when it simk to 2(J." This was a period of great development for the hotels everywhere, a by-product of the freighting busi- ness. The Exchange 1 louse at the foot of Main Street was built in 1834, and Cai)t. Warren Skinner, one of the early proprietors, is said to have made a fortune there. It was a popular summer resort for New Yorkers. .Xboul 1S31 Tlu-odorus Gregory bought the Kastern House, corner of .Main and Catherine Streets, developing it from a small tinern to a good hotel, later to acquire fame as a temperance house. Isaac I. iJalding's Northern Hotel, corner of Mill and Wash- ington, was also flourishing. Traveling evervwhere was greatly stimulated by the steamboat, but in winter the stage coach still held sway, even on the Post Road. "Owing to the bad travelling to the north." savs the Xoi ///,/// //,i/i/./ivi/i /y//i>/,>i; /;!/•// iiuitic about /Sy-i. Iiilcllij^fiiccr of .March jyih. 1S33. "or U> tlie attract- iveness of our village ami the excellent hotels it con- tains, we have been favored for a few days with the l^resence of several gentlemen direct from Washing- ton. Among them were Hon. Silas Wright, John A. Collier, Gen. Root and Gen. Pitcher. They appeared in fine health and spirits, the recent canqiaign against nullification notwithstanding." There is ample testinujny' as to the growth of the village at this time. Gordon's Gazetteer ( 1836). be- fore quoted, says, "The increase of the village in the last six years has been 100 per cent," and adds: "Since 1831 more than $100,000 have been ex- pended in o])ening. regulating and paving streets ; over $25,000 in the construction of a reservoir, pipes, etc., for supplying the village with water for the extin- i|nishment of fires, and the following valuable im- provements have been made: 1000 feet of dock and bulkhead including the new shi])yar(l and dock of the whaling com])anies (which alone have a water front iif 4^0 feet) a new brick brewery near 200 feet long, a silk factor\- of brick 4 stories high, 36 x 100 feet, a nt'w market and village hall at a cost of $20,000, 2 Ki)iscopal churches, a new Baptist church on the site l.'X little voUinie entitled "Letters about the Hudson" ( I'Vriin.iu. Hunt & Co., New York, 1837), contains several lot I lis frcMU rouglikccpsic describing its advantages and its L'l-dWtb. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 119 of the old one, a Roman Catholic Church, a second Presbyterian Church, a collegiate school ■/■/ x lOO feet, a young ladies' seminary of large dimensions, two elegant banking houses, a new post office and rai-.ge of offices attached, a new park or square highly orna- mented and stocked with deer, a splendid mansion house opposite and about 40 fashionable modern dwel- lings mostly of brick in the immediate vicinity. Four whaling ships have been built or fitted for sea, and the keel of another lately laid, besides numerous schooners sloops and tow boats. Within the last year upwards of 160 buildings have been erected, proper- ty has risen greatly in value, and in 1835 there was not a single unoccupied tenement in the village." This quotatinn fnmi ('idi'ddii imlicatcs aljout tlu' date of the erection of a new Christ Church ( the old one torn down in 1889), the building of the Con- gregational Church (first organized as a Second Presbyterian) and of the first Roman Catholic church in Poughkee]:)sie. Some of Gordon's items deserve more than pas.-;ing notice. The "new market and vil- lage hall" mentioned was authorized at a village meet- ing in the spring of 1831. On May 24th the trustees 7/i,- I i/Zaxr //"//. 'io:c the ( V/v //rewster for the site, and on June 13th an additional piece of land was purchased of Benjamin 1 lowland at a cost of $1,000 "for the purpose of steighting the Market site and giving sufficient room for the fish market." The corporation borrowed $12,000 for the expenses of building and lot, and July uth ordered notices published for proposals "for building a public market 90 feet long and thirty-six feet wide two stories High to be built of brick in a good and substantial manner and the upper part to be finished for ])ublic rooms." John B. Forbus. James B. Frear and A. J. Coffin were the Ijuilding committee, and in .August they contracted with John G. Sturgis and Wm. Carey, who agreed to put up the building for $7,200. It was finished before win- ter, and remains serviceable, though considerable ad- ditions have recently been made in the rear to accom- modate the city police and public w(M-ks departments. The use of the lower floor as a market continued un- til about the time of the war. The Reservoir axd the Big Fire of 1836. The establishment of the first central water supplw was not effected without a long struggle. A water ccinqiany was incorporated in 1831. but seems not to have done an\- work, and apparently its incorporators. W'.iltiT Cunningham. James Hooker. Gilbert Brews- elr, William Thomas and Alexander Forbus, did not oppose action by the village. The first definite action recorded was the resolution of March ist, 1833, ]iassed by a "Meeting of the Trustees together with Freeholders and inhabitants" as follows: Resolved that the Trustees be Authorized and em- powered to purchase a Lot in their disgression f(jr the purpose of erecting a cistern or fountain sufficient to supply the village with water from the Falikill for tlie extinguishment of fires and leading the same over tile village in pil-)es, if it shall be found expedient so to . 41). There is no mention of Garden Street in these deeds and the property evidently did not include tile old Levi McKeen house. Cottage Hill, which was afterwards called the "Seminary," and had been used as a school, before this time, .\pparentl\- this incor- porated Female Seminary was merged with the Fe- male .Academy wdiich built the large school building in Cannon Street (now the W. C. T. I', building), and opened in May, 1836, with Miss Arabella Bos- wcirtli as the first principal. Miss Bosworth was a teacher of high reputation and had conducted success- ful girls' schools in several locations about the village, one of which was the old Dutchess Hotel building, corner of Mechanic and Cannon Streets. In 1838 Mrs. Isabella Holt was principal of the Female Acad- emy, which advertised board and tuition in English and Latin for a term of 22 wrecks at $75. "Mons. Aweng" was the teacher of French, and continued an active teacher until almost the time of his death a few years ago. Mrs. Congdon's Seminary was advertised in 1835, and Miss Lydia Booth's Female Seminary' must have started not long afterwards in the Cottage Llill build- ing. Miss Booth was a step niece of Matthew Vassar, and in "Vassar College and Its Founder" (p. 59), Mr. Lossing says the Cottage Hill building had once "ac- quired no little fame as the shelter of the exiled iThe first of Miss Booth's advertisements I have seen was in 1838. She issued her "r4th semi-annual circular" in 1843 l-_'4 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. Bi)url)oii of the ( )rleans line. Louis Phillippe. after- wards king of France, who was accompanied by Prince Talleyrand." I know of no evidence in support of this statement, but in later years Mr. Lossing lived in the house next south of Cottage Hill on Garden Street, and he may have had information not now accessible about its early historx-. One of the most important school improvements of this period was the building of a new Dutchess County Academy on the corner of Hamilton and Montgomery Streets, a location then pretty well out- side of the villao-e. The old buildins- was sold in Most of the important buildings mentioned in this chapter can readily be identified in the excellent pic- ture of Poughkeepsie in 1836, on the opposite page. The large house in the foreground is still standing, on the corner of Xorth Clinton and Oakley Streets, though much changed in appearance by the loss of its Grecian columns and the addition of verandas. It was for a long time the home of David .\rnold. At the left is Mansion Square, with the Mansion House (now the Jewett House), the large building on the southwest corner of Clinton Street and Man- sion Square, and the old Thomas L. Davies house. THE •PQTTft inrTrnp gTT! OOIiIiEGIATB SOHOOZi, Incorpora'.cd MayfJe, 1836, 1000 .shares of 100 dollars each, maklus 100,000 oui;hl;cc[>iic Collciiialf Sfhool. 1S37 to J(]hn ]''(]rl)us and was reniowd from the street to which it gave its name to the corner of Thompson and North Clinton Streets, where it still stands. One of the last principals in the old building was Eliphaz Fay, who in 1835 went to the New Paltz Academy for a time, then entered the ministry, and finally re- turned to Poughkeepsie to conduct a private school still well remembered In' older residents. He died in 1854. William ji'nny was the first princi]ial of the new Academy, and at that time there were one hun- dred and twelve pupils, .Many per.sons of jirominence were educated in the ,\cademv. conspicuous. St. Paul's Church was not \et built, l)ut a little further west is the Matthew J. Myers house, in iS^'i. and for several years later the home of Gid- eon 1'. I lewitl, .More in the backgroimd are the Dutchess C'ounl\ Ac;i(leniy. tin- I 'resb\ terian CInn-ch, Christ Church, the J'Vmale Academy, the Court Mouse, and the Dutch Church. The little eluu-eh almost at the extreme right is probabl\ the old St. Peter's. The jjicture presents in the fore- ground the chief neigh))orhooil which the Improve- ment Party was booming, with the newest buildings particiil;irly ]ironiinent. Mansion S(|uare was evi- 126 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. dt'iitly not yet inclosed and it is very doubtful if Gor- don ever had any warrant for his statement thai it was "stocked with deer." (See p. 119). It is also difficult to pick out the "40 fashionable modern dwell- ings mostly of brick in the immediate vicinity." The exaggeration usual at a time of real estate booming was doubtless to be e.xpected. The Re-m. Est .ate Boom. A few words in closing this chapter should be said about the culminating speculation of the period. The b(X)m was well started in Poughkeepsie by 1835. The Bogle of May 27th, says : "As an instance of the rise in real estate in this village, we will mention that two lots in the nortliern section, which last year were sold for $3.75 per foot, again changed hands last week and brought $20 per foot." Truly a fair profit! Who would buy lottery tickets or speculate in stock exchange securities, with so good a chance to get rich right under his nose at home ! The Eagle of Oct. 28th, describes one of the big sales as follows : The public sale of village lots by Geo. P. Oakley, Esq. on Thursday last, went ofi' with Spirit and activ- ity which many did not expect. Every lot advertised — si.xty-nine in number — was sold and at a fair price, ranging from $12 to 75 cents a foot, the lots selhng lowest being situated on low ground and on the mar- gin of the red mill pond. The total amount of the sales was $11,750.77. We understand that upon these sales Mr. Oakley realized an advance of more than $6,cxx)." It was natural in the midst of such a boom that the census of 1835 should prove unsatisfactory, and fail to show as many people as the improvement party hoped. The local papers complained vigorously and even refused to print the figures — 6,281, according to Williams's American Register (1836) compared with 5,023 in 1830. The enumerator must nevertheless have counted most of the boarding school girls, for there was a large excess of females, and Freeman Hunt', in a letter dated Sept. 25th, sa\s: "If you have any xnung men in your goodly city in want of wives, and good ones 1 liave no doubt — some of the fair are certainly very beautiful — I advise you to send them on forthwith to the care of our gallant yovmg friend of the Poughkeepsie Hotel. {A. S. Hatch), as there are in the village, according to tlie census just C(jniplete(l, one thousand one hundred and thirteen unmarried young ladies, ready doubtless, to enter into the blissful state of matrimony." Apparently the advance of property continued with near the reservoir and Alain street 'Letters About the Hudson, p. 19. little interruption up to the early part of the year 1837, when Walter Cunningham was advertismg as follows: UEsiK.\iiLE \'n.i,AGU Lots tor S.\i.E. 5 lots upon Maul St. lying nearly opposite the residence of Mr. Vassar. 10 •■ ■■ Union St. next Mrs. Taylor's residence. 5 '■ " Jefferson street 15 " ■■ Academy street 16 " " Holmes J7 " " Montgomery 30 " " Church 3J " " Cherry 20 " " Cedar ID •' " Mansion' street near the Mansion House and Mansion square II" " Cottage street 8 " '■ Clinton " ID " " Hamilton " 15 " " Catherine " 5 " " Conklin " 9 '■ " Mansion street, near the Seminary property. 5 " " Washington " iS •• ■• Delafield 16 " " Tallmadge " 21 •• •■ Water 20 " " Dock " 10 " " Hudson street and the river lying directly south of the Whale dock. 5 " " Dutchess Ave., fronting on the Park near the residence of N. P. Talmadge Esq. .•\ credit of 5 years with interest annually will be given to those who purchase to improve. Some of these lots doubtless have not yet been built upon, and would not bring as high a price now as they did then, and some streets mapped during the boom have remained unopened or have been opened on different lines and with different names only re- cently. Despite all the activity in real estate, and the laying out and grading of many new streets the village north of Mill Street and south of Montgomery was still mostly "on paper" only, a fact rather graphically illustrated in the newspapers of the day whenever a circus came to town. The circus grounds were on Mill Street, "near the hotel of Isaac I. Balding" — the old Northern Hotel, corner of Washington Street. "The Green," on the opposite (southeast) corner, wlure (he militia had trained probably as late as 1820. was only partly built up and Mill Street still show- ed vacant lots and ample space between houses. On the .south side there were very few houses south cif (."amidii Street, except on Academy and Market and on the nld part of Church Street, between .\cad- emy and Market Streets. The leaders of the Impmvement Parly, however, showed their faith in the future by building large houses for themselves in the new sections. Senator N. P. Tallmadge built on Delafield Street the house af- HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIE. 127 terwards purchased by Captain Luther Elting, and George P. Oakley built Brookside, then called Prim- rose Green, though he lived there only a very short time, the place passing into the possession of Judge Charles H. Ruggles. This house was originally an exact duplicate of the house built by Gilbert Wilkinson on Garden Street, afterwards for a long time the home of Abraham Wiltsie. It may interest some people to know that even in those busy times Poughkeepsie had its "haunted house.'' Henry Brush was the owner and the house was located on the corner of Pine and Tulip Streets. The words "haunted house" appear in the occupant column of the assessment roll. Unfortunately most of the old assessment rolls are not to be found and most of those available are for the Town of Poughkeepsie, and not for the village. Of these I have found none covering the years of the real estate boom. In 1831, however, the town assess- ment was $956,302 real estate and $699,350 personal, making a total of $1,655,652. In 1839 the total had increased to $4,458,060, made up of $2,624,342 real es- tate and $1,833,718 personal. The 1839 list shows that a considerable number of non-residents had been drawn into the real estate movement. John Delafield was the largest real estate holder among these. Jethro Delano was another, and he owned among other lots several on Jay Street, the occupants of which are put down as "Blacks." The Poughkeepsie Silk Company was assessed on many pieces of property, among others on "The Hoffman farm, north of Mill Street," and "The Phillips farm." The latter, I have been told, was the property now known as the Whitehouse Knolls, where it is said the company intended to raise mulberry trees. ( )f course Cunningham and Oakley and Tal- madge occupy a good deal of space in the assessment rolls of the day, and among others who owned more than four lots, or parcels of property each, were John Barnes & Co., assessed on the old French farm, south of Montgomery Street (see p. 109), Peter P. Hayes, Gideon P. Hewitt, Henry Brush, Caleb Barker, Solo- mon V. Frost, John Giles, Smith Thompson, Henry A. Livingston, David B. Lent, James Hooker, Joseph Harris, Uriah Gregory, Theodorus Gregory, William Davies, Thomas L. Davies, Henry Conklin, Nathan Conklin, Estate of Gilbert Brewster, Abel J. Gunn, Maria Tappen and Helen Overbaugh, Joseph Wright, Joseph Williams, Dr. Elias Trivett, James Mills, Abra- ham G. Storm, Jacob I. Eckert and Eli Jennings. The Forbus and \'assar families had large assessments, but on only a few parcels of property. -\, /'. Jalhiun/,;,' j/oust-. /.oiig the llniii,- in irrr of Ciiptain Lidher Elting. A'ou; Ihe home of C. W. H. Arnold, Esq. CHAPTER VII. From the Panic of 1837 to the Incorporation of the Citv of Poughkeepsie, 1854 — Political Effects of the Panic — Senator N. P. Tallmadge and the Conservatives — The Panic and THE Improvement Party — Building of the Railroad — The First Free Public Schools — The Public Library and the Lyceum — New Churches — The Rural Cemetery^First Daily News- papers — Gas Lighting — The Village Fire Department — A City Charter. The panic of 1837 followed a period of extraordin- ary real estate speculation throughout the country, stimulated by a great extension of credit from shaky banks. In Poughkeepsie, however, and in New York State generally the banks were able to weather the storm, though some of them had backed the boomers to a dangerous extent. On the nth of May, the New York city banks, by concerted action, suspended specie payments, and the three F'oughkeepsie banks of course had to follow them, as soon as they heard of the action. That same evening a public meeting at the Village Hall, presided over by Henry A. Livingston, passed resolutions ex- pressing approval of the suspension, pledging the sup- port of the ]5eople and asking the Legislature to sus- pend "imtil February next the operation of the law re- ([uiring banks to redeem their notes in specie." The real estate boom had flattened out two or three months licfore this and by March there were many items in the local i)a])ers complaining of the increasing hard times, and (in the part of the Whig organ, charging the Udubles all to Jackson's anti-ljank policy and \'an I'luren's persistence in the same course. The final blow, nevertheless, seems to have been unexpected, and to have caused an almost total paralysis of busi- ness for a short time. In addition to the collapse of credit, the disappearance of all small change made it impossible to carry on retail trade. The Ea};lc de- risively asked, "Where is the boasted gold currency tliat appeared in the hands of the stool pigeons in 1834? Where the vaunted 'yellow boys,' 'Benton mint drops,' and 'Jackson gold' that were soon to glitter in the purses of the citizens? Where the 'constitutinnal currency' that Gen. Jack.son exerted his 'humble ef- forts' to restore? Where the jirosperity of the country that was so sageh' attributed to the wisdom of the ad- ministration ?" The panic caused a tremendous outburst of parti- sanship and against the fierce invectives of the \\'higs, who saw at last the legitimate outcome of the financial policy they had been so long denouncing, the two Democratic organs made a rather feeble resistance. The publishers of both the Telegraph and the Journal joined with Senator Tallmadge in the call for a county convention, issued a few days after the supension, to demand the repeal of the law forbidding the issuing of small bills, although that law had been passed by their own party only a few years before. In the mean- time private bills of all sorts were put in circulation to keep business going, a fact whicli inspired a number of satirical squibs in the Eagle, like the following from the issue of June 3d : "Our readers will please to excuse any errors they may find in this ])a])er, for we have so many suiN i'LASTKus to print that we can hardly s])are time to give it necessary attention. Down with thK H.\NKS! !" Having taken his stand against one of the chief policies of his party. Senator Tallmadge gradually be- came the leader of a faction known as the Conserva- tives, who opposed the establishment of a sub-treasury and tlic withdrawal of government deposits from the lianks. The Journal warmly supported him and lioisted at tile liead of its editorial columns the motto "S.MAI. 1. Ilii.i.s AND i\o Sub Treasury." The breach with the regular Democracy, upon whom the term "Loco-Foco" was now fastened, steadily widened until 'i'allmadge was finally read out of his party, and in the s|)ring of 1838 he was propo.sed as a Whig candidate fnr vice-president of the L'uited States, as we learn from tlic following editorial in the Eagle of May 19th under the head of: // / 5 V o R V or roue ii k n n p s i n. 129 CONSP.RVATIVF, NOMINATIONS. The New York Times — the leading conservative paper in this state — of Thursday last, displa3s the flag of Henry Clay, for the next presidency, and Nathaniel P. Tallmadge for the vice presidency. This movement is an important one, and it is said by those who profess to know that it will be followed by the conservatives of Mrginia. We look upon Mr. Clay's nomination by our National Convention, and subsequent election, to be as certain as any other future event. Towards Mr. Tallmadge we cherish the most friendly feelings per- sonally, but he must furnish evidence of repentance for his political sin of voting for the damning c.vpnngc of the tyrant Jackson's administration, and submit his claims to the national Convention, to obtain the sup- port of the Whigs. Presumably Senator Tallmadge furnished evidence of repentance when he supported, and virtually elected, William H. Seward governor of the State over Wil- liam H. Marcy in the fall. The Conservatives had a separate organization in Dutchess County in 1838. their central committee being Joseph Harris, Henry Conklin, Paraclete Potter, Gilbert I. Vincent, Samuel B. Button, William Broas, Peter P. Hayes, John M. Cable, Barnet Hawkins, John Adriance and Joseph H. Jackson. The last of these was the editor of the Ponghkccpsic Journal, which had been in the posses- sion of Jackson & Schram since 1834, and had been a Democratic paper since 1828. In September, 1838, it hoisted Seward's name above Marcy's for governor and became thereafter virtually a Whig organ, the Telegraph meanwhile, after some wabbling, which called down upon it occasional criticism from ex- treme Loco-Focos, swung back into line before the fall election. The Democratic or Loco-Foco Central Com- mittee of Dutchess County in this campaign was Elias T. Van Benschoten, Seward Barculo, Caleb Morgan, Elias Westervelt, George C. Marshall, Egbert B. Killey, Robert Mitchell, Elijah Baker and Isaac Nash. The W^hig committee was Henry A. Livingston, Gilbert W'ilkinson, John Cowles, Isaac I. Balding, Josiah Bur- ritt, Matthew Vassar, Jr., Isaac Piatt, John G. Parker, H. R. Sherman, William I. Street, and Jacob De Groff. The combination of Whigs and Conservatives car- ried everything, and the Whig legislature of 1839 rewarded 'N. P. Tallmadge by re-electing him to the United States Senate, where he had become a leader of national importance. During the summer of 1839 both President \'an Buren and Henry Clay visited Poughkeepsic. \an Buren, who had been here several times before he becaiue President, arrived via the post road from the south on July 15th. He was met at Channingville by iThurlow Weed's Autobiography, p. 460. Hon. Charles II. Ruggles, then a circuit judge, and a considerable number of enthusiastic Democrats from Poughkeepsic. The ardor of the reception on the arrival of the President in the village was somewhat dampened by a steady rain, but marshalled by Gen. Leonard Maison, with Col. Henry Pine and David Barnes, Jr., as assistants, the procession traversed the most important streets and ended at the Poughkeepsie Hotel, where President \''an Buren remained over night. There were speeches and receptions, and the Telegraph said, "More than two thousand persons must have shaken the President by the hand during the day." These included very few of his opponents, for so intense was the partisan feeling that Conservatives and Whigs remained at home or came out only to jeer and taunt the Democrats. The Journal said of the President: "He comes among us like a snake in the grass, seeking under his official character to forward party measures," and the Eagle printed a long mock address to "His Majesty, King Martin I." In the morning President Van Buren drove down below tnwn to call upon Hon. Smith Thompson, who lived where the Rural Cemetery is now located, and then paid a visit to the school at College Hill, the pride of the village. Henry Clay's visit to Poughkeepsie occurred on Monday, August 19th. He came down from the north on the Steamboat Erie, accompanied by Senator Tall- madge and Gen. Brush and was welcomed by a great crowd of citizens from all parts of the county. He was escorted to the Poughkeepsie Hotel, then kept by Leonard B. Van Kleeck, where an address of welcome was delivered by Robert Wilkinson, Esq., to which the great Whig leader eloquently responded, address- ing the cheering crowd in the streets from the piazza of the hotel. "Who that visits Poughkeepsie," said Mr. Clay, "while admiring the beauty and pleasantness of the place, can forget the gallant band of Conserva- tives in this and adjoining counties, who burst asunder the shackles of party to unite with their former op- ponents and preserve their country and its institu- tions." This prefaced a warm personal tribute to Mr. Tallmadge. There was a reception at the court house and a dinner, attended by three hundred men, at the hotel, and in the afternoon Mr. Clay must needs be taken to visit the schools. At College Hill "he was introduced by Mr. I'artlett to a large number of ladies." Pie next visited the "flourishing Friends' Boarding School" on Mansion Square, and "in the evening he received the calls of ladies who repaired to the hotel in great numbers to see him. The rooins were also constantly thronged until ten o'clock by citi- zens." The next dav Mr. Clav drove in a barouche to 130 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. Fishkill, escorted by a cavalcade of horsemen from Wappingers Falls and a large number of his friends. The Eagle report says that a spectator on the steps of Christ Church counted eighty-six carriages in the procession at it passed down Market Street, and adds, "At no period in our history, the reception of La- Fa3'ette included, has such enthusiasm been witnessed among our people." A rather ungracious comparison was made with the reception of President Van Buren, who was described as "a haughty aristocrat with his coach and out rider, a dandy in tights displaying a courtly grace to the aristocracy and too proud to dine with the people." The disappointment of the Poughkeepsie A\'higs was keen enough at the failure of the Harrisburgh convention of December, 1839, to nominate Clay for the presidency, though the Eagle bowed to the "wis- dom of the convention" and even managed to say on the next week that the nomination of Harrison and Tyler gave "universal satisfaction." No local refer- ence seems to have been made at the time to the fact that Senator Tallmadge had refused ^ the nomina- tion for vice president on the ticket with General Har- rison, along with several other friends of Henry Clay. Could he have foreseen that "Tippecanoe and Tall- madge too" might have become a popular alliteration, he would probably not have thrust aside his one chance for the presidency of the United States, and Poughkeepsie's chance of being the home of a presi- dent. He seems to have repented his rashness before the next presidential campaign, for in 1843. the Poughkeepsie Journal carried his name at the top of its editorial column with Henry Clay's. I think there is no evidence that he had any very good chance for the nomination at that time, though he would doubtless have been a stronger candidate than Frelinghuysen. It is notable that during this time of partisan bit- terness the record of long tenure of the Poughkeepsie postofficc was made-. Col. Jacob \'an Lienthuysen had been appointed postniaskr by ['resident Jackson in 1829. The extreme l"ocos of Van llureu's administration made .some efforts to prevent his re- appointment and the Whigs objected somewhat to his retention under Harrison and T\kr. but he held the office to the time of his death in July, 1846, when President Polk aii])ointed Egbert B. Killey, editor of the Telegraph. The office, it is said, had been in the old "Lawyers' Row" — the site of the present post- office — in Market Street before Col. Van Benthuv- sen's time, but he moved it to Garden Street, doubtless to "the new post office" referred to in the quotation from Gordon's Gasetteer in the last chapter (p. 119). 'Carl Schurz's "Henry Clay" Vol. II, p. t8o. -For list of postmasters of Poughkeepsie see .Appendix. This buliding stood on the east side of the street, and was a part of the property burned in the big fire of Dec. 26th, 1870. Mr. Killey continued the office there and it remained in the same place until May, 1851, when Isaac Piatt moved it back to Market Street, to the old Brush house, on the corner of Union Street, where it remained until Albert Van Kleeck took the more commodious quarters in the lower floor of the City Hall after the war. Mr. Albert S. Pease, who succeeded Isaac Piatt as postmaster in 1853, was a clerk in the old Garden Street office during Mr. Killey's term, and with An- drew Ely, another clerk, slept in the office. He relates that Mr. Killey had "a large and very noisy bell" suspended over their bed, so that they could be awak- ened if the mail arrived in the night, the bell being connected to a knob outside. It was not long before the boys and the general public learned the location of the knob "and it soon seemed to become the duty of every person who went through Garden Street, at any and all hours of the night, to give that knob a yank and make the clamorous, sleep-murdering bell ring like — Sheol." In those days, before the building of the railroad, the mails from north and south were still brought by stage coach when the river was closed in the winter. "The stages were due to arrive at some uncertain hour in the night — hence the supposed need of that accursed bell. Sometimes the stages from the north would be a day or two behind time, by reason of depth and drifts of snow. The mail they carried was all in one great leather bag as big as a hogshead, the whole contents of which had to be dumped out upon a great table and looked over, and after all matter for Pough- kee])sie and such county offices as had stage connec- tion from Poughkeepsie had been extracted, all the re- maining matter, together with that to be sent from Poughkeepsie, was returned to the great bag and hoisted upon the stage and safely secured in the 'boot,' and away she went behind four weary horses wet with ice, snow and i)erspiration, which .steamed from their warm bodies in clouds of mist." Garden Street was a favorite neighborhood for lawyers' offices at this time, the "Law Building" on the west side of the street — where Frost & Luckey are located — having been recently erected. The Sur- rogate's office was there for some time before 1847; then after a contest of more than usual spirit, in which John P. H. Tallman defeated John Thompson, the little building on the corner of Market and Union Streets was erected by the county. It was built originally with only one room in order to prevent the Surrogate from carrying on his own law practice there. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 131 In 1845 Daniel Webster was in Poughkeepsie ap- parently for several da^s, but his visit was not politi- cal. The Telegraph of Nov. 26, in its report of circuit court cases on trial at the Court House, has the follow- ing under date of Nov. 21st: ■'Derrick Lansing and others vs. David Russell and wife and others. This is an issue from the Court of Chancery, sent here from the third circuit to try the \alidit_\- of two deeds executed by Cornelius Lansing, in hi.-; life time, and alleged by the plaintitTs to have been obtained by fraud. The cause commenced this morning and occupied all day, all day Saturday, Mon- day and Tuesday, and was still going on when our reporter left. * * * For the plaintiiif Judge Bnel of Troy, Messrs. Barculo «S: Swift of Pougiikeepsie. For the defense Hon. Daniel Webster of Mass., Samuel Stevens of Albany and Gen. Maison of Poughkeep- sie." was the official celebration, but each of the political parties had planned to take advantage of the occasion. The Democrats started the idea and then the Whigs determined to outdo them. Excursions by steamboat came from many river towns, and the crowd was esti- mated at from 10,000 to 15,000. The Democrats were content at length with a crowded meeting in tlie vil- lage hall, but the Whigs had a monster parade mar- shalled by Charles W. Swift, and a great mass meeting at College Grove, on the west side of College Hill, where Senator William C. Preston of North Carolina, and Hon. Henry A. Wise of \'irginia, were among the speakers. A dinner at the Poughkeepsie Hotel, and more speaking in the evening, from a platform in front of the Court House, followed. The log cabin, raccoon and hard cider, and the L2^(| |,J To the Journal & Eagle Priiiliii!; Esiiilijlsjiiiinii, |lr. 11 ' y 1^ V I Received Payment, 3 in and .11U Main «t. P.iin.|iko.|wi,-. /)'/// of Journal and Eagle. Webster summed uj) for the defense, the court room being crowded with people, including many ladies. The lawyers are still telling stories as to how nuich brandy he consumed the night before, and one of the traditions is to the effect that he had to be helped to the court room. There is naturally no proof in support of these assertions. The Telegraph (un- friendly to Webster's party) said on Dec. 3d: "We think the argument of Daniel Webster on that occasion not only did credit to his great abilities, but was such a feast as we are not often treated with. The jury after being out but a short time came with a verdict for the defendants." The campaign of 1840 deserves more than passing notice. It included a monster celebration of the Fourth of July, often referred to in later years, and described as a sort of triple celebration. In the morning the military held the usual parade, marshalled by Col. Henry Pine, with William I. Street as orator. This torchlight paratles, so popular everywhere, were not wanting in Poughkeepsie. The log cabin was erected on the north side of Main Street below Wash- ington, about where Mrs. Foster's soda bottling works are located. Robert Fanning, a respectable citizen, was raising a flag on it soon after its completion when he slipped and fell to the ground and was killed. It was the subject of numerous cartoons in Benson J. Lossing's Fire of the Flint, a paper started for this campaign only, though revived in 1844. With all the enthusiasm of the marching and song singing Poughkeepsie was carried by the Whigs by but a small majority, while the county went Democratic and Rich- ard D. Davis was elected member of congress. The Whigs did not again win the county until 1844, when Poivghkeepsie gave Clay 463 majority. At the close of the year 1843 the old Poughkeepsie Journal ceased to have have a separate existence. Mr. Jackson sold his interest, William Schram entered into Hon. SEWARD BARCT'I.O, County Judge 1S45, Supreme Court Judi^e /S./y. HISTORY OF POUGHKEBPSie. 133 partnership with Isaac Piatt, and on January 6, 1844, the first number of the Journal and Eagk was issued. The double title was retained until 1850 when the name "Journal" was dropped. In .\ugust, 1844, the publishers installed a new press described as a "Napier double cylinder, and calculated to roll out news at the rate of fifteen hundred or two thousand an hour without puffing at all." During the cami)aign of that year Messrs. Piatt & Schram published a paper called The Club in opposition to Lossing's Fire of tin- Flint. It was advertised at 75 cents per annum or "from its commencement until Henry Clay's election to the Presidency at fifty cents." One of the young men who learned the printer's trade in Ponghkeepsie, in the office of the Telegraph. not long before this time, was Isaac Van Anden, who went from here first to \\'hite Plains, and then to Brooklyn, where, in 1841, he established The Brooklyn Eagle, named presumably from the Poughkeepsie Eagle. He was afterwards joined by Samuel \\'. Hester, his brother-in-law. a well-known Poughkeepsie builder. A story often told by the late Judge E. Q. Eldridge illustrates how news was obtained before there was either railroad or telegraph. A few days after the election in 1840, a big crowd of Democrats, jubilant in the knowlege of having carried Dutchess County, assembled at the foot of Main Street with a brass band to await the arrival of the steamboat from the south with the expected news of Van Buren's reelection. Presently the watchers on Kaal Rock reported the steamer in sight and Van Buren cheers rent the air. As the Imat drew nearer the sound of music on board Cduld be faintly heard and it was noticed that she was decorated with flags. Surely she had the news, but what news? The crowd was silenced while all ears were strained to try to make out wliat the band on the boat was playing. Could it be — yes it was "Tippe- canoe and Tyler Too!" There was a stir in the crowd, the news spread rapidly, and a lot of people were observed making their way back up Main Street hill. By the time the steamboat reached the landing there was just as large a crowd as before anfl unbounded en- thusiasm, but all were \\'higs ! The issues growing out of the Panic of 1S37 held more or less attention until 1844, by which time slavery, the proposed annexation of Texas, and the Native .\mcrican or "Know Nothing" movement were occupying nnich of the local editorial space. The Teni])erance movement was also becoming important. In August, 1841, the Journal said: "The Temperance cause is progressing rapidly in Poughkeepie. The Young Men's Temperance Society meets once and sometimes twice a week and adds to its member- ship at each meeting from 50 to 60 members." In 1842 a paper called The Temperance Safeguard was started by G. K. Lyman. It was "devoted to total abstinence, morals, agriculture, miscellany and news," surely an attractive combination, and was published for at least five years. The fact that among its advertisers was "The New Tem- perance Grocery," 358 Main Street, Richard Aldrich, reminds us of the time when every grocery store thought it necessary to offer a customer a glass of rum. The Sons of Temperance were organized before 1847, probably by Rev. Charles Van Loan. Accord- ing to French's Gazetteer there was also a paper in Poughkeepsie called The Safeguard, distinct from The Temperance Safeguard. The Thoinpsonian, devoted to the doctrines of the Thompsonian School of Medi- cine, was first ]nti)lished. May 12th, 1838. It was edit- ed by Dr. A. H. Piatt and owned by Thomas Lapham. The Native American movement w'as strong enough in November, 1845, to warrant the establish- ment of a newspaper, the Poughkeepsie American, by Augustus T. Cowman. In 1848 the paper supported General Taylor for president, and in 1849 was sold to Isaac Tompkins and became a Democratic organ. Elias Pitts purchased it in 1850 and sold it in 1853 to Edward B. Osborne, who changed the name to The Dutchess Democrat, and made it the organ of the "hard shell" branch of the party. The anti-Masonic party had in the meantime long since spent its force. The organization of the Odd Fellows in 1838 shows the decay of the general feeling against secret societies, and in 1852 Masonry was again started with the founding of Poughkeepsie Lodge, the charter members of which were Abram N. Sweet, John Broas, Samuel Chichester, George Gaus- man, John E. Eisel, Elias G. Hopkins, George Kent, Isaac F. Russell, and Andrew Centner. The nomination of General Taylor in 1848 was an even greater disappointment to the Poughkeepsie Whigs than that of Gen. Harrison had been in 1840 and it was several weeks before the Eagle got scjuarely into line in his support but he carried the county by a large majority, the vote standing — Taylor 5,377> Cass 3,227, and Van Buren 1,294. The Free Soilers ap- parently had no local organ then, which perhaps ac- counts for the small Van Buren vote, but this branch of the party nevertheless steadily increased and not long after Cass's defeat the Telegraph became its rep- resentative. President Taylor appointed the editor of the Eagle postmaster to succeed the editor of the Tele- graph, a fact which did not deter the Eagle from vig- orous denunciation of the fugitive slave law passed in Fillmore's administration. ISAAC PI.ATT, HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. 135 There were some arrests of fugitive slaves in Poiighkeepsie, which stirred the people considerably, notably that of a man named John M. Bolding, who had lived here four years and become well established as a tailor, but was claimed as the property of Barrett Anderson of South Carolina. The Eagle of August 30, 1851, says in its report: "He was seized therefore while suspecting nothing, hurried directly into the carriage and that driven rapidly down the street to the cars, and placed in them only two or three minutes before the whistle blew and they were ofif. He had been married sonie six months before, but had no time to speak or send a message to his wife after his arrest." Subsequent issues of the paper tell of efforts to secure the man's release on habeas corpus proceedings with- out success, and then of a popular subscription to pur- chase his freedom, "although his i\iaster exhibits a most mean and vindictive spirit, demanding for him $1,500 and $200 for his expenses, far more than he can obtain for him anywhere." The money was suc- cessfully raised in a few days and Bolding returned and lived here until his death in April, 1876. In an obituary article published then it is stated that Bol- ding had escaped from a Mrs. Dickinson, who after- wards happened to come to Poughkeepsie to live, and finding him here sold him without his knowledge to Anderson of South Carolina for $800, the dramatic arrest by a U. S. marshal from New York following. TilU P.ANIC .\ND THli iMTKOVIiMKNT P.\RTY. It is time now to turn back and study more in de- tail the effects of the Panic of 1837 on the affairs and prospects of Poughkeepsie. There seems to have been a rapid recovery of a certain amount of confi- dence after the suspension of the banks, and the panic did not at once ruin the promoters known as the Im- provement Party, or their enterprises. The schools established, as we have seen, became the pride of the village, the whaling companies contiiuied, and it was evidently the increasing scarcity of whales and some losses by shipwreck that caused their final suspension. The Tclcgral'li of May 17th, 1837, has the following: "Good Voyage. — The whale ship Vermont. Cap- tain W. H. Topham, belonging to the Poughkeepsie Whaling Company, arrived here on Monday with a full cargo, having on board 3000 barrels of oil, of which between 400 and 500 are sperm, and about 28,000 lbs whale bone. The \'ermont has been on the coast of New Holland' and New Zealand, and was just one year and eleven months from the time of leaving the port of New York to making it again." Possibly the hard times affected the market for oil and whalebone. At any rate Alexander Forbus was appointed receiver of this company in September, iQld name of Australia. 1838, but its remaining ships were purchased by the Dutchess Company which continued in business until after 1844. In the Eagle of November loth, 1838, we read that the ship A'. P. Talhuadge was spoken in May last, "when she had taken 1050 barrels of sperm, and 350 of whale oil ; with the accompanying quantity of bone, all worth at least $35,000. This sounds very well and shows that those speculators who have ex- cited the wrath of the correspondent of the New York Bi'e)iing Post have not quite ruined the town yet." The Democrats, of course, charged the panic all to the speculators, and Richard D. Davis, who as we have seen was elected to congress in 1840, was defeated as a candidate for village trustee in 1838, partly perhaps because he was quoted as saying that there were a large number of men "in this town who must go down because they owe five times as much as they can pay." It does not appear, however, that the leading boomers did go down until 1841, probably as a result of the second period of depression that began in 1840. The intense partisanship that grew out of the discussions over the panic affected even village elec- tions, which up to thi.-^ time seem to have been general- ly decided upon purely local issues. The trustees of 1837 were all re-elected, however, in 1838, though they had scarcely paused in the levying of assess- ments for street improvement. Only two weeks after the suspension of specie payments an assess- ment of 6g cents a foot was recorded against Union Street "from the end of the pavement to the east side of Clover Street." On June 1st Mansion Street was assessed for g'rading, gravelling, curb- ing, etc., at $1.12 a foot from Hamilton to Catherine. This fell chiefly on the real estate boomers, the lot owners being Paraclete Potter, Gideon P. Hewitt George P. Oakley, Elan Dunbar, John Coller, Isaac Broas, John D. Robinson and St. Paul's Church. Clinton Street, from Main to Mansion, and Smith Street, from Main "to the lane north of David B. Lent's dwelling house," were assessed for improvement in October and November. Ne.xt to Mr. Lent, Theo- doras Gregory was the largest landholder in this sec- tion. Church Street, but recently extended down the hill from Market, was assessed to Clover Street Nov. i6th at $2.09 a foot for grading, etc. James Hooker, James Emott, Philip S. Crooke and Henry Brush ap- pear as the largest owners. There were other minor assessments on the older streets, and if all the newly opened lots were unsalable the burden must have been a rather heavy one for some persons. Clinton Street from Main south. Cannon Street from Hamilton to the Reservoir and Church Street from Hamilton to Clin- ton were laid out about this time. 136 HISTORY OF P O U G H K E E P S I E. Ill tlie countr\- farm lands continued to advance. The Journal of Jan. 31st, 1838, tells of several good sales, including a 200 acre farm in Amenia "pur- chased four years since for $45, sold during the last ten davs for $66j/^ the acre," and a farm in the town of Washington which hrought $no an acre. "It is one of the strange features of the times that while the business of the merchant has been greatly embarrass- ed, and the operation of the mechanic and manufac- turer alnidst wholly suspended, the products of the farm, with the single excejJtion of wool, have com- manded a very ready market at very high prices." The backbone of business was evidently sound and with the resumption of specie payments in the spring the hopes of the boomers in Poughkeepsie were evi- dently revived. The Pouglikccpsic Journal of June 13th and June 20th, contains articles on Poughkeepsie luiproreiuenls During the Pressure, which present an outline of the leading industries of the village and show conclusively that the spirit of enterprise was still alive. "Indeed so indomitable is the spirit of improvement among us. that even the severe pressure of the past season could not wholly restrain its movements." The fur- nace of Messrs. McDuffie, Sharp & Proper is men- tioned as having cast $40,000 worth of stoves during the year. It was located near the whale dock. Henry Whinfield & Co. had erected their carpet manufactory "of brick and very substantial" at a cost of more than $25,000 since the fall of 1837. It had 30 looms. "This establishment is adjacent to the silk factory and in the same vicinity are also Mr. Pelton's and Mr. Delafield's Cari)et factories." Of Charles M. Pelton's factory the Journal says : "This establishment has been gotten up within the past eighteen months and manufactures about 30,000 yards of ingrain Carpeting per annum." Delafield's Carpet and Rug Factory made about 15,000 yards of ingrain carpeting "and about 300 beautiful hearth rugs ])er annum." Messrs. Thomas Christy & Co. made "paper hangings" in a brick building "very s])acious and substantial," erected on Water Street, "by William Davis, Esq." This establishment had "sprung up in defiance of pressure" and was "manufacturing even in these times 3,000 pieces of paper hangings i)er week." The Poughkeepsie Screw Manufacturing Company "commenced in a small way 5th of July last in the very midst of the panic," was now enlarging and was making "weekly 800 gross of wood screws of assorted sizes" and hoped soon to make 4.000. It was described as due to the "exertions nf cuir in- genious and cnterprisiivg townsman Gen. Thdinas W . Harvey." Williams's Woolen Factory, idle for a year, had come into the hands of Mr. Richard Titus and was "doing" a large business." Vassar's Brewery, "completed eighteen months since." was making "not- withstanding the hard times rising 20,000 barrels of ale" worth $6 to $6.50 a barrel. A revival of business at the brickyards was also noted. "Messrs. R. Tyson & Co. set up a new yard last year which with the very extensive concerns of Messrs. C. Vassar & Co., of Mr. Haley and of Mr. Underbill are all fully employed in fs -agiK g'^ fgS:" T/ie Brezvery at the River. From /.o.ss!ii_i;'s Vassar College and its /■h/i/n/cr. the manufacture of those large and beautiful pressed bricks which have latterly been so generally used in the city for the fronts of their best houses, and which are so familiarl\- known by the name of roughkeepsie Stretchers." Charles \'assar lived in the large house still stand- ing on the southwest corner of Main and Cluxer Streets until 1837, when he sold to James Clegg, who opened a grocery store in the lower floor, which was long a prominent down-tdwn place of resort. Mr. Vassar built the brick row (if buildings on Market Street from the Armory northwanl. and is said to have lost liea\-ily by the wnture. Ills brick\ard, 1 have been l(il/is/uit ni /S/i. Tallmadge, Henry Ibbottson and Paraclete Potter were the organizing commissioners of this company, the purpose of which was described as "the manu- facture of locomotive engines, iron rails, plates and other iron apparatus of rail roads and rail-road cars." Mr. Lossing in an illustrated article on Poughkeepsie in 77(1' Family Magazine (Vol. 6, p. 240) says : "This establishment is situated on the Hudson, directl}- mirth of the Poughkeepsie Whaling Company. It is much the most extensive of the kind in America, being cap- able of producing from seventy-five to one hundred locomotive engines with their tenders annually. It is under the direction of R. M. Bouton. Esq., one of the best engineers in the country." The main building was some two hundred and fifty feet in length. The as lenders or endorsers. It seems rather remark- able that the banks were able to hold out. Oakley was succeeded as cashier of the Poughkeepsie by E. P. Benjamin soon after the panic, and Cunningham was succeeded by James H. Fonda, father of Walter Cunningham Fonda, as cashier of the Dutchess Coun- ty, in 1841. The Farmers' Bank, it is said, did not even pass a dividend and there is no evidence that the Poughkeepsie Bank was in danger, but the Dutchess County Bank was found to be so badly in- volved in the enterprises of Cunningham and his friends, that at the expiration of its charter, July ist, 1845, its business was wound up and the Merchants' Bank was organized to take its place. This was not regarded exactly as a failure, for in the course of 138 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE tinu' the Dutcliess County Hank was able to realize on much of its security, paid all note holders and depositors and about 30 per cent, to stockholders. More than its full capital had been loaned to the members of the Improvement Party, and $317,416, or more than half its capital, to its own officers and stockholders, according to the statement of its con- dition on May 10th, 1837. No bank has ever been organized in Poughkeepsie since with so large a capital. The Merchants' Bank started July 2d, 1845, with capital of $110,000, and with Matthew J. Myers presi- dent and Jaines H. Fonda cashier. The first direct- ors were Matthew J. Myers, Alexander Forbus, Isaac Merritt, Abraham G. Storm, Caleb Barker, John Ad- riance, Thomas M. Vail, John T. Schryver, Alex- ander J. Coffin, James Emott. Jr., Solomon V. Frost, George Pomeroy and David Arnold. The effects of the panic were long felt, but by 1852 the growth of business warranted the organization of a fifth bank, the Fallkill. William C. Sterling, Augustus Jillson, Henry Coffin , John Thompson, Casper D. Smith. Samuel T. Taber, Thomas R. Payne, Eleazer D. Sweet, Elias Titus, Henry D. Myers, Joseph C. Doughty, William W. Reynolds and John Bloom were the first directors. Mr. Sterling was chosen presi- int of ini]wrtance on the Connecticut hne. All the hills run north and south across the county and the Poughkeepsic boom- ers seem to have been more willing to get other peo- ple to put in money than to invest their own. The project was put to sleep by the panic, though un- doubtedly the promoters of the Locomotive Engine Company expected it to be revived in time to make use of the products of their factory. Its long post- ponement, as will appear, was due to the fact that as soon as efforts were made to enlist the aid of the farmers and the people of Pine Plains and other in- terior towns, the rival plan of a terminus at Fishkill was encountered. The Hudson River Railroad was merely a dream until 1841, and was seriously discussed only when the Harlem road, then called the "New York and .\lbany,"' had actually begun preparations to extend its line through Eastern Dutchess to Albany. Matthew Vassar and a few others then began to fear that the county trade would be diverted from Poughkeepsie to the eastern towns. They employed Richard D. .Morgan, an engineer, to make a cursory survey to see if it was possible to build a line along the promon- tories through the Highlands and he reported favor- ably. That there could ever have been controversies and serious difficulties over obtaining a charter and necessary capital for "America's Greatest Railroad" seems almost incredible now, but such was the case. After his cursory survey in the Highlands Mr. Mor- gan addressed a meeting at the Poughkeepsie Hotel, Feb. 25th, 1842, at which we are told only a very few people would listen to his arguments at all. Some thought a railroad along the river preposterous — that it could never compete with the boats — while some of the boatmen on the othrr hand thought it might ruin their business. 'J'he Ulv^Ic and the Tclci^raph kept the project before the people, and, according to the former, "a small body comprising about a baker's dozen, resolved to go ahead for the work, and they made an application to the legislature for a charter." Their i)etitions were treated at Albany "with so much conleni])! that those who undertook to call attention to tluni in the legislature were hardly treated with decent courtesy." In March, 1842, a convention of delegates from river towns assembled at the village hall at Poughkeepsie, but only a dozen or so repre- sented other places and there were not more than thirty persons in the liall. This meeting, nevertheless, ap- pointed a "Hudson River Rail Road Central Executive »"Tlie New York and Albany Rail Road Company have advertised for proposals for tlie grading, masonry and l)ri(lges on ninety miles of the road in Diiteliess, Putnam and West- chester counties."— Jan. 6, 1841, Poughkeepsie Journal. Finance and Correspondence Committee," made up of the men who had already been active in the matter : M. Vassar, Thomas L,. Davies, Isaac Piatt and E. B. Killey. The Telegraph gives the chief credit for the completion of the enterprise to this committee. Sub- scription books were opened and $1,450 were raised for the preliminary expenses of obtaining a complete sur- vey, and a charter. The survey was made by Rich- ard D. Morgan, but at a second attempt before the Legislature for a charter "A respectful hearing could not be obtained." "Not a village on the river aided us in the expense," says the Eagle, "and had exertions stopped here all would have been lost." The applicants for a charter were charged with wishing merely to head off the Harlem road, and in 1843 there was a bitter controversy between Alder- man Moses G. Leonard, of New York, and Matthew \'assar, the former charging the latter with having said "that they had no intention to construct a Rail- road along the River, but they had merely resorted to this movement in order to protect their property along the river." The Journal seems to imply, in the following, from an article in its issue of March 22d, that there was possibly some truth in the assertion : ".\lr. X'assar had no authority to speak on that point fi>r an)- but himself, and if he did say (which he de- nies) what is attributed to him. it furnishes no proof either of the infeasibility of the river route or of the opinions of the hundreds who have petitioned for a charter. We know that the ctimmittee of which Mr. \ assar is chairman entertain no such views." \ ery few people in New York city could be got to listen to the scheme of the Poughkeepsie committee, and the city newspapers either condemned it or con- sidered it of small importance until 1845, when John Childe, an eminent engineer' of Springfield, Mass., published a letter expressing faith in its practicability. Then going to w-ork once more with a will, the com- mittee succeeded in enlisting a number of New York men of wealth and standing, and finally overcame objections and obtained the charter. May 12th, 1846. The enemies of the road, however, succeeded in the incorporation of a requirement that $3,000,000 must be subscribed before March 1st, 1847, with 10 per cent, paid in. This necessitated strenuous exertions and while they were in jjrogress, Oct. 19th. 1846. the first telegraph oflice was opened in Poughkeep.sie In' "The New York, Albany and Buffalo Telegraph Coni- ])any." Professor Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, lived just outside of the limits of the 'Isaac Piatt had himself helped to keep the project alive In- writing a series of articles, pnhlished in the New York Times and signed "Civil Engineer." HISTORY OF POUGHKERPSIB 141 village, and there was imicli interest in his method of sending conninications "as quick as lightning." It was none too quick for the people during the last week or two of February, 1847, ^"fl when the dots and dashes of the tape roll in the office in Garden Street conveyed the news that the $3,000,000 neces- sary to "save the charter" of the Hudson River Railroad had been subscribed' there was great re- joicing. The Eoi^lc of February 27th, which printed the annonnccnicnt. with a histf)rical sketch of the prog- ress and difficulties nf the uriginal pnnnoters, says that the excitement in Poughkecpsie was so great that even the approaching municipal election was almost forgotten. Bonfires were ligiited and salutes were fired and there was a general celebration with a "splendid sup- per at the first depot, the Poughkepsie Hotel * * * prepared by the host, Mr. Rutzer, in the best style of the times. * * * Tlie first business being com- pleted, M. Vassar, Esq. ,2 acting as chief conductor, aided by Jacob B. Jewett, Stephen 1!. Trowbridge and John .\(lriance. assistant conductors, Isaac Piatt and F. 1'.. Kille}' as brakemen, started the train upon a new track." This was, of course, the speech-making, which inclu. M. The connection was made at a dock, to which a ccjvered ])assageway led, where the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club House stands. This prop- erty is still owned by the railroad company. The first annual statement of the road covering nine months of operation up to Sept. 30th. showed passenger earnings of $242,573.10 and freight earn- ings of $18,575.76. There was a balance above o])er- ating expenses of $110,974.83. The ro;id bad tlkii been doulile-trackcd to Peekskill. At this time the right of way had not all been obtained above Pough- keejxsie and John Thonipson, who was employed in oI)taining it. was having cdusiderabli' trduble with the owners of large estates along the river. The continued prosperity of the railroad was a source of much satisfaction and the local papers con- tain many items about it. On January 7th, 1854, in connection with the announcement of the purchase of six locomotives and a number of passenger cars is the following: "The road now uses thirty-six thousand cords of wood a year, which costs with the sawing, $5.50 per cord. One locomotive is in use burning coal." In 1853, when the Harlem Railroad was straining every nerve to get business away from the Hudson River Railroad, and had reduced the fare from Albany to New York to $1.00. the latter com- pany was advised not to meet the ruinous reduction. It was then, however, carrying passengers at a rate of one cent a mile. During that year the double track was completed to Poughkeepsie. A year earlier, Feb- ruary 1st, 1852, the necessity of a break in the journey from New York to Albany for luncheon had been recognized, and William S. Johnston had come here from New York to establish the first railroad res- taurant on the line and one of the first in the country. Mr. Johnston and his brothers, Theodore and Floy M. Johnston, eventually acquired control of nearly all the restaurants on the New York Central system, a control which lasted until the company took posses- sion of them in 1900. Though living in New York at the time the railroad was built the Johnstons were a Poughkeepsie family, their father, W'illiam Sherman Johnston, having been born here. Poughkeepsie continued to be a division point on the railroad, where all trains changed locomotives until the spring of 1876, when the first order was issued to run through to Albany. .Ml trains continued to stoj- here ten minutes until some ten years later. The almost immediate success of the railroad could ncit fail to affect the river trade, but the cutting off of the business of Eastern Dutchess by the Harlem rail- road did fidly as much damage as the completion of the Hudson River Railroad. The Baggie said of the boats in May, 1853: "If we can judge at all by a])- ])earance, they are doing nineh more business than usual, notwithstanding the amount done on the rail- road." Ruinous competition ])robably had nnieli to do with this a])pearance of business, for in 1852 the boats were carrying ])asscngers to New ^'ork from Poughkee]')sie for one shilling. The Reindeer. .Ar- menia. .\lida and Henry Clay, then formed the day line. "Faster boats never floated." sa\s the Press of May 13th. There was in 1841. and for some years afterwards. a local da\- lint- to New York, the steamer Osceola HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIE. U-6 leaving Main Street landing every morning at 7 o'clock, and leaving New York every afternoon at 4. Probably the prospect of railroad competition caused its abandonment; at any rate while the rail- road was bnilding, the old Union Landing, which had been running the steamboat Gazelle twice a week to New York, and had been one of the most important of the four village landings, went out of business and its property passed into the hands of William Bushnell, who had been interested in the Dutchess Iron Works on Main Street. He built a charcoal blast furnace there about 1848. The same year Joseph Tuckerman appears to have become a partner in the business, and on Nov. 14th Tuckerman & P.ushnell' conveyed the Lozccr Funuiic. Plwtoi^raphcd about /SSo. hy C. S. /.urns. property to The Poughkeepsie Iron Company. This was the beginning of the pig iron industry in Pough- keepsie. The ores smelted were hauled liy mule teams from the Sylvan Lake neighborhood, and fluxed with Iiarnegat lime stone. The (ire teams were long a familiar street featm-e, and without the snorting of the bliiwing engine at the "Lower Furnace" residents of the southern section of Poughkeepsie scarcely knew how to go to sleep at night. By 1853 Edward Bech iLiber 88 Deeds, p. 89. In this ,Ieeproved at a special village election. May 17th. by a majority of 168 in a total poll of 976 voters. It di- rected an annual election on the first Tuesday of June each year for members of the board of education, who were at once "to build and furnish one good and sub- stantial school house, containing two rooms of suf- ficient ca]>acity to accommodate not less than one hun- dred and twenty-five pupils each, and (o wnx five other rooms for ]irimary schools." The Jutinui! did not yet cease its opposition, charged that the law was pro- posecl for political purposes "for furthering the ]iros- pects of Killey & Co." and on June "Ih said: "That which costs notliing is lightl\' iirized, and the free schfiols it filled at all. will be with those indifferent to what tliev le;irn. !>>• children of parents who not having thi' slinnilns common to all of 'getting their HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 145 money's worth,' will send irregularly, as convenience or inclination may indicate." This prediction was to some extent fulfilled down to recent times and the passage of the compulsory law. .\t the election for the first board of education David L. Starr, Ira Arm- strong, Thomas Austin, Benjamin Gile, Isaac Piatt, Egbert B. Killey, George C. Marshall, Barnet Haw- kins, James Reynolds, Jr.. William P. Gibbons. Chris- topher Appleton and Matthew J. Myers were chosen* with a vote ranging from 330 to 424. The oppo- nents of the school law put an opposition ticket in the field and attempted a stratagem, withholding their votes until the afternoon, when they cast al)out 324 for each of the following: Charles Crookc. Caleb Barker, Nathan H. Jewett. James W. liogardus. Nehemiah Sweet, Joseph H. Jackson. Caleb Morgan. Charles Carman. Seward Barculo, Gilbert I. Vincent, William H. Tallmadge and Geo. W. Farrington. The board organized June 20th, choosing William P. Gibbons president and Thomas Austin clerk. In July the lot on the corner of Alill and Bridge Streets was purchased and on Jan. 2Qth "the first grammar school for bovs under the free school act" was opened in the building, still in use (School No. i). with no "qualified scholars" in attendance, under the su- perintendence of Josiah I. Underbill. Rooms were rented for primary schools in August in "the Iniild- ing formerly occupied as a theatre, situated in i\Iar- ket near Jay Street." and "in the building situated on the corner of Clinton and Thompson Streets (the old .\cademy)," at $80 per annum in each case. The Clinton Street school was No. i, the Market Street school No. 2 and in December No. 3 was olden- ed in "a room in a coach factory at the junc- tion of Mill and Dutchess Avenue.'"- Such were the beginnings of our free public schools, which it nnist be confessed, have initil recently remained rather backward. The private schools and academies ba\i,iiaii Lliurch. toiii dorcu lyn^. Ihr I'tiuc u'lis fciiiovcd aboiil i$i)i>. the ]iastnrate of Re\'. Hem-y C, Ludlow, dedicated tlieir ])re>eiit church' May ^tli, 1851. .\ notable CHUtrihutiiin towards its erecticm was $5,000 in the stuck of the Washington and Xew Orleans Magnetic Telegraph L'onipany by Sanuiel F. B. Morse, who was an active member, and a constant attendant when- e\er he was in Poughkeepsie. The church trustees held this stock for twenty-five years and finally sold it for half its face value within a short time of the consolidation into the Western Union Company, which would have gi\-en it the value its donor had ex- jiected it to have. The Catholic Church at this time was under the able rectorship of Rev. Michael Riordan, who steered 'Now Cigos) replaced by a much larger and finer build- ing. it safely through the Native American, or "Know Nothing" agitation and brought it to greatly increased strength and respect. He had unbounded influence over the Irish laborers who were building the railroad, and more than once ([uelleil what threatened to he serious riots among them. Not a few of them settled purchasing homes. The Silk Company, which owned much real estate, gave an additional piece of ground permanently in Poughkeepsie, saving their wages and to the church in i8_^(), and a part of the present build- ing was erected in 1844. This became the transept when the building was enlarged to nearly its present form in 185;,. In the sauu' year (1853) the German Catholics completed their first church on Union Street, where the present Chin-ch of the Nativity stands. The first building cost only $500, the work having been partly contributed by zealous Catholics, Irish as well as Germans. Rev. John Tanzer was the first rector. In 1847 the Dutch Reformed congregation, under Rev. A. M. Mami's pastorate, outgrew its liuilding and organized a second congregation with the fol- lowing consistory : Tunis P)rinckerhoff, Charles P. Adriance, Abraham G. Storm and Joseph H. Jack- son, elders, and James W. Pogardus, Casper- D. Smith, Albert Ilrett and John I'. Flagler, deacons. The present building, corner of Mill and Catherine Streets, was dedicated Feb. 22(1, 1849. ^t '^"o^t $i2,8o-j. Ivev. Charles Whitehead was installed as the first I'astor October 7th. and the church began with a membership of fift\-. In 184;^ the colored members of the Alethodist Church, who had separated from the Washingt' n Street congregation in 1837, built their first church on the site of the i)resent one in Catherine Street, In 1853 the Methodists sent out still another congrega- tion, when the Hedding Church on Clover Street was built. One union religious organization, which still exists, dates from this period — The Woman's Union Rible and Tract Society. The report of this society l)ublished in 1895, gives its history. Bishop Janes, of the ]Methodist Episcopal Church, had presided at an annual meeting of The Dutchess County Bible So- ciety in 1840. and had so prot'orndh stirred man\ of the women present that under the leaderslu'i) of Mrs. Robert Wilkinson the\' determined to found a village organization. .\ccordingly, October 14th, a union meeting was held at the Dutch Reformed Church, at which a constitution was adopted and officers were elected as follows: President, Mrs. Frederick W. Flatch (wife of the rector of St. Paul's 148 HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIE Church) : vicc-i)resi(lcnt. Mrs. Peter P. Sanford (wife of the presiding elder of the Methodists) ; correspond- ing secretary, Mrs. Alexander M. Mann (wife of the ])astor of the Dutch Church) ; recording secretary. Mrs. Theodoras Gregory; treasurer, Mrs. Robert Wilkinson. For eight years this "Female Union Bible Society," as it was called, remained auxiliary to the county society. The work of distribution of tracts was added in 1862, through the influence of Mrs. Eliza Eager, and in 1868 the society first employed a Bible reader to give her time to the work. Tin: RuRAi:, Cemetery. Before 1850 the village of Poughkeepsie had begun to surround most of the little denominational grave-yards in tlie \illage. The Dutch Reformed Church had already been driven from two, and had established a third on the Post Road north of the cit\' hnu'ts, and the Episcopal burial ground on Montgom- ery Street was no longer on the outskirts. The Bap- tist grave-yard' near Garden Street was already in- adequate. As long ago as 1809 the village had ap- ])ropriated $500 for a grave-yard on Montgomery Street, and the records seem to indicate that the pur- chase was made, but unless the ground was a part of the same taken by Christ Church in 1828 no trace of it is to be found, and it was certainly small. Possibly the idea of a cemetery association was an miti^ri iwlh of the clmlera epidemic of 1842, though it did not take form luUil several years later, when Matthew \'assar, James Bowne and Egbert B. Killey were ap- pointed by a village meeting a committee to select a site. Mr. Vassar, on recommendation nf the cnm- mittee, bought for $8,000 about fifty acres of land on the east side of .\cademv Street below Ivlen Hill. The association was fonned Decenilier ,v>th. 1852, with the following directors: Tlionia.-^ 1,. Da vies, [■"lias Trivi-tt, Seward I'.arculo. j. 1'. II. Tallman. Wil- liam W. Reynolds. M. X'assar. (jeorge \ an Klceck, C. W. Swift, Jacob B. Jewctt. S. B. Johnston, W. C. Sterling and James Bowne. They decided not to take the pro])erty purchased by Mr. N'assar and he there- fore laid it out for himself, from pl;nis made by A. J. Downing, the landscape arcliilect. and called it Spring- side, a name which it still bears. Mr. X'assar lived there for several summers, the cemetery meanwhile having been located ijn the Smith Thom])Son jtlace on the S(jutb Road, Judge Thomi)son bad died in De- cember, 184,^. and was buried in the old T,ivingston family plot, where his nioinunenl still stands, onl\' a ipor list of fir.st plot owner,'; in the Dutch Reformed cem- etery on the Post Road, and in the Baptist hurying ground, see Appendix. few hundred feet north of the cemetery fence. His wife was a Livingston. The Thompson place was called the "Rust Platz" as was also the stream (men- tioned in Chapter I) which ran through it, and it is rather a jiity that this name could not have been re- tained for the cemetery, as the meaning, "resting ])lace," is certainly appropriate. The cemetery was dedicated Nov. 2d, 1853, Rev. H. G. Ludlow, Rev. A. M. Mann, Rev. Samuel Buel (of Christ Church), Jacob B. Jewett and John Thompson taking part in the exercises. The old Thompson house, built before the Revolution, probably by the Conklin fanfily, from whom the first Henry Livingston bought his land, stood until .\ugust. 187O. A 13.\ii,Y Newsi'.m'Ek .\nd G.\s Light. The first daily newspaper in Poughkeepsie was started by Isaac Tompkins, editor of the Dutchess I)L'iii(>crat. in Xovember. 1849, ^"^ was called The Ihiily Bulletin. The town seems not to have been ready for a daily then and its career was short, but on May 3d, 1852, Nichols, Bush & Co., started The Daily Press, non-partisan, with Thomas J. Nichols as editor. It was a small paper, a "broadside" of only two pages, and was printed on a hand press until Sept. 5th, 1853. Albert S. Pease, who had conducted the Telegraph after Mr. Killey's death in 1852 until about 1856, purchased the Press November 15th, 1858. and in December enlarged it to four pages. John W. Spaight and John G. P. llolden were associated with him and at one time the paper was called The Daily City Press. Among items of news in the first number was an outline of a plan for a rail- road "from Canajoharie to Poughkeepsie." co])ietl from the PrattsviUe Advertiser. Such a railroad, the writer maintained, "would shorten the distance to New York from Canajoharie and all points west of that on the Central Line of Railroads, at least fift\ and probably sixty miles," More important news was the burning of the popular river steamboat Henry Clay, near Yonkcrs on luly jStli, i85_>. Several residents of Poughkeep- sie lost their lives in this disaster, including the wife of Charles Hartletl, the principal of the Collegiate School. I''.veii before the first daily newspaper was the ad- veiU of gas light. Pipes were laid in the streets un- der authorization from the trustees' in 1850 and in December 10th of that year the taxjiayers at a special n'ehrnary 18, 1850. Resolution .uilliorizing Charles B. Dun- gan, of Philadelphia, and otluTs to open streets on applica- tion of Hcnrv D, V;irick. HISTORY OP P U G H K B B P S I n. 149 election voted down a proposition to use the new il- hnninant for street lighting. This, however, was merely a vote against hasty action and soon after- wards the legislature was asked to amend the charter and establish a lamp district.' After this had been done (Chapter 401, Laws of 1851) on July 8th, 1851, there was a meeting of the owners of real estate, September ist, in the district, and they voted just as stockholders vote at ordinary corporation meeetings, according to the amount of their holdings. Out of an assessment of $914,950 it is recorded that $641,700 voted for gas lights, and the trustees of the village ac- cordingly, October 13th, levied a tax of one mill per dollar on the district, and accepted the proposition of the Poughkeepsie Gas Company to furnish 47 lamp posts, and gas at $2.50 per 1,000 feet. November 3d the trustees advertised for "burning fluid and for lighting lamps not within the lamp district." The \'ili,age Fire Department. Apparently the establishment of adequate street lighting was partly the result of agitation growing out of the unusual number of fires that occurred in the winter of 1850-1851, many of which were prob- ably of incendiary origin. Edward P. Taylor, the chief engineer, reported March 17th that there had been seventeen fires between November i6th and March 4th. Public meetings were held, a reward was offered for the conviction of the incendiary and a committee of safety was organized. The chief re- ported the fire department "second to none in effici- ency." It was about this time that the silk factory burned, but it does not appear that any of the other tires were very serious, though several of them were nn Main Street. There were five fire engines, two hose carts, one hook and ladder truck, 3,950 feet of hose, and 204 firemen, 36 of whom belonged to Davy Crockett Hook and Ladder Company, and 16 to each of the hose companies. The fire companies sometimes got int(j trouble through rowdyism among their mem- bers, and in 1844 the old No. i or Red Rover Hose Company had been disbanded and locked out by the "corporation lock." Oliver H. Booth in June of that year organized Phoenix Hose Company in its place, and became the foreman, with W. D. Cable as assist- ant. Engine Company No. 5, known as "Neptune," was organized Sept. 28th, 1848, with William C. Smith as foreman. Albert H. Champlin, Henry Morris and Richard Kenworthy were among the charter members. A house was built for the company in Liberty Street, 'For first lamp district see Appendix. where Lady Washington Hose Company is now lo- cated, and a new engine, of the piano-box type, then the latest thing in fire engines, was constructed under contract by Foster & Gale, a Poughkeepsie firm, for about $1,000. Up to this time all the engines in use in Poughkee])sie had been of the old "goose neck" pattern, each engine throwing only one stream. The \;,/-" J-'iir Jiii^nu' new No. 5 was called a "double engine" because she had two couplings for attaching hose, and was expect- ed to be powerful enough to supply two other engines with water. She was never very successful, but was reported as doing good work at the fire which burned the dye wood mills of Giflford, Sherman & Innis' in February, 1849. The old method of fire-fighting was well illustrated at this fire. No. i took suction at the river and supplied water to No. 4, and No. 4 supplied water to No. 5, which threw two streams on the fire. It hardly seems that a line of three engines could have been necessary with the river so near at hand, but long lines of hose were often laid with engines at intervals to push the water along. The men on the brakes of the first engine always worked like beavers on these occasions to "wash," or flood, the engine next ahead, and when this feat was accomplished it was received with shouts of approval from the partisans of the successful company, and was the cause of much boasting. Water pipes had been laid on Main Street at first only to the Dutch Church, but were e.KteadeJ after a few years to Bayeaux Street, and in 1848 to Clover Street. Branches were laid through Market Street to Christ Church, through Academy to Cannon and on the north side as far as Mill Street. Wells and cisterns were often pumped dry before a line of hose from the nearest hydrant could be laid. As a result of the alarm over the fires of 1850 and 1 85 1, $350 was voted in 1851 for a new hook and lad- lAlong with the report of this fire the Eagle published a history of the mill, with the statement that it was raised on the day of Braddock's defeat in 1755. "The business of dye- wood cutting, etc., was conuncnced first in this country at this place by Messrs. Swift, Barnes & Gifford in the year 1816." 150 HISTORY OF POUGHKEHPSIE (Icr truck, and appropriations were also made for a new house for Engine Company Xo. 4. The firemen asked for the use of the upper Ho(jr of the hook and ladder building (the old Phoenix building) then the iniblic library, and two long reports by special com- mittees were made, the first of which, April 21st, recommended that the market in the lower floor of the village hall be given up and the space be refitted for the library. The second report by J. H. Fonda, M. N'assar, Jr., and J. M. Cable recommended (Ma\ 25th) that a new hook and ladder house be built "on the east side of Market Square =!= * * a part of which is now used for a Public Pound," and that Phoenix Hose, then housed in a small building back of the Surrogate's office, be placed in the building (Vsr IIoHSf. Tuiii (/o:fii in it)t>i . '///< i iiioii Sti\ icas a foDiparalizvly recent addition. on the corner of Union Street. These recommenda- tions were carried out in 1S52 and resulted in the removal of the library \.o "Dr. Pine's new l)uilding" (o])posite the court house) and the building of the first Davy Crockett house on the present site. No. 4's new house was built in 185 1 at 100 Main Street. The older company, located in Clover Street, nc'ir Mill, had been disbanded about ICS46 and was but re- cently reorganized with the name Cataract No. 4. The names "Protection" for No. i, "Niagara" for \'o. 2, and "\\';ishingtiin" for No. 3 seem to date from about 1847. Oliver H. Piooth was chief of the dejiartment dur- ing the eventful years, 1851 and 1852, and he iiad still another company to reorganize. Howard Hose Com- pany No. 2, jealous of the new houses of Davy Crockett and Cataract, presented so many resigna- tions that it had to be disbanded, and in the spring of 1853 the chief organized a new company, which was named in his honor O. H. Booth Hose Company. There was much rivalry and jealousy among the old village fire companies and they occasionally needed the command of a firm hand. The new houses of this period afforded the first adequate room for the devel- opment of club life among the firemen, a feature which has since become very prominent. A City Ch.^rter. In 1850 Poughkeepsie had a population of 10,000 or more and was considerably larger than some places that had been calling themselves cities for a long time. Hudson, for instance, a smaller place, had been masquerading as a "city" for more than fifty years. The limitations of the vil- lage charter began to be felt with the intro- :;-i/. came so encouraging that William .\. Davies. who was greatly interested, became convinced of the necessitv of a free church in that part of the city, and deter- mined to Iniild it himself. He lived in the house on HISTORY OF POUGHKBBPSin 157 ]\Iain Street, afterwards the home of Hon. George Innis, and with hi.s brother, Thomas L. Davies, owned considerable property in the neighborhood. May lotli, 1859, articles of incorporation were filed, the first trustees being Samuel Buel, Thomas L. Davies, William A. Davies, Robert E. Coxe, John W. Van Wagner, George Cornwell and Benjamin R. Tenney. A new street, Davies Place, was opened and Wm. A. and Thomas L. Davies gave the church a lot 123 feet square by deed dated May loth. On June 29th the corner stone was laid by Bishop Horatio Potter and on October 25th, i860, the new church was conse- crated. Rev. John Scarborough becoming the first rector. He remained until 1867 when he was suc- ceeded by Rev. Robert Fulton Crary, still in active service. The buikling of the Home for the Friendless, corner of Hamilton and Franklin Streets, was finished in 1857, but the society known as "The Poughkeepsie Female Guardian Society" dates back to 1847 and was incorporated in 1852. No very large donations were made for the home, but "slowly little by little the mites were gathered. " There seems to have been an unusual amount of poverty and distress in Pough- keepsie during the winter of 1857, judging from the reports of meetings held for the relief of the poor, and the home was opened at the right time. It was at firsfi designed to "provide a temporary home for respectable females without employment or friends" as well as "destitute and friendless children of both se.xes, until they can be committed to the guardian- ship of foster-parents, or worthy families." The board of managers has always been a large one, "not to exceed forty" and "comprising as far as practicable. a representation from the various evangelical denom- inations." In 1861 there were twenty-eight ladies in the board. The "Home for the Friendless" was considered a notable institution and there is nuieh about it in the newspapers of the first few years after it was founded. It was visited by philanthropists from other cities and was considered one of the show places of the town. The name "Female Guardian Society" was dropped in 1868 and also the words of the original charter as to providing a home for un- employed women. Most of the leading women in Poughkeepsie have served, or are serving, on the board of managers, and among those who were most active in the early days may be mentioned Mrs. Julia A. Killey, Mrs. Theodorus Gregory and Mrs. Isaac iThe first constitution and a meagre history of the origin of the work is given in the first printed report, for the year ending February 22, 1861. Piatt. Mrs. Killey left her own comfortable home for a \-ear and served as matron of the Home with- out ]iay in order to see it well started. In July, 1870, there was a proposition to remove the Home for the Friendless into the country, Mr. William C. Smillie offering his handsome place and thirty-six acres on the Hyde Park road. As the pres- ent ]iropcrty could not be sold to advantage he gave the society $5,000 in cash instead. The Young Men's Christian Union, a forerunner of the Young Men's Christian Association, was or- ganized April 6th, 1856, with the following officers : President, .\lfred B. Smith ; vice-presidents, for the Baptist Church, Thomas E. Vassar ; Congregational Church, Robert K. Tuthill ; Episcopal Church, Abra- ham Bockee ; Dutch Reformed Church, J. Henry Ilager ; Methodist Church, William Lee ; correspond- ing secretary, John I. Piatt : recording secretary, James Smith, Jr. ; treasurer, Henry Seaman ; librarian, William Halpin ; registrar, James Bowne, Jr. ; man- agers, John S. Perkins, R. K. Tuthill, A. Bockee, J. H. Hager, J. F. Lewis, Robert F. Wilkinson. On the day of the burning of the Morgan Block this asso- ciation conducted a steamboat excursion to New York to see the wonderful steamship Great Eastern. The meeting rooms were at No. 2 Union Street, "adjoin- ing the post office." Business .\nd Otiikr Dkvei.opment. About the time of the incorporation of the city an effort was made to revive the manufacture of locomo- tives in Poughkeepsie. The Eagle of July 9th, 1853, spoke of "the great locomotive factory of this place, built seventeen years ago and still stamling deserted," adding "Poughkeepsie locomotives ought to be as far famed throughout the Union as Poughkeepsie schools or Dutchess County agriculture." Not long after- wards a company was formed to take this factory, and for a time blue vitriol and other chemicals were manu- factured there, under the direction of Ludwig Eb- stein, afterwards for many years chemist for Gifford, Sherman & Innis. The buildings were purchased by the Fallkill Iron Company and were torn down in 1859 when the "Upper Furnace" was built. In the same neighborhood, near the foot of Hoffman Street, which then extended through to the river, were two cooperages, relics of whaling days, one conducted by the Lowns and the other by Sleight & Paulding. An effort was made to revive the project for a railroad to the eastward in 1855 and 1856, but it entered another long jxM-iod of rest after the panic of 1857. Before the Upper Furnace was built the local iron 15S HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. iiidustrv went throuijh a reorganization, caused by the failure of Edward Bech. who was a partner in the Cunard Steamship Company. The steamship busi- ness failed in the panic of 1857 but the local iron business remained .sound and was taken over by Wil- liam A. Davies, James Emott and Charles W. Swift until matters were straightened out. when Albert E. Tower came into possession of a much larger inter- est. Judge Emott became the first ])resident of the Fallkill Iron Company, which conducted the Upper Furnace until the consolidation. The Lower Furnace was abandoned in 1885 and scarcely a trace of it re- mains. An industry that was to become as far-famed as it was hoped that Poughkeepsie locomotives might be was just beginning at this time. John Adriance, whose name has several times already appeared in this history, had become interested in the recently in- vented mowing machines. He had been one of the partners in the old Dutchess Iron Works, and had begun to build a mowing machine called the "For- bush." Tn the fall of 1S34 his son, John 1\ Adriance, who was a member of the wholesale hardware firm h'cii A/i7/s />uildi7ixs. I'liotograplicd about /SSo. of Sears, .Xdriancc & Piatt in New York, became in- terested in the '"Manny" mower and wint \. r a lew- years to Worcester. Mass.. wlure it was manufac- tured. In 1S37 tlu- firm purchased the right to make and sell, in their lerrilory. a mower patented by .\ult- man & Miller, of Canton. ( )hio. and in 1851) Mr. .Vd- riance returned to Poughkeepsie and leased the i-ied Mills, newly rebuilt, for the manufacture of the .\d- riance P.uckeye. TlKonas S. I'.rown. who had become associated with Mr. Adrianct' in May. 1858, greatly imi)rove<; M;iin Street ; llrooks & Marshall. 401 and 40,^ Main Slreel. and John W. h'rederick. The latter advertised in I'nderhiU's directory for 1857, "The largest and old- est establishment of the kind in Dutchess Comity," on Main ,*^lreet, near N'assar Street. This was the same factory which, after the war. was conducted for a time In O. C. Ilurn;!]!, who built the Atwaler Mouse opposite S])ringside.' Jlannah & Storm, 423, 4-^5 1 IJiirnap was a retired manufacturer, and purchased the ])riipeily known as "Woodsidc" in 1856. ALBERT TOWER. 160 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. and 427 Main Street, advertised in 1859 ^^ "Silver and electro platers, manufacturers of carriage and sad- dlery, hardware, brass and silver carriage bands, hick- ory spokes, felloes, seat spindles, &c." Among present enterprises established before the war may be mentioned the brewery of \'. Frank's Sons, which dates from 1858 and is to-day the only survivor of the once great Poughkeepsie brewing in- dustry. At the time of its establishment there were several small breweries, as well as the great Vassar establishment, all doing apparently a good business. advertised the opening of their "new store," 328 Main Street, mentioning Charles P. Luckey as a partner, and also all their salesmen, "Daniel Jones, Benja- min M. \'ail, Spencer C. Doty, Frank E. Whipple." This firm, the predecessor of Luckey, Piatt & Co., had been located at 245 Main Street, in the Brewster Block, and on moving to its new quarters tore out the old front, with its folding shutters, and put in the first plate glass show windows in town. Down to this time the general aspect of Alain Street was much like that of the average village business street. Almost .)/(//// S/i;r/ ill /S6id (.'anlni Streets. Many men, afterward |)rominent. began their careers as clerks about the time of the incorporation of the city, or soon afterward. Charles P. Luckey, J. DuBois Carpenter, William T. Reynolds, James IL Ward and lulmund P. Piatt were among them. The leading advertisers in the Jiagic in i860 were the drug- gists, Y'an X'alkenburgh & Coffin, James G. Wood & Co., and Morgan L. Farnum ; the dry goods firms, W. S. & W. H. Crosby, and Robert Slec & Co. ; and W. H. Tallmadge, hardware. Mr. Tallmadgc adver- tised "The oldest cstablisheil hmise in the city," 260 Main Street. Robert Slec & Co., in the spring of i860. all the store fioors were up at least two stei)s fi'din the sidewalk, the windows were of small panes, and the only two Cdntinuous r 159 Main; J. & J. Ogden, G. Sanford, Red Mills, machine shops ; E. O. Flagler, "Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church," teacher of organ and piano, residence 40 N. Clover : E. C. An- drus, S. Clover, teacher of vocal music ; Henry C. Miller, D. Bartlett. Solomon Y. Frost, insurance; Simpson & Beesmer, coal, Southwick's dock; Gregory House, T. Gregory ; The Poughkeepsie Hotel, John H. Rutzer; Northern Hotel, Isaac L Balding; Forbus House, E. P. Taylor ; Fowler liouse, cor. Main and Washington, George P. Fowler. Among the dentists advertising were Charles H. Roberts, 254 Main. J. A. Jillson, 328 Alain, A. Clark, 332 Main, "over J. Bart- lett's bakery," A. Fonda, 265 Main. Farrington & Co., 266 Main Street, advertised crockery, etc., in the 1857 directory, and Carpenter & Brother (successors to Leonard Carpenter), advertised groceries at 320 Main Street. James Blanchard, Underwood & Son, X. PL Canfield, Wright & Irish, R. E. Adriance & Co., and Thomas Clegg were among grocers advertising in i860. James T. Hill. 20 Catharine Street, Anna- bury & Seaman, 6 Union Street, were the advertising livcr}men. D. Scott & Co.'s soap and candle factory was run- ning in 1859 at its present location, corner of Mill and Bayeaux Streets, but the building had been used not long before as a public school. At about the same time the old factory building in the same neighborhood was used as a chair factory by \\'est & Depew. The Bartlett Bakery, which had been started as a bakery of "pilot bread" near the river in whaling days, was at this time at 332 Main Street, the bakery in the rear iTliere are nine other boot and shoe dealers named in the directory but not advertising. They included W. A. Candee, 258 Main; and there were also nineteen persons classed as "Boot and Shoe Manufacturers." 1(>2 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. at the present location, but it was not exclusively de- vt)ted to the production of crackers until after the war. Joseph O. Bartlctt lived over the store, and it was there that his daughter married Otis Bisbee. Jiank presidents and cashiers in 1859-60 were: i'.ank of Poughkeepsie, Thomas L. Davies, president. Reiihen North, cashier; Fallkill Bank, William C. Sterling, president, John F. Hull, cashier; Farmers' and Manufacturers' Bank. William .\. Davies. presi- dent. Fred W. Davis, cashier ; Merchants' Bank. James Eniott. president. Joseph C. Harris, cashier; Savings Bank. John B. Forbus. president, Josiah I. I'nderhill, treasurer. The Cit\ liank was organized March 3rd, i860, with John 1'. H. Tallman, Joseph F. Barnard, Samuel l)anies were to be found in many places, but nearly all of them failed, as did the Poughkeepsie Mutual, because of the difficult}- of collecting assessments whenever losses were unusually heavy. The Dutch- ess Mutual had the support of strong men and was long under the presidency of James Emott, the elder, but it had its times of depression, before its reorganiza- tion as a stock company, as told in the excellent sketch to be found in the Appendix. Its present building was purchased in 1855, and has recently been much enlarged by an addition in the rear. Among persons of wealth and prominence who came to Poughkeepsie during this period, because of its attractions as a place of residence, were Henry L. Young, John de l\'\ster Douw and Robert Sanford. ill ! 1 « 1 _^Z^n^^ '! ii.»'''-;i"Rt"^B 8 T^' i^ rpj 1 Jii^ii^^^ .?^'_«*f#j -i.«,«r-*-- . ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ />!//< //CSS Mutual /usuriiiUT Coiupaiiy. Maltlu'ws. fieorge Lanidree. C"hrist< i]iber Hughes, Millnn I l;im. Moses G. Sands, Nicholas Strippel. W'il- Hani R. Seliell, Ambrose Mygatt. Wilson I'.. SheldiMi, l)a\id 1). \'inei-nt, llcnjamin I lopkins, Jcihn I'.rill, llenjamin I lalslead. William DuuglUy ;ind (.". A. \ an X'alkenburgh as the first direclnrs. bi>r])li F. I'.ar- nard was the first ])residenl and Jnlin T. Hanker die first cashier. ( l''urther jiartieulars abcml both this bank and llie Poughkeepsie l'.;mk are tn be foiuid in the sketch of The Poughkeei>sie Trust C"i>ni])an\, in the .\p])en(lix). 'i'heri' were two insurance comi)anies at this time in I'ougiikeepsie. the Old Dutchess Mutual, the organ- ization of which was noted nn i)age 113, and The Pcnighkeepsie Mutual. The dflice nf the Latter was at No. 9 Garden Street, in charge nf S. H. I>nllnn. secretarv. At that tiini' niutn;d lire insmanee enm- Mr. ^'oung's ])m-chase of the \ an W'agenen place on Smith Hamilton Street has already l)een mentioned. Mr. Dniiw' was of a distinguished Albany family, sev- er;d i^\ bis ;incostors having been niasurs of that city, lie came to Poughkeepsie in 1854 and renteil fmni Genrge H. Lent the property now owned by Robert Sanford. wlm purchased it a few years later, soon after Col. Douw nidved to .\orth \\'en\ie. l\lr. Sanford was a son of lion. Xatban .Sanford. one of tlie most prominent men in tln' State. ;inil the snect'ssor of James Kent as Chancellor. Schools — Tin-; Paw Si'iiooi. a.nd ICast.m an Coi.Licr.ic. The removal of the ,Stat(.' and X;ilion;il Paw School to I'onghkeejisie in net'eniber. 1S5J. lias ;dread\ been brielK mention^•(l. |olin W. l'"owler, till' ])resident of I Sic Appeiulix for bioyraiiliieal .sketch. ROBERT SAXFORn. {S(V .-ippciidix for biographical skclch.) HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB 165 the institution, had been the first lecturer in the Ly- ceum course in 1852-1853, and spoke for two hours, "lout who on Friday evening noted time," says the f'rcss report of the lecture, "The man revels in the richness of fancy. There is no efTort, the thoughts tlow upon him eager for the drapery of his eloquence." Those were the days of oratory and "fine writing," and thougli 'Sir. Fowler was undoubtedly a man of much ability, some of the people who remember him de- scribe him as a ver}- pompons persima^e who wore a much-padded coat. In his circular letter announcing the removal of the school to Poughkeepsie, Mr. Fowler says that the people had promised to raise funds to place the insti- tution on a "high and permanent basis," and to in- crease the librarx', "with the privilege of constant ac- cess by the students to a choice miscellaneous list of 4,000 volumes, in the same building where the school will be conducted." He adds "The village to which we have removed is much larger and more pleasant than Ballston, containing six or eight flourishing Liter- ary Institutions, of which four are Female Semin- .-iries." There was indeed an attraction worth men- tioning. In reference to these six or eight Literary Institu- tions I find the following schools advertised in Under- bill's directory for 1856-7 : The Dutchess County Acad- emy. William IMcGeorge, principal ; The Poughkeepsie Female Collegiate Institute, comer of Mill and Cath- erine Streets, C. H. P. McLellan, principal; Cottage llill Seminary for Young Ladies, Prof. M. P. Jewett, .v. ^I., principal : Bisbee's High School for boys, cor- ner of Mill and Hamilton Streets ; Mansion Square Fe- male Institute, corner of Mansion and Catherine Streets "adjoining 'Primrose Green' or 'Pirookside,' " Mrs. II. W. l'.li\en, princiiial. The same schools ap- ]iear in tlie director}- for 18^10, with the exception of Bisbee's. The Female Collegiate Institute had in the meantime doubled the size of its Iniilcling. CMis I'.is- bee had cmne to Poughkeepsie several \ears befnre to teach for Charles Bartlett. on College llill. and had also taught for Eliphaz Fay before starting a school of his own. In 1S57. when Mr. Bartlett died, Mr. Bis- bee sdld his school on Hamilton Street to George W. McLellan, and went into partnership with Charles 1!. Warring to conduct the College Hill school. Mr. ^TcLellan soon afterwards gave up the school started by Mr. Bisbee, and became the first principal of the "Free Academy," or High School, opened about 1859 in the old Church Street School building. G. M. Wilber was at this time principal of the grammar school on Alill Street, with Hannah Camaeh as first assistant. David E. Bartlett was conducting a school for deaf mutes, in 1859-60, at what is now the Bech place, north of Poughkeepsie, the present house in- cluding part of the former scIkjoI building. "The school," sa}s the advertisement, "consi.sts of two depart- ments ; one for deaf mute chiklren, the other hearing and speaking children — particularly brothers and sis- ters of the little deaf mutes whose parents wish them associated in education." There was hardly demand enough for such a school to make it a permanent success. The Poughkeepsie Female Academy was not ad- vertising at this time. Jacob C. Tooker died in 1856 and the school was conducted by his widow until 1859, when it came into the control of Rev. D. G. Wright. / *. W^ * for a long time one of the notable school proprietors and teachers of the city. The Law Schiiol expanded greatly during the years before the war. and many of its students were from the South, .\mong its distinguished graduates was L. B. McEnery. one of the present United States Senators from Louisiana. Other prominent graduates were Hon. I). F. Hanchette, of Wisconsin, Judge George \'an Iloesen, of Xew York. L\<\. Clark E. Carr, of Illinois. Hon. P.. Piatt Carjienter, Hon. Edward Els- worth, Hon. Mark D. Wilber and Robert Sanford. of Poughkeepsie. Judge Conkling, of Utica, father of Roscoe Conkling, and Judge Henry Booth, of Chi- cago, were among the professors of Common Law- and Practice, and Matthew Hale was one of the pro- fessors of Pleadings, Evidence and Code Practice. When Abraham Tomlinson decamped with most of Ki6 HISTORY OF POUCH K /• EPSIE the collection of curios and documents that had con- stituted "The Poughkeepsie Museum," the Law School added his rooms in the Library HuililiuL;- to those al- ready occupied. I have seen no record to show just when Tomlinson left. He was still here in 1855 when he published "The Military Journal of Two Private Soldiers — '^7i'^-^7~^-" with a partial catalogue of ar- ticles and manuscripts in the nniseum. Apparently the first magic lantern shows in Poughkeepsie were given by him about 1852. His institution was con- sidered of so nnich educational value that the board of supervisors was once urged to make an appropria- tion to enable him to preserve "the relics of the county, about man)- of which cluster so many historical asso- ciations." He did "preserve" some of these relics, taking them all away with him, even the documents and articles loaned to him. \Mien the beginning of the war crippled the State and National Law School a still more important edu- cational institution was already started in the same building. Llarvey Ci. Eastman, born at Marshall, Oneida Count}', in 1832, had been a teacher in a commercial school conducted l)y his uncle at Roches- ter, and the proprietor of schools founded by himself in Oswego. X. Y., and St. Louis. AIo.. before the reputation of Poughkeepsie as an educational centre induced him to try his fortune here. His advertising elsewhere had been so extensive, before he had ar- rived here, that Postmaster George P. Pelton was in much wnndorniont at the great pile of letters that had accumulated for a man totally unknown. In October, 185c), Mr. Eastman inserted the fi)lliiwing adveriise- nient, fnur inches single cohinm, in the 1 N )Uglikeepsie papers: en Parents anil GuardlaDS Circulars of ihe Commercial College which will open in the Library Building in this city, on Wedneiitlay, Nov. and, can be had at the Bookstores. News Rooms and this olllcc. This College has been established at Oswego, N. Y. and St. Louis, Mo., for eight years, and we asU the atten- tion of citizens to the report of prominent men. Lecturers and patrons given in the Circular It will be open for both L.mjies and Gknti.kmen. es- tablished as a permanent School of instruction In the prac- tical and useful arts of life. A new system of Instruction will be introduced into the lio<>l;k('(;ping and Penmanship department, combining Theory and Practice. MK. lOASTMAN will give his undivided attention to this College, and his published Works on Bookkeeping, Success in Business, Money and Life. &c., may be had at the College Offlce in the Library Building, after Nov. 2nd. Young men from abroad will address, for Pamphlets and Circulars H. U. EASTMAN, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Mr. Eastman's enterprise started on a ver\- small scale in a mom which he had rented for 75 cents a week. .\ii(lrew Houston, of i'.ellevale. < )range County, was the first student, and in November, 1890, he visited the college and told the students his experi- ence.' When he first came here with his father in the fall of 1859, ^'id enquired for Eastman College, no one had heard of such an institution, but by good fortune they happened to meet Mr. Eastman at the Poughkeep- sie Hotel, where they had gone for dinner. Houston describes the room in which the "College" began as "in what was then the Library Building on N'assar Street. This room was approached through a long, dark alley, running between the Library Building and the Jewish Synagogue." His memory is certainly at fault here, for there was no "Library Building" on \'assar Street, nor was there anv "long, dark alley" between the Jewish Synagogue and the next building. For three days Houston worked alone with Mr. liast- nian as the sole instructor, "then Prof. George Fred Davis came in with another student by the name of George L. Root, of Oneida County * "' * and in about a month the college numbered some twenty students," Mr. Eastman was a man of great ability and en- ergy, full of enthusiasm for whatever he under- took, an enthusiasm that was contagious. He was a very clever and liberal advertiser, and in his scheme of teaching by actual business operations, tising notes, bills and a fractional currency of some real value, he had an idea worth developing — it was the beginning of the educational idea we have recently been hearing much of under the title, "Learning by doing," One (if his chief advertising plans from the start was to bring to the college men of the highest reputation as lecturers, and in fact he had been virtually com- ]jelled to leave St. Louis because his lecture course there included several anti-slavery agitators, such as Joshua R. Giddings, Gerritt Smith. Charles Sunnier and Elihu l^>urritt. In the spring of 1860 he left his small rooms in the Library Building and opened the school in the old Congregational Church, corner of Mill and X'assar vStreets. Founding of Vassar Colleof:. In ])revious chapters .something has been shown of the rise of Matthew N'assar to the ]:)ossession of a fortune. He was one of the few men. activel\- inter- ested in the enterprises before 1837. who was not ruined by the panic. In fact he was in a position to purchase at his own figures what others were com- 'The Eastman Journal. December, 1890. HISTORY OF P O U G H K E n P S I 11 ItJI pelled to part with, and a considerable part of his fortune was made by taking advantage of such op- portunities. Though a hard-headed, shrewd bargainer he was more than a mere money maker, and from the beginning of his prosperity became a liberal con- tributor to the Baptist Church and various local char- itable enterprises. Having no children he began at a comparatively early age to consider plans for leaving most of his fortune to found some institution. In April, 1845, leaving his business to the management of his nephews, Matthew \'assar, Jr.. and John Guy \'assar, he sailed for England in the packet ship .Xortli- umberland antl remained abroad nearly Uu"ec years, with Cyrus Swan as guide and travelling companion.' Mr. Lossing relates that among the sights visited in London was a great hospital erected by Thomas Guy, a distant relative of the \'assars, and from this Mr. \'assar formed the idea of building a similar hospital in I'oughkeepsie. The changing of this idea in favor of an institution for the education of women has been credited partly to Miss Lydia Booth, his step-niece, who, as has been stated, was long a successful teacher and school proprietor in Poughkeepsie, and partly to Milo P. Jewett. Mr. \'assar owned "Cottage Hill," in Garden Street, while Miss Booth's school was there, and sold it in 1855 to Dr. Jewett. The \'assar College germ mav have been planted and nourished b\- these two. but Mr. X'assar certainly furnished a con- genial medium for its growth, lie was considerablx' interested in educational matters long before Dr. Jew- ett came to Poughkeepsie, as the following letter to Mr. Howland R. Sherman, of Poughkeepsie. Member of .\ssembly in 185 1, shows: PouGiiKEEi'SiiC, March loth, 1851. Howi..\Nr) R. v^iii:rm AX, Eso. Dear Sir : I understand a bill has been unanimously reported in your house ( Assembly ) by the Committee on Edu- cation to appropriate $50,000 to the University of Rochester, and as I am one of its earliest friends, and intend, at some future day, to extend my subscription I avail myself of the present opportunity to say that in my humble opinion the Rochester University as a matter of simple justice to Western Xew York, is en- titled to receive of the State appropriations for col- leges her share of the public funds. You may not be aware, perhaps, that in no instance in educational en- terprises of our State have any schemes been more liberally and jiromptly responded to by ])rivate con- tributions of the citizens than this institution, and if I mistake not the subscriptions atnount already to some $150,000 — to accomplish their whole plan will require about $75,000 more, and it would be a serious loss '"Vassar College and Its Founder" contains a detailed account of the trip. to the entire State sliould it now fail for the want of a timely and generous siqiport of the present Leg- islature. Will you and our friends, Alessrs. Teller and Robinson, e.xamini' into tlii' merits and claims of the institution and give it such support as it is justh- entitled to as a great jjublic measure. With my best regards to you and each of our re- spected representatives. 1 stibscribe myself, ^'oni Obedient Servant. ^L \'ASSAR. Ibnvland 1\. Shi'rman. j ,. ' I'.sqrs.. \ Albany. Wm. 1!. Teller, Cli. Robinson, Douljtless Dr. Jewett was instrumental in fostering the idea of a real college for women, "an institution that should be to their sex what Yale and Harvard are to our own." Several "Toadies" Collegiate Insti- tutes" had already been founded in various parts of the country, and Mr. \"assar soon perceived that the time was ripe for something better. He sought the advice of some of the leading educators of the coun- try, and Thomas .\. Tefift, an eminent school architect, was asked to ])repare plans for buildings to accommo- date four hundred pu])ils. This ajipears to have been in 1856, according to Mr, Lossing, but it was not until the spring of i860 that Mr. \'assar fina'.lv deter- mined to proceed with the work. Dr. Jewett sold the Cottage Hill pro|)erty at the close of the summer term, that he might give iiis whole time to the plans for the proposed college. A ch;irter was drawn up by Cyrus Swan, and was ]3assed by the Legislature January i8th, i86i, beginning as follows; Skctiox L Matthew X'assar, Ira Harris, William Kell}-, James IIar]ier, Martin P.. .\nderson. John Thompson. Edward Lathrop, Charles W, Swift, E. L. Magoon, S. M. Buckingham. Milo P. Jewett, Xathan liishop, Matthew \'assar, Jr., Benson J. Lossing, E. (t. Robinson. Samuel F. 15. Morse, S. S. Constant, John Guy \'assar, William Hague, Rufus Babcock, Cornelius DuBois. John H. Raymond, Morgan L. Smith, Cyrus Swan, George W. Sterling, George T. Pierce, Smith Sheldon, Joseph C. Doughty, and A. L. .Mien, are hereby constituted a body corporate, bv the name of "\"assar Female College," to be located in Dutchess County, near the city of Poughkeepsie. Bv that name the said corporation shall have perpettial succession, with jjower to fill vacancies, etc. The college charter, we are told, attracted the greatest attention, and tlie legislative reporters of the principal daily newspa])ers ".sent abroad from the Capi- tol the most glowing details of the novel and magnifi- cent enterprise." John 11. Ketcham was our represen- tative in the Senate, and John B, Dutcher and Samuel J. Farnum were the Dutchess County Members of As- sembly. The bill went through both houses in ad- vance of others and was "the first or second bill of that 168 HISTORY OF POUGHKBBPSIB session that ri'ct-ived the sitjnaturc of the Governor, Edwin D. r^Iorgan." Of the twenty-eiglit persons chosen by Mr. X'assar as the first trustees, Mr. Lossing says, "One-half of them were his fellow-townsmen ; and it so happened that a majority of them were Baptists, some of whom were leading clergymen and i)ublic educators of that denomination. This was an accidental result of his choice, occurring because Mr. \'assar's principal as- sociates among men of learning were of that branch of the Christian Church." The board of trustees was organized February 26th, 1861, at a meeting held at the Gregory House, with Hon. William Kell\-, of Rhinebeck. who had been Democratic candidate for Governor against Edwin D. Morgan, chairman. Mr. X'assar formally turned over to the trustees a box con- taining $400,000 in securities, including a deed for two hundred acres of land as a site for the college, and made a memorable statement of his plans, in which he used the words which Hon. George William Curtis said at the twenty-fifth anniversary, "might well be carved in gold over the entrance to X'assar College." "It occurred to me that woman, having received from her Creator the same intellectual constitution as man, has the same right as man to intellectual culture and development." The funds were placed in the hands of Matthew Vassar Jr.. who was elected treasurer, and ^Nlilo P. Jewett was chosen the first jiresident. Newspaper ac- counts show that the i)lans were i)retty thoroughly matured, not only for the buildings, but also for the equipment. I'lans for the main building, drawn 1)\- James Renwick, Jr..' architect of the Smithsonian In- stitute, Washington, were before the trustees at their organization and were acce])ted. .\n executive commit- tee, Charles W. Swift, Matthew \'assar, Cornelius Du Hois, Matthew \'assar, Jr., and Cyrus Swan, was apiJointcd, and also committees on "f;iculty and siuil- ies," "library," "cabinet and apparatus," "art gallery," etc. Contracts were soon entered into with Mr. Ren- wick and with William Harloe, of I'oughkeei)sie. for the erection of tlie buildings. The site had l)een se- lecti-d. Mr. l.ossing tells us, after due consideration of tin- achaiilages of a location on the hanks of the river. The l(\rl section of the colk'gc groiuuls, ad- joining the highway (R:i\innnd .\venue), \\;is once the Dutchess County R.'ue Course, Mr, \'assar formallv "broki.- ground" Juiu' 4th, 1861. and the spade full of e.'irth be lifted is jireserved in the college museum. This was just at the begin- ning of the civil war, which caused a great deprecia- iMr. Tefift, the first architect selected, had died in Europe. tion in the value of the securities of the college and also caused a great rise in the price of building ma- terials and labor, but at the close of the war the se- curities had risen again and the endowment fund was intact. Mr. Harloe, the contractor, however, was not so fortunate, and though the contract was finally taken off his hands without enforcement of penalty, he claim- ed to have lost $30,000. The main building was fin- ished at the close of the war, but had been long in construction because of the extraordinary precautions to ensure a substantial structure as nearly fire-proof as the architects of the day could make it. Brick parti- tions were carried to the roof and it was required that the walls should stand a certain length of time to set- tle. The observatory was finished at about the same time as the main building, and the riding school or gymnasium (now the museum) a few months later. Sports — B.\sE Ball, Ice Yachtinx. It has been stated that a part of the \'assar College grounds were once the Dutchess County Race Course. The track had been in that locality since 1798^ at least, but there is said to have been an older race course on Main Street. In the days of running races, before trotting came into vogue, there was probably nic:ire interest in horses among Poughkeepsians than there is now., though I think the town was never as thoroughly devoted to this form of sport as soine other places. There were some famous races, however, on the old track. Poughkeepsie has been chiefly noted, in the sport- ing line, as a centre of rowing and ice yachting. The ice yacht, in fact, first came into existence here as a racing craft, and was made known to the world through the reports of the early races of the Pough- keepsie Ice Yacht Club. Zadock Southwick is said to b.ue Iniilt the first ice boat not long after he came here ( 1807). but there is no evidence that the sport was of much consequence imtil just before the war. The first boats were set upon skates for runners and were small, clumsy affairs, the principal frame work being a tri:mgle of 13 foot joists with .-i centre timber into which the mast was steppeil. The N'assar I'.rew- erv ofiice was the club house whert' all tlie river s])ortsnu'n gathered to discuss matters and p.nrtake of Mr, Booth's si)ecially brewed ale. .Mxnit 1858 the ])ossibilities of the develo])nunt of the skate-boats was ijnder consideration among the brewery coterie, and (|xperiments of various kinds were tried with steel gunners, heavy and light centre timbers and various (Juts of sails. George Polk and Jacob Buckhout were 4 -_ 'See 1798 map, frontispiece. MATTHEW VASSAR. J TO HISTORY OF POUCH KEEPS IE among the men who worked out the plans, and the lat- ter became the creator of the modern ice \aclu. The PonsjhkcciJsie Ice Yacht Cluh was driianizril in iShi, the charier members l)ein^ ( )li\cr II. r.cDih, Aamn Innis. John A. Rdnscvelt, Thecidnrc \'. Jnhnslon, Theo- d..re Van Kleeck. William C. Arnold. Ihidsnn Tay- lor. II. ('.. Kaslman. j. Iv I'liickhoul, Walter \ an Kleeck. I lenry S. Frdsl. Jnhn R. .'~;tn\ \csaiit. This -r^ / \ > ^ tp '■^^^^K'^S' .> fP-lJH mmJMm. •DI.IX'I'R II. liOoTH. a])parentl\- was the tirst formal organization of the sport, and it was only after this organization that iti'ms ai)i)ear in the newspapers about ice yachts. cxccjU verv rarely. Ice yachting in the early days was not i)articularlv expensive, but as the rivalry created by the races stimulated imi)rovcmenls, the ex])enses naturally in- creased. The s])ort has been at its best on an average only two or three weeks each winter, but I'nughkeep- sie is a iietter loeation for it th;in main ]ilaces further Udrlb because winter rains and thaws can gen- erally be clcpendi'd npnn tci rt'mow snow frcim the river. l)i]wn Id a recent ju'rinil all local races were held in front of the city, but with the advent of a more powerful ferry, keeping an o|)eii track, the headquar- ters were transferred hrst to |obn A. Roosevelt's, about three miles north, and then |i> Ihde I'.ark. The leading rivals in the ])eriod of the IVjughkeepsie ('lnb'< supremacy were John A. Roosevelt and Aaron Tunis, whose "Icicle" and "Haze." as remodelled after the ■■Robert ,'h I'.il'ingsi. I'.dward I'ost. There were all sorts of events al the regatta, single and double scull races, fours and sixes. The course was five miles, two .-md a half milis \i]) the river from .Kaal Roek and return. ■■Joslf W .ird was one of the U'ad iug oarsmen and the favorite in single sculls, biU was bad'y luaten. The great race of the first day was the six-oared, in which Xewburgh was entered against I'oughkeepsie, and was bt'aten. in spite of the fad that Josh Ward rowed with .Vewbnrgh. The victor- ifius Poughkeci)sie cri'w was: Willi.-im Stevens. John liest, Ezekiel Rcneway. I louu'r Wooden. IXiuiel l,eRo\- and Madison Eagan. The time was 3_' :40. The four- oarecl I'ace, the second d.ay. again occasioned great ex- citement. Thri'e crews were entered, representing I'oughkeepsie. .Xewburgh and llrooklxn. The I'ough- keepsie crew.whicii won in ^-Vlo.was 1 lonu-r Wooden. William Stevens, Ezekiel l'>enewa\- and John Rest, .and tlu' Xewburgh crew. Dennis T^eary. John I'.iglin, J;uues I'ligliu and I'.c-ru.ai'il Riglin. called the liiglm crew. Thousands of pee)i)le came to I 'oughkee])sie to si'e this regatta, and the Eoi^lc said of it : '■( )ne dav with its eNciteuH'Uts would do very well, but two d,-i\s for a (|uiet town like I'oughkeepsie was rather too nnich." Tlu' roughkee]isie crews had been organized chielh- from among men employed in the cooperages and were backed hea\ily by local sportsmen. George Polk m;ide for them the first spoon oars used at this ]i!ace. The HISTORY OF P O U G H K R E P S I E 171 four-oarcd crew at a later peril m1 mwed in a Imat called "The Stran,t;er," and came In ])e known as "The Strano'er Vww." The excitement nf the iSdu rejyatta, with its crowd of ])rofessi(iiial ^amhlers and toughs, was small indeed compared with that which at- tended the tinal I'ace of "The Stran-ers," July iSili, 1865, with the l'.i,s;lins. who then represented New York. The 1 'ont;hkeeiisie crew was the same as that at the i860 regatta, except that William Burger had taken the place of John Best. The course was the same, two and one-half nii'es and retiu'n, and the race was for a jjurse of $6,000 and the cham])ionship of America, .\ccording to news]iai)ei' accounts, this memorahle e\ent hronght ten thousand people to Pouglikeejjsie. and ;is much as $100,000 was wagered on the result. The New ^■o)■k men led at the start, hut on the home stretch the roughkeepsie crew gained and at- tempted to pass them. Excitement ran high, and the Biglins steered their hoat so as to head off the Stran- ger and so finished first. The 1 'oughkeepsie crew and all who had money wagered upon its success claimed a fold, ;md the decision rested upon the referee, Ch.arles (lausm.m, wlno witli the judges, were driven at once to the 1 'oughkeepsie Hotel and attempted to get into a room hy themselves. The late Isaac 11. \\'ood, last proprietor of the I'.xchange House, was one of the judges. ".\s they entered the room crowds of thugs and roughs pressed in .after them, and they .also crawleeorge W. Sterling to the .Assembly. .A big meeting for "Freedom and Prohibition" was held in the city hall in Jul\. 1833. There were also some Abolitionists in Ponghkeepsie, but 1 have seen no record to show that they had an organization. George W. Sterling was in full sympatln with tluMu, and is generally credited with having been an officer of "the underground railroad." The .\bolilionists iiad no local organ and were generally denounced b\ the party papers. Theodorus Gregory was one of the leading i)rohi- bition advocates of this time. For several years after his purchase of the Eastern House he conducted it as an ordinary country tavern, selling li(|uor. and filling up with gambU'rs on liorse racing days. Then lu' was converted and became a temiierance man. lie was told that lu' could not nm a boti'l without a bar, but he decided to try and w;is successful. Tlu- old F'astern House burned in .March. 18^3. ;uid the new Imilding. finished in the s|)ring of I1S34. was ojjened as the Gregory House. It became, of course, the best hotel in the city, far surpassing the Forbus House and Ponghkeepsie Hotel, but Mr. Cregory conducted it as a temperance house, and a'so had family prayers every day in the parlors, and grace before meals in the dining room. The hotel was sold after the war to George Morgan, and became the Morgan House. James Bowne was another leading temperance man. Some years before this time the old firm of I'xnvne S: Trowbridge sold a great deal of liquor, and Mr. Bowne signalized his conversion by knocking in the heads of the rum barrels and spilling the contents into the gutter. In 1855 the Republican party was organized in Dutchess County and formally consolidated with the Whigs, the parties holding a joint convention at Emigh's Hotel, Washington Hollow, on the 17th of ( )ctober. The Whig county committee was John H. Ketchani, Smith Cronk, J. A. Underbill, C. Swan, Ed- gar Thorn, Edwin Hall, Edward Flunting, D. C. Marshall and George W. Paine. Thirty-seven names w^ere signed to the Republican call, headed bv .A. J. Cofifin, George A an Kleeck and Cornelius Du Bois. Most of the names seem to be those of former Whigs, though some were Free Soil Democrats. The\' in- cluded Isaac Tice, Wm. C. Southwick, E. M. .Ar- nold, Aaron Frost, Wm. S. Morgan, John Thompson, Augustus L. Allen, Richard Kenworthy, Lsaac Sisson, Stei>hen P.aker, .A. A'an Kleeck, E. M. Swift. 1 lenry W. .Mon'is. James vS. Post and Charles E. Bowne. lu the fall of 1853 .'"'"i ''■ Ketcham was first elected to the Assembly, and the Republicans were also successful in the 3rd district, electing Jacob B. Carpenter, but in the _'nd. including the city of Pough- keejjsie, George Wilkinson was defeated In Daniel O. \\'ard, of Plea.sant \'alley. The |]residential campaign of 183(1 \\;is a notable one in I'oughkeei)sie, on account of the great public meetings held on I'orbus I lill. The Demoer;its held ;i great r;i!l\' for Puchanan on ( )ctober 1st. to which it is s.aid llfteen stv'amboats ran e.xeursions. .\niasa J. Parker, candidate for gt)vernor, was the chief speaker. The crowd on this occasion, tliongh large, is said lu have been far ecliiised by the l'"i'emoiit rally of the river counties on the i'>th, at which I Ion. Charles 11. Ruggles presiiK'cI. b'rom i; o'clock in the nKJrning initil after noon there was almost a continuous |)roces- sion of teams anil of horsemen conn'ng in froni the country, "until the town was full." says the I'.ai^Ic. The r.ailroad, the steamers ( Iregon, from Albany, South America from Iludson, and Thomas Powell from .\ew ^'ork. added thousands. \Mien the delega- HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 173 tions from neighljoring counties niarclicd from the steamers, tlie horsemen from the coimtry were (h'awn up in close order, facing the street, and extended from the Exchange House to Hamilton Street. There were 800 of them, it is said. In the great open field consti- tuting Forbus Hill four stands had been erected, and there was continuous speaking from each one for more than three hours. From the principal stancl, around which there were seats, Senator Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts, spoke for two and one-half hours, and was followed by Joseph Hoxie, of New ^'ork, for one hour. .\t the central stand, for which no seats had l.ieen proxided, Governor Ford, (jf ( )hiii, spoke two hours, and Joseph Blunt, of New York, an hour and a half. \t other stands there were five German speak- ers. The Rhinebeck Glee Club, the Albany Glee Club, Messrs. Sherwood and Cone, of .Mbany, and Mr. .\thert"n, of Ponghkeepsie, furnished music. The county ga\e Fremont 5,512 votes, Buchanan 4,o3(;. and Fillmore 2.01 _^. John Thompson was elected to Con- gress, and jolm II. Ketcham returned to the Assem- bly, though l)y a majority of only one vote, over Al- bert Emans. The second district elected Franklin Dudley to the Assembly. The city voted Fremont i.ijo, lluchanan 656, and Fillmore 318. li. Piatt Car- penter began his political career soon after this, and became District Attorney in 1858, succeeding Silas Wodell. The Ha^^lc containetl many stn.ing anti-slaverv edi- torials at this time, and the "dough faces," as well as the "slaveocracy" w'ere vigorouslv denounced. It was an ardent supporter of \\'illiam II. v'^eward for tbe presidential nomination in i860, and Isaac Piatt, in a letter dated Chicago, May 26th, describes the methods by which Seward was defeated in the convention, and expresses his opinion of those who coml)ined against him very freely, adding: "I'.ut while 1 feel bound to say tliest" harsli things of the active enemies of Senator Seward, and feel that even more severe language would fail to do them jus- tice, it would be doing a great wrong to the majorit\- of the ct)nvention if I failed to add that the choice fell u])on the next best man that could have been se- lected. The very last one wdiom the poltroons of Pennsylvania, and Indiana and the sneaks of New England — who could have rendered Mr. Seward's nomination certain had they been true — would have fallen back upon was Mr. Lincoln, had they had an\- thing but 1 lobson's choice in the matter." The camp;iign of i860 was a memoralile one everywhere, and not long after the nomination of Lin- eciln and 1 lamlin. Republican marching clubs calleil "\\ ide .\wakes" were organized all over the North. The Ponghkeepsie club was organized in Jul\- with John Trowbridge president, William C. .\rnold, C. C. Iloilf, James McKinne\- and j. W. NinceiU vice- presidents; George II. Beatlys, recording secretary; Davis \ an Kleck, corresponding secretar\-, and John T. Banker, treasurer. Daniel li. Turner was elected captain at a subsequent meeting, and Robert b". Ta\- lor lieutenant. There was also a Lincoln and I laniliu Club, of which J. W W. Doty was president. The chief Democratic marching clubs were called "The Little Giants," from Stephen A. Douglas's favorite nickname. In Ponghkeepsie Benjamin Atkins was their captain, and both he and Turner were officers in the Twenty-first Regiment. Party feeling ran so high that stones were sometimes thrown at the parad- ers in hostile wards, but the two captains were friends. The Wide Awakes had their headcjuarters in the base- ment under Rowdand's bakery, opposite the end of Market Street, and it is related that on one occasion when they had just returned from a parade and were storing away their torches and capes, the order came to turn out again. They hurried up the steps, and there were the Little Giants coming down the street. Some of the boys thought there were prospects of a fight, but "Dan" Turner lined them all up along the curb, and as their opponents approached gave the or(U-r "Present torches," and then "Three cheers for Ben Atkins and the Little Giants!" The order was prompt- ly obeyed and the Little Giants returned the courtesy. After that it is said there was never any trouble be- tween the two organizations. Occasionally they would meet on parade, when one would open order and al- low the other to march between them, presenting torches. The Bell and Everett men also had a marching club which paraded around ringing a large bell obtained from one of the foundries. In general this campaign is described by those who rememlier it as the greatest on record, with scimething gniug cm almost every ilay for several months. The Wide .\wakes and Little Giants often visited other cities to take ])art in i)ar;ides there The Rei)nblicans held ;i great meeting on Forbus Hill, October 19th. which was addressed in the after- noon for two hours by 1 Ion. Salmon P. Chase, of ( )hiii. Gen. Thomas L. Davies presided at this meeting, and the vice-presidents were : Hon. Charles H. Rnggles, \\'illiam C. Sterling, John G. Halstead, F. R. Johnston, J. Wesley Stark, Edward H. Simmons, Herrick Thorne, D. Lewis, James Winslow, Hon. Morgan Car- penter, George H. Knapp. James Ketcham, Iliram X'ail, Orson Graves, E. D. Sweet, C. White. The sec- retaries were: Alfred B. Smith, George Sweet, 74 II I S r O R y OF P O U G H K B E P S I E. George Lanior-ee, i'>. I'latt Cariiciilcr, R. D. Cornell, and James McCarthy. 1 think this was the last great meeting on Forbns 1 lill. Grand Street had been laid out across it several \ears before and building was beginning to encroach on the neighborhood so long devoted to circuses, poli- tical rallies and military reviews. At one time, before the railroad was built, there was a lookout back of the lH>rbus House, on which observers were stationed to watch for the coming of steamboats, so that the hotel stage could leave for the landing without running the risk of long waits. Many stories are told about events which took i)lace on Forbus Hill, but the ground has been so changed by grading and building that no one thinks of it now as a hill, apart from the general slope of the ground. The cit}' in i8Co was still to a considerable e.xtent divided into sections, with stretches of open fields be- tween. The Upper Landing and the Lower Landing- were rather isolated communities connected with the business section on the hill by a fringe of houses along Alill and L'nion Streets. I^ower ALiin Street consisted of "lilakesleeville," on the flat between Bridge and Clover Streets, with onl\' a few buildings immediately above or below, except at the landing. Then there were the suburban settlements of Freartowu, in the southern srcliim. Tioicetown, near the junction of Cherry v'^tixrl and I li inker Avenue, and Leetown, af- terwards Hull's I bad. now .Vrlington. ^Vor was For- bus 1 lill tile nnly hill named. Christian Hill, near I'ine Street, Crow llill, Soutli Hamilton Street, south of Montgomery, and others were familiar to the people of the day, and are still occasionally named. Many meetings were held throughout the county during this campaign, ancl the I'oughkcepsie Re])ubli- can speakers mentioned in the ]iapers were jdlin Thompson, William Wilkinson, Col. (k-orge Lisbee, J. Spencer Van Cleet, Charles II. S. Williams and John L Piatt. This was Mr. T'latt's entrance into poli- tics, and was ])robably not far fiom the lirsl appear- ance on the stump of most of the others n;nueil, except Mr. Thompson and Mr. Wilkinson. Dutchess County gave .Abraham Lincoln a majoritx of 692 over the Fusion (Douglas, llreckinridge and Tlell) Democratic ticket, ;nid in rouglikeciisie l.iiunln carried tlie 2n(l Ward 1)_\ iSj, tlu' 3rd by 28 ami the 4t]i by 130, the 1st Ward alone going Democratic b\ 57. Ste])hen liaker, of Poughkee])sic, was elected to Congress. Occasionally an item like the following, Se]Jt. Sth. 1857, attracts attention in the local papers: "Free — It is said that a colored man recently passed through this place on the underground railroad, having made his escape from slavery in a Southern State. He is probably now enjoying freedom in Canada, under the protection of the Ilritish Queen." On Aug. 29, 1857, the Eagle tells of the breaking of the first Atlantic cable "after having paid out suc- cessfully 335 nautical miles of cable, and the last 100 miles of it in water over two miles deep," In spite of the political agitation at home there was much interest in foreign news and the completion of the cable was awaited with eager anticipation. When it was ap- parently finished in 1858 all the bells in Poughkeepsie were rung in celebration of the event. Before the caljle foreign nev^^s was always headed "Three days later from Europe," "Four days later from Europe," or whatexer the interval was between steamers. After reading under this heading "There is nothing later from India" for several weeks, it is with something of a thrill lh;it one reads on Nov. 28, 1857, "Gen. Flave- lock with 2,500 men crossed the Ganges from Cawn- pore Sept. 19 and relieved Lucknow residency on the 25th, just as it was ready to be bldwn up by the be- siegers." When the city was incorporated, both the Eagle and the 7V/i'c;''<'/'/' had planned to issue daih- papers, but \-eutures in that line had not been particularly suc- cessf\il. The first daily started had lasted but a short time, aucl the Press. withmU any well-established week- ly behind it, was struggling along with no very great profit to its publishers. The Tr/rt,'ri;/'/i tried the ex- ])eriment of a daily edition for three weeks, begiiuiing Nov. 28, 1834, and iIkmi gave it u]!, while tlie Eagle found in the linaneial depression of that \iar ;i suffi- cient reason for the abandonment of its plans. In 1S60, however, the city had a populatinu of .about 15,- OQO, and the interest in |iulilic e\eul,s. in the great is- sues which were snon to plunge the country into civil war. ;uid in local matti-rs. had greatly increased, and another daily was fully warranted. On Tuesday morn- ing, Di'cember 4th. \nl, 1 Xd. i nf i!ie Piiily Eagle was issueil. It bni-e the umtid, ".Xeutral in nothing," and its strong editnrials .and excellent telegr.aphic ser- vice soon gave it a conim.audiug poNilinn and an in- lluence that w.as luort- th.an Incal. Tlu' fUiily Press. which liad been ;i mnrniug paper n|i to this tiine, soon changed to an aflernonn p.aper. and so remained as long as it had a separate existence. CHAPTER IX. The Civil War — Early Meetings and Knllstmkxts — The i28th and 150TH Rkciments — The i^ijth Regiment and the Draft — Echoes of the Draft Riots — Home Events — Politics, Includim; the Campaign of 1S60 — Eastman College — The Return of Prosperity — The Sanitary Fair. The iK'ws of the firing upon Fort Sumter was pub- lislied on Saturday, April i_^th, iSdi, ami there was intense excitement in I'oughkeepsie as well as else- where. The liiv^U' issued "e.xtras" which were eagerh' snatclied from the press on Satm^day ex-ening and again on Sunday. ( )n the i5th President Lincoln's call for 75. Olio \oUmteers was puhlished. and on the same day a sm;dl item recorded that "Matthew \'as- sar, Jr. has tendered his fast sailing schooner, The .Matthew X'assar, jr., to the L'nited States govern- ment." ( )n the Kith ".Messrs. W. \\'. and J. Rey- nolds tendereil to the government their substantial and well arranged steamer Reliance." I'loth of these offers were acce])te(l. The Matthew N'assar, Jr. was one of Farragut's fleet of mortar boats at the taking of the forts at the mouth of the Mississi])pi River, and the Reliance' served as a gun boat in the Ilurnside expe- dition and also as a transport. The steamboats Dutchess from Alain Street Landing and Sherman from the Lower Landing were also sold to the go\'ern- ment. as were many other river steamers. April 17th there was a brief report in the local ixipers of a meeting of the 21st Regiment, with the statement, "We have ascertained that there are one humlred x'ohmleers ready to .answer the government's call." Loyal citizens everywhere began to displa}' the tlag in fnint of fluir homes and places of business, and we read that "jiolitical feelings arc fast disappear- ing in this city." ( )n the iSth a call for a meeting to be held at the L'it\ Hall for the |)urpose of organi;^- ing a volunteir compan\- was |iul)lished 1 iver the sig- natures of Jiihn R. Coii|ier, John 11. ( )tis, J. Spencer \an Cleef. James 11. Seaman and R. T\. Taylor. Gc- ronie Williams and .\.. U. Smith were among those who addres.sed this meeting, which resulted in a pre- liminary organization in the following form: "We hereby form ourselves into a volunteer com- pany to be offered to the Governor of this State for ipor list of Poughkeepsie men who went ont with the Reliance see Appendix. immediate service, under the provisiun^ ol the act laleh' jiassed by the Legislature of this State in refer- ence to the raising of a volunteer force." \])r\\ i8th, 1861. R. \\. Taylor, .Xathaniel I'almer, S. II. r.ogardus, Jr., .Alfred .\tkins, 1'. J. Palmatier, John .Sanders. John LL llartlett. Joseph Williams, Herbert Stearns, John X. Longfield. John Cox, C. W. L'nderwood, .Vlfred Sherman, Isaac \'an Wagner, Benj. Slater, Daniel Johnson, Sr., Albert R. Heermance, Joseph Rosell, Cornelius Ferdon, .Martin Riggs, Nathaniel Gayton, D. 1!. Morris, George C. Smith. John Ward, Daniel Brinckerhoff, ^\■m. H. Clark, Marcus B. White, .\ndrew Holitzer, Wm. Conklin. .\. B. Smith. James \'>. Jones, Dewitt C. l^nderwood. jas. T. Clear, Patrick Akins, R. X. I'lush, Thomas Walker, 1". Schwandel, [Jeitung Fedrick, Joseph Heidel, Carl llardenburgli, .\nson Morey, John 11. Filkins, F.dward I'ost, Patrick Whaleii, Thomas Eagan, Jas. Nicolson, Wm. L^ham, John H. Moreland. These did not all enter the st'rvice, but certainly all were willing to enlist, at least for three months. There was no dearth of \-olunteers under the first call, howe\'er, and as a rule only militia companies fully equipped, were accepted. The JOtll. of Kings- ten, enlisted fur three mnnlhs. and the fact that the 2ist was not ri'ad\ to offer ilse'f caused some com- ment in which the si;iiemenl w as m;ide that the military spirit had no! been greallx cultivated in 1 'oughkee|isie. The independent company formed at the meeting of the i8tli went on to perfect its organization. On the 20th. when William Berry was made tem]iorary ca|)tain, there were se\ent\ -live names on the roll. On the 23rd the company was reorganized with Har- rison Ilalliday as captain, but was rather slow in get- ting reatlv to leave, and some of the bovs became im- I7(i History of poughkeepsiB patient. A few inanagcd to get into militia regiments already at the front ; these included James E. Schram, who sailed in the steamer ■"Daylight" on the 24tli to join the Seventh Regiment/ Alfred Way and Alfred Dunlap, who went out with the 13th of Brooklyn. Adam Schuster and Charles Couterier enlisted in the 20th X. Y. \'ols., (the German Turner regiment) and April 24th the following men left Poughkeepsie to join them: Rudolph Schwickard, Rudolph Prellwitz, Joseph Mayer, Charles Solger, George Kahn, Adam Barthel, Charles Propson, Henry W. Kohn, Augustus Long, John Meyer, Gottsfried Kuhn, Nicholas Schop- pert, Andrew Simon, Reinhold Polieke, Henry Klages, Professor W. Sinnhold, Friedrich Blume, and Fried- rich Breitung. Most of these names are to be found on the published roll of Company D. Captain Joseph Otto. Couterier went as ensign and Sinnhold as first sergeant. The next day, April 25th,- Alfred Atkins. Stephen H. Bogardus, Daniel Brinckerhofif, C. Becker and Isaac \ an Wagner went to New York and en- listed in the 5th Regiment, Colonel Abrani Duryea's Zouaves. They were joined soon afterwards by William F. Boshart, Wm. H. Disbrow, Albert ( ). Chenev. James C. Albro, Cyrus Hagadorn, .\lphonzn C. Morgan, Joseph Tyndall, C. E. Dennis. D. S. Bradley, James W. Shurter, C. Jewell, A. Conover, James Van Wagner, W. Stall, H. Lyons, G. F. Law- rence. Godfrey Winzeureid and II. Stearns, •■* according to the newspapers of the day. Not all these names aiii)ear in the imperfect muster rolls published by the State, but some of them may lia\e joined after the roll, dated May <)th. was made up. William l)e (".mot and James Morissy, of Poughkeepsie. appear on the roll, but were not mentioned in the newspapers, and 1 am informed^ that William F. Da\idson. James Denton, Michael Krieg, Isaac Blythe and Tlu-ron \'an Keuren were cerlainlx in the regimenl, though neither on the May 9th muster mil nor mentioned in the news- papers up to the time of the departure of the regiment lA letter describing the trip of the 7th to Annapolis, pul)- lished in Eagle May 2, signed "Brother George." seems to imply that other Poughkeepsians were in this regimenl. 2Names in Eagle April 26. ^Second list of 21 names in Eagle May 14. ■♦Captain William F. Boshart has furnished nuich of this information. The failure of the contemporary newspaper lists, the muster rolls and the recollections of the veterans to agree is easily expl.iiiKtl. The new-paper lists indicate the supposed intentions of the men when they left Pough- keepsie. A few men when they reached New York joined other organizations, or did not enlist at all. The veterans naturally remember the men who were with them in camp or on the battlefield. The State muster rolls are imperfect any- way, containing only 60 or 70 privates in each company, and furnisliing no indication of later enlistments. for the front. The 5th was in active service early enough to take part in the battle of Big Bethel. \ an Keuren, Denton, Davidson and Hagadorn were killed in battle in 1862. Meanwhile there were stirring times at home. On Sunday, April 21st "Almost every clergyman in this ^^^. * * * preached on the subject of the national crisis, calling upon the people to sustain the govern- ment as a sacred duty." < )n the lyth a call was pub- lished over the signature of several hundred men for a mass meeting in Pine Hall, then but recently comj^leted on the site of the old Franklin House, and the leading i)lace for lectures, meetings and theatrical performances in the city. The meeting was held on the evening of the 24th, Hon. James Emott presiding, and among those named as vice-presidents were sev- eral prominent Democrats, including Edward B. Os- borne, then editor of the Telegraph, Judge Charles H. Ruggles, James H. Weeks, and Hon. William Kelley of Rhinebeck. Rev. Francis B. Wheeler, of the Pres- byterian Church, opened the meeting with prayer, and stated that "The ministers of the Church are with you in their sympathies and if need be will mingle their blood with yours in defense of the right." There were addresses by Judge Emott. Hon. Wm. Kelley, Hon. George W. Sterling, Homer .\. Xelson (then county judge), Hon. John Thompson, Hon. George T. Pierce, Joseph F. Barnard, Rev. F. D. Brown, Rev. Samuel Buel, of Ciirist Church, and Rev. M. Wakeley. Charles Wheaton, who became county judge when Judge Nelson was elected to Congress in 1862, was chairman of the committee which prepared a series of strongly patriotic resolutions, including the following: Resolved, That no effort is too severe, no contest too long, no ex])enditure too great, that will put down and crush out, now and for all time, an armed resist- ance to the authority of the Constitution, the Laws and the chosen Officers of the Government. .\ resolution was also ])assed. on motion of Charles W. Swift, asking the Cc^nunon Council to Inirrow $10,000 on the creilit of the city, the money to be ]>laced in the hands of ;i committee of five "for the relief ancl snp|i(irt of the families and dependents" of those whn enlisted in the arniw .Ma\or James llowne. Gains C. l'>mii;ip, Di". I'er Lee Pint', James H. Weeks and Edgar M. \'an KK'eck were named as the committee. The Conuiion Coimcil carried out this stiggestion, and the finid was supplemented' by many contributions from the citizens. .\ few davs later the ladies began to organize for the purpose of making 'The girls of Dr. Rider's School (Cottage Street) raised $75 for tliis fund by a concert. ilill. Garden History of poughkeepsib. 177 shirts and other clothing for the soUHers, many of whom were in sorry condition, government suppHes proving entirely inadequate. In May the Woman's Relief Association was organized, with Mrs. John Thompson president, and }^Irs. Henry L. Yonng sec- retary. Man\- of tile men who first volunteered were mem- hers of the fire ci^nnpanies, and Cataract \'o. 4, A. J. \'alentiue, fnreman. at a special meeting. April 25th, offered its services in connection with the Jlst Uegi- 2(1 Corporal — John R. Brockway. 3d Corporal — AIoiizo Case. 4tli Corporal — I'Vauk C. iMiik. CHARLES WHEATON ment. Captain Halliday, meanwhile was enlisting most of the members of old Protection. Colonel \\'il- liam Berry was appointed mustering officer, and the company went into barracks in the old .Methodist Church (afterwards ICastman College) 5th Regi- ment, known as Chasseurs, then forming at i'alace Carden, 14th Street: and one or two names from the company are to be found on the rolls of the 70th. 71st and other regiments, while some of the men came home, and did not enter the service until a later period, if at all. Poughkecpsie names are scattered through so many different regiments that it appears impossiljle to col- lect them all, and some, it is said, went into otlier states to enlist. Following is a list of organizations in which there were Poughkeepsie enlistments during the year 1 861, as shown by comparisons of contempo- rary references with the muster rolls. 20th Regiment (Turner Reg.) N. Y. "Vols., Col, Max Weber. Seventeen from Poughkeepsie in Co. D. =;th Regiment (Col. Durvea's Zouaves.) 30th X. Y. Vols., Co. E.. Capt. Halliday. 47th ; Col. Henry ^loore, forty men in Co. D on muster rolls from Dutchess County. 48th X. Y. Vols., Col. James FT. Perry, two men from Poughkeepsie, one of whom, David Johnson, is on orisfinal roll of Co. D. 'See Daily Eagle, May 4, 1904, for summary of charges and names of men in company. 53rd Regiment ( D'Kpineuil's Zouaves) eleven men from Poughkeepsie in Co. D, Captain George L. Chester, two in Co. 1 1. 57th Re.giment ( Ramsey's \oltiguers) si.xty-five men from Poughkeepsie in Co. K. Captain La \'allie, and two or three in other companies. 6ist Regt. (Clinton Guards), Col. S. \\'. Cone. 62nd Regt. (Anderson's Zouaves). 65th Regiment (ist Regiment Chasseurs) five men from Poughkeepsie in Co. D. 70th Regiment (ist Excelsior), two from Pough- keepsie in Co. G, Captain M. I!. ( )'Reiny. 71st Regiment, Col. George I!. Hall, Richard G. Shurter in Co. G, Daniel Malady, and some others credited to other places, but probably from Poughkeep- sie. 74th Regiment. Col. Charles K. Graham, C'a])t;iin Arthur Wilkinson's comiianx' (Co. I) mentioned, ap- parently with u. John II. Ketcham for mlonel. Al- fred P.. Smith, m.-ijor. George R. Gayloi-d, (piarter- master and William Tiicmpson, adjutant. This regi- ment, which became the 1 50tli, was therefore well started before the I28lh was com])'ete. Joseph II. Cogswell. Robert McConnell. Henry .\. GilcU'rsleeve. I'.dward .\. Wickcs, Edward Crummey, Benjamin S. r.ro.as, William R. Woodin, .Andrus Brant and John 1,. Green, were given penuission to open recruiting oft'ces, and all except Mr. Crummey, whose place was taken by Piatt AI. Thorne, became captains in tlic regi- ment. The first six mentioned were from Poughkeep- sie, C.a|it;iiu Woddin at that time being a resident of I'ine I'Lains, r.r.inl was from Dover Plains, and Green fn.m Red H.M.k. Great eft'orts were made to secure enlistments for this re.giment as rapidly as possible, September 3rd 'Tliis was the same James vSmith who had gone out as a captain in tlic 80th, ITc had been a law student in Judge Nelson's office. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE is;', Mayor Bowne recommended that all places of business be closed each afternoon of that week at 4 o'clock, "ami llial the people use all efforts to promote cnlist- nuiUs, and also to meet the exigencies of the times." War uKitings were held everv nii;ht at the City I Fall. aiKJ nil the 17th General Corcoran addressed a great (i|)('ii air meeting from a platform i.'iX'Ctrd du the east side of tile Court House. September 8th the ladies nut .iiid a]ipninled the following committee to raise a lund 111 ]ini\ick' the regiment with a stand of eujnrs: Mrs. .^ewanl I'.areulo, Airs. James I'.m.ill, Mrs. Wil- liam Sehrain. Mrs. W. v^. .Morgan. .Mrs. W. 11. Crosby, Mrs. J. Winslow. .Mrs. W. J. Lossing, .Mrs. T. / /\)iig/i/ccrpsic. I,. 1 )avies, Mrs. John Thompson, Mrs. Charles II. Ruggies and Miss Sarah M. Carpenter. By the jnth of September 780 men had been collected at Camp nutehess, which was establisheil on the old connty house grounds, now the grounds of the (.'ity Home. As the regiment began to assume sonu> proficiency in drilling under the charge of Lieut. -Colonel iiartlett, who was from \\'est Point, the town people assembled at the camp in considerable numbers ever\- afternoon to witness battalion drill and dress jjarade. During the last few days before the de])arture for the front most of the local commissioned officers were presented with swords by various groups of citizens. Major A. B. Smith's sword was presented at the High School, in Church Street, In- Mr. George W. McLellan, in be- half of the children of the public schools ; Captain Cogswell's sword was presented at the Congregational Church on Sunday evening, October 5th: Captain V.. X. Wickes received a similar gift from the voung ladies of Mr. Rice's .clioo], .-md ,,,1 the loth Rev. [). C. Wright, in behalf of the pn|)ils ,,{ ibe Poughkeepsie ]''einale .\cademy, presented (.'a])tain llenr\ A. (".il dersleeve with "a most splendid s\-,(ir(l, sash, belt .-md liislol." ,\ r.ibU' agent visited the e,-mi|) just before the departure of the regiment and il is rrlaled tli;il .Xew 'I\'stamenls were accejited li\ e\er\ m;in not otherwise supplied e.\ce]it two. Tlu' regiment left on the llth of ( )elober on the steamer ( )regon. 'riiomas 1",. \ assar went out as the lirst eha|il;u'n of this regi- ment, and was sueeeedeil the iu-\t year In Kew l'",d- ward ( ». Partlelt. whose diary of the daily exents has lieen published in the liai^lc. The regiment was at ( '.etlysburg, where se\en of its men were killed and twent\-t\\() wounded.' In ihe f;ill of 1863 it was .sent to Tennessee, but did not take l>art in any of the great battles there. In the campaign against Atlanta the 150th held im|)orlaut ])ositions at Resaca and at Kene- saw .Mountain against superior forces, and it was with Sherman on the famous march to the sea, but was rarely in a desperate assatdt or exposed to the terrible ordeals that cut some regiments to pieces, and lost comparativelx- few of its nflicers or men. Much of its immunity is ascribed b\- the survivors to the care of Colonel Ketcham in pro\iding protection whenever it was to be found. ( tf its original ofheers Cvrus S. Roberts, sergeant major; Henry C. .^mith, quartermaster sergeant. Lieu- tenants Albert Johnson, Robert C. Tripp, DeWitt C. I'nderwood, Charles J. (^laylord, besides those alreadv mentioned, were from Poughkeepsie. Till' i5in'ii A.\i) Till-: First Dr.\fts. In the effort to avoid a draft, as soon as the 150th Regiment was a certaint\. and before the 128th had reached the seat of war, steps were taken to form a second district regiment. Judge Homer A. Nelson was appointed its colonel, with .\rthur Wilkinson, who had resigned his comim'ssiem in the 74th, as military instructor, and Mark 1). Wilber quartermaster. P.y the middle of < )ctober. i.^'ij. some 500 men had been collected at lludsou from Columbia Count\- alone, and more than 100 hadi been enlisted in Dutchess, though the 150th had ]iriity well drained the countv. While the regiment was forming Ju .-ind 304 Main Street. Still standing. ISC, HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE able pn>]iiirti()n of its nieiiihers rc-ciiliste-d not long after tlu-ir return home. Their presence in Pongh- keepsie in |nl\. ikiring the draft riots in New York, added iinuii tu the security of the town, for on June 2(ilh. when all the North was alarmed over Lee's in- vasion, the local militia regiment had been called into service and sent to Baltimore. There was much fear that disturbances might break out here in the absence of the 2 1st Regiment, and immediately after the receipt nf the news of the riots in New York companies of Ihime Ciuards were formed under command of Cap- tain Williams, and Mayor Innis sent an urgent request to Governor Seymour for artillery. After some delay he received a six-pounder brass field piece, with ac- companiments, including fourteen rounds of canister. P.v July 22nd there were eight companies of Home (lUards. comprising several hundred men. They were described in the newspapers as Company A. Captain William Berry, Company B, Captain John P. .Adriance, Com]«ny C. Captain Martin Beutel. Company D. Cap- tain I^affingwell, the United Plose Companies (Phoenix and Booth), Captain James W. Shurtcr, the Grant Cavalry. Captain Parish, and the artillery company. Captain J. .S. \'an Cleef. Their services were hajjpily never rei|nired. On jnlv :,^lh the miili in Xew Y(irk cut the tele- graph wires, and news nf the exciting events in the metropolis cduIiI onl\- lie olitained li\ mail nr fmui the reports of passengers on the railroad trains. The next day the trains were stoi)]ied and steamboats form- ed the sole means of commimication. The wildest and most exaggerated repnrts were currt'ut nf the doings of the mob. wliile the city was in its control, and sus- l)ense and imxiely were intense. The whole country wanted the news, and alK)ut all that could be obtained was furni.shed from Poughkeepsie. George W. Dav- ids, whose long service as reporter and city editor of the £(;^<,'/c had begun nn the day nf the first attack nu I'ort Sumter, cnlleeted the re|)orts bmughl by ])eoi)le on the trains and boats, rushed the news tn the office where it was Inilletined and telegraphed to the West. The /;(i,;'/c office was then the onl\ .Xssociated Press station between New York and .\lbany. The situatiiin was nut willmut its amusing side, however, for on the 14th a nulk train nf three cars destined for New ^'nrk was halted at 1 'dugbkeepsie and the milk was sold at one cent a (|uart. "( )lil nun with grey hairs, staid elderly dames, llu' \(iung ami spriglitly lasses, big boys and little ])oys, big girls and little girls, with pitchers, ])ails, mugs, pans, water pails, jugs, dippers, wash bowls, small tubs, etc.," all rushed to the cars to buy milk, which was just on the point of turning sour. The milk spree was so pro- nounced that the next day the doctors bad a large number of sick children on their hands. Apprehension that there might be trouble at home from opposition to the draft was not entirely unwar- ranted. There were a few aggressive Copperheads in town, and the early enthusiasm of all parties in sup- jiort of the government had given place to an atti- tude of criticism on tlie part of many that amounted to ojjposition to every movement towards raising troojis and greatlv exasperated those who were strain- ing every nerve to ujihold the administration and strengthen the army. ( )ccasional evidence of out- breaks of Cop]X'rheadism is to be found in the news- papers. At the time the news of the repulse of P.anks's first assault ujicm Port Hudson, in May, 1863, "one flag was raised early in the morning and kept flying all (lay. a thing it has rarely done before." One night, during the same month, the editor in charge of the Press was visited by a young man with a rawhide, ap- parently because of severe criticism of the Elsworth Greys. Sharp personalities were not infrequent in the news|ia]>ers of the time, but were generally to be fdimd in CDmmunicatidns signed by initials rather than in the editorial columns. ( )n the first of Jul}', \>>fi;^. a third daily jjaper. 'I'hc f'oir^hkrcf^siaii. made its ajipearance, ]niblishcd by J. Henry liager and J. G. P. Ilolden. in the old Morris building, next to the Poughkeepsie Bank. It was au- uouucetheS. K. Dar- row and Thomas Parker. Cnnipany 1) — Ca])tain. Reuben Tanner; Pieuti'U- ants, Pdward 'Juigle\'. William I l.inbenni'stel and G. P. Dennis. Company G — Captain, I'rank .MuIKr: l.ieuten;ints, George Schlude and Kormr. Company R — Captain l'*rank 1 h'ngslibeck : Pieu- tenant .Michaels. The seriousness of the war and the moral n.iture of the cause were greatly stimulating to religions and charitable activity at home and it was natural that this should be the time of the permanent organizatiim of the Young Men's Christian Association. Tlu' local association was organized at a meeting in the I'irst Methodist Church, August 21st, 1863, with Professor 'Ciptaiii Wontliii was the Eaglc'.s correspondent dnrint; n :irge pari of tlic service of the 150II1 Regiment. William 11. Crosb\- chairman, .Addresses were made by S. W. Stebbins, president of the association in Xew ^'ork, Charles C. Whitehead, Rev. Howard Crosby and Cephas P.rainerd. The officers elected were: Presiilent — John 11. Mathews. X'ice-President — James S. Case. Cor. Secretary — Frank L. Stevens. Recording Secretary — John I. Piatt. Treasurer — Wm. B. Fox. Directors — George Berry, ,\lfred .Atkins. Jacob P.. Jewett, IJthgow T, Perkins, George R. I'.rown, Wil- liam C. Dobbs. Walter P Husted, J, S. Aan Cleef and Thomas IT. Peggett. The members included most of the young men who had been in the older Young Men's Christian Pinion. .Meetings were held at first in a room over the City Bank on the corner of Market and Main Streets, and continued there until the association felt itself strong enough to jmrchase Pine Hall in 1872. One new church was built during the war, the Friends' JNIeeting Plouse on Montgomery Street, in 1863. The old Orthodox Meeting House on Mill Street was sold, and a few years later was moved to Conklin Street and converted into a dwelling. J\ stood where the Theodore Jolmston houses were built aljout 1870, Politics — Tiiu C.v.mi'aic.x 01' 18^4. Pi politics the Reimblicans did not always have everything their own way during the war. The Dem- ocrats carried tlu' State in the fall of 1862, but Horatio Seymour, who was elected Governor, did not quite carry Poughkeepsie, James S. Wadsworth (jbtaining a majority of 1 17. Judge Nelson, as already noted, w'as e'ected to Congress at this time, obtaining a majority in the city of 4 votes, and Charles XMiealon, also a Democrat, was elected County Judge. The next s|iring, at the charti'r election, the Republicans won with Georgt' Imiis' ;is a candidate for mayor against James II. vSe;imaii. but the majority was onl\ 71. Tn 18^15, however, when the city had been di\ided into six wards. Mayor Innis was re-elected without opposi- tion. This WMS rejieated in 1867, an honor shown to no other mayor of Poughkeepsie. The election of Noveml)er, l8ri3, brought Jose|)h F. r.arii;ird into the ."supreme Court, to succeed James l''.niott. He was twice re-elected, and was one of the iMr. Tnnis not long before the war purcha.sed and rebuilt the Davies house, opposite the railroad station on Main Street. The original house was built by William Davies ("see p. Sj^ probably before 1800. William A. Davies is said III have been born there in 1S07. JUDGE BARNARD. 190 HISTORY OP POUCH KUEPSlU. most notable of the many Supreme Court justices that ha\e lived in Poughkeepsie. During the war a feeling of antagonism between the city and the county resulted in a proposition before the Board of Supervisors to remove the county poor house to the interior of the county. The Common Coimcil on January 19th, 1863, appointed the Mayor and Alderman Coffin a committee to confer with the Supervisors about this, and it was decided to separate the city from the rest of the county in the matter of support of the ])oor. Accordingly April j'jlh the Legislature passed an act providing for the change and naming James Emott, James H. Dudley, James Bowne, Joseph F. Barnard, Matthew Vassar, Jr., and Jacob B. Jewett "Commissioners of the .\lms House of the City of Poughkeepsie," with all requisite authority. All excise moneys and all fines from the Recorder's court were to be appropriated for the support of the city jjoor under control of this board. In the division of propertx with the county the city i)urchased the old county house grounds and in 1868-69 the present main .Vims House building was erected. The old county alms house, it may be added, was in its earl\- days a noteworthy institution. Dorothea Lynde Di.x. in the report published in 1844, of her famous visits to the alms houses of the State, said : "Tile Dutchess County House at Poughkeepsie is a modil of neatness, order and good discipline. The liousehold arrangements are excellent : the kilcluMis and cellars complete in every part. 1 have seen nothing in the State so good as these. F.x'cry a|)artnient in the almshouse was excejitii mally clean, v\cll fm-nishcd and neatly arranged. Such of the insane as were highly excited were in clean, decent rooms." This was high ])raise, doubtless merited at the time, but probably tlie condition of affairs was very different wlun the buibl- ings had l)ecome old. ]( was so with the various Poughkeepsie jails. I'",ach one was pronounced a nioiUl of excellence when new, but condemned as un- lit for human beings at ibe end of its career. The county house luust h.ive luen pretty .seriously crowded at times, for an \Wn\ in the P.a,iilc in 1851 says there were between four and five hundred inni.ites. These included of course the i);nii)er insane, but it is hardly possible that there were propt'r accomniodalious for so large a number. The Presidential canii)aign of 186)4, whiK- not so lively as that of i860, was more notable f<-)r intensity of party feeling. The Republicans had plenty of am- munition for their stump speakers in the victories of the Union armies in the field, and Iiitterly denounced all who opposed the re-election of President T^incoln as Copperheads and enemies of the Union. The Dem- ocrats strongly resented this charge. Their genetal policy is well shown in the appeals to voters published in the Daily Press, where headings like the following were repeated from day to day : "A vote for Lincoln is a vote for more drafts," "A vote for Lincoln is a vote in favor of continuing the abolition war," "The abandonment of slavery is Lincoln's condition of peace," "Elect Lincoln and you endorse emancipation." Colonel Ketcham, for the first time a candidate for Congress, was vigorously denounced, chiefly for cer- tain alleged acts while a Member of Assembly before the war, and Captain W'oixlin was accused of forging soldier votes. The Democrats had an organization t)f "Little Mac" Guards, captained by C. A. Dimond, with Daniel Clifford first lieutenant, and Frank Ileng- stebeck second lieutenant. There was also a McClel- lan Guard, captained by James Daly. They raised a McClellan and Pendleton banner "between Pine's Hall and the Democratic Club opposite," October 8th, with Gilbert Deane and ( )w en T. 6'offin as principal speak- ers, and partv feeling ran so high that some one cut the baimer rope diu'ing the day. .\mong their chief speakers at the coimty meetings were C. J. (■aylorf:-f .:y* "Photo hy O. N. SKAMAN. 01 Ih, lusl Sliinf^laslcrs of the City of rou,iiIilu;[>sii ( ( hii^iini/ly priiitid in ird. ) Main Street was fairly ablaze with tireworks ;uid tar barrels. .A further and more imtable celebration was the banquet of the Loyal Legion "in the .\'ew lluckeye Mower and Reaper fiuilding of .\driance, I'latt & Co., South Water Street," on Tuesday evening. December 20th. There were over one thousand men at the tables, spreail through the lower lloor of the main building, 211 feet long. The members of the Loyal League, six hundred strong, marcheil in headeil by the Eastman College Band. Hon. C/eorge W. Sterling presided, and speeches were made by Rev. J. L. Cnrn- ing, Ibm. John Stanton Gould, Mark D. Wilber, Rev. DeLns Lull, William I. Thorn, Allard Antlioii)', Rev. 1;. .M. Ad.-nns and Pierre Girand, \\ S. .X. Smith Brothers were the caterers, and received a generous puff in the newspapers for their service. an established fact that no College or Educational In- stitution on this terrestrial globe h;is met with success equal to that of Eastman Xation;il lUisiness College," and this statement is jjrobably not much exaggerated. Rev. Samuel D. Burchard — the same man whose "Rnm, Romanism and Rebellion" alliteration created such a sensation in tin- Blaine campaign of 1884 — Joseph 11. Jackson, .\llard .\nthony and Rev. J. L. Corning were among the s])eakers. This great increase of students naturally added ma- terially to the business of the city, which, in spite of the fact that the war had ruined several local indus- tries, was generally sound and prosperous. .\ consi sie issued two sets of shinplasters, the second hand- somely engraved by the American Hank Note Com- pany. The United States government at length put a stop to all this private currency by issuing its own shiniilasters. Much of the apparent prosperity of the latter part of the war was due to the constantly rising prices incident to the depreciation of the paper cur- rency, but there are plenty of local instances of the serious hardships caused by the high prices and by tlu' constant efforts at readjustment as the price of gold fluctuated with the varying fortunes of the Lhiion armies. On the 25th of April, 1864. a si.xth bank was or- ganized in Poughkeepsie. This was the First Na- tional, the first bank to be organized under the Na- tional Banking Act, then recently passed. The or- ganizing directors were Cornelius DuBois, Levi M. .\rnold, George B. Lent and Daniel II. Tweedy. .\t the first annual election Robert Slee, David Harris. George B. Lent. II. G. Eastman, Jacob B. Carpenter, Hudson Taylor and James A. Seward were added. Mr. Eastman remained a director of this bank until 1870. when he was succeeded by John P. Adriance. TIk' present cashier, F. E. Whipple, has been employed in the bank since its organization, having served as teller until the resignation of Zebulon Rudd in 1889. The older state banks of the city were all reorganized as National Banks, not long after the oi)ening of the First National. Poughkeepsie was holding its own also as a place of residence. John O. Whitehouse, a prosperous shoe manufacturer of Brooklyn, came here in i860, and in 1863 purchased of George Wilkinson the handsome place on Southeast (now Hooker) .\\-enue, still known as the Whitehouse Place. This place had been owned before the war by lienjamiii W. \orth. who in order lo make access to the settled portion of the town a lit- tle easier constructed a tan bark sidewalk all the way to the corner of Hamilton Street. He sold the place to Mr. Wilkinson, who was a Xew N'ork merchant not related to the Wilkinsou family of l'onghkei'i)sie. in October, 1859, and Mr. Wilkinson Imill the ])resent house. A few years after Mr. Whitehouse's purchase of the place "Springside" was added to it by pur- chase from Matthew \'assar. Hudson Taylor,' who had si)ent most of his boy- 1 Concerning Hudson Taylor's residence in Washingon, the following from the Autobiography and Reminiscences of Moncure D. Conway (veil, i, p. _'4(;) is interesting and char- .acteristic. Conway haeadle. Secretary — Mrs. Charles H. Ruggles. Treasurer — Miss Sarah M. Car])enter. Tliese, with Mrs. Charles IT. Swift, Mrs. Van \'al- kenburgh, Mrs. Le Grand Dodge, Mrs. C. W. Tooker, and Mrs Haydock, made up the executive committee. There were also twenty-two managers, and forty-five tliat Sunday on which I had spoken my farewell words, a number of my friends called, and Hudson Taylor — who, with liis lovely wife, had given nic sucli a beautiful home — could not repress some reproach that I had by a few discourses sh;it- tcred such happy relationships. His niece, Charlotte Taylor (now Mrs. Robley Evans) said that I had to olicy my con- science. But Hudson cried "Damn conscience !" The tear in his eye did not blot out the oath, but embahned it in my memory as the loving farewell of as faithful and generous a friend as I ever had." committees to look after the attractions, booths, etc. The whole county was represented, and gifts of articles to sell came in from all sides. A special Buckeye mow- ing machine was made by the men of tlie factory and contributed. Before the fair began there was a series of auxiliary entertainments in the schools and churches and in Pine Hall, including a lecture by Rev. Henry W'ard Beecher, and these netted a considerable sum. It was reported that 4,000 people visited the fair on one of the nights. "The crush of crinoline and the smash of hats was terrible," said the Eagle, l)nt "ev- erybody was happy." ='= * * "You could hardly turn about without meeting the glance of a pair of eyes that would make any person hand out any amount for anything oflfercd for sale." vNine hundred and seventeen quarts of ice cream, 50 gallons of lemonade and 46,000 oysters were consumed. In the midst of it all the Eagle was ungracious enough to object to the rafHing, which was a leading feature, and was de- fended by Mrs. lienson J. Lossing. Rev. Mr. Lull, of the Washington Street Church, preached a sermon on the subject, but then the fair was over and it had taken in $18,640.87, with expenses of only $2,358.15, leaving net proceeds of $16,282.72 for the Sanitary Commission, truly a good showing for a small city in war time. Tniv Cr.osE oF Tiric W.\k. A few weeks later, on Monday, April 3rd, came the news of the capture of Richmond, which was received with great rejoicing. Says the Eagle: "Men threw up their hats, boys shouted and women joined the gen- eral jollification. In the afternoon the splendiil band attached to the Eastman College, followed b} a largo concourse of citizens paraded the streets, and sere- naded all public places, including this office and the residence of our reporter. Not a few highly elated individuals purchased masks, and dressing themselves up fantastically paraded the streets with the utmost unconcern, blowing on tin horns, ringing bells, etc. Shortly after i o'clock, in accordance with an order from the city authorities, a salute of 100 guns w^as fired and the church, Court House and City Llall bells were rung. It is impossible to describe the enthusi- asm that existed." Events followed each other in ra])id succession tlu'ii. Less than a week later, on Sunday evening, -\pril oth, came the news of Lee's surrender at Ap- ])oniattox. "At ten o'clock on vSunday night," s;i\s the Eagle, when the first dispatch was received at this office an- nouncing the surrender of General Lee, our sanctum was crowded with prominent citizens, who greeted the news with deafening cheers, and immediately or- 194 History of poughkeepsie. gaiiized tliemselves into squads to awake the slumber- ing inhabitants and inaugurate a grand rejoicing. Bonfires were started, bells rung, etc. Prof. Eastman got out his drum corps and ver}- soon arranged a pro- cession. The jubilant crowd called on Judge Eniott, Hudson Taylor, Esq., and other prominent citizens, and although the night was far advanced, were re- ceived by each of the above named gentlemen in the most enthusiastic manner. A delegation also pro- ceeded to Provost ^Marshal Johnston's residence below town and imparted the good news to him. Fire com- panies paraded the streets and immense crowds con- gregated in front of the Eagle to get the dispatches as fast as they were received." A great celebration was planned in honor of the close of the war, but arrangements were cut shnrt on the following Saturday by the announcement of the assassination of President Lincoln, which created the greatest consternation. Many people thought the war was to be prolonged in a sort of reign of terror, as- sassins taking the place of armies in the open. "Pough- keepsie on Saturday was draped in mourning. Men pale with anxiety walked the streets with horror de- picted on their countenances. Many shed tears. The female portion of the community, especially those who have sacrificed fathers, brothers, husbands, or friends on the altar of their country, received the awful news with emotion pitiful in the extreme. All the flags of the city were placed at half mast, and public and pri- vate buildings were draped in mourning. " There were not wanting, however, a few individuals who took oc- casion to e.xpress their satisfaction at the terrible deed, and they were naturally roughly handled by the crowd. One woman was arrested in nrdcr to ])rotect her, and several stores had to be closed for a time until the excitement wore olT. ( )n Suuflay all the churches were draped in mourn- ing and were crowded with people, and the sermons were all, we are told, appropriate to the occasion. President Lincoln's funeral also, on \\'ednesday, .\pril 15th, was observed by services in the churches, and by a procession and public out-door meeting in front of the Court House. The procession, marshalled by John 1'. Adriance, was inade up as follows: Mayor and Marshal, and Provost ^[arshal. Provost Guards. (Jfficers 2 1 St Regiment. Drum Corps. Ci >mmon Council. Military and Military Schools. Fire Department. Eastman Business College. Eastman Band. Clergy. Citizens. Sons of Temperance. Singing Society, Germania. German Turners' Association. Free Masons. r)dd Fellows. A great stantl had been erected on the Main Street side of the Court House, and in front of it the crowd filled the street. The services were opened with prayer by Rev. Dr. Hageman, of the Second Reformed Church, and closed by prayer from Rev. G. ^L Mc- Eckron, of the First Reformed Chiu'cli. lion. Allard -Anthony made the funeral oration, which was pro- nounced a very eloquent effort. ( )n the 25th the train bearing the remains of the martyred President ])assed through Poughkeepsie. on its way to Illinois. All business w'as suspended and practically the whole popidation assembled along the tracks to see it pass. Draped in black, and with the wheels so nuilfled that it ran almost noiselessly, except for till' tolling of the engine's bell, it was a most im- pressive sight, and was long remembered as "The ghost train." HciN. J(.)HN H. KHTCHAM. CHAPTER X. From the Close of the War to the Panic of 1873 — Return of the Soldiers — Wonderful Suc- cess OF Eastman College — Eastman Park — Opening and Organization of Vassar College — Changes Among City Schools— Politics— Churches, Charitable and Religious Institutions — The Hudson River State Hospital — Manufacturing and Other Industries — Growth and Municipal Improvement, the Water and Sewer Systems — The Poughkeepsie & Eastern and THE City Railroads— The Poughkeepsie Bridge— Social Life, Sports and Clubs. Al the close of the war rouj^hkeepsic, like other Northern cities, began to settle down to the ordinary affairs of life, and started upon a half decade of the most rapid growth in its history. The soldiers came home, were warmly welcomed, and found that return- ing business prosperity had opened opportunities for most of them to find immediate employment. The 150th Regiment arrived in Poughkeepsie about mid- night of Saturday, June loth, 1865, and "although the hour was late, nevertheless thousands of men and women and children assembled to greet the veterans. * * * The news of the arrival spread like wildfire and in almost an instant Main Street was in a glare of flame from burning tar barrels and fireworks." The great reception came on Monday, when i)eoi)le poured into the city from all the surrounding counties, until one estimate says there were "nearly if not quite 50,- 000." "Having witnessed all the great occasions here from the visit of Lafayette in 1824 up to this time," wrote Isaac Piatt, "we can safely assert that no ila\' or occasion like it has before appeared in our annals." There was, of course, a great parade, and Main Street, "from Water Street to the Red Mills was one vast sea of handkerchiefs fluttering wildly in the breeze." Banners and even arches of flowers were stretched across some of the streets. The i)ublic school children were all assembled on the wall of Mayor Innis's residence, in lower Main Street, and the regiment halted while the children sang and presented each veteran with a bouquet of flowers. Groups of ladies from many towns in the county came in cos- tumes of National colors, and one of the special fea- tures was "a wagon load of young ladies from Salt Point representing every state in the ITnion." The procession ended at Mansion Square Park, where Judge Emott made the address of welcome, and Col- onel A. B. Smith, who was in command of the regi- ment, the reiily, folluweil by (k-neral Ketchani. "The grand winding u]) of the affair took place in front of the residence of Prof. Eastman, in Washington Street, in the evening." This regiment was one of the few allowed to nuis- ter out at home. The 128th, less favored, returned in detachments somewhat later, and no general wel- come could be extended to it, though a few comiianies were given special receptions here and there. A num- ber of Poughkeepsie boys, who had enlisted in other regiments remained in the service considerably longer. Nathaniel Palmer, for instance, was with the 20th Regiment in the occu|)ation of Richmond, and was contributing letters to the Telegraph as late as Sep- tember. Captain William Platto, who was with the 128th Regiment, organized a company of veterans soon after his return that was called "The Independent Veteran X'olunteers." and they often paraded in Zouave uniform. They remained in existence until a few _\ears ago. The opening of Atlriance. I'latt & Co.'s large new factory, and the great popularity of Eastman College were leading factors in producing excellent local busi- ness conditions. The opening of Vassar College con- tributed its share, though it was by no means so im- portant, even relatively, as now. Several small man- ufacturing enterprises were started and some large ones were planned, and labor was in good demand in building, though the building boom had not yet be- gun. One of the improvements of the year 1865 which deserves notice was the reconstruction of the lower floor of the City Hall for the Post Office. Its use as a market had ceased several years before, and partitions had been erected dividing it into a Re- corder's court room, an office for the Superintendent of the Poor and a meeting room for Protection ^o. i Engine Company. These partitions were now taken 198 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE J/aiA;f .>//(■(■(■ ;// /.^ ///,■ , in i86(), when the old public hall was divided by ])artitions. Referring to the changes in the City Ilall the Td- Ci^raph of October 7th, 1865, says : "The ujjper hall which has so often resounded to the clamor and plaudits of excited public assemblages, where cau- cuses full of momentous interest to aspiring candidates for public favor, have met to 'de'iberate,' where the voices of political orators have swayed multitudes for and against public measures, and where the people's weapon of revolution, the ballot, has so often been l?on of Tunis Van Kleeck. See pp. 86 and 87. cast — has for months formed one of the F.astnian Col- lege rooms of instruction. " Eastman College was then at the top notch of its popularity, the number of students being "more than 1,700," if reports are trustworthy. The Kastmaii Col- lege Band, already mentioned in connection with the events of the campaign of 1864, was one of Mr. l*".ast- nian's most successful advertising features. It had taken prominent part in the procession at President Lincoln's second inauguration, where it immediately preceded his carriage down Pennsylvania .\venue. and a few weeks later, when his body was carried, aiuid the tears of the nation, from Washington to its last resting place in Illinois, this band formed the escort in the parade u\) Broadway through Xew York, jour- neyed to Albany on the funeral train, and again played solemn dirges as the body was borne to and from the State Capitol. The concert tours of the band in the West attracted favorable notice, and students by hundreds followed it to Ponghkeepsic to enroll them- selves in Mr. Eastman's wonderful institution. ALBERT VAN KLEECK. fioni Pcccinhir ^7, jSo6. Died Novctiiber 7, 1S66. HISTORY OP POUGHKEEPSIB Main- of these yomio; men expressed surprise and disapi)ointnient on their arrival to find that the college had no magnificent buildings — in fact had no college buildings at all — but was scattered throughout the town in all sorts of rented rooms. The ruimis in which the college began in the so-called Library Building were not long retained, but besides the upper floor of the City Hall a floor of the McLean building, oppo- site the Court House, and three churches were rented —the old Methodist Church, finall\ incorporated in the permanent college building, the old Universalist Church, originally Presbyterian, on Cannon Street, and the old Congregational Church (now the Jewish Synagogue) on Vassar Street. For a while llryant and Stratton tried to run an o|ii)osition school, but Mr. Eastman bought them out, and then for some time leased their rooms in the Wright Building, above Catharine Street, where the \'. W. C. A. is located. The resources of the city were taxed to their utmost to find boarding places for all these young men. rents advanced and building received considerable encour- agement. constructing the drives and in planting trees and shrubbery. The grounds were thrown open to the ]iublic to be used as a ])ark, 1 lielieve. in September. i>>iij. That at anv rate api^ears to have been the first year of a public anniversary celebration there for the college. The grounds were decorated with Chinese lanterns and there was a fine display of fireworks in the even- ing with six thousand people present, according to the re])orts. Horace Greeley was the chief speaker at this anniversary, his subject being Temperance. K.arlier in the same year the movement had been started which resulted in the erection of tlie Soldiers' /■Aisliinvi /'ai/c. sho:ciii,K S/ca/iiiii I'ark Jloodcd, about /S75. It was in iS(>5 that .Mr. l'"„-istMi,in ])urehased what was genendl>- ealleil thr Robert I'orrest i)roperly on the corner of .Market .-md .Montgomery Streets, most of it from the widow of llrrm;m Jewell, lie addi'd seviral other lots to il and laid out the beautiful grounds, so long known as Ivistman Park. .Much of the land was swampy, bordering tlie brook that wound through it from beyond Montgomery Street (see map page 71 ). and ;m elaborate sy.stem of nnderdrains was put in carrying the brook underground to a circular ))ond. constructed with an island in the centre, upon which a band stand was erected. This brook was also made to flood the large athletic field bordering Jefferson Street, which was used as a skating park in the winter. A small fortune was spent in grading, ///, .s, ,/,//, Foimlain, though the original plan was for a monu- ment. A "Great Monument Celebration" took place on the Fourth of Jnh with "the largest parade in the history of the ciu or of an\ cit\- outside of New York, in the state." General Kelciiam was the gi:uiil m,-irslial. Two militia rc'ginu'nls. the _'lst and Jjud. liremen fnmi nearh all the ri\er towns, and many fr;itenial org.an- izations. including thi-ee labor unions ( briekl;iyers and masons') took p;irl. Meetings had ln-eu luld through- out the county in the interest of the monument and tlu' crowd in llu' cil\ was \-i-ry large. .Ml ]iroceeded according to progr.imme luitil afternoon, when the chief feature was to ii.ive been a grand ojien air din- ner on Mansion Square, with an oration bv General Stewart L. Woodford, llien TJeutenant Governor, but "Proceedings at the dimur table on Mansion Sijuarc were brought to a close by a succession of the sever- est thiuider storms ever witnessed in this section of the country." There was no oration, no balloon ascension, no fireworks. "The thousands in the city were driven by the pitiless storm to every conceivable place of ^ h- €^ ^^- l^'^^- ^ HARVI'.V (,. l^ASTMAX. 203 HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIE shelter, until e\cry stnre and private hall dii Main Street was filknl with males and females." Ami.)n>;- the distinguished persons present were Lieut. Wdrtlen, who had commanded the Monitor at the memorable defeat of the Merrimac, and Surgeon Parsons, a sur- vivor of the War of 1812, who had served on Pcrrv's flagship Lawrence on Lake F.rie. Though the elements interfered sad!y with the celebration the monument fund cnntinui'd tn grow, helped by the proceeds of many small entertainments, including scrub boat races on the river. Mr. East- man's enterprise was recognized in the location and also in the change of plan to a fountain. .\t the dedi- cation in 1870 there was another notable Fourth of July celebration, with Major General McMahon, of Brooklyn, as orator. The crowd assembled at East- man I'ark and the weatlier did not prevent the balloon ascension or the fireworks. OPRXINC. AX]) ( iuCAMZATIOX OF \'aSS.\R CoTJ.KGK. Without so much advertising, but with a great deal of notice and comment from the press of the whole country, \'assar College opened in September, 1865, with 353 students, eight of whom were from Poughkeepsie, Catharine Rogers Boardman, Maria Louisa Booth, Elizabeth Anderson Cramer, Catharine Rogers Jones, Mary Carrington Raymond, Emma Corning Sweetser, Carrie Elizabeth V^assar and Mary Elizabeth Wright. Others from Dutchess county were Evelyn .*\ngell, Salt Point; EHzalieth Reynolds Beck- with, Stanford ; Jane Maria Cookingham, Rhinebeck ; Sarah Jane 1 lerrick. Salt Point; and T^ily vSwift, Amenia I'nion. Students were arranged in the first catalogue alphabetically, and ;is ihvx were in all stages of advancement, no attempt could at nnce be made to sort them into classes. When the seccmd catalngue was issued. \?t(^G-Gy, four girls h;i(l been ]iicke(l nul ;is seniors, Maria Loraine l)irkinsiin, Delrnit, Mich.: Elizabeth Louise (iciger, .Marinn, ( ). ; llarriette .\nna Warner, Detroit, .Mich.: ami Helen Douglas Wood- ward, Plattsliurgh. The summary of students was as follows : Seniors 4 Juniors, full standing 18 Juniors, condiliuned () 27 Second year, full standing 2() Second year, conditioned 13 42 First year 46 Unclassified J^i Specials 189 3S6 Before the third catalogue was issued the pnpara- tory de])artnunt h;id been nrganized with J^ students. and there were 2~, seniors, 36 juniors, 43 second year girls. },j first year and 123 specials. The first use of the words "sophomore" and "freshmen," instead of "second year" and "first year," occurs in the cata- logue fur 1S72-73. in which also three Poughkeepsie girls are included among the seniors : Grace Bayley Jewett, Mary Carrington Raymond and Elma Dore- mus Swift. The difficulties of classification of the students of the first few years show very plainly the general conditions of wcmian's education at the time the college was opened. There was no such thing as a pre|)aratory scho(.)l for girls and it was very diffi- cult to get the various female seminaries and colle- giate institutes to conform to the requirements, as each was bending its energies towards a complete course of its own. The college was forced to establish a pre- paratory department in order to furnish a model for rassar l'ol/cX>-, p/iohi;rap/uil ahoiit iSjo. iillier jin'iiaratiiry schnuls, as well as to take care of stnilenls alri-ad\ entered w Im were not found sufYi- cii-ntly aihanced for ilu' first \ear. or freshman class in a regular college cmu'se. It was nt'viTtheless a step wdiich aroused the oppositiim of the schools, nian\' nf wlmse ])rinci|ials began to cry down the col- lege, instead of conforming their courses of stud_\' to its requirements. Some other institutions for the higher education of women had called themselves col- leges bi-fore \ assar w;is oiiened, and oni' or two wi're conducting coursi-s that bori' some resembkmce to those of the colk\ges for men. Inil X'assar nex'ertbe- less was the pioneer, li;id all the |)roblems to solve, and had to \\\c down all the o|i|iosition and ridicule that assail every new institution as soon as it begins to get well enough started to show that it will inter- fere with older institnlions. HISTORY OF POUGHKEBPSIE. 20.3 In the selection of a scheme of educational courses for \'assar College the contrast between President Jewett's plans, which were rejected, and those finally adopted under President Raymond, is interesting. Af- ter his visit to Ivurope Dr. jewett made a report in which he said : ".\ careful examination shows that in our colleges one-third of the whole time is consumed on the Dead Languages alone. Another third of the course is de- voted to Mathematics ; while only one-fifteenth is given to the whole circle of Natural Sciences, and only I3-I20ths to the study of English Language and Literature. '■' * * We would therefore abridge the college course in Mathematics and Metaphysical and Political P'hilosophy, and thus secure more time to be devoted to our own and other modern languages ; to Xatural History, Domestic Economw Music, Draw- ing and Painting." Dr. Jewett recommended a L'niversity System of arrangement, "all the branches to he taught under niut' different schools, as foll(jws : 1. The School of Religion and Morals. 2. The School of Natural History. 3. The School of Physical Sciences. 4. The School of History and Political Economy. 5. The School of Language and Literature. 6. The School of Psychology, including Mental Philosophy and Aesthetics. 7. The School of Mathematics. 8. The School of Art and Philosophy of Education. 9. The School of Art, including Alusic, Drawing, Painting, etc. The order of numbering represented Dr. Jewett's idea of the importance of the subjects. Four testi- monials from each of the schools were to entitle a student to the final degree of M. A. "Mistress of Arts." This interesting scheme was doubtless suggested by the German Lhiiversities, but much of it was original, and in many points Dr. Jewett was clearly some twenty-five years ahead of the times. His plans were d(_)ubtless too radical for their day. and the trustees felt that \'assar must first make known the ability of women to compete with men on substantially the lines of the older American colleges, but the final reason for the rejection of Dr. Jewett was a personal dis- agreement with the founder, quite apart from aca- demic matters. Some traces of his plans are found in the "School of \'ocal antl Instrumental Music," the "School of Design," and the "School of Physical Training," the two former of which were maintained until i8i)j. They were designated "Extra Collegiate Departments," besides which there were eight regular collegiate departments, each with a professor at its head, though the department of History and Political Economy was not at once organized. The officers of government and instruction are given in the first catalogue as follows : John H. R.wmond, LL. D., President, and Pro- fessor of Mental and' Moral Philosoph\-. Hann.xh W. Lvm.w. Lady Principal. WiLi.i.vM L Kn.vpi'. a. .M., Professor of Ancient and Modern Languages. Charles S. Farrar, A. M., Professor of Mathe- matics, Natural Philosophy and Chemistry. Sanborn TennEy, A. AL, Professor of Natural History, including Geology and Minerology, Botany, Zoology and Physical Geography. Mari.\ Mitcheu., Professor of Astronomy and di- rector of the Observatory. Alida C. Avery, M. D., Professor of Physiology and Hygiene and resident Physician. Henry B. Buckham, A. IVL, Professor of Rhe- toric. Belles-lettres, and the English Language. Edward WiEbK, Professor of Vocal and Instru- mental Music. Henry \"ax Inc.Ex, Professor of Drawing and Painting. Louis F. Rondee, Instructor in the French Lan- guage. Delia F. Woods, Instructor in the Department of Physical Training. Jesse L'SHEk, Teacher of the Latin Language. Lucia M. Gilbert, Teacher of the Greek Lan- guage. Priscill.k 11. Bkaisi.ix, Teacher of .Mathematics. Eliza M. Wiley, Teacher of Music. Emma SaylES, Teacher of Chemistry, Mathematics and the English Language. Sarah L. Wvman, Teacher of the Latin Language. Caroline H, Metcalp, Teacher of the French and English Languages. Barbara Grant, Teaclier of Mathematics and Chemistry. K.\TE Fessenden, Teacher of the French Lan- guage. Sarah E. Scott, Teacher of Rhetoric and Matiie- matics. Emii.\' .\. P.RADDOCK, Teacher of the Latin Lan- guage. Mary Dascomb, Teacher of Mathematics. Julia Wiebe, Teacher of Music. Emma L. Hopkins, Teacher of Music. Caroline S. C. Wiebe, Teacher of Music. Sophia L. Curtis, Teacher of Music. A. Amelia Judd, Teacher of Music. Fanny J. Small, Teacher of Music. ( )f these the most notable was Maria Mitchell, the astronomer, whose discoveries and writings brought the college much prominence. In the second catalogue appears Leopold \'on Sel- deneck, master of horsemanship, Truman J. Backus, in place of Henry B. Buckham at the head of the English department, Elizabeth M. Powell, physical training, and Fannv A. Wood, teacher of music. 204 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE JMiss Wood, now the college librarian, is the only one of the original teachers remaining in service. LeRoy C. Cooley, now the senior professor, came to V'assar College in 1874. Matthew Vassar's death occurred dramatically as he was reading his annual address to the trustees of the college in June, 1868. His birthday, April 29th, was first celebrated by the students in 1866, and has been observed as Founder's Day ever since. If he could return to visit the institution he would find it grown far beyond his greatest expectation ; but the development of the new Vassar College belongs to the next chapter. The first bequest to the college was from the will of Jacob P. Giraud, who left $30,000 in 1870, to found a Museum of Natural History. With this fund James Orton, who had become Professor of Natural History and Geology in 1868, created the Museum and made the collection of South American birds, which is still one of its leading features. Charles J. Hinkle, about whose memory many stories have clustered, became Professor of Ancient and Modern Languages in 1868. The office of Master of Horse- manship appears last in the catalogue for 1872- 1873, and not long after the close of the Riding School the building was altered to accommodate the Museum, first established in the main building. Changes Among tiik City Schools. The period beginning with the close of the Civil \\'ar was marked by many changes in the schools of Poughkeepsie. The public schools, though the amount of money appropriated for them seems now ridicu- lously small, were gradually gaining, and the private schools were beginning to lose ground. It was a time of transition from Academies to High Schools throughout the State, and the Dutchess County Acad- emy felt the force of the movement, which was strengthened locally by the passing awa\' or retirement of some of the most notable teachers of the previous period. William McGeorge was succeeded by his son-in- law Stewart Pelham in 1864, and though Mr. Pelhani was an excellent teacher of the old iiattern, and long successful afterwards as proprietor of a private school, the Academy lost ground, probably mainly because of the establishment of the Free Academy or High School in Church Street. The Higii School was dis- continued for one year, 1865. after the war, apparently as a measure of economy, but the demand for its re- cstablishment was strong. The Academy trustees aj)- ]3reciated the situation and realizing that both institu- tions could not continue, did what thev could to fa- cilitate their union. In 1866 the .\catlem\- building was rented to the city and the High School was re- opened there. Thus the famous old Academy, after three-quar- ters of a century of honorable existence, was finally given up, and a few years later the building ceased to be used as a school. A demand soon arose for a new building in a more central location, and the trus- tees, in response to a petition from the citizens, de- cided to sell the Academy and donate the proceeds to the Board of Education to be used towards the con- struction of a High School and Public Librar\-. The opportunit}' came in 1870 through the generosit)- of Jonathan Warner, who purchased the building and founded there the Old Ladies' Home. The Board of Education purchased the property on the corner of Washington Street and Lafayette Place in March, 1870, for $13,000, and the High School was opened in its present home in April, 1872, having in the mean- time found temporary lodgment in the second floor of the Mulrein Building, then recently finished on Market Street. The city library was removed also in 1872 to the lower floor of the High School. An equally notable change in the school situation was the abandonment of College Hill, another relic of the days of the Improvement Party. This did not come about from any idea that the location was too remote from the city, but simply because the ])roperty had to be sold to settle the estate of Charles Bartlett. Mr. Otis Bisbee, who was Mr. Bartlett's successor, was one of the bidders at the auction, which was con- ducted by Henry W. Shaw (Josh Billings), November 24th, 1865, but had decided not to go above $30,000, at which figure the propertv was struck off to George Morgan. The school was continued on the hill until the spring of 1867, when the new Riverview Academy, in the southwestern section of the city was finished. In June of that year Mr. Morgan opened the College Hill Hotel, which was nol succtssful. in spite of its conuiianding location. I'ollowing Dr. Warring, whose school on Smith Street was a strong competitor. Mr. Ilisbee had introduced military drill several \'ears be- fore leaving College Hill. Stewart Pelham, the last ]irincipal of the Dutchess Count\- AcaiKiiiy, ])urcha.sed a boys' school that had been started in Montgomery Street not long before by Egbert Carey, and conducted it succi'ssfull\ for ;il)out twenty years. Wr took a few boarders, hut it was chiefly a day school. Riverview at this time made no effort to obtain pui^ils from Poughkeepsie. and Mr. Pelham's chief rival was John R. Leslie's school, founded just before the war, and afterwards long con- ducted by S. II. Bishop in the little building (now HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 205 Public School Xo. 7) on Academy Street. Leslie's was regarded as rather a select day school. .\11 of these, together with Dr. Warriiig's Military Institute, flourished until long after 1873, and the girls' schools also prospered. Rev. George T. Rider succeeded Milo P. Jewett at Cottage Hill, and the Fe- male Collegiate Institute was sold in January, 1870, by Rev. Mr. Rice to Prof. G. W. Cook. A rather notable girls' scliools was started not long after the (ipening of A'assar College by Mr. and Mrs. Edward White, who erected a building in the southeastern sec- tion of the cit\- which Mrs. White named Brooks Sem- inary. The competition of the \^assar Preparatory Department is said to have caused the failure of this school, but the building after an interval of use as a hotel and a Vassar dormitory, is again a girls' boarding school under the name of Putnam Hall. Many other smaller schools, some of which took boarding as well as day pupils, flourished for a few years. Dr. Bockee's school for girls, next to Pelham Institute on Montgom- ery Street, and the Home Institute conducted by the Misses Butler, being among the most important. If the public schools were generally poorly housed and with poor equipment the same was true of many of the ]irivate schools. A good many children whose parents thought it not wise to send them to the public schools received the rudiments of their education from Mrs. Mary Herrick, whose school was conducted in the basement of one of the little houses (No. 28) still standing on the east side of South Hamilton Street, between Church and Cannon. Miss Powers conducted another primary school in the little building on the east side of Academy Street, said to have been once the old village market. The little building on the east side of Garden Street, north of Mill, next to what is generally called tlu' Lossing House, was a school for a number of years, but is said to have been built for a law of- fice. Politics. Like the County of Dutchess, Poughkecpsie has nearly always been Republican in politics. The city has ne\er been carried by a Democratic presidential candidate, though Horace Greeley came within eleven votes of it in 1872. Greeley's vote was in part due to the so-called Liberal movement, of which there were some devotees here, but much more to the no- torious campaign of John O. Whitehouse for Con- gress against General Ketcham, when money was more freely spent than at any previous or subsequent elec- tion. Whitehouse carried the city b\- 379 majority, and the county by 892. The price of votes is said to have reached as high as $50. Lour years earlier, in 1868, General Grant had received a majority in the city of 307. Some of the elections of the "off years" deserve mention, especially that of 1867, when Judge Homer A. Nelson headed the Democratic State ticket and was elected Secretary of State, though he could not quite overcome the natural Republican majority of his own city. The result in Dutchess County was somewhat mixed. Mark D. Wilber, then a Republi- can, who had represented the Second District in the Assembly in 1865 and 1866. was defeated by .\. T. Ackert (Dcni.), but Abiah W. Palmer, of Amcnia, was elected Senator, and Puughkeepsie Republicans were elected to leading county offices — Richard Ken- worthy, Sheriff : William I. Thorn, District Attorney (against D. W. Guernsey): .\llard Anthony, County Judge, and Milton A. Fowler, Surrogate. Mr. Fowler was a resident of Fishkill when elected, but thereafter made Poughkeepsie his home. As Surrogate he fol- lowed, and was succeeded by, Peter Dorland, of Fi.sh- kill, father of Cyrenus P. Dorland, who also has served two terms in the same office. In the spring of 1867, as already stated, George Innis had been re elected mayor for a third term, without opposition, and at the special election for delegates to the Consti- tutional Convention of that year B. Piatt Carpenter had been chosen. Robert F. Taylor, who had been City Chamberlain throughout the war, was at this time serving a series of terms as Recorder, and headed the city ticket of the Republicans in off years. He was succeeded as Chamberlain in 1865 by Joseph G. Frost, among whose duties was the destruction of the shinplasters issued by the city during the war. These he took to the top of Paltz Point (Sky Top), near Lake Mohonk, then just beginning to attract attention as a place of resort, and there burned them. The Daily Ne'cvs was established as an independent morning paper May 4th, 1868, by Thomas G. Nich- ols, mentioned in Chapter VII as the founder of the Daily Press. The Xcccs was first published in the old Morris Building, where the Poughkcepsiaii had been printed, next to the Poughkeepsie Bank, and the building was partially destroyed by fire in .\pril, 1869. In July, 1871, Mr. Nichols sold the paper to Wallace W. Hegeman and Edwin J. \\'ilber. who conducted it as a Republican paper until the fall of 1872, wdien Mr. \Miitehouse bought it to boom his campaign for Con- gress, putting in Cyrus Macy as editor. Mr. Nichols, the same year. December 15th. 1872, started a third paper. The Sunday Courier, which he continued to manage up to within a short time of his death. This paper has remained independent in politics, and un- der its present editor. .\. G. Tobey, has been greatl}- increased in size and in circulation. 20ti HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. Before the Xcws had become a Deinocralie paper the pohtical pendukini had been swinging away from the RepubHcans, and in 1.S69 the eity elected its first Democratic Mayor, George Morgan, who defeated Robert Slee by 104 votes. He had purchased the Gregory House from Theodorus Gregory in 1865. and renamed it the Morgan House, and was one df the leaders of the enterprises of the day. In the fall of 1869 he was elected State Senator, and held both offices to the expiration of their terms. In 1 87 1 the city returned to Republican rule and H. G. Eastman was elected Mayor with a majority of 998 votes over Abraham Wright. At the same election Robert H. Hunter defeated James L. Wil- liams for Justice of the Peace by a majority of 1,074. and this was almost the first appearance of these two well-known leaders in politics. Captain William Hau- bennestel w^as elected Assessor at the same time. This was the year of the New Hamburgh disaster, the investigation of which, conducted by Tristram Coffin as District Attorney before Coroner Charles H. Andrus, absorbed public attention for many weeks. The accident happened on February 6th. The axle of a car on a south bound oil train broke and the car fell over on the New Hamburgh draw-bridge. The Pacific Express, north bound, ran into the oil car, scattering the oil in all directions, and setting fire to the passenger coaches. Nineteen persons were killed, and many injured. The coroner's jury was John N. Candee, William W. Smith. Paul Flagler, Henry A. Sutherland, Eli Sutcliff and P.enjamin Yiiu Eoan. Mr. Whitehonse made strenuous efiforts to defeat Mavor l^aslman in 1873. nominating Leonard IS. Sackett against him. but Eastman had a majority of 30.V This was the last si)ring election, and beginning with 1S74 city elections were held the first Tuesday in r)eceniber. Ciirili;ni Associa- tion rooms, corner of Market and Main Slreets. ;m(l spread to mo.st of the churches. .\n article in the Hiii^lc early in April stated that 153 persons had been admitted to full membership in the Washington Street Methodist Church, with ;is ni.iny more on jiro- bation, that there had Iieen fifty or sixty conversions in the Presbyterian Church, lh;it forty h;id joined the iMrst Reformed Church on the Sinuliy iireceding. that about twenty-four additions had bci'n made to thi' Central P.ainist church, and twent\ to tlu' Cannon Street Methoclist Church, with nioiv than usual addi- tions to all other churches. The Young Men's Chris- tian Association was so much strengthened that in January of the next year it made application for in- corporation, and soon afterwards began to look about for larger quarters. The trustees named were Abra- ham Wiltsie, S. M. P.uckingham, John 1'. Adiiance, J. Ci. 15o\-d, 1). R. Thompson and Leonard C. Wins- low. When the completion and opening of the Opera House in 1869 deprived Pine Hall of its prestige as a l)lace of entertainment the members of the Associa- tion began to consider the question of its purchase and alteration, and though their resources were compara- tively small and they had few wealthy backers, they at length determined upon the venture. Possession was given in 1 87 1 and in January, 1872, the galleries, stage etc. of the old hall were removed, a third floor was laid, dividing it into two stories, in which rcioms were formed substantially as they are at the present time. The first church erected after the war was the Cierman Lutheran in ('.rand Street, dedicated October I4tli. 1S66, and marking the building up of the sec- tion near it witii the homes of German settlers. The east side of Grand Street up to this time and some of it much later was nearly all owned by the Eniott and Hooker estates, both these fine old places extending through with elaborate gardens in the rear. The second and only other church built during this [K-riod was the new St. Paul's, and it is a note- worthy coincidence that this church, started as a part of the real estate boom of the Improvement Parly in the 30's, should have been rebuilt during a time of real estate activity very nnieh like the first. The present church was finished and o|H'iied in May, 187J, during the rcctorshi]) of Rev, .^. II. Synnott (now rector of a clmrcli at Ithaca. X. Y.). Mrs, Winthrop .\t\\ill, of .Mansion ."^(luare. made the erection of the new building i>ossible l)y a donation of $10,000. and afterwards added considerably to this amount. The architect was lunlen T. Littell, of .Xew ^'ork. ami the cost $30,000. The ]irosperity of the city and the abundance of work greatly increased the i\onian Catholic ])opula- tion of the cil\, and altho\igh St, Peter's Church was enlarged, another congregation liecmie necessarv , and in 1S73 ,Sl, Mary's Church was organized by Ke\-, Ivlward AlcSweeny, anorated March i»)th, 1 871, was started by Dr. Edward II. Parker, one of the leading physicians of his day and noted also as the author of the widely-quoted poem "Life's Race Well Won." The first trustees were Rev. P. K. Cady, rec- tor of Christ Church, Rev. R. F. Crary. of the Church of the Holy Comforter, Rev. S. IT. Synnott, of St. Paul's Church, Wm. A. Davies, S. M. Buckingham, R. Sanford. Dr. K. H. Parker, Benjamin Van Loan, and Winthrop Atwill. The hospital was first opened in Garden Street, then in 1873 was transferred to 108 North Clinton Street, which was purchased for $5,200. Although St. Barnabas Hospital was aban- doned when Vassar Hospital was opened, the organiza- tion is still in existence as the custodian of funds used for the relief of tlie needv sick at their homes. 208 HISTORY OF POUGHKBEPSIE The Old Ladies' Home has already been men- tioned in connection with the passing of the Dutchess County Academy. The building was purchased by Jonathan Warner for $14,000. and he also started the endowment fund with a contribution of $10,000. Mr. Warner was a member of the old Poughkeepsie War- ner family,' and had returned here to live after mak- ing a modest fortune elsewhere. The Home was in- corporated December i, 1870, with the following trus- tees : Jonathan Warner, George Van Kleeck, and Charles W. Swift, of the Reformed Church ; James H. Dudley and Abraham W'iltsic. of the Congrega- tional Church ; Matthew Vassar, Jr.. and John F. Hull, of the Baptist Church ; Stephen M. Buckingham and Edgar M. \zn Kleeck, of the Episcopal Church ; W'il- liam W. Reynolds and Albert B. Harvey, of the Methodist Church ; Joseph Flagler and George Corlies of the Friends Society. The building was of course considerably altered for its new use, but the ouly change in its external appearance was the veranda in front of the second floor. Tin: Hudson Ri\"Kk vStati-: IIosi'ital. The erection of a State Hospital for the Insane somewhere along the Hudson River was authorized by the Legislature in 1S66, but its location was left to a commission with power to obtain the most advan- tageous terms from the rival counties. It was brought to Poughkeepsie only after a considerable struggle on tile part of the enterprising men of the day. When the Dutchess County Supervisors met in November the contest had narrowed down to Poughkeepsie and Xewburgh. The site most favorably considered coin- ])rised two hundred acres belonging to James Roose- velt, about a mile north of the city. The city and county were asked to ])ay .$_V''<'<''~' towards its purchase and ou Xoveniber l^tb a ]iaper, signed by .Mayor In- nis, the aldernieii and a eoiiiiiiittet' of citizens who pledged themselves to raise this aniount, was sub- mitted to the Supervisors, who were asked to issue county bonds for two-fifths of the aiiiount. The al- dermen who signed this i)ai)er were S. B. Wheeler. Sidney Fowler, Daniel ClitTord, Robert Slee. Dsear A. Fowler. William Shields. J.isr|.li H. .Marshall. K. P. Bogardus. 1'. ('.. Beiieway and Saiiiiu-1 Tiitliill. and the citizens Cornelius Dullois. !'>. J. Lossing, George Corlies, E. L. BeadU-. I. 1'. II. Tallman and George Innis. The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution De- 'Sce page 67. One of Jonathan Warner's sisters married Henry Swift, the well known attorney mentioned several times in Chapters VI and VII, ceniber 4th, to issue $i2.coo of county bonds, but Orange County raised its offer, and after overcoming considerable opposition from Fishkill and other towns whose Supervisors did not see how their sections could be benefited, the board reconsidered its action and voted to issue bonds for two-fifths of the amount need- ed, "said two-fifths not to exceed $34,000." The ex- penses of the site were stated to be $80,000. By the time it had been definitely ascertained that the re- quired amount would be raised it was too late on Sat- urday afternoon, December 29th, to catch a train for Newburgh. where the commission was in session, and about to decide the question of location. Nothing daunted, a telegram was sent asking the commission to wait for the arrival of a committee from Pough- keepsie. George Morgan brought out two of his "quick steppers," and a two-seated sleigh, and with John P. H. Tallman. .Mderman Slee and George W. Davids, began at 6 p. m. a memorable drive to New- burgh. !Mr. Davids, describing it a day or two later, wrote: "The night was a terrible one. the wind blow- ing a perfect hurricane and the snow drifting heavilv. Twice we got off the road, the snow blinding us in such a manner, and the track blown so full, that it was utterly impossible in some places to find the wa\.'' Reaching Fishkill Landing after 9 o'clock they found that the ferry had ceased its regular trips and was only running occasionally to keep the ice from block- ing it. The captain was at length found and informed the party that he would probablv start in about an hour. "He was persuaded to go at once." Mr. Davids does not mention the jiersuasive force, but the story afterwards told placed it at $50. The commis- sion had about given up the Poughkeepsie committee when they finally arrived, and after a conference last- ing until I a. m. at the ( )range Hotel, Poughkeepsie secured the prize. Work bei^aii at llu' h(jspital site the following suniiiHT, and in 187 1 a part of tlie main building was opened. Ill June. 1872, sixty [lalients were reported and a large amount of work was still in progress. The vState Hospital has been constantly increased in size until now it has a population of something over 2,000 ])atients. Tlir iiioiie\ disbursed to laboring men in its construction has been a factor of importance in local business, and its large force of physicians, nurses and attendants add much to the life of the city. Dr. Joseph M. Cleavclaud was made the superinten- dent at tlu' opening and remained until about ten years ago. wlini he w;is siicec'edrd bx 1 'r. Charles W. Pilgrim. The first board of managers, in 1867, was HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE 209 Dr. Charles R. A.yiicw and Dr. A. Cook Hull, of New- York, State Treasurer William A. Howland, of Mat- teavvan, Mayor George Clark, of Newburgli, Hon. A. W. Palmer, of Amenia, Dr. Bedell and Cornelius Du- Bois. of Poughkeepsie. The architects were \ aux, Withers & Co.. of New York. Ma.\iu".\cturi\g .\xi) Otiiivu Industries. Naturally during this period all local manfacturing industries that survived the war were prosperous and many new ones were started, some of which survived the panic of 1873, and have continued to increase in importance. The sash, blind and door manufacture and the wheelbarrow industries are among these. There were sash and blind manufactories before the war, William P.eartlsley being one of the pioneers. Swart & Lunib began the sash and blind business in 1866 on North Water Street, where it is still carried on by George A\'. Lumb' & Si->n. The lA-\'i Lunib factory, opposite the railroad station on Main Street, is a later offshoot from the same business. William wf^ IH \ p»%^ *- ^^^^^^H 1 THOMAS MeW HINNll.. Harloe began making wheelbarrows in South Water Street in 1865 and in 1869 the factory came into pos- session of the present proprietor, Thomas McWhin- nie.- The Barratt paper factory started in 1866 in the Red ]\Iills and afterwards moved to Rose Street. One of the new industries from which great things were expected but in which many Poughkeepsie peo- ple lost money was the Eureka Mowing Machine Com- 1 For biographical sketch see Appendi.x. -Soc .Appendix. pany, also located in the Red Mills buildings. John D. Wilber was the inventor of the Eureka and its chief promoter was his brother, Mark D. Wilber. Its capital was $300,000, and the officers in March. 1S70, when the company started business, were : Isaac W. \Miite, president ; M. D. Wilber, vice-president ; W. W. Hegeman, secretary ; F. K. Stevens, treasurer ; John D. Wilber. superintendent. Directors : Isaac W. White. C. S. Win Wyck. \\\ W. Hegeman, Milton A. Fowler. Francis K. Stevens, Nathaniel Lamoree, John 1). Willier, I'.lias S. DeGarmo, Christo])her Hughes, Robert .Sanfunl. Thomas Doty. Paul Flag- ler and M. D. \\'ilber. The Eureka Mower was built upon a new principle, cutting by direct draft be- hind the horses, which were driven wide apart, one of them walking in the standing grass. The cut grass w-as left untouched, and the claim was made that it w'ould cure more quickly and evenly than grass cut by other machines. Another important enterprise that failed was The Hudson River Iron Company, incorporated in 1872 with a capital of $400,000. Its officers at the perma- nent organization in August of that year were : Rich- ard P. Bruff, president; Thomas S. Lloyd, vice-presi- dent, and George Parker, secretary. The first named was described as "of the firm of Russell & Erwin, manufacturers," and the last tw-o of Poughkeepsie. The company projected a large plant to include rolling mills and blast furnaces, and purchased the old Liv- ingston place south of the city, the last of Colonel Henry A. Livingston's daughters having died a few- years before. The rolling mill and puddling furnaces were erected and in operation before the panic, but the company was not able to carry out all its plans. A much greater factor in the prosperity of Pough- keepsie for many years was the Whitehouse Shoe Fac- tory, the contract for the erection of which was given in December, 1870, to J. I. \^ail. Mr. Whitehouse, as alreadv stated, was the owner of shoe factories else- where and with an established reputation his Pough- keepsie factory w-as .soon employing a large number of hands. The original buildings were struck by light- ning and burned in 1879, but were rebuilt, and are now in the possession of the American Cigar Com- pany, the shoe business having declined after the death of Mr. Whitehouse. as explained in the next chapter. Minor establishments of this period were the Al- bertson Edge Tool Works, started in 1868 opposite the gas w-orks in Bayeaux Street, by B. Albertson, and the plow factory incorporated in 1870 by C. W. Swift, William .-\. Davies, George Innis, John F. Winslow . 210 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. J. O. Whitehousc. M. \'assar, Jr., ]{. L. Ilcadk'. F. W. I'lii^'sU'v. v"^. M. r.iu-kin.-liain, Isaac Piatt Smith, John Brill and Jnhn T. I liicii)cr. This ct)mpaiiy manu- factured the L. Green patent plow at the old Coffin foundry, corner of Mill and Delafield Streets, near where Xo. 4 Engine House now stands, hut in spite of the array of prominent men among its incorporators was never a very conspicuous success. Some local industries that have heen curtailed l)y the com])etition of the \\'cst. or hy that of greater and more favorahly located establishments were ap- parentl}- at the height of their prosperity before 1873. The wagon and chair making, and cooperage indus- tries were among these. The Chichester Chair Fac- tory, on South Front Street, was one of the chief es- tablishments of the kind in Poughkeepsie. and the building of ;i railroad fnmi Kingston inti.i the Cats- kill Mountains brought new sources of supply of suit- able materials, and also caused the establishment of a plant at Chichester, where a number of Poughkeepsie men found employment, and from which they occa- sionally contributed accoimts of their adxentures with bears and wildcats to the Poughkeepsie newspapers. The Chichester factory was once or twice burned and rebuilt. Along the river front the era of r,iilrii;iil building. which reached its climax between iSjo and 1S73. was beginning to make changes. The lludson River Rail- road was double-tracked from Poughkeepsie to .\1- l)an\- soon after the war and freight rates from the West began to I'all. W. W. Reynolds & S.m gave U]i running a steamboat to Alb.-my and in 1S71 built their brick warehouse and elevator o])|)osite the rail- road station, abandoning the river as a means of ob- taining western grain and Hour. William T. Rey- nolds,' now the senior member of the firm, had been a p.'irtner in the business since i860. The three com- peting firms nmning fri-igbt boats to .\'ew ^ orl< had begun to show signs of a])proaching consolidation ;ibont 18(17. when the I'pi'cr and Main Street I.aniling tinns bought the Fower Landing. The ste,-inilin,its 1 lasbrouck and Miller had been built in 1S62 and 1864, to take the places of the boats sold to the gov- ernment during the war. The former was nnuiing from the r]i]ier Fanding and tlu' latter from Main Street. The steamer Tr-ansit b;id been nmning from the Lower Landing unck'r the management of John IF Mathews, and when the atteiupt was made to close this landing a new firm was organized, with Isaac G. Sands, Joel Winans, James Collingwood and Pat- rick Mclntyrc as partners, in May, 1867, to take the 'For biographical sketch see Appendix. boat and run it from tile cild .Southwick dock, next north of the former landing place. This competition was apparentlx not \ery successful, and in 1871 Doughty, Corntll & Co.. of the l'pi)er Landing, and Gaylord. l)oiy i\: Co.. of .Main Street, were in combi- nation to serve the Lower Landing by leaving the Has- brouck or !\liller there a part of each day for freight. In 1S72 the Fower I^anding was abandoneil entirely. '" ^^7i Joseph C. Doughty, of the F'piier Fanding firm, died and his interest was inirchased by Homer Ramsdell, of Newluirgb, who formed the Poughkeep- sie Transportation Coiii])any. ]nitting both boats in ser\-ice from Main Street the ne.xt year. CjKowtii .\m) .Mu.xicii'ai. F\ii'ko\i;-\ii;xt — Tiiic W.\TKR AND SlCWEK SVSTICMS. From 1865 to 1870 the population of Poughkeep- sie increased twenty -five per cent, a rate luore rapid than for any ]irevious half decade. The census figures for 1865 were 16.073 and for 1870, 20,088. Some doubt has been thrown upon the accuracy of the fig- ures for 1870, because of the difficulty of increasing them in subsequent census years. It has been said that the census of 1870 was padded in order to obtain free ])ost;il delix'ery. ami the tigures were certainly rather surprisingly large. Said the liai^lc in vSeplem- ber, 1870: "Few, however, of our citizens supposed we could reach 20.000, and the result is all the more gratifying because unexpected." Possibly some por- tion of the large transient ]ioinilation of students may Iiax'e been counted — the rvd] population was at that time 1. 200 or 1,500 more than the legal population, and the number of jieople actually living in 1 'oiighkee])sie since the war has alw.ays bet'ti considi'rably greater than the census figures h;ne shown. It seems strange that the cit\ could have got along without a wali'r supply suitable for household use up to this time. The matter h;id several times been con- sidered, but ex'euts had conspired to postpone action. In 1835 James I'.mott. 1 leiu'x D. \ arick .-lud William II. Tallmadge, aiijxiinted by the (."ommon C'onncil. empkned an engineer to examine all available .sources of supply, and published an interesting report in which the\ favoreil ".Morgan's Pond," which was not Mor- g;m Lake, but the old mill ]iond referreil to in earlier chapters and now called X'assar College L.ake. Ilas- ing their calculations on an average daily i)er capita coiisum])tion of 35 gallons, and allowing for an in- crease of ])o])ulation eadle presi- dent, and eni])loyed J. li. C. Rand as engineer, asso- ciating Theodore W. Davis, son of Frederick Davis, cashier of the Farmers' and ManufactiuTrs' P.ank, and James P. Kirkwood. of New York-, with liini. Kirkwood was a well-known engineer and a sjiecialist in the installation of water supplies. IK- liad \isited and studied the water supply systems abroad, and was particularly familiar with tlie systems of slow filtra- tion through sand employed \)\ some of tin- wafer companies at London, England, it was on his .-nI- vice that the Hudson River was selected as the source of supply, after a careful examination of tlu- k'.-dl Kill and Wappingcrs. with tin- installation of a system of slow sand filtration. Tile two filters constructed by John SutclifiFe' af thai lime at the pumping station, on land previouslv 'For liiograpliical sketch see Appendix. belonging to the Swain estate, a mile north of the city, were the first of tlieir kind in the country, and are aljinit the only filters wliicii iiave survived all changes of expert opinion from that day to this. They have been continuously in service imtil the close of the year 1904. and during kjos will lie reconstructed and covered. Originallv expected onl\- to clarify the water. /■/;,■ /■y/Av /:,(h. photoi^raphcd about /S/-;. they have been found ecjually serviceable in the re- moval of harmful bacteria. The choice of James P. Kirkwood as a consulting engineer in 1870 was, there- fore, an exceedingly fortunate one. The pumps were started for trial July 4th, 1872, but it was not until several months later that the first water taji was put in to serve the house of the iiresident of the water lioard, ^\v. Edward Storm, in South l,il)erty Street. Physicians, like Robert K. Tuthill, wlio remember tlie conditions preceding the introduction of the water supply testify that the liealth of the city was consider- al)l\- inipiMved In it, thi'Ugh the prejudice against the river water was so strong that wells and cisterns were abandoned by very slow degrees. Theodore \^^ Davis remained in charge of the water and sewer systems until iXSi. when he was succeeded by tjie present City Engiui'er, Charles E. Fowler. 'i'lie installation of llu' \\ater and sewerage systems was the most notable ]inl>lic improvement of the peridd, but the l'"all Kill imprn\ement was also a great and ver\- eNjiensive eliange, and destroyed almost en- tiri'ly the old-time usefulness of the stream for water powei'. I'elton's I'ond, earlier I'.ooth's, was the only one left, and e\en its area was greatly restricted. Its wati'rs once extended across what is now Duane Street, and on the early maps it is called "The Great Ri'st'rvoir." Tin- size of this jiond w-as cut down again in 1S84. ,-md it was finally filled in. when the dam was taken diiwn in 1800. \'of far .nbi ive it was "Swift's I'iMid." which furnished jiower for the old factory at the end of Charles Street. This ])ond was some- JOHN SUTCLIFl-E. 214 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. times called by the Ixiys "The I'aptiser" from some former use as a place of immersion liy the Baptists. Above Washing-ton Street anil I'xtendinsj; to Garden was I'arker's ^[itl Pond. C.arden Street had been ijiven its eastward l)end from the corner of High Street to get around this pond, the upper end of which was most of the time a swamp and the stream emjnied intu the ixMid a hundred feet or more north of the ijrt-sent bridge. The Parker Alill had been burned a short time befure the pond was filled up and the new mill was built nut lung afterwards, on tlie east side of Garden Street, where i)art of its ruins are incorporated into the building nf tlu' ll\ge:a Ice Com- pany. Next to Pelton's the mo^t important of the storage ])onds was Lent's, nv the Winnikee (originally Crannell's),' which furnished power for the Red Mills. Dv 1870 all of these water powers had decreased con- siderably in value and steam had come to be regarded as the only reliable force for driving machinery, but the owners of the jxinds nevertheless received big damages from the city. In the repnrt of the City Treasurer for the year 1S71 the cdsl of walling and filling in the ]ionds was given as follows. Lenfs Pond $.21 .41 5 9° Parker's Pond 20.597 39 Swift's Pond 8.817 61 1 'elton's Pond 21 .776 08 The cost of the water works up to the beginning of the year 1873 was $4^7.^08.45. er cent. The rate of inti'rest does not seem to have been considerecl at a'l. ;md i>rerstn:ctui-e ?,.V'^)7'' ^^ Right oi way and fencing 5.v"40 "« Salaries, oflici' rents, etc.. during con- struction 20.000 00 b'or |)urchase of 4' j miles of railroad of Columbia Co. Iron Mining Co (15. 000 00 Locomotives, cars, fools, etc 157.000 00 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 215 Among- the estimated annual rccei])ts were: Transportation of milk 58,400 00 Transportation of liay 32,000 00 Transportation of iron ore 87,000 00 Passengers' fares 41-558 40 The name "Poughkeepsie and Eastern"' seems to have originated with the Bailie, which said on Janu- ary 20th, 1866, "We have heretofore, in speaking of the railroad from this cit\ to Ci)|)ake and Boston Corners, called it 'The Poughkeepsie and Copake Railroad." " Continuing, the article mentions the probability of the extension of the railroad to Salis- bury and Falls \'illage, in Connecticut, or to C.reat Piarrington, in Massachusetts, and concludes with the statement that the Eagle would hereafter name the road The Poughkeepsie and Eastern "unless the com- pany when finally incorporated shall decide to give it another." The incorporation was completed in April with the following directors: George Innis, Isaac Piatt. James G. Wood. George Morgan, Harvey G. Eastman, and Robert F. Wilkinson, of Poughkeepsie ; Pomeroy P. Dickinson, liirdsall Cornell and William Corwin. of New York; William Eno, Pine Plains; Piatt G. \ an \ liet and Stephen T. Angell, Pleasant \'alley ; James M. Welling, Washington; Elihu Griffin, Clin- ton ; Isaac Carpenter, .Stanford ; George Peasley and Conrad Xiver, Ancram. .\t a meeting on April 28th, George Innis was elected President; George Morgan. Vice-President ; Isaac G. Sands, Treasurer ; Robert F. Wilkinson. Secretary; Mark D. Wilber, Attorney, and P. P. Dickinson, Chief Engineer. The campaign of meetings continued and the chief efforts seem to have been still directed towards the farmers. Ma}or Innis, Mark D. Wilber, II. G. East- man and Isaac Piatt were nearly always among the speakers at these meetings and occasionally others, in- cluding James Bowne, A. L. Allen, Theodoras Greg- ory. Otis Bisbee, Jeremiah Eighniie, Lewis F. Streit and James Mabbett were heard. The plan included a liranch frum .Salt Point to W'assaic, to pass through or near Washington Hollow and Hart's Village, but the promoters were never able to satisfy the people of those neighborhoods that this branch would be built. As a bait to secure their support it was not success- ful, though a railroad to Hart's \'illage continued to be agitated u]) to the time of the beginning of the construction. In the meantime George H. Brown and other promoters of the Fishkill railroad obtained substantial support, and managed to get their railroad well started before the panic of '67 came as a check to both enterprises. The Poughkeepsie and Eastern directors reported subscriptions of $220,000 in August, 1867, "leaving but $80,000 wanting to enable the directors to com- mence work." Plad they started their efforts for sub- scriptions a little sooner, ;uid a little more vigorously and with less division of counsel, the\' might have headed otT the Dutchess and Columbia, but then it was too late. When the i^roject was again pushed, a year or two later, the eft'ort to ohl;iin the amounts needed by subscription was given u]) for the favorite scheme of bonding towns and the city. Construction was be- gun in the spring of i,8(i() im the first section, from Poughkeepsie to Salt I'niiil. In Jul\- the work met a serious interruption in the defalcation nf Walter Welsh, line of the sub-contractors, near Pleasant \'al- ley. .Xccnrding to the newspapers, \\v managed to swindle the men in his i'in|iliiy, and \arious persons with wh(-im he had (-lealings in the city and county, out of sums aggregating more than $20,000. and then dis- appeared. The workmen at the Valley were in a riot- ous mood and one of them. Jack McDonald, seized a horse and wagon belonging to W^elsh, and refused to give it up when it was demanded 1)y Sheriff Ken- worthy. Company D, of the 21st Regiment, com- manded by Captain William 1 laubmnestel, was finally called ui)on to restore order, and by its aid the property was recovered and McDonald and some others were arrested. Work was resumed, but the directors had not de- cided just what direction the road should take from Salt I'liint until J;muary. 1870, when the crintr:icl was /'oiig/ikrrf'sir e~' /urs/fni S/ation. given out for the section from Salt Point to Stissing. "Earge and Enthusiastic" meetings were still held in favor of a proposed branch to Amenia and Sharon. The first locomotive for the new railroad arrived in Poughkeepsie in September, 1870, and was hauled In horses on a timber track to its destination. It was landed from a boat at the l.ower Landing and George Polk, the ship builder, had the rather strenuous IVi HISTORY OF POVGHKEEPSIE. contract of hauling it ii]) the hill, via Pine Street and Montgomery to Hamilton, and thence across to the station. The railroad was completed to Stan ford ville not long after this, the first cars were hauled up on the tracks of the Poughkeepsic City Railroad, and regular trains began running. On January 17th, 1871, regular trains, three in each direction, began running to Stissing, and on the 24th there was a grand celebra- tion of the opening of the first division of the road. This included an excursion and a banquet at the Opera House, at which George P. Pelton presided. Hon. Charles Wheaton, John F. Winslow, Hon. Homer A. Nelson, Hon. John Thompson, Hon. B. Piatt Car- penter, Hon. W. W. Hegeman, Col. George Parker, Rev. F. B. Wheeler, Rev. A. P. Van Gieson, Isaac Piatt, M. D. Wilber, H. G. Eastman and Dr. E. H. Parker were the local speakers, and George H. Brown, president of the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad, Grinnell Burt, vice-president of the Wallkill Valley Railroad, Daniel Thompson, president of the Middle- town and Crawford Railroad, Joel Benton, represent- ing Eastern Dutchess, and P. P. Dickinson, represent- ing the proposed bridge across the Hudson River, also spoke. After this outburst of enthusiasm and oratory there was a long halt before the railroad was continued to Boston Corners, and it was not until October, 1872, that trains began running to State Line, making di- rect connections through to Hartford. The years '69 to '73, when the P. and E. was fiuallx constructed, form an era of railroad building all over the country. Poughkeepsie people were not confining their investments to local enterprises by any means, and long advertisements of Union Pacific and other western railroad bonds ajipeared in all the local papers. The bank cashiers usually acted as agents for these bonds and made a good deal of money from commis- sions. Besides the P. and E., the Dutchess and Co- lumbia and the Boston, Hartford and Eric, other neighboring manifestations of the craze were the Wall- kill Valley Railroad, the Rondout and Oswego (now Ulster and Delaware) and the Rhinebeck and Con- necticut. The new railroads made many changes in the coun- try and in the towns. Poughkeepsie streets were no longer lined with farmers' teams, and the steamboat lines gradually went out of the commission business. .\ew settlements were created, including Millbrook, which was laid out in the summer of 1870 by Isaac Merritt, who owned the land and had succeeded in ob- taining the location of the Dutchess and Columbia station midway between the older hamlets of Hart's Village and Mechanic. As soon as the Dutchess and Columbia and Boston, Hartford and Erie were ac- complished facts Hopewell Junction made a begin- ning and old Fishkill began to lose standing. A rail- road from Poughkeepsie to Hopewell was then fre- quently urged in the Eagle, and also a railroad to New Paltz to recover the lost trade of the Wallkill Valley. A street railroad in Poughkeepsie was projected as soon as it became reasonably certain that the Pough- keepsie and Eastern would be built, and was first char- tered in 1866. Like other enterprises it was postponed by the panic of 1867 and finally organized under a charter granted May 6th, i860. Its first directors were Harvey G. Eastman, Aaron Innis, Oliver H. Booth, Alfred B. Smith, Homer A. Nelson, Isaac W. White, Pomero\- P. Dickinson, Robert W. Frost, John I. Piatt, Edward Storm, Mark D. Wilber, John P. H. Tallman and George H. Beattys. Efforts were made to prevent any one person or combination from obtaining control of the road, and in February, 1870, the directors announced that no subscription for more than $5,000 would be accepted. Evidently there was no very great difficulty about raising the mone\-, for in April a contract was made with Leach & Co.. of Philadelphia, to build the entire line from the Hudson River Railroad depot to the Poughkeepsie and Eastern depot, and on May 14th it was stated that the work was progressing finely and the entire track woulil be laid in nine days. As already indicated it was finished in time to furnish an easy means of hauling up the first cars used upon the Poughkeepsie and I'.astern railroad. The extension to Vassar College was made two years later and was rather a result of the real estate boom in the section east of Cherry Street than an effort to obtain fares from the College. March 2nd. 1872, at a meeting of real estate owners interested John Grubb, Andrew King, M, H. Plitchcock, John Wing, Caleb Ballard, J. Hevenor, J. I, Pultz, J. Bar- nett and U. L. Ferguson were appointed a committee to solicit subscriptions. Other meetings were held and bv September the work of building the tracks "to Hull's Head ;ui(l N'assar College" was nearly finished. Then it was decided that "Bull's Head" was not a sufficiently dignified name fur a suburb of such a thriv- ing city as Poughkeepsic, and the name was changed to East Poughkeepsie, now officially xVrlington. Tmc Rkai, Est.\tiv Boom. During the period between 1868 and 1873, with new enterjirises constantly coming to the front, with important numicipal improvements in progress, and with real estate advancing, comjjarison was often made with the days of the unfortunate Improvement Party HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE 2ir of the ,^o's. The parallel was in many respects a good one. Ill [I. G. Eastman. George Innis, Mark D. Wil- her anil ntliers were to be found leaders quite as ag- gressive and sanguine as Oakley, Cunningham and Talhnadge. and if the later period produced mi men of as much national prominence as Tallmadge, that was largely because Poughkeepsie was of far more relative im])ortance in the State in 1830 than in 1870, though fiiur times as large at the later date. Mr. r'.astnian had abundant faith in the future of the city, lie expected to live to sec Poughkeepsie a city of So, 000. and perhaps even 100,000, and indeed if the place could gain twenty-five per cent, in population between 1865 and 1870, it seemed not unreasonable to suppose that with all the improvements made, with the new factories in full operation, the new railroad to the eastward and the great bridge giving it westward connections, the rate .of growth after 1870 might be even more rapid. A P)0ard of Trade was formed in April, 1872, and leased rooms in the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion building. By the 27th 160 members were re- ported, each of whom paid an initiation fee of $5. Matthew Yassar, Jr., was elected president, and the other directors were Otis Bisbee, Joseph C. Doughty, lames H. Dudley, Charles Heath, E. H. Sedgwick. i)e Witt Webb, Edward Elsworth, George P. Pelton, M. J. Myers, James B. Piatt, George Innis, H. G. h'astman, J. Parker Heath, John P. Adriance, W. A. I^anning. Isaac \\'. White. Edward Storm. George Parker. R. \\'. Frost. James Marshall. George D. I lull and Richard Kenworthy. This board has contin- ued until the present time, but the social feature has i)een abandoned. Real estate was in good demand before 1867. and in 1869 the demand began to assume something of the proportions of a boom. A number of streets that had been forgotten since they were nia]iped in 1835- ^j were graded, and provided with houses, and new sections of farm lands were divided into lots and sold at auction. This was the period of the opening of the eastern section of the city, as already implied in the account of the extension of the City Railroad. The I'.aglc of April 17th. i86g. under the head of "City Improvements." says, "The spirit of improvement seems recently to have taken possession of the holders of property in that section of the city lying east of Clinton Street," and adds "Virginia Avenue has been handsomely graded and a number of elegant houses erected thereon. * * * A gang of men is busily at work grading Church Street from Clinton Street east to its junction with ]\Iain Street." Old Cherry Street is described as "bracing up" and "a spacious avenue has been opened from Cherry Street to Vassar College." This was. of course. "College Avenue." the east end of whicli \\;is not rea(lue stone or flag walks were characteristic improve- ments of this period, and several of the streets upon which lots had been sold were provided with them well out into the country. North Hamilton and .Xorth Clinton Streets, for example, were flagged on both sides through to North Street, though a large l)art of the property fronting the northern section of each has remained iuiim])roved, and the sidewalks tlu-re ha\-e often been called "relics of tlie I'.astnian boom." ,\n ordinance was passed at this time forbid- ding the repair of the brick walks in the older streets and ])rovi(ling for their re])lacement by stone when wi,)rn out. Only a verv few ])atches of irregular bricks remain to-day. as reminders of the ])ast. Tn 1872 an attempt was made to enlarge the bound- aries of the city — the only serious attempt, I think, since the incorjioration of the village in I7<;9. On January J7th James Marshall, John I. I'latt and C. S. \'an A\'yck. who had been aiipointed a conuuiltee to consider the subject, reporlid in favor of the follow- ing lines : "Commencing at the center and west side of the culvert crossing the Hudson River Railroad at the southwest corner of the Poughkeepsie Rural Ceme- tery, thence easterly in a direct line to the junction of the New Hackensack and Vassar College roads, thence northca.st in a direct line to the elm tree on the Afanchester road near the Dutchess TurnjMke, thence northerly in a direct line to the junction of the .'^alt Point road and a cross road near the Roman Catliolic Cemetery, thence northwest in a direct line to the Centre and east side of a culvert crossing the llyde Park road over Ware's Creek, north of the Hudson River State Hospital, and following; the said creek to the river." This report was acce|ili'(l by the (."omnion Council, but the efTort to pass it in the Legislature was defeated by the 0])position of some of the leading residents in the section it was proposed to aiuiex. In architecture this was the period of the Mansard or French roof, just as the fashion of the 30's de- manded Grecian pillars and porticos. Many an old gable-roofed building was given an additional story by aid of the Mansard and most of the new houses were so built, three stories high, generally, with basements. It becaiue the highest enterprise to build rows of brick basement houses. John Gager was one of the leading promoters of such buildings, and the row of houses on the southeast corner of Mill and Garden Streets are still sometimes called the Gager houses, i^^tir^hr*' JCastiiiaii 'Tci'iacf in iSj'^. as are also some of the houses (.)n the noi'th side of .Mill Street near Conklin. Gager was in tinancial straits as early as Xovemlx'r, 1S72, when he sold "the Gager Clul) House," in Garden Street, which is said to have cost $14,000, to Joseph X. Corliss for $10,- 000. The most notable folly of the da\- was >[r. East- man's s])lendid block known as b'.astman Terrace. Facing his l)eatitiful ])ark he planned an im])osing block of twenty-three foiu^-story-and-basement lionses, to cost in the neighhiirhood of $400,000. Ground was gi'.-ided and excavations made for all, but only ten were started. These had been finished in the spring of 1873, at a cost of about $150,000. IMr. I'",astnian expected to be able to sell \\wm to .\e\\ 'S'ork jieople at about $18,000 e;ich, and failing in this he midertook to .sell them at auction earh- in Jnl\. 1 lenry W. Morris was the auctioneer of the iieriod, and did his best, aided by the k'.astnian College Band, and an t-laborate luncheon, served in one of the houses. There was a large crowd present, but the prices offered were HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE 219 so far short of Mr. Eastman's cxi)cctali(iiis that he stoppctl the sale. Ten thonsand dollars was offered for N'o. I. and Mr. Ivastman declared that he had rc- fnsed $i_'.()<)0 f(ir it at ])rivatc sale. The houses were not finally (lispciseates, P. Lamper, H. Kimball, H. Zimmer and Thomas Wyatt. Mrs. Enoch Pardee owned the corner buildings and her loss was gi\en as $15,000. This fire was fought with the old water supply and had its influence in hastening the con- struction of the new system. Judge Nelson was re- ■ ' ' /.■ '.'//;>.v on the site of Kiidnici' Hall . ported as having worked long and faithfully on the brakes of old Protection No. i Engine. The building of the present Pardee Block of hand- some stores added considerably to the activity of the times. James S. Post had the contract for the corner building, whicli was finished in x-\pril. 1872, when Reed & \ an \'liet opened a bookstore where Peter P). ITayt is now established. The Kirchner building was finished at the end of the same }ear. and the 21st Regi- ment, which had been quartered at the old carriage factory, where the Sanitary Fair had been held, took possession of the upper floors. After the war Mr. I'.uruap had for a time revived the carriage industry in the old "armory," but in 1870 he sold his handsome place opposite "Springside" to Dr. John P. .\t water, of New Haven, Ct., and moved awaj' from Pough- kecpsie. Tn Market Street the Mulrein building was built in i8fii) and 1870, and the Savings Bank in 1870- 71. (See article in .\ppendix about the Savings Bank). TlIK POUGHKEEPSIK BrIDOK. The crowning enterprise of the period was the beginning of the great bridge across the Hudson, 220 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. sugsjcstcd' as socm as tin- I'c ni^hki-cpsii- anil IvisU-ni Railroad became a ceitaim\. and from 1868 (-)n dis- cussed from time to tinu- in the newspapers. It seem- ed evident that a bridge wonld he constructed across the river somewhere in or udrth of the Highlands, and enlerprising residents of Poughkeepsic immediately went til work to show the advantages of the location here. P. P. Dickinson took it up as an engineer early in 1871. and then Harvey G. Eastman went into the ])niject with all his tremendous energy. On the 15th of February he wrote a letter, published in the Eagle, in which he said, "I am satisfied that this |)roject can be accomplished and secured to our city if we are awake to our own interests." On the 7th of March Mr. Eastman was elected Mayor, following George Mor- gan, then State Senator, and. assisted by P. P. Dick- inson and John I. Piatt, at unce went to work to draft a charter fur the proposed bridge companx'. It was pushed rapidly through the Legislature and became a law on May nth, 1871. The incorporators were Harvey G. Eastman, George Innis, John V. Winslow, Jiihn ( ). \Vbitehou.se, Homer A. Nelson, John I. Piatt, Isaac W. \\'hite. George R. Gaylord, Oliver H. liooth, \\'illi;ini A. Davies, John M. Touccy, John P. Adri- ance, .\lfred P. Smith, Charles Wheaton, Heiu-y D. X'arick. Abraham Wright, Charles Kirchner. Charles W. Swift. George Corlies, James Mulrein, Robert Slee. .\llard .\nthony, Edward Storm, George P. Pel- ion. 1'. 1', nickinson. James G. Wood. .\ar(in Innis. Hudson Tayl.ir, .Mark D. Wilber, George Parker. James Collingwood, Matthew N'assar, Walter Van Kleeck, Charles H. Roberts. Lawrence C. Rapelje, Anning Smith, Abraham 1 lasbrouck and George Corn- well. The lir'.t . Carpenter; Sixth, John L Piatt. J. ( •. Whitehouse. They organized by the election of C. W. Swift chairman and John I. Piatt secretary. Sub- committees for investigation were appointed, and made a number of reports, and at length early in 1874, an entire new charter had been prepared, in large part by John L Piatt, and was debated by the Common Coun- cil, and also by a citizens' meeting on March 5th. This ciiarter contained the first local recognition of the principle that the Common Council should have su- pervisory power over all expenditures, through sub- mission to it of the estimates of all the boards. The boards were also deprived of the power of issuing bonds on their own authority alone, and there were restrictions upon the extension of water mains, sewers, flagged sidewalks, etc. The Water Board was made practically a Board of Public Works, and was given the care of the streets as w^ll as the appointment of the city engineer. To these last provisions the Coun- cil strenuously objected, and they were at length stricken out. Allard Anthony, as Corporation Coun- sel, submitted an outline of another charter, and the Coimcil appointed two conference committees to confer with Charles W. Swift, Jacob B. Carpenter and John '22-1 HISTORY OP POUGHKEEPSIE 1. riall, (.)!' llie citizens' cummiltcc, Ix-forc inaU(.TS were straightened unt. The charter was finally dehatetl at a citizens' mass nieelini;- at the ^'. M. C\ A. hnilcling March 24th. in which I'mfessor W. 11. Croshy, Roh- ert West, Edward I'.Uwdrlh, C. II. S. Williams, Henry 1). .Myers, Jacob J!. Jewett, John McLean, Rev. A. P. \ an Gieson, O. D. M. Baker, Leonard B. Sackett, Robert K. Wilkinson and others took part. Some mod- ifications were adopted, ami it was then sent to the Legislature, where it was speedily enacted into law. It was the only city charter of recent times thoroughly discussed, and many of the principles established still remain, though the mass meeting method resulted in some imperfections that were likened to patchwork. The public imi)rovements undertaken couUl not ])v entiri-ly stopped at once, and as payments for work done fell due the city debt continued to increase. The tabular view printed with the City Chamberlain's re- port of 1874 shows it at $1,932,897.70. which included $600,000 Ponghkeepsic and Eastern bonds, ,$530,o(x) "water stock," $60,000 Fallkill Improvement bonds, and $320,000 sewerage bontls. Soon after this report was made $85,000 more sewerage bonds were sold, bringing the total above $2,000,000. When the ne.xt tahidar vii'W was published, with the report of 1876, the debt had fallen to .^i .i)7'i.i|<)7.7(), and thereafter conliinu-d to decrease. The cb.irler of i,S74 iutro- du^■ed .'i ]n-riod of economy ami fo|- ;i long time little more' than mere maintenance could l)e attempted until ])opulation and ta.xable property had considerably increased. The census of 1875 was not encouraging, as it showed an actual, though slight, decrease in population ; and the assessed vaulation of jiroperty in the city had been decreasing since 1866. The assessment rolls of this |)eriod are interesting enough to warrant a little stud\. In 1866 real estate had l)een assessed at $2,8o3.C)00, and jirrsoual projicrly at $2,781,321. a total of $5,584,()2i. War taxes had hanlly _\et come down nnich. and pi'o|ile were accus- tomed to paying on .all sorts of lurson.-d iiro|ierly. Real estate continued to rist- wiUi the increased devi-1- opment, but jiersonal ])ro])ert\ began to decrease more in ])roporlion. In 1873, when assessments might nat- ur.allv b.ivt' l)een expected to be at the highest, they stood: Ueal estate $3,262,345. personal $2,109,675. The tolal did not ajjproach the figures of 1866 mitil 1878, when it reached $5,572,145, ineluiliuL; rt'al es- tate $3,^)80.670. personal $1,885,475. Real estate was assessed only at about onc-tliird of its estimated value, a i)olicy which did not prevent the Board of Super- visors from raising the city almost every year in mak- ing up its e(|urdizalion t.ables. At ibis time the luii^lc and others strongly advocated a radical change in the metln)d of assessments, and in the fall of 1878 Charles M, Colwell and Andrew King were elected assessors, ior the purpose of inaugurating a new system. In 1879 the assessments jumped to $11,518,865, made up of $8,934,165 real, and $2,584,700 personal. The high- est city tax of this period was $232,844.21 in 1876. The charter of 1874 changed the time of holding city elections from March to December, so as to make the terms of office correspond with the fiscal and cal- endar years. Consequently in 1874 there were two city elections. Only minor offices were to be filled in the spring, and the election is noteworthv merely be- cause the politicians decided not to spend any money in the purchase of votes. Says the Eagle of Wednes- day, March 4tli, "The election in this city yesterday was a very riinarkable affair. ( )n election days here- tofore b\ at least four o'clock* in the afternoon each ])olling place had been the scene of drunkenness and disorder to some extt'Ut." This time tbei-e were no such scenes, but the "strikers" stood gloomily aro\nid waiting for some one to bu\' them, and many of them did not vote at all. Robert E. Taylor, Republican, was re-elected Recorder, but F. W. George, Demo- crat, was chosen City Treasurer, defeating Col. James Smith. Mr. (icorge served a number of terms as City Treasmer, and was several times elected in strong Republican years. ( )ne of lite candidates against him was Courtlaud S. 1 lowland, the present City Chamber- lain. Tlu' office of C'iU Tre.asurer was creatt-d by Ihe charter of iSfx). the previous corresponding offici.al having been called llu' C'ollector. W. Morg:m Lee, the ])resent C'it\' .\ttornt'\', was Citv Ch.amberlain in 1874. As was natural during a period of growing finan- cial stringency, and high taxes, the political drift was .away from the ]iarl\ in control of the Xalion.al admin- istration, .and in \o\embei' ,*^anuiel J. Tilden was ^■lected ( io\ernor oi the State, leading Ceneral Dix in I'oughkeepsie by 648 votes, an extraordinary Demo- cratic majorily, ])artly accounted for by .\lr. White- house's 717 majority for Congress over Ch.irles L. lleale. Tiie Democrats elected ihi'ir whole ticket, .and iMr. I'.astman declined l. Jcibn O'Hrieii. D., of History of poughkeepsiU. 225 IwD terms, was chosen Mayor without opposition. O. 1). AI. I'.aker. at the same time became the first City Attorney, tliis ofitice having been created I)y the new cliarter. J'efore this time there had been a "corpora- tion connsel" appointed by the Mayor and .\ldcrmen, and each of the cit\- boards had employed its own at- torney, often at considerable expense. .\n incident of the fall of 1874 was the opening (jf the Driving I 'ark in October, with a grand review by (lovernor jolm A. Dix. of the reginu-nls comprising the 5tli Division, W-w York State .\';ition;d C.iiard, commanded l)_\- Cicneral Janu-s W. llusled. This was followed by "the first annual fair of the lludson River .Agricultural and Driving I'ark .\ssociation." which l)rought a great crowd to the city. The Driving Park Association was nevertheless destined to failure, and the properly passed thron.gh a number of hands btd'ore it came into the possessi(jn of the present owner. Jacob Kuppert. Se\-er^l noted horsemen, including Ivlwin Thorni', were among its owners. V>\ 1875 things were looking better for the Re- publicans, and I'l. I'latt Car])enter was elected to the vState Senate. anr)idix. ) M I S f RY OP POUGHKBBPSIB 22? tinned to turn mit wrought iron bars and bolts until 1S78. .\fter a period of idleness the plant passed into the hands of the Phoenix Horse Shoe Company, was doubled in size and became a greater contributor to the business oi the city than its original promoters expected. The City Railroad failed to pay fixed charges and was sold Decemjjer 11 lb, ICS76, for $40,000, to the bondholders, but the litl'e old "bob-tailed'' cars were a great convenience and did their part, even witli ten cent fares, or "six tickets for a quarter," towards re- storing prosperity. The company reported net earn- ings of $2,oo8.i;(i in the year ending September 30th, 1873, but soon after that abandoned its old stables near the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad, and built the new brick stables in Main Street. In the winter of 1875 the expenses of removing snow absorbed a large /.V75 S/io7i'Scti!f — 3/ciiii SIrcti, urar I'lissar. part of the earnings of the road. There was a succes- sion of big storms, the worst of them on March 4th and 8th. On the 8th the City Railroad tracks had only been dug out as far as the Morgan House by night. The accomi)anying jiicture, probably taken on the i)th, shows that the depth of snow was not much kss than in the memorable blizzard of March 12th, 1888. The City Railroad was reorganized in Octo- ber, 1877, with Aaron Innis president, and thereafter b\- strict economy of management kept out of financial difficulty. Though returning nothing to the stock- iioklers for a long period, those who held on ultimately got most of their original investment back when the road was sold for equipment with electricity. The Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad doubtless absorbed more local capital than any of the other en- terprises of the day, but with two railroads leading to Fishkill, it had [o lie built if the city was to retain the trade o[ the county. Its failure is more to be at- tributed to the postponement of construction until af- ter the Dutchess and Columbia was built than to any- thing else. The Bagle of May 17th, 1873, said: "If the Poughkeepsie and Eastern had been built when we and others strove to have it done, there never would have been any Dutchess and Columbia, the Delaware and Hudson Company wmdd have established a great coal depot here, as it agreed to, and there never would have been any Rhinebeck and Connecticut. The whole business between Western Connecticut and Eastern Dutchess and the Hudson River would have passed over our line." "Xever" is doubtless too comprehen- sive a word as ajjplied to the construction of competing lines, but the statement is substantially true. The railroad was first sold under foreclosure April 14th, 1875, to George P. Pelton, as trustee for the bondhold- ers, for $50,000, and was reorganized in May as the Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad.' It managed to pay bare running expenses, but could make no improvements without borrowing. In 1884 there was another foreclosure, and the section from Bos- ton Corners to State Line was sold to the Hartford and Connecticut Western, and was made use of by the latter for consolidation, not with the railroad to Poughkeepsie, but with that to Rhinebeck. This was a serious blow to P. and E. interests, for closer connection with Hartford and New England w'as one of the motives in the construction of the railroad. A fatal mismanagement at critical moments characterized the P. and E. from the outset, and resulted ultimately in its hopeless isolation. Buir,DINC. THE POUGHKIJEPSIE BrIDGR. Efiforts to make the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railroad pay, by giving it a through traffic, constitut- ed a leading motive for the revival of the great bridge enterprise which had been so near to success. Reor- ganization of course followed the death of President Thompson, and the withdrawal of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the bridge promoters, particularly Mr. Eastman, Mr. George P. Pelton and Mr. Piatt, turned to New England for help. They succeeded in arousing the interest of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, and in January, 1875, a committee of nineteen from that body, accompanied by leading men from other sections of New England, visited Poughkeepsie, went over the ground thoroughly and reported in favor of the bridge. The proposition then began to attract the attention iThe story of the several reorganizations is told in tlie pe- tition of William P. Rockwell, i-itli I''e1irnar\-. i8,S8, ami in George P. Pelton's answer. 228 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSin of l)n'(lge consruction coiii]);mies. and at length an oflcr was accepted frnni "The American Bridge Coinijany," of Chicago, to l)uild the hridge and help raise tlie nionev. Work hegan November 14th, 1876. on the lirst of the timber cribs upon which the piers were to i)e l)uilt "on the ways of ^^Ir. George \\'. I'olk, almost at the exact site that was used l)y the ship builders employed l)\ the Continental Congress in the Revolu- tion." Three cribs or caissons were successfully launched and two of them were placed in position and weighted down with concrete, when an unfortunate accident caused suspension of the work and another long wait, it was then deemed necessary, in order to lay masonry ui)on the cribs, to build coffer dams upon them to be jninipcd out.' When the first caisson, nearest the west shore, had reached this stage the ])umi)ing out of the cotler dams caused so great an upward ])res- sure that it broke the caisson apart, and lifted tlie Bridge Caisson, Ready /o J/aa/ to /'o.si/ioii. iSjj. wliole mass on the north end above the bottom line of caulking. The damage was successfully repaired, and the masonry was carried u]i to the re(|uired height before winter, but the accident proved so t'xpensive that, combined with 111i-.f1 irtune elsewlu-re. it ruined tlie .American Hridge Comp.-my. There stood the pier for another ten years btd'ore work was resumed, and it was often referred to as II. V,. luistman's monument, as he died July 15th, 1878. .\ few jiersons never lost faith in the enterprise, and continued tiieir efforts to interest ca])ital. The time limit in the charter was extended by legislative action from January ist. 1879 to 1883, and then to 18S8 against some ojiposition. .\t length J. C. Stan- ton, of New York, a well known contr;ictnr ;inro- moter, was enlisted in the work, and induced W. \\ . (iil)l)s, of Philadelphia, to undertake its comi)'etion. 1 le and other capitalists organized the Manhattan ' For details of construction sec ])aper read by John I". OT. The charter now required the completion of the bridge January 1st. 1888, leaving but little more than a year, and a further extension of time was necessary. Against this the most determined opposition sprang rji ou the i>art of the boatmen, rival cities and the Slin-m King Bridge promoters. All the newspapers of .\lban\' anil Trov and most of those in New York joini'd this movement, and the New York Chamber of Commerce, the I'.oard of Trade and Transportation, the I'roduce K.xchange and other fiodies. sent repre- sentatives to Albany to lobby in favor of a bill intro- iluced 1)} Mr. Devcreaiix, one of the Albany Members of .\ssembly. to repeal the act of 1872 and compel the removal of the piers alread\- jiartly finished. John I. riatt had been Member of .\ssembly since 188O. and the contest this time was <|uite as bitter and obstinate as that in 1S72. when Mr. I'.nstman represented Pough- keepsie. .Mr. Tlatt had taken a ])roniinent ]iart in the earlier contest, liad been a leading force in ewry move- ment to bring the great enterprise to ci iin])letion. was familiar with every ]5oint the o])i)osition could make. ;is well as with everything in favor of the bridge, and evenluall\- ilefealeil the Devereaux bill and carried through the bill granting an extension of time, which was signed by Governor I Till June 25th, 1888. B\- this time the work was in full progress. Messrs, D.iwson. Symmes and I'sher had charge of the found- .'itions and masonry, and Ross, Sanford & P.aird, of the su]ierstructure. John F. ( )'Rourke. now widely known as the contractor for the great Pennsylvania Railroad tunne's mider the North l\iver at Xew ^'ork. w;is the chief engineer in charge of constructii m, while Aitluir B. Paine had general suju'rvision for the Man- Ii;itl;in Bridge Building Comi)any. and P. P. Dickin- son fur the I'cnighkeepsie Bridge Company proper. There were, of course. m;m\- changes in the direc- lor;ite of the Bridge Com]iany itself cluring the reor- ^ 2.30 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB. ganizatioiis. A. ]'>. Stnnr. nf New N'nrk, siiceH-ciU-d John F. W'inslow as ])n.'.si(lciit wlu'ii the American Uridine Cninpany had charge, and continued in office nnlil January, 1886, when J. H. Appleton, of Spring- lield, .Mass., became president. August 27th, 1886, .Mr. \|)pleton was succeeded by Watson \'an Een- thu\sen. of Xew I )rleans, \\ hi 1 in turn ga\e jdace to W. W. ('.il)bs. of rhiladelpliia, in 1887. Then, as the liridge a]>proaciied completion, it became necessary to look up a jiractical railroad man of large experience to take charge, and John S. Wilson, of Philadelphia, general traffic manager of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was selecteil. The other officers elected in 1888 were: John 1. I'latt, vice-president; W. R. Carlisle, secre- tary and treasurer : P. P. Dickinson, chief engineer. ( )n the 29th of August, 1888, the last pin was driven in the cantilever span between pier No. 5 and the east shore, making the connection from shore to shore complete, though the viaducts or approaches were not finished until well into Decemlier. The first train crossed December Jijth. When the bridge became a certainty those who were furnishing the capital tried to acquire the Pough- keepsie and Eastern, 1 but Mr. H. D. Cone, a paper manufacturer of Chicopee, Mass., who had purchased it before the reorganization of 1887, refused to sell, though offered double what he had paid for it. Rather than submit to his traffic proposition a new railroad was built to parallel the P. and E. from Poughkeepsie to Silvernails. on the Hartford and Connecticut West- ern, which had been purchased as the eastern connec- tion. The western line to Campbell Hall and May- brook, wliere it meets the l^rie, Ontario & Western and Eehigh Railroads, was built, and then the east and west lines were consolidated as the Central Xew Eng- land and Western. Partly perhaps by b.id manage- ment till' Si)ringfield connection was delayed beyond the limit of its charter and the railroad was "bottled u])" at 1 I art ford until IQ03, when the Springfield line was ])iisheil through after sever;d uot.'ible legislative and legal battles at Hartford. In the meantime the Dutchess County Railroad to Hopewell Junction, to connect with the New York and New England (now 1 ligiiland Division N. Y., N. H. & IL) was construct- ed, thus carrying out another favorite project of earl- ier days. The Ijridge and connecting railroads have been of considerable benefit to Poughkeepsie, but have so far lUiuIer Mr, Cone's management this railroad was namcil the "New York and Massachnsctts Railroad." Mr. Cnnc Imr- rowcd money of Russell Sage, and at length Mr. Sage had to take the railroad, which he still owns. He restored the origi- nal name. fallen \ery far short of expectations. Of course all early subscribt-rs to the stock lost their money, as the whole s\stem has been twice reorganized, but the bonds, though not ]ia}ing, have generall}' lieen worth u|)wards of f^io. In iX(|j, when .\rchil).-dd A. Mc- Leod, president of the Reatling Railroail, undertook to carry out a bold scheme of con.solidating the Reading, Jersey Central, Central New England and Boston & Maine railways, the future of the bridge seemed as- sured, but Mr. McLeod's gigantic plans created con- sternation among the managers of other older systems, other caf)italists combined against him and the plans failed. .\ow, in 1904, the Central New Englantl has fallen into the control of the Xew York, New Haven and Hartford, greatest of Xew England railroad combina- tions, and the bridge has become the "connecting link'' its promoters so long predicted betw^cen the Pennsylvania coal fields and New England. The change has brought increased passenger and freight facilities to Poughkeepsie, and the great bridge across the Hudson River may yet prove of as much advan- tage to the city as had been expected. Till'; Oi.D .\Ni) Tui; New — Tin-; Ri\'i;k Fuoxt. The building of the Poughkeepsie P>ridge marks the triiunph of the railroads over the river, and by the time it was finished many changes had taken place or were in i)rogress along the river front. More than half of the prosperous establishments once there ha\e n(jw giine out of existence, and others are slowly taking their places. Locations fronting both river and railroad are valuable, but locations accessible only by river are not frequently sought. The consolidation of ;l11 the river freighting at Main Street was noted in the last chapter. It is said to have been originally the intention of llomer Ramsdell and his friends to make the PIpper Landing the terminus of the boats, which were to connect there with the Poughkeepsie and East- ern Railroad, but it is difficult to see how llu' railroad could have ])ei'n brought there, even if its funds h;id ln'cn ;niipK'. It remains to be noted that l'.i|il;iin John I 1. ISrinckerbotT,' who purchased control of the Trans- portation Com])any in 1878. comjileted the ilowufall of the L^iUKT Landing in 1870, when he abandoned the old fi.'rr\ landing, .aud brought the ferry also to Main Street. < )ne of the old I'jiper Pauiliug storehouses was torn down about the liuu' of the building of llir bridge, but the largest was bunieil in July, iSiji, and on its site was erected in 18(14 the ni'w power house of tlic electric lighting company. Main Street Landing, too, has been the scene of a number of recent changes, 'See .Appendix for biographical sketch. Capt. JOHN II. BRIXCKERHOFF. HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 233 When the Poughkeepsic Transportation Company had was again contracted in 1SS4 and was tinallv filled and been merged into the Central Hudson Steamboat Coni- ])anv tile old Exchange House was purchased and torn (Idwn, and the present waiting room was erected in iijuo. The last proprietor of the Exchange House was Isaac H. Wood. The dye wood mills of Clifford. Sherman & limis kept the ii|iper neighbnrlmdd Ijusy with frequent shi|i- loads of lug wood arriving frum the West Indies f(ir .some time after the renmxal uf the freight boats and the ferry, but in 1884 this firm, whose business had drained 'in 1899. The great X'assar brewery after the death uf Mat- thew \'assar. Jr., and John C,u\ N'assar, graduall\' lust its trade. partl\ uwing lu ouin])licatinns uf uwnership, and partly tu .Mr. ( )livi-r II. Ilnuib's interest in buat- building ami iplher outside matters. .Xbunt ten \ears agu it Ceased operations, and the buildings lia\e re- mained idle. e.Ncept fur tempurary uccu])atiun uf the Water Street front as a chase was contemplatec Hmt\ jail in li^oj. Their pnr- a few years agu by a euld been une uf the most profitable in Poughkeepsie, failed, .storage company which failed to obtain enuugh caiiital and though reorganized and continued for some fif- to carry out its plans. teen years, lack of capital and the increasing competi- The ship-building indnsti\ has almust ceased since 1 T/if /hiiM/ilctpiU- J ran Hoiki.. (Sfr Appi-iidi.v.) tion of chemical dyes caused its downfall, and in 1902 the mills were dismantled. The oldest of the build- ings, north of the Fall Kill, passed into the hands of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroail Company recently, and was torn down in 1905. Three of the buildings are still in use by other manufacturing concerns, but of the old Upper Landing industries only the chair factory and the Arnold lumber yard re- main, and the chair factory is the only establishment in the city still using water power from the Fall Kill. .V little farther up stream the manufacture of carpets by the Peltons was abandoned in 1891, though the main building is occupied by smaller manufacturing establishments. The old Pelton Mill pond, much re- duced in size when the other ponds were destroyed. the failure of the second bridge company, which made use of George Polk's shipyard and never paid him for it. lie had been established there since 1867. Dr. C. 1). Aliller has built a number of yachts and George lUickhout occasionally builds boats, though mainly oc- cujjied as an ice yacht builder, at which no one in the country excels him. Iron smelting still flourishes intermittently at the Poughkeepsie Iron Works, though much of its glory has departed. The old Lower Furnace (See page 143) has disai)peared completely, and its once busy wharves, piled high with ores, coal and limestone, are slowly rotting. The last iron was made there in July, 1885, and the buildings were pulled down a few years later. Mr. Frank 1!. Lown. who purchased the property, has 234 HISTORY OF POUCH KEEPSIE improved the houses, which were formciiy the homes of furnace operatives, and they are still cieciipied. In the old davs, hcforc the competition of western and southern iron hecame so keen, the Poughkecpsie fur- naces were operated ahnost continuously, and when the iron market was low thousands of tons of pig iron were ])iled along the river front, awaiting a rise in jiricc. A small fleet of harges, canal boats and sloojis was often moored at the furnace wharves loading iron, or discharging ore, coal or limestone. One of the stacks at the Upper (nmv the only) Furnace has been rebuilt and is alone capable of producing mure iron than the four stacks of both establishments fornieily turned out. Since the death of Albert E. Tower, in lingvvood property, south uf the Lower Landing. This factory makes machines fm- separating cream from milk, machines fur which there is a steadil}' increasing demand, and hence the factory has been rapidly grow- ing initil it now occupies twice the territory originally given it. including the old Polk shipyard, and employs three or four times mure men than when first opened. Its power is transmitted by electricity from a dynamo driven by the onl}' turbine engine so far installed in the city.i In the same neighborhood is I,ane Uruthers' manu- factory of hardware specialties, brought to Pough- keepsie from Milllirook in 1882, by John G. antl Wil- liam T- I.ane. This business, like the cutting of dye I^c/.ai'it/ Sipaia/oi' Company's /'/mil. l8<)l, the pi'operty has been owned b_\' his son, .\. I'.ilward Tower. Two large new industries on the river front go far towards making uj) for the loss of the older estab- lisJiments. The Poughkeepsie Glass Works^ (Sec il- lustration p. 118) were started on the site of the old whale dock buildings in March. 1880, and have grown to considerable proportions. The original plant was nearly all burned in 1897 and was rebuilt soon after- wards, with much eidargement and improvement. The De Laval Separator Company, of Stockholm, Sweden, built a branch factory here in 1892, the Board of Trade raising by subscription from citizens $10,000 for the purchase of the site, a part of the Col- ipor further particulars see Appendix. woods in 1 'ouglikt'cpsie. (see ]). 117) was an out- growth of I'leriah Swift's inventions, and the Swift coffee. si)ice ami drug mills were long a leaany, which had been organized in igoo with Robert .Stuart, ])revionsly of New Hamburgh, as president. In the meantime Don- ald, Converse and Maynard Iiad started tlie manufac- ture of overalls, under the name (if the Fallkill Man- ufacturing Company, in a brick building erected in Mechanic Street fur a sbnc factory. This liiisiness passed into the hands of .Messrs. luistmead and Os- borne, who were joined liy Mr. Lasher in 1S87. Event- ually this factory failed and the building is now used in the manufacture of linen mesh underwear. To take up an entirely ditTerent line of industries, those operating under public franchises — competition in gas lighting began with the organization of the Citizens' Gas Company, of which Augustus L. .Mien and Horatio Allen were the chief local promoters. This company purchased eight acres of land on Laurel Street, and erected a plant for the manufacture of what was generally called "water gas," in 1875. This plant is still in use, though nuich enlarged. The inevit- able consolidation of the two companies came in 1887, after which the older Ilayeaux Street establishmeiU was abandoned. The first electric lights in Poughkeepsie were put up by Dorsey Neville, who erected a dynamo at r)id- lard's foundry on Main Street, in 18S4. His interests were i)urchascd by the Poughkeepsie Electric Light and Power (.'oinjiany. which filed its certiticate of in- corporation April Jnd. 1SS3. with lojm If. llrincker- hoft', C. A. Fowler, Janus II. Ward, F. J. .Mien, Ivl- ward IT. Goff, Martin \ . I'.rady, William Kaess, John R. Lent and General .Mfred 11. Smith named as direc- tors. .Ml were residents of Poughkeepsie except Messrs. Gofl', Brady and Fowder, wdio in 1886 sold their interests to Mr. A. M. Young and a party of gentlemen from \\'atcrbtn"y. Ct., including ]). S. Plume. r>. G. Pryan and P'. T. Turner. Capt. Ilrinck- erhoft', who had been the fir.st president, was succeeded by James II. Ward, and the plant on Winnikee Avenue erected by Air. Goft" was doub'ed in size. Says the Souvenir Ea,s;lc: "The company is chiefly indebted to Gen. .\. P). Smith, James H. Ward. Peter T^. \ an Wag-enen, Willard H. Crosby. Peter 11. Havt and John R. Lent, of Poughkeepsie, and Mr. A. M. Young. of Waterbury, Ct., for the success of the enterprise." In Aiiril. 1886, the company securrd the contract for lighting the streets at $18,000 per annum, and since June 1st of that year they have been continuously lighted by electric arcs. John N. Candee became man- ager of the company at its organization and rem.ained until the consolidation with the gas compan\- in igoi. Telephones were introduced into this cit\- by the .Automatic Signal Telegraph Compan\ in June, 1878. The company had been organized in ( )ctol)cr. 1877, by John I. Piatt, Henry S. Frost and Samuel K. Rupley to handle the patents of William I>. Watkins "for im- l^rovcments in fire and l)urglar alarms, telegra])bs and < liber inventions." .\n automatic fire alarm was the leading feature, but had not been sutficienLly perfected to be commercially successful when the telephone be- gan to attract attention. John I. Piatt was the first Jl/iiiii S/ifi'l ill iSSo. president, and under his leadership the stock held by the promoters of the Watkins patents w'as purchased, their interests extinguished and telephones introduced instead. The idea of a central .system connecting the people of a town was. so far as is known, suggested by Mr. Piatt, and the "exchange" constructed here was the third in existence, having been preceded by New Haven anwii for Re- corder by 234. Air. Collins, it should be saiil. had no ex]iectation of being electi'd and had in fact lu'en a supjiorter of Mr. I Matt. In the first Harrison-Cleve- land cam])aigu, 1S88, Mayor I'.lsworth was defeated by Charles M. Rowley, but in iScjo he was again elected Mayor, receiving 447 niore votes than lludson Tiivlor. Charles Morschauscr was chosen Recorder at this time. The campaign of 1888 was characterized by one old-time out-of-door meeting, the E. N. IIow'- cll barbecue, held not far from the Driving Park out- See p. 249, also Appendix. side of the city limits. Chauncey M. Depew was the chief speaker. Martin 1 leerm;ince.' then of Rhine- beck, was elected District .\tl>irne\ in iSSS, .-md there- after for the greater portion of each yi'ar bt'came a resi- dent of 1 'nnghkee])sie. This was the period of James W. llinkle}"s control of the local Dt'mocratic org;mization. in Cov. Ililfs ;idministration. Mr. llinkle\ pin-chased the t\>iiiih- krcf'sic A'cics in iSS;, and .ilso tlu' ll'rckly y'r/r.i^ni/^/f ;ind the Daily J'irss. so long pnblislu-d by Ivlw.'ird I'.. ( tsborne. lie consi ilid.ated these newspa]>ers, which still ret.-iin tlu' ilouble title Xrws- Press, and AiTe.v- 7V/- (■L^rii/^h, ;mil cri'ated a strong personal org;m just at the time when the Democratic ii.arty was largely in tlu' ascendency. 'I'he A rrcv had been imblished, after Mr. Whitehouse's death in 1S81, by a comjiany organ- ied .among its employees, including Sanuiel T. I'dagler, who rem.-iincd at the he.ad nf lb,' job printing depart- ment for ;i long time after .Mr. llinkley's purchase, and \\ illiam 1'". I,^■,■lry, who continued to ser\e .as fore- man until liis de.'iih in 11)03. The discontinuance of The I'rrss as an .afternoon newspaper left the field cjpeu for a new paper, and Au- gust 6th, 1883, the first number of the Bvening Bn- iITc \v;is .nppoiiiteil Stale iisscssor. or tax coinmis,sioiicr, in iSi)(i and bccaim- cliairmaii of Ihc board. Sec Appendi-x. JAM]-;.S \V. HINKLKY. 2A2 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSin terprise was published by \V. C. Lansing, Edward \'an Keuren and Derrick Brown. Messrs. Lansing and \'an Keuren had the \ear before purcliased The Ihitchcss Farmer, an agricuUural wt'ckly. started April 6th, iiS6(j, by Egbert I!. KiHey. Jr., and ^[r. I'.rown, wlio had been tlie editor of The Xezv's, iniiu-il them when it was decided to start a new (hiily. I'lie Enter- prise has alwaxs been, under Mr. Brown's editorship, an inde]x-ndent Democratic paper, and has continued in the saine building on Main Street where the Telegraph was jjublished in the time of Edward B Killey, Sr., and wlierc the Diifehess Tanner was published In- his son. This building is said to have been a newsjiaper office for more than 75 _\ears, but in 1004 was com- pletely changed in apjiearance and rebuilt with an additional stor\' .md a new front. 0/1/ 'J'lU'giapIt {later Jinkrprise) Jliiildiiig. Returning to politics, the Democrats in 1S90-91 were concentrating their efforts upon the cajiture of the State Legislature. At the election of iS<)t tluv obtained a majority in the Assembly, gaining one member in Dutchess, where John A. Vandewater de- feated .Archiljald Rogers, but on the face of the returns they lacked one or two of a majority in the Senate. Then occurred the celebrated case of the "quad- marked" ballots, or the "Dutchess County Case." The majority of Gilbert A. Deane for Senator, in the Sen- atorial district comprising the counties of Dutchess, Putnam and Columbia, was small enough, only 78, to invite attack, and looking the ground over the Demo- crats discovered that a number of the ballots, printed under county authority, had a black ink mark on them, made by a high "quad," or space in the printing. These, they claimed, were "marked for identification," and the Board of Supervisors, sitting as canvassers, and strongly Democratic, was induced to throw out 31 such ballots, cast for the Republican ticket in tlie Town of Red Hook, and to make enough other changes in the original return to give Edward B. Osborne, the veteran Poughkeepsie editor, a majority. The Repub- lican County Clerk, Theodore A. Hoft'man, refused to sign the certificate of the board, and John J. Mylod* was appointed secretary pro tem. Thus came into ex- istence the celebrated Mylod certificate, about which a legal battle immediately began, the details of which are too voluminous for repetition- here. It is suffi- cient to say that the Republicans obtained a mandamus compelling the Board of County Canvassers to recon- vene and grant a certificate of election to Gilbert A. Deane, and obtained an order from the Court of Ap- peals, which was unanimously Democratic, forbidding the State Board to canvass the Mylnd return. Mean- \vhile Governor Hill removed Ccmnty Clerk lloftman and a])pointed Storm Enians in his place. Mr. Emans, alter having mailed the corrected returns to Albany, went there by a night train and took the ccii)ies frum tile mail of the State officers to which they were di- rected and brought them back to Poughkeepsie. Final- ly the State board, in defiance of all the court orders, granted the certificate of election to Mr. Osborne, ami the Democrats obtained the coveted control nf the Siuate. Roswell P. Flower, who was elected Gover- nnr at the same election, rewarded the leading Pough- kie]isie particijiants in the ;iffair, making William 11. Will 111. will I liad been attunu'v t'nr the I'.oard of Sn- |i(r\ isnfs, ehairnian of the ."^tate I'.oard of .\sses,sors. but each of the members of the State I'.oard of Can- vassers was afterwards fined for contempt of court. James W. Ilinkley became chairman of the Democratic State Committee during Governor Flower's leriii. The indejiendent ])ress of the State and many of the Denioeratic newspapers, including thi' I'.nter prise. joined the Republicans in denunciali^ Alt ' J" ITT ISi*i> i«<«r »;*** lu-- Mff^-r. litoMlii^ «»t SAMnU. H. KROWN. (For biograp/iiail skc/t/i scr . Ipfniidix. ) JUDGK JOSEPH MOR.SCHAl\SER. {For biographical sketch sec Appendix.) HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 247 had succeeded Theodore W. Davis in 1881, was given the title of City Engineer. A new filtering basin was added to the city's water plant in 1896, doubling the filtration capacity. This was covered with con- crete arches in 1904 and during 1905 the old filter beds were also reconstructed and covered, bringing them fully up to the latest requirements, and effecting a great saving in operation in winter, when the removal of ice has always been difficult and expensive. In 1902 the time-honored offices of Recorder and justice of the peace were abolished, and the Mayor was given power to appoint a city jmlge, with juris- dictii)n over certain civil cases. Joseph Altirschauser, more of management. Dr. O. M. Shedd owned and conducted it for several years, and then sold to Wil- liam R. Maloney, wlm after a few years sold to a cor- ]3oration represented In C. W. H. Arnold, and it then became a Republican paper. TnK Xkw X'assak College. The developmnil nf the new \"assar College has been a most important inlhience in making Poughkeep- sie what it is to-day. This has been accomplished un- der the presidency of James M. Taylor since 1886, and received its first financial support fr-. Ilefore this time \'ass;ir alunni;e were 1)eginning to lie in a imsition to show their loyalty. The gynni;is- inm. built in 1889, was their first large gift. In 1000 .Mrs. I'.dward S. .'Xtwater, of Poughkce])sie, built the Swift Inlirniary, in memory of her father, Charles W. Swift: the New I'.ngland alunnia' built the New F.ng- land lluilding. di-voted to biology and natural science, in Kjoi. and the beautiful new cha])el, opened in June. 1904, is the gift of two graduates, Mrs. Mary Thaw Thompson, 'jj. and Mrs. Mary IMcn-ris Pratt, '80. Tlie new ccjuijinient made new endowment necessary, and about $175,000 was raised in KJ04, largely through the efforts f)f the alunni;e. Mr. Rockefeller doubled this sum, about $15,000 of which w^as contributed bv citizens of Poughkceiisie. Important events in the recent history of \'assar College were the celebration of the 25tli anniversary, in June, 1890, and the produc- tion of the (/reek play, .\ntigone. May 26, l8(),V The iJiiMiKAcrioxs oi' M.\tthkw ^^.\ss.\R, Jr.. .and Joiix Guv \".\SS.\R. The John Guy \'assar will case deserves more than passing notice, as several of the benefactions of the X'assar brothers were involved, and nearh' all the ]ironiinent lawyers of Poughkeepsie were retained. ( )ne of Mr. X'assar's chief projects was the founding of an or])han asylum on College Hill, which he had purchased. This proposed asylum, and the \'assar brothers' Hospital, which had been founded by Mat- thew \ assar. Jr.. were made residuary legatees with \ assar College. As the asylum was not yet incorpor- ated the legal question of indefinite .svispension of own- ership arose, and the executors, Penjamin M. Fowler, ( )liver 11. Pooth and Edward \'an Kleeck sought a judicial construction, making the next-of-kin ])ar- ties to the action. \'arious other questions, one of them as to the right of X'assar College to receive more mone\- than its charter authorized, were raised. The college had an income from invested funds, at this time, of about $25,000 a \ear. and its holdings were limited to an amount sufficient to yield $40,000 a year. Judge Homer A. Nelson went very fully into this part of the case, consulting Joseph H. Choate, now U. S. .\mbassador to Great Pritain, and at length in March, i8()i, the college settled with the next-of-kin by paying them $146,000, which is to be deducted from its share of the residuary estate given below. At this time, when the case was about to be argued before the Court of .\ppeals at Alliany. a])pearances were noted as follows: I "or the executor.s — Frank V>. Lnwii' and II. .\. Nelson. I'.ir Vassar College— Cyrus Swan and I<.oI)en K. Taylor. I''or Vas.sar Brothers' lln^pital -.Mlison I'.utls. I'^n- Vassar Orplian .\syluMi — I'"rank Ilashnmek. For Vassar Brolhers' Old Men's Home— John P. H. Tall- man. I'or the I'.aplisl Chnreh — Walter Farrington. l'"or Vass.ir I'.rnilu-rs' luslitnle— 1 lerriek & Losey. Ilenrv .M. Taylor ( Comity Judge 1871-1877), Fred- erick W. I'ugsle\-. C\renns P. Dorland (Surrogate), \\'illiam R. Woodiii. Ilackett .K: Williams, J. II. Mil- lard. Peon.-ird I'.. Sackett. and two or three Xt'w N'ork lawyers rrprt-sented the next-of-kin. In \\n\\ lh>' coni't handed down its decision declaring the or]ih;m asylum clauses in\alid and also a ln'quest of $10,000 to the Pajitist Chmch. thus greatlv increasing the residu;iry estate. In the final accounting Vassar Col- lei^e and tlu- \ assar Hospital each received about $5().3,0()(), in addition to the special bequests. •Mr. Lown's two partners, John Thompson and James H. Weeks, hoth died after the date of the will— Mr. Weeks, one of the original executors, in 1888, and Mr. Thompson in June, 1890. Hon. I';I)\\"ARD HLSWORTH. Tirnsiiicr of I 'asscrr Co//ix,- tint/ /-ccicf Jfavitr tif /')Hi;h/ct-f/'sit-. 2b0 HISTORY OP P U G H K n E P S I E . The \'assar Brothers" Hospital liad been the resi- (hiarv legatee of the will of Matthew X'assar. Jr.. and thus became ime nf the best emlnwcil huspitals in the country. The main buililini; was ercctt'il in 1884 on what had bei'n (ince Livingston projicrty. in a com- manr Aged Men was fmished in August, 1880. on the site of the residence of Matthew \'assar, Sr., corner of .Main and \'assar Streets, at a cost of about $45,000. The building will accommodate fifty men. but its endowment did not provide income sufficient to support the full number, until the death of Mrs. Matthew Vassar, Jr., in kjo^. X'assar Brothers' Institute was ]ilanned before the death w(irlh treas- urer. Professor XX'illiam 11. 1 )wight euratnr of the nuiseum, 'Professor Ib'nry X an Ingen art director, l'"(l\vard Burgess librari.-m. The first officers of the sections were: Scientific Section — Professor Ta" Roy C. Cooley chairman, C. X. Arnold secretary: Literary Section — Rev. E. A. Lawrence chairman. Ilenrx X. Pelton secretary: Art Section — Professor llenr\ X'an Ingen chairman. Ceorgf h'. Bis.sell secretary. 'i'be Institute has been and still is an import;int •Tnunan J, Backus resigned his professorship at Va.ssar College in 1883, and became president of Packer Institute. Brooklyn. educational force, thougb the decline of interest in public lectures has decreased its audiences. Its dis- cussions of such (|uestions as good roads, the water supply, etc., have heli)ed on several occasions to arouse public o])ini\'erthrown by the courts. Imuglu the prop- ert\- in ( )ctober, 1892, for $11,600, and turned it over to the city with plans for its improvement as a public |)ark fornu'd and tlu' work started. The nioxenient for a College Mill Park was instigated largelv b\ Rev. b'rank I learlfielil. then pastor of St. Paul's Church, and the ]iropert\- was at first held by a connifittee of citi- zens backed by XI r. Sniilh. The X'oung Men's C'hristian .Association has been one of .XI r. Smith's chief beneficiaries, and the many recent aller;itious and improvements have completely transi'ormrd the old I'me Mall. The gymnasium was for a numln'r of years on the toji fioor. the same room being used for an auditorium. A new gynmasium was installed on the first lloor and basement after a time, anil in 1003 ,•[ handsome swinmn'ng pool was added. A billiard room was added to the attractions of tile bnililing in 11)04. and many other changes have been made within the past \ear or two. Presidents of the HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. i>51 \'iiunL; Men's Christian .\ssociatinn liaw htx-n jiih'.i 11. .MatliL-ws 1863-1869, Leonard C. Winslmv 18O9- 1870. John I. Piatt 1870-1872, Mitchell Downing 1872-1875, Edmund P. Piatt 1875-1879, Benson Van \liet 1879-1882, William W. Smith 1882-1888, Charles r. Ano-ell 1888-1892. William W. Smith 1892-1893, C.ilf.ird Dudley i893-i8q(). James I'.. Piatt 1896-1899, 1). Crosby Foster 1899-1900. U. C. Matthews 1900 — , The Young Women's Christian Association has also henefited greatly from Mr. Smith's help, and is now erecting a building in Cannon Street on the site of the historic old church (see p. 121 1 erected by the Pres- byterians and used by so many different denomina- tions of Christians. The Association was organized in 1881 and incorporated in 1884. lis inc<.)rporalors were Helen J. Nelson, Harriet R. Howard, Mattie F. Johnston, Victoria L. Johns, Roberta S. Ackert, Jennie I'lushnell, Winnifred F. Bisbee, Mary JSeattys, Anna C. llciwland, Kate Smith, Sarah Bowne, Mary E. Piatt, I'.mma 1!. Piatt, Emma Flagler, May Gurney, Lavinia I hidley. .\nnie Brewer, Mary Underbill and Angelica Criffin. Miss Harriet R. Howard, Mrs. K.dwin 1). Baright. Mrs. Homer A. Nelson, Mrs. Iv^bert 1). Clapp, Mrs. J. Frank Hull, Mrs. Ivlmund !'. Phitt and Dr. Grace N. Kimball have been piesidents of the association. Its rooms have been since the start at X'o. 361 Main Street, in the Wright Building. Mr. Smith has always been much interested in Temperance work, and long ago became a leader in the Prohibition party. He has been its candidate for Governor and other high offices. The Women's Chris- tian Temperance Union has been one of his benefi- ciaries and largely through his aid was enabled to purchase the Poughkeepsie Female Academy in 1880. The I'nion was organized as a sim]:ile prayer circ'e in 1873, in aid of the Women's Crusade then in pro- gress in (Jhio, and has accomplished nuich tnwards the spread of temperance sentiment. Mrs. 1 lomer A. Nel- son was one of its recent presidents. A Charity Organization Society, started in June, 1879, deserves mention, though no longer in existence, because it was an effective agency in the breaking up of house-to-house begging, at that time very common. The first officers were: President, S. M. lUicking- ham ; vice-presidents. Dr. E. H. Parker, Re\-. J. Xilan : secretarv, John H. Mathews; treasurer, Alson Ward. This socictv was organized by Rev. Edward A. Law- rence, who succeeded Rev. James C. Beecher, brother of Ilenrv Ward Beecher, as pastor of the Congrega- tional Church, in 1875, >ar, Jr.. were leading contributors to the new huildin.!;, which is one of the largest and best built churches in the city. Alill Street was then and for a number of years afterwards considered the most fashionable residence street. The building of the new Christ Church, eight years later, marks the drift of well-to-do residents to the South Side. The old burying ground, bounded by Montgomery. Carroll, Barclay and Academy Streets, and surrounded by a high picket fence, had been prac- tically abandoned since 1871, when the Common Council forbade further interments there, and had grown up into a dense forest. When the rectory was built on the corner of Hamilton and Barclay Streets. it was intended that a new church should some day be erected adjoining it on Barclay Street, and maps are on file showing the lots there so marked. This prop- ertv. however, remained unimproved until about 1880. and was often made use <>f by the boys as a baseball lot. A few \ears later the lots were sold and the church anlhorilies resolved to build ui)on the the cem- etery ground. The corner-sti me of the new church was laid Septenilier 25th, 1887. ami it was consecrated .Mav 13th. 1888. bv r.ishop Scarlioniugh. who had been the first rector of thi' Cluu-ch of the Moly Com- forter. More than half its tmal cost of $120,000 was contributed bv Mr. .Mln'rt Tower, whose son in njo,^ l)uilt the new rector\ ailji lining. The creation of this beautiful church and park has produced the greatest of recent changes in I 'nughkeepsie, antl the tearing down of the old church in 1889, removed a meinoral)le landmark. Rev. I U-my K. /iegenfnss was the rector, having served from 1874 until his death in February, 181J4.. gri'atU belo\cd b\ his parishioners. Anntiier ni.w church in the same neighborhood, and marking also the growth (if the southeastern section of the city, was the Trinity Methiuli-i C'hurcli. corner of I faniillon Street and Hooker .Avenue, Innlt from i)lans made by Corydon Wheeler, and dedicated April 24th, 1892, in the pastorate of Rev. G. IT. Gregory. In September. 1904, the Methodists celebrated the centen- nial of their establishment in Poughkeepsie by services in this church in charge of Rev. John J. Reed, and also bv a ban(|uet at which Mr. Reed read a poem com- memorating the growth of the town and tlie churcli. The Friends, or Quakers, have probably changed mure in the jiasl thirty years than any other denomi- nation, in spite of a loss t:)f memljcrship the Ilicksite branch erected a new Meeting House in Lafayette Place in 181)4. and the orthodox, or Montgomery Street Church, has been modernized. Elmer D. Gildersleeve, of this church, is recognized as the second in length of service among the ministers of the citv. The latest new church, now in progress of con- struction, is the Presbyterian, expected to be the hand- somest church in the city. This building is to cost $115,000. and is largely due to the energy of the pas- \VII.I,I.\M \V. SMITH. tor. Rev. William P. Swartz, Ph. !)., ;ind in tin- gener- osity of William W. Smith, thuugli .Mrs. John F. Win>|iiw ;ni(l otlu-rs ha\e been large contributors. Pi.'rci\al .M. Llc.iyd is the architect. The commodious m;mse adjoining is also tlu' gift of .Mr. Smith. Chapi'ls were built by ."^t. Paul's Church, ;il h'.ver- grcen i'ark and .Nrlington in i8i)i ancl i8i)_>, lint the former has been ab;indoned and added to the litter, which ma\ in time become a separate church. The Second Rt'formecl Church has estal)iished a chapel at Freertown. and additions have been made to several churclies. ]\i;ci:\T PfKi.ic Pmi'kovkmicnts — Schools. The beginifing of the ])erio(l of smouth pavements has alreacK been noted. ( )ne street, .\cadem\-, has HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE liucn niacailamizfd at llic expense of ailjoining pro])- (.Tly, from Montgomery Street to Livingston, and near- ly all others have been top-dressed with stone an■/,«/ />ti/,/it:ss Coiint\ . l,,td,iiiy. {Sec pat;,- 6-; ). \l\'rpiodnilion. culargcd^ of the original seal of I he .ieadeiiiy. 'The exis/eiiee of /his iii/eres/iiig re/ie 7eas no/ /cmiu'ii /o /lie -vri/er un/il all refereiiees lo /he Aeadeiiiy had been printed. | The t'ity Library occupied the whole lower floor iif the High ScliM..] buil.ling mitil October, 1898, when the present beautiful Adriance Memorial Tointed as the first members L Reynolds .■\driance. who had long been chairman of the library committee of the Hoard of Education, Frank \'an Kleeck. Ivlnumd I'latt. John I'. Ambler and William II. Frank. In 1872 the library contained less than 3 000 volumes and the number of books loaned was less than 20,000, but at the time of the death of Hon. James Emott in 1884 it had grown so that there was not suf- ficient accommodation for the 5,000 volumes he be- queathed to it. and rather than spend $5,000 to pro- vide additional room the taxpayers foolishly rejected the gift. In 18117. the last complete year in the High School, the nrmber of books was 21,488 and the cir- culation 40,707. In 1004 the books numbered 40,109 and the circulation had risen to 88.276, exclusive of If. Reynolds Adriance. John E. Adriance, Marion, wife of Silas Wodell. Esq., William A. Adriance, Rev. Harris E. Adriance, and Francis H. .\driance. 0,305 volumes loaned in tlu' |)ulilic schools. Jolm C. Sickley has been the librarian since September, 1882. The High School obtained a much needed increase of room from the remo\-al of the library, and this at a time when ]iulilic attention was directed to the schools by a controversy which had dixided tlu' I'.oard of Education for several years. .\t the Jami.iry meet- ing in 1898 Edward Ihirgess, who bad hern superin- tendent of schools since the establishment of the office in 1878, was removed bv a vote of eight to four, and Edwin S. Harris, of Schuylerville, N. Y., was appoint- ed in his place. This action was strongly opposed by many leading citizens, and "The Eight" were vigor- ously denounced. Religious and political questions be- came mixed in the controversy. Since 1873 what was widely known as "The Poughkeepsie Plan" had pri- vailed in connection with two schools. Numbers i 1 and 12, which had been built and conducted as parochial schools by St. Peter's Ronian Catholic Church. The buildings were t.aken b\ the city at a nonu'nal rental of $1 a year and were conducted as public? schools, though out of school hours they could be used liy the church for religious services, and this w,-is under- stoocl to |iermit opening exercises before school time n the morning. The teachers appointed in them were a'l members of the Catholic Church, and sonie of them members of orders wearing a uniform or g;irb. ( )b- jection had been made to the plan froiu tinu- to time b\- Catholics as well as by Protestants, but it had gen- erally worked smoothly, and during the long and able pastorate of Rev. James Nilan at St. Peter's religious animosities had been greatly softened. Xow. however, the qrestions came up again, and the Board of Educa- tion passed a resolution prohibiting the wearing of a garb of a religious order by an>- teacher in the public schools. This resulted in the withilrawal of "the Sis- ters," as they were called, from the te;ichiug force, in the leasing of School Xo. 12 at an annual rental of $1,000. and in the abandonment of Xo. 11, which was then reopened as a i)arochial school. Political comp'ications were caused by the faction;d contest in i)rogress for control of the loc;d Repuli- lican organization between the supporters of Lewis H. Vail's leadership and the friends of Robert II. Hunter. The Republican members of "the l\ight" or majority of the r.oanl of Ivlucation. Dr. Horace R. Powell, llelnnis W. I'.arratt and William A. Lawrence, wi're classed as Hunter men. whi'e Ceorge E. Crainer. J. Si)encer \ an Cleef and I. Reynolds Adriance were Vail men. As the 1 lunter men were gaining and in 1898 'Mr. Van Cleef had long been ;i most active member of the linard. deorge Krieger was the only Democratic men- mc.T of the minority. L':.4 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. (il)tainc-(l ciMiii>lc'n.- CDiUrol. llie l\ciiul)lican iiKMiiljcrs I if "The I'.ij^ht" wcrt- ahk' to maintain tlK-nischrs. while tile I )enicicratic nienil)ei"s were in a lil> amended in li)oo, reducing the I'.nanl of h'.ducation to seven memi)ers, appointed b\ the mayor, lion. James L, Williams became the tirst president of the new board, which was organized in May of that \ear. The others were .Martin W. Col- lins. Willett Hoysradt. Frank 11. l.^wn. llelmus W. J'.arratt. William II. Wood and Albert ( ). Cheney. Opinions naturally still differ as to the merits of the original dis])ute, hut the resultant focusing of ])uh- lic scrutiny upon the schools disclosed the necessity of spending more money on them. l)uring the xears immediately following the ])anic of 1873 strict econo- my had been the rule. The schools had not advanced as in some other places, and the buildings esix'cialh were generally oV\ and ill-suited to their purpose. In 1S99 a start towards something better was made in the construction of the Central Grammar School adjoining the High School, while some of the older buildings were re-fitted, including the Warring School, purchased in 1002. In i<)Oi a new building was erected on Lincoln Avenue, and another in 1904 on Delafield Street. All these improvements were paid for outright by taxation, the citv having no power to borrow money. Meanwhile the increased efficiency is particularly to be noted in the increased atteiulance at tile High School, which during the pa.st few \ears has been prejiaring students for college. All the schools have recently been given names. Something of the history of each of the leading private schools has been given in former chapters, h'-astnian College has apparently done better than its fiiuiider anticipated. If Mr. Kastman had an abid- ing faith in the permanenc\ of his institution, it is singular that in tiie time of his j^rosperity he did not invest some of the earnings of the college in perma- nent and suitable buildings for its accommodation. The present building was erected in 1883, in the jiresi- dency of I'.zra White, who was succeeded a few \ears later by Clement C, Gaines, who had married Mr, h'astman's widow. Under Mr, Gaines's management the college has broadened its curriculum and has been ke]it fully abreast of the times. It has now the loya! sui)i)ort of a large body cif graduates, who have been successful in Inisiness. anioi;rap/iiial skcltli sit .\ppcudix.) ?56 HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB It liack to Dr. lircnu'iit. Ef- a schiiol there s for l)oys had tion of River- jnsi'.rii i;. i;isi;i-;i-;. view, and of thr iiii]in iviii^ puhhc scIkioIs. l\i\ir view, with its splendid e(|inpiiKnt. and eorps of teach er.s. continnes as jimsiKrous as ever. ( )tis P.i.s])cc died in i'\-hrnary. 1885, leaving tlie school to the manage- ment of his son. Jo.scph r.arllctt i'.ishee and Harlan I'a.i^e .\men. wlm kc|)t it fnlly up-to-date. .Mr. Amen made a specialty of ]ireparation fnr Cdllei^e. Init in 1895 liecame princi|ial nf the famous I'liillips .\cadem\ at Kxcter. New 1 lami)shire, U-avini^ Riverview to the .soli' nianaj;ement nf .Mr. I'.isliee. wlm has conliinieil and imi)r(iV(.-d its hij^h standard. Ni:w I'.i'ii.ni.xcs .\.\ii I\k.\i, h*sT.\TE Extknsions. Great improvements have lieen made in the busi- ness streets. .\llhciui;h many hnildin^s remain on ^[ain and Market Streets that were hnilt l)efore i'ough- keepsie became a city., so many morv ha\e been erected or rebuilt since the war. even since 187^^, that the ap- pearance of the .streets has been entirely chan,t;i'd. .\ glance at .some of the ])hotographs of street scenes l.iken not more tlian twenty-five years ago shows this plainly. Since the fire of December jGlh. 1870, very few buildings ha\e been burned on AFain Street, and changes have come slowly, but year by year the old gives place to the new. The Johnston building, west of the ]\Iorgan House, was finished in 1875, and the first store in it was opened in April of that year by Don- ald. Converse & Maynard, three young men who had C'lme from Hartford. Peter M. Howard's marble front building at 26^ Main Street was finished in the same year. This building was designed for a corner lot. and .Mr. 1 hnvard intended to put a street through from Ma'n Street to Mansion, to be continuous with Raiding .\venne. then recently ojiened. It would have been a niitalile impro\-ement. but Mr. Ihiward's nmney and heallh did not Imld dut. The I'dtiug building on the corner of I^iberty Street replaced in i8(j2 one of the old landmarks of earl\ (hns. Ion"- the store of Georrrc ^'an Klccck. ///, /;/,i/c/ii/x vj l.iHluy, Ihitl ej Co. Finally, I.nckey. P'att &• Ci 1. made the gre;itest ch;mge and iniproN-i'UH'ui nf recent \e;irs wlu'ii in iijni they tol'e down the nld stores that had been .^.^i, _^3. The new government building was ready for occu])anc\ by Xoveniber. 1886, wdien Post- master Robert 11. liimter mo\ed the Post Office there from the Cit\- llall. .\s alread\- shown, this was a re- turn of the office ti 1 the same location occupied from 185 1 to 1865. The lower floor of the City Hall, then vacated, was rented by J. \\^ Hinkley. who jmblisbed his newspapers there until be finally settled on the corner of Cannon and Market Streets, and erected a new Iniikling there. In the same year that die "l,aw\ers' Row" was de- stroyed. 1S85, occurred another important change in the appearance of tjie neighborhood of Market and Main Streets. The Poughkeepsie Hotel verandas (see page i<;8). from which Henry Clay had spoken, were torn a\\a\. the first lloor lowei'ecl to side- walk level, and the building was partiallx' rebuilt, and consolidated with the Nelson House in management. The old hotel bad bt'en several times damaged bv fire. After J.ihn 11. Kutzer's' death in 1867, Richar.l I'. Morgan, who represented Mrs. Rutzer"s interest, be- came the proprietor, lie .dtered the building by tak- ing oft' the lower \eranda ;ibont 1S78. Then it was leased to Milton llain. with whom was associati'd his son. II. X. llain, for a term of six \cars. In the me.m- time Jud-e Xelson bought the hotel, and made the final alterations. Mr. Ikiin removi'd to the Xelson House in 1884. and before the consolidation Isaac X. Seaman ran the Pou,ghkeepsie for a time, and was its last actual proprietor. The Nelson House has since •Riitzer came liere from Kingston in 1841 and was for a short time [iroprietor of tlic Forl)ns House. He was prolia- lily tile most famous of old-time liotel men in I'oughkeeiisie. that time been greatly increased in size and improved in many ways. The climax of change in the neighborhood was the building of the new Court House in I(j02. Many peo- ple regretted the destruction of the old building, and thought that it should have been posl])oned until the city and county could join in the erection of a com- bined Court House and City Hall, to take the place of all the buildings bounded by ]\Iarket, .M.iin, \\',-ishing- ton and L'nion Streets. A new Court 1 louse, however, was one of the necessities of the near future, and the jail had been condemned as unfit for use. The archi- tect of the nvw Coiu't House was William J. I'.eards- le\-. auetween 1880 and 1890 the movement for the re- moval of fences gathered headway and ])roduced so great a change in the appearance of many residence streets that photographs taken before 1880 are aliuost unrecognizable now, even where the buildings remain almost as they were. Every house, not actually on the sidewalk line, formerly had its fence in front. Now ver\- few fences remain except as dividing lines at the rear of lots. The most notable extension and improvement of the Jiast ten years has been ihe oiu-ning of the White- house property to settlement. .Mr. W'hilehouseV son- in-law, Kugene X. TTouell, iil.iniud there an extensive sulnu-ban i)ark setllemeiil. \i' rcsenilile sunie of the suburbs of rhiladel])hia. and began the construction of the Dwiglu Street houses in the winter of 1895-96. He eniijloyed Horace Trunibaner. of Philadelphia, as architect, and the houses erected were on lines different from anything yet built in I'oughkeepsie. Like many other enter])rising I'oughkeepsie boomers, Mr. How-ell lost bv his venture, though his collapse was caused more by unfortunate outside speculation than by this. The remaining lots were finally sold at auction, and much of the property came into possession of Smith L. DeGarnio. who has continued the development. Outside of the Whitehouse i^roperty almost all the houses on Hooker .Avenue, Forbus Street, \'irginia A\enut-. ll;uumersley .\ venue and many of those on .Vcademy, Hamilton and other neighboring streets have been built since 1880. The houses of W. .\. .Vdriance and I. R. .\driance on .\cademy Street were l)uilt in 1893 and i8()4. The FiKK Dki'aktmEixt .•xnd the Milit.-\rv. .\fter the installation of the new water supply with its high pressure, the necessity for fire engines was much diminished. The purchase of steamers for No. 4 anooth Hose Conip,-my, 1003, were duly observed, and among the excursions |inibably the most notable was that of Davy Crockett llo.ik .ind Ladder C'onipany to .\tlanla, Georgia, in i8()i. Parades are still fre(|uent and form an important feature in the life of the cit\. bm tluv are no longer considered important enough to reqinre special apparatus, and ;ire not (|uite wdiat they used to be before the advent of horses. The first horse per- manently established in the fire department was pre- sented to Phoenix Hose Company by William H. GEORGE NAGENGAST. Chief Engiiwer of the Fire Depurtmeiit. (For hioi^rap/iiial s/cctc/i see Appendix. ) 262 HISTORY OP P U G II K P. E P S I E 1)K. II, I-. (For hio.^raphhd/ sk, Frank in iSiji, when a fhit\- carriage of the present tvpe was pnreliaseil. Since ihen tlu' nld linse reels and tile parade earriai^cs have disa|ipeared, and mod- ern apparalns drawn 1)\ Imrses ha\e heen installed in all the tire Imnses. Tin- handsimie jiarade carriag'c of I'hoenix Ilose Ccmipany was pnt in a ,!j,iass case, as an interestins; relic nf the past, in |i|i)l. The fire ciini])anies nn Innner fear the "cnrporalion lock," whic-h in njd times sn often hroni^ht an ahrnpt end to rowd\ism and c;msed n-ori;;iniz,ition. With iheii^ h.andsomely fnrnished honses they are in reality verv pleasant clnhs and an important feature in the so- cial life of the city, but each has its nucleus of enthusi- astic fire fi<,diters and kee])s in touch with the most ap- proved methods. The present orsjanization and dis- cipline are larjjely credited to Frederick liieher and his successor, the present chief (.•nLjini'er. deorti^e Nagen- g'ast. Mr. Richer hail heen ,i nunilier of the \e\v York department, ,-uid liroULjht tlu' home companies to an efficiency, which, nieastu'cd by results, certainly coni]iares favorably with the paid de])artments of many cities. Here only the drivers are paid. Tlu- city h.as long enjoyed immunil\- from serious fires. Tlu' burn in.fj of the Wliitehouse factory in i87<;, caused b)- light- ning, the glass works fire in 1897, the James Reynolds Elevator fire and the Gas Works ex])losion and fire in December, 1898, were the most notable. CI.ARK, ii/i srr .Ipprmlix.) 'J'he \ eteran I'ireman's .\ssociation was organized Xov. lodi. iSSd. with ( )liver II. I'.ooth as its first president. Tlu' association owns the old "Goose- Xeck" engine, formerh used bv .\o. 4 and \o. Ci, a valued possession, presented b\ W'ni. F, liooth after the death of his father in iSi)f>. Greater changes \va\v been made in the local luili- tary organizations than in the fire dep.artment of tlie cit\. In the clays of general training .-it least two regi- nu'nts seem to ha\e met here. ;ind a jjuiI Regiment is mt-ntioned occasionall) e\(.'n after the war. tliougli api)arently onl\- a skeleton organization. The 2lst Kegiment had no regimental armory until it took pos- session in iS(i5 n[ the old carriage factory, so often referred to in t'li.iptc'i' 1\ .as "the armor\' liuilding." r.el"ore th.at was t.aken the com|)anies were scattered. Some of them had i|u;irters in the Wright I'.uilding, wlurt- the |)rest'nt ^'o^mg Women's C'hristi.an .Associa- tion rooms ;ire located, and others were in the lower Kirchner building. After the w;ir Golouel James Snnlh. broilier of Messrs. W . W. and .\ndrew Smith, w.as in command, with 1 )r. II. 1'". (."I.'irk ;is IJentenant Colonel, to iS-S. Then Colonel Alfred \\ Findley lodk comm,-md. When the new Kirchnei' Ir-ililing wns built the nppi'r lloors became the .armory .and so re- mained until the regiment was disbanded. \]iril dlh. i88j. Two companies. D and A, were retained as the HISTORY OF P U G H K E B P S I n 2«a lOth and 15th Separate Companies. The lyth, com- manded l)y Ca])tain William Maubennestel, traced its history back to nne of the early village militia com- panies once commanded liy Matthew N'assar. The I5tli. ct)mmanded by Cajit. 11. F. Meyer, was origi- nally the Elsworth Grays of war times. Jn 1891 a new armory was built b\' the State with am])le ac- commodations for both companies, but in 18(^7, in ac- cordance with a policy of still furtiier reducing the National Guard, the Hjtli was disbanded, and the 13th alone remains. ( )ne of the notable celebrations in which the mili- tary companies of Poughkeepsie and of neighboring cities took part was the Centennial of the ratification of the Constitution of the United States, July 26, 1S88. In the spring of 1808 the 15th, then commanded by Captain ji'hn K. Sague. voluntei-red for the Span- ish War, and became Company K of the First New York \ (ilunteers. It was sent to the Hawaiian Islands, and returned to Poughkeepsie December 27th, 1899. During its absence a temporary company, known as the 115th, was organized under command of Captain F. P.. Warring. The 19th Separate Company still keeps its organization as an independent association, and the 19th Separate Company Drum Corps is an important feature of all parades. Soci.M, LiFi-;, Clubs, Fr.\teknitiks, D/rc. This has been a period of organization, and the number of fraternities and societies has increased greatly. In 1879 ^ second Masonic Lodge, Triune, was organized with William Morgan Lee as the first Master. The other charter members were < )liver .S. Atkins, William Atkinson, Frank E. Pasley, Henry Hasbrouck, William B. Hull, Charles D. Johnson, Charles C. More, Casper L. Odell, Samuel K, Rup- ley, Peter L. ^'an Wagenen, Jere 1). Wright and Ilenr)- L. Ziegenfuss. The first two candidates raised in the lodge were John G. Collingwood and J. .\rthur Lock- wood. In i8()4 the two Masonic lodges united in the pur- chase of the old Cannon Street Methodist Church (See ]). 14(1 ) which they rebuilt with an extension in front to make the present Masonic Temple. Be- sides the large temple above, the old Sunday School room, on the ground floor, was converted into a hall which has become the favorite place for small dancing assemblies and other social gatherings too large for private houses. Masonic Hall was dedicated on Wash- ington's Birthday, in 1895. Poughkeepsie Lodge No. 21, Independent Order of ( )dd Fellows, which had been meeting over the Eagle office in Liberty Street, since the building was finished in 1868, w;is incorpi iratil 1>\- ;ict of the Legislature in 1869, with I'. S. Rowland, A. G. Rothery and F. J. Nesbitt as trustees empowireil to hold property for il. In 1885 it bought tin- Imilding 2(11 ami 263 Main Street, and moved into it in 1898. Fallkill Lodge, No. 291, was organized December isi, 1871. with Stephen Schofield, Lawrence W. I )ntcher, .\ugustus \'an Sicklen, John 11. Caldwrll and (leroge W. I layer as its fir.st officers. .\ thir.l lodge of ( )(ld Fellows, known as Adler Lodge \o. 388, has since been organized. The Knights of Pythias also have three lodges — I'oughkeepsie No. 43, .Vrmour 107. and 'I'riumph 165. The Knights of Columbus, one of the newest fra- ternities in Poughkeepsie, and one of the strongest, has just erected a handsome building on Washington Street on the site of the old Lewis (afterwards Mc- Curdyj stables, next to the Young Men's Christian -Association. The order was instituted February 6th, 1S178, with the following officers: Grand Knight, John J. .Mylod : De;)Uty Grand Knight, John F. Ring- wood; Financial .Secretary, John II. Cusack ; Record- ing Secretary, John T. Xevins ; Chancellor, P. C. Dohertx' : A(l\-ocate, Joseph ,\. Daughion ; Lecturer, James A. Kerr: Warden. Thomas J. Wai"il : Inside Guard, Thomas A. Towers ; ( lutside Guanl, R. J. McGee: Trustees. Dr. John A. Cotter, William R. Ala- loney, R. J. McGee, Jr.. Charles T. Hughes. All the present out-of-(l(jor clubs w'cre organized since 1873. though some were reorganizations from older clubs. The Shatemuc Boat Club was primarily a racing organization, rather exclusive in membership and in time most of the members lost interest. Finally in i87<) Tristram Coffin, .Aaron Innis, Floy M. Johns- ton and \\'illiam C. Hill alone remained. They took the pro]>erty and turned it over to James Reynolds {3d), who represented a set of younger nn-n, who were organizing the ".\])okee|ising Boat Chili." the first of- ficers of which, elected in Sei)temher, were Frank Has- brouck, president: J. I'".. Ailriance, vice-president; J. Re\no!ds. secretary; Thomas H. Ransom, treasurer; Norman Wright, captain ; C. W. Swift, Jr., lieutenant. This club was not fnllv organized until the next spring, when in addition to the officers already men- tioned Peter Hulme, Frank W. Ilalstead, Emmet A. Wilber, John G. Slee, Alonzo H. \'ail, John G. Col- lingwood and William R. Innis were elected to the board of directors. This club has had but tw'o presi- dents, Charles F. Cossum succeeding Mr. Hasbrouck in 1896. Messrs. Wright and Reynolds were its lead- ing oarsmen, and frequently entered and won races on the Harlem and elsewhere as single scullers. At pres- ent interest in racing is not strong, but the club ow'ns many pleasure boats and has a large membership. ■2>H HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIB The Poiighkeepsie Yacht Ckib was organized in September, 1892, at a meeting held on hoard the yacht ISeatrice. It has a chib house, and storage place for sail boats, launches, etc.. on the site of the old Revo- lutionary Ship Yard on the South Side, and in the coves near-by are anchored most of the sail boats, yachts, steam and motor launches owned in Pough- keepsie. Messrs. W. H. and \'alentine Frank have been among its leading supporters. The first officers were Powell Hobert, commodore ; William Hartman, vice-commodore ; R. W. Haupt. recording secretary : Edward Laufersweiler, financial secretary ; William Furman, treasurer ; John Haubennestel, measurer. The interest in rowing fostered by these organiza- tions led to the negotiations which secured the first race of the university eights, representing Columbia, Cornell and Pennsylvania, June 24th, 1895, on the Poughkeepsie course. Sufficient money to build boat houses, make necessary arrangements for crew quar- ters, for surveying and marking the course, etc., was raised by subscription through the efforts of the follow- ing finance committee : William Schickle, representing the Board of Trade ; A. C). Cheney, Retail Merchants' Association ; James Reynolds, Apokeepsing Boat Club ; Grant Van Etten, Poughkeepsie Yacht Club. There was also an executive committee, of which William F. ]>ooth was chairman, Harris S. Reynolds secretary, and William H. Frank treasurer. Since 1895, with the exception of 1898, the college regatta has been a most important event of early summer, bringing great crowds of visitors to Poughkeepsie. Harvard joined in the regatta for two years, in 1896 and 1897, and ^■ale in 1X97. In 1899 the University of Wisconsin first entered a crew, and in 1900 Ceorgetown I'ni- versity was added. S>racuse sent her first crew in 1 90 1 . Recently si)orts of all kinds have formed organiza- tions. The first lawn tiuiiis playing in Poughkeepsie was in Eastman Park, wlun an organization known as the Out-Door Clul> was started, somewhere about 1879 or 1880. This club introduced archery also among its pastimes. The Poughkeepsie Tennis Club was organized in April, 1890, by consolidating two smaller clubs, one of which had its courts on the corner of Market and Alontgomery Streets, where the Jones block stands. John C. Sickley was the first president. The club's courts were at first in the rear of Eastman Terrace, and were moved to South Hamilton Street, corner of Dwight, on the invitation of E. N. Howell. The first club house stood on a knoll surrounded by cedar trees on the corner of Dwight Street. It was burned in 1893, and the hill was afterwards entirely cut away. The club then purchased its present prop- ert\' on the opposite side of Hamilton Street, and erect- ed the present club house, largely through the eft'orts of Robert M. Frrris. The Dutchess Count}- Golf Club was organized in .\pril, i8i)7, and the first board of directors was Wil- liam A. Adriance, John E. Adriance, Robert M. Fer- ris, Hiram S. Wiltsie, William H. Young and Dr. W. G. Dobson. In 1901 it was incorporated as The Dutchess County Golf and Country Club, when George CoUing- wood, Fred R. Newbold, John W. Pelton, George Sea- man and Alonzo H. Vail came on the board. John E. Adriance has been president of the club since its or- ganization. The club house was built in 1902. Several social clubs important enough to maintain club houses have been organized in recent times. The Anu-ita Club has generally been conceded to be the leading club, Init it conducts no restaurant, and in 1888 it was found that there was room for a club man- aged more on the lines of clubs of other cities, and the Dutchess Club was formed, at first as a Democratic Club, lis first president was Judge Homer .\. Xelson, who served until his death, when he was succeeded by James P. Williams, still in office. This club numbers among its members most of the leading politicians and public men of both parties, and occasionally entertains prominint men from abroad. The name "Dutchess Club" had been used as early as 1828 by a social organ- ization, of which Alexander Forbus was secretary. During the rise of the bicycle into popularity two or three liicycle elulis were formed, the first of which was called the Ariel Wheel Club. The Poughkeepsie liicycle Club occupied the handsome Thomas P. Davies oi' I'.. I'lall Cari)eiUer house on Mansion S(|uare for a frw years, and linn became chielK a social club It iN the only one that survivt's and is now tin- Pough- keepsie Club. In 1903 its preseul club housi' on Mar- ket Street was leased and fitted up. Tlu' Cenliir\ Cycle Club occupied a large house ou Washington Street for a few years, but did not long siir\ivi' the decline of the bicycle craze. The Dutchess County Horticultural Society is ]M"ac- iicall\ a Poughkeepsie institution, though containing ni;my members from adjoining sections of the county, interested in tin- ))rolital)k' induslr) of growing violets and other llowcis for tlu' X\\\ ^'ork market. It con- ducts every _\ear laic in the f.'ill .-i uot.'ibU- (lower show, largely devoted to clirys;iuthenuinis, and also holds an annual banquet, the first of which was at the Morgan House, January 8th. 1896. There was a Poughkeep- sie Horticultural Society as long ago as i860, of which the ])resent organization is perhaps an outgrowth. The New I'jigland Society, organized by Rev. William Herman Hopkins, recently pastor of the Congrega- FRA^'CIS G, LANDOX. Mevibcr of Assembly, igoi — igoj. (See Appendix.) 2GG HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. tional Church, also holds an annual banquet, with nuich oratory — on Forefathers" Day in December. Tlu- leailinj; patriotic organization in Poughkeepsie is the Alaluvenawasig Chapter, Daughters of the American l\e\( ilutinn. cliartereil in April, 1894, with twehe nieinbcrs, .Mrs. IvKvanl S. .Vtwater, Mrs. Frank llashnniok. .Mrs. .Martin Heermance, Miss Myra .\vcr\. .Mrs. 1). Crosby Foster. Mrs. Horace D. Huf- cut. .Mr.-. .Milton .\. I'owk-r, Mrs, William A. Miles, :\liss Helen W. Reynolds, .Mrs. Robert Sanford. Mrs. j. S!)encer \an Cleef, Miss Mary X'arick. In iSijJ the Ivveritt house (sec page 47) was purchased from Charles Kirchner, for the chajjter, In- Mrs. Atwater, win I was the first regent. Mr. Tristram Coffin and Mr. b'rank \'an Kleeck. Finding considerable difficulty in raising the necessary money, an an.xiliary committee of citizens was organized in 1899 to hold the property, and in 1900 the State apiiropriated $5,000 for its pur- ch;ise. largely through the inlluence of Miss .\very, then regent, and placed it in the care of the society, thus presirving the only remaining building of Revo- lutinnarx ;issi iciations in I'oughkeepsie. The use of the hiiuse in tlu' Re\iilutinn has been fully discussed in Chapter 111. In 11)04 the D. .\. R. rendered a still fiu-ilur service to local history by the erection of a tablet on the east side of the new court house com- nieniorating the constitutional cum entiim of l/cSS. The musical organizations of I'oughkeepsie de- ser\e nntice, for despite the occasional failure of high class musical \-entures. the city has always been ready to welcome good nnisic. Choral societies were organ- ized here as earl\- as i8_^8. ( )ratorios were sung by some of them certainlv before iSCio. .\ considerable ini])etns was given to nnisieal appreciation by the com- ing of the Germans, and tin- C.ermania Singing Society was organized in 1850, with .\. Kiihn, T^ liantle. P. Meinecke, T\ Kicssler. Charles Peters. P. Schlosser. C. Ranch. P. 1 lasselberg. A. PIricli. P. /iunnt-r. F. ('.rinding, ( )tto Rohr ;md Jiise|)b ILaner as charter members. .March Jd. 1851, a euiuerl w.-is L;iven ;it the Presb_\-terian Church by "The I 'dughkeepsie Pnion Musical .Vssociation,'" assisted b\ "an orchestra of the best instrumental talent of the \illage, under the direc- tion of the Mi-ssrs. C.rnbe." This orchestra is s;iid to lia\e betn called at one tiuu- "The Concordia." Charles Cirube. who celebrated his 91st birthday, April I2l]i, 1905, was the leader of Gcrmania in 1851. The Mendelssohn Society was pcrliaps the greatest singing society ever organized in Poughkeepsie, and was sui)i)ortetl with a great deal of enthusiasm by all the leading music lovers for more than ten years. It was started in 1866 with Charles Martin as its leader, s and gave concerts every year in the Opera House. Walter D. Gilbert and M. S. Downs were its later leaders. In May, 1876, this society sang the oratorio of Elijah under Mr. Downs's leadership, with Theo- dore Thomas's Orchestra accompanying. The soloists were Fannie S. ]\Iyers, l^oughkeepsie, soprano : .Ade- laide Phillips, New York, contralto; John D. .Ahreet, Poughkeepsie, tenor ; Myron Whitney, New York, bass. Somewhere about 1880 the Mendelssohn So- ciety disbanded and in 1881 The Poughkeepsie Vocal I'nion was organized on the same lines, with Pro- fessor I'Vederick Louis Ritter of the then \'assar School of Music, as leader. This society sang lla\iln's Creation at its first concert, November 5th, 1881. Its officers then \vere Willard H. Crosby. l)resi(lent; Edward W\ \'alentine, vice-president; By- ron M. Marble, secretary; Charles .\. P>rooks, treas- urer. The \'ocal I'nion disbanded after the season of 1883-84. and in 1885 some of the young men who had been among its members organized The Euterpe Glee Club, with Charles H. Plickok leader and Robert E. Taylor i)resiilent. This society gave a concert in the ( )pera House in 1887. but generally gave its earp- concerts in \ assar Ijrothcrs Institute. In 1890 T. J. Mac])herson was the leader, but during an interval of absence from the city Edwarcl W. \'alentine led the clul). Clarence J. Reynolds has been one of the club's leading supporters from its organization. v^ince the organization of the Euterpe Club no large mixed choral society has been maintained except for a season or two, and in 1891 the women organized The Rubinstein Club, with W. R. Chapntan, of New York, as leader. The sociel\ was reorganized as The Chorai Club in the fall of i8i;i). and came under the leadershi]) of Professeir George C. Gow, of X'assar College. CoXCLUSlON. In the ])receding pages an eflfort has been made to sliiiw the prtjgress antl development of Pou.ghkeepsie from its earliest settlement to the i)ri'sent ; to give some account of the ])art its citizens ha\e taken in all of the great National ])olitical niowments. as well as in the soliUion of \arious local problems: and to show the ln-L;innings and something of the jirogress of all imporl.mt local enterprises and instiliUious. 'i'he ri'- stihs of all these things make up the Poughkeepsie of to-da\. with its e<|uipment of stri'ets ;md buildings and po])tilation. We h;i\i' seen something of the little colonial eonnt\ seat, slowly emerging from the woods, ,ind of till' busy town of Revolutionary days S])ringing into sudden notoriety as the capital of the State. We have learned sometlTing of the great men who met here to debate and decide the question of the ratification of HISTORY OF POUGHKEEPSIE. 2()< the Constitution, and something of the beginnings of local development preceding the incorporation of the village. About one hundred years agn we found the little village on the hill growing niori- compact, be- coming an important market town and developing a tliriving river trade. The central streets were then all in existence and named as at present. Following nut long after the War iif i8ij we fdund a period of rapid growth, culminating in a few \c'ars nf extraordi- nary enterprise, when great men made and carried out most important plans for the u;)building of the city. With a population of little more than 6,000 these men majiped out the Poughkeepsie of to-day, and deter- mined in large measure the direction of its development. Many of the industries founded liy them with so nnieli liojjefulness failed, but others ha\e continued to aiM to the prosperity of the place, and the schools of that period long made Poughkeejjsie famous. ;uid gavt- it a rejjutation which had much to do with bringing more schools, even Vassar College itself. After the panic of 1837 and the downfall of the Improvement Party-, we .saw citizens of Poughkeep- sie taking the initial steps which led to the l)uild- ing of the 1 ludson River Railroad, and the steaih- pro- gress of the t(]wn until it sought iucor])oration as a cit\-. We liaVe traced the beginnings of cit\ gowrn- ment. and the de\elopment of man\ institutions that ha\(,' remained. Tiien we have read soniethins; of the excitements of the great war for the preservation of the I'nion ; then something of the second boom period, cidminating in the panic of 1S73. ;i ])eriod which start- ed the great I 'ouglikee])sie I'.ridge. and finally some- thing of recent changes and of the period of slow 1)ut fairly steady progress to the present time. Pf)uglikeepsie is not so \ery different from many other Eastern cities, but nevertheless has its eharacli-r- istics. It has been a town of slow growth. ;ind retains many of its earl\ buildings, though the improvements of the ^o's destro\ed most of those of coloinal origin. It has ne\er euL'irged its In anidaiies, which i-em.-iin the same as those given at its incor]ior;ition as a \ill;igt' in 171)1). bin thi' four sipiare n)iles are pretl\ c'oseK built up. and the ;ii-e,-i of in)provement is gi-;iduall\ spreading beyond. Its |ieo]ile in the past ha\i- Ih'cu In turns over-conservative and then o\er-i-niii-;irising. but the periods of conservatisn) and of enterpi-ise h.ave coincided with X;itional conditions. .\s a result of the forces of the p.'ist roughkee])sie is partly a mannfac- tm-ing town. ])artl\ a trading town drawing upon a producti\-e tei'i-itoi-y, i)artly a college town, partly a residence town — the home of man\- iiersons in com- fortable retirement from the cares of business — partly a railroad town, and partly a ri\er town. Within easy reach of the n)etro])olis. it stands ajiart with an inde- ]K"ndence of its own. Its loyal citizens think it tlu' best place in the L'nited States in wiiich to live. EnaUi ami . Iddrnda -,cill be found at the end of the . If'f'endix, APPENDIX BIOGRAPHICAL AND OTHER SKETCHES. AKRANCiED ALPHAHETICALLY. Wll.lJA.M SAML'EL ACKERT, M. D. William Samuel Ackert. M. D., who in Decem- l)iT. ii)00. succeeded to the practice of Dr. F. T. Lape, and has since then materiall\- increased and added tlu-retu. was horn at Rhineheck, X. Y., December i8, I.S')3. After a primary education in the public schools he took the full course at the DeGarmo Institute in Rhineheck. graduatiuij therefrom in 1888. He then attended the Albany Medical College, and after gradu- ating from that institution in .\])ril, 1891, served as interne on tlie staff of the Albany City Hospital for eighteen months. In December. 1892. he located at Rensselaer, \. V., and practiced medicine there until late in the fall of IQOO, when, desiring a larger held in which to i^rosecute his life work, he purchased the |)ractice of Dr. La]x\ and now ranks among the most successful and l;est reputed ])hysicians and surgeons in I'oughkeepsie. I'olitically Dr. .Ackert is classed as a Democrat, but he has ever held himself independent to act and vote as seemed to himself to conduce toward better government regardless of political party ties. I le has never held and never sought office, devoting liis time and energies to the i)ractice of his profession. In social life he is more active, being a member of Creenbush Lodge, No. 3,^7, !■'. and A. M.,: Poughkee])- sie Chapter. Xo. 172, R. A. .M . ; tin- l'"irst Presbyterian Church, and the Dutchess Count\ Meilical Society. Dr. .\ckert married, Xovemlx'r y). iS(|j, Miss Margaret, daugliter (if Kdwin Parker, "of Albany, X. A'. They liave two children living. Rulli S., born in ( )cl(iber, |S(/). and Ivlwin \'.. liorn in April, i'}'\V Ethel, the first child burn in 181)3, iH'iiig di'ceased. CHARLES X. ARXOLD. (See portrait, page 243.) David and I'.enjainin Aninld. Rhode Island Quak- ers, came to l'oughkeei)sie aI)out the year 1810, to es- tablish the business of cotton manufacturing on the 1 hidson River. They were ])ioneers in that business in this region, for it was not until i8or) that Samuel Slater, in connection with Messrs. .\lmy and llrown, of Providence, I\. 1., bail made ]iossible for the first time in America the manufactun' of cotton cloth by the connection of the jjower loom with llu' s])inning jenny. The brothers liiiilt a stone faclor\- on P.ayeau.x Street, in the then small village of Poughkeejisie, near the Fallkill. a buililing whicli is sliil standing in good l)reservation. ;incl has bei'ii used as .a chair f.actory until within a few \ears, but is now converted into a barn and stable, and is no longer recognized as an historic relic of our early industries. The machinery for cot- ton manufacture was brought overland from Hartford, Conn., and the War of 1812 having put an embargo on all .American coasting trade, the raw cotton had to be brought on wagons overland from Georgia, making it cost 60c. per pound delivered in Poughkeepsie. Im- portation of foreign goods was also prevented by the war, and there was such a demand for goods of domes- tic manufacture that the business was very prosperous, l)Ul in 1814 the war ended, and the treatv of peace in 1815 o|)ened our jiorts to such a flood of foreign made goods that an end came suddenly to Amercian pros- perity, and the infant industry went down in disastrous failure, Da\ier Landing, and during the more than eighty years that have ela|)sed since that time the business has been con- tinued by members of his familv without interruption. The firm has consisted besides the founder, David .\r- nold, of his eldest son, Xathan Arnold, who died in 1839, his son William C. Arnold, who died in i8()6, Sylvester .Andrus, who was with the hnn eitlu'r as clerk or ])artner from 1840 to about i8(|8, and C'h.iiies X. .Arnold, the grandson of D;i\id. ;ind ])reseiil pro- prietor and owner of the business. Great cJianges have taken ])lace in the forest re- sources of .America during these eighty years, vast art'as of our country have been denuded of the mag- nifici'iit |)ines, spruces, oaks, walnuts and other valu- able woods with which the l;ind was blessed before the w;ints of an industrious and r,i])idly increasing i)op- ulation caused their rapid deforestatif)n. The first stock of lumber for the modest little business was pro- cured from the Catskill regions, and later from the countr\- between Albany .-ind L;ike George, and u|) to 1850 the lower lii-r of counties of Xew York State and the northern tier of Pennsylvania furnislied the finest white pine lumber in the world, for the world has never seen a finer wood for all commercial pur- poses than while iiine, but the days of tliis valuable wood are numbered, the virgin forests have nearly dis- a]i]ieared from the I'nitcd States, and the other great forests of Soutiiern jMue, spruce, hemlock, cypress, red and white cedar, po])lar and the invalu;ible hardwoods are being rajjidly converted into lunibrr or paper for CI mimercial purposes. Charles X. Arnold w;is born in l'ougIikee|isie June B I O G R A P II I C.I L APPBX DI X. •271 8th, 1838. He attended the Dutchess County Academy until his sixteenth year, when he became a bookkeeper in the office of his grandfather and uncle, and has been identified with the business about fifty years. Long familiarit}- with the freshly sawn lumber has made the ]X'rfunie of the ])ine and cedar and oak as delightful to him as tiiat of the flowers in his garden, and his attach- ment to his business has grown with his years. It has been his fortune to witness the growth of this beautiful city from a country village, and to have been somewhat identified with a part of its history and of the material out of which it has grown ; and to have had familiar and agreeable acquaintance with the architects and ar- tisans who have been instrumental in constructing the houses and public buildings whicli make the city. He served as Supervisor and School Comissioner for years and in the fall of 1894 was elected Mayor. Mr. Arnold was married October 12, 1869, to Miss Caroline Sherman, and they have two children, Fred- erick Sherman and Katherine Innis .Vrnnld. HON. SEWARD P.ARCULO. (See portrait p. 132.) Hon. Seward Barculo, eminent jurist and Imrticid- turist of this county, was born at Hopewell, Septeml)er 22. 1808, and died in New York citv while on his re- turn trip home from Europe, June 20, 1854. .\lthough less than fifty years of age. Judge liarcu'.o left an im- perishable impression on both legal and social life. Educated first by his uncle Jacobus Swartwout, then at the .Academy at Fishkill, he prepared for college at Cornwall, Conn., spent two years at Yale and gradu- ated from Rutgers College. 1 le then studied law with Steplien Cleveland, was admitted to the liar in 1834, became a partner of Mr. Cleveland and then practiced alone. He was appointed County Judge by Governor White, April, 1843, at the unanimous request of the Dutchess County bar. In 1846 he was raised to Cir- cuit Judge, and in 1847 was elected one of the judges of the Supreme Court for the long term — the youngest man ever on this bench, but still looked back to and quoted as one of its greatest judicial minds. The in- scription on his tomb, in the cemetery he had founded, and in which he became one of its first occu])ants. aptly and furcibly expresses the true record of his life: "In society an ornament ; In tlie State a judge fearless, dignified and incorruptible; In habit simple and pure. He died ymuig but mature in usefulness and fame. .\dorning jurisprudence by the clearness of his decisions, .'\nd illustrating religion by the strength of his faith." Judge Barculo was an ardent liDrticulturist, his strawberries, peaches, pears and gra])es becoming widely celebrated. He was also an eminent writer on fruit culture. Passionately fond of the water, he went to Europe several times, and sailed his own pleasure boat on the local waters. He was married Alay 12. 1834, to Miss Cornelia, daughter of John II. and Sarah ( Somerindyke) Talman, of New York City. Mrs. Caroline T. Wheaton, who married Judge Charles Wheaton. of Poughkeepsie, is the onl\ (Uie of Jiulgo I'arculo's children now living. HON. JOSEPH F. P..\RN.\RD. (See portrait, page 189.) lliin. Joseph Folger ISarnard. for thirty-six years Justice of the Supreme Court of New York, was ijorn ill Poughkeepsie on September 18th, 1823. He was the son of Captain Frederic and Margaret (.\llen) liarnard, who came here from Nantucket in 181 8, and descendant of Thomas Barnard, who came from Eng- land with the King's Patent in 1659 and settled in Nantucket. Judge Barnard was educated in the pub- lic schools, private academy in Poughkeepsie and Yale College, graduating from the latter institution in 1841 with the degree of Bachelor of .\rts. The honcjrary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him in 1894 as a reward for his eminent services to the legal profes- sion. .\dmitted to the bar in 1844 after private course of study with Stephen Cleveland and Henry Swift, of. Poughkeepsie, he built up a large practice during twenty eventful years, and on Januar\- 1st. 1864, he tonk his seat as Judge of the Supreme Court for the Second Judcial District, State of New York. He served the riglu \ears term and was re-elected for a period of fourteen years. .As his twenty-second year as a judge was drawing to a close (in 1885) he was again re- elected for another fourteen years. On Deceml)er 31st, 1893, having reached the age limit of seventy years the law retired him from the bench wlien half through his third term, and he resinned the practice nf l;i\\ , but for a \-ery brief jieriod, as the new cnnstitiilinii permitting justices of the Supreme Court whose term liad been limited by age, to be appointed by the dov- ernor for the unexpired i)art thereof, went into effect, and Governor Morton promptly re-ajjpointed Judge I'.arnard to his former position; Governors Black and Roosevelt also re-appointed him, and lie therefore rounded out thirty-six years of service nii tin- Sui^reme Court Bench — the longest period ever recorded in this State. He was the presiding Justice of the general term in 1870, by sjiecial appointment of the Governor. He rendered. over a hundred thousand decisions, and these have been looked ui)on as sound in law, and al- ways teiii|iered witli jiislico and lu'iiianitw ;iii(| gi 1 down as authorities and are iiuirc fri'i|iR'iilly (|ii(ite(l than those of any other Supreme Court judge. The members of the bar. when having very important cases before him, many times dispensed with the jury, pre- ferring to trust to the just arbitrament of Judge I'.ar- nard. .\lways a tireless worker, and his legal abilities and judicial mind still unimpaired, he was called iijioii to act as referee in important causes up to the time of his death, January Cith, i<)04. In politics lie yvas con- sistently Democratic, in law absolutely just and im- jiartial. in social life a lover of domesticity, fond of anecdote, epigrammatic with a keen sense of wit and humor and absolutely honest in his dealings with all. He was married January 7, 1862, to Miss Emily I!., daughter of Abraham B. Hasbrouck. of Kingston, New York, and who for ten years was president of Rutgers College, and also a member of Congress from I'lster County. Frederic, son of Judge Barnard, i.s a well- known lawyer of Poughkeepsie, and a daughter is the wife of lames Leiio.x Banks, of New York cit\-. BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. DR. H. \V. I'.ARXUAr. Henry Weston I'.arnum, .M. D., was horn in TSridge- ville. Sullivan County, X. V.. January 19. if^59- He was educated at the Monticello Academy and the Al- l)any Normal School, after leaving which he took the full course at the Jefferson .Medical College and the Xew N'ork School" of I'hvsical Therapeutics, and served on the staff of the Manhattan Eye and Ear Hos- l)ital three years. He established his practice here in i8go, and has gained an enviable reputation for his general ability as a physician and his eminent skill as a specialist in treating all diseases of the eye — a branch 1)K. H. W. lURNfiM. of his jjrofession to wiiich he has devoted special study and care. Dr. Barnum is an active spirit in the Prohibition cause, and a fervent worker in the .Methodist Episco- ])al Church. He establislud the now widely known ilarnum I'.ible class in i^')~. and lias seen it grow from a small beginning to a membershi]) of 150. He is a member of the Dutchess Count\- Medical Society, but of no other association outside of church and I'rolii- Ijition circles. Dr. Barnum was married in 18S4 to Miss Margaret 11. Cunningham, daughter of John F. Cunningham, of Xew York city, and has two children now living. Lewis .Ashton and Margari'l Kulh I'.arnuni. OU\'ER li. !'.()( )'ni. (Sec i^ortrait, page 170.) Oliver H. Booth, financier, fireman, brewer and .ship-owner, was born in Poughkee])sie in 1823, and died -March 13th, i8(j6, after a few weeks of the first illness he ever sufifered. He was the son of George Booth, the ])ioneer woolen manufacturer here, and nephew of Matthew \'assar, Sr. He was educated here, spent four years at sea, and was clerk in a bank at Detroit, but returned to Poughkeepsie when twen- ty-one years old and became the bookkeeper at the \ assar Brewery. He became partner and afterwards succeeded Matthew \ assar, Sr., when the latter retired to attend solely to the welfare of his great educational institute. He was executor of the wills of Matthew Jr.. and John Guy \as.sar, and treasurer of V'as- sar Brothers Hospital, was director in several banks and vice-president of the City Bank. He was fond of the water, and built many vessels, among them the steamer "Joseph F. Barnard," which was lost somewhere during the Cuban troubles in 1867, the "Herald" news yacht, afterward known as "The Commodore," the yacht "Idlewild," and a number of sloops and schooners. Fie was Commodore of the old Poughkeepsie Yacht Club, and owner of the ice yacht "Restless." Air. Booth was clerk of the village from 1843 until Poughkeepsie became a city in 1854. He was a very active worker in the fire department, organized the "Phoenix Hose" June i8th. 1844, was chief engineer 1 85 1 to 1854. during which time the "O. H. Booth Hose" was established and named for him, was presi- dent of the \'eteran Firemens' .Association for several vears after its formation in 1886, and at the time of his death owned the old "goose neck" engine X'o. 7. He was also a member of Poughkeepsie Lodge, F. and A. M.. and a citizen whose demise was universally mourned. His wife was a daughter of John Ferris, of Milan, this county. She died in March. 1893, leav- ing one son, Mr. William F. Booth, secretary of the Dutchess County .\gricultural .Association. CAPT. JOHN H. BRINCKERIIOFF. (See portrait, page 231 ). Captain John H. BrinckerhoflF was born at Fishkill. Hutchess County, N. Y., November 24th. 1827, a son of I lenry I. Brinckerhoff , who followed agricultural pursuits ansie, and also a branch office in his native vil- lage, Millerton. 1 lis i)ractice of law has been somewhat varied, including both civil and criminal. ( )n the deatli of his father he came into possession of the home- stead farm, which he conducted for several years, be- sides conducting other farms on which he was quite extensively engaged in the i)ro(luction of milk and the raising of horses, cattle and sheep. Eater on he dis- posed of his farm interests, and has devoted his entire attention to his profession. He was among the first to agitate and assist in the organization of the Miller- ton National Bank, and became a member of its first Board of Directors. He afterwards became a direc- tor of the I'armers and Manufacturers National Bank of Poughkeepsie, in which capacity he served for some years. In ])olitics he is a Re])ul)lican. In 1893 he was made the jiresident of the Rei)ublican Lincoln League Club, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He has also been in the Board of Su])ervisors several years, and later on was chosen by the Board of .Aldermen of the City of Poughkeepsie as Recorder to till out the term made vacant by the resignation of Casper L. Odell, Esq. I le is a member of the Amrita Club, Triune Lodge .\o. 782, F. and .\. M., of Poughkeepsie, and the Ben- evolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 275, having been the presiding officer of said latter named lodge for two years, 1901-1903. Up to 1886 his home \\::s at Millerton, N. Y., at which time his family, consist- ing of his mother, who is still living, and his wife, came to Poughkeepsie, where they have lived ever since. His wife is Clara Lefferts Duryee, daughter of John Wyckoi? Duryee and Elizabeth Taylor Duryee, of Mattituck, Long Island. DR. EDWARD M. BURNS. Edward M. Burns, AI. D., one of the younger physicians of Poughkeepsie, yet one who has estab- lished a wide practice and who is surely destined to become one of the leading and successful experts, was born at Bull's Head, just beyond the city limits. May 19th, 1871. After a careful preparatorv course of edu- cation he graduated from Cornell Universitv in 1891, and graduated from the medical department of Co- lumbia College in 1894. He took the full medical course, but in addition thereto made an exhaustive study of brain and nervous troubles. Since leaving college he has pursued investigation and professional research in these special lines with ambitious zeal, lie began general practice in Poughkeepsie in 1895, and is an honored member of the Dutchess County Medical Society, and very popular in the Catholic Church cir- cles. He is an ardent member of the Scientific Sec- tion of \'assar Brothers Institute, the L iiiversity So- ciety and the Benevolent Order of Elks. ALLISON BUTTS. (See portrait, page 239). Allison I'lUtts, a prominent lawyer of Poughkeep- sie. was born at Stanford, Dutchess County, N. Y., ( )ctober 2nd, 1852, son of the late George F. Butts and grandson of Moses Ulutts, both of whom were also natives of Stanford. I U' is a descendant from one of the original settlers in .\ew ICngland. Thomas Butts, who came from X'orfolk, I'jigl;md, in iCido and lo- cated with the Plymouth Colony. Mr. Ihitts was educated in the ])ublic schools and acatlemies of Dutchess Count \', and began teaching at the age of twenty years. He came to Poughkeep- sie January 1st, 1874, as clerk for County Clerk A. C. \\'arren, and was soon ])romoted to the station of deinity. which office he helil through Imtli Republican and Democratic adininistr;itions until Januar_\- ist, 1S81, when, having studied law and been admitted to the bar, he commenced ])ractice as attorney and coun- selor, devoting his attention principally to the care and settlement of estates, real ])ro])erty and investments, lie has continued as he began and long ago became a recognized authority on tlu' law relating to trusts, real estate and corpoiation law. I le has often been ap- pointed by the court to administer trusts, and lias served as executor and attornev for large estates. I'oliticallv, .Mr. Ilutts is a Democrat, and he has been one of tin- most inlluential workers of his party. BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 275 He served two terms as police commissioner and three years on the Board of Education. In July, 1890, he was appointed by the Board of Managers of the Hud- son River State Hospital, the Treasurer of that insti- tution, and continued to act as such until a chani^e in the law in 190J. Air. Butts was married December 14th, 1876, to Miss Phebe D. Mosher, of Stanford, N. Y. She died December 13th, 1882, leaving one son, Ralph P". Butts, now one of the rising young lawyers of Poughkeepsie. Mr. I'.utts married the second time, Miss Arrie E. Mosher, September i6th, 1885. By this marriage he has four sons, Xorman C, Allison, jr., Wilbur K., and .Mfred M. Mr. Butts has a handsome residence on Academy Street. COL. HENRY F. CLARK. (See portrait, page 262). Col. Henry F. Clark, widely famous for his man\- inventions, for his expert marksmanship with the rifle and for his long and useful career as a National Guardsman, was born in the town of Hyde Park, in 1839. He began the .study of dentistry in Poughkeep- sie in 1859, and in 1863 opened an office for the prac- tice of his chosen profession. He may truly be called one of the most potent factors in the development of modern dentistry, having invented many improvements which have attained a world-wide endorsement and adoi)tion. .More medals and diplomas have been awarded to him li\' competent judges at various inter- national exhibitions than jirobably to any other dentist in the world, and yet to-day he still takes the same pride in ])ursuing his private practice in this city as he e\er ilid, and is still foremost in devising further improvement and development. Early in 1862 he be- came a memlier of Conipanv A in the Twenty-first Regiment, was soon elected a lieutenant and steadily rose through the intermediate grades to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1876. He resigned in 1878 in order that he might have more time for long range rifle practice. He became an expert and an authority on the rifle, and was selected by the National Rifle As- sociation of America in 1880 to represent it at Dolly- mount, Ireland, in the great International Rifle Match, in which his success made him famous as a rifle shot throughout the world. In 1886 he was appointed as- sistant cpiartermaster general of the State, with the rank of colonel, by Governor Hill, and during the same vear he went to Europe to represent a company which had been formed to exploit his inventions. Re- turning to Poughkeepsie in 1S96. he has again given his attention to the jiractice of scientific dentistry, first at his old office in Liberty Street, and since 1904 at 52 Market Street. MARTIN W. COLLINS. (See portrait, page 254"). Martin W. Collins, manufacturer, was born at Pleas- ant \'alley. N. Y., October 14th. 1847. the great grand- son of Joshua Collins, who came from Providence. R. I., and settled at Rhinebeck in the latter part of the eighteenth ccnturv : the grandson of Martin W. Col- lins, who was a lieuicnant in tin- War of iSu. and the son of Isaac Collins, the noted engineer and surveyor who was the superintendent of the public schovils' of Dutchess County from 1868 to 1872. iMr. Collins was educated at the district school in Washington, the Dutchess County Academy, and tiie Senunarv at •Amenia, after which he taught school in Rhinebeck for five years. In 1S81 he formed a partnership with Benjamin W. \ an W'yck under the firm name of \'an Wyck & Collins, and purchased the old established steam marble and granite works which they still con- tinue to operate. In politics the Collins family have been consistentl\- Democratic, and ha\e never been backward in doing their duty as citizens or in exhibit- ing their fealty to party principles. Mr. Collins has, however, never accepted any public office except in connection with the public schools, being imbued, as was his father, with an earnest desire to promote the cause of education and assist in advancing the welfare of the rising generations. He was elected School Commissioner in 1875 for two years, and re-elected for three more consecutive terms, serving a period of eight years as such. He became a member of the first appointed Board of Education in 1900, and served until 1904. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. ; the K. of P., and of the Second Reformed Church. Mr. Collins was married September Knh, 1870, to Miss Mary Kirby, who died in 1873, leaving a daughter who is now the wife of William R. Brown, of Poughkeepsie. He was married the second time December 20, 1877, to Miss Emily M., daughter of William I. Foster, of Pleasant \'alley. Their children are Martha Foster Collins and Ruth M. Collins. GEORGE CORLIES. (See page 109.) George Corlies, who had a very large part in the development of what is now the leading residence sec- tion of Poughkeepsie, was born in New York City in 1804, the son of Benjamin and Phoebe Corlies. When a boy he was sent to the Nine Partners Boarding School, near Millbrook, and became so fond of the neighborhood that he resolved to come to Dutchess County to live as soon as he was able to do so. In inirsuance of this resolve, in 1834 he bought a farm on the Post Road, about three miles south of Poughkeep- sie, a part of which was afterwards known as the Forby I'lace, and more recently as the Haynes Place. While there Mr. Corlies took an active interest in the develo])ment of the neighboring village of Poughkeep- sie, then growing rapidly, and in 1835 he and others, as related in Chapter \'l. pagu loi). of this history, ])urchased what was then known as the French farm, south of Montgomery Street, extending from Hamil- ton to Market Street, sm-veyed streets through it and sold the lots at auction. Mr. Corlies. like others in- terested in real estate at that time, lost heavily from the panic of 1837. and r^■turning to New York again engaged in business. 1 le was successful, and was able to retain his Poughkee])sie holdings, to buy out his partners and take back many of the lots previouslv sold at auction. In 1852 he came back to Poughkeep- 276 lOGRAPHlCAL APPENDIX. sie to live, and devoted most of his time to improving and develoiiinji- his property. He built the first house on Soutli ]Jl)erty Street, now Garfield Place, graded the ground, laid out and cultivated a famous garden, jilanted the streets with shade trees, and did everything to make the neighborhood attractive. In 1861 he sold the South Liberty Street house to John Sherman (af- terwards president of the stock yards at Chicago), and built a house on South I lamilton Street — the house now known as the Eirinckerliott house. Soon after this the lots in which he was interested began to sell more rapidly. He was active in favor of many public improvements, and was a leading member of the So- ciety of Friends. He was one of the first aldermen of the city, 1856-1858, and was a director in the Mer- chants' r.ank. He died in ]\Iav, 1892. JACOB CORLIES. (See page 217.) Jacob Corlies, only son of George Corlies, was born in New York, April 4th, 1830, and was sent by his father in 1842 to the Friends" Boarding School kept by Samuel Smith, on Mansion Scjuare, his sister at the same time being a pupil at Mr. Gibbons's school near by. After the completion of his course of study he returned to Xew York and entered the hosiery btisi- ness. In 1854 he came to Poughkeepsie to live, and in 1866 built for his home the house on the east side of South Hamilton Street, next north of Henry L. Young's. .\t that time there was an orchard on the adjoining part of the Young jilace running through to Hooker .\venue. Air. Corlies has many interesting recoUectiims nf the iiM times. He went to Chicago in 1848. going to Tniv b\ boat, from there to Utica by railroad, from Utica to Buffalo on the Erie Canal, and from Buffalo to Chicago bv coasting steamer on the lakes. Chicago was then a small village of the type of buildings now called "shacks." Opportunities did not seem to be greatly better than at liome on the Hudson. Mr. Cor- lies was associated with his father in tlu- developnuMit and management of his large real estate interests, and also became one of the leading real estate owners in the city himself. At the sale of the Worrall pro])erty in i8rx) he and Andrew King ])iuchased a tract of 42 acres on the north side of Main Street, and (icorge Innis purchased a similar tract adjoining to the east- ward. Innis Avenue w-as laid out between the two holding.s and Corlies Avenue, Maple Street and King Street on the tract fir.st mentioned. This property is in large part still owned by Mr. Corlies, and is now beginning to build up. A new street, to be known as Roosevelt Avenue, is about to be opened between Cor- lies and Innis -V venues, from Main Street to King. Mr. Corlies became a director in the First National Bank in January, 1867, and succeeded Robert Slee as president in January, 1894. He has been a trustee of the Savings 13ank since February, 1887, when he suc- ceeded Henry D. Myers, and is also a trustee of The Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery .Association. Besides these many activities he has served the city well in a number of public offices, including those of alderman, member of the .\lms House Board, and member of the Board of Education. Mr. Corlies was married, September 6th, 1855, to Edith W. Haines, of New York, and they have had four children. Franklin H., Eliza (married J. .\rthur Lock- wood, October 23, 1884). George and Walter. All are living except Franklin. George (married Minnie Osborn, of Poughkeepsie, in igoi), is in business in New York; Walter (married Ella Hitchcock, of Sing Sing in 1887), and Mrs. Lock wood live in Poughkeep- sie. DR. JOHN H. COTTER. Jnhn Henry Cotter, M. D.. was bcirn at Pleasant Xalley, Dutchess County, N. V., .\pril 6th, 1851. He was practically thrown upon bis own resources at the age of twelve years, when he went to work at East Park, liut studied at night and attended school in the winter months. In i8(i6> he was admitted to the Dutchess County .\cademy, but was forced to leave one month before graduation in 1869 and return to work as a farm hand. In 1874 he began the study of medicine with Dr. Denny and afterwards with Dr. lloyt. He then attended the Albany Medical College and graduated with high honors therefrom as M. D., February 3d, 1878. He began practice at once at Mt. Ross, but removed to Jackson Corners in 1880, where he established a lucrative practice, w'hich he turned over to his nephew in May, 1894, and came to Pough- keepsie, where he now enjoys a large and increasing patronage. He is now the physician of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company. Dr. Cotter is a firm believer in the principles of Democracy, but is not a politician. He was health officer at Milan, and also at Gallatin for several years, and was ]x)stmaster at Jackson Corners, but his ability as a physician and recognized integrit\- as a man had much more to do with his incumbencv of those offices than political influences. He is a member of the Dutchess County Medical Society, New York State Medical So- ciety, .\lumni .Association of Albany Medical College, the Medical Philosoi)hical Society of Northern Dutch- ess and Southern Columbia, St. Peter's Roman Catho- lic Church, of the Catholic Benevolent Legion, the Knights of St. George, the Benevolent Order of Elks, ,iud the Knights of Columbus, of which latter he has hern nne of the trustees since the organization here, lie is also an active member of Young .America No. 6 h'ngine Company. Dr. Cotter has been twice married ; first in August,' 1880, to Miss Mary Smith, of Galla- tin, N. Y.. wdio died in July. 1885, and in February, 1888. to Aliss Mary Frances Calvey, also of Gallatin. THE DELAV.AL SEPARATOR CO.MPA.VY. (See page 234). Tlu' Akliebolaget Separator, of Stockhulm, Swed- en, having been introduced to .American farmers, a plant for its manufacture in this country was estab- lished in 1891. at Bloomfield, N. J., but soon removed ti> I'nughkeepsie, where the works were started in June, iS(jj. with a force of fifty emi)loyees. The separator is a mechanical device constructed for the piu-posc of BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 277 separating- the cream from the milk when still warm and as it leaves the cow, thereby doing- away with the old system of cooling with ice or setting in pans. It practically takes care of all the fatty substances in the milk, and the consequent increase in yield of butter, gained by its use, represents an average of ten dollars per cow annually, which in an average dairy will pay for the first cost of the machine in one year. It is the invention of Dr. DeLa\'al. of Stockholm — the same master genius who has produced the steam turbine, which is destined to revolutionize the steam engine as completely and successfully as his separator has changed and developed the old dairying methods. In establishing works here, the American Company was incorporated vmder the laws of New Jerse\-, as "The DeLaval Separator Company." Their business has increased very rapidly, especially in the past five years, so much so that they are now employing about five hundred men and producing about fifty thousand separators annually. The original works here have been constantly enlarged by the erection of additional buildings and n-iachini-ry, a new power plant on the very best improved nK-thnds being built in 1903. For the past ten years the company has been inider the nianagement of Mr. Oscar llernstrom, who, ably assisted by Mr. T. H. Miller, the present superinten- dent, and an efficient office stafif, has proven himself to be the right man in the right place in every respect. The sales department and general offices of tiie company are in New York City and branch offices and re])air shops in Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto. Montreal and Winnipeg, and agents in all parts of the country. Our illustration shows the com- pany's street, with their various buildings on both sides thereof. JOHN DE PEYSTER DOl'W. John de Peyster Douw (1812-190O was the son of John de Peyster Douw (1735-1836) and Catharine Douw Gansevoort ( 1782- 1848) , and grandson of Volck- ert Pieter Douw (1720-1801) and Anna de Peyster (1723-1794). His grandfather was Mayor of Albany, as was also his great-grandfather. Johannes de Peys- ster (1694-1779), and his great-great-grandfather, Myndert Schuyler (1672-1735). His grandfather was \'ice-President of the First Provincial Congress, which met in New York City May. 1775, and his grand- father, Leonard Gansevoort, Jr.. (1754-1834) was a member of the Congress that assembled at Kingston, 1777, and assisted in the formation of a State govern- ment for New York. He was born at 82 State Street (now \'olckert Building), Albany, New York, and educated at the .-X-lbany Academy, Flushing, L. I. Military Academy (kept by Lindley Jvlurray Moore), and Chittenango Polytechnic Institute. Madison County, N. Y., kept by Rev. Andrew Yates, D. D. Mr. Douw engineered one year on the Albany and Schenec- tady Railroad. In 1835 he went to Europe, and the next year studied law and was in the office of the Mas- ter of Chancery, was aiipointed Judge Advocate of the Third Brigade Light Artillery, with the rank of Major in 1835, taking the oath April 30th — William L. Marcy, Governor. He was appointed inspector with rank of Colonel in the First Division of Cavalry May 23d, 1842, and took oath August 4th — William H. Sew'- ard, Governor, on whose staff he was. His resigna- tion was granted by John Taylor Cooper. Major Cicn- eral. July 29th, 1844. Colonel Douw was in I'',unii)e 1847-8, and then settled at Millburn or Hudson I'.usli, eight miles south- east of Hudson. N. Y., the former home of Colonel Henry J. \'an Rens.selaer (1742-1814), nephew of his great-grandmother, .\nna \'an Rensselaer (1696- 1756). In 1854 he came to Poughkeepsie, and rented from George B. Lent the pro])erty now owiietl by Rob- ert Sanford. Esq., on North Hamilton Street. He took title of the property on North Avenue — west side — in May, 1855, where he lived until his death in Jan- uary. 1901. He married Marianna Chandler Lanman (1826- 1884) in 1854, and had five children: Mary Lanman, Margaret Livingston, Charles G.. Helen Louise and Henry Chandler. Was warden of Christ Church in 1878. ' THE DLTTCHESS INSURANCE COMPANY. (See page 162.) On May 20th, 1836, was held the first meeting of the ISoard of Directors of the Dutchess County Mutual Insurance Company. The members present were James Emottt. Ale.x. Forbus, John M. Ketcham, John Schryver, James Mabbett, Thomas Taber, Silas Ger- mond and Homer Wheaton. The first officers elected were as follo-ws: President — James Emott, father of the first Mayor of Poughkeepsie. Vice-President — James Mabbett, of Mabbettsville. Secretary — James E. Slater, M. D. General Agent — Elijah Haight. Attorney — Alex. Forbus, ow-ner of the old Forbus House property. The first year's cash ])remiums amounted to $2,556.- "2. Expenses and losses, $249. 2(;. The net prem- iums received in 1846 amounted to $4,908.17: in 1856 to $14,828.74: in 1866, to $38,558.29: in 1876, to $66,- 622.85 : '" ^^77- to $71,371-7'^: in 1878, to $65,391.13 : in 1879. to $58,857.57: in 1880, to $55,105.51. It will be seen that the 41st year of the com|)any's business under the old managenient reached the top notch, and from 1877 to 1880. inclusive, fell i)ff about one-third. In 1 88 1 a new Board of Directors was elected, who made a change in the officers of the company. In 1 886, after five years under the new managenient, which was the 50th year of the company's business. the premiums amounted to $187,859.27. The past year ( 1904) was the largest of the company's business, the premiums amounting to $605,838.39. Ten of the directors, who were elected in 1881, have passed away, namely : Peter R. Sleight, Jacob Hagadorn. David Brvan, John ]. \'anderburgh, George T. Doughty, Oliver J. Tillsoii, L. C. Rapelye. John G. Schultz, Jacob G. \'an Wyck. and Jacob Lefever. In the year 1892, after a series of very bad years. 278 BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. llie rc-iiisurance reserve became impaired to a small extent. There were some members of the Board of Directors, whose names have been placed on the Honor Roll, who came to the front and said the "Old Dutchess" nnist not go to the wall, but must be continued ; and these gentlemen paid out their money, with nothing to show for it, bridging the company over this critical time. Their names are as follows: Mil- ton A. Fowler, Hon. Jacob Lefever, O. J. Tillson, Eu- gene Ham, William S. Ketcham. Willard H. Mase, Jacob 11. Carpenter. Jnhn \. Lewis, L. H. Vail and David llryan. P'ive of these gentlemen have since gone to the "Long Home," Messrs. Tillson, Mase, Carpenter, Le- fever and Bryan. There were some hard struggles for existence during the past twenty years, but it weather- ed the storm, and to-day is recognized as one of the Insurance Companies of the country, even though not as large as some. It docs not have to beg for patronage and take almost anything that is offered, but the busi- ness comes oi its own volition, and the company is able to choose the desirable and reject the undesirable risks. One of the greatest heljis to the success of the company has been the manner in which the Board of Directors has stood Ix-hind the president and upheld his hands in his efforts for the success of the company. In the twen- t_\--t\vo years that President L. H. Vail has l^een con- nected with the company as one of its officers he has never asked anything of the Board in the interest of the company that has not been granted, and one of tlie bright spots in his memory is the manner in which tile 1 Ton. Jacob Lefever came to the front with a rattling speech and braced llie backs of some of the weaker members at the time it was necessary to put up some mom-w for had this not been done at that time the "Dutclu-ss" Wduld have been ime nf the Cdrnjianies of the ]i;ist — would have gone down in the great raid ni;ide I)\ the large stock companies against the "Mu- tuals." Mr. William S. Ketcham is the oldest director, and was elected in 1854. Mr. John N. Lewis comes next, elected in 1875. Mr. L. \\. \'ail was elected presi- dent in 1 888, and Mr. J. J. (Traham secretary in 1888. T'lie Insurance Building, recently enlarged and otherwise modernized, has bei'U occui)ied since 1855. THE E.\GLIv The career of the Ea^mlc is so interwoven with the general history of Poughkeei)sie and has therefore been mentioned .so often that little remains to be .said al)ont the pa])er. The story wotdd not be complett-. however, without giving some details which ]XTtain esi^ecially to it. Its distinct and sei)arate existence has always been considered by its present pul)lishers as dating from the year 1S28. when Isaac Piatt founded the Dutchess Intclliiiciiccr. but that pajier was after- wards consolidated with two others — the Dutchess Republican and the Poiiiihkcepsic Joiirna! — and through its absorjition of the latter, which dated from 1785, it is undoubtedly by far the oldest newspai)er published in Poughkeepsie, and has some claim ui>on succession to the earlier journal published b\' John Holt in New York and removed to Poughkeepsie when the liritisii took that city in the Revolutionary war. John Holt's journal was the direct successor, in imbroken line, from the Gazette, established in New York by William Bradford, in 1725, which was the first newspaper printed in that city ami the third in America, the first having been printed in Boston and the second in Philadelphia. Both of those earlier papers long ago ceased to exist, and the Journal, which was removed back to New York after the evacuation of that city by the British, also ceased to exist many \ears ago, while the Poughkeepsie Journal was started here after a short interval by Nicholas Power to take its jjlace. It was always an important factor in the jiromotion of every important interest in Poughkeepsie, and the Eagle has never failed to retain the same char- acteristic down to the present time. Isaac Piatt continued actively engaged in writing editorials for the Eagle and in control of its policy al- most up to the time of his death, June 17th. 1872, and the influence of his long continued la1)or is still felt in Poughkeepsie and in Dutchess County. William Schram was one of the owners of the Jdiiriial at the time of the consolidation with the Eagle, in 1S44. and remained a partner with Mr. Piatt until A]iril I. 1865. when he was succeeded by Mr. Piatt's eldest son, John I. Piatt, and removed to Newburgh. James B. Piatt, second son of Isaac Piatt, became a member of the firm April ist, 1869. and Edmimd. Piatt, eldest son of John I. Piatt. July ist. 1892. Since 1872 the style of the firm has been Piatt & Piatt. The j:)aper was for many years published at 310-12 Main Street. In November 1862. that building was par- tially burned, and until it could be re])aired the Eagle was temporarily ]nihlished in the City Hall. In 1868 the building at 10 and t2 Liberty Street was comjileted and the jilant ri'moved there. In 1878 the job print- ing business coiineclen. Ivhvard Ivlsworth. ex-M;i\i>r and leading financier of Poughkeepsie. was born in New York City January 6th. 1840, being the son of jdlm and Martha (Van \'arick) Elsworth. and lineal descendant of Christoffel Elswaert. a New York Citv freeholder in I'^.xS- M^- Elsworth was educated at Rutger's Gram- mar School, and at the Dutchess County .\cademy. He then attended the State and National T. Johnston, who for many years was vice-presi- dent of the Fallkill I'ank. He was a cousin of General Albert Sidney Johnston, a descendant of Archibald Johnston, of Rexulutionary memory. IK )\. J.X.MES EM( )TT. (See page 152.) Judge James Emott was the .son of James Emott who was also formerly a Justice of the Supreme Court of this State, and a resident of the City of Poughkeep- sit\ when James Emott, his son. was Imrn on the 23rd of April, 1823, in the homestead, now known as Xo. 4(1 .Market Street. Judge Emott. after a successful career at the bar and on the bench, died at his residence on Academy Street, in Poughkeepsie, on September 12th, 1884. He married Mary Crooke, daughter of Charles Crooke. at one time a leading business man of the city, engaged in freighting at the old Lower Landing. Judge Emott left surviving at the time of his decease, his widow and two children, a daughter. Laura, and his son. Charles C. all of whom are still living. Judge Emott was graduated from Columbia College, and immedi- ately entered u])on the study of the law, and after his admission to the bar, connnenced jiractice in the City of Poughkeepsie. He soon acquired a leading position at the bar of the county, besides being largely engaged in business aft'airs outside of his jjrofession. lie was made i)resident of the Merchants I'.ank in the city in JuK. 1852, and retained that position until his decease. lie was the first Mayor of the Cit> y. Xew jer- sey. January 3, 1734; died May i, 1807; married October 29, 1761, Margaret Bloom, born .\ugust 21). 1744. died November 18, 1807, daughter of George P.loom. He moved to .\menia, N. Y., in 1762, where he came into possession of about 1,700 acres "laying in the Nine Partner Patent, Dutchess County. X. ^'.." and in 1763 built a large brick house in a superior man- ner, which is well ])reserved. He removed about 1795 to Pleasant \'alley. Dutchess County, X. Y.. where he died, and was buried in the graveyard of the Presby- 282 BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. terian Church. lie was elected a Deputy from Dutch- ess County to the second Provincial Congress of New- York. 1775, 1776. [Calendar of Historical Manu- scripts, Albany, N. Y. Revolutionary papers, 1886, Vol. I, p. 190], and had : I. John; married Julia 3ilatthe\vs. and had: i. Mar- garet, married John Xitchie, who had Sophia Lewis, married Sanford Cobb ; 2, Sarah, married Wm. Phil- lips, who had John Evertson, married Elizabeth T. W'isner ; 3, Julia Ann, married Rev. Abram D. Wilson, who had Henry M. B. ; 4, Jacob Reuters, married Eliza Phillips, who had John Reuters, married Louisa Weir ; 5, Nicholas, married Clarissa Hasbrouck, who had Elizabeth, married Eager, and Julia, married H. A. Field. n. Margaret, married Gov. John Cotton Smith, of Connecticut, and had William Mather Smith, married Helen Livingston, who had Rev. Gilbert L., Dr. Rob- ert, married Gertrude Bolden, and Hon. John Cotton Smith. III. Nicholas, married Eliza Howe, and had: i, Margaret, married Henry Richards, who had James and Henry ; 2, Edgar, married Adeline Dickinson, who had Eliza, married Francis H. Saltus ; 3. Marv Ann, married John Givan, who had Mary, married first, Henry Richards, 2nd, Dr. George H. Moore, and Mar- garet, married Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby. IV. Catharine, died young. V. George Bloom, died young. \'I. George Bloom Evertson, born near Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y., February 20, 1773; died at Ithaca, Tompkins County, N. Y., August 12, 1829. He inherited a handsome property from his father, and resided in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., in the fine old gambrel- roofed mansion on the south side of Cannon Street, nearly opposite Liberty Street. The lot was 75 feet wide and extended through to Church Street. He owned "Springside," afterwards sold to the late Mat- thew Vassar, founder of the college, and several farms in the vicinity, on which he raised sheep. As early as 1806 he was proprietor of a ship-yard at the foot of Union Street, where he built sailing vessels and trad- ed with New York, Boston and Passamaquaddy. He was president of the branch bank in Poughkeepsie of the Manhattan Bank, New York City, and his corre- spondence with Henry Remsen, ICsq., President, ex- tended from 1809 to 1825. About 1820 he was ap- pointed Judge of the Quarter Sessions of the Peace. Having become involved by endorsing for a friend he sold out his property in 1827, and in May, 1828, moved with his family to Ithaca, N. Y., where he died the next year. He married first, November 18, 1794. Cornelia, daughter (jf Dr. Peter Tappan, born March II, 1774, died January 29, 1808. Children: i, John, died young ; 2, lilizabeth ; 3, Peter Ta])pan, died young ; 4, John Reuters, married and had John. Clinton and F.vert ; 5, Cornelia, married Dr. Benjamin S. Ilalsey, who had Mary Elizabeth, George Timothy, Clinton Smith, married Eliza S. Ayres ; Helen Maria, married Granger; George Evertson, married Alphonsine Hungcrford ; Tappan, married Mary King, and Wm. Davies, married Louise Seymour. He married secondlx'. Ajiril 3, 1809. Francis Mary, daughter of Dr. Samuel Nicoll, born December 17, 1785, died ]\larch 24, 1861. Children: i, Anne, died young; 2, Frances Mary, married Wm. Amos Wood- ward, who had George Evertson, married E. B. Deo- data Mortimer; Francis William, married Anne Jay Delaplaine ; Alary Nicoll, married Erastus Gaylord Putnam, and Harriet Bowen, married John Wylie Bar- row ; 3, Margaret Maria Bloom, married Hart G. Lee, who had James Wright, married Rhoda Carlton, and Georgiana Frances, married James AI. Douglass ; 4, Adelaide Elizabeth, married Samuel M. McKay, who had Robert Riddell, married Eliza Hun Co.x ; Margaret Greenwood, married liarmanus Barkulo Hubbard,; Adelaide Elizabeth, married William L. Hubbard; Alary Woodward, married Franklin Ouimby ; 5. Cath- arine Lewis, married John D. Dix, who had Adelaide Frances, Wm. Woodward, Mary Evertson, George Woodward (married Elise Woodruff) John James, Lena Augusta and Ellen Elizabeth ; 6, Helen Smith,, died young; 7, Walter Davies, and 8, Eliza Ann, twins; Walter married Ann Alary Fatheree, who had Alice Nicoll, married J. R. Gwynn, David Barrow, married AI. AIcLaren ; George James, married Susie Davis ; Alary Eliza, married J. R. Oldham : Walter Lee, Annie Elizabeth and Adelaide AIcKay ; 9, William Nicoll, died young; 10, George, died }oung ; 11, George, died young. \^II. Catharine, marrietl Rev. Isaac Lewis, and had: I, Alargaret Alaria, married Dr. Harvey P. Peet, prin- cipal of N. Y. Institution for Deaf and Dumb, who had Dr. Isaac Lewis Peet, principal ditto, married Alary Toles ; 2, William Evertson. married Adeline Donald- son, who had Catharine Louisa, married Edward H. Alann, and W'illiam Mount, married Ann Eliza Phelps ; 3, Louisa C, died young; 4, Mary Elizabeth, married, Wm. AI. Smith, who had Walter Evertson, married Alary Clarkson ; Catherine Lewis, married Edward P. Buffet ; Alary Alason, married Wm. H. Sampson, and Sarah Alather, married Cornelius H. Clark ; 5, Eliza St)i)hia, married David \'an Nostrand ; 6, Isaac, mar- ried Cornelia Donaldson. \'HI. Jacob Reuters, died of yellow fever in the Is- land of Tobago, W. I., at the age of 25. IX. Alary or Maria, married first, Justin Foote, of Newburgh, N. Y. ; 2nd. William Davies of Pough- keepsie : one child, Walter livcrtson Davies, died \'oung. X. Walter, married Eliza Roo.sevelt, and had: i, Henry Holland ; 2, Maria Elizabeth, married Dr. John C. Brigham, who had John Clark, Eliza Roose- velt, Walter Evertson, married Fannie B. ArmsteSd ; Alary Douglass, married John H. Cooke; Amariah Ward, married Emma J. Wilde, and Autninette Gib- son, married James B. Hopper. CLEMENT CARRINGTON G.MXES. (See page 255.) Clement Carrington Gaines, President of luistman' lUisiness College, is a native of Charlotte County, _ \ irginia, of English ancestry, and a descendant of several of the earliest Virginia families. One of his BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 283 ancestors was one of the first governors of the Col- ony ; two others were members of the House of liur- gesses in Colonial times, representing Charlotte County, Virginia, and were among the supporters of Patrick Henry in his heroic efforts in the cause of independence. The family still own extensive plan- tations, and are prominent in their locality ; but. like the majority of the Southern people, they suft'cred financially from the Civil War. Mr. Gaines enjoyed exceptional educational ad- vantages, and had a wide experience as a teacher and business man before coming to Poughkeepsie. He graduated from Hampden Sidney College at the age of eighteen, with the degree of A. B. The next five years he devoted to teaching, beginning as instructor in Latin and mathematics at the Fincastle (\ irginia) High School, and afterward becoming principal of a public grammar school near Walton, Boone County, Kentucky, of the Oakland Institute near Pembroke, Christian County, Kentuck\-, and of the Charlotte County High School at Charlotte Court House, \'ir- ginia. When he had saved the amount of money needed in this way, he entered the University of Vir- ginia in 1880, and graduated in 1882 with the degree of B. L. In the same year he completed the business course at Eastman College, Poughkeepsie, New York. With tills excellent business and professional train- ing, Mr. Gaines began the practice of law in Chi- cago, associating himself for that purpose first with Thomas Cratty and afterwards witli Colonel George L. Paddock and Owen F. Aldis, of the firm of Pad- dock & Aldis. Little more than a year had passed however, when he was offered a position as a teacher in the Banking Department of Eastman Business College ; and this he decided to accept, feeling that the work there would be peculiarly congenial. After act- ing as an instructor for a year, he became, in Novem- ber, 1884, the president of the college. It speaks well for his ability and energy that the reputation of this school has been fully mainained under his leadership. So successful was he, indeed, in the management of the older school, that he established, in 1892, the New York Business Institute in the City of New York, and has since continued to conduct botii institutions. The new school, which was opened December 12, i8q2, at 81 East 125th Street, (now removed to 119 West 125th Street) grew so rapidly that increased accommo- dations soon became necessary : and more than 350 pupils are now in daily attendance, with an enrollment of about 600 a year. The Poughkeepsie school re- cently had on its membership roll pupils from thirty- eight different states and territories and seventeen foreign countries. In addition to the care of his two schools, Mr. Gaines is actively and effectively interested in "every- thing that has any good in it," to borrow his own phrase. Church work, the Young Men's Christian Association, social problems, politics (in a broad sense) — in short, all the live, practical questions of the day, ""receive a share of his attention. He organized and was first president of the New York State Association of registered business schools, the first Building and Loan Association in Poughkeepsie, and has been for many years a member of the executive committee of the Board of Trade here. He is a also a member of the Harlem Board of Commerce, and was for years in the Poughkeepsie Board of Education. He is also a member of the Syllabus Committee and Chairman of the Commercial Education Committee of the State Association of Academic Principals. He delivers fre- quent addresses and essays on special occasions. He has edited a book entitled "Simplified Phonetic Short- hand," founded on the Pitman system, and is the author of the works on accounts and arithmetic used as a text-book in his own and other schools. He has been elected to membership in many organizations, among which may be mentioned the University, Am- rita, Dutchess, Golf and Country Clubs, of Poughkeep- sie, the Reform Club and Southern Society of New York, the Sons of the American Revolution, the American Society of Christian Philosophy, and the American Institute of Civics. Ji'ho's Jriio in America, (1904-5) contains the fol- lowing synopsis of Mr. Gaines' career: President of Eastman Business College ; born March 15, 1857; was graduated from Hampden-Sid- ney College, 1875, and University of Virginia, 1882; taught school in Fincastle, Virginia, in 1875-6, and near Walton, Kentuck\-, in 1876-7; at Pembroke, Ken- tucky, in 1877-8; at Charlotte C. H., \'irginia, in 1879-80; practiced law in Chicago, 1882-83; married October 29th, 1884, Mrs. M. M. Eastman ; president of Eastman Business College since 1884; established the New York Business Institute in 1892, and has car- ried on the same since. (A list of organizations, same as those above follows.) STEPHEN G. GUERNSEY. Stephen Gano Guernsey, lawyer and president of the Poughkeepsie Trust Company, was born in Stan- ford, Dutchess County, April 22, 1848, son of Stephen Gano Guernsey and Lienor (Rogers) Guernsey, of that place. He was educated in the common schools and at Fort Edward Institute. In 1870 he came to Poughkeepsie and read law in the offices of Judge Charles Wheaton. and also with his brother. Judge Daniel W. Guernsey, being admitted to the bar in 1872. In 1876 he commenced the practice of law here, and has so continued up the present time. In politics he is a Democrat, but has never held public office ex- cept as School Commissioner from 1890 to 1894, and as U. S. Loan Commissioner for a number of years. He was elected president of the Poughkeepsie National Bank in 1892, and of the Poughkee])ie Trust Company in looi, which position he now holds. Mr. Guernsey was married April 18, 1877, to Miss Marianna Hicks, of Poughkeepsie, and has four chil- dren, Raymond G., Homer W., Louis G. and Eme- line. MARTIN HEERMANCE. (See page 240.) Martin Hcermance, lawyer, was bom in St. Joseph County, Michigan, December 17, 1852, but can justly claim an ancestry in Dutchess County dating back to 2S4 BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. almost the first settk'tiK'nt. Tin- first of liis family to come from 1 lolland to .America was Jan Heermance. who arrived in New York in 1651). and his descendants settled in Dutchess County. Hendricus Heermance be- mg married to a daughter of Gerrit Artsen, who was one of the men who made the first purchase of land fniiii the Indians at Rhinebeck in 1686, and who in 17H1 purchased from his father-in-law what is now known as Ellerslie, the j^roperty of Levi V. Morton, former vice-president of the United States. Martin Heerniance"s great-j^randfather, Jacob Heermance, a jjrandson of Jan, married a daughter of Jan \ osburgh, and one of his eight children, Martin Heermance. married a daughter of Dr. Hans Kiersted. a direct descendant of the Dr. Hans Kiersted. who, in 1642. married Sarah Roeloffe Jans, daughter of .\neke Jans, from whom Trinity Church. New York City, re- ceived its now enormously wealthv endowment. Mar- tin was a leading citizen of the county and a Brigadier- General in the War of 1812. His son. the father of our subject, was the Rev. Harrison Heermance, of the Dutch Reformed Church. He was settled in Lenawee County, Michigan, but resigned his ])ulpit and served as chajjlain of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry and then of the 128th X. Y. Volunteers. At the close of the war he settled in Rhinebeck, his native town, and died there in 1883. Martin Heermance was, therefore, reared in this county, and was educated at the De- Garnio Classical Institute. In 1881 he was elected Supervisor of Rliinebeck. and re-elected in 1882. In iS,-?3 he was admitted to the bar and began practice in l'(nighkee])sie. lie was elected District Attorney in 1888. and in 1896 was appointed one of the three State .Assessors of New York by Governor Morton. By his colleagues he was elected chairman of the board. He recently served two terms as President of Vassar lirothers Institute, and for a number of years has been regarded as one of the leading lawyers of the Dutchess County bar. He is a member of the Holland Society, and was Master of Rhinebeck Lodge. F. and A. M., for two consecutive terms. For two years he was president of the Social Reading Club, of I'ough- keepsie. Mr. Ileermance was married in 1881 to Miss Xina Radclifl'e. daughter of the late David \an Ness Rad- clitYe, of .Albany, and has one son. Radcliffe Heer- mance. who was recently graduated from Williams College. Mrs. Heermance died in March. 1905. DR. JA.Ml'.S il( )\'\\ Daniii James lloyt. .M . I)., tin- Mumgesl jibysician now practicing in 1 'oughktepsii', and yet one of the most successful, his abilil\- both as a physician and surgeon having well satisfied and retained the large c'ientage established by the late Dr. Walter R. Case, whom he succeeded in 1902. was born at Galwav. Saratoga County, N. Y., January 2(). 1872. He was educated at the Rochester high school, and at Prof. Kdick's ])rivate academv of the same j^lace. Thence he went to Princeton L^niversity for one year, and I'nion I'niversity for three years, graduating as .A. 11 from the latter in the class of 1899. After a course at the .Mbany Medical College, during which time Dr. .A. \ ander A eer was his jireceptor, he attended the medical department of the University of \'ermont for one year, and graduated therefrom as .M. D.. in 1902. He also took four years" reatling in the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle of Chautauqua, N. Y. .\fter tile fleath of Dr. Case in 1902, Dr. Hoyt took up his practice in the office thus made vacant, and prac- tically succeeded him. Dr. Hoyt is a member of the Phi Clii Medical Society of Burlington. \'t.. the Phi Delta Theta Fraternit\. .\lumni .\ssociation of Sche- nectady, and the Dutchess County Medical Society, the Presbyterian Church, and Fallkill Lodge. I. O. O. F. On June 17. 1903. he was united in marriage with Aliss Ida S. Mitchell, daughter of S. S. Mitchell, of -Albany. N. Y.. and resided first at the corner of Mill and Washington Streets, but afterwards luoved to Cannon Street. GEORGK INNIS. (For portrait, see page 187.) George Innis, man of affairs of Poughkeepsie and thrice mayor, was born in this city June 7. 1822. and died November 25. 1903. He was the son of Aaron and Martha (Smith) Innis, who came here from Orange and Lester Counties. N. Y. Mr. Innis was educated and prepared for Columbia College ;it the Poughkeepsie Collegiate Institute, on College Hill, hut his father dying in October. 1838. he abandoneil the idea of entering college and took charge of the d\e woods business his father had established, and which under his management flourished until 1898. when the dye woods industry was forced to give way to aniline dyes. Mr. Innis was president of the Fallkill I'ank for sixteen years: a trustee of the Poughkeepsie Sav- ings Bank and a member of its executive committee for many years: a director in the Farmers and Manufac- turers Bank for several years: a director of the Na- tional Park liank. of New York City, for a long jier- iod. He was a trustee and a member of the executive committee of A'assar College for sixteen years, and was one- of the first ten men to subscribe capital to start the First National liank of .New A'ork City. Po- litically, and as a publie-s])irited citizen. .Mi-. Innis was exceedingly active and popular. Everv ]jublic imjirovement has depended upon him to take a leading part in advocating and in pushing it to success. He was the first ])resident of the Pough- keepsie and Eastern Railroad, one of the executive committee of the Poughkeepsie IVidge Comiiany, and an otTicer or director in nearly every organization which had for its object the benefit of Poughkeepsie and its peojile. A'ery few men in the whole history of the city have done more for its welfare or contributed more for its ])rosperity. .\ staunch Re]^ublicaii, he was chostn |>resident of the village in the middle fifties and elected mayor of the city in 1863. To this office he was re-elected in 1864 and again in 1866. He is known as the patriotic mayor of the Civil War iHiiod. When the first re- cruits were ready to niovi'. he furnished $30,000 of his altimore. Md.. and afterward participated in the bat- tle of Gettysburg, where it suffered severely. After recruiting its depleted ranks. Colonel Ketcham moved his command southwest, joining General vSherman, and was with him on his memorable march to the sea. .\t .\tlanta, Ga., for meritorious conduct, he was pro- moted to the rank of Brigadier-General by brevet, af- terward to Brigadier-General, and subsequently to Major-General by brevet. While with his command, he was nominated for Member of Congress from his district and elected. He served eleven consecutive terms in that office, being nominated by acclamation on each occasion, and was elected, receiving the sup- port of the people of his district, irrespective of party, his majorities being large and unprecedented. On the termination of Iiis twelfth term, he was tendered a unanimous renomination, but, owing to impaired health, was compelled to decline. He is at the present time in Congress and a member of the Committee on Military Affairs, Po.st Offices and Post Roads, and has always served on the most important committees, gain- ing great eminence in the faithful discharge of his duties, having the respect and love of his fellow Con- gressmen. On February 14th, 1838, General John H. Ketcham was married to Miss .\ugusta A. Belden, daughter of William H. and Sarah Belden, of Amenia, Dutchess County, wiio are among the earliest and best families of the county. Four ciiildren were born of this mar- riage, of whom three are living. General Ketcham is a gentleman of generous impulses and warm heart, and always ready to do a kind act, and is known and recognized as the poor man's friend. He has been greatly distinguished for ability, integrity and public S])irit and po.ssesses all tho.se admirable qualities of character which go to make good citizenship. His State has always honored him as one of her best pro- ducts, a manly, noble man in all the relations of life, and in his remarkable public career he has maintained himself with great dignity and propriety, and will leave to posterity the memory of a rich inheritance. H( )N. FRANCIS G. LANDON. ( See page 265.) Hon. Francis G. Eandon, who so ably represented this district in the State Legislature for three years. 1901-1903, was born in New York citv August 20, 1839. He was the son of Charles Griswold and Susan H. Landon and lineal descendant of Captain David Landon, of the Continental .\rniy, and Sir John Lev- erett, Go\-ernor of the Colon\- of Massachusetts from i'')~3 to \C)~n. lie was educated in the public school.' and graduated from Princeton L'niversitv in the class of 1881. Mr. Landon is a farmer by occupation and pref- erence, but has always given much time to National Guard matters. Early in life he became a member of the famous Seventh Regiment, of New York, was its adjutant for four years, and became Captain of Com- pany I in 1893. In i88<). in compan\- with an asso- ciate officer, he went to England to represent the Sev- enth and the National Guards of the State, and re- mained active in his regiment imtil his resignation in 1902, at which date he received full and honorable dis- chargre from the service. He came to Dutchess County, to his farm at Staatsburg, in i8()3, and was nominated by the Re- publican party in 1900 as Member of the Assembly. Being elected, he commenced his legislative career in January, 1901, and that year served on the Public Education, Military and State Prison committees. Re- elected in 1901, he served on the Taxation and Re- 286 lOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. trencliment. Puhlii.- Institutions and \'illages commit- tees in igo2. Again elected in iyo2 he was chairman of the Committee on Pubhc Education and member of the \\'ays and Means and Canal committees in 1903. In 1904 he was appointed third secretary of legation at Berlin, Germany, and soon after reaching his post was transferred to \ienna. Austria as second secre- tary. Air. Landon. however, was not the first of his fam- ily to serve the true interests of this county. His great- grand uncle, Jonathan Landon. represented Dutchess in the first Provincial Congress of the State of New York, which convened in New York City in 1775. and was also its representative in the Third and Fourth Congresses. During the Revolutionary War he was a major in the Sixth Regiment. Dutchess County Militia. Mr. Landon is a member of the American Geo- graphical Society, the Metropolitan. Princeton. New York Athletic, New York Yacht and Racquet Clubs, and the Episcopal Church. He was married May 20, 1897, to Miss Mary Hornor Toel, and has two daugh- ters, Adelaide and Eleanor. DR. CHARLES EDWARD LANE. (See page 257.) Charles Edward Lane, M. D.. president of the Board of Aldermen, and prominent physician and surgeon of Poughkeepsic, was born at Clove, Dutchess County. August 16, 1855. son of Edward Lane a whale fisherman, and who was afterwards a well-known pilot, captain and boat owner on the Hudson River, running at one time a very large schooner to Troy, N. Y.. and Jane A. (Hall) Lane, daughter of Gilbert and Mary Hall, of Dutch descent. The Lanes are one of the oldest families in Dutchess County, the doctor's great- grandfather. Jacob Lane, having resided here prior to the breaking out of the Revolutionary War. His grandfather. John G. Lane, was born in Beekman. now Union Vale, May 22, 1776, where his father, Edward. was also born. In 1863 Edward Lane sold his schooner and bought a farm in Seneca County, N. Y.. but Dr. Lane was brought u]i at Clove, making his home with bis uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph I\I. Cutler, the latter l)eing his mother's sister. He continued attending the district schools until sixteen years of age. when he entered Wesleyan Academy, at Wilbraham. Mass. He did not graduate, however, his uncle's serious ill- ness calling liim home, and upon his uncle's death in 1876, he became the owner of the old homestead, sacred to the memory of his mother and grandparents. .•\fter taking a course at Eastman I'usiness Col- lege in this city, he married Miss TTattie A. Yoemans, of Clove, I\Iarch 28. 1877, and in 1880 entered the New York Homeopathic Medical College. He grad- uated therefrom in 1883. and practiced medicine at Clove for five years, removing in 1888 to Poughkeep- sic. where he has attained a wide, influential and lu- crative practice. He was secretary of the board of examining surgeons of the V. S. Pension Bureau from 1889 to 1894. is a member of the Dutchess County Medical Society, the New York State TTomeoi)athic Medical Society, the American Institute of Homeo- ]iathy. Triune Lodge, F. and A. AL, Poughkeepsic Chapter. R. A. M., Poughkeepsic Commandery, K. T.. Mecca Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Poughkeepsic Council, R. A., Fallkill Lodge. L O. O. F., the Su- ]3reme Lodge, I. O. G. T., and other social societies. He was formerly a member of the Christian Church at Clove, but is now a member of the Second Refonned Church of this city. Dr. Lane was elected president of the Board of Aldermen in 1897, and has ably served as such ever since then. FRANK B. LOWN. (See page 226.) Frank B. Lown was born at the village of Red Hook, in Dutchess County, N. Y., on the first clav of January. 1849. He is the son of David and Jane M. Lown. and with his parents removed to the City of Poughkeepsic in 1857, where he has since resided. Mr. Lown was educated in the public schools of Pough- keepsic, and in 1871 entered the law ofifice of Nelson & Baker as a law student. After being admitted to the bar. he became a clerk in the office of Thompson & Weeks, then the oldest firm of practitioners in the county. In 1878 the firm of Thompson, Weeks & Lown was formed, and upon the death of James PL Weeks in 1887 and of John Thompson in 1891, he be- came the sole survivor. He is still engaged in the practice of his profession in the City of Poughkeepsic. THE STC)RE OF LUCKEY, PLATT & CO.. (See page 256.) The business now conducted by Luckcy. Piatt & Co.. was established in 1835 bv Crandle & Smitii. then in a small store at 254 Main Street. They were suc- ceeded by Dibble & Slee. then by R. Slee & Co.. who moved in i860 to 328 Main Street, and in 1866 the firm name was changed to Luckey, \'ail & Mandeville. In 1869 the firm of Luckey & Piatt was first an- n- ular with the i)eople. lie has been elected to pu1)lic office several times in his life, serving three years as .Mderman of the Secontl Ward and six years as a Su- pervisor of the Third Ward. He is a member and trustee of the Congregational Church, and has been a Free Mason since 1864. Mr. McWhinnie was united in marriage June I, 1871, tn .Miss l'"annie Whitewell, dausihter of Thnmas and Mar\- Whitewell, who came BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 289 lierc from Peterborough, England, settled down in I'oughkeepsie for a number of years, and then moved on a farm at East Park, N. Y.' Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McWhinnie, of whom two are living, Mary E., wife of Frank Brooks, and Fannie J. One son, Roy A., died in his thirteenth year. HON. JOSEPH MOKSCH.\USER. ( See page 246.) Hon. Joseph Morschauser, City Judge of Pough- keepsie. was born at Hyde Park, N. ^■., March 30, 1863. He attended the district school of his native place and finished his education under the private tu- torship of Miss Helen W. Everett, of I'oughkeepsie. He then studied law in the office of Judges D. W. Guernsey and Charles W'heaton, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1884. .Although one of a family of sixteen children, he rejoices in being the only Re])ublican among them, and is a stalwart of that party. He was elected justice of the peace in 1886, and re-elected in 1890, serving eight years as such, was civil service commissioner under Mayor Rowley, and in 1898 was elected Recorder of Poughkeepsie. In March, 1903, the new law was adopted by which the office of recortler and justice of the peace were merged into one functionary known as city judge, and Recorder Morschauser was appointed to the position by Mayor Hine. The new cmirt has given much sat- isfaction to the bar and the general public. Judge Morschauser is devoted to his profession, and as a lawyer as well as a judge he is one of the most popular members of the bar. In his private practice he has specially earned the esteem of the laboring classes by the able service rendered to the several trade unions who have employed him as their atlorne}'. .As a judge he is quick to distinguish an honest worker in search of employment from the professional tramp, and no unfortunate but honest laborer has ever been harshly dealt with by him. His decisions are prompt and terse, but singularly correct and just. Judge Morschauser is a member of several societies, but takes his best enjoyment in domestic life. He was married Ianiiar\- 27, 1889, to Miss Katherine W'., daughter of the late Joseph Bauer, of Pnuglikeei)sie. They have one son, Joseph C. H. Alorschauser. GEORGE X.AGEXG.AST. ( See page 261.) George Nagengast, the efficient and pn|iular chief of the Poughkeepsie Fire Department, w as l)i)rn in this citv June 10, 1852, the son of Charles Xagengast, who came from Bavaria in 1840 and who for many years was foreman for the blasting furnaces here. Mr. Nagengast leameil the cigar making trade and remained in that calling until early in 1881, when he embarked in the meat business for a short time. He then returned to his trade, but in October of the same year he began life as a hotel keeper in what is now known as the Hudsou River House. He con- ducted this place near!}' seven years, when he pur- chased Mrs. Kunkel's store at 435 Main Street, where he remained over five years, and then purchased his present place. 403 Main Street. He has been very successful in business and in real estate investments, and is now the owner of a number of valuable proper- ties in Poughkeepsie. lie is a ]iublic spirited citizen, and one ever ready and foremost to promote the real welfare and prosperitv of his native city. Republican in politics and at times a hard worker in the ranks of his party, he has never sought nor accepted office, but has always devoted all his spare time to the inter- ests of the fire department. He joined the Niagara Company when only eighteen years of age, and the ( ). H. Booth Hose four years later. He returned to his old company in 1882, and has been its treasurer for manv vears. He has been the chief of the department since 1901, and is now rounding out his thirty-third vear of continuous active service as a fire-fighter — a record for both work and achievement not equalled by any other citizen of Poughkeepsie, nor probably of any other city in the country. Mr. Nagengast was married November 2, 1878, to Aliss Caroline L. Swartout, daughter of William and Adeline (Martin) Swartout. HON. WILLIAM NELSON. (See page 93.) lion. William Nelson (born June 29th, 1784, died October 2, 1869), was one of the thirteen children of Thomas Nelson and Sarah (Wright) Nelson, all of whom were born in what is now the town of Hyde Park. The first member of this branch of the Nelson family to settle in Dutchess County was Francis, son of John and Hendrickje (Van der Miet) Nelson, about 1740, and grandfather of Thomas Nelson, who served in the Revolution, and became probably before the Revolution a resident of Poughkeepsie. Thomas Nelson is several times mentioned in Chapter V of this history as a village trustee and as the editor of the Political Barometer. He was president of the village in 1804. His son, William Nelson, the subject of this sketch, was educated at the Dutchess County Academy, studied law in the office of Theron Rudd, who was af- terwards clerk of the District Court of the United States. He formed the acquaintance of all of the dis- tinguished group of lawyers then practicing their pro- fession in Poughkeepsie, including Smith Thompson, General James Tallmadge. Jr., Thomas J. Oakley, Gil- bert Livingston, James Eniott, Sr., Nathaniel P. Tall- madge. James Hooker and .Alexander Forbus. He was admitted to the bar in 1807, his diploma being signed bv William Kent. After completing his studies Mr. Nelson went to Buffalo on horse back and intended to settle at that place, but chance led him afterwards to Peekskill, where he remained, and soon became known as "the honest Dutch lawyer." He readily acquired a large practice and a wide reinitation. In 181 5 he was ap- pointed district attorney for the district then composed of the counties of Westchester, Putnam and Rockland, which office he held for thirty-two years, the longest record for continuous service, though after 1818 the district comprised only the county of Westchester. In 290 lOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 1819 lio was elected to the Assemble, and in 1823 to tile State Senate, where he served for three terms. In 1848 he was elected to Congress, and continued to rep- resent his district until 1851, after which he was one of the Judges of the Court of Appeals. He was an old time Whig, a personal friend of Henry Clay, Dan- iel Webster and Abraham Lincoln. He was one of the first Masons in Peekskill, and was universally esteemed in that organization. Mr. Xelson married Cornelia Mandeville Hard- man, daughter of John Hardman, of New York City. She died in Peekskill in 1869. Their sons now (1903) living are Joseph, a lawyer of Milwaukee, Wis., George P. and Thomas, both lawyers in New York ; daughters, Sarah A., widow of J. Henry Ferris, a lawyer of Peekskill, Elizabeth, widow of Rev. John Johnson, of Upper Red Hook, and Cornelia Mandeville, widow of John Peter Nelson, of Poughkeepsie. The last men- tioned is the active president of the Board of Lady Managers of the Gallaudet Home for Deaf Mutes. She resides at the old Nelson mansion, at Cannon and Liberty Streets, in which her late husband was born, and which has been in the family since before the Revolution. DR. STEPHEN PALMER. Stephen Palmer, D. D. S.. was born in Coxsackie, N. "S'.. August 25. 1867. He was educated at the Dr. .STKPHEN 1'.\LMKR. I'nion Free School of that i)lacc, and graduated from the Ft. Edward Collegiate Institute in 18X8. lie then took his full course at the New Work College of Den- tistry, from which he received his degree in 1890. Com- ing t(i Poughkeepsie he at once commenced the prac- tice of his profession and has gained a large clientele among discriminating people who recognize talent and appreciate scientific work. In politics Dr. Palmer is a Republican, but he is not a politician in the general sense of the term, although he has served the Third \\'ard as Alderman. The time not required by the demands of his profession is spent almost entirely in religious and philanthropic work, the doctor being a member of the Congregational Church and of the Young Glen's Christian Association. He is a director of the Rescue Mission. He holds honored membership in the New York State Dental Society, and also in the Second District Dental Society, of which he is the Dutchess County rei)resentative of the Law Committee. Dr. Palmer was married November 14, 1894, to Miss Addie E., daughter of the late George H. Stanton, of Madison county. N. Y., and has two children, Alletta Beatrice and Waldo Emerson Palmer. DR. E. H. PARKER. (See page 207.) Edward Hazen Parker, M. D., born in Boston, Mass., in 1823. and died in Poughkeepsie November 10, 1896, was a very prominent pliysician and surgeon in this city for thirty-eight years, having been trustee and visiting surgeon of St. Barnabas Hospital from 1870 to its close in 1887, surgeon of Vassar Brothers Hospital from its opening in 1887 to his death in 1896, president of the latter's medical board for eight \ears. and noted for his skillful practice among a large private clientele. Dr. Parker graduated from Dart- mouth College in 1846, and from the Jeflferson Medi- cal College in 1848. He was lecturer on anatomy and physiology at liowdoin Medical College in 1849, re- ceived the degree of A. M. from Trinity College in 1854, was editor Nciv Hainpsbin- Medical Journal 1848 to 1857, was called to the chair of Physiology and Pathology of the New York Medical College in 1853, established the AVic York lifcdical Journal in 1854, and edited it many years, was in private practice in New ^'ork City with Dr. Fordyce Baker from 1853 to 1838. was president of the New York Medical Society in 1862, was volunteer surgeon in the field in 1862 and 1863, leaving a fine practice he had established here in 1858 to give his eminent services to the Union army, and was a leading physician, surgeon and ]iathologist in Poughkeej)sie from 1864 to 1896. His first wife was Miss Sarah Hcydock, who died in 1880, leaving three daughters and one son. Dr. Harry Parker. In 1883 he was married to Miss Jeannie C. Wright, of Poughkeepsie. bv whom he has had one son. 1 le was refined, cultivated, suave, very liberal and s\-mpathetic, and is remembered as a poet as well as a ])hysician and medical writer. .\ verse of one of his poems reads : "Life's race well run ; Life's work all clone ; Life's victory won ; Now Cometh rest." BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 291 This verse was translated by a friend into Latin he- cause of its euphonious rhythm in that lanjjuase. The translation was picked up by an English editor, trans- lated back into English and published anonymously. It now appears engraven on President Garfield's tomb erroncouslv credited to "an imknown English author." The poem was written by Dr. Parker in the early part of 1879. DR. A. H. PECKHAM. Alva Lawrence Peckham M. D., secretary and treasurer of the Dutchess County Homeopathic Medi- cal Society and a leading physician and surgeon of that school of medicine in Poughkeepsie, was born at Sche- nectady, N. Y., November 25, 1874. He graduated as P). S. from L^nion College in 1896, and received the degree of A. IVL therefrom in 1899. He took the full course at Hahnemann College, of Philadelphia, and graduated therefrom in 1899. He then .served three months at the Philadelphia Lying-in Charity LIos- pital and received a diploma from that institution. In his collegiate career he took special honors in biology at LTnion, was chief executive officer Chi Psi fraternity in L^nited States in 1897; was editor-in-chief of the Centennial Garnet at LInion, and a member of the .\lpha Zcta fraternity in the LInion Classical Institute. He has built up a lucrative practice since making Poughkeepsie his home. He has licen visiting physi- cian to the City Home since April, 1902; is chairman of the scientific section of \'assar Brothers Institute ; an officer in Triune Lodge. F. and .\. ]\I., and Pough- keepsie Chapter, R. A. M. ; a member and trustee of the First Congregational Church ; member of the L'ni- versity Club : member of the New England Society of Dutchess County ; member of the Homeopathic Medi- cal Society of New York State, and secretary and treasurer of the Dutchess County Homeopathic Medi- cal Society. Dr. Peckham was imited in marriage June 15th, 1899, to Miss Mary, daughter of Prof. Charles S. Halsey, who for twent\'-two years was the principal of the Union Classical Institute at Schenec- tady, N. Y. They have one child, a daughter, whom they have named Elizabeth. DR. J. WILSON POUCHER. J. Wilson Poucher. M. D., widely known in this section of the State as an eminently successful surgeon and gynecologist of Poughkeepsie, was born at Clav- erack, Columbia County, N. Y., July 24, 1859, a de- scendant of a Huguenot family that came to America in 1(358 and settled near Albany. IMelancthon Smith, one of the most active spirits in the Constitutional Convention that met at Poughkeepsie in 1788 (de- scribed in Chaper IV"), was a brother of one of Dr. Poucher's great-great-grandfathers. Lie perpetuates their memorv by holding membership in the Society of the Cincinnati, the Holland Society, the Society of Co- lonial ^^'ars and the Sons of the Revolution. Dr. Poucher received his early education in the public schools of his native place, and graduated from Claverack College in 1879. He taught school for one year and then entered the medical dei)artment of Union University, from which he graduated in 18S3. 1 le practiced medicine for two years at Modena, Ulster County, and then went to Europe to prosecute the studies of surgery and gynecology in Berlin, Vienna and Paris. Returning in 1887 he commenced practice in Poughkeepsie, and has established a reputation and a lucrative patronage second to none other in this section of the State. At the breaking out of the Spanish War in 1898 Dr. Poucher offered his services to the gov- ernment and was commissioned lieutenant and as- sistant surgeon of the 201st Regiment, New York Volunteers, in June, 1898. He was detached from the regiment in July and given charge of the division hos- pital at Camp IMack. Long Island, when an outbreak of typhoid fever was imminent. In addition to his medical duties he was obliged to act as property officer, commissary of subsistence, and in fact assume respon- sibility for every department. Unsuccessful in get- ting a transfer to his regiment, he resigned his com- mission in October. Dr. Poucher is a consulting surgeon on the staflf of Vassar Brothers Hospital, and an active spirit in both the State and County Medical Societies. He is a fellow of the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is an enthusiastic athlete and a popular member of the Dutchess County Golf and Country Club, also of the L^nivcrsity Club of Pough- keepsie, the Amrita Club, and the Dutchess Club. In politics he is a Republican — has been alderman of the Fifth \\'ard, and for the past eight years a member of the Board of Public Works of the city. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, a prominent member of Triune Lodge, Poughkeepsie Chapter, and a Past Com- mander of Poughkeepsie Commandery, the Mystic Shrine, and the Ancient and Accepted Scottisli Rite of New York. He married in 1892 Miss Catharine D. LeFevre, daughter of the former member of Congress, the late Jacob LeFevre, a descendant of .\ndreas Le- Fevre, one of the Patentees of New Paltz. POUGHKEEPSIE GLASS WORKS. (See illustration page 114.) The Poughkeepsie Glass W'orks, located at the foot of Dutchess Avenue, in the City of Poughkeepsie, was started for the purpose of utilizing iron slag in the manufacture of glass. Bashley Britten, an English- man, had obtained Letters Patent in England and in the ITnited States which were controlled by Sir Sam- uel Canning, who had been knighted for his great ser- vices as an engineer in connection with the laying of the first successful .\tlantic cable, and Dr. Edward Bishop, of London, England. Several gentlemen from Clxde and Rochester, New York, purchased a controlling interest in the American Patent, organized a corporation, called the Anglo- .Vmerican Glass Company, and in July, 1879, purchased from the Farmers and RIanufacturers National Bank, that part of the Whale Dock property lying at the foot of Hoffman Street, which had been used for a cooperage and various other purposes, but which was 292 BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. then unoccupied. Utilizing some brick buildings on the property, a factory was constructed for nianufac- turing hollow glass ware, intending to use the molten scoria or slag "from the adjacent blast furnace The use of this slag as an ingredient in the manufacture of glass not proving a success it was abandoned. The first successful continuous tank for the manu- facture of glass ever constructed in the United States was erected and the making of glass commenced in March. 1880. December i. 1881, the factory was nearly destroyed bv fire, and a large quantity of ware was lost. The tank, however, was not materially in- jured, and in one month the buildings were rebuilt and work was resumed. Later another tank was added and the works enlarged. In April, 1897, the factories and most of the storage buildings were destroyed by fire and a large amount of ware was ruined. The company then bought the lot lying between the original purchase on Dutchess Avenue, also a large vacant lot on the south side of Dutchess .\venue, and constructed the present iron and brick buildings, which are regarded as models for glass works. There are three tanks which can run continuously day and night, and the output has increased from about 30.000 gross to about 130,000 gross per annum. The product consists of prescription and druggists' ware, beers, sodas, minerals, wines, brandies, fiasks. proprietary medicine goods, milk jars, packers and pre- servers" ware. During the busy part of the year, which is generally from September i to July i, about 350 hands are employed, many of them skilled work- men who receive very large wages. The corporation, the Poughkeepsie Glass Works, was organized November, 1880. Before that time the busines's had been conducted as a partnership, but un- der the same name. Mr. Charles W. Reed had ac- tive charge of the construction and early operation of the works until his health failed. The first Board of Trustees consisted of William C. Ely, Charles W. Reed, Charles D. Ely, George (). Baker and George II. Hoyt. of Clyde, Henry C. Wisner, of Rochester, and Evan R. Williams, of Poughkeepsie. The officers were William C. Ely, President: Henry C. Wi.sner. Vice-President : George ( ). I'.aker. Secretary, and Evan R. W^illiams, Treasurer and Superintendent. William C. Ely was President until liis death in SejilemlHT. 1886, -and was succeeded by Charles D. Ely, who held the office until he died May, 1903. The 1903 direc- tors are Ilenrv C. Wisner. George (">. T'>aker. Charles P. P.uckley, Robert Good. George II. lloyt, William G. I'.aker and George K. Diller. M. C. Wisner is Presi- dent: Charles P. P.uckley, Vice-President; George O. Baker, Secretary and .Attorney : William G. Baker, Treasurer and Superintendent. Mr. Robert Good is General P'actory ^Ianager. THE POl'GHKI'.l'.PSli': S.W'I.VGS BANK. The Poughkeepsie Savings Bank was organized in 1831, the charter members being William Davies, Mat- thew Vassar. Jr.. Griffin Williamson, James Emott. Thomas W. Tallmadge, Sle[)hen .Vrmstrong, Nehe- miah Conklin, Frederick Barnard, Teunis \^an Kleeck, James Hooker, Henry A. Livingston. The bank was not opened for business until May 4th, 1833. when it commenced in the office of Mr. Raymond, its treasurer, in what was known as the "I'.urritt House," Xo. 273 Main Street. In 1853 it removed to Market Street, where it has ever since been located. In 1871, the present commod- ious building was erected at a cost of about one hun- dred thousand dollars. Colonel Henry A. Livingston, of Revolutionary fame, was the first president. He was succeeded by Thomas \V. Tallmadge, who retained the position until his death .-Vugust iith, 1856. His successors have been John B. Forbus, 1856 to 1865, Henry D. \'arick. 1866 to 1877, David C. Foster, 1877 to 1903. In Jan- uary, i<)03, Mr. Foster was succeeded by Edward Els- worth. In i8C_K). thirty-six years after the bank opened for business, its deposits amounted to $1.~<)\.2^6. and its total resources were $1,936,445. In 1899, thirty years later, its deposits had increased to $8,6(j2,929.28, and its total resources, based on the par value of its securi- ties, were $c),394,4 16.84. On the first day of January, 1905, its deposits were $10,593,944.65, and its total resources, based on the par value of its securities, were $11,428,268,42. THE POUGHKEEPSIE TRUST COMPANY. ( See page 106.) The P(iuglikee])sie Trust Company, one of tiie leading financial institutions of the City of Poughkeep- sie. N. v.. was organized September ifith. 1901. The City National I'.ank and the Poughkeejisie Na- tional Bank were consolidated prior to the organization of the Poughkeepsie Trust Company. The business of said banks was actpiired by and merged in said Trust Conijiany. which conducts its business in the old banking building formerly occupied by the Pough- kee])sie Nation.al P.ank. which is shown on i)agc 106. The Poughkeepsie and City National Banks were butli did and strong financial institutions. The Bank n\ Poughkeepsie was organized in 1830. Thomas L. Davies was its fir.st president, .\fter the passing of the National Bank Law in 18(15. it became the I'nugh- keepsie National Bank. The City P.ank was organized in i860. Judge Joseph F. I'.arnard being its first president. In 1865, the City P.ank was merged into the City National Bank. In 1879 Hudson T.iyldr was elected its president, and continued in office mitil its consolidation with the Poughkeei)sie National I'.ank. The following are the |)resent officers and trustees of the Poughkeeiisie Trust Company: President. Stephen G. Guernsey : Xice-Presidents. Hudson Tay- lor. Charles W. Pilgrim: Treasurer. Tliomas W. Bar- rett: Secretary and Counsel. C. W. 11. .\rnold. Trus- tees. Hudson Tavlor. Samuel K. Rupley. J. W. Ilink- lev. Ir.. Frank |." Lefevre. R. II. Hunter. I'.enjamin P. Wriv-ie. losepli Morschauser. .\. G. Tobev, George \i. lline' ^a:ir W. Sberrill, T. W. i'.arrett. C. W. H. Arnold, .\dn;i I', lleaton. |. Wilson Poucher, BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 293 J. L. Williams, E. T. Hulst,. S. G. Guernsey, Andrew C. Zabriskie, Cecil E. Parker, William H. Frank, P. H. Troy, Charles \V. Pilfrrim, Hudson L. Taylor. The Poughkeepsie Trust Company is authorized to transact a general banking business and to act as ex- ecutor or administrator of estates, and as guardian, re- ceiver, registrar, transfer and financial agent for States, cities, towns, railroads and other corporations, and to accept any other trusts in conformity with the laws of any State or of the United States. It is a legal depository for State, city and court funds. It also has a savings department. The company is under the supervision of the Banking Department of the State of New York. The success of the company has dem- onstrated the need and usefulness of such an institu- tion in this city. POUGHKEEPSIE UNDERWE.\R CO. ( See page 236. ) The Poughkeepsie Underwear Company was m- corporated under the laws of New York in September, 1899, with authorized capital of $80,000; and com- menced business January i, 1900. Mr. Robert J. Stuart is president, Mr. F. .\. Conklin vice-president, and Mr. Frank Manser secretary and treasurer. Messrs. Samuel G. Rowles, .Arthur Manser and Henry T. Lumb. together with the officers, comprise the board of directors. This comi)anv manufactures ladies" and children's undergarments, known to the trade as "yueen Under- nuislins," and their goods are now sold all over the United States, and shipments have been made as far away as .Kustralia. Fine quality of material and work- manship, combined with progressive and up-to-date management have each vear fully doubled the trade, this year's business ( kjg^ ) exceeding $250,000. Since their start, the company have never shut down except about ten days each August for renovating and re- pairs, and now employ one hundred and fifty hands, with a pay-roll of about $1,000 per week. The begin- ning was in the Edward Storm building on Mill Street, but in T()02 the companv purchased the Taylor property on Xorth Cherry Street, and after relniilding and equi])ping the same started their new plant in De- cember of that year. Their building covers 50 by 150 feet of ground, is substantially constructed of brick, three stories in height, well lighted, ventilated and heated. The machinery is operated bv electric power furnished b\- the Poughkeepsie Light, Heat and Power Comjiany. WILLI. \M THACHER REYNOLDS. ( See page 211.) William Thacher Reynolds, senior member of the firm of W. T. Reynolds & Com])any, was born in Poughkeepsie December 20, 1838: he was educated here, and began his business career in the emplov of his father, familiarizing himself, step by step, with each phase of the wholesale flour and grain trade. In i860 he became a member of the finn of Reynolds & Com- pany, in partnership with his father. William W. Ke\- nolds, and his uncle, James Reynolds, Jr. James Reynolds, grandfather of William Thacher Reynolds, born in Rhode Island April 7. 1777, in the fourth generation of descent from James Reynolds, the first of the name and one of the earliest citizens of the Xarragansett country, was the son of William Reynolds, ensign in a Rhode Island Regiment in the Revolutionary war. Through one of his grandmoth- ers. Elizabeth Greene, wife of Francis Reynolds, he was cousin to General Nathaniel Greene. The sur- name "Reynolds," meaning "son of Reginald" or "Reynold." originated with the introduction into Eng- land by the .Vormans of the font name "Revnauld" or "Renaud." James Reynolds came to Poughkeepsie ab(jut 1800 and soon entered into partnership with .Aaron Innis in the operation of a line of i^acket sloops, running from what was known as the "Upper Landing" to New York. In 181 1 two sloops, the "Mary" and the "Driver," left for New York on alternate weeks, car- rying freight and passengers ; they were replaced in 1816 by the "Huntress" and "Counsellor," and they still later, by the barges "Clinton" and "Republic." Reynolds and Innis, in 1818, gave notice in the col- umns of the PoHglikccpsic Journal "to the Farmers and .Merchants of Dutchess County that the subscribers have taken the mill lately occupied by Martin Hoffman and Co., and tender their services to the customers of that firm in the milling business." About 1820, James Reynolds added a general store which, with the mill, were natural outgrowths and feeders of the transporta- tion line. The location of the Upper Landing, at the point where the Fall Kill empties into the ilud.son, was a l)articularly desirable one under the business conditions of that tla\-; before 1800 Robert L. Livingston had a store and mill there, and the hill since known as Rey- nolds' Hill, on which the east end of the Poughkeep.sie Iiridge rests, was called "Slange Klip"; the mouth of the Fall Kill, on a map dated 1799. was marked "Pond- akrien," presumably in reference to the ca.scade which turned the mill and which an old deed calls "Pendan- ick Reen." James Reynolds was a Friend, and never interested himself in ])ublic affairs, but one of the historians of Dutchess County wrote: "Messrs. Reynolds and In- nis were the most jjrominent and reliable business men of their period, not only in the city, but in th,.> entire county. They were men of strict integrity, and their character and standing as business men have not been surpassefl here to the present day." The two .sons of James Reynolds, ^\'il!iam W. and James Reynolds, Jr.. succeeded their father about 1840. as W. W. and J. Reynolds, and later developed the wholesale flour and grain branch of the business. The l'"rie Canal was then of much more importance than the railroads as a carrier of western produce, and .\lbany was the great distributing point for this part of the country ; W. W. & J. Reynolds had special agents in Albany who bought western produce for them and shipped it by their own line of sloops to Poughkeepsie. For several years there were three sloops in this line; but the business continued to in- crease until sailing vessels became too slow, and in 294 BIOGRAPHICAL APPEND I X. 1S54 the firm had the steam propeller "Reliance" huilt i)y Henry Finch at his ship-yard at the \\'hale Dock; she was run between Poughkeepsie and Albany twice a week for freight and passengers, initil i86i. wher she was sold to the L'nited States to be used as a trans- port. In 1849 the warehouse at the Upper Landing was built, and the business conducted there until 1871. In- creased railroad facilities and through freight lines had then changed the methods of transacting business. and a location where freight could be received by rail was necessary, which led to the erection of the present warehouse opposite the passenger station of the New- York Central and Hudson River Railroad, in 1872. At the death of James Reynolds. Jr., in 1865, the firm became Reynolds & Son; in 1869, when John R. Reynolds, son of James Reynolds. Jr.. entered it, W. W. Reynolds & Co. ; in 1874, at the addition of George E. Cramer, Reynolds & Co.; in 1889, at the death of John R. Reynolds, Reynolds & Cramer; and in 1899, when George E. Cramer died, W. T. Reynolds & Co. William \V. Reynolds married a daughter of the Rev. William Thacher. a descendant of Hon. John Thacher. of Yarmouth. Mass. The latter served with distinction in King Philip's war, 1675, '^''"J was for many years a member of the Governor's Council. Their son, William Thacher Reynolds, the subject of this sketch, is President of the Board of Trustees of the Washington Street Methodist Church ; President of the \assar Brothers Home for Aged Men ; trustee of the ( )ld Ladies' Home, of Vassar Brothers Hospital, of the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, and director of the Fallkill National Bank, and of the Poughkeepsie Sav- ings r)ank. He married July 6, 1864, Miss Louise Smith, and has two children, Harris Smith Reynolds, a graduate of Yale, and a member of the firm of W. T. Reynolds & Co.. and INIay Louise Reynolds. RI\'ER\'1EW MILITARY ACADEMY. (See page 256.) Riverview Military Academy, under the name of the Poughkeepsie Collegiate School, was organized and established in 1836, on College Hill, by Charles iiartlett. In 1857 Mr. Bartlett was succeeded by Otis ISisbee, who introduced, in 1862, military instruction and erected, in 1866, new buildings at Riverview. In 1867 the entire school marched in a body from College Hill to these new buildings, delightfully situated on high ground overlof)king the Hudson River, and yet only a short walk from the centre of the town. The school provides every modern improvement and con- venience. It thoroughly prepares its pupils — about 175 — for college or business life amidst pleasant and healthful surroundings. There are ten resident in- structors and an armv officer, specially detailed by the Secretary of War. The school is a family school. The ]irincipal and his family reside in the main l)uild- ing, and each student comes into daily contact with them. Otis Bisbee, to whom the school owes its present character, was born at Chesterfield, Mass., February 14, 1822. He was a descendant of the "Pjesbidge" family who settled in Plymouth, Mass., in 1734. He left Union College in 1849 to become a teacher in the Collegiate School, but was elected a member of the Phi Beta Kap|)a society in 1 85 1. Upon Mr. Bartlett's death Mr. Bisliee, in partnership with Mr. Charles 1>. Warring, took the direction of the school. The change in the character and location of the school has been already noted. In 1850 ^Ir. Bisbee married Frances C, daughter of Joseph Barlett, and had two daughters and one son. Major Joseph B. Bisbee, the present head of the school. Mr. Otis Bisbee died at Poughkeepsie February 12th, 1885. Joseph Bartlett Bisbee, A. M., principal and pro- prietor of Riverview Military Academy, was born in Poughkeepsie December 15, 1853. He was prepared for college under his father's own instruction, and en- tered Amherst College in 1876. In 1879 he returned to assist his father. In 1884, however, Amherst Col- lege, recognizing his work and ability, conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. Since his father's death he has conducted the school in accordance with the principles that first, under his father, gave it emi- nence, so that to-day it ranks among the foremost pre- paratory schools of the country. Major Bisbee was married in 1880 to Miss Sarah M. Pangborn, of Albany, N. Y. She died in March, 1884. Mr. Bisbee married in December, 1885, Miss Winifred Dana Wheeler, daughter of the late Francis I!. Wheeler. D. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Poughkeepsie for thirty-seven years. Mr. Bisbee is a member of the Masonic fraternity and an elder in the First Presbyterian Church. DR. J. F.. SADLIER. James Edgar Sadlier. M. D., President of the Dutchess County Medical Society, and one of the most ])rominent physicians and surgeons of Poughkeepsie at this time, was born at Walden, Orange County, N. ^'.. March 18, 1865. the son of the late James Sadlier, fur many years a leading merchant of New York City, and highly esteemed citizen of Walden. Dr. Sadlier received a thorough education in the public schools of his native village, and in tlu- academies (if Montgom- ery and New Paltz, N. Y. His uncle. Dr. William Woodrufif, an eminent physician of Pine Bush, then became his preceptor and gave him practical, as well as theoretical training in the medical profession until 1884, when he entered the Medical Department of Union College at .Mbany. He graduated therefrom in 1887. and was immediately a]i- pointed to the staff of the Albany Citv lIos]Mtal. in which he served with marked ability luitil .April I, 1S89, when he left to establish a residence and private practice for himse'f at Poughkeepsie. Although only twenty-four years of age. at that time, his acquired knowledge, thorough training and e.\])erience gave him at once a high standing in the ])rofession, and he was appointed on the staiT of \'as,sar llrothers Hospital in iX()i. 1 le enjiiys tc)-da\- a large and lucrative practice. hi the medical ])r(ifession he is recognized as a physi- cian and surgeon of the highest ability, and he has been po]iular with his associates ever since taking up his residence in Poughkeei)sie. He was chosen Sec- retarv to the Dutchess County Medical S<5ciety in BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX. 295 Januar)^ 1891, and served as such continuously until 1897, when he resigned because he was elected State delegate to the New York State Medical Society for the ensuing three years, after which he was duly elected member of the New York State Medical Society. He was elected President of the Dutchess County Medical Society in 1901. Dr. Sadlier is also a member of the American Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetri- cians. During 1899 he spent a portion of the year doing post graduate work at the Medical Department of the Johns Hopkins University, at lialtiniore, Md., and during 1902 he went abroad for the sake of study- ing surgery at the Clinics in Europe. For the last several years he has devoted himself more especially to that department of work pertaining to surgery, and gynaecology. The most of his work of that character being performed at his own private hospital in this city." Dr. Sadlier was married on June 18, 1891, to Miss Hattie C. Millspaugh, daughter of Theron L. Mills- paugh, of Walden, N. Y. ROBERT SANFORD. (See page 163.) Robert Sanford, retired lawyer of Poughkeepsie, was born in Albany, December 10, 183 1, the son of Nathan and Mary (Buchanan) Sanford, of Albany; the grandson of Dr. Thomas Sanford, who settled at I'iridgehampton, Long Island, and the great-grandson of Thomas McKean, Chief Justice and Governor of Pennsylvania three terms and a signer of the Declara- tion of Independence. Miss Mary Buchanan, the granddaughter of Justice McKean, and mother of Rob- ert Sanford, was married to Nathan Sanford in the White House at Washington, President John Ouincy ,\dams being her nearest living relative, giving away the bride. Nathan Sanford was a prominent lawyer. United States District Attorney, State Assemblyman, State Senator, twice United States Senator, commis- sioner for framing the new Constitution and candidate for Vice-President with Henry Clay. He was ap- pointed Chancellor to succeed James Kent, and he was the last speaker of the Assembly who wore a cocked hat. He died at Flushing, Long Island, in 1838. When nine years old, Robert Sanford commenced at- tending school in Hartford, Conn., and remained five years. He then spent four years under the tutorship of Dr. Muhlenberg, the celebrated instructor at Col- lege Point, Long Island, and two years under Dr. George H. Houghton, the rector of the famous "Lit- tle Church Around the Corner." an astute Greek tutor, who one day said to his pupil, "Bob, you are the most stupid jackass I ever saw." Robert respected him very much, and in years afterward, when he thought he was somewhat proficient in the ancient language. he wrote the doctor a letter in Greek, but the worthy tutor characterized it "as still possessing assinine qual- ities." Mr. Sanford, however, pursued his education, becoming a student at Kingsley Military Institute at West Point, and spending two years at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y. He then traveled extensively with his mother throughout Europe, and located in Pough- keepsie in 1857. Graduating from the New York State and National Law School in 1858, he spent two years in the law office of Joseph H. Jackson, then started on another extended European trip, during which he attended a course of lectures at the Sarbonne in Paris, and was formally presented to Napoleon III. He practiced law in Poughkeepsie from 1862 to 1866, and then made his third trip to Europe, and was pre- sented to the Queen of England by his cousin, Charles Francis Adams, then U. S. Minister to the Court of St. James. He returned to Poughkeepsie in 1867, and re- tired in 1894 after an active legal career of twenty- seven years. Though seventy-two years of age he pos- esses a stalwart frame, is of medium height and much resembles John Quincy Adams. He is an active ath- lete, fond of fresh air, walker and rider. Sanitary matters and pure air are his hobbies. His residence in the heart of Poughkeepsie, No. 29 North Hamilton Street, is surrounded by nearly six acres of lawn and beautiful shade trees, with winding walks and the bub- bling water of the Fallkill flowing through the grounds. He abandoned court practice mainly because he regard- ed the court rooms in the old building as unhealthy. As school commissioner, 1862 to 1866, he made a rec- ord for sanitary improvements which was most ser- viceable and important. Pie was interested with Henry Bergh in the work of prevention of cruelty to animals and was once vice-president of the society. He has been a delegate to the convention of the Diocese of New York for thirty years ; is a member of the Sigma Phi Fraternity; the Aztec Society (a Mexican war association) ; the Amrita Club, of Poughkeepsie; the Dutchess Hunt Club ; Union League Club, of New- York ; American Geographical Society ; Church Club of New York ; trustee of the Church of the Holy Com- forter of Poughkeepsie, and is connected with several social associations. In politics he is a Republican, but always declined elective office. Mr. Sanford was mar- ried May 23, 1867, to Miss Mary Helen Hooker Stuy- vesant, daughter of John R. Stuyvcsant, of Hyde Park, and great-granddaughter of Peter Stuyvesant, Colon- ial Governor of New York. They have had five chil- dren, four of whom are now living: Mary Buchanan, Henry Gansevoort, Helen Stuyvesant and Desiree. Their son, Stuyvesant, died in 1890, at the age of sev- enteen years. JACOB SCIIRAUTH AND HIS SONS, EDWARD L. AND WILLIAM H. SCHRAUTH. Jacob Schrauth, the founder of an extensive ice cream anuj-v-ee. who departed this life 9th Mav 179? :erated» and widow of Peter Hoffman, who departed this life — of November 179 — . aged 56 years. In memor\- of Hester, widow of Teunis Tappen. Esq., Deed., who departed this life JanuarA- 19. 1812. aged 82 years. 11 days. Helen Tappen. who departed this life July — , 1800. aged 28 years. 1 1 months and 20 days. In meinor\- of Jeremiah Smith, a son of William Smith, who depaned this life September 22d, 1799. aged 2,2, years and 1 1 months. .\ddriann. daughter of Minard and Catherine •~ ' '— ■ "t. who departed this life Tanuar\- 2. 1807. Frear. who departed this life Februar\- 28, _ ". 62 years. 2 months. 25 days. iiasdalen. wife of Stephen Harris, who departed this life December 20. 1802. in the 57th year of her age. In memory- of Teunis Tappen. Esq.. who departed this life . 1809. aged . ' ■ -' ^f Catherine, wife of William Williams. . of New York, and departed this life - e. June 19. 1814, in the 69th year of iitr agt. Her l>r5ttW harfr "m Hfe's wiW «K*an to«t In t-^ ■ - Sir. Th- Tii; - - --:::■..; T-'-rr -i ^;:- Her ■ in everlasting peace. In memory- of John W. \\illiams, attomej- at law of the City of New York, who departed life May i, 1806, aged 24 years, 4 months, 21 days. Behold and see as you pass by As you are now so once was i As i am now so you must be Prepare for deatii and follow me SIGNERS OF THE RE\OLUTIONARY PLEDGE OF ASSOCIATION. 177:^. IN THE POUGH- KEEPSIE PRECINCT. William .\nneley, Ephriam Adams, Geieyn Ackerman, Xalhaniel Ashford, John Bailey, Jr., John Baily, Jr., Isaiah Bartly, .Andrew Billings, .- Hans Bemer, John Briener, Gideon Boyse, Matthew Burnett, Thomas Burnett, .Abraham Banlay, William Burnett, Simon Bartley, George Brooks. Jacob \'. Benschoten, Silvanui Beckwith, Henry Bliss. James Brisby. James Brisleen, Hendrick Bush, Martin Bush, Zachariah Burwell, Thomas Bout, Christian Bush, Caleb Carmen, Caleb Carmen. Jr.. Ezekiah Cooper. Ezekiel Cooper, Samuel Corey. Nathaniel Conklin. .Alex. Chaucer. Samuel Ccoke. John Conkling. Matthew Conkling. Dorthir Conner. Jr., Richard Davis. John Davis. Samuel Dodge. Lewis Dubois. Richard V. Denburgh, John Dubois. Xathaniel Dubois. Jer--- "■- -. Ja "zh. Ml Joei l-»:i-".-. Da\-id Etatcher, (Page 36. J Henry Dodge, James Elderkin, Henry- Ellis, Richard Everitt, William Forman, .Abraham Fort, Johannus Fort, John Freer, Jacobus Freer, 2, Simon Free^, Elias Freer, .Abraham Ferden, Jacob Ferris, Omar Ferris, Sylvanus Greatwaks, Ale.xander Grigs, Tunis Hannes. .Ale.xander Haire, Henry- Hoff. Carel Hoefman, Thomas Holmes, Peter Horn, Stephen Hendrickson, Robert Hoffman, Lemuel Howell, John C. Hill. Henrj- Hegeman. Xathaniel Hemsted, Thomas Jacockes, Francis J ay cock, Benjamin Jaycock, Jonathan Johnson, John Johnson, William Jones, William Kelley, Jones Kelley. Johannes Kidney, John C. Kingsland. Henry- Kip. Benoni Kip. Isaac Komine. Jr., William D. Lawson, Peter .Andes Lansing. William Lawson, Jr., Simon Leroy, Simon Leroy. Jr., James Lewis, Barent Lewis, Henry Livingston. Jr., James Livingston, GEXERAL APPEXDIX. 301 Peter Lossing, Simon \V. Lossiiig. Larrine Lossing. Jr.. Peter Low. 2. Henr\' Livingston, James Luckey. Samuel Luckey, Jacob Low, John Maxtield, John Mott, Peter Mullin, Joshua Moss. Cornelius Xoble, Robert North, Robert Xoa. Abraham Pitt. Zephaniah Piatt, Hendrick Pells, Hendrick Pells. Jr.. Wilhelmus Ploegh. Isaac Poole, John Pilgrit. Thomas Poole, John Romyne, John Robinson, William Roach, Thomas Rowse, Aaron Reed, Eli Read, John Reed, Jacobus Roades. John C. Ringland. James Read. George Sands. John Saunders. William Sawekes. John Schenck. Jr., Paul Schenck. Jacob Schr\-\er. George Shanhan. Samuel Smith. Gonis Storm. Richard Snedeker. John Seaburj-. Jr.. John Seabury, Johannes Swartwout. Bamardus Swartwout, Minnard Swartwout. John Swartwout. .\braham Swartwout. Mathias Sharp. Edward SvTnmonds. Lodovick Sypher. Peter Tappan. Xathan Tray, William Terry, Teunis Tappen, John Townsend, John Tappen. Thomas Travis, John Ter Bush, E. \. \'an Bunschten, J. Van Bunschoten, M. Van Keuren, .\braham \'an Keuren. M>-ndert Van Kleeck, Mat. \'an Keuren, Jr., Henr>- Van Blercome, M. \'an Denbogart. Garrit \'an Wagenen, Jac. \'an Kleeck. John \"an Kleeck. Law. \'an Kleeck. Pieter Van Kleeck. P. B. Van Kleeck. L. J. Van Kleeck. J. L. \"an Kleeck. John T. \"an Kleeck. Leonard Van Kleeck, S. Van Denburgh. Gerrit Van Vliet. S. Van \'oorhees. E. Van Bunschoten. Peter F. \'alleau. Peter Van \'liet. Frederick Van Miet, Peter Van Dewater, Cornelius \'ie!e. Jac. \"an Den Bogart. F. \'an Denbogart. John Waterman. .\ndrew Wanles. .\zariah Winchester, Henry Willsie, John Willsie. Hobert Waddel. .\lbo. Water\ell. Casparos Westervelt, C. R. We5ter\elt. Enyanien Wester\-elt, Cornelius Wester\elt. C- B. Westervelt, Richard Wanier. .\ndrew \\'eeks, William Wilsey. James Winans. .^- Michael Yerrw THOSE WHO REFUSED TO SIGN. George Ame. Xaihaniel Babcock. Ebinezer Badger. George Baldwin. Isaac Baldwin. Isaac Baldwin. Jr.. William Barnes, Henry Barnes. Henr\- Beve.x, John"\". D. Bogart. John Boman. Myndert B\nidirs. Joseph Chaddirdon. Robert Churchell. John C'X>pnian, B. Crannell. .\ustin Cmd (Creed ?>. John De Graff. James Douglass. Teremiah Dubois, Peter DuK->is, Jr., Eli Emons. John Emons, William Emott. John Ferdon. Zachary Ferdon. Jacob Ferdon. Esquire Ferdon. .\braham Frair. .\hraham Frair. Jr., Simon Frair. Jr.. Thomas Freer. Samuel Hull, John Hunt. James Kelly. M>iiden Kidney, Jacobus Kidney, Robert Kidney. Matthew Kipp, Peter Laroy. Isaac J. Lassing. William Lassing, James Lasting, Felix Lewis. Melancthon Lewis, John Low, William Low, Arie Medlar, John Miller, Hendrick Miller, Johalhan Morey, B. Xoxen, Simon Xo.xen, Aaron Olmstead, John Palraitear, Francis Palmitear. Michel Pelts, Francis Pelts, Evert Pelts, Samuel Pinckney, Thomas Pinkney, Ezekiel Pinkney, John Pinkney, Jacob Polmatier, Eli Read, Michael John Rutsen. Flemming Stcenburgh, Elias Thompsor., John Van Deburgh, H. J. Van Deburgh, Peter Van Deburgh, H. Van Denburgh, H. Van Denburgh. Baltus \'an Kleeck. Peter P. \'an Kleeck, Xehemiah \'eal. Michael Wellding. Tunis Williamson, James Wood, Gail Velverton. Jr.. In general these names are as given in \ oL HI, American Archives, pp. 601-602, but arranged alpha- betically for more convenient reference. The repeti- tions of the names of .\ndre\v Billings, William For- man. Jacobus Freer (one of which is spelled Frear), Peter Low, Lewis DuBois. Robert North. John Schenck. Jr.. Bemardus Swarwout, Peter Tappen and . E. \'an Benschoten have been eliminated. In addition to Henr>- Ellis a Henry Eliss. probably a repetition, is g^ven in some lists. Herbert Waddell appears in one list as \\"oddell and there are other \-ariations in speW- ingr. NAMES OF PERSONS IN THE PRECINCT OF POLGHKEEPSIE WHOSE PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS CONFISCATED AND SOLD DURING THE RE\'OLUTION, IN 1777. (See page ^J.) Peter John Lassing, Johannis A. Lassing. Isaac Lassing. Joseph Abbott, John Anderson, John Beardsley, Hendrick Brush, Matt Bumens. Thomas Burnett, Christian Bush. Martin Bush, John Cherry, B. Crannell, Cornelius DuBois, William Ellis, Eli Emmons, John Emmons. .Tacob Ferdon. Joseph Haight. Samuel Harris. Philip Henning. Zaccheus Hill. William Jaycocks. Jonathan Johnsone. Johannis Peter Lassing. Johannis W. Lassing. John Peter William Lassing. Peter P. Lassing. Lawe Lassing. Isaac P. Lassing. Henry Lyon. John Miller. John Mott. Jonathan Morey. Richard Peters, John Prenners, Peter Palmatier. I Son of Johannis), Samuel Pinkney. William Rosche. Eli Ruscraft, Lodowick Sieler (C\-pher?> Simetm Steenburgh. Fleming Steenburgh. Henri- Van Der Burgh. Esq., Richard Van Der Burgh. LIST OF PERSONS WHO MANUMITTED THEIR SLAVES. ( From the back of Book A of Roads. Town of Pough- keepsie. under act of Februan.- 22d. 1788.) ( See page 63.) Egbert Benson. 1790. John Frear. 1794. Zephaniah Piatt, 1795- Giibert Livingston. John Mott. 302 a n \ B R A L A PPE X n / .v. John Willse. John Rcade. Peter Van Den Burgli I'nder Act of 29111 .March, ijfjg, "for the i;ra(hial abolition of slavery." Thomas Casey, g slaves. Francis Pells. Jacob K. Duryea. Heirs of Myndert Van Klceck. Theodorus Bailey. John Reade, (set free child horn, the mother to lie free at expiration of five years.) Benjamin Jaycocks. Under Act of 8th Ai^ril. i8oi, entitled. ".Vn .\ct concerning- .slaves and servants." John X. Bailey. Samnel Lnckey. James Dearin. Tony Fox, a black man. Thomas W. Jayco.x. Henry Dodge, 1806. James Dearin. 1807. James Emott. 1807. Stephen Hendrickson, iSoS. Henry Dodge. 1808. Robert L. Reade. (administrator of John Reade), 1809. John B. Frear, execntor Colonel John Frear. iSog. Francis Pells, 1810. Peter Low, 1810. James Westervelt. 1810. Samnel Mnlford. i8ti. Peter Pells, 181 1. Zephaniah Pells. 181 1. Theron Rndd, 1811. W'm. Davis, as execntor of Solomon Sutherland, 1813. Ezra Thoinpson, Jun., 1813. John Brush, 1813. Hendrick Willsie. 1814. Nazareth Brewer, 1814. John Barnes. 1814. Executors of Jane Van Ness, 1815. .Abraham Adriancc, 1S15. John Nagel. Stephen Booth, (of town of Reading, State of ConnecticiU ). John Drake, 1816. Samuel Pinkney. James Emott, Elizabeth Baker, administrators estate of Valentine Baker, 1817. James Tallmadge. 1817. John B. Van Wyck, 1817. Benjamin Herrick, 1818. George P. Oakley, 1818. Executors of William Williams, deceased. James Dearin, 1818. John Parkinson. 1818, Peter Low, 1818. Executors of Peter Derimus, iSiS. Catharine Livingston, widow of Roliert Livingston, 1819. Henry Dodge, 181Q. Catherine Wordell, (seamstress). 1819. Jacob Bush, 1819. Stephen Mitchell, executor of Thomas Mitchell. 1820. r^ichard James, 1820. Henry Dodge, 1820. Dr. Stephen Hasbrouck. iSji. Joseph Barmalec. i8ji. George Bloom. 1821. Luke L Stoutcnburgh. i8j_>. John Barnes, 1823. Major Bailev and Sanuul W. Kellev. 1823. John B. Van' Wyck. 1824. .■\mos Thorn, 1824. Leonard Davis, 1824. James l"ort, 1824. John B. Van Wvck, 1824. John B. Van Wyck. 1825. James Hooker, 1826. Before 1800 nearly all slaves are mentioned by one name only; after 1800 some were given family names. I^ERSOXS WHO REGISTERED SLAVE r.IRTIIS UNDER ACT OF MARCH 2.^. 17.,.,. Smith Thompson, 1800. Caril Hofman, 1800. Gilbert Livingston, iSoo. James Westervelt, 1800. Henry Dodge, 1800. Richard Davis, 1800. James Brainble, 180T. Robert Noxon, 1801. Thomas Mitchel, 1801. Gideon Boyce, 1802. John Reade, 1802. William ]\Iorey, 1802, John Wilsey. 1802. Smith Thompson, 1802. Samuel Pinckney, 1803. William Morey, 1803. Richard Davis, 1803. James Westervelt. 1803. Thomas Mitchel. 1803. John Cooke, 1804. James Dearin, 1804. John Reade. 1804. Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers, 1805. Robert Gill, 1805. Henry Dodge, 1806. John Reade, 1806. Peter De Reiiner, 1806. Simeon J. Frear, 1807. Derick Westervelt, 1807. Winer Manny, 1808. Henry Dodge. 1808. William Morey, 1809. William Morey, 1810. George W. Clinton, 1810, born 1809. George W. Clinton, 181 1. Ann Clinlon. 1813. Samuel .Mulfonl. 1X15. liorn 180(1, ONE OF THE FORAIS FOR REGISTERING THE P.IRTH OF A SLA\'E UNDER ACT OF ijQg. I Smith Thompson, df I'dughkeepsie, in Dutchess Cintnty, .\ttorney-at-l,a\v. being the legal ])roprietor of a negro wench slave, do pursuant U> an .\ct nf the Eegislature of the State of New York, entitled, an "Act fdi" the (iradual .Abolition of Slavery," passed 2(;th M.iich. I /<)<). hereby certify that the negro wench has been delivered of a male child whose name is P>ill, that he is now abi)ut eight montlis old. to the best of my kiiDwledge and belief. Dated this jAth da\- of May. in the year 1800. .Smith Thompson. Recnrded 5tli da\ nf June. iXoo. RiCHii I'Ai:kitt, Town Clerk. AIll.lTIA (M'I'-ICERS \jS.f,-\ynn. ((Jriginal nil! 111 p. issessicn i>f William T. Ward.) .A roll nf tin- iialhs and subscri])tions of the Militia Officers, taken and made before Gilbert Eivingstoti, Esquire, by virtue of a writ of dedimtis ])otestatem to him and others for tliat i)ur]iose issued under tlie great seal of the State of Xew N'ork. Dated October 2d, 1786. GENERAL APPEND I X. 303 T, A. B.. do solemnly swear and declare, in the presence of Almighty God, thai I will bear trne faith and allegiance, to the State of New ^'(lrk•, as a free and Independent State, and tiiat I will in all things, to the best of my knowledge and ability, do my duty, as a good subject of the said State ought to do. So help me God. 1-86. November 6tli. Consider Casliinnn. LiL-uteii.'iiit. Nathan Lane. Ensign. Niivenilicr 71I1, Jesse Sniitli, Captain. Ebenezer Boyd, Jnnior. luisiKU. Isc. Pennoyer, Captain. John Drake, Jnnior, Caplain. Caleb Hagen, Captain. Jolm Berry, Lientcnant. Danial Wilson, Ensign. Ezra Gregory, Lientcnant. " Henry Garrison, /VdjiUant. " Tliomas Sears, Captain. Solomon Hopkins, Captain. Elijah Tovvnscnd, Captain. Elijah Bebee, Captain. James Townsend, Lientenant. Novenilier 29th, Wm. Wilkinson, Lientcnant. October 7th,..\bni. Lent, Major Brigade. October 15th, Abm. B. Rapalje. October 16, Abm. Brinckerhoff, Colonel. 1790. October 19, James Bnrton, Major. October 23, John Patterson, Captain. July ID, Samuel .-^ngnstus Barker, Lt. Colonel Com. 1792. July 10, Coller Chamberlain, Lt. Colonel. Com. T790. An.gnst 2(1, John B. Van Wyck, Captain. Jan Duffinger, Lieutenant. Peter Waldron. September ()th, David Morehonse, Captain. September 10th, Isaac Swartwout, Lientenant. Tunis Hanson. October 8th, Taber Bentley, Captain. I79r. i\L-iy loth, Cornelins Van Wyck. Lieutenant. Isaac Vail. Captain. Pliilip Van Der Bilt, Ensign. Elisha Brown, Lieutenant. .■\rchal)ill Swinton, Paymaster. James Cook, Captain. Benajah Beardsley, Lieutenant. Samuel Berry. Ensign. Josiah Baker, Quartermaster. William Webl, Ensign. John Drake, Lieut. Colnnel Counnaml. " Eleazer Hazen, Ensign. Gilbert Drake, Ensign. Wiliam Pearce, Lieut. Colonel Cnmniandaut. Samuel ,\ugnstus Barker. Major. Benjamin Elliot, Major. " Zaccheus Marshel. Captain. Jethro Sherman, Licincnant. Caleb Hanes, Jr., Ensign. Benjamin Titus, Captain. Stephen Riley, Lientenant. " David Baldwin, Ensign. Jonathan Crane, Captain. Ezra Richards, Ensign. Nathan Paddack. Captain. " Samuel Crosby, Lieutenant. John Penney, Ensi.gn. Thomas Stevens, Captain. James Stark, Lientenant. Elisha Shelden, Ensign. Ephraim ^lanin. Captain. Solomon Crosby, Lieutenant. " Matthew Beale, Ensign. May loth, Daniel Davis. Captain, Stephen Mitchell, Lieutenant. .'\bul Slierman, Ensign. " James Bnrton, Captain. " Peter Crosby, Lientenant. John Herrick, Ensign. " Stephen Barmnii, Captain. " John Patterson, Lieutenant. Ira Crane, Ensign. " Lemuel Cro.sby, Quartermaster. " Joseph C. Field, Paymaster. " Joseph Chandler, Captain. " Elisha Sill, Lieutenant. " Peter Talman, .'\djntant. William C. Mills. Ensi.gn. Henry Luilin.nton. Jr., Ensi.gn. 1 7S7. M;. Mav l/tli, 30th, 5th, James Cook, Major. Brinton Paine, Lient. Colonel Ci:)mmandant. Theodorus Bailey, Major. Stephen Hendrickson, Captain. Gilbert I. Livingston, Captain. Jacobiis Sleght, Captain. Daniel Smith, Captain. Elias Frost, Captain. Henry Humphrey, Captain. Jared Rnndel, Lieutenant. Stephen Marshall, Ensign. William Bailey, Lientenant. John M. Thurston, Lientenant. William Terry, Lientenant. Scudder Piatt, Ensign. Jesse Bell, Captain. James J. Stoutenbergh, Ensign. Peter L Van Kleeck, Ensign. James Cooper, Lieutenant. James Rent, Paymaster. Isaac Bloom, Lient. Colonel Connnandanl. Ma; Jun July 1788. Jnly 2ist, Benjamin Noxon, Infantry Captain. The following persons qualified by Gilbert Living- ston, bv virtue of dedimus to him and others. Dated :\[arch'i_'lh, 1788. 1788. Mav ^rd, James Coopen, Captain. Wm. F. M. Piatt, Ensign. 2ist, James V. D. Burgh, Lieut. Colonel CommandaiU. ,^rd, Barthw. Vanderburgh, Major. William Edniimd, Infantry Captain. Peter V. D. Burgh, .\djntant. '^^■ June Kith. Cornelius .\driance, Capt.iin. Theodorus .\driance. Captain. John .Xdriance, Captain. " John Forbus, Captain. " Benjamin Hashrook. Lieutenant. George BrinekerhotT, Ensign. Theodorns R. \'an Wyck, Ensign. Selah Brnsli, Lieutenant. Ram. I. .'Vdriance, Lieutenant. James V. D. Burgh, Jr., Ensign. Cornelius R. Vanwyck, Lt. Infantry Captain. John S. Brinckerhoff, Lieutenant. John Storm, Ensign. June 17th. Nchemiab Oakey, Captain. June Kjlli. Zachariah Vanvorhees, CaiU.aiu. John INIyer, Jr., Lieutenant. Benjamin Roe, Ensign. July .^ist, William Swartwout, Captain. Cornelius Swartwout. Lientenant. " John Lloyd, Captain. .Augnst 7th, Wm. B. Alger, Inspector. .\ngust I2th, Robert H. Livingston, Captain. Angust 14th, .\aron Stockholm, Captain. Angust 19th, Joseph Jackson, .\djntant. Angust 28th, Elbert Willett, Junior, Captain. 304 GENERAL APPENDIX. TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF POUGH- KEEPSIE. 813. George Klooni. Prcs 1799- James S. Smith, Pres Valentine Baker. Andrew Billings, Ebcnczer Badger, Thomas Nelson. 1801. Gilbert Livingston. Pres. 1 80 J. Garrolt B. Van Ness. Pres 180.V Andrew Billings. Pres.. Khenezcr Badger, Robert Noxon, .Tesse Oakley. Robert H. Livingston. 1804. Thomas Nelson. Pres., Richard Everitt, John Sayres. John Forbns. Peter R. Maison. 1805. William Kmott. Pres., Robert Williams, Richard Everitt, John Sayres. George P. Oakley. t8o6. William Eniotl. Pres., David Carpenter, Richard Everitt. David Brooks. George P. Oakley. 1807. James Tallniadge, Jr.. Pres., Robert Noxon, Peter B. Morgan, Leonard B. Lewis, John Wj'nans. 1808. James Tallmadge, Jr., Pres., Robert Noxon, Peter B. Morgan, John Davis, Richard Everitt. 1809. John Brush, Pres., John Everitt, Nathan Myers, James Wilson, Garwood M. Cunningham. 1810. David Carpenter, Pres., Richard Everitt, Philo Rtiggles. 1811. William Emoll. Pres., William Cromwell, Thomas J. Oakley, Abraham G. Storm. 1812. William Emolt, Pres., Benjamin Arnold, Randall S. Street, -Abraham Bockee, Daniel Hebard, John B. Swartwont, Thomas Carman. Benjamin Arnold, Samuel Slec. 1814. Reuben B. Rudd, Pres., Samuel Slee, John B. Swartwout, Benjamin 1 lowland. John E. Pells. 181 5. Gilbert Ketcham, Prcs., lironson French, Thomas Sweet, Benjamin Forbns, Thomas L. Davies. t8i6. Clapp Raymond, Pres.. Martin Hoflfman, Peter R. Maison. John B. Swartwout. Sabin Lewis. 181 7. Thomas Brownjohn. Pres Benjamin Forbns. Thomas Barritt. John Barnes. Major Bailey. i8r8. Benjamin Fnrbus. Pres.. George Mcrkel. Edmond Morris, Peter Everitt. Sannicl W. Kelly. iSig. Samuel Pine. Pres., John Cooper, John Green, William Phnnmer, Matthew Vassar. 1820. Benjamin Forbns, Pres., William Plummer, Thomas Barritt. James B. I'rear. John Green. i8ji. William I'lummer. Pres.. John Caller. Thomas Barritt. James B. Freer, John E. Pells. 1S22. Richard Drajjcr. Prcs.. .Major B.iilev. John Giles. ■ Nicholas Powers. Benjamin Howland. 1823. Thomas L. Davies, Pres., Henry .\. Livingston. John Brush, John S. Myers, Solomon y. Frost, 1824. Solomon V. Frost, Pres., Stephen Pardee, Matthew Vassar, John S. Myers, Henry Conklin. 1S25. Oliver Holden, Pres., Stephen Pardee, Henry Conklin, Matthew Vassar, John S. Myers. 1826. John S. Myers, Pres., Stephen Cleveland, Stephen Pardee, Matthew Vassar, David B. Lent. 1827. N. P. Tallmadge. Pres.. Matthew Vassar. David Boyd. Lsaac Tice. Josiah Burritt. 1S28. Stephen Cleveland. Pres., Henry Conklin, Josiah Burritt. Tames Hooker, John Giles. 1829. Stephen Cleveland. Prcs.. Tohn B. Forlms. Elias Trivctt. John L. Fonda. Laac H. Ver Valin. 1 830. Walter Cunningham. I'ri-. Robert Wilkinson. Griffin Williamson. Josiah Burritt, David Boyd. 1831. llinry Conklin. Pres., James B. Frear, .Alexander J. Coffin, Nchemiah Swx'et, Jacr)b Van Renthuysen. 1832. I lenry Conklin. Prcs. James B. Frear, John B. Forbns, Jacob Van Benthnysen .Alexander J. Coffin. 1833. George P. Oaklev, Pres., William^ H. Calkins, Mcnrv Conklin, Peter P. Hayes, Jacob De GrofF, 1834. Alexander Forbus, Pres.. Josiah Burritt. Isaac L Balding, Richard Pudncv, James Mills. 1835- Malthew Vassar, Prcs., Edward C. Southwick, Isaac L Balding, Jacob Van Benthnysen, Gideon P. Hewitt. 1836. Jacol) Van Benthnysen, Pres., Matthew Vassar, Isaac \. Balding, Gideon P. Hewitt, Edward C. Southwick. 1837. Jacob Van Benthnysen, Pres., Isaac I. Balding, Gideon P. Hewitt, Edward C. Southwick. David Arnold. Jacob Van Benthnysen, Pres Isaac I. Balding, David Arnold, Edward C. Southw'ick, Gideon P. Hewitt. Gideon P. Hewitt, Pres., Uriah Gregory, David Arnold, Nathaniel Hill, John Adriance. 1840. Gideon P. Hewitt. Prcs.. David Arnold. Nathaniel Hill. L^riab Gregory, John .Adriance. 1841. Gilbert Wilkinson. Pres., Gilbert 1. Vincent, William W. White. Howland R. Sherman, George M. Perry. TS42. Hubert \"an Wagenen. FVes Willi.-un W. Reynolds. Barnet Hawkins. Jacob De Groff. James I'owne. 1843. Hubert \',-ni Wagenen, Prcs James I'owne. William W. Reynolds, Barnet i lawkins, Jacob DeGroff. 1844. John M. Cable. Pres.. William Hunt. Chandler Holbnu.k. George R. Gaylord. Josepli H. Jackson. 1843- :\lattbcw J. Myers. Pres . William W. Reynolds, James Bow-ne. William A. Famiing. Charles Carman. 1846. Matthew J. Myers, Pres., James Bowne, Charles Carman. William A. Fanning, William W. Reynolds. 1847. .Adam I lenderson, Pres., Nathan GifFord, Harvey Palmer, William I. Street, Benjamin C. Van Vliet. GENERAL APPENDIX. 305 1848. Adam Henderson. Pres. Nathan Gifford, Harvey Palmer, William I. Street. Benjamin C. Van Vliet. 1849. 1852. George Innis, Pres., (to J\lay 24tli. resig-ned.) E. Q. Eldridge. Cfroni May 24th appointed). Samuel Cliichestcr. (to Septem- ber 27th. resigned). Samuel B. Johnston. Pres., J'"'"^^^, Tilanchard, (from Scp- James Reynolds, Jr., „.*.';,'""="" ,?^'A' ^PPO'''^^'^- Henry Coffin, ^V',"''''"V^'- Cramer, George B. Adriance, \\'^^"" '^''^vm!''- William C. Sterling. .\hraham W iltsie. 1850. 185.S. George B. .\driauce. Pres., J^'^'"!' l^^'GrofY, Pres., Henrv Coffin, Oliver H. Booth, John'M. Cable, Wdliam H. Tallmadgc, James F. Marble, Charles Cable, Henry Angevine. George Wilkmson. 1851. 1854- Jolin M. Cable. Pres., Jacob De Grotif. William P. Gibbons, George Wilkinson, Matthew Vassar, Jr., William H. Tallmadgc, James H. Fonda, Oliver H. Booth, George Innis. Benjamin B. Reynolds. Ill 1 810 there were only three trustees during the year. The village minutes for May loth state that •■Three other Candidates for Trustees that had the next greatest number of votes were tied and of course not elected." In 1811 there were but four trustees — "John Forbus and Rufus Potter had an equal number of Votes, being 13 each." Tliere appears to be no means of ascertaining the names of the trustees oi 1800, 1801 and 1802. FIRST ORDINANCES N.\AIING STREETS. (Page 77.) Passed 6th No\ember. 1801. r)e it ordained. That the following streets in this village shall be known and distinguished by the names annexed to them respectively, to wit : 1. The street beginning between the northwest cor- ner of the old Dutch cemetery and the northeast corner of the court-house lot. and running thence southerly to the extent of the village boimds. to i)e distinguished by the name of Market Street. 2. Tile street beginning at liudsdn's river, at the landing of William Davies & Co., and leading thence to the nine partners as far as the eastern extremity of said village, be distingtu'shed l)y the name of Main Street. 3. The street beginning at Main .Street between the lot of Mrs. Rroom and the tan-yard of Ebenezer Bad- ger, and leading thence northerly to the extent of the corporation limits, to be known b\- the name of W'ash- ingtiin Street. 4. The street commencing on the scnith side of ]\Iain Street between the lots of Andrew Piillings and Leonard Davis, and running thence southerly till it meets the road leading from Oswego to Market Street, to be known by the name of Academy Street. 5. The street commencing at .Academy Street in front of the Academy, and terminating at Market Street, to be distinguislied bv the name of Cannon Street. 6. Tlie street commencing on the eastern side of Market Street ^t the southwest corner of the Episco- pal Church lot, and leading thence to Academy Street, to be distinguished by the name of Church Street. 7. The street commencing at Hudson's river at Hoffman's landing, and running easterly till it unites with Main Street, to be known by the name of Mill Street. 8. The street commencing on the west side of Mar- ket Street at the southeast corner of the court-house lot, and terminating at the union store of George P.. Evertson, at the Hudson's river, to be known by the name of LTnion Street. c). The street leading frum the west side of .Market Street at the lot of John Tapjjan, and terminating at the landing of Richard Davis, on Hudson's River, to be distinguished b>' the name of Pine Street. 10. The street commencing in the northeast corner of a lot assigned to Helen Piatt on the west side of Market Street, and leading thence to Hudson's River near John Read's landing, to he distinguished by the name of Eivingston Street. 1 1. Tlie street beginning at the south side of Union Street opposite the lot of John .\rden, leading thence in a southerlv direction to Livingston Street, to be known bv the name of Jefferson Street. 12. The street commencing at the landing of John Read and running tlience northeasterly to Jefferson Street, to be called by tlie name of Columbia Street. 13. The street leading from Mill Street at Joseph Powman's lot, southerly across Main Street to I^nion, to he known by the name of Clover Street. 14. The street commencing at the north side of Mill Street opposite the lot of Nathan Myers, and lead- ing northeasterly to Washington Street, to be known l)y the name of Bridge Street. 15. The street commencing opposite the soutli- easterly junction iif Pine and Jeft'erson Streets, and terminating at the village bounds, to be distinguished by the name of Montgomery Street. Passed September i6th, 1806. 16. That the street commencing at Pine Street near the house of Francis F. I.eroy, and terminating at I'nion Street, shall lie named Laurel Street. 17. The street comnieneiiig at Pine Street at the liciuse of Josiah l'>roas. and terminating in Union Street, shall be named Tuli]i Street. 18. The street commencing at Montgomery Street and riinniiig across Main Street by ^^'illiam Emott's. and terminating at Mill Street, is nameil Hamilton Street. IQ- The street cDmmencing at Main Street opposite Jedediah Pienjaniin's and running northeasterly to the village l^ounds, near Minard \'an de P.ogart's, is named Smith .Street. 20. The street commencing at Mill Street by the mills of Martin Hoffman & Co.. and running parallel with Ilud.son's River across Main and Union Streets till it terniinatcs at Pine Street, is named Water Street. 21. The street commencing at L'nion Street near its junction with Laurel Street, and terminating at Water Street, is named John Street. 22. The street commencing at Montgomery Street and rnnniiig across Main Street near the house of John I'.oertiin. and across the Fall-kill, till it terminates, "at Smith Street, is naiw' Cherry gtreet. 306 GENERAL APPENDIX. 23. The street cniiimeiieiiit;' at Main Street and tcrniinatinn; at Cannon Strt-t't. is named IMechanic Street. 24. The street comnieneini;- at .Main Street l)v well Xo. 2. and rnnning across ^^dl Street to the gate of Levi McKeen. is called Garden Street. Passed September 13th, 1833. 2^. That the street commencing at Washington Street next north of Warren Skinner, and rnnning easterly lo the village hounds, shall he called Xorth Street.' I'assed May 6di, 1834. 26. That the street which runs from Bridge Street across the Fall-kill, and to and around Mansion Square, and thence to Smith v^treet. shall he called .M.insion Street. 27. That the s(|uare surrounded h\ .Mansion Street shall be called Mansion S(|uare. 28. That the .street which runs from Catharine Street to Smith Street parallel with and ne.xt north of Mansion Street, sliall he called Cottage Street. 29. That tile street which runs from Mill Street across tlie Fall-kill and across ^lansion Street to Cot- tage Street, shall he called Catharine vStreel. 30. That the street which runs from .Mill Street, being a continuation of Hamilion Street across the Fall-kill to North Street, shall he called Ilamilton Street, excejiting such part of it as passes the west end of Mansion S(|uare, which part is called Mansion Street. Re-enacted 1 st February, 1843. 1900 Dutchess County 81,670 1S90 Town of Poughlveepsie 4,782 1900 ■■ " 6,820 .\ considerable ])art of the recent growth of the Town of 1 'oughkeepsie is iii neighborhoods just out- side the limits of the city. ])articularly at .\rlington, and near N'assar College. 1698 1714 172.3 1731 1737 1746 '749 1756 1771 1786 171x3 1800 1810 1810 1814 1820 1825 1830 1830 183.S 1840 1845 i8so 1855 I8.S5 i860 1865 1870 187s Pni'L-L.\TlOX STA'l'lSTlCS. (Pagt- 54-) Dutchess and Ulster Counties 1,384 Dutchess County (first separate census) 445 Dutchess County 1.0S3 2.239 3.418 •• •■ s.8or, ;.9i2 14.1.V 22.404 32,(13'' Town of Poughkecpsic 2,520 3.^46 4,669 VillaKc of rouKhkecpsic 2,981 Town of I'ouKhUeepsie. . . .^.''73 Ti)wn of Pouglikeepsie. . . ,^.')3.t Village of Poughkeepsic .^023 0,281 7.710 Tciwn of Poughkecpsie 11,79' 13.944 (city taken out) 3,110 Citv of Pouglikeepsie, Ward 1 4.099 Ward 2 2,663 " " Ward 3 3,461 " " Ward 4 2,54012.763 City of Poughkecpsie 14.726 16,073 20,080 " " 20.022 " " 20,207 22,206 24.029 POI'GHKEEFSIE HOTEL SALE IN 1804 FOR POLITICAL HEADQUARTERS. (Page88.') This indentiu'e made the first da}' of December, one thotisaml eight hundred and four, between Robert Wil- liams, of the \ illage of Pouglikeepsie, in Dutchess County, and Abigail, his wife, of the first ]>art, and Ciilbert Living.ston, Xathan Myers ami |ohn I'.rush, esquires, of the second part. . Whereas, at a respectable meeting of a number of Re]ntblicans of the County of Dutchess, it was tinani- mously agreed that it would be greatly to the Re- iniblican interest of said county that a liberal sum of money should be raised by subscription and appro- priated to l)u\' and build or purchase a suitable lot and Iniilding in the \'illage of Pouglikeepsie. to be occupied as ;i stand for a Public Inn. It was also agreed that the Sinn of twelve thousand and five hundred dollars be the sum for the purpose aforesaid, and that it be divided into shares of $50 each. It was also further agreed that Gilbert Livingston, Ephraim Paine, X'athan Myers, James Tallmadge, Jr., and John i'.rush, be a committee to obtain stich subscrijitiiin from the Rc- ptiblican interest disposed to favor the i)lan aforesaid. That said committee shall have power to apportion the shares subscribed by reducing the number of all or any who may have subscribed more than one share so that there may be a general distriliution thereof to all our Republican friends, and call a meeting of the stockholders to take other proper measures to effect the premises. Acting inicler the .above ;uid agrt'eing to it the fol- lowing named, signed and purchased as follows: Name. No. of Shares. C.corgc Clinton 15 Morgan Lewis 10 Smith Thompson 10 (".illiert Livingston ID K.iluTt Willi.-uns 10 I'laruood 1 1. Cunningham 10 Thomas Tillotson 5 D.iniel E. Verplanck 5 I'lieron Rudd 5 John Brush 5 -\fohn Winans 5 J.rnies Tallmadge, Jr 5' Roliert Johnston \ 5 Derrick W. Hrinckcrhoff 5 John Sayres 4 The f'illdwiug inu-chased two sh,-ires e,-ich : Peter R. .Maison, Jonas Trixell. .Xathan M\ers, John I. Stoutenburgh, John \ an lUuihuysen, Edward X. James. Martin Isaac Roliert, Aliraham IToft'man. S.-unuel \';ui W\ck. l'",lish;i C. I'.arlow, 1 larr>- Garri- .s(]n, .\br;diam II. Scheiick, Jnhn McKinley, William P.esley, John >Storm, GENERAL APPENDIX. 307 The following purchased one share each : George Crawford, Thomas Xelson, John Ann- strong, Patrick Collins, Aaron Stockholm, Isaac -Mitchell, Ephraim Paine, Abraham G. Storm, Abra- ham Adriance, Samuel Myers, Ijenjamin Herrick, Frederick Knox, Jonathan Gazly, Joshua Ward, Wil- liam W. Bogardus, Edmund Per Lee,^Ira Winans, ^James L. Winans, Joseph C. Field, James De Long, James Norssbn, Elias Beers, Peter Gurnscy, Ezra Thompson, Robert \\'il!son, Caleb Thompson, Peter Fish, Jorden Xorris, William Wadenljurgh, Cvrenus Crosby, Lemuel Conklin. Simon S. Frare, John Mob- son, Casper Hillequist, Josiah Smith, Bronson French, Cornelius ^^'iltsie. James Gazley, Joseph Powell, George Booth, Abraham B. Rapalje, James Slater, Garrit Atlriance, Joseph llroas, John E. Pe'.ls, Eben- ezer Haight. Thomas Barlow, Devaux Bailey, Stephen Bailey, Sheldon Munger, Joseph Harris, Theodorus R. \ an Wyck, James Collin, John Patterson, John Rich- mond. John Cox. Jr., John Thompson, Isaac Hunting, Rudolphus Hasbrook, Allard Anthony, John Bedford, Ezra Thompson, Jr.. John ^lyre. Christian Dubois, Jacobus Swartout, Adrian Munford, Theodorus W. \'an Wyck, Abraham Husley, William \'an W'yck, .\dam ^[ontross. Theodorus Adriance. Thomas G. Storm. Rem Adriance. William Thorn, George Bloom. Elnathan Tyler. Daniel Burton and Jonathan Sanford. After the above shares were sold a regularly ap- pointed committee set apart Tuesday, the fourth of September, 1804, for a meeting of the stockholders at Baldwin's Hotel, at 2 p. m., to vote for Trustees to mana.ge the concerns of the stockholders. The meet- ing was presided over by Peter R. liaison, as Chair- man, and John Brush as Secretary. The Trustees elected were Gilbert Livingston, Nathan Alyers and John I'.rush. They were invested with full power to purchase and build, or purchase suitable lots and liuildings to be occupied as a stand for a Public Inn. to provide for the safety tiiereof, to make necessary al- terations and repairs, to lease and make leases of the same, to collect the subscription for the stock and to govern the .■\ssociation. These Trustees purchased of Robert \\ illiams "the House, Lott and premises known by the name of the Poughkeepsie Hotel," and also took an assignment of a lease held by him "from the consistorv of the Dutch Church iti Poughkeepsie," for all of which the Trus- tees paid $9,000. NAMES ()F \'OTERS FOR PAMXG OX :\1AIX STREET. (Page 81.) August nth, 1812. Ft. fronta.^:e. .'^torm and Wilsnii 38 .-\hraliain G. Stnnii. for the ;\Iiddle District Hank 34.3 Jesse Oakley 45 William Cromwell 23 David and Benjamin .Arnold 21.6 Benjamin Arnold, as attorney for Sarali \'an Ness.... 5.5 Tunis Van Kleeck, by his attorney. B. .\rnold 35 William Plnnimer 30 Leonard Davis, by B. .\rnold. attorney T78 William Green, by B, Arnold, attorney 50 Gertrude Hoflfman, by B. Arnold, attorney 108 Elijah iMorgan, Jr 18.6 William Smith, by N. Conklin, Jr., attorney 30.4 Benjamin Ilerrick 52 James Talmadgc. Jmiior 60 Joseph C. Dean 23 . 9 John Thomas, by B. .Arnold, attorney 70 John Giles, by B. .Arnold, attorney 24.2 Peter B. Morgan 2)i Samuel Slee, by his attorney. Gilbert Ketcham 42.6 972 Owners of lots who did not vote fiir paving and improving : Dutch Church 238 IMoses Hobson 25 Jabish Bosvvorth 36 Mrs. Mary Hillequist 39.6 Mrs. Johanna Holthuysen 36 I. Rivington 89 Peter Deriemer 56 Peter R. Maison 116 Frederick Merkle T,y Smith Thompson 44 Paul Schenck"s assignees 57 Heirs of .Anthony Hoffman, property in possession of James Slater and Joshua V. Racket ^-^ Baltns and Thomas Carman 50 907 Garden Street. 17 feet ; Mechanic Street. 9 feet 26 \'OTE ON CANXOX STREET PAMXG. 20th day Ajiril. 1814. Those who voteil for paving and improving: Ft. frontage. Benjamin Herrick 125.5 John B. Swartout 35 John E. Canficld 44. 10 George Bloom, home lot 40.6 Samuel Slee 59.5 Daniel Coolid,i?e, for man. tan office 219.6 Daniel Coolidge and George Bloom 120.7 Thomas W. Talmadge 37 . 7 George B. Evertson loi John Davis 64 . 3 George Bloom's lot next .Academy 66 Q22.6 Names of owners of lots who did not \oio for paving and improving; Ft. frontage. Joseph Farrington 30 Peter De Reinier lot shown 42.3 Peter De Reimer, vacant lot 55-2 Hannah Nelson 62.8 John Peter DeWint 244. 2 Dutchess .Academy lot 132 Thomas Warner 66 Jabcz Wadsworth 47-6 Jeremiah Martin 50.2 Hannah Boernm 50. 9 Adriaiia Mott •. 57. 1 887.9 GARDEN STREET P.WING \T3TE. (Page 108.) ■Main to Mill, April 3d, 1833, the resolution pro- viding also for brick sidewalks : Frontage. Peter P. Hayes 172 Stephen gcofielil 32 308 GENERAL APPENDIX. Solomon V. Frost 156 James Mills 30 George Mead so Israel B. Hall ':-,2 David B. Lent 300 A majority of 446 fcrt. MILL strei-:t pamng \ote. ■'l''ri)ni CraniK'll Strtx't to Washington Street. April. 1833. A. J. Coffin David B. Lent Elias Trivett A. G. Storm Lsaac ^L Newcomb. Samuel Pine Aaron Frost Charles Wood . . . . Gertrude Hoffman Adam Henderson . Stephen Frost Richard Pudney . . James Mills Theodore Bailey . . . John R. Bailey". . . . . James Grant, jim. . . Solomon V. Frosi John Depcw G. Williamson . . . . William Frost William G. Odell.. Edmund B. Bailey. Willis Haviland . . . Paraclete Potter . . . Philip S. Crooko James Tallmadgc lOth Feet. 42 55 42 75 50 90 59/2 33 42 44 50 44 4<^ 10-' 150 50 45 4-2 +2 465/. 31/2 Majority given at 128 feet. r.58r .M.XRKl'.T STRI'.F.T I'WIXC, \( )TE. l'"r. Tallmadge. who marriecl the daughter of George Clinton, who is the uncle of DeWitt Clin- ton. Q. Why is Obadiah German a Senator of the United States, and a Judge of Shenango county ? . /. r.ecause he is a cousin of Matthias B. Tall- madge, who married the daughter of George Clinton, who is the uncle of DeWitt Clinton. 0. Why is Philip S. Parker Recorder of the City of Hudson, and a Commissioner of Bankruptcy? . /. Hecause he is the nephew of Ambrose vSpencer, who married the sister of DeWitt Clinton. (J. Why is John Taylor commissioner for the building of the state-house in Albany, commissioner lor Indian Affairs, President of the State liank, etc.? . (. Because he is the cousin of George Clinton, who is the uncle of DeWitt Clinton. y. Why is Francis Bloodgood Clerk of the Su- preme Court, and Clerk of the J!oard of Regents? .1. iiecause he is the nephew of John 'J'aylor, who is the cousin of George Clinton, who is the uncle of DeWitt Clinton. (J. Why is .\braham I'.loodgood Clerk of the county of ( )nci(la, ;ind director of the .Manhattan Hank at I'tica? ./. r.ecause he is the brother of h'rancis lUood- gooil, and the nephew of John Tayler, who is the cousin of George CliiUon, who is the uncle of DeWitt Clinton. (>. Win is Charles \). Cooprr Clerk of the countv of Albany? ./. Iiecause he married the adopted daughter of John Tayler, who is cousin of George Clinton, who is uncle of' lie Witt Clinton. O. Whv is Samuel C)sgood naval officer of the port ,,f New V'ork? ./. Hecause his step-daughter is the wife of Di-- W ill t'linton. ('. Why is John Townsend promoted from a sub- altern to a Brigade-Ouartermaster, to rank with Major? . /. Because he married the daughter of Ambrose Spencer, who married the two sisters of DeWitt Clin- ton. 0. Wh\- is llenr\ .\. Townsend Clerk of Steuben county ? .1. Hecause he is the brother of John, who married the daughter of .\mbrose Spencer. (). Win are Benjamin DeWilt and Isaac Dennis- ton Lottery Agents, who by their speculative mode of selling tickets, may make. UKire than any salary offi- cers in the government ? A. Because they are the relations of Jolm Tayler, who is the uncle of DeWitt Clinton, and cousin to George Clinton. Q. Why is DeWitt Clinton the leader of the CHn- tonian party in the State of New York, and why is he to be Lieut. -Governor and candidate for the chief magistracy of the state and nation? ./. Because it enables him to trace out all the con- nexions of his family, and provide every one of them with offices. 0. Tlow" many offices and [ilaces of profit ;ire in the possession of DeWitt Clinton and his f;imily con- nexions 'f A. ^\'ithout counting any office Axbich is held by the immediate \-oice of the people, I find the Clinton- ian famih- and its connexions in the ])ossession of aoo\e fort\- offices or places of ]irofit, many of them the most lucrative in our countrv, and that this ag- gregate amount of emoluments of these offices will l)e as great as the emoluments of all the rest <5f the of- fices of the State put together. C.\TECHUMUN. 310 GENERAL APPENDIX. APPEAL OF THE CONSERVATIVES OF 1821 AGAINST RE\'ISION OF THE STATE CONSTITUTK )X. ( Pase iiS. I Siii'ticrs i)f the call fnr a mcctiii!;- at tlic Imuse of Eiithcr Cay, in the Town of Wasliin^ton, mi Meniday. the I I til t)f June, for the ])urpose of agreeins' upon candidates to the constiiutional cnnvention: Charles B. Caller, John G. Parker, Elisha Clark, Henry Tarhill, Thos, Cotton, William (^.recn, llcnrv 1). Lansjdoi James Grant, Edwin Thompson, Lewis R. Vaughn, William D. Sealey, A. W. Bruce, Ahm. Mace, Peter MulhulUuul. Morgan Lewis, James Eniott, William Taher, Stephen Hasbrook Benjamin Burr Thomas Sweet, Hcnrv F. Tallmadge, John'W. Righter, Aaron E. Winchell. Stephen Eno, E. N. Swift. Gilbert Thome, Amos D. Knapp. Henry Conklin, David Tomlinson, John T. Schryver, James Grant, Paraclete Potter, Thomas Taber, and, Benjamin Sherman. Gilbert Ketcham. Duglas Clark. Caleb K. Hol)l)y. Rronson French, Joel Benton. William 1. Stewart, John L Traver, George B. Evertson, James Hooker, John Dubois, iMatthew Mesier, Philip N. Pionistcel. Cornelius C. Van Wyck. Silas Germond, James Downes. William 1. Thorne, A1)raham D. BrinkcrhofT, John Titus, Isaac Smith, Richard C. Van Wyck, John .Armstrong. John Johnston. Martin Hcermance. Joseph .\rnold. Robert Granl. John B. Van Wyck, John Cooper, Henry A. Livingston, Nicholas Thorne. Phili]) Conkrite. Jonathan Ilaighl. 1-rederick Barnard. Brush Sutherland, Jehiel Sacket, fri [udcl. J..hn Brush. Walter Per Lee, James Ketcham. Thomas J. Oakley, Stephen Sweet, Tunis Van Kleeck, Joel Denton. Jr.. Phil,. Ruy-U-s. Robert WiKnn. J.iMah lUirrut. Abraham Bockee, Richard Thorne. William Thomas, John S. Livingston, Randal! S. Street. John W. Wheeler, lili Angevinc, Jacob C. Elmcndorf, Tunis Hasbrook, Joseph Thorne, Abraham D. Van Wyck, Daniel North rup. William Smith. Alfred T red way. Gideon Woollcy. John Beadle. Rliiah Haight, William Bard, Willi;ini Thorne. Tobias L. Stoughtenburgli John Wilkinson, Alfred S. Pell, Jonathan LockwooJ, I Icnry Davis, James S. Cooke, ICmainicl Overocker, h'vert N. Van Waggoner, Peter lueritt, ()l)ediah Titus, Simpson Sleght, James Duane Livingston, Daniel Ostrom, Christopher Hughes, Wright Lattin, Silas Pcttit, David Barnes, John Dclavcrgne, Walter Cunningham, Platl Vail. [ohn P.anu-s. koberl A. Hoffman, David Vk Lent. Isaac lloffman. CMAUTl'.K Ml'.MI'.ERS ENGIX'E COMPANY, \o. 4. (Villajre Minutes, Xovcmher 3, 1836,) Luman Parmalec, Jas. Reynolds, Jnn.. If. R. Sherman, Benjamin Gile. William IP Smith, Will A. Potter, James F. Marble, David W. Peters, Addison P. Rowley, John T. Howard, lUlLDlXC, IX P( )L'GHKEEPSIE IX 1841. ( 'rclcgrafublic). () carriage and wagon making estab- lishments. II) blackstuith shops, 3 paint sho])s. 3 fur- naces. 2 brass foundries, 3 machine sho])s, 2 turning shops. 2 glue factories. 4 grist mills. 2 saw mills, i dye wood mill, 3 plough factories, 12 victualing rooms, 2 leather stores. 2 tanneries, 2 toy sho])s, 5 barber shops, '3 tobacco and cigar factories, 3 livery stables, 2 brew- eries. 3 mall houses, 4 coal yards, 6 lumber yards, 2 marble y;irds, 2 ship yards, 3 freighting companies, 3 printing offices, issuing five i)apers, Tclcgrapli, liaiilc. Journal, Casket and TJiompsonian, 5 bakeries. M.\Nui*.vcToRit:s — Two carpet factories. 2 lock fac- tories. I jeweler, i rojjcwalk. 2 wood ware. 4 cooper's shops. 3 pump factories, 2 brick-yards, 2 soa]) and can- dle factories, i sperm candle and oil do., 3 sash and Venetian blind factories. 2 frame making establish- ments, I Morocco establishment, i paper hanging es- tablishment. 2 stone and earthenware do., i comb fac- tory. I pin manufactory, i ])astc blacking do., i um- brella do., I bandbox do. Puni.ic JJuii.DiNCS — Ct)iu-t House and Jail, C\)unty Poor House, Dutchess Academy, Collegiate School, Village Markets. Lancaster School House, Powder House, 4 I'jiginc 1 luuses and Jlooks and l,;idder Houses. GENERAL APPENDIX. an Incorporated Companies — Dutchess County liank. capital $650,000: Farmers and .Manufacturers liank, $300,000: I'oughkeepsie Bank. $100,000; I'ough- keei)sie Savings Hank, I'oughkeepsie Silk Company, Locomotive Company, Dutchess Whaling Company, Dutchess Mutual Insurance Conijiany, Dutchess Guards. Places of Worship — P.aptist i. Congregational i, Episcopal 2, Friends 2, Methodist Episcopal 2, Preshy- terian i, Reformed Dutcli i. Roman Catholic i. Zion Methodist (colored) i, total 12. Professional — 2i- lawyers. lO physicians (3 Thompsonian), 3 dentists. Schools — Coltegiate School, Dutchess Academy, Lancaster School, Poughkeepsie High School and 18 other schools. Miscellaneous — -\ Lyceum with reading' room, cabinet and stated lectures. 3 other reading rooms, i circulating librar\'. Population of the \'illage. 7.710. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. P( )ST.MASTERS OF POUGHKEEPSIE. (Page 130.) Nicholas Power, July 31, 17(^2. Levi McKeen, April i. 1802. Jacob Van Ness, JMarch 31, 18 19. Nathaniel P. Tallmadge. March 23, 1821. Lawrence I. \'an Kleeck, January- 4, 1835. Jacob \'an Benthuxsen. July 6. 1829. Egbert B. Killey, August 6, 1846. Isaac Piatt, May 5, 1849. Albert S. Pease, May 4, 1853. George P. Pelton, June 23. 1857. Albert Van Kleeck, March 28, 1861. H. C. Smith. November 16. 1866. Alfred B. Smith. February 25, 1867. George Parker, February 8. 1875. Robert PL Hunter, January 31, 1879. William M. Ketcham, February 22, 1887, John I. Piatt. February 24. 1891. Frank Ilasbrouck. February 22, 1895. Frank \\'. Halstead. January 31, 1899. Isaac W. Sherrill, December 10. 1900. SUBSCRIBERS TO HUDSON RI\ ER RAIL- ROAD STOCK. (Page 141.) January 2t,. 1847. At a large and respectable meeting of the citizens of Poughkeepsie. in favor of the speedy construction of the Pludson River Railroad, held at the X'illage Hall on Saturday evening, January 23rd, (1847), Mat- thew A'assar, Esq., was chosen President: E. B. Kil- ley and James Bowne. \ice-Presidents. and LeGraml Dodge and H. R. Sherman. Secretaries. R. Wilkinson, Esq., Jacob B. Jewett. Isaac Piatt and C. Bartlett among the speakers. JaiiK-s I looker James Roosevelt . . William Davies . . . . Tlionias L. Davies . . William A. Davies. . .Matthew Vassar . . . (■eorge Van Kleeck. Robert Wilkinson . . George C. Marshall. Oilbert Wilkinson . . James Ingham . . . . David B. Lent Cicorge Pomerov . . William I. Street.. Clifford & Sherman. V. D. Bonesteel M. J. Mvers I.)hn H Riitzer.. .. Richard \. Varick.. Charles Bartlett . . . Isaac Piatt Adriance & Coller. . H. Van Wagenen . . T. W. Tallmadge. . James Mills E. B. Killey Wales .A. Candee.. S. B. Trowbridge.. James Bowne William Broas . . . . Josiah Williams . . . Edward Giraiid . . . . Cole & Jewett James Emott. Jr.. . John Thompson . . . M. & J. G. Vassar.. Isaac Merritt .Abraham Fonda . . Abraham Varick . . William Bushnell . . James H. Mills.... .Allcs Phinney .... Henry Coffin James H. Fonda. . C. D. Smith Caleb Barker Finlav & Barnes. . . . E. T'rivett & Son.. William Wilkinson John Barnes Charles Anthes . . . Reuben North William Coffin . . . . Henrv D. Varick.. Charles W. Swift.. David Arnold .... f 1 0,000 5,000 10,000 5.000 5.000 10.000 1,000 1,000 500 1. 000 1. 000 2,500 1,000 500 2,500 1,000 2,500 2,000 1,000 2.500 1. 000 1. 000 .^.000 1.000 1. 000 1. 000 1,000 2.500 1,500 1,500 T.OOO 1.000 2,000 1. 000 . . 1 ,000 .1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 300 200 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 1,000 1,000 1,000 George B. Adriance.. W. H. Bradley G. W. Farrington. . . . Benjamin Gile Storm & Uhl \ym. W. White Caleb Morgan John Simpson Charles Pearl Jeremiah Piatt G. A. Sherwood David Boyd Robert Millard George B. Lent E. P. Benjamin Hervy Palmer Chas.' H. Woodruff.. E. F. Grant Chandler Ilolbrook .. Philip Pollock John G. Parker John P. Nelson Isaac Ticc Edward C. Sonthwick John F. Hull I(. J. Jewett C. B. Harrison William A. Palmer... Joel Divine Henry Pine Wm. H. Tallmadge.. Isaac 1. Pialding l.edrand Dodge William Cornwell . . . Isaac Griffin Wm S. Morgan James O. Van .Anden. C. B. Caldwell L. F. Streit Degroff & Cable Simeon Wood Richard C. Sonthwick B. C. Van Vlict Jacob Bockee Michael Phillips Gray & Jennings J. Hervev Dudley.... S. W. Hester S. C. D. Raymond.... H. W. McClonghtrv.. G. P. Pehon Richard Pudney Walter .Adriance .... John Giles S. H. Bogardns Samuel Chichester . . 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 .soo 500 5CX3 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 ,^00 ^oo 300 300 300 300 300 300 200 300 3<» 500 500 500 .lOO NA.MES OF PLOT HOLDERS IN REFORMED DUTCH CEMETERY ON HYDE PARK ROAD, JUST NORTH OF CITY LIMITS. (From m,-qi. containing the diite of purchase mai W. Plunmier, J. Tallmadge, S. Slee, D. H. Barnes, D. Coolidge, E. W. A. Bailey, T. Hopkins. J. Rhodes, H. Dodge, G. Parker, J. Norris, T. Fanning, C. Hillequist, J. Mills, J. Wilson, J. Everitt, R. Everitt, P. Everitt, Z. Pells, J. Slater, D. Burton, Harvey, R. S. Street, T. Rudd. Sam Butler, N. Conklin, J. Holmes, G. Daniels, S. Carv. L. Smilli. J. Wilson, dated 18 1. B. Bunker, M. Vassar, J. Vassar, L. Van Kleeck, G. Parker, J. Forbuss, E. Dodge, N. Povk'er, A. Raymond, C. Raymond, M. Bailey, K. Morris, B. L. Briggs, Wm .Germond, J. Moore, A. Henderson, J. Cable, L. Leonard, O. Holden, D. Williams, J. H. Beardsley, Charles Senitt, Pierponl, J. G. Sturgiss, Charles Vassar, J. B. Gay, J. More, Frisby, McGeorge, A. Smith. I'IRST ^,\^]\' DISTRICT. ( \'illa!;c MiiuilL's Si'plfniluT I, 1S51). Main Street, from the River to Clinton Street. Mill Street, from Vassar to Hamilton Street. Cannon Street, from Market to the Reservoir. Aiarket Street, from Main to Noxon Street. Academy Street, from Main to No.xon Street. Washington Street, from Main to Mill Street. Union Street, from Market Street to the west cor- ner of Market Place. Church Street, from Market to Hamilton Street. Noxon Street, from Market to Academy Street. J lamilton Street, from Church to Mansion Street. Mansion Street, from Conklin to Clinton Street, inchidinjj the streets on all sides of Mansion Square. Catiiarine Street, Crannell Street, Conklin Street. IJberty Street, from Main to Cannon Street. Garden Street, from Main to Mill Street. Lafayette Street, \'assar Street, together with all sections of streets within two hundred and fifty feet of any lamp post, or of a line therefrom across the street, at right angles thereto, as follows, viz : Water, Clover, Perry. Bayeaux. Bridge, Union, Washington, Mansion. Garden, Hamilton. Clinton, Smith. Main. Church, .\cadeniy, Catherine, Market and Thompson Streets. LIST OF POUGHKEEPSIANS WHO SERVED ON THE RELIANCE AND THE DUTCHESS. The following is a list of men who went off on the "Reliance" (Vidette) and the "Dutchess" (Lan- cer ) from Poughkeepsie, in the Civil War : Rkli.xncu (Vidette). Abrani B. Crapser, Chief Engineer. Levi Cra])ser. -Assistant Engineer. W. H. Crapser. Assistant Engineer. Jacob Koebel (Cable). Fireman. Arthur Sherwood, Fireman. Charles Polhamus, Fireman. George Strathern. Henrv Buycc. John Seats. James l!all. Nathan L. Sunlv. Walter Scott. ' ■ Four of the above were mcmliers of Cataract F,n- gine Co., No. 4. Dutch rcss ( Lancer ) . (leoj-ge Purely, Chief Engineer. Thomas Ouinton, Assistant Engineer. .Mien Purdy. .\ssistant Engineer. \\'illiam Christy. Cornelius .A.llotton. George W. Lewis. Alexander Ross. Samuel Whalcn. The above wt-re all members of Cataract Engine Comi)any, No. 4. or othiT tire companies. Both the "Reliance" (X'idette) and "Dutchess" (Lancer) went out in the Biu'iisidc ex]ie. CarpcntLM'. 1877- 1878 Harvey G. Eastman (died in office). Dr. John R. Cooijcr ( .\|)])td. til till vacancy) 1879- 1880 William Harloe. I88I- 1886 Ezra White. 1887- 1888 Edward Elsworth. 1889- 1890 Charles M. Rowley. i8gi- 1892 Edward Elsworth. 1893- 1894 William M. Ketcham. 189s- i8t:)6 Charles N. .-\rnold. 1897- 1898 J. Frank Hull. 1899- 1900 Isaac W. Sherrill. 1901- George M. Hine. 1854 1858 1862 1866 1870 1874 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 Kl'X'ORDKRS. (Elected for terms of four years.) Dr. William Thomas. Frederick A. Eighmie. Charles Robinson. Robert E. Ta\Ior. Robert E. Taylor. Robert E. Ta\lor. Robert F. Wilkinscni. Frank B. Lown. Cyrenus P. Dorland (resigned 1889 to become Surrogate. ) Cas]x'r L. Odell (One year to fill vacancy). Charles Morschauser. Casper L. Odell (resigned). Samuel H. llrown (.\pptd. to fill vacancy). Joseph Morschauser. Became City Judge 1903. CITY ci[.\.Mr,iau,.\iNS. (Appointed first b\- Council, afterwards liv ATavor.) 1854-1858 Robert N. Palmer. 1839-1864 Robert E. Taylor. 1865-1866 Joseph Ci. Frost. 1 867- 1 868 Fred W. Pugsley. 1869- 1873 Wm. Morgan Lee. 1874 Jose])h G. Frost. 1873-1876 George H. Williams. 1877-1880 Lewis Baker. 1881-1882 Sherman II. LeRov. i88vi886 Isaac W. Sherrill.' 1887-1888 Kiernan J. Lawlor. i88()-i890 Peter Hulme. 1891-181)2 Kiernan J. Lawlor. 1893-1894 John J. Ruddy. 1 895- 1 896 E. P. Bogardus. 1897-1898 Alonzo H. \'ail. 1899- Courtland S. Thnvland. C\r\ TKI-IASUUICKS. The- office of Citv Treasurer was created bv the Cliarter of i86<). The corresponding officer before that time was called the Citv Collector. Frederick Woodruft' was Collector from 1854 to 1867, followed for one year bv Joseph G. Frost. The first City Treasurer was Daniel B. Marsh, who resigned De- cember 29th, 1869, when Richard E. Lansing was ap- pointed for the remainder cif the term. Subsequent City Treasurers were : 1870 Elias G. Hopkins. 1871-1872 Solomon P.. Wheeler. 1873-1878 Frank W. George (died in office). 1879-1880 Bvron L. Heath (.\p])td. to fill vacancv). 1881-1884 Abraham Wiltsie. 1885-1886 Owen Ward. 1887-1888 Frank Plasbnnick. 1889-1890 Ezra White. 1891-1892 Henry \'. Pelton. 1893-1894 Edward S. Haight. 1895-1896 Charles R. Dickin.wn. 1897-1898 D. Crosby Foster. 1899-1900 Charles E. Schou (resigned). 1901- Clinton D. Parkhill. CITV .\TTORNEVS. (Office created by the Charter of 1874.) Allard Anthon\- had been Corporation Counsel from 1869-1874. 1873 O. D. M. Baker. 1876-77 William I. Thorn. 1878-86 Wm. Morgan Lee. 1887-88 Charles B. Herrick. 1889-90 William R. Woodin. 1891-94 Charles B. Herrick. 1895-96 P. Edgar Ackert. 1897-98 James L. Williams. 1899- Wm. Morgan Lee. CHIEF ENGINEERS OF THE POUGHKEEPSIE FIRE DEPARTMENT. VIl.f.AC.E. John Inrush. John Cole. Peter P. Haves. Alfre.l G. Wainrighl. Jo.seph Wrighl. C. W. Adriance. Oliver H. Booth. William licrr}'. CITY-. 1854 William I'.crry. 1835-59 Edward r*- Taylor. t86o George H. McLean. i86r Stephen .Armstrong. 18(12 George H. McLean. 18(13 William C. .\rnold. 1864 John J. Keech. P^cs. 1864-63 Robert W. Frost. 1866-67 William T. Swart. 1868 Edward W. Shurter. 1869-72 Isaac H. Wood. 1873-75 Charles II. Shurter. 1876-77 Edward \\'. Shurter. 1 878-71) ^^'illiam Howard. 1880-87 William Kaess (died in office). 1887-88 Charles D. Fitchett. i88i)-()2 John Bright. i8i)3-i)() Lewis Thompson. 1807-00 Frederick Piieber. 1901-05 George Nagengast. ADDENDA AND ERRATA. < 111 l>atje 20, seven lines fruin tlie 1ieL;iiiniii,u, 1S13 sliould read 1715. ( )n the same page the statement as to the coiiiiee- lion hetween tile \ an den I'lciqart ana,t;;e 92 should have l)een addeil a statement that Isaac Mitchell inirchased the Republican Herald September ifith. 1S12, and changed the name to "Tlic Xorfhcrii I'olilifiaii." .Mitchell died in Xo\-ember and the next o\\ner^ of tlu' |iapir doubtless restored the former name. ( )n IWije 154, near the end of the first column, the word "brother."' in reference to .Mayor (■en page 15') there should be mention of the bnild- int;- of the ])resent Washington Street Church in 1S58. ( )ii page 205 there should be mention of the last school conducted on Cottage Hill by John Miley. The old seliocil buildings were torn down by Mr. Mark v^hwartz. who iwrchased the property in May, i8i;o. and built the present block of brick buildings on the street front. < )n ])age 20(), second line. William -\. 1 lowland should be Joseph Rowland. ( )n page 244 George Card, near the bottom of the first column, should read Silas Card. ( '11 l>age 251 there shouhl be mention of tlie organ- ization of an English Lutheran Church in ( )ctober. ic)oi, by Re\-. Charles S. Rahn. the present pastor, in co-operation with Rev. H. D. Kraeling, then pastor of the Cierm.ui Lutheran Church. The new congregation is known as St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and inirchased its jiroperty at 176 Clnirch Street, in \')'\^. It is a growing church witli a present (ups) membership of about 100. CC^ ^t^M^ U4 INDEX. luE ^AMEs Occurring only in the lists of Civil War Enlistments, Pages 175-18.- in the list OK THE FIRST professors AND INSTRUCTORS AT VASSAR COLLEGE, PAGE 203; AND IN THE LLSTS OF THE General Appendix, pages 300-313, are not individually indexed A Alilic.tt, Roljert— ;;. Al)cll, C. Pierre— 222. Academy — See Scliools. Academy Street — 52, 64, 65, 77, 108 Ackert, A. T.— 205. Ackert, P. Edgar— 244. Ackert, Roberta S. — 251. Ackert, William Samuel. JM. I).— 270. Adams, Rev. B. M. — uji. Adams, Charles C. (editor 181 1)— 91. Adams, John — 50. Adriance, Abraham — 63. 92. Adriance. Charles P. — 123. 147. Adriance, Cornelius — 39, 303. Adriance, Francis H. — 253. Adriance, George B. — 151, 223. Adriance, Rev. Harris E.— 253. Adriance, I. Reynolds— 253. 2C>o. Adriance, John (father of John P.) — 117, 129, 138, 158. Adriance, John E.— 253. 2(13. 2<)4. Adriance, John P.— i"i8, 18(1. 191, 192, 104. 206, 217, 220, 223, 253. .Adriance, Piatt & Co.— 191, 197, 254. Adriance, R. E. & Co. — 161. Adriance, William A.— 253, 260, 264. Agnew, Dr. Charles (N.' Y.)— 209. Agricultural Association, Hudson River .Ahreet, John D.- 266. Aikin. .'Mbro — 107. Aikin, James C. — 171. Akin, Daniel D — 115. Akins. Jonathan, Constitutional Conven- tion. 1788— fn. Alhertson. 15. — 209 Albertson Edge Tool Works— 200. .Aldrich, Richard — 133. Allen, .\ugustus L. — 167, 172. 215. 2i';. .Allen, Flavins J. — 237. Allen, Horatio — 220, 237. .\llen. Joseph, 1S26 — 121, Allen. Joesph E. — 161. .Allen. Peter K. — T03. Allen, William, marriage 1744 — ?o Alliger, Mary C— 254. '■" -^ ■ Alms House, city— 190. ist hoard— 190. Ambler, John P. — 253. .Amen. Harlan Page— 256. .Amenia — 69, 136. 139, 214. .Ame», Charles F.— 103. .Anderson, Barrett (of S. C.)— 1^5. .Anderson. Martin B.— 167. .Andrus, Charles H. — 206. Andrus & Dudley— 156, i6r. Andrus, E. C. — 161. Andrus. Svlvester — 270. .\ngell, Charles P.— 251. .Angell. Evelyn — 202. Angell, Stephen T. — 215. Angevine, Elmore & Jaycocks— loi. Angevine, Henrj- — 145. Annabury & Seaman— 1(11. .Anthes, Charles — t()i. .\iUhony, Judge All.ird— 178, 101, 1(^4, 205, 212, 220, 22i. Anthony, Theophilus -40, 43, (ty, fxj Anti-Rent War— 27. .Apokeepsing — 9-15. Arlington (Bull's'Head)— 51, 174. 21G. .Api)leton, Christopher— 145. .\ppleton, J. H. (Springlielil. Ma.ss.)- 228, 230. .Arden, John — y;}, ,88. Argus ( .Albany newspaper ) — 91 . Armstrong, Ira — 145, .Armstrong, John — 74. -Armstrong, John. Jr. — 98. .Armstrong, Stephen — 107, 108, 153. -Arnold, Benjamin — 84, 90, 270. -Arnold, Charles N.— 243, 2,0, 270 Arnold, C. W. H.-i 27. 247. .Arnold David— 84, 90, 124, n8, 144, 270 Arnold. Levi M.— 138, I39'', 161, 172. -AriKilil. Nathan- 270. -Arnold, William — 78. -Arnold, William C— 83, i(n. 170. 173, 270. -Assembly, Representatives in. Colonial — -'o. 3^■. State— 57. 61, 92. 97, io,S. 17^. 224, 225. -Assessments, earlv lists— 21, 32; 1831- 1839—127: 1866-1878—224. -Associators ( Revolution)— 36: list of signers — 300, 301. .Asylum, or "Alonzo (novel) — 91. -Atkins. -Alfred— 176, 188. -Atkins. Benjamin —173. Atkins, J. S. (i860)— 161. .Atkins, Oliver S.— 263. -Atkinson. William — 263. Atwater, Edward S.— 24J. -Atwater, IVFrs. Edward S.— 248, 266 -Atwater, Dr. John P.— 219. -Atwill. Winthrop — 207. -Atwill, Mrs. Winthrop— 206. .Austin. Thomas — 145 Avery, Dr. E. W.— 250. -Avery. Henry N. — 222. -Avery, Miss Myra L.— 50, 266. -Aweng, -Adolpiins (French teacher)- I -',V -Ayr.iuU, George— 222. B Babcock. J. C— 171. Babcock. Rev. Rufus — 90. 146, 167. Backus, Truman J. — 203. 250. Badger, Ebenezer — 36, 72, 85. Melis Bagnall. John j.— 247. Bahret, Jacob— 146. Hailey, Edmund H.— 146. luailey, Elizabeth, marries James Kent- 54- r.ailey, John, Jr.— 32, 54. 62. liailey, John N., fire warden 180?— 72 Bailey, M. & E.— 86. l'..iiley, Richard — 222. I!;iile\-. Theodonis— 54, 55, 61, 67, 92 Kadey, William (1792)— 66. Bain, h'erdinand R. — 259. Bain, Horatio N.— 259,' Bain, -Milton — 259. Baker, Elijah — 129. P.aker, (_). D. M.— 224. 240. Baker, Stephen — 172, 174. Baker, Valentine — 50, Ckj, y2, 74, 8j 88. 107. I.?/. -104. yo, 101. Balding, Joseph, Pawling 1802—77. Baldnig (Baldwin) Isaac— 32, 38. Balding, Isaac I.— 99, 108, 118, 126, 129, 161, 190. Balding, Richard S.— 86. Baldwin's Hotel, 1803—72 Ballard, Caleb— 216. I'.anker, John T.— 162, ,-^. r.anks— City — 162, 292. Dutchess County — 104, . E.xchange, (Henry Davis's)- Fallkill— 138. Farmers' and Manufacturers'— 107. First National — 192. Manhattan Branch — 89. Merchants' — 137, 138. Middle Di.strict— 89. loi, 107. Poughkeepsie — 107, 292. Ponghkeepsie Trust Co.— 292. Savings — 107, 292 Rantle, L.— 266. Barculo, Judge Seward— 129, 132. 14^ 14S. -'/I- Barculo, Mrs. Seward— 183. Barculo & Swift— 131. Bard, Dr. Samuel— 90. Baright, Mrs. Edwin D— 251. Barker, Caleb — 104. 109, 112, i >2 i '7 I3«. 145. Barlow, Elisha (1821)— 98. Capt. Frederick — 107, 112. Barnard 27J. Barnard T82. Barnar( Judge Joseph F.— 162 188. 190. 223. 271. Robert .A. — 151. Barfiegat — 82, 92, 143. Barnes, Charles H. — 252. Barnes, David H. — 145. Barnes. Dr. John— log. Barnes. William — 193. Barnes, William R. (1804)— 74 176. 316 I X D E X Barnes & Willoughby (1813)— S6. Bariictl. J.— 216. Bariise, Balthazar (Van Kleeck) — 18. Barnuni. Charles P— 92, 103. Bariiuni. Dr. H. V\'. — 272. Barratt, Hclnuis W.— 253, 254. Barratt. Nathan — 145. Barry, William H.— i6r. Bartiett, Charles— 123, 137, 145. 148, 165, 204. Bartiett, David E.— 165. Barllett, Dudley — 161. Bartiett, Rev. Edward O.— 183. Bartiett, Joseph O. — 161, 162. Base Ball — 171. Basley, E. F.— 153- Basley, Frank E. — 263. Bates^ Miss E. — ^219. Bayeaux, Henry — 26. Bayeaux, Thomas — 78. Bayer, George W. — 263. Bauer, Joseph — 266. Bayley, Dr. Guy C— 225, 250. Beacons, in Highlands — 52. Beadle, D. W.— 138. Beadle. Dr. Edward L. — 208. 210. 212. Beadle, Mrs. Edward L.— 193. Beadle, John, surveyor of turnpike — 77. Beadle, Timothy — 77. Bear Baiting— 88. Beard, Col. O. T.— ujo. Beardsley, Rev. John, First English (Episcopal) minister — 23, 30, 31, 37. 38. Beardsley, William — 209. Beardsley, William J. — 259. Beattys, George H.— 161, 171, 173. 216. Beattys, Mary — 251. Beck, Edward— 143. 'SS- Beckwith, Elizabeth Reynolds— 202. Beckwith, John— 67, 121. Bedell, Dr.— 209. Bedell, Mrs. Mary H.— 251. Beecher, Rev. Henry Ward — 193. Beecher, Rev. James C. — 251. Beekman, Cornelia (wife of Henry Livingston) — 29. Beekman, Henry, Justice 1735 — 25. Beekman, Maria, daughter George Clinton — 67. Beekman, town of — 69. Benjamin, E. P. — 137- Betieway, Rzekiel — 170. Beneway, P. G. — 208. Benton, Joel— 39, 182, 216. Berry, George — 188. Berrv, Peter N. (Stormville) — 222. Berry. William— 175. 186. Benson, Egbert— 35. 36. .W. 4'. S4- S7- 63. Best. John — 170, T71. Beutel, Martin — 186. Bible and Tract Society— 147. Biebcr, Frederick — 262. Biglin, Bernard, James, John (oarsmen) 170, T71. Billings, Cornelia — 78. Billings. Major .\ndrew— 39. 49. 5.^- 65. 72. 78. Bisbee. George — 174. Bisbee. Joseph Bartiett— 256. 294. Bisbee, Otis— 162, 165, 204, 215, 217, 223. 294. Bisbee, Winnifred F. (Mrs. Joseph B.) Bishop." Caleb— 67. Bishop, Japthet — 141. Bishop, Nathan (Vassar trustee) — 167. Bishop, S. H.— 204. Bissell, George E. — 250. Black, Capt. A. F.— 259. I'.lakcslceville — 174. r.lakesley, .^maziah- 75, 88. 108. P.lanchard, James (i860) — 161. I'.livcn, Mrs. H. W.— 165. lildiini. George — 90, 92. lll(Mini, John — 138. I'.oard of Public Works — 244. Board of Trade— 217, 223, 234. Boardman, Catharine Rogers — 202. Bockee, Abraham (1775) — 36. Bockee, Abraham, 1836 and later — 115, 144. 157- Bockee, Dr. Jacob — 205. Bogardus, E. P. — 20S. Bogardus, James W. — 145, 147, 153. Bogardus, Stephen H. — 161, 17^, 176, '.85- Bolding, John M., fugitive slave — 135. Bonker, Benjamin ( 1S07) — 90. Bonker, Ruth (1807) — 90. Boorman, James — 141. Booth, George— 74. /S, 83, 84, 85. Booth, Henry — 64. Booth, Judge Henry (Chicago) — 165. Booth, Miss Lydia — 123, 167. Booth, Maria Louise — 202. Booth. Oliver FI.— 84. 149, 150, 158, 168, 17a, 188, 216, 220, 222, 233, 248, 262, 272. Booth, Richard— 81. Booth, William F. — 262, 264, 272. Boshart, Capt. William F.— 176. Bostvvick, William H. f.-\menia) — 115, 145- Boswcirth. Miss Arabella— 123. Bottnlph, Edward A!- 153. Bounties, civil war — 182, 185. Bouton, R. AL — 137. Bnwniau, Joseph — 67, 83. Rowne, Sarah — 207, 251. Bowne, James (Mayor) — 86, 109, 123, 148, T54, 172, 176, 183, 190, 215. Bowne, James, Jr. — 157, 222. Bowne, J. & Co. — 161. Bowne. Charles E. — 172. Bovd. David— 8,. 108, 116. Boyd. John G.— 85, T16, 206. Bovd. Nathan Trowbridge— 86. Boyd & Wiltsie (t86o)— 161. Bradv, .Martin V.— 237. Brainerd, Cephas (N. Y.)— 188. Braman. Samuel H. — 222. Brant, .•\ndrus — 182. Bread Inspector — 74. Brett, Francis — 25. Brett, .\lbert— 147. Brewer, .\nnie, Y. W. C. .\. — 251. Brewer, Cornelius — 33, 67. Brewer, Nazareth — 67. Brewer, Thomas M. — 146. Brewster, Gilbert— T12, 119, 122, 127. Brickyards — 136. 143. Briggs. Edgar .\.— 225. Brill. John — 162, 210. BrinckerhofF, Dirck — 33, 36. Brinckerhoff. John H. — 2.^0, 237, 272. Brinckerhoff, Tunis (1849) — 145, 147. BrinkerhotY. .\brabam— 25, 38,' 55, Broas, Benjamin S. — 171. 182. Broas Brothers — 161. Broas. Isaac— 135. Broas. John — 133. Broas. William — 129. Brock. John W.— 228. Brooks. Charles A. — 266. Brooks, David — 61. Brooks, John J. — 223. Brooks & Marshall— 158. Brower, Rev. Cornelius — 78. Brower, James — 153. Brown. Derrick — 242. Brown, Rev. F. D. — 176. Brown, George H. (D. & C. R. R.) — 215, 216. Brown. George R. — 188. Brow'U. George S. — 171. Brown, George T. — 161. Brown, Samuel H. — 244, 274. Brown, Thomas S. — 158. Bruce, Wallace — 244. Bruff, Richard P.— 209. Brundage, C. B. — 190. Brush, Henry — 127, 135. Brush, John^Si, 90. 92, 98, 104. 119. Brush, Philo C. (1824)— 98. Bryant & Stratton — 200. Buck, Samuel Wells — 254. Buckhout, George — 233. Buckhout, Jacob E. — 168, 170. Buckingham, Stephen M. — 167, 206, 207, 20S, 210, 212, 223, 2^1. Palmer & Budd— 161. Budd, Samuel — 153. Buel, Jesse — 91. Buel, Judge, of Troy (1845) — 131. Buel. Rev. Samuel — 148. 157, 176. Buildmgs in 1841 — 310. Bulkley, Rev. Benjamin — 78. BuUard, Henry W. — 244. Bull's Head — See Arlington. Burchard, Rev. Jedediah — 121. Burchard, Rev. Samuel D. — 191. Burgan, Peter — 67. Burgess, Edward — 222, 250, 253. Burgoyne, Gen. — 41, 42, 43. Burling, Lancaster — 49. Burnap, G. C. — 158, 176. Burnap. Mrs. G. C. — 193. Burns, Dr. Edward M. — 274. Burritt, Josiah — 99, 129. Burt, Grinnell (W. V. Ry.)— 216. Burton, Naomi ( 1807) — 90. Bushnell, Jennie — 251, Bushnell. William — 143. Butler, Charles (1824)— 98. Butler, George H. — 141. Butler, L. P. (Mayor of Boston)— 221. Butts, ..\llison — 239, 248, 274. Butts, Ralph F— 274. Buys, Hendrick — 21. c Cable, John M.— 129. Cady, Rev. P. K.— 207. Cairnes, N. G. — 120. Cairc, .Adam — 235. Caldwell, Matthew, lire warden 1803— 7-i. 74- Caldwell, John H.— 26^ Call Rock, also Caul Rock— See Kaal Rock. Cameron, Simon (Pa.) — 228. Canal to Pine Plains — 139. Candee, W. A. — 161. Candee, John N. — 206, 237. Cantine, Peter, Jr. (Revolution) — 41. Camach, 1 l.uniab — i6s. Campbell Hall -230. " Canajoharie — 148. Canlield, N. H. (i860) — 161. Camion, .\rnout — 182. Cannon, George W, — 219. Cannon Street — First mention and name — 64 ; houses on — 65, 66, 67 ; extended — 78, 135 ; paving vote (1814)— 307. INDEX. 317 Card, A. M.— 190. Card, George — 244. Carey, Egbert — 204. Carey, William — 119. Carlisle, W. R.— 230. Carman, Charles C. — 153. Carmcll, town of — 69. Carman, Charles — 145. Carnegie. Andrew — 220. Carpenter & Brother (i860)— 161. Carpenter, Hon. B. Piatt— 165, 171, 173, 174, 205, 216, 225. Carpenter, Isaac — 215. Carpenter. Jacob B. — 172. 182. 192. 223. 259- Carpenter, J. DuBois — iCw. 239. Carpenter, Leonard. Sr. — i.?.S. 161. Carpenter. Morgan — 139. 173. Carpenter. Miss Sarah M.~i83. I93- Carr, Col. Clark E. (111.)— 165. Cartland. Alfred L.— 251. Cary. Ebenezer — 156. Cary. James R. — 117. Cassatt, Andrew J. — 220. Case, James S.— 188. Case, Dr. Walter R.— 244. Casper Kill — Indian names and early settlement — 10. 12. i6; Gov. Clin- ton's place — 48 ; other references — 68. 84. Celebration.s — 4th of July— 59. 131. 200. 202; Civil War— 191, 193. 197; I^ok. Centennial — 263. Cemeteries — See graveyards. Chadwick, Thomas — 21. Chain, to obstrnct river n;ivigation. Fort Montgomery — 40, 41 ; West Point — 49- Chamberlain. William — tS2. Champlin, Albert H — 149, 171. Clianler. Robert Winthrop— 225. Chapman. W. R. (N. Y.)— 266. Chapinville Wheel Co.— 235. Charities— Charity Organization Society —251- Home for the Friendless — 157. House of Industry — 207. Home for Aged Men (Vassar) — 250. Old Ladies' Home — 204, 208. Charlotte precinct — 23, 35. Charier — First village— 70; first city— 1 50-151; 1874—223, 224; 1883—239; recent amendments — 244, 247. Chase. Hon. Salmon P— 173- Cleaveland, Dr. Joseph M.— 208. Cleveland. Stephen — 104. 161. Cheney. Albert O.— 176. 254, 264. Chichester Chair Factory — 210. Chichester, N. O.— 171. Chichester. P.— 182. Chichester. Samuel — 133. Childs, John— 33. 38. 39. Clioral Club— 250. 266. Christy, Thomas (1838)— 136. Churches — Baptist. Mill Street— 90. 206. 252. Lafayette Place — 146. 206. 252. Catholic, St. Peter's— 122, 147; Ger- man — 147; St. Marv's — 206, 251; Polish— 251. Christian Science — 251. Congregational — 122. 156. 166. 25 r. Dutch (Reformed)— 22. 23, 53, 6.5, 68. 73. 122. 206. fire 154-156; Second Reformed — 251. English CEpiscopaD— 23-24. Episcopal. Christ Church — 23. 24. 38, SI, 64, 68, 99, 119, 121, 252; St. Paul's — 123, 206; Holy Com- forter — 156, 207. Friends — 90, 122; Lafayette Place — 122, 252; Montgomery Street — 188, 251-2. T,utheran — 146. 206, 314. Methodist, ist — 90, 122, 314; Can- non St. — 146, 252; Hedding — 147; Trinity — 252; Zion — 147; German — 146. Presbyterian — 23. 121. 147. Univcrsalist — 146. Church Street — 64, 77. 13.S. 217. Citizens' Gas Co. — 237. City Court, created — 247. City Hall — 1 19, 197. 198. Citv Officers, list of— 312, 313. Clapn. Mrs. Egbert D.— 251. Clark. George (Newburgh) — 209, 212. Clark, Dr. H. F.— 262; biog. sketch— 275. Clark, James B. (N. Y. attorney I79t) — 64. Clark. Thomas C— 228. Clay, Henry — visit to Pok. — 129-T30; steamboat disaster — 14S. Clegg, James — 136. Clegg. Thomas — 161. 178, 218. Clifford. Daniel — 190. 208. Clinton Catechism (iSii) — 308. 309. Clinton, DeWitt — T03. Clinton, George \V.. son of Gov. George Clinton, Gov. George. Revolution — 39. 41, 42, 43, 44; residence in Po'k. — 45, 48. 65 ; letters written in Po'k. — 46, 48. 53 ; Constitutional convention — 57, 61 ; daughter marries Citizen Genet — 61 ; buys house on Cannon Street — 66, 67; buys Casper Kill farm — 67; head com. to buv hotel — 88. Clinton, Mrs. George — 42. 43. 53. Clinton House (Clinton Museum) — 32. 47, 48. 64. no. 266. Clinton, Sir Henry — 41, 42, 43. Clinton. Gen. James — 39. 41. Clopper. Mrs. Catherine — ,38. Clubs— Amrita — 222. .\pokeepsing Boat — 263. Bicycle clubs— 264. Dutchess — 264. Golf and Country — 264. Ice Yacht — 170. Poughkeepsie — 264. Shatemuc Boat — 222. Tennis — 264. Cockburn, Will, surveyor — 31. 32. Coetus and Coiifercntie dispute — 23. Coffin. Alexander J. — 98, 104, 107, irg, 138. 145. 161. 172. Coflfin. Owen T. — 190. Coffin. Tristram — 47. 206. J22. 2(13. Cogswell. Joseph II. — 161, 171. 182. 183. Colden, Cadwallader D.— 55. 66. 67. Coller. I. H.— 161. Coller, John — 135. College Hill — in, 123, 125, 129, 131. 145. 165. 204. 212. 248, 250. College Rowing Races — 264. Collingwood, George — 264. Collingwood, James — 158. 161. 192. 210. 219, 220, 222. Collingwood. John G. — 263. Collingwood. William — 171. Collingwood. Wm. A. — 222. Collins. Martin W. — 240, 254, 275. Colwell, Charles M. — 224. Commercial Paint Works — 156. Committee of Safety (Revolution) — 39. Commons— 30, 31, 32, 33, 66. Conunon Council — 153, 198, 210, 244. Cone, H. D. — 230. Concordia (musical soc.) — 266. Confiscations in Revolution — 301. Conklin & Bow'ue — 86, loi, 117. Conklin, Henry — 104, 108, 115, 117, 123, 127, 129, 138, 139. Conklin, Jacolj — 36. Conklin. John — 23, 26, 29, 32, 36. Conklin. J. M.— 86. Conklin, Matthew (1775)— 36. Conklin, Nathan — 86, 104, 107, 112, 117, 127. Conklin, Nathaniel (1775) — 36. Conklin, Nehcmiah — 107, 121. Conklin, Richard D. — 69. Conklin, Storm H. — 171. Conklin. Susan (wife of Henry Living- ston) — 29. Conkling. Roscoe — 165. Constatn. S. S. (Vassar trustee) — 167. Constitution, protest vs. change 1821 — 97-98; list of signer.s — 310. Continental troops in Po'k. — 51. Contraband business (Revolution) — 49. Cook, Albert — 104. Cook. Temperance (1804) — 78. Cooke, John (1798) — 69. Cooley. LeRoy C. — 204. 250. Coolidge, Daniel F. — 89. Cookingham. Jane Maria — 202. Cooper. Ananias (1775) — 36. Cooper. Ezekicl — 39. Cooper. Dr. John R. — 170. 175. 225. Copake — 214. Copeman, John (1804) — 78. Copperheads — 186. 188. Cordwainers Society — loi. Corlies. George — 109. 138. 20S. 220. 275. Corlies, Jacob — 138, 217, 21S, 276. Corlies, Walter — 217. Corliss, Joseph N.— 218. Cornell. R. D.— 174. Corning, Erastus — 141. Corning, Rev. J. L. — 191. 222. Cornish, John (1824)— 98. Correspondence, committees in Revolu- tion — 34, 35, 40; first Poughkeepsie conmiittee — 39. 40. Cornwallis. surrender celebrated — 53. Cornwell. George — 1^7. 220. Corwin. Wm. (N. Y.)— 215. Cossum. Charles F. — 263. Cottage Hill — 123. 124, 165. 167. 176. 20s. 314- Cotter. Dr. John IL— 263. 276. Counties comparison of, in Revolution — 48. 49- County House — 190. Court House, first — 19. 20 ; second — 20. 28; in Revolution — 37. 49. 51; burned — 56; Const. Convention — 56. 57: burned. 1806 — 75. 76; last — 259. Courts. General Sessions established — 20; suspended during 1777 — 44; conducted by John Jay — 49; by James Kent — 55. Courts Martial — 51. Cowlcs. Col. David S.— 182. Cowles. John — 98, 120. Cowman, Augustus T. — 133. Coxe. Robert E.— 157. Coxhead. Tohn F. — 156. Cramer, Elizabeth .'\nderson — 202. Cramer. George E. — 253. Crane. Joseph. Jr. — 69. Crandler and Crawler. Peter — 25. 318 / N D EX . Cranncll, Rarlliolonicw— 24, 30. 31, 36, 37, 3«. Cranncll House, evidence as to its oc- cupation by Gov. Clinton — 47, 48, 65. Crary. Rev. Robert Fulton — 157, 207. Crawford, George (1813) — 82. Crego, Josias (1718) — 21. Cronk, Sniitb — 172. Crooke, Dr. Cbarles — 65. Crookc, Cliarles — 145, 158, 280. Crooke. John — 29. Crooke, Philip S.— 135. Crosby, Rev. Howard — 1S8. Crosbv, Julia M.— 207. Crosby, Willard H.— 237, 266. Crosbv, W. S. & W. H.— 160. CrosbV, Prof. William H.— 188. 224. Crosby, Mrs. William H.— 183. Cruger, John C. — 182. Cruniniey, Edward — 182. Cunley, Court B.— 235. Cunningham, Garwood — 88. Cunningham, J. H. — 86. Cunningham, Walter— 82, 8(), 88. g8, loi, 102, 104, 108, 112, 123. 127, 137, 139- Currency, State, printed in Po'k. — 50 ; Continental — 52; scarcity after 1815 —95: 1S37— 128; Civil War— 192. Curtis, Hon. George William — 168. Cusack, John H.— 263. Cuvler. Rev. Cornelius C. — 81. go, 121, D Daly, James — 190. Daniels, Briggs & DuBois (i860)— 161. Dann. R. — 219. Danskammer, deeds to land opposite— II. Darrow, Sanuiel K. — 188. Daugblon, Joseph A. — 2(\^. Davids. George W.— 186. 208. 222, 280. Davids, Washington — 123. Davies, Thomas L — 86, 104. 707. 112. 124, 127, 140, 148, 157. 160, 162. 173. Davies, Mrs. Thomas L.— 183, 193. Davies, Thomas — 222. Davies. William A— 82, 107. 156, 158, 162, 188, 207, 209, 220. Davies, William (see also Davis) — 8_'. 108. Davis, Andrew Jackson, "seer of I'nugh- keepsie"— 1.^8, 139. Davis, Fred W.— 162, 212. Davis, Prof. George Fred — 166. Davis, Gerrct^26. Davis, Henry, son of Richard— 82, 90, T04. Davis, John — 34, 74 Davis, John TI— T04. Davis, Leonard, son of Rioh.ird — 65, 82, 86, 108. Davis, Richard— 28, 31, ^2. 36, 44, 62, 67. 6g: children of — 82. Davis. Richard D.— 119, 13.S. 138. Davis, Theodore W. — 212. Davis (Davies?) William— 67, 82, 90, 1.36, 139- Dawson, Symmes & Usher — 228. Dean, Hon. Gilbert— 172, 182, 190. Dean, John W. & Son (i860)— 161. Deane, Gilbert A. — 242. Debt, city 1873- 1876— 224. de Duiscr, Rollef, marriage 17.38 — 30. De Graef, Jan. — 21. De Graff, Abraham, marriage 1741 — ,30. De Graff, Hester, marriage 1735 — 30. De Graff, Joseph (1804)— 74- De Graff. John (probably son of Jan) —26, 28, 31, 36. De Graff, Moses — 26. De Groff, Amos T. (1830)— 122. De Groff, Jacob— 129, 145. De Garnio, Elias S. — 209. De Garmo, Smith L.— 260. Delalield, John— 122, 123, 124, 127, 136. de Lang(h) Louwerens, marriage, 1738 —30. De Laval Separator Co. — 234; sketch^ 276. De Lavergne, Benjamin — 90. Delemater, John W. — 259. De Long, Elias — 67. Dennis, A. L. (Newark, N. J.)— 220. Dennis, G. L.— 188. Depew, Chauncey M. — 190, 240. de Peyster. Johnston L. — 225. de Reimer, Marthe (wife of Roliert G. Livingston) — 29. Deremer, Peter, 1804—78. De Witt, Jacob, Icftenant. 1734—25. De Witt, John, Const. Convention, 1788 —61. Dewey, William — 139. Deyo, Jerome V. — 222. Dickinson, Charles R. — 251. Dickinson, Pomeroy P. — 214. 216, 220, 230. Dimond, C. A. — 190. Dix, John A. (Governor) — 225. Dobbs, Ely R.— 181. Dnbbs, J. H.— 161. Dublis, William C— 188. D.ibbs, William Lyon — 250. l)..l,son. Dr. W. G.— 264. Dodge, Mrs. LeGrand— 193- Doherty, P. C— 263. Donald, Converse & Maynard — 237, 256. Dorland, Cyrenus P.— 205. 240. Dorland. Peter— 205. Doty, Isaac, Jr.— 86. Doty, Spencer C. — 160, 182. Doty, Thoiuas — 209, 222. 1 )oughtv, Augustu.s — 222. Doughty, Cornell & Co.— 210. Doughty, Isaac T.— 102. l)..uglUy, Joseph C— 138, 167, 210, 217. I )( luybty. Sterling— 222. 1 ). .u,L;bty, William — 162. 1 )6, 170, 191. 192. 194, 197, 201, 206, 212, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 225, 228. Eastmead, Charles — 222. Eastmead & Osborne — 237. Ebstein, Ludwig— 157. ''"^S. Eckert, Jacob I. — 127. Eden Hills— no, 148. Education (see schools). Education, Board of, first elected — 143; first appointed — 254. Egerton, John — 21. Eighmie, George D. — 235. Eighmie, Jeremiah — 215. Eisel, John E.— i.V?. Elmendorf, Rev. Joachim— 250. Elmendorf, Lucas (of Ulster)— 95. F.ldridge, Judge Egbert Q.— 133- Electric Light- 230, 237. Elections (see politics). Ellison, Thomas — 64. Elsworth, Edward— 165, 217, 224, 240, 249, 2So; biog. sketch — 280. Ellsworth 'Greys— 178, 181, 186. 188, 263. Elting, .\braham & Son — 131. Elting, Henry D. — 95. Elting, Irving — 18. Elting, Capt. Lnther— 127. F.ltiug, Noah — 69. Elv, .Andrew — 1.30. luiiaus. Albert— 182. b"mans. Storm — 242. Emerson, Ralph Waldo— 146. Emott. Judge James, Sr.— 55, 74, 90. 9', 98, 107. 11.=;, 135- Emott. Judge James, Jr.— 1.38. 152, 153. 162, 176, 178, 182, 188, 190, 197. 2\o. 219; biographical sketch — 280. Emott, Mrs. James— 183. lunott, (S(iuire) William— 36, 38, 49, 61. 63. 65, 72, 73, 74. 77. 90. Engrcm (Ingraham?) Duncan — 67. EnlistnuMits, Civil War— 175, 183. I N DE X . 319 Eno, William (Pine Plains) — 215. Ernest, Anthony Hyijiti) — 69. Erskine, Robert, letter to Geo. Clinton, I77«>— 39- Esopus Island (Cline Sopas Island) — 25. EureKa mower — 209. Euterpe Glee Club — 26(), Everitt, Clear — 26, 29, 30. i2, 36, 48, 65. Evertson ancestry — 2H1. Evertson, George H. — 67, 75, So, 81, 82, 89, 90, 121. Everitt House (see Cliulou House). Everitt, John — 73. Everitt, Peter — 86, 89, 101. 107, 117, 139. Everitt, Richard— 32, 3(), ()9, 72. F Fall Kill (Relation to name Poughkeep- sie) — Chap. 1. Fall Kill Improvement — 212. 214. I'^allkill Mamifacturiug Co. — 237. Family Magazine — 137. Fanning, Robert — 131, 304. Fanning. William A. — 153, 170, 217. Farnuni, Morgan L. — i(x3, 171, 2ig. F'arnum, Samuel J. — 167, 170. Farrington & Co. — 161. Farrington, George W. — 145. F'arrington, Walter — 248. Farrington, W. R. — 247. Fay. Eliphaz — 124, 165. Federalists — In Const. Convention — 57, 61. Political campaigns — 61, 91. 96, 102. Downfall of party — 103. Fenner, Thomas — 123. Ferdon, Jacob — 37. Ferdon, Johannes — 24. Ferguson, Uriah L. — 177, 216. Ferris, Mary — 207. Ferris, Nathaniel — 104. Ferris, Robert M. — 264. Ferris. William L. Jr. — 222. Ferry — Established^X). Incorporated (horseboat) — 95. 96. Moved to Main Street— 230. Field. George S. — 228. Field. John— 38. 74. 86. F'ifteenth Sep. Co. — 263. F'ilkin, Elizabeth, marriage — 30. Filkins, F'rans. judge, etc. — 2S, 30. Filkins, Henry ( Sheriff)— 26. Fllkintown Road — 24. 26, i2. 55. 70, 78. Finch, Henrv — 143, 158. Fires— Court House (1785)- 56; (1S06) — 75- Vassar Brewery, 181 1 — 85. Big fire of 1836^-120. In 1849-1852— 149. Dutch Church — 154, 1^6. Lent's (Red) Mills— 156. Morgan-Wrigbt block, i860 — 156. Pardee block, 1870 — 219. Whitehouse factory — 262. Glass Works— 262.' Reynolds Elevator — 262. Gas Works— 262. Fire Companies, first mention — 70; ap- paratus in 180S — 74. Bag Men — 74. Engine Co. No. i (1804) — 74; name "Protection" — T50; disbanded — 154, 260. Engine Co. No. 2 (Niagara) — 74, 150, 156. 260. Engine Co. No. 3 (Washington)- 74. \=,o. 154. Engine Co. No. 4 (Cataract)— 120. 149, 150. 154, 156, 260; charter members — 310. Engine Co. No. 5 (Neptime) — 120, 149, 154. 156, 260. Engine Co. No. 6 (Young America) — 154; reorganized as Hose Co. — 2bo. Hook and Ladder Men — 74; Davy Crockett — 120, 149, 150, 260. Hose Co. No. 1 (Red Rover) — 120; Reorganized as Ph)nda, A. (i860) — 161. I'-onda. James H. — 137, 138. I-'onda, Walter Cunningham — 137. Forbus, Alexander— 99, 110, 115. 135, 138, 264. Forbus Hill— 172-174. F'orbus, John — 75, 90. Forbns, John B. — 119, 122, 124, 162. Forby, William — 237. Forman, William — 36. F'orrest, Robert — 122, 200. Forster, R. S. — 161. Fort, Major Abraham — ^46, 68. F"ort Constitution — 40, 42. Fort Montgoinerx- — 40, 41, 42. Foster, David C. — 102, 223. Foster, D. Crosby — 251. Foster & Gale — 149. Foster. Thomas — 222. Fowler. Benjamin M. — 248. Fowler, C. A.— 237. F'owler. Charles E. — 212. Fowler. George P. (i860)— 161. Fowler. John W.— 162, 165. Fowler, Milton A. — 205, 209. Fowler, Oscar A. — 171, 208. Fowler. Sidney — 208. Fox, Wm. B.— 188. Francis. John ( 1824) — 98. Francklyn. Charles G. — 220. Frank, Valentine — 160: Jr. — 264. Frank. William H.— 253, 262. 264. Franklin. Town of — 69. Frcar. James B.— 119. ^22. Frear, Simeon T. (1804) — 74. Freartown — 174. Frederick, Town of — 69. Freer (Frere), Abraham — 26, 31. 33. Freer, Baltns (1798)— 67. Freer. Jacobus — 33. 44. Freer. John— 32, 38, 39. 63. 68. Freer. T.— 67. Free Masons, Solomon's Lodge — 50: see also Masons. I'rench. Colonial wars with — 26, 27. I'"rench, Bronson — 66, 109. brick, H. C. (Pa.)— 228. I'rost, Aaron — 172. Frost, Henry S. — 170, 237. l'"rost, John (177T) — 32. l-'rost, Joseph G. — 205. l'"rost. Miss Julia— 252. FVost & Parish— 219. Im-os1. Robert W.— 216, 217, 222. r'rost, .Solomon V. — 98, 104. 1 10, 13S. 161. I'riisl, Stephen — 122. b'rosl. \Villi.im (1836)— 120. I'Vost, William & Son. i8(x) — 161. F'uller. Benjamin (1807) — 90. F'urman, \\'illi.im — 264. a Gager. John— 218. Gaines, Clemenl C. — 254, 2SS I Biograph- ical sketch- 282. Gallaudet Home— 251. Gary. John — 85. Gas lighting — 148, 237; first lamp dis- trict— 312. Gausman. George — 133. Gay, Bartholomew — 67. Gaylord, Charles J. — 183, ux). Gaylord, Doty & Co. — 210. Gaylord, George R. — 182. 220. Gay, Luther (Town Washington) — 98. Gebrants, Lowerens, marriage 1737 — 30. Genet, "Citizen." F'rench minister, mar- ries daughter of George Clinton — 61 ; children of — 67. Gentner. Andrew — 1.\^. Gerard, W. R.— 14. 250. Germania Singing Society — 194. 266. Germond. Isaac — loi. Germond. Silas — 115. Gerow. Joseph W. & Co. — 161. Gibbons. William P. — 145. Gibbs. W. W.— 228, 230. Gidlev. Townsend E. — 122. Gilbert. Walter D.— 266. Gildersleeve. Elmer D. — 2^2. Gildersleeve. Henry A. — 182. 183. Gile. Benjamin — 145. Giles, John — 127. Gifford, Nathan — 117, 14.5. Gifford, Sherman & Innis— 149. I57. 233- Gill Place, below Pok.— 43. Girand. Jacob P. — 204. Giraud, Pierre — 191. Glass, A. J— 23.^. Glass Works, Poughkeepsie — 114. 234; sketch — 29 1 . Glebe House (Eng. Church) — 24. Goetschius, Rev. John H. — 2i. Goflf, Edward H.— 237. Goshen — 27, 51. Goss, Sarah (1S07) — 90. Goss, William (1S07)— 90. Gow, Prof. George C. — 250. 266. Graham. Charles (Revolution)— 39. Graham. Col. Morris (Revolution) — 35, 38. 40. 42. Graham, William — 153. Granger, Francis — 103. Grant, E. F.— 138. Grant, James — 98. 104. 107, 123. Gray, .-Augustus B. — 225. Graves, Orson — 173. Graveyards— 23, yi. 76, 90, 109, 121 ; Rural Cemetery — 148; Inscriptions in Dutch Burial Ground. Main St. — .^00; Original plot holders Dutch Reformed Burial Ground, Hyde Park Road — 311: Baptist Burial Ground. Garden St. — 312. 320 INDEX. Great Harrington (Mass.)— 215. Greeley, Horace — 200, 205. Green, Jacob — 104. Green, Jolin— 95, 112, 117, 122. Green, John L. — 1S2. Green, William H. — 153. Gregory, Rev. G. H.— 252. Gregory, Theodoras— 118, 127, 135, 161, 172, 215. Gregory, Mrs. Theodoras — 148, 157. Gregory, Uriah — 117, 127, 143. Griffin, Angelica (Y. W. C. A.)— 251. Griffin, Elihn (Clinton)— 215. Grimling, F. — 266. Grinnell, lr\'ing — 222. Grinnell, Moses H.— 141. Grube, Charles — 266. Grtibb, John— 146, 216, 218. Guernsey, Daniel W. — 205. Guernsey, Stephen Gano— 244; biograph- ical sketch — 283. Gunn, Abel J.— 127. Gurney, May — 251. H Haber, Fragharys — 25. Hackett & Williams— 248. Haff, William, Revolutionary story— 37. Haggerty. James — 171. Hague, William (Vassar trustee)— 167. Hagcman, Rev. Charles S. — 194- Hager, Mrs. Eliza— 148. Hager, J. Henry— 157, 186. Haight, A. V.— 219, 244, 278. Haight, Hiram (i860)— 161. Haight, Zebulon — 122. Hale, Matthew— 165. Hallock, Nathaniel (Milton)— 222. Hallovvav, Seneca V. — 225. Halliday^ Harrison— 175, I77. i8.> Halliwell, George (1806)— 86. Halliwell, George W. (i860)— 161. Hall, Fdwin— 172. Hall, Israel P. (1835)— 120. Hall, Tallmadge— 56. Halpin, William — 157. Halstead, Benjamin — 162. Halslcad, F'rank W. — 263. Halstead, John G.— 173. Ham. Milton (i860)— 162. Hamilton, Alexander, visits Pok. — 30; in Const. Convention, 1788 — 57, 61. Hannnond. Lewis C. (i860) — 161. Hanchette. Hon. B. F. (Wis.)— 165. Hannah, B. L. — 156. Hannah & Storm — 158. Hanscom, A. J. — 217. Harbottle, John (1807)— 90. Harloe, Matthew— 178, 181. Ilarloe, William— 168. 209, 225. Harper. James (N. Y.)— 167. Harris. David — 192. Harris, Edwin S. — 253. Harris, Ira — 167. Harris, Joseph — 82. 119, 127, 129. Harris, Joseph C. — 162. Harris. Peter— 24. 32. 33- Harris, Richard (1804)— 74. Harris, Stephen (1804) — 78. Hartford, Ct.— 216. 227, 230. Hartman. William — 264. Hart's Village— 215, 216. Harvey, Albert B.— 208. Harvev, John C. — 153. Harvey, Gen. Thomas W.— 136, 137- Hasbrouck, Abraham — 220. Hasbrouck. Dr. Alfred— 188. Hasbrouck, Frank — 222, 225, 248. Hasbrouck, Mrs. Frank — 266. Hasbrouck, Henry — 263. Hasselberg, L. — 266. Match, A. S.— 123, 126. Hatch, Rev. Frederick W.— 123. Hatch, Mrs. Frederick W.— 147. Ilatton, Robert (Revolution) — 49. Haubennestel, John — 264. llaubennestel, William— 188, 206, 215, 244, 263. Hawkins, Barnet — 145. Haupt, R. W.— 264. Ilavdock, Mrs.— 193. Hayes, Peter P.— 112, 117, 123, 129, 139. Hayes & Adriance — 102. Haves, Edmund — 228. Ha'vman, Capt. R. R.— 18S. Haynes, E. M.— 138. Hav scales — 83. Havt, Peter B.— 219, 237. llearttield, Rev. Frank— 250. Heath, J. Parker— 217. Heath, Charles — 217. Heermance and Van den Bogarl tradi- tion — 20, 314. Heermance, Martin — 240; biographical sketch — 283. Heermance, Mrs. Martin — 266. Hegeman, Henry — 68. Hegeman, Isaac, marriage 1740 — 30. Hegeman, Sara, marriage 1744 — 30. Hegeman, Wallace W.— 205, 200. 212, 216. 222. Helms & Peters (i860)— 161. Henderson, Adam — 104, 161. Henderson, George R. — 145. Henderson, Oliver S. — 153. Henderson, Samuel (1824) — 98. Hendrickson, Stephen — 49, 65, 88, 123. Hengstebeck, Frank — 188, 190. Hermans, Hendricks, Capt. (1729) — 24. Herrick, Benjamin— 84, 86, 88, 92, 104. Herrick & Losee — 248. Herrick, Mrs. Mary — 205. Herrick, P. 181. Herrick, Rufus (Revolution) — 39. Herrick, Sarah Jane — 202. Hevenor. J. — 216. Hewitt, Gideon P.— 107, 108. 116. 117. 123, 124, 13s, 138. Hibbard, David (1826)— 121. Hickok, Charles H.— 266. llighel. William— 171. Highlands, defense of up to fall cif l'"nrt Montgomery — 40, 41. 42; new de- fenses — 46. 48, 52. Hill. David B. ( Governor)— 22S, 240. Hill, James T. (i860)— 133. if)i, i/O- Hill. Nathaniel— I s6. liill, N. & Son— 156. Hill, Rev. William Bancroft— 2Sr. II ill. William C— 222. 263. Hille(|uist, Casper (1804^ — 74. Hills, named about town — 174. Hinckley. Voice — S3. II inkle. Charles J. — 204. IHukley. James W. — 240, 242. 244. 259. 11 inc. C.corge M.— 235. 244. Hitchcock. Mark H.— 216. 217. Ilobart. John Sloss— 49. Ilobart. Powell — 264. Ilobson. John (1804, 1814) — 74. 86. Hoff, C. C— 170, 173- Hoffman. Abraham— 83. lloffm.iii. .■\iithony — 36, 67. 69. HolTman. Rev. E.— 146. HnlYnian. Isaac— 67. 83. Hoffman. Martin (1755)- 29, 83. Hoffman. Martin, Jr. — 9s. Toi. Hoffman. Martin & Co.— 77, 82, 83. Hoffman. Robert— 32. 81, 83. Hoffman. Tlieodore A. — 242. Holdcn, John G. P.— 148, 186. Holden, Oliver— 81, 86. Holley, A. H. (Gov. Ct.)— 221. Holmes, Obadiah (Holmes St. named from) — no. Holt, Miss Isabella— 123. Holt, John, printer in Rev. — 50, 51. Home for the Friendless — 157. Home Guards (Civil War) — 186. Hoogeboom, Bartholomeus — 21. Hooker, James — 92, 102, 104, 107, no, 127, 141. Hook Landing — Old name of Xew Ham- burgh— 33. _ Hooper, John T. — 210. Hopewell Junction — 216. Hopkins, Benjamin — 162. Hopkins, Elias G. — 133, 153. Hopkins, John M. — 141. Hopkins, Lemuel J. (i860) — 161. Hopkins, Col. Roswell— 36, 38. I lopkins. Rev. William Herman — 264. Horse racing — 168. 222. Ilorsfall, J. H.— 217. I lorticultural Society — 264. Hospitals — Hudson River State — 208. St. Barnabas — 207. Vassar — 207, 248, 249. Hotels— Early— 88. 107. Eastern House— 118, 161. Exchange House. — 118, 233. Forbus House — 98, 161, 174. 259. Franklin (Fowler) House — 88, 161. Gregory House — 172, 206. Mansion House — 123. Morgan House — 172, 206. Northern Hotel — 118, 126, 161, 190, 259- Nelson House — 2S9. Poughkeepsie Hot'el— 78. 86. 88. 98. 126. 129. 131, 140, 161; list of purchasers in 1804 for political iu-ail<|uarters — 306. Houghton, Charles L. — 222. Houston, Andrew — 166. Howard, Flarriet R. — 251. Howard. Seth, 1814—84. Howard, Peter M.— 219, 256. Howell. Eugene N. — 235. 240. 260. 264. 1 lowland. Dr. Anna C— 251. I lowland. Gardner R. — 141. I lowland. Joseph — 122. Hovvland, Joseph (State Treas.)— 314. Howland, Peleg — 122. Howland. Seneca — 102. lloysradt, Willctt— 254. Hoyt. Dr. James— Biog. sketch— 284. Hoyt. Stephen (1804) — 74. Huddleston, the spy, hanged — 52. Hudson— 182, 183. Hudson River — Efforts to obstruct in Revolution — 40. Hudson River Iron Co. — 209. 225. Hudson River Railroad — See Railroads. Hudson River State Hospital — 20S. 209. Hudson River Telephone Co. — 237. Hufcut, Mrs. Horace D. — 266. Hughes. Charles T.— 263. Hughes. Christopher (1785)— 56. Hughes. Christopher — 162. 209. Hughes. Col. (Revolution) — 43. Hull. Dr. A. Cook— 209. Hull. George D. — 217. Hull. John F.— I.VS. 162, 208, 239. Hull. J. Frank (John F. Jr.)— 222, 237, 244. Hull. Mrs. J. Frank— 251. Hull. William B.— 263. Ilulnio. Peter— 224. 263. Iluniiihrey, Cornelius (1775) — 36. INDEX. 321 Humphrey, Col. William — 38, 41, 42. Hunt, Freeman, quoted — 118. Hunting, Edward — 172. Hunting, Isaac (1821) — 98. Hunter, Robert H. — 206, 225, 244, 253, 259- Hussey, James (Capt. 1729) — 24. Husted, Gen. James W. — 221, 225. Husted, Walter I.— 188. Hustis, H. H.— 182. Hyde, Guy— 89. Hyde, Liberty — 161, 219. Hyde Park — 43, 84, 117, 170. Ibbottson, Henry — 137. Ice Yachting — 168-170, 221. Improvement Party — 108, 115, 123, 126, 135- 138. Indian names — Chapter 1. Indians — 21, 26. Innis, Aaron, Sr. — 83. 101, 107, 112. 117. Innis, Aaron, Jr. — 170, 171, 188, 2ib, 220, 222, 227, 263. Innis, George— 117, 182, 186, 187, 188, 208, 20p, 215, 217, 2_'o, 223; biog. sketch — 284, Innis, Mrs. George — 1(;3. Innis, William R. — 263. Insurance Companies — 90, 115, 162. Iron Foundries — 116, 136. lOi. Iron Furnaces — 143, 157. 2^. Jackson, Charles — 178, 181. Jackson campaign, 1828 — 103. Jackson, Joseph H. — 129, 131, 145, 147, 151- Jarnion, John — 30. Jay, John — Sent to Pok. 1776 — 40; holds court in Pok. — 49 ; Constitutional Convention — 58. 59; vote of County for Governor — 6i. Jennings, Edgar S. — 177. Jennings, Eli — 120, 127. Jenny, William — 124. Jervis, John B. — 141. Jewett, Grace Bayley — 202. Jewett, Henry — 256, Jewett, Herman — 200. Jewett, Jacob B. — 141. 148, 151, 188, 190, 223, 224. Jewett, Milo P. — 165. 167, 168. 203, 205. Jewett, Nathan H.— 145. Jewish Synagogue — 156. Jillard, Thomas — 247. Jillson, Augustus — 138. Jillson, J. A. — 161, 171. Johns, Victoria L. — 251. Johnson, Albert— 178, 181, 183. Johnson, Charles D. — 263. Johnson, Samuel (Wap. Falls) — 222. Johnston, Mattie F. (Mrs. Flov M.) — 251- Johnston, Floy M. — 142, 222, 263. Johnston, F. R. — 173. Johnston, Theodore V. — 142, 170. 222, 239- Johnston, Samuel B. — 145, 148. Johnston, William S. — 142, 182, 185. 194. 259- Jones, Catharine Rogers — 202. Jones, Edward — 141. Jones, Daniel — 160. Jones, Samuel (1788) — 59. . Joy, P. A.— 161. Joyner, Nathaniel — 91. Juflfrow's Hook — 18. K Kaal Ruck (many spellings; — 9, 26, 44, 09, 98. Kaess, William — 237. Keep, Jan (widow of) — 21. Kelly, Henry — 122. Kelly, Hon. William (Rbk.)— 167, 168, 176, 182. Kemble, Gouverneur — 141. Kendrick, Rev. J. Ryland — 252. Kent, George — 133. Kent, James, in Pok. — 54, 55, 57; de- scribes Const. Convention — 59, 61. Kenworthy, Richard — 149, 172, 205, 215, 217. Kerr, James A. — 263. Ketcham, James — 173. Kctcham, John N. — 115. Kctcliam, Gen. John H. — 167, 172, 173, 182, 190, igr, 195, 197, 200, 205, 244 ; biog. sketch — 285. Ketcham, William M.— 244. Keteltas, William— 65. Kcttel, Rev. G. F.— 178. Kidney's Creek, nortliern boundary city —70. Kidney, William (1804) — 74. Kiessler, P.— 266. Killey, Egbert B., Sr. — 73, 104, 129, 130, 140, 141, 145, 146. 148. Killey, Mrs. Egbert B. (Julia A.)— 157. Killey, Egbert B. Jr. — 171, 172, 242. Kimball, Dr. Grace N. — 251. Kimball, H. — 219. King, Andrew — 216, 218, 224. Kingston — Burning of — 43, 44; Legis- lature there — 46, 51 ; other refer- ences — 27, 39, 89, gi, 107, 210. Kinney, John — 56. Kip, Matewis — 26. Kip. Jacob. Jr.. Capt. 1729 — 24, 25. Kip, Rd., justice 1729 — 24. Kipp, James H. — 259. Kirchner. Charles — 220, 266. Kirchner Hall — 219, 262. Kirkwood, James P. — 212. Knapp, Abraham P. — loi. Knapp, George H. — 173. Kneass, Strickland — 220. Knickerbocker. Lowerens, Capt. lyjg — • 24. Knights of Columbus — 259, 263. Knights of Pythias — 263. Knower & Hobson, hat manufacturers, 1 798 — 69. Korner. Lieut. — 188. Kosciuszko, visit to Clinton at Pok. — ^49. Kiibn, A. — 266. Labout, Sovryn, "the Baker," reference in Sanders-Harmse patent — 13, 16, ~ 17- Lacounte, Boudewvn — 23. 25, 31, 76. Ladd, Rev. H. O., ref. to "Founding of the Episcopal Church in Dutchess county" — 23. 24. Lafayette, visits Clinton at Pok. — 49; visit to Pok., 1824 — 98, lor. Lamp District, 1st — 312. Lamper, P. — 219. Lamoree, George — 162, 174. Lamoree, Nathaniel — 209. Lancaster School — 90. 144. Land grants, patents — 12-18, i2. Land titles questioned — 32. Landings — Lower (R. Davis's, Pine St.) —28. 31. 82. 117, 174, 210; Main St. (Kaal Rock)— 26, 69, 77, 82, 83, 117, 210, 230; Readc's Landing — 77; Union — 28. 63, 81, 82. 117, 143; Up- per (Hoifman's, Mill St.)— 82, 83, 95, 117, 174. 210, 230; others — 82. Laiidon, Francis G. — 225, 265, 285. Landon, Jonathan — 36, 286. Lane, Dr. Charles E. — 247, 257, 286. Lane, John G. — 234. Lane, William J. — 234. Langdon, John (Revolution) — 39. Lansing, see al.so Lassing. Lansing. Derrick vs. D. Rus.sell — 131. Lansing. Gerrel, Indian mortgage — 11, 17. Lansing, Gerret (1798) — 67. Lansing. Gerret P. (1859) — 171. Lansing. W. C.— 242. Lansingh, Pieter, Indian deed to 1683 — 10; petition for patent — 12; "Peter tlie Brewer," ancestor of Lansing, Law.son and Lossing families — 16. Lapliam. Thomas — 133. La Koy. Simeon — 26, 30. Lasher. Haiglit & Kelley— 235. Lassing (Lassen). .-Vbraham — 26. Lassing. Isaac — 26. 30. Lassing. Isaac. Jr. (1771) — 3;^. Lathrop, Edward (Vassar trustee) — 167. Laufersweiler, lulward — 264. Lawrence, August, shipbuilder. Revolu- tion— 39. 49. Lawrence. Rev. Edward \. — 250, 251. Lawrence. Daniel — 49. Lawrence, William A. — 253. Lawson. Peter L. — 67. Leach & Co. (contractors) — 216. Leary. Dennis (Newburgh) — 170. Leary. William F. — 240. Lee, Ann, imprisoned in Pok. — 48. Lee, Per Lee A. — 251. Lee, Samuel (1826) — 121. Lee, William — 157. Lee, William Morgan — 224, 263. Lefever. Jacob — 244. Leggett, Thomas H.— 188. Legislature — Meetings at Pok. in Rev- olution and later — 47, 49. 51, 56, 64; see also Assembly. Lloyd. Percival M.— 252. Lloyd, Thomas S. — 209. Lent. David B. — 86, 120, 121, 123, 127, 135. 141, 156. Lent, George B. — 162, 192. 223. Lent. John R. — 153, 156. 161. 237, 260. Leonard, Moses G. (of N. Y.) — 140. Le Roy. Daniel — 170. Le Roy, Francis — 33, 78. Le Roy, Fransoy (Frans) — 21, 24, 26. Le Roy, Peter— 67. Lester, Catharine — 82. Leslie. Col. John R. — 18[, 204. Lewis, Barent — 25, 32. Lewis, D. — 173. Lewis, James (1775) — .^6. Lewis, J. F. — 157. Lewi.s, Jonathan (1775) — 36. Lewis, Leonard, judge, etc. — 20, 21, 28, ,30. 3f. 78, 121. Lewis, Leonard B., collector 1803 — 72. Lewis, Miles K. — 259. Lewis. Gov. Morgan — 98, 306. Lewis. Thomas — 21. Libcrtv Poles (177s)— 35, 541 Civil War— 178. 322 / A^ DEX . Library. Pok. — 90, 145, 146; Adriancc Memorial — 253; Library Trustees — -'53- Lindley, Alfred F.— 171, 188. 262. Littainiirc. Francis — j6. Littel, luiilen T. (N. Y. architect )— 206. Little Britain — 43. Little (".iants — 173. Livingston. Beekman — 53. 77. Livingston, Catharine. \vin H. C. (.Mayor Hartford) — 221. K..l,in-on, John D.— 135. R.iliiii-iiii. John Starks (,1799) — 66. Roli>. .11. Adam — 161. Ri ■chc-.tt-r University — 167. Rockefeller. John L). (gifts to Vassar College)— .'48- Rockwell, William P.— 227 (note). Rogers, Archibald — 242. Rohr, Otto— 266. Romine, Isaac — 68. Rooniin (Remain?), David — 30. Roosevelt, Isaac, letters to Richard Varick (1788)— 58, 59. Roosevelt, Isaac (1830) — uj. Roosevelt, John .\. — 58, 60, 170, 222. Ross. Sanford & Baird — 228. Rothery, A. G. — 263. Rowing — 170, 171, 222, 263, 264. Rowland, P. S.— 161, 263. Rowley, Charles M. — 240. Rovce," W. A.— 138. Rubinstein Club— 266. Rudd. Theron — 89, 92, 93. Rudd, Zebnlon — 138, 192. Ruggles, Judge Charles II. — 123. 127, 129, 172, 173. 17(1. Ruggles, Mrs. Charles II. — 183. 193. Ruggles, Henrv J., letter (|uoted — 121. Ruggles, Phik>^2. Rupley, Samuel K. — 237, 263. Ruppert, Jacob — 225. Russell, Isaac F. — 133. Rutgers, Anthony — 82. Rust Platz (name of stream) — 18, 148. Rutsen, Jacob (letter 1745 to Henry Livingston ) — 27. Rutzer, John H. — 141, 161, 259. Rynders, Harmen ( '"Stebo" or bell ring- er 1732) — 20, 21. Rynders, John — 26. Rysdyck, Rev. Isaac — 2^. S Sackett. Leonard !!. — i^^, 206. 22^. 224, 248. Sackett, Nathaniel — 3(). Sackett, Richard (iMrst County Clerk) — 20, 21. Sage. Russell — 230 (note). Sadlier, Dr. James E., biog. sketch — 294. Sague, Mrs. Horace — 251. Sague, John K. — 263. Salisbury Iron Works (Ct.) — 40, 44, 49. Salt Point — 143, 215. Sanders, Elsie (widow of Robert) — 19. Sanders, Robert (first Patentee)— 16, 18. Sands, James — loi. Sands, Henry and George — 32. Sands, Isaac G. — 2io, 215. Sands. Moses C— 162. Sands, William — 102. Sanford, G. (i860) — 161. Sanford, Hon. Nathan- 162. Sanford & Hull— is6. Sanford, Mrs. Peter P.— 148. Sanford, Robert — 162. 165, 207. 209; biog. sketch — 295. Sanford, Mrs. Robert— 266. Sanford, William N. — 247. Sanitary Fair — 193. Saratoga — 27. 39. 186. Saunders. Thomas — 21. 24. Sayres. John (1800—73. /S. Scarborough. Rev. John — 157, 252. Scheefer, Henrie — 24. Schell, William R.— 162. Schcnck, Abraham (1821) — 98. Schenck, Gysbcrt — 36. Schenck, John (Revolution)— 38, 41. Schenck, Paul (Revolution) — 39; store on Main St.— 86. Schcpnioes, Joseph — 247. Scliernierhorn, Elizabeth — 2^0. Schickle, William— 138, 264. Sclilosser, L.— 266. Schlude, George — 188. Schofield, Stephen (1813)— 82, 263. Schools — Gov. Clinton's message (1795)- 68; early — 89. 90. Academy, Dutchess Co., first — 64. 65. 2^^: new — 124. 144. 165, 204. .\cadcmv. Pok. Female — 123, 145. 165.' 254. Academy. Free (High School) — 165. Bisbee's High School — 165. Bishop's — 204. Rockee',s — 205. Brooks' Seminary — 205. Butler's Home Inst. — 205. Collegiate (College Hill)— 123. 124. 144; abandoned — 204. Collegiate Inst. (Female) — 14.1. 165; Cook's — 205; Lyndon Hall — 254. Cottage Hill Seminary — 165, 176. Deaf Mutes— 165. Friends (Mansion Sq.) — 129. 145. Free Public Schools — 144, 143. i.tI. 254- Mrs. Herrick's — 205. High School — 165, 204. Jcwett's — See Warring's, also Cot- ta.ge Hill. Law School — T43, 162, 165. Lancaster School — 90. 144, 146. Leslie' .s — 204. Lyndon Hall — 145, 254. Miley's— 3T4. Military Inst. — See Warring's. Mansion Sq. Female — 165. Pelham Inst. — 204. 205. Putnam Hall — 205. Onincy — 254. Riverview Military .\cademy — 204. 254, 294- Warring's — 204, 203. 2^4. See also Eastman Cnlk-c and Vassar College. SchcMil Cnnnnissioncrs (first for Town of Pok.) — 69; see also education. Schoonmaker. Rev. Henricus — 2,^. Schram. William — 131. Sohram. Mrs. William— 183. Schrauth. Jacob and Sons, Edward and William H., biog. sketch — 293-296. Schryver, John T. — 104. 115. 138. Schrvver, Peter A. (1830)— 122. Schuster. Peter- 185. Schuvler, Col. Peter (sells land 1(399) — 18. Schuyler, Philip (letter about, 174.3) — 27. Schwartz. John— 235. Scoot, Jonas — 21. Scott. Thomas A. (Phibadelphia)— 220. Scott. William— 24. Scott. D. & Co.— t6[. Scoute. Svmon — t8. Seaburv. Rev. Samuel (founds I'.n.i.ilisli Church)— 23, 28. Seaman, George — 264. Seaman, Henry — 137. Seaman, Isaac N. — 239. Seaman, James Harvey — 133. 173, 1S8. Seaman, Nathaniel — 28. Seaman, Oscar Nelson, biog. sketch — 297. Seaman, Stephen (Revolution) — 49. Sedgwick, C. H. & William (i860}— 161. Sedgwick, E. H. — 217. Seward, James A. — 192. Seward, William H. (election 1838) — 129. Shatemuc Boat Club — 222. Shaw, Daniel — 49. Shaw, Henry W. (Josh Billings) — 153, 154, 170, 171, 204. Shedd, Dr. O. M.— 247. Sheldon, Smith — 167. Slu-Uion, Wilson B.— 162. .'^heiman, Alfred — 177. Sherman, David S. — 112. Sheiman, (jcorgc H. — 244. Sherman, Howland R. — 117. 129, 143. Sherrill, Hunting — 84. Sherrill, Isaac W.— 244, 253. Shields, J7, 77. 10 i. 217; or- dinances — 305, .^oO. Street, Gen. Randall S.— 73. 78. ')0. 92, 97- Street, William T.— 78, 129, 13'- Street, Albert Rilliiig.s— 78. Streit, Lewis F. — 153. 215. Streit & Lockwood— 158. Strippcl, Nicholas — 162. Stuart, Archibald — 53, (k), 77. Stuart, Robert — 2^7. Sturgis, John G. — 119. Stuyvesant, John R. — 170. Suffern, Thomas — 141. Surrogate's office — 130. Sutcliffe, Eli — 206. Sutcliffe, John — 212, 297. Sutherland, Henry A. — 206. Swan, Cyrus— 167, 168, 171, 172, 248. Swart & Lumb — 209, 288. Swartwout, Bernardus — 25. Swartwout, Cornelius B. — 86. Swartwout, Col. Jacob ( Jacol)us)— 36, 38. 40, 61. Swartwout, Jacobus — 24. Swartwout, Johannes — 2b. Swartwout, John (1804) — 74. Swartwout, John B. — 121. Swartwout. Martin H. — i8t. Swartwout. Rudolf (Sheriff 172J)— 24. Swartz. Rev. William P. — 252. Sweet, .\bram N.— 133. Sweet, Eleazer D.— 138, I73- Sweet, Nehemiah — 108, 145. Sweet. George — 173. Sweet, Thomas — 82, 119. Sweelscr, iMnina Corning — 202. Swift, Beriah (Millbrook) — 1 17, 234. Swift, Charles W.— 131. 148, i53. >5.i- 167. 168, 182, 208, 209. 220, 223. 248. Swift, Mrs. Charles W.— 193- Swift, Charles W. Jr.— 263. Swift, Elma Doremus — 202. Swift, E. M.— 172. Swift, Henry— 82, 119, 131. Swift, Lily (.Amenia L'nion) — 202. Svmphony Society — 250. Syimott, Rev. S. H.— 206, 207. T Tabc-r. Sanniel T— 138. Tabi-r, Thomas — 107, 115. Taber, William— 69. 89, 98. Tallevrand. Prince, in Pok. — 124. Talhuadgc, Charles B.— 86. Talhuadge, Charles W.— 122. Tallinadge, Elizabeth (daughter George Clinton) — 67. Tallmadge, Henry V. — 137. T.-illmadge. Gen. James Jr. — 55. 65, 74. 89, 90, 92: the "Miss8. 104. 107. 108. 112. 117. 119, 123. 139, 140, 14T. 14(5. 148. i()6-i69. 192. 204. 263. V'assar. Matthew. Jr. — 81. 129. 167. 16S. 175. 182. igo. 208. 210. 217. 220. 22i. 2\1. 252. Vassar. Thomas — 136. \'assar. Thomas E. — 157. 183. Vaughn's Raid (Revolution) — 42-46. Vaux & Withers (N. Y. architects) — 209. 82S I N DB X Wlunan, Hiram — 123, 139. W-niont, Capt. (1796)^-62. \"cim)nt, John P. (1798)— 69. Vcrcin, jMichael (1803) — yi. Vcr Valin, David — 117, 122. Vcr Valin, Isaac H. — 108. 109. 117. V'olnnteers (Civil War list) — 175-185. Vicle, Arnout Cornelissen (first Indian deed Town of Ponghkeepsie, 1680) II. 16, 17. Vielee (Fielee) Pieter — 21. 22, 26. Village Hall— see City Hall. Village of Pok. incorporated — 70; or- ganized — 72. Vilen, Mindert, marriage 1740 — 30. Vincent, David D. — 162. Vincent, Edward — 171. Vincent, Gilbert I. — 117, 129, 145. Vincent, James — 115. Vincent, J. W. — 173. Vocal Union — 266. w Waddell, Eleanor ( US07) — 90. Waddoll, Isaac (1807) — 90. Wa.ijL-r. Ambrose — 182. 191. Wakelev, Rev. M.— 176. Walker, S. L. (i860)— 161. Wallace, Eliot & Co.— 235. U allace. Sir James — 43. Wappingers (early scheme of settle- ment) — 17. Wappingers Falls — 130. War of 1812 — 91, 92, 95. War relief (Civil)— 176, 177, 188, 193. Ward, Alson — 251. Ward, Daniel O.— 172. Ward. Dr. David B. (biog. sketch) — 298. Ward, James H. — 1(», 237, 239. Ward, "Josh" — 170. Ward. Thomas J. — 263. Wardwell, Allen (1806)— 81. Warner, A. C. — 101. Warner, Charles (1S33) — 139. Warner, Jonathan — 204, 20S. Warner, Richard — ,y, 49. Warner, Thomas (1739) — 66. 67. Warring, Charles B. — 165, 204, 205, 254. 256. Washington, Gen. George — Orders lire rafts built at Pok. — 40; urges haste in building ships and chain — 40; visits to Pok. — 50, 98. Washington Hollow — 214, 215. Washington (Town of) — 69. 98, i.?6. Wassaic — 214. Water Commissioners, ist — 212. Water supply — 72. 74. 109. 118. 119: Cannon St. Reservoir — 1 19-120. 149, 154, 219; new — 210, 211, 247. Watkins, William B.— 237. Wayland, Rev. I'Vancis — 90. Webb. Dr. DeWitt— 217, 223. 225. Webendorfer, Henry — 259. Webster, Daniel (visit to Pok.)— 13T. Weed, Thurlow — 103. Weeks, James H. — is3. 176. 1S2. 212, 222, 248. Welling, James M. — 215. Wells, Jamcs-67. Welsh, Walter— 215. Welton, Rev. Alonzo — 121. Wendover, J. A. (1836)— 120. West & Depew (i860)— 161. West Point in Revolution — 49, 50, 52. West, Robert— 224. West, William B. (1S60)— 161. Westerfelt. Casparus — 26. Westerfelt (Westervelt ). Roelif— 2O. Westervelt. Benjamin — 68. Westervelt. F.lias (1838)— 129. Westfalle. Wouter — 25. Whale Dock — 112, 114, 115. 143, 150. 151. Whalen. Patrick— 185. Whaling Companies. Ponghkeepsie — no, 112, 135; Dutchess — 112, 115, 135. 136. Wheeler, Corydon — 252. Wheeler, Rev. Francis B. — 176, 216. Wheeler, S. B.— 208. Wheaton. Caroline T. (Mrs. Charles) — 271. Wheaton, Judge Charles — 176. 188. 216. 220; biog. sketch — 298. Wheaton, Homer — 107, ir^, 139. White, C— 173. White, Edward — 205. White, Ezra — 225. 240. 254. White (Wite). Isaac (1731") — 30. White, Isaac W. — 182, 209, 216, 217, 220. While, William — 122. Whitehead, Rev. Charles — 145, 147. Whitehead, Charles C— 188.' Whitchouse, John O. — 192 ■23. )5, 206, 209, property — • 210, 220, 260. Whigs and Tories (Revolution) — 35. 36. Whinlield, Henry — 123, 136, 139. Whipple, Frank E. — 160, 192, 222. Whitney. Myron — 266. Wide .Awakes — 173. Wiethan, Louis — 158. Wickcs, Edward A.— 182. Willier, Edwin J. — 161, 205. Wilber, Emmet A. — 263. Wilbcr, John D. — 209. Wilber, Mark D.— 165. 178. 183, 191, 205, 209, 214. 215. 216. 217, 220. Wilcox, Roswell (Revolution) — 39. Wilkinson. .Arthur— 178, 181, 183. Wilkinson, C. S. — 181. Wilkinson, Fred — 182. Wilkinson, George — 117. 153. 154. 172. T92. 314. Wilkinson. Gilbert — <)5. 100- ro2. 107, 127. 129. W^ilkinson. John P.— 182. \\'ilkins()n, Robert — 101. 129. Wilkinson, Mrs. Robert— 147. Wilkinson, Robert F. — 157, 1S2. 215, 220, 224, 225. Wilkinson, William — 174. 178. Williams. Capl. .Xbr.iham ( Rivolution") Williams. Charles II. S.— 171, 174. 224. Williams, Gerome — 175, 190. Williams, James L. — 206, 225, 254, 264; biog. sketch — 299. Willi.uns, Toseph — 127. \Vi1li;uns, Josenh D. — 177. 185. Williams, Willinm (1826)— 121. Williamson, Griffin — 107, 122. Willis, Col. Samuel (Rcvohition) — 43. Wilson. Archibald — 219. Wilson, George S. — 17T. Wilson, Senator Henrv (Mass.) — 173. Wilson. James (SherilT 1735) — 25. Wilson, Tames — 81. 90. Wilson, John (1798)— 67. Wilson, John S. — 230. Wilson, William — 138. Wiltsie, -Abraham — 117, 127, 161, 206, 208, 225. Wiltsie, Cornelius — loi. Wiltsie. Hiram S. — 264. . Winans, Elsworth L. — 259. -Winans, James — 28, 31, 36, 44, 67, 81. Winans. Joel — 210. Wing, John — 216. Winslow, Edward — 222. Winslow, James — 173. Winslow, Mrs. James — 193. Winslow, John (ist City Marshal) — .. 153. 185. Winslow, John F. — 193, 209, 216. 220. Winslow, Mrs. John F. — 252. Winslow, Leonard C. — 206, 251. Wisconsin (Pok. people settle there) — .. ^38.. Wisconsin Regiment in Pok. — 185. \\'ise, Hon. Henrv A. — ni. Wodell. Silas— 173. Wolfe. John David— 141. Women's Christian Temperance L'nion — 251. W(.)od. F'annie A. — 203. W'ood, Hiram W. — 171. Wood. Isaac H. — 171. 233. Wood. James G. — 21 1. 220. Wood. William H.— 242, 254. Wooden. Homer — 170. Woodin. Capt. William R.— 182. 188. igo. 2ig. Woods. John (primer 179S) — 62. Wool trade — 117. 136. Woolsey. Melancthon L. — 67. 77. Worden, Lieut. John L. — 202. Worrall, William— 217, 218. Wray. Harry — 146. Wright. .Abraham — 156. 206, 212. 220. Wright & Irish (1860")— 161. Wright, Rev. D. G.— 165. 183. 254. Wright. Jere D.— 263. Wright, Jere V. — 222. Wright. Joseph — 127. Wright. Mary Elizabeth — 202. Wright. Norman — 263. Wvomin.g (storv of massacre first pub- lished at Pok.)— 50. Wynachkec (Winnakee). Indi.in name — II. 15. A'.icbt Club— 264. ^\■lverton. .Anthony — 20. 29. ^■elverton. Cjale — 2}. N'elverton, John H. P.— 153. >'elverlon, Moses (1804) — 74. yf^. >oung. .A. M. (Waterbury. Cl.)— 237. ^■oun,g, Henry L. — 110. 162. Young. Mrs. Henry L. — 177. Young. William (1807) — 90. Young. William H. — 259. 264. Young. W. C. — 141. Young Men" Christian Union — 157. Young Men's Christian Association- 157. t88. 206. 250. 251. Young Women's Christian .Association- Vonkers— 148. 186. Ziegenfuss. Rev. Henry L.— 252. 263. Zimmer. II. — 219. Zinmier. P. — 266.