ISTORIC OLD INEBECK. HOWARD H.MORS Class Book %$m Copyright N?.__C< COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. Y~ KJ Iftatow Mb VJqwebttk Copyright, 1908 By Howard H. Morse First edition completed December, 1908 POCANTICO PRINTERY Flocker & Hicks, . Tarrytown-on-Hudson, N. Y. Artists, ) Edwin V. Marquardt, Khinebeck, N. Y. Designers, > Engravers, ) Royal Engraving Co., New York City Binders, J. F. Tapley Co., . . New York City Z P < C d el j. •;^ ! i^. Echoes of Two Centuries A ijufcsmt torr an& 5Pnst l&mb (Eolnntal GInum WHEN; WHERE; BY WHOM SETTLED AND NAMED THE WHYS AND THE WHEREFORES WHO'S WHO AND WAS IjtBtonral ; (Settralogtral ; Htflgrapfjtral ; ©rabtttnnal An authentic summary of collated facts from records, old papers, manuscripts, and the memory of man, of value to those interested in this " old home town " FULLY ILLUSTRATED By HOWARD H. MORSE Counsellor at Law Rhinebeck, N. Y. Published by the Author Copyrighted, 190s ; all rights reserved Two Guti--' Receive ' . Copyr lfc .i-. fcntry OiASS CL^ AAC MO. To Rhinebeckers Native or adopted, dead or alive, their descendants. relatives and friends, at home or elsewhere, this collection of historic data is sincerely Bvbuattb FOREWORD This book has grown out of a purpose formed and a promise made many years ago. It has been long* deferred but not forgotten. Rhinebeck is one of the oldest settlements in the State. It has " a past worthy of record/' commencing- as far back as 1686. Its sons and daughters, from the earliest time, were connected with memorable events in colonial, State and national affairs, and " ye olcle town " shares in their dignity and importance. Names and deeds are creditable and effect- ive reminders of byg-one days. The story of the " events themselves" is a long and inter- esting one. It deserves to be better told. Echoes of Two Centuries should stir the imag- ination of the quick witted, awaken the dull of soul, inspire the thoughtful mind, encour- age the earnest worker. Incomplete as it is, " Historic Old Rhinebeck " covers many years of labor. It has been a pleasure. This writer owes much to the town where he was born and lived for over thirty years. His book will not pay the debt, but it is a tribute to the old home and to the memory of deserving- men and women. The collection of data upon which "Historic Old Rhinebeck " rests as commenced by me in the fall of 1866, but my friends — Tunis Wortman, Edwin Styles, Alfred T. Ackert and others — antedated this man^y 3^ears. Much of their invaluable work was contributed to my collection. I here acknowledge my indebtedness. This also ap- plies to Edward M. Smith for documentary transcripts. Especially am I grateful to the many friends who, by their interest, kindness and knowledge of local affairs, have fur- nished much reliable material and assured accuracy of facts related. To librarians and others whose courtesy and assistance during the past two or three years I have had in verifying' incidents, names, dates, etc., I re- turn sincere thanks. Edwin V. Marquardt, a home artist of rare ability, whose work is shown in many of the illustrations, has made me and the reader his debtor. I feel sure his labor will be appreciated. Fearful of mistakes, regretting omissions, also errors in proofread- ing, I submit "Historic Old Rhinebeck " to the charitable consideration of friends of "ye olde town." Howard H. Morse. December 1, 1908. CONTENTS Chapter Page I The .Start; When; Where; by Whom 1 II The Beekman Epoch 18 III The Name 31 IV The Palatines 42 V The Streams, Mills and Docks 52 VI Roads 66 VII County, Ward, Precinct, Town 79 VIII Churches 106 IX Schools 199 X Why and Wherefore 219 XI Taverns 245 XII The Village 264 XIII Stage Coach Days 317 XIV River Travel 325 XV Bonding the Town 332 XVI Colonial Times and Later 344 XVII Rhinebeck in War Times 356 XVIII The Cemetery 363 XIX Rhinecliff 370 XX The Fraternities 375 XXI Violets 387 XXII Who's AVho and Was 394 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Frontispiece Portrait of Author Buying Land from Indians 5 Partition Map of Kipsbergen 13 Making Survey of Beekman's Land 23 Margaret Beekman-Livingston 26 Old German Church 35 Buttermilk Falls 54 Kip's Ferry, 1760 64 Road Map 70 Toll-Gate 76 Stone Church 119 Reformed Dutch Church 140 Wurtemburgh Church 149 Miss Mary Garrettson 168 Episcopal Church 192 High School 212 Map of Beekman Land and Partition 221 Mills Dock 225 Taproom Scene 240 First Taverns 246 Old Hotel 250 Town Pump : 272 The Big Fire, May, 1864 279 General Training 287 Men Who Were 96,276, 282,294,300, 396 Old and New Methodist Church 306, 308 Doctor and One-Horse Shay 311 Stage Wagon 320 Horse Boat 327 Barge Milan 329 Soldiers' Monument 357 Small Pictures on Pages 68, 73, 75, 134, 345, 348, 351 Echoes of Two Centuries CHAPTER I THE START ; WHEN ; WHERE ; BY WHOM "This is the place. Stand still, my friend — Let us review the scene, And summon from the shadowy past The forms that once have been." Adapted from Longfellow. WHEN the white man first ventured on the lands described in 1686 in an Indian deed as "right over against the mouth of the Redout Creek" (Rondout) is uncertain. He came over the river from Esopus (Kingston), which place was settled as early as 1658. This was some thirty years after the Dutch West India Company, through its colony at the "Manhaltes," had obtained substantia] foot- ing on that island and laid the foundation for the city of New York. A settlement was also made by them at Fort Orange (Albany) in 1623. 1 2 Historic Old Rhinebeck The first settlers in Esopus located at Wilt- wick ; they were Holland Dutch and French Huguenots. Brave, hardy, stern and intel- ligent, brought together through religious persecution in the old country, and now pio- neers, united in a new country, by self inter- est, religious sympathy, as well as the ties of blood through intermarriage. Hon. Francis R. Tillou (father of " Charley " Tillou, at one time a resident of Rhinebeck), recognized as an authority, writing of their ad- vent in the colony of New York, says : " They were of all ranks and occupations — men of letters and science, agriculturists, artists, surgeons, physicians, manufacturers, mechan- ics, artisans, vineyardsmen, laborers and min- isters, were included." The Hollander and the Huguenot formed a great combination. They have merited veneration and respect. A worthy people, they had endured much for conscience' sake and were willing to endure more for the common good. It is said that to their friends they were ever devoted ; to their enemies always a terror. From these people came the five partners, Gerrit Artsen, Arie Roosa, Jan Elton, Hen- drick Kip, and Jacob Kip, the first settlers on the east bank of the Hudson river, called in 1702, Kipsbergen, and after 1737, Rhinebeck. The Start ; When ; Where ; by Whom 3 They used the Dutch language in most cases, but New York was then an English colony, and that language was being taught and to some extent then used. The determined vigor and sturdy integrity of the Dutch character were stamped upon all their public acts. They knew what, as pioneers, was before them, and they had both the will to do and the courage to do it. The Esopus Indians, a tribe of the Mohegan nation, occupied this land as natural owners in 1686, and probably for many centuries prior thereto. It was a wilderness, but for them "a happy hunting ground." The east side Indians called themselves "Sepascos." Many years' intercourse with the white man, and frequent warfare with the Mohawks and other tribes, in which they had the sympathy and often the aid of the whites, made them friendly. A trail led east from the river to an Indian village on a natural sheet of water, still called "Sepasco," and to a cave nearby that they frequented. Matty s Sleight, in a letter to Col. Philip Schuyler, written Octo- ber 20, 1720, called this cave the "Sepeske- not He] an," and charged the Indians with " stelan " and hiding the "plunderen " there. In recent years it has been known by the name of Welch. 4 Historic Old Bhinebeck During the summer of 1686 some of these Indian owners sold and conveyed, as appears 03^ the record in Book AA, in the Ulster county clerk's office, to Artsen, Roosa and Elton; and by a paper writing 1 , not of record, but still in existence, to Hendrick Kip, all the land along the river, west of the two creeks, after- wards called Kip and Landsman kills, from Vanderburgh cove on the south to a line run due west from where a traveled path or trail, running north and south, that in 1703 became the Kings highway, and in 1789 the post road, crossed the upper creek (Kip's kill) on the north. The place is now known as Hog bridge. This crossing was then a ford, and what is now the road, a trail. A royal patent, covering and confirming this sale by the "natural owners and posses- sors of the same," as therein stated, bears date June 2, 1688. The owners are described in the deed of record as "young Indians," and some evidently had family names. Aran Kee, Kreme Much, and Korra Kee sold to Artsen, Roosa and Elton the south parcel, while Ankony, Anamaton and Calycoon sold to Kip the north parcel, and are described in their deed as Esopus Indians and Sachems; they had only a single name. The first three each made a mark between the two words The Start; When; Where; by Whom 5 Hendrick and Jacob Kip buying " Kipsbergen-Rhine- beck " from the Indians at Esopns. There is Ankony ; at his side, Calycoon ; behind Jacob Kip, Anamaton. 6 Historic Old Rhinebeck forming" the name ; the last three each made a mark before the name.* They are unique. "A quitt rent " was reserved in the patent for "his most sacred Majesty," of "the quan- tity of eight bushels of good, sweet merchant- able winter wheat," to be delivered annually at the city of New York. The patentees, as appears by deeds on record, in Ulster county, in May, 1702, divided the lands into five portions, made up of eight nearly equal parcels to cover their individual shares as agreed upon, and the whole tract received the name of "Kipsbergen." It con- tained about 2,200 acres. f Following the purchase and patent they engaged in clearing their land and preparing it for occupancy. They were home makers. In religion they were "Reformed Dutch" and strict churchmen. In 1700 the first house on the patent was erected by Hendrick Kip on his south lot. It is of stone and still standing, though since much enlarged and improved. It now bears the name of the "Heermance house." In 1728 it was the residence of Col. Henry Beek- man, and thence enjoys a noted colonial and revolutionary history. *For these, deeds and royal patent see Appendix. t See map, page 13. The Start; When; Where; by Whom 7 This first house was a small affair and is on the east end of the present structure. The sashes, heavy and ungainly, and the window panes, ill-shaped and obscure, are still in evi- dence, carrying- one hack to the colonial days, confirming the age of this part of the house, and giving the whole place an old-time ap- pearance. Two port holes near the roof, on the river front, at one time existed ; one of them is still there, and many stories are told of their origin and their object, but there is nothing authentic in any of them.* On the east side is a stone lintel inscribed " Ao 1700 HK AK." These are the initials of the names of the owner and his wife. They had five children. A daughter mar- ried Mattys Sleight. He bought of his father- in-law in 1718 a portion of the land and built a house a short distance to the south and west, but nearer the river. This is now the Radcliffe farm. The Sleight dock, now spelled " Slate," is on this land. This dock gets its present name from the slate quarry on the Clinton side of the town line. It became a *The noted author, Cooper, is authority for the state- ment, that " It is a matter of history that the settle- ments on the eastern shores of the Hudson," from Poughkeepsie north, "were not regarded as safe as late as 1745 from Indian incursions," and that houses were erected with " loopholes constructed for defense against the same crafty enemy." 8 Historic Old Rhinebeck public dock when the shipment of slate from it was considerable. This was after 1805. For many years following- it was the prin- cipal dock in the town. It was Sleight's landing", though, long before it was christened " Slate dock." It was also Radcliffe's. The eldest son, John Kip, married in 1703, Lysbet Van Kleeck. He built a stone house near the fork of a path leading east and south from the river on his father's north lot. The other Kip patentee, Jacob, had nine children. He built a stone house on the west side of his lot, in 1708, near what became the ferry landing, in 1752, and afterwards the Long dock. It is there now, owned and occu- pied by F. G. Cotting; "Century home." The Kips are still on the ancestral estate, named by ex-Supervisor William Bergh Kip, the father of the present owner, "Ankony," after the Indian first mentioned in the old Kip deed. Log huts, or dugouts roofed over, might have preceded these stone buildings during* the period of clearing. Frame and brick structures came later. The houses erected at this time were usually square in form, one story in height, with two rooms and a garret. The ceilings were low, generally not exceeding seven or eight feet. The Start; When; Where; by Wliom 9- The fireplaces and ovens were the most important adjuncts. These, with a broad - throated chimney, which rose from a gable end, were built of stone, brick and mortar. An oven, extending- out and beyond, was usu- ally built on one side of the house. The floor beams were well selected, clear of knots,, dressed with the adz to a smooth surface, frequently polished, and in some instances ornamented with carving. The upper floor planks were dressed, tongued and grooved on the lower side, to make the ceiling of the lower room. Shingle covering- was used for the roofs. A dormer window lighted the gar- ret. Round glasses, called bull's-eyes, were placed in the upper part of the outer doors. The beams in the living rooms were made useful for hanging' baskets and buckets on, and usually held many articles of ordinary use, such as the tools and arms of the burgh- ers, and many household utensils. The win- dows had shutters of wood, turning- on heavy iron hing-es. The front door was cut in two in the middle, and had a knocker of brass or iron. The hinges, latches and nails were usu- ally made by the home blacksmith. Such houses were easily enlarged as required by the addition of more rooms constructed on the same plan. These houses made comfor- 10 Historic Old Rhinebeck table homes, and received the assiduous care of the Dutch housewives and their daughters. Many of these houses were objects of admira- tion and pride in their day, and those still standing- are to-day. Artsen, Roosa and Elton, as well as the two Kips, were burghers of good repute, and each had some means. The following "Cer- tificate of Character," translated from the Dutch, was given the father and mother of Annetje Gerritsen, the mother of Gerrit Art- sen, on their departure, with their children, for America in 1660. "We, Burgomasters, Schepens, and Councillors of the city of Wagennin, declare, by these presents, that there appeared before us Hendrick Elissen and Jordiz Speiers, citizens of this city, at the request of Gerrit Gerritsen and Anna Hermansse his wife. That they have testified and certified, as they do by these presents, that they have good knowledge of the above- named Gerrit Gerritsen and Anna Hermansse his wife as to their life and conversation, and that they have always been considered and esteemed as pious and honest people, and that no complaint of any evil or dis- orderly conduce has ever reached their ears ; on the contrary they have always led quiet, pious, and honest lives, as it becomes pious and honest persons. They especially testify that they govern their family well, and bring up their children in the fear of God, and in all modesty and respectability. As the above-named persons have resolved to remove and proceed to New Netherlands, in order to find greater convenience, they The Start; When; Where; by Whom 11 give this attestation, grounded on their knowledge of them, having known them intimately, and having been in continual intercourse with them for many years,, living in the same neighborhood. " In testimony of the truth, we, the Burgomasters of the city, have caused the secret seal of the city to bp- imprinted on this paper. "Done at Wagennin, 27th November 1660. " By the Ordinance of the same. (Seal.) "J. Aquelin." " A correct translation from the Dutch of the orig- inal document. (Drawing of Seal.) "Thomas DeWitt." Similar certificates were given by Burgo- masters to other reputable emigrants. ' Gerrit Artsen was the son of Aart Jacob- son, who was also from Wagennin, and An- netje Gerritsen. He was born in 1662. His grandfather was Jacob Aart. Combining the names of his parents as his father had done, he became Gerrit Artsen. This was the cus- tom in those days. Pronunciation controlled the spelling. Artsen brought with him, in 1702, when he came to live upon and culti- vate his land, ten children. They took, when they settled in "ye olde town," as the family name, Van Wagenen, because the parents came, as the certificate states, from a place in Holland, called Wagennin. This was also a Dutch custom. Gerrit Artsen married, in 1681, Clara Pells, 12 Historic Old Rhinebeck a daughter of Evert Pells, of Esopus, who, in 1G51, was a tenant of Anneke Jans on her farm on Manhattan Island. A brother-in- law, named Evert, also came upon this land with him. He brought the name of Pells into the town. One of Artsen's daughters married Hen- drickus Heermance, a relative of Grand- mother Gerritsen, and another Jacobus Van Vradenburg-h ; both sons-in-law located on this land. These names are still with us. The Heermance portion of the Artsen lot (No. 3) is now the main part of the beautiful estate called " Ellerslie." On lots Nos. 1 and 4, with Roosa, who was a brother-in-law of Artsen, having: married Maria Pells, another daughter of Evert, and who was in 1T00, and continued to be for sev- eral years, captain of a sloop, came six chil- dren ; his son-in-law, Laurens Osterhout; also a Van Etten and an Ostrander, each related to him by the marriage of sons. Part of the Roosa lot (No. 1) is the "Linwood" of early times. Dr. Thomas Tillotson, a surgeon on Washington's staff during- the revolution, and a statesman of note afterwards, lived there. It is still known as "Linwood." Accompanying- Elton on lots Nos. 2 and 5, came five sons and four sons-in-law, Newkirk, The Start; When; Where; by Whom 13 170 0, tn Map of the partition of Kipsbergen, made by deeds in May, 1702. See reference to same on page 6, and farther disposition thereof on pages 12 and 14. The Kips divided their two-fifths as shown on map. 14 Historic Old Ehinebeck Wynkoop, Paulding and Du Bois, Among them the Elton portion was partitioned. The ever-to-be remembered "Wildercliff " is on Elton's lot No, 2. " Ferncliff " is on the Kip north lot. These and other country seats of ii ye olde town," their history and owners, are entitled to more extended description. They make a separate chapter. Parts of lots Nos. 5 and 6 form the present village of Rhinecliff. On lot No. 6 was "Schatzel's dock," for many .years a public dock. It is the present landing of the Rhine beck and Kingston ferry. Van Wag- enen farms of colonial days were on lot No. 6. One became the Hutton place, and is now a home for convalescent children. The river was the only highway; traders followed it, and settlers kept near the water. The river bank then, as now, was the most desirable land. The sloop or sailboat was the principal means of transit. These were nu- merous. The river was dotted with sail. The "aquatic Dutch" appreciated its value and profited by it. Esopus was the trading point for the early settlers in Kipsbergen, and was easily reached by them with scow and skiff. They attended church there. It was the home of their friends. It had regular communication, as The Start; When; Where; by Whom 15 wind and weather permitted, with New York and Albany by sloops as frequent as necessary. This advertisement in the New York Gazette in April, 1734, is interesting- in this connection: " These are to give notice that Evert Bogardus now plys in a boat on the Hudson River, between JSew York and Esopus. If any gentlemen or merchants have any goods to send to Ryn-Beck or Esopus, he will carry such goods as cheap as is usually paid for carrying to Esopus. He will be at New York once a week, if wind and weather permits and comes to Coen- ties Slip." This slip runs from Pearl street to the river, and at its foot are piers 6, 7 and 8 on the East river. It still bears the name of Coenties. Capt. Evert Bogardus was the grandson of the " dominie," the husband of Anneke Jans, and was the father of Everardus, who settled on "the flatts" in 1769, and was the tavern keeper, in what is now the "old hotel," dur- ing the revolution. Esopus, * in 1700, had several large stores well stocked with merchandise of the period. Manufacturing was carried on. Homes were numerous and comfortably furnished. It was a business centre; the shire town of both Ulster and Dutchess counties. *In 1669 the English tried to change the name to Kingston, but the Dutch preferred Esopus, and it was still so called in 1700, and for many years after. 1G Historic Old Rhinebeck These counties, in 1691, formed one Assem- bly District and elected representatives to the first General Assembly. What was needed for every ordinary pur- pose could be procured in Esopus. Barter was, as the rule, the method of buying" and •selling-. It was, prior to 1700, the only im- portant village on the river between New York and Albany. Ministers, doctors, teach- ers, lawyers, artisans and laborers lived there and followed their vocations. This was the fortunate condition of affairs when the first Kip house was erected. These early settlers were not far from the conveniences of the period, the necessaries of life, or separated from their old homes and friends. The ways and means to make a new settlement were at their hand. In reviewing- the past and giving- proper credit to the pioneers in "ye olde town," we -cannot withhold full meed of praise to Artsen, Roosa, Elton and the Kips, the ancestors or the precursors of the old Rhinebeck families of Bergh, Barnes, Bog-ardus, Brown, Bates, Carroll, Curtis, Cross, Cotting-, Champlin, Cooper, Cowles, Cramer, Cox, Crapser, Du Bo is, De Lamater, De Witt, Drury, Elting-, Elmendorf, Fox, Fowkes, Gardener, Hoag, Heermance, Hagadorn, Holdridge, Houghta- The Start ; Where; When; by Whom 17 ling-, Hendricks, Hanaburgh, Jacques, Jen- nings, Judson, Lorillard, Landon, Lewis, Kier- sted, Kissam, Marshall, McCarty, Newkirk, Nelson, Noxon, Ostrander, Osterhout, Pot- tenburgh, Paulding, Piatt, Pells, Potter, Quick, Radcliffe? Peed, Russell, Shields, Sey- mour, Sleight, Schell, Sprague, Schoonmaker, Styles, Teller, Tomlinson, Tremper, Tapping", Van Auken, Van Wagenen, Van Steenbergh, Van Etten, Van Vliet, Van Vredenburgh, Van Keuren, Van Hovenburgh, Welch, Wil- son, Wynkoop, and others. It has been well said that : "It is a task of pleasing* curiosity to trace the history of their families and posterity, and singular to find how generally beneficial they were to the neighborhood in which they set- tled ; how distinguished many of them were lor exalted virtues and rare endowments." CHAPTER II THE BEEKMAN EPOCH " Who keeps one end in view, makes all things serve." Browning. THE name of Beekman is inseparable from Rhinebeck. Judge Henry Beekman, the patentee, was a son of Wilhelmus Beekman, who was born in Hasselt in 1623, and came to New Netherlands in 1647, when Peter Stuy- vesant was governor. He was in the employ of the West India Company. He married Catherine, a daughter of Capt. De Boagh, a trader on the Hudson river, in 1649. He died in 1701. He was a man of ability, wealth and influence. Judge Henry, his son, was born in 1651, and was forty-four years of age when, in 1695, he applied for "a patent for land in Dutchess county, lying opposite Esopus creek, and known by the name of Sepeskenot." The Indian name was "Sepasco." He obtained this patent April 22, 1697, nearly nine years after the Artsen, Roosa, Elton and Kip patent. He was also antedated by the Pawling pur- chase, which covered Staatsburgh, now m the 18 The Beekman Epoch 19 town of Hyde Park, and by the patent of Col. Peter Schuyler, which covered in part what is now the town of Reel Hook. The southern boundary of the Schuyler patent on the river was a small brook called "Steen Valetje."* The Beekman patent covered the land north of Jacob Kip's to Schuyler and east of the two creeks (the easterly boundary of the Artsen, Kip and Company patent) to a " certain pond called by the Indians " Waraughkeemeek " (Pine swamp) and south to the Pawling (Hyde park) line. He had only a small front- age on the river between Kip and Schuyler.f South of him was the Pawling- purchase owned by Henry Pawling in his lifetime. Pawling died in 1695, the year Beekman applied for his patent. His will was made in 1691. He left this property to his wife, Neetlje Roosa, a sister of Arie Roosa, for her lifetime, or until she should remarry, with remainder to their children. This property joined that of Arie Roosa on the south. On May 26, 1701, the widow Pawling and her children sold it to Samuel Staats and Dirck Vanderburgh, of the city of New York, for one hundred and thirty pounds. A combination of " Staats" and " burgh" gave the region the * Little Stone Falls. f " Mills" dock was on Beekman's land. 20 Historic Old Rhinebeck name of Staatsburgh. This locality attracted settlors along- the river bank soon after Staats and Vanderburgh became the owners.* The Schuyler and Pawling lands, as well as those of Beekman, formed with Kipsbergen in 1737 the "RynBeck" precinct, as established by Chapter 652 (passed Dec. 16, 1737), Colonial Laws. Prior thereto this precinct was the North ward of Dutchess county. The Beek- man part was about one-fourth of the whole. Judge Henry Beekman came with his father to Esopus in 1663. He married Joanna De Lopes. He had four children, two sons and two daughters. The eldest son, William, died when eighteen years of age. The second son, Henry, junior, was born in 1688. The eldest daughter, Catherine, born in 1683, married John Rutsen ; they had four children. Cor- nelia, born in 1690, married Gilbert Living- ston, son of Robert the "Lord of the Manor,' 7 by whom she had fourteen children. These constituted the Beekman family of Esopus Henry, junior, the first Beekman who made his residence in Rhinebeck, married Janet Livingston in 1721. This was after the death of his father, the patentee, which occurred in 1716. The elder Henry, the judge, should be * For a description of Staatsburgh when it was part of Rhinebeck, see Appendix. The Beekman Epoch 21 described as a man "who keeps one end in view." He did make "all things serve" his purpose. An earnest, plain, practical, far- seeing- business man. He lived in Kingston ; never in Rhinebeck. He was a county judge, a colonel of the militia, and held other offices in Ulster county. Judge Beekman was not satisfied with his first patent, and six years later, on June 25, 1703, he obtained another. This later patent covered all of the Artsen-Kip patent, called Kipsbergen, and much of Col. Peter Schuy- ler's. He soon had trouble about boundaries, for Schuyler forced him down from the Saw- kill (Quaningquious) on the river, to "Steen Valet je," the small brook below, for his north line ; this is the present division boundary be- tween the towns of Rhinebeck and Red Hook. It does not appear that he ever asserted any claim to Kipsbergen, but on March 19, 1726, Col. Henry, the son, executed a formal re- lease and quit claim of his paper title. On the 9th day of August, 1715, Col. Henry, the son, bought of Peek De Witt and Maritje, his wife, then owners, five thousand five hun- dred and forty-one acres of the Col. Schuyler land on the north of the Beekman patent.* This gave the Beekmans title to all the land *For Beekman release and DeWitt deed see Appendix. 22 Historic Old Rhinebeck in the present town of Khinebeck except Kips- bergen; also part of Red Hook.* The elder Beekman early sought settlers for his lands. He saw the need for, as well as the advantages of, a grist and saw mill near the river, accessible from the settlements on Artsen, Roosa, Elton and Kip's lands and below. Location was very important. The settlers' convenience had to be considered. There were a number of them by 1709 ; thirty or more families. The place he finally se- lected, however, was not on his land. It was on the land of Capt. Arie Roosa. He bought the land required of Roosa about 1710, built a dam on his land adjoining, and a saw and grist mill and dock on the Roosa land, which was on the river front, on what is still known as Vanderburgh cove. These mills were well located. Grain and logs could be taken to them by water as well as by land, and flour, feed and timber away as desired. They were serviceable to settlers on both sides of the river, above and below. The judge deeded this mill property to his son in 1713. During the fall of 1714 Judge Beekman, with a surveyor named John Beatty, assisted * For a description of Red Hook when it was part of Rhinebeck, see Appendix. The Beekman Epoch 23 Judge Beekman, Surveyor John Beatty and Cham- bearer Tunis Pier making survey in October and JNo- vembpr, 1714, of Beekman's land in Rhinebeck. -brom this survey John Beatty made the map dated Novem- ber 29. 1714. M Historic Old Rliinebeck by a young- man named Tunis Pier, as chain- bearer, laid out lands "for the High Butch- ers/' as the Palatines were called, and made a map of the Beekman patents of 1697-1703 in the present town. About 1715 the promises of father and son brought many Palatines to Khinebeck. Liv- ingston influence helped. Henry, junior, was "a chip of the old block. ,r His sister had married a Livingston, and this made it a family affair. Thereafter "ye olde town " prospered. Communication by sloops was established from the dock on the cove about 1716, with New York, Albany and other places along the river, by Col. Henry Beekman, Jr. Boat building- was also engaged in. Among the Palatines were several ship carpenters and an aquatic German, named Progue; he entered the Beekman service and became a sloop captain. Craftsmen of dif- ferent trades appeared and soon found profit- able employment. The creek (Landsman) that furnished the water to turn the wheels at the mill was the western boundary of Judge Beekman's land, and is called in the Roosa-Beekman deed the " mill creek." These mills were probably the first erected in Dutchess county, and in 1710 Tlie Beekman Epoch 25 they were, says the local historian (Smith), "on the borders of a wilderness whose very few white settlers were confined to the shores of the river." This section, with its woods, hills, valleys, lakes and streams, must have been for the Indians and early settlers hunting* and fish- ing- grounds that would have excited the envy of anj^ Nimrod or Walton, savage or civilized. Judge Beekman brought to his assistance, in the erection of these mills and the devel- opment of his land, two sturdy, energetic, capable men, who proved valuable acquisi- tions to the neighborhood. One was Casper Landsman, soon installed as the miller. He gave his name to the creek, which he sub- sequently explored and selected mill sites on. The other was William Traphagen, the artisan, who planned and built these and other mills and buildings in the early days. Soon after the post road was opened Trap- hagen purchased a large tract of the elder Beekman, who described it in the deed dated February 17, 1711, as a "plain." It was about a mile in length, starting from the junction of the two kills below the sand hill, and bounded south and west by Kip's (Rhinebeck) and Landsman kills. The easterly boundary 26 Historic Old Rhinebeck was along the post road, near to Hog bridge. This bridge gets its name, because in 1715 and afterwards, the Ostranders allowed their hogs to wallow in the mud on the borders of the kill about the roadside. Traphagen called his purchase "the flatts," by which name it was known for more than a century. He settled upon it four or five years before he got his deed and built in L709 a stone house which served as a tavern, and in later years was known as the "old state prison." Why, is a conundrum. This house was on the north side of the Sepasco trail or path to the river, now West Market street, and between Garden and Oak streets, in the village; it was torn down about 1882. Trap- hagen founded the village. In 172G Col. Henry Beekman, Jr., became the owner, through an exchange of property, of the Kip house (Heermance), near the river, and moved into it. He enlarged and im- proved it, and lived there until his death in 1776. He was eighty-eight years of age at the time of his death. He had been twice married. His first wife, Janet Livingston, died in 1724 ; by her he had two children, one a son, who died in infancy, and the other a daughter, Margaret, who married her cousin, Robert R. Livingston, the grandson of the MARGARET BEEKMAN-LIVINGSTON Daughter of Col. Henry Beekman, Jr.. and Janet Livingston; wife of Robert Livingston; the mother of four great men and six noted women The Beekman Epoch 27 lord of the manor.* Col. Henry subsequently married Gertrude Van Cortlanclt, his second wife ; she became, in 1728, the mistress of his Rhinebeck home. She had no children. It very soon became famous as the Beek- man mansion, and until the revolution was well under way, the g*reat men of the period were cordially received and entertained there. Col. Henry and his accomplished wife were lavish entertainers. They and their relatives were in every sense "first citizens." They were patriots and leaders in the continental cause. Within the walls of the Kip-Beekman-Heer- mance house frequently gathered notables from every section, and the decade before the Lexington-Bunker hill battles witnessed many conferences of patriot sons under its roof to formulate plans in the interest of the colonies. Margaret Beekman Livingston had ten chil- dren, and not the least of the Beekman equip- ment of "ye olde town" was their progeny * Their son, Robert R., was the Chancellor Livingston who administered the oath of office to Washington as first president ; he was a member of the Continental Congress and one of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He was also Minister to France, and made the Louisiana purchase. As the financial backer of Robert Fulton he aided in build- ing the first steamboat. 28 Historic Old Ehinebeck and folio win st. The Livingstons, Schuylers, Montgomery s, Rutsens, Garrettsons, Tillot- sons, Suckleys, Armstrongs, Lewises, Astors, Duers, and many others, whose names are written indellibly on the pages of our coun- try's history, became identified with Rhine- beck, directly or indirectly, because of their relation to Col. Henry Beekman, Jr., who, succeeding his father at his death in 1716, led the line, and was, until 1776, the guiding spirit in town affairs. The pages of history show that Rhinebeck can justly count with pardonable pride among its founders and chil- dren many memorable families and not a few illustrious ones. In this respect it is without a rival . For nearly two centuries the Beek- man-Livingston-Schuyler alliance and their descendants kept these names on the rolls of the Empire State by ability, worth and patriotism, by remarkable gifts in legislation and administration and generous devotion to the public welfare. When Ulster and Dutchess formed one col- onial assembly district, from 1691 to 1713, Henry Beekman, the elder, and Jacob Rutsen, were the representatives. In 1713 Dutchess became a separate district, and Leonard Lewis, a relative of Gen. Morgan Lewis, was its representative. In 1725 Col. Henry Beek- The Beekman Epoch. 29 man, the son, became a representative from Dutchess, which office he continued to hold until 1759 when Robert R. Livingston, his son-in-law and Henry Livingston, his nephew, became the representatives. The death of Col. Henry Beekman, in 1776, carried away the name of Beekman from the town, but left that of Livingston instead. This name was a fix- ture for nearly one hundred and fifty years. The death of Lewis H. Livingston, in 1893, eliminated it. Bearing old names of old fam- ilies, from the Beekman source, only Col. John Jacob Astor and Mr. Robert B. Suckley, as heads of families, survive. Descendants, however, bearing other names, of the Beek- man-Livingston blood, remain. " Grasmere," of colonial memory, once the property of Gen. Richard Montgomery, and after the revolu- tion the residence of Gen. Morgan Lewis, be- came the Livingston homestead in "ye olde town." It is on the Beekman patent. In the making of the state and nation its occupants bore from the start a conspicuous part. "The Grove," the residence of Col. Philip J. Schuyler, who married Sarah Rutsen, of Beekman-Livingston ancestry, and built the mansion, now the property of a descendant, Dr. George N, Miller, is also on the Beekman patent. Col. Philip was the son of Gen. Philip 30 Historic Old Rhinebeck Schuyler. " Ye olde town " in its Livingstons and Schuylers made valuable contributions to our country's fame. In his political history of the State of New York De Alva Stanwood Alexander says : — "What Caesar said of Gaul used to be said of the Empire State, that all New York was divided into three parts — the Clintons, the Livingstons and the Schuylers." Parton said, " The Clintons had power, the Livingstons had numbers and the Schuylers had Hamilton." Rhinebeck had the Livingstons and the Schuylers. CHAPTER III THE NAME " Who hath not own'd, with rapture smitten frame, The power of grace, the magic of a name?" Campbell. FROM time immemorial places, persons and things have had names. Simply as a mat- ter of convenience names are desirable. The selection of an appropriate name for a loca- lity is not easy. In most cases chance is re- sponsible for the first choice. Names cer- tainly preceded the advent of the white man on the east bank of the river opposite the Re- dout (Rondout) creek. This creek was also known as "Esopus." In the "Calendar of Land Papers" it ap- pears that the land Judge Beekman obtained his patent for, "lying- opposite the Esopus creek," had the name of Sepeskenot. The Dutch balked at Sepasco. Beekman's patent is rich in names. Quan- ingquious, Waraughkeemeek, Metambesem, are attached to this land, and from other old land papers of about the same date we find those of Tanquashqueak, Quanelos, Mansak- enning, Sepasco applied to it somewhere. 31 32 Historic Old Bhinebeck These, with others now lost, were Indian names, pertinent to places, brooks, meadows, woods, etc. They were certainly euphonious, and undoubtedly appropriate and descriptive. Indian names most likely confounded and confused the Dutch. They were beyond their understanding". Quaningquious was sacrificed for Vanderburgh cove ; Waraughkeemeek for "Ferer Cot" or Pine Swamp; it is about three miles east of Upper Ked Hook; Me- tambesem for Sawkill, a creek in Reel Hook once of some local importance. Tanquash- queak became first Schuyler's and next Rad- cliffe's fly. Quanelos fell to Sleight's kill, be- cause it was Hendrick Kip's southern bound- ary, and it became his son-in-law's, Mattys Sleight's, in 1719. Mansakenning was trans- formed into Jacomyntie's fly. Sepasco alone remains to testify that the Indian with an " untutor'd mind," in his simple nature, recog- nized the eternal fitness, power of grace and magic of an appropriate name. The first appearance of a name made by the white man for the lands on the east bank of the river, opposite Esopus creek, on county records, was in 1712, in a deed wherein Laurens Osterhout describes himself as a resident of " Kipsbergen in Dutchess county." This name covered the Artsen, Roosa, Elton, Kip pur- The Name 33 chase, and must have been applied to the locality soon after they entered into occu- pation. It does not appear that Judge Beekman con- cerned himself much about a name for his land prior to 1712. He was apparently contented with "Sepeskenot." "We find him using- the name "~Ryn Beck" in a letter for the first time in 1713. In a deed dated November 29, 1714, of one hundred and twenty-four acres of his land which he had sold to two brothers, Peter and William Ostrander, of Esopus, he says that the land is in "Ryn Beck." This land was on the east side of the Kings high- way, now the post road, where Kip's kill (Rhinebeck creek) crosses it, near the present Hog bridge. A map made by John Beatty, bearing the same date as the Ostrander deed, November 29, 1714, has this endorsement, "on ye bounds of ye said Col. Beekman, called Reinebaik, in Dutchess County." The Os- trander land in after years was known as the William Van Steenbergh farm. The well- known "Cooper house," where Dr. Ananias Cooper lived before and during the revolu- tion, was on this farm. It was a short dis- tance north of the land bought by W T illiam Traphagen, in 1706, for which he obtained a deed in 1711, and which he named "•' the flatts." 34 Historic Old Rhinebeck On the 28th of February, 1715, three months after the Ostrander purchase, Judge Beek- man sold to " Jacob Kip, of Kipsbergen," eighty-nine acres of land "at Ryn Beck," which he describes as "all the high land that lies between ye said Jacob Kip's east bounds or lyne to ye southern bounds of Peter and William Ostrander." This later became the Cramer farm, and with twenty-four acres Kip bought of Traphagen the Champlin farm. These farms are on the northwest corner of the present village, and are the proper t3^ of Col. John Jacob Astor. Other remembered owners are John Van Wagenen, Henry B. Welcher and Griffen Hoffman. They are south of the creek and west of the road. In the Ostrander deed reference is made to lauds, made their northeast boundary, laid out for the "high Dutchers." Judge Beekman was at this time seeking the dissatisfied Palatines as tenants, and had laid out lands, making the vicinity of the present "stone church" a "dorf " for them. He offered inducements to influence their coming. He probably thought a home-sounding name might allure them to it. They were the "high Dutchers" referred to. In religion they were mostly Lutherans, but some were Calvinists or Reformed Dutch. During 1715 they arrived. The Name 35 The first church in the town and county. The German church at Kirchehoek in Rhinebeck. Built in 1716. Used in common by the Luther- ans and Calvinists until 1729 ; then by the " Reformed Protestants " until about 1800-2, when it was removed. As the Rhinebeck church it stood a monument to the name. 36 Historic Old Ehinebeck On October 8th of that year these Palatines., through Rev. John Frederick Hager, John Cast and Godfrey de Wolven, who claimed to represent sixty or more families, petitioned Gov. Hunter for a license to build a church in "Kingsbury/' the name Hager selected for this locality. The church came, but for some reason the name did not stick. The "Kirche- hoek" answered the purpose of the "high Dutchers" for many years. The first church was built in 1716 on the corner which bore that name. The Palatines, the name and the church made a happy combination. After the removal of the church, about 1800, and two or three changes in name, it became and is still known as " Pink's Corner." A family named Pink, father and son, kept a store there for seventy or more years. A claim has been made that the name Rhine- beck is a combination of "Rhine," in honor of the river of that name, and "Beek," tor the owner of the land. To accept this conclusion facts must give way to fancy. The Palatines are the reputed sponsors for this absurd joint- ure. They are innocent. Josh Billings, a Dutchess county celebrity, was asked if a certain writer of some note was a reliable authority. He replied : " He ought to be ; he knows so much that ain't so." The Name 37 Reading- Peter A. Jay, Martha J. Lamb, and «ven Holgate and Lossing-, we find that in writing" about Rhinebeck and the inhabitants, they know " so much that ain't so," that they ought to be reliable from Josh's standpoint. For example, Holgate places the " Manor of Kipsbergen" with four miles of river front and several miles in the interior in "ye olde town." It "ain't so." There were no man- orial grants in the town. The Kips owned two-fifths of 2,200 acres between them. Two g-ood-sized farms of 440 acres each. Martha J. Lamb says : " William Beek- man purchased all the region of Rhinebeck from the Indians and built a small stone house in 1647, which is still standing-." This was ten years before Kingston, where William Beekman lived for several years, was settled. It was, in fact, the year he arrived in New Netherlands, now New York, a young- man twenty-four years of age. Lossing repeats this 1647 story, perhaps because Mrs. Lamb said so. He could not have looked the matter up or he would have found that "ain't so" spoiled it. So would Jay and Mrs. Lamb. Peter A. Jay and Mrs. Lamb agree as to the origin of the name. Rhine for the river of that name; beek for the judge. Rhine- beek. One gives Judge Beekman, a man of 38 Historic Old Rhinebeck great common sense, the credit for the com- pounding. The other says the Palatines did it. Oar own respected local historian, Ed- ward M. Smith, accepted the later theory- as to the origin of the name. He took issue as to several other plain errors made by these writers. He consulted the records, county, church and family. He transcribed them cor- rectly. The others could and should have done the same. Both Jay and Mrs. Lamb settled the town with "poor germans" seventy years before they left their old homes and twenty years before Judge Beekman, the patentee, was born. Jay seriously makes Col. Henry Beek- man, Jr., his own father. Applying our old friend Josh's " ain't so " reasoning, several so-called historians ought to be reliable author- ity of a high order. The name is here, however. Whence did it come? It is clear that "Ryn Beck" ante- dated the arrival of the Palatines. Names did not trouble these poor, unfortunate im- migrants. They sought homes, not names. "Rhine" is certainly the name of a famous river. The spelling is not always the same. Rhein is German, Ryn is Dutch, Rhin is French. We see that the Dutch spelling is first used. The Palatines would have used The Name 39 the German. The Hudson and the Rhine have similar attractions. The first is still called the American Rhine. The use of that name in 1714 or earlier by Judge Beekman does not seem strange. It was appropriate. Now as to the last sylable: it was never "beek." So far as the records are authority it is "beck." This is the Dutch name for brook, or a plain adjacent to brooks. There were several brooks and plains on Beekman's land to which "beck" might appropriately have been applied, and the river with the brook would make "Ryn-Beck," in Dutch, if that were the origin of the name intended to be given the locality. We find also persons in "ye olde town" before 1715 by the name of Beck, immigrants from near the river Rhine ; but Rhinebeck can trace its name to a more certain source than either of the ones mentioned. The name most likely intended and, in fact, given the locality, is "Rheinbach." This is the name of a small village in Rhenish-Prussia, about fifty miles south of the noted city of Cologne, and some eight miles back of the river Rhine.* It is in the Palatinate. Sev- eral of the early settlers came from this * For further information in regard to this German village, see Appendix. 40 Historic Old Rhinebeck locality. Karl Neher, a list master, was- one of them. He was a leader and had con- siderable following. Judge Beekman may have had this in mind in laying- out the land for the "high Butch- ers. " Spelling 1 it Ryn Beck did not change the actual name. Beatty, the surveyor, pre- sumably a man of some education, in 1714, spelled it "Rainebaik." The pronunciation of the name, regardless of spelling, has from the first been Rhinebeck. The Beekmans fathered the name, if they did not originate it, and they did not neglect to make it apply to the North ward of Dutchess county as opportunity offered. On December 16, 1737, an act to divide Dutchess county into seven precincts passed the colonial legislature, and Rynbeck is named as one of these precincts, "to contain all the lands purchased of the Widow Pawling and her children, by Dr. Samuel Staats, deceased ; all the lands granted to Adria Roosa and com- pany. That land patented to Col. Henry Beekman, deceased, and the lands granted by patent to Col. Peter Schuyler, commonly called Magdalens Island purchase.'' Thus Rhinebeck became the lawful name of all of the present town ; all of Red Hook and that part of Hyde Park described as the Paw- The Name 41 ling- purchase, called "Staatsburgh." Col. Henry Beekman served as a member of this colonial legislature. The Beekmans, by a law which was made at their behest, named the town. That does not admit of question. Whatever power of grace or magic there is in the name, they are entitled to the credit of it. It was a sensi- ble selection. So was Kipsbergen. There was a reason, and a good one, perhaps, for each. " Rhinebeck "* has a charm for, and is oft repeated when recollections to memory dear are awakened, by thousands of worthy scions scattered throughout the land. The call" of "ye olde town " is heard by many in distant- places, who, "with rapture smitten frame," affectionately acknowledge " the power of grace, the magic of a name." So be it ever. * About the year 1760 quite a number of Palatines left Rhinebeck, and removed to and settled in the town of Seward, Schoharie county. They named their " dorf " " New Rhinebeck," and built a church which was called the Rhinebeck church. Among them were persons named Haines, Brown, Sommers, Strobeck, Engle, Stall, Petrie and others. They were of the 1722 arri- vals. The church was called " St. Peters." Adjoining the church was the cemetery. To complete the resem- blance there were also near by a slate hill, a gold mine and a cave, not far away. After a more or less event- ful history, covering a hundred years, the name of Rhinebeck passed from Schoharie county records It is still remembered there. CHAPTER IV THE PALATINES " Kind hearts are more than coronets, And simple Faith than Norman blood." Tennyson. INVALUABLE as the Palatines proved to be to "ye olde town," they were not the first settlers, and th«°y at no time comprised a ma- jority of its inhabitants. They came from the east camp on the Hudson river in 1715, and among- the heads of families were Karl ISTeher, Adam Eykart, Bastian Treibor, Barent Zip- perly, Josef Reichart, Alburtus Screiber and Johannes Escher,* names now more familiar, as Near, Ackert, Traver, Sip perly, Rikert, Schryver and Asher. For twenty-five years before the advent of these Palatines the white man had been engaged in subduing the forest, tilling the soil and overcoming obstacles incident to the making of homes in a new country. He had succeeded. Kipsbergen was here; "the flatts" had a start; the Beekman mills on the cove were busy. Sloops sailed back and forth to the city. The Dutch were in control. *For other old names, see Appendix. 42 The Palatines 43 They were extending- north and east. Judge Beekmau had made sales of land on his pat- ent to Traphagen, Ostrander and Jacob Kip. Traphagen had sold parcels to Jacob Kip and Arie Hendricks. Beekman had given his land its name, Ryn Beck. The Kings highway was laid out through it. The post boy and ped- dler used it ; also the traveler. The Palatines came from a country of vine- yards, gardens and small farms, called the Lower Palatinate of the Rhine. They were mostly farmers, but all trades, professions and occupations were represented. The cli- mate there was mild. The ruler was styled the Palatine. Until the Reformation his sub- jects were a happy, contented people, living in comfort, if not abundance. They followed their ruler when he championed the cause of Luther. Fierce religious wars soon unsettled and impoverished them. The edict of Louis XIV of France made them in 1689 homeless and exiles. Their kind hearts and simple faith sustained them as they turned their faces in confidence towards England in their search for a possible haven. In 1708 one Joshua Kockerthal, a Lutheran minister, devoted to the interests of his peo- ple, petitioned the London Board of Trade, " in behalf of himself and the poor Lutherans, 44 Historic Old Rhinebeck to be transported to some of ye Matys plan- tations in America." This was the beginning of a great exodus. The time was ripe for it. England needed emigrants in her colonies. The opportunity to secure them presented itself. She embraced it. To people her pos- sessions in America with the homeless Pala- tines she is said to have "sent agents through- out the Palatinates to induce them to emigrate here." It is claimed that alluring promises were made and broken. The story is a sad one. Dominie Kockerthal was instrumental in bringing the Palatines to America. He sought to better their condition. In 1708 he induced "fifty-one poor Lutherans from the Lower Palatinate " to emigrate. They came from Neuberg on the Rhine, and settled at New- burgh on the Hudson. He returned to Eng- land in 1709, and with the co-operation of the government marshalled three thousand more. These were transported to the Hudson river by Col. Robert Hunter, who had been ap- pointed governor of New York in 1710. The Palatines had signed a contract agree- ing to settle on such lands as should be allotted them, and not to leave without permission of the governor. They were to engage in the making of naval stores. The proceeds were to be used to pay advances made. The Palatines 45 The government agreed to transport them to New York and subsist them for one year after their arrival. When they had paid the cost of this, each was to have forty acres of land, free of tax or quit rent for seven years, and necessary seed and implements. The prospects were inviting. Ten vessels were required to transport them. After twenty years' wandering, the end was to be homes. Three thousand people — men, women, chil- dren, babes in arms — representing nearly all crafts, professions and conditions, gathered on the pier, all placed on a level by one hard condition — biting poverty. There were handshaking and mutual farewells, then the heave-ho of the sailors, the filling of sails, and the fleet moved slowty out of the harbor. The voyage was long and disastrous, but finally ended. The stated daily stipend had been fixed at sixpence for adults and fourpence for children before leaving England. The contract for supplying them was given to Robert R. Livingston, the lord of the manor. The rations furnished, according to the terms of the contract, which is still in existence, were a third of a loaf of bread a day, the loaves of such size and sort as were sold in New York for fourpence halfpenny, and a quart of beer 46 Historic Old Rhinebeck from his brew-house. The first act of the settlers was to build rude log houses for shel- ter; their next, to clear the ground. It was not long before the poor Palatines discovered that they had sold themselves into a virtual slavery. The clause in their con- tract which granted them their lands only when they should have repaid the cost of their transportation was fatal to their liberty. It soon became apparent that naval stores could not be produced on the Hudson so cheaply and of such quality as the British ministry had predicted. When sold in open market they could not compete with the Swedish article. After the big salaries of instructors, commissaries, overseers, agents, and clerks were paid, very little was left to the credit of the Palatines. The prospect of discharging their debt by these means in that century seemed hopeless. The condition of the immigrants soon became pitiable ; they were looked upon as paupers depending only on the bounty of government, and treated accordingly. The neighboring white settlers regarded them as interlopers, and had little intercourse with them, and then only to fan their discontent. Good Pastor Kockerthal spent most of his time with his afflicted brethren, leaving the The Palatines 47 little flock at Newburg-h to the care of local elders. He attended the sick, and knelt at the bedside of the dying- with prayers and words of consolation. He counseled patience and moderation, cheered them with the hymns of the Fatherland, and was until death the g-uide and comforter of his people. Pastor Kockerthal, writing 1 of them at this period, says: "All are at work and busy, but manifestly with repugnance and only tem- porarily. They think the tract intended for them a Canaan, but dang-erous to settle now ; so they have patience. But they will not listen to tar-making-." In the fall of 1712 the g-overnor informed them that they must de- pend upon themselves for subsistence there- after, as his funds were exhausted. The win- ter passed in not very successful efforts to keep the wolf from the door. Discontent, distrust, disappointment worked up to disruption by 1713, and in 1714 the breaking- up of the camps on the river was well under way. Gov. Hunter had concluded to make the Palatines shift for themselves. Juclg-e Beekman and his son were alive to the situation. They were friends of Living-ston ; also of the g-overnment. They opened nego- tiations, with the result, as reported by Gov. Hunter under date of Aug-ust 7, 1718, to the 48 Historic Old Rhinebeck British government, as to the disposition he had made of the Palatines, settled on the Hudson river in 1710, that he "placed thirty- five families containing- one hundred and forty persons, besides widows and children, in Ryn Beck." This name from the start was applied to all of the Beekman patent. The farms laid out for the Palatines were small. Some, only twenty-five acres; a few, one hundred acres; more, fifty acres. Along" the Kings highway, from the German church north and south, we find Neher, Bearinger, Teder, Bender, Wolle- ben, Ziperley, Hainor, Polver, Backus, Drum, Stickell, Shever and others taking leases. On the south end of the patent Stephen Froelick (Fraleigh), under a lease dated in 1719, had a farm. It was on the Kings highway, and soon after came a small church and burying ground, known as Fraleigh's. The names Bearsmarket and Hardscrabble attach to the locality. As neighbors he had Ackert, Bergh, Brown, Burger, Hegeman, Ostrom, Schultz, Schryver, Uhl and others. Adam Eckhart (Ackert) built a stone house on his farm in 1719. It is remembered now as Abraham Brown's house. To the east skirting, and on the Wurtemburgh hills, leases were held early on farms by Traver, Progue, Moore, Cook- The Palatines 49 ingham, Pier, Teal, Marquart, Pultz, Eighmie, Lown, Markel, Westfall and others. In 1722 a third immigration Drought more to "ye olde town" seeking friends and rela- tives who had left the old country in 1710 for the new. This, in brief, is the Palatine story so far as it relates to their coming to Amer- ica and entry into Rhinebeck. Kirchehoek, Wurteinburgh, Schooterhook, Ackerthook are pleasant reminders of a people of simple faith and kind hearts who have left an impress for good enduring in character stamped upon the town and its people. Judge Beekman intended to scatter the thirty-five families over his land. It reached the river north of Kipsbergen. A road was opened from the Kings highway, at the Ger- man church, east, over the Wurtemburgh hills, making a connection with a road leading to the mills on the river, meeting the Kings highway at Monroe's corner and the Sepasco road near Dr. Miller's. Part of it is popu- larly known as "pilgrims progress." For agricultural purposes the location was admirable, and this the settlers recognized and appreciated. The tenants at once en- tered upon the land under life leases requiring them to make all improvements and to "pay an annual rent of a schepel of wheat to the 50 Historic Old Rhinebeck acre/' and to lose the fruit of their toil at the expiration of their leases. It was a general notion that the Palatines were a mild, inoffensive, pusillanimous peo- ple, who would submit to any injustice rather than break the peace. This was not so. It is true that they were slow to anger, but once aroused they were strong in defense. The women were Amazons and as full of fight for the right as the men. Strong daughters of the hoe and plow, bare-armed, scant of skirt, stout of limb from frequent journeys to Beek- man's mills, bearing the bag of grain to be floured, they were capable of holding their own at all times. Both men and women were courageous. Their lands were, perhaps, the richest ever tilled, and with their simple, economical habits a generation was sufficient to make them comfortable with every want supplied. They were independent farmers, handi- craftsmen, joiners, masons, carpenters, shoe- makers, tailors, blacksmiths, and the like, and at all times proved themselves compe- tent, industrious and prosperous. They early ranked as useful and, in many cases, eminent members of the community, and their numer- ous descendants, wherever dispersed, perpet- uate their virtues. The Palatines 51 The immigrant of the early times was, in most cases, a home seeker. The Palatines were of this class. Most of them were agri- culturists. Since the world became sufficiently civilized to cultivate the fields, build houses and clothe itself, the farmer has had prece- dence. The economic greatness of our coun- try is, in the main, due to him. Mills and manufacturing- establishments follow in his wake. The product of the farm continues to be the chief sustaining* force of the country. Yet, in "ye olde town, 7 ' farming* is not what it once was. The farms remain; the farmer is wanting. The Palatines were the ancestors of, and bore names now spelled, Ackert, Asher, Bur- g-er, Cookingham, Dederick, Drum, Eighmie, Elseffer, Fraleigh, Frost, Fellows, Hainor, Hegeman, Hyslop, Lasher, Lown, Lambert, Moore, Myers, Markel, Marquart, Near, Ostrom, Pultz, Pulver, Rikert, Rynders, Ring, Sagendorf, Stickle, Sipperley, Schultz, Shook, Schryver, Smith, Schaffer, Traver, Tator, Teal, Uhl and Westfall. CHAPTER V THE STREAMS, MILLS AND DOCKS "A business with an income at its heels Furnishes always oil for its own wheels. ,r Coivper. BUSINESS was brisk in "ye olde town ' r from its earliest days. Its streams, mills and docks, in connection with its farms, made business and produced the income for its inhabitants to do business with ; the sloops carried away marketable produce and wares as fast as necessary to the very best market within reach, New York. Water power was the first requisite. Mills near the river the next. A dock on the shore, easily accessible from farm, mill and store, the next. Rhine- beck soon possessed all these. It also had the sloop to carry the freight, and it was along- side the dock. Among* the early sloop cap- tains we find the familiar names of Bogardus, Roosa, Kip, Pells, Staats, Schermerhorn, De "Witt, Progue, Knickerbocker, Elmendorf, Ackert, Jacques, Ackerly, Schultz, Mills, Briggs and Depew. Coenties slip was the destination in the city. This dock was the cornerstone of the 52 The Streams, Mills and Docks 53 commerce of the great city of to-clay. It was the starting point of its forty miles of piers. It was built by the Dutch West India Com- pany, whose quaint, round-bottomed, high- pooped vessels first used it. The Hudson river sloop and open boats gathered the grain, lumber, pelts, herbs and produce along the river bank and carried them to this mar- ket place. They brought back hardware, groceries, household goods, brick, farm imple- ments, and occasionally "cow calves" and "ewe milk sheep" for the new farm. They moved slowly; their methods were primi- tive, but they laid an enduring foundation for business success. Then, as now, supply and demand were controlling factors. Valentine, in his history of Old New York, mentions the Rhinebeck boats as sought for by mer- chants at Coenties slip after 1710. Landsman kill is not the same busy brook to-clay that it was when it turned the first mill wheel in the town, if not in the county, in 1710. This kill has several falls, and has in the past turned many wheels. It always furnished its own oil for these wheels. It made business with an income at it its heels. It is the principal stream in the town, but water power is no longer reliable. Steam and electricity have taken its place. 54 Historic Old Ehinebeck Kipskill, or Rhinebeck creek, is ornamental rather than useful. It represents ease and tranquility as it unobtrusively glides along* in indolence to its intersection with the once busy Landsman. Watering stock is one sat- isfactory purpose it has served. It sleeps amid wide fields of growing grain and meadow grass, incapable of furnishing power at any point to turn a spindle, grind corn or saw timber. There are numerous other brooks in the town, but all except Landsman too small to drive a mill. For fishing and farm- watering purposes they are adequate and valuable. They run mostly through level meadow land. Below the junction of Landsman and Kip's kills is Buttermilk falls, once called High falls. Here the waters pour over a steep, rocky cliff, sixty feet in height, and flow through a romantic and picturesque ravine on a graceful incline, making a charming picture from the road side. It is a delightful spot. Its natural beauties remain unmolested. Landsman kill is partly sheltered by woods and hillsides ; its banks are covered with clus- tering foliage. On the east of the post road, and south of the old Sepasco road in the vil- lage, a dam above a natural fall makes "Crystal Lake" an attractive and useful X o The Streams, Mills and Docks 55 sheet of water, covering* about seven acres, adapted in summer for fishing", bathing - and sailing-, and in winter for skating. It fur- nishes annually the crop of ice required for local use during the year. It was once vulgarized with the sobriquet "mill pond." The mill is only a memory now. Two islands in the lake are ideal spots for an outing on summer days. Grist and saw mills are a necessity in a new country. Artsen, Roosa, Elton and the Kips understood this, and in their partition deeds provided that if either of the partners "shall see cause to build a mill or mills, on ye above mentioned creek on either of said lots of ground, that then, and in such case, there shall be and remain two acres of ground in general to ye proper use and benefit of such mill or mills, wherein all ye above said five partners, their heirs and assigns, are equally to be con- cerned." The creek referred to was first known as Mill creek and afterwards Lands- man. Neither partner built a mill on this creek. Many mills form an interesting part in the history of this kill. Beekman-Tillotson grist and saw mill on the river ; Beekman-Livings- ton mills below "the flatts," grist, woolen, saw and paper; Gov. Lewis' mills in Fox 56 Historic Old Ehinebeck hollow, grist, saw and woolen; Gen. Mont- gomery's mills at the junction of the kills below the sand hill, oil, saw and grist; Trap- hagen's grist mill west of and in the hollow below the highway on "the flatts." Isaac Davis' mills on the turnpike east of "the flatts," saw and grist ; Schuyler mills farther east, saw and woolen ; Rutsen mills still fur- ther east, saw and grist; Sylands-Hogan paper mill at the falls. In addition there was a still or two, and at least one cooperage and one chair factory. This stream was a potent .factor in the upbuilding of Rhinebeck. Its mill rights were controlled and developed by en- terprising, far-seeing men. The Beekman -Livingston mills below the junction of the Sepasco road and the Kings highway on "the flatts" were erected about 1715. They were followed by the Rutsen mills in 1742 and the Traphagen mill in 1750 and the Gen. Montgomery mills in 1774. These comprise the mills erected in the present town prior to the revolution. They all did a thriving business. The farmers supplied the grist, the miller took his toll, and the landlord his rent, with old-fashioned regularity. Gov. Lewis erected mills about 1800 on Landsman kill above the Tillotson mills. He took the name " Wurtemburgh " for his mills The Streams, Mills and Docks 57 and his landing. The reason was a good one, but the names changed with later owners. The mills became the "Fox-hollow/' and the landing, "Kelly's dock." With his grist mill he had a woolen factory for weaving woolen fabrics. A family named Morrison operated it, and in later years "Daddy " Morrison ran his loom in his home near the present ceme- tery entrance. A man named Coyle was at one time the miller, and his large family — boys and girls — helped populate the town. Dr. Thomas Tillotson purchased the Beek- man mills and a considerable portion of lot No. 1. He built a residence. He gave the mills the name of Linwood. They flourished under his management. The Lewis' mills also prospered. Between the governor and the doctor there was considerable friendly rivalry. The governor's mill dam sometimes took the water from Tillotson's mill, a short distance below ; and sometimes Tillotson's dam raised the water so high at the governor's as to obstruct the action of his great over-shot wheel ; then there was " trouble in the camp," and the operatives threatened "to cut down Tillotson's dam." Dr. Tillotson brought the Marshall family to the town. Robert J. L., William, James and George, are remembered as worthy citizens. 58 Historic Old Rhinebeck William Scliell was the occupant of the Tillotson mills during- the last war with Eng- land. There was a saw mill and a whiskey distillery included in the premises, and all were in the use and occupation of Mr. Scliell, as lessee. A map of the farm purchased by Major Andrew Kip, when he sold the Ellerslie farm to Maturin Livingston, in 1814, made in 1795, shows an "Oil Mill " on the site of the present Ellerslie grist mill, and gives a quantity of land on the west side of the creek to Henry B. Livingston. This was the mill erected by Gen. Montgomery. When Col. Henry B. Livingston returned home from the war he brought with him two old soldiers of the revolution, Henry Doyle and Daniel McCarty. Doyle was set at work on Grasmere, and was the father of a large family. William B., Andrew J. and "Dr." William were descendants. McCarty became the miller at the lower mill on "the flatts." He was the father of Stephen McCarty, who was one of the leading citizens of the town, and the father of Andrew Z., John T. and James C. McCarty, and of the wives of Capt. William S. Cramer, Peter Barnes, John Cramer and Edwin Styles, and of another daughter, who never married, Emma Jane The Streams, Mills and Docks 59 McCarty. No family did more in the up- building* of the town and village. McCarty was succeeded at the mill by James Hobbs, and under his name it made fame. He was there for over thirty years. After him came Peters G. Quick, who was followed by John Ansel. In 1832 both mills became the prop- erty of Peter R. Livingston, who w T as then, and since 1812, living at Grasmere. The upper mill did not prosper. It had been changed from a grist mill to a woolen mill and then to a paper mill. Peter R., as he was known, died in 1847. The mills were for sale. The Quick family was a valuable one. S. Francis, Charles W., Peter R. and Edwin A., the sons ; Misses Anna, Cornelia and Mrs. Elmore Rikert-Fraleigh, the daughters of Peters G.; also those of another branch, all having* the same grandfather; Smith, Wil- liam, Garret, and the sons of these sons, Woodward F., Adolphus F., Augustus M., have clone, and those living* are still doing much for "ye olde town." In 1850 Richard R. Sylands and James Hogan settled in Rhinebeck and became the owners of the paper mill, and about the same time John Ansel took charge of the village grist mill. A new era dawned. 60 Historic Old Ehinebeck Sy lands & Hogan were successful paper mill men. They brought with them Timothy Baker, a practical paper maker. The mill made a fine grade of white paper, and the best grade of tissue paper in many colors. They kept the village teamsters, John Hege- man, David Norris, Philip Barahart, John R. Rynders, John Traver, Lewis Asher, busy hauling- material to the mill and taking- the paper away. The Sylands family was large. Philip R., Enos B. and John, sons, and Mrs. James Hog-an, Mrs. Timothy Baker and Mrs. Frank T. Van Keuren, daughters. They built a mill at the falls and made paste- board. James Gandolpho afterwards experi- mented at the falls mill in an effort to make paper from bamboo. The cost of material at the mill made his venture a failure. A com- pany was formed by Stephen Leroy, George Lorillard, Ambrose Wager, John N. Cramer and James Van Keuren. They purchased the falls mill, and under the firm name of "Leroy & Co." kept the mill in operation with varying success until it was destroyed by fire. The village paper mill was operated in its last years by James Hogan ; it burned down in 18G8. The village grist mill, best remembered as "Ansel's," burned December 1, 1869. It was then operated by Darwin G. The Streams, Mills and Docks 61 Marquart. These mills were never rebuilt. The only mill rebuilt after destruction by fire was the Montgomer}', or Ellerslie, mill below the sand hill. Louis Lueddeke, its then owner, erected a modern mill on the site, and it is still standing-. It is now the property of Van Steenburgh brothers. The docks in the present town were all on the Kipsbergen river front, with the exception of Schultz or Mills clock, which was on the Beekman patent, and on that portion of it that fell to Catherine Beekman-Rutsen-Pawling, the name of her last husband on its partition in 1737 between Col. Henry and his two sis- ters. This dock was built by a man named Schultz, who sailed a sloop from it. Harry Mills became its owner and it took his name. He lived there for many years. Three sons, John, Walter and Rufus, and two daughters, Susan and Mary, are remembered. This dock was for the accommodation of the northern and eastern part of the town. Wurtemburgh dock, built by Gov. Morgan Lewis, but better remembered as Kelt's. Schatzel's dock, now Rhinecliff, the main public dock in the town. This dock is the present ferry dock and steam- boat landing. Kip's landing, now called the Long dock, but for many years past used for ice houses. Slate dock, first Sleight's, tlien 62 Historic Old Rhinebeck Radclitfe's. This was for nearly a century the principal dock. A large freighting, coal and lumber business was conducted there. A tavern and cooperage was on it. The popular barge moored here. It was the first station of the Hudson river railroad. The names of Raclcliffe, Bergh, Schell, Piatt, Cramer, Wil- son, Tremper, Heermance, Keese, Fellows, Traver, Affleck, Baldwin, Utter, Hoffman, Tripp attach to it. A freighting business was at one time carried on from the Long dock, which was then the ferry landing. A hotel, blacksmith shop, cooperage and store were on this dock. The names of Kip, Elmendorf, Knickerbocker, Fowkes, Cooper, Ring, Jen- nings and others are recalled in connection with it. A barge moored at it. Steamboats landed there. There was a lumber and feed business above, on the turn of the road, man- aged for many years by Peter Fellows. The Schatzel, Slate and Long docks are each on the terminus of public highways, and are exten- sions of the highway out into the river to deep water. The Schultz-Mills dock was at one time the busiest dock in the town. It was reached from a road starting on the Kings highway north of Walter L. Ten Broeck's residence, and running west to what is now the Barry town or inside road. On the corner The Streams, Mills and Docks 63 of the King's highway was a store kept first by Kyer Schermerhorn and afterwards by Henry Shop. Above was a tavern. Its land- lords are known as Backus, Smith and Moul. It is now the residence of James E. Wey. It was the town hall ; that is, the place where town business was transacted in early times. Farmers above and below, and from the east, did their freighting at Mills clock. It had a storehouse, store and blacksmith shop. It was then and since a good fishing ground. When the slate quarry was opened, about 1795, it was the first shipping point of the slate. The Beekman dock on the cove was also a busy place. From the south end of the town it controlled the trade. On August 5, 1752, a charter for a ferry was granted to Abraham Kip on the east side of the river, Rhinebeck, and to Moses Contine on the west side, Kingston, "to run a ferry across the Hudson between the landing place of said Kip on the east shore of said river, and the landing place of said Contine on the west shore of said river, exclusive of all others within the space of tw T o miles above and two miles below the said- landings, and to take tolls." The grant was perpetual on condition that two sufficient ferry boats were to be kept, one on each side of the river. 64 Historic Old Ehinebeck THE KIP FERRY AND LANDING Col. and Mrs. Beekman sending letters and messages to Kingston by Capt. Kip and his ferryman at Kip's landing ( Long dock), and giving instructions. This was about 1760. The Streams, Mills and Docks 65 The Kips owned this ferry until 1790,, when it passeci into the hands of the Elmendorfs. This family came into the town prior to the revolution. Samuel, Cornelius, Jacob and John signed the revolutionary pledge. Capt. Elmendorf introduced first the open horse boat and later the steam ferry boat. Prior to the horse, the boat was propelled "by the "arm- strong- motor." Sail was also used when wind w T as right. The first steam ferry boat was named the "Knickerbocker," after Capt. Knickerbocker. It was followed by the Rhine, Osceola, Lark and Transport. The Elmen- dorfs sold the ferry in 1851 to the present company. The Knickerbocker Ice Company bought the Long dock. The ferry landing was moved first to the Slate, then to Schat- zePs dock, where it now is. The names of Kip, Knickerbocker, Elmendorf, Hester, Schultz, Ramsclel, Wells, are recalled as boat captains. CHAPTER VI ROADS " All roads lead to Rome." Old Proverb. DURING colonial days almost anything- passed for a road that could be traveled on. The Indian trails or paths were often taken and used as roads. Thus, the Sepasco trail from the river east became the first road in "ye olde town." In old times the road led to the mill or tavern. To get to the one or the other was the only reason for the road. Rhinebeck had no roads prior to 1700. In 1703 the Colonial Assembly passed a " Publick Highways " act, from which we take the following: "Publick and Common Gen- eral Highway to extend from King's Bridge in the County of Westchester through the same County of Westchester, Dutchess County and the County of Albany, of the breadth of four rods, English measurement, at the least, to be, continue and remain forever, the Pub- lick Common General Road and Highway from King's Bridge aforesaid to the ferry at Crawlier over against the city of Albany." Commissioners were then appointed for each 66 Roads 67 county to do what was necessary to lay out and open this highway. Baltus Van Clifft, Johannes Tarbus and Robert Livingston were selected for Dutchess county. In "ye olde town " Judge Beekman fixed the route, and the road is entirely on his patent. Naturally it should have been laid out near the river. He forced it over "clay hill" and east of the two kills. This brought it through "'the fiatts," and is the reason why the present vil- lage is two miles back from the river. This highway was an important factor in the development of the country through which it passed. It connected the tw T o cities of the colony one hundred and fifty miles apart. It parallels the Hudson river, which was then the one artery of travel. Wind and weather made it uncertain during all seasons, and for three months or more of the year the ice closed it. Travel at all seasons, and in most any weather, was possible on the high- way. The man on horseback, or on shanks' mare, could and did travel upon it. The ped- dler with his pack followed it to the habita- tions he wanted to reach. The dust of this highway was first stirred by the moccasin of the "Indian post," who, as early as 1705, carried the mail on land be- tween New York and Albany. In 1730 "foot 6S Historic Old Rhinebeck posts" performed this service in winter. It was a solitary journey. This, from an old paper, is pertinent : " Cornelius Van Denberg as Albany post designs to set out for the first time this winter on Thursday next. All letters to go by him are desired to be sent to the post office, or to his house near the Spring Garden." About 1740 a service by "mounted post' 7 was established. The system then became more regular, and something- similar to the rural free delivery of to-day, except it was a pay service and the charges were considera- ble. The outfit required were horses, "post mantles" and bags, for "small portable goods." Traphagen's tavern on " the flatts " was a post station, and here a change of horses was made by the carrier. -^_ .„ ^ _ • v , - - The post- rider usually carried "spe- cial deliv- ery" mes- sages to Col. B ee km an . He would leave his out- fit at Trap- hagen's and ride at breakneck speed to Col. Beekman's on Bonds 09 his mission. The qualifications for the posi- tion of a post-ricler were good health, vigor, strength, courage and honesty. He was re- quired to be polite and obliging. He was to report occurrences and happenings and watch keenly for fugitive servants. It was half a century before the snap of the stage driver's whip was heard. The post-rider, with an eye to business, and he had considerable to do, kept a notice posted in the mills and taverns when he was riding his route. "NEWS" " The Post Rider wishes to inform the Publick that he is riding his Route regularly. All commands in his Line will be received with Thanks, and executed with Punctuality. Leave letters and Commands at Traphagens tavern. He returns his sincere Thanks to his former Cus- tomers ; and intends by unabated Diligence to merit a Continuance of their Favours. December 15, 1769." This notice indicates that he was "riding his route " only during the winter months. The sloop was depended upon for the service he performed during other seasons. The first main traveled road in "ye olde town " was the Sepasco trail. It was a well-beaten path when the white man first appeared. It has continued to be a thorough- 70 Historic Old Rhinebeck fare ever since. From the river east it pene- trated the interior, passing through what is now the village at the Kings highway cross- ing. With this highway it was for several years all the road required. Up to 1722 there was only one road desig- nated as such in the ward, and that was the Kings highway. Hendricus Buys, Hendrick Kip and Gerardus Lewis were its overseers. They appear to have held office for several years. In 1732 Hendrick Shever, Wendel Polver and Goosen Van Wagenen were elected. No further record is found until 1749, when Isaac Kip, Peter Tieple, Joseph Craford, Michael Siperlie, Godtvret Hendrick, John Maris, Lawrens Bysdorf, Petrus Velie 7 Johannes Van Wagenen and Christian Deder- ick were elected. More officers indicate more, if not better, roads. There were ten districts and one overseer for each district. In 1750 we find eleven districts, as follows : 1. From the mill on "the flatts " to Col. Beekman's residence; Isaac Kip, overseer. He lived on the Sepasco road near the flat rock. His district covered this road. 2. From Cole's bridge to Hog bridge ; Nich- olas Bonesteel, overseer. This was the Kings highway, north. 3. From the mill on " the Halts " to Staats- TS1E TOWN or /iJttJVE&ECK Roads 71 burg- ; Jacobus Van Etten, overseer. This was the Kings highway , south. 4. To Leija Van Wagenen's; Peters Van Aaken, overseer. 5. To Mathew Van Etten's ; Jan Van Etten, overseer. This was the river road, south from Col. Beekman's residence. G. From Albany line to Cole's bridge; Wenclel Jager, overseer. This was the Kings highway. 7. From Upper Red Hook to Milan line ; Jacob Jager, overseer. 8. To Hoffman's; Peter Pitcher, overseer. 9. To Rutsen's; Peter Schot, overseer. 10. To the Hooke; Johannes Feller, overseer. This was the road around "pilgrims progress." 11. From Staatsburg to end of precinct; Peter Schryver, overseer. This was the Kings highway. District No. 9 was over the Sepasco road, from the church corner, east, to Rutsen's mills. The inside river road, from the flat rock, north, was laid out in 1764. A road running south, from the Sepasco road, starting at the turn leading to Kip's ferry, was laid out prior to 1750, and was district No. 5. These two roads, north and south, nearly parallel with and near the river, ran through Kipsbergen, from the mills on the cove to the hoek road, and also to Barry town. Overseers changed 72 Historic Old Rhinebeck from time to time, but the roads remain. Two or three others have been added. Col. Beekman was well nigh inseparable from his steed ; traveling", hunting 1 , fishing, visiting his tenants, inspecting his lands, even going to church, were clone on horseback. Others, who could, followed his example. Wheeled vehicles were almost unknown, ex- cept the most primitive, in Rhinebeck until after the revolution. William Traphagen and Carel Ohel made crude carts and yokes. Foot travelers traversed brooks by means of tree- trunks felled across them ; the wider streams could be crossed only by finding a canoe at some place upon the bank. At main points on the river, like Rhinebeck, there were reg- ular ferries, where the traveler might count on getting over in a boat provided he could find the ferryman ; but he could only get his saddle-horse over by leading him, swimming alongside. The badness of the roads made travel irk- some, if not dangerous. The taverns, whose signs hung on "a kind of gallows" over the road, bearing the portrait of some animal, bird or great man, were almost as formidable obstacles to travel as the rough roads and uncertain ferries. Innkeepers, in many cases, persisted in lodging two strangers in the same Roads n bed, probably without changing 1 the linen used b}^ its previous occupants, and the beds for guests were generally all included in one large room. • The decade preceding the revolution post- riders, scouts and rangers, the Indian traders, lawyers, surveyors, doctors, parsons and ped- dlers were all mounted. Comparatively few, except peddlers, ever journeyed by land so far as to reach a neighboring province or colony. The roads in "ye olde town" were no bet- ter, and certainly no worse, than elsewhere. As teaming and traveling increased the roads improved. The demand for good roads came soon after the revolution, and for a, century the town has enjoyed fame for its roads. The ox- team and cart was Hie first load method. -~ ' The lands in all directions are undulat- ing, the hills not over prominent, but of suffi- cient elevation to produce an artistic effect, and with the rippling streams, old trees, attractive farms, well-kept gardens and fruit- ful orchards, make the scenery picturesque. The highest elevation in the present town is a 74 Historic Old Rhinebeck short distance east of Burger hill ; it is (100 feet. The hill itself is 502 feet. Boice hill, just over the line in Milan, is 749 feet. Wur- temburgh is 389 feet. Lake Sepasco 322 feet. Mt. Rutsen and Stone church 200 feet. The village 208 feet. The town is noted for the beauty and variety of its drives. The roads climb the knolls, dip into the valleys, cross the levels, and, regardless of distance, follow the lines of least resistance. The objective points of the early settlers were, first, the river, next, the mill and then taverns. The river and tavern remain — objects of interest. The town attracts many visitors during the vacation season. Summer boarders flock to the farm- houses and enjoy brief periods of delightful recreation, returning year after year, adding to their number and giving the locality a deserved reputation for home comforts, rest- ful surroundings, invigorating pleasures and health-restoring opportunities. A former pas- tor of the "old dutch church," Rev. Dr. Suydam, describing the locality, says : " East- ward one sees the rocky half-mountains which mark the line of separation from New England ; on the west he is charmed by the sil- ver flow of the Hudson, while beyond, form- ing an amphitheatre, are the rugged ranges of the Shawangunk and Catskill mountains. Bonds Extending' North and South for scores of miles on the river's bank are the elegant 'seats' of millionaires." The one-horse dray was the predecessor of the chaise and buggy. It could be fitted with seats so as to carry four. It was clumsy, slow and convenient. Style was not important. In 1802 the Ulster and Saulsbury turnpike was established, and it followed the Sepasco road from the river to the post road, and then continued east through what is now East Market street in the village, which was laid out as far as Mulberry street in 1791, and was continued by the turnpike company through the church lands until it again reached tin*, Sepasco road on the east em\ of the village. A toll-gate was placed on this turnpike west of where the creek crossed it below Teller's hill. This was a frame structure. On the north end was the gate-keeper's living rooms with a yard on three sides. A narrow-roofed shed covered the road, and a gate hinged on the east front at the south end opened and closed the road when necessary. "Pay toll" was the open sesame for the gate. re Historic Old Rhinebeck When the toll-gate was removed the house was turned so the side faced the road; it was made into a dwelling. A family named Dixon lived there at one time; also Mrs. C." A. De Lamater, and then David Norris. Col. Astor finally bought the property and tore the building down. Roads i i On the side beneath the windows wooden benches offered the leg-- weary traveler a seat for rest. The gatekeeper had his stool near the door. He was an information bureau for the neighborhood. Many peddlers carrying" their packs stopped to rest and gossip. Stroll- ers, young men and maidens, and older ones too, visited the garrulous but interesting and sympathetic gatekeeper to while away an idle hour listening to his fund of gossip and phil- osophic diatribes. On the toll-gate house was a board on which was lettered the rates of toll to be paid. The list was long, but the selection of a few items will suffice to show the toll exacted. " TOLL RATES Cents Horse and rider. 3 One horse and cart 5 Ox-team and cart 5 Sheep — flock of cen 3 Hogs — herd of ten 3 One cow 1 One horse 1 One mule 1 Team and wagon 5" The turnpike was abolished in 1815, and Henry F. Talmage was made pathmaster in 1816 from the Long dock to the Milan line. This covered the abandoned turnpike. 78 Historic Old Ehinebeck Horseback riding was very popular in the early times. A horse would carry two, some- times three. A pillion was put upon its back, and this made it comfortable for two, a man and woman, and especially a young man and his girl, to ride. Traveling and visiting was done in this way for many years. The roads of "ye olde town " are one of its principal attractions to-day. Few localities can boast of better. Recent improvements, notably those made by Col. Astor and the State road officials, and the personal atten- tion given to roads adjacent to their prop- erty by Gov. Morton, Mr. Ruppert, Mr. Merritt, Dr. Miller, Mrs. Crosby, Mr. Kip, Col. 01 in, Mr. Dows, Mr. Finck and others, tends to maintain them in good condition. The townspeople believe in good roads and pay liberally to have them. CHAPTER VII COUNTY ; WARD ; PRECINCT ; TOWN " For forms of government let fools contest, Whate'er is best administered is best." Pope. DUTCHESS county was in the first county division of the province or colon^y of New York. This was made in 1683. It was then practically uninhabited except by Indians, the natural owners of the soil and its appurten- ances. It was large in territory, extending* from Westchester county on the south to Roelof Jansen kill on the north. Neither Artsen, Kip or Beekman were free- holders in it at that time. It was virgin territory as the white man knew it. So far as it could be given political status it was attached to Ulster county. Esopus (Kings- ton) was made the county seat. No question arose as to the form of government. It was simplicity simplified. This condition as an Ulster annex continued until 1720, when the county had become in- habited by white men in sufficient number to warrant a county government independent of Ulster. The county was in the following 79 80 Historic Old Mhinebeck year divided into three wards, North, Middle and South. The North ward was Rhinebeck. It ex- tended from the south line of the Pauling- purchase to the south line of Albany county. Livingston manor had been added to Albany county in 1717. It became Columbia county in 1786. Each ward had a supervisor, two assessors, three overseers of the Kings high- way, two surveyors of fences, a constable and a collector. They held office for two years. Taxes were collected biennially. The first election was held in Kipsbergen in 1722. The following officers were elected : Supervisor, Hendricus Beekman (this was Col. Henry, Jr.) ; assessors, Barent Van Benthuysen, Hendricus Heermance; overseers Kings highway, Hendricus Buys, Hendrick Kip, Gerardus Lewis; surveyors of fences, Dierk De Duyster, Tunis Pier ; collector, Roelof Kip ; constable, William Schot. All Dutchmen and freeholders ; the supervisor, probably a non-resident, though a large land- owner. No Palatines among them. The first assessment roll was made in 1723, following the election of the above officers.* Several Palatine freeholders were on this list. It will be seen by reference to this roll * For this assessment roll, see Appendix. County ; Ward; Precinct; Town 81 that in 17*22 the North ward, which comprised the present towns of Red Hook and Rhine- beck, contained more taxable people than both the others, paid very nearly twice as much tax as the South, which contained the town of Fishkill, and was assessed £276 15s. more than the Middle ward, which contained the town of Poug'hkeepsie. The North ward con- tained the thirty-five families of Gov. Hun- ter's Palatines, found there in 1718 ; and, as the list of names shows, quite a number besides. The elections in the North ward were held in Kipsberg-en "at the usual place." This was probably Jacob Kip's house. On the 7th of April, 1724, the officers following- were chosen : Constable, William Schot ; super- visor, Parent Van Wag-enen ; assessors, William Traphag-en, Jacob Ploeg-h, Maty as Sleig-ht ; surveyors of fences, Tunis Pier, Roe- lof Kip, Jacob Ploegii ; collector, Arie Hen- dricks; poundman, Tunis Pier. In 1732 the last ward election was held in Kipsbergen, at the usual place and time ; the following- were the officers chosen : Constable, Laurense Tiel ; supervisor, Barent Van Benthuysen; assess- ors, William Schot, Jan Vosburg-h ; collector, Isaac Kip ; surveyors of the King-s hig-hway, Hendrick Shever, Wendel Polver, Goosen Van 82 Historic Old Rhinebeck Wagenen; pounder, formerly for cattle and horses, Johannes Kip ; surve t yors of the fences, Mathys Sleight, Laurens Osterhout, Evert Van Wagenen. The book in which these records are contained also gives premiums awarded to different persons for wolves and bears cap- tured in the county.' The head of the ticket then was the constable ; now this office is at the bottom. Rhinebeck was organized as a precinct on the 16th of December, 1737. (See page 40.) The precinct extended from the Columbia county line on the north, and included Staats- burgh on the south, and from the river to the nine partners' line on the east. When the name Rhinebeck was thus legally applied to this territory there was an end of Kipsbergen. A census of the county was taken in 1740. It is of the county as a whole, not by pre- cincts.* The clerk's records commence in 1748. In this year eight justices of the peace, of whom one was Arnout Velie, held a court of general sessions at Poughkeepsie, and "ordered that^ all and every precinct clerk in this county, to A be chosen yearly on every first Tuesday in April, do, within ten days thereafter, make due return of the election of their respective * For list of freeholders in Rhinebeck, see Appendix. County j Ward ; Precinct ; Town 83 precincts of the officers chosen, on the said first Tuesday in April, unto the clerk of the peace, under the penalty of* thirty shilling's to be paid by every such precinct or town clerk omitting, the same to be recovered by the clerk of the pea^ce, who is hereby empowered to sue for and recover the same." Dutchess County, ss. After a true copy • signed, pr. Henry Livingston, clerk, pr. Johannes A. Ostrander, precinct clerk. The first election in the precinct of Rhine* beck, under this act, was thus recorded : Dutchess County, ss.: Att the election held in Rynbeck precinct on the first thurs- day in Aprill, and in the year Anno Dom. 1749, Pursuant by an act of General Assem- bly Made in the third year of the reign of the late Majesties, King William and Queen Mary, to the freeholders of said count}^ and pre- cinckt, on behalf of themselves and others, for electing of officers for said precinckt of Rynbeck, the following officers of this present year New Elected, viz.: "Supervisor, Jan Van Dense; Assessors, Gerret Van Wagenen, Philip Feller ; Consta- bles, Johannes Seever, Jacob Oostrander, Frederick Haaver; Masters of the Poor, Frederick Strydt, Roelof Kip; Pound Master, j>4 Historic Old Rhinebeck Johannes Kip ; Fence Viewers, Jacob Sick- enaer, Joeannes herkenburg, Gerret Van Wagenen ; Surveyors of the Highways, Isaac Kip, Peter tiepel, Joseph Craford, Michael Siperlie, Godtvret Hendrick, John Maris, Law- rens Rysdorp, Petrus Velie, Johannes Van Wagenen, Christian Dederick. pr. Johannes Ostrander, Clerk. 7 ' Slavery existed in the colony, and in 1755 there were fifty-two slaveholders and one hundred and sixteen slaves in the precinct of Rhinebeck.* The first census of the State was taken in 1790. Samuel Augustus Baker was census marshal for Dutchess county. The names of the heads of all the families in the State were reported, together with answers to questions as to the number of free white males under sixteen years of age, free white females, including all other free persons and slaves. The first census was taken with consider- able difficulty, because many of the ancient forefathers, looking upon the questions of the census taker as preliminary to increased taxation, refused to furnish information. A smaller section of the population held relig- * For names of slave owners and number of slaves owned by each, see Appendix. County ; Ward; Precinct ; Town 85 ious scruples against the numbering- of the inhabitants. When, with infinite labor, the census of the State was all complete, it was carried to Washington by a messenger who was eig-ht days on the way.* The statistics show there were 21,129 slaves held in the State, but this number does not include the many persons who were bound to service for a certain period of time and had resigned their liberty to their masters during that time. In the New York Gazette of October 2, 1752, is the following : " A Parcel of healthy Palatine servants, Men, Women and Children, among which are several Tradesmen ; to be disposed of on board the Snow, Capt. Pickeman: Any Persons inclining to purchase, may apply to Richard Tide near the Old Slip Market, or to said Captain on board." The apprentice system covered a long period, and was a "time service" of a similar char- acter. Runaway apprentices and servants were sought for the same as runaway slaves. Only six questions were asked by the census takers in those days. Desire to ascertain the number of men who were fit for military serv- ice was one of the questions in the first census. * For details of this census as to Rhinebeck, see Appendix. Historic Old Rhineba The officers of the ward, precinct and town were the leading- citizens of the time, elected by popular vote, because of their fitness for the position. Justices of the peace were appointed prior to 1800. Arnout Velie, Mar- tinus Hoffman, Gerrifc Van Wagenen, John Van Deusen, Gerrit Van Benthuysen, Isaac Kip, Jr., Isaac Stoulenburgh, Jr., Jacob Heer- mance, William RadcMffe, David Van Ness, Henry Lyle, appear to have served as just ices between 1749 and 1800. Earlier than 1749 there is no record, and others may have served between the dates mentioned. The first pre- cinct supervisor was Jan Van Deuse, elected in 1749, and he was succeeded by Gerrit "Van Benthuysen in 1752, and he by Petrus De Witt in 1756 ; Van Benthuysen again in 1758, and De Witt again in 1761. Then came Peter Van Benthuysen, in 1762 ; Peter Ten Broeck, in 1763 ; John Van Ness, in 1767 ; James Smith, in 1772; John Van Ness, in 1775: Peter De Witt, in 1776 ; Anthony Hoffman, in 1781. He held office until 1785. De Witt and Hoffman served during the revolution. In 1786 Peter Contine was elected, and while he was in office the town was organized under the laws of the State of New York, March 7, 1778. In the edition of the laws of the State of County ; Ward ; Precinct; Town New York, published in 1802, the following- persons from Rhinebeck are named as sub- scribers : Aaron Camp, Anthony De Lamater, John Cox, Jr., John Fowkes, Jr., John A. Kipp, Asa Potter, John Radcliff, Philip J. Schuyler, Thomas Tillotson, A. Thompson, B. B. Van Steenbergh ; and the following- from Red Hook : Henry Lyle, Philip Spencer, Jr., David Van Ness. This was the second volume. The first had Aldert and Isaac Roosa, Cornelius E. Wynkoop, Luke Keirsted, John Du Bois and Anthony De Lamater as subscribers. From 1749 to 1794 Johannes A. Qstrander, Peter Ostrander, Abraham Glimph, William Beam, Lodowick Elsever, David Elsever, Wil- liam Radclift, Jr., Henry Lyle and John Cox served as precinct and town clerks, and from 1794 to 1816 Henry Shop was town clerk.* It is said that Godfried Geisselbracht was the first physician in Dutchess county, and that he was located in Rhinebeck. The fol- lowing-, from the New York Gazette, revived in the Weekly Post Boy of March 23, 1752, refers to the doctor : "The much famed Genuine Nuremburg Plaster, is made and prepared in this city by G. Gyselbrecht, Surgeon and Practitioner in Physick, and to be sold to * For supervisors arid town clerks sipce 1800, see Appendix. 88 Historic Old Rhinebeck at his house near Oswego Market at 2s 3d. the largest box ; Is. 2d. the second sort, and 7d the smallest ; with allowance to Shop Keepers, who purchase a Quantity to sell again." This must have been the original Dr. G. y as Dr. Ananias Cooper was in the town a few years later. In the stirring* revolutionary times Rhine- beck precinct was patriotic, and the people, as a rule, followed Col. Beekman, the Livingstons and Schuylers, Gen. Montgomery and others in support of the colonies. Dr. Cooper circu- lated a revolutionary pledge.* Henry B. Livingston, the fourth child of Judge Robert R. Livingston and Margaret Beekman, was the first Livingston to live in the now town of Rhinebeck. Among the warrants issued by the Provincial Congress in June, 1775, to persons in Dutchess county to recruit for the revolutionary army, was one to Henry B. Livingston, captain; Jacob Thomas, first lieutenant ; Roswell Wilcox, second lieutenant. In Holgate's genealogy of Leonard Bleeker, we read that on the 1st of January, 1777, the army being newly organized, he was appointed first lieutenant in the Fourth New *For a copy of this pledge and the names of the signers, see Appendix. County; Ward; Precinct; Tenon S9 York regiment under Col. Henry B. Liv- ingston. Col. L. did good service. Mrs. Delafield says : " Congress voted him a sword in compliment to his bravery. He was a fine-looking man, and not even his brother, the chancellor, surpassed him in the manly courtesy of his address. He married Miss Ann Horn Shippen, niece to Henry L^e, president of the first Congress. The pecu- liarities of this unhappy lady, which led to her separation from her husband, became in time insanity." His only child by this wife, Mar- garet B., inherited the old Beekman home- stead and farm, and leased them to Andrew J. Heermance, in 1832, for ten years. Before the expiration of this lease she sold them to her cousin, John Armstrong, Jr., who was a lawyer practising in Rhinebeck, who, in turn, sold them to Mr. Heermance, the lessee. She died in Philadelphia in 1864. Colonel Harry died in 1831, and his remains were deposited in the vault in the rear of the Reformed Dutch church in the village. Colonel Harry was also the owner, from 1796, of the two grist mills on the south of the village, and also of an oil mill on the site of the grist mill below the " Sand hill." When Margaret Beekman gave to her son, Henry B., the land, including the mills below 90 Historic old Rhinebeck the village, she made a deed to cover sixteen hundred and thirteen acres in lot No. 16 in the Beekman grant in the south of the county ; also four acres of meadow land at the Buco bush, reserved in a former conveyance for the use of the Miller and Kelcler farm ; also a piece of laud on the west side of the road, near the house formerly occupied by Wm. Van Vredenburgh, containing about four acres. On the Rhinebeck premises she reserved the rents to herself during her life. He also received from his brother, the chancellor, a deed for 3,000 acres in the Harden burgh patent (on record in Poughkeepsie). Yet lie died poor and in debt. Another tavern was built in the precinct, in • 1754, by William Gillant, on the Kings highway, nearly opposite what is now Liv- ingston street in the village. About 1800 it was given the name of "Tammany Hall," because it was then the headquarters of the anti-federalists, or democrats of to-day. A Masonic lodge named "Montgomery," after the general, held its meetings at this tavern. The building, or a part of it, is now the resi- dence of John J. Williams. Its history is as follows: In 1740 Col. Henry Beekman gave a life lease to Jacob Van Ostrancler, linen weaver, for two acres of land bounded and County; Ward; Precinct; Town 91 described as follows: "Lying- on the west- erly side of a plain, easterly to the Kind's road that leads from the said Beekman's grist- mill to Rynbeck ; northerly to the lot of ground belonging- to Peter Van Ette ; west- ward to the land of Arent Traphage, deceased, by a line N. 21° 45' W.; and so southerly so far as to make this lot of ground to contain two acres, or thereabouts." The rent re- served was "one couple of fat hens" per year, for five years ; after that, twenty shil- lings per year. It was, therefore, probably a lease for land in a primitive state. By this description it appears that the Kings highway was originally as far west of its present loca- tion as Garden street. It was also west of or near the present "old hotel " site. Jacob Ostrander sold the lease to Johan Christover Armburster, tanner, in 1753, for £21. Armburster sold it, as a tavern keeper, to William Gillant, tavern keeper, in 1762, for £135. It is apparent, from the increase in price, that the old stone house was built by Armburster between 1753 and 1762. William Gillant sold the property, as a tavern keeper, to J. Jury Cremer, tailor, in 1763, for £145. J. Jury Cremer sold it, as a tavern keeper, to Henry Schopp, saddle maker, in 1767, for £200. Henry Shopp sold it, as a saddler, to 92 Historic Old Rhinebeck Johannes Van Steenbergh, gunsmith, in 1769, for £200. Johannes Van Steenbergh, who was the grandfather of John A. Van Steen- bergh, the well-known harness maker of Rhinebeck, and the great grandfather of the prominent lawyer, William Herman Van Steenbergh, now located in New York city, sold it, as a gunsmith, to David Van Ness, merchant, in 1783, for £300. David Van Ness sold it to John Wilson, in 1784, for £325. John Wilson thus lived in Rhinebeck in 1784, the year in which his daughter, Hannah, the wife of John Drury, was born. John Drury was the ancestor of the Drurys of Rhinebeck. Judge John Wilson, Stephen, Alfred, Samuel and Rev. John B., are descendants. In 1798 this property was in possession of John A. Kip, Mrs. John Wilson's second husband. In 1809 Janet Montgomery gave him a lease of it, to continue during the life of John G., the son of his brother, Abraham A. Kip, a lad eight years of age. In 1804 the great political battle between Gen. Morgan Lewis of Rhinebeck and Col. Aaron Burr of New York for the office of governor occurred. The election was held in April. Burr was accused of faithlessness to his party, having been elected vice president wiien Jefferson was elected president, and County ; Ward; Precinct; Town 93 betrayed him. Still he managed to control Tammany Hall in the city, and his head- quarters in Rhinebeck was at the Kip tavern, bearing- that name. Gen. Lewis had his head- quarters at Potter's tavern, now the "old hotel." The campaig-n was long- and excit- ing-. Gen. Lewis was elected by a small majority. For months before and after the election Rhinebeck was the mecca of politi- cians of the Lewis faction. Very bitter feel- ing- prevailed among- the partisans of Burr and the g-overnor. It culminated in the duel between Burr and Alexander Hamilton, the brother-tn-law of Col. Philip J. Schuyler, who lived at "The Grove" east of the flatts. This duel was foug-ht on July 11, 1804, and resulted in Hamilton's death. In 1806 Gov. Lewis was a candidate for re-election, but was defeated by Daniel D. Tompkins. Among- Gov. Tompkins' supporters was Tunis Wort- man, city clerk of New York, and father of Tunis Wortman, supervisor, town clerk and justice of the peace of Rhinebeck, a very tal- ented and worthy man. The historical reminiscences of "ye olde town " would be incomplete if the town pump was not included in the list of old-time relics. It came early, about 1765, and remained until 1895. It was a cup-bearer to the thirsty, man V)4 Historic Old Rhinebeck and beast, conveniently located on the corner of the two main highways, a short distance from the Traphagen tavern, where stronger beverages could be procured, but none so sparkling and bright, clear and healthful. The town pump was for nearly one hundred and twenty-five years the watering place and wash-tub of the neighborhood. It was the waterworks of the vicinity. The sexton of the Old Dutch church obtained the supply for drinking, baptismal and other purposes, required at the church, from its spout. Its waters have sprinkled innumerable young- sters; its drops resembling liquid diamonds, as they fell upon the upturned faces of the infants, whose christening and baptism was under way, and to whom in old age it is a treasured memory. From one generation to another it had its "ups and downs," serving all alike. When the first pump, the handi- work of Wm. Traphagen, Jr., decayed, it was replaced by another, which, in good time, was followed 03^ another, and so on until modern improvements, through an enterprising cor- poration, furnished another supply of water. There still remains a charm in the recollec- tions surrounding the old pump. It was a trysting place for young and old for many years. "Meet me at the pump" was a fre- County ; Ward ; Precinct ; Town 95 quent request. It was always there, day and night, and it stuck to its business of quench- ing- thirst ; while in its trough hands and faces, and ofttimes feet, were washed and cleansed. It has earned and well deserves a place in historic annals. It would not be amiss if, on the venerated spot where it stood for so many years, faithful to its purpose, a suitable foun- tain, ornamented and decorated with proper devices, should be erected to occupy its place and perpetuate its memory. Rhinebeck has been shorn of much of its territory since it formed the North ward of Dutchess county in 1720. It is now bounded on the north by Red Hook, which until June 2, 1812, was part of "ye olde town." On the east by Milan, named by Gov. George Clarke, one of the nine partners, who became the owner of most of its land, after an Italian cjty, and Clinton, named after Gov. George Clinton, also one of the nine partners. On the south by Hyde Park, named after Gov. Edward Hyde, or Lord Cornbury . The Staats- burgh section of Hyde Park was also part of "ye olde town." Rhinebeck now contains 21,353 acres of land. It is still a good-sized town ; about four thousand population. It has two railroads. The New York Central and Hudson river, with eight and fourteen-one- 96 Historic Old Rhinebeck hundredths miles of road-bed, and a fine depot building- at RhineclilT, and the Central New England, formerly Rhinebeck and Connecti- cut, with five and five-sixteenths miles of road-bed and a depot at Hog - bridge. Rhinebeck, as ward, precinct and town, can boast of many noted men identified with it. From them we select a few : Morgan Lewis was the son of Francis Lewis, who was a member of the Continental Congress in 1776, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was aide to Gen. Gates and quartermaster general in the revolution. He was a lawyer, a member of Assembly in 1789-90-92; attorney general, 1791; chief justice, 1801-4; governor, 1804-6; senator, 1811-12-13-14 ; a major-general U. S. A., 1813. He died April 7, 1844, in his ninetieth year, and was buried in Hyde Park. He was also Grand Master of Masons of the State qf New York. Richard Montgomery, a revolutionary hero. A major-general ; he lost his life in leading" the assault on Quebec, Dec. 31, 1775. He became a resident of Rhinebeck in July, 1773. One of the streets in the village bears his name. He built the "Grasmere" man- sion and the mill below the sand hill. An honored name. JUDGE HENRY BEEKMAN GEN. RICHARD MONTGOMERY EDW. LIVINGSTON COL. HENRY BEEKMAN. JR. CHANCELLOR LIVINGSTON GEN. MORGAN LEWIS County j Ward; Precinct; Town 97 William Alexander Duer, born at Gras- mere in Rhinebeck in 1780 ; for many years president of Columbia college ; son of Lady Kitty Duer, daughter of Lord Sterling-. He read and practised law in Rhinebeck, and was a member of Assembly for Dutchess from 1814 to 1817. A great scholar and educator. Thomas Tillotson, a surgeon by profession, served on Washington's staff during the rev- olution. He came to live in Rhinebeck in 1779. He was a state senator from 1791 to 1800 ; then secretary of state to 1805. Was elected again in 1807. He died in May, 1832. One of his daughters married Judge James Lynch of New York city. A grandson, Gouvenuer Tillotson, was a prominent law- yer, and practised in Rhinebeck for several years. He had the confidence and respect of its people. Rev. Freeborn Garrettson came to Rhine- beck to live in 1793. He was a Methodist minister of note. He had preached several times in 1791-2 in the old stone house on the post road south of Landsman kill and oppo- site the road leading to Grasmere, Ellerslie and Linwoocl. He founded the Methodist church on the flatts. He had a nephew of the same name ; also a prominent citizen of the town. Francis T. Garrettson, a distinguished 98 Historic Old Rhinebeck New York lawyer, was his son. So were Rutsen, Richard J., Robert L. and Lytleton G. The father and son, Richard J., were members of Assembly from Dutchess. Robert L. was supervisor. Garrettson and Rhine- beck have much in common. Gen. John Armstrong, graduate of Prince- ton, aide-de-camp, secretary of state; adju- tant-general and member of Congress of his native state, Pennsylvania, prior to 1787. A resident of Rhinebeck in 1799 ; United States senator from New York, 1801 ; Minister to France, 1804-11 ; brigadier-general U. S. A., 1812 ; secretary of war, 1813. His daughter married William B. Astor. In 1801 he built " Rokeby " and sold it to his son-in-law. It is still in the family. He died April 1, 1843, in the eighty-fifth year of his age. A great man in every sense. John Armstrong, Jr., a well-known Rhinebeck lawyer, was his son. Armstrong Post, 104 G. A. R., was named in honor of the general. Edward Livingston, born in Rhinebeck in 1764, became a lawyer, was member of Con- gress from 1794 to 1800. United States attor- ney and mayor of New York city. Moved to New Orleans. Elected three times a member of Congress from Louisiana. United States senator, 1829 ; secretary of state (U. S.), 1831 ; County; Ward ; Precinct ; Town 98 minister to France, 1833. Died May 23, 1836. Robert R. Livingston, the chancellor. In addition to the foot-note on page 27, it is proper to add : His is one of the two statues erected by the State of New York in the cap- itol at Washing-ton of its most eminent citi- zens. He is represented as standing erect, his form mantled by his robe of office, which falls in graceful folds from his shoulders ; in his right hand he bears a scroll inscribed, *' Louisiana." Egbert Benson, a member of the first and second Congress from 1789 to 1793. He served his country well. Col. Martinus Hoffman, with a revolution- ary record, was a town officer for many years. Isaac Bloom, who served as a member of the eighth Congress. Col. Philip J. Schuyler, member of the fif- teenth Congress, 1817-18, came to reside in Rhinebeck in 1796. Was a colonel U. S. A. in 1812. A worthy son of a distinguished sire. The name is part of Rhinebeck history. William Radcliffe, a general in the War of 1812; a member of Assembly; for many years a leading citizen of Rhinebeck. He died in 1831. Jacob Radcliffe, son of the general, born in Rhinebeck, a lawyer of repute ; judge of the 100 Historic Old Rhinebeck supreme court ; mayor of New York city, 1810 to 1817 ; a leader among- men ; prominent in Tammany Hall. Khinebeck can well be proud of the Radcliffes. The Du Bois family came early. In 1710 there was a Solomon Du Bois in the ward. He was related to Jan Elton. His wife was Tryntje Sleight, Jan's step-daughter. Descendants of this couple bore the names of Abraham, Koert, Stephen, Henry, Isaac, John, Jacob, etc. They held man}' town offices, and Koert was member of Assembly in 1810-11 and 1820-21. They were merchants and professional men. Before the days of the bank Koert and his brothers did the banking 1 business of the town. A writer on Huguenot settlements in Ulster county, named Frank W. Ballard, gives this interesting incident in the history of this old Rhinebeck family of Du Bois : " A Mr. and Mrs. Dubois with others were returning from Kingston, in a sleigh, and, while crossing the Hudson, the ice gave way, plunging the whole party into the river. Mrs. Dubois, with great presence of mind, threw her infant, an only son, upon a floating cake of ice, which bore him down the stream to a place of rescue, while all the other occupants of the sleigh were drowned. This child was the only male member of the Dubois family, and but for his escape the name would have been extinct." County ; Ward; Precinct; Town 101 One of the fine burial plots in the beautiful Rhinebeck cemetery is the "Du Bois plot," and it contains many artistic monuments to the deceased of that renowned family. The Suckleys— George, the father, Rutsen and Thomas, sons, successful merchants, men of integrity and worth, identified with "ye olde town " for a century or more. Robert B. is the present head of the family residing in the town. "None name them but to praise." The Berghs, a noted family, commencing with Christian, in Rhinebeck in 1723, and fol- lowing with a long and worthy line to the well- known Henry Bergh, founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Schells— the head of the family settled in Rhinebeck soon after the revolution. Chris- tian Schell; he married the Widow Pope. They had eight children. Emily, Richard, Julius, Robert, Augustus, Edward, Francis and Julia. In 1805 he kept a store on the post road, a place known as " Bear Market." In 1812 he bought the mill property at the junction of Landsman and Rhinebeck creeks, of Col. Henry B. Livingston. In 1816 he was on the flatts, and built the stone store and dwelling called the "white corner," and con- tinued his prosperous mercantile business 102 Historic Old Rhinebeck therein to the close of his life. He died or. the 18th of March, 1825, aged forty-six years . his wife died July 16, 1866. His son, Augus- tus, was graduated at Union college, and bred to the law, commencing his studies with John Armstrong, Jr., in Rhinebeck. He was collector of the port of New York, and widely known as a lawyer, financier and politician. Robert was president of the Bank of the Metropolis, and Edward of the Manhattan Savings Bank. Richard, born May 29, 1810, died November 10, 1879. He was elected State senator in 1856, and representative in Con- gress from New York in 1875. He served several terms. Gen. John A. Quitman was born in the par- sonage of the "Stone Church "in Rhinebeck, September 1, 1798. His father was the pastor of this church and an eminent clergyman. The son was well educated under the direction of his father. At the age of twenty he was a school teacher in "ye olde town." He became a lawyer, commencing his studies with Francis A. Livingston on the flatts. He removed to Mississippi, became chancellor of State, president of the Senate, major-general, governor, and was prominent as a candidate for president in 1852. He gained distinction in the Mexican war. He visited Rhinebeck in County ; Ward ; Precinct; Town 103 1850, and the stone church postoffice was named " Monterey " in his honor. The lower part of the village was given the name of "Texas," the general and his family occupy- ing a house there for a short period. Henry S. Quitman, his brother, was supervisor in 1835. It was from such material, interlaced with the strong fiber of the families of Heermance, Bogardus, Kiersted, Ten Broeck, Elmendorf, Hyslop, Teller, De Lamater, Piatt, Cowles, Van Keuren and others of equal worth, that the web and woof in the making of "Historic Old Rhinebeck" was spun. This writer has not attempted to cover genealogical matters to any extent. It was unnecessary and inex- pedient. There are now very complete family records in book form of most of the important colonial and revolutionary families, which, with the "New York Genealogical and Bio- graphical Record," a copious work in many volumes, can be found in any good reference library. To any family needing a correct, up-to-date record the author recommends " The Grafton Press," of No. 70 Fifth avenue, New York city. The colored people of Rhinebeck, in the old times, cut something of a figure. There was Pete Johnson and his wife Lydia, their sons, 204 Historic Old Rhinebeck William and George, otherwise known as "Chalk;" Jim Pierce and his wife Jennie; Harry Williams, Tune Keifer, and wives and children, with others too numerous to mention here. The redoubtable " Pete " Johnson used to tell of Gen. Washing-ton visiting- Dr. Til- lotson at Linwood when he or his father was a boy working- on the place. The time must have been about 1796. Here is Pete's story : ' ' Well, mebbe 'twasn't me, 'twas my ole dad who saw Gen. Washing-ton. But he used to tell de story so plain dat any one hearin' him thoug-ht he'd been there hisself. The Gen'l, he rode on a white hoss, with green an r g-old trimmin's. He wore a big- yaller hat. He used to take off dat hat to a cullud pusson same as to a white pusson. Lawsy, 't made no difference to him. He was a real gen'le- man, de Gen'l was. My ole dad, he run an y fetched a bucket o' water foh dat same w'ite hoss. Yessir, he did, foh a fact. My ole dad was a boy at de time, an' de Gen'l he spoke toe him, true as Gospel. De Gen'l says toe him: 'Youse a brigiit boy. Go git him anudder bucket.' Yep, dat's w'at big- Gen'l Washington says toe my ole daddy. "Den de Gen'l got on his hoss an' went toe de ole Bogardus tavern on de flatts. He'd see Gen'l Armstrong and Gen'l Lewis and County ; Ward ; Precinct; Town 105 fab wid 'em. He stayed ober night, an' de nex' mawnin' he was off agin foh New York.'" The colored people were mostly house ser- vants. Some had trades. "Tune" was a blacksmith. "Chalk" was the town fish peddler. "Aunt Lyd " and her daughters, washwomen. Jennie Pierce was the pop- ular stewardess on the old barge "Milan." Three or four were coachmen. Others were stablemen, drivers and choremen. Stagecoach days were their harvest time. A portion of the cemetery is set apart for the colored peo- ple. The Savoys, Fraziers, "Sylvia," Aunt Dinah, are entitled to mention. CHAPTER VIII CHUPX'HES " Scarce steals the winds, that sweep his woodland tracks, The larch's perfume from the settler's axe, Ere, like a vision of the morning air, His slight framed steeple marks the house of prayer." Holmes. PROBABLY the first church in Dutchess county was the "Old German Church/' at Kirchehoek, on the Kings highway, in Rhinebeck. The early settlers were all relig- ious people. Those along* the river attended the Kingston church for many years. The Palatines erected this first church. (See page 35.) It was a union church, because both Lutherans and Calvinists were among them. The families of Shever, Treber, R3 7 kart, Eck- hart, Ziperly, Scrieber and Neher were Luth- erans, while those of Kelcler, Bearinger, Drum, Polver, Stickell, Westfall and Wol- leben were Calvinists. This old German church was erected early in 1716 on land of Judge Beekman. A license to build it was applied for on October 8, 1715, by John Fred- erick Hager, a minister of the Reformed Dutch church, and John Cast and Godfrey de Wolven. It was granted soon after by 106 Churches 107 Gov. Hunter. Permission to erect it on the corner must have been verbal. As a union church the record is vague. We know that Rev. Johannes Spaller was a Lutheran min- ister there and Hager a Calvinist. THE REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH The "Reformed Protestants" established the first separate church organization in Rhinebeck. What had been a union church since 1716, called the "Old German Church" at Kirchehoek, became their house of worship. On the 10th day of December, 1729, the Lutheran people sold out to the Reformers, receiving for their interest in the church and four acres of ground, "twenty-five pounds current money of New York." The money Avas paid Hendrick Shever, Joseph Rykart, Berant Siperly and Karell Neher, for the Lutherans, by France Kelder, Ceenradt Bear- inger, Wendell Polver and Jacob Wolleben for the Reformers. In the transfer bond given by the Lutherans to the Reformers, they say : " In a deed from Henry Beekman, son of Col. Henry Beekman, deceased; John Rutsen and Catherine, his wife, daughter of Col. Henry Beekman ; and Gilbert Livingston and Cornelia, his wife, another daughter of Col. Henry Beekman, to Barent Siperly, Jr., for a farm 108 Historic Old Ehinebeck at Rhynbeck,on the fifth day of March, 1721, containing fifty-six acres of Land, was reserved four acres of land whereon the Church of Rhynbeck then stood, for the use of a church and church-yard, and so to remain for- ever for that use;" and, a 1st), that "Gilbert Livingston and his wife, with the consent of the said Barent Sip- erly, Jr., did, on the first day of August, 1724, lease the said farm unto Hendrick Ream, with the said reserva- tion of i he said four acres for the church.'" On llio 4th of December, 1747, "Catherine Pawling, of Rinebeck Precinct, in Dutchess County, Province of Now York, widow," gave to Nicolas Stickell, Jacob Sickener, Philip More, Hendrick Berringer, Jacob Ber- finger and Jacob Drum, "being the present Elders and Deacons of the High Dutch Reformed Protestant Church of Rinebeck," a deed for this church and lands, in which she again recites the leases to Siperly and Beam, and says : " Whereas, by the above recited leases there is no provision made or liberty given to the inhabitants of Rinebeck aforesaid to lett. ride or make use of any wood on the commons of Rinebeck aforesaid; and whereas, the farm above mentioned is lying in lott number two (in Rinebeck patent) belonging unto the said Catharine Pawling, who has caused the said four acres for the use of the Church aforesaid to be sur- \l, and is beginning on the west side of the King's road, next to and bounding on the land of Zacharias Smith, by a stone set in the ground; from thence south twenty-six degrees easi , twelve chains and forty-four Church 109 Jinks Id a Bfc ij oortfa fifty degn ad nine links; then north, ■ ty-two degrees west, three chains fifty-nine J i i i k r~ ; then north, thirty-four de| eighty-eight links; and then north, sixty -eig] west, three chains and twenty in* 1 place of beginning, containing four acres, the breadth of the road being first deducted.'' The four acres thus described were de< to the elders and dea< d, with the privi "to CUtt, ride and carry away ail sorts of wood and si one for the use of said ground, and for fire-wood for the minister and the church, on the round or tnons, or unimproved lands of the said Catharine ing, her heirs and assigns, for the only proper use and benefit and behoof of the inhabitants residing in Binebeck professing and practising the Protestant religion (according to the rules and method ai agreed and concluded by the Synod National field at Dortreght in the year 1618 and 1019;. as it is now used to ex< beir worship in said church, and to bury their dead in the cemetery or burying-place forever ; and also for the use of a minister, when one shall be called H. foresaid, and that the >und and premises and privileges shall be converted to no other use or uses whatever," signed by Catharine Pawling", December 24, 1.47, in presence of Alida Butsen and Henry Livingston. When the church was discon- tinued on these premises, in 1800, the land reverted to the heirs of Catharine Pawling, 110 Historic Old Rhinebeck or to the sole use of the cemetery. A book of records was kept by the Reformed church. The title-page to the book, in German, is in the hand- writing- of George Michael Weiss, and is as follows, in English : " General Church Book of the Reformed Congregation in Reyn Beck, Organized and Established by G. M. Weiss, Preacher for the time being for the Two Low Dutch Congregations at Kats Kill and Kocks Hocky. Ao. Christi, 1734, May 23d." From this period on to 1742, there were one hundred and forty baptisms by George Michael Weiss and George Wilhelm Mancius, a large majority by the latter. On the 27th of June, 1742, the record is again in the unmistakable hand of Dominie Weiss, and this is the beginning of a pastorate of four years in the German church in Rhinebeck and the Dutch church on the flatts ; the churches being a joint charge during this period. His record in the German church terminated on the 22d, and in the Dutch on the 29th of June, 1746. He baptized two hundred and thirty -three children in the former and one hundred and twenty in the latter. Casper Ludwig Schnorr, of the Camp Reformed church, installed the officers of the Rhinebeck church on the 2d of May, 1747, Churches 111 and presided at the reception of members therein on the 26th of April. The baptisms from 1746 to 1748 are in his hand. He evi- dently served both churches during' this period, and thus established a union which endured for a century. At the close of Schnorr's labors Mancius resumed the charge of the church, and did all its work until February 15, 1755. He recorded one hundred and seventeen baptisms in this period and added eighty members to the church. Johan Casper Rubel came into the pastor- ate of the Camp and Rhinebeck churches in 1756. He recorded his first baptism in Rhine- beck on the 18th of May, 1755, and his last on I the 30th of September, 1759. He baptized two i hundred and twenty children, and added eighty members to the church. His records are those \ of an easy and rapid writer, and the most orderly, in a well-kept book. He always wrote "Rein Beck " for the name of the precinct. At the close of RubePs pastorate Mancius again came to the help of the church ; and, with the exception of three baptisms in the hand of Johannes Casparus Fryenmoet, of Livingston's manor, on the 25th of October, 1761, he did all the work of the church to May 31, 1762. 112 Historic Old Bhinebeck On the 27th of September, 1764, there was a single baptism recorded by Rubel ; and on the 25th and 26th of October there are six baptisms and four additions to the church recorded in the hand of Dominie Fryenmoet. On the 25th of June, 1763, Rubel recorded thirteen baptisms and four additions to the church. And this is the last entry in his hand in the records of the church. Cor win says he was on Long- Island from 1759 to 1783, a violent Tory, calling- the American soldiers " Satan's soldiers ; " he was deposed in 1784 and died in 1797. Gerhard Daniel Cock came to America on invitation of the Camp church in November, 1763, and at once took charge of both churches. He recorded his first baptism in the Rhinebeck church on the 11th of Decem- ber, 1763, and his last on the 24th of July, 1791. In this pastorate of twenty-eight years his record is unbroken— kept in a legible hand, and in a clear and orderly manner. He bap- tized one thousand eiglit hundred and nine- teen children, seven hundred of them between the years 1775 and 1785, the period which em- braced the seven years of the Revolutionary war. In his list of baptisms there were ten pairs of twins, and eight children born out of wedlock. He died at the Camp, now Ger- XJhurches 1 L3 mantown, in Columbia county, and was buried under the pulpit of the church there. The balance of salary due him was paid to his widow, who gave the receipt which follows: " Received German Karap, October 9th, 1790, from Johannes Schmid, Gered Halsabel, Elders and Drostis of the Reverend Church of Rineheck, the sum of Thirty seven pound Eith shillings Tenn Pens in full upon all Demands for Dominie Gered Daniel Fvoock Sellere. I say Received By Me, Hendrick Benner. Christina Cox." At the close of Cock's pastorate, between July, 24, 1791, and June 15, 1794, there are twenty-four baptisms in an unknown hand. Johan Daniel Schefer came into the pastor- ate in 1794, and kept an orderly record in German. He recorded his first baptism on the 26th of August, 1794, and his last on the 9th of October, 1799. He baptized two hun- dred and nineteen children, of whom the fol- lowing- were twins : Johannes and Jacob, children of Jacob Berringer and Elizabath Reinhard, his wife ; Elisabeth Martha and Catharine Ann, children of Ezecheal Valen- tine and his wife, Catherine. We find Henry, son of Thomas De Lamater and Christina Pulver, his wife, among Sche- fer 's baptisms, on July 2, 1798. This was the Rhinebeck merchant and bank president of 114 H later years. Whil< church, remained ia Rhinebeek it seemed matter of indi Van Keurens. Van Vradenburgs, . Van Hovenburgs, Du 1 - - S, Tell Bi heir children were baptized in the man church. The servic - in this chui all in German. Pri< - . . new church d Red Hook village,, and the "Old German Church" at Kirchehoek soon out of existence. THE IXTtT :he 4th day of November, 1729, Francis r and Michael Bonestell, farmers, for the Lutherans residing in that neigh borho applied to Gilbert Livingston, the husband of Cornelia Beekman, for a lot for a church and cemetery near Kiirchehoek. the location of the "Old German Church." Mr. Living- granted the reqi "Memorandum. day of November, have Francis Near and Michael Bonesreel asked of me, in behalf of the Lutheran c _ ■ . :ion in Rhine' Dutchess Counry. a piece of ground for the purpo- building a church and the . which ground, so said. - rent Bipperly's. For the encour. . - - A a work I pi d in niy _ and - _ _ ■ _ - - r 1 - Lai { ry Beekman. I: BOf 1 - - . ■ . • ■ - -: L t ranslated from the pmd Lov I £. "! ^ L85< i - church lot and _ three roods an <. _ _ - are ton . » - niODg hurch : "Ire - ! - rar deal 58- ] - - 7 - farm o: i one-half Frederick 116 Historic Old Khinebecfc man heirs, on the 20th of October, 1718, was sold by Frederick to Barenfc Sipperly on the 1st of April, 1726, for lifteen pounds, New York money. On the 1st day of May, 1768 y Michael Sipperly, the son of Barent, sold this land to Henry Tator, Loedewick Else iter and Philip Bonesteel, trustees of the Rhinebeck Lutheran church, forever, for two hundred pounds, New York money. On the 1st day of May, 1768, Robert G. Livingston of New York gave the same parties a life lease for two pieces of ground; both pieces to contain seventeen acres, subject to a rent of six bushels of wheat a year, and to continue during- the term of the lives of George Tator, Jr., David Elshever and Fred- erick Sipperly, the son of George Sipperly. On the 1st day of June, 1798, John C'rooke deeded to Peter Traver, Jost Neher, Frederick Pister, John Seaman, David Lown, Jr., and George Elsheffer, trustees, and their succes- sors, forever, two acres of land for fifty dollars, subject to an annual rent of three pecks of wheat. On the 8th day of December, 1807, Robert G. Livingston of Clinton, and his wife Martha, sold to Nicholas Bonesteel, Zacharias Traver, Johannes Simmon, Zacharias Feller, Andries Teal and John F. Feller, of the town of Rhine- Churches 117 beck, trustees of St. Peter's church, for the sum of fifty dollars, three acres aud three roods of land, for a parsonage lot. There is a map of the church lot for five acres, three roods, eighteen perches; and a map of seven acres, two roods, five perches, on the east side of the road, for a parsonage lot. They were probably made in 1760. A lease dated May 1, 1797, given by the trustees of the church to Charles Reinold, says he is to have all the lands lying* on the east side of the post road, belonging to the church, aud the house, until the 1st day of May next, for which he must pay the rent to the landlord, keep the fence in good repair, and transact the business of a clerk of said church. But he is not to cut or carry away any timber or wood from said land, except to make or repair the fence ; and when he shall have brought a receipt from the landlord for the rent, he shall have the liberty to cut and carry away such grains as he sows, "provid- ing it be no more than one-third part of the land : " that is, providing not more than one- third part of the land has been put in grain. The church now owns no lands on the east side of the road. On the 8th January, 1808, the church lands, independent of the church lot, were the prop- FT8 Historic Old RMnebecJc erty of Robert G. Livingston and his wife, Martha, and they disposed of them in a con- veyance bearing this date to Samuel Hake. They are described as being in the posses- sion of the church and containing thirty-two acres. The church held these lands by a per- petual lease, and paid an annual rent of ten bushels and twenty-eight quarts of wheat. On the 1st day of May, 1857, this rent was due to James De Peyster, Frederick De Peyster and Robert G. L. De Peyster, heirs and devisees of Samuel Hake; they released this land from this incumbrance at this date, in a deed of absolute ownership to Henry Cottingv Michael Traver, John A. Traver, Stephen Traver, Jacob Teal, Philip Sipperly, John H. Rikert, Henry A. Cramer and Lewis D. Elsetfer, trustees of the church, for two hun- dred and seventy-five dollars. The first church edifice was built in 1730. In the archives of the church are the follow- ing memorandums or receipts: "Anno. 1730, cost of glass for the Lutheran church, four pounds twelve shillings, Received from Carl Nier two pounds." This is in the handwriting of Petrus Bogardus. "Kingston, June 14, 1731, Received from Carl Nier three pounds eight shillings in part payment for plank for the church in Dutchess county. For Juryan* ( 'Imrche: lis "Tappen, G. Hends. Slecht," "September 21, 1731, Received from Carl Nier the sum of forty golden for hinges for the church. Ben- jamin Van Steenburgen." This is the Eng- lish of papers written in Dutch. They show that the Carl Neher, whose tombstone gives the date of his death as the 25th of January, 1733, and is the oldest in its burying ground, was actively employed in the erection of the church edifice about 1730. -The Stone r;n Historic Old Rhinebecft Church," the name by which it has been dis- tinguished for nearly a century and a half, was built some time before the revolution- In 1824 it was remodeled and enlarged, and embellished with its present tall and hand- some tower. The expense of this improve- ment was about three thousand dollars. Philip Schuyler, Esq., was one of the building* committee and Stephen McCarty the builder. In 1843 it was stuccoed and improved at an expense of some eleven hundred dollars. The present parsonage house was built in 1798 for Dominie Quitman. It is, therefore,, one hundred and ten years old. It is a com- modious dwelling, well preserved for its years. When Dominie N. W. Goertner added the Ked Hook church to his charge, or soon after,, he took up his residence in that village, and the church let the parsonage until the two churches became independent charges. It was at one time let to Koert Du Bois; at another to Rev. Stephen Schuyler, Cornelius Nelson and others. The following receipt was found among church papers : "Received Red Hook, 12th April, 1793, of the Rev. (reorge Henry Pfeiffer seventeen and a half bushels wheat on account of back rent due before the death of Robert G Livingston (the elder), Esq. " 17 I -2 Ru. Wheat. Jno Reade." Churches 121 Among" its pastors, from 1729 to 1784, were Rev. Johannes Spaller,* Christoval Hag-adorn, Johan Christoval Hartwig- (or wick), William Christov Berkenmeyer and Johannes Fred- erick Reis. Dominie Berkenmeyer has left this receipt, showing payment of salary. " Reynbeck, 1744, June 6. " Received from ye vestry of Rynbeck two pounds tenn and six shillings, in behalf of ye money for ye minister and ye assurance ; I say Received by me. "£i: 16: 0. W. C. Berkenmeyer." George Henrich PfeiiTer succeeded Reis in the pastorate. He recorded his first baptism on the 17th of May, 1784, and the last on January 29, 1798, serving the church fourteen *A deed to Johannes Spaller, dated 1723, for land formerly the farm of Samuel Ten Broeck, calls him "minister at the Kamps and Rinbach." On page 594, the Documentary History of New York, it says that William Christov Berkenmeyer was a protestant Lutheran minister " in ye city and county of Albany in 1746." John Christover Hartwick obtained a grant of 21,500 acres of land from the government in 1754. He died at the residence of Mrs. Judge Livingston, in Clermont, on the 17th of July, 1796, aged eighty-two years and six months, and was buried at the Camp Lutheran Church. His remains were subsequently removed to Albany and buried under the pulpit of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church of that city. Hartwick Seminary is named in his honor ; was erected and is largely supported with means left for that purpose in his will. Rev. J G Traver, D. D., a Rhinebecker,is now prin- cipal of this seminary. Many sons of " ye olde town " are graduates. 122 Historic Old Rhinebeck years. He baptized six hundred and sixty children and recorded the marriage of three hundred and thirty-eight couples. He wrote a legible but peculiar hand and kept a com- plete record. A tombstone in the Rhinebeck churchyard closes his history, as follows : "Sacred to the memory of Geo. H. Pfeif- fer, a native of Germany, pastor of the Lutheran congregation in Rhinebeck, who died Oct. 26, 1827, aged about 80 years." Frederick Henry Quitman succeeded Pfeif- fer in the pastorate in 1798. He recorded his first baptism on the 18th of February, 1798, and his last on the 23d of August, 1830. The last in his own hand bears date September 21, 1826. Between this date and the former there is a record of sixty-nine baptisms, evi- dently by him, but entered by another. There are thus one thousand five hundred and twenty baptisms to his credit. His marriag-es num- ber seven hundred and eight couples. Among- these were that of Rev. Augustus Warker- hagen to Mary Mayer, and that of Rev. Fred- erick G. Mayer to Margaret Kirk. Among* the baptisms were those of Robt. Clermont, and Edward, sons of Edward ; and Fitz Wil- liam Pitt, son of Philip Livingston ; George Bethune, son of Benjamin Schultz \ and Wal- ter, son of William Scott. Under the head of Vhurehes 123 "Solemn Interments," he records that on the 27th of September, 1809, Philip Coopernail died from a fractured skull, occasioned by being- thrown from a horse; and that on the 21st of August, 1809, Jane Van Keuren, wife of Frederick Berringer, was instantly killed by a stroke of lightning. He was buried in the cemete^ of the Rhinebeck church, and his tomb bears the following- inscription : "Frederick Henry Quitman, bom in the Dutchy of Cleves, Westjihalia, Aug. 7, 1760. Died at Rhinebeck, June 26, 1832. A tablet in the church tells us that his wife,. Elizabeth Hueck, died February 24, 1805, ag*ed thirty- seven years. After Dominie Quitman were : William J. Eyer, 1828 to 1836 ; N. W. Goertner, 1837 to 1845; Charles Shaefifer, 1846 to 1850; William D. Strobel, 1851 to 1859; Frederick M. Bird, 1860 to 1862; George W. Schumacker, 1862 to 1871 ; Charles Koerner,. 1871 to 1880; Samuel G. Finkel, J. A. Earnest, Ches- ter H. Traver, C. L, Barringer and D. W. Lawrence. REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH ON THE FLATTS During- the summer of 1730 ; the efforts of the early Dutch settlers and their descendants, residing- in Kipsberg-en and on and about the flatts, represented by Laurence Osterhout, Jacob Kip and William Traphag-en, who for themselves and "the rest of the inhabit ants 124 Historic Old Rhinebeck of the North Ward of Dutchess County," petitioned Col. Henry Beekman, who then resided in the Kip-Beekman house on the river front, and who had built a grist mill on the Kings highway on the flails, for land for church purposes. The flatts at this time had earmarks of a coming- village. Traphagen was active, and the Kings highway and Sepasco road made his tavern, with the Beek- man mill, a centre that had possibilities. Col. Beekman was willing-. He gave them a deed as follows : "To all Christian people to whom this present writ- ing shall or may come, Henry Beekman, of the city of New York, gentleman, sends greeting : Know yee that the said Henry Beekman for the love, good will and affection which he hath and bears toward the inhabi- tants, and those that shall hereafter be the inhabitants, of the North Ward in Dutchess County and province of New York, hath given, granted, and by these presents doth freely, clearly and absolutely give and grant unto the said inhabitants, being of the profession as is prac- ticed in the Reformed Church of Holland, all that cer- tain lot of land in Dutchess County, in the north ward, situated on the southwesterly side of a large plain near the now gristmill of the said Henry Beekman, lying in the corner of the King's road, and that which parts therefrom easterly to the neighborhood of Sepns- cot, where now Simon Westfall lives, being the south- westerly corner of the arable land now in the occupa- tion of said Henry Beekman, to contain there, in one square piece, two acres of land ; and also another tract Churches 125 of land, situate, lying and being in the north ward, in Dutchess County aforesaid, on the north side of a cer- tain creek, called Landsman's Kill, near the house of William Schut, beginning at a stone put in the ground on the north side of the said creek ; from thence, run- ning north twenty chains, to a stone put in the ground ; then east, one degree south, nineteen chains, to a white oak sap'l in, marked ; then south twenty chains to the said creek ; then along the same as it winds and turns to the first station ; being bounded to the south by the creek, and on other sides by land of the said Henry Beekman ; containing forty and four acres, two quarters and thirty and seven perches:— To have and to hold the said two parcels of land to be hereby granted, and every part and parcel thereof, unto the inhabitants aforesaid, which now are, or hereafter forever shall be the inhabitants of the said ward, for the use and in the manner following : that is to say, that two elders and two deacons shall annually be chosen and appointed by majority votes of the said inhabitants being of the profession aforesaid, and shall be approved of by the Dutch Reformed minister, elders and deacons of the Dutch Reformed Church of Kingston, in the county of Ulster, every year, to act as trustees until they shall be in quality to call a minister of their own, who then, with the other two elders and two deacons so chosen and appointed as aforesaid, shall and may act accord- ing to the establishment of the Reformed Church of Holland ; and that the said congregation may in the meanwhile, and likewise hereafter, erect and build on said two acres of land, such church or meeting house, and other buildings as to them shall seem meet and convenient; and that the remainder of said two acres of land they may appropriate for a common burying place according to the custom and discipline of the said 126 Historic Old Rhinebeck church and such lands, and not otherwise ; and the other tract shall be Imployed to the benefit and behoof of the church forever ; and the said congregation shall maintain and keep the said two acres of land, or such part thereof as they shall think convenient, in a good and sufficient fence, and shall build thereon some or one building as is hereby intended, within the space of three years now next ensuing, and in neglect whereof, or that any time hereafter the said two acres of land and premises hereby granted or intended to be granted, shall be neglected and abolished, contrary to what it is intended to be given for, that in any such case or cases, the before recited tracts or parcels of land to Revoline its property to the said Henry Beek- man, his heirs and assigns, as if such instrument as these presents had never been made. And the said inhabitants being of the profession as aforesaid ; or such minister, elders and deacons as shall hereafter be called, chosen or appointed, shall have liberty to cut, break or carry away any stone, or wood, or timber from any part of the unimproved lands of said Henry Beekman : that is to say, for the use of said land and premises, and toward the building of such buildings as shall be erected and made on the said land, or any part thereof. " In witness whereof, the said Henry Beekman put his hand and seal, this 26th day of August, Anno. Dom. 1730. " Provided, nevertheless, and it is the true intent and meaning of these presents, and of the parties to the same, that nothing herein contained shall extend, or be construed to grant to any person or persons whatsoever, the liberty or lysense to cut or carry away any timber, wood or stone, or other things whatsoever, on or off from the wood called Book Boss, or any other Churches 127 of the lands of said Henry Beekman, but where the same shall be necessary or convenient and used for building a church, school house, chapel, meeting house, or building on the lot of ground aforesaid, and for no other use or purpose whatever; neither shall any person sell any wine, rum, brandy, beer, cider, or other spirits, nor peddle, trade merchandise on the hereby granted premises, or any part thereof; and in case anything shall be done contrary to the meaning of these presents, this deed to be void, and the estate to revert to the said Henry Beekman, his heirs and assigns, as if the same had never been made. Henry Beekman, [l. s.] " Witnesses, " Barrent Van Wagenen, " Albert Pawling." The first election of church officers under this deed was held on the 28th of June, 1731. The elders chosen were Hendricus Heermance and Jacob Kip, and the deacons, Jacobus Van Etten and Isaac Kip. The elders and two deacons were thence elected annually and approved by the minister and consistory of the Kingston church, as required by , terms of this deed, until 1742, when the church on the flatts found itself " in quality " to support a minister in connection with the German Reformed church at Rhinebeck. The records for this space of eleven years of the election and installation of church officers are in the handwriting of Dominie Petrus Vas of Kings- 128 Historic Old Rhinebeck ton. Besides these there are receipts for money paid him, over his own signature, for every year from 1733 to 1742; and there were persons received into the membership of the church here in every year in the same period,. A record made of their names is in every instance in the hand of Dominie Vas. There is a record in the same period of one hundred and twenty-five baptisms; also thirty-eight marriages. Of the baptisms ninety-two are in the hand of Dominie Vas, twenty-eight in that of Dominie George Wilhelm Mancius, also of Kingston, and five written by Dominie Cornelius Van Schie from Poughkeepsie. Of the marriages a large majority are, also, in the hand of Dominie Vas. A house was built as early as 1733. The deed required it to be built by this time. Old monuments, still standing in its graveyard, show that the ground was appropriated for burial purposes in this year. The first meeting of the consistory on record was held on the 11th of July, 1741, and its proceedings, recorded in the Dutch language, were as follows, in English : "Proceedings of a meeting of the consis- tory of the church on the Flatts, by coll. Henry Beekman's mill, in Dutchess county, July 11, 1741. Churches 129 \ In 17 73 Johannes Van Wagenen and Johannes Krepser were elected elders, and Christoval Weaver and Jacobus Kip, deacons. On the 19th of June, 1773, Isaac De Lamater was received into the church, and on the 20th, Jacomintje Turck, wife of Wilhelm Sehep- mus, both by. Dominie Cock. There were six baptisms on the 31st of August also by him. This is all the work done until December 12, 1774, when there were twelve baptisms, apparently in the handwriting of Stephen Van Voorhees. He was the first candidate licensed by the American Synod in 1772. On the 2d of June, 1776, one month before the Declaration of Independence, he was the pas- tor, and continued until December 18, L785, one year after the close of the war. During this pastorate of nine years he recorded two- hundred and ten marriages, three hundred and sixty-four baptisms, and a Large addition Churches to the membership of the church. His records are in English and very orderly. Looking- backwards to 1776 we know that the country was then in the throes of revolu- tion. Capt. Livingston bad raised bis com- pany of patriotic sons and departed with them. Still "ye olde town " continued in the even tenor of its ways. It was far removed from the scenes of actual conflict. Wedding's did not need to wait; children came as usual and were properly baptized ; converts were made in due and ancient form: funerals were bad when death claimed a member, as if that memorable struggle was not under way. It was a beautiful Sabbath morning in May, in the year 1776, the 26th day, when Rev. Stephen Van Vorhees, the pastor, arriving- at the church saw young men and women approach- ing along; the Kings highway and the Sepasco road, carrying in their bands without prudery or affectation their Sunday shoes. Some stopped at the pump, others at the kill to wash their- dusty feet and put on their shoes. Then they moved on to the church, joining the older ones gathered near the entrance. Dominie Van Vorhees salutes right and left as lie leads the way into the building. The >n, with some difficulty, are at last Led in :i proper manner. The choir is 134 His tor ic O h / / .* // i > i e bee ft ready, and the service commences arrives late. There is some confusion as Jaco- bus Kip and his good wife Elizabeth Frazier r carry- ing- an infant, and accom- panied by two or three friends, enter. At the proper time an invitation is extended for the pre- sentation of children for baptism. The sexton has provi d e d the requ i red water from the pump as usual. Jacobus Kip, bis wife and friends take places in front of altar. So far the proceed ing-s have been regular. The dominie takes the child out of her mother's arms and proceeds, "Clarissa, I baptize thee/' when a murmur of surprise- is heard. Good Lord de- fend us, the States-Gen- eral of Holland defend us, the Synod of Dor- trecht and everything that is Dutch clef en<; Churches us. Dominie Van Vorhees baptized Jacobus Kip's baby Clarissa in English. From thence English gradually displaced the Dutch in church service. Dominie Van Vorhees used to tell of this occurrence with great gusto. On February 22, 1779, he married Dr. Thomas Tillotson to Margaret Livingston, using the English service. From December 18, 1785, to October 28, 1787, there was no pastor. In 1786 there are nine baptisms by Gerhard Daniel Cock, still of the Camp and Rhinebeck German churches. On the 28th of October, 1787, Dominie Petrus De Witt commences his record in Dutch, as follows : "Children baptized by Do. Petrus DeWitt, preacher at Rhinebeck Flatts and Red Hook New church." This Red Hook church was the Dutch Reformed church in the village of Upper Red Hook, founded in 1785. He recorded the baptism of two hundred and seventy-one children in the Rhinebeck Flatts church. On the 7th of March, 1788, the Legislature of the State of New York passed an act mak- ing alterations in the act for the incorpora- tion of religious societies, rendering it more convenient to the Reformed Protestant Dutch congregations. On the 6th day of June, 1 789, 136 Historic Old Rhinebeck this church took the steps required to become a body corporate under this new act, and took the name of "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Rhynbeck Flats." John Broadbead Romeyn succeeded DeWitt, coming- into the pastorate in 1799 and going out in 1803. He served the church three years and nine months, baptizing one hundred and two children. On the 1st day of October. 1801. Mrs. Mont- gomery presented the church with an acre of ground, to take the place of that taken by the extension of East, Market street through the church lands, which was done in this year. This acre of ground lies on the north side of East Market street, opposite the Catholic Church; and this is why the church land extends farther west on the north than on the south side of the said street. This acre is all the land ever* given to the church by Mrs. Montgomery. The other lands were a gift from her grandfather, Henry Beekman, the son of Henry the patentee, twelve years before she was born, and seventy years before the lands of the village fell to her lot on the death of her mother. (See deed, pages 124-7.) It was during the pastorate of Dominie Romeyn that the church lands were released from the restriction forbidding their occu- ( 'hurches pancyby liquor sellers, shopmen and peddlers, in an indenture bearing- date September 2, 1801. A tavern was building- on the land. This document is sealed for fourteen signa- tures, and fourteen persons are named therein as the parties of the first part. The signa- tures of Chancellor Livingston and his sister. Mrs. Montgomery, alone were obtained. The document was not at once put on record. Mrs. Montgomery having- fallen heir to the lands on the flatts within the limits of which the church lands are included, her signature alone was necessary to give the release desired. The" church lands'' was the dominie's farm or "bowerie." This land is still known as the Bowery. Excepting the Catholic church property, on the corner of East Market and Mulberry streets, and the'ad joining- premises south, all of the village of Rhinebeck lying east of Mul- berry street and south of Chestnut street, is built on church land. It is traversed by South, East Market, Livingston, Parsonage and Beach streets. On the opening- of these streets this land was laid out in village lots. These lots have ail been sold under durable leases, subject to a yearly rent. On some the rents are low. and on others higher, accord- ing to the prices paid for the leases, and the 138 Historic Old Rhinebeck time of purchase. There are more than one hundred houses on this land. On the church and cemetery lot of two acres three houses on Mill street pay rent to the church. The fine residences of Ad olph us F. Quick, president of the village, Augustus M. Quick, chief engineer of the Fire Department, and George Tremper, postmaster, are on the church land. There are many other pleasant homes. It is a residence section. The cemetery on South street was aban- doned in 1845, not because it was full, but because it lies near the centre of the village, and interments were prohibited by the author- ities.* There is a tradition among the people of this church that Col. Henry Beekman, the donor of the church lands, was buried in its cemetery near the old church, and that the new edifice was built over his grave. His de- scendants have no knowledge to the contrary. There is no monument to mark his grave. John Broadhead Romeyn was succeeded in the pastorate by Rev. Jacob Broadhead, who served the church from 1804 to 1810. His first baptism was dated August 20, 1804, and his last April 3, 1809. He recorded the bap- tism of forty children and five adults, three of the latter being slaves. *For lisi of old graves, see Appendix. Churches 139 The present substantial church edifice was built in 1807-8 and, therefore, during the min- istry of Rev. Jacob Broadhead. The building* committee were Jacob Schultz, William Rad- cliffe, Abraham Van Keuren and John Van Etten. The work was done by contract, the church furnishing- all the material. John Coddington of New York did the mason work, and Cornelius C. Welch the carpenter work ; John Cox built the window frames; John Wilson and Robert McCarty built the sash; John W T ilson, Stephen McCarty, Daniel Titte- more, Henry Teal and Robert McCarty did the joiner work, according to the plan made by John Wilson ; James Dunham burnt two hundred thousand brick on the lot of Abra- ham De Lamater, at $2.50 per thousand ; and Aaron Camp superintended all the work at ten shillings a day and found himself. The largest subscriptions to the building fund came from the heirs of Henry Beekman, the children of his daughter Margaret. Janet Montgomery gave 8200; Thomas Tillotson, $200 : Morgan Lewis, $200 ; John R. Living- ston, $100 ; Peter R. Livingston, $100 : Robert R. Livingston. $50; Philip J. Schuyler. $100; William Radclifl'e, Jacob Schultz, Henry Pells, Aldert Smedes -and Abraham Adriance, $100 each : Peter Brown, $70; and, seemingly, the 140 Historic Old Rhinebeck whole community 1;ook an interest in the enter- prise and the subscriptions were generally liberal. It was at this date the only church in the village, and six miles distant from the German Reformed church, rebuilt in what is now Lower Red Hook. Among' those who took pews at the comple- tion of the church, we find the names of Gov 7 . Lewis. Chancellor Livingston', Mrs. Mont- gomery, Peter R. Livingston, Thomas Tillot- son, John R. Livingston, Philip J. Schuyler, Henry Beekman Livingston. These people are long since dead, and their descendants are no longer found among the members and pew holders of this church. Dominie Broadhead had William McMurray for his successor in 1812. Then came David Parker in 1820; then the eminent divine, George W. Bethune, in 1827. The pi- parsonage was built for Dr. Bethune. He laid out the grounds, planted the trees and directed the interior a rrangement of the house. He kept a span of good horses and a colored groom to care for them. He took no one's dust when out driving. He was an eloquent preacher, won a name as a pulpit orator, and was weil liked by the people. After him Rev. James B. Hardenburgb served from 1830 to L836. Then Dr. James Lillie, from 1831 to THE "OLD DUTCH CHURCH" FOUNDED 1731 ERECTED 1808 The names of Beekman. Kip, Livingston, Tillotson, Montgomery, Schuyler, Armstrong, Drury, Schell. Piatt, etc.. attach to this old church Churches 141 1841. Mr. Smith describes him as "a Scotch- man and a graduate of the Edinburg Uni- versity, a profound scholar, and, warmed by his theme, an eloquent and magnetic speaker. He had a good body and a large brain, and was thus by nature a strong man. He; was self-conscious, and nob always politic, but thoroughly honest. He never quailed before an antagonist, and, of course, when he met a Greek 'there was the tug of war.' His con- troversies with the agent of the Dutchess County Temperance Society, on the Wine Question in his own church, and with the champions of the Ladies' Benevolent Society, when they diverted their funds from the sup- port of the missionary, Thompson, to the repair of the church and parsonage, are events never to be forgotten in the history of Rhine- beck by those who witnessed them. He held that the wine commended in the Bible was fermented, and that the husbands of pious wives who were not themselves members of the church, put Mintempered mortar in the walls of Zion,' when permitted to meddle in its affairs." Later in life he became a Bap- tist and a strong advocate of water in large quantity as a saving ordinance. In 1841 Rev. Brogan Hot!' entered upon an eventful term of nearly ten years of verv L -L;^ Historic Old Hhinebeck ; ve service. Like his predecessors he was orthodox, but perhaps more forcible in uphold- ing unpalatable doctrines, or had more "free thinkers" to deal with. Foreordination, pre- destination, election, hell fire and the like were never mildly handled by him. He was always in earnest and administered his relig- ious fiats as doctors did nauseous medicine for the good expected to follow. Daring- Dominie Holt's term the parsonage was in all its glory when the annual donation party came around ; popular with everyone, there came church officers contributing a well- filled purse; young men of the village with packages of groceries; young women with their handy needlework ; thrifty farmers, from all parts of the old town, with poultry, hams, sides of beef, cider galore, butter, lard, nuts, potatoes ; indeed, all fruits of the soil ; housewives with pies, cakes, crullers, biscuits, preserves, pickles, etc., so that the Hoffs "visibly swelled" before the eyes of their people for weeks and months thereafter. The donation party and feast was an unique event that stood alone ; it met the "long-felt want " effectively ; it was a looked-for affair, and dates were set by its happening both before and after. Prinking and fine dressing was the rule for the party ; young maidens and young Churches 143 men, attired in their best ''bib and tucker/' received here their first taste of love that often ripened into matrimony and resulted in sub- stantial tees to the good pastor, whose bless- ing- was always unctuous and tender. The "donation party" made happy engagements and occasioned enjoyable wedding events. It is now among the "has-beens." It never should have become a thing of the past. It had its pi ace in church life and work. Its absence is to be regretted. After Dominie Hoif the Rev. Peter Stryker, a ripe scholar, served four years and three months, from 1850 to 1855. During Mr. Stryker s term the time came when the spirit of improvement swept away the old-fashioned pews and the pill-box pulpit. Some frugal farmer near Wurtemburgh hills bought the pulpit and set it up in his barnyard, raising good fat porkers in it. There was substi- tuted for it a very spacious platform with an ornamental recess and convenient study. The interior of the church took on a light and attractive appearance. A new order of things followed the change. The temperance ques- tion became prominent. Meetings were held in the church. The attendance was large. A course of lectures during the winter brought many great orators to the village. 144 Historic Old Rhinebeck Then William A. Miller was pastor from 1856 to 1859; Herman R. Timlow, from 1859 to 3866 ; Goyn Talmage, brother of the great Brooklyn clergyman, T. D'ewitt Talmage, from ■: to 1871; Alonzo P. Peake, from 1872 to 1879, and in succession, L. Walter Lott, Rev. J. Romeyn Berry, Dr. J. Howard Snydam and the present incumbent, Charles G. Mallery. The "Old Dutch'' Reformed church was, and is, a most useful church; it comprehends in a surprising- degree the old Dutch, sturdy, steady, hold-fast conservatism; it embodied in old times a spirit of progress that made things hum when they were set going. Its history, and that of its people, should be written. It will make a volume. This old brick church (one of its names) will be long remem- bered by the sons and daughters of "ye olde town." It stands as a monument to-day to the memory of many generations of Rhine- bee kers. With the families of Heermance, Teller, Kips, Bogardus, Elmendorf, Hyslop, Van Steenbergh, De Lamater, Van Keuren, Hill, Fulton, Schell, Tompkins, Westfall, Drury, Barringer, Darling, Judson, Cramer, Champ- lin, Sprague, Tremper, Thomson, Baker and others following the lead of the founders of L730 in good works and in upbuilding the Churches 145 "Old Dutch church," it has easily maintained first place, to which it was entitled as the first church in the present village. Of the pastors during* the past quarter of a century Rev. L. Walter Lott married a maiden of "ye olde town," an accomplished young- lady, the eldest daughter of Hon. Ambrose Wager, the leading lawyer and a prominent citizen of Rhinebeck. Soon after Mr. Lott became a member of the Episcopal church, and later was the rector of important parishes of that denomination. Rev. J. Romeyn Berry died while pastor and was buried in the Rhinebeck cemetery. Dr. Suydam, beloved by his people and respected by all others, retired as his health failed, and was made, and is now, pastor emeritus. Mr. Mallery, the present able pastor, is con- tinuing the good work of his predecessors. THE WURTEMBURGH (ST. PAUL's) CHURCH By 1759 that portion of "ye olde town" then called " Whitaberger Land," and now Wurtemburgh, had population sufficient to support a church. It was then, as now, a farming- section. Wager, Pultz, Traver, Mar- quart, Moore, Cookingham, Ackert, Burg-er, Asher, are still familiar names in the town. 146 Historic Old Bhinebeck On March 20, 1759, Leonard Wager and Michael Pultz applied, on behalf of the Wur- temburg-h people, by letter to Col. Henry Beekman, the owner of the land desired, for permission to build a church, and for a gift of the required land. Col. Beekman replied as follows : " New York, April 17, 1759. "Messrs. Wager & Boltz :— Having received your letter of the 20th ult, concerning leave to build a church, &c, which reasonable request I willingly grant, and give you what further assurance that shall be adjudged for such purpose necessary, wishing you good prosperity in the meanwhile, am and remain, " Your well wishing friend, " Henry Beekman." To conduct a church in those days required a government license, and to receive and col- lect subscriptions for the erection of a church edifice, a special charter. That these were at once obtained and the edifice erected is certain. And it is equally certain this edifice was erected and a graveyard opened on the land of said Wager and Boltz. On the 5th of September, 1774, Henry Beekman conveyed to Johannes Markwat, Michael Pultz and Adam Dipple, trustees for the time being of said church, nineteen acres and three-quarters of land lying- adjacent to the lands of Leonard Wager and the " Jacomintie Fly conveyance," Churches 147 "for the sole and only proper use, benefit and behoof of the Protestant Church now erected on the southeast part of Rhinebeck, commonly called the ' Whitaberger Land.' " On the 1st day of June, 1785, George and Sebastian Pultz, and Paul and Sebastian Wager, deeded to the church two acres of ground, one acre each, "together with all and singular the buildings, church and church- yard thereon erected and belonging, the said church being now commonly distinguished as the Wirtemburg church." The trustees named in this conveyance were David Traver, Peter Traver and George Marquart of Char- lotte precinct, now the town of Clinton. The church and grounds are near the town line, and the congregation is made up of people from both towns. The deed says the conveyance is for "the use and benefit of the Protestant congrega- tion or society of said church, * * * so as they do not occupy any part of the said two acres of land for any other purpose than for a church and burying ground." On the 7th of February, 1796, George and Sebastian Pultz released the north half of the lot, the acre given by themselves, from this restric- tion, giving their own consent, and binding their heirs to give theirs to the trustees of the 148 Historic Old Rhi u check church to erect a school house, and conduct a school thereon. It will be noticed that neither of these deeds refers to the church as "St. Paul's'' or "Lutheran." It was known by these names after the revolution. It was always a Lutheran church in the form of worship. A new church building- was erected in 1802. In 1807 they sold the nineteen and three- quarters acres obtained of Henry Beekmam and employed the proceeds in payment of a debt incurred in the erection of the new edifice. Morgan Lewis and Gertrude Livingston, his wife; a granddaughter of Henry Beekman, in whom the fee of the Wurtemburgh lands vested on the death of her mother, gave the consent in proper form to this disposition of the church land ; it was then sold under an order from Chancellor John Lansing, Jr., dated at Albany, February 27, 1807, in response to a petition of the trustees of the "Lutheran St. Paul's church in the town of Rhinebeck called Wertembergh." The church edifice was thoroughly repaired in 1832, and in 1861 it was enlarged and remodelled and put in the condition in which it is to-day. The first baptism in the church was recorded on the 22d of October, 1760. The first pastor named in the record was Rev. J. F. Ries. He ( ■hurches 149 served the church from 1760 to 1785. George Henrich Pefifer served as a pastor from 1785 to 1794, and was succeeded for a short period by John Frederick Ernst. Dr. Fredrick H. 150 Historic Old Rhinebeck Quitman came into the pastorate in 179& His contract, bearing- date February 8, 1798, required him to preach to the people of the church at Rhinebeck eighteen Sundays and three festival days; to the people of the church of East Camp, sixteen Sundays and two festival days ; to the people of the church at Wertembergh, nine Sundays and one fes- tival day ; and to the people of the church at Tarbush, seven Sundays and one festival day. For these services the Rhinebeck people agreed to pay him thirty pounds New York current money, ten bushels of wheat, and grant him the use of the parsonage, and church lands, he to be responsible for the ten bushels rent- wheat thereon; the East Camp * people £35 in money, and eight bushels of wheat, fire- wood and the free use of the parsonage and church lands, or £25 in money instead if he should choose not to use them; the Wertem- bergh people £30 in money and eight bushels of wheat; and the Tarbush people £25 in money and eight bushels of wheat. On the 4th of February, 1815, Dr. Quit- man agreed to preach in the Wurtemburgh church "on every third Sunday during the year, one Sunday excepted — namely, during the winter season one sermon — and from May * East Camp and Tarbush were in Columbia county. Churches 151 until October, two sermons — namely, one in the German and one in the English language/' upon condition that they will pay him " evvvy year, in semi-annual payments, $200, and between twenty- Ave and thirty loads of wood," the congregation in Rhinebeck to make up what will pay for the remaining- Sundays. They do this at his request, that he may be " freed in his advancing ag-e from the tedious task of continued travelling*." It thus appears he relinquished the East Camp and Tarbush • churches in 1815. He continued to serve the Rhinebeck and Wurtemburgh churches until 1825. Toward the close of his ministry he i had to be carried to the pulpit and retained his seat while preaching. I William J. Eyer was Dr. Quitman's succes- sor, entering- on the pastorate of the church in September, 1825, and continuing- therein j until September, 1839. Rev. George Neff says, " shortly after his settlement he preached altog-ether in the Eng-lish lan- guage, and ministered exclusively to the Wurtemburgh church." A. T. Geissenhainer came into the pastorate in 1838 and retained it until 1840. He kept his record in a clerkly hand and in an orderly manner. Rev. Charles A. Smith succeeded Dominie 152 Historic Old Rhinebeck Geissenhainer in the pastorate and retained it until 1850. Rev. W. N. Scholl succeeded Dominie Smith and remained pastor of the church until 1855. Rev. George Neff succeeded Dominie Scholl and took charge of the congregation in July, 1855, remaining until July, 1876, a period of twenty-one years. Rev. Joseph G. Griffith served from Sep- tember 1, 1876, to March 1, 1881. Rev. John Kling served from September I, 1881, to June 1, 1887. Rev. George W. Fortney served from Jan- uary 1, 1888, to June 1, 1895. Rev. Cbauncey W. Deifendorf served from September 1, 1895, to December 1, 1898. Rev. Rosco C. Wright served from April 1, 1899, to September 1, 1907. Rev. John Kling was recalled February 1. 1908, and is now the pastor. THE METHODIST CHURCH ON THE FLATTS The Methodists did not appear in "ye olde town " until after the revolution. More than sixty years had passed since the founders of this denomination, John and Charles Wesley, had made their start at Oxford. The sect was called "Methodists," first in a taunting spirit, because they were unusually precise Churches 153 and methodic in the observance of their relig- ious duties and in the regularity of their lives. It was in 1792 that Rev. Freeborn Gar- rettson, a Methodist clergyman, came from Maryland on a visit to his friend Dr. Thomas Tillotson at "Linwood." He tarried for sev- eral weeks and preached the doctrines of the Methodists to the people of the town. He also met Margaret, the second daughter of Judge Robert R. Livingston, and his wife, Margaret Beekman, and the sister of Mrs. Tillotson. He married her in 1793 and became a resident of Rhinebeck. He exchanged, in 1799, lands with Hans Van Wagenen, tak- ing part of lot No. 3 on the Artsen-Kip patent, afterwards known as " Wilderclilfe." Prior to that the Garrettsons resided in the eastern part of the town, near the Milan line. Capt. William Van AVagenen was the son of the man who made the exchange of land. A map of the town of Rhinebeck, made in 1797, shows a Methodist church on a hill fac- ing the road to Milan, a short distance beyond the house erected by Edwin Knickerbocker. The residence of the Garrettsons was in the immediate vicinity of this church, a little to the southeast, in a stone house built in 1772 by Thomas Canner, for a man by the name of Hasradorn. At what date this church was 154 Historic Old Ehinebeck built, and with what funds, there is no person or document to tell ; that it was there because the Garrettsons were there nobody doubts. The first record of the presence of the Meth- odists in the village of Rhinebeck is contained in a deed from Mrs. Janet Montgomery to Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, Robert Sands, Simon Johnson Myers, Charles Doyl and Daniel McCarty, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church at Rhinebeck flatts, dated August 1, 1801, for one rood and six perches of land, bounded as follows: " Beginning at the northwest corner of a lot leased by the said Janet Montgomery to the said Daniel McCarty, and now in the tenure and occupation of Robert Scott, and runs from thence along the bounds of said lot north, eighty-nine degrees east, one chain and eighty-nine links to a stake ; thence north, one degree west, one chain and fifty links to a stake; thence south eighty-nine degrees west, one chain and ninety- six links; thence, with a straight line, to the place of beginning, containing one rood and six perches of land." This lot is on the east side of Centre street, between East Market and South streets. A venerable lady, when in the eighty-ninth year of her age, a daughter of Robert Scott, who grew from childhood to womanhood in the immediate vicinity of this lot, remarkably preserved in body, mind and memory for her years, said that the Methodist church on the Churches 155 road to Milan, three miles east of the village, "near Tommy Larwood's," was taken down, brought to the villag-e and rebuilt on this lot by Daniel McCarty ; and, to the best of her memory, in the year when the lot was given. Among- the preachers, whose goings to and fro brought them to Rhinebeck, were Lorenzo Dow, "Billy" Hibbard, Ensign Foster and others of this church. Daniel McCarty, who ran the Traphagen grist mill, lived in the old stone house, and afterwards moved to the Schell place on the post road, now occupied and owned by Herbert R. Clark, was a very ardent, active and influential Methodist, well known in his day ; the preachers made their home at his house when the3 r reached the flatts before the parsonage was built. He always worked for the church. He was a Revolutionary veteran. The lot on which the present church edifice stands was also a gift of Mrs. Janet Mont- gomery. The deed was for half an acre of ground "on the north side of the road com- monly called Ulster and Saulsbury Turnpike," and is a conveyance in trust from Janet Mont- gomery of Red Hook to Mary Garrettson of Rhinebeck, on the express condition " that she shall not at an^y time hereafter assign her right or trust to any but such persons as may be 150 Historic Old Ehinebeck appointed trustees of the Rhinebeck Methodist Episcopal church by the members thereof; 5 ' and that neither she, or her assigns, "shall, at any time, build on the premises more than a house of worship, with the necessary appur- tenances, for the use of the said Methodist Episcopal church." This deed bears date March 3, 1822. From this date on the history of the church is contained in the records, which are very full and properly, carefully and intelligently kept by Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., Rev. Stephen Schuyler, Dr. William Cross and other competent chirks. The following", pertaining- to the new church and premises, is transcribed from the records, and is the language of Freeborn Garrettson, Jr.: " At a meeting- of the Methodist society on Rhinebeck Flatts, convened at the Rev. Jesse Hunt's, January, 1822, for the purpose of taking' into consideration the expediency of erecting a Methodist chapel at said Rhinebeck Flatts, and for the further purpose of choos- ing- nine trustees for the same ; Whereupon, the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson was called to the chair, and Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., appointed secretary. The business of the meeting being opened, and the deed of the old chapel ati said Rhinebeck Flatts being read, proceeded to the choice of trustees. The Rev. Churches K>; Jesse Hunt, being- the preacher in charge, it was accordingly his prerogative, agreeably to discipline, to nominate the same. He, there- fore, nominated the following- persons, who were duly appointed, viz.: Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, Robert Sands, William Cross, Sen'r, James Raisbeck, William C. Freeman, Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., Samuel Bell, Jef- i'ery H. Champlin, and Nicholas Drury." "The subject of the new church was then taken up, and it was unanimously agreed that it was necessary to go on with its erection, provided a suitable site could be obtained, and funds procured. The trustees were, there- fore, instructed to consider the matter, and make their report as soon as possible ; and also to consider of what materials the build- ing- should be composed." " It was agreed that two persons be named bo superintend the building, and for said two per- sons to be under the direction of the trustees. Freeborn Garretson, Jr., and William C. Freeman were accordingly appointed, and were instructed to present their account for services to the trustees, to be audited by them." "It was agreed that the chairman appoint persons to go around to solicit subscrip- tions to the building. The Rev. Jesse Hunt, ibS Historic Old Rhinebeck Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., and William C. Freeman, were also appointed treasurers. Adjourned to meet again on the 23d of Jan- uary, 1822." At this adjourned meeting- the Rev. Free- born Garrettson was appointed president of the board of trustees, and Freeborn Garrett- son, Jr., chosen secretar3 T ; when the presi- dent stated that Mrs. Janet Montg-omery had presented the society with half an acre of ground in a conspicuous place in the village fronting- on the turnpike ; and named other successes in the way of subscriptions. It was then unanimously agreed that the church be built, and built of stone, of the size of forty- five feet by fifty-five, from outside to outside; and that the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, Rev. Jesse Hunt, Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., Wil- liam E. Freeman and Je fiery H. Champlin be a committee to manag-e the building-, and that Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., be considered as the centre of that committee, and the g-eneral superintendent thereof. After agreeing- that the building- be forwarded with as much expe- dition as possible, this meeting- adjourned. The cornerstone of the building- was laid by the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson on the 1st day of May, 1822, and the building- was completed on the 6th day of October following-. Free- Churches 159 born Garrettson, Jr., the superintendent of the building', records that the thanks of the society are due to Thomas Sanford, the mas- ter mason, and Henry C. Teal, the master carpenter, for diligence and skill in the exe- cution of their tasks ; that no accident hap- pened about the building; that not a drop of spirituous liquors was drank during its erec- tion ; that the carpenters, masons and labor- ers all acquitted themselves well; that all w r ere peaceable, industrious and respectful ; that never was a building raised with more harmony and good feeling. He gives special credit to John King, a colored man, for dili- gence and industry ; and thanks the neighbors for the willingness with which they assisted with their teams in collecting the materials for the building. And then he mentions what he calls " a remarkable circumstance," as follows : A well was dug for "the accommodation of the building," for the first step.* " It afforded * There was a tradition among the old people that the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson locked his well-curb against the workmen in the Fox Hollow factory, and the chil- dren from the neighboring school, who were in the habit of resorting to the well for water, and was aston- ished to discover, soon after, that the well refused to hold water for his own family. Whether he there- upon removed the lock and recovered the water is not known. 160 Historic Old Rhinebeck a full supply of water for all the purposes of making mortar, and every other use neces- sary as long* as it was wanted ; and not many days after we ceased to use it, the well became dry." Another circumstance in the digging" of the well is also deemed worth} 7 of note. "After excavating the earth a short distance, we presently discovered an excellent vein of loam; and in going a little deeper found another of sand, and in still going a little deeper found another of gravel, which an- swered all the purposes for erecting the stone building', in making mortar for the wall, for the plastering, and for the rough casting of the building, upon the outside. This was for- tunate for us, which saved us much trouble and expense." The cost of the building was $3,559.88. The subscriptions amounted to $3,234, leaving the committee in debt $325.88. This was assumed and finally presented to the church by the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson. There were one hundred and twenty-six subscriptions to the building fund. Mrs. Cath- erine Garrettson gave $800 ; Mrs. Catherine Suckley, $500 ; Mrs. Mary Garrettson, $100 ; Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, in money, timber and labor, $300; Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., superintendent, $300; Mr. George Suckley, Churches 161 John L. Suckley, Rutsen Suckley and Thomas H. Suckley, Mary Suckley, Sarah S. Suckley, Catherine Suckley, $100; Col. Henry B. Living- ston gave 480 loads of stone in quarry ; Edward Livingston gave $50 ; Robert L. Livingston, $50 ; Thomas Tillotson, $40 ; Mrs. Thompson, $50; Mrs. Gen. Armstrong, $20; Mrs. Margaret Astor, $20 ; Koert Du Bois, $25. Everybody in the village who could give gave something, from one dollar up to twenty dollars each. Mr. Zebulon Hibbard gave the inscription stones ; Mr. Brewer of Kingston the key- stones for doors and windows in front of the building ; Mr. Rutsen Suckley gave two of the Birmingham lamps ; Miss Catherine G. Suck- ley presented the sacramental cups ; William Cross and Robert Dixon gave the mahogany table within the altar; and John E. Brooks made and presented the book-board. At a meeting of the trustees held on the 8th day of December, 1823, at the parsonage house, then occupied by James Young, "the ruling preacher in charge on the circuit, " James Raisbeck and John E. Brooks were appointed a committee to take charge of the "new cemetery." It was agreed that all such as belong to the Methodist church at Rhine- beck and its vicinity, and all such as are in the habit of attending worship in its mission 162 Historic Old Ehinebeck chapel, and contributing- to the support of the gospel in said chapel, shall be privileged to inter their dead in said burying ground, under the direction of the committee. The Rev. Freeborn Garrettson entered the ministry in 1775, and was appointed presiding elder over the district extending from Long Island to Lake Champlain in 1788. In 1827, while at the house of a friend in the city of New York, he was ^aken suddenly ill and died in the seventy-sixth year of his age and the fifty-second of his ministry. The church was incorporated with Freeborn Garrettson, the nephew, William Cross, Nich- olas Drury, Jeffery H. Champlin and William Mink, as trustees, the 2d day of June, 1829, and the certificate thereof recorded on the eleventh of the same month, in Liber No. 1 of Records of Church Incorporations, pages 97 and 98, clerk's office, Dutchess county. A deed for one rood and thirteen perches of land for a parsonage lot in the rear of the church lot was presented to the church by Hon. Edward Livingston on the 12th day of November, 1829 (all the village land having come into his possession by the will of his sis- ter, Janet Montgomery, which was admitted to probate and recorded by James Hooker, surrogate of Dutchess county, on the 28th of Churches 163 April, 1827). A new parsonage was built on this lot the same year at a cost of $1,305.79. The subscriptions to meet this expenditure amounted to $664. Of this amount Mrs. Catherine Garrettson gave $300; Freeborn Garrettson, $75 ; William B. Piatt, $15 ; Rev. George W. Bethune, $10 ; David Rowley, $10 ; Cornelia Bayard of Philadelphia, $10 ; and fifty -five others in proportion to their means and their interest in the work of the Metho- dist church. On the 30th of June, 1832, Mrs. Catherine Garrettson presented the church with half an acre of land for the burying ground south of the village, on the conditions that the church surround it with a good fence, and per- mit no more interments in the yard attached to the church. The deed for this cemetery is dated March 27, 1835. A deed for half an acre of ground adjoin- ing the parsonage lot was presented to the church by Mrs. Louisa Livingston, widow of the Hon. Edward Livingston, on the 7th of November, 1838. (She came into the posses- sion of all the worldly estate of her husband by his will, dated at Paris, on the 7th day of March, 1835, and admitted to probate by James Hooker, surrogate of Dutchess county, on the 23d day of July, 1836.) f 64 Historic Old Rhine beck- In 1834 the church found itself in debt in the sum of $954, and appealed to the court for leave to sell the old parsonage and lot, the proceeds to be applied in payment thereof. An order permitting the sale was obtained by John Armstrong-, Jr., on the 1st of October, 1834; a strip on the north end, thirty-two feet front and rear, on which there was a "new school house," to be reserved. The sale was not immediately effected, and the premises continued in possession of Harvey Seymour as tenant. On the 12th of Novem- ber, 1838, it was resolved to sell the premises^ with the reservation on the north, to Robert T. Seymour, for $600. Failing in this it was rented to Mr. Seymour for another year at $50, and in 1839 sold to Benjamin Griffin, then presiding elder of the Methodist church for the Rhinebeck district, for $500 ; he to pay the expense of another application to the court, and fence the lot reserved for a school house. A classical school — the beginning of the Rhinebeck Academy — was taught in this house by the Rev. Samuel Bell, a Methodist clergyman from the east. The school house on the old church lot was the property of Miss Mary Garrettson. The removal was effected and the lot sold to Rev, Benjamin Griffin for $5 per foot. f Churches 1 65 In 1848 the church found itself in debt in the sum of $1,005. Mr. Rutsen Suckle}^ gave $1,000 with which to pay it on condition they would not run in debt again. In this same year Miss Mary Garrettson surrendered her trust in the church lot to the trustees of the church, having held it for a period of twenty- six years. ( >n the 14th of June, 1849, Mrs. Catherine Garrettson, widow of the Rev. Freeborn Gar- rettson, died very suddenly at Montgomery place, then the residence of her sister-in-law, Louisa, the widow of Hon. Edward Living- ston. Born on July 13, 1752, she was in the forty-first year of her age when she married, and in her ninety-seventh when she died. She was calm and dignified in her manner, tall and stately in her person. Kindly disposed toward all who met her, she was generally loved and respected. In 1851 the portico and steeple were added to the church edifice at an expense of $1,100. A bell being desired, Rev. L. W. Peck, the minister, was authorized to write to Mr. Suckley for leave to run in debt $200 to pro- cure one. He declined to consent, but sent a donation of 850 toward the amount named. The record says he was thanked for his lib- eral subscription, and because of the financial 166 Historic Old Rhinebeck condition, "which they found so favorable that the bell was immediately purchased." In 1853 the church received a donation of five acres of land in the Bucobush (Beech- woods) from Miss Margaret B. Livingston, which was sold for $70 per acre, and the pro- ceeds applied to pay church debts. In 1854 the church found itself in debt again, and obtained an order from the court to sell the lot purchased from Gilbert Akerly on the 1st of May, 1845, the proceeds to be applied to the payment thereof. It was thus sold on the 5th of December, 1854, to Miss Mary Gar- rettson, for $400. On the 19th of February, 185G, Miss Mary Garrettson made a gift to the church of five acres of land for an addition to the cemetery ; and it was resolved that the cemetery thus enlarged should be styled the "Rhinebeck Cemetery of the Methodist Episcopal Church. " On the 27th of August, 1853, she had given half an acre of ground for a cemetery for the people of color. This is all now part of the present Rhinebeck cemetery grounds. In 1863 the church edifice was considerably enlarged, internally reconstructed, and much improved, at an expense of six or seven thou- sand dollars. In 1868 the church received a gift from Miss Churches 1G7 Mary Garrettson of the Akerly lot, and built the present handsome and commodious Sun- day school and lecture room upon it. In 1871 the parsonage was reconstructed and enlarged, and is now, with its handsome situation, a very desirable residence. Mr. Rutsen Suckley, whose liberality and devotion so often came to the relief of the trustees when they found themselves in need, and who was held in very high esteem by the people of Rhinebeck generally, died in the city of New York on the 22d, and was buried from this church on the 24th of June, 1875. A funeral discourse, bearing deserved testi- mony to his worth, was preached by the Rev. Dr. Holclich of the Methodist church. A large and beautiful organ was put into the gallery in the fall of 1876, at an expense of $2,500, and was a memorial gift from Mr. Thomas H. Suckley for his brother Rutsen. Thomas H. Suckley also gave a desirable tract of land, called "Mt. Rutsen," on the north of the village, to the conference of the Methodist church, as a home for superanuated ministers. A chapel and several dwellings were erected on these grounds for this deserv- ing object. It was a worthy charity from a proper source. Many aged ministers came to live there. The location was delightful ; the n»s Historic <>/ss of the Meth- odist church. There arc no Garrettsons or Buckleys connected with the church to-day. This historic temple of Methodism in "ye olde town " stood for three-quarters of a cen- tury a monument to the faith and the faith- ful. II had witnessed the passing away ol ~ -1 1 ^Jlj- 2 ^3^. iH ' vv v Try ' MISS MARY GARRETTSON Daughter of Rev. Freeborn Garrettson and Catherine Living- ston; granddaughter of Margaret Beekman " TO KNOW HER WAS TO LOVE HER " Churches 169 the Garrettsons, its founders, and also of the Schuylers, Suckleys, Bownes, Bronsons, Cur- tises, and very many other active, earnest, influential members and supporters. New names were on the roll of membership; new people filled its pews. The echoes of a cen- tury, however, bore testimony of the great work accomplished since Rev. Freeborn Gar- rettson, in 1791 or 1792, preached his first sermon to the people, and Daniel McCarty and Charles Doyle led in prayer. Who can measure the good credited in the book of life that followed this humble start ? On a cold winter's night in 1899, when the fires in the furnaces were warmly burning to heat the building-, a defective flue proved its undoing*. A lire destroyed the old church. The lamen- tations of the people of the town were joined with the sorrows of the congregation, but the church was no more. This fire was an important event in the history of the village. An account of it and of the building of the present ornamental and substantial edifice in its place will be found in Chapter 12 relating to the village. Rev. Stephen F. White was the pastor of the church at the time the fire occurred. We are indebted to him for the facts. The church has had many eminent pastors. 170 Historic Old Rhinebeck The records were burned in the fire of 1899, and the list of early names is incomplete. We are indebted to Rev. Wilbur F. Brush, the present beloved pastor, for the following- par- tial list. It starts with the Dutchess circuit in 1788, which covered Rhinebeck : Cornelius Cook, Andrew Harpending- and Freeborn Gar- rettson (presiding- elder), 1788 ; Samuel L. Talbot and Benjamin Abbott, 1789 ; Peter Moriarty and Menzies Raynor, 1790 ; Thomas Everard and Zebulon Zankey, 1792; Samuel Fowler and Robert McCoy, 1793; Jacob Rick- how and David Browm, 1794 ; Phillip Wager and Joseph Mitchell, 1797 ; Billy Hibbard, 1798 ; Rog'er Searle, Joseph Totten and Syl- vester Hutchinson (presiding- elder), 1799 ; William Thatcher and Peter Jane, 1800; David Brown, Sylvester Foster and Billy Hibbard (in 1802 Billy Hibbard was ordained elder in the Methodist church at Rhinebeck by Bishop Asbu^); Datus Ensign, 1804; Daniel Ostrander, 1806 ; Freeborn Garrettson is put down as preacher in Rhinebeck in 1808 (there were then 1,077 white and 40 colored members in Dutchess circuit); Merritt Richard- son and Aaron Hunt (presiding- elder), 1810 ; Samuel Horn and Jesse Hunt, 1820 ; Timothy Benedict, 182G; Fitch Reed, 1828; Stephen Remington, 1829 ; Samuel Cochrane and Loren Churches 171 Clark, 1831; David Holmes, 1839. About this time Rhinebeck was an appointment by itself, with the following' pastors : Bar- tholemew Craigh, 1840 ; John Trippett, 1841 Thomas Burch, 1842 ; L. M. Vincent, 1844 Charles B. Sing. 1845 (here there is a lapse) George F. Kettell, 1862-5; W. G. Browning, 18G6 ; Charles S. Harrower, 1867-9 ; Andrew J. Hunt, 1870 ; E. B. Otheman, 1871-3 ; Angelo Ostrander, 1874-5 ; Richard Wheatly, 1876-9 ; John G. Oakley, 1880-1 ; John J. Dean, 1882-4; Edmund Lewis, 1885-7; Walter A. Chadwick, 1888-90; T. H. Baragwanath, 1891-3; W. A. Mackej^, 1894-6 ; Frank Beale, 1897; S. F. White, 1898-9; R. M. Stratton, 1900-2; O. A. Merchant, 1903-5; Wilbur F. Brush, the present capable minister, in charge of a flourishing church and a large congre- gation, 1906-8. THE BAPTIST CHURCH There were Baptists in "ye olde town " soon after the revolution, perhaps before. The Styles' family came prior to 1800. Then there were Reeds, Thompsons, O'Harras, Slaters, Canfields, and in 1796 Robert Scott settled in Rhinebeck. The distinctive belief that bap- tism Could only be administered to persons who could give an account of their faith, and 172 Historic old Rhinebeck then only by the immersion of the whole body in water, gave the sect its name " Baptists." There are a dozen or more divisions or kinds of Baptists. The system of church govern- ment, each cong-regation being- independent of interference from without and complete in itself, is the "home-rule" idea adapted to church work. The extension of the "light hand of fellowship" by sister churches con- stituted recognition of the church and its min- ister as orthodox in the matter of doctrine, and thence properly established as a Baptist church. Robert Scott was the founder of the the Rhinebeck church. He was an educated man ; a carpenter by trade. Madam Mar- garet Beekman Livingston induced him to come to Rhinebeck. He opened first a store and then a classical school. His friend, Mr. Slater, had bought Daniel McCarty's lease of the land and house on South street, still known as the "Scott premises," and opened a store. Robert Scott bought him out, lot, house and store. He continued the business for four years, when he gave it up, opening a boarding- school. He followed the occupa- tion of a teacher and surveyor for the balance of his life. Among- many noted pupils were : James Stokes, who was a member of the firm of Churches L73 Phelps, Dodge & Co., and then of the banking- firm of Phelps, Stokes & Co. Henry Stokes, former president of the Manhattan Life Insur- ance Company, was his pupil for about nine years. B. Stokes, who was killed by the fall- ing- of the store of Phelps, Dodge & Co., in Cliff street, and several of the Colgate fam- ily, among them Robert Colgate, president of the Atlantic White Lead Works, were pupils of Mr. Scott ; also several Vassers and Slaters. Thomas Stokes, of whom a memorial book has been published, was one of his last pupils. " His ministerial life," it is said, " never ceased from eighteen years of age; where a door was opened there he went, whether a court house, dwelling house or barn." He pub- lished the following works: " Antidote to Deism/'* " Chronology from the Creation to the Year 1810," " A Treatise on Our Blessed Lord's Return to this Earth," and last, "His Own Funeral Sermon." He was known as Father Scott. The record, made by Father Scott himself, tells of the beginning of the Baptist church in Rhinebeck. It is as follows : "This certifieth that on the Lord's day, June 2, 1821, Elder Freeman Hopkins preached at Rhinebeck Fiatts, and after examination upon their profession of faith in the Lord 174 Historic Old lihinebeck Jesus Christ, baptized the following- persons : John Reed, William Styles, Calvin O'Harra, Wadsworth Brooks, Jacob Dedrick, Elizabeth Thompson, Ann Logan, Catherine Thompson, Elizabeth Ann Thompson and Caty Myers; and that the said persons, with Robert Scott, James Canfield, Ann Cook, Elizabeth Scott, Mary Scott, Jane Scott, James Styles, Jr., and Sarah Styles, agreed to enter into a cov- enant to walk in fellowship as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ." Letters w T ere, at the request of these peo- ple, sent to the churches in North East and Sandisfield, requesting them to send delegates to sit in council with them on Wednesday, July 4, 1821. These churches sent their dele- gates, and the evening* of the day appointed ' a council was formed, the delegates present being as follows : From the church in North East, Elders Freeman Hopkins and Buttolph ; brethren, Filo M. Winchell and Nicholas Yas- burg. From the church in Sandisfield, Elder Jesse Hartwell ; brethren, Jonathan Smith, Sylvester Doud and Asahel Doud. These delegates, with the brethren dwelling in Rhinebeck, constituted the council. Elder Jesse Hartwell was chosen moderator, and Elder John Hopkins, clerk; " when the mod- erator, in behalf of the council, extended to Churches 175 the people of the Rhinebeck organization the right hand of fellowship as a sister church." And thus the Rhinebeck Baptist church came into being* on the 4th of July, 1821. Having heard Robert Scott on his experi- ence and call to the work of the ministr} 7 , and on his views of doctrine, at the request of the church the council voted to ordain him. Elder Jesse Hartwell was selected to preach the sermon. Elder John Buttolph to make the consecrating prayer ; Elders Hopkins, But- tolph and Hartwell to lay on hands; Elder Hartwell to give the charge ; Elder Buttolph to give the right hand of fellowship ; and Elder Hopkins to make the concluding prayer. At 10 o'clock on the morning of the next day the church met and carried out this program in the presence of the people. And thus Robert Scott, at the age of sixty years, was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, and placed over the infant Baptist church of Rhinebeck as a pastor. There was no Baptist house of worship, and these services were con- ducted at the house of Elder Scott. The book of records sets forth quite elabo- rately the creed to which these people sub- scribed on entering this church. It says that it is the duty of baptized believers to unite together in fellowship, to walk in the com- 176 Historic Old Rhinebeck inandments and ordinances of the Lord ; and that where this is done there is a Christian church, competent to elect its own officers, and call upon them to do their duty ; that the Holy Scriptures are a sufficient, and the only rule of faith and practise ; that baptism is the immersion of the whole body in water; that it may represent a burial and resurrec- tion, and that nothing' else is baptism ; and that "it is the duty of believers to break bread together often ; " and in 1831 the church resolved to do this "every Lord's day ; " and it was so done for the space of nearly ten years thereafter. At a church meeting held on the 29th of July, 1821, the record says: "Brethren Stokes and Colgate of York were with us." At the monthly meeting held September 30, 1821, it was asked whether the church would proceed to ordain deacons ; but, upon consid- eration, it was concluded that, as in the prim- itive church, none were appointed until needed, we need not do it until they are wanted. The church at this early day had no local habitation. It assembled sometimes in one place and sometimes in another ; occasionally in Kingston. It met in Kingston on the 16th of June, 1822, and again on the 8th of Sep- tember, when Ann Yoorhis and Eliza Showers Churches 177 were baptized in the Rondout creek, and the day was concluded by public worship in the court house. On the 23d of February and the 31st of August, 1823, the church met at Kingston again. On the 30th of June, 1825, James Canfield was set apart for the office of deacon by the imposition of hands. At a meeting held on the 28th of December, 1823, it was made known that Mrs. Janet Mont- gomery had given a lot of land to the Bap- tist church, and James Canfield and Robert Scott were appointed a committee to solicit assistance and oversee the building of a "small, convenient house for the use of the church for public worship." At a meeting held on the 31st of October, 1824, it was recorded that the building of a house for pub- lic worship had commenced ; that it had been inclosed and covered ; that it was thirty feet wide, thirty-four feet long and eighteen feet high from the ground. At a meeting held on the 29th of May, 1825, it was agreed to defer the next meeting "until the first Lord's day in July, as it was expected the meeting house would be done by that time." The house being ready, public worship was held therein for the first time on the 3d day of July, 1825. The record is that "Brother Scott preached at ten and broke bread ; that Brother Bab- 178 Historic Old Ehinebeck cock preached at two p.m., and after he had preached, bread was again broken." On November 26, 1825, the record says, "as there was no prospect of getting stoves for the meeting house this fall, it was agreed to hold our meetings in the school house during the winter." On the 20th of August, 1826, the church met at Kingston again, and on the 1st of October, 1827, James J. and Robert Styles, from Kingston, and Eliza Styles were baptized in Rhinebeck, and received into church fellowship ; and on the 28th of October, 1827, William J. Styles was ordained a dea- con by the imposition of hands, to assist Dea- con Canfield. On August 24, 1828, the record says, " Brother Thompson from New York, formerly pastor of the Old General Baptist Church in the city of Norwich, in England, has visited us, and preached amongst us with universal approbation." At the yearly meeting on the 4th of July, 1830, the record says, "since the constituting of the church, nine years ago, forty-two have been baptized, two have died, five have been excluded, three dismissed to join other churches, and three moved to a distance from us, but had no dismission, so that there are left" thirty-six members. Of this number ten were Styleses, as follows : James Styles, Churches 179 Sr., James Styles, Jr., William J. Styles, dea- con ; James J. Styles, Robert Styles, Sarah Styles, Sarah Ann Styles, Jane Styles, Eliza W. Styles and Julia Styles. On the 15th of August, 1831, Deacon James Canfield died, and on the 26th of May, 1831, James Styles, Jr., of Kingston, was appointed trustee in his place ; and, on the 12th of May, 1832, George Snyder was appointed deacon in his place. In June, 1833, innovations were distracting the church, and Rev. Robert Scott records an address to the brethren. The opening paragraph is as follows: "To the church of baptized believers at Rhinebeck Flatts : Brethren, I have for a long time past perceived that I should in the end be obliged to bear testimony against the innovations introduced amongst us, and thereby, perhaps, sacrifice the friendship of some, if not of you all; or else, for peace sake, sacrifice the truth." He died on the 24th of September, 1834, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. At the death of Mr. Scott, in 1834, the inno- vators against whom he had so earnestly protested, obtained full control. The church, however, did not prosper under the "inno- vators," as Father Scott called them. For several years it barely kept alive. £80 Historic Old Rhinebeck At a meeting- held at Sister Scott's, on the- 15th of August, 1842, Elder Isaac Bevan, a regular Baptist minister, came into view for the first time. An election of trustees pro- posed was, on his motion, postponed for want of legal notice. Due legal notice having- been given, on the 8th of October, 1842, John Reed, George Snyder and Walter Sitzer were duly elected trustees, to serve until the 4th of July, 1843, and it was agreed that from henceforth there should be a meeting of the church held on the last Friday of every month. At the next meeting Rev. Isaac Bevan, his wife Mary and her sister, Hannah Lewis, were admitted to membership in the church, and by a unanimous vote Dominie Bevan was chosen to preside over its meetings until the end of the year, with John Reed, who, it seems, was the church's presiding elder by a previous vote. Hon. William Kelly became a resident of Rhinebeck in 1841. He was a Baptist and wealthy. His support was substantial and gave to the church new life. Rev. Isaac Bevan continued in the pastor- ate until January, 1848. He added twenty members to the church by baptism, and built up the Baptist church at Tivoli, in Red Hook, at the same time. Churches i 81 Dr. James Lillie, having- become a Baptist, and entering- the service of the American Bible Union as a translator, took up his residence in Rhinebeck. He joined the church here on the 19th of June, 1852, his wife joining at the same time. He served it as pastor for a short time, and gave his hearers the benefit of his studies of both the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Scriptures. His last sermon, on the meaning of the word "hell" in the Old and New Testaments, was preached to a crowded house in the Dutch Reformed church on invitation of the pastor. The Baptist^ and dressing- rooms were built in 1867, under the direction and at the expense of the Hon. William Kelly. The original church lot was fift3 7 -one feet wide and one hundred and eighty deep. It was a gift from Mrs. Janet Montgomery in 1823. The deed for it was given after her death by Edward Livingston, her brother and heir, on July 25, 1829, in fulfillment of her intention. It was given to Scott, Reed and Can field, and their successors in office, as trustees, forever. In 18G9, on the widening of Livingston street, the Hon. William Kelly purchased what Avas then left of the corner lot, and added it, a gift, to the church lot. It was thus increased to eighty-nine feet 182 Historic Old Ehinebeck front, and made a corner lot. At the corner of Montgomery and Livingston streets it is one of the best situated church lots in the village. In 1890 the present modern and substantial church building- was erected^ largehy through the efforts of the Reed family. Dr. Richard Fuller of Baltimore, Dr. Wil- liam R. Williams of New York, Dr. Martin B. Anderson, president of the University of Rochester, and Dr. Kendrick, professor of Greek in the same, have preached from the pulpit of this little church; it cannot be doubted that those who worship there have heard as good sermons as were ever preached in the village of Rhinebeck. We are indebted to the Rev. George D. Merry, the present pastor, for a list of min- isters since organization : Robert Scott, from 1821 to 1834; Elder John Block, from 1834 to 1842; Isaac Bevan, from 1842 to 1848; Terry Bradly, from 1849 to 1850 ; James Lillie, from 1852 to 1853 ; Samuel W. Culver, from 1854 to 1857 ; M. R. Forey, 1858 ; William I. Gill, from 1858 to 1859 ; church supplied by mis- sionary, from 1859 to 1869 ; Albert M. Pren- tice, from 18G9 to 1874; B. F. Leipsner, from 1874 to 1875 ; George W. Barnes, from 1875 to 1880 ; S. G. Nelson, from 1881 to 1884 ; church Churches 18: supplied by students till 1889 ; Charles GL Dil worth, from 1890 to 1894 ; C. C. Smith, from 1894 to 1898; B. L. Newkirk, from 1898 to 1900; L. A. Mitchell, from 1901 to 1906; George D. Merry, 1906. Rev. L. A. Mitchell married Miss Cora Reed, a daughter of Thomas Reed, a liberal supporter, and a grand daughter of John Reed, one of the founders of the Baptist church in Rhinebeck. He is now located at Camden, South Carolina, the pastor of a thriving- church. THE THIRD OR VILLAGE LUTHERAN CHURCH Rev. Charles A. Smith was the founder of the village Lutheran church. He had the co-operation of John Benner, a leading" mer- chant, and John T. Schryver, a large prop- erty owner. He ivas pastor of St. Paul's (Wurtemburgh) church at the time. He preached there mornings, and as he lived in the village, he preached in the Baptist church evenings. A very intelligent and attractive preacher, the church soon became too small for his audiences. Most of his hearers were village people belonging to different churches or no church ; but the large majority w T ere Lutherans. Many of these were from the country and manifested a preference for a 184 Historic Old Rhinebeck village Lutheran church. From out of these facts arose the effort which resulted in the organization of the Third Evangelical Lu- theran church, and erection of the present village church. This house was built in the summer of 1842 by a building committee, of which the Rev. Charles A. Smith and John Benner were the working members. The lot on which it stands was the gift of John T. Schryver, who came in possession of the lands on Livingston street as a member of the misnamed Rhinebeck Improvement Company. Edward Livingston sold this company all lands in the village of which he become the owner as the heir of his sister, Janet Montgomery. The house was built at the head of and in the track of Centre street, because Mr. Schryver would give the land just there and nowhere else. This building in the track of a street was a favorite notion of Mr. Schryver, and proved troublesome to a sou in after years, us told in Chapter 12 on the village, when the old Schryver homestead was removed after a long and bitter legal fight. The church was built at a cost of $5,500, and when completed was, by common consent, the handsomest church edifice, in its interior finish and style, in the town. The pulpit especially Churches 185 was not only a new thing- in town, but a very chaste and elegant thing- of its kind ; and it sealed the doom of all the old pulpits in the ne i glib o rho o d . * Mr. Smith continued to minister to both the Wurtemburgh and the village church until 1849, when he took charge exclusively of the village church. He. continued in this until 1851, when he accepted a call to a Lutheran church in Easton, Pennsylvania. Rev. William D. Strobel came into the pas- torate in 1873. In the summer of 187G he had important alterations and repairs made in the interior of the church edifice. He had the platform of the pulpit brought down to a level with his people; the pew doors removed and the pews widened ; new windows, a new desk, and a new altar rail constructed, and the whole interior of the building newly painted and handsomely frescoed. This work was done at a large expense, under the doc- * The "Thompson home " on Livingston street was built by Lewis Marquart for a Lutheran parsonage. Rev. Charles A.Smith lived in it as a tenant for a couple of years It was considered in 1843 the model house of the village. The joiner work in it was done by James Latson, an ingenious young Rhinebeck car- • penter, and the mason work by John E. Giles, the miser and religious imposter and beggar, who was found dead in an out-house at Niskaunah, in 1880, with nineteen thousand dollars in government bonds and five thousand dollars in cash on his person. 186 Historic Old Rhinebeck tor's supervision, and with credit to all con- cerned. The following- pastors followed the founder, Charles A. Smith, in the order named : John M. Cross, 1851 ; John Hopler, 1855 ; Jacob H. Heck, 185G; E. H. Lubkert, 1859; W. H. Luckenbach, 1862; R. Hill, 1865; Henry L. Ziegenfuss, 1868; William D. Strobel, 1871; D. L. McKensie, 1882; A. M. Whetstone, 1886 ; N. R. McCutcheon, 1890 ; A. E. Deitz, 1893 ; L. D. Wells, the present pastor, began his labors April 1, 1899. Two of the pastors selected Rhinebeck girls for wives. Rev. H. L. Ziegenfuss married Miss Ella, daughter of Isaac F. Van Vliet, M.D. He joined the Episcopal church, and was the very able rector of the leading- church in Poug-hkeepsie until his death. Rev. A. E. Deitz married a daug-hter of Mr. H. N. Secor, and accepted a call to a Cali- fornia church, where he is now stationed. In the sixty-six years of the church's his- tory there were two hundred and forty-two marriages and two hundred and sixty-five baptisms (infant). Present membership of the church, one hundred and twenty. We are indebted to Rev. L. D. Wells for valuable information contained in the fore- going- sketch. Churches 187 THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH As early as 1846 Episcopal services were held in the village, sometimes in the Metho- dist and often in the Baptist church, on Sun- day afternoons. These services were held at least once a month. Rev. Mr. Johnson of Kingston generally officiated. About 1850 a large hall in the building erected by Alex- ander Baker, on the southwest corner of East Market and Centre streets, was used for these services, which then became more frequent. This was known as the " Baker building," and was the property of Cyrus B. Morse. There were several Episcopalians in the town at this time. Eliphalet Piatt, M.D.; Isaac F. Van Vliet, M.D.; George Lorillard, M.D.; Gouv- erneur Tillotson, Ambrose Wager, Theoph- ilus Gillender, James M. Pendleton, William and Charles S. Wainwright, Lewis Livingston, Isaac F. Russell, Marshall E. A. Geer, were among the number. The officiating clergy- men, when services were held in the "Baker building," were Revs. Sheldon Davis, Reu- ben Sherwood, D.D., Henr^v E. Montgomery, D.D., George Waters, Bishop J. C. Talbot, Bishop Wainwright, and others. Bishop Wainwright was an uncle of the Wainwright Brothers, who then lived in Rhinebeck. Dr. 188 Historic Old Rhinebeck Montgomery was related to the Garrettsons. In 1852 Rev. Richard S. Adams came to reside in Rhinebeck with the object to establish a church. Services were then regu- larly held every Sunday morning- in the "Baker building-." In August of that year the preliminary steps to organize and incor- porate a church were taken, and on the 18th day of August, 1852, the certificate of incorporation was made and filed. The rector w;is Rev. Richard S. Adams; the wardens, Eliphalet Piatt and Isaac F. Van Vliet; the vestrymen, James M. Pendleton, Gouverneur Tillotson, George W. Clarke, Ambrose Wager, Julius Bellard, Isaac F. Russell, Georg-e Lorillard and Marshall E. A. Geer : sexton, William Betterton. Mr. Rutsen Suckley gave the lot for the church building on the corner of East Market and Mulberry streets. The cornerstone was laid September 16, 1852, at 2.30 P.M., the fol- lowing clergy being in attendance : " The Rector of the Parish, Rev. Reuben Sherwood, Rev. George B. Andrews, Rev. William B. Thomas, Rev. Samuel Buel, Rev. William Watson, Rev. Sheldon Davis, Rev. George Waters, Rev. Jonathan Coe, of the Diocese of New York, Rev. J. C. Talbot, of the Diocese of Kentucky." Churches 189 After the usual solemnities had been per- formed Rev. Mr. Coe read a paper bearing- the following- inscription, a duplicate of which is deposited in a tin box in the cornerstone : "The Parish of the Church of the Messiah was organized August 18th, 1852. The Cor- ner Stone was laid \>y the Rev. Reuben Sher- wood, D.D., rector of St. James' Church, Hyde Park, on Thursday, September 16th, 1852. Rev. Richard S. Adams, Rector." "Eliphalet Piatt, M.D., Isaac F. Van Vliet, M.D., wardens." "James M. Pendleton, Gouverneur Tillot- son, George W. Clarke, Ambrose Wager, Julius Bellard, Isaac F. Russell, George Loril- lard, M.D., Marshal E. A. Geer, vestrymen." There are likewise therein deposited the names of the village trustees, the names of the building committee, Theophilus Gillender and Gouverneur Tillotson, the name of the donor of the lot of ground (Rutsen Suckley, Esq.), on which the edifice is to stand, the names of the master carpenter and mason; also a Bible and prayer book, a church almanac, a number of the Churchman, a number of the Gospel Messenger, a num- ber of the Rhinebeck Mechanic and Gazette, and a number of the Rhinebeck Gazette and Dutchess Count 1 1 Advertiser. 11)0 Historic Old Hhinebeck The cornerstone was then laid by the Rev. Reuben Sherwood, D.D., of St. James' church, Hyde Park ; after which an address was delivered by the rector of the parish and listened to with marked attention by the large audience. George Veitch, who came to Rhinebeck in 1851, to erect the Jones (now Finck) mansion, was the architect and builder. Hiram T. Van Keuren was the master mason. Edward Hol- dridge the painter and decorator. The doors, sash, pews, rails and mouldings were made at the factory of Cyrus B. Morse. The tin work, furnaces and gutters by N. W. H. Judson. In 1901 this church propert}^ was sold to the Catholic people, and is now the Church of the Good Shepherd of that denomination. The church was consecrated on the 6th day of October, 1855, by the Right Rev. Horatio Potter, D.D., provisional bishop of the diocese. The Rev. Richard S. Adams was the first pastor. He was elected on the 18th of De- cember, 1852, and resigned on the 24th of December, 1853, thus serving the church as pastor for one year. The Rev. George Herbert Walsh succeeded Mr. Adams. He was elected on the 1st of June, 1854, and resigned on the 18th of June, Churches 191 1866, having- served the church for twelve years. He was highly regarded as a member of the community. He retained the esteem and affection of all his people to the last. The lecture room and the chapel at Rhineclitf were built and the rectory purchased during Mr. Walsh's term. The Rev. A. F. Olmsted succeeded Mr. Walsh. He was elected rector on the 29th of September, 1866, and entered on his duties on the 1st of November, 1866, continuing until his death in 1895, when Rev. E. C. Saunders, the present rector, was called. The following persons have been large con- tributors to the support of the church : Mrs. Mary R. Miller, Mrs. Franklin Delano, Miss Elizabeth Jones, Horatio Miller, Edward Jones, William Astor, Lewis Livingston, Am- brose Wager, John Jacob Astor, Levi P. Morton, George N. Miller, Ernest H. Crosby, Douglass Merritt and Robert B. Suckley. During the year 1881 the church was thoroughly repaired and painted, handsomely decorated in the interior, and received four large and costly oil paintings by celebrated artists, and some chancel ornaments from Rome — a gift from Mrs. Francis H. Delano. Among the wardens since 1883 the names of Theophilus Gillender, James M. De Garmo, 192 Historic Old Rhinebeck James F. Goodell, M.D., and John Jacob Astor appear. Among* the vest ry men since 1853 are the names of Edward Jones, Theophilus Nelson, Thomas Edgerley, F. H. Roof, M.D., Jam#s C.McCarty, Cyrus B. Morse, David F. Sip- perly, R. P. Hunting-ton, Horatio Miller, William Astor, Lewis Livingston, Dr. H. Behrens, Jr., John O'Brien, Doug-lass Merritt, George N. Miller, A. Lee Wager, Douglass Marquardt, Robert B. Suckley and Ernest H. Crosby. The Episcopal congregation, the wealthiest in the town, became dissatisfied, not only with the church building, but with its loca- tion. Forty years had passed since the organization of the parish. In 1895 the ves- try purchased the Schell property on the cor- ner of Montgomery and Chestnut streets. This was an eligible site for a church. It was decided to erect on it one that would be cred- itable in every respect to the parish and the Episcopalians in "ye olde town." Hoppin & Koen, the well-known architects of New York city, were employed to prepare the plans and specifications. This was an augury that everything would be of the very best. Cur- nan & Kearns were awarded the contract for the mason work. Ackert & Brown for the THE CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH FOUNDED 1852 ERECTED 1896 RECTORS RICHARD S. ADAMS AARON F. OLMSTED GEORGE HERBERT WALSH ERNEST C, SAUNDERS Churches 193 carpenter work. George Hag-adorn was the decorator. The present substantial stone edi- fice was the result. Money was not spared in its construction. The building cost $70,000. It is in every respect what a rural Episcopal church should be, plain, massive, attractive. It stands on the corner of two main streets, one the much-traveled old post road. It is an ornament to the village, beautiful in design, bearing evidence of the wealth, culture and zeal of those who worship within its walls. There are in it several appropriate and ex- pensive memorial windows. One to William As tor, in his lifetime a liberal supporter of the church, cost, it is said, at least $10,000. One to Susan Watts Street, daughter of Mrs. Levi P. Morton. One to Florence Adele Kip- Humbert ; the central figure is said to be a likeness of Mrs. Humbert. One to Rev. Aaron F. Olmsted, for thirty years rector of the parish. One to Miss Julia Ann Traver. The elaborately carved pulpit was a memorial gift of Mrs. William Astor to the memory of her husband. A marble bust of our Saviour was the gift of Warren Delano, Jr. A new organ was placed in this church this summer as a memorial to a daughter of former vice- president and Mrs. Levi P. Morton. The parents were the donors. The cost of this 194 Historic Old Rhine&eck organ is stated to be $5,000. On a tablet in the lobby of the church appears the following- : CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH Founded MDCCCLII THIS BUILDING WAS ERECTED MDCCCXCVI Reotor, Ernest C. Saunders WARDENS J. J. ASTOR, J. F. GOODELL VESTRYMEN H. Behrens, Jr. Douglas Marquardt Ernest H. Crosby Douglas Merritt Jas. C McCarty George N. Miller A. Lee Wager BUILDING COMMITTEE J. J. Astor E. H. Crosby Geo. N. Miller R. B. Suckley Rev. E. C. Saunders ARCHITECTS Hoppin & Koen This church has had but four rectors in the fifty-six years of its existence : Richard S. Adams, George Herbert Walsh, Aaron F. Olmsted and Ernest C. Saunders. HILLSIDE AND RHINECLIFF M. E. CHURCH The Methodists had so increased in numbers and influence in "ye olde town " by 1855 that chapels became necessary for their accommo- dation at convenient points. One was located Churches 195 at Hillside on the post road near the Hyde Park line, and another at Rhinecliff, on the river. These hamlets were given names to designate them as distinct localities of the town. Rhinecliff was the Schatzel-Russell farm, on which the Hudson River Railroad Company had placed the Rhinebeck depot. The ferry company had made Schatzel dock its eastern landing- place. It promised to be a village of some importance. We are indebted to the present pastor, Rev. J. W. Bohlmann, for the list of ministers who have served these churches jointly since 1855. In 1888-9 Rhine- cliff was a separate church, with N. Brusie as pastor, and Hillside was joined with Staats- burgh, with H. C. Humphrey as pastor. The other years are as follows : Albert J. Hunt, 1855-6; Andrew Hunt, 1857; Q. J. Collin, 1858 ; Asa P. Lyon, 1859 ; E. B. Otheman, 1860; E. S. Osbon, 1862-3; C. S. Harrower, 1864-6; C. W. Millard, 1867-8; S. G. Keyser, 1869-71; W. A. Chadwick, 1872-4; L. C. H. Adams, 1875-7; J. P. Buxton, 1878-80; G. B. Mead, 1881; M, E. Ketcham, 1882-4; J. N. Yeager, 1885-7; L. T. Conrad, 1890-1; T. H. E. Richards, 1892-6; J. B. Cross, 1897-8; Aaron Coons, 1899-1901 ; B. N. Lewis, 1902-4 ; John Wesley Bohlmann, 1905-8. Mrs. Stephen Olin was the moving spirit in 196 Historic Old Rhinebeck the erection of the Hillside M. E. church. She was a very devout Christian woman. There is an appropriate tablet in the church to her memory. Her family are still earnest and liberal supporters of this little church. Officers of the Hillside Methodist Episcopal church for 1908 : Stewards, J. C. Brown, G. L. Asher, Edwin Brown, Stephen Tator, W. B. Brown and George T. Cronk ; trustees, Henry L. Quick, J. C. Brown, Edwin Brown, G. L. Asher, John Knox, Robert Brown, Charles 0. Emory, Herman Asher and W. H. Tator; Sunday school superintendent, J. C. Brown; organist, Genevive Brown; presi- dent Epworth League, W. B. Brown; presi- dent W. F. M. S., Mrs. A. L. Schryver. Officers of the Rhineclitf Methodist Epis- copal church for 1908 : Stewards, Thomas E. Hester, Roswell Beach, F. J. Corn well, J. G. Hey wood and Frank Tator; trustees, J. T. Bird, F. J. Cornwell, W. B. Noxon, E. P. Wheeler, J. T. Heywood, T. E. Hester, John Huston, J. S. Merritt and Frank Tator; Sun- day school superintendent, J. T. Bird ; organ- ist, Clara Beach. THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES For many years prior to the erection of the Catholic church at Rhineclitf there was quite Churches 197 a big- following- of members of the Catholic denomination in the town. They went on Sundays in large numbers to Rondout to attend church service. In 1862 Rev. Michael Scully, an enterprising- priest, came to the village to organize a parish. Services were held and well attended in the Starr Insti- tute. The question of location of the church building was the all-important one. Some wanted it in the village, others at Rhinecliff. The village at first was decided upon. A lot was purchased and steps taken to build a church on the northwest corner of Livingston and Mulberry streets. The advocates of Rhinecliff objected. They were strong in numbers. This lot was then sold, and finally became the property of Henry Latson. His son, Dr. Frank Latson, is the present owner and occupant^ In 1863 George Rogers of Tivoli bought of Charles H. Russell six acres of land at Rhinecliff for $4,000 and deeded the same over to Rev. Michael Scully, the parish priest, for a church lot and cemetery. St. Joseph's church at Rhinecliff was erected on this lot, under the direction of Father Scully, in 1864, with George Veitch as architect and John Bird as master mason. Rev. M. F. Aylwarcl is now the priest in charge. In 1901 the Catholics purchased the Epis- 108 Historic Old Rhinebeck copal church property on the southeast cor- ner of East Market and Mulberry streets, repaired and improved it and established the "Church of the Good Shepherd." Rev. M. F. Ay 1 ward is also in charge here. It is a flourishing- church but not independent of St. Joseph's parish at Rhinecliff. CHAPTER IX SCHOOLS Ck The schoolmaster is abroad, and I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full mili- tarj' array." Lord Brougham. THE schoolmaster came early in the town's history. The Dutch — high and low — believed in the three R's. The Kipsbergen youth were instructed by a pedagogue who traveled from Esopus at stated intervals. The Palatines depended upon the ministers to teach on week days and preach on Sundays. From 1715 to 1725 we And both Rev. John Frederick Hager, the German Reformed min- ister, and Johannes Spaller, the Lutheran, teaching. The small sums paid by the parents for teaching each child was not only accept- able but eagerly sought for. It was made a religious duty to send a child to school. Ex- Judge Alfred T. Ackert, who was a teacher in "ye olde town" in early life, as was his grandfather, Capt. Jacob M. Ackert, said that the school discipline was strict and that the dominie made the rules for school govern- ment. We are indebted to him for a copy of the early requirements. They are plain 199 200 Historic Old Ehinebeck and covers the contractual relation between parent and teacher. A summary of the rules for conducting- schools in operation about 1760 is as follows : 1. The school shall open and close with prayer. . 2. The hours shall be from 8.30 to 11.30 o'clock in the morning, and from 2 to 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 3. The schoolmaster shall be paid for instruction for three months, for every scholar in high Dutch spelling, reading and writing, five shillings ; and in English spelling, reading and writing, five shillings, and in ciphering six shillings. A load of firewood shall be brought by those who send scholars to school for each scholar for use in the school, every nine months ; they shall also pay the schoolmaster as usual and for each scholar sent. The schoolmaster shall keep school five days in every week. 4. The schoolmaster shall occupy and be in charge of the school house ; he shall give three months' notice should he wish to give up his work. There were others besides ministers engaged in the business of teaching- the "young idea how to shoot." It was a fee service, more beneficial to the scholar than profitable to the teacher. Rev. Samuel Bell and Rev. Robert Scott, both in the "long- ago," maintained and taught classical schools on the flatts. The town has never lacked good teachers. The first mention in the records of a school in the town is in the deed made by Col. Henry Beekman on the 26th day of August, 1730, of Schools 201 the lands for the Reformed Dutch church on the natts. (See pages 124-7.) The next is in a letter written by Robert G. Livingston to Franz Neher and others, trustees, on the 12th day of February, 1759, for land for the Rhine- beck Lutheran (stone) church. (See page 115.) The next is on the 7th day of Feb- ruary, 1796, in a release made by George and Sebastian Pultz to the trustees of St. Paul's (Wurtemburgh) Lutheran church. (See pages 147-8.) In 1805 the district school system was introduced. Several of the townspeo- ple entered the list of school teachers under that system, and Rhinebeck has since fur- nished its full quota of school teachers. The district system soon became popular and cer- tainly supplied a pressing demand. Private schools, however, still continued, and the names of Mrs. Seymour, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Ewing, Miss Landon, Miss Fowkes, Miss Bogardus, are remembered as popular and satisfactory teachers of the boys and girls in the clays of yore. Learning the a-b abs was the first lesson following the alphabet. The New England primer, a small volume containing a collection of little stories, proverbs, rhymes and ques- tions, with quaint wood cuts, was the first book. It was religious in tone. The alpha- 202 Historic Old Ehinebeck bet was g'iven with a picture and rhyme for each letter. This was probably the earliest school book in English. Reading and spell- ing" were taught with it. Beginning to write the children made what was called " hooks and trammels." The hooks were curved lines, the trammels straight ones. Then came letters, words, sentences. The quill pen, made by the teacher and mended as occasion required, served every purpose in writing-. Making 1 or mending" was something of a knack. The ruler, plummet (a stick of black lead) and a bottle of ink, completed the pupil's outfit for writing-. They were taught to count on their fingers, then addition, sub- traction, multiplication and division com- pleted the arithmetic course. Slates, pencils and ciphering- books were the needed outfit in this branch. In this simple manner the three R's were covered, and the average child's education counted finished. History, gram- mar, geography, did not figure in the curri- culum. At home the girls and boys of the period were brought up in the line of honest work and conscientious labor. The schooling the}' obtained was necessarially limited but good. "Book learning," as it was called, sufficient to enable them to read understanding];^ to Schools 203 reckon in Dutch and English money, to write a fairly intelligible letter, and to repeat their catechism when required was counted an edu- cation. More important than book learning for girls were numerous housewife duties, and for boys the useful handicraft trades at which each in their line very early in life were taught to turn their hands. They soon learned the value of muscle for labor and wit for trade. Both girls and boys became pro- ficient in the use of their hands. In "ye olde town" one district followed another after 1805 to meet the demand of population. Families were growing numer- ous. Sons and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren were finding and found- ing homes of their own. Names were chang- ing and interchanging, and all the puzzling intricacies of Dutch relationship were mani- fest. School girls soon developed into farm- ers' wives or burghers' "vrows"; carding and spinning, baking and making. School boys were soon getting footholds, learning trades, following the plow, intent upon becom- ing useful citizens and the heads of families. The school houses were generally small one- story buildings, not too well built, heated by a wood stove in winter. The big boys took turns in preparing the wood and making the 204 Historic Old llhinebeck fires. The room was usually plain and bare, except a map or two on the wall and a so-called blackboard. The teacher's pay was small, $20 or $25 a month, but his expenses were light. He "boarded round" — that is, with each family in the district for one, two or more weeks, depending- upon the number of children the family sent to school. The teacher at the beginning of a term would fix the length of his stay with each family by this rule. His salary was net. His having to "warm so many beds" was a joke at tavern and store gatherings. Yet boarding around had its advantages. It was an open door to much that was worth knowing. It was an event in a family when its turn came, and a big sister appreciated a bright, good- looking young man teacher, and made his stay with her parents pleasant. The school year had two terms, summer and winter. The memories of punishments inflicted at school are vivid with most of us. What then caused fear and trembling has been mellowed by the years that have passed. The "deestrick skule " served its purpose. The free school system of to-day grew out of it, and it is an admirable system. Th< 4 village school, Union Free School Dis- trict No. 5, is the most important school in the Schools 205 town. For sixty 3'ears very little if any change had been made in the school accommodations. The same little oblong', one-story, two-room structure answered in 1868 the requirements of teachers and pupils as it had for thirty years or more. The teachers, Howe, Lyman, Snyder, Mink, Cross, De Witt, Traver, Taylor, Wilbur, Van Wagenen, Wells, Brown, and others, did as best they could, and they did well, considering- what they had to do with. If there was fault to be found it was not with the teachers. The number of children of school age in the district in 1865 had nearly doubled since 1860. At the annual school meetings, commencing- with 1865, the question of better school accommodations and facilities was raised. This was repeated in 1866 and 1867. Nothing, however, was done except talk. In 1868 Capt. Van Wagenen, the president of the Board of Education, and Dr. William Cross, a member and clerk of it, convinced of the necessity for favorable action on the subject of improve- ments, consulted with several representative men of the district as to what was best to be done under the circumstances. Parents send- ing children to school wanted better condi- tions. Taxpayers, only, did not. A large number who really favored something better 206 Historic Old Rkinebeck than the old school house were for one reason or another lukewarm. From this point we will let Dr. Cross tell the story. " Prior to the school meeting- in 1868, Capt. Van Wagenen, discouraged because the pros- pect for improved school facilities was not favorable, but determined to make a fight to secure what could be had at the coming meet- ing, suggested that the board obtain legal advice as to its powers and duties so as to avoid any question of illegality in its pro- ceedings. We decided to do so. We invited Counsellor Howard H. Morse to attend a meeting of the board. He came, and after hearing our statement said that we had no power to emplo} 7 counsel in the matter. That what was needed was a leader, not a lawyer. The law was plain enough. The first step must be to find out if a majority of the voters of the district favored improved school facil- ities. If backed by a majority the board could do whatever was necessary. Acting on this advice, we canvassed the district to obtain an expression of opinion. The even- ing of the meeting found the school room crowded, many standing outside unable to gain admission. William Van Etten was elected trustee. The routine business was transacted. Mr. Morse, to get the matter Schools 207 of ' improvements ' before the meeting, moved ' That the sum of five hundred dollars be raised by tax, and that amount expended by the board on such improvements to the school building- as were necessary to make it suitable for school purposes.' The motion was sec- onded and stated by the chairman. Mr. Morse proceeded to point out the defects and requirements, the intention being to have an amendment to his motion made to increase the amount to two thousand dollars. At this point a motion was made to adjourn, which was at once put and declared carried by the chairman. Mr. Morse protested without avail. He then requested all friends of the school to remain in the room. Very few retired. Ex- citement ran high. What to do was the question considered. It was decided to take an appeal to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, that officer being the court of appeals in school matters. Hon. Abram B. Weaver w r as the superintendent. An appeal was made for those remaining at the meeting by Silas Terwilliger. The matter was argued D3 r Howard H. Morse for the appellant and Ambrose Wager for the respondents. Superin- tendent Weaver ordered another meeting held. This was called but was again adjourned without reaching action on the main question. 208 Historic Old Rhinebeck By this time the district was thoroughly aroused. Everybody — voters and non-voters, male and female, old and young, took sides. Every voter became enthusiastically inter- ested for or against. Another appeal was taken by Mr. Morse and another meeting- or- dered by Superintendent Weaver. This meet- ing was held on the 25th day of March, 1869, in the Starr Institute. Herrick Thorn was made chairman. Two hundred and fifty voters were present and nearly one hundred who were not voters. The feeling was intense on both sides. The villagers were on the anx- ious seat. The question had resolved itself from the one of repairs to the old building to another, the erection of a new school house. An attempt was made to complicate it with a proposition to sell part of the school house site and apply the proceeds to repairs. Coun- sellor Morse led the 'new school house ' advo- cates and Counsellor Wager the opposition. It was a fair controversy, well handled on both sides, the lawyers apparently being the only ones who kept cool. New school house won on both questions voted upon. Two hun- dred and fifty votes were cast." Counsellor Wager took an appeal from the action of this meeting, and Superintendent Weaver, in his decision, states the facts : Schools 209 State of Neiv York— Department of Public Instruction. On the appeal of Ambrose Wager and others from Proceedings of a Special Meeting of Union Free School District No. 5, Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co. Before the Superintendent. Ambrose Wager for Appellants. Howard H. Morse for Respondents. DECISION This appeal is brought from the action of a special meeting held in the said Union Free School District No. 5, on the 25th day of March last. That meeting was held in pursuance of the directions of this Department, given for that purpose when passing upon a former appeal brought here from the same district, and in which was involved the same subject of controversy as in the present case, viz. : the propo- sition to sell a portion of the real estate of the district and to erect a new school building therein. On these two questions there seems to have been for some time past considerable excitement and quite a difference of opinion among the voters of the district. The district has been agitated upon these subjects at least as far back as the annual meeting therein. The appeal first referred to was brought from the action of a special meeting of the said district held on the 14th day of November, 1868, which had been called to reconsider action taken at the annual meeting in regard to selling a certain portion of the school house site, &c. From the facts appearing on that appeal, I became convinced that the proceedings of the special meeting of November 14th were not a correct and reliable indi- cation of the views of the district on the subjects of controversy among the inhabitants, and, for the pur- 210 Historic Old Rhinebeck pose of getting a fair and full expression of the district on the two questions above mentioned, I set aside the proceedings of that meeting, and ordered another meeting to be called by the trustees, for the purpose of taking action in regard to selling a portion of the school house site, and to the building of a new school house for said district ; and I announced that the action of such meeting should be final. The meeting so ordered was duly held, after a full and fair notice to the voters, as it would appear, on the 25th day of March last, and it is from the action of that meeting that this appeal is brought. At that meeting it is proved that 250 ballots were cast, on the subject of selling any portion of the school house site ; that two of these ballots were thrown out as defective by rea- son of there being more than one folded together ; and that of the remaining 248 ballots, 139 were against sell- ing and 109 in favor of so doing, showing a majority of thirty against the measure. It appears that on the question of building a school house, 211 votes were cast at the meeting, 120 of which were for so building, at a cost of $8,000, 87 at a cost of $6,000, and the remaining four were blank votes, showing a clear ma- jority of 29 of all the votes cast to be in favor of build- ing at the first-named sum. To meet this expression, apparently so decisive, of the questions submitted to the meeting, the appellants have attempted to impeach the proceedings on various grounds of alleged unfairness and fraud in the conduct of them. After a full and careful consideration of the evidence submitted to me by the respective parties, and which I do not deem it necessary to discuss here in detail, I have come to the conclusion that the appel- lants have entirely failed to prove that the proceed- ings of the meeting were either unfairly or fraudulently Schools 211 -conducted. They also allege that those voting in the majority at the meeting represent a much less part of the taxable property of the district than do those who voted in the minority. This argument is not entitled to much consideration. The law which gives the right to the inhabitants of a district to vote makes no discrimination between the votes cast by them. All who possess the necessary legal qualifications, whether of property or otherwise, to take part in a meeting, are entitled to have their ballots, when cast, equally regarded. I have no right to make a discrim- ination in this matter where none has been made by the Legislature. In conclusion, I cannot refrain from expressing the hope that, as the questions which have so much agi- tated and divided the district of late are now finally set at rest, all will unite in their efforts to advance the common good in respect to their educational interests ; and that the success in that direction, which can alone be looked for where there is united and harmonious action among the voters, will crown all the future of what should be a flourishing Union Free School District. The Appeal is hereby dismissed. Given under my hand, and the seal of the Department of Public Instruction, at Albany, this 25th day LL - S,J of May, 1869. ABRAM B. WEAVER, Superintendent of Public Instruction. This decision settled the matter. A new school house was to be built at a cost of $8,000. It in fact cost about $9,000, addi- tional sums being- appropriated. Plans and 212 Historic Old Rhinebeck specifications were prepared and approved by the board. The contract for the erection of the building was awarded to Peter M. Fulton^ a well-known architect and builder residing- in the village, he being- the lowest bidder. The work progressed rapidly, and on the 22d day of Februarj', 1870, the spacious new building* was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies to the cause of education. From the Rhinebeck Tribune, a village newspaper, we cull these facts : " The large hall of the building was filled to overflowing by an appreciative audieuce, who manifested enthusiasm and evinced inter- est in the exercises that proved them to be earnest, devoted friends of the public school. Mr. Wager and Mr. Morse, the lawyers en- gaged in the controversy as to the building of the school house, were present, showing that no ill feeling over the result remained. " The afternoon's exercises commenced with the singing of a piece, entitled ' Our Celebra- tion,' by the. entire school. After the sing- ing- a passage of Scripture was read by the Rev. Mr. Prentice ; then a prayer by the Rev. C. S. Harrower ; then Master Frank Jennings, one of the scholars, delivered the dedicatory address in an eloquent and graceful manner. " The primary class sang a piece, entitled THE RHINEBECK HIGH SCHOOL 'Tis education forms the common mind; Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined. Schools 213 * Teachers, Watch the Little Feet.' During the singing* of this piece the organ was pre- sided over by Miss Ida Smith, a member of the school. "Mr. Henry W. Mink then gave a brief his- tory of the free schools in Rhinebeck. From 1811 to 1839 school was kept for a short time every year in different parts of the district by itinerant teachers. In 1839, after a prolonged and exciting contest, the South street lot was purchased and an edifice erected thereon. In 1844 the district was divided, and the Oak street building erected. In 1848 the South street building was enlarged, and from thence until the erection of the present handsome edifice, the school accommodations have remained the same. In 1839, on the opening of school in the then new building, under the charge of a Mr. Rowe, one hundred and forty-four scholars were received. From that time to the present the school has been under the charge of different teachers, many of them very able men. Mr. Mink's reminis- cences were very interesting, and his remarks elicited the applause of the audience. "One of the classes of the school next song 'A Festive Song,' after which Professor Cavert, a former principal of the old academy, when it was an incorporated institution, £14 Historic Old Rhinebeck and later Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, delivered an address on ' Educa- tion — Physical, Moral and Intellectual.' " Another class sang- a piece, entitled ' Press Onward,' when the Rev. Mr. Talmage was introduced. He spoke of the advantages of first-class school accommodations in a place like Rhinebeck ; of the impression made on his mind on his first visit to our village, when he was shown the old school building and was told that it was the Rhinebeck public school. He said the new house was what the village had needed for a long time ; that it was an insult to the people to say that they could not afford to have good school accommodations ; that the present edifice was not too expensive for the wealth of the place, and it was in keeping with the other buildings in the village erected and maintained for public good. He compared the present building, with high ceilings, perfect ventilation, spacious halls, where the scholars had plenty of elbow room, with the narrow, contracted, dismal pest house in which they had formerly been penned up, and he congratulated the friends of pop- ular education in the accomplishment of their object, believing that Divine Providence had smiled on their undertaking and crowned their efforts with success. Mr. Talmage was lis Schools 215 ten eel to with marked attention, and was fre- quently greeted with applause. At the conclusion of his remarks the scholars sang- a parting- song*, when Rev. Mr. Prentice pro- nounced the benediction, and the larg-e audi- ence dispersed. The singing* by the scholars, collectively in classes, was very fine. Miss Sarah Cramer, one of the teachers, presided at the org-an with much skill." In 1869 Capt. Van Wag-enen was re-elected trustee, and Dr. Cross was re-elected in 1870. In 1871 the question of establishing* an aca- demic department was an issue. The old board was not favorable. There was a con- test on the election of trustee. One hundred and forty-five votes were polled. Howard H. Morse had sixty-seven, Edwin Styles had fifty-three, and William Van Etten, retir- ing- trustee, twenty -five. Mr. Morse with- drew and Mr. Styles was elected. In 187*3 Howard H. Morse was unanimously elected. The academic department was established. In 1873 Alonzo C. Noxon was elected, and this made the board a unit for academic education. The present hig-h standard of the school dates from this period. In 1901 a larg-e addition was made to the school building* to meet increased demands, and from time to time needed improvements have been secured. ?A 6 Historic Old Rhinebeck Teachers with qualifications for their respec- tive positions were employed, and to-day the Rhinebeck hig-h school will hold its own with any in the State. For the school year ending- July 31, 1908, its revenue was $7,267.81. It disbursed for teachers' wag-es, $4,497.50. Eig-ht teachers are now required. The non- resident pupils 7 account reached $240. The assessed property of this district is $1,011,124. There are 303 children of school age in the village district. There are now twelve school districts in the town. The Oak street school, where Richard Bailey, Henry Jennings and others taught school many years ago, was abandoned in 1860, and the district consolidated with No. 5,. making- a district covering- the villag-e. The school property was sold, and the building- became a blacksmith shop. All of the schools are well maintained, and some of them are the special pride of wealthy residents in their neighborhood. The Rhinecliff school is the second largest in the town. On the road map in the front of this volume is shown the loca- tion of each school, and the district number is given. No boy or g-irl in the town need be without adequate education. Liberal sums are annually voted and raised by tax for all school purposes. Schools 211 THE RHINEBECK ACADEMY The academy was incorporated in 1840 as an educational institution. A suitable build- ing- was erected on Living-ston street. It was the successor of Rev. Samuel Bell's classical school, which had existed for several years. It had a board of trustees, mostly Methodists Rev. Benjamin Griffin of that denomination was m fact its founder. Rev. Stephen Schuy- ler was the president of the first board of trustees. It was from the start a high-class school, and numbered among- its pupils the young- men and women of the village who were seeking- advanced education. Rev. Sam- uel Bell was its first principal. He was fol- lowed by Park, Marcy, Harper, Cavert. Browning-, Schmidt, Davenport, Comfort^ Powers, Stocking-, and one or two others whose names are not recalled. An efficient corps of teachers assisted them. Garrett- son, Teller, Styles, McCarty, Bates, Ostrom Jenning-s, Hoff, Schell, Elmendorf, Kip' Sprague, Drury, Seymour, Smith, Piatt, Gil- lender, Judson, Wag-er, Morse, De Witt Tremper, Traver, Ten Broeck, Ring-, are names on the academy roll of students. It was a popular town institution and held hig-h rank in the educational field. In 1860 the 218 Historic Old Ehinebeck property was purchased by Professor James M. De Garmo, and under his able manage- ment for many years maintained its high standard. In 1871 he erected a large addi- tion to the old building to accommodate his increasing number of out-of-town students. The roll of students of the De Garmo Insti- tute will compare favorably with any similar institution. The names of some of the old academy boys, from 1840 to 1890, are and will be favorably remembered as ministers, physicians, lawyers, teachers, engineers, bank- er's, merchants, scientists, artists, etc. Pro- fessor De Garmo removed his institute to Fishkill-on-Hudson, and about 1890 the build- ing was turned into an inn. The Rhinebeck high school now offers all the advantages of the old academy to its pupils. Bell's classical school building was twice moved, and is now a barn on the rear of Charles E. McCarty's premises on Centre street. Gov. Morgan Lewis of Rhinebeck was the father of the free school system of the State. CHAPTER X WHY AND WHEREFORE " There is occasions and causes, why and wherefore in all things." Shakespeare. NATURALLY, after the lapse of many years and the passing' away of old places once of some local importance, the question will be asked, Why ? When the German church was built in 1716, and the road to the east opened, a corner was made on the Kings highway with an object in view. Judge Beek- man and his son, Col. Henry, had well con- sidered plans lor the development of their land. It is clear even now that this corner, "Kirchehoek," was intended to be a "dorf," the German name for a village. The church was the commencement. It was called the Rhinebeck church. The east road became the road to Rhinebeck. This was to be the name of the village. Judge Beekman thought he had made this certain. A tavern, in those days a necessary appendage, was soon in operation nearly opposite the corner. The next move was a road to reach the river through Beekman's land. This was opened, starting only a short distance below the 219 220 Historic Old Ehinebeck church corner, running west to a convenient point on the river that afterwards was called, first Rutsen's, next Schultz's and then Mills dock. On the southeast, or highway, corner of this road a building was erected that was used for many 3^ears as a store and storehouse. A man named Schem- erhorn, followed by one named Shop, kept store there. A wheelwright, blacksmith and harnessmaker located in the vicinity. All this showed method on the part of the Beek- mans. The why and wherefore are plain. In a few years all the adjuncts of a small village were gathered about Kirchehoek. By 1737 it was the principal business centre of "ye olde town," with "the flatts " as a healthy rival. It had a landing place on the river easy of access, but it lacked a mill. Judge Beekman had been dead for several years. Col. Henry had married a second time, and was living in the Kip-Beekman mansion in Kipsbergen. His two sisters were married. It was agreed to partition the Beekman land, in which they were tenants in common. This was done August 30, 1737, as shown by map on page 221. Parcel A was a gift to Col. Henry from his father in 1713. (See page 22.) Parcels B and C were pur- chased by Col. Henry of Peek De Witt in Why and Wherefore 221 1715. (See page 21.) The remaining- land was divided into six tracts, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Col. Henry took 1 and 6. His sister Catherine 2 an 5, and his sister Cornelia 3 and 4. The portion that fell to Corneiia Beekman, the wife of Gilbert Livingston, was partly in the present town of Red Hook, as was all of 222 Historic Old Khinebeck the land purchased by Col. Henry Beekman of Peek De Witt, shown on the map as tracts B and C. Kirchehoek was in Rhinebeck, and was the southwest section of Cornelia's tract No. 3. The flatts are on tract No. 6. East of the King's highway on this tract the land was owned by Col. Beekman, excepting- the church farm and Ostrander purchase ; on the west was William Traphagen. The Dutch church had been built several years before; also at the foot of Mill hill, Beekman's grist and saw mill. Traphagen's original tavern was there on the north side of the Sepasco or river road and not far from the King's high- way. The town pump came later. A few 3^ears after the partition Jacob Rut- sen, a son of Catherine Beekman, having- at the age of twenty-seven married his cousin, Alida Livingston, the daughter of Cornelia Beekman and Gilbert Livingston, settled on tract No. 2. This was in 1743. His own inter- ests loomed up. With Col. Henry, his uncle, the owner of tracts 1 and 6 and A on the south, Kipsbergen on the river; the making of a village well under way on and around the flatts ; he realized that tracts 2, 3, 4 and 5, and the settlers there required to be made independent of his uncle's mills and docks. Kirchehoek was Rhinebeck, and it needed Why and Wherefore 223 help. The why and wherefore were plain. Helping- it would help his own and his wife's land. They had no conflicting- interest in the flatts or Kipsberg-en. In 1744 Eutsen's mills were erected on Landsman kill near the church road, south- west of the present residence of Dr. Miller. They were only a short distance from the Sepasco road. The country round about was attracting- settlers. There were many pro- ductive farms in the neighborhood. A man named Eighmie became the miller. In after years Eighmieville was a busy locality. The Ehinebeck road, the road to market, brought the farmer to Kirchehoek. The two churches, school, Smith's tavern, Schermerhorn store,' Eutsen's landing-, with a wheelwright, black- smith, harnessmaker and other mechanics within reach answered every purpose and made matters run smoothly. There was room then, apparently, for all. This condition con- tinued until after the revolution. Col. Beek- man died in 1776. Livingstons came. Jacob Eutsen died in 1753. Schuyler, Suckley and Bowne came. In 1800 the conditions were considerably changed. The flatts, the ferry, the landing-s on the river in former Kipsberg-en seriously hurt Kirchehoek or Ehinebeck on the north. 224 Historic Old Rhinebeck Then in 1802 came the Ulster and Saulsbur3% also, sometimes, called the Ulster and Dela- ware turnpike, with toll-gates. Paying- toll to travel over a road did not appeal to farm- ers. A man named Schultz was at the landing known as Rutsen's. He improved it. Ran a sloop to New York and ferried over those who wanted to cross the river. A store, store- house, smithery and tavern, all on this dock, soon appeared. Paying - toll was not required to reach Schultz's dock. The Rhinebeck road was popular, the turnpike was not. The why and wherefore need not be asked. Capt. Cowles, a sloop owner and merchant, the father of William S., James A. A., Henry B. and Edward E. Cowles, representative men of the locality, had a store on Mills dock. He did a large business. He came from Con- necticut. His sons, William S. and James A. A., were clerks in the dock store, and in after years leading merchants on the flatts. In 1834 Edward E. was a justice of the peace. He removed to New York city, and was a prominent lawyer there. In 1841-3 James A. A. was supervisor of the town. Mills dock has further mention on pages 61-3. The why and wherefore of its existence are plain. On the next page is a picture of Mills dock as it was prior to the W x ar of 1812-14. Why and Wherefore 225 It is said that the storehouse on the Long- dock was similar in plan to the one on Mills o tt d £5 M 00 „ I— » • 00 dock ; there is also a resemblance between it and the one on the Slate dock. ;-_t> Historic Old RTiinehecl BEAR MARKET The section of the town on the south, called " Bare market,' 7 since spelled " bear," because the reason for bare, ceased to be, was so named by a thirsty traveler who was unable,. on a "dry " occasion, to obtain liquor at the tavern there. It was "bare " to him and he was thirsty. STONE OR BRICK Passing- the old Dutch church on the flatts it will be noticed that the north and cast walls are built of stone, while the south and west walls are of brick. This is explained by the fact that at the time of its erection the congregation was nearly equally divided on the question of building- of stone or brick. Neither side. would yield. The result was — half stone, half brick. Both sides satisfied. There is a cave on the farm of Alfred Welch, east of the village, called by Theodore Schutt, at one time editor of the Rhine beck Gazette, "The Robbers' Cave." It is in a spot that well might have been the haunt of robbers in early times. There are two or three rooms, or what are described as rooms Why and Wherefore 227 in it. To what extent it has been explored is uncertain. The entrance is small and blocked by detached rocks. There is water in one of the rooms. It might easily be made a more attractive spot. Nature has done con- siderable. In summer as a resort for strang- ers, who are numerous in that neighborhood, it would be interesting-. Schutt wrote a novel about it, entitled " The Old Stone House and the Robbers' Cave." It was printed in the Gazette, and was an exciting and popular, though improbable story. The old stone house mentioned was the Kip-Beekman-Heer- mance house. In bygone times Edward M. Smith and Philip Snyder, two knights of the pen, had quite a newspaper controversy over this cave. Many stories are related of it. The one about its being " haunted " by the ghost of a man, who is said to have been way- laid, robbed and murdered, and his body con- cealed in the cave, is probablj- the reason the old residents avoid and try to forget it. It is rarely mentioned, even if it is known of by the present generation. We conclude that the "why " is out of, not in, its recesses. THE MILITIA Indian depredations in the early days were not infrequent, and an organized militia was 228 Historic Old Rhinebeck maintained for protection. Prior to the revo- lution the records show that Jacob Rutsen was a lieutenant-colonel; Aria Roosa, captain; Evert Bog-ardus, Mattys Sleight, Hendrick Kip, lieutenants. Nearly every able-bodied man capable of bearing- arms was enrolled. REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS The revolution found patriotic sons ready for military service. The first Rhinebeck company had John De Witt for captain, Philip Her- manse and John Steenburgh for lieutenants, and Jacob Kip for ensign. Capt. Henry B. Livingston had also raised a company which contained several townsmen. Col. Van Ness had a company recruited in Rhinebeck for his regiment, and its officers were : Herman Hoffman, captain ; Andrew Hermanse, first lieutenant ; George Sharpe, second lieutenant ; James Adams, ensig-n. Later five more com- panies were raised in the precinct and officered as follows : No. 1 — Simeon Westfall, captain ; Peter Westfall, first lieutenant ; Wilhelmus Smith, second lieutenant; Abraham Dels, ensig-n. No. 2 — William Radclift, captain; Abraham T. Kip, first lieutenant ; John De Witt, second lieutenant; Johannes Moore, ensig-n. No. 3 — Martin Hoffman, captain ; Johannes Klum, first lieutenant; Zachariah Why and Wherefore 229 Hoffman, second lieutenant ; John J. Her- manse, ensign. No. 4 — David , Van Ness, captain ; Gotlop Martin, first lieutenant ; Frederick Bender, second lieutenant; Cor- nelius Elmendorf, ensign. No. 5 — Jacobus Kip, captain ; Everardus Bogardus, first lieu- tenant ; Jacob Tremper, second lieutenant; Benjamin Van Steenburgii, ensign. Rhinebeck, the home of the Beekmans, Liv- ingstons, Schuylers, Kips, Rutsens, Heer- mances, Radcliffes, Ten Broecks, Elmendorfs, and other noted patriots, did her part and did it well in the Revolutionary struggle. If there were tories in the precinct they were not aggressive. In other parts of the county the tories were numerous. ROAD TRAVEL IN 1766 In July, 1766, Mrs. Livingston, then the young wife of Robert R., who became Chan- cellor of the State after the war, wrote him a letter under date, "Clermont, July 12, 1766," describing a journey in a carriage from the city to her home. She said: "We had a most charming journey the remaining part of the way. We breakfasted at Van Wyck's, who lives at Fishkill ; dined at Poughkeepsie, slept at Rhinebeck, where we arrived at 6 o'clock. The next morning, which was Sun- '_';.<> Historic Old Kb in check day, we came home at 9 o'clock, and founo the family all in good health and spirits." This journey was made through an almost unbroken wilderness. The stop in Rhinebeck was with Col. Beekman, who was the grand- father of Mrs. L. r s husband. OI,D DEEDS, ETC. The deeds, which in fact were durable leases, given the Palatine settlers, are dated October 20, IT 18.* In form they are alike. The strip of land on the river, shown on the map (page 13), north of that of H. Kip y marked "J. Kip," was sold to Jacob Kip in 1719, by Col. Beekman. H. Kip's north line was the north boundary of Kipsbergen. We are indebted to Ex-Supervisor and Ex-Sheriff James H. Kip, who was born and has lived all his life near Mills dock, for the information that enabled Edwin Y. Marquardt, the artist, to make the sketch that appears on page 225. We are also indebted to Ex- Judge Alfred T. Ackert for the sketch of the old German church on page 35. He obtained it from his grandfather, Captain Jacob M. Ackert, who in early life was a school teacher. Mr. Mar- quardt used this sketch in making the one printed. • l'i>r copy of deed, see Appendix, V) 7/ y and II 7/ ere fore 23 I THE MARKED TREE An oak' tree was made the northeast bound- ary of the Kip purchase from the Indians. A space was cleared on this tree, which was nearly three feet in diameter, and the fig-tire of an Indian was painted on it. Jacob Kip, one of the patentees, bought more land north and east of his purchase from the Indians, of Judge Beekman, so this tree ceased to be his northeast corner. He was born August 25, 1666. He died in 1733, aged sixty -seven years. His elder brother and co-patentee, Hendrick, died twenty years before him. The Kips now living on the "Ankony " land are descendants of Jacob. THE CAMP-MEETING WOODS The camp-meeting grounds is an ancient grove of the town memorable in the annals of the Methodist church. It was set apart in 1804 by Rev. Freeborn Garrettson for camp- meeting purposes. It is an ideal spot. The old-fashioned camp meetings were great events in the history of this church. Garrettson and his cotemporaries did grand work in their day. Rev. Andrew Hunt said of these woods : "Standing among the grand old trees as the shades of evening creeps over the landscape, 232 Historic Old Rhinebeck and pausing as if I could hear the voices of song- and praise that had so oft been lifted there by the devout and earnest pioneers of our simple faith, I was uplifted by the sur- roundings. I knew that within these woods many a weary soul had been led to that fount fro m whence flo ws eternal life . Here hund reds had gathered from far and near to listen to the preached word. The influence that has gone out from the old camp-meeting grounds into the world will continue to be felt as long as time shall last." Some iconoclast may destroy the grove, but the good accomplished there will live long after he has mouldered in his grave. HOME SUPPLIES There was a time when " ye olde town " wa& not dependent upon outside supply for what its people wanted to eat. It sent to market from week to week large quantities of home products. Its market days were busy ones for everybody. This was before the advent of "cold storage." Forty years have brought many changes. Why and wherefore? As late as 1876 a trust or monopoly in the neces- saries of life was unknown. Prior to 1860 the best of everything required to live upon could be had at home at reasonable prices. Wheat, Why and Where fare 333 rye, buckwheat, corn and oats. Vegetables of every variety. Fruits, apples, pears, cherries, plums, peaches, berries of all kinds, even the needed herbs, were raised or grown at home. The mills ground the flour and meal. The housewives made butter, cheese, and lard, baked bread, cakes, etc. Farmers raised stock, horses, cows, calves, hogs, sheep, lambs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, tur- keys, geese, pigeons ; eggs were plenty. The butchers selected and slaughtered their own stock. Milk could be had fresh every day in any quantity; buttermilk also; cider, vine- gar, home-made wines, honey galore; the river and streams furnished abundant fish. Coopers provided barrels, casks and kegs. The farmer prospered. The merchants were busy. The mechanics had work in plenty. Rhinebeck was the home of well-to-do, happy contented people. What prevents a return to home produc- tion, in the essentials at least, sufficient to meet the wants and supply the needs of those living in -Historic Old Rhinebeck?" It will be a lesson for food monopolies and cold stor- age trusts when farming sections near cities and villages avail themselves of home oppor- tunities on practical lines. There is food for thought in this suggestion. 234 Historic Old Ehinebeck THE GOLD FARMS Gold farms have been from 1700 down, and still would be, under proper handling", numer- ous and valuable. Farming" is to-day as much of a profession as medicine or law. Scientific methods will restore every farm to its old- time golden condition. Making inferior law- yers, doctors, ministers, teachers and the like out of materia] better calculated for good farmers is more than a mistake. It is — we leave the reader to fill the blank. The gold farms of "ye olde town " we started to men- tion came prominently into notice in 1867-8. It took a doctor, two, in fact, to locate them ; Martin and Edwin G. Freleigh; father and son. The lather had practised medicine in the town in the fifties. "When the "gold fever " carried Williams, Teller, Kellogg, Ring, Schuyler, Teal, and others to California in search of the yellow metal, Dr. Freleigh said it "could be found without trouble nearer home." In after years he proved it to his satisfaction at least. The farms of Daniel Murch and Alfred Welch were selected for the discovery. The voyage was via the overland route and an innkeeper named Crandell fur- nished the conveyance. The Murch farm was purchased and paid for, but the Welch and Why and Wherefore 235 adjoining- farms were only contracted for. Daniel became a retired farmer and moved into the village. Preparations being com- pleted, two persons " skilled in the art" made report. Professor George H. Cook comes first. E. A. Bowser confirmed him. In a letter dated New Brunswick, December 3, L869, the professor says : " Having visited your property 3 or 4 miles east of Rhinebeck, on which gold has been discovered, I make the following report : "There is gold in the rocks of that district in paying quantities. In all these respects my examinations confirm the printed report of Dr. J. G. Pohle ; of Oct. 13, 1868, and also the printed report of Dr. John Tor- rey, of Dec. 3, 1868. "The rock stratus of this district are in a very dis- turbed condition, the general strike of the rocks being N. N. E.,and the prevailing dip being towards the E. 8. E„ though it is in some places seen to be \Y. N, \V. The angle of dip varies but is oftener above 45" than below it. The structure of the country is well shown in the plates 16, 17 and 18 of Mather's report on Geol- ogy of New York, where several sections between the Hudson River and the eastern boundary of X. Y. are laid down. ***** " The vein shows a thickness of from 6 to 8 feet of quartz and slate with iron pyrites. "1. The solid white quartz, such as crop out at the surface was assayed and found to contain gold in very small quantities. • l, i. The soft slate containing pyrites was assayed and found to contain a small quantity of gold. 236 Historic Old Rhinebeck "3. The cellular and. rusted quartz which makes up the largest part of the vein was assayed and found to con- tain 5041 grains pure gold to 2,000 lbs. of the sample. This at 4^ cents a grain would be worth $213.24 gold per ton. * * * * * Some specimens show the specks of gold in the rock, without any preparation. The occurrence of gold at this opening in paying quan- tities is beyond question. " 4. Fragments of quartz from the fence * * and others from quartz vein with surface fragments from two others of the veins also give a small quantity of gold. ***** " Upon the value of the ore in the mine I need make no remarks. It speaks for itself." It is still speaking-, though the voice is some- what weak. The why and wherefore is prob- ably want of a knave and lack of a fool. There certainly has been no overproduction of yellow metal from these gold fields. Good crops bring- better results for the honest owners. THE SLATE QUARRY An enterprise identified with the early his- tory of Rhinebeck was the slate quarry on the upper end of Schultz mountain, over the town line in Clinton. This mountain is seven hundred and eighty feet high and of slate formation. Prior to 1800 the quarry was opened and worked with profit. The slate was used principally for roofing. New York Why and Wherefore 237 city was the market. The slate was carried from the quarry by ox-teams, first to the Schultz-Mills dock and later to the Slate dock, which took its name from this fact, and sent by sloops to the city. The quarry people were Welsh, and several families settled near the quarry. They did their business in and brought much trade to "ye olde town." The names of Howell, Welch, Weaver, Lewis, Jones, Williams, Owens, Humphrey and Morris are remembered as among- the slate workers. Competition with other quarries, having- better facilities for handling- and trans- porting- slate, finally drove them out of busi- ness. The quarry was closed and remained idle for many years. About 1870 William Wood worth, a man familiar with the quarry history, formed a company, called " The Hudson River Slate Company." He finally interested several capitalists. Build ing-s were erected, machinery purchased and work started on a large scale. The making- of bil- liard table tops, mantles, tiles, counters, col- umns and marbleized work of all kinds was engag-ed in. A branch factory was estab- lished at Rhinecliff for finishing* and shipment. A man named Smith w T as in charge. The company failed. Stockholders lost heavily. Cost of handling, teaming- from the quarry 2:58 Historic Old Rhinebeck to the boats and railroad was a serious draw- back. The quarry remains. The why and wherefore of its present condition are as stated. THE LOCUST TREES — GRASMERE Miss Janet Livingston, who married Gen. Richard Montgomery, lived for a short time after his death at Grasmere. The general was a great admirer of locust trees. Mrs. M. obtained a quantity of the locust seeds (pseudacacia), and in her walks about the place scattered them along the roadside and in selected spots. This is why so many fine locust trees are to be found on the old Liv- ingston place, now owned by Mrs. Fanny A. Crosby. This estate comprises eight hundred and ninety-eight acres of the best land in the town. In Mrs. Montgomery's and Lady Kitty Duer's time it was known as Rhinebeck house. The house was burned in 1828, and rebuilt by Peter R. Livingston, its then occu- pant. He lived there for over thirty years. Lewis Livingston and his sons, James Boggs and Lewis Howard, lived there from 1850. The Crosbys bought it after the death of Lewis H , the last of the Rhinebeck Living- stons, which occurred in 1893. It is a histori- cal place. Why and Wherefore 239 THE NAME OF BEEKMAN Irving-, in his Knickerbocker history, gives the origin of the name of Beekman as follows : "This great dignitary was called Mynheer Beekman, who derived his surname, as did Ovidius Naso of yore, from the lordly dimen- sions of his nose, which projected from the centre of his countenance like the beak of a parrot. He was the great progenitor of the tribe of the Beekmans, one of the most ancient and honorable families of the province, the members of which do gratefully commemo- rate the origin of their dignity, not as your noble families in England would clo, by having a glowing proboscis emblazoned on their escutcheon, but by one and all wearing a right goodly nose stuck in the middle of their faces." TAP-ROOM TALES The flavor of colonial clays is presented in the tales that are told and retold of happen- ings in olden times. If they are undeniably connected with a really old and unquestion- ably quaint tavern like the "old hotel," they possess a charm that is irresistible. The parties in the tap-room, shown in the accom- panying picture, are listening, on a November •340 Historic Old Rhinebeck afternoon in the year of 1800, to this exciting tale : " A female, by the name of Catherine Berrenger, residing with her parents near Kirchehoek, in Rhinebeck precinct, fell a vic- tim to death on the 4th day of November, 1800, by swallowing a portion of Arsenic, Why and H herefore *^41 supposed to be administered to her by John Benner, to whom she was promised in mar- riage, and who is now confined in the goal at Poughkeepsie for the same offense." This extract is from an old paper. Benner was tried, but the jury disagreed. He afterwards became a useful, respected and prominent cit- izen of the town. The why and wherefore always interested the old-timers. They met at the Bogardus- Potter- Jacques' tavern, now the "old hotel," in the village, and talked over happening's and events of moment. The picture shows the tavernkeeper of 1800, Bog-ardus, stand- ing-, his wife is in the doorway. Martinus Schryver sitting-, cane in hand, is telling- the exciting- story. A stranger who has just arrived, his trunk behind him, a Van Wag- enen and the landlord's son are listening in astonishment. LA FAYETTE In Aug-ust, 1824, Gen. La Fayette, of revo- lutionary fame, paid a visit to this country. He arrived in New York city on the 15th, and after a few days' rest started up the Hudson river on a steamboat to visit his old friend, Chancellor Livingston, at Clermont. On the reception and entertainment committee Rhine- 1 2 Historic Old Hhinebeck beck was represented by Gov. Morgan Lewis ? Gen. John Armstrong", Thomas Tillotson, Freeborn Garrettson, Peter R. Livingston and Dr. David Tomlinson. On the trip up the river, when the boat reached the residence of Gov. Lewis, a stop was made and the party landed. The booming- of cannon and an enthusiastic multitude welcomed them into "ye olde town." The party marched to the Lewis mansion, where a sumptuous collation was served. In the afternoon the party- returned to the boat and proceeded up the river to the Livingston manor house, the residence of Chancellor Livingston. A set- tlement east of the village was named "La Fayette" in honor of this event. POLITICS Political feeling' was always strong* in "ye olde town." From the days of the federal- ists and republicans of early times to the present day, ardent supporters of rival faith could be found to do strenuous battle for their respective sides. Feeling was so bitter as early as 1800 that Dominie Romeyn, of the oJd Dutch church, then refused to give the name of Thomas Jefferson to a child in bap- tism, but persisted in naming it John, giving as his reason that Jefferson was an infidel. Why and Wherefore 243 John Adams was a federalist, and the candi- date opposed to Jefferson for the presidency. The dominie' was a federalist. In religion Adams was a Unitarian, which was only a degree removed from infidelity in the domi- nie's religious belief. It must have been pol- itics and not religion that substituted the name of John for Thomas on this occasion. In the stirring log cabin and hard-cider cam- paign of 1840, when " Tippecanoe and Tyler too" swept the country, a sad event occurred on the flatts by a premature discharge of a cannon called " Old Tip." Henry Hogan and "Jack," a colored boy working for Barnet Wager, were killed, and Mose} 7 Miner lost his arm. In 1855 the "queer election " occurred. It was for town officers. Lewis Livingston headed the democratic ticket for supervisor and George Lorillard the republican. A dark lantern, or native American, candidate appeared the evening before election in the person of Richard R. Sylands. He defeated both of his opponents. On many occasions the town election has been very close. Some- times one side and then the other would win. Fortunately the town has had good officials regardless of party. As a matter of fact pol- itics have cut little, if any, figure in the hand- ling of town affairs. 244 Historic Old Rhinebeck During* the past five years Mandeville S. Frost, a democrat, was supervisor (1903-5), to be succeeded by John A. Traver, a repub- lican, in 1905. Mr. Frost was again elected in 1907, and is now in office. Jacob H. Pot- tenburgh, the town clerk, a republican, has held that office continuously since 1877. The right man in the right place. In addition to officials mentioned elsewhere, in 1856 William Kelly was elected State senator. David Tom- linson was a member of Assembly in 1819 ; John Cox in 1822 ; Peter K. Livingston, 1823 ; John Armstrong, Jr., 1825 ; Francis A. Liv- ingston, 1828 ; George Lambert, 1833 ; Free- born Garrettson, 1835-45 ; Ambrose Wager, 1855-8 ; Richard J. Garrettson, 1860 ; John N. Cramer, 1864; Alfred T. Ackert, 1868; John O'Brien, 1882; William A. Tripp, 1898-9-1900. Rhinebeck has had two sheriffs, Allen H. Hoffman, 1901-3, and James H. Kipp, 1904-6. It has also had other county officers. CHAPTER XI TAVERNS "" The days are short, the weather's cold, By tavern fires tales are told. Some ask for dram when first come in, Others with flip and bounce begin." N. E. Almanac, 1704. THE list of those who have been tavern- keepers in "ye olde town " is a long- one. The landlord of colonial days may not have been the greatest man in the locality, but he was generally the best known, and as a rule the most popular. He made many acquaint- ances. Travelers especially remembered him, and if he was of the right sort did not fail to pay tribute to his worth. The first tavern was Traphagen's. It was the predecessor of the present "old hotel." Then there was Monfort's, Moul's, Kip's, Bonesteel's, Mar- quart's, Wilson's, and others, all in operation prior to 1800. In fact, the farmhouse upon " a publick road " was from necessity a tavern at which casual travelers could "put up" and be treated as members of the family. On the flatts there were seven or eight so-called taverns. The Bowery had two, the residence 245 g'46 Historic old RhinebecJc of the late Stephen and James C. McCarty being- one before they owned it, and the ft S «s w Vi £ o oo .2 o Brinckerhoff-Pultz, later called the Bowery house, the other. At these taverns the hun- Taverns 247 gry, thirst3 T and worn traveler found rest, comfort, shelter, good suppers and wine. In the Traphagen and Kip taverns of 1709 the "betste" was an important part of the main room. The word "betste" meant bed- stead, but that is as near as it came to the real article known by that name now. It was constructed like a cupboard in the partition, and made a door, closed wmen unoccupied, so that one sleeping- apartment of an inn could accommodate several travelers with sleeping accommodations, and yet, in the day- time, the room would answer for a public room, and afford a neat and unencumbered appearance. In houses of more humble pre- tensions, the "slaap-banck," or "bunk," of modern parlance, was the place to sleep trav- elers. The sleeping-car is on this plan. It was the business of the good vrow of her maid to show up the traveler, and open the o* j 1 DO -o ps. s 2 >-5 o o3 X to i 39 e b£ "3 «< +j DO te 03 03 p. og £ « QQ / Eh jj _ Eh 1? fc -u o3 H (—1 bO « o «5 as po M I - 03 B Q t3 H B - Eh f-i O 39 H c ; !> H K 03 83 C t- o O DO " 0) be ft *H B ri p ci H Qh 4-- 73 Eh 39 DO E- B part of the structure. The Sepasco road turned in front, and on the east side formed the high- Taverns 251 way, and continued south to the church, and then east to the interior. What is now the frame portion on the north end was erected later by Asa Potter for a store ; the Sepasco road had been straightened and extended east by the Ulster and Saulsbury Turnpike Com- pany. This was about 1802. We assume that it was Arent Traphagen, a grandson of William of 1706, who erected the stone tavern. His grandfather, William, died in 1740, about sixty-nine years of age. Arent followed his trade as an artificer. He was skillful as a builder. He erected many houses. He died about 1769, aged forty-one years. In the division of his grandfather's property in 1741 that portion where the tavern stands fell to his father. We find the Traphagen tavern on the river road as early as 1709 in a stone house which in later years was called the " old state prison." It was kept by the grand- father and father of Arent for many years. It was the first tavern on the flatts. The river road, as early as 1749, from the mills to the Beekman, now Heermance house, near the Slate dock, was a road district, and Isaac Kip was the roadmaster. Beekman's mills, on the flatts, was the attractive point towards which gravitated locally the main avenues of travel. In 1766, where the "old Historic Old Rhinebeck hotel'' now stands, Arent found an ideal spot for a tavern. He grasped the idea. Travel on the highway, and also on the river road, was increasing-. During- most of the year the journey from New York to Albany was made over this road. Even during- the summer months this road competed with the river. Travel was on horseback. When the river was closed the road was the only avenue of travel. The transportation of freight and passeng-ers was an absolute necessity at all seasons of the year, hence taverns along- a traveled route were plenty and, according- to their merits, prosperous. The first old Traphag*en tavern was not well located. In 1766 the younger Arent concluded to erect what is now the " old hotel.'" He had no difficulty in obtaining- on his land the timber, stone and lime needed for the structure. The timber was well selected, cut and dressed, the stones quarried, the lime burned and the bricks baked all on his own g-lebe. The blacksmith near the mill made the spikes and nails required. The saw mill turned the trees into boards for flooring*, trim- ming*, etc., and there were enough skillful mechanics in the neighborhood to do the rest. The tavern was certainly substantially built. It still stands a well-preserved edifice, an Taverns 253 enduring monument to the builder. It is all that remains to recall the name of Traphagen. It has always been a tavern. It has a great history — authentic, legendary, traditional. When completed, which was before 1767, it was opened by Arent Traphagen, the builder, and at once became a favorite and popular resort for travelers. It served as the stage- house for the locality in 1788. Large stables were erected to accommodate the relay of horses, changed here before again starting in either direction. It gained, and undoubtedly deserved, great reputation because of its bountiful table and the well-cooked food sup- plied to guests. This reputation it has never lost. About 1765 a spring on the roadside made the well which for a century and a half thereafter was famous as the "town pump." (See pages 93-4-5.) The tavern continued under Arent's man- agement until his death in 1769, when Eve- rardus Bogardus became the innkeeper. He came into the town as a merchant prior to 1769 with Dr. Hans Keirstead, and both became active in the upbuilding of the local- ity. He purchased the "old hotel" property from the heirs of Traphagen. He was a great grandson of the "Dominie" Bogardus who figured in the early history of New York, 254 Historic Old Rkinebeck and who was the second husband of the famed " Anneke Jans." He was assisted at the tavern by his son Benjamin, who succeeded him at his death, which occurred in 1799. He was the innkeeper during- the Revolutionary war, and the " Bogardus tavern" was the headquarters of the patriots of the locality, a large number of whom entered the continen- tal army. A company, with Henry B. Liv- ingston as captain, was raised as early as 1775 in the town, and it drilled and camped on the Bogardus lot near the tavern. Other companies followed. The Livingstons, Schuy- ler s, Montgomery s, Armstrongs and other leading' families of this section were promin- ently and actively identified with the patriots of the colonies in their struggle for liberty. They were leaders. Dr. Ananias Cooper, an aged physician, was a trusted local leader and worker, ever on the spot ready to help the cause. At this tavern friends met from far and near, frequently during 1 the war, to plan and counsel, and devise ways and means to defeat the King- and free the colonies from British rule. Very few tories lived in this section, none that were active or troublesome. It was not a healthy section for them. It would be impossible to name all of the distin- guished men who, during the revolutionary Taverns 255 period, passed to and i'ro over the post road, and made the Bogardus tavern a resting- place. Washing-ton, La Fayette, Hamilton, Burr, Schuyler, Gates, Arnold and others were surely among the number. Stop with Bogardus ; consult Dr. Cooper, were the direc- tions given trusted messengers. It would be hard to find the name of aiw one prominent in revolutionary or State annals prior to 1802 who journeyed between New York and Albany over the post road who did not make the Bogardus tavern a place to bide for refresh- ment and rest. Here they were sure of a cordial welcome and courteous treatment. The Bog-ardus era was historical. The "old hotel " deserves a tablet from the Sons and Daughters of the Revolution. Asa Potter purchased this tavern from the son, Benjamin Bog-ardus, in 1802. He was then a resident on the flatts and a successful merchant as well as tavernkeeper. The historic house grew in favor. A Masonic lodge held its meetings occasionally on the top floor. Gov. Lewis and other leading citizens were Masons. Potter wanted room for a store, and he built a frame one-story annex for it on the north end. The turnpike company had straightened the old Sepasco or river road, extending what is now Market street east, and making: it connect Historic Old Rhinebeck again with the Sepasco road. It then became a turnpike from the river to the " Still" and east. At the "old hotel" the turnpike and post road made "the corner," as it came to be and is still known. On the southwest cor- ner the tavern and store held sway. Potter died in 1805. He had been prosperous, and at his death left a considerable estate. The death of Potter brought Capt. William Jacques and his family to the tavern. The time was opportune. Rhinebeck was forging" ahead. Its population was 3,662 by the cen- sus of 1790. This was the precinct. The tavern was its centre, ready and waiting for the right man. He was found in Capt. Jacques. From the start a model tavern- keeper, he made the "old hotel" jump to the foreground as a hostelry. From local repute of long standing its name and fame as "Jacques' tavern" spread far and near. To stop with Capt. Jacques was an event in the life of a traveler. The guest chambers were never empty. In early life Jacques had been captain of a river sloop. His boating experi- ence proved a valuable asset. He was tall, broad, muscular and had a commanding pres- ence. His force of character was great ; his will power strong-; his speech sharp and deci- sive : his manner genial : his action quick and Taverns 257 positive. His physical powers were large ; he could lift a heavy barrel of cider by the chimes and carry it into the cellar. He deserved and received respect from all. He admirably filled the very difficult position of tavernkeeper dur- ing- stirring- and trying- times and until fail- ing* health forced him to retire. He was for more than a quarter of a century in the har- ness. This, too, during- an eventful period in the history of the State and nation. The sec- ond war with Great Britain was fought. Rhinebeck sons did their duty in this war. The Schells, De Lamaters, Platts, were then on the flatts. Martin Van Buren became the "Sage of Kinderhook," filled many State offices up to governor; then United States senator, minister, vice-president, and finally reached the goal, the presidency. He and his political friends were frequent guests of Jacques. The "old hotel" was a rendezvous for politicians. By the way of Rhinebeck his trusted followers easily reached him. Peter R. Livingston of "Grasmere" was also a leader of note. He had a national rep- utation. He was at the tavern almost daily. It was a headquarters for his friends. Gen. Armstrong lived there for a time. This period was the heyday of the road traveler, horse- back rider, the stage coach and the post road. 258 Historic Old Rhinebeck Rhinebeck village was a thriving- and grow- ing community. The tavern was a powerful magnet. The "White Corner" was built. The frame annex to the hotel was rebuilt first for an enlarged store, but soon after- wards, because of increasing business, it was used for hotel purposes. The "old hotel" kept pace with the times. "Aunt Polly" (Mrs. Jacques), assisted by her handsome daughters, was queen of the establishment; her son, Benjamin, was clerk ; " Dinah " ruled the kitchen, and black Joe looked after the stables. The equipment was perfect in every detail. Rhinebeck, soon after the advent of the steamboat, became an important market town. Two barges made weekly trips to New York city. Market day drew crowds to the village ; its trade drained the northern and eastern sections of the county. Jacques' tavern was the headquarters of drovers^ traders, buyers and sellers for many years. As usual death made inevitable changes. The captain and his son, Benjamin, died. In 1837 Jacob H. Tremper became the land- lord, with " Wash " Nichols, clerk. Tremper became better known afterwards as "Capt. Jake " of the Romer & Tremper Steamboat Company of Rondout. He was popular and successful in the "old hotel," but preferred Taverns 259 steamboating. In 1840 he was succeeded by Robert T. Seymour, son-in-law of the well- remembered Capt. and Mrs. Jacques. "Bob" was his sobriquet. A genial, popular, whole- souled man, he knew how to run a hotel, and for fourteen years he did it. It was a jolly place during- this period. Dr. Lorillard, " Billy " James, " Mose " Conger, " Lew " Teal, "Cris" Darling- and a host of other congenial and convivial spirits made it a pleasant resort, and under the eye of the ever- present "Bob," good-natured sport was not lacking- to drive away dull care. A thriving village had come on the flatts. The Mexican war, the California gold fever, the hard-cider and Tippecanoe tight of 1840, the Clay-Polk battle in 1844, and the free-soil campaign of 1848 were exciting- events, and the " old hotel " witnessed many notable gatherings of the clans. The big men of the times vis- ited Rhine beck, and the people were always interested and never one-sided on public ques- tions. Until May 1, 1848, the property had been owned by Elisha R. Potter of Kingston, Rhode Island. He sold it to Garret Van Keuren, Henry De Lamater and William B. Piatt. Three families, Traphagen, Bogardus, Potter, owned it prior to .1848. Gen. John A. 260 Historic Old Rhinebeck Quitman, a Rhinebecker by birth, was a Mex- ican war hero, and the town furnished a dozen or more forty-niners. Seymour determined to "go west" ; in 1853 the tavern had a new landlord, Oliver V. Doty, who remained for two years. He was followed by David F. Sipperly, a brother-in-law of Martin L. Mar- quart, who had purchased the hotel property. Marquart built the building- now owned and occupied by William E. Luff, on the hotel lot. Edward Pultz followed Sipperly. Then came Hunting- Germond. Short stays seemed to be the rule from 1853 to 1860. Then another never-to-be-forgotten, ever- memorable period in the nation's history was reached. Burnett M. Conklin and his father- in-law, Lansing- T. Mosher, a tavernkeeper from Milan, in 1860, succeeded Germond. The Lincoln-Douglas canvas of that year stirred the old town as never before, and brought to the front two of the town's most prominent citizens : Hon. William Kelly of Eilerslie, who became the Douglas candidate for governor, and Hon. Ambrose Wager, who was named on the same ticket for Congress. Worthy, deserving men, with hosts of supporters. Partizans joined the "Little Giants" or " Wide- A wakes," according to their political faith, and a battle royal was waged daily Taverns 261 until election. The " old hotel " was, per force, neutral ground, and for weeks prior to election day was filled with visiting- citizens from the north, south, east and west. Cir- cumstances made it a storm centre. Excite- ment ran high in town, county, State and nation, and did not wane when the result was known, for then the dark cloud of Civil war commenced to spread, and as the "old hotel " completed' a century of existence, the country was engulfed in bloody conflict, and Rhine- beck boys went forth to do battle for the integrity of the Union and the defence of the flag of our country. In 1862-4 James N. McElroy was the land- lord. He was followed by Griffin Hoffman, who had been a successful farmer, and was possessed of some means. He made extensive improvements ; placed lawns, flower beds and walks in front ; planted trees, using what had been the road in earlier times for the purpose, giving- the entrance a yard appearance. He reconstructed the building, making- sleep- ing rooms on the upper floor. He sold to the town the plot on the south where the town hall now stands. He remained until 1873. During his occupancy the Greeley- Whitehouse campaign of 1872 made exciting times in the town and about the hotel. The 202 Historic Old Rhinebeck Whitehouse-Ketchara contest will be long- remembered. In 1883 the Tremper brothers came. For ten years they ran an acceptable house, but were unsuccessful in the latter part of the term. Griffin Hoffman, the owner, returned for a short period, followed by the well-liked Lorenzo Decker, an experienced hotelkeeper. While he was in charge, in 1888, the Har- rison-Morton campaign gave Rhinebeck a boom. Levi. P. Morton, a resident, was the candidate for vice-president. He was then living at "Bois Dore," a few yards from the "old hotel." When notified of his nomina- tion Gen. Harrison was with him, and the "old hotel" was filled as never before with representative men from all parts of the country. Harrison and Morton were elected^ and for four years the second office, in rank, was ably filled by a Rhinebecker. In 1894 Mr. Morton, who then resided at Ellerslie, was nominated and elected governor of the State, and again "ye olde town" was crowded with statesmen of more or less prominence both before and after the election. Most of them were entertained at the "old hotel." Gov. Morton made an ideal executive, and was the choice of his State in 1896 for the presidency. The name of Morton is cherished by those Taverns 203 who love "ye olcle town/' as that of its first citizen. The good he and his family have unostentatiously done will live after them. Mr. Decker remained until 1891, when he opened the "Rhinebeck Inn/' on Livingston street, in the building- formerly the " De Garmo Institute/' Edward Lasher took charge of the hotel, and remained until 1893 ; then E. M. Vanderburgh had it for a short time, until Vernon D. Lake took possession in 1894. Mr. Lake was a popular host. Under his supervision the "old hotel" prospered. Modern improvements were introduced, and up-to-date methods employed in the manage- ment. Automobiles came in vogue. Parties adopting this mode of travel kept the "old hotel " filled with livery and merry guests. Good beds, good meals, good service at Lake's assured a full house. Ill health forced Mr. Lake to retire, and in 1906 Halleck Welles tried his hand, followed by the present genial proprietor, Arthur Shuffle, in 1907. CHAPTER XII THE VILLAGE " How often have I paused on every charm — The shelter'd cot, the cultivated farm, The never-failing brook, the busy mill, The decent church that topp'd the neighboring hill/ 7 Goldsmith. WILLIAM TRAPHAGEN is responsible for the location of the village. The Kings highway made it possible. Traphagen had purchased, in 1706, of Judge Beekman, all the land west of this highway, bounded north, south and west by the two creeks. In 1709 he erected the first house in the present village, near the intersection of the Sepasco road to the river, with the highway. (See page 246.) Traphagen was a mechanic, but circumstances soon made him a tavernkeeper. The two thoroughfares of the times forced travelers to his abode. He had to provide for their wants. Food, shelter and drink were necessaries. He could and did furnish them. This condition continued for many years. A village grew near his tavern. The blacksmith, the shoemaker, the tailor, the waggoner, and the handicraftsmen generally, found the 264 The Village 265 localit}^ convenient for their trades. By 1720 "the flatts," as he called his purchase, had developed in a marked degree. Traphagen had erected a mill for Col. Henry Beekman, beside the highway, on the north bank of Landsman kill, below the Sepasco road, and at the foot of Mill hill. William Schut was the miller. Traphagen opened a wheelwright and black- smith shop adjacent to his tavern. He did jobbing and building. He was handy and skillful as an artisan. The farmers wanted many things that he could make or get for them. His tavern and shop became popular. The first, because the hungry and thirsty found shelter and comfort there with plenty to eat and drink ; and the latter because required repairs were promptly and properly made, odd jobs done and needed supplies furnished to order. On Saturday evenings the burghers and farmers of the vicinity came to the tavern to gossip and fraternize. Traphagen accepted pork, butter, eggs, poultry, potatoes, grain or other eat- able commodities in exchange for work and wares. He knew a thing or two. He pros- pered. Prior to 1730 a minister of the Dutch Re- formed church frequently held services on Sunday in his tavern. Traphagen was a 2 66 Historic Oh J Ehinebeck member of that church. Conditions continued to improve on the flatts, and in 1730 it was decided to have a church. Laurens Osterhout, Jacob Kip and William Traphag-en, for them- selves, and " the rest of the inhabitants of the North Ward in Dutchess County/' obtained a deed of gift of forty-six and one-half acres of land from Col. Henry Beekman for church purposes. (See pages 125-7.) The land is now covered with houses on the easterly end of the village, and is known as the church land. The occupants pay rent to the church. The church was erected soon after under Traphagen's supervision. It was on the site of the present "Old Dutch church." Simon (Kool) Cole was the first merchant in the present town. He was a grandson of William Traphagen. His father's name was Isaac Kool, his mother's Geesje Traphagen. His parents succeeded Traphag-en as tavernkeep- ers in 1740, when he died, and on June 25, 1741, Geesje's brothers, Arent and William, deeded to her the "home lot" on which the tavern stood. They continued the wheel- wright and smithery business of their father. They had assisted him in tavern and shop for many years. William Schut's house was a small frame affair neat' the east end of the pond lot. This The Village 2GT lot contained about twenty acres of land, and was the miller's grange. He cleared and worked it. Bounded by the Kings highway on the west, the Sepasco road on the north, the church lands on the east, and the kill and pond on the south, it was compact. The "pond lot," as it was named, served for many years as the village park. Circuses and tent shows used it. On general training days it was the drilling- ground. Games and sports were enjoyed there by "the boys" and spec- tators. It is now covered with attractive homes, but the memory of the old pond lot still lingers. The Schut house was removed, after the revolution, across Sepasco road to the lot opposite. When Centre street was opened it faced on that street. It was used at one time for a school, then a store, and it is remem- bered by this writer as the abode, fifty years or so ago, of one William (Billy) Porter, an eccentric character of the town. It was finally torn down, and Cornelius A. Rynders erected a dwelling near its site, which is there now. A stone house was erected about 1735 for the miller on the side hill above the mill. This was removed about 1880 by Lewis Asher. A man named Wibling succeeded Schut as miller. He and his wife, Sarah, lived in the 2G8 Historic Old Ehinebeck miller's house. Here Col. Beekman met and transacted business with his tenants. The mill was the depot of cereal deposit for a large section of country. The tenants on the farms paid their rent in wheat for a long" time at the mill. Col. Beekman often fur- nished horses, cattle, swine and sheep ; also necessary tools, seeds, plows and other imple- ments for farming-, and took his pay in farm products. The following - copy receipt furnished this writer in 1870 by Henry Latson is interesting. It was made at the mill. Mrs. Wibling was the wife of the miller. " Dutchess County, May 25, 1738. This day made up accounts Between Col. Henry Beekman And Peter Dinel And Ballanced By me. Sarah Wibling. To a bottle wine 2 sh after making up accounts." At this time we find many farmers around the flatts. Tunis Pier had a farm east of the church land and south of the kill. His first house w T as a square pit dug in the ground, cellar fashion, six or seven feet deep, about twenty-five feet long, and ten or twelve feet wide. The entrance was made on the south side or end. This pit was cased with logs to prevent caving in. A sort of mud mortar made the sidewalls. Whitewash improved The Village 269 them. Planks were used for flooring-, wains- coting and ceiling*. Openings in the gables let in light and air. Spars made the roof. These were covered with bark and sod. Partitions divided this room into two or more apart- ments. We are told that such structures were warm and dry, and could be adapted to any sized family. Many houses of this kind were built in the town by the earhy comers. They disappeared in a generation. In 1764 a son of Tunis Pier built a stone house south of the kill. A stone, inscribed "W. T. P., 1764," fixes this date. Another son, Jan Pier, erected a stone house on the Sepasco road before the revolution. This house is now owned and occupied by Jacob L. Tremper. There is a stone, inscribed "Jan Pier, 1774," but there is reason to believe this was placed in an addition to the first house built several years earlier. This property, in 1790, was owned by Isaac Davis, who erected a mill on it. In 1739 Christoffel Cramer became the owner by purchase from Col. Beekman, of the farm on the north side of the Sepasco road, in recent years the property of George F. Cookingham. He built a stone house on it soon afterwards. Johannes Benner's house was on the Kings highway below Beek man's second mill, and 270 Historic Old K/tut check was on land he leased of Col. Beekman in 1739. It was probably erected in 1740. In recent years it was the property of Mrs. Ann O'Brien. Benner's land included the Schell- Clark property on the post road. In 1730 lands on "the flatts " were laid out by Garret Van Wag-en en for Coh Beekman, described as being- "in Dutchess County, in the North Ward, situated on the southwest- erly side of a large plain near the river grist mill of the said Henry Beekman." This cov- ered the church site and farm ; present ceme- tery grounds ; Grasmere land on both sides of the Kings highway as far as Staatsburg-h. It was for the "Low Dutchers " the land was laid out. The tenants built houses near or con- venient to Beekman's upper and lower mills. The first four mills erected were of the Traphag'en desig-n. An oblong* frame building*, about 30x40, two stories in height. A peeked roof and a larg-e overshot wheel on end gable. Double doors in front on each floor and a window on each side of the doors. Three windows on sides on each floor. A block and fall on the second floor front. Mechanics were at hand to do required work. Ananias Teel was a waggoner. A man named Phillips," a cooper; Johannes Ber- ringer, a seinemaker : Jury Shever, a shoe- The Village 271 maker ; Laurens Teder, a mason ; Henry Shop, a saddle and harnessmaker ; Jacob Van Ostrander, a linen weaver ; J. Jury Cremer, a tailor; Johannes Van Steenburgh, a gun- smith ; Johan Christover Armburster, a tan- ner ; Jacobus Van Etten, a cordwainer; Wil- liam Traphagen, Jr., a wheelwright ; Jacob Drum, a blacksmith ; John Kip, a carpenter. Where the town pump was located for over a century was a spring. The ground was low and wet. A small stream ran west from this spring-, bearing south until near the black- smith and wagonmakers' shops below, where it turned south from the.Sepasco trail or road leading to the river. This was the Trap- hagen spring and brook. It emptied into Landsman kill. The ground along its course was low, springy and wet. The spring water was pure and cool, and used for drinking by the Indians and white men when near it. Because of the low, web ground the highway was laid out west of it. Traphagen, about 1712, made a stone wall around it to protect it, and the low ground was gradually raised by filling in until it was necessary to use a bucket and sweep to lift the water. A log' roughly hollowed out was placed near it for a trough. For fifty years this was the " water works" of the locality. About 1762 Arent 272 Historic Old Rhinebeck Traphag*en, Jr., cleaned, deepened and re- walled it and put in a suction pump of home make. For over one hundred years it did service on the Traphag-en plan. The town pump described on pages 93-4-5 became the centre of a growing villagre before the revolution. The tavern shown on page 250 : the red store on the east side of the high.- way and Sepasco road, and its rival opposite on the south ; the workshops along- the road The Village 273 and highway ; the travel north, south, east and west, focused around the pump, the busi- ness of a prosperous and growing- settlement. William Traphagen had planned well, but did not live to see the result. His grandson, Arent, Jr., the tavernkeeper, was there, and must have viewed the outlook with pride. Simon (Kool) Cole, a merchant, and the wheelwright and blacksmith, were also his grandsons. The flatts and the Traphagens were gradually but surely' making a village. In shape it formed the letter T, which stood for Traphagen. The perpendicular was the road to the river, the horizontal the Kings highway, the pump the junction. Dr. Ana- nias Cooper, north of the Hog bridge, and Dr. Hans Kierstead, just starting, on the flatts, were the physicians. Everardus Bo- gardus, a storekeeper on the highway south of the pump, became the tavernkeeper at the "old hotel" in 1769. This condition continued until and during the Revolutionary war. William Traphagen, Jr., and his brother-in-law, Isaac Kool, had built the lower grist mill on the flatts in 1750, and Isaac Kool and his son, Simon, Jr., operated it. Dominie Van Voorhees was the minister at the Dutch church. Col. Henry Beekman was justice of the peace and law 274 Historic Old Rhinebeck giver of the precinct until his death, in 1776. He was succeeded by William Radcliffe. Wil- liam Beam was the precinct clerk from 1766 to 1785. The story of this period has been told in preceding- chapters. The next one hundred years witnessed greater develop- ment than the first hundred. By 1790 the demand for more room for vil- lage expansion led to the opening of a street from the pump east to the church farm. The extension through the flatts became Market street. A map was made by John Cox, Jr., for Mrs. Gen. Montgomery, the owner, who was then living at Grasmere. She lived, at the time of the general's death in 1775, in a house on the premises now occupied by Mrs. A. F. Olmsted, on Montgomery street. This house is still standing, having been moved in 1860 by Thomas Edgerley to upper Livingston street. The timber and lumber in it would build three or four houses of the same size to-day. Half way between the post road and the church land a street running north from the Sepasco road was opened. This came to be called Centre street. The post road north of Market street was given the name of Mont- gomery street in honor of the general. South it was called Mill street, because of the mills The Village 275 at the foot of the hill. North of Market street, and parallel with it, a street was made on the Cox map running from the post road east to the church land, which was later given the name of Livingston. The lots east of the pump on Market street were about one acre each in size. The north- east corner of the post and Sepasco roads was the church lot. Further north was a square lot which was purchased 03^ Koert and Henry Du Bois. This made the Market street cor- ner on the southeast. Further east another square lot, purchased by Levi Jones, a nephew of Mrs. Montgomery, made the southwest corner of Market and Centre streets. On the southeast corner of these streets Philip Bo- gardus bought a square. Rutsen Suckley, later, bought the one further east. On the southwest corner of East Market and Centre streets Alexander Baker erected, in 1845, the " Baker building," which for many years was occupied by Cyrus B. Morse as a factory. In 1861 the present brick building was erected by Mr. Morse and called the "Union Iron Works." It became a busy corner. For sev- eral years a large number of men were em- ployed there. The spinning machinery for the new Harmony mills at Cohoes, in which Mr. Alfred Wild, then a resident of the town, was 276 Historic Old Rhinebeck interested, was made by Mr. Morse, and at that time over one hundred and fifty men were employed. Machine work in all forms, and an iron, steel and brass foundry kept the men busy. In 1875, Capt. J. H. Baldwin bought the property, and engaged in the man- ufacture of the "Little Monitor" sewing ma- chine with a man named Du Laney. The venture was a failure. Frank Herrick then became its owner, and it is now occupied by T. J. Herrick, who conducts a flour, feed and lumber business there. John N. Cramer had a lumber yard west of it for many years. Returning to the pump, on the northeast corner, John T. Schryver and Tunis Conklin bought a lot which included the "red store." Next, east, a lot was bought by Gen. Arm- strong. Adjoining him Asa Potter bought a lot. Next, Frederick Kline bought one. On the north side of Market street, east of the post road, the lots were half a square in width and two squares in depth. The red building on the corner was a store and post- office in 1790, when the first census was taken. Asa Potter built a house on his lot, which later was the residence of Abraham Adriance, Koert Du Bois, Henry F. Talmage, Richard H. Ruggles, Mrs. Caroline Davison, and was finally purchased by Dr. Isaac F. Van Vliet. JOHN G. O STROM WILLIAM CARROLL CONRAD MARQUARDT CYRUS B. MORSE JOHN N. CRAMER SMITH QUICK The Village 277 He rebuilt the old house making" the building- no w there. East of it, and on a part of the Potter lot, after its purchase by Mrs. Davi- son, the dwellings, called "Livingston Row," were erected by Peter R. Livingston, he bu}'- ing* the land of her for the purpose. In the west end William Luff had his printing office, and the Gazette was printed there until 1871. On the Kline lot a store and dwelling were erected . H . & E . Hi! 1 carried on busin ess there for many years. Nicholas Drury lived next door, and Jacob Schaad had his livery and resi- dence there afterwards. Calvin Rikert is now there. All of the acre lots were subdivided, and the divisions have had several owners during the one hundred and twenty years that have passed. The Du Bois brothers had a store on their lot as early as 1800. A man named Spauld- ing had a tailor shop next to the Schry ver and Oonklin's corner opposite. Miner W. Sprague afterwards had a shoe store there ; George W. Hogan a cigar store. Further east Peter Brown and Christian Schell had a store where Louis Rosencrans is now located. Henry W. Mink, Peters G. and Peter R. Quick, Monfort and Westfall also kept store there. Nicholas Drury had his barber shop on these premises. Nathan W. H. Judson had his well-remem- 278 Historic Old Rhinebeck bered tin and hardware store where Hamlin is now located. William Williams built the store now occupied by Williams & Traver. Adjoining-, Ira Kellogg had a hat store. The old landmark, Piatt 8c Nelson's drug- store and office, was next door to Judson's. This was the sanctum of village oracles. On the Du Bois square, John Fowkes, Chris- tian Schell, John Davis, William J. Styles, Peter Barnes, Henry and James Hoag, George Schryver, John Benner, Alexander Baker, Marshall E. A. Gear, James W. Jen- nings, Georg-e E, Ring, Stephen Jennings,, Cyrus B. Morse, Moses Ring-, Georg-e Fellows, John Drury, Alfred Drury, Edward Soper, John A. Bailey, Manson Pultz, William Peters, George E. Storm, John A. Van Steenberg-h, Carroll & Curtis, William Bates & Sons, M. L. Marquart, Nelson Nichols and others had carried on business. Some of them until the "big- fire," which occurred on Sunday morning, the ,8th day of May, 1864. This fire made homeless many fami- lies, as well as destroying one-half of the business section of the village. It caused a reconstruction of the "corner." Brick, stone and iron were thence used for building. The accompaning picture shows the fire burning at sunrise on that eventful morning in May. 280 Historic Old Rhinebeck On the ruins made by this destructive fire substantial brick structures soon appeared. The Styles' stores and dwelling- on Mill street. The Vonderlinden building- on the corner. The Latson, Van Steenbergh, Carroll, Bates and Marquart building's on East Market street. Enterprising- merchants occupied them. George E. Ring-, succeeded by Kill- mer & Slauson; then Sherwood had a gro- cery ; Isaac F. Collins & Son, a dry goods store in the Latson, with a dressmaking- and millinery parlor, and a printing office on the second floor, and the Masonic hall on the third. Van Steenbergh had his harness shop, and Barton & Williams a grocery, on his first floor, with dwelling's above. Carroll had his large furniture and undertaking business, with Ackert's shoe and hat store ; Edward Brooks, merchant tailor, and a dentist's par- lors and offices upstairs. Bates & Sons' building had their drygoods store ; Marquart's was occupied by Charles L. Morse, and then his successor, Dr. B. N. Baker, as a drugstore, with the Odd Fellows' hall on the upper floor, and a dwelling on the second. On the west side of the post road, north of the pump, was William Barnes' shoe shop, Butler & Bartholomew's market, then Crap- ser & Pells, John I. Smith's tailor shop, The Village 281 Schoonmaker & Heermance's carriage fac- tory. Opposite were dwellings. Tammany Hall was above what is now Chestnut street. On page 90 an error is made in calling this street Livingston. Mr. Judson erected i ' Tem- perance hall " north of the red store. West of the pump John T. McCarty had a workshop and tinware store; John G. Os- trom a carriage works ; Robert D. Hevenor a blacksmith shop ; Edward Holdridge a paint shop ; William Bates a tinner's shop. Conrad Uhl, Henry C. Teal, John Hyslop, Joshua Traver, Bartholomew and Alonzo Noxon, expert mechanics, were located here. This was the old village beehive. Garden street, then a road, was filled with stage barns. Marquardt's bakery was on the cor- ner. A stage house adjoined it on the east, the Blue Bird line. Dr. Nelson's residence was below. William J. Stewart's on the Oak street corner. On the hill Barnet Wager followed Dr. Kiersted about 1836, and his son Ambrose and his grandson, Ambrose Lee, have continued in occupation since. On the north side of the road the Tellers have held sway for a century. Further west, Capt. Na- than Darling lived. At the toll-gate below the hill George Hagadorn was gatekeeper until the gate was removed. (See page 7G.) 282 Historic Old Bhinebeck On the "red store " corner, John T. Schry- ver, Tunis Conklin, William Teller, Benjamin Schultz, John A. Drum, Henry De Lamater, Freeman Jennings, John M. Sandford, Wil- liam Bates, Simon Welch, were merchants from early times down to its rebuilding' by Charles R. Pultz, the successor of the old firm of Thompson & Pultz. It is now occu- pied by Harry Smilie and James Mulrein, plumbers, dealers in hardware, builders' sup- plies, etc. A busy corner. The store annex of the "old hotel " had for occupants Asa Potter, Henry F. Talmage, Smith Dunning-, John G. Ostrom, Isaac F. Russell, George Bard and William Bates, merchants who sold dryg-oods, groceries, etc. Then Christian Schell built the renowned "White Corner." Here Aug-ustus and Rich- ard Schell were initiated in the political mys- teries of the day, having- for their instructors the redoubtable "Little Mag-ician," the sage of Kinderhook, Martin Van Buren, and his friend and pupil, Samuel J. Tilden. They were apt students. Their political career is part of the history of the State. This store soon became the business forum of "yeolde town." Henry De Lamater and William B. Piatt, starting- as clerks, succeeded Schell as merchants. The postoffice was in this store EGBERT BENSON COL, P. J. SCHUYLER JACOB RADCLIFFE ROBERT SCHELL LEVI P. MORTON. CQL. JOHN JACOB ASTOR The Village 283 for years. It was also the village bank, hav- ing- connection with a Poughkeepsie bank. De Lamater and Piatt were looked upon as pru- dent, careful, reliable men in the conduct of business affairs. Their advice was constantly sought by farmers and mechanics from far and near. Dr. Martin Freleigh had his office in the west end of the building. Succeeding Mr. Piatt came Alfred Drury, then Drury & Cramer, James C. Hamlin and Andrew Grube. On the west end the bank was located for sev- eral years. The "white corner" was a lead- ing factor in town, village and county affairs. On the north was a frame annex used for many purposes. West was the Teller store, for many years kept by William S. Cowles & Company ; later by David E. Ackert ; now by Mrs. Gaul. The act incorporating the village was passed in 1834 and amended in 1867. The first election under it was held on the 2Gth of May, 1834, and the officers elected were as follows : Trustees, Eliphalet Piatt, Peter Pultz, John Drury, John I. Smith, John T. Schryver, Jacob Heermance, John Jennings; assessors, John A. Drum, Theophilus Nelson, Stephen McCarty ; treasurer, Nicholas Drury. On the 17th of June following, John T. Schry- ver was elected president of the board of 284 Historic Old Rhinebeck trustees, and Nicholas V. Schryver, secretary. The president appointed John Drury, John Jennings and Peter Pultz a committee to ascertain and report the extent of sidewalks necessary to be flagged ; John I. Smith, John Drury and John Jennings a committee on fire, and Eliphalet Piatt, John Drury and Jacob Heermance a committee on nuisances. For seventy-five years the village has been well officered and managed under its charter. Elections are held annually. Appropriations for expenses are limited, and must be voted by the taxpayers. For benefits obtained the taxes are small. The village tells the story of its development. Strangers passing through it involuntarily exclaim, " Beautiful!" Vis- itors never tire of singing its praises. There it is; it needs no enconiums. Editor Strong, in the Gazette, truthfully and tersely says of it: "The village of Rhinebeck is 200 feet above sea level; population, 1,G00; the village of homes and business combined ; the parlor of Dutchess county and the vacation spot of hundreds of cit} 7 people. Every corner is a beauty spot. It has paved streets, two banks, six churches, a Y. M. C. A. branch, a board of trade, a weekly paper, pure water in plenty, the oldest hotel in America, day and night The Village 285 electric light and power service, one theatre, adequate schools and fire protection, good government and an exceptionally good public library. In fact, everything- that any well- regulated village of 2,000 inhabitants is expected to have, it has. It is the centre of the violet growing" industry, and supplies all markets east of the Mississippi river with the blooms. Two railroads pass through the town limits, the New York Central and the Central New England, and the service is the best." In addition it has ferry connection with the city of Kingston. The Thompson Home, a combined hospital and home for the sick, aged, infirm and unfortunate. It needs a sewer system for sanitary reasons, and a trolley connection with the county seat, Poughkeepsie. It has an electric plant, named the Dutchess Light, Heat and Power Company. The di- rectors are Frank Herrick, Dr. George N. Miller, M. V. B. Schryver, T. A. Traver, Tracy Dows, A. Lee Wager and R. Raymond Rikert. It has a coal company to provide the people with that necessary fuel. The directors are Dr. George N. Miller, Frank Herrick, M. V. B. Schryver, T. A. Traver, A. Lee Wager and R. Raymond Rikert. It has a water company that furnishes an 286 Historic Old Ehinebeck adequate and very satisfactory supply of pure water for all required purposes. This com- pany has solved a serious problem that con- fronted the village. It has a realty and development company; its object being- to open and develop available land in the village for the building of homes. Dr. George N. Miller, Frank Herrick, Theo- dore de la Porte and R. Raymond Rikert are interested in it. Mr. R. Raymond Rikert is the efficient sec- retary of all the companies named. GENERAL TRAINING What became known as general training clays had early origin in "ye olde town." A Capt. Cyrus De Hart located here soon after the revolution. His name is on the census of 1790. In his family were four males over six- teen, one under; three females and one slave. He brought with him his warhorse. He was very proud of it ; loved it as if it was a son. Under his direction training day was regu- larly observed. Capt. De Hart, with his gay trappings, soldiery bearing, full of martial valor, mounted on his big dapple gray horse of war-like spirit, would have attracted atten- tion and commanded respect anywhere. The horse was indeed a noble steed. In its war- The Village 287 dress it pranced and curvetted over the parade ground, the admiration of all. Capt. De Hart was an able drill officer. The picture shows him drilling- a squad. 288 Historic Old Bhinebeck Capt. Nathan Darling, an officer who had some experience in the Florida Indian wars, settled in the town. This was about 1838. He had charge on general training days for several years. He occupied the Darling lot on the west side of Teller's hill, and introduced many southern ideas in way of living. He had one or two Indian. servants. He was a protege of Martin Yan Buren. He was active in town affairs and a forcible politician. In 1855 he was elected doorkeeper of the house of representatives. In Wash- ington he had an extensive acquaintance. Two Khinebeckers, James C. McCarty and George A. Mann, were given appointments under him. Andrew Z. McCarty, brother of James C, was a member of that Congress. The well-remembered Col., afterwards Gen. John Watts De Peyster, also took great interest in training days and military displays in the village. He was always on hand at fourth of July celebrations as master of cere- monies. His "general orders" were worth reading. Capt. De Hart's warhorse must not be forgotten. He, in 1807, laid himself down and died, to the great grief of his owner. Most persons would have merely hitched a rope to the animal's neck, dragged him away The Village 289 to some secluded hollow, and there uncere- moniously put him out of their sight; but not so did Capt. De Hart. He shocked the " Dutchers " by claiming- that horses had souls as well as people, especially if they were good horses. He further insisted his defunct war-steed should be clothed in his armor and buried with military honors. Great prepara- tions were made for the funeral ceremony. Two or three companies of militia assembled, full-plumed, each member wearing crape around his left arm. They formed on each side of the vehicle on which reposed the body of the horse, and the procession moved for- ward to the sound of martial music. Capt. De Hart followed behind, in the capacity of chief mourner. He was buried near what is now the Driving park, in the village. A strange coincidence but a deserved tribute to a good horse. Arrived at the place of interment the mili- tary surrounded the grave, and as the horse was being lowered into his last resting place, the band played the "Dead March in Saul." A deep hole had been dug, into which the ani- mal was placed in a standing position. He was clad in all the usual trappings that were wont to grace his form in the days of his strength. Solemnly the earth was closed 290 Historic Old Rhinebeck over him ; a mound was made over the spot, and covered with green turf. The race-course was unconsciously located near his grave ; it can be surmised that his ghost still haunts the vicinity, and infuses a little of his old mettle into the equines racing there. At an exhibition of wax-works in the village, in 1859, De Hart's warhorse appeared to the audience, clad in his armor; and so life-like did he seem that one was almost ready to admit he had really broke away from the grave, and was again ready for service. All able-bodied white male citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, and not exempt for cause, were required to appear annually on a fixed date for muster and drill. This was known as general training. Failing to attend subjected the delinquent to a pen- alty. The drill grounds were either the hotel lot or the pond lot. Training days became holidays. They rivaled circus days. Festiv- ities were not lacking ; amusements were provided, and the occasion was made popular in many ways. The huckster did a thriving business. Mrs. Bell made molasses candy and popcorn cakes. Schutt, the baker, gin- gerbread. O'Harra, root beer, and these popular delicacies have been talked about ever since. These trainings were of no ad- The Village 291 vantage in fitting men for military duty. As a general frolic they were a success. About 1849, an organized militia was provided for, divided into companies, regiments, brigades of infantry, cavalry and artillery. Rhinebeck had its home company, which was a part of the twentieth regiment. THE BOWERY HOUSE This tavern was erected about 1800 by Abram Brinckerhoff for a stage house. Large barns were connected with it. Until 1801 it was reached from the Sepasco road. In that year a street was carried through the church lands, which made East Market street as it now is. Because of this tavern, the church land on September 2, 1801, was released from the restriction forbidding occupancy by liquor sellers, peddlers, etc. Peter Pultz, a respected citizen, succeeded Brinckerhoff. He had an interesting family, and Pultz's tavern became a town institution, rivaling the "old hotel." It had its own clientele. The "Yellow Bird" stage line quartered there. No pains were spared to attract custom. Novelty in entertainment or instruction was one of the variety of uses to which the Pultz tavern was put from its earliest days. Within its walls there was a constant mov- 292 Historic Old Rhinebeck ing panorama; before its doors distinguished, picturesque and unwonted guests passed and repassed. For those on duty or pleasure bent it was a gathering- place. It was the centre of life and affairs for a large section. Here the local judge and jury settled the disputes of the neighborhood. The eminent stranger, the humblest wayfarer, the lowliest citizen, were entertained alike. Its assembly room for years was the exhibition place of travel- ing shows and the ballroom of the town. Its popularity waned after the retirement of Mr. Pultz, because of old age. It was given the name of the "Bowe^ House," and is still standing, but no longer a tavern. BUSINESS PROBLEMS Rhinebeck was a business centre in its early days. Its products had a market. Its me- chanics had fame. In cereals its mills had a large trade. The name Linwood, Rutsen, Wurtemburgh, Ellerslie, Hobbs, on bag or barrel, was a recognized guarantee of merit. The fulling and paper mills equaled the best in their line of work. In the manufac- ture of what to-day is called colonial or antique furniture ; chairs, tables, sofas, bed- steads, bureaus, stands, etc., the homes of the old families from New York to Albany, The Village 293 and even in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, bear evidence of the skill of Rhinebeck cabinet makers. It was an extensive industry, and in its prime as many as fifty experts at the trade were engaged in production. Pieces of furni- ture made in "ye olde town" by Uhl, Zerfus, Merfelt, McCarty, Barnes, Morse, Quick, Hanabergh, Teal, Carroll, and other of the old-school mechanics, bring fabulous prices to-day. Shipments of chairs, bureaus, etc., were made to distant places. In 1843 a boat was loaded at the Slate dock to carry a cargo to Charleston, South Carolina. In the mak- ing of vehicles the town had no superior. Fine carriages, coaches, wagons and sleighs of all kinds, bearing the Rhinebeck mark, were in use throughout the New England and Middle States. The name of John G. Ostrom, as maker, was sufficient to sell a wagon or sleigh at a good price. Hyslop, Schoonmaker, Heermance, Hevenor, Holdridge, Noxon and Bates, names of good mechanics connected with the vehicle trade, are remembered. Rhinebeck work was sought for. The supply never met the demand. Marquart's rakes, harrows and plows satisfied the farmers. Kellogg's hats, Betterton's boots and shoes, Smith's clothes, found wearers in remote sec- tions. Their reputation as skilled workmen 294 Historic Old Rhinebeck reached far and wide. For sash, blinds and doors, northern Dutchess, Columbia and Ulster county came to Rhinebeck. In tin- ware a dozen peddlers' wagons traversed the country, obtaining their supply from Rhine- beck makers. Styles cared for the clocks, watches and silverware of the neighborhood. The cooperage business was very extensive, the tubs, pails, barrels, casks, kegs, made by Jennings, Paulding, Row, Traver, and others, found a ready sale, and kept a large force of mechanics constantly busy. In leather goods, the Drurys, followed by Van Steenbergh, met the demand of those who would have only the best. The blacksmiths, carpenters, painters and masons of the town were experts in their trades. Business problems were met and solved without difficulty prior to the Civil war. Brainy mechanics lived in Rhinebeck. THE BANK Through the efforts of Henry De Lamater, William B. Piatt, William Kelly, N. W. H. Judson and others the "Bank of Rhinebeck " was incorporated, in 1853, with a capital of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Mr. De Lamater was its first president, succeeded by Mr. Piatt, and then Edwin Hill. Each served as long as life or health permitted. GARRET VAN KEUREN HENRY DE LAMATER WILLIAM B. PLATT AMBROSE WAGER THEOPHILUS NELSON, M.D. ALFRED T. ACKERT The Village 295 John D. Judson is now president. The cash- iers were De Witt C. Marshall, John T. Banker, William M. Sayre, James H. Thorn, William H. Sen oil, and now William H. Jud- son. It became a national hank soon after the enactment of that banking- law. Its tellers and bookkeepers have been Horatio Fowkes, George A. Cramer, Henry C. Carroll, Wil- liam H. Thorn, Philip F. Radcliffe. It is, and always has been, a well-managed and pros- perous institution. Its report at close of business, Jury 15, 1908, showed resources, $458,852.03; deposits, $193,065.02; surplus, $25,000 ; undivided profits, $29,901.57. It has a fine banking house on Mill street, valued, with furniture and fixtures, at $14,000. It has proved a sheet anchor to the merchant, manufacturer and others in time of need. The great panic of 1857 laid low some of the strongest financial institutions of the day. Among the incidents of this terrible time was the suspension of the payment of specie by nearly all the banks of the country. It was the proud boast of the Bank of Rhine beck officials that their bank was one of two banks in the State of New York that never sus- pended specie payment. The other bank was the great Chemical Bank of New York city, a bank of most extraordinary strength. 29G Historic Old Rhinebeck The currency issued by the Bank of Rhine- beck, like that of its cotemporaries, had an average circulation of so many days, and found its way back to the bank mostly through its redeeming agent in New York city, the Me- chanics Bank, then one of the strongest banks in the great metropolis. As the panic pro- gressed the life of the note in circulation be- came shorter and shorter, and the pile of bills in vaults became larger and larger. A sug- gestion was made by an officer of the bank that relieved the situation very materially. He proposed that $25,000 of these bills be sent to the bank department in Albany, ask- ing that the bills be retired and $25,000 of stock be returned to the bank. This had never been done before, and most of the offi- cials argued that it couldn't be done, but finally bills representing $25,000 were packed up and expressed to the department. The latter promptly responded, and soon $25,000 in New York State bonds, then the only security taken for the issue of bills, was in hand. It was at once sent to New York, sold and put to the credit of the Bank of Rhinebeck. This stayed the flood of bills for a period, and then more cash was necessary. At that time there were less than half a dozen stocks that could be sold without serious The Village 297 depreciation. Among- these was Delaware & Hudson Canal Company stock, which was as firm as a rock. One day, Hon. William Kelly, the owner of Ellerslie, and as fine a replica of an En- glish nobleman as could be found in a year's travel, came driving up to the bank, of which he was a director. Upon entering he took from his pocket a large envelope, and hand- ing it to the cashier, said, " There, send that to New York, and sell it for the bank's ben- efit. You can replace it to me when the trouble is over." There were $14,000, face value, in the bundle of Delaware & Hudson stock, and it stiffened up affairs so the with- drawal of currency was met, and everything went right until matters resumed their nor- mal character. But a Bank of Rhinebeck note commanded gold whenever presented. THE SAVINGS BANK An institution that is the pride of the town is the "Rhinebeck Savings Bank." It was organized in 1862, during the Civil war period. Joshua C. Bowne was its first president, and Simon Welch, its secretary and treasurer. During the forty-six 3 7 ears of its existence it has well served the purpose of its organiza- tion. On July 1, 1908, its resources were 298 Historic Old Rhinebeck $826,913.42. Its surplus, $39,430.73. It had on deposit, $774,117.62. It owns its banking house on Montgomery street, which is valued at $5,000. It is managed as a savings bank should be, conservatively and intelligently, with a due regard to the interests of the depositors. The officers in charge are men of experience, long connected with the bank. Augustus M. Traver is the president, and Thaddeus A. Traver the treasurer. THE TOWN HALL When it became certain that the town had been successful in the bonding litigation, and was to escape that heavy burden of debt, it was advocated to erect a town hall to com- memorate the event. The story of "town bonding" is told in chapter XV. A special act of the Legislature was secured and an election was held. By a vote of 238 ayes to 128 nays it was decided to erect the hall at an expense of $20,000. It was built in 1873, under the direction of Ex-Supervisor Virgil C. Traver, who had served as supervisor dur- ing the bonding litigation. He was appointed by the town board construction superintend- ent. A better selection could not have been made. The site was purchased of Griffin Hoffman. The carpenter work was done by MRS. MARY REGENA MILLER Granddaughter of Gen. Philip Schuyler; wife of Hon. William Starr Miller. Founder of the Starr Institute " WHILE MEMORY HOLDS A SEAT, WE WILL REMEMBER THEE." The Village 299 Henry Latson, and the mason work by James D. Hogan and Rensaelear C. Worden, all home mechanics. The building* is an orna- ment to the village. The postofflce is located on the south side ; Dr. Latson 's drugstore on the north. A courtroom is on the west end, and a public hall on the second floor. A lock-up is underneath. It saves the town, annually, considerable expense; the rentals make it self-supporting. On the town board at that time were John G. Ostrom, supervisor ; Jacob Rynders, town clerk ; Tunis Wortman, Isaac F. Russell, Conrad Mar- quardt and Theophilus Gillender, justices of the peace — all anti-bonders. THE STARR INSTITUTE An institution of great value to the village and town is the Starr Institute. It was erected by Mrs. Mary R. Miller, who became a permanent resident of the town in 1858. Mrs. Miller was a granddaughter of Gen. Schuyler. She bought, reconstructed and occupied the Schuyler mansion east of the village. She was at this time the widow of Hon. William Starr Miller, a prominent citi- zen of New York. He had been 'a represen- tative in Congress from the third district in 1845-7. He died in 1854. The .building was 300 Historic Old Ehinebeck intended as a memorial to him. It was pre- ceded by a free reading-room and circulating library as an experiment. The success in that field of usefulness led to the erection of the larger building. A special act of incor- poration was passed April 18, 18C2. On the 24th day of July, 1862, the board of trustees organized. Hon. William Kelly was elected president ; Nathan W. H. Judson, treasurer ; Theophilus Gil lender, secretary. The present suitable, commodious and handsome building was erected and furnished at a cost of $15,000. It is an ornament to the village, admired by all who see it. Few villages have libraries to compare with those in the Starr Insti- tute. The Standard, on the second floor, is filled with works of great value ; for reference use, to which it is limited, it serves every purpose. The circulating library, on the first floor, has several thousand books ; all the popular, readable works ; it is replen- ished from time to time with the latest publi- cations. It is a sourse of intellectual pleasure and profit to hundreds. The free reading- room contains the leading daily and weekly papers, magazines, etc., for visitors' use. They are many. The large hall for public purposes ; the kitchen and dining-room below have long met the wants of the community WILLIAM KELLY JAMES C. MCCARTY EDWARD M. SMITH NATHAN W. H. JUDSON EDWIN STYLES VIRGIL C. TRAVER The Village 301 when lectures, concerts, fairs and social enter- tainments were given. In 1907, a branch of the Young- Men's Christian Association was organized. The institute was set apart for its use. The building- was enlarged and altered to meet the requirements of that com- mendable enterprise. It is now more than ever a pleasant resort for the young- men of the locality. It affords all the advantages of the Y. M. C. A. It has a gymnasium, swim- ming* pool and other accessories. As reor- ganized, it is doing* a grand work that makes this institution in every way an appropriate monument to its noble donor, Mary R. Miller, and her worthy husband, for whom it was first erected as a memorial. It should and will carry the name of Miller in grateful remembrance down the river of time for many generations to come. THE THOMPSON HOME Some years ago Rhinebeck was visited by a citizen of Massachusetts named Thomas Thompson. He liked the place and was well treated by the townspeople. He was possessed of large wealth. In his will he pro- vided a trust in favor of certain needy persons of the town, which trust, on the 19th day of March, 1901, was established by a decree of 302 Historic Old Rhinebeck the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. The administration of this trust rests entirely in the discretion of trustees. The trust fund is large, and it is satisfactorily and judiciously handled by the very competent trustees. Rhinebeck has received substantial benefit through the Thompson fund. Property was purchased on Livingston street in 1901, which has become a home for the aged, a hospital for the sick and the centre of administration of various philanthropic undertakings. It answers the call in time of need. Few local- ities are so well favored. The interesting ori- gin of this beneficial institution is worthy of mention. The good work the trust fund is accomplishing endears the name of Thomp- son and the trustees who are managing the fund to Rhinebeckers and their friends. The women of the town have an auxiliary organi- zation which serves as an advisory board, and secures the best posible results for the afflicted and unfortunate. HOLIDAY FARM On the river road south of the old Kip- Beekman-Heermance house is the Holiday farm, a home for convalescent children. It was established in 1901 by Miss Mary Morton. During the summer of 1908 it had at one time The Village 303 nineteen children under its care. Miss Lynch is the efficient matron, assisted by a compe- tent staff. The farm has done and is doing a most humane work, and deserves generous support. There is always a waiting list, for whom application for admission has been made. This charitable work of those able to carry it on is a practical way of doing good, and is far-reaching in life-saving results. A STREET OPENING As stated on page 184, John T. Schryver, one of the members of the so-called im- provement company, occupying the church farm from about 1800, erected a house in the track of Livingston street. This was his res- idence for many years. After his death, his son, Mathew V. B. Schryver, continued to reside there. The question of opening Liv- ingston street east to the Teal-Cookingham farm was agitated from time to time. It was a necessity. Finally, about 1883, steps were taken by the village authorities to open the street. This required the removal of the old Schryver homestead. The project was bit- terly fought by the son, Mathew. After a long and expensive litigation he lost. The street was opened. The old house was re- moved. The village was improved and bene- 304 Historic Old Rhinebeck fitted. Mr. Schryver would not be reconciled. He could not forget or forgive. He removed from the town of his birth and long residence. Well advanced in years he made his home in Greenbush, fifty miles away. The mistake of the father cost the son more than dollars ; his peace of mind was destroyed. It is plain to everyone now that the building of the Lu- theran church in the track of Centre street has proved a serious drawback to village im- provement. BURNING OF THE M. E. CHURCH The history of the Methodist church will be found on pages 152-71. The account of its destruction by fire and its rebuilding, a vil- lage event, written for this history by its then pastor, Rev. Stephen F. White, is here given : An event which caused wide-spread sorrow throughout Rhinebeck and the surrounding country was the burning of the Methodist Episcopal church in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 12, 1899, Lincoln's birthday. The weather was bitterly cold, and the snow lay deep on the ground. On account of the severe cold, and in order to have the church comfortably warm for the Sabbath services the sexton had built a fire The Village ■ 305 early on Saturday, and kept the furnaces run- ning- at nearly full blast all day. He was watchful, however, caring for them at fre- quent intervals, and making- his last visit to the furnace-room about 9.30 in the evening-, when everything-, so far as he could observe, was safe and in g-ood order. Tho pastor's study was a room directly back of the pulpit, lined with bookcases, in which were a thou- sand volumes belonging- to the church, and several hundred volumes belonging- to the pastor. The latter was at work in the study until quite late Saturday evening-, and when he left everything- about the edifice seemed secure. About two o'clock in the morning- of Sunday a man passing- down the street in search of a physician, saw fire in the church. He gave the alarm at once, but almost as soon the flames burst through the roof, and the whole interior was a mass of fire. The fire com- panies responded to the call, but were delayed by frozen hydrants, etc., and could not arrest the work of destruction. In fact, the fire was beyond control before it was discovered. Originating-, it is supposed, in a defective flue, it worked its way slowly but surely under the floor and along the walls, and as the building was of stone and roofed with slate the wiiole interior was burning before 306 Historic Old Rhinebeck the alarm was or could be sounded. Pastor r people and firemen were helpless, and could HjS-^ only watch with sad heart the destruction of the sacred building-. Suddenly, the flames The Village 807 Slaving- burned off the ropes, the great bell hanging- in the tower swayed, giving- forth three notes, as if tolling- for the dead, and then went crashing- to the cellar below. When the morning- of the blessed Sabbath broke over the scene a mass of broken, discolored walls and smoking- ruins were all that remained of this historic church. THE NEW METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Before the ruins of the old church had ceased to smoke the pastor called a meeting- of the official board and presented the matter of immediate rebuilding-. The board acted promptly, and the following- were appointed the building- committee: P. F. Radcliff, W. R. Carroll, F. G. Cotting-, Oscar Cooking-- ham and M. E. Clearwater. The pastor, ex-officio. It was thoug-ht at first that the old walls could be used, but upon examination by skilled mechanics they were found to be in an unsound condition. It was then decided to build an entirely new structure, and differing in style from the old church. A call for plans was at once issued, and in due time several were submitted. Afjber careful discussion by the committee, the plan submitted by Ackert & Brown, builders, of Rhinebeck, was ac- cepted, and the contract for building- was 308 Historic Old Khinebeck awarded that firm. All this required time r so that it was early summer ere work was begun. In the meantime the pastor was busy soliciting- subscriptions for the building fund. There was but $5,000 insurance on the old church, and the congregation was far from being a rich one. Hence, an appeal to the general public was necessary, and gen- erous was the response. Members of sister denominations and men of wealth living in the vicinity responded promptly to the appeal. The pastor received a subscription from as far away a place as Switzerland. Ever3 7 body, rich and poor alike, showed a disposition to help. It is no reflection upon others to say that the late Phebe G. Hunt of Pough- keepsie, widow of a Methodist minister who had once been pastor at Rhinebeck, was a most liberal helper. On July 22, 1899, the cornerstone of the new church was laid with impressive cere- monies, the Rev. Clark Wright, presiding elder of the Poughkeepsie district, having charge of the exercises. All through the summer and autumn work went on. Un- avoidable delays occurred, difficulties arose, but by the Divine favor all were overcome. On Wednesday, February 14, 1900, one year and two days from the burning of the The. Village 309 old church, the new church, .completely equipped with every comfort and convenience for public service, at a cost of $16,200 was dedicated to the worship and glory of Al- mighty God. Bishop Andrews of New York preached the dedicatory sermon, and with glad hearts the large congregation joined in the service. The church is gothic in style and an ornament to the beautiful village of Rhine beck. As stated on page 170 the records of the church were burned in the fire of 1899. The -collection of complete data has been difficult. Names of ministers who were stationed here between 1845 and 1860 are omitted on page 171. Those of Rev. Dr. Ferris, H. Mercein, L. W. Peck are recalled. Active workers in the church during the fifty years prior to this fire who should be named were Hector Bronson, Le Grand Curtis, Henry Latson, John Mc- Kown, William Carroll, Reuben Hanabergh, David Norris, Dr. William Cross, James Ho- gan, Lewis Asher, Peter Welch and their families. PROFEKSK )NS — DOCTORS It is proper that mention be made of the professional men in "ye olde town," and it would seem that doctors come first. In 1769, PIO Historic Old Jl/unebeck Dr. Hans Kiersted was here. He was £ young 1 man under thirty years of age. Dr. Ananias Cooper had preceded him. As early as 1638 there was a Dr. Hans Kiersted, a prac- tising physician, surgeon and apothecary on Manhattan Island. From that time until recent years the name of Kiersted was on the roll of physicians in the metropolis. In 1751, the Weekly Post-Boy of May 20th said : " Friday last died here Dr. Roelof Kiersted, a Gen- tleman eminent in his Profession, altho' not skilled in the technical Terms thereof, which often drew on him,' the Contempt of his Brethern ; yet his great knowledge in the Simples, his extensive Charity and successful Cures to poor People has made his Memory precious to them, and his Death a real publick Loss. n This was the father of Dr. Hans. Thence,, for over one hundred years the name Kier- sted was connected with Rhinebeck. It has- been spelled different ways. Until 1800 we find Cooper and Kiersted administering to the sick of the town. The name of Geissel- bractit is also given. (See page 87.) Drs. David Tomlinson, Abraham De Lamater, Walter Land on, Eliphalet Piatt, Theophilus Nelson, A. H. Hoff, George Lorillard, Martin Freleigh. Federal Vanderburgh, Isaac F. Van Vleit, Garret C. Lansing, Benjamin Lansing, Benjamin N. Baker, C. S. Van Etten, F. H. Roof, Pierre A. Banker, James F. Goodell.. The Village 311 M. M. Lown, S. H. Basch, are names on the roll of physicians. Dr. Tomlinson introduced the one-horse shay. Dr. De Lamater and Dr. Lan- ;>12 Historic Old Rhinebeck don followed him in its use. Dr. Nelson pre- ferred to ride horseback. Some used shanks'* mare. Rhinebeck has furnished to the medical profession many distinguished members. THE LAWYERS Commencing* with Judge Beekman, who transacted law business in "ye olde town " as early as 1706 ; then his son, Col. Henry, who was an expert in the phrasing of legal docu- ments, and a legislator for many years, skilled in drafting- laws; then the Livingstons, all of whom appear to have had legal education ; in fact, law seemed to have been the profession, if not the practise, of their sons. Even while non-residents of the ward, precinct or town, some one of them came whenever necessary to transact required legal business. Henry B. Livingston was on the ground before, and returned after the revolution. William Alex- ander Duer opened an office here as early as 1802. (See page 97.) Gen. Morgan Lewis was a lawyer and in the town in 1785. (See page 96.) Edward Livingston passed to and fro several years earlier. (See page 98.) Francis A. Livingston was in active practise before 1812, having an office on the premises now occupied by J. Howard Asher on Mill street. William and Jacob RadclilTe were The Village 313 lawyers. (See pages 99-100.) Alexander Thompson, if not a lawyer, did law work. John Armstrong 1 , Jr., commenced practise soon after 1800, and continued for nearly fifty years. Following these notables were Ed- ward E. Cowles, Augustus Schell, Ambrose Wager, John H. Piatt, Gouveneur Tillotson, Andrew Z. and James C. McCarty, Moses Conger, Henry M. Taylor, George Esselstyn, Howard H. Morse, Robert L. Garrettson, Alfred T. Ackert, P. Edgar Ackert, Augustus T. Gillender, Frank T. Van Keuren, Charles Ten Broeck, Martin Heermance, De Witt Heermance, A. Lee Wager, Mathew V. B. Schryver, Walter W. Schell, Charles L. Holf, Frank H. Gray, Charles E. McCarty, all of whom at some time lived in the town and practised or were entitled to practise law. Then there were others born and raised in the town who either read law r at home and located elsewhere, or after removal be- came lawyers and gained distinction at the bar in the place of their residence. Some reached the bench. Born in Rhinebeck, is said of several distinguished lawyers. Many local practitioners have won deserved fame as lawyers. Rhinebeck has never lacked able members of the bar to do any legal work required by its inhabitants. 314 Historic Old Rhinebeck NEWSPAPERS The first newspaper in the town was the Rhinebeck Advocate, published by Robert Marshall in 1841. This was followed by the Rhinebeck Gazette, published by Smith & Camp, then by Edward M. Smith, William Luff, Schutt & Dunning", L. R. Blanchard; then again by William Luff. In 1859 Thomas Edgerly bought the office and made George W. Clark the publisher. In 1875, W. W. Hegeman bought it and became the publisher. It has since had several changes in manage- ment. It is now published by Jacob H.. Strong, and is a well-edited representative home paper, deserving the patronage of Rhinebeckers and their friends. The American Mechanic was published in 1850 by George W. Clark. The plant was sold to S. T. Hoag and removed to Pine Plains, and the Herald^ started about 1859. The Rhinebeck Tribune was published by a stock company from 1869 to 1873. The plant was sold to T.G. Nichols and removed to Pough- keepsie ; the Sunday Courier was established. Several Rhinebeck boys won fame as type- setters. William Mink and John N. Near have had repeated mention. Horatio Fowkes became a journalist of distinction. In this, The Village 315 as in other fields, "ye olde town" has held its own. BUSINESS MEN OF TO-DAY Passing' through the business section of the village to-day the drugstores of Dr. Baker and Dr. Latson ; the groceries of Williams & Traver, Coon & Rhynders, Mrs. Gaul; the meat markets of Rikert, Tremper, Pultz ; the general store of Hamlin ; the furniture ware- houses of W. R. Carroll and Andrew Grube the hardware emporiums of Louis Rosencrans Harry Smilie & Co. and O. E. Cookingham the furnishing stores of George E. Ackert O. V. Moeslin and Jacob Borowsky ; the jew elry store of Haen ; the liveries of Rikert and Fraleigh ; the flour, feed and lumber plant of T. J. Herrick; the bakeries of A. C. Mc- Curdy and J. B. L. Mann ; Luff's and Deck- er's news depots; the smithery of John C. Milroy ; Weckesser, the painter; Steenbergh, the electrician ; Secor, the marbleworker ; Ackert & Brown, A. M. Quick, the building contractors; Pottenburgh, Bucchoini, Miller, Lown, Snyder, Smith, and others in various lines; Deichelman and Moeslin, the barbers; the Gazette printing establishment ; the dress- makers and milliners ;Heeb's and Ritter's shoe stores: Decker's cafe: the "old hotel": im- 316 Historic Old Rhinebeck press one with the fact that business men are still in "ye olde town/' and that the wants of the people are supplied as of yore. Manufac- turing- alone is not apparent. MINISTERS Several Rhinebeckers became distinguished clergymen. Philip Milledoler, S.T.D., born in "ye olde town" September 22, 1775; graduated, Columbia, 1793; ordained, 1794; president Rutger's College, 1825-40 ; died, September 23, 1852. Rev. Stephen Schuyler, a Methodist minister of repute. Rev. John B. Drury, D.D., editor Christian Intelli- gencer, a clergyman of wide reputation. Rev. Chester EL Traver, D.D., pastor Lutheran church, Berne, New York, an earnest, de- vout minister. Rev. David H. Hanabergh, D.D., a well-known Methodist minister, for many years president of the Drew Seminary. Rev. Robert Johnston, an Episcopal divine just entering upon his duties. Reference is made in chapter VIII to min- isters of the town. The history of its churches is, in fact, a history of the locality, hence the extended chapter covering ninety-two pages of this book. There may be others not men- tioned. If so, it is for want of information as to them. CHAPTER XIII STAGE COACH DAYS " Long ago, at the end of the route, The stage pulled up, and the folks stepped out." Earle. THE stage coach and tavern have a history in common, but the story of the stage coach on the old post road, through "ye olde town/' did not begin until seventy- five years after Traphagen's first tavern was opened and nearly twenty years after the " old hotel " was built. On the 4th day of April, 1785, at the eighth session of the State Legislature, an act was passed granting the "exclusive right to Isaac- Van Wyck of Fishkill, Talmage Hall of Al- bany, and John Kinney of New York, of erect- ing and carrying on a stage to promote the ease and benefit of the people of this State on the east side of the Hudson river, between the cities of New York and Albany, for the term of ten years, to commence on the 1st day of June, 1785, and all other persons are pro- hibited from carrying on stage conve,yance on the said east side of the river under a penalty of two hundred pounds." Van Wyck, Hall and 317 318 Historic Old Rkinebeck Kinney were to furnish at least two good and sufficient covered stage wagons, to be drawn each by four able horses, and were to charge each person not to exceed 4 pence per mile, and each person was permitted to carry four- teen pounds in weight of baggage. The stage wagons were to proceed once at least in every week during said term, unless prevented by the badness of the roads or some uncommon accident. Prior to this some attempt had been made to carry passengers and freight by means of crude vehicles, and at times by what was known as the Conestoga wagon, drawn either by horses or oxen. Freighting finally became their only business, and that was irregular. For freight transportation this wagon was as perfect a vehicle as could be made. It resembled the "prairie schooner" of later days. The pump was a favorite stopping place. "Grub" for the driver and feed for the horses were frequently carried on the wagon. The driver had his own blankets, and often a straw mattress upon which he slept. In cold weather he would sleep on the tap-room floor, feet to the fire. Then, he would stable his horses and get his breakfast at the tavern. In 1T97 an advertisement reads : "Albany Stage Coach Days 3 ID stages will leave New York every day at ten o'clock in the morning-; arrive at Albany the fourth da3 r at nine o'clock in the morning-. Fare of each passenger seven dollars." The New York Post of February 13, 1803, then a sheet 16x26, contains the following-: "New York and Albany Mail Stag-e leaves New York every morning- at 6 o'clock, lodges at Peekskill and Rhinebeck, and arrives in Albany on the third day. Fare of each passen- ger through $8, and Gel. per mile for way pas- sengers. For seats apply to Wm. Vandevoorb, No. 43, corner of Cortland and Greenwich streets, New York, and of T. Witmore, Al- bany. Potter, Hyatt & Company." The names given the early vehicles varied ; stage chaise, stage waggon, stage chariot, stage carriage, stage coach, omnibus, barge, etc., were common. The first in "ye olde town " was the stage waggon shown in the pic- ture on the next page. A coach called the "Concord " became the most popular. Many of them were made in Rhinebeck. A man named Uhl was an early builder. It has justly been pronounced the only satisfactory traveling vehicle ever made. The first one appeared about 1802. They are still in con- stant use. The "whips" to-day prefer the name "tallyho." There was great rivalry 320 Historic Old Bhinebeck between competing lines. It extended to drivers, passengers and partisans along the route. For years staging- was a profitable business. Taverns, with barns attached, be- came stopping- points ; blacksmith forg-es were sary, horses were in demand, repair btage Coach Days 321 shops must be convenient along- the line. Rhine beck had all these adjuncts. It was a great stage town. Traveling- in the old stage coach was not tantalized by the fleeting* half-glimpse of places. Ample time to view an attractive spot, with leisure to make inquiry about an interesting locality, and to hear the driver's or fellow-travelers' tales, was given. "One would talk constantly," says an old-timer, " query frequently, grow deeply versed in the route's lore and history. The driver would know the g-ossip of each village, the secrets of each house he passed, the traditions and tales of every neighborhood. Every mile of the road was a point of interest." Rhinebeck, with its eminent families, its early history, its reputation as the place to get what was needed in every line, was a welcome sight. Here the weary traveler found rest and re- freshment. Passengers were not compelled to stop at the "old hotel." There were several places where meals and lodging- could be had. In the Livingston house on Mill street, nearly opposite the "old hotel," there lived for sev- eral years a very popular, motherly lady, Mrs. De Witt. She kept a boarding house. Her table was justly celebrated. Many patrons 322 Historic Old Rhinebeck came to her house. Under her hospitable roof young- men employed in the village found a home. She had two notable sons. Col. David P. De Witt, U. S. A., and Charles A. De Witt, for many years superintendent of the United States Express Company. Col. De Witt married a daughter of Harvey H. Seymour. His son, Seymour De Witt, is president of the First National Bank of Mid- dletown, New York. Charles A. De Witt married a daughter of Lewis Marquart. The De Witts never forgot "ye olde town." They were an honor to it. Peter De Witt was one of the names on the revolutionary roll. He was also recorded in the census of 1790. His family then consisted of two males over six- teen, three under, and one female. It is said of the stage drivers on the post road that they were a dignified and interest- ing class of men. In their prime they were a power. They were often entrusted with important and delicate messages. They had a characteristic mode of speech, terse and quaint in expression that showed what was termed "good horse sense." The winter was their heyday. Wearing bearskin caps, vast greatcoats, heavy long-legged boots ; driving fine horses, heavy harness, brass-trimmed, ivory rings ; clean, newly painted coaches, the Stage Coach Days 323 outfit was a pleasant sight to look upon. Prudent, kind-hearted, intelligent and accom- modating, they carried the news of the day from place to place ; messages to doctors in cases of sickness along the route, and cheer- fully did such errands as were within their power where necessity required. They were character-readers of both man and horse. Hank Pultz, a Rhinebeck stage driver, is said to have had a record of covering on his stage over one hundred thousand miles. ' ' Ye olde town " furnished a dozen or more drivers. Traveling by stage the passenger was taught by Nature, a great teacher. He saw the many duties of country life, the round of work on the farm, the succession of crops; learned the names of grasses and grains; saw the timid flight of wild creatures, rab- bits, squirrels, woodchucks, and even the wily fox. He heard strange sounds, the screech of the owl, the snarl of the cata- mount, the singing of birds. Was shown by the driver " the biggest ellum in the county/' the " finest grove in the State," the "purtiest birch on the road," and the "wildest flowers that grow." Counted the milestones; the one on the flatts, "98 miles to New York," bringing him to the "old hotel." Guide boards stood at the crossings of traveled 324 Historic Old Rhinebeck roads. They are still most welcome. Dis- tances were guessed at; "nigh on to a mile," " about two miles," "hard on to three miles," "a little better than four miles," was the information given the road-jogger. The dis- tance was rarely underestimated. A wayside friend was the watering trough, a log of wood hollowed out, Indian fashion, like a dug-out, filled with cool, pure water from a hillside spring. On the flatts the pump furnished the supply. The stage-coach clays were great days for "ye olde town." They brought wealthy strangers who, resting for an hour, walked about the streets, saw and wanted many things made in the town. This carried its name and fame to distant places. Every trip the stage had new passengers who became customers at a Rhinebeck shop. These days finally came to an end in 1851, when the Hud- son river railroad was finished to Albany. CHAPTER XIV RIVER TRAVEL 41 She walks the waters like a thing of life, And seems to dare the elements to strife." Byron. AS ear ly as 1712 the sloop carried freight and passengers from Beekman's landing on Vanderburgh cove to New York and other market places. The first home sloop was named the " Maria/' and one of the Roosas was its owner and captain. For a century the sloop held undisputed sway upon the Hudson river. A dozen or more during the busy sea- sons plied between "ye olde town" and the big city. Coenties slip was the landing place there. In the town the names of Beekman, Kip, Radclift'e, Tillotson, Lewis, Sleight, Rut- sen, Schultz, Mills, Schatzel, Tyler, and one or two others not traced, were given to landings prior to 1812. There were a number of them, and sloop navigation was a profitable busi- ness. Bogardus, Pells, Ostrander, Jacques, Ackert, Kipp, Elmendorf, Jennings, Schultz, Mills, Briggs, Hanaburgh, were noted cap- tains in their day. Often the sloop was the home of the captain and his family. It was 325 326 Historic Old Rhinebeck usually named after the owner's mother, wife or daughter. Roomy cabins in the stern fur- nished accommodations for passengers, and they were ingeniously contrived to meet re- quirements. Home comforts were not lack- ing. The meals were substantial. Neatness was the rule. Grain and farm products were carried down to the New York market, and on the up trip merchandise, manufactured articles and raw material were brought to the merchants, farmers and mechanics of the period. A trip to New York was an event long remembered and talked about by those for- tunate enough to take it. Very few could do so. It was an expensive luxury. The coming of the steamboat in 1807 was an unexpected as well as a fatal blow to the sloop as a pas- senger craft. It had often required a week to reach the city by the sloop, although at times it was only a day's journey. The quick trip the captain was always ready to tell about. Wind, tide and weather were important fac- tors. The first and last were uncertain. A long, tedious journey on the river made life miserable for those on board. Mr. Robert Fulton and Chancellor Livingston, the first well known in and a frequent visitor to "ye olde town," and the latter a Beekman de- scendant, proposed to make the journey in a River Travel 327 day, regardless of wind or weather, and they did it. On August 18, 1807, about noon, the "Clermont" passed the Radcliffe and Ferry landings, now the Slate and Long docks, vomiting- fire and smoke to the consternation of those who saw it. Pete Sleight fled to Jacques' tavern on the flatts, telling those he met that "the devil had gone up the river on a saw mill." At this time the horseboat did service as a ferry. It was an improvement on the ferry, shown on page 64. The wheel to propel a craft had been tested. Horse power turned it. The steam engine in place of the horse worked a great change in navigation, and traveling by water was shorn of many difficulties. Slow travel by sloop and stage coach had ended. The fast-sailing craft pro- pelled by steam became the favorite method. 328 Historic Old Rhinebeck It was not cheap at the start, as the fare to or from the city was four dollars, and that was all a man could earn in a week. Its pop- ularity increased as new and faster boats with many improvements were put upon the river, and it is to-day, with its large and magnifi- cent craft, the wonder of many ; the delight of travelers and pleasure seekers. The barge was a valuable feature of "ye olde town." It was the successor of the sloop, and soon followed the steamboat upon which it depended. It carried freight and passengers. It made lively market days. It drew traffic from a wide area. One could "travel on it, propelled by steam, without danger of accident from bursting boilers or defective machinery," said the advertisement. The " Milan" was one of the first barges on the river. Its captain was William S. Cramer. Its stewardess, Jennie Pierce. For years these names were familiar to the towns- people. "Rhinebeck and New York" is the heading of a poster. Then a picture of the barge. "The elegant and commodious barge MILAN, Capt. Wm. S. Cramer, will leave the Slate Dock for New York every Tuesday at 6 p.m., landing at the foot of Robinson Street, N. R. Carries freight and passengers. Returning every Saturday, leaving at 5 p.m. River Travel 329 Particulars from Captain on board, or, at office on dock." The barge had two decks and a hold. In the hold at the stern was a room for men, with a bar, table and seats. Around the sides were berths. In the rear was a wash-room and lavator} 7 . On the main deck above was a fine cabin, with a few sleep- ing- rooms and berths for women in front. A dressing-room on the end ; windows along the sides. The centre was a saloon or sitting- room, provided with chairs, sofas and small tables for the use of passengers. Here quiet games were played ; books and papers read ; conversation enjo\ 7 ed. At the upper end of this cabin was a long table at which meals were served. A kitchen, with china and linen closets adjoined. The meal was a feature of 330 Historic Old Rhinebeck the trip. The table was bountifully supplied. The food well cooked. The passengers, as a rule, hungry. The captain was seated at the head ; he directed the serving and was a great entertainer. The meal hour was thoroughly enjoyed. It was anticipated with pleasure. Expectations were realized. The fifty cents charged for the meal was well invested. The "Milan," after years of ser- vice, was succeeded by the "Rhinebeck," and that by the "Enterprise." These were the Slate dock barges. The Long dock barge was the "Clinton." The history of one is that of all. The barges were towed by steam- boats, the Chancellor Livingston, Indiana, Robert L. Stephens, in the early days. The freighting trade was large and profitable. On page G2 are the names of the persons car- rying it on.- Townspeople visiting the me- tropolis for a few days often lived on the barge during their stay, returning home on the up trip. The barge carried a varied cargo. Farm products, baled hay and straw, flour, grain and feed, live stock, cows, calves, sheep, lambs, poultry, bound for the city slaughter houses. Frequently horses for the streetcar lines. "Balling," bleating, neigh- ing and crowing were musical accompani- ments of the down trip. The names of Hicks, River Travel 331 Schultz, Walter mire, Killmer, Pitcher, Le Roy, Hedges, extensive buyers, drovers and shippers are remembered. Much produce was received on consignment from farmers and others and sold by the captain in the city to the best advantage ; returns were made before the next down trip. The home merchants, millers and manufacturers found the barge a great convenience. There are some who still remember barge days. For many years a night boat stopped at the Slate dock on the way up or down. In recent years the Rhine- beck dock was the landing place of the day- line steamers. In summer the mountain travel brought hundreds daily to the town dock. This has been changed. Now it is nec- essary to go to Poughkeepsie to get the day boat. A Saugerties boat makes the ferry dock a landing point. This is all that remains to the town of river travel. Rhinebeck is no longer an important place on the river map. Home enterprise can and should restore it to deserved prominence. CHAPTER XV BONDING THE TOWN " A hundred years of regret pay not a farthing of debt," German Proverb. NO debt. No reg-rets. The escape of "ye olde town " from a burdensome bonded indebtedness was fortunate indeed. "Them were exciting- times," exclaims an old resi- dent. They were. A great legal light was made and the right prevailed. To-day it is almost forgotten. It should not be. "Debt has a small beginning, but a giant's growth and strength," said Beaconsfteld. The tax- payer would have found it so. On April 26, 1870, after much preliminary agitation and discussion, the "Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad Company " was organized. Its cap- ital was $1,000,000, divided into ten thousand shares of $100 each. The railroad was to be a connecting link between the coal regions of Pennsylvania and the manufacturing districts of the east. A proposition large in promise that proved very small in performance. The home promoters may be credited with good intentions. The directors of the company 332 Bonding The Town 333 from Rhinebeck were William Kelly, Alfred Wild, William B. Piatt and Ambrose Wager. Four good men and true. Mr. Wild was presi- dent. There were in all thirteen directors. An ominous number. The Delaware and Hud- son Canal Company, which then had its outlet at Rondout, was supposed to be behind the scheme. Surveys were soon made and a route laid out through Rhinebeck to Red Hook, and then easterly. Of course, the town was ex- pected to help build the road. It promised to be of substantial benefit to it. Wealthy and influential citizens were at the front. They knew. Town bonding was then an easy way to raise money for such a purpose and comparatively a simple matter. Two hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars was the sum expected, but to make things run smoothly at the start only $100,000 was named in the first application. That obtained and expended it was plain that the balance would have to come to save the town from loss of its $100,000. It looked easy. All that the law required was the signatures of a majorit} 7, of the taxable inhabitants representing a ma- jority of the taxable property, as shown by the last assessment roll of the town, to a petition addressed to the county judge. Early in 1871 such a petition was prepared and sig-- 334 Historic Old Rhinebeck natures obtained to it. This petition was presented to Judge Anthony, and he gave the following notice, which was published in the village papers : IN THE MATTER of the application of the tax payers of the Town of Rhinebeck, in the County of Dutchess, under chapter 907 of the laws of 1869 and the acts amendatory thereof, to issue the Bonds of said Town, and invest the same or the proceeds thereof in the stock of the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad. To whom it may concern : Notice is hereby given that I shall on the 11th day of May, 1871, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day, at my office in the city of Poughkeepsie, in said county, proceed to take proof of the facts set forth in the peti- tion in this matter, as to the number of taxpayers join- ing in said petition, and as to the amount of taxable property represented by them. Allaed Anthony, Dated April 27, 1871. Dutchess Co. Judge. A hearing was had. There was some oppo- sition, but it failed to be effective, and Judge Anthony made and gave notice of his decision as follows: IN THE MATTER of the application of the tax payers of the Town of Rhinebeck, in the County of Dutchess, under chapter 907 of the laws of 1869 and the acts amendatory thereof, to issue the Bonds of said Town, and invest the same or the proceeds thereof in the stock of the Rhinebeck & Connecticut Railroad Com- pany. Bonding The Town 335 To whom it may concern : Notice is hereby given that I have made my final decision in this application, presented to me on the 27th day of April, 1871, and find and determine that the petitioners do represent a majority of the tax pay- ers of the Town of Rhinebeck as shown by the last preceeding tax list or assessment roll, and do repre- sent a majority of the taxable property upon said list or roll, not including those taxed for dogs or highway tax only, and have filed my determination with the Clerk of the County of Dutchess reference being had to such determination or Judgment will more fully and at large appear Allard Anthony, Dated May 18, 1871. Dutchess Co. Judge. He appointed three representative men of the town bonding- commissioners, viz. : John J. Hager, Herrick Thorn and James C. Mc- Carty. They met and organized. Mr. Mc- Carty was made secretary, and he published the following notice : $100,000. — Any person desiring one or more of the Bonds of the Town of Rhinebeck, may leave their order with J. C. McCarty, one of the Commissioners, and thereby be entitled to preference. The bonds are $1,000 each ; have thirty years to run, and bear inter- est at 7 per cent, from August 1, 1871, payable semi- annually at the Bank of Rhinebeck. Orders for these bonds will be entirely confidential. By order of the Commissioners. J. C. McCarty, Dated July 10th, 1871. Sec'y Corn's. An attempt was made during the summer 336 Historic Old Rhinebeck to reverse the action of the county judge, but it came to naught. Matters drifted along until December. The bonds were then ready for issue. The commissioners gave notice to that effect : RHINEBECK 7 PER CENT. BONDS FOR SALE The Commissioners for bonding Rhinebeck offer for sale at par and accrued interest $90,000 of coupon bonds of the Town of Rhinebeck, payable in 30 years, with interest from August 1, 1871, at 7 per cent. In- terest payable semi-annually — February 1st and Au- gust 1. Apply to the undersigned Commissioners at Rhinebeck. John J. Hagek, Herrick Thorn, J. C. McCarty, Commis'rs. Rhinebeck, Dec. 12th, 1871. By the fall of 1871 much opposition to the railroad as projected had developed. William Astor, through his counsel, Howard H. Morse, secured a change of its route over his premises. Joseph H. Baldwin, through same counsel, adjusted a controversy which also concerned the business and farming interests of the town, as the future of the barge was involved. The bonding question excited many active citizens. Early in December Mr. Astor instructed Counsellor Morse to find, if possible, a way to test the legality of the bonding pro- Bonding The Town 337 ceedings in the Supreme Court. He desired the active co-operation of other taxpayers. Some one had to take the lead in securing" united action on the part of the taxpayers. Mr. Morse invited James H. Wynkoop, John G. Ostrom, Louis A. Ehlers, David Norris and Conrad Marquardt to act as a prelimin- ary committee as Mr. Astor had suggested. He retained Hon. Homer A. Nelson as coun- sel. He made copies of all the papers. After reviewing- all the facts it was decided to bring an action in the name of Wynkoop as a tax- payer against the commissioners, the railroad company and the town. The preparation of the papers was a long and tedious matter, They were voluminous. Many affidavits had to be obtained. Judge Barnard reluctantly granted an injunction, which, on January 9, 1872, he made permanent. Hon. Ambrose Wager and Hon. Henry M. Taylor were the counsel for the railroad company. A public meeting, called by the preliminary committee, was held in the Starr Institute on the 5th clay of January, 1872 ; it was largely attended ; the following" is the record as made by the secretaries : "The meeting was called to order at 7.30 p.m., by John G. Ostrom, Esq., on whose motion Michael Tra- ver was elected president. 338 Historic Old Ehinebeck " On motion of David Norris the following persons were elected vice-presidents : William R. Schell, Rut- sen Suckley, Lewis Livingston, M. V. B. Schryver,. William Astor, William B. Kip, Edwin J. Bergh, Virgil C. Traver, Samuel Ten Broeck, Charles I. Cramer. " On motion of Mr. C. Marquardt the following per- sons were elected secretaries : Louis A. Ehlers, John L. Elseffer, and Augustus M. Traver. "On motion of Mr. Ostrom, Thomas Edgerley was elected treasurer. The president invited Howard H. Morse, attorney for Astor, Baldwin, Wynkoop and others in certain railroad litigation, and in opposition to the bonding scheme, to address the meeting. Mr. Morse did so, and explained fully what had been done. He expressed confidence of favorable outcome in the injunction suit. " Mr. Ostrom introduced the following resolutions, which were adopted : "Whereas James H. Wynkoop, a resident, taxpayer and officer of the town of Rhinebeck, has commenced an action in the Supreme Court to test the legality of the bonding of the town in aid of the so-called Rhine- beck and Connecticut Railroad Company, and " Whereas, It is well known and understood that this whole bonding scheme has been accomplished by fraud, misrepresentation and deceit of a most scandal- ous character, and no fair, honest and unbiased ex- pression of the opinion of the taxpayers of the town on the subject of bonding has ever been obtained ; and " Whereas, It is notorious that the bonding law has been entirely disregarded by the men who inaugurated and carried forward this scheme to its present condi- tion, and its provisions openly ignored. Now, there- fore, we the taxpayers of the town of Rhinebeck in public meeting assembled, hereby resolve that we will Bonding The Town 339 sustain and support the said James H. Wynkoop in the prosecution of the suit commenced by all honorable means at our command. Resolved, That we request the supervisor, town clerk, justices of the peace and other town officers, to unite with us in the name of the town by the author- ity and power in them vested, to sustain the said James H. Wynkoop in the successful prosecution of the said action. " Resolved, That we request our Senator and Assem- blymen to urge the speedy passage of a law, repealing all laws in relation to bonding of towns and munici- palities of whatsoever kind or nature. " Resolved, That the thanks of the taxpayers of the town of Khinebeck are due, and are hereby tendered to his excellency, Gov. Hoffman, for his recommenda- tions on the subject, contained in his annual message. "Resolved, That we disclaim any opposition to the so-called Khinebeck and Connecticut Kailroad Com- pany, but we protest against being made compulsory stockholders in that, or any other corporation. "Resolved, That the commissioners appointed by Judge Anthony to issue the bonds of the town, are in a measure officers of the town, to whose charge and care has been committed a sacred trust, and honor and duty, as well as a decent regard for the interest of the taxable inhabitants of the town, alike demand of them a faithful, fearless and impartial discharge of their duties, and any connivance, combination or intriguing with said railroad company or its officers will be a breach of trust deserving the condemnation of all good citizens. " Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Khinebeck and Poughkeepsie papers. " An invitation was then extended to all present to 340 Historic Old Rhinebeck come forward and sign certain petitions, in opposition to bonding, and sustaining Mr. Wynkoop. " The meeting then adjourned. " Louis A. Ehlers, " John L. Elseffer, " Augustus M. Tra ver. " Secretaries.' 5 ' The town officers acted as requested and retained Hon. Charles Wheaton to represent the town. Certiorari proceedings were com- menced by John G. Ostrom, Tunis Wortman aud Thomas Edgerley. A restraining- order had been made upon these propositions : 1. That a majority of the taxable inhabitants repre- senting a majority of the taxable property of the town, as shown by the assessment roll for the year 1870, never made or signed the application upon which the proceedings were based. 2. That the assessment roll for the year 1870 was not a de-jure roll. 3. That the incorporation of the railroad company was incomplete and defective and it could not sell or issue valid stock. 4. The county judge had no jurisdiction to act. More than one hundred affidavits were taken of persons whose names appeared upon the petition, denying-, explaining, withdraw- ing, etc., signatures. The town assumed the prosecution of the injunction suit, and the certiorari proceedings by the vote of a special town meeting. Bonding The Town 341 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING To Tunis Wortman, Esq., Town Clerk of the Town of Rhinebeck, Sir: The undersigned being twelve or more persons eligible to the office of Supervisor of the Town of Rhinebeck, hereby make application for and require a special town meeting to be called for the purpose of deliberating in regard to the proceedings in the case of the People ex. rel. John G. Ostrom and others against Herrick Thorn and others, and in the action of James H. Wynkoop against the Rhinebeck & Connecticut Railroad Company and others, which cases are being prosecuted for the purpose of discharg- ing the taxpayers of the town from liability for the payment of the principal or interest of any bonds in aid of the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad Co., and also for the purpose of raising monies for the con- duct and prosecution of said suits or cases : George Lorillard, David Norris, Jacob L. Van Wagenen, Thomas Edgerley, P. R. Quick, B. B. Van Steenburg, Richard Shultz, Griffin Hoffman, William R. Schell, " John D. Judson, C. Marquardt, Gilbert Traver, William Bates, James Williams, William S. Myers. In pursuance of the above application I hereby call a Special Town Meeting to be held at the House of G. Hoffman, in the town of Rhinebeck, on SATURDAY, MARCH 23. 1872 when the following preamble and resolutions will be submitted to the qualified electors of said town, when all in favor of the said resolution will vote " aye," in opposition " No," by a printed or written ballot. The 342 Historic Old Rhinebeck polls of said town meeting will be opened at 9 o'clock A.M., of said day, adjourned at 12 o'clock, for one- hour and finally closed at 4 o'clock of the same day. PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTION Whereas, An action in the Supreme Court was here- tofore commenced by Jas. H Wynkoop, and certain proceedings had by John G. Ostrom and others — which action and proceedings are now pending and have for their object the obtaining a judgment of the Court de- claring that the town of Rhinebeck has never been legally bonded to aid the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad, and that the said town, and the taxable property therein and the taxpayers thereof are not in any way liable for the payment of the principal or interest of any bonds issued in any proceedings to bond said town, and Whereas, the conduct of the said cases is for the common benefit of all the taxable property and tax- payers of said town. Resolved, That the costs and expenses incurred and to be incurred by James H. Wynkoop, and John G. Ostrom, Tunis Wortman and Thomas Edgerley, in the conduct of said cases to final judgment be and the same hereby are declared to be a Town charge. Resolved, Further that the Board of Town Auditors be and they hereby are authorized, directed and em- powered to audit and allow to the said James H. Wyn- koop and others the said costs and expenses. Resolved, Further that the supervisor of the Town be and he is authorized, directed and empowered to pay the said costs and expenses out of any monies in his hands belonging to the town. Tunis Wortman, Dated Rhinebeck, March 11, 1872. Town Clerk. Bonding The Totvn 343 These resolutions were carried by one hun- dred and twenty majority. Trials were had. The case finally reached the General Term of the Supreme Court on the facts as established before Judge Barnard. At the September, 1872, term held in Brooklyn, judgment was "ordered setting- aside and vacating the pro- ceedings before the county judge and revers- ing his order and determination of May 18, 1871 ; also vacating the appointment of said McCarty, Thorn and Hager as commissioners, and also vacating and annulling the acts and proceedings of the said commissioners under the said appointment." The form of the judgment to be settled before Justice Barnard. An appeal was taken to the Court of Ap- peals, where this judgment was affirmed, and thus ended the attempt to bond the town of Rhinebcck to build a railroad. The public- spirited citizens who led the movement to save the town from this burden of debt are entitled to be remembered. William Astor comes first; then John G. Ostrom, Conrad Marquardt, James H. Wynkoop. Other names that appear in this chapter can be cor- rectly placed. CHAPTER XVI COLONIAL TIMES AND LATER " An oaken, broken, elbow chair ; A candle-cup without an ear ; A battered, shattered, ash bedstead ; A box of deal without a lid ; A pair of tongs, but out of joint ; A back-sword poker, without point ; A dish which might good meat afford once ; An Ovid and an old Concordance." Dean Swiff s Inventory. THE voice of the past is audible to-day only in books, old buildings and relics. Material substances in one form and another, however, remain to prove its potency. Val- uable, indeed, is the chair, table, cup or dish used by our forefathers a century or more ago. The relies of the past are evidence of departed worth. That we treasure them is creditable. They are connecting* links attach- ing- a memorable past to the eventful present. From the tallow dip to the electric light the inventory tells a wonderful story. The Kips, Van Wagenens, and their fol- lowing-, the Beekman-Livingston families, the Palatine settlers, have all left in the shape of relics evidences of the early days, their strug- 344 Colonial Times and Later 341 A DUTCHMAN gles and triumphs in "ye olde town," which to their descendants are priceless. In colonial times people lived much according to cir- cumstances as they do now. In 1700 there were burghers, both rich and poor, but homes of luxury were not common. The necessaries of life could be had by all, and with these provided, poverty was not very hard to bear. The Palatine settlers lacked many of the advantages possessed by their Kipsbergen neighbors. They were poor, but intelligent and thrifty. They did not eat the bread of idleness. Hewers of wood, drawers of water, subduers of the earth from neces- sity, if not from choice, "they had within them the elements of a perpetual growth, and they soon swelled beyond the measure of their chains." They started as tenants, paying tribute in the shape of rent to a wealthy landlord. The head of a family had to be a "jack of all trades," and turn his hand to the making of the implements of labor and household uten- sils required. Home-spun and home-made goods satisfied the family wants. 346 Historic Old Rhinebeck The hum of the vrows' spinning wheel, and the flight of the shuttle in the weaver's loom, made sweet music for the old and young. What could not be produced at home they cheerfully went without. That was the custom. It is no longer observed. Having felled the trees, removed the stumps and stones, cleared the ground, made fences, built houses and barns, dotting the hills and vales of "ye olcle town," they proceeded to till the soil and raise stock, soon reaping in good measure the benefits of their industry, skill and opportunities. They builded better than they knew. The patient, plodding housewife and her daughters baked and brewed toothsome, nour- ishing food and palatable beverages. Cook- ing was done in a fireplace large enough to use wood four feet in length, and deep enough to hold one-quarter of a cord of wood. Bread was baked in a "bake kettle " having a cover. The kettle was placed in the fire and covered with ashes and coals. Bread thus baked was excellent we are told. Later on a great im- provement was made by building ovens in which a fire was kept until a bed of coals was formed upon which the baking was done in stone or iron dishes. While the methods were crude, "cooking and baking" was not a Colonial Times and Later 347 lost art with the early settlers. At most the "vrow's" ingenuity was constantly taxed to devise modes and means to do her work. Leather was home-tanned, usually by some one person for all who needed it. A large trough was used. This was nearly filled with pounded oak and hemlock bark ; the hides were placed upon it, weighted down and the trough was then filled with water to cover the hides. A strong astringent liquor was soon made and the hides tanned. This liquor was prized for its healing qualities. Bruised and chapped hands and feet bathed in it at night before retiring would heal and harden. One pair of shoes was allowed each person in a year. The shoemaker, like the peddler, traveled from one dorf to another. Attend- ing church or meetings, old and young, male and female, carried their shoes, and would put them on before reaching the place. Stock- ings were not in fashion. Logging, clearing and stone bees were frequent. Cider and lop- pered milk were unsparingly used on these occasions. Maple sugar was plenty, and by grating or shaving it over loppered milk a delectable dish was the result ; this was greed- ily devoured by those present. The "menu ' ? included sugared johnny cake, spiced pud- dings, porrage, pot cheese, bread and butter. 348 Historic Old Ehinebeck Help one another was the rule, and in a few- years the "Sepeskenot" land teemed with luxuriant growths of grain and grasses. Regardless of the deprivations which these hardy settlers were forced to endure, amuse- ments were not lacking; sport was enjoyed; practical jokes were indulged in; life was taken seriously by parents, but not discontent- edly. It is doubtful if the descendants of these worthy people with all their modern conveniences enjoy life to-day any better than their ancestors did in the early days. Nearly every house- hold had its spinning wheels, one for flax and another for wool. Many had more. The s to r e of household linen was usually large ; Dairy utensils were numerous, churns, pails, pans, etc., were on every farm. Milk, butter and cheese were plenty and good. On the Sabbath day, the domestic duties of the week being discarded, the family, arrayed in their best, attended their church services. The "koeck," or bell ringer and sexton, was *^ Colonial Times and Later 349 an important person on that day. He was master of ceremonies and attended to the proper seating- of the congregation. Schools were early established, and the youthful members of the household, growing up into man and maidenhood, gave an im- petus of advancement, which was evidenced by the older ones in greater attention to out- ward appearances. The interior of the humble homes of the early settlers presented, as may be supposed, simply the necessary useful furniture for every-day purposes. The great chest, with its precious stores of household goods, was the most imposing piece ; chairs were supplied by stools, rough-hewn from wood cut and dressed as required. Tables and other arti- cles were also of home make. Crude shelves formed the cupboard. The bedstead was the "slaap banck," or sleeping berth, but upon it the great feather bed lay in state, and gave in comfort all that was wanting in display. Among the Dutch — high or low — the acci- dent of family descent was neither recognized or claimed. The question of rank, now the perpetual heartache of human society, did not trouble the early settlers. Sensible people, they solved the puzzle of caste by tabooing those differences in wealth, avocations and 350 Historic Old Rhinebeck conditions that might have made the superior- ity of the fortunate over those less favored a disturbing- element in their daily life. Per- sonal worth counted then as now. At enter- tainments the roystering young farmhand and the lively dairy maid might stand the next couple in the dance to the heir of the patentee and the youthful belle of the manor house. This continued until after the revolution, although among the English, who came in colonial times, were not a few who could fairly boast of high social connections at home, and whose education and habits of life forced rec- ognition of distinctions more or less marked. A gradual change followed and the genera- tions succeeding the race of primitive early settlers, where position in life had been deter- mined by inheritance, found no sympathy in their hearts towards the common people. They were common people who made Rhine- beck. They have kept it alive. Two hun- dred years have worked little change in this respect. The common people are still at it. Of them is humanity principally made up. They make up the armies that fight. They are the force of men that till the soil, hold the levers of commerce, bear the bur- dens of trade, fill the churches, crowd the schools, build the homes of men where the Colonial Times and Later 351 leaders of the future are to be born and will compose the vast multitude in the great Be- yond. Gocl has need of them, and as Lincoln said, "God best loves the common people because he made so many of them." The convey- ances of the early days look odd to - day. Mrs. Gertrude Beek man's sleigh, in which she would ride on Sunday, in 1788, and later, to the "old Dutch church" on the flatts, would hardly answer persons in her walk of life now. Still it was cosey and comfortable, with its fur- covered seats, big- buffalo robes and foot- warming- pan. As stated on page 84, slavery existed in "ye olde town " in the early days. In 1755 there were 116 slaves; in 1790 the number reached 421. The old records show convey- ances of human flesh as well as of land. As a sample we copy this : " Know all men by these presents that I, Benjamin Van Steenburgh, of Rhinebeck Precinct, in the county of Dutchess, in consideration of four hundred and seventeen pounds, twelve shillings current hard money to me in hand, paid by Benjamin B. Van Steenburgh, of 352 Historic Old Ehinebeck the precinct and county aforesaid, yoeman, Have bar- gained and sold and by these presents do bargain and sell unto the said Benjamin B Van Steenburgh, The Negors, horses, chattels, Sheep, Swine, goods, house- hold stuffs and implements of household, whatsoever mentioned in the Schedule hereunto annexed." The remainder of the instrument is in due legal form, warranting- and defending* pos- session of said property. It bears date the 19th day of April, 1785. Then follows a schedule of the property, to wit: "Schedule of the Negurs, Horses, Hornbests etc., delivered by the within Bargain of Sale : A nigro man Peete, 17 yrs. old, £80 00. A negro wench Nancy 54 yrs. old 30 00. Their bedding, 1 00. A stallion 7 years old, 100 00. &c. &c." Another reads : " Know all men by these Presents that I, Anthony Hoffman, of Rhynbeck Town, in the County of Dutchess and State of New York, for and in consideration of the sum of Four hundred pounds current money of the said State already received to my full satisfaction, the receipts of which I do hereby acknowledge, have granted bargained and sold, and by these presents do grant, bargain and sell unto Anthony Rutgers, at present of the Town and County aforesaid, Esquire, the negro men negro women and children following, that is to say Dina and her children, old Tom his wife and children, Mathew and Enoch, which said negro named Enoch I have delivered into the possession of said Anthony Rutgers in the names of all the others, Colonial Times and Later 353 To have and to hold the negro men, negro women and children aforesaid unto the said Anthony Rutgers his heirs and assigns forever. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the City of New York, the eighth day of June in the year of our Lord, 1789 " Sealed and delivered in presence \ John Van Deusen, > Anthony Hoffman. Richard Husted. ) Here is a short deed of manumission : "To whom these presents shall come know ye that I, Philip J. Schuyler, of the Town of Rhinebeck, in the County of Dutchess and State of New York, do hereby manumit and set free Chalk, a blackman. As witness my hand this 19th day of April, 1811. Philip J. Schuyler. Witness present Henry Shop." Many now living- remember old L/ydia John- son. She was several years over one hundred at the time of her death. A remarkable woman, well liked by all, and called " Aunt Lyd." Her exact age cannot be ascertained from the town record ; it can be, however, within twenty-seven years. There is a law of the State of New York passed in 1801, in relation to slaves and servants, providing for the emancipation of slaves, under certain con- ditions, between the ages of eighteen and forty- five. This document was made pur- suant to this law : " We whose names are hereunto subscribed, Over- 354 Historic Old Rhinebeck seers of the Poor of the town of Rhinebeck, being applied to to examine into the age and ability of a female slave Lydia, owned by Henry B. Livingston, do hereby certify that upon due examination of her, the said Lydia, that she is under the age of forty-five years, and of sufficient ability to provide for herself. Given under our hands in the town of Rhinebeck, county of Dutchess and State of New York, this Twenty-first day of September, 1818." (Signed) Jacob Schultz, ) Poor Garrett Van Wagenen \ Masters. Then follows this certificate : " I hereby certify to all whom it may concern that by this instrument, and with the consent of the Poor- masters of this town, that I do emancipate my negro woman slave Lydia, Liddy or Lill, and discharge her from all further service. Given under my hand in the town of Rhinebeck, Oct. 5th, 1818. (Signed) Henry B. Livingston. Entered on record this 5th day of October, 1818. Henry F. Tallmadge, Town Clerk." Had Lydia been of the full age of forty-five years in 1818, she, of course, would, in 1874, have been one hundred and one 3^ears old. How much under that age she then was cannot be said, hut from the number of children she then had she could not have been far from forty-five years of age at that date. This writer knew her in the early seventies when she must have reached the century mark. She was a bright, happy, hard - working Colonial Times and Later 355 woman until the last. Had a pleasant word for everyone. Her son, William J. Johnson, is still living, and is over seventy-five years of age. Slavery in "ye olde town " was devoid of its most objectionable features. It was never as popular as the apprentice or servitude sys- tem. In 1790 the largest slave holder was Henry Gr. Livingston, who owned 13 ; the next four largest slave holders were Andries Hermanse, Robert Sands, Volkert Whitbeck and Henry B. Livingston. They each owned 11; Zachariah Hoffman owned 10; Moses Cantine and David Van Ness each owned 9. Morgan Lewis, John Stickle and Jeremiah Van Ocken each owned 8 ; Everardus Bogar- dus and Johannes Kiersted each owned 7, and so on through the list. CHAPTER XVII RHINEBECK IN WAR TIMES *' Our country to be cherished in all our hearts, to be defended by all our hands." Winthrop. IT has been said that there were three great epochs in our country's history in which its national character was best developed. The first was the revolution, referred to on pre- ceding- pages ; that gave birth to a flag of liberty and a nation of equality. The second was the Civil war ; that declared for a nation of loyalty and upheld a flag of unity. The third was the Spanish- American war, forced upon the country to help a neighboring, strug- gling people entitled to its protection by many ties, and long victims of wrongs and oppres- sion ; that made a flag of humanity. During each epoch sons of "ye olde town," native or adopted, responded nobly to the country's call. One country, one constitution, one flag, was cherished in their hearts and defended by their hands. Loyalty and patriotism to them have never been unmeaning words. Repeating Longfellow's lines, in every crisis : 356 Rhinebeck in War Times 357 "Thou, too, sail on, ship of state ! Sail on, O union, strong and great ! Humanity — with all its fears, With all the hopes of future years- Is hanging breathless on thy fate ! " they have ever been found ready and willing to perform any required service, In a sightly and ap- propriate location be- tween the two entrances to Rhinebeck's charming resting place of the dead, overlooking the historic old post road, and at the southern gateway to the village, stands the soldiers' mon- ument, erected in mem- ory of the "boys in blue," who went forth in 1861 and the .years up to 1865, to do battle for the Union, and to make it what it now is, strong and great. Parts of three companies were recruited in the town. Company C of the One Hundred and Twenty- eighth Regiment ; Companies F and K of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment. The following names are credited to Rhinebeck: 358 Historic Old Rhinebeck Explanation—* Killed in battle ; t wounded ; t Sauls- bury prison ; § died in hospital. One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Regi- ment, Company C — Francis S. Keese, cap- tain ; Howard H. Morse, first lieutenant ; Charles W. McKown, orderly sergeant; J. Howard Asher,f second sergeant ; John W. Keese, fourth sergeant ; George Tremper, second corporal ; Frank W. Rikert,J. third corporal ; Derrick Brown, fifth corporal ; Clement R, Dean, sixth corporal; David H. Hanabergh4 eighth corporal. Privates- James. M. Braley,t John W. Kip,§ Lemuel Marquart, George W. Hamilton,! John H. Van Etten, Charles Rynders, Martin V. B Hawkins, William H. Hawkins, James A. Fraleigh,f John W. Myers, f Calvin Rikert, William A. Noxon,§ John Gay, Edward F. Tater, Evert Traver, Charles W. Marquart, f Albert Ostrom, Robert P. Churchill,* Jasper De Wint,§ Charles Wooden,} Patrick Lyden, Robert H. Hayner,§ Benjamin H. Brown, Peter Scally, John E. Cole, Nathan Day, Robert Riseley, James L. H. Holdrige, James K. Brown, William B. Brown,} Joseph Brown.* One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment, Company F — John L. Green, captain ; Isaac F. Smith,* corporal ; Elias A. Briggs, cor- Rhinebeck in War Times 359 poral ; James M. Sneak, corporal ; William T. Francisco, wag-oner. Privates — Philip Bow- man, Jefferson Champlin, William B. Doyle, Thomas M. Fraleigh, Joseph La Bonta, John E. Odell, Stephen H. Rynders, Samuel K. Rupely, John McKinny. Company G — Ren- selaer Worden, Alexander Worden,§ Philan- der Word en, § Walter R. Bush. Company K — Wade H. Steenburgh, first lieutenant ; A. Landon Ostrom, first sergeant; Enos B. Sy- lands, third sergeant; Henry Lamp, fourth serg-eant ; Jacob Heeb, fifth sergeant ; Benja- min J. Hevenor, corporal. Privates — Charles M. Buckland, Leopold Oswold, George W. Clark, William H. Dederick, John Griner, Amos T. Lillie, Jacob Miller, De Witt Shaffer, Charles Wynans, Lawrence O'Brien, Fred- erick W. Pottenburgh, Stephen R. Tater, Harvey M. Traver, George A. Wager, § Al- fred Wooden, George W. Buckmaster. Com- pany B — William Holdridge, Edward Tater, Elisha Holdridge, Adam Weishaupt. Forty-Fourth (People's Elsworth Regi- ment) — Privates — Jacob Z. Hegeman, Charles Luff,* William E. Luff, Peter A. Norris, Samuel Risely, John Raymond, Philip R. Sy- lands, Stephen Hamilton. Twentieth Regiment, N. Y. State Militia — Jacob F. Teal,f Andrew J. Kip, George A. SGO Historic Old Rhinebeck Mann, Charles Asher, William Norris, Wil- liam Rikert, George Traver, Doug-las Mar- quardt, Thomas Price.* Other Regiments — Albert Prosius,f Thos. O'Brien, Alfred Lewis,§ James W. Lewis,§ Abner Proper, Samuel De Wint,§ John De W T int,§ Andrew Fraleig-h,§ Ambrose Ostrom, Richard R. Sylands, Georg-e Gay, Jacob Handschue, David McCarty. Col. David C. Wager on Gen. Halleck's staff. THE WAR WITH SPAIN Soon after the outbreak of the war with Spain, Ca.pt. F. J. Keenan, U. S. A., came to Rhinebeck, and held a meeting- in the Town hall on May 24, 1898. The following- were enlisted : George L. Williams, John Zaisser, Alfred Griffith, Wesley A. Mann, Arthur Merry weather, Charles Holdridg-e, Edward Casey, Walter Ostrom, Clarence Slauson, John R. Brig-g-s, Stephen Brigg-s, and assigned to Battery D, Sixth U. S. Light Artillery. Frederick Feller, assig-ned to Twenty-first U. S. Infantry. Paul H. Putzig\ Other recruits were : Henry Esselstyn (in Astor Battery), Frank Galvin, Leon Tice, Charles Fowler, Robert Ostrom, Georg-e Tapping-, Jacob Brigg-s, Thomas Kennaug-h, Herbert Eckert. JRhinebeck in War Times 361 Numerous battles, skirmishes and engage- ments were experienced by the boys from old Rhinebeck, as their discharges will show, such as "Manila," February 4 and 5, 1899; "San Pedro, Maeati," March 13, 1899; "Cemetery Hill," February 17 to 20 and March 14; also "Pasig," from March 14 to 21; "Malolas," "Calooeau," "Bag-bag River," "Pasig City," "Cavite" and other engagements without losing one man, although several received wounds. Comrades and friends fell all about them, but our boys all returned, some broken in health, but still able to march to martial music when they were given a grand recep- tion by the citizens of Rhinebeck on Monday evening, August 28, 1899 ; the entire fire department, with T. A. Traver as grand marshal, paraded. We are indebted to George L. Williams, the leader of the Rhinebeck boys, for this data. GRAND ARMY POST Armstrong Post No. 104, G. A. R., is an effective organization of veterans of the Civil war. Comrade A. C. McCurdy is commander and Comrade Benjamin H. Brown adjutant. It holds regular meetings, and provides for the proper observance of Memorial day. The following is a list of present members : Wil- 362 Historic Old Rhinebeck liam B. Brown, James K. Brown, Frederick Bauman, B. N. Baker, Edward Delemater, Peter Funk, John H. Hager, Charles Lewis, Douglas Marquardt, Charles March, Augus- tus McCurdy, Frederick Obermier, A. L. Os- trom, Calvin Rikert, F. Rikert, R. E. Stickle, George Tremper, Joseph Toneu, R. C. Wor- den, Henry M. Ackert, B. H. Brown, Le Grand Graham, V. D. Lake, Henry Miller, S. B. Roome, C. A. Nichols, J. H. Asher, S. R. Tator, M. Joyce, William E. Luff, Wil- liam Pottenburgh, George Ellsworth, Myron Horton. Company C, One Hundred and Twenty- eighth regiment holds annual reunions, which are well attended by the comrades. CHAPTER XVIII THE CEMETERY " Give me possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of sight." Genesis xxiii 4. THE first grant of land for burial purposes on "the flatts" was made by Col. Henry Beekman on the 26th day of August, 1730. The plot was adjacent to the " Old Dutch Church." On the 3d day of March, 1822, the Methodist church received from Mrs. Janet Livingston-Montgomery, through Miss Mary Garrettson, title to land where the church now stands, and a burying ground was made back of the church. On June 30, 1832, Mrs. Catherine Garrettson presented a half acre of ground for burial purposes, south and east of Landsman kill, and a few feet west of the post road, on condition that the church trustees " surround it with a good fence and permit no more interments in the ground attached to the church." The deed for this ground bears date the 27th day of March, 1835. On the 19th day of February, 1856, Miss Mary Garrettson gave five acres adjoin- ing for an addition to the cemetery, and thus 363 364 Historic Old Ehinebeck enlarged it was designated as the "Rhine- beck Cemetery of the Methodist Episcopal Church." On the 28th day of December, 1823, Mrs. Janet Livingston-Montgomery gave a lot on the post road north of the turnpike for a Baptist church, and afterwards some inter- ments were made on this lot. The village was incorporated on the 23d day of April, 1834, and in 1845, by an ordi- nance, prohibited burials in these cemeteries adjacent to the churches. At that time a prominent, public-spirited citizen, Mr. Henry De Lamater, interested himself in establish- ing a new cemetery. He selected the grounds on the post road south of Landsman's kill and overlooking it. He devoted much time and considerable means to the undertaking. He is entitled to credit as the projector of the present "Rhinebeck Cemetery." The Episcopal church received a grant of five acres from Mr. Lewis Livingston in 1871 for burial purposes. This land was south and west of the Methodist cemetery and adjoined it. On the 27th day of August, 1853, Miss Mary Garrettson gave a half acre of ground for a cemetery for the "people of color." This ground was west of the De Lamater pur- chase, and reached through it. All these acres are now in one cemetery under one The Cemetery 365 management. Additional ground on the post road, south of the first gate, has also been acquired. The whole is now a union ceme- tery, and bears the name of "Rhinebeck." It is non-sectarian. It is a lovely spot for a cemetery, well located, amid rural surroundings, and easily accessible. It makes an idealistic resting- place for the dead, certain never to be wan- tonly disturbed by the hand of man or other- wise diverted from the sacred use to which it is now consecrated. Its knolls command long- stretches of charming- scenery. Its dells are alluring-. The Landsman's kill, a rippling stream, runs merril} 7 below it. The site is admirable. Over one thousand dead are rest- ing- there. It is the Mecca of many a pil- grimage. Thousands of dollars have been expended in memorial work and beautifying the grounds. Good taste is everywhere ap- parent. Time will by natural law add to its attractiveness. Death is stripped of many of its pangs when it brings all that is mortal to rest amid such surroundings. The noise, bustle and confusion incident to city life, with possi- ble disturbance or encroachment to meet the demand's of a metropolis with its great popu- lation are not to be feared. Here the dead will sleep in peace. 366 Historic Old Rhinebeck On the 3d day of November, 1883, the " Rhinebeck Cemetery Association " was duly incorporated. It is managed by a board of trustees. The lots are laid out sixteen feet square. Larger lots can be purchased. In developing- these grounds credit must be given to Simon Welch, Edwin Hill, Virgil C. Tra- ver, William Carrol], and the present faithful superintendent, William Thomson. The cemetery belongs to the plot owners, each one of whom is entitled to a voice in its management and control. It is in every sense a practical, earnest effort to supplement the beautiful homes of the locality with a cor- responding resting place for the dead. Every dollar received is used frugally for the en- largement, management or improvement of the grounds. Its lands are exempt from tax- ation. The plots cannot be sold upon execu- tion for debt issued against the plot owner. The plots become absolutely inalienable after a burial is made in them, except with the con- sent and upon an order issued by the Supreme Court. The humane policy of the law pro- vides that the repose of the dead shall not be disturbed by hungry greed or by cruel mis- fortune. Somewhere the early settlers buried loved ones. Succeeding generations are doing the The Cemetery 367 same. " Where are our dead ? " The sons and daughters of the present should know. Can they locate graves? Some may he in the "Kerk Hof," near the entrance to the Holi- day farm on the river ; others may repose in the old German yard at Kirchehoek ; others still in the forgotten Fraleigh ground on the post road. Then there is the old Dutch cem- etery, the Methodist back of the church, and the graves on the Baptist church lot; all in the village proper. These, with the Stone church, Wurtemburgh and Rhinebeck ceme- teries, hold the dead of "ye olcle town " for more than two centuries. In these grounds repose pioneers, soldiers, statesmen, scholars, merchants, inventors, mechanics, farmers ; men and women who were, in their day, active in all the affairs of life. The senti- ment of the twentieth century demands for the departed a convenient depositor, made beautiful and attractive, a pleasant spot to visit, and what was once a country grave- yard becomes a carefully supervised ceme- tery. How reminiscent to find recorded in marble the names of parents and children from the earliest clays. The shafts, the cubes, the slabs, the sculpture, the vaults, the graves, are not only historical reminders of persons and dates, but we frequently find "a 368 Historic Old Rhinebeck sermon in stone " more expressive than words and more eloquent than speech, that attracts the eye and inspires the soul. The "Rhinebeck Cemetery Association" has for its officers the following- well-known citizens of the town: Trustees, 1908 — George Esselstyn, William Thomson, Dr. Benjamin N. Baker, John D. Judson, Martin Heer- mance, Wesley I. Miller, M. V. B. Schryver, F. G. Cotting, William R. Carroll, O. E. Cookingham, William H. Judson, Dr. C. S. Van Etten, A. Lee Wager, Dr. J. F. Goodell. Officers — Dr. Benjamin N. Baker, president; A. Lee Wager, vice-president ; William Thom- son, secretary and treasurer; Wm. Thomson, superintendent ; Wesley I. Miller, assistant. Executive committee — Dr. Benjamin N. Ba- ker, A. Lee Wager, George Esselstyn, W. H. Judson, W. R. Carroll. The officers give personal attention to cemetery affairs. The trustees have made suitable provision for the care of lots at a reasonable expense. The superintendent and his assistants are competent to do the required work. It should be the pride, as it is the sacred duty, of the living relatives of the dear ones buried there to assist these officers to the extent of their ability. The cemetery association has no reg- ular income, but depends entirely upon the The Cemetery 369 voluntary contributions of the lot owners to make all needed improvements, as well as to take proper care of the grounds. A receiving- vault was built in 1898 at a cost of $950. Interments in this vault are subject to a charge of $5 ; bodies to be re- moved from vault prior to May each year. Annual meetings of the board of trustees are held on the first Saturday in November at three o'clock p.m. The cemetery association is authorized by law to receive gifts or bequests for the pur- pose of applying the income thereof to the preservation or renewal of any improvements which may be made on lots, or to the embel- lishment of the general cemetery grounds. To the very natural wish that one's own place of final repose should ever be decent and respectable, a still stronger motive is added by a regard for the memory of others. Hence, the need of proper and certain pro- vision to that end. Any inquiry in regard to pertinent matters addressed to the secretary of the association receives prompt attention. This is also true in connection with the "Old Dutch," Stone Church and Wurtemburgh cemeteries, except the inquiry should be made of the pastor, who wull refer it to the proper officer. CHAPTER XIX RHINECLIFF " They have their exits and their entrances." Adapted. ENTRANCE to "ye olde town," and, as for that matter, the exit too, is the depot of the New York Central and Hudson River railroad and the town dock adjacent. This is the landing" of the Rhinebeck and Kingston ferry, and occasionally a steamboat stops at the dock. Prior to 1852 it was the Schatzel farm and dock. It is mainly on the Artsen or Van Wagenen lot, No. 6, in the partition made by the five partners, as shown on page 13. The railroad is less than two miles from Rhinebeck village. This depot is about three miles away. When the question of location of the rail- road depot was under consideration, Charles H. Russell, a director of the company, bought the Schatzel property, and the depot was established where it now is. This necessitated a change of the ferry landing. Then Mr. Rus- sell had a vision of a city springing up around the station. He mapped the land accordingly. It was at the start known as Schatzelville, 370 Rhinecliff 371 but James Boorman was president of the rail- road company, which was then simply the Hudson river railroad company, and ib was deemed wise to call the place "Boormanville." This would not stick, and for a long- time it was designated as Rhinebeck station, with the words "ferry to Rondout and Kingston " added for information in the printed matter of the company. An enterprising architect and builder, George Veitch, located in the town about the time the railroad was opened for travel, and Mr. Russell interested him in the depot and embryo cit}^ venture. He bought a lot on what he called " the cliff," and erected a dwell- ing there. He located, designed and built the hotel now there. Some lots were sold and houses erected lor the accommodation of rail- road employees. Capt. B. F. Schultz of the ferry, Isaac F. Russell, the railroad agent ; Samuel Hester, the freight agent, and others entered into the spirit of the enterprise, and the boom had a fair start. Natural condi- tions, however, proved «a barrier. Mr. Veitch, who was the master mind at this time, did not like the name "Boorman- ville." He thought perhaps there might be something in a name, and after wrestling with the problem for a year or more he solved it, 372 Historic Old Rhinebeck as he thought, by striking the "beck" off of Rhinebeck and adding "cliff" in its place, making the incongruous name of " Rhinecliff " apply to a railway station on the Hudson river shore. It was a misnomer. East Rondout would have been more appropriate. It is opposite that place, and that fact might have served as a reason. There is none for Rhine- cliff. " It makes me laugh," said Wm. Kelly. For twenty-five years or more the railroad company ignored this appellation, and con- tinued to call this station Rhinebeck. The day boats did the same. The historic old town having a name with a reason for it, going back for two hundred years, was re- spected and recognized. Now it is no longer placed on the railroad time-table or the river map. This ought not to be so. Rhinecliff never met the expectations of Mr. Russell or Mr. Veitch. They labored without avail. It is a small hamlet of about two hundred and fifty people. It has a local postofifice. Rev. Michael Scully in his life- time did much towards the upbuilding of the locality. His enterprise was considerable. Upon his death most of his projects were aban- doned. It is now only the railroad entrance to Linwood, Ellerslie, Ferncliff, and the village of Rhinebeck. It contains three >l "I Rhinecliff 373 churches, Catholic, Methodist and Episco- pal. It has a fine school ; it is district No. 2 of the town. Gov. Morton and Col. Astor have kept the roads to the depot in fair con- dition. There are two or three stores, a good hotel and the usual accompaniments of a railroad station. Kingston Point and the West Shore railroad have shorn it of much of its early prestige. North and south there are scattered homes of families attending church there. Stages connect with Rhinebeck village nearly three miles beyond. Its prominent residents are Rev. M. F. Ay 1 ward, W. B. Noxon, H. H. Pearson, T. E. Hester, G. W. Cutler, F. J. Cornwell, J. S. Merritt, R. B. Schultz, Daniel O'Connell, R. Beach, R. C. Champlin. THE MEMORIAL BUILDING The only public building in Rhinecliff is known as the Memorial building, erected by Mr. Levi P. Morton as a memorial to his deceased daughter. It is a spacious structure. Has all modern and requisite facilities for the purposes to which it is devoted. A good library, a reading room, an auditorium. It has two departments, one for men, another for women. Clubs for men, women and boys have been organized. No pains are spared to 374 Historic Old Rhinebeck interest one and all in this laudable undertak- ing- for the betterment of local conditions and the improvement of members. Mr. and Mrs. William W. Hughes are in charge of the building, and supervise the work with ability and good judgment. There is a great need in small hamlets of a place where young people can meet— where the environments are uplifting — and the Me- morial building is supplying this need in Rhinecliff. As time goes on the influences going out from this building should result in truer and nobler manhood and womanhood. Gov. Morton has done much for the locality in other ways, especially in the line of good roads. The Episcopal Church of the Ascen- sion enjoys the favor of his family. On page 193 we find ourselves in error as to the donor of the Morton church organ to the Church of the Messiah in the village. It was the sister, Miss Morton, and not the parents, who was the donor. st. Joseph's cemetery There is also a large cemetery, well located and managed, at Rhinecliff, established in connection with St. Joseph's Catholic church, where for a quarter of a century interments have been made. CHAPTER XX THE FRATERNITIES " Bright firesides, warm palms, and loving hearts, They are the fragrance of the rose of life ; The worth that must abide — ideal made real, In fraternity's bond united." Newton. THE world is better because side by side with the school house and the church fraternal societies have labored to add to our comfort and happiness by enabling* us better to appreciate and enjoy our natural liberties. Fraternity develops a loyalty and conser- vatism which dwells in the hearts of men, delves in the mines, toils in the workshops, gleans in the harvest, shines in the profession, traverses the rivers and seas, and supplies mankind with its charity, its benevolence and its worth. Fraternity is the union of hearts, hands and heads for beneficial purposes. The first fraternal society in "ye olde town " was a Masonic lodge. It came soon after the revolution, and was named ' ' Mont- gomery." Gen. Lewis, Dr, Tillotson, Bo- gardus, Kiersted, Radcliffe, Livingston, Pot- ter and others of the early days were Masons. 375 376 Historic Old Rhinebeck Stephen McCarty, a member of this lodge, in his old age united with Rhinebeck No. 432. Koert Du Bois, John Cox, Jr., Isaac F. Rus- sell and Stephen Jennings are also recalled as members of the old lodge. This lodge at first held its meetings in the "old hotel," and later had a lodge room in Kip's tavern, or Tam- many Hall, as it was known. During the anti- Masonic crusade of 1827-37 it passed out of existence. ODD FELLOWS Some years later the Odd Fellows came. In the summer of 1845 Rhinebeck contained three Odd Fellows. Ambrose Wager, then a young man, a rising, talented, ambitious, respected lawyer w^ho rapidly advanced to first place at the bar, was several times supervisor of the town, twice a member of the State Legislature, and once the candidate of his party for representative in Congress. Woodward Frisbee and Jacob M. Hogan, then active, enterprising young business men, and earnest Odd Fellows interested in extend- ing the institution and giving others an oppor- tunity to unite with the order. Wager,. Frisbee and Hogan founded Rhinebeck Lodge No. 162. Mr. Wager was its first N. G., Mr. Frisbee V. G., and Mr. Hogan its treasurer. The Fraternities 377 At the first meeting of the lodge, held on the afternoon of July 16, 1845, Cyrus B. Morse, Edward Holdridge and Hiram T. Van Keuren were initiated, and Mr. Holdridge was elected secretary. From this beginning the lodge grew and prospered, Its initiates came from Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Milan, Pine Plains, Clinton and Hyde Park. Fully one thousand members have been added to the order be- cause of the organization of Rhinebeck lodge. The lodge is now cosily housed in a large hall with convenient ante-rooms on the third floor of the Hamlin building on East Market street. It has a history. It has been over sixty years in the making. It has held over three thousand meetings. It has buried over one hundred and fifty of its members. It counts its fraternal visitations to sick brothers by the thousands. Its friendly hand, laden with relief, has been open at all times in the hour of necessity. It has never failed to answer the sign of distress, and the cardinal principles of the order— visit the sick, bury the dead, educate the orphan, protect the widow — have never had anywhere more loyal and faithful exponents than the brothers of Rhinebeck Lodge No. 162. This lodge is a flourishing organization 378 Historic Old Bhinebeck to-day. In 1895 it celebrated its fiftieth anni- versary. It was a memorable occasion. The officers of the grand lodge attended. Past Grands James C. McCarty and William S. Myers, made members in 1845, were present ; also Past Grands Alonzo C. Noxon, James H. Kipp, John W. Fulmer, Daniel H. Guilfoil, Elmore Rikert, Jacob H. Pottenburgh, Nel- son Traver, James H. Snyder, William C. Ackert, and others on the half century list. Past Grand Howard H. Morse, son of the first initiate, delivered the historical address. The lodge holds weekly meetings every Mon- day evening. It owns a fine piece of real estate, a three -story brick structure opposite, which it hopes to turn into an " Odd Fellows' hall" in the future. It now numbers over two hundred members. Jazar Encampment is a separate branch of the order. A. M. Quick, Louis Rosenkranz, M. H. Traver, O. V. Moeslin, J. C. Milroy, W. L. Allen, W. R. Carroll, John H. Brown, Edwin Y. Marquardt, Lee Van Vredenburg, Ernest Steenbergh, are active workers in the order. MASONS Rhinebeck Lodge, No. 432, F. and A. M., was organized on the 9th day of July, 1857. The charter members were Smith Quick, The Fraternities 379 James Hogan, De Witt C. Marshall, Richard R. Sy lands, Ambrose Wager and Henry M. Taylor. Among- its earliest members are the names of Isaac F. Russell, Cyrus B. Morse, Albert A. Rider, Horatio Fovvkes, Homer Gray, Robert J. L. Marshall, William Carroll, John D. Judson, Henry Latson, George Lor- illard, Hiram T. Van Keuren, John W. Moore, Martin Freleigh, M.D., and others. Its W. M's were Smith Quick, Homer Gray, R. J. L. Marshall, William M. Sayre, James C. McCarty, George Esselstyn, Virgil C. Traver, M. H. Wygant, Martin Heermance, A. Lee Wager, James M. De Garmo, Frank Cramer, William A. Tripp, William C. Ackert, and the present incumbent, R. Ray- mond Rikert. The lodge celebrated its fif- tieth anniversary on the 9th of July, 1907, and its first W. M., Smith Quick, then over eighty years of age, presided. It has over one hundred members, representative business men of the locality. Holds regular com- munications every Friday evening at 8 o'clock in Masonic hall, except between the second week in June and the third week in Sep- tember. PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY This is a strong co-operative society. Most 380 Historic Old Rhinebeck of its members are farmers, or engaged in vegetable, fruit or flower culture. Men and women are admitted. There are over thirty thousand subordinate granges. It favors postal savings banks, pure food laws, regula- tion of corporations, parcel post, anti-trust laws, good roads, etc. Rhinebeck Grange No. 896 was organized in November, 1900. It has over sevent3 7 -flve members. Charles R. Traver, T. S. Barnes, Miss A. H. Lambert, J. D. Lown, W. R. Tremper, C. E. Wynkoop, Seymour Smith, are leading members. It is a power in many ways, and its possibilities are far-reaching. OTHER SOCIETIES There is a council of the Royal Arcanum, a strong insurance society. Its number is 1999. There is a branch of the National Protec- tive Legion, a benefit society. Its number is 730. SOCIETY FOR THE DETECTION OF HORSE THIEVES The Rhinebeck, Clinton, and Hyde Park Society for the Detection of Horse Thieves was organized prior to 1860. The earliest record now at hand states that Jacob H. Ackert was president, Philip H. Moore, vice- president ; John H. Traver, secretary, and The Fraternities 381 Ephriam W. Pultz, treasurer, and that then there were one hundred and five members enrolled. The society holds its annual meet- ing- on the 1st day of January, unless that day comes on Sunday, when it is held on the second day. The funds are obtained by lining' the members twenty-five cents for non- attendance. In case a horse is stolen, riders are appointed to scour the country to find it, if possible. In case the horse is not recov- ered the owner is paid its value from the funds of the society. For over forty-two years only one horse belonging to a member of the society has been stolen, and that was recovered. The society now numbers ninety- seven members. R. M. Green served as sec- retary for thirty -seven years. George H. Shultz, the present treasurer, has served in that capacity for twenty -five years. The societ3^ has about five hundred dollars in the treasury at present. The officers for 1908 are : J. D. Lown, president; Frank Lown, vice- president ; Charles R. Traver, secretary ; G. H. Shultz, treasurer. farmers' town mutual insurance com- pany OF RHINEBECK Another noteworthy organization of the town is the Farmers' Town Mutual Insurance 382 Historic Old Ehinebeck Company. Organized in 1880, with about thirty members and $100,000 insurance in force, it has steadily gained in favor and strength, until now it has one hundred and twenty members and $300,000 insurance in force. Over four-fifths of the farmers of the town belong to the organization. During the twenty-eight years of its existence it has had only three assessments. But one building insured in the company has up to the present been destroyed, and that by lightning. The working officers are : Robert M. Greene, pres- ident ; Charles R. Traver, secretary ; Henry J. Lown, treasurer. These with John P. Her- mans, Mandeville S. Frost, Alveron C. Mar- quet, Jacob Class, William Edgar Ackert, V. S., and William H. Cramer, constitute the board of directors at the present time. Its first board of directors was as follows : Philip H. Moore, Alfred Moore, Hiram A. Pultz, Michael Traver, Frederick Cotting, Albert G. Traver, Samuel Ten Broeck, David H. Schryver, Robert M. Greene. KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS Rhinebeck Lodge, No. 345, Knights of Pythias, was instituted June 29, 1893, with an enrollment of thirty-four charter mem- bers, a dispensation having been granted by The Fraternities 383 Grand Chancellor William Ladew, May 19, 1893. The instituting officers were : grand chancellor, William Laclew ; supreme repre- sentative, Aaron B. Gardenier ; State deputy, David J. Auchmoody ; deputy grand chan- cellor, C. W. N. Arnold. George Esselstyn was elected its first chancellor commander, A. M. Quick, vice-chancellor, and E. Holley, Jr., the first representative to the grand lodge. At the time of its institution Rhine- beck lodge was assigned to the 43d district. It is now in the 13th district. George C. Lang of Rhinebeck lodge is the present deput} 7 grand chancellor of this district. Throughout its entire career this lodge has maintained a policy of conservatism estab- lished at the outset. It has enjoyed a steady and wholesome growth, and has now a mem- bership of 103, and a reserve fund of nearly twenty-five hundred dollars in its exchequer. Upon its roster are found the names of many representative citizens, prominent in the various walks of life. Being an order founded on the principles of friendship, charity and benevolence, its benefi- cent influences are recognized on every hand, and by the exercise of these virtues it has won for itself a prominent place among the various humanizing agencies of the com- 384 Historic Old Rhinebeck munity, striving for the elevation, the better- ment and happiness of mankind. The present officers of the lodge are : chancellor com- mander, H. A. Burger; vice-chancellor, G. C. Lang; prelate, M. W. Traver; keeper of record and seal, Piatt V. Gray ; master of finance, M. J. Dederick ; master of work,' William M. Sleight; master of exchequer, Stanton Rockfeller. BLITHEWOOD LIGHT INFANTRY — COMPANY B The Blithewood Light Infantry is a military organization of young men of the town, supported and drilled by Capt. Andrew C. Zabriskie. The Rhinebeck company is desig- nated "B," and it has some sixty members. Its officers are : first lieutenant, Harr} 7 Sims ; second lieutenant, Charles H. Coonrod ; first sergeant, W. W. Brundage ; quartermaster sergeant, Charles Suckow ; sergeants — Chester Haen, Lee Stickles; corporals — James Kearns, Jr., Edward Forbes, Harry Shook. A store on West Market street has been rented as headquarters for the company, and two drills are held each w r eek, one indoors with guns and the other movements outside. The members are appropriately uniformed and supplied with new Springfield U. S. Cadet magazine rifles. The benefits to be derived The Fraternities 385 from such an organization are far-reaching-. Capt. Zabriskie is engaged in a commendable undertaking, and his public spirit cannot fail to be appreciated by the young men he com- mands and citizens of "ye olde town" he benefits. A fife and drum corps, with about thirty members, is attached to the company. This corps is also properly uniformed and furnished with the best instruments for use ; it is under the direction of an able instructor. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT The village is favored with a well-organized and officered fire department. This, with an adequate water supply, supplemented with hydrant facilities for its delivery and use, the pressure being sufficient to carry the water over the highest building, assures proper fire protection. In addition there is the old and reliable hand engine "Pocahontas," of well- deserved fame ; a steamer, a hook-and-ladder outfit and hose jumpers. For parade pur- poses there is a superb hose carriage. The hose company formerly bore the name of "Walter W. Schell." It is now "Henry S. Kip." The officers of the department for 1908 are : Augustus M. Quick, chief engineer; Charles Heeb, first assistant ; N. Noraby, second assistant; William H. Judson, captain 386 Historic Old Rhinebeck hook and ladder and engine company ; James Newman, foreman hose company ; Edward Casey, foreman steamer. Fireman's hall is fitted up and well furnished for the use of the fire laddies. It is a popular resort. In the social life of the town the companies play an important part. Fairs, balls, entertainments, are given from time to time, and the " home day" gatherings and exercises under the auspices of the department in 1904 and 1908 will be long remembered as enjoyable events. ladies' auxiliaries There are no local fraternities like the "Eastern Star" for Masons' wives, daugh- ters, etc., or the "Rebeccas" for Odd Fel- lows, or Pythian sisterhood for the Knights. There are one or two societies that admit women as members. The women, however, are first and foremost on occasions when their helping hand is needed, and they organize, appoint officers and committees, and do their full share in making a success of affairs under the auspices of the several societies. CHAPTER XXI VIOLETS " Weep no more, nor sigh, nor groan, Sorrow calls no time that's gone ; Violets plucked, the sweetest rain Makes not fresh nor grow again." Fletcher. VIOLET culture is a business. The crop is worth more than $1,000,000 a year. Only the rose, carnation and chrysanthemum outrank it among* florists' greenhouse pro- ducts. In two decades Rhinebeck has become known far and wide as the violet town. Here it is certainly a business. It owes this condi- tion to George Saltford, who came to "ye olde town " in the eighties. He understood violet culture and inaugurated it on practical lines. His success was marked from the start. One-fourth of the yearly crop now goes to market from Rhinebeck. It is said that $250,000 was brought into the town from violets this year (1907-8). Violet houses in some parts of the village are almost as numer- ous as dwellings. The outskirts, north, south, east, and west, are dotted with them. Violet culture has become epidemic. It is very prof- 387 388 Historic Old Rhinebeck itable. A single crop in the early years of the industry often paid the cost of the house three or four times over. Nearly one hundred persons now own violet houses ; several possess two or more houses. A house holds over five thousand plants. Ten thousand flowers a week is an ordinary yield. Walking* through the village streets the glass roofs in the back yards present to the eye a queer appearance. There are many " glass houses," and therefore very little throwing of stones. The adage is observed. The standard violet house is one hundred and fifty feet long and twenty to twenty-four feet wide, with a low-pitched roof of glass like any greenhouse. A small shed is built across the end. Here the packing is done. At one end of the shed, and usually at a lower level, are the heater and coal bin. Pipes from the boiler run around the walls and a couple go down the middle of the house. Two aisles a foot or two deep separate the three beds by just space enough to walk in. Every possible inch of surface is planted. About twenty tons of coal will keep such a house in proper temperature, which must not exceed 60 degrees in the day time, and it can run down to 40 degrees at night, for the season. The houses are usually well built ; so simple Violets 389 is the plan that any man can build one with the local carpenter's help. Frames for the glass are reasonable in price in standard greenhouse sizes. The owner is often his own painter, glazier and even plumber and steam- fitter. The piping is done with cheap boiler tubing. Having installed a boiler and stocked a house with plants, zeal for expansion fol- lows. The same boiler will heat two or three houses as well as one. Cuttings are easily provided. The trebling of the capacity of the establishment does not multiply the ex- pense nor the care by three. The tempta- tion to enlarge is generally irresistible. The supply is never equal to the demand. Winter is the violet raiser's busy season. The plants bloom for seven months steadily, from September till May. Picking is a con- stant occupation. The beds are picked in reg- ular sequence. It is wasteful to let a plant go a week unpicked unless the weather has been unfavorable. On such days the plants stand still. An average plant yields sixty blossoms in a season. Many approach one hundred. The best growers are those who make the culture a study. There is much to learn. Few know T it all. This industry began in 1890, and to-da} 7 the growers own approximately 450,000 square 390 Historic Old Ehinebeck feet of glass. Under these roofs 1,000,000 plants are grown, which represent an annual income of over $200,000 for a season's pro- duction. There is money in it ; not easy but sure. Picking violets may be a picturesque and poetical occupation in woodland glades in the sweet spring time, bat in winter in the violet house it is a prosaic and wearisome business, the most exacting in the whole round of the grower's varied program. At corn husking a man is on his feet and can exert his muscular force effectively. Here it must be restrained. A violet plant must be treated tenderly. The flowers must be chosen with intelligence. The bud is a bud, no matter how large, until the recurving of the outer petals entirely con- ceals the green disk. All buds and discolored or imperfect flowers are left by the picker. The beds are six to eight feet wide, with the aisle on one side. Picking from the aisle there are four rows to do. This means a reach of about a yard and a stoop that is backbreaking to the beginner. The shallow beds are, of course, the worst. Picking the outer rows, the picking board is required. The picker may lie on it at full length, but it is not at all like a hammock It is a narrow plank hooked by curved iron straps over a Violets 391 heating- pipe. Wooden cleats secure it to the frame of the bed at the aisle. The positions the picker can assume are not many. Some may be less uncomfortable than others. One rule is fixed— the picker must not roll off. Boys become expert pickers. They get used to the board. Women and girls help in the rush season, but the work is too hard for them. The stooping and the twisting are painful, wearisome operations. Towards the last comes the picking of the leaves. They are heaped on a table before the "leafers," who receive the bunches from the tank. The flowers have freshened won- derfully in the short time since they left the warm hand of the picker. The string is loosened, and a row of overlapping leaves soon form a frill around the bunch. A coil of the string around each two or three leaves keeps them in place. The ends are securely tied and the stems wrapped in tinfoil. There is one sought-for violet grown in Rhinebeck. That is the Marie Louise, a thrifty double flower with luxuriant, lustrous foliage, long stems and deep, even color. It is the violet the New York market prefers. While shipments are made as early as the middle of September, the better stock comes for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays, 392 Historic Old Rhinebeck when spending- money is plenty. The flowers get finer with every picking' until about the last of February, which is the zenith of the vigor and productivity of the plants. The well-being of the plants is the first con- cern of the cultivators the year round. They must be "cleaned" vigilantly in and out of season. In the midst of the harvest season boys follow the pickers. They take out blasted buds, broken stems, "false leaves" (little malformed ones), over-ripe flowers and unhealthy leaves. In short, any member showing a blemish or any lack of vitality is removed. The amount of waste that the beds 3 r ield to these keen-eyed collectors is past belief, and the energy added to the plants is astonishing. Rhinebeckers have accepted a formula for violet culture, and they are not afraid of hard work, but over-confidence in a formula should not prevent that serious study on broader lines that alone can make success permanent. There is always room for improvement. There is a noon express for New York which the violet growers very generally patronize. The express wagon starts for the depot about an hour before train time. So the picking and packing for this train must be done by eleven o'clock. The flowers are fresher and SHIPPING VIOLETS AT VILLAGE EXPRESS OFFICE IN BUSY SEASON Violets 393 more fragrant for the morning picking-, and have better keeping qualities. It is said that the lazy man waives these considerations, preferring to pick the day before and leave the bunches over night in the tank. Easter is the end of the violet season. The plants then have exhausted their powers. For months runners have seized the space between the rows, and the bed has become a solid mass of plants. The next step is all- important. Cuttings are to be made for next year's crop. Only the youngest, tenderest shoots are selected. Their tops are pruned to two or three leaves. If a root is started it is pinched off. These tender cuttings are set in boxes of clean, sharp sand and watered freely. They are kept in sheltered places and covered with newspapers. In four to six weeks they will be rooted and ready to set in the new beds. This culture course from one season to another, in experienced hands, is a continuous performance, both pleasant and profitable. To-day the violet industry is practically the main source of revenue in the town. It solved a serious problem at the right time. It should prove an "open door "to equally good oppor- tunities. CHAPTER XXII who's who and was " Who that hath ever been Could bear to be no more? Yet who would tread again the scene He trod through life before ? " Montgomery. READERS will find in the preceding* pages, commencing- with the pioneers, Artsen- Van Wagenen, Roosa-Van Etten, Elton-Du Bois, Kip-Sleight, with the Heermance, Rad- clift'e, Van Vredenburg-h, Ostrander, Elmen- dorf, Schell, De Lamater, Piatt, and other connections; continuing- with the Beekman- Living*ston-Tillotson-Lewis - Garrettson - Rut- sen - Schuyler - Armstrong - Astor alliances; embracing- in addition the Palatine settlers and later comers, all that is necessary in the way of information as to "who that hath ever been" prominent in "ye olde town." The "Century Dictionary" says that history is "a past worthy of record," and Bacon said its true office is "to represent the events themselves tog-ether with the counsels, and to leave the observations and conclusions there- upon to the liberty and faculty of every man's 394 Who's Who and Was 395 judgment." A history could not be written without mention of those who played their part in making- it. So far as possible this has been done. The names found are of record. Nearly every pag-e contains one or more; who they were and what they did is told and deserved credit given. Every descendant or relative, direct or remote, of these worthy sires should be proud of his or her Rhinebeck affiliations. To trace ancestry as far back as possible is now a pleasing- task. The w r ard, precinct and town officers hav- ing- been named and the early freeholders listed, the postmasters are entitled to men- tion. In 1710 a postal system was proposed for the colonies. It was fifty years before it could be said to be in operation. In 1789 the United States assumed control. Postage then was from eig-ht to twenty-five cents a letter, according- to distance. Asa Potter appears to have been first postmaster on "the flatts." He was followed by John Fowkes, Christian Schell, William B. Piatt, Eliphalet Piatt, M.D., Albert A. Rider, Theophilus Gillender, John M. Keese, John N. Cramer, Andrew J. Odell, Allen H. Hoffman, Albert L. Rider, James C. McCarty and the present worthy incumbent, George Tremper. Up to 1857 the postoffice was located in one of the principal 396 Historic Old Rhinebeck stores, the merchant being" also the post- master. Albert A. Rider was the last post- master of this class. The office had during his term so increased in importance as to require separation from other business. Mr. Rider made a first-class official. He had been town clerk for several years. His store com- manded the trade of a large farming section. His successor was engaged in no other busi- ness. Mr. Rider's eldest son, John P. Rider, like his father, is an able business man, and president of the Matteawan National Bank. The postoffice is now located in the Town hall, and has a rural free delivery annex. From the start homes took precedence in the town. The people were home makers. Some of the old homes became noted. That of Col. Henry Beekman, originally the Kip house of 1700, and Beekman-Livingston from 1726 to 1840, and then Heermance, shown in frontispiece, is first on the list. (See pages 6, 7, 26, 27, 89.) " Grasmere " stands second ; the first house having- been erected in 1773 by Gen. Richard Montgomery. (See pages 29, 96, 97, 238, 274.) The present occupants are Mrs. F. A. Crosby and her son, Maunsel S. Crosby, the widow and son of Hon. Ernest H. Crosby, deceased, an eminent citizen of international fame, who was the son of the REV. DR. J. H. SUYDAM ERNEST H. CROSBY EDWIN HILL PETER M. FULTON WILLIAM BERGH KIP JOHN A, TRAYER Who's Who and Was 397 distinguished clergyman, Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby, deceased. From the Livingstons to the Crosbys the fame of Grasmere stands unimpaired. "Linwood" comes next. This estate is on Roosa lot No. 1. (See map, page 13.) In 1790 it was the Van Etten farm. Dr. Thomas Tillotson bought it, erected a mansion and resided there until his death in 1832. Dr. Federal Vanderburgh then purchased it. He sold the land west of the creek to his son-in- law, John B. James, and he sold it to his brother, Augustus James, who lived there for thirty years. He sold it in 1868 to Alfred Wild, and it is now the property of Jacob Ruppert, a wealthy brewer who has erected an up-to-date mansion and improved the sur- roundings. For beauty of location and scen- ery it has no superior. (See pages 12, 57, 104.) Its prestige remains. "The Grove" in point of time was the fourth in line. The mansion was erected by Col. Philip J. Schuyler before 1800. It is a sightly place, an attractive home. Mrs. Mary R. Miller became its owner in 1858, and it is now the residence of one of the progressive citizens of the town, her nephew, Dr. George N. Miller. (See pages 93, 99, 299.) " Wildercliffe " is next in order. Up to 1799 398 Historic Old Rhinebeck it was a Van Wagenen farm. In that year Johannes, or "Hans," Van Wagenen ex- changed lands with Rev. Freeborn Garrett- son. (See page 153.) Wilder Klippe is Dutch, meaning- wild man, or Indian. On a rock on the shore are rude figures of two Indians, one holding a tomahawk, the other a calumet or pipe. War or peace, it is for the white man to say. He said peace. The Garrettsons built a new house and moved into it in Octo- ber, 1799. Mrs. Garrettson, once led in the dance by Gen. Washington, in a letter said, "The first night we spent in family praj^er." Mrs. Olin said of this house and family : "It was a home for the Lord's people; strangers were welcomed as brethren ; and many a weary itinerant has rested there as in the Palace Beautiful. Relatives and friends came to the house year after year, and en- joyed delightful interchange of thought and feeling with Christians of different denomina- tions. How many who have enjoyed the genial hospitality of this house will recall the dignified form of the hostess, with her marked features, her soft hazel eye, the brown hair parted under the close fitting cap with its crimped muslin border, and the neatly fitting dress, always simple, yet alwa} 7 s becoming." Miss Mary Garrettson (see page 168), the Who's Who and Was 399 daughter, lived there until her death in 1879, continuing the generous hospitality for which Wildercliffe was always famous. Probably no house anywhere has entertained so many Methodist ministers, from the humblest to the greatest. H. E. Montgomery, a Wall street magnate, now makes it a summer home. "Clifton Point" was for many years the home of Hon. Freeborn Garrettson, Jr., and his distinguished family (see pages 97-8). The railroad company made a tunnel through the rocks there. It was always an attractive spot. Louis A. Ehlers became its owner after the Civil war. He recently sold it. A couple of murders in the locality gave it some noto- riety a few years ago. " Ellerslie," of well deserved fame, follows. In 1750 this was the farm of Hendricus Heer- mance. His daughter, Clartjen, married Jacobus Kip. The farm passed to the Kips by inheritance, and was in 1814 sold to Ma- turin Livingston, son-in-law of Gov. Lewis. He built a mansion on it. In 1816 James Thompson bought it. He gave it the name, "Ellerslie." In 1831 it was sold to James Warwick, and in 1841 to William Kelly. Under Mr. Kelly the acreage was increased to nearly eight hundred, covering about all of the lots three and four. (See map on page 13.) 400 Historic Old Ehinebeck Mr. Kelly not only multiplied his acres, but did what money, taste, intelligence and enter- prise could do to adorn them and increase their productiveness. The mansion, though of an ancient type, was stately and capacious, and commanded river and mountain view of great extent and beauty. It stood in the borders of a park of five hundred fenceless acres, embracing wood and meadow land, lakelets and rivulets, and every variety of natural and charming scenery. With its avenues, walks, lawns, flower plats, fruit houses, orchards, gardens and conservatories, all artistically planned and arranged, and open to the public on week days under a few indispensable restrictions, there is nothing to-day of which Rhinebeck may so justly take pride to itself, because there is nothing for which it is so widely and favorably known as the presence within its borders of the Ellers- lie park and gardens. It is now the property of Gov. Levi P. Morton, who has erected a new, modern mansion on the old site. (See pages 260, 262, 297, 373-4.) " Ferncliff " is of later date. It was se- lected and named by William Astor, who was born July 12, 1829, and died April 25, 1892. He was a son of William B., and a grandson of John Jacob Astor. His mother was Gen. Who's Who and Was 401 Armstrong's daughter. (See page 98.) His wife, Caroline Webster Schermerhorn, a lady of education, culture and refinement, recog- nized during her life as the leader of the " four hundred." William Astor was a prince among men. His public spirit was unlimited. In Florida, where he had large property interests, he explored the coast, built a rail- road, had two postoffices and a lake named in his honor — Astor, Armstrong, Schermerhorn. He refused the United States senatorship. He saved Rhinebeck from a heavy bonded indebtedness. (See page 336.) He was prom- inent in the Episcopal church, and an officer of the principal financial eleemosynary and philanthropic institutions of the State. Fern- cliff is to-day the largest estate in "ye olde town." It is owned by Col. John Jacob Astor, the son of William, and contains within its borders all that is desirable. Of Col. Astor the following is descriptive : Born at Ferncliff, July 13, 1864. Educated at St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hamp- shire. Entered Harvard in 1884 ; graduated in 1888. Traveled in Asia, Africa and South America, 1889-90. Married Miss Ava L. Will- ing, 1891. Won prizes at the Chicago World's Fair, 1893. Wrote "A Journey in Other Worlds" and "A Romance of the Future." 402 Historic Old Rhinebeck Devised a rain-making- machine and patented a bicycle brake and a pneumatic road cleaner. Built an electric motor boat. Appointed aide on Gov. Morton's staff, 1895-6. Offered his yacht free to the government at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, 1898. Equipped a mountain battery for the Philippines at a cost of $75,000. Entered the United States army as lieutenant-colonel on Gen. Shafter's staff ; saw active service before Santiago, and was present at the surrender of the Spaniards. Inherited a great fortune, estimated over $100,000,000, largely invested in city real estate. Is interested in automobiles, elec- tricity, flying machines, yachts, good roads and chemistry. Is popular in society, but cares little for show and gush. Is practical. " Ankony " is part of the original Kip pur- chase and patent. Was given its present name about 1866. (See page 8.) Now the residence of Henry Spies Kip, a descendant in direct line of the original owner. "Glenburn" is the summer home of Col. Stephen H. Olin, a well-known lawyer of high rank in his profession, and the son of Mrs. Olin of revered memory. The name of Olin in Rhine- beck is warm in the hearts of the people. " Castle-on-the-hill " is well named. It is a most appropriate location for a castle. It is Who 7 s Who and Was 403 the country seat of William Starr Miller, and is all that its name implies. "Millbank," the former home of Dr. Van- derburgh and H. G. Dyar, with the ''Fox hollow farm," is now the estate of Tracy Dows, an enterprising- townsman who believes in good roads, good stock, good crops, and good things generally. It is one of the show places of the neighborhood. "Leacote" is an old residential property formerly owned by the Wainwrights, but now the home of Douglas Merritt, a wealthy public-spirited citizen, ever striving for the betterment of local conditions and making more attractive home surroundings. He fre- quently appeals through the home newspa- per to his townspeople to remedy evils. " Stonecrest " is a new place recently opened by George D. Beattys, a lawyer of Brooklyn. A fine residence is in process of erection. "Hemlocks," east of the village, once the residence of Thomas and Albert Traver, is now occupied as a summer home by William Kinscherf, a jewelry merchant of the great city. "Steen Valetje" is on the north boundary line, and is the residence of F. H. Delano. (See pages 19, 21, and map, page 221.) 404 Historic Old Rhinebeck "Rokeby" is of Armstrong-- Astor fame, the residence of the Chanlers. (See page 98.) There are many other homes in the town well entitled to mention ; the Suckley, Finck, Swartzwalder, Stein, etc., and in the village there are any number of beautiful homes, the residences of the first citizens of "ye olde town." (See pages 73, 74, 284.) The portraits of two remarkable women, one the mother of great men and noble women, and the other her revered grand- daughter, with those of a few of the men "who was," are inserted. Here endeth "Historic Old Rhinebeck." Appendix A Indian Deed to Artsen, Roosa and Elton. B Indian Deed to Kip. C Royal Patent to Artsen-Kip. D Royal Patent to Henry Beekman. E Release, Beekman to Artsen-Kip. F Deed, De Witt to Beekman. G First Tax Assessment, 1723. H Census of 1740. I Census of Slaves, 1755. J Signers of Revolutionary Pledge. K Staatsburgh. L Red Hook. M German Village of Rheinbach. N Census, 1790. O Some Old Graves. P A Beekman Deed. Q Supervisors and Town Clerks Since 1800. R Remarks. 405 406 Historic Old Rhinebeck The first Indian deed for lands in what is now the town of Rhinebeck, is recorded in Book AA, Ulster eounty clerk's office, in Kingston, N. Y. (See page 4.) The deed is dated June 8, 1686. It is a transla- tion in English of the original, and is as follows: INDIAN DEED TO ARTSEN, ROOSA AND ELTON " Translated.— It is acknowledged by these presents that upon the 8th day of June, 1686, in the presence- of the magistrates, have Aran Kee, Kreme Much and Korra Kee, young Indians, appeared, the which do acknowledge to have sold to Gerrit Artsen, Arie Rosa and Jan Elton a certain pareell of land, lying upon the east shore, right over against the mouth of the Redout creek, bounded between a small creek and the river, the which said creek is sold to the pur- chasers. The bounds of the said land beginneth at the parting of the lands of Henry Kip, and by a small creek called, in the Indian speech, Quanelos ; and then runs right through to a great oak tree, marked and scored by the Indians; then runs south to where the uppermost creek comes into the same ; and then by the said creek to the river ; for which the said purchasers promise to pay to the aboriginal sellers, or cause to be paid, as follows : Six buffaloes, four blankets, five kettels, four guns, five horns, five axes, ten kans of powder, eight shirts, eight pairs of stockings, forty fathoms of wampum, orsewant, two drawing knives, two adzes, ten knives, half anker rum, one frying pan ; which payment shall and must be made on the 1st of November next ensuing; and with the payment the Indians are bound to give a free transport and license unto them, the which both- Appendix 407 parties promise to adhere to. The day and year as above said. His Gerrit Artsen, Aran CO Kee, mark. His Arie Roosa, Kreme O Much, mark. His Jan Elton, Korra — Kee, mark. in the presence of us Magistrates : Benjamin Provoost, His Jan X Jorken, mark. His Henry X Elison. mark. " Upon ditto the sale of the land the same Indians acknowledge to have given unto Gerrit Artsen, Arie Rosa and Jan Elton a valley situate eastward from the land bought by them, named Mansakenning, and a path to the same, upon approbation of his honor, on the 8th day of June, 1686, Kingston. I His Aran Henry Livingston, Clerk. SUPERVISORS AND TOWN CLERKS SINCE 1800 On pages 84 and 85 the names of supervisors and town clerks before 1800 are given. Since then the fol- lowing persons have held office : Supervisors — Isaac Stoutenburgh, Andrew Heermance, Peter Contine, Jr., David Van Ness, John Cox, Jr., Coert Du Bois, Christian Schell, Garret Van Keuren, Isaac F. Rus- 442 Historic Old Rhinebeck sell, Frederick I. Pultz, Henry S. Quitman, Conrad Ring, John Armstrong, Jr., James A. A. Cowles, Nicholas B. Van Steen burgh, Moses Ring, Tunis Wortman, James Monfort, Isaac I. Piatt, Jacob G. Lambert, Ambrose Wager, James C. McCarty, Wil- liam H. Brown, John N. Cramer, Richard R. Sy- lands, Theophilus Nelson, Richard J. Garrettson, Andrew J. Heermance, Smith Quick, William M. Sayre, Robert L. Garrettson, Virgil C. Traver, John O. Ostrom, Joseph H. Baldwin, James H. Kipp, Wil- liam Bergh Kip, Martin Heermance, Andrew J. Odell, John C. Milroy, George Esselstyn, John A. Traver, Mandeville S. Frost. Town clerks — Henry Shop, Henry F. Tallmadge, Garret Van Keuren, John Fowkes, Jr., Jacob Heermance, William B. Piatt, Henry De Lamater, Henry C. Hoag, Conrad Ring, Stephen A. Du Bois, Henry W. Mink, Tunis Wortman, George W. Bard, John T. McCarty, Al- bert A. Rider, Harvey M. Traver, Calvin Jennings, George H. Ackert, John D. Judson, George W. Ho- gan, Simon Welch, James A. Monfort, Jacob Ryn- ders, Edward Brooks, William H. Sipperly, William H. Hevenor, Jacob H. Potten burgh. Forty-two dif- ferent persons have held the office of supervisor during the one hundred and eight years, and twenty, seven persons the office of town clerk. The present incumbent of the latter office, Jacob H. Pottenburgh, has served for thirty-two years. Many of the super- visors served several terms. REMARKS A few words of explanation will perhaps be ex- pected and we trust appreciated. In size this book Appendix 443 has reached over one hundred pages more than was intended, yet space has proved inadequate to insert all that was desired. This is the reason for omis- sions. They could not be avoided. Actual count shows four hundred and seventy-two printed pages. The portraits of noted men and women identified with "ye olde town "is compensatory. The galaxy is certainly a valuable collection. The faces recall the past vividly. The fact that names and words are spelled differ- ently, and by present standard perhaps, incorrectly in many places, is apparent. This was necessary. In copying records, old papers, etc., the wording and spelling as found therein were strictly followed. The old style may appear queer, and is often quaint, but it was the way the old people did it. Any change would have impaired its value. It is gratifying that there is so much to tell about Rhinebeck and its peo- ple. The only regret is the inability to tell it all. INDEX The index system adopted is very simple. Any subject, name or place, can be readily found. Each •chapter is indexed in its heading. Illustrations and appendix have separate index pages. Cross-refer- ences run through the chapters. As to subjects the plan is made plain by stating that under " Churches " all are covered. Under " Names " the same. This general plan will enable the reader to quickly find any special matter sought. Academy, 217-18. Ackert, Alfred T., 199, 230, 244,818; portrait, 294. Advertisements, 15, 68, 69, 85,87,319, 334-5-6-41. Amusements, 348. Ankony, 6, 8. (See Appendix, B, C, E. ) Armstrong, Gen. John, 98. John. Jr., 89, 98. Artsen, 2, 7, 10, 11,16, 20. (See Appendix, A,C,E.) Astor, William. B., 13, 98. William, 336-7-43, 400-1. Caroline W. S., 401. Col. John Jacob, 401. Portrait, 282. Bake-kettle,346'; bees, 347. Baker, Dr. B. N., 280, 368. Baldwin, Capt. J. H., 62, 276, 336. Banks, 294, 297. Barges, 828; Berghs, 101. Bear market, 226. Beatty, John, 33, 40. Beekman, 18 to 30. Beekman Survey, 23, 220-1. Portraits, Sr. and Jr., 98. Residence, Jr., 26, 396. Mills, 22,56; dock, 24, 63. Reference to, 83 to 41, 47-9, 67 to 72, 79,80,88, 138, 229, 239, 265. (See chapter VIII; also Appendix.) Benner, John, 183, 241, 278. Benson, Egbert, 99; por- trait, 282. Billings, Josh, cited, 36-8. Blithewood Light In - fan try, 384. Bogardus, Evert, 14, 52. Everardus, 14, 229, 253- 4-5, 273. Reference to, 16, 103-4", 144,241. 259,325. Bowery, 137; house, 291. Burr, Aaron, 92-3. Business men, 315. Problems, 292. Buttermilk falls, 54. Camp-meeting woods, 231. 444 Index 445 Carroll, Wm.,280; portrait, 276. Caste,349-50; cave,3,226-7. Cemeteries, 109, 115, 138, 147, 863-9. St. Joseph's, 374. Census. 82, 85. Church lands, 136 to 138. Churches, 106 ; German Union, 106 ; Reformed, 107; "Stone," 114-123; " Old Dutch," 123-145 ; AY urtemburgh, 145- 152; Methodist, 152- 171 ; burning, 304-307 ; new, 307-309 ; Baptist, 171-183 ; village Luth- eran, 183-186 ; Episco- pal, 187-194; Hillside and Rhinecliff, 194-6; Catholic, 196-8. Civil war, 358 to 360. Clifton Point, 399. Clinton, 7, 95, 147,236. Coenties Slip, 52. Colonial times, 344 to 355. Colored people, 84, 103-5, 159, 351-5. Company C, 128th N. Y. V., 358, 362; F, K, B, 150th N. Y. V., 358-9. Cooper, J. Fenimore, 7. Dr. Ananias, 33, 88, 254, 310. Cowles, 103. 224. Cramer, 34, 58, 269, 271 , 328. John N.,60, 244, 395,411; portrait, 276. Crosby, Ernest H., 396; portrait, 396. Crystal lake, 54. Darling, Capt. N., 288. De Hart, Capt., 286 to 289. Horse, 289-90. De Lamater, Henry, 113, 259, 282, 294, 364 ; por- trait, 294. De Peyster, Gen. J. W., 288. De Witt, 21, 114, 321-2. Deeds, 6, 21-2-5-H, 32, 48, 107-8-9, 114, 121, 124 to 127, 136, 147, 154. (See chaps. VIII and XVIII ; also Appen- dix.) Docks, 7, 61,224,370. Doctors, 87-8, 309-10-11. Donation parties, 142. Doyle, 58; Dueis, 28,97. Drury's, 92, 277-8, 283, 316, Du Bois, 14, 100, 114,276-7. Ehlers, Louis A., 337, 399. Elmendorf, 52, 65. Ellerslie, 12, 399. Elton, 2, 4,10,12, 16,20,55. Esselstyn, Geo., 313, 368 r 379, 383. Ferry, 63, 65, 327, 370-1. Fire department, 385. Fires. 169,278. Flatts, 26, 56, 124-8-9, 135. Fox hollow, 57. Fulton, Peter M., 212; portrait, 396. Furniture, 293, 349. Garrettson, 97, 399. Miss Mary, 168,398. General training, 286. Glenburn, 402. Gold farms, 234. Grand Army post, 361-2. Grasmere, 29, 238, 396. 446 Historic Old Rhinebeck Grove, the, 29, 93, 397. Hart wick Seminary, 121. Heermance, 6, 12, 62, 80. Hemlocks, 403. High school, 216. Highways, 66 to 78. Hill, Edwin, 277,294, 366; portrait, 396. Hoffman, 99. Hog bridge, 4, 26. Holiday farm, 302. Home supplies, 232. Hyde Park, 95. Indian deeds, 4. Names, 3, 4, 31-2. (See Appendix.) Inn, 218, 263. James, Augustus, 397. John, not Thomas, 242. Judson,N. W. II., 190,277, 281,294; portrait, 300. Justices, 86, 273. Kelly,* Win, 180, 244, 260, 294-7, 399; portrait, 300. Kip, 2, 5, 8, 34, 65, 134, 247. Win. Bergh, portrait, 396. Kipp, James H., 230, 244. Kipsbergen, 6, 37, 61, 80-1. Kipskill, 54. Kirchehoek, 36, 106, 220. Knights of Pythias, 382-4. Kockerthal, Kev.,43, 47. Landsman, Casper, 25. Kill, 53-4. La Fayette, 241. Lawyers, 312. Leacote, 403. Leather, 347. Lewis, Morgan, 56, 92, 96 ; portrait, 96. Lin wood, 57, 397. Livingston, Margaret Beekman, 26-7. Robert R., 27, 99; Ed- ward, 96 ; portraits, 96. Henry B., 58,88 to 90. Peter R., 59 ; Francis A., 312; Lewis H.,29, 238. Locust trees, 228. Lynch, Judge James, 97. McCarty, James C. , 58, 192, 288, 313, 378-9; por- trait, 300. Mansakenning, 31-2. Marked tree, 231. Maps, 13, 24, 221-70-74. Marquardt, Conrad, 299, 337 ; portrait, 276. Mars halls, 57. Masons, 255, 375, 378-9. Ministers, 316. (See chap- ter VIII.) Mechanics, 50, 91-2, 220, 223,264,270-1-3-5 to 283. Memorial building, 373. Organ, 193, 374. M e re h a n t s , 224 , 2: }3 , 264-83 . Merritt, Douglas, 403. Milan, 74, 95, 328. Militia, the, 227. Mill men, 55 to 61. Mills, 55 to 61. Miller, Dr. Geo. N., 29, 223, 285-6, 397. Wm. Starr, 402. Mrs. Mary R., 299. Monterey, 103. Montgomery, Gen., 29, 56, 96 ; portrait, 96. Morse, Cyrus B., 192, 275, 377-9; portrait, 276. Howard II., 206, 336, 358, 378; portrait, 1. Index 44' Morton, Levi P., 262, 378-4, 400 ; portrait, 282. Mt. Rutsen, 74, 167. Names, 16,28,31, 42,51. (Nearly every page men- tions persons by name) Nelson. Dr. T., 278, 310-11 ; portrait, 294. Newspapers, 314. Odd Fellows, 376-8. Officers. 80 to 87. (See Appendix.) Old houses, 6 to 10, 266 to 209; deeds, 230. Graves T 431-2;sleigh,351. Hotel, 91, 93, 289-41, 249 to 268; ovens, 346. Ostrom, JohnG., 281, 293, 299, 337 ; portrait, 276. Palatine settlers, 42 to 51. Partition of land, 6, 13, 220-1. Patrons of Husbandry, 379-80. Pawlings, 19. Peddler, 77, 347. Pewholders, 129, 140. Pink's corner, 86. Piatt, William B., 62. 108, 163, 257, 259, 282, 294, 858, 895; portrait, 294. Politics, 242-3-4. Postmasters, 395-6. Postoffice, 68, 282. 299. Potters, 98, 251, 255, 259. Pump, the town, 94, 272. Pultz, Peter, 291. Quick, Smith, portrait, 276. AdolphusF.,138. Augustus!!., 138.378,385. Quicks, 59, 138. Quitman, Gen. John A., 102. Radcliffe, Jacob, 99; por- trait, 282. Radcliffes, 7, 99. Rut sens, 28, 56. Relics, 344. Revolutionary soldiers, 228-9. Rhinecliff, 370, 374. Rider, Albert A., 395-6. John P., 897. Rikert, R. Raymond, 285. Rokeby, 404. Roosa, 2, 4, 10. 12, 16, 19, 20, 55. Ruppert, Jacob, 78, 397. Saltford, Geo., 387. Schell, Robt., portrait, 282. Walter AV., 885. Schells, 58, 62, 101. Scholars, 172-3, 217. Schools, 164,167, 199 to 218. Schuyler, Col. P., 99; por- trait, 282. Schuylers, 8,11.20-7-8-9. Schryver, Jno. T., 184, 276. Sepasco, 8; Indians, 3. Trails, 66, 251. Sexton, 348. Shoemaker, the, 347. Slate quarry, 236-8. Slavery, 84. 351 to 355. Sloops, 15, 24, 42. 52,61. Smith. Ed. M., 25, 38, 141. 314, 431; portrait, 8(H). Soldiers' monument, 357. Spanish - American war, 360-1. Spinning wheels, 346-8. Staatsburgh, 19, 20. Starr Institute, 299. 448 Historic Old Rhinebeck Stages, 281, 317 to 324. Steen Valet je, 19, 21. Street opening, 303-4. Stonecrest, 423. Styles, 58, 174, 178. Edwin, portrait, 300. Suckleys, 28-9. Eutsen, 167, 188, 275. Thomas H., 167. Kobert B., 29, 404. Suydam, Rev. Dr. J. H., 74,144-5; portrait, 396. Tammany Hall, 90, 93,376. Taverns, 63, 81,90, 93, 137, 219, 245 to 249, 320. Teachers, 205, 217. Texas, 103. Thomson, Wm., 366-8. Thompson home, 185, 301, 302. Tillotsons, 12, 28, 57, 97, 104, 135, 139, 140, 161. Toll-gate, 75 ; rates, 77. Tomlinson.Dr. David, 310- 11, 432. Town hall, 298-9. Traphagens, 25, 34, 81, 91. Traveling in 1766, 229. Traver, Virgil C, 298, 338, 366 ; portrait, 300. John A., portrait, 396. Rev. Chester H., 316. Rev. Dr. J. G., 121. Augustus M., 298, 338- 40. Traver, Thaddeus A., 298. Tremper, Geo., 138, 395. Uhls, 72, 293. Ulster and S. Turnpike, 75. Union Iron Works, 275. Van Cortlandt, 27. Van Ettens, 12, 91, 132. Van Keurens,123, 313-429. Garret, 259; portrait.294. Van Steenberghs,33,87,92. Van Vredenburghs, 12. Van Wagenens, 11, 34,70, 81, 86, 132, 153. Vanderburghs, 397, 403. Veitch, Geo., 190,197,371-2. Village, 264 to 316. Violets, 387-93. Wager, Ambrose, 145, 187, 207, 260, 281, 313, 333, 376,379; portrait, 294. Wainwrights, 187, 403. Washington, 97, 104, 398. Water Company, 285. White corner, 258, 282-3. Wild, Alfred, 275, 333, 397. Wortman, Tunis, 93, 240-2. Wynkoops, 14, 87, 337. Young Men's Christian Association, 301. Zabriskie, Capt. And. C, 384-5. Note. — Many family names occur so often between pages 1 and 444 that reference to each page was inadvisable. DEC /